After gathering a small pouch of grass seeds, Lilligant called an end to it.
Instructing Flabébé and the others to hand the grass seeds over to Ange, Lilligant said, "Keep these safe for me first."
Ange took the grass seeds and replied, "Sure! But what are they actually used for?"
Walking forward without looking back, Lilligant said, "I already told you that you'll find out when the time comes. Why ask so many questions?"
"Alright then!" Ange hurried to keep up with it.
As they walked, Ange and the others inadvertently arrived at the spot where they had fought the mysterious Pokémon last night.
In the herb field, an elderly woman was carrying a bamboo basket on her back, tidying up the herbs that had been trampled by the mysterious Pokémon and affected by the battle the night before.
Seeing the elderly woman's trembling figure, Ange quickly walked down into the field to help.
"Granny, let me help you out!"
The elderly woman raised her head in surprise, looking at Ange with a puzzled expression in her cloudy eyes. It took her a moment to recognize Ange's identity.
"Young man, are you the trainer Andrew invited back?"
Ange nodded and said, "That's right!"
Seeing that Ange had already started helping, the elderly woman hurriedly said, "Thank you, young man, but I can manage this little bit of work myself. Don't get your hands dirty."
Ange smiled and said, "It's no problem at all. Don't let my appearance fool you, I actually do farm work at home."
"Is that so?" The elderly woman looked surprised. Seeing that Ange was tall and sturdily built, she stopped refusing. "Then I'll have to trouble you!"
"No trouble at all, no trouble at all!" With that, Ange bent down and squatted, mimicking the elderly woman's movements as he gathered the damaged herbs into the bamboo basket.
Working away, Ange asked curiously, "Granny, why don't I see any young people in our village? I noticed that the ones working in the fields are all elderly folk."
The elderly woman smiled and said, "The young people have all gone to the big cities to make their way. They don't have the patience to tend crops in the fields. Besides, as you can see, our village isn't far from Lumiose City."
Hearing this, Ange nodded in sudden realization.
The town closest to Herb Village was Shalour City. Traveling west from Shalour City by vehicle took only an hour or two to reach Lumiose City, the central metropolis of the Kalos region.
Fortunately, modern agriculture was mechanized, and much of the work did not require manual labor, meaning the fields were well-kept even with only elderly residents in the village.
Besides, Pokémon were around to help, too.
After working for a while, Ange straightened up and looked at Lilligant standing on the ridge of the field. "How about you guys come down and help out too?"
Lili~ lili~ Why should I do work for humans?
Lilligant turned its head away with a look of disdain.
Ange smiled and said, "Oh, come on, don't be like that. Just think of it as stretching your muscles."
Though it claimed it was unwilling, Lilligant still led Flabébé and the others into the field to help out.
The elderly woman laughed and said, "Young man, you and your Pokémon get along quite well!"
Hearing this, Lilligant immediately said with dissatisfaction, "Who is his Pokémon?! In your dreams!"
Unfortunately, the elderly woman could not understand what it was saying.
Ange gave an awkward laugh and said, "Where on earth did you see that we get along? We're practically arguing!"
The elderly woman let out a chuckle. "If you didn't get along, how could you argue?"
Ange: Fine, you have a point.
Over an hour later, the field was tidied up. Carrying the bamboo basket on his back, Ange helped the elderly woman carry her things back home.
The elderly woman lived alone in the village. Her husband had passed away early, and after raising her daughter by herself, the daughter went to work, married, and settled down in a big city, only returning to visit her occasionally.
Upon arriving at the elderly woman's home, a Golduck walked out from the courtyard.
Golduck, the Duck Pokémon, Water type, and the evolved form of Psyduck. It was extremely proficient at swimming, and even professional swimmers found it hard to win against them.
Seeing the elderly woman, Golduck hurried forward to greet her.
The elderly woman smiled warmly and said to Golduck, "Thanks to this young man, I was able to get back so quickly!"
Hearing this, Golduck looked gratefully at Ange and took the bamboo basket from his hands.
The elderly woman invited Ange, "Young man, if you don't mind, come inside and sit for a bit."
Ange replied, "It would be my absolute honor!"
He was here to purchase Power Herbs and White Herbs, and having an opportunity to build a good relationship with the villagers was naturally something he welcomed eagerly.
Following the elderly woman and Golduck into the courtyard, Ange noticed that the small yard was kept neat and orderly.
In the center of the courtyard stood a table and chairs for resting, with cups and a teapot placed on top.
