As they listened to the Pokémon music team's performance and enjoyed the iced drinks brought by Gardevoir, the three of them felt utterly relaxed.
"Woof! Woof!"
Before long, Arcanine, after playing for a while, came running over with Poipole in tow, its fluffy fur billowing in the wind.
Arcanine had a clear goal—it went straight to Akira's feet and flopped down, its large body perfectly positioned for Akira to pet its head.
Akira set down his drink and couldn't help but chuckle at the sigh.
"Alright, alright, I get it."
He knew exactly what Arcanine wanted.
He then extended both hands, starting with gentle strokes over Arcanine's head—the soft, furry coat felt incredibly smooth under his touch.
Soon, it turned into playful ruffling—sometimes rubbing Arcanine's head, sometimes scratching under its chin.
This made Arcanine stick out its tongue, grinning widely and occasionally barking happily in delight.
It had to be said, Arcanine's fur was truly satisfying to pet.
Meanwhile, Poipole tilted its head to the side, tapping its mouth with a finger as it watched Arcanine's blissful expression.
Then, it flipped upside down in midair and, while floating around, used the syringe on its head to draw a vivid picture on the ground.
The three of them looked over curiously, wondering what Poipole was trying to draw.
After spending some time together, Akira had come to understand that his Poipole was quite similar to its original counterpart—it loved drawing.
Poipole's syringe was like an artist's brush, effortlessly sketching lively images with just a few strokes.
Akira gave a wry smile and beckoned to Poipole, "Come here, Poipole. Let me pet you too."
Poipole had drawn a picture of Akira petting its head, just like he had done with Arcanine.
"Eee~"
Poipole's blue eyes sparkled with joy as it floated lightly toward Akira, lowering its head slightly to make it easier for Akira to pet.
Akira smiled knowingly and gently stroked its head, carefully avoiding the syringes on top.
Poipole's skin had a unique texture—it felt hard at first touch but became noticeably softer after a few strokes.
Though it didn't have the fluffy feel of an Arcanine, there was still something oddly pleasant about it.
Poipole's eyes narrowed in contentment, thoroughly enjoying this intimate moment with Akira.
After a while of leisurely bonding, Akira vanished from the villa in a flash.
...
On the rocky terrain of the Spirit Island.
This was an area Akira had deliberately set aside, primarily as a habitat for the Diamond Spirits.
Not only did they live among the rocks, but they also fed on them.
However, this vast rocky expanse wasn't just for dwelling—it also facilitated the Diamond Spirits' production of rare ores.
No strenuous effort was required; simply by residing here, the likelihood of the land yielding rare ores increased.
Not to mention, they actively contributed by crafting [Gemstone Power].
And who was the [Gemstone Power] for?
Naturally, it was for Steelix, who subsisted on ores.
In the dimly lit mine shaft,
Akira stood atop the massive form of Steelix, whose golden body occasionally crackled with streaks of golden lightning.
He intended to check on the Diamond Spirit colony deep within the mine.
Considering that different ores required varying depths, Akira had designed a relatively deep tunnel.
It loosely mimicked the stone giants' lair from the Dark Continent, though not as vast or deep—more of a scaled-down version.
Before long, Steelix carried Akira to their destination.
This was roughly the midpoint of the mine, where the stone walls branched into multiple smaller caves.
The entire tunnel had been bored by Steelix, so it navigated the area with effortless familiarity.
The moment Akira stepped down, a pink figure flung itself into his arms, pressing its face tightly against him.
"Akira, you're here~"
Diancie's ruby-like eyes sparkled with joy at his arrival.
Diancie had just used [Telepathy], allowing it to speak directly into Akira's mind.
Gazing at the adorable Diancie, Akira smiled warmly. "Yeah, I came to see how you're all doing."
Only then did Diancie seem to realize its lack of decorum, floating back slightly to regain its usual elegant poise.
"We've been doing very well lately. The Diamond Spirits have been quite diligent."
"Even though I told them they didn't need to work so hard, it seems they're just used to keeping busy."
Diancie's tone carried a hint of helplessness. Despite its reassurances, the Diamond Spirits couldn't resist contributing.
Apparently, the Diamond Guardians had rallied the others, insisting that since their savior had rescued them, they must repay his kindness.
They were, after all, a race that valued gratitude.
Thus, every Diamond Spirit worked with fervor, diligently producing [Gemstone Power].
Still, their quality of life had improved significantly compared to before, and they lived comfortably now.
Currently, Diancie had effectively taken the place of the Diamond Spirit King, leading the colony in daily affairs.
Truthfully, the Diamond Spirits could now attempt to nurture a new Diamond Spirit King to guide them.
Previously, under the stone giants' harsh surveillance, they hadn't even had time to rest—let alone the opportunity to cultivate a new ruler.Now that they had some free time, they still had no intention of doing so.
The reason was that they believed they had already found a better leader than the Diamond Spirit King—Diancie.
As a mythical Pokémon known as the "Jewel Princess," Diancie was undoubtedly far more formidable than any so-called Diamond Spirit King.
Not only could it communicate seamlessly with the Diamond Spirits, but as long as Diancie was around, their strength would continue to grow.
The relationship between them was akin to that of Diancie and the Carbink in the Pokémon world.
One could say that having Diancie lead them was their good fortune.
Thus, they no longer harbored any thoughts of nurturing a new Diamond Spirit King, instead wholeheartedly following Diancie and Akira.
Seeing Diancie get along so well with the Diamond Spirits, Akira was quite pleased, but there was still one issue.
Akira glanced at the Steelix beside him, about to speak.
Coincidentally, Steelix also tacitly averted its gaze, its round, beady eyes fixed on the ceiling.
The pitch-black ceiling had nothing on it, yet Steelix stared with great "enthusiasm," as if some rare, world-class gem were beckoning it.
