Bertha's villa definitely had to be built, so Luther had to figure out a way to resolve things with Whimsicott.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt like an urban planner trying to convince stubborn residents to accept demolition and relocation.
Jumpluff and Espurr had come along with Luther today, so Mai had packed a few of their favorite Pokémon treats as snacks. The moment Jumpluff saw Luther pull out the bag with her name on it, she tilted her head back and began to drool.
Seeing that Luther didn't set it down, she assumed he was about to feed her and dutifully opened her mouth wide.
Instead, Luther just reached over and patted her on the head.
"Be good. I'll have Mai make you plenty more when we get back."
Then, to build a little goodwill, Luther set Jumpluff's snacks down right in front of Whimsicott.
Mai's food was clearly a hit with Grass-types. With just a whiff of temptation, the wild Pokémon gathered behind Whimsicott were already staring at the treat with sparkling eyes.
Whimsicott was still hesitating over whether to eat when she noticed Jumpluff floating upward, trembling with rage.
Jumpluff desperately wanted to kick Luther in the face, but Espurr gave her a firm shake of the head. It was clear that the moment Jumpluff tried anything, Espurr would shut it down.
Seeing Jumpluff's reaction, Whimsicott decisively split the snacks among the Pokémon around her, took a portion for herself, and started chewing loudly right in front of Jumpluff.
Eating someone's food right in front of them when they couldn't do a thing about it? Revenge tasted sweet.
"I'm just borrowing it for now," Luther said. "Mai made plenty, so you'll get more when we get back."
Jumpluff shot Luther a glare.
'You already gave it away, and now you're calling it borrowing?'
It wasn't as if she could just float over there and snatch it back now anyway.
Once Whimsicott and the others finished eating and the tension settled, Luther quickly moved to clear up the misunderstanding. He had no intention of doing what Jumpluff suggested and chopping down every tree, nor did he plan to recklessly develop the island.
In his plans, the island would never be opened to crowds of tourists or major settlements. Only a small group of people would live here, meaning the natural environment wouldn't suffer any real damage.
That said, Bertha really loved this specific spot. Now that she was retired, she had even hinted to Luther that she wanted to live on the island permanently. It met almost all her criteria for a retirement home; all Luther needed to do was set up the basic facilities.
"Bertha is a great person," Luther explained patiently. "Even after her house is built, you can still hang out nearby. And if those Berry trees are that important to you, I'll have the workers transplant them somewhere close by."
Whimsicott looked back at the Pokémon behind her, then studied Luther's face carefully, trying to decide if he was trustworthy. At the same time, she worried about whether she could keep everyone safe while construction was underway.
Seeing her hesitate, Luther offered another option.
"How about this? If you're really worried, I know a place where all of you can stay temporarily. There's plenty of food, more than enough for everyone, and it's totally safe."
"The only downside is that there are people around, but they won't bother you for no reason."
Luther rubbed his hands together, feeling an odd surge of excitement. Right now, he truly looked like someone trying to lure away a group of kids.
Since arriving in this world, he had seen a few Shiny Pokémon, Lance's red Gyarados, Mai's pink Lopunny, and Gardenia's Shiny Breloom with the crescent marking. Compared to the Shiny Pokémon from his memories, the color variations here were far more diverse than a single fixed palette.
He had seen plenty by now, but he'd never actually caught one himself.
Part of him really wanted to order Jumpluff to charge over, beat Whimsicott up, and chuck a Poké Ball at her face. But developing the island came first right now. Since he had chosen to persuade them to relocate peacefully, he had to stick with that plan.
He couldn't just catch Whimsicott outright.
Still, nobody said he couldn't take her back to his living area first and slowly wear down her defenses...
Cherubi, Petilil, and Budew were all adorable, too. Once his estate was built, he could even hire them as little groundskeepers.
Jumpluff saw right through Luther's scheme. Noticing the hesitant look on Whimsicott's face, she muttered a quiet taunt.
"Scared of this, scared of that. What a coward."
It was such a cheap provocation that even Jumpluff felt a little embarrassed by it. After spending so much time around Luther and picking up his tricks, she had developed high standards for scheming. Using something this crude felt like a step backward. But Whimsicott was a wild Pokémon; if Jumpluff made it any more complex, Whimsicott probably wouldn't even get the point.
So simple it had to be.
Luther only caught Jumpluff muttering under her breath, having no clue what she was actually saying.
Whimsicott's ears twitched. Jumpluff had been quiet, but Whimsicott caught every word.
Whimsicott proudly puffed out her chest and motioned for the Pokémon behind her to gather around. Four Cherubi, one Petilil, two Budew, and an Oddish clustered close, listening intently while Whimsicott spoke. Every now and then, they'd sneak a wide-eyed glance at Luther before darting their eyes away.
The group exchanged glances. In the end, they all stepped up beside Whimsicott, backing her decision.
Whimsicott turned back to Luther and started gesturing animatedly.
'Their food had to be the exact same as Jumpluff's.'
'And they weren't getting a single bite less.'
'And once construction was finished, they would come right back here to live.'
That was it?
This sly little puffball was surprisingly innocent deep down.
Once they got to the camp, the leftovers dropping off Azumarill's plate alone would be enough to feed this entire group.
As for moving back later...
'If you still want to leave after staying with us,' Luther thought, 'I'll take the loss.'
The moment they returned, Luther was going to mobilize all his Pokémon for a full-court charm offensive on Whimsicott. There was no way he was letting his first Shiny slip through his fingers.
With the deal struck, Luther sent out Altaria so the smaller Pokémon could ride on her back.
But the moment Altaria emerged, Whimsicott and her group instantly scattered in all directions.
Luther and Altaria stared at each other in confusion. Altaria looked down at herself, utterly bewildered, and tilted her head.
Was she really that intimidating?
They got their answer soon enough.
Espurr, who had trailed after Whimsicott, came floating back using her psychic powers to carry a huge stack of Berries. The wild Pokémon trailing behind her were loaded down with Berries, too.
They made several trips back and forth through the woods, and before long, a small mountain of Berries was piled in front of Luther.
Watching Whimsicott wave her tiny arms as she directed the effort, Luther didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
So 'that' was what she was doing.
Before moving, Whimsicott was making sure not a single Berry went to waste. She was moving the entire pantry.
Luther hadn't brought anywhere near enough bags for all this, so he had the wild Pokémon ride Altaria back to the camp first, promising he'd return shortly to retrieve the mountain of fruit.
Whimsicott still looked hesitant, so Luther left Espurr behind to guard the pile.
That finally put Whimsicott and her crew at ease.
(End of Chapter)
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