Early in the morning, Budew woke up early, standing on the windowsill, its leaves trembling slightly, its nose close to the glass, focused on sensing the moisture in the air.
“Pomi…” (It seems like there is little energy jumping in the water droplets!) Sensing Lucy waking up, it immediately turned its head, its bud opening slightly, filled with curiosity.
Lucy sat up, took a deep breath of the moist air, and silently focused on sensing the subtle movements of the surrounding plants.
After a quick wash, Lucy and Budew ate breakfast prepared by the research station and followed the assistant back to the location of the star-velvet moss.
Jonathan was squatting on the ground, holding a high-magnification magnifying glass, carefully observing the structure of the moss.
Seeing them arrive, he straightened up, took a report out of his pocket, and handed it over: “The preliminary analysis of the samples is done.
Take a look.”
Lucy took the report, flipped through it quickly, her fingers sliding lightly over a few lines of data.
Combining this with the information she had silently perceived, she said calmly: “The hydrophilicity and cell membrane affinity of these compounds are very prominent; they should be able to help plants absorb nutrients better.”
“But the problem is tricky.” Jonathan pointed to the moss patch, “The yield of this substance is too low, and it easily loses activity once it leaves the wetland, making extraction extremely difficult.”
“I have an idea.” Lucy put down the report, her eyes brightening, “Budew is very sensitive to the Growth state of plants and can perceive subtle changes in different environments.
We can try to simulate the temperature, humidity, and light rhythm of this wetland, and pair it with similar companion plants.
Perhaps that could allow the Berry plants to develop similar characteristics.”
Jonathan’s eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands: “This approach is brilliant!
Instead of obsessing over the substance itself, turning to simulate its Growth conditions is worth a try.
The whole morning, Lucy was focused on recording data.
She used a pencil to draw sketches in her notebook, marking the species and distribution of plants accompanying the star-velvet moss, as well as the light intensity and soil humidity at different times.
From time to time, she would squat down, use tools to measure the water temperature, and observe the Growth connection between the moss and the fluorescent mushrooms.
Budew was busy and having a great time on the side, its leaves carefully reaching into the moss patch, gently touching the moss and fluorescent mushrooms.
Every now and then, it would lift its head, rub its bud against Lucy’s hand, and convey vague feedback.
When tired, it would lie on a nearby dry rock, take a bite of a pokéblock, rest for a few seconds, and immediately dive back into observation.
“Pomi…” (With this combination, the plants seem more energetic!) During the lunch break, Budew approached Lucy, its bud swaying gently, filled with the excitement of a sudden realization.
At the same time, Forest Dew Farm was as lively as a festival.
Circe arrived early in the morning with Grovyle and Breloom, having specifically worn overalls convenient for work, standing in the open space in front of the house, full of energy.
“Everyone assemble!” Circe clapped her hands, and a neat line immediately formed in front of her—Ivysaur stood steadily at the front, its Vine Whip gently curling around Turtwig, placing it at its feet; Lombre led four Lotad in the second row; Grovyle and Breloom stood on either side of Circe, like two “instructors.”
“Today our mission is—to perfectly replicate Sister Lucy’s daily routine!” Circe announced loudly.
“First is the morning patrol!
Ivysaur, lead the way, let’s go!”
Turtwig quickly grabbed its pant leg with its small claws, following without falling behind a single step.
Lombre let out a “Hello,” leading the team members behind and to the side, while Grovyle and Breloom stood left and right, their sharp gazes scanning the farm boundary.
Patrolling to the pond, Breloom suddenly twitched its nose, walked to a patch of moist soil, and gently scraped away a bit of dirt with its claws: “Magu.” (There are digging marks; it’s not Sandshrew.)
Lombre immediately jumped into the water, swam to the bank, and tested the water with the leaf on its head: “Hello?” (It’s Diglett; we saw it yesterday.)
“Diglett turning the soil helps with aeration, as long as it doesn’t damage the fence, it’s fine.” Circe rubbed her chin and said to Lombre, “Keep an eye on this place.
If the hole is too close to the bank, use a gentle stream of water to signal it to change direction when digging.”
“Hello!” Lombre nodded vigorously, the leaf on its head swaying, quietly noting the location.
Walking to the Berry orchard, Circe stopped: “Next is to check the Berry Growth situation!
Ivysaur, help me check how ripe the nanab berries are up high?”
“Dana!” Ivysaur extended its Vine Whip, gently lifting a bunch of nanab berries, carefully observing the color of the peel, and then lightly touched the firmness of the Berries with its Vine Whip.
Turtwig curiously stood on tiptoes, its little head trying to reach up, but it couldn’t see anything, calling out “Naitonaito” in anxiety.
Seeing this, Ivysaur carefully used its Vine Whip to roll up a fallen nanab berry leaf and handed it to the little one.
Turtwig immediately happily hugged the leaf with its claws, lowered its head to sniff it, and even tried to bite it gently with its little teeth: “Naito!” (Smells good!)