WebNovels

Chapter 19 - Basic Herbalism

Dratini and the three Snover sat around the table, happily enjoying lunch.

Lucien opened his technology panel and began scrolling through the options he could currently unlock.

At present, the Agricultural Era had four major technology paths:

[Gathering (Unlocked)] 

Branch 1: [Basic Berry Cultivation (Unlockable)]

Branch 2: [Basic Herbalism (Unlockable])

[Animal Husbandry (Unlockable)] → [Basic Processing] (unlocks basic recipes for agricultural and sideline products)

[Fishing (Unlockable)] → [Basic Shipbuilding] (unlocks basic methods for building small ships)

[Mining (Unlockable)] → [Basic Ore Theory] (unlocks basic ore smelting methods)

The panel displayed a dense web of branching technologies. The Agricultural Era started simple, but the deeper Lucien looked, the more complex it became, each tree split into countless specialized branches.

And yet, one rule was clear: to unlock a new technology, the preceding one had to be unlocked first.

Farther down the list, Lucien even caught glimpses of advanced technologies unique to the Pokémon world: [Poké Ball Transport System], [Fossil Resurrection], and [Genetic Engineering].

But the cost to unlock those was staggering, one million Satisfaction Points each.

"I'll be dead before I can afford any of that," Lucien muttered bitterly.

For now, the key was choosing something practical, something that could immediately benefit his struggling territory.

His eyes drifted back to the far-left column.

[Gathering] already displayed as Unlocked.

Lucien froze. 'When did that happen?'

No… wait. Thinking back over the past few days, he suddenly understood.

If a resident in the territory completed a certain advancement, the corresponding technology would automatically unlock.

It was his earlier order to have the civilians forage berries that had triggered the unlocking of Gathering.

"Not bad," Lucien said with a faint smile. "That saves me a lot of time."

Now his focus shifted to the next set of unlockable options.

[Basic Berry Cultivation] – Unlocks cultivation methods for Oran Berry, Cheri Berry, Pecha Berry, and Sitrus Berry.

Cost: 200 Satisfaction Points.

Lucien tapped his finger against the table, deep in thought.

'Berries…'

They were one of the Pokémon world's most valuable natural resources.

At first glance, they looked like ordinary fruits. But each berry held potent nutritional value and unique effects: healing wounds, curing poison, soothing burns or frostbite. Some even restored a Pokémon's move energy, known as PP in modern terminology.

Yet… his territory currently had no berry trees at all. Unlocking the cultivation method now would mean little without seeds to plant.

Worse, according to the memories he'd inherited from this body, berry cultivation was already known to humans in this world. Using up precious Satisfaction Points to re-learn it felt wasteful.

Still… Lucien's eyes narrowed.

This branch eventually led to [Pokéblock and Poffin Crafting], advanced technologies vital for raising Pokémon efficiently.

"It'd be smarter to wait," Lucien murmured to himself. "Once my people find berry seeds in the wild, the tech should unlock automatically… and I'll save 200 points."

For now, Animal Husbandry and Fishing were off the table.

The territory barely had any Pokémon, no Miltank, Gogoat, or Wooloo to raise. Unlocking those branches early would be like a chef preparing for a feast without any ingredients.

As for Mining… no ore veins had been discovered anywhere near the settlement. Even if he unlocked it, the tech would just sit uselessly in his panel.

That left only one truly practical choice.

Lucien's gaze lingered on the second branch of Gathering.

[Basic Herbalism] – Unlocks simple wound remedies and healing medicine recipes.

Yes.

With the threat of wild Pokémon attacks and the lack of a Pokémon Center, learning how to create basic medicines wasn't just convenient, it was essential for survival.

With this new knowledge, herbs could now be used to create healing remedies for people and Pokémon within the territory.

No longer would injured people have to suffer without timely treatment.

And with that, Dratini's cultivation and training could finally begin in earnest.

"Exchange!"

As soon as the 200 Satisfaction Points were deducted, a stream of recipes and brewing steps appeared in Lucien's mind.

[Basic Wound Potion], [Enhanced Wound Potion], [Antidote], [Burn Ointment], [Sleeping Draught]…

Lucien carefully scanned the list, then took up a piece of parchment, dipped a quill into ink, and wrote each recipe down by hand.

"Elif, take this to Lila," he said, handing over the parchment.

