BXBX NOVEL Chapter 300: Planting
Chapter 300: Planting
So, during these days, Yuga spent most of his time studying the "Comprehensive Guide to Herb Cultivation" that the elderly gentleman from Mossdeep City had given him.
This book contained information on a wide variety of medicinal herbs, many of which Yuga had never seen before. Fortunately, the book included both illustrations and descriptions, making it very convenient to read.
Yuga meticulously cross-referenced the seeds he had purchased from the elderly gentleman with the book, identifying each one and expanding his knowledge significantly.
For instance, there was a type called "Green Ginseng."
Yuga had never seen or heard of Green Ginseng, but he was familiar with the Big Root item that Pokémon sometimes carried.
According to the book, Green Ginseng\'s root was not only a precious medicinal herb but also the primary ingredient for crafting Big Roots, an item known to boost certain moves.
Then there was another type known as "Water Hyacinth."
This was a water-based plant that produced beautiful flowers. While the flowers and leaves had no practical use, the plant\'s roots, which resembled bulbs, provided significant benefits to Water-type Pokémon.
Yet another example was the "Energy Grass" (Yuga had received its rhizomes for propagation). This seemingly inconspicuous plant neither bloomed nor bore berry but was a treasure trove of valuable components.
The Universal Powder sold in Herb Shopss was made using its leaves as the main ingredient. Additionally, its roots and stems were used to make Energy Roots and Energy Powder.
In addition to these three medicinal herb seeds, Yuga had also acquired seeds for the Mental Herb, White Herb, and Power Herb, as well as spores for the Big Mushroom, Small Mushroom, and Balm Mushroom.
Technically, the Big Mushroom and Small Mushroom were not medicinal herbs but rather high-quality ingredients. Yuga bought them for the pure enjoyment of savoring their taste.
The Balm Mushroom, on the other hand, was a rare find. Not only did it possess significant medicinal value, but it was also an exceedingly rare ingredient.
Yuga was surprised to find that this book, the "Comprehensive Guide to Herb Cultivation," contained detailed cultivation methods even for the Balm Mushroom, a species reportedly challenging to cultivate artificially.
It made him wonder who the elderly gentleman from Mossdeep City truly was.
Within the book, Yuga also discovered the identity of the dark green seed that the elderly gentleman had tossed to him before parting ways.
As it turned out, it was a Seed of Revival Herb.
After confirming that he hadn\'t made any mistakes, Yuga was filled with immense excitement.
The Seed of Revival Herb fell squarely within the realm of miracle drugs. Whenever one of these seeds appeared on the market, it would cause quite a stir.
This was a true life-saving herb. Regardless of how grave a Pokémon\'s injuries were, as long as it had a breath left, the Seed of Revival Herb could bring it back from the brink of death.
However, using the Seed of Revival Herb came with side effects; it would cause the revived Pokémon to lose some of its memories, weakening the bond between it and its trainer.
But compared to life itself, what were a few lost memories?
The Max Revive and Revive made from the Seed of Revival Herb as a raw material did not have these side effects. However, it was said that the recipes for crafting these two items had been lost.
The content within the "Comprehensive Guide to Herb Cultivation" was incredibly rich, and Yuga couldn\'t possibly cover it all in a short amount of time. Therefore, he primarily focused on the species for which he had seeds.
After several days of research, Yuga finally began planting the first type of herb: Water Hyacinths.
For Yuga, the planting conditions for this herb were relatively straightforward; it required high-quality water sources. Regardless of which Sub-Ecopark he was in, Yuga could find suitable planting locations.
After careful consideration, Yuga decided to plant them in the central lake of the Shallow Seashore, known as Heart Lake Island. This choice was made because when Water Hyacinths grew, their rhizomes emitted a strong Water-type energy, which greatly benefited the Water-type Pokémon living nearby. This decision would be particularly advantageous for Pokémon like Greninja, Gyarados, Milotic, and Feebas who resided in that area.
Yuga arrived at the lakeside of Heart Lake Island, holding the Water Hyacinth seeds in his hands.
The first step in planting was to remove the thick outer shell of the seeds. This outer shell served as a protective mechanism for the seeds since they often became prey for Water-type Pokémon in the wild. After passing through the digestive fluids of Water-type Pokémon, which eroded this protective layer, the seeds would germinate successfully.
However, when artificially planting Water Hyacinths without the aid of Water-type Pokémon\'s digestive fluids, the only option was to manually remove the outer shell.
Before planting the Water Hyacinths, Yuga made sure to gather several Pokémon that lived in the area. He instructed them not to mistakenly consume these seeds and emphasized the importance of guarding them. Only then did he proceed to plant the seeds.
Following this, Yuga prepared to plant Green Ginseng, Energy Grass, Power Herb, Mental Herb, and White Herb.
As for the three types of mushrooms, Yuga decided not to plant them immediately because they couldn\'t be directly planted in soil. Instead, they required a specially prepared cultivation medium, which was a more complex process. Therefore, Yuga decided to postpone their planting.
However, Yuga faced a dilemma when deciding where to plant the remaining herbs: in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark or the Grassland Sub-Ecopark.
Both locations had their advantages.
In the Flower Sea, Grass-type Pokémon resided, making it convenient for their care. On the other hand, the Grassland had flat and expansive terrain, suitable for establishing large-scale herb fields.
After careful consideration, Yuga decided to plant the herbs in the Grassland Sub-Ecopark. The Flower Sea had sloping terrain, which would make it less suitable for establishing herb fields.
Regarding the maintenance of the herb fields, Yuga planned to have the Grass-type Pokémon take care of it by running around.
Therefore, Yuga sought out his Linoone and had it use its Rototiller skills to clear a piece of land. Then, he created a relatively large area, dividing it into five sections.
Activities like tilling, breaking soil, and creating furrows were all handled by Linoone alone, showcasing its remarkable diligence.
It had to be said that Linoone\'s Rototiller skills were truly remarkable when it came to farming.
Subsequently, Yuga, along with the Grass-type Pokémon, planted the seeds one by one. The Miltanks helped by carrying their small water buckets to assist with watering. Finally, the Grass-type Pokémon collectively nurtured the planted seeds on the Grassy Terrain.
However, these tasks were not yet complete.
In the future, Yuga would need to regularly fertilize the herbs and provide them with medicinal water. Fortunately, the fertilizers and medicinal water required for each type of herb were relatively simple to prepare. Unlike the complex process of preparing cultivation medium for Balm Mushrooms, Yuga could easily delegate these tasks to the Grass-type Pokémon.
Looking at the vast expanse of lush greenery in the Grassland, which now had a large patch that resembled a giant patchwork quilt, Yuga couldn\'t help but chuckle. Despite its somewhat amateur appearance, Yuga felt a sense of accomplishment.