William rushed over to help, calling out to Woody, "Quick, think of something! Isn't there a way to counteract that Sweet Honey's effect?"
Woody scratched his head, then a lightbulb seemed to go off. "Right! If we can find some Oran Berries, their bitterness might neutralize the Sweet Honey's effect!"
"Oran Berries?" William was taken aback. "Are there any around here?"
"I remember there are wild ones in the village!" Woody racked his brain. "The blue ones that look a bit like strawberries!"
Hearing this, William suddenly remembered he had some Berries in his pocket! He quickly started rummaging. "No, this is a Pecha Berry! This isn't right either!" He searched for a while, but all he had were sweet-tasting Berries, no Oran Berries at all.
"Miiil!"
Just then, Turtwig came charging towards them, chasing the other Miltank!
Woody and William found themselves trapped between the two rolling Miltank, about to be squashed!
"Oh no! Can't dodge!" Woody's face turned pale, and he instinctively closed his eyes.
William grabbed his arm and yanked him to the side!
THUD!
The two Miltank crashed heavily into each other, swaying dizzily, while William and Woody tumbled into a nearby bush.
"Oww... that hurts..." Woody sat up, rubbing his arm. "But... at least we found them."
The collision had knocked both Miltank out cold.
William checked them over and confirmed neither was seriously hurt.
"Anyway, let's get these two back first. We'll look for the last one later." William and Woody each hoisted a Miltank onto their backs, with Turtwig and Minccino helping to support them from behind. The group slowly made their way back to the Miltank Ranch.
The walk was silent. The awkward atmosphere was unbearable for William, so he decided to break the ice. "Hey, Woody, Mr. Oaknut said you only started learning carpentry a few months ago. What did you do before that?"
Woody was silent for a moment before answering. "Nothing much. Just like everyone else, sunbathe, drink water, sleep."
"Uh..." William thought for a second and rephrased his question. "I mean, what does your family do? Like me, I run a ranch now. I have to milk Miltank, farm, and cook for the Pokémon every day."
When the conversation turned to farming and cooking, Woody's eyes lit up. "Yes, yes! That's what I meant. I live in the forest. I have to farm and cook every day too." Suddenly, the floodgates opened, and William almost regretted starting the conversation...
"Actually, I didn't plan to learn carpentry at first. It's just that my family had no money to buy furniture, and that Slob King was taking apprentices for free, so I became his disciple."
"Slob King..." William recalled his first sight of Oaknut in Saffron Woodworks and nodded silently.
"To be honest, that guy has problems. Bad habits, doesn't like cleaning, stays up late, and he's so old and still hasn't found a wife. As your senior brother, I feel I must advise you again: don't get involved with him. It leads to misfortune!" Woody said with rare seriousness, nodding to himself afterward.
The Miltank on his back let out a groan. William quickly adjusted his hold. "That's a bit exaggerated, isn't it? I think Mr. Oaknut is quite nice. And I get the feeling you two actually have a good relationship."
"Hmph! That's all an act. That guy treats people differently. Didn't you hear him? 'Service with a smile.' He only smiles for customers. With me, he just scowls. And it's been months, and he's only taught me how to hold a saw, and I still haven't mastered it!"
"Are you sure it's not your own problem?" William's eye twitched as he internally facepalmed.
Woody grew more agitated, the cowlick on his head quivering with indignation. "Last time I tried to make a stool, the saw got stuck in the wood and I couldn't pull it out. He actually laughed at me!"
William struggled to hold back his laughter, his shoulders shaking. "S-so... did you finish the stool in the end?"
"I did!" Woody puffed out his chest proudly. "It's just... it fell apart not long after someone sat on it... Good thing it wasn't me, haha."
Chatting and laughing, the two arrived back at the Miltank Ranch. Coincidentally, the Miltank were waking up.
"Miiil?"
The Miltank opened their eyes groggily. Finding themselves back in the familiar ranch, they immediately showed signs of distress.
