Pokémon: Starting with a Pokémon Ranch.

Chapter 160 Excellent Employee Messenger Bird

After Daigo left.

Su Yu withdrew his gaze and looked at Caterpie and Squirtle, saying:

"When Daigo returns next time, it will be the time for you to leave the ranch and head to Hoenn."

"Before that, Squirtle, you need to hurry up and find Gym Leader Rashomon to learn Ice Punch. As for Caterpie... you don't really need to do anything."

"Hiss..." The caterpillar's eyes still held a hint of reluctance, like a child leaving their parents and going on a long journey for the first time.

Seeing this, Su Yu patted the green caterpillar's head and laughed:

"It's not like we're going to be separated forever, why are you being so sad?"

"And you guys go first, and I'll come find you soon after I've finished things at the ranch. We won't be apart for too long."

"Jenny, Jenny~"

Squirtle patted Caterpie, assuring it that it was there for the girl.

Seeing this, Alcremie was also filled with curiosity about the land of Hoenn. But the thought of being separated from Su Yu once she went to Hoenn immediately made her stop thinking about it.

"Mommy!" She didn't want to be separated from Su Yu at all!

Thinking of this, Frost Milk Fairy hugged one of Su Yu's legs tightly, making it difficult for Su Yu to walk normally.

Su Yu bent down and picked up Frost Milk Fairy, saying helplessly:

"What's wrong with you all? You're all so sad. By the way, Caterpie, is there anything you want to do before you leave?"

"Hiss..." Upon hearing this, the caterpillar looked thoughtful. Then, it nodded.

I want to... go back to Chimney Mountain and see my fellow Zerg!

Ideally, they could all be brought to the ranch, so they could live a life free from fear and anxiety.

"Back to Chimney Hill?"

"Okay, then wait for me to pack, and we'll set off in a few days."

Speaking of which, if Squirtle goes to Hoenn with Steven, the task of watering the farm will fall to me.

"Sigh... Well, I'll have to get busy again from now on," Su Yu said with a helpless sigh.

I might as well just go and catch another "backup Pokémon" then, so I can be lazy.

……

"Are you going to Chimney Mountain?" After fishing, Ke Rui, as usual, stayed behind to mooch dinner from Su Yu.

It's been many days since I last saw Su Yu, and her cooking skills have improved quite a bit...

Su Yu nodded in agreement with Ke Rui's question.

"I see... I've been to Chimney Mountain too. What impressed me most there was their annual Insect Festival," Ke Rui said while eating.

"What is that?"

"You didn't know? I saw you tamed a caterpillar, I thought you knew." Seeing this, Ke Rui had no choice but to explain to Su Yu in detail.

It turns out that the so-called Bug Festival is actually a festival of the Caterpie tribe, similar to the Bulbasaur Evolution Festival in Mystery Garden in the anime.

For some unknown reason, the bird Pokémon in Mt. Chimney are far more ferocious than those in the outside world.

As a result, the Bug-type Pokémon here live in great hardship. So every March, these Bug-type Pokémon gather together to offer blessings to the newborn Pokémon born in their group.

"Speaking of which, the tree where those Bug-type Pokémon gathered was once quite mysterious, possessing some kind of magical power."

"However, in recent years, as that tree has aged, its power has become increasingly weak. As a result, the Bug-type Pokémon have also become weaker."

"It is said that during the peak of that tree's life, the Bug-type Pokémon in Mt. Chimney were able to rival the Bird-type Pokémon! The reason why the Bird-type Pokémon here are so strong is said to be because they were forced to develop that ability."

Su Yu: ...Birds and insects are intertwined, right?

Such an absurd phenomenon could probably only occur in the Pokémon world. After all, the Bug-type Pokémon here aren't entirely without the ability to fight back.

"If you want to go, can you take me with you?" Ke Rui said.

"Perfect timing. It's been a long time since I last went there, and I'd like to go back and take a look."

Upon hearing this, Su Yu nodded.

Almost forgot, Ke Rui is also a trainer who travels around a lot.

……

The next morning.

For the next few days, Ke Rui continued to stay at the ranch. His fellow angler, who was fishing for a limited time, returned, and they resumed their lakeside rendezvous.

After milking and diluting the goat's milk, Su Yu handed it all over to the messenger bird. Unfortunately, there was too much milk, and the messenger bird couldn't carry it all in one trip.

Even so, Delibird remains the best choice for delivering goat milk. This is not only because of its tail, which can hold a lot of cargo, but also because it is an Ice-type Pokémon, which has the ability to preserve goat milk at low temperatures.

Hiring a messenger bird has ushered in the era of cold chain transportation for goat milk. This deal is definitely worth it!

"Beli~"

Just then, the messenger bird suddenly cried out. Hearing the sound, Su Yu looked over. He saw the messenger bird holding a red box, about to hand it to Su Yu.

"For me?"

"This can't be... a [Gift] move, can it? Are you trying to play a prank on me?"

Su Yu recalled the messenger bird's signature move, which could either damage or heal the opponent. The move involved handing over a gift box.

However, overall, this move is more likely to cause damage.

"Bah..." The messenger bird shook its head in a panic. This was not a gift move; it was a gift that it had spent a long time looking for in town before buying with its own wages.

"Well..." I spent a long time choosing back then.

"It's a messenger bird," the bird said dejectedly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I misunderstood you." Su Yu smiled apologetically and accepted the gift.

"Can I open it directly?" Su Yu was also quite curious. What kind of gift could the messenger bird be that suddenly delivered a present?

The messenger bird nodded.

But when Su Yu opened it, he found it was a pot.

"Pot?" Is the employee implying that something went wrong and I should take the blame?

Or should I put the scallion duck in the pot?

Su Yu was lost in thought.

The messenger bird explained:

"Belli~" Because I often see you preparing food for Pokémon, I thought it would be appropriate to give you a pot.

So, do you like this gift?

The messenger bird looked at Su Yu with anticipation.

Su Yu felt a warmth in his heart. He had been in the Pokémon world for so long, and this was the first time a Pokémon had given him a gift.

In particular, this is a Pokémon that I've only met a few times.

"I like it, I really like it," Su Yu nodded.

"After you finish delivering the goat milk, come to my house for lunch so you can try my cooking."

"Believe it or not?"

"Don't worry, I'm a great cook. Go deliver the goat milk, and we should be able to eat by then."

"Belli!"

Upon hearing this, the messenger bird nodded excitedly, then hummed a song and flew off to deliver the goat's milk.

(End of this chapter)