After discussing the plan with Floette and the Dolliv duo, Ange sent them to find the Gogoat and Skiddo first. He then went to find the Dugtrio brothers, intending to have them help open up a new plot of land next to the vegetable garden.
In addition to them, he called over Castform, Litwick, and the Victreebel family.
By now, the Dugtrio brothers were extremely skilled at reclaiming land. The elder brother used Magnitude, sending vibrating waves forward. In an instant, the soil and the grass growing upon it flipped over, forming a neat, square plot of land.
"Litwick, it's your turn," Ange said to the Litwick standing nearby.
Lit lit~
Litwick nodded and stepped forward. The flame on its head surged, turning into sparks that fell onto the freshly turned field. Instantly, the grass and weeds inside were incinerated.
Proper burning could eliminate insect eggs and weed seeds hidden in the soil, which was very necessary.
The soil that had just been burned became dry and radiated high heat. Ange then shouted to the Castform floating in the sky, "Castform, I'm counting on you."
Cast cast~
Castform gave a cry and spit out a small blue light orb that rose into the sky. Shortly after, a fine drizzle began to fall over the land.
Bathing in the rain, Castform also transformed into its Rainy Form.
Following Ange's instructions, Castform kept the precipitation very light, only needing to moisten the soil without making it soggy. Excessive water would actually hinder crop growth.
"Castform, your ability to control the rain has grown stronger again!" Ange praised the Pokémon.
Cast cast~
Castform flew around happily within its own manufactured drizzle.
Once the work was done, Ange spoke gratefully to Castform and Litwick, "Thank you both for your hard work."
Lit lit~
Cast cast~
Litwick and Castform both squinted their eyes and shook their heads. They were happy to be of help to Ange.
While the Dugtrio brothers were tilling the second plot, Ange led the three Weepinbell and two Victreebel to plant the Rolling Beans.
The two Victreebel used Vine Whip to dig small holes in the soft soil ahead. Ange then led the three Weepinbell to bury the Rolling Bean seeds one by one and apply fertilizer.
Dug dug~
Dug dug~
However, right then, the Dugtrio brothers let out a cry of surprise.
"What's wrong?" Ange quickly turned to look.
He saw green specks of light flickering over the plot of land the Dugtrio brothers had just tilled. Furthermore, the land had automatically divided itself into neat, orderly rows—even tidier than if they had been dug by hand.
Ange opened his mouth slightly, "How... how did you do this?"
Dug dug~
The elder Dugtrio brother stepped forward, a khaki light flashing across its body. The light projected onto the ground in front of it, causing the soil to vibrate violently while green specks of light appeared.
When the vibration stopped, the soil had automatically divided into rows of equal size.
"Is that Rototiller? Dugtrio, you learned a new move!" Ange said in disbelief, his surprise quickly turning into joy.
Rototiller was a god-tier skill for farming! In battle, this move could increase the Attack and Special Attack of Grass-type Pokémon on the field; in daily life, it created soil perfectly suited for plant growth!
Dug dug, dug dug~
The elder Dugtrio brother was also very happy, its three heads popping in and out of the ground.
Ange praised it, "That's amazing, Dugtrio! You're a genius!"
Dug dug, dug dug~
The elder Dugtrio brother looked shy. It had likely realized this skill because it had been taking care of the vegetable garden for so long.
Ange then looked at the younger Dugtrio brother and asked, "What about you? Do you know this move?"
Dug dug~
The younger brother hung its heads in disappointment. It wasn't as clever as its brother and hadn't learned it.
Ange walked over and patted it to comfort it, "It's okay. Just study hard with your brother, and you'll definitely learn it one day. Even if you don't, the garden still can't do without you."
Dug dug~
Encouraged by Ange, the younger Dugtrio brother regained its smile.
Ange then had the elder Dugtrio use Rototiller on the land they had tilled earlier. He could clearly feel the soil treated with Rototiller radiating a vibrant Aura.
After a hard afternoon of work, they had tilled four plots of land in total and planted them all with Rolling Beans.
Next, he had Castform go and bring Dolliv and Floette over.
"How is the training with the Gogoat and Skiddo going? Has anyone learned it yet?" Ange asked them with a smile.
Fleur fleur~
Dolliv~
Floette and Dolliv both shook their heads at the same time.
