Chapter 403: The Milcery Whose Dao Heart Collapsed

He had an idea, but no concrete plan yet on how to implement it.

Not long ago, when Sister Shalour contacted him, she mentioned that his idiot father seemed to have been provoked because Teacher Luo Mu easily cleared the Bingshan Ruins and took Lei Guan Wang and the others with him.

He acted as if stimulated, claiming that he alone could also open the ruins' gates and solve the puzzles.

Then he threw himself into work, forgetting to eat or sleep.

Mudbray remained silent; this matter required careful deliberation. Following Luo Mu's gaze, she began browsing the replies under the post.

"Leader: Years of experience in ruin excavation, frequently leading teams to excavate ruins, track record verifiable!"

Looking at the post, a look of surprise flashed in Emperor Yan Di's eyes.

Though the tone seemed arrogant, one could see the poster's confidence in just that single line.

Perhaps this person truly had some skill.

Luo Mu's thoughts aligned basically with Mudbray's; he clicked on the Leader's avatar with anticipation.

It was a middle-aged man with a full beard, wearing common explorer attire, a yellow scarf around his neck, and a hard hat with a lamp on his head.

This must be the Leader himself.

Luo Mu blinked, somewhat surprised.

Using a real photo online?

His gaze shifted to the Leader's posting history on his profile page; basically, they were all posts recruiting members for various ruin excavation teams. Clicking into the posts, the feedback was quite good, at least proving that this Leader was likely a professional.

After a brief thought, Luo Mu opened a private message to the Leader and typed out a message to send.

【Meowth Hero: Do you have time to meet up and chat at a specific time and place?】

He checked the post; although the other party's main area of activity was the Unova region, the most recent few posts were related to Paldea, so this Leader had most likely come to Paldea.

Compared to forum private messages with extremely high latency, it was better to arrange a face-to-face meeting directly; chatting in person was faster, and words would not easily become distorted.

Luo Mu waited a minute but did not receive a reply from the Leader.

He did not find this unexpected.

This was normal; aside from the possibility that the Leader himself might currently be inside some ruin, the time he replied to his own post was early morning two days ago, so it was impossible for him to be camping in the forum waiting for Luo Mu's private message.

Luo Mu magnanimously exited the forum, closed the browser, finally shut his laptop, and then asked Mudbray beside him, "Should I escort you back to the Pokémon Center?"

Seeing Mudbray's dazed appearance, as if her spirit were wandering beyond the heavens at any moment, Luo Mu truly worried that halfway there she would be unable to resist her drowsiness and collapse directly onto the road to sleep.

Mudbray nodded somewhat shamefully, her cheeks slightly red, and said softly, "Then I'll trouble you, Teacher. Coincidentally, Sister Lian also said she is waiting for you to pick up the other two prescriptions."

Union Calendar Year 798, August 21st.

Looking at the Combee dancing before him, with determination written on all three of its faces, Luo Mu nodded and agreed to Combee's request, even though he wasn't clear on what had caused Combee to so resolutely demand training.

Watching Combee leave happily, Luo Mu fell into deep thought.

It said it wanted to train until evolution, but how to train it was something he absolutely had to consider.

Regarding Pokémon cultivation, Luo Mu always adhered to the philosophy of Yincaishi Sect, so training methods for other Pokémon would absolutely not be directly copied over.

Thinking about it briefly, if Luo Mu used the training methods for Dragonite and Moltres to train Combee, how could it possibly withstand it?

Dragonite was often called by Luo Mu to high altitudes to further feel the turbulent air currents and refine its control over them; when opportunities arose, it would even charge directly into Lei Yu clouds to challenge its limits.

But for Combee, this kind of training method could no longer be considered training; it would completely constitute intentional torture.

After all, on the farm, only Combee and Shuckle were the sole two Bug-type Pokémon; this was Luo Mu's first time creating a training plan for a Bug-type Pokémon from scratch, and with everything unknown and requiring exploration forward, he had to be De Shen Zhong.

What? Applin isn't a Bug type? It is a pure Dragon-type Pokémon! Even purer than Charizard and Aerodactyl.

After a brief thought, Luo Mu called over Oranguru, having it bring paper and pen as well, and began writing and drawing on the paper.

He remembered that Combee's base stats were really quite average, even inferior to Pikachu, which was said to be as common as stray dogs in the Kanto region.

"The only highlight is the 70 Speed base stat, representing speed, agility, and move execution speed."

Luo Mu drew a circle around the Speed column in the six-item base stat table he had written out from memory.

"Aside from Speed, the future characteristic of focusing on both defenses has already begun to show."

He then connected the 42 points for Defense and Special Defense, his gaze falling upon the total base stat sum.

244 points.

Although not the lowest, it wasn't much better either.

Fortunately, this world was not one where base stats were the final word.

Not to mention that if bonds were strong enough, shouting about friendship and the future could even defeat Arceus.

What truly needed attention was the Pokémon's own talent; as a Trainer, what he needed to do was help them find the talents they were good at and then develop those talents.

