"Thank you, I'll take good care of it," Naoki said.
Hearing this, the old mayor felt relieved and smiled: "Since that's the case, I'll leave this child to you. Oh by the way, since it's your first day at the ranch, you're probably not familiar with the work here, are you?"
Used to the 996 work culture in his previous life, everything in front of Naoki was indeed somewhat unfamiliar.
"Yes." Naoki nodded, at this moment, the questions he pondered over last night also found answers.
Now with nowhere else to go, his understanding of this world was limited to what he had seen in anime and games before.
Given his current situation, staying in this place was the best choice, at least it provided him a shelter from the elements.
The old mayor laughed and said: "Since that's the case, let me show you around this ranch! But speaking of which, you left Paldea when you were ten and settled in Hoenn, right?"
Naoki: "Yes."
The old mayor sighed: "In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed, time really flies!"
The once prosperous and lively scenes were still vivid in his mind, but now, after the hustle and bustle, the place was deserted, leaving behind a desolate and dilapidated ranch.
The farmland was overrun by weeds and stones, the Pokemon House eroded by time, leaving only a framework, its shape barely recognizable.
The two walked through the ranch, Cyclizar obediently following behind, sneaking glances at the human youth.
Naoki hadn't noticed, having decided to stay and manage the ranch, he listened intently to what the old mayor said.
The old mayor's eyes were filled with nostalgia, and with every spot they visited, memories of the past surfaced in his mind.
"The piece of land before us is the farm in the ranch. Long ago, various crops were grown here, and every autumn, a variety of fruits would be harvested."
"That house is where the rancher lives, and the big box next to it is the shipping box. You can put harvested crops and milk in there."
"To the east of the ranch is a valley, where many small, mild-mannered Pokemon reside. You can gather mountain produce and berries there, and put what's not needed into the shipping box."
"Every day at 5 PM, someone from town comes to take what's in the box and settle the accounts. The collected goods are sent to Porto Marinada Market to be sold."
"When you develop further, a special vehicle will come to transport goods! They'll deliver the ranch's produce to every corner of the Paldea Region, selling to different people."
Naoki: "..."
What is this, Harvest Moon?
Fortunately, having played farming games before, he was quite familiar with this kind of content and quickly accepted these matters.
At this moment, Naoki caught sight of an abandoned building surrounded by large trees and weeds.
Curiously, he asked: "What's that?"
The old mayor took a glance and said regretfully: "That's the Pokemon House in the ranch. Your grandpa used to import about a dozen Miltank from the Johto Region to raise there."
Upon saying this, the old mayor furrowed his brows and let out a sigh, continuing:
"After he passed away, those Miltanks were sold by your parents, and the Pokemon House gradually fell into disrepair."
"But you don't have to worry, once you get the hang of things, you can commission the carpentry shop to help expand the residence and repair the Pokemon House."
"Oh, by the way, I've put the tools you'll need in the ranch over there."
The old mayor pointed to the storage room behind the house and said: "An axe for cutting trees, a hammer for smashing stones, a hoe for farming, a watering can for irrigation, a sickle for cutting grass, and some crop seeds suitable for spring planting, in short, this ranch is entrusted to you!"
"I hope you can take good care of the ranch and let it regain its former glory. If that day comes, your grandpa would definitely be very happy!"
Naoki remained silent for a moment, then nodded and said: "I'll try my best."
Hearing his response, a smile appeared on the old mayor's face: "Since that's the case, I'll say no more, Cyclizar is entrusted to your care, it's quite strong and will surely help you manage the ranch."
Upon hearing this, Cyclizar let out a happy growl: "Gah-oo!"
The old mayor smiled and prepared to turn and leave.
But before he could walk a few meters, he suddenly turned back: "One more thing!"
Naoki hurriedly said: "Please tell me."
The old mayor: "You can keep the wood and stone obtained from chopping trees and smashing rocks, and once you've saved enough money, take them to the carpentry shop to help expand your residence and the Pokemon House, saving a lot on materials!"
Naoki made a note of this.
The old mayor, from a distance, took off his hat and said warmly: "I live in Porto Marinada Town. If you need anything, come find me. Cyclizar knows the way, you can ride it there directly."
"Okay." Naoki nodded.
With that, the old mayor left.
In the year 198 of the League Calendar, spring had just arrived in the Paldea Region, and the temperature hadn't fully warmed up yet.
Naoki and Cyclizar stood at the doorway of the cabin, watching the figure of the old mayor gradually disappear.
Only after the old mayor completely vanished did Naoki turn his head to look at the shiny Cyclizar beside him.
Although he was an outsider, judging from Cyclizar's appearance and demeanor, it was easy to tell that this Cyclizar was very healthy and well cared for.
Thinking about the magical setting of Pokemon, Naoki's curiosity was piqued, and he couldn't help but say: "Cyclizar?"
"Gah-oo?" Cyclizar turned its head to look over.
Sure enough, it knew it was a Cyclizar.
Naoki asked again: "Can you understand what I'm saying? If you can, nod your head."
"Gah-oo~"
Cyclizar indeed nodded its head obediently.
Just like in the anime, Pokemon could directly understand human language!
Naoki's heart was thoroughly replaced by novelty.
According to the setting, Pokemon are extraordinary creatures with intelligence and emotions far beyond ordinary animals.
Even some Pokemon's intelligence and emotions are said to be on par with humans.
Looking at Cyclizar's shiny skin, Naoki couldn't resist extending his hand to touch it.
The texture was different than he imagined, not as terrifying as a real-life lizard, but rather like leather, similar to a motorcycle.
Cyclizar showed no signs of displeasure at being touched; instead, it closed its eyes contentedly and seemed quite pleased.
Imitating Ash from the anime, Naoki said to Cyclizar: "Cyclizar, let's take good care of each other in the future!"
"Gah-oo~"
After that, Naoki didn't know what else to say.
He withdrew his hand, and his stomach suddenly growled.
Cyclizar heard this sound and looked at Naoki's stomach.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Naoki asked: "Have you eaten yet? I'm about to cook, want to join me?"
"Gah-oo~"
Although Cyclizar had already eaten breakfast, it was still very happy about the new owner's invitation.
It nodded and followed Naoki back to the wooden cabin.
Standing in front of the cabin, at this moment, a different feeling emerged in Naoki's heart.
He took a deep breath, thinking that this would be his home from now on!
Having worked the 996 life in his past existence, being a leisurely farmer in this life seemed not bad at all.
Being a rancher might be tiring, but at least he was working for himself here.
A new life was about to begin, Naoki took a deep breath and glanced at Cyclizar beside him.
Speak of the devil, last night he was worrying about not having a Pokemon to test his golden finger on, and this morning he got a Cyclizar.
If that's so, then it's decided!
Naoki started to heat oil, no, boil water, preparing to cook a bowl of clear broth noodles, to see what effect it might have and if it would provide various magical benefits to Pokemon, just like in the game.