Bab 237: The Great Garden Battle!
Kubfu adapted to its new environment much faster than Johan expected, which, to his relief, was a good sign.
It meant Kubfu was highly compatible with him and his team.
After lunch, Johan made a trip to the department store, then returned to the café with his Pokémon, heading straight to the backyard.
Although Honey's seeds probably wouldn't grow, it would be wasteful not to at least try.
He had sectioned off two square-meter plots in the garden's northeast and northwest corners, designated for planting Ice Radishes and Black Radishes respectively.
With winter approaching, most of the garden's plants had withered, making it an excellent time for cleanup.
Johan had gone to the department store specifically to buy winter-hardy flower seeds for the rest of the garden.
The Backyard
Dressed in an old outfit and a headscarf, Johan instantly transformed into a rugged farmer.
"How's it going, Tinkaton?" he asked, hands on his hips.
The clanging of metal came to a halt.
"Cha~ Cha~!"
Carrying a massive hammer in one hand and an assortment of tools in the other, Tinkaton proudly strutted over, its pink cheeks flushed as if seeking praise.
Johan chuckled, giving its twin-braided head a vigorous rub.
"Good job!"
Tools were essential for garden repairs.
Sure, he could've bought them, but why bother when Tinkaton could forge far superior custom ones?
Store-bought tools weren't tailored to Pokémon anyway.
"Cha~~"
Tinkaton beamed with pride.
Johan began assigning tasks.
"Kubfu, the weeds and dry grass in the garden are all yours."
"Ku~!"
Kubfu accepted a small hoe with a solemn nod.
Proper food reserves are the foundation of any operation, it thought. This is agriculture at its core!
Johan's eye twitched. He was getting used to Kubfu's obsession with "revolutionary plans," even if he still had no idea what—or who—it intended to overthrow.
"Tinkaton, you're in charge of pruning the trees in the garden."
Johan handed it a pair of shears and added:
"Just like plucking feathers from Corviknight—trim only half the branches. Too much, and the trees will look bare and ugly."
"Put the trimmed branches together with Kubfu's weeds for later disposal."
"Cha?"
Tinkaton glanced at the shears, then at its hammer, and hesitated.
Can't I just use my hammer?
"Absolutely not!" Johan vetoed immediately.
Using a hammer? The garden wouldn't have a single intact tree left!
"This is a test of your control over your strength," Johan said seriously. "Can you follow my instructions without damaging the trees?"
Tinkaton nodded, enlightened.
"Cha~!"
Why didn't you say so earlier?
It obediently took the shears.
"And Dragonair?" Johan called, looking around.
"Draaa~~"
Dragonair's voice came from behind him.
It had gotten stuck on a window ledge after flying down from the second floor.
Johan sighed. Dragonair's streak of bad luck was par for the course.
Rescuing Dragonair, he assigned its task:
"You're on watering duty. Just make sure you control the water flow, okay?"
Dragonair's ability to manipulate weather, combined with its water-type moves, made it perfect for the job—as long as it didn't turn watering into a flood.
"Draaa~!"
Finally, Johan turned to the two most critical Pokémon for his planting project: Alolan Vulpix and Gengar.
"Vulpix, I need you to build two raised flowerbeds out of ice. The ice must be sturdy enough not to melt easily."
Whether it was Ice Radishes or Black Radishes, both thrived in Crown Tundra-like conditions. Temperature wouldn't be an issue.
"Oowu!"
Vulpix nodded, grabbing the blueprint—a loose sketch at best—and began constructing in the corner.
That left Gengar.
Johan turned to the chubby ghost with a sly smile.
"Ka-kah?" Gengar gulped, instinctively stepping back.
What are you planning with that mischievous grin?
Johan motioned for it to relax.
"Gengar, let me ask you: if those radishes grow, who do you think will eat them?"
"Ka-kah~~" (Me and Vulpix, obviously.)
"Would you like to try them?"
