September 23rd.
Early morning.
The first person to step into the breeding house was Ryan Luo, a food-review streamer and blogger.
But today felt unusual to him.
Ever since the young assistant Melody Qin left, the shop's opening hours had shifted back by about an hour and a half each morning. Everyone knew why. Lin Feng had to handle all the work in the orchard, tend to the Pokémon, and feed them properly before he could open the shop.
Though some customers grumbled, nobody truly minded.
Yet this morning, at six-thirty sharp, Ryan saw the doors already open.
Curious, he walked in, ready to greet Lin Feng only to freeze in place.
The one standing behind the counter was not Lin Feng, but a Pokémon.
Beside it, Lin Feng leaned casually against the wall, as if waiting to see Ryan's reaction.
"Mime!"
Mr. Mime waved politely, greeting the first customer of the day with unusual seriousness.
Ryan blinked in surprise. "Mr. Mime? Wait… did you actually recruit it to be your cashier?"
Lin Feng chuckled, nodding. "Something like that. It's not really a cashier, but having Mr. Mime around helps a lot. Today's its first shift, so I stayed here to keep an eye on things."
"That's fantastic! Now I can stop worrying about missing your stock whenever you open late." Ryan's eyes lit up.
As a streamer who specialized in reviews, he couldn't afford to hang around Lin Feng's breeding house every morning. Sometimes he had to buy Pokéblocks for his Munchlax quickly before heading out to test food from other shops or restaurants.
And honestly?
Despite all the places he had visited, Ryan still felt Lin Feng's Pokéblocks were the best by far.
In fact, he was convinced that if his Munchlax kept eating them, evolution into Snorlax was just around the corner.
But his job required travel, so he couldn't always be here.
Ryan quickly picked out the blocks he needed, paid under Mr. Mime's watchful gaze, and left satisfied.
Everything went smoothly. From the looks of it, Mr. Mime was a natural at this simple work.
Soon, more customers came. They marveled at the new "employee" but found their purchases handled flawlessly.
Watching this, Lin Feng finally relaxed. He could safely let Mr. Mime handle the counter from now on.
He was just about to head into the kitchen to prepare breakfast when the bell over the door chimed again.
Two students walked in, dressed in the green-and-white uniforms of Wutong High School.
Their eyes darted around nervously, as if afraid to touch anything, before landing on Lin Feng.
"Um… M-Mister Lin?" one of them stammered.
"Hm? What's up?" Lin Feng turned, curious.
The two boys exchanged a look. Finally, one stepped forward and said, "We're students from Wutong High. Our senior, Melody Qin, recommended your shop. She said this is the place where Pokémon can become stronger… is that true?"
Lin Feng froze. "Huh?"
…
Their names were Marcus Zhang and Lucas Reed, both second-year students at Wutong High.
A few months ago, during the school's annual placement battles, they had witnessed Melody Qin's Wartortle face down a Typhlosion in the arena.
They had been stunned.
Her Wartortle was on the verge of evolving into Blastoise, overwhelming an opponent that should have outclassed it.
Later, they learned something even more shocking just before summer break, that same Wartortle had only been a Squirtle so weak it couldn't even manage a proper Tackle.
The revelation left them awestruck.
And when Melody openly explained that the secret behind her Wartortle's rapid growth lay in a small place called "The Neighborhood Breeding House," Marcus and Lucas quietly jotted the name down.
They promised each other they would come here one day.
Then the typhoon hit, delaying everything.
But the moment school resumed and the weather cleared, they wasted no time.
Even though they had already scoured the internet for reviews of Lin Feng's breeding house, standing here now, looking at the young man himself, they couldn't help but think the same thing.
The owner looks so young…
He didn't seem much older than they were.
And everyone knew youth rarely equaled expertise, especially in breeding.
So despite Melody's praise, their first impression was one of doubt.
Marcus finally spoke, his voice firmer. "Our senior really did say it was here. She told us her Wartortle grew strong thanks to this place."
Lucas nodded, though his tone was more hesitant. "So… is it true? Can you really make our Pokémon stronger?"
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow, then laughed softly. "Stronger, hmm? That depends. What exactly do you mean by strong?"
It was one of his favorite questions.
After all, strength was relative.
For some, even reaching Champion level still didn't feel strong enough. For others, simply evolving their starter was already more than enough.
Take Pidgeot, for example. After driving away a flock of Spearow and Fearow, it had grown comfortable patrolling the orchard. It no longer cared much for harsh training, preferring to perch high in the trees, watching over its flock and keeping intruders out.
Lin Feng had even ordered it to patrol the town occasionally, just to keep it active.
But in Pidgeot's mind, it was already strong enough.
So he posed the question again. "Tell me, what kind of strength are you looking for?"
The boys faltered. Clearly, they hadn't expected such a philosophical counter.
After a long pause, Lucas mumbled, "At least… strong enough to beat our examiners, like Senior Melody did."
But Marcus scoffed. "Beating an examiner isn't real strength. I want to be like Champion Wind! That's what true strength means." His eyes gleamed with unshakable admiration.
Lin Feng chuckled. "Big dreams are good. But remember, every step requires steady ground beneath your feet."
He wasn't mocking them. Their goals reflected their personalities clearly: Lucas was cautious and realistic, while Marcus was bold and fiery.
Now that Mr. Mime was handling the shop, Lin Feng had the freedom to put some of his own ideas into practice.
He smiled. "There are many ways to make a Pokémon stronger. The first is careful breeding and care feeding them expensive Pokéblocks or rare berries over a long period. That always works."
Both boys exchanged troubled looks. Their expressions said it all. They were still students, and money was always tight.
Lin Feng considered, then continued, "How about this? If you're serious, I have a challenge that might suit you. It should help your Pokémon grow stronger. Want to try?"
The two boys nodded in unison. "Yes! We want to make our Pokémon stronger!"
"Good."
Lin Feng gestured for them to wait outside a moment.
He walked into the orchard, surveying his Pokémon. After a moment's thought, he called down a few Pidgey and Pidgeotto from the skies, carefully returning them into Poké Balls.
Carrying the Poké Balls back, he met the two eager boys at the door.
"Alright," Lin Feng said with a smile. "Let's find a wide-open space. Your training begins now."
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