Get Stronger by Pleasing Pokémon? Who Needs to Be a Trainer!

Qin Loves It

The stone-paved path wound quietly ahead.

On either side, the rice paddies were dotted with farmers pulling weeds or sprinkling special powders from certain Pokémon to drive away pests.

It was July, the time when the rice was forming its heavy, emerald-green grain heads. The vibrant stalks leaned under the weight, a sight full of promise and satisfaction.

Morning light spilled across the fields, inching slowly over from the direction of the wilderness zone toward the stone path.

Lin Feng strolled down the path, with Mewtwo following silently behind.

Mewtwo said nothing, simply trailing Lin Feng as they made their way toward the wilderness zone.

Lin Feng, on the other hand, called out greetings to the farmers working beside the paddies.

”Ah, Little Lin, up so early? I heard you’ve been competing outside, bringing loads of people to your breeding shop. Amazing! Just like your dad, such talent.”

”And who’s this kid behind you? Quite a delicate-looking one.”

...

Eventually, they arrived at a canal that channeled the river’s flow. Lin Feng paused.

An elderly man, his back slightly stooped, was in the canal, shoveling mud upward while water rushed past his legs.

Even though it was July, the early-morning river water was still icy cold.

Perched on the bank above him was a very anxious Sandshrew, its little claws twitching as it fretted over its companion below.

”Grandpa Qin? What are you doing?”

Lin Feng hurried over, a puzzled look on his face.

”Oh, it’s you, Xiao Feng,” Grandpa Qin lifted his head, wiping sweat from his brow. He gave a kindly smile, then immediately began muttering, ”I heard Shushu’s gone to work at your breeding shop. And you’re paying her such high wages?

That’s not good, you know. Your shop’s just getting off the ground, you need every penny. She’s just a young girl, she’s not worth that much pay. Just give her a little something, that’s enough.”

Lin Feng nodded earnestly. ”I’ll take it into account. If she doesn’t do well, I’ll lower her salary. And… what about this, Grandpa?”

He didn’t start bragging about having plenty of money, or how well the business was going.

At times like this, it was better to simply go along with an elder’s concerns.

Grandpa Qin sighed helplessly. ”Well… look, it hasn’t rained for quite a few days. The water level’s dropped a lot. The rice is forming grain now, so it doesn’t need quite as much water anymore. But some of the vegetables I planted still need irrigation.”

”Sandshrew! Sandshrew!”

Sandshrew chirped anxiously from above.

It clearly wanted to climb down and help dig, but the rushing current and its short stature made that impossible.

”Alright, you go on and handle your business. I’ll be done soon,” Grandpa Qin waved him off.

Lin Feng glanced at the water level. Compared to a week ago, it had dropped far too much.

And that… wasn’t good news.

The entire town’s crops depended on water from this river. And Pokémon living on the fringes of the wilderness zone also relied on it for drinking water.

If the river ran dry, the problems that would cause were not small.

Lin Feng instinctively thought of Milotic.

He wondered whether its Rain Dance could cover such a large area.

He’d have to find time to test it out.

Grandpa Qin didn’t linger in the canal for long. Barely two minutes after Lin Feng arrived, the old man climbed out, dusted himself off, and slowly headed back, with Sandshrew toddling along beside him.

”Is this what you call the bond between humans and Pokémon?”

Beside him, Mewtwo finally spoke up, unable to hold the question any longer.

Lin Feng glanced back at it. ”Yes. Sandshrew is a good little one. It cares deeply for Grandpa Qin, and Grandpa Qin cares deeply for it. They both think of each other.”

Mewtwo fell silent, yet its mind was churning.

For the first time, it found itself struggling to grasp a concept so simple for humans.

It seemed to have never truly heard this word before. ”Love?”

”Yes.” Lin Feng nodded, then asked a question full of hidden meaning. ”Don’t you ever think about your own Pokémon’s well-being?”

Mewtwo blurted out, ”I don’t even have Poké…”

But it caught itself mid-sentence, suddenly remembering its current identity.

It fell quiet once more, lost in thought.

After a long silence, it finally asked, ”Those Trainers who command their Pokémon in battle… would you say they love their Pokémon too?”

”Command Pokémon?” Lin Feng was startled, but didn’t rush to explain. Instead, he said, ”Come with me.”

Lin Feng led Mewtwo back toward the breeding shop, until they reached the towering pine tree outside the plantation. He looked up at Pidgey perched high among the branches.

”This Pidgey was one I caught yesterday in the plantation. According to it, a Spearow in its territory evolved into a Fearow and drove the entire flock out of their home.

I promised Pidgey I’d help it grow stronger so it could reclaim its territory one day. Would you call that forcing a Pokémon to fight?”

At that moment, the sun had risen higher, its light starting to shine brilliantly.

Pidgey, noticing Lin Feng looking its way, flapped its wings and slowly glided down, coming to rest gently on his shoulder. Its once-sharp eyes softened into something far gentler.

Clearly, yesterday’s delicious meal had completely won over its heart.

Mewtwo froze, at a loss for words, until it suddenly noticed a crowd gathering outside the little breeding shop. It seemed that a Pokémon battle had broken out there. Mewtwo pointed in that direction. ”But what about those battles? Isn’t that just humans making Pokémon fight each other for entertainment?”

Lin Feng couldn’t help but chuckle. ”So what should we do with Pokémon’s power, then?”

”Pokémon are creatures born with a desire to grow and become stronger. And most Pokémon are fairly simple-minded. If you don’t help guide and channel those instincts, do you know what could happen?”

”In other words, you have psychic powers. Could you live your entire life without ever using them?”

Before Pokémon studies had truly developed, conflicts between Pokémon species were everywhere.

Even now, some Pokémon disputes couldn’t be resolved peacefully.

Like the feud between the Pidgey on Lin Feng’s shoulder and the Spearow flock.

Mewtwo fell silent again.

It had never once considered such things.

As Lin Feng led it toward the crowd, he continued, ”Guiding and helping Pokémon channel their power that’s the real point.”

A young man and woman were battling in the open space, the onlookers giving them plenty of room.

In the Donghua League, beginner Trainers could challenge one another pretty much anytime, so long as they didn’t disrupt normal life.

The young man was battling with a Scatterbug, while the young woman’s Pokémon was a Fletchling.

Type advantage and a higher level gave Fletchling’s Trainer a clear victory.

As the battle concluded, Lin Feng spoke softly. ”This is my Viridian Force. It’s a power that allows me to sense the emotions of living beings. Right now, you can feel it too. Sense the feelings of everyone and every Pokémon here. See if you find any emotions that make you uneasy.”

A soft green glow pulsed from Lin Feng and spread gently over Mewtwo, granting it for a brief moment the ability to perceive the emotional states of the living beings around them.

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