Before long, Angie and Pawmi arrived at the entrance to Munchlax's Home.
"This is our home!" Angie said to Pawmi.
As he spoke, he took out a Poké Ball and released Metagross.
"Metagross, we're home."
"Metagross~~"
Metagross curiously observed the house in front of it.
"Pawmi~ Pawmi~"
Pawmi jumped out of Angie's hood, landing lightly on Metagross's head. It tugged at Angie's sleeve, urging him to hurry inside—it could barely wait to see what their new home looked like.
"All right, all right, I'm opening the door now." With that, Angie pulled out a key and unlocked the door.
It was the afternoon, and Munchlax's Home was empty of customers, utterly quiet.
The place was impeccably clean, almost spotless, and the tables and chairs were arranged neatly in rows.
"Pawmi~~"
Pawmi jumped off Metagross and ran around the room, exploring in excitement. Occasionally, it mischievously leaped onto the tables, leaving little footprints behind.
"Pawmi, if you keep doing that, Meowstic and the others will get mad at you!" Angie said, deliberately putting on a stern face.
"Pawmi~ Pawmi~~"
Hearing that, Pawmi immediately trotted over with a look of appeasement, curious about who this "Meowstic" was.
Angie answered, "Meowstic is one of our partners from Nebel Plateau and also a staff member here at the shop. I'll introduce you later."
"Pawmi~"
Pawmi nodded and jumped back onto Metagross's head.
As Angie walked through the shop with his two Pokémon, he said with satisfaction, "It looks like Munchlax and the others have been running this place really well."
But suddenly, he felt something was off. Why could he sense the aura of a Pokémon in the corner of the room?
"Who's there?" Angie asked, looking toward the corner.
Pawmi and Metagross also turned their attention there, but no Pokémon made a sound, and the shop fell silent.
"Who's there?" Angie asked again.
Still, there was no response.
Angie stepped cautiously toward the corner. When he reached it, he still didn't see anything.
Strange! He was certain he hadn't sensed incorrectly!
"Metagross~~"
Just then, Metagross let out a cry, its eyes glowing with the purple light of powerful psychic energy. Suddenly, a Haunter was pulled out from within the wall.
"Haunter~ Haunter~"
The Haunter struggled desperately, but with its strength, it had no chance of breaking free from Metagross's psychic grasp.
Angie studied the Haunter for a moment and then exclaimed in surprise, "It's you!"
He noticed that this was a shiny Haunter. There is only one shiny Haunter he knew of, the one that had previously been hunted by Levi and Cherie.
"Haunter~ Haunter~"
Recognizing that Angie had identified it, Haunter nodded its head repeatedly.
Angie said, "Metagross, let Haunter go."
"Metagross~"
Metagross nodded and released the psychic that was hold on Haunter. Freed at last, Haunter gasped for air, clearly frightened.
Angie asked, "Haunter, have you been staying in Munchlax's Home all this time?"
"Haunter~"
Haunter nodded.
Angie asked again, "How long have you been here?"
"Haunter~ Haunter~"
Haunter started counting on its fingers, but after a few attempts, it grew dizzy and confused.
Watching its befuddled expression, Angie chuckled and said, "All right, all right, don't bother counting." After all, it wasn't a particularly pressing matter.
Angie asked again, "Since you've been staying at Munchlax's Home all this time, do you have any plans for the future?"
Haunter shook its head in confusion. It felt that staying at the Munxhlax's Home as it had been was perfect. It didn't have to worry about harsh weather, always found leftover steamed buns and dumplings to eat, and no one tried to catch it. Life was peaceful and secure.
"All right," Angie nodded. "You can take your time to think about it. Let me know once you've decided."
Haunter gave a small nod before merging back into the shadows of the wall.
Seeing Haunter disappear, Angie finally turned to Pawmi and Metagross, saying, "Let's go."
"Pawmi~"
"Metagross~"
The two Pokémon responded in unison, following Angie up to the third floor and through the Space Portal back to their home on the Nebel Plateau.
After Angie and the others left, Haunter quietly emerged from the wall, grabbing a small cloth to wipe off the footprints that Pawmi had left on the tables.
When the tables were sparkling clean once more, Haunter grinned widely, satisfied, and returned to the shadowy corners of the walls.
Meanwhile, at Angie's end...
Emerging from the room, Angie turned to Pawmi and Metagross, saying, "Pawmi, Metagross, this is our real home! From now on, this is where you'll live!"
The two Pokémon curiously inspected the furnishings around the house, with Pawmi riding atop Metagross as they explored the room.
Just then, Metagross synced with Robert No. 2, who automatically came over to join it.
Angie walked through the house, noticing that neither Munchlax nor Drizzile, nor even Diancie, were around. "Looks like no one's home!" he remarked.
Then, beckoning to Pawmi and Metagross, he said, "Come on, let's go outside and take a look."
"Pawmi~~"
Pawmi happily leaped off Metagross's head and dashed toward the door with an eager expression, with Metagross and the now-activated Robert No. 2 following closely behind.
Upon reaching the ground floor, Angie noticed some new additions to the front desk and tables. A white mat with a Munchlax design had been placed beneath the vase at the counter.
