Chapter 1480: Tai Crystal Silver Mountain

"Team Rocket's corporate drone messenger birds?"

Baimu pondered briefly. "Perhaps not bad either."

With Mingyi's ability, reforming messenger birds should be no problem, and with Shengcai and the others there, he shouldn't need to worry too much.

Seeing he wasn't angry, the Team Rocket trio all breathed sighs of relief.

Compared to the years of chasing Ash, wandering displaced through various regions, Baimu's place was undoubtedly very comfortable — they were respected and earned a substantial salary.

Although they always felt empty inside, as if something was missing, for now they had no intention of leaving Aura Academy.

"You all keep at it. If you lack anything, report to Xiao Yin."

Baimu left.

Don't employ those you doubt; don't doubt those you employ. He himself hadn't come to make trouble for the Team Rocket trio, just to clarify the messenger bird matter.

Returned to the teaching building.

By now it was dismissal time; most students had gone to club activities, only a few remained.

Baimu went through the offices on each floor as usual, asking about students' mental health.

Although he forcibly assigned a pile of homework to these elementary and middle school aged kids, in essence he didn't care much about their academics — mainly he didn't want them idle and causing trouble.

Fortunately, thanks to the show of force he gave the New Team Plasma second generation and Aura's new generation at the start of term, so far the students were all well-behaved, which pleased Baimu greatly.

And the teachers, besides admiring his sense of responsibility to the principal, also felt quite ashamed.

In the current school, probably no one dares stir up too big a conflict!

Not to mention those monster students who, idle all day, formed some Super Z Squad — just the Three Divine Pillars wandering everywhere daily could scare plenty of people.

At Baimu's signal, these three always arrived first at student quarrels, then enveloped them with terrifying presence, scaring them so they couldn't escalate, forced to seek teachers' help.

Who would've thought the 【Pressure】 Ability had this kind of use?

Anyway, the effect is quite good.

Getting satisfactory answers from the teachers, Baimu walked around more, looking at the harmonious, peaceful scene, and completely set his mind at ease.

"Worthy of the school I take pride in!"

"Oh! Principal Baimu! What a coincidence!"

Alder's voice came from the side.

Baimu turned and saw Alder leading two students this way — one was his grandson Ban Jilang, the other was Aiden, the New Team Plasma second generation he'd entrusted with Dartrix.

Both had numerous band-aids on their faces, were filthy all over, and looked rather awkward.

A fight?

Baimu quickly dismissed the thought, because Ban Jilang and Aiden glanced at each other quietly, then quickly looked away as if afraid he'd notice.

Alder gave the answer: "That forest you had people plant earlier — they burned a good chunk of it. I'm leading them to clean up the mess."

Turned out Aiden saw Guang — the trainer of Aura's Dusknoir — finish the assignment first, grew impatient, went to seek Super Z Squad's help, but was intercepted midway by Ban Jilang, who proposed a series of attempts.

Result: they failed to promote Dartrix's evolution, and instead burned most of the forest's trees.

"When did this happen?"

Baimu hadn't noticed at all when he arrived.

Alder said: "This morning. Lei Jiaisi arrived fast; it didn't burn much before being extinguished."

These words made Ban Jilang and Aiden hang their heads.

Especially the former — he'd boasted before Baimu that playing with fire wouldn't burn the school, yet in just a few months nearly burned down the important forest.

"You two are truly a pair of hidden talents, a heap of talent!" Baimu sighed with myriad feelings.

Ban Jilang and Aiden couldn't miss the subtext, and buried their heads even deeper in shame.

Since Alder had already punished them, Baimu didn't say more; instead he comforted Aiden not to feel too much pressure.

"Pokemon growth speeds naturally vary; evolution is a matter of course when conditions are ripe. I'm not that anxious to see results. Give the Pokemon some time, and give yourself a chance to relax."

"..."

Aiden's eyes welled with tears.

Compared to being scolded, he undoubtedly couldn't bear this kind of understanding words, and immediately confessed tearfully that he was wrong.

Ban Jilang listened beside him, face twisting.

Do I, do I have to cry too?

Don't really want to...

As he pondered, his head was lightly patted. Ban Jilang looked up in pain and saw Baimu's speechless expression.

"I know you want to compete with Shengcai and them, but don't be too fanciful. Next time something like this happens, I'll have Bear Disciple deal with you."

"Bear Disciple? Ah!"

