Pokémon Breeder's Story

Chapter 18: Oddish and the Herb Garden

"Owner, do you have any Beautifly eggs for sale?"

"Owner, I'll be ten next year, please be sure to save a Pokémon for me!"

"Owner, owner, I don't have space at home. When the time comes, can I leave the Pokémon I catch on my journey in your care?"

The young children spoke all at once. Although their questions were varied, their eyes were all filled with the same longing to become trainers and a deep love for Pokémon.

Kenji smiled and responded to each of them.

"We don't have any Beautifly eggs, but we might have Wurmple eggs. If you like that Pokémon, I can help keep an eye out for you later."

"Of course, no problem. Come back when you're ten, and I promise I'll have a large batch of Pokémon eggs ready for you to choose from."

"Fostering? Of course, you can. I look forward to seeing what rare Pokémon you'll meet on your journeys!"

Fallarbor Town was a small agricultural town, and the children in it were mostly from ordinary rural families. They didn't have the opportunity to receive one of the three starters from a professor like some others, let alone send their Pokémon to live at Professor Oak's laboratory like Ash Ketchum. So, in this situation, a breeding center became their best option. If not for the breeding center, they would have to rely on their own strength to venture into the dangerous wilderness to catch Pokémon.

Kenji looked at the simple and pure children before him and couldn't help but think: Perhaps the Bug Catchers and Youngsters that players encounter in the games are just like them.

"Wow! That's great!"

Hearing Kenji's words, the children erupted in a unified cheer. They stayed at the breeding center for a long time, only leaving one after another as noon approached.

Once the children left, the breeding center immediately became quiet. With no customers at the moment, Kenji prepared a simple lunch for himself and his Pokémon.

"Woof woof woof!"

The little Growlithe energetically followed behind Kenji, running in circles around his legs, seemingly inviting him to play.

Kenji picked Growlithe up and placed it to the side. "Sit by yourself for a little while first."

"Woof... whim..."

Seeing that Kenji wasn't playing with it, the little Growlithe was very hurt. Its ears drooped, and a small dark cloud even appeared over its head.

Kenji: "..."

What do you do when your Pokémon is too clingy?

He sighed helplessly and said to Growlithe, "It's not that I don't want to play with you. I have to prepare food for everyone. You must be hungry too, right? How about I play with you right after we finish eating?"

"Woof!"

The dark cloud dispersed, and a small sun appeared above Growlithe's head. After Kenji said that, Growlithe belatedly realized that it was hungry too! So the little puppy Pokémon stopped making a fuss and obediently sat to the side, waiting for its meal.

[Growlithe's mood has improved. Joy Value +10. Received Growlithe's gift: Little Puppy Paw Print.]

[Little Puppy Paw Print: A paw print left by a young Growlithe. It is proof of Growlithe's friendship and affection and is full of commemorative value.]

Looking at the mold with a plum blossom-shaped paw print that had suddenly appeared in his pocket, Kenji was at a loss for words. But one thing was certain, this item was indeed full of commemorative value. Kenji carefully stored the paw print away, planning to show it to Growlithe when it grew up.

Lunch was once again eaten at the small dining table. The human and his three Pokémon sat around the table, looking just like a family.

Growlithe finished its Moomoo Milk and couldn't help but yawn. After running around all morning, it was a little sleepy. Pokémon in their infancy were often like this, getting tired easily, but it was also a sign that they were growing.

Seeing this, Kenji had Bewear take Growlithe back to the room for an afternoon nap. He, in the meantime, took advantage of the lack of customers to bring Oddish to the herb garden.

Kenji took out his Psyduck Watering Can and performed the daily task of watering the vegetables and herbs.

"Oddish," Kenji called out.

"Oddi?" Oddish looked over, a little puzzled.

"Can you do me a favor?" Kenji looked at the fields where crops had yet to sprout and said to Oddish, "If you can, could you use your Grass-type energy to help care for the seeds in these fields?"

Oddish blinked its eyes and agreed without hesitation. "Oddi~" Of course!

Kenji was its trainer now. Not only did he prepare delicious snacks for it every day, but he had also created a special area just for it to live in! Oddish loved this herb garden very much. Its heart was filled with gratitude for Kenji, and it was very happy to have met him. And now, if it could help Kenji, that would be even better!

Pokémon were just that simple. If you were good to them, they would be good to you too.

Seeing this, Kenji felt a sense of relief. "In that case, I'm counting on you!"

He was not a professional trainer; he couldn't make his Pokémon stronger through special training battles. But breeders had their own training methods. By integrating training into daily life, on the surface, it looked like Oddish was just using its energy to help care for the herb garden. But in reality, by doing so, Oddish was also improving its proficiency in controlling its Grass-type energy.

They got to work right away. Oddish had slept all morning and wasn't sleepy now. Since it had nothing else to do, it could help Kenji tend to the farm.

The little Oddish focused its mind and mobilized the Grass-type energy in its body. It used Ingrain to bury itself in the soil, sensing the seeds buried within. Under Oddish's control, a steady stream of green, Grass-type energy was released from its body. This energy turned into nutrients and began to nourish the seeds.

From the surface, the field didn't seem to change much. But Kenji knew this was because Oddish's power was still too weak. When it evolved into a Bellossom in the future, it might be able to make seeds take root, sprout, blossom, and bear fruit with just a single thought!

Kenji wasn't in a hurry. With his miraculous special ability, that day was just a matter of time.

Just then, a clear chirp sounded from above.

Kenji looked up and saw that the insatiable Taillow had, at some point, landed on his roof again.

Once a stranger, twice an acquaintance. The Taillow stared down at Kenji, the human who had fed it this morning. Now it was hungry, so it had come back.

Well, I'll be!

Has this Taillow come to freeload again?

Thinking of the information that was possibly related to the Legendary Pokémon Latias and Latios, Kenji didn't hesitate. For him, it was just a few Pokémon snacks. To be able to exchange that for information on Legendary Pokémon, it was worth it!