Chapter 71: Champion's Experience on the Nebel Plateau

After dinner, Andrew asked Diancie to arrange a room for Steven and said, "You can stay here tonight. We'll sort everything out once the rain stops."

Steven replied, "Thank you very much." He then took Aggron and went to his room.

Andrew followed his usual routine: spending some time relaxing with his Pokémon, then training, and finally heading to bed.

The next morning, as sunlight streamed into the room, Steven woke up.

Outside, Fletchinder, Spritzee, and Swablu were lined up on the balcony, curiously peeking at Steven as he slept.

As soon as they saw Steven wake up, they chirped and flew off, vanishing into the clear blue sky.

"Aggron~~"

Steven's waking stirred Aggron, who had already been awake but resting quietly with its eyes closed.

He greeted Aggron with a smile, "Good morning, Aggron!"

"Aggron~ Agr~" Aggron responded with a sleepy greeting.

Steven got out of bed, quickly walked to the balcony, and noticed that the rain had stopped. The sky was a bright blue, the sun was warm and inviting, and the air was exceptionally fresh.

"This is truly a magical place," Steven said softly after taking a deep breath.

It was supposed to be the middle of winter outside.

After freshening up, Steven and Aggron went downstairs. As they descended the stairs, Steven could hear the cheerful voices of Pokémon coming from below.

At that moment, Diancie appeared at the stairway. Seeing Steven and Aggron, it greeted them with a polite smile, "Good morning, Mr. Steven and Aggron!"

Even though Mr. Steven always looked at it strangely, Diancie was a well-mannered royal who would never be impolite.

Steven greeted Diancie with a smile, "Good morning, Diancie."

Diancie invited him, "Please come have breakfast."

Steven nodded and quickly descended to join Aggron.

Upon entering the dining area, Steven and Aggron were surprised to see the Pokémon gathered around the table.

The Pokémon had been happily eating and chatting, but when they saw Steven, the room fell silent as if someone had pressed pause.

Diancie stepped forward to reassure them, "This is our guest, so there's no need to be afraid."

After hearing this, the Pokémon resumed their breakfast, though they no longer chatted and occasionally glanced at Steven.

Noticing the awkward atmosphere, Steven quietly asked Diancie, "Diancie, who are these Pokémon?"

Diancie explained, "These Pokémon live on the Nebel Plateau. They help us with our work and come here for meals."

"I see," Steven said, understanding.

"Mr. Steven and Aggron, please join us for breakfast," Diancie said, guiding them to an empty table and serving them steamed buns, dumplings, and porridge.

Aggron immediately noticed the high quality of the milk-flavored buns and ate with great enthusiasm.

While eating, Steven asked Diancie, "Where is Mr. Andrew? I haven't seen him."

Diancie replied, "He went to Azoth Royal City early this morning to open his shop. He probably won't return until noon."

Steven was surprised, "Isn't Mr. Andrew royalty? Why does he still run a business?"

Diancie smiled and responded, "Although royal support ensures he doesn't have to worry about basic needs, life is more than just survival. Andrew has other ambitions, so he needs to work hard to earn money."

Steven nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. It seems you know Mr. Andrew very well, Diancie."

Diancie smiled slightly, "We've lived together since childhood."

Steven nodded, understanding the bond. It was similar to his relationship with Aggron and Metagross.

After breakfast, Steven asked Diancie, "May I go for a walk?"

Diancie nodded, "Of course, Mr. Steven. Feel free to explore."

"Thank you."

Steven thanked Diancie and stepped outside with Aggron.

Once outside the walls, Steven got a clear view of the Nebel Plateau. On the vast grassland, Pokémon were playing and frolicking freely, while Gogoat grazed peacefully.

The distant mountains were clearly visible, the same mountains where he had gotten lost while digging for stones.

He saw a lake nearby and led Aggron over.

Azurill and Marill were playing at the shore, and when they noticed Steven, they quickly jumped into the water and disappeared.

It seemed that Pokémon on the Nebel Plateau were quite shy! Steven concluded.

On the lily pads at the lake's edge, Poliwag and Poliwhirl were watching the fish fry in the water when they heard someone greet them.

"Good morning, Poliwag, Poliwhirl."

They turned to see it was the person they had seen at Andrew's house earlier. He was now walking towards the shore with Aggron, passing the newly sprouted fruit trees.

Poliwag and Poliwhirl awkwardly waved at Steven in greeting before jumping into the water and vanishing.

As employees of Andrew's house, they had to maintain a certain decorum with guests.

Steven found their reaction amusing but continued to observe his surroundings seriously.

The vibrant fruit trees, the fish fry in the lake, the diligent Pokémon...

It was indeed a lovely place.

He wondered if he would enjoy such a peaceful life after retirement.

Then he smiled slightly, realizing that it was unlikely. He would probably continue to travel and explore with his Pokémon, digging for stones and discovering new things.

Suddenly, Steven heard a commotion nearby. He led Aggron over and saw two Pokémon battling on the grass.

One is an Aron, and the other is a Drilbur.

Since moving into the staff dormitory, Aron and Drilbur decided they wanted to contribute to Andrew's work. However, after finishing the fruit tree planting, they weren't sure how else they could assist him.

Unlike Water-type Pokémon, they couldn't manage the fish farm or raise fish; they weren't as agile as Gardevoir or Meowstic, so they couldn't work as waiters at a restaurant; and they certainly couldn't produce milk like Gogoat...

After thinking it over, they concluded that the best way to help was to become stronger and use their strength to protect Andrew and the Nebel Plateau, much like Lord Volcanion.

So, after breakfast, Aron and Drilbur headed to the field for training.

