Pokemon Paldea [319-320] (Patreon)

Chapter 319: Launching the Milk Delivery Service, Shuckle's Juice, and the Upcoming Pokémon Marathon!

Not to mention Garganacl's talent, perfect for a sandstorm team. It could serve as the first lesson after school starts, welcoming Nemona and the others back from Galar, and also greeting Paul, who would likely be roped in by Geeta and Clavell.

Then, they could compete to see who could first defeat a Garganacl holding Leftovers and Terastallized.

As for moveset, something like Curse, Salt Cure, Recover, Protect, Iron Defense, Wide Guard, Body Slam, etc.

Terastal types could vary: Tera Ghost, Tera Steel, Tera Water, Tera Poison, or even Tera Fairy would work, though it's a bit expensive.

But everyone would surely show smiles of "battling makes me happy," right?

Thinking of this, Lucas's smile grew wider. However, all these ideas depended on the Naclstack successfully evolving into Garganacl within this month.

Though the hope was slim, perhaps with the addition of Mt. Silver soil, providing better nutrition and energy, the Naclstack's growth speed would accelerate?

Lucas skillfully collected the rock salt produced by the Naclstack. That single spray was equivalent to a week's accumulation from their Nacli days. Even if it depleted most of their stored rock salt, the output was extremely impressive.

After a quick calculation, Lucas was surprised to find that at this rate, the monthly value of rock salt from three Naclstack was about 0.8 times his monthly salary.

If they evolved further...

Hiss, he didn't dare think about it!

Lucas vaguely understood why many people didn't make trainer their main job. This profession didn't make money as fast as others!

Either work yourself to death on tasks, like Lucas before, investing most money in Pokémon feeding and resources, or like Galar's undefeated Champion Leon, with a champion cape full of ads earning endorsement fees.

Even Whitney, whom he met recently, treated her Miltank ranch as her main business. She said her monthly gym leader salary was lower than Lucas's current wage; only the League-provided gym leader resources and tax exemptions were attractive.

Speaking of tax exemptions...

While interacting with the Shuckle and Naclstack, Lucas pondered tax issues.

Basically, when income reaches certain thresholds, the League collects taxes to maintain operations.

Though Lucas had retired as a Champion-level trainer, the honor remained.

Currently, the farm's income and his teacher salary weren't at the exemption limit, so no tax worries.

But once the farm's various businesses grew and income soared, taxes would be levied. Lucas didn't mind; the League maintains the region, so reasonable taxes are fair. He wasn't opposed.

However, he'd heard Geeta was pushing for Paldea's development, intending to allow gym leaders operating urban gyms to stack tax exemptions with others, to increase gym numbers in cities and boost regional strength.

Like in the anime, besides the official eight gyms, many smaller gyms exist in other cities, also issuing league badges. A region isn't limited to just the game cities.

Los Platos happens to lack a gym. If he wanted further tax exemptions, Lucas could establish one without issue—perhaps Geeta would approve it the next second after submission.

Yes, Geeta. Recalling Larry's miserable state, Lucas, who was petting the two Shuckle's smooth, turtle-like heads, shuddered. Better to pay some taxes and preserve his life than become Geeta's underling and get exploited.

Worst case, if he did open a gym, he'd likely be a hands-off owner, letting Oranguru act as proxy gym leader to handle new trainers' challenges, or even bring back some Gardevoir maids and Gallade butlers from outside to rotate shifts with Oranguru.

Retracting his hand from petting the two Shuckle heads, Lucas sighed. Instead of thinking about all that, better to go back and discuss with Oranguru about opening fresh Moomoo Milk subscriptions to the public. His intuition said this business could take off.

The rock for the Shuckle to live in was soon brought back from the wild by Swampert. Even though used to Swampert's immense strength, Lucas was still shocked seeing it single-handedly carry a huge rock many times its size.

The rock was placed in the center of the berry grove, where there was ample space and tree branches extending to block rain somewhat.

Actually, when the Shuckle siblings arrived in the berry-scented grove, their eyes lit up, feeling like they'd entered their dream land.

Not only the premium berries about to fully ripen everywhere, but the huge rock perfectly suited them—all this made the Shuckle siblings' affection for Lucas, who had already saved their lives, skyrocket. They were also full of gratitude for Suicune's arrangements.

