Chapter 32
: I Want to Farm!!!
"Xia Ming~!"
At the crossroads leading from the town to the farm, Xia Ming waited with the young Gilas, who was gnawing on a piece of silver ore.
The sound grew closer as it approached. Upon hearing it, he put down his phone and turned around, where he saw Sophia carrying large and small bags.
Without hesitation, Xia Ming showed his manly side, taking the bags from the other person's hands in a few quick strides:
"Buying so much stuff? I guess I'll be able to have a big meal tonight."
"There aren't many left. I used to have Grandma Mani and the others deliver them directly to my house."
The implication is that she only carried the ingredients herself because they were specifically for making food for you.
"Yukichi Yukichi~"
Young Gilas toddled over to the two of them, extending a hand—the gesture spoke volumes.
Trainer, let me help you carry some.
"Thank you, Eurydice. Here, you can take these."
Xia Ming did not dampen Young Gilas's enthusiasm, and immediately handed him a small bag of vegetables to hold.
Bang!
Sofia's Poké Ball opened, and Rockruff appeared, circling around the trainer's feet.
"Yo~ yo~"
"Haha, then you should come and help out, Rock Dog, hehe."
Sofia crouched down and patted the rock dog's head, then hung a bag of tree berries around her neck.
And so, with the two people and their two Pokémon each contributing their efforts, they walked together toward the farm.
------
Back at the farm, Xia Ming first helped Sophia store the ingredients in the refrigerator, and then began his work for the afternoon.
"Pangolin, I'm counting on you from now on."
"Bang~"
On the sun-baked land, Xia Ming had already changed into a farm uniform, with a small hoe and some clever little tools at his waist, and the Pangolin King was ready beside him.
Under the farmhouse not far away, Rock Dog and Baby Giras were playing, while Sophia was preparing for Xia Ming to relax after finishing his work.
Following Xia Ming's instructions, Sandslash gradually regained its memories and began to demonstrate the strength befitting a Gym Ace Pokémon!
"Bang!"
Tilling the fields!
This is a Pokémon move. When it has a small area of effect, it can raise the Attack and Special Attack of Grass-type Pokémon within that area. When it has a large area of effect, it will be a godsend for farming!
The Pangolin, having used its Tillage skill, spread the effect of the skill to ten acres of nearby land in just one minute, turning what was still fertile soil into actual farmland.
But that's not enough. This skill can only turn land into farmland. Some delicate operations still need to be done manually, such as digging holes for the plants.
If Xia Ming had a Diglett, Lopunny, or Diggory at this moment, this step would be completed very easily.
But at this moment, he could only rely on Pangolin's fingernails to complete the task.
After finishing his tilling exercise, the Mountain King didn't stop. He bent down and began to dig a hole with his nimble fingers. With just a gentle turn, he could dig out a small hole.
Xia Ming followed behind him, using the tools he carried to measure whether the pit was up to standard.
The rhizomes of cranberries extend to the side and will actively avoid other rhizomes of the same species. If the rhizomes are not buried deep enough, they may break through the soil.
But Sandslash is too big, and it hasn't done farm work in a long time. Since Xia Ming's father decided not to take over the farm, he hasn't gone to the fields with his trainer, so he's digging by feel now.
Xia Ming's role was to check for omissions and fill in the gaps; if he encountered any substandard holes, he would use the small hoe he carried with him to fill them.
And so, one person and one Pokémon, one responsible for digging and the other for checking, worked until 6 p.m. to finish digging 3,600 holes in 10 acres of land.
The main problem was Xia Ming's slowdown. With Sandslash's speed, it would only take half an hour to clear ten acres. If it were a smaller Pokémon, it would be even faster.
Xia Ming was fine for a short time, but the constant bending over for a long time made him very uncomfortable, as it was his first time doing such strenuous exercise. After an afternoon, he felt like his back was about to break.
His wrists were also incredibly sore. If Sophia hadn't been there to watch over him and occasionally bring him juice and massage them, he felt he would have been working late into the night until at least nine o'clock to finish the work on those ten acres of land.
"Ouch! That hurts!"
"Bang bang bang~"
Young people should exercise more to keep their bodies in shape.
Pangolin, sitting on the floor drinking soda, smiled as he looked at Xia Ming, who was lying on the sofa next to him, in excruciating pain.
"Bang bang bang~"
Back in the day, your grandpa was a powerful trainer who could charge through sandstorms without flinching! This little bit of exercise is as easy for him as eating and drinking.
"My grandfather passed the Regirock Trial, how can that be the same? Ouch~ My back, it feels like it's going to break!"
Xia Ming's lips twitched as he thought of his grandfather, who could wrestle with the Super Armored Rhinoceros.
If you don't want to have to carry a Psychic-type Pokémon with you every time you battle Pokémon, you'll have to find a way to break through the limits of humanity. Otherwise, the sandstorms stirred up by Gym Leader Pokémon alone would be enough to kill an ordinary person for three days and three nights.
Many Pokémon-related professions are also strongly linked to physical fitness, wouldn't you agree? Rhyhorn breeder?
If you don't want to be tossed around by an iron-horned rhinoceros, you'd better have the strength to hold its head down and tell it who's in charge!
"Dinner is ready!"
Sofia's gentle and sweet voice came through the room, and the aroma of the food had been wafting around for several minutes.
It must be said that Sophia's cooking skills are several levels above Xia Ming's, and she is proficient in making three different styles of desserts.
This is likely related to her previous major as a nutritionist; she hasn't forgotten what she learned and has become even more proficient.
"Bang~"
Sandslash got up to eat, and Young Giranus, who was playing with Rockruff, also left with him. The two little guys had become good friends after only knowing each other for a day.
Perhaps it's because they like watching the same anime?
On the sofa, it's Xia Ming's turn to be a lonely old man now.
After waiting a while longer, until Sophia had assigned seats and food to everyone, she finally brought a bowl of delicious food and sat down next to Xia Ming.
It was a bowl of rice topped with a lot of meat, which looked like lean meat from the waist of a Tauros. This stuff is incredibly expensive, twice as expensive as fatty meat!
Come on, ah~
Sofia held a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other, and with a gentle scoop, she mixed the rice, meat, and vegetables together, easily delivering the delicious and colorful dish to Xia Ming's lips.
So, is a motherly girlfriend really the ideal lover?
It's amazing!
"Aww~"
Chew, chew~
"It's delicious, so delicious! Sofia, your cooking is amazing! It makes all my fatigue disappear."
"Yukichi Yukichi!"
From afar, Young Kylas sent a congratulatory telegram of approval.