After Ange came out and learned about Patrat's evolution, he likewise expressed his congratulations.
Standing at the doorway, Ange looked at the heavy rain outside and thought, This rain probably won't stop anytime soon.
Consequently, he said to the Pokémon, "None of you should head back today. Stay in the employee dormitory of the Secret Fortress."
Since the employee dormitory was originally built for these Pokémon anyway, he thought for a moment and added, "In fact, you should just move into the dormitory directly. You won't have to move out in the future."
The Pokémon hesitated upon hearing this. They were currently only temporary workers for Ange. Moving into the dormitory like this felt like taking too much advantage of him.
Noticing their hesitation, Ange explained, "I will definitely arrange work for everyone in the future. You are just moving in early. The dormitory is sitting empty anyway, so there's no harm in it. If you feel bad, just work harder to repay me later!"
Upon hearing his words, the Pokémon immediately cheered. To be honest, they had been incredibly envious of Gardevoir's family and the Meowstic group for a long time!
Shortly after, Ange helped the Pokémon put on raincoats and led them to the second floor via the elevator.
As soon as they arrived at the dormitory, the Pokémon enthusiastically began picking their rooms.
The Victreebel family had five members, so they chose a relatively large room.
Because the Swablu and Fletchinder families were Flying-types, entering and exiting was more difficult for them than for others. Therefore, they each chose a room with an entrance on the ceiling. They could use these ceiling exits for their daily travels.
Furthermore, the internal structure of these rooms was simple. Besides nests for the birds to sleep in, there were several crossbeams. The Swablu and Fletchinder could play on these beams. Needless to say, these rooms were specifically designed for bird Pokémon.
Vivillon and its companions also chose rooms with ceiling exits, though their rooms were smaller and the interior decor was simpler. Many stands with leaf and flower-shaped trays at the top stood in the rooms, allowing the Vivillon to rest and sleep on them. These rooms were likely designed specifically for butterfly or bee Pokémon.
Even though Honchkrow was single and had no Murkrow underlings, it still chose a large room because it enjoyed living in spacious areas.
Naturally, the two Watchog wanted to live together, so they chose a cozy little cottage.
Hippopotas and Hippowdon selected a room equipped with a pool. They planned to fill the pool with soft sand later so they could sleep comfortably.
Aron and Drilbur chose to live together. Considering that their size would increase after evolution, Ange suggested they pick a large house.
Buneary, Pachirisu, and Bunnelby chose to live together for companionship. Living alone would be far too lonely for them. They had originally invited Floette, but it declined. It preferred living alone to maintain its privacy.
Deerling made the same choice as Floette. Living in a room alone was very comfortable, and it had no desire to live with others.
Delphox, Greninja, and Chesnaught remained neighbors, just like in their previous living arrangements. Delphox and Greninja lived alone, while Chesnaught stayed with its child, Quilladin. Quilladin was the offspring of Chesnaught and a Gogoat. However, since Gogoat lived with its own herd, the couple lived separately and rarely met.
Once the Pokémon had finished selecting their homes, Ange used his Happiness Points to provide them with daily necessities and furniture. This completely drained his already meager supply of points.
Despite this, he believed in the principle of "taking from the people and using for the people." Seeing the happy, satisfied faces of the Pokémon and the closeness in their eyes made him feel that everything was worth it.
While Ange couldn't ensure that every Pokémon in the world lived well, he found great meaning in doing what he could to provide a happy life for the Pokémon of the Nebel Plateau. After instructing them to rest well, he left the Secret Fortress.
Since he didn't want them running around in the heavy rain, Ange distributed Pokémon Food for their dinner so they could eat in their rooms. After exiting the fortress, he jogged home in his raincoat.
However, as he ran, he suddenly heard the cry of a Pokémon.
"Lairon Lairon~"
Ange instinctively stopped and looked toward the source of the sound. The heavy rain filled the air with a misty vapor, preventing him from seeing very far. Even the cry he just heard was muffled.
Was it an illusion?
