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Amidst the lush, green forest, a large expanse of sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, and spilled onto the ground, leaving behind dappled light and shadows. Paras was picking mushrooms under a tree, carefully selecting them before putting them into its mouth to savor. In the bushes laden with small berries, occasional rustling sounds could be heard from three Rattata digging in the soil, instinctively building a burrow. The forest was a scene of vibrant life.
Kaito explored with his Pokémon. Chikorita scampered excitedly on its four short legs in front of Kaito. Born and raised in the forest, once back here, it was as lively and joyful as a fish in water.
"Chiko?" Chikorita sniffed lightly, catching a fresh, sweet scent of berries. It looked up. Several brightly colored, plump Pecha Berries hung from the branches. Chikorita extended two vines, like human hands, towards the Pecha Berries on the tree. After picking them, it handed them to Kaito. "Chiko chiko."
Kaito casually took them and stroked Chikorita's small head. Chikorita's head was quite soft, feeling like a slightly firm jelly, and it smelled of grass. "Chikorita is great."
"Chiko chiko." Praised by Kaito, Chikorita wagged its large leaf and smiled even more happily. Pokémon are very simple: as long as people treat them well, they will also want to repay them.
Meeting the Herb Old Man
Continuing forward, Kaito heard a faint rustling sound from ahead—footsteps on the grass. Sure enough, a slightly hunched figure appeared. It was an Old Man, about fifty years old or more, with an almost white beard. He wore a distinctive farmer's straw hat and carried a bamboo basket woven from bamboo on his back. Beside the Old Man, a Heracross followed.
The Old Man saw Kaito and smiled kindly. "Hello, young man. Are you out for a spring outing with your Pokémon?"
Kaito nodded. "More or less, I want to experience this beautiful world more with my Pokémon."
The Old Man stroked his beard and chuckled. Kaito noticed that the Old Man was holding an iron shovel, which had some mud clinging to it, as if he had dug something.
"Old Man, what are you doing?" Kaito asked.
"Oh, I have nothing to do, so I came out to pick some Healing Grass. It's a hobby for an Old Man like me." Saying this, the Old Man was about to demonstrate for Kaito on the spot. He walked to a nearby bush, looked at the direction he had just pinpointed, and began to dig down with his iron shovel.
Swish swish— Dirt was turned over. The scent of fresh earth mixed with grass permeated the air. The Old Man bent down and reached out, revealing a green Healing Grass still clinging with clumps of dirt.
"This is Healing Grass, a relatively common herb that can be used with an Oran Berry to make Potion sprays. Direct use can restore a small amount of HP."
Kaito nodded slightly. He had also heard of this item.
The system notified: Identity Quest: Find and excavate a Healing Grass. Task Content: As a Farm Owner, you should know how to find Healing Grass in the wild. Task Reward: One bag of Healing Grass Seeds.
The Old Man was very enthusiastic, introducing Heracross: "This is my old partner. Not only is he strong, but he's also very sensitive to the scents of various plants, which is a great help to me."
Heracross profile: Name: Heracross, Nickname: None, Ability: Swarm, Type: Bug/Fighting, Level: Lv. 31, Individual Values: HP (22), Attack (25), Defense (18), Special Attack (15), Special Defense (20), Speed (25), Skills: Fury Attack, Thrash, Endure, Aerial Ace, Horn Attack..., Egg Moves: None, Potential: Excellent-tier.
Bunnelby walked over to Heracross. It compared its height to Heracross with its ears and couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat. It lost... Heracross lowered its head, looked at Bunnelby, then extended its powerful arms to lift it up high.
"Kuru."
Bunnelby seemed to be getting a piggyback ride, looking down, it had a whole new experience. "Hoo bi hoo bi." It was thanking Heracross for its Helping Hand.
The Old Man smiled, pleased to see the harmonious atmosphere among the Pokémon.
"By the way, young man, where are you from? I live in Xinyuan Town and run a herbal medicine shop." Xinyuan Town was the town Kaito often visited.
"Oh, I operate a farm, roughly in this direction. You're welcome to visit," Kaito pointed in a direction. The Old Man said he would visit when he had time.
The Discovery
Kaito thought of the mission he had just triggered and secretly activated a wisp of Viridian Power. In an instant, he could almost communicate with the surrounding trees. The flowers, plants, and trees were all extremely fond of him.
As if by a ghost's hand, Kaito walked behind a nearby tree, where a rich aura of life under the somewhat barren soil attracted him.
The Old Man was a bit surprised, but he didn't interrupt Kaito, instead watching silently.
Kaito took a small shovel from his backpack, dug down, and then unearthed it. A yellowish, relatively thick and long herb, like ginseng, emerged from the soil.
The Old Man's eyes widened. His originally somewhat cloudy eyes instantly cleared, and the wrinkles on his face bunched together in surprise.
"This is... an Energy Root!"
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