"Giratina seems a little shy."
As space and time shifted once more, Lin Feng found himself back in the familiar cowshed, feeling slightly dazed.
He had spoken with Giratina for quite a while, yet it had barely said a few words in return.
That was understandable. After spending so long alone in the Reverse World, being quiet was probably natural.
"Gardevoir?"
"Show! Show!"
The moment his figure reappeared, Serperior and Gardevoir, who had been waiting in the cowshed the entire time, immediately approached him.
Serperior circled Lin Feng once, carefully inspecting him from head to toe. Only after confirming that he was completely unharmed did she finally relax.
"Gardevoir?"
(Was it the Pokémon that stole the honey mead?)
Gardevoir quickly realized the reason behind Lin Feng's sudden disappearance.
"Gardevoir…"
(What kind of Pokémon was it?)
"Yes…"
"I made you worry…"
Lin Feng scratched his head, looking at Gardevoir as her expression finally eased.
"I should have told you beforehand."
He once again explained Giratina and the Reverse World.
Then he added, "Haven't I been pouring chocolate liqueur into the honey mead barrel these past few days? That was to lure it out and get it to talk to me."
"Gardevoir?"
(So that is why the amount of chocolate liqueur you put out kept decreasing?)
Gardevoir's expression had remained calm while listening to Lin Feng describe Giratina. But when he mentioned deliberately reducing the amount of chocolate liqueur to bait Giratina, her expression turned strange.
Then realization dawned.
"Gardevoir…"
(If it is as powerful as you say, as strong as Rayquaza, weren't you afraid of angering it?)
There was even a hint of reproach in her tone.
Using such a method to provoke a Pokémon of that level…
If it had a violent temperament, it could have dragged Lin Feng into the Reverse World and done whatever it wanted.
They would have been powerless to stop it.
"Ahem… that would not happen. Look, I am perfectly fine, right?"
Of course, Lin Feng had thought about that possibility.
But when he saw Giratina's favorability, he still decided to take the risk.
After all, he could not just watch it come and go, freely taking honey mead without ever addressing it.
"Gardevoir!"
(If what if?)
Gardevoir leaned forward and scolded him softly.
"Gardevoir…"
(At the very least, wait until Mewtwo and Mew are back home before doing something like this again, alright?)
She knew Mew could transform. If Lin Feng truly could not leave the Reverse World, Mew might be able to transform into Giratina and pull him out.
Lin Feng nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick.
"Mm. Next time, for sure."
"Gardevoir…"
Gardevoir looked at him helplessly.
She felt she must be the first Pokémon to care so deeply about her Trainer.
Serperior stood nearby, quietly listening to their conversation.
She turned away and glidedъa glided toward the plantation.
In front of Gardevoir, she already felt weak.
Let alone when it came to beings like Giratina and Rayquaza.
"I have to become stronger, like Ice Ninetales. Once I am strong enough, things like this will not happen again!"
"Gardevoir…"
Gardevoir glanced at Lin Feng's forced grin. Avoidance was already showing in his eyes. Then she looked toward Serperior, who was leaving.
She could not help but say softly, "Gardevoir…"
(Go on. Keep going.)
Lin Feng said nothing more and hurried away.
He first ran to the nursery, then rummaged through the storage room until he found several flowerpots. He carried them to the plantation, washed them clean, and only then took out his Poké Balls.
Slowly, he filled each pot with the soil he had brought back from the Reverse World.
Before long, several large pots were packed full.
"If I think about it from the opposite angle… what should I plant?"
Staring at the purplish brown soil, Lin Feng fell into thought.
Soil from the Reverse World could not retain its effects forever.
Once placed in the real world, its reversed planting properties would gradually fade.
That process took quite a long time, however.
And since he had already reached an agreement with Giratina and could enter the Reverse World whenever he wanted, he was not worried at all.
"If I plant peach trees, would the peaches be poisonous? Peaches that dull neural responses… it feels like everything comes with side effects…"
He stared at the pots, deep in thought.
But he did not dwell on it for long.
"Forget it. Let's try planting some vegetables first."
Lin Feng planted different seasonal vegetables in each pot.
Carrots, white radishes, cabbage, and leafy greens.
Then he hurried back and forth between the plantation and his cabin, searching for Serperior to see if she had gone to sleep.
After searching everywhere, he realized Serperior was not in the cabin at all.
Only by using his aura did he discover that she was still in the new plantation, and was even maintaining a grassy terrain.
"Huh?"
Lin Feng was surprised.
With the weather turning colder, Serperior usually returned to her nest to sleep at this hour.
Not just Serperior. Even Dragonite and the other Dragon type Pokémon had started spending more time sleeping in their Poké Balls.
"Serperior?"
"Show? Show?"
Serperior turned her head.
"You did not sleep today?" Lin Feng asked curiously.
"Show show…"
(No…)
Serperior lowered her head, looking at Lin Feng as he approached.
"These trees will keep growing even without sprouting, at least until next spring."
Lin Feng looked around. The plantation was filled with saplings. In just about ten days, they had already grown to half a person's height, just as he had expected.
At this rate, by next spring they would surely become full grown trees and bear fruit in season.
"Something is wrong."
Seeing Serperior's lowered head, Lin Feng immediately sensed that something was off.
He had assumed it would take some effort to get her to explain what was bothering her.
But the very next second…
Serperior spoke.
"Show show…"
(I want to become stronger…)
"You want to become stronger?"
Lin Feng was startled. He looked at the vibrant young plants around them, then at the bowing Serperior.
Only then did he understand why she had not gone to sleep after lunch.
"Is it because you saw Ice Ninetales and Blaziken suddenly grow so strong?" Lin Feng asked.
"Show show…"
Serperior replied, though her meaning remained unclear.