After saying goodbye to Grandpa Qin, Lin Feng made his way to a small riverside path, whistling skillfully as he went.
Before long, a Feebas poked its head above the water a brownish-gray fish with ragged scales and a rather scruffy appearance.
Lin Feng, already practiced at this routine, pulled out a Water-type Pokéblock and tossed it into the river.
Feebas snapped it up in a single gulp.
[Congratulations, Host! Feebas's Joy has increased from 10% to 40%. You've received 10 bags of Golden Fertilizer, 1 Rare Candy, and a Vitality Fruit (permanently increases a Pokémon's base HP stat)!]
The rewards were exactly the same as before.
Lin Feng didn't mind. He simply reached out and gently stroked Feebas's head.
"Feebas, would you like to come home with me?"
This particular Feebas had been found by Lin Feng during the spring equinox, after a heavy rainstorm.
He'd discovered it floundering in a muddy puddle. After bringing it home and caring for it for a while, his studies forced him to release it back into the river.
Later, he realized that this Feebas seemed able to sense his presence.
Whenever Lin Feng came near the river, he'd spot the same Feebas trailing after him.
Now that he'd decided not to go off to university, he figured it was time to bring Feebas back to the breeding house for good.
A new addition to his nursery would add a touch of life.
With a splash, Feebas suddenly froze mid-swim. Its dazed, bulging eyes stared at Lin Feng as if asking, Really?
They'd known each other long enough that Feebas could more or less grasp what Lin Feng meant when he spoke.
And besides, Lin Feng now possessed the Viridian Force.
"Of course."
Lin Feng smiled and pulled a Poké Ball from his belt.
He activated his Appraisal Eye:
[Pokémon: Feebas]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Adaptability]
[Potential: Green Grade]
[Individual Values: HP (25), Attack (13), Special Attack (11), Defense (14), Special Defense (16), Speed (10)]
[Level: 6–9]
[Moves: Splash, Tackle]
[Description: An ordinary yet surprisingly perceptive Feebas.]
[Friendship: 85]
[Joy: 95]
[Congratulations, Host! Feebas's Joy has increased from 40% to 95%. Rewards granted: Perfect-Grade Beautiful Scale, Recipe for Potential-Boosting Pokéblocks, 10 Rare Candies.]
"Hmm?"
Lin Feng's eyes lit up as he gazed into those blank fish eyes, now glimmering with irrepressible joy.
He couldn't help chuckling as he lightly tapped Feebas's forehead.
"You really are easy to please!"
Simply promising to bring it home had shot Feebas's Joy from 40% all the way up to 95%.
If he had to describe that level of Joy, it was the kind of blissful rush that left your mind blank and your heart overwhelmed with euphoria.
After skimming through the newly obtained Pokéblock recipe, Lin Feng found himself even more intrigued.
"Not bad at all. Both rewards are perfect for you."
Without further delay, he recalled Feebas into the Poké Ball.
As for the Beautiful Scale…
Lin Feng wasn't planning to use it just yet.
As a Divine-Grade Breeder, he naturally knew the perfect timing to evolve a Feebas with a Beautiful Scale.
With a series of soft chimes ding… ding… ding-dong… Feebas was successfully captured and stored in the Poké Ball.
Even though he was long past his middle-school "chuunibyou" phase,
Lin Feng couldn't suppress the rush of excitement at catching his first Pokémon.
Glancing around to make sure nobody was watching, he raised the Poké Ball triumphantly and struck a classic "V for Victory" pose.
"I've caught a Feebas!"
When he finally came to his senses, he laughed at himself and quickly tucked the Poké Ball back onto his belt.
Then he began strolling along the river.
Today's goal wasn't only to capture Feebas.
He also wanted to check the state of the irrigation channel.
When his parents were still alive, they'd diverted part of this river into an artificial channel to make water access easier for the plantation behind the breeding house.
They'd even dug a reservoir pond inside the plantation for storage.
Lin Feng wanted to inspect the channel's condition.
Once he arrived and took a look, he breathed a sigh of relief.
The channel had merely dried up. A few twigs and branches littered the bottom, but there was no serious damage.
All it would take was clearing the blockage at the river's source to restore the flow.
Instead of heading straight to the river's source, Lin Feng decided to go home first and check on the plantation behind the breeding house.
Ever since his parents passed away,
he'd barely managed the plantation.
Only occasionally, when the Pecha trees bore fruit, did he come back to pick a few.
And judging by the calendar, the Pecha Berries were just about ripe now.
"Might as well grab a few to snack on…"
As he walked, Lin Feng pondered…
He'd been living in this world for eighteen years now.
By this point, he understood it inside and out.
One thing was crystal clear:
This was a parallel world of Pokémon.
And not just any Pokémon world it was the pure, original Pokémon world, untouched by any other fantasy elements.
History books divided the eras of this world into Ancient Times, the Early Modern Period, and the Modern Era.
In ancient history:
Arceus created the first Pokémon Mew.
From there, countless species of Pokémon gradually emerged.
In modern history:
In 1897, Professor Bruce Pi successfully used Berries to craft the first Poké Ball, marking the dawn of modern Pokémon studies.
From that moment on, Pokémon research advanced at lightning speed.
Careers centered around Pokémon Trainers gradually became the main way humans interacted with Pokémon.
Pokémon power shifted from brute-force control to carefully managed partnerships.
For example:
In 1924, the very first Pokémon League Championship was held.
The Trainer who took the championship won tremendous glory and generous rewards.
From that point forward, leagues and tournaments sprouted up like mushrooms after rain.
The status of Pokémon Trainers continued to rise.
By now,
Pokémon were part of everyday life in nearly every household, becoming indispensable partners.
And under this system, power structures reshaped themselves, evolving into centralized organizations like the Pokémon League.
In this parallel world, Lin Feng lived in Wutong Town, a community under the influence of the Donghua League centered in Wutong City.
Other leagues existed, too.
They were no different from the ones Lin Feng remembered from anime in his previous world.
The Kalos League, the Unova League, the Alola region…
He even remembered how, at age fifteen,
he'd caught a glimpse of a "familiar face" in the Pokémon League Championships Leon!
Leon's Charizard, exuding a truly majestic presence, had single-handedly crushed a challenger with a single blow.
It was only then that Lin Feng fully realized:
This world didn't just have Leon.
It also had Lance of the Elite Four, and Cynthia, who was battling her way through the Sinnoh League's Elite Four challenges…
Almost everyone from his memories existed here in some form.
"Hmm… definitely an interesting parallel world."
When he'd first arrived,
his biggest dream had been to become a Pokémon Master.
But now, things were different.
Eighteen years of a quiet life had gradually worn away much of his youthful fervor.
He'd come to believe that being a Breeder might be better.
After all, as a Breeder, he'd get to spend time with many different Pokémon.
Lost in thought…
Lin Feng soon found himself standing in the plantation behind his house.
Years of neglect had left the fields overgrown with weeds. Though lush and green, they were also chaotic and untamed.
His family's plantation was no small plot of land.
All told, it was roughly the size of a football field.
Back when his parents were alive, it would be planted full of seasonal crops, vibrant and thriving.
Now, only a few thriving Pecha Berry trees and Oran Berry trees remained.
The Pecha trees were especially healthy, just entering their fruit-bearing season.
"Hmm?"
Just as Lin Feng was lost in thought,
a streak of green flashed quickly across his field of vision.