Chapter 83:
After settling the Alcremie, Hayashi Kaede stepped outside the Breeding House.
Aogiri Town was very quiet at night — it was already past nine and most of the townsfolk were asleep.
"Maybe she already left?" Kaede wondered, glancing at the cake in his hands. He called up into the night, "Gardevoir?"
A shadow flashed past. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes a dark silhouette hovered in front of him.
Her flowing gown glittered in the moonlight like a formal dress; her crimson eyes watched him from above as she drifted down to stand opposite him.
"Gardevoir?" (What's the matter?)
Kaede held the cake up. "You didn't come earlier, so I had to pry a piece out of Torchic's claws — Here, I saved it for you…."
Gardevoir took the cake gently and said in a soft voice, "Gardevoir~" (I had something to handle. By the time I finished it was getting late, so I didn't come earlier.)
After eating the Rare Candy, the barrier that had been holding her back was abruptly cleared — her power rose again, and she'd gone out into the wild to get used to it.
She discovered that — after long-term consumption of the energy blocks Kaede provided, plus this recent boost — she could briefly restrain the overflow of her psychic power. Even if another creature nearby fell asleep, she could prevent them from plunging into nightmares for roughly half an hour.
That was a major breakthrough.
It meant she might one day completely master Darkrai's nightmare curse.
"Nice…" Kaede nodded, then opened his Scan Eye as he watched the still figure of Gardevoir.
Pokémon: Gardevoir
Gender: Female
Ability: Telepathy
Aptitude: Gold
IVs: ...
Level: 81–86
Moves: Growl, Psychic, ...
Note: A shiny Gardevoir that has begun to master Darkrai's curse.
Friendship: 80 (She rather likes you and sees you as a support.)
Happiness: 80 (She should fit into this family perfectly soon.)
"Ah — so you've already started to harness Darkrai's power." Kaede's eyes lingered on the profile; seeing that Gardevoir had reached this stage made him genuinely glad.
"Gardevoir." (Thank you.) she replied softly.
Gardevoir gazed at him gently. Kaede scratched his head awkwardly. "It's nothing. Try this cake — it should taste good."
Gardevoir's expression showed a shy, almost bashful softness. She nodded and began eating, murmuring in approval, "Gardevoir…" (Mmm, it's delicious.)
Kaede pursed his lips. "After all, it's cake made with Alcremie cream. Once we raise them a bit more, the effects their cream brings should be even better."
He'd noticed something else: being alone with Gardevoir made him feel a little pressured. Maybe they'd simply spent too little time together, or maybe Gardevoir's strength and mind-reading ability were a bit intimidating. Still, her Friendship at 80 meant she was nearly fully comfortable with him.
Between bites, Gardevoir asked casually, "Gardevoir~" (You're really good at making Pokémon happy.)
"Huh?" Kaede blinked and then laughed. "Mostly I just cook well. You know how humans say — if you want to win someone's heart, win their stomach first. Works the other way around too."
Gardevoir paused, then nodded. "Gardevoir…" (That makes sense.)
Under the moonlight, watching her soft silhouette, Kaede felt talkative and shared his plans.
"Actually, my wish is to make as many Pokémon as possible feel joy from the food I create. So next I want to open a battle arena in Aogiri Town — there'll always be a few combative Pokémon that'll want to fight; maybe it'll turn into a Gym someday, maybe not. I also want to widen the highway into town a little so travel's easier and more Trainers will come. I've been saving and can take some risks now."
"If my next trip to Budō Town goes well and I can bring back Combee, I'll plant flowers along both sides of the Bluestone Trail so they can gather easily. Sounds like a lot? I don't know if the townsfolk will agree…"
Moonlight spilled over the two of them and their Pokémon, making the scene quiet and beautiful. Gardevoir listened to Kaede's blueprint and occasionally echoed agreement; she ate more slowly, a faint smile at the corner of her mouth. The ideas sounded genuinely helpful for the Breeding House's future.
It was also the first night she'd intentionally stayed so close to another living being.
…
August 12.
Morning light filtered through the window. Kaede gently eased the Alolan Vulpix who'd been nuzzling him, then noticed the Alcremie were already awake and quietly waiting. He put a finger to his lips to shush them.
Carefully using telekinesis, he lifted the Alcremie into the air and carried them into the living room. He breathed out and asked, "Why are you all up so early?"
They looked at one another. The strawberry-decor Alcremie spoke first,
"Alcremie!" (Couldn't sleep!) The others chimed in, eyes bright with expectation.
"Alcremie!" (Everyone will love the cakes we made.)
"Alcremie~" (Yes, yes.)
In their new home they couldn't wait to see whether the new customers would like the cakes they'd made.
"All right, all right." Kaede indulged them with a fond smile and led them into the shop.
Just then, the Breeding House door opened from the outside…