"Do you need other Pokémon to help hollow out the rock?" Lucas asked the two Shuckle, who were joyfully inspecting the huge rock, then glanced at the eager Swampert beside him. "Hmm, Swampert, one punch from you might shatter the huge rock. Better not."

"Instead, Mimikyu, Ceruledge, and Arcanine should be able to hollow it out quickly."

Hearing this, the originally eager Swampert, waving its fists, drooped its head in disappointment.

Lucas was right; it almost forgot that one punch would either turn this carefully selected, good-looking, appropriately sized rock from the wild into slag or split it into pieces.

"It's okay, it's okay. You carried such a big rock back to the farm, and the Shuckle appreciate it. Great job!"

Lucas patted Swampert's head, which looked like a dejected big dog, his expression a bit odd.

Fortunately, Swampert only sulked for a moment before perking up, waving its powerful arms and heading toward the Thunderclap Lake.

To find a suitable rock for the Shuckle, it hadn't practiced by the huge Damp Rock today.

After Swampert left, the Shuckle seemed to have fully toured their new home and came to Lucas. The blue Shuckle sister even demonstrated their burrowing ability—

Both had learned Dig, so they could handle turning this raw jade into their new home themselves.

Since the Shuckle said so, Lucas didn't insist, just reminding them that once the new home was built, they could pick suitable berries from the trees to store inside. After Lucas got custom wooden plugs made to fit their shell holes, they could start fermenting berries into juice.

If bored, they could go to the nearby apple grove to befriend Tropius and Applin; the apples ripened by Applin taste excellent.

After the Shuckle siblings nodded to show they remembered, Lucas, having settled them, didn't linger. He returned home, called Oranguru, and began discussing the feasibility of expanding the milk delivery service.

The final discussion concluded it was viable. Oranguru occasionally wandered into Los Platos and saw most families buying Moomoo Milk transported cold from other cities. The loading, unloading, transport, and sales time far from qualified as "fresh" Moomoo Milk.

Los Platos's population structure is healthy, with elders, children, and adults in optimal ratios, meaning Lucas and Oranguru's "fresh Moomoo Milk" branding would likely be effective.

In supermarkets, a 750ml bottle of Moomoo Milk sells for 500 Pokédollars. Considering its average quality and not being the freshest, the price is actually on the high side.

Lucas planned to bulk-buy 750ml glass bottles at 20 Pokédollars each.

After filling with fresh Moomoo Milk, Oranguru calculated a price of 550 Pokédollars per bottle, plus a one-time delivery fee of 50 Pokédollars, as reasonable.

Among the five Miltank, four are still sub-adult, producing less milk than adults—about 15 liters per day.

Per Oranguru's calculations, including daily consumption by farm Pokémon and Lucas's food production, leaving the 25 liters from the sole Herbivore Miltank, and selling the rest... if fully subscribed daily, minus negligible costs, daily income could exceed 45,000 Pokédollars!

Upon getting this number, Lucas and Oranguru exchanged glances and sucked in a breath.

Good grief, so my monthly salary from hard work isn't even as much as what the five Miltank at home produce.

Thinking of the dozens of Miltank at Hanzawa and Whitney's ranches, Lucas got it.

So the rich folks were right beside me all along.

As for delivery after launching the service, Lucas and Oranguru thought they could utilize available resources.

Instead of exhausting Arcanine and others running all day, they could systematically train the Corviknight flock under Moltres and have them handle deliveries.

The payment could be the excess fresh Moomoo Milk and berries—high-energy, nutritious food that's the best reward for those wild Pokémon.

After completing this series of plans, Lucas and Oranguru exchanged glances, both seeing pride in each other's eyes for their genius idea.

Before ending the topic, Lucas suddenly remembered something and quickly added: "However, if we have Corvisquire and Corviknight handle deliveries, we must be careful of the Tinkatink."

"Tinkatink?"

Oranguru's telepathic message conveyed confusion; it didn't know this Pokémon.

After Oranguru pulled out a tablet and looked up the data, it showed realization.

"Tinkatink is fine; it's the one being bullied. The main issues are with Tinkatuff and Tinkaton. Tinkatuff attacks Steel-type Pokémon to collect metal from them, and Tinkaton can easily swing hammers over 100kg to launch rocks at Corviknight and steal their armor."

"Hiss, young master, they're tough. If hit mid-flight, not only would the fresh Moomoo Milk shatter, causing delivery delays, but the Corviknight might be in danger."

