Chapter 377: Mount Skiddo and Reclaiming New Fields!

Four in the afternoon.

Luo Mu returned to the farm right on time and introduced Greavard, the new member, to Lei Guan Wang and Oranguru, who were sitting inside the house tasting tea.

After hearing Greavard's story, Lei Guan Wang set down its teacup and praised, "It is already good that you can recognize your mistake and correct it."

In Lei Guan Wang's view, everyone makes mistakes; even it, a former king who could slightly glimpse the future and is now a farmer, was no exception.

Greavard's error was truly not an issue that could not be overlooked.

"Ding~"

Standing on the table and hearing Lei Guan Wang's telepathy, Greavard hid fearfully behind Luo Mu's palm; even though Lei Guan Wang's aura was gentle, the perceptive creature still felt the terrifying power concealed beneath Lei Guan Wang's body.

Apart from Luo Mu, Greavard was not yet very adept at dealing with other people or Pokémon.

Luo Mu cast a helpless glance at Lei Guan Wang, who didn't mind, merely shaking its head before curiously asking Oranguru beside it, "Luo Mu asked you to craft a new chest for Greavard to live in; do you also know carpentry?"

Oranguru nodded modestly: "I learned it during my spare time while studying at the Butler Academy."

Lei Guan Wang looked at Oranguru in surprise, its voice full of appreciation: "If I had such an all-around butler as you in the past, the joys of life would surely have been greater."

Hearing the exchange between the two Pokémon, Luo Mu smiled, picked up his homemade iced milk tea, and took a small sip; the smooth liquid slid down his throat at once, bringing coolness to his entire body and driving away the heat of this midsummer.

"So satisfying~"

Letting out a sigh, Luo Mu "stroked" Greavard's little head with his thumb and said to it, "Don't you dislike the daytime? Before Oranguru finishes making the new chest, just stay temporarily in the box where Seeing Lei He stores the ancient gold coins."

Greavard nodded frantically like a chick pecking at rice; even though Lei Guan Wang meant no harm, merely staying near it made Greavard feel as if its heart were about to leap out of its chest.

If possible, it wanted to hide back in its home right now.

Alas, its home could no longer be found.

Seeing the somewhat dejected Greavard, Luo Mu had no way to comfort it and could only wait for Oranguru to finish crafting the chest.

After all, the habit of Greavard's kind was to return the Paldean gold coins they collected into their chests, but according to Greavard, its chest had long since vanished in the scorched desert and was likely already damaged.

A moment later.

Luo Mu placed the box on the middle shelf of the cupboard; slightly above it were the new bowls, plates, and cups purchased according to Shuang Nai Xian's preferences after it began systematically learning dessert-making methods, each with different styles and patterns, used entirely depending on the type of dessert Shuang Nai Xian served that day.

Before leaving, Luo Mu instructed Greavard: "Absolutely do not knock over these bowls, plates, or cups; otherwise, when your big sister Shuang Nai Xian gets angry, even I might not be able to hold her back—you wouldn't want to take one of her Dazzling Gleams, would you?"

As he spoke, an image floated through Luo Mu's mind of the tragic scene not long ago when the newly unboxed bowls delivered to the house were directly knocked over by Feng Su Gou, that husky-like Pokémon.

The floor covered in sharp shards didn't break the defense of the thick-skinned Feng Su Gou; instead, Shuang Nai Xian's furious Dazzling Gleam nearly blinded its dog eyes, and even the fur of Feng Su Gou, which could stay in magma for a while, got singed into knots.

Ever since then, the aggrieved Feng Su Gou, who had cried loudly in Moltres's embrace, would take a detour whenever it saw Shuang Nai Xian.

Hearing Luo Mu speak with such seriousness, Greavard, poking its head out from the box, nodded nervously, shrank back inside, and lay down in a small bed made of one million worth of twenty-six Paldean gold coins, maintaining an obedient posture as it fell asleep.

After arranging for Greavard, Luo Mu immediately took Lei Guan Wang, who had been waiting for some time, and walked toward the farming district.

As for Oranguru, it went out to search for suitable materials to craft the chest.

The bright sunlight outside woke up Cosmog, who was perched atop Lei Guan Wang's large flower crown; just then, they passed the chicken coop built on the edge of the farming district, where, besides a group of chicks in the outdoor pen that had grown considerably larger, Arboliva's seemingly ever-taller body stood quietly under the sun, providing shade from the sunlight for these chicks.

In the shadow of Arboliva's body, besides a pile of chicks, Victini was also unmistakably present there.

Now free, it could appear anywhere on the farm at any time, which did not surprise Luo Mu in the least.

Cosmog, however, let out a surprised and joyful cry, floated up from Lei Guan Wang's head, and flew into the pen wanting to play with its little friend.

Unfortunately, seemingly already tired from playing, Victini, who was sleeping very soundly, was not woken up by Cosmog.

