Overjoyed, Angie then started worrying about where to find three Lucario.
After some thought, he made a phone call to Kimia.
However, to his surprise, it wasn't Kimia who answered but Raleigh.
"Raleigh, you're back from Paldea?" Angie asked in surprise.
"Yeah! Yeah!" Raleigh replied cheerfully.
"Slurpuff~ Slurpuff~"
At that moment, Raleigh's Slurpuff squeezed into the screen, happily greeting Angie.
"Slurpuff, long time no see!" Angie said with a smile.
"Slurpuff~ Slurpuff~"
Slurpuff squished its round face against Raleigh's.
"Your Highness, did you call my sister for something?" Raleigh asked.
Angie replied, "I need your sister's help with something. Where is she? Why did you answer the phone?"
Raleigh said, "Sister is talking business with the League right now and can't step away. If there's anything you need help with, you can tell me!"
Angie said, "I'm looking for a few Lucario, but I have no leads, so I wanted to ask your sister if she had any clues."
"Oh? That's what it's about? Then I can't help," Raleigh scrunched up his small face. "I'll tell my sister once she's done with work."
Angie said, "I'll leave it to you, then."
"Mm-hmm~~" Raleigh nodded repeatedly.
"You just mentioned that your sister is talking business with the League. Are League officials in the Azoth Kingdom again?" Angie asked in confusion.
Didn't Elite Four Bruno just leave not long ago? Why is the League sending people again?
Raleighnodded, "Yes, and my sister doesn't seem too happy about it."
Angie asked, "Unhappy? Why? Did something happen?"
Raleigh shook his head, "I don't know, but it seems to be related to some kind of energy."
"Energy…" Angie murmured.
After chatting a bit more, they hung up the call.
From their conversation, Angie also learned something else surprising—Raleigh was preparing to set out on a journey.
Originally, Raleigh had no plans to travel at ten years old, as he was a homebody.
However, both Professor Sada and Professor Turo suggested that he travel for a while to broaden his horizons, which would be beneficial for his future research.
After discussing it with his father and sister upon returning, Raleigh decided to follow the professors' advice and embark on a journey.
At lunch, Angie saw Yveltal and used his Eye of Observation skill to take a glance at it.
...
[ Yveltal ]
Type: Dark, Flying
Ability: Dark Aura
Gender: None
Level: 100
Moves: (Omitted…)
...
[ Individual Values (IVs) ]
HP: 31
Attack: 31
Defense: 31
Special Attack: 31
Special Defense: 31
Speed: 31
...
Aside from its moves, Yveltal's stats were nearly identical to Xerneas'.
Around two in the afternoon, Kimia called Angie.
"Your Highness, I heard from Raleigh that you're looking for a Lucario?" Kimia asked.
"Yeah, do you have any connections?" Angie asked.
Kimia shook her head. "I don't know where to find Lucario either, but I'll try to ask around for you!"
Angie nodded. "Alright, I'll also look for leads on my own."
Kimia said, "I'll call you as soon as I have news."
After finishing his call with Kimia, Angie thought for a moment and then made a post online.
[ High-Paying Bounty for Information on Riolu or Lucario ]
Hopefully, this will be useful! Angie thought to himself after posting the message.
Two days passed in a flash. That afternoon, Angie was sitting on the wall, idly watching Volcanion and the others play soccer in the distance.
Just then, a Delibird descended from the sky with a small satchel on its back. It pulled out a package and handed it to Angie.
"For me?" Angie asked.
Delibird nodded and pointed to the signature line, signaling for him to sign.
When Angie saw that the sender was Friede, he immediately knew what was inside the package.
After signing, Delibird flapped its wings and flew off. Angie opened the package to find several gray mushrooms inside.
As expected—Springy Mushroom!
The mushrooms were in perfect condition, and their spores were completely intact.
With these, Angie could cultivate even more Springy Mushrooms.
He opened the system and saw that the mission regarding Springy Mushroom had been completed.
