Among the thousands of Pokémon species, ranch Pokémon formed a very special category.
They possessed high economic value and were deeply loved by ranch owners.
Miltank and Tauros were two of the most representative examples, widely distributed across many regions.
Even in remote regions such as Ransei and Almia, their presence could be found.
Their distribution was so widespread that they were almost as common as roadside Pikachu.
When Hayato Sora stepped into the Pokémon shop, it was open for business, and quite a few people were already inside.
From their conversations, he learned that they had all come for the Paldea ranch Pokémon shipment.
Immediately, Hayato Sora grew nervous.
With so many people here, could they already be sold out?
He quickly walked to the counter.
"Excuse me, I'd like to ask—have the newly arrived ranch Pokémon already been sold out?"
A female voice answered him.
"Not yet, sir."
"Phew!"
Hayato Sora finally let out a sigh of relief. At least his trip hadn't been wasted.
"My name is Hayato Sora. I'm a ranch owner from Route 12."
"Mr. Hayato Sora, you may call me Camille. I'm the manager of this Pokémon shop. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
"I'd like to know what procedures or requirements are needed to purchase Paldea ranch Pokémon—and which species are currently available."
Hayato Sora went straight to the point without any hesitation.
Following Camille, they entered the backyard and walked into a large glass-covered enclosure.
Inside was essentially a miniature ecosystem.
Rivers, grasslands, forests, mountains, deserts—every kind of environment was present, suitable for most Pokémon habitats.
Several Pokémon raised by humans were running around freely, playing happily and living carefree lives.
Hayato Sora and Cinccino unconsciously mirrored each other's posture, scanning the Pokémon one by one.
"Miltank, Dodrio, Tauros, Mareep, Phanpy, Skiddo, Noibat…"
Most of them were common Pokémon in the Kalos region.
The only slightly rare one was probably Noibat—after all, it was a Dragon-type Pokémon.
If Hayato Sora remembered correctly, Noibat had the habit of collecting Berries.
Raise a group of them, and the next day you might find freshly gathered Berries piled inside their cave.
After passing through one section, Hayato Sora finally saw the Pokémon he had come here for.
His eyes immediately lit up.
These were the ranch Pokémon from the Paldea region.
Camille stopped and pointed toward a group of Pokémon playing on the grass.
"Those are the ranch Pokémon imported from Paldea."
"Look over there—that one is called Lechonk."
Following her finger, Hayato Sora saw a small pig Pokémon lying beneath a tree.
It had a black body, a brown face, and a pink nose.
At first glance it looked like a round little ball, but a closer look revealed that its body was actually full of muscle.
"That Pokémon is famous for its appetite. It spends all day searching for food. With one around, you'll be able to discover the most delicious wild ingredients in the mountains."
"It's even said that they can find the delicious crab claws dropped by Klawf."
"That's amazing!"
"Chii~!"
Both Hayato Sora and Cinccino couldn't help but marvel.
With a Lechonk around, going into the mountains would never return empty-handed.
Camille continued her introduction, pointing to another Pokémon hiding among the tree branches.
"That one is Tarountula, the String Ball Pokémon. The silk it produces is as strong as metal wire."
"It's extremely expensive at agricultural markets and is one of the primary materials used for luxury clothing."
The Pokémon's rear was wrapped in a white thread ball, leaving only its head and eight legs visible. It looked quite cautious.
"Over there, the one chasing butterflies is the Puppy Pokémon—Fidough. It produces a special yeast that can be used for cooking."
"And the one that looks like it's about to cry is Smoliv. After it evolves, it can produce a fragrant and delicious olive oil loved by many chefs."
There were simply too many.
Inside a cave, several Pokémon huddled together—Nacli, which could produce valuable salt by rubbing their bodies together.
Flying above the water was Wattrel, capable of generating electricity, ensuring fishermen never returned empty-handed.
Living in damp forests was Toedscool, which shed chewy and delicious slices from its body.
And then there was Cyclizar, a top-tier ride Pokémon capable of switching between three different movement modes.
There were just too many choices.
Hayato Sora felt dazzled by the options.
Every species was unique.
And he wanted all of them.
He had already begun imagining what his ranch would look like once all these Pokémon were raised there.
Slurp…
Without realizing it, drool slipped from the corner of his mouth.
He wanted them all.
All of them.
Shaking his head, Hayato Sora suppressed his excitement and turned to Camille.
"So… how much do these Pokémon cost?"
"Not expensive at all! Definitely worth the value."
"Lechonk – 5,000"
"Tarountula – 5,000"
"Fidough – 5,000"
"Smoliv – 6,500"
"Wattrel – 7,500"
"Toedscool – 8,800"
"Cyclizar – 10,000"
"Nacli – 20,000"
"…"
"Wow… that's expensive."
That was Hayato Sora's first thought.
His second thought was:
"As expected of ranch Pokémon shipped across the ocean."
After all, a common Skiddo in Kalos only cost about 2,500, and even the Dragon-type Noibat was only 3,000.
Those were normal prices since they were basic-stage Pokémon.
Their abilities were still limited, and raising them required further investment.
No wonder so many ranch owners were hesitating outside the shop.
After thinking for a moment, Hayato Sora suddenly asked:
"Do Elite Trainers get any discount?"
"Yes. You receive a 20% discount."
Hayato Sora sighed.
It seemed he would have to adjust his original plan and purchase selectively.
Buying ranch Pokémon was only the beginning.
Providing food and building habitats would be the real major expense.
After thinking it through, Hayato Sora made his decision.
"I'll take three Noibat, one Smoliv, and one Cyclizar."
"Three Noibat – 9,000"
"Smoliv – 6,500"
"Cyclizar – 10,000"
"With the 20% discount, the total is 20,400."
"I'll round it down for you. Let's make it 20,000."
Clutching his chest, Hayato Sora felt a sharp pang of pain.
Money he had only just earned was disappearing so quickly.
At the Beach Festival two days later, he would definitely need to show off his true cooking skills.
"Are there any bonus gifts?"
"Yes. Three months of Pokémon feed, plus one year of free medical service discounts."
"Alright… I'll pay by card."
Beep.
Bank balance: 26,800 PokéDollars remaining.
PokéDollars really didn't last long.
In the blink of an eye, twenty thousand had vanished.
Now Hayato Sora was actually glad he hadn't chosen Pokémon like Nacli or Toedscool.
They required specialized environments like salt caves or wetland shelters, which would cost even more money.
In contrast, Smoliv was tiny—it could practically live on the balcony.
Cyclizar could even sleep indoors.
The only slight hassle was building a small cave for the three Noibat.
But with Kangaskhan, that would only take a few punches—hardly costing anything.
Camille smiled and nodded.
"Alright, Mr. Hayato Sora. Please leave your address. Within three days, the Pokémon and bonus items will be delivered to your ranch."
"Before that, please prepare suitable habitats and spend some time bonding with them."
"Understood."
After leaving the shop, Hayato Sora's wallet felt significantly lighter.
However, five empty Poké Balls now hung from his belt.
If only he could travel to Paldea right now—he could simply catch Pokémon from the wild and raise them himself.
But for now, buying them was the only option.
Still, no regrets.
After taking Cinccino out for a good meal, Hayato Sora returned to the ranch before nightfall.
The moment he arrived, Kangaskhan and the Mudbray gathered around him.
Even Chatot was there—which was rare.
"Are you all hungry? I'll start cooking right away."
The next morning, Hayato Sora was still asleep when Chatot's noisy shouting woke him up.
It turned out the ranch Pokémon he purchased yesterday had already been delivered.
They were waiting for him at the ranch gate for pickup.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789