Early morning.
The first rays of sunlight spilled into the wooden hut.
Lin Feng was up bright and early, heading out to check on the crops he'd planted yesterday in his field.
After just one night, some of the seeds were already sprouting tender green shoots, a few centimeters tall.
This made Lin Feng nod repeatedly in satisfaction. "Man, the system's Golden Fertilizer really is insane!"
In this world, most plants did grow faster than back in his previous life, but nothing quite this fast.
At most, the natural growth speed was only two or three times quicker than normal, though the environment was far easier to control.
After all, in a world with Pokémon beings that defied all logic anything was possible.
Once he finished watering, Lin Feng returned to his room.
Snivy and Feebas were already awake.
Snivy was standing by the window, basking in the glow of the morning sun.
Feebas, meanwhile, was floating in its tank, staring at Lin Feng with a blank, stone-like expression.
Lin Feng took out the leftover Pecha Berry Pokéblocks from yesterday and poured them into a small bowl.
"Come on, breakfast time," he called to Snivy.
"Sni sni."
Snivy responded with a soft cry. Though she was still a little shy, she was gradually accepting her new identity.
Carrying her bowl, she climbed onto the table, picked up a Pokéblock, and started eating with graceful little bites.
Lin Feng then moved over to Feebas's tank. He crushed one of the Pokéblocks and sprinkled it into the water.
Feebas's scales were still bumpy and uneven in places.
If it evolved now, the Prism Scale might cover up some of these flaws, but they would still affect its beauty after evolution. Rather than leaving them to become permanent and harder to fix later, it was better to address the problem while Feebas was still in its current form.
It wasn't a big issue.
With frequent water changes and a steady diet of Pokéblocks, those uneven scales could likely be smoothed out in about half a month.
Except, the system's sudden announcement completely upended his plans.
Congratulations, Host! Feebas's Happiness has increased from 60% to 75%. You've earned ten bags of Golden Fertilizer, one Rare Candy, and a recipe for Maintenance Pokéblocks.
"Hm…"
Maybe it wouldn't take half a month after all.
Lin Feng gave Feebas a slightly odd look.
The fish was happily gobbling up the Pokéblocks, completely unaware that its growing happiness had just earned it a custom-made treat perfect for its needs.
"Looks like the day for this ugly duckling to become a beautiful swan isn't far off," Lin Feng murmured, smiling to himself. He stopped fussing over Feebas and went to the door of the breeding hut, pushing it open.
Today's tasks were to collect his official breeder license, buy some essential supplies for the breeding house, and formally register Snivy and Feebas under his breeding facility.
According to the Donghua League's regulations, anyone who captured a Pokémon had to register it within seven days.
Moreover, rookie Trainers were only allowed to capture one Pokémon initially.
Only as their Trainer rank increased were they permitted to catch more.
But Breeders were a different story.
As long as you were registered under a breeding facility, you could keep significantly more Pokémon.
Turning around, Lin Feng looked at the two Pokémon who had just finished eating.
He was about to return them to their Poké Balls when a sudden voice called out from behind.
"Brother Feng~!"
He turned and saw a vibrant, energetic girl running toward him, dressed in a white T-shirt and cotton athletic shorts. Her hair was tied up in a short ponytail, and her eyes were clear as spring water, carrying a hint of endearing cluelessness. Her face was slightly rounded, radiating youthful charm and the glow of fresh collagen.
She looked like she'd come out for a morning jog.
As soon as she spotted Lin Feng, her eyes lit up, and she immediately veered off her path and dashed over.
Running beside her was a Squirtle, looking utterly miserable and gasping for breath.
"Huh? You're back already? Is it summer vacation?" Lin Feng asked, a little surprised.
The girl was Qin Shu, Grandpa Qin's granddaughter. Like him, she attended Wutong Pokémon High School in Wutong City.
The difference was…
Qin Shu was still in her second year, while Lin Feng had already graduated.
Both of them came from the same small town.
After Lin Feng's parents disappeared, Grandpa Qin had looked out for him, often sending him seasonal food and treats.
He'd even instructed Lin Feng to take good care of Qin Shu at school.
Over time, the two developed a decent friendship.
"Yup, yup! Summer break started yesterday, so I came back last night!" Qin Shu said cheerfully. Then she tugged the Squirtle next to her forward. "Look, Brother Feng~ this is my new Pokémon! Squirtle, say hi!"
"Squirtle… Squirtle…"
Squirtle greeted them weakly, sweat pouring off its forehead.
Clearly, it held a deep grudge against being dragged out for an early morning jog.
"Pfft…"
Lin Feng couldn't help but laugh at Squirtle's pitiful expression.
In this world, starter Pokémon weren't exactly rare, but they certainly weren't common either.
Generally, only families with moderate means could afford to buy a starter Pokémon.
Lin Feng knew Qin Shu's family circumstances well.
Her father worked as a trainer at a Pokémon Gym, while her mother was a nurse at a Pokémon Center.
If they saved up diligently, it was certainly possible for them to buy a Squirtle for their only daughter.
"Not bad at all. Apart from looking a bit lacking in spirit, its skin is bright and its limbs are strong. It's a fine Pokémon. So, you finally passed the Beginner Trainer Exam?" Lin Feng asked, sounding genuinely impressed.
After nine years of compulsory education, anyone wanting to become a formal Trainer had to pass the Trainer Certification Exam.
The beginner-level exam was just a written test on basic theory.
It wasn't all that difficult for most people.
Lin Feng himself had passed it back in his first year of high school.
After all…
If you didn't even know basic Pokémon knowledge, how could you possibly call yourself a Trainer?
But as far as Lin Feng knew…
Qin Shu had already taken the Beginner Trainer Exam three times…
And failed every single one.
She was cheerful and full of energy a pure sports girl.
Sometimes Lin Feng suspected that all the food she ate went straight into fueling her athletic physique rather than her brain.
She always gave off the vibe of someone who wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.
Squirtle was probably in for a tough time traveling with her.
"Hehe…"
"I finally passed it last time…" Qin Shu admitted sheepishly, scratching her head.
Then as though suddenly remembering something important, she exclaimed, "Hey, I heard you're not planning on becoming a Trainer? Why not? Your grades in humanities were amazing. Why not catch a Pokémon and set off on a journey?"
"It's precisely because my humanities grades were good that I think I'm better suited to being a Breeder. I'm not all that interested in traveling around for now," Lin Feng said as he stepped aside, letting her into the breeding hut while he explained.
"Ohhh," Qin Shu murmured, as though deep in thought. But moments later, she was completely distracted by the sight of Snivy happily munching on Pokéblocks. Her eyes lit up with excitement. "Brother Feng, is that your Pokémon? That's a Snivy! Let's have a Trainer battle!"
Lin Feng: ???
So… you didn't hear a single word I just said…
"Sni sni?"
Snivy, who'd just finished her last Pokéblock, glanced from the exhausted, panting Squirtle to Lin Feng, as if asking, Are we really doing this?