When Kiara saw that he didn't mind her previous rudeness, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Your fruit trees are growing quite well, but the soil quality seems lacking. You've been using homemade fertilizer all along, right?"
"That's right." Cole nodded.
"Homemade fertilizer works fine for low-energy fruit trees, but with high-energy ones, it can lead to soil depletion. I know a shop that sells special fertilizer — all natural materials, no industrial components. It'll improve your soil quality while maintaining the berry's taste."
Kiara added thoughtfully that this shop was quite exclusive, typically working only with regular clients like the wealthy Sasaki family. Most people couldn't even get their contact information.
Cole was delighted — inviting her had indeed been the right choice, "Thank you so much, Sister Kiara."
Kiara nodded, "The shop rarely works with outsiders, so remember to mention my name when you contact them."
Cole joked, "Looks like I've found myself a powerful ally! Thanks for lending me a hand, sister!"
"You rascal!" Kiara laughed at his joke, "You'll only need to apply the special fertilizer once a month. You've taken good care of this mountain — the soil hasn't deteriorated too badly."
Cole listened attentively and took the opportunity to ask her several questions, which she answered one by one.
Then the three of them took a general tour around Mt. Ascendant.
Afterward, Kiara exclaimed, "Cole, I can hardly believe you've managed to cultivate so many B-grade fruit trees in just a few short years. It's really..."
She wanted to say "frightening" but felt it wasn't appropriate.
After some thought, she turned serious, "Cole, I formally invite you to join the Sasaki family on their behalf."
Cole's talent was so extraordinary that even someone as composed as her couldn't help but want to recruit him.
Before he could speak, Kiara continued, "Our Sasaki family is one of the top families in the Kanto Region. We built our fortune through fruit tree cultivation and have since expanded into various industries. With your talent, you'll have access to abundant family resources. You can cultivate berry trees freely and even work with A-grade or S-grade trees. Before long, you might even cultivate A-grade berries yourself..."
Kiara carefully explained the Sasaki family's prominence and the benefits of joining them, her manner sincere and solemn.
Sara became dissatisfied and glared at her, "Kiara, that's not fair! You're trying to poach him when I mentioned it first!"
Kiara replied expressionlessly, "It's just fair competition."
Sara turned to him, "Little Brother Cole, what's so great about the Sasaki family? Join our Ryuu family instead! Our history is much longer than theirs — we have everything they have, and more..."
While Cole had known Kiara was from the Sasaki family, this was his first time hearing that Sara was from the Ryuu family. He was surprised — he knew she came from a prestigious family but hadn't expected such a distinguished background.
How terrifying!
What happened to their sisterly bond? Now they were supposedly "falling out" over "competing" for a man?
Though Cole was internally sarcastic, he could see that both Kiara and Sara were sincere in inviting him to join their respective families.
So instead of joking, he seriously replied to both, "Thank you both for your consideration, but I still prefer being on my own."
"Ah~~" Sara sighed regretfully, "Going it alone is very hard. Little Brother Cole, you're so young yet so capable. You should focus on researching and cultivating berry trees — why waste time struggling on your own?"
As for Kiara, upon hearing his answer, she felt both disappointed and unsurprised.
With his abilities, it was only a matter of time before he made a name for himself. He was simply too exceptional, and though she couldn't help but try recruiting him, his refusal was expected.
Seeing that Sara wanted to continue talking, Cole quickly interrupted, "Alright, let's go look at another mountain! I'm currently researching and cultivating grafted berry trees there, and I'd really like Sister Kiara to take a look!"
Sara, cut off mid-sentence, gave him an annoyed glare, but she understood he didn't want to continue the previous topic, so she stayed quiet.
Under his guidance, the three arrived at Mt. Olympus.
Compared to Mt. Ascendant, this mountain looked more desolate. The grafted berry trees hadn't fully grown yet, and the newly transplanted trees were still just saplings.
Cole led the two girls into the grafted berry tree grove. Most of the grafted trees here had died, with only a small portion surviving, making the grove look sparse.
"The survival rate of your grafted trees seems quite low." Kiara said with puzzlement, looking at the scattered trees.
In the Pokémon world, berry tree grafting technology was very mature, with most cultivators achieving around 80% survival rates. But observing this grove, she estimated the survival rate was probably less than 40%.
"That's right." Cole said worriedly. He asked Kiara, "If berry trees originally lived in highly energy-concentrated environments, how can we ensure their survival when transplanting them?"
Kiara replied, "That's not difficult actually."
Not difficult? He was shocked — was it really that simple?
Then he heard her say, "You just need to plant them in an ecological simulation garden."
Cole had heard of ecological simulation gardens, but weren't they meant for simulating special environments like extreme heat or cold? Could they also simulate high-energy environments?
He voiced these doubts.
Indeed, they could simulate such environments, but Cole didn't know this due to his limited experience. These special gardens were incredibly expensive to build, so ordinary people wouldn't construct them, and consequently, few people knew about them.
The Sasaki family had such a garden, just one, where they grew their most precious treasure — S-grade berry trees.
The annual maintenance costs for such a garden were astronomical, but the Sasaki family considered it a worthwhile investment. After all, S-grade berry trees were vital to their family's future, and protecting such valuable resources was paramount.
The Sasaki family wasn't alone — Sara's Ryuu family maintained similar facilities. These S-grade berry trees were crucial assets, enabling major families to consistently produce powerful trainers. In the Pokémon world, such strength was essential for maintaining their dominant positions.
Cole's heart sank as he listened to her explanation. Ecological simulation gardens? He might as well be dreaming. He could barely afford a basic garden, let alone something so extravagant.
Not difficult? Maybe not for them! Everything's simple when you're rich — but I'm not!
✲✲✲
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