"Huh?"
Charles Chen blinked in surprise. Judging by the neat handwriting on the envelope, he had assumed the owner of the Sweetgrape Orchard would be a serious, no-nonsense type.
He didn't expect her to be this easygoing.
Madam Susan, sensing his confusion, chuckled. "These flowers of yours are vibrant and fragrant. Just by the look and the scent, anyone can tell they're of top quality. No need to overanalyze."
"Mhm, thank you!"
Since he passed the inspection, Charles didn't ask any further questions and avoided creating unnecessary trouble for himself.
His eyes then fell on the barrels of wine. One was already open, releasing a rich, mellow aroma that was hard to resist.
Curious, he asked, "How much do the sweetgrapes cost?"
He wanted to try brewing some of this wine himself.
"Sweetgrapes? This time of year, wholesale is thirteen credits per pound. The wine goes for fifty-one per pound," she answered.
Charles didn't waste words. Seeing that the stall had about a hundred pounds of sweetgrapes, he bought the entire stock on the spot.
Sweetgrapes were a fruit similar to grapes, just slightly larger. They were a favorite snack among Pokémon who enjoyed sweet and tangy flavors.
Madam Susan raised an eyebrow. "Kid, buying this many sweetgrapes are you planning to brew wine? Why not just buy the wine directly?"
Charles coughed. "Well, I just want to try making it myself."
No way was he going to admit he wasn't impressed with the wine she made.
Susan smiled. "If it's the sweetgrapes you're after, we haven't even finished harvesting. If you really do manage to make wine you're proud of, you might want to join the challenge later. If you win, you get a third of the sweetgrape harvest for yourself."
She glanced at the Gardevoir beside Charles. "With her around, you might actually have a shot."
Charles's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly. "Sounds good!"
Not wanting to interrupt Susan as she greeted other orchard owners, Charles wandered off and found an open spot to set up his own little stall. He laid out a cloth and began unpacking the plants and food he brought along.
Since he had been preparing for a while, his inventory was decent.
Aside from some basic energy cubes, he had brought plenty of Sweetchute fruit juice, rice wine, and berry salads.
His main goal was to see if he could spread the name of Neighbor's Breeding House a little farther.
Noticing that other stall owners had their Pokémon helping to attract attention, Charles decided to summon some of his as well.
He called out Sweetchute and Serperior.
Sweetchute would show off the fruit juice source.
As for Serperior...
Charles leaned toward her and said, "Use Grassy Terrain. Let's decorate the area a bit."
"Shoo shoo~?"
Serperior coiled around the stall, her long, elegant body outlining a triangular area. All around her, lush green grass sprouted, wrapping the space in a soft, natural carpet.
After evolving, Serperior was over five meters long. Her figure was flawless, slender where it should be and plush where it mattered. The scales on her back were a deeper green, while her belly was a bright emerald color accented with yellow markings.
Her lips were gently pressed together, and her sharp eyes surveyed the scene below, exuding an air of regal pride.
Charles plopped himself right down on the grassy carpet. Still feeling it wasn't comfy enough, he gestured for Serperior to come a bit closer. Then he pulled Vulpix and Sweetchute into his arms and leaned against her belly.
He had to admit
Evolved Serperior was way softer than her pre-evolution, Snivy. Lying against her was no different from relaxing in a plush chair.
And her personality seemed a little different too.
Charles couldn't quite put his finger on it yet. Maybe he'd figure it out over time.
It was still early, and not many people had come up the mountain yet.
But as long as someone did, they were inevitably drawn to Charles's stall. Even if they didn't buy anything, they stopped by to take a look.
Mostly because his Pokémon were just that eye-catching.
And then there was the lush grass and serene atmosphere.
Charles didn't even have to hawk his goods like the other vendors. As soon as he sat down, his first customer appeared.
A girl in a white short-sleeve shirt and hotpants, clearly dressed for travel, approached with her Prinplup in tow. She stared in awe at Serperior and Gardevoir.
"Did you raise all these Pokémon yourself?" she asked.
Charles sat up straighter. "Of course."
She looked conflicted. The Pokémon were intimidatingly graceful, and the energy cubes weren't cheap either. Eventually, her eyes landed on the icy Vulpix and Sweetchute in his arms.
"If I buy your energy cubes, can I pet Vulpix and Sweetchute?" she asked shyly.
"Sweet sweet?"
"Ying ying..."
They came for us?
Sweetchute shrank into Charles's arms, clearly a bit hesitant. Vulpix, however, tilted her head at the girl, pointed to the energy cubes on the table, and blinked with sparkling eyes.
..+.(ゝω･)☆
The meaning was obvious:
Buy one, and you can pet.
Charles chuckled awkwardly. "Uh... as you can see."
The girl's eyes lit up at Vulpix's response. "So cute…"
She paid immediately, grabbed an energy cube without even looking at it, tossed it to her Prinplup, and reached toward Vulpix. Vulpix jumped lightly into her hands.
"Aww... so soft…"
Prinplup, meanwhile, looked on in disbelief. His trainer had never shown him that kind of affection. A pang of envy struck him.
He tugged at her shorts, but she didn't even flinch. With no other choice, he unwrapped the cube and took a bite.
"Prin...plup?"
As soon as he swallowed it, his eyes sparkled. He looked from his trainer to the stall, then started chirping excitedly.
"What is it, Prinplup?" the girl asked, turning around.
Vulpix took the opportunity to leap out of her arms and back into Charles's lap.
"Prin prin... plup!" (More... I want more!)
"More?" She frowned. The cubes weren't cheap.
But they did seem to be working wonders...
"Ying ying~"
Vulpix winked at her and gently patted her thigh with a paw, her icy-blue eyes full of mischief.
"Hmm..." The girl clearly hesitated.
"Ying ying?" (Really not gonna buy more? One more purchase and you can cuddle again~)
Vulpix went in for the kill, rubbing her silky fur against the girl's leg.
The girl caved instantly and bought five more packs.
As she finally left, she sighed at Charles, "Ugh... I'll be eating dirt for the rest of the month."
Charles just smiled.
If eating dirt for a month meant boosting her Prinplup's special attack stats, then it was definitely worth it.
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