Planting Marsh Jicama

The Flying Taxi brought Mingyou back to the Manor in no time. After paying the fare with a wince, he carried his purchases toward the Villa.

On the way, he thought about Munchlax and realized something important about the way things worked in Kitakami.

He wasn't naive. That staff member had been a little too enthusiastic, and judging by what he'd said, he'd hoped Mingyou would catch Munchlax and solve Verdant Town's problem for them.

A Shiny Munchlax was bound to attract Trainers. But there was a catch... This Munchlax ate so much that it could even swallow a Poké Ball whole.

Talking it up like that made Munchlax sound special and powerful, which would only make it more appealing to Trainers seeking strong Pokémon.

But on second thought, a Trainer without much money who caught a Munchlax with an appetite like that would be inviting ruin into their home. Unless they released it and ran, it would eat them into bankruptcy.

Then there was his grandfather's letter. It had mentioned that the villagers of Kitakami disliked outsiders, which was why he'd built the Manor so far away. There was also Administrator Yao Qian trying to pressure him into signing a contract to take back the land...

Seen that way, the staff member had probably wanted a tourist to take the problem off their hands while squeezing a little money out of him. If he bought extra food for Munchlax in Verdant Town, great. If not, they lost nothing.

"Hard places breed hard people... There's some truth to that. I'll have to be more careful."

Mingyou shook his head and put the matter aside. Munchlax was here now, and he wasn't going to drive it away. He could afford to feed it for a while, at least...

The Villa's front door was open. He carried his purchases into the living room and called inside, "I'm back!"

"..."

No one answered. Munchlax was still asleep on the sofa, while Sinistcha was nowhere to be seen. So far, those were the only two Pokémon he knew of inside the Villa, though others might be hiding somewhere.

"Well, all right..."

He was used to living alone. He put the seasonings and ingredients away in the kitchen, then went upstairs and tidied an unoccupied room with a bed to use as his bedroom.

Once that was done, he eagerly took a bag of Speed-Gro and the Jicama Seeds to the vegetable patch behind the house. He spent more than two hours clearing away weeds and ruined crops.

As he worked, he discovered several Swinub living in holes they'd dug in the patch. If he got along with them, perhaps he could ask them to turn the soil for him.

He chose a spot near the pond for the jicama, then took out a handful of Jicama Seeds and the Wooper Card...

The moment the card touched the seeds, it shattered into particles of light that fell like rain. When he looked at the seeds again, their information had changed.

Marsh Jicama Seeds: Grow in 2–3 months. Cannot withstand cold. After planting, keep the soil moist every day so the seeds can absorb water. Care from Ground-type or Water-type Pokémon shortens their growing time. Mature Marsh Jicama have a chance to grant a move (Mud-Slap, Acid Spray, Mud Shot).

"Two to three months... The Marsh Jicama actually grows faster than ordinary jicama. That's good news. And there's a chance it'll grant a move, too..."

Mingyou nodded. He had the gist of it. Unlike the Snorlium Berry, Marsh Jicama could grow faster if Pokémon cared for it. Perhaps that corresponded to the types on the back of the card.

As for why the Snorlium Berry didn't work that way... Was it called a Munchlax Berry Tree? The thought made him laugh. He'd have to evolve an Apple Tree into a Munchlax Berry Tree first...

He was about to bury a seed in the hole he'd dug when he noticed that more than one had become a Marsh Jicama Seed. He counted them carefully. There were ten.

"So using a card on seeds works differently from using one on a fruit tree? Makes sense. If it only changed one seed at a time, I'd be getting a terrible deal."

Bit by bit, he was coming to understand his special ability. He dug several more holes nearby and planted all the seeds.

In his previous life, he'd grown flowers and plants while working at the orphanage. He'd also taught children how to grow vegetables during hands-on activities, so he had some experience.

After covering the seeds with soil, he followed the instructions on the Speed-Gro and fertilized them. He couldn't see the seeds' condition underground, though, so he would have to check on them each day.

Then he looked at the Swinub living in the vegetable patch and reminded them with a smile, "Don't dig up the seeds. I'll give you some Marsh Jicama to eat once it grows."

"Oink~"

The Swinub twitched their noses. The old man used to remind them of the same thing.

"Good. I'm counting on you to look after them. Don't let any other Pokémon dig them up, either."

"Oink~"

Looking at the friendly Swinub, Mingyou understood that his grandfather had left him more than the Manor. The Pokémon living in the Orchard hadn't attacked a stranger like him because of his grandfather, too.

That was why he had to carry on caring for the Manor. He would work hard and prove himself worthy of the trust they'd placed in his grandfather!

He went from the backyard to the Orchard out front, took out the other bag of Speed-Gro—the one for fruit trees—and fertilized the Apple Tree he'd used the card on at noon.

This time, he could see how the fertilizer changed the crop's information.

Apple Tree: Absorbing Speed-Gro. Each harvest has a 5% chance of producing Snorlium Berries. Time until next harvest: one and a half months.

"Whoa. It cut off half a month!"

Mingyou clenched his fist in excitement. He hadn't expected an effect so good it felt like cheating.

Speed-Gro had a one-week cooldown, but he was more than satisfied with how much time it saved. If this kept up, he could harvest Snorlium Berries by the end of the month at the earliest!

Of course, he couldn't rely on fertilizer alone and neglect the tree. Poor-quality fruit wouldn't sell well. Still, he was already looking forward to the harvest.

This was only his first attempt. If it worked, he could start looking for ways to sell the fruit... But first, he needed more Pokémon cards!

"I still have Ogerpon's card and nowhere to use it. I'll check online later for Tangerine saplings... I'm hungry after all that work. I wonder if Ogerpon will come tonight?"

Mingyou looked up at the silvery-gray Dewlight in the dusk. He'd been busy without noticing how late it had grown. Time really did fly when he had work to do.

The Ogre Mask he'd bought for Ogerpon was still in the living room. He hoped Ogerpon would come tonight and like the gift he'd prepared.

When he returned to the living room, Sinistcha was back on the bookshelf. Mingyou greeted it and was about to head for the kitchen when Munchlax rubbed its eyes and sat up on the sofa. It seemed hungry.

"Right on time, aren't you..."

"Munch~"

Munchlax hurried over and gazed up at him. The message was clear: it was hungry and wanted food now.

"All right."

Mingyou went up to his bedroom and brought down all the snacks he'd bought at Momozawa Shop. "These are for you. Dinner will take a while, so have a snack if you're hungry."

"Munch~"

Munchlax spread its arms happily and gathered up all the snacks. It seemed surprised that Mingyou really had brought some back for it.

It sat on the floor, deftly tore open a bag, and began happily eating potato chips. Mingyou gently stroked its head, unable to keep from smiling.

"You can live here from now on. No one here will chase you away. The other Pokémon who live here treat this place as home, and you can too..."

"Munch~"