Inside the cabin kitchen.
"Stay right here; you're not allowed to slip away."
Having tried to escape only to be caught by the Farm Owner, Alcremie sat to one side, her eyes brimming with tears.
The good news: she had found the mushrooms after getting out—they were neatly placed in the kitchen cupboard.
The bad news: she was caught, and now she could only wait for the Farm Owner's judgment.
Suddenly, she remembered an urban legend she had heard back in her tribe.
A long time ago, an innocent young Alcremie had accidentally wandered into a human Trainer's home.
Because of her ability to create cream out of thin air, that Alcremie was tragically kept in captivity, sleeping late and waking early, with meager pay and no days off.
In the end, she completely turned into that terrifying Trainer's exclusive fresh cream manufacturing machine!
"Nai~"
Looking at the figure currently fiddling with food, Alcremie began to tremble.
"Lopunny, you can flip them with the spatula now."
On the other side, Hakuya didn't care what Alcremie was thinking; he gently directed the bunny girl beside him.
He squeezed the mixed Oran Berry batter from the plastic bag onto the center of the stove, stacking them in double layers. Once one side was baked, they could be flipped to continue simmering until the inside was fully cooked.
After about half an hour, Hakuya looked at the Poké Puffs emitting a crystal-blue glow and nodded with satisfaction.
"Alcremie, I'll need your help next~"
Using a spatula to gently remove the baked Poké Puffs onto a plate, he patted the little one who had been nervous for a long time.
"Nai~"
Looking at the Pokémon food placed before her, Alcremie's amber eyes filled with tears.
It's over. I'm really going to become the Farm Owner's exclusive cream machine~
In the Pokémon world, Alcremie can produce whipped cream from their hands; if used to decorate desserts, it makes the already fragrant food even more delicious.
Therefore, in the League Times—"Most Desired Partner" poll—almost every pastry chef chose them; their popularity was evident.
"Nai~"
Under the "threat" of the terrifying Farm Owner, the isolated Alcremie had no choice but to obey.
I'll submit for now, then find a chance to take the mushrooms and fly far away!
She steadied her mind and began to scheme in her heart.
Following that, clumps of different colored fresh cream emerged out of thin air from Alcremie's delicate little hands.
Under Hakuya's direction, she began to orderly pour the cream onto the prepared Poké Puffs.
Unlike the milk produced by Miltank's breasts, the reason the Alcremie race can produce cream is due to the exclusive move [Decorate]; it doesn't involve their bodies.
"Ya-mi~"
The elegant and refined Lilligant leaned down, her crimson eyes full of anticipation.
It smells so good, I want to eat it—
Now, the surface of the Poké Puffs was entirely decorated with a layer of fresh cream, adding an even richer and more aromatic flavor to the already fragrant food, making one's mouth water.
"Here, you try one first~"
Once the preparation was complete, Hakuya picked an excellent-looking Poké Puff and handed it to the Alcremie beside him.
"Nai~"
How hateful! Now I'm not just a cream machine, but a food taster too!
Alcremie took a big bite of the Poké Puff in her hand, her face full of resentment.
But in the next second, she was completely conquered by the delicious food.
The soft, spongy texture combined with that sweet fresh cream on top; with just a few bites, she felt like she was floating to heaven.
"Nai!~"
Delicious, delicious!
Visibly, Hakuya could see "bullet comments" popping up over Alcremie's head.
[Affection +1] [Affection +1] [Affection...]
"Master, I want some too."
Skitty, who had been drawn in by the scent at some unknown time, appeared at the kitchen door, acting spoiled.
"Beep! Beep! Beep!—"
Just as he finished distributing the remaining Poké Puffs to Rosa and the Pokémon girls, the familiar sound of a car horn came from outside.
"He's here."
Hakuya gently set down the cow-girl loli who was clinging to him and pushed the door open.
Today, besides the daily sale of farm goods, he had to talk to Uncle Yoshino about future Moomoo Milk transportation.
