Pokémon Ranch Story

Just as the big milk can was sharing its sights outside the pasture with its riding lambs through the fence, a figure came galloping down from the distant hill.

A Pokémon with a body covered in fur and a beard as long as its body has appeared.

Long-haired dog, a common sheepdog.

They are widely distributed in ranches throughout the Alliance.

Together with the Growlithe family, the Chipdog family, and the Rock Dog family, they are known as the three giants of sheepdogs.

Isn't it common knowledge that the Big Three have four members?

Xia Mu's gaze wasn't on the long-haired dog, but on the person on its back.

With his dark skin and robust physique, he looked like someone who was good at farm work.

Meeting the other party's wary gaze, Xia Mu took the initiative to introduce herself to dispel any doubts.

“Hello, my name is Xia Mu, and I am the ranch owner of the ranch by the sea.” Xia Mu pointed to the three large milk cans. “I met them by chance in the back mountain, saw their identification tags, and brought them back with the help of the chattering birds.”

When Xia Mu introduced himself as a rancher, the wariness on the other person's face turned into a smile.

"So it was you who bought that abandoned ranch!"

"I was planning to visit you, but I didn't expect these three to delay me until now."

The other person looked apologetic, "I'm really sorry."

"My name is Ding Zhi, and I am the ranch owner of this ranch."

After exchanging names, Xia Mu entered the ranch at the other's warm invitation.

Unlike Xia Mu's ranch, most of it is still in a state of abandonment.

The other party's ranch was thriving.

Large tracts of farmland were divided into plots, each covered with a variety of crops.

But strawberries made up the majority of the food.

The branches were bent low with unripe fruit, and it seemed that a bumper harvest would be in sight soon.

"Brother Dingzhi, you planted all these strawberries, and they're growing really well."

Xia Mu sincerely praised it, saying that there was still much for him to learn about planting.

"Hahaha!" Ding Zhi smiled, the praise from his peers was undoubtedly the best recognition of his hard work.

“Growing strawberries isn’t difficult. I’ll explain it to you in detail later. I also have some strawberry seeds here that I’ll give you.”

"It's too expensive."

Xia Mu waved his hands repeatedly.

He had learned about strawberry seeds when he first started buying them.

A small bag costs 100 Alliance Coins.

This was something Xia Mu could not afford before.

"You're welcome. I don't know how to thank you enough for helping me return the milk tankers!"

"These strawberry seeds are just what I had left over from planting; they won't cost much."

"Alright! Then I'll shamelessly accept it."

It wouldn't be good to refuse again.

In a few days, he can catch some sea fish as a return gift.

The two arrived at the ranch cabin, where a middle-aged woman with brown hair approached them.

“Xia Mu, this is my lover, and we run the ranch together.”

"Hello Xia Mu, just call me Penny. Thank you for bringing the big milk tanks back. Ding Zhi and I were so worried about them. If you have any questions about feeding them in the future, feel free to contact me."

"Haha~ Penny is a junior breeder! You can ask her any questions about Pokémon."

Junior Breeder!

Xia Mu's eyes lit up.

No wonder this ranch raises so many ranch Pokémon.

Rapidash, One-Horned Rhinoceros, Tauros, Dodori.

They exist in vast stretches on the pastures.

The difficulty level of League-certified junior trainers is equivalent to that of advanced trainers.

The number of applicants exceeds ten million every year, with an acceptance rate of around 1%.

Comparable to Xia Mu's previous life taking the civil service exam, it's like a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge.

In contrast, the pass rate for the elite trainer assessment is barely one in a thousand.

The difficulty is so high that it's no exaggeration to call it steel walking.

Chapter 16 Lure the Mud Donkey

"Let's taste it. What's the difference between the Moo Moo fresh milk produced in our Big Milk Tank and the milk produced in Manjin City? What are the differences?"

During the conversation, Xia Mu revealed his basic situation, which led to the scene that is unfolding now.

Ding Zhi's older brother and Penny's older sister learned that he had previously tasted the top-quality milk produced by the ranch under the Manjin City Dojo.

He volunteered to bring out fresh milk from his own ranch so that the diner could give him his opinion.

How much does it fall short of those top-quality milks?

Upon receiving this cup of freshly squeezed milk, which was no more than an hour old, a golden finger interface unfolded before my eyes, displaying detailed information about the milk.

MooMoo Fresh Milk: A premium ingredient, milk produced from a large, well-bred dairy farm, but it's still a step below top-quality fresh milk.

Milk produced by large milk tankers has a unique flavor that varies depending on the food the tankers eat.

A subtle strawberry flavor lingers in the throat, the texture is smooth and creamy.

It is a rare and precious item.

However, the taste is still somewhat inferior to top-quality products.

Xia Mu shared his views with Ding Zhi and his wife.

