Chapter 80: Soil Cultivation of Bulbasaur

Guang Tai opened the Poké Ball, releasing the Bulbasaur, and all the Pokémon around immediately gathered around it!

“Doreli~” The flower on Young Lady’s head released another wave of uplifting fragrance, making the Bulbasaur feel more comfortable; Young Lady picked up the Bulbasaur, while the surrounding Pokémon began evaluating its earlier performance!

“Yowoo!” Doujianshao retrieved its shield, signaling that the Bulbasaur had fought exceptionally well!

To think you could push me, the Chief Knight, into such a struggle—truly remarkable! I originally planned to hold back, but I never expected you to withstand my combo-cancelled slashes! You’re no ordinary turtle!

Remember, I’ve slain dragons! Doujianshao began boasting about its past battles with Roundshark; the Bulbasaur, unaware of the truth, found it incredibly impressive!

Meanwhile, Lei Jilock also acknowledged the Bulbasaur—its unexpected fighting style had even stirred excitement in this stone being; though its strength was weak, its aura was strong!

The Bulbasaur’s eyes sparkled—it never imagined that this giant, feared by so many Pokémon in the forest, would recognize its power! It instantly teared up!

Since forever, no one had ever acknowledged it!

“Annong~” Weizhitugeng E floated forward, slightly disgruntled:

You should’ve said you were this strong! If you’re this powerful, why do you even feel inferior? Shouldn’t it be me who feels inferior!

But then again—if you want to do it, isn’t this something you can already achieve?

Take that brave first step—your wonderful turtle life is calling out to you! Companions will come, friends will come—wasn’t I right?

Though slightly annoyed, Weizhitugeng was still somewhat pleased, and realized: the Pokémon brought by Shilabi were indeed special.

The Bulbasaur nodded in agreement—it thanked Weizhitugeng for its advice, and now felt deeply satisfied and joyful!

“From now on, you’re part of our workshop. Thank you for joining us, Bulbasaur. Though I’m not a battle-specialized Trainer, I’ll make you stronger!”

Guang Tai patted the Bulbasaur’s head; he did not pluck the potent herbs from its body. After all, he feared his rare plants might be stripped bare by humans—yet he had never seen a Bulbasaur that collected rare plants like this.

The Bulbasaur stared straight at Guang Tai.

Also, thank you.

Thank you for recognizing me.

The Bulbasaur thought this inwardly.

Then, Young Lady led the Bulbasaur inside the house; it seemed utterly exhausted, and after the excitement faded, it fell into a deep sleep.

Guang Tai applied healing ointment to heal the Bulbasaur’s wounds, and filled the cracked sections of its soil shell with high-quality soil from a flowerpot. Its back shell was formed of soil—it hardened after drinking water, so there was no need to worry too much.

Afterward, Guang Tai took out his notebook and wrote down notes.

“Bulbasaur, a Pokémon from the Shendu Forest.”

“Ability: Overgrow.”

“Cautious nature.”

“Met in the herb field.”

“Dislikes bitterness.”

“Excellent at endurance.”

July 2nd, clear weather.

The Bulbasaur woke up drowsily in the workshop, finding itself in a flowerpot; it turned its head to check the herbs on its back—none had diminished—and Guang Tai was working at a nearby bench.

“Oh, good morning, Bulbasaur!”

“Na!” The Bulbasaur greeted Guang Tai, still somehow nervous—after yesterday’s excitement, it began to reflect on itself, even feeling flustered.

It didn’t know what to do next.

Previously, it had daily routines: find a good spot in the forest to bask, drink water, then visit the workshop to absorb earth energy. Now that it was truly a workshop member, it had no idea what it could do.

Fortunately, Guang Tai had put down his tools and walked over to pick up the Bulbasaur:

“Today, we begin work. Your task is soil cultivation—first, learn from Young Lady how to cultivate soil and grow plants. I’m going out.”

“Na?”

Cultivate soil? Soil needs cultivation?

The Bulbasaur was confused.

Guang Tai smiled: “Of course. High-quality soil grows better crops, but it doesn’t exist naturally—it forms through multiple influences. Without care, it degrades into poor soil—that’s soil degradation.”

“You might not understand yet? That’s fine. Working with Young Lady for a while will make it clear. The principle is just like your shell! You seek good soil to fill your shell and drink water to harden it, right? Poor soil won’t help crop growth or defense.”

“But first, let’s eat something, then replace your soil.”

The Bulbasaur was puzzled—it rarely needed food; most of the time, photosynthesis and water were enough. This was common among Grass-type Pokémon—food was merely supplemental energy, not a main meal.

