Days Without Horses

It's a new day once again.

This morning, after completing his usual chores on the ranch, Naoki leisurely took a watering can and began to water the flowers in the flower field. The early hours of the day saw the three hardworking Combees already out and about, busily flitting among the blossoms, collecting nectar with tireless dedication.

Naoki greeted them cheerfully, "Good morning, Combees!"

"Buzz~" they responded, their harmonious buzzing filling the air as they continued their work.

With the flowers watered, Naoki turned his attention to inspecting his ranch, the home that he and his Pokémon had lovingly cultivated together. 

In the farmland, Dragonite was still focused on practicing Rain Dance, diligently summoning clouds as part of its training. Nearby, Pawmi was busy herding the hens in front of the chicken coop.

Over a month had passed, and the little yellow chicks that had hatched from their eggs had grown significantly. They had begun to follow their mother's example, scratching at the ground and learning to forage for food among the grass.

By now, the chicks had learned to stop eating when they were full, so Naoki no longer had to worry about them overeating. He had even adjusted the feeding system in the coop to allow for free feeding, making things much more convenient.

As Naoki approached, Pawmi, who was contentedly grazing on the grass, raised its paws in greeting and let out a cheerful cry. During this time, Pawmi had completely settled into life on the ranch. It had picked up on the routine and now eagerly participated in the daily work. Every morning after breakfast, it would dash off to the chicken coop to manage the grazing hens, and in the evening, it would lead them back inside before returning to the cabin to sleep.

Naoki smiled and nodded at Pawmi before continuing on his way.

Ahead lay the Pokémon House where the three Miltanks resided. The grass seeds Naoki had sown on the land in front of the cabin more than half a month ago had already sprouted, and he knew it wouldn't be long before they grew into lush, delicious grass.

The Miltanks, having finished their morning milking, were now lounging on the grass, basking in the sun. They adored life on this ranch, where the food was far superior to what they had at their previous home. Grateful for their new life, they worked hard every day to produce as much milk as possible. 'Why keep it?' they seemed to reason. 'It's better to give it all and feel relaxed.'

As Naoki continued, he approached the salt house where the Nacli usually stayed. But with the weather improving, the little Naclis had been spending most of their time outdoors, running around under the watchful eye of Alcremie. As a result, rock salt production had noticeably decreased.

Naoki sighed with a mix of amusement and resignation. He didn't have the heart to confine the Naclis inside just to maintain the salt production; instead, he allowed them the freedom to play and explore.

Finding the salt house empty, Naoki closed the door and headed toward the area where the Gogoat grazed. The Gogoat had finished their morning routine and were now lying lazily on the grass, contentedly munching away.

But as Naoki approached, he noticed something unexpected—Smoliv sitting peacefully next to one of the Gogoat.

Curiosity piqued, Naoki walked over and asked, "What brings you here, Smoliv?"

Smoliv swayed slightly and responded with a cheerful, "Fu~"

'Because it's so comfortable here!'

Naoki then noticed a soft green glow emanating from beneath the Gogoat. It dawned on him immediately—thanks to the Gogoat, the grass energy in this area was particularly rich and abundant. For plant and grass-type Pokémon like Smoliv, this was like a sanctuary, a place they naturally gravitated toward for its nurturing environment.

"Gogoat, Smoliv is in your care. I have to go to work," Naoki said.

The Gogoat gladly accepted the responsibility of looking after Smoliv.

Naoki then headed to the utility room at the back of the house, where he took out an axe and a saw. Using the leftover wood and the simple workbench inside, he began crafting a wooden fence.

He planned to enclose the flower field with this fence, separating it from the farmland to create a dedicated viewing area. When the flowers wither in the summer, Naoki intended to plant sunflower seeds, transforming the area into a beautiful field of sunflowers.

Koraidon wasn't much help with such delicate work, as its strength could easily snap the wood if not handled carefully. Therefore, Naoki took on the task himself, working diligently until the afternoon when the fence was finally complete.

A wooden fence now encircled the flower field, with a sign depicting flowers hung at the entrance, marking the official completion of the garden.

Naoki clapped his hands, noticing the calluses that had formed on them without his realizing it. But he didn't mind.

'Maybe for a farmer, it's a badge of honor for hard work,' he thought.

After brushing off the dust from his hands, Naoki patted the heads of Koraidon and the Cyclizar beside him, asking, "What do you want to eat tonight?"

"Raao?"

"Gao!"

The two Pokémon responded in unison.

Naoki chuckled, "How about sandwiches?"

Koraidon and Cyclizar both seemed unimpressed, but Naoki laughed and added, "Alright, alright, I'll make some fried steak too."

At that moment, the videophone behind him rang.

Naoki raised his eyebrows in surprise. 'Who would be calling at this hour?'

He washed his hands, went over to answer the phone, and was greeted by Mayor Thomas's voice.

"Good evening, Naoki!"

"Good evening, Mayor Thomas! What brings you to call today?"

"Haha, it's about the horse racing event at the end of March. Since you've got a telephone installed now, I thought I'd call instead of sending a letter."

"The town will be holding a spring horse race on the 25th of this month. Anyone with a horse Pokémon can enter, and there will be many passing trainers participating as well!"

"It's just that you haven't started raising any horse Pokémon yet, so you won't be able to participate. But you can still come to watch the race and place bets on your favorite Pokémon. If your pick wins, you can exchange the winning tickets for various items!"

Horse racing tickets? Isn't that just betting on Pokémon races?

But when he heard about exchanging tickets for various items, Naoki was intrigued and asked, "Items?"

Mayor Thomas replied, "Because most of the participants are passing trainers, the town has prepared many things that trainers can use, such as various Evolution Stones, equipment to help Pokémon train, and magical items for Pokémon to carry."

'Evolution Stones.'

Naoki quickly thought of one of his life goals: to collect all the Eeveelutions. Most of them require Evolution Stones. Apart from Sylveon, Espeon, and Umbreon, collecting the rest of the Eeveelutions would require a total of five Evolution Stones: Fire, Water, Thunder, Leaf, and Ice.

'I only have a Water Stone right now, which the baby bear found and gave to me,' he mused. 'Even though I don't have an Eevee yet, it's always good to be prepared.'

After hanging up the phone, Naoki began to contemplate his current situation.

'There are 10 days left until the horse racing event begins,' he thought. 'According to Mayor Thomas, each person can only purchase a limited number of race tickets. These tickets can be used to bet on the players you support, thereby gaining more tickets, which can then be redeemed for items.'

'You can also participate in the competition yourself. Besides the championship trophy, the winner gets to choose an item for free. If you're confident enough, you could even bet on yourself.'

'But the real question is, can I find a horse Pokémon within these ten days? And even if I do, could I train it well enough to win the championship?'

He sighed, pondering the challenge ahead. 'Well, that's a tough problem to solve.'