The spring cultivation of the new year had finally begun.
Out in the fields, one could often see the figures of Bibarels dashing swiftly across the farmlands.
Wherever these Bibarels passed, the soil behind them was rapidly turned over, shimmering with faint crystalline glimmers.
This was precisely the effect of the move Rototiller. Ever since Aven discovered a way to increase the chance of Bibarel comprehending the move upon evolution, more than thirty Bibarels had already mastered Rototiller.
Although the chance of Bibarel learning this move was still incredibly low, the sheer size of the Bibarel population meant that every once in a while, one or two Bibarels would naturally grasp the move.
It was believed that before long, these Bibarels who had mastered Rototiller would be able to form a dedicated farming team, continuously pioneering wastelands and cultivating more fertile fields.
"Rototiller… to think such a miraculous move actually exists!"
"As long as a territory has even one or two Pokémon capable of using Rototiller, they can endlessly cultivate fertile farmland."
Since the lords of Aspiration City still had many matters to discuss with the Pokémon Domain, they did not leave immediately after the meeting concluded.
During this time, they witnessed the Pokémon Domain's spring cultivation process firsthand, and each of them couldn't help showing expressions of deep amazement.
In fact, the thing that had left the strongest impression on them throughout their stay was the sheer number of Pokémon participating in the everyday lives of humans.
There were Combees constantly producing Sweet Honey, Burmy weaving silk for clothing, and in the construction teams, Geodudes, Onixes, and Sandshrews working tirelessly, the scene bustling with heat and energy.
And now, they were seeing Bibarels personally plowing the land with their own skill—their understanding of Pokémon only deepened, and they couldn't help but marvel at how magical these creatures were.
"Are Pokémon truly the greatest productive force?"
They unconsciously murmured this phrase—one that Lord Aven frequently repeated.
"Steward Fessen… how exactly can we acquire these Bibarels capable of cultivating the fields?" one of the lords asked, his eyes burning with enthusiasm.
With the establishment of the Pokémon Breeding Zones, the number of threats within territories would decrease significantly, meaning that many lands previously too dangerous to use could now be reclaimed as farmland.
Of course, reclaiming farmland was never an easy task, especially converting wilderness into arable fields.
But the existence of Bibarels showed them a real, tangible ray of hope.
"Hmm… that might be a bit difficult."
"The only method I can think of is for you to earn the recognition of these Bibarels yourselves."
"You lords should already have a good understanding of how the Trainer System works. We don't have the authority to simply give Bibarels away."
"However, Lord Aven intends to organize these Bibarels into a farming squad in the near future. If you need their help, you may purchase farming services."
Fessen smiled as he explained the Pokémon Domain's service system, causing all the lords present to freeze for a moment.
Alright—another purchasable service.
Ever since arriving in the Pokémon Domain, they noticed that there were, in fact, many services available for purchase—most notably, Pokémon training services. As long as one bought the service, the Pokémon Domain would handle the training for them.
For example, many of the lords in this batch had purchased the Oddish cultivation service.
Once their Oddish matured, they would obtain a capable Oddish squad, greatly strengthening the defensive power of their own territories.
Compared to rearing knights, forming an Oddish squad required far fewer resources.
Their daily upkeep was minimal; plus, these Pokémon could assist plant growth.
For the lords, it was a deal too good to ignore.
And now, if they purchased farming services, Bibarels could directly plow land for them—allowing them to plant far more crops.
Thinking about it… it actually sounded quite cost-effective.
"In addition to the farming service, the Pokémon Domain also offers services such as waterchannel digging, construction work, crop planting, harvesting, and more. Lords, you may consider any of these as needed." Fessen continued.
With Pokémon involved, many tasks could be completely delegated to them, and their efficiency far surpassed that of average civilians. It fundamentally changed daily life within the territory.
As Lord Aven often said, the existence of Pokémon could greatly free up productive power—allowing more civilians to join factories, producing more food and goods. It was a sign of true economic development.
"Alright then, thank you."
The lords nodded, planning to visit the Pokémon Management Department soon, where all Pokémon-related services could be purchased and registered.
At this time, to the south of Fruitvale Village, the clearing created from the recent reclamation of the Black Coast Forest left behind a large expanse of empty land. Aven naturally wouldn't waste it—he planned to turn all of it into farmland.
Because the area used to be forest, the soil was extremely fertile. With just one or two uses of Rototiller, the land would become ready for intensive cultivation.
"Aven, according to the plan, this area can be opened as farmland, the mountainous area over here will be used for berry tree planting, this section will serve as the Burmy breeding grounds… and lastly, over here is the expanded White Apricorn Grove."
On the southern side of Fruitvale Village, Mike was presenting the Agriculture Department's finalized development plan for the reclaimed Black Coast Forest. The layout clearly showed the tremendous effort that had gone into the planning.