Lucas nodded in agreement, very satisfied with Oranguru's data-gathering speed, and added:

"Fortunately, the Tinkatink group is more distributed in places like Zapapico. Los Platos, this beginner village, has almost none. No need to worry too much."

"That's great." Oranguru nodded, pondering. "Since linking with the farm, the malnourished Corvisquire in the Third Scar flock have successfully evolved with ample food, now with about ten Corviknight. If targeted by Tinkaton, it'd be a disaster."

Lucas nodded slightly, concluding: "Then it's settled. Prepare to launch the milk delivery service, with Third Scar-led Corviknight flock handling deliveries, paid appropriately."

Though launching the service, how to promote it was still an issue.

Generally, promotion uses three channels.

Offline promotion.

Via flyers, billboards, etc. This is suitable for startups not wanting to overextend initially.

Online/TV promotion.

Ads on websites, TV commercials, celebrity endorsements, product placements in hot shows—all fall here.

For example, to expand the farm's customer base and Moomoo Milk business, Lucas could pay to have Unova's dazzling model Elesa endorse during a runway show.

Leave "Lucas Farm" on Leon's champion cape.

Invite Kalos household star Diantha for naming endorsement.

Or have streamers like Iono like mukbang sponsored content, hard-inserting in videos or streams.

But this mode isn't just about overextending; endorsement fees aren't small. For now, with the farm not even out of Los Platos, it's not considered.

Invisible promotion.

Basically word-of-mouth reputation and the farm/owner's influence to attract customers. Needs pairing with the above for significant effects.

Lucas thought for starters, besides hiring people in Los Platos to distribute flyers, promoting through events that only spread within Los Platos would work.

Fortunately, the opportunity came soon.

…

On July 6th, while Lucas routinely went to the market for supplies and prepared for the milk service launch, he heard from Grandma Touko about something.

In late this month, the annual Pokémon Marathon hosted by the Los Platos mayor was opening registrations.

On the day, Los Platos residents, nearby farm/ranch owners, and even passing trainers would join this event to select the "Most Enduring Ride Pokémon." The winner, under the town's attention, receives the "Endurance Medal" honor from the mayor.

Lucas wasn't interested in the "Endurance Medal" or fame from the marathon, but solely in the award ceremony's town-wide spotlight.

If he won the Pokémon Marathon and said during the awards, "This Pokémon's endurance is so strong because it drank fresh Moomoo Milk from the farm—now open for subscriptions," the promotion effect would be faster than repeating flyers at town corners!

Moreover, this marathon tests Pokémon "endurance." The farm happened to have a Pokémon that hadn't shone in a while, perfect for this event.

Of course, even for speed, Lucas had Dragonite and Moltres in the air, and Arcanine with Extreme Speed on land, enough to leave others in the dust.

Just worrying about better promotion beyond flyers, and here was the chance?

The remaining half-month was perfect for pre-launch prep, like route training for the Third Scar Corviknight flock, stockpiling containers, trialing qualified dairy products for marathon promotion.

And procuring or customizing automated milking equipment to ensure ample fresh Moomoo Milk ready each morning.

Plenty to do.

…

On July 7th, Lucas officially began preparing the milk delivery service.

Glass bottle procurement was easily negotiated. Though Lucas's quantity wasn't large, it was steady, and his Champion-level trainer identity leaked through casual talk, giving many Los Platos residents natural trust in him, sealing this stable deal.

Because of this trust, Lucas was meticulous in prep, aiming to earn while bringing more benefits and convenience to Los Platos residents.

As a transmigrator, Lucas knew how important "first impression" is in promotion, like flashy titles and eye-catching images online before crossing over—need to attract attention for steady customers.

Just an empty glass bottle filled with Moomoo Milk would seem like a no-name product, unreliable.

But with proper packaging, it creates significant effects, even making customers loyal to your brand for repeat buys.

Though currently only planning daily subscriptions, not shelving in supermarkets to compete with big brands from other cities, best to do this right from the start.

In short, give the farm's fresh Moomoo Milk a unique "label."

After Lucas and Oranguru referenced many materials and existing Moomoo Milk brand labels, through Oranguru—who dabbled in ad design—the exclusive "label" for Lucas Farm's fresh Moomoo Milk was born.

