Chapter 427: Farm Area Expansion! The Power of Luxray and Bonds

"Mogu?"

Without floating, Cosmog crawled happily across the ground, then looked puzzledly at Luo Mu, who wore a frown, letting out a confused cry.

Thinking Cosmog was craving food, Luo Mu glanced left and right; confirming he spotted no sign of Calyrex, he casually poured several colorful, star-shaped Jin Pingtang candies from a nearby jar, making as if to feed them to Cosmog.

Although Luo Mu had misunderstood, Cosmog cared nothing for that.

It only knew that Luo Mu had given it something delicious again! At this age, Cosmog's nature was as simple as its Ability; its joys and sorrows showed plainly on its surface, without the slightest attempt at concealment.

It was hard to imagine that in the future, Cosmog would evolve into the domineering Sun God Solgaleo, or the elegant Moon God Lunala.

Watching Cosmog happily eat the Jin Pingtang from his palm, Luo Mu's troubled expression faded somewhat, a faint smile appearing on his face as he spoke softly, "Delicious, isn't it? These were made right here at home, using only the finest ingredients."

For a moment, Luo Mu suddenly felt he overlapped with certain elders, yet he continued to chatter on to Cosmog.

"I asked Lorelei to make a special trip to the Johto region to custom-order these, and they were produced by professional machinery air-freighted here at great expense; the flavor is absolutely authentic."

Such was the boast, yet in reality, Jin Pingtang was merely a mixture of rock sugar, white sugar, and a few other materials; Luo Mu also couldn't understand why Cosmog felt neither fondness nor dislike for other sweets made with these same ingredients, but instead held a special affection solely for Jin Pingtang.

Could it be due to Jin Pingtang's star-like appearance?

Cosmog paid no heed to Luo Mu's chatter, focusing only on burying its head to secretly snack on the treats Luo Mu fed it while Calyrex was absent.

Seeing this, Luo Mu could only helplessly rub its small head, murmuring, "True enough; you probably don't understand a word I'm saying."

"Mogu Mogu~"

Having finished off the Jin Pingtang Luo Mu had poured out, Cosmog responded cheerfully.

From its demeanor, it was clear it understood nothing at all.

Following Cosmog with his gaze as it crawled happily across the carpet, Luo Mu let out an imperceptible sigh.

"Hmm, truly troublesome."

Among the gifts Alder had given him, the Volcarona Egg was indeed a delightful surprise.

But the complete technology for the Terarium counted as a shock.

Last night, Luo Mu and Oranguru had calculated together how much money and resources would be required to recreate the unparalleled Terarium of the Unova region.

The answer was—incalculable.

At the very least, with Luo Mu's current financial strength, reproducing even a corner of one region within the complete Terarium would be a struggle, let alone the whole thing.

Obtaining this technology now was like receiving the blueprint for a hidden artifact in a game while still in the tutorial; one could only stare helplessly, unable to craft it in the slightest.

Not to mention where one would even obtain the usage rights for a sea area large enough to contain the entire Terarium; merely the daily operating costs after establishing it would be burning money, without even considering how many resources the construction from scratch would consume.

The Blueberry Academy's Terarium was jointly invested in by major conglomerates across the Unova region, built only with strong support from the Unova League.

He could probably secure support from the Paldea League; the main issue remained funding.

Rather than accepting capital injection from various conglomerates, companies, and groups only to suffer their constraints, Luo Mu would prefer to temporarily seal away that external hard drive, waiting until he possessed the financial means before beginning construction.

After all, his principle had always been to build a suitable environment where he and his Pokémon could live happily; everything else must take a back seat.

It seemed the matter of how to construct the Terarium required long-term planning.

Afternoon.

Luo Mu received Mayor Aisha of Cortondo Town, who had come in person.

Holding a beautiful teacup, Aisha gently inhaled the tea's aroma, her face showing astonishment, "Both the fragrance of this black tea and the scale of this entire farm... it's hard to imagine that just half a year ago, this was still wasteland."

Lady Aisha looked at the room's interior, where some things had changed yet others retained the appearance from her memories, her eyes overflowing with recollection.

Luo Mu replied modestly, "Lady Aisha honors me too much."

Lady Aisha shook her head, speaking softly, "I still remember that when I was a child, I accompanied my father, who was also the mayor at the time, to visit this place."

"Back then, this place was also prosperous, but alas, good times do not last; after the two original owners here passed away, this place gradually fell into ruin. Now, seeing this land regain its vitality, those two spirits in heaven must surely be very happy."

"... Apologies, I've spoken too much of irrelevant matters; when one grows old, one always begins reminiscing about the past."