Next to the table and chairs was a small flower garden. Although it only contained a handful of plant species, every single one of them was vibrant and full of life.
In the southwestern corner of the courtyard grew a Pecha Tree. Its branches and leaves were neatly trimmed, and tiny fruits were already hidden among its canopy.
In the southeastern corner was a water well, where a Chikorita was resting flat on top of the well cover, its bright green skin illuminated by the warm sunlight.
The fragrance emanating from the leaf on Chikorita's head attracted a Butterfree, which fluttered gently near the well and rested.
The scales on its wings shimmered brightly under the sunlight.
"Young man, please take a seat!" The elderly woman invited Ange to sit in the courtyard. Seeing Ange looking around curiously, she smiled and said, "Thanks to Golduck taking care of things, this home can look presentable. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how I'd manage living alone."
While she felt regretful that she couldn't live with her daughter, Golduck's companionship kept her from feeling lonely.
Koba~ koba~ Golduck scratched its head with an embarrassed look.
It had actually been sent to the elderly woman by her daughter, specifically assigned to take care of her daily life.
Ange sat down in a chair to chat casually with the elderly woman, while Golduck hung the herbs they had just brought back onto a rack in the courtyard to dry.
Through intentional and casual questioning, Ange finally learned from the elderly woman why Herb Village was so xenophobic, and finally understood why the village chief's expression had suddenly changed when he previously mentioned buying herbs.
Now that he knew the reason, things became simple.
Seeing that it was getting late, Ange bade farewell to the elderly woman.
Just as he reached the courtyard gate, he suddenly saw Golduck walking in carrying a bundle of plants that had roots resembling garlic.
"These are... lilies?" Ange asked in surprise.
Lilies were a food ingredient as well as a traditional herbal medicine, possessing properties to nourish yin, moisten the lungs, clear the heart, and calm the spirit. They were entirely different from ornamental lilies.
The elderly woman walked over and said, "That's right, I planted some since I had some free time."
Thinking of the promise he made to Lilligant, Ange asked, "Granny, would you be willing to sell me some lilies?"
The elderly woman smilingly took the lilies from Golduck's hands and shoved them straight into Ange's arms. "I'm giving them to you, why would you need to buy them?"
Ange quickly said, "That won't do, you grew these through all your hard work."
The elderly woman smiled. "Just take them! I grew quite a few and couldn't possibly finish them all. Helping me consume some is doing me a huge favor. If you really want to help me, just catch those troublemaking Pokémon in the village!"
Ange hesitated for a moment before saying, "Then I won't be polite. I'll certainly do my best regarding the Pokémon!"
The elderly woman patted Ange's arm affectionately.
With that, Ange walked toward Village Chief Andrew's house with a bundle of lilies on his back.
Upon returning to Andrew's courtyard, he saw Granny Julian sitting in the yard prepping vegetables.
Seeing the lilies on Ange's back, Julian asked in surprise, "These lilies are..."
Ange replied, "I helped Granny Lani with a small favor, and she gave them to me."
"So they're from Lani!" Julian realized in sudden understanding. "She's the only one in the village who grows lilies in such quantities."
Ange set the lilies aside, sat down, and helped Julian prep the vegetables. "At lunch, I'll whip up something special using these lilies for everyone."
With a face full of anticipation, Julian said, "It looks like I'm in for a treat."
Ange modestly replied, "I'll still need to trouble you for plenty of guidance regarding cooking."
Julian laughed heartily and said, "We call this mutual learning!"
"Right, mutual learning!" Ange nodded.
Once all the vegetables were prepped, Ange and Julian entered the kitchen together, and soon thin wisps of smoke began rising from the chimney on the roof.
Ange and Julian cooked the meal, Aegislash and Gardevoir helped with the prep work, and Gallade was in charge of stoking the fire.
When Andrew and Aya returned, they heard cheerful and relaxed conversation drifting from the kitchen.
Andrew smiled at Aya and said, "It looks like your grandmother is in a great mood today."
Inside the kitchen, under Julian's instruction, Ange learned how to incorporate the various unique herbs of the Pokémon world into dishes, finding it immensely beneficial.
Afterward, Ange used the lilies he obtained from Granny Lani to prepare several dishes.
First were two stir-fried dishes: stir-fried celery with lilies, and stir-fried shrimp with lilies.
Next was a cold dish: shredded kelp with lilies in a cold dressing.
