Early in the morning, Fang Yan climbed out of bed, turned off the light, and went out onto the balcony to stretch.
Looking at the faint mist in the backyard, feeling the morning moisture and smelling the fragrance of fresh grass, he felt wonderful.
Since coming here, his routine had become more and more regular, and his mood had kept improving. No overtime, no pointless socializing, no annoying work. Perhaps this was what made the Pokémon world so wonderful.
"Geng-"
Gengar rubbed his eyes and floated out.
After greeting Gengar, the human and Pokémon quietly enjoyed the stillness of the morning together.
Dali was already up and busy with Er Li and San Li, though what they were doing was unclear. They looked up and greeted Fang Yan.
Fang Yan waved.
"Peti..."
Awakened by the noise, Petilil looked at Fang Yan and Gengar and greeted them in a soft, sweet voice.
"Morning, Petilil. Did you sleep well last night?"
"Geng~"
Fang Yan looked at Petilil in the flowerpot. Dew still clung to the leaves on her head, and their color was deeper than yesterday, though they were also a little untidy.
She seemed to be doing well.
With that thought, Fang Yan checked Petilil's status again.
[Petilil] [Type: Grass] [Gender: Female] [Ability: Chlorophyll] [Known moves: Absorb, Growth, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Synthesis.] [Mood: Happy] [Condition: Free of sorrow, heading toward the light] [Friendship: 60-90 (I'll do my best.)] [Description: Thank him for leaving the light on for me last night. I'll do my best to help!]
He nodded, praised her a little, then took Gengar along to wash up.
Petilil was watching the distance gradually come to life when she suddenly felt something unusual in the leaves on her head.
"Peti?"
Petilil leaned back and looked up. Fang Yan was holding a pair of scissors, trimming her leaves.
Looking at the freshly trimmed Petilil, round and splendid, Fang Yan rested a hand on his chin and nodded before saying, "What do you think, Gengar? Isn't she cute?"
"Geng~"
Gengar copied Fang Yan's pose and nodded in reply.
Feeling the emotions coming from Fang Yan and Gengar, Petilil was deeply touched. Then the leaves on her head fell off again, regrew, and wrapped into a bundle.
They then spread open, revealing a round bulb lying inside.
[Breeder 1: A qualified breeder never disregards a Pokémon's feelings or mood. Petilil has broken free of despair and begun heading toward a better tomorrow. Received Petilil's gift: Absorb Bulb] [Absorb Bulb: When held by a Pokémon, it raises the holder's Special Attack if the holder is hit by a Water-type move.] [Thank you, Fang Yan, and Gengar-Petilil]
After reading the text that appeared before him, Fang Yan picked up the Absorb Bulb. "Is this a gift for me?"
Petilil swayed to confirm it.
"Thank you, Petilil."
Fang Yan smiled, trimmed Petilil's leaves again, then carried her to the lake so she could bask quietly in the sunshine.
Then he returned to the kitchen and made breakfast for Gengar, the Machamp, and himself.
Like most Grass-type Pokémon, Petilil did not need to eat. Sunshine and water alone were enough for her to grow.
After breakfast, Fang Yan revised the list of services written on the wooden board. Just then, Gengar floated over, holding the leaves Petilil had shed.
"Geng?"
What do we do with these?
Looking at the leaves in his hands, Fang Yan remembered the Pokédex's description of Petilil. The leaves on her head were a popular medicinal ingredient. If dried and brewed, drinking the resulting liquid would immediately make someone feel energized. They also worked well as an insect repellent.
Fang Yan took a leaf and bit into it.
Bitterness instantly filled his mouth, clearing his head and making him alert in the blink of an eye.
"In that case, making herbal tea with them might not be bad either?"
Fang Yan rubbed his chin and murmured, then had Gengar take the remaining leaves away to dry.
After finishing the revisions to the services on the wooden board, he put it outside, announcing that the Pokémon Day Care was officially open for business.
Meanwhile, on the woodland path, sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering patches of light across the ground and over Drake's hair and body.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced into the distance, spotting a house standing there with its doors wide open.
