After the rain.
On the field ridge.
Looking out at the rows of green stretching before him, Natsuki truly realized the meaning of the saying, "Spring rain is as precious as oil."
The seeds planted just the day before yesterday had scrambled to poke their heads out of the soil following the rain.
In the other field, under the daily influence of the Mudbrays' Rototiller move, various crops had already entered their second stage of growth.
Natsuki estimated that harvest day would be in about a week. This spring rain had played a crucial role.
"Mud-mud~"
The three Mudbray worked in unison, channeling Ground-type energy to perform a wide-range Rototiller.
The visible greenery grew even more lush, and the growth speed accelerated once again.
"Mudbray, I'll leave this side to your care as well."
"Mud-mud!" No problem, Natsuki, leave it to us.
Scraping the sticky mud off his shoes, Natsuki walked over to the orchard area where he had first planted the fruit trees.
The growth rate of Berries was significantly slower. They were still thin, spindly saplings that looked like they might snap in a strong wind.
This area was under Chatot's watch. He enjoyed eating the bugs that appeared on the fruit trees.
Apparently, according to Kangaskhan, those bugs even carried a faint fruity fragrance. As a result, Chatot usually came to patrol early every morning, but something was different today.
That fellow was nowhere to be seen, likely off playing somewhere.
Just as Natsuki was about to head back to grab some insect repellent, a sharp cry echoed from above.
Chatot dove down with something in his beak and landed on Natsuki's shoulder.
"Gah-gah~"
'Mushrooms! Super delicious mushrooms for you, Natsuki!'
Since arriving at the ranch, Chatot felt that there weren't many ways he could help Natsuki. Mudbray could help with the farming, and Minccino could do the cleaning, but he— aside from catching bugs— couldn't do much else.
This had left the usually proud Chatot feeling quite down.
It wasn't until the rain yesterday that he found a way to help. After every rain, delicious food would grow in the forest.
Natsuki was a human, so he surely hadn't eaten them before. Chatot wanted to pick them and bring them back as a gift.
"Cha-tot!"
Chatot urged him again.
He had discovered a huge amount this time and didn't want other Pokémon to snatch them all away.
Once Natsuki took the dew-covered mushroom, Chatot spread his wings and dashed toward the back mountains, completely ignoring Natsuki's attempts to speak.
"Wait... a minute..."
The words died on his lips. He had wanted to ask where the Morel Mushrooms were picked.
Morels were named for their resemblance to a miniature honeycomb or a sheep's stomach.
They were tender and fresh, whether in soup or stew, and were often hailed as the "meat among vegetables."
They weren't cheap at all. Just the piece in Natsuki's hand would go for about 160 Poké Dollars per pound.
If dried, the price could jump several times over, reaching as high as 2,000 Poké Dollars per pound, approaching the price of top-tier ingredients.
Chatot didn't keep him waiting long, returning just a few minutes later.
This time, he carried a Chanterelle. The price was even a tad higher than the Morel.
Before Chatot could fly off again, Natsuki called him back to ask about the mushrooms.
When Chatot learned these could be sold for money, he became instantly excited.
Now he could truly help Natsuki!
He knew a spot where there were many, many more, surely they could be traded for a lot of pocket money!
"Don't be in a rush. I'll call the Boss and bring a basket."
Mushroom picking didn't require too many people, and the ranch still needed a guard.
Minccino and the Mudbray were left behind, left to stare longingly as Natsuki and the others disappeared into the back mountains.
In the forest after the rain, the paths had become rugged. Fortunately, they had Kangaskhan, and Chatot, being a bird, wasn't hindered by the terrain.
They met no obstacles and soon reached the "treasure trove" Chatot had found.
Mushrooms grew wild everywhere. Natsuki instinctively began converting them into cash in his head.
'Profit! Profit! Huge profit!!!'
Morels, Chanterelles, and Shaggy Mane mushrooms, usually rare, were growing in clusters across this area.
As he bent down to pick a Morel, it felt like gold coins were jumping before his eyes. It was no different from picking up money off the ground.
"Boss, Chatot, only these three kinds. The others are poisonous and can't be eaten."
There were many types of mushrooms nearby, but the brightly colored ones were mostly toxic, and the odd-looking ones were inedible as well.
"Cha-Cha~"
"Kangas~"
The human and two Pokémon split up, weaving through the damp forest to harvest the fungi.
Soon, Natsuki had a basket full. Aside from the Morels and Chanterelles, he unexpectedly discovered a highly valuable White Truffle.
[White Truffle]: A top-tier ingredient that appears in the mountains after rain. A treasure among fungi, it has thick white flesh and a fresh taste. When paired with certain dishes, it produces special effects.]
It was a top-tier ingredient. According to the description, it could alter the effects of a dish to some extent, essentially adding a "buff" to the original recipe, making the results even more powerful.
Natsuki happily put the White Truffle away. He could try adding it to a special dish later to see the effects.
As for now, it was time to head back.
"Chatot, you've really outdone yourself. These mushrooms will sell for a lot of money." Natsuki smoothed out Chatot's ruffled feathers, not holding back on his praise.
Selling these mushrooms brought him a huge step closer to that 100,000 Poké Dollars.
Now, he had to figure out how to sell them and convert them into currency.
Natsuki thought of the Ding Zhi couple not far away. Their ranch had been around for many years and surely had stable sales channels, he could go ask them.
Of course, he couldn't visit empty-handed. Natsuki set aside a small portion of the harvested mushrooms to give as a gift.
He made sure to reward Chatot well at lunch, the hero of the day couldn't be forgotten.
After a brief rest, he hopped onto a Mudbray and, with Minccino in tow, headed toward the Ding Zhi ranch.
Their ranch was right on Route 12. As Natsuki arrived, he saw Ding Zhi talking with a man at the gate.
"Natsuki! What brings you here? We were just talking about you." Ding Zhi waved warmly and introduced the man.
"This is Galio, a buyer from the Shalour City Farmers' Market. He's in charge of the ranch procurement for this area."
"Hello, Mr. Galio," Natsuki greeted politely.
Galio stepped forward with a warm, toothy grin.
"You must be Natsuki. That ranch by the sea doesn't have the best location, you'd better be prepared for some hard work."
The road was too narrow for his truck to get in, making the transportation of agricultural products quite difficult. Galio was just offering a friendly warning.
After all, having another ranch in his district was only beneficial for him, so he hoped the kid would stick it out.
"Thank you for your concern, but I've already found a solution." Natsuki patted the Mudbray following closely beside him.
With them around, transporting products wouldn't be an issue.
"Mudbray, eh?" Galio's eyes lit up. Using the power of Pokémon was indeed an excellent strategy.