A new week began, and the farm remained as orderly as ever.
Ivysaur had long since grown accustomed to its evolved body, and its morning patrol had become a fixed task.
It used its long Vine Whip to push aside the fence, keenly detecting movement in the soil.
With a flick of its whip, it scooped up a Sandshrew pup that was attempting to dig a hole, gently placed it outside the farm, and gave its Vine Whip a shake to signal the little one not to come back.
After finishing its patrol along the perimeter, it leisurely walked over to Turtwig’s little nest.
Turtwig was clutching the edge of the nest, its small eyes bright and sparkling.
Ivysaur extended its Vine Whip and, as if hoisting a small basket, hooked the little one up and placed it steadily beside the cluster of plants on its own back—the leaves were thick there, making for a perfectly comfortable little seat.
Turtwig immediately grabbed onto the leaves, its little head darting here and there, chattering “Turtwig, Turtwig” as if it were critiquing every crop.
The small sapling on its back had grown a bit more; its leaves were unfurled, and in the morning sun, it looked even more spirited.
Budew was practicing by the test field.
It concentrated energy on its leaves and gently touched the tender buds of the saplings.
Lucy, who was squatting nearby recording data, discovered that this helped the plants circulate energy better, and the berries in the test field were growing increasingly well.
Lombre managed the team in an orderly fashion; not only had it created an irrigation rotation schedule, but it also taught the Lotad how to control the water flow.
The little ones used a fine mist to keep the seedlings moisturized and used a slightly stronger stream of water to wash insects off the leaves, working more and more efficiently.
Lucy had just finished writing down the data when the communicator inside the house rang—it was the exclusive notification tone for Jonathan’s nursery.
“Lucy, is this a convenient time to talk?” came Jonathan’s steady voice.
“It is, Mr.
Jonathan.”
“There is new progress on the ‘Healing Berry’ project.
We discovered a rare moss at the edge of the wetlands on Route 117.
It secretes a trace substance that might help the berries accumulate more healing energy.”
Lucy’s heart skipped a beat; this was exactly what Circe had mentioned.
“Then can we use it?”
“There are a few problems,” Jonathan’s voice carried a tone of rigor.
“The moss is sensitive to its environment, has a low survival rate when transplanted, its secretions are difficult to extract, and its mechanism of action is unclear.
I remember you are very sensitive to the state of plants, so I would like to invite you to the research station to take a look and observe it in your own way; perhaps you might find some new inspiration.”
This was a recognition of her abilities, and Lucy immediately agreed.
“I would be happy to.
When should I go?”
“The morning after tomorrow.
I will wait for you at the research station.
I’ve sent you the address.
Remember to bring your Pokémon; it’s safer to have partners in the wild.”
“Okay, I’ll prepare.”
The communication ended, and the route map was soon sent over.
It was on the east side of Route 117, a two-hour drive from Verdanturf Town, requiring travel through a forest path.
Lucy began to arrange her itinerary; someone needed to look after the farm.
She contacted Circe, who immediately agreed. This story is hosted at g.com.
“No problem!
I’ll bring Grovyle and Breloom to the farm for special training, and I’ll help you look after the little ones while I’m at it!
I promise to keep Turtwig well-fed!”
With Circe’s help, Lucy felt much more at ease.
She packed her gear: a notebook, portable testing tools, pokéblocks, emergency medicine, water, and food.
She also prepared two days’ worth of rations for the farm’s Pokémon, labeling them clearly and categorized.
The day before leaving, Lucy spoke with each of her Pokémon.
“Ivysaur, while I’m away, I’ll leave the farm’s security and patrols to you.
Circe will be coming to help, so please keep an eye on Turtwig.”
“Dana!” Ivysaur patted its chest with a Vine Whip, its gaze steady and reliable.
“Lombre, the irrigation and the pond are in your hands.
Remember to check the state of the crops and adjust the water levels accordingly.”
“Holo!” The leaf atop Lombre’s head stood straight up, full of motivation.
Turtwig sensed they were about to part ways and rubbed its head against Lucy’s palm.
“Turtwig?” (Where are you going?)