Without waiting until nightfall, Angie immediately claimed the reward.
...
[ Congratulations, Master, for completing [Ingredient Collection Mission 4]: Gather Springy Mushroom Spores. ]
[ Reward: Various Mushroom Spores, Seasoning Recipe [Hundred Mushroom Essence], Sauce Recipe [Spicy Mushroom Sauce]. ]
...
The mission actually rewarded two recipes, both related to mushrooms.
Angie flipped through the system's recipe interface and found that [Hundred Mushroom Essence] was a special seasoning that could be used as a substitute for MSG, while [Spicy Mushroom Sauce] was something akin to the Lao Gan Ma chili sauce from his past life.
Spicy Mushroom Sauce could be mixed with noodles, used as a dip for steamed buns, or stir-fried with vegetables—it had a wide range of uses.
As for the first reward, "Various Mushroom Spores," Angie was a little confused.
Why would a mission that required collecting mushroom spores reward him with more mushroom spores? What kind of weird logic was that?
He opened the system inventory and retrieved the newly obtained items. He soon realized that the system's reward contained spores from different types of mushrooms—not just Springy Mushrooms.
There were five different types of spores: Tiny Mushroom, Big Mushroom, Balm Mushroom, Swordcap, and Doppel Bonnets.
Among them, Tiny Mushroom, Big Mushroom, and Balm Mushroom were the key ingredients for making [Hundred Mushroom Essence], while Swordcap and Doppel Bonnets were essential for preparing [Spicy Mushroom Sauce].
Since mushroom spores functioned like seeds, the next step for Angie was to cultivate them into actual mushrooms.
How should I grow them? Angie pondered.
He searched through the system store for a while before finally finding a book called [Mushroom Cultivation Guide] and bought it immediately.
Just as he obtained the guide, he spotted a group of Paras and Shroomish passing by in the distance.
Paras!
An idea struck Angie. Weren't Paras and its evolved form, Parasect, expert mushroom cultivators? Their very nature revolved around growing and nurturing mushrooms.
With that in mind, Angie waved at them.
"Paras! Shroomish! Come here for a moment!"
The four Pokémon immediately ran over.
"Paras~ Paras~"
Angie! Angie!
"Paras~ Paras~"
What's up?
The two Paras asked curiously.
"Shroomish~ Shroomish~"
"Shroomish~ Shroomish~"
The two Shroomish also looked at Angie in confusion.
Angie explained, "I have a job that requires your help."
Hearing that, all four Pokémon nodded.
"Paras~"
Go ahead, go ahead!
"Shroomish~ Shroomish~"
No problem, no problem!
"I want to grow some mushrooms and would like to entrust this task to you. You can assign the orchard work to other Pokémon in the meantime."
As soon as Angie mentioned mushroom cultivation, the eyes of the two Paras lit up.
"Paras~ Paras~"
I'm in! I'm in!
"Paras~ Paras~"
I love growing mushrooms!
The two Shroomish also hopped around excitedly.
"Shroomish~ Shroomish~"
We'll help! We'll help!
"Great!" Angie nodded. "Then, the first step is to find a suitable place for growing mushrooms."
"Paras~"
"Paras~"
Hearing this, the two Paras excitedly cried out.
"You know a good place to grow mushrooms?" Angie asked in surprise.
"Paras~"
"Paras~"
The two Paras nodded repeatedly.
"That's great! Take me there quickly!" Angie said excitedly.
"Paras~ Paras~"
"Paras~ Paras~"
The two Paras nodded again before turning around to lead the way.
Angie and the two Shroomish quickly followed.
Guided by the Paras, Angie arrived at the base of a cliff on the edge of the Nebel Plateau.
This was the very place where Volcanion and Magearna had once slumbered.
"Paras, is this the place you were talking about for growing mushrooms?" Angie asked.
"Paras~"
"Paras~"
The two Paras nodded and gestured for Angie to follow them.