Guang Tai made Mineqiu snacks, beneficial for Grass-type Pokémon’s growth, greatly boosting their type energy. The Bulbasaur, curious, took one bite—and immediately widened its eyes!

“Na!”

A surge of energy flooded its body, and the Bulbasaur immediately began devouring the food greedily!

It wasn’t just about taste—though it was delicious—but the most important thing was the power, the power surging upward, growing stronger and stronger!

“My Mineqiu snacks are quite powerful—eat more!” Guang Tai smiled. He usually made Mineqiu for Bai Gen Wan Wan, who needed even less regular food than the Bulbasaur—just absorbing juice and liquid, plus cultivating soil, was enough. She was incredibly easy to care for. Now evolved into Xi Cui Young Lady, her eating habits hadn’t changed much.

Probably because Xi Cui Young Lady’s Egg Group is Plant, essentially a plant, while the Bulbasaur’s Egg Group includes both Plant and Monster.

“Since Shilabi left, you’re finally the only one in the house who speaks—besides me.”

Doujianshao has no mouth, Bai Gen Wan Wan has no mouth, even Weizhitugeng and Lei Jilock as a client have no mouths!

At least mealtime is easy!

The Bulbasaur finished its Mineqiu snack happily, feeling boundless energy, its body slightly swollen, its tender leaves fully unfurling, as if about to sprout a third leaf!

Its Grass-type power surged dramatically!

The Bulbasaur happily shook its tender leaves and soil shell, and at that moment, Guang Tai placed it on the workbench and brought out small tools for soil cleaning.

“Tool: Soil Digging Shovel.”

“Description: Forged with firecraft, +15% efficiency in digging and clearing soil, efficiently removes soil and transplants plants without damaging roots.”

“I need to replace the soil on your back.”

Guang Tai asked for the Bulbasaur’s consent; the Bulbasaur thought it had already been accepted, and yesterday it had been recognized—it must be more important than those plants.

“Na!” The Bulbasaur agreed.

The soil shell on its back was hard—it had cultivated this soil for a long time. Though its quality, from the Heiqiuguo tree’s land, couldn’t match the Ruins Orchard or the workshop’s orchard soil, it was still rare and good compared to other soils. Guang Tai took out fertilizer, materials, soft sand, humus soil, orchard soil, and Groundon’s droppings, and began mixing nutrient-rich soil suited for the Bulbasaur.

In the Pokémon world, soil also has tiers.

Though it sounds unbelievable, many Pokémon descriptions mention their ability to enrich and fertilize soil—Pokémon with the Tilling move especially so. The strongest Pokémon known for tilling is likely Kappamoo, one of Alola’s Land Spirits. But often forgotten is Landcloud from Unova—truly the Pokémon most closely tied to soil.

Landcloud absorbs wind and lightning, converting them into energy to nourish the soil and make the land fertile. Its tail releases energy that replenishes soil nutrients, helping crops grow robustly. Wherever it visits, harvests are always bountiful—hence called the God of Farmland.

In the Xi Cui era, peat blocks existed—ancient soil, peat or turf, rich in humus, providing ample nutrients, retaining water and fertilizer well, reducing water loss, and preventing soil depletion.

But during a cold period in the Xi Cui era, residents frequently dug up peat blocks as fuel. Now, in modern Sinnoh, peat blocks no longer exist, and thus Xiongxiong sadly lost its evolution in this era.

Yet, vast peat soil may still exist in the Shendu land, for from Lei Jilock’s description, the Shendu Forest likely harbors Yueyuexiong—a Pokémon that evolves from Xiongxiong using peat blocks.

In another world—the Pokémon Dungeon World—there exists “Phantom Soil.” Seeds planted on it never wither, even if neglected. This ideal soil for cultivation is of dreamlike value, its origin unknown.

In the real world, might such soil be found at the World Tree’s roots, or on some border island?

But the easiest high-quality soil remains that of Hoenn—unlike other regions, its warm, humid climate and active volcanoes make its soil extremely fertile, yielding the most berries of any region.

Pokémon materials for fertile soil: Bai Gen Wan Wan's leaves, Groudon's droppings, Landcloud's energy, Rampardos's rocky skin, Heavy Mud Horse's premium mud, Salazzle's vines, Groudon's volcanic ash, Xerneas's branches?

“Special soil: Paldea’s soil, which forms the ecological core hanging from the dome of the Terastal Blueberry Academy’s ecological egg—containing Paldea soil and Bei Shangxiang’s Crystal Pool water.”

