Chapter 252: Jumpluff

Skiploom's evolution was an unexpected surprise. Rex hadn't anticipated that simply asking the Skiploom flock to collectively use Grassy Terrain would trigger one of them to evolve.

The Skiploom that evolved was the one Rex often carried with him, and it had been with him the longest. In that sense, its evolution wasn't too surprising after all.

Once the white light dispersed, a Jumpluff with three white cotton balls appeared before Rex's eyes. It curiously examined the changes to its body.

Jumpluff's body was blue, shaped like a round ball, with three large cotton tufts extending from it. Two of the tufts were on its arms, while a larger one was on top of its head. Below the cotton on its head were leaves, and Jumpluff had oval feet and a small tail. Its eyes were red.

Jumpluff is known to ride the warm southern winds, flying across oceans to foreign lands. No matter which winds blow, it can skillfully control its cotton puffs and travel to any place it desires.

When Jumpluff's cotton spores have all fallen off, it marks the end of its travels and its life. It completes a full journey around the world with the monsoon winds, and when cold air strikes, it lands on the ground, carefully dispersing its cotton spores to ensure its offspring spread across the globe.

However, one must be cautious of Jumpluff's cotton spores, as inhaling them may lead to intense itching and coughing.

Jumpluff's evolution allowed it to learn three new moves: Seed Bomb, Giga Drain, and Cotton Spore. These moves compensated for its previously lacking attack power.

Watching Jumpluff, now surrounded by the Skiploom flock, Rex waved at it.

Jumpluff happily flew to him in response, showing that its bond with its trainer was still strong.

Rex reached out and gently grabbed Jumpluff, giving it a light squeeze. He discovered that Jumpluff's body was soft and elastic.

Surprisingly, instead of being uncomfortable, Jumpluff burst into laughter, clearly amused by the playful gesture.

With Jumpluff's evolution, the Skiploom flock finally had a leader to look up to. Rex could also better manage the group through Jumpluff.

Moreover, Jumpluff's evolution during the collective use of Grassy Terrain gave Rex a new direction for evolving the Skiploom in the future.

The Skiploom flock had now relocated to the glass greenhouse. Rex hadn't forced them to move; it was entirely their decision. They all felt that life in the greenhouse was much better than in their previous living quarters.

Although the life energy inside the greenhouse was generated by the Skiploom through their Grassy Terrain move, long-term exposure to such an environment had significant benefits for them. They could also absorb sufficient solar energy without even leaving the greenhouse.

Overall, the entire Skiploom family was very satisfied with the environment inside the greenhouse. As for releasing Grassy Terrain regularly to maintain the concentration of life energy, Rex no longer needed to impose a schedule. The Skiploom naturally used the move to keep their living environment comfortable.

After giving instructions to Jumpluff and the Skiploom, Rex left the greenhouse, having completed the task of planting Revival Herb and Energy Root seedlings. This marked the resolution of one of his major concerns.

As long as everything proceeded smoothly, the expansion of the planting area would provide Rex with a considerable income each year from the sale of Revival Herb and Energy Root. With this income, he could further develop and expand Rex Farm, as well as sustain the expenses of raising Pokémon.

With the Skiploom flock's relocation, the Lileep that had been living in the backyard also moved to the greenhouse. It, too, was quite pleased with the environment there.

Lileep had originally preferred the backyard because of the high concentration of life energy, which was beneficial for its growth. However, after moving to the greenhouse, where the life energy was even more abundant, the normally immobile Lileep happily shifted around, its petal-like tendrils swaying rhythmically.

As for the three Revival Herb plants and ten Energy Root plants in the backyard, Rex instructed Jumpluff to arrange for the Skiploom to visit them regularly and use Grassy Terrain to support their growth.

These Revival Herb and Energy Root plants were nearing maturity. However, Rex couldn't determine the exact time they would be fully grown. It could be within a week, two weeks, or even just a few days. All he could do was check on them daily.

With the seeds provided by Grandpa Mike, Rex's anticipation for these particular Revival Herb and Energy Root plants wasn't as high as before.

After all, the number of these plants was still quite small. Even if he sold all of them, the income would only amount to tens of thousands of Alliance coins—far from matching the effort he had invested.

Still, Rex knew that if he hadn't successfully grown these plants, Grandpa Mike wouldn't have given him so many seeds in the first place.

"Hey, boss, why are you so dirty? Do we still need to do some weeding today?" Karen was idly scrolling through her phone when she noticed Rex's appearance and asked curiously.

It was already close to evening by the time Rex returned to the breeding house. There were no customers left purchasing Pokémon eggs, and his clothes were dirty from planting the seedlings.

"I've finished planting the Revival Herb and Energy Root seedlings in the greenhouse today. You can go check it out if you're interested. Oh, and one of the Skiploom evolved into Jumpluff today!"

After briefly summarizing the day's activities, Rex headed upstairs to take a much-needed shower.

Karen, feeling bored, checked the time and saw that it was already past closing time. She hung the "Closed" sign at the entrance and went to find Yuli and Yui, suggesting that they all go to the greenhouse to take a look.

After finishing his shower, Rex sat in a chair in his room and took out the Key Stone he had unexpectedly obtained in the Sinnoh region.

He had tossed the Key Stone necklace into his backpack after acquiring it, and upon returning home, it had been left in his drawer.

Now that he had some free time, Rex planned to take a closer look at the necklace.

The Key Stone was about the size of a glass bead, with some unique patterns inside. Rex could faintly sense a certain energy within the stone.

This energy felt completely different from life energy—it was more akin to emotional energy. However, no matter how hard Rex tried, he couldn't seem to draw out this energy.

He even attempted to infuse the Key Stone with life energy, but it had no effect on non-living objects.

Suddenly, Rex noticed a hidden clasp on the necklace holding the Key Stone. With a gentle touch, the Key Stone detached from the necklace, revealing that the necklace had been specifically designed to hold the stone.

Looking at the Key Stone in his hand, Rex made up his mind to search for a suitable Mega Stone for his Pokémon in the future.

Although a Pokémon's Mega Evolution is temporary, during that period, it can unleash a power far beyond its usual capabilities. With that strength, a powerful Pokémon could even challenge legendary Pokémon.

(End of Chapter)