Ogerpon Tangerine Tree's Unique Fragrance

The next morning.

After getting up and tidying himself, Mingyou went to the backyard to check on the Marsh Jicama before making breakfast.

It was only six-thirty in the morning. The Swinub sleeping in the backyard had buried half their bodies in the soil. They were all still asleep, resting and dreaming sweetly.

Mingyou arrived at the plot where he had planted the seeds yesterday. To his surprise, sprouts had already grown. After only one night, the information displayed by the sprouts showed that they would also mature in just a month and a half.

"Fast. Or is it because there are Swinub nearby, so the time was shortened again?"

He glanced at the sleeping Swinub not far away. If Marsh Jicama was cared for by Ground-type Pokémon, it indeed seemed to have this kind of effect.

In that case, he had to thank them properly. He checked the Swinub's information...

〔Swinub: Pig Pokémon, simple and Oblivious by nature, fond of digging through soil to search for fungi. They should love being fed mushrooms, but be careful not to give them poisonous ones, or they will easily get an upset stomach〕

"They like mushrooms? Perfect. I bought some shiitake mushrooms yesterday. They should like them too, right?"

Mingyou smiled. Since there was a Munchlax at home, he had bought quite a lot of cheap ingredients yesterday, so there would be enough for it to eat.

He returned to the living room, took out a watering can, and watered the Marsh Jicama. Then he went to the kitchen and began preparing breakfast.

Munchlax woke up right on time. It walked over to him and looked up blankly. It did not do any work at all, perfectly embodying the saying, "clothes come when it extends its hand, food comes when it opens its mouth."

"Snorlax~"

"Wait just a little. I made porridge this morning, so it's better to eat something light."

Mingyou spoke gently while thinking about something else. Since Munchlax's card had already been used, he did not know what its current favorability was.

It should have increased. After all, Ogerpon had directly risen to Lv4 last night, so there was no reason for Munchlax not to change as well. He simply did not know whether a card's effects would improve along with favorability after being used, or whether it had to be restored and reset first.

While thinking about this, he finished making breakfast. Then he carried a plate of sliced shiitake mushrooms to the backyard.

Swinub had extremely keen senses of smell. They caught the scent of the shiitake mushrooms from far away, their pink snouts raised high as they immediately ran over and stopped in front of Mingyou.

"Hmph-hic~"

"Don't rush, don't rush. They're all for you."

Mingyou crouched down with a smile and placed the plate in front of them. If he had known these little fellows liked them, he would have bought more yesterday.

As several Swinub happily ate, blue particles scattered from their bodies before finally gathering into five cards. Each had an illustration of a Swinub on the front and Ice-type and Ground-type symbols on the back.

Watching the cards rotate in front of him, Mingyou reached out and collected them all before checking their information...

〔Swinub (Lv1): After being used on Spore, its species will change to Habitat Mushroom Spore, with a chance to additionally learn the moves (High Horsepower, Icicle Spear, Mud-Slap, Ice Shard)〕

"Habitat Mushroom... Did it really have to be...?"

Mingyou almost lost control of his expression. The names of these variants were simply far too crude.

Who had come up with them? Would a normal person really buy something after seeing names like these? Well... maybe they would? The stranger the name, the faster it sold.

The information on every card was identical. However, growing mushrooms was troublesome, and Mingyou did not currently have any plans to do so. His funds did not support it either, so he could only put the cards aside and wait until he had earned his first fortune.

He reached out and stroked the Swinub's striped brown fur, saying with a smile, "I'll bring you some when I go to town to buy things in a while. In the meantime, help me take good care of those Jicama."

"Hmph-hic~"

After breakfast, Munchlax did not go to sleep. Instead, it wandered around the Orchard, seemingly still not full and wanting some fruit for dessert.

Mingyou followed it and made a circuit of the Orchard. Mainly, he wanted to find a better place to plant other fruit trees later.

Fortunately, although the Orchard was large, it contained exactly fifty Apple Trees. There was plenty of empty space between them, so he would not have to cut down trees to plant others in the future.

"But it really is a little deserted. There are clearly quite a few Wild Pokémon living here."

Mingyou returned to the front of the Villa and noticed this. Although there were quite a few Wild Pokémon, there were not as many as he had imagined. Moreover, most of the Pokémon living here were relatively young.

