After arranging all the Poké Puffs, Lin Feng finally turned his attention to Popplio.

"Popplio?"

Popplio took a bite of the Poké Puff, and a warm current spread through its body. The innate weakness it had always carried gradually faded, replaced by a newfound strength and steadiness.

Surprised, it looked up at Lin Feng.

"I told you I'd fix your potential problem. You'll evolve guaranteed." Lin Feng knelt down and gently patted Popplio's head, his voice warm and reassuring.

"Popplio..."

Feeling the warmth inside its body and seeing the gentle look in its trainer's eyes tears welled up in Popplio's eyes. Unable to hold back, it dove into Lin Feng's arms and began to bawl.

"Popplio... (Waaah...)"

"There, there, it's okay..."

Holding the little seal pup in his arms, Lin Feng felt a mix of heartache and tenderness.

Abandoned due to poor potential, rescued by Gardevoir, and now living under his care watching Torchic grow stronger and evolve must've made it feel left behind.

"It's alright. Things will get better from now on."

After comforting Popplio for a while, Lin Feng checked its stats.

[Pokémon: Popplio]

[Gender: Female]

[Ability: Torrent]

[Potential: Green]

[IVs: HP (14), Attack (8), Sp. Atk (17), Defense (19), Sp. Def (19), Speed (4)]

[Level: 12–14]

[Moves: Pound, Growl, Water Gun, Icy Wind]

[Friendship: 90 (Really likes you!)]

[Joy: 90 (Emotionally overwhelmed)]

Compared to last time, her IVs had clearly improved, and her overall potential had risen from white to green.

A single Draco Blaze Berry, mixed with other berries, could make roughly fifty Poké Puffs. Since the dish focused mainly on recovery, the exchange rate made sense.

Step by step Popplio would evolve eventually.

After telling her to eat her favorite foods while he went to prepare barbecue, Lin Feng walked toward the grill.

Behind him...

Snivy took a sip of the rice wine. She found this new "drink" oddly satisfying. Paired with a skewer, it was an unexpectedly addictive combo. But soon, she realized something was off.

Her mind began to fog, and her eyes drifted to Lin Feng by the grill. Without even realizing it, she picked up another cup of rice wine and tottered toward him.

From the table, Alolan Vulpix licked some rice wine, then looked at Snivy with a puzzled expression.

She could tell something was off... but wasn't sure what.

High above, Gardevoir watched from the air, her telepathic senses picking up on Snivy's state. She glanced down at her own cup of rice wine, thoughtful.

"Does this stuff... make you say what's really on your mind?"

"Snivy~~"

Just as Lin Feng turned the skewers, he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down, puzzled.

And froze.

Snivy was swaying, her steps wobbly. Her cheeks were tinged pink, eyes half-closed. Her voice, usually cool and aloof, was now soft and sticky-sweet.

"Snivy~"

She drained the cup in one gulp and looked up, looking pitiful.

Stretching out her tiny arms, she said, "Snivy... (I want cuddles... You haven't hugged me in forever...)"

As she spoke, her tail coiled around Lin Feng's leg.

"Snivy~ (Hug me...)"

"..."

Lin Feng looked at the empty cup in her hand, then glanced at where she'd been sitting right next to a half-full bottle of rice wine in a reused water bottle.

Assuming it was 500ml total... she only drank 250ml?

That's about half a beer's worth. And she's already drunk?

"Snivy~ (Sniff... You don't like hugging me anymore, do you? Is it because I got too big after evolving?)"

"Snivy... (Hmph...)"

Still clinging to his leg like a koala, Snivy kept her eyes shut, full of sulky affection.

With no other choice, Lin Feng called over Gardevoir to take over the grill, then scooped up the clingy Snivy like a toddler.

"Alright, alright... hug time..."

He couldn't help but laugh, and a mischievous thought crossed his mind: he really wanted to record her like this and show her later.

She'd probably throw a tantrum.

Or die of embarrassment.

Even Sweet Bamboo and Alcremie had never gotten drunk this easily.

This little troublemaker...

"Snivy...? (You're always telling Vulpix she's such a good girl... Am I good too?)"

"You're the best girl."

"Snivy... (Gardevoir can help you with so much... I wanna help too...)"

"You will once you evolve, you'll be even stronger."

"Snivy... (Then I wanna evolve fast...)"

"Snivy? (But you have to be the one to hug me, okay? Trainer...)"

"Got it..."

ヾ(≧▽≦*)o "Snivy... (Love you the most, Trainer...)"

...

[Congratulations! Snivy's Friendship has reached 100! You've earned an SSS-rank Leaf Stone an ultra-pure Grass-type stone that can refine genetics and enhance potential.]

Looking at the still-asleep Snivy wrapped around him, Lin Feng couldn't stop grinning.

He always knew she was a little tsundere but never expected this much emotional drama. Clearly, they needed more heart-to-hearts from now on.

As he turned to glance at the other Pokémon, he noticed that every one of them was staring at him. But when their eyes met, they all immediately lowered their heads and pretended to focus on eating.

He silently offered condolences for Snivy's future embarrassment.

It wasn't that the scene was terrible just incredibly out of character.

Snivy had always acted cool and distant. She barely spoke, kept to herself, and only seemed close with Vulpix. Among the team, she had a queen-bee vibe respected and even deferred to by Pokémon like Pidgeot, Milotic, and Miltank.

But now?

Well...

Maybe that queen-bee image wasn't so icy after all.

Whiplash, anyone?

"I'm gonna take her back to bed."

Carrying the sleeping Snivy, Lin Feng gave Gardevoir a helpless look, then brought her back to the cabin and gently laid her down inside.

Looking at her red-cheeked face and dozy expression, Lin Feng couldn't help but recall the first time he'd met her.

She'd peeked shyly out from behind a fruit tree, cheeks just as red, body trembling.

The memory made him laugh out loud. After a long chuckle, he sighed.

"She's actually kinda cute like this."

He figured Snivy could probably hold herself together even while tipsy, but this rice wine had a special "truth-telling" effect.

And that... was beyond her control.

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