"Minccino, you're going to be the ranch's steward from now on! This area here, and that patch over there— it's all ours, and you'll be in charge of managing it."
"As for your current task? Just keep the campsite clean."
Natsuki's decision to invite Minccino to join them wasn't impulsive, it was a choice made after careful deliberation.
The reason he had paused his journey (aside from the system) was largely due to Kangaskhan. He had even consulted Nurse Joy about it.
The issue he faced was a common one for the Kangaskhan species: As they age, their maternal instincts begin to overflow, and their desire for offspring grows daily.
Simultaneously, their wariness of the outside world increases, making them irritable, anxious, and emotionally unstable.
It was essentially a form of prenatal anxiety.
In the wild, Kangaskhan have their pride, and with elders around to offer comfort, the probability of issues arising is greatly reduced.
However, a Kangaskhan caught by a Trainer must overcome this alongside their partner.
Since Natsuki's Kangaskhan was nearing the time to raise her first young and lacked experience, aggressive behavior was almost inevitable.
Having seen how well Kangaskhan and Minccino got along earlier, Natsuki intentionally kept Minccino around to soothe Kangaskhan's anxiety and perform "desensitization training."
The future ranch would surely house all sorts of Pokémon, and Natsuki had to prepare in advance.
With Minccino joining the team, the change in Kangaskhan was visible to the naked eye. The laughter and play between the two Pokémon never seemed to stop.
It only paused briefly when Natsuki brought out lunch, causing the two Pokémon to sit side-by-side expectantly.
For lunch, Natsuki and Kangaskhan had "Burger Kings" stuffed with every possible side dish, while Minccino had another fruit platter— though this time, Natsuki had swapped in different fruits to vary the flavor.
"Let's eat!"
"Kangask-han..."
"Chiu-chiu-chiu!"
After finishing their meal in short order, the human and his two Pokémon lay on the grass for a nap.
Natsuki held Minccino, the little creature's fur was glossy and felt so soft he couldn't bear to let go. It even smelled fragrant.
Fluffy Pokémon really were the cutest, Natsuki looked forward more and more to holding it while he slept tonight.
As the harsh midday sun began to tilt westward and a gentle breeze drifted through, Natsuki slowly woke up.
He yawned, washed his face, and took his hoe and some Berry seeds to the field he had started clearing this morning.
He couldn't plant the trees immediately.
First, he worked with Kangaskhan to carry the trimmed logs to the vicinity of the ranch house, watching the "Lumber" column on his status panel tick up: +1, +1.
A day's labor was bearing fruit, and he was one step closer to repairing the house.
Once the timber was cleared, they had to sweep away dead branches, weeds, and loose stones.
Watching the messy ground, Minccino couldn't hold itself back any longer.
It hopped from Natsuki's shoulder to the ground, its tail spinning like a wheel. Dead branches and fallen leaves were swept away and piled into a corner.
Natsuki didn't slack off either, he joined the cleanup with his hoe, digging out large stones buried in the soil one by one. Kangaskhan would then pick them up and stack them in a corner.
With everyone working together, the reclamation went smoothly.
When they got tired, they sat for a rest, or occasionally tumbled around in play, their laughter never ceasing.
Before they knew it, the sun was setting. Covered in dirt, Natsuki wiped the sweat from his cheek with his sleeve.
Looking at the newly cleared farmland, divided into neat plots, he felt a profound sense of achievement.
"Looks like we won't get the seeds in today," Natsuki said with a hint of regret.
Clearing wasteland wasn't as simple as he'd imagined.
Today was merely the first step. He still had to till the land, break up the hardened earth, and make the soil loose.
Only after tilling and leveling the ground could it truly be called "reclaimed" and ready for planting.
But Natsuki wasn't in a hurry. Slow and steady was fine.
He called over Kangaskhan and Minccino, who were still chasing each other on the grass, to head back.
Hearing his voice, Minccino shot forward like an arrow, almost like it had been waiting for the chance, and scrambled up onto Natsuki.
Its fluffy tail worked like a feather duster, swish-swish-swishing as it cleaned him from top to bottom.
Natsuki held Minccino and squeezed its soft, fluffy ears.
Kangaskhan followed closely behind, a slightly jealous expression flitting across her face.
"What do you two want for dinner?" Natsuki asked.
"Chiu-chiu~" Minccino, purring comfortably, raised a paw and squeaked.
"Fruit platter again? How about we try something else?"
"Chiu? Mi-mi." Minccino tilted its head cutely.
"As long as I make it, you'll like it, right? What a low-maintenance little cutie." Natsuki couldn't resist pinching Minccino's chubby cheeks.
"And you, Big Boss? A big bowl of fried meat strips, or some BBQ?"
"Kangask-han..."
"You want fried small fish... hmm." Natsuki thought for a moment and replied, "How about tomorrow? We'll plant the seeds in the morning, go fishing at the beach in the afternoon, and I'll fry some fish for you when we get back at night."
"Ao-long-long..."
Though she couldn't have the salty, crispy fried fish immediately, she had Natsuki's promise.
Kangaskhan happily pulled Natsuki into a hug.
'Natsuki is the best, best, best! Let's stay together forever!'
After a full day of labor, Natsuki's body was surprisingly sore.
Dinner was kept simple. He washed and pitted some red dates, then mixed glutinous rice flour with an appropriate amount of sugar to make a batter.
He minced the dates and stirred them in. Finally, he used a mold to shape them and placed them into a steamer.
"Minccino, just keep the fire at this level, okay?"
"Ci-no~"
While waiting, Natsuki moved to the other side to cut some well-marinated pork belly into uniform cubes.
He took some sharpened wooden skewers and threaded ten pieces onto each, making ten large skewers in total.
He placed them over the glowing red charcoal to roast.
"Big Boss, how spicy do you want yours?"
"Long-long..."
"If it's hard to choose, let's go with three skewers for each of the three spice levels."
Amidst the sizzle of rendering fat, Natsuki brushed different grades of chili sauce onto the skewers.
But how could one eat meat without something to cut the grease?
He tore up some lettuce, sliced cucumbers, cubed tomatoes, and cut carrots into strips, tossing them all into a bowl.
He added 3 spoons of olive oil, 2 of apple cider vinegar, 1 of honey, plus some salt and black pepper.
He then handed the bowl to Kangaskhan to mix thoroughly.
Soon, the aroma of roasting meat wafted over, and a faint sweetness drifted from the nearby steamer.
[Giant Meat Skewers (Rank B): Mouth-watering skewers with plump, firm meat. The spiciness is variable. A favorite of Fire-type Pokémon. Cooking Effect: Spicy Explosion.]
[Red Date Glutinous Rice Cake (Rank B): A homely dessert, the perfect pairing of dates and rice. Perhaps adding some milk or osmanthus would give it a different flair! Cooking Effect: Fragrant and Soft.]
"Huh? Different cooking effects. And two at once!" Natsuki couldn't wait to check the details.