Chapter 506: A Massive Outbreak of Chewtle is Occurring!

Bad news.

The moment he heard those words, a faint premonition of misfortune rose sharply in Luo Mu's heart.

And this faint premonition reached its peak when he locked eyes with Geeta, whose eyes seemed to be smiling.

This woman wants to exploit me! Luo Mu's intuition as a former corporate slave was sounding frantic alarms.

Yet the reality was that Luo Mu had already stepped into this den of dragons and tiger's lair; leaving now would likely be difficult.

A clear smile hung on Geeta's lips as her voice slowly rang out.

"According to the report from Area Zero's research station, Professors Sada and Turo have made tremendous progress in their research and are about to activate the prototype machine for verification."

"However, they are concerned that a situation similar to before might occur again, with Great Tinkaton running amok, so they have requested assistance from the League this time."

"The content of their request is: 'We need a trainer strong enough to suppress the Pokémon transmitted from the time machine to the present era.' Those were the exact words of the couple."

"Considering the power of those Paradox 'monsters,' the only options are the Elite Four or the Champion; only they are capable of fulfilling this duty."

Geeta's voice paused for a moment, her unhidden gaze falling squarely upon Luo Mu.

"The Elite Four are currently busy to the point of having no time to breathe, and while I am occupied with Paldea League affairs, I also need to scout for a new Elite Four member to replace the old gentleman who is about to retire."

"Suddenly, the only person with free time to execute this mission is..."

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Interrupting Geeta, who seemed poised to continue with a long string of words, Luo Mu felt nothing but a headache.

He roughly understood the clear logic behind it.

The two professors must have successfully developed the time machine, or at least a prototype model of it; this connected with what Penny had mentioned to him before regarding her parents' progress in their research.

The two professors were worried that Paradox Pokémon transmitted to the present by the time machine might cause a major disturbance, and since the corresponding capture function probably hadn't been successfully developed yet, they could only seek powerful trainers to suppress these Paradox types by force first.

And judging by Geeta's implication, she was just short of saying outright, "Let you, Luo Mu, go."

Good, good, good, no wonder she called it bad news while wearing such a happy smile on her face!

"No—"

Luo Mu was just about to open his mouth to refuse, stating plainly that he was unfit for this job and that it would be best to entrust it to the reliable Brother Brother Qingmu.

But Geeta, as if she had predicted his thoughts, cast a glance toward Clavell beside her.

Clavell, keeping his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, produced a tray from somewhere, placed it on the table, and lifted the red cloth covering it.

Three Poké Balls, arranged neatly and colored purple on top and white on the bottom, lay there quietly.

Luo Mu's voice halted.

Clavell then said, "These are the highest-performance Poké Balls purchased by the Chairperson from Silph Co. in the Kanto region: the 'Master Balls,' produced in extremely limited quantities, said to be capable of capturing even legendary Pokémon."

Luo Mu: "..."

Geeta pressed her advantage, "One will be given to Professor Sada, one to Professor Turo, and the other, at my discretion, will be given to you as compensation for the mission. How does that sound?"

Geeta knew that the gimmick of "a probability of capturing legendary Pokémon" alone was insufficient to move Luo Mu.

For Luo Mu, it wasn't that he had never captured a legendary Pokémon before, so his demand for a Master Ball in that regard was not high.

Of course, it was only that his demand for using it to capture Pokémon was not high.

Geeta fell silent as well, simply staring at Luo Mu with a smile on her face.

After a moment, Luo Mu sighed and said, "Alright, I'll take this mission."

The smile on Geeta's face widened accordingly as she said, "It's a deal."

Luo Mu nodded lightly, then as if remembering something, emphasized, "Winter is approaching soon, and there are many tasks at the farm recently; I can only spare three or four days at most to act as a bodyguard."

Geeta naturally had no objection.

Being able to assign the mission to Luo Mu meant she had already achieved all her objectives; any conditions were negotiable.

With the verbal agreement reached, Luo Mu also took the tray from Clavell's hands, his gaze falling upon the Master Balls on it, which seemed to reflect an extraordinary luster.

Even though Luo Mu would hardly have any use for a Master Ball, that didn't stop him from acquiring one for his collection.

