For the next two days, Hikaru and Honedge continued working on clearing the land, not venturing anywhere else.
On the morning of the third day, a group of Diglett suddenly appeared near the cleared land and began calling out to Hikaru.
Today was June 11th, and the weather was clear.
"Dig, dig!"
The Diglett were here already? Did the farming work in the village conclude?
This caught Hikaru by surprise, but an even more unexpected event followed—suddenly, the ground swelled, and three round, brown heads emerged from the soil.
"Daguu!"
It was Dugtrio!
Dugtrio, the trio of Diglett siblings, were specialists in teamwork. Compared to their unevolved form, they simply had two additional heads identical to Diglett. However, their heights differed slightly, and as always, their bodies remained unseen beneath the earth.
The six eyes of Dugtrio fixated on Hikaru as they called out, "Daguu, daguu!" Though Hikaru couldn't understand their speech, thankfully, Honedge was by his side.
Despite different cries, Pokémon seemed to share a universal understanding of each other's language. This phenomenon was so mysterious that even Pokémon linguistics remained an unsolved field. Hikaru himself could only understand Ghost-type Pokémon through his knowledge but was helpless with other types.
"Yo~ yo~!" Honedge nodded its hilt and began explaining to Hikaru.
Apparently, the elderly apothecary had told the Diglett about him and even provided them with food. The Diglett decided that now was the right time to come and help.
Farming had to follow specific timeframes and couldn't be delayed too long—especially in this land, which had not been cultivated for years. Weeds had overgrown, and there were no signs of past tilling, so they came immediately to assist!
As Hikaru processed this, knowledge about soil cultivation surfaced in his mind:
The first tilling primarily cuts and mixes surface weeds and crop residues into the soil, preparing it for further tilling.
For softer soil, fewer tilling sessions are needed, whereas harder or compacted soil requires additional passes to ensure even mixing and refinement.
At the same time, Dugtrio's plowing could turn the land into Soft Soil, ideal for growing Berries. However, if not regularly tilled or fertilized, it would soon revert to normal soil.
This was knowledge from the Planter's field of study!
"Diglett are natural agricultural experts. There are very few Pokémon that can match their understanding of soil." Hikaru murmured, expressing his gratitude to Dugtrio.
"You're a huge help! I didn't realize you were natural-born farming masters—amazing!"
"Daguu! Daguu too!" Dugtrio puffed up with pride at Hikaru's compliment. Their calls seemed to say, "No big deal! We do this every year—don't be so impressed!"
The Diglett were in high spirits as they quickly got to work, plowing the soil with enthusiasm. Dugtrio had brought along over a dozen Diglett, and together, they sang their Diglett song while tirelessly burrowing and tilling the land.
Meanwhile, Hikaru prepared food for them.
There were some general supplies, as well as Berries and specialized Pokémon food.
The previous owner of this place had carried Pokémon food when exploring the wild—either to bribe wild Pokémon or to distract them long enough to escape. In an emergency, humans could eat it too.
Honedge hovered midair, watching the Diglett work with rapt attention. The sight of them laboring away faintly reminded it of the scenes it had witnessed in the past—during the kingdom's era. However, back then, humans used tools to forcibly make "magical beasts" perform work.
The Diglett were astonishingly fast. Even though the land had been untouched for years, their efforts quickly loosened the hard soil.
As they worked, the compacted layers transformed into fine, aerated soil, improving its water retention and nutrient capacity while making it easier for plant roots to grow and spread.
"Daguu!"
Dugtrio emerged from the soil triumphantly. Their call signaled that the entire area Hikaru had cleared was now fully tilled!
At that moment, knowledge flooded into Hikaru's mind.
『Dugtrio and the Diglett helped you complete a task!』
『Obtained: "Soft Soil"!』
『Dugtrio and Diglett gained experience and growth! Speed EV increased!』
『Dugtrio gained knowledge: Power Tilling—Tilling speed +10%.』
『Dugtrio learned the move: Earth Power!』
"Daguu?"
