The selection and quantity of seeds in ordinary seed shops couldn't satisfy Hayato Sora's needs.
As usual, he headed straight to the department store in the city center.
Just as he was about to enter, the corner of his eye caught a promotional poster nearby.
He stopped and looked at it curiously.
It was an announcement for an upcoming tournament in Shalour City—the Baby Cup, a competition prepared for Trainers.
Below the title was a detailed introduction to the entry requirements and rules.
Baby Cup
Entry Requirement:
Trainers must bring one unevolved Pokémon.
Battle Rules:
1 vs. 1 single battle.
Trainers may not switch Pokémon during the match.
Prizes:
Champion: 10,000 Poké-dollar shopping voucher
Runner-up & Third Place: 1,000 Poké-dollar shopping voucher
Participants: 1 Cherish Ball + 100 Poké-dollar voucher
The rules were simple, and the rewards were quite generous.
After memorizing the address at the bottom of the poster, Hayato Sora walked to the reception desk and registered the three Noibat for the competition.
It was a perfect opportunity to test the results of their recent training.
"Sir, please arrive tomorrow at 10 a.m. for the competition. If you exceed the time limit, it will automatically be considered a withdrawal."
"Understood."
After thanking them, Hayato Sora pocketed the three number tags and took the elevator to the floor that sold agricultural supplies.
Following the signs along the corridor, he quickly found the fertilizer section.
Various fertilizers were stacked neatly by category, piled up like small mountains.
It was almost dazzling to look at.
After explaining his needs to a nearby sales assistant, the employee enthusiastically selected several suitable fertilizers.
"If you want to restore farmland, it's best to use Growth Mulch and Stable Mulch, with a little Damp Mulch mixed in."
Growth Mulch extended the time that Berries remained on the tree.
Stable Mulch accelerated the growth speed of young sprouts.
Damp Mulch helped the soil retain moisture and remain well hydrated.
All three fertilizers could improve soil fertility.
On the other hand, Rich Mulch and Surprise Mulch actually consumed soil nutrients.
Hayato Sora nodded repeatedly.
What the assistant said made perfect sense.
"So how much does each bag cost?"
"Not expensive—200 Poké Dollars per bag. If you need a large quantity, we also offer home delivery."
The sales assistant smiled brightly.
After all, this counted toward his sales performance.
"Then I'll take ten bags of each type. Please deliver them to Coastal Ranch on Route 12. I'll wait by the roadside."
Thirty bags of fertilizer came to 6,000 Poké Dollars in total.
There would definitely be some leftover.
But Hayato Sora planned to reclaim more farmland anyway.
According to his calculations—two bags of each type per field—he could open two more fields and use everything without wasting any.
After paying and leaving the address, the employee called over a Diggersby to help move the cargo.
Meanwhile, Hayato Sora returned ahead of them and called out the three Mudsdale brothers at the ranch.
They would have to transport the fertilizer back in several trips.
After waiting by the road for a while, a small delivery truck soon arrived.
Hayato Sora signed the invoice.
Together they loaded the fertilizer onto the Mudsdale's backs.
It took two trips to move all thirty bags back to the ranch.
By the time Hayato Sora finished, it was already lunchtime.
The moment he pushed open the door, Cinccino and Morpeko were already sitting on top of his feet.
Their stomachs growled loudly.
Hayato Sora crouched down and scooped them into his arms, gently rubbing Cinccino's flat little belly.
"There are still some snacks left in the fridge from yesterday. Do you want them?"
"Li-li!"
Cinccino shook its head.
Food that sat too long didn't taste good anymore.
Hayato Sora flicked its forehead lightly.
"That's because you insisted on saving them for the evening, but ended up falling asleep early."
Cinccino hugged his finger and giggled, rubbing affectionately against his face.
Morpeko blinked and took out its unfinished roasted coffee beans.
That was the only snack it had left.
"Alright, alright. I'll start cooking now."
After scratching their little bellies and giving them each a quick kiss, Hayato Sora set the two down.
"Go help call Meowth and the others. It's too hot today—they shouldn't keep working outside."
"And bring the Mareep inside to enjoy the air conditioning too."
"Li-li~"
"Morpe~"
The two little Pokémon answered together and ran out of the house in a flash.
Everything about the Meowth was great.
The only problem was that they were too hardworking.
Hayato Sora was always worried they might get heatstroke.
They were such good cats.
After eating a relatively light lunch together, the Pokémon gathered under the air conditioner to watch TV.
"Meow~"
One of the Meowth approached Hayato Sora and handed him a tangled yarn ball that had been played with too much.
"Hold on, I'll fix it."
Smiling, Hayato Sora untied the entire ball of yarn and rewound it neatly.
Then he tossed it forward.
With a happy cry of "Meow!", the Meowth caught the yarn ball and rolled around on the floor with it.
The look on its face was pure bliss.
No more wandering the streets.
Time to play every day.
This was the life the Meowth had always dreamed of.
Because of that, they liked Hayato Sora more and more.
Their mindset slowly changed.
They no longer lived one day at a time.
They wanted to stay here forever—together with Hayato Sora and the other Pokémon—building the ranch together.
In the hearts of the Meowth, the ranch had already become their second home.
In the afternoon, once the sun was less scorching,
Hayato Sora first helped the Meowth put on straw hats, then called over the Mudsdale and headed to the three cultivated fields.
"Meowth, just stand on Mudsdale's back and spread the fertilizer evenly across the field."
"Meow!" ×3
(Got it, Hayato Sora. Leave it to us!)
The three Meowth were full of enthusiasm.
After watching Hayato Sora demonstrate once, they immediately understood.
"Mudsdale, just walk forward slowly along the ridge of the field."
"Brrr.(Mudsdale cry)"
Mudsdale softly agreed.
Mudsdale walked into the farmland, strolling along the ridges while the Meowth on its back scattered the three types of fertilizer across the fields.
Hayato Sora observed for a while.
Seeing that the Meowth were doing an excellent job, he felt reassured.
Then he left to call the other two Mudsdale.
Together they reclaimed two additional fields nearby.
That way, the ranch would now have five farmland plots, and the thirty bags of fertilizer wouldn't go to waste.
The entire afternoon was spent on this task.
Every time the Meowth finished fertilizing a field, Hayato Sora would have Mudsdale use the move High Horsepower to plow the soil, mixing the fertilizer evenly into the earth.
Only this way could the soil fully absorb the nutrients.
When the next planting season arrived, the crops would grow bigger and healthier.
After several hours of work, the sky finally turned golden as sunset approached.
By the time the Noibat's activity period began, they finally finished their work.
Hayato Sora told the Meowth and Mudsdale to wash up by the river.
Then he waved toward the sky where the Noibat were chasing each other playfully.
The Noibat landed in front of him and asked curiously,
"Vee-vee?"
(What did you need us for, Hayato Sora?)
Hayato Sora patted them.
They seemed to have grown bigger again—and heavier too.
"I signed you up for the Baby Cup tournament tomorrow."
"It'll be a good chance to test your strength. Do you want to participate?"
"Vee-vee!"
Hearing that it involved battling, the Noibat didn't hesitate for even a second.
All three immediately agreed.
They were determined to help Hayato Sora win the championship.
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