Letting You Catch Caterpie for Money, and You Caught Over a Hundred at Once? (Part 2)

"I happened to encounter a Caterpie Group with Caterpie in the forest. After getting to know them, these Caterpie were willing to go to the Clear Stream Village Caterpie Breeding Base, so I brought them back."

Mark replied.

He had already prepared this explanation.

He did not want to deceive Third Uncle, who had always taken such good care of him, but he also did not want to expose the Caterpie Territory for the time being. So, while telling the truth, he omitted some details.

Old Man Qian swept his gaze over the hundred-odd Caterpie in the courtyard, then looked at Mark's Caterpie. Suddenly thinking of something, he revealed an enlightened expression.

Old Man Qian said thoughtfully, "Although Caterpie generally live separately in the forest, there are times when groups of Caterpie gather together.

Your Caterpie is big and strong. It must have been recognized as their leader by these Pokemon, so they willingly followed your Caterpie to Clear Stream Village. It's just that the odds of this happening are low—maybe it wouldn't even succeed once in a hundred tries. You really are lucky..."

Mark nodded slightly.

In fact, Third Uncle's guess was not far off.

Third Uncle had merely misjudged the size of the Caterpie Group, believing it only had a hundred or so Caterpie. He had also guessed Caterpie's position incorrectly. Other than that, he was basically right.

His Caterpie had not been recognized as the Caterpie Leader, but as a Leader's Guard.

As his Caterpie continuously underwent Combat Training in the Caterpie Territory, changes in its aura caused some Caterpie to mistakenly believe it was one of their own and refrain from attacking it. Because of Caterpie's large build, they also regarded it as a Leader's Guard.

The hundred-odd Caterpie he had brought back this time were among the die-hard believers.

Likewise, after mistaking Caterpie for a Leader's Guard, some Caterpie could come to their senses under the Caterpie Leader's instructions. But several hundred die-hard Caterpie remained hopelessly confused even after the Caterpie Leader explained things to them. They stubbornly believed his Caterpie was a Leader's Guard and slacked off during Combat Training.

The hundred-odd Caterpie Mark had brought back to the village this time were the weaker members of those die-hards, and he had already obtained the Caterpie Leader's permission.

Caterpie living in Clear Stream Forest faced all kinds of threats at every moment, and these weaker Caterpie were more likely to be targeted by avian predators.

Taking these Caterpie to the Clear Stream Village Caterpie Breeding Base, where they would never lack food or drink, was a win-win situation in some respects.

He could earn a little money, while these Caterpie could live stable lives as bugs.

Besides that, it would also lay the groundwork for his Caterpie to become the leader of the breeding base in the future.

While Mark was still thinking, Old Man Qian had already walked toward the Caterpie in the yard.

The Caterpie in the courtyard were clearly wary of Old Man Qian, unlike Mark, whom they had already grown familiar with.

When they saw Old Man Qian approaching, most of the Caterpie kept backing away. Two of them even went into a stress response, arching their bodies as if their hairs had stood on end.

If Old Man Qian continued getting closer, those two Caterpie would spray him with foul liquid just as they would against avian enemies.

However, this was not Old Man Qian's first time facing such a situation.

He first took out a handful of powder and scattered it around himself, eliminating his human scent. Then he took out a piece of feed resembling a black sausage and offered it to the nearby Caterpie.

Most Caterpie refused food offered by a stranger, but after one bold Caterpie went over and took a bite, the others quickly gathered around. Before long, they were scrambling to eat the food in Old Man Qian's hand.

"Caterpie are gentle Pokemon, and they have a strong herd mentality. If you had only brought back a few Caterpie, they would actually be harder to handle. But with so many Caterpie, it becomes much easier."

As he smiled and explained, Old Man Qian used his palm to touch and press the Caterpie that came close to him.

"Bringing back these Caterpie was a pretty good haul. Each one can sell for around 60 yuan, but since you brought back so many at once, I'll make the call and give you 62 yuan each. These Caterpie should sell for nearly seven thousand yuan."

Mark raised an eyebrow slightly. "They can sell for 62 yuan each?"

Old Man Qian frowned slightly. "I'm already specifically giving you a subsidy at this price. Don't be ungrateful, kid."

