During the night, Ange claimed the rewards for his cultivation mission.
[Congratulations, Master, for completing Food Ingredient Cultivation Mission 1: Grow Rolling Beans successfully. Rewards obtained: Constitution +1, Individual Value +1.]
As expected, Ange assigned the Individual Value point to Munchlax without hesitation.
Munchlax (Eviolite) Type: Normal
Ability: Thick Fat
Gender: Male
Level: 47
Moves: Tackle, Lick, Defense Curl, Recycle, Covet, Bite, Stockpile, Swallow, Body Slam, Fling, Amnesia, Take Down, Charm, Seed Bomb, Brick Break, Counter, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch
Individual Values HP: 31
Attack: 31
Defense: 21
Special Attack: 31
Special Defense: 31
Speed: 31
Everything was a 31 now; it looked very harmonious. After admiring Munchlax's data for a while, Ange closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
At exactly 10:00 AM the next morning, Ange closed the door to Munchlax Home. As he did, he noticed it had started to rain outside. Since spring had arrived, rainfall in the Royal Capital and surrounding areas had increased. Most spring rain was a fine drizzle, often called "as precious as oil." This kind of rain was a blessing for all the sprouting life.
After securing the shop, Ange took his Pokémon back to the Nebel Plateau, where it was also raining. On the roof, Magearna was hurriedly helping Swablu and Fletchinder gather the clothes and sheets they had hung out to dry earlier that morning.
By lunch, the drizzle had gradually stopped. The bright sun emerged from behind the white clouds, and bird Pokémon took to the skies once again. Ange sat leisurely by his front door, engaged in a video call with Arven. On the other end, Arven was cooking with Mabosstiff and Naclstack, asking Ange for advice as he went. Ange guided him without reservation. They ended the call once Arven had prepared a respectable lunch.
Tucking his phone into his pocket, Ange stretched broadly and leaned back in his seat. A light breeze blew by, bringing a cool dampness and the fresh scent of the Nebel Plateau's air.
"Life is so peaceful. This is great," Ange sighed, squinting as he rocked his chair.
Near a flowerbed not far away, Diancie carried a small basket in one hand and used scissors with the other to trim freshly bloomed flowers for its handicraft dyeing. Two Spinarak poked their heads out from the basket, carrying flowers before jumping to the edge of the flowerbed and tumbling into a heap.
Magearna leaned against Volcanion while watching videos. Lately, it had become obsessed with making desserts and spent much of its time learning from videos. Since Ange wasn't skilled in that area, he couldn't offer much help. Drizzile darted through the rain-soaked grass, getting itself soaking wet and having the time of its life. Munchlax and Gengar lay in chairs just like Ange, enjoying the leisure.
Just as Ange was about to drift off, a sudden roar startled him awake.
"What happened?" Ange asked.
Munch~
Haunt~
Munchlax and Gengar shook their heads.
"Let's go check it out."
Ange stood up and led Munchlax and Gengar toward the source of the sound. In a corner of the Nebel Plateau, a massive airship had made a shaky landing on the grass.
A capable-looking young woman stepped off the ship, complaining loudly, "Good grief! I told you it wasn't the right time to fly, but you insisted. Now look! Breaking down in a place like this when we're short on materials. What are we going to do?"
Behind her followed a white-haired young man wearing goggles. He looked incredibly apologetic.
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
Pika Pika~
At the young man's feet, a Pikachu wearing a captain's hat spoke up to stop their bickering. As the group talked, they were suddenly surrounded by a herd of Gogoat and Skiddo. To their surprise, a massive Grassy Terrain radiated from the herd.
The two humans and the Pokémon exchanged looks. Did we do something to upset them? Furthermore, are wild Pokémon this strong nowadays? They can all use Grassy Terrain!
As they stood there helplessly, a voice called out from behind the Gogoat and Skiddo.
"Excuse me... did something happen?"
The group looked over in surprise to see a blonde young man standing with a Munchlax and a Gengar.
Oh? Someone actually lives here? The two humans looked shocked.
The newcomers were, of course, Ange and his first and third apprentices.
"You are..." the white-haired man asked.
"I'm Ange, the owner of this plateau," Ange introduced himself.
Go go~
Skii skii~
The Gogoat and Skiddo nodded in agreement.
The white-haired man scratched his head awkwardly. "So this plateau has an owner!"
He then introduced himself. "Hello, Mr. Ange. I'm Friede."
The girl followed suit. "I'm Orla."
"We're members of the Rising Volt Tacklers," Friede continued, pointing to the hat-wearing Pikachu. "And this is our Captain."
Pika Pika~
Captain Pikachu greeted Ange with an air of authority.
"The Rising Volt Tacklers are an exploration team. We travel the world on various Pokémon-related adventures. Sometimes we take on requests to earn adventure funds."
Friede explained their background quickly, fearing Ange might mistake them for suspicious characters.
Orla nodded. "Our airship suffered a malfunction mid-flight, so we had to make an emergency landing here."
She gestured to the ship behind her. This ship was the Brave Asagi, which Orla had remodeled from an ordinary boat. It was clear she was a very talented mechanic.
"I see. That sounds like a lot of trouble," Ange said as he understood the situation.
The other members of the Rising Volt Tacklers, seeing that Friede and Orla hadn't returned, came out to investigate. A pink-haired girl poked her head over the railing and shouted, "Friede! Orla! How's the ship?"
She too looked surprised when she spotted Ange.
"It's bad," Orla shouted back. "We can't fly for the time being."
"Eh??" the girl cried out in distress.
"That's our healer, Mollie," Orla explained to Ange.