With their guidance, Angie soon discovered that beneath the cliff lay a vast network of interconnected tunnels.
These tunnels had excellent ventilation, a humid environment—an ideal place for growing mushrooms.
After a thorough inspection, Angie was very satisfied. "Paras, you two are amazing, finding a place like this!"
"Paras~"
"Paras~"
Hearing Angie's praise, the two Paras were both happy and a little shy.
In truth, they had originally chosen this place for their own mushroom farming.
They had been on the Nebel Plateau for quite some time but hadn't had a chance to plant mushrooms yet, which made them feel uneasy. They hadn't expected Angie to assign them this new task.
They loved growing mushrooms.
"Since we've picked the location, let's start preparing the substrate for mushroom cultivation!" Angie said.
"Paras~"
"Shroomish~"
The Paras and Shroomish nodded together.
Angie then took the four Pokémon back home.
First, he found two Golett and had them carry wooden logs to the cliff, led by the two Shroomish.
Wood was the primary material for the cultivation substrate.
In reality, various materials like straw, wheat stalks, sawdust, and corn cobs could be used, but the Nebel Plateau lacked straw and wheat stalks. Thus, sawdust was the best option.
Oh, and chicken manure.
Mixing some chicken manure into the sawdust would be beneficial.
Angie assigned Solrock and Lunatone to collect it—there was plenty in the chicken coop.
With their psychic abilities, Solrock and Lunatone could gather it without worrying about making a mess.
Next, Angie called over Doublade and Volcanion.
Once the preparations were nearly complete, Angie led the Pokémon back to the underground caves beneath the cliff.
By then, the Golett, Solrock, and Lunatone had already transported the wood and chicken manure.
Angie began directing them: "Doublade, you're in charge of cutting all this wood into fine sawdust."
"Doublade~"
Doublade responded and immediately unsheathed itself. The twin blades gleamed coldly, and in an instant, a wooden log was reduced to a pile of sawdust.
Next, Angie instructed Solrock and Lunatone: "Solrock, Lunatone, use your psychic abilities to mix the sawdust and chicken manure together."
Angie had prepared several large barrels specifically for mixing the materials.
"Solrock~"
"Lunatone~"
Solrock and Lunatone responded and got to work.
"What about me?" Volcanion asked.
Angie replied, "You'll use your Scald move to sterilize the substrate mixture when they're done."
The high temperatures from Scald could effectively kill any bacteria and pests in the substrate, reducing the risk of disease outbreaks—an essential step.
Volcanion nodded. "Got it."
Meanwhile, Angie worked with the two Golett to construct the mushroom beds for the final soil covering.
As time passed, one neatly arranged mushroom bed after another was completed.
Angie built different mushroom beds in separate caves according to the specific growth conditions required for species like Sticky Shroom, Swordcap, and Doppel Bonnets.
The temperature, humidity, ventilation, and lighting varied between these caves.
Since the cliffside had hot springs, areas closer to the springs had higher temperatures and humidity.
By the time Angie and the Pokémon finished setting up the mushroom beds, Volcanion and the others had nearly completed the substrate preparation.
Angie and his Pokémon worked together to lay the prepared substrate into the mushroom beds, carefully inoculating different types of spores according to their respective growth conditions.
By the time they finished, the sky had already begun to darken.
Looking at the results of his and his Pokémon's afternoon of hard work, Angie couldn't help but feel a deep sense of accomplishment.
"Paras, Shroomish, from now on, this mushroom farm is in your hands!"
"Paras~"
"Shroomish~"
Paras and Shroomish eagerly promised to take good care of the mushrooms.
Angie smiled. "I trust you! Soon, we'll have an endless supply of delicious mushrooms."
"Paras~"
"Shroomish~"
The two Paras and two Shroomish lit up with excitement at the thought.
Since mushrooms have a relatively short growth cycle, in about two weeks to a month, Angie and his Pokémon would be able to enjoy their harvest.
