Chapter 15: Digging Away

As soon as Bellsprout landed, it dashed over to Andrew, took his hand, and began pulling him in a specific direction, clearly intending to lead the way.

Weepinbell and Victreebel, seeing this, told the elder Bellsprouts to watch the house while they quickly followed.

Flabébé hesitated for a moment but eventually flew after Andrew and the little Munchlax.

The water sources on the Nebel Plateau primarily come from the Nebel River and Nebel Lake, with the lake in front of Andrew's house being part of Nebel Lake.

The source of the Nebel River is unknown; it flows from the endless mountain ranges in the northwest of the Nebel Plateau, into Nebel Lake, and then out again, traveling far beyond, including through the Kingdom of Azoth.

The Nebel River can be considered the lifeline of the Kingdom of Azoth.

Thanks to Nebel Lake, the water system on the Nebel Plateau is highly developed, with numerous small rivers, streams, ponds, and puddles connected to it. As a result, many Water-type Pokémon live on the plateau.

Compared to the relatively scarce food on land, the abundance of food in the water means that Water-type Pokémon have a much better life than their land counterparts.

The spot where Bellsprout led Andrew was a small puddle.

Though it was called a puddle, it was quite large. However, it had dried up, leaving only a vast expanse of mud and the remains of withered lotus flowers and leaves.

Although the Nebel Plateau experiences only subtle seasonal changes, it was now autumn, a perfect time to harvest and enjoy lotus roots.

Looking at the mud-filled puddle, Andrew felt a bit overwhelmed. How was he supposed to dig? Get down there?

The long-soaked mud emitted a foul odor.

But... for the sake of good food, he was willing to go for it!

After some thought, Andrew took off his shoes, socks, jacket, and pants, leaving only shorts and a shirt, then tentatively stepped into the mud.

Fortunately, the mud only reached his calves.

Surprisingly, Andrew found he wasn't as repulsed by the mud as he had anticipated.

He rolled up his sleeves and began groping through the mud. Soon, his eyes lit up. When he pulled his hand out, he was holding a piece of lotus root.

Because it was wild, the lotus root here was small and slender, but white and tender.

"Looks like we're in for a good haul today!" Andrew said, holding up the lotus root.

Munchlax and Bellsprout were thrilled to hear this.Munchlax, in particular, immediately wanted to jump in and help.

"Munch... Munch..." Master, I'm coming!

It sped up and charged into the mud, causing Andrew to shout in panic, "Munchlax, no, don't!"

But it was too late. Munchlax became a rolling ball and plunged into the puddle.

Andrew tried to move away, but the mud's suction held his feet, making it impossible to shift.

Boom~~

In the next moment, Munchlax crashed into the mud, causing it to explode outward. The mud splattered everywhere, and Andrew, who was closest, ended up covered in mud.

Andrew: ...

Munchlax sat up from the mud, scratching its head in confusion. It realized only then that the little flower on its head had fallen off.

"Munch~~"

(┬┬﹏┬┬)3 It held the muddy little flower and looked at Andrew with a pitiful expression.

Andrew shrugged and pointed to his mud-covered shirt, saying, "Look at me. Do you think I have the energy to worry about your flower?"

"Munch~~"

Seeing Andrew covered in mud because of it, Munchlax quickly ignored the flower, turning its head away, pretending it wasn't the one who caused the mess.

"You troublemaker!" Andrew said, laughing and sighing.

Suddenly, he had another idea and asked Bellsprout, "Bellsprout, is there an owner for this place?"

Lotus roots are food, and in the Nebel Plateau, where food isn't plentiful, it was unlikely that this place didn't have an owner.

If there was an owner, it would be rude to dig up their lotus roots without permission. Andrew had been so excited about finding the lotus roots that he hadn't considered this.

"Bo~Bo~~"

Sure enough, after Bellsprout called out to the puddle, two heads, one large and one small, emerged from the nearby mud.

It was Barboach and Whiscash.

