Jonathan, the owner of the nursery, was a man in his fifties with greying hair and gold-rimmed glasses.
He spoke gently, but his eyes were sharp, as if he could see right through the soil composition.
He arrived the next morning, accompanied by Circe, with Cherubi following behind.
As soon as they entered the farm, Cherubi hopped toward the nanab berry seedlings.
“Grandpa Jonathan, this is Lucy!” Circe introduced lively.
“Lucy, this is Mr.
Jonathan.
He’s very interested in your nanab berries!”
“Hello.” Lucy put down her watering can and nodded politely.
Jonathan didn’t respond immediately, his gaze sweeping across the farm: the newly turned soil was a healthy dark brown, the ridges were neat, and the old fence had been sturdily repaired.
Bulbasaur was practicing Vine Whip by the cabbage patch, its movements far more fluid than a week ago; Budew was hiding in the shade, carefully practicing Stun Spore on a grass target.
Finally, his gaze settled on the nanab berry patch.
“Sprouting in three days, true leaves in five,” Jonathan began, his voice calm.
“When Circe told me, I thought she was exaggerating.”
He crouched down and took a magnifying glass, pH test strips, a soil sampler, and a metal probe from his leather toolbox.
“May I perform a test?”
“Please, go ahead.” Lucy stepped back half a pace.
For the next ten minutes, there was only the faint sound of Jonathan operating his instruments.
He took soil samples from various depths to test the pH level, temperature, and humidity.
Cherubi squatted nearby, the leaves on its head swaying gently with his movements.
“Cheru?” (Grandpa is so serious, isn’t he?)
“Don’t disturb Grandpa while he’s working,” Circe whispered, though she couldn’t help but lean in to watch herself.
Lucy stood quietly to the side, feeling the steady composure of the old man.
“The soil pH is 6.4, and the organic matter content is 23% higher than normal fertile land.
The drainage and water retention are excellent.” Jonathan said while recording, then looked up at Lucy.
“Did you improve the soil?”
“I added decomposed compost and fine sand to adjust the structure.”
“The ratio?”
Lucy recited the precise numbers, and Jonathan’s pen tip paused.
“This ratio is very professional.
Who taught you?”
“I read some books and also referred to Circe’s grandfather’s notes,” Lucy responded with a smile.
“You can’t adjust to such a precise ratio just by reading books.” Jonathan pushed up his glasses but didn’t press further.
“May I take a small piece of a leaf for tissue testing?
It won’t harm the plant.”
After receiving permission, he used tweezers to snip off a leaf tip the size of a grain of rice and placed it into a portable tester.
The screen lit up, and data streamed rapidly.
Circe stretched her neck to see, but Jonathan gently blocked her.
“Don’t rush.”
A few seconds later, the data froze.
Jonathan stared at the screen in silence for half a minute.
“The chlorophyll content is extraordinary, and cell activity is 1.5 times that of a normal seedling.
This isn’t just growing well; it’s abnormally good, unless you used a Growth stimulant.”
“I didn’t use any,” Lucy said calmly.
“You can test the soil composition.”
“I already have, and there are no abnormal components.” Jonathan stood up and brushed the dirt off his hands, his gaze landing on Lucy once again.
“The only variable is the grower herself.”
The atmosphere became a bit subtle, and Circe quickly interjected, “Grandpa Jonathan, I told you Lucy was amazing!
She has a natural talent for caring for plants!”
“Natural affinity…” Jonathan said thoughtfully, then suddenly asked, “Are your parents Prosecutor Lin Zhengming and his wife?”
Lucy was taken aback.
“You know them?”
“I do.” Jonathan’s expression softened.
“Fifteen years ago, my nursery was involved in a smuggling case, and your parents solved it.
They were very upright.
Prosecutor Lin said he hoped his daughter would stay away from danger and live a peaceful life.
They would be pleased that you chose the path of farming.”
Lucy nodded.
“I think this is very good.”
“It is indeed very good.” Jonathan looked around the farm.
“Being able to awaken abandoned land is a remarkable ability in itself.”
Lucy showed him the cabbage patch and the radish patch, introducing her homemade insect repellent and the operation of the composting area.
Jonathan asked very detailed questions, from the composting fermentation time to the heat control for brewing the insect repellent.
Lucy answered them one by one, trying her best to respond with “I learned it from books” or “I figured it out myself.”
“You’ve combined theory and practice very well,” Jonathan commented, then turned to Circe.
“You said she wants to participate in the Harvest Festival?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Circe said excitedly.
“She’s qualified, right?”
“More than qualified.” Jonathan took out a business card and handed it to Lucy.
“I would like to enter a long-term partnership with you.
