After carefully observing the development of his territory along the way, Aven returned to Fruitvale Village.
Although he had already made the decision to establish a full-fledged Pokémon town, the growth and progress of Fruitvale Village continued steadily.
According to Aven's overall development plan, Fruitvale Village was destined to gradually evolve into a commercial hub. Vast quantities of berries were cultivated here, which could be used in the production of potions, Pokéfood, and other essential supplies.
Aven had even begun considering a new name for the village to Berryvale after it becomes a town to reflect its identity as a prosperous center of berry cultivation and trade.
Moreover, due to its prime geographical location, Fruitvale Village was especially well-positioned to become the southeastern region's external-facing gateway, serving as a central location for all commercial activities in the territory.
Upon returning to Fruitvale Village, Aven headed straight for the experimental berry fields to inspect the progress.
At this stage, a large number of the berry trees in the experimental fields were already in full bloom, eagerly awaiting the formation and ripening of their fruits. Interestingly, it was even possible for different types of flowers to bloom on the same tree—this was an indication of berry mutations!
Currently, in the fields, Tangrowth was directing several Tangela to apply fertilizer to the berry trees. These trees had already completely undergone mutation, and it was now time to apply the specialized fertilizer designed to promote the growth of high-quality berry.
"Looks like this autumn will be another bountiful harvest," Aven said with a smile appearing on his face.
After completing his inspection of the experimental fields, he proceeded to the section of the farm dedicated to cultivating White Apricorn.
The nine saplings of White Apricorn trees had now fully grown, although they were still quite a ways from bearing fruit.
However, the old White Apricorn tree had already begun to bear some fruits, though they still needed more time before reaching full maturity. This ancient tree had always received a generous supply of growth fertilizer and fruit-enhancing nutrients, so Aven had every reason to believe that this year's harvest would be larger and faster than ever before.
As he looked at the White Apricorns hanging on the tree, Aven couldn't help but imagine each one as if it were a Poké Ball. He pursed his lips in anticipation, his face full of expectation.
Following that, Aven carried out a thorough inspection of the other berry fields on the farm before finally making his way to the Pokémon Breeding House.
Thanks to several rounds of expansion, the breeding house now covered an extensive area, no smaller than an ordinary farm. While there was another Breeding House in the Safari Zone, that one primarily served the Safari Zone area. In contrast, the one located in Fruitvale Village remained the central headquarters for all Pokémon operations.
When Aven stepped into the Breeding House, he happened to encounter two apprentice trainers who were currently purchasing Pokémon food and potions. Each of them had a Oddish by their side.
These two apprentices looked very young—around twelve or thirteen years old. It was likely that they had become trainers with the support and encouragement of their parents.
In this ancient world, children matured early. By the age of twelve or thirteen, many had already started helping with farm work at home or were sent to apprenticeships to learn a craft.
Clearly, becoming an apprentice trainer was a conscious decision made by their families. With the increasing development of recent times, the Pokémon trainer profession had emerged as a highly promising career path.
As long as one could become an apprentice trainer, they would have a chance to join the territory's patrol squads. And if they were able to pass the knight selection trials, they could even become official knights—an incredibly tempting prospect for ordinary people.
Indeed, the rise of the trainer profession had become a realistic way for commoners to change their fates. At the same time, it lowered the threshold for knighthood and provided civilians with a genuine opportunity to become knights.
"Greetings, Lord Aven!"
Upon spotting him, the two apprentice trainers immediately bowed respectfully.
Both of them were natives of Fruitvale Village and greatly admired Aven. After all, they had witnessed the village's transformation firsthand, watching step by step as it flourished under Aven's leadership.
Compared to the former Fruitvale Village, their current lives had undergone a complete and dramatic improvement. As a result, the hearts of the villagers were filled with gratitude.
"Mm, good afternoon, youngsters," Aven said warmly, gently helping the two children up. His kind expression made the children beam with excitement.
In truth, Aven had been quite uncomfortable with these noble rituals at first. After all, he was a modern man, and such customs had long become obsolete in his original time.
But now, having fully assumed the role of a noble, he had gradually come to understand the importance of these customs. For instance, formalities like bowing helped strengthen his authority among the people—an indispensable part of his leadership.
These were rules born of the rigid class structures of this era. If he were to abolish such practices entirely, it would severely impact his reputation and influence as a lord. A completely democratic system simply didn't suit the present circumstances.
As a feudal lord, he bore responsibility for the welfare of his people. A centralized system of authority was necessary to effectively guide the territory in the direction he envisioned—to ultimately realize the construction of the Pokémon Alliance.
"Are these your Oddish?" he asked with a smile.
"They're developing quite well—shouldn't be long before they can learn the move 'Absorb'," Aven said as he crouched down and gently patted the two Oddish. Judging from their development, he made his evaluation.
For Pokémon, learning moves wasn't something that happened at birth. They needed to meet specific conditions to comprehend and master techniques.
Take the move Absorb, for example—a move that Oddish could naturally learn fairly easily. However, it still required a certain level to unlock.
After registering as apprentice trainers, the Breeding House would offer free guidance on how to raise a Oddish. Within roughly half a month, most Oddish could be taught to grasp Absorb.
Of course, that was merely the beginning. If one wanted to make Absorb stronger and usable in actual battles, more extensive training was necessary.
After all, Oddish line was inherently on the weaker side. Even after learning Absorb, if it wasn't properly trained, it might still lose in a fight against an ordinary villager armed with farming tools.
"I'm going to raise Oddish properly and become a knight!" one of the young trainees declared enthusiastically. The other quickly echoed the sentiment, full of confidence.
