As Victor was still discussing the situation with Gengar, he heard the roar of a motorcycle outside the door.
He looked over and saw Jenny parking her motorcycle. She then led Joy and the others into the Breeding House.
Jenny walked over to Victor and quietly explained the little girl's situation in more detail.
After listening, Victor looked at the little girl hiding behind her parents.
She kept her head down, not daring to look at him.
Her parents gently patted her, and only then did the little girl raise her head to look at Victor.
Victor saw that the girl's eyes were filled with fear.
She wore a pink princess dress, and her silver hair was tied in pigtails. Hiding behind her parents, her delicate little face was a mask of terror.
"They really have a high opinion of me to bring this situation here," Victor thought to himself. He signaled for Gengar to head to the backyard, then took a deep breath and crouched down in front of the little girl.
Seeing Victor approach, the little girl began to tremble with fear and tried to hide further behind her parents.
"Your name is Shana, isn't it?" Victor's voice was very gentle.
A long moment passed without him saying anything else. Shana peeked her head out and glanced at Victor.
She saw that he was still crouching in the same spot, watching her with a warm smile on his face.
She gave a slight nod.
Seeing Shana respond, Victor let out a breath and then silently sat down on the floor, discreetly pressing his hand against his thigh.
Legs are asleep...
Watching Shana shrink back behind her parents again, Victor didn't press her.
A moment later, Gengar returned, holding the Petilil, and came to Victor's side.
Dali and the others also quietly moved to their positions behind the counter.
Victor reached out and took the Petilil, gently patting its small head. "I'm counting on you," he whispered.
"Lili." The Petilil nodded. Gengar had already explained the situation to it on the way.
"Shana, can I ask you a question? Please."
There was no response for a long time. Just as Victor was about to speak again, Shana peeked her head out once more.
Seeing her little head, Victor spoke softly, "Do you think... she's cute?"
He held up the Petilil in his arms.
After a period of Victor's careful tending, the Petilil had become even more adorable. Especially after Victor had trimmed the leaves on its head, it looked just like a little onion.
Shana didn't answer. She just stared intently at the Petilil in Victor's hands.
"Lili."
"Hello there."
Hearing the Petilil's sweet voice, Shana nodded.
But this time, she didn't shrink back.
"What do you think? Do you want to hold her? She says you're very cute, too."
Hearing this, Shana looked up at the other adults and saw them all smiling encouragingly at her.
She clutched her father's pant leg and slowly started to step out from behind him. She was almost completely out when she suddenly darted back again.
She peeked her head out one more time.
The young man in front of her was still smiling, his eyes full of warmth, encouraging her to try.
The Petilil also held out its tiny arms.
"Lili~"
She carefully stepped out from behind her parents again, the entire process incredibly slow.
But not a single person or Pokémon rushed her.
Finally, she stood before Victor with her head down, her hands trembling as she held them out.
A sudden gust of wind blew past, startling her. She started to pull her hands back, but before she could, she felt a gentle weight settle into her arms.
She quickly hugged it tight and looked down at the Petilil in her arms. Her body stopped trembling.
Watching this scene, Victor let out a silent sigh of relief.
As expected, being cute is an unbeatable trump card.
"How does it feel, holding her?"
Hearing the voice in front of her, she kept her gaze fixed on the Petilil and gave a small nod.
Then she heard the young man's voice again.
"Did you know, Pokémon are everywhere in this world? In the forests, in the sky, in the oceans, on the plains, we can see them everywhere. And they form all sorts of bonds with us humans."
Victor recited his favorite passage from his past life. It was because of these words that he had so desperately yearned to come to the world of Pokémon.
"Some live in abandoned houses and love to play pranks; some wander far and wide, helping humans in need; some work tirelessly for the trainers they love; some help their trainers heal people and Pokémon; some help their trainers catch criminals and maintain peace."
Everyone, human and Pokémon alike, was captivated by Victor's gentle voice.
"Without them, I probably couldn't have opened this Breeding House."
Gengar stuck out its tongue and flew around, pulling at the corners of its mouth. The Petilil let out a sweet cry. The Machoke snapped a crisp salute.
"Without Blissey, the Pokémon Center would have a very hard time managing."
"Blissey." Blissey looked at Joy and gently patted the egg it was holding in its pouch.
"Without Growlithe, it would be very difficult for Officer Jenny to catch criminals."
Growlithe panted happily, its tail wagging nonstop. Jenny crouched down and affectionately ruffled its head.
"Pokémon are our indispensable friends."
"They will stay with us, through thick and thin."
Shana looked up and glanced around.
She liked Blissey; it often took care of her. She liked Growlithe; it often played with her...
Friends...
Shana's eyes were filled with confusion.
She was afraid of everything unfamiliar—people and Pokémon alike.
Except for the Petilil in her arms.
Victor noticed the difference in her eyes when she looked at Blissey and Growlithe versus when she looked at Gengar and the others.
He had a faint idea of what was going on.
"Shana."
Shana looked at Victor. Much of the fear on her face had faded. She waited for him to speak.
"Do you... like Pokémon?"
As Victor's words fell, Shana's eyes suddenly widened, and her small mouth opened slightly.
Images flashed through her mind: Blissey lulling her to a peaceful sleep, Growlithe helping her build sandcastles, the stray Pokémon she used to feed.
She came back to her senses and looked at the young man before her.
Victor was waiting for her answer.
At that moment, sunlight streamed through the main doors of the Breeding House, falling upon Victor's face and back.
Looking at Victor, bathed in sunlight and smiling, Shana gave a tiny nod.
"I... I do."
Her voice was barely a whisper, but everyone in the Breeding House, human and Pokémon, heard it clearly.
A gentle light flashed in Victor's eyes. Joy and Jenny looked on in disbelief. Shana's parents covered their mouths, tears instantly welling up in their eyes.
After a long moment, her mother wiped her tears, knelt down, put her arms around her daughter's shoulders, and said softly, "Then Shana, how about we get a Pokémon of our own?"
Hearing her mother's words, Shana's body began to tremble slightly again.
"It's okay, you know," Victor's voice chimed in. "We can start with a Pokémon Egg. That way, you can get used to it ahead of time and build a relationship."
He had figured out what Shana's problem was.
Hearing Victor's suggestion, Shana finally looked up at her parents.
"Can... can I? Dad... Mo... Mom..."
"Yes, of course you can, my little Shana," her mother said, hugging her and starting to cry.
Her father turned away, wiped his own tears, and then looked at Victor.
"Do you have any Pokémon Eggs here?"
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