Chapter Eleven: Resurrection Herb and Rolling Beans

After finishing the cleanup of the workshop, Guang Tai set off with Honedge toward the distant village.

When they arrived, the villagers were busy working in the fields. A river surged down from the ancient mountains, cutting through the village, while streams formed by melting snow flowed nearby, eventually merging into the river from the foothills.

The climate in the Shinto Ruins was somewhat cold, with summer being the only time for sowing. In the Pokémon world, crops grow incredibly fast; on fertile land, they yield a harvest within a month, which defies common sense. Tree berries grow even faster—in game time, they typically bear fruit within 48 hours.

Guang Tai noticed many Diglett in the fields.

Diglett, the Mole Pokémon, are characterized by their large, oval-shaped brown heads and red noses, with their bodies hidden deep underground. The ground bulges where they dig, and their movement properly tills the soil. Their waste also fertilizes the earth, creating the perfect conditions for farming. They made curious sounds as they plowed the fields, creating rows of mounds, while the villagers followed behind them to sow the seeds.

Guang Tai soon found the apothecary. The one tending the herb garden was an elderly, bald man named Juru, who embodied the classic image of a village herb doctor. As Guang Tai approached, the old man squinted and scrutinized him carefully.

"I never imagined someone would come to live here. I heard someone had moved into that abandoned workshop... so it was you."

"I didn't see you when you came to the village to greet everyone last time. I heard you came from Sinnoh. Are you here to investigate the ruins?"

"That sword..." The old man noticed the Honedge, who gave a greeting with its ribbon: "Yo!"

"That's a Pokémon I've never seen before... How marvelous. It looks just like a living weapon." The old man was quite interested in the Honedge, observing it closely for a while. Only when Guang Tai stated his purpose did the elder withdraw his gaze and offer a gentle smile.

"Ho ho ho... So you're looking to purchase medicinal herb seeds and vegetable seeds... No problem, come take a look."

"Also, although it is a bit far from here, if you want to buy some strange goods, go to the Shinto Ruins in the distance. In a small cabin near the shrine, there is a young traveling merchant with yellow hair and a blue vest who always carries a large backpack. He has been staying there since last year, acting as a guide to the ruins for the mountain elders. Perhaps he is an explorer, too."

A traveling merchant? That must be a field material merchant!

Guang Tai was pleased. It was not easy to find a merchant in such a remote mountain area, and a field merchant surely possessed rare, high-quality materials. Having gained useful information from the apothecary, Guang Tai quickly grew familiar with the old man.

The Shinto region is inhabited not only by descendants of the Celestica people but also by descendants of ancient Johtoans. This remains an unsolved mystery in historical lore: why did the people of Sinnoh travel south across the sea, and why did the people of Johto travel north into the deep mountains? Even the elder could not say, as the legends had long since fragmented and faded.

The old man packed various medicinal herbs and their seeds for Guang Tai; some were common, while others were unfamiliar to him.

"This is 'Healing Grass.' It looks like a green onion, but it works very well when used to prepare medicines. It was originally brought over from the Sinnoh region. Perhaps the environment in Shinto is very similar to that back there, so it grows everywhere here now."

"This is 'Revival Bud,' also known as the Morning Dew Bud; it is an indispensable ingredient for making herbal medicine."

"This is 'Insect-Repelling Grass.' It is actually just a medicinal weed with a very bitter taste. It is a raw material for herbal medicine; you just dry it, grind it into powder, and mix it with water."

"And this..." The apothecary opened a drawer and took out a bright green, curled herb. "This is 'Revival Herb.' Although it is very bitter and spicy, it is incredibly potent as a medicine. Even for near-fatal injuries, it restores vitality quickly after consumption. If you plant it in the ground, its roots grow quite large; that is the 'Energy Root.' Use it well."

Guang Tai looked at the herbs. Beyond the ones he recognized from the game, there were others that did not appear in the game at all—herbs similar to those in his original world. Besides restoring health, they were used for calming the spirit, clearing heat and detoxifying, and nourishing the body.

The apothecary said, "Medicine is indispensable. These herbs grow quickly. After planting and watering them properly, they will sprout within days and gradually grow, ready for harvest within a month."

Hearing this, Guang Tai could only sigh inwardly at how unscientific plant growth was in the Pokémon world... but the benefits of this growth rate were obvious.

