The day after the celebration, Cynthia rode her Garchomp and left. After all, the League's affairs still required her to sign and handle them.
Recalling Cynthia's furrowed brows from work, Lucas couldn't help but laugh.
Then, thinking of a certain "Flying-type" Champion who had to manage three regions, he wanted to laugh even more.
Lucas couldn't help but wonder if Champions needed side jobs to be Champions.
The Kanto Region and Johto Region Champions were keen on fighting criminals.
The former Hoenn Region Champion, wanting to dig for rocks all over the world, gave his Champion title to his good friend, leaving his friend to struggle before he ran off to dig for rocks.
The second Champion, after serving for a while, also went to hold Contests all over the world.
The Sinnoh Region Champion's side job was a Pokémon scholar.
The Unova Region Champion's side job was finding the next Champion.
The Kalos Region Champion's side job was being a Champion.
The Alola Champion was—Alola didn't have a Champion yet. The Galar Region Champion's side job was accepting GG—
It seems everyone has a side job.
Thinking of this, Lucas suddenly realized that Cynthia and Lance were already very responsible Champions.
Especially Lance, he was practically a model worker among Champions!
He just wondered if his hair could withstand such late nights. Next time they met, he could help him concoct some hair-growth herbal medicine.
Stepping out of the station, Lucas mounted the Rapidash that came to pick him up and galloped towards the Breeding House.
Back at the Breeding House, Nina was still there. Lucas distributed all the gifts he brought to them.
Everyone was happy to receive gifts, but since he didn't see Vespiquen, Lucas had Gengar put the suitcase back in the room.
Afterward, he took Gengar and walked towards the Forest Area.
The guarding Combee saw Gengar and immediately came forward to stop it from proceeding.
Normally, Gengar wouldn't be able to take another step forward in this situation, but today was different.
It pointed to Lucas beside it, and only then did the Combee notice Lucas. There was no helping it; Gengar usually put too much pressure on them.
The guarding Combee then moved aside, allowing Lucas to enter with Gengar.
Gengar tried to put its hands behind its back, but realizing it couldn't, it silently adopted an extremely arrogant swagger, swaying its body grandly and swinging its two short arms with great amplitude.
Its arrogant expression was too much for Lucas to bear.
(Expression reference: the arrogant expression of the elder sister from Bad People)
Lucas couldn't help but say, "You better take it easy."
Gengar clearly took his words as wind in its ears.
It kept making gengar sounds and harassing the Combee everywhere.
You guys always hid from me, but now look, I'm right inside. Where are you going to hide now?
Lucas couldn't stand it anymore and pulled its tail, dragging it back forcefully.
I really give up on you.
At this moment, Vespiquen flew over, flapping its wings.
"Bee?"
Vespiquen tilted its head, looking at Lucas. It remembered that Lucas rarely came over. Was there something important today?
Lucas smiled at Vespiquen, then dragged Gengar over and told it to take out all the honey.
Soon, Gengar placed several jars of honey in front of Vespiquen.
"Bee?"
Vespiquen narrowed its eyes. It sensed that this was not the honey they brewed.
Good heavens, you're secretly eating outside and then telling me about it to my face, huh?
Then, hearing what Lucas said, it was stunned for a moment.
"This is honey we saw brewed outside when we went out. We thought of buying it back for you to taste, it might help with your honey brewing."
"Bee—"
So—so that's how it is?
Vespiquen's face flushed. Lucas and Gengar exchanged glances.
Did Vespiquen just blush?
A sight to behold (a ghost to behold)!
Vespiquen quickly opened the honeys, tried each one, and then nodded.
Not bad, though still not as good as the sweet honey it brewed itself.
Since you insist on giving it to me, I'll reluctantly accept it.
Vespiquen called a few Combee to take the honey away.
Lucas breathed a sigh of relief only after Vespiquen turned around. Before coming, he was afraid Vespiquen wouldn't like it.
Now it seems the effect isn't bad.
After the Combee had taken all the honey away, Lucas looked at Vespiquen.
"Why don't you go ahead and get busy? Gengar and I will just wander around."
Vespiquen nodded, then looked at Gengar.
"Bee!"
You'd better not cause trouble!
Gengar quickly hid behind Lucas.
I have an imperial sword, you can't do anything to me!
Vespiquen flapped its wings and left, while Lucas took Gengar for a stroll.
This area had been transformed by Vespiquen and its kind. Many beehives hung from the trees, and behind a giant tree, there was a stone cave.
Lucas entered with Gengar. Inside, it was filled with the honey they had brewed.
It was golden and extremely tempting.
Lucas walked over, gently scraped some with his finger, and put it in his mouth.
Sweet and smooth, rich but not cloying.
A familiar flavor.
Gengar also gently scraped a bit and put it in its mouth.
"gen gen gar!"
So delicious.
While the Combee watched Gengar with vigilance, Gengar didn't continue eating the honey.
