The wild Pokémon around them looked at one another.
With the bully bear gone, they stood even less of a chance, so they dispersed on the spot.
"Wait, you guys."
But Yushu called them back.
He did not chase the Pokémon away. Instead, he picked some Berries from the orchard, dabbed a little Honey on them, then placed them on the ground and stepped back, motioning for them to come and eat.
At first, the Pokémon did not dare approach. They watched Yushu warily, ready to flee at any moment.
After all, in their world, humans usually had an agenda.
They either caught them or abandoned them.
But the kindly air about Yushu gradually put them at ease.
He stood there without moving, approaching, or urging them on. He simply waited quietly, like someone feeding stray cats crouching in place and waiting for the cats to come over on their own.
"Odd..."
Finally, a bold Oddish was the first to approach.
It cautiously sniffed the Berry, its feelers trembling for a moment, then took a small bite.
The taste of Honey burst in its mouth.
Oddish's eyes instantly lit up, and it began taking big bites.
The other Pokémon took one look.
It's safe! It's edible! And it tastes great!
They crowded around too, scrambling for the Honey-coated Berries.
For a while, the grass was filled with the sounds of chewing and contented humming.
Watching them eat so happily, Yushu felt something quite subtle.
These Pokémon were actually very easy to satisfy.
Being weak, they struggled to find food in the wild. Sometimes, they went an entire day without finding a full meal.
A Berry coated in honey might be a rare filling meal for them, enough to keep them happy for a long time.
As for Ursaring?
A Pokémon like that simply never had trouble finding food.
It was just greedy, wanting to snatch anything good it saw.
That sort of banditry had to be firmly stamped out.
Uxie floated beside Yushu, watching the wild Pokémon happily eating, looking thoughtful.
This Yushu fellow... was rather kindhearted.
"I have food here. If you have nothing to eat, you can come find me anytime."
Yushu clapped his hands and stood up. He could still afford to feed a few cat-sized Pokémon.
Ursaring: Slurp, slurp. Can I come too?
Yushu: Get lost.
The wild Pokémon raised their heads to look at him, a little less guarded now.
This human... was actually pretty nice.
Yushu returned to the house and sealed the small jar of honey he had just collected. Then he took another clean glass jar, filled it to the brim with fresh honey, and pulled out his phone to call Kurokawa.
The call was answered before it had rung twice.
"Yushu, what can I do for you?"
Yushu got straight to the point. "Bro Kurokawa, want some Honey? Just say the word and I'll bring it right over."
"Honey? Where did you get Honey?"
Kurokawa sounded curious.
"I produced it myself," Yushu said proudly. "Vespiquen's first batch of Honey is ready, and the quality is absolutely top-notch."
"I've tried it. I'm not bragging, but this could win a prize in a competition."
"Bring it over, then," Kurokawa replied. "I happen to be at the shop. I'll take a look at how good your honey is while you're here."
"You got it! Satisfaction guaranteed."
Yushu hung up, packed the jar in a bag, and went straight to Luxray.
"Luxray, come on. Give me a ride to the shop."
"Roar?"
Luxray raised its head in confusion.
Oh no, I've become a mount.
"I'll give you an extra Pokéblock afterward."
Luxray's ears perked up, and it voluntarily crouched in front of Yushu.
Ah, the offer was just too generous.
"Come on! Let's go!"
Yushu climbed onto Luxray's back, holding on to its thick neck fur with both hands.
"Roar!"
Luxray dug all four paws into the ground, then accelerated sharply, racing toward the shop.
A few minutes later.
Seeing Yushu jump off Luxray's back, Kurokawa could not help remarking from inside the shop:
"That Luxray of yours is pretty fast. It's only been a few minutes, hasn't it?"
"A gold-medal delivery driver. Enough said."
Yushu proudly patted Luxray's head.
Luxray lifted its chin haughtily, clearly adapting very quickly.
Yushu took the glass jar out of the bag and handed it over.
Kurokawa accepted it, first examining its appearance, then unscrewing the lid and bringing it close for a sniff. His eyebrows rose slightly.
"This smells... pretty good. The color's clear and bright, too. You're sure you made this?"
Yushu patted his name badge. "Absolutely. It was just produced today. The quality is guaranteed."
Kurokawa took a small taste and smacked his lips. "The quality really is good. All right, how much do you want for it?"
"Five hundred per jin."
Yushu named his price with certainty.
He had asked Kaixin about the buying price of Honey beforehand, and she had suggested going straight for five hundred.
The price was neither high nor low, sitting in the upper-middle range of market prices.
With this honey's quality, it was definitely worth that price.
Kurokawa's expression instantly switched from "connoisseur" to "haggling mode."
"Five hundred? Is your honey made of gold, or are the bees made of gold? No, no, that's too expensive!"
"Bro Kurokawa, you can't put it like that. Where else around here can you find Honey? Mine's all freshly harvested, and I guarantee it won't give you heartburn. You think it's expensive? So do I."
Yushu refused to budge. "If you can find better-quality Honey than mine in Solaceon Town, I'll give you this jar for free. Can you find any?"
The corner of Kurokawa's mouth twitched.
This brat... his haggling skills had improved. How had he learned so quickly?
"Is your honey guaranteed to be full weight?"
He tried a different angle.
Yushu grinned. "Come on, big bro. I'm a seller. Would I shortchange you on the weight?"
"I'll have stock every week from now on, and once my flower fields are in full bloom, production can go even higher."
Kurokawa sighed. "Fine, five hundred it is. But you have to guarantee consistent quality."
"Don't worry. It'll be good."
They high-fived, and just like that, the deal was done.
Yushu was feeling thoroughly pleased with himself.
The Combee were all wild, so the costs were practically negligible. He only needed to provide a hive and some basic care. It was practically a business with tiny investment and enormous returns.
So this was the legendary "earning money while lying down."
They chatted a little longer before Yushu's phone suddenly rang.
He checked it. It was Kaixin.
"Hello, Kaixin?"
"Yushu, the person I recommended has arrived. She's waiting at your ranch entrance now."
Kaixin's voice came through the phone. "Oh, and she's a young girl, so don't you bully her."
"Kaixin, come on. Am I that kind of person?" Yushu did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"Who knows? Anyway, hurry back and take a look. Don't keep her waiting too long."
"Okay, I'll head back right away."
Yushu hung up, said goodbye to Kurokawa, then rode Luxray back to the ranch in a hurry.