The noticeably rounder Moltres lay nearby, eyes closed in rest, while Growlithe gnawed on a very familiar black slipper—playing with Fidough as it did so.
Kai was the only one in the house who wore slippers. There was no need to guess whose poor, tattered slipper had become the victim of their game.
A few veins twitched on his forehead as he repeatedly reminded himself: They're still young. They don't know any better. They'll grow out of it... eventually.
He held back. Again and again.
But when Growlithe somehow managed to dig out the blue slipper Kai had lost two days ago—from who knows what dark corner of the house—and proudly handed it over to Fidough, as if saying Stick with me, kid, and you'll be set for life, Kai finally snapped.
"Growlithe!"
The sheer weight of anger in his voice sent a shudder through the little Fire-type, while Moltres, who had been watching their playtime with amusement, suddenly looked over with wide-eyed alarm.
Huh? What just happened? Why's Kai so mad?
In Moltres's mind, there was no such thing as "destructive behavior." If anything, Growlithe's obsession with slippers was proof that it was being raised well—its instincts were being properly nurtured. It would make for great conversation material among Pokémon caretakers outside.
Kai, however, strode over, crouched down, and expertly grabbed Growlithe by the scruff of its neck, bringing their eyes level.
But the moment he saw those guilty, downcast eyes and the pitifully drooping tail, his heart wavered.
Even so, he forced himself to stay firm. Discipline was one thing he couldn't compromise on.
Meanwhile, Fidough, observing the whole scene, seemed to reach a profound realization.
Even the mighty Growlithe, the big boss of the house, could only hang its head and whimper like a scolded hatchling in front of Kai.
After retrieving a properly packaged flowerpot from the storage room, Kai filled it with nutrient-rich soil collected from the experimental fields in the farming area. Soon enough, the new home for Milcery was ready.
Blushing slightly, Milcery looked up at Kai with a pair of crescent-shaped eyes, thanking him in front of the watching Eldegoss trio.
"It's nothing. Since I brought you all home, it's only natural that I take care of these basic responsibilities. Get some good rest in your new pot."
Kai's movements were gentle as he stroked Milcery's uniquely soft and bouncy face, his voice equally warm.
"Mil~"
Milcery closed its eyes, savoring the comforting presence of this human who was so much bigger than itself. A new sense of anticipation for life on the farm began to take root in its tiny heart.
The Eldegoss, however, couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy. Without hesitation, they swarmed around Kai, vying for attention, all fluff and insistence that they deserved head pats too.
By the time he had properly appeased all four Pokémon, Kai left the room with his hands clasped behind his back, muttering to himself, "Am I raising Pokémon here... or managing a royal harem?"
Something about this farm's dynamic just didn't seem quite right...
Still deep in thought, Kai went to check on the last Pokémon that needed a proper living arrangement—Milcery.
To be fair, he had already mentally prepared himself when he stepped into the kitchen and found three Pokémon inside.
But when he saw exactly what was happening, he couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.
The Pokémon assigned to look after Milcery after their earlier gathering had been Dragonite. At the time, Kai had been a little worried that the sweet-loving Dragonite might get a little too curious about Milcery's flavor—perhaps even attempt to "taste-test" it.
However, since Serperior had stepped up and offered to supervise Dragonite, ensuring it didn't get too carried away, Kai had agreed to let them take care of Milcery together.
And now... these two supposed caretakers were seconds away from throwing hands over the little Pokémon's custody rights.
A quick glance around the kitchen was all Kai needed to piece together the cause of this ridiculous dispute.
On the table sat the remains of this morning's breakfast—some leftover slices of toast.
Among them, one particular slice was now topped with a fresh, glossy layer of cream—clearly made by Milcery.
Unlike its evolved form, Alcremie, which could produce different flavors of cream based on its form, Milcery's output was pure, classic dairy. Since it was still young, covering a single slice of toast was likely the most it could manage.
The toast itself wasn't big. One bite would be enough to finish it off.
Yet here were two Champion-level Pokémon, seriously about to throw down over a single piece of toast.
It was honestly embarrassing to watch.
Ignoring their charged auras, Kai strode right into the middle of their standoff, scooped up a slightly panicked Milcery with his right hand, and—with his left—bonked both Dragonite and Serperior lightly on the head.
"Enough, already," he sighed, exasperated.
