Lin Feng nodded. "Of course. How much do you want for all of them?"

Kori shook her head. "Nothing. I only want to find them a reliable Trainer. And from what I can see, you fit exactly what I hoped for."

She gave a wistful sigh. "Honestly, aren't young people these days supposed to prefer being Trainers, traveling the world, going on adventures? There are so few young folks like you who are willing to stay home and tend to a plantation…"

As she finished speaking, she opened each Poké Ball one by one. Flashes of red light filled the room as one Alcremie after another appeared. Despite differing colors, they all shared the same soft, creamy shape.

"Al… Alcremie?"

"Al… Alcremie?!"

Red ones, white ones, green ones… Lin Feng's eyes were dazzled. There were simply so many Alcremie.

All the Alcremie, seeing themselves in a strange new place, immediately clustered around Kori. Some climbed up her body, others clung to the hem of her pants.

"Al… Alcremie…" (Where is this… I want to go home…)

"Al… Alcremie…" (Home…)

A gentle affection flashed across Kori's eyes. "These Alcremie are the youngest batch I've ever raised. I'd thought my grandfather's health would keep improving here, so I planned to grow the cake shop even bigger. But in the end…"

She trailed off and shook her head.

Goodbyes were always painful. She knew she shouldn't let that sorrow weigh on the Alcremie as well.

Bending down, she patted each of them gently. "Alright, little ones. From now on, this will be your new home. Your new Trainer is going to be a very good one."

"Al… Alcremie?"

"Al… Alcremie…"

A few Alcremie turned their gaze toward Lin Feng. Their soft eyes brimmed with a shy, uncertain curiosity.

"What should I do now?" Lin Feng murmured. He felt utterly at a loss.

At this moment, he couldn't help feeling like some kind of villain snatching away Pokémon from someone else.

Kori reassured him. "Don't worry. I already explained everything to them before we came. They'll be wonderful helpers for you."

She crouched down and, one by one, gently passed the Alcremie from her side into Lin Feng's arms. When he could hold no more, she began placing the others on the sofa beside him.

After all the Alcremie were settled around him, Kori stood up, pulled her trench coat more tightly around herself, and gave a small bow.

"Alright. I'll leave these little ones in your care. I don't have much time. I need to catch a train."

Before Lin Feng could say anything else, she gave the Alcremie a bright smile, then turned and quickly left the room.

"Al… Alcremie…"

"Al… Alcremie…"

The Alcremie looked back and forth between Lin Feng and the door through which their previous Trainer had departed. Though their spirits were low, none of them threw a tantrum. They merely kept calling out softly.

These weren't the first Alcremie to be sent away, so in their hearts, they'd already prepared themselves for this moment. But when it came time to part, the sadness was unavoidable.

"Sigh…"

Lin Feng rubbed his temples and glanced down at the cluster of Alcremie surrounding him. He let out a long sigh.

Having over a dozen new Alcremie in the shop should have been a joyous thing, but right now, the entire house felt steeped in sorrow.

Raising his hand, he tried calling out to them. "Um… hello?"

His voice managed to draw the attention of a few Alcremie. They turned to look at him, each with different emotions in their eyes some worried, some fearful, some simply curious.

Then, from among the group, a red Alcremie with two strawberries atop its head stepped forward. Blinking its bright red eyes, it asked:

"Al… Alcremie? Al… Alcremie…" (Our Trainer told us that we'd be given a wonderful new Trainer. Will you be kind to us?)

The moment the question left its lips, the other Alcremie grew even more anxious. Their eyes darted about nervously, as if terrified Lin Feng might give a bad answer and decide to gobble them all up instead.

Alcremie's entire body was made of whipped cream, and now that they were gathered around Lin Feng, his nose was filled with the rich, sweet scent of cream.

"Of course. I'll be very good to you all!" Lin Feng said firmly. As he spoke, he scooped up the red Alcremie and gently infused it with his Verdant Force.

Nothing calmed a Pokémon's heart better than the soothing power of the Verdant Force.

Seeing how the Alcremie were still shrouded in the sadness of farewell, Lin Feng pondered for a moment. He released thin threads of his Verdant Force and Psychic Energy, letting them settle gently over each and every Alcremie.

"For now, why don't you all take a nap? You'll feel much better afterward."

Once all the Alcremie had finally drifted off to sleep, Lin Feng began considering where he should let them rest.

The bed was certainly out of the question. If the Alcremie started dreaming in their sleep and began oozing cream, they'd end up ruining all the sheets.

But then, Lin Feng's eyes lit up as inspiration struck.

He thought of the perfect solution.

He headed to the kitchen and came back carrying thirteen large bowls. One by one, he carefully placed each Alcremie into a bowl. Watching them sleep so peacefully, he couldn't help licking his lips slightly.

Alcremie were a species with countless forms.

Counting the decorations on their heads and the flavors of the cream they produced, they could be classified into 7 × 9 = 63 distinct forms, each with its own unique taste and scent. The cream each form produced carried a flavor all its own.

Now that all thirteen Alcremie were finally asleep, Lin Feng seized the opportunity to catalog their different forms.

Judging from their decorations, the thirteen Alcremie consisted of Strawberry, Clover, and Wild Berry forms.

As for their flavors, he knew he'd either have to taste them directly or rely on his Probe Eye to identify them.

Sweeping his gaze across them, Lin Feng's lips curved into a faint smile.

Among the thirteen Alcremie, there turned out to be six distinct flavors.

Combined with the decorations on their heads, these were:

Strawberry form: Strawberry-Sugar Sweet Vanilla, Caramel Blend, Lemon Vanilla, Sea Salt Vanilla, Mint Vanilla

Wild Berry form: Wild Berry-Sugar Sweet Vanilla, Caramel Blend, Triple Blend, Matcha Vanilla, Lemon Vanilla

Clover form: Matcha Vanilla, Lemon Vanilla, Sea Salt Vanilla

The interplay of decorations and cream flavors meant that each Alcremie could produce a completely different kind of cream.

"So… what kinds of things could I make with all this cream?"

Lin Feng couldn't help falling into deep thought.

Filled buns, cakes, milk foam, cheese, tiramisu, ice cream, cookies, cream puffs…

There were so many possibilities.

And just thinking about the countless recipes he'd have to experiment with made him feel that his path forward would be long indeed.

While he was lost in thought, a soft sound came from the kitchen doorway.

"Ying ying ying?"

It was his Alolan Vulpix, whose nose was always the sharpest. She had instantly picked up on the sweet aroma of the Alcremie and come trotting over. When she spotted the sleeping Alcremie on the table, her eyes sparkled brightly.

"Ying ying ying?" (Sweet-smelling friends?)

Having outgrown her infant stage, she was beginning to develop a lively curiosity about the world around her.

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