With the biting cold of winter, Lucien had already noticed many civilians suffering from frostbite and chilblains on their hands, ears, and faces.

These remedies would be invaluable.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Elif accepted the parchment and hurried off.

Meanwhile, the three Snover and Dratini had already finished eating their fill.

The arrival of the Snovers had caused a stir in the settlement. Some residents still feared them, while others marveled at their gentle nature. After all, these "monsters" hadn't harmed a single person, instead, they had shared their fruits.

That afternoon, while the Snovers frolicked outside, curious townsfolk gathered nearby to watch.

The younger children, just as in the morning, couldn't resist running over to play with them.

Lucien's sharp eyes caught sight of one little boy slipping a small piece of bread from his pocket and offering them to a Snover. Clearly, the child had taken them from his own home.

For a moment, many onlookers lingered, watching cautiously. But when they saw that the Snovers posed no threat, they gradually returned to their work.

There were still trees to be felled, cabins to be built. To survive the harsh winter, everyone needed to pull their weight.

Lucien was no exception.

Leaving the Snovers to keep the children entertained, he set out with Dratini and several farmers for the barren land they had scouted that morning.

This time, he didn't keep Dratini hidden beneath his cloak. Instead, he let the little dragon face the elements head-on.

The icy wind howled across the plain, biting into skin and scales alike. Dratini shivered violently, her nose running as she whimpered.

"Wooo…" 'It was freezing…'

For a moment, Dratini nearly gave in to weakness.

But then, she glanced at Lucien, her master's face was just as red from the wind, his nose running as well, yet he stood tall against the cold.

"Oooh…"

After a moment of hesitation, Dratini sniffled, straightened himself, and endured.

If Lucien was braving the cold, then she would too!

Lucien watched her with quiet approval. "Are you ready, Dratini?"

"Woo!" The little dragon gave a determined cry.

"Good." Lucien nodded with satisfaction. "Then let's officially begin training. Your task for this afternoon is to use Twister twenty times on that boulder!"

Twister was Dratini's only offensive move. But perhaps because he had grown up pampered in the palace, never needing to fight, her mastery over the move was clumsy and weak.

In this era, humanity's ability to develop a bond with Pokémon was still extremely limited. The concept of a formal trainer system had not yet been established, and so Pokémon relied far more on instinct than structured training to fight.

Lucien knew this well from the original owner's memories.

In those days, large-scale battles were fought differently: humans and Pokémon alike clad themselves in armor, charging into hand-to-hand combat. Moves were rarely used, and combat resembled brutal melees rather than refined battles of command.

That was why, for Dratini, the most important thing now was not only to increase her proficiency with Twister, but also to learn how to control the flow of energy within his body.

Meanwhile, beneath a broad tree within the territory, Anna sat cross-legged with Zorua nestled beside her. She carefully examined the parchment Lord Lucien had given her earlier.

"Characteristics… Dark attributes… Moves…" she murmured aloud, her brow furrowed in confusion.

The more she read, the more baffled she became. After a long while of struggling, she finally let out a groan of frustration.

"Ahhh! This is so difficult! Zorua, do you know what this 'Psychic Power' means?"

"Waa?" Zorua tilted its head, puzzled.

But then, before Anna's eyes, a faint blue glow flickered within Zorua's eyes.

An invisible force, intangible yet immense, quietly gathered and then lashed out toward a nearby boulder.

Bang!

A violent explosion rang out as the stone split cleanly in half.

"Ah!" Anna gasped, frozen in place, utterly stunned.

The glow faded from Zorua's eyes.

Even Anna, however inexperienced, realized what had just happened.

She turned to stare at her companion in disbelief.

"Zorua… did you break that rock?"

"Waa!" Zorua barked back proudly, as if to confirm.

"Wow… so strong!" Anna's eyes shone with awe.

Then, after a brief pause, her expression shifted as a sudden thought struck her.

Wait!

Could it be…?

She hastily looked back at the parchment, then turned to Zorua again. "That was… was that a move called Psychic?"

"Waa!" Zorua nodded with cheerful certainty.

Anna's jaw nearly dropped.

This wasn't just some instinctive reaction, her little monster could actually use the techniques listed on the parchment!

To be sure, she decided to test it. Pointing to another line, she called out, "Alright then… what about Scratch?"

In an instant, Zorua's claws gleamed with a sharp white light. With a swift strike, it slashed at the air, the energy radiating from its claws unmistakable.

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