Despite the thought, Ange walked toward the sound until he reached the perimeter wall. As he drew closer, he finally saw the Pokémon standing outside. It was a Lairon!
Lairon was the evolved form of Aron. However, there was only one Aron on the Nebel Plateau, and certainly no Lairon. More importantly, the Lairon was carrying a soaking wet person in its mouth. The individual appeared to be unconscious.
Upon seeing Ange, Lairon quickly placed the person on the ground and anxiously called for help.
"Lairon Lairon~"
Ange quickly climbed over the wall, nimbly hoisted the person onto his shoulders, and said to Lairon, "Lairon, follow me quickly."
"Lairon Lairon~"
Lairon nodded repeatedly and followed behind Ange with heavy steps. As soon as he reached the house, Ange shouted inside, "Munchlax, Munchlax!"
"Munch Munch~"
Munchlax ran out of the kitchen on its short legs. It had already started preparing dinner with Diancie picking vegetables and Sobble washing them.
"Please look after Lairon," Ange said. "Get a towel to dry it off, and prepare some bath sand for it to take a bath."
Like Diancie, Lairon required bath sand for cleaning. It was currently soaking wet, which must be incredibly uncomfortable for a Rock-type. Though puzzled by the stranger, Munchlax obediently busied itself following Ange's instructions.
Ange then looked at the worried Lairon. "Don't worry, your Trainer will be fine," he assured it.
Afterward, he carried the unconscious man to the guest room on the second floor. He filled the bathtub with hot water and placed him inside. As the warmth dissipated the chill, the man slowly woke up. He had short blue hair that clung to his face because of the water, making it hard to see his features.
"Where is this..." he asked confusedly.
"This is my home," Ange replied with a smile. "Your Lairon brought you to my door for help, so I carried you back."
"I see. Thank you," the man realized.
"You're welcome," Ange said, pointing to the clothes by the door. "Those are my clothes, and they're new. Change into them after your bath. We can talk more once you're out. I'll head out first."
The man nodded, watching as Ange exited and closed the door. Downstairs, Ange found Munchlax helping Lairon bathe. It had prepared a large basin filled with bath sand, burying half of Lairon's body.
"Lairon Lairon~"
Lairon called out when it saw Ange.
"Don't worry, your Trainer is awake. He'll be down after his bath," Ange told it with a smile. Hearing this, Lairon visibly relaxed.
Soon, the Trainer came downstairs after his bath. Seeing him refreshed, Ange was stunned. He hadn't expected the man to be such a handsome guy, with a level of handsomeness second only to himself.
His height and build were similar to Ange's, so the clothes fit well. However, Ange felt the man looked somewhat familiar. The man walked over and thanked Ange sincerely.
"Thank you so much for taking me in. Otherwise, I might have frozen to death out there!"
The man had traveled from the mountains northwest of the Nebel Plateau. He had gotten lost and exhausted all his supplies, leading to his pathetic state. In the freezing wild, running out of supplies was often fatal. While arriving at the Nebel Plateau usually meant escaping the cold, he hadn't expected the rain. Had it not been for Ange, they would have been in trouble.
"No need for thanks. Everyone encounters trouble while traveling. I'm happy I could help," Ange said with a laugh.
"By the way, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Steven. How should I address you?" the Trainer asked.
Hearing the name "Steven," Ange was momentarily stunned. Good heavens, no wonder he looks familiar. This is the League Champion of the Hoenn region! Blue hair, handsome looks, and a Lairon—it all matched!
"I am Ange Azoth. You can just call me Ange," he replied.
"Azoth?" Steven paused upon hearing the surname. "I believe that is the surname of the Azoth Kingdom's royal family."
"I am technically a member of the royal house," Ange smiled.
Steven looked suspicious. As far as he knew, the royal family only consisted of the King, a Princess, and a Prince. This person didn't fit. Suddenly, he remembered a news report about the royal family welcoming back a member from five hundred years ago—Queen Anna's brother. Was it this man? Though curious, Steven didn't pry. They had just met, after all.
