Angie gently pinched Munchlax's ear and asked, "Do you like it?"
Munchlax held its face in its hands, grinning with delight.
"Munchlax~"
I like it, Master!
Angie continued, "I'm going to plant some flowers in the garden over there. Do you want to come along?"
Munchlax nodded enthusiastically.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Let's go, let's go!
And so, the pair of master and apprentice made their way to the empty flowerbed on the right, stepping into it together.
Angie took out the honey flower seeds he had obtained last night. Upon opening the package, he discovered that the seeds came in four colors, matching the four types of nectar. It seemed that each color of seed corresponded to a specific type of honey flower.
After some thought, Angie decided to separate the seeds by color and plant them in the four corners of the flowerbed.
Pouring the seeds onto the edge of the flowerbed wall, he said to Munchlax, "Munchlax, will you help me sort these seeds by color?"
"Munchlax~~"
Munchlax nodded energetically, obediently crouching beside Angie. Together, they began sorting the seeds with an air of utmost concentration.
"Fletchinder~ Fletchinder~"
"Spritzee~ Spritzee~"
"Swablu~ Swablu~"
At that moment, Fletchinder, Spritzee, and Swablu flapped their wings and landed beside Angie and Munchlax.
"Spritzee~ Spritzee~"
What are you doing?
Spritzee asked curiously.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Munchlax pointed at the seeds, gesturing and explaining to the three Pokémon.
After hearing the explanation, Fletchinder chirped.
"Fletchinder~ Fletchinder~"
I'll help too!
"Spritzee~ Spritzee~"
Me too, me too!
"Swablu~ Swablu~"
Count me in, count me in!
With the help of the three Pokémon, Angie and Munchlax quickly sorted the seeds by color.
Next, Angie divided the flowerbed into four neat square sections. Munchlax and Fletchinder took charge of digging holes, while Angie, Spritzee, and Swablu placed seeds into the pits.
Before long, all the seeds were planted.
At that moment, a Castform happened to float by. Angie waved at it and called out, "Castform, could I trouble you to water my flowerbed?"
Castform nodded and descended from the sky, landing in the center of the flowerbed. Angie and the others quickly stepped out of the flowerbed.
As Castform's Rain Dance took effect, a small cloud appeared above the flowerbed, and a gentle rain began to fall. At the same time, Castform's form transformed from its regular state into its Rainy Form.
Once the soil was moist, the Rain Dance came to an end.
Afterward, Angie led the now dirt-covered Pokémon for a quick wash. When they emerged, they saw Gardevoir and Gallade returning with Grassy Milk, using their psychic powers to carry it.
After placing the milk in the kitchen, Angie seemed to think of something. He waved at the pair and said, "Gardevoir, Gallade, come here. I have something to discuss with you."
The couple exchanged a curious glance and approached Angie. He then turned to Munchlax and said, "Munchlax, could you go and ask Meowstic to come over?"
"Munchlax~"
Munchlax nodded and, with its tiny legs, dashed outside. At that moment, Meowstic was playing with the other Pokémon outdoors.
It didn't take long before Munchlax returned with Meowstic.
"Meowstic!"
The three Pokémon looked at Angie with puzzled expressions.
"Here's the thing," Angie began, "I've recently built a staff dormitory and wanted to ask if you'd like to move in."
Staff dormitory? What's that?
The three Pokémon exchanged confused glances, their faces full of curiosity.
"How about this: I'll take you on a tour of the dormitory first, and then you can decide," Angie suggested with a smile.
The three Pokémon nodded in agreement.
"Munchlax, would you like to join us?" Angie asked, turning to it.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Of course, of course!
Munchlax naturally reached out its hand to Angie, who smiled and held it.
Then Angie, along with Munchlax, Gardevoir and Gallade, and Meowstic, took the elevator to the second floor of the secret base.
As soon as Munchlax stepped into the elevator, its curiosity took over. It touched and explored everything it could reach. Once they entered the staff dormitory, Munchlax began sprinting down the hallway, occasionally bursting into random rooms to hide, only to jump out suddenly and make silly faces to try and scare Angie.
