"Shuu-shuu?"
When Serperior and Vulpix woke up and came outside, the whole place had changed.
The land that had once been planted with Tamato berries, melons, and other crops had been completely tilled over.
In the field ahead, Sandshrew was plowing, Alex followed behind sowing seeds, and Milotic waited in the reservoir. A stream of water trailed perfectly behind the planted seeds, each spray landing exactly where it was needed.
Milotic's pace was slow, but it didn't seem to mind in the slightest, happily continuing to spray Water Gun with precision.
Serperior slithered in, ready to use Grassy Terrain to help the new seeds grow.
But Alex stopped it.
"Wait, Serperior try this first."
He held out a small green dumpling made from Sweet Honey Grass.
"Shuu-shuu?"
Serperior curiously extended two vine whips from behind its neck to take the treat. One bite, and it tilted its head in mild confusion.
The taste was only slightly sweeter than the dumplings it had eaten before. Why had its trainer insisted it eat this one?
It didn't think too hard about it. Once all the seeds were in the soil, Serperior let its body glow with soft green energy.
In seconds, the entire plantation was bathed in a shimmering green field. Beneath the soil, the freshly sown seeds sprouted rapidly, broke through the surface, and began to grow tall.
Alex's eyes widened.
He hadn't even used Golden Fertilizer yet, and the seeds were already growing this fast? Serperior's Grassy Terrain was becoming almost absurd in its effectiveness.
The sight reminded him of the Pokémon movie Secrets of the Jungle, where a Zarude could rapidly accelerate plant growth.
At this rate, Serperior's ability was getting close to that level.
He thought of other Pokémon with similar powers Calyrex, who could enrich farmland and bring bountiful harvests, and Xerneas, who could restore entire forests.
If he had their help, wouldn't he be able to grow anything he wanted, anywhere?
Speaking of Xerneas… what time period was it right now?
Was it still sleeping somewhere?
Had Ash in the Kanto region begun his journey yet?
If Mewtwo was already planning its "game," then maybe Ash was already on the road… or very close to starting.
Alex's thoughts drifted until a small voice snapped him back.
"Yip-yip-yip~"
It was the Ice Vulpix at his feet, calling up to him.
He reached down to pick it up, then realized his hands were covered in dirt. With a wry smile, he walked over to the reservoir to wash them clean.
Milotic was still spraying water, and the thought he'd had that morning began stirring again.
"Alright, Milotic, let me give you a pat~"
"Milo~"
Milotic stopped spraying, lowering its head.
"Heh~"
Alex climbed onto its back, glanced at the water channel connected to the outside river, and grinned. "Come on, let's go for a ride!"
After working all morning, he was sweaty, and the novelty of riding a Dragonite yesterday had made him crave another new experience.
He'd never ridden Milotic through open water before.
"Milo~ Milo~!"
Milotic let out a cheerful cry and surged forward.
"Yip-yip-yip?!"
Ice Vulpix, who had been watching from the shore, leapt onto Milotic's back in protest. "Yip-yip-yip?!"
Laughing, Alex picked it up. "Alright, alright, you're coming too."
Among all his Pokémon, this one was the most curious and the most innocent.
They passed through the reservoir and into the widened channel, which was now large enough for Milotic to swim comfortably.
Still, Milotic rarely left unless something important was happening.
Alex had encouraged it to explore more, but it always seemed to prefer staying in the clear waters of the reservoir. Sometimes, when he was outside milking Miltank, he would catch sight of Milotic hiding just beneath the sparkling surface, quietly watching him.
On the left side of the channel was open land; on the right, rows of flowers Alex had planted.
A little farther along, behind the flowerbeds, stood a cluster of old, unused farmhouses remnants from villagers who had moved away from Wutong Town long ago.
Milotic swam leisurely, occasionally glancing back at Alex.
It was rare for it to enjoy such a calm moment.
Visitors drawn in by the flowerbeds often stopped to admire them until they caught sight of the breathtakingly elegant Milotic gliding past in the background.
One man rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then shouted, "A Milotic! Whoa, that's the most beautiful one I've ever seen!"
His outburst drew everyone's attention.
Then they noticed the man standing on its back.
"Oh, I've seen this Milotic on DouView before. Even on camera, it was stunning but in person? Wow…"
"Right? I thought they were using beauty filters online. Now I think the filters might actually insult it."
"By the way, isn't Alex a little lazy? Most breeders offer things like Pokémon massages or skill training. All he does is make Pokéblocks and Pokémon food…"
"Careful, or he'll…"
"You hush…"
Meanwhile, standing on Milotic's back, Alex was mulling over something entirely different.
If he opened a gym one day, what type should he specialize in?
His Pokémon roster was… a bit all over the place.
Psychic, Water, Fire, Fighting, Flying, Fairy, Ice, Grass, Dragon, Bug…
Except for Metapod, even his little Vulpix was already at an elite level.
He chuckled to himself.
"Hmm… maybe I should be a multi-type gym leader? Challenge-seekers would have to face every type before earning a badge."
He imagined future battles and couldn't help but grin.
Just then, a cold splash hit his face.
Looking down, he saw the mischievous Ice Vulpix grinning up at him before spitting another spray of icy mist.
"What was that for, Vulpix?"
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