Ralts held a bottle of nutritional juice in its hands.
Sitting beside it were Petilil and Froslass.
The three Pokémon sat neatly around a table, simultaneously taking sips from their drinks.
Gulp gulp gulp~
After drinking, all three Pokémon showed relaxed and content expressions.
Ralts glanced at the two Pokémon beside it, and its eyes—hidden beneath its blue hair—curved into lovely crescents.
Even though it had only just arrived here, it already loved this place.
With its ability to sense emotions, it could clearly feel whether the emotions coming from humans or Pokémon were friendly or hostile.
Whenever it sensed positive, optimistic emotions, its own body would begin to warm.
If its companions were happy, Ralts would also feel joyful.
Maybe... this is the home I've been searching for.
Ralts thought to itself with a smile.
As this thought crossed its mind, its gaze drifted toward the kitchen—where Aven was currently preparing Pokémon food.
For a Pokémon breeder, crafting specialized food for different Pokémon was a basic skill.
Now that Ralts had just joined the team, Aven naturally wanted to prepare a welcome meal especially for it.
"This was Gardevoir's favorite food."
'I wonder if Ralts will like it too… probably!'
With anticipation in his heart, Aven quickly handled the ingredients with practiced hands.
After all, in his previous life, he had made this kind of food countless times.
Soon, he finished preparing a batch of pale-blue, pellet-like Pokémon food.
Though it didn't look particularly impressive, to Pokémon, it was an extraordinary delicacy.
After finishing Ralts' portion, Aven began preparing food for the others.
It wasn't long before he brought out all the dishes, placing them in front of the Pokémon and then serving himself milk and bread.
"All right, don't be shy!"
Hearing this, the three Pokémon cheerfully stood up from the table.
Petilil and Froslass moved toward their own plates, then curiously glanced at the pale-blue food nearby.
They had never seen this kind of Pokémon food before and quickly realized it was specially prepared for Ralts.
"Ralts~"
Ralts approached its plate, glanced at the food, and hesitantly asked if it was really for it.
"Yes, I made it just for you." Aven replied with a smile, his eyes full of expectation.
Seeing this, Ralts immediately brightened up.
After watching the other two Pokémon begin eating, it picked up a piece and placed it in its mouth.
In that instant, an unparalleled taste it had never experienced before swept over it.
'Delicious! So delicious!'
Aven, who had been closely observing Ralts, suddenly heard a burst of joyful emotion in his mind.
Thanks to its telepathy ability, Ralts was directly sharing its feelings with him.
Since using telepathy usually consumed a large amount of psychic energy, Ralts rarely used it.
This showed just how excited it was right now.
"Yeah, I know." Aven smiled.
Ralts paused, confused.
Why did this person—whom it had only just met—feel so familiar, as if he truly understood it?
…
"Lil lil~"
Petilil came over curiously. Seeing how happy Ralts was while eating, she couldn't help but wonder—was the food really that good?
"Ralts~"
Ralts nodded enthusiastically and pushed some of the food toward her.
"Lil~"
Excited, Petilil popped it into her mouth.
The next second, her expression froze.
An overwhelmingly bitter taste filled her mouth.
So bad…!
"Ralts?!"
Sensing the change in Petilil's emotions, Ralts worriedly asked if she was okay.
"Lil..."
Petilil scratched her head, confused as to why something Ralts found so delicious tasted awful to her.
"Lass~"
Froslass covered her mouth and giggled, then picked up a piece to try.
It was... okay. Not bad, but definitely not as good as her own food.
"All right, no need to guess anymore."
"Each Pokémon has different tastes depending on their species and individual preference."
"This batch was made specifically for Ralts. Just like yours were made especially for you."
Aven smiled as he explained to the puzzled trio.
All three Pokémon froze for a moment.
Upon realizing that Aven had made customized food for each of them, their hearts filled with gratitude.
…
This little food interlude passed quickly.
After the meal, Aven led the three Pokémon to the backyard of the breeding house.
There, the rest of the Pokémon had already gathered and were happily eating their own meals.
This time, Aven had made a special effort to prepare customized dishes for Ralts, Petilil, and Froslass.
The goal was, of course, to placate the three little ones who had been subtly competing for his attention.
As Aven approached, all the gathered Pokémon joyfully cried out and rushed over to greet him.
"Lil~" "Lass~"
Petilil and Froslass naturally mingled with the others.
Ralts, however, hid timidly behind Aven's legs.
"Ralts, they're all my companions."
"Don't worry—they're very friendly. I'm sure you'll become friends with them soon."
Aven crouched down and gently patted Ralts on the head.
The surrounding Pokémon also greeted Ralts warmly.
"Ralts~"
Ralts closed its eyes and began to sense.
A moment later, it opened them again, surprised and overjoyed.
…
"Bzz bzz bzz~"
Combee sat atop Vileplume's head.
Excited to see a new friend, it flew over and offered Ralts a piece of sweet honey.
"Ralts?"
Ralts looked at the orange Combee in surprise.
It realized that, like itself, this Combee had an unusual body color—a shiny Pokémon!
"Bzz bzz~"
Combee circled around Ralts in welcome.
In response, Ralts closed its eyes again, and a soft blue glow emanated from its body—it was trying to communicate telepathically.
The two Pokémon's minds instantly connected.
In that moment, Ralts saw countless images in its mind—scenes of Combee living alone in its swarm, until Aven came along and gave it a home.
"This is our shared home. I really love it here."
Combee's sincere feelings resonated in Ralts' heart.
…
"This is... Telepathy?"
Aven watched the glowing Ralts and Combee, his eyes flashing with interest.
Many Pokémon could communicate telepathically. They can use this method to directly convey their thoughts through telepathic communication.
But telepathy was a rare ability, allowing not only mental exchange but also the reading of thoughts—essentially, mind reading.
However, telepathy had a critical condition: the target must voluntarily lower their mental defenses.
If the target of telepathy resists, the ability would fail.
That's why telepathy was difficult to use in practice.
So far, the best use Aven knew for this ability was in team battles—where reading an ally's thoughts could enable seamless coordination.
"So Ralts' ability is Telepathy, not Trace?"
Aven muttered, then sighed softly.
…
"Ralts~"
After a brief mind exchange, Ralts opened its eyes and happily greeted Combee.
Through their bond, they now understood each other's pasts, and the two shiny Pokémon formed a special connection.
"Bzz bzz~"
Combee flew a few circles and returned to perch atop Vileplume's head.
They had become inseparable, their close friendship enviable.
…
"Rhy~"
Watching Combee offer a gift, Rhydon suddenly had an idea—shouldn't he give Ralts a welcome gift too?
And to him, the best gift was a battle!
But after looking at Ralts' tiny figure, he hesitated.
It didn't look like it could take a hit…
Right now, he was a full-fledged advanced-level Pokémon.
Even Torterra could only battle him to a draw.
And he had just started mastering Fire Punch.
Once he perfected it, he'd easily overpower Torterra!
The thought made Rhydon eager to return to his usual forging and training routine.
…
"Meow~"
Before Rhydon could decide, Luxio had already pounced forward.
After Aven's encouragement, Luxio had been training like crazy, determined to become stronger and fearless.
He had even begun following Rhydon's training, becoming a hardcore disciple.
To welcome Ralts, his first thought was also to battle—and he immediately issued a challenge.
"Ralts!?"
Ralts was startled.
It could feel Luxio's surging battle intent, but there was no malice in it.
"Lil lil~"
Petilil quickly explained—it was their unique way of celebrating and showing welcome!
"Ralts!"
Understanding now, Ralts looked at Luxio and nodded enthusiastically!
(End of Chapter)