It had already been two days since they returned to Fruitvale Village, and Aven had been busy planning the development of his territory.
The first task he had to tackle was the management and resettlement of the serfs. To do that, the territory needed to establish a system for serf management and emancipation.
With the arrival of these serfs, the population of the territory had reached a new peak. Along with it, however, came the problem of food supply.
Although a large amount of grain had already been transported from Keystone Town, it could only serve as a temporary solution. If the territory wanted to sustain this many people in the long run, it would have to rely on food imports.
In addition to the new influx of serfs, the number of Pokémon within the territory was also increasing, and they too required a substantial food supply.
Currently, the Pokémon in the Safari zone were able to coexist peacefully because their food and living needs had been met, eliminating the need for competition.
However, if another food crisis were to occur, it would inevitably trigger a new wave of competition, which would completely disrupt the order within the Pokémon Safari area. This was an issue that Aven had to consider seriously.
Therefore, rapidly developing agriculture in the territory and achieving food self-sufficiency had become critically important. This would require the serfs to transform as much wasteland into fertile farmland as possible.
As such, Aven planned to combine land cultivation efforts with the emancipation system, creating a clear path for the serfs to rise through hard work. By doing so, these serfs would undoubtedly be motivated to transform into diligent farmers, striving to change their destinies.
Of course, relying solely on serfs to reclaim land would not be very efficient, so Aven intended to involve the Pokémon in the territory in the land reclamation efforts as well.
Take, for example, a group of Bidoof he had recently been attempting to train—Pokémon that might be capable of learning the move "Rototiller." He had already begun using special potions containing Ground-type and Grass-type energy to enhance them.
He believed that once these Bidoof evolved into Bibarel, there would be a certain chance they might successfully comprehend the move Rototiller. While the chances were low, even one success would be a tremendous gain.
At that point, these Bibarel that had learned Rototiller would become the main force in the land reclamation efforts, constantly transforming the previously unfarmable land in the territory into fertile soil.
Even if the Bidoof failed to learn the move, they would still be extremely capable when it came to clearing land and opening up new waterways, making more land available for irrigation.
Aside from these Bidoof, the territory's large number of Grass-type Pokémon were also natural farming experts.
While many Grass-type Pokémon absorbed the energy from the soil as a means of survival, this was simply a forced behavior—just like the Oddish from the original orchard.
If they could be provided with sufficient nutrients, such as growth fertilizer, not only would they stop absorbing the soil's energy, but they would also help make the land even more fertile.
If they could learn certain moves that condensed Grass-type energy from nature, they could even directly promote plant growth—such as the moves Absorb, Growth, and Grassy Terrain.
Historical evidence had already shown that Pokémon could fully integrate into human daily labor and even produce many unexpected benefits.
The harmonious coexistence between humans and Pokémon in the world was, to a large extent, built upon their mutual cooperation. Now, Aven felt it was time to take that first step.
Moreover, during daily labor, these serfs could also attempt to capture Pokémon and become apprentice trainers. Aven believed that once these people broke free of their serf status, they would be even more loyal to the territory and perfect for cultivation as citizens.
He was confident that in the near future, scenes of humans and Pokémon working together in production would become increasingly common. And once humans became trainers, their role would extend beyond battle—they would begin influencing all aspects of daily life.
"Whew... Suddenly, I'm starting to look forward to it."
"Besides, if more Pokémon can be adopted by trainers quickly, it will greatly ease the burden on the territory."
"And for trainers to properly care for their Pokémon, they'll need to visit the Pokémon Breeding House to buy food and services—this will also help boost the territory's economy."
Aven exhaled deeply and continued drafting the policies for his domain with a smile. These regulations were gradually taking shape into what might become the world's first "prototype of modern League law."
As time passed, night soon fell.
On the other side of the room, at the alchemy table, Petilil was still busy formulating growth fertilizer.
During the land development efforts, growth fertilizer was one of the most important elements. It ensured optimal crop growth and high yields.
That's why, as soon as Aven decided to begin large-scale land cultivation, he also started stockpiling growth fertilizer. Now that summer had arrived, the high temperatures were also beneficial for the fermentation process.
He believed that by the time the serfs had finished converting the wasteland, the growth fertilizer would also be ready. After dilution and composting, it would become a nutrient-rich fertilizer perfect for irrigating berry trees.
Additionally, it was worth mentioning that in recent days, in order to produce more Pokémon food, Aven had overseen the construction of the village's first Pokémon food processing plant, with Aunt Erin appointed as its factory head.
Thanks to continued exploration of the Black Forest, Tangrowth had been expanding its tribe's numbers.
With nearly a hundred Tangela now under its lead, and thanks to growth fertilizer irrigation and the nourishment of Grassy Terrain, they were now fully capable of producing the vines needed for daily food production.
