Chapter 59
: Busy Sophia.
Meanwhile, Xia Ming was on his way to find help for the farm, while Sophia was also working hard to prepare for their arrival.
"Hmph hmph hmph~ Hmph hmph~ Hmph~"
Humming an unknown tune, Sofia cheerfully prepared a whole day's worth of meals and work arrangements for the Pokémon in the Blackberry Vineyard.
First, there's the food. Sofia needs to lead teams of small Pokémon like Bellsprout, Bulbasaur, Treecko, and Squirtle to the farm's storage room to retrieve berries that have been frozen by Mini Ice and Ice Beads.
There are no shopping malls in the town that can buy large quantities of fresh tree fruits, not even for Pierre; he mainly runs farm businesses outside the town.
Sofia didn't have much talent to develop farmland on top of taking over an orchard so that the Pokémon could be self-sufficient. Therefore, having Pierre purchase and store large quantities of various fruits was the best option.
The berries stored in the warehouse were first given "vitality" by Grass-type Pokémon, and then "nourishment" by Ground and Grass-type Pokémon, which is how they became a "home" for some small Ice-type Pokémon.
These tiny Ice-type Pokémon are natural refrigerators. The cold air they unintentionally release can effectively extend the shelf life of berries, preventing the Pokémon on the farm from getting stomach upset after eating them.
Although this sacrifices some of the taste, compared to often going hungry in the wild because of the short fruiting period and shelf life of berries, or having to hunt Pokémon, this is a rare treat and a source of comfort.
"Spicy, astringent, sweet, bitter, sour—these are the flavors that Bulbasaur loves to eat, and Treecko loves to eat Biba Berries..."
After collecting the tree fruits, they are categorized according to their respective taste preferences.
The taste of berries is highly correlated with the personality of Pokémon, and Pokémon will also exhibit a very obvious personality tendency due to their habits and nature.
For example, Bulbasaur and Turtwig are mostly very peaceful in nature, not active or aggressive. This is the nature of most Grass-type Pokémon, which is quite mediocre.
Fruits with a variety of flavors, such as jujube, orange, and persimmon, are more likely to win their favor.
The tree gecko family, on the other hand, is more combative. Their group's personality tends to lean towards bravery, impatience, seriousness, and stubbornness, making them more likely to win over the tree gecko family than the barb, which has a perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and sour flavors.
A fundamental skill of a qualified farmer is remembering the preferences of their "employees" and preparing their favorite meals in order to maintain a good relationship with them and inspire their love for their work.
If you just use cheap, plentiful berries to appease the Pokémon, they will still get the job done, but it will only turn into a trade for survival.
They will no longer do anything within their capabilities, nor will they engage in any communication with the farmers beyond transactions. They will not stand up for the farmers when they are bullied, nor will they contribute their own strength to the farmers free of charge when the farm is on the verge of bankruptcy due to a natural disaster.
The annual income of Blue Moon Blackberry Vineyard is quite considerable. When Sophia's parents were still alive, the industry here could support a large area of Pokémon while also supporting two main battle Pokémon teams, using resources to level them up to level 60 or higher.
Such wealth is bound to attract the covetous eyes of others, especially now that it is inherited by a powerless young girl, whose family consists of only a few elderly, weak, and disabled people to protect her.
But why has Sofia been able to live and build in this crumbling ruin for the past two years without anyone daring to disturb her?
Because the sea beneath this farm is home to countless dominant creatures, and Pokémon from the mountains come to her to buy food and medicine. Most importantly, Sofia's ancestors have established a deep bond with the Pokémon here.
You never know how much wrath you'll incur when you bully a little girl like that, or whether they know a wild "king" who's still alive, or whether there are any "lonely souls" who have helped her in the dark watching over her.
As long as Sofia doesn't sever this connection and continues to genuinely care for them, it will be difficult for anyone to covet all of this.
Unlike humans, most Pokémon will actually do things that most humans would consider life-threatening, even for the smallest things.
Although she can't do as much as her parents or even grandparents, Sofia still tries her best to provide the best service to every Pokémon that comes to the farm.
She painstakingly memorized what they liked to eat, carefully recording everything, and also remembered the Pokémon that had run from the deep mountains to the vicinity of the farm.
Remember what they need to exchange, and prepare some in advance. Remember what they like to eat, and cook some in advance as well.
These are things that Xia Ming simply cannot do for the time being.
But just because he can't do it doesn't mean Sofia won't help him with these trivial tasks.
"Thank you all for helping take care of the farm today. Here's a portion for you to take home, and also a portion for you."
She packed the prepared tree fruits into individual wooden basins, and thoughtfully placed some extra treats next to each basin.
There are sweet treats, fresh milk, or even one or two nutritious and delicious eggs.
The Pokémon that came to collect the food worked together to leave and return to their homes, while a few representatives stayed behind to bid a solemn farewell to Sofia.
Meanwhile, Pokémon such as Ivysaur, Venusaur, Oddish, Grovyle, Missco, Wartortle, and Woopoo begin their day's work on the farm.
After Sophia gave them a few simple instructions, they began their operation as usual.
Some went to help with pest control, fertilization, watering, and inspection of the trees and fruit trees, while others stayed nearby to patrol and drive away any stray birds or finches they found.
With a group of enormous Venusaur acting as conductors, Miss Skirt would occasionally perform dances around them to relieve their boredom.
"Phew~ Next up is to make the Pokémon welcome treats, the Poffin and the Soufflé. Let me think, do Miss Skirt and the Babysitters like sweet, sour, or astringent berries? I'll use Zero Berry, Limousine, and Peach Berry."
After finishing her work on her farm, it was already 10 a.m., but Sophia couldn't stop to rest. She had to start preparing a welcoming ceremony for the Pokémon that Xia Ming would bring back tomorrow or tonight.
Xia Ming probably wouldn't think there's any difference between a serving of tree fruit and a serving of delicious food made from tree fruit used as a welcoming ceremony.
But Sofia, who already has two years of experience as a farmer, understands how much a sincere and carefully prepared welcome ceremony can make the Pokémon that move to the farm feel a sense of belonging.