"Miiil! Miiil!"
Both Miltank struggled to escape. Luckily, Turtwig used its vines to restrain them, preventing their getaway.
"What's wrong, Miltank? Is there something scary in the ranch?" William and Woody gently soothed the two Miltank. After a while, they gradually calmed down.
Hearing the commotion, Oaknut, who was repairing the fence nearby, came over. "They're probably just bored because the space is too small. Mr. Bull mentioned they recently brought in a few more Miltank, so it's a bit cramped now. Miltank are very sensitive. If their living space is too small, they get frustrated, which is why they broke the fence to get out. They were probably playing when you found them, right?"
William and Woody looked at each other, finally understanding.
"So that's it!" William crouched down and gently stroked the Miltank's head. "Sorry, we didn't consider how you felt."
The Miltank went "Miiil" and nuzzled William's hand, seeming less agitated.
Woody scratched his head and looked at Oaknut. "So what do we do now? We can't keep them tied up with vines forever."
Oaknut stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Let them go for now. I already asked Mr. Bull to go to Breezyville and request the Rangers' help to find the last Miltank." Mentioning Mr. Bull, Oaknut's eye twitched noticeably. "That guy was fussing and fretting nearby. It was really distracting."
"Anyway, all we can do now is repair the fence. We'll explain the issue with the Miltank and the small space to Mr. and Mrs. Bull when they get back."
William and Woody nodded and began helping Oaknut repair the fence.
...
"Woody, lift that side a bit."
"Huh?Like this?"
Woody abruptly lifted the plank he was holding,causing Oaknut, who was hammering a nail nearby, to swing his hammer into empty air! Thankfully, he didn't hit his hand, but the force jarred his wrist, hurting it nonetheless...
"Oww..." Oaknut suppressed the urge to swear, repeating inwardly, "I asked for this, I asked for this, I asked for this..."
"Phew..." Oaknut took a deep breath, calming down a bit.
"Master,are you okay?"
"Scram."
Meanwhile, William, who was assigned to cut the wood, was completely immersed in the satisfaction of crafting. Pushing and pulling the saw back and forth, he cut piece after piece of lumber to the same dimensions.
[Maple Lumber: Quality D, Initially processed wood. Can be used to make simple wooden products. Recommended Processing: (Carpentry/Alchemy).]
With each successfully cut piece of lumber, William's Carpenter EXP bar steadily increased.
"Not bad!"
William felt like he was getting the hang of it more and more. The sense of accomplishment from mastering a new skill was addictive.
After finishing all the cutting, William noticed that Oaknut and Woody had stopped working and were quietly watching him.
"Uh... what's wrong?"
Woody's jaw was hanging open, his eyelid twitching involuntarily. "You... you really never learned carpentry before?"
Oaknut patted Woody's shoulder, his expression meaningful. "Now you see whose problem it is, don't you?"
Woody's face flushed bright red, the green cowlick on his head drooping. "Th-that's impossible! William, confess! Did you practice secretly?"
William innocently held up the saw. "Really, I didn't! I just did what Mr. Oaknut demonstrated earlier..."
Oaknut suddenly moved closer to William. "In that case, why don't you try a bit more?"
"Okay!"
William walked over to the gap in the fence. Most of the preparatory work had already been done by Oaknut. The remaining step was just to nail the planks together to complete the fence.
William picked up a hammer. Turtwig and Minccino stood on either side, holding the plank up for him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With the aid of his Craftsmanship skill, every swing of William's hammer hit the nail perfectly.
In no time, the fence was finished.
[Maple Wood Fence: Quality D, A sturdy wooden fence that effectively blocks charges from average-sized Pokémon. The designed partitions create an optical illusion, making the enclosed space feel larger.]
[Effect: Optical Illusion - Slight. Makes people within the fenced area perceive the space as larger.]
[Evaluation: It's like magic, right?]
[Recommended Processing: (Alchemy).]