Chapter 490: Egg, Duck, Flower

He hadn't expected it to actually be right here on this farm! Recalling a single frame from a video he had watched before, the image of Regice surfaced in his mind.

Wallace attempted to take a deep breath, calming his pounding heart and his slightly elevated body temperature; fortunately, since they were already inside an ice cellar, physical cooling proved very effective.

Even now, the Hoenn region still faced calamities that could descend at any unknown moment.

Once the Creator of the Sea and the Creator of the Land awakened, the struggle between them would erupt into natural disasters sweeping across the entire Hoenn region.

He and his friend Steven had not failed to plan ahead, devising numerous solutions related to this matter.

One of these plans involved utilizing the power of the three legendary giants to suppress the strength of the two super-ancient Pokémon.

As for the current whereabouts of the three legendary giants of the Hoenn region, they were still investigating, yet right before his eyes stood one of those pillars: Regice!

Exhaling a cloud of white mist, Wallace tentatively asked, "This Regice is—"

"I caught it in the Galar region; it is now responsible for farm security as a guard, and quite reliable."

Luo Mu walked over to Regice's side, smiling as he patted the large creature's body.

The circular spots on Regice's face flickered rapidly, as if it were enduring something.

It was not that it resisted being touched by Luo Mu; it was simply doing its utmost to control its cold air so as not to affect the outside world.

Crown Tundra had said that once it began to move, that cold air would unconsciously spread out, subsequently freezing the surrounding area to create an environment most suitable for itself.

If that happened, those vibrant crops and those beautiful flowers would all be frozen; Regice did not want such a thing to occur, so it rarely ventured above ground, instead staying silently within the ice cellar.

At that time, Crown Tundra appeared, and without much hesitation, Regice followed Crown Tundra's instruction on how to meticulously restrain its power, avoiding any troublesome impact on its surroundings.

Now, Luo Mu's hand, which remained unfrozen and only slightly reddened, served as favorable proof of its successful learning.

"A guard? Truly luxurious, though it also fits their status quite well."

Wallace smiled; after the initial surprise, he could now more objectively assess the power of the Regice before him.

Although its aura was restrained and still somewhat immature, if he were to make a move, he should be able to defeat and catch it; it was just that he lacked the luck and fate for such an encounter.

After meeting Regice, Luo Mu led Wallace directly into the ice cellar, to the area where the Rayquaza ice sculpture was stored.

Coincidentally, in the small grove nearby, Ninetales was also present, engaged in meditation training, while the married couple of Abomasnow and a Snover could be seen sleeping soundly.

Without disturbing them, Luo Mu first took Wallace directly to the ice sculpture.

"The one you wished to see should be this one, correct?"

Luo Mu asked with a smile.

"Yes."

Wallace nodded, offering only that single response before his attention was completely captivated by the ice sculpture before him.

Compared to photographs or videos, only by standing truly before the ice sculpture could he feel its immense size and grandeur.

It was as if it had been replicated one-to-one based on some reference object.

Though there was no sunlight, under the illumination of the lamps, every scale on that majestic dragon body was clearly visible, so crystal clear that light seemed capable of passing through it.

Even more rare was the sculpture's completeness and its artistic conception.

One could not help but wonder if Luo Mu had truly seen Rayquaza; otherwise, he would not have restored every detail so perfectly, even though Wallace himself had only seen some rough statues and was unclear whether the Sky High Pokémon Rayquaza actually looked like this ice sculpture.

Yet his sense of beauty told him that every carving, even every dent, on the ice sculpture before him blended seamlessly with the whole, possessing a harmonious beauty.

If the Meteor People were to know of this, they would likely go unprecedentedly mad.

After sighing with emotion in his heart a few times, Wallace focused his entire attention on admiring the breathtaking ice sculpture before him.

Next, Luo Mu introduced Wallace to Ninetales and Milotic, and at Wallace's strong request, demonstrated a few moves.

Even knowing the success rate was low, Wallace chose to speak directly to Luo Mu: "Their talent is excellent; they are simply natural-born prospects for Contest Spectacles. Given time, they will surely become stars no less than myself and my partner."

"Are you really not considering training in Contest Spectacles as well? The aesthetics of Coordinating Pokémon, their moves, postures, and movements—the sense of accomplishment brought when a performance succeeds and the entire audience cheers, you must have experienced that at least once, right?"

