Angie and Munchlax were sleeping soundly, but Altaria just couldn't fall asleep.
To be precise, it was only the Altaria mother who couldn't sleep.
The room that Diancie had prepared for them was incredibly cozy. A thick, soft carpet covered the floor, and the family of three nestled together under a warm, comfortable blanket, enjoying their rest.
Concerned that the family might be afraid of the dark after the pitch-black rainy night they had endured, Diancie had left the light on before leaving, reminding them they could turn it off if it felt too bright. She had even shown them where the switch was.
The Swablu and its father, exhausted, had curled up and fallen asleep quickly. But the mother couldn't sleep no matter how hard she tried.
Through the window, she gazed out at the dark night, listening to the howling wind and the sound of rain splashing down. Her thoughts wandered far away.
It felt like a memory from long ago—another stormy night just like this. Back then, she had lost yet another battle, and her Trainer punished her by making her stand outside in the rain, forbidding her from having dinner.
That night, it had rained heavily. She had been cold and hungry, and eventually collapsed in the downpour.
She thought, if her Trainer had called her back inside, like Angie had done, preparing warm food and shelter for her, maybe she wouldn't have grown to dislike humans as much as she did now.
But sadly, that wasn't the case. In the end, it was the Trainer's other Pokémon that carried her unconscious body back into the house.
Looking back now, everything from the past was so vivid in her mind.
She didn't know how long had passed, but only when the first rays of light appeared on the horizon did she finally fall into a groggy sleep.
In the morning, bright sunlight streamed through the window, and a tiny Fletchling landed softly on the railing of the balcony.
"Tweet~ Tweet~~"
Angie, wake up! The sun's shining, it's time to get up!
Angie groggily opened his eyes, noticing Munchlax still clinging tightly to his arm. The nightcap that had been neatly on its head before was nowhere to be found.
"Snore~~ Snore~~"
So tasty… I want more...
Who knows what delicious dream it was having, but it was muttering in its sleep.
Angie gently pulled his arm out and, after getting out of bed, walked to the balcony to greet the little Fletchling. "Good morning, Fletchling!"
The fresh, rain-washed air hit his face, and Angie took a deep breath, instantly feeling wide awake.
"Wow! There's a rainbow!" Angie exclaimed in surprise, spotting a giant rainbow arching from one end of the mountain range to the other in the distance.
"Tweet~~"
The Fletchling joyfully flapped its wings, soaring into the air and playing with a passing Spritzee. They flew further and further, heading toward the rainbow until they disappeared from Angie's sight.
After standing on the balcony for a moment, Angie dragged Munchlax out of bed and pulled it into the bathroom to wash up.
This little one could really sleep—still half-asleep while brushing its teeth, Angie even had to squeeze the toothpaste for it.
Seeing Munchlax almost brushing its nose instead of its teeth, Angie let out a long sigh. "I was hoping my apprentice would become independent soon so I could enjoy an easier life. But it seems that's not happening. Someone was all fired up a couple of days ago, saying they wanted to make progress, and now look at them…"
"Snore!!!"
Angie's words sent a shiver down Munchlax's spine, shaking off its sleepiness in an instant. Its eyes widened, and it quickly finished brushing its teeth. In a flash, it ran off to change into its chef uniform, even starting to rush Angie.
"Snore~~ Snore~~"
Master, hurry up! If you don't, I'm leaving without you!
Angie: ...
Perhaps because it had just rained, there weren't many Pokémon coming to the restaurant for breakfast that morning, which was fine by Angie—he thought he could take the chance to relax a bit.
After all the Pokémon had been served breakfast, Angie asked Diancie, "Did the Altaria family come down for breakfast?"
"No, they didn't," Diancie shook her head. "They were pretty exhausted last night and probably still frightened. Let them sleep a bit longer."
Angie nodded.
Once all the Pokémon had finished eating, Angie, Diancie, and Munchlax saw them off at the door. Vivillon and the Dugtrio brothers also took the opportunity to bid farewell.
After that, Angie put on his rain boots and headed to the vegetable garden behind the house.
Having just rained, droplets clung to the leaves of the vegetables, making them look fresh and vibrant. The greens were so tender that Angie couldn't resist picking a small bunch of baby bok choy, deciding to stir-fry them for lunch.
If he didn't eat them now, they might not be as tender in a few days.
