Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 23: The Coop



"Eevee, Vulpix, and Pikachu?" Kora pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm afraid I haven't seen those around here. The forest near my shop is mostly inhabited by Pokémon like Spinarak, Kricketot, and Fletchling."

"Alright," Naoki replied, a bit disappointed. But he knew that these things couldn't be rushed. As long as he ventured out more often, he was bound to encounter those Pokémon someday.

Time flew by, and three days passed in a blink of an eye.

Today was the day the chicken coop was completed. Naoki stood before the small wooden and stone structure, peering inside.

The coop wasn't large. The floor was covered in a layer of yellowed grass mixed with soil, compacted by a specialized machine into a sturdy surface.

On the left side of the coop was a row of feeding troughs and a water trough for the chickens to quench their thirst. Beside the troughs was a grazing area, connected to a silo outside. Kora had generously included the silo as a bonus during construction. It stood tall and proud,

constructed of red bricks and stone, a prominent feature on the ranch.

In the corner of the coop, there was a large pile of hay and a pitchfork, alongside a special, round nesting area enclosed by wooden boards.

"What's that?" Naoki asked, gesturing towards the nesting area.

The construction work was complete, and the workers were loading their tools and the compactor into the truck. Kora remained behind to explain the features of the chicken coop to Naoki.

"That's the brooding area, also called an incubator," she said. "When you place eggs there, the hens will naturally go in to incubate them. After a while, chicks will hatch. If you don't want to buy every hen from town, hatching them yourself is a good option."

"I see!" Naoki nodded, impressed by the thoughtful design.

Kora stepped inside the coop and continued her explanation. "Every morning, you'll need to fill these troughs with feed from the silo and make sure the water trough is full. The chickens will take care of the rest."

"Remember, it's better to overfeed them than underfeed them. If the chickens aren't well- fed, they won't be happy, and that will affect the quality of their eggs."

"Also, on sunny days, you can let them out to graze, but be sure to fence off the area. You don't want them running off."

Naoki nodded, absorbing the information.

A wooden fence.

He could build one himself, but he had no experience.

Kora seemed to read his mind. "I just finished making a new batch of wooden fences at my shop," she offered. "If you'd like, I could help you fence off the area around the chicken coop."

Naoki's eyes widened. "How much would that cost?"

Kora smiled. "Not much, just 1,500 Pokédollars."

Naoki breathed a sigh of relief. The price was reasonable. He hadn't been fishing much lately, and with the cost of the chicken coop, he was down to about 16,000 Pokédollars. If the fence had been too expensive, he would have had to reconsider. But 1,500 was manageable.

He agreed without hesitation, paying Kora on the spot. She waved her hand, and the two Machoke from her crew began unloading the wooden fence panels from the truck.

"You were prepared for this, weren't you?" Naoki remarked with a chuckle.

Kora laughed softly. "I had a feeling you'd say yes."

Naoki shook his head, amused.

Kora took a hammer from the old carpenter and, with Cyclizar's assistance, began to enclose the chicken coop with the wooden fence.

With the last fence post hammered into the ground, Kora pointed to the area opposite the chicken coop. "You could build a water wheel there," she suggested. "It would allow you to grind flour and make your own chicken feed. It's not too expensive, only 15,000 Pokédollars. We can even help you source the materials and equipment."

Naoki was taken aback. Kora's foresight and attention to detail were impressive. He was at a loss for words.

Kora, seeing his surprise, flashed a shrewd smile. "When you're ready, just come by the shop! See you later!"

With that, she climbed into her truck, and Cyclizar, who had apparently learned to drive, drove them away from the ranch.

As the truck disappeared, Naoki turned back to admire the newly constructed chicken coop. It was time to start his poultry-raising venture!

That afternoon, Naoki left Cyclizar at home and rode Koraidon to Mesagoza, fulfilling his promise to the Legendary Pokémon. Koraidon was so thrilled that it practically flew along the narrow country road, much faster than Cyclizar.

Within ten minutes, they reached Mesagoza. Koraidon shifted into its walking form and followed Naoki through the streets.

Occasionally, they would encounter trainers with their Pokémon, but no one seemed overly surprised by the sight of Naoki riding a Koraidon. They merely cast curious glances at the unfamiliar Pokémon.

Naoki, feigning ignorance, made his way to the local ranch. Although called a ranch, it didn't focus on breeding. Instead, it mainly sold common farm animals and Pokémon. Since this type of trade was different from the black market, the Alliance permitted it.

The ranch was called the Happy Ranch, its sign adorned with a grinning Miltank.

Naoki and Koraidon entered the shop, where a kind-faced, grey-haired old man wearing reading glasses was absorbed in a newspaper.

Startled by Koraidon's imposing figure, the old man gasped, clutching his chest. "Oh my, you gave me a fright! I thought a wild Pokémon had broken in. Are you here to buy some farmn/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

animals?"

"How did you know?" Naoki asked, surprised.

The old man puffed up his chest proudly. "Mayor told me a new rancher had moved in. I had a

hunch it might be you."

Naoki nodded. "That's right."

"Haha!" the old man chuckled. "Looks like I was right!"

He folded the newspaper and stood up, gesturing towards the back of the shop. "Well then, follow me to the ranch out back. Let's see what kind of animals and Pokémon you need."