Before long, Ange arrived at the entrance of Munchlax Home with Pawmi.
"This is our home!" Ange said to Pawmi.
As he spoke, he took out a Poké Ball and released Metagross.
"Metagross, we're home."
"Meta~~" Metagross looked at the house before it with a face full of curiosity.
"Paw Paw~~"
Pawmi hopped out of Ange's hood, landing lightly on top of Metagross's head. It then tugged at Ange's sleeve, urging him to go inside; it could not wait to see what its new home looked like.
"Alright, alright, I'm opening it now," Ange said as he took out his keys and opened the door.
It was afternoon, and Munchlax Home was very quiet with no customers inside. The shop was cleaned thoroughly, nearly spotless, and the tables and chairs were arranged neatly.
"Paw~~"
Pawmi jumped down from Metagross and ran around the room with novelty, occasionally jumping naughtily onto a table and leaving behind tiny footprints.
"Pawmi, Meowstic and the others will be angry if you keep doing that!" Ange said, intentionally pulling a stern face.
"Paw~ Paw~~"
Hearing this, Pawmi immediately ran over with a flattering expression and asked who Meowstic was.
"Meowstic is one of our partners from the Nebel Plateau and a waiter in this shop. I'll introduce you later," Ange replied.
"Paw~"
Pawmi nodded and hopped back onto Metagross's head.
As Ange led the two Pokémon further inside, he said with satisfaction, "It looks like Munchlax and the others have been running the shop quite well."
However, at that moment, he sensed something was wrong. Why did he feel a Pokémon's Aura in the corner of the wall?
"Who's there?" Ange asked, looking toward the corner.
Pawmi and Metagross looked over as well, but no Pokémon made a sound, and the shop fell suddenly silent.
"Who's there?" Ange asked once more.
It was still silent.
Consequently, Ange walked gently toward the corner. When he reached it, he still saw nothing.
Strange! I couldn't have sensed it incorrectly!
"Meta~~"
Metagross suddenly let out a cry, its eyes glowing with a purple light representing powerful psychic energy. A Haunter was pulled out from inside the wall.
"Haunt~ Haunt~"
Haunter struggled desperately, but with its strength, it was impossible to break free from Metagross's psychic restraint.
Ange studied Haunter for a few moments and then said in surprise, "It's you!"
He realized this Haunter was Shiny. He only knew of one Shiny Haunter, and that was the one previously pursued by Daoka and Isabel.
"Haunt Haunt~"
Seeing that Ange recognized it, Haunter nodded repeatedly.
"Metagross, release Haunter," Ange said.
"Meta~"
Metagross nodded and released the psychic energy restraining Haunter. Having regained its freedom, Haunter gasped for breath, clearly quite frightened.
"Haunter, have you been staying in my house this whole time?" Ange asked.
"Haunt~"
Haunter nodded.
"For how long?" Ange asked again.
"Haunt~ Haunt~"
Haunter began to count on its fingers, but after a few counts, its head became dizzy and confused.
Looking at its dazed state, Ange said with a smile, "Alright, alright, stop counting." It didn't seem like a particularly important matter anyway.
"Since you've been staying here, do you have any plans for the future?" Ange asked.
Haunter shook its head in confusion. It felt that staying in Munchlax Home just like this was very good; it didn't have to worry about the sun or rain, it could pick up leftover buns and Mantou every day, and more importantly, no one came to catch it. It was peaceful and stable.
"Okay," Ange nodded, "You can think about it slowly. Tell me when you've decided."
Haunter nodded gently and then faded its body back into the wall.
Seeing Haunter disappear, Ange then spoke to Pawmi and Metagross. "Let's go."
"Paw~"
"Meta~"
After the two Pokémon responded, they followed Ange to the third floor and returned to their home on the Nebel Plateau through the spatial tunnel.
After they left, Haunter crept back out of the wall holding a small rag. It wiped away the footprints left by Pawmi one by one.
Seeing the table become shiny again, Haunter grinned and returned contentedly to the shadows of the wall.
On Ange's side.
Coming out of the room, Ange spoke to Pawmi and Metagross. "Pawmi, Metagross, this is our true home! You will be living here from now on!"
The two Pokémon constantly looked over the furnishings in the house. Pawmi rode on Metagross as they moved around the rooms.
At that moment, Robert 2 sensed Metagross and automatically moved to its side.
Ange walked around the house but saw neither Munchlax, Drizzile, nor Diancie. "It seems everyone is out!" he said.
After speaking, he called out to Pawmi and Metagross, "Come on, I'll take you outside to look around."
"Paw~~"
Pawmi jumped down from Metagross's head happily and ran outside with anticipation. Metagross and the Robert 2 it controlled followed closely behind.
When he reached the ground floor, Ange noticed some different items on the front desk and tables. Beneath the vase on the front desk, there was now a white mat with a Munchlax pattern on it.
The tables also had several mats of similar style, though the patterns were different—some had Komala, some had Drizzile, and there was even one with a person whose face was blurred.
That couldn't be me, could it? Ange thought to himself.
