"From now on, the two of you can help each other explore and exchange insights on how to control normal energy."
"Lil lil lil lil~"
"Moth!"
Petilil and Frosmoth both nodded in agreement. After exchanging glances, they revealed expressions of excitement.
Then, the two Pokémon immediately returned to the backyard and began discussing animatedly. Vileplume and Cherrim were also quite interested, quickly gathering around to listen in.
Watching this scene unfold, Aven smiled faintly, then continued to crouch down, refining the training methods for his group of Pokémon.
The next day, Aven planned to return to Fruitvale Village to check on the growth of the White Apricorn trees.
After a period of cultivation, the saplings of the White Apricorn had gradually started to grow. It was believed that by next year, they would be mature enough to begin bearing fruit.
As for the fully grown White Apricorn tree that had been transplanted to Fruitvale Village, thanks to the nourishment provided by Growth Fertilizer, the Grassy Terrain, and the move Growth, its development had surpassed its previous condition by far.
It was expected that this tree would soon start producing White Apricorns in abundance.
On the way, Aven passed by several plots of newly reclaimed land. Perhaps because the serfs now saw a glimmer of hope in becoming free citizens, every one of them was working with unparalleled enthusiasm.
There was absolutely no need for any overseers to crack whips to push them along — their motivation was even stronger than that of the workers back in Keystone Town. After all, this time, they were toiling for their own future!
At the same time, Pokémon had gradually started to appear alongside them. During the land reclamation process, these Pokémon were proving to be tremendously helpful.
As a result, the relationship between the serfs and the Pokémon was steadily improving. Since the serfs had virtually no formal education and knew very little about magical beasts, their attitude was simple: they trusted those who treated them well.
It was easy to imagine that in the future, many of these serfs would become Pokémon Trainers, and the deep bonds they formed with their Pokémon could very well make them the backbone of the future League!
"Lord Aven!"
Every time Aven passed by, he would be greeted with cheers from the serfs.
By now, Aven had already established an incredibly high reputation among the serfs. One could imagine that the moment the first serf was freed from their status, Aven's prestige would reach its peak.
One serf named Buck was responsible for cultivating a large tract of farmland. Every time he worked, there would be an Oddish following him.
The farmland had already been fully tilled, and Buck was now clearing out weeds from the fields with the help of Oddish. These annoying weeds grew back rapidly and had to be removed from time to time.
This was one of the most troublesome tasks in farming, but with Oddish's assistance, things had become significantly easier!
Oddish darted around the farmland, and upon spotting weeds, it would quickly use Absorb, causing the weeds to wither rapidly.
Previously, when Oddish was in the orchard, it indiscriminately competed with both weeds and berry trees for nutrients. But now that it had learned to distinguish between the two, it could specifically target weeds — making it an ideal helper in weed removal!
"So, this is the power of Pokémon…"
Buck's eyes filled with emotion. Just as Lord Aven had said, they needed to learn how to utilize the power of Pokémon.
"Once the weeds are cleared, next comes irrigation!" Buck said as he glanced toward the nearby waterway.
Originally, there had been no rivers or canals near this wasteland, so during the summer months, the land would become extremely dry and unsuitable for farming.
When they first saw the Bibarel and Bidoof digging the irrigation channels, everyone had been amazed. If humans had to carve out these waterways, it would have been a monumental task — but for the Bibarel and the Bidoof, it was surprisingly easy!
"If only I could capture another Bidoof, then irrigation would become a breeze," Buck muttered, smacking his lips with a thoughtful look.
"Odd-Odd-Odd ~"
At that moment, Oddish happily ran back over.
Thanks to its efforts, the weeds in the farmland had now been thoroughly cleared.
"Great job, Oddish,"
Buck patted Oddish on the head, then pulled out a small wooden bucket from his back.
Opening the lid, he quickly poured the contents onto the ground and stirred it with a stick.
Upon seeing this, Oddish cried out happily, leaping straight into the small muddy puddle and using Absorb to draw energy from the nutrient-rich water.
The bucket, of course, contained diluted Growth Fertilizer. Fruitvale Village would regularly send shipments of this fertilizer over time.
Initially, this fertilizer was meant solely for crop irrigation. It was said that applying this substance to the fields would improve soil fertility.
