"Ang…" (I won't go…)
"Hm?"
Salamence's words caught Lin Feng completely off guard.
"Won't go where?"
"Ang…" (Revenge…)
The young Salamence beat its wings lightly, its eyes filled with hesitation, even fear, tangled with something harder to name.
It thought its urgency for revenge had angered Lin Feng.
Lin Feng froze for a moment. He did not fully understand what was going on in Salamence's head, but he could guess the general shape of it.
If he put himself in Salamence's place, it made sense. Salamence had stayed here for half a year. If it were him, the moment he gained enough strength, he would immediately turn around and overthrow Team Rocket.
But thinking more carefully…
It was not just Team Rocket. There had also been that Pokémon Hunter.
With his Aura perception, Lin Feng had already recognized the person riding that other Salamence during the attack. It had been Hunter J.
All this time, he had been quietly observing Salamence's emotional changes.
When it first arrived at the ranch, it would bare its teeth at him, even try to bite. Now it hesitated, shrinking back, afraid of upsetting him.
"No, no. I wasn't angry because you want revenge," Lin Feng said, waving his hand. "I was upset because you wanted to get stronger but made Dragonite speak for you, pushing that burden onto her instead of telling me yourself."
Salamence did not fully understand his words.
But in that moment, it had truly felt afraid.
Afraid that once it got its revenge, Lin Feng would cast it aside.
The feeling was strange, especially since that had been its original plan all along.
It could not explain why.
Maybe… the food here was just too good.
Dragonite hovered nearby, glancing back and forth between them.
"Alright, enough of that," Lin Feng said, patting Salamence, then Dragonite. "Wait here. I'll make something special for you."
He took a deep breath and turned toward the kitchen.
Behind him, Salamence watched his retreating figure, then flew closer to Dragonite, nudging her gently with its wing.
"Ang ang…"
"Ang?" Dragonite tilted her head, confused, but still responded.
…
Inside the kitchen.
Earlier, Gardevoir had been guiding Latias in making Pokéblocks.
Growlithe stood guard at the door, chewing on a bone, grinding its teeth. It had just entered its teething phase and was eager to gnaw on anything it could find.
There were three kitchens in total: one in the breeding house, one in the garden, and the largest one here in the villa.
During winter, all meals had been prepared here. Now it practically functioned like a production line.
More than a dozen Pokéblock machines hummed softly.
Latias, in human form, wore a serious expression as she carefully controlled three separate batches of berries and ingredients at once. This was her current limit, and already a huge improvement. At the beginning, she could not even manage a single batch without losing control.
Gardevoir paused when Lin Feng entered, its psychic control over the berries halting mid-air.
"Gardevoir?" (What's wrong?)
One look was enough to tell something was off.
Lin Feng glanced at Latias before lowering his voice.
"I think… I spoke too harshly just now."
Gardevoir blinked, surprised, then quickly pieced it together.
"Gardevoir?" (Salamence?)
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"
Gardevoir rarely read thoughts directly.
"Gardevoir…" (I didn't. I guessed. You wouldn't say something like that to Ninetales, Serperior, Steenee, or Butterfree. So it had to be Dragonite, Blaziken, or Salamence. Blaziken listens well. Dragonite is gentle. That leaves Salamence.)
Lin Feng let out a quiet breath, a little embarrassed.
Gardevoir really did understand them better than he sometimes did.
"Gardevoir?" (What happened?)
Lin Feng sighed. "It wants to get stronger. For revenge…"
He explained everything.
"Gardevoir?" (And you got angry?)
Lin Feng nodded. "At first, yes. But thinking about it now… maybe it's because I haven't paid enough attention to it lately."
Salamence never asked him for anything.
It showed up at mealtimes, ate, then went to sleep. Occasionally it would go out to sunbathe.
For events like the Youth Cup or the Zongheng Tournament, Lin Feng had always left it behind at home.
It had happened more than once.
Without interaction, distance naturally formed.
It was not strange that Salamence found it hard to speak up.
Gardevoir rolled its eyes slightly, then resumed controlling the berries mid-air.
"Gardevoir…" (That was a hurtful thing to say. If you said that to Ninetales or Serperior, they probably wouldn't eat for days.)
"That would never happen… cough…"
Lin Feng rubbed his nose awkwardly and joined in making Pokéblocks.
He knew it had been harsh. The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted it.
But sometimes words slipped out before you could stop them.
And in moments like that, they were often the most honest.
At that time, he really had wondered if Salamence planned to leave once it had its revenge.
"Gardevoir," Lin Feng said quietly, "then what should I do?"
Gardevoir nudged his arm.
"Gardevoir…" (Didn't you promise it a special dish?)
Lin Feng blinked. "Right… I was just thinking about how to make it up to them."
Gardevoir gave him another look.
Earlier he had brushed off praising it, and now he was asking for advice on comforting others.
Still, despite the mild annoyance, it answered immediately.
"Gardevoir…" (Don't worry too much. It's like me. It's already used to being here. Just keep going.)
Lin Feng let out a small, sheepish smile.
Then he stepped out of the crowded kitchen and headed to another one.
As for the special dish meant for Salamence and Dragonite…
After a moment of thought, an idea finally took shape.
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