"That should just about do it!"
Tong Hua looked at the tidied cave, a sense of satisfaction welling up inside him.
The cave felt wonderfully fresh after the cleanup. With sunlight streaming in, even the air seemed cleaner.
It was still a little damp and chilly, but at least it looked habitable now.
Tong Hua had also taken the initiative to make several simple beehives and set them outside the cave.
They were dry, sheltered from the wind, and facing the sun. To keep out moisture, he had even raised the vents at the bottom thirty centimeters off the ground.
Since Pokémon reproduced by laying eggs, Tong Hua had left out the brood chamber when making the beehives. As a result, all the space inside could be used to store honey.
Each of these beehives, made using his Woodcarver profession, also came with a special effect.
They were all practical, too. Positive effects such as [Storage Increase] and [Yield Increase] could boost his earnings even further.
Now, even if those Combee never returned, Tong Hua was determined to raise bees.
If all else failed, he could just buy a few from Grandpa Yang.
Just as Tong Hua was imagining his plans for the ranch's development, a familiar buzzing suddenly sounded in the distant sky.
Tong Hua looked up sharply and saw an enormous bee flying toward him in the glow of the setting sun.
It was Vespiquen.
"They're back!"
Tong Hua cried out in delight. Minccino immediately hopped onto his shoulder, while Grotle stretched its neck to look.
Vespiquen landed gracefully before them, her ruby-like compound eyes carefully examining Tong Hua and the Pokémon on the ranch.
Six Combee emerged from beneath her "skirt." Several were the same ones that had left earlier, and they circled Tong Hua with cheerful