"?"
Hearing Gary's words, Victor paused in his actions, puzzled, and looked up at him curiously.
Shana was still focused on the rice in her bowl, only her two dark eyes peeking out as she watched Victor and Gary.
Seeing Victor's surprised expression, Gary quickly explained.
"I want to learn from you, owner, how to take care of Pokémon and how to better manage relationships with them."
This was something he had observed in Victor today, something different from others.
Not only his own Pokémon, but even wild Pokémon could coexist harmoniously in this Breeding House. That's why he wanted to stay and learn from him.
"Of course, I can pay for my stay," Gary added.
Hearing this, Victor began to think.
Learn from me? Pay?
It didn't seem like a bad idea.
"Alright. But there's one condition."
"Please, tell me."
"You can stay, but you have to help me with the work. Like taking care of the Pokémon, weeding, things like that."
Gary nodded without hesitation.
"Also," Victor added, "how much you learn is up to you."
Gary had no objections to this either and nodded again.
"Alright then."
Seeing no further issues, Victor turned to Shana. "Shana, you keep eating. I'll take him upstairs to sort out a room. After you finish, remember to go back to your room and take a shower. I'll clean up here later."
"Oka~y," Shana mumbled through a mouthful of food.
"Next time, swallow what's in your mouth before you speak, so you don't choke."
"Okay," came the clear reply.
Victor led Gary back up to the second floor.
He found an empty room, expertly put a duvet cover on the quilt, and then put a pillowcase on the pillow.
"The bathroom is in the room," he told Gary. After explaining a few other things, Victor went back downstairs and into the backyard.
He watched the wrestling matches with Shana.
Not long after, Shana went back to her room to shower, while Gary, having finished his own shower, came to Victor's side.
"By the way, you can let your Pokémon out here," Victor said.
Hearing this, Gary flicked his wrist and threw out several Poké Balls. A Blastoise, Arcanine, Electivire, Nidoqueen, and Nidoking appeared in the yard.
As expected of Gary. All powerful Pokémon, Victor thought. But he also remembered that Gary had many Pokémon, so his team composition often changed.
Victor and Gary began chatting about the Breeding House and Gary's travels.
"Why did you stop being a trainer?" Victor asked the question that interested him most.
Gary paused, then said, "My friend will become a powerful Pokémon Master. As for me, I've always been more inclined towards researching Pokémon."
"Ash?"
"Owner, you know Ash?" Gary was even more shocked. Could it be that the owner also traveled in the Kanto region?
"Champion Cynthia told me," Victor said, using Cynthia as an excuse without batting an eye. Gary probably didn't know her anyway.
"Champion Cynthia?" Gary murmured to himself.
"So, as a Pokémon Researcher, what do you most want to study?"
Hearing Victor's question, Gary took a deep breath. "Ancient Pokémon," he said. "Because I believe Pokémon ecology is diverse, I want to study ancient Pokémon to see what they were like back then and how they lived."
"Ancient Pokémon?" Victor echoed softly.
He remembered that in the anime, whenever Gary made a guest appearance as a researcher, he was always studying ancient Pokémon like Aerodactyl and Shieldon.
"So, I first want to learn from you, owner, how to better manage relationships with Pokémon."
Hearing this, Victor smiled and patted his shoulder.
"I hope you achieve everything you wish for."
Gary was a little confused, but he took Victor's words as encouragement.
"Strange? Where did Gengar go?" Victor looked around. Gengar had left with the Vespiquen right after dinner and still hadn't returned.
Just as he was about to go look for it, two crimson lights appeared in the distance.
Followed by...
"Genga—!!!"
Gengar's miserable cry reached Victor's ears.
Gary and his Blastoise tensed, ready for battle.
Victor watched as the yellow body belonging to the crimson lights gradually emerged from behind Gengar. He then glanced at the small jar in Gengar's hand.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Don't tell me it went stealing again? The thought made Victor's heart pound.
Gengar floated over to Victor's side. Seeing the smear of honey still on its mouth, Victor felt a headache coming on, accompanied by a toothache.
The Vespiquen hovered in front of Victor, staring intently first at the Gengar behind him, then at Victor himself.
"Uh..."
Looking at the menacing Vespiquen, Victor wiped the sweat from his brow and tried to organize his thoughts.
"This is all Gengar's fault! I don't know anything about it!" Victor said, quickly stepping aside.
"Gengar?! (⊙_⊙)"
Seeing the approaching Vespiquen, and Victor off to the side grinning, ready to watch the show, Gengar had a sudden idea. It dipped its hand into the small jar, scooped out some honey, and, while Victor was still grinning, stuffed it into his mouth.
Meeting the Vespiquen's murderous glare, Victor instinctively chewed.
Wow! So sweet! But not cloying!
The next second...
"GENGAR!!!"
Gengar pointed indignantly at Victor!
"Gengar!"
He ate it too!
It then wiped the honey from the corner of its own mouth with its hand and popped it into its mouth.
The Vespiquen's claws trembled uncontrollably.
Victor swallowed the honey, then scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin.
"You have to understand, this isn't my fault. Gengar forced it on me!"
"You have to believe me! I was coerced!"
Hearing Victor's words, Gengar started arguing back.
The human and the Pokémon began to bicker.
Just as the Vespiquen's claws began to glow white, making Victor and Gengar tremble, Gary's voice cut in.
"Didn't I just see the Combee collecting—"
"Ves!" The Vespiquen interrupted him sharply.
"Ooh~"
Victor looked down at the honey in Gengar's jar. The special edition.
It seemed the Vespiquen had found a way or a place to increase the production of the special honey.
He and Gengar then looked at the Vespiquen suspiciously.
The Vespiquen felt a little guilty for a moment, but then remembered that it was the one who made the honey, and became assertive again.
"Ves!"
But it lacked its earlier intensity.
Victor noticed this.
He seized the opportunity and launched a verbal attack, with Gengar providing backup.
In the end, they reached an agreement.
Regular honey: one jar every fifteen days. Special honey: one tiny jar per month.
The Vespiquen finally nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.
Watching it go, Victor knew how hard they worked to produce this honey.
He felt a pang of guilt.
"Vespiquen."
The Vespiquen turned back.
"Ves?"
"We were just kidding. We don't need the special honey."
"Gengar—" Gengar also held out the jar of special honey to return it.
The Vespiquen looked at the two of them, then tossed its head and continued flying towards the forest.
"Ves."
If I say it's yours, then it's yours. Take it and eat.
It expected them to be moved and give up their demands for more honey. Instead, it heard their conversation.
"Why are you so dumb? Next time, you have to go secretly, observe secretly, and then you can negotiate for more."
"Gengar—"
I see! I understand now!
Its claws trembled slightly, then began to glow white.
"Ves!"
An Air Cutter shot towards the sky.
It looked back. Gengar and Victor were standing there, mouths clamped shut, not daring to say another word.
Seeing this, the Vespiquen quickly flew back to its hive.
It explained the forest rules to all the Combee:
When you encounter the purple fatty, do not engage in conversation.
When you encounter the purple fatty, ignore it completely.
When you encounter the purple fatty, turn and run immediately.
Late that night, there was a knock on Gary's window. He opened it to find the Vespiquen holding a small jar.
It handed it to Gary.
"Ves!"
Shh!
Watching the Vespiquen fly away, Gary didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Have I just been... bribed?"
...
Get 10 chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"