It had been over a month since the farm renovation, and everything in the new enclosure was operating in an orderly fashion according to Lucy’s plan.
The Pokémon egg remained in the constant-temperature incubator, its vitality growing increasingly active, yet there were still no signs of it hatching.
Early in the morning, Lucy pushed open the window and stepped out of the house.
Bulbasaur was stretching on the small platform, swinging its Vine Whip to loosen its muscles; Budew was squatting under the windowsill, stretching its leaves toward the sun to practice Synthesis; the Lotads lined up by the pond, waiting expectantly to receive their tasks.
“Haba!
Haba!” (Good morning!)
“Good morning, everyone.” Lucy smiled and took out several special small buckets.
“I’m counting on you to water the Berry Forest today.
Make sure to water them evenly; don’t miss a single tree.”
“Haba!” The lead Lotad saluted with the leaf on its head, and the others followed suit.
The five-member watering squad had developed a good rapport; each used its leaf to hold a small bucket, walking toward the Berry Forest in a wobbly yet orderly fashion.
The nanab berry grove occupied the sunniest slope of the farm.
The twenty fruit trees had grown over a meter tall, their leaves oily green and shiny, with branches laden with crescent-shaped Berries, their skins gleaming with a pale golden wax.
In addition to nanab Berries, Lucy had also planted Oran Berries, Cheri Berries, and Pecha Berries, all of which were currently covered in ripe fruit, filling the air with a rich fragrance.
“Budew-mi…” (So fragrant…) Budew followed Lucy into the grove, unable to help sniffing, its bud trembling slightly.
“Dana!” (This is all thanks to us!) Bulbasaur looked proud.
Lucy checked a few fruits; they were plump and sweet.
She could feel the abundant and gentle life energy contained within them.
“Let’s harvest the first batch today.” Lucy took out pruning shears and a fruit basket lined with soft cloth.
“Budew, you help me pass the baskets and catch the fruit.
Bulbasaur, you’re in charge of security.
If any thieves come, drive them away directly—don’t hold back!”
“Dana!” (Leave it to me!) Bulbasaur nodded vigorously, its Vine Whip whistling as it swung at its side.
The sun gradually climbed higher, and the fruity aroma grew even richer.
Just as Lucy snipped off the first plump nanab berry, a noisy sound of “Hoot-hoot” and “Chirp-chirp” came from afar.
Looking up, a small flock of Spearow and Pidgey was swooping down, aiming straight for the Pecha Berry trees laden with fruit on the outskirts.
“Dana!” (Thieves, stop right there!) Bulbasaur shouted angrily.
Without waiting for Lucy’s command, the leaves on its back began to glow green.
“Don’t hold back.
Hurt them so they won’t dare to come again!” Lucy’s voice was calm and decisive.
If these birds weren’t deterred this time, they would surely come to harass them every day in the future.
“Dana!” Bulbasaur acted in response.
Several sharp leaves condensed into shape, shooting toward the flock with a piercing sound!
Unlike the previous warning-style repelling, this time the Razor Leaf carried real power.
The leaves accurately grazed the edge of the lead Spearow’s wing, cutting a small bloody scratch.
“Hoot—!” The Spearow shrieked in pain, its flight path instantly skewed.
After circling once, they tried to sneak an attack from the other side.
“Switch to Leech Seed!
Entangle them!” Lucy quickly adjusted her command.
Bulbasaur swung its Vine Whip, and several seeds with fine tendrils shot out, accurately sticking to the wings of two slower-reacting Pidgeys.
The seeds immediately extended tiny roots, draining their weak vitality.
“Pidgey!
Pidgey!” The Pidgeys flapped their wings desperately in pain, but they couldn’t shake off the seeds no matter what, and could only shriek as they collided in the air.
The lead Spearow was both shocked and angry.
It flapped its wings, leading the remaining flock to charge at Bulbasaur, wanting to suppress it with a numbers advantage.
“Razor Leaf, hit their landing spot!”
Bulbasaur was prepared.
This time, the leaves aimed at the open space below the flock.
The moment the leaves hit the ground, they exploded, kicking up a cloud of dust that just happened to disrupt their diving rhythm.
Taking advantage of this gap, more Razor Leaves swept toward their wings.
This time, the flock was completely terrified.
The Spearow leader let out a cry and, taking its injured companions with it, fled in a panic toward the forest, not daring to even look back.
The two Pidgeys entangled by Leech Seed also stumbled along behind, looking utterly wretched.
“Dana!” (You won’t dare to come again, will you!) Bulbasaur swung its Vine Whip triumphantly, looking up at the direction where the flock had disappeared.
