Beside a gurgling stream in the back mountains of the Celadon Nursery, Sabrina leaned gently against Feng Che's shoulder. To ensure their private world remained undisturbed, Feng Che had erected a subtle psychic barrier around them.
"When did you first start liking me?" Sabrina looked up at him, her eyes soft and filled with a sweet, shimmering warmth.
"Take a guess," Feng Che teased, raising a playful eyebrow.
"Surely it wasn't love at first sight?" Sabrina said quirkily. As the woman known throughout Kanto as the "Ice Queen," she was quite confident in her own charm.
"Wrong," Feng Che laughed, shaking his head. Sabrina pouted her lips slightly, looking at him with mock dissatisfaction.
"It was even earlier than that," Feng Che said seriously, meeting her clear gaze.
"Hmph, impossible. You're just teasing me again," Sabrina rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips.
"Everyone knows that Miss Sabrina of Kanto is a genius, transcendent since childhood, witty, beautiful, and admired by thousands. How could I be any exception?" Feng Che's thin lips curled into a charming, lopsided grin.
Looking into his deep, soulful eyes—framed by sharp brows and set in an elegantly handsome face—Sabrina felt herself momentarily lost. "You're getting more silver-tongued by the day." A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she closed her eyes and leaned back against him.
Feng Che wrapped a protective arm around her. In this world of chaos and legendary conflicts, he finally had someone he wanted to protect with everything he had.
"I actually came to remind you... there are many people who wish you ill right now. You must be careful," Sabrina whispered, her tone shifting to concern. "Sakaki Tsuna was exiled to a deserted island and yet somehow resurfaced. I heard he's gone missing again. He hasn't done anything to you, has he?"
"Tsuna? He's still a bit green; he's no match for me. Almost all my Pokémon have reached the Heavenly King rank now, so rest easy."
"Mmm. I have to return to Saffron City to resume my duties soon. Just... stay safe."
"I will," Feng Che promised, looking down at her. "Because I know there's someone in this world who will always be worrying about me."
Sabrina looked up at his handsome face, gave a knowing smile, and rested her head back against his chest.
"However, my next move is to relocate the Nursery to Viridian City," Feng Che mused.
"Moving to Viridian makes sense; you won't have to keep traveling back and forth. But it's a bit of a shame to leave such beautiful scenery behind," Sabrina said, looking at the lush forests and fields of flowers.
"Haha, don't worry about that. I'm moving the berry trees and the Pokémon to the new site. I guarantee the new Nursery will be ten times better than this one. As the mistress, you can come and inspect it yourself whenever you like."
"Mmm," Sabrina hummed, burying her face in his chest to hide her burning blush.
The Relocation
Over the next few days, Feng Che was consumed by the logistics of moving the Celadon Nursery. Moving a large-scale facility required extensive League approvals and paperwork. However, with Agatha acting as the temporary League President and giving him special clearance, the bureaucracy was bypassed. Within a single day, all permits were finalized.
Feng Che utilized Shaymin's life-space to safely transport the Pokémon and the rare berry trees. Once the Nursery was packed, he hung a massive banner on the front gate announcing the new address in Viridian City. He also posted notices at the Pokémon Center and the Celadon Gym to ensure no customers were left in the dark.
"Did you hear? The Celadon Nursery is moving to Viridian." "I heard! It's such a shame. Their service was top-notch and the prices were fair. I'm really going to miss them." "Well, the owner is Gym Leader Feng Che. He can't keep running between cities forever."
While the citizens of Celadon lamented the loss, an unexpected guest arrived at the empty facility.
"Pardon the intrusion, Gym Leader Feng Che. I am Erika." The Celadon Gym Leader entered, dressed in her signature elegant kimono. "I heard a rumor that you planned to build a large commercial street on the site of the old Nursery. Is that true?"
"That was one plan," Feng Che replied. "But to be honest, I haven't settled on a management strategy. Changing the land use designation is a nightmare that could take a year of expert evaluations and red tape. I'm currently torn between the commercial street or something else."
"I have a proposal," Erika said politely. "I would like to collaborate with you to turn this site into a Rare Medicinal Herb Cultivation Base. You provide the land, I provide the labor, and we split the annual profits fifty-fifty. What do you think?"
Feng Che thought for a moment. Before gaining the backing of the Gardenia (En) Family, he would have jumped at the chance. But with their near-infinite resources now supporting him, a simple herb base didn't hold the same allure.
"I recall you are also an elite perfumer, Erika," Feng Che noted, seeing through her plan. "You want this base to secure a steady supply of high-quality raw materials for your perfumes, don't you? The back mountains are vast and sunny—perfect for Grass-types."
Erika clapped her hands and smiled. "You caught me. Yes, I want to breed Grass-types here to provide nectar from Gloom and Vileplume for the Celadon Gym's perfume factory."
"If it's for perfume, I agree to the fifty-fifty split," Feng Che said. "But on one condition: you must personally formulate a batch of specialized perfumes for my Pokémon. The costs can be deducted from my share of the profits."
Erika agreed immediately. A bespoke perfume from a master like her, tailored to a Pokémon's personality and development, was worth more than gold. The contract was signed that day.
The Siege of Viridian
Late that night, under the cover of moonlight, Feng Che departed Celadon City.
Meanwhile, miles away, the Viridian Gym was bathed in artificial light. A massive swarm of Nidoking was pacing outside the gates, their silhouettes menacing in the dark.
Under the call of their alpha, the Nidoking gathered, letting out guttural roars that shook the air. Inside the Gym, Parker listened to the sound, his face pale with worry as he gripped his Poké Balls tight.
Feng Che is approaching Viridian City. Should he use his new "Dragon Force" to intimidate the Nidoking swarm into submission, or use "Psychic" to find the Nidoqueen hidden deep in the forest and use her as leverage to pacify the males?