His grandfather had lived here for decades. It should not have been like this. Or had some of the Wild Pokémon that once lived here already left?

When he thought of this, he suddenly realized something. Children who grew up always had to leave home. If he compared the Manor to the orphanage where he had lived in his previous life, how many children who left an orphanage would return like he had? The answer was none...

Although the Pokémon that had left never returned, his grandfather had stayed here. Watching these Pokémon grow up healthy and head toward a broader sky, he must have been very happy in his heart, right?

"Continually meeting and parting with Pokémon... Isn't that also a kind of life?"

Mingyou felt somewhat emotional, but he did not know whether he would experience it himself, nor what decision he would make when he truly encountered such a thing.

Before he knew it, it was noon again. Seeing Munchlax looking up at him once more, Mingyou could only pat its head and walk into the living room...

The day soon passed. The next morning, at nine.

Mingyou was in the Orchard, marking each Apple Tree and recording its location and condition on his phone for easier care in the future.

He had started yesterday afternoon. Only the last few trees remained today, but just then, an unfamiliar bird cry suddenly came from the sky. It startled the Ariados living in the Orchard, and they began to grow restless.

Mingyou hurriedly soothed them before walking to the front of the Villa. There, he saw three Pelipper carrying a large package and waiting outside.

There was also a courier wearing a blue-and-white uniform and a Wingull-shaped hat.

The courier was about to make a call, but upon seeing him arrive, he lowered the phone and walked over, saying very politely, "Pelipper Tailwind Logistics. Your package has arrived. Please sign for it."

"Sure."

After verifying the information and inspecting the goods, Mingyou signed for the delivery and removed the package from the Pelipper.

Seeing the courier mount a Pelipper and prepare to leave, he asked curiously, "By the way, big brother, can I send packages directly through your company from here? For example, fruit and things like that..."

Hearing the question, the courier took out his phone and made an inquiry. Then he replied apologetically, "Sorry, the nearest Pelipper Tailwind Logistics station to here is in Iwate City. There isn't one in Kitakami, so we don't currently offer pickup service here."

"What if I pay extra?"

"Hmm... It should be fine if you pay triple the shipping fee. Or you could become one of our franchisees and establish a logistics station in Kitakami. Then we'd build a dedicated route between here and Kitakami."

"Never mind, then..."

Mingyou's mouth twitched as he watched the courier leave.

Pelipper Tailwind Logistics was already expensive, and triple the shipping fee... He did not dare imagine how much money he would have to pour into it at the start. He would be better off returning to Paldea another day and selling the house in Levincia.

For now, he set those matters aside. He took out the three Tangerine Trees and immediately carried them to the nearby holes he had already dug, burying them. These Tangerine Trees had already blossomed, so they would probably bear fruit even faster than the Apple Trees.

He had specifically chosen trees that were close to bearing fruit, but perhaps because of that, the three Tangerine Trees all seemed somewhat unaccustomed to the soil after being planted.

"These transplanted trees really seem hard to keep alive... Whatever. I'll try using a card first!"

After checking the Tangerine Tree's information, Mingyou brought out Ogerpon's card without hesitation and used it on the Tangerine Tree in the best condition.

As the card shattered and transformed into nutrients absorbed by the Tangerine Tree, a dazzling light seemed to flow through the branches. At the same time, the information in Mingyou's mind began to change...

〔Ogerpon Tangerine Tree: Currently adapting to the soil. One month remains until the Ogerpon Citrus matures. When cared for by (Grass, Fire, Water, or Rock)-type Pokémon, its growth cycle will be shortened, illness will be prevented, and its fruiting rate will increase. While the fruit tree is blossoming, it will release a unique scent that attracts Pokémon of the corresponding type. These scents will carry special effects. Please take precautions〕

"A unique scent?"

After reading the information, Mingyou was slightly stunned. His gaze subconsciously turned toward the small white flowers on the Tangerine Tree.

A sweet, citrusy fragrance suddenly drifted out from the white flowers. It passed beneath his nose, filled the surrounding area, and spread toward the depths of the Orchard.

Several Pokémon that had been resting were instantly attracted by the unique fragrance. When Mingyou came back to his senses, he felt that the scent was somewhat familiar. It was very similar to the fragrance on Ogerpon, but much stronger!

"I'm hungry. I want to eat Ogerpon Citrus..."