Seeing their determination, Aven offered a few words of encouragement before watching the two excited youngsters run off with their Oddish. Their laughter echoed as they disappeared from view.
"They are the future hope of the Pokémon League," Aven murmured with emotion, watching their departing figures. Unknowingly, these children had already begun walking the path of a Pokémon trainer.
"Greetings, Lord Aven."
At that moment, Link walked over. He was wearing an apron and holding a potion in his hand—he seemed to have adapted quite well to his role at the Pokémon Breeding House.
At the front desk of the facility, three apprentices were busily organizing items. Upon seeing Aven enter, they immediately stopped what they were doing and came forward to greet him.
Over time, Master Olai had successfully trained a total of ten apprentice potion-makers, all of whom were now working in the Pokémon Breeding House.
With their assistance, the Breeding House had gradually entered into full operation, providing consistent services for all trainers visiting Fruitvale Village—selling potions, Pokéfood, and offering other vital support.
"How's the Breeding House doing lately?" Aven asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down.
Link took a seat opposite him and replied, "Business has been pretty good. These days, trainers almost can't function without the Breeding House."
He then gave Aven a detailed report on the recent operations.
Even though Fruitvale Village offered significant benefits to apprentice trainers and heavily invested in the patrol squads and knights, in the end, most of their money flowed back into the Breeding House.
Moreover, in order to manufacture potions, the Breeding House relied on berries produced by local villagers. Pokéfood came from the Pokéfood Processing Plant, and fertilizers from the fertilizer factory.
This meant that whether it was berry farming, Pokéfood production, or fertilizer manufacturing, civilian participation was essential. As a result, the income of ordinary people improved, making them more willing to pursue the path of becoming a trainer.
Just like the two young apprentice trainers earlier—their mother worked at the food processing plant, and their father at the fertilizer factory. Their combined earnings were just enough to support their children's journey as trainers.
Once those children grew stronger and more independent, the family's financial burden would be eased. Eventually, the kids could even support their parents in return, creating a positive cycle of development.
Through this cycle, the overall strength of trainers in the territory would gradually increase. When the time came to face external threats, even the apprentice trainers would be capable of putting up a strong fight.
"Yes, it's working quite well," Aven nodded in approval. "However, we still need to find more ways for trainers to earn money."
"In fact, with the help of their Pokémon, many of them could take on part-time jobs," he continued.
"For instance, using Grass-type Pokémon to assist in agriculture. Trainers who have caught Bibarel could help with excavation and river channeling."
"And on construction sites, Pokémon have far greater strength than humans. The efficiency of their labor is much higher."
Aven nodded with a smile. He had already started implementing such plans. The serfs and craftsmen would be among the first to benefit.
In the near future, he intended to create even more job opportunities so that more people could participate in this system.
Once they realized that every aspect of their daily lives depended on Pokémon, then the dream of a world where humans and Pokémon coexisted in harmony would no longer be far off.
Of course, these changes could only be implemented gradually as part of the ongoing territorial development. At present, Fruitvale Village still didn't have the capacity to provide that many jobs.
However, if we're only talking about ways for trainers to earn money purely through their own abilities, then there was really only one primary method—participating in various competitions and events.
To attract large numbers of trainers, different regions often hosted events. As long as trainers could place in these competitions, they could win handsome cash prizes.
What's more, Pokémon tournaments were destined to become one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the future. Each event would attract a massive audience.
This, in turn, would increase the flow of people in the area, and ticket sales alone would generate significant revenue. The recent knight selection tournament was a prime example of this.
"Looks like I'll need to host more Pokémon tournaments in the future."
"Maybe it's time to consider establishing a Pokémon Battle Club," Aven mused.
In his previous life, Pokémon trainers were a mainstream profession, which naturally gave rise to many related industries.
Among them, Pokémon Battle Clubs were especially prominent. These clubs allowed trainers to apply for matches using bulletin boards.
Trainers could register their information, and others who wanted to battle could check the board and submit a battle request.
Once both parties agreed, they could rent a battle field provided by the club. The club would supply the battlefield, safety measures, referees, and other essential services.
Additionally, Pokémon Battle Clubs could offer training services to help trainers strengthen their moves. In the future, such clubs would be equipped with treadmills, swimming pools, and even specialized coaches for different types of training.
Though it would be impossible to provide those advanced facilities in the current era, simple training tools like weighted harnesses or running wheels were already feasible. As for the coaches, knights could take up that role for now.
"Yes, this really is an excellent idea," Aven murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Through Pokémon Battle Clubs, he could offer a wide range of training services to trainers. At the same time, the club would create numerous job opportunities—for sparring partners, referees, coaches, janitors, repair workers, and more.
Most importantly, official competitions could be held in these clubs. In addition to hosting a tournament every month, they could organize challenge-style events during normal times.
Over time, all kinds of events could be held—breeder competitions, coordinator contests, and more. Aven knew many formats from his past life and was confident that they would eventually come to fruition.
Of course, when talking about competitions, one could not overlook the most prestigious event in the Pokémon world: the Pokémon League Tournament.
The most common way to qualify for the League Tournament was to challenge Pokémon Gyms and collect eight Gym Badges.
Each Gym, in essence, functioned like a Pokémon Battle Club. Entire prosperous cities could be built around such Gyms—this was a widespread model in the future world.
However, the requirements for establishing a Pokémon Gym were extremely strict. Most importantly, the Gym Leader had to possess formidable strength—by the standards of this world, that meant owning an advanced-level Pokémon.
(End of Chapter)