Chapter 261:
"Yeah, when did Aogiri Town get such a wide road? This is really nice." Uncle Genmu looked around in surprise as he stepped out of the ride-share car.
The last time he'd been here was several years ago. Back then, this road was barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass.
Besides, Aogiri Town wasn't a transportation hub—it bordered the Wilderness Area, so few people ever came through.
But this visit was different. To his astonishment, there were plenty of people coming and going—it was even a bit crowded.
"Still the same familiar place..." he murmured, glancing at the dedicated parking area at the town entrance, his surprise growing even deeper.
It seemed Aogiri Town had undergone quite a few changes.
Walking along the bluestone path into town, Uncle Genmu saw a few familiar faces, exchanged greetings, and continued inward.
Along the way, people steadily made their way through the town's main trail.
But they were all strangers.
Most were young boys and girls, their faces full of excitement as they chatted animatedly.
"Hey, I heard another one of Mr. Hayashi's Pidgeot evolved! Now there are only three left. Now chances of facing a Pidgeot are getting higher and higher."
"Can't be helped. We can't expect them to never evolve, right?"
"How do Mr. Hayashi's Pidgetto evolve so fast? Even though the challenge doesn't feel much harder, my Beautifly gets nervous every time it sees a Pidgeot."
"But that's good in a way—it helps build courage."
"So far, only two people have cleared the second stage. I can't even imagine how hard the final stage Mr. Hayashi mentioned must be."
"But the rewards are amazing... That Energy Cube—I've bought it twice. After my Pokémon ate it both times, their accuracy and evasion improved a lot. Now they can finally pass the first stage."
"In my opinion, the final stage must be that huge Pidgeot. Seriously, I can't even imagine how it got that big."
"I heard yesterday—"
A group of young Trainers passed by Uncle Genmu, their conversation fading into the distance.
Their words left him confused.
'Stages?'
He hadn't been keeping up with recent news, and it felt like the world had moved on without him.
Shaking his head, Uncle Genmu continued deeper into town until a lush berry orchard came into view.
He paused, looked ahead to confirm his destination, and stood there, slightly dazed.
Even though it was already early winter, the area around the orchard was still full of Pecha Berries.
Both ripe and unripe fruit still hung from the branches.
It was a peculiar sight.
Once early winter arrived and the temperature dropped, most berry trees would stop producing fruit and enter dormancy until spring.
Yet here, behind this little house, so many unripe Pecha Berries were still growing. It was hard to imagine how many had been harvested in summer and autumn.
"If I remember correctly... Kaede only took over this plantation about half a year ago?"
Looking at the thriving orchard, Uncle Genmu stood outside for a long moment, stunned.
Driven by curiosity, he finally stepped into the breeding house.
"Indeedee~" (Welcome~) The Indeedee brother greeted him with a serious look.
Uncle Genmu blinked in surprise.
They have an Indeedee working here? How professional...
He began to survey the interior of the breeding house.
Alcremie sat in decorative bowls on glass display counters.
Inside the counters were cakes of all sizes, neatly arranged.
The prices ranged from modest to high-end, and there was even a custom birthday cake service.
On the counters along both sides, rows of Energy Cubes were displayed—some costing a few hundred, others a thousand or two, and some even priced over ten thousand.
That didn't particularly shock Uncle Genmu.
After all, Kaede's father had been an excellent Breeder; it was only natural that his son had inherited those skills.
Producing a few top-tier Energy Cubes was well within expectations.
But when his gaze landed on a bottle of Moomoo Milk priced at nearly five figures, he froze.
How much?!
He stepped closer and stared incredulously at the price tag beneath the Moomoo Milk.
He looked again—no decimal point.
Unable to help himself, he turned to the Indeedee and asked, "Is this Moomoo Milk really that expensive?"
"Huh~"
The Indeedee gestured to the Rotom hovering nearby.
Rotom quickly floated down and joined Indeedee in explanation.
"Rotom~ Rotom~"
"Rotom~ This grade of Moomoo Milk is produced by Miltank close to Elite Four level. It's certified milk with specialized qualification certificates."
As it spoke, Rotom projected the certificate verified by a high-level Breeder.
Of course, that high-level Breeder was none other than Hayashi Kaede himself.
"Huh?" Uncle Genmu blinked at the certificate on Rotom's screen.
If the quality was truly that high, then for infant Pokémon, the price was justified.
But...
Didn't he know where this Moomoo Milk came from?
Wasn't it produced by the three Miltank he'd sold to Kaede?
Back then, those Miltank had only just started producing milk. How could a few months of raising them result in milk that surpassed even his own best stock?
He found it hard to believe.
The Indeedee brother noticed his doubt and used Psychic to bring over a trial-sized bottle of Moomoo Milk.
He poured a small cup and handed it to the guest.
"Huh~"
"Rotom~ You can release your Pokémon too. We offer free tastings~"
Moomoo Milk wasn't easy to preserve.
Even refrigerated, it only lasted about ten days.
The Miltank's production, however, was steady.
When there was more than they could drink or sell, Kaede refused to let it go to waste.
Without lowering the price, he offered free samples to visiting Trainers and their Pokémon.
He also gave bottles as consolation prizes to those who failed the Sky Challenge multiple times.
Occasionally, he used the excess milk to make dairy products, ensuring that not a drop was wasted.
Still, once the provincial delivery service began, this situation would surely change—more people would be ordering Moomoo Milk.
And the Pidgeot would be perfect for delivering such valuable goods.
Taking the cup from Indeedee, Uncle Genmu raised it to his lips.
The fresh, fragrant aroma of the milk immediately caught his attention.
After one sip, his eyes widened.
The quality... it really was better than the milk from his own Miltank—by more than just a little!
He set the cup down and said firmly, "Please find Hayashi Kaede for me. Tell him I'm here to see the Miltank."