Hearing Ange's question, the Maushold and Fidough exchanged glances, momentarily unsure how to respond.
They wanted to continue traveling, and they loved the days of traveling all over.
Yet after this experience, they felt somewhat hesitant.
While traveling was undeniably free and enjoyable, it also harbored various unexpected dangers.
It wasn't as if they had never encountered peril before, such as running into fierce storms, facing pursuit from powerful Pokémon, or getting lost in the wild. Despite the dangers, they had always pulled through safely.
This time, however, was different. Fidough had nearly lost its life.
Had they not run into Ange, they could hardly imagine what would have happened to Fidough in the end.
Seeing them remain silent, Ange asked, "What is it? No ideas?"
The Maushold nodded in unison.
Ange thought for a moment and said, "Since that's the case, why don't you listen to my suggestion?"
The Maushold and Fidough looked at Ange simultaneously, their gazes filled with confusion.
Ange said with a smile, "Why don't you come home with me for a while? Once you've thought it through and want to go traveling again, you can set off from my house. If you grow tired of a life of constant motion and no longer wish to travel, you can simply stay at my home."
The largest of the Maushold asked, "Ange, are you planning to catch us?"
It still knew a thing or two about human Trainers.
Ange nodded openly and candidly. "That's right. I'm a chef, and Fidough can produce special yeast, which is extremely useful to me, so I very much want to catch it.
Furthermore, my restaurant needs waiters, and I think you Maushold would be a great fit!"
Kirlia certainly wouldn't be able to return for a short while, meaning the Munchlax Home would inevitably face a shortage of hands, making the recruitment of new employees an urgent priority.
If the Maushold were willing to join, this problem would be perfectly resolved.
Though the Maushold didn't possess psychic powers like Kirlia to do the work of many, they consisted of four members after all!
Hearing this, the Maushold and Fidough looked hesitant, unsure how to make a decision.
Ange continued, "While I do have the intention of catching you, whether or not you decide to follow me is entirely up to you. This is a two-way choice, and if you aren't willing, I won't force you."
At this, the Maushold and Fidough put their heads together and began whispering among themselves. A few minutes later, the largest Maushold stepped forward and gave Ange their answer on behalf of the group.
Fido fido~ We accept your suggestion.
A smile bloomed across Ange's face. "Then let's look out for each other from now on!"
With that, he extended his right hand toward the Pokémon.
The four Maushold and Fidough all placed their tiny paws onto Ange's palm.
Fido fido~ Looking forward to it.
Fido~ Looking forward to it.
Immediately afterward, Ange began chatting amiably with the Maushold and Fidough. He told them about the situation on the Nebel Plateau, pulled out his phone to flip through photos, and showed them the scenery of the Nebel Plateau along with the companions they would soon be working alongside.
The exchange between Ange, the Maushold, and Fidough was so lively that Salamence and Glaceon eventually wandered over as well.
Since they were also about to head to the Nebel Plateau to live, they naturally felt curious about the place Ange kept talking about.
Glaceon leaped onto the bed, curling up in a corner of the mattress in an obedient and adorable manner.
Salamence was massive, so it simply rested its chin on the edge of the bed. Its quiet, attentive demeanor lent a trace of gentleness to its normally fierce-looking face.
Latias and Latios rested their heads against Ange's legs on either side, while Aegislash floated down from the wall and leaned quietly near the bed.
Instantly, the entire ward was filled with a cozy atmosphere.
Because Dendemille Town was bitterly cold, Ange retrieved blankets and draped them over every Pokémon except Glaceon, making the ward feel even warmer.
Watching the various Pokémon coexisting harmoniously with Ange, Floragato curled its lip in disdain.
Hmph, a bunch of fellows who knew nothing of human treachery!
Attracted by the conversation, Flabebe and Floette desperately wanted to draw closer and listen in, only to receive a fierce glare from Floragato.
Flabebe whispered softly, "We've eaten all the food Ange made, so what does it matter..."
Floragato: ...
Despite outwardly showing that it wanted nothing to do with Ange, Floragato's gaze kept drifting toward their group of its own accord, its attention constantly reeled back in.
Time ticked away second by second. By the time Floragato snapped back to its senses, it found itself only a hair's breadth away from Ange and the others.
It hurriedly pretended to be acting casually as it backed away from them once more.
