October 4th.
After breakfast, Lin Feng carried a chair to the front of the plantation and sat down with a glass of freshly pressed juice in his hand. The crisp sweetness lingered on his tongue as he watched the bustle beyond the fence.
Outside, the sound of construction was relentless. The clatter of shovels, the rhythmic pounding of hamrs, and the low rumble of heavy machinery filled the morning air. Roads were being paved, and houses were being raised at the sa ti. From what Lin Feng could see, the roadwork was progressing much faster. What had initially been scheduled to take fifteen days now looked as though it would be finished in twelve or thirteen.
The houses, though, would take longer. Two months, maybe more. After all, the manpower and Pokémon needed to build a road were nowhere near the scale required to put up sturdy houses.
Lin Feng swirled the juice in his cup, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He found himself curious about sothing. In the past few days, he hadn't seen the two students who had once co to challenge him, nor had any new challengers arrived.
By right, the training battles should have attracted attention. The effect of those challenges had been good, sothing that could stir excitent among the younger trainers. Yet strangely, the two high school boys never returned, and no other students had appeared to test themselves either.
He hadn't publicized his presence, of course. There had been no announcents on his video channel, no ntion in the nursery. Still, with so many days passing in silence, he couldn't help but wonder. Did those two never tell their classmates at all? Or maybe the noise of construction nearby kept people from visiting?
"Eevee!"
A small, brown blur dashed past Lin Feng's feet, snapping him out of his thoughts. Another Eevee imdiately followed, its eyes sparkling with determination as it chased after the first.
The first one scampered toward the plantation, clearly aiming to hide among the rows of carefully tended berry trees. The second Eevee, the one with the little golden bell around its neck, pounced. Its body glowed with white light as it lunged, intercepting the other before it could escape into the crops.
The two collided in a tangle of fur, tumbling across the dirt path. Lin Feng watched as brown backs and white fluffy bellies rolled over and over in front of him. The sight was so irresistibly cute that the corners of his mouth twitched upward.
He said nothing at first, but amusent danced in his eyes. These Eevee were clearly adapting well to the nursery. They weren't just comfortable here they had already learned how to play together and get along with the other Pokémon.
Lin Feng was about to warn them not to topple into the wet soil when a shadow floated down from the sky. A Ralts in a maid-like apron drifted gracefully forward, its small arms glowing faintly. With a gentle telekinetic push, it lifted both Eevee apart before they could roll into the plantation beds.
"Ralts, Ralts!" it scolded sternly. (You can't play here!)
"Ralts, Ralts!" it repeated, wagging a finger like a miniature housekeeper. (The ground is still muddy from this morning's watering. You'll get all dirty!)
It was none other than the caretaker Ralts, the younger sibling of Lin Feng's Gardevoir. She had been out harvesting berries to bring back for energy cube preparation when she spotted the two Eevee wreaking havoc.
The bell-wearing Eevee, nicknad Ajiu, imdiately lowered its head. "Eevee…" (We understand…)
It wriggled free from the telekinetic hold, then chattered briefly with the other Eevee before their eyes lit up. Together, they darted off toward the cobblestone path outside the nursery.
Their destination? To et with Awu the Eevee and Snowy the Alolan Vulpix, so they could play their favorite ga Pikachu Hero Adventure!
Watching them scamper away, Ralts let out a sigh of relief, then turned toward Lin Feng. She bowed slightly and greeted him politely.
Lin Feng chuckled. Though he'd never been one for formal gestures, he always respected the little Ralts's customs. He waved back in greeting.
An idea struck him. "Ralts, why don't you take Goodra to join them? A little play will do it good. It needs the exercise."
"Ralts?" The little maid tilted her head in surprise, blinking her big eyes. At first, she hesitated. Goodra was powerful but shy, and wtwo's imposing presence nearby made everything complicated.
Lin Feng reassured her with a smile. "Don't worry. I'll go with you."
He'd been planning to check on Salance anyway. Rising from his chair, Lin Feng dusted himself off and strolled out of the nursery with Ralts floating by his side.
High above, Salance stretched its massive wings, the scales along its back catching the sunlight. It shifted restlessly, glancing at the construction workers and Pokémon bustling below.
It wanted to fly.
It wanted to unleash its power.
It wanted to… eat.
The thought startled it. Shaking its head, Salance drove away the craving. Still, it couldn't help imagining what would be on the lunch nu today. Ever since it started living here, the als had been astonishingly delicious.
But then, its gaze flickered to the figure floating beside it. wtwo.
That one presence was enough to snuff out any reckless impulses. Salance knew better than to stir trouble under wtwo's watchful eyes. If it so much as twitched wrong, wtwo's psychic grip would lock it in place.
Salance still rembered the past. wtwo had never trusted humans, had never shown warmth. So why had it changed? Why was it now working alongside them, even protecting them?
Salance couldn't understand.
Just then, a flash of orange soared across the sky. Dragonite descended gracefully, having just finished breakfast. Workers imdiately waved and called out to it, pointing toward the site where wooden fras had already been set up. Today's task was simple: pour freshly mixed cent into the molds.
Dragonite accepted the storage container with a cheerful nod and hovered into place. It tilted the container carefully, releasing streams of smooth concrete into the frawork. Not a drop spilled.
Salance's confusion deepened. It knew this Dragonite. They had once been captives of Team Rocket together. Dragonite had suffered as much as it had, maybe more. And yet here it was, helping humans without hesitation, even smiling as it worked.
Why?
On the scaffolding below, wtwo also observed quietly. The sight was strange, even to it. Humans and Pokémon worked side by side with effortless rhythm. Machamp mixed the concrete. Trainers hauled supplies. Water-types summoned fresh water to adjust the consistency.
Even Pokémon without trainers pitched in when they noticed a need. Humans, too, seed to understand Pokémon perfectly. A call, a gesture, a glance that was all it took for them to work in harmony.
wtwo found it incredible. During its travels, it had seen trainers and their personal Pokémon cooperate well. But this… this was different. This was community. A bond that transcended ownership or command.
Was this… the real way humans and Pokémon coexisted?
As the thought echoed in its mind, wtwo suddenly turned. From across the distance, it had sensed Lin Feng calling for it.
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