Angie didn't mind that the soup had been tasted by Sobble. Taking the bowl, he sipped a mouthful, and his eyes instantly widened.
This fish soup… was simply divine!
The rich broth was both fresh and fragrant, and the fish was tender and delicate, practically melting in his mouth. The two complemented each other perfectly—it was a celestial dish.
The black fish, with almost no bones, posed no risk of choking.
The soup in the bowl was a creamy white, with tender snow-white fish meat soaking within. Fresh green scallions floated on the surface, making it visually mouthwatering.
"Sobble, you're amazing!" Angie praised wholeheartedly, giving Sobble a big thumbs-up.
o((*^▽^*))o
Hearing this, Sobble immediately jumped up and down on the stove in delight. After a few hops, it struck a cool pose.
"Sobble~ Sobble~"
Look how awesome I am!
Munchlax, who had been drooling uncontrollably, tugged at Angie's sleeve impatiently.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Master, let me try some! Please!
With a doting smile, Angie handed the bowl to Munchlax, who eagerly held it, sniffing it like one would a sacred offering.
"Munchlax~~"
So fragrant!
A glimmer of drool sparkled at the corner of its mouth. The moment it finished speaking, it guzzled the entire bowl of soup in one go.
Gulp~ Gulp~
Delicious!
After drinking, it looked longingly at Angie, clearly asking: Is there more?
Angie laughed. "Do you like fish?" He had already noticed Munchlax's fondness for fish—it devoured them, bones and all.
"Munchlax~"
I love it!
Munchlax nodded its head vigorously.
"When our fish farm is ready, we'll raise plenty of fish. Then, you can eat as much as you want," Angie said, pinching its chubby cheek.
"Munchlax~~"
Munchlax cradled the bowl, lost in a blissful daydream, wishing that day would come sooner. It grew so excited that it spun around on its tiptoes.
"You little glutton…" Angie chuckled, taking the bowl from Munchlax and placing it back on the stove. "Alright, let's get the food ready and take it out. Everyone must be starving by now."
Because of the day's work at the fish farm, dinner was delayed.
As steaming trays of buns were carried out, the Pokémon finally received the long-awaited meal. Along with the buns, each Pokémon was given a bowl of piping hot fish soup.
Sure enough, everyone sang high praises for the fresh and flavorful fish soup, which delighted Sobble to no end.
It tucked its little hands behind its back and swaggered over to Patrat and Watchog while putting on a serious face.
"Sobble~ Sobble~"
How's the fish soup?
Patrat and Watchog exchanged puzzled looks before nodding.
Seeing this, Sobble's serious expression didn't last three seconds before a smug grin spread across its face.
"Sobble~ Sobble~"
Glad you like it! I made it.
Having spent enough time with Sobble, everyone knew its quirks well. Patrat and Watchog quickly gave it a thumbs-up.
"Patrat~ Patrar~"
You're really amazing!
"Watchog~ Watchog~"
That's right, so amazing!
Satisfied with their responses, Sobble sauntered away with its head held high.
Next, it strutted over to Hippopotas and Hippowdon, though its upturned grin was impossible to suppress.
"Sobble~ Sobble~"
How's the fish soup?
It asked again, pretending to be casual.
Hippopotas and Hippowdon exchanged a glance and immediately understood.
Hippopotas nodded its head.
"Hippopotas~"
Delicious, very delicious.
Hippowdon chimed in.
"Hippowdon~ Hippowdon~"
That's right, it's very delicious.
Hearing this, Sobble lifted its chin proudly.
"Sobble~ Sobble~"
You two have great taste. I made the soup!
"Hippopotas~ Hippopotas~"
Wow, amazing! You're so amazing!
"Hippowdon~ Hippowdon~"
Incredible! Incredible!
Hippopotas and Hippowdon started showering Sobble with over-the-top praise.
Feeling utterly satisfied, Sobble strutted off once again.
Angie and Diancie stood at the doorstep, watching Sobble gleefully weave through the crowd of Pokémon, its smug expression undeniable.
The two of them exchanged a glance before shaking their heads in unison.
This little one is just too full of itself.
Meanwhile, Munchlax had already made itself comfortable on the steps, clutching a steamed bun in one hand and a bowl of fish soup in the other, devouring its meal with such an expression of bliss that it looked absolutely adorable.
After dinner, the Pokémon either sprawled out or lay down to rest in the square. Seeing this, Angie thought to himself that he must work hard to build the Nebel Plateau so that all the Pokémon living there could have jobs and never have to worry about food again.
