In the early morning, Lucas climbed out of bed, turned off the light, and went to the balcony to stretch.
Looking at the slightly misty backyard, feeling the morning moisture, and smelling the fragrance of grass, he was in a wonderful mood.
Ever since he came here, his routine has become more regular, and his mood has improved. No overtime, no useless socializing, no annoying work. Perhaps this is the beauty of the Pokémon world.
"Gengar—"
Gengar floated out, rubbing his eyes.
After greeting Gengar, the man and the Pokémon quietly enjoyed the morning's tranquility.
Machamp, along with the two other Machamp, were already up and busy. Although Lucas didn't know what they were doing, they looked up and greeted him.
Lucas waved his hand.
"Lalala…"
Petilil was woken by the commotion. She looked at Lucas and Gengar, greeting them with a soft, adorable sound.
"Good morning, Petilil, did you sleep well last night?"
"Gengar~"
Lucas looked at the Petilil in the flowerpot. The leaves on her head still had dew drops, and their color was deeper than yesterday, though a bit messy.
She seemed to be in good condition.
Thinking of this, Lucas once again checked Petilil's status.
[Petilil]
[Type: Grass]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Chlorophyll]
[Known Moves: Absorb, Growth, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Synthesis.]
[Mood: Joyful]
[Status: Escaped sadness, heading towards light]
[Friendship: 60-90 (I will try my best.)]
[Description: Thank him for leaving the light on for me last night. I will try my best to help!]
He nodded, praised her a few times, and then took Gengar to wash up.
Petilil was watching the distant scene gradually come alive when she suddenly felt something strange on the leaves on her head.
"Lalala?"
Petilil arched her body and looked up. Lucas was holding a pair of scissors and trimming her.
Looking at the trimmed, plump, and gorgeous Petilil, Lucas stroked his chin, nodded, and then said, "What do you think? Gengar, isn't she cute?"
"Gengar~"
Gengar mimicked Lucas's actions, nodding in reply.
Feeling the emotions emanating from Lucas and Gengar, Petilil was deeply moved. Then, the leaves on her head fell off again, grew back, and bundled into a ball.
Then they unfurled, revealing a round tuber lying inside.
[Breeder 1: A qualified Breeder will never ignore a Pokémon's emotions and mood. Petilil has escaped despair and is heading towards a better tomorrow. Received Petilil's gift: Tuber]
[Tuber: When held by a Pokémon, if it is hit by a Water-type move, its Special Attack will increase.]
[Thank you, Lucas, and Gengar — Petilil]
After reading the text that appeared before him, Lucas picked up the Tuber. "Is this a gift from you?"
Petilil swayed her body, indicating that it was.
"Thank you, Petilil."
Lucas smiled, then trimmed Petilil's leaves again, and carried Petilil to the Lake, letting her quietly bask in the sun.
He then returned to the kitchen and made breakfast for Gengar, the Machamp, and himself.
Like most Grass-type Pokémon, Petilil doesn't necessarily need to eat; she can grow simply by basking in the sun and being watered.
After breakfast, Lucas revised the business list written on the wooden board. Just then, Gengar floated over, holding the leaves that Petilil had shed.
"Gengar?"
What should I do with these?
Lucas looked at the leaves in his hand, remembering that the Pokédex entry for Petilil mentioned that the leaves on her head are a popular medicinal herb. If dried and brewed, drinking it would instantly make one feel energetic and also had a good insect-repelling effect.
Lucas took a piece and bit into it.
A bitter taste instantly filled his taste buds, his mind cleared immediately, and he became energetic in the blink of an eye.
"In that case, using them to make herbal tea doesn't seem bad?"
Lucas stroked his chin, muttering softly. He then told Gengar to take the remaining leaves to dry.
After he finished revising the business list on the wooden board, he displayed it, announcing that the Breeding House was officially open… At this moment, on the forest path, sunlight dappled through the leaves onto the ground, and onto Rhys's hair and body.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced into the distance, spotting a house with an open door standing there.
