Yushu stood in front of the two-story wooden house, surveying the place where he would soon become a landowner.
The paint on the window frames was a little chipped, but the glass had been wiped quite clean. Sunlight streamed through it onto the floor by the porch, casting a patch of cozy warmth.
"Brendan, you've grown so much in the blink of an eye. When your dad suddenly called to say you were coming back, I could hardly believe it."
Mayor Zongping stood beside him, his tone slightly teasing. Clearly, Qingmu had already told him the whole story.
As for how Qingmu had put it-"My son got beaten into shutting himself away and wants to come home to herd sheep"-that remained unknown.
"Yes, Mayor. Traveling got a little tiring, so I wanted to come back and rest."
Yushu put it tactfully.
Out in the world, he had to save himself at least a little face.
"What's this 'Mayor' business? So distant! Just call me Uncle."
Zongping waved a hand.
"Yes, Uncle Zongping."
Yushu readily obliged.
A little sweet talk never hurt. He would still need this uncle looking out for him while he made his way around town.
"That's more like it! Come home if you're tired. I've been keeping the place tidy while you've been away."
Zongping nodded in satisfaction, then turned and continued ahead.
Yushu knew Qingmu paid the old mayor a maintenance fee every year.
But his willingness to keep looking after the place for so many years was entirely down to his friendship with the older generation.
He followed the mayor inside. It was just as he remembered.
A two-story wooden house, a size larger than Ash's.
The living room and kitchen were on the first floor, and the bedrooms were on the second.
What pleased Yushu most was the spot by the window. There was a large window there, offering a view over the entire pasture.
He had already planned it out in his head: a desk here, a recliner there. On sunny days, he would open the window and let the breeze in while he read and drank tea.
What a lovely life.
"The house is all clean, and the water and electricity are hooked up. Just make yourself at home."
Zongping pushed open the door, stamped the mud off his shoes on the threshold, and turned back to Yushu.
"Thank you, Uncle Zongping. Sorry for the trouble."
Yushu truly was grateful.
It was much better than he had expected. At least no wild Pokémon had sneaked in and made themselves at home.
"You're a good kid, just too polite. We're family; there's no need for all that. Keep thanking me, and I'll get cross."
Despite his words, Zongping's eyes were smiling.
He liked Yushu. The boy was polite and unassuming, much better than his father, who never watched his mouth.
"All right, then I won't stand on ceremony."
"That's more like it. Come on, I'll show you around the place so you know what's what."
Zongping nodded in satisfaction, then began taking Yushu around the ranch.
Rather than a tour, it was more of a handover.
Zongping walked ahead, pointing things out as he went, his mouth barely stopping.
Yushu followed behind like a new employee learning his way around the factory with an old supervisor.
"This is the storehouse, for hay and things. There are some farm tools inside too-a lawn mower, a tiller. They're a little old, but they all work."
Zongping pushed open the storehouse door, and the dry scent of grass and wood wafted out.
Yushu poked his head in for a look.
The storehouse was quite large. Several shovels and sickles sat on the racks, and a lawn mower stood in the corner, its tires still fully inflated.
"Oh, it looks pretty well equipped."
Yushu nodded.
He had expected a broken-down shed with drafts coming in from every side. Instead, it was much better than he had imagined.
"Of course. Your grandpa was famous around town for being good at this. When he ran this ranch, it was one of the best in Solaceon Town."
There was a hint of nostalgia in Zongping's voice:
"Later, your dad moved to the city, and the ranch gradually fell into disuse. But the foundations are all here. As long as you're willing to put in the work, you can get it back into shape in no time."
"I'll do my best."
Yushu nodded.
"Those are the barns. Your grandpa mostly raised Miltank before. Who knows what Qingmu will buy for you? That boy's so slapdash. Let's hope he doesn't get you a pile of useless stuff."
Zongping pointed at a row of low buildings nearby. They had sheet-metal roofs and brick-and-stone walls, and looked reasonably sturdy.
Yushu walked over for a look. The barns were empty, but the feed and water troughs were still there. They would be usable after a cleanup.
His dad in this life had said he would send some Pokémon over, but exactly what he would send and when they would arrive were still unknown.
"And there's the Berry orchard. You can grow some Pecha Berries, Wepear Berries, and the like. Handy for your own everyday use, too."
Zongping pointed at an empty plot beside the storehouse. It was overgrown with weeds, but traces of neatly laid-out ridges were still faintly visible.
"There are Berries too?"
Yushu's tone grew a little more enthusiastic.
Berries were hard currency in the Pokémon world. Whether he made Pokéblocks himself or sold the Berries, there would never be any shortage of buyers.
Provided he could get this overgrown plot back into shape.
"There's a valley to the east. Most of the Pokémon living there are small and gentle. You can go there to gather wild produce."
Zongping pointed east, where a lush green woodland was faintly visible.
"I can gather wild produce too?"
Yushu was a little surprised.
He had thought the ranch was just a ranch. He had not expected it to come with a wilderness area.
"Of course. Wild produce is nature's gift, and it brings in some income too."
Zongping spoke as though it went without saying.
"I see."
Yushu silently made a note of it. It seemed this ranch had far more potential than he had imagined.
"There's a lake not far to the north. That's Lake Acuity, famous here in Sinnoh."
"The water's so sweet! People from our town used to go there to fetch water. Everyone has running water now, but some still go there occasionally to get water for tea. They say it has a special sweetness."
At this, a trace of nostalgia entered Zongping's voice.
"Lake Acuity... I know it."
Yushu nodded.
Lake Acuity. He remembered the place. It was said to be home to Uxie, one of the Lake Guardians.
But that did not matter. As an ordinary ranch owner, he probably would not get involved with Legendary Pokémon.
"That's about it. It looks overgrown now, but once it's tidied up, it'll be a fine place."
Zongping turned to look at Yushu.
He had given him a general rundown of the ranch. The rest would depend on what the boy did with it.
"That should be... everything, right?"
Yushu looked around, still feeling rather bewildered.
He had thought it would just be an empty plot and a shabby house, only to arrive and discover
a storehouse, barns, an orchard, and even hills and water.
It seemed like a bit much.
"Ah, don't worry. Rest for a couple of days now that you're back and get familiar with the place. Just contact me if you have any questions."
Seeing Yushu's bewilderment, Zongping did not pile on any more pressure.
He was young, after all. Having only just taken over, he would naturally need time to adjust.
"Take care, Uncle Zongping."
Yushu saw Zongping to the entrance.
"Make sure you call me if there's anything you don't understand. Don't be shy."
Zongping turned back to remind him, his eyes carrying the concern peculiar to an elder.
Young people were thin-skinned. When they ran into problems, they were too embarrassed to ask and struggled through on their own.
"I will, I will."
Yushu stood at the entrance, watching Zongping's figure recede down the path until he disappeared around the bend.
Then he turned, looked at the vast ranch before him, and let out a long breath.
"Ah, life."
In his previous life, he had been an ordinary corporate slave. His greatest dream had been to win the lottery, retire early, and find a beautiful place amid mountains and clear waters to spend his retirement.
Every day, while slacking off at work, he had fantasized about how he would spend five million if he won. He had even secretly tucked a retirement plan away in an Excel spreadsheet.
Now he had come to the Pokémon world and gotten a ranch right off the bat, somehow becoming a landowner.
What was he supposed to make of that?
But honestly, he liked this joke.
"Still, can I really manage a ranch this big by myself?"
Yushu reconsidered.
Wait, I have Pokémon too.
He had almost forgotten that.