On the road in the early morning, a boy with reddish-brown spiky hair, wearing a pendant and a small wooden tag around his neck, walked slowly towards the rising sun, an Umbreon by his side.
He thought back on his battle with Victor.
Gary let out a long breath.
"The Sinnoh region is no joke... and neither is that Owner."
He looked back one last time in the direction of the Breeding House, a light shining in his eyes.
Then he turned forward.
"Umbreon... let's go home."
"Eon~"
...
At the Breeding House.
Victor, after seeing Gary off, returned to the lounge area and flopped directly onto a chair.
He looked around.
"It suddenly feels so much quieter."
Shana had gone back to her hometown with Mr. and Mrs. Fujino after watching the battle between Victor and Gary last night.
Thinking about how he had completely swept Gary's team, Victor felt a little happy.
So my own strength isn't so bad after all.
But without Shana and Gary, the Breeding House certainly felt a lot quieter.
After lying there for a while, Victor decided to find something to do.
He edited the video of the "Night of Emergence" he had filmed in the forest and the "Breeding House Day" fireworks video from the other day, then posted them online.
Afterward, he took Gengar and the others to the backyard to do an inspection.
After a full walkthrough, it seemed there really wasn't much that needed to be done.
He ate lunch and then lay back down on the chair, watching Gengar's favorite cartoon with it.
"Owner!"
A voice came from outside the door.
Victor shot to his feet.
Work?
He saw Ethan standing at the entrance.
"Ethan?"
"Just call me Ethan. I brought my cousin over today to buy a Pokémon Egg. Ever since he watched the tournament a couple of days ago, he hasn't stopped talking about wanting to be a trainer. It's his birthday soon, so I brought him over to pick one out as a gift."
Victor looked at the boy beside Ethan and nodded.
"Leo, tell the owner what kind of Pokémon you want," Ethan said.
"I want a pretty Pokémon, preferably a Grass-type... just like that one!"
Leo pointed to the Lilligant that had come to Victor's side.
Victor looked down and met Lilligant's eyes.
"Lili~"
He patted its small head, then looked at Leo. "Pretty, a Grass-type, and just like Lilligant?"
"Mhm." Leo nodded.
"I see. Let me think."
Victor thought for a moment.
A Budew egg would work, or an Oddish egg.
One's final evolution is Roserade, and the other's can be Vileplume or Bellossom.
Both are standard-bearers for the Grass type and are very beautiful.
"How about an Oddish or a Budew?" Victor asked.
"Oddish? Budew?"
"That's right. Budew evolves into Roselia—like this Roselia right here next to me—and then uses a Shiny Stone to evolve into Roserade. Oddish evolves into Gloom, and then can use a Sun Stone to evolve into Bellossom. They're all Grass-types, and very pretty."
"But one thing to note, Oddish's evolution, Gloom, can be very stinky," Victor added. "But it usually won't release that smell when it's calm."
Seeing Leo fall into deep thought, Victor didn't interrupt.
"By the way, Owner, are you free in a couple of days?" Ethan suddenly asked.
"If nothing unexpected comes up, I should be. What's wrong?"
"I remember you said you like fishing, right? Since you're free, let's go fishing at the port together!" Ethan said with a laugh.
Fishing? That sounds like a great idea.
I don't think I've ever actually tried to reel in a Pokémon before. That would probably feel amazing, wouldn't it?
Victor was very tempted.
"But I don't have a fishing rod."
"No problem, I have an extra. You just need to show up."
Hearing this, Victor nodded.
"In that case, alright. The day after tomorrow?"
"Great! I'll contact you then," Ethan said, then looked at his Buizel. They exchanged a smile.
"I've decided, Owner! I want the Oddish," Leo announced.
Victor was a little surprised. He had thought for sure he would choose the Budew. After all, after Oddish evolves... it's hard to control the smell if you're not an excellent trainer or breeder.
But he respected his decision.
"Alright then. Let me introduce you to your Oddish."
He led them to the incubator room, picked up the Oddish egg, and took the stethoscope from Gengar.
[Oddish Egg][Hatching Progress: 17/30]
"It's very healthy, but it'll need you to hatch it with care."
Leo stared at the egg in Victor's arms, his face full of excitement.
"Well then, I'll entrust it to your care."
Victor smiled at his expression and placed the Oddish egg in his arms.
Leo held the egg carefully and followed Ethan out of the Breeding House.
Victor handed the money to Gengar, then looked at the items on the wall.
