At dusk, Lucas returned to the farm.
Before searching for the suspected Herba Mystica seeds, he made his usual round of the farming area.
It was the last day of February. The earth was waking up, and the nights were no longer so cold.
He happened to run into Comfey, Eldegoss, and the others just finishing up with the grass field and heading back to the house.
He didn't see Serperior, and guessed it was because Serperior increasingly trusted Comfey and Eldegoss Puff's work, so it delegated more responsibility.
Smoliv was much livelier than when it first arrived, following Eldegoss and the others like a little shadow. The Eldegoss would sometimes share nutrients and Grass-type energy with Smoliv. With Dragonite's regular Sunny Day brightening the fields, Smoliv was growing fast.
It wouldn't be long before it evolved into Dolliv. When that happened, the fruit on its head would ripen under the sun, producing fresh, fragrant olive oil.
The byproducts from Pokémon were truly miraculous. Even the Eldegoss' cotton had been collected by Lucas for sale at the market in Porto Marinada.
Taking five Pokémon with him, Lucas visited the pasture to check on the fences surrounding the farm.
After inspecting, Lucas concluded that although the fences were still standing, the last typhoon had left them dangerously unstable. They could collapse at any time.
It was the end of the month, and his salary would soon be paid.
His first-month probation salary was fifty thousand League coins, and with his savings he had seventy thousand. He needed ten thousand more to rebuild the farm's fences.
That wasn't hard to earn. Lucas planned to visit Casseroya Lake soon to help Delibird with its trauma, and would take the opportunity to sell farm products at the Porto Marinada market, which was nearby.
His previous collaboration with the Machoke Construction Team had gone well, so Lucas called their foreman.
The call was quickly answered, and the hearty foreman readily agreed to take the job, arranging a time for a site inspection before hanging up.
Lucas looked at Comfey and the others, who were quietly waiting for him, and blurted out, "Would you like a flower field?"
Lucas knew that Comfey loved making flower rings. The one it wore now was still from Alola. After the last big cleanup, there were hardly any wildflowers left on the farm. Comfey was probably stifled.
On a whim, Lucas asked.
"Comgey~!"
Comfey was startled, then quickly nodded—it really wanted a flower field.
The Eldegoss also remembered the beautiful wildflower fields, and even Smoliv recalled frolicking in flower fields at the Ellie Farm.
As Grass-types, they naturally loved flower fields. Lucas's proposal was exactly what they wanted.
….
"Found it! It's here."
Lucas greeted the Pokémon crowding around him, then rushed to the storage room and finally found the small packets of unknown seeds Sada had given him.
Facing what might be Herba Mystica seeds, Lucas moved carefully.
He remembered that, in the games, Herba Mystica had miraculous effects—
Like Herba Sweet to restore appetite, Herba Salty to boost health, Herba Sour to relieve fatigue, Herba Bitter to boost immunity, and Herba Spicy to speed up metabolism.
In the game, Arven's Mabosstiff, gravely injured by Paradox Pokémon and near death, miraculously recovered after eating sandwiches with all five Herba Mystica.
Even the player's Koraidon/Miraidon regained their sealed powers after eating them.
"Lexuray~?"
Luxray, who had been waiting nearby, sniffed the seeds. They just smelled a bit lighter than other seeds—nothing special.
Could these really produce such miraculous herbs?
Luxray was skeptical.
Actually, it wasn't just Luxray who doubted.
When Lucas brought the suspected Herba Mystica seeds home, Serperior and the other Pokémon also questioned whether these seeds could really produce such magical herbs.
Lucas understood their doubts and said, "After all, we don't even know if these are Herba Mystica seeds. We have to plant them first to find out."
"Let's treat it as a post-dinner activity. Besides the reserved area for the flower field, there's some spare land in the farming area—just right for these unknown seeds."
His words made the Pokémon thoughtful. He was right: rather than just doubting, it was better to try it for real.
After all, practice brings true knowledge.
Though it was already dark, the Pokémon, excited, followed Lucas to the fields.
No need for Lucas to ask—Luxray used Flash to light up the area.
Then, the now-calm Mudbray, after training with Tapu Bulu, came over and started plowing.
With a stomp, Mudbray turned the soil, and then used Rototiller to enrich it.
Under the Pokémon's gaze, Lucas carefully opened a packet of seeds—there were pitifully few inside. At best, even if they all sprouted, there would be less than ten plants.
He scattered the seeds, and the Pokémon handled the watering and fertilizing, as they were already skilled at farm work.
Finally, Comfey and the others, having just rested, used a small-scale Grassy Terrain to cover the seeds.
With luck, there'd be results soon—maybe even before morning.