Common Poké Balls on the market were easy to collect, and slightly more expensive ones could be easily purchased with the farm's current income.

But something like a Master Ball, which has value but no market availability, was difficult to obtain; even if the real-world Master Ball didn't possess the heaven-defying 100% capture rate of the game, it didn't stop many trainers from pursuing it with all their hearts.

Putting the GS Ball aside for now, Luo Mu actually still had plans to plant some Apricorn trees and craft Apricorn Balls.

There was also Hisui, perhaps ancient Sinnoh, where methods for crafting old-style Poké Balls might still exist.

Collecting most types of Poké Balls and displaying them in a showcase—how cool would that be?

Moreover, Penny had been subtly hinting to Luo Mu these past two days about descending into the Great Crater of Paldea.

Might as well accept the mission and, while at it, take him down to broaden his horizons, and incidentally meet his parents whom he hadn't seen in nearly a year.

Evening.

Luo Mu invited the returning trio of Hearing Hearing Nimo, plus the trio of Penny, to eat a lavish housewarming meal at the farm's new home.

It also served as a welcome-back dinner for the three returning from their journey, though the timing was a bit late.

At the dining table, the three recounted many interesting things that happened during their travels; even under the lamplight, Hearing Hearing Nimo's eyes remained bright and sparkling as she said that if she hadn't gone traveling, she probably wouldn't have known so many interesting things or learned experiences unavailable at the academy.

Midway through, Shuang Nai Xian, who was making after-dinner desserts, approached Hearing Hearing Nimo and borrowed the last Pokémon she had captured, which should be the Diejie Diejie Mengmeng her family had helped her find.

Diejie Diejie Mengmeng is a Bug- and Fairy-type Pokémon first discovered in the Alola region; just like Vespiquen and Combee, they also have their own specialty—

Collecting nectar and pollen to make special pollen balls.

The pollen balls made by experts among Diejie Diejie Mengmeng are not only delicious but also have effects that relax people and heal fatigue, functioning as healing moves.

They can even change the formula to create pollen balls thrown at enemies, causing dizziness and paralysis effects.

Shuang Nai Xian calling it away was naturally to use the pollen balls for making desserts, and Luo Mu was very expectant of the finished product.

If it tastes delicious, next time he goes to the Alola region, he could consider bringing back Diejie Mengmeng or Diejie Diejie Mengmeng, and also consider Bug Pokémon that collect nectar, such as Butterfree and Beedrill.

Not just the single flavor of Combee honey, Luo Mu also wanted to try one by one the different flavors of honey brewed by other Bug Pokémon.

After everyone had eaten until their bellies were round and smooth, and Penny, who had shouted that she still had an extra stomach for dessert, had already collapsed, Luo Mu simply called Penny outside.

Wrapped in the blanket the Oranguru had draped over him when they went out, Peper shivered as he touched the cold night air and looked at Luo Mu with confusion.

What did Big Brother Luo Mu need from him that it had to be discussed outside?

Glancing at Peper out of the corner of his eye, Luo Mu spoke: "In a few days, I'm going to make a trip to the Great Crater of Paldea, heading to the Area Zero Research Station."

Peper's slight trembling stopped; he suddenly lifted his head to look at Luo Mu, excitement flashing in his eyes so obvious that even an outsider could see it at a glance.

"What about me?"

Peper asked, almost unable to contain his impatience.

He really wanted to go along; meeting via video call ultimately couldn't compare to the emotional thrill of facing each other in person.

"I recall that besides the Peat Block, the condition for our agreement was that you needed to obtain badges from all eight Gyms."

"Once you've obtained eight badges and possess the ability to protect yourself, as long as you ask, I will make time to take you down there; that is the agreement between us."

Luo Mu's voice, which seemed to have grown even colder due to the chilly wind, slowly settled.

The light brightening Peper's eyes dimmed accordingly.

He... was still two Mei Hui Zhang short.

It wasn't that his strength was insufficient; he had simply been lazy long ago, and even though he had secured the badges from the Cortondo Gym and the Glaseado Gym, he lacked two other Gym badges because his travel route didn't pass through those two cities.

Right now, Peper's eyes were filled with regret.

At this moment.

Two small figures slipped out through a slightly widened crack in the door, and under the illumination of the lights, two long shadows stretched far out.