Gengar also knew which honey to snatch and which honey not to touch.
After walking around and observing the Combee's honey-making process for a while, Lucas took Gengar back.
On the way back, Gengar kept looking at its feet.
"Stop looking. No matter how much you look, you won't be able to brew honey. You might as well go and 'borrow' some instead."
Lucas said abruptly.
Gengar twitched its mouth. Lucas had a point.
Nothing beats getting it easily.
Hehe.
Gengar happily floated towards Shauna.
Lucas, behind it, kept shaking his head, then began to observe the Breeding House.
It was time to calm down and thoroughly renovate it.
After spending an afternoon planning, Lucas didn't contact a moving company. Instead, he discussed with Gengar and Nina that the Breeding House's staff would start work tomorrow.
Early the next morning, after breakfast, Lucas brought everyone from the Breeding House to the backyard. First was the issue of pathways.
Since most of the backyard was dirt, it was very inconvenient to walk on rainy days.
So, he planned a small path, paving it with some stones and pebbles, building it into a practical and aesthetically pleasing small stone path that didn't take up too much land.
Dash was leading Machoke, Vex, Heracross, and Pinsir in paving the path. Gengar sat on a lawnmower, mowing all the lush green grass, then cleared a path exactly according to Lucas's plan.
Thanks to the 'favorable weather' buff, the Breeding House remained full of vitality.
This path would connect the afternoon tea area, sand area, rock area, Lake area, and planting area, then go straight through the Forest Area, directly into the forest.
Dash and the others followed Gengar, continuously laying down stones, and finally using their strength to embed each pebble.
Lucas also modified the afternoon tea area, transforming it into a small garden with a few casually placed lounge chairs and parasols overhead. The flowerbeds Shauna planted were also included, with various flowers. Occasionally, a few Combee would collect nectar there, and sometimes a Vulpix and Mime Jr. would pop out. He imagined himself sitting there, slowly brewing tea and chatting with his good friends, watching the Pokémon play in the backyard.
The scent of fresh flowers mixed with the fragrant aroma of brewing tea would probably be very soothing.
Next was the planting area. Lucas expanded it a bit more, then divided it into a berries area, a vegetable area (vegetable garden), a herbal medicine area, and a newly organized tea leaf area.
He had already purchased some tea leaves from East Jewel online, preparing to try planting them in the Breeding House to see if they could grow successfully. If so, he could drink his own homegrown tea.
He also bought some detachable greenhouses and placed them over the tea leaf area, vegetable garden, and herbal medicine area. Although the Breeding House had a 'favorable weather' buff, it wouldn't allow Lucas to plant unsuitable crops in unsuitable seasons, so Lucas set up a greenhouse.
That way, even if it snowed in winter, there would still be fresh vegetables and Traditional Medicine to eat.
The Traditional Medicine was already growing luxuriantly. He believed it wouldn't be long before he could sell herbal tea and Traditional Medicine again.
Finally, Lucas also got several large wooden boxes and placed them under the swing tree in the backyard, to store the gifts brought by the forest Pokémon.
Such as mushrooms, berries, or other edible items or tools.
Many forest Pokémon would bring gifts for Lucas when they visited the Breeding House, usually directly handing them to him. Lucas found that too troublesome, so he just placed several large boxes there.
When the forest Pokémon came, they could directly put their gifts into the boxes, and he would come and collect them all after waking up.
Looking at the boxes leaning against the big tree, Lucas suddenly laughed.
Why is it starting to feel more and more like Stardew Valley?
Looking at the green grass cut by Gengar, bundled, and stacked, Lucas felt it was time to raise a few Miltank.
Then there would be delicious Moomoo Milk.
While he still had some money, Lucas decided to act now.
He remembered that Miltank appeared in the Johto Region, so he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Lance.
After telling Lance his idea, Lance replied with 'no problem,' saying he would ask for Lucas.
Soon, Lance's call came in.
After the call connected, Lance found that it was a Gengar on the other end, somewhat puzzled. Then the screen shook, and Lucas appeared in the center of the screen.
At this moment, he was covered in mud and sand. Lance looked at his disheveled appearance and explained the situation to him.
Coincidentally, a ranch only had three Miltank left. If Lucas needed them, he could buy all of them as a package.
However, the price might be a bit higher: 350,000 for one, 1,000,000 for three, plus Lucas paying the shipping fee himself, totaling 1,100,000 League Coins.
Lucas calculated and thought it was fine. Lance on the other end nodded and then hung up the phone.
Not long after, the phone rang again, with just a simple sentence.
Arriving the day after tomorrow.
Then the phone hung up again.
Lucas was a bit speechless. It was just one sentence, was it necessary to make a call?
The next second, the phone rang again.
"I'll come over to your place to rest in a few days."
Lucas was startled, then said with a smile, "You're always welcome."
After that, the phone was hung up again.
....
Power Stones PLZZZZZ
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