"Yes, this plan looks excellent. We'll carry it out exactly as drawn."
Aven nodded with satisfaction.
The officials of the Pokémon Domain had grown rapidly; things were much easier on him now.
His role was simply to review and issue orders—everything after that would be handled by competent people.
This feeling was wonderful, giving him far more time to work on his own pursuits.
"Great! I'll give the orders immediately." Mike said excitedly before rushing off with the blueprint.
With spring cultivation underway, Mike the Minister of Agriculture, was the busiest person in the entire territory, responsible for coordinating a huge number of tasks.
Watching Uncle Mike leave, Aven brought Kirlia, Froslass, and Lilligant with him as they entered the Black Coast Forest, heading toward the White Apricorn Grove to check on its condition.
Near the grove were many Oddish, Gloom, and Combee, all of whom had already taken up residence to guard and tend to the White Apricorn trees.
Forest rangers were also stationed here. Since White Apricorns were used to craft Poké Balls, the grove had become one of the most crucial areas of the entire Pokémon Domain and was under heavy protection.
Next, Aven planned to take some seedlings and seeds from the grove to plant new White Apricorn trees in the Safari Zone.
Given the rising demand for Poké Balls, the more White Apricorn trees there were, the better.
"Glooo~!"
The Glooms in the grove cheered excitedly the moment they saw Aven.
These were the very same Oddish, now Glooms that had been stationed in Fruitvale Village from the beginning. Their bond with Aven was extremely deep.
Thus, Aven entrusted the grove's protection to them without hesitation, and he visited regularly to monitor the growth and help train them.
"Gloom, thank you for guarding this place." Aven said, patting its head.
"Lilli~!"
Lilligant waved at the group of Gloom in greeting.
Then Lilligant released Sunny Day and Grassy Terrain, enveloping all the Glooms in the area.
Bathed in sunlight and enriched grass energy, the Glooms grew more vigorously; at the same time, Lilligant was acclimating them to solar and life force energies, hoping they could eventually evolve into Bellossom, just as she had.
"Lilligant, stay with the Glooms for a bit."
Aven instructed before heading deeper into the grove with Froslass and Kirlia.
Spring had arrived, and the White Apricorn trees had sprouted fresh young leaves. Next would come flowering, followed by the production of ripe White Apricorns.
When Aven arrived, rangers were fertilizing the trees to accelerate their growth. After blooming, they would switch to fruiting fertilizer to improve harvest yield.
Further inside the grove, other berry trees had also been planted—this was the experimental field for researching berry-mutation crossbreeding.
Apricorns and berries shared many similarities, meaning mutations were possible.
If they succeeded, they could obtain more varieties of both.
Beyond White Apricorns, there were Black, Blue, Pink, and other Apricorns, each capable of crafting Poké Balls with unique properties depending on the type of Apricorn used.
"Lord Aven."
The rangers bowed respectfully.
Many of these rangers were originally young people from Fruitvale Village. They were talented berry growers and extremely loyal.
"These White Apricorn trees are growing very well." Aven praised.
His next task was to transplant some of the seedlings. Since crafting Poké Balls required whole Apricorns, not many seeds were left behind naturally.
Fortunately, the storage room held a large supply of high-quality Apricorn seeds. Aven planned to take them all and germinate large numbers of new seedlings.
Besides Aven himself, Master Makin was the person who visited the grove the most. The blacksmith was practically ready to abandon his forge to become a berry farmer, eagerly watching the Apricorns grow.
"Lord Aven, you're here."
Makin was currently examining White Apricorns in the cellar, preparing to transport them to the forge to craft more Poké Balls.
Especially with Poké Balls now officially introduced, the newly certified official trainers had each received one Poké Ball. Those with savings were already buying additional ones.
Even though the Pokémon Domain had stockpiled many Poké Balls, they would surely run out soon—especially with the upcoming autumn certification exam for official trainers.
"Yes, I came to check the trees' condition." Aven smiled.
With the era of Poké Balls approaching, the entire Aspiration City was destined for dramatic transformation.
Makin was thrilled to be part of the dawn of this new age.
After discussing a bit more, Makin left with the knights to secretly transport Apricorns to the forge—which was also incredibly busy.
With spring cultivation underway, the forge needed to produce a large supply of iron farming tools.
A portion would stay within the Pokémon Domain, while the rest was destined for Marina City.
Because Marina City had not farmed for many years, its agricultural foundation was extremely poor. Most commoners had no idea how to cultivate fields, let alone forge iron farm tools.
When the shipment arrived, large numbers of farming tools would go along with the farm-trained serfs to break new ground for Marina City.
Aven had long promised that anyone willing to work in Marina City's land reclamation effort would be freed from servitude. This was an irresistible offer for many serfs.
After working in Marina City for one year, they could return to Aspiration City—or stay in Marina City, where they would receive many additional privileges.
(End of Chapter)