Both Luo Mu and Peper, who was sunk in negative emotions, noticed this and turned to look.

It was a pair of Tandemaus.

Each of them held a cup of steaming hot milk in their hands; clearly, they had come to deliver milk.

The Tandemaus worked together with divided labor; one handed the hot milk to Luo Mu, while the other handed theirs to Peper. It was the Oranguru, worried that the two might catch a cold, who had instructed them to deliver the hot milk.

"Squeak squeak~"

After completing their task, the Tandemaus, who under the Oranguru's training now looked quite like capable housekeepers, waved to the two before turning and slipping back into the new house where heating had already begun.

It's so cold outside that even the two of us mice can't stand it; who knows why the young master and the guest aren't enjoying the nice heating and are instead performing some kind of behavioral art.

The Tandemaus silently complained in their hearts.

Peper watched the backs of the Tandemaus as they entered the house, feeling inexplicably that the Tandemaus possessed a natural affinity for him.

"Hoo~ hoo~"

Holding the cup, which had been treated to prevent burns, Peper carefully blew along the rim, trying to cool down the hot milk that would definitely scald his tongue.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

Luo Mu suddenly spoke: "Do you know the evolved form of the Tandemaus?"

Peper's movements paused; he blinked. This was knowledge he had learned, so he couldn't claim he didn't know it.

"It's the Maushold, and there's a distinction between the Family of Three and the Family of Four."

He answered without hesitation.

Come to think of it, this Pokémon is quite interesting; it almost spends its entire life acting in pairs, with the two mice in a Tandemaus staying together forever, their bond stronger than gold.

And after evolving, this family adds one or two more mice, forming a larger family that supports one another, achieving a happy reunion.

Peper even felt an inexplicable envy toward the Maushold.

"Correct, it is the Maushold; they act in family units, appearing very heartwarming in people's eyes."

"Being separated from one's family is undoubtedly a lonely and painful matter, so I will only ask this question once."

Luo Mu nodded slightly, then immediately changed tack and asked: "Peper, do you feel that you now have the ability to protect yourself and can enter the Great Crater of Paldea?"

Peper's pupils contracted; after hesitating for a few seconds, he responded: "I don't know, but I want to try; I want to see them face to face."

"A very honest answer." Luo Mu smiled lightly, took a sip of the warm milk that was no longer scalding, "Then make your preparations; spend these next few nights thinking carefully about what you want to say to them, and don't go crying when you meet them."

"I-I won't cry!"

Whether it was due to the cold wind or not, Peper's face turned bright red, even his ears flushing crimson, looking as if he were angry out of embarrassment.

He was just about to lose his temper when he realized Luo Mu had already slipped into the house first.

He could only hold his cup and stand dazed in the cold wind for a while longer; subconsciously finishing the entire cup of milk, he felt his body beginning to warm up and murmured softly: "So warm."

Behind the door, Luo Mu smiled without speaking.

What good does it do for a eleven or twelve-year-old kid to walk around with a depressed face all day? Isn't he much better now?

After his heart-to-heart talk with Peper, Luo Mu also sought out Hearing Hearing Nimo.

For no other reason than to discuss the efforts she needed to make to further break through her own limits.

Given Hearing Hearing Nimo's current strength, where she could directly defeat a Paldea Gym Leader going all out, it could be said that she was already very close to the realm of the Elite Four.

Having become a complete rookie trainer around February this year, and now it being October, growing to this stage in just eight months, Hearing Hearing Nimo's talent as a trainer was truly outrageous.

However, regarding her challenging the Elite Four in her current state, to be honest, Luo Mu held a pessimistic view.

She still needed to settle and accumulate more experience.

There were almost no students left in the Academy who could battle against Hearing Hearing Nimo when she went all out, and the Gym Leaders were busy with official duties, making it impossible for them to always serve as sparring partners.

Hearing Hearing Nimo, as a trainer, was very similar to Ash.

The more real battles she experienced, the faster she grew stronger.

If Hearing Hearing Nimo wanted to advance further, she indeed still needed to consider finding worthy battle opponents.

Luo Mu gave Hearing Hearing Nimo two options to choose from.

The first was to go to the Galar region; to summarize the Gym Leaders there in one phrase, they were full of martial virtue.

