[LV0 Ranch House → LV1 Ranch House]
[Poké Dollars: 30,000 / 10,000]
[Lumber: 450 / 500]
[Conditions met. Spend 10,000 Poké Dollars and 450 Logs to renovate the ranch house?]
"Yes!"
[Countdown begins: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...]
"Boss, no peeking!" Natsuki warned. "The magic won't work if you see it. You two can't open your eyes."
"Li-li~"
Minccino curled its large ears down to cover its eyes, and it didn't forget to use its tail to cover Kangaskhan's eyes too.
It was terrified that Kangaskhan might peek and ruin Natsuki's "magic."
[5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Renovation complete.]
[Please choose the decorations. (Note: Once chosen, they cannot be changed.)]
"I can choose the decorations myself?"
Surprised, Natsuki tapped the semi-transparent screen.
Just as he suspected, the available choices were few and far between. It made sense— a Level 1 house built with such minimal resources was lucky to be standing at all, thanks to the system's power.
After a quick scan, Natsuki made his decision. He couldn't wait to see the surprise and joy on the faces of Kangaskhan and the others.
"Ci-no?"
Its large ears twitched, Minccino was asking if it could open its eyes yet.
Natsuki pulled his gaze away from the brand-new, beautiful ranch house.
"You can now!"
Swish!
Minccino and Kangaskhan both opened their eyes almost simultaneously.
In the next moment, Kangaskhan's eyes widened in shock, and she stood there, momentarily at a loss for words.
'Where did my big, old, dilapidated house go?'
In its place stood a brand-new, fully-equipped, and cozy ranch house.
"Hahaha~ Pretty impressive, right?"
"Li-li!"
Minccino bounded onto Natsuki's shoulder, its little head nodding vigorously, desperate to head inside and take a look.
To Minccino, Natsuki was omnipotent: He could cook delicious food and even perform "magic."
The only downside was that he sometimes hugged a bit too tightly while sleeping at night, making it hard to breathe.
But Natsuki's embrace was always very warm.
"Follow me. Let's go see our new home." Natsuki stepped forward, filled with anticipation.
After more than a week and with the help of his Golden Finger, he had established a new home on this abandoned ranch.
His Pokémon Ranch Story had finally officially begun.
He pushed open the door to find a massive, open living room.
Currently, there wasn't a single piece of furniture. The wooden floors and walls were a bright yellow, giving the space a warm, inviting feel.
"Oh, right!" Natsuki looked at his two Pokémon with a beaming smile. "I've prepared gifts for you inside the house."
"Kangask-han~ (Li-li!)"
'Gifts!!!'
At the news, Kangaskhan and Minccino stopped hovering around Natsuki and began searching the ranch house.
The Level 1 house consisted of three rooms plus a bathroom. The center was the living room, which Natsuki had customized to include a fireplace installed on the right wall near the bedroom.
The newly renovated house would be his home for a long time, so heating measures for winter were essential.
Natsuki already had ideas for the space around the fireplace. He planned to buy a sofa to place there.
Ideally, he'd have a television, too.
Sitting there with Minccino in his arms, snacking on nuts gathered in the autumn... now that would be the life.
To the left was the kitchen. When Natsuki walked over, he saw Minccino happily using its tail to wrap around a duster, sweeping away non-existent dust from high places.
He stepped forward, scooped Minccino into his arms, and nuzzled it. "Do you like it?"
"Li-li!" Minccino's face flushed slightly as it responded with an enthusiastic nod.
With this tool, it could reach the dust and stains in high places.
To a Minccino with a cleanliness obsession, this was a very big deal.
"I'm glad you like it." Natsuki squeezed its ears and let it go, naturally assigning a task: "I'll leave the cleaning of the house to you from now on, Minccino."
Thump-thump!
Minccino patted its chest with a small paw and looked up with a serious face, as if saying, 'Leave it to me, Trainer!'
Natsuki then headed to the bedroom on the far left. Inside the large room was only one bed. Positioned in the west corner against the wall was a king-sized bed.
Well, calling it a "bed" wasn't exactly right. It was actually a stone kang (a heated stone platform) that Natsuki had specifically requested for easy winter heating.
Only something like this could support Kangaskhan's weight without the risk of the bed collapsing mid-sleep.
Just then, Kangaskhan approached the bed and tested it cautiously.
As she slowly pressed her weight onto it, the stone platform didn't budge an inch, proving that it was more than sturdy enough to hold her.
Kangaskhan was instantly overjoyed. Now she could sleep with Natsuki every night!
Taking in Kangaskhan's movements and expressions, Natsuki didn't tease her.
Instead, he handed over a book placed by the head of the bed. Five words were clearly printed on the cover:
The Baby Bible (Kangaskhan Edition).
This was the real gift Natsuki had for Kangaskhan.
With her offspring due soon, her prenatal anxiety needed to be addressed. Otherwise, it could seriously affect both her and the baby.
The best way to resolve anxiety born of the unknown is to understand it. This "Baby Bible" was the perfect remedy.
"Kangask-huuu!"
Kangaskhan nodded repeatedly, moved to tears.
Natsuki was so thoughtful, and she had been worrying about this for a long time. Now, with a solution provided by Natsuki, she could finally sleep peacefully.
She opened her arms and pulled Natsuki into a massive bear hug.
"Alright, alright, put me down! Today is move-in day, we have to move everything from the camp inside."
Natsuki was sincerely happy for Kangaskhan. Helping Pokémon through their troubles— isn't that the very meaning of being a Trainer?
Between a Trainer and their Pokémon, there can be bonds of comrades-in-arms, friends, or partners.
But most importantly, they are family. Family who live together in close intimacy.
While Minccino handled the cleaning, Natsuki and Kangaskhan went to the campsite in front of the ranch house.
After living in the wild for a week, they could finally move into a house. It hadn't been an easy journey.
"Kangaskhan, come give me a hand." Natsuki rolled up his sleeves and called out, "The sooner we finish, the sooner we can have our housewarming feast!"
"Ao-ao-ao!"
With an excited shout, Kangaskhan scooped up an entire shelf in her arms and followed behind Natsuki.
Just like that, the human and Pokémon made a dozen trips until the campsite was cleared and everything was moved into the ranch house.
The house was no longer empty, it felt lived-in.
The evening was the housewarming feast, so it had to be special. Natsuki had bought ingredients a day in advance.
Using his brand-new stove and tying on his apron, he couldn't help but hum a little tune. This kind of leisurely time wasn't bad at all.
On the table sat Braised Sea Bass (Rank C), Stir-fried Chicken (Rank C+), Stir-fried Green Beans with Egg (Rank C-), Spicy Clams (Rank C+), and the star dish, Dried Shrimp with Cabbage (Rank B).
The combination of these five dishes triggered a unique effect.
Cooking Effect: Housewarming Joy. By consuming five dishes with special meanings on a special day, the consumers' Luck is slightly increased.