He couldn't help but feel curious. Did Diancie buy these?
Without overthinking it, Ange continued outside with the two Pokémon. It wasn't until he reached the entrance that he discovered Diancie was actually home.
Diancie was currently sitting on the steps by the door, holding two needles and knitting something. Beside it lay two Spinarak, and the silk thread Diancie used for knitting came entirely from these two.
Importantly, the needles Diancie used for knitting were made of diamonds it had created.
At this moment, Ange finally understood where the extra mats in the house came from; Diancie had knitted them by hand!
Those are truly the most extravagant needles imaginable!
Hearing the movement, Diancie looked back. Upon seeing Ange, a sweet smile appeared on its face.
"Ange, you're back!"
Ange had called Diancie before returning, which was why it had sat at the door specifically to wait for him.
It had played a little trick by not telling Munchlax or Drizzile about this.
Those two fellows are always stealing Ange's attention! Hmph!!!
"I'm back," Ange said with a smile. He then looked at the two Spinarak beside it in surprise. "Where did these two little guys come from?"
Hearing this, Diancie picked up the two Spinarak and said with a boastful look, "I picked them up! Aren't they cute?"
These two Spinarak were the Pokémon Diancie had found in a trash can on a street in the Azoth Royal Capital during the time Ange sent it to buy ingredients.
After bringing them back, Diancie had bought a book titled Complete Guide to Handicrafts from the System Store and taught itself how to knit.
It even planned to knit a sweater for Ange once its skills improved.
"Ito~"
"Ito~"
The two tiny Spinarak lay obediently in Diancie's hands, waving their front claws to greet Ange.
Ange stroked their foreheads and said, "They are indeed cute."
Though they might not be so cute after evolving into Ariados.
Ariados might not fit most people's aesthetics, but Ange felt they possessed a certain mysterious coolness.
Diancie clearly liked the Spinarak very much and had even bought a satchel specifically to place them inside carefully.
The two Spinarak lay side-by-side on the edge of the bag, keeping their front claws and heads exposed while continuing to spit silk for Diancie's knitting.
Ange withdrew his gaze from the Spinarak and looked at Diancie. "Where are Munchlax, Drizzile, and Komala?"
"Munchlax and Drizzile are helping plant trees over by the riverbank,"" Diancie answered. "As for Komala... it probably went to find its drinking buddy again!""
Ange nodded and said, "Then let's go check out the riverbank."
Having been away from home for so many days, he didn't know how the tree planting was going. Although Diancie reported the situation to him every day, it was necessary to see it with his own eyes.
Diancie nodded and lightly patted the satchel. The two Spinarak immediately stopped spitting silk, and after Diancie fed each of them a Pokémon Cookie, they crawled into the bag contentedly to rest.
Subsequently, Ange, Diancie, Pawmi, and Metagross walked together toward the riverbank.
As they passed the perimeter wall, Ange saw two Dolliv standing on the wall with their arms spread, bathing in the sunlight.
"Dolliv~"
"Dolliv~"
Seeing Ange, the two Dolliv greeted him with pleasant surprise.
Ange smiled and asked, "Dolliv, how is it living here?"
"Dolliv~"
"Dolliv~"
The two Dolliv gestured and described with smiles on their faces.
They liked it here very much. The Pokémon here were friendly and kind, food was abundant, and most importantly, there was much more sunlight than in the Great Crater of Paldea. They could bask in the sun as much as they wanted.
"That's good," Ange nodded with a smile. "Then carry on with your sunbathing."
The two Dolliv nodded.
As for the fact that Ange could now communicate with Pokémon, the Dolliv were not surprised, because Diancie had already informed everyone in advance.
On the stone slabs of the plaza, Garganacl was playing with two Nacli. The Nacli were climbing up Garganacl's legs, falling off halfway every time.
Whenever this happened, Garganacl would gently extend its palm to catch them.
Seeing that they were having a good time, Ange did not disturb them.
Under the base of the perimeter wall, Scovillain was also sunbathing with three Capsakid.
Scovillain stood quietly, but the three naughty Capsakid could not stay still. After a brief moment of quiet, they would start chasing and playing.
Every time this happened, their parents would pick them up, give them two firm swats on the rear, and scold them loudly.
After being scolded, the Capsakid would sit obediently beside their parents to sunbathe.
Of course, this situation never lasted long, and before long, they would return to their old ways.
Before even reaching the riverbank, Ange saw rows of wooden houses from a distance. He said in surprise, "Are the wooden houses for Gogoat and the others already finished?"
Diancie nodded. "It was all thanks to Robert 1."
It was Robert 1, not Robert 2.
Although Robert 1 was clumsy, during the time Ange was away from home, it had worked together with the Pokémon and finally finished building the wooden houses.
"Let's go see!" Ange said, quickly heading toward the wooden houses.
Diancie, Pawmi, and Metagross followed suit.
Standing before the wooden houses, Ange looked them up and down and nodded with satisfaction.
"They're built really well!"
Because they were built for the Gogoat to live in, the houses were not very tall—only about 2 meters high—and they fully considered lighting and ventilation.