Without giving them a chance to protest, he swiftly grabbed a knife and divided the toast into four equal portions, then shoved one piece into Dragonite's mouth and the other into Serperior's before they could argue further.
He handed another to Milcery and, after a brief pause, took a bite of the last piece himself.
Aside from the toast being slightly dry from sitting out all morning, the cream Milcery had made was undeniably delicious—light, fluffy, sweet but not overwhelming, with an airy texture that melted away like a cloud.
As a Pokémon assistant in pastry-making, both Milcery and its evolved form, Alcremie, were undeniably top-tier choices.
Kai remembered that when Milcery evolved into Alcremie, it could take on a staggering 63 different forms. Depending on its specific form, the flavor of the cream it produced would also be distinctly categorized.
Admirally, these flavors fell into eight broad categories: sweet and sour, fragrant, refreshing, tangy, salty, colorful, slightly bitter, and complex.
Having tasted Milcery's fresh cream, Kai was already looking forward to seeing what flavor its cream would take on after evolution.
Forced to comply with Kai's authority, Dragonite and Serperior reluctantly accepted the four-way split of the toast. One cradled its portion in its hands, while the other used its vines to delicately hold it up—both of them savoring Milcery's delicious creation with blissful expressions.
The portion was small, but that didn't stop Dragonite from licking the corners of its mouth repeatedly, making absolutely sure there wasn't a single speck of cream left behind.
Serperior, on the other hand, was far more composed—it turned its back on Milcery, Kai, and Dragonite before discreetly licking the remaining cream off its face.
Seeing them act so eager and impatient, Kai couldn't help but turn away to stifle a chuckle.
It seemed that Milcery's ability to produce cream alone was enough to secure its protection from both Dragonite and Serperior.
In the end, Milcery's designated living space was set up inside the kitchen cabinets—just like at Eli's Ranch, where it had been accustomed to residing in similar storage spaces.
That said, Kai still planned to visit a woodworking shop in Paldea Town at some point.
He wanted to have a beautiful cabinet custom-made, designed specifically to store dishware used for desserts. When the time came, Milcery could move into its new home there as well.
By the time all four newly added Pokémon had been properly settled in, it was already nearing 7 p.m.
After preparing dinner for nearly twenty Pokémon without pause, night had completely fallen.
By the time he finished cleaning up, Kai finally had a moment to himself. Returning to his bedroom, he sat down at his well-lit desk and began flipping through a borrowed book from Nurse Joy of Paldea Town—On Psychological Trauma in Pokémon.
Even though early spring had long passed, the night air still carried a lingering chill.
And since his cotton slippers had met their untimely demise at the jaws of Growlithe, Kai had no choice but to wear his summer sandals. As for staying warm…
Well, that was what his personal foot warmer—Growlithe—was for.
The quiet of the night was accompanied only by the crisp sound of pages turning under the glow of his desk lamp.
Growlithe had already curled up on his feet, fast asleep, while Luxray lay nearby, eyes closed in restful slumber. Its body, capable of unleashing devastating electric power, rose and fell in a steady rhythm, looking more like a harmless housecat than a fearsome predator.
Closing the book, Kai glanced at the time.
11 p.m.
Time for bed. Tomorrow morning, he had to get up early for the first official round of sowing—he also needed to plant the saplings.
Running his fingers through Luxray's sleek fur, Kai pulled back the covers—only to find that his Pokémon had already pre-warmed his bed.
Unfazed by the sight, he nimbly stepped over Serperior and Mimikyu before slipping under the blankets himself.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he murmured, in a voice too soft to wake them, "Good night."
At dawn, Kai awoke.
Moving carefully so as not to disturb the warmth still lingering in the blankets, he climbed out of bed.
Ignoring the slight chill against his bare skin, he swiftly washed up and got ready for the day.
After getting dressed, Kai opened a fresh bag of commercial Pokémon food.
On days when he didn't feel like cooking, he would use pre-made Pokémon food as a temporary substitute.
In this world, industries related to Pokémon were highly developed, and Pokémon food had long since become a staple product.
Nutritionally, the formulation of Pokémon food was excellent—its benefits were nearly on par with home-cooked meals.
Most Trainers who didn't know how to cook would choose to buy Pokémon food instead. Though slightly more expensive than making meals from scratch, it was undeniably convenient.
