Chapter 547: Nine-Tailed Aurora Style

Clutching a box of apples, Doyle departed with a contented heart.

As payment, he would later prepare for Luo Mu some of his family's finished green onions, large rootstocks, and the seeds required to plant them.

This was the method of trade he and Luo Mu had agreed upon.

After all, Doyle had only come out in search of "gourmet food" and would not carry the items Luo Mu needed on his person; at most, he had brought only spare leeks for when a Farfetch'd's leek had a chance of breaking.

Afterwards, he would use an air courier service to mail the exchanged items over as quickly as possible.

Luo Mu was quite looking forward to this.

The Paldea region hardly had any rare Farfetch'd distributions; the quality of the green onions here, while not terrible, was certainly not among the best.

In contrast, the green onions grown by Doyle's family were personally selected by Farfetch'd.

Most Farfetch'd, being Pokémon, held strict requirements and standards for the plant stalks they held—namely, their leeks—and plant stalks selected and tended by them were often of the most outstanding quality.

Strictly speaking, this type of plant stalk did not actually belong to the green onion category but was a completely different crop variety, after all, it had a chance to mutate into the item "Leek," while its rootstock had a probability of mutating into a "Big Root."

However, in terms of taste and characteristics, it was nearly identical to green onions, and because such plant stalks were scarce and rare, this further triggered a decrease in the Farfetch'd population.

It was not until a famous agricultural practitioner found a way to develop a variety fusing ordinary green onions with these plant stalks, increasing the planting survival rate, reducing planting difficulty, and introducing a probability of mutation, that it gradually became widespread.

Due to the near absence of Farfetch'd traces in the Paldea region, the green onions here were somewhat ordinary; green onions that had not been selected and tended by Farfetch'd certainly could not compare to that kind.

After obtaining seeds from Doyle, they could attempt planting come next spring; these green onions would not only serve as ingredients and seasonings for stir-fries, making the farm's cuisine flavors richer.

There was also a chance they would mutate into more valuable items, or they could be sold directly using the gimmick of "Delicious Green Onions Produced in the Paldea Region."

No matter how one looked at it, it was a deal well worth making.

The only catch was that if they were to plant green onions, they would still need to see if they could lure a Farfetch'd back to select and tend the crops, unlocking the leek's finest flavor.

Not long after Doyle departed.

Quite a few diners and gourmets subsequently visited the farm, and after tasting the apples or other fruit and vegetable crops served by Luo Mu, they unanimously wanted to place orders.

Luo Mu accepted all of them without refusal; aside from building a home for himself and his Pokémon and finding some leisure, wasn't his original intention in opening the farm to manage it well? Having survived the initial construction phase of the farm, things had indeed become more leisurely now.

Next, it was time to manage the farm with peace of mind and save money to prepare for building an ecological dome of his own.

However, when some diners wanted to order large batches of crops, Luo Mu rejected them without a second thought.

Just as he had considered before, aside from the fixed supply for Pashamina Mutsu and Chairman Zhi Mi's restaurant, he did not intend to let his Pokémon cultivate crops through the cold this winter.

After working hard all year round, it was time to rest for a few months; money could never be earned to completion.

Occasionally, reporters or suspicious individuals approached the farm, but before they could even survey the farm's environment or find someone to talk to, they would be driven away by a Houndoom that had rushed over sniffing out their scent.

How much of this was due to the exchange match between Grape Academy and Blueberry Academy, and how much was related to Chairman Zhi Mi's restaurant, Luo Mu was not entirely clear.

In any case, he tacitly approved of Houndoom's behavior.

As many diners returned home, the reputation of the farm's apples continued to accumulate.

Accepting interviews might indeed make a name for them all at once, but that somewhat conflicted with Luo Mu's original intentions.

Many diners had already said they would come at the very first moment of next spring to taste the freshly borne fruits; compared to hyping up fame, he had absolute confidence in his own products.

Although Luo Mu did not reject using various tricks, he felt that defeating Kitakami's special selection apples fairly and squarely through quality would make him feel much better, and that was all.

Moreover, once he accepted interviews and began to be heavily promoted, the farm would likely find no peace for quite some time.

He planned to spend this winter in tranquility, giving his Pokémon ample rest time, so such matters were better left aside.

Next spring would be the moment to sound the horn of attack.

For now, he only needed to ride the coattails of "Chairman Zhi Mi's Restaurant" and "Pashamina Mutsu" to accumulate fame and reputation.

Let the future him, several months from now when spring arrives, handle all the storms and tempests.

Inside the warm living room.

Oranguru skillfully employed its flexible fingers; amidst the interweaving of needle and thread, woolen sweaters of suitable sizes were being knitted one by one.

These were made from the first batch of processed wool yarn sent from a factory near Wool Town not long ago.

Other textile products of different shapes were still in processing.

Beside Oranguru, several small figures curiously watched its movements, then attempted to replicate them with stiff motions.

