The barn creaked as the morning breeze passed through its rafters. Ashwin moved quietly through the interior, stepping around stacked hay bales and crates of preserved berries. The earthy scent of wood, warm hay, and sweet feed filled the space.
He stopped in front of a small enclosure he'd prepared the night before—clean, padded with soft moss, and divided into shaded and sunlit corners. He gently set Seedot inside and let Skwovet perch on a basket nearby.
"This will be your safe space. You're part of the team now," he said softly.
Skwovet blinked and gave a sharp squeak, before jumping inside and sniffing around energetically. Seedot remained still, cautious. Ashwin didn't push. He just sat nearby, reading through his farming logs and letting time build comfort.
Later that morning, Ashwin worked with Skwovet on memory and direction tasks. He used brightly colored satchels filled with dried berries and had Skwovet hide them in marked areas of the orchard.
When they revisited each location two hours later, Skwovet immediately darted to each cache, retrieving them with tail-flicking glee.
"You've got the memory of a librarian," Ashwin chuckled.
He began noting personality traits: playful, territorial, highly motivated by food, but also fiercely protective of the orchard. Skwovet hissed at a passing Sentret that wandered too close, puffing up before Ashwin whistled it back.
[Personality Trait Registered – "Defender of the Garden"][Hidden Bonus Unlocked: Bonus Alert Range during Berry Season]
Ashwin stared at the notification and grinned. "You're more than just a hoarder."
Seedot was harder to read. Ashwin suspected the quiet Pokémon was older than he first assumed—stoic, even solemn.
He decided to conduct a mineral exposure test. Placing small nutrient-rich stones in separate pots of soil, he rotated Seedot's rooting spot every hour.
By the afternoon, Seedot gravitated toward one infused with charcoal-rich ash and a trace of iron.
"Interesting. You like the harsher ground."
He adjusted its training to include early resistance work—supporting pebbles stacked on its cap while rooted. Surprisingly, Seedot didn't flinch.
[Hidden Trait Registered – "Sturdy Sapling"][Seedot is immune to flinching effects caused by terrain during growth phase.]
Ashwin patted its wooden cap gently. "You've got backbone. We'll nurture that."
After midday, Ashwin returned to the Local Agricultural Guild post to register his latest efforts.
A grumpy but well-meaning clerk raised a brow as he saw the updated log:
Two new Pokémon trained
Field reinforcement completed
Harvest increased by 45% since last week
Wild Pokémon issue resolved non-violently
"Efficient. You might be the first outside-hired Breeder to get this many positive flags in under a month," the clerk mumbled.
[Guild Standing Increased: +1 Rank][Guild Reputation Level: Copper Tier – 23/100][New Title Acquired: "Tiller of Harmony"]
Ashwin tapped the desk. "That title sounds fancy. What does it even do?"
["Tiller of Harmony" Effect: Slight increase in passive happiness gain for Pokémon housed on the farm.]
He chuckled. "A peaceful farm helps the heart, huh?"
That night, while checking the borders of the southern Honeyglade Orchard, Ashwin stopped cold.
A section of the berry grove was completely still. No wind. No rustling. Even the bugs were silent.
And then… he heard it.
A hum. Low, vibrating. Not mechanical—but primal. Ancient.
The Deep Hive Tree, old and half-withered, pulsed faintly under moonlight. Its bark glistened with a strange golden sheen, like sap and nectar fused into crystal.
Ashwin stepped closer, boots cracking twigs underfoot.
A sudden buzz exploded above him—wild Combee, dozens of them, fleeing the hive in erratic, frightened patterns.
And for a brief second… he saw it.
A dark, thorny wing. Yellow eyes glowing from inside the trunk's split core.
Ashwin's breath caught.
[Field Boss "Sudden Bloom" – 3 Days Remaining Until Activation]
He turned on his heel and ran back toward the barn. Not out of fear, but urgency. This wasn't just a test.
It was a storm preparing to bloom in his backyard.
Back at the barn, Ashwin sat with his entire team under the stars.
Bidoof lay curled in a bed of hay, snoring gently. Zigzagoon kept to the shadows, watching over the field's edge. Combee buzzed in cautious loops near the roof. Bounsweet bounced slowly in place beside Skwovet, who was nibbling a berry half-asleep. Seedot, true to form, had rooted next to Ashwin's boot, unmoving.
Ashwin leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You're all growing stronger… and now, we've got something big coming."
He looked at the Deep Hive Tree glowing faintly in the distance.
"I don't know what it is yet. But whatever that challenge is… we'll face it—together."