Shalour City.
An ancient city blessed with golden beaches and the Tower of Mastery, standing proudly along the western coast of the Kalos continent.
Within the city stood a Fighting-type Gym, as well as a Mega Lucario capable of unleashing seven punches in a single second.
"Kangaskhan, go back for now."
Before entering the city proper, Silas took out the Poké Ball at his waist and recalled Kangaskhan.
Large Pokémon like Kangaskhan were strictly prohibited from appearing inside urban areas, and Silas had no intention of writing another self-criticism report in front of Officer Jenny.
With its golden beaches, Shalour City's tourism industry was thriving. Walking through the streets, Silas could see Pokémon from all over the world.
Vulpix from Kanto, Woobat from Unova, Oricorio from Alola, and Rellor from Paldea.
Damn—dung beetle.
Before Silas could even walk away, an Officer Jenny rushed over at full speed.
Under the trainer's near-tearful expression, both he and his Rellor were escorted straight into the police car.
A five-hundred-word self-reflection essay awaited that unfortunate fellow.
Seeing this, Silas chuckled quietly, hoping the essay would be as long as possible.
With a smile on his face and a light heart, Silas made his way toward the Shalour Market.
Buying food wasn't urgent. While it was still light out, he needed to hurry and visit the seed shop, the carpentry shop, and most importantly—the store that sold ranch Pokémon and ordinary animals.
After all, it was already past four in the afternoon when he had set out.
Thankfully, he and Kangaskhan had eaten grilled fish before leaving, so neither of them was hungry.
Silas's fingers rubbed lightly against the Poké Ball at his waist, and it trembled gently twice.
"Yeah, I know. I'll try to get back before dark."
Kangaskhan was worried about the ranch. Before leaving, Silas had sprayed Pokémon Repel Spray—something Pokémon absolutely hated.
Fortunately, the ranch was still empty for now. Once it was repaired, he'd need to leave someone behind to watch the place whenever he went out.
The Shalour Market wasn't very large, occupying only a small corner of the city, but it had everything he needed, saving him a great deal of time.
Following the order of his route through the market, Silas first arrived at the seed shop. A sign hung above the entrance, decorated with seasonal flowers, bearing several large characters:
Sunflora Seed Shop.
It was nearing evening, and the shop was empty. Upon hearing the doorbell ring, a Sunflora behind the counter turned around with a bright smile.
"Sun~ Flora~!"
"Sorry, I don't understand."
"Sun~ Flora…"
Just as Silas and the Sunflora were engaging in completely mismatched communication, someone emerged from the back of the shop.
A slightly plump middle-aged man wearing a brown coat.
"Ah-ha~ Young man, you're here to buy seeds, aren't you?" the man said, patting the Sunflora gently. "Welcome."
"Sunflora was asking what kinds of seeds you'd like to buy."
"Seeds?"
Silas shook his head. To be honest, he had no idea.
He briefly explained the current condition of his ranch and asked the owner to recommend a few suitable types.
"Hmm~ Reclaiming an abandoned ranch? And it's your first time farming."
Before the owner could continue, Sunflora waddled over, clutching several seed packets and holding them out in front of the two.
"Potatoes, mung beans, tomatoes, and cabbage. These are all crops suitable for spring planting, and they don't require much maintenance—perfect for beginners."
The owner named each seed one by one, not sparing his praise. "Sunflora is already a qualified seed master!"
"Sun~ (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)"
Praised by its trainer, Sunflora shyly twisted its body and scampered away.
"Besides those four," the owner continued, "I also recommend planting some Berries—Pecha Berries and Oran Berries."
"As long as you water and fertilize them on time, they'll grow tall and plump. They're indispensable food for ranch Pokémon."
After listening to the explanation, Silas gained a general understanding. After a moment's thought, he said,
"Then I'll take one pack of each to start and give them a try."
Different seeds had different prices.
Common seeds like mung beans and potatoes cost 50 League Coins per pack, while cabbage and tomatoes were more expensive at 70 and 100 per pack.
The most expensive were Berry seeds—600 per pack.
Pecha Berries, Oran Berries, and Leppa Berries were all priced the same.
In total, the seeds cost him 2,070 League Coins.
These were necessary expenses.
Before he had enough funds to raise ranch Pokémon, planting crops was one of the few ways the ranch could generate income.
Carrying the bag full of seeds, Silas left the seed shop under the owner's cheerful wave and headed to the carpentry store next door.
A hoe for tilling soil, a pickaxe for breaking rocks, an axe for chopping wood, a Squirtle watering can for watering, and a fishing rod for killing time.
All were essentials for running a ranch. Buying the full set cost him another two thousand League Coins.
Now, Silas had just over five thousand left on him.
After leaving the carpentry store, he turned toward the department store in the city center.
Here, he could buy all kinds of daily necessities. Silas planned to stock up on a week's worth of food.
Oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, sliced bread, spices—each item had a label beneath it along with its price.
For example, the sliced bread used to make hamburgers cost 100 League Coins per bag of thirty slices.
One bag was enough to last Silas and Kangaskhan three to four days, so he bought two bags at once.
Moving through aisle after aisle, his shopping cart quickly filled up. He picked one of each seasoning available.
With these spices, he'd be able to make a wider variety of dishes with different flavors.
After purchasing all these essentials, Silas was left with less than three thousand League Coins.
By now, the sky outside was gradually darkening, brilliant red clouds glowing along the horizon.
It was getting late. He decided to treat himself to a good meal in Shalour City.
Silas walked into a restaurant, and a waiter handed him the menu.
In addition to food for humans, there were also dishes suitable for Pokémon.
He ordered a bowl of seafood noodles for himself, and for Kangaskhan, a Berry platter and grilled meat.
After all, he'd be relying on Kangaskhan to help carry everything back—she was the real MVP.
Before long, the food was served. Silas released Kangaskhan, and one human and one Pokémon dug in heartily.
The portions were generous, and they ate until they were completely full.
After paying the bill and saying goodbye to the owner, Silas and Kangaskhan, loaded down with bags, made their way back under the starlight.
The wilderness at night was dangerous, with all kinds of wild Pokémon roaming about.
But for Silas, this was nothing unusual. During his travels, he had walked the night roads countless times and felt no fear at all.
Before any wild Pokémon could even get close, Kangaskhan would sense them first, followed by an unreasonable roar-based move.
The wild Pokémon were scared out of their wits and scattered in all directions, none daring to approach.
The journey back didn't take long.
Pushing open the severely dilapidated ranch gate, Silas and Kangaskhan returned to the ranch and arrived in front of the ranch house.
The beam of a flashlight cut through the pitch-black night. Looking at the clean and orderly environment around the campsite, Silas frowned.
A Pokémon had been here!
Not only was the leftover grilled fish from the afternoon completely gone, but even the weeds had been neatly piled together.
The campsite was spotless.
Such a cleanliness-loving Pokémon immediately made Silas think of the white Pokémon he had seen by the lake.
Who was it?
Man… that's a tough one to guess.
(End of Chapter)