Ban Jilang felt his head patted again, quickly turned and saw a "humanoid bear plushie" about chest-height to him.

He instantly realized the two pats just now were from Bear Disciple, and immediately said: "Bring it on! Pokemon battle I'm not afraid of—"

Baimu: "Who said Pokemon battle? I said deal with you, not deal with your Pokemon."

Ban Jilang froze, then turned to look at his own grandpa.

Alder mischievously turned away whistling, pretending he hadn't heard.

"..."

However bold Ban Jilang was, he didn't believe his own strength could defeat the Champion's Pokemon; for a moment he was actually speechless.

Baimu didn't say more to them, greeted Alder, and left.

Club building.

Listening to instruments playing from time to time in the air, Baimu's steps passed one lively activity room after another.

Aura Academy certainly takes developing new generation trainers as its philosophy, but doesn't force students inside to become trainers, so baseball club, wind ensemble, drama club, newspaper club, even manga club — all are fully present.

The Ultra Z Squad is also one of the clubs, currently with five members——

Mingyi was forced to round up the numbers; the minimum club size is five people.

The faculty advisor listed is Baimu, the principal, and he granted Shengcai and the others extensive activity permissions.

He trusts this new Midea Arceus's savior anyway; he won't cause trouble in his school.

He made a few rounds of everywhere.

Baimu returned satisfied to the principal's office.

The Rotom Phone commented: 'Do you know you just looked exactly like Bastiodon?'

"Really?"

'Yes! Exactly like when Bastiodon patrols the mountain!'

"……"

Baimu froze slightly, carefully recalling his actions just now; they were indeed much like Bastiodon's daily mountain patrol.

The great kaiju, with nothing to do, runs all over Platinum Mountain daily, occasionally mediating disputes among wild Pokemon, but mostly just watches silently.

Like Baimu, it loves the peaceful scene of its territory.

"Normal. What's so strange about a Trainer and Pokemon having the same habits?"

Baimu simply took the Rotom Phone's words as praise.

——

The next day.

He boarded the flight to Paldea.

It's time to bring the Ancient Ho-Oh Guard back to Platinum Mountain for a visit; they're his caught Pokemon, leaving them there isn't right.

And since this is a return to the natal home, he naturally brought Ting-Lu along too.

Ever since the original Master Ball "disappeared," the little turtle hasn't clung to Baimu every moment like before.

It returned to its former semi-dormant mode, sometimes sleeping, sometimes poking its head out to wander.

One undeniable fact: there is an emotional bond between it and Baimu.

Though it refused the Master Ball obtained from Balza last time, for the wooden Master Ball Baimu later carved from wood, Ting-Lu treasures it dearly.

This posture seems to say——

【It's not that I really want a Master Ball; I just want an attitude from you.】

Baimu has no way to deal with it, can only indulge it.

Speaking of which, Queen Leiguanwang mentioned that when Ting-Lu sleeps, its body seems to want to inject energy into Platinum Mountain's ley lines.

Naturally it didn't succeed; Queen Leiguanwang stopped it.

She couldn't determine what consequences injecting energy would bring, so she used her own power to restrain Ting-Lu's unconscious behavior.

But sometimes she can stop it, sometimes she really can't.

For instance, the Secret Spice Tree, after accepting its and Ting-Lu's power, indirectly "remodeled" Platinum Mountain's earth.

To grow better, the Secret Spice Tree spontaneously tried to make the environment more suitable.

This gave Queen Leiguanwang reason to suspect that in a few years, Platinum Mountain might see wild Terastallization phenomena.

Apex Pokemon?

Not impossible!

Any Pokemon that sneaks into the garden to eat the Secret Spice while Queen Leiguanwang and Ting-Lu are away could become an Apex Pokemon before long.

Baimu is quite happy to see this happen.

As long as it doesn't negatively impact the terrain and environment.

At the same time, he couldn't help wondering whether to put Ting-Lu on Academy Island to remodel the environment there, make it like Blueberry Academy.

——This proposal was shelved for now.

The Ultra Crater hasn't been sent down yet, the Paldea starters aren't finalized; some things can't be considered too late, nor too early.

Becoming World Champion and remodeling Paldea in under four years got Baimu used to a fast pace.

Little does he know no one can be as fast as him.

Everyone's life pace is very slow.

Take Medali for example.

Medali is the same as when Baimu came last year; aside from billboard changes, nothing else has changed.

Of course, this time he won't get mixed into Qishu's livestream again.

