On the fifth day, the nanab berry seedlings had grown another finger’s width taller.
Lucy crouched by the field, recording the Growth data.
Sprouting in three days and developing true leaves in five, the speed far exceeded the records in Circe’s grandfather’s notes.
She hovered her palm over the seedlings and could clearly feel the active, warm energy inside the plants: the leaves were thick and glossy, the stems were sturdy, and the root systems extended evenly into the soil; every single plant radiated astonishing health.
“Bulba?” (They are very happy, aren’t they?) Bulbasaur leaned in, eyes fixed on the seedlings, its tail swaying gently.
“Yes, they really like the soil here.” Lucy responded softly, her fingertips gently touching a leaf.
She could feel the entire farm “waking up”; the cabbage and radish seeds, and even the wild grass by the roadside, were all transmitting vibrant vitality.
Her ability seemed to be subtly influencing this land.
“Budew…” (The cabbage over there…) Budew pointed with its leaf toward another plot, its bud trembling slightly.
“Budew…” (It looks like it’s about to sprout…)
Lucy walked over to check, and sure enough, tiny light green sprout tips were emerging from the moist soil surface.
Cabbage usually takes five to seven days to sprout, and it was only the fourth day.
“It seems it’s not just the nanab berry; all the crops are accelerating their Growth.” She mused, realizing she needed to reschedule the watering, fertilizing, and thinning.
“There’s a lot to do today,” Lucy turned to the two Pokemon, her tone gentle and organized.
“We need to thin the cabbage and radishes, build a shade structure for the nanab berry, and go to town to buy fertilizer.”
“Bulba!” (I’ll help with everything!) Bulbasaur immediately straightened up, waving its Vine Whip in the air, full of energy.
“Budew!” (I’ll work hard too!) Budew nodded, leaves tightly clenched, looking very serious.
They started with thinning in the morning.
The cabbage and radish seeds had been sown densely, so the weak seedlings needed to be pulled to leave room for the stronger ones to grow.
Lucy crouched down to demonstrate: she gently pinched a weak seedling and pulled it out with a light tug, the root breaking cleanly without damaging the neighboring seedlings.
“Budew?” (Like this?) Budew mimicked her movements, carefully pinching a small seedling.
Its movements were even gentler than Lucy’s, and it quickly mastered the technique.
Bulbasaur was responsible for moving the pulled seedlings to the compost area.
It curled its Vine Whip around a pile of young seedlings and delivered them steadily; its movements were already quite proficient.
Looking at one particularly scrawny radish seedling, it felt a bit reluctant: “Bulba…” (This one is so pitiful…)
“These seedlings can be fed to the Mareep in town; they won’t go to waste.” Lucy patted its head, her tone gentle.
Halfway through the work, Circe ran over, wearing a simple T-shirt and shorts.
Following behind her were Grovyle, Breloom, and a bouncing Cherubi, which looked exceptionally lively.
“Good morning!” Circe waved.
“I brought Cherubi to play!
It heard there were super healthy plants here and insisted on coming to see!”
“Cheru~” (Hello there~) Cherubi’s voice was crisp.
It hopped over to the nanab berry seedlings, the leaves on its head swaying gently.
“Cheru!” (The soil here is so warm!)
“Grovyle.” (This is Cherubi, it’s responsible for taking care of the plants at the Gym.) Grovyle explained coolly, arms crossed.
“Breloom.” (It is particularly sensitive to the state of the soil.) Breloom added, crouching down to touch the soil with its fist.
Cherubi circled the nanab berry field, its little paws touching the dirt.
“Cheru?” (Did you use special fertilizer?)
Lucy shook her head.
“Just regular compost and basic fertilizer.”
“Cheru…” (That’s truly impressive!) Cherubi tilted its head.
“Cheru…” (The soil here is so gentle, as if it’s being carefully looked after~)
“Oh, right!” Circe suddenly remembered why she came.
“Mr.
Jonathan from the town’s Pokemon Day Care heard that your nanab Berries sprouted in three days and was shocked!
He is a famous Berries cultivation expert in Hoenn and a friend of my grandfather’s.
He wants to come and take a look, is that okay?”
“Of course, he’s welcome.” Lucy nodded; this was a good opportunity for selling Berries later on.
“Great!
I’ll bring him tomorrow!” Circe clapped happily, then looked at the thinning Budew.
“Oh my, Budew is so serious!
It’s doing a great job!”
“Budew…” (I, I’m just doing okay…) Budew shyly retracted its bud, but its hands didn’t stop, continuing to carefully pull the weak seedlings.
“Cheru?” (Do you really like plants?) Cherubi hopped over to Budew, looking at it curiously.