Hoenn’s fertile soil, Sinnoh’s cold soil, Paldea’s Terastal soil, Dream World soil, border island soil, World Tree soil—and various special soils rich in trace elements and minerals, ideal for Rock, Ground, and Steel-type Pokémon.

As Guang Tai mixed the nutrient soil, his thoughts wandered. After completing the mix, he scraped off the Bulbasaur’s old soil shell—the soil from near the Heiqiuguo tree, along with the potent herbs and mint growing on it, was transplanted into a flowerpot. Then Guang Tai spread the newly mixed nutrient soil over the Bulbasaur’s exposed shell.

“Na?” The Bulbasaur sensed a special energy—it could absorb nutrients from the soil, and the nutrient soil crafted in the Pokémon world was incredibly potent!

“Completed a craft: Soil Mixing.”

“Gained Knowledge: Nutrient Boost—your mixed soil produces more nutrients and actively absorbs energy elements from the surrounding environment.”

【Under your craftsmanship, the Bulbasaur gained benefits: increased stats and type energy, improved perception of ground energy.】

【Increases chance of learning Ground-type moves!】

Also:

“Gained Extra Craft: Soil Mixing Craft (C+)—you can mix soils from different regions to create unique nutrient soils. Each has distinct traits, which may manifest on Pokémon. Different soils greatly enhance cultivation for different Pokémon types.”

Guang Tai’s gaze flickered slightly as he continued working; soon, he fully replaced the Bulbasaur’s soil and replanted the potent herbs on its back.

As for the two or three mint sprigs, Guang Tai did not replant them, but told the Bulbasaur: “Different plants require different soil nutrients and types. Herbs need nutrient-rich soil; mint prefers loose, well-drained soil. Your shell is too small to hold so many soil types—and when you drink water and the soil hardens, mint won’t grow well.”

“Na~” The Bulbasaur tilted its head—it understood. Watching Guang Tai replant the mint in the flowerpot and carefully tend it, the Bulbasaur realized its own planting methods had been too crude.

No wonder those plants didn’t grow!

“Here, drink water.”

The Bulbasaur drank the water Guang Tai prepared; its soil shell hardened immediately, and it felt energized, ready to begin work! It felt better than ever!

“In the future, if you acquire more soil, we can further adjust your shell’s composition. Want to grow a plant? Just adjust the soil. When you evolve—”

As Guang Tai spoke, he carried the Bulbasaur outside the workshop. On the way, he noticed more Nuonuogu sprouting at the doorstep; the Bulbasaur, unsurprisingly, was immediately drawn to them.

Nuonuogu is a favorite food of Monster- and Dragon-type Pokémon—and the Bulbasaur is a Monster-type!

“Once you evolve into Turtwig, you can eat both Mineqiu and Guoqiu snacks—double the boost. I never planned to make Turtwig fight—just use it as a mobile garden. But now, if you keep growing like this, with your natural talent, you might become surprisingly strong in battle!”

Guang Tai picked the Nuonuogu and handed one to the Bulbasaur, who bit into it and swallowed it whole, letting out a contented sigh.

Delicious!

The Bulbasaur chewed the Nuonuogu crunchily, its eyes fixed on the mushroom, its mind wandering into fantasy.

If I grow bigger, I could grow these tasty mushrooms on my back.

Guang Tai glanced over.

“You’re not thinking of growing mushrooms on your back, are you? You really can’t walk away from rare plants.”

Guang Tai waved toward the distance; Young Lady, watering with a watering can, immediately waved her leaves and strolled over with graceful cheerfulness.

Young Lady’s face was flushed!

Then comes today’s hug!

First hug the Trainer, then hug Double-Edge Senior, and don’t forget to hug Bulbasaur!

“After evolving, you’ve become quite affectionate. By the way, your Independent Nature changed to ‘Vitality’ after evolving!”

Guang Tai realized the reason Xiang Lei had become so enthusiastic was due to the effect of the Vitality Nature.

But becoming more cheerful is a good thing!

Bulbasaur gazed admiringly at the beautiful Xiang Lei, imagining what he would look like after evolving.

What kind of Pokémon would he evolve into? Bulbasaur had never seen any of his kind, so he had no idea what his future held.

“Xiang Lei, take Bulbasaur and tend to the soil and crops. I’m going to the village.”

Guang Tai gave his instructions and called upon Double-Edge to help him carry the items.

Today’s trip to the village was to temporarily purchase a batch of ordinary materials—cloth, cotton, ore, and the like.

(End of Chapter)