Barboach and Whiscash were the owners of this puddle and the lotus roots, as well as good friends of Bellsprout. The lotus roots Bellsprout gave to Andrew were gifts from Barboach and Whiscash.

Seeing the owners, Andrew quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize this place had an owner."

However, Barboach and Whiscash shook their heads, indicating they weren't upset.

This puddle wasn't very large, and since it had wild lotus roots, the yield was low. But for Barboach and Whiscash, it was more than enough to eat, which is why they gave some to Bellsprout.

Additionally, since the lotus roots grow in the mud and are hard for other Pokémon to find, the excess roots slowly rot in the mud each year.

Because of this, Barboach and Whiscash didn't mind if others came to dig up the surplus lotus roots.

Suddenly, Andrew had a great idea and said, "How about this: if you give me all the lotus roots here, you can come to my house for meals in the future. What do you think?"

This way, he could get the lotus roots and earn some happiness points, which was a win-win situation.

Barboach and Whiscash were momentarily stunned but quickly shook their heads.

Go to a human's house to eat? They were too scared.

"Bellsprout~Bell~~"

At this moment, Bellsprout tried to persuade its friends by enthusiastically describing how delicious Andrew's food was.

But Barboach and Whiscash continued to shake their heads vigorously.

No way, no way!

Andrew suddenly thought of another idea. "How about this: come to my house tonight and try the lotus root dishes I make. If you like them, you can come regularly. If not, just forget it."

Andrew had just thought of a good plan. He wanted to hire Barboach and Whiscash to plant lotus roots in this puddle.

The original lotus roots here were not great, and the yield was low. He could replace them with high-quality seeds from the system store.

This way, the same area of water could produce more and better lotus roots, and Barboach and Whiscash could keep enough for themselves and give the surplus to him!

The more Andrew thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He looked at Barboach and Whiscash with a friendlier expression.

Barboach and Whiscash: Does this human plan to eat us? His eyes look so scary!

Bellsprout continued to persuade its friends, and eventually, Barboach and Whiscash couldn't resist and agreed to go to Andrew's house for dinner.

"Then it's settled," Andrew said happily. He then instructed Bellsprout, "Since Barboach and Whiscash don't know the way to my house, please take them along later."

"Bell~Bell~"

Bellsprout nodded confidently.

Victreebel and Weepinbell watched from the side, their heads throbbing in frustration. Were their offspring completely clueless? Why did they listen to this human so obediently?

After receiving approval from Barboach and Whiscash, Andrew continued to dig up lotus roots with Munchlax.

"Munchlax~ Munchlax~~" Master, Master, look at me!

Munchlax rolled wildly in the mud, and soon stood up holding a bunch of lotus roots, proudly showing them off to Andrew.

After finally pulling out a lotus root, which broke off in the process, Andrew looked at Munchlax's smug expression and said, "Look at you, all covered in mud. Don't expect me to wash you when we get home."

"Munch~ Munch~"

Upon hearing this, Munchlax's pride faded, and it came over to Andrew with an obedient look, clutching the lotus roots and trying to charm him.

"Alright, alright! Stop rubbing mud all over me." Andrew quickly pushed Munchlax away, though he himself was already covered in mud.

"Bell~ Bell~~"

At this point, Bellsprout called out to Andrew. It used its long vine whip to stir the mud, bringing up a bunch of lotus roots.

"Okay, okay, you're all impressive, and I'm the one who's useless!" Andrew, feeling frustrated, thrust his hand into the mud and pulled out a lotus root with force.

Seeing Andrew, Munchlax, and Bellsprout having so much fun in the mud, Flabébé' also extended its vine whips into the soil and pulled out a bunch of lotus roots.

"Flabébé~ Flabébé~"

Flabébé' presented the dirty lotus roots to Andrew.

Andrew, surprised, asked, "Is this for me?"

"Fla~bébé~~"

Flabébé' nodded.

Andrew happily accepted the lotus roots and said, "Flabébé', come to my house tonight and try my cooking!"

Andrew decided to host a lotus root feast that night. Although it wouldn't earn him any happiness points, he was eager to do it.

"Fla~ Fla~bébé~~"

Flabébé' turned and flew to one side, continuing to dig out lotus roots from the mud with its vine whips. Andrew couldn't tell whether it had agreed or not.

Seeing Andrew struggling, Barboach and Whiscash, taking Bellsprout's presence into account, started to help. Since they lived in the mud, they were more efficient at digging than Munchlax and Bellsprout.

Since Barboach and Whiscash hadn't yet agreed to come to Andrew's house for dinner in exchange for the lotus roots, Andrew didn't dig too many—just enough for tonight's meal.

Afterward, Andrew, Munchlax, and Bellsprout carried the lotus roots to a small river connected to the puddle to clean them. Otherwise, carrying them home covered in mud would be too exhausting for Andrew.

Even just moving them to the riverbank made Andrew so tired he could barely stand.

This body really isn't up to it!

Andrew rubbed his waist while instructing Munchlax.

"Munchlax, wash off all that mud first."

"Munch~~" Understood!

Munchlax jumped into the river with a splash, instantly turning the clear water murky.

Several Magikarp hidden at the bottom of the river became very upset when the water was muddied. They jumped out and bit Munchlax, with each Magikarp biting Munchlax's head, arms, belly, and bottom.

"Munchlax, you... hahaha~~~" Andrew couldn't help but laugh heartily at Munchlax's comical appearance.

"Bellsprout~ Bell~~~"

Bellsprout laughed so hard it rolled on the ground, holding its stomach.

"Flabé~ Flabé~bé~"

Flabébé' tried to hold back her laughter, covering her mouth with one hand, but eventually joined in the laughter with Bellsprout.

Spit~ Spit~ Spit~~~

The mud on Munchlax was so dirty and smelly that even the Magikarp were disgusted. After a few bites, they slapped their tails and jumped back into the water, spitting at Munchlax before swimming away.

Andrew, Bellsprout, and Flabébé' laughed even more.

"Munchlax~ Munch~"

(ω) Munchlax, looking foolish, saw everyone laughing so happily and scratched its head, joining in the laughter.

After some play, Andrew jumped into the water to wash off the mud from himself first, then helped Munchlax clean up, and finally started cleaning the lotus roots.

The river wasn't deep, just enough to cover Munchlax's belly. Since it wasn't flood season, the flowing water quickly cleaned away the dirt.

Victreebel and Weepinbell sat on the nearby grass, not coming forward to help. They watched quietly as Andrew, Munchlax, Bellsprout, and Flabébé' chatted and laughed. Though Andrew didn't understand Pokémon language, their communication seemed unaffected.

To them, Andrew's smile was so bright and warm that they wondered: Could someone with such a smile really be a bad person?

Gradually, the two Pokémon became uncertain.

Soon, the lotus roots were clean. Andrew put them into his system backpack and clapped his hands, calling out to Munchlax and the others: "Alright, let's head home."

Seeing Andrew make a pile of things disappear with a simple wave of his hand, Munchlax, Bellsprout, Flabébé', and even Victreebel and Weepinbell were amazed.

"Munch~~ Munch~~"

"Bell~ Bellsprout~~"

"Flabébé~~"

As Munchlax and the others followed Andrew home, they gestured and seemed to chatter away.

Andrew responded with "Hmm, hmm" and "Ah, ah," even though he didn't understand what the three little ones were saying.

Andrew and the Pokémon parted ways halfway.

Victreebel and Weepinbell went home with Bellsprout, and Flabébé' headed back to her own place.

"Flabébé'! Bellsprout! Don't forget to come to my house for dinner tonight!" Andrew shouted to them.

"Bellsprout~"

"Flabébé~"

Bellsprout and Flabébé' waved back. Initially, Flabébé' was a bit apprehensive of Andrew, but after spending time together, she had completely gotten over her fear.

Diancie was waiting at the door for Andrew and Munchlax. Seeing them come back covered in mud, she quickly asked:

"What happened to you two?"

Andrew and Munchlax exchanged glances and couldn't help but laugh.

(The End of This Chapter)