To compare it with something from Kai's previous world, it was akin to the difference between homemade pet food and store-bought cat or dog kibble.
Because he had built everything from the ground up, most of his resources were poured into taking care of his Pokémon. To save money, he usually opted to cook meals himself rather than rely on store-bought food.
But today…
With the amount of work ahead, Kai wanted to conserve as much energy and stamina as possible.
By the time daylight fully illuminated the farm, the Pokémon had already started waking up one by one.
After finishing breakfast, Kai gathered a few Pokémon capable of helping out and headed straight for the farmland.
Spring was the perfect season for planting, and there were many crops suitable for the time of year. Aside from seasonal fruits and vegetables, today's primary focus was something much more unassuming—wheat.
Dachsbun, the evolved form of Fidough, had the ability to enhance wheat growth. In turn, wheat could be milled into flour for making bread and other dough-based foods—or even fermented into beer.
With Milcery's cream as an additional ingredient, the possibilities for desserts alone were endless.
Even if he didn't sell it, wheat would have countless uses on his farm.
Since Mudbray's strength wasn't quite up to par yet, it was impossible for it to plow the vast farmland on its own.
Instead, Kai assigned Swampert to assist Mudbray in preparing the soil in the designated area for growing Berries.
Unlike ordinary fruits and vegetables, Berries—rich in energy—required much more fertile soil.
With farming tools in hand and the help of his Pokémon, Kai worked tirelessly in the fields.
And once he started, the work didn't stop for the entire day.
By the time evening rolled around, Kai pressed a hand against his slightly sore lower back and sighed as he surveyed the farmland.
Even after a full day's effort, they had barely completed a quarter of the total work.
Relying on himself alone, farming was far too slow and inefficient.
Even with Pokémon assisting him, their role was still just assistance—they weren't a game-changer in labor efficiency.
At times like this, having a Psychic-type Pokémon would be a huge help. If he had one, a lot of repetitive, back-breaking motions wouldn't be necessary anymore.
Unfortunately, none of the Pokémon he had caught so far were Psychic-types.
If he wanted to dream big, a Psychic and Grass dual-type would be even better—like Celebi or Calyrex.
With legendary Pokémon like the Forest Guardian or the King of Bountiful Harvests, forget about farming—just their presence alone could create an entire forest from scratch.
Those titles weren't just for show, after all.
Aside from that, there was also one of Alola's guardian deities—Tapu Bulu—who not only possessed the ability to till the land but could also make vegetation flourish.
Unfortunately, as a rare and singular entity, there was no way the Alola region would allow one of its island guardians to be taken away by an outsider.
—
After dinner, Kai did something unusual—he didn't spend the evening studying.
Instead, he lay facedown on his bed, enjoying a vine massage from Serperior.
Kai had no idea what school of massage Serperior's technique belonged to, but under Luxray's precise direction, every pressure point it targeted made him wince in pain at first—only to feel an immense sense of relief afterward.
Under Luxray's golden, glowing gaze, Kai felt like not just his clothes, but even his skin and muscle tissue were being thoroughly analyzed.
That X-ray vision was downright terrifying.
Still, as much as he was enjoying himself, Kai didn't forget his responsibilities.
Since he had no evening classes, he took the opportunity to call each of his students who had left their contact information.
Outside of class time, he was rarely at Naranja Academy, so if any of his students had questions about training, the only way to reach him was by phone.
After enduring an exhausting thirty-minute call with Nemona, Kai let out a long sigh. Right on cue, Dragonite handed him a cup of warm water.
Sipping the water, Kai rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Most of the other students were easy to deal with—each conversation barely took ten minutes.
But Nemona…
She always seemed to have an endless stream of questions. If she hadn't picked up on the fatigue in his voice, she probably could've spent the entire night discussing Pokémon battles and training strategies with him.
And her questions weren't just random, either.
Kai could tell that she was absorbing the knowledge he shared at an astonishing pace, like a sponge soaking up water.
"So this is what true battle talent looks like…"
Lost in thought, Kai recalled how, in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, neither Nemona nor Clavell had gone all out when battling "the player."
Nemona had used a newly trained team, while Clavell had clearly held back.
It was just like his own Champion Assessment—if Clavell had led with that ridiculously powerful Glimmora and then finished the match with Kingambit, things would've been much tougher.
With that thought, Kai shook his head with a helpless smile and dialed the last student on his list—Arven.
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