Chapter 395:
"Of course it's true! With so many berry trees, would I lie to a little Pokémon like you?"
Seeing Skwovet's delighted expression, Hayashi Kaede confirmed he had overthought it.
Two berries were actually quite a lot.
"Come on, let me see how many Oran Berries you've hidden in your mouth."
Hayashi Kaede tapped its mouth. This time, the Skwovet obediently spat out the Oran Berries.
Then, using its paws, it carefully counted them one by one, ending up with a total of five.
"Then you'll need to help me pick the berries from two trees to earn these and take them home. Come on, I'll show you how."
Hayashi Kaede picked up the Oran Berries, wrapped them in a small plastic bag, and placed it where the Skwovet could see it. Then, carrying it, he walked towards the berry grove.
Teaching a Pokémon to pick berries wasn't difficult. The main thing was to have them place the picked berries onto a cloth strip and then bundle it up. Later, the little sister Indeedee would come to collect them.
The Skwovet quickly got the hang of it.
Hmm, if possible, this work couldn't be done by just one little Skwovet. He should call a few more Pokémon...
Meanwhile, on the opposite riverbank.
...
The group of Pokémon were still waiting around the large tree by the river.
But their expressions were now tinged with worry.
"Meowth..." (It's over, it's over. Skwovet definitely isn't coming back.)
Meowth looked at the lush berry orchard across the way and couldn't help but sigh.
It had been so long, and not only had Skwovet not returned, but they had also just seen a Pidgeot fly down towards the spot where Skwovet had entered.
"Lechonk..."
Lechonk below also shook its head.
Although it loved eating too, compared to food, it felt personal safety was more important.
As for Ponyta, its gaze had become somewhat sorrowful.
It had promised to go meet Skwovet when it returned, but now, the other couldn't even make it back across this small river.
This wasn't the script they had envisioned.
No!
It had to go bring it back!
Ponyta snorted, its hooves pawing at the green grass, making a scraping sound.
It decided then: it had to go check, even if Skwovet had already been eaten!
Holding onto this thought, Ponyta stepped directly into the water!
Ignoring Lechonk's surprised expression and Meowth's urgent calls from behind, it resolutely moved forward.
But it quickly discovered that just as it stepped into the water, a small figure emerged from the water on the opposite bank, swimming across.
It was Skwovet!?
Ponyta saw it!
Its eyes lit up, and it swam faster. Once it reached Skwovet, it lifted the rodent onto its back and quickly carried it back to the riverbank.
"Meowth? Meowth!" (You actually came back!?)
Meowth jumped down from the tree, staring in shock at Skwovet.
What shocked it even more was that Skwovet not only returned but came back with a mouthful of berries!
This was unbelievable to Meowth!
"Lechonk?"
Lechonk under the tree was equally incredulous. It sniffed with its snout, smelling the berries Skwovet had brought back from over there.
Each one looked plump and fresh, clearly juicy—exactly the kind it liked best.
"Skwovet~"
And Skwovet, upon seeing its companions' astonished expressions, immediately puffed up with pride. "Skwovet~" (I told you I could get the berries!)
It wasn't in a hurry. It spat out the five Oran Berries from its mouth. Then, looking at Ponyta, it pushed one Oran Berry towards Ponyta. "Skwovet~".
It was offering the berry to Ponyta.
Skwovet remembered that Ponyta had jumped into the water to come get it.
"Ponyta?"
Ponyta took a bite of the Oran Berry, and its eyes instantly lit up. Then, it took a big bite, eating the entire berry and chewing happily.
This was definitely the freshest, sweetest, and most tender berry it had ever eaten.
Even the spring grass wasn't this fresh and sweet!
The clear, fragrant juice dripped down its mouth, making Skwovet, Lechonk, and Meowth, who were watching, drool.
Especially Lechonk and Meowth; they stared at Ponyta without blinking.
Even Skwovet felt conflicted.
It thought, *I worked so hard to get these five Oran Berries. Giving one to Ponyta already made my heart ache.*
*Now if I eat another one, I'll only have three left, which hurts even more.*
But watching Ponyta eat so enjoyably, and thinking that it could earn more tomorrow, it decided to splurge a little today!
Thinking this, it ate one too.
Sure enough, as the fresh, sweet flavor spread in its mouth, Skwovet's eyes also squinted with pleasure. For a moment, it felt all the hard work from earlier was completely worth it.
The taste of enjoying its reward after working seemed to make the already sweet Oran Berry even sweeter!
"Meowth..."
"Lechonk..."
Finally, the expressions on the two other Pokémon's faces prompted Lechonk and Meowth to press for answers.
"Meowth, Meowth~?" (How did you pick them? I saw that big bird fly down!)
"Lechonk!"
Lechonk was equally anxious.
"Skwovet~"
After finishing one Oran Berry, Skwovet carefully stuffed the remaining three back into its mouth.
Then, with an air of importance, it said, "Skwovet!!!"
Meaning, *Don't ask too many questions.*
But this didn't satisfy Meowth and Lechonk.
They pressed even more urgently. "Meowth? Meowth!"
At this point, Skwovet put on a "what can I do with you" expression and said, "Skwovet~" (Then come with me tomorrow! I'll take you in to pick the delicious berries!)
The two Pokémon looked at each other. Seeing that Skwovet clearly wasn't willing to tell the truth, they had to let it go for now.
And Skwovet, its eyes shining with shrewdness, had a plan.
It remembered what the human had told it.
"You can come again tomorrow if you get tired."
"And also, you can recommend this to your friends... or other Pokémon you know. Tell them they can get berries here by picking them. For every suitable Pokémon you bring, I'll give you two extra Oran Berries. How about that?"
Thinking of this, it quickly scrambled up the tree, planning to hide its Oran Berries and then go find suitable Pokémon!
This was, after all, the reward Hayashi Kaede gave it for its courage.
While other Pokémon didn't dare approach because of the Pidgeot in the sky, this Skwovet did.
It showed that this Skwovet was either very shrewd or simply very brave.