November 20.
The weather was mildly clear.
The large villa had finally been completed, though the windows still needed to stay open for a few more days to air it out.
During this time, Captain Hoopa had borrowed several Aromatisse.
He said they could release fragrance to dispel the lingering smell of construction materials.
In truth, many of Lin Feng's own Pokémon could do the same.
Steenee, for example. Alcremie as well.
But since the Aromatisse had been lent out, Lin Feng was more than happy to let his own Pokémon take it easy.
Today was the day to deliver wine to Giratina.
After breakfast, Lin Feng used his psychic powers to move a barrel of honey wine, along with several bottles of chocolate liqueur, and carried them to the edge of the reservoir.
He gently tapped the surface of the water.
Almost instantly, the water turned pitch black, and a pair of eyes flickered faintly beneath the surface.
"Here. This is the wine for the next few days. I'm bringing it to you."
Ripples spread across the water.
Lin Feng could not help but smile as he tossed both the barrel and the chocolate liqueur in.
The barrel was pulled under and vanished without a trace.
Slowly, the water began to clear again.
"Hey, don't leave so fast."
Lin Feng tapped the water once more.
The surface seemed to pause for a moment, then returned to its calm clarity.
Giratina had already left.
"Still as aloof as ever," Lin Feng muttered, not taking it too seriously.
Although Giratina remained distant, its level of closeness was steadily rising.
"One day, I'll be able to enter the Reverse World whenever I want."
Standing by the reservoir, Lin Feng made a grand vow.
After that, he planned to head home and lie down.
It was winter, and he did not enjoy wandering outside. He much preferred lying on the couch, hugging Growlithe.
Mainly because Alolan Ninetales felt cold. Otherwise, he would much rather hold the elegant and refined Alolan Ninetales instead.
Sigh.
If only it were summer right now. He could not even imagine how wonderful it would be to lie back in Alolan Ninetales' embrace, with it curled behind him on a summer day.
Unfortunately, it was already winter, and Growlithe had not evolved yet.
Something seems to be happening in the garden.
Just as Lin Feng was heading toward the nursery, a sudden surge of aura washed over him.
He stopped in his tracks.
Though he was curious, he moved quickly instead of hesitating.
Passing the cowshed, he entered the garden.
Unlike the lush, colorful scene of summer, the garden now held only a few morning glories stubbornly climbing their frames, adding a touch of color to the landscape.
Pasture grass and mutated flowers still grew around the edges.
The rest of the garden was empty.
In summer, Alolan Vulpix liked digging holes in the grass, drawn by the floral scent.
In winter, after the leaves fell, it rarely stayed there.
On the open ground, Serperior rested quietly in a corner of the garden.
The aura Lin Feng had sensed earlier was coming from it.
He walked over. "What's wrong?"
"Show, show."
Take a look at this.
Serperior gestured toward the flower beside it.
Lin Feng followed its gaze, and surprise immediately crossed his face.
What bloomed on the ground looked less like a flower and more like stone.
It was composed of petal-like pieces, each resembling an individual fragment of rock. Delicate vein-like patterns ran across every fragment.
The flower felt strangely familiar, yet he could not recall its name.
Until he activated the Eye of Exploration.
"The Flower of Time?"
Flower of Time. A companion flower born alongside the World Tree. It records events that have occurred in the past.
"Did this grow here on its own?"
"Show, show?"
Serperior looked confused.
It had not planted this flower. It had simply appeared out of nowhere.
"This is the Flower of Time," Lin Feng explained, describing its abilities.
"Show, show?"
That sounds less impressive than I thought.
Serperior found it a little boring.
If it was about recording life, Rotom could record videos, or photos could simply be taken.
Lin Feng had even printed photos taken in Maple Town and displayed them at home.
"It's not like that."
Lin Feng patted Serperior gently and shook his head. "Time is an incredibly powerful thing."
"As time passes, photos fade, and videos eventually disappear as data degrades."
"But the bloom of the Flower of Time is eternal. As long as the World Tree stands, it will never wither."
That meant that even if one day they were no longer in this world, their lives here would still be recorded.
"Show…"
Serperior nodded, memories from a past life stirring its emotions.
Lin Feng did not dwell on the Flower of Time.
Instead, he called out to Serperior.
"All right. This plant will keep growing. Since you're connected to the World Tree, there's nothing to worry about. Let's head back. The new house is finished, and it's time to start moving furniture."
"Show, show."
Serperior nodded.
Originally, Lin Feng had planned to move in two days.
Now, it became today.
The moving process itself was simple.
As long as the furniture was not too large, it could be packed into storage balls and transported easily.
Only the bed was a bit troublesome.
But that was not a real problem, since he had bought a new one.
So the bed did not need to be moved at all.
"Gardevoir?"
Are we moving now?
Gardevoir paused her work, stepped out of the kitchen, and asked softly.
"Yes. Let's move the scattered items first. We'll definitely need them to set up the new house. Then we can see what furniture we're missing and buy it in advance."
Lin Feng spoke with excitement.
"Gardevoir."
You're right.
Gardevoir agreed and returned to her room.
After that, Lin Feng went to the nursery.
There was not much there that needed moving, and he had no intention of changing anything about it.
So he looked around briefly and returned to the living room.
He began muttering to himself.
"This couch… it looks a bit old. There's fur on it too. Does Growlithe shed? Looks like I'll need to make dishes that don't cause shedding."
"Let's replace it."
The couch really was old.
Lin Feng scanned the room.
The sofa, the display cabinet, the luxury armchairs.
All of them were old items left behind when his parents were still alive.
Even the ceiling light had been replaced by him three years ago.
Now, the light had started to yellow as well.
Bringing these things into the new house would feel out of place.
Lin Feng sighed softly.
"The house has changed. There's no need to keep these old things anymore. Let's replace everything."