ALL NOVEL Chapter 52 – Laborious Work – Afternoon
"You're brave, coming here alone," Kang Jihoon remarked as they placed the berries in front of Floyd.
"It's not that dangerous," Floyd responded, thinking, If they only knew he already ventured into some parts of the Kemonohaji forest alone, they might not say that.
"Chen Yu told me you were here. Are you starting now?" Kang Jihoon inquired.
"Yes, time is money, so I should get going," Floyd answered as he organized his supplies.
"Do you need any help?" Kang Jihoon offered.
"Well, if the berries aren't sorted yet, maybe you can assist with that," Floyd pondered aloud.
"You don't need to worry about that; they're already sorted by type," Kang Jihoon assured him.
"Then I should be fine on my own," Floyd decided.
"You're feeding hundreds of creatures here. Be cautious or you could get hurt," Kang Jihoon warned, glancing at the nearby Pokémon.
"I'm not overly concerned. I'm not some weakling; my beasts are strong," Floyd said confidently.
Kang Jihoon, reminded of Floyd's numerous Pokémon, felt somewhat reassured. He handed over a whistle, advising, "If you find yourself in trouble, blow this whistle."
Even though Floyd felt it was unnecessary, he accepted the whistle with a nod of thanks.
Afterward, Kang Jihoon and his team departed.
Once Kang Jihoon and his team departed, Floyd took in the array of berries like Kuo, Nutpea, Aguav, Durin, and more. While most were straightforward, they were suitable for pokeblock. He got to work.
An hour later, a sizable stockpile of pokeblocks was ready. Pokémon watched him, curious but patient.
"Everyone, gather and form a line," Floyd called out.
A palpable excitement swept through the Pokémon as they voiced their eagerness, forming a line behind him. Floyd fleetingly wished he had Kang Jihoon's assistance. Thankfully, four Blastoises and several Wartortles were present to help maintain order.
Methodically, he began distributing food.
"This is your ration from now until tomorrow morning. Make it last, okay?" he instructed the Growlithes, tying bags of food to each of their heads.
"Awrrr… Awrrr… Awrrr…" the four Growlithes responded in agreement.
"And remember, there's work tomorrow. No mischief. Comply, alright?" Floyd emphasized.
The Growlithes responded with a collective, "Awrrr." They were not troubled by the prospect of labor. In fact, they felt an obligation to give back. Gratitude filled them as they remembered Kanraku's rescue. These Growlithe were not the timorous type but another batch that had also been rescued. To simply receive food without contributing would bring them shame, especially towards Kanraku, their rescuer.
Floyd then moved on to a group of Geodude, repeating his earlier instructions and handing out their food. They nodded, understanding the arrangement.
A flurry of Butterfree approached him next. Quickly, Floyd distributed generous amounts of pokeblock to them, ensuring they got their fill.
Three laborious hours later, Floyd wrapped up. As a token of gratitude, the assisting Blastoises received extra food. Floyd packed up the remaining pokeblocks and berries.
"Hard work, wasn't it?" a voice commented and someone patted his shoulder.
Turning, Floyd saw Kanraku with Suzuki Akiko, Yamada, Nakamura, Inoue, Aizawa, Ryota, Chen Yu, Kang Jihoon, and the others.
"Eh, when did you all arrive?" Floyd asked, caught off-guard.
"About ten minutes ago. We saw you hard at work and opted not to interrupt," Kanraku shared, a nostalgic glint in his eye as he thought of his own times feeding Pokémon.
"You should've come over instead of just watching," Floyd responded.
"It feels warm watching you; it reminds me of the professor," Suzuki Akiko said with a smile.
"Sister Suzuki, good afternoon. It's great to see you're back. I'm still far behind the professor. By the way, why are you all here?" Floyd inquired.
"Didn't I told you before, we're planning to meet up here with the professor. We're going to help relocate some beasts to their habitats and explain their tasks for tomorrow. We need the professor's help this time," Chen Yu explained.
"I see. I'll make sure not to disturb you then," Floyd said as he began repacking his belongings.
"You aren't coming with us?" Kang Jihoon wondered.
"My beasts are still in training. I need to check that for now," Floyd responded with a hint of bashfulness.
"No wonder your beasts are growing so rapidly; their trainer is quite responsible," Kanraku commented approvingly.
"Trainer? What's that?" Suzuki Akiko questioned.
"It's a new term Floyd introduced. I'll explain it later. For now, we should get going," Kanraku said as they began to depart.
The other members, including Nakamura, Inoue, Ryota, Chen Xin, Xiao Yun, Go Jisung, Huu Xuan Thao, and more, waved goodbye. Floyd reciprocated with a friendly wave before hurrying to his Pokémon.
Upon arrival, Floyd noticed Horsea sparring with a female Wartortle. He quickly approached the two observing Squirtles and inquired, "What's the score?"
"Squirtle! Squirtle!"
"Squirtle! Squirtle!"
The two Squirtles presented a scoreboard: 4-3.
Impressed, Floyd remarked, "This is surprising. Horsea managed three points this time!"
He had organized these challenges specifically to hone Horsea's abilities in dodging, marksmanship, and counterattacking during close combat.
He believed that pressuring Horsea with the threat of reducing food punishment upon a loss would be an effective motivation for her. Today's score was evidence of her improvement.
Minutes later, Wartortle landed a 'Rapid Spin' on Horsea, concluding the match 5-3. Pleased, Floyd applauded in appreciation.
"Great effort today. Here are your rewards," Floyd said, handing portions of food to the Wartortle and the Squirtles.
The trio expressed their joy before departing. Floyd then addressed Horsea, "You performed wonderfully today. As a bonus, you'll get extra food."
Horsea's eyes gleamed before fatigue set in. "Hey, we're about to eat. You don't want to miss that, do you?" Floyd teased.
Revived by the promise of food, Horsea nodded eagerly. After calling Axew, Dratini, the five Goomys, and Munchlax, they began their meal. Floyd gave the Goomys a mix of steel-type berries, purposely avoiding dragon-type berries. He suspected that the dragon-type berries might be affecting the Goomys' Hisuian type, as the evolved form, Goodra, was originally a pure Dragon type.
Turning to Axew, Floyd inquired, "Any progress with learning the 'Protect' move?"
"Axew," Axew shook his head disappointedly.
"It's alright. You've just started. Give it time," Floyd reassured; he already expected it.
"Dratini, I have something to tell you" Floyd calls out.
"Eh-hew?" Dratini looked at him and asked.
Then, addressing Dratini, he revealed, "I've figured out how to cure your mother. I'm just short on a few materials."