It seemed to be just a fleeting glimpse, but Ethan was certain he had caught sight of it.

  【Pokémon: Snivy】

  【Gender: Female】

  【Ability: Contrary】

  【Potential: Red Grade】

  【Individual Values: HP (23), Attack (21), Special Attack (24), Defence (25), Special Defence (24), Speed (31)】

  【Level: 12–18】

  【Moves: Leaf Blade, Grass Mixer, Glare, Vine Whip, Leech Seed】

  【Description: This appears to be a Snivy with a fondness for Pecha Berries.】

  【Affection: 5】

  【Happiness: 10】

  A Snivy?

  A Snivy with Red-Grade Potential!

  A Snivy with the Contrary ability!?

  Ethan’s eyes widened in surprise.

  While Pokémon were creatures of boundless potential, their growth was often subject to innate limitations.

  These limitations, according to the information provided by the Insight Eye, were categorised into tiers: White, Green, Blue, Purple, Red, and Gold.

  The further up the scale, the greater a Pokémon’s potential achievements.

  However, this wasn’t an absolute rule.

  It didn’t mean that a Pokémon with White-Grade Potential couldn’t become a top-tier powerhouse. It would just require a unique opportunity—perhaps exceptional care from a Breeder, or the development of a profound bond.

  “Are you going to stay hidden after stealing my fruit? Could it be… you’re a thief?” Ethan called out teasingly, his tone light but deliberate.

  Instead of rushing behind the Pecha tree to grab it, Ethan used his Viridian Force to convey his thoughts and intentions.

  As a Breeder, he understood Snivy’s temperament well.

  Snivy was a Pokémon known for its intelligence and pride.

  It tended to be selective when it came to choosing a Trainer, often exercising a certain level of discernment.

  Behind the tree, the Snivy was initially bewildered, but its face quickly flushed.

  It had clearly realised that this abandoned plantation wasn’t as ownerless as it had thought.

  With that understanding, it willingly stepped out from behind the tree.

  Its slender body and green back bore elegant, lily-like patterns, while its cream-coloured belly gleamed in the sunlight, its smooth texture reminiscent of polished jade.

  Even in reality, Snivy’s skin looked so pristine that it seemed almost unreal.

  It fidgeted with its short, stubby hands and lowered its head, looking bashful.

  “Snivy?” (Is this your Pecha tree?)

  With the Viridian Force, Ethan could easily grasp the meaning behind its words.

  “Of course it is.”

  Ethan gave the Snivy an amused smile before glancing meaningfully at the ground, which was littered with Pecha Berry pits. “Judging by the mess, it seems like you’ve eaten quite a few of my berries.”

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  “Stealing other people’s food isn’t a very good habit, you know.”

  “Snivy…” (But I didn’t know it was your Pecha tree…)

  Snivy looked even more embarrassed now.

  It had simply found the berries here tastier than the ones in the wild.

  “Snivy…” (I’ll go pick some Pecha Berries from outside to repay you!)

  Ethan shook his head. “The Pecha Berries outside can’t compare to the ones I’ve carefully cultivated here.”

  “How about this—since I’m planning to tidy up the plantation over the next few days, why don’t you stay and help out a bit?”

  “Snivy?”

  Snivy tilted its head, its amber eyes sparkling with curiosity.

  “Like this,” Ethan said, demonstrating. He grabbed a tuft of weeds in front of him, yanked it out of the ground, and placed it neatly by the path.

  “Snivy…” (Alright.)

  Snivy breathed a sigh of relief. Its pride wouldn’t allow it to simply walk away after being caught in an act that felt so close to theft.

  “Of course,” Ethan added with a smile, “I’ll take care of your meals while you’re here.”

  Seeing Snivy agree, Ethan couldn’t help but smile.

  Having a helper during the initial stages of restoring the plantation was a stroke of luck—he couldn’t have asked for more.

  At the very least, these weeds would’ve taken him two or three days to clear on his own.

  Moreover, once the crops were planted, he’d need a reliable helper to guard them.

  After all, wild Rattata might burrow through the soil, and Spearow could swoop down from the skies.

  Both would find ways to snack on the plants if left unchecked.

  If Snivy was willing to agree to its first “work contract,” it would naturally agree to a second one in the future!

  As a mid-tier (scratch that—god-tier) Breeder, Ethan had absolute confidence in his abilities.

  Watching Snivy already hard at work, he nodded in satisfaction. “You keep pulling weeds. I’ll go make you some Pokéblocks.”

  “Snivy~” (Leave it to me!)

  Snivy nodded earnestly, completely unaware that Ethan was already planning ways to keep it around permanently.

  Crushing, heating, solidifying—the process of making Pokéblocks wasn’t particularly complicated.

  Even before gaining the system, Ethan had been a student with Intermediate Breeder qualifications. His house was naturally equipped with all the necessary tools: a Berry blender, a freeze-drying machine, and various other devices.

  In less than an hour, a batch of Pokéblocks made primarily from Pecha Berries was ready.

  “This is much faster than before…”

  Ethan looked at the dozen or so pale pink blocks in his hand and nodded in satisfaction.

  【Grade B Pokéblock – Crafted from Pecha Berries. The creator seems to specialise in enhancing the aroma of Pecha Berries and has added a touch of yoghurt. As a result, the block does not fully utilise the Pecha Berries’ detoxifying properties but can neutralise poison-type moves released by Totem-level Pokémon.】

  【Culinary Effect: The blend of sweet and tangy flavours provides a balanced taste. When consumed, it grants a 10% immunity to poison-type damage for half an hour.】

  This was the information provided by the Insight Eye.

  In the past, the Pokéblocks Ethan made were mostly of standard quality.

  But now, producing a Grade B Pokéblock capable of further unlocking the detoxifying properties of Pecha Berries… This was something that only Advanced—or even Top-Tier—Breeders could achieve.

  And on top of that, it came with a culinary effect.

  Is this the benefit of being a god-tier Breeder?

  Ethan’s confidence in convincing Snivy to stay grew even stronger.

  When he returned to the plantation, he saw Snivy still diligently pulling weeds.

  In just an hour, it had already cleared half the weeds in one plot of land. At this rate, it might finish the entire area by tonight.

  The plantation was quite expansive. Aside from the space occupied by the reservoir, the rest was enclosed by wooden fences. At its furthest edge, the plantation connected to a forest—a wild area near Wutong Town. In the centre lay a large patch of paddy fields.

  Outside the fence stood a towering pine tree.

  Snivy was currently focused on clearing weeds from the entry area of the plantation.

  “Great job! Here, have something to eat.”

  Ethan called out, waving at Snivy with a smile.

  “Snivy?”

  Snivy curiously approached Ethan, tilting its head.

  It hadn’t expected that when this human said meals included, he actually meant it.

  The pale pink Pokéblock gave off a tantalising aroma of Pecha Berries. After working for a while, Snivy couldn’t help but lick its lips.

  It glanced at Ethan, and when he nodded in confirmation, it hesitated no longer. Picking up a block, it licked it with its tongue before slipping it into its mouth.

  !!

  Snivy’s eyes widened in shock as a wave of soothing warmth washed over its entire body. For a moment, it froze, the sensation completely overwhelming.

  Then it began chewing eagerly.

  How… how can it taste this good?