Ange nodded. Shortly after, Mollie came down the ramp with another member, Murdock, who served as the ship's cook.
"Wait, wait, wait! Someone lives here?" Mollie exclaimed as she reached them.
Ange smiled and repeated his introduction. "I'm Ange, the owner of this plateau."
"Ah~ I'm Mollie," she introduced herself quickly.
Murdock waved cheerfully. "I'm Murdock."
After the introductions, Orla went back to inspecting the airship. After a long while, she emerged from the damaged section covered in sweat, her brow furrowed.
"This is bad. The damage is too severe."
"Can't it be fixed?" Mollie asked.
"I can fix it, but we don't have the materials!" Orla replied.
"If you need materials, you can buy them in the nearby Azoth Royal Capital," Ange chimed in. "The Azoth Kingdom is famous for its Arcane Science. You should be able to find whatever you need there."
Orla's face lit up. "The Azoth Kingdom? The one with the great scientist Eliphas?"
Clearly, Eliphas was quite famous.
"Exactly," Ange nodded.
"That's great!" Orla almost jumped with joy. They had just flown over an uninhabited mountain range and their navigation was down; they had no idea where they were.
"However," Ange added, "the Azoth Royal Capital is a bit far from here."
"How far?" Orla asked.
"On foot, it might take more than a day to reach."
"What?" The Rising Volt Tacklers looked disappointed.
"If you don't mind," Ange suggested, "you can come to my house for a bit. If you give me a list of the materials you need, I might be able to help you find a way."
"Really, Mr. Ange? That would be a huge help!" Friede said excitedly.
Pika Pika~ Captain Pikachu thanked Ange politely as well.
"Don't worry about it. When you're out and about, you rely on friends," Ange waved it off.
Friede's eyes brightened. "Relying on friends when you're out... I like that saying!"
"Follow me, then," Ange said.
Everyone nodded. Friede called out toward the ship, "Grandpa Ludlow, come on down!"
An elderly man was sitting at the bow of the Brave Asagi, holding a fishing rod and "fishing" in mid-air. Ange had already detected his Aura, though he hadn't seen the man's face clearly.
Grandpa Ludlow poked his head out. "I'll stay behind to watch the ship!"
"You don't need to worry about the ship here," Ange assured him. "The Pokémon on the plateau will help watch over it."
The Gogoat and Skiddo nodded.
Ria ria~
Fle fle~
Hon hon~
Talonflame landed on the railing alongside Staraptor and Fletchinder, waving a wing at Ange.
"See? Just like I said," Ange smiled at the Rising Volt Tacklers.
"See, Grandpa Ludlow? No need to worry. Come join us!" Friede called again.
Grandpa Ludlow finally stood up slowly. Once he disembarked, he solemnly thanked Ange as the elder of the group. The Brave Asagi had actually been converted from Ludlow's old fishing boat by Orla.
The large group began walking toward Ange's house. Along the way, they saw Deerling and Bunnelby leading a flock of chickens out for a stroll, which amazed the visitors.
"Mr. Ange, are those your chickens?" Friede asked.
"Yes. And please, just call me Ange."
"Ange, you really have a unique setup here," Friede said, following his lead.
"The Pokémon are just very capable!" Ange replied.
Just as he spoke, a Croconaw ran past not far away, shouting as it chased several large, fat pigs.
"Your Pokémon are so interesting, Ange," Mollie laughed.
"To be honest," Ange said seriously, "my Croconaw is currently developing a new type of training method!"
The group burst into laughter. As Captain Pikachu walked, a small mound of earth suddenly appeared beside it. The electrical sparks on its cheeks told it that an Electric-type was beneath the soil. It reached out and poked the damp earth.
Paw~
Pawmi suddenly burst out of the mound, sticking out its tongue and making a funny face at Captain Pikachu. Captain Pikachu wasn't scared; instead, it looked at Pawmi with great interest.
"Pawmi, why are you playing pranks on the guests?" Ange scolded.
Pawmi scrambled out of the hole and dashed to Ange's side, hugging his leg and acting cute.
Paw paw~
Ange picked it up and apologized to the captain. "Captain, I hope it didn't scare you?"
Pika~ Captain Pikachu shook its head.
"Our Captain has plenty of guts," Friede said. "A little prank like that won't faze him!"
Pika Pika~ Captain Pikachu nodded with its arms crossed.
"Don't think you're off the hook just because he wasn't scared," Ange said, poking Pawmi's head.
Pawmi hesitated, fumbled through its thick fur for a moment, and eventually pulled out a lollipop. It struggled out of Ange's arms, ran over to Captain Pikachu, and handed him the candy. Captain Pikachu was stunned, unsure if he should take it.
"Go ahead," Ange smiled. "That's its treasure. It never shares with anyone. If it's willing to give it to you, it means the apology is sincere."
Pika~
Captain Pikachu smiled at Pawmi and took the lollipop. Pawmi then pulled out another lollipop, tore off the wrapper, popped it into its own mouth, and ran back to walk beside Ange. As it walked, it kept peeking back at Captain Pikachu. Seeing that the Captain wasn't eating it, Pawmi started chattering.
Paw paw paw~
Captain Pikachu looked helpless but submissively tore off the wrapper and put the lollipop in its mouth. Pawmi was finally satisfied. It licked its lollipop and hummed a happy tune, swaying its tail proudly. Everyone laughed at the cute display.
On the way, Pawmi walked by Ange for a bit, then intentionally slowed down to "accidentally" bump into Captain Pikachu's hand. Before long, it had quite naturally taken Captain Pikachu's hand, and the two walked toward the house together.
Looking at Pawmi's back, Ange shook his head helplessly.