October 6.
Cloudy skies.
Temperature: 18–24°C.
Inside the kitchen, the coolness of autumn had started to settle in. It wasn't cold enough to be uncomfortable, but it carried that faint crispness that made people reach for a long-sleeved shirt or a light jacket.
Lin Feng had switched out his usual short sleeves for a long-sleeved shirt, sometimes tossing on a jacket just for the feel of the season. Truthfully, it wasn't even about staying warm he just liked the way it fit the weather.
Outside, the roadwork was still ongoing. What made it interesting was that, although the forecast had predicted rain yesterday, the construction team had prepared ahead of time. They'd summoned a Venusaur to cast Sunny Day and kept the rain away.
Moments like these reminded Lin Feng how convenient life in the Pokémon world could be. Natural disasters didn't cause much trouble here unless, of course, they were caused by legendary Pokémon. Then, it would be a real catastrophe.
"Speaking of which, I still haven't thanked the Champion." Lin Feng muttered as he stirred the fruit juice on the counter.
The road repair project was clearly made possible thanks to Champion Wind Yang's help. To have someone of his status involved in a small-town repair job felt almost absurd like using a cannon to swat a mosquito.
He shook his head with a wry smile. His thoughts drifted back to the "Dreamfruit Juice" he had made a few days ago.
The juice, infused with the essence of Dreamleaf Spinach, had an unusual effect: whoever made the juice could shape the dream of the creature that drank it.
If the creator didn't choose to interfere, the drinker would instead fall into a deep sleep and relive fragments of their most precious memories almost like watching a film of their life unfold.
It reminded Lin Feng of the Dreamcake he once made for Beedrill, which had a similar dream-influencing property.
However, when he tried mixing Dreamleaf essence into Sweetfruit Juice in the following days, the results were disappointing. The special effect didn't appear again. At first, he thought it was because he hadn't added enough Dreamleaf, but later he realized the truth: it wasn't about quantity at all.
It was about emotion.
The first time he made it, he had been genuinely wondering if Dreamleaf Spinach could alter dreams. That curiosity had become part of the mixture, awakening the strange property.
So it was possible the "Dreamfruit Juice" could shape memories and dreams.
But the problem was… the ingredient was too rare.
He'd only made four bottles that day, one of which he'd given to Salamence. The result was impressive ever since then, Salamence had been much calmer, staying near Mewtwo more often, though there was always a thoughtful glimmer in its eyes, as if it were contemplating something deep.
That left three bottles.
There was still a small amount of Dreamleaf extract left, but certainly not enough for large-scale brewing.
In other words, this was a specialty product one that couldn't be mass-produced.
"Forget it," Lin Feng sighed.
This wasn't something most trainers would need anyway. Dream manipulation required not only rare ingredients but also his own energy and focus. Selling it in bulk would just be asking for trouble.
It would be better to save it for those who truly needed it those fated to cross his path.
Stretching lazily, Lin Feng stepped out of the kitchen.
Behind the garden, the new outdoor kitchen was nearly complete. It was still a simple brick-and-tile structure, but much larger than the old one. The wiring was installed, and the interior walls were tiled for easy cleaning. The exterior tiles would be added soon.
He walked through the garden toward the plantation. As usual, Serperior was maintaining the Grassy Terrain, its sleek body gleaming with vitality. Yet lately, its luck with mutations seemed to have run out. No new variant vegetables had appeared for days only a peculiar flower had sprouted.
It was a mutated morning glory known as the Lovelink Bloom.
Its effect was, well, rather ridiculous.
Lovelink Bloom: A variant of the morning glory. When plucked and worn, it temporarily heightens one's appeal to Pokémon of the opposite gender until the flower wilts.
Lin Feng couldn't help but find it amusingly useless.
"Maybe I'll let Combusken wear one someday," he muttered, smirking.
Besides Serperior, the plantation was now home to Milotic, Primarina, Combusken, and Butterfree.
Oh, and the Pidgeottos nesting in the pines.
There were about twenty of them. Since Lin Feng's breeding center handled only a few dozen delivery orders a day, each Pidgeotto only had to make two or three deliveries. They actually had a very easy life.
That was why Lin Feng often tried to find them extra activities something to keep their wild spirits from getting dull.
After all, these weren't ordinary domesticated Pokémon; they were raised in the wild.
Meanwhile, Indeedee was busy tending to Eevee, Alolan Vulpix, and Goomy. Salamence hovered silently in the distant sky, ever watchful. Gardevoir was helping Steenee in the kitchen.
And as for Mew... that mischievous little creature was almost never seen. It would vanish for hours, only to reappear right when meals were served.
Lin Feng suspected it might be traveling back and forth to the World Tree every day. If that was true, Mew's daily routine sounded exhausting.
Shaking off the thought, he turned his attention to Combusken.
Weeks of endurance training had sculpted its body into a stronger, more defined form. It had grown taller too showing the faint signs of evolution.
Checking its status screen, Lin Feng nodded.
Pokémon: Combusken (Male)
Ability: Speed Boost
Potential: Red-tier
Level: 35–38
Moves: Ember, Peck, Quick Attack, Flame Charge, Sand Attack, Aerial Ace, Night Slash, Brick Break, Dig, Agility, Detect, Flamethrower
Friendship: 92
Mood: 20 (Why's my trainer staring at me? Is it dinner time yet?)
"Almost there," Lin Feng murmured. "Just a few more days and you'll evolve."
Though, judging from its thoughts, Combusken's priorities clearly revolved around food.
Lin Feng chuckled and looked toward Serperior and Milotic.
Both had reached nearly level 50 an incredible growth considering how small they'd been just two months ago. From a tiny Snivy and a timid Feebas to elegant powerhouses, the transformation was astonishing.
Primarina was progressing too. Thanks to months of high-grade Pokéblock feeding, her potential had climbed all the way to the purple tier. Though she was still a bit behind Combusken in level, her confidence had bloomed.
Where she once hid timidly, now she often swam through the irrigation channels outside the garden, watching passersby with playful curiosity.
Her size was still small enough that most people didn't even notice her.
Yet sometimes, Lin Feng would catch her gazing toward Milotic and Serperior, her eyes filled with admiration and longing.
It was obvious she dreamed of evolving into her final, majestic form.
A faint flutter interrupted his thoughts.
Tiny, glittering scales drifted down like snow.
Butterfree landed gracefully on his shoulder, greeting him with a soft, happy chirp.
Lin Feng smiled, gently raising a finger to stroke its wing.
"Good morning, Butterfree," he said warmly. "Looks like everyone's doing just fine today."
And as sunlight filtered through the greenhouse glass, he couldn't help but feel a quiet satisfaction his little world of Pokémon was thriving, growing, and dreaming, just like the Dreamfruit Juice he'd brewed days ago.
It was a good day to be alive.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
Love the story? Show your support and unlock early access to new chapters by joining me on Patreon! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.