"Village Chief, your nephew's impressive!"
" Chief, you've got to let your nephew help us out too!"
You could feel the excitement in Texi's breathing—after all, an apothecary was a big deal to them! And as a fruit farmer who cultivated Berries, he was all too aware of the immense value an apothecary could bring.
"Don't worry. I'm the village chief. Of course I'll take care of everyone."
"I'm here today to discuss just that. From now on, after the Oran Berries are harvested in our village, we'll deliver them to Aven for potion making."
Uncle Mike patted his chest as he spoke—he was warmhearted, and of course he wouldn't leave his brothers out when it came to good fortune.
"Oh, right. Besides healing potions, my nephew's also made a potion that can accelerate Berry growth." Mike then proudly introduced the fertilizer.
Upon hearing this, Texi was stunned at first, then his face lit up with joy. Clearly, he'd already realized how valuable such a potion could be!
For fruit farmers like them, winter was a difficult hurdle. This kind of special potion might just allow them to avoid that hurdle altogether. Its value might even surpass that of healing potions!
Later that day, Uncle Mike gathered all the villagers at his home to discuss the potion plans. Meanwhile, Aven, the person at the center of it all, headed to the Berry Grove with Oddish.
"Chirp! Chirp!"
Starly saw Aven from afar and flapped its wings as it flew over.
Upon spotting Oddish, its gaze hardened. Normally, it had chased off plenty of Oddish from the fields.
"Starly, if you see Oddish around the farm from now on, I hope you don't drive them away."
Starly was clearly caught off guard by Aven's request. Oddish also gave Aven a surprised glance.
"Just like Cherubi and Petilil—don't harm them." Aven added.
This time, Starly nodded. It was very grateful that Aven had protected Petilil and Cherubi before.
"Alright, Oddish, you're free now."
"You can leave if you want, or you can choose to stay here in the Berry Grove. No one will drive you out anymore."
Upon hearing this, Oddish blinked its big eyes and cautiously stepped into the grove.
Instantly, it could feel the energy within the soil. It squinted its eyes in contentment, sensing that the trees around were full of life.
In the past, it always had to sneak around the grove. But this time, it entered openly and confidently.
Smiling slightly, Aven left Oddish alone and headed back toward the farm with Petilil. After all, he was the star of this village meeting.
As for turning the village's Oran Berries into healing potions for sale, no one objected.
After some discussion, they agreed that the villagers, as the providers of the Berries, would receive 30% of the profits. The remaining 70% wasn't discussed, and the villagers didn't press further. They knew that creating healing potions required more than just Berries—other ingredients, the brewing process, and selling were all part of it. Thirty percent was already a generous share!
Even though no one yet knew exactly how much money the potions would bring in, based on what they understood of the market value, 30% was far more profitable than simply selling the raw Berries. Of course, there was some risk involved, but given the popularity of healing potions, that risk was nearly negligible.
Seeing the hopeful looks on the villagers' faces, Aven smiled. Strictly speaking, he didn't have to give them such a big share of the profits.
But money wasn't his only goal—he wanted to unite the surrounding forces and build his own network of influence. Tying everyone's interests closely together was without a doubt the most reliable way to do that.
Once the healing potion arrangements were settled, everyone's attention shifted to the even more crucial fertilizer.
This special potion that Berries could actually absorb was something they'd never even heard of. But after seeing Mike's orchard, no one had any doubts left.
"It's truly amazing," Uncle Texi still couldn't hide his excitement. With this fertilizer, the Berries could be harvested before winter arrived.
Talk of fertilizer naturally brought all eyes back to Aven.
The villagers had already made up their minds: no matter the cost, they were going to buy that special potion.
Aven smiled faintly, held up a single finger, then slowly curled it back down under their nervous gazes.
"It's free."
Those two light words made everyone freeze—and then, their eyes widened.
No one had expected Aven to give the fertilizer away for free. A wave of emotion rippled through the crowd.
"Alright, no need to be so surprised," Aven said, smiling at the aunts and uncles around him.
"Using the fertilizer to harvest before winter—that's about protecting everyone's livelihood. I'm not going to profit from that."
"Of course, that doesn't mean I get nothing in return."
"The more Berries your orchards yield, the more potions I can make. The more potions I make, the more I earn, right?"
The villagers looked at one another and smiled, nodding in agreement.
"What a thoughtful kid..." One emotional aunt was already wiping her tears in secret, deeply moved.
"Rotten fruit—that's the key to the fertilizer potion. Everyone remember this: from now on, collect any rotten Berries and bring them to us," Uncle Mike reminded them from the side.
"Apothecaries really are magical. Even rotten fruit can be turned into potion ingredients." The villagers were full of wonder.
"Oh, by the way."
"Your Berry Groves probably have Oddish appear from time to time, right?"
"If you see them, please don't chase them off. It would be best if you could bring them to me."
Taking the opportunity, Aven spoke up. He wanted to form a team of Oddish, and the more the better.
"Oddish?" One uncle asked in confusion. To them, Oddish were basically weeds, stealing nutrients from the soil—something to be driven away.
"Wait… do they have some use in potion-making?" another young farmer guessed. Considering Aven's identity as an apothecary, it didn't seem so far-fetched.
'They still think I want to make potions with Pokémon…' Aven sighed inwardly. Changing this ingrained way of thinking clearly wasn't going to be easy.
"Anyway, just please don't hurt them," he added. "I need them healthy and full of life."
Right now, the villagers were still caught up in the joy of the healing potions and fertilizer, so they didn't object to Aven's unusual request. They all agreed without hesitation.
Once everything had been settled, the villagers quickly sprang into action. They returned home and brought over their stored Oran Berries for Aven to start potion-making.
"This... might be the start of a rural cooperative, huh?"
Inside his room, Aven sorted through the Berries while recalling the first village meeting of Fruitvale Village that had just concluded.
If things kept progressing like this, it wouldn't be impossible to start an actual apothecary company one day. Aven's mind drifted at the thought—it really did sound kind of nice.
Once the cooperative stabilized, he could expand it to nearby villages too. And when that happened, it would only grow larger and larger.
(End of Chapter)