Seeing Lucas and Delibird's expressions, Goodshow chuckled and said, "If you like them, you can go upstairs and pick up a Chikorita on your way out later. I can guarantee they're all very adorable children."
"Uh…"
Lucas gave an awkward smile and didn't answer. He simply followed in Goodshow's footsteps, bringing Delibird along as they entered the greenhouse.
The lighting inside the greenhouse was incredibly bright, enough to make one almost forget they were underground and imagine they were actually on the surface.
A refreshing fragrance permeated the air. Lucas and Delibird both felt as if they had just taken a high-quality forest bath, their whole bodies feeling lighter and refreshed.
His eyes lit up slightly as he cast his gaze toward several Meganium resting in the distance.
Most likely, that pleasant aroma from earlier had come from those Meganium. Could it be that the Kanto League had deliberately developed and trained their natural ability to emit fragrance and greatly purify the air?
Besides Meganium, Lucas remembered that Leafeon seemed to have a similar ability as well.
However, compared to Eevee—whose evolutionary path was unclear and had to be decided by the Pokémon itself—
The Chikorita raised here really might be quite suitable to take along.
But before that…
Lucas stopped walking. Seeing that Goodshow had already turned and was looking toward a particular row of plants, he knew they had arrived.
In the slightly damp soil, three tender, green saplings were taking root.
Their main trunks were thin yet tough, covered in a layer of delicate green bark. Several slender branches extended from each trunk, swaying gently with the simulation breeze inside the greenhouse.
The branches were densely lined with young leaves brimming with vitality. From the bottom to the top, the leaves varied in shade—dark green, then bright green, and finally the light, fresh green at the tips.
Perfectly grown saplings.
That was the evaluation that involuntarily surfaced in Lucas's mind.
However, perhaps because the saplings' appearance was too normal, too ordinary, he just couldn't imagine these young trees bearing golden and silver Berries.
Goodshow didn't directly touch the leaves. He merely kept his hands at a certain distance, as if he were caressing them through the air.
Smiling, he asked Lucas and Delibird, "They look pretty ordinary, don't they?"
Lucas and Delibird both nodded lightly in agreement.
"In fact, these special mutated saplings do have aspects that match their ordinary exterior. It's entirely possible for them to bear Berries that are no different from normal ones. At most, the grade, taste, and effects will be somewhat better than your typical Berries."
Under Lucas's surprised gaze, Goodshow continued his explanation.
"Do you know about games? In our Kanto region, Celadon City has many Game Corners. In those Game Corners, there are a lot of luck-based games that require 'lottery draws' and other chance-based ways to play."
"These three Berry saplings—representing Banana Berries, Razz Berries, and Pinap Berries—work in the same way. The fruits they bear won't necessarily be special golden or silver Berries. They might just end up as ordinary ones."
"One single tree might be loaded with a large number of golden Berries, a smaller number of silver Berries, and only a few normal ones. Or the exact opposite might happen. Before you take these saplings away, I felt I had to make this point clear to you."
Listening to Goodshow's explanation, Lucas was dumbfounded.
So you have to pull gacha even for planting Berry trees nowadays!?
What is this… Golden Berries as SSR, Silver Berries as SR, and normal Berries as R?
With a thirst for knowledge, Lucas asked, "Chairman Goodshow, is there really no way to affect the quality of the Berries with other factors? For example, more nutrients, higher-quality black soil, something like that?"
Goodshow thought for a moment, stroking his beard. "There might be some influence. In fact, the environment in this greenhouse is already just about top-tier. Aside from lacking black soil, there are also frequent visits from—well, you should know her—the Grass-type Gym Leader of Celadon City, Erika."
Lucas nodded slightly. "I've heard her perfumes are very famous."
"That's right," Goodshow went on. "Leader Karen is also an expert in Grass-type Pokémon. Her main Grass-type partners often come here to share their nutrients with the plants. I'd say there are very few places in the entire world that are rich enough to have powerful Grass-type Pokémon specially share their energy just for cultivation."
"Even so, Berry trees that have matured in other greenhouses still can't guarantee that they'll definitely produce the top-quality golden Berries."
Listening to this, Lucas showed a thoughtful expression. "May I ask something a bit presumptuous? How strong are Leader Erika's main Pokémon at the moment?"
Goodshow's kindly face curved into an amicable smile as he nodded. "Of course you may. Erika's main team… they're still some distance away from challenging the Elite Four, but she does have a real chance of eventually reaching that level."
Just below the Elite Four, huh…
Lucas blinked. A plan was already taking shape in his heart. He then thanked him. "Thank you for telling me. Since I'm already down here, how exactly am I supposed to take them away?"
"From what you said before we entered the greenhouse, they sound rather… delicate, and not very suitable for most planting environments, right?"
Lucas had already thought it through. If he tried to take the saplings along in his spatial backpack, where there was no oxygen, and if the Berry trees were even a bit fragile, they might be dead before he even reached Paldea.
How to transport them was a major problem.
"Hahaha, you don't need to worry about that part," Goodshow laughed heartily. "During the time we kept you waiting, we specially had the research lab below come up with something new to solve this matter."
"It's somewhat similar in principle to a Poké Ball, though the outer shape is different, and so are the effects. We'll place the saplings into a special, oxygen-rich space and then miniaturize them for easy carrying. With your Dragonite able to get you home in a single day, there'll be absolutely no problem replanting them when you arrive—provided the environment you prepare is suitable for their growth."
Not being very tech-savvy, Lucas and Delibird listened until their heads were spinning, ultimately coming to a single conclusion.
This black technology is insane!
…
A short while later—
Goodshow said they still needed a bit more time to get things ready, and so he led Lucas out of the greenhouse first.
The moment they stepped outside, Lucas was blocked by Karen, who had vanished earlier and now reappeared out of nowhere.
She was still leaning against the wall, her presence so overwhelming that the nearby staff were visibly on edge.
Karen gave Lucas a faint smile. "Finished your tour? According to our agreement, it's about time you let me show you the cute and captivating charm of Dark-type Pokémon, don't you think?"
Sensing that there would be something interesting to watch, Goodshow immediately fanned the flames like an old child who refused to grow up.
"You two are going to battle? Let this old man serve as referee!"
Lucas hadn't planned on backing out to begin with. He nodded, agreeing to Karen's challenge for the second time.
…
Indigo Plateau, in the room for challenging the Elite Four.
Because the Johto and Kanto Leagues are unified, the challenge rooms for the Elite Four are built together, and even the members of the Elite Four and the Champion are shared between them.
Karen stood on the left side of the battlefield, while Lucas stood on the right. At the edge of the field was Goodshow, who had proudly donned a referee's outfit to prove he wasn't old yet.
Since this was a one-on-one singles battle, both sides had already decided on which Pokémon to send out, so they released them from their Poké Balls right from the start.
On Lucas's side was Dragonite.
And on Karen's side was… Weavile.