Sunshine Ranch

"Of course! Of course you can." The old man came out from behind the reception desk and led the way with his cane.

"Come with me."

Only after passing through a doorway hung with a curtain did Tong Hua truly enter Sunshine Ranch.

It was an area enclosed by transparent glass, much like a greenhouse. It immediately reminded Tong Hua of Aether Paradise in the Alola Region.

Rivers, meadows, woods, caves-every kind of natural environment was there. Lively Pokémon frolicked in the sunlight, and the entire ranch brimmed with life.

"Min-min!" "Turt!"

"Wow, this is pretty nice!"

The sunlit scenery lifted Tong Hua's spirits, along with those of his two Pokémon. While the little ones ran off to play, Tong Hua looked around and recognized quite a few Pokémon.

"Miltank, Wooloo, Mareep, Smoliv, Nacli, Farfetch'd, Parasect, Slowpoke..."

Huh?

Why did it feel like a few odd ones had slipped in?

With a puzzled expression, Tong Hua asked, "Sir, are all the Pokémon you raise here ones that produce something you can sell?"

"They are." The old man stopped. As though he knew what Tong Hua was thinking, he pointed his cane at a Farfetch'd in the distance.

"Those Pokémon can grow crops. The stalks they hold are very rare plants. You can only harvest high-quality produce if you let them grow the plants themselves."

Then the old man pointed at a Parasect in a nearby cave. "That's an amazing Pokémon. The mushroom on its back and the body beneath it have separate minds. The spores it scatters can be collected and made into valuable medicine."

Finally, the old man's cane paused before pointing toward a Slowpoke fishing with its tail by the lake.

"Those Pokémon are rather pitiful. Sometimes they're so slow to react that they stay in the same position all day. Still, fools have their own good fortune. They barely feel any pain, and their tails fall off easily, but grow back on their own in no time.

"I hear their tails are a common dish in the Alola Region, though hardly anyone eats them around here. This one isn't for sale, and I don't ask anything of him, either. Just like your grandfather, he's an old friend of mine..."

As the old man said those last words, his expression grew noticeably forlorn. He had probably recalled something from the past.

"So that's how it works..." Tong Hua learned a great deal from the old man's explanation.

Descriptions that had once existed only as game lore were now unfolding before his eyes in their most tangible form. Once again, Tong Hua felt that he really had crossed over into the world of Pokémon.

"Sir, do you have any Pokémon here that can till fields?"

"I do, of course! Come with me." The old man snapped out of his reverie and continued leading the way with his cane.

After walking quite a distance, the old man finally stopped in front of a small dirt mound.

Tong Hua had initially thought the old man was taking him to see a Tauros, but judging by the surroundings, that didn't seem to be the case.

Tauros generally roamed flat grasslands. They wouldn't come to a desert-like mound such as this.

The old man took a whistle from the necklace he wore and blew it toward the mound!

"Tweet-tweet!"

A high-pitched whistle rang out toward the little mound. Before long, the entire mound suddenly began shaking violently!

"Worm!"

An enormous Pokémon burrowed out of the mound! It was over two meters long, with a body made up of cylindrical segments.

Tong Hua recognized it immediately. This was the Earthworm Pokémon, Orthworm, from Paldea!

"An earthworm for tilling fields? Nice! That really does seem like a good fit. Sir, how much is this Pokémon?"

Tong Hua gazed at the vigorous, powerful Orthworm before him and took quite a liking to the Pokémon. Those beady little eyes and that round face, in particular, looked adorably dopey.

"Sorry, this one isn't for sale, either. But if you need your fields tilled, I can lend you Orthworm for free."

"For free? Really?"

"Yes. Your grandfather did a great deal for me, after all." As he spoke, the old man seemed to drift into his memories again. "Besides, Orthworm needs to eat the iron in the soil outside."

"Iron-rich red soil isn't good for growing crops, but it's the best food for Orthworm. By letting Orthworm eat the soil and pass it out again, you can make the soil fertile.

"That makes Orthworm perfect for the soil around here. My Orthworm is a fantastic field tiller! Everyone in the village who's had a turn says so!"

After hearing the old man's explanation, Tong Hua liked the big Pokémon before him even more! Orthworm was simply the perfect helper for tilling fields! Sadly, this one wasn't for sale. Still, being able to borrow Orthworm for free was a tremendous bargain.

