Passing through the back door, Leo found himself in an area enclosed by a transparent glass dome.
It looked a bit like Professor Oak's backyard from the anime—rivers, grass, trees, caves, and lakes, everything was there.
Artificially raised Pokémon ran carefree or rested in the shade.
Leo's gaze swept over them, silently reciting their names in his mind: "Miltank, Wooloo, Smoliv, Nacli, Garganacl, Alcremie..."
Undoubtedly, these were all Pokémon that could be raised on a ranch.
The kindly, hunchbacked old man with white hair at his temples clasped his hands behind his back. He led the way while introducing the Pokémon and animals in his "Happy Ranch."
"I raised all these children myself. Every one of them is healthy and has a very docile personality, just waiting for a new owner to take them home."
Sure enough, the playing Pokémon cast curious glances at Leo following the old man.
Leo looked in surprise at the group of Nacli surrounding a Garganacl and couldn't help asking, "Nacli can be raised too?"
"Of course!" The old man chuckled. "Don't underestimate them. In ancient times, they were very important Pokémon. For humans living on this land, these children were indispensable."
Leo recalled Nacli's characteristics and asked, "Because they produce salt?"
"That's right!" The old man nodded. "Nacli's body is made of very precious rock salt. Whenever they walk on the ground, their bodies are worn down by the friction, leaving behind large amounts of salt traces."
"By collecting this salt, you can get a bottle of very precious rock salt. Of course, this doesn't harm their bodies. As long as they want to, their bodies can generate new salt at any time to replenish it."
"When they evolve into Naclstack and Garganacl, that salt becomes even more nutritious, rich in various minerals. If you sprinkle the salt rubbed off by a Garganacl on an injured Pokémon, no matter how heavy the injury, it can heal!"
"Moreover, dishes made with this salt taste even more delicious. Their market price is much higher than Miltank's Moomoo Milk!"
Hearing this, Leo understood. He then asked about the price of a Nacli. "How much do they cost?"
Old Man: "One Nacli costs 10,000 League Dollars."
Ten thousand...
It sounded a bit expensive, but calculating the value a Nacli could bring, Leo felt it was actually cheap.
With a Nacli, he wouldn't need to buy salt from outside anymore. Besides personal use, he could sell the excess, quickly earning back the cost.
Even so, this price was a bit steep for the currently cash-strapped Leo.
He clicked his tongue mentally, felt the bills in his pocket, and sighed.
Sigh! Let's wait until this season's crops are harvested!
In the meantime, he could try his luck in the back mountain to see if he could find any rare wild goods to sell.
However, fishing and foraging were inconsistent and relied on luck.
Reality wasn't a game. The number of fish in a body of water was limited. After large-scale fishing, it would be hard to catch fish there again.
Unless he changed locations.
The map of the area around the ranch surfaced in Leo's mind.
West of the ranch, past Porto Marinada, was the endless Paldean Sea, which had richer seafood resources.
North of the ranch, over the back mountain and through a forest, was Casseroya Lake, where more freshwater fish could be caught.
"Since there's still some time before the crops mature, I can ask Koraidon to take me to check out those two places."
Leo planned his next moves.
If he remembered correctly, Casseroya Lake was home to the very rare Pokémon, Dratini.
Its final evolution, Dragonite, was smart and powerful.
Once the ranch prospered, he could develop an offline business, allowing people in town to order fresh milk directly from the ranch.
Then, he could use the fast-flying Dragonite for deliveries.
Led by the old man, Leo toured the ranch and saw some very special Pokémon.
Like milk-producing Miltank, fluffy Wooloo, olive oil-producing Smoliv, fruit-gathering Noibat, and whipped cream-producing Alcremie.
Alcremie was made entirely of cream, emitting a sweet, milky fragrance that made anyone smelling it feel intensely happy.
When Leo walked near it, he swallowed several times.
