In short, over the past few days, challengers had been arriving one wave after another.
Of course, not everyone possessed Elite-level strength.
Many came filled with confidence and lofty ambitions, only to leave disappointed.
Some even intended to expose the whole thing as a scam.
But the moment they stood before Pidgeot, they realized they couldn't even clear the second stage of the Sky Challenge.
With no choice, they quietly slipped away in embarrassment.
Amid the constant bustle, time flowed by like running water.
April 24th.
In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed.
The rapid changes around the breeding ranch had finally begun to slow, and naturally, the crowds became quieter as well.
After breakfast that morning, Lin Feng checked the barrels of Honey Grape Wine stored in the cellar.
He let out a long sigh.
His face was filled with helplessness.
Only ninety barrels remained.
Good grief...
When he had first brought back that enormous shipment of Honey Grape Wine from Honey Grape Town, he had confidently thought it would last him for over ten years.
Who would have imagined...
It hadn't even lasted a single year.
It wouldn't even survive until the next Honey Grape harvest season.
"It should at least last until the next batch finishes brewing."
After checking his remaining stock, Lin Feng walked over to the newly brewed barrels.
As spring advanced, the sunlight became stronger each day.
The berry fields were producing larger harvests than ever before.
Instead of turning every Berry into Pokéblocks, Lin Feng had begun using the surplus to brew different varieties of fruit wine.
"The Pecha Berry Wine..."
"It should be ready by now."
Among all the berries growing in the fields, Oran Berries were the most common.
Pecha Berries came second.
However, the first batch of Pecha Berry Wine had produced only seven or eight barrels.
It couldn't be helped.
The berries ripened at different rates every day, so each barrel required a different fermentation period before reaching maturity.
On top of that, every variety of berry wine had its own brewing time.
To avoid mixing them up, every barrel needed to be carefully labeled.
Indeedee had taken over that responsibility.
It arranged every barrel neatly in order and attached labels recording their brewing dates.
Lin Feng opened one barrel of Pecha Berry Wine.
The moment the lid came off, a rich pink liquor released an intoxicatingly sweet fragrance.
He leaned closer and took a sniff.
Immediately, he knew.
The first batch had finished aging.
S-Rank Dish: Pecha Berry Wine
A premium fruit wine brewed from carefully selected Pecha Berries.
Cooking Effects:
Effect One: Detoxification
Neutralizes most toxins within the body after drinking.
The first serving permanently increases poison resistance by 10%.
Long-term consumption continues to improve poison resistance.
Effect Two: Clear Mind
Can restore Pokémon suffering from confusion back to full mental clarity.
Effect Three: Sweet Aroma
Drinking it naturally lifts one's mood and creates a pleasant emotional state.
Effect Four:
Long-term consumption causes Poison-type Pokémon to gradually reduce the toxicity stored within their bodies.
Effect Five: Purify Illness
Restores vitality while helping eliminate serious illnesses.
"Huh?"
"It actually reached S Rank?"
Lin Feng couldn't hide his surprise.
Honey Grape Wine had only been rated A+.
Yet this Pecha Berry Wine had reached S Rank.
And...
It possessed five separate cooking effects.
That was honestly outrageous.
As he continued reading, one particular effect immediately caught his attention.
Long-term consumption reduces the toxicity within Poison-type Pokémon.
"...That's terrible."
If a Poison-type Pokémon lost its natural toxicity, its combat ability would decrease dramatically.
Clearly, this wine wasn't suitable for Poison-types.
Then again...
Perhaps that wasn't entirely true.
If someone carried this Pecha Berry Wine into the Distortion World...
It would probably become something completely different.
Instead of reducing poison...
It would likely increase toxicity.
Of course, every other effect would also reverse.
Healthy people would become sick.
Poison resistance would weaken.
Good moods would turn into depression.
Clear minds would descend into confusion.
"...That's even worse."
Among all five effects, the fifth interested Lin Feng the most.
Purify Illness.
It restored vitality and even helped eliminate serious diseases.
Although humans in this world possessed exceptionally strong constitutions, that didn't mean they never became ill.
In fact...
Because Pokémon trainers constantly traveled, injuries like broken bones, deep cuts, and severe bruises were incredibly common.
As for illnesses such as colds...
Those naturally existed too.
Most of them were caused by trainers themselves.
Some careless trainers never checked maps.
Others ignored weather forecasts.
They simply wandered wherever their feet carried them.
One day they could be walking beneath bright sunshine.
The next day they'd arrive somewhere caught in a torrential downpour.
Without an umbrella, they'd end up soaked to the bone.
And once they caught a cold...
Who else could they blame?
There were even stranger illnesses.
For example...
Some Ghost-type Pokémon could drain a person's life force.
Thinking about sickness reminded Lin Feng of his last trip to the Alola region.
He had even stayed overnight at Mallow's house.
Back then...
He had jokingly taught Mallow the Rotom treatment method while claiming to be a doctor.
He wondered...
Had she actually believed him?
Lin Feng smiled and shook his head, dismissing the thought.
His attention returned to another effect listed on the wine.
"A pleasant mood..."
"So it just makes you feel happier?"
"I wonder what that actually feels like."
"Hehe..."
"But Serperior is definitely going to love this Pecha Berry Wine."
The thought immediately brightened his mood.
Taking a bottle from the Storage Ball at his waist, he filled it with the freshly brewed wine using his psychic power.
After sealing the barrel again, he hurried toward the berry fields.
When he arrived, the hardworking Ambipom were still busy harvesting berries.
By now, nearly all of the former Aipom had evolved.
Even the shiny Aipom had become a shiny Ambipom.
It had become one of the berry fields' most eye-catching sights.
The pink Ambipom darted gracefully among the colorful berry trees, looking especially beautiful.
Nowadays, they were no longer afraid of Lin Feng.
Sometimes they even ran over to rub against him.
They knew from experience that whenever they acted cute...
Even if they occasionally slacked off, Lin Feng would still reward them with delicious treats.
It was noon.
Lin Feng looked around.
Very quickly, he found the elegant green Serperior resting beneath the largest Pecha Berry tree beside the irrigation canal.
Having finished the morning's berry harvest, it was lying peacefully beneath the shade with its eyes closed.
Nearby, Steenee was happily playing.
The sweet fragrance of the berry blossoms had attracted a beautiful pink Butterfree, accompanied by several ordinary white Butterfree.
Full of energy, Steenee chased after them with cheerful laughter.
Sunlight spilled across the irrigation canal, scattering countless shimmering reflections over the water.
Leafeon rested quietly on the thick trunk of a Pecha Berry tree, sleeping comfortably.
April was the season when the sunlight became warmest.
For Grass-type Pokémon like them...
There was no more pleasant time of year.
Along both sides of the irrigation canal, pink flower petals drifted gently from the fruit-bearing trees.
Carried by the breeze, they floated onto the sparkling water, forming what looked like a soft pink carpet decorated with glittering light.
The entire scene radiated peace and tranquility.
Then...
Lin Feng arrived.
The quiet atmosphere was instantly broken.
Carrying a bottle of freshly brewed Pecha Berry Wine, he walked excitedly toward Serperior.
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