At 5:00 PM sharp, Zac arrived to collect the goods.
But today, Leo had nothing to sell.
Perhaps Koraidon's "dynamite fishing" the previous two days had been too effective, causing a significant drop in the fish population nearby. Leo had only managed to catch three ordinary Bass.
Zac seemed accustomed to this and even comforted Leo.
"It's perfectly normal. Fishing relies on luck, and yours has already been great. Some people can sit by the river all day and not catch a single fish!"
Leo: "..."
So, I got skunked?
Selling the three Bass for 600 League Dollars, Leo wondered if he should go fishing in the sea west of Porto Marinada.
The river fish had been nearly wiped out, and it would likely take some time for the population to recover.
With the crops still growing, fishing was his only source of income for now.
But Leo wasn't in a rush. After all, the most important thing right now was getting the Coop built.
After washing himself and the two Pokémon clean at the tap, Leo returned to the cabin to prepare dinner.
There were no Rainbow Trout left, only some smoked sausages and ham. These were common deli items at the Porto Marinada Market.
They were easy to store and wouldn't spoil for days at room temperature—perfect for a place without a fridge.
However, sandwiches made with smoked sausage and ham had no special effects.
Despite this, Koraidon and Cyclizar ate happily.
It reminded Leo of a saying from his past life: A dog doesn't despise its poor home.
In this world, Pokémon were like family dogs. Once they recognized you as their owner, they wouldn't care if you were rich or poor; they would never despise you.
Moreover, Pokémon lived alongside humans, and given their emotions and intelligence, Leo felt "family" was a more appropriate term than "pet."
As for Caterpie...
Leo knew it had been practicing its moves outside all day, occasionally snacking on fresh green leaves when tired.
After munching all day, it probably wasn't very hungry now.
It hadn't even come back inside. Leo went out to check and found it sleeping soundly in a large tree on the ranch.
It seemed Caterpie preferred the big tree outside to the house.
After dinner, exhausted from the day's work, Leo went to bed early.
Meanwhile, in the back mountain.
A blond boy, about ten years old, crawled out of a ditch, looking utterly wretched.
His Naranja Academy uniform was caked in mud and damp, rotting leaves.
The boy looked down at his filthy clothes with disdain, then sat against a tree, looking like he wanted to cry but had no tears left.
The boy's name was Carter, a first-year student at Naranja Academy. Two days ago, he had left the school for an outdoor extracurricular activity, only to get lost halfway.
He had intended to keep walking forward, hoping to find an inhabited area, but then it started to rain.
The rain lasted all day, trapping him in a cave.
When the rain finally stopped, he came out to look around, only to fall into a ditch. Not only were his clothes ruined, but he also scraped his leg.
His food was long gone. Carter leaned against a tree, enduring his hunger, his face a mask of despair.
"I wonder if Delibird found a town nearby... Ah, this sucks! If I knew this would happen, I wouldn't have signed up for this outdoor class!"
Earlier that afternoon, Carter had released his only Pokémon, a Delibird, asking it to scout from the air for signs of human habitation.
Suddenly, the cry of a Delibird came from the sky.
Carter looked up quickly, a look of surprise on his face.
Watching the Delibird land in front of him, Carter asked eagerly, "Did you find a town nearby?"
"Bi-bi!"
Delibird nodded and pulled a blue Berry from the white sack it carried, handing it to its trainer.
"You found this just for me?" Carter held the Berry, moved to tears. He hugged Delibird tightly. "Thank you so much, Delibird!"
"Bi-bi!"
Delibird gasped for breath in the tight hug.
Fortunately, Carter let go quickly. He took a bite of the Berry, his energy renewed. "Alright! Let's keep moving!"
"Bi-bi!"
With Delibird leading the way, Carter followed closely behind.
After walking for over an hour under the moonlight, a dark wooden cabin appeared ahead.
"Is that... a small wooden cabin?" Carter was a bit disappointed; he had expected a bustling human town.
But then he noticed the farmland. This seemed to be a ranch.
"Bi-bi!"
Delibird nodded, indicating that this was where it had seen signs of human activity.
"It's better than nothing. Better than being lost in the mountains," Carter thought. He walked up and knocked on the door. "Hello? Excuse me? Is anyone home?"
Soon, footsteps approached from inside.
The light turned on, and the door opened to reveal a tall, thin young man.
Leo looked at the mud-covered boy in front of him, surprise flashing across his face. "You are?"
Carter quickly introduced himself. "Hello! I'm Carter, a student at Naranja Academy. I accidentally got lost in the mountains... Could you tell me how far the nearest town is?"
Leo glanced at him. "On foot? About three hours."
"Huh? That far?" Carter was dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.
His stamina was severely depleted; he definitely couldn't make it that far.
Leo looked at the school emblem on the boy's chest, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Come in. Looking at you, I doubt you can walk any further. Just spend the night here."
Carter was overwhelmingly grateful. "Thank you so much! We won't stay for free; I'll pay for the room!"
"Forget it. It's no trouble. No need for payment."
From the original owner's memories, Leo knew that hotel fees in this world weren't high—the cheapest inns cost only about 200 League Dollars a night.
Thinking this, Leo stepped aside.
Hearing this, Carter was even more touched.
What a good person!
He walked into the room with Delibird.
From the outside, the wooden cabin looked small, but the facilities inside were very complete.
A single bed, a desk, a cupboard used as a partition, and a lit fireplace.
The wooden floor was spotless; the environment was clean and tidy.
The owner must be a very neat person, Carter thought.
Worried about dirtying the floor, Carter took off his shoes before entering, stepping inside in just his long socks.
Just then, his gaze was drawn to the two Pokémon lying by the bed.
A Cyclizar... and a crimson Pokémon he had never seen before.
Although he had never seen it, his intuition as a trainer screamed at him: That Pokémon is not ordinary!