After tidying the chaotic little cabin, Noah White led Gardevoir toward the fields behind the house.
In this world, most people his age were either challenging Gyms to collect badges or joining Team Rocket to snatch Pokémon. Almost no one would spend their best years taking over a worn-down farm on the edge of a small town.
If not for the system, Noah would probably have chased his past-life dream of becoming a Pokémon Master and traveled the world with Gardevoir.
The farm was divided into three rough zones. The central section had once been cultivated for crops, but neglect had left the planned plots swallowed by weeds.
A river sourced from Mt. Coronet cut straight through the middle, splitting the land into eastern and western halves.
To the east stretched a wide meadow, tender and green. Every so often, Jumpluff drifted by on the breeze like fluffy blue seeds.
Near the western edge of that meadow lay a medium-sized lake. According to the mayor of Daybreak Town, it was home to plenty of fish and Water-type Pokémon.
Beyond the central plots, the terrain rose gently into hills. It looked perfect for planting all kinds of Berries.
"Sha..."
Gardevoir's eyes glimmered violet as she slid back to her normal form. In the next instant, she took Noah with her in a blink, depositing him in the middle of the fields.
Unlike the fresh, wind-brushed path they had followed in, this ground had become a wilderness. Vines and grasses sprawled in every direction without order. Head-high weeds formed a cramped jungle that blocked the sun and turned the fields dim and chaotic.
[Farm Upgrade Quest I: After years of neglect, the farmland is choked with weeds. As the owner, clear and till more than three mu of fields.]
[Rewards: Premium Fortune Grain seeds ×500, Prime Rolling Bean seeds ×200, Rare Candy ×3]
"So there are upgrade quests after all."
As the prompt chimed, Noah nodded. The number of Traits he and his Pokémon could equip was tied directly to the farm's level. The higher the system rated the farm, the more slots they unlocked. For now, a Level 1 farm capped them at two Traits each.
"Looks like we speed up the buildout and make this place thrive."
He stared at the sea of weeds stretching to the horizon and firmed his resolve. It was not only about improving his Pokémon. Right now he only had one clingy powerhouse to handle. If a few more transformed Pokémon girls showed up in the next days, two Purple Traits would not be enough to keep him from burning out.
Time to expand the farm and unlock more slots.
"Gardevoir, let's get to work."
Fired up, Noah rolled his sleeves and hefted a sickle from the toolshed.
"Sha."
With her Trainer giving orders, Gardevoir slipped into work mode. Whatever she was like in her transformed state, the Gardevoir Noah had trained since childhood was anything but weak. After their recent deep bonding and two equipped Traits, her strength already rivaled the aces of top Gym Leaders.
She breathed out a soft cry. Power surged through her. Compressed strands of psychic force gathered like blades and swept across the fields in the direction she pointed.
Psychic Art: Ten Thousand Blades Return to One.
Working in tandem, Trainer and Pokémon flattened the choked ground as if a bulldozer had passed, row by row.
There were, of course, little surprises among the weeds.
"Sha."
Gardevoir's eyes lit up. She stooped and picked up several glittering chunks from the soil.
"Hard Stones."
The system identified the items at once, pushing the details into Noah's mind.
[Hard Stone ×3 (Blue): Improves a Pokémon's control over Rock-type energy and increases the physical resilience of Rock types.]
If memory served, battling Trainers loved these. You could find them by exploring the wilds or through trade, and prices ranged from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands depending on quality.
By market value, three Blue-grade Hard Stones would fetch roughly 15,000 League Credits. That was a windfall for the farm. With that money, he could hire Daybreak Town's construction crew to fix up the cabin.
"Nice work."
Noah ruffled Gardevoir's hair with a smile.
"Sha."
She melted under the pat, eyes squinting with contentment. After a moment she shook her head, cheeks warming.
"Hm? You want another reward?"
"Sha."
She nodded very seriously. Before Noah could ask what sort of reward, she flashed them back to the cabin in a ripple of light.
At some point she had shifted into her transformed form again. Pale gold sunlight spilled over the windowsill. She stood barefoot on the wood floor, long legs half veiled by a white chiffon hem. If you ignored the flush spreading from the tips of her ears down her collarbone and the spring-soft haze in her emerald eyes, she would have looked every inch the cool, elegant lady.
"Trainer..."
The words came out barely above a whisper as she leaned close.
The scene faded to soft light and quiet breath.
[Obtained Trait: Psychic Amplifier (White)]
"Slacking again."
Much later, Noah sighed, then coaxed a reluctantly clinging Gardevoir back to the fields.
Resist arrogance and impatience. Do the work.
"Do..."
They were hacking through the last of a dense patch when several small figures wobbled out of the cut weeds and flopped to the ground with swirls in their eyes.
"Do do..."
Noah could not help a laugh. Hidden in the screen of wild growth were a few Oddish, their leaf caps still trembling.
He spritzed Potion over their scrapes. Once they perked back up, he released them at the edge of the forest by the farm.
"If only we had a helper who could till."
Watching the broad, newly cleared ground, Noah exhaled in satisfaction and began planning the next step.