Chapter 248: Mesagoza, the Emperor of Part-time Jobs, Brother Brother Qingmu!

"Don't rush just yet; let me contact the League to verify the situation, okay?"

Luo Mu used a soothing tone to try and stabilize Pepa's emotions, as he could also understand the panic and confusion churning inside Pepa.

Originally, his parents had already left home for several months due to research work at the Paldea Crater, and their scheduled routine contact had inexplicably been interrupted for unknown reasons; now, with Orange Academy currently on break, it was easiest for one to let their imagination run wild when alone.

Pepa's progression from an emotional outburst to seeking help from himself followed a traceable pattern.

It was likely because trust had already been established—before Sada and Turo departed, they had also instructed Pepa to seek Luo Mu's help if anything happened—so his soothing words proved very effective.

On the other end of the line, Pepa, huddled in the corner of his bed, stabilized somewhat; glancing at Maschiff and Greedent pacing anxiously beside the bed, he forced a faint smile toward them, then spoke into the phone again: "Mm, I understand; I will wait patiently."

Luo Mu nodded slightly: "Wait for my news."

After hanging up Pepa's call, Luo Mu paused briefly in thought before dialing Geeta's private number once more.

A League official line might be answered by Geeta's secretary or could be busy, but a private line could basically guarantee connectivity.

After a few rings, the call connected, and Geeta's slightly puzzled voice came through the receiver: "Luo Mu, are you calling to discuss that matter from the other night that I asked Grusha to relay to you?"

"No, we can discuss that later," Luo Mu shook his head, saying in a deep voice: "Chairman, what I want to ask now is regarding the Paldea Crater research project spearheaded by Professor Sada and Professor Turo; do you know they might have lost contact?"

Hearing this, Geeta's expression on the other end of the line changed slightly, and she said: "I will immediately confirm with the personnel at the Zero Gate."

A moment later, Geeta's voice continued: "The personnel at the Zero Gate indeed haven't received any contact from below for about four or five days; however, since the Paldea Crater remains a place full of mysteries to this day, there have been precedents where suddenly intensified magnetic fields caused signal interruptions from time to time in the past."

"The personnel there considered this a normal phenomenon; generally, communications should recover in a few more days, so they didn't report it."

Luo Mu said in a deep voice: "But if something unexpected has occurred, it will be too late by then."

Geeta nodded: "I think so too; a search team is already being prepared."

"... I plan to go down there myself."

Luo Mu's words were startling; even Geeta displayed a surprised expression.

She asked softly: "Is it because of those two professors' child? I recall his name is Pepa; he is a kind-hearted good child."

Luo Mu nodded gently: "He is very uneasy right now; even if you, Chairman, wish to prepare a fully qualified exploration team, it will still take a certain amount of time, so it would be better for me to enter the Crater alone."

Geeta fell silent for a moment: "... The environment there is extremely perilous, inhabited by large numbers of wild Pokémon that have lived isolated within the Crater for a long time; shaped by constant struggle, their temperaments retain a primitive aspect, making them extremely ferocious, which is why preparation truly requires time."

"Perhaps your solo incursion would be faster, but you have never entered the Paldea Crater even once; the environment there is complex, and one could easily get lost inside if not careful."

"Go find Brother Brother Qingmu; let him enter the Crater with you. When the two professors restarted the Terapagos Project last time, it was Brother Brother Qingmu who escorted them."

After ending the call with Geeta, Luo Mu called Pepa back, calmly informing him that he was now preparing to enter the Paldea Crater and telling him to stay quietly at home and wait for his contact.

Next, Luo Mu summoned Oranguru and the others, informing the Pokémon that due to an emergency situation, he needed to go out for a few days and might not return in the short term.

At the same time, he selected several Pokémon to accompany him into the Paldea Crater.

Swampert, Mimikyu, Serperior, Dragonite, and Comfey—these five Pokémon would accompany him in action, while Luxray and Cangyan Cangyan Rengui would be responsible for guarding the farm's safety.

Even though the Paldea region did not pose any major dangers, Luo Mu felt that when leaving, reliable combat power must be left behind to ensure absolute security.

Since the Paldea Crater could maintain its veil of mystery for so long, it certainly possessed unique aspects; although he had walked through the entire Area Zero storyline in the game, Luo Mu would not assume Area Zero was a good spot for an outing just because of so-called game memories.

He brought along Swampert, who had temporarily become a new ace through Mega Evolution, plus his other three main forces, along with Comfey, who specialized in healing yet surprisingly possessed strong combat capabilities to coordinate with Serperior in battle.

Luo Mu also took his trump-card Z-Ring, the Ground-type Z-Crystal, the Grass-type Z-Crystal, the Mimikyu Z-Crystal, the Tera Orb, and the Key Stone he had already embedded into a necklace.

He could now be considered fully armed.

After all, at this moment Luo Mu could not guarantee whether Professors Sada and Turo had encountered some difficult enemy or if their signals simply hadn't recovered yet.

Since the situation was somewhat urgent, Luo Mu only gave Oranguru a rough briefing on recent matters to attend to at the farm before riding Dragonite into the sky, flying directly toward Mesagoza.

Mesagoza, located in the western part of the Paldea region, is a town steeped in a rich nostalgic atmosphere; everywhere one looks are food shops lined up in eager succession, representing Mesagoza's highly developed culinary culture.

Departing around three o'clock, Luo Mu arrived in Mesagoza by about five; he was fairly familiar with the surrounding environment and had no leisure to admire the endless streams of people who had come specifically to taste the local delicacies.

After recalling Dragonite, Luo Mu jogged all the way to the city's most famous restaurant, the Treasure Eatery.

The reason Luo Mu did not head to the Mesagoza Gym was simple.

He knew Brother Brother Qingmu's nature all too well; years of corporate life had worn down his edges, leaving him in a completely decadent state; suddenly receiving orders from Geeta to enter the Paldea Crater for an unknown number of days of twenty-four-hour overtime work, he would definitely have rushed to the Treasure Eatery to silently eat delicious food and nurse his wounds.

Pushing the door open, the first thing one saw was a battlefield constructed from tatami mats; Brother Brother Qingmu liked to conduct Gym battles here, and once, Luo Mu had also fought against Brother Brother Qingmu in this area.

Letting his nostalgic gaze linger on the battlefield for a moment, Luo Mu shifted his sight, his eyes landing on a man slumped at the side bar with drooping shoulders, wearing a tailored suit that should have highlighted vigor and spirit yet instead exuded an air of decadence.

The man scooped up spoonful after spoonful of steaming, fragrant, delicious omurice; his conspicuous hairline and dark circles under his eyes were proof of his diligent work ethic.

He was the Paldea Emperor of Part-time Jobs, the ultimate corporate slave—Brother Brother Qingmu!

(End of Chapter)