"Ladies and gentlemen, the shop is a bit busy today, so we might have to close early. Please head back first."
Dak believed he had made a sufficiently deep impression on the group and thus began to usher the visitors out. Moreover, he was eager to complete the task at hand:
Main Quest: Breeding Lesson Four - Delivery
Objective: As a breeder, you must make all necessary preparations before the Pokémon hatch. Please follow the guidebook to successfully assist the Pokémon in hatching from their eggs.
Reward: The shop's floor space will double in size
Sengoku and the others seemed to have more to discuss, but given Newgate and Mihawk's presence, they refrained from elaborating and were the first to leave.
The Whitebeard Pirates' trio said their goodbyes, inviting Dak to visit anytime.
Mihawk, still standing there, locked eyes with Pawniard, as if sharing a moment of silent understanding, before finally turning to leave.
"Now, let's get to work, Pawniard."
Dak and the little ones headed to the pond, using towels to gently clean their bodies.
Pawniard, being particularly calm and cooperative, made Dak's task easier, carefully moving to allow for a thorough clean, conscious of its sharp body and the potential danger to others.
It was somewhat sad, considering these Pokémon couldn't engage in close physical contact with those they liked due to their bodily features.
Bon Clay and Darkrai helped clean the others, with Vulpix being the only one reluctant to let anyone besides Dak touch its fur. The others, however, were quite compliant.
After the visitors left, even Rockruff became docile, lying next to Dak's legs.
"They're all so adorable."
Dak couldn't help but silently rejoice, his dream of owning a Pokémon now a reality, with as many as he wished for. The future of this world was destined to be an era of Pokémon.
"Pokémon is justice."
"Cubone~"
Cubone was hungry again, tugging at Dak's clothes from behind. Despite its small size, Cubone's strength was surprising, nearly damaging Dak's clothes with its tugs.
"Here you go."
Dak magically produced a bottle of Moomoo Milk for Cubone but knew it wouldn't be enough to satisfy the little Pokémon, so he gestured towards a nearby tree laden with fruit.
The fruit, resembling bananas but with pink at the bottom and yellow on top, was known in the Pokémon world as a Nanab Berry, though its effects differed greatly between worlds.
In the Mystery Hatchery House, the berries provided balanced nutrition and flavor that Pokémon couldn't resist, making it an ideal food source for the young ones.
With these berries, Dak no longer worried about feeding the Pokémon, though he planned to occasionally purchase other foods with his Pokécoins to provide variety.
Main Quest: Breeding Lesson Four - Delivery, Completed
Reward: The shop's floor space doubles
Expand now?
No.
Dak decided against expanding the shop in the little ones' presence to avoid frightening them, opting to wait until they were asleep.
A new main quest was issued:
Main Quest: Breeding Lesson Five - Babysitting
Objective: As the manager of a hatchery, you must learn how to manage a group of energetic and curious babies. Take them out to see the world and let the world see them, visiting at least three places while ensuring their safety.
Reward: Pocket Token Upgrade - Introducing a savings function (allowing you to deposit and deduct currency directly from the token)
This task seemed manageable, but the reward focused more on facilitating transactions by introducing convenient mobile payments.
"Hey! Dak!"
Bon Clay's voice called out from behind. Dak had a hunch about what was coming.
He turned around to see the nine eggs under the tree beginning to glow faintly.
As expected.
"Sigh, we haven't even started causing a ruckus here, and there's already more on the way."
Dak shook his head but chuckled, "Well, it's a happy problem to have, haha."
As night deepened, unaware of the outside darkness, Dak settled the little ones into the bedroom, with Darkrai watching over them. Smoochum, attached to Bon Clay, joined him in the staff quarters.
Alone under the tree in the shop, Dak leaned against it, drifting off to sleep amidst the glowing eggs.
The shop had already expanded.
The originally 100-square-meter shop floor was now 200 square meters, with the tree, warm lamp, and pond all enlarged accordingly.
The tree had grown significantly, now three meters in diameter and five meters tall, making it impossible for the little ones to reach the Nanab Berries without Dak or Darkrai's help.
The pond had also expanded to five meters in diameter, though it remained two meters deep. Without aquatic Pokémon or other life forms, it looked a bit lonely.
The grass now sprouted small flowers, adding a subtle fragrance to the air, while the staff quarters, bedroom, and manufacturing room had all quietly grown to 45 square meters each.
The Mystery Hatchery House now spanned 335 square meters, ready for its next phase of growth.
(End of Chapter)