Three days later…
At sunset, under a sky brushed with amber and purple.
Looking out over the lush, neatly lined rows of pasture grass, Lin Feng couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
In just a day or two more, the grass would be ready for harvest.
Nearby, Squirtle was diligently spraying water over the freshly planted fields.
Once it had finished watering all the grass and crops, Lin Feng called out, "Alright, that's enough."
Squirtle trotted over at once, its shell bobbing comically with each step.
Lin Feng pulled out its favorite Pokéblocks at the perfect moment.
[Pokémon: Squirtle]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Torrent]
[Potential: Blue]
[Level: 9]
[Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw]
[Affection: 60 (It has a very good impression of you.)]
[Happiness: 60 (In a great mood.)]
Over the past three days, Lin Feng hadn't given Squirtle any Rare Candies, yet it had steadily reached level 9.
Through this, Lin Feng was gradually gaining insights into how his Insight Eye assessed Pokémon levels.
As long as a Pokémon hadn't hit a "stage cap," its growth would naturally approach a peak within that range.
The same was true for Snivy.
Lin Feng had given Snivy two Rare Candies during this period.
After steadily absorbing their energy, its level now stood between 17 and 19, with its internal energy noticeably stronger.
However… it still hadn't evolved.
It seemed that evolution in the real world didn't strictly follow the games' expectation of evolving at level 16.
Clearly, other factors were at play.
"Snivy."
Once Squirtle finished watering, Snivy stepped forward to use its Grassy Terrain ability, helping accelerate the growth of all the crops.
Thanks to the combined efforts of these two Pokémon, in just three days, the first batch of vegetables was already close to ripening.
The Spicy Tamato Berries, for example, had grown over a meter tall, heavy with clusters of fruit that even surprised Lin Feng.
Each bush was densely packed with dozens of berries, and some were already beginning to bloom again.
He'd planted thirty bushes of Tamato Berries. At this rate, each plant might yield tens, even hundreds of pounds of produce.
The eggplants and string beans were growing beautifully as well.
Lin Feng was filled with anticipation.
If he used the fertilizer gifted by the system, combined with the "care" provided by his Pokémon…
Would dishes made from these vegetables have even more potent culinary effects?
"Alright, Squirtle, your first phase of tasks is complete. Starting tomorrow, you won't need to help me water anymore."
Squirtle, who'd been happily munching on Pokéblocks, froze mid-bite.
A look akin to a laid-off worker whose world had just collapsed crossed its face.
What?!
Squirtle stared at Lin Feng in disbelief, tears welling up in its large eyes.
Since that first day, it had experienced firsthand the perks of "working" for Lin Feng.
Whether in skill proficiency or inner energy growth, its progress had skyrocketed.
Now, all it wanted was to come and "work" every day…
"Uh… it's just that the first phase of tasks is done. Next comes Phase Two. Don't worry, I'm not cutting off your supply of Pokéblocks."
Lin Feng gave its head a little flick, then pulled out a Rare Candy. "Here, eat this."
He'd learned quite a bit about these candies over the past few days.
Their main function was simply to boost a Pokémon's energy reserves.
So, based on how efficiently a Pokémon could metabolize that energy, he'd determined that one candy every three days was the ideal pace.
Of course, Pokémon with higher talent could shorten that interval even further.
However…
Once a Pokémon reached the elite tier, the candies would likely lose much of their effect.
After all, an elite Pokémon's energy reserves were already approaching their natural limits.
"Squiiirtle…"
Squirtle swallowed the Rare Candy in one gulp, the worry lifting from its heart so quickly that it didn't even register the surge of power flooding through its body.
"Alright, you can head home for today. Come back again tomorrow."
Still preoccupied with other matters, Lin Feng didn't waste any time dismissing Squirtle.
"Squiiirtle…"
Thrilled not to have been "fired," Squirtle trotted off, clutching its Pokéblocks, eyes sparkling with joy.
Lin Feng remained where he was for a while longer.
Once Snivy had finished using Grassy Terrain to grant all the crops a "growth buff," he led it over to the breeding facility.
With a soft splash, gentle ripples spread through the water.
As soon as Feebas saw Lin Feng approaching the aquarium, it began darting about excitedly.
It was obvious.
No matter when it saw Lin Feng…
Feebas's spirits would always soar inexplicably high.
This had earned Lin Feng plenty of Rare Candies and Golden Fertilizer thanks to its cheerful mood swings.
Of course, it was also possible that Feebas had recently become aware of its own transformation.
These days, it would often hover in front of the aquarium glass.
Where once its fishy eyes were dull and vacant, now there was a spark of life in them as if it were studying its reflection.
The uneven patches on its scales were growing smoother and glossier thanks to the nourishing Pokéblocks.
It was even… kind of beautiful?
It was time for it to evolve.
"Do you want to evolve?"
Using his Verdant Force, Lin Feng sent the question into Feebas's mind.
o_o … "Bloop bloop~"
Two bubbles rose to the surface, conveying Feebas's excitement.
"Good. I thought so."
Smiling, Lin Feng picked up the aquarium and carried it back out to the plantation.
He poured both the water and Feebas into one of the ponds there.
"Bloop bloop?"
This time, Feebas looked distinctly anxious.
The vast, open space of the pond made it feel like it was about to be "released" into the wild again.
"Relax…"
Lin Feng pulled out a Nourishing Pokéblock and offered it to Feebas in the water.
"I'm not throwing you into the river. You'll be staying here to watch over the plantation for me and help out with watering, too."
Using Verdant Force, he conveyed his meaning.
Then Lin Feng took out a Perfect-grade Prism Scale.
"A perfect-grade scale… combined with your current beauty level, this should boost your potential quite a bit."
Under Lin Feng's gentle reassurance, Feebas's agitation subsided.
It let him lift it out of the water and place the shimmering scale against a patch of its ragged old scales.
It felt almost ceremonial.
A brilliant white light flared around Feebas's body.
Within the dazzling glow…
Feebas's once scrawny body began stretching and lengthening.
When the light finally faded, the creature that appeared before Lin Feng was so breathtaking he couldn't bring himself to blink.
A slender, sinuous body gleamed a creamy pearl-white, beautifully curved yet powerful.
From its head streamed two long, delicate pink tendrils like drifting silk.
Around its neck flowed two wider ribbons, adding to its elegant silhouette.
Its tail fanned out in dazzling shades of blue and pale rose, shimmering with an iridescent glow that scattered rainbows over the water.
Truly, in the Pokémon world, nothing was more beautiful than a Milotic.
And at that moment, Lin Feng felt that truth in every fiber of his being.
[Pokémon: Milotic]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Marvel Scale]
[Potential: Gold]
[Level: 23–28]
[Moves: Water Gun, Water Pulse, Tackle, Captivate, Aqua Ring, Twister, Dragon Tail, Recover]
[Affection: 97 (It trusts you unconditionally.)]
[Happiness: 70 (In a very good mood.)]