The secluded open space by the lake.
"Little Master, you've had every last drop."
The kimono-clad Pokémon Girl held the Trainer close against her soft, voluptuous form. With infatuated eyes, she slowly licked her moistened fingers, her jade-like lips parting in a sigh. Her warm, slick tongue glistened, a picture of post-satisfaction allure.
Finally, after nearly half an hour of being thoroughly overwhelmed by Mienshao's relentless "big truck," Wade managed to extract himself from that dangerously warm and soft embrace.
Behind the bushes, Petilil's face was a furnace of blush. She had lost count of how many times the sight had wrenched those helpless, shuddering releases from her small form.
"Alright, that should be plenty."
Returning to the water's edge, Wade hauled in the large fishing net he had set earlier. "Time's up!" he called to the Pokémon still darting through the shallows.
The lake, deceptively shallow, had been teeming. In just one morning, the three buckets he'd brought were brimming with silvery, flopping catches.
"Petilil, well done."
With a satisfied sigh, Wade looked at the profoundly "educated" little Grass-type and patted her head. The system's notification had already told him she'd mastered Magical Leaf. It was impressive; with only a bit of guidance, she'd comprehended the technique independently. Her learning talent was clearly on par with any Pokémon Girl's.
Though, as he looked at her more closely, a whimsical thought struck him.
Those verdant leaves on her head… could they ever turn red?
"Yami~!"
Petilil let out a flustered squeak and scurried away.
"Sha~"
Gardevoir glided over via Psychic, her usual serene joy shifting as she gave a light, curious sniff. Her expression tightened, a psychic scent-hound on a trail.
That familiar scent…
A silent, indignant thought flashed in her mind: Damn it. Which thirsty mature woman has drained our Master dry this time?
Nearby, Mienshao, having finished her "meal," subconsciously ran her tongue over a lingering white trace at the corner of her mouth. To her, the finest delicacy in the world paled in comparison.
"This batch will go to Uncle Yoshino when he comes to collect."
Ignoring the silent, daily feminine rivalry simmering beside him, Wade sorted the catch by size and quantity. One pile was for profit; the other was for the farm—fresh meals for him and his team.
"The rest we can steam, braise, fry…" He ticked off cooking methods on his fingers.
Lopunny, who had arrived late, perked her long ears, eyes sparkling with anticipation. She could already envision the delicious, all-fish banquet awaiting them in the coming days.
"Lopunny, you're up."
After hauling the heavy buckets back to a shaded, flat area near the cabin, Wade pointed to the spot. "Just two depressions. Try to keep them rectangular."
"Chururu." Lopunny nodded obediently and plunged her powerful feet into the earth. Her skilled Dig move quickly carved out two rough rectangular pits.
"Yami…?" Petilil, who had been flushed and distracted the entire walk back, finally focused. She looked from the leaping fish in the buckets to the freshly dug earth, and understanding dawned.
So the Master is building a pond to raise them!
Wade surveyed the two pits—each roughly eight meters long, four wide, and three deep—and nodded, satisfied. The lake was too far, and too public for the resident Water-types. As the system suggested, digging dedicated ponds near the cabin was the perfect solution. Raise the fish here, and every day, just by opening his door, he and the Pokémon Girls would have access to fresh, live catches.
"Mino~"
Mienshao drifted closer, her beautiful eyes soft and tender as she gazed at her Trainer.
Seeing everyone assembled and eager, Wade clapped his hands. "Alright, everyone! Let's gather stones to line the edges of the ponds. We'll build a proper stone border."
"Chu ru ru!"
"Sha!"
"Ya mi!"
The chorus of understanding replies came immediately. The intelligent Pokémon Girls shared a glance—they knew the drill. It was time to build, and to build together, for the home they all shared.
"Time is money, efficiency is life," Gardevoir murmured with serene authority. With a graceful lift of her slender hand, she wielded her Psychic powers not with brute force, but with delicate precision, floating stones into place as if arranging a mosaic.
Not to be outdone, Mienshao became a blur of elegant motion, her flowing sleeves whipping as she gathered and placed stones with martial arts precision. Petilil darted about with newfound, flustered energy, contributing her own smaller piles to the growing walls.
Wade worked between them, the anchor of the operation, carefully sealing the gaps between stones with thick, wet mud to fortify their construction.
In what felt like no time at all, two sturdy, stone-rimmed ponds stood completed beside the cabin. The basic plan was realized—now just waiting for water and life.
"This pond is for our kitchen," Wade announced, pointing. "That one is for the market."
Once both ponds were filled with cool, clear water, he gently released the sorted fish. They slipped into their new homes with fluid grace, immediately beginning to explore their confines.
"Chu ru ru~"
Lopunny draped herself over the sun-warmed stone ledge, her eyes dreamy as she watched the plump, silvery shapes glide through the water. Her mind was already composing recipes.
[Farm Upgrade Quest Four Completed: Successfully completed fishing for the first time, and opened a small fish pond.]
[Quest Reward: Healthy fish fry * 500, Sun Stone (Gold)]
[Note: Only one more farm quest needs to be completed for the farm level to upgrade.]
"This is your reward, Petilil."
"Ya mi?"
The newly evolved Grass-type took the glittering stone he offered, curiosity lighting her features. The next moment, the Sun Stone (Gold) dissolved into a cascade of brilliant light in her palms, and a torrent of pure, solar energy flooded into her veins.
"Chu ru ru!"
Lopunny's ears shot straight up, her full attention captured by her companion, now the nucleus of a swelling orb of light.
[Hint: Petilil has absorbed the Sun Stone (Gold), her level is rising.]
[Hint: Petilil is learning new moves.]
And then, a second, more profound light erupted from within her—a radiant, blinding white.
"Ya MII!"
Evolution.
Before Wade and the captivated eyes of the other Pokémon Girls, the small, cute form of Petilil stretched and transformed. Where once stood a modest bud, now bloomed an elegant Lilligant—tall, graceful, with a vibrant flower crowning her head and an aura of serene poise.
[Name: Lilligant]
[Gender: Female]
[Level: lv25]
[Ability: Chlorophyll]
[Moves: Energy Ball, Growth, Stun Spore, Giga Drain, Charm, Magical Leaf, Petal Dance, Teeter Dance, Synthesis, Grassy Terrain, Sunny Day…]
"Master…?"
Perhaps sensing the surge of energy outside, Miltank poked her head from the cabin door. Her big, liquid eyes found Wade, and a smile of pure delight spread across her face. With a joyful "Moo~!", the Milk Cow Loli bounded over, her enthusiastic pounce making the two generous, snowy mounds on her chest sway with a rhythm that defied both gravity and subtlety.
Lilligant, having just shifted into her own elegant Pokémon Girl form, was moments away from admiring her new, slender silhouette and graceful lines. Her gaze, however, inadvertently dropped to the enthusiastic bovine now nuzzling into their Trainer's chest.
A silent, swift comparison was made.
Her heart, much like her previously buoyant spirits, sank.
Wuwuwu—
Even evolution, it seemed, could not bridge that particular gap.