"Okay, okay, yes, yes…"
That simple question completely threw Lin Feng into a panic. He nodded repeatedly, almost too fast.
He had intended to praise her the same way he praised his other Pokémon. But when he looked at Gardevoir, the words caught in his throat. He just could not say them.
Still, Gardevoir rarely asked anything of him, and this time it was something so simple. No matter what, he had to respond.
After struggling for a while, he finally forced the words out:
"You were amazing, Gardevoir. Really… incredibly strong. I'll be counting on you in the matches ahead."
The moment he finished, Lin Feng felt his toes curl in embarrassment. It was the kind of awkwardness that made him feel like he could dig a hole and hide inside it.
But the words were sincere.
Gardevoir truly was extraordinary. Not just in battle, but in everything. She could dominate the battlefield, yet at home she quietly took care of meals, cleaning, and the others.
He had worried those simple, almost clumsy words might disappoint her.
But instead, Gardevoir's smile softened even more. For a brief moment, Lin Feng thought he saw something shimmering in her eyes.
He was not sure if he imagined it.
Then a voice confirmed it for him.
[Congratulations, Host. Gardevoir's happiness has increased from 20 to 85. Reward: 1 Rare Candy, 5 packs of Premium Pokéblocks, 1 Lunar Feather from Cresselia.]
Before he could react, another voice followed.
[Congratulations, Host. Gardevoir's affection has reached 100. Reward: 3 Rare Candies, 10 packs of Premium Pokéblocks, Prism Fragment from Necrozma.]
Gardevoir's happiness had always been difficult to raise.
She had seen too much, experienced too much. Ordinary things rarely stirred her emotions.
And yet, a few words of praise from him had increased her happiness by sixty-five points in an instant.
Lin Feng did not even check the rewards. He simply stared at her, slightly dazed.
What exactly had he said that moved her so deeply?
Seeing his expression, Gardevoir let out a soft laugh.
She slowly spoke through telepathy:
[Gardevoir… I have heard gratitude, contempt, fear, terror, sorrow, admiration… I have felt all kinds of emotions.]
She gently brushed aside the blue hair covering one eye, revealing the other crimson eye beneath.
Even though the curse had long been lifted, and her strength now rivaled Darkrai, those scarlet eyes had been part of her since childhood. They could never return to their original color.
One red eye was already unsettling.
Two made it feel as if a single glance could give someone nightmares.
Lin Feng suddenly understood.
In his memories, Gardevoir was always smiling gently, her eyes half-closed. At home especially, she always kept them narrowed into soft crescents.
Was it because she was afraid of frightening the others?
Realizing this, he hesitated, unsure what to say.
But Gardevoir continued first.
[Gardevoir… When I was weak, they despised me. When I grew stronger, they feared me. Wherever I went, I met new Pokémon. Some became friends. Some became enemies.]
[Gardevoir… Those who became friends, I protected them with this power. But when I drove away their enemies, they looked at me with fear… and called me a monster.]
The Pokémon she helped would thank her at first. They would even share berries with her.
But as time passed, as the lingering effects of nightmares faded, their eyes would change.
They would look at her the same way as everyone else.
As her memories surfaced, Gardevoir gently placed her hand over Lin Feng's.
At the same time, those memories appeared in his mind. Not something he searched for, but something she showed him directly.
Blurred, yet vivid.
She had been a Ralts then, wandering far from home.
In a new ecosystem, she met another Ralts, one that followed a Gardevoir.
One day, that Ralts was attacked by a Beedrill.
It ran. The Beedrill chased.
The small Ralts did not yet know Teleport. Its weak Confusion was easily broken. The Beedrill turned its attention fully toward it.
At that moment, Lin Feng's Ralts appeared.
Dark energy fell upon the Beedrill. It collapsed into a nightmare, its face twisted in pain.
After that, things changed.
The other Ralts thanked her. The Gardevoir gave her berries. They played together. She was introduced to new friends.
For a while, she believed helping others was something wonderful.
But that feeling lasted only a few days.
On the first day, the second, the third…
Their gazes slowly changed.
Fear replaced warmth.
They began to hate those crimson eyes.
That was her first journey.
It ended badly.
She left after only three days.
Then came the second place. The third.
It did not take long for her to realize something.
Friendships built on power would always be destroyed by that same power.
Wherever she went, she was eventually rejected.
So she began to hate that power.
