Chapter 115:
Witnessing this scene, Hayashi Kaede was momentarily stunned, then shook his head and let out a soft sigh.
After consuming the SSS-grade Trait-Unlocking Energy Cubes, its potential and inherent deficiencies had actually been gradually remedied. By now, it wasn't far from evolution.
He just hadn't expected Popplio to evolve under such circumstances.
"Brionne~"
Brionne looked at Hayashi Kaede with delight, as if saying it could use Water Gun again.
This time, Hayashi Kaede didn't stop it but nodded instead. "Alright, I'll leave it to you then."
Brionne's goal in evolving was to help him wash the Grepa Berries. If he stopped it now, wouldn't that make it even more upset?
However, after glancing at its status panel, Hayashi Kaede's eyes held a trace gratification.
[Pokémon: Brionne]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Torrent]
[Potential: Blue]
[IVs: HP (16) Attack (10) Sp. Atk (17) Defense (20) Sp. Def (19) Speed (6)]
[Level: 21-24]
[Moves: Pound, Growl, Water Gun, Icy Wind, Aqua Jet, Baby-Doll Eyes, Sing]
[Friendship: 97 (It really likes you!)]
[Happiness: 70 (It can help its Trainer again...)]
Its potential had finally increased from Green to Blue.
It had also learned several new moves.
Take it slow, take it slow....
Hayashi Kaede thought silently, looking at the determined Brionne.
....
As it turned out, Hayashi Kaede's guess was correct.
They couldn't finish all the Grepa Berries in one night. It was only after handling the breeding house tasks on September 2nd that he and Gardevoir managed to process all the Grepa Berries.
That evening.
Hayashi Kaede looked at the oak barrels now filled with the prepared Grepa Berry mash and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Now, it was just a matter of letting it ferment naturally for about a week, then skimming off the skins and seeds, followed by another week of fermentation.
"It's a pity we don't have a Shuckle..."
Hayashi Kaede sighed.
If they had Shuckle, they could actually entrust the wine-making to them; the quality would probably be better.
But this is fine for now.
Hayashi Kaede turned to the Gardevoir, Milotic, and the others behind him. "Thank you for your hard work~"
Milotic and Brionne looked happy,
While Gardevoir simply nodded calmly before leading Milotic and Brionne back towards its reservoir.
"Phew..."
Hayashi Kaede checked the time.
It was already 8 PM.
The Combee, seeing the lights still on in the barn, continued gathering honey from the two Honey-bearing trees planted near the barn entrance.
Ever since he started working here at 4 PM, these five little ones had been gathering honey nonstop.
He felt a sense of admiration.
They were so diligent, starting to gather honey before dawn and only resting after dusk. Today, because he had the lights on, they were still gathering honey...
Despite his admiration, Hayashi Kaede still coaxed them back to rest.
He then looked over at the Miltank.
They were already asleep.
But these past few days, the Miltank seemed to have gotten noticeably rounder.
Their bellies were bulging—whether from milk production or simply gaining weight, he wasn't sure.
"Maybe create a circular track in the grassy area within the garden for them to run around?"
The thought briefly crossed Hayashi Kaede's mind.
Staying cooped up in the barn all the time wasn't ideal anyway.
Shaking his head, Hayashi Kaede didn't dwell on it. After taking another look at Metapod, he headed towards the plantation.
The starlight in September wasn't as brilliant anymore, but the moon was still bright, its silvery light cascading over the plantation like liquid mercury.
Gardevoir had already left, Milotic and Brionne had submerged into the depths of the reservoir, and Combusken was already fast asleep in its coop under the tree.
Fortunately, it didn't snore.
It was worth mentioning that a couple of days ago, Hayashi Kaede had built fairly large, movable wooden houses for both it and Dragonite.
He made Combusken's especially spacious, anticipating its future evolution.
So now, Dragonite had found a spot in the garden to settle.
It seemed quite interested in the flowers.
Pidgeot and the Pidgey/Pidgeotto flock kept watch from the pine trees. As for Mew... it certainly wouldn't stick around obediently at night.
Hayashi Kaede didn't bother controlling it; as long as it didn't mess with his things, it was fine.
Interestingly, out of the original ten Pidgey and ten Pidgeotto he brought, five Pidgey had already evolved into Pidgeotto.
So now there were fifteen Pidgeotto.
"Once they all evolve into Pidgeot, we can start offering longer-distance delivery services!"
This idea flashed through Hayashi Kaede's mind.
After starting the Pidgeotto delivery service, some Trainers from other cities had actually contacted Hayashi Kaede to buy Energy Cubes.
But Hayashi Kaede had refused, citing the distance as too great.
His main concern was still for the Pidgeottos' safety...
He felt much more at ease having them deliver "takeout" just within Aogiri Town.
Strolling along, he arrived again at the plots where he had planted the Berry seeds and vegetables a few days prior.
For the Berry seeds, Hayashi Kaede had used the special-grade Fertilizer, so they were now over a meter tall with dense foliage. The vegetables, however, grew naturally, having only received the growth buff from Serperior's Grassy Terrain.
This was an experiment he wanted to conduct.
To see if plants grown purely under the influence of Serperior's "Grassy Terrain," without other aids, had a higher mutation rate?
But looking them over now, out of over a hundred heads of Napa cabbage, not a single one had mutated...
The newly matured bitter melons also showed no signs of mutation.
The probability was honestly quite low.
But Hayashi Kaede didn't ponder it too much. Returning to the breeding house and seeing the lights on inside, he didn't enter immediately. Instead, he went to the kitchen.
A single black hair appeared in his hand.
It was Mew's eyelash.
Although the system said it could be used in cooking,
Hayashi Kaede racked his brains but couldn't figure out what an eyelash could possibly be used for?
Or what it would be suitable for.
"Maybe just grind it up and use it to make Energy Cubes?"
Deciding to act on the thought, Hayashi Kaede didn't hesitate.
First, he took out the six Berries corresponding to enhancing the six different IVs. Legend said Mew contains the genes of all Pokémon—
In other words, it can use any Pokémon move.
So, wouldn't adding all the Berries be the best choice?
Then he thought about it... and took out a bottle of MooMoo Milk as well.
He chopped the Berries, put them into the Berry Blender to grind them into a paste, and after the Berries were blended into a pulp, he added the Mew eyelash.
Finally, after letting the temperature drop slightly, he poured a bottle of MooMoo Milk over it...
About half an hour later.
Hayashi Kaede stared at the pink Energy Cube in his hand, lost in thought.
[Mythical Grade Mew Energy Cube: An Energy Cube created using Mew's genes....]