Riding Arcanine back to the Breeding House, Victor spotted many familiar faces on Breeding Road.
Grandpa Muji and Grandma, Grandpa Yongchang, and other grandpas, grandmas, uncles, and aunties.
"Grandpa Muji, why are you here?"
Victor had Arcanine stop and asked the grandpas, grandmas, uncles, and aunties who were setting up temporary shelters.
"Oh, Shopkeeper."
Grandpa Muji put down the work in his hands and greeted Victor.
"Why aren't you hiding at home? What are you doing out here?"
Victor frowned and asked them.
Given their age, if they really caught a high fever, the consequences would be unimaginable.
So Victor was a bit angry.
"Didn't we see that help was needed here? So we came."
Grandpa Muji laughed and said.
"You shouldn't be here. This fever is very contagious. If any of you get infected, the consequences will be dire."
"Haven't we not been infected yet? Besides, there's a shortage of hands, and with so many people and Pokémon waiting for rescue, how can you expect us to sit still?"
Grandpa Muji said.
"Many of them are children we watched grow up; we can't just sit by. And there's a shortage of manpower anyway. Although we are old, I run a seed shop after all, and I have done some research on Chinese herbal medicine. We took precautions before coming."
Seeing Victor wanting to say more, Grandpa Muji cut him off directly.
"Besides, Shopkeeper, you're not afraid and are rushing to the front line, so us old folks certainly can't chicken out. Don't worry, we promise to stay at the very back."
Grandpa Muji hurriedly promised.
Knowing their minds were made up, Victor could only sigh.
Seeing their extraordinarily determined eyes under the moonlight, Victor could only say:
"Then once you're done here, go to the backyard of the Breeding House and help me brew the cold medicine."
"Don't worry, we understand."
"What did Brother Muji's grandson say? Something about the Shopkeeper's group?"
"Fan club."
"Ah right, we, Shopkeeper Victor's fan club, guarantee to obey the Shopkeeper's orders."
Grandpa Yongchang gave a salute.
Victor looked over; there were also some young boys and girls among them.
But what the heck is my fan club?
A fan club of grandpas, grandmas, uncles, and aunties?
Victor shook his head in mental exhaustion, having no time to deal with this matter for now. He gave a few more instructions and then rode Arcanine to continue forward.
The grandma from the seed shop watched Victor's retreating figure.
She muttered to herself: "Silly child..."
Arriving at the Breeding House entrance, Victor got off Arcanine. He stood at the door and let Lilligant disinfect him, Gengar, and Arcanine with alcohol before walking into the Breeding House.
The Pokémon in the backyard were busy on Breeding Road. Victor went upstairs quietly and opened the door to Shana's room.
Shana was already awake, sitting on the bed chatting with Chingling.
"Uncle."
Seeing Victor walk in, Shana looked at him worriedly.
Victor walked to the bedside and patted her little head.
"I'll have to trouble Shana to stay in the room for a while longer."
Shana nodded sensibly. Gengar floated in with a bowl of cold medicine.
"Drink this, then take a nap. Uncle promises you, you'll be fine when you wake up."
Shana frowned at the cold medicine in the bowl, then took it with her small hands and drank it all in one breath.
"Geng~"
Ta-da!
Just as Shana was about to throw up from the bitterness, Gengar quickly took out a spoonful of Blessed Version Sweet Honey and put it in Shana's mouth.
Shana instantly felt surrounded by happiness.
"Remember to brush your teeth before sleeping."
Victor smiled and patted her little head.
Shana nodded, ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth, then obediently returned to her blanket to lie down.
Victor tucked her in. "Goodnight, little Shana."
"Goodnight, Uncle. Be safe."
Gengar turned off the main light, turned on the night light, and followed Victor out.
The door closed, and Shana's big eyes stared straight at the ceiling.
She wasn't afraid this time because she believed her uncle would definitely succeed this time too.
Then she closed her eyes, hugged Chingling, and fell into a sweet sleep.
Arriving at the backyard, Machamp and the others were already cooperating with Gothita to speed up the brewing of cold medicine.
The herb garden was already half bald.
Other Pokémon in the Breeding House were also doing their best to help.
Before long, Grandpa Muji brought his team to the backyard. Victor told them to stay put in the backyard obediently.
After the first patient arrived at the shelter set up outside the Breeding House, Victor had all the Pokémon retreat back into the Breeding House.
Then he, along with Gengar, Machamp, Machoke, Machop, Lilligant, and the others—these Pokémon belonging to the Breeding House—ran around carrying Chinese herbal medicine.
Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny soon arrived at the Breeding House too, bringing the large amount of alcohol Victor had requested.
For patients with extremely severe symptoms, Victor would have them drink a bowl of cold medicine first, then wipe their body surface with alcohol to speed up heat dissipation and reduce fever.
As more and more patients were sent over, Victor and the Breeding House Pokémon were swamped. Even with the support of many people from Sandgem Town and Jubilife City, they were still too busy to turn around.
Lilligant ran back and forth carrying bowls of cold medicine, her legs almost smoking.
Vespiquen's wings were about to break from flapping.
"Gengar, alcohol."
The alcohol was quickly delivered to Victor's hand. After wiping down a Snorlax, Victor handed the alcohol back.
Only then did he realize it wasn't Gengar who handed him the alcohol, but a Kricketune.
Gengar was coaxing a few children crying from discomfort not far away.
Victor looked around.
Many Pokémon were holding bowls, or carrying alcohol and cotton swabs, and some were even helping to comfort the sad people and Pokémon.
This was—
Victor recognized at a glance that these were the Pokémon from the backyard.
I clearly told them they didn't need to come out, to avoid catching this terrible fever themselves.
When on earth did they come out?
Victor didn't know.
Watching Gengar making funny faces to coax children, Lilligant running around with bowls, Vespiquen distributing Sweet Honey everywhere, Heracross and Pinsir helping patients, Machamp, Machoke, and Machop maintaining order and carrying cold medicine, Roselia, Marill...
And people maintaining order, also running around with bowls.
Orderly and organized. Pachirisu using their cuteness to jump into people's arms to soothe them, Kricketune playing beautiful music to relax them...
People and various Pokémon tirelessly wiping patients with alcohol.
And Gothita, Mime Jr., other Pokémon, and Grandpa Muji's group constantly busy in the backyard.
Victor smiled, watching the slightly rising sun.
Victor didn't know when these Pokémon arrived.
But Victor knew.
Dawn had broken.
Kricketune's melody suddenly became solemn.
Victor took a bowl of cold medicine handed over by an Ambipom and gently fed it to a Prinplup.
Subsequently, more people and Pokémon appeared from the sky and the distance.
Kricketune's melody reached a climax.
Recovering from his tense mental state, Victor breathed a sigh of relief, reached out, and picked up the somewhat hot wooden tag on his chest.
Kricketune, sing to your heart's content for all people and Pokémon.
Victor thought.
Then he looked up, felt the rising sun on his face, and sat down on the ground.
"Geng!!! ∑(ǒДǒ|||) /"
"Lil!!!"
"Ma!!!"
"Ves!!!"
"Vic!!!"
====
Watching them run towards him in terror, Victor waved his hand.
Learning that he was just tired and wanted to sit down and rest, Gengar narrowed his eyes.
He licked him with Lick.
Again, again, again—numb—
After eating a Cheri Berry to remove the paralysis, Victor felt much more energetic.
Did my constitution change too? I actually find paralysis refreshing!
Victor hurriedly shook his head.
...
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