The moment Chen Xi'er released her three Pokémon, the entire orphanage seemed to freeze for a second. Then, a wave of shock swept through the children like a storm. Xiaoqing stared at the towering Garchomp in front of her, her mouth slightly open, her brain clearly lagging behind reality. This wasn't some image on TV or a poster in a book—this was a living, breathing quasi-legendary Pokémon, standing right in front of them. Even as an elementary school student, she knew exactly what Garchomp represented. That was a Pokémon many Trainers could only dream of owning in their entire lives.
Aside from a few four- and five-year-old kids who didn't fully understand what "quasi-god" meant, almost everyone else present instantly grasped how outrageous this was. The younger children, however, had much simpler thoughts. To them, Garchomp was just unbelievably cool. With excited cries, several little bean sprouts rushed forward without a hint of fear, their eyes shining as if they had discovered the greatest toy in the world.
Garchomp, on the other hand, completely panicked. Fighting? Battling powerful opponents? That was fine. But dealing with a group of fearless human cubs charging at it with grabby hands was an entirely different matter. It stiffened instinctively, not knowing what to do.
"Garchomp, be careful not to hurt them," Chen Xi'er quickly reminded, her tone slightly anxious. "Absol too."
Hearing her orders, both Garchomp and Absol felt a wave of complicated emotions. Their Trainer was seriously asking them to behave around human children? Still, despite their inner reluctance, they obediently complied. Seeing this, Xiaoqing and the others grew even more excited, swarming around the Pokémon with laughter and curiosity, treating them like oversized plush toys.
Logically speaking, Ralts should have been the most popular among the children. Yet the moment it was released, the little Psychic-type glanced around once—and then vanished in a flash of teleportation. Chen Xi'er looked toward the direction it disappeared and fell silent. As expected, it was heading straight for the house, looking for Su Yu again. She couldn't help grinding her teeth internally. Was Ralts her Pokémon, or Su Yu's? Why did it cling to him like this every single time? Did being a Psychic really give someone this kind of cheat-level affinity?
Meanwhile, Su Yu had just picked up the drawings he prepared earlier and was about to head downstairs when Ralts suddenly appeared on his shoulder. He froze for a moment, then let out a helpless laugh.
"Ralts again?"
The little Pokémon rubbed against him happily, clearly in an excellent mood. After teasing it for a bit, Su Yu carried the drawings downstairs—and immediately went silent at the scene before him. Garchomp had completely fallen victim to the little girls, who were clinging to it from every angle, refusing to let go. Absol wasn't doing much better, with a four-year-old girl sitting proudly on its back, looking delighted, while Absol itself wore an expression that was… surprisingly content.
Su Yu couldn't help but marvel inwardly. Chen Xi'er's Pokémon lineup was absurdly luxurious. Rare species, terrifying potential, and clearly no lack of training. This was the difference money made. Elite-level Pokémon, at the very least. Probably trained since high school. Truly, being rich was a powerful talent in itself.
Shaking off those thoughts, Su Yu walked over and handed Chen Xi'er the drawings. "This is everything. Show it to the construction company and have them build according to this layout. It should be clear enough."
Chen Xi'er took the drawings and began examining them carefully, nodding as she read through the details. At that moment, Pichu suddenly ran over, clearly unhappy. It glared up at Ralts sitting comfortably on Su Yu's shoulder, sparks flickering faintly on its cheeks. That position was supposed to be its exclusive territory.
Ralts tilted its head, then casually used telekinesis to push Pichu aside. Pichu rolled across the ground several times before scrambling back up, furious and crackling with electricity. Just as it was about to act, Su Yu glanced over coldly.
"What are you doing?"
Instantly, Pichu's courage evaporated. The sparks vanished, and it rushed over to hug Su Yu's leg, rubbing against it pitifully. Su Yu rolled his eyes, then deliberately placed Ralts on his shoulder again, right in front of Pichu.
"Behave. Both of you."
Pichu nodded furiously, not daring to argue, while Ralts also nodded seriously and even extended a small hand in greeting. Though still sulking, Pichu forced a smile and shook hands, the temporary truce looking extremely fragile.
Su Yu ignored their subtle hostility and turned his attention back to Chen Xi'er. After quickly reviewing the drawings, she looked up and smiled. "No problem. This is very clear. We can build it exactly like this."
Su Yu nodded. "That's right. No need to force artificial environments. This setup is enough. The mountain itself doesn't need modification either—just maintain the original ecology. I don't plan on driving away the Pokémon living there."
He paused briefly, then continued with a thoughtful smile. "When the time comes, I'll go talk to them. Ask them to help take care of the orchard. I can even plant some tree fruits directly. Who knows—maybe in the future, we can select some Pokémon from the mountain that are suitable for rookie Trainers."
As he said this, Su Yu couldn't help laughing. Turning the local Pokémon into cooperative caretakers—and maybe even future products—felt like the perfect balance. Free labor, shared benefits, and no destruction of habitats. In his eyes, this wasn't exploitation.
It was mutual prosperity.