Hatred was not something Lin Feng could control. That belonged to Salamence. What he could do, however, was guide it make sure that rage didn't consume everything and everyone indiscriminately.
Just like the story he'd once told Salamence before:
If hatred was never resolved, if grudges never met their end, then vengeance would stretch on forever without meaning, without mercy, without peace.
Salamence raised its head sharply, eyes glinting. (So you mean I can go after those people?)
Lin Feng smiled faintly. "Of course. I won't stop you from seeking your revenge."
Hatred was a personal thing. Retribution was a choice.
If Lin Feng were in Salamence's place captured, restrained, his blood drawn day after day in the name of human research then freed only to find himself stronger he would probably feel the same way.
After all, even in the stories, there were champions who rose from suffering, who carried their scars as proof of survival.
So no, he wouldn't stop Salamence.
(Good!) The dragon's voice thundered with satisfaction. Its expression softened slightly as it looked at Lin Feng, and for the first time, there was no hostility in its eyes.
This human, it thought, wasn't so bad after all. He fed it daily, treated its wounds, and now he wasn't even stopping it from taking revenge.
It spread its wings, ready to take off.
"Wait!" Lin Feng raised his hand quickly. "Hold on. Don't just fly off like that hear me out first."
Salamence froze mid-motion, its wings still trembling with eagerness. But since Mewtwo was watching from nearby, it restrained itself and waited.
"What exactly do you plan to do?" Lin Feng asked.
(Avenge myself!) came the immediate answer.
Lin Feng pressed a hand against its scaled wing. "And with what strength? Think about it. The people who caught you once could easily do it again. They had numbers, resources, and coordination. Why would they give you a fair one-on-one fight now?"
The dragon hesitated. The truth cut deep.
Its strength had recovered but back then, it had been this strong too. And it was still captured.
The realization sank in slowly.
"See?" Lin Feng said gently. "You understand. It's not about not fighting it's about fighting right. Grow stronger first, then decide how to face them."
Salamence lowered its head slightly. Its mood dropped a little, but the words made sense.
Lin Feng noticed the dip in its energy reading and patted its neck. "In the meantime, stay in the training grounds. Focus on your growth. Once you're ready, no one will be able to touch you."
(...Alright.)
The dragon nodded earnestly. Dragon-types lived long lives. Salamence was still in its prime it had time, plenty of time.
And besides, it could feel it: here, under Lin Feng's care, its power grew faster than it ever had before.
At that thought, a new light burned in its eyes purpose. Its entire face lifted with renewed determination, as if reborn.
Watching this, Lin Feng couldn't help but smile warmly. His patient guidance had paid off. The dragon had finally found balance.
Later that day, after Salamence's mood and affection had risen once more, Lin Feng returned to his garden.
Inside his newly built kitchen, he opened a storage capsule and took out a small glass bottle. Inside floated a jagged piece of black stone, soaked in a silvery fluid.
It was the Shadowstone, something Mew had brought to him two days ago.
At first, Lin Feng had assumed it was the same stone Darkrai had given to Feng Yang. But Mew explained otherwise this one, it said, had been taken directly from Darkrai itself.
That had been a relief.
At least Mew hadn't stolen from a friend.
But before Lin Feng could breathe easy, Mew had produced another item: a single fiery feather.
It shimmered with living flame.
"This," Mew said proudly, "is from the Moltres under Feng Yang's care."
Lin Feng had gone completely still. His expression froze like stone.
A piece from Darkrai, and a feather from Moltres.
Only Mew, he thought wearily, could manage that.
When the shock faded, he couldn't help but laugh. "Did you at least ask before taking these?"
Mew shook its tiny head innocently.
"That's not good," Lin Feng said, tapping its forehead lightly. "You can't just take things without asking. That's stealing."
Mew's tail flicked lazily. (But they have plenty! These are just little pieces. I like collecting strange things.)
Lin Feng sighed, half amused, half exasperated.
In truth, Mew wasn't entirely wrong. Moltres shed feathers during molting seasons. The feathers it lost naturally would regrow soon enough. And as for the Shadowstone Darkrai's energy was vast, and it could form fragments of darkness without noticing.
Still, a lesson was a lesson.
"Alright, let me give you an example," Lin Feng said patiently. "Imagine you're the guardian of the Tree of Life. It's your home, your root. Now, on that tree grows something valuable something humans see as treasure. It regenerates on its own, just like those feathers or stones.
But then, a human climbs up and takes it without your permission. Even if it grows back later, how would you feel?"
Mew blinked, tilting its head.
The mention of the Tree of Life made it fall silent. For it, that wasn't just a metaphor the Tree truly was its anchor, its heart. If it vanished, Mew would vanish too, and the world's balance would collapse.
After a long pause, it shook its head. (I wouldn't like that. The Tree is important.)
"Exactly," Lin Feng said softly. "It's the same idea. Even if something regrows, taking it without asking still hurts the one it belongs to."
He smiled, gently ruffling the fur between Mew's ears. The little creature looked thoughtful, its tail curling slowly.
There was no need to scold it. Pokémon like Mew ancient, mysterious beings had lived for countless centuries. Lessons like these had to be learned through patience, not punishment.
Later, Lin Feng turned his gaze back to the bottle holding the Shadowstone. The dark gem gleamed faintly, rippling within the water.
At first, he'd thought about returning it. But Mew had said something important: Darkrai's energy existed in multiple places at once, scattered like shadows across the world. Finding the exact one it came from would be nearly impossible.
Besides, he'd noticed something fascinating. Whether submerged or exposed, the Shadowstone constantly released dark energy.
When left in the open air, that energy spread outward, seeping into the surroundings. If left unchecked, it could easily blanket the entire town in a ghostly miasma.
Even with Mewtwo and Mew around, the thought of that was unsettling.
But when the stone was submerged, its energy dissolved into the liquid instead harmlessly dispersing, gentler and stable.
That gave Lin Feng an idea.
If the water absorbed the dark energy, perhaps it could be used for something constructive instead of dangerous.
He jotted notes into his research log as the readings flickered across the Insight Eye:
Observation: When water is infused with the aura of a Shadowstone, it transforms into a potent medium capable of carrying Dark-type energy.
Hypothesis: Using this water in cooking might induce unique reactions in food.
Result (Predicted): Meals prepared with Shadowstone-infused water may subtly attract Dark-type Pokémon.
Side Effect: May cause nightmares or negative emotions in those who consume it. These effects can be neutralized by incorporating counterbalancing elemental energies.
Lin Feng looked up from his notes, smiling faintly. "So it's not just dangerous it's useful, too."
He swirled the bottle lightly. The black mist inside shimmered, curling like ink in the water.
"Maybe I should try using it as a seasoning," he mused, half-joking. "A 'Shadowstone sauce' might just become a hit if it doesn't give me nightmares first."
Mew floated beside him, eyes curious. (You're really going to eat that?)
Lin Feng chuckled. "Of course not right away. First, I'll test it on something safer."
He placed the bottle carefully on the counter, the dark glow reflecting in his eyes.
There was power here mysterious, dangerous, but not evil. Just misunderstood, like many of the Pokémon he had met.
As the room filled with the faint hum of energy, Lin Feng couldn't help but feel a thrill of anticipation.
Who knew? Maybe this strange experiment would lead to something greater.
Something that would, once again, bridge the line between humans and Pokémon not through force, but through understanding.
And perhaps even through cooking.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
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.