Chapter 43: Milking Goat
As soon as Angie appeared, the Skiddo flock cheered and ran over to his side.
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
Angie, Angie, you're here!
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
Angie, what treats did you bring for us today?
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
Tomatoes, I love tomatoes the most!
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
I love cucumbers; the tender, crunchy ones are the best!
...
The Skiddo affectionately rubbed their heads against Angie, while the Gogoat looked away, unable to watch.
Clearly, Angie's days of friendship-building had paid off. Although the Gogoat hadn't interacted much with him, the Skiddo had become completely comfortable with him.
They loved Angie's homegrown vegetables, finding them far tastier than the dry grass they usually ate. The crispy, juicy vegetables were a welcome treat.
"Easy now, easy. There's plenty for everyone," Angie said as he distributed the vegetables he'd brought.
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
So tasty, it's delicious!
The Skiddo munched eagerly on the vegetables Angie brought.
"Here, try this radish. It's super crunchy and delicious," Angie said, offering a Skiddo a large white radish, thick and long, as wide as an adult's arm.
"Skiddo~"
The Skiddo took a big bite, savoring the juicy, crispy flavor, unable to resist.
(*≧▽≦)
"Skiddo~~"
It's so good! Sweet and tasty!
Since the radish was too big, Angie broke it in half and fed it to two Skiddo. He then took out a small red radish, the size of a baby's fist.
"Here, try this one too; it's very tasty," Angie said.
These small radishes were just the right size for a Skiddo to eat in one bite.
Unlike the sweet, crispy white radish, the red radish was a bit harder and had a slightly spicy taste, giving it a different flavor.
Crunch crunch
The sound of crisp chewing came from the Skiddo, and from their delighted expressions, it was clear they enjoyed the red radish just as much.
O(≧▽≦)O
It's so delicious, I love it!
Watching the Skiddo eating so happily, some Gogoat subconsciously swallowed, looking down at the thick grass under their feet, which suddenly didn't seem as appetizing.
"Gogoat~ Gogoat~~"
Mr. Angie, you bring delicious vegetables here every day. If you have a purpose, just say it.
After a long pause, one of the Gogoat finally couldn't resist. Following a brief stir among them, a strong, imposing Gogoat emerged from the group, calling out to Angie.
Angie recognized this one as the leader of the Skiddo and Gogoat.
Although he couldn't understand exactly what the Gogoat leader was saying, he could guess its meaning.
Seeing that the timing was right, Angie decided it was time to try proposing his idea to the Gogoat.
"I'd like to work with you," he said straightforwardly.
"Gogoat~"
Work with us?
The Gogoat leader looked at Angie with a puzzled expression.
Angie continued, "I've noticed your Skiddo really enjoy my vegetables. How about we trade? I'll bring vegetables in exchange for some milk."
Hearing Angie's proposal, the Gogoat leader fell into deep thought, clearly intrigued by the idea.
The Gogoat, regardless of gender, could all produce milk, which they only used to nourish the Skiddo right after they hatched. Once the Skiddo outgrew that phase, they began grazing on grass like the adults.
During this time, the excess milk built up in the Gogoat's bodies, causing them discomfort. Often, they'd help nourish other Pokémon's baby to alleviate this.
However, there were few newborns on the Nebel Plateau each year, and their surplus milk remained underutilized.
Exchanging milk for delicious vegetables sounded like an excellent idea.
"Gogoat~ Gogoat~"
Are you really willing to trade vegetables for our milk?
The Gogoat leader reconfirmed.
"Will you agree to it?" Angie asked as well.
Seeing Angie's sincerity, the Gogoat leader returned to the herd for a discussion with the others. When it came back, it nodded gently to Angie.
Since Angie was already a part of the Nebel Plateau, agreeing to a mutually beneficial arrangement was natural.
"That's great!" Angie cheered, jumping up in excitement.
Seeing Angie's joy, the Gogoat leader couldn't help but smile too.
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
Does this mean we'll get to eat Angie's vegetables every day now?
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
This is amazing! So amazing!
…
The Skiddo flock crowded around, all talking at once. Since Angie couldn't understand their chatter, he responded with unrelated comments, trying his best to communicate.
Wait a minute, does this mean… I should probably learn how to milk a Gogoat? Angie suddenly realized.
He brought up the idea to the Gogoat leader, asking if he could try milking, and the leader agreed readily.
Soon, a large female Gogoat stepped forward from the herd; she was the one with the most abundant milk. Her baby had just been weaned, and she was feeling quite uncomfortable.
"Gogoat~~"
The Gogoat leader signaled that Angie could begin.
Angie approached the mother Gogoat, hesitantly extending and withdrawing his hands, unsure where to start.
In truth, it wasn't just Angie who was nervous. The mother Gogoat, though experienced in nursing young Pokémon, had never been milked by a human.
Just then, Angie smacked his forehead, remembering he could buy a tutorial from the system store!
He opened the system store, typed into the search bar, and quickly found his target.
<>
As he read, he nodded, feeling enlightened.
Yes, yes~~ Before milking, a gentle massage is needed to stimulate milk flow.
He would also need to mimic a kid's nudging motion, keeping it gentle.
Milking required careful pressure—pressing, squeezing, holding… there was an art to each technique.
"I'm... I'm about to start," Angie said to the mother Gogoat.
The mother Gogoat nodded, mentally prepared after watching Angie study for so long.
After a while, when he felt it was enough, Angie moved on to milking.
Angie felt a surge of joy, pleased with his own learning and practical skills.
As the excess milk was expressed, the mother Gogoat immediately felt the pressure in her body ease.
At that moment, Munchlax, who had been playing with the Skiddo, came over and sniffed the bucket.
It dipped its finger into the bucket and quickly popped it into its mouth.
Munchlax's eyes lit up instantly.
Angie lightly smacked it. "Have some hygiene! Can't wait a bit longer?"
Angie chuckled helplessly, pinching its chubby cheeks as punishment.
The Gogoat leader nodded, showing it understood.
Then, Angie and Munchlax picked up an empty basket and headed home together.
Munchlax nodded its head seriously, agreeing wholeheartedly.
As they walked, they suddenly heard a commotion coming from somewhere.
With an urgent expression, Fletchling pointed its wing in a particular direction.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Let's go check it out," Angie said quickly.
As soon as Kimia saw Angie, she excitedly waved, "Your Highness! Please help us!"
Hearing this, the Pokémon began to disperse, though some lingered for a moment.
"Remember to come by for breakfast tomorrow!" Angie called out to them.
Seeing them step off the vehicle, Angie and Munchlax approached. "What brings you here?"
"But they sure listen to Your Highness," Raleigh observed, "It's impressive."
"To befriend so many Pokémon is quite admirable," Flamel said, adjusting her glasses.
"Really?" Raleigh's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Of course, let's go." With that, Angie led the group home.
"Yes, come on in," Angie warmly invited them inside.
The guests greeted Diancie in return.
"Please, have a seat," Diancie said, warmly welcoming everyone in.