The Poliwag Who Wanted to Grow Stronger

When it came to Pokémon suited for ranch life, there were plenty of options.

First were Mareep and Wooloo, both of which produced high-quality wool.

Mareep's wool was beloved for its unique ability to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. Clothes and carpets made from Wooloo wool were remarkably resilient—astonishingly sturdy, in fact.

Then there was Miltank, which produced Moomoo Milk, and Gogoat, which produced goat's milk.

Moomoo Milk enjoyed an outstanding reputation throughout the Pokémon world. It was rich and sweet, and packed with nutrients.

Gogoat milk wasn't as famous as Moomoo Milk, but it was still a rare and nourishing treat.

Mudbray and Tauros were also suited to ranch life. Mudbray's evolution, Mudsdale, could use the rare Rototiller move to enrich the Farming Area, while Tauros could breed with Miltank to produce Pokémon Eggs that would hatch into Miltank or Tauros.

Tropius were another good choice. The fruit that hung around their necks like bananas tasted incredible.

However, before introducing Pokémon to the Ranch Area, the first thing to do was replace every fence surrounding the farm.

Sean was right. The fences here were so worn out that even a Caterpie could smash a hole through one, let alone Pokémon with tremendous strength.

Luo Mu sighed. "When you put it that way, I really do need to save up enough to buy new fences for the whole farm."

He did the math. After accounting for his daily expenses and adding the money he had just earned, he had 57,350 League currency left in savings—just over fifty-seven thousand.

He'd previously asked the Machamp construction crew about it. Replacing all the fences would cost at least 80,000 League currency.

"Looks like I'll have to work harder to earn more."

Luo Mu decided it would be better to expand the planting area first, then build the Ranch Area and Lake Area.

The next morning.

Early in the morning, Luo Mu headed to the fields and got to work, as familiar with the routine as ever.

His main task that morning was clearing crops that could only be harvested once.

Tomatoes, strawberries, and cabbages could all bear fruit multiple times. Eggplants, on the other hand, could produce a second crop, but the quality and size were far inferior to the first.

As he worked, Whimsicott showed two companions who had just evolved around the fields and taught them what to do.

Their numbers had grown, which had made tending the fields much more efficient. Still, once Luo Mu expanded the planting area later on, they probably wouldn't be able to keep up.

Though Luo Mu had noticed this, he wasn't planning to give them any new companions just yet.

Simply feeding the dozen or so Pokémon on the farm each day was already a considerable expense. If he kept adding members without a plan or any restraint, he'd only bankrupt the farm by running out of money.

By the time he finished working, it was already noon.

Luo Mu immediately set about preparing lunch for the dozen or so Pokémon. The meals weren't as elaborate as before, but on an ordinary day, they weren't too difficult to make.

After eating his fill, Luo Mu was just about to take a nap when Poliwag Leader, having finished watering the fields, came looking for him.

Luo Mu glanced behind Poliwag Leader, puzzled. The three Poliwag that usually followed him around were nowhere to be seen. "Where are your little lackeys?"

Poliwag Leader shook his head. After taking them back to Thunderclap Lake to rest, he'd come to Luo Mu alone.

"Poliwhirl!"

Poliwag Leader's gaze was solemn as he tried his best to explain why he'd come using gestures.

First, he ran a few circles around Luo Mu on his now-practiced legs. Then he opened his thick lips and sent a stream of water shooting at the ground, leaving a wet patch behind.

That was Water Gun.

Next, Poliwag Leader swung his rounded tail and smacked a small stone twice. Unfortunately, he wasn't strong enough to do much more than send it skittering a short distance away.

That was Pound.

After that, Poliwag Leader used Mud Shot, Bubble Beam, and Mist, as if he were deliberately showing Luo Mu all the moves he knew.

Poliwag Leader's unusual behavior gave Luo Mu pause. Then he noticed the envious look he cast at Swampert and Ceruledge as they sparred, and the answer became clear.

Poliwag Leader wanted to grow stronger.

That was why he'd come to Luo Mu, who had trained Swampert and the others, hoping to learn from him.

And Luo Mu didn't think he was imagining things: as Poliwag Leader demonstrated his moves, he'd spotted a trace of fear and anxiety buried deep in his eyes.

What was he so afraid and anxious about?

With a good guess as to the reason, Luo Mu gladly accepted Poliwag Leader's request.

After a moment's thought, Luo Mu made up his mind and led Poliwag Leader over to Growlithe, who was watching Swampert and Ceruledge spar.

Since Poliwag Leader wanted to grow stronger, there was a perfect training partner for him right here. It would also give Growlithe a chance to build up his resistance to Water-type moves, which were four times as effective against him. It was a win-win.

When he saw Luo Mu coming over, Moltres could finally leave Growlithe in his care and go back to take a nap.

Ever since watching the Hoppip evolve the previous night, Growlithe had been restless. He'd kept Moltres up all night, leaving him short on sleep.

Having the father take over childcare was just what the mother wanted.

The shock waves from Swampert and Ceruledge's sparring could easily injure the still-weak Growlithe and Poliwag Leader, so Luo Mu found an open space a little farther away for their training.

As they walked, Luo Mu also considered how to plan Poliwag Leader's training.

As the leader of his little group, Poliwag Leader had the potential to evolve into Politoed. Politoed's most distinctive feature was its ability to control the weather.

Luo Mu had previously tested the Abilities of all four Poliwag.

Two of them had Water Absorb, and one had Damp.

The Poliwag Leader standing before him had the Hidden Ability Swift Swim!

Once a Poliwag with Swift Swim evolved into Politoed, his Ability would change to the exceptionally rare Drizzle.

Just how rare was this Ability? One example made it clear.

As far as Luo Mu knew, only three Pokémon had Drizzle:

Wingull, Politoed, and the creator of the oceans—the Legendary Pokémon Kyogre!

There was simply no comparison between the weather-controlling power of a Pokémon with Drizzle and that of an ordinary Pokémon that only knew Rain Dance.

Once Poliwag Leader evolved into Politoed, he would become one of the core Pokémon on the farm!