Summer mornings arrived especially early.
From the honeycomb-like hive they had built, the Combees began to wake one after another, their wings buzzing as they lifted into the sky to start another busy day of gathering nectar.
It was the height of midsummer now, and in the territory where the Combees lived, flowers of all kinds were blooming in full splendor. From time to time, one could see various Pokémon flitting and darting through the grass.
The Combees danced among the blossoms, pausing now and then upon each flower to collect the nectar on its petals, tirelessly ferrying their harvest back to the hive.
Their hive was built within a grove of white apricorn trees. A closer look revealed that some of the trees were already in bloom, the delicate blossoms swaying gently in the breeze.
The morning passed in a flurry of activity. By noon, the temperature rose rapidly, and the Combees returned to the hive, beginning the process of turning their gathered nectar into sweet, golden honey.
The Vespiquen's figure was hidden beneath the shade of an unusually tall white apricorn tree, using the thick leaves and branches to shield herself from the harsh midday sun.
"Bzzt!" "Bzzt!" "Bzzt!"
From beneath her skirt-like hive, tiny heads of baby Combees occasionally poked out.
When Combees carrying Sweet Honey came by to feed them, the young ones eagerly craned their heads outward, tasting the delicious, nourishing treat.
This Sweet Honey was rich in nutrients, enough to allow the baby Combees to grow quickly. It would not be long before they, too, matured into adult Combees.
The Combees continued their diligent labor, brewing Sweet Honey without rest and presenting it to the Vespiquen as tribute.
But in the midst of their flight, the Combees suddenly froze in midair. From somewhere in the air, they caught a faint whiff of an incredibly sweet and enticing fragrance drifting toward them.
That scent—there was extraordinarily delicious nectar somewhere nearby.
The Combees quickly judged the source and sped toward the direction from which the fragrance came.
As they flew farther, they suddenly spotted, in the depths of the distant forest, a great cluster of reddish-brown blossoms. Their eyes lit up, and they flitted toward it with excitement.
They soon reached the edge of their territory and stopped midair, circling uncertainly.
They very much wanted to keep going toward the alluring fragrance, toward the source of those reddish-brown flowers—but the Vespiquen's pheromones carried a clear command: Do not fly any farther. If they continued, they would leave the safety of their hive and their kin.
Hovering indecisively, they wavered in the air, their tiny eyes showing a conflicted struggle. Their hearts were engaged in a fierce inner battle.
'It seems that Vespiquen really has relaxed her control over the hive while she's busy raising the young,'
Aven thought to himself from the shadows of a tree in the distant forest, watching the scene unfold. Under normal circumstances, these Combees would have turned back without hesitation.
But now, they were hesitating—proof that they genuinely harbored thoughts of breaking free from her pheromone control, just like that of shiny Combee from before.
Vespiquen's pheromones were a special kind of energy that acted directly on the mind. If one could break free of that influence, the bond of control would dissolve entirely.
"Bzzzzzzzt"
While Aven pondered, one Combee suddenly darted forward toward the direction of the sweet fragrance.
Clearly, it had successfully broken free of Vespiquen's hold and chosen to follow its own desire, flying swiftly toward the reddish-brown flowers.
It landed lightly on one of the blossoms and took a deep sip of the nectar. A look of utter satisfaction crossed its face.
"Vespiquen, I'll leave this one to you,"
Aven said with a smile, patting the shiny Vespiquen beside him. By establishing a pheromone link with the Combee, Vespiquen could bring it into her own hive.
For a Combee without a hive's protection, survival was very difficult. In that sense, pheromones acted as a vital bond holding a hive together.
Before long, Aven's Vespiquen returned with the Combee in tow. The little one still looked bewildered, clearly not yet fully aware of what had happened.
But the pheromones flowing within its body constantly reminded it that the Vespiquen before it was now its queen—and it must obey her commands.
"Vespiquen, take good care of this Combee,"
Aven instructed gently.
"Although you can control them through pheromones, I hope you treat them like companions, not just subordinates. Bonds held together by pheromones alone are fragile. True feelings are what can become the spiritual link between you and your hive."
