Logically speaking, even the most ordinary Grass-type Pokémon, as long as they were willing to transfer their own energy and some of the nutrients they had stored for growth into crops, could make those crops sprout, grow, and bear fruit at a speed that completely defied everything Michael had known before transmigrating.
If crops were grown using the most conventional methods, simply watering and fertilizing them on schedule every day, their growth cycle would still be somewhat faster than what Michael remembered from his previous life, but they would still require a certain amount of time to mature.
As one of Michael’s six main Pokémon, Serperior was countless times stronger than the ordinary Pokémon working on the ranch.
While it wasn’t powerful enough to reshape the surrounding environment like a Legendary Pokémon, making potato seeds grow quickly should have been effortless.
Michael couldn’t understand it.
He was utterly dumbfounded.
The hoe slipped from his hand.
Not caring that the ground was still damp with mud, Michael plopped down onto the field.
Once you were already working in the fields, who cared about appearances?
As long as you looked presentable when you went out, that was enough.
After only half a day’s farm work, Michael’s hands were already trembling.
His fingers shakily searched through his pocket, only to find nothing.
Only then did he remember that, so Dragonite could stay in contact with Iono, who was waiting in Levincia, he had hung his Rotom Phone around Dragonite’s neck.
There went his two best shortcuts, searching online for the answer or leaving a comment under a farming content creator’s video and waiting for them to explain it.
“Hmm…
this is a real problem.” Sitting cross-legged, Michael carefully replayed everything he’d done while farming.
His movements had been a little clumsy, sure, but he hadn’t made any obvious mistakes.
After thinking for a long while without finding an answer, he could only turn to Serperior and Swampert.
“Can either of you tell what’s wrong?” Serperior and Swampert looked at each other.
The fact that Michael had gotten so desperate that he was asking them for the answer meant he really had run out of ideas.
The problem was, throughout the past year, both Serperior and Swampert had been accompanying Michael as he conquered the Paldea region.
What did they know about growing crops?
Their brains contained nothing but battle techniques.
Well…
battle techniques, and even more battle techniques.
Asking them this question would be harder than having them challenge the Paldea Elite Four again.
At least with experience from the first time, fighting the Elite Four would actually be easier.
Unlike now, where all three of them wore the exact same blank expression.
Just as they were completely stumped, a hesitant voice sounded from nearby.
“Big Bro…
Swampert…
Serperior…
what are you all doing?” Michael’s troubled expression froze as he looked toward the newcomer.
Soft ash-brown hair framed the boy’s face.
He wore a small suit that looked expensive at a glance, and beside him was a Mabosstiff wagging its tail furiously at Michael.
Michael blinked before blurting out in surprise, “Arven?
Mabosstiff!?
What are you two doing here?” Arven patted Mabosstiff on the head.
The loyal Pokémon had faithfully stayed by his side the entire journey here and had even fought off quite a few wild Pokémon along the way.
“You can go play.” Mabosstiff let out a joyful howl.
Without even bothering to lick the dust from its fur, it charged into the open fields and began running around happily.
Watching Mabosstiff romp through the farmland with a gentle smile, Arven turned toward Michael.
“I felt like coming to see you, Big Bro.
What?
Am I not welcome?” “…” ‘Kid…
where did you learn that kind of manipulation?’ “…Of course you’re welcome.” The corner of Michael’s mouth twitched as he forced out a smile.
He instinctively reached out with his grubby hands to ruffle Arven’s hair, but halfway through he remembered they were still covered in mud.
Under Arven’s puzzled gaze, he awkwardly withdrew them, turned to look into the distance, and changed the subject.
“By the way, do Professor Sada and Professor Turo know you came out here?” Hearing that, the slight smile on Arven’s face stiffened.
Lowering his eyes, he answered quietly, “They know.” Still wrapped up in his own awkwardness, Michael failed to notice anything unusual about Arven’s mood.
He thought back to yesterday, when he’d sent Arven home early and even suggested that he cook dinner together with Sada.
Surely the relationship between mother and son had become much closer by now.
Turning back, Michael asked curiously, “So what did you and Professor Sada make for dinner last night?
Was it good?” The instant Michael turned around, Arven had already hidden his emotions.
Forcing a slightly stiff smile onto his face, he answered softly, “We made sandwiches.
They were really good…” Except…
He had made the sandwiches alone.
Then he and Mabosstiff had shared them together.
Michael nodded.
Looks like his subtle nudging toward Sada and the others had actually produced some results.
If he kept at it, maybe he really could change the two professors’ way of thinking and prevent the tragic future that might otherwise come to pass.
The whole family sitting cooking together making paella might sound cliché…
But he liked that kind of ending.
Michael crouched in front of Swampert, who was carefully cradling the incubator, and held out his hands.
Swampert immediately understood and sprayed a stream of water from its mouth.
It looked a little bizarre, but the water was composed entirely of pure Water-type energy, making it exceptionally clean.
While washing his hands, Michael explained, “Oh right, I never answered your question earlier.
We were trying to grow potatoes…
but it looks like we failed.” After shaking the water from his hands, he pointed toward the small experimental plot he had marked out.
He’d already cried over it when it happened.
Arven had long since learned to keep his emotions in check.
He quickly composed himself, blinked, and looked toward the plot Michael indicated.
“Failed?
How could it fail?” Even he knew potatoes were one of the easiest crops to grow.
Growing those could fail?
Michael jerked his chin toward Serperior and Swampert and sighed.
“I planted them using the normal process, then had Swampert water them.
Serperior transferred nutrients and Grass-type energy into the seeds.” “But forget potatoes..
they didn’t even sprout.” “…” Arven fell silent.
He stared at Michael with an expression that was equal parts strange and complicated, making the hairs on Michael’s back stand on end.
Unable to withstand the silent gaze any longer, Michael raised both hands in surrender.
“Quit looking at me like that.
If you’ve got something to say, just say it!” Arven shook his head with a sigh before finally revealing the truth.
“Normally, this is common knowledge that even a ten-year-old like me knows.
And yet, Big Bro somehow managed to walk straight into it.” The corner of Michael’s eye twitched.
‘Well, sorry.
The version of me in this world never went to school and is literally illiterate.’ Arven didn’t mind the mud caked onto the hoe at all.
Still wearing his obviously expensive little suit and leather shoes, he stepped into the field.
Picking up the hoe, he dug for a short while before looking into the hole.
A look of understanding flashed across his face.
The seeds had split apart.
‘Just as I thought…’