Future Plans

Luo Mu's eyes lit up. This was exactly what he had been waiting to hear.

Rather than blindly researching as a layman himself, or relying on the experiences of bloggers from other regions with entirely different climates and environments, consulting a local professional was clearly the best option.

Luo Mu said frankly, "To be honest, I'm not quite sure what to choose for the farm's first batch of crops. That's why I came to Jones Farm to take a look and learn from you."

Peter blinked, suddenly understanding. No wonder Luo Mu, who should have been a fellow farmer, had been gazing curiously at the fields along the way. So he was only half an amateur.

Maybe he was some rich young master playing at farming. Peter did not really understand how rich people thought.

Still smiling warmly, Peter patted his chest as though the matter was entirely in his hands. "You've come to the right person. When the boss first noticed that wasteland, they sent me to inspect it. So I know that the soil there is basically the same as the soil at Jones Farm. In short, whatever we can grow, you can grow too."

Peter led Luo Mu, Arven, and Mabosstiff to an orchard planted with Oran Berry and Pecha Berry trees, which produced the most common and most in-demand berries.

Arven looked curious. After receiving Peter's permission, he led Mabosstiff under the guidance of the fruit farmer responsible for the area and experienced the joy of harvesting berries.

Luo Mu stroked the slightly rough bark of the Oran Berry and Pecha Berry trees, then looked up. A single lush Oran Berry tree bore roughly a hundred Oran Berries.

Luo Mu remembered that a normal-quality Oran Berry sold for around twenty League currency. Even after testing, an exceptionally high-quality Oran Berry would not sell for more than one hundred League currency.

He just did not know the price of Oran Berry saplings, nor their growing and harvesting cycle.

Luo Mu looked at Peter and voiced his questions, waiting for an answer as the other man considered them.

Peter pondered for a while. Logically, he should not have explained too much to a competitor of the farm he worked for. According to the boss and his wife, he only needed to give the other party a general direction and some common knowledge.

However, Luo Mu was probably a rich second-generation kid treating this as a hobby. His farm was unlikely to threaten Jones Farm's sales channels, so he was not much of a competitor worth noting. Besides, these were things Luo Mu could find online with a little effort. It would be better to build some goodwill.

Without changing his expression, Peter smiled and said, "Oran Berry and Pecha Berry trees both cost one thousand League currency per sapling. Depending on the selectively bred variety, most harvesting cycles range from one and a half to two and a half months."

"However, you need to keep in mind that most berry trees need two months to grow before they begin bearing fruit. In other words, if you choose to plant saplings, including the saplings' growth period, you'll need to wait at least three and a half months."

"If you transplant mature berry trees, you won't need to wait that long. You'll see berries next month."

"Of course, that's because berries contain abundant energy. Ordinary fruits and vegetables do not have such restrictions. Most of them mature in one or two months."

After saying everything in one breath, Peter looked at Luo Mu and observed his expression.

Luo Mu somehow took out a small notebook. Whenever Peter said something, he carefully organized the key points and wrote them down.

He did not seem worried about cash flow at all. He only wanted to learn.

Peter could only abandon the idea of earning a brokerage fee by introducing Luo Mu to a batch of already mature fruit trees.

The visit to Jones Farm went smoothly. Luo Mu learned plenty of little things that would have been difficult to know without firsthand experience, and he felt even more confident about building the farm well.

On the way back to the farm with Arven and Mabosstiff, Luo Mu had already begun planning his initial planting goals.

First were some ordinary crops led by potatoes, tomatoes, and cabbage. Before the berry trees matured, they would be one of the main sources of income.

Second were berry trees. Given his limited experience, Luo Mu only planned to start with Oran Berry and Pecha Berry trees, two varieties with high demand that were not as demanding of their growing environment as other rare berry trees.

Luo Mu had also asked Peter how much a berry tree that had already reached fruit-bearing age would cost. However, Peter's quoted price of three thousand League currency made him shrink back.

He only had 231145 League currency in savings altogether. How could he afford to burn that much money? Waiting a while would not kill him, and before long, he would be receiving his salary from Naranja Academy.

The grass seeds needed to cover the Ranch Area were not a small expense either, and there were also edible fish fry that needed to be introduced into the Lake Area. As for fish Pokémon and so on, catching them himself would be cheaper than bringing them in.

He should just honestly plant berry saplings. Taking too big a step could split his pants; proceeding one step at a time was the safest course.

If potatoes could be grown even in Siberia, then he would set a small goal first. Successfully growing one potato would be a victory!

Soon, Luo Mu, Arven, and Mabosstiff returned to the entrance of the farm. Since Jones Farm lay in the opposite direction from the road to Lighthouse Research Institute in South District One, Arven planned to return to Lighthouse Research Institute alone with Mabosstiff.

Arven beamed as he waved and bounced on his feet. "Brother Luo Mu, I had a lot of fun today. Thanks for having me~"

Luo Mu rubbed his soft beige-brown hair and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner before you go?"

"No need. Mom has something delicious waiting for me at home~" Arven remembered Olin's promise that morning when he had left with the Tera Orb, and anticipation appeared on his face.

It had been a long time since he had eaten food Olin had cooked herself.

Luo Mu did not insist, merely making a suggestion. "How about I have Dragonite give you a ride? It flies very fast. Maybe you can get back early and help Professor Sada out. Mother and son can cook together."

Luo Mu felt that if Arven could influence Olin and the others through little details like these, perhaps he could shift the ending of that tragedy that might yet come, at least to some extent.

Rather than seeing a lone mouse, he wanted to see a Maushold.

Luo Mu's suggestion greatly tempted Arven, and he agreed without hesitation. He sat on the back of the Dragonite Luo Mu had called over, clutching a Poké Ball containing Mabosstiff in his hand.

After hearing that Mabosstiff was still wild and had not been caught, Luo Mu had flipped out an unused Poké Ball from his own stock and given it to Arven.

Once Arven said he was ready, Dragonite beat its small wings and shot into the sky in an instant, gradually vanishing beyond the horizon.

Watching Dragonite's silhouette recede into the distance, Luo Mu stretched and muttered, "While I have the chance, I can go to the market and buy some seeds."