https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-239-The-Reclusive-Master-Returns-/12830887/
Chapter 238: The Garden Battle!
Chapter 238: The Garden Battle!
Bear Apprentice adapted to the environment much faster than Jing He had anticipated.
But this was a good thing.
It meant that Bear Apprentice was indeed a perfect fit for his Pokemon.
After lunch, Jing He visited the department store and then returned to the cafe, leading the little ones to the back garden.
The seeds given by Honey Leaf were unlikely to grow, but it was worth a try. Otherwise, it would be a waste.
So, he marked off two square-meter plots in the northeast and northwest corners of the yard to plant Ice Radishes and Black Radishes, respectively.
With winter approaching, most of the flowers in the yard had withered, and it was a good time to tidy them up.
For this, he made a special trip to the department store to buy some seeds that could grow in winter.
In the back garden, Jing He changed into a set of old clothes, wrapped a headscarf around his head, and instantly transformed into a seasoned farmer.
"Blacksmith, how's it going?" Jing He asked, hands on his hips.
The clanging sounds abruptly stopped.
"Chaa~ Chaa~!"
The little one carried a massive hammer in one hand and a collection of various tools in the other, its cheeks flushed as if seeking approval.
Jing He smiled and ruffled its twin-tailed head.
"Great job!"
Since they were going to renovate the garden, tools were essential.
Though he could buy them from the store, nothing compared to what Blacksmith could forge.
Besides, store-bought tools were standardized and not suitable for the little ones.
"Chaa~"
Blacksmith grinned, satisfied.
Jing He began assigning tasks.
"Bear Apprentice, take care of the weeds and dead grass in the garden."
"Ku~!" Bear Apprentice took the small hoe with a serious expression and nodded vigorously.
He understood that necessary food reserves were the foundation of any action. This was called stockpiling!
Jing He's eye twitched. He was gradually getting used to Bear Apprentice's grand ambitions, even though he still didn't know who Bear Apprentice intended to overthrow.
"Blacksmith, the task of pruning the trees in the garden is yours."
Jing He handed Blacksmith a pair of shears and instructed, "Just like plucking feathers from a Steelix, prune only half. Don't cut too much, or the trees will look bare and unappealing."
"Place the pruned branches with the dead grass and weeds Bear Apprentice clears. We'll deal with them together."
"Chaa?"
Blacksmith looked at the shears in Jing He's hand and then at his own hammer, indicating, "I can use my hammer, you know."
"No way!" Jing He firmly rejected.
Use a hammer? The garden would be left with no intact trees.
So he said seriously, "This is a test of your control over your strength. See if you can meet my requirements without damaging the trees."
Blacksmith understood.
"Chaa~!"
Why didn't you say that earlier?
It obediently took the shears.
"Where's Hack Dragon?" Jing He called out, looking around.
Where did it go?
"Hoo, hoo~"
Hack Dragon's voice came from behind him.
It had gotten stuck on the windowsill when it flew down from the second floor.
Jing He was long accustomed to Hack Dragon's luck. As long as it wasn't hit by a major stroke of bad luck, it was just a normal process of accumulating luck, no big deal.
After rescuing Hack Dragon, he assigned it a task.
"Hack Dragon, the watering is up to you, but be sure to control the amount of water."
According to legend, Hack Dragon had the power to control the weather and was skilled in water-type moves, so watering was relatively simple for it.
Just don't turn it into a flood.
"Hoo~!"
"And for Vulpix and Gastly—"
Jing He looked at the two most important little ones for this planting plan.
"Vulpix, build two flower beds according to the blueprint using ice, but make sure it's ice that won't melt easily."
Whether it was Ice Radishes or Black Radishes, they were planted in the Crown Tundra, so there was no need to worry about the temperature being too low for the ice flower beds.
Even the Black Radishes were planted in the cemetery, which also had a low temperature.
"Uu!"
Little Vulpix nodded, took the blueprint, and started building against the wall.
Finally, there was Gastly.
Jing He looked at the little fat one with a meaningful smile.
"Gas, gasga? (；д)"
Noticing his gaze, Gastly swallowed hard and instinctively took a step back.
Y-You have such a mischievous look. W-What do you want to do?
Jing He pressed his hand down, reassuring it not to worry, and asked, "Gastly, if those radishes grow, who will they be for?"
"Gas, gasga~~"
Old man and little Vulpix.
"Do you want to try them?"
"Gasga~~ (＠￣￢￣＠)"
Uncontrollable tears streamed down its face.
Sob—
Seeing this, Jing He's smile widened.
"Then, don't you think planting such precious seeds requires fertile soil?"
Gastly nodded instinctively.
But it quickly realized something was off, though Jing He didn't give it a chance to think further, asking again:
"How do you think we can make the soil more fertile?"
