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

August.

The rice paddies in Wutong Town were golden with ripening grain. The stalks of Wàngwàng Valley rice were heavy with plump kernels, swaying gently under the summer breeze.

High above, two Fearow circled the sky.

Down below, Han Yu, the mayor of Wutong Town, stood with his Arcanine, visibly troubled.

These two Fearow knew they couldn't take on the Arcanine, but they kept circling just out of reach, relying on their ability to fly and the cover of the nearby forest to harass from a distance.

This couldn't go on forever. After all, the Arcanine didn't belong to the town's residents. Han Yu had borrowed it from the Pokémon Center in Wutong City.

The Arcanine had its own duties and couldn't be stationed here indefinitely, especially not during harvest season.

Han Yu sighed. "Every year those pests come to cause trouble. If only there were a way to get rid of them for good…"

But before he could even finish the sentence, the circling Fearow suddenly let out panicked cries, as if they'd seen something terrifying. In the next moment, they turned tail and fled into the forest.

A piercing cry echoed through the sky.

"Pidgeoooooooot!"

Han Yu instinctively looked up and saw a massive Pidgeot descending toward him. On its back, he could just make out the shadowy figure of a rider.

As the bird drew closer, he recognized the face of the young man riding it and exclaimed in surprise.

"Wait… is that the Pidgey from the Lin family? It evolved?"

The Pidgeot glided gracefully down to the ground, and Lin Feng leapt off its back. His eyes flicked curiously to the Arcanine before turning to greet the older man in a tank top.

"Grandpa Han."

Han Yu, mayor of Wutong Town, had once been a spirited Pokémon trainer in his younger days. Back then, he and his team had shone brightly across the Pokémon League tournaments.

But time passed. One by one, his Butterfree and Primeape had grown old and passed away. After that, he returned all of his remaining Pokémon to their native habitats and retired to a quiet life in his hometown.

Although his passion for training had faded, his eye for talent hadn't dulled. When he saw the Pidgeot land fully, his expression shifted from stunned to deeply impressed.

"That's one enormous Pidgeot. Your raising technique isn't any worse than your father's."

Lin Feng offered a modest smile. "Hardly. I've barely even seen any of my dad's Pokémon."

That was true. Aside from the Scizor, he hadn't seen any of his parents' Pokémon growing up.

As a child, he'd often wondered why his father's Scizor was so powerful but seemed to be the only one in his team. That didn't make sense for a trainer of his caliber.

But whenever he asked, his father always avoided the question, and over time, Lin Feng stopped asking.

Han Yu shook his head. "You're being too humble. Still, now that your Pidgey has evolved into a Pidgeot, I doubt those Fearow will be brave enough to come back."

He turned to the Arcanine beside him. "Alright then. Now that the Fearow have been scared off, you can head back."

"Woof!"

The Arcanine stared up at the large bird in front of it. There was a glimmer of something in its eyes respect, perhaps before it nodded and turned to leave on its own.

"Wait," Lin Feng called out.

The Arcanine paused, looking back at him in confusion.

Lin Feng reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a few energy cubes the same kind he usually fed to Torchic.

"Here, you've worked hard. Have a snack before heading back."

The Arcanine froze for a second, then looked to Han Yu. Only after the old man gave a nod did it begin happily munching on the cubes.

Han Yu watched the scene unfold and couldn't help but smile.

"This Arcanine is the offspring of one I caught when I was younger," he said. "I gave it to a clever young man who later became a law enforcement officer. I hear its mate is pregnant now. If you'd like a good guard Pokémon, I can ask him to give you one of the pups when they're born."

Lin Feng's eyes lit up in surprise. "Really? You'd do that?"

He already had a fluffy Alolan Vulpix at home. In the summer, its cool fur was perfect to cuddle. But in winter… well, cold fur wasn't quite as cozy.

Besides, Growlithe's evolved form, Arcanine, was not only loyal and strong it looked incredibly cool.

Han Yu nodded. "Of course."

His gaze drifted toward Lin Feng's Pidgeot, as if recalling his own wild, glorious years.

After a long moment, and once the Arcanine had finished its snack, Han Yu let out a quiet sigh and began walking toward the edge of town with the great fire-type at his side.

Lin Feng remained where he stood, glancing out over the golden Wàngwàng Valley fields.

He turned to the Pidgeot beside him. "Stay here for a while and keep watch. If any more Fearow show up, scare them off. After a few tries, word will get around, and they probably won't come back."

"Pidgeot!"

The Pidgeot gave a sharp nod. Seeing nowhere suitable to perch, it took off and glided toward the forest, settling atop a tall tree, its sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.

Satisfied, Lin Feng nodded to himself.

Then he remembered he'd come out here to buy Wàngwàng Valley rice.

But now that the mayor had left, he didn't know whose land this was.

Chuckling at himself, he muttered, "Guess I'll just head home and ask Qin Shu."

Back at the breeding house, customers had already started arriving.

They were excited about the new foods now available and crowded around the display, marveling at the cakes made by the Alcremie on the counter.

The Alcremie, for their part, were overjoyed to see people enjoying their desserts. It made them feel like they were back in their old patisserie again.

Everyone loved their cakes.

And the new owner? He was kind and patient…

Gradually, the unease they'd felt about the change in ownership began to melt away, replaced by comfort and joy.

One longtime customer, Luan Ming, spotted Lin Feng entering and raised his selfie stick excitedly.

"Lin! I saw on Douyin yesterday that you're planning to offer delivery? Like, actual door-to-door delivery is that true?"

Lin Feng nodded. "Absolutely."

The "couriers" were already in place. Of course it was happening.

Hearing that, Luan Ming beamed. "That's fantastic! Your place is way out here in the boonies, and the road is so narrow that only one minibus can get through. It's such a pain to travel."

Lin Feng just smiled. "I'm working on fixing that."

This wasn't the first time he'd heard complaints about the location.

The breeding house had excellent goods, but the transportation situation was a real headache. Customers had to arrive on time, and if they didn't come early enough, the bus seats would all be taken, forcing them to wait for the next one.

You could say even catching a bus here required hustle.

And they were hustling just to spend money.

That… was a bit tragic.

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