"Phew!"
Standing by the window and gazing into the distance, Hayato Sora stretched his body.
His nose twitched as he caught a surprisingly pleasant aroma—the sweet fragrance of many Berries mixed together in the air.
The smell made his stomach rumble immediately.
It was far too tempting.
Looking toward the direction the scent came from, he saw the ranch's only remaining crop.
After three months of growth, the Berry orchard had finally matured. Even from afar, one could see plump, round Berries hidden among the leaves and branches.
Hayato Sora changed into a set of blue work clothes and brushed his slightly long hair back.
Then he picked up Smoliv from the windowsill and headed downstairs.
The other Pokémon had already run outside.
They were patrolling around the orchard to prevent wild Pokémon from sneaking in to steal the fruit.
Hayato Sora didn't rush over immediately.
After calming the restless Smoliv in his arms, he turned on the TV to check the morning weather forecast.
"According to monitoring by the Kalos Meteorological Station, the weather across Kalos today will shift from sunny to cloudy. Over the next two days, a heavy rainstorm centered around Shalour City and Coumarine City will affect the western region. Residents are advised to take precautionary measures.
For details, please refer to the cloud coverage diagram…"
A massive dark rain cloud was drifting in from the ocean.
It would soon cover the sky above Shalour City.
According to the forecast, the rainfall would continue spreading until it reached Lumiose City in central Kalos.
"Two days of heavy rain…" Hayato Sora muttered.
"Looks like I can't go with the Noibat to the tournament today."
If the Berries weren't harvested before the rain, a single storm could ruin them all.
That would be a huge loss.
Turning off the TV, Hayato Sora placed Smoliv on his shoulder and headed toward the orchard.
Kangaskhan, Cyclizar, Flabébé, Cinccino, and every Pokémon on the ranch were already gathered there.
When they saw Hayato Sora approaching, they surrounded him.
Cinccino jumped into his arms and held up a blue Berry.
"Li-li~"
"For me? Thank you, Cinccino."
Hayato Sora rubbed its fluffy fur and accepted the Oran Berry, taking a bite.
Sweet juice burst across his tongue.
The Oran Berry was perfectly ripe.
"Flu-flu~"
Smoliv bumped Hayato Sora lightly with its tiny body.
It wanted to eat too.
"Li~"
Cinccino smiled sweetly and picked up Smoliv, running straight into the orchard.
"Alright everyone, get ready—we're going to harvest the Berries."
Hayato Sora clapped his hands as he looked around at the Pokémon.
"A heavy rainstorm is coming tomorrow and the day after. We only have one day to finish harvesting."
Hearing this, Kangaskhan and the others immediately became motivated.
Each of them patted their chests, assuring Hayato Sora that they could finish harvesting everything.
Before assigning tasks, Hayato Sora called the three Noibat over.
They had grown too big to stand on his arm anymore and instead hung upside down from tree branches while looking at him curiously.
Hayato Sora took out three number tags from his pocket and gently stuck them onto their smooth foreheads.
These were their Baby Cup registration numbers.
"Vee?"
The Noibat tilted their heads in confusion.
Hayato Sora patted them apologetically.
"Sorry, little Noibat. I can't accompany you to the Baby Cup today."
"Vee-vee…"
The Noibat were briefly disappointed.
But they quickly cheered themselves up.
They needed to be strong.
They couldn't keep causing trouble for Hayato Sora.
Even without him, they could still win the championship.
And when they returned victorious, Hayato Sora would definitely be surprised.
The three Noibat leaned against him and rubbed their heads against his body.
"Vee-vee!"
(It's okay, Hayato Sora! We can complete the competition on our own!)
"Are you sure?"
Hayato Sora was still worried.
"Maybe we shouldn't participate after all."
The Noibat shook their heads vigorously.
They insisted they could handle it themselves.
There was no need for Hayato Sora to worry—they were very, very strong.
Seeing their determination, Hayato Sora finally stopped persuading them.
"Be careful on the road. Once the competition ends, come straight back. Don't argue with other people or Pokémon."
After repeated reminders from Hayato Sora, the three Noibat excitedly flew high into the sky.
It was their first time leaving the ranch alone, and they were thrilled.
Watching them disappear into the distance, Hayato Sora still felt uneasy.
So he called Cyclizar over and whispered something in its ear.
"Grao~"
(Mission accepted!)
For the sake of earning one little red flower, Cyclizar absolutely wouldn't let anything happen to the Noibat.
It immediately set off across the ground toward Shalour City, arriving ahead of the Noibat and secretly watching over them to prevent accidents.
Back at the ranch, the harvesting work began.
The Mareep lay on the ground, using their fluffy wool to catch the Berries thrown down by Cinccino and the Meowth.
The Berries bounced off their wool and rolled onto the ground.
Hayato Sora picked them up and tossed them into bamboo baskets strapped to the backs of the Mudsdale.
The harvesting process went smoothly.
Every Berry within reach was picked clean.
Basket after basket soon piled up outside the orchard.
"Meow?"
(The ones up high—we can't reach them.)
One of the Meowth stood on tiptoe, trying hard to reach the Berries at the top of the branches.
Unfortunately, it nearly fell out of the tree instead.
The Galarian Meowth responded.
"Meow~"
(This won't work. We're too short.)
Suddenly, the Alolan Meowth slapped its paw against its forehead.
It had an idea.
Jumping down from the tree, it dashed back into the house.
Opening the refrigerator, it took out its remaining dorayaki(Sweet Red Bean Pancake - Doraemon reference).
After stuffing the snack into its Spatial Satchel, the bag suddenly began to bulge.
A moment later—
Three wooden Take-Copters popped out.
"Meow!"
(If we fly, we can harvest the Berries at the top!)
After distributing the Take-Copters to the other two Meowth, the three cats soon appeared flying among the branches of the orchard.
They picked the freshest and crispest Berries from the highest branches before returning to the ground with baskets full of fruit.
The sight instantly drew the admiration of the other Pokémon.
The Meowth could fly!
That was amazing!!!
With the help of the mysterious item: Take-Copter, the Pokémon quickly finished harvesting every Berry in the orchard.
Outside the orchard, Hayato Sora and Kangaskhan sorted the Berries by quality.
60% — Normal Quality
30% — Silver Star Quality
10% — Gold Star Quality
Overall, it was a great harvest.
Berries were highly nutritious and sold for several times the price of ordinary fruit.
If all of them were sold, Hayato Sora would earn at least seventy to eighty thousand Poké Dollars.
And the Gold Star Berries sold for over 1.5 times the price of normal ones.
Seventy or eighty thousand was actually a conservative estimate.
Seeing the Pokémon leaving the orchard, Hayato Sora looked up and asked,
"Did you finish harvesting everything?"
"Meow!"
A familiar cry came from the sky.
The three Meowth were flying in the air, each holding a large cloth sack filled with Berries.
But Hayato Sora's attention was completely focused on the items spinning above their heads.
A mysterious tool he knew all too well.
At this moment—
Who couldn't fly now?
Answer me.
Look into my eyes—tell me why.
After finishing the harvesting, sorting, and packing of all the Berries, the work was finally done.
But Hayato Sora couldn't help worrying about the Noibat.
Had they found the tournament venue?
Had they been bullied by other Pokémon?
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789