In truth, its antics weren't frightening at all; instead, they were endearingly goofy and adorable.
However, Angie played along, pretending to be startled. He clutched his chest dramatically and exclaimed, "Oh no! You scared me to death! Scared me to death!"
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Each time, Munchlax would sit on the floor laughing heartily, its expression saying, "Master, you're so timid."
Gardevoir and the others could see that Angie was deliberately playing along with Munchlax. They hid behind him, chuckling quietly, but Munchlax didn't notice and kept enthusiastically playing its game with Angie.
After showing the three Pokémon around, Angie asked, "So, what do you think? You can pick any room here to live in."
"Gardevoir~?"
Is such a nice place really for us?
Gardevoir asked.
Gallade, equally incredulous, scanned the finely designed rooms. If they could live here, their family of three would no longer have to endure exposure to the harsh weather, nor worry about safety.
Meowstic also looked around curiously. Compared to its little grass hut, this place was practically paradise.
"Of course! This is the staff dormitory, so naturally, it's meant for my staff to live in. Aren't you my staff?" Angie replied. "If you move in here, it'll be more convenient for work. You won't have to rush to my place early every morning."
"So, what do you think? Want to move in?" Angie asked.
Gardevoir and Gallade exchanged glances and agreed without hesitation.
"Gardevoir~"
Of course, we'll move in!
"Gallade~"
We'd love to!
Meowstic glanced at the couple and nodded as well.
"Meowstic~"
I'd like to too.
Angie smiled at their responses. "Great! Go ahead and pick a room."
The Gardevoir couple and Meowstic nodded and started exploring the dormitory.
With so many rooms, each designed for different Pokémon family setups, the three Pokémon were quickly overwhelmed by the options.
After a long while, the Gardevoir couple chose a two-bedroom unit, complete with a living room and a bathroom. They planned for the two of them to share the larger bedroom, while Ralts would take the smaller one—just perfect for their family.
Looking at their chosen room, the couple was filled with anticipation. They had never imagined they would live in such a nice place.
Meowstic chose a studio apartment, which included a bedroom and a bathroom. It decided to be neighbors with the Gardevoir couple, picking a room right next to theirs.
Once the selections were complete, Angie said, "Alright, since you've picked your rooms, go ahead and pack your things. You can move in right away."
"Gardevoir~"
"Gallade~"
"Meowstic~"
The three Pokémon nodded, and Angie escorted them to the elevator, sending them out of the secret base.
After seeing them off, Angie returned to the rooms they had chosen. He thought for a moment and used happiness points in the system store to buy basic furnishings for them: blankets, pillows, beds, and storage cabinets for each bedroom.
As for any additional needs, he figured they could handle those themselves.
After setting everything up, Angie looked around at the still largely empty dormitory. He suddenly thought, Maybe I should hire a cleaning crew? Not only does the staff dormitory need regular cleaning, but so do the other floors.
With this in mind, Angie went back to the surface and spotted Helioptile and Minccino chasing each other along the wall. His eyes lit up.
Minccino was a Pokémon with a love for cleanliness, often instinctively tidying up whenever it saw dirt. Wouldn't it be perfect as a cleaner?
Of course, the enormous secret base would be too much for one Minccino alone. Why not hire Litwick and the others as well?
With this idea in mind, Angie called out, "Minccino, Helioptile, come here!"
Hearing Angie's voice, the two Pokémon immediately stopped playing and leaped down from the wall.
"Minccino~"
Angie, what's up?
"Helioptile~"
Angie, do you want to play with us?
"Minccino, Helioptile, could you go find Litwick and everyone else for me? I have something to discuss with you all," Angie said.
"Minccino~"
No problem.
"Helioptile~"
Leave it to us.
The two Pokémon nodded and quickly dashed off.
Not long after, Litwick, Gulpin, Spritzee, Litleo, Pancham, Skitty, Scrafty, Stunky, Zigzagoon, Helioptile, and Minccino all gathered around Angie. Joining them was Diancie, brought along by Munchlax—after all, without Diancie to translate, a proper discussion would be impossible.
