Pokémon Ranch Story

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Secret Recipe White Cut Chicken (B): Using a simple cooking method, the chicken retains its original flavor. The skin is smooth and chewy, and the meat is tender and melts in your mouth. It is a dish you must try.

Food Effects: Large HP recovery, Primal Wildness. After consumption, Pokémon have a chance to gain ancient wild power. (Note: There is a chance to trigger a special Easter egg.)

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Ancient power?

Xia Mu felt completely bewildered and couldn't figure it out.

Could it be that he can master the techniques of primal power?

This move isn't very strong either; the probability of it improving versatility is too small.

Not to mention its use in battles, it's not very useful even in daily life.

Shaking his head, Xia Mu didn't take it to heart.

Looking to the side, the fruit platter had been sitting for a few minutes, the fruit soaking up the honey and milk.

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Deluxe Fruit Platter (B): A perfect combination of more than a dozen fruits/tree nuts, sweet treats, and Moo Moo fresh milk, a dish loved by Pokémon.

Cooking Effect: Max Pokémon Friendship. After consuming, the Pokémon's friendship with you gradually increases, and this friendship level can be fixed through interaction.

A single dish can permanently increase intimacy.

When you fill a Pokémon's stomach with delicious food, it will love you dearly.

The two dishes turned out quite well, and Xia Mu served them to the table, one in each hand.

Having already smelled the delicious aroma, the Pokémon spontaneously formed a circle around the dining table, eager to begin their meal.

With a laugh and a playful rebuke, they called him a bunch of gluttons.

Xia Mu took the shabu-shabu off the fireplace and, after tearing off the foil and glancing at it, shook her head regretfully.

This kind of dish really needs an oven to be made; otherwise, it will end up like this, with some parts raw and some cooked due to uneven temperature.

【Undercooked Saburet (D-): A failed dish; perhaps the raw parts are still edible. Effect: Restores minor stamina】

"I knew it." Xia Mu said with regret, as she approached the foam squirrel apologetically.

"Sorry, Foam Chipmunk, it seems the sabelle I promised you failed to make."

"Lili!"

The foam squirrel hugged Xia Mu with its little paws, grabbed a small piece, took a bite, and held it up high for Xia Mu to see.

It's as if to say, "It's okay, Natsuki. I like any dish that Natsuki makes."

The key is Xia Mu, and being able to be with Xia Mu.

Pinch her ears and rub her head, Xia Mu was glad that she had made a lot of fruit platters, enough for the whole family.

Before the meal, Xia Mu served the chattering bird a separate bowl of fruit platter. That guy had disappeared again, and now he was coming back later and later every day.

I'll have to teach it a lesson when it comes back next time; it's just making my family worry.

Then I went to the bedroom and picked up Mini Fu from the windowsill.

The little guy slowly woke up, still in a daze, his eyes still sleepy.

Xia Mu also served Mini Fu a bowl of Moo Moo fresh milk separately. The little guy is still growing, so drinking more Moo Moo fresh milk will help him grow.

"Fufu~"

Mini Fu hugged Xia Mu's fingers and gave him a kiss on the cheek to express her affection.

After settling the two special little guys in, Xia Mu sat down at the dining table, and all the Pokémon looked at him.

"Why are you all looking at me? Dinner's ready!"

Chapter 42 The Gluttonous Mud Donkey

The bright yellow candlelight flickered in the darkness, dispelling the gloom on the desk.

Foam Chipmunk held Mini Fu in his arms, the two little ones curiously peering out, while Xia Mu recorded in the ledger.

Spring of 1988, January 30th.

Income: 0

Expenses: 3 Buzzing Bats, 1 Miniature Fou, 1 Motor Lizard, 300 food items for the party = 20000

Remaining funds: 26500

With only 20000 left, Xia Mu felt a surge of urgency.

At this rate, when will we ever accumulate 100000 Alliance Coins?!

It seems that for tomorrow night's beach festival, we'll have to show some real skill and prepare some special and rare dishes.

Xia Mu had a vague idea in his mind.

If successful, it will sell like hotcakes.

Squeeze the big, foamy chinchilla ears that yawn at the sight of words, Xia Mu put the miniature Fu back into the flowerpot and sprinkled some fertilizer to promote growth into the soil.

After finishing these tasks, Xia Mu urged Mini Fu to go to sleep quickly.

Looking back, I saw the Motor Lizard lying in front of the fireplace, its eyelids drooping.

Even though she was so sleepy, she would occasionally turn her head to look at Xia Mu to see if he had gone to sleep.

Now, meeting Xia Mu's gaze, the Motor Lizard happily wagged its tail.

"You're so sleepy, and you still have to wait for me to get together."

I went up and patted the motor lizard; its back was still warm.

I added some more firewood to the fireplace to make sure it was still warm at night, since Motolizard is a Pokémon that is very afraid of the cold.

