Uncle Mike's Farm.
Aven was currently using berries to concoct a healing potion.
He skillfully crushed an Oran Berry and added it to a test tube, then dripped in three drops of juice from the berry's leaves along with other auxiliary ingredients…
The liquid in the test tube began to undergo a mysterious reaction, releasing a faint, pleasant fragrance into the air.
Uncle Mike and Aunt Erin, standing nearby, exchanged glances. At this moment, they finally let go of all doubt.
But even so, it was hard for them to believe — their nephew was truly a apothecary!
"Well, that's just how it happened," Aven said.
"I accidentally came across an apothecary's notebook, and I managed to teach myself potion-making from it."
"I had originally planned to wait for the right time to tell you, but everything happened so suddenly that I didn't really have time to think it through."
Aven was spinning a story, but at this point, it didn't really matter whether they believed him or not — the fact was, he was now a apothecary!
In the end, his aunt and uncle had no choice but to accept his explanation. The evidence was right in front of them — their nephew really could make potions!
"Haha! My nephew really is something!" Uncle Mike quickly came around.
Aven let out a breath of relief and followed up by saying, "Uncle Mike, this is the healing potion. You can try it and see how it works."
Mike took the potion, hesitated for a moment, then opened the bottle and drank it down in one gulp.
Beside him, Aunt Erin held her breath. Even though she now believed Aven was an apothecary, could a potion made from just Oran Berries and some herbal additives really be effective?
'A bit sweet...' was Mike's first thought.
The next moment, his entire body trembled — all the fatigue he'd been feeling suddenly vanished.
With his heavy workload and the stress from having the Petilil stolen, he had been completely worn out these past two days. But now, that exhaustion had disappeared!
"This recovery effect is incredible," Mike said, clenching his fists and feeling the strength return to his limbs.
Aunt Erin watched all of this with growing surprise. Just then, Aven handed her a bottle as well.
This time, she didn't hesitate at all. She drank it, and the weariness vanished instantly.
"This is amazing! This potion can restore energy so quickly — the effects are truly impressive!"
"If we can sell this kind of potion, there will definitely be buyers — especially nobles and law enforcement officers."
"And once we start selling, we'll be able to—"
He suddenly paused mid-sentence. His eyes slowly widened.
He'd suddenly realized something — this healing potion had been made using a single Oran Berry and some auxiliary herbs. The cost… the cost…!
"An Oran Berry costs 50 copper coins, and this potion's effect is definitely no worse than a Petilil leaf," Aunt Erin reminded him.
Mike, a rough-around-the-edges farmer, did some quick mental math after his wife's prompt. The profit margin from this healing potion was easily several times the cost of the Oran Berry — almost ten times the profit.
Aven, relying on the memories in his mind, silently made an estimate.
Healing potions were basically the equivalent of future nutritional juices — a kind of supplement used for Pokémon. Their effects were even better than Mike imagined.
In this ancient world of Pokémon, the currency was measured in gold, silver, and copper coins. One gold coin equaled ten silver coins, and one silver coin equaled one hundred copper coins.
By comparison, Aven figured that one copper coin had about the same purchasing power as a single currency unit from the modern world.
By his estimate, a single bottle of healing potion could be sold for 500 copper coins — which was 5 silver coins — exactly ten times the cost of the ingredients.
…
That night, a dim oil lamp flickered in the room.
Aven sat quietly at his desk, eyes closed, motionless. He was sorting through the memories of this body's original owner.
Now that he had accepted his new identity, the first thing he needed to do was understand this world.
'First and foremost, I have to survive here.'
After a long while, Aven opened his eyes.
A thousand years ago, this world was nothing like the modern one. It was dark and savage, with strict class hierarchies, threats from wild Pokémon, and natural disasters or disease that could snuff out a fragile life at any moment.
"This isn't exactly an ideal starting point," Aven muttered with a sigh.
As a commoner, he couldn't enjoy the privileges of nobility. Fortunately, his uncle owned a farm, which at least guaranteed food and shelter.
But that wasn't enough — not for Aven. What he wanted was to live without fear or threats.
Also, now that the farm had a Petilil, that information had likely already leaked out.
This time, it had been Baron Ruize who had fallen unconscious. But what about next time? Would another baron "just happen" to fall ill and require a Petilil to make the universal cure?
Sure, he had saved Baron Ruize this time — but what about next time? Would he be able to save whoever came next? As long as they had the Petilil, the farm would always be a target.
'Power. I need power,' Aven murmured.
This starting point might not have been great, but it wasn't the worst either. The Pokémon they had on the farm were an opportunity. If he could train them properly, they could give him the strength he needed to survive.
An old Luxray who had once adventured with Uncle Mike, a Starly who guarded the farm, three Cherubi, and the Petilil — all of them had real potential.
And as a Pokémon Breeder, training Pokémon was exactly what he was best at.
But in order to raise strong Pokémon, he'd need plenty of resources — something the healing potion could help him acquire.
With that, he now had everything he needed to raise a powerful Pokémon.
History had shown that the Pokémon League had only been established thanks to a group of powerful Trainers. Strength was the foundation of everything.
…
The next day, Aven and an eager Uncle Mike went into town.
As they walked through the streets, their eyes scanned the shop signs until they stopped in front of a fruit store.
It looked ordinary — baskets of common berries lined the counters, and only a few rarer ones were visible.
"Aven, is this really the place that sells potions?" Uncle Mike asked, doubtful. It looked like an everyday fruit stand to him.
"This should be it. It's a contact point for apothecaries, according to some of my seniors."
Hearing this, Uncle Mike nodded. He was once again amazed — his nephew even knew other apothecaries? It seemed Aven had been studying this for much longer than he'd let on.
"Hello there! Looking for something specific to eat?" the shopkeeper asked as Aven and Mike stepped inside.
"I'm here to sell potions. I heard you buy them," Aven said, pulling his bag open just enough to reveal a green bottle inside.
The shopkeeper eyed him up and down. "Who sent you here?"
"I don't think that really matters, does it? As long as the potion is real."
The shopkeeper nodded slightly. This was, after all, a legitimate contact point for apothecaries. As long as the product was authentic, they could do business.
He led Aven inside. "You're in luck. An apothecary friend of mine just happens to be here."
He disappeared into the back room and soon returned with a young apothecary in tow.
"Huh? Are you Apothecary Aven?" the young man said with a note of surprise, clearly recognizing him.
Aven looked up, also surprised. Wasn't this the same young apothecary who had argued with him back at Baron Ruize's estate?
"Hello, Apothecary Link. Looks like we meet again," Aven said with a friendly smile, extending his hand.
"I'm surprised you remember me, Mr. Aven," Link replied, pleasantly caught off guard. He shook Aven's hand, and just like that, the atmosphere between them eased.
The shopkeeper watched all this with wide eyes. Link was one of Master Apothecary Olai's most outstanding disciples, and yet he was treating Aven with this much respect?
Uncle Mike stood to the side, stunned as well. It seemed his nephew had long since made a name for himself in the world of apothecaries — and he, the uncle, had never even known.
(End of Chapter)