Chapter 35:
Once Hayashi Kaede stepped into the Plantation, he froze for a moment.
He could sense not only Milotic's presence in the Plantation but also several other Pokémon.
Following the aura, Hayashi Kaede soon spotted the source.
Three Rattata, a Pidgeotto, and a Spearow.
All of them were lying beside the Reservoir, fur and feathers drenched.
It was obvious they had been blasted by Milotic's Water Gun.
As Hayashi Kaede approached, a shimmering silhouette glided beneath the clear water before breaking the surface in a glittering arc under the sunlight.
"Miloootic~"
Seeing Hayashi Kaede return, Milotic let out a joyful cry.
"What's going on here?"
Although he already had an idea, Hayashi Kaede still asked. Appropriate questions could deepen the bond between trainer and Pokémon.
Even after evolving into Milotic, its intimacy with him hadn't decreased—if anything, it had grown, now at [99].
"Miloootic~" (It's… it's these little Rattata that tried to steal… the Sitrus Berries over there.)
Perhaps it was too excited to see him, or perhaps it was simply its nature, but Milotic stammered slightly.
"Alright, then?"
Hayashi Kaede smiled. "Take your time. No rush."
"Miloootic…" (And then I shot them down… and then… these two flying Pokémon. This one came down to steal Razz Berries, and that Pidgeotto seemed to land after seeing the Rattata below.)
This time, Milotic explained much more clearly.
Hayashi Kaede glanced over the group:
The three Rattata were between levels [11] and [13].
The Spearow was between levels [15] and [17].
The Pidgeotto was between levels [17] and [19].
It wasn't surprising that Milotic had taken them down so easily.
"Milooo…"
Milotic's tone suddenly turned a little anxious.
"Milooo…" (Some berries were stolen.)
"Huh?"
Hayashi Kaede was momentarily stunned—he thought it might be something more serious.
Then he remembered: even though Milotic had evolved from Feebas and its strength had grown tremendously, its timid personality hadn't completely vanished.
He reached out, gently stroked Milotic's head, and activated the power of Veridian. A soothing green energy spread out instantly.
Mouth-to-mouth encouragement was only useful against extremely powerful Pokémon like Mewtwo, far away.
For Milotic, his most trusted Pokémon with the highest favorability, Hayashi Kaede simply used the Aura directly to calm it.
"Don't worry. Just do your best. A few berries—or even the entire Plantation—aren't as important as you."
He meant every word.
To Hayashi Kaede, the Plantation was just land. Even if some legendary Pokémon destroyed it, he could always rebuild elsewhere.
But his Pokémon? They were irreplaceable—one of the few things in this world worth fighting for.
"Miloootic~!"
The sincerity in his voice seemed to make Milotic pause for a second, before tears welled in its eyes.
[Congratulations to the host for reaching 100 intimacy with Milotic. Reward: Silver Feather (a unique feather found on Lugia, the legendary god of ocean currents. Psychic-type and Flying-type Pokémon wearing it increase their Special Attack bonus by 15%-50%. Only Pokémon at the Gym Stage and above can wear it.)]
Milotic's heartfelt emotion reached him, and coupled with the Silver Feather reward from the system, Hayashi Kaede couldn't help but feel both amused and touched.
Pokémon… were such simple, pure creatures.
"Alright, head back for now. I'll handle these Pokémon."
After patting Milotic's body, Hayashi Kaede let it return to the Reservoir. He turned his gaze to the defeated intruders.
The three Rattata were completely unconscious. The Spearow and Pidgeotto, though conscious, had injured wings and were drenched from repeated Water Gun blasts.
It seemed they had tried to escape mid-battle, only to be swiftly shot down by Milotic—and eventually gave up trying.
After a moment's thought, Hayashi Kaede took out three Poké Balls, captured the Rattata first, then turned to the two Flying-types.
"Speaaarow!"
The short-tempered Spearow, still angry from being blasted, flapped its wings as if preparing to strike.
Before it could act, Hayashi Kaede simply pinched its wings. No matter how it struggled, it couldn't move.
This left Servine—watching from behind—completely stunned.
(My trainer… caught a Spearow alive? Couldn't he have just caught me alive back then?)
"You're a feisty one. Stealing food and attacking people, huh?"
Hayashi Kaede chuckled. He had originally considered keeping the Spearow or Pidgeot as airborne patrols for the Plantation—covering areas Milotic couldn't see.
But in its current state, Spearow was clearly unsuitable.
He stored it in a Poké Ball and finally turned to the Pidgeotto.
[Pokémon: Pidgeotto]
[Gender: Male]
[Ability: Keen Eye]
[Aptitude: Blue]
[Individual Stats: HP (21) / Attack (21) / Special Attack (18) / Defense (17) / Special Defense (17) / Speed (23)]
[Level: 17-19]
[Moves: Gust, Tackle, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Air Slash, Steel Wing]
[Intimacy: 0 (It doesn't know what you intend to do)]
[Happiness: -5 (I'll never risk catching a Rattata in human territory again)]
A Pidgeotto with solid aptitude—that was Hayashi Kaede's first impression.
"Pidgeotto~!"
Compared to the fiery Spearow, Pidgeotto was far gentler.
"Pidgee, Pidgeotto!" It flapped its wings, explaining it had only landed because it spotted the Rattata—not to steal berries.
"Yeah, I get it."
Pidgeotto preying on Rattata was unusual, but not unheard of in the wild.
Still, the fact it had ventured into human territory to do so suggested it was starving.
So…
Hayashi Kaede took out an Energy Cube and channelled the power of Veridian into it. "Pidgeotto, how about living with me? I'll provide food and shelter. All you need to do is patrol the Plantation daily and keep Rattata out…"
The captured Rattata could be handed over to the Pokémon Alliance…