Pokémon Ranch Story

"You can have that bowl of noodles with soybean paste from the foamy squirrel too."

The foamy squirrel next to him, having just taken a sip of coconut soup, had its eyes shining and carefully picked up the bowl to look at Xia Mu.

"Lili"

"It's delicious, isn't it!" Xia Mu touched it. "And there's more, so don't worry about not having enough."

Xia Mu pointed to the container filled with coconut soup, which was still full.

Even with their small size, foam squirrels don't seem to lose much weight when they're full.

"Burp~ I'm so full."

After a satisfying meal, Xia Mu and his Pokémon lay on the grass, enjoying a wonderful post-meal time.

Without realizing it, Xia Mu closed her eyes.

-------

The afternoon sun gilded the sea with a layer of shattered gold, and the waves, carrying foam, pounded the beach. Every now and then, a red carp would get stranded, trying to leap about ineffectively, only to be swept back into the sea by the waves.

"Pah, it's you again, Magikarp."

On a corner of the beach, under a parasol, even with sunglasses on, his speechless expression was hard to hide.

As Xia Mu took the carp from under the fishing rod, he became increasingly angry.

With three loud slaps, Magikarp was thrown back into the sea.

Five times already, five times.

They're all the same Magikarp.

They really treat this place like a buffet.

Again, again, tonight we'll have carp soup.

Xia Mu thought fiercely, but quickly reeled in his line.

I'll change my location; I don't believe you'll come back.

This time, I waited for a full half hour.

No mouth, no mouth, still no mouth.

Even though it sees the fish, it won't bite.

Since that's the case, then don't blame me for using underhanded tactics.

To avoid being caught off guard, Natsuki made preparations in advance.

Take out a plastic bottle from the empty fish bucket; inside are kernels of golden, fully fermented corn.

Fermented Corn (D): A dish that seems impressive but is actually quite mysterious, the last vestige of dignity for a fisherman.

Cooking effect: Never fails to produce a kill; extremely attractive to fish and fish-type Pokémon.

Not only did Xia Mu hang fermented corn on the hook and recast the line, but he also scattered some around to attract the corn.

Next comes the waiting—waiting for final victory.

Xia Mu's gaze fell on the two adorable little creatures not far from him.

The kangaroo and the foam squirrel sat cross-legged, building a sandcastle that was already quite nascent.

Just as Xia Mu shifted his gaze away from the fish, the float suddenly sank, and the fishing rod bent downwards.

Got attacked!

That's how fishing is; you can focus intently on it but still not get a bite.

If you lose focus, it becomes a sneak attack, designed to catch people off guard.

Fortunately, Xia Mu reacted quickly and grabbed the long pole with lightning speed.

Hold on tight, turn the reel to let out the line, and simultaneously stand the rod upright.

Feeling the force transmitted through the fishing rod, Xia Mu was in a great mood.

It's quite heavy; it must be a big fish.

Fishing is essentially a struggle, a tug-of-war to see who runs out of energy first.

Especially when catching big fish, you can't be impatient.

Half an hour later, Xia Mu looked at the dark shadow beneath the azure sea and knew that the struggle had ended.

Lean back and exert force with both arms.

The kangaroo and foam squirrel beside them blinked their eyes, filled with curiosity.

咻咻 咻 ~

A silvery arc burst open on the water's surface, and a dark shadow uncontrollably leaped out of the sea, its shadow flying over the top of Xiamutou and landing on the beach.

A Pokémon resembling a plesiosaur, with its main body being sea blue, stands on the beach, a fishhook hanging from a crevice in its shell.

"Oh, it's a Laplace's! No wonder it's so hard to catch."

Xia Mu wiped the sweat from his forehead with a sense of relief.

Judging from its size, this one is not yet an adult. If it were an adult Laplace, it's uncertain who would be fishing for whom.

Just as Xia Mu was expressing his feelings, Laplace angrily slapped his fins.

It would be very angry if a Pokémon were swimming happily in the sea and suddenly got caught in a trap.

Even the good-natured Laplace was no exception.

The water gun is ready to fire.

Ah!

It's just building up its momentum, not waiting for it to take any action.

