In the days that followed, Angie spent his mornings running the shop and his afternoons building houses for the Gogoats. Occasionally, he would patrol the riverbank. His days were fulfilling and busy.
After a few days, several new wooden houses had appeared under the large tree to the north.
Oddish, Shroomish, and Paras quickly integrated into the family of Nebel Plateau. They got along harmoniously with the other Pokémon and worked hard. Every day, Angie could see their faces glowing with bright smiles.
The Murkrow flock, under the strict discipline of their leader Honchkrow, was now obedient and diligent. They worked tirelessly, treating their leader like a lord. Watching this, Angie couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
One day, after taking care of everything at home, Angie prepared to leave for the royal palace with his Komala.
Today was the day Professor Sada and Professor Turo were returning to Paldea.
Seeing his Munchlax looking downcast, Angie comforted it, saying, "When I reach Paldea, I'll summon you immediately. I won't let you wait too long.
"Besides, the family can't do without you! You're the pillar of our home, Munchlax. Can you hold down the fort while I'm away?"
During Angie's absence, Munchlax would be sent to assist at the Munchlax's Home. As for Nebel Plateau, the Pokémon there would have to make do with Pokémon food for a few days.
Ah~ Leaving on a trip would surely reduce his happiness points.
The pillar of the family?
Hearing how much his master valued him, Munchlax immediately cheered up, puffing out his chest with confidence.
That's right, I'm the pillar of the family!
" Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Don't worry, Master. I'll take good care of the house!
At this moment, Munchlax was bursting with a sense of responsibility.
"Good. I believe in you, Munchlax!" Angie said with conviction.
"Munchlax~"
Hearing this, Munchlax grew even more confident, clenching his small fists tightly. His expression was more serious than ever.
"Drizzile, the Munchlax's Home will depends on you and Munchlax. Work well together, okay?" Angie turned to Drizzile next.
"Drizzile."
Don't worry. Master! I'm awesome—just leave it to me!
Drizzile squinted its eyes, gave Angie a thumbs-up, and displayed a confident expression.
This only made Angie feel less reassured. He leaned closer to Diancie and whispered, "I'm counting on you to watch over them."
Diancie giggled and said, "Don't worry. I've got it under control."
After giving all the instructions, Angie addressed the other Pokémon. "Well then… I'm off!"
Diancie reminded him, "Be careful on the road. Make sure to call home every night."
Drizzile chimed in.
"Drizzile~ Drizzile~"
Safe travels, Master!
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~~"
Master, remember to call me as soon as you arrive!
"Swablu~"
"Fletchinder~"
"Gardevoir~"
"Meowstic~"
The other Pokémon also came to see Angie off, the farewell procession making it seem like he was embarking on a journey of no return.
Before long, Angie and Komala arrived at the royal palace. On the palace square, a massive airship was parked, bearing an enormous flag of the Azoth Kingdom.
From a distance, Raleigh spotted Angie and waved enthusiastically. "Your Highness, over here! Over here!"
"Slurpuff~ Slurpuff~"
Beside him, Slurpuff also waved its hand energetically.
Seeing this, Angie waved back as he walked toward them.
Raleigh would be traveling with him this time. As a passionate enthusiast of scientific research, Raleigh would never pass up such an opportunity for the exchange.
Originally, Kimia had planned to accompany Raleigh on this trip, but since Angie agreed to go with him, Kimia entrusted Raleigh's care to Angie.
During the time Professor Sada and Professor Turo visited the Azoth Kingdom, Raleigh had spent a lot of time following them around and learning a lot from them.
Walking up to Raleigh, Angie asked, "How much longer until we leave?"
Raleigh replied, "We'll be departing shortly. Your Highness, come board the airship with me!"
As he spoke, Raleigh grabbed Angie's hand and, along with his Slurpuff, eagerly led him up the stairs to the airship.
The Azoth Kingdom's airship had a retro design, as if it were a relic from over a century ago. However, its interior was equipped with state-of-the-art technology—the vintage exterior was merely a tribute to the origins of arcane science.
Once inside, Raleigh enthusiastically gave Angie a full tour, from the crew quarters to the cockpit, the dining area, and even the leisure cabin. Angie thoroughly enjoyed the experience; this was his first time aboard an airship in the Pokémon world. Raleigh added detailed explanations of the airship's mechanics throughout the tour, though Angie only understood a fraction of it.
In the cockpit, Angie met Professor Sada and Professor Turo, who were delighted to see him.
Professor Sada greeted him warmly, "Your Highness, you're here!"
Angie replied, "Please, drop the 'Your Highness.' Just call me Angie."
