In the following days, Andrew managed his shop in the mornings and spent his afternoons building houses for the Gogoats. He also made occasional inspections of the riverbanks. His days were incredibly fulfilling.
After a few days, several wooden houses had appeared under the large tree to the north of the plateau.
Oddish, Shroomish, and Paras had adjusted well to the Nebel Plateau community, getting along harmoniously with the other Pokémons and working diligently. Andrew saw them smiling brightly each day.
The Murkrows were dutifully managed by Honchkrow, working hard and treating Honchkrow with the utmost respect, which made Andrew a bit envious.
On this day, after making sure everything was in order at home, Andrew prepared to leave for the palace with Komala.
Today was the day Professors Sada and Turo were returning to Paldea.
Seeing Munchlax looking glum, Andrew comforted it, saying, "Once I get to Paldea, I'll summon you immediately. You won't have to wait long.
Besides, we can't do without you at home! You're the pillar of our family, Munchlax. Can you hold down the fort while I'm away?"
While Andrew was gone, Munchlax would be sent to help out at the Munchlax's House, and the Pokémons at Nebel Plateau would have to make do with Pokémon food for a few days.
*Sigh~* Leaving for a trip like this would mean missing out on a lot of happiness points.
'The pillar of the family?'
Hearing how much his master valued him, Munchlax immediately brightened up and puffed out his chest with confidence.
'That's right, I am the pillar of the family!'
"Munch~ Munch~" Master, don't worry. I'll take good care of our home!
At this moment, Munchlax was filled with a strong sense of responsibility.
"Yes, I'm sure Munchlax can handle it!" Andrew said with confidence.
"Munch~"
Feeling reassured, Munchlax clenched its little fists tightly, with an unprecedentedly serious expression.
"Drizzile, I'm relying on you and Munchlax to manage the Munchlax's House. Make sure you work well together," Andrew instructed Drizzile.
"Drizz~" Don't worry, I'm great at this. Leave it to me!
Drizzile, half-closing its eyes, gave Andrew a thumbs-up with a confident expression.
Seeing this, Andrew felt a bit uneasy and whispered to Diancie, "I'm leaving everything to you."
Diancie chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I'll handle it."
After giving his final instructions, Andrew addressed the other Pokémons, "Well... I'm heading out now!"
Diancie reminded him, "Be careful on the road. And remember to call back every night."
"Drizz~ Drizz~" Have a safe trip, Master!
"Munch~ Munch~~" Master, don't forget to call me as soon as you get there!
"Swablu~"
"Pancham~"
"Ralts~"
"Meowstic~"
...
The other Pokémon gathered to bid farewell to Andrew, making it seem as if he was setting off on a journey of no return.
Before long, Andrew and Komala arrived at the palace, where a massive airship was docked in the square, adorned with a huge Azoth Kingdom's flag.
From a distance, Raleigh waved vigorously at Andrew, "Your Highness, over here! Over here!"
"Slurpuff~ puff~"
Next to him, Slurpuff waved enthusiastically.
Seeing this, Andrew waved back as he walked towards them.
Raleigh would be traveling with them this time. As a fervent enthusiast of scientific research, Raleigh wouldn't miss this chance for an exchange.
Kimia had originally planned to accompany Raleigh, but since Andrew agreed to join the trip, she left Raleigh's care to him.
During the time Professors Sada and Turo spent in the Azoth Kingdom, Raleigh had followed them closely, learning a lot.
When Andrew reached Raleigh's side, he asked, "How soon do we depart?"
Raleigh replied, "We'll be leaving shortly. Come aboard with me, Your Highness!"
He then took Andrew's hand and led Slurpuff up the steps to the airship.
The airship from the Azoth Kingdom had a very retro design, reminiscent of something from over a century ago, but its interior was state-of-the-art, with the vintage exterior merely honoring the origins of Arcane Science.
Once aboard, Raleigh excitedly showed Andrew around, from the crew quarters to the cockpit, dining hall, and leisure cabins. Andrew enjoyed the tour thoroughly, despite not fully understanding the technical explanations Raleigh offered about the airship.
In the cockpit, Andrew met Professors Sada and Turo, who were delighted to see him.
