Following her gaze, Larry turned toward the wall where the old painting hung. Last time he saw it, he hadn't thought much of it, just assumed it was some random plant painted as decoration.
But now, he realized it was a detailed depiction of the very same vanilla he held in his hand, The resemblance was striking, probably 80% accurate. "Yes. This is the vanilla from legend, the one said to cure all diseases," Larry confirmed, nodding.
"This is what Larry brought for you, Grandma," Menchi chimed in gently from his side.
Larry stepped forward and carefully placed the small, glowing herb on Linne's desk. It wasn't just a gesture, it was a gift with no strings attached. He made it clear with his actions: she was free to use it however she wanted.
Linne didn't reach for it right away. Even though she had dreamed of obtaining it for years, she held herself back. Her heart was pounding, but she controlled it, choosing instead to look at Larry with a complicated expression.
"Do you understand just how rare this is?" she asked, her voice lower now, trembling slightly.
For decades, even with all her influence and power, she hadn't been able to obtain even a sliver of this miraculous herb. And now, Larry had brought her one as if it were nothing. In truth, she couldn't even begin to estimate its value.
"I know," Larry said with a soft smile, "but I have more. Plenty more."
He wasn't bluffing. He had found a total of eight of these herbs, and the one he offered her now was the smallest, about half the size of the others. He didn't mind parting with it.
To him, this wasn't just generosity. It was also a test. He wanted to see if the vanilla could truly live up to its name. Could it really cure someone afflicted by one of the Dark Continent's afflictions?
There's no such thing as an "ordinary illness" from the Dark Continent. Everything that comes from that place is twisted and extreme.
Of the five great calamities, one of them is a disease, Zobae Disease, a nightmarish illness that breaks people mentally and physically, robbing them of hope and turning them into empty, inhuman shells.
Even if their bodies no longer needed food or water, the infected could no longer be called "human", they were monsters. Larry wondered, 'could this vanilla cure Zobae Disease?'
Linne didn't answer right away. She fell silent, her dim eyes fixed on the herb in front of her. Larry and Menchi waited patiently, smiling gently, without the slightest hint of regret or hesitation.
After a long pause, Linne finally responded in a quiet voice, "...Thank you." She slowly closed her eyes, and the weight of years pressed down on her heart. She recalled the agony of living with her illness, the pain that refused to fade, no matter how strong her will was.
Back then, when she'd made a pact with Netero, she had accepted her fate. She had chosen to go out with dignity. But pain had a way of eroding even the firmest resolve.
Now, at the very edge of her life, hope appeared again, right in front of her. 'Thank you, Larry.' Gratitude overflowed in her chest. With trembling fingers, she reached for the vanilla, plucked a single glowing leaf, and placed it gently into her mouth.
The effect was immediate. The moment the vanilla touched her tongue, it dissolved into a warm current, sliding down her throat and spreading through her body.
It was more than just medicine, it was like spring of life itself was pouring into her bones. The thick aura of death that had clung to her like a curse was starting to fade, replaced by a growing sense of life. Light was pouring in, driving out the shadows.
Linne felt like she was standing in a sunlit field, surrounded by blooming flowers and birdsong. Her body, once unbearably heavy and filled with pain, was becoming lighter with every breath. A wave of peace, warmth, and renewal surged inside her.
Larry and Menchi could both feel the change from across the room. The overwhelming sense of decay that had surrounded Linne like a black cloud was fading, replaced by a flickering but growing vitality.
Her skin, once pale and almost lifeless, was slowly regaining color. It was subtle at first, but undeniable. She looked more… alive.
Although Linne's condition was still far from his prime, it was a clear improvement compared to when she'd been on the brink of death. After suffering for so many years, and with her body already worn down by age, just being able to live like this was already a blessing.
"Is it completely cured?" Seeing the changes in Linne, Larry couldn't help but wonder.
Half a vanilla leaf had been enough to eliminate the illness that had plagued Linne for years. That alone proved how effective it was. And if it worked on a disease from the Dark Continent… then its potential was even greater.
That also meant if he ever got infected with something nasty out there, vanilla could save his life too.
Though now that he thought about it, wasn't it possible his Pokémon could also help with those kinds of illnesses?
Take Happiny for example. Healing was basically her entire skillset. Larry felt like it was worth testing whether Happiny could counteract the effects of diseases from the Dark Continent. Given her abilities, she might just be able to do it.
"Larry, thank you. Truly. If it weren't for your help… I don't think I ever would've recovered. I thought I'd carry that sickness to the grave," Linne said quietly, lowering her gaze with a sigh.
She could speak normally now. The sickness that used to weigh down her words, gone. Her voice was clearer than it had been in years.
"I promise you, from now on, if you ever need me, cooking, anything, I'll come running."
It wasn't an exaggeration. To Linne, this was a life-saving debt. And the only way she felt she could repay him was through her cooking, the thing she prided herself on most.
Linne's culinary skills were without a doubt the best on the Six Continents. No one else could even come close.
And now, she'd basically become Larry's personal chef. That made two of the top chefs on the planet working for him.
The first was Menchi, his woman. Though she was young, her cooking had already reached its peak, second only to Linne.
The second was Linne herself, the culinary idol of every gourmet hunter alive and the master of Gourmet Paradise. If anyone could stand at the summit of the culinary world, it was her.
After a few more words, Larry and Menchi left to give Linne some time to process the changes in her body.
Once they were gone, Linne sat quietly for a moment, then reached for her phone. She called Chairman Netero.