The Azoth Kingdom was a unique nation, famous for its mysterious science. Five hundred years ago, the great scientist Eliphas elevated that reputation to its peak, creating countless masterpieces. From then on, the Azoth Kingdom became a sacred land for scientists around the world, and the nation took immense pride in that.
Eliphas had even been the teacher of Ange's twin sister, Anna. If Ange's body hadn't been so weak back then, Eliphas might have been his teacher as well.
When Ange reached adulthood, he heard that Eliphas had used mysterious science to create an artificial Pokémon, Magearna, for his sister.
Unfortunately, not long after that, Ange "died," so he never had the chance to see that miraculous artificial Pokémon.
Because the Azoth Kingdom was known worldwide as the "Super Mechanical City," its royal capital was naturally incredibly prosperous. It was not only a center of research, but also a famous tourist destination.
After Ange and Diancie passed through the tall gates and entered the capital, everywhere they looked were massive gears and floating elevators. The title "Mechanical City" was no exaggeration.
The entire Azoth Royal Capital resembled a vast machine in rapid motion. People living there hardly needed to walk, as mechanical devices carried them everywhere.
It had been a long time since Ange had seen so many people. Watching the bustling crowds in the streets, he couldn't help feeling a bit lost.
"Ange~ Ange~" Diancie tugged gently at his sleeve when she saw him staring blankly.
"Huh?" Ange came back to his senses. "What is it?"
"Where are we going now?" Diancie asked softly.
Compared to five hundred years ago, the Azoth Royal Capital had changed drastically. It still carried traces of the past, yet everything also looked different.
"I don't know either." Ange felt completely in the dark.
"How about we look around first?" Diancie suggested.
Ange nodded. "Sure."
They began walking, first taking an elevator to a bridge. After crossing it, they boarded a cable car.
Through the glass, they could clearly see the city below. The scenery was quite different from that of an ordinary modern metropolis.
Many of the mechanical structures left behind by Eliphas five hundred years ago still remained, giving the city an antique charm. However, since all of them were built after Ange's "death," everything looked unfamiliar to him.
At the same time, the city was filled with modern shops: cafés, restaurants, clothing stores, and more. The people were stylishly dressed, completely unlike those of five centuries ago. Everything made Ange feel as though time itself had gone astray.
After getting off the cable car, Ange and Diancie arrived at a busy shopping street. It was one of the most bustling areas in the Azoth Royal Capital. Everywhere, people were walking with their Pokémon, chatting and laughing as they enjoyed the lively atmosphere.
While wandering, Ange suddenly realized something serious. The system mission had told him to come to the Azoth Kingdom to buy ingredients, but he didn't have a single Pokédollar!
"Diancie, I don't think we have any money to buy anything." Ange and Diancie stared at each other on the sidewalk.
"How about… I create a diamond and you sell it?" Diancie joked.
Ange spread his hands. "If you could make it stay forever, that would actually be a good idea." Pink diamonds were indeed rare.
…
"What should we do then?" Diancie asked.
"How about we first find out where the local market or supermarket is?" Ange suggested. "We can at least scout the area."
Diancie still lived with the mindset of five hundred years ago and didn't know what a "supermarket" was, but if Ange said so, she trusted him completely.
After asking around, they found a large, well-rated supermarket that sold just about everything, including ingredients.
When they entered, both of them looked around like villagers visiting a big city for the first time.
Although Ange had seen supermarkets in his previous life, many of the products here didn't exist in his old world. It was an eye-opening experience.
After wandering for a long time without being able to buy anything, they finally walked out of the store.
Standing at the entrance, Ange sighed deeply. "Looks like the top priority is still to make money."
If only the system's Happiness Points could be exchanged for Pokédollars… Ange sighed in frustration.
"How do we make money?" Diancie didn't understand.
"How about we set up a stall to sell mantou?" Ange said, struck by inspiration.
Diancie's eyes lit up. "That's right! Your cooking is delicious, Ange. People will definitely come!"
It was the only money-making method Ange could think of. "Alright, let's try running a breakfast stall first."
Just then, Diancie froze for a moment before whispering, "Ange, there's a system mission!"
"Huh? Now?" Ange was surprised.
Diancie nodded lightly.
"What's the mission?" he asked.
Diancie pulled him to a quiet corner and displayed the mission window for him to see.
[Temporary Mission: Set up a stall in the Azoth Royal Capital and earn your first bucket of gold.]
[Accept?]
[Yes/No]
The answer was obvious, of course, he chose "Yes."
A new mission appeared in Ange's Mission List:
[Temporary Mission: Set up a stall in the Azoth Royal Capital and earn your first bucket of gold — In Progress.]
After accepting the new mission, the two decided to scout the city and look for a good stall location.
As time passed and the sun began to set, they finally found a park that seemed perfect. Many people came there in the morning to exercise, so plenty would likely buy breakfast.
At the end of the day, Ange and Diancie visited the royal palace.
Standing outside the grand gates, watching the serious-looking guards, Ange felt dazed for a moment.
Compared to five hundred years ago, the palace itself hadn't changed much, only the people inside had.
His parents and sister were all gone.
While Ange stood in silence, he suddenly felt someone hold his hand.
It was Diancie.
Her small hand could only grasp four of his fingers, but it was warm.
When he turned to look at her, she smiled sweetly, and warmth filled his heart.
"Let's go home," Ange said with a smile.
This was no longer his home. He had a new one now.
"Mm." Diancie nodded firmly.
