Three days later…
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of gold and orange, Ethan stood at the edge of the field, admiring the lush, neatly arranged forage grass.
In another day or two, it would be ready for harvesting.
Nearby, Squirtle was hard at work, diligently spraying water over the freshly planted field.
Once all the grass and crops had been thoroughly watered, Ethan called out, "Stop."
Squirtle immediately trotted over, its shell bobbing with each step, creating a comical sight.
Ethan, anticipating its eagerness, pulled out its favorite Energy Block as a reward.
[Pokémon: Squirtle]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Torrent]
[Aptitude: Blue]
[Level: 9]
[Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw]
[Friendship: 60 (It has a very good impression of you.)]
[Happiness: 60 (In a great mood.)]
Over the past three days, Ethan hadn’t fed Squirtle any Rare Candies, yet its level had steadily risen to 9.
This gave Ethan a better understanding of the Insight Eye's level assessment system. Pokémon seemed to gradually approach the peak of their current stage before hitting a bottleneck.
The same applied to Snivy.
After feeding it two Rare Candies and allowing it time to digest them, Snivy's strength had climbed to the 17–19 level range, with a noticeable increase in its overall energy intensity.
But… it still hadn’t evolved.
It seemed that evolution in this world didn’t strictly adhere to the level 16 benchmark he had imagined. Other factors must be at play.
"Snivy."
Once Squirtle finished watering the field, Snivy activated its Grassy Terrain to accelerate the growth of all the crops.
With the help of these two Pokémon, it only took three days for the first batch of planted vegetables to approach full maturity.
Take the Cheri Berries, for example. The plants had grown over a meter tall, and the sheer number of berries hanging from them left Ethan astonished.
Dozens of berries crowded each plant, with even more blossoms ready to bear fruit.
Ethan had planted thirty Cheri Berry bushes. At this rate, each bush could yield dozens, if not hundreds, of pounds of berries.
And it wasn’t just the berries—other crops like eggplants and beans were thriving as well, their vibrant growth promising an impressive harvest in just a couple more days.
Ethan couldn’t help but imagine the possibilities.
Using the fertilizer provided by the system, combined with the “dedicated care” of his two Pokémon, what kind of dishes could he create from such vegetables? Would the effects of these dishes be even more enhanced?
"Alright, Squirtle, your first-phase task is complete. Starting tomorrow, you won’t need to help with watering anymore."
Squirtle, happily munching on an Energy Block, froze mid-bite. A sense of despair, akin to a worker being laid off, hit it like a ton of bricks.
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What?!
Squirtle stared at Ethan in disbelief, its big eyes welling up with tears.
Since the first day, it had discovered the benefits of “working” for Ethan. Not only had its move proficiency improved, but the energy within its body had also increased rapidly.
At this point, Squirtle only wanted to come work every single day!
"Uh… I only meant the first phase is over," Ethan explained, tapping it lightly on the head. "Next comes the second phase. Don’t worry, you’ll still get your Energy Blocks every day."
He then pulled out a Rare Candy and held it up. "Here, eat this."
The effect of Rare Candies had become clear to Ethan over the past few days: they simply boosted a Pokémon's energy intensity.
From his observations, feeding one every three days was optimal, as it allowed the Pokémon’s internal energy to grow naturally and absorb the boost more efficiently. Of course, the higher the Pokémon’s aptitude, the shorter the ideal interval.
However...
Rare Candies would likely lose their effectiveness once a Pokémon reached the elite stage. By then, their energy intensity would have already hit the upper limit of what the candies could enhance.
"Squirtle..."
With a single gulp, Squirtle swallowed the Rare Candy, the metaphorical weight in its heart lifting instantly. Its emotions had fluctuated so wildly that it didn’t even notice the surge of energy within its body.
"Alright, you can head back for today. Come back tomorrow," Ethan said, cutting their time short with a casual wave.
"Squirtle!"
Relieved that it wasn’t being “fired,” Squirtle happily took its Energy Block and waddled off cheerfully toward the exit.
Ethan lingered in the field for a while, watching as Snivy used Grassy Terrain to apply a "growth buff" to all the crops. Once the task was complete, he led Snivy back to the breeding house.
Splash!
A graceful ripple broke across the water’s surface as Feebas swam energetically in its tank the moment it spotted Ethan.
It was obvious—just seeing Ethan caused Feebas’s mood to spike inexplicably.
This had earned Ethan a fair share of Rare Candies and Golden Fertilizer from the Happiness System, thanks to Feebas’s consistently high emotions whenever he was around.
Of course, it might also have something to do with Feebas noticing its own changes recently.
Lately, it had been spending more time in front of the tank's glass. Its once-dull fish eyes now showed hints of curiosity, as if it were examining itself in the reflection.
The previously rough, uneven patches on its scales had grown smoother and shinier under the effects of the nurturing Energy Blocks.
Was it starting to look… pretty?
Ethan’s eyes lit up.
It was time for Feebas to evolve!
Ethan activated his Viridian Force, gently communicating with Feebas.
“Blub, blub~”
Two bubbles rose to the surface, a clear indication of Feebas’s emotions.
"Got it." Ethan smiled, then carefully lifted the fish tank, walking back to the plantation. Without hesitation, he poured the water and Feebas into the larger irrigation pond.
“Blub?!”
This time, Feebas appeared noticeably panicked. The sudden, vast swimming space made it think it was about to be “released back into the wild.”
"Relax..." Ethan reassured it, pulling out a nurturing Energy Block and holding it out over the water. "I’m not putting you into the river this time. You’ll be staying here to guard the plantation—and help with the watering, of course."
Using Viridian Force, he conveyed his intentions.
With its emotions stabilized, Ethan retrieved a Perfect-Grade Beauty Scale from his inventory.
“Perfect-Grade... paired with your current Beauty stat, this should significantly boost your aptitude, right?”
Feebas’s anxiety visibly eased under Ethan’s comforting presence, its fins gliding more smoothly as it floated in the pond, its emotions calm and receptive.
Ethan gently cradled Feebas, carefully pressing the Perfect-Grade Beauty Scale onto a patch of its uneven scales.
It felt almost ceremonial.
In an instant, a dazzling white light enveloped Feebas, its entire body glowing brilliantly.
Within the radiance, Feebas’s small, stubby form began to stretch and transform, growing slender and elegant.
In mere moments, it had elongated to an impressive seven or eight meters.
As the light faded, the creature before Ethan left him utterly mesmerized, unable to even blink.
A gracefully long body shimmered with creamy white tones, its curves exuding a sense of fullness and elegance. Two flowing, pinkish filaments cascaded like willow branches from its head, while its neck was adorned with two wide, ribbon-like fins.
Its tail, a fan of blue and pale red hues, reflected a stunning iridescent sheen, casting a soft, multicolored glow.
There was no mistaking it. In the Pokémon world, no other creature could rival the sheer beauty of Milotic.
In that moment, Ethan fully understood why it was hailed as the most beautiful Pokémon.
[Pokémon: Milotic]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Cute Charm]
[Aptitude: Gold]
[Strength: Level 23–28]
[Moves: Water Gun, Water Pulse, Tackle, Disarming Voice, Aqua Ring, Twister, Dragon Tail, Recover]
[Friendship: 97 (It trusts you unconditionally.)]
[Happiness: 70 (In a great mood.)]
