Ten minutes later, under Hayato 's enthusiastic feeding, the Mudbray had eaten until their bellies were round.
For the first time in their lives, they experienced what it meant to be completely stuffed, even refusing Hayato 's attempts to feed them more.
At the same time, their Friendship toward Hayato skyrocketed.
If this were a game, "+1 +1 +1" would probably be popping up above their heads nonstop.
The food strategy had been a complete success!
Now it was time for the final step—gently extending an invitation.
"Was it good?" Hayato asked.
"mud-mud!"
"Would you like to eat food like this every day?" Hayato continued.
The Mudbray blinked their big eyes and nodded vigorously.
"mud-mud~!"
"In that case, would you like to come with me to my ranch? I can provide a safe, warm place to live—and plenty of food."
Hayato extended an olive branch to the Mudbray , asking sincerely.
But their reaction surprised him.
The leading Mudbray suddenly looked panicked and shook its head while backing away slightly.
"Not possible?"
Confused, Hayato crouched down.
"Can you tell me why you don't want to leave?"
"mud-mud~ mud!"
He couldn't understand.
The little Mudbray simply weren't capable of communicating clearly.
He needed a translator.
"Squawk~! They're Pokémon under the protection of Pyroar. If they want to leave, they must first get Pyroar's permission—squawk."
At some point, a Chatot had appeared beside him and relayed the Mudbray 's meaning.
"I see."
Hayato suddenly understood.
In his mind appeared the image of a majestic Pyroar. They had met once before—a very powerful Pokémon.
"Rooaaar!"
At that moment, Kangaskhan suddenly raised its head and looked sharply toward the distance.
A fiery-red figure darted across the plains and finally landed atop a large rock.
"Roar!"
A powerful aura spread outward—no weaker than Kangaskhan's.
Its mountain-like body stood tall, and the fiery mane around its neck danced in the wind. With its appearance, the temperature of the surrounding air seemed to rise.
This was an enormous Pokémon.
The two Pokémon stared each other down for a moment.
Then the tense atmosphere suddenly eased.
Pyroar let out a cold greeting.
"So these Pokémon are under your protection," Hayato said as Pyroar approached.
Totem Pokémon were a very unique existence in nature.
They were chosen and nurtured by the natural world itself, with the responsibility of maintaining the ecological balance of a particular area.
One of their duties was to protect weaker young Pokémon.
Totem Pokémon were both guardians of nature's ecosystem and a bridge between humans and wild Pokémon.
The Pyroar before him was the Totem Pokémon of Route 12.
When Hayato first arrived here, the two of them had already exchanged a brief clash.
Since they were old acquaintances, things would be easier.
Hayato explained his request to Pyroar.
Pyroar lowered its head, its sapphire-amber eyes sweeping toward the three Mudbray .
The Mudbray rmured nervously, seemingly explaining something.
After a moment, the conversation ended with a dignified growl from Pyroar.
Pyroar's gaze returned to Hayato , and it let out another roar.
"Uh… what does that mean?"
Hayato looked toward Chatot, waiting for the translation.
"Squawk! Pyroar says he needs to confirm the environment where the Mudbray will live before he agrees to let you take them."
"I see."
Hayato nodded in understanding.
Pyroar was truly acting like a responsible patriarch, worrying endlessly about the Pokémon under his care.
Naturally, Hayato had no objections.
"Of course, no problem."
"How about this—tomorrow morning, you bring the Mudbray to my ranch. It's the one near the coast."
"Roar."
Pyroar nodded slightly, saying little but making its agreement clear.
At 7 p.m., Hayato and his companions returned to the ranch.
Compared to when they had left earlier, the ranch now had one additional Pokémon.
"Chatot, do you want to stay inside the house?"
After circling the ranch cabin once, Chatot landed on a wooden beam beneath the eaves.
"Squawk~"
Bird Pokémon didn't like being confined.
Compared to the closed environment of a house, they preferred staying outside.
"Alright then. I'll get you a blanket—nights can get pretty cold."
Hayato went inside and found an old blanket, bringing it out for Chatot.
Chatot picked a suitable spot, spread the blanket out, and stepped on it with its claws before letting out a satisfied chirp.
By the time they finished, the sky had completely darkened.
Hayato quickly turned to the three Pokémon.
"You've been running around with me all afternoon. You must be tired. I'll go cook dinner now."
Before cooking, Hayato first lit the fireplace, driving away the chill inside the cabin.
He let Kangaskhan and the others stay indoors so they wouldn't catch a cold.
Tonight's dinner used the fresh ingredients given to him by Denzeland Penny.
With a little preparation, they quickly became a nutritious meal.
He peeled a small pumpkin, scooped out the seeds, and cut it into small cubes.
A pot of water was brought to a boil with rice inside. Once boiling, he added the cleaned pumpkin pieces and reduced the heat to simmer.
While the porridge cooked, Hayato washed several Berries, cut them into pieces, and arranged them on a plate with a little sugar.
Then he picked up a bottle of Moomoo Milk and poured it gently along the edge of the platter.
He still remembered that adding Moomoo Milk to a Berry platter could create an unusual culinary transformation.
Lowering his head, information about the upgraded dish appeared before his eyes.
[Berry Milk Platter (B−)
A dish created by combining various Berries. The addition of high-quality Moomoo Milk has caused a special transformation.
Cooking Effect:Pokémon's Friend
After consumption, significantly increases a Pokémon's Happiness and Friendship. Provides additional benefits for wild Pokémon.]
"Pokémon's Friend?"
A simple yet extraordinary effect.
It meant that as long as a Pokémon ate Hayato 's cooking, he could practically become a Pokémon magnet.
Even if he traveled into the territory of powerful Pokémon, he likely wouldn't be attacked.
It was practically a must-have dish for traveling trainers.
At the same time, as Hayato read the description, another idea appeared in his mind.
If he used top-quality Moomoo Milk instead of merely high-quality milk…
Would the effect change again?
While Hayato was lost in thought, a sweet aroma drifted to his nose.
He quickly lifted the pot lid.
Steam burst out with a bubbling sound.
The pumpkin and rice had fully blended together. The pumpkin's natural sweetness mixed with the fragrance of rice, creating an irresistible aroma.
Another good dish.
[Pumpkin Porridge (C)
Rice porridge cooked with pumpkin. Best served hot.
Cooking Effect:
Stamina Recovery (Medium)Rototiller Lv.1( Mudbray -type farming Pokémon only)
After consumption, the Rototiller move is increased by one level, allowing farmland to be tended more effectively and accelerating crop growth. There is also an extremely small chance of cultivating mutated crops.]
"Huh?"
Hayato chuckled softly.
The Mudbray hadn't even joined the ranch yet—
And he had already prepared their work meal in advance.
Accelerating crop growth was already impressive.
But the possibility of mutated crops intrigued him even more.
Would the crops grow to gigantic sizes?
Or develop unusual special effects?
The more Hayato thought about it, the more excited he became about having the Mudbray join his ranch.