Chapter 17: The Ranch
Recap: Fang Yuan defeated the Beast King and earned his fourth badge. The Ranch System unlocked, allowing him to breed and train Subjects. Now he heads south toward the Wu Clan, where the fifth Gym Leader—a master of Ghost-type Gu—awaits.
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The southern road was quieter than the northern plain.
Fang Yuan walked through rolling hills, past farms and villages, the land growing greener with each passing day. The gray skies of the Northern Plains had given way to soft blue, the ash-choked earth to fields of wheat and barley. It felt like another world.
He had been walking for three days.
His Subjects were resting. The Lotus Gu's petals had regrown during the night, its golden light steady. The White Boar Gu's tusks had healed. The Magnemite Gu's cracks had sealed. Only the Stone Dragon Gu remained unchanged—a creature of power and patience, waiting for its moment.
He opened the Ranch System as he walked.
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RANCH SYSTEM
Location: Pocket Dimension (accessible via Menu)
Current Capacity: 10 Subjects
Current Residents: 0/10
Available Upgrades: None
Features:
· Breeding: Combine two compatible Subjects to produce an egg. Eggs hatch after 3–7 days depending on species.
· Training: Subjects gain experience over time. Rate increases with Ranch upgrades.
· Feeding: Auto-feeding extends to Ranch Subjects. Food costs shared with active party.
· Storage: Subjects in the Ranch do not count toward active party limit (currently 30).
Upgrades (Locked):
· Expanded Pasture: +10 capacity. Cost: 200 PS
· Training Grounds: +50% experience gain. Cost: 500 PS
· Breeding Den: Unlocks rare breeding combinations. Cost: 3 IES
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Fang Yuan studied the interface. Breeding. If I can combine Subjects, I can create new ones. Stronger ones. Types I don't have.
He thought about his current Subjects. The Moonlight Gu was Light type. The Vine Gu was Grass. The White Boar Gu was Normal. The Wind Bird Gu was Flying. The Fire Cricket Gu was Fire. The Magnemite Gu was Electric/Steel. The Stone Dragon Gu was Rock/Dragon. The Wildfire Stallion was Fire. The Lotus Gu was Grass/Light.
I need Ghost type. The Wu Clan leader uses Ghost Gu. I need something that can counter them. Ghost is weak against Ghost and Dark. I have neither.
He opened the Shop and scrolled through the Evolution Stones section again.
Evolution Stones – 3 IES each
Dusk Stone – Evolves certain Dark and Ghost types
Moon Stone – Evolves certain Night and Fairy types
If I can find a Dark or Ghost type Subject, I can evolve it. But I need to find one first.
He closed the interface and kept walking.
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By evening, he reached a small village at the edge of the Wu Clan's territory.
It was a quiet place—a few dozen houses, a single inn, a temple at the center. The people here were different from the nomads of the plain. They were pale, quiet, their eyes downcast. They moved like shadows, spoke in whispers, and when Fang Yuan passed, they crossed themselves and looked away.
They're afraid. Of me? Or something else?
He found the inn and paid for a room. The innkeeper was a thin woman with hollow cheeks and trembling hands.
"You're a Gu Master," she said. It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"You're going to the Wu Clan."
"Yes."
She crossed herself. "The dead walk there. At night. They say the clan leader commands them. They say he's not alive anymore. Not really."
Fang Yuan took his key. "I've faced worse."
She looked at him with something like pity. "No. You haven't."
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That night, he released his Subjects in the inn's small courtyard.
The Moonlight Gu hovered near his shoulder, its light soft. The Vine Gu coiled at his feet. The White Boar Gu lay in the grass, snoring. The Wind Bird Gu perched on the roof. The Fire Cricket Gu glowed faintly on the wall. The Magnemite Gu hovered by the gate, its magnets spinning slowly. The Stone Dragon Gu was too large for the courtyard, so he left it in its sphere. The Wildfire Stallion stood in the center, its mane flickering. The Lotus Gu floated beside it, its petals open, its light mingling with the Stallion's flames.
He opened the Ranch System and selected Breeding.