He remembered that place. An elderly woman had lived there before, and he had even played there as a child. But after the business closed down, he had never visited again. Yesterday, however, he had heard that it had reopened.
So he had come to see whether it was true.
He arrived at the entrance and looked at the wooden board beside it, which read:
[Gengar's Happy Paradise (Pokémon Day Care)] [Service 1: Pokémon boarding.] [Service 2: Pokémon Eggs for sale.] [Service 3: Rare items for sale: Absorb Bulb] [Service 4: Small items for sale: Custom wood carvings] [Gengar's tip: The weather is hot. Today's recommendation: "Petilil herbal tea"]
"It really... is open?"
Drake murmured as he looked at the services listed there. Then he saw a purple Pokémon flying toward him.
"Geng?"
Fang Yan was reclining in a chair, reading a book on herbal medicine. Hearing Gengar, he turned and saw someone standing outside.
He quickly had Gengar welcome the customer inside, then stood and asked, "Hello, I'm Fang Yan, the owner of this Pokémon Day Care. What can I help you with?"
Drake followed Gengar inside. Looking at the interior, which was decorated completely differently from what he remembered, he became a little distracted. Only when he heard Fang Yan speak did he come back to his senses.
"Hello, my name is Drake. I'd like to buy a Pokémon Egg. I heard you sell them here."
Hearing this, Fang Yan nodded, then asked with a smile, "Then, Mr. Drake, is there a particular Pokémon Egg you'd like to buy?"
"Well..."
Drake did not know what kind of Pokémon Egg he wanted to buy either.
"Just a general type is fine too. For example, if you want to become a Trainer, you could buy a stronger Pokémon. Or if you want companionship, you could buy a gentler one."
Understanding dawned on Drake, and he quickly said, "I'd like a Pokémon to go fishing with me."
"Fishing? So you're an experienced angler too, Mr. Drake."
Fang Yan glanced at him as he spoke.
"To tell you the truth, I only returned to Twinleaf Town a little while ago. As a child, I was always studying, then came high school, university, and work. I never had a Pokémon of my own. After working for a few years and saving some money, I didn't want to keep toiling away day and night, so I quit my job."
Drake rubbed the back of his head and smiled before continuing, "Then I came back to Twinleaf Town. Every day, I went to the seaside to watch people fish, and I became interested in it myself. So I wanted to buy a Pokémon to fish with me. Yesterday, Officer Jenny told me a Pokémon Day Care had reopened here, so I came over."
"Fishing is a pleasant pastime too. To tell you the truth, Mr. Drake, I was also thinking of taking Gengar fishing sometime soon."
As Fang Yan spoke, he led Drake toward the hatching room.
"Oh, and this is still the same Pokémon Day Care as before. It's just under new ownership. The previous owner was my great-aunt."
Understanding dawned on Drake after hearing that.
"If you're looking for a fishing partner, a Water-type Pokémon would be best. How about Buizel?"
Fang Yan pointed at Buizel's Pokémon Egg as he spoke to Drake.
"Buizel..."
Drake remembered the orange Pokémon he had seen before, handsome and strong.
"All right, I'll take Buizel."
Drake nodded, then asked, "How much?"
"One hundred thousand League Coins."
Fang Yan stated the price. Buizel was not a particularly rare Pokémon, so the price was fairly moderate.
"All right, I'll take it, then."
Drake nodded, his gaze fixed on the Pokémon Egg in Fang Yan's arms.
Fang Yan took the stethoscope from Gengar and carefully examined Buizel's egg in front of Drake.
[Buizel's egg] [Hatching progress: 24/30]
"It's very healthy, and it should hatch in just a few days."
Fang Yan smiled as he spoke, then packed up the incubator and some necessary supplies, handed them to Drake, and explained a few precautions.
Drake carefully held the incubator containing Buizel's egg and paid.
Fang Yan saw the first customer out of the Pokémon Day Care and watched him leave with the incubator in his arms.
"This is great, Gengar. We finally had a customer."
Fang Yan tugged at the corners of Gengar's mouth beside him and let out a sigh of relief as he spoke.
"Gen... Geng... ╮(‵▽′)╭"