"So, where do we go next?" Zelda asked. The pair had taken a break after getting their pokemon healed, and went to get something to eat. Now full and well rested - both the trainers and their partners - Zelda's question was at the forefront of Link's mind. They could go visit the Gorons on Death Mountain, or the Zoras up the river. Perhaps they could return to Castle Town and ask Sage Raru for advice, though he had a feeling Zelda would shoot that suggestion down quickly.

"Hmm…" Link thought out loud. "We should get advice on how to raise pokemon well, right?" Zelda agreed, so he continued, "Where better than Lon Lon Ranch?"

Zelda thought about the suggestion for a second. "That is their job. I'm sure they could give us a few pointers." She smiled. "Alright, let's go to the ranch. Maybe we can find a few wild pokemon along the way."

-o-

It wasn't long after leaving the town that Zelda spotted something. A small blue pokemon with a fluffy tail scampered down a tree nearby, grabbed a seed off the ground, and started to nibble on it, watching the two trainers closely all the while.

She stopped, grabbing Tatl's pokeball. "That thing looks like it wants trouble," she told Link, who looked over at the wild pokemon. He didn't agree, but gave no argument as Zelda let Tatl out to fight. The Ralts prepared to launch a Confusion orb, but the foe was faster, slamming into Tatl in the blink of an eye. It caught the Confusion directly in the face in response, retreated a bit, and started to charge at Tatl once again. Tatl responded with another Confusion, taking another speedy hit in the process.

Zelda, apparently deciding that that was enough damage on Tatl, lined up directly behind her pokemon. As the opponent charged once again, fully focused on the Ralts, she smacked it with a pokeball, watched as it shook, then proudly picked up her new acquisition. Link applauded her briefly, then looked around for more pokemon. Not seeing any on land nearby, and not sure he could battle pokemon in the water, they continued to Lon Lon Ranch.

A welcoming tune drifted through the air as they passed under the arch at the farm's entrance, accompanied by the occasional "Moo" from the nearby barn. Link had visited the area once before, and knew that the Miltank inside were doing well. How could they not be, with Malon taking care of them?

Zelda knock on the door of the house, across from the barn. The music stopped, and Malon's voice called out, "Come in, the door's open!". As Link and Zelda walked inside, Malon gasped, dropping the rag she was holding in shock. She quickly recovered and apologized, explaining, "You look so much like… him," motioning at Link. "I thought for a second the Hero really came back to Hyrule." She took a breath, then told Zelda, "No offence, Your Highness. It's just… the Hero has a special place in my memories. Even more so than your mother."

Zelda laughed. "That's quite alright, Miss Malon. Everyone knows that you raised the Hero's horse."

Malon smiled. "Epona wasn't the only horse I raised, just the most famous. One of the older horses I was responsible for carried your mother to safety that one, horrible night. It was such a shame to have to let that thoroughbred loose, the one she escaped the castle on, but the Dark King was looking for the poor thing." She sighed. "I'm guessing you're not here for a history lesson, though. Especially not about that night. If I had to guess, you're here about raising pokemon, right?"

Link nodded. "How'd you guess?"

Malon laughed this time. "I was at your birthday party, and you have pokeballs on your belts. You would be surprised how many new trainers ask me for advice."

"That is a pretty big hint," Zelda said. "Do you have any tips?"

Malon shook her head. "Raising them's pretty simple. Be nice to them, and battle other pokemon. Not much to it."

"Oh," Zelda sighed.

"I can tell you a bit more about battling, though," Malon continued. "I'm pretty sure you already know about types, right?" Both kids nodded, so she continued, "Every attack has a type, too. If you use the right type attack against your opponent, you'll deal more damage. Also, each pokemon has its own strengths and weaknesses. Miltank, for example, can take physical hits really well, but has a hard time dealing damage to similar pokemon."

"That makes sense," Zelda said, rubbing her chin in thought. "How can you tell what a pokemon's good at, though? Is it just experience?"

"It used to be," Malon replied. "I've gotten some help recently, though." She pointed out the window at the horse track. "One of the foreign professors has been staying here for a while. He says he's studying 'pokemon population distribution'. He seems to really know his stuff. If you want to talk with him, he's out with the Mudsdale." She laughed at the quick "Thank you!" as the kids ran out the door, and started to sing again.

Outside in the pen, the children watched as the old man stroked one of the Mudsdale. They weren't very quiet getting to the fence, though; he soon turned around and beckoned to them.

"Isn't he beautiful?" the professor asked as Link and Zelda approached, patting a pack on the Mudsdale's back. "I'm Professor Oak, foremost authority on where pokemon live. It's nice to meet you two."

"It's nice to meet you, too, professor," Zelda said. "Miss Malon said you know a lot about pokemon."

Oak laughed. "Ah, I do agree. However, I find more and more often that I know less about pokemon than I think I do." Looking at Link's confused expression, he elaborated, "More is discovered about pokemon every day. However, the more I learn, the more mysteries tend to appear. That's why I usually ask for help from new trainers with my Pokedex project."

"Pokedex?" Zelda asked.

"Indeed. It's a nifty piece of technology I've developed over many years. A Pokedex records information about pokemon; where they can be found, their capabilities, some interesting notes, that kind of stuff. Like the pokemon it records, the Pokedex has gone through many evolutions over the years. Each individual one now links to a global database, making it much easier for trainers to learn about the pokemon they encounter. It can even analyze your pokemon, and tell you what moves it can use, what those moves will do, and how strong they'll be."

"Wow," Link said. "That sounds really helpful."

"Professor, where can we get a Pokedex?" Zelda asked.

"Why, Professor Deku is supposed to hand them out here. He lives down by the large lake, to the south."

"I think he forgot," Link said. "He didn't say anything about them when we visited him."

"Ah," Oak said, reaching into his back pocket. "He is rather forgetful. He did mention that his looks defy his age, so maybe it's just because he's old." He pulled out a red card, about a quarter-inch thick, and pressed a button. "Hmm… maybe I'm the old and forgetful one. I never sent the shipment to him!" He reached into the pack the Mudsdale was carrying and pulled out two more cards. "Here, this is the newest model. You can have them. Just promise that you'll use them well, ok?"

"Yes, sir!" the rookies said simultaneously.

Oak smiled, and showed them how to use the devices. "Oh, one more thing. I've heard of an ancient artifact used by a legendary hero that could reveal even the most hidden things. The old lady at the castle, the one with clothes like yours," he said to Zelda, "says it doesn't exist."

"Sage Impa?" Zelda asked. "I've heard those stories, but I was told the same thing."

"Yes, I think that was her name. Anyway, I've seen enough legends come to life before my very eyes to dismiss any story immediately. If it is real, and you end up finding it, it might be a great help to my research." The Mudsdale beside him snorted, and Oak looked back at it. "Either way that turns out, I have a feeling you two will end up doing great things."