"After evolution, Vespiquen's both defenses break 100, both attacks are 80, but solely because of the increase in body size, Speed drops to only 40; what's lacking should be in the aspect of agility."

"In that case, tactics suitable for Vespiquen are quite easy to arrange."

While muttering to himself, Luo Mu's hands did not stop moving.

For held items, one could equip a Covert Cloak; moves like Roost, Toxic, and Hex are all good, and the exclusive commands Defense Order, Attack Order, and Heal Order are also quite useful.

But these were combinations that could only be built after Combee evolved and learned a large number of moves.

The current main goal was still to consider how to train Combee.

Considering that Bug-type Pokémon usually, due to racial limitations, had constitutions far inferior to many other Pokémon, the intensity of training definitely needed to be controlled.

But when one door shuts, another surely opens.

Even though many Bug-type Pokémon had poor constitutions, their growth speed was the fastest.

Compared to Dragon-type Pokémon, which possessed long growth cycles and required many years to grow without investing resources, Bug-type Pokémon, relying on their fast growth speed and low resource consumption, were favored by many Trainers from less wealthy families.

Hence, Bug Catchers could be said to be one of the largest groups in this world.

If he hadn't encountered Luxio back then, Luo Mu, with no money to his name, might have really learned from the Bug Catchers, gone to a tree where Butterfree placed Pokémon Eggs, taken one, hatched a Caterpie, and started from scratch.

Or perhaps relied on his knowledge to get into Naranja Academy, receive a free starter Pokémon, and walk the path of a game protagonist.

"For cultivation methods of Bug-type Pokémon, aside from training, the choice yielding the highest benefit is indeed the intake of corresponding nutritional supplements."

Several options immediately surfaced in Luo Mu's mind.

Energy cubes specially formulated for Bug-type and Flying-type Pokémon, along with milk, goat milk, and eggs rich in nutrients, were all excellent choices.

Although he had never given them energy cubes, the Combee still frequently drank a small bottle cap's worth of milk or goat milk every day; the nutrients within should have been slowly transforming its body.

It should only require a catalyst to unleash all the accumulated foundation in one burst.

After a brief moment of thought, Luo Mu wrote a few more characters beside 'catalyst': Secret Ingredient: Spicy Seasoning.

He had been thinking about this for a long time: since Spicy Seasoning could explosively increase metabolism without side effects, could this characteristic be utilized in Pokémon training?

Normal Pokémon required ten days of training to digest certain energy and nutrients, whereas Pokémon consuming medicinal powders ground with Spicy Seasoning or medicinal liquids brewed with it could finish digesting them in just one day.

It was like activating a growth cheat.

Coincidentally, he had received all the prescriptions from Nurse Joy Lin yesterday; perhaps he could try combining some mild medicines for testing, keep the dosage small, find willing wild Pokémon to test on, and once confirmed safe, give it to the Combee to consume.

Just as Luo Mu was engaged in a mental storm, the Mawile and Feng Su Gou rushed into the house like a gust of wind, barking "Wang Wang" several times at Luo Mu and the Oranguru waiting quietly beside him.

Without Luo Mu needing to ask, the Oranguru translated, "Young Master, it seems we have a visitor waiting at the farm entrance with the Luxray; they claim to be the first Gym Leader you challenged."

The first Gym Leader challenged together? His thoughts interrupted, Luo Mu was blank for an instant before his memories rapidly returned, and he remembered.

The first Gym he had challenged was the Cortondo Gym, whose Leader was Young Lady Ah Feng, who also served as the manager of the Sweeties by Shuckle shop.

Although he did not know what matter had brought Ah Feng to visit suddenly, Luo Mu still instructed the Mawile and Feng Su Gou to rush back and have the Luxray bring Ah Feng inside.

He also ordered the Oranguru to bring out his own roasted black tea and flower tea, retrieve the damaged teapot kept as a last resort, and procure the freshly baked caramel milk pudding just made by Shuang Nai Xian; with that, everything needed to host a guest was ready.

A moment later.

The Luxray, stepping with a steady gait, led Ah Feng into the house.

Ah Feng was still wearing that confectioner's uniform; it was evident she liked this outfit very much.

Seeing Luo Mu, Ah Feng pressed her palms together and apologized in a slow tone, "I'm sorry; did my sudden visit disturb you?"

Luo Mu smiled and shook his head, gesturing with his eyes for Ah Feng to take a seat. "It's fine; I just happened to be at home thinking about breeding plans."

"Breeding plans?"

After sitting down, Ah Feng's eyes sparkled slightly.

"As expected of a Trainer who passed our trials and ascended to the Champion rank; even while resting, you are thinking about how to train Pokémon."

"Work at Sweeties by Shuckle has been too busy; I even feel I've inadvertently neglected those children recently..."

The "children" Ah Feng referred to were naturally the Pokémon she raised.

