After the sparring session, Angie left the banquet hall together with the professors.
During their subsequent conversation, the professors asked Angie many questions about Diancie, which he patiently answered one by one. He even gifted the professors a diamond created by Diancie.
Although the diamond wouldn't last long, both professors were overjoyed.
Professor Sada asked, "By the way, the Azoth research team will be heading to Paldea with us in a few days. Would Your Highness be interested in joining us for a visit to Paldea?"
The professors were still deeply intrigued about how Angie had lived for five hundred years and how Diancie was created.
Angie initially wanted to decline. He was busy earning money, and there was a mountain of tasks waiting for him on the Nibel Plateau. He simply didn't have the time.
However, at that moment, Diancie gently tugged at Angie, and a translucent notification window appeared in his mind.
...
[ Preliminary Mission ]
[ Description: Accept the invitation from the professors and visit the Great Crater of Paldea. Accept? ]
[ Yes ] or [ No ]
...
Reading the mission details, Angie fell into deep thought. A preliminary mission… so there's a follow-up mission? That kind of mission typically comes with either generous or significant rewards.
Maybe I should just accept it?
With that thought, Angie selected "Accept."
Noticing Angie zoning out, Professor Turo said, "Your Highness, you've likely never been to the Paldea region before, right? Paldea has many wonders and Pokémon that Kalos doesn't have. You might find it interesting to take a look."
Angie smiled and said, "Since you're both inviting me so sincerely, it would be rude to refuse!"
Professor Sada and Professor Turo were delighted. "We're sure Your Highness will love Paldea."
Angie chatted with the professors for a long time. It wasn't until midnight that he rode his Honchkrow away from the royal palace.
Even at such a late hour, Azoth's royal capital remained bustling with lights and activity. Riding on the back of his Honchkrow, Angie gazed at the lively city below as the cold wind brushed past him.
It had been a long time since he last admired the nighttime cityscape of a thriving metropolis, and a sense of nostalgia filled his heart.
With Honchkrow's speed, it didn't take long for Angie to reach the Munchlax's Home. Upon landing, a series of cries reached his ears from not far away.
"Who's making such a ruckus this late at night?" Angie muttered, heading toward the source of the noise with Honchkrow in tow.
He soon arrived at the little alley where the Oddish family resided.
In the darkness, a row of bird-like Pokémon perched on a wall. Angie could only vaguely make out their silhouettes, but their crimson eyes glinted eerily in the night.
These bird-like Pokémon were all staring intently at the small wooden house below, where the Oddish family lived.
Murkrow! Angie instantly recognized the identity of these Pokémon.
"Murkrow~"
Suddenly, at a command from the leading Murkrow, the others dived down, their sharp beaks and claws aiming for the wooden house.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Angie shouted.
Hearing his voice, the Murkrow froze in their tracks.
"Murkrow, Murkrow~"
The lead Murkrow let out another cry, and the rest immediately flew upward, seemingly intending to escape.
Having lived in the city for so long, these Murkrow knew one golden rule: never mess with the city's true rulers—humans. When faced with humans, the best course of action was to flee.
However, at that moment, the Honchkrow beside Angie let out a sharp cry of its own. The fleeing Murkrow froze mid-air as if paralyzed by its command.
You're joking—do a bunch of Murkrow really dare to rebel with Honchkrow around?
"Honchkrow~~"
Honchkrow cawed sharply, and the Murkrow instantly drooped their heads and descended, landing one by one around Honchkrow, not daring to resist at all.
This was all about the hierarchical and social relationship between Honchkrow and Murkrow. In Murkrow's eyes, Honchkrow's authority was absolute and unquestionable.
Hearing the commotion, Oddish, Shroomish, and Paras came out to see what was going on. In the darkness, they couldn't make out who had arrived.
"It's me," Angie called out. "Oddish, Shroomish, Paras!"
"Oddish~!"
"Shroomish~!"
"Paras~!"
The six Pokémon perked up upon hearing Angie's voice, running happily to his feet, their faces full of grievance.
Angie squatted down and asked, "What happened? Why are the Murkrow bullying you?"
The six Pokémon started chattering all at once, each trying to explain.
It turned out the Murkrow were after their food! Angie had given Oddish and the others some provisions, which they would often eat sparingly, saving part for later. Over time, they caught the attention of a group of Murkrow. These Murkrow had been harassing them at night, demanding their stored food.
