The firewood burning in the fireplace crackled loudly.
Although the weather was still cool, it wasn’t cold enough to require a fireplace for warmth.
Everything they were doing was for the Pokémon Egg that still held onto a faint spark of life.
The fireplace in the little cottage hadn’t been used in a very long time.
Its interior was blackened with soot, and a layer of wood ash of unknown age still remained inside.
To make use of it again, Michael first had Dragonite manipulate the airflow to sweep all the ash outside onto the farmland.
It was excellent fertilizer, after all.
Next, he had Swampert use the weakest possible Water Gun to wash the fireplace clean.
Ceruledge then used its blazing greatswords to quickly evaporate the remaining moisture.
Just like that, the old but still functional fireplace was ready to use again.
Using the firewood that Luxray, Mimikyu, and Serperior had gathered, Michael lit a fire in the hearth.
The temperature inside the house immediately rose.
Then, gathered around the Pokémon Egg, Michael and his six Pokémon held a meeting.
The topic was simple, #How could they help the Pokémon inside the Egg come safely into the world?# Michael explained everything the Egg had gone through from beginning to end.
Each Pokémon reacted differently.
The faint jealousy Serperior had secretly felt toward the Egg disappeared completely.
Now, it simply pitied the unborn Pokémon.
Mimikyu and Ceruledge silently backed away from the Egg.
They both understood that as Ghost-type Pokémon, especially Ghost-types as powerful as they were, their mere presence might unconsciously affect the Egg, hindering its hatching or even causing it to become a dead Egg.
Swampert didn’t have any particular thoughts about it.
But it was more than willing to do its part to help the Egg hatch.
As long as there was work to do, it would get started without a second word.
Dragonite’s honest, lovable face showed a trace of sympathy, along with an even deeper sense of empathy.
Not long ago, it too had been born from a Pokémon Egg.
It still remembered the feeling of being inside the shell.
It had felt safe…
Yet occasionally cramped, dark, and stifling.
When the time had come, it had successfully broken free.
But how long had the Pokémon inside this Egg been trapped?
How many years had it remained imprisoned in endless darkness?
“Rrraow.” Luxray’s deep voice broke the silence.
It told Michael that if there was anything they could do, he only needed to ask.
Michael pondered for a moment before speaking.
“I’ve been thinking about how to hatch this Egg ever since we came back.
This Egg hasn’t hatched for who knows how many years.” “The fact that the Pokémon inside is still alive is already a miracle.
So we have to do everything we can to help it hatch as soon as possible.” “First…” He looked toward Dragonite.
Dragonite instantly straightened up, its eyes widening with determination.
Michael smiled.
“Do you remember the nutrient solution you used when you were still an Egg?
Ordinary Pokémon Eggs don’t need nutrient solution.” “But this Egg is different.
It’s been trapped inside for far too long.
I suspect severe nutritional deficiency is one of the reasons it still can’t break out of its shell.” “Cortondo doesn’t sell high-quality nutrient solution.
I’d like you to fly to Levincia as soon as possible.” “It has the largest shopping mall in all of Paldea.
I’ll contact a friend of mine there.
She’ll take you to buy the nutrient solution.” “Bwoo!” Dragonite stood at attention and gave a crisp salute, expressing its unwavering resolve.
Michael then turned to the others and assigned each of them their own tasks.
Ceruledge, Mimikyu, and Luxray would head into the wilderness to search for wild Pokémon with the Flame Body Ability and invite them to the farm.
If possible, they should prioritize finding especially powerful ones.
Pokémon with this Ability naturally maintained their bodies at an ideal temperature, which could speed up the hatching of Pokémon Eggs.
Pokémon such as Talonflame, Magcargo, Rapidash, Volcarona…
Even legendary Pokémon like Moltres and Heatran…
All possessed the Flame Body Ability.
As for Serperior and Swampert, they would stay behind with Michael to guard the farm.
Protect the Pokémon Egg and continue farming.
With all the knowledge Michael possessed, these were the only methods he could think of.
Nurse Joy had probably already considered, and even attempted, most of them.
His only real advantage was strength.
Perhaps the Flame Body Pokémon Nurse Joy had found had only recently evolved.
In that case, he would simply have Luxray and the others search for even stronger ones.
The nutrient solution might be expensive, but his current savings were enough to cover it.
He had already arranged everything within his power.
Now, everything depended on the little one inside the Egg.
If none of these methods worked, then perhaps only a Legendary Pokémon would have the power to save it.
…
Early the next morning, Dragonite took off with the large crate Michael had prepared strapped to its back.
Following the route it remembered, it flew toward Levincia.
After reminding Serperior and Swampert to protect the farm, Luxray led Ceruledge, and Mimikyu, whom it had accidentally overlooked once again, into the wilderness to search for Pokémon with the Flame Body Ability.
As for Michael, he had been fully equipped since early morning.
Wearing a straw hat identical to Peter’s, he led Serperior and Swampert into the farming area under the rare clear skies.
In his hands was the Pokémon Egg, now safely resting inside an incubator with built-in temperature control.
The weeds that had been uprooted the previous day had already been gathered neatly into piles by Dragonite using Hurricane.
After learning some basic farming knowledge from Peter, Michael knew that as long as the soil was loose enough, the seeds could be planted at any time.
Taking out the six packets of seeds, he glanced at the pile of wood ash Dragonite had collected nearby.
After thinking it over, he decided to start with potatoes.
After all, if they could grow in Siberia, surely they could grow here.
Ordinary potato seeds had a notoriously low germination rate.
Most people propagated potatoes using their tubers instead.
But things were different in the Pokémon world.
Ordinary crops were much easier to cultivate here, and their yields were noticeably higher.
Besides, today he had Serperior and Swampert helping him.
The process for planting most crops was largely the same.
Dig holes.
Plant the seeds.
Apply fertilizer.
Water them.
The only differences lay in the details.
Simple as it sounded, Michael still spent the entire morning bent over with a hoe in his hands.
With Serperior’s and Swampert’s help, he barely managed to plant a single small packet of potato seeds.
He spread the aged wood ash they had collected as fertilizer before Swampert, looking rather reluctant, used the weakest possible Water Gun to water the soil.
After finishing everything, Michael with his back sore and his clothes soaked with sweat looked toward Serperior expectantly.
With a resigned sigh, Serperior extended a single emerald-green vine into one of the planting holes.
It gently transferred a small amount of its Grass-type energy and nutrients into the freshly planted potato seed.
After withdrawing its vine, Michael stared at the soil.
He waited.
And waited.
Nothing happened.
A strange expression appeared on his face.
‘That shouldn’t be right.’ Peter had told him that Jones Farm also had Grass-type Pokémon channel Grass-type energy and nutrients into their crops.
The vegetables and fruits they produced not only grew larger.
They also tasted exceptionally delicious.
So why was there absolutely no reaction when Serperior and Swampert were doing the exact same thing?