Capítulo 293: Seeds
On this day, fireworks lit up the sky, and the air buzzed with excitement as the Grand Festival for the Pokémon Contest was about to begin.
Juan had been invited early by the organizers as a judge for the competition, and Robert, being a participant, had gone to join the other contestants in preparing for his entrance.
So today, only Yuga was heading to the spectator seats.
The Pokémon Contest's Grand Festival was divided into two parts: the preliminary rounds and the main event, held on the first and second days, respectively.
The preliminary rounds on the first day involved over two hundred participants who were judged based on their move demonstrations and Pokémon performances. Only sixty-four would advance to the main event.
The second day was when the remaining sixty-four contestants would compete for the championship. The finals would also take place on this day.
Unlike the opening day's purely performance-based competition, the second day introduced battles. Before the top sixteen, there were still performance rounds, but after that, it became a knockout battle.
So, in reality, Robert only needed to appear twice today: once for the opening ceremony's participant parade and once for his performance in the preliminary rounds. The real battles would begin tomorrow.
Just like the Pokémon League Conference, the Pokémon Contest Grand Festival had numerous vendors setting up shop at the venue.
Walking along the bustling streets of the venue, there were various vendors calling out and advertising their wares. It was a lively scene with stalls selling snacks, Pokémon Contest participant merchandise, and more. Every booth had gathered a crowd of visitors.
Yuga thought to himself that if Audino was here, she would undoubtedly make him carry her around to taste all the snacks available.
Occasionally, Yuga purchased a thing or two as well. After all, he didn't come here often, so souvenirs were a must. He also bought some gifts for his four employees, who worked tirelessly in the shop every day.
At one point, Yuga noticed an elderly man in a corner also selling items. The old man had white, bushy facial hair and a face full of wrinkles, indicating his advanced age.
His stall was exceptionally basic, with just a piece of black cloth laid out and some items neatly arranged on top. Unlike other booths that had elaborate setups with frames and tents, his stall appeared deserted.
Out of curiosity, Yuga decided to approach and take a look.
The items on the stall may look unimpressive, consisting of small gray or black pottery jars, each no larger than a fist, but they are neatly arranged.
Yuga cast another glance at the elderly man. Despite his old age and plain attire, he maintained meticulous order, giving the impression of a very methodical old man.
"What's inside these jars, sir?" Yuga inquired.
"Seeds," the old man replied succinctly, without any change in expression, as though he didn't particularly care whether customers came or went.
Yuga nodded.
No wonder this elderly man wasn't doing well in business; he sold seeds, and his attitude wasn't particularly friendly.
"May I have a look?" Yuga asked.
The old man glanced at Yuga and nodded slightly.
Yuga picked up the nearest black ceramic jar, removed the cloth stopper from the top, and peered inside.
After inspecting it, Yuga felt somewhat embarrassed. He had forgotten that he wasn't familiar with the plants in the Pokémon world, and naturally, he wouldn't recognize these seeds.
Yuga thought to himself: This old man should have at least labeled the names of the seeds on the jars. That way, customers would instantly know what they were.
After looking at several jars, not recognizing any of them, Yuga awkwardly replaced the cloth stopper and put the jar back in its original place. He hesitantly asked, "Sir, what kind of seeds are these?"
Not knowing anything and coming here to buy something indeed made Yuga feel awkward. It was as if he were a person who didn't recognize crops going to a seed store to buy seeds, claiming he wanted to start farming.
Seeing Yuga's embarrassed expression, the old man understood that he didn't recognize these seeds.
"You don't recognize any of them?" Yuga nodded in confirmation.
"If you don't recognize them, why are you asking about them?"
When the old man said this, his tone was very calm, not as if he was reprimanding Yuga.
"My land is quite big, and I wanted to buy some things to plant, but I'm not very knowledgeable," Yuga admitted, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Yuga's claim about having a large land wasn't entirely untrue. His Ecopark had vast plots of land, and with its pleasant climate and abundant water sources, it was suitable for cultivation. He was interested in these seeds because he felt it would be a waste not to utilize his spacious Ecopark for growing plants.
Moreover, many Grass-type Pokémon in his Ecopark had learned Grassy Terrain moves – a skill akin to farming. Although very few people used it this way, most considered it a valuable skill and were hesitant to teach their Pokémon this technique, only for them to work on a farm.
Yuga had this idea as an eccentric "mass producer" of Grassy Terrain.
He had only decided to come to this old man's stall after hearing that he was selling seeds.
Upon hearing Yuga's explanation about his "large land," the old man was somewhat amused, thinking that Yuga was a bit naive. However, he didn't pretend to know what he didn't, so the old man had a favorable impression of him.
"These are White Herb seeds, these are Mental Herb seeds, these are Power Herb seeds... and this is Balm Mushroom mycelium," the old man explained, pointing to each jar.
Yuga was stunned when he heard the names. These were all precious herbal seeds, each a rare species. Yet this old man had casually displayed them here.
Seeing Yuga's dumbfounded expression, the old man's solemn face finally cracked a faint smile as he asked, "Do you want to buy them or not?"
"Buy, buy, buy!" Yuga hurriedly nodded. Of course, he wanted to buy them. These plant seeds were incredibly precious and typically hard to come by in the outside world.
"Sir, how much are these?" Yuga pointed to each type of seed.
The old man then named the prices for each.
Well, none of them were cheap. They were all quite expensive. However, Yuga believed they were worth the price, so he gladly paid the amount.
As Yuga was about to turn and leave with the jars in his arms, the old man suddenly called out to him, saying, "Wait!"
Yuga turned back, puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong? Is there anything else, sir?"
He hoped the old man hadn't changed his mind about the sale. Yuga had practically bought up all the seeds at the old man's stall, and this opportunity was too rare to pass up.
Then, Yuga watched as the old man took two items from a nearby box and tossed them to him, saying, "Take a good look at these and don't waste those seeds."
It turned out the old man hadn't changed his mind. Yuga felt relieved.
He accepted the items from the old man, which included a book titled "Comprehensive Guide to Herb Cultivation" and a small, moss-green seed inside a white pouch.
Yuga didn't recognize the moss-green seed, but he certainly knew the value of the book.
"Thank you, sir. May I know your name?" Yuga inquired. Initially, he had intended for this to be a straightforward business transaction, with money exchanged for goods. However, the old man's unexpected generosity had prompted him to express gratitude and learn the old man's name.
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