Noticing his reaction, the cute little Alcremie shivered and hid behind a tree, looking as if it feared being eaten if it stayed any longer.
The old man laughed at this scene and comforted Alcremie, "Don't be afraid, this is the new rancher in town."
Soothed by the old man, Alcremie's fear subsided significantly.
The old man smiled at Leo. "It's a very special Pokémon too! Currently, there are 63 confirmed forms of Alcremie, and each form produces cream with a different flavor.
"For example, the cream this little one makes is Vanilla flavored. Over there, we have an Alcremie that makes Caramel Swirl flavored cream!"
Hearing this made Leo hungry.
After the tour, the two returned to the front desk.
The old man took a price list from a drawer and said, "Take a look. What kind of animals and Pokémon do you want to buy?"
Leo looked down. The prices for each Pokémon were clearly marked.
Ordinary Animals: Rooster (600), Hen (800), Duck (800)
Pokémon: Combee (2,500), Smoliv (2,500), Alcremie (2,600), Noibat (3,000), Wooloo (10,000), Miltank (20,000), Nacli (10,000)
Feed: Chicken Feed (50/portion), Cattle/Sheep Feed (100/portion), Sweet Feed (100/portion), Salty Feed (100/portion)
Looking at the prices, Leo asked, "How much is one portion of feed?"
"About two kilograms. These feeds are made from berries mixed with edible salt, flour, eggs, and other materials. One portion is enough for a Pokémon to eat for half a month."
The old man looked down at the list and introduced them one by one:
"Chicken feed is made of cornmeal mixed with grains; one portion lasts a month. Cattle/Sheep feed is dried hay; Miltank and Wooloo don't eat much, so one portion lasts about half a month."
"As for Combee and Noibat, you don't need to provide food. As long as you give them a place to live, they'll forage on their own. Noibat will bring back various fruits and berries for you."
"Combee is different. They live in hives. To raise them, you need a flower field on the ranch."
"With a flower field, they will collect nectar daily and bring it back to the hive to make Sweet Honey."
Leo nodded, understanding.
"My current savings are about 14,500. I can buy ten hens and one rooster."
That was Leo's original plan. He intended to save the rest for groceries.
But now, looking at the Pokémon on the list, he decided to change his plan.
He would reduce the number of hens and buy an Alcremie and a Smoliv first.
Alcremie could produce cream, helping him make Grass Cake.
Smoliv could produce olive oil, saving him money on cooking oil.
That would leave him with 9,400.
"Hmm, then I'll buy three hens and one rooster, plus four portions of chicken feed and three portions of Sweet Feed. That should be about right."
The remaining money would be saved for emergencies.
Thinking this, Leo made his decision. "I want to buy three hens, one rooster, one Alcremie, and one Smoliv."
The old man nodded with a smile. "Okay, I'll have someone deliver them to your ranch later."
Leo: "The location is..."
He was about to give the detailed address, but the old man shook his head. "No need, I know the place."
Leo was surprised. "Huh?"
The old man smiled nostalgically. "I was friends with your grandfather. When he was alive, I often visited him. I even held you when you were little, though you probably don't remember."
"I see!" Leo realized.
Speaking of this, the old man crouched down, rummaged in the counter for a while, and finally took out a glass jar.
He handed the jar over. "This is rock salt produced by Garganacl. Take it back and try it!"
Leo looked at the jar.
It was filled with fine, pink salt crystals.
`
Garganacl sprinkles it on injured Pokémon, and their wounds heal instantly.
Thus, large numbers of Pokémon often gather around Garganacl to lick its mineral-rich salt.
It is a very precious seasoning with a high market price. Adding it to dishes can grant the extra effect "HP Recovery".]
"This... is too valuable."
Leo instinctively shook his head.
But the old man said kindly, "It's fine. Consider it a gift to celebrate the reopening of the ranch. Your grandfather passed away early, and we had a deep friendship. It's only right for me to help take care of you."
The old man's attitude was firm.
