Ten minutes later, under Natsuki's diligent feeding, the Mudbray had stuffed themselves full.
For the first time, they felt the sensation of being completely bloated and refused Natsuki's further attempts to feed them.
At the same time, their affection for Natsuki shot up rapidly. If this were a game, "+1" icons wouldn't stop popping up over their heads.
The gourmet tactic was a total success! Now it was time for the final step: Coaxing them with an invitation.
"Was it good?"
"Mud-mud!"
"Do you want to be able to eat food like this every day?" Natsuki asked.
The Mudbray blinked their large eyes and nodded vigorously. "Mud-mud!~"
"In that case, would you like to come with me to my ranch? I can provide you with a safe, warm home and lots and lots of food."
Natsuki extended an olive branch, asking them with total sincerity.
However, the Mudbray's reaction was unexpected. The lead Mudbray— the "big brother" of the group— looked panicked and shook its head, backing away slightly.
"It's a no?" Natsuki asked, puzzled. He crouched down. "Can you tell me why you don't want to leave?"
"Mud-mud! Mud!"
He couldn't understand a word. The Mudbray's communication skills were too poor, so he needed a translator.
"Gah! They are Pokémon under the protection of the Great Pyroar. To leave, they must first seek his permission, Chatot!"
At some point, Chatot had appeared by his side, relaying the Mudbray's meaning.
"I see." Natsuki realized the situation.
A burly, majestic Pyroar appeared in his mind. They had met once before, and it was a very powerful Pokémon.
"Kangas!" Just then, Kangaskhan suddenly snapped her head up, looking alertly in one direction.
A fiery red figure blurred past in the distance, finally coming to a halt atop a raw stone ledge.
"Roar!"
An aura no weaker than Kangaskhan's was released. The fiery mane on its mountain-like physique danced in the wind.
With its appearance, the surrounding temperature seemed to rise.
This was a massive Pokémon.
The two Pokémon stared each other down for a moment before the tense atmosphere suddenly retracted. Pyroar let out a cold greeting.
"So they are Pokémon under your protection!" Natsuki said to the approaching Pyroar.
Totem Pokémon are a very peculiar phenomenon in the natural world. They are chosen and nurtured by nature itself, and their duty is to maintain the natural ecology of a specific region.
Protecting weak, young Pokémon is one of those duties. They act as maintainers of the ecosystem and as a bridge between humans and wild Pokémon.
The Pyroar before him was the Totem Pokémon of Route 12. Natsuki and it had a brief skirmish when he first arrived.
Since they were old acquaintances, things became much easier.
Natsuki informed Pyroar of his request. Pyroar lowered its head, its blue, amber-like pupils scanning the three Mudbray.
The Mudbray whimpered and spoke as if recounting a story.
After a moment, the conversation ended with a majestic low growl from Pyroar.
Pyroar's gaze converged on Natsuki, and it let out a roar toward him.
"Uh, what does that mean?" Natsuki looked at Chatot, waiting for the translation.
"Chatot-tot! Boss Pyroar says he needs to verify the living conditions the Mudbray will have in the future before he can agree to let you take them away."
"I see!" Natsuki understood.
Pyroar was taking his role as the patriarch very seriously, worrying over the Pokémon beneath him.
To this, Natsuki readily agreed.
"Of course, no problem. How about this: Tomorrow morning, you bring the Mudbray to the ranch, Pyroar? My ranch is the one near the coast."
"Roar!" Pyroar was a Pokémon of few words, giving a noncommittal nod.
At 7:00 PM, Natsuki's group returned to the ranch.
Compared to when they left, the ranch had gained one more Pokémon.
"Chatot, do you want to live inside the house?"
Chatot, having circled the ranch house once, perched on a crossbeam under the eaves.
"Chatot!~"
Bird Pokémon are free spirits, compared to the enclosed environment of a house, they prefer staying outside.
"Fair enough! I'll get you a blanket, it still gets quite cold at night," Natsuki said, turning to go into the room to find an old blanket to hand to Chatot.
Chatot chose a suitable spot, laid out the blanket, and stepped on it with its claws, letting out a satisfied low chirp.
Once that was settled, the sky had turned pitch black.
Natsuki quickly spoke to the three Pokémon, "You must be tired after running around with me all afternoon! I'll go make dinner now."
Before cooking, Natsuki lit the fireplace to drive the chill out of the house. He let Kangaskhan and the others stay inside to avoid catching a cold.
The main ingredients for tonight's dinner were the fresh supplies gifted by Ding Zhi and Penny. With a little processing, they would become a nutrient-rich meal.
He peeled, deseeded, and diced a small pumpkin, then boiled water for rice. Once the water boiled, he added the washed pumpkin cubes and turned the heat to low to simmer.
During this time, Natsuki washed and diced some berries, plating them and adding a bit of sugar.
He then picked up a bottle of Moomoo Milk and poured it in along the edge.
He remembered that adding Moomoo Milk to a Berry Platter could trigger an unusual culinary transformation.
He looked down as the information for this advanced dish appeared before his eyes.
[Berry Milk Platter (B-)]: A delicacy made from a mixture of various berries. Due to the addition of high-quality Moomoo Milk, an unusual change has occurred.]
[Cooking Effect: Friend of Pokémon. After consumption, it significantly increases a Pokémon's happiness and affection levels. There is an extra bonus for wild Pokémon.]
Friend of Pokémon? A simple yet profound Cooking Effect.
Essentially, as long as a Pokémon ate his cooking, Natsuki would basically become a "Pokémon Incubus."
Even if he entered the territory of a powerful Pokémon, he wouldn't be attacked. It was a must-have dish for traveling.
At the same time, looking at the description, another thought occurred to Natsuki: If he added Top-tier Moomoo Milk instead of just high-quality, would the effect change again?
As Natsuki pondered, a sweet aroma drifted to his nose. He hurried to lift the lid, and a cloud of steam billowed out.
The pumpkin and rice were perfectly blended, the fresh sweetness of the pumpkin mixed with the fragrance of the rice was irresistible.
It was another excellent dish.
[Pumpkin Porridge (C)]: Rice porridge with added pumpkin. Best served hot.
[Cooking Effect: Stamina Recovery (Medium), Rototiller LV1 (Rototiller Pokémon only). After consumption, the move Rototiller increases by one level, allowing for better care of fields and accelerating crop growth. Very small chance to cultivate mutated crops.]
"Huh?" Natsuki chuckled softly.
The Mudbray hadn't even joined the ranch yet, and he had already prepared their work meals.
Accelerating growth was great, but Natsuki was incredibly curious about the "mutated crops" part.
'Would they be giant, or would they have extraordinary special effects?' Natsuki speculated, growing more and more expectant of the Mudbray joining the ranch.