Lady Aisha smiled apologetically, taking out a document and a land deed.

"It's quite alright; I understand."

Luo Mu, who had been listening quietly, shook his head.

Lady Aisha smoothed the wrinkles in her clothing, stood up, and spoke very formally, "Paldea League citizen Luo Mu, in accordance with League notification, the scope of land available for development, centered on Luo Mu Farm, has been marked within the document."

"Congratulations; including that small hill, everything is now encompassed within your farm's land boundaries. You possess development rights for the land scope indicated in the document, but since the location is wilderness, please be sure to comply with the provisions of laws such as the 'Pokémon Protection Act' and the 'Environmental Protection Act'."

Saying this, Lady Aisha handed the document stamped with the League's official seal to Luo Mu.

Accepting the document and land deed, Luo Mu nodded slightly, "Naturally."

Luo Mu understood clearly; just as Geeta had reminded him when he previously submitted his application, protections for wild Pokémon habitats and the ecological environment were enforced very strictly.

Next, he would need to consider how to settle the nearby wild Pokémon, and he would also have to make a trip to survey that small hill behind the farm.

Luo Mu remembered that place had many trees, with an environment belonging to the dark and damp category; Luxray and the others, when wandering out, would occasionally bring back various types of mushrooms, though more than half of them were poisonous... After seeing off Mayor Aisha of Cortondo Town, who had specially come to deliver the documents in person, Luo Mu looked at the files and land deed in his hand, his eyes shining; unable to resist, he lowered his head and kissed them.

Now the farm expansion plan could enter the implementation phase!

After expansion, not only could he construct buildings with more functions and build a larger home, but he could also introduce more Pokémon and cultivate more varieties of crops! Even better, he could expand to build a small amusement park where the Pokémon could play happily.

Compared to the Terarium, this was a far more suitable advanced reward for the current farm! After the excitement subsided, Luo Mu, as if remembering something, spoke with some annoyance, "Oh no, I forgot to ask Lady Aisha about the term of land ownership again."

"But since they even waived the land purchase fee, surely I won't need to pay a land tax for a seventy-year renewal, right?"

"Arcanine... never mind, Luxray, you come with me; let's go check out that small hill behind us, and while we're at it, play the role of a little girl picking mushrooms."

Calling over the farm security team currently executing patrol duties, Luo Mu's gaze drifted momentarily over Arcanine, Stoutland, and Luxray, finally resting on Luxray. Arcanine's nose was sharp indeed, and its intuition strong; it could help him identify many mushrooms with strange scents.

But what Luo Mu worried about most was its inability to restrain its power; should they encounter any wild Pokémon attacking on the small hill, it would without a second thought blast them with a Flamethrower.

Arcanine might enjoy spraying fire, but that very evening, Luo Mu would have to wear silver handcuffs, sit on the repentance chair, and eat pork cutlet rice bowls with Miss Miss Junsha.

This had nothing to do with status; moreover, Luo Mu had already retired, so by classification of identity, he ought to be an ordinary, great, hardworking farmer.

Arcanine was excellent in every way, except its power was too broad and forceful; Luxray made Luo Mu feel more at ease.

At the very least, Luxray could summon Rain Dance, unlike Arcanine, which could only summon Sunny Day to fuel the flames.

Luxray swayed its tail, which featured a star-shaped structure, and under the envious gazes of Arcanine and Stoutland thinking, "So jealous you get to go out and have fun," it lifted its head high and followed Luo Mu out of the farm.

Having just experienced a light rain last night, Luo Mu walked along the slightly muddy "country path," looking concernedly at the Luxray and asking,

"How has the special training been these past few nights? Any gains?"

The Luxray's tail-wagging slowed considerably, its tip drooping slightly as it lowered its voice to let out a cry.

"Meow-ao." (Nothing worth mentioning in terms of breakthroughs.)

Even without the telepathic translation from Lei Guan Wang and the others, given his rapport and bond with the Luxray, Luo Mu could roughly understand its meaning.

Stroking the Luxray's cheek, Luo Mu smiled and said, "It's fine; at this stage, every step forward requires a great deal of effort."

"During yesterday's battle against Volcarona, you saw it too—the profound heaviness of time within each of their moves. That we could reach this level in such a short time is already something to be proud of."

"Meow~"

The Luxray nodded gently, recalling yesterday's battle, its throat emitting a rumbling purr.

That had been an incredibly satisfying battle; it had been a long time since the Luxray experienced such a thrill of combat.

Regarding the so-called "heaviness of time" that Luo Mu mentioned, it too had gained some insight.