As for Flabebe and Floette, they had long since fully joined in on Ange's discussion, their crisp laughter echoing throughout the ward.
When Flabebe turned its head inadvertently, it saw its teacher staring straight at it and gave the teacher an awkward, sheepish smile.
I'm sorry, Teacher, but what Ange was talking about was simply too interesting.
Floragato let out a deep sigh and ultimately chose to turn a blind eye to the behavior of Flabebe and Floette.
After midnight, the voices of Ange and the Pokémon gradually softened until everything fell completely quiet.
The Pokémon drifted off to sleep one after another, and Ange also slumped against the edge of the hospital bed, letting out soft snores.
Only Floragato remained entirely devoid of sleep no matter what.
It walked over to the window and saw that snow had somehow begun to drift down outside.
Instinctively, it pulled its blanket tighter around itself, glanced back at Ange, and then looked out at the falling snow outside as its thoughts drifted far away.
When Ange woke up the next morning, the ground outside the window was already blanketed in thick snow, and the room was filled with a bright, clear light.
Flora~ You're awake!
Floragato's voice rang beside Ange's ear.
Ange smiled and greeted it, "Good morning, Floragato. You're up so early!"
Floragato hadn't woken up early at all; it simply hadn't slept a wink all night.
In its impression, humans had always been malicious entities, yet in this brief span of time spent with Ange, it had witnessed many entirely different facets of humanity, leaving it completely at a loss.
As a Pokémon that had lived for a very long time, Floragato's intelligence was in no way inferior to a human's, and its thought processes were quite mature.
It realized that its past perception of humans was mistaken, but having years of deeply ingrained beliefs shattered was something it couldn't accept overnight.
Consequently, it felt intensely conflicted.
Before long, the other Pokémon woke up one after another, and Nurse Joy made a special trip to check on Fidough's condition.
Once the examination was complete, she said, "Fidough's condition has stabilized, and you're free to leave whenever you wish, but remember to take the medicine on schedule."
Ange: "Alright, thank you, Nurse Joy."
After Nurse Joy departed, Ange said to everyone, "Let's head back to Herb Village."
With that, he turned to the Maushold and said, "We agreed, didn't we? Once we get back, you need to apologize to everyone in Herb Village."
The four Maushold nodded at Ange with expressions resembling individuals bravely marching to their execution.
Ange crouched down to rub their heads. "Don't worry, I'll go with you."
Fido fido~ The Maushold all looked at Ange with grateful expressions. The warmth of Ange's hand patting their palms filled them with courage.
After retrieving Fidough's medicine from Nurse Joy, Ange led everyone back to Herb Village, riding atop Latias, Latios, and Salamence along the exact same route.
When Ange returned to Village Chief Andrew's home, the chief's family was just eating breakfast.
Catching sight of Ange, Grandma Yulian immediately stood up and stepped forward. "Ange, you're finally back. You left in such a rush last night saying you had matters to attend to and stayed out the entire night, and I was worried sick."
Ange hurried to apologize, "I'm so sorry, Grandma Yulian. It was all my fault for making you worry."
"As long as you're back safely! As long as you're back safely!" Grandma Yulian patted Ange's arm reassuringly.
Andrew, however, immediately spotted the Maushold trailing behind Ange. "Ange, why did you bring them back here?!" With that, he strode over to the Maushold and glared fiercely down at them.
Fido fido~~ Startled, the Maushold instantly scrambled to hide behind Ange.
Ange grasped Andrew's arm. "Grandpa Andrew, the Maushold are here to apologize."
Andrew retorted, "If apologies were useful, what would we need police officers for? Can their apology make up for the losses we suffered?"
Ange sighed. "The Maushold had their reasons for doing this."
With that, he explained to Andrew why the Maushold had stolen the Mental Herbs.
Upon hearing the explanation, Andrew's anger finally subsided somewhat, though he still stubbornly refused to forgive the Maushold.
At that moment, Grandma Yulian stepped forward and gave her old partner a swat. "Alright, stop carrying on. What's done is done, what good does your anger do?"
"Hmph~" Andrew turned his head away, refusing to look at Grandma Yulian.
Ange spoke up, "To compensate for the losses caused by the Maushold, you don't need to pay me my reward this time!"
Hearing this, the Maushold gazed at Ange with eyes brimming with emotion.
Andrew, however, became displeased upon hearing that. "How can we do that? They caused the trouble, how could we let you shoulder the loss?"
