Chapter 107:
At Dusk.
A vibrant orange streak, like a missile, cut across the sky before finally landing on a small path brimming with flowers.
"Woo-hoo~"
In less than ten minutes, Hayashi Kaede, riding on Dragonite's back, had experienced a thrill akin to speed and passion.
No wonder Mewtwo used Dragonite for delivering letters—
Its speed was simply incredible!
All Hayashi Kaede could feel was the roaring wind exploding past his ears and the scenery below blurring into streaks.
Actually, not long after Pidgeot evolved, he couldn't resist having Pidgeot take him for a flight.
Back then, Hayashi Kaede already thought riding a Pokémon and flying through the sky was an incredibly comfortable experience.
And indeed, Pokémon that can fly are the best!
The first to be startled by Dragonite's descent were the Pidgeot and Pidgeotto perched in the pine tree.
They fluttered up from the tree in alarm, but upon seeing Hayashi Kaede dismount from Dragonite, their panic subsided.
"Dragonite?"
After landing, Dragonite looked around curiously at the flowers on both sides. The last time it passed by, this place definitely wasn't this beautiful.
"These are flowers I planted recently. Nice, right?"
Hayashi Kaede gestured for the Pidgeot and Pidgeotto to return to their perch. He glanced at the Breeding House; the door was already locked, meaning Takagi Megumi had clocked out.
He opened the door, and the Alcremie, who had been leaning boredly against the counter, were the first to see him.
Their eyes instantly lit up, cheering for him one by one. "Alcremie!"
"Alcremie~" (We sold out all the cupcakes today, sold out~)
"Alcremie~" (He's back, Kaede is back.)
"Oh..."
Seeing their happy, smiling faces, Hayashi Kaede felt the weariness from his day out melt away.
He walked towards the counter, about to pick up a Alcremie for a good sniff,
When all the Alcremie, as if they'd seen something frightening, simultaneously hid in Hayashi Kaede's shadow, letting out panicked cries.
"Alcremie? Alcremie!" (So big...)
"Alcremie..." (Monster...)
Hayashi Kaede was taken aback, then looked back at Dragonite, who was standing awkwardly at the door, not knowing what to do.
For a door only two meters tall, its nearly three-meter frame was indeed a bit too large. It was hesitating on how to get in without squeezing through and breaking the door.
"Dragonite?"
"Uh... Dragonite... you'd better go back into your Poké Ball for now." Seeing its slightly innocent expression, Hayashi Kaede could only take out its Poké Ball and return it for the time being.
Then he turned back to the Alcremie. "It's okay. They're our new partners, just like Serperior."
Speaking of Serperior, Hayashi Kaede felt a headache coming on.
After evolving, Serperior's length had reached nearly five meters. The wooden house, which used to be a bit spacious for it, was now—not just crowded—but completely impossible to squeeze into.
And Serperior didn't want to live in a Poké Ball either, so it urgently needed a place it could reside.
And Dragonite too—he'd need to ask it later what kind of living environment it preferred.
Rubbing his head, Hayashi Kaede pushed these worries aside.
These problems couldn't be solved all at once.
He'd tackle them one by one.
"Alcremie~"
Just then, a Alcremie with a strawberry decoration suddenly tapped his hand, then pulled out a white piece of paper from under its bowl.
It said happily, "Alcremie~" (A customer wants to order a big cake, a customer wants to order a big cake!)
And it repeated it twice.
This made Hayashi Kaede pause. "Someone wants to order a birthday cake?"
＜（＾－＾）＞: "Alcremie~" (Yes, yes.)
Several Alcremie nodded in unison.
"Let me see."
Taking the paper, Hayashi Kaede read it carefully.
[It's like this, Mr. Hayashi. September 11th is the anniversary of the day I caught my Weedle. It accompanied me through my toughest times. I know your culinary skills are amazing, so I'm hoping you can make a large cake that it would love to eat.
Contact — 1xxxxxx..]
"A Weedle... if it was caught last year, it should have evolved into a Beedrill by now, right?"
After a moment's thought, Hayashi Kaede quickly figured out what kind of cake a Beedrill might like.
Honey~
A cake made with cream and honey... Beedrill should like that... right?
With that idea, he smiled at the Alcremie. "Alright, when the time comes, I'll have to trouble you all."
"Alcremie~" (Okay, okay~)
"Alcremie..."
One Alcremie nodded happily, then raised its hands towards Hayashi Kaede. "Alcremie~" (Take us back, carry us back~)
It was after hours now, so they naturally didn't need to stay on the counter.
They had only been waiting here for Hayashi Kaede to come home.
"Alrighty then~"
Hayashi Kaede promptly picked them up one by one, carried them to the room, placed them in their own little bowls, fed them some Berry salad, and then headed to the plantation.
He was just about to go to the garden in the back to release all the Pokémon first,
When two Combee flew over.
"Combee."
"Combee..."
They flew around Hayashi Kaede, "enthusiastically" inviting him to come see their hive.
They clamored for Hayashi Kaede to inspect their honey-gathering success.
When Hayashi Kaede saw the inside of the hive, his eyes widened, and he looked at the hive in surprise. "Huh?"
The previously empty hive now contained a large block of honey. A rough estimate put it at least thirty or forty kg.
He had only let the Combee start gathering honey at noon.
And it had only been a few hours?
You've already produced this much?
Taking a small knife from a Capsule, Hayashi Kaede looked at the two Combee. "You've made so much honey this quickly? Can I take a little?"
The Combee's eyes immediately narrowed into happy slits. "Combee~" (Yes, yes.)
Their wings vibrated, seemingly thrilled to receive Hayashi Kaede's praise.
Hayashi Kaede carefully cut a piece of honey from the block.
It had a bright, glossy color, and the strands were sticky and unbroken.
[B-Grade Hundred-Flower Honey] – Honey produced by Combee from a hundred different flowers. It has a sweet, moistening quality, benefits energy and the middle burner, and is an excellent ingredient. Highly attractive to Bee and Butterfly-type Pokémon.
[B+-Grade Sweet Honey] – Honey produced by Combee from Sweet Honey flowers. It has a sweet, moistening quality, benefits energy and the middle burner, and is an excellent ingredient. It is also the best food for attracting Combee.
One piece of honey, two colors. The left side was slightly darker, clearly the Sweet Honey, while the right side was the Hundred-Flower Honey.
"Combee~"
The Combee's wings buzzed again, urging Hayashi Kaede to quickly put the honey away.
They needed to get back to gathering honey.
"You guys..."
Hayashi Kaede was stunned. "How are you this hardworking?"