Professor Sada: "Andrew, Your Highness, you've arrived!"
Andrew responded, "Please, just call me Andrew. No need for formalities."
Professor Turo laughed, "Alright then, Andrew it is!"
At that moment, Arven appeared with Maschiff and approached Andrew, asking, "Is Munchlax not coming?"
Andrew shook his head, "No, Munchlax isn't coming this time."
Arven looked visibly disappointed.
Professor Sada, half-amused, said, "It seems this kid has become quite close to Munchlax."
Andrew smiled and patted Arven on the shoulder, "You'll have a chance to see Munchlax when we get to Paldea."
"Okay." Arven assumed Andrew would use the Pokémon Transporter to bring Munchlax later, so he nodded in understanding.
Andrew then met Mr. Nasir, who greeted him with the same warmth as ever.
At 8:00 a.m., the airship departed from the palace, heading towards Paldea region with Andrew and the others.
Sitting by the airship window and watching the Azoth Kingdom shrink below, Andrew felt a twinge of excitement.
After being in the Pokémon world for 16+500 years, this was the first time he was leaving the Azoth Kingdom.
"Maaala~~"
Komala turned over in Andrew's arms, letting out a snot bubble, and Andrew helplessly grabbed a tissue to clean it.
With advanced transportation technology, traveling between regions had become very efficient, and it only took Andrew and his group two days to travel from the Kalos region to the distant Paldea region.
In the airship, Nasir pointed out to Andrew, "Down there is the town where I live, Medali Town."
Through the window, Andrew could see the bustling crowds in Medali Town and remarked, "What a lively town."
"Isn't it?" Nasir beamed with pleasure at Andrew's praise.
At that moment, Professor Sada and Professor Turo arrived with Arven and Raleigh.
Nasir said, "It's getting late. Why don't you two professors and your highnesses stay at my villa tonight and head to the Great Paldea Crater tomorrow?"
Professor Turo replied, "We would be honored to accept your hospitality!"
Nasir then called out to the airship pilot, "Take us to my villa!"
"Yes, sir!" the pilot responded.
The airship soon landed in the courtyard of a luxurious villa, startling the Pokémon living there and causing them to scatter in all directions.
But why are there so many Lechonk and Oinkologne in Nasir's courtyard? Is this a special interest of his?
As the airship door opened, Nasir was the first to jump out, cradling his little baby Lechonk, and shouted enthusiastically:
"I'm home, my darlings!"
The startled Lechonk and Oinkologne, who had hidden in the bushes and flowerbeds, eagerly emerged at the sound of Nasir's voice. They rushed towards him, showering him with affectionate nuzzles and kisses.
Nasir petted them and spoke lovingly, "Good to see you, my sweeties! Have you been eating well? I missed you so much."
"What? You missed me too? Oh, poor things! Have you lost weight because you missed me?"
"You really are my treasures!"
After this tender interaction, Nasir stood up, straightened his clothes, and with a serious expression, addressed Andrew and the others who had followed him:
"I apologize for the commotion. I'll have someone arrange your accommodations immediately."
Professor Turo and Professor Sada were familiar with Nasir's eccentricities and took it in stride, but Andrew, Raleigh, and Arven looked on in astonishment.
Nasir chose to ignore their surprise.
Raleigh, intrigued, approached the Lechonk and Oinkologne with his Slurpuff. The sweet aroma from Slurpuff quickly attracted the Pokémon.
Lechonk and Oinkologne have very sensitive noses.
As a result, Raleigh and Slurpuff quickly won over the Lechonk and Oinkologne, and they all began playing together.
Professor Sada noticed that Arven was watching the Pokémon with keen interest and encouraged him, "Go ahead and join them."
Arven nodded and went over with his Maschiff. Raleigh called out cheerfully, "Arven, come over here!"
Arven hurried to join him.
Soon, the two children of similar ages became fast friends.
With Nasir's help, Andrew and the others settled into the villa. As the sun set, it cast a warm orange glow over the courtyard's grass.
At this moment, a Squawkabilly flapped its wings and landed on the windowsill of Andrew's room, peering inside with curiosity.
This Squawkabilly was a rare white-feathered variant.
Squawkabilly Pokémon come in four colors: green, blue, yellow, and white.
