Early the next morning, Draconis woke up early.
Today was a rest day, and the Pokémon, who had been training for half a month straight, didn't have to battle and could sleep in at home.
Seeing Dratini and Servine still sound asleep, Draconis didn't wake them, but quietly took the already awake Larvesta and left the house.
Gyarados Ranch.
Megan and her brother Chris also woke up early and started busying themselves in the ranch.
Chris brought fresh pasture grass and began feeding the two Bouffalant.
Megan stood by the pond, gently caring for the six ferocious Gyarados.
The diligent Combee flew back and forth, Gathering nectar from the recently bloomed flower field in the ranch and transporting it back to the beehives to brew sweet honey.
"Good morning, Your Highness Draconis!"
Megan quickly spotted Draconis and waved to him across a patch of grass.
"You too, Megan," Draconis smiled.
Megan quickly said something to the Gyarados, then jogged over to Draconis.
"Please follow me, Your Highness!"
The two arrived at another side of the ranch, an area enclosed by a wooden fence.
This place was now covered with fresh, lush pasture grass and flower fields, looking so vibrant; amidst the rustling grass, Draconis even saw a few Petilil and Budew.
They ran around in the dew-covered grass and flowers. Soon, a few Budew saw Draconis and immediately turned and ran away in a panic.
"Some monsters were attracted here!" Megan said, a little surprised.
Draconis, however, smiled and said, "This means you've taken very good care of these flowers and plants."
Petilil and Budew are both Pokémon that require very specific ecological environments. Their presence indicates that the land here must be fertile and the flowers and plants abundant.
"Don't worry, they were just attracted by these flowers and mean no harm," Draconis said.
"Mm!" Megan wasn't worried; instead, she happily said, "The Gyarados will protect everyone!"
Draconis: "..."
If six Gyarados simultaneously unleashed Hyper Beam, even Gerolt, the strongest person in the territory, probably couldn't withstand it.
As he spoke, Draconis suddenly noticed that the flowers blooming in the nearby flower field looked very familiar.
He focused his attention for a moment, and relevant information appeared in his mind.
[Gracidea Flower: A unique flower species from the Sinnoh region. On days like birthdays or anniversaries, people gather them into bouquets to express gratitude. It is a flower that the gratitude Pokémon, Shaymin, particularly loves. Legend has it that when a beautiful field of Gracidea Flowers blooms, it will attract the Pokémon Shaymin.]
This is… Draconis paused slightly.
Shaymin, that's a Mythical Pokémon from the Sinnoh region.
"Your Highness, is something wrong?" Seeing Draconis staring at the flowers, Megan couldn't help but ask.
Draconis then snapped back to reality, shaking his head. "It's nothing. Since the pasture grass has grown, it's time for me to introduce you to a new kind of monster. Please wait here for a moment; I'll go call them over."
"Yes!"
Draconis had interacted with that group of gentle Mareep once before and knew where they lived.
So, in no time at all, he arrived at the hillside and, sure enough, saw a fluffy group of Mareep there.
"Mareep, do you remember me?" Draconis asked.
The group of Mareep turned to look at the newcomer, and the previous events quickly resurfaced in their minds.
Oh! It was that human who planned to plant tender and delicious pasture grass over there, and who also intended to invite them to enjoy it!
"Mareep?" The Mareep stood up from the ground, looking over with considerable anticipation.
Seeing this, Draconis's heart filled with joy; these Mareep really did remember him!
"The matter I spoke to you about before is complete. Do you want to go and see?" Draconis asked.
Mareep are very intelligent Pokémon, and since they didn't sense any malice from this human, they happily agreed.
Who would refuse such a good offer?
The Mareep on this grassland all stood up and followed Draconis and Larvesta to Megan's Gyarados Ranch.
Soon, they arrived at their destination.
Before Draconis could even speak, the Mareep's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Such lush green grass!
The human hadn't lied to them!
The Mareep happily jumped into the enclosure and began to joyfully feast on the pasture.
Megan watched this scene with considerable surprise.
"Your, Your Highness..."
"Don't worry, these monsters are very docile and won't harm anyone," Draconis introduced. "Their name is Mareep, and their wool is an excellent material for making carpets and clothing."
"Mareep..." Megan murmured, looking at the grazing monsters. A smile couldn't help but appear on her face: "They're fluffy and look very cute!"
The Mareep, having eaten and drunk their fill, lay down directly on the pasture grass, leisurely enjoying the warm sunlight.
Draconis walked over and invited, "Mareep, how about you stay here and live with us from now on? We will provide you with food and protect your safety. In this place, you won't have to worry about being attacked by other monsters, and all we need is the wool that you shed naturally."
Mareep are Pokémon that have the habit of shedding their wool periodically; even without shearing, it will fall off automatically and then regrow.
Compared to Wooloo, whose wool grows continuously if not shorn, Mareep can be said to be very suitable Pokémon for novice ranch owners to raise.
"Mareep ~"
The Mareep had no intention of refusing the conditions Draconis offered; they happily agreed.
Here, they had food and drink, and didn't have to worry about danger—compared to the wild, it was like paradise!
Seeing this, Draconis knew it was settled.
He then gave Megan some special instructions, and afterward turned and left the ranch, leaving it to Megan and the Mareep so they could build their relationship.
Draconis originally thought the matter was resolved.
However, the very next day, Megan requested an audience again.
She held a Pokémon Egg with yellow markings in her arms and exclaimed, "Your Highness Draconis, I found this egg in the Mareep enclosure this morning!"
Draconis glanced at it, and the egg's information automatically appeared.
[Mareep's Egg]
"This is an egg laid by a Mareep. After a period of time, a baby Mareep will hatch from it," Draconis explained. "Monsters, like us humans, also reproduce. Not just Mareep, but Gyarados and Bouffalant are the same."
Megan listened, half-understanding. She looked down at the egg in her arms and couldn't help but ask:
"Your Highness, how should I care for the egg to make it hatch?"
"Care for it with your heart, try to place it on a soft surface like a blanket, and be careful not to break the egg," Draconis paused, then added, "Monsters are very intelligent creatures; even in the egg, they can hear you speak and respond to your feelings."
"I understand!" Megan nodded.
"Of course, if the Mareep lay many eggs later and you can't care for them all by yourself, you can also give them to other ranch owners to look after," Draconis added.
This way, the Animal Husbandry industry in the territory could develop even faster.
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