Professor Turo chuckled, "Well then, we won't stand on ceremony!"
At that moment, Arven appeared out of nowhere with his Gogoat and approached Angie.
"Is your Munchlax not here?" he asked.
Angie shook his head. "No, it didn't come."
Arven's disappointment was written all over his face.
Professor Sada couldn't help but laugh and said, "Looks like this kid has become good friends with your Munchlax."
Angie smiled and patted Arven on the shoulder. "Once we reach the Paldea region, you'll have the chance to see Munchlax again."
"Alright," Arven said with a nod, assuming that Angie would use a Pokémon transport system to bring Munchlax over later.
Angie then met with Mr. Nasir, who greeted him with his usual warmth.
At 8:00 AM, the airship departed from the palace, carrying Angie and the others toward the Paldea region.
Seated by a window, Angie watched as the Azoth City below grew smaller and smaller, feeling a surge of excitement in his heart.
Having traversed the Pokémon world for 16-plus 500 years, this was his first time leaving the Azoth Kingdom.
"Woo~"
Komala shifted in Angie's arms, letting out a small snore as a bubble of snot formed under its nose. Angie sighed and grabbed a tissue to wipe it away.
The Pokémon world's advanced transportation technology had made regional exchanges more frequent. Angie and his companions took only two days to travel from the Kalos region to the faraway Paldea region.
From the airship, Nasir pointed out, "Down below is the town where I live—Medali Town."
Looking out at the bustling streets of Medali Town, Angie couldn't help but exclaim, "What a lively town!"
"Isn't it?" Nasir replied, clearly pleased with the compliment.
At that moment, Professor Sada, Professor Turo, Arven, and Raleigh joined them.
Nasir suggested, "Since it's getting late, why don't the two professor and Your Highnesses stay at my place tonight? We can head to the Great Crater of Paldea tomorrow."
Professor Turo readily agreed, "Then we'll gladly accept your hospitality!"
Nasir called out to the airship's pilot, "To my home!"
"Yes, sir!" the pilot replied.
Before long, the airship descended into the courtyard of a luxurious villa, startling the Pokémon residing there, who scattered in all directions.
But why were there so many Lechonk and Oinkologne in Nasir's courtyard? Was this some kind of special hobby?
As soon as the airship door opened, Nasir jumped out, cradling his little darling—his favorite Lechonk—and loudly announced, "My precious babies, I'm back!"
Hearing his voice, the Lechonk and Oinkologne that had hidden in the bushes and flowerbeds due to the airship's arrival excitedly emerged, rushing toward Nasir. They surrounded him, affectionately nuzzling and snuggling him.
Nasir patted one and stroked another, muttering lovingly, "Good, good, my sweet babies. Have you been eating well at home? I missed you all so much!"
"What? You missed me too? Oh, you're so pitiful! Let me see, have you lost weight? Could it be because you missed me so much? You truly are my precious darlings!"
After his dramatic monologue, Nasir finally straightened up, adjusted his collar, cleared his throat, and adopted a serious expression. Turning to Angie and the others who had followed him down, he said:
"Apologies for the scene. I'll have accommodations prepared for you right away."
Professor Turo and Professor Sada, being longtime acquaintances of Nasir, were entirely unfazed by his antics. However, Angie, Raleigh, and Arven stood there with expressions of utter disbelief.
Nasir acted as if he hadn't noticed.
Raleigh accompanied by Slurpuff, curiously approached the Lechonk and Oinkologne. The sweet aroma emanating from Slurpuff immediately caught the attention of the Pokémon, who are known for their keen sense of smell.
Within moments, Raleigh and Slurpuff became the center of attention, they happily surrounded by Lechonk and Oinkologne, playing together in no time.
Noticing Arven's intrigued gaze fixed on the Pokémon, Professor Sada gently patted her son on the back.
"Go ahead and join them."
Arven nodded and, along with Mabosstiff, headed over. Raleigh beamed, calling out, "Arven, come on over!"
Encouraged, Arven quickened his steps.
The two children that was close in age, quickly became friends.
Thanks to Nasir's arrangements, Angie and his group settled into the villa. By the time everything was in place, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm, orange glow over the courtyard and bathing the grass in a soft light.
At that moment, a Squawkabilly flapped its wings and flew into the courtyard, landing on the windowsill of Angie's room. It gazed at Angie with a curious expression.
This was a rare white-feathered Squawkabilly.
Squawkabilly comes in four colors: green, blue, yellow, and white. Among them, the green Squawkabilly population is the most dominant, while the blue ones are often rivals to the greens. Yellow Squawkabilly are known for their aggressive and domineering nature, refusing to coexist with other bird Pokémon in the same town.
