In the midst of the playful antics of the three little ones, Rex finally arrived at the terraced garden.
What, you ask, who are the three little ones? Of course, it's Combusken, Carbink, and Akiko. Although Combusken had already evolved, its love for running hadn't changed. It occasionally ran circles around Rex and Karen, while Carbink and Akiko were also caught up in the fun, chasing and playing along the way, making the journey lively.
Even Karen felt an urge to join in, but looking at Rex beside her, she suppressed the impulse. She considered herself to be a few years older than Rex and didn't want to appear childish, lest she lose her ladylike image in his eyes.
Yes, Karen believed she had a rather ladylike image in front of Rex.
Rex didn't think much about it. He felt that such liveliness was refreshing, so he watched with interest without stopping them.
Upon reaching the terraced garden, Rex saw a vibrant figure in the distance, holding a small hoe and weeding.
Victreebel walking from the side of the flower field. Seeing Rex and the others arriving, it quickly notified its trainer.
"Yuli, you've taken great care of these Gracidea flowers, and their growth rate is amazing. I believe they'll be in full bloom in just 1 or 2 months."
Rex walked up to Yuli and praised her.
This was not mere flattery but genuine admiration for the thriving Gracidea flowers before him. Seeing these lush plants filled Rex with joy, as this was a crucial step in expanding the garden. Once these Gracidea flowers matured, the number of seeds he could obtain would cover most of the terraced garden.
In other words, after the next batch of Gracidea flowers matured, the terraced garden would truly live up to its name.
"Boss, I didn't do much. Skiploom and the Poliwag deserve the credit. I just help with the weeding."
Yuli wiped the sweat from her forehead and modestly said.
Although Yuli said this, Rex knew that without her meticulous care, such a flourishing scene would not be possible.
"Yuli, I need to check on the orchard. Would you like to join us?"
Seeing nothing else needed attention here, Rex planned to move to the next location.
"Boss, I'll stay here. There are some weeds that need to be removed, or they'll multiply by tomorrow."
Yuli declined without hesitation.
This was a downside of using the Grassy Terrain move—the rapid growth of weeds. For her, taking care of the Gracidea flowers was the most important task.
Leaving the terraced garden, Rex first headed to the artificial lake to check if Lapras could adapt to the environment.
Arriving at the lakeside, Rex saw Lapras leisurely swimming in the center of the lake, with several Poliwag on its back. Poliwag occasionally jumped onto its back, while others squeezed into the water.
Magikarp and Feebas were still diligently training by ramming into each other. After Rex used his abilities to heal their wounds, they were even more motivated in their training.
Seeing such a harmonious scene, Rex felt reassured.
"Do you want to ride on Lapras and take a tour?"
Rex asked the two beside him.
"Can we, Boss? I'd love to!"
"Me too!"
Karen and Akiko responded with bright eyes.
Rex called Lapras to the shore and let it take the two for a ride in the lake.
Seeing the two having fun with the Poliwag on Lapras's back, Rex left them and went to the area where rare berries were planted.
At this moment, Poliwhirl was patrolling the rare berry saplings, ensuring no wild Pokémon dared to intrude and cause damage. It patrolled at least three times a day, a habit it had developed, like a king surveying its domain.
Only when these berry trees grew larger would Poliwhirl slightly relax its vigilance, as Pokémon would no longer easily damage the trees, focusing instead on the soon-to-be-ripe berries.
Once Karen and Akiko had enough fun on Lapras's back, Rex continued taking them to the orchard, which was the heart of the farm.
Without the Taillow flock residing in the orchard, Rex could not manage such a large farm. Even others had to be very cautious when going out, fearing encounters with wild Pokémon intruding on the farm.
The berries produced in the orchard were crucial for feeding the Pokémon. Without a stable berry supply, Rex couldn't sustain the daily consumption of so many Pokémon, let alone sell extra berries to Caitlin.
Arriving at the orchard, Rex picked a few Apples to give to Karen and Akiko, then took one for himself.
The Apple was a rich, flavorful berry, with no hint of bitterness, very refreshing to eat.
"These Apples are so delicious!"
Karen exclaimed after taking the first bite, finding it tastier than any Apple she had ever had. She had never tasted such a delicious Apple before.
Karen felt like she was dreaming. Everything she experienced at the farm was so novel and wonderful, further solidifying her decision to stay at the farm.
"Absolutely! I've only had such delicious berries here from my brother."
While munching on the Apple, Akiko nodded in agreement.
After a short walk, Rex spotted Polteageist
leisurely sunbathing on a rock. He didn't disturb them but waved as a greeting.
The deeper they went, the more Swellow they saw in the trees, some playing, some grooming, and others eating berries.
Karen felt a bit scared seeing so many Swellow at once, knowing that wild Pokémon flocks were not to be trifled with. Many new trainers had met with accidents after inadvertently provoking Pokémon flocks.
But with Rex as her pillar of support, she suppressed her unease and continued following him.
Upon reaching the area where Swellow resided, Rex noticed that there were now seven Swellow around their leader, indicating that a few new Swellow had evolved recently.
Rex was delighted, as this meant the farm's defensive power had increased. If there were dozens of Swellow after his unified training, no nearby entity would surpass the farm's strength.
Swellow flew down from the treetop upon seeing Rex. Rex simply patted its wing, their bond needing no words.
"Karen, you can choose an egg from these Swellow eggs. It's one of the perks of being a farm employee!"
Rex brought Karen to the place where Swellow stored their eggs and told her.
Karen, looking at the seven or eight Swellow eggs, was momentarily at a loss on how to choose. After a while, she selected an egg with a pattern she found appealing.
Thus, Rex's inspection of the farm was complete.