Alas, they either poked their own not-so-flexible fingers or, like Ogerpon, lacked fingers entirely, guaranteeing a loss in rock-paper-scissors, let alone knitting sweaters.

Ogerpon, Tinkatink, and Xue Li Guai could only reluctantly admit they lacked the talent for knitting sweaters; the pair of mice might have a slight bit of talent, but not much.

As for Gimmighoul, even holding two needles was a struggle, so it was better to forget it.

It was more suited to becoming a capitalist in the future, exploiting overworked corporate slaves.

In contrast, Serperior on this side played its two vine whips with a dexterity surpassing that of fingers, perhaps even exceeding it.

Accumulated over a long period and further refined through sparring with Lei Guan Wang, its physical qualities, which could be described as reaching the Champion realm in terms of level, were entirely poured into this action.

Those grotesquely trembling vine whips not only emitted a "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" sound of cutting through the air but also left behind trails of afterimages.

If there was one weakness, it was that Serperior was just a beginner, so the clothing it knitted looked somewhat unattractive.

However, its function regarding warmth was perfectly adequate.

One only needed to look at the Applin and Tropius that had just run out to play in the snow with the small Sandshrew to know.

Before long, Oranguru also finished knitting a scarf.

Compared to Serperior's plain-colored textile, which lacked patterns and relied purely on stacking warmth effects, Oranguru's finished product featured not only a novel style but also utilized ordinary yet multi-colored yarns to weave beautiful patterns.

"Yare yare."

Oranguru handed the scarf to Lei Guan Wang, who was waiting nearby.

"Hard work."

Lei Guan Wang took the scarf, stroking its soft and skin-friendly texture, while satisfaction floated in Emperor Yan Di's eyes.

Of course, this scarf was not for Lei Guan Wang's own use.

Although it was a Grass-type Pokémon, it had lived year-round in the Wang Guan Snowfields and could even achieve "human-horse unity" with the Snowy Horse frolicking outside in the snow using the Reins of Unity, gaining a new Ice type.

Its cold resistance was absolutely top-tier.

This scarf is for Cosmog.

Holding the scarf, Lei Guan Wang's figure instantly faded, reappearing inside the chicken coop.

After Arboliva, who had moved into the chicken coop and was now lovingly playing with Cosmog, nodded and expressed her thanks, Lei Guan Wang directly took the giggling Cosmog back to the living room.

"Little one, try it on quickly."

With gentle movements, Lei Guan Wang wrapped the light blue scarf, embroidered with cloud patterns that shimmered like a starry sky, around Cosmog.

The size was just right; it neither hindered Cosmog's movements nor failed to provide excellent warmth.

After taking another overall look at Cosmog draped in the scarf, Lei Guan Wang, feeling the accessory matched it perfectly, smiled and said softly, "There, now you can go out to play with Sister Ninetales."

"Cosmog~"

Cosmog's eyes lit up; after leaving a kiss expressing love for Lei Guan Wang and Oranguru, its figure likewise faded, directly appearing near the Ice Spirit's small house, quite far from the new home.

Luo Mu happened to be walking over at that moment.

Seeing Cosmog's action, he sighed with emotion.

"You're getting more and more proficient at using Teleport." "Indeed." Lei Guan Wang also nodded in agreement.

After all, as long as the sky was cloudless every day, it would always take Cosmog to the roof to either bask in the sunlight or bathe in the moonlight; for Cosmog to gradually grow under such conditions was only normal.

Just then, a cry suddenly sounded above Luo Mu's head.

"Victini~"

It was Victini, perched on his head and clutching a hexagonal crystal, speaking up to remind him that today's charging session had ended.

"You've worked hard."

Luo Mu took the pendant back from Victini's hands, promising that the hard-working Victini could have an extra bowl of the jujube and sesame paste Shuang Nai Xian had made today, and smiled as he watched its joyous departing figure.

Victini really does love sweets.

"May I see it?"

Hearing Lei Guan Wang's inquiring voice beside his ear, Luo Mu nodded without a second thought.

"Of course."

Luo Mu directly handed the pendant, which he hadn't yet hung around his neck, to Lei Guan Wang.

Lei Guan Wang took the pendant, its eyes glowing faintly with a fluorescent blue luster.

That was a sign of its Psychic powers activating; Mewtwo would do the same when using its Psychic abilities.

Seemingly sensing the state of the pendant, Lei Guan Wang spoke after a moment: "It has become even more active than before; if this continues, its awakening should not be far off."

Lei Guan Wang was also curious about this legendary Pokémon, which Luo Mu said had gone extinct two million years ago due to crustal shifts.

It often paid attention to Terapagos's recovery progress.

Receiving Lei Guan Wang's verbal answer, Luo Mu's eyes brightened slightly, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.

After all, as far as he was concerned, Terapagos's appearance was limited to that somewhat abstract sketch found in the "Scarlet Book" and the "Violet Book"; what it actually looked like remained a mystery.

Things shrouded in mystery always aroused human curiosity, and Luo Mu himself was no exception.

