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Dak anticipated the waves of chaos happening outside, although he hadn't seen them firsthand. However, he was not too concerned.
The times had changed.
It was no longer the Pokémon Alliance that needed to worry about others' attitudes; instead, it was the others who needed to figure out how to approach them.
As for the branches in the Four Seas and the Sabaody Archipelago, it was a matter of taking things one step at a time. Right now, he didn't have the manpower, and he certainly didn't have time to go out and recruit core members.
Dak practically lived on Pokémon Island now. Unless other members needed him to make decisions, he rarely left. He was currently busy setting up the family residential and agricultural zones.
The former was to accommodate the families of the reserve members, while the latter provided these people with the means to be self-sufficient.
So far, the only food source on Pokémon Island was the Nanab Berries on the distant 'Tree of Beginning'. The problem was that unless someone could fly up there, it was practically impossible to harvest those berries.
At this moment, a new cluster of buildings was constructed a short distance from the Pokémon Alliance base and the battle competition venue.
In the map of the modified Pokémon Island, the yellow circle represented the residential zone, and the green area indicated the agricultural zone.
"Great, from now on, the employees' families will live in this semi-circular residential area," Dak said, satisfied as he looked at the cluster of buildings forming a large semi-circle.
These buildings were three-story villas, common in rural southern regions in his previous life. In the rural south, such buildings were often self-built, so they were affordable, cheap, yet aesthetically pleasing.
Families of the employees could choose which building to live in, and those with good relationships could even choose to be neighbors.
Pokémon Island was vast and sparsely populated, so there was no need to stack countless tin cans filled with people like in big cities. Having separate homes for each family could slow down the pace of life and foster neighborly relationships.
In contrast, in urban apartments, people might live just a few meters away from their neighbors for years without ever meeting them.
Dak purchased a total of 30,000 such houses, spending 300,000 Pokécoins. Each villa cost just 10 Pokécoins, equivalent to 100,000 Berries, an absolute bargain.
This city could conservatively accommodate 30,000 households. With at least three people per household, the city's permanent population wouldn't be less than 100,000, not counting Pokémon.
The residential zone not only housed employees' families but also served as the boundary between the city's urban and suburban areas.
To the north of the residential zone would be the urban area, where Dak planned to set up a commercial street, entertainment street, food street, Pokémon Center, Poké Mart, Contest Hall, breeding competition venue, Pokémon School, and other buildings.
Currently, there was only a battle competition venue.
To the south of the residential zone was the suburban area. Two large 'restricted zones' were designated here, which were actually agricultural zones for farming and livestock.
Transforming these two zones cost Dak another 300,000 Pokécoins. The cost wasn't high, but the area was enormous. These zones belonged to the Pokémon Alliance, and people could rent land from the alliance at a very low price.
Beyond these zones, the southern area was more flexible, potentially used for research institutes or Pokémon breeding grounds.
By now, Dak had spent 600,000 Pokécoins. This didn't include the purchase of Pokémon world plant seeds, although these weren't necessary; people might plant unique plants from the pirate world.
"Next, we should build some shops," Dak said, looking at the vast empty space behind the residential zone. However, he quickly frowned, "The first batch of Pokémon eggs in Water 7 should be hatching soon."
As Dak anticipated, just as this thought crossed his mind, a huge commotion erupted in Water 7.
Every street and alley was filled with prospective trainers running towards the north shore, holding glowing eggs.
"This is too much," Bon Clay often found himself with headaches recently due to the sheer number of issues arising.
For instance, at the breeding shop's branch, the previously desolate area was now crowded with thousands of people, and the number was steadily increasing. Each person held a glowing Pokémon egg.
Seeing so many Pokémon eggs gave Bon Clay a headache, worrying about whether the Pokémon babies would end up wrecking Water 7.
Even Iceburg, who was busy with the sea train project, had come to the branch to see if he could help.
"Ah, it's about time," Dak's voice came from behind as he emerged from the shop.
The noisy scene gradually quieted down upon his arrival, recognizing him as the Pokémon Alliance leader and one of the most influential people in the world.
"Finally, but what do we do about this number?" Bon Clay sighed with relief at Dak's presence.
"Don't worry too much. The Marines won't let things get out of hand," Dak reassured, pointing to the nearby Marine base.
Many Marines were already dispatched, some with Pokémon. Sengoku, having learned from the Marineford experience, had sent experienced new trainers and their Pokémon to help.
Of course, they had their motives. Sengoku rarely deployed troops without some benefit in mind; he wasn't the philanthropic type.
Dak could guess their intentions: gaining public favor and potentially recruiting some of the new trainers.
"Trust the Marines, Iceburg. Water 7 won't sink," Dak said.
"...," Iceburg felt uneasy, noticing a bead of sweat on his forehead. He searched Dak's expression for any hint of a joke but found none, causing more sweat to form.
"Think of it this way: if Water 7 sinks today, you and Tom won't have to worry about it anymore," Dak joked.
"Thanks a lot," Iceburg replied sarcastically before deciding to return to work on the sea train, realizing he couldn't help here.
"Is it really okay?" Bon Clay whispered to Dak after Iceburg left.
"Smo?" Smoochum on Bon Clay's shoulder mimicked his posture.
Indeed, Pokémon often grew to resemble their trainers. Smoochum was a prime example of this. Conversely, trainers might also start resembling their Pokémon, as seen with Monet.
"It's not entirely problem-free. People's understanding of Pokémon is still too shallow. The worst that could happen is that Water 7 might look a bit run-down tomorrow, but it's not a major issue," Dak said optimistically.
"Good thing I waited until Iceburg left," Bon Clay sighed in relief.
"Smo," Smoochum echoed with a thumbs-up.
"It looks like they'll hatch by tomorrow morning. We can get a good night's sleep," Dak stretched, observing the eggs' glowing frequency.
"Aren't you worried Iceburg won't sleep and come knocking on your door?" Bon Clay teased.
"I'll lock my door. Besides, Iceburg isn't the type to do that," Dak replied, heading back into the shop. Before going inside, he reminded Bon Clay, "Oh, the family residential area is ready. Notify our 1,500 reserve members and their families that they can pack up and leave this harsh world."
"Your way of putting it is strange," Bon Clay remarked.
(End of Chapter)