Recently, because a critical supply chain at the Sweeties by Shuckle shop had encountered problems, she had been so busy her feet barely touched the ground, forcing her to temporarily pause her side job as the Cortondo Gym Leader.

Nowadays, Luo Mu could accept such flattery without batting an eye... although, given Young Lady Ah Feng's level of airheadedness, she was likely praising him with complete sincerity.

But that point was not important at all.

Rather than knowing the purpose of Ah Feng's visit, he preferred to execute his planned combo move first.

Maintaining the same tone and identical smile he had used when receiving Peony a few days prior, Luo Mu asked, "Young Lady Ah Feng, would you like black tea or flower tea?"

"As for sweets, we only have caramel milk pudding; is that acceptable?"

"I am very interested in the flower tea," Ah Feng replied quickly, somewhat overwhelmed by the honor. "Ah, the sweets are no problem."

She had not expected that before she could say anything, Luo Mu would instead warmly host her first.

Whether her airheadedness had acted up again was unknown, but Ah Feng simply stared blankly at Luo Mu until the tea was brewed and the sweets placed on the table; only then did she suddenly clap her hands to her cheeks and speak with belated realization.

"No, no, I came here today to handle official business!"

Luo Mu was startled by her sudden reaction, though he was not surprised.

"However, whatever the matter is, let's get through the tasting plot first!" Luo Mu said with a smile. "There's no rush to speak after tasting; this dessert was handmade by my Shuang Nai Xian, and it would be even better to receive an evaluation from the manager of Sweeties by Shuckle."

Speaking thus, Luo Mu picked up Shuang Nai Xian, whose little hands were clasped together in a nervous and expectant demeanor, and placed it before Ah Feng.

Ah Feng blinked, then smiled gently. "I may be rather strict when it comes to sweets; please be mentally prepared."

"Mou!"

Shuang Nai Xian nodded seriously.

Its mindset was as unbreakable as steel; nothing could defeat it!

Ten minutes later.

"Mou..."

Devastated, Shuang Nai Xian squatted in a corner, its entire form turning gray and white.

Signal Shuang Nai Xian: Silence! Immediately after, the Shuang Nai Xian, looking utterly doubtful of its own existence, was directly led away by the Oranguru for psychological counseling.

Watching Luo Mu look at her with a surprised expression, Ah Feng's cheeks flushed with belated realization, and she stammered, "This... I warned you in advance; regarding sweets, I truly do not wish to compromise."

"However, just as I said earlier, with first-class ingredients and a heart that desires to create sweets that bring happiness, any lack of technique can completely be honed and refined through training."

Seeing Ah Feng explain in a panic, Luo Mu nodded in agreement.

"Young Lady Ah Feng is correct; I am very clear that Shuang Nai Xian possesses a heart that desires to make sweets that bring happiness to those who taste them."

Ah Feng stared blankly at Luo Mu for a moment, but fortunately did not forget the official business of her visit, and asked somewhat haltingly, "I heard from Director Geeta that you, Brother Luo Mu, are selling and delivering dairy products like Tapu Tapu Moumou fresh milk and goat milk here; is this true?"

"Indeed, we are doing so."

Luo Mu's face showed surprise; he had not expected Ah Feng to hear about this matter from Geeta.

So her reason for coming today was... Ah Feng suddenly stood up, pressed her palms together, and bowed to Luo Mu. "Could Sweeties by Shuckle also order these products!?"

Following this, Ah Feng recounted in full detail how the original supplier channel for Sweeties by Shuckle's raw materials had encountered problems, causing a shortage of critical ingredients; how she had been so busy searching for new suppliers that her feet barely touched the ground; and how she had finally heard from Geeta that Luo Mu's farm was also selling these raw materials externally.

"I have also visited and tasted the breakfast shop located in Mesagoza; the Tapu Tapu Moumou fresh milk they use, sourced from your farm, completely meets our shop's requirements and even far exceeds them!"

Since she had chosen to visit, Ah Feng had naturally completed all her investigations; only Luo Mu's final approval remained.

Listening to Ah Feng's explanation, although he did not mind helping, Luo Mu still explained, "Currently, the delivery routes of the Corviknight do not include areas outside Artazon; with the existence of Tinkaton in the wild, it is too dangerous."

"Although I have no objection to having a long-term partner, we are not yet prepared to safely and stably transport goods there."

Hearing this, Ah Feng shook her head vigorously.

"It's fine, Brother Luo Mu; you only need to have the Skarmory deliver the goods to a location within Pingdie Town that we will decide upon after discussion."

"Next, I will arrange personnel and vehicles to transport these goods."

Regarding the issue Luo Mu was worried about, Ah Feng had already made plans long ago.

Since Ah Feng had said as much, Luo Mu naturally had no reason to refuse, and he asked, "How many liters do you wish to order?"

Ah Feng pondered briefly and said, "Hmm, all of the spare capacity... would that be acceptable?"

"If possible, we are willing to contract for all of the Tapu Tapu Moumou fresh milk and goat milk as well."

(End of Chapter)