After bidding Penny goodbye, Lucas went straight to the director's office to report Penny's situation to Geeta, who was, as expected, in her office.
When Geeta heard that Penny was the daughter of Galar's former Champion and niece of the current Chairman, even she couldn't hide her surprise.
She quickly pulled up Penny's file, only to find that, as expected, there was no trace of this information at all.
Considering Penny's desire to attend school without being disturbed, it was easy to deduce that the Galar side had intentionally helped cover up her identity.
Although still a bit skeptical, Geeta instructed her staff to suppress the issue, cutting off a potential fuse that could ignite conflict between the two regions.
After hanging up, Geeta frowned at Lucas and asked, puzzled, "That child... Is Penny really planning to let this go?"
Lucas nodded. "She said that, although some unpleasant things happened, she still really likes the atmosphere at Naranja Academy. She doesn't just want to avoid affecting relations between the regions—she also doesn't want her father to hear about this."
Geeta was even more confused. "Why?"
"If my overly doting father finds out, he'll lose his mind and come storming into Naranja Academy. I'd die of embarrassment. Please don't let it get to that point."
"Even though my uncle and father don't get along, he actually has a good relationship with us sisters in private. But my uncle is a total capitalist—his methods would be even trickier to deal with."
Lucas paused suspiciously, then added awkwardly, "Those are Penny's own words."
Geeta: "…"
Alright, it seemed part of the reason Penny came to Naranja Academy was to get away from her eccentric father.
"I understand. I'll suppress the matter. I'll expel those students who bullied her under another pretense, and the teachers who failed to report it will be dealt with too."
"Thank you, Chairwoman," Lucas nodded, turned, and left the office.
Outside, he immediately spotted Penny squatting nearby, absentmindedly fiddling with her beloved Eevee backpack.
When she saw Lucas come out, her eyes lit up behind her glasses, but she hesitated, wanting to ask about the outcome but too shy to speak up.
Her pale cheeks flushed lightly, though it wasn't very noticeable under the dim lights.
Knowing Penny was socially anxious, Lucas smiled and said, "Chairwoman Geeta agreed to suppress the matter. The students who bullied you and the teachers who enabled them will get what they deserve—just under a different pretext. Is that okay with you?"
"Mhm," Penny nodded, her reply barely above a whisper.
She was relieved—life could return to normal, the bad guys would be punished, and the two Leagues wouldn't fall out with each other because of her.
Most importantly, she didn't have to worry about her dad showing up and making her die of embarrassment.
"Thank you for your help, Teacher. I'll head back to my dorm now," Penny bowed slightly, eager to return and play video games with her Eevee to soothe her exhausted soul.
After all, she'd talked more today than in the past six months combined—she deserved a reward.
Feeling proud, Penny thought to herself.
"Alright, be careful on your way back," Lucas nodded, watching Penny suddenly perk up and leave. The campus was quite safe, especially now, during Geeta's clean up operation, with League agents and police everywhere.
Once Penny's figure disappeared from sight, Lucas finally looked away, thinking to himself, "Her father is Poeny, her uncle is Rose... With a background like that, she's as impressive as Nemona or Arven—no wonder she's a main character in the games."
…
When Lucas returned to the farm, it was nearly 10 p.m.
He ran into the Machamp construction crew as they finished up for the day. They told him the salt house would be finished within the next two days, which made Lucas instantly excited.
Soon, he'd be able to collect rock salt produced by his Nacli and sell it or use it himself.
The rock salt from Nacli was as valuable as the cotton from Eldegoss—priced far above ordinary rock salt and highly sought after.
The reason was simple. Not only could Nacli's rock salt heal Pokémon wounds, but it also tasted much better than ordinary salt. High-end restaurants would never use anything else if they could get their hands on it, and some even claimed it could improve the health and immunity of both people and Pokémon over time.
That's why it was so popular. Even though first-stage Nacli didn't produce much salt each day, once they evolved into Naclstack or Garganacl, the yield and quality would increase significantly.
Calling Nacli a money-printing machine was no exaggeration.
Looking forward to the salt house's completion, Lucas handed his cleaned lunchbox to Oranguru, played with his Pokémon for a while, then went to bed.
…
April 7th, Weekend.
After feeding the fish in Thunder Lake—well, they were hardly fry anymore, and would soon grow into delicious big fish—Lucas checked on his Herba Mystica. No major changes, but the plants looked vigorous and healthy.
"Mikyu~~"
Suddenly, Mimikyu popped out of the shadows of the plants, using its shadowy hand to tug at Lucas's pant leg, gesturing for him to follow.
"Mimikyu? Weren't you over there watching the construction of the salt house?"
