When Ange returned at noon, Steven had indeed already departed.
During lunch, Ange learned about Zigzagoon's evolution. Linoone even showed off the Silk Scarf Steven had given it with an air of pride. The Silk Scarf truly suited Linoone. Putting its practical effects aside, the color was a perfect match, making Linoone look much cuter. Ange praised Linoone without reservation, causing it to spin around him like a happy puppy.
Next, Ange called over the Victreebel family. He took out the Leaf Stone Steven had given him that morning and asked Weepinbell, "I have a Leaf Stone here. Weepinbell, do you want to evolve?"
Bell Bell~ "Is it really for me?"
Weepinbell asked in disbelief. Leaf Stones were very rare. It had always wanted to evolve into a strong Pokémon like its husband, but such stones were hard to come by.
"Of course!" Ange said with a smile, "It's useless to me if I keep it, so of course it's for you!"
Bell Bell~
Weepinbell immediately extended a vine and took the Leaf Stone with a face full of gratitude. The moment it touched the stone, a blue-white light of evolution enveloped Weepinbell. Victreebel and the Bellsprout let out cries of amazement. Within the light, Weepinbell's body continuously grew. When the light dissipated, a Victreebel slightly smaller than the father stood before everyone.
Bell bell~ The mother Victreebel immediately hugged Ange happily, sharing the joy of its evolution and expressing its deep gratitude.
"Alright, alright!" Ange patted Victreebel's thick body, and only then did it let go. The father Victreebel and the three children gathered around the mother, looking like a very loving family of five.
In the afternoon, Ange continued making tables and stools with Robert 1. Without Steven's help, their efficiency dropped significantly. However, he wasn't in a hurry and took his time.
As evening approached, Ange prepared dinner for everyone with Munchlax and Sobble as usual. Tonight's staple was still mantou, served with braised fish and tomato egg soup. The Pokémon ate very happily.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. This afternoon, Ange and Robert 1 finally finished all the tables and stools. He set up several massive parasols on the plaza in front of his house, placing a set of furniture under each one. The parasols would protect the wood from the sun and rain.
Ange had ordered these parasols from the Azoth Royal Capital using Pokédollars because he had spent all his Happiness Points previously and had only recently saved up a small amount. Looking at the results of his hard work over the last half month, his heart swelled with pride.
Handicraft Expert Title, Get!
After admiring his masterpiece, Ange noticed it was still early and the Pokémon hadn't returned from cutting trees yet. He took Munchlax and Sobble to the employee dormitory. Upon arrival, he bought two massive televisions from the System Store and began working in the living room.
In addition to the various rooms, the employee dormitory featured a very large living room at the far end. This was intended as a place for the Pokémon to relax and have fun. However, since it hadn't been decorated yet, the room contained nothing but a few sofas, tables, and chairs.
Ever since learning that Aron and Drilbur liked to battle, Ange had wanted to do something for the Pokémon. He had searched through the System Store and eventually found what he was looking for. Unfortunately, his Happiness Points had been depleted at the time. Now that he had regained some points, he finally put his plan into action.
Munchlax and Sobble didn't know what Ange was doing, but they followed along and helped. By evening, Ange finished. He nodded with satisfaction at the two giant-screen TVs mounted on the wall.
Earlier, Ange had found a set of discs in the System Store containing Pokémon battle technique training videos. He wanted to give them to the Pokémon. Since using the discs required a playback device, he installed the TVs and the necessary equipment.
The televisions and equipment weren't actually that expensive—costing about 10,000 Happiness Points—but the battle technique disc set was pricey, requiring a full 200,000 points! There were over a hundred discs with complex content, so Ange planned to let the Pokémon watch and study them slowly on their own.
Truthfully, Ange wasn't very skilled in battling himself. Although he had played games in his previous life, he wasn't a competitive player; he just enjoyed the feeling of raising Pokémon. Therefore, he decided to let the Pokémon study the battle mechanics themselves!
The System Store description noted that some of these discs were merely demonstrations and explanations of battle techniques and did not involve teaching specific moves. To learn moves quickly, he would still need to buy a TM Maker. Of course, there was still a chance for Pokémon to learn moves while studying the techniques.
As for why he installed two TVs, it was because not all Pokémon liked fighting. Many preferred a quiet, peaceful, and harmonious life. Ange wanted to provide them with leisure entertainment so they could relax after work.
The televisions in the Pokémon world could connect to the internet. The Pokémon could watch shows, listen to music, and learn about the outside world so they wouldn't be completely ignorant of the world beyond the plateau. With two TVs, Pokémon with different interests wouldn't argue over what to watch.
Once everything was set up, Ange tested the equipment and found it working perfectly. "Perfect!" he said with a snap of his fingers.
Before long, the Pokémon began returning from work. They were extremely curious when they saw the new objects on the wall; most didn't even know what they were.
Zee zee~ "Ange, what is this?"
Spritzee landed on Ange's shoulder and asked. Although Ange couldn't understand the words, he could guess the question from its confused expression. He explained the purpose of the two TVs to everyone.
Bunne bunne~
Aron aron~
After the introduction, everyone—from Buneary and Skitty who liked a quiet life, to Aron and Drilbur who loved to battle—jumped for joy.
Pan pan~
Skii skii~
Pancham excitedly hugged Ange's leg while Skitty rubbed its head against his pant leg repeatedly.
Fle fle~
Blu blu~
Fletchinder and Swablu landed on Ange's shoulders, pointing at the TVs, unable to wait to try them out.
