As a simple staple, clear noodle soup was a breeze to make.

  Bring water to a boil, add the instant ramen noodles, ahem simmer. If ingredients are allowed, Naoki would normally add chopped scallions and a dollop of rd, allowing the noodles to soak up the broth before serving them in a bowl. The green onions would float on top, adding a spsh of color to the dish and making it more appetizing. Finally, a drizzle of sesame oil and a soft-boiled egg would plete the meal. Just the thought of it made Naoki's mouth water.

  However, ba reality, all he had were basic seasonings.

  With a silent sigh, Naoki learned from yesterday's experiend added an appropriate amount of salt and chi bouillon to the pot.

  Soon, a simple noodle soup was ready.

  As he filled two bowls, a prompt appeared in his mind with information about the dish.

  [Instant Ramen (C-): A low-level dish, its taste is somewhat g due to the absence of key ingredients, but it's a good choice to warm the body and soul on a cold day.

  Cooking effebsp;Cold Resistance Level 1, provides resistao cold temperatures. After ption, the body will feel warm for 30 minutes.

  ent: Despite the low quality of the ingredients, skillful cooking teiques have enhahe fvor. When the pyer bees wealthy and aster-level dishes, they may look ba this with nostalgia.]

  Naoki eechless.

  Meanwhile, the Cyclizar beside him she air.

  "Groo?"

  Naoki looked at it, thehe two bowls of noodles oable and beed to the Cyclizar. "Want to try some?"

  "Groo..."

  The Cyclizar frowned hesitantly. To be ho, it didn't really like the taste of ramen.

  Moreover, the bowl tained nothing but pin noodles. Judging by its appeara didn't seem very appetizing.

  Naoki uood immediately. He sighed inwardly, not wanting to force the Cyclizar, and said, "It's okay, you don't have to eat it if you don't want to."

  Theement bubbling up, he added, "When I earn enough moo buy redients, I'll make you something you'll love!"

  Naoki was full of anticipation for his new life on the ranch.

  Hearing this, the Cyclizar felt a pang of guilt. This was food specially prepared by its new owner. Would it be rude not to try it?

  With that thought, the Cyclizar looked down at the steaming bowl of noodles aantly chirped, "Groo!"

  It would give this bowl of noodles a try!

  The Cyclizar reached out with its two little paws, picked up the bowl, and slurped down the noodles in one gulp.

  The anticipated unpleasantness didn't e. Despite the simple fvor, after finishing the noodles, Cyclizar suddenly felt a warmth spreading through its body, as if it was led in its mother's embrace.

  "Groo..."

  Witnessing the Cyclizar's rea, Naoki was surprised at first, but then he quickly uood.

  He looked at the Cyclizar, thinking about the effect of the hot noodle soup, and asked with a smile, "How does it feel?"

  The Cyclizar snapped out of its reverie and looked down at itself, fused. "Groo?"

  Why had it suddenly bee warm without anyone riding on its back?

  Seeing its rea, an idea sparked in Naoki's mind.

  "It seems that food really be Pokémon," he thought, then asked, "Do you feel warmer, not as cold as before?"

  Even though it ring, the temperature hadn't fully rise, and it was still quite chilly, especially in the ms.

  The Cyclizar looked up in surprise, as if asking, "How did you know?"

  "Groo?"

  Naoki smiled. "It's the power of food."

  "Groo..."

  The Cyclizar looked puzzled. This cept was a bit too advanced for it. After all, it was just a Cyclizar.

  Naoki didn't try to expin further. The Cyclizar would uaually as they lived together.

  Having firmed the effect of his cooking on Pokémon, Naoki was in a good mood. He quickly finished his breakfast, washed the dishes, and stepped outside.

  The ed ranch was covered in lush vegetation, with bird Pokémon occasionally flying overhead in search of food.

  Breathing in the fresh air, Naoki took a deep breath and decided to explore the area. He wao familiarize himself with the pce.

  As he walked through the ranch with the Cyclizar by his side, Naoki realized it was rger than he had initially thought.

  A wooden fence surrouhe ranch, and the area within was quite spacious. To the east was a vibrant valley, the calls of wild Pokémon eg from within.

  The farmnd took up a third of the ranch. There was a ke in the southwest er and a river flowing around it. A wooden bridge spahe river, eg the ranch to the other side.

  Naoki stood on the bridge, looking at the rotting and broken wooden fence along the riverbank, realizing that he had a lot of work ahead of him.

  Clearing weeds, removing rocks, chopping down unwarees, and tilling the fields in preparation for pnting – these were the tasks that y ahead.

  As for the Pokémon shed where the Miltank used to be kept, Naoki wasn't pnning on fixing it up just yet. There wasn't enough wood, and he was short on funds.

  After all, rebuilding the shed and purchasing Pokémon like Miltank would require a substantial iment.

  Standing in front of the ke at the edge of the farmnd, Naoki squatted down and assessed its size ah. "Raising fish here would be a great idea," he thought.

  Acc to the inal owner's memories, in addition to Pokémon, there were also ordinary animals in this world.

  However, Naoki preferred to raise Water-type Pokémon instead ur fish.

  Pokémon like Magikarp, Goldeen, Finneon, and Palpitoad.

  Or, to be a bit more daring, Gyarados, Milotic, Vaporeon, and Ludicolo.

  Although these fish weren't edible, as a collector at heart, Naoki would be satisfied just keeping them here and watg them thrive.

  Naoki mentally ticked off all the tasks he o aplish, realizing that it would be a long journey ahead.

  The ranch ma games he had pyed before fshed through his mind, and Naoki couldn't help but chuckle wryly.

  He had just escaped the 996 grind, and now he might be fag 007 – w from midnight to midnight, seven days a week!