Just as they turned to leave, the palace gates opened. A black-haired girl wearing glasses and a uniform stepped out.
"Miss Fiona, heading home?"
The guards greeted her warmly.
"Yes, thank you for your hard work." Fiona smiled back.
"It's nothing, really." The guards waved their hands politely.
Fiona glanced at Ange's back and asked curiously, "Who was that man? Did he come here for something?"
One of the guards shook his head. "No idea. Probably a tourist wanting to see the palace."
Fiona nodded, though her eyes still carried doubt. That man's hair… it was the same golden color unique to the royal family.
Many people had blond hair, but the royal family's gold was different; it was pure and brilliant, shimmering under sunlight.
Could there still be a surviving royal member out there? Wait… could he be His Majesty's illegitimate son?! Fiona's imagination ran wild.
No, no, she quickly shook the thought away. There were only three royal members left now: His Majesty, Princess Lila, and Prince Romeo. If the king really had an illegitimate child, he would have brought him into the palace long ago.
Royal members had fallen to such a state.
The royal family did not care if someone was an illegitimate child.
It was probably just a coincidence.
Thinking this, Fiona turned and walked home.
"See you tomorrow, Miss Fiona." The guard said goodbye to her.
"See you tomorrow."
Over at Ange's side, after he sent Diancie home, he returned to the Nebel River.
"Lapras!" Ange shouted toward the lake's surface.
Splash~~
After a splash, Lapras's smooth head came out of the water. It gave a soft cry, then swam toward the shore.
"Were you hungry?" Ange touched Lapras's neck and asked.
La~~
Lapras nodded honestly.
"You worked hard." He took out a few mantou and fed Lapras bit by bit. After Lapras was full, he jumped onto Lapras's back.
"Let's go home."
La~~~
Lapras accelerated and swam toward the Nebel Plateau.
Because they went upstream, Ange did not arrive home until it was dark. Munchlax had already made dinner and waited with Diancie and Komala.
During dinner, the four sat around one table. Suddenly, Ange sniffed. "Why did I feel the smell of alcohol?"
Diancie silently pointed at Komala.
Ange leaned close to Komala and sniffed. Sure enough, he smelled strong alcohol, with a fragrant note.
"Komala, you had this hobby? You got your salary and you bought alcohol already?" Ange said in surprise.
The System Store did not sell food, but it sold alcohol.
Komala ignored Ange's question and kept stuffing dinner into its mouth.
Ange did not say more. They were adult Pokémon. Drinking a little was fine. Everyone had small hobbies.
After dinner, Ange started preparing ingredients with Munchlax for tomorrow's stall. Ange even spent Happiness Points to buy a mobile food cart from the System Store. He almost spent all his Happiness Points.
Happiness Points: 505
Looking at the tiny number left in the Happiness Point balance, Ange felt like crying. Earning was hard. Spending was easy.
Forget it. Earning without using had no meaning.
After preparations were almost done, Ange went to the Cooking Training Room with Munchlax to train for one hour. They finished the daily mission. Then he washed up and slept.
Before sleeping, Ange casually collected two daily rewards.
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining a reward: High-grade salt ×1 bag]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining a reward: Individual Value +2]
???
When he saw the second reward, Ange sat up immediately. A golden legend appeared? Diancie was right. Daily mission rewards really could drop good items.
Without hesitation, Ange added the 2 IV points to Munchlax, all to Attack.
Munchlax
Type: Normal
Ability: Thick Fat
Gender: Male
Level: 23
Moves: Tackle, Lick, Defense Curl, Recycle, Covet, Bite, Stockpile, Swallow, Take Down, Baby-Doll Eyes, Seed Bomb, Brick Break, Counter.
Individual Values
HP: 29
Attack: 19
Defense: 20
Sp. Atk: 6
Sp. Def: 10
Speed: 31
Recently, Munchlax's level increased again. This came from daily training and eating Ange's cooking.
But Ange's own physique did not show an obvious change. According to Diancie, Ange's physique growth rate was slower than Munchlax's level-up. They could not rush it.
Munchlax had already fallen asleep. It did not know it had become stronger again.
The next day, Ange woke earlier than usual. The sky was still dark. Munchlax was dragged out of bed.
"Munchlax, today I leave the shop to you. Can you do it?"
Munch~~ I know.
Munchlax looked half asleep. It yawned while answering Ange.
"Diancie, watch it more." Ange helplessly told Diancie again.
"It is fine," Diancie said. "With me here, there will be no problem."
Ange nodded. He trusted Diancie fully.
Swab~Swab~~
At that moment, Swablu's father's cry came from outside. It would bring Ange to the Azoth Royal Capital.
"Then I am leaving." Ange held Komala in his arms. Today, Komala went with Ange to set up the stall in the Azoth Royal Capital.
"Come back early and be careful," Diancie told Ange.
"I know."
He ran outside, climbed onto Swablu's Father's back, and patted its neck. "I count on you today!"
Swab~~
Father Swablu nodded. It cried softly, then flapped its wings and flew into the sky, toward the Azoth Royal Capital.
The cold morning wind hit his face, and Ange sighed. "Living was not easy." He looked at Komala sleeping sweetly in his arms. "You really lived a happy life."
On the way past the waterfall, Ange noticed that even now, there were Magikarp climbing the waterfall.
Magikarp worked so hard. Ange suddenly felt fired up too.
Taking the air route was faster than the water route. Soon, Ange arrived outside the city gate.