Chapter 53 – Silent Threads: Bianca’s Debut
Axew and the others, even the new ones who already knew about Dragonite Mother's existence, heaved a sigh of relief.
Hearing his owner's words, Dratini became dumbfounded. Then, a hesitant expression formed on his face.
Seeing this reaction, Floyd was taken aback. He had expected jubilation. "Aren't you happy?" he asked.
"Ehew," (I'm happy) Dratini shook his head and then nodded.
"Then why do you look so sad?" Floyd probed further.
Dratini then explained his reasons.
After listening for a few seconds, Floyd became dumbfounded. Bursting into laughter, he exclaimed, "Hahahaha! So, that's what you're worried about? Hahaha!" Floyd chuckled, holding his stomach in amusement.
Dratini's face turned a shade of red from embarrassment. In his irritation, he lashed out at Floyd with his tail.
"Okay, okay, I understand. I promise, no more laughing." Floyd tried to keep a straight face, but a smile still tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Dratini was concerned that, upon his mother's awakening, she'd see him still as a Dratini, not having evolved. He could already picture her disappointment and dismay upon seeing him. but he failed to grasp that he needed to evolve into Dragonair before becoming a Dragonite, a process not feasible in a few mere months.
Floyd mused about Dragonite Mother's possible reaction, surmising that she might be overjoyed that her son remained in his adorable Dratini form.
Floyd tried to comfort him, saying, "I believe she might actually be happier to see you haven't evolved yet."
This seemed to upset Dratini further, and he smacked Floyd with his tail once again.
"Ehew" (Why would my mother be happy if I'm weak?)
"Trust me, every mother loves to see their child remain adorable and cute," Floyd reasoned.
Yet another tail smack came Floyd's way.
"Ehew" (I am not cute!)
"Okay, okay, I get it. You're not cute. You're a very handsome Dratini," Floyd said, a hint of playfulness in his voice.
As Floyd was caught up in the moment, Dratini tried to slip away. Floyd swiftly intercepted him. The Pokémon wriggled, attempting to break free.
"Ehew" (Let me go! I'm leaving!)
"To where?" Floyd inquired.
"Ehew" (To train!)
"Finish your meal first," Floyd countered.
"Ehew" (But I'm full!)
"If you don't eat everything, there's no training," Floyd said, emphasizing the importance of a proper meal for growth. Seeing no way out, Dratini quickly finished his food. Horsea watched the entire exchange enviously, thinking, 'Why would he want to train so badly?'
A few minutes later, Dratini, eager as ever, resumed his training, and Axew followed suit. Axew could feel the competitive pressure from his younger counterpart and didn't want to be left behind.
They trained intensely. And three hours later, when it was time to eat again, Munchlax, the five Goomys, and Horsea had already fallen asleep after their massage session. However, Axew and Dratini, still brimming with energy, ate their meal and got right back to training.
Seeing the two of them tirelessly training and then eating only to resume training again, Floyd could only sigh in resignation. The food stock he had estimated to last two weeks looked like it would only last nine days at this rate. Previously, in Maharlika, they hadn't trained as intensely due to potential threats and limited resources. But now, in this safe environment with ample berries, they could train as hard as they wanted and eat multiple times a day.
He glanced upwards, noting the encroaching darkness that signaled it was nearing 5 p.m., which meant they would have a meeting again.
He then prepared portions of food for them and informed them he would be going to the meeting. Both of them nodded, so Floyd placed the five Goomys in his backpack, put Horsea on his head, and carried Munchlax. Even though Munchlax weighed over 80 kilos, Floyd managed.
A few minutes later, he settled them in his room and immediately headed to the meeting room.
…
In the meeting room, he was greeted by Le Mai Linh. He also saw Ivan, and Jonathan with sullen expressions. Floyd speculated that this guy might have had a tough time with Sister Linh. S
hortly after, Bianca, Kanraku, Suzuki, Chen Yu, Kang Jihoon, and others entered the room, and greetings were exchanged.
This time each would report. The first to present were Chen Yu and Kang Jihoon, who discussed the situation with food, berries, beasts, and the suitable work for each beast.
Numerous questions and suggestions were raised, with many, including Kanraku, chiming in.
After Chen Yu and Kang Jihoon finished their report, Le Mai Linh and Ivan discussed their scouting of the Kemonohaji forests. Mostly, it was Ivan presenting.
Chen Yu proposed they should not take in any more beasts for the time being, and everyone agreed.
Floyd suggested adopting beasts like Growlithe, known for their keen sense of smell, which would assist their investigation efforts. After explaining his reasoning, everyone agreed that it was a feasible idea.
Then it was Bianca's turn. Nervously, she approached the front, holding finished garments, a nearly completed loom with silk threads, berries, and other materials. She felt the intense gazes of everyone present and hesitated.
After a few awkward moments, she stopped speaking and lowered her head in embarrassment.
Le Mai Linh, appearing puzzled, asked, "Do you have something to say?"
Chen Yu added, "We'll just be wasting time if you don't speak."
Understanding her discomfort, Floyd intervened, "Bianca, you can demonstrate your method if you don't want to speak."
Kang Jihoon, curious, asked, "What do you mean?"
"She has social phobia," Floyd clarified.
The attendees nodded in understanding.
Bianca mustered the courage to meet Floyd's gaze and gave him a grateful nod. She felt a surge of hesitation but began her demonstration regardless.
As she commenced, an aura of unexpected allure enveloped the room, and all eyes turned to her in astonishment. With a captivating elegance that seemed almost ethereal, she stood at the center, seamlessly melding the vivid hues of berries with the glistening silk threads, and began winding them onto bobbins. With skillful grace, she transitioned to her weaving loom, threading the shuttles through the warp. Her fingers nimbly adjusted the tensioning devices, ensuring the threads had the perfect tension.
'It's beautiful,' Floyd exclaimed in surprise. And it wasn't just him; the sentiment was echoed silently by many men in the room.
Half an hour later, a piece of wet fabric was presented to their eyes.
(AN: This was not realistic at all, it takes a long time to make fabric lol)
"This... this… is.. just… a.. sample… fabric. Here… is… the… finished… product," Bianca stuttered, showing them the fully finished pastel green fabric and tying it from her arm.
"And… the effect... is this." Without further explanation, she ignited a fire starter and directly set it in her hand ablaze.
The room erupted in shock as everyone shouted, "What are you doing?"