My Pokémon Story of Seasons

"Of course! Of course you can." The old man stepped out from behind the counter and led the way, leaning on his cane.

"Come with me."

After passing through a large door covered by a curtain, Tong Hua finally entered the Sunshine Ranch.

This was an area enclosed by a transparent glass dome, resembling a greenhouse. It reminded Tong Hua of the Aether Paradise in the Alora region.

Rivers, grasslands, forests, caves—all kinds of natural environments are available, and some energetic Pokémon move around in the sunshine, making the whole ranch full of vitality.

"Terrible!" "Game!"

"Wow, that's pretty good!"

Tong Hua and the two Pokémon's mood brightened with the sunshine in front of them. While the two little guys ran off to play, Tong Hua looked around and recognized quite a few Pokémon.

"Milky Way, Wooloo, Mareep, Minifox, Saltstone, Farfetch'd, Parasect, Slowpoke..."

Ok?

Why does it feel like some strange things have gotten mixed in?

Tong Hua asked with a strange expression, "Grandpa, are all the Pokémon you keep here profitable?"

"Yes." The old man stopped and, as if knowing what Tong Hua was thinking, pointed with his cane at the giant green onion duck in the distance.

"Those Pokémon can farm. The root plants they hold are very rare, and they have to grow them themselves to harvest high-quality products."

After saying that, the old man pointed to Parasect in the cave next to him and said, "That is a magical Pokémon. The mushroom on its back and the part below it both have two consciousnesses. Collecting the spores it spreads can make valuable medicinal materials."

Finally, the old man paused with his cane and pointed to a Slowpoke fishing with its tail by the lake.

"That kind of Pokémon is pitiful; sometimes it's so slow that it stays in the same position all day. But sometimes you're just lucky. It basically doesn't feel any pain, and its tail falls off easily, but it grows back on its own in no time."

I heard its tail is a common dish in the Alola region, but not many people eat it here. The one I keep isn't for sale, and I don't ask anything of it. Like your grandfather, it's one of my old companions…”

When the old man spoke his last sentence, his expression became noticeably more melancholy, probably as he recalled some past events.

"So that's how it is..." Tong Hua benefited greatly from listening to the old man's explanation.

Descriptions that once only existed in the game's setting are now presented before my eyes in their most realistic form. This gave Tong Hua the feeling once again that he had truly traveled into the Pokémon world.

"Grandpa, do you have any Pokémon here that can help with tilling the land?"

"Yes, of course! Come with me." The old man came to his senses and continued to lead the way, leaning on his cane.

After walking a long way, the old man finally stopped in front of a small earthen mound.

Tong Hua originally thought the old man was going to take her to see the Kentaro, but looking at the surrounding environment, it didn't seem to be the case.

Kentiro usually only roams on flat grasslands and wouldn't come to these small, desert-like hills.

The old man took a whistle from the necklace around his neck and blew it towards the earthen slope!

"Whoosh—!"

A high-frequency whistle rang out from the direction of the small mound, and a moment later the entire mound suddenly began to shake violently!

"Worm!"

A gigantic Pokémon emerged from the embankment! It was over two meters long and its body was shaped like a segmented cylinder.

Tong Hua immediately recognized it; it was the earthworm Pokémon, Totodora from the Padia region!

"Using earthworms to till the land, huh? Not bad! It really does suit the job. Grandpa, how much is this Pokémon?"

Tong Hua looked at the energetic and powerful Tuotuo worm in front of her and liked it very much, especially its beady eyes and round expression, which looked silly and cute.

"Sorry, this one isn't for sale either. But if you need it for plowing, I can lend it to you for free."

"Free? Really?"

"Yes, after all, I received a lot of care from your grandfather." The old man said, seemingly lost in thought again, "Besides, the worm also needs to eat the iron contained in the soil outside."

"Red soil with high iron content is not good for growing crops, but it is the best food for toadworms. By letting toadworms eat the soil and then excrete it, the soil can be made fertile."

This is perfect for the soil conditions around here. My family's worms plow the fields like crazy! Everyone in the village who uses it says it's great!

After listening to the old man's story, Tong Hua grew even more fond of the large machine in front of her! It was simply the best helper for tilling the land! It was a pity that it wasn't for sale. But being able to borrow it for free was still a great deal.