"Alright, alright, I'll set it up for you!" Ange said helplessly, "You don't know how to use these yet, right? Come, I'll teach you." He gestured for the Pokémon to come closer. He couldn't be there to turn them on every time, so he had to teach them.
The Pokémon swarmed around him and the TVs. "Look, here is the power switch... you do this here, and then this... and this..."
Ange explained the steps in detail. Even though the process wasn't complex, some of the less-bright Pokémon soon became dizzy and confused. Turning the TV on wasn't hard, but figuring out how to change channels and play discs stumped many of them.
Fle fle~ "I can't do it, I'm going to faint!"
Fletchinder plopped down from Ange's shoulder and was caught in Chesnaught's palm. The two Watchog also held hands, swaying unsteadily until they sat on the ground with stars in their eyes.
Ange sighed at the sight. "Look at how silly you all are."
Pan pan~ Pancham rubbed the back of its head and laughed sheepishly.
Pin pin~ Gulpin also clutched its belly and laughed.
Skii skii~ Skitty circled around Ange, though it was unclear if it had actually learned anything.
Sobb sobb~ "You guys are too slow, I already learned it!"
Sobble put its hands on its hips with a look of schadenfreude.
Munch munch~
Munchlax sat on the floor, clutching its stomach and laughing at everyone else. At that moment, Buneary tapped its waist and asked curiously, Bunne bunne~ "Munchlax, did you learn it?"
Munchlax's laughter stopped instantly. Wait, I didn't learn it either. Seeing Munchlax's stunned expression, the other Pokémon burst into laughter.
However, there were some clever ones among them, such as Delphox and Greninja. Ange called them forward and taught them the steps for using the TVs and playback equipment. Both Pokémon were exceptionally smart and learned quickly.
"Delphox, Greninja, I'll leave the job of playing TV for everyone to you in the future," Ange said, patting their shoulders.
Del del~
Gre gre~
The two Pokémon nodded solemnly.
Ange then looked at the crowd. "Alright, you guys play. I have to go back and cook. Remember to come up for dinner later."
Blu blu~
Fle fle~
Zee zee~
The Pokémon responded one after another. After Ange left, they happily started watching TV. The screen showed wonders they had never seen before, and many were instantly captivated. Even the Water-type Pokémon from the fifth floor ran over to join the fun after hearing the news.
After returning to the surface, Ange was about to head home with Munchlax and the others when Diancie ran over in a hurry.
"Ange, Dugtrio just came. It wants you to go check the vegetable garden."
"What happened?" Ange asked, puzzled.
"It seems the garden was destroyed by something," Diancie explained.
Ange turned to Munchlax and Sobble. "You two go home and start cooking first. I'll go take a look."
The two nodded and headed home while Ange and Diancie went to the garden behind the house. When they arrived, the Dugtrio brothers were waiting anxiously. Seeing Ange, they looked dejected and full of guilt.
"What's wrong?" Ange asked.
Dug dug~
Dug dug~
The two Dugtrio gestured for Ange to look at the adjacent vegetable patch. The garden bed where thick leeks had been growing neatly was now in a state of chaos. Many leeks had been pulled out by the roots and lay scattered about. There were also several footprints of varying depths in the soil.
The Dugtrio brothers looked at the ravaged garden they had carefully tended, and tears began to well in their eyes. Ange had entrusted the garden to them, providing them with food and a happy life, yet they hadn't guarded it well.
Ange saw their expressions and knelt to pat their heads. "It's okay. It's just a few leeks; we can just plant more. It's no big deal. Besides, it wasn't your fault. You were helping cut trees this afternoon and weren't here. Who could have expected this?"
The brothers felt a bit better after Ange's comfort, but they immediately began cursing the "thief" who had ruined their beautiful garden.
After calming the Dugtrio, Ange stepped into the leek patch. He picked up the uprooted leeks while observing the footprints. The prints were about the size of a palm and shaped somewhat like a leaf. A human couldn't have made them; they looked like bird tracks. Was it a normal bird or a Pokémon?
Ange didn't know much about regular birds, but if it were a Pokémon... these prints reminded him of several species. Psyduck, Farfetch'd, Ducklett, and even Quaxly! All these duck-like Pokémon had very similar foot shapes.
Carrying a bundle of leeks out of the garden, Ange spoke to the Dugtrio brothers. "Don't go cut trees tomorrow. Hide in the garden and keep watch. If that fellow dares to come back, catch it for me!"
Dug dug~
Dug dug~
The brothers nodded forcefully, fires of determination burning in their eyes.
"I'll find two partners to help you watch later," Ange added, "If that thief shows up, it won't escape."
In any case, the tree clearing at the riverbank was almost finished, so they didn't need as many Pokémon there. The Dugtrio brothers nodded. Their levels were actually quite high among the Pokémon here, but they lacked battle experience and were slightly worried they might lose a fight. Having partners to help was even better.
Back home, Ange put the leeks in the kitchen. Munchlax and Sobble looked confused. They still had leeks; why did their Master pull more? Ange told them about the garden being raided.
Munch munch~
Sobb sobb~
Unsurprisingly, they were equally furious.
When dinner time arrived, the Pokémon gathered to eat. As they were eating, a blue-white light suddenly erupted from Totodile's body. Within the light, its body grew taller and its build became more robust. When the light faded, a brand new Pokémon stood before them.
It was Croconaw!