Chapter 238: The Da Nai Guan and the Hero

Tapu Tapu Moumou milk of such high quality is actually being sold to the miners at a price below market value; could Hanze really be running a charity?

"My apologies for keeping you waiting."

Just as the question surfaced in Luo Mu's mind, Hanze seemed to have finished tidying up and entered the room with an apologetic expression.

"Milu~"

Sitting obediently to the side, the Da Nai Guan smiled and reached out to greet Hanze.

"You've worked hard, Da Nai Guan." Hanze nodded slightly, then shifted his gaze to Luo Mu and got straight to the point: "I've heard everything from Mr. Sebastian; you intend to adopt a Da Nai Guan, correct?"

"Yes, because I am also operating a farm, and the pasture area within it is somewhat empty, so I wish to add some Pokémon."

Luo Mu set down the glass bottle, which had unknowingly become empty in his hand, and confirmed Hanze's query.

"I see, then I can rest assured; you don't look like the type who would treat Pokémon poorly." Hanze broke into a smile and gestured with an invitation: "Please follow me to tour the pasture behind the house."

Luo Mu stood up accordingly and followed Hanze all the way to the pasture behind the house, which, while not exactly cramped, could certainly not be called spacious.

On a patch of fertile green grass, about twenty-odd Da Nai Guan were lying down; some were nibbling mouthful by mouthful on grass that looked delicious, while others were sleeping, appearing extremely leisurely.

"They are all children I brought from the Johto region; every single one is in excellent health, and even the pasture grass and cultivated soil were items I spent a great sum to bring from Johto."

Hanze introduced the state of the pasture to Luo Mu with considerable pride; in the Johto region, raising Da Nai Guan was a science that allowed for no carelessness whatsoever.

The living environment affected the physical and mental health of the Da Nai Guan, and their physical and mental health in turn affected the quantity and quality of the fresh milk produced, so one absolutely had to be attentive.

Luo Mu expressed some surprise: "Bringing them from the Johto region must have cost a fortune in shipping fees; Paldea and Johto are separated by nearly half the planet!"

Hanze's previously proud expression instantly collapsed, and he laughed awkwardly: "Haha... I'm not afraid to be laughed at; in truth, most of the money I earned running a pasture in Johto was consumed by this, and the little that remained was used to purchase this property and the small plot of land behind it."

"In fact, I am currently in a state of near-total destitution."

Luo Mu was quite baffled: "Then why would you still let me adopt a Da Nai Guan for free; is it merely out of personal obligation?"

"That is only one reason; more importantly, I simply cannot accept trading them for money." Hanze looked at the Da Nai Guan living leisurely in the pasture, his expression filled with emotion: "To me, they are all part of the pasture, all my family."

"Although things are somewhat difficult right now, that is only temporary; I would absolutely never casually sell off my family for such a reason."

Luo Mu fell silent for a moment, then said softly: "It seems they are very important to you."

Hanze nodded gently.

A question then floated up in Luo Mu's mind: why would Hanze pay such a huge price, reducing himself to poverty, just to move from the Johto region to Cascarrafa Town in the Paldea region?

After all, judging from the fact that the main industry in Cascarrafa Town is related to mining, one could see that the environment here was originally not very suitable for building a pasture.

Why was Hanze going to such trouble to do something so unrewarding?

Because he was truly too curious, Luo Mu still tried to ask aloud, emphasizing that Hanze didn't have to answer if he didn't want to.

"It's fine; it's nothing particularly special." Hanze smiled, his gaze filled with nostalgia: "When I first became a Trainer as a child, I brought a Da Nai Guan—the very one that just served you—to adventure in the Paldea region."

"While traveling and passing through Cascarrafa Town, I was once attacked by a very ferocious Tyranitar; at that critical moment, I was saved by a hero who resembled a knight."

"Wishing to see that hero again is the reason I moved to the Paldea region."

Luo Mu frowned slightly: "A hero... was it a Trainer?"

Hanze shook his head: "No, I remember very clearly it was a Pokémon. It possessed extremely magnificent swordsmanship; its continuous attacks, like a dance, caused the Tyranitar attacking me to retreat step by step."

"The pink-purple gleam emitted by that long sword still echoes in my memory to this day, but its specific appearance has become somewhat blurred due to the passage of time."

A sword-wielding knight; could it be Gallade?

Luo Mu pondered for a moment, feeling that based on the characteristics Hanze described, the only matching Pokémon was Gallade.

"Oh, right; actually, the mine currently being excavated by the workers who buy the Tapu Tapu Moumou milk is the very place where I once encountered the hero. After building a good relationship with them, I went inside to look around, but unfortunately, let alone the hero, not even a trace of a Tyranitar could be found."

Hanze felt some regret; he believed that if he could just meet that hero one more time, he would definitely remember, yet seeing them again proved so difficult.

Luo Mu's eyes widened, and he asked hesitantly: "... So, the reason you sell them Tapu Tapu Moumou milk at a low price is merely to build a good relationship, making it convenient for you to enter the mine from time to time?"

Hanze admitted it very straightforwardly: "Exactly; I'm nearly destitute now, so there must be a reason for me to engage in a losing business."

Luo Mu: "..."

Give me back my respect and my moved feelings!!!

Pointing at the Da Nai Guan living leisurely within the pasture, Hanze said with a smile: "Alright, we've digressed too much; these Da Nai Guan all have gentle temperaments. You can go pick one; as long as it doesn't resist you, you can adopt it."

After chatting with Luo Mu for this period, Hanze confirmed he shouldn't be a bad person; plus, there was no reason for Mr. Sebastian to introduce someone who would mistreat a Da Nai Guan, so now Hanze was completely at ease.

Hearing this, Luo Mu nodded slightly and, under Hanze's guidance, used his own half-baked experience to observe the spirit, appearance, and development condition of these Da Nai Guan; it was evident that they were all very healthy.

Hanze joked half-seriously: "Seeing how carefully you are selecting, you could also try tasting the milk produced by each of them before making your decision."

Luo Mu felt not the slightest embarrassment; since he could only adopt one, naturally he had to choose the best.

Eventually, his gaze locked onto a Da Nai Guan that had been eating pasture grass ever since he entered the pasture, a Da Nai Guan that hadn't stopped even after the others had eaten their fill.

One could see a layer of imperceptible, shimmering green light covering that Da Nai Guan's body, flickering in rhythm with its feeding.

The Da Nai Guan has three Abilities: "Thick Fat," which boosts bulk; "Scrappy," which targets Ghost-type Pokémon; and... the hidden Dream Ability "Sap Sipper"—

(End of Chapter)