"What kind of trainer license do you have?"
Lin Feng froze for a moment, caught off guard by the sudden question. After thinking it over, he answered uncertainly, "I think… just a Junior license."
It was true. He had only ever taken the Junior Trainer qualification exam.
But that piece of paper had never been what defined him. The strength of his Pokémon wasn't tied to his trainer credentials at all. His entire success came from being a Breeder and running his own nursery. That was where his true expertise lay.
"…Really?"
Victor Fang raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. But after a pause, he reminded himself that his "Brother Feng" wasn't the type to lie about trivial things.
"Wait, that's not what I meant." Victor pressed further. "I wasn't asking about your license. I meant, how strong are your Pokémon?"
Lin Feng drew in a slow breath and exhaled. "Hm… they're decent, I guess."
It was an intentionally vague answer. How was he supposed to explain it, anyway? Was he supposed to just blurt out, Oh, by the way, my team could casually take first place in the Continental Tournament if I felt like it?
And that was without even counting Mewtwo. With Gardevoir alone, he could probably make that happen.
Victor fell silent at Lin Feng's evasiveness. He had asked twice, and both times Lin Feng had sidestepped the question. Which in itself was an answer. Clearly, the strength was there, and it wasn't something Lin Feng wanted to casually boast about.
At the very least, it meant his power wasn't any less than Victor's.
Victor eventually left behind two Poké Balls and decided he would look into it himself later. He could always watch the videos Lin Feng posted online and judge the strength of those Pokémon firsthand.
Lin Feng, meanwhile, turned his attention to the two Poké Balls that had been left on the desk. His lips curved into a small, satisfied smile.
Two new Eevee had arrived.
…
That night.
After a long and busy day, Lin Feng finally returned to his room.
The familiar sight instantly lifted his spirits. On the desk sat Alcremie, daintily nibbling a berry. On the carpet, Serperior was coiled elegantly, resting its head atop its own loops. And sprawled across the bed were Alolan Vulpix and the Eevee.
The moment he stepped in, the exhaustion of the day melted away.
It had been nonstop. In the morning, he welcomed the roadwork crew sent by the League. By noon, the Hoopa Construction Team he had privately hired arrived. Unlike the League's workers, they required meals, so Lin Feng had spent time preparing both lunch and afternoon tea for them.
He also met with the town mayor to discuss land deeds, and afterward, he and the Hoopa captain spent hours mapping out the expansion of his orchard. That task alone had stretched longer than he expected.
Then, in the afternoon, he went to inspect the old family house the mayor mentioned. It turned out to be completely empty, which was a relief, and he gave Hoopa the go-ahead to demolish it.
And throughout all of this, he had to keep an eye on Salamence, who was prone to getting restless.
By the time he returned, the day had vanished in a blur. He had only managed a quick glance at the two new Eevee before leaving them in the care of Hatterene and Ajou the Eevee.
Thankfully, things would calm down in the next couple of days. Once the projects were underway, he'd finally have more time to spend with his Pokémon again.
"Eevee?"
The moment Lin Feng walked in, Ajou, his first Eevee, perked up. Its eyes lit with excitement as it patted the bed eagerly, calling to the two newcomers beside it. "Eevee, Eevee!" (This is our new trainer! He's really good to me!)
"Eevee?"
The two new Eevee hesitated, glancing at each other before cautiously turning their gaze toward Lin Feng. Then, almost in unison, they took a step forward.
It was only their second time seeing their trainer in person.
The first was earlier at lunch, when they had been seated at the dining table alongside a dazzling array of Pokémon. There were powerful Pokémon whose presence radiated strength, and elegant ones who carried themselves with noble dignity.
Yet regardless of strength or stature, all of them had treated the new Eevee with warmth.
That was also the first time they had seen Lin Feng. But he had eaten quickly and left before they could interact.
Still, the food had been delicious. Even now, the memory of those flavors made their tails twitch happily.
Now, seeing Lin Feng again for the second time, they noticed something different.
This human was smiling at them.
In fact, the first thing he did when he saw them was smile.
Back at the nursery, the caretaker had once told them something important: If you want to know whether a human is good, look at their first expression when they see you. If they smile, it means they think well of you. If they smile every time, it means they truly like you.
And right now, Lin Feng was smiling warmly.
The two little Eevee relaxed, their nervousness easing just a little.
Lin Feng approached them and crouched down. His voice was gentle, tinged with a note of apology. "I was too busy this afternoon to greet you properly. That's my fault. I owe you both an apology."
"Eevee?"
"Eevee…"
One of the two, slightly bolder than the other, stepped forward first. It placed its small paw in Lin Feng's open hand, softly calling out.
The shyer one hesitated, then flopped onto its back, revealing the snowy white fluff of its belly.
Lin Feng chuckled softly. Clearly, the nursery had prepared them well. Eevee were taught how to communicate affection to trainers: some offered paws for handshakes, others exposed their bellies to invite cuddles.
Whether through playfulness or trust, both gestures meant the same thing they had accepted him as their trainer.
Truthfully, ever since learning they would be sent to join Ajou, the two had been quietly excited. Most Eevee would eventually find trainers of their own, but being chosen alongside a close companion made it even better.
Lin Feng's chest warmed at the sight. His lips pressed together as joy swelled in his heart.
Fluffy, adorable creatures had a way of calming the soul.
Unable to resist, he scooped them both up, one in each arm, and rubbed his cheeks against their soft fur. The Eevee stiffened at first, but soon relaxed, leaning into him with small, affectionate nuzzles.
Just as Lin Feng was about to check their status panels, however, he felt something tugging insistently at the hem of his pants.
He glanced down.
Alolan Vulpix.
The little fox was glaring up at him, eyes narrowed with unmistakable jealousy.
It had been watching him cuddle the two newcomers for far too long. And he still hadn't given it any attention.
"Veeehhh!"
Lin Feng laughed, setting down the Eevee and carefully scooping up the little fox instead. "Alright, alright. You really are a jealous little thing, aren't you?"
He gave its snowy fur a fond stroke. "And you're the biggest one here, too."
By "biggest," he didn't mean in age, but in size. Vulpix had already grown much larger than an ordinary one, nearly reaching eighty centimeters in height. Compared to the three small Eevee, it looked positively robust.
Thankfully, the bed was spacious. Even with the new additions, there was still plenty of room.
"Veeehhh?"
The little fox pawed at his chest, its cheeks puffed in a pout. It didn't understand the words "jealous little fox," but it knew he was teasing it.
Lin Feng's grin widened. He pressed his forehead gently against its icy one, his laughter filling the room.
On the floor below, Ajou turned proudly to the two new Eevee, its expression smug. "Eevee, Eevee!" (See? Didn't I tell you our trainer is great?)
The two newcomers' tails wagged in agreement, eyes shining as they nestled closer on the bed.
For Lin Feng, the fatigue of the day was gone, replaced by the simple joy of being surrounded by the Pokémon he loved.
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