Mark hurriedly explained, "Third Uncle, you misunderstood. I just thought the price was a little high. Didn't you say that depending on a Caterpie's quality, one could be exchanged for 35 to 100 yuan? These Caterpie should all be relatively small."

Old Man Qian came to a realization. "That's what you don't understand. The Caterpie you brought are a bit smaller, but the quality and quantity of the silk Caterpie produce are not determined entirely by their size. If these Caterpie are fed enough, the silk they produce should be quite good."

Mark showed an enlightened expression, while Caterpie directly used String Shot on the ground near Old Man Qian.

After studying with the Caterpie Leader these past few days, Caterpie's String Shot had improved somewhat.

It could not directly spit out a web like the Caterpie Leader, but it could now shoot out two strands of silk at once.

Seeing Caterpie work so hard to show itself off, Old Man Qian smiled. "Not bad, not bad. The silk you produce is much better than theirs. It could probably sell for 200—no, even 250 yuan. Starting tomorrow, you can go with these Caterpie to the Caterpie Breeding Base and produce silk on schedule every day. I'll make sure you eat and drink well, and you can live peacefully at the Caterpie Breeding Base. Your owner will even save time raising you..."

At Old Man Qian's words, Caterpie initially looked excited, but it soon realized something. Confusion appeared in its eyes as it looked at Mark pleadingly.

Mark shook his head helplessly and rubbed Caterpie's head. "Third Uncle is teasing you. How could I possibly leave you alone at the Caterpie Breeding Base?"

Hearing Mark's words, Caterpie let out a heavy sigh of relief. Just now, it had nearly thought it would have to separate from Mark.

Old Man Qian also patted Caterpie's head, then turned to Mark. "Come to think of it, your Caterpie has grown bigger again. Is it because it ate those Oran Berries?"

Mark did not hide everything. He took two Wiki Berries from his pocket and said, "Actually, it wasn't just Oran Berries. My Caterpie also ate this kind of Berry."

Old Man Qian's expression turned solemn. "Wiki Berries?"

Mark nodded. "Yes. I saw an introduction to them in Hia Kingdom Pokemon Encyclopedia (4). They should be this kind of Berry. There are still some fruits on the Wiki Berry tree I found. These two are for you, since you've taken such good care of me all this time."

Old Man Qian looked at Mark with a complicated expression for a while. "For me? Do you know how valuable these Berries are?"

Mark shook his head.

"Ten thousand." Seeing that Mark did not seem particularly concerned, Old Man Qian continued, "Ten thousand per Berry, and they're impossible to find even if you have the money. Unlike Oran Berries, artificial cultivation of Wiki Berries has never succeeded in the Hia Kingdom. Ten thousand apiece is only the official price. In private transactions, Wiki Berries sell for even more. Are you sure you want to give me both of them?"

"Yes."

Seeing Mark's utterly decisive expression, Old Man Qian looked both gratified and helpless.

In the end, Old Man Qian shook his head and sighed. "You child, you may have wised up, but you still lack experience in some areas. Remember, never let down your guard around others. If something similar happens in the future, don't tell anyone—not even me. By the way, you haven't told anyone else about the Wiki Berries, have you?"

"No."

Old Man Qian nodded. "Good. Keep the Wiki Berry tree to yourself and tell no one. Its value is far too great for a kid like you to bear. Any Wiki Berries you pick normally must be dealt with immediately. If you see strangers near the Wiki Berry tree, make sure to hide and don't approach them.

"As for these two Wiki Berries, leave them to me. They should be enough to get your Caterpie an Electroweb Move Tutor. Although Electroweb can also be learned after Caterpie evolves, it's easier to learn during the Caterpie stage, and the effect is better too."

"Third Uncle, actually..."

Old Man Qian waved a hand to interrupt Mark, who was about to refuse, then abruptly changed the subject. "We can't just leave these Caterpie in the courtyard either. They're about to chew the Moon Chrysanthemum Seedlings I planted by the wall bald. Let's transport these Caterpie to the breeding base tonight..."

The momentum of the Sword God of Ten-Mile Slope had already begun to take shape. Next came the official plot.