Beyond leveling up Oddish to unlock Grassy Terrain, Ron also wanted Fletchling to gain a bit of battle experience—enough to evolve into Fletchinder and unlock the Flame Body ability. He was curious if that trait would accelerate egg hatching.
He also needed to fulfill his promise to Willy—delivering fresh insect meat. He was just short of the full amount, so he planned to finish gathering it quickly and bring it over.
Notably, Froakie's long hours of farm labor had finally paid off—it had reached Farming Level 5, unlocking the farm's first profession bonus: Tiller. This boosted the value of all crops by 10%.
The difference wasn't marked with star ratings, but after months of tending the fields, Ron could easily spot the subtle improvements in quality—each harvest now visibly richer and more vibrant than before.
At Farming Level 10, he'd have to choose between two advanced professions:
- Artisan: increases the value of artisan goods (like wine)
- Agriculturist: shortens crop growth time
If he hit Level 10 before the Hops were ready for brewing, he'd pick Artisan. If not, Agriculturist.
But at his current pace, he wouldn't reach Level 10 until autumn at the earliest.
Ron checked his Pokédex one last time, tucked it away, and headed to the Mine Cart with Oddish and Fletchling.
Geodude's mining crew was already hard at work—and now Orthworm had joined them, since field tilling was done.
Ron passed them in the elevator, watching Orthworm devour iron ore like candy, and smiled as he descended deeper.
---
Meanwhile, at the Beach…
Willy had been part of yesterday's farm crew too. A regular at the saloon, he often drank with Clint.
Now, he cast his line, took a slow drag from his pipe, and exhaled a smoke ring.
He didn't pity Ron for the farm's grueling work—his own fishing trips were no walk in the park either.
What puzzled him was this:
Yesterday, he'd noticed Sprinklers covering many crops—but not all. With such a massive planting, why hadn't Ron caught some Water-types like Remoraid or Octillery to water the rest? That'd save him daily battles with those thieving fish.
Just then, the water rippled. Without a word, Willy lowered his pipe—and Krabby lunged.
In a flash, Krabby's claws sent the sneaky Remoraid fleeing.
"Again? Annoying," Willy muttered, taking another puff.
Water-types needed aquatic habitats, sure—but solutions were simple: build Fish Ponds or buy Aquariums from the fish shop.
Willy tapped ash from his pipe, reeled in his catch, fed it to Krabby, and headed back to the shop.
As sunset painted the ocean orange, Willy stood from behind the counter, grabbed a spare rod, and prepared to close up for the day—
—when footsteps echoed on the dock.
A strange bird fluttered in.
"Easy there, Fletchinder!"
Ron's voice followed. The farmer poked his head through the door, locking eyes with Willy.
"Afternoon." Ron pulled a wriggling bundle of fresh insect meat from his backpack. "You asked me to get this for you."
Willy blinked, surprised.
After yesterday's chaos, he'd expected Ron to rest all day—even if he had promised bait to an old fisherman.
"Thanks," Willy said, taking the meat. He glanced at the unfamiliar bird inspecting his fish buckets. "What's this?"
"Fletchinder. Evolved from Fletchling."
It had happened faster than Ron expected—partly because Oddish had softened up a group of Rattata with its steel sword, letting Fletchling finish them off for easy XP.
Ron hadn't caught those Rattata, though. He only needed ones with the Run Away ability, and his cabin was already bursting at the seams.
He was considering building a dedicated Pokémon Cabin—but judging by how clingy they were, they'd probably still crowd his bed. Expanding his house seemed the only real option.
And soon, ten Miltank would arrive.
The Nursery was tiny—fine for small Fletchling, but Miltank needed serious space. A barn was essential.
Willy watched Fletchinder eyeing the fish, then tossed it a Sardine.
The bird tilted its head, chirped softly, and gulped it down.
Willy turned to Ron—who was staring at Fletchinder, lost in thought—and pulled out a blueprint.
"Remember? The special Bait recipe I promised."
Ron snapped out of his daze and thanked him.
Willy hesitated, then finally asked what had been nagging him:
"Hey… ever thought about catching Water-types to water your farm?"
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