After parting ways with Mr. Turner, Ethan made his way to a nearby river and skillfully whistled a tune.

  Before long, a Feebas surfaced. Its body was a dull brownish-grey, and its scales were in poor condition, with some areas even torn.

  Ethan casually pulled out a Water-type Pokéblock and tossed it into the river.

  Feebas wasted no time and gulped it down in one swift motion.

  【Congratulations! The happiness level of Feebas has increased from 10% to 40%. Rewards: Golden Fertiliser x10, Rare Candy x1, Life Fruit (permanently enhances a Pokémon’s HP individual value).】

  The rewards were identical to before.

  Ethan didn’t mind, though. He simply reached out and gently patted Feebas on the head. “Feebas, how about coming home with me?”

  This particular Feebas had been discovered during the spring equinox, right after a heavy rain. Ethan had found it struggling in a muddy puddle.

  At the time, he’d taken it home and cared for it for a short while. But due to school commitments, he eventually had no choice but to return it to the river temporarily.

  Over time, he realised that this Feebas seemed to have developed the ability to sense his presence.

  Whenever Ethan came to the river, this Feebas would always show up and follow him around.

  Now that he had decided not to go to university, it was time to bring it back to the daycare.

  It would certainly bring a bit more life to the place.

  Splash!

  Feebas paused for a moment upon hearing Ethan’s words. Its dull, fishy eyes widened in disbelief as it stared at him, almost as if asking, Really?

  They had spent enough time together that Feebas could more or less understand the meaning behind his words.

  Besides, Ethan now had the Viridian Force, which made it even easier to communicate.

  “Of course,” he said with a warm smile.

  Ethan then reached for his belt and pulled out a Poké Ball. At the same time, he activated the Insight Eye.

  【Pokémon: Feebas】

  【Gender: Female】

  【Ability: Adaptability】

  【Potential: Green Grade】

  【Individual Values: HP (25), Attack (13), Special Attack (11), Defence (14), Special Defence (16), Speed (10)】

  【Level: 6–9】

  【Moves: Splash, Tackle】

  【Description: An ordinary Feebas with a touch of unique spirit.】

  【Affection: 85】

  【Happiness: 95】

  【Congratulations! Feebas' Happiness has increased from 40% to 95%. Rewards: Aptitude Enhancement Pokéblock Recipe x1, Perfect-Grade Prism Scale, Rare Candies x10.】

  “Huh?”

  Ethan’s eyes lit up as he noticed the uncontrollable joy reflected in Feebas’ usually dull, fishy eyes. He couldn’t help but gently tap its head. “You’re so easy to please, aren’t you?”

  Just the promise of taking it home had been enough to boost its Happiness from 40% to 95%.

  If he had to describe this level of happiness, it would be akin to an overwhelming, blissful state where the brain just blanks out completely.

  After taking a quick glance at the recipe for the Aptitude Enhancement Pokéblock, Ethan found it even more interesting. “Not bad, these are both perfect for you.”

  Without saying anything further, he calmly captured Feebas into a Poké Ball.

  As for the Prism Scale, Ethan decided against using it on Feebas just yet.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  As a god-tier Breeder, he naturally knew the optimal time to give Feebas the Prism Scale for the best results.

  Ding… ding… ding-dong!

  With a series of soft chimes, Feebas was successfully captured into the Poké Ball, the red light fading.

  Though Ethan had long since outgrown his “edgy teenage” phase, he still couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement.

  At that moment, having just captured his first Pokémon, Ethan couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

  Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he raised the Poké Ball and struck a classic victory pose, exclaiming, “I caught a Feebas!”

  When he snapped back to reality, Ethan found the whole thing amusing and quickly tucked the Poké Ball back into his belt.

  He then began following the riverbank, his purpose extending beyond just capturing Feebas. He also needed to check on the state of the irrigation channel.

  Back when his parents were still around, they had redirected water from this river to create a small channel that flowed directly into their plantation. They’d even dug a reservoir within the plantation to store the water.

  Now, Ethan needed to inspect the channel to see how it was holding up.