It seems like these rare items are going to be hard to sell.
He sighed, then went back to the yard and lay down in his rocking chair.
He left the front counter to Lilligant and Roselia.
He was in the backyard, soaking up the sun, with Vulpix in his lap.
A few Pachirisu were playing nearby.
This is the life.
It felt like the Breeding House had returned to how it was at the very beginning.
...Just with a lot more Pokémon.
When it was time for dinner, Victor had Gengar deliver Poffins to the Vespiquen.
Victor always prepared a large batch in advance, and Gengar would take them to the Vespiquen and its Combee.
When they ran out, they would let him know, and he would make more.
He watched as Gengar floated back from the distance, its mouth chewing on something.
Victor sighed helplessly.
Every time, Gengar would skim a portion off the top as its "delivery fee."
Over time, Victor had just gotten used to it.
Even the Vespiquen and the others had gotten used to it.
For the Vespiquen, as long as Gengar didn't mess with its honey, it was fine.
After the delivery was made, Victor waited for Gengar to sit down before he started his own dinner.
It was a good thing he had Gothita and Mime Jr. to help. Otherwise, just cooking every day would take up a huge amount of his time.
As for the forest Pokémon, they found their own food and didn't need him to provide it.
If they did, even ten Gothitas and Mime Jrs. wouldn't be enough.
Feeling a cool breeze, Victor remarked, "Autumn is coming, everyone."
"Gengar—"
After Victor finished eating, Gengar picked up the rice cooker, scraped out the remaining rice, dumped the leftovers in, and mixed it all into a bibimbap.
It then sat there, holding a rice cooker bigger than its own face, and began to eat.
Dali, Erli, and Sanli were also devouring their food from giant bowls.
Vulpix, finished with its meal, hopped onto Victor's lap.
Mime Jr. and Gothita were waiting for Gengar and the others to finish so they could wash the pots.
"Lili~"
Hearing Lilligant's query from beside him, Victor smiled and stroked the Vulpix on his lap.
"It's been fast. I've already been here for over a month."
"Gengar—"
A spoon appeared in front of his face.
Victor turned and saw that Gengar had scooped up some of its bibimbap for him.
"You eat it. I'm fine," Victor said, telling it not to worry.
Gengar nodded and went back to burying its face in the rice cooker.
"Lili~" Lilligant released its sweet, calming aroma.
Victor and the other Pokémon were mesmerized.
"Thank you, Lilligant."
After thanking it, Victor looked at his other Pokémon.
"Everyone, how about we sleep outside tonight? We'll bring out some mats, lie on the ground, count the stars, and enjoy the evening breeze. What do you say?"
"Gengar—" (I have no objection.)
"Machoke!" x3
Victor looked at the Machoke, who, with three hands busy shoveling food, didn't even look up, just using their one free hand to give a thumbs-up.
He felt a headache coming on.
"Lili~" (Okay~)
"Mime~" (Whatever Victor says.)
"Goth." (I'll follow Mime Jr.)
"Yip~" (As long as I'm with Victor, I'm fine.)
"Roselia~" (I want to be near Lilligant.)
Hearing all the responses, Victor nodded. "Alright, it's settled then."
He picked up the Vulpix and headed for his room.
In the bathroom, Victor held down the Vulpix, who was trying to escape.
"I'm telling you," Victor said in a mock-threatening voice, "if you don't take a bath tonight, you're not allowed in my bed."
The Vulpix's body tensed. It looked back at Victor and pouted.
Reluctantly, it stepped back into the wooden basin, and Victor began to wash its fur.
After washing the Vulpix and drying it with a hairdryer, he let it escape the bathroom.
He then filled the bathtub for himself and sank into a nice, hot bath.
"Gengar~"
Gengar hummed a little tune as it phased through the wall. It turned on the shower, got itself wet, squeezed some Eevee-brand body wash on itself, and began to scrub until it was covered in bubbles.
"Are you done playing around, Gengar?"
Gengar blew a bubble from its hand and looked back at Victor, who was lying in the tub, his own head now covered in a pile of bubbles.
"Gengar—"
Hahahahaha!
Victor narrowed his eyes, picked up the other showerhead, and sprayed Gengar.
In an instant, all of its bubbles were washed away.
"Gengar?! Σ( T T )"
My bubbles!
It then launched itself at Victor.
The battle ended with Gengar's defeat.
Victor walked downstairs, whistling a small tune.
Gengar floated dejectedly behind him.
