"Stop, stop, stop!" Lin Feng quickly called out, halting the little Pokémon before things spiraled further. He explained the effect of the energy cube: after eating it, a Pokémon could randomly unleash a powerful move once but they shouldn't just use it recklessly.
Even so, Lin Feng was stunned.
One single Metronome, and the move it pulled off was Reshiram's signature attack.
Blue flames blazed forth.
And the sheer power behind it left no doubt whose move it was.
Thankfully, Alcremie wasn't particularly strong, and Gardevoir had reacted quickly. Otherwise, that would have been a real problem.
Up in the air, Gardevoir slowly floated back down, staring in disbelief at the small Alcremie sitting on the table.
That flame… it had even given her trouble.
She could hardly believe it came from an Alcremie.
At that moment, the little Alcremie looked nervous and uncertain.
"Phew… I don't blame you. That was my fault for not explaining clearly." Lin Feng stroked Alcremie's head reassuringly. Then, noticing the curious stares of the other Pokémon, he added, "If you want to try it out too, we'll go one at a time later."
According to the cube's description, the first skill unleashed through Metronome had the highest chance of being permanently learned.
So letting everyone try it once wasn't a bad idea.
"Alcremie?"
"Hm? What is it?"
Lin Feng looked down at the strawberry-topped, pink little Alcremie who had just unleashed those blue flames.
The Pokémon lowered its voice, speaking timidly with uncertainty: "Alcremie…" (I think… I can still use that move…)
It closed its eyes, trying to recall the sensation. But when it opened them again, something different happened.
Instead of blue flames, its body shimmered faintly with rainbow-colored light.
"Hm?"
Lin Feng frowned.
That wasn't Blue Flare it was Dazzling Gleam.
But according to the cube's rules, after eating it, a Pokémon might permanently learn the first skill it pulled off with Metronome.
Now, on top of Blue Flare, Alcremie had also used Dazzling Gleam.
But it hadn't eaten a second cube.
"Alcremie?"
The little one looked down at the glow around its body, equally confused.
It felt the same as before so why was the effect different this time?
Could it be… that Metronome had rolled Metronome, and then pulled two different moves, and in the end, Alcremie permanently learned Metronome itself?
The thought made Lin Feng's eyes widen.
[Pokémon: Alcremie]
Gender: Female
Ability: Sweet Veil
Potential: Purple
IVs: HP (27), Attack (14), Special Attack (23), Defense (29), Special Defense (27), Speed (10)
Level: 18–19
Moves: Decorate, Sweet Scent, Aromatic Mist, Baby-Doll Eyes, Metronome…
Friendship: 94 (It really likes you.)
Joy Value: 40 (What's wrong?)
"No way… it really is like that?"
Lin Feng stared at the move list, eyes wide in disbelief.
He never would have imagined such a possibility.
The odds… were just ridiculous.
Alcremie, meanwhile, looked uneasy, stealing glances at its trainer. Right now it felt drained and weak. "Alcremie?" (Am I… sick?)
"No, no, nothing like that," Lin Feng quickly reassured it. "You just used a new move. That's why you're exhausted. Once you rest, you'll be fine."
He turned to address the others. "You're all still too weak right now, so try not to use this move too often. Once you get stronger, it'll be safer. Understand?"
Most of the Alcremie were only in their teens when it came to levels.
And Metronome wasn't merciful it was pure luck. No one could predict what it would pull next.
What if it rolled something like Arceus's Judgment? That kind of power could drain them completely dry.
"Alcremie!"
"Alcremie!"
The group of Alcremie all nodded obediently.
"Koo-cha!"
At that moment, Combusken usually focused only on its food lifted its head, gazing hopefully at Lin Feng.
The sight of Alcremie breathing out Blue Flare had made it a little envious.
It wanted to try too.
"Alright then, everyone can have a turn."
Lin Feng's interest was piqued. He wanted to see if any Pokémon could really learn a new move this way.
"Combusken!"
Combusken's face lit up with excitement.
If even a tiny Alcremie could unleash such a terrifying flame, surely it could produce something even stronger.
It used Metronome.
A small spark popped from its beak.
"Combusken?" (Huh?)
It stared at the weak little ember in disbelief.
"Looks like your luck wasn't so great."
Lin Feng chuckled at the sight, then turned toward Serperior.
Understanding the signal, Serperior summoned green energy across the grass, spreading it throughout the ranch.
"Uh… so Metronome rolled Grassy Terrain?"
Lin Feng then looked at Milotic…
One by one, the Pokémon tried. By the end, Lin Feng could only shake his head.
Apart from the very first Blue Flare from Alcremie, all the others had gotten fairly ordinary moves.
The most impressive was a Pidgey that pulled off Brave Bird but sadly, it hadn't learned it permanently.
Clearly, the odds of permanently gaining a move this way were extremely slim.
Which only highlighted just how absurdly lucky that Alcremie had been.
"Alright, enough. You can play around on your own. I need to open the shop."
By now, it was already past eight o'clock.
Lin Feng hurried back to the breeding house with Alcremie and opened the door.
A flood of waiting customers poured in, grumbling.
"Lin, my boy, ever since your cashier left, even opening time's gotten later, huh?"
"Yeah, yeah. Back when that young lady was here, the place opened before seven. Now it's past eight…"
"Ahem…"
Lin Feng coughed awkwardly, trying to explain. "I've just been too busy, that's all. Milking, harvesting honey…"
Someone nodded. "That's true. You've got energy cubes to make, a ranch to manage, and all these Pokémon. Haven't thought about hiring another helper? I was hoping you'd add some new services soon."
Lin Feng smiled wryly. "I've been considering it. But more than that, I'd really like to find a Pokémon who can help me manage the shop like an Indeedee. If any of you hear news of one, let me know."
At the mention of Indeedee, the crowd shook their heads.
Lin Feng wasn't discouraged.
Since Rotom hadn't found any listings online, he figured he'd post a video on his own account to see if anyone out there had information.
After all, he did have a few hundred thousand followers now…
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