Just as Luo Mu hung the pendant back around his neck, keeping it company with Lugia's Silver Wing, the front door suddenly opened; as a gust of cold wind blew into the house, Luxray, with frost flowers on its head, and Cangyan Cangyan Rengui walked inside.

Strapped to Luxray's back was a rather large express delivery box.

Noticing their return, Luo Mu, wearing his slippers, walked toward the entryway.

Meanwhile, after helping Luxray unload the express box, Cangyan Cangyan Rengui stirred its will, causing its body to generate heat spontaneously, evaporating all the snowflakes remaining on its armor and atop its head.

It also diffused some of that heat to help Luxray clear the snowflakes tangled in its fur, otherwise, damp fur always made Luxray feel very uncomfortable.

This had already become a tacit understanding between the two Pokémon; Luxray lifted its head to offer a word of thanks, and then both it and Cangyan Cangyan Rengui looked toward the approaching Luo Mu.

"Is there a delivery?"

Looking at the box they had brought back, Luo Mu felt somewhat puzzled.

Doyle, who had left his contact information, clearly hadn't shipped the items yet, so where had this express package come from?

Luo Mu squatted down, flipped the not-too-heavy box over to the side bearing the tracking number and the sender's and recipient's details, and raised an eyebrow.

【Sender: Wallace, Sootopolis Gym, Sootopolis City, Hoenn Region】

【Recipient: Luo Mu, Luo Mu Farm, Cortondo Town, Paldea Region】

It was actually a package sent by Wallace? Feeling curious, Luo Mu eagerly looked at Cangyan Cangyan Rengui.

Cangyan Cangyan Rengui naturally understood his intent; locking its gaze on the tape sealing the express box, it slightly lifted its blade edge, directly splitting the tape in two and leaving a smooth, flat cut.

Cangyan Cangyan Rengui's existence directly saved Luo Mu the money he would have spent on buying a box cutter; one could say it held a crucial post and was extremely important.

"Thanks."

After offering his thanks, Luo Mu rubbed his hands together and directly opened the express box.

Inside was something exquisitely packaged, resembling a fine gift box one would only find in a major brand-name store.

Untying the ribbon, he lifted the lid of the gift box.

What met his eyes was an article of clothing of extreme opulence; the sheen of the silk was so obvious to the naked eye that one knew it was very expensive, not to mention the accompanying ornaments made of pure gold and gemstones that clearly held immense value.

Looking at this rather luxurious garment, Luxray and Cangyan Cangyan Rengui exchanged a glance, surprise also floating in Emperor Yan Di.

"Is Teacher Wallace trying to bribe me?"

Luo Mu sucked in a cold breath, picked up the letter that had also been placed inside the gift box, and began to read.

A moment later, Luo Mu's expression turned strange.

This set of clothes was actually meant for Ninetales?

Inexplicably, Luo Mu even felt a slight sense of regret.

I thought it was for me—no, wait, I don't have a hobby of wearing little skirts.

As for the reason Wallace sent this outfit—

It wasn't really that important.

Simply put, after returning to the Hoenn region, he discovered this outfit suited to Ninetales' style and immediately spent money to buy it.

It's just that even a professional Sewaddle needs time to craft clothing, which is why delivery was delayed until today.

He had no other purpose in giving the clothes, but if forced to say, it was his hope that Ninetales wouldn't give up training for Contests, as it truly possesses remarkable talent and the like.

Luo Mu thought for a moment, then decisively said, "Let's go find Ninetales and try on the size!"

Soon after, Luo Mu, fully bundled up and wrapped in a scarf, successfully located Ninetales.

Besides Ninetales, by its side were Cosmog and two Meng Ya Lu that had transformed into their winter forms: their antlers turned pure white, thick white fur resembling a scarf grew around their necks, and white fur like boots similarly sprouted on their legs.

Upon learning Luo Mu's intention, Ninetales did not resist and very cooperatively put on the outfit Wallace had prepared.

For Ninetales, it also liked beautiful outfits, just like the Eevee sisters who constantly changed their dresses in various styles.

It's just that its current personality is slightly more reserved, less willing to express desires so plainly.

However, after a short while.

After going through the chaotic stage of getting dressed, a completely transformed Ninetales appeared before Luo Mu's eyes.

"... So beautiful."

Luo Mu, dumbfounded, was actually reacting rather mildly.

A passing Froslass nearby, whose interest in Ninetales had greatly diminished since its evolution from Vulpix, even tripped and fell directly.

Even so, it still stared blankly at Ninetales, feeling only that it had awakened a brand new fetish.

Gazing at Ninetales, which possessed a noble beauty, the name Wallace had appended at the end of his letter for this outfit floated into Luo Mu's mind.

Ninetales · Aurora Style.

Indeed, it was a quite fitting name.

If the current Ninetales stood beneath the Aurora Veil it released and once again used Dazzling Gleam.

One wonders how many people would become captivated by it.

(End of Chapter)