This shark-toothed Miss is now a top Pokemon Voice livestreamer, popularity no less than Shiny Gengar; she's truly a pillar.

As the boss, he no longer needs to support her.

Paldea's public transport is as simple as ever; compared to buses and subways, they prefer renting shared Cyclizar on the roadside, listening to their motorcycle-engine-like hum traveling between towns.

Miledon, seeing "kin" after so long, hummed along several times.

But its hum was too unpleasant, drawing stares from other Cyclizar, which then showed complex expressions like tasting Fat Tiger's singing.

Miledon was somewhat annoyed.

Baimu quickly soothed it: "You're an e-motorcycle, why compete with their gas motorcycles?"

Cyclizar consumes 10kg Pokemon rations per 100km; Miledon consumes 100 sandwiches per 100km.

Never mind why so many more; it likes eating, loves eating.

Comforted by Baimu, Miledon finally felt better, turning a contemptuous gaze on that group of Cyclizar.

So what if they sound nice?

They can't outrun me!

Carrying its Trainer, it sped away, its velocity so great it nearly became a streak of lightning; the Cyclizar all turned their heads to watch.

Thanks to Miraidon's speed, Baimu reached Mesagoza in less than half a day.

The reason he didn't go straight to the Area Zero entrance in Cabo Poco was twofold — first, the hour was late; second, he ought to pay a visit to Jacq as well.

As usual, he stayed in the same building he had rented before; Nemona, Penny, and Arven came running to greet him, heedless of the deep night.

Arven, this night owl, was exceptionally spirited.

Upon learning Baimu's purpose, Nemona felt a touch of regret, "Ash is coming to Paldea soon; I'm sure it'll be lively!"

"Did he say he'd enroll in Naranja Academy?"

"Yes! I recommended he enroll! He agreed!"

"No surprise from you two!"

Baimu sighed in admiration.

His previous student status was purely Matiere messing around; this time Ash agreed himself — a proper World Runner-up coming to attend school...

Even if the status fits perfectly, isn't it also too...?

Forget it.

As long as they're happy.

Baimu had no desire to interfere with others' decisions, "But this time I've come because there's something I want to discuss with Director Clavell."

Arven adjusted his glasses and said, "Is it to establish diplomatic ties with Naranja Academy, like with Blueberry Academy?"

"Exactly."

Baimu nodded approvingly, wearing a you-understand-me expression.

He had premeditated this matter long ago; it wasn't a sudden whim.

Penny also said, "And then organize exchange student activities?"

"Absolutely!"

Baimu nodded.

Both Penny and Nemona's eyes lit up, thinking they absolutely had to sign up.

These two seniors had absolutely no self-awareness that they were too old and might snatch spots from younger students, but Naranja Academy has classmates in their decades, let alone youths in their teens.

The four chatted idly while fixing a bit of food to eat.

The bear disciple then horsed around with the Rowlet Nemona had newly caught.

She had heard Uva Academy planned to breed the Hisuian Decidueye that vanished from history, and had been very interested ever since, so she took the opportunity to catch a Rowlet at Blueberry Academy.

During this time Nemona also asked Baimu about the progress; upon learning Hisuian Samurott had successfully appeared, she grew even more expectant.

"Would Hisui have a missing Eevee?"

This was what Arven was comparatively more interested in.

She believed Eevee shouldn't have only those few forms; logically, with so many types, there should be one for each type.

Penny's focus was on the plants of the Hisuian era; he's pretty much set on walking the culinary path to the bitter end.

It's just a pity he can't learn luminous cooking; otherwise Baimu would really want to pass the throne of inheriting luminous cooking to him.

They chatted until the latter half of the night before each sleeping in the rooms Baimu had prepared.

Baimu looked at their sleeping faces; truth be told, he never expected that an inadvertent journey of his could harvest three such close friends.

In a blink, daylight broke.

Baimu didn't disturb the three still asleep, and went to the Paldea League Headquarters, not far from Mesagoza, to pay his respects to Jacq.

Jacq smiled gently: "Congratulations, World Champion Mr. Baimu."

"Yes, yes, didn't expect you could really defeat so many Champions." Elite Four Rika was also present, looking quite moved.

Baimu said: "Too kind. I wonder how Area Zero is faring now?"

"Very well, nothing abnormal. Since your last visit, the Paradox Pokemon and wild Pokemon inside have been very docile."

Jacq replied with a smile.