"Litwick~ Litwick~"
Angie, what's the matter?
Litwick asked.
"Here's the deal..." Angie explained his plan to hire them as cleaners.
After hearing Angie's proposal, the Pokémon's eyes lit up like a thousand-watt bulb.
"Pancham~ Pancham~"
Angie, are you serious about hiring us as your staff?
Pancham asked, equal parts skeptical and hopeful.
Becoming one of Angie's employees was now the ultimate dream of all Pokémon on the plateau.
(Translation by Diancie omitted for brevity.)
"Of course! When have I ever joked about such things?" Angie patted Pancham's head reassuringly.
"Pancham~ Pancham~!"
"Litwick~ Litwick~!"
"Minccino~ Minccino~!"
…
As Angie confirmed, the Pokémon erupted into joyous cheers, hugging and jumping together in celebration.
Watching their excitement, Angie couldn't help but feel happy himself. He thought back to their first encounters: whether it was Gulpin or Litwick, they had all been terrified of him at the beginning. Now, they were close companions.
"Since you've all agreed, let me show you where you'll be working from now on." Angie patted Litleo and Skitty on their heads.
"Litleo~!"
"Skitty~!"
Everyone nodded in unison.
Angie then led them on a tour from the first to the fifth floor, explaining which areas needed cleaning, which items were off-limits, and safety precautions while working. The Pokémon listened intently.
When the tour ended, Angie brought them back to the second floor and said, "Now, pick a room for yourselves."
"Litwick~!"
"Pancham~!"
"Skitty~!"
…
The Pokémon cheered and started exploring the rooms to choose one they liked. In the end, they collectively decided on a dormitory-style room.
Once they had chosen, Angie got to work furnishing it. Using points from his system store, he bought bunk beds, neatly arranging them in the room, and added a large cabinet for storage.
With everything set up, the room looked remarkably like a dormitory from Angie's student days in his previous life.
Afterward, the Pokémon looked around their future living space with bright eyes, their excitement palpable. Pancham, in particular, couldn't stop grinning, his smile stretching ear to ear. He carefully touched the bed frame and cabinet, almost afraid of breaking something, yet unable to resist exploring.
"Alright, everyone, go pack up your things—you can move in right away!" Angie said, seeing their enthusiasm.
"Litwick~!"
The Pokémon cheered again before rushing excitedly toward the elevator.
Just then, Meowstic emerged from the elevator with its belongings and was surprised to see the others gathered there.
"Pancham~ Pancham~!"
Pancham ran over to proudly share the news that they had also been hired by Angie.
"Meowstic~ Meowstic~!"
Meowstic, delighted for its friends, quickly set down its things to offer congratulations.
Since they were eager to return and pack, Pancham and the others didn't linger, happily leaving the secret fortress.
Upon reaching the surface, Spritzee spotted its friends Swablu and Fletchinder playing in the air and quickly flew over to them.
"Spritzee~ Spritzee~!"
I bet you're dying to know what Angie wanted me for!
Spritzee raised its head smugly, its proud expression making Swablu and Fletchinder itch to swat at it.
"Fletchinder~ Fletchinder~!"
What is it? Tell us already!
"Swablu~ Swablu~!"
Yeah, yeah, spill it!
"Spritzee~ Spritzee~!"
Listen up! I'm now officially one of Angie's employees!
Thud.
Both Fletchinder and Swablu were so shocked they forgot to flap their wings, plummeting halfway to the ground before scrambling to fly again.
"Fletchinder~ Fletchinder~!"
Really? Really?
Fletchinder screeched in excitement.
"Spritzee~!"
Of course!
Spritzee puffed out its chest, basking in the envy of its friends.
"Swablu~ Swablu~! So jealous! So jealous!"
Swablu flapped its wings furiously, circling Spritzee like a whirlwind, wishing it was the one hired by Angie instead.
And Spritzee wasn't the only one showing off to its friends.