Although he wanted every one of them, Lin Feng kept his eyes on Mew, quietly waiting for its decision.
"Meow, meow~~!"
(So... which one do you want?)
Mew picked up Ho-Oh's Rainbow Feather one moment, then Cresselia's Lunar Feather the next, twirling both between its tiny paws while glancing back at the treasure chest overflowing with priceless relics.
It was obvious that Lin Feng truly wanted these treasures.
But Mew was reluctant to hand everything over at once.
Whether they were useful or not, they were treasures it had painstakingly collected over countless years.
"I'd like the glowing antler fragment."
Lin Feng pointed to the fragment of Xerneas' antler.
The description clearly stated that it contained an immense amount of Fairy-type energy and could be used to create Fairy-type specialty dishes.
That alone made it incredibly valuable.
Or rather...
It was incredibly valuable for Alolan Ninetales and the rest of his Fairy-type team.
Their long-standing dream of becoming true Dragon slayers had always given Lin Feng a headache.
As for everything else...
Of course he wanted them too.
But asking for too much and making Mew unhappy would be the worst outcome.
"Meow?"
Mew picked up the antler fragment and handed it over.
Before Lin Feng could say anything else, Mew tilted its head curiously.
(Just this one? You don't want anything else?)
"Of course I like the others too."
Lin Feng accepted Xerneas' antler without hiding his thoughts.
"But these are all treasures you've collected yourself. Whether you want to give me anything else... that's your decision."
"Meow?"
(●'◡'●)
A relieved smile immediately spread across Mew's face.
"Meow~."
(Okay, okay.)
It turned back toward the treasure chest.
After staring at its collection for quite a while and hesitating repeatedly, it finally selected a few more items.
Two feathers rested on top.
They were Cresselia's Lunar Feather and Ho-Oh's Rainbow Feather.
Seeing the Lunar Feather reminded Lin Feng of another treasure Mew had once given him.
A mysterious stone containing Darkrai's Nightmare Power.
Simply leaving that stone exposed would curse nearby living creatures with endless nightmares until its energy was exhausted.
Helpless, Lin Feng had kept it submerged in water.
Over time, he had accumulated several bottles of water infused with the stone's nightmare energy.
Yet the stone itself had never truly been dealt with.
He also had no idea where that Darkrai had gone.
To be honest, Lin Feng had never held much hope for dishes made from such an ominous ingredient.
But now...
With Cresselia's Lunar Feather in hand...
Perhaps he could finally experiment with it.
Then there was Ho-Oh's Rainbow Feather.
Thinking about it, he already possessed one Sacred Feather.
Since none of his Pokémon currently needed it, he had decided to keep it in reserve.
If he used it recklessly now, he might regret it later when he couldn't find another replacement.
Although he still wasn't sure how he would use this Rainbow Feather...
It was still a Legendary-grade ingredient.
"Meow~."
(I'll give you these two... and...)
After handing both feathers to Lin Feng, Mew turned back toward the treasure chest once again.
Its expression immediately became conflicted.
It felt like it hadn't given Lin Feng enough.
But at the same time...
Every remaining item in the box was something it treasured dearly.
It simply couldn't decide what else it should part with.
Finally, it looked at Lin Feng with a troubled face.
"Meow... meow..."
(Pick... pick one more... I don't know which one to give away.)
"I can choose another?"
Lin Feng couldn't help smiling.
Everything left inside the chest was obviously something Mew wanted to keep.
Yet because it believed he would like them...
It still offered him one more choice.
"Meow! Meow!"
(Of course! Of course!)
Mew nodded enthusiastically.
Lin Feng didn't bother with empty politeness.
He reached into the chest while quietly observing Mew's expressions.
Although Mew had told him to choose freely...
Whenever his hand drifted toward Diancie's Eternal Diamond, Mew's face immediately became tense.
It was painfully obvious that it didn't want to give that one away.
Its emotions were written all over its face.
Fortunately...
Lin Feng could read them easily.
While pretending to browse casually, he carefully watched Mew's reactions before making his decision.
Eventually, only three items remained that wouldn't make Mew visibly heartbroken if he selected them.
One was Rayquaza's Fury Scale.
One was a piece of solidified magma naturally shed by Groudon while sleeping.
The last was a mysterious stone dropped by Regirock.
Lin Feng immediately crossed the third option off his list.
Compared to the other two...
It simply wasn't on the same level.
Between the first two, he considered them for a moment before making his choice.
He reached for Rayquaza's Fury Scale.
The black dragon scale clearly belonged to the Shiny Rayquaza that had once visited his plantation.
Although Groudon's magma would certainly benefit Fire-type Pokémon...
He only had Blaziken and Arcanine as Fire-types.
More importantly...
He had absolutely no idea how to preserve a chunk of living magma.
If he handled it carelessly and leaked too much energy...
It might attract that oversized fish.
Or even worse...
Its true owner.
If Groudon and Kyogre met...
They would inevitably start another catastrophic battle.
Compared to that nightmare...
A dragon scale was far easier to work with.
Besides...
Rayquaza had already visited the plantation before.
Its personality was much easier to deal with.
Perhaps...
He could even use this scale to lure it back someday.
"Meow~."
(Here you go! Here you go!)
Sure enough...
When Mew saw Lin Feng choose Rayquaza's scale, it handed it over immediately without the slightest hesitation.
"Meow! Meow~!"
Once everything had finally been settled, Mew puffed out its chest proudly and looked at Lin Feng with sparkling eyes.
Its expression practically screamed:
I did well, right?
I didn't treat you badly, did I?
"Yes."
Lin Feng smiled warmly.
"You did wonderfully."
Although he couldn't help finding Mew's reactions adorable...
He was even more touched.
It proved once again that he had never been wrong to care for this little Pokémon.
The treasures Mew had given him today alone...
Would be considered priceless beyond imagination in the human world.
All he had to do in return...
Was prepare meals for Mew.
And Victini.
Now Lugia had joined the list.
In another six months...
Jirachi would awaken as well.
Seeing Lin Feng acknowledge its efforts, Mew burst into cheerful laughter.
"Meow~!"
Lin Feng smiled back.
Then he carefully placed the *Rainbow Feather, the Lunar Feather, Xerneas' antler fragment, and Rayquaza's Fury Scale* into his Storage Ball.
However...
Just as one of the feathers disappeared into storage...
It trembled ever so slightly.
At the boundary where light met darkness...
The shadows rippled.
Something hidden within them...
Silently stirred.
------------------------------
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