Backyard

"Are you leaving, Ho-Oh?" Dongshu asked.

Ho-Oh shook his head. "This is merely a gift I give to you."

Ho-Oh even wanted to stay on Heavenly Green Mountain forever, personally raising young Dongshu from scratch, training him into a Rainbow Hero from the ground up.

Hearing this, Dongshu felt a wave of relief inside.

He still wanted to ask Ho-Oh to take him to a human city again sometime later!

After yesterday's flurry of activity, his six million Shock Points had dwindled to just three million.

Dongshu planned to spend some Shock Points on things he'd always wanted to buy, then use the rest to purchase Rare Candy to level up Fire Emperor.

"Yeah, not just Fire Emperor, but also Raikou, Suicune, Marshadow, and Ho-Oh."

Dongshu pondered silently.

Before he turned ten, could he level up Ho-Oh's whole family to 100?

If so, he wouldn't have to fear any enemy he encountered while traveling outside.

After all, even the seemingly utopian Pokémon world had plenty of villainous organizations.

Take Team Rocket's boss, Sakaki—an incredibly powerful Trainer who once controlled Mewtwo for a time.

And in some storylines, Team Rocket members had even targeted Raikou, trying to capture that Pokémon.

Dongshu didn't want Raikou, Suicune, Fire Emperor, Marshadow, or Ho-Oh to be snatched away by someone without his knowledge.

Though Ho-Oh was strong, the human side also had beings like Pryce, who could slay gods using a Swine and Delibird.

He just didn't know if this world had the same Pryce he was familiar with.

So Dongshu figured it was better to play it safe.

Leveling Fire Emperor to max would cost 4 million Shock Points.

Adding Raikou, Suicune, Marshadow, and Ho-Oh, he'd need about 20 million Shock Points total.

"Six million at a time, so about three rounds should do it."

Perfect!

After that, he'd just ask Ho-Oh to take him flying a few more times, and it'd be all set.

Dongshu checked his balance—still three million left.

First, let's fill our bellies!

With a deduction of 40 Shock Points, a bottle of Moomoo Milk and a specially made bird Pokémon meal appeared before Dongshu and Ho-Oh.

The system said Fearow loved this food, but he wasn't sure if Ho-Oh would like it.

"Here!" Dongshu shared the food with Ho-Oh.

Ho-Oh didn't refuse; he gladly accepted young Dongshu's offering.

After a quick breakfast, Dongshu climbed downstairs to the Ecological Garden in his backyard, stopping on the open grassy area near the house.

Warm sunlight bathed him as he stood with hands on his hips, looking like he was commanding the landscape.

A blue system panel materialized before his eyes.

Code
[Farmland: 9x9 plot of land with high-quality soil. Any crop planted here will thrive. Can be placed anywhere. Cost: 5000 Shock Points.]
[Fish Pond: A fish tank with a built-in water circulation system. Can raise edible common fish or provide a perfect living environment for Water-type Pokémon. Cost: 5000 Shock Points.]
[Automatic Sprinkler: An automatic watering device. Can be set up in farmland to water crops automatically. Cost: 1000 Shock Points.]

Since he'd decided to live on Heavenly Green Mountain with Fire Emperor and the others, Dongshu figured they couldn't just rely on buying meals from the System Store forever.

The food was fine, but it always felt like ordering takeout.

In that case, growing his own food was more reassuring.

Sure, he was too young to cook now, but people grow up eventually.

And even if he couldn't finish everything, it didn't matter.

Because Dongshu had spotted something very special in the System Store.

Code
[Shipping Bin: A special tool from a certain ranch world. Throw harvested crops or unused materials into it, and they'll be automatically settled the next day, converted into Shock Points. Cost: 100,000 Shock Points.]

"Isn't this from that classic ranch game?" Dongshu's interest piqued.

No need to overthink—just buy it!

The next second, with a dull thud like a box closing, a wooden crate appeared beside him.

The Shipping Bin was ready. Next up: the farmland!

One plot of farmland cost 5,000 Shock Points. He'd start with 20 plots. With a deduction of 100,000 Shock Points, a neat, uniform stretch of fertile soil appeared before Dongshu, ready for planting!

Then came the Fish Pond.

This thing could not only raise edible common fish but also serve as a perfect home for Water-type Pokémon.

Like an adorable Quagsire.

Dongshu's mind stirred, and the next second, a crystal-clear fish pond crashed down to the ground.

Ho-Oh stood behind him, seemingly already unfazed by all of this.

Its gaze swept across this strange space.

Or, in other words, this secret realm.

It had sensed it since yesterday—the natural energy here was far richer than the outside world.

If Pokémon could stay here for a long time, it would greatly benefit their bodies.

They'd grow stronger, bigger, taller...

A look of interest flickered in Ho-Oh's eyes.

Was their little Dongshu truly a child favored by nature?

"Done!"

With the backyard's basic infrastructure complete, Dongshu was quite pleased.

After this round of work, he still had over 2.7 million Shock Points left.

He decided to exchange all the remaining Shock Points for Rare Candy to level up Fire Emperor later.

With the fields and fish pond placed, the next step was planting crops.

But Dongshu was still too young for that—he simply lacked the strength, unless he had a suitable Pokémon to help.

Given his current situation, though... he couldn't catch any Pokémon at all.

Dongshu couldn't help but sigh. Forget it—he'd put this matter aside for now and come back to it when he was older.

Back in the living room, Dongshu couldn't resist running outside, sitting on a large rock, and gazing into the distance.

It had only been a few days, but he already missed Fire Emperor.

"Ho-Oh, when will Fire Emperor come back?" Dongshu couldn't help asking.

Ho-Oh: "Once it finishes guiding the chosen one, it will return to Heavenly Green Mountain."

"And when will that guiding be done?" Bored and restless, Dongshu started muttering again.

Ho-Oh thought carefully before replying: "If the chosen one passes the trial, Fire Emperor will protect him and accompany him to Heavenly Green Mountain."

"If the chosen one fails the trial, the Rainbow Feather I granted him will lose its light. At that point, Fire Emperor and the others will abandon the guiding and return directly to Heavenly Green Mountain."

Just like in the movie... Dongshu thought. That's probably going to take forever!

Dongshu let out a helpless sigh, his small face full of worry. Above him stretched a clear blue sky, below him sprawled the majestic Heavenly Green Mountain. Sitting on the big rock, he swung his legs idly, his heart already aching for Fire Emperor.