"Bzzzt~! Bzzzt!!!"
The Vespiquen froze for a moment, recalling her days in the Safari Zone. She then nodded firmly.
During her time there, what she had felt most strongly—especially from Vileplume—was the warmth of a family. And now, she wanted to give her Combees that same feeling of home.
"Good. Then I can rest easy,"
Aven said with satisfaction.
"From here on, I'll leave this place to you and Vileplume. Be careful of that other Vespiquen."
He gave a final word of caution. If he could quietly bring a certain number of Combees under their control, he preferred not to get into a direct confrontation with the rival Vespiquen at all.
Then, leading his Pokémon, he departed the area and headed toward another part of the Black Coast Forest, where the Nidoking leader was already waiting.
He planned to take this chance to let the Nidoking's tribe mingle and build rapport with the Pokémon living here. If they were willing to move into the Safari Zone under his arrangement, so much the better. But even if they refused to leave, they would still have to abide by the order he intended to establish.
He had explored this area once before, and overall, the Pokémon tribes here were far weaker than those in the northern Black Forest.
The only advanced-tier Pokémon here was Vespiquen—undisputed ruler of the region. There were a few intermediate-tier Pokémon tribes, but none especially powerful.
Back when the Marina City's knight order attacked Fruitvale Village, they had already eliminated some of the Pokémon tribes, clearing a route between the Black Coast and Fruitvale Village.
Now, after so much time had passed, the area had become home to new tribes. Aven intended to reopen that route, making it the primary road between Fruitvale Village and the Black Coast.
"Nido! Nido! Nido!"
The Nidoking leader carried a bag of Pokémon food in his arms, occasionally grabbing a handful and tossing it into his mouth with a loud crunch.
As they traveled, he stayed close behind Aven like a loyal bodyguard, radiating waves of powerful aura.
Sensing the Nidoking tribe's strength, the wild Pokémons of the Black Coast Forest quickly became wary. Some tribes, feeling threatened, abandoned their territories entirely.
Perhaps because the northern Black Forest was already the Nidokings' home turf, other tribes there had long grown accustomed to their presence and generally listened to their words.
But here in the Black Coast, the situation was different—these tribes saw the Nidokings as foreign invaders. The weaker tribes migrated, but the stronger ones began to resist, as if an early winter Pokémon tide was erupting.
"Looks like establishing a new order in the Black Coast Forest won't be easy,"
Aven sighed.
It seemed that the only way to truly bring the Black Coast Forest under control was through steady, gradual progress, integrating it into human territory bit by bit.
…
Back at Vespiquen's territory
With her attention occupied by raising young, Vespiquen's pheromonal control over the working Combees had indeed weakened.
Sweet Scent itself had a powerful allure, capable of drawing in nearby Pokémon. Under its temptation, Combees would occasionally break away from the hive and fly toward the source—Gloom and Vileplume.
At times, an entire squadron of Combees even deserted their Vespiquen's domain, heading straight for the scent.
But just as they were about to reach the source, their flight halted abruptly—an orange Vespiquen suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Bzzzzt!"
Startled by the unexpected appearance, the Combees' eyes narrowed in wariness.
Although the scent of sweet aroma had lured them away, they had not completely escaped the influence of their own queen's pheromones.
In any hive, there could only be one Vespiquen. So even when encountering a different Vespiquen, they would not obey her—instead, they would treat her as an enemy.
Now, every instinct these Combees have, told them that the shiny Vespiquen before them was an enemy. Alarm surged in their minds, and they readied themselves for battle.
And yet… faintly, they sensed something familiar from this Vespiquen—an aroma that felt like it belonged to a fellow hive member.
This familiar scent had been absent for a long time, yet here it was again.
The recognition made them hesitate. Why did this Vespiquen carry the scent of their kin? For a fellow who smelled the same, should they really attack?
"Bzzz…"
While they wavered, more Combees suddenly flew over from the reddish-brown flower field, gathering behind the shiny Vespiquen.
Over time, Aven's Vespiquen had managed to bring more than a dozen Combees under her wing. Now, sensing the scent of their companions, those Combees had all flown over to her side.
(End of Chapter)