"Ka-kah~~(＠￣￢￣＠)"
Drool trickled from Gengar's mouth.
Johan's smile widened.
"Then you understand that special seeds like these require fertile soil, right?"
Gengar nodded instinctively but froze as Johan continued:
"And how do we make the soil more fertile?"
Gengar's mind blanked.
"Ka-kah... (▽.)"
Crap. This feels like a setup.
Thinking quickly, Gengar offered, "Ka-kah?" (Should I bury some bodies?)
Johan's face darkened. Grabbing Gengar by its spikes, he cut to the chase:
"Enough nonsense! You pilfered so much on the Isle of Armor—hand over some of it, or else!"
Gengar yelped, "Ka-KAH!! ヽ(ｏ`皿′ｏ)" (Fine! Take it!)
Using its most menacing tone, it gave the most cowardly response.
It reached into its stomach dimension and pulled out a heap of items, leaving Johan speechless.
"No wonder Master Mustard and Honey wanted us gone so badly…"
The pile included mushrooms, toxic mushrooms, Galarica twigs, multicolored berries, various seeds, molted Pokémon materials, and more.
With such a haul, Johan no longer worried about soil fertility.
Wrapping the items in cloth, he said, "I'll turn these into compost. Gengar, help Vulpix with the flowerbeds."
Dashing into the house, he murmured, "There's enough here for cooking and making Pokéblocks later."
"Ka-kah~~"
Gengar sighed in relief. At least I only handed over a small portion…
When Johan returned, the garden repair and planting project officially began!
The Garden Battle
Dragonair hovered above, exhaling a fine mist. Gentle rain fell, creating a miniature rainbow under the sunlight.
Kubfu, holding its hoe, narrowed its eyes and focused.
"Ku~~(－ω－) zzZ"
Water. Hoe. Soil.
Rapid-Hoe Technique!
Dirt flew everywhere as Kubfu tilled the soil with blinding speed.
Thwack!
A wet clump of dirt splattered onto Johan's face.
He froze.
The Pokémon stifled their laughter, biting their lips.
Then a sudden gush of water from above drenched him completely.
Johan looked up at Dragonair, who smiled innocently.
"Draaa~~" (You're welcome.)
"Thanks…" Johan muttered through gritted teeth.
Gengar couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
"Ka-kah!"
Its laughter triggered the rest—Vulpix, Tinkaton, and even Dragonair joined in.
Even the sleeping Kubfu twitched its head, as if laughing in its dreams.
"Funny, huh?" Johan smirked darkly, grabbing a handful of mud.
"Take this—Mud Style: Earth Splash Barrage!"
Splat! Splat! Splat!
Mud flew in every direction, covering every Pokémon.
Their laughter stopped abruptly.
Oh, it's war now.
Gengar and Vulpix exchanged glances.
Gengar: "Time to unleash my unbeatable ground techniques!"
Vulpix: "I know Dig, remember?"
Even Tinkaton gleefully patted its hammer.
"Cha~ Cha~~" (Didn't expect to use this again so soon.)
The backyard became a mud-slinging battlefield.
Dragonair, realizing what was happening, took a deep breath.
"Draaa~~" (Waterfall Barrage, activate!)
Johan and the Pokémon froze in panic.
"Dragonair, no!"
The Aftermath
Though chaotic, the planting plan was eventually completed.
One flowerbed shimmered with snow and ice, while the other emitted faint wisps of black mist, thanks to a small piece of Reaper Cloth Gengar reluctantly sacrificed.
Still, Johan scratched his chin.
"Feels like something's still missing…"
Without proper isolation, the conditions might affect other garden plants.
Drip-drip!
His phone buzzed.
The caller ID read "Forever Eighteen"—Lorelei.
Lorelei?
Curious, Johan answered.
"Johan, take a look at what I just sent you," Lorelei said.
"An Ice Sculpting Contest?"
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Powerstones?
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone