https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-64-Capture-Thief-in-the-Moonlit-Night-4000-/12537063/
Chapter 63: A Plan to Catch Thieves
Chapter 63: A Plan to Catch Thieves
"Combee, huh?" The old man smiled. "They're also an excellent choice! Place them on the ranch, and they'll automatically collect nectar for you."
Naoki nodded, but a question lingered in his mind.
Combee, after all, was a social Pokemon.
They were born in groups of three and pledged their loyalty to a Vespiquen Queen.
Along with other Combee, they would strive to please their queen, tirelessly gathering sweet nectar for her from dawn to dusk.
However, from Naoki's observations, the Combee at Happy Ranch seemed to do just fine without a queen.
With this in mind, Naoki asked, "If I buy Combee, do I need to purchase a Vespiquen as well?"
The old man immediately understood his concern and shook his head with a smile. "Of course not. The Combee sold to customers are different from their wild counterparts. They've undergone special artificial breeding, so they can survive independently even without a queen."
"In other words," he continued, "to them, you, their caretaker and owner, are their [Queen Bee]."
Naoki: "......"
Though it sounded a bit odd, he understood.
The old man went on, "Combee live in hives, three to a group. If there's a large flower field nearby, they'll produce honey very quickly, allowing for a daily harvest."
"But conversely, if there are only a few flowers around, their honey production will drop significantly."
Naoki nodded thoughtfully. "Then I'll buy one group for now."
Initially, he had planned to save up for expanding the house and improving his living conditions.
But now, it seemed like it would take some time to accumulate 2 million Pokedollars. Instead, he decided to focus on building the necessary infrastructure on the ranch first.
Things like the Combee hive, a Pokemon cottage for Miltank, and a pen for Wooloo.
"Alright," the old man said with a smile. "I'll ask Komachi to deliver the Combee and feed to you later."
Komachi was the old man's granddaughter, the girl who had brought Naoki the chickens. She worked as a delivery girl here.
Naoki nodded and, after paying, left for the ranch.
After taking his medicine with hot water and waiting for about ten minutes, the freckled, round-faced girl, Komachi, arrived at the ranch.
She greeted Naoki politely. "Good day, Mr. Naoki!"
Naoki nodded to her. "Hello, Komachi."
He helped her unload the chicken feed into the silo and then turned his attention to the hive in the cart.
The hive resembled a square wooden house with a triangular roof, supported by four pillars. There was a square entrance at the front.
Peering inside, Naoki saw three Combee huddled together, curiously observing their new surroundings.
They were indeed cute, like winged blocks of honey.
Moreover, these three seemed to be males, as Naoki couldn't spot the red dot on their faces, a distinctive feature of female Combee.
"So, where would you like to place this hive, Mr. Naoki?" Komachi asked.
Naoki pointed to the grassy clearing next to the wooden house. "Over there, please!"
It was a convenient spot, close to the house and facing the flower field, making honey collection easier.
The Combee could sense the kindness emanating from this human, and their fear diminished.
Seeing this, Naoki went back into the house and brought out some tree fruit and snacks to feed them, hoping to build a better relationship.
However, the Combee merely drew closer to sniff at the offerings before retreating without eating.
"Hmm? You don't want the tree fruit?" Naoki was a bit surprised, as he believed that tree fruit was universally liked by all Pokemon.
"I forgot to ask Komachi about this earlier."
After some thought, Naoki returned to the house and retrieved the Ranch Encyclopedia that Mayor Thomas had given him. He eventually found the information he needed in the section on "Pokemon Husbandry."
"Combee, a very unique Pokemon. Most of the time, they don't require artificial feeding as they will search for pollen and nectar on their own."
"However, during rainy days and winter, Combee usually won't venture out of their hive. If the rainy season persists, beekeepers can supplement their energy and nutrition by feeding them syrup."
"But it's important to note that before winter arrives, beekeepers must leave some honey in the hive for the Combee. They will rely on this honey to get through the season when flowers are scarce."
"Syrup, huh?" Naoki mentally noted this information and decided to buy some the next time he went to town to learn how to make Pokeblocks.
Due to his fever, he couldn't go to the dessert shop today, so he would have to postpone his plans until tomorrow.
At that moment, the Combee began to leave the hive, venturing out to explore their new surroundings.
The flower field next to the ranch had just been planted and had not yet bloomed, but there were other flowers on the ranch.
It was spring, and the grass was dotted with wildflowers, attracting butterflies. Previously, Budew often ran over to play with the butterflies.
The Combee, guided by their scent, located these wildflowers. They hovered above, flapping their translucent wings gently as they collected the pollen and nectar.
They ate some of it and stored the rest in the hive to make honey.
The other two Combee followed suit.
Watching them work diligently even on their first day at the ranch, Naoki couldn't help but think, "They're so hardworking!"
He needed to step up his efforts as well.
Naoki thought about the intruder who had broken into the chicken coop, and a series of capture plans formed in his mind. He then found Butterfree on the ranch.
"Butterfree, can you use Stun Spore or Sleep Powder yet?" Naoki asked.
"Buu~" Butterfree nodded enthusiastically, and it could also use the more powerful Electric Net!
"Excellent. I have a task for you then."
Naoki shared his plan with Butterfree and then headed to the chicken coop, where he crafted a simple mechanism using tools from the ranch.
The setup was such that any intrusion through the door of the chicken coop would create a sound, alerting Butterfree to the target's presence, allowing it to use Sleep Powder on the intruder.
Everything was in place, and now they just needed to wait for the thief to take the bait.
(End of Chapter)
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