Suddenly, a voice said, "Aron, that's not how you use Metal Claw."

The two Pokémon paused mid-action.

The speaker was Steven.

Seeing Steven made Aron and Drilbur nervous. Then Steven said, "Aggron, show Aron how to use Metal Claw properly."

"Aggron~!"

Lairon stepped forward, lifted one of its arms high, and it shone with a silver light. Then, with a powerful swing, it created a deep trench in the ground with a loud crash.

Incredible!

Aron and Drilbur looked at Aggron with awe, their faces reflecting admiration.

"Aron~ Aron~"

"Dril~ Dril~"

The two Pokémon gathered around Aggron, asking it to teach them how to get stronger.

Steven smiled and said, "Aggron, why don't you teach them?"

Aggron, feeling a bit shy, nodded in agreement.

Among its Trainer's Pokémon, Aggron was one of the weaker ones and never imagined it would be admired like this.

Soon, the three Pokémon moved to a corner and began whispering to each other. Before long, the sounds of Aggron instructing Aron and Drilbur in battle emerged, filled with seriousness and resolve.

Steven watched for a while, then found a spot on the grass to sit and quietly enjoy the view of the plateau, savoring the rare peaceful moment.

At noon, when Andrew returned from Azoth Royal City, he saw Steven coming back with Aggron, Aron, and Drilbur.

He casually asked, "What have you been up to?"

Steven replied, "Just wandered around a bit and then saw these two battling, so I watched them for a while."

Andrew looked at Aron and Drilbur with surprise and asked, "You two like battling?"

"Aron~ Aron~"

"Dril~ Dril~"

The two Pokémon nodded vigorously, making gestures as if praising Aggron's skills, which made Aggron became embarrassed from the compliments.

"I see..." Andrew mused, an idea forming in his mind.

In the afternoon, Andrew began working on making tables and benches, calling Robert No. 1 for help.

Seeing this, Steven asked, "Mr. Andrew, what are you doing?"

Andrew explained, "There are too many Pokémon coming to eat every day, making it crowded in the house. I thought I'd make some tables and benches for the outside, so they can eat outside when the weather is nice."

"I see!" Steven understood and then eagerly offered, "Well, let me help!"

"Great, that would be much appreciated," Andrew agreed, happy to have an extra hand.

What Andrew didn't expect was that Steven was quite the craftsman! The tables and benches he made were so beautifully crafted that one might think this League Champion moonlighted as a carpenter!

Making tables and benches from tree stumps doesn't require much detail; maintaining their natural look is enough.

But in Steven's hands, although the stumps didn't change much, they appeared much more refined.

Of course, the most efficient worker was still Robert No. 1. As a robot, its work efficiency surpassed that of humans.

However, the tables and benches Robert No. 1 made didn't look as good as Steven's.

How should I put it... they lacked a certain charm?

Andrew wasn't sure what this "charm" was, but comparing Steven's work to Robert No. 1's, he felt he understood it vaguely.

Compared to Steven and Robert No. 1, Andrew felt inadequate. Resigned, he had Munchlax, Diancie, and Sobble apply oil to the completed tables and benches.

Oiling helps prevent moisture and insects, and stops the wood from rotting. Un-oiled tables and benches won't last long.

Making the tables and benches was slow work; by noon, they had only completed about ten sets.

To thank Steven, Andrew prepared a grand dinner that evening as a gesture of gratitude, leading to another delightful meal for both the host and guest.

The next morning, after Andrew got up, he noticed Steven was already awake.

"Mr. Steven, why are you up so early today?"

Steven replied, "I plan to leave Nebel Plateau today, so I wanted to get up early to say goodbye."

"I see!" Andrew understood and didn't try to persuade him to stay, simply saying, "Then I wish you a safe journey. I have to go to Azoth Royal City, so I might not be able to see you off."

Steven responded, "Mr. Andrew, you've already been so kind to let me stay for two days; I'm very grateful, so there's no need for you to worry about seeing me off."

"Oh, and..."

Suddenly, Steven took something from his backpack and handed it to Andrew.

"Consider this a token of my appreciation for your hospitality."

Andrew looked at the item and saw it was a green stone with leaf-like patterns, clearly a Leaf Stone.

A Leaf Stone is used to evolve certain Pokémon, such as Gloom into Vileplume, Eevee into Leafeon, and so on.

The Leaf Stone used for Weepinbell's evolution was one Steven had found long ago in the forest.

Andrew took the Leaf Stone and said, "I'll accept this with thanks. You're welcome to visit Nebel Plateau again, or even Azoth Royal City."

Steven smiled, "Sure, I'll definitely come back when I have the chance!"

Suddenly, Steven had a bright idea and said, "By the way, let's exchange contact information!"

"Sure!" Andrew agreed happily.

They each took out their phones and exchanged contact details.

After Andrew left for Azoth Royal City, Steven had breakfast at the inn before departing. The thought of not having Andrew's delicious food anymore made him feel quite nostalgic.

Aggron felt the same.

The sand bath at Andrew's was so comfortable!

As agreed, before parting, Diancie presented Steven with the sand bath Andrew had prepared in advance.

However, during Steven's breakfast, something surprising happened at the inn: a Zigzagoon evolved into a Linoone while eating.

Diancie's Canteen food is known to help Pokémon level up, and having been eaten there for quite some time, such phenomena had become somewhat common recently.

Though it was a familiar sight to other Pokémon, it was new to Steven, as witnessing a Pokémon evolve right before one's eyes was rare.

To congratulate Linoone on its evolution, Steven gave it a gift—a Silk Scarf.

Steven tied the Silk Scarf around Linoone's neck. It's an item that enhances the power of Normal-type moves.

(End of Chapter)