Luo Mu, however, shook his head and said: "Treating it as an occasional pastime, a seasoning for life, is no problem, but specializing in this field, please allow me to decline."

"This is not only my thought, but also the thought of Ninetales and Milotic."

Luo Mu exchanged glances with the two Pokémon; compared to frequently participating in events like rushing through schedules, both he and they preferred the leisurely and tranquil life on the farm.

Just like the reason for politely declining Wallace's invitation, Contest Spectacles were, at most, merely a seasoning to make life more interesting.

Regarding this, Wallace, who had come with a hope based on chance and was already mentally prepared, did not press the matter, merely showing an expression of regret before speaking:

"The campus Contest Spectacle a few days ago received a good response; on behalf of the Contest Spectacle Association, I have confirmed a cooperation intention with the Paldea League, preparing to gradually let Contest Spectacles take root and sprout in the Paldea region."

"After completing some follow-up wrap-up work, I will return to the Hoenn region."

"If you ever travel or visit the Hoenn region in the future, please be sure to come to Mossdeep City; after all, sometimes I also serve as a Gym Leader."

Wallace winked at Luo Mu, and after exchanging contact information, he set off to leave.

Gazing at Wallace's departing figure, even Luo Mu could not help but sigh in his heart.

He truly was a carefree and unrestrained person.

October 15th.

Naranja Academy, Infirmary.

"Hmm, the shockwave caused by Brick Break has diffused throughout the entire body; it is not just the head that was hit, but every part of the body and the tree representing Torterra's vitality that must be carefully examined."

Under the displeased gaze of Nurse Nurse Mimosha, who was pouting nearby, Luo Mu meticulously examined Torterra's body while providing additional knowledge explanations to Shinji beside him.

Shinji sat upright with great seriousness, his expression extremely earnest; had he not come in such a hurry without bringing paper and pen, he would surely have recorded every word diligently.

Only after Luo Mu had treated all of Torterra's injuries and ensured that every heated area had been properly addressed did he stand up.

"I am supposed to be the infirmary teacher; Director, you are turning heaven and earth upside down!"

Nurse Nurse Mimosha said angrily, puffing out her cheeks.

With Luo Mu acting like this, she felt an uneasiness that she could be optimized out of her job at any moment!

She did not want that to happen; she still wanted to become a regular staff member and formally teach classes!

Luo Mu glanced at her and said: "Rest assured, I won't snatch your rice bowl." It was simply that the infirmary was the closest, so he and Shinji had brought Torterra, which was rolling in pain after eating a Brick Break from a Politoed, just to borrow some medicine.

After all, Comfey did not follow them today, and Shizuka had taken leave yesterday to return home to visit relatives, and conveniently went to catch a third Pokémon.

"."

Feeling as though she had been pitied, Nurse Nurse Mimosha could only silently squat down to help Luo Mu tidy up the bottles and jars, stealing a few glances at him as she did.

A slightly wicked idea also bubbled up in Nurse Nurse Mimosha's mind.

If she let her own Dream Eater hypnotize Luo Mu, wouldn't she be able to make him do whatever she wanted? He might even directly grant her a formal position! But the moment she thought of Luo Mu's identity, the eager Nurse Nurse Mimosha cooled off, forcing her overheated brain to calm down.

She seemed to have overestimated her own capabilities.

After thanking the strangely expressioned Nurse Nurse Mimosha, Luo Mu left the infirmary with Shinji, heading toward the Battle Facility.

The two chatted intermittently; specifically, Shinji raised the problems he had encountered recently, and Luo Mu provided the answers.

For instance, how to train the Croconaw's resistance to impact, the key points for Torterra to learn "Frenzy Plant," and how to suppress the Ursaring from secretly sneaking out of the dormitory at midnight to raid the Combee hives kept by the classmates in the neighboring room.

Chatting as they walked, they soon arrived at the Battle Facility.

They happened to encounter Shizuka, who was still wearing her Young Lady Joy uniform and hadn't had time to change into her Grape Academy school uniform.

Shinji's focus was always unusual.

He stared at Shizuka for a while before saying something shocking: "So you really are a Young Lady Joy."

He had thought Shizuka was just dyeing her hair, engaging in abstract art and cosplay.

This remark instantly ruined Shizuka's good mood for the day; she glared at Shinji, feeling that even though they had known each other for a long time, the words he unintentionally spoke, though devoid of malice, were so hurtful.

