“Once I finish the next ranch quest, the cottage will be renovated into a proper wooden house, so there’s no point buying furniture yet.”
Shiryu rested his chin on one hand as he considered what he actually needed.
“I should at least buy a pot.
We still need dinner.”
With that decided, he spent 120 Ranch Coins in the Ranch Shop on a cooking pot and several sets of bowls and chopsticks.
Then he pulled a bag of instant noodles from his luggage.
There were five packets inside, more than enough for him and his two Pokémon.
He also had the small fish Beldum had caught earlier.
Shiryu tossed the tiniest ones back into the river, then cleaned several of the medium-sized fish and decided to make fish-broth noodles.
He set the pot over the fire, only to realize he had no cooking oil.
With no better option, Shiryu emptied the oil packets from two packs of instant noodles into the pot and fried six small fish until both sides turned golden brown.
He then poured in two bottles of drinking water and, once it began to boil, added three packets of noodles.
The aroma quickly spread through the air, carrying the rich scent of fried fish with it.
Their living conditions might have been rough, but Shiryu had a feeling dinner wouldn’t turn out too badly.
Two minutes later, the noodles were ready.
The spicy fragrance drifted across the ranch as daylight slowly faded.
Shiryu sat beside the fire with Beldum and Drilbur, and the three of them finally began eating their first dinner on the ranch.
A system panel appeared.
[Fish-Broth Noodles — D-Rank Dish]
[A low-grade dish made with limited ingredients and little more than basic seasoning packets.
The flavor is somewhat crude and its nutritional value is lacking, but it can fill the stomach and provide warmth.]
[Note: The first packet of instant noodles always tastes excellent.
Do not eat a second packet, or the experience will deteriorate dramatically.]
[Cooking Effect: Satiety Lv.
1 — Relieves basic hunger and warms the stomach.]
[Pokémon Effect: Satiety Lv.
1, Cold Resistance Lv.
1 — Provides resistance to cold for thirty minutes.]
[Evaluation: Even the simplest ingredients can become a satisfying meal when shared with Pokémon.
Perhaps, even after becoming a master chef someday, the ranch owner will look back fondly on evenings like this.]
Shiryu hadn’t expected the system to evaluate his cooking too.
“D-Rank, huh?
Could be worse.”
He smiled and took a bite of the noodles.
They were actually pretty good.
Shiryu ladled out a bowl for Beldum and another for Drilbur.
Unfortunately, Beldum didn’t seem interested in either the noodles or the fish.
He only drank the broth.
Drilbur, on the other hand, wasn’t picky in the slightest.
He ate the noodles, finished the fish, and even drained every last drop of soup.
Shiryu had just finished his own bowl and started eating one of the fish when a warning suddenly appeared on the system interface.
[Side Quest Triggered: Defend the Ranch.]
[Quest Description: The smell of food has attracted a nearby wild Pokémon.
Defeat the intruder or share your food with it.]
[Quest Reward: 3 Ranch Crop Growth Accelerators and a small quantity of Exp.
Candy.]
…
[New Side Quest: Catch More Varied Ranch Partners.
(3/5)]
[Quest Reward: Special Move — Steel Beam, 1,000 Ranch Coins, and 10 Luxury Balls.]
[Note: “Varied Ranch Partners” refers to Pokémon of different species.
Although the separate Wooloo quest requires ten Wooloo, Wooloo only counts as one species toward this quest.]
…
“Another intruder?”
Shiryu hadn’t expected wild Pokémon to wander onto the ranch twice in a single day.
He set down his bowl, stood, and pulled a burning branch from the campfire to use as a torch.
Its light pushed back the surrounding darkness.
A small figure was hiding in a patch of grass not far away.
The Pokémon seemed tempted to come closer, but didn’t quite dare.
‘Timid nature, maybe?’
Shiryu checked the system panel.
[Pokémon: Zigzagoon (Galarian Form) (♀)]
[Level: Lv.
7]
[Type: Dark / Normal]
[Ability: Pickup — May pick up items used by opponents and can also find items while traveling.]
[Individual Values: HP (12), Attack (15), Defense (14), Sp.
Atk (14), Sp.
Def (16), Speed (19)]
[Moves: Leer, Tackle, Sand Attack, Lick…]
[Held Item: Big Mushroom]
[Potential: Standard Tier]
…
The familiar Zigzagoon most people knew resembled a raccoon, with brown-and-cream striped fur.
This one was different.
Galarian Zigzagoon had striking black-and-white markings unique to the region.
Members of the species were naturally restless, constantly running about and rarely staying still.
They also tended to be combative, charging into both humans and Pokémon alike simply to provoke a confrontation.
The Zigzagoon in front of Shiryu, however, seemed nothing like that.
She was unusually quiet.
And more than a little timid.
Shiryu slowly approached, with Beldum floating on his left and Drilbur walking on his right as though the two Pokémon had instinctively decided to guard him.
Once he was close enough, Shiryu crouched and lowered the torch slightly so he could see Zigzagoon more clearly.
She immediately shrank backward into the grass, leaving only her small head visible.
Shiryu kept his voice gentle.
“Zigzagoon, are you scared of me?”
“Zig…”
She continued staring at him, quietly muttering under her breath.
Shiryu slowly reached out.
Zigzagoon retreated again.
This time, though, there wasn’t enough room left to hide.
The patch of grass was only so large, and even after curling herself deeper into it, more than half her body remained visible.
Taking the opportunity, Shiryu gently rested a hand on her head and stroked her fur.
A soft current of Viridian Power flowed into her.
When Zigzagoon looked at him again, confusion flickered in her eyes.
What kind of human was this?
For some reason, being near him felt strangely safe and familiar.
Naturally, that was the effect of Viridian Power.
Shiryu suddenly grinned.
“You’re hungry, aren’t you?
You smelled the food and followed it all the way to my ranch.”
“Zig?”
Zigzagoon blinked.
Then her stomach growled loudly.
Shiryu laughed.
“Yeah, I thought so.
You’re starving.”
He stood and handed the torch to Drilbur, letting him handle the lighting while Shiryu returned to the front of the cottage.
The pot was still sitting above the campfire.
Of the three packets of instant noodles Shiryu had cooked, he and Drilbur had eaten roughly one packet each, leaving a little less than a full serving.
There was also one fried fish left soaking in the broth.
Shiryu filled a bowl with the remaining noodles, fish, and soup, then carried it back and set it down beside the grass.
Zigzagoon sniffed the fragrant fish-broth noodles.
Drool immediately gathered at the corner of her mouth.
At that point, she no longer seemed to care about the strange human in front of her or the two somewhat intimidating Pokémon standing nearby.
She buried her face in the bowl and started eating as fast as she could.
She devoured the noodles and fish first, then refused to waste the broth, gulping down every last drop.
Once the bowl was empty, warmth spread through Zigzagoon’s body.
It felt wonderfully comforting.