"Huh?"
Lin Feng was momentarily stunned by Snivy's faintly resentful tone. Then he said, "But isn't this a good thing? I've always wanted to catch a Psychic-type Pokémon. It'd make picking fruits and vegetables so much easier in the future!"
"Teng-teng." (I know.)
Snivy pressed its lips together, conceding that Lin Feng did have a point, and nodded. Still, deep down, it let out a silent sigh.
It kind of missed the days before it evolved.
Now that it had become Servine, would there ever be another chance to snuggle into its Trainer's arms again?
"Alright, let's go!"
Lin Feng didn't dwell on it. After quickly informing Qin Shu, who was minding the shop, he set off for Wutong Forest with Servine in tow.
They followed the stone-paved path and soon reached the riverbank.
This river had no bridges spanning it, effectively blocking many Pokémon from the wild zone from wandering into town. However, for trainers with even a bit of strength, it wasn't much of an obstacle.
Only when you ventured into the wild did you truly appreciate just how valuable a flying Pokémon could be.
Following the river for some distance, Lin Feng eventually stopped. Across the river, a weathered wooden cabin came into view, half-hidden amidst the trees. At that point, he released Pidgeotto.
"Pidgeooo~"
The sight of its familiar homeland filled Pidgeotto with obvious excitement, its eyes sparkling with renewed energy.
Lin Feng turned to Servine. "Servine, how about you go back into your Poké Ball for now?"
Pidgeotto was still too small to carry both Lin Feng and Servine at once. If Lin Feng insisted on bringing both, he'd have to cradle Servine in his arms the entire time.
"Teng-teng? Teng-teng!"
Servine froze for a second, then wriggled shyly. "Teng-teng…" (You can hold me like you used to…)
"Well, why not!"
Lin Feng chuckled in delight. Ever since Snivy evolved into Servine, he'd lost all legitimate excuses to carry it around openly.
Now that Servine had brought it up, there was no way he'd pretend to be reserved.
Scooping Servine up with one arm, Lin Feng felt it instinctively press its tiny hands against his arm for balance, while its slender tail curled gently around his leg.
[Congratulations! You've raised Servine's Happiness from 40% to 80%. Rewards: 15 bags of Golden Fertilizer, 1 Mid-Grade Rare Candy, 1 Kee Berry.]
"Huh?"
The sudden system notification about Servine's surge of happiness made Lin Feng glance down at the Pokémon in his arms.
"Teng-teng?" (What's wrong?)
Even Servine's normally cool blood felt a little warmer than usual.
"Nothing~"
Lin Feng shook his head with a smile. "Alright, Pidgeotto."
He extended his other hand upward, and Pidgeotto swooped closer, allowing Lin Feng to grasp its talons as it lifted them across the river.
They flew until they reached the cabin's front. Besides the door, the wooden cabin had a small window-like opening. Through it, Lin Feng could see an elderly man, around sixty years old, sitting in a traditional wooden armchair.
The man wore a teal-green long robe, glasses perched on his nose, and held a yellow-covered book in his hands. Though he heard someone approaching, he didn't look up. Instead, he spoke in a low, knowing voice.
"Another trainer coming to look for Gardevoir, huh? That Gardevoir… it's no ordinary Pokémon, you know…"
There was a deep skepticism in his tone, as though he doubted any outsider trainer could actually capture it.
Lin Feng called out a greeting. "Uncle Liang, it's me."
The old man was the forest ranger of Wutong Forest, officially appointed by the Pokémon League.
No one really knew exactly how long he'd been stationed there. As far back as Lin Feng could remember, Uncle Liang had always been a fixture in this place.
Uncle Liang rarely ventured into town, only occasionally seen carrying groceries along the stone paths.
Lin Feng faintly remembered seeing the man's Pokémon as a child.
That Pokémon was a Lucario a gentle-looking one, at that.
The man known as Uncle Liang finally lifted his gaze when he recognized the familiar voice. His somewhat cloudy eyes softened into a smile.
"Xiao Feng, it's you! I heard you didn't go off to university and instead reopened your family's breeding center and plantation?"
"Mm." Lin Feng nodded, then quickly produced some Bok Choy and Tamato Berries from his storage ball. "These were grown in my plantation. Please try some. If you like them, you're welcome to come by and pick more anytime."
Lin Feng held deep respect for this ranger known as Uncle Liang.
The man had literally held him in his arms when he was a child.
Moreover, Uncle Liang had been guarding Wutong Forest for decades, maintaining the delicate balance between the town and the forest and ensuring wild Pokémon didn't stray into town.
That kind of dedication was more than enough to earn anyone's admiration.
"Well now, I'd better take a good look."
Uncle Liang accepted the plastic bag with a hearty laugh. When he glimpsed the vegetables inside, a brief look of surprise crossed his eyes. Soon, though, he regained his calm. "Your farming skills are no less impressive than your parents' were back in the day."
Then his gaze shifted to the Servine and Pidgeotto beside Lin Feng. "So… you're here to look for Gardevoir in the forest too, huh?"
Busted. Lin Feng scratched his head a little sheepishly. "I'm thinking about it, yeah. But catching Pokémon all depends on fate. Honestly, I'd be just as happy catching a Caterpie. That's part of my business too."
Gardevoir might be rare and hard to find, but Caterpie? Much easier.
Lin Feng had his sights set on capturing one. Given some time, it would evolve into Butterfree.
And Butterfree could help pollinate the flowering plants in his plantation, significantly improving fruit yields. For his plantation's future, it would be a very important partner Pokémon.
"By the way, where's Lucario?" Lin Feng asked, glancing around at the empty space near the cabin.
He was hoping to feed Lucario an Energy Cube and maybe score some system rewards in return.
"Heh… Lucario's off in Wutong Forest right now. These trainers keep showing up most of them aren't all that strong, but they sure know how to stir up trouble. Lucario has to keep an eye on things. But if you're looking for Gardevoir, try checking the eastern side of the forest…"
"Huh?"
Lin Feng's eyes lit up. If anyone else had told him that, he might have dismissed it as just another rumor. But when it came from Uncle Liang, he treated it like gospel truth.
After all
Uncle Liang's Pokémon was Lucario!
"Thanks so much, Uncle Liang…"
After expressing his gratitude, Lin Feng confirmed the direction and hurried toward the eastern section of Wutong Forest.
Wutong Forest, Eastern Region
In the eastern part of Wutong Forest lay a lake shaped like a perfect circle. It created a natural barrier between the forest and the sky above. On the surface of its pale blue water, the orange glow of the setting sun rippled and shimmered in delicate flashes of light.
Beside the lake stood a graceful figure, slender and poised, with flowing gown-like appendages gently swaying in the breeze.
At this moment, she was staring intently at her reflection in the water perhaps admiring her own elegant silhouette, or perhaps pondering something deeper that made her especially conscious of her appearance.
At last, she gently shook her head.
"Garde…" (I suppose I'll settle here for now. Let's see if there are any berries nearby…)
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