Similarly, several matching mats were on the tables, each with a different design: one featured Komala, another Drizzile, and one even depicted a faceless little human figure.
Angie couldn't help but think, Could that one be me?
Perplexed, he speculated, Did Diancie buy these?
Without dwelling on it, Angie led his two Pokémon to the door. Once outside, he finally spotted Diancie at home.
At that moment, Diancie was sitting on the steps by the entrance, holding two needles in its hands as it weaved something. Beside it lay two Spinarak, providing the silk thread for its craft.
The most striking detail was that Diancie's needles were made of diamond.
Angie immediately realized where those mats had come from. They were all handwoven by Diancie!
Such extravagant knitting tools, he thought to himself.
Hearing the commotion, Diancie turned its head. When it saw Angie, a sweet smile spread across its face.
"Angie, you're back!"
Angie had called Diancie before returning, so it had deliberately waited at the door to welcome him home.
It hadn't informed Munchlax or Drizzile about his return, intentionally keeping it a secret.
Those two are always stealing Angie's attention! Diancie thought smugly. Hmph!
"Yes, I'm back," Angie replied with a smile, then looked curiously at the two Spinarak beside Diancie. "Where did those two little ones come from?"
Diancie picked up the Spinarak with a proud expression, showing them off. "I found them! Aren't they adorable?"
These two Spinarak had been rescued by Diancie from a trash can on the streets of the Azoth Kingdom while running errands for Angie to buy ingredients.
After bringing them home, Diancie had purchased a Handicraft Encyclopedia from the system shop and taught itself to weave.
It even planned to knit a sweater for Angie once its skills improved.
"Spinarak~"
"Spinarak~"
The two tiny Spinarak obediently lay in Diancie's hands, waving their front legs to greet Angie.
Angie gently patted their heads and said, "They're indeed adorable."
Although, he thought to himself, they might not be as cute once they evolved into Ariados.
Ariados may not fit most people's aesthetic preferences, but Angie felt they had a certain inexplicable charm.
Diancie clearly adored the Spinarak and had even bought a satchel specifically for them. She gently placed the two Spinarak inside, and they rested side by side on the edge of the satchel, poking out their little heads and front legs while continuing to spin silk for Diancie's weaving.
Angie shifted his gaze from the Spinarak to Diancie and asked, "Where are Munchlax, Drizzile, and Komala?"
Diancie replied, "Munchlax and Drizzile are at the riverside helping plant trees. As for Komala... it's probably gone off to find its drinking buddies again!"
Angie nodded and said, "Let's head to the riverside and check it out."
After being away for so many days, he was curious to see how the tree-planting efforts were progressing. Although Diancie had been giving him daily updates, Angie felt it was necessary to see things with his own eyes.
Diancie nodded, gently patted her satchel, and the two Spinarak immediately stopped spinning silk. She then rewarded each with a Poké Puff, and the little Pokémon happily retreated into the bag to rest.
Angie, Diancie, Pawmi, and Metagross then set off toward the riverside.
As they passed by the walls, Angie noticed two Dolliv standing atop them, basking in the sunlight with outstretched arms.
"Dolliv~"
"Dolliv~"
The two Dolliv greeted Angie excitedly.
Angie smiled and asked, "Dolliv, how's life here?"
"Dolliv~"
"Dolliv~"
The Dolliv beamed and gestured animatedly to convey their happiness. They loved their new home—the Pokémon here were friendly, the food was plentiful, and, most importantly, the abundant sunlight allowed them to bask to their hearts' content.
"That's good to hear," Angie replied with a smile. "Enjoy your sunbathing!"
The two Dolliv nodded enthusiastically.
It wasn't surprising to the Dolliv that Angie could communicate with Pokémon; Diancie had already informed everyone about this.
On the plaza's stone slabs, a Garganacl was playing with two Nacli. The smaller Pokémon clambered up the Garganacl's legs but always fell halfway up.
Each time this happened, the Garganacl would gently extend its palm to catch them, ensuring they didn't get hurt.
Seeing how much fun they were having, Angie decided not to disturb them.
Under the walls, a Scovillain and three Capsakid were also basking in the sun.
While the Scovillain remained calm and composed, the Capsakid were far more energetic, constantly chasing and playing with each other.
Whenever they got too rowdy, their parents would grab them, give their behinds a firm smack, and scold them loudly.
After being reprimanded, the Capsakid would obediently sit by their parents, only to start misbehaving again after a short while.
Before they even reached the riverside, Angie spotted a row of wooden cabins in the distance. Surprised, he exclaimed, "The cabins for the Gogoat are finished already?"
Diancie nodded and replied, "All thanks to Robert No. 1."
Not Robert No. 2, but Robert No. 1.
Although Robert No. 1 was clumsy, it had worked tirelessly with the other Pokémon during Angie's absence to complete the construction of the cabins.
"Let's check them out!" Angie eagerly headed toward the cabins.
Diancie, Pawmi, and Metagross quickly followed.
Standing before the cabins, Angie inspected them carefully, nodding in satisfaction.
"They're built really well!"