Gengar’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Gengar... Sigh of Relief"
Oh no, it seems I’ve been caught in a trap. But who is Gengar to back down? Its eyes darted around, and it took a step forward, testing the waters.
"Gengar?"
How about I go and bury a couple of bodies for you?
Jing He’s expression darkened as he grabbed the spike on Gengar’s back.
No more games. He laid it all on the line:
"Cut the crap! You ‘borrowed’ so much stuff on Armor Island, hand over some of it, or you’ll be in for a world of pain!"
Gengar let out a loud cry:
"Gengar!!! Oh No, I've Been Found Out!"
Here! Take it!
Using the most menacing tone, it spoke the most cowardly words. Then, from its dimensional stomach, Gengar pulled out a pile of items, leaving Jing He speechless.
"I see why Master Ma and Mieye were so eager to get us out of there."
There were small mushrooms, large mushrooms, poisonous mushrooms, Galaric Wraith Branches, colorful berries, and various seeds and materials shed by Pokemon.
However, with Gengar’s stash, Jing He wasn’t worried about the soil’s fertility anymore.
Wrapping the items in a cloth, Jing He said:
"I’ll blend these into a nutrient-rich mixture and bury it in the soil later. Gengar, help Six-Tail build the flower beds."
With that, he dashed into the house.
All this stuff, if buried, would overload the soil with nutrients. He could save some for cooking or making energy blocks.
"Gengar~~"
Gengar breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, my experience paid off. I only gave up a small part.
When Jing He returned, the garden cleanup and planting plan officially began!
"Dragon's Cry~~"
The flying Dragonite exhaled a gentle breath, and a fine mist began to fall.
Under the warm sunlight, a tiny rainbow appeared over the garden.
"Coos of Delight!"
Bear Cubby, holding a hoe, slowly closed its eyes.
A bubble of snot appeared on its nose.
"Sleepy Sigh... zZz"
Water, hoe, and plowing—
A combo of digging techniques! The soil flew everywhere.
Smack—
A clod of wet mud hit Jing He in the face as he was mixing the soil.
Jing He: "…"
The little ones bit their lips, struggling not to laugh.
Splash—
Suddenly, a jet of water came from above, washing away the mud but drenching him in the process.
Jing He stiffly raised his head.
"Dragon's Cry~~"
Dragonite flashed him a "no problem" smile.
Jing He’s lips twitched.
"Thanks."
"Phew—"
Finally, Gengar couldn’t hold it in any longer. Despite covering its mouth, it burst into laughter.
Its laughter acted as a trigger, and Six-Tail and Macho Brace couldn’t help but join in, laughing out loud.
Even Dragonite in the sky and the sleeping Bear Cubby tilted their heads.
"Sleeping Sound... zZz"
"Find it funny, do you?" Jing He gave a sinister smile and grabbed a handful of mud.
"Take this, Mud Stream of Earthly Punishment!"
Smack, smack, smack, smack—
Every little one’s face was plastered with mud.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Alright, so that’s how you want to play, huh?
Gengar and Six-Tail exchanged glances.
Gengar: I’ll use the ultimate technique of standing on the earth and never losing!
Six-Tail: I’m the only one who knows a Ground-type move here!
Even if that Ground-type move is just "Dig."
"Happy Chirps~~"
Macho Brace smiled and stroked its massive hammer.
I didn’t expect to find use for you so soon.
For a moment, the garden was a chaotic mess of flying mud.
Then, Dragonite, who had been slow to react, took a deep breath.
"Dragon's Concern~~" (Who’s going to build the dam now?)
Jing He, Gengar, and the others paled.
"Dragonite, stop!"
One blast of Hydro Pump would undo all their hard work. The rainbow in the garden became even more vibrant.
Amidst the laughter,
"At least we got it planted."
Despite the chaos, the planned repairs and planting were completed.
One flower bed was covered in thick ice, while another was surrounded by a thin black mist, thanks to a small piece of Gengar’s "Spirit Cloth" buried underground.
"I still feel like it’s not enough."
Jing He, now in dry and clean clothes, stood before the flower beds, rubbing his chin.
The "Spirit Cloth" side might work, but the ice side feels a bit lacking. And...
"Without a barrier, it might affect the other plants in the garden."
Not that he was worried about theft. With Gengar around, anyone who dared to steal might be a good thing?
Ding—
His phone suddenly rang. The caller ID read "Forever Eighteen," which was Kona.
Kona?
Jing He was taken aback but answered the call.
"Teacher Jing He, check what I sent you."
Huh?
"Ice Sculpture Contest?"
The group said they were on leave but didn’t actually ask for it. This is a form of "effort" (dog head)
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