"Please lend it to me! I'll return it to you in a few days!"

Seeing Tong Hua's sincere attitude, the old man smiled and nodded slightly.

Afterwards, Tong Hua asked the old man about the prices of several Pokémon suitable for ranching. The old man explained in detail and basically quoted the lowest prices.

"High-quality wool sheep from the Galar region are priced at 80,000 for a male and 50,000 for a female. These are all good breeds for producing wool. The males are large, of good quality, and have high yields. After you buy them, you can shear them once a month."

Compared to the wool of Mare sheep, which is prone to static electricity, the wool from this sheep is of incredibly high quality. Clothing and blankets made from it are said to be top-brand products in the Galar region. However, its benefits for milk production are negligible.

"How about it, want to buy one? You can't see these in the wild around here; they're all high-quality breeds brought in by boat from Galar."

Looking at the few white, fluffy creatures playing with the grass turtles and foam squirrels, Tong Hua couldn't help but click her tongue in admiration.

One costs 50,000...

My entire savings are only enough to buy two, and I still need to save some money to repair the ranch...

Tong Hua only regretted that she didn't have enough money, and didn't know how much income the 20 liters of fresh milk from the big milk tank could generate every day.

"Grandpa, do you have anything cheaper here...? My ranch is just starting out, and I'm short on cash..."

If it weren't for the fact that you can only encounter Pokémon commonly found in Sinnoh in the wild in Almia, Tong Hua would really like to go out and catch a few himself.

"Haha, look at my memory. You're just starting out with your ranch, right? Then I should recommend this to you."

After saying that, the old man led Tong Hua to another area where many crops were planted and many grass-type Pokémon were playing in the fields.

"Game!" The grass turtle seemed to really like this place, its eyes shining as it ran out and happily rolled around in the ground.

The foam squirrel looked disdainfully at the grass turtle covered in mud, clearly not wanting to go down into the ground to play.

"This is where I mainly raise Grass-type Pokémon, such as Basquid, Tangela, Sunflower, and Pumpkin. Grass-type Pokémon are great; they don't need much care. As long as there is plenty of sunlight and clean water, they can thrive."

Most importantly, the fields where Grass-type Pokémon are active are more fertile than regular soil. Newly established ranches typically rely on farming and fishing to grow.

Therefore, raising Grass-type Pokémon is the most suitable way for novice ranchers to develop their Pokémon. If you want to progress further, you can consider raising common animals like chickens and ducks first, and then gradually develop your Pokémon ranch.

Hearing the old man say this, Tong Hua recalled what the village chief had said earlier, and it seemed that there was indeed such a thing.

Furthermore, you can encounter Pokémon like Tentacles in the wild in Almia. I remember the anime mentioning that they can produce a lot of vines to provide food for other Pokémon.

Watching a group of small and adorable Pokémon frolicking and playing in the fields, Tong Hua felt her heart almost melt.

"Grandpa, I'd like to buy a Sweet Bamboo." After thinking it over, Tong Hua decided to buy a Sweet Bamboo from the Alola region first.

It's definitely not because I like the sweet and aloof beauty or anything like that, it's just because Tian Zhuzhu looks round and is especially cute!

"Oh, you have a good eye." The old man smiled and praised, "The sweat secreted by the sweet bamboo is an excellent sweetener. Just a tiny drop mixed with water can make a whole bottle of mixed fruit juice."

When it drips onto the soil, it becomes even more nutrient-rich, making the fruits and vegetables grown there sweeter.

The old man casually picked up a sweet bamboo shoot that was hopping around happily. The little guy didn't struggle and just handed it to Tong Hua with a silly smile.

The sweet bamboo plant has a round, plump body, just like a mangosteen. It has three sepals on its head, and the white part at the bottom of its body looks like exposed fruit flesh, from which two cute little feet stick out.

Tong Hua took the sweet bamboo shoot and immediately felt surrounded by a sweet fruity aroma! Her mood instantly calmed down.

"Oh my!"

Looking at the little guy with his silly grin, Tong Hua completely lost her will to resist.

"I'll buy it! Any price is fine!"

So, after spending a full five thousand Alliance Coins, Fairy Tale Ranch welcomed its fifth family member.