Chapter 86:
August — the fields were already turning a golden orange; every grain on the stalks looked plump and promising.
Two Spearow circled above the fields.
Below, Mayor Hanyu Yū of Aogiri Town — accompanied by an Arcanine — rubbed his temples. Those Spearow knew they couldn't take on an Arcanine, but because they could fly and the forest lay right behind them, they kept hovering nearby and refused to leave.
This couldn't go on. The Arcanine wasn't a town Pokémon — Hanyu had borrowed it from the Aogiri City Pokémon Center. It had its own duties; it couldn't just sit in Aogiri Town all through harvest season.
He sighed. "They bother us every year. If only we could settle this for good…"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the two Spearow suddenly panicked, as if a predator appeared, and fled toward the forest. At the same time a thunderous cry split the air.
"Pidgeot!"
Hanyu looked up. A massive Pidgeot was charging toward them, and a human silhouette could be seen riding its back. When it came closer he realized who it was and his face lit with surprise. "That's… the Pidgeotto from the breeding house? It evolved into Pidgeot?"
The Pidgeot descended slowly. Hayashi Kaede leapt off its back, glanced at the Arcanine, then nodded politely to the man in a sweaty undershirt. "Mayor Hanyu."
Hanyu had been a spirited Trainer in his youth, once turning heads across the region with his Pokémon in League matches. As the years passed and his Butterfree and Blaziken (or Primeape — the ones he raised) died of old age, he sent his surviving Pokémon back to their natural homes and returned to Aogiri Town to retire. Though his competitive fire had cooled, his eye for Pokémon remained sharp. Seeing the fully grown Pidgeot, he couldn't hide his admiration.
"What a big Pidgeot. Your breeding skills aren't worse than your father's back then." he said.
Kaede deflected the compliment with a shy smile. "Nah… I haven't seen my father's Pokémon much either."
It was true — aside from that one Scyther Kaede remembered, he'd never really met his parents' other Pokémon. As a kid he'd wondered how his father's Scyther could be so strong while being seemingly the only Pokémon his father had; his father never gave a straight answer, so he dropped the question.
Hanyu shook his head. "You're modest. But your Pidgetto evolving to Pidgeot — no wonder the Spearow won't come near." He glanced at his Arcanine. "Alright, now that those Spearow are gone, you can head back."
The Arcanine stared at the big bird for a beat, then nodded and trotted off toward the town on its own.
"Wait a sec." Kaede called it back.
The Arcanine stopped and looked at him, puzzled. Kaede produced some energy blocks he usually fed Torchic and held them out. "Here — you earned this. Eat up before you go."
The Arcanine blinked, looked to Mayor Hanyu for confirmation, and when Hanyu nodded it happily gobbled the treat. Hanyu couldn't help but smile at the scene.
"That Arcanine is a pup from a dog I caught when I was young. Later I gave it to a clever boy who became a law enforcer; now I hear the mate's pregnant. If you want a good guard dog, when the pups are born I can help you get one." Hanyu offered.
Kaede's face lit up. "Really? That would be amazing."
Han — sorry, Hanyu — nodded. "Alright." He looked at Pidgeot once more, seeming to recall his own glory days. After the Arcanine finished the energy block, Hanyu led it away out of town.
Kaede stayed a moment and scanned the fields. Then he nodded to Pidgeot: "Keep watch here for a while. If any Spearow come back, scare them off. If they get frightened a few times and the word spreads, they won't dare return."
"Pidgeot!" the bird agreed, then, not finding any perch nearby, it spread its wings and flew to a tall tree at the forest's edge, eyes sharp as it scanned the woods.
Kaede felt satisfied, then remembered why he'd come out: to buy some grain. The mayor was already gone, and Kaede didn't know who owned which plot — which made him chuckle at himself.
"Back home — ask Takagi Megumi," he told Pidgeot.
Back at the Breeding House the morning crowd had already started trickling in. People were marveling at the new treats on the shelves and gushing over the Alcremie perched above the counter. The Alcremie watched happily as customers bought their cakes, pleased that their creations were so loved.