That hateful Victor. He actually threatened Gengar with snacks.
Gengar thought about the new snacks Victor had promised to make tomorrow. The price was that it couldn't fight back and just had to let him spray it with water. Gengar could only swallow its pride.
Back in the yard, Gothita and the others had already laid out the sleeping mats, piecing several of them together.
There were also a few small pillows and blankets.
Lilligant and the others were already sitting on them.
Victor walked over and lay down. Above him was a sky full of stars.
Gengar floated over and lay down beside him.
Vulpix was off chasing butterflies with a few Pachirisu, so Lilligant lay down on Victor's other side.
Mime Jr. was hiding in the flower garden, having Gothita come and find it.
Gothita dotingly pretended not to see Mime Jr., even when it ran right past her, and slowly searched for it.
Seeing this, Victor couldn't help but laugh.
Gothita, you're going to spoil Mime Jr. rotten.
Dali and the others were still wrestling nearby.
The Vespiquen, with a few Combee, came over. With nothing else to do, it joined the group to socialize, whispering secrets with Gothita, Lilligant, and Roselia.
After spending this time at the Breeding House, Roselia's psychological issues were almost completely gone. It wasn't just Roselia; the other rescued Pokémon were the same.
Especially the Misdreavus. It spent its days following Gengar, swindling and pranking.
It had been disciplined by the "Queen" a few times as a result.
Which, of course, Victor found hilarious.
The Vespiquen can't handle Gengar, but it can certainly handle a little Misdreavus.
The Heracross's problem had improved, but it still wasn't at a healthy level. Victor made a mental note to take Lilligant and go check on it soon.
Because they had spent so much time together, many of the forest Pokémon didn't return to the forest after dark but stayed the night at the Breeding House. As a result, Victor's mat now had several Pachirisu on it, and was surrounded by Oddish and Budew.
The Marill and Psyduck families from the lake also came over and started a water fight nearby.
A shy Kricketune came close and began to play a melody.
Listening to the beautiful tune, Victor's heart relaxed.
He was completely at ease.
"That's my boy, Kricketune-Man!" Victor thought to himself.
He even had the idea of forming a Breeding House Kricketune orchestra. When people came to visit, they could all stand there and start playing.
"Lilligant... I remember you used to be very afraid of the dark."
Lilligant, who was chatting with the Vespiquen, paused, then smiled sweetly.
"Lili~"
The small lamp in Victor's room was still on.
As Victor was talking, he suddenly heard the sound of someone eating.
He turned his head and saw Gengar, lying on its back, eating snacks.
"Still eating? Do you know what time it is? And who did you learn this habit of eating while lying down from?!"
Victor pulled at the corners of Gengar's mouth. Gengar was pulled towards him, but it didn't stop shoving snacks into its mouth.
"Sit up and eat."
Gengar sat up, turned its back to Victor, and continued to eat.
Looking at its back, Victor was reminded of the first day he had met Gengar.
Back then, it had also sat beside him, watching videos on his phone.
Thinking of this, Victor couldn't help but reach out and give its little tail a tug.
Psssssshhhh~
Watching Gengar shoot around like a popped balloon, Victor burst out laughing.
The laughter quickly spread throughout the Breeding House.
This is great.
After Gengar reinflated, Victor thought to himself, This Breeding House life... is truly great.
Nearby, the Vespiquen watched Victor chatting and playing with Gengar, Lilligant, and the others, and its voice became uncharacteristically gentle.
"Ves~"
"Gengar, did I just hear that? Did I just hear a gentle Vespiquen chirp near me?"
"Gengar?"
I think I heard it too.
"Ves!"
An Air Cutter shot into the sky.
Victor and Gengar fell silent.
Nearby, Lilligant and Gothita couldn't help but cover their mouths and giggle.
But no matter what, the Vespiquen loved its life at the Breeding House.
Mime Jr., long since tired out from playing, had come back and fallen asleep next to Victor.
Gothita covered it with a blanket.
As Victor talked, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
Vulpix found a spot for itself and burrowed under the covers.
The Breeding House fell silent.
A cool breeze blew past. Several pairs of eyes lit up at once, and they gently covered the sleeping Victor, Mime Jr., and the others with blankets.
Then, they slowly went back to sleep.
"Gengar—"
"Lili~"
"Goth~"
"Ves!"
Goodnight, everyone.
Victor said silently in his heart, and then fell into a deep sleep.
...
Get 10 chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"