[SSS-grade Ingredient – The Shadow Stone of Darkrai.
A mysterious stone long carried by Darkrai, filled with dense Dark-type energy.
Note: Water steeped with this stone can be used as a unique seasoning.]
Lin Feng blinked. "Wait… isn't this the same stone Darkrai gave to Ethan?"
His expression stiffened. "Don't tell me that little prankster Mew stole it from him?"
That would be bad. Really bad.
Before Lin Feng could ask, Mew, who had been lounging lazily on his shoulder, suddenly giggled and zipped into the sky, vanishing in a shimmer of light.
Lin Feng sighed and muttered under his breath, "No wonder everyone calls you a mischievous stray cat..."
He decided he'd ask about it during dinner later. Whatever that stone was, he needed to make sure Mew hadn't taken something it shouldn't have.
Just as he turned around, he saw Serperior slithering gracefully toward the orchard with an elegant flick of its tail. Lin Feng chuckled helplessly. "Guess I'll just find Sandshrew for now."
He walked out of the half-finished plantation, following the cobblestone path that led toward the town's edge. The road opened up to where most of the townsfolk gathered close to the marketplace and the main street. That was also where old Mr. Qin lived.
When Lin Feng arrived at the small farmhouse, only Sandshrew was home. It had been left there to keep the old man company and help with daily chores, and since it wasn't officially owned by any trainer, it didn't even have a Poké Ball.
After Lin Feng explained why he had come, Sandshrew's little face lit up with excitement. Its tail twitched, and it almost squeaked out an immediate "yes," but it stopped itself and instead politely clasped its claws together, insisting that it should first ask Mr. Qin for permission.
Lin Feng smiled at that. "Take your time. I'll wait right here."
He leaned casually against the doorframe, watching Sandshrew roll down the road like a little golden tumbleweed, heading toward the construction site. It looked so eager that Lin Feng couldn't help laughing. "It really doesn't take much to make it happy."
A few minutes later, Sandshrew came rolling back at full speed, nodding enthusiastically. Clearly, Mr. Qin had agreed.
"Alright then," Lin Feng said with a grin. "Let's go."
He led Sandshrew back to the plantation.
"Shrew shrew!"
When the little Pokémon saw the vast stretch of land waiting to be tilled, its eyes went wide with delight. There was so much soil to turn, so many rocks to dig up so much work to do!
It must have thought, I'll be rolling in spicy noodles for weeks after this!
Lin Feng chuckled at its awestruck expression. "We've got a big job today, buddy. I need you to loosen the soil carefully and bring out every single rock. It's okay to take your time, just make sure you're thorough, alright?"
"Shrew!"
Sandshrew nodded, its eyes shining with determination. Lin Feng had trusted it with such a huge task how could it possibly let him down?
Once Lin Feng marked off the area for the day's work, Sandshrew dove into the soil with renewed vigor. Dirt flew, stones clattered, and the sound of cheerful digging filled the air.
Watching it work so earnestly, Lin Feng couldn't stop smiling. Sandshrew might not be the fastest, but it was reliable steady and patient. Unlike his old Snivy, it would never "pretend to work" just to slack off.
In fact, Sandshrew reminded him a bit of his Combee diligent and loyal.
Shaking his head, Lin Feng decided to leave it to its work and head back to the nursery. He'd need to buy some spicy berries later anyway. It wasn't the season for them, and his own plantation no longer produced any.
Still, in a world where Pokémon could bend the elements to their will, growing off-season crops wasn't exactly hard it just cost a little more money.
When Lin Feng returned to the breeding house, a Pidgeotto was taking off with a neatly wrapped package that Butler Gardevoir had prepared for delivery to the nearby city.
"How are things going?" Lin Feng asked the elder Gardevoir.
The male Gardevoir, always the serious one, nodded respectfully. "Voir." (Everything's fine. Rotom's been helping me keep the books it makes the accounting work much easier.)
Lin Feng smiled. The Gardevoir siblings had been with him for quite some time now. The younger sister often played outside with the Eevees, Alolan Vulpix, and Goodra, filling the nursery with laughter. Her brother, however, always carried that same solemn, tight-lipped expression.
Without his empathy sense active, Lin Feng sometimes couldn't tell how the older brother was really feeling. Male Gardevoirs always looked composed even when they were quietly exhausted.
But lately, Lin Feng had noticed something interesting.
The younger sister was growing faster both emotionally and physically.
It made sense, of course. The younger Gardevoir was constantly surrounded by baby Pokémon and Milcery, absorbing waves of nurturing emotions every day. Her brother, on the other hand, spent most of his time behind the counter doing routine work less exposure, fewer feelings to draw from.
Still, the elder Gardevoir never complained. Their father had once told him before they were separated: You're her big brother. Don't ever let her suffer when she's with a trainer.
And he had taken those words to heart.
Lin Feng had noticed that too the younger one was already slightly taller now. But how to fix that? It wasn't something he could force.
Just then, someone called from outside. "Hey, Lin Feng!"
He turned to see a local construction worker entering, supporting a Machop whose leg was covered in blood.
"What happened?" Lin Feng quickly knelt down.
The worker sighed. "It got cut on a steel bar while we were hauling materials. It's just a surface wound, but it's bleeding quite a bit."
Machop looked embarrassed, glancing down at its leg. It didn't seem to be in too much pain, just ashamed for messing up its first day on the job.
"Let me take a look," Lin Feng said, inspecting the wound. It was messy but not deep. "Just a scrape."
He was about to use his Verdant Power to heal it when he noticed the older Gardevoir had quietly stepped forward.
"You know how to bandage, right?" Lin Feng asked.
"Voir." (Yes. I learned from my mother.)
That made sense given their background, they would have been familiar with tending injuries, especially since Beedrill often needed care after battles.
"Alright then. I'll fetch some warm water."
While Lin Feng went to prepare a basin, the Gardevoir worked skillfully cleaning the wound, applying medicine, and wrapping it neatly with steady, graceful hands.
By the time Lin Feng returned and added a touch of Verdant Power for faster healing, Machop was already flexing its leg in surprise. The pain had nearly vanished.
The worker exhaled in relief. "Thank goodness. How much do we owe you, Lin Feng?"
Lin Feng waved a hand. "No charge. You're helping repair our town's roads it's the least we can do. Besides, it's really thanks to Butler Gardevoir here."
They tried to insist, but Lin Feng refused to take a cent. In the end, the two thanked Gardevoir sincerely before leaving.
Watching them go, Gardevoir suddenly felt a wave of warm emotions flowing into him gratitude, relief, appreciation. It filled him with joy.
Lin Feng noticed the change and smiled knowingly. "Looks like we just found you a new role. From now on, you're not only our accountant you're also the nursery's official medic."
"Voir?"
Then he brightened. "Voir! Voir!" (Alright! I'll do my best!)
Lin Feng laughed softly. "That's the spirit."
As he looked around the peaceful nursery, a feeling of contentment washed over him. Maybe they weren't a full-fledged Pokémon Center yet, but one day, when trainers started challenging his Sky Trial again, their Pokémon would need care and Butler Gardevoir would be there, ready to help.
And maybe, just maybe, he'd finally feel proud of the emotions he collected not from paperwork, but from healing others.
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