Ange explained, "I've already caught them, so naturally I'll take responsibility for the trouble they caused."
The Maushold looked guilty upon hearing this, since they hadn't yet agreed to officially follow Ange and couldn't truly be considered his Pokémon.
Andrew glared at them. "They caused the trouble first and you caught them afterward, you can't calculate it like that!"
Ange thought it over and suggested, "How about this, could you please accompany us around? The Maushold want to apologize to the villagers who suffered losses. Whether everyone chooses to forgive them or not, an apology must be made."
Andrew hesitated for a moment before replying, "Fine then, for your sake!"
Led by Andrew, Ange accompanied the Maushold from house to house to offer apologies.
Naturally, the majority of the villagers did not forgive the Maushold, even if they had their reasons, though a few felt the Maushold were deeply loyal and chose to forgive them.
Once the apologies concluded, Ange brought the Maushold back to Andrew's house and told them:
"This matter can be considered wrapped up for now."
The Maushold let out a thorough sigh of relief upon hearing this. For timid creatures like them, facing so many villagers who resented them had been an immense ordeal.
At that point, Andrew asked, "Ange, when do you plan to leave? I can see you off!"
Ange replied, "I'll be leaving this afternoon, but before I go, there's a favor I'd like to ask of you."
Sensing what was coming, Andrew asked, "Are you hoping to buy some herbs from our village?"
Ange nodded. "That's right, exactly that!"
Andrew shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ange, I can't sell any to you."
Recalling what Grandma Yulian had previously told him, Ange quickly explained, "Grandpa Andrew, I'm not buying the herbs to sell them, nor am I a merchant dealing in herbs. I'm simply a chef who wants to buy a few for private use."
Nevertheless, Andrew still shook his head. "No matter what your purpose is, we cannot sell herbs to you!"
"Why?" Ange asked, baffled.
Andrew sighed in explanation, "The herbs grown in our village are all tied to agreements with our business partners. Generally speaking, however much our partners require, that's precisely how much we cultivate, leaving us with zero surplus to sell to outsiders."
"I see..." Ange felt deeply disappointed upon hearing this.
Andrew added, "I'm sorry, Ange. As much as I'd like to sell some to you, it's just not possible..."
Although he had initially mistaken Ange for a merchant looking to negotiate a business deal, he wasn't blind. Following a period of interaction, he had long since realized his previous misconception.
Ange waved a hand. "I understand. You don't need to feel apologetic."
Since Andrew had other tasks to attend to, he exchanged a few more words with Ange and then departed.
Left sitting in the courtyard with a gloomy expression at the realization of having made a wasted trip, Ange was suddenly greeted by Grandma Yulian, who cheerfully beckoned to him.
"Ange, come here! Come over here!"
Ange walked over and asked, "Grandma Yulian, something you need?"
"You're looking to buy herbs?" Grandma Yulian inquired.
Ange nodded. "Yes. Do you happen to know a way?"
"Of course!" Grandma Yulian said with considerable pride. "A little matter like this isn't enough to stump me!"
"But aren't all the village's herbs tied up in agreements with other people?" Ange asked, puzzled.
"The connection I'm going to introduce you to isn't in the village, nor has it signed any agreements with anyone," Grandma Yulian said mysteriously.
Ange's eyes lit up at these words. "That's wonderful, please tell me."
Without drawing it out further, Grandma Yulian directly introduced the lead to Ange: "There's an estate located northeast of our village, which serves as a vacation villa for a wealthy family. My younger brother works there as the butler.
To adorn the estate, that family planted a vast quantity of herbs. You can go find my brother there and have him speak with the owners to see if they're willing to sell some herbs to you."
Ange hesitated. "Wealthy families aren't short on money, though. Would they really be willing to sell their herbs?"
Grandma Yulian playfully tapped Ange's arm. "You won't know until you try! I'll give my brother a call later and have him help you out, the chances are still quite high!"
"Thank you so much, Grandma Yulian!" Ange said happily.
Grandma Yulian chuckled warmly. "No need to thank me, no need at all! Running into each other like this is its own form of destiny!"
Ange nodded. "You're completely right!"
Equipped with the estate's precise location courtesy of Grandma Yulian, Ange set off with his Pokémon.
The estate wasn't far from Herb Village, and after flying aboard Salamence for a little over ten minutes, Ange arrived at his destination.