As long as your crops maintain this quality, my nursery will purchase all of them, at a price 20% higher than the market rate.”
Circe gasped; this was the highest recognition a newcomer could receive.
Lucy took the business card, which read “Jonathan’s Premium Nursery, Hoenn League Certified Special-Grade Supplier.”
“Thank you for your trust,” Lucy said earnestly.
“But the farm has just started, and production is small, so I can’t supply you for now.”
“No rush, let’s sign a letter of intent first.” Jonathan waved his hand.
“We can start formal cooperation once your production increases.
Besides, if you showcase these nanab berries at the Harvest Festival, you’ll definitely receive quite a few pre-orders.”
Lucy nodded in agreement.
Before leaving, Jonathan offered a few suggestions regarding crop rotation and fertilization priorities, and also mentioned combining Pokemon moves with farm work: “Your Bulbasaur has already mastered several attack moves; it could learn Synthesis.
This move can restore stamina, and in advanced applications, it can even slightly promote plant Growth.”
“Promote plant Growth?” Lucy’s eyes lit up.
“It’s only a very weak effect, but it’s valuable for precision planting.
Daily training both improves the move and benefits the farm,” Jonathan emphasized.
After seeing Jonathan and Circe off, Lucy began to adjust her planting plan, leaving space for crop rotation as suggested, and planned the legume crops for the next season.
She also developed a Synthesis training plan for Bulbasaur.
“Dana?” (What does Synthesis feel like?) Bulbasaur tilted its head curiously, its Vine Whip swaying gently.
“Imagine yourself as a plant,” Lucy said, taking it to the sunniest spot.
“Spread the leaves on your back, feel the warmth of the sunlight, and convert it into energy.”
Bulbasaur did as told, closing its eyes and spreading its leaves like two small green sails.
At first, there was no change, but slowly, an extremely faint green halo appeared around the edges of the leaves—not the bright light of a move activation, but a softer, more natural light.
“Dana…” (It’s warm, it feels like something is flowing in…)
“Yes, that’s the energy converted from sunlight.” Lucy could feel the light around Bulbasaur being gently pulled, forming an imperceptible flow of energy.
Budew was also eager to try but was afraid of the sun, so Lucy let it stay in the diffused light under the eaves.
“All Grass-type Pokemon can theoretically perform Synthesis, just with different levels of efficiency.”
Budew learned to spread its bud and leaves; its leaves were thinner and more sensitive to light, and before long, a faint halo appeared on their surface.
“Bomi!” (I felt it too!)
The two Pokemon practiced all afternoon.
What surprised Lucy even more was that when Bulbasaur practiced by the nanab berry patch, the seedlings’ leaves stood straighter and their colors became more vibrant.
She could “hear” the seedlings conveying comfortable emotions—her ability combined with the Pokemon’s moves produced an effect greater than the sum of its parts.
In the evening, Lucy went to the pond to feed the Lotad, bringing the aquatic plant seeds recommended by Jonathan, which could both purify the water quality and serve as food for aquatic Pokemon.
“Habo!
Habo!” (Dinner time!) Several Lotad were already floating on the water waiting, and they happily crowded over when they saw her.
Lucy scattered the Pokemon food on the water and carefully sowed the aquatic plant seeds.
The Lotad played while they ate, and a few mischievously splashed water at each other with the leaves on their heads.
“Habo!” (This is tasty!) “Habo Habo!” (I like the aquatic plant seeds!)
“In a while, maybe I can introduce some Goldeen or Poliwag,” Lucy said to herself.
“Dana?” (Will there be new friends coming?) Bulbasaur’s eyes sparkled, full of anticipation.
“Wait until the farm is more stable,” Lucy patted its head.
“We have to build a good living environment first.”
At dinner, both Bulbasaur and Budew ate heartily.
Synthesis had consumed quite a bit of energy, so Lucy specially added nutritional supplements to their food.
After the meal, Bulbasaur continued to practice its moves: Razor Leaf could steadily launch three leaves, and its accuracy had improved; it could succeed with Leech Seed five or six times out of ten.
What surprised Lucy even more was that it had figured out how to use Vine Whip to curl up the Leech Seed and fling it out like a slingshot, increasing its range and force.
“Dana!” (It goes further this way!)
“You’re so smart,” Lucy praised sincerely.
Budew’s Stun Spore practice also made progress.
Although the amount of powder was still small and the dispersion distance limited, it was already able to control the timing and direction of the release.
“Bomi…” (I succeeded three times today…)
“That’s great, take your time, no rush.” Lucy crouched down and gently touched its bud, her tone gentle.
“Bomi!” (Yeah!) Budew nodded, its leaves held straight, looking ready to continue working hard.