After breakfast, the three Mythical Pokémon left.
Maybe it was the sweet egg custard they ate earlier, or maybe they simply felt lighter in spirit, but when they departed, their faces no longer carried the heavy sadness from before.
Hatterene began tidying the table, while Lin Feng brought Serperior to the new orchard.
During the past two days, the Sandshrew had overturned every stone and clod of soil in the new planting area. With winter approaching, Lin Feng planned to divide the land and designate areas for berry trees.
The new orchard stretched from the irrigation channel to the riverside. It formed a square patch of land, bordered by land on three sides and the river on the fourth. Lin Feng spread out the layout in his mind, almost reaching bedrock with how deeply he examined it.
Standing before the nearly twice-sized orchard compared to the old one, he felt a rush of ambition. A sense of heroism stirred inside him.
He patted Serperior's body.
"See this, Serperior? This is the empire I am building for you. This orchard will be your kingdom."
Serperior blinked, tongue flicking.
"Serp...?" (It is empty for now.)
Lin Feng laughed.
"It will not stay empty forever. One day it will be filled."
He focused his Aura downward, sensing the earth beneath his feet. No fist-sized stones remained. He nodded with satisfaction.
Sandshrew had done a meticulous job.
Staring at the wide field, Lin Feng muttered his plans aloud.
"Just like the previous orchard. Oran Berries on the outer edge, Pecha Berries in the inner ring.
And we also need... Alolan Vulpix likes Snow Pear Berries. Bounsweet loves berry juice. That means we must plant far more berry types than before."
He summoned Alolan Vulpix, Goodra, Hatterene, Milotic, Rotom and several others to discuss how they should arrange every section.
Everyone participated eagerly.
Milotic suggested planting Cheri and Pecha trees alternately on both sides of the irrigation channel. Alolan Vulpix supported the idea, which was soon approved by Milotic and Hatterene who lived near the water.
Cheri leaves turn pink quickly as seasons shift. Fallen leaves would normally require cleanup, but if they drifted into the canal, the current could carry them downstream or into the river. When Pecha trees blossom, their flowers are shades of soft pink too. With petals floating over water, the canal would look like a dreamscape.
The only drawback might come next year, when the trees grow tall. Milotic and Brionne might need to use the water current more carefully while swimming.
Which reminded Lin Feng.
Maybe the canal should be widened next year. Perhaps even turned into a small stream.
He watched Milotic and Brionne swim gently through the channel.
It fits them for now. But when Brionne evolves, it might be a little cramped.
He glanced at Brionne's status.
"It is almost time for evolution," he murmured.
"Vul?" (So next year this place will really become a berry orchard?)
Alolan Vulpix asked with sparkling eyes.
"Unless something unexpected happens, yes."
"Vul vul!"
The fox hopped lightly, tapping both paws together with joy.
It had imagined its future many times.
Running through fields of fragrant blossoms with Eevee and the others.
Resting on Milotic's back while petals drifted across the water.
Picking fresh berries when thirsty.
Falling asleep beneath fruit trees in warm sunlight.
Just the thought was beautiful.
Lin Feng considered more carefully.
If the orchard expanded this way, it would border the forest. Wild Pokémon lived there.
When fruits ripened, many would likely visit.
He would love to grow normal apples too. Appleton and Appletun lived among apples, feeding and nesting inside them. At first they sounded troublesome, but actually they sped up berry growth. With Appletun around, berry ripening could even double. For an orchard, that was undeniably a blessing.
He thought further.
If Aipom, Minccino or Greedent wandered in to steal fruit, should he pretend not to see?
Or catch them and put them to work?
If they were greedy, they would work.
If they were not greedy, they would still have to offer their bellies for him to squish and tease.
…
The next day passed peacefully.
Lin Feng searched online for all the berry seeds he listed and placed an order. Since the seeds were from various regions, shipping would take time. He was not worried. Berry seeds sprouted fast and grew quickly.
The sky turned gray. Rain threatened.
Not good weather for farm work. Not good for anything, really.
With unexpected free time, Lin Feng walked toward the daycare front counter.
A customer stood there. The moment he saw Lin Feng, his eyes brightened.
"Lin Feng! It is been a while. Hard to catch you these days."
"Huh?" Lin Feng paused, confused. "Something happened?"
The man looked familiar. Probably a regular. His tone, though, felt emotional.
It was true. Ever since the Hatterene siblings started managing the daycare, he rarely stayed at the front. He only came to refill the energy cubes once daily. The rest of his time was spent cooking or gardening.
Maybe he had been absent too long.
The customer waved his hand quickly.