Suddenly, Steven's stomach growled loudly. Instead of feeling embarrassed, he rubbed his stomach and laughed. "I haven't eaten all day."
"If you don't mind, have dinner here," Ange offered.
"I certainly don't mind! I'll take you up on that!" Steven agreed immediately.
"Oh, right!" Ange remembered something. He went to the table and brought back a glass of hot water and some medicine. "Take this first. You've been in the cold for so long and got caught in the rain. You'll get sick if you don't take it."
Steven took the medicine and water gratefully, swallowing it in one gulp. "Thank you. You are very thoughtful."
"It's a small matter," Ange waved it off.
The two began to chat, and Steven took over the task of bathing Lairon while Munchlax returned to the kitchen. As he bathed his Pokémon, Steven marveled, "The quality of this bath sand is excellent. Where did you buy it?"
"It's a private supply. You can't buy it outside," Ange replied.
"That's a pity. I wanted to buy some," Steven said regretfully.
"If you like it, I'll give some to you later," Ange offered.
"Really? Then I won't be polite!" Steven said with a look of surprise.
At that moment, Diancie walked out of the kitchen with the food. "Dinner is ready!"
The moment Steven saw Diancie, he was stunned. His eyes widened with excitement. He was immediately captivated by the brilliant diamonds on Diancie's body. The pink diamonds shone like the only stars in the night sky, firmly grabbing his attention.
How can there be such a beautiful Pokémon in the world?
"Is this... the Legendary Pokémon, Diancie?"
Others might not recognize a Pokémon that existed only in legends, but as a stone fanatic, Steven had read about this mysterious Pokémon in ancient texts long ago. Diancie's heart skipped a beat under his burning gaze. What's wrong with this person? How rude!
"That's right. This is Diancie," Ange confirmed.
"I heard Diancie is a mutation of Carbink. Is that true?" Steven asked enthusiastically.
Ange nodded. "Yes. My Diancie used to be a Carbink."
Hearing this, Steven's eyes sparkled. He grabbed Ange's hand and said excitedly, "Mr. Ange, please tell me the method for raising a Diancie. I'll do anything if you're willing to tell me!"
Ange remained silent for a moment before answering solemnly, "Step one: Sleep for five hundred years with a Carbink."
Steven froze. "Are you serious?"
"As serious as it gets," Ange nodded.
Steven's face fell, and he let out a long sigh. "I knew it wouldn't be that simple." However, the conversation confirmed that the man before him was indeed the Prince of the Azoth Kingdom from five hundred years ago. Who else could sleep for five centuries with a Pokémon?
"Alright, let's eat," Ange said.
As the dishes were placed on the table, Steven's eyes were overwhelmed. He hadn't seen any of these dishes before. Moreover, they smelled incredible! Perhaps because he was so hungry, the aroma felt overwhelming, making his mouth water.
"These were made by my Munchlax and Sobble," Ange introduced.
"Munch~" Munchlax waved to Steven from across the table.
"Sobb~" Sobble lifted its chin proudly.
Steven looked at the two Pokémon in surprise. He hadn't expected them to have such skills. Even without tasting it, the aroma and color told him this meal would be delicious.
Indeed, when he tasted the braised fish made by Munchlax, he was so impressed he almost shed tears. It was too delicious! What would he do if he couldn't eat this again?
"Can I take your Munchlax and Sobble home with me?" Steven said, wiping the corner of his eye.
He was joking, of course, simply praising their culinary skills. However, Munchlax took it seriously and nervously grabbed Ange's arm.
"Munch Munch~" No! You wish! I'm staying with Master forever! It looked at Steven with a hint of hostility. I fed you for nothing. I am beyond your reach.
Ange laughed and patted its hand. "He's just praising you. He's not actually taking you away. I'm here; no one can take you!"
Only then did Munchlax relax, shoving rice into its mouth to calm its nerves. Meanwhile, Sobble's chest puffed out even further, and its grin almost reached its ears. I am amazing! The best!