Twilight bathed the sky in warm orange hues.
A flash of color shot through the clouds like a missile, descending swiftly until it landed on a flower-lined path.
"Woohoo~!"
In less than ten minutes, Lin Feng had experienced an intense burst of speed and exhilaration while riding on Dragonite's back.
No wonder even Mewtwo chose Dragonite as its personal courier. That speed was unreal.
The wind howled past Lin Feng's ears, and the scenery below blurred into streaks of green and gold.
Back when Pidgeot first evolved, Lin Feng couldn't resist asking it to take him for a ride. That was when he first realized just how incredible it felt to soar through the sky on the back of a Pokémon.
There was no doubt about it. Flying Pokémon were the best.
As Dragonite descended, the first ones to take notice were the Pidgeots and Pidgeottos perched in the tall pines nearby.
Startled at first, they flapped their wings and rose into the air in alarm. But once they saw Lin Feng dismounting from Dragonite, their panic faded.
"Groo?"
Dragonite tilted its head, curiously observing the rows of vibrant flowers on either side of the path. The last time it passed through here, the blooms weren't nearly this pretty.
"Yeah, these were planted recently. Beautiful, right?"
Lin Feng waved to the Pidgeots and Pidgeottos, signaling that they could return to their nests. Glancing toward the daycare building, he saw that the door was already locked. That meant Qin Shu had clocked out for the day.
He unlocked the door and stepped inside. The first to notice him were the Alcremies lounging behind the counter, clearly bored out of their minds.
Their eyes sparkled the moment they saw him, and they began cheering excitedly.
"Alcremie! Alcremie!"
("Today's mini cakes are all sold out! Sold out!")
("He's back! Lin Feng is home!")
"Aww..."
Seeing their joyful faces, all the fatigue Lin Feng had built up during his trip seemed to melt away.
He walked up to the counter and reached out to pick up one of the Alcremies for a warm cuddle, ready to bury his face in its sweet scent
But all of them suddenly recoiled at once, diving into his shadow like they'd seen a ghost.
"Alcremie?! Alcremie!"
("It's huge...")
("A monster...")
Lin Feng froze. Then he turned around and saw Dragonite awkwardly standing in the doorway, its head bent, trying not to bump into anything.
For a doorway barely two meters high, Dragonite's nearly three-meter-tall frame was definitely imposing. It was clearly trying its best not to break anything as it figured out how to fit through.
"Groo?"
"Um... Dragonite, maybe return to your Poké Ball for now," Lin Feng said, noticing its sheepish expression. He quickly took out the Poké Ball and recalled it with a flash of red light.
Then he turned to the Alcremies.
"It's okay. Just like Serperior, Dragonite is one of our new teammates."
Mentioning Serperior made Lin Feng sigh internally.
Ever since it evolved, Serperior had grown to nearly five meters in length. The treehouse that used to feel spacious for it now couldn't even fit its tail. And Serperior had made it clear it refused to live inside a Poké Ball.
He'd need to build it a new home. And Dragonite too, eventually. He'd have to ask what kind of environment it preferred.
Lin Feng rubbed his temples.
There were just too many things to deal with all at once. One step at a time.
"Alcremie~!"
One of the Alcremies, this one wearing a strawberry-themed decoration, tapped his hand excitedly. It pulled a sheet of paper from under its bowl.
"Alcremie~!"
("We got a big cake order! A big cake order!")
It repeated itself twice for emphasis.
Lin Feng blinked. "Someone ordered a birthday cake?"
"<(＾－＾)> Alcremie~!"
("Yes, yes!")
The other Alcremies all nodded in unison.
"Let me see."
He took the paper and read it carefully.
"Hey Lin,
September 15th marks the anniversary of when I first caught my Weedle. It stuck with me through the toughest times. I know you're amazing at making food Pokémon love, so I'm hoping you could make a big cake for it. Something it'll really enjoy.
Contact: 1xxxxxx..."
"A Weedle from last year... That means it must have evolved into a Beedrill by now."
Lin Feng thought for a moment. He already had a good idea what kind of cake Beedrill would like.
Honey.
A soft, honey-infused cream cake would probably be perfect.
"All right," he said, smiling at the Alcremies. "Thanks, everyone. I'll be counting on you to help."
"Alcremie~!"
("Okay!")
One Alcremie nodded enthusiastically and raised its arms toward Lin Feng.
"Alcremie~!"
("Take us back! Time to go home!")
The workday was over. They didn't need to sit at the counter anymore. In fact, the only reason they'd been waiting there was to greet Lin Feng when he came back.
"Got it~"
One by one, Lin Feng carried them into their cozy bowls in the back, gave them each a bit of berry salad, and then headed to the garden.
He was planning to release the rest of his Pokémon to let them stretch their legs when two Combees flew up to him.
"Buzz buzz."
"Buzz..."
They hovered around him excitedly and led him to the beehive they had been working on, practically begging him to come see what they'd accomplished.
When Lin Feng looked inside, his eyes went wide.
"What?"
The previously empty hive was now packed with a massive golden honeycomb. A rough estimate put it at nearly 30 or 40 pounds.
They had only started harvesting this afternoon... and already made this much?
He took out a small knife from his storage case and looked at the two buzzing Combees.
"You two made all this so quickly? Is it okay if I take a bit?"
The Combees' eyes squinted into happy little lines.
"Buzz buzz~!"
("Of course, of course!")
They flitted their wings rapidly, clearly delighted to be praised.
Lin Feng carefully cut out a chunk of the honeycomb. It shimmered in the evening light, golden and thick, stretching into sweet, sticky threads.
Grade B Multi-Flower Honey – Honey produced by Combee from various blossoms. Sweet, nourishing, and restorative. A high-quality ingredient, especially attractive to bee and butterfly-type Pokémon.
Grade B+ Sweet Flower Honey – A superior honey made from Sweet Flower nectar. Sweet, nourishing, and restorative. Highly prized by Combee and an excellent bait for attracting them.
Two different colors, one honey block.
The darker side was Sweet Flower Honey, while the lighter half was regular Multi-Flower Honey.
"Buzz buzz~"
The Combees flapped their wings again, signaling for Lin Feng to store the honey quickly.
They wanted to get right back to work.
"You two..."
Lin Feng blinked, stunned.
"Why are you so competitive?"
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