Get Stronger by Pleasing Pokémon? Who Needs to Be a Trainer!

Yet somehow…

Why did everyone suddenly smell so sweet?

Sniffing the sugary scent lingering in the air, the Alcremie and Bounsweet found themselves puzzled.

They didn't understand.

They were, after all, just simple Pokémon. So after a moment, they simply let the question go.

Meanwhile, under the combined efforts of so many Pokémon, the giant cake was quickly devoured.

"Bu~ Bu~!"

Caterpie lay sprawled flat on the ground, eyes rolled back in blissful exhaustion. Earlier, it had accidentally locked eyes with Torchic and, seeing how the little firebird hadn't stopped eating the entire time, had foolishly decided to keep pace.

At first, it hadn't felt anything unusual. But now, as Caterpie finally paused to catch its breath, it felt as though its entire body was swollen, as though it desperately needed to let something out.

At last…

Just as that sensation reached its peak, Caterpie's whole body began to glow white. Its shape started to stretch and elongate.

When the light finally faded, Caterpie was gone, replaced by a large, crimson, diamond-shaped Metapod standing before Lin Feng.

"Huh… Looks like the old saying is true. Eat more, evolve bigger," Lin Feng murmured as he observed the Metapod, which was nearly twice the size of an average one. He mentally tucked away this new bit of trivia.

"Bzzz?"

Metapod stared blankly ahead, its wide eyes looking vacant. As realization dawned, its pupils suddenly quivered in shock.

It had evolved?

No, no, no… How could this happen?

Metapod's mood crashed instantly.

In the wild, a Metapod would normally be thrilled to evolve. The transformation meant stronger defenses against predators. Few Pokémon were patient enough to pick a fight with a creature that did nothing but harden itself into a shell.

But here, in Lin Feng's care, all Metapod wanted was to delay evolving for as long as possible. Because once it evolved, it wouldn't be able to eat!

"Pfft…"

Sensing Metapod's distress, Lin Feng couldn't help but chuckle. He hoisted the hefty cocoon into his arms and began carrying it back toward the barn. "Well, it's too late now. For the next little while, you won't be able to eat anything."

If Lin Feng hadn't said anything, it might not have been so bad. But now that he had, Metapod's expression drooped even further.

"Oh, and one more thing. You absolutely can't use Harden for a while. You've eaten so much that your cocoon is already thick and heavy. If you harden up too much, you might not even be able to break out when the time comes. Wouldn't that be something?"

Lin Feng laughed again and gave another reminder.

Metapod stared at him in stunned silence. After a moment, it gave a tiny shiver to show it understood.

Once he'd settled Metapod into place, Lin Feng stepped back outside the barn and caught sight of Torchic, whose entire face was still smeared with cream. His expression twisted into one of mild disgust. "…The way you eat is ridiculous. Just wait until the cream hardens on your feathers. Then you'll know how uncomfortable it is."

"Chic?"

Torchic was still scarfing down the last crumbs. Hearing Lin Feng's voice, it finally looked up at the empty table, its eyes shining with deep satisfaction.

A second later, however, Lin Feng grabbed it by the scruff and carried it off toward the reservoir, Seel bouncing along beside them. Despite Torchic's frantic chirps of "Chic chic chic!" (No, no, I don't want to!), Lin Feng gave it a thorough rinse.

Nearby, Alolan Vulpix watched the scene unfold. It discreetly licked the corners of its mouth, carefully cleaning off the last bit of cream, as if terrified it might be next in line for a bath.

Lin Feng glanced at the now rather plump-looking Torchic and delivered a firm order. "Tomorrow morning, you're going running outside. Use Quick Attack to run laps. You've been here barely over a week, and you've already gained seven or eight pounds! You're supposed to be a speedy Torchic. Once Pidgeot gets back, I'm going to have it keep an eye on you."

In this world, aside from certain special species, ordinary Pokémon could become overweight if they overate and didn't exercise, just like humans.

Lin Feng was determined to nip that possibility in the bud. This little firebird needed to get moving.

"Chic?"

Torchic shook off the water droplets clinging to its feathers, then lowered its gaze to its noticeably rounder belly…

And finally drooped its head in resignation. "Chic…"

It really had gotten a lot fatter…

"Alright, everyone, let's get some rest."

Once he'd made sure all the Pokémon in the plantation were settled, Lin Feng turned his eyes to the scattered dishes. With a thought, he used his psychic powers to lift them into the air. "Man, psychic abilities are the best."

He then looked back at the Alcremie and crouched down. "You all worked really hard today."

"It seems like everyone really enjoyed the cake you made."

"Alcremie!" (We saw, we saw!)

"Alcremie…" (Mm-hmm~)

The Alcremie chimed in happily, their voices brimming with excitement.

Alcremie were naturally inclined to love making cream-based desserts.

Yet it was a bit of a contradiction. They worried about being eaten, yet also felt a deep happiness knowing others loved eating the cream they produced.

"Well, I hope you'll all stay with us."

Lin Feng used his psychic powers to lift the Alcremie, keeping them free from dust. He carried them into the kitchen and gently set them down in a bowl. "Take a look around and see if there's a spot you'd like. Or if there's another room you'd prefer."

"Alcremie?"

The Alcremie peered curiously at their surroundings and quickly launched into a flurry of debate. Eventually, they all turned their gazes toward an empty cabinet.

"Alcremie?" (How about that cabinet? It's see-through and has doors.)

"Alcremie~" (It's too small. It won't fit all of us…)

Despite discussing it at length, they couldn't settle on any perfect place.

Seeing this, Lin Feng's eyes lit up. "Wait a second. I just thought of the perfect spot."

After putting the dishes aside, planning to wash them later, Lin Feng floated the bowl of Alcremie out into the breeding shop.

There was a glass display counter there, where he'd recently placed the mini cakes he and Gardevoir had made. Carefully, he set the bowl holding the Alcremie right on top of the counter. "Why don't you stay here during the day? You'll be able to watch people come in to buy the cakes you helped make. How does that sound?"

"Alcremie?" (Yes, yes, that sounds great~)

"Alcremie~" (They're going to love eating them…)

The Alcremie gazed down through the clear glass at the rows of little cakes beneath them, their eyes sparkling. They were already imagining how many people would come tomorrow to buy cakes made from their delicious cream.

"Then at night, you'll stay in my room."

With that, Lin Feng floated them back to his quarters and placed them around his bedroom, on the desk and beside the nightstand.

This time, the Alcremie finally all agreed enthusiastically.

"Vulpix?"

Alolan Vulpix perked up on the bed, licking its lips in delight.

Sweet-smelling new friends were moving in!

Snivy poked its head out of its treehouse. "Snivy?"

As it took in the now much more colorful room, Lin Feng's face blossomed into a look of satisfaction. He gave his other two Pokémon a gentle warning. "Alright, these thirteen Alcremie will be living here from now on. You two are not allowed to bully them, got it?"

"Snivy…"

Snivy rolled its eyes and slithered back into the treehouse, while Alolan Vulpix stood perfectly straight, nodding earnestly over and over.

Once everything was finally settled, Lin Feng suddenly remembered Gardevoir.

She'd said she'd be coming over soon… but there was still no sign of her anywhere…

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