September 11.
Clear skies.
Lin Feng's mood was much lighter today.
Looking at his empty shop, he remembered how just last month he had planned to repair the road outside. But now, he realized he hadn't even had the time to contact anyone about it.
One delay after another, and the matter was shelved.
Just as Lin Feng was about to close the door, he noticed a man approaching from the town's entrance. The man's beard was unkempt, his clothes looked worn, and he wore a hat pulled low. From the way he walked, his destination seemed to be this very shop.
Lin Feng hesitated for a moment but decided to wait for the man to come closer.
When he finally reached the doorway, the man removed his hat, revealing hair as messy as wild grass. It was long, nearly covering his eyes, and his whole appearance was disheveled.
Out of professional courtesy as a breeder, Lin Feng greeted him politely.
"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"
The man's eyes were a little dull, but upon seeing Lin Feng, he smiled faintly with relief.
"Brother Lin, I heard you've been looking for a Vespiquen, is that right?"
His words instantly made Lin Feng's eyes light up.
Brother Lin that was his online username. Which meant this man was… a fan?
And Vespiquen that was exactly the Pokémon he had been longing for.
"Yes, yes, I need it very much!" Lin Feng answered eagerly.
The man nodded. "A few years ago, due to some circumstances, I caught two Vespiquen. Recently, they produced two young ones. If you truly need one, I'll bring it to you as a gift soon."
"Really?" Lin Feng's eyes widened.
He almost felt like he was dreaming.
Wait… posting online could actually bring fans to his door?
And the man even said he would gift it?
This was unbelievable.
The man confirmed with a nod. "Of course. But, since they were only born recently, they'll still need time to grow. I'll need you to wait a while."
"That's perfectly fine, thank you so much…"
They came with their own training time?
Lin Feng felt as though he was floating in a sea of happiness.
But then, the man's tone shifted. "However… Brother Lin, I do have one small request."
Brushing the hair from his face, he revealed a weary, almost haggard expression.
Lin Feng froze. This face looked strangely familiar, though he couldn't place it right away.
Still, the man's words quickly pulled him back from his excitement.
Of course. How could anyone give away such valuable Pokémon without asking for something in return?
"Please, go on," Lin Feng said cautiously.
The man's voice softened into an earnest plea. "On September 15, I'd like you to make a birthday cake that brings joy to my Beedrill. The same kind of joy your juices seem to bring."
"Joy?"
Lin Feng blinked, recalling the note he had received from an Alcremie after returning that day.
So this was the one who had ordered that special cake?
For Pokémon, happiness usually came easily. They were simple creatures by nature.
But if he was asking like this, there had to be something deeper.
"Could I… see your Beedrill?" Lin Feng asked carefully.
"Of course. I brought it with me."
The man produced a Poké Ball, pressed the button, and in a flash of light, a green Beedrill appeared before them.
The moment Lin Feng laid eyes on it, recognition struck him like lightning.
"A shiny Beedrill… you're Liang Feng, the Bug-type Champion?!"
"That was a long time ago," the man said quietly.
It wasn't surprising Lin Feng hadn't recognized him at first. Nearly ten years had passed since then.
Back then, this very man, wielding a single shiny Beedrill, had dominated countless tournaments in the League. Victory after victory, he often claimed first or second place.
He had even secured third place at the grandest tournament of all the Continental Championship.
For countless young and ordinary trainers, he had been an inspiration. Proof that even Bug-type Pokémon could rise to the top. Many had gone into the wild to capture Bug-types, believing they too could achieve greatness.
A much younger Lin Feng had been awestruck. That someone could raise a Beedrill to such heights was nothing short of miraculous.
Later, as his fame soared, the League had invited him to join as the very first and only Bug-type Champion in its history.
But then, at the height of his career, Liang Feng had disappeared like a star fading from the night sky.
Rumors spread. Some said he had battled too much, and his Pokémon had suffered irreparable injuries. Others claimed he had fallen in love, settled down, and given up battling. Still others whispered that Bug-types simply didn't live long, and that his Beedrill had already died, leaving him powerless to return.
Now, seeing the truth before his eyes, Lin Feng understood.
There was always a reason behind the rumors.
This Beedrill bore the marks of a lifetime of battle. Its body was lined with scars, its stingers chipped and blackened by age and wear. Its once-proud armor hung tight and brittle, like paper soaked in water. One eye had gone completely blind, milky and lifeless.
Its right side twitched faintly, as though concealing constant pain.
Lin Feng's heart sank.
Especially when he saw its stats.
[Pokémon: Beedrill]
[Gender: Male]
[Ability: Swarm]
[Potential: Purple]
[IVs: HP (25) | Attack (28) | Defense (8) | Sp. Atk (11) | Sp. Def (25) | Speed (31)]
[Level: 45–69 (Current: 74)]
[Moves: String Shot, Tackle, Swords Dance, Cut, Hyper Beam, Double Team, Fury Attack, Pursuit, Pin Missile…]
[Description: Once fought countless battles in its youth. Due to untreated injuries, it suffers from lingering pain in its right abdomen. At night, the pain worsens. Its lifespan is nearly at its end, with only about a month left…]
[Friendship: 0 (It does not know you)]
[Happiness: -40 (If only I could die. At least then I wouldn't be a burden to Liang Feng…)]
Lin Feng's chest tightened.
A Beedrill with only purple potential had once risen to Champion level.
It was hard to imagine how many battles it must have endured in its prime.
But now… injuries, age, and above all, despair weighed it down.
It no longer wanted to live.
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