Lucas was puzzled at first, but quickly understood.
The salt house was finished!
Right after he realized this, his phone rang—the foreman's hearty voice confirmed the news.
Bringing Mimikyu, Lucas hurried over. Aside from the Machamp workers, many Pokémon had gathered, curious about the new building.
The Nacli were the most excited, as the salt house was modeled after the caves they lived in at their previous ranch. Any lingering anxiety they'd had about the unfamiliar environment was instantly swept away.
The salt house looked like a giant, neatly-cut boulder, simulating the wild caves Nacli liked. The entrance was 2.5 meters high and almost 3 meters wide, covered by a curtain instead of a door.
This was Lucas's suggestion. Since the Nacli would eventually evolve into Garganacl, it made sense to build big from the start.
Inside, the floor was covered in a strange tiling with tiny diamond-shaped patterns—anyone with trypophobia would be delighted.
Seeing Lucas examining the floor, the foreman explained, "The gaps collect the rock salt that rubs off the Nacli as they move. When you want to collect it, just lift this panel and take out the box underneath."
To demonstrate, he showed Lucas how to operate it.
Since the foreman was so eager, Lucas played along, watching and learning before paying the last installment and sending the crew off.
The salt house hadn't been cheap—almost as much as a single Miltank! His savings had dipped below 300,000.
Luckily, the byproducts from Nacli, Skiddo, and Eldegoss would accumulate over time.
Plus, the next batch of crops in the farm fields had been growing for a month, and with Grassy Terrain's help, he could expect another harvest in May.
Opportunities to make money abounded; soon he could push forward with more farm upgrades.
"Salt! Salt!"
Just then, urgent cries came from outside—the Nacli hadn't even gone inside yet! Apologizing, Lucas quickly ushered them in.
Once inside, the Nacli instantly relaxed, smiling as if they'd come home. Lucas took the chance to pour fresh soil into their stone bowl.
The three little Nacli cheered, devouring the soil happily.
Seeing their joy, Lucas smiled too. Suddenly, he muttered to himself, "Rock-types usually eat soil, minerals, and regular food. I could buy those, but since I'm visiting Zapapico Town tomorrow anyway, maybe I can check out the local mines and see if I can become self-sufficient."
"The better their food, the higher quality the salt."
It wasn't a losing proposition, and Lucas was determined to give his Pokémon the best life possible.
He would only make money while ensuring his Pokémon's health and happiness—he had no intention of exploiting them.
Leaving the salt house and the happy Nacli, who were now playing a stacking game, Lucas fetched a set of equipment and a clean bucket, plus some glass jars originally meant for honey.
That's right, he was going to the pasture to milk his Skiddo.
On the way, he ran into Serperior returning from inspecting the farm. With its Vine Whip's help, carrying everything was much easier.
Serperior slithered elegantly, exuding grace and nobility.
Watching Serperior, Lucas suddenly asked, "Are things not going well between you and Moltres?"
Serperior stiffened, turned away, and huffed—how could things be bad? Lucas was overthinking it.
Lucas raised an eyebrow, but let it slide. Mimikyu had already told him about Serperior's spat with Moltres while he was gone.
Feigning nonchalance, Lucas said, "Since you two get along fine, I have a favor to ask. Moltres is living in the birdhouse under the eaves. This old house isn't very sturdy—after I finish milking, could you help reinforce Moltres's birdhouse?"
Serperior's expression was incredulous. Reinforce Moltres's house? Wouldn't that make it seem like Moltres was above Serperior?
No one knew Serperior's personality better than Lucas. He knew Serperior was proud on the outside, but kind at heart.
Whether it was saving Nemona from drowning or rescuing kidnapped children, Serperior had always shown hidden kindness beneath its pride.
The rift with Moltres was mostly jealousy and insecurity about a new member taking away its share of affection.
In reality, Moltres didn't care—it only thought about Arcanine, eating, and battling.
Lucas knew how to fix it: just reassure Serperior that its place was irreplaceable.
"You're one of my six most important companions, and that will never change. Moltres has only been here two months—there's no comparison."
Leaving his words vague for Serperior's imagination (knowing its habit of overthinking), Lucas watched as Serperior hesitated, its tail twitching—instantly reassured and even wondering if its jealousy was excessive.
A moment later, Serperior blushed, held its head high, and agreed to help Moltres—playing the classic tsundere.
Lucas grinned—mission accomplished.
Handling Serperior was only half the battle; Lucas had already made sure Moltres would interpret Serperior's help as an olive branch, and since Moltres wasn't looking for trouble, peace would be restored.
A true master of balancing the waters.