Angie also noticed that the tomatoes had started to fruit, though they were still green. Just the thought of all the delicious dishes she could make with ripe tomatoes made his mouth water.
He could hardly wait.
After a rainstorm, the vegetable garden was still damp, and the freshly picked baby bok choy had bits of fresh dirt clinging to it. Angie carried the vegetables over to the newly dug pond to wash them.
It was a good thing they had dug the pond; otherwise, the garden would have been waterlogged, and quite a few vegetables might have rotted from the soggy roots.
After cleaning the vegetables, Angie hummed a little tune as he headed back home. As soon as he reached the door, he saw the Swablu and its father flying out in a panic.
"What's going on?" Angie asked.
"Swablu~ Swablu~"
"Swab~~ Swab~~"
The two Pokémon were babbling incoherently, but even if they were clear, Angie wouldn't have understood them anyway.
At that moment, Diancie walked over, carrying a medical kit, and said, "The Altaria mother is sick. She's running a fever."
Angie was surprised to hear this. He wasn't sick, but the Altaria mother, who was much stronger, had fallen ill? The Altaria father didn't seem sick either!
"Let's go check on her."
Angie set the baby bok choy down and followed Diancie, along with the Swablu and its father, to the room where the family of three had rested the previous night.
As soon as Angie entered the room, he saw the Altaria mother lying weakly on the ground, her blue skin flushed red.
Angie walked over and touched her neck, confirming that it was burning hot.
Sensing someone's touch, the Altaria mother barely lifted her eyelids to glance at Angie. At this point, she didn't even have the strength to glare at him.
"Diancie, quick, give me the medicine."
At Angie's request, Diancie hurriedly opened the medical kit and took out some fever medicine.
The system had thoughtfully stocked the kit with common medicines for both humans and Pokémon, although the quantities weren't large. Once they ran out, Angie would have to purchase more from the system shop using Happiness Points.
Angie took the medicine and fed it to the Altaria mother, worried that she might refuse to swallow. So he softly said to her, "Take the medicine, you'll feel better. Don't be stubborn."
The Altaria mother was too weak to argue with Angie. Her consciousness was hazy, and she let Angie feed her the medicine and give her water without resistance.
Next, Angie placed a cold towel on her forehead and used alcohol to wipe her body. It took a while, but her temperature finally began to drop.
After doing all this, Angie noticed the worried looks on the faces of the Swablu and its father. He smiled and reassured them, "Don't worry, since her fever's starting to go down, she should be fine. Stay by her side, and I'll go prepare some food for you. You're probably hungry too, right?"
The Swablu and its father nodded, then quietly lay down beside the Altaria mother, their eyes fixed on her without blinking.
Angie headed to the kitchen, where he first steamed a basket of buns, then began washing the baby bok choy he had just picked.
After cleaning the vegetables, he carefully took out oil, salt, and chicken essence, along with other seasonings.
He heated the pan, poured in some oil, then added the bok choy, stirring it as it sizzled. He added a pinch of salt, a dash of oyster sauce, and finally some chicken essence before taking the dish off the stove.
A simple yet delicious stir-fry was ready.
Top-quality ingredients often required only the simplest methods, and the baby bok choy that Angie had grown himself was no exception.
He picked up a chopstick-full and put it in his mouth, instantly amazed by the flavor of the bok choy.
Fresh! Tender! Delicious!
It was no wonder—these were seeds he had bought from the system shop, after all.
Just as Angie was about to set his chopsticks down after finishing, he noticed Munchlax clinging to the kitchen doorframe, staring at him with a suspiciously shiny glint at the corner of its mouth.
"Snore~~ Snore~~"
Master, what tasty thing are you sneaking here?
Sniffing the air gently, it caught the delicious aroma wafting around, its expression seemingly saying, "Don't try to fool me, I can smell it!"
Angie sighed, then switched to a new pair of chopsticks and handed a bite of the stir-fried greens to Munchlax. "You little rascal, there's no hiding food from you, is there? Here, have a taste."
"Nom~~" Munchlax eagerly bounded over to Angie, devouring the greens in one bite. After chewing for a moment, it closed its eyes in sheer delight.
"Tasty?" Angie asked.
"Snore~ Snore~"
Tasty, so tasty!
(ˊˋ) Munchlax gave Angie a pitiful look, hoping for more.
Angie refused with a smile, "This is breakfast for the Swablu and her father. If you want more, I'll make some for you at lunch. Be good."
