Chapter 101:
"Vulpix!"
Seeing six energy blocks sold, Alolan Vulpix lifted its head proudly and looked at Hayashi Kaede like it was begging, "Praise me, praise me."
"All right, all right — Vulpix is amazing." Kaede rubbed its belly, then warned with a smile, "But don't be too forward later, okay? If every buyer reaches out to pet you, you'll get rubbed bald."
"Vulpix?"
The little Vulpix froze, then wore a thoughtful expression as if pondering Kaede's words. After a moment it cocked its head, troubled — it realized he might be right.
Kaede laughed, pulled a cardboard sign from a storage ball and wrote in bold letters: Aogiri Breeding House, then set it aside. He glanced at Gardevoir, scooted over, and invited, "Come, you sit here too."
He was sitting with Bounsweet and Alolan Vulpix in his arms while Gardevoir stood and it looked awkward.
"Gardevoir." (Gardevoir nodded and sat beside him without fuss.)
For a heartbeat Kaede thought the scene was picturesque: among the bustling crowd he held Bounsweet and Alolan Vulpix, Gardevoir sat at his side, Serperior leaning against him and neatly arranged the berries and energy blocks before them.
"Rotom, take a photo for us, will you?" Kaede asked.
"Rotom!" Rotom buzzed cheerfully, hovered forward and snapped the picture. Kaede checked it — exactly as he hoped. Gardevoir sat calm and elegant, Serperior looked lofty overhead, and the two little ones in his arms were perfectly contrasted: one shy, one bright and cute.
"Nice," Kaede said, satisfied. Rotom glowed as if smiling.
People were arriving up the mountain in steady waves, so Kaede had to attend customers. Alolan Vulpix soon realized: even without showing off its looks, many people still came to the stall and asked prices — Kaede's setup was unique and drew attention.
Questions popped up. "Boss, I get why your Miltank milk is pricier, but are your Bounsweet juice and rice wine really this expensive?" "Yeah — several hundred for a bottle of drink is steep."
Kaede didn't argue. "They're a bit pricey, but these energy blocks are worth it." He laid out his advanced breeder certificate beside the stall. With the certificate and his clearly well-raised Pokémon on display, the crowd's confidence spiked; more people gathered to buy energy blocks and tree-fruit salads.
Still, no one showed interest in the juices or the rice wine. Bounsweet watched its own juice sit unsold and felt a little sad — it wanted to help the trainer earn money.
Noticing Bounsweet's mood, Kaede planned to lower the juice price a bit — then something amusing happened.
A young couple arrived, mid-argument; the girl was upset. The boy, eager to calm her, bought a cup of Bounsweet juice and handed it over. She sipped; her flushed face visibly softened and her voice quieted. The boy, delighted, bought a bottle of rice wine and had Alolan Vulpix add ice.
After a few sips, an impulsive warmth rose in him. He hugged the girl and kissed her in front of the crowd. When they broke apart, her cheeks were rosy — she lightly thumped his chest but didn't seem truly angry. They hurried down the mountain together.
Onlookers grew curious. "Boss, does your juice or rice wine have some special effect?" "Is that for real?"
Kaede, surprised, answered: "The juice is Bounsweet fruit with a bit of sugar — sweet-toothed folks might feel cheerier. The rice wine… maybe it gives people courage?" He was making it up as he spoke — the rice wine's true culinary effect only triggers if someone drinks enough to get tipsy. Still, that boy got a little drunk after just a couple of sips — worse than Serperior's tolerance — but he didn't finish the bottle.
Word spread. Someone bought a bottle of juice, drank it, and said, "I feel so much better!" Curious passersby began buying, one after another. Before long, juice sales soared and sold out before noon.
A juice-company manager approached, asking about a long-term purchase to make the drink a product. Supermarkets and fruit buyers also reached out. Kaede had to decline: turning the juice into a mass product would need huge quantities — even soaking Bounsweet all day wouldn't produce that much juice. Berries was even less feasible: the plantation's daily yield was strictly for the breeding house use.
Nearby growers watched Kaede's crowd with envy, but on seeing Gardevoir and Serperior they could only sigh — who could compete with such striking Pokémon?
By late morning Kaede's storage ball held just a few energy blocks. He packed up, recalled Serperior and Bounsweet, and headed toward the central area, satisfied with how the day had gone.