Dugtrio seemed startled by its sudden changes. All three heads looked around in confusion.
How did we learn a new move just from plowing? And why do we feel stronger? This is weird!
Hikaru, too, was surprised.
"I see… This really is like Poké Helpers! As long as Pokémon assist in tasks, they gain experience and grow over time. The 'growth' here likely refers to level-ups and EV increases."
After finishing their meal, the Diglett happily burrowed away, leaving as cheerfully as they had arrived.
In just a short time, the barren land had transformed into a fresh field of rich, tilled soil. Hikaru and Honedge continued clearing leftover rocks and branches, even using some of the branches to create simple partitions for different crops.
"The herb section—Revival Herb, Energy Root, Heal Powder, and Pesticide Weed."
"The Berry section—Fertilizer will be ordered online."
Seeds were categorized and planted accordingly, including Beach Carrots, Rolling Beans, Royal Leaves, and Heal Powder.
Some transplanting was also completed—Revival Herbs were reburied, as these potent medicinal plants primarily reproduce through their sturdy rhizomes (also known as Energy Root).
By utilizing its regenerative properties, the Revival Herb could be propagated through rhizome division—cutting horizontal root sections into smaller segments, each containing 3–5 buds for separate cultivation.
Through continued planting, Hikaru's Planter's Knowledge passively accelerated growth, making the crops healthier and more vigorous than their counterparts.
As Honedge idly scraped at the soil with its ribbon while gathering branches, it suddenly widened its eye in realization.
"Yo?!"
Wait a second—didn't my trainer say something before?
Revival Herbs and Energy Root can be combined into Revival Powder?!
"Yo!"
Honedge's eye gleamed with excitement as it gazed at the sections planted with Revival Herb and Energy Root.
These sections are way too small! They should be expanded! If we grow more, we can have an unlimited supply of Revival Powder!
"Oh? Want an endless supply of Revival Powder?" Hikaru chuckled. "Herbs do grow quickly, but they don't grow infinitely. Medicinal plants, in particular, deplete soil nutrients rapidly. Without quality fertilizer to replenish the land, over-cultivation will cause soil degradation."
He waved dismissively, rejecting Honedge's ambitious proposal. Honedge's eye widened in shock.
Soil… degradation?
That was something it had never heard of before!
Honedge started pondering deeply. Soon, it swayed its ribbon and had another idea!
Wait—wasn't it true that some Grass- and Ground-type Pokémon could enrich the soil? That meant they just needed to capture Pokémon with the right abilities!
"You're getting ahead of yourself," Hikaru laughed. "We haven't even finished the first planting phase. Besides, catching Grass-types isn't that simple. Some Grass Pokémon don't enrich soil—they actually deplete it."
Looking at you, Wo-Chien.
But that thing was a Legendary Pokémon, sealed far away, so there was no worry of it suddenly appearing here.
Even among common Grass-types, Gloom and its evolutionary line could affect crop yields because they competed for nutrients.
This realization made Honedge shudder and reflect.
So not all Grass-types help plants grow? Some even harm the soil?
Meanwhile, Hikaru mused about Honedge's proposal.
"If only Celebi could lend a hand… But who am I kidding?"
With nightfall, Hikaru resumed work.
The fabrics stored in the dark corners had developed an eerie aura. Picking up a piece, Hikaru examined its details.
『Uncommon Material: Eerie Cloth』
『Description: A tattered cloth imbued with ghostly energy. If further refined by Ghost Pokémon, it can become "Old Talisman Cloth."』
『Crafting charms, garments, or accessories with this material may result in unique effects.』
『Knowledge gained: +1』
『Ghost Cloth Artisan: Eerie Cloth processing speed +10%.』
"Honedge, time to get to work!"
Honedge had been eagerly waiting for this moment. It skillfully wrapped some of the fabric with its blue ribbon, infusing it with Ghost energy. Slowly, the cloth's color deepened, merging with Honedge's spectral essence.
In Hikaru's eyes, the material's information was already changing…
(End of Chapter)
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