While Gardevoir was busy eating and didn't have time to lock her down with psychic power, Alcremie sneaked out and followed Hakuya the whole way.
After all, the mushrooms she was so concerned about had been taken out by the Farm Owner when he left the house.
"Nai~"
In an instant, the little Alcremie hiding in the shadows saw a large truck approaching from the distance.
Having visited the farm so many times, the bearded man in shorts who got out was clearly very familiar with Hakuya.
Of course, that wasn't the point.
As time passed, she watched as Hakuya exchanged stacks of mushrooms for a thick pile of League Coins.
"NAI??!!??"
On the other side, Hakuya was still discussing the Moomoo Milk brand transportation with Yoshino.
"For the start, I suggest you limit your sales to Hiyori Town and Hearthome City. Later, you can hire specialists for long-distance delivery."
After listening to Hakuya's concept, Yoshino pondered for a moment and offered his thoughts.
"For partners, you can look for large Pokémon supermarkets, retailers, and themed restaurants... I have some contact information for their managers here; you'll have to talk to them about the specific cooperation details."
"I understand. Thank you very much."
Besides the processing site and transportation, sales channels were also extremely important.
Looking at the paper filled with contact info, Hakuya felt a warmth in his heart and thanked Yoshino.
"It's nothing. If your business thrives, I'll get a piece of the pie too."
The bearded man patted Hakuya's shoulder heartily and laughed.
After all, he would be the primary person in charge of transporting the Moomoo Milk; the more orders there were, the more money he would make.
"Right, Uncle Yoshino, do you have any more..."
After the discussion, Hakuya remembered something and quickly called out to Yoshino, who was about to drive away.
"Nai..."
While Alcremie was still immersed in the tragic grief of completely losing her mushrooms, the Farm Owner returned and suddenly handed a heavy bag into her hands.
"Nai?"
This is...
Alcremie instinctively took it, her eyes suddenly flashing.
"Here. These are the mushrooms you've been dreaming of, though they're still a bit small."
Hakuya smiled at the little one's surprised expression.
Actually, the moment they met, Gardevoir had used her psychic power to translate Alcremie's words into Hakuya's ears.
Thanks to her meticulous care, the mushrooms in the woodland clearing had grown so quickly.
Gaining such a rich harvest in just over a week meant this little one had been a huge help.
However, it was impossible for Hakuya to return the mushrooms he had already picked to Alcremie.
After all, those were also planted and cared for by him and the Pokémon girls; selling them to supplement the household income was perfectly reasonable.
"I'll leave these spores for you to plant. Remember to mark them beforehand, otherwise, we might mistake them and pick them all to sell again~"
Hakuya rubbed her head, a smile appearing on his face.
Although there was a slight misunderstanding, Hakuya felt he should comfort the cute little thing.
Using the excuse of making Poké Puffs to keep her there, he had then specifically bought a bag of new spores from Uncle Yoshino as compensation.
This time, let Alcremie handle these mushrooms however she wants—
"Nai~"
Alcremie clutched the bag of spores tightly to her chest, her eyes becoming misted with tears.
At this moment, she understood everything that had happened.
The black-haired youth before her wasn't a mushroom-stealing thief; on the contrary, he was the true owner.
Thinking carefully, Hakuya was completely different from the terrifying image she had originally imagined—saving her from the stove, feeding her the first Poké Puff, and specifically getting a bag of new spores as compensation...
Suddenly, tears flooded out of Alcremie's beautiful amber eyes.
"Alright, alright, don't cry so hard, I'm not finished yet—"
Hakuya comforted the little one who was rubbing her tears all over his clothes.
Unlike other Pokémon, holding Alcremie in his arms really felt like holding a clump of fresh cream.
Soft, snowy, fatty, and smooth—it made him already want to see what it would feel like after she turned into a girl.
And so, he formally issued an invitation.
"Alcremie, would you like to become our partner?"
"Nai!~"
The little one nodded, not even bothering to wipe the remaining tears from her eyes as she hugged the Trainer even tighter.