  When he reached it, he breathed a sigh of relief.

  The channel was merely dry, with a few branches clogging it—nothing serious. All it needed was for the blocked source to be cleared out.

  Ethan didn’t head to the source straight away, though. Instead, he decided to return home first and take a look at the plantation behind the daycare.

  Since his parents’ passing, Ethan had barely tended to the plantation. He only visited occasionally when the Pecha trees bore fruit, picking a few Pecha Berries to enjoy as a snack.

  By his calculations, it was about the right time for the Pecha Berries to ripen again—just perfect for grabbing a few to satisfy his cravings.

  As he walked, Ethan fell into thought.

  It had been eighteen years since he’d arrived in this world.

  By now, he had a thorough understanding of it.

  It was obvious—this was a parallel Pokémon world!

  And not just any Pokémon world, but one in its purest, most untouched form. There were no influences from other worlds or bizarre elements intruding on its natural state.

  History books in this world even divided its timeline based on Pokémon. Broadly speaking, the eras were classified as Ancient, Early Modern, and Modern.

  In ancient history, it was said that Arceus created the first Pokémon—Mew.

  From Mew, the diversity of Pokémon gradually emerged, giving rise to countless species over time.

  In early modern history, a significant turning point occurred in 1897 when Professor Bruce P. successfully developed the first Poké Ball using Berries. This achievement marked the beginning of modern “Pokémon Studies.”

  From that moment, the field of Pokémon Studies advanced rapidly.

  The profession of Pokémon Trainer became a key role in fostering the relationship between humans and Pokémon. The approach to Pokémon power also shifted—from brute control to more balanced and rational guidance.

  For instance, in 1924, the inaugural Pokémon League Championship was held. The Trainer who emerged victorious earned immense honour and valuable rewards.

  Since then, Pokémon Leagues and tournaments, both large and small, began to sprout up like mushrooms after the rain, both between regions and within individual Leagues.

  The status of Trainers continued to rise, becoming a respected and aspirational profession.

  In the present day, Pokémon had become an essential part of everyday life, finding their way into every household as indispensable companions.

  With this societal integration, the structure of global power began to evolve. Gradually, centralised organisations such as the Pokémon Leagues emerged as the dominant authorities.

  In this parallel world, Ethan resided in Wutong Town, a small settlement within the sphere of influence of Wutong City, under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Hua League.

  As for other Leagues, they were remarkably similar to those Ethan had seen in the animated series from his previous world.

  The Kalos League, the Unova League, the Alola region… they all existed here.

  And then, at the age of fifteen, Ethan had witnessed a familiar face during the Pokémon League Championship—Leon!

  With his iconic Charizard, Leon had delivered a spectacular one-hit knockout against his challenger, displaying an unmatched aura of dominance.

  It was only now that Ethan realised something profound.

  This world didn’t just have Leon.

  It also had Lance from the Elite Four, currently challenging Sinnoh’s own Champion, Cynthia…

  Most of the figures from his memories had their counterparts here, leaving traces of familiarity in this parallel world.

  A truly fascinating reality.

  When Ethan first crossed into this world, his initial dream was to become a Pokémon Master.

  But things were different now.

  Eighteen years of a quiet, uneventful life had gradually smoothed out the fiery passion he once held.

  Being a Breeder sounded much more appealing.

  After all, a Breeder could spend time with even more Pokémon, forging bonds that went beyond battles.

  Lost in thought, Ethan found himself standing in the plantation behind his house.

  Years of neglect had left the once-thriving fields overrun with weeds. The greenery was lush, but it sprawled chaotically, with no semblance of order.

  The plantation itself was quite large, roughly the size of a football pitch.

  In its prime, each season had seen the fields bursting with carefully cultivated plants, thriving in vibrant abundance.

  Now, only a few flourishing Pecha Berry and Oran Berry trees remained.

  The Pecha Berry trees were particularly verdant, their branches laden with ripening fruit.

  “Hm?”

  As Ethan admired the scene, a blur of green streaked past the corner of his vision.