Gym Leaders in other Leagues all have a fixed intensity prepared for their local League Conferences, whereas in the Galar region, for almost every Gym match, the Leader chooses whether to go all out based on the opponent, and after clearing all eight Gyms, there is also the opportunity to challenge the League Tournament, where the opponents are even stronger.

Putting pressure on yourself by going there is definitely the right choice.

The second option was the "Battle Frontier" in either the Kanto or Hoenn region.

Although the "Battle Frontier" currently lacked fame, thanks to Ashida's efforts, a large group of powerful Trainers had already become Frontier Brains.

Take the Pyramid King Brandon, for instance; Lei Si, Shinji's older brother, was the one who crashed and burned right in front of him.

Challenging the Battle Frontier would surely yield gains for Hearing Hearing Nimo as well.

As for the third option of Luo Mu serving as a sparring partner, he didn't even mention it at all.

Just kidding!

If he actually agreed, he feared Hearing Hearing Nimo would drag him into battles all day long; who could endure that over time?

Regarding the proposals Luo Mu gave, Hearing Hearing Nimo rejected the first one without hesitation.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go to the Galar region.

It was simply that the uncle named Rose was a bit annoying, persistently trying to pull her into the Galar League.

Hearing Hearing Nimo did not want to worry about matters outside of battles.

Thinking this way, the answer seemed to be right before her eyes.

She declared firmly to Luo Mu, "Teacher, I plan to challenge the Battle Frontier to temper myself!"

"Good, then regarding the details of the Battle Frontier, you can go find Shinji."

"His older brother once challenged the Battle Frontier, so he should be able to offer advice that will save you from taking many detours."

Luo Mu patted Hearing Hearing Nimo on the shoulder, effectively sealing the decision.

October 24th.

The temperature had subtly dropped quite a bit again; the biting wind sweeping past sounded like a horn blown before the arrival of deep winter.

The entire expanded land of the farm had already been enclosed by fences.

The fruit trees in the new orchard had grown another segment taller; with the accelerated growth effect of the Mixed Grass terrain, they were on the verge of blooming, and Luo Mu was already considering the matter of Applin.

Nowadays, the internet was becoming increasingly smooth; while contacting the Guild Master to have him collect Paldean ancient gold coins, he was also searching and filtering numerous farms and ranches online, listing several reliable options.

These were places that raised and bred Applin in small batches; among the options were even a few Day Care centers, and Luo Mu planned to inspect them before heading to the Paldea Great Crater.

It was just that plans could never keep up with changes.

In the morning, Luo Mu led his group of Pokémon to load the harvested crops onto Xiao En's large truck.

Looking at this domineering "Otherworld Starter," Luo Mu teased him, "It seems Mr. Xiao En has earned quite a bit of money, having upgraded to a large truck."

Xiao En's old face turned red; he scratched his head and said modestly, "Hehe, it's all thanks to the trust you farm and ranch owners have placed in me."

The Primeape beside him suddenly slapped his back; Xiao En's voice paused for a moment before he remembered there was something he hadn't said yet.

"Winter will arrive in a while, making it difficult to grow most crops; after working hard for nearly a year, I plan to take a break and use the money I've saved to take my wife and children to see the world."

"Like the hot springs in the Hoenn region; soaking in an open-air bath during the cold winter would surely warm one straight to the heart."

"So, in a while, I will ask other friends to come collect the goods in my stead; at that time, I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Luo Mu, to look after them."

Luo Mu nodded with a smile and said, "I understand."

"Hehe, then I'll have to trouble you."

Xiao En snatched his baseball cap back from atop the Primeape's head, put it back on his own head, and gave a simple, honest smile.

"The crops purchased from your farm sell the best, in short supply across other cities and towns; that kid really got a bargain."

"But what can I do when I promised my wife and children that we would visit 'Raging Falls,' one of the 'Ten Great Views of Paldea,' and while we're at it, check out the large bamboo forest nearby."

"It is said that recently, within a fruit tree area in the bamboo forest, a large number of wild Applin have appeared, stockpiling food needed to survive the winter."

"This Pokémon is cute and eats very little; my daughter has wanted to raise one for a long time. This trip, we'll try our luck; who knows, we might even catch one!"

(End of Chapter)