[Breeding Compatibility]
Available Pairs:
· Moonlight Gu + Lotus Gu: Light type combination. Egg will hatch into a Light-type Subject. Compatibility: High. Success Rate: 80%
· Wildfire Stallion + Fire Cricket Gu: Fire type combination. Egg will hatch into a Fire-type Subject. Compatibility: Moderate. Success Rate: 60%
· White Boar Gu + Wildfire Stallion: Normal/Fire type combination. Egg will hatch into a Normal/Fire-type Subject. Compatibility: Low. Success Rate: 40%
· Vine Gu + Lotus Gu: Grass/Light type combination. Egg will hatch into a Grass/Light-type Subject. Compatibility: High. Success Rate: 85%
He considered the options. The Lotus Gu and Moonlight Gu. Both Light types. A strong combination. But I need something that can counter Ghost. Light is neutral against Ghost. Not strong, not weak.
He looked at the other pairs. Vine Gu and Lotus Gu. Grass/Light. Still neutral against Ghost.
He closed the interface. Not yet. I need to find a Dark or Ghost type first. Then I can breed for strength.
He returned his Subjects to their spheres and went to sleep.
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He dreamed of the Wu Clan's temple.
It was a dark place, its walls black stone, its windows empty. Inside, candles flickered, their flames casting long shadows across the floor. And at the altar, a figure knelt—a man in white robes, his face hidden, his hands clasped.
Fang Yuan walked toward him. His footsteps echoed in the silence.
The figure didn't move. Didn't speak.
"I've come for the badge," Fang Yuan said.
The figure raised its head. Its face was pale, its eyes hollow, its lips pulled back in a smile that was not a smile.
"The badge," it whispered. "Yes. Many have come for the badge. Many have stayed."
It stood, and the shadows around it rose. They were not shadows. They were Gu—Ghost Gu, their forms shifting, their eyes burning, their mouths open in silent screams.
Fang Yuan reached for his Pokeballs. His hand closed on empty air.
The figure laughed. "You have no power here, little demon. This is my domain. My world. And in my world, the dead rule."
The shadows lunged.
Fang Yuan woke gasping, his hand pressed against his chest, his heart pounding. The cracked stone was burning against his skin.
He sat up, his breath ragged. Outside, the moon was high, the village silent. But he could still see them—the Ghost Gu, their hollow eyes, their silent screams.
The Wu Clan leader. He's already in my head. Already testing me.
He pulled out the cracked stone. The creature stirred.
He is strong, it whispered. Stronger than the others. His power is not in his Gu. It is in his domain. He controls the dead, and the dead are everywhere.
Fang Yuan's hand tightened on the stone. "Then I'll bring something they can't touch."
What?
He smiled. "Light."
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The next morning, he released his Lotus Gu and Moonlight Gu in the courtyard.
He opened the Ranch System and selected Breeding.
[Breeding Confirmation]
Pair: Moonlight Gu + Lotus Gu
Compatibility: High
Success Rate: 80%
Egg Type: Light
Time to Hatch: 5 days
He confirmed. The two Subjects glowed, their light merging, swirling, forming a sphere of silver and gold. When the light faded, an egg lay on the ground—small, white, pulsing with a soft glow.
[Egg acquired!]
Type: Light
Hatch Time: 5 days
Compatibility: Unknown
He placed the egg in the Ranch and looked at his remaining Subjects.
Five days until it hatches. Five days until I reach the Wu Clan's temple. Perfect timing.
He returned his Subjects to their spheres and left the village.
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The road to the Wu Clan's territory was different from anything he had traveled before.
The hills gave way to forest, the forest to marsh, the marsh to a plain of black earth where nothing grew. The sky was gray here, the sun a dim disk behind the clouds. And in the distance, a temple rose from the plain—black stone, empty windows, its spires reaching for the sky like grasping hands.
Fang Yuan stood at the edge of the plain, looking at the temple.
The fifth Gym Leader. The master of the dead.
He reached into his pocket and touched the cracked stone. The creature stirred, but it was quiet, waiting.
Four badges. Four more to go. And then the door.
He stepped onto the black earth and walked toward the temple.
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End of Chapter 17