Peaceful Farming

After completing the meteorite analysis, most of Yuga's energy was dedicated to research in that area, but progress was slow. Yuga was not an expert in this field, so he divided his time between studying literature and pondering the problem.

During his leisure moments, Yuga would come to the Ecopark to farm with Grass-type Pokémon, hoping to broaden his horizons.

The seeds of the medicinal herbs Yuga had planted before leaving Illuma Island were now sprouting one after another. The entire medicinal field was vibrant and filled with a sense of accomplishment.

The first to sprout were the water hyacinths planted in the heart of the island's lake. Water hyacinths were plants with broad, thick leaves. In this environment, they thrived. Yuga noticed that when they sprouted, they covered half of Lake Heart's surface with their leaves.

Although water hyacinths primarily used their rhizomes, their leaves grew remarkably fast. According to the "Comprehensive Guide to Medicinal Herb Cultivation," when their leaves became too dense, some had to be manually removed to prevent excessive nutrient absorption, which could hinder rhizome growth.

Originally, Yuga thought about having Milotic and Gyarados, who lived in the lake, help clear the leaves. To his surprise, they opened their mouths and devoured all the excess leaves.

Initially, Yuga worried that consuming water hyacinth leaves might have adverse effects on them, but after observing for a while, he found that nothing happened. This relieved his concerns.

To be sure, Yuga even took Milotic and Gyarados to the Pokémon Center to consult with Joy. Once Joy assured him that neither Milotic nor Gyarados showed any abnormalities, he entrusted them with the task of regularly clearing water hyacinth leaves.

With the care of Grass-type Pokémon, the other medicinal herbs were also growing well.

Today, when Yuga visited the medicinal field, he saw Grass-type Pokémon helping with weeding. Two Lotad followed behind, carefully watering the herb seedlings.

Because the medicinal field was located on a grassland, the grass grew exceptionally fast. Coupled with the assistance of the Grass-type Pokémon, if left unchecked, the medicinal field could easily turn into a grassy meadow.

Therefore, regular weeding was essential for the medicinal field.

Speaking of weeding, Yuga once made a comical mistake.

When he returned from Illuma Island and had some free time, he decided to check the medicinal field. To his surprise, he found many areas covered in tender yellowish grass. He decided to pull out these weeds since he couldn't use herbicides, right?

At that time, the Grass-type Pokémon were still in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark and hadn't come over yet. Yuga squatted in the medicinal field and spent a long time pulling out the grass. It was backbreaking work!

After all, he hadn't done any farming before!

When he felt utterly exhausted, Yuga stood up among the herb seedlings and massaged his sore back and waist.

At that moment, a group of Grass-type Pokémon, led by Roselia, entered the Grassland Sub-Ecopark.

Despite being the youngest among this group of Grass-type Pokémon, Roselia had an air of authority.

Approaching the edge of the medicinal field, the Grass-type Pokémon saw the weeds Yuga had pulled and stared at him as if he were a fool, leaving Yuga bewildered.

Seeing Yuga's confusion, Roselia sighed, approached him, and used Absorb on a clump of grass at Yuga's feet. In the blink of an eye, the lush green grass withered.

After dealing with that clump of grass, Roselia continued to remove other weeds. The remaining Grass-type Pokémon used Absorb, Mega Drain, and Giga Drain. In no time, all the weeds in the medicinal field were gone.

After weeding, the Grass-type Pokémon looked at Yuga with a "Wherever you find it comfortable, stay there" expression.

Yuga stood in the medicinal field, feeling like he'd been hit with a critical hit of 100,000 points. He wanted to explode right there but ultimately retreated from the field.

Thinking back on this incident now, Yuga felt extremely embarrassed.

Observing the Lotad's struggling efforts to water the plants, Yuga picked up a small iron bucket and joined the Grass-type Pokémon to help water the field.

The Marshtomp also saw what was happening and followed Yuga, each holding a water bucket, trailing behind him.

In truth, it wasn't just Yuga who had made a foolish mistake. The Marshtomp had their moments too.

Seeing how challenging it was to water the medicinal herbs, they wanted to lend a hand and, without warning, started using Water Gun attacks on the field. If other Pokémon hadn't stopped them promptly, who knows how many herb seedlings would have been washed away by now.

Yuga thought to himself, "If only you knew Rain Dance, then you could help." However, the only Pokémon in the entire Ecopark that could perform this advanced move was Dragonair. But Dragonair mostly stayed in the bottom of Heart Lake and hardly ever ventured out. Asking it to help with watering was out of the question.

Watering the herbs was no easy task. Carrying a bucket back and forth between the medicinal field and the grassland lake, Yuga would have fallen apart long ago if his body hadn't been strengthened by the Light of Life.

The Marshtomp, on the other hand, appeared to find it quite easy-going.

Lately, Yuga had been considering installing a water pump by the grassland lake, connecting it with pipes to make watering more convenient.

Setting up a water pump wasn't too difficult; Yuga could handle it on his own.

After clearing all the weeds and finishing watering with the Marshtomp, the Grass-type Pokémon in the grassland field surrounded a section of the medicinal field. Following Roselia's command, they began using the Grassy Terrain move.

As the entire field filled with green light, the young herb seedlings started swaying their leaves, seemingly responding to the Grassy Terrain.

In no time, the nourishing process for the entire field was complete. Yuga couldn't help but wonder if it was just his imagination, but the field seemed to shine even more brilliantly after the Grassy Terrain move.

In the Grassland Sub-Ecopark, five medicinal fields had been established for cultivating Mental Herbs, Power Herbs, White Herbs, Green Ginseng, and Energy Herbs, respectively.

The Grass-type Pokémon took turns using the Grassy Terrain move to nurture them one by one.

Due to the special requirements for cultivating Balm Mushroom, Big Mushroom, and Tiny Mushroom, Yuga had yet to begin planting them.

Revival Herbs had complex planting conditions, and Yuga wasn't prepared for them yet.

These peaceful farming days continued for a long time. After researching the meteorite each day, Yuga would spend time tending to the herbs with the Grass-type Pokémon.

Gradually, Yuga felt himself adopting a more laid-back attitude, but he didn't mind this kind of life. If he could choose, he'd prefer a simple and peaceful life.

Business at the store continued to thrive. Suzuki Koen and her team managed it efficiently, leaving Yuga with little to worry about. His daily routine included research, farming, and preparing meals.