Pokémon: Starting with a Pokémon Ranch.

Chapter 185 Expanding the Orchard, The Insect Festival

"Besides that, once you get to Hoenn, remember not to stray too far from Daigo."

"I've already asked Steven to take pictures of you during your journey and send them to me. He'll then pass the photos to the trainers who are about to leave Hoenn, and from there they'll reach me. That way, I can check on your progress regularly."

"If you go too far away from Daigo, I won't be able to see you anymore."

Su Yu gave his final instructions.

"Alright, I've said my piece. Feel free to do whatever you want, whether you want to play or pack your things."

Upon hearing this, Squirtle got up and went back to the house to start packing his things.

It didn't have much stuff; a single bundle would suffice. Su Yu, however, was wondering if he should make some energy cubes for them to carry.

……

The next day.

As Su Yu entered the kitchen, he saw Tian Zhuzhu sitting on the stove. Upon seeing her, Su Yu greeted her.

Good morning, Sweet Bamboo?

"Zhuzhu~!"

Upon hearing this, Tian Zhuzhu jumped off the stove and ran to Su Yu's side.

"Are you living directly in the kitchen?" Su Yu asked in confusion, and Tian Zhuzhu nodded in response.

"Okay... your preference for choosing locations is a bit strange."

As he spoke, Su Yu went to the stove and started making breakfast for the Pokémon in the ranch.

After feeding all the Pokémon in the backyard with Energy Cubes, Su Yu thought that it seemed necessary to expand the orchard.

Whether it's to make it easier for butterflies and honeybees to collect nectar, to increase the yield of tree fruits, or to expand the living space for the caterpillars...

Fortunately, there was still a lot of open space on the hillside where the orchard was located, which provided ample room for expansion.

Thinking of this, Su Yu called over Caterpillar and they went to Linsen Ranch together.

Upon seeing Su Yu, the rancher's face broke into a broad smile again. He rubbed his hands together and said with a forced smile:

"Rancher Su, you're here again?"

"What kind of fruit tree seedlings are you planning to buy this time? The same as last time?"

When a big client comes, shouldn't we be happy?

Upon hearing this, Su Yu glanced at the nursery and replied:

"No, I came this time because a group of caterpillars and butterfly larvae have come to my ranch. I wanted to ask if you have any fruit trees suitable for them?"

"Ideally, it should be a habitat suitable for them, as well as a place for honey collection."

"I see..." the rancher on the other side replied after thinking for a moment.

"For Bug-type Pokémon, the Prune Berry is naturally the most suitable. This type of berry tree is excellent for collecting nectar, producing a high amount of honey. In addition, Bug-type Pokémon also love to eat the berries it produces."

"Let's go with this kind. We won't use any other fruit trees this time," Su Yu nodded and said.

"By the way, besides that, do you have any trees here specifically for growing to feed the caterpillars?"

Su Yu thought, since there are trees like mulberry trees that are specifically planted to grow leaves for silkworms to eat, there should be similar trees for caterpillars, right?

As expected, upon hearing Su Yu's request, the rancher on the other side replied:

"Yes, please wait here while I go and get the saplings of that tree for you to see."

……

Carrying a batch of saplings of flat cherry trees, as well as another type of unidentified tree, Su Yu returned to the ranch.

After summoning the Screw Mole and the Armored Rhinoceros, he was preparing to plant the saplings.

However, just then, several cheers of green caterpillars came from the orchard not far away. Hearing this, Su Yu walked over curiously.

The giant butterflies in the swarm were now flying out of their nest and soaring through the sky. On the ground, the green caterpillar larvae were gathered together, gazing up at the giant butterflies in the sky.

"Is this... the Insect Festival that Ke Rui mentioned before?"

Seeing this, Su Yu muttered to himself.

Not long ago, it should have been time for the Caterpie Clan to hold their annual Insect Festival. However, due to the death of the ancient tree, the Caterpie Clan did not hold it.

However, to Su Yu's surprise, after moving to a new place, the Caterpie Clan held a festival again, giving the impression that they had survived a calamity and that their clan had been revived.

"Fuyiyi~"

At this moment, the Butterfly Clan Chief also noticed Su Yu's arrival. It flew over and invited Su Yu to join their clan's festival.

"Me? I can too?" Su Yu asked doubtfully. However, among the flying butterflies, Su Yu seemed to see Alcremie and the others as well.

Since that's the case, Su Yu followed along.

Up close, the swarm of butterflies dancing in the sky became even more spectacular. They fluttered up and down incessantly, and as they flew, streaks of white light emanated from their bodies, landing on the green caterpillars below.

After being bathed in the light, many of the green caterpillars immediately emitted a white glow. As the white light gradually dissipated, armored pupae appeared on the ground.

"Congratulations! It seems that many new Butterflies will be born this year."

Every insect that evolves into an armored pupa is practically guaranteed to reach its final form. Therefore, Su Yu addressed the clan leader.

Upon hearing this, the chieftain danced around joyfully. For the caterpillar colony, this was indeed a long-awaited piece of good news after a cataclysmic event.

After looking at the shovel in Su Yu's hand, the clan chief asked in confusion:

"Eee-ee~?"

"Me? I just happened to be planting fruit trees over there. After all, this orchard seems a bit too small for your kind."

"So, I'm planning to expand it," Su Yu replied.

Upon hearing this, the Butterfly Clan Chief immediately expressed its gratitude to Su Yu. Then, it instructed its clansmen to bring over something unknown.

Su Yu didn't hear what the clan chief said next. He looked curiously at the giant butterflies. He saw that after returning to the depths of the orchard, they actually brought back a large ball of silk thread.

This ball of silk thread, as big as a small car, was formed by countless threads twisting together.

At this moment, the chieftain of the Ba Da Die clan also explained:

"Fuyiyi~"

These are all silk threads spun by the green caterpillars in our tribe.

Although it may not be of much value, it's still a small token of our appreciation.

"Uh... are all of these for me?"

"Fuyi~" The clan chief nodded.

In response, Su Yu quickly waved his hand and said:

"Ah...no, no, I can't accept these threads."

So many threads... how many caterpillars would it take to spin silk together to form this?

Su Yu didn't even dare to imagine how much effort the caterpillars in the orchard had put in to gather these threads. Perhaps in the end, they would end up like the original caterpillars, with "not a single drop left."

This thing... the cost behind it is enormous. Receiving this kind of thing, Su Yu felt that he received not surprise, but shock.

"Fuyi..." What's wrong? Don't you like it?

Upon hearing this, Chief Ba Dadie asked cautiously, seemingly sensing that Su Yu was angry.

Su Yu then explained:

"That's partly true, but besides that, it's also because this stuff is too expensive. Those green caterpillars are at the stage of rapid growth; how can you force them to spin silk?"

"It's best not to do this kind of thing again; it's very harmful to the cubs' bodies."

"Fu Yi Yi..."

Chief Butterfly scratched his head upon hearing this. Actually, spinning silk occasionally shouldn't be a big burden for the caterpillars, right?

However, since Su Yu said so, it will try not to do that in the future.

"Fuyiyi~"

However, these insect threads still need to be given to Su Yu. After all, they're of little use to them.

Upon hearing this, Su Yu said helplessly:

"I'll help you sell these insect silks. I'll keep the Alliance Coins for you. If your tribe needs to buy anything, you can come to me."

"Even if they need to spin silk in the future, don't let the caterpillars spin so much. Moderation is key. Too much silk is really bad for their health."

The clan chief nodded in agreement, indicating that he understood.

Try out the new illustration feature, I wonder how it will look.

(End of this chapter)