Finally came a pot of soup: double-boiled chicken soup with lilies.
As time passed, a rich aroma wafted out from the kitchen.
The intermingling aromas caused Andrew and Aya, who were currently outside, to drool profusely.
Seeing Ange's skilled cooking movements, Julian asked in surprise, "Ange, do you carry ingredients and seasonings with you even when you travel?"
Ange replied, "Yeah, when you're out and about, who knows when you might run into a situation where you can't find a proper meal? Bringing your own ingredients means you can cook fresh whenever you want to eat."
Julian gave a thumbs-up and praised, "As expected of a professional chef!"
Ange humbly responded, "You're amazing too. When it comes to using herbs, I'm still far behind you!"
"Hahaha~~" Julian burst into laughter. "Well, I've tended to herbs my whole life, so naturally, I understand them a bit better than others."
Once the dishes were finished, Ange set aside a separate portion of the lily dishes and packed them into a food box.
Julian asked with a puzzled look, "What are you doing?"
Ange smiled and replied, "The lilies were a gift from Granny Lani, so I'm sending some over for her to taste."
Julian paused for a moment at those words, then looked at him with warm, affectionate eyes. "What a good child!"
Ange originally intended to deliver the food box to Granny Lani's house himself, but Julian said, "Leave this to me!"
With that, she walked up to the window and called out outside.
"Nini!"
Fuwa~~ A Drifloon drifted slowly into the house.
Nini was the Drifloon's name and also Julian's capable helper.
Julian took the food box from Ange's hands and handed it to the Drifloon. "Nini, can you deliver this to Lani's house, please?"
Fuwa~ fuwa~ The Drifloon nodded happily, carried the food box, and drifted out the window, disappearing from Ange and Julian's sight shortly after.
"Alright, let's go eat!" Julian said.
Ange and Julian then brought the dishes out to the table.
Looking at the unfamiliar dishes on the table, Andrew twitched his nose vigorously and asked, "Did Ange make all of these?"
Julian replied, "That's right, isn't he capable?"
Swallowing his saliva, Andrew gave Ange a thumbs-up. "Awesome! Truly awesome!"
Ange smiled and said, "Everyone, hurry up and taste how it is!"
"Then I won't stand on ceremony!" Andrew began to taste the food eagerly.
Meanwhile, at another table, Lilligant along with Flabébé and the others were also having their meal.
Flabébé and the others closed their eyes blissfully as they ate.
No matter how many times they ate Ange's cooking, it remained just as delicious.
Lilligant used a spoon to scoop up a piece of shrimp and put it in its mouth. The tender, smooth shrimp meat accompanied by the delicate fragrance of lilies instantly conquered its taste buds.
Delicious!
No matter how much it disliked humans, it could not deny Ange's culinary skills.
Lilligant glanced sideways at Ange, who was talking with Andrew's family. Just at that moment, Ange looked over and winked at it, his eyes seeming to speak.
Beautiful Lilligant, are you satisfied with my cooking?
Ange's soft murmur seemed to echo in Lilligant's ears.
Hmph!
Lilligant proudly turned its head away and stopped looking at him.
After lunch, Ange did not go out again. Instead, he stayed at Andrew's house to help Julian dry the freshly harvested herbs.
Julian seemed to be very fond of Ange and taught him a great deal of knowledge regarding herbs, which proved immensely helpful.
After dinner, Ange and Lilligant's group were sitting in the courtyard enjoying the breeze when Aaron suddenly came running over in a rush.
"Grandpa Andrew, Mr. Ange, they... they're here again!"
The sky had just grown dark, and those troublemaking Pokémon seemed to have arrived even earlier than usual today.
Andrew leaped up from his chair in a flash, his face filled with anger. "Let's go take a look. I refuse to believe an old man like me can't deal with them!"
With that, he strode quickly out of the yard with brisk steps that looked nothing like those of an elderly man.
Ange said to Lilligant and the others, "Let's hurry over and check it out too!"
Lilligant nodded and followed Ange as he chased after Andrew.
Soon, Ange and the others reached their destination. Today, the mysterious Pokémon were wreaking havoc on a different herb field.
This patch of herbs grew exceptionally lush, preventing them from seeing the Pokémon hidden within. They could only hear the commotion caused by the Pokémon rapidly darting through the herb thickets.
Ange activated his Aura Perception and was surprised to discover that the Pokémon coming to cause trouble today numbered only 3, unlike the 4 from yesterday.