"I saw some Diglett in the village. Are they the villagers' Pokémon?"

"Not exactly," the elder replied, shaking his head. "The Diglett and we just coexist. They help us till the land, and we plant the crops they like to eat, sharing the harvest with them as payment."

Diglett chew on crop roots, trees, or vegetables. To prevent this, farmers plant what the Diglett enjoy as a trade, getting them to help with the labor. This is how many Diglett farms operate in many places.

Guang Tai nodded, deep in thought. Although Diglett can fertilize the land through tilling, it was interesting that they could not learn the move "Bulldoze" or "Earth Power" naturally—they had to evolve into Dugtrio to learn those. But that was just game mechanics. Generally, "plowing" could be seen as a utility skill. Since the move "Bulldoze" wasn't implemented until the sixth generation, any Ground-type Pokémon could till the soil, as digging up hard earth was their specialty. Even traditionally, using a Tauros for plowing was an option, as recorded in the farms of Jubilife Village during the Hisui era.

"Thank you for the herbs; I will plant them well."

Thoughts began to swirl in Guang Tai's mind. The information appeared once more, more condensed than before, but the focus remained on rare materials.

[Rare Medicinal Herb: Revival Herb.]
[Description: A very bitter herb. Restores all HP to one fainted Pokémon.]
[Crafting Quantity: 1]
[Unique Herbal Medicine Crafting Technique (C): Herbal medicine crafted by you has double the restorative effect, though it becomes slightly more bitter. However, if fed to a Pokémon that enjoys bitter flavors, it will not lower their friendship but instead increase it.]
[Through this technique, you can produce the items "Herbal Medicine" and "Fine Herbal Medicine."]

"Here are some crop seeds as well. I'll share some with you," the old man added. With the help of the Diglett, the apothecary didn't just grow herbs; he grew normal crops too.

"You certainly can't get fresh vegetables while traveling... Don't worry about the time. The soil here is very fertile. Now that summer is here, vegetables and crops will sprout and grow quickly after sowing. There is plenty of wasteland near the workshop; you can make use of it."

The old man continued, "And you should know that medicine and food share the same origin. Common vegetables can sometimes have medicinal effects. Some vegetables are food when you're hungry and medicine when you're sick."

"I can lend you the Diglett, but you'll have to wait a few days until the plowing here is finished. You can use that time to clear the wasteland near your workshop."

"You would lend me the Diglett?" Guang Tai was surprised, as the elder had just said they weren't the village's Pokémon.

"Yes, you just need to feed those little ones what they like—some vegetables and tree roots." The elder stroked his beard and smiled. "Diglett are very easy to talk to. Although they might steal vegetables at first, as long as you give them their favorite food, they will actively help you till the land. I'll have the food ready. It doesn't take much effort. If those little ones go over, they can finish clearing your wasteland in a day. I'm just afraid you won't be able to keep up with the clearing!"

"If you feel bad about it, just bring me some rare herbs if you find any while searching for materials in the wild."

"By the way, if you find a 'Lum Berry,' please bring it to me. This fruit grows in the forest and has a long growth cycle. It is an excellent berry for making medicine, but it is rare for a tree to bear many ripe fruits. Pokémon love them, and they are usually picked as soon as they ripen, so they are hard to find."

Guang Tai felt this was perfect and thanked him profusely. With the Diglett's help, the soil would be more fertile, the herbs would grow better, and most importantly, he would save a great deal of time and energy. He had managed to buy all the necessary herbs and vegetables at once: broccoli, turnips, garlic, green beans, wheat, white radishes, cucumbers, and green onions.

His own vegetable stock was running low, and foraging in the wild every day wasn't practical. While the forest had many berries, it would be troublesome to fight off aggressive wild Pokémon.

After receiving the bags of seeds, the information surfaced again:

[Rare Crop Seed: Roll-Roll Bean.]
[Description: A plump, solid bean. It is a favorite food of Bird and Fish Pokémon and can attract them to the location where it is thrown.]
[Knowledge Gained: 1.]
[Planter: Skilled in planting various herbs and crops, shortening their growth cycles, and making them more robust. Can help Grass-type Pokémon grow faster.]

Oh, the Roll-Roll Beans from the Hisui era? They still exist?

One piece of knowledge, one crafting technique—coming to the village was definitely the right choice.

"By the way, I would also like to purchase some rags in the village..."