Ange wasn't surprised. He smiled and said to the two Pokémon, "Take it slow. Learning a skill isn't something that can be finished in a day or two."
At that moment, the other Dolliv tugged on Ange's pant leg.
Dolliv, dolliv~
Ange looked down and asked, "What's the matter?"
He saw it cross its arms, and then a green light emanated from its body. As it spread its arms, the green light expanded, and tiny green sprouts began to pop out of the ground.
Ange said in surprise, "You've learned Grassy Terrain too?"
Dolliv, dolliv~
Dolliv squinted its eyes, a sweet smile appearing on its face.
"That's impressive! As expected of a Dolliv!" Ange praised it without reservation.
Dolliv, dolliv~
Dolliv pointed to the nearby Rolling Bean field and patted its chest as a guarantee to Ange.
Ange patted its head and said, "Alright, then I'll leave the bean fields to you, your sister, and Floette."
Dolliv~
Dolliv~
Fleur fleur~
The three Pokémon smiled back in response.
Ange instructed them, "From now on, come here every morning, noon, and evening to use Grassy Terrain on the seeds. Spend your spare time teaching the Gogoat and Skiddo the move."
The three Pokémon nodded again.
Under Ange's gaze, the three Pokémon performed Grassy Terrain on the bean fields for the first time. The green light covered the fields, and Ange could clearly feel the Aura from the land becoming even more full of life.
Over the following days, Ange began using the Rolling Beans brought back by the Charcadet and their companions to make Bean Paste.
The first step in making Bean Paste was to create one of its ingredients: Moldy Beans.
Ange first used his Aura to soothe the internal energy of the dried Rolling Beans. Then, he soaked them in water overnight. Once they were sufficiently soaked, he blanched them with boiling water to remove impurities and bacteria before finally draining them.
After processing the beans, he placed them on a bamboo tray in a cool, ventilated place for fermentation. He had to maintain the right humidity and temperature so the beans would grow Mucor mold.
During this period, Ange continued to use his Aura to comb through the energy of the mold growing on the surface of the beans.
After some time, the surface of the beans was covered in mold, and the official production of Bean Paste began.
First, he cleaned the moldy beans. During the cleaning process, Ange used his Aura Power once again to comb through the energy of the beans.
Most of the mold had to be preserved during cleaning, otherwise, the fermentation process would be meaningless.
Next, he boiled a pot of water and added star anise, cinnamon bark, bay leaves, and Sichuan peppercorns to boil. After the water cooled, he filtered out the spices and soaked the dried moldy beans in it for at least 3 hours.
After soaking, he drained the beans and let them dry. Then, he added high-proof white wine and rock salt from Garganacl to stir. Once thoroughly mixed, he added fresh chili segments, chili powder ground from Scovillain teeth, minced ginger, garlic, and so on.
The next step was stirring. He mixed the beans and the seasonings evenly. During the process, he added more Sichuan peppercorns, cumin, rock sugar, wine, and oil from Dolliv while continuing to stir.
Ange had used his Aura Power to process all the seasonings used during this period.
After stirring everything evenly, he poured them into the containers he had prepared beforehand and finally poured some more Dolliv oil on top.
The next step was to let them ferment in a cool place.
Including the Rolling Beans that the Charcadet had brought back later, Ange made over a dozen large porcelain jars of Bean Paste.
During the fermentation process, Ange also checked the situation periodically. He did not open the jars; instead, he used his Aura to inspect the internal conditions to prevent the Bean Paste from spoiling during fermentation.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
One afternoon, Ange went to the bean fields to check on things. He saw Floette and the two Dolliv performing Grassy Terrain on the bean seedlings in the field.
Having absorbed the power of Grassy Terrain, the already robust seedlings had leaves that were even more vibrant green and full of energy.
With the addition of Rototiller and Grassy Terrain, in just one month, the Rolling Beans had grown from sprouts into seedlings half a person tall. Small purple flowers had also begun to bloom on the seedlings, and the growth was very promising.
Ange began to look forward to seeing if fresh Rolling Beans and the tofu made from them would be delicious.
After applying Grassy Terrain to the bean fields, Floette and the two Dolliv also performed it on the nearby vegetable plot.