It took Angie a while to piece everything together.
"Is that so?" Angie asked, turning to the Murkrow.
"Honchkrow!"
Honchkrow cawed again in Angie's stead.
The Murkrow lowered their heads further, not daring to make a sound.
"Grrooo~"
A loud stomach growl broke the silence, revealing a Murkrow clutching its belly with a miserable look.
"Honchkrow~ Honchkrow~"
Honchkrow suddenly cawed at Angie a few times.
"You mean... you want to take these Murkrow back to the Nebel Plateau?" Angie asked, trying to confirm.
"Honchkrow~ Honchkrow~"
Honchkrow nodded.
Angie recalled that both Honchkrow and Murkrow were flock-oriented Pokémon. In the wild, Honchkrow usually had a large group of Murkrow as followers, doing its bidding while it lazed around.
The Honchkrow in the Nebel Plateau, however, had been alone ever since Angie met it. Could it be yearning for the easy life?
"Well, I guess that's fine," Angie said. "But you have to keep them in line. No causing trouble on the Nebel Plateau."
Angie had dreamed of a laid-back life himself, so he wasn't about to deny Honchkrow the chance to pursue happiness.
"Honchkrow~~"
Honchkrow confidently puffed out its chest with a wing, then glared at the Murkrow. Cause trouble? They wouldn't dare!
The Murkrow shrank back further under Honchkrow's glare, looking like scolded children.
"Alright, let's head home," Angie said, standing up.
Honchkrow flapped its wings and took off, motioning for the Murkrow to follow.
Angie lifted his foot to leave but paused, turning to Oddish, Shroomish, and Paras. "Do you guys want to come with me too? I'll give you work—you help me out, and I'll provide food."
"Oddish~!"
"Shroomish~!"
"Paras~!"
The six Pokémon jumped with joy, clearly delighted. They trusted Angie and didn't doubt his promise for a second.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Angie smiled. "Alright, come along then."
The little group eagerly prepared to dash back to their shack and gather their belongings. Angie quickly intervened. "No need for that. I'll get you all new things later."
"Oddish~?"
Oddish tilted its head, looking back at the shack with a pained expression, reluctant to leave behind its hard-earned treasures.
Honchkrow swooped down, scooped up the six little Pokémon with its wings, and unceremoniously dumped them onto its back. With a few flaps of its wings, it lifted off into the sky, carrying them along.
Angie shook his head with a smile. After opening the door to the Munchlax's Home, he led the group of Pokémon inside.
Passing through the space portal, they returned to their home on the Nebel Plateau.
As soon as they arrived, Honchkrow took off with its flock of Murkrow, vanishing into the night sky.
Back home, Diancie and Drizzile were still awake, sitting on the couch. Diancie was engrossed in a drama, while Drizzile was absorbed in a game, both waiting for Angie to return.
Meanwhile, Munchlax had curled up in a corner of the couch, hugging a Komala plush and snoring softly. A bubble of snot wobbled on its nose.
Oddish, Shroomish, and Paras nervously trailed behind Angie, cautiously looking around at their unfamiliar surroundings, clearly uneasy.
Diancie noticed them and asked, "Where did these little ones come from?"
Angie grinned. "I picked them up."
"Sigh~"
Diancie sighed helplessly.
Angie continued, "Take Munchlax and the others to wash up and rest. No training today—it's too late. I'll help these guys settle in."
"Alright."
Diancie nodded before taking Munchlax and the others.
Angie then led Oddish and its companions to the secret fortress. By this time, most of the Pokémon were already asleep, though Delphox was still awake. Hearing the commotion, it came out to see what was going on.
Angie introduced them with a smile. "This is Oddish, Shroomish, and Paras. They'll be part of the Nebel Plateau family from now on. Please help take care of them."
"Delphox~"
Delphox nodded warmly and enthusiastically led the six Pokémon to pick out a room. Its gentle demeanor quickly put them at ease, and their nervousness began to fade.
As one of the guardians of the Nebel Plateau, Delphox had a knack for comforting Pokémon.
Since the six Pokémon had been living together before, they chose to stay together here as well.
Once they had chosen a room, Angie handed them a can of Pokémon food.
