"Phew, I can finally get a good night's sleep!"
Late at night, Rex lay sprawled on his soft bed, feeling as if his entire body was cocooned in the blankets. He had no intention of moving anytime soon.
Bagon and Chimchar, meanwhile, were curled up in the nests Rex had prepared for them. After spending some time together, the two little troublemakers had finally stopped their constant bickering and could now play together peacefully.
Still, Rex knew that both Bagon and Chimchar had a competitive streak. One was determined not to be outdone, while the other was eager to surpass its rival as soon as possible.
After spending a month underground, Rex found himself longing for the fresh air and beauty of the outside world. Only now, back in the comfort of his own home, did he feel truly relaxed.
The next day, it was nearly noon before Rex reluctantly dragged himself out of bed. He had slept soundly the entire night.
In fact, Rex had woken up earlier, but his body kept urging him to stay under the warm covers a little longer.
"Good afternoon, Chimchar. Good afternoon, Bagon!"
Rex reached out to pat the two Pokémon, who had somehow ended up in his bed.
Chimchar and Bagon were lying on either side of him, both looking sleepy and drowsy, as if they hadn't gotten much rest the previous night.
After washing up, Rex headed straight to Yuli and the others' house. His stomach was growling loudly, demanding a good meal to replenish his energy.
"Boss, I think you should go collect some Sweet Honey later," Yui suggested as she watched Rex devour his food.
Just the thought of the delicious Sweet Honey they'd tasted before made Yui's mouth water. Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to gather any themselves.
"Oh? Haven't you collected any while I was gone?" Rex asked curiously after swallowing a mouthful of food.
"We tried, but the Combee wouldn't let us into the hive. Queen Vespiquen ignored us completely," Yui said, sounding a bit dejected.
"I see. It's my fault for not explaining things to Queen Vespiquen before I left. That's why they don't recognize you. Don't worry, we'll go together later. Once Queen Vespiquen remembers your scent, the Combee won't stop you anymore," Rex explained.
For now, the only human Queen Vespiquen recognized was Rex. Anyone else who tried to enter the hive would be blocked by the Combee, and anyone who tried to force their way in would face the wrath of the entire hive.
"By the way, can you two make advanced Pokéblocks now?" Rex asked, turning to Yui and Karen.
"I can reliably make intermediate Pokéblocks, but advanced ones are still hit or miss," Yui said with a hint of frustration.
It wasn't her fault, though. Yui's foundation as a breeder was still relatively weak. Despite working hard to study Pokéblock-making over the past few weeks, it wasn't something that could be mastered overnight.
"I'm a bit behind Yui," Karen admitted proudly. "I can make basic Pokéblocks consistently now, and I occasionally manage to make intermediate ones too."
Karen had every reason to be proud of herself. Before coming to Rex's farm, she hadn't known anything about breeding. The fact that she had made this much progress in such a short time was a huge accomplishment.
"By the way, has delivering flowers to Ms. Koko's shop been going smoothly?" Rex asked after sipping some soup.
"Not a problem at all! In fact, the Gracidea flowers have been selling like crazy. I've been increasing the number of flowers I deliver each week," Karen replied cheerfully.
Delivering Gracidea flowers to Koko's shop was one of the few tasks Karen genuinely enjoyed. Even though she'd made the trip countless times, she always found it exciting and fun.
The only regret she had was that her Taillow hadn't evolved yet, so she couldn't fly there. But Karen was confident that Taillow was close to evolving, and once it did, she would finally be able to soar through the skies whenever she wanted.
After lunch, Rex took Yuli, Yui, and Karen to the Combee hive. He noticed that the number of Combee had increased since his last visit, likely due to Queen Vespiquen laying more eggs during his absence.
As Rex approached the hive, a few Combee flew out to block his path. It seemed these were newly hatched Combee that didn't recognize him.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before Queen Vespiquen sensed Rex's presence and flew out from the hive. The moment she appeared, the Combee at the entrance moved aside to let Rex pass.
"Queen Vespiquen, I'm here to collect some Sweet Honey. Is that okay?"
Rex addressed the majestic Pokémon circling him.
Queen Vespiquen nodded in approval and led Rex and the others to a pool where the Sweet Honey was stored. She gestured to indicate that Rex could take as much as he wanted.
Thanks to the hard work of the Combee, the small pool was filled with Sweet Honey, about 10 centimeters deep.
Rex used glass jars to scoop up several bottles of the honey. Even after filling the jars, the pool's level only dropped slightly.
The amount Rex collected would be enough to last them a long time. He didn't plan to take all of the Sweet Honey at once, as the hive needed it to feed the growing Combee population.
Although the hive had expanded, it still had a long way to go before reaching its full potential. Queen Vespiquen needed to continue nurturing more larvae, which required a large supply of Sweet Honey.
Rex then introduced Yuli, Yui, and Karen to Queen Vespiquen, explaining that they would occasionally come to collect Sweet Honey.
Queen Vespiquen didn't object. She nodded in acknowledgment and flew around the three women, as if memorizing their scents.
"All right, Queen Vespiquen has remembered your scent. From now on, you shouldn't have any trouble collecting Sweet Honey," Rex assured them after the introductions were complete.
Meanwhile, Chimchar and Bagon were staring intently at the jars of Sweet Honey in Rex's hands, their eyes sparkling. Drool even dripped from their mouths.
"Okay, okay, once we get back, I'll give you some Sweet Honey. Stop acting like you've never seen food before," Rex said, shaking his head at their antics.
Hearing their trainer's promise, Chimchar and Bagon finally settled down, though they continued to glance eagerly at the jars, barely able to contain their excitement.
Sweet Honey was incredibly beneficial for young Pokémon, so Rex planned to use most of it to help Chimchar and Bagon grow stronger. Other Pokémon would only get small amounts as a treat.
Of course, Rex also planned to use Sweet Honey as a reward to motivate his Pokémon to train harder.
(End of Chapter)