"Not bad at all. You pulled it off on your very first try."
Lin Feng nodded approvingly as he examined the Pokéblocks in front of him. The process Gardevoir had followed was practically identical to his own there was barely any difference at all.
As for why the quality was still a bit lower… well, that probably came down to the additional boosts granted by his own Breeder profession.
"Gardevoir…"
Gardevoir stared at the Pokéblocks laid out on the table, looking a bit dazed. She'd honestly thought Lin Feng had been joking when he'd told her to come learn how to make Pokéblocks.
She hadn't expected him to teach her everything so thoroughly, holding nothing back.
"Excellent! With you around, we'll be able to ramp up Pokéblock production. But first, I'll need to buy a few more pieces of equipment."
Lin Feng started counting on his fingers. If he was going on a shopping spree anyway, he figured he should pick up a lawn mower, too. He could have Rotom possess it and handle all the mowing. Otherwise, once the grass plains behind the cowshed started growing in, there was no way he'd have time to keep up with the cutting himself.
"Gardevoir?"
A gentle voice echoed in his mind, prompting Lin Feng to look over in surprise. "What's wrong?"
Gardevoir hesitated for a moment, then finally asked, "Gardevoir…" (If they're not my children, would they still be allowed here?)
The Spheal and the others she'd taken in were all Pokémon who, because of their pasts, carried a certain wariness toward humans.
But leaving them alone in the forest wasn't a long-term solution.
Besides…
Ever since she'd started taking care of them, Gardevoir had grown attached.
"Not your children?" Lin Feng blinked, his expression shifting to something a little… odd.
That was the sort of phrase that could easily make someone's mind wander into inappropriate territory.
Was he… wearing a green hat?
No, no what the hell was he thinking? He quickly shook the thought away.
Gardevoir calmly explained, "Gardevoir…" (They're all Pokémon I took in from outside. A Spheal and a Torchic who were abandoned, and a Bounsweet whose mother was captured by a Trainer.)
"Huh? Oh, I see." Lin Feng's eyes lit up as understanding dawned. A grin spread across his face. "A Spheal, a Torchic, and a Bounsweet? That's fantastic."
Those were all great Pokémon!
He could keep Spheal in the pond and let it keep Milotic company. Bounsweet was even better exactly the sort of Pokémon he wanted, one that could provide ingredients for his cooking.
And Torchic could fill the current gap in his orchard's Fire-type lineup and help relieve Pidgey from having to do all the work alone.
Thinking of this, Lin Feng couldn't help grumbling, his tone turning a little annoyed.
"Those Trainers are so heartless. It's bad enough they abandoned their Pokémon, but to capture Bounsweet's mother and leave the child behind… that's just cruel."
If it were him, he'd definitely take both mother and child together.
"So what's the story with the two Pokémon who got abandoned? Don't tell me they're starter Pokémon who just have poor potential?"
Lin Feng asked curiously about the other two Pokémon's situations.
Gardevoir shook her head. "Gardevoir…" (No. Spheal was indeed abandoned because of poor potential, but Torchic… not exactly.)
"Gardevoir…" (Torchic was abandoned because it eats way too much. Its Trainer simply couldn't afford to keep feeding it.)
"What? Eats too much?"
Lin Feng was stunned.
Seriously how much could a baby Pokémon possibly eat to make a Trainer abandon it, especially one who'd received a starter Pokémon in the first place?
"Gardevoir." Gardevoir nodded. "Gardevoir…" (Out of all the Pokéblocks you've been giving me lately, nine-tenths were eaten by Torchic.)
"…What the—"
Lin Feng was completely floored.
A single bottle of Pokéblocks, based on normal consumption rates for a newly hatched Pokémon, should last three to four days.
That was precisely how he'd calculated the quantity he'd been giving Gardevoir just enough to make sure her "children" wouldn't go hungry.
But now she was telling him that ten bottles of Pokéblocks had vanished in less than five days and that Torchic alone had gobbled up ninety percent of it?
Lin Feng couldn't help muttering, "If it eats that much… how much does it… you know… poop out?"
Maybe it had digestive issues?
"All right. Bring them here and let me take a look. Don't worry. My orchard's huge. One Torchic won't eat me out of house and home."
"Gardevoir~"
Gardevoir breathed an obvious sigh of relief. When she'd seen Lin Feng's startled reaction a moment ago, she'd been worried he might refuse to take in Torchic after all.
If she had to leave Torchic alone in the wild, the situation would become far more complicated and heartbreaking.
Knowing the three Pokémon she'd been caring for would finally have a real home lifted a great weight from Gardevoir's heart.
"Gardevoir…" (Thank you~)
Lin Feng waved a hand dismissively. "Hey, don't mention it. You're part of the orchard family now, too. If you ever have any problems, just tell me. If I can help, I absolutely will."
"…Gardevoir…" (Okay…)
Gardevoir responded softly, though she wasn't entirely sure whether she was replying to his first sentence or his last one.
Her figure shimmered and vanished in an instant.
When she reappeared, Lin Feng was already in the orchard.
And standing beside her were three tiny Pokémon.
A Torchic. A Spheal.
And a Bounsweet, who blinked up at him with bright yellow eyes. Its entire round body was encased in a red rind, from which peeked a little bit of tender, white fruit flesh. Atop its rind were green leafy fronds, giving it an irresistibly fresh, juicy look that made you instinctively want to take a bite.
This was an Alolan Pokémon Bounsweet.
A Pokémon whose juices could actually be squeezed out and consumed.
However, all three newcomers were visibly nervous about the unfamiliar environment. Bounsweet, especially, immediately darted behind Gardevoir in fear.
"Chic-chic?"
"Spheal?"
"Bounsweet…!"
Seeing the little Bounsweet, Lin Feng's eyes positively sparkled.
Pokémon: Bounsweet
Gender: Female
Ability: Oblivious
Potential: Green Grade
Level: 11-12
Individual Values: …
Moves: Splash, Play Nice, Sweet Scent, Razor Leaf.
Description: Seems to be a bit timid?
Friendship: -5 (Doesn't like humans…)
Happiness: 0 (Where am I?)
Lin Feng nodded to himself as he read the data. Its stats might have been a bit low, but its potential was solid and, more importantly, it was exactly what he needed.
After all, all he wanted was a Bounsweet who could produce juice!
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