For artwork, Lucas used his connections to contact Hassel, having this Dragon Tamer family scion collaborate with Brassius, the famous artist and Artazon Gym Leader in Paldea, to draw a painting for label printing.

The painting was simple: In the limited small space for a glass bottle label, they drew five version Miltank with a touch of their styles, plus artistic font "Lucas Farm" and a majestic Luxray head beside it.

If Hassel and Brassius's fans knew they drew for a tiny farm's bottles, they might travel far to Los Platos just to buy a bottle of Moomoo Milk.

So, having background and connections is essential when out in the world.

While busy preparing the milk service, Lucas naturally didn't forget the crops planted in the farming area not long ago.

The watermelon fields in Eindoak left a deep impression on Lucas, so after returning from Unova to Paldea, he had Mudsdale and Comfey open a new field in the farming area specifically for watermelons.

Ordinary crops, boosted by Victini and nourished by Comfey and Grass-type Pokémon using the special Grassy Terrain taught by Tapu Bulu, crossed several growth stages in just a month, heading straight to maturity.

Upon returning to the farm from Johto, busy with various tasks, Lucas hadn't had time to check the watermelon field. Once the label matter was settled and he had some free time, he brought Luxray, Victini, and others to the farming area's watermelon field.

The moment he saw the field, shock spread in his heart.

Vines intertwined in the field, swaying gently in the breeze. The watermelon flowers blooming when Lucas left had turned into round, massive watermelons, their smooth, jade-like surfaces gleaming under the sunlight.

Luxray lifted its head and sniffed, its nose filled with the scent of nearly ripe watermelons. Even steady as it was, it couldn't help imagining the sweet, juicy flesh.

Looking at the familiar melon field, Victini's memories were stirred.

It recalled the melon fields near the Sword of the Vale Castle in Eindoak's orchards.

Those were among its few happy memories in that millennium, enjoying the starry summer nights with wild Pokémon friends, sitting in rows sharing delicious watermelons.

"Victini~!"

Victini let out a cheer, leading its friends into the field, proudly helping them pick watermelons based on its experience.

Seeing this, Lucas showed a helpless smile and called out: "Don't rush! Oranguru said the watermelons need a few more days to fully ripen!"

Chapter 320: Secret Seasonings and Shuckle!

July 15th. Midsummer had entered its final form.

The scorching sun drove many wild Pokémon to hide in the shade, underground, or in caves to prevent losing precious moisture. They shifted their schedules, more often venturing out when the sun was about to set but still shed some light.

On Lucas’s farm, aside from fire-types like Ceruledge, Arcanine, Moltres, and Victini, most Pokémon chose to stay in their rooms during the most brutal hours, enjoying the new air conditioners Lucas had installed.

The electric meter connected to the farm’s grid spun madly, but thanks to Zapdos’s full recharge earlier, the farm had power to burn through this summer.

Not to mention, Lucas would occasionally have Luxray and Raging Bolt generate some electricity. Before any other power-hungry additions joined, there was basically no need to worry about energy use.

Since returning from Johto, Vulpix and the Sandslash couple had holed up in the ice cellar, only coming out for a stroll after sunset. As for the igloo that Articuno built, it had long since melted and collapsed thanks to midsummer heat.

Recently, Lucas used the black orb item gifted by Mewtwo to pinpoint Delibird’s location.

The Orange Archipelago, being a small island chain, wasn’t anywhere near the size of a full region. With a quick look online, Lucas confirmed Ash’s travel progress—after all, the Orange League’s official site had a huge banner announcing the imminent restart of the Winner’s Cup, with Ash, who had collected the four Southern Cross badges, as the challenger.

In a sense, although the Orange League was smaller than even some big-city Gyms, this was indeed the competition where Ash earned his first league championship.

After this tournament, they would head for the Johto region.

In Lucas’s impression, their journey so far might have been only about two months, with more than half the time probably wasted getting lost.

The Orange Islands aren’t that big, and Delibird, unlike Ash’s group, doesn’t get lost. It could probably tour the archipelago within this period and then head for Johto or Hoenn.

Lucas wasn’t sure whether Delibird’s next plan was Johto or Hoenn. After all, Mewtwo had already taken Delibird through Johto’s Gyms; maybe it would go straight to Hoenn?

During this time, the black orb activated several times, and Delibird sent over quite a few items.

