Four years of memories rushed through its mind.
The bloodshot eyes Shane got from staying up late to make Pokéblocks for it in the lab, the deafening cheers when Tailwind was cast on the double battle stage, and the warm heartbeat belonging solely to Shane that it could feel right now.
If it was resolute enough…
there was no need to hesitate at all!
“Whim!”
It suddenly leaped up, its paws moving so fast across the phone screen they left afterimages.
The navigation map for the Magic City University Breeding Base instantly lit up, and the interface froze on a picture of a Pokémon Egg.
Shane stared blankly at the circled option.
Whenever Whimsicott placed itself and Shane on opposite ends of a scale, the heart inside that little cotton ball would always tip in his favor.
Just as he would always tip the scale toward Whimsicott.
“Thank you.”
The young man buried his face into the coffee-scented fluff, his voice muffled.
He knew how heavy this gratitude was; Whimsicott had personally pushed aside the exclusive affection it had enjoyed for four years.
Whimsicott raised its head and rubbed against his moist eyes, its mouth curling up proudly under the lights.
*Of course!*
*I am the Whimsicott who loves Shane the most in the whole world!*
In the Donghuang region, where Pokémon were fully integrated into society, the law stipulated that citizens must be at least eighteen years old to obtain their first Pokémon.
Universities provided exclusive benefits for freshmen, distributing starter Pokémon for free to newly admitted students.
This had become the most mainstream choice for students from ordinary families.
Four years ago, amidst the young seedlings at the Magic City University Breeding Base, Shane had laid eyes on that bouncing, cotton-bodied Cottonee and chosen it without a second thought.
The little guy’s vigorous vitality seemed to pierce right through the glass enclosure, its fluffy body thumping loudly against the partition.
When Shane returned to campus in the second half of the year as a graduate student at Magic City University, he would earn the right to select a second Pokémon.
This was a special privilege granted by top-tier institutions to those pursuing higher education.
The Magic City Breeding Base couldn’t be a more perfect place for this.
As a top student in the Breeding Department, his four years of experience feeding berries to the young Pokémon meant that almost every creature at the base would affectionately rub against him on sight.
This was exactly where his title as the Magic City’s “Pokémon Charmer” came from.
Whenever Shane visited, the other low-to-mid-level breeders could forget about getting close to the Pokémon.
Not only could he obtain one for free, but the university’s strict quality control and his deep familiarity with the Pokémon made it an unbeatable opportunity.
It was hard not to choose this route.
Once the new semester started in September and the breeding base reopened, he would take Whimsicott to choose their new family member.
However, before that, he needed to make some money.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to afford raising a new Pokémon.
June 1st, Alliance Calendar Year 2036.
A curtain of rain shrouded the old street.
Whimsicott lay on the windowsill, listlessly watching the winding water trails on the glass.
The empty seats at the bar had remained vacant for five consecutive days.
Even when the occasional customer dropped by, they only ordered a regular Americano for thirty Alliance Credits.
No one dared to try the special berry-infused coffees priced at thousands of Alliance Credits.
“If we lower the prices, once word gets out, we’ll probably work ourselves to death in front of the espresso machine.
But if we don’t lower them, it’ll take quite a while to build a reputation.”
Hearing this, Whimsicott spat out half a berry pit with a *pfft*, its fluff puffing up into a protesting dandelion ball.
*Coffee is so bitter.*
As the sound of the rain grew denser, Shane was hunched over his desk, studying Professor Doran’s thesis and the seminar notes his mentor had sent him the day before yesterday.
This was a rare learning opportunity for Shane.
There were no more than a handful of Top Breeders globally.
Wallace from Hoenn had set the record as the youngest in the Hoenn region at the age of twenty-four.
Even with its vast land and abundant resources, the Donghuang region only had two Top Breeders.
One was the principal of Jingdu University, and the other was Shane’s graduate mentor, the manager of the Magic City University Breeding Base, and the head of the Breeding Department—Professor Doran.
Shane had been recommended for admission under Professor Doran during his junior year.
However, because he was preparing for his promotion to an Advanced Breeder and working on his graduation thesis, he had continued his undergraduate studies.
Put that way, if Professor Doran took on new students this year, Shane would actually be their senior.
