Farming Artifact

"All right, let's start training."

Aiven glanced at the Petilil and Cherubi training nearby, then turned to the Ironclad Rhinoceros in front of him.

Before training the Ironclad Rhinoceros, Aiven carefully examined its condition and devised a training plan tailored to it.

Creating a training plan based on a Pokémon's condition was one of the essential lessons for any Pokémon Breeder.

Standing beside the Ironclad Rhinoceros, Aiven touched the deep scar on its body. The Ironclad Rhinoceros had both Rock and Ground attributes.

From the first moment he saw it, Aiven had judged that its physical condition wasn't especially strong, and its talent for the Rock attribute was average.

By comparison, its talent for the Ground attribute was pretty good. The way it had walked so steadily while pulling the carriage earlier was proof enough.

So he could tell that one of its parents was probably a Ground-type Pokémon with excellent talent for the Ground attribute.

"Ironclad Rhinoceros, show me the moves you know."

Aiven led the Ironclad Rhinoceros to an open space, but when he asked, it looked confused.

Once it understood, the Ironclad Rhinoceros began to gather its strength. Then it charged forward, its body wrapped in Normal-type energy as it tried to use Tackle.

But after only a few steps, the energy surrounding it faded.

It had spent so long pulling carts without ever receiving proper training that it had practically forgotten how to use moves.

Moo, moo, moo.

The Ironclad Rhinoceros turned its head and called out to Aiven, a little embarrassed.

"It's all right. It's not too late to start training now." Aiven patted it reassuringly.

He had a good idea of the Ironclad Rhinoceros's condition. Long-term malnutrition had greatly depleted its potential, so he first needed to restore it.

With that in mind, he took a pink potion with a hint of green from his backpack and held it up for the Ironclad Rhinoceros to see.

"This is a special potion made from Persimmon Seed Fruit, Berry Fruit, Orange Fruit, and other ingredients. It can bring out a great deal of your potential for the Ground attribute," Aiven explained with a smile.

When he had prepared the Antidote Potion at Sir Enzo's home, he had already considered the Ironclad Rhinoceros's condition and prepared this special potion for it in advance.

Moo, moo, moo.

The Ironclad Rhinoceros was deeply moved. It hadn't expected Aiven to prepare a potion for it ahead of time.

"Let's give it a try."

As he spoke, Aiven fed the potion to the Ironclad Rhinoceros.

After drinking it, the Ironclad Rhinoceros felt a surge of energy flow through its body, gradually merging with it.

Standing on the ground, the Ironclad Rhinoceros suddenly felt as if it had become one with the earth. A strange sensation welled up inside it.

The feeling was odd, almost instinctive. The Ironclad Rhinoceros channeled the energy within its body and released it.

The next moment, the ground began to ripple, waves spreading outward like water. The earth turned uneven and furrowed, and then a sense of vitality appeared in the soil.

Digging Move!

A glint flashed in Aiven's eyes as he watched.

Although the Ironclad Rhinoceros couldn't learn the Digging Move normally, it could inherit it.

Inherited moves came from a Pokémon's genes. They usually lay dormant within the Pokémon and could only be activated under specific circumstances.

After determining that the Ironclad Rhinoceros had outstanding talent for the Ground attribute, Aiven had wondered if it might have inherited this move.

When preparing the potion, he had added Berry Fruit, a Grass Attribute fruit, alongside the Ground Attribute Persimmon Seed Fruit and the Orange Fruit for restoring stamina. He wanted to see if the Ironclad Rhinoceros could activate the move.

And just as if it had all been arranged, after drinking the energy potion infused with Ground and Grass attributes, the Ironclad Rhinoceros had actually awakened the Digging Move—an inherited move hidden within it!

The Ironclad Rhinoceros was still bewildered, with no idea what had happened.

It stamped at the muddy ground around it, unsure what to do.

By now, the Petilil had completely absorbed the second-stage Deadly Poison Potion.

Noticing the commotion outside the orchard, the little one hurried over.

The Petilil stared curiously at the muddy ground. For some reason, it felt a powerful attraction coming from the soil.

The Cherubi gathered around too, looking at the freshly tilled earth. They could also sense the vitality within it.

"Go on, give it a try."

Encouraged by Aiven, the Petilil didn't hesitate. It trotted into the freshly tilled earth.

At once, it felt energy flow into its body. In a faint green glow, it could clearly feel its strength increasing.

Raising its hand, the Petilil used Absorb Technique, firing a thick beam of green light into the sky.

It could clearly feel that the move had become much more powerful, and its face lit up with delight.

"The Digging Move tills the soil and makes it easier for plants to grow. It also boosts the Attack and Special Attack of Grass-type Pokémon," Aiven explained with a smile.

Hearing that, the Ironclad Rhinoceros paused. Then it suddenly broke into a run. The earth wherever it went was tilled, brimming with vitality.

The Petilil and Cherubi cheered happily in the freshly tilled earth. Even the Walking Grass, which had buried its whole body in the soil, curiously poked its head out, took a look, then leaped out of the ground and headed toward the tilled earth.

Just then, Mukkuru flew back from the distance. The little one was injured, and it looked like it had been secretly training its Tackle in the orchard.

When it reached the tilled earth, it looked at the delighted Petilil and Cherubi in confusion. What was going on? Why couldn't it feel anything? What were they so excited about?

Aiven smiled as he watched them, the corners of his mouth lifting. He had said that Pokémon were the world's primary productive force.

The Digging Move was a farming miracle! With it, he could start farming on a large scale in no time. This was great!