[New Fanfic!! <In Toriko With A Chat Group>]

Hikaru opened the Poké Ball, and Turtwig emerged. Immediately, the surrounding Pokémon gathered around!

“Lilli~”

Lilligant’s floral crown once again released its uplifting aroma, soothing Turtwig’s nerves. She then picked Turtwig up while the other Pokémon commented on its battle performance.

“Yo-woo!”

Doublade retrieved its shield and praised Turtwig for an excellent battle.

To think you could push me, the first knight, into a tough fight—impressive! I was planning to go easy, but you managed to endure my Fury Cutter cancel! You’re no ordinary turtle!

After all, Doublade had slain dragons! It began boasting about its previous battle against Gible, and Turtwig, unaware of the truth, was in awe.

Meanwhile, even Regirock acknowledged Turtwig. Its unexpected battle strategy had even excited the stone titan! Though its power wasn’t overwhelming, its fighting spirit was undeniable!

Turtwig’s eyes sparkled with joy.

It never expected that the giant feared by many Pokémon in the forest would recognize its strength! It became teary-eyed.

No one had ever acknowledged it before… until now.

“Unown~”

Unown E floated forward, looking somewhat displeased.

If you were this strong, why didn’t you say so earlier? If anyone should feel insecure, isn’t it me?!

But then again…

If you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything!

Take the first step forward, and a bright future awaits you!

Friends, companions—they were all within reach. Unown E had been right after all.

Despite its complaints, it was genuinely happy for Turtwig. Once again, Celebi’s chosen Pokémon had proven to be extraordinary.

Turtwig nodded, grateful for Unown E’s encouragement.

It felt deeply fulfilled. Truly happy.

“From today on, you’re a member of our workshop. Thank you for joining us, Turtwig. I may not be a battle-specialized Trainer, but I’ll still help you become stronger!”

Hikaru patted Turtwig’s head. As for the Power Herbs growing on its back, he chose not to pick them.

Turtwig had always been wary of humans because it feared they would take its rare plants. However, Hikaru had never seen a Turtwig that actively collected rare herbs before.

Turtwig gazed at Hikaru.

Thank you. Thank you for recognizing me.

It repeated these words in its heart.

Lilligant then carried Turtwig inside. Its exhaustion soon caught up with it, and before long, it was fast asleep.

Hikaru took out a potion to treat its injuries. He also replaced the missing portions of its soil shell with high-quality soil from a flower pot. Since Turtwig’s shell was made of dirt, it would harden after absorbing water, so there was no need to worry too much.

Afterward, Hikaru picked up his notebook and began writing down his observations.

Turtwig – A Pokémon from Shinto Forest

Ability: Overgrow

Nature: Careful

Met at: The herb field

Dislikes bitter flavors

…

July 2nd, Clear skies

Turtwig drowsily woke up inside the workshop, finding itself inside a flower pot.

It glanced at its back, checking the herbs—none were missing. Hikaru was at the workbench, crafting something.

“Oh, good morning, Turtwig!”

“Na!”

Turtwig greeted Hikaru, though it still felt nervous for some reason.

Now that the excitement had worn off, it began to question itself.

What should I do next?

Before, its daily routine was simple: find a sunny spot in the forest, drink water, and occasionally visit the workshop to absorb some Ground energy.

But now… it was a member of the workshop.

Yet, it had no idea what its role should be.

Fortunately, Hikaru put down his work, walked over, and picked Turtwig up.

“Starting today, you’ll begin working. Your job is soil cultivation. For now, you’ll learn from Lilligant about soil and plant care while I step out for a bit.”

“Na?”

Cultivating soil? But isn’t soil just… soil?

Turtwig was confused.

Hikaru chuckled. “Of course! High-quality soil grows better crops. But great soil isn’t just naturally good—it’s the result of many factors. If you don’t maintain it, it degrades over time. That’s called soil degradation.”

“You might not understand all that yet, but don’t worry. After working with Lilligant for a while, it’ll make sense. It’s just like your shell—you find the best soil to fill in gaps and drink water to harden it, right? If the soil quality is poor, it won’t be good for planting or defense.”

“But before that, let’s eat something. Then, we’ll refresh the soil on your shell.”

Turtwig hesitated. It didn’t usually need food—most of its energy came from photosynthesis and water absorption. That was common for Grass-type Pokémon.

Food was just a supplement, not a necessity.

But when Hikaru offered Mossy Treats, Turtwig curiously took a bite…

Its eyes widened!

“Na?!”

A surge of energy flooded its body! Turtwig immediately lowered its head and devoured the food.

It wasn’t just delicious—it was powerful!

“These are my special Mineral Energy Cakes—eat as much as you like!” Hikaru grinned.

