Early the next morning, although it was only seven o'clock, the Alolan sun was already shining brightly.
As Lin Feng stepped into the backyard, he immediately saw Mallow watering the vegetable garden.
The abundant sunshine in Alola allowed plants to grow rapidly, but it also meant they required far more water.
"Alola! Good morning, Mr. Lin Feng."
"Alola. Good morning, Mallow."
After greeting her, Lin Feng asked curiously,
"Doesn't your mother need someone to stay with her?"
"She does, but it's still early. Besides, the hospital said yesterday that Mom's condition has improved a lot, so she doesn't need someone watching over her every minute anymore."
Mallow's smile was brighter than the morning sun.
"It's all thanks to you, Mr. Lin Feng."
"That's wonderful."
Lin Feng smiled.
"I'll stop by and check on her in a little while."
"Mm! Dad's making breakfast for you and your Pokémon right now. Let's eat first before heading over. Though... I'm not sure if your Pokémon will like our cooking."
"That's fine."
Lin Feng wasn't picky while traveling.
A hot meal was already a luxury.
After breakfast, Mallow's father stayed behind to prepare ingredients for the day's business, so only Lin Feng and Mallow headed to the hospital.
The first thing Lin Feng did upon arriving was examine Mallow's mother's condition.
When he finally lifted his fingers from her wrist, both mother and daughter looked at him with anxious anticipation.
"She's recovering very well."
"Compared to yesterday, her vitality has already returned significantly."
"If things continue at this pace, she should be discharged in just a few days."
After observing her condition twice, Lin Feng finally had a clear understanding of the disease-curing effect of the Peach Berry Wine.
There was no doubt that, even by the medical standards of the Pokémon world, Mallow's mother's illness had been considered quite serious.
Yet according to his estimates...
Only about 1.5 to 2.5 liters of Peach Berry Wine would be enough to cure it completely.
As for ordinary illnesses such as colds or fevers...
One mouthful, roughly 100 milliliters, should be enough.
The realization left Lin Feng secretly astonished.
This Peach Berry Wine was even more miraculous than he had imagined.
It was practically the ultimate medicine for travelers.
"Really? Thank you so much!"
"That's wonderful!"
Both women spoke at almost the same time.
Their eyes shimmered with countless emotions.
Shock.
Relief.
The lingering fear of almost losing everything.
Hope for the future.
And pure, overwhelming joy.
Unable to hold back any longer, Mallow threw herself into her mother's arms, tears sparkling in her eyes.
Her mother gently patted her back, her own eyes filled with tenderness and heartache.
Lin Feng quietly watched from the side.
He understood why they felt this way...
Yet he also knew he could never fully understand that bond himself.
Only after several minutes did their emotions gradually settle.
After wiping away Mallow's tears, her mother looked toward Lin Feng.
"Doctor Lin Feng... how much do I owe you for the treatment?"
"...Hm?"
Lin Feng blinked before instinctively looking toward Mallow.
To be honest...
He had never even thought about charging them.
After all, back in the Donghua League, money was the last thing he lacked.
The savings he had accumulated were already more than enough for several lifetimes.
"Well..."
"I'm not very familiar with Alola's currency."
"How about this."
"You can simply pay me whatever your hospital treatment here would normally cost."
He didn't refuse.
After all...
He wasn't short of money in the Donghua League.
But here in Alola...
He was practically broke.
Relief immediately appeared on the woman's face.
Her gratitude only deepened.
"Thank you so much, Doctor Lin Feng."
"Mallow."
"Take Mr. Lin Feng home to collect the money."
"Ask your father how much we've spent altogether."
"The doctors already said I don't need family staying with me anymore."
Their family wasn't wealthy.
Nor were they influential.
They were simply an ordinary family, and several days of hospitalization had already become a considerable burden.
"Okay, Mom."
Mallow nodded without hesitation.
Back at the restaurant, she explained everything to her father.
A few minutes later, she returned and handed Lin Feng a thick stack of banknotes.
"How much is this?"
Curious, Lin Feng counted them.
Alola's currency was tied to the Kalos region rather than the other Pokémon Leagues.
Judging by the amount...
There were over 100,000.
The number startled him for a moment.
His first instinct was to compare it to Donghua's purchasing power.
Then he quickly remembered...
Currencies varied greatly from region to region.
In some places, their value was only one-tenth of Donghua's.
Viewed that way...
One hundred thousand wasn't actually that much.
"Mr. Lin Feng..."
Seeing him finish counting, Mallow interrupted his thoughts.
"Are you planning to buy a house next?"
"I am."
He nodded.
"Do you have any recommendations?"
"I'd like somewhere spacious."
"A large yard would be ideal."
"I do!"
Mallow immediately brightened.
"I remember an old abandoned house near our Pokémon School!"
"It's been empty for years."
"Really?"
"Then I'd appreciate it if you could take me there."
"But before that..."
"I'll need to exchange some money at your region's official exchange office."
"No problem!"
"I'll take you to both places!"
"You're not familiar with Alola at all."
"...Thanks."
The two of them entered what Lin Feng jokingly called errand mode.
With Mallow leading the way, exchanging currency was surprisingly quick.
Since he expected to spend more time in Alola in the future, he directly exchanged ten million Donghua credits.
By the time the conversion was complete...
That ten million had shrunk into what could only be described as a "small goal" in local currency.
He stored the money inside several Storage Poké Balls.
Of course, that didn't mean Alolan currency was worthless.
In reality, living expenses here were only slightly higher than in the Donghua League.
Soon afterward, they arrived at the old house Mallow had mentioned.
It was enormous.
Although it had clearly been abandoned for years, Alola's warm, dry climate had preserved it remarkably well.
The structure remained intact.
Looking at it, Lin Feng immediately thought of Captain Hoopa's construction team.
Could he simply invite them over and rebuild the place using the blueprint of his villa?
The idea made him chuckle.
Asking them to travel halfway across the world just to renovate his house was asking far too much.
Still...
When he returned home, he decided he'd at least ask.
If he offered enough money, they might actually agree.
Otherwise...
Finding a reliable construction crew in a place where he knew neither the people nor the area would be extremely difficult.
By noon...
With Mallow's help, all the paperwork for the property and land transfer had been completed.
"Whew..."
"That's finally done."
The weather was scorching.
After finishing everything, Lin Feng bought two chilled fruit juices and handed one to Mallow.
She accepted it with a grateful smile.
"Thank you."
After taking a sip, she looked at him.
"So..."
"Mr. Lin Feng..."
"Are you heading back now?"
"Pretty much."
Lin Feng casually tossed the empty cup into a nearby trash bin before releasing Dragonite.
Although there were still a few things he wanted to do in Alola...
Everything had been resolved far faster than he'd expected.
"Then..."
Mallow smiled brightly.
"You'll come back in winter, right?"
"Hm?"
Lin Feng looked at her curiously.
"I will."
"Why do you ask?"
After all...
Wasn't buying this house proof enough that he planned to spend the winter here?
Mallow laughed softly.
"Nothing."
"Then..."
"See you in winter, Mr. Lin Feng."
"I have to hurry back and bring lunch to Mom."
With that, she waved goodbye, turned around, and ran toward home.
"...Alright."
Lin Feng smiled and nodded.
Then he climbed onto Dragonite's back.
A moment later...
Dragonite spread its wings and soared into the brilliant Alolan sky.
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