Angie turned to Paras and Shroomish and said, "I'll bring over Bellossom and Vileplume to help you later."
Since Bellossom and Vileplume had learned Grassy Terrain, their ability to enhance plant growth would ensure that the mushrooms grew to be even more delicious and nutritious.
"Paras~"
"Shroomish~"
Hearing this, Paras and Shroomish were overjoyed.
They had always been close with Bellossom and Vileplume, having lived together for a long time. Being able to work alongside them was something they looked forward to.
"Alright, let's head home. Munchlax and the others should have dinner ready by now," Angie said.
With that, he and his Pokémon laughed and chatted as they made their way back home.
Time flew by, and more than half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
While Angie had yet to receive any news from Kimia regarding Lucario, he did find some potential leads online.
That day, as he was browsing the news, he came across a reply to a post he had previously made.
[ I have information about Lucario. Contact me. ]
A contact number was attached.
Could this be a scam? Angie had offered a pretty hefty reward, after all.
He hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to add the person and send a message.
"Hello, do you have any information on Lucario?"
The other party responded quickly, sending a photo.
The background of the image was a vast desert, with a fierce sandstorm raging across the landscape. In the midst of the storm, a shadowy figure—possibly Lucario—flashed by in a blur.
Angie replied, "This doesn't necessarily mean it's Lucario. It just looks similar."
The person immediately responded, "You can pay me only after you successfully capture Lucario."
Angie thought for a moment before replying, "Alright. Where is this desert?"
The person sent back a location pin along with the message: "Near Dahara City."
Dahara City…
Angie muttered the name to himself. He had never heard of it before, so he did a quick search online and discovered that it was a city built right in the middle of a desert.
No wonder it was called Dahara City.
Angie had originally set the reward at 60,000, but since the person only provided a vague lead, he didn't think it was worth the full amount. He decided to negotiate.
After some back-and-forth, they agreed on 40,000.
Of course, if Angie failed to capture Lucario, he wouldn't have to pay a single cent.
Through their conversation, Angie got the impression that the person wasn't in it for the money. It seemed like they had just taken on the task in passing.
With this lead in hand, Angie decided to make a trip to Dahara City.
That same day, he gathered his Pokémon and announced his plan.
Hearing that Angie was heading out on another journey, Pawmot excitedly raised its hand.
"Pawmot~ Pawmot~"
Take me! Take me! It's my turn this time!
Angie gave Pawmot an apologetic look. "Pawmot, you'll have to stay home this time. It's finally Diancie and Passimian's turn!"
Pawmot looked like it had been struck by lightning.
"Pawmot~ Pawmot~"
It sulked, retreating to a corner and drawing sad circles in the dirt.
Angie turned to Passimian. "What do you think? Want to come see the outside world?"
Passimian hesitated for a moment before nodding.
It remembered how Magearna once talked about learning from the desserts in other cities when it traveled with Angie. Passimian figured it was time to broaden its own horizons—this time, by tasting the finest wines outside.
Diancie, of course, had no objections, as Angie had already promised to bring her along on this trip.
After some discussion, the Pokémon accompanying Angie this time would be Diancie, Volcanion, Doublade, and Passimian.
Since they were heading into the desert, Angie also decided to bring Espartha.
After all, Espartha was the best mount for desert travel.
Once the lineup was settled, Angie turned to Munchlax and Inteleon.
"I'm leaving the house in your hands, okay?"
"Munchlax~"
Don't worry, Master.
Munchlax nodded seriously, taking its responsibilities very seriously.
"Inteleon~ Inteleon~"
Inteleon confidently agreed as well.
Angie then turned to Metagross and Komala. "While I'm gone, don't repeat what happened last time—one of you locking yourself in the lab all day, and the other getting completely wasted in the brewery."
"Metagross~ Metagross~"
Metagross, afraid that Angie would confiscate its equipment, obediently nodded.
As for Komala… no reaction at all.
The next morning, Angie set off for Dahara City with his team of Pokémon.