"Yip yip~"
Having just sold six sets of Pokéblocks, the Alolan Vulpix tilted her head proudly at Lin Feng, her eyes sparkling as if to say, "Well? Come on, praise me!"
"Alright, alright, you did amazing, Vulpix."
Lin Feng chuckled and gave her a good belly rub. When she leaned into it happily, he added with a smile, "But maybe ease up a bit with the friendliness. If everyone who comes to buy something wants to pet you, won't you end up shedding all your fur?"
"Yip?"
Vulpix paused, then tilted her head thoughtfully, clearly trying to work out what her trainer meant.
After a moment of pondering, her expression grew a little troubled because it dawned on her that he might be right.
Lin Feng laughed and grabbed a cardboard sign from his storage capsule. On it, he scrawled a few large characters:
Neighbor's Breeding House – Wutong Town
He placed the sign next to the stall and turned toward Gardevoir, scooting over on his seat with an inviting gesture. "Come on, sit down. It's weird with me sitting here holding Bounsweet and Vulpix while you're just standing there."
"Garde~"
(Alright.)
Without saying much, Gardevoir smoothed her dress and took a seat beside him.
In that moment, Lin Feng couldn't help but admire the scene around him.
In the midst of the bustling crowd, he sat there calmly with Bounsweet and Vulpix nestled in his arms, Gardevoir sitting elegantly at his side, Serperior curled protectively behind him. Laid out before them were baskets of fresh Berries and stacks of brightly-colored Pokéblocks.
"Hey, Rotom," he said, glancing at the hovering Pokémon beside him. "Snap a photo for us, will you?"
"Rotto~ On it, Master~!"
Rotom floated into position and clicked the photo, then zipped over to show him.
Lin Feng leaned in to take a look and sure enough, it was just what he'd envisioned.
Gardevoir sat with quiet elegance, eyes serene. Serperior loomed regally behind him, its head raised high. In his arms, Bounsweet gave off a shy yet alluring charm, while Vulpix beamed with pure, cheerful cuteness.
"Not bad at all~"
Satisfied, Lin Feng nodded approvingly.
"Rotto~"
Rotom grinned at the praise.
He had originally planned to take a few more shots, but the number of people climbing the mountain was increasing by the minute. Before long, customers started approaching the stall. Left with no choice, Lin Feng set aside the camera and got back to business.
Meanwhile, Vulpix began to realize something important. Even without flaunting her looks, people still gathered around the stall, eager to browse and buy.
The truth was, Lin Feng's stall stood out. His layout was too unique to ignore.
Still, some of the customers had questions.
"Boss, I get why your Moomoo Milk is expensive, but why is this fruit juice and rice wine from Bounsweet priced so high too?"
"Yeah, charging a few hundred for a single drink seems steep…"
Lin Feng didn't argue. He simply replied, "Yeah, they're a bit pricey, but you can decide for yourselves. The Pokéblocks, though those are definitely worth it."
Next to the stall, he displayed the official certificate he had earned recently, identifying him as a certified Advanced Breeder.
Once the certificate was out and on display and given how healthy and well-trained his Pokémon looked interest surged. More and more people began lining up to buy Pokéblocks and Berry salads.
Still, no one seemed interested in the juice or rice wine.
Lin Feng wasn't bothered. If those didn't sell, he could always take them back home.
But Bounsweet looked downhearted. She watched bottle after bottle of her juice go untouched and couldn't help but feel disappointed.
She wouldn't be able to help her trainer earn money this way...
Sensing her mood, Lin Feng was just about to lower the price of the juice when something unexpected happened.
A young couple approached, clearly in the middle of an argument. The girl was upset, accusing her boyfriend of being insensitive.
The boyfriend, clearly flustered and unsure how to make it right, grabbed a bottle of Bounsweet's juice without even checking the price and offered it to her.
One sip later, the girl's angry expression visibly softened. Her voice turned gentle.
The boyfriend blinked in surprise then lit up with joy. Inspired, he bought a bottle of rice wine and asked Alolan Vulpix to chill it with a blast of cold air.
But after only a few sips, a warm flush crept up his face. A surge of boldness hit him out of nowhere.
Right there in front of everyone, he grabbed the girl and kissed her deeply.
By the time they pulled apart, her face was beet red. She gave him a half-hearted scolding and gently pounded his chest with her fists but from the look on her face, she didn't really mind.
Before long, the two of them hurried down the mountain together, disappearing into the crowd.
The scene left the onlookers stunned and curious.
"Boss, does your juice and wine have some kind of... special effect?"
"Like, legit special? Not... shady special?"
"Cough, cough…" Lin Feng hadn't expected things to go that way either. He quickly explained, "The juice is just Bounsweet's fruit blend with a little added sugar. If you've got a sweet tooth, it might lift your mood. As for the rice wine... I guess the guy just got tipsy and bold?"
He didn't really know what he was saying.
In truth, the rice wine's effect only kicked in when someone was properly drunk. But that guy had only taken a few sips and was already flushed.
Worse than Serperior's tolerance...
Fortunately, he hadn't finished the whole bottle.
Still, the explanation seemed to satisfy the curious crowd. People began eyeing the juice with interest and soon, someone bought a bottle.
After a few gulps, they shouted in delight, "Whoa! All the stress I've had lately just melted away! I feel amazing!"
That got everyone's attention.
One person after another joined in, each buying a bottle to try.
And just like that, word spread...
Before noon even hit, the fruit juice had completely sold out.
One of the managers from a juice company even approached Lin Feng, asking to establish a long-term supply deal. He was confident they could turn it into a best-selling product.
In fact, Lin Feng was approached not just by juice manufacturers, but also supermarkets and companies that sourced Berries.
But he had to politely turn them all down.
After all
To produce juice on that scale, he'd need an endless supply. Even if Bounsweet soaked in water 24/7, she couldn't produce that much.
And the Berries?
Those were strictly for his breeding house. He couldn't afford to sell them off.
Nearby, the other stall owners watched the constant crowd around Lin Feng's setup with undisguised envy in their eyes.
But when they saw the Gardevoir and Serperior sitting beside him, all they could do was sigh.
Not everyone had such beautiful Pokémon.
And just like that, the morning flew by.
Lin Feng glanced at his storage capsule nearly out of Pokéblocks.
He decided to close up shop, packed up his things, returned Serperior and Bounsweet to their Poké Balls, and made his way toward the central area.
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