However, by chance, Buck discovered that Oddish was particularly fond of this liquid.
So he began intentionally saving a small portion of fertilizer during each irrigation session to give to Oddish.
Over time, and after careful observation, Buck selected one Oddish and consistently shared the saved fertilizer with it.
Gradually, the Oddish bonded closely with him and began assisting him with farming duties.
During their time working together, Buck realized Oddish had mastered the Absorb move and could use it specifically for weeding — this discovery thrilled him.
He now had a deeper appreciation for the importance of leveraging a Pokémon's abilities.
According to the Inspector, Buck had technically already "captured" this Oddish. However, due to his current status as a serf, he could not yet register as a Trainer.
But once he became a free citizen, he would immediately qualify for registration, and the thought filled him with anticipation.
After seeing Buck successfully bond with an Oddish and use it to help with weeding, other serfs were quickly inspired.
They all began trying to capture their own Oddish as well.
Before long, fields everywhere were filled with the sight of serfs working side-by-side with Oddish.
These once-wild Pokémon had now found their own sense of purpose in the farmland!
"Odd ~"
Oddish soon finished absorbing the nutrients from the fertilizer.
Although this was merely a diluted version of Growth Fertilizer and didn't contain much energy, to these wild Oddish, it was a rare and delicious treat they had never tasted before — and they absolutely loved it!
"Oddish, go take a rest for now,"
"Once I finish irrigating the farmland, we'll head home."
Buck patted Oddish on the head, then walked toward the nearby river.
Since the waterway was at a lower elevation than the fields, he had to draw water with a wooden bucket and then pour it into the farmland.
Quickly reaching the riverbank, he grabbed the bucket and began drawing water.
With his long-handled wooden bucket, fetching water was quite easy. Bucket after bucket was swiftly poured onto the farmland.
Creaaak creaaak creaaak~
As Buck worked, a figure suddenly surfaced on the water.
It was a Bidoof. Typically, each waterway had a few Bidoof acting as its guardians, and this one was in charge of this stretch of the canal.
After emerging from the water, the Bidoof crawled ashore, holding a fish in its hands and munching on it while curiously watching Buck draw water — seemingly quite amused by the sight.
"That's the Bidoof I've seen before!" Buck took a deep breath, his gaze landing on the fish in Bidoof's paws.
As he continued his work, he began thinking about how he might capture this particular Bidoof.
Food, he figured, might be the most straightforward method of winning it over.
"Maybe I can start with the fish…"
Time passed quickly, and soon Buck had finished irrigating the farmland, letting out a long, relieved sigh.
But instead of leaving immediately, he went to the river and jumped straight into the water, diving beneath the surface.
Among all the serfs, Buck was one of the few who could swim — a skill he'd learned during childhood just so he could catch fish to improve his meager diet.
Bidoof was visibly startled by Buck's sudden plunge and didn't understand why the human had jumped into the water.
Soon, Buck resurfaced, took a deep breath, and dove back down again.
After repeating this process several times, he finally emerged once more — this time holding a large fish in his hands.
In this world, very few people actually ate fish. Most were put off by the strong, unpleasant smell of raw fish and avoided it altogether.
But for serfs, there was no such thing as "picky eating." They ate whatever they could get.
That said, catching fish was not easy — they had to be wary of the hidden, needle-like spines on certain species, which could be fatal.
Buck, however, loved eating fish and had discovered that when roasted and sprinkled with a type of ground wild herb, the flavor was fantastic!
Cradling the fish he'd just caught, Buck quickly swam back to shore.
Then, wasting no time, he began preparing the fish, intending to make his signature grilled fish once again.
"Odd~?"
Oddish trotted over as well and, under Buck's direction, began gathering dry grass for the fire.
Before long, everything was ready, and Buck started roasting the fish in the open field.
A gentle aroma of grilled fish began wafting through the air.
In the distance, the Bidoof stared blankly at the human's actions.
But as the scent of grilled fish reached its nose, its eyes lit up and it unconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Watching from afar, Buck smiled knowingly.
As long as Bidoof liked the taste of grilled fish, his plan was already halfway to success.
It was very likely he'd be able to capture this Bidoof — a Bidoof that was excellent at digging irrigation channels!
(End of Chapter)