Michael’s eyes lit up.
This was exactly what he’d been waiting to hear.
Rather than burying himself in research as a complete amateur, or relying on the experiences of content creators from regions with entirely different climates and environments, the best approach was obviously to ask a local professional directly.
Michael got straight to the point.
“To be honest, I’m having trouble deciding what my farm’s first batch of crops should be, so I thought I’d visit Jones Farm to learn from you.” Peter blinked before a look of realization crossed his face.
That explained why Michael, who should have been a fellow farmer, had been curiously observing the fields along the way.
He was only half an amateur.
‘Probably some rich young master treating farming as a hobby,’ Peter thought.
‘I really don’t understand how wealthy people think.’ Still smiling warmly, Peter patted his chest confidently.
“You’ve come to the right person.
When the bosses first took an interest in that abandoned land, they sent me to survey it.
So I know that the soil there is practically identical to what we have here at Jones Farm.” “In other words, anything we can grow, you can grow too.” Peter led Michael, Arven, and Mabosstiff into an orchard filled with Oran Berry and Pecha Berry trees, the two most common and most in-demand Berry varieties.
Arven’s face lit up with curiosity.
After receiving Peter’s permission, he happily followed one of the orchard workers, taking Mabosstiff with him to experience the joy of harvesting Berries.
Michael gently ran a hand over the rough bark of an Oran Berry tree and a Pecha Berry tree before looking up.
A single lush Oran Berry tree held well over a hundred Oran Berries.
If he remembered correctly, a normal-quality Oran Berry sold for around 20 Poké Dollars each.
Even premium-quality Oran Berries, after inspection, rarely exceeded 100 Poké Dollars apiece.
What he didn’t know was the cost of an Oran Berry sapling or how long it took to grow and produce fruit.
Turning to Peter, Michael voiced his questions and patiently waited for an answer.
Peter thought for a moment.
Strictly speaking, he shouldn’t reveal too much information to a potential competitor.
The owners had instructed him to give only general guidance if someone from another farm came asking.
Still…
Michael seemed like the son of a wealthy family dabbling in farming for fun.
His farm was unlikely to threaten Jones Farm’s market share, so he wasn’t worth treating as serious competition.
Besides, the information he was asking about could easily be found online with a little effort.
It was better to build some goodwill.
Keeping a straight face, Peter smiled and answered, “Both Oran Berry and Pecha Berry saplings cost 1,000 Poké Dollars each.
Depending on the cultivated variety, their harvest cycle usually ranges from one and a half to two and a half months.” “However, you should keep in mind that most Berry trees need around two months just to mature before they begin producing fruit.
So if you plant saplings, you’ll need to wait at least three and a half months when you include their growth period.” “If you transplant mature trees instead, you won’t have to wait, you’ll be harvesting Berries as early as next month.” “Of course, that’s because Berries contain abundant energy.
Ordinary fruits and vegetables don’t have those restrictions.
Most of them mature in just one or two months.” After explaining everything in one go, Peter looked at Michael to gauge his reaction.
To his surprise, Michael somehow produced a small notebook from who-knows-where.
Every few sentences Peter spoke, Michael would carefully summarize the key points before diligently writing them down.
He didn’t seem worried about cash flow at all.
All he cared about was learning.
Seeing that, Peter quietly gave up on the idea of earning a brokerage fee by recommending a batch of already mature fruit trees.
…
The visit to Jones Farm went exceptionally smoothly.
Michael learned countless bits of practical knowledge that would have been difficult to discover without firsthand experience.
He felt even more confident about building his own farm.
On the way back with Arven and Mabosstiff, Michael had already outlined his initial planting plans.
First would be ordinary crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, and cabbages.
Until the Berry trees matured, these vegetables would serve as one of the farm’s primary sources of income.
Second would be Berry trees.
Since he still lacked experience, Michael decided to start with only Oran Berry and Pecha Berry trees.
They were in high demand and far less demanding about growing conditions than many of the rarer Berry species.
Later, Michael had also asked Peter how much a fully mature Berry tree would cost.
Peter’s answer, 3000 Poké Dollars per tree.
That price immediately scared him off.
At the moment, he only had 231,145 Poké Dollars in savings.
There was no way he could afford to burn through that kind of money.
Waiting a little longer wasn’t going to kill him.
Besides, he’d soon start receiving his salary from Naranja Academy.
There were still the grass seeds needed to cover the ranch area, not to mention the edible fish fry he needed to introduce into the lake.
As for Water-type Pokémon, rather than buying them, it’d actually be cheaper to catch them himself.
‘I’d better just plant saplings honestly.
Trying to do everything at once is asking for trouble.
It’s much safer to take things one step at a time.
If potatoes can grow in Siberia, then I’ll start with a small goal.
Successfully growing a single potato will already count as a victory.’ Before long, Michael, Arven, and Mabosstiff arrived back at the farm entrance.
Since Jones Farm was in the opposite direction from the Lighthouse Laboratory on the road to Area One, Arven planned to head back there alone with Mabosstiff.
Wearing a bright smile, he skipped backward while waving enthusiastically.
“Big Bro, I had so much fun today!
Thanks for showing me around!” Michael gently rubbed the boy’s soft light-brown hair.
“Want to stay for dinner before you leave?” “No thanks!
Mom’s making something delicious for me!” Remembering Sada’s promise that morning before he’d left with the Tera Orb, Arven’s face immediately filled with anticipation.
It had been a long time since he’d last eaten a meal cooked by his mother.
Michael didn’t insist.
Instead, he made a suggestion.
“How about I have Dragonite give you a ride?
It flies really fast.
You might even get back early enough to help Professor Sada cook.
Mother and son making dinner together sounds nice.” Michael thought that if Arven could influence Sada and the others through little moments like these, perhaps the tragic future awaiting them could be altered, even if only slightly.
Compared to seeing a single Mouse, he’d much rather see a whole Mouse Family.
Michael’s suggestion immediately appealed to Arven.
Without hesitation, he accepted.
Seated atop the Dragonite that Michael had called over, Arven held a standard Poké Ball in his hand, with Mabosstiff inside.
After hearing that Mabosstiff was still a wild Pokémon and hadn’t been caught yet, Michael had dug through his own spare supplies and gifted Arven an unused Poké Ball.
Once Arven confirmed he was ready, Dragonite flapped its tiny wings.
In an instant, it shot into the sky, gradually disappearing beyond the horizon.
Watching Dragonite’s silhouette fade into the distance, Michael stretched lazily and muttered to himself, “Now’s the perfect time to head to the market and buy some seeds.”