---
"Impressive indeed."
Alan, the ever-doting father, gently patted Nemona's head with a slightly troubled smile. "If that's your decision, we'll need to carefully choose your starter Pokémon."
"Paldea's usual starters? That feels a bit… uninspired," he mused. "Oh, I know! I happen to have a Gible and a Goomy egg gifted by a friend. How about starting with a late-blooming powerhouse?"
Nemona shook her head resolutely. "I want Sprigatito to be my first Pokémon!"
Alan blinked, momentarily caught off guard by her firm response. Though he didn't fully understand his daughter's reasoning, he smiled indulgently. "As you wish."
He made a mental note to locate a perfect Sprigatito egg.
Nemona, brimming with excitement, threw her arms up in a cheer. "Also… from now on, I want my hair tied in a single ponytail. It'll make me look sharper!"
Alan chuckled. "Of course."
He quickly instructed the maids to begin styling Nemona's hair differently. Though he'd miss her adorable twin tails, as long as she didn't come home asking for dyed hair or perms, he'd happily support her every whim.
---
A week later.
The construction crew had completed their work, and Eric stood on the edge of his newly developed land. Surveying the results, he nodded in satisfaction.
What was once a vast, untamed field was now neatly partitioned into zones, each area clearly designated for farming, livestock, and water features. Though simple and basic, it was a promising start.
"Not bad," Eric muttered. "If this were back home, a project like this would've cost twice as much and probably involved a lot more headaches and corner-cutting."
Eric appreciated how the Pokémon world, despite its villains and a few bad apples, operated with an almost utopian sense of trust and honesty.
First, Eric inspected the farming zone.
It was still rough around the edges a basic drainage system had been installed to prevent waterlogging, but the soil itself was untouched and in need of cultivation.
Clearing weeds, removing rocks, and tilling the ground were tasks that would require manual labour or, in this case, Swampert-powered labour.
"I guess Swampert's Water Gun can handle the irrigation for now," Eric mused. "And once the fields expand, we can rotate between Rain Dance and Sunny Day with Luxray and Serperior to manage the weather."
Nearby, the crew had constructed a simple wooden storage shed for crops, complete with a few complimentary iron farming tools.
"Not bad. Those tools alone would've cost hundreds if I'd bought them at the local market," Eric remarked. The foreman really was a generous guy.
Although the farming zone was rudimentary, it was functional. Clearing the area and turning it into productive land would take time, but Eric was ready to start small and grow steadily.
Next, Eric turned his attention to the pasture.
Most of the construction budget had gone into building sturdy wooden fences around this area. Since the pasture was intended for livestock and Pokémon like Tauros, Mareep, or Mudbray, it occupied a large portion of the land nearly a third.
Like the farming zone, the pasture was overrun with weeds and rocks. Once cleared, Eric planned to plant grass seeds before introducing animals or Pokémon.
Finally, Eric inspected the lake zone.
Calling it a "lake" was a bit generous it was just another patch of land for now.
But Eric intended to have Swampert carve out a proper lake using its raw strength.
"Sorry, Swampert," Eric muttered with a wry smile. "You're going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting."
---
With a plan in mind, Eric decided to spend the day clearing the weeds and rocks from the farming and pasture zones.
However, the sheer size of the land made the task daunting. Doing it all by hand would take weeks if not months.
"Well," Eric said with a smirk, "time to cheat a little."
Scanning the sky, Eric spotted a familiar shadow gliding lazily above. "Napping again, huh?"
He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Dragonite!"
After several calls, the sleepy Dragonite finally descended, rubbing its eyes with a soft, questioning chirp.
"Hey, buddy," Eric said, grinning. "Mind calling Swampert for me? I've got some work that needs doing."
As he spoke, Eric couldn't resist poking Dragonite's soft, squishy belly. "Man, this thing is more comfortable than any pillow…"
Dragonite puffed out its chest and saluted before giving Eric a big, affectionate hug. It then flew off in search of Swampert.
While waiting, Eric plopped down on a large rock, idly chatting with his ever-sarcastic system.
"Hey, got any hidden treasures nearby? Maybe a fossil, or an evolutionary stone?"
[Dear host, it's broad daylight. Stop dreaming.]
Eric clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You've been slacking lately. Ever since that Tera Orb experiment, you haven't been much help."
[Are you seriously blaming me?]
[If you'd leave this tiny farm once in a while, you'd be swimming in riches by now. But no, you'd rather stick to this backwater patch of land and 'live the quiet life.']
"…Fair point."
[Oh, by the way, there's a pair of Greedent hoarding berries on the nearby hillside. If you're ever starving, you could always rob them.]
Eric rolled his eyes. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass."
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Just as he considered exploring the nearby forest for potential treasures, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
The caller ID read: Professor Sada
---
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