Morning.
Noah White was sleeping soundly when a faint sound at the door pulled him toward waking. Through half-closed eyes he glimpsed a small pink-haired figure easing the door open and padding across the floor.
The shiny Miltank he had helped last night crossed the room barefoot, fingers worrying the hem of her pale dress. She hovered by the bed, cheeks pink with a mix of shyness and discomfort.
"Master," she whispered. "I feel full again this morning."
She tucked herself under the quilt's edge, the light scent of fresh milk threading the air. Noah blinked fully awake, read her expression, and pushed himself up on an elbow.
"Alright," he said softly. "Same as before. We go slow, and you tell me if anything feels wrong."
A relieved nod. Noah reached for the sterile hand pump he kept by the nightstand now that the herd had moved in, washed up quickly, and guided her through the routine just as he had in the shed. A moment's clumsiness had the bottle angled wrong and the first gush splashed his sleeve. Both of them startled, then laughed under their breath, and he reset the seal. The steady rhythm of relief returned, her tight shoulders finally loosening.
Across the mattress, Gardevoir stirred at the soft commotion. She blinked, took in the scene, and puffed her cheeks in theatrical complaint, then let it go with a sigh that was half teasing and half resigned. She sat up to help, fetching towels with a flicker of psychic light and passing them over without a word.
When they finished, Noah capped the bottle and pressed a towel into the shiny Miltank's hands. "How do you feel now?"
"Better," she said, embarrassment giving way to calm.
A familiar tone chimed in Noah's head.
[Farm Partner Interaction: Miltank +1]
[Note: Repeated interactions with the same partner may reduce new trait drop rate and quality]
Noah exhaled a quiet laugh. "Fastest morning message yet."
He stroked the Miltank's hair once and set the kit aside.
[Ding. New traits detected. Claim now]
"Claim."
[Acquired Rich Reserves (Purple) ×1]
[Acquired Rich Reserves (Blue) ×5]
[Acquired Rich Reserves (White) ×8]
[Rich Reserves White Blue Purple: increases the wearer's internal energy output by 10% 15% 20%. If equipped by a Pokémon, boosts the power of all healing moves by 10% 15% 20%.]
Fourteen traits at once. Generous, this early. The description's word choice made his eyebrow lift. Useful for stamina, useful for caretaking, useful for battles.
Shame he could not slot them yet. At Farm Level 1 he was limited to two traits, and he already ran with Healer's Frame and Psychic Amplifier.
"Bank them for now," he murmured.
He settled the shiny Miltank back under a blanket to rest, then swung his legs off the bed.
Outside, the early autumn sun was already climbing over Mt. Coronet and pouring light across Hiyori Farm.
Work began with water.
"Lulu," chirped Lopunny in her natural form, volunteering to ferry pails from the river. She bent to the mushroom beds first, letting the flow seep gently into last night's spawn. Around the fields, the three preferred to appear as Pokémon when out and about. The more humanlike forms were a private gift for their trainer.
"Sa," Gardevoir answered from the furrows, eyes scanning neat rows of Hopo Grain. The night's rain had coaxed tiny green spears through the soil.
"Gardevoir, fertilizer is yours," Noah called.
She took the sacks from him and nodded. With quick teleports along the rows she dusted each ridge evenly. When she was not being a shameless flirt, her work was flawless as ever.
Satisfied, Noah headed for the eastern pasture. The grass there was lush after the rain, and the herd raised their heads as he approached.
"Moo."
Miltank were much like ordinary dairy cattle in build, though the species was entirely female. Their milk quality rose and fell with pasture health and their own condition, and the taste shifted with the seasons. Milk taken during nursing cycles was richer, too.
He leaned on the fence rail, thinking.
"What would happen if I equipped traits on the pasture Miltank," he mused, watching them stretch out contentedly in the sun, "not just on myself or the main team?"
It was an intriguing idea, and on a farm, good ideas had a way of becoming tomorrow's work.
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