But she could not get rid of it. All she could do was grow stronger.
After evolving into Gardevoir, her unusual coloring made her stand out even more. Combined with those red eyes, she became impossible to ignore.
She stopped fearing that nightmare power.
Instead, she used it.
Whenever she was attacked, she retaliated without hesitation.
One year. Three years. Five years.
As her strength grew, no Pokémon dared to attack her anymore.
And so, she became alone again.
She had to keep moving, constantly changing locations, afraid that the nightmare energy within her might harm innocent Pokémon nearby.
She would not spare those who attacked her.
But she also could not bear frightening the weak and kind ones.
So she kept moving.
And because of that, she never had anyone she could truly talk to.
Gratitude. Fear.
She had heard it all, countless times.
She did not know why today felt different.
Perhaps because such sincere praise was something she had rarely ever received.
Gardevoir let her hair fall again, covering one eye.
She looked at Lin Feng and smiled.
That was all in the past now.
She had a trainer.
She had companions who relied on her.
And although her trainer occasionally caused small trouble, he was someone she could truly trust.
She asked softly:
[Gardevoir… Can I rely on you?]
"Of course," Lin Feng replied immediately, then nodded firmly. "You always can."
[Gardevoir… Thank you.]
With that, she gently leaned against his shoulder.
Lin Feng did not move.
He had many things he wanted to say, but none of them felt right.
In the end, he understood.
Right now, words were not necessary.
He simply raised his hand and lightly patted her shoulder.
That was enough.
Because by telling him all this, she had already opened her heart completely.
And what she needed was not solutions.
Just quiet comfort.
The room fell silent.
But peace never lasted long.
The other Pokémon had been listening the whole time.
Gardevoir had not hidden anything from them.
Now that they understood her past, their reactions came naturally.
Blaziken glanced at Serperior, then exchanged looks with Dragonite and Alolan Ninetales.
They had never imagined that the gentle, capable Gardevoir who cooked for them and took care of everything had such a past.
They did not fully understand it.
But they felt it.
One by one, they moved closer.
Alolan Ninetales was the first. It quietly approached and nudged Gardevoir gently with its head, concern filling its eyes.
"Gardevoir…"
Gardevoir lifted her head and placed a hand on it.
[I'm fine, little one.]
"Nii…"
After a small, thoughtful sound, Ninetales suddenly brightened. It jumped onto the bed, lay on its back, and rested its head on Lin Feng's lap.
Its expression turned playful.
"Then I want to lean on you too."
Lin Feng laughed softly. "Alright, alright."
He reached out and gently stroked its soft fur.
The Ninetales closed its eyes in satisfaction, its nine tails swaying lazily.
Then another timid voice sounded.
[Alcremie… I also want… to come closer…]
It was Alcremie.
Usually shy, but now it carefully approached.
Lin Feng smiled even wider. He lifted it up and placed it on his shoulder, letting it rest against his cheek.
Soon, there was no space left around him.
More Pokémon gathered.
Meowscarada. Blaziken. Even Milotic turned its gaze from the water tank.
Lin Feng could only laugh helplessly.
"The greatest happiness in life is raising all of you."
One by one, he embraced them.
Finally, he looked toward Serperior, who had been quietly watching.
He walked over.
Behind him, Gardevoir's eyes softened once more, a trace of relief in her smile.
Then she turned and headed toward the kitchen.
…
By the time the 25th match of the first round ended, the morning session was over.
Lin Feng did not stay to watch the remaining matches. He returned to prepare food for his Pokémon.
They, however, were glued to the screen.
In the afternoon, after a short break, the matches resumed.
Lin Feng eventually returned to the stands after taking a call from Qin Shu, who filled his ear with praise, and checking in on things back home.
"Alright, the break is over," the commentator announced. "This morning, twenty-five matches were completed. Twenty-five trainers advance, and twenty-five are eliminated."
"Let's congratulate the winners and encourage those who fell short."
"Next, the first round continues!"
As the commentator soared into the sky on his Aegislash, the crowd burst into discussion again.
"That morning session was incredible."
"Yeah, Lin Feng's Gardevoir stood out the most, but the others were strong too."
"Did you see that black Charizard? And that purple Gengar, it was hilarious…"
The chatter filled the arena.
Soon, the 26th match began.
And when the next competitor appeared, Lin Feng's eyelid twitched.
"The 26th match," the announcer declared, "features Tobias, a competitor from another region…"
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