Green Grass Trial

Just like in a game, where players challenge dungeons and gain a lot of experience from them, Naoki envisioned something similar for his ranch. If a Pokémon had a higher level of comprehension, it might be able to learn new techniques for using moves from the Gogoats.

Naoki already had a name for this new "challenge."

He called it the Green Grass Trial!

If other Pokémon were interested, they could participate as well. Just like Dragonite, who worked hard to practice and always wanted to grow stronger, they could test the combination of moves like Rain Dance + Hurricane + Thunder on challengers.

Naoki was excited by the idea, but he knew he still needed to make detailed plans for everything later.

For now, his priority was buying a lawn mower.

After entering the town, his Gogoat slowed its pace. Its hooves clattered on the red brick road, echoing softly in the bustling streets. Naoki's attention was drawn to the brick path beneath them. He immediately thought about the crude wooden paths he had built at the ranch.

The wooden paths were constructed with excess wood from the ranch, giving them a rustic charm, but Naoki had noticed that their durability was lacking. After just a few heavy rains, the wood had started to rot, and Naoki doubted the paths would last through the summer.

"Well, it's time to officially plan the roads at the ranch," Naoki thought. "Otherwise, when it rains, the paths will turn to mud, and I'll end up with muddy boots every time I go out."

If he could install red brick paths like those in the town, it would solve his problem.

Conveniently, he was heading to Kora's shop, so he could inquire about the bricks while he was there.

Though Naoki hadn't visited the town in a few days, it was still as lively as ever. Because it was located by the sea, many tourists from inland regions came to enjoy the coastal views.

Speaking of the seaside, Naoki recalled a conversation with his friend Ivan, who had mentioned the town's grand fireworks festival every summer. The event would draw crowds to the beach, where a bustling market would spring up, selling treats like sushi, takoyaki, and oden.

But it was still early in the month, so there was plenty of time before the festival.

Naoki refocused his thoughts and guided his Gogoat toward Kora's shop.

When he arrived, he spotted Kora sitting on a wooden stake outside her shop, surrounded by a group of Grass-type Pokémon.

A Sawsbuck in its summer form stood proudly beside a Steenee and Toedscruel. Nearby, a playful Sprigatito pranced about, while a mischievous Grookey tapped rhythmically on the wooden stake Kora was seated on.

Kora fed the Pokémon some snacks from her hand as she heard Naoki approaching. She turned with a smile when she recognized him.

"Swapping your ride this time?" she teased, noticing the Gogoat by his side.

Naoki hopped off his Gogoat and chuckled. " Cyclizar is practicing its moves at the ranch, so I had my Gogoat bring me here."

His eyes drifted to the group of Grass-type Pokémon surrounding Kora. "Are they all from the forest?" he asked, remembering how Kora had once told him that injured wild Pokémon would often seek Kora for help.

Kora nodded gently. "Yes, it's rare to have them all together like this. I had some free time today, so I came out to spend it with them. There's something so peaceful about being with them—it fills me with a sense of calm I've missed."

Naoki smiled at her words. "Maybe that's the magic of Pokémon," he said, his gaze landing on the Toedscruel. "Toedscruel is a pretty rare Pokémon, isn't it?"

Kora looked fondly at the Pokémon. "Rare or not, they're all the same to me. I think that's because I'm not a trainer," she said softly, stroking Sprigatito's fur.

Naoki paused, then nodded in agreement. "You're right."

Whether it's a common Grookey by the roadside or a Toedscruel deep in the jungle, all Pokémon share the same pure heart, Naoki thought.

Kora stood up, brushing off her hands with a smile. "So, what brings you here today?"

"I need a lawnmower," Naoki replied. "The weeds in the pasture are growing too fast. The Gogoats and Miltank aren't eating enough of it, so I need to cut it all back."

Kora chuckled and said, "The Pokémon on your ranch are so lucky."

Naoki raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why's that?"

Kora explained, "Not many ranchers go through the trouble of preparing different foods for their Pokémon like you do."

In the wild, Pokémon like Gogoats and Miltanks would graze on whatever wild grass and flowers they could find. If they were lucky, they might stumble across a fruit tree and snack on some fallen berries.

But on Naoki's ranch, their food was much more varied—he ensured they were well-fed with fresh grass, fruits, and other meals he specially prepared.

"In comparison," Kora continued with a smile, "you're really spoiling them."

Naoki understood Kora's point and laughed, saying, "That explains why my gas bill is several times higher than other ranches!"

Kora chuckled and motioned for him to follow her. "Come on, let's take a look."

They walked inside, and Kora pushed out several lawn mowers from the warehouse, introducing each one as they passed by.

"These are all we have. Each mower varies in price and performance. The cheapest is this one, priced at 5,000 Poke Dollars. It's a bit old and makes quite a bit of noise when you use it. The rest are similar, but the price depends on the brand and extra features."

Naoki nodded thoughtfully, inspecting each one before finally settling on a push-type mower for 7,000 Poke Dollars.

Just as he was about to finalize the purchase, another thought crossed his mind. "By the way, do you sell red bricks? I want to pave a red brick path at the ranch."

Kora nodded. "We do, but I suggest you plan the ranch layout first. If you start paving now, you might block areas where you'll want to build other facilities later on. It'll be a headache to redo the path."

"Good point," Naoki agreed, deciding to hold off on the bricks until he'd made proper plans. "I'll head back, take a closer look, and come back once I've got everything figured out."

"No problem at all, I'm here whenever you need me," Kora said with a smile.

After leaving town, Naoki returned directly to the ranch.

He let his Gogoat return to the goatpen, then grabbed a pen and paper, called Dragonite, and took to the sky. From the air, he could see the entire layout of the ranch. He began sketching a rough topographic map, marking the location of each building and feature.

Although Naoki was tempted to start planning the ranch's expansion right away, there were more pressing tasks at hand.

He handed the pen and paper to Cyclizar and asked it to put them on the desk. Then, he grabbed the new lawn mower and started cutting the overgrown grass.

The ranch was vast, and despite the facilities already installed, there remained a large expanse of unused land. According to his memories of the original owner, there had once been a sprawling grassland here where the original owner's grandfather had raised dozens of cattle and sheep Pokémon.

As Naoki pushed the mower and cut the grass, he mentally calculated the size of the pasture.

Only about a quarter of the ranch had been fully utilized. On a day-to-day basis, the size wasn't overwhelming, but as Naoki began mowing, it hit him. This place was enormous!

He thought of the Elif family's cherry orchard, with its acres of trees. How did a family of four manage to maintain such a large operation?

"I'm already feeling swamped just dealing with this."