Pokemon: I'm a Farmer

"Glug, glug, glug!"

Rex gulped down a large bottle of water, finally quenching his parched throat. Though his mouth still tingled, he felt somewhat refreshed, but his body would need a little more time to recover fully.

Looking down, Rex noticed his clothes, drenched with sweat and covered in dust and dirt from exploring the caves, making him look like a muddy monkey. His hair was tangled and matted with sweat, completing his bedraggled appearance.

Feeling too grimy to sleep comfortably, he decided to step out of his tent and find a spot to wash up.

After a bit of scouting, Rex released his Sandslash near the lakeshore, at a distance from their campsite, and instructed it to start digging. Sandslash swiftly clawed at the earth, creating a pit about two meters long, one and a half meters wide, and roughly a meter deep.

Digging such a small pit was hardly challenging for Sandslash. It initially wanted to dig something larger, but Rex stopped it, as the current size was just right for him.

Next, Rex directed Sandslash to use its Stomp skill to compact the earth in the pit, hardening the surface into a sturdy basin, similar to when they'd previously crafted an artificial pond.

Once the pit was complete, Rex had Sandslash dig a small trench connecting the pit to the underground lake. The trench had a slight incline to allow water from the lake to flow into the pit. As soon as the trench was complete, water began flowing into the makeshift pool, quickly filling it.

When the pool was full, Rex placed a suitable-sized rock into the trench to block the flow, allowing him to admire his work.

But he wasn't done yet. He then had Combusken use Flamethrower to heat the water until it reached a pleasant temperature, then told it to stop.

That's right, Rex had created a makeshift hot spring with the help of Sandslash and Combusken. To him, comfort was a must, even in an underground cave. If he couldn't find comfort, he'd make it himself.

This artificial hot spring was a luxury he greatly appreciated, especially knowing he'd be in this cave system for some time.

Of course, his main reason for doing this was that he didn't dare bathe directly in the lake—who knew what wild Water-type Pokémon might be lurking there?

"Ahh, there's nothing like soaking in a hot spring!"

Wearing only his shorts, Rex relaxed in the pool, the warm water enveloping him in bliss. It was as if the day's fatigue had washed away, and he wanted nothing more than to stay in this comfortable state.

"Combusken!"

To his surprise, Combusken, a Fire-type, joined him in the hot water, looking just as relaxed and clearly enjoying the rare experience of a hot spring bath.

Nearby, Gallade watched in amazement. It hadn't expected Rex to create a hot spring for himself and Combusken. A bit envious, Gallade also longed to soak in the warm water, as it, too, appreciated cleanliness.

However, upon glancing at its Trainer's tent, Gallade forced itself to turn away, resuming its guard duty. Still, it decided that once its Trainer awoke, it would ask to have a hot bath, too.

Unaware of Gallade's thoughts, Rex might have laughed if he knew. After all, he hadn't made the pool just for himself.

Once he'd finished his bath, Rex noticed it was late at night and returned to his tent to rest. Since there was no phone signal this deep underground, he couldn't contact the outside world, let alone access the internet.

As for the camp's safety, Rex had Machoke and Gallade standing guard together, a reliable duo that could handle any threats quickly.

That night, Rex slept soundly. Though he vaguely heard noises outside his tent, they quickly faded, not alarming him. Mostly, it was because he trusted Machoke's strength.

"Good morning, Mai!"

Rex greeted Mai, who was already awake and preparing something in a pot.

"Morning, Rex! Go freshen up; I've made some sweet porridge for breakfast."

Pleased at the prospect of a meal, Rex quickly went to the lake to fetch water to wash up.

Unexpectedly, he noticed faint steam rising from the small pool he'd dug. Seeing Mai's still-damp hair, he realized she must have used the pool to bathe before he woke up.

Rex didn't mind that he'd slept through it, dismissing the thought as he focused on washing up.

Earlier that morning, Mai had woken up early, and upon stepping out of her tent, Gallade had led her to the small pool, indicating through gestures that Rex had built it for bathing.

Delighted, Mai took advantage of the pool, even using her Rapidash to reheat the water for a refreshing bath. Afterward, she suddenly realized she'd used Rex's bathing pool and felt a bit awkward.

This was why she didn't bring it up with Rex, not wanting him to know she'd used the pool.

However, the still-warm water made it obvious to Rex.

Nevertheless, Rex decided not to mention it, focusing on the sweet porridge Mai had cooked.

"Mai, this porridge is delicious! I bet you're a great cook."

He finished the porridge in one gulp, offering sincere praise.

"I'm glad you like it! But my cooking doesn't compare to yours," she replied, pleased yet modest.

After breakfast, the two packed up the camp, including the tents and other items, storing them in their bags.

Since they'd be away all day, leaving their gear unattended would risk it being damaged by passing wild Pokémon.

(End of Chapter)