August 25th.

A leisurely day passed, and evening soon arrived.

Same spot, same grilled dishes.

Lin Feng had deliberately cleared a space in the middle of the field, just for the sake of future meals with his Pokémon companions.

This time, however, something new had been added to the menu — a drink.

[Grade B Rice Wine] – Brewed from premium Wàngwàng rice, this rice wine has a low alcohol content, making it safe even for children to consume.

Effect 1: Truth Serum – Drunken Pokémon or people will involuntarily speak the truth and act on their suppressed desires.

Effect 2: Monkey-type Pokémon will gain a 50% attack boost and increased Fighting-type skill power when intoxicated.

That was the rice wine's effect.

Two effects total.

The second one didn't matter much — there were no monkey-type Pokémon around.

The first, however, the truth-telling part, required caution. Lin Feng poured himself a glass, took a sip, and confirmed the alcohol level was under 10%. With that assurance, he placed it on the table.

"Charr!"

Blaziken was already drooling as it stared at the mountain of grilled meat on the table.

Out of all his Pokémon, it looked forward to this barbecue feast the most.

After all, it had earned this meal — trading miles of running for meat.

"Alright, everyone, dig in."

Standing before the grill and watching the fatty pork still sizzling with oil, Lin Feng couldn't help but smile.

Most of his Pokémon weren't particularly fond of barbecue. Miltank, for example, only liked grass dumplings.

Bounsweet and Alcremie? Not into meat either.

They preferred Miltank's milk and the fruit salads Lin Feng made.

Hmm...

He still found it amusing that a "fruit Pokémon" enjoyed eating fruit.

Gardevoir wasn't into meat either. It had a strong preference for chilled drinks. Every flavor of juice Lin Feng had ever made, it had tried. On its days off, it could usually be found floating around with a cold drink in hand.

Just like now. It picked up a cup of rice wine, hovered in the air, and sipped elegantly.

Seel, Milotic, and Snivy didn't mind the meat too much either. They seemed to enjoy it.

But when it came to favorites, Pidgeot and Blaziken topped the list.

"Pidgeot, go call Spearow and Pidgey over too."

Seeing Pidgeot glance anxiously toward the pine tree, Lin Feng knew it was worried about its flock still roosting there.

Pidgeot immediately flapped its wings and took off into the sky.

Unbeknownst to Lin Feng, Mew was currently hovering invisibly in the sky. The savory aroma rising from below had it spinning in circles with impatience. Despite living at Lin Feng's place for days, it had only tasted the energy cubes set out for the Pidgey flock and a few placed in the breeding center.

Oh, and one time it had snuck into the barn and stolen one of Miltank's green dumplings — a delicious experience it remembered vividly.

That little stunt had gotten Miltank riled up enough to "report" it to Lin Feng, saying she kept feeling like someone was stealing her food.

This was because Lin Feng had a double standard when it came to food prep.

When making food for his own Pokémon, he poured in his heart and soul.

But the energy cubes he put out for sale at the breeding center were mostly mass-produced by him and Gardevoir, focusing on quantity.

Even so, the daily stock was barely enough to meet demand.

So good.

So fragrant...

The mouthwatering scent trailed straight into Mew's nose. It was seriously considering whether to reveal itself just to sneak a bite.

But then it heard Lin Feng call for Spearow and Pidgey to join them. With a mischievous glint in its eye, it transformed into a Pidgey and silently followed Pidgeot back down.

Once the whole flock had landed, Lin Feng brought out a brand-new set of energy cubes. Handing the grilling over to Gardevoir, he placed an appropriate amount of cubes in front of each Pokémon.

[SSS-Rank Trait Enhancement Pokéblock] – A high-grade Pokéblock made from premium Dragonfire Berries, infused with a variety of rare berries that amplify their effects to the fullest. Prolonged use can enhance Pokémon traits and boost special attack.

Effect 1: On first use, enhances the Pokémon's innate trait effects by 50% and grants 60 minutes of immunity to negative trait-induced status effects.

Effect 2: For Dragon-type Pokémon, buffs from support moves are greatly amplified upon first use.

Effect 3: For Fire-types with the Blaze ability, when low on stamina and full of fighting spirit, the Blaze effect becomes three times stronger.

Effect 4: Accelerated healing – Long-term use improves recovery from injuries and can even mend internal or congenital damage.

An SSS-Rank Pokéblock with four powerful effects.

Undoubtedly the best Lin Feng had crafted so far.

The special one he placed in front of Seel was made with a custom blend of top-grade Oran and Pomag berries, tailored specifically to treat its congenital condition.

Lin Feng had spent the entire morning experimenting with different combinations.

But in his eyes, if it could help heal Seel's condition — it was all worth it.

Snivy, having just finished a skewer of grilled meat, looked at the Pokéblock in front of it with curiosity. It picked up a piece and popped it into its mouth.

Immediately, its body flushed with warmth, as though some hidden energy had been awakened. Instinctively, it reached for the chilled rice wine nearby to cool down.

But the moment the wine slid down its throat...

The heat inside surged even more.

Its mind began to fog...

"Tang...tang?"

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