Things like beautiful glassware, pink berries, a strange non-fossilized “unknown fossil,” sweet candied pomelo, and a familiar-looking gold coin.

Lucas recognized the glassware—likely a specialty from Sunburst Island, the place with the Crystal Onix. Delibird probably bought it with the money he gave it. He wondered if it had found that Crystal Onix. Lucas was already considering buying Delibird a camera to record its travel sights.

He didn’t eat the pink berries himself nor let his Pokémon try them either. If he remembered right, eating them turns the whole body pink—likely Pinkan Berries.

He planned to save the Pinkan seeds and try growing them on the farm later.

Maybe then he’d see pink Dragonite, Serperior, Luxray, and Swampert.

The candied pomelo tasted good. The original fruit must have been delicious too. Unfortunately, since it was processed, the seeds had low vigor. He didn’t know if they would sprout, but he saved them anyway.

Lucas didn’t know much about camera brands or specs. He considered asking Perrin; as a photographer, she’d know. They had exchanged contact info, after all.

Debating whether to text or call, Lucas walked toward the chicken coop.

Inside the fenced area, Arboliva grew out its leafy boughs. The shade from the drooping leaves cooled the now much bigger chicks.

Arcanine lay nearby, tongue lolling, watching the chirping chicks bustle about under Arboliva. Even though it had grown into a majestic form, a trace of puppyish playfulness remained. Just this scene could keep Arcanine entertained for a whole day.

Remembering his purpose, Lucas called to Arboliva and Arcanine with a smile: “Remember to meet at the watermelon patch tonight!”

The ever more gentle Arboliva nodded lightly, already considering whether to bring some watermelon flesh back for the chicks after the gathering. But could chicks eat watermelon?

Lucas had said watermelons had seeds—the chicks might like those.

While Arboliva pondered, Arcanine stared at the chicks, a few clear droplets seeping from the corner of its mouth.

Maybe Arcanine looked a bit scary to chickens. The carefree pecking chicks subtly huddled closer to Arboliva, making Arcanine a bit embarrassed. It glanced timidly at Arboliva.

Don’t get the wrong idea—Arcanine wasn’t eyeing Arboliva’s chicks. While its defense was decent, it didn’t want to get blasted by Arboliva’s bullet-like Sacred Olive Oil. That would mat its fur with grease, and sand baths wouldn’t help. Lucas would definitely make it bathe then.

Avoiding that was Arcanine’s top priority!

Leaving the coop, Lucas headed straight for the lake district, which was much cooler than the sun-blasted parts of the farm. The reason: this was where Politoed practiced combining Rain Dance with Drizzle to create “Monsoon Rain.”

“Monsoon Rain” was just Lucas’s convenient name. Normal Rain Dance or Drizzle weather could be easily overridden by other weather moves unless there was a huge power gap.

But Politoed, training its weather control with a Damp Rock, developed “Monsoon Rain” by merging both Rain Dance and Drizzle energies, creating stronger, fiercer rain. Overriding this would force opposing Pokémon to spend much more energy.

Meanwhile, thanks to Drizzle, Politoed only expended the energy to cast Rain Dance plus a bit to trigger Drizzle.

The move was newly developed and still far from battle-ready. Politoed was refining it, and Lucas looked forward to its future performance.

After all, many of his Pokémon fought better in rain—Luxray, Swampert, Raging Bolt, Dragonite...

Stepping on damp soil, Lucas looked toward Thunder Lake.

The Pokémon were resting. Three Dragonair lay lazily on the bank, sunbathing alongside two Dragonite.

Yes—the sun that made Lucas sweat just by being outside was “just right” for the Dragonite crew. Dragon-types, huh?

After telling the lazy Dragonite about the evening’s plan, Lucas detoured to check the penned fish. They’d grown a lot, but were still far from plump enough to eat.

Deciding to spare them for now, Lucas moved to the other side of Thunder Lake. Politoed must have just finished weather training; the air was still humid. Using Rain Dance in midsummer heat consumed more energy—newly evolved Politoed might not have endured for long, but now it was different...

Politoed was practicing boxing with three Poliwag under Swampert’s drills. Poliwhirl were naturally good at boxing after evolving, so this was a natural fit. Politoed, setting aside its “kingly” dignity, trained close combat to shore up its melee.

Politoed was smart, always plotting a roadmap to get stronger. While honing its weather moves and special attack power, it also wanted to improve its close combat.

