Ihe coop, Naoki filled the trough with feed. The three hens and rooster, drawn by the smell, eagerly gathered around and began to eat.

  "They seem to be settling in nicely!" the girl remarked, a smile on her face. "Well, Mr. Naoki, I'll be going now. If you have any questions, you call the shop. Our number is 9573868."

  Naoki blinked. "I haven't had a ce to get a pho."

  The girl looked surprised. "Oh?"

  Naoki smiled. " I just stop by the shop if I need anything?"

  The girl nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!"

  After expining a few more details about g for the chis, the girl donned a straw hat and rode her tricycle away from the ranch.

  Naoki stood in the chi coop, the hens. While hens could y eggs without a rooster, those eggs would be uilized and couldn't hatch. Only eggs id after mating with a rooster could produce chicks. This was why Naoki had specifically purchased a rooster.

  The three hens were healthy adults, capable of ying eggs. This meant that, starting tomorrow, he could expect at least three eggs daily.

  "One egg doesn't sell for much," Naoki thought, "so the best course of a is to use all three for hatg."

  This way, by the time the crops were ready for harvest, there would be three new additions to the ranch.

  The newly built coop was a bit messy. Naoki grabbed a pitchfork and began moving the hay that had been piled by the door into the er.

  Finished with the task, he gnced down at his attire. Dressed in brown overalls and wielding a pitchfork, he truly looked the part of a farmer.

  He set the pitchfork aside aed the coop, carefully closing the door behind him to prevent the hens from esg.

  As he walked back to the , he recalled the girl's words. "I o focus on the ranch's infrastructure as well," he realized.

  Things like a telephoelevision, record pyer, and puter.

  A phone would allow him to ect with people in town. A television would keep him informed about news as. A record pyer could provide eai, perhaps pying a soothing melody on rainy days when he couldn't work outside.

  And a puter.

  It would enable him to quickly search for information and even unicate with people in far-ions like Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Alo.

  But based on the inal owner's memories, these items were not cheap. For now, he o prioritize food and shelter for himself and his Pokémon.

  Still, he was determio build a better future for himself and his ranch.

  As he approached the , he saw Koraidon and Cyclizar had returned. Opposite them stood Alcremie and Smoliv, trembling with fear.

  Upon seeing Naoki, the two smaller Pokémon scurried behind him, ging to his legs and peering out from behind him with wide eyes.

  Naoki uzzled. "Koraidon?" he questioned.

  Koraidon tilted its head, fused. "Gashi?"

  It didn't uand why the two were so afraid.

  Koraidon looked down at itself, then at the docile Cyclizar beside it. Aren't we just a little different in appearance?

  Naoki crouched dowly patting Alcremie and Smoliv on the head. "Rex," he soothed, "it won't hurt you."

  "Kora!" Koraidon nodded emphatically, reinf Naoki's words.

  Alcremie and Smoliv cautiously eyed Koraidon.

  Koraidon stood patiently, allowing them to assess its demeanor.

  After a moment, Alcremie and Smoliv exged gnces.

  "Alcre..."

  "Smo..."

  Perhaps it really wouldhem?

  Seeing their hesitation, Koraidon patted its chest with a rge paw in a surprisingly human-like gesture.

  "Kora, kora, kora!" it chirped reassuringly.

  The fear in Alcremie and Smoliv's eyes faded, repced by simple, i smiles.

  "Alcremie~"

  "Smoliv~"

  Naoki didn't uand their words, but seeing that they were no loerrified of Koraidon, he scooped them up, one in each arm, and carried them into the house.

  "This is our home from now on," Naoki announced, looking around. "Where would you like to live?" He wahem to choose their own spots.

  Alcremie and Smoliv uood. They sed the room, assessing their options.

  Smoliv quickly made its decision, choosing the windowsill above Naoki's desk. It was a sunny spot with a gentle breeze, ideal frass-type Pokémon that relied on photosynthesis.

  Naoki nodded, pg Smoliv on the windowsill, then turo Alcremie.

  "How about you?"

  Alcremie's eyes darted towards the cupboards i area, a spark of excitement igniting within them. "Alcre!" it excimed, pointing with one of its sweet-tipped appendages.

  "The cupboard?" Naoki asked, raising an eyebrow. He walked over with Alcremie in his arms and opehe cupboard door, revealing the fruits and various seasonings stored inside.

  Alcremie hopped in on its own accord, quickly finding a small nook in the er to hide.

  "Alcre!" This erfect!

  "Uh... okay," Naoki replied, a little surprised. He had initially thought the space might be too cramped for Alcremie, but then he sidered the Fairy-type's nature. Perhaps it preferred small, enclosed spaces for a sense of security, especially sis sweet st often attracted attention from other Pokémon.

  "Not bad," Naoki mused, inhaling the faint, sweet caramel aroma that wafted from Alcremie. His mouth began to water; he hadn't had a sweet treat in a long time. A sudden urge to lick Alcremie washed over him, but he quickly pushed the thought aside.

  After settling Alcremie in its new home, Naoki turned his attention to Smoliv. He looked at the slightly bare windowsill, a thought f in his mind.

  Something was missing.

  Grass-type Pokémon needed soil and water, in addition to sunlight.

  A flower pot!

  Naoki remembered ay pot in the shed behind the house. He quickly retrieved it, rinsed away the dust, and filled it with soft soil from the farmnd.

  He pced the pot in front of Smoliv, who immediately brightened up. It hopped into the pot, burying its little feet in the soil, and then basked zily in the sunlight.

  "You'll like it here," Naoki said with a gentle smile, pg the pot on the windowsill and opening the window to allow a breeze to flow through.