Chapter 44

Meanwhile, after gathering enough wood, Hikaru turned his gaze toward the depths of the forest and ventured inside with Doublade for a brief exploration.

"If I arrange the Symbol Plates to spell out Celebi's name, will it accelerate plant growth? The abilities of the Symbol Plates correspond to Pokémon, and it's said that forests where Celebi has appeared always flourish with dense vegetation."

"I should try it when I get back and see if it can speed up the growth of herbs and crops. Since it promotes tree growth, it must also enhance soil fertility."

Milking Legendary and Mythical Pokémon for benefits?

A little bit doesn't count as exploitation.

As Hikaru explored the forest, he encountered various Pokémon, including the common Spinarak, Pidgey, and Caterpie.

There were also Paras with mushrooms growing on their backs, Cottonee hanging from trees, and Kricketune perched on branches, producing xylophone-like sounds.

Along the roadside, motionless Sunkern, clusters of shy Shroomish, Furret standing on their tails, and Murkrow dozing off were visible.

On the ground, Diglett peeked out of burrows, and a Croagunk stood at the roadside, staring at Hikaru.

"H-hello, I'm just passing through."

Hikaru greeted the Croagunk, which puffed up its cheeks and let out a low croaking sound while staring at him with dull eyes, its head slowly rotating like a machine.

As Hikaru ventured deeper into the forest, he wondered if there might be different terrain ahead. If he kept going, he could follow the trees' guidance into the Sacred Forest of the Northwestern Lands, an ancient and perilous woodland.

"I remember a villager saying he once ventured inside with Bibarel to gather firewood but was attacked by a Scyther. But since we're on a different path, I shouldn't have to worry about that."

Recalling the villager's warning, Hikaru pressed on, primarily aiming to search for Tough Salt.

And fortune favored the diligent—soon, Hikaru discovered a pinkish mineral with properties almost identical to rock salt!

Impurities in the salt veins caused the rock salt to appear pink or beet red, but due to the cover of trees and stones, it was difficult to spot.

[Rare Material: Tough Salt]

[Description: A translucent mineral. Grass- and Rock-type Pokémon favor it, and it can attract them to its location.]

[Acquired Craft: Lure Food Preparation]

[Gained Knowledge: +1]

[Fast Mining: +10% Mining Efficiency]

"If Tough Salt is considered rock salt, then it must be a crystallized form of surface rock salt."

Hikaru started mining and soon filled a bag. Doublade also packed a small bag, and as the wind whispered through the forest, the Pokémon nearby gradually disappeared as the mining progressed.

"Come to think of it, none of the Pokémon I encountered were particularly strong... and I haven't seen any Oddish."

Oddish was practically ubiquitous in the Pokémon world, being one of the most fundamental and essential Pokémon in any ecosystem. Yet, Hikaru hadn't seen a single one along his journey.

Unluckily, he also hadn't found any fruit-bearing trees producing Apricorns. It seemed that this area wasn't suitable for Apricorn growth, or perhaps they had already been eaten by Pokémon.

Even land without soft soil could sustain Apricorn trees, though they would grow more slowly and bear fewer fruits.

Crackle.

Hikaru heard a strange noise.

Had he entered Scyther's territory? No, there were no signs of slashing. It was said that Scyther would cut down trees to hone their scythes.

Soon, Hikaru stumbled upon something remarkable—Apricorns!

A nearby Apricorn tree bore dark-colored fruits, standing alone in a small grassy clearing. The ground slightly bulged like a miniature platform, and there was a noticeable gap between the tree and its surroundings.

The presence of an Apricorn tree indicated that the soil here was highly fertile.

A round, Apricorn-like Pokémon rolled into view!

"Hisui Voltorb!"

Hikaru hadn't expected to see one so soon. However, after hiding behind a tree and observing for a while, he didn't spot any other Voltorb or the large Hisuian Electrode.

The Hisuian Voltorb let out a gleeful giggle, then shot a bunch of electrically charged seeds from its head before rolling in place a few times and using Rollout!

The attack struck the Apricorn tree, knocking several dark Apricorns onto the seeds below. The Hisuian Voltorb then cackled and rolled away.

...So it just came here to crash into things?

That felt strangely mischievous.

"Wait, maybe this is a form of sowing. It's said that Hisuian Voltorb's composition is similar to Apricorns, and they spread seeds through the holes in their heads."

"Perhaps, at some point, these seeds fuse with the Apricorns and turn into something like an egg."

"Pokémon eggs always appear suddenly, without any clear signs. To this day, no one has witnessed the exact moment an egg comes into existence."

"But not all Pokémon need eggs to develop. For example, Exeggutor—if its faces fall off, they become its pre-evolution, Exeggcute."

