Two Elders Traveling Together, but the Bills Had to Be Paid Separately

Yue Guan arrived a quarter of an hour early the next day.

When he carried the rough clay pot into the front hall, Ghost was already sitting behind the three-step rug, drinking tea.

"You didn't go back last night?" Yue Guan asked.

"Just arrived."

"When?"

"Before you came."

Yue Guan felt that answer was utterly useless.

Flabébé flew in from the window, still holding that blue flower in its arms. It first circled the rough clay pot once, confirming that the pale yellow flower had not wilted further, before flying over to Yue Guan.

Yue Guan turned the flowerpot for it to see. "I only gave it half a cup of water last night and left it on the east side of the greenhouse. It got a quarter hour of sunlight this morning, and there was no direct wind."

Flabébé landed on the back of his hand and reached out to touch his sleeve.

A little pale yellow pollen clung there.

"I brushed against it while moving the pot," Yue Guan explained.

It looked for two breaths but did not wipe the pollen away for him.

Ghost said, "It suits you."

Yue Guan wiped the pollen away with his fingertip. "Better than being covered in dust."

Duskull poked its face out from behind Ghost's chair and tapped the wood twice.

Ghost turned around.

Only then did it float to his side and place a piece of unfinished dried Berry on the table. A corner had been bitten off; it had clearly tasted it last night, then deliberately saved most of it.

"For me?" Ghost asked.

Duskull pushed the dried Berry closer.

Yue Guan laughed. "Yours knows how to save."

"It's for you." Ghost pushed the dried Berry toward him.

Duskull immediately floated over and pushed it back.

Yue Guan stopped laughing.

Xia Che raised his head from behind the counter. "Since everyone's here, let's begin."

Two ordinary Poké Balls sat on the table, each with a meeting card beside it. Indeedee had also prepared two empty bags: one was a soft carrier for traveling with the flowerpot, while the other was a dark little bag that could block out light.

Yue Guan picked up the soft carrier, first feeling the seams before examining the base. "Too shallow. If the pot shifts even once, it'll hit the sides."

"It can be raised," Indeedee said.

She fastened two pieces of soft cloth around the edge of the bag. Once the flowerpot was placed inside, there was exactly a finger's width of space on all sides. Flabébé flew to the opening to test it and found that it could freely enter and leave while holding its blue flower.

Yue Guan added, "There needs to be a compartment inside for a small watering can."

Indeedee brought over a charcoal pencil and drew a little watering can at the spot to be altered.

"And scissors."

Flabébé immediately turned to look at him.

"Only for trimming dead leaves," Yue Guan said.

It kept staring.

"I'll ask you first."

Only then did Flabébé look away.

Ghost's side was much simpler. He placed the dark little bag before Duskull, and Duskull passed right through it, poking its face out from the other side.

"It won't hold it," Ghost said.

Xia Che nodded. "It wasn't meant to hold it."

"Then what does it hold?"

Indeedee placed dried Berries, a cleaning cloth, and a small lampshade inside.

Duskull reached in, took out the lampshade, and put it over its head. Its white skull-like face was hidden beneath the cloth, leaving only a ring of black fringe swaying below.

Yue Guan saw it. "What kind of new outfit is that?"

Duskull emerged from beneath the lampshade and suddenly pressed close to his shoulder.

Yue Guan stepped back half a pace.

Tap tap.

It promptly tapped the lampshade twice.

"Tap first, then approach," Ghost said.

"It was only a little late with the tapping," Xia Che said.

Duskull put the lampshade back into the bag and hid behind Ghost.

Bibi Dong entered just then.

Absol walked at her side and skillfully stopped beside its crescent-moon wooden plaque. Indeedee brought it sour fruit and fresh water. It sniffed them first before slowly lying down.

"Everyone arrived early today," Bibi Dong said.

Yue Guan rose. "Your Eminence."

Ghost stood as well.

"Sit. Since this is your own meeting, I'll only look at the result."

She chose a seat near the door. Absol's ears twitched, but neither Yue Guan nor Ghost immediately looked toward the window.

Xia Che was very satisfied by that.

"There's one final round," he said.

Yue Guan looked outside. "Taking them out?"

"Walk to the street corner, then walk back."

"Flabébé is small, and the wind is strong today."

Flabébé flew onto the soft carrier while holding its blue flower and pointed at the secured rough clay pot.

Yue Guan put the flowerpot into the bag and fastened the raised cloth around it. The bag's edge would block the low wind without obstructing Flabébé's view.

"Should we bring water?" he asked.

"One street," Xia Che said.

"A cleaning cloth?"

"Wipe it when you get back."

"Spare potting soil?"

Flabébé reached out and patted the empty compartment for the small watering can.

Yue Guan paused. "All right, just the flowerpot."

Ghost was already heading outside. Duskull floated behind him, while the dark little bag hung at his waist, holding only dried Berries and the lampshade.

Yue Guan looked at the flat little bag. "You're not bringing any spare supplies either?"

"One street," Ghost said.

Hearing the exact same words from him made Yue Guan feel especially annoyed.

The winter wind was indeed colder than it had been in the courtyard. As soon as Flabébé flew out the door, the blue petals were blown backward. Yue Guan immediately turned sideways, using his shoulder and sleeve to shield it from the wind.

It did not retreat into the carrier, merely flying close to his shoulder as they moved forward. When they passed beneath the eaves and the wind weakened, it pulled half a foot away and held its blue flower steady on its own.

Absol walked to the threshold and watched them leave. Bibi Dong remained inside, drinking tea without following them out.

