Negotiation Success

Upon hearing Kanraku's words, the Combees continued to buzz among themselves, their wariness evident. The presence of large Pokémon like Gyarados, Blastoise, and Pidgeot behind the humans was particularly intimidating to them.

Yet, the fact that these formidable Pokémon hadn't attacked gave the Combees pause, lending some credibility to Kanraku's request for negotiation. Otherwise, they already expected an immediate aggressive response.

Some Combees swiftly buzzed back towards the giant hollow tree, evidently to report the unfolding situation.

After a few tense minutes, a figure emerged from the tree. The Vespiquen appeared, its striking yellow and black-striped abdomen flaring out like an elegant ballgown from a slim, waist-like thorax. Below this 'gown' were seven orange, honeycomb-like cells, each housing baby Combee. The central cell concealed a slender, yellow, insect-like abdomen, usually hidden beneath the larger abdomen.

It was Vespiquen.

Vespiquen seemed particularly startled by the intimidating appearance of Gyarados and Blastoise, not to mention the presence of Pidgeot, Fraxure, and a younger Gyarados. The Vespiquen's initial reaction was one of fear and the impulse to command her subordinates to attack.

However, seeing that the humans and their Pokémon hadn't launched any attacks, she emitted a loud buzz, a clear warning for the group to keep their distance.

Kanraku, observing Vespiquen's majestic form, was momentarily mesmerized by her elegance. Quickly regaining his composure and remembering their mission, he addressed her respectfully, "Vespiquen, we have no intention of attacking you or encroaching on your territory. We've come to propose a trade, and we hope you'll consider our offer."

Turning to the Pokémon behind him, Kanraku signaled to Blastoise, "Please step back a bit," he requested, understanding that their imposing forms were causing distress to Vespiquen.

Blastoise nodded in understanding and, along with Gyarados, retreated slightly, creating some space. The other Pokémon followed suit, but remained vigilant, ready to react if the situation escalated.

Kanraku then glanced at Floyd, who understood the cue. Reaching into his backpack, Floyd pulled out a handful of novice grade pokeblocks, a gesture meant to show their peaceful intentions.

Vespiquen, observing their movements, felt a slight sense of relief when she saw Blastoise, Gyarados, and the other Pokémon step back a little, realizing there might be room for negotiation. She then emitted a noise, turning her attention to Kanraku.

Kanraku, understanding Vespiquen's cautious gaze, reached into the bag and carefully took out a piece of the pokeblock. Holding it up, he offered, "This is food. Feel free to try one. Don't worry, it's not poisonous. You can test it first, and if there's any anomaly or if it harms you in any way, you have every right to attack us."

Vespiquen, still harboring doubts, she didn't dare to take the risk herself. Instead, she signaled to one of her Combee subordinates. The Combee, displaying a mix of curiosity and wariness, cautiously approached Kanraku.

The Combee tentatively took a small bite of the pokeblock. As it crunched on the food, its eyes brightened with delight, and it eagerly bit into it again.

Seeing the Combee's positive reaction, Kanraku smiled as he gently offered another piece. Within a few minutes, the Combee had joyfully consumed three pokeblocks, clearly satisfied.

Vespiquen observed her subordinate's pleased reaction. To regain its attention, she released her pheromones, drawing the Combee back to her. The Combee, its hunger satiated, inhaled her scent, regaining its focus, and then fluttered back to Vespiquen to report its experience.

Despite the positive feedback, Vespiquen remained skeptical. She allowed several more Combees to sample the food, each returning with the same favorable response. The food was safe and enjoyable.

Taking a deep breath, Vespiquen then decided to try the pokeblock herself. Her eyes lit up in surprise and pleasure as she took one bite after another, clearly enjoying the taste.

Kanraku and Floyd exchanged knowing smiles, their plan to win over Vespiquen with food proving effective.

After a few more moments, Vespiquen turned to Kanraku and emitted a series of noises, signaling her readiness to communicate further.

Kanraku seized the opportunity. "We are interested in the Apricorn," he gestured towards the Apricorn tree, "And also those Tumblestones," he added, pointing in their direction. "And, if you're willing, we'd like to discuss obtaining honey, berries, Medicinal Leek, or King's Leaf as well," he continued, indicating the various flora they required.

Vespiquen gazed at the Apricorn they indicated, appearing confused. Apricorns aren't edible in their natural state due to their hard skin; they require spoiling before consumption, and even then, their taste is not particularly enjoyable.

As Vespiquen gazed at the Tumblestones, her confusion deepened. She had seen many such stones scattered around the forest, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. To her, they were nothing more than useless rocks, unworthy of attention.

Her focus then shifted to the other materials mentioned by Kanraku. Compared to the Apricorns and Tumblestones, resources like honey, berries, Medicinal Leek, and flowers held far greater value in her eyes, and she was not inclined to let these humans take them away.

She wasn't short on food, as she and her subordinates had stored plenty of honey in their hive. However, the taste of these Pokéblocks was incredibly enticing; they were delicious and seemed to restore her energy quickly.

Seeing these naive humans willing to trade with what they deemed useless, how could she not feel delighted? She looked at Kanraku and uttered something.

After a moment's thought, she communicated her decision to Kanraku. Her message was clear.

Kanraku, understanding what she said, turned to Floyd and Tetsuya. "She's agreed only to trade the Apricorns and Tumblestones," he relayed.

"Accept the offer!" Tetsuya interjected quickly.

"That aligns perfectly with our initial plan. It's a favorable deal. Let's proceed!" Floyd added, nodding in agreement.

"Alright, I'll convey our acceptance," Kanraku said, then turned back to Vespiquen, signaling their agreement to the terms.

The negotiation was straightforward. They agreed to exchange one sack of pokeblocks for the right to harvest Apricorns from under eight specific Apricorn trees.

The rule was clear: they could only pick the Apricorns, not take the trees themselves. Additionally, they could also trade five Tumblestones for another sack of pokeblocks.

Kanraku and Floyd had prepared two sacks of pokeblocks, initially intended to attract Pokémon, particularly grass types like those under Venusaur's group. Now, these were being offered to Vespiquen instead.

Floyd contemplated the outcome, realizing that once they returned, he would need to work diligently on crafting more pokeblocks. The smoothness of the negotiation had taken Vespiquen by surprise; she had anticipated potential conflicts, but none arose.

As she watched the humans respectfully collecting Apricorns from the designated trees, Vespiquen's impression of them changed. She saw a level of respect and understanding in their actions that she hadn't expected.

A few minutes later, after gathering what they came for, Kanraku and his group bid farewell to Vespiquen. They left her territory with a sense of accomplishment and mutual respect, flying back to their base with their precious cargo in tow.