Because the elder Dugtrio brother had learned Rototiller, the younger brother had learned it about ten days later. Their farming techniques had become even more formidable. Coupled with Floette's Grassy Terrain, the growth in Ange's garden was becoming more and more impressive. Every day, the two Farfetch'd harvested several large baskets of fresh vegetables to be stored in the warehouse of the Secret Fortress.
Seeing the Pokémon busy at work, Ange went to check on the Gogoat and Skiddo.
After the diligent teaching of Dolliv and Floette, the Gogoat leader had finally been the first to learn Grassy Terrain about ten days ago.
Since then, the task of teaching the other Gogoat and Skiddo Grassy Terrain had fallen to the Gogoat leader.
The leader's teaching method was simple and direct: it would simply activate Grassy Terrain. Wherever its kin went, its Grassy Terrain would follow, letting them bathe in it and fully feel its power.
It kept Grassy Terrain active constantly, taking short breaks only when it was tired.
Surprisingly, this method was very effective. Over the following days, about a dozen more Gogoat and Skiddo had successfully learned Grassy Terrain.
Gradually, this special teaching method became a habit for the Gogoat and Skiddo. Wherever they walked, the area would be enveloped in Grassy Terrain.
Even before Ange reached them, he could see a glow of green light covering that patch of grassland from a distance.
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that the grass on the Nebel Plateau had recently become even more verdant and lush.
Was it because spring was approaching?
Ange didn't think much of it. He walked into the middle of the Gogoat and Skiddo and asked with a smile, "Did anyone new learn Grassy Terrain today?"
Skii skii~
A Skiddo walked up to Ange, jumping and skipping. Immediately, a ring of shimmering green light formed under its feet.
Ange bent down to pet its leaf-covered neck, "Not bad, not bad. It looks like you've been working hard." As he spoke, Ange took some small green vegetables he had just picked from the garden out of his system backpack and held them to the Skiddo's mouth, "Here, this is your reward!"
Skii skii~
The Skiddo immediately nuzzled Ange's hand affectionately and then began to eat greedily.
In no time, it had finished the handful of vegetables.
Skii skii~
The Skiddo nuzzled into Ange's arms as if acting spoiled. Ange said helplessly, "I really can't do anything with you." He then took out two tomatoes and gave them to the Skiddo.
The sweet and sour tomatoes were a big hit with the Skiddo. In a moment, it had finished them all and finally let out a satisfied burp.
Seeing this, Ange stood up and said to the Gogoat, "You all play. I'm going back now."
Go go~
Skii skii~
The Gogoat and Skiddo responded to Ange and then continued to walk forward, grazing within their Grassy Terrain.
Before heading home, Ange made a trip to the Secret Fortress warehouse.
Upon entering the warehouse, he walked up to a row of neatly arranged large porcelain jars. He placed his hand on the belly of a jar, and his eyes immediately lit up.
Was it ready?
He impatiently opened one of the sealed jars. A rich, salty fragrance immediately wafted out. He dipped a finger inside, tasted a bit, and was instantly stunned.
This was the Bean Paste made from Rolling Beans? It was too delicious. Ange could hardly imagine how good a dish made with it would be.
Just then, Ange's Eye of Observation suddenly reacted. A description box appeared in his vision as he looked at the Bean Paste.
[Special Grade Bean Paste: Consuming food made with this over a long period will slowly increase a Pokémon's maximum HP.]
Ange blurted out, "Holy crap!"
He had made Special Grade food!
Looking at the description, Ange couldn't help but say "Awesome!"
Slowly increasing a Pokémon's maximum HP... was Special Grade food always this powerful?
Then, Ange heard a prompt from the system.
[Congratulations Master for making Special Grade food for the first time. Reward: One individual value of a designated Pokémon will be maximized.]
Seeing this reward, Ange's eyes widened again.
The reward was so generous!
But then he thought about it. Since it was the first time, it was normal for the reward to be generous. After all, there wouldn't be a second "first time."
Ange fantasized about when he would make Special Grade food again. Success with Special Grade food had a certain level of randomness and was also related to his cooking skills. He couldn't say for sure when he would succeed again.
After all, his Aura cultivation wasn't perfect yet.
Shaking off his fantasies, Ange began to think about which Pokémon to use this reward on.