September 16th.
Heavy rain.
Lin Feng had Rotom check the weather.
It turned out that a typhoon was forming over the sea, which meant the weather would stay damp and chilly for the next few days.
He could feel it clearly.
The temperature had dropped suddenly from the upper twenties down to the teens. Even the townsfolk who worked outdoors had put on heavy sweaters.
Because of the rain, fewer people came by the breeding house. Sometimes more than ten minutes would pass before a customer showed up, and even then, they were usually regulars who didn't need an introduction to products or Pokéblocks.
But Lin Feng didn't mind.
It meant he finally had a chance to relax a little.
A break in the middle of busyness.
Some customers wanted delivery instead, but since it was pouring, Lin Feng decided not to trouble the Pidgeys. Only special requests were honored, where he reluctantly sent them out.
For the Alcremie perched on the counter, however, this weather was a little depressing.
They lay sprawled on the counter, watching the rare passersby with gloomy expressions, worried about the cakes they had made the day before.
Rain meant fewer customers.
Fewer customers meant unsold cakes.
"Don't worry, don't worry. With this weather, cakes can sit a day without spoiling. Worst case, tonight everyone just eats cake. Dragonite and Combusken can take care of the leftovers!" Lin Feng chuckled reassuringly.
Hearing this, the Alcremie perked up a little.
Their greatest fear was that their hard work would be wasted.
"Creammm…"
"Combu~!"
A Combusken peeked its head out from the plantation.
With the rain, Lin Feng had canceled its morning training routine, so when it overheard talk about eating more, its eyes lit up immediately.
"See? Speak of the chicken, and here it comes."
Combusken looked serious. "Combu…?" (So… more of what exactly?)
"More cake!"
Lin Feng grinned, walked to the counter, and handed it a small cake.
A customer inside the breeding house watched the scene between Lin Feng and his Pokémon and couldn't help but sigh in admiration. "The bond between your Pokémon here feels so good…"
Then he remembered something and his face twisted with frustration. "Unlike my brat. Stubborn as a Tauros. I say east, he goes west. I say use Seed Gun, he insists on Pound."
The more he spoke, the angrier he became. Finally he slapped the Pokéblocks he had picked out back on the counter. "Forget it! I'm too angry, not buying them for him!"
Lin Feng blinked. "…."
Softly, he suggested, "Maybe you could try taking it step by step. Use things it likes to guide it gradually?"
The Combusken eating cake tilted its head, sensing something familiar. That method… sounded awfully similar.
The customer let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, easier said than done. Sometimes he just drives me crazy."
Still, he quietly picked the Pokéblocks back up, paid, and left under his umbrella. Clearly, his words had just been venting.
Watching the whole exchange, Lin Feng couldn't help but murmur, "Looks like not every trainer gets along smoothly with their Pokémon…"
It was perfectly normal.
After all, even Ash Ketchum, who would one day become a Pokémon Master, had been shocked into a human lightning rod by Pikachu in the beginning, forced to wear rubber gloves just to survive.
Not long after the customer left, the storm outside intensified into something like a waterfall pouring from the sky. The raindrops, fat and heavy, whipped about with fierce winds until they formed near-continuous sheets.
After waiting more than ten minutes with no visitors, Lin Feng glanced at the dark, oppressive clouds and frowned. "This storm… could it be that big fish messing with the weather?"
Above him, Rotom was checking Wutong City's news updates.
"The upcoming Continental League Tournament has been scheduled for January 12th. Trainers interested can begin registering now."
"Yesterday at noon, three Eevee went missing from the Eevee Breeding House. They were wearing collars. Citizens who see them, please return them promptly…"
Rotom kept its voice low so as not to disturb Lin Feng.
But Lin Feng's thoughts were elsewhere.
Seeing that no customers were coming, he closed the shop door, then turned to Rotom. "Check the forecast. Look up the typhoon."
Rotom beamed and pulled up the League's official TV channel.
On the screen appeared a host and an old man in a white lab coat.
"The League advises: in the coming days, a Level 11 typhoon named 'Origin' will affect the seas near the Eastward League. Residents in coastal areas, please do not go outside."
"The League also assures that most of the typhoon's effects are under control. Traveling trainers should seek out the nearest Pokémon Center, where free lodging and hot meals are available…"
"Forecasts suggest the typhoon will last three to four days."
"Now we welcome Pokémon researcher Professor Lawson, who will analyze whether this typhoon might be linked to a powerful Pokémon…"
"Level 11 typhoon…"
Lin Feng muttered, but his eyes brightened.
That meant three or four days of vacation.
And Wutong City wasn't far from the coast.
"Rotom, post a video on my channel. Say that due to the typhoon, the shop and Pidgey delivery service will be taking a short break."
"Roto~! Got it, boss."
Rotom zipped off to handle the upload.
Combusken happily continued eating Alcremie's cakes.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng walked into the plantation.
There, Dragonite was using its powers to reduce the storm's impact on the crops.
It had adapted quickly to the plantation, perhaps because of its naturally gentle nature. All the Pokémon got along well with it.
Its biggest fans were Vulpix and Bounsweet.
Small as they were, they loved bouncing on Dragonite's belly like it was a trampoline.
And Dragonite, with its patient personality, didn't mind at all.
But now, with the rain falling hard, the Alolan Vulpix could only lie by the back door of the breeding house, staring gloomily at the downpour.
It thought to itself, When will the rain stop? When will it be afternoon?
When the rain stopped, Dragonite would play with it. And in the afternoon, Lin Feng would spend time with it.
Hearing footsteps, it jumped up, ears twitching, and looked back eagerly at Lin Feng. "Vulpix~?"
Lin Feng smiled. "Since it's raining today, the shop is closed."
"Vulpix!"
Its eyes widened in delight, sparkling as if to say, Really?
"Really."
Lin Feng scooped it into his arms, rubbing its soft belly until it wriggled and kicked, squealing with laughter.
This little one hated being tickled most of all, but when it came from him, it never tried to escape.
He noticed Serperior sneaking glances from the corner of the plantation, and his lips curved into a smile. He was just about to call it over when Combusken came striding out of the house.
"Combu?" (It sounds like someone's knocking at the door?)
Lin Feng frowned. "Knocking? At a time like this?"
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