After dinner, Lin Feng didn't spare much attention for Mew's restless emotions.
His focus was fixed on the crisp voice of the Joy System echoing in his mind.
[Congratulations! You have raised Mewtwo's Happiness Value from 50 to 88. Reward granted: one Superior Rare Candy, five bags of Superior Golden Fertilizer, and a full set of Gardevoir's Mega Evolution equipment.]
Lin Feng's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? Mega Evolution gear… for Gardevoir?"
That meant his Gardevoir could finally Mega Evolve.
Even now, Gardevoir was hovering close to level 90 strength. If she underwent Mega Evolution, her power would soar beyond that threshold. She would stand firmly at level 90, possibly even surpass it.
The thought made Lin Feng's chest thrum with excitement.
Cleaning up after dinner was quick work. He didn't even need to ask his Pokémon for help. With his psychic abilities, he could tidy the entire kitchen in minutes. Plates floated, crumbs vanished, and the dining area sparkled once more. The Pokémon, full and content, drifted back to their usual spots.
But before Mewtwo could leave with Dragonite, Lin Feng stopped him. "Hold on. I need your help with something."
Mewtwo paused in midair, its psychic aura still humming from earlier. The playful haze of catnip-induced giddiness had long faded, leaving only a razor-sharp presence.
Mew, still hiding her true identity, couldn't be asked for this favor. If she acted, she risked exposing herself. And besides, success wasn't guaranteed.
Lin Feng knew relying only on Gardevoir wasn't enough. Even with Mega Evolution, he felt uneasy. That was why he needed Mewtwo.
He gestured toward Gardevoir. "She once received a fragment of Darkrai's power… it's complicated to explain. Actually, let me show you."
He reached out, grasping Mewtwo's hand with one palm and Gardevoir's with the other. Channeling his Viridian Force, Lin Feng shared the sequence of events directly into Mewtwo's mind.
Five minutes passed before Mewtwo finally released his hand, silent and thoughtful. Its brow furrowed as it processed everything.
"This Darkrai… is it truly strong?" Mewtwo asked.
Lin Feng tilted his head, pretending to look pitiful. "Probably. But I wouldn't know. I'm just a simple breeder, not some professional League trainer. That's why I'm asking you to help. Besides, you don't want to see my orchard destroyed if things get out of hand, right?"
In truth, Lin Feng had no idea how powerful Darkrai really was. But one thing he did know: it never hurt to have another bodyguard. Better safe than sorry.
Humans needed to learn how to leverage strength.
And Mewtwo had already eaten his food he couldn't just let it leave without lending a hand.
Mewtwo closed its eyes, then nodded firmly. "Very well. I won't let this place suffer any harm."
Relief washed over Lin Feng. He grinned sheepishly. "Heh, I knew I could count on you. Thanks."
He was just about to set out with Gardevoir and Mewtwo to report the situation to the nearest League center when something unusual caught his attention.
Above them, the sky glowed crimson. A fiery silhouette cut across the clouds, radiating waves of heat.
Even before Lin Feng could react, Mewtwo's sharp gaze snapped upward, instantly locked on the blazing figure.
Elsewhere, Champion Windham was on the move.
His search for disturbances had been swift. The phenomenon was far too obvious.
From Seaside City to Walnut Town, there had been repeated reports of citizens plagued by recurring nightmares. Following the trail revealed a clear path, as if drawn deliberately across the map.
Metagross had processed the data, analyzing every report and pinpointing the pattern.
This was the same route Gardevoir had traveled when she first arrived from overseas.
Now the phenomenon had stopped near Walnut Town. It was there that Windham and Darkrai circled carefully, hoping to locate the "powerful Pokémon" behind all this.
As they reached the outskirts of a small town, a low rasp echoed in Windham's ear. "The energy here is the strongest. This is the place."
Darkrai's tone was serious, almost heavy.
Windham gave a short nod and had Moltres descend, scanning the landscape below.
Darkrai had explained earlier: it had once lent a fragment of its power to another Pokémon, asking it to drive away wild threats. That fragment, however, had not been retrieved in time. Now, the energy had been fully absorbed and transformed, becoming part of that Pokémon.
Windham couldn't help but feel conflicted.
So Darkrai had given away its strength, and now it wanted it back? True, the gift had helped others. But it had also placed restrictions, marking the recipient permanently.
He sighed. Was this really about reclaiming power… or something more complicated?
Still, he couldn't deny the place below looked… extraordinary.
From above, the small town brimmed with life. Roads were lined with flowers in full bloom, their colors vivid under the fading sunlight. Within a large orchard, fruit trees sagged with ripeness and vegetables sparkled with dew.
But what caught Windham off guard were the Pokémon.
He blinked. Was he seeing correctly?
Milotic glided gracefully in a pool. Serperior coiled regally in the grass. A massive Pidgeot soared above the orchard. Gardevoir stood watch by the garden path.
And… was that a Dragonite?
Windham's jaw tightened.
How could a simple breeder possess such Pokémon?
At that moment, the cry of Pidgeot split the air. Spotting the unfamiliar figure above, Pidgeot's feathers bristled. Without hesitation, it shot skyward, meeting Moltres head-on.
Despite Moltres's legendary aura, Pidgeot showed no fear. Its call was sharp, defiant, filled with determination to protect its home.
Moltres, however, tilted its head in surprise.
From this Pidgeot's body, it could faintly sense… the breath of its own lineage?
Impossible.
Its expression twisted in disbelief.
No, not just that. The aura flowing within this ordinary Pidgeot felt more refined, even purer, than its own.
The great Moltres was left speechless. How could this be?
Lin Feng had already mounted Dragonite and risen into the air. Seeing Pidgeot's feathers puffed in challenge, he quickly reached out with a calming voice.
"It's alright, Pidgeot. Stand down."
Pidgeot faltered, wings beating once as if to protest. Its pride whispered that it could hold its own.
But Lin Feng's gentle words pressed deeper than any command. With a final cry, Pidgeot circled once before descending obediently.
Lin Feng exhaled softly, then turned his gaze toward the figures ahead: Windham, perched on Moltres, with Darkrai hovering like a shadow behind him.
"Champion," Lin Feng greeted with composure, "welcome."
The system's familiar blue text blinked before his eyes:
[Pokémon: Moltres]
[Gender: Male]
[Ability: Pressure]
[Potential: Gold]
[IVs: HP (28), Attack (31), Special Attack (31), Defense (27), Special Defense (21), Speed (21)]
[Level: 89]
[Moves: Gust, Leer, Ember, Safeguard, Wing Attack, Agility, Incinerate, Air Slash, Roost, Hurricane, Sky Attack, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Fire Blast…]
A Moltres. Level 89. Its flames burned hot enough to melt steel, its presence heavy enough to stifle the air itself.
And it was staring directly at him.
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