"So many?"
Shufen's face was full of surprise the moment she saw the photo.
The picture had been taken by Rotom while flying in the sky. The grazing pasture behind the barn was just too large only an aerial view could capture it all.
The same went for the stone paths lined with flowers on both sides.
"Ahem..." Lin Feng gave a light cough.
He had to admit… he might've gone a bit overboard with the planting.
Back when he was sowing, he hadn't thought much he'd just kept planting in rows until the space was filled.
Now that everything was in full bloom, the results were a little... overwhelming.
"Hoo... You've grown enough flowers to raise an entire hive of Combee. But I'm not selling you that many. The most I'll allow is five."
Lin Feng's eyes lit up. "Great, I'll take five!"
When it came to honey-producing Pokémon, the more the merrier!
Besides, Combee were incredibly self-sufficient. They gathered pollen and made honey on their own, feeding themselves in the process.
Their "Queen" didn't have to lift a finger.
All they needed was some honey stocked up for rainy days and winter.
"Alright then."
Shufen didn't say much more. She turned and led him toward a nearby wooden cabin.
The wooden boxes outside were just temporary rest spots for the Combee the real hive was inside.
The cabin was filled with triangular racks, and atop each one sat little wooden pods, shaped like bird nests.
These were the Combee's actual homes.
Lin Feng made a mental note of the structure, planning to build something similar in his own barn later.
As they stopped in front of one room, Shufen gestured for him to wait. She went in alone, and after five or six minutes, returned with five Poké Balls in hand.
Handing them to Lin Feng one by one, she said gently, "These five little ones are the newest Combee from the hive. Once they settle into their new home, they'll start making honey for you. So wait until you get home before letting them out, alright?"
"Got it."
Lin Feng stared curiously at the five Poké Balls in his hand. His eagerness to see them was momentarily calmed by her reminder.
Still, he used his Verdant Force to sense the lives within.
Once he felt the warm, gentle life energy inside each ball, he smiled in satisfaction.
Another new species added to his farm.
But he didn't forget to ask, "How much do they cost?"
Shufen replied, "Male Combee are cheap only 6,000 yuan each. Five of them will be 30,000."
Lin Feng nodded and had Rotom transfer the money immediately.
It was a fair price. A well-cared-for Combee, provided with flowers, was basically a never-ending source of honey.
"Oh, and do you need a hive? I have a few spare ones here."
Shufen pointed at the "bird nest" hives resting on a triangular rack nearby.
Lin Feng's eyes sparkled. "Yes, definitely!"
"Then I'll give you one as a gift."
She smiled and led him into another room.
Inside, the entire place was filled with bee hives.
With her permission, Lin Feng picked out the largest one and stored it in his capsule ball.
"All right, kid. The exhibition match this afternoon will be held at the town square. If you need a place to rest before then, there's a guest inn at the base of the mountain."
"Mhm."
But Lin Feng barely registered her advice he was already thinking of something else.
He thanked her quickly and had Gardevoir teleport him straight back to his little homestead.
No way he was going to stay in Wineberry Town for another two hours.
That was more than enough time to get home, set up the hive, and meet his new Combee.
Inside the barn.
"Moo?"
The Miltank froze in surprise when Lin Feng suddenly appeared. Then, all of them rushed toward him, mooing excitedly.
"Moo-moo~" ("The dumplings… they're all gone!")
"Moo-moo…" ("We finished them. All of them.")
"You girls...?"
Lin Feng blinked.
He clearly remembered preparing enough grass dumplings to last the whole day before he left.
But it was only noon, and they were already gone.
One look at their bulging bellies told the whole story. Each Miltank looked stuffed clearly, they'd devoured their afternoon meal ahead of schedule.
Lin Feng shook his head with a helpless smile. "I leave you alone for one day, and you pig out like this?"
"Moo…"
One of the Miltank rubbed up against him, eyes sparkling with longing.
She clearly wanted more.
"Well… you'll have to wait. Let me finish setting up first, and then I'll feed you."
Honestly, it wasn't a bad thing that the Miltank were eating more. The energy they absorbed would turn into fresh MooMoo Milk.
If he kept milking them regularly, the quality would improve too.
"Oh right once our new friends start producing honey, I'll give you a change in flavor."
He grinned.
Honey-flavored milk, coming soon.
"Moo?"
"Moo-moo~!"
The three Miltank perked up instantly, eyes shining.
"Moo-moo!" ("Yes, please!")
They began daydreaming about delicious treats.
Shaking his head in amusement, Lin Feng ignored them for now. He walked to the spot between the garden and the barn, placed two wooden planks over the fence, and set the hive on top.
Then, he took out the five Poké Balls.
One by one, he released the Combee.
Bzzzz...
Bzzzz...
At first, the newly released Combee buzzed around in confusion.
Then they spotted Lin Feng standing in front of them.
He tried to soften his smile and pointed beyond the barn. "See that? That's where you'll be gathering nectar from now on."
He pulled open the wind curtain to let them out.
The curious Combee followed.
But when they saw what lay outside, their tiny eyes widened in awe.
Bzzzz?
BZZZZ!!
So many…
So many flowers!
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
Love the story? Show your support and unlock early access to new chapters by joining me on Patreon! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.