Politoed thought: at least when facing a Pokémon that breaks through my special attacks to reach me—like when Arcanine burned away my Water attacks and charged in with Wild Charge—I need some melee chops to protect myself.

Among Lucas’s Pokémon, many excelled in close quarters, but the most suitable mentor was fellow water-type Swampert, so Politoed asked it for close quarters combat training.

Swampert was happy to teach. It was for the farm’s overall strength, after all.

Seeing Lucas arrive, the sweaty Pokémon paused training and gathered around.

“For tonight’s watermelon party, once you finish training, come early. We need to chill the watermelons in cool water first.”

After giving high-fives and head pats to the enthusiastic bunch, Lucas explained his purpose.

Hearing this, Swampert and Politoed’s eyes lit up with anticipation. They nodded rapidly like pounding garlic, promising to remember, and watched Lucas head to the next stop.

After saying goodbye to Swampert’s group, Lucas went to the farming zone. Though there was still time before dusk, he needed to confirm something.

Entering the apple grove, dappled shade swayed with the breeze. Faint wingbeats reached his ears. Thinking for a moment, he pinpointed the source and quickly headed that way.

Past a dozen tree trunks at the grove’s edge, he saw a Tropius beating its four huge green leaf-wings, carrying three little companions in playful flight.

“Toooroo” “Chiu chiu” “Zz-bup~”

Their laughter echoed through the grove, bringing a smile to Lucas’s face.

After a period of growth, the young Tropius was now in a sub-adult stage, approaching the 2-meter size listed in the Pokédex. This was thanks to Serperior managing its diet and nutrition daily alongside Applin, even consulting Oranguru on nutrition to ensure both Tropius and Applin thrived.

As for Applin… it looked much the same. Aside from the apple host swapping out periodically, with slight changes in pattern and shape, the worm inside showed almost no noticeable change.

With its sharp nose, Tropius caught Lucas’s scent. It halted, searched left and right, soon spotted him, and swooped over with delight.

Thud—the young Tropius pinned Lucas beneath it. Nearly 200 pounds of weight hit like a cannonball, leaving him dazed for a while.

And Tropius still had the Shuckle siblings on its back, each shell weighing close to 40 pounds…

Applin’s weight was negligible, but that love was a bit too heavy.

The young Tropius still kept its baby habits, tilting its head, puzzled why Lucas wasn’t picking it up like before.

Thankfully, big sis Shuckle was quick on the uptake. Realizing they were a teeny bit heavy, she tugged her little brother and Applin and hopped off Tropius’s back, landing beside Lucas and looking at him for praise.

Lucas: “…”

You’re not half bad, huh.

Tropius soon stood up, or Lucas feared this rebellious child—pressing on his chest, of all places—would suffocate him into fainting.

He petted the clingy Tropius, giving it plenty of love and care.

Tropius and Applin were polar opposites. Tropius was extremely extroverted—like a newborn proudly flaunting its milk—enthusiastic with everyone and very clingy.

Applin was a full-on introvert, just like when it was born. First meetings with strangers meant keeping distance and being timid—much like little bro Shuckle.

Funny how both were raised by Serperior, who brimmed with imperial aura, yet Applin and Tropius ended up with opposite personalities.

The good thing: once familiar, both became cuddlebugs. The whole farm loved that. Even Arcanine, the goofball husky at heart, put on a big-brother act in front of the only two younger ones on the farm, showing its most dignified and reliable side.

By the way, after reliable Oranguru examined them, Applin was confirmed male and Tropius female.

Each Pokémon was like a child with a unique personality. Lucas was grateful he could bring them together, provide a good environment, and let them shine.

“Shuckle, come here, let me see!”

With Applin perched on his head and the clingy Tropius nearly glued to his side, Lucas crouched with effort and beckoned the Shuckle siblings.

They wriggled over with their tentacles from their shells. In the holes of their red and blue shells, snug wooden stoppers were already in place.

Which meant they had started fermenting berry juice inside.

For the first trial, Lucas let them choose their favorite berries to ferment without fussing over the recipe.

Now, the juices fermenting—or already done—inside their shells were like mystery gifts to Lucas, full of treasure-chest excitement.

Originally, Lucas planned for the red little bro to ferment berry juice and the blue big sis to ferment medicinal liquids. But since medicine required recipes and herbs, he let both ferment juice for now.

