"Planting trees…"
As Lin Feng spoke, he began sorting through the berry seeds he had earned as rewards from the system over the past few weeks.
Lately, the special rewards had become less frequent. He knew exactly why. Most of the trainers and Pokémon in Wutong City had already tried the energy cubes from his breeding house. No matter how delicious something was, eating it for too long would eventually dull the excitement.
Still, after months of steady work, Lin Feng's system storage was packed with a wide variety of berries, all growing in quantity over time.
Among them were several rare seeds though their numbers were small, their value was tremendous.
He examined them one by one.
Two seeds of Belue Trees.
Five of Sandveil Trees.
Three Haban Trees.
Three Liechi Trees.
Each one was a special species, precious and hard to cultivate.
And tucked among them, Lin Feng found a few seeds of Chilan Trees berries that, when eaten, could help Pokémon sharpen their focus in battle, slightly improving their accuracy.
But Lin Feng wasn't convinced that was all they did.
If they truly heightened focus, shouldn't they also make a Pokémon's movements more precise, its dodges swifter?
He smiled thoughtfully. "These would be perfect for the Sky Challenge."
That challenge was all about accuracy and evasion, so berries that strengthened those traits could serve as valuable rewards. Trainers who had failed the challenge several times might buy them as consolation prizes, or use them to power up for another attempt.
After all, he mused, "Before facing a boss, don't most people stock up on potions and buffs first?"
Then why not buy specialized energy cubes before a battle, too?
It was a logical business idea and a good one.
Besides, unlike the usual single-berry rewards his Pokémon brought home after making others happy, these trees would bear fruit steadily once grown. The yield might be smaller, but it was consistent.
That also meant Serperior and Milotic would have more work to do soon.
Milotic could handle it, especially with Primarina's help. And when Goodra finally learned Rain Dance, irrigation would become even easier.
"Shi-shiu."
Serperior returned to his side after clearing the weeds, its sleek body glistening faintly in the sunlight.
"Thanks for your hard work," Lin Feng said with a warm smile.
"Shi…"
Serperior didn't reply. It glanced around once it was sure no one else was nearby, it lowered its body slightly so that its head was level with Lin Feng's eyes.
"Shi-shiu~" it murmured softly.
"What's wrong?" Lin Feng asked, curious.
Serperior's tone was calm, but there was a strange weight in its voice. "Shi-shiu?" (Do you… really like that Pokémon from earlier?)
"You mean Sprigatito?" Lin Feng blinked. "Hmm, I guess so."
He laughed lightly. "When you see something you want to take care of, it's usually because you like it, right? So yeah, I suppose I do."
Serperior tilted its head slightly. "Shi-shiu…" (Is it because it's small enough to hold in your arms?)
It inched a little closer, studying him carefully.
Lin Feng gave a confused chuckle. "What? No, that's not it."
He folded his arms and thought for a moment before explaining. "Liking something isn't about whether I can hold it. You only hold something because you already like it. For example do you think Salamence would ever let me hug it?"
Serperior blinked slowly.
"See?" Lin Feng continued. "Being able to hold something doesn't define affection. Salamence might prefer to show love by blasting me with Hyper Beam instead."
He grinned at the thought.
"Shi-shiu?" (Then… when I was small and you used to hold me, was it because you liked the smaller version of me better?)
The question caught Lin Feng off guard. He raised his brows in surprise.
"How could that be?" he said softly. "I've always liked you whether you were a tiny Snivy or the magnificent Serperior you are now."
He paused, then smiled in a way that was both nostalgic and gentle.
Before Serperior could respond, Lin Feng stepped forward and wrapped his arms lightly around its slender neck.
Just for a second a brief, warm embrace.
Then he let go, smiling.
"I used to hold you because you were small, and it felt natural. You fit perfectly in my arms. But that doesn't mean I stopped liking you after you grew up. It's just…" He scratched his head sheepishly. "You're too big now I can't really lift you anymore."
"Shi-shiu…"
Serperior's gaze softened, though its composure didn't fade.
Lin Feng chuckled. "Besides, even if I could hold you now, you wouldn't want me to do that in front of everyone, would you?"
"Shi-shiu!?"
Serperior froze. The image of Lin Feng publicly hugging it flashed through its mind and for the first time, its face flushed a faint shade of green.
But before it could regain its poise, Lin Feng placed a gentle hand on its head and stroked it affectionately.
"Don't overthink it," he said quietly. "You're still the one I like the most."
Serperior's heart skipped a beat.
It quickly looked around again, eyes darting nervously. When it met Lin Feng's gaze, its expression was a mix of shyness and mild indignation, as if to say, Why would you say something like that out loud?
And yet, beneath its cool exterior, its heart swelled with a warmth it couldn't suppress.
Before either could speak again, a faint giggle drifted through the air.
"Nyooo~"
The air shimmered, rippling like disturbed water.
Then, with a flash of pink light, Mew appeared before them, tail flicking playfully.
It covered its mouth with tiny paws, giggling as it floated back and forth between Lin Feng and Serperior, clearly amused by what it had just witnessed.
Lin Feng simply sighed, half amused, half resigned.
But Serperior's eyes went wide in alarm. Had… had Mew been here the whole time? Watching everything?
"Nyooo~?" (Love~? Lin Feng loves Serperior~)
Mew's voice sang through the air like a teasing melody. Its big blue eyes curved into delighted crescents.
Lin Feng rubbed his temple. "Yes, yes, I like her, alright?"
He reached out, trying to catch the mischievous creature, partly because he wanted to scold it but mostly because, after seeing Sprigatito earlier, he wanted to pet something soft again.
But before he could grab it, Mew twisted in midair and landed on his shoulder, purring like a cat.
It tilted its head curiously, eyes glimmering with playful mischief.
"Nyooo~?" (Then… does Lin Feng like me too?)
Lin Feng groaned softly. "Of course I do."
Who wouldn't like a little pink cat that occasionally dropped rare treasures out of nowhere? Even if it was a bit childish at times.
"Nyooo~" Mew purred happily. (Yay~ Mew likes Lin Feng's cooking too!)
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. "My cooking? That's all?"
Before he could complain further, Mew giggled again and floated to his other shoulder. With a flick of its paw, something small and dark fell into his open hand a black stone, smooth and faintly warm.
Lin Feng blinked, confused. "What's this "
He looked down, and the moment his eyes landed on the stone, his expression froze.
Then his eyes widened in shock.
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