With five new companions joining the ranch, the place that once felt spacious and quiet suddenly became lively.
Watching the Pokémon getting along so harmoniously filled Hayato Sora with joy.
"Smoliv~"
Smoliv ran over, hugged Hayato Sora's leg, and let out a sleepy yawn. Its eyes slowly drooped.
Hayato Sora picked Smoliv up and gently rubbed it.
"Feeling sleepy?"
"Smoliv!"
Smoliv tried its best to stay awake and rubbed its little face against his palm.
"Come inside and sleep. I prepared a little nest for you."
Carrying Smoliv, Hayato Sora walked into the house and headed straight for the bedroom.
Near the windowsill—next to a vase of flowers placed in a water bottle—sat a brand-new flowerpot.
Hayato Sora gently placed Smoliv inside.
Smoliv wriggled slightly, and the lower half of its body naturally buried itself into the soil.
Without looking closely, it was almost indistinguishable from a potted plant.
Sunlight shone directly onto Smoliv.
The tender leaves on its head spread open as it naturally began photosynthesis.
This spot had been carefully chosen by Hayato Sora.
No matter which direction the sun came from, the sunlight would always reach it.
Basking in the sun was the natural instinct of Grass-type Pokémon.
Through photosynthesis, Smoliv could convert energy into oil.
It could even go an entire week without food or water.
This had been one of Hayato Sora's considerations when deciding to purchase Smoliv.
Compared with other Pokémon, Smoliv required very little care.
As long as it had sunlight and was watered daily, that was enough.
It was practically like keeping a potted plant.
Especially since Smoliv was still in its basic stage, it spent most of its day sleeping.
After observing it for a while and confirming that Smoliv was sleeping peacefully, Hayato Sora quietly left the room.
Outside, he glanced at the Pokémon playing around and then looked at the sky.
There was still time.
Dinner could wait a bit.
Hayato Sora moved a reclining chair to the doorway and sat down, taking out the booklet the girl had given him before leaving.
He first opened the booklet containing information about Smoliv.
Inside was a detailed description of the species, along with the specific examination report for this Smoliv.
"So that's how it is."
After reading it, Hayato Sora finally understood.
No wonder a Pokémon capable of producing premium olive oil only cost 6,000 PokéDollars.
In its first stage, the olive oil produced by Smoliv was extremely bitter and unsuitable for consumption.
Only after evolving into Dolliv would the oil become fragrant and delicious.
After thinking about it, Hayato Sora understood.
Smoliv were storing and accumulating energy for growth.
It was like a seed struggling to break through the soil.
During this process, all their energy was focused on growth.
Naturally, they wouldn't have the strength to produce high-quality olive oil yet.
Understanding this, Hayato Sora naturally had no intention of exploiting Smoliv.
At its age, growing happily was what mattered most.
He had only been reading for a short while when Cyclizar suddenly sprinted toward him from the distance.
It grabbed the hem of his pants and pulled him up.
Cyclizar's body began to transform.
The tire-like structures on its neck and tail expanded, lifting its body.
In the blink of an eye, it turned into something resembling a military-green motorcycle.
"Graao~!"
Cyclizar enthusiastically invited Hayato Sora to ride.
It wanted to take its Trainer for a ride.
Unable to refuse such enthusiasm, Hayato Sora decided to accept.
He carefully sat on Cyclizar's back.
Immediately, he noticed a unique sensation.
Cyclizar's body felt pleasantly warm.
The chill of the spring evening breeze disappeared completely.
The benefit worked both ways.
As a Dragon-type Pokémon, Cyclizar was somewhat sensitive to cold.
It liked to borrow the warmth of human body heat to stay energized.
Riding Cyclizar was truly a unique experience.
After a full lap around the ranch, Hayato Sora finally understood why Cyclizar had become so popular throughout the Paldea region.
Not only was it fast, but it was also extremely stable.
Sitting on its back, he could barely feel any bumps.
Thanks to its sturdy head and thick tail, Cyclizar could maintain perfect balance even at 120 km/h.
At that speed—
Traveling from the ranch to Santalune City would take only ten minutes.
Getting to Coumarine City would take at most half an hour.
Even a round trip to Lumiose City could be done in just two or three hours.
Compared to before, it saved an incredible amount of time.
Hayato Sora patted Cyclizar appreciatively.
Choosing this Pokémon had definitely been the right decision.
"Graa~"
Feeling its Trainer's affection, Cyclizar grinned foolishly.
…Wait.
It seemed his Cyclizar might not be the brightest one around.
After letting Cyclizar go play, Hayato Sora found the three Noibat.
The three little bats clung to his clothes as he carried them to the residence he had prepared.
It was located at the edge of the ranch, facing the orchard.
The cave had been punched out of the rock by Kangaskhan, one strike after another.
The cave was spacious enough that even after the Noibat evolved into Noivern, they would still have plenty of room.
Considering Noibat's love for darkness, Hayato Sora had only embedded a few glowing stones at the cave entrance.
Inside the cave was pitch black.
"Noi~bat!"
Upon arriving, the Noibat chirped happily and flew into the cave.
Each of the three quickly found a comfortable spot and hung upside down from the ceiling.
Their bodies blended completely into the darkness.
Only their glowing eyes were visible.
"It looks like you like it. That's a relief."
Standing at the entrance, Hayato Sora smiled.
"I won't disturb you for now. Remember to come to the house for dinner later."
"Noi noi~!"
The Noibat chirped in response, indicating they would come later.
After all, Chatot and Cinccino had already told them—
Hayato Sora's cooking was incredibly delicious.
Thinking about the buns they had eaten earlier, the Noibat couldn't help drooling again.
If Hayato Sora saw this little reaction, he would probably just sigh helplessly.
Well then—
The ranch had just gained three more little food lovers.
After settling the five new Pokémon, it was about time to prepare dinner.
Hayato Sora called Cinccino and Cyclizar.
He planned to head into Santalune City to buy fresh ingredients.
For the new Pokémon's first meal at the ranch—
Hayato Sora intended to win them over completely with food.
Riding Cyclizar into the city, Hayato Sora quickly noticed curious looks from people all around.
It couldn't be helped.
Cyclizar was extremely rare in Kalos.
People who didn't recognize it might even think it was a newly discovered Pokémon species.
When they arrived at the department store, Hayato Sora had to explain several times before being allowed in.
Cyclizar stood upright and pushed the shopping cart.
Cinccino sat inside it.
The Trainer and his two Pokémon began their shopping trip.
"Noibat like fruit…"
Hayato Sora recalled their habits and began pointing at items.
"This one, that one, and those too."
He bought over a dozen kinds of fruit, along with several types of Berries.
He planned to make a luxury fruit platter.
He also grabbed a two-liter bottle of MooMoo Milk from a nearby shelf.
After one round of shopping, the cart was completely full.
Cinccino had no choice but to climb onto Hayato Sora's shoulder.
Hayato Sora squeezed its fluffy ears and asked,
"Do either of you want anything special to eat?"
Cinccino rubbed its cheek against his face and pointed toward another stall.
"Oh? You like sweets that much?"
"How about I make Santalune City's specialty—Sable Cookies for you?"
"Chii~!"
Cinccino nodded eagerly like a pecking chick.
It hugged Hayato Sora's neck happily.
Hayato Sora then turned to Cyclizar.
"And you, Cyclizar? Is there any dish you'd like to eat?"
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