Kaisuke took the money, then bent down to pull a few paper packets from beneath the counter and stuffed them into Yushu's hands.
"These are on the house. Just some vegetable seeds. They're easy to grow-just water them a bit. You can use them for cooking, too, instead of coming into town for vegetables every day."
"Oh, I couldn't-"
"Why not?"
Before Yushu could say anything else, Kaisuke cut him off. "You bought so much. What's wrong with me throwing in a few seeds?"
After so many years in business, Kaisuke knew the ways of the world well. A little give-and-take was what kept business going.
"Then I'll gladly accept."
Yushu took the seeds and thanked him.
Staraptor stood guard at the entrance. The moment Yushu came out, he ruffled his feathers.
Done shopping?
"No rush. There's more."
Yushu patted his head.
The general store was across the street, with a storefront twice the size of Kaisuke's nursery.
The owner was a middle-aged woman named Chiyo, who had a brisk, spirited manner.
Before Yushu could speak, she rattled off a whole string of recommendations.
Fence maintenance paint, a pasture rake, feed storage bins, a watering can, gloves, rubber boots, and a sickle that supposedly wouldn't break even after twenty years of use.
"Listen to me, young man. My prices are the fairest in town. I'd never rip you off."
"You're just starting a ranch, so all of these are essential. Look at this fence paint. Rustproof and rot-resistant. One coat lasts three years."
"And this watering can-it's shaped like a Squirtle. Everyone who's used one loves it."
"Most importantly, this sickle. See that edge? Guaranteed to last twenty years!"
Yushu looked at the pile of goods, then at his shopping list, and realized that Chiyo's recommendations really were things he needed.
So Yushu waved a hand.
"All right, I'll take them!"
Luckily, Anna had given him plenty of startup funds. Otherwise, these odds and ends alone would have drained his wallet dry.
Staraptor stood at the entrance, watching the staff carry things out one by one, his crest sticking up.
Good grief. All this stuff would end up on his back, wouldn't it?
"Come back if you need anything else. I've got everything here, and I'll give you a discount next time."
Chiyo saw Yushu out with a broad smile.
Yushu came out of the shop and patted Staraptor's wing. "Hold on. There's still more."
"Star?"
Staraptor looked utterly bewildered.
More?
Finally, Yushu walked into a shop called the Field Shop.
As Yushu pushed open the door, a wind chime jingled.
This shop was much more finely decorated than the others. The shelves stood in neat rows with clearly marked sections, carrying everything from Poké Balls and healing medicines to Berries and all sorts of breeding tools.
The owner was a young man in his twenties, with regular features and neatly cropped hair.
When he saw Yushu enter, he immediately rose from behind the counter, a professional sales smile on his face.
"Welcome, buddy! Looking for some Poké Balls or healing items?"
"I have Evolution stones in stock, too. Fire Stones, Water Stones, Thunder Stones-all imported from Kanto..."
"I'd like to look at the Berries."
Yushu interrupted the owner's enthusiastic sales pitch.
He wasn't interested in Evolution stones right now. What he needed more were Berries to make Pokéblocks, so he could help those Pokémon who "hadn't recovered from their workplace injuries" get back into shape.
"Berries, huh?"
The young owner led Yushu farther into the shop and pointed to several rows of Berries inside a refrigerated display.
"Right here. We have Oran Berries, Chesto Berries, Razz Berries, and Sitrus Berries. All our Berries are sourced fresh from nearby, so the quality is guaranteed."
Yushu glanced over the neatly arranged Berries. They were plump and brightly colored, and certainly looked good.
"I'll take all the varieties you just mentioned, plus some Pecha Berries and Lum Berries. Half a kilo of each."
"Oh, a big spender."
The young owner's eyes lit up.
Very few people bought Berries by weight. Most Trainers only bought a few at a time.
He quickly worked out the price. "Sitrus Berries, 600. Razz Berries, 420. Lum Berries... That comes to 2,170."
"I'll round it down to 2,100."
Yushu nodded. His gaze swept around the shop, then settled on a silver machine.
"How much is that Berry processing machine?"
The young owner followed his gaze, and his smile deepened.
"You've got a good eye, buddy. That's Devon Corporation's latest model. Fully automatic, with smart temperature control and recipe memory. Easy to use and easy to clean, too. As for the price, 22,000 League dollars."
"Oof. That's a bit expensive."
Yushu sucked in a breath.
Twenty-two thousand, plus everything he had bought earlier-the odds and ends on this trip already added up to nearly thirty thousand League dollars.
Even with the startup funds Anna had given him, he feared the money wouldn't last long at this rate.
But he really did need this machine.
Pokéblocks had an absorption efficiency over thirty percent higher than eating Berries directly, and their recipes could be customized to suit each Pokémon's needs.
For his group of Pokémon who still hadn't recovered from their workplace injuries, Pokéblocks were practically a necessity.
"Uh... could you lower the price?"
Yushu tried asking.
The young shopkeeper spread his hands.
"Buddy, it's not that I don't want to give you a discount. These are all imported from Hoenn."
"You've heard of Devon Corporation, right? It's the Hoenn Champion's family business. The quality speaks for itself. I'm only making a little for handling the legwork."
Yushu hesitated.
A Devon Corporation product meant it came from Steven's family company, so its reputation was reliable.
It was just that the price really hurt.
"Then I'll..."
"Kurokawa, are you trying to sweet-talk another youngster?"
A voice came from behind Yushu.
Yushu turned and saw a young woman standing beside him.
She wore an ivory dress, with a gentle air and a serene smile that made her feel very pleasant to be around.
The moment the young shopkeeper called Kurokawa saw her, his sales smile faltered.
"Oh, come on, Kaixin! What are you doing? I'm doing business here. Don't interrupt!"
Kaixin ignored him and looked at Yushu instead. "Young man, are you a Breeder, too? I saw you buying all those Berries and looking at the Berry machine. You're planning to make your own Pokéblocks, right?"
"Uh... no, I wouldn't call myself a Breeder. I just want to learn how to make Pokéblocks and improve my Pokémon's meals."
Yushu replied after a brief hesitation.
Kaixin's eyes brightened.
"That's a really good idea. A lot of Trainers these days just feed them a few Berries and call it a day. Very few take their Pokémon's nutrition and health this seriously. I can tell you really love your Pokémon."
Staraptor tilted his head at the entrance.
Huh? Was that so?
Yushu seemed to have just fed them Berries before, too.
Sometimes there hadn't even been any Berries...