"No, nothing bad. I just wanted to thank you. You are really an amazing breeder. Ever since I followed your advice, my Treecko has been much more obedient."
"Advice?" Lin Feng blinked.
Then he remembered.
Before a heavy storm, this same man had bought energy cubes while complaining,
"My rebellious kid never listens. I want it to use Bullet Seed, but it insists on Pound."
He had planned to stop buying cubes at one point, but left with a full bag after venting.
Lin Feng had told him,
"Guide slowly. Respect what your Pokémon enjoys."
A simple suggestion.
Lin Feng smiled.
"So now it listens?"
"It does. Actually..." The man sighed.
"The day it hatched, I was not there. It was born at night, alone in a dark room. When I returned, Treecko mistook me for an enemy. Even after it understood later, something remained tense between us. It refused to follow my training."
Lin Feng's expression softened.
Left alone at birth, frightened and cold.
No wonder it acted that way.
The man laughed awkwardly.
"I know. It was my fault. Still embarrassing to say aloud."
He had decided he would raise Treecko properly even if it stayed stubborn forever.
Yet things turned out well.
Lin Feng nodded.
"Then it makes sense. Treecko is proud by nature. That kind of rebellion is normal when trust breaks. It was not defiance, it was insecurity. The harsher you push, the harder it resists. Gentle patience is what it needed."
The man smiled gratefully.
"Exactly. You are completely right. Next time, I will bring Treecko to meet you. It keeps wondering where those energy cubes come from."
Lin Feng chuckled.
"Anytime. You are welcome here."
After the man left, drizzle began to fall. The air carried a soft smell of rain.
Fewer customers would come today.
Alcremie were already looking drowsy behind the counter.
"It is raining. Do you want to sleep?" Lin Feng asked.
"Alcremie?"
One blinked slowly, a teardrop-shaped cream bead forming under its eye.
It tried to stay awake.
"Alcremie..." (What if customers come?)
"It is alright. If you are sleepy, go rest. Indeedee is here."
"Indeedee."
Indeedee nodded confidently beside him.
The Alcremie relaxed. Lin Feng used Psychic to gently carry them into the back room, placing them each in soft bowls.
"Rest well. I will call you for meal time."
"Alcremie..."
They fell asleep almost instantly.
Time passed swiftly. By noon, Mew returned with Victini and Jirachi. Wherever they went today, they came back smiling. They stayed inside the daycare peacefully for the rest of the afternoon.
At five, the rain stopped, but the ground remained wet.
Alolan Vulpix and Eevee did not go out to play. Instead, they rested quietly in the backyard.
Finally, Lin Feng sat down to speak with Victini, his newest companion.
"Vulpix..." (Rayquaza was unbelievably large.)
Alolan Vulpix spoke animatedly, trying to describe the sky dragon's massive form.
"Victini?" (How big?)
Victini asked curiously.
The largest Pokémon it had ever seen were Reshiram and Zekrom during the princes' war. Those battles nearly split their kingdom apart. Victini hated that memory. It and the old king had been powerless to stop two ideals colliding.
"Vulpix..."
Vulpix tried but could not express the scale well. It stood up, spreading both tiny paws as wide as it could.
"Vulpix!" (This big! This big!)
Victini stared, unconvinced.
Vulpix looked at Mew for help, but Mew lay lazily on the sofa, batting a catnip ball Lin Feng made, uninterested in transforming into Rayquaza. Lin Feng had already warned it not to take that form lightly, or Rayquaza might sense it. They could not handle that yet.
In the end, Serperior used Aura to project the memory directly into Victini's mind.
Victini froze.
So massive. Larger even than the dragons it once knew.
"Vulpix!" (Yes! And someday I will defeat it.)
The fox puffed its chest proudly.
"Victini?" (Why defeat it?)
"Vulpix!" (Because it scared everyone, and it scared Lin Feng. So I will defeat it to protect them.)
Victini stared wide-eyed.
How could such a small Pokémon hold such a grand dream?
Rayquaza was a god in the sky.
A being even legendary dragons feared.
Yet this little fox believed it could fight one someday.
Victini hesitated before asking softly.
"Victini..." (You have a trainer then?)
"Vulpix!"
The fox's eyes shone as it answered without hesitation.
"Because I have Lin Feng. He is the greatest trainer in the world."
Its happiness was pure and bright.
Then it asked innocently,
"Vulpix?" (Do you have a trainer?)
Victini froze.
Emotion rushed up like a wave.
Its eyes glimmered, heavy with many years of memory and a loneliness buried too deep.
Victini trembled, lips quivering, and tears silently welled up.
It never had one.
Not really.