New friends at the ranch

The pink Celebi's eyes lit up. It immediately let go of Tong Hua's finger, floated over to the bowl, and sipped the porridge in tiny mouthfuls, its movements as elegant as if it were savoring some exquisite delicacy.

Seeing this, the green Celebi abandoned its half-eaten cabbage and came over to steal a bite!

The pink Celebi swatted it away with a wing. It let out an aggrieved "Labi" and settled for fishing vegetables out of Tong Hua's bowl instead.

"Hey! Those are mine!" Tong Hua didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he wasn't really angry. If anything, he found the two little ones adorable.

The night deepened, and starlight spilled over the ranch. Steam from the hot pot curled upward into the cool evening breeze.

Full and content, the Pokémon lounged together in a circle. Turtwig even let out a little burp, earning a disgusted glare from Minccino.

Once the pink Celebi had eaten its fill, it floated contentedly back onto Tong Hua's shoulder and rubbed affectionately against his cheek. Then it pointed at the distant forest, at itself, and finally at Tong Hua, seemingly trying to tell him something.

"Do you mean... you want to stay?" Tong Hua asked tentatively.

"Labi!" The pink Celebi nodded happily. The green Celebi tilted its head in thought for a moment, then suddenly flew onto Tong Hua's head and settled firmly into Turtwig's exclusive seat. Clearly, it intended to stay too.

Tong Hua couldn't help laughing. "All right, all right! Welcome to the ranch family!"

The Bidoof cheered and clapped their paws, while Miltank and Bounsweet cried out happily too.

Although Turtwig and Minccino wore "reluctant" expressions, deep down, they were happy to welcome their new companions.

And so, on its third night, the Fairy Tale Ranch welcomed two special new members.

Tong Hua recorded it all in his diary, then drifted into sweet dreams with the Pokémon.

The next morning, Tong Hua got up early for once.

A faint light had already appeared outside the window. It looked like another fine day of sunshine lay ahead.

"Labi."

The two Celebi had woken up at some point too. Tong Hua had made them a temporary little nest out of a pillow the night before.

"Morning."

None of the other Pokémon were awake yet, so Tong Hua deliberately kept his voice low.

The two Celebi landed on Tong Hua's shoulders and went with him into the kitchen, where he washed his face with water from the water jar.

"Judging by the time, the Ranger coming to collect the milk should be here soon." Tong Hua glanced at the wall clock and hurriedly gave Miltank a few gentle nudges as she slept with a plush toy in her arms.

But Miltank was sleeping so soundly that he couldn't wake her at all.

"Labi."

Just as Tong Hua was wondering what to do, the pink Celebi on his right shoulder suddenly began glowing blue. Then Miltank floated upward as though gravity had no hold on her.

It was Confusion!

Celebi was using Confusion to help Tong Hua move Miltank.

"That works too." Tong Hua touched Miltank as she floated in midair. She was still sleeping peacefully.

With Celebi's help, Tong Hua smoothly moved Miltank into the Pokémon Cottage for milking.

"Milu?"

Miltank happened to wake up just then. Seeing Tong Hua standing before her with the milking machine, she obligingly began milking herself with a yawn.

"Hmm, not bad.

You're a grown-up Miltank now. It'd be even better if you could get up early and come here to milk yourself without being told."

"Milu..." Miltank was speechless, but she didn't object.

After the milking was done, Tong Hua laid the full metal can on its side, ready to roll it back to the cabin as he had before.

The two Celebi floated over curiously and used Confusion to lift the can, which held twenty liters of fresh milk.

"Labi."

This little load weighed less than Miltank. The two Celebi easily carried the can as they floated behind Tong Hua, like a pair of diligent little assistants.

"Thanks, you two."

With his burden suddenly lightened, Tong Hua began thinking about what breakfast he could make for the Celebi as a reward.

He had just returned to the front of the cabin when he heard the roar of an engine in the distance. A truck bearing the Ranger emblem was slowly approaching along the dirt road.

"Perfect timing!" Tong Hua quickened his pace, and the two Celebi followed in sync.

The truck stopped at the ranch entrance, and Hitomi hopped out with Pachirisu.

Seeing a visitor arrive, the two Celebi set down the can in unison and vanished into thin air.

