Chapter 16

Luo Mu remembered that after a Terastal Pearl completed one Terastallization, all the Terastal energy stored within it would be exhausted, rendering the Trainer unable to use Terastallization a second time.

To replenish Terastal energy, there were two options.

The first method was to visit any Pokémon Center in town and use the Terastal Energy Recharging Device, invented by Professor Aurin and Professor Fortu.

However, because the Terastal Pearl had not yet been fully mass-produced, the Terastal Energy Recharging Devices were only installed in a few major cities in the Paldea region—Pingdi Town was not among them.

The second method was to seek out the rare Terastal Crystals scattered across the vast lands of Paldea; when the Terastal Pearl came into contact with a Terastal Crystal, the energy would automatically refill into the Pearl.

This method was far more practical, but Luo Mu had yet to encounter a single Terastal Crystal near his farm—he could only wait a while longer before recharging.

Thinking of this, Luo Mu sighed and gave up on the idea of determining the Terastal types of his other Pokémon besides Mudsdale.

Riolu and Kingdra were surely Terastal Electric and Terastal Grass, but the only uncertain ones were Cramorant, Mimikyu, and Dragonite.

Pippa tugged at Luo Mu’s sleeve and asked curiously, “So this is how you plant crops and harvest ingredients?”

Luo Mu paused for a moment, then said, “Well, generally speaking, as long as you’ve cleared the land and the plants aren’t restricted to specific seasons or soil conditions, you can grow them.”

“I’m only half-informed on this myself—I haven’t decided yet what to plant first.”

Pippa stared at him in disbelief. Even as a ten-year-old, he could tell how unreliable Luo Mu was—he clearly had no professional knowledge of farming, bordering on complete ignorance.

“Big Brother Luo Mu, you...”

Pippa struggled for half a minute, unable to find the right words.

Luo Mu laughed and gave Pippa two heavy claps on the shoulder, nearly knocking him off balance, then grinned mysteriously: “I know what you’re thinking. Truth is, I’m fully aware I’m an outsider—so why not go ask a professional?”

Pippa rubbed his slightly sore shoulder and tilted his head.

Jones Farm was one of Pingdi Town’s largest sources of agricultural produce; its fruits, vegetables, and crops were distributed to townspeople’s tables and even shipped to major cities across Paldea.

With such massive sales, it was naturally one of the town’s top taxpayers and received preferential treatment from local authorities in every way.

Jones Farm lay farther west of the land Luo Mu had purchased, also on the outskirts of Pingdi Town, bordering some wild terrain.

Yet in terms of facilities and staff expertise, it was a world apart from Luo Mu’s empty, neglected farm.

At the farm’s entrance gatehouse, it was just past afternoon; through the glass, an old man lay sound asleep on a reclining chair.

Luo Mu glanced at his cheap hundred-yuan wristwatch, confirmed it was past two p.m.—past the end of the nap break—and gently tapped on the glass: “Sir, visitor registration.”

The old man had a straw hat pulled over his face, likely to block the afternoon sun. After Luo Mu knocked three more times, he slowly stirred, blinking sleepily at the visitors.

A young man and a child... and a dog?

The odd trio confused the old man, but he still rose dutifully, yawned, and pulled out a registration form: “Name?”

Luo Mu smiled: “Luo Mu. I made a reservation for a visit—please check.”

The old man lifted his head, studied Luo Mu, then shuffled through the papers with his wrinkled fingers, put on his reading glasses, and chuckled: “Heh, you’re right—scheduled for two p.m. today. Guess old man here overslept.”

“My apologies.”

“No problem,” Luo Mu shook his head, indicating he hadn’t minded, then added: “As agreed earlier, could you please arrange a guide for us?”

“Of course, of course!” The old man exhaled in relief, picked up the landline, and began dialing—then paused, his fingers hovering, and glanced at Pippa and Aojiaofu: “Who are they...?”

Luo Mu glanced at Pippa and Aojiaofu, then replied calmly: “My relative’s child and Pokémon—they happened to need a ride, so I’m bringing them along. Could you make an exception?”

The old man hesitated, then finally dialed the number.

Soon after, someone arrived.

The man was in his early twenties, with a short crew cut and bright, clear eyes that radiated an unusual sense of purity.

He seemed to have just come from the fields—his pant legs were smeared with fresh, damp soil, and he carried a large straw hat on his back, vaguely resembling an enlarged version of the Bug-Catching Boy from games Luo Mu had once played.

The young man flashed a wide smile, took over from the gatekeeper, and led them through the gates of Jones Farm.

Jones Farm specialized in growing seasonal fruits and vegetables; its area was small—only about half the size of the land Luo Mu had bought.

Yet Luo Mu had divided his own land into zones, and the actual farming area was even smaller than Jones Farm’s.

On the way, the young man introduced himself briefly: his name was Peter, the head of Jones Farm’s fruit and vegetable division—he participated in nearly all planting-related tasks, making him a true professional.

Peter said the Joneses had been honored to hear a fellow farmer had come to learn from them, but also disappointed—they were currently negotiating business at the Qinzhen Market and couldn’t return to host.

So the task had fallen to him.

“I heard from the bosses that someone had recently bought that long-abandoned plot nearby,” Peter said, his face filled with gratitude as he gripped Luo Mu’s hand. “I never expected it was you! The Joneses had been watching that land for ages, debating whether to buy it—never thought you’d snatch it up first, haha!”

Luo Mu felt awkward—he remembered the town mayor had mentioned others were hesitating due to price. He’d spent a year traveling, saved up, and bought it outright with cash.

He hadn’t realized the Joneses were among them.

“First come, first served—don’t mind it!” Peter squeezed Luo Mu’s hand tighter and said bluntly: “Honestly, I owe you. If you hadn’t bought that land, my workload would’ve doubled!”

“So ask me anything you want to know!”