Get Stronger by Pleasing Pokémon? Who Needs to Be a Trainer!

After settling the Alcremie into their new home, Lin Feng stepped outside the breeding shop.

The night was quiet in Wutong Town. It was already past nine o'clock, and most of the town's residents had gone to bed.

"Don't tell me she's already left…"

Glancing at the cake still in his hand, Lin Feng called hesitantly into the night sky. "Gardevoir?"

A shadow flickered across his vision. Reflexively, he blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, a graceful figure stood silently in front of him.

The long, flowing gown shimmered in the moonlight like an elegant dress, while vivid crimson eyes gazed intently down at Lin Feng. A moment later, Gardevoir floated to settle gracefully across from him.

"Garde?" (What's the matter?)

Looking at her, Lin Feng lifted the cake in his hand. "I noticed you hadn't come over. I managed to snatch this piece from Torchic's mouth just for you. Here take it."

Gardevoir reached out and accepted the cake delicately. Her voice was soft as she spoke. "Gardevoir~" (I had a few things to take care of. By the time I finished, it looked like you were already wrapping things up. It seemed late, so I didn't come over.)

After eating the rare candy, the barrier that had been holding her back had shattered, and her strength had surged. So she'd gone out into the wild to get used to her new power.

And what she'd discovered…

Years of eating the energy cubes Lin Feng made for her, combined with this new power boost, had unexpectedly allowed her to briefly control her normally unstable psychic energy.

Even if other living creatures were sleeping nearby, she could now prevent them from falling into nightmares for about half an hour.

This was a major breakthrough.

It meant there was a real possibility she might one day fully master the curse of nightmares she'd inherited from Darkrai.

"I knew it…"

Lin Feng nodded and, noticing that Gardevoir was still lingering there, he suddenly thought of something and activated his "Insight Eye."

Pokémon: Gardevoir

Gender: Female

Ability: Telepathy

Potential: Gold Rank

IVs: …

Level: 81–86

Moves: Growl, Confusion…

Description: A shiny Gardevoir who has begun to master the curse inherited from Darkrai.

Affection: 80 (She's beginning to feel a bit of affection for you and sees you as someone she can rely on.)

Happiness: 80 (She's starting to feel she can fully integrate into this family.)

"Ha! I knew you'd already started mastering Darkrai's powers!"

The moment the panel appeared, Lin Feng's eyes went straight to the description. Seeing that Gardevoir had begun to gain control over Darkrai's curse, he couldn't help but feel genuinely happy for her.

"Gardevoir." (Yes. Thank you.)

Gardevoir gazed at Lin Feng with gentle eyes. The look made him scratch his head, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious. "It's nothing. You should try this cake. It's really good."

Seeing her usually calm Trainer looking a bit shy, Gardevoir's lips curved into a faint smile. She nodded and began tasting the cake in her hands, offering a soft, approving response. "Garde…" (It really is delicious.)

Lin Feng smiled faintly. "It's made with Alcremie's cream, after all. Once they've settled in and grown a bit, the cakes they help produce should be even better."

He had to admit

Being alone with Gardevoir always made him feel a little under pressure.

Maybe it was because they hadn't spent enough time together yet.

Or maybe it was because Gardevoir was simply too powerful, with the ability to peer into people's hearts. Whatever the reason, it left him feeling a bit tense.

Still, with her affection level rising to 80, it seemed Gardevoir was nearly fully committed to trusting him.

While savoring her cake, Gardevoir asked lightly, "Gardevoir~" (You seem to be really good at making Pokémon happy.)

"Hm?"

Lin Feng blinked in surprise, then laughed.

"I guess it's because I'm pretty good at cooking. But now that you mention it, it reminds me of something people say in human relationships well, it goes both ways for men pursuing women or women pursuing men. They say if you want to win someone's heart, you should start by winning their stomach."

Gardevoir's hand paused for a moment. "Gardevoir…" (That… actually makes a lot of sense.)

"Haha…"

Bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, Lin Feng found himself growing a bit more talkative as he gazed at the elegant figure before him.

"The truth is, my wish is to make as many Pokémon as possible feel joy because of the food I make.

"So next, I'm planning to open a battle arena here in Wutong Town. After all, there will always be a few Pokémon who love to spar. I want to give them an outlet for that. Who knows maybe it'll even turn into a proper Gym someday. Or maybe it won't.

"I also want to repair and widen the road leading into Wutong Town. Better transportation will help attract more trainers. And now that I've managed to save up some money, I've finally got the chance to try these ideas out.

"If my trip to Sakura Sake Town goes well and I can bring back a Combee or two, I plan to plant some flowers along the sides of Greenstone Path so they'll have easy access to nectar.

"It all sounds like a lot, doesn't it? I'm not even sure if the townsfolk will agree…"

Moonlight spilled gently over them both, wrapping Trainer and Pokémon alike in a serene, silvery glow.

The entire scene felt peaceful and almost beautiful.

Gardevoir listened quietly as the young man shared his dreams for the future. She occasionally offered a soft reply, and her pace of eating slowed as a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

These plans, she thought, sounded like they'd truly help the breeding center flourish.

And come to think of it…

This was the first time she'd ever spent a night so close to another living being without fear…

August 12th.

The sky was only just beginning to lighten, the first rays of dawn spilling through the window.

Lin Feng carefully extricated himself from the Alolan Vulpix still curled up in his arms.

Lifting his head, he was surprised to discover that the Alcremie were already wide awake, quietly sitting in place. He quickly raised a finger to his lips in a silent "shh."

Only when he'd gently levitated the Alcremie into the air with his psychic power and floated them out into the living room did he finally relax. He looked at the small Pokémon hovering in front of him. "Why are you all up so early?"

The Alcremie exchanged glances. Eventually, the strawberry-pink one spoke up first. "Alcremie!" (We couldn't sleep, we couldn't sleep!)

The others quickly chimed in, all of them looking bright-eyed and full of anticipation.

"Alcremie." (Everyone's definitely going to love the cakes we made.)

"Alcremie~" (Yes, yes!)

In this new place, they were all eager to see whether the customers would enjoy the cakes they'd worked so hard to create.

"Alright, alright…"

Seeing the excitement on their faces, Lin Feng couldn't help smiling fondly. He led them toward the shop.

At that very moment, the door to the breeding shop swung open from the outside…

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