It has often been surmised that human beings first developed agriculture in temperate climates. Recently, evidence to the contrary has surfaced, throwing into question the entire story of the origins of human civilization. Excavations in Africa, sparked by the discovery of ruins from satellite photos, have revealed an agricultural civilization based on the harvesting of once-common trees. Even more remarkably, it is clear from numerous sculptures and pottery that the agriculture they practiced was not the invention of Man, but one learned from the Sceptile who had maintained these jungles for thousands upon thousands of years.
The reason which Sceptile practiced agriculture was the same ones humans do; to secure an adequate and reliable food supply. Although they are capable of photosynthesis, Sceptile are large pokemon who lack roots, and therefore must feast on other plants in order to survive. Like other large terrestrial herbivores such as Donphan, their appetite is an enormous one, and their survival easily threatened by deforestation – not from humans, but from the lengthy process of North African desertification.
So they began to transform their environment. To grow trees and shrubs under them and ensure both maintained an ample water supply. To rotate plants from year to year. To crossbreed them for delicious egg moves and faster growth. To domesticate the Oddish and the Tropius. To survive for many more generations, until the curious eyes of Man set eyes upon and began to improve their technique and took it with them to the flood plains of the Nile and beyond.
It was not enough to save the Sceptile. The Sahara Desert now sits where they once tamed the great forest; perhaps they even sped up its march. Yet through the ingenuity of humanity, their wisdom lives on.