"Good morning! The weather's lovely today!"

Hitomi greeted Tong Hua with boundless energy.

"It is. Here we are again." Tong Hua replied with a grin.

When that day's Moomoo Milk was weighed, it came to exactly twenty kilograms.

Tong Hua received 3,000 League Coins and tucked them into his pocket with a grin.

"I'll be off, then."

Hitomi waved and was about to turn back toward the truck when Tong Hua suddenly called out to her.

"If you don't mind, would you like to have breakfast before you go?"

A dozen or so minutes later, Hitomi and Pachirisu were sitting at the cabin's dining table with Turtwig, Minccino, and Bounsweet, waiting for Tong Hua to bring out the food.

"Chiri?" "Chiri!"

As fellow rodent Pokémon, Minccino and Pachirisu seemed to have plenty in common. The two little ones huddled together, grooming each other's fur.

The rich aroma of searing meat drifted from the kitchen. Hearing a burst of sizzling, Hitomi curiously craned her neck to look inside.

Tong Hua held the frying pan's handle in one hand and used tongs to turn the slices of meat with the other. The aroma of frying food spread throughout the room.

"That smells amazing!"

Hitomi had only eaten a few crackers before leaving that morning and was quite hungry. She had originally planned to have a proper meal back at the base once her early-morning work was finished.

But with Tong Hua kindly inviting her, she felt too awkward to turn him down a second time.

Before long, breakfast was served.

[Bread, fresh milk, and bacon and eggs set: Quality C. A nutritionally balanced Western-style breakfast featuring crisp, freshly baked bread, rich fresh milk, and fragrant, juicy bacon and fried eggs, bringing energy and satisfaction to the morning.]

[Effects: Satiety · moderate, stamina recovery · moderate, focus boost · minor. Quickly restores stamina and slightly improves focus after consumption. Duration: 45 minutes.]

[Evaluation: A simple yet energy-packed combination. The carbohydrates in the bread, the protein in the milk, and the high-quality fats in the bacon and eggs

can effectively fuel half a day's activity.]

[Recommended processing method (Alchemy).]

"Let's eat!"

Tong Hua sat down too. After thanking himself for all his hard work cooking, he quietly began enjoying the meal.

Hitomi cut off a small piece of fried egg and put it in her mouth. Her eyes instantly lit up. "You cooked this perfectly! The yolk's still runny!"

Outside the window, the two Celebi beneath the eaves caught the scent and silently drooled with envy...

"This is seriously delicious!"

Hitomi was so moved that her eyes sparkled. This was far better than the premade breakfasts at the base!

"Mr. Tong Hua!" Hitomi slapped the table excitedly.

"Uh, no need to be so formal. We should be about the same age, right? Just call me Tong Hua."

"Then... Tong Hua!" Hitomi's cheeks flushed slightly as she pressed her palms together in appeal. "Could you teach me how to make fried eggs this delicious? After eating your breakfast, I feel like I won't be able to stomach the food at our base anymore."

"That's easy." Tong Hua wiped his mouth. "The key is to fry them slowly over low heat. Add a tiny bit of water before the whites set, then put on the lid and let them steam for ten seconds."

"There's one other thing, though I don't know how much it matters. We use a cast-iron frying pan here, so the eggs might taste a little better than ones made in a regular iron pan."

Hitomi listened, engrossed. She hadn't expected even frying an egg to involve so much knowledge.

"If you want to try it yourself, be careful with the heat," Tong Hua continued. "You can start with the flame at its lowest setting and slowly get a feel for it. Oh, does your Ranger Base have a kitchen?"

Hitomi scratched her head sheepishly. "It does... but most of the time, we just have buffet dishes prepared in advance. At most, we use the microwave to heat up a meal."

"Then next time you come, I'll teach you a few simple home-style dishes," Tong Hua suggested with a smile. "Or you can come eat at the ranch whenever you have time."

"Really?" Hitomi's eyes widened in delighted surprise. Pachirisu excitedly jumped onto her shoulder too, crying, "Chiri!"

"Of course. New friends are always welcome at the Fairy Tale Ranch." Tong Hua nodded, his gaze casually straying toward the two Celebi outside the window.

They were pressed against the glass, staring longingly at the milk and bread on the table...