"This guy's actually pretty nice."

Watching Zhou Yu's departing figure, Lin Feng muttered silently to himself.

Then his eyes shifted to the shelves of Pokéblocks inside his little shop.

Currently, his stamina Pokéblocks came in three different grades.

The first type was produced entirely by Gardevoir on her own. The effects were a bit weaker, so those sold for 500 apiece.

The second type was primarily crafted by Gardevoir, with Lin Feng assisting in the process. These Pokéblocks even carried a subtle culinary flavor and were just as potent as the original version that Lin Feng had made solo.

Basically, that second type was equivalent to the first-generation stamina Pokéblocks.

The third version, however, was created using a special diluted extract from Sitrus Berries. These Pokéblocks could be fed to Pokémon over the long term, steadily improving their stamina while serving as a nutritious treat.

To Lin Feng's mild surprise, the best-selling ones were actually the cheapest 500-coin ones and the premium 5000-coin ones.

It became clear to him that, when faced with Pokéblocks offering the same core effect, ordinary trainers usually gravitated toward the cheaper option.

Even though the pricier ones worked faster, well… they were still expensive!

And time was something most ordinary trainers had in abundance.

So…

He couldn't afford to stop producing the standard Pokéblocks either.

After all, he had Gardevoir helping out now!

Unless something unexpected happened, this would likely be the production model for Pokéblocks moving forward.

Having sorted out these thoughts, Lin Feng didn't linger too long in the Breeding House. He headed over to the plantation and released each Pokémon back to its designated area.

Everyone was calm and content.

Only Torchic, when released, immediately chirped, "Chirpy chirp?" (Are we about to battle? Where's my opponent?)

But when it saw its own little coop waiting for it, it froze on the spot.

"Sorry, buddy. Looks like there's no battles lined up this time," Lin Feng explained gently.

Torchic blinked in confusion, then looked a bit crestfallen.

However, the instant Lin Feng placed two Pokéblocks into its food bowl, all signs of gloom vanished at once.

Such was the way of a foodie Pokémon so long as there was food, all troubles were forgotten.

Over the past few days, Torchic had grown noticeably more docile. Once it realized Lin Feng could keep it well-fed, it often chirped happily at him for no particular reason.

After helping Miltank finish milking for the day, Lin Feng strolled toward the reservoir and waved at Milotic, who was gliding around in the water.

"Milooo?"

Milotic lifted its head, blinking those brilliant red eyes at Lin Feng. Its gaze shimmered as it reflected his image.

"You really are beautiful. No wonder all those trainers want to catch you."

Lin Feng couldn't help marveling as he rested his hand on Milotic's smooth, cool skin.

He felt lucky with all his Pokémon.

Whether it was Feebas evolving into Milotic, Snivy evolving into Servine, or Pidgeotto evolving into Pidgeot…

After evolution, none of them had grown distant. In fact, their bonds with him had grown even stronger.

But he knew not every Pokémon was like that. Some Pokémon went through personality changes after evolving.

Charizard, that lovable "dummy" from the anime, was a classic example.

"Milo… oooh…"

Milotic shifted uneasily, glancing away shyly. But its happiness visibly spiked, rising like a graph chart right before Lin Feng's eyes.

"Milooo~" (It's all thanks… to you, Trainer.)

Lin Feng didn't deny it. Instead, he grinned and rubbed his hands together. "Heh… Can I give you a hug?"

He'd actually been itching to do this ever since riding across the river on Milotic's back, propping himself up with his hands on its smooth scales.

But with other people around earlier, it hadn't seemed proper.

Now that they were home, he decided to voice his wish outright.

(〃＾▽＾〃) "Milooo~" (Sure…)

Milotic showed no hint of embarrassment. It nodded naturally, even swimming over to the reservoir's edge and bending down to make it easier for Lin Feng to reach.

The moment Lin Feng wrapped his arms around it, his hands instinctively began gliding over Milotic's sleek body. A satisfied expression blossomed across his face.

So cool… so smooth…

Lin Feng thought there were two types of Pokémon he absolutely couldn't resist in this world.

One was the kind with silky, jelly-like skin like Milotic, Snivy, and Popplio.

The other was the fluffy kind like Vulpix. Every night before bed, he'd give Vulpix's belly a thorough scritching, play with its paws…

Of course, he'd also help smooth out its fur.

But right now, holding Milotic close, Lin Feng had only one thought

If only Milotic were the size of a big plushie, then he could cuddle it to sleep every night…

Hmm? Was that a bit too much?

Releasing Milotic, Lin Feng couldn't help praising its sweet temperament. "You're still the best. I can hug you whenever I want. Not like Snivy… I compliment it a couple times, and it wants to tie me up."

No sooner had those words left his mouth

At the entrance to the plantation, Snivy, who had just emerged with an Alolan Vulpix in tow, slowly watched its cheerful expression drop like a rock.

Two slender vines extended from Snivy's back, gliding forward in a flash toward Lin Feng.

At that moment, Snivy remembered something.

Back when it was still a little Snivy, it used to think its trainer had to be coaxed and placated to keep him happy.

But now it seemed…

A trainer who secretly badmouthed it behind its back definitely deserved to be tied up…

Of course, Snivy would never admit that, ever since binding Lin Feng the first time, it had discovered an unprecedented sense of novelty and amusement.

"Hey! Snivy! What's gotten into you? You used to be such a good kid! Why are you like this now?"

Meanwhile, Gardevoir, trailing a bit behind them, shot Lin Feng a puzzled glance.

Was this trainer… always getting "bullied" like this by Snivy?

Or was this some strange, private way of strengthening their bond?

What a bizarre method.

Hmm. Should she try it, too?

…

Night fell.

Thanks to Gardevoir helping out during the day, Lin Feng now had much more free time.

So

He began planning out his future "delivery service."

"First off, there's no way we're delivering anything and everything. Gotta set a minimum order value to make it worth it."

"Then, based on Pidgey and Pidgeotto's strength, I'll define their delivery ranges."

"Hmm… Pidgey can handle a 50-mile radius. For orders starting at 10,000. Pidgeotto will cover up to 300 miles, with a 50,000 minimum."

"And of course, if there's a really big order, Pidgeot can handle deliveries anywhere across the Donghua League."

"I'll also charge a delivery fee that can be Pidgey and Pidgeotto's food budget…"

In just a few lines, Lin Feng had already sketched out the rules for his delivery business.

All that remained was for Pidgeot to show up with the Pidgeys and Pidgeottos in tow.

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