"I've just witnessed something incredibly rare. This could be how Hisuian Voltorb reproduces—through the fusion of Apricorns and seeds, much like Exeggutor and Exeggcute. One day, these Apricorns might turn into Pokémon."

After the Hisuian Voltorb rolled away, Hikaru approached the Apricorn tree and gathered all the fallen Apricorns and seeds.

[Rare Material: Black Apricorn]

[Description: A black-colored Apricorn with an indescribable fragrance. Used as a crafting material for Poké Balls. Some Pokémon enjoy its flesh, consuming the interior while leaving the tough outer shell.]

[Acquired Craft: +1]

[Apricorn Processing Craft (B+): In ancient times, artisans would hollow out and fire Apricorns, inserting specialized Pokémon-catching nets to craft Poké Balls. Apricorn-made Poké Balls typically possess unique properties.]

[Missing Requirement: Net Weaving Craft]

[Can Be Crafted: Hisui Poké Ball (Requires Jade, Scrap Iron, Brown Apricorn).]

[Rare Material: Voltorb Seed (From Hisuian Voltorb).]

[Description: Seeds dispersed by Hisuian Voltorb. They seem to parasitize Apricorns and, when gathered in large quantities, generate electricity, functioning as natural batteries.]

[Gained Knowledge: +1]

[Seed Mutation: Crops and Apricorn trees planted by you have a 5% chance to mutate.]

"So, they weren't Electric Seeds but rather a rare Pokémon material. Since Hisuian Pokémon are scarce, their seeds are considered rare materials. However, when they are ejected, they resemble Electric Seeds, crackling with electricity."

Most of the mature Apricorns had been knocked down by Hisuian Voltorb, while the unripe ones remained on the tree. It was known that excessive harvesting could kill an Apricorn tree.

The ground was also littered with many long-rotten Apricorns, suggesting that Hisuian Voltorb's sowing process was not always successful.

"Even though the Sacred Lands have a climate similar to Hisui, this isn't actually Hisui. That's likely why Hisuian Pokémon struggle to thrive here—they're constantly searching for Apricorns to sustain their population."

"And since Hisuian Voltorb cackles and discharges electricity so often, it must be why other Pokémon have fled. Its presence around the Apricorn tree probably scared them off. When it gets excited, it releases accumulated electricity all at once through its head, shocking everything nearby. In ancient villages, it was said that people would seal its wooden head openings before driving it away."

Recalling this amusing Pokédex entry from when he played the games, Hikaru couldn't help but chuckle.

"It rolled off west-northwest, towards the area where Petilil reside."

Having gathered plenty of materials, Hikaru and Doublade left, ensuring to mark their path on nearby trees. However, Hikaru pondered aloud, "What if the trees recover quickly, or if a Grass-type Pokémon passes by and restores them?"

Doublade thought for a moment before spotting some rocks nearby. The two blades immediately went to work, slicing and carving a crude yet distinctive stone marker.

"Yo!"

It might have been shoddy craftsmanship, but at least it was unique—no way they'd lose their way now!

As they departed, the surrounding bushes rustled.

A small, turtle-like Pokémon peeked out. A special sprout grew from its head, and upon seeing that both Hisuian Voltorb and Hikaru had left, it let out a sigh of relief.

"Turtwig."

The Turtwig carefully surveyed the area. After confirming that no intruders remained, it emerged from the bushes. Strange plants grew atop the soil-covered shell on its back, with particularly eye-catching patches of red.

Powerful Herbs and Nature Mints!

It circled behind the Apricorn tree, quickly dug a small hole, and nestled inside, raising its leafy sprout as it used Synthesis.

Blending in with the fertile soil, Turtwig nurtured the plants on its back and settled in for a restful nap.

But… this area was frequently visited by Hisuian Voltorb.

Turtwig sighed.

Maybe it was time to find a new home.

The forest had become so chaotic lately—Scyther, Ursaring, shadowy ghosts, rolling electric balls, and that strange rock-digging giant…

"Shi~!"

A peculiar, ethereal giggle echoed in Turtwig's ears. It immediately jolted awake, glancing around nervously. A grass-green Pokémon had materialized beside it, startling the little turtle!

Turtwig had never seen such a Pokémon before.

Was it after the plants on its back?!

The green Pokémon murmured softly, then pointed in Hikaru's direction.

Turtwig hesitated, glancing that way before shaking its head.

If it lived among humans, they'd pluck all the plants off its back!

The green Pokémon simply shook its head, indicating that it had seen plenty of thriving plants in that human's land. The environment there was brimming with life!

(End of Chapter)

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