When it’s time for medicinal brews, he’d have their shells thoroughly cleaned. With Politoed’s Bubble Beam assisting, flavor carryover should be minimal.

If that still wasn’t enough, he’d visit Johto or Alola to have Suicune or Tapu Fini wash them with a Purifying Water, scrubbing residual flavors clean…

He lifted little bro Shuckle first. Muscles honed by farm work flexed subtly as he pulled a stopper from one shell hole and sniffed.

A halfway-there ferment—stuck in the middle—rushed up his nose.

“…So three days is still a bit tight, huh.”

He re-stoppered the hole. With the smell gone, his furrowed brow relaxed a little.

He wasn’t surprised the fermentation wasn’t done.

The custom stoppers had only arrived three days ago. The juices had, at most, fermented for three days.

Based on that aroma, he estimated seven to ten days total would do it.

That speed was fine, given the heat. Like the grapes widely grown in Paldea, fermentation typically takes one to two weeks; in hot weather it can stretch to 20–30 days; when it cools, even up to 40 days.

The decisive factor is stable, warm conditions—hence Shuckle burrowing into tree hollows and rocks to hasten shell fermentation.

Setting down the little brother, Lucas picked up big sis Shuckle and repeated the process.

His expression didn’t change from when he checked the brother’s juice—uncannily synchronized. None of the innocents—Shuckle siblings, Tropius, or Applin—noticed a thing.

“Looks like we can’t share your fermented juice tonight after all. We’ll stick to the original plan and make all sorts of watermelon treats to beat the heat.”

He smiled ruefully. The Shuckle siblings looked a bit down, but his next words comforted them.

“It’s okay. Next time we’ll host a farm-wide tasting party with you two as the stars. There’ll be plenty of chances—the future is long.”

“Zz-bup!”

Their eyes sparkled as they beamed.

Lucas played a bit longer with Applin and Tropius, and checked the little green points budding under Tropius’s neck. He reminded it to keep up its nutrition so the fruit wouldn’t siphon too much and affect growth. Then he left the apple grove.

Tropius don’t grow the nutrient-hungry fruit during the hatch-to-adult phase. Only after full physical maturity do they consciously channel energy to ripen the fruit under their necks.

Lucas didn’t want Tropius to rush to perform and split vital nutrients during growth.

Thankfully, Tropius was obedient. The green tips suggested surplus nutrition—proof Lucas and Serperior were feeding it well—so well the fruit had begun to bud.

Only once he’d fully left the grove did Lucas’s face grow heavy and contemplative.

A master of treating everyone fairly, he almost cracked his façade the instant he smelled the juice in big sis Shuckle’s shell. Only strong self-control kept him steady.

“Sigh… how did it turn out like this.”

He recalled that near-finished fruity aroma from big sis Shuckle—face complicated.

Faster fermentation than her brother, and a more delicious scent—an overwhelming gap.

If their personalities were swapped, Lucas wouldn’t worry so much.

For sensitive, timid kids, gaps like this can make them feel unbalanced. A cautious little heart might veer down a bad path. That’s the worst case. Even in better cases, a shaken mindset could make little bro Shuckle even more timid.

Just thinking about balancing a gifted sister and a sensitive brother made Lucas feel like he’d go bald.

If the sister had no idea she was part of the reason her brother grew timid, this would be even harder to solve.

Fortunately, big sis Shuckle clearly looked after her brother. That gave Lucas some confidence—enough to devise a subtle way to guide little bro so he wouldn’t be hurt by talent differences.

“So I really should start by building his confidence… maybe let the little brother try some battles?”

As he pondered, Lucas remembered the Shuckle elder from the original series—the old man with a mountain of Shuckle.

One Shuckle there was a shiny, much like big sis—bearing a very special gift.

Among the elder’s Shuckle, only that shiny one could brew a love potion that made any Pokémon feel affection.

Maybe some shiny Pokémon differ not only in color but in special talents too…

As for big sis Shuckle’s unique gift, beyond fermenting almost twice as fast as her brother, her juices likely tasted better—and maybe, like Applin’s fruit, even carried boosted effects.

If that were true…

A small special plot on the farm flashed through Lucas’s mind.

Maybe…the Herba Mystica plants could be turned by big sis Shuckle into… utterly broken medicinal brews?