Inside the wooden house, Shiryu hummed to himself while preparing lunch.
For today’s meal, he decided on another rice-bowl style dish: shredded pork with green peppers served over Wishing Wheat rice.
He also had several fresh fish Beldum had caught from the river, so he planned to pan-fry those as an extra dish for the Pokémon.
On top of that, Shiryu had asked Beldum to harvest a few Oran Berries that morning.
They were naturally sweet and flavorful, and he figured everyone would enjoy them even more as fresh juice.
After a little over half an hour of cooking, the rich aroma of Wishing Wheat rice began drifting out of the house, immediately catching the attention of Drilbur, Scyther, and Zigzagoon, who were still working outside.
Even Beldum, who had been practicing his moves, noticed.
So did the ranch’s two newest visitors, Minccino and Castform.
Just as they were about to head inside, the smell of shredded pork and green peppers joined the fragrance of the rice.
That was enough to make every Pokémon suddenly realize how hungry they were.
Several of them were practically drooling.
“All right, everyone!
Lunch is ready!”
Shiryu carried out servings of shredded pork and green peppers over Wishing Wheat rice, along with fried fish and glasses of fresh Oran Berry juice.
Every Pokémon received the same portion.
The moment the food appeared in front of them, they wasted no time digging in.
Shiryu prepared a serving for himself as well and was just about to start eating when the system displayed its evaluation.
[Nutritious Lunch: Shredded Pork and Green Peppers over Wishing Wheat Rice, served with Fried Fish and Oran Berry Juice — B- Rank]
[A mid-grade meal with a well-balanced nutritional profile and excellent flavor.
A highly satisfying lunch.]
[Cooking Effect: Satiety Lv.
2 — Relieves hunger and satisfies the palate.]
[Pokémon Effect: Satiety Lv.
2, Happiness Lv.
1, Bond +1%.]
[Evaluation: A commendable lunch made from relatively ordinary ingredients, yet enjoyed by every Pokémon on the ranch.
The fact that even notoriously picky eaters clean their plates speaks volumes about its quality.
Even if the cook becomes a true culinary master someday, this meal will still be worth remembering.]
“Looks like my cooking’s getting better.”
Satisfied, Shiryu bit into one of the fried fish.
The skin was crisp and still sizzling with oil.
“Now that’s good.”
Paired with the savory shredded pork and peppers, the meal was dangerously easy to keep eating.
Before Shiryu knew it, he’d finished two full bowls of fragrant Wishing Wheat rice.
Only then did he pat his noticeably full stomach.
“If I keep eating like this, there’s no way I’m staying skinny.”
Muttering to himself, he got up to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen.
And with that, a simple but delicious lunch came to an end.
…
Afterward, Shiryu didn’t immediately send everyone back to work.
Instead, he and the Pokémon went upstairs to the balcony for an afternoon nap.
It was nearly two o’clock by the time Shiryu finally woke in his hammock and reluctantly stretched.
He glanced toward Fomantis, who was still sleeping peacefully on her high-grade bed, and couldn’t help feeling a little envious.
“I finally understand why you love afternoon naps so much.
Sleeping in the sunlight really is ridiculously comfortable.”
When Shiryu went downstairs, Scyther, Drilbur, and Zigzagoon had already returned to work.
Beldum was still by the river, practicing his newly learned moves while occasionally playing with the fish in the water.
Apparently, he had decided that becoming friendly with the local fish population might improve his chances of getting even more delicious fried fish in the future.
Minccino and Castform, meanwhile, were sitting together among the Oran Berry trees, apparently having a conversation of their own.
Shiryu walked over.
The moment Minccino noticed him, she climbed down from the tree with Castform floating alongside her.
“Minc~!”
Minccino began gesturing animatedly, clearly trying to tell him something.
Shiryu crouched and gently placed a hand on her head, using Viridian Power to understand what she meant.
“Minccino, are you asking whether your friend Castform can stay on the ranch too?”
“Minc~!”
Minccino nodded furiously.
She genuinely loved the ranch already.
But she also couldn’t bear the thought of being separated from Castform, who had been her closest friend in the forest.
Shiryu turned toward Castform.
Castform hovered nearby, looking somewhat restrained.
She clearly wanted to say something, but shyness kept getting in the way.
Shiryu lowered his voice.
“What about you, Castform?
Would you like to stay here?”
“Castform?”
Castform blinked her large eyes at him.
The afternoon weather was sunny, so Forecast had already changed her appearance.
Her head now resembled a tiny sun, with a floating cloud-like body beneath it.
She drifted lazily in the air, radiating a faint warmth.
“Castform, I’d like to invite you to become part of my ranch.
Would you like to stay with us?”
Seeing her hesitation, Shiryu offered the invitation again.
This time, Castform didn’t hesitate.
She nodded her little sun-shaped head enthusiastically.
“Castform~!”
She was more than willing to join.
This might have been her first day on the ranch, but she had already felt an unexpected sense of warmth and belonging here.
Lunch had also been the most delicious meal she’d ever eaten.
And Shiryu himself seemed incredibly gentle.
His hand was warm, and somehow he had even been able to heal her injuries completely.
Castform couldn’t think of any reason to refuse.
“Great.
Welcome to the ranch, Castform.”
Shiryu smiled and held out his hand.
Castform lowered herself and touched one of the clouds beneath her body against his fingertip.
A surprising wave of heat met his skin.
In her Sunny Form, Castform naturally radiated far more warmth than her appearance suggested.
Shiryu didn’t mind.
He simply took out a Luxury Ball and gently touched it against Castform’s head.
Red light flashed.
Castform disappeared into the ball.
A moment later—
Click.
Capture successful.
Shiryu held the Luxury Ball in his hand with a deeply satisfied expression.
There were many ways to catch Pokémon.
Battling them into submission was easily the most troublesome—and, in Shiryu’s opinion, the least elegant.
Even if you won the battle and caught the Pokémon afterward, that only meant you’d captured it physically.
It didn’t mean the Pokémon had genuinely accepted you.
The better method was obvious.
Feed them something delicious.
Give them a future worth looking forward to.
Treat them with kindness, build trust, and let the bond develop naturally.
That was how you made a Pokémon genuinely want to stay by your side and work with you.
At least, that was the philosophy Shiryu had developed since becoming a rancher.
Then the system chimed.
[Quest Complete: Catch a Pokémon capable of learning weather-based moves.]
[Rewards obtained: Weather Move TMs — Rain Dance, Sunny Day, Hail, and Sandstorm.]
…
“Oh?”
Shiryu grinned when he saw the notification.
He immediately released Castform again.
“Have Castform learn Rain Dance, Sunny Day, and Hail.
As for Sandstorm…”
Shiryu thought for a moment.
“Let Drilbur learn that one.”
With that, he finalized the distribution of the four weather TMs.