Future Plans

Luo Mu's eyes lit up. He'd been waiting for Peter to say that.

Rather than burying himself in research as a complete amateur, or relying on the experiences of bloggers from other regions with entirely different climates and environments, asking a local professional was clearly the best approach.

Luo Mu said frankly, "To be honest, I'm not sure what crops to choose for the farm's first planting, so I thought I'd come visit Jones Farm and learn from your experience."

Peter blinked, then suddenly understood. He'd wondered why Luo Mu, who should have been a fellow farmer, kept looking curiously at the fields along the way. It turned out he was only half a novice.

Perhaps he was a rich young man trying farming as a hobby. Peter didn't really understand how rich people thought.

Still smiling broadly, Peter thumped his chest as if the matter were in his hands. "You came to the right person. When the owners noticed that wasteland, they sent me to inspect it. So I know the soil there is basically the same as ours at Jones Farm. In general, anything we can grow, you can grow too."

Peter led Luo Mu, Pepper, and Master Dogue to an orchard. It was planted with orange and peach trees, which yielded the most common Berries and were also in the greatest demand.

Pepper looked curious. With Peter's permission, he went with Master Dogue to experience the joy of harvesting Berries, guided by the farmer in charge of that area.

Luo Mu ran his hand over the slightly rough bark of the orange and peach trees, then looked up. A single orange tree, with its dense canopy of leaves, bore around a hundred Orange Fruits.

Luo Mu remembered that a normal-quality Orange Fruit was worth about 20 League currency, while even an exceptionally high-quality one wouldn't fetch more than 100.

He just didn't know how much the saplings cost, or how long they took to grow and yield fruit.

Luo Mu turned to Peter, voiced his questions, and waited for an answer as Peter pondered.

Peter considered it for a moment. Technically, he shouldn't give a competitor too much information about the farm where he worked. The owners had told him to offer only some general, basic advice.

But Luo Mu seemed like a rich kid trying farming as a hobby. His farm probably wouldn't threaten Jones Farm's sales, so he didn't seem like a competitor worth worrying about. Besides, anyone could find the information he was asking for online with a little effort. He might as well do him a favor.

Without changing expression, Peter smiled and said, "Orange and peach saplings both cost 1,000 League currency each. The harvest cycle depends on the variety, which has been refined through selective breeding, but most take between one and a half and two and a half months."

"However, you should keep in mind that most Berry trees need two months to grow before they start producing fruit. So if you plant saplings, you'll have to wait at least three and a half months, including the time it takes the saplings to grow."

"If you transplant mature trees, you won't have to wait that long. You can harvest Berries as soon as next month."

"Of course, that's because Berries contain a lot of energy. Ordinary fruits and vegetables don't have those restrictions. Most of them mature in just one or two months."

Peter explained everything in one breath, then looked at Luo Mu to gauge his reaction.

Luo Mu had somehow produced a small notebook. As Peter spoke, he earnestly organized the key points and wrote them down.

He didn't seem worried about cash flow at all. He only wanted to learn.

Peter could only give up on the idea of earning a commission by introducing Luo Mu to some already mature fruit trees.

The visit to Jones Farm went smoothly. Luo Mu picked up plenty of practical knowledge that would have been hard to learn without hands-on experience, and he felt more confident about getting his farm up and running.

On the way back to the farm with Pepper and Master Dogue, Luo Mu had already worked out what he wanted to plant first.

First, he'd grow some ordinary crops, led by potatoes, tomatoes, and cabbage. Until the Berry trees matured, they would be one of his main sources of income.

Second, he'd plant Berry trees. Given his limited experience, he planned to start with just Orange Fruits and Peach Fruits, which were in high demand and weren't as picky about their growing conditions as other, rarer Berry trees.

Luo Mu had also asked Peter how much a Berry tree old enough to bear fruit would cost. But Peter's quote of 3,000 League currency had been far beyond his means.

He had only 231,145 League currency in savings altogether. How could he afford to burn through that much money? Waiting a while wouldn't kill him, and before long, he'd be earning a salary from Naranja Academy.

He also needed a fair amount of Grassy Seed to cover the Ranch Area, plus edible fish fry to stock the Lake Area. As for fish Pokémon, catching them himself would cost less than bringing them in.

He'd better stick to planting Berry saplings for now. Taking too big a step risked pulling a muscle; taking things one step at a time was the safest approach.

If potatoes could grow in Siberia, then he'd set a modest goal: successfully grow one potato. That would be a victory!

Soon, Luo Mu, Pepper, and Master Dogue returned to the farm entrance. Since Jones Farm and the Lighthouse Institute in South District 1 lay in opposite directions, Pepper planned to head back to the Lighthouse Institute with Master Dogue on his own.

Pepper was beaming. He waved as he bounced up and down. "Big Brother Luo Mu, I had so much fun today. Thanks for having me over~"

Luo Mu ruffled his soft, light-brown hair and asked, "Why not stay for dinner before you go?"

"No, thanks. Mom's made something delicious for me~" Pepper thought of the promise Dr. Jacq had made that morning when he left with the Terastal Orb, and anticipation showed on his face.

It had been a long time since he'd eaten a meal Dr. Jacq had cooked herself.

Luo Mu didn't press him. He merely suggested, "How about I have Dragonite take you back? It flies really fast. You might even get back early enough to help Dr. Jacq cook. You could make dinner together."

Luo Mu thought that if Pepper could influence Dr. Jacq and the others through little moments like these, perhaps he could change the ending of the tragic story that might come to pass.

He wanted to see a Maushold, not just a Maushold.

Pepper was tempted by Luo Mu's suggestion and agreed without hesitation. He climbed onto Dragonite's back, clutching a Poké Ball that held Master Dogue.

Luo Mu had heard that Master Dogue was still wild and hadn't been caught, so he'd dug an unused Poké Ball out of his supplies and given it to Pepper.

Once Pepper said he was ready, Dragonite beat its small wings and shot into the sky, soon disappearing into the distance.

Watching Dragonite's silhouette fade away, Luo Mu stretched and murmured, "I might as well go to the market and buy some seeds while I have the chance."