As their strength continued to grow, both the quantity and quality of vines produced by the Tangela tribe would also improve. Eventually, Tangrowth alone might be able to provide all the vines they would ever need!
After the food processing plant was built, many of the village's stay-at-home women also gained their own jobs, allowing them to feel a sense of pride and purpose.
Of course, the core technology for making Pokémon food remained tightly held by Aunt Erin, and the other women only participated in the early-stage processes—as standard assembly-line workers.
At the same time, Aven also entrusted the techniques of fertilizer dilution and composting to Uncle Mike and even built a fertilizer factory for him to continuously produce diluted fertilizer.
As long as the formula for growth fertilizer remained confidential, he could maintain a monopoly from the source. Therefore, he did not pass the actual formula to Uncle Mike, especially since Mike wasn't skilled in potion-making.
Currently, Master Olai had more or less earned Aven's trust. With Ralts by his side to ensure loyalty, Aven was planning to find time to hand over the growth fertilizer recipe to him.
Now that Aven was a noble with the rank of an Earl, it was no longer appropriate for him to personally handle things like food production or fertilizer preparation.
He believed that in the near future, the fertilizer factory would be able to continuously produce growth fertilizer, supporting the cultivation of Grass-type Pokémon and the planting of crops throughout the territory—and possibly even enabling exports in the long term!
"Ralts~"
On the bed, Ralts, who had just finished meditating, opened its eyes.
It then turned toward Aven at his desk and the Petilil still mixing fertilizer at the alchemy table. It gave a gentle cry, signaling that it was time to sleep.
"Hm? It's already this late?" Aven stretched lazily at the sound.
Thanks to his frequent meditation sessions recently, he felt that his mental strength had greatly improved. He no longer felt fatigued even after long periods without sleep.
But since Ralts had already reminded him to go to bed, he didn't resist. He stood up, walked to the alchemy table, picked up the Petilil that had just finished making the growth fertilizer, and headed toward the bed.
"Ralts, I'll be relying on you again." Aven smiled.
Upon hearing this, Ralts happily nodded, then closed its eyes and used its psychic abilities to connect the minds of Aven and Petilil.
Immediately afterward, all three of them closed their eyes. Under Ralts' guidance, they entered a meditative state. Aven had already tested it: meditation could completely replace sleep—and was even more effective!
The next morning.
Aven emerged from his meditation.
At the same time, Ralts and Petilil also opened their eyes and exchanged smiles.
"Let's go. Time to check on the berries' growth."
Stretching lazily, Aven and his two Pokémon quickly got up, tidied themselves up, and headed downstairs.
In the dining room, Aunt Erin was already up as usual and busy preparing breakfast.
Whenever Aven stayed at home, she insisted on preparing three meals a day for him and ensured he ate on time.
At this moment, she was the only one in the dining room—it seemed Little Andy and Uncle Mike were still sleeping in.
"Gloo~"
Next to Aunt Erin was a Gloom, the first Pokémon that had joined the farm.
Upon seeing Aven, it enthusiastically greeted him.
After breakfast, Aven headed toward the farm to check on the growth of the berries in the test field.
A few days ago, he had noticed that the berries were showing signs of flowering, and today might be the day they finally bloomed and began bearing fruit.
Before long, he arrived at the test field with his two Pokémon and found that Tangrowth and its Tangela tribe were guarding the perimeter.
"Tangg~"
Upon seeing Aven, the Great Tangrowth quickly rose and happily greeted him.
"Good morning, Tangrowth."
Aven smiled and turned his gaze to the test field.
In it, Oran Berries, Sitrus Berries, Persim Berries, Cheri Berries, Chesto Berries, Pecha Berries, and Aspear Berries were all growing in interwoven rows.
Thanks to the use of Grassy Terrain and Growth, the once-young berry seedlings had now grown into mature trees. Their lush branches formed a small orchard.
As Aven scanned the field, his eyes landed on one of the Pecha Berry trees. It was already blooming with pink flowers—clear signs that fruit was on the way.
"Looks like it'll soon be time to apply the Berry Fertilizer to the Pecha Berries," Aven nodded in satisfaction.
(TN: I think I used to call them fruitful fertilizer? Don't why I didn't change it.)
He then made his way to a wooden shed where fertilizer was stored, fetched a batch of the Mutation Fertilizer, and began applying it to the trees to further accelerate their growth and mutations.
Once a berry tree started to flower, it typically meant that the mutation process was complete and it was ready to bear fruit. At this stage, it was crucial to use Berry Fertilizer to help the tree produce more berries.
When combined with the effects of Grassy Terrain and Growth, the berries would mature at a very fast rate!
"Tang~"
Tangrowth nodded seriously.
Whenever Aven wasn't around, it took full responsibility for caring for the trees—including fertilization.
As a Grass-type Pokémon, it had a strong sensitivity to fertilizers and could adjust the amount based on the reactions of the berry trees.
(End of Chapter)