"Rattata?"
Before Willy could answer, the old sailor who was also participating in the Trout Derby not far away changed his expression.
He looked at Willy with an ugly expression. "Is that really necessary? For a competition like this... there's no need to go that hard, right?"
Willy raised an eyebrow. "This is the Fishing Master Championship, held for the first time in years!"
"..."
"..."
The others who had come to participate in the fishing competition nearby couldn't help but shudder and sit a bit further away.
"Rattata?"
"Keep it a secret, you'll know in a bit." Saying this, Willy went back to concentrating on his fishing.
Time flashed forward to lunchtime.
After handing his fishing rod to Krabby's pincer, Sailor helped Willy set the pot over the campfire. He then tore open his meal pack and poured the contents inside.
The instructions clearly specified what to put in and when, so even Sailor, relying on this meal pack, could whip up a dish that was 90% of Gus's culinary level.
Sailor rubbed its paws together nearby, smelling the aroma coming from the pot.
Willy, on the other hand, methodically prepped the few Sardines he had brought, set up a wire mesh over the campfire, and placed the fish on it.
"Rattata?"
"A way of eating often used by sailors." Willy said, taking out a bottle of Mayonnaise from that large bag under Sailor's expectant gaze.
"Rattata?" The secret weapon you mentioned is this?
Sailor looked at the unremarkable Mayonnaise in disbelief and asked.
"Yeah, this is it." Willy shook it and said, "High in oil and fat, the best food to quickly replenish calories and stamina."
Of course, Willy wasn't planning to use that extreme eating method right now. He was just planning to wait until the Sardines were grilled, spread a little Mayonnaise on them, and then sandwich them between toasted bread, that's all.
"Rattata." Sailor instantly lost interest in that bag and turned its attention back to the food in its own pot.
Before long, the soup started boiling, and the aroma of the food permeated the entire riverbank.
Although their desire to win wasn't as strong as Willy's, everyone had come with the intention of becoming the recognized strongest angler. Therefore, for lunch and dinner, they all just planned to gnaw on some bread to get by.
Originally, it was fine. Everyone was eating bread, and the slightly more complex setups were just like Willy's, adding a bit of fish. Since everyone ate this way, there was nothing to be envious about.
But right now, the aroma of Gus's special cuisine instantly hooked everyone's appetite.
One of them was desperately swallowing his saliva, staring at his fishing rod while anxiously looking at Sailor's pot over there.
Just when he really couldn't bear it anymore, set his fishing rod aside, and was about to go ask if Sailor would sell him a portion, the bobber on his fishing rod suddenly twitched.
He hurriedly sat back on his fishing stool, reached out, and tugged hard.
"Ah——it got away——"
He let out a long sigh. After a moment, he simply tossed his fishing rod aside and trotted over to Sailor.
"Um——hello, are you selling this food?" He pointed at the boiling contents in the pot and asked carefully.
"Rattata? Rattata." Sailor waved its paw. (I'm not selling.)
If anything, it was the least short on money among all the Pokémon on the farm. Although it still needed to save up some pocket money to buy the fishing rod it wanted, Sailor's desire for food wasn't as strong as the other Rattata. Plus, Willy would occasionally take it to Gus's saloon for a good meal, and it could occasionally make some extra pocket money by rummaging through trash cans. This really wasn't a big deal for Sailor.
"——Then can you tell me where you bought this?" The man asked again.
Hearing this, Sailor pointed its paw toward the farm.
Meanwhile, at the farm.
Gus was researching the meal packs with Ron. The ones made these past few days were fine, and the taste was pretty good. Of course, it couldn't compare to freshly made, but restoring 90% of the flavor was still pretty good.
When traveling, there was no need to be nitpicky.
"Can they really be sold?" Gus looked at the meal pack in his hand, thinking somewhat unconfidently.
In Pelican Town, Gus's culinary skills were indeed top-notch. But if it were a different country, a different region, that might not be the case.
People's taste buds actually differed somewhat. Not all delicious food tasted good to everyone. Just like how some people liked spicy food and some liked sweet food, with different food cultures, the acceptance of flavors also differed.
"Let's just try it out." Ron said. "If it doesn't work, we'll adjust the recipe. We'll eventually make something suitable."
Making money was secondary. For Ron, as long as he could help Gus out a bit, he'd be very satisfied.
Now that the farm was on the right track in all aspects and everything was advancing in an orderly manner, it would be even better if he could also help out the folks in town.
This couldn't be helped overtly. Just like the low-priced sale of ingredients, although it was nothing to Ron, Gus had actually always been a bit mindful of this matter.
If it weren't for Pam and Shane—two major saloon customers—both quitting drinking, plus raising a Snorlax, Gus would indeed have some operational difficulties, which was why he had to accept Ron's favor.
Of course, he was definitely grateful. But he always felt a bit bad about it.
When the farm was just starting out, which was last year, the Carpenter's Shop and the Blacksmith sold raw materials like wood and ores to the farm at low prices. Instead of him helping the newly established farm, he was the one being helped by Ron.
Gus glanced at Ron, and after a moment, nodded somewhat unconfidently.
"Alright, then let's produce according to this recipe for now." Gus said, forcibly stuffing a sum of money into Ron's hand. "But I can't let you foot the bill. You provide the ingredients, and I'll handle the rest."
Ron was about to refuse, but seeing Gus's expression, he accepted the money.
This sum wasn't a small amount for the saloon, but business in the summer was decent. At the very least, it could hold out until autumn. What happened after that, they would deal with later.
Maybe by then he would see a return on his investment?
Gus thought, and just as he was about to say goodbye to Ron, he saw a massive crowd of people swarming in through the farm's south gate.
"Don't push! Don't push! Line up first!"
"Stop shoving, I was here first. I'm really hungry, let me go ahead."
"Give me a break, who isn't hungry? For the Trout Derby, I came here last night and haven't even eaten breakfast."
Before the two could figure out what was going on, a man wearing a fisherman's hat shoved money in front of Ron.
"Hello, one meal pack! The one that fishing rat over there was eating!"
"I want one too, no, six!!"
"Me too!"
"Then you'll have to find him." Ron pointed at Gus beside him. "He's the one selling those."
The next instant, a bewildered Gus was completely surrounded by the crowd.
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