Seeing this, Akira's lips twitched. He patted Steelix's hard body and sighed helplessly:
"I'm not stopping you from eating. In fact, eating more is good for you."
Come to think of it, compared to when Steelix was first born, its size had indeed grown significantly.
His Steelix was an Alpha Pokémon, already large in size to begin with, and after devouring the Stone Colossus and numerous gems, it had grown even bigger, steadily approaching colossal proportions.
Hmm...
Would it keep growing to unimaginable sizes if it kept eating?
Akira shook his head—that thought was too absurd.
No matter what, it wouldn't grow to anything too extreme.
Hearing Akira's words, Steelix bared its metallic teeth in a grin.
In the dim lighting, that smile could easily scare children.
Then, Steelix lowered its massive head and nudged Akira gently, its thick tail wagging behind it.
Clearly, it was in a very good mood.
"Alright, alright~"
Akira drew out his words, giving Steelix's head a symbolic pat.
There wasn't much to feel—after all, its body was forged from steel and rock, making it no different from touching a stone.
Except this "stone" had been tempered through countless trials, its surface smooth and cool to the touch.
In the summer, sticking close to Steelix even had a cooling effect.
As he patted Steelix's head, Akira suddenly felt a strange sensation.
Why did it feel like he was raising countless different "dogs"?
All of them vying for his head pats.
Well...
Though Arcanine was indeed a dog.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Akira caught sight of Diancie on the other side, staring intently at them with undisguised envy in its eyes.
Akira: "..."
"Sigh..."
Akira exhaled, then smiled again, turning to the "covetous" Diancie and saying warmly.
"Come here, my little princess."
Diancie, who had been pretending to be indifferent just moments ago, instantly broke character, its face lighting up with joy as it floated over to Akira's side.
It eagerly nudged his free right hand, asking for a head pat.
Hmm...
Just like Steelix, it was a rocky, mineral-based head.
Akira began mentally tallying how many heads he'd patted over the past few days.
After briefly comforting the two, one big and one small, Akira left this place and headed to the next location.
If this was the base where he was responsible for cultivating mineral-type [Hope], then the place he was going to next was the base for cultivating plant-type [Hope].
...
On the grasslands of the Fairy Island.
On the other side of the villa, at a considerable distance, lay an entire area designated as a cultivation base.
It could be said that half of the vast grassland had been reserved by Akira for planting purposes.
Perhaps the number of plant-type [Hope] he currently possessed wasn't substantial, but as batches matured, the quantity would only grow in the future.
Not to mention, he would later harvest even more plant-type [Hope] from the Dark Continent.
Thus, it was necessary to plan ahead and allocate sufficient space.
Fortunately, the island was large enough—even if the grassland proved insufficient, other areas could still be used for planting.
Suddenly, Akira appeared out of thin air in an open space, then looked up at the sky beside him.
There, floating in the air, was a robust, orange Pokémon whose muscular build resembled that of a burly man.
Its entire lower body was enveloped in pure white clouds, which allowed it to hover effortlessly.
Its tail bore many flat-tipped protrusions, thick and curled like a brown tree branch.
Perched on its shoulder was a small, emerald-green hedgehog-like creature, its tiny body adorned with tufts of grass and dotted with flowers.
Together, the two made for quite the contrast—a hulking giant and a tiny companion.
Shaymin and Landorus had been waiting here for quite some time.
"Mii~"
Shaymin leaped from Landorus' shoulder onto Akira's, nuzzling his cheek affectionately.
A rich floral fragrance immediately filled the air, fresh and invigorating.
Akira, long accustomed to this, gently stroked the little flower and chuckled:
"Ready?"
Shaymin nodded, its plump little face utterly adorable, while a telepathic message echoed in Akira's mind.
"Mii's all ready~"
Shaymin had a habit of prefacing its words with "Mii," a quirk of speech.
Like Diancie, Shaymin possessed the ability of [Telepathy], allowing seamless communication across species.
Akira knew Ging must have coveted such an ability.
But now that he had the [Translation Device], [Telepathy] wasn't strictly necessary.
Hearing this, Landorus, still floating in the air, also nodded, signaling it was ready to act at any moment.
Akira understood—everything was in place.
The reason for having Shaymin and Landorus stationed here was simple: they were responsible for the upcoming planting operations.
After all, Shaymin and Landorus were his appointed [Ministers of Cultivation]—or, more colloquially, the [Gardening Duo].
Primarily because these two Pokémon were exceptionally suited for planting.
Landorus could absorb wind and lightning, converting them into energy to enrich the soil and make the land fertile.
The energy flowing from its tail replenished the soil's nutrients, ensuring crops grew strong and healthy.
Any land it visited was guaranteed a bountiful harvest, earning it the title of "Deity of Farmland."
In its Incarnate Forme, Landorus would appear to quell conflicts between the incarnations of whirlwinds and thunderbolts.
A symbolic gesture—after storms and lightning, the earth would always yield abundance.
Shaymin could restore life to barren wastelands and even address pollution issues.
Landorus represented prosperity, nourishing the soil and revitalizing desolate lands.
Together, they could transform countless barren—even polluted—lands into fertile grounds capable of sustaining life!
However, Akira intended to refine the plan further, striving for perfection.
The only element missing in the entire process was wind and thunder.
After all, Landorus primarily derived its energy by absorbing wind and lightning.
Normally, this was achieved through the other two members of the Forces of Nature—Tornadus and Thundurus.
But he didn't have them at hand.
Yet, he had an even better alternative.
Why not have Kyogre summon a light but nutrient-rich rain?
To employ a Mythical Pokémon, a secondary legendary, and a tertiary legendary—all just to "till his land."
Such an extravagant lineup was something only he could pull off.
---------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator