In the afternoon, Jeremy arrived in a flying vehicle, delivering the goods Ange needed to open the snack bar and the daily necessities store.
Ange, accompanied by Metagross and Gengar, began unloading the items from the aircraft one by one. Seeing the activity, the surrounding Pokémon flocked over to investigate.
Fle fle~ Ange, what are all these for?
Fletchinder flew above Ange's head, eyeing the goods piled in the plaza with curious eyes.
"These are for opening stores," Ange explained.
Blu blu~ Opening stores? What is that?
Swablu landed on Ange's shoulder, its face full of confusion.
The other Pokémon also looked toward Ange. Consequently, he shared his store opening plan with everyone. Although the Pokémon only half-understood the concept, it did not stop them from realizing that Ange was working hard to improve their lives. As a result, they cheered and leaped around the goods in excitement.
Just then, Delphox and Greninja walked over. Initially, they were curious about why everyone was gathered, but they soon saw Ange waving at them.
"You two came at just the right time. I have already prepared your jobs."
The two Pokémon's eyes lit up upon hearing this; they had been looking forward to this for a long time. Ange then explained their job descriptions in detail. Delphox was appointed as the manager of the snack bar, while Greninja was appointed as the manager of the daily necessities store.
Delphox and Greninja were much smarter than the other Pokémon, so they understood Ange's explanation immediately. As they listened, their eyes grew brighter. This was a good job, and they liked it.
Soon, all the goods were moved off the aircraft. Jeremy re-boarded the flying vehicle and said to Ange, "Your Highness, I will head back first then. Please call me anytime if you need anything."
His job was to remain at Ange's disposal and handle errands for him.
"Thank you for your hard work. Be careful on the road," Ange said, waving to him.
"Understood. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
With that, Jeremy piloted the vehicle away from the Nebel Plateau.
After seeing Jeremy off, Ange said to Delphox and Greninja, "Come, let's go see where the stores will be located. Later, we can move the goods into the shops."
Del del~
Gre gre~
Delphox and Greninja nodded.
Subsequently, Ange led the two Pokémon toward the elevator of the Secret Fortress. Halfway there, he suddenly turned back to the Pokémon surrounding the goods and said:
"No touching the goods randomly, okay? Otherwise, you aren't good kids. You can only use your own wages to buy them once the stores open!"
The Pokémon, who had originally wanted to rummage through the goods to see what they were, immediately retracted their hands and gave Ange silly, sheepish grins.
"No making trouble, now~"
After emphasizing this once more, Ange left with Delphox and Greninja.
Just as Ange left, Pawmi emerged from somewhere. It stared intently at the goods. Upon seeing a bag of lollipops, its eyes suddenly sparkled, and it reached out to grab them. Ange had bought these for it back in Mesagoza; they were delicious!
Lairon, standing nearby, happened to catch its little movement. It stepped forward, bit the back of Pawmi's neck, and lifted it into the air to stop its behavior.
Paw paw~ Let go of me! Let go of me!
Pawmi struggled desperately. At that moment, Espathra suddenly stuck its head forward, its eyes shimmering with strong waves of psychic power.
Espa~
Pawmi froze entirely under its gaze and immediately gave up struggling. Lairon placed it back on the ground, and it scurried away in a flash.
Meanwhile, Ange, Delphox, and Greninja walked through the staff dormitory and quickly selected two suitable spots to serve as the snack bar and the daily necessities store. They were two rooms located near the living room area. The advantage of these rooms was their large space, ensuring they wouldn't feel crowded even if many Pokémon entered at once, plus they were easy to access.
After touring the two rooms with the Pokémon, Ange said with satisfaction, "Alright, let's choose these two spots. The one on the left will be the snack bar, and the one on the right will be the daily necessities store."
Del del~
Gre gre~
The two Pokémon nodded in agreement.
"Then let's go move the goods down," Ange said.
The two Pokémon returned upstairs with Ange and worked with the others to move the goods into the staff dormitory one by one. While the Pokémon carried the items, Ange stayed below to direct them on which room each item should go into.
Actually, Ange could have moved everything down instantly using the System Store, but the Pokémon were so enthusiastic and had such a strong desire to help that he let them be. It was best if they were happy.
Once the goods were moved, Ange stayed with Delphox and Greninja to help them identify the items, telling them what each product was used for. A manager couldn't very well be ignorant of the goods they were selling! He also discussed the pricing of the items. Fortunately, nothing in Ange's inventory was overly complex, so the two Pokémon learned quickly.
While teaching them the functions of the goods, Ange also instructed them on how to categorize the items and place them orderly on the shelves. This training lasted until evening. It wasn't until Diancie came to call Ange for dinner that he, Delphox, and Greninja realized how late it had become.
Looking at the various products neatly arranged on the shelves, Ange said to the two Pokémon, "Once our payment system is ready, the stores can open!"
Del del~
Gre gre~
Delphox and Greninja nodded, their hearts full of anticipation. They wished the payment system could be finished immediately so they could start working right away.
After breakfast the next day, Ange's family went to the third floor for their usual pleasant family entertainment time. While the other Pokémon enjoyed their own activities, Volcanion held a phone and watched a Pokémon soccer match.
At this point, Ange leaned in and whispered to it, "Volcanion, I want to discuss something with you."
Volcanion didn't even look up, its eyes fixed on the phone. It simply said, "What is it?"
Ange leaned in even closer and whispered, "In the future... could you leave your droppings for me?"
"What?" Volcanion suddenly looked up and shouted at the top of its lungs.
This howl immediately drew the attention of Diancie, Magearna, Munchlax, and the others.
"What's wrong?" Diancie asked in confusion.
Ange shook his head quickly. "Nothing. You guys keep playing; Volcanion and I are just discussing something."
Hearing this, Diancie and the others looked away and went back to their own business.
Volcanion looked at Ange with a bizarre expression. "You..." Aren't a pervert, are you?
Before it could finish, Ange explained hurriedly, "Don't get the wrong idea! I want to use it to cultivate berry trees! Your droppings are good for them."
Only then did Volcanion's strange gaze soften.
"So, is that a yes?" Ange asked again.
Volcanion hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright."
Considering how well Ange had been building up the Nebel Plateau, it wasn't impossible for it to make a small sacrifice.
"Excellent!" Ange looked delighted. "Then from now on, you..." He and Volcanion then huddled together and began whispering.
Not far away, Magearna saw them like this, and a smile appeared on its face. It was wonderful!
After the evening training session ended, Ange and the Pokémon went to their respective rooms to sleep. As usual, Ange opened the System before bed, intending to claim his daily mission rewards. To his surprise, he found that a [Temporary Mission] had actually been completed.
[Temporary Mission] Gain Volcanion's favor—Completed. Reward pending.
When did this finish? Why? Why didn't I hear a system notification?
After thinking back carefully, he guessed it might have been completed during the time he was at Munchlax Home this morning. Since he was so busy then, he hadn't noticed. Regardless, it was good that the mission was done.
Without hesitation, Ange claimed the reward.
[Congratulations Master for completing the Temporary Mission: Gain Volcanion's favor. Received Reward: Constitution +2, Individual Values +2.]
It was an expected reward.
Ange
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 16 (+500)
Constitution: 48
Intelligence: 22
Culinary Evaluation: A fresh novice who has just barely qualified.
In addition to the constitution points from the mission, Ange's consistent exercise during this period had also strengthened his body significantly. With this level of constitution, Ange felt he could almost go toe-to-toe with high-level Pokémon! He'd have to find someone to test it on one of these days.
As for the 2 Individual Value points, Ange added them to Munchlax without hesitation. Munchlax was almost at perfect IVs; time to keep going!
Munchlax (Eviolite)
Type: Normal
Ability: Thick Fat
Gender: Male
Level: 47
Moves: Tackle, Lick, Defense Curl, Recycle, Covet, Bite, Stockpile, Swallow, Body Slam, Fling, Amnesia, Take Down, Baby-Doll Eyes, Seed Bomb, Brick Break, Counter, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch
Individual Values
HP: 31
Attack: 31
Defense: 20
Special Attack: 31
Special Defense: 31
Speed: 31
The Attack IV, which was originally 29, was now maxed out at 31. Only the Defense IV remained unfinished. A look of satisfaction appeared on Ange's face. He then claimed his daily mission rewards—all minor items.
Time for sleep!
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. After finishing work at Munchlax Home that day, Ange received a USB drive from Fiona. It contained the payment system that Ange had asked the royal scientists to develop.
Shortly after receiving the drive, Ange received a call from Lila. On the phone, Lila told Ange that the Nebel Plateau cards he ordered were also ready and that Jeremy would deliver them at noon.
After hanging up, Ange couldn't wait and ran home with his Pokémon. He found Robert 2 and plugged the USB drive into the port on the back of its head.
Robert 2 spoke, "System loading, please wait." Subsequently, its eyes began to flash rapidly.
About a minute later, the flashing stopped, and Robert 2 spoke again, "Nebel Plateau payment system installation complete. Welcome."
Just as the installation finished, Ange heard the sound of a flying vehicle landing outside. He ran out and saw Jeremy jumping down from the aircraft.
Upon landing, Jeremy waved to Ange. "Your Highness, I'm here again!" He held up a spatial backpack. "The items you wanted."
Ange waved back. "Come in quickly!"
Jeremy scurried over to the door and handed the items to Ange.
After taking the items, Ange said, "You've been a great help all this time. Stay for lunch today!"
Jeremy didn't stand on ceremony. "Really? Then I won't be polite. I've been craving Your Highness's cooking for a long time."
Ange laughed. "Then you better eat your fill today. There's plenty!"
That noon, Munchlax and the others prepared several extra dishes as instructed. Jeremy truly had a feast and left with a bulging stomach.
After lunch, Ange gathered all the Pokémon together. He distributed the Nebel Plateau Cards (hereafter referred to as Nebel Cards) to everyone and said:
"From now on, everyone can use the cards in your hands to make purchases."
During this period, the Pokémon's wages had been recorded by Robert 2. As soon as the cards arrived, Robert helped transfer the funds into them. Each card was bound to a Pokémon's identity.
Everyone looked curiously at the small, thin cards in their hands. The back of the card featured the beautiful scenery of the Nebel Plateau, while the front showed a sweet-smiling Diancie and a charming Munchlax.
Ange continued, "If you don't know how to use them, you can ask Delphox and Greninja. Anyone who wants to go shopping can now go to the snack bar and the daily necessities store. However, remember to spend rationally and in moderation."
Not only did the other Pokémon receive Nebel Cards, but Diancie, Munchlax, and Drizzile had them as well. Upon hearing Ange's words, the Pokémon raced toward the stores.
The first to arrive was Floette. Looking at the snack bar filled with an array of goods, it had no idea what to buy for a moment.
Del del~ Floette, what do you want to buy?
Delphox looked at it with a smile.
Floette thought for a long time; it wanted to buy this and it wanted to buy that. Finally, Delphox suggested:
Del del~ Why don't you check next door? That's the place for daily necessities. Maybe you'll see something you want there.
The snack bar sold food and toys, which weren't essentials. There was no harm in waiting until the Pokémon were more familiar with the store's existence to buy things. By comparison, buying daily necessities was a safe bet.
Fleur fleur~
Floette nodded and flew happily toward Greninja's shop.
As soon as Floette left, Pawmi rushed over impatiently. It stood on its tiptoes and pointed clearly at a bag of lollipops.
Paw paw~ I want that!
Del del~ No problem, I'll get it for you.
Delphox handed the lollipops to Pawmi and said, "Give me your card."
Paw paw~ Pawmi nodded and pulled out its card, handing it to Delphox.
Delphox tapped a few times on the machine in front of it, then took the card and swiped it. The checkout was complete.
Handing the card back to Pawmi, Delphox warned, "Keep your card safe. If you lose it, you won't be able to buy things here anymore."
Paw paw~
Pawmi immediately hugged its Nebel Card like a treasure.
Having received its lollipops, Pawmi couldn't wait to tear open the wrapper and began licking it with a look of pure bliss. Seeing that Pawmi hadn't left yet and was eyeing various other snacks on the shelves, Delphox laughed.
"Go on now that you've bought your stuff. Don't waste your money, or you won't have any left to buy things later."
Only then did Pawmi leave with a look of regret.