It rained.
It was the first rain since Natsuki arrived at the ranch.
A continuous, drizzling mist fell, droplets pattering against the roof and gathering into streams that trickled down from the eaves.
"Looks like we're stuck inside today."
Feeling the moisture drifting in through the window, Natsuki picked up Minccino to let the little one take a look.
"Mee-ree!" Minccino chirped disappointedly, snuggling into Natsuki's arms.
Her plan to pick a bouquet for Natsuki had to be temporarily postponed.
On the windowsill, the various flowers in the vase were wilting, their petals had fallen, and their fragrance was gone.
After comforting Minccino, Natsuki handed her to Kangaskhan to look after. He got dressed and headed to the kitchen.
On a rainy day, one definitely needed a hot bowl of soup and rice to warm the body. He took out the pork ribs he had bought in Shalour City and chopped them into small chunks.
He added water to the pot along with the ribs, adding cooking wine and ginger to remove any gaminess.
Asking Kangaskhan to keep an eye on it, Natsuki put on a raincoat. He found Chatot under the eaves outside the cabin and told him to go inside.
With the arrival of the spring rain, the temperature had plummeted. Even with a Pokémon's constitution, they could catch a cold, and that wouldn't be good.
"Cha-tot~"
"Don't move, don't move. Let me dry you off first."
He wrapped Chatot in a dry towel and rubbed vigorously with both hands. Chatot's colorful plumage became a disheveled mess.
After letting Chatot into the room, Natsuki peeked out to observe the sky.
The sky was a dull gray. The rain wouldn't be stopping anytime soon.
Tucking his raincoat tight, Natsuki dashed through the rain to the Donkey Shed. Pushing open the door, he saw the three Mudbray huddling together.
Seeing Natsuki appear, they all rushed toward him, surrounding him to use their body heat to drive away the chill from his skin.
"It's still a bit cold, isn't it?" Natsuki petted each of them in turn, saying softly, "Let's go into the house to warm up together. The others are all there."
"Mud-mud~"
The Mudbray shook their heads, as long as Natsuki was there, it wasn't cold.
Natsuki grabbed some dry hay to cover them, then led them through the curtain of rain back to the ranch house.
Pushing open the door, the orange-red flames in the fireplace burned brightly, dispelling the chill.
After drying the rain off the Mudbray, Natsuki let them lie by the fireplace to warm up with Chatot.
He then hurried back to the kitchen.
The water had boiled, and the ribs were blanched. He rinsed them with cold water and put them into another pot, bringing it to a boil over high heat.
Essential seasonings and side dishes were a must. Corn and carrots were the perfect choices for stewed ribs.
Once the water boiled, he turned the heat to low to simmer slowly.
Natsuki sat before the fireplace, and Minccino obediently hopped onto him, using her body to keep him warm.
The other Pokémon also gathered around, huddling close to Natsuki.
"This is the life!" Natsuki couldn't help but sigh.
'A group of Pokémon gathered together, centering around you and loving you... it's perfect.'
Leaning against Kangaskhan, Natsuki picked up the Complete Guide to Planting and began to read. The Pokémon played among themselves, getting along harmoniously.
The book recorded spring, summer, and autumn crops, winter was a rare period of leisure for a rancher.
Every type of crop had its planting methods and troubleshooting steps for common problems. What caught Natsuki's interest was a summer crop: Hops.
It was a crop that could be used for brewing beer. The only catch was that it required a cellar.
Natsuki opened the Ranch House interface.
[Ranch House LV1 → Ranch House LV2]
[Poké Dollars: 100,000]
[Wood: 1,000]
[Stone: 500]
[Description: Further expand your ranch house with more rooms and facilities. Upon completion, you can freely choose one special buff.]
[Current Effect: Energy Recovery LV1]
100,000 Poké Dollars, 1,000 Wood, and 500 Stone. These were the materials needed for the upgrade.
In the description, the mention of "more rooms and facilities" included the option for a basement. If he wanted to brew beer, the ranch had to be upgraded again.
He set this as his goal: Try to save 100,000 Poké Dollars before summer arrived.
A light fragrance wafted from the kitchen.
The Pokémon all looked up, a big eater like Kangaskhan had her stomach rumble uncontrollably, and the other little ones weren't much better.
"It should be ready. I'll go check."
With that, Natsuki stood up and hurried to the kitchen to lift the lid.
Steam carrying the scent of meat and a light sweetness hit his face— the smell released by the cooked tender corn.
The ribs were stewed until tender, and the corn and carrots had soaked up the broth, taking on a pale amber hue.
[Pork Rib and Corn Soup (B)]: The ribs are tender and delicious, the corn is sweet, and the broth is rich and mellow. It is a classic stomach-warming dish. Because the chef poured emotion into it during preparation, a wonderful change has occurred.]
[Cooking Effect: Warm Breeze Blowing.]
[Warm Breeze Blowing: After consumption, the Pokémon can feel the creator's emotions and will no longer fear the cold.]
An excellent dish that perfectly met Natsuki's current needs.
"One bowl each first to warm up. There's more in the pot if it's not enough."
Before the fireplace, the Pokémon sat in a row, their bowls filled with meat and corn. For someone like Kangaskhan, there was more meat in her bowl.
For the Mudbray and Minccino, there were only one or two pieces, with more corn and carrots.
Natsuki picked up his own bowl and gestured to the Pokémon. "Let's eat!"
Kangaskhan couldn't wait to grab a rib, her teeth crunching through the meat and bone.
A wave of warmth began to spread from her stomach until it covered her entire body, driving away the cold.
Kangaskhan: 'Delicious!' -(≧◡≦)ノ
The reactions of the Mudbray, Chatot, and Minccino were much the same. Their eyes lit up, followed by a flurry of hearty eating.
Natsuki had just finished a piece of corn and a sip of soup when he looked up to see six empty bowls.
"Is it that good?"
Nod, nod!
The Pokémon all nodded in unison.
Fortunately, Natsuki had made plenty, serving another bowl for each Pokémon was no problem.
Seeing Kangaskhan and the others love his cooking so much made the Trainer happy, and a sense of motivation from being recognized filled his entire body.
'100,000 Poké Dollars is nothing!'
With a bowl of rib soup in their bellies, the chill of the rainy day was completely dispelled. Minccino proactively took on the cleaning duties, while Natsuki leaned against Kangaskhan, flipping through his book.
The Mudbray lay comfortably on the floor yawning, and Chatot watched the continuous curtain of rain through the window.
For a moment, the only sounds in the cabin were the sounds of turning pages and the light snoring of the Mudbray.
Being stuck in the house all day actually made the time fly. Before he knew it, the sky had darkened.
Natsuki leaned against Kangaskhan and closed his eyes in a deep sleep. At some point, Minccino had curled up in his arms, her fluffy tail sweeping unconsciously.
Natsuki drifted into dreamland, sleeping exceptionally comfortably and peacefully.
The rain outside drizzled for a day and a night, never increasing or decreasing in intensity.
It wasn't until the following morning, as the sun rose, that it finally ceased.
Chatot was the first to let out a high-pitched, excited cry.