He remembered that place; it used to be where a Great-Aunt lived. He had played there when he was a child, but it later closed down, and he hadn't returned. However, yesterday he heard news that it had reopened.
So he came to check if the news was true or false.
He arrived at the entrance and looked at the wooden board next to the door, which read:
[Gengar's Happy Paradise (Breeding House)]
[Service 1: Pokémon Boarding.]
[Service 2: Pokémon Egg Sales.]
[Service 3: Rare Item Sales: Tuber]
[Service 4: Small Item Sales: Custom Wood Carvings]
[Gengar's Tip: The weather is hot. Today's recommendation: "petilil herbal tea"]
"It's really… open?"
Rhys looked at the services listed, muttering to himself. Immediately after, he saw a purple Pokémon fly towards him.
"Gengar?"
At this moment, Lucas was lying on a chair, reading a book on herbalism. Hearing Gengar's voice, he turned his head and saw a person standing outside the door.
He quickly had Gengar welcome the guest inside, then stood up and asked, "Hello, I am Lucas, the owner of this Breeding House. How may I help you?"
Rhys followed Gengar in. He looked at the interior, whose decorations were completely different from his memory, and was momentarily lost in thought. Hearing Lucas's words, he snapped back to reality.
"Hello, my name is Rhys. I would like to purchase a Pokémon Egg. I heard you sell them here."
Hearing Rhys's words, Lucas nodded and then smiled, "Then, Mr. Rhys, do you have a specific Pokémon Egg you wish to purchase?"
"This…"
Rhys didn't know which Pokémon's egg he wanted to buy.
"The type is also fine. For example, if you want to be a Trainer, you can buy some powerful ones. Or if you need companionship, you can buy some gentle ones."
Hearing Lucas's words, Rhys suddenly understood and quickly said, "I want a Pokémon to accompany me fishing."
"Fishing? Mr. Rhys is also an experienced angler."
Lucas glanced at him and said.
"To be honest, I only returned to Twinleaf Town a while ago. I was always studying as a child, then high school, then university, until I started working. I never had a Pokémon of my own. Later, after working for a few years and saving some money, I didn't want to live that exhausting life anymore, so I quit my job."
Rhys rubbed the back of his head, smiled, and continued, "Then I returned to Twinleaf Town and spent every day watching others fish by the sea. I developed some interest in fishing, so I wanted to buy a Pokémon to accompany me. Yesterday, I heard from Jenny that a Breeding House had reopened here, so I came over."
"Fishing is a refined hobby. To be honest, Mr. Rhys, I've also been thinking of taking Gengar fishing sometime soon."
Lucas said as he led Rhys towards the Hatchery.
"Oh, by the way, this Breeding House is still the old Breeding House, it just changed owners. The previous owner was my Great-Aunt."
Rhys understood after hearing this.
"If you want a fishing companion, a Water-type Pokémon is best. How about a Buizel?"
Lucas pointed at the Buizel's Pokémon Egg and said to Rhys.
"Buizel…"
Rhys remembered the orange Pokémon he had seen, handsome and powerful.
"Okay, I'll take the Buizel."
Rhys nodded and then asked, "How much?"
"One hundred thousand League Coins."
Lucas said. Buizel is not considered a very rare Pokémon, so the price was relatively reasonable.
"Okay, then I'll take it."
Rhys nodded, his gaze fixed on the Pokémon Egg in Lucas's arms.
Lucas took the stethoscope from Gengar and carefully examined the Buizel's egg in front of Rhys.
[Buizel's Egg]
[Hatching Progress: 24 / 30]
"It's very healthy, and it will hatch in just a few days."
Lucas said with a smile, then packed up the incubator and some necessary items, handed them to Rhys, and reminded Rhys of some precautions.
Rhys carefully held the incubator containing the Buizel's egg and paid the money.
He saw off his first customer from the Breeding House, watching his retreating figure carrying the incubator.
"This is great, Gengar, we finally have a customer!"
Lucas tugged at the corner of Gengar's mouth beside him, letting out a sigh of relief, and said.
"Gengar… Gengar… ╮(‵▽′)╭"