Among them, the green Squawkabilly is the most formidable, the blue often views green as a rival, the yellow is known for its aggressive behavior, and the white Squawkabilly, being the rarest, blends well with urban settings due to its white feathers.
Andrew stepped onto the balcony, opened the window, and took out a carrot from his system backpack, offering it to the Squawkabilly. The Pokémon eagerly pecked at it, finishing it off quickly.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
After a satisfied belch, the Squawkabilly thanked Andrew twice, then flapped its wings and flew away.
Like Chatot, Squawkabilly is adept at mimicking human speech, so Andrew wasn't surprised by the Pokémon's ability to talk.
Noticing the time, Andrew summoned Munchlax, Drizzile, and Diancie.
"Munchlax~~!" Master, I've missed you so much!
As soon as Munchlax appeared, it rushed into Andrew's arms.
Having been apart from its master, Munchlax had spent every day waiting anxiously at home. As soon as work ended each day, it would sit at the doorstep, counting the minutes until Andrew arrived.
One hour, two hours, three hours... Unfortunately, its counting was often inaccurate, leaving it dizzy from effort.
"I missed you too! How have you been these past few days?" Andrew asked, holding Munchlax and nearly flattening the Komala in his arms.
"Munchlaax~~!" Not well. I lost my appetite without you, Master.
Munchlax's response was filled with sadness.
Andrew thought: No appetite? It must have been really tough.
"Don't worry, I'm here now," Andrew comforted Munchlax, gently patting its back.
After comforting Munchlax, Andrew turned to Diancie and asked, "How's everything at home?"
Diancie nodded, "Everything is fine. Munchlax and Drizzile are quite capable. The home and shop are in good shape."
Andrew smiled, "I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for your hard work."
"Drizzile~!" I'm great at this, so it's no trouble!
Drizzile gave a thumbs-up.
It then trotted to the balcony, where it looked out into the courtyard, observing Raleigh and Arven playing with the Lechonk and Oinkologne, their laughter echoing joyfully.
"Drizzile~~!" Is this what Paldea is like?
Andrew suggested, "How about a walk?"
"Munchlax~!"
Munchlax was eager to go out and spend time with its master after the long separation.
"Drizzile~~! Dri~!"
"Sure thing!"
Drizzile and Diancie agreed as well.
"Alright, let's go."
Andrew took his Pokémon outside.
Nasir's villa was located on the outskirts of Medali Town. When the butler learned that Andrew was going out, he asked, "Sir, would you like me to arrange transportation?"
Andrew nodded, "Yes, please."
"Very well, sir. Please wait a moment," the butler said before departing.
Soon, the butler returned with two Espathra, the unique Ostrich Pokémon of the Paldea region. These Pokémon had vibrant yellow and orange feathers, their head feathers resembling elaborate hairstyles, and their long legs towering over 1.9 meters. They were clearly trained for riding, with saddles on their backs.
Seeing the docile nature of the Espathra, Andrew guessed they must have been rigorously trained.
Andrew, holding his Komala, rode one with Munchlax, while Diancie and Drizzile rode the other.
Once they were settled, the Espathra took off, their long legs moving at a swift pace, causing Andrew to hold on tightly to the saddle.
In no time, they had left the villa grounds.
"Espathra, can you slow down? I'd like to take a leisurely stroll," Andrew called out, feeling the wind against his face.
Hearing this, the Espathra immediately eased their pace, shifting from a run to a leisurely walk.
Andrew took a deep breath, "That's better." He adjusted his hair, which had become tangled.
"Ha ha ha~~"
"Drizz~!Drizzile~~!"
Diancie and Drizzile laughed heartily.
Munchlax, sitting in front of Andrew, couldn't see his master's appearance. Hearing the laughter, it turned around with some effort.
Seeing Andrew's disheveled hair, Munchlax also burst into laughter.
"Munch~~!" Master, you look so funny~ haha~~
Andrew lightly tapped Munchlax, "Even you're laughing at me? After all the care I've given you."
(End of Chapter)
Note: I will be releasing 2 to 3 Chapters a day from here onwards.
I would have like to translate more but unfortunately my two weeks vacation is over.
That's all~~