"Alright, let's begin training."
Aven glanced at the training Petilil and Cherubi, then turned to the Rhyhorn in front of him.
Before training it, Aven carefully examined Rhyhorn's physical condition to develop a suitable training plan.
Designing training programs tailored to each Pokémon's condition was one of the core skills every Pokémon breeder had to master.
Walking up to Rhyhorn, Aven gently touched the deep scar on its body. Rhyhorn had both Rock and Ground types.
At first glance, Aven had already made a judgment — this Rhyhorn's physical fitness wasn't particularly outstanding, and its Rock-type talent was mediocre.
In contrast, its Ground-type talent was decent. When it was pulling the cart earlier, its stable steps had already hinted at this.
Based on this, Aven inferred that one of Rhyhorn's parents must have been a Ground-type Pokémon with strong Ground affinity.
"Rhyhorn, can you show me the moves you know?"
Aven led Rhyhorn to an open field. However, when he asked, Rhyhorn looked confused.
After a moment of realization, it began to concentrate. Then, with a surge of energy wrapped around its body, it charged forward — clearly trying to use Tackle.
But after just a few steps, the energy surrounding it dissipated.
It had spent so long pulling carts without any formal training that it had almost forgotten how to use moves altogether.
"Rhy…"
Rhyhorn turned back to Aven, embarrassed, letting out a few apologetic grunts.
"It's alright, it's not too late to start training now." Aven comforted it, patting its head gently.
He had a pretty clear idea of Rhyhorn's condition by now. Years of malnourishment had drained much of its potential. Restoring that potential would be the first step.
With that thought, Aven pulled a bottle from his backpack — a pinkish liquid with a hint of green — and shook it in front of Rhyhorn.
"This is a special potion made from Sitrus, Lum, and Oran Berries along with other ingredients. It's designed to stimulate your Ground-type potential." Aven smiled as he explained.
Back when he was preparing the antidote at Sir Enzo's estate, Aven had already considered Rhyhorn's condition and had crafted this special blend just for it.
"Rhy"
Rhyhorn was visibly touched. It hadn't expected Aven to prepare something like this in advance.
"Go on, try it."
With that, Aven fed the potion to Rhyhorn.
After drinking it, Rhyhorn immediately felt a rush of energy flowing through its body, slowly merging with it.
Standing on the ground, Rhyhorn suddenly felt as if it had become one with the earth — a strange yet deeply instinctive sensation.
Driven by this instinct, it gathered its internal energy and released it outward.
In the next moment, the ground around it began to ripple like waves, spreading outward. The soil became uneven and soft, but soon, a sense of vitality emerged from the earth.
It was the move Rototiller!
Aven's eyes lit up at the sight.
Although Rhyhorn couldn't normally learn Rototiller, it could inherit it genetically.
Inherited moves stem from a Pokémon's genes and usually remain dormant unless activated under certain conditions.
When Aven had recognized Rhyhorn's outstanding Ground-type potential, he'd already begun to suspect it might have inherited Rototiller.
So, when crafting the potion, in addition to the Ground-type Sitrus and the restorative Oran Berries, he had also included the Grass-type Lum Berry — hoping it might awaken the move.
Everything went exactly as he'd hoped. After drinking the potion rich in both Ground and Grass-type energy, Rhyhorn successfully awakened Rototiller, the dormant inherited move within its body.
Rhyhorn was still confused, not quite understanding what had happened. It stomped on the newly softened earth, unsure what to do next.
Meanwhile, Petilil had completely absorbed the second-stage poison antidote.
Sensing something strange outside the orchard, the little Pokémon ran over.
Looking at the muddy soil in front of it, Petilil was surprised — for some reason, it felt a powerful sense of attraction from the earth.
The Cherubi had also gathered around, staring at the cultivated soil. They too could sense the vitality within it.
"Go ahead, try stepping in," Aven encouraged.
Petilil hesitated for only a moment before stepping into the cultivated ground.
Instantly, it felt energy entering its body. Surrounded by a faint green glow, it could clearly feel its strength increasing.
Lifting its arms, Petilil used Absorb — a thick green beam of energy shot into the sky.
The move's power was clearly enhanced, and Petilil's face lit up with joy.
"Rototiller softens and enriches the soil, making it easier for plants to grow. It also boosts the Attack and Special Attack of Grass-type Pokémon," Aven explained with a smile.
Rhyhorn froze for a moment after hearing that, then suddenly started running.
Wherever it ran, the ground was freshly tilled, teeming with life.
Petilil and the Cherubi cheered joyfully in the newly cultivated soil. Even a nearby Oddish, who had buried itself completely in the dirt, curiously poked its head out and joined in, hopping over to the field.
At that moment, Starly returned from the distance, clearly scratched up — it had been secretly training its Tackle move in the orchard.
The little bird landed in the field and looked at the excited Petilil and Cherubi, puzzled.
"Huh? What are they so happy about? I don't feel anything special…"
Aven looked at the scene in front of him, a smile tugging at his lips.
He had always said that Pokémon were the greatest productive force in this world.
And now, this Rototiller move was basically a god-tier farming skill.
With it, he could start cultivating his land at a rapid pace. Not bad at all!
(End of Chapter)