After finishing all that, before going to sleep, Xia Mu took another walk around the donkey hut and the buzzing bat cave. The mud donkeys were sleeping soundly, while the buzzing bats were full of energy.

I almost forgot, the prototype of the buzzing bat is the bat, and being active at night is their habit.

With them around, the ranch is also guarded by Pokémon at night.

After instructing the Noctua and the others not to disturb the other Pokémon's sleep, Natsuki returned to the cabin.

The food left under the eaves was eaten by noisy birds, but the person was nowhere to be found.

After checking on each of the Pokémon, Xia Mu quickly washed up, then lay down on the bed with Foam Squirrel in her arms and soon fell asleep.

......

The next day, I had breakfast with my Pokémon.

After completing his daily field patrol on a motorcycle lizard, Xia Mu's workday was over.

Most of the tasks were done by the Pokémon, so he had to take it easy.

It wasn't exactly easy. Xia Mu was preparing for the beach festival that evening, and he was trying to make some special dishes.

Hmm! A dish I've never seen before, as peculiar as mud cake.

At the beach festival, everyone will definitely show off their culinary skills.

Despite competing with so many excellent chefs, Xia Mu was still intimidated.

He knows his own situation; he's just a half-baked expert.

To stand out, one has to resort to some clever tricks and ingenious techniques.

Despite having already prepared a mud cake, Xia Mu remained hesitant about whether the ingredients in front of her could be used to create food that Pokémon would like.

"Phew! Let's give it a try."

Just do it.

Once Natsuki had made up her mind, she immediately got to work.

Pick up the sweetener from the side and pour it into the pre-treated mud, then mix the two thoroughly.

It is then poured into a pre-made mold to fix it in place.

Wrap it in tin foil and bake it over a fire.

When Natsuki cooks, there are always Pokémon around to watch over her, and this time is no exception.

The kangaroo stared wide-eyed, too shocked to speak.

A tiny child, with a great deal of doubt.

"Lung long~" (Xia Mu, what are you doing?! Can this really be called delicious food?)

The kangaroo expressed its confusion.

"I can't get there either! I'll just give it a try anyway." Xia Mu shrugged nonchalantly.

He felt that the success rate was quite high.

After all, if a cake made of mud is considered a dish, why shouldn't a cookie baked in mud be?

The result came quickly; a semi-transparent interface unfolded before his eyes.

[Mud Cookies (Honey Flavor) (D): A strange dish. Because it uses mud as an ingredient, ordinary Pokémon cannot eat it, but it is loved by some Pokémon. Effect: After consumption, it accelerates the Pokémon's energy accumulation.]

Accelerate energy accumulation?

If he understands correctly, this can shorten the evolution time of Pokémon.

Many Pokémon in their third stage require a large amount of energy to reach their final evolution form.

It is known that many Pokémon will transform into a cocoon or similar form during the second phase, sacrificing most of their battle power to accelerate this process.

Common examples include the Caterpie and Weedle family, while rarer ones include the Larvitar family, known for their late-blooming success. There are even examples among legendary Pokémon, such as Cosmom, the second form of Alola Sun and Moon.

Acceleration means that Pokémon can quickly complete the accumulation process and transform into their final form.

Xia Mu wanted to try it, but he didn't have a suitable Pokémon around him.

He beckoned to the clay donkeys, letting them taste what they thought.

Muddon isn't the only Pokémon that eats dirt; most Rock-type Pokémon do.

It doesn't matter if it doesn't work, but the taste has to be good.

When the mud donkey received its new food, it first took a small bite and chewed it carefully. Then, its half-closed eyes widened.

They quickly finished off the mud biscuits.

"It seems to taste pretty good, and it suits your tastes."

"Nini~"

Mud Donkey nodded vigorously, and the three little ones surrounded him, rubbing against his trouser leg and begging for more.

Xia Mu moved the mud donkeys over and poked their little bellies, "Have one last piece!"

Compared to the precarious existence in the wild, where food and shelter are uncertain, the mud donkeys live a much more comfortable life on the pasture.

I have a bowl of pumpkin porridge every day, and every two days I have mud cake as a snack.

They eat a lot but don't burn much calories. They've been at the ranch for less than a month, and their little bellies are already bulging.

She has grown more than a size larger than when she first arrived.

Seeing Xia Mu's serious expression, Mud Donkey Brayed, "Mini!" Okay! Let's eat the last piece.

"Three little gluttons."

Xia Mu tapped each of their heads and instructed, "You should exercise more every day so that you can stay healthy."

Clearly, the mud-covered donkeys didn't listen.

Biting the mud biscuits that Xia Mu handed them, the three little ones wagged their bottoms and made a strategic move.

The effects of the mud biscuits appeared gradually; after the mud donkeys frolicked in the mud pit for a while, their stomachs growled loudly.

I usually don't get hungry until noon.