Summer, League Calendar year 112, June 14. Clear skies.
The sunlight at five in the morning was more intense than usual, casting bright patches on the wooden floor through the skylight.
As usual, Tong Hua woke to a chorus of clear birdsong and a faint, drifting sweetness.
He sat up and looked down beside him. Cinccino was sound asleep, sprawled out on its back, and had rolled to the foot of the bed, just as expected.
Purrloin, meanwhile, had stolen his pillow at some point and pulled it over itself, leaving only a fluffy little head and two ear tips that trembled gently with each breath exposed.
Tong Hua couldn't help smiling at the sight. He carefully extricated himself from the two little Pokémon without waking them.
He walked to the window and pushed it open. A warm breeze carrying the scents of grass, earth, and flowers immediately swept into the room.
What a lovely, comfortable morning. Tong Hua's mood instantly brightened.
After stretching, he immediately looked toward the Wonderful Potion Shop in the distance, which had just been completed yesterday.
In the morning light, its pale wooden walls looked especially warm and mellow, and its mushroom-shaped roof had a cute, rounded outline.
The hastily carved wooden ornament of Hattrem's profile above the door also looked a little more lifelike in the sunlight.
"We're opening today..." Tong Hua took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling every cell in his body fill with energy.
He quietly washed up, then went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Today, he deliberately made extra, setting aside portions not only for himself and the Pokémon in the house, but also for all their other companions on the ranch.
As the mingled aromas of fried eggs and Berries spread, Cinccino and Purrloin rubbed their sleepy