In what way did she not look like a Young Lady Joy? However, since she was in a good mood today, she wouldn't bother arguing with Shinji.

"Teacher, look at this!"

Shizuka, who could now call the younger Luo Mu "Teacher" without hesitation, held up a Poké Ball like a treasure to show him.

"Ta-da! It's my new partner, entrusted to me by an auntie who came to visit my home from the Kanto region!"

"She said she obtained it from the famous Pokémon Professor, Professor Oak!"

Shizuka's words also sparked Luo Mu's interest.

Obtained from Professor Oak?

Was it one of the Kanto starters like Squirtle, Charmander, or Bulbasaur, or was it a Pikachu, as common as stray dogs on the roadside?

Shinji fell silent, staring intently at the Poké Ball in Shizuka's hand; clearly, he also knew about Professor Oak and was very interested in the Pokémon inside the ball.

Shizuka did not keep them in suspense; she lightly pressed the button on the Poké Ball, and a beam of red light shot out, landing on the ground and gradually taking solid form.

It was a Pokémon resembling a toad that walked on all fours, with a large bulb occupying more than half its body on its back—a Pokémon Luo Mu had seen not long ago.

One of the Kanto starters, the Grass and Poison-type Bulbasaur!

"Grass and Poison types, huh? That perfectly complements your team; otherwise, looking at your lineup, others might think you specialize in Normal types."

Shinji gave his evaluation, noticing nothing amiss.

This Bulbasaur was similar to Torterra; in the future, he would be able to exchange more experience with Shizuka regarding it.

It was at this moment that Luo Mu finally reacted.

Buho!

Something was wrong; it was nine parts out of ten wrong! Looking at the Bulbasaur with circular spots and meeting its bright red pupils overflowing with curiosity, Luo Mu gasped sharply.

He swore he had absolutely never interfered with Shizuka's choice of Pokémon, but was this fate or something else? Chansey, Porygon, and now this new Bulbasaur; this team composition was not right!

Shizuka didn't notice Luo Mu's strange expression; instead, she scooped up the Bulbasaur and said with a smile, "This child's Vine Whip is extremely flexible; if I were still working at the Pokémon Center, it would definitely be the best assistant!"

"But now~"

Shizuka left the sentence hanging, rubbing her cheek against the Bulbasaur's; it looked like an adorable scene, yet the words she spoke were so cold.

"Chansey said it has almost finished teaching the Bulbasaur the move Toxic~"

Luo Mu: "."

Shinji: "."

Afternoon.

After finishing his lecture, Luo Mu went to the Pingdie Town Pokémon Center and, as per usual, attended a two-hour medical knowledge class with Joy Rin, rarely receiving praise such as, "You have improved quite a bit."

This made him even more confident in his medical skills.

Returning home.

He happened to stumble upon Oranguru leading a pair of Dedenne in cleaning the house.

Seeing Luo Mu return, Oranguru stepped forward to greet him, naturally taking Luo Mu's coat and hanging it aside.

Luo Mu curiously watched the pair of Dedenne holding small feather dusters, inexplicably envisioning those two mice who flew planes and drove tanks, and asked Oranguru curiously, "How does it feel? Are they easy to manage?"

Oranguru nodded, noticing the two pairs of upright ears on the Dedenne, and responded to Luo Mu via one-way telepathy: "Their coordination is very seamless; just like what you, Young Master, called that... innate housekeeping holy body."

"That's good."

Luo Mu nodded, returned to his bedroom to change into clothes for outdoor work, called upon the Luxray resting on the carpet nearby, picked up the desserts prepared by Shuang Nai Xian, and set off to pay a visit.

At this time, Lei Guan Wang should be leading the Mudsdale and those three Diglett in the area beside the small stream he had designated, reclaiming wasteland and making the soil fertile.

As he left, Luo Mu also casually picked up the Z-Ring and the Ground Z-Crystal.

Although the Z-Cultivation in the game could only increase Attack by one stage, in reality, as long as one utilized the power of the Z-Crystal, the efficiency and effect of cultivating the land could skyrocket.

Luo Mu even suspected that Tapu Tapu Moumou, this non-Ground-type Legendary Pokémon, was able to use cultivation techniques so well due to Z-Power, or perhaps the light of Necrozma.

After all, in the anime, there was a scene where Ultra Necrozma restored its light and directly revived the barren earth.

(PS: Here is a picture of Shinji's scrapped school uniform design from the DP era) (End of Chapter)