"Then please lend me Orthworm! I'll bring your Pokémon back in a few days!"

Seeing how earnest Tong Hua was, the old man smiled and gave a small nod.

Afterward, Tong Hua asked the old man about the prices of several other Pokémon suitable for ranching. The old man explained everything in detail, and nearly all the prices he quoted were rock-bottom.

"High-quality Wooloo from the Galar Region cost eighty thousand for a male and fifty thousand for a female. These are all excellent wool-producing breeds. The males are bigger, with better-quality wool and higher yields. Once you take one home, you can shear them every month.

"Compared with Mareep wool, which easily builds up static electricity, their wool is unbelievably good. I hear the clothes and blankets made from it are premium products even in the Galar Region. But if you raise them for milk, the returns are negligible.

"So, would you like to buy one? You won't find them in the wild around here. These are all quality breeds imported by ship from Galar."

Looking at the white balls of wool playing with Turtwig and Minccino, Tong Hua adored them, but couldn't help clicking his tongue at the price.

Fifty thousand each...

His entire fortune would only buy two, and he still needed to set aside some money to repair the ranch...

Tong Hua could only lament his lack of funds. He had no idea how much income Miltank's twenty liters of Moomoo Milk a day would bring in, either.

"Sir, do you have anything a little cheaper...? My ranch is just getting started, and I'm short on money..."

If it weren't for the fact that only Pokémon common to Sinnoh could be found in Almia's wilderness, Tong Hua would have loved to go out and catch a few himself.

"Haha, this memory of mine. You're just starting out with your ranch, right? Then this is what I should recommend."

With that, the old man led Tong Hua

to another area, where many crops were growing and plenty of Grass-type Pokémon were playing in the fields.

"Turt!" Turtwig seemed to love this place. With shining eyes, the little Pokémon ran out and rolled happily in the field.

Beside him, Minccino looked disdainfully at the mud-covered Turtwig, clearly unwilling to go into the field to play.

"This is where I keep my Grass-type Pokémon together-Bounsweet, Tangela, Sunflora, Pumpkaboo, and the like. Grass-type Pokémon are wonderful. They hardly need any care. As long as they have plenty of sunlight and clean water, they can thrive.

"Most importantly, fields where Grass-type Pokémon are active become more fertile than ordinary soil. Ranches that are just starting out generally rely on farming and fishing to develop.

"So raising Grass-type Pokémon is the best way for a new rancher to grow. When you're ready to take things a step further, you can consider raising ordinary animals like chickens and ducks first, then gradually work toward becoming a Pokémon ranch."

Hearing the old man's explanation, Tong Hua recalled what the village chief had said earlier. That did seem to be the case.

Besides, Pokémon like Tangela could also be found in Almia's wilderness. He remembered the anime mentioning that they could produce large quantities of vines to feed other Pokémon.

Watching the little, adorable Pokémon playing and tussling in the fields, Tong Hua felt his heart practically melting.

"Sir, I'd like to buy a Bounsweet." After thinking it over, Tong Hua decided to buy a Bounsweet from the Alola Region first.

It definitely wasn't because he liked Tsareena or anything. Bounsweet simply looked round and especially cute!

"Oh, good eye." The old man smiled in approval. "The sweat Bounsweet secretes is an excellent sweetener. Just one tiny drop mixed into water can make a whole bottle of mixed fruit juice.

"It's also full of nutrients when dripped onto the fields, making the fruit and vegetables you grow sweeter."

The old man casually picked up a Bounsweet that was bouncing about happily. The little Pokémon didn't struggle, simply smiling goofily as the old man handed the little one to Tong Hua.

Bounsweet's body was round, like a mangosteen, with three sepals atop the head. The white part at the bottom looked like exposed fruit flesh, with two adorable feet sticking out.

As Tong Hua took Bounsweet into his arms, a sweet, fruity fragrance immediately surrounded him! His mood instantly settled, too.

"Boun!"

Looking at the little Pokémon's goofy smile, Tong Hua lost all ability to resist.

"I'll take this one! Whatever the price!"

And so, after spending a full five thousand League Coins, Fairy Tale Ranch welcomed its fifth family member.