“Well done!” Lucy walked over and patted its head.
“Fast and accurate, task perfectly completed.”
The Lotads also cheered “Haba, Haba,” waving their small buckets around as if celebrating the victory.
Budew was even more excited, waving its leaves and neatly arranging the nanab Berries it had just caught.
The harvesting work continued.
Lucy’s technique was professional and gentle; she was careful when cutting the fruit stems, ensuring no damage to the branches or adjacent fruit.
Budew used its two leaves to steadily catch every falling nanab berry and gently placed them into the fruit basket.
Its movements were fast and steady, and its bud glowed slightly due to its focus.
Bulbasaur stood guard nearby, occasionally using its Vine Whip to pass empty baskets or help Lucy reach fruit on higher branches, its eyes glancing toward the sky from time to time, afraid that more uninvited guests would come to cause trouble.
After the watering squad finished their task, they proactively came to help move the fruit baskets, transporting them to the shade one by one.
Although Budew’s leaves were a bit limp from exhaustion, looking at the mountain of nanab Berries, its eyes were filled with sparkling satisfaction.
In the afternoon, Jonathan arrived on time.
Seeing that pile of top-quality nanab Berries, even someone as composed as him couldn’t help but widen his eyes.
“This quality…” He picked up a nanab berry, turning it over and over, sniffing it, and finally carefully cut off a small piece of flesh.
“Color, aroma, texture—everything is top-notch!” He looked at Lucy with complex eyes.
“How on earth did you grow these?
Even if you followed the plan strictly, it shouldn’t have such good results…”
Lucy handed over a thick stack of notebooks: “These are all the Growth data, daily care records, soil composition changes, and the detailed situation of Bulbasaur and Budew helping to nourish them.”
Jonathan took the notebook and flipped through it quickly.
The data inside was shockingly detailed—light intensity, soil moisture changes, comparisons of the plants before and after energy nourishment—everything was there, just like a rigorous scientific report.
“You child…” Jonathan put down the notebook, his gaze toward Lucy filled with inquiry and realization.
He didn’t ask for more details and went straight to the point: “I will purchase this batch of nanab Berries at the premium price according to the contract, which is five times the price of ordinary nanab Berries.
The other Berries will also be calculated at the best grade.”
He paused.
“In addition, a portion of this batch will be used for research samples.
Besides the purchase price, you will receive a project contribution allowance.”
The calculated amount surprised even Lucy.
This was the first harvest, and the profit was already so substantial.
Before long, Qing He arrived on her bike, followed by a small truck.
“Lucy!
Grandpa said he wants all the ripe Berries!
The Gym Pokémon have been training a lot lately and really need good nutrition!”
Qing He jumped off the bike and saw the mountain of high-quality Berries, her eyes instantly lighting up.
“Wow!
This is amazing!
It’s better than any batch our family has ever bought!”
The purchase price given by the Gym was equally generous.
Qing He also brought a message from her grandfather: “From now on, the designated Berry supplier for the Verdanturf Gym will be Forest Dew Farm.”
With the two transactions completed, Lucy’s account had a large sum of money.
This was not just income, but also a tangible recognition of her ability and hard work.
In the evening, after seeing off Jonathan and Qing He, the farm finally quieted down.
Lucy carried a basket of the freshest nanab Berries and Pecha Berries, and with Bulbasaur and Budew, returned to the small platform in front of the wooden house.
She picked a few ripe fruits, carefully peeled them, and handed them to the two Pokémon.
“You worked hard today; this is your reward.”
“Dana!” Bulbasaur couldn’t wait to take a big bite.
The sweet juice instantly spread in its mouth, and it squinted its eyes in satisfaction.
Budew nibbled on a Pecha Berry in small bites, its bud swaying slightly from happiness.
It didn’t mind the juice getting on its leaves; it just smiled foolishly.
Lucy sat nearby and also picked up a nanab berry to taste.
It was sweet and fragrant, with a delicate texture.
She turned her head to look at the constant-temperature incubator placed to the side and walked over to touch it gently.
The vitality inside the egg seemed to sense her touch and shook slightly, as if in response.
“With such a big harvest today, are you looking forward to coming out to see it too?” Lucy said softly.
Bulbasaur and Budew also gathered around, lying on the incubator one on each side.
One used its Vine Whip to touch it gently, and the other used its leaves to rub against it slowly, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.
The sunset gradually fell, and the farm was quiet and warm.
The full fruit baskets, the satisfied Pokémon, and an egg about to awaken were all telling the story of the joy of this harvest.