Refusing again would be rude.
Leo nodded and thanked him earnestly.
The old man smiled. "Leo, right? Your grandfather would definitely want to see the ranch return to its former glory. So, do your best! If you have any questions, come find me here."
Leo agreed, said goodbye to the old man, and left the shop, riding Koraidon straight back to the ranch.
A short while later, a girl of about sixteen with twin tails, freckles, and big round eyes arrived at the ranch driving a delivery tricycle loaded with goods.
She looked at Leo, who was waiting there, and asked timidly, "You must be the new rancher my grandfather mentioned, Mr. Leo, right?"
Leo nodded slightly. "That's me."
The girl sighed in relief, parked the tricycle on the grass, and clapped her hands lightly. Two small, cute Pokémon popped out of a box.
On the left was a pale pink Pokémon made entirely of sweet cream, with two strawberry-like decorations on its head.
On the right was a Pokémon shaped like an olive.
Its body was tender green, with several green leaves on its head and a leaf stalk above its face. A yellow fruit grew in the center of the leaves.
The two little ones only poked half their heads out, looking fearfully and worriedly at Leo nearby.
Seeing this, the girl said, "Don't worry, Mr. Leo is a kind person. He will take good care of you!"
"Ma... ma..."
"Liv... liv..."
The two little ones were still scared.
But their fear didn't seem directed at Leo, but at the scarlet, ferocious-looking (in the eyes of Alcremie and Smoliv) giant monster sitting beside him.
Seeing this, the girl looked troubled. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Leo."
Leo: "..."
Following Alcremie and Smoliv's gaze, he saw Koraidon beside him and immediately understood what they were afraid of.
Coughing lightly, Leo decided to send Koraidon on an errand. He patted Koraidon's head and said, "Go check where Cyclizar went and call him back to welcome the new partners."
Leo knew Cyclizar was happily chasing butterflies in the grass on the other side of the ranch, but that didn't stop him from sending Koraidon to find it.
"Agias!" Koraidon obediently turned and went to find Cyclizar.
Seeing it leave, Alcremie and Smoliv visibly relaxed.
"Liv..."
"Ma..."
The girl finally understood what Alcremie and Smoliv were afraid of.
Seeing the strange Pokémon leave, she encouraged them, "Go on!"
Only then did Alcremie and Smoliv jump off the vehicle and carefully inch toward Leo.
To avoid intimidating them, Leo crouched down deliberately, reached out to pat their heads, and said, "Please take care of me, Smoliv, Alcremie!"
Pokémon were naturally simple and kind. Sensing the goodwill from the human before them, happy smiles appeared on their faces.
The girl stepped forward and said, "I leave them to you, Mr. Leo. Please take good care of them!"
Leo nodded. "I will."
The girl looked at Smoliv and said, "By the way, Mr. Leo, my grandfather asked me to tell you something. The oil produced by Smoliv before it evolves into Dolliv is very bitter and unsuitable for consumption. Only after evolving into Dolliv does the oil become delicious."
"This Smoliv hatched almost a year ago, so it should be evolving very soon."
Leo paused, then nodded. "I understand."
The girl breathed a sigh of relief. She turned back to unload several large boxes of feed from the tricycle, and finally placed the cage containing three hens and a rooster on the ground.
"Excuse me, where is the Coop?"
Leo first put Alcremie and Smoliv into the wooden cabin to let them get used to the environment, then stepped forward to lift the boxes. "I'll do it!"
"Ah? Thank you!" The girl thanked him quickly, then picked up a box of feed and followed.
The large cage was a bit heavy for a girl, so Leo moved it to the Coop.
As soon as the door opened, the hens ran out stupidly, walking around the Coop, sniffing the hay, and pecking at the ground, seemingly familiarizing themselves with the environment.
The girl put the feed box on the ground. Leo opened it and poured the feed into the Silo through the feeding chute. This way, he could take feed directly from inside the house later, which was very convenient.