Chapter 21: I'm Truly Sorry for Being Illiterate

Logically speaking, even the most ordinary Grass-type Pokémon, if willing to transfer their own energy and part of the nutrients stored for growth to the crops, would cause those crops to sprout, grow, and bear fruit at a speed that defies Luo Mu's pre-transmigration understanding.

If one follows the most ordinary planting method, watering and fertilizing only on schedule each day, the crops' growth cycle will be faster than before transmigration, but they will still require a certain amount of time to mature.

As one of Luo Mu's six main forces, Serperior's strength is countless times greater than that of the ordinary Pokémon on the farm; although not yet powerful enough to rewrite the surrounding environment single-handedly like legendary Pokémon.

But making potato seeds grow rapidly should surely be an effortless task?

Luo Mu did not understand; he was greatly shaken.

Loosening his grip on the hoe, Luo Mu paid no mind to the still-damp mud on the ground and plopped down right there.

Since he was already working in the fields, why bother with appearance and demeanor? It was enough to look decent when outside.

Luo Mu's fingers, trembling slightly after half a day of farm work, fumbled shakily in his pants pocket, yet found nothing; only then did he remember that, to let Dragonite contact Chrysa, who was waiting in Levincia City, he had specifically hung his mobile phone around its chest.

Now, the best shortcuts—searching for answers online or leaving comments under farm bloggers' videos to wait for their clarification—were no longer possible.

"Hmm... this is troublesome." Luo Mu sat cross-legged, striving to recall and review his previous farming operations; although his movements were slightly unskilled, he hadn't made any major mistakes.

After pondering for a long time without finding an answer, Luo Mu could only turn his head to look at Serperior and Swampert beside him, asking, "Can you two see where the problem lies?"

Serperior and Swampert exchanged glances, feeling that Luo Mu had become so desperate he was seeking answers from them; it seemed he truly had no other options.

However, whether Serperior or Swampert, having accompanied Luo Mu throughout his campaigns in the Paldea region this past year, neither knew anything about the knowledge of planting crops.

Apart from combat techniques, the only other thing in their brains was damn well just combat techniques.

Asking them to answer this question was less effective than asking them to fight the Paldea Elite Four again; with the experience from the first time, it would at least be much simpler, and they wouldn't be left with three blank faces like they were now.

Just as Luo Mu and the others were at a loss, a slightly hesitant voice rang out: "Brother Luo Mu, and Swampert and Serperior... what are you all doing?"

Luo Mu's worried expression froze, and he looked toward the newcomer.

He had soft, short beige-brown hair and wore a small suit that looked anything but cheap; by his side followed a Mabosstiff wagging its tail frantically at Luo Mu.

Luo Mu blinked, exclaiming in surprise, "Penny, Mabosstiff!? How did you two get here?"

Penny patted the head of his Mabosstiff, which had dutifully stayed by his side and even fought several wild Pokémon, telling it that it could go play.

With a howl, Mabosstiff, so excited it didn't even lick its dusty fur, ran straight into the open field to frolic.

Penny watched Mabosstiff's figure frolicking in the field with a gentle smile, then turned to look at Luo Mu and said, "I suddenly wanted to come play with Brother Luo Mu; what's wrong, does Brother Luo Mu not welcome me?"

Luo Mu: "........."

Kid, where did you learn such passive-aggressive tea-speak?

"Welcome, of course you're welcome." Luo Mu's mouth twitched, forcing a smile; he wanted to use his mischievous hands to ruffle Penny's hair, but halfway through the motion remembered his hands were covered in mud. Under Penny's puzzled gaze, he awkwardly withdrew his hands, turned his head to look into the distance, and changed the subject: "Do Professors Sada and Turo know you came out?"

Hearing this, the slight upward curve of Penny's lips stiffened; lowering his eyelids, he whispered, "They know."

Immersed in the awkward atmosphere, Luo Mu this time failed to notice Penny's unusual emotional state.

Luo Mu thought that since he had sent Penny back so early yesterday and even reminded him he could make dinner with Professor Sada, the mother-son relationship must have grown much closer; turning back, he asked curiously, "What dinner did you make with Professor Sada last night? Was it delicious?"

The moment Luo Mu turned his head, Penny had already concealed his emotions; forcing a slightly stiff smile, he whispered softly, "We made sandwiches; they were very delicious..."

However, it was actually him alone trying to make sandwiches, which he then shared and ate with Mabosstiff.

Luo Mu nodded slightly; it seemed his subtle hints to Professor Sada and the others had some effect. If he persisted like this, perhaps he could really change the two professors' minds and avoid the regrettable ending that might come in the future.

Although everyone sitting together to make dumplings is a cliché, he liked it very much.

Luo Mu squatted in front of Swampert, who was carefully holding the incubator, and extended his hand; Swampert very consciously spat a stream of water from its mouth. Although it looked somewhat bizarre, this water stream was indeed composed of pure Water-type energy and was very clean.

While washing his hands, Luo Mu said, "Speaking of which, I haven't answered the question you just asked me yet; here's the situation: we were trying to plant potatoes, but it seems we failed."

Luo Mu shook the water from his hands and pointed toward the test plot he had temporarily marked out over there.

Having already cried enough in the past, Penny no longer generated strong emotions; he quickly adjusted, blinked, directed his gaze toward the test plot Luo Mu was pointing at, and asked with great confusion, "Failed... how could it fail?"

Even he knew that potatoes could be considered one of the easiest crops to plant.

Planting this could fail?

Luo Mu jerked his chin toward Serperior and Swampert, sighed, and said, "After planting them following the normal procedure, I had Swampert water them, and Serperior transferred nutrients and Grass-type energy to the seeds; as a result, not only did no potatoes appear, not even a sprout emerged."

"......."

Penny fell silent, looking at Luo Mu with a strange and complex expression that made Luo Mu feel chilled to the bone, his face full of confusion.

Unable to bear Penny's speechless gaze, Luo Mu raised his hands in surrender: "Don't look at me with that kind of expression; just say whatever you want to say!"

Penny shook his head and sighed for a while, then helplessly revealed the truth: "Logically speaking, this is common sense that even I, a ten-year-old child, knows; Brother Luo Mu, you actually just foolishly walked right into it."

Luo Mu's eye twitched; sorry about that, the version of him in this world never went to school and is indeed an illiterate.

Penny didn't mind the mud sticking to the hoe at all; wearing his small suit and leather shoes that looked very expensive, he stepped into the field, picked up the hoe, dug for a short while, then looked into the hole, a flash of realization crossing his face.

Crushed seeds... just as expected.