“Budew…” (Yes…) Budew replied softly.
“Budew…” (Watching them grow up makes me very happy…)
“Cheru!” (Me too!) Cherubi spun around happily.
“Cheru!” (Let’s help together!)
After Cherubi joined, their progress sped up significantly.
It was agile, and the leaves on its head could gently push aside the soil to accurately find weak seedlings.
Grovyle used Leaf Blade to trim the weeds along the field, while Breloom checked the soil moisture, using gusts from its punches to adjust areas with uneven dryness.
Bulbasaur watched everyone, feeling a bit envious.
“Bulba…” (Everyone is so amazing…)
“Grovyle.” (You’re not bad either.) Grovyle spoke up suddenly.
“Learning the basics of Razor Leaf in three days is already quite impressive.”
“Bulba?” (Really?) Bulbasaur’s eyes lit up, and its tail perked up.
“Grovyle.” (It took me five days when I learned it.) Grovyle turned its face away, showing a rare gentle expression.
“Bulba!” (Then I have to work even harder!) Bulbasaur was full of energy, and its speed in moving seedlings increased significantly.
During lunch break, Circe brought out lunch: sandwiches, Berry Juice, and nutritional blocks prepared for the Pokemon.
Everyone sat in front of the house, chatting while they ate.
“Lucy, did you study agriculture before?” Circe asked curiously.
“You’re so organized, and you really understand the land and plants.”
Lucy considered her answer.
“My great-aunt taught me a bit before she passed, and I might just be naturally close to plants.”
“A natural talent!” Circe realized.
“My grandfather often says that some people are chosen by nature, just like my grandmother; the Berries she grew were the best in all of Hoenn.” She took a sip of juice, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“It’s a pity I have no talent for planting; I can only keep a few potted flowers alive, so I really admire you!”
“Budew…” (Lucy is amazing…) Budew chimed in softly, nodding secretly.
“Bulba!” (My Master is the best!) Bulbasaur puffed out its chest, looking proud.
Lucy felt a bit embarrassed by the praise.
“I’m just doing what needs to be done.”
In the afternoon, everyone worked together to build a simple shade structure for the nanab berry.
During the seedling stage, the leaves were delicate and needed appropriate shade.
Grovyle used Leaf Blade to cut the lumber, Breloom helped fix the frame, Circe and Cherubi passed the tools, and Bulbasaur used its Vine Whip to support the wood and deliver it steadily to the designated position.
Budew helped tidy up the shade netting, its leaves gently pulling the edges of the net with meticulous movements.
“Bulba!” (Is it stable now?) Bulbasaur looked at the completed shed, feeling a bit uncertain.
Lucy gently pushed the frame.
“It’s very stable, everyone did a great job.”
At dusk, Circe had to leave with her Pokemon.
Cherubi was reluctant to leave, bouncing around the farm several times.
Its little paws tugged at Lucy’s pant leg.
“Cheru…” (This place is so nice…) “Cheru…” (Can I come again tomorrow?)
“Of course you can.” Lucy nodded with a smile, touching the leaf on top of its head.
After seeing the guests off, Lucy took her two Pokemon to feed the Lotad by the pond.
As soon as the Lotad saw her, they happily surfaced, gathering around with “Lotad” calls.
“Budew!” (Here is today’s snack!) Budew held the Pokemon food with its leaves and carefully sprinkled it on the water surface.
“Bulba!” (Eat slowly, don’t fight over it!) Bulbasaur used its Vine Whip to help spread the food evenly, and even gently patted the most aggressive Lotad.
After feeding them, the three of them went home.
After dinner, Bulbasaur started practicing its moves again.
Its Razor Leaf could already fly ten meters, and the edges of its leaves were much sharper.
It could succeed with Leech Seed three or four times out of ten; the progress was very clear.
Budew practiced Stun Spore on the side; this was its species move, which it had been too nervous to use before.
It closed its eyes, and its bud opened slightly.
Pale yellow powder drifted out, but unfortunately, the amount was very small, and it dissipated after drifting half a meter.
“Budew…” (Failed again…) Budew drooped its leaves, feeling a bit dejected.
“You’re already doing great.” Lucy crouched down, her palm gently brushing over its bud.
“Being able to release it on your first try is good; just practice controlling it slowly.”
A warm energy was transmitted, and Budew felt warm in its heart.
It immediately straightened its body.
“Budew!” (I’ll try again!) It closed its eyes again, concentrating.
This time, the powder that drifted out was more than before, and it drifted further away too.
“Bulba!” (Amazing!) Bulbasaur stopped its practice and applauded for it, its Vine Whip waving in the air to cheer it on.
Lucy nodded with a smile.
“Keep it up, you both made great progress today.”