Ghost and Duskull walked faster. When they reached the street corner, Duskull became interested in an old signboard and lightly passed through it, leaving only a shifting red glow behind the wood.

Ghost stopped and tapped twice on the front of the sign.

Two taps answered from behind the board.

Duskull poked its face out from the edge.

"Come back," Ghost said.

It went around the signboard and floated back to his side.

A-Li was delivering the day's round bread with Lillipup. When Lillipup saw Duskull, its ears pricked up, and then it barked twice at that white skull-like face.

Duskull instinctively hid behind Ghost.

Lillipup chased its shadow in a half circle.

Ghost said to Duskull, "Tap first."

It reached out from beside his shoulder and tapped twice on the little bag at his waist.

Lillipup stopped barking and tilted its head as it waited.

Duskull slowly emerged, keeping three steps away. Lillipup could not smell any familiar scent and was still somewhat puzzled, but it did not continue chasing. It merely wagged its tail and returned to A-Li's leg.

A-Li held the bread basket. "Is it greeting us?"

"It just learned," Ghost said.

Duskull tapped twice again.

A-Li waved at it. "See you tomorrow."

This time, it raised its little hand too.

Yue Guan arrived just in time to see it. "You managed to make an acquaintance just by taking a walk around the block."

Flabébé poked out from behind his shoulder, first looking at Lillipup, then at the bread basket. A-Li found a tiny piece of Berry bread and, after receiving Yue Guan's nod, placed it in her palm.

Flabébé did not let go of its blue flower. It only used its free hand to break off a little piece. After tasting it, it gently nodded.

"It likes it," A-Li said with a smile.

Yue Guan bought two pieces. "Put it on my own tab."

Ghost looked at him. "You're improving quickly."

When they returned to the shop with their partners, they had only taken an extra quarter hour beyond the expected time. Indeedee checked the flowerpot's securing straps and then looked at the distance Duskull maintained. She drew a short little street on each of the two meeting cards.

Bibi Dong set down her teacup. "Can we say it now?"

"You can," Xia Che said.

"Each of you, say one sentence about how you'll get along from now on," he said.

Yue Guan spoke first. "Flabébé chooses where the flowerbed goes, and it inspects the flowers too. If it doesn't want to go out, I won't take the flowerpot away."

Flabébé held its blue flower and gently nodded before him.

Ghost said, "Patrol at night, sleep during the day. Tap twice before approaching people. Return to the shop when tired."

Duskull tapped twice on the table's edge.

Xia Che waited a moment. "Finished?"

"Finished," Ghost said.

Yue Guan unfolded a sheet of paper covered with half a page of writing. "I still have half a page here."

Flabébé flew onto the paper and pressed down the bottom section.

Yue Guan paused, then folded the paper again. "We'll discuss the rest later."

Bibi Dong looked at Xia Che. "That's enough?"

"Life is lived day by day. Write too much, and you won't remember it all."

"You'd better remember what you said."

"Indeedee remembers."

Indeedee, who was altering the carrier, looked up and calmly nodded once.

Xia Che settled back into his seat.

The two Poké Balls were pushed to the center of the table.

Yue Guan did not reach for one, nor did Ghost. They each stepped back, giving Flabébé and Duskull room.

Flabébé flew onto Yue Guan's palm first. It looked back at the soft cushion by the window, then at the rough clay pot. Finally, it gently touched the Poké Ball's button with its blue flower.

A red light flashed.

The Poké Ball fell into Yue Guan's hand, shook once, and then became still.

Just as Yue Guan began to smile, the ball opened on its own. Flabébé flew back out, holding its blue flower as it hovered above the rough clay pot.

"It only tried the ball," Xia Che said.

"I know." Yue Guan put the Poké Ball away. "The flower is outside, so of course it has to come out."

Duskull circled the other Poké Ball once. It did not touch it immediately. Instead, it floated behind Ghost and tapped twice on his shoulder guard.

Ghost turned sideways and gave it space.

Only then did it return to the table and press the button.

After the confirmation sound rang out, Ghost picked up the Poké Ball.

Duskull did not come out at once.

Yue Guan looked at him. "Yours likes staying inside."

The moment he finished speaking, Duskull appeared from the ball, floating directly behind Yue Guan.

Tap tap.

It had tapped Yue Guan's shoulder guard.

When Yue Guan turned around, Duskull had already shrunk back behind Ghost.

Ghost said, "It tapped first."

"Does tapping and only appearing afterward count?" Yue Guan asked.

"It counts," Xia Che said.

Bibi Dong lifted her teacup, and the corner of her lips seemed to move.

With their partnership confirmed, Indeedee brought over the bill.

Yue Guan's was the longest: the old flowerpot, potting soil, soft cord, carrier raising, the small watering-can compartment, and two days' use of the greenhouse.

Ghost's had only the dark little bag and two dishes of dried Berries.

Yue Guan pushed both bills toward Bibi Dong. "Your Eminence happens to be here today."

"Pay for them yourselves," Bibi Dong said.

Ghost took out money and paid only his own bill.

Yue Guan looked at him.

"The bill should be calculated separately," Ghost said.

Indeedee nodded in agreement.

Yue Guan had no choice but to pay the remaining amount.

Only after the two had put away their things did Bibi Dong place a narrow wooden box on the table. "Don't leave before the shop closes tomorrow."

Xia Che looked at the wooden box. "Another bill?"

"A Business Permit."

Pancham immediately ran to inspect the doorframe, seriously choosing where to hang it.

"Can we finish eating before hanging it?" Xia Che asked.

Bibi Dong looked at him. "Hang it first."

Absol tapped its empty plate with its tail.

"Eat after hanging it," Bibi Dong added.