White Squawkabilly are the rarest but have an easier time surviving in urban areas as their plumage blends well with the white city architecture.
Angie approached the balcony, opened the window, and retrieved a carrot from his system's backpack to offer the Squawkabilly. The Pokémon immediately began pecking at it enthusiastically, finishing it in just a few bites.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
After burping contentedly, the Squawkabilly thanked Angie twice before flapping its wings and flying away, clearly satisfied.
Since Squawkabilly, like Chatot, are adept at mimicking human speech, Angie wasn't surprised that a Pokémon living in a human town could talk.
Checking the time, Angie felt it was about right. He summoned Munchlax, Drizzile, and Diancie from his team.
"Munchlax~! Munchlax~!"
Master, I missed you so much!
The moment Munchlax appeared, it couldn't wait to throw itself into Angie's arms.
Having been apart from its trainer for the first time in so long, Munchlax had been anxiously pacing at home every day. After finishing its daily work, it would sit on the steps at the front door, counting down the time until Angie would bring it over.
One hour, two hours, three hours... Unfortunately, its math skills weren't great, so it often ended up making itself dizzy trying to count.
"I missed you too! How have the past few days at home been?" Angie asked, hugging Munchlax so tightly that the Komala in his arms was nearly squished flat.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Not good at all. Without you, Master, I couldn't even enjoy my meals.
Munchlax replied with a pitiful expression.
Angie thought to himself: Not even able to eat? That's truly miserable.
"Alright, alright. Haven't I come to pick you up now?" Angie said while patting its back, his face full of affection.
Once Munchlax was comforted, Angie turned to Diancie and asked, "How's everything back home?"
Diancie nodded. "Don't worry. Munchlax and Drizzile have been very reliable. Everything at home and the shop is running smoothly."
"That's good to hear. Thank you for your hard work," Angie replied.
"Drizzile"
It's no big deal! I'm awesome!
Drizzile gave a thumbs-up and declared confidently.
Then it trotted to the balcony and peeked out toward the courtyard. Raleigh and Arven were still playing happily with the Lechonk and Oinkologne, their laughter echoing throughout the yard.
"Drizzile~ Drizzile~"
Is this really Paldea?
Angie suggested, "How about we go out for a stroll?"
"Munchlax~!"
Munchlax immediately responded. Having been apart from its master for what felt like ages, it was eager to spend time together.
"Drizzile~ Drizzile~"
"Yes, let's go!"
Drizzile and Diancie both agreed enthusiastically.
"Alright then, let's head out."
And so, Angie led his Pokémon out the door.
Nasir's villa was located on the outskirts of Jinhui Town. When the butler learned of Angie's plan to go out, he asked, "Sir, would you like me to prepare a ride for you?"
Angie nodded. "That would be great. Thanks."
"It's no trouble, sir. Please wait a moment." With that, the butler departed.
Shortly after, he returned with two bird-like Pokémon. They had bright yellow and orange plumage, head feathers resembling human hairstyles, tail feathers like skirts, and long legs that made them both appear over 1.9 meters tall.
These Pokémon were none other than the Espartha, psychic-type ostrich Pokémon unique to the Paldea region.
At the butler's command, the Espartha crouched down, inviting Angie and his companions to climb onto their saddled backs. The saddles were clearly designed for professional riding.
Espartha are known for their aggressive nature, so Angie was surprised to see these two so tame, likely the result of rigorous training.
Carrying Komala, Angie shared a ride with Munchlax, while Diancie and Drizzile rode on the other Espartha.
Once everyone was seated, the two Espartha bolted forward, their absurdly long legs covering ground at an incredible pace. Angie who is startled, clung tightly to the saddle.
In the blink of an eye, they had exited the villa grounds.
"Espartha, can we slow down a bit? I just wanted a casual stroll, not a race!" Angie shouted over the rushing wind.
Hearing this, the Espartha slowed down, transitioning from a gallop to a leisurely walk.
Angie took a deep breath.
"That's more like it," he said while patting his hair, only to discover it had turned into a complete bird's nest.
"Ha-ha-ha~!"
"Drizzile~ Drizzile~!"
Diancie and Drizzile, following behind, couldn't help bursting into laughter at the sight.
Munchlax who is seated in front of Angie, couldn't see his current appearance. But hearing everyone's laughter, it struggled to turn its round body around, eventually catching sight of Angie's ridiculous hairstyle.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Master, you look so funny! Ha-ha-ha!
Angie gave it a gentle slap on the back. "Even you're laughing at me? So much for all the love I've given you."