Chapter 102:
It was already near noon.
Even under the sun shelters the mountain felt a little stifling, and the crowds had begun to thin. When Hayashi Kaede approached, Inoue Shūko looked surprised. "Kid, I didn't expect the crops from your orchard to be so popular…"
She hadn't been watching him closely, but the cluster of people around his stall drew attention without any special effort.
Kaede grinned. "Maybe the Pokémon are just too attractive."
"Hold on a moment — I'll put these barrels away and then take you to the apiary." Inoue Shūko nodded and began stashing the wine barrels into storage balls.
Kaede couldn't help asking, "I noticed the growers who've set up stalls here don't seem to sell much — it'd be the same at the market down below. Why do they bother coming up the mountain instead of selling at the market?"
A burly man with a thick beard was passing by at that moment, walking beside a nearly three-meter-tall Machamp whose muscles bulged and veins stood out like cords. He stopped and explained, "Not like that, kid. This annual Budō Town festival runs for about three days. The big crowds attract industries that buy up the local berry wine and berry fruit. Folks come here not to sell small amounts directly to customers, but to see whether any buyer will make a bulk offer on their berries."
Kaede blinked and suddenly understood — they were here to make deals. The burly man stepped closer, curiosity on his face. "You said you run the orchard in Aogiri? I've never heard of you."
He was the stallholder beside Kaede, selling a kind of berry called Pinap Berry — a berry known for long-term effects that can toughen a Fighting-type's body. Thanks to the traffic around Kaede's stall, the man had still sold well; he'd even locked in a good deal with a company.
"I only inherited my orchard from my father this year," Kaede answered.
The burly man nodded, impressed. "No wonder. Growing this many varieties in a year — and you're a high-level breeder, too. Young folks these days are incredible." He grinned. "I saw your Pokémon earlier — they looked pretty strong. You entering the defend-the-post contest later?"
Kaede nodded. Thirty-first of the orchard's Wineberry harvest as a prize — how much wine could he brew with that? Enough stock for the nursery for a long time. He didn't want to miss out.
The burly man laughed and boasted, "All right! I'll enjoy the show. Let me show you my Machamp's strength — be careful, that one's strong! We'll take first this year." He raised a hand and flexed his Machamp's biceps. "Young people should like muscle Pokémon — look at my Machamp!"
Kaede forced a smile. He personally preferred Lucario or Blaziken, but he let the man boast. Nearby, Inoue Shūko finished packing the barrels and shot the man a warning, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch. Don't be surprised if the kid wins."
The burly man ruffled his bald head and protested — he swore that if last year hadn't had a champion come through, he would've taken first. Then he strode off.
Inoue Shūko shook her head and beckoned Kaede, "Kid, come with me."
They walked down a winding path. Halfway down the mountainside they turned onto a small trail; a short walk later opened into another flat area. But this clearing was ringed with flowers in bloom. In the center stood a large wooden hut and many wooden crates. The air smelled of honey and petals.
"Combee! Combee!" A swarm of Pokémon poured out of the crates as they approached. Small, hexagonal-bodied creatures hovered on translucent wings, their coloration near yellow; each Combee was really three little bees combined into one Pokémon, each with tiny black eyes and subtly different expressions. Clearly, the three bees that made up each Combee had their own personalities — but Combee were a loyal species. From birth they pledged their loyalty to a queen: the Vespiquen that ruled their hive.
Kaede's eyes lit up. Combee — exactly what he'd come for.
"Combee! Combee!" Two of the Combee that were nearest flew over to Inoue Shūko and blinked at her.
She stroked one and said, "Every year other planters ask me for Combee to help with pollination. But most berry blossoms don't last long. After the bloom they often end up with Combee that have nothing to do. For a hardworking Combee, long idleness makes them anxious — they think their 'queen' no longer needs them and can fall into depression. That's why I require anyone who asks me for Combee to plant flowers — at least give them something to do."
Kaede nodded. He'd learned this in school, but hearing it now still made him marvel. Pokémon could get depressed from idleness? With a garden as big as his, they wouldn't — and Combee were really cute: small faces like three scoops of honey stacked together.
"In terms of sex, Combee come in male and female. Only female Combee can evolve into a Vespiquen. If your garden is large and you want a Vespiquen, I can give you a female Combee. If it's small, you'll get a male. But I train all my Combee — they can produce honey for you even without a Vespiquen. And if there's no queen, they'll treat you as their leader."
Kaede was amazed. "Really?"
Inoue Shūko nodded. "Yes. The larger the garden, the faster their honey output. In that case, one Combee can produce about five kg of honey a day. Tell me, how many flowers have you planted?"
"Wait…" Kaede said, turning to Rotom. "Rotom, pull up photos of my garden and images of the bluestone trail…"