Chapter 241: The Flower Sea and Vespiqueen
Chapter 241: The Flower Sea and Vespiqueen
Unbeknownst to both, Audino had seamlessly integrated itself into the YoYo Day Care.
After their conversation, Yuga turned his gaze towards the direction of the Sub-Ecopark's light gate.
As expected, in the place that originally had only two light gates, a new one had appeared, identical to the others.
Without hesitation, Yuga stepped into the gate, finding himself on a hillside surrounded by colorful flowers. It was no wonder they called this place the Flower Sea, given the spectacle that lay before him.
Yuga followed the hillside upward for a while until he reached its peak, where he could overlook the entire expanse of the Flower Sea.
At the summit of the hill was a serene spring, with crystal-clear water gently flowing out of it.
Yuga leaned over the edge to peer into the seemingly bottomless spring. He carefully scooped a handful of water and tasted it, finding it remarkably sweet and refreshing.
The spring water split into four streams, each flowing in a different direction, meandering and slow-moving. They perfectly complemented the floral beauty of the Flower Sea.
Although there was a diverse variety of flowers on the hillside, they were neatly arranged in concentric circles, spreading out in a sea of red, yellow, blue, white, and purple. Apart from the flowers, there was nothing else to be seen.
This area in Yuga's Ecopark was unique in that it lacked berries trees, consisting solely of blooming flowers, truly living up to its name as the Flower Sea.
Yuga took a deep breath, the delicate scent of the flowers filling his senses. Despite the abundance of blooms, their fragrance was not overwhelming; it was rather soothing, making one feel at ease.
Surveying the various flower types, Yuga realized he didn't recognize most of them. He had little knowledge about pRands, whether from his previous world or this Pokémon world, so he couldn't discern whether they were native to the Pokémon world or brought in by the system.
After some searching, Yuga finally identified a familiar flower among the multitude. This particular flower stood out because it was the only one with a circular arrangement of five different colors: red, yellow, blue, white, and orange.
This flower, prior to evolving into Florges, had been possessed by both Flabébé and Floette. It was the Fairy Flower.
Yuga speculated that other flowers might be native to the Pokémon world as well.
Satisfied with his inspection of the Sub-Ecopark, Yuga released Vespiqueen from her Poké Ball and presented her with the environment.
"This is my Ecopark. How do you find the surroundings?" Yuga asked Vespiqueen.
Fluttering her wings, Vespiqueen took to the air and surveyed the breathtaking Flower Sea below. She replied, "It's truly a beautiful place."
With that, Vespiqueen's abdomen began releasing a continuous stream of Combees.
"Combee!"
"Combee!"
"Combee!"
...
The Combees happily danced among the flowers, resuming their honey-collecting work, creating a scene of prosperity.
Seeing the Combees joyfully gathering honey, Vespiqueen couldn't help but reveal a long-unseen smile. It was the first time Yuga had witnessed such a cheerful expression on her.
Yuga smiled and said to Vespiqueen, "From now on, this place is your home. You can live here safely without any danger."
"Thank you, human," Vespiqueen sincerely expressed her gratitude.
"No need to thank me. Anyway, this place was vacant, so all I ask is that you share a bit of Sweet Honey with me," Yuga stated his requirement without pretense. He had brought Vespiqueen and her Combees here primarily for their Sweet Honey, and he saw no reason to feign generosity.
Vespiqueen didn't mind Yuga's honesty; in fact, she appreciated it. Their Sweet Honey was in abundance, and sharing it with Yuga was of little consequence. Besides, Vespiqueen had already come to regard Yuga as one of her own kind.
The Combees' food source was ordinary flower nectar, and they didn't require additional sustenance from Yuga. The Sweet Honey they produced was typically reserved for times of scarcity, such as during winter when food was scarce. Otherwise, they refrained from consuming it.
Yuga's Sub-Ecopark didn't experience seasonal changes, so their stored food supplies were unlikely to be needed. Yuga foresaw that he would accumulate an increasing quantity of Sweet Honey in the future.
Sweet Honey, much like Moomoo Milk, was highly nutritious and versatile, serving both as a culinary ingredient and a component in crafting Pokéblocks. It was indeed a valuable resource.
Yuga envisioned that, in the future, apart from Pokéblocks, the YoYo Day Care might also offer Sweet Honey as a product, which he believed would be well-received due to its rarity. In the Pokémon world, there were no professional beekeepers like in Yuga's previous world, so the Sweet Honey available in the market was primarily sourced from the wild, making it relatively scarce.
Compared to the brutish bee-like Pokémon like Beedrill, Combees were evidently more skilled at honey collection, as indicated by their ability to collect Sweet Honey. Therefore, their Sweet Honey likely possessed a superior flavor and would likely be more popular.
Imagining countless Pokédollar beckoning him in the future due to the Sweet Honey, Yuga couldn't help but let out a laugh.
Observing Yuga's ecstatic demeanor, Vespiqueen couldn't help but ask, "Human, what's gotten into you?"
Vespiqueen's voice successfully snapped Yuga out of his daydream. He instinctively wiped the corner of his mouth and replied awkwardly, "Hehe, hehe... I'm fine, I'm fine. By the way, my name is Yuga. You can call me Yuga from now on. We're family now."
Vespiqueen nodded and said, "Alright, Yuga."
"By the way, have you thought about how to rebuild your Amber City?" Yuga inquired after some thought.
"For now, we've decided against it. Currently, the number of Combees is simply too small. The difficulty of building Amber City is too great. We'll consider it later," Vespiqueen replied.
Hearing her response, Yuga said, "Alright then. If there's anything you need help with, feel free to let me know. I'll do my best to assist you."
"Understood. Thank you, Yuga."