Instead, the motionless Arboliva activated its branch-like arms and gently stroked Cosmog's head with its leaves, emitting a kindly call.

"Arbo?" (Child, do you want to sleep for a while too?)

It had to be said, Arboliva's call, brimming with maternal instinct, seemed to truly carry some magic; although Cosmog had just woken up, it suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness.

Yawning, Cosmog slowly drifted down beside the soundly sleeping Victini and within moments fell into an infant-like slumber once again.

This scene made both Luo Mu and Lei Guan Wang feel both amused and helpless.

Luo Mu picked up the camera hanging around his neck and directly took a photo of them.

With a click, Arboliva, sheltering the children from wind and rain under the scorching sun, and "its two children" were frozen in that moment.

Incidentally, although the model of the camera currently in Luo Mu's hands was the same as the previous one, that original camera had already been transmitted over an ultra-long distance by him via the "Black Sphere" to Delibird, who was traveling far away in the Johto region.

Delibird seemed to have traveled to near Goldenrod City in the Johto region, and news from the Kanto region said that the saplings for the Gold and Silver series Berry trees would soon be ready; at that time, after picking them up at the Indigo Plateau, he could conveniently go to Goldenrod City to visit Delibird and give it a surprise.

After taking the photo, Luo Mu cast a trusting glance at Arboliva and whispered, "I'll leave them in your care."

Arboliva nodded gently, making no sound, wishing to avoid waking the two adorable children.

Last time, when watching Arboliva train that flock of Rookidee and Corviknight, the Seed Bomb it fired with such astonishing fire rate had even impressed Lei Guan Wang.

Therefore, Lei Guan Wang trusted Arboliva greatly, believing it could take good care of Cosmog, a child who slept for at least twenty-three out of twenty-four hours every day.

Walking on the path to the farming district, Lei Guan Wang, associating Arboliva with the Corviknight family helping patrol the farm in the sky, asked curiously, "Will the Tinkatink family, which is indispensable for reforging the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield, really attack the Corviknight?"

Luo Mu thought for a moment, organized his words, and replied, "To be precise, they will also attack other Pokémon with steel bodies; targets include the Bisharp and General Pu Dao families, the Copperajah family, the Magneton family, the Bronzong family, the Varoom family, the Orthworm family, and other Steel-type Pokémon."

"However, the story of them precisely using their big hammers to knock stones flying to shoot down Corviknight is simply too famous, so that has become their representative tale."

"Of course, if given the choice, the Tinkaton would probably prioritize Corviknight."

Nodding slightly with understanding, Lei Guan Wang added, "In my era, Corviknight feathers were a particularly important resource; craftsmen once incorporated some smelted Corviknight feathers when forging swords and shields."

"Is it also needed for repair?"

Luo Mu pondered briefly and asked.

"Some are needed," Lei Guan Wang nodded slightly, "however, what is more important is training a craftsman with excellent skills; not many are needed, just one with good talent is enough."

"Repairing is not as time-consuming, energy-draining, and sweat-inducing as forging from scratch; it does not require multiple craftsmen working together; as long as the skill is excellent and one perseveres, it will suffice."

"I understand."

Luo Mu kept Lei Guan Wang's words in mind, considering that he must pay attention to Tinkatink with strong forging talent later, so as to lure one back to the farm and train it into an outstanding craftsman.

By the time Luo Mu and Lei Guan Wang arrived before the scarce plots of land in the farming district, the Pokémon had long been waiting.

Gathered together were three Bai Bai Pengpeng and Comfey from the Grass-type combination capable of cooperating to unleash a combined Grassy Terrain, two Skiddo currently observing and learning, and even Serperior, the master of the Grassy Terrain domain, whom Seeing Seeing Kapu Tapu Moumou himself could not teach Grassy Terrain.

The only two members of the Ground-type combination also arrived: Mudsdale, whose plowing technique was increasingly showing its master's style and might one day truly create Earth's Weight, and its assistant, Swampert.

Seeing Luo Mu and Lei Guan Wang arrive, the Pokémon one after another issued cries of welcome.

Luo Mu smiled and greeted them, while Lei Guan Wang noticed Serperior's blazing gaze.

It knew that as a fellow Grass-type Pokémon, Serperior must feel pressure due to its existence and the gap in strength.

As if thinking of something, Lei Guan Wang, with a beaming smile, transmitted a message composed of psychic power to Serperior, inviting it to join tonight's sparring session with Luxray and itself.

Confident in its immense power, Lei Guan Wang did not mind serving as a sparring partner for its friend and companion; if it could help them raise their strength to the next level, Lei Guan Wang would be even more delighted.

Serperior looked at Lei Guan Wang with gratitude, swaying its tail as it slithered over to Luo Mu's side.