“I’m going to learn how to grow better berries and make even better pokéblocks.” Lucy stroked its little head.
“Circe will play with you, and I’ll be back soon with good things for you.”
“Turtwig…” Turtwig nodded and curled up beside Ivysaur.
Budew was both nervous and expectant.
“Budew?” (Are we going very far?)
“Not too far, but the environment is a bit special.” Lucy said gently.
“You just need to help me sense the plants like you usually do.
We’ll go see the interesting moss together.”
“Budew!” Budew straightened its body, cheering itself on.
On the day of departure, Circe arrived on time with a luggage bag strapped to the back seat, followed by Grovyle and Breloom.
“The farm is in my hands!
You go and do your research with peace of mind!” Circe shook the vine ball in her hand.
“Turtwig, look at the toy I brought for you!”
Turtwig was attracted by the little ball and temporarily forgot the sadness of parting.
Lucy handed the rations and instructions to Circe, put on her hiking backpack, and placed Budew in the front pet carrier, with its head and leaves poking out.
“We’re off!” Lucy hopped onto her bicycle and waved.
“Dana!” “Holo!” “Breloom!” “Turtwig!”
Amidst the farewells of her partners, Lucy rode off with Budew, heading onto the path leading to Route 117.
Two hours later, Lucy entered Route 117, where the forest had become dense.
She followed the route and turned onto a small forest trail; the road was rugged, so she had to get off and push her bike.
Budew poked its head out of the bag, its leaves shaking slightly.
Lucy slowed her pace, feeling the natural atmosphere around her.
Keeping the route in mind, she moved steadily forward.
Finally, a wetland appeared ahead, and the white building at the edge was the research station.
Jonathan, wearing field research gear, was standing there with a young assistant, waiting at the door.
“Was the trip smooth?” Jonathan asked as he came up to greet her.
“Very smooth.” Lucy nodded.
“Let’s go see the moss directly.
It’s under the dawn redwood forest at the edge of the wetland.” Jonathan signaled for his assistant to lead the way.
They walked along the wooden boardwalk into the wetlands, surrounded by the “Yo-bo” sounds of Poliwag.
At the end of the boardwalk, on a gentle slope under a grove of dawn redwoods, was a layer of emerald-green moss, resembling a soft, green velvet carpet.
“This is ‘star-velvet moss’.” Jonathan lowered his voice.
“It has a symbiotic relationship with the small mushrooms nearby.”
Lucy squatted down, holding her palm over the moss, and closed her eyes to feel.
She could perceive a delicate pulse of life; the moss was slowly absorbing moisture and minerals, quietly communicating with the surrounding plants.
It was a very special feeling, a plant form she had never encountered before.
“Budew…” Budew peeked out from the bag, its leaves turned toward the moss, looking very curious.
“Could we let Budew try?” Jonathan asked.
“As long as it doesn’t damage the moss.”
Lucy placed Budew on a dry rock nearby.
“Just like how you feel the plants in the test field, give it a try.”
Budew nodded, and a small leaf reached out, gently touching the surface of the moss.
“Budew!” Its body shivered slightly, and its leaves shook rapidly.
“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked softly.
“Budew…” (It’s warm, and wet…) Budew struggled to express itself, using its leaf to point toward the junction where the moss and the small mushrooms met.
Lucy followed the direction it pointed and concentrated her attention again.
Sure enough, the energy there was more concentrated, flowing slowly like a gentle stream of water.
“Mr.
Jonathan, perhaps we can take a sample here.” Lucy pointed to that location.
Jonathan and his assistant immediately took out a micro-sampler and carefully collected a small sample.
“Well done.” Jonathan looked at Budew with admiration.
“Your Pokémon is very keen; it helped us find the key location.”
Lucy picked up the somewhat tired Budew and fed it a small piece of pokéblock.
“You worked hard.”
“Let’s head back to the station to rest.
The sample analysis will take time, so we can discuss it tonight.” Jonathan led the way back.
Lucy looked back at the patch of star-velvet moss, her heart full of anticipation.
This discovery might just be the thing to take the healing berries to the next level.