"Have a bite to eat and then get some sleep. Tomorrow, Delphox will introduce you to everyone and help you get started with your work."
"Everyone on the Nebel Plateau is kind, so there's no need to worry about anything."
"Delphox~ Delphox~"
Delphox nodded in agreement, gently echoing Angie's reassurance to the six Pokémon.
"Oddish~"
"Shroomish~"
"Paras~"
The six Pokémon nodded earnestly.
After Angie and Delphox left, the six Pokémon enjoyed a satisfying meal before curling up together and falling into a deep sleep.
Having been on edge all night due to the Murkrow's harassment, they were mentally and physically exhausted.
In their dreams, faint smiles appeared on their faces, reflecting their hope for the future.
When Angie returned home, Diancie and the others had already gone to bed. He quickly freshened up and climbed into bed as well.
Before sleeping, though, he needed to claim his task rewards.
Starting with the daily task rewards—since there had been no special training tonight, there was only one reward.
[ Congratulations, Master. You've received: Individual Value +1. ]
Angie hadn't expected a golden reward from a daily task. Thrilled, he sat up straight in excitement. Even if it was just a single point, it was far better than receiving the usual trivial items like cucumbers or berries.
Without hesitation, Angie allocated the point to Munchlax's attack stat.
Munchlax's updated stats were as follows.
[ Munchlax ]
Type: Normal
Ability: Thick Fat
Gender: Male
Level: 38
Moves: Tackle, Lick, Defense Curl, Recycle, Covet, Bite, Stockpile, Swallow, Body Slam, Fling, Amnesia, Take Down, Charm, Seed Bomb, Brick Break, Counter.
...
[ Individual Values (IVs) ]
HP: 29
Attack: 26
Defense: 20
Special Attack: 31
Special Defense: 10
Speed: 31
...
Next came the rewards for the newly completed task.
[ Congratulations, Master, for completing the (Preliminary Task). Accepting invitations from the two professors to visit the Great Crater of Paldea. ]
[ Reward: Tera Orb x1, Constitution +1, Intelligence +1. ]
A Tera Orb??? Angie had just learned about Terastallization earlier today, and now he had already received a Tera Orb as a reward?
After claiming the reward, a purple orb appeared in Angie's hand.
However, the Tera Orb seemed to be uncharged. Without energy, it couldn't be used, which left Angie a little disappointed. He stowed it away in his spatial backpack.
Next, he checked his personal stats.
...
[ Angie ]
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 16 (+500)
Constitution: 36
Intelligence: 18
Culinary Skill Rating: A newbie cook who's barely competent.
...
I'm getting stronger! Angie clenched his fists, delighted to feel an increase in his strength. In high spirits, he climbed into bed and soon drifted off to sleep.
...
The next day, Angie received a call from Flamel, who informed him that the materials he had requested for making fertilizer had arrived.
Shortly after their conversation, a flying craft descended onto the Nebel Plateau.
When the craft landed, a young man in uniform stepped out.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The young man greeted Angie loudly.
Angie asked, "Are you Jeremy?"
The young man replied, "Yes, Your Highness. From now on, if there's anything you need, feel free to contact me!"
It turned out that Jeremy was a steward assigned by the palace specifically to assist Angie. His job was to run errands, and his salary was covered by the royal family.
"Alright, I'll be counting on you then." Angie nodded. "Did you manage to get all the materials I requested?"
Jeremy replied, "Rest assured, Your Highness. Following Miss Flamel's instructions, I've purchased everything."
As he spoke, he clapped his hands. "Pangoro, Barbaracle, let's get to work!"
At his command, two Pokémon began unloading sacks of materials from the flying craft. In no time, piles of materials—such as wheat bran, straw, and humus—were stacked neatly outside Angie's home.
Jeremy said, "Your Highness, all the materials are here. Please inspect them."
After checking everything, Angie said, "The materials are all in order. Thanks for making this trip."
Jeremy scratched the back of his head and replied, "It's my job, Your Highness. There's no need to thank me. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Angie nodded. "Alright, you can go now."
Jeremy then boarded the flying craft with Pangoro and Barbaracle and departed from the Nebel Plateau.
...
After Jeremy left, Angie, along with his Pokémon, moved the materials to the waste disposal section of the secret fortress and fed them into the reactor.
Now, all Angie had to do was wait a while to produce some highly effective fertilizer.