However, relying on time to grind things out was something the Luxray, which always overtook others on the curves, would only list as a last resort.

It wasn't that it was impatient; rather, this had always been the case—no matter what predicament they faced, it, Luo Mu, and their partners would eventually break through after working hard.

The Luxray believed that this current predicament would be no different.

Luo Mu's hands itched again, and he plucked at the Luxray's mane a few more times; the Luxray pretended not to notice.

Ever since they first met, Luo Mu had been like this; it had long grown accustomed to being taken advantage of by him. Besides, with no one else around and none of the farm partners nearby, there was no need to maintain the dignity of a big brother, so it just let him be.

It wasn't purely free-riding either; after enjoying the petting session, the Luxray received corresponding "benefits" directly from Luo Mu.

"When I saw Alder off yesterday, I heard some good news from him. Would you like to hear it?"

The Luxray perked up its ears, listening attentively.

Luo Mu didn't keep them in suspense; continuing to walk toward the small hill, he said, "Wild Charge has always been the strongest Electric-type physical move in your arsenal; I believe you are clear on that."

"In the past, our combat methods revolved entirely around Wild Charge; one could say Wild Charge was our trump card for victory, whether in the former Champion Test Battle or when using Wild Charge under Terastallization against Mewtwo."

"You and I know the drawbacks of Wild Charge better than anyone, and furthermore, the move's own ceiling limited part of your output. Fortunately, there is now a way to solve this problem."

Luo Mu paused; at this moment, the Luxray's heart already vaguely anticipated what was coming.

It knew the drawbacks of Wild Charge better than anyone; while there was no impossibility in compensating for its power, the recoil side effect indeed impacted its combat effectiveness, given its lack of recovery methods.

Luo Mu continued, "Wildbolt Rush... also an Electric-type physical move, is a new technique recently discovered in the Unova region. It shares certain similarities with Wild Charge, but after testing by authoritative research institutes, two conclusions were reached."

"First, the base power of Wildbolt Rush surpasses that of Wild Charge."

"Second, although Wildbolt Rush also has a recoil side effect, the conditions for triggering that recoil have become much more lenient."

"Compared to Wild Charge, which inflicts recoil upon hitting, Wildbolt Rush possesses a more stable energy structure; it will not cause damage from wild energy upon landing a hit, unless the strike misses entirely and the flow of electricity becomes chaotic, only then will recoil damage occur."

Listening to Luo Mu's explanation, the Luxray's eyes immediately lit up.

Wildbolt Rush! Compared to Wild Charge, Wildbolt Rush was clearly more suitable for itself!

Regarding control over electric currents, the Luxray was full of confidence; long ago, it had already mastered Wild Charge to perfection and minimized part of the recoil damage as much as possible.

Even if it failed to hit the target while using Wildbolt Rush, it would not suffer recoil from chaotic energy and currents, let alone regarding speed; having mastered the ability to stimulate its body with electric currents to enhance its fundamental capabilities, the Luxray was very confident.

Even if mastering Wildbolt Rush would only result in a slight increase in strength rather than a qualitative transformation, the Luxray still rarely showed such excited emotions, looking urgently at Luo Mu.

"Meow-ao?"

Luo Mu knew what the Luxray was worried about and smiled slightly, saying, "I asked Alder to help us find the learning method for Wildbolt Rush after he returned to the Unova region; he should send me the relevant content via the network within these few days."

Hearing this, the Luxray breathed a sigh of relief, its mood instantly improving greatly; it actively rubbed its head against Luo Mu, emitting a coquettish purring sound.

If Dragonite and the others were to witness this scene, they would undoubtedly be extremely surprised, wouldn't they?

While stroking the Luxray's fur, Luo Mu's mind wandered elsewhere, contemplating another plan.

That was a plan he had been considering, beyond the unexpectedly acquired Wildbolt Rush, to help the Luxray advance even further.

Through the system's prompt, Luo Mu learned that continuously consuming three types of Silver Series berries carried a probability of artificially cultivating a Pokémon into a Partner Pokémon.

But Luo Mu remembered that in the original work, the only Partner Pokémon were Eevee and Pikachu; logically, the Luxray should be unable to become a Partner Pokémon.

Whether or not it became a Partner Pokémon wasn't that important... what Luo Mu cared about more was the core essence of the Partner Pokémon—

Whether it was Partner Pikachu or Partner Eevee, both relied on the trainer's bond as their source of power.

So, even without assuming the form of a Partner Pokémon and without any change to its original form, could the Luxray, through these berries, master an even deeper power of bond and friendship? (End of Chapter)