The foam squirrel jumped onto its back, tapping its tail repeatedly.

"Lap~"

(Ouch, ouch, ouch! Sir, I'm a law-abiding citizen!)

Chapter 9 Giant Creatures, Top-Tier Ingredients

"Alright, Foam Chipmunk, let go of Laplace."

Reaching out to catch the foam squirrel that jumped towards him, Xia Mu praised him generously, "You did a great job!"

A large hand pinches the ear, and the foam squirrel squirms its eyes, purring contentedly.

After praising the foam squirrel, his gaze fell on little Laplace.

If he remembers correctly, Lapras is a social Pokémon.

If Laplace Jr. were to leave like this, he would most likely end up wandering the streets.

Since he lured me into this situation, I have to take responsibility.

If the Laplace tribe discovers that a member of their tribe has gone missing, they will definitely turn back to search for them.

Compared to searching in the vast ocean, waiting in this area is the best option.

"Alright! Put your limbs down now."

There's only one Laplace in the world who would raise his hands in surrender.

"Little Laplace, you can play around here for now, but you can't leave my sight, understand?"

"Lap~"

So strict, just like the clan chief.

After instructing the kangaroos to help look after the corn, Xia Mu re-hung up the fermented corn.

This time we're sure to catch a big fish.

Little Laplace had found playmates again, and the previous unpleasantness vanished instantly. He quickly became good friends with the Kangaskhan and the others.

The friendship between Pokémon is that simple.

The laughter that occasionally reached his ears improved Xia Mu's bad mood, which had been worse than before because he hadn't caught any fish.

"Hey~"

Suddenly, the fishing rod bent at a ninety-degree angle in an instant.

Before Xia Mu could even get his hands on it, the fishing rod flew straight out and floated on the sea surface, still sinking.

"Lappo~"

Immediately following was Laplace's figure, the little guy chased after it, bit the fishing rod, and pulled it back with great effort.

The creatures underwater can be quite large.

This time, another huge fish took the bait.

"That's it, Laplace, I'll make you something delicious later."

Xia Mu watched eagerly as Laplace performed, seeing it bite the fishing rod and drag it back.

If I hadn't had Laplace today, not only would my newly bought fishing rod have flown away, but I would have wasted an entire afternoon.

It's only right to treat Laplace to a good meal.

After struggling with the giant sea creature, Laplace successfully returned to the shallows.

He rolled up his trousers, stepped into the water, and took the fishing rod from her.

A tremendous force suddenly came from his hand, almost sending him flying.

Xia Mu was not surprised but happy.

It didn't run away; the giant thing is still there.

Xia Mu had personally experienced Laplace's power; a giant aquatic creature had struggled with it, yet it seemed to exert very little effort.

Through the fishing line, Natsuki could clearly feel the other's struggle. The fishing rod bent at a ninety-degree angle again, as if the other had immense strength.

Having made preparations, Xia Mu would not back down.

His expression was tense, and his demeanor was more serious than ever before.

Lower your center of gravity and forcefully stabilize and straighten the fishing rod.

The continuous reeling in and letting out of the fishing line wears down the strength of the large creature in the water.

Fishing is not only a tug-of-war but also a war of attrition.

Xia Mu's main strategy is to advance when the fish retreat, harass when the fish stay, attack when the fish are tired, and pursue when the fish retreat.

This ensures that the giant creature in the water has no time to rest.

"coming!"

Xia Mu wiped the sweat from his face with his shoulder. The two sides had been locked in a stalemate for more than an hour before they finally caught sight of each other.

Beneath the deep blue sea, a dark shadow, as indelible as ink, rises to the surface.

thump…

The pink fish tail slapped the water's surface and disappeared in a flash.

At the same time, another tremendous force came.

Xia Mu understood that this was the opponent's last move, and victory was just around the corner.

The closer we get to the present, the less we can afford to be distracted.

While catching her breath, Xia Mu teased her a little and then slowly reeled in the line.

Every now and then, it would provoke a fierce resistance from the other party, at which point Xia Mu would immediately stop.

By repeatedly reeling in and letting out the line, the full view of the giant creature in the water gradually becomes visible.

It was estimated to be at least two meters long and was a huge pink creature.