"All right, all right. I'll play with you later, but settle down for now."
Lin Feng gently pinched little Alolan Vulpix's nose, trying to keep her from wriggling around in his arms any further.
(?.＿.｀): "Ying…"
Hearing this, Vulpix let out a couple of soft, aggrieved whimpers but quickly calmed down.
Little did she know that her adorable expression had once again stirred up quite a frenzy in the live stream chat.
Seeing the way his viewers were reacting, Luan Ming couldn't help inwardly complaining that his entire stream audience was hopelessly obsessed with cute faces. Still, he beamed and turned his phone toward the Douyin QR code hanging behind Lin Feng's counter.
"By the way, guys, our young breeder here has his own Douyin account. You should all go follow him!"
Lin Feng had intentionally posted the QR code at the shop entrance so that passing customers could easily follow his Douyin account. He planned to share future updates and announcements there.
Watching the screen fill up with flashes of "Followed," Lin Feng was just about to thank Luan Ming when his eyes suddenly caught a particular comment flying past:
[Wutong Town? That name rings a bell.]
[Oh, right! I just remembered. One of my classmates said they saw a Gardevoir in the forest near there and it was a Shiny one too! Not sure if it's true or not.]
The comment was quite long and, more importantly, involved the possible appearance of the rare and coveted Pokémon, Gardevoir. Immediately, it captured the attention of most viewers in the chat.
[No way! The forest near Wutong Town was scoured by trainers ten years ago. If there had been a Gardevoir there, it would have been caught ages ago or left the area.]
[Wife Pokémon? Is this for real?]
[He's probably just bragging. My classmate loves making stuff up.]
[Ugh, lame. I was getting my hopes up about seeing a Gardevoir.]
"Was it just a lie…?"
As those comments scrolled past, a hint of disappointment crossed Lin Feng's mind.
He had thought that maybe there was finally a sliver of hope for getting the Psychic-type Pokémon he'd been dreaming of for so long.
But apparently, it was just empty talk.
After thanking his loyal customer, Lin Feng carried little Vulpix back out to the plantation.
Construction on the cowshed was in full swing. Meanwhile, Milotic was busy casting Rain Dance over various parts of the plantation. Dark clouds gathered, and a cool drizzle soon fell, soaking the soil and leaving the plants smelling fresh and fragrant, adding a touch of pleasant coolness to the air.
Once the rain stopped, Snivy stepped in to spread Grassy Terrain, boosting the growth of the crops that were still in the midst of sprouting.
It was clear that after eating the green rice dumpling yesterday, Snivy had become much more adept at using Grassy Terrain. Lin Feng could tell with the naked eye that the skill's coverage area had significantly expanded.
It seemed he should feed it more of those green dumplings in the future.
That way, Snivy could keep enhancing its Grassy Terrain skill.
Above them, Pidgeotto perched on a tree branch, keeping a vigilant watch over the surroundings.
Looking at the busy and harmonious scene before him, Lin Feng couldn't help murmuring:
"This is really nice."
Then his gaze shifted toward Pidgeotto.
He had once promised Pidgeotto that he'd help it grow strong and reclaim the honor belonging to its species.
Now that he'd made that promise and considering how dutifully Pidgeotto was standing guard over the farm Lin Feng fully intended to keep his word.
Besides…
Of all his Pokémon, only Pidgeotto could fly at the moment.
He still dreamed of the day when Pidgeotto would evolve into Pidgeot and carry him soaring through the skies.
He called out, "Pidgeotto?!"
"Pidgeyoo!"
Hearing his trainer's voice, Pidgeotto immediately spread its wings and swooped down, landing neatly on Lin Feng's shoulder.
"You're looking more and more impressive these days."
Lin Feng reached up and stroked its feathers.
Beneath its bright orange and yellow plumage were tail feathers striped in red and orange, a long elegant crest on its head, and sharp claws and beak clear evidence that it was a remarkably well-raised Pidgeotto.
"Pidgeyoo~!"
Pidgeotto shook its head, signaling that everything around them was normal.
"Rare Candies are off-limits for you now. Next, it's time for you to start working on your skills."
Among Pokémon Trainers, there was an old saying: a powerful Pokémon might be well-bred, but good breeding alone wasn't enough to make it strong.
They needed combat experience.
The saying made perfect sense.
Just like flowers grown in a greenhouse, no matter how beautiful they bloomed, they would wither quickly once exposed to the harsh winds and rain of the outside world.
"Pidgeyoo?"
Pidgeotto instantly snapped to attention, as if bracing itself for an upcoming challenge.
Its trainer was finally about to test it?
"Yes, that's right."
Lin Feng nodded firmly. Then he led Pidgeotto behind the partially constructed cowshed, gazing at the dense undergrowth and scattered trees, deep in thought.
What move should he have Pidgeotto use to clear out this area?
The green dumplings only boosted Grass-type Pokémon's move comprehension and power.
Thinking about it from another angle…
Those dumplings were made from pasture grass, Moomoo Milk, flour, and a fragrant powder called Fen Xiang Xiang.
The key ingredients were probably the Moomoo Milk and the Fen Xiang Xiang powder.
If he combined Moomoo Milk and Fen Xiang Xiang powder with other ingredients, could he perhaps create food that boosted Flying-type moves or even moves across all types?
[Pokémon: Pidgeotto]
Gender: Male
Ability: Keen Eye
Potential: Blue-grade
IVs: HP (21), Attack (21), Special Attack (20), Defense (17), Special Defense (17), Speed (25)
Level: 21–24
Moves: Gust, Tackle, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Air Slash, Steel Wing, Hurricane, Twister, Defog
Friendship: 87 (It thinks you're very reliable!)
Happiness: 70 (I want to get stronger!)
After consuming two Rare Candies, Pidgeotto had already reached the Elite stage.
It had also recently learned Defog from a TM Lin Feng had given it.
"You should try casting Hurricane over a small area first and then see if you can stack another Hurricane inside it."
For training Pidgeotto's energy control, Lin Feng planned to apply the same method he'd used with Snivy and its Grass Blender technique.
"Pidgeyoo?!"
Pidgeotto looked somewhat doubtful, as if wondering whether such a thing was even possible.
"Just try it. This is your first stage of skill practice. Keep the area small for now."
Pidgeotto nodded, took to the sky, and began rapidly flapping its wings.
Whoosh—!
Fierce gales roared through the clearing, whipping grass and trees into a frenzy. The first Hurricane came out perfectly fine. But when Pidgeotto attempted to layer a second Hurricane on top of it, its energy quickly became unstable.
The swirling winds collided and canceled each other out, dissolving into nothing but faint breezes.
Hovering midair, Pidgeotto turned a somewhat sheepish gaze toward Lin Feng.
Its comprehension wasn't quite on Snivy's level.
It simply couldn't manage such move layering on its own yet.
"That's all right. Just keep practicing. There's no rush."
Although Lin Feng spoke reassuringly, deep down he was already pondering his next steps.
Looks like he really would have to rely on the power of cooking after all…
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