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?