Chapter 169:
"What level of Trainer am I now?" Hayashi Kaede was taken aback for a moment before answering uncertainly, "I think it's... Beginner level?"
Because he had only taken the Beginner level trainer certification.
He raised so many Pokémon not because of his trainer qualification, but thanks to his credentials as a Breeder and his Breeding House license.
"..." Yūji clearly didn't believe this, but he knew Kaede would never lie about such a small matter.
So he continued asking, "No, Kaede , I meant how strong your Pokémon are."
"Eh." Hayashi Kaede took a deep breath. "Well, they're pretty decent too."
When it came to his Pokémon's strength, Hayashi Kaede wasn't quite sure how to explain.
Should he say he could easily win first place in the Pokémon League Conference?
That much confidence he certainly had.
Even without Mewtwo.
Gardevoir alone could handle it for him.
Yūji fell silent. After asking twice without getting a clear answer, it was already obvious—Kaede wasn't very willing to talk about his Pokémon's strength.
But this also indirectly indicated that they must be quite powerful.
At least not weaker than himself.
Finally, he left two Poké Balls behind, deciding to go back and carefully watch the videos Kaede had posted on his channel to investigate the strength of those Pokémon.
"Two Eevees..."
Meanwhile, Hayashi Kaede looked at the two remaining Poké Balls, a slight smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
...
Evening.
After a busy day, Hayashi Kaede returned to his room.
On the desk was Alcremie, on the carpet was Serperior coiled up, and on the bed were Alolan Vulpix and the Eevees.
Seeing them, Hayashi Kaede's mood instantly lifted.
Today had been quite hectic.
He received the road construction workers in the morning, and at noon, the construction team arrived.
Unlike the road workers dispatched directly by the League, the team was privately hired, so he had to prepare lunch and dinner for those workers.
Plus, he discussed the land deed with the town mayor, so after returning, he spent a long time discussing with the captain of the construction team on how to expand the Berry Plantation. This was quite important and took a considerable amount of time.
In the afternoon, he visited the old building the town mayor mentioned that actually belonged to his family's. Opening it up, he found it completely empty, so he confidently let the construction team bring in the bulldozer.
He also had to keep constant watch over Salamence, so the day felt like it passed without accomplishing much.
This also meant that after the two Eevees arrived, Hayashi Kaede only had time for a quick glance before handing them over to Indeedee (little sister) and little nine (Eevee).
But this busyness would only last a couple more days. Once things settled down, it would be fine.
"Eevee eevee~?"
Seeing Hayashi Kaede enter, Aki's expression immediately brightened. It patted the bed beside it, addressing the two Eevees, "Eevee, eevee~!" (This is our new Trainer! He's very good to me!)
"Eevee?"
Under little nine's lead, the two remaining Eevees looked timidly at Hayashi Kaede, glanced at each other, and then walked over together.
For these two little Eevees—this was only their second time seeing their Trainer.
The first time was at the dinner table in the afternoon.
There, they saw many, many Pokémon. Some looked incredibly powerful, while others seemed very elegant.
However, they all shared one common trait: every Pokémon treated them with kindness.
That was where they first saw Hayashi Kaede, though he only ate hurriedly before leaving.
But the food here was really delicious!
Now was only the second time the two Eevees were seeing Hayashi Kaede.
This human...
He smiled as soon as he saw them.
This thought appeared simultaneously in both Eevees' minds.
Back at the Eevee Breeding House, the owner had once told all the Eevees, "To judge whether a human is good or not, look at their expression when they first see you. If they smile, it means they definitely have a good impression of you.
If they smile every time they see you, it means they absolutely adore you."
So, seeing the smile on Hayashi Kaede's face now, the two new little Eevees felt slightly more at ease.
Hayashi Kaede stepped forward, looking at the two somewhat shy little ones, and softly said as he reached out his hand, "I was too busy this afternoon and didn't have time to properly meet you. That was my fault, and I apologize."
"Eevee?"
"Eevee..."
Among the two Eevees, the slightly bigger one seemed bolder. It tentatively reached out a paw and placed it in Hayashi Kaede's outstretched right hand. "Eevee..."
The other Eevee, seeing its companion do this, exposed the soft white fur of its belly to Hayashi Kaede.
This was something taught at the Eevee Breeding House. Before leaving, the Eevees there learned some ways to interact with their Trainers.
For example, some Trainers liked to hold them and bury their faces in their bellies; some liked to shake their paws or gently squeeze their soft tummies.
Their current actions undoubtedly meant they accepted Hayashi Kaede as their Trainer.
Or rather, ever since learning they would be sent to the same Trainer as little nine, the two Eevees had been looking forward to it.
Most Eevees need their own Trainers, so isn't it happier to be with the Trainer together with your most familiar companion?
"Kawaii..."
Looking at the two such understanding Eevees, Hayashi Kaede pressed his lips together, feeling a surge of joy in his heart.
Indeed, fluffy, adorable creatures always brings a sense of peace.
He couldn't help but pick up one in each arm, then nuzzle one Eevee against his left cheek and the other against his right, unable to resist rubbing them gently.
At first, the two Eevees were a bit nervous, but soon, this tension eased, and they even began affectionately nuzzling back.
But just as Hayashi Kaede was about to check the two Eevees' stats panels, he suddenly felt something tugging at his pants leg.
Looking down, It was Alolan Vulpix.
It had seen Hayashi Kaede holding the two new Eevees for a while now without even greeting it!
"Vulpix Vulpix Vulpix!"
"Alright, alright," Hayashi Kaede put down the two Eevees, then gently picked up Alolan Vulpix, unable to suppress a laugh. "You're such a little vinegar jar (jealous)..."
"Even though you're the biggest one here."
By "biggest," he didn't mean age, but size.
His little Vulpix wasn't so little anymore—it was larger than average, already 0.8 meters tall, a full size bigger than the three Eevees.
Fortunately, the bed was big enough; even with two more Eevees, there was plenty of space...
"Vulpix?"
Alolan Vulpix patted his chest with a paw. It didn't understand what "little vinegar jar" meant, but it sensed it might be teased, and immediately pouted.
Down below, little nine looked at the two Eevees, its expression full of pride. "Eevee, eevee!" (See, I told you our Trainer is great~!)