With this thought, a surge of motivation filled him.
When he first arrived at the Nebel Plateau, he had only dreamed of a leisurely retirement life. Yet, here he was, busier than ever—running the shop in the morning and spending the afternoons working with the Pokémon to develop the plateau.
His days were busy but fulfilling.
In neither his past life nor when he first crossed over as a prince of the Azoth Kingdom had Angie ever imagined he'd one day lead such a life.
"The planting of the Pinap Berry Tree and Bluk Berry Tree has been completed. Starting tomorrow, there will be new tasks, so I'll be counting on everyone!" Angie announced to the Pokémon.
"Floette~!"
No problem!
"Aron~!"
Leave it to us!
"Buneary~!"
Let's do our best!
The Pokémon responded enthusiastically, their morale high.
After a short rest, night fell, and the Pokémon gradually headed home.
The following afternoon, Angie led the Pokémon to the easternmost part of Nebel Lake. Here, where the lake met the Nebel River, lay fertile floodplains flanked by lush trees.
However, the trees here were all ordinary and bore no fruit, nor were they edible.
This area was also the only place on the Nebel Plateau with a dense forest.
Further south, the plateau's borders ended.
And then there was the majestic waterfall located at this very spot.
Today's task for the Pokémon was to cut down all the trees. Once the land was cleared, Angie planned to plant new berry trees.
"Everyone, let's get to work!" Angie called out to the Pokémon.
The Pokémon, already raring to go, rushed into the forest at his command, each selecting their own target.
"Vivillon~~!"
The Vivillon led its companions through the woods, their wings flapping swiftly as they used Air Cutter to create sharp wind blades. They slashed at the bases of the trees repeatedly, and before long, a massive tree crashed to the ground.
"Aron~ Aron~!"
The Aron was much more direct. After a running start, it rammed the tree with Iron Head, snapping it cleanly in half. Despite its small size, it packed an incredible punch.
The Patrat and Watchog, being less strong, opted for persistence. They clung to the tree roots, gnawing through them bit by bit with their powerful Crunch attack.
"Victreebel~~!"
The Victreebel, however, relied on brute strength. Wrapping its vines around the base of a tree, it easily uprooted the entire thing.
The Weepinbell and Bellsprout lacked the sheer strength to uproot trees individually, so they worked together to get the job done.
"Bellsprout~ Bellsprout~~"
"Bellsprout~ Bellsprout~~"
The Bellsprout chanted rhythmically, coordinating their efforts under the guidance of the Weepinbell.
Chesnaught and Quilladin, on the other hand, were more powerful than others. Like Victreebel, they used their vines to effortlessly uproot trees.
Greninja, however, brought style to the art of tree-felling—nothing short of cool!
It leaped swiftly between the forest floor and tree branches, firing Water Shuriken with pinpoint precision at the bases of trees. One by one, the trees toppled.
In contrast, Delphox, a Psychic-type Pokémon, prioritized elegance and ease. With a graceful wave of its wand, it directed its psychic energy at multiple trees at once, effortlessly pulling them up from the roots.
Elegant, truly elegant.
"Floette~"
"Vivillon~"
"Bunnelby~"
Delphox's graceful performance immediately captivated Floette, Buneary, and Bunnelby, who gazed at it with awe and admiration.
The three little Pokémon clenched their fists, determined to become just as elegant and strong.
Floette surrounded itself with a green glow, unleashing sharp leaves that sliced at the bases of the trees.
It was using Razor Leaf.
However, despite its speed, Floette's Razor Leaf lacked power and wasn't as effortlessly effective as Delphox's technique. It took a while, but eventually, it succeeded.
"Buneary~ Buneary~"
Buneary relied on its incredible jumping ability. It sprang high into the air and delivered a powerful kick to a tree's base.
Crack!
The tree snapped cleanly at the root, leaving everyone awestruck at how formidable little Buneary was.
When it landed, Buneary struck a gymnast's triumphant pose, basking in the admiring looks of its companions.
Bunnelby, meanwhile, took an unconventional approach. It quickly loosened the soil around a tree's roots, causing the tree to collapse under its own weight.
The Pokémon worked tirelessly to chop down trees, and the felled timber was transported back to the plateau by large Flying Pokémon like Talonflame, Staraptor, Altaria, and Honchkrow.