"Have the Gogoat moved in yet?" Ange asked, looking at the dead leaves and hay piled inside.
Diancie nodded. "They moved in as soon as the houses were finished. They all like their new home very much."
"It's good that they like it," Ange nodded.
After visiting every wooden house, Ange and the Pokémon continued toward the riverbank.
Halfway there, Ange encountered Espathra running freely on the grass.
Seeing Ange return, Espathra let out a long cry and sprinted over, reaching Ange's side in the blink of an eye.
Ange stroked Espathra's outstretched head. "How is it? Have you adjusted to being here?"
"Espa Espa~"
Espathra stretched its head to nuzzle Ange's neck. It loved the vast grasslands here, which allowed it to run to its heart's content.
"It's good that you've adjusted." Ange patted Espathra's long neck. "Alright, go back to your running."
"Espa~~"
Espathra nodded and then set off running again with its long legs.
Ange suddenly thought of something and asked Diancie in confusion, "Where are the two Oinkologne?"
Diancie spread its hands. "I don't know. Ever since they arrived, they've been leaving early and returning late every day. I don't know what they're busy with, but they should be back tonight."
"Fine." Ange knew the Oinkologne had restless personalities, so he didn't ask further.
Soon Ange arrived at his destination, and Fletchinder was the first to spot him.
"Fle Fle~~"
It flapped its wings happily and descended from the sky.
Its cry immediately drew the attention of the other Pokémon. The Pokémon that were working stopped what they were doing and rushed toward Ange all at once.
Ange! Ange is back!
The first to arrive were naturally the flying Spritzee and Swablu, landing on Ange's shoulders on either side.
"Zee Zee~"
"Blu Blu~"
The two small birds constantly nuzzled Ange's cheeks with their heads, expressing how much they had missed him.
Next, Skitty, Meowstic, Buneary, Minccino, Gulpin, Ralts, Pancham, Litleo, Linoone... all pounced toward Ange, completely submerging him.
"Munch Munch~~" Master! Master!
Munchlax ran slowly. By the time it arrived, Ange was already surrounded by a large group of Pokémon. It couldn't squeeze in no matter what, so it paced around the group anxiously.
As for Diancie, Pawmi, and Metagross who had been with Ange, they had already been pushed to the side.
Pawmi looked bewildered. What happened?
"Meta Meta~" Ange is really popular!
Metagross remarked to Diancie beside it.
Diancie looked proud. ""Of course. All the Pokémon here rely on Ange so they don't have to worry about food or drink, and they have warm, clean houses to live in.""
Metagross had heard about the situation on the Nebel Plateau long ago, but seeing Ange so beloved by so many Pokémon still left it feeling shaken. Simultaneously, a deep sense of respect for Ange grew in its heart.
If it had initially only been willing to follow Ange to become stronger, it was now thoroughly captivated by Ange's charm.
In the middle of the circle, Ange was so busy stroking this Pokémon and then that one that he could hardly keep up.
"Skitty, stop licking me, it tickles!"
"Litleo, don't breathe fire, it's hot!"
"Ralts, don't pull on my clothes, you're going to tear them."
...
Ange felt incredibly happy wading through this sea of Pokémon.
"I missed you all too. You've all worked hard during this time."
After squeezing for a long time, Munchlax finally reached Ange's side and hugged him with a wronged expression.
Ange patted its back and said, "Munchlax worked hard too."
Receiving its master's comfort, Munchlax's feelings of being wronged vanished instantly, and it gently nuzzled its master.
Ange had been pushed down to the ground by the Pokémon, and now he stood up while holding Munchlax's hand, speaking to everyone. "We're eating something delicious tonight! Everyone, head home as soon as you finish your work!"
Ange decided to have hot pot with everyone tonight. On a day of grand reunion, having hot pot was the most appropriate thing, and it just so happened that the group had never eaten it before.
Hearing this, the Pokémon cheered and ran off to work hard, wanting to finish today's tasks quickly so they could go home and enjoy the food!
Looking at the fruit trees already planted on the riverbank, Ange was very satisfied. Everyone is indeed a reliable partner!
Before Ange left, Pecha Berries, Oran Berries, Rawst Berries, and Cheri Berries had already been planted. During the time he was away, the Pokémon had successively planted Chesto Berries, Leppa Berries, Lum Berries, Nanab Berries, Tanga Berries, and Persim Berries.
The area of the riverbank was limited. Although Ange hadn't planted many of each type, it was now almost full.
The tree-planting work was nearing its end, so Ange had to think about arranging other tasks for the Pokémon.
Suddenly, Ange noticed some changes he hadn't seen before. He looked in surprise at three Weepinbell working hard nearby.
"The Bellsprout evolved?"
Diancie nodded. ""That's right, just a few days ago.""
Ange continued to look at the other Pokémon.
"Aron evolved too?"
Now it should be called Lairon!
Diancie continued, "Aron worked very hard. It trained diligently every day with Croconaw, Drilbur, and the two Farfetch'd, so it evolved several days earlier than the Weepinbell!"