Chapter 5: The Level 1 Workbench and Construction!
After cleaning up from breakfast, Asher got up to wash the dishes and do a little prep for tomorrow's menu.
The world of Pokémon had an incredible variety of Pokémon food, from chewy, solid types to drinkable types. The kind of food you feed a Pokémon changes based on its growth and preferences.
"Hmm, I should probably add some spicy Berries to the curry tomorrow. Or maybe I could try making some Mapo Tofu?"
Asher hummed, lost in thought.
Typically, Trainers would always try to create their own custom Pokémon food. It was considered part of the bonding process between a Pokémon and its Trainer.
Since he knew what flavors his Pokémon liked, he definitely had to make something good.
But that could wait.
Asher stood up and led Farfetch'd outside the house. He sized up the existing building, planning the expansion.
A true dojo.
First, it needed a training area that was spacious enough, as well as a storage room just for equipment. If he calculated the total area for the whole dojo, it would probably need to be several hundred square meters.
That was no small number.
Even in a game, a building of that size would be considered a major project.
Asher wasn't in a hurry.
It's not like rushing would help, anyway. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Time to get started.
[Survival Crafting Module loading...!]
"Hmm... I choose you!"
Asher looked at the wood resources in his inventory and quickly decided on the first thing to build.
[Wooden Workbench]
[Level: 1]
[The most basic crafting medium. Can be used to synthesize basic items, wooden furniture, weapons, and armor from resources in your inventory.]
[Requires: Any Wood x10]
The workbench!
As everyone knows, in any survival crafting game, an initial workbench is essential.
He couldn't just craft everything by hand, could he?
He wasn't one of those masters who could "hand-craft" things with millimeter-perfect precision!
Asher placed the workbench in the house's living room, since he figured it would see a lot of use.
The next second, a simple table appeared in the room. It had the same color as the logs from yesterday, but it was clear they had been perfectly processed.
"Kabu?!"
Farfetch'd, who was standing nearby, jumped in fright.
The table had appeared from nowhere, completely catching it off guard. It gripped its leek, on high alert.
"It's okay, I made this."
"Remember those logs that disappeared yesterday? I used my psychic power to turn them into this," Asher explained with a smile.
After hearing its Trainer's explanation, Farfetch'd finally relaxed and nodded seriously.
Psychic power is amazing!
It can even do something like this!
No wonder those logs vanished in an instant yesterday. Its Trainer really was different from everyone else.
He was an incredibly capable person!
Worthy of following!
Kabu!
Asher stood in front of the workbench, quickly scrolling through the list of buildable options.
...
[Wooden Wall x4]
[Requires: Any Wood x1]
...
[Wooden Door]
[Requires: Any Wood x6]
...
[Wooden Chair]
[Requires: Any Wood x4]
...
[Wooden Floor x4]
[Requires: Wood x1]
...
"Hmm... It's a start."
Looking at the workbench's options, Asher silently calculated his resources.
He had over a hundred pieces of wood on him right now. If he was just making some walls and floors, it was enough to get started.
As for the rest of the resources, he'd just have to find time to go chop more trees.
Thank goodness he wasn't in a big city.
Otherwise, he'd probably be arrested by Officer Jenny for illegal logging.
First step to riches: chop trees!
Asher looked at Farfetch'd and chuckled.
"Alright, Farfetch'd, I'm going to need your help. We're building this dojo from scratch. It's not going to be an easy job."
"Kabu—(‵▽′)/!"
Farfetch'd answered without a moment's hesitation, its gaze firm, without a trace of reluctance.
Its Trainer was amazing, but as his partner Pokémon, it wanted to become stronger too!
"Kabu! Kabu!"
Farfetch'd tucked its treasured leek behind its back and held out a wing, clenched like a fist. Asher bumped it with his own.
"Alright, then. Let's get started."
Asher said, his eyes meeting Farfetch'd's, full of serious determination.
He quickly crafted a pile of wooden walls and a single wooden door at the workbench. He then went to the empty yard outside and began stacking the walls on the ground.
The walls were perfectly uniform and neat, without a single splinter. They were better than anything a cutting machine could produce.
"First, we'll stand the walls up, and then piece them together at the corners."
Asher directed Farfetch'd.
The man and the duck moved the walls into their proper positions, then pushed the edges together.
The next second, something magical happened.
Even without any processing, the walls stood perfectly steady. The corners seemed to fuse, becoming a single, solid whole, remaining stable on the ground.
"Hiss—! It's exactly like I thought!"
Asher sucked in a breath. He walked up to the wall's joint and inspected it. Even with no external support, the wall remained standing.
In theory...
As long as their "durability" wasn't destroyed, these walls had basically no chance of collapsing.
"In other words..."
"As long as I have enough resources, I can build a skyscraper, even if I'm all alone."
Asher quickly summarized the effect.
And this was just a Level 1 building. If he got to Level 2, or even higher, he could probably build with other types of materials.
As for Farfetch'd?
It was already starting to get used to all this unscientific stuff. Its Trainer was a psychic, after all. "Unscientific" just seemed to be part of the package.
Psychic power really was mysterious and amazing!
...
Time ticked by.
Before they knew it, evening had arrived.
With Asher and Farfetch'd working together, they had finally managed to build a prototype of the dojo, even if it was just walls, a floor, and one shabby-looking wooden door.
But to them, it meant everything.
Under the twilight glow, Asher lay on the floor, breathing heavily, a smile on his face.
"Kabu~"
Farfetch'd was asleep by his side, cuddling its leek, occasionally taking a few nibbles from the end.
Just then, a line of text flashed before Asher's eyes.
[Level 1 Building: Dojo (Under Construction)]
[Note: Upon completion, the building will gain corresponding attributes, which can improve Pokémon's performance and swordsmanship proficiency.]
Asher's eyes lit up with anticipation.
Building attributes?
Sounds like a house buff. I hope the effect doesn't disappoint.
...
On the streets of Stow-on-Side.
Bea, the Stow-on-Side Stadium's Gym Leader, had taken her Machamp out for their daily training.
But on the way back, she suddenly stopped, her gaze shifting to a corner of the town.
"Strange..."
"Was this area blocked off by a wooden wall this morning? And such a large one..."
Puzzled, the girl walked closer.
As she approached, Bea finally got a clear look at a crookedly-carved wooden sign next to the door.
[The Sword of the Land (Dojo)]