Typically, he made these for Petilil’s absorption, but unlike Turtwig, Petilil didn’t need solid food. It only required juices and liquid nutrients to survive, making it incredibly easy to care for.

Even after evolving into Hisuian Lilligant, its diet hadn’t changed much.

That was because Hisuian Lilligant belonged to the Plant Egg Group—fundamentally, it was still a plant.

Turtwig, on the other hand, was different.

It belonged to both Plant and Monster Egg Groups.

“Ever since Celebi left, I’ve been the only one here who actually eats.”

Doublade didn’t have a mouth.

Petilil didn’t have a mouth.

Unown didn’t have a mouth.

Even Regirock—despite being a customer—didn’t have a mouth!

At least meal prep was easy.

Turtwig finished its meal, feeling invigorated.

Its body felt larger. Its leaves spread wide—almost like it was trying to sprout a third leaf!

Its Grass energy had skyrocketed!

Turtwig happily shook its head and shell.

Hikaru then placed Turtwig on the workbench and took out some soil maintenance tools.

[Tool: Mini Spade]

[Forged through flame refinement +15% excavation and soil-clearing efficiency Can efficiently clean and transplant plants without damaging roots]

“I’m going to refresh the soil on your shell.”

Hikaru sought Turtwig’s approval.

Turtwig hesitated but then nodded.

After all, it had been caught yesterday, and it had finally been recognized—it should be more important than a few plants.

“Na!”

Its soil shell was incredibly hard. Turtwig had nurtured it for a long time. The quality was good, sourced from soil near Black Apricorn trees—better than normal dirt, but not as rich as the soil in the Chilan Berry Grove or the workshop’s orchard.

Hikaru mixed fertilizers, soft sand, compost, orchard soil, and Diglett droppings to create a custom nutrient soil suited for Turtwig.

Soil had rankings in the Pokémon world.

Many Pokémon were known to fertilize and revitalize land, especially those with Plow moves. The strongest soil-enriching Pokémon was arguably Tapu Bulu from Alola, but the often-overlooked Landorus was actually the most soil-related legendary.

After preparing the nutrient soil, Hikaru carefully replaced Turtwig’s old soil shell, replanting the Power Herbs onto its back.

Turtwig could feel the energy in the soil!

[Your crafting has enhanced Turtwig’s Ground-type abilities.]

Hikaru smiled.

“Let’s go! Today, you’ll learn about soil and crop cultivation with Lilligant while I run some errands in town.”

Hikaru led Turtwig outside the workshop. As they walked, he noticed that some Toadstool Mushrooms had sprouted again at the entrance.

As expected, Turtwig was immediately drawn to them.

Toadstool Mushrooms were a favorite food of Pokémon belonging to the Monster and Dragon Egg Groups—and Turtwig was part of the Monster Egg Group!

“If you evolve into Torterra, you’ll be able to eat both Mineral Energy Cakes and Mushroom Cakes. Double the enhancement effects.”

Hikaru had originally planned for Torterra to serve as a mobile garden, but seeing Turtwig’s battle potential, he realized that if trained properly, it might become much stronger than he had anticipated.

He plucked a few Toadstool Mushrooms and handed one to Turtwig.

Turtwig took a bite and instantly devoured it, letting out a satisfied sigh.

Delicious!

It crunched happily, its eyes glued to the mushrooms as its thoughts began to wander…

If I grow bigger… maybe I can grow these mushrooms on my back, too!

Hikaru glanced at it, unimpressed.

“…Are you seriously thinking about planting mushrooms on your back?”

Turtwig was truly helpless when it came to rare plants—it simply couldn’t ignore them.

Shaking his head, Hikaru waved over Lilligant.

She had been watering plants with a watering can, but upon seeing him, she elegantly twirled forward with graceful steps.

Her cheeks were flushed, and she was beaming with excitement.

Then came her daily routine—hugs!

First, she hugged Hikaru.

Then, she hugged Doublade.

And finally, she hugged Turtwig!

“Since evolving, she’s become really affectionate. Her ability changed from Own Tempo to Hustle after evolving.”

Hikaru thought for a moment. That explained why she had become so energetic and lively.

But it was a good change!

Turtwig gazed up in admiration at the beautiful Lilligant, imagining what it would look like when it evolved.

It had never seen another Turtwig or its evolutions before—so it had no idea what its future form would be like.

“Lilligant, I’ll leave Turtwig’s soil and crop training to you. I need to head into the village.”

Hikaru gave his instructions while calling Doublade over to help carry supplies.

He was heading into the village today to purchase some fabric, cotton, minerals, and other basic materials.

(End of Chapter)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep