Lucy only remembered her fingertips touching a fern in a rock crevice.
That fern, with its silvery-white spiral sporangia, had never been seen in any literature.
She was too excited to mind the danger of the four-thousand-meter cliff.
The next second, the fern burst with a green halo, which surged through her fingertips into her heart, and then there was only darkness.
Lucy was awakened by a wet sensation on her face.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she met the round, black eyes of a Bulbasaur.
Its green body carried a bulb, and it was gently patting her face with its soft Vine Whip: “Bulba!
Bulba!” (Are you awake?
Are you awake?)
“Stop patting, I’m awake.” When she spoke, she realized it was the crisp voice of a young girl, and two waves of memories flooded her mind instantly.
She was Lucy, a twenty-nine-year-old botanist, but now she was sixteen-year-old Lucy.
Her parents were League detectives who had died in the line of duty three months ago, and her great-aunt had passed away last week, leaving the “Forest Dew” Farm to her.
Seeing that she was awake, the Bulbasaur immediately wrapped its Vine Whip around her wrist and gently helped her up.
As soon as Lucy’s palm touched the grass, a pile of information flooded in: the soil was damp enough but lacked nitrogen, there were ripe wild Berries three meters away, and there were earthworms underground.
She froze for a moment and quickly pulled her hand back.
She touched the thin calluses on her fingertips; it didn’t feel like the hands that used to hold specimen tweezers.
“I’m fine, thank you.” Lucy gently patted the Bulbasaur’s Vine Whip and followed it into the wooden house.
The wooden house wasn’t dilapidated, just covered in a layer of dust.
On the table lay the property deed, her great-aunt’s letter, a Pokeball, and a bankbook.
She opened the bankbook first, and her eyes lit up: 500,000 Pokémon coins in compensation, with the League automatically transferring 5,000 every month, which had just arrived yesterday.
“Now I don’t have to worry about going hungry.”
She picked up the Pokeball and pressed the button.
A white light descended, and a Budew huddled on the floor.
Its pink bud was tightly closed, its two leaves covering its face tightly, and its voice was as faint as a mosquito’s: “Budew…
mi…” (Where is this…)
“Bulba!” (It’s Budew!) The Bulbasaur hopped over happily and gently poked the Budew’s bud with its Vine Whip.
The Budew opened a slit in its leaves, caught a glimpse of Lucy, and immediately closed it again, curling its whole body into a small ball: “Budew…
mi…” (Scared…)
Lucy could clearly feel its fear and sadness.
She knelt down and softened her voice: “Hello, Budew, I am Lucy.”
She didn’t reach out to touch it, just said slowly, “Your trainers were my parents.
They are gone, and I am sorry.
From now on, I will take care of you and Bulbasaur, and I will do my best.”
As she spoke, she held her hand in front of the Budew, quietly waiting for its decision.
After a while, the Budew’s leaves quietly reached out and quickly touched her fingertips; it was cool and soft.
The moment they touched, Lucy knew immediately: the little one’s internal energy was blocked, it was an old injury that hadn’t healed, it needed specific humidity and light, and it was still holding back sadness for its previous owners.
What a magical ability.
“I know you haven’t fully recovered, and I will take good care of you from now on.”
The Budew’s leaves opened completely, its little black eyes full of confusion: “Budew…
mi?” (Can you feel me too?)
“Yes, I can feel you.” Lucy smiled gently and turned to the Bulbasaur, “It’s time to check on you.”
The Bulbasaur obediently leaned in.
Lucy placed her hand on its back and instantly got the information: it was very healthy, but it hadn’t been trained properly, the energy in the seed on its back was insufficient, and it wanted to become stronger to protect people.
“You want to become stronger, right?
We’ll train together from now on.”
The Bulbasaur’s eyes lit up, it nodded vigorously, and its Vine Whip swung like a small fan: “Bulba!” (Yes!)
“From today on, this is our home.” Lucy stood up, her tone firm yet gentle, “We’ll clean the house first, then plan the farm.
Are you willing to help me?”
“Bulba!” (Yes!) The Bulbasaur immediately swung its Vine Whip and carried a wooden box from the corner, but it lost its footing and nearly knocked over a bookshelf.
Lucy caught it quickly and said with a smile, “Slow down, don’t rush.” The Bulbasaur shyly rubbed against her hand, its Vine Whip gently patting its own head.
The Budew hesitated for a moment, and its bud nodded gently: “Budew…
mi…” (Okay…)
It tried to wipe the table with its leaves, but as soon as it touched the water cup, it was startled and shrank back, causing the cup to wobble.
Lucy quickly moved the cup to the center and said softly, “It’s okay, just wipe along the wood grain, be a little lighter.”
The Budew slowly relaxed, carefully wiping with its leaves, and even neatly arranged the scattered pencils.
It looked up and asked in a low voice: “Budew…
mi?” (Is this right?)
“Yes, that’s very neat, thank you.” Lucy smiled and praised it.
The Budew’s bud turned slightly red, and it wiped even more enthusiastically.
Relying on her perception, Lucy quickly identified the damp wooden beams in the corners and the hidden dust behind the cabinets, directing the two Pokemon to clean.
The Bulbasaur’s Vine Whip could reach high places to sweep away dust, while the Budew was responsible for tidying up small items.
After a full day, the house finally was refreshed.
In the evening, Lucy took her League card to the Poké Mart in town and bought bread, ham, instant noodles, as well as cleaning supplies, a small hoe, and Pokemon food.
At checkout, the clerk asked curiously, “Are you new here?
Did you inherit Forest Dew Farm?
That place has been abandoned for a long time.”
“Yes, I’ll just clean it up slowly.” Lucy smiled, then suddenly remembered the Budew’s old injury.
She turned and pointed to the shelf, “Could you please add that nutrient supplement in the blue bottle?
Thank you.”
The clerk froze, “This is for injured Pokemon, how did you know…”
“I guessed it needed it.” Lucy paid and walked back, carrying two large bags of items.
On the way, her perception suddenly indicated that there were ripe Berries ahead.
She followed the feeling and turned a corner, and sure enough, she saw a wild Pomelo-Pear tree hanging full of golden-yellow fruit.
“Found something good!” Lucy climbed onto a low branch and picked a small bag, then turned to the two Pokemon and said, “We’ll cut these up for dessert when we get back.”
Back at the farm, Lucy made simple sandwiches, mixed food for the Bulbasaur and Budew, and added the nutrient supplement to the Budew’s bowl: “You have to eat this every day, it’s good for your injury.”
The Budew ate obediently with its head down, but stopped halfway, its leaves drooping, and it became dejected.
Lucy put down her sandwich and held her hand over it, transmitting a little warm comfort: “You miss your previous owners, don’t you?
I miss my parents too.
It’s okay, you can cry for a while if you want.”
The Budew’s bud gently touched her palm and whispered: “Budew…
mi…” (Thank you…)
After the meal, Lucy sat on the doorstep.
The Bulbasaur immediately leaned against her left side, while the Budew hesitated for a long time before slowly moving to her right side, getting a little closer to her.
“Actually, I’m not from this world.” Lucy said softly, “I used to study plants, and after touching a special fern, I came here.
Maybe it was a legendary fairy herb?
It not only brought me here but also gave me the ability to feel you and the land.” She stroked the Bulbasaur’s back, “For example, right now, I know you’re very full, and your right hind leg is a bit itchy.
Did you scrape it while moving things?”
The Bulbasaur gave a surprised “Bulba!” and immediately lifted its right hind leg to scratch it with its Vine Whip.
She looked at the Budew again: “You’re still a bit sad, but much better than this afternoon, and you really like the sweetness of the Pomelo-Pear Berry, right?”
The Budew’s bud swayed and nodded gently: “Budew…
mi…” (Yes…)
“This ability isn’t very stable yet, but I will use it well, manage the farm well, and take good care of you all.” Lucy’s tone was gentle yet firm, “Tomorrow we will plan the farm and make a training plan.
Are you ready?”
“Bulba!” (Ready!) The Bulbasaur waved its Vine Whip excitedly, its eyes sparkling.
The Budew also swayed its leaves, its voice a bit louder than before: “Budew…
mi!” (I will do my best!)
Lucy smiled and rubbed the heads of the two Pokemon: “Then let’s rest early and start working early tomorrow.”
At the crack of dawn, Lucy picked up a hoe and shouted: “Wake up, wake up, it’s time to start working!” The Bulbasaur jumped up immediately, and the Budew slowly opened its leaves and followed her to the farm.
A new life began, bustling and lively, just like that.