As for why Wallace wasn’t the youngest Top Breeder in the world, you’d have to go to Kanto and ask Green about that.
A shadow suddenly fell across the pages.
Whimsicott pressed its cottony paws against the edge of the tablet, its ears turning alertly toward the shop door.
“Whim?” *It sounds like there’s something going on outside?*
“What’s wrong?” Shane took off his glasses.
Whimsicott had already leaped off the bar, its cottony paws leaving plum blossom-shaped prints on the tiles.
It clung to the glass door, staring intently at a figure sprinting through the rain.
It was a middle-aged man using his briefcase to shield his head.
His suit trousers were splattered with mud, making him look as pathetic as a drenched Liepard.
“Please, come take shelter over here!” Shane called out, pushing the shop door open.
The man stumbled under the eaves, the water droplets he shook off forming a small puddle in the entryway.
“Thank you!
This rain came down way too fast.”
He accepted the cup of warm water Shane handed him, the warmth spreading from his palms to his freezing fingertips.
“Thanks, brother.
My name is Miles.
I’m really sorry for dirtying your floor.”
Whimsicott squatted next to the water stains, its eyes tracking the muddy footprints.
*So dirty.*
Miles awkwardly wiped the soles of his shoes on the mat.
Realizing this was a coffee shop, he felt even more embarrassed and offered, “How about I get a cup of coffee?
What’s your signature drink?”
“Whim!” Whimsicott instantly perked up, rolling up the menu and slapping it onto the bar counter with a *smack*.
Miles’s gaze swept over the regular drinks section.
He was very familiar with the standard coffees at the front.
He often drank black coffee to stay awake for work, as it helped him maintain his focus.
However, the special latte series at the back of the menu left him a bit baffled.
They included various berries, and the descriptions claimed the coffees provided all sorts of unique effects.
And the prices were absolutely astronomical!
“I’m an Intermediate Breeder certified by the Breeder Association,” Shane explained while wiping down a siphon coffee maker.
“The ratios of berries to coffee are my own specialized formulas.”
“But why is there only a latte series?” Miles asked, pointing to the blank section for black coffee.
Whimsicott suddenly stuck out its tongue with a *bleh*, swiping a paw over the word ‘Americano’ in disgust.
Black coffee was way too bitter; Whimsicott didn’t want to drink a single cup of it.
Shane stifled a laugh and coughed lightly.
“A new shop needs time for research and development.”
Amidst the rhythm of raindrops beating against the glass, Miles finally pointed at the menu.
“An iced Americano, and add a cup of Occa Berry Latte.”
“That will be 5,432 Alliance Credits.” As Shane tied on his apron, Whimsicott eagerly pushed a tissue box over to the customer.
Shane adjusted his dark green apron, his fingertips already pinching some dark roast coffee beans.
“The coffee beans need to be freshly ground.
Please wait a moment.”
Amidst the humming of the grinder, the aroma of the beans mingled with the misty rain and spread through the air.
With practiced synergy, Whimsicott pushed the siphon pot to his hand, lightly brushing away the water droplets on the glass.
“Speaking of which…” Miles said, wiping the condensation off his glasses.
“When I used to pass by here, wasn’t the owner a very kind old lady?”
A faint blue flame ignited from the alcohol lamp on the siphon stand.
Shane poured the ground coffee into the glass funnel.
“That was my grandmother.
She passed away not long ago.”
Miles’s fingers paused.
“My condolences.”
Over the sound of boiling water, Shane watched the coffee liquid rise and churn within the siphon tube.
Whimsicott suddenly hopped onto his shoulder, its fluff brushing against his slightly cool ear.
“Birth, aging, illness, and death are just a natural part of life.” Shane gently pressed Whimsicott’s little paw and moved the boiling coffee away from the heat source.
“But the shop is still open, and life is constantly getting better.
My grandmother would be happy.”
On the other side of the counter, the Occa Berry had already been sliced open.
Shane used a silver spoon to scrape out the purplish-red flesh.
He then dissolved it under high heat, stirring the fruit puree at a steady pace with a glass rod to extract the pectin.
When the espresso and the Occa Berry puree blended together in the cup, ripples spread out beneath the milk froth.
Shane pushed the iced Americano and the Occa Berry Latte side by side across the bar.
“Your coffee.”