These were high-quality logs that would undoubtedly prove useful in the future, so nothing would go to waste.
The remaining stumps embedded in the soil were dug up by Ground-type Pokémon like Drilbur, Hippopotas, and Hippowdon, and piled up in one corner.
The stumps were enormous, and Angie wasn't sure what purpose they could serve for now, so he decided to leave them aside.
Watching the Pokémon work in an organized and enthusiastic manner gave Angie peace of mind.
"Hey, Munchlax! We're heading to the fish farm. Do you want to come along?" Angie shouted from a distance.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~~ Munchlax~~~"
Watch my invincible Thunder Bear Paw!
Munchlax was furiously pounding away at a large tree, burning off its excess energy. It had recently taken to naming its moves with strange and exaggerated titles. What it just called "Thunder Bear Paw" was, in reality, just the Brick Break move.
Hearing Angie call, Munchlax turned around and waved.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
No thanks, I'm staying to chop trees!
It shouted loudly.
The little bear didn't want to protect the forest; it wanted to become the ultimate lumberjack!
Fine, if you don't want to come, you don't have to!
Angie said to Sobble, "Let's go!"
Sobble perched on Angie's shoulder, blinked at him, and gave a thumbs-up.
"Sobble~"
No problem!
Meanwhile, Diancie was helping with tree-felling. It conjured a long diamond blade and swept it across the trees, felling an entire swath in an instant.
Knowing Diancie disliked water, Angie didn't call for it to join.
As for Komala… better not mention it. It had disappeared long ago, most likely off to meet its drinking buddy again.
To this day, Angie still didn't know who Komala's mysterious drinking companion was. It didn't seem to be a resident of the Nebel Plateau but rather some Pokémon from the forest to the east.
Poor Komala, running so far every few days just for a drink with its buddy.
When Angie arrived at the fish farm with Sobble, Politoed was already hard at work with the Water-type Pokémon. Today, all the Water-types were focused on the fish farm, leaving tree-felling to the others.
As soon as they saw Angie, they surfaced one after another to greet him.
Angie noticed a net by the shore, filled with fish caught by the Water Pokémon. Each one was impressively large.
The fish swam around in the net, some even attempting to escape, but the net Angie had purchased from the system shop was incredibly sturdy. There was no way they could break through it.
The fish farm needed more than just wild fish cleared out—larger wild shrimp, crabs, and even aquatic plants had to be dealt with too.
For fish that posed a threat to the fry but were too small to eat, Angie instructed the Water-types to release them outside the fish farm.
Angie maneuvered a boat through the fish farm, collecting water plants that the Water Pokémon hauled up and transporting them to the shore.
Clearing the aquatic plants from the lakebed didn't mean it would remain barren; Angie planned to buy new aquatic plants from the system shop to replant in the lake.
These plants from the system shop would not only serve as fish food but also purify the water, making them far superior to the wild varieties.
Angie was particularly eager to plant Salveyo Weed.
The system shop sold young Salveyo Weed, which, unlike the wild variety in Nebel Lake, wouldn't become too tough to eat by late autumn or winter.
As long as the water temperature was suitable, these plants would continually produce tender shoots.
Salveyo Weed was highly nutritious for fish and Water-type Pokémon, and Angie enjoyed eating it too. With help from the Poliwag and others, he wasn't worried about successfully cultivating it.
While Angie was busily hauling water plants, Sobble suddenly climbed onto the boat, crying out loudly.
"Sobble~ Sobble~"
Help! Help! I got bitten!
It held up its finger, tearfully complaining to Angie. Looking down, Angie saw a small, red-shelled creature clamped onto Sobble's finger.
Was that… a crawfish?
Angie's eyes widened. So, Nebel Lake had crawfish too!
As thoughts of all the delicious crawfish dishes flooded his mind, Angie couldn't help but swallow in anticipation.
"Sobble, hold on! I'll get it off you right away."
Squatting down, Angie grabbed the crawfish and forcefully crushed its claw, freeing Sobble instantly.
"Sobble~"
That hurt so much!
Tears welled up in Sobble's eyes as it prepared to cry pearls, but Angie picked it up and tossed it straight into the lake. At least its tears wouldn't stink up the place if they dissolved in the water.
(_)\ヾ
Sobble was so shocked by Angie's sudden action that it forgot to cry altogether.
"Hehe, Sobble, I just didn't want to get overwhelmed by your tears," Angie said with a grin.
Sobble: You heartless master!