Seeing that all the Pokémon had gathered, Luo Mu first looked at Mudsdale and Swampert, pointing to the wasteland he had already divided into zones and saying, "You two start by clearing out the fields!"

Mudsdale and Swampert nodded simultaneously; Swampert used the move "Bulldoze" to crush the stones mixed within the wasteland's soil, followed by Mudsdale, its hooves glowing with an earthy yellow aura, using the move "High Horsepower" to till the land, making the soil better and more nutritious.

Through the efforts of the two Pokémon, two new fields were rapidly constructed.

It had to be said, with the existence of Pokémon, farming had truly become much simpler.

Swampert and Mudsdale, covered in no small amount of dirt, withdrew; under Luo Mu's direction, Comfey led three Bai Bai Pengpeng and two Skiddo striving to unleash Grassy Terrain, beginning to use the composite Grassy Terrain to nourish the fields, making the nutrients within even richer so that high-quality crops could be grown.

"I sense a very dense aura of life; is this the technique taught by that land god, Tapu Tapu Moumou? Truly excellent!"

Lei Guan Wang, watching from the side, expressed appreciation for the effect and artistry of the composite Grassy Terrain.

From the fact that it did not directly display its power to bring abundance to these two fields, one could see that even with Lei Guan Wang, the King of Abundance, present, Luo Mu would not allow Comfey and Bai Bai Pengpeng to be completely replaced.

The place where Lei Guan Wang needed to display its power was not here.

But as Lei Guan Wang carefully observed the Grass-type Pokémon, as if discovering something, its gaze fell upon the two Skiddo within a verdant domain, striving to release Grassy Terrain and attempting to merge their own Grassy Terrain into the composite Grassy Terrain.

If it was not mistaken,

Lei Guan Wang, who originally had no intention of intervening, directly fired a wave of psychic energy at Luo Mu, who was staring intently in that direction.

"If I am not mistaken, they are only a step away from evolution; shall I lend a hand?"

Hearing Lei Guan Wang's voice, Luo Mu paused, looking over there.

"Baa—!"

The two Skiddo desperately shook their leaf-like manes, hoping that through this motion, they could more effectively circulate the Grass-type energy within their bodies.

Spending their days leisurely grazing, only when providing milk in the early morning did they wish to offer more help to this farm and home that had sheltered them.

They had to strive to learn the essentials of the composite Grassy Terrain, so they could return and share the burden of maintaining the pasture grasses with their Meng Ya Lu older brother and sister in the ranch area!

Seeing how hard the two Skiddo were working, what reason did Luo Mu have to stop Lei Guan Wang?

The corners of his mouth lifting slightly, Luo Mu said to Lei Guan Wang, "Then I'll leave it to you."

Lei Guan Wang nodded slightly, drifting forward.

The tip of Serperior's tail swayed gently, its gaze never leaving Lei Guan Wang for an instant.

Whether it was Lei Guan Wang's method of using Grass-type energy or anything else, it needed to constantly learn!

Drifting to the center of the two fields being nourished, Lei Guan Wang closed its eyes and began to circulate the power of abundance; a vast and gentle ripple spread outward from it as the center.

It was a ripple of Grass-type energy rich with pure life aura; even at Serperior's level of cultivation, it felt its own vigorous vitality increase significantly.

The crowd of Pokémon, led by Comfey, suddenly felt a clear breeze brush against their cheeks; the Grass-type energy within their bodies seemed to undergo sublimation, becoming more active and filled with the aura of life.

They could feel that someone was bestowing a blessing upon them.

Even though it was itself a Fairy-type Pokémon, Comfey, which could not be separated from plants, clearly perceived its own life force steadily and gently rising.

Could this power be...

At the edge of the fields, the Skiddo felt it even more clearly.

Most of that power surged into their bodies; it was like a key, releasing the energy they had accumulated over these months from a locked box within them, bringing about a leap in the level of their lives.

Buzz—

After a faint, barely audible hum, the two Skiddo paused their movements; a bright milky white light rose from their bodies, signaling that evolution had begun!

Enveloped by the light of evolution, the Skiddo's bodies began to grow, becoming tall; the horns on their heads constantly extended until they transformed into long, curved goat horns.

As if they had grown up in an instant, their ignorant expressions became more resolute; while the grass on their backs grew even more lush, its color gained greater depth and layering.

A moment later, the light of evolution dissipated.

The Gogoat, now greatly changed in appearance, immediately entered the eyes of Luo Mu and the crowd of Pokémon; whether due to the influence of Lei Guan Wang's power, the two Gogoat stood nearly two meters tall, their builds taller than others of their kind, and the dense life aura on their bodies made it difficult for anyone to associate them with Pokémon that had just evolved.

Fearing that even Yarrow, the Gym Leader of Turffield Town in the Galar region, and the famous King of Gogoat in the Yarrow Ranch he established, would only be at this level!

(End of Chapter)