August 11th.

After the heavy rain a few days ago, Wutong City finally saw another gentle shower today. The steady drizzle washed the mossy cobblestone paths clean once again.

Because of the rain, there were fewer visitors than usual to the breeding house today.

Lin Feng didn't mind at all. In fact, the lull gave him a bit of free time, so he let Qin Shu take the afternoon off and go home.

Hmm. Hopefully that Squirtle sneaking home for snacks wouldn't run into her.

After lunch, Lin Feng carried a small wooden stool outside, cuddling Alolan Vulpix in his arms. In one hand, he held a cup of juice squeezed from Bounsweet. Sitting beneath the eaves of the breeding house, he watched raindrops drip rhythmically from the roof. He took a sip of juice and absentmindedly stroked Vulpix's silky fur, feeling entirely at peace.

Sometimes, a rainy day was a beautiful thing.

Time to relax, listen to the rain, and admire how the gentle shower made the greenery even more vibrant.

That was rural life at its finest.

Lin Feng glanced into his cup. Aside from the natural juice, he'd also added a bit of sugar.

[Sweet Bounsweet Juice – Sugar Version (C+ Grade)]

Juice made from Bounsweet, with a hint of sugar added. Certain Pokémon with a sweet tooth might find it irresistible.

Effect: Brings a brief burst of happiness to whoever drinks it.

Among his Pokémon, Snivy was usually the biggest fan of this juice.

Especially when he mixed in a few chunks of Pecha Berry then it became Snivy's absolute favorite.

Suddenly, the Alolan Vulpix in his arms chirped, "Ying ying!" (I want some too!)

Lin Feng burst out laughing, scolding lightly, "I asked you earlier if you wanted some when I was making it. You said no! And now you want mine? Not happening!"

(〃｀ 3′〃): "Ying ying~" (Come on, let me have some~)

Seeing that the direct approach wasn't working, Vulpix switched tactics. It started acting cute on Lin Feng's lap, pawing at his thighs and letting out soft, pitiful whimpers. "Ying ying ying…"

That sight completely melted Lin Feng's resolve. He hurriedly held the cup out to Vulpix's mouth. "Fine, fine… here you go."

ヽ(≧▽≦)ノ: "Ying ying~"

Watching Vulpix happily lapping at the juice, Lin Feng activated his Insight Eye.

[Pokémon: Alolan Vulpix]

Gender: Female

Ability: Snow Warning

Potential: Red Grade

IVs: HP (29), Attack (25), Special Attack (31), Defense (28), Special Defense (25), Speed (31)

Level: 14–18

Moves: Hypnosis, Moonblast, Tail Whip, Powder Snow, Ice Shard, Icy Wind, Disable

Friendship: 97 (Sees you as her trusted caretaker.)

Happiness: 70 (So sweet~)

"I really ought to find a good-quality Ice Stone for you," Lin Feng murmured, eyeing Vulpix's stats.

From the moment she hatched from her egg, the first thing Vulpix saw was Lin Feng and Snivy. Because of that, she was deeply attached to them both. On a typical day, she either stuck to Lin Feng's side or followed Snivy everywhere.

In short, she had a rather clingy personality.

Lin Feng couldn't help wondering if that might ease up a bit after she evolved.

And the thought made him chuckle.

Back when Snivy hadn't evolved yet, Lin Feng thought it was the perfect size for cuddling in his arms. Once it evolved into Servine, it grew longer and wasn't as easy to hold anymore, which left him feeling a bit wistful.

Now he was facing the same dilemma with Alolan Vulpix.

But this time, he felt conflicted.

If Alolan Vulpix evolved into Ninetales, she'd grow significantly larger. Not only would she still be huggable, she could even double as a giant pillow.

Which left Lin Feng torn…

Because he liked both options.

He turned his gaze back into the breeding house and called out, "Rotom?"

In no time at all, the red, phone-shaped Pokémon flew out from inside. "What is it, Master?"

"How much longer is it going to rain?"

"Master~ Rotom reports that the light rain will stop in 53 minutes."

"Oh, and Master, you just received a reply to the message you sent this morning. Want to check it now?"

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Sure, show me."

"Okay~"

Under Rotom's swift operation, a chat window popped up before Lin Feng's eyes.

[Uncle Mu, Miltank Ranch]:

You were asking about Pokémon that can produce food? That's pretty peculiar. Not sure why you're so keen on raising a whole bunch of food-type Pokémon…

Anyway… There's actually quite a few breeding operations focused on food-production Pokémon. Over in nearby Pujio Town, there's a fruit farmer who grows a lot of Sitrus Berries. She keeps a big hive of Combee for honey production. If you've got plenty of fruit trees, you could ask her about getting some Combee… Oh, right she also raises a few Shuckle for fermenting berry juice and making special drinks, though I'm not sure how many. You'll have to ask her yourself.

Tell you what, I'll help you check with her.

Also, in Changsha City, there's supposed to be a food processing factory run by an Arboliva.

Other than that, I'm not too sure. You might wanna look around online. Some dessert shops selling fancy treats might actually have specific Pokémon working behind the scenes.

Lin Feng's eyes lit up as he finished reading the message.

As he thought, when it came to matters like this, it was best to ask someone in the know for reliable information.

If he'd been left to search for food-producing Pokémon entirely on his own, it would have been like groping around in the dark.

[Lin Feng]: Thanks so much, Uncle Mu!

Thinking for a moment, he glanced at Alolan Vulpix, who was still enjoying her drink, snapped a quick photo, and sent it along with the caption, Thanks~

[Uncle Mu, Miltank Ranch]:

So flashy. How're the Miltank doing? Any problems?

[Lin Feng]: No problems at all. They're all really happy here.

[Uncle Mu, Miltank Ranch]:

Well, of course they are. With that high-quality pasture you've got, if Miltank still weren't happy, I'd have to come check to make sure you weren't mistreating them!

After sending a smiley face emoji, there were no further replies from Uncle Mu.

Lin Feng wasn't bothered. Instead, he turned to Rotom and said, "Help me check how far Pujio Town is from here."

"Rotom~ Query complete! Wutong Town is 125 kilometers away from Pujio Town~"

"What?" Lin Feng exclaimed in surprise. "That far? No wonder I've never heard of the place."

Over a hundred kilometers.

At that distance, if he went by car, a round trip would definitely take a whole day.

But he wasn't too worried. Now that he had Pidgeot, that kind of distance would only take an hour or two, tops.

"Okay, one more thing. Check all the dessert shops in Wutong Town."

"Got it, Rotom~"

"Search complete, Rotom~ There's a dessert shop currently up for transfer. The owner's entire team of Alcremie is rumored to be part of the sale…"

Lin Feng's eyes immediately sparkled at those words. "Really? Contact them. Get in touch right away!"

"One moment, Master~ Initiating the call for you now."

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