Pokemon: Champion's Path

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Technically, even the weakest Grass-type Pokémon should be able to share their energy and nutrients to help crops sprout, grow, and bear fruit at an extraordinary speed far faster than what Eric remembered from his life before coming to this world.

Under normal conditions, with basic watering and fertilizing, crops in this world already grew faster than what was natural in his old world.

With Serperior, one of Eric's strongest Pokémon, assisting, the results should've been extraordinary.

It wasn't as if Serperior could control the environment like a Legendary Pokémon, but helping seeds sprout and grow should've been trivial.

Yet, despite all their efforts, the potato seeds hadn't even sprouted.

Eric was baffled. His grip on the hoe slackened, and he plopped onto the damp ground without a second thought. At this point, why bother worrying about appearances? Farming was dirty work anyway.

He fumbled in his pocket, his muddy fingers searching for his phone, only to realize it wasn't there. Right, he had left it strapped to Dragonite's chest to ensure his companion could stay in touch while flying to Levincia.

With no way to search for answers online or leave a question on a farming blog, Eric sighed deeply. "Well, this complicates things."

He sat cross-legged in the dirt, replaying the morning's work in his mind. He hadn't been entirely clueless about farming he was sure he hadn't made any major mistakes.

Looking at Serperior and Swampert standing nearby, Eric asked, "Do either of you have any idea what went wrong?"

The two Pokémon exchanged confused glances. If Eric was now relying on them for farming advice, he must have been truly desperate.

Neither Serperior nor Swampert had the slightest clue about agriculture. Their minds were filled with battle tactics, type advantages, and strategies from their travels through the Paldea region. Farming? That was completely outside their expertise.

Just as the trio sat in a bewildered silence, a familiar voice called out. "Eric, Swampert, Serperior… what are you all doing?"

Eric looked up, his furrowed brows easing slightly as he saw the speaker.

A boy with neatly combed, light brown hair dressed in an expensive-looking suit approached with a bright smile. Beside him, Mabosstiff wagged its tail wildly at Eric, barking excitedly.

"Arven? Mabosstiff? What are you doing here?" Eric asked, blinking in surprise.

Arven patted Mabosstiff's head, whispering something to the Pokémon. With a happy bark, Mabosstiff ran off to play in the open field, kicking up dirt as it ran.

"I just felt like visiting you," Arven said with a mischievous smile. "What, are you not happy to see me?"

"…What kind of manipulative line is that?" Eric muttered, his expression twitching slightly.

Still, he smiled and replied, "Of course, I'm happy to see you."

Eric reached out, intending to ruffle Arven's hair, but froze halfway when he remembered his hands were caked in mud. Awkwardly retracting his hand, he changed the subject. "Did your mom and dad know you came here?"

For a brief moment, Arven's smile faltered. He lowered his gaze and mumbled, "…Yeah, they know."

Eric didn't notice the hesitation in Arven's tone. Thinking about yesterday, he assumed that Arven's relationship with Sada had improved after his suggestion for them to cook together. "What did you and your mom make for dinner last night? Was it good?" he asked.

Arven's smile stiffened. After a brief pause, he forced himself to respond. "We made sandwiches… they were delicious."

Eric nodded approvingly, oblivious to Arven's strained expression. "Looks like my suggestion worked! Keep it up, and your family will be closer than ever."

Unaware of Arven's inner turmoil, Eric crouched near Swampert, who was carefully holding the incubator with the Pokémon egg.

Swampert, ever helpful, produced a small stream of purified water for Eric to rinse his hands.

As he washed, Eric explained, "Oh, right. You asked what we were doing earlier. We've been trying to plant potatoes, but… it didn't work."

He gestured toward the makeshift test field, his voice tinged with frustration. "I mean, we followed all the steps. Swampert watered the seeds, Serperior gave them nutrients and energy… but nothing happened. Not even a sprout."

Arven turned to look at the patch of soil, his brow furrowing in thought. For a long moment, he simply stared. Then he sighed and gave Eric a long, strange look.

"…Why are you looking at me like that?" Eric asked, unnerved. "Just say it already."

Shaking his head, Arven muttered, "It's hard to believe… but this might actually be common knowledge, and you just didn't know?"

Eric's eye twitched. 'Sorry for being illiterate in this world, okay?!' he thought bitterly.

With a resigned sigh, Arven stepped into the field, paying no mind to his expensive shoes getting dirty. He grabbed the hoe Eric had been using and dug into the soil.

After a moment, he stopped and examined something in the dirt.

"…I see," Arven murmured, holding up a handful of soil and small fragments of something white and broken.

"What is it?" Eric asked, leaning closer.

Arven shook his head again, this time with a mix of exasperation and pity. "It's the seeds. They've been crushed."

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