It was another beautiful afternoon.
Victor was lying under a tree in the backyard, gently rocking his new chair.
He reached into his lap to pet... nothing.
Vulpix was currently in the flower garden, playing hide-and-seek with Mime Jr.
Gothita was watching over them.
His hands were itching for something fluffy.
He noticed a Pachirisu on the branch above him, cutely nibbling on a berry.
Faint blue sparks were crackling from its cheeks.
"Pachirisu, be careful of the electricity."
The Pachirisu didn't react.
A couple of seconds later, it finally processed his words and retracted the sparks.
Seeing his chance, Victor shot his hand out at lightning speed.
The Pachirisu's vision blurred, and it suddenly found itself in Victor's lap.
Pachirisu: ?
Its large tail was gently grabbed and toyed with.
As Victor felt the Pachirisu's body slowly relax, he scooped it up and pressed his cheek against its.
Victor used Nuzzle.
The Pachirisu was so startled it dropped its berry.
After he was satisfied, Victor let the Pachirisu go, picking up the berry that had fallen on his shirt and handing it back.
The Pachirisu finally snapped out of its daze.
Pachirisu: Mom, the creep is at it again!!!
Feeling the familiar sensation, Victor recognized this particular Pachirisu.
He watched it snatch the berry and scamper away, and he squinted his eyes.
He had left the front desk to Lilligant and Roselia so he could come to the backyard, lie down, and slack off.
This damned life.
Why is it so addicting?
Victor thought to himself.
Gengar and Misdreavus had run off to who-knows-where again.
Gengar's reputation in the Breeding House was truly formidable now. Many Pokémon paled at the mere mention of its name.
In the distance, he could hear the sounds of Infernape training with Dali and the others.
The Honchkrow had been dragged off by Gengar first thing in the morning and had only just flown back, completely exhausted. It was now sleeping in a tree.
The Quagsire was still in the lake area, being drilled by the Azumarill and Golduck families.
The Vespiquen had joined in this time.
Its target of choice was the Beautifly.
It was openly and righteously drilling the Beautifly.
The Beautifly, which loved to steal Sweet Honey, was trembling in fear of the menacing Vespiquen.
The Hippowdon and Golem also had their own training plans.
Seeing all this, Victor felt even more gratified.
It's great having Pokémon around.
I can just leave so many things to them.
All I have to do is lie here.
Sipping the juice Gothita made for me.
This is too comfortable.
Gengar appeared from out of nowhere.
It came to Victor's side, wiping sweat from its face.
It grabbed Victor's juice and chugged it all down in one gulp.
It put the cup down and looked at Victor, who was lying in his rocking chair like a useless bum.
It pouted, made a funny face at him, and then disappeared again.
Watching Gengar leave, Victor made a funny face back.
You all just don't understand the beauty of this life.
A bunch of kids.
A Luxio walked over and sat down beside Victor.
Victor reached out and slowly stroked its cool-looking head.
He had to admit, Luxio was a really cool-looking Pokémon.
Its face, hind legs, torso, and the back of its front legs were blue, while most of its body was covered in fluffy black fur. The fur was longer at its shoulders and the base of its tail, and formed a mane around its head. Its eyes were yellow with red sclera. Its ears were round with yellow insides, and its long, thin tail ended in a yellow, four-pointed star.
It looked just like a lion.
Luxio prides were usually led by a male. The Luxio family at his Breeding House seemed to have been led here from the forest by this one.
They would usually stay for a few days, then leave with their pride.
It seemed they also enjoyed life at the Breeding House.
The leader Luxio half-closed its eyes, enjoying Victor's pets.
The Breeding House, overflowing with love, had become a place that, after befriending the forest, was just as attractive to the wild Pokémon as the forest itself.
That's why it would lead its pride back and forth between the two places.
As he was talking with the Luxio, Victor suddenly remembered that it had been a while since he had last gone into the deep forest.
He decided he would have dinner in the forest tonight.
He told Gothita and the others.
Gothita nodded, understanding. It then let Victor watch Mime Jr. and Vulpix while it went back to the kitchen to prepare.
As expected of my little Gothitelle. She's so reliable.
Victor suddenly had a premonition.
If I let Lilligant, Gothita, and the others keep spoiling me like this, I'm really going to turn into a useless bum.
He shook his head.
Who cares.
...
Elsewhere, on a wide, grassy plain.
Shana was sitting on the grass with her Tinkerbell.
She was surrounded by a group of Starly, Pachirisu, Bidoof, and other Pokémon.
While she was playing with them, her eyes would, from time to time, drift to a Ponyta not far away.
A Ponyta whose entire body was engulfed in blue flames.
Its expression was full of sadness.
Shana's heart ached for it.
She had tried to talk to it many times, but it would always run off before she got close.
It seemed to be very afraid of her.
It was only after spending the last few days together that the Ponyta had finally relaxed its guard a little.
Occasionally, it would come and graze near her.
One day, when it was in a good mood, it had even let her stroke it.
Shana had felt a pleasant warmth; its flames didn't burn her at all.
But why was the Ponyta so sad?
It's such a cute Ponyta.
Shana thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out.
She wanted to ask Victor, but she felt that she was a member of the Breeding House too.
She wanted to help the Ponyta by herself, with her own strength.
Shana shared the snacks in her hand with the Starly and the others.
Then she stood up and patted down her little dress.
This was a habit she had picked up at the Breeding House.
She loved sitting on the grass with Mime Jr. and Vulpix, or, when she was tired from playing, just lying on the grass with them, soaking up the sun.
The sun would make her cheeks all rosy.
But back here, it seemed a lot of people didn't like her doing that. They were always saying that girls should be "proper" and "clean."
Shana didn't care about that.
Uncle Victor had said she was still a kid, and kids should get to be kids.
Even if they were girls.
Thinking of this, Shana quietly approached the Ponyta.
The Ponyta looked up and saw it was Shana.
The human who had been keeping it company all this time.
It was about to leave, but it thought for a moment, and then stayed where it was.
Seeing that the Ponyta didn't run away, Shana smiled happily and slowly reached out her hand.
She placed it on the Ponyta's body and began to talk to it.
Even though the Ponyta didn't respond, she just kept talking to herself for a long, long time.
Until the sun was about to set.
Mrs. Fujino came looking for her, calling her name from a distance.
Shana reluctantly patted the Ponyta's head.
"My mom's here. I have to go home now. I'll come back and play with you tomorrow."
After speaking, she took her Tinkerbell and turned to leave.
The Ponyta also turned to leave.
Suddenly, it heard a small voice from behind it.
"If anything is wrong, you can come find me at my house! It's that one over there, the third one. My grandpa's house."
The Ponyta turned its head. In the setting sun, the little girl was running towards her mother.
The wind blew the grass in the same direction she was running.
She leaped into her mother's arms and was lifted up.
The Ponyta paused for a moment, then turned and left.
...
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