After a moment of silence, Penny said, "Thank you, Xia Mu. With this result, we are even more confident that we can cultivate top-quality milk."

"Then I wish you success in advance, and I want to be the first to taste it."

"no problem."

The three of them enjoyed the pastries and chatted.

Generally speaking, Xia Mu was asking questions, and Ding Zhi and his wife were answering.

Xia Mu mainly asked questions about the ranch.

Ding Zhi and his team were happy to answer questions and provided Xia Mu with many ideas.

Xia Mu had a vague plan for the ranch in his mind.

"Oh, by the way, did Xia Mu go to the back mountain to pick wild produce?"

"no."

Xia Mu gently shook his head and told the two of them his thoughts.

"If you were alone, you would definitely need Pokémon to help manage the farmland before you could do other things."

After a moment's thought, Penny suggested, "It would be best to have a Pokémon that knows the Till move, so that we can leave the farmland to it to manage without any problems."

Tillage: One of the Ground-type moves, tilling the soil to make it easier for vegetation to grow.

It is indeed the best choice for Xia Mu. With such a Pokémon, Xia Mu can share most of the pressure and continue to cultivate wasteland and repair various facilities on the farm.

"However, Pokémon that know the Tillage move are not easy to find." Penny changed the subject, sounding rather regretful.

Of the thousands of Pokémon currently known and discovered in the Pokémon world, only about 16 can master farming moves through various methods.

Most of them are the final evolved form, and the other party may not necessarily come to the farm.

Uncle Ding Zhi, who had been silent all along, suddenly clapped his hands and said, "Penny, Xia Mu, I encountered one of these Pokémon not long ago."

Both pairs of eyes turned to look at him, and Ding Zhi began to speak eloquently.

"The day before yesterday, when I was looking for the big milk can with the long-haired dog, I saw the mud donkey in the grassland near the direction of Biyi City."

“They look so cute covered in mud, you should grant them your request, Natsuki.”

"A mud-covered donkey?"

Xia Mu recalled information about the mud donkey, which seemed to fit his ranch perfectly.

Not only can they master farming techniques, but they can also haul goods.

Don't underestimate this little mud donkey; it's surprisingly strong.

It is one of the Pokémon commonly found among livestock in the countryside.

With a group of mud donkeys helping out, Xia Mu no longer needs to worry about the unsold crops produced on the ranch.

Having made up his mind, Xia Mu had no time to spare. He asked Brother Ding Zhi about the exact range of the mud donkeys' activities, and then called over the foam squirrel and kangaroo that were playing with the lambs nearby.

While it was still early, Xia Mu bid farewell to Ding Zhi and his wife and embarked on a journey to find the Mud Donkey, heading towards the area where the Mud Donkey was active.

The area where the mud donkey lives is very easy to identify, and there is no possibility of mistaking it.

Xia Mu found them effortlessly.

Amidst the vast expanse of grass, a bald patch suddenly appeared, exposing the soil.

Several mud donkeys, who were frolicking and playing in the mud, sensed the unfamiliar presence and, startled, stood back to back, crouching down and emitting threatening growls.

"Has it been discovered?"

I had planned to sneak up on them, but now I have no choice but to show myself.

Xia Mu gently patted the kangaroo's head, gesturing for him to come closer.

Taking the secret weapon from the foam squirrel, Natsuki jumped off the kangaroo and strolled to the muddy ground.

First, we need to dispel the mud donkeys' wariness.

With a flick of his wrist, Xia Mu tossed three plump carrots over.

If he remembers correctly, wild mud donkeys have a great need for green fodder.

Normally, they can only graze on grass nearby, which doesn't taste very good and isn't very nutritious; at best, it just keeps them from going hungry.

The vegetables picked at the Dingzhi couple's ranch are extremely attractive to them.

At first, the mud donkeys didn't react at all.

It stared warily at the marsupial; it was a huge monster.

The aura emanating from the opponent was even more terrifying than that of the Fire Lion, the overlord of this grassland.

The mud donkeys' legs were trembling, and they had to stand back to back to avoid collapsing to the ground in fright.

Xia Mu wasn't in a hurry; he just kept feeding her.

More and more carrots, cabbages, and small pumpkins were thrown over. Seeing the food all over the ground, the animals could no longer hold back. They carefully strolled over, lowered their heads, and began to feast.

"Nini~" So delicious, so delicious!

One of them started eating voraciously, completely disregarding its image.

The other two imitated, and the three mud donkeys all showed happy expressions.

This is a delicacy they have never eaten before.

The fastest way to conquer a Pokémon is through its stomach, and that's certainly true.

Under the relentless pressure of the food tactic, the mud donkeys gradually lowered their guard.

As the underground vegetables were gradually eaten up, and the mud donkeys were saddened, Xia Mu threw out another carrot.