The cabins weren't very large—only about two meters tall—but their design prioritized ventilation and natural light, making them comfortable for the Gogoat.
"Have the Gogoat family moved in yet?" Angie asked, noticing the piles of dried leaves and hay inside.
Diancie nodded. "They moved in as soon as the cabins were finished, and they all love their new home."
"As long as they're happy," Angie said with a smile.
After thoroughly checking each cabin, Angie continued toward the riverside with his Pokémon.
On the way, they encountered an Espathra running freely across the grasslands.
The moment Espathra saw Angie, it let out a loud cry and dashed toward him, arriving in the blink of an eye.
Angie patted Espathra's outstretched neck and asked, "How are you adjusting here?"
"Espathra~ Espathra~"
Espathra stretched its neck and nuzzled against Angie's neck, clearly enjoying the vast grasslands where it could run freely.
"I'm glad you're adapting well," Angie said, patting Espathra's long neck. "Alright, go ahead and continue your run."
"Espathra~~"
Espathra nodded and quickly stretched its long legs, resuming its gallop.
Angie suddenly thought of something and asked Diancie with curiosity, "Where are the two Oinkologne?"
Diancie shrugged. "I have no idea. Ever since they came here, they've been out early and back late every day. Who knows what they're busy with? But they usually return at night."
"Alright then." Angie was familiar with the Oinkologne' restless nature, so he didn't press further.
Soon, Angie arrived at his destination. The first to notice him was Fletchinder.
"Fletchinder~ Fletchinder~~"
It happily flapped its wings and swooped down from the sky.
Its cry immediately caught the attention of the other Pokémon. The Pokémon, who had been busy with their work, all stopped what they were doing and rushed toward Angie in a joyful flurry.
Angie! Angie was back!
Naturally, the first ones to arrive were Spritzee and Swablu. They perched on Angie's shoulders, one on each side.
"Spritzee~ Spritzee~"
"Swablu~ Swablu~"
The two little birds affectionately nuzzled Angie's cheeks, expressing how much they had missed him.
Next came a wave of Pokémon: Skitty, Meowstic, Buneary, Minccino, Gulpin, Ralts, Pancham, Litleo, Linoone… They all rushed at Angie, completely overwhelming him in a crowd.
"Munchlax~~ Munchlax~~"
Master! Master!
Munchlax, running behind, arrived late and found itself unable to squeeze through the throng. It became anxious, circling around the group.
As for Diancie, Pawmi, and Metagross, who had been walking beside Angie, they were quickly pushed aside by the enthusiastic crowd.
Pawmi blinked in confusion: What just happened?
"Metagros~ Metagros~"
Angie is so popular!
Metagross said to Diancie, its voice full of amazement.
Diancie smiled proudly. "Of course! All these Pokémon depend on Angie for food and shelter, as well as warm, clean houses to live in."
Metagross had heard about the situation in Nebel Plateau, but seeing Angie so loved by the Pokémon firsthand was still overwhelming. It felt deeply moved and developed even more admiration for Angie.
Initially, it had chosen to follow Angie simply to become stronger. Now, it was completely captivated by Angie's charisma.
Surrounded by Pokémon, Angie patted one after another, struggling to keep up.
"Skitty, stop licking me—it tickles!"
"Litleo, don't breathe fire! That's hot!"
"Ralts, stop tugging at my clothes—you're going to rip them!"
Angie basked in the sea of Pokémon, his heart brimming with joy.
"I've missed you all too. Thank you for working so hard while I was away."
After much effort, Munchlax finally squeezed its way to Angie's side. It hugged him tightly, wearing an aggrieved expression.
Angie patted its back gently. "You've worked hard too, Munchlax."
Hearing this, Munchlax's grievances vanished instantly. It rubbed its head affectionately against Angie.
Sitting on the ground after being tackled earlier, Angie stood up with Munchlax's hand in his and addressed everyone.
"Tonight, we'll have a feast! Finish up your work quickly, and head home!"
Angie decided to have a hot pot meal with everyone that evening—a perfect dish for a reunion. Plus, most of the Pokémon had never tried it before.
The Pokémon cheered at the news, eagerly returning to work with renewed energy, determined to finish their tasks and return home for the feast.
Looking at the already-planted berry trees along the riverside, Angie felt immense satisfaction. His Pokémon were truly reliable companions.
Before Angie had left, the riverside had only a few planted trees: Pecha Berries, Oran Berries, Sitrus Berries, and Cheri Berries. In his absence, the Pokémon had planted Leppa Berries, Bluk Berries, Mago Berries, Nanab Berries, Rabuta Berries, and Persim Berries.
Although the riverside wasn't vast and only a few of each type were planted, it was now nearly full.
With the berry tree planting nearing completion, Angie began considering new tasks to assign to the Pokémon.
Suddenly, he noticed something different and exclaimed, surprised, "The Bellsprout evolved?"
Diancie nodded. "That's right! It evolved just a few days ago."
Angie turned his attention to the other Pokémon. "And Aron evolved too?"
It was now a Lairon!
Diancie added, "Aron is incredibly diligent. It trains every day with Totodile, Drilbur, and the two Farfetch'd, which is why it evolved much earlier than the Bellsprout."