"Snore~"
Hearing that, Munchlax immediately stopped begging. It was a well-behaved little cutie after all.
Seeing that the steamed buns were ready, Angie opened the steamer and took them out, placing them in a bowl. He handed the bowl, along with the freshly stir-fried greens, Munchlax. "Good, take these to Swablu and her family."
"Snore~~"
Munchlax nodded and obediently carried the bowl away.
...
Around one in the afternoon, the Altaria mother groggily woke up. Although her fever had completely subsided, the illness had left her feeling weak all over.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw her husband and daughter sleeping peacefully beside her. Noticing their calm expressions, a gentle smile spread across her face.
It was a smile that Angie, an outsider, had never seen before.
"You're awake? How's your body feeling?"
Angie's sudden voice startled the Altaria mother.
Before she could respond, Angie's hand was already on her forehead.
"Hm, the fever's completely gone. Looks like you're fine now."
Before the Altaria mother could say anything, Angie had already quickly withdrawn his hand.
Altaria mother: ...
"You must be hungry. I've set aside some food for you. Wait a moment." With that, Angie left the room.
As she watched Angie's departing figure, a complicated look appeared on the Altaria mother's face.
Why wasn't the first human she met someone like this?
At that moment, she finally had to admit—Angie was different from the humans she had known.
As soon as Angie left, the Swablu and her father also woke up.
"Swablu~~ Swablu~~"
Mommy, you're finally awake! I was so worried.
Swablu joyfully snuggled into her mother's arms, affectionately nuzzling her over and over.
"Swab~~"
Altaria gently patted Swablu with her wing, soothing her anxious daughter. The sudden illness must have really frightened her.
Altaria's father nuzzled his head against his wife's neck, expressing his concern and love.
Altaria mother responded, entwining her neck with his, creating a warm and loving atmosphere in the room.
After eating the food Angie brought over, Altaria mother finally regained her strength.
With the bright afternoon sun shining down, the family of three flew out of Angie's house.
"Chirp~ Chirp~"
"Swablu~ Swablu~~"
Their clear calls echoed through the blue sky, bringing a vibrant energy to the Nebel Plateau.
"Come back and visit when you have time!"
Angie waved toward the sky from the doorway, receiving only more cheerful cries from the Altaria family in return.
...
That day, Angie invited Barboach and Whiscash over to his home. The reason? He had bought some lotus root from the system shop and wanted the two brothers to help plant them in the pond beside his vegetable garden.
Originally, Angie planned to have them plant the lotus roots in the little pond they lived in. But now that he had his own pond, there was no need to go far.
Standing by the pond, Angie watched as Barboach and Whiscash buried one lotus root after another into the muddy bottom. Suddenly, he asked, "Why don't you two just move into my pond?"
The brothers were caught off guard by Angie's suggestion.
"Hm?"
Angie explained, "Look, your old home is pretty remote, and you live there all alone. Plus, since you're Water-type Pokémon, it's hard for you to get around on land. Living far away makes it difficult for you to come here for meals.
"Why not move into my pond? You can help me plant and tend to the lotus roots, keep the pond clean, and once the roots grow, I'll share some with you for food. The lotus roots from my place are tastier than the ones you have—big and delicious."
Angie figured the pond would need regular cleaning. Otherwise, the sediment would build up, making it shallower, and even block the passage connecting the pond to Nebel Lake. Barboach and Whiscash were perfect for the job.
The two brothers exchanged hesitant glances.
Angie continued, "Plus, my pond connects directly to Nebel Lake. If you ever get bored, you can head over there to relax. Isn't that better than your small, isolated pond?"
Finally, Angie's last point hit home, and the brothers were clearly tempted.
"Dug~ Dug~"
Just then, the trio of Dugtrio popped their heads out of the ground, joining in to persuade Barboach and Whiscash. They had come to help with weeding and loosening the soil in Angie's vegetable garden and had overheard the conversation.
"Dug~ Dug~"
In the end, Whiscash made the decision, agreeing to Angie's proposal.
Overjoyed, Angie grinned and said to Whiscash and Barboach, "Whiscash, Barboach, we'll be neighbors from now on. Let's get along well!"
"Bar~ Bar~~"
"Dug~ Dug~~"
Barboach and Whiscash nodded in agreement, then dove back into the water to continue planting the lotus roots.