NOVEL WEB Chapter 131: Rising Volt Tacklers
At bedtime, Angie claimed the rewards from completing the cultivation task.
[ Congratulations, Master, on completing (Ingredient Cultivation Task 1) Successfully Grow Plump Beans ]
[ Reward: Constitution +1, Individual Value +1. ]
As expected, Angie unhesitatingly allocated the Individual Value point to Munchlax.
...
[ Munchlax (Eviolite) ]
Type: Normal
Ability: Thick Fat
Gender: Male
Level: 47
Moves: Tackle, Lick, Defense Curl, Recycle, Covet, Bite, Stockpile, Swallow, Heavy Slam, Fling, Amnesia, Body Slam, Charm, Seed Bomb, Brick Break, Counter, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch.
...
[ Individual Values (IVs) ]
HP: 31
Attack: 31
Defense: 21
Special Attack: 31
Special Defense: 31
Speed: 31
...
"All stats are at max. Very harmonious," Angie noted, pleased as he glanced over Munchlax's data. Afterward, he closed his eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep.
...
At 10 a.m. the next morning, Angie closed up Munchlax's Home, noticing as he locked the door that it had started raining outside.
Spring had arrived, and recently the Azoth City and its surroundings had seen more frequent rainfall. Most spring rains were light drizzles, often described as "precious as oil." Such rains were a blessing for the sprouting flora everywhere.
After securing the shop, Angie returned to the Nebel Plateau with his Pokémon, where it was also raining.
On the rooftop, Magearna, Swablu, and Fletchinder were rushing to bring in the laundry and bedding they had hung out to dry earlier that morning.
After lunch, the drizzle gradually ceased, and the bright sun emerged once more from behind fluffy white clouds, prompting bird Pokémon to soar into the skies.
Meanwhile, Angie lounged leisurely in his chair, video-calling Arven.
On the other side of the screen, Arven was cooking with Mabosstiff and Nacli. He frequently sought Angie's advice as he worked.
Angie generously offered guidance until Arven successfully prepared a respectable lunch. Only then did they end the call.
After hanging up, Angie casually slipped his phone into his pocket, stretched luxuriously, and leaned back in his chair.
A gentle breeze swept past, carrying cool moisture and the fresh fragrance of the Nebel Plateau's pristine air.
"Living a leisurely life is wonderful," Angie sighed contentedly, rocking his chair as he closed his eyes.
Not far from the flower bed, Diancie stood with a small basket slung over one arm, using scissors to carefully snip freshly bloomed flowers. She was preparing materials for her hand-dyeing project.
The two Spinarak, each carrying a flower, poked out from the basket before leaping onto the flower bed's edge. Before long, they were rolling about playfully.
Magearna leaned against Volcanion, engrossed in watching videos. Recently, Magearna had become fascinated with baking and was avidly learning through online tutorials, as Angie wasn't skilled in this area and couldn't offer much help.
Drizzile was darting through the rain-dampened grass, getting itself soaking wet but clearly having a blast.
Munchlax and Gengar, much like Angie, lounged idly in their chairs, completely at ease.
Just as Angie was about to doze off from the rhythmic rocking of his chair, a sudden loud rumbling jolted him upright in alarm.
"What happened?" Angie asked, startled.
"Munchlax~!"
"Gengar~!"
Munchlax and Gengar shook their heads.
"Let's go check it out."
With that, Angie got up and headed in the direction of the noise, with Munchlax and Gengar following closely.
In one corner of the Nebel Plateau, a massive spaceship was awkwardly parked on the grass.
A sharp-dressed young woman descended from the ship, looking annoyed. "I told you it wasn't a good time to fly, but you insisted. Look at us now! Stranded in a place like this without enough materials—what are we supposed to do?"
Behind her stood a white-haired young man wearing goggles, who apologized profusely:
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault."
"Pikachu~ Pikachu~"
At the white-haired man's feet was a Pikachu wearing a captain's hat. It spoke up, trying to stop the argument.
As the three of them—two humans and one Pikachu—continued talking, they suddenly realized they were surrounded by a herd of Gogoat and Skiddo. To their shock, the grass Pokémon had created a large Grassy Terrain around them.
The group exchanged bewildered glances. What did we do to provoke them?
And since when did wild Pokémon become this powerful? They even know Grassy Terrain!
Just as the trio stood there helplessly, a voice called out from behind the Gogoat and Skiddo.
"Excuse me… what's going on here?"
The two humans and the Pikachu looked over in surprise to see a blond man accompanied by a Munchlax and a Gengar. They were all watching the scene with curiosity.
Wait, does someone actually live here? The pair looked astonished.
It was, of course, Angie with his first and third apprentices.
"Who are you?" the white-haired man asked.
Angie introduced himself. "My name is Angie. I'm the owner of this plateau."
"Gogoat~"
"Skiddo~"
The Gogoat and Skiddo all nodded in agreement, as if to confirm Angie's words.
The white-haired man scratched his head awkwardly. "So, this plateau has an owner. I got it."
He then introduced himself. "Hello, Mr. Angie. I'm Friede."
The woman next to him followed up, "And I'm Orla."
Friede continued, "We're members of the Rising Volt Tacklers. This here is our captain." He gestured to the Captain Pikachu at his feet.
"Pikachu~ Pikachu~"
Captain Pikachu greeted Angie with a commanding presence.
"We're an exploration team," Friede explained. "We travel the world conducting various Pokémon-related expeditions. Occasionally, we take on jobs to cover our adventure costs."
Fearing Angie might mistake them for suspicious intruders, Friede proactively explained their group's mission.
Orla nodded and added, "Our ship malfunctioned while flying, so we had to make an emergency landing here."
She pointed to the spaceship behind her, which was called the Brave Olivine. Orla had modified it from a regular ship into its current form, showcasing her incredible skills as a mechanic.
After hearing their explanation, Angie nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. That must have been tough."
Just then, the other members of the Rising Volt Tacklers came out to check what was taking Friede and Orla so long.
A pink-haired woman peeked out from the ship's deck and called, "Friede, Orla, how's the ship looking?"
However, when she saw Angie, she froze in surprise.
Orla tilted her head back to reply, "It's bad. The ship won't be able to fly for a while."
"What??" The pink-haired woman exclaimed in distress.
Orla smiled and introduced her to Angie. "That's Mollie, our team's medic."
Angie nodded in acknowledgment.
Before long, Mollie came down from the ship with Murdock, another member of the Rising Volt Tacklers and the team's chef.
As soon as she stepped off, Mollie exclaimed in surprise, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! People live here?"
Angie smiled and introduced himself to the two. "I'm Angie, the owner of this plateau."
"Ah, I see!" Mollie quickly introduced herself, "I'm Mollie."
Murdock waved cheerfully at Angie. "I'm Murdock."
After exchanging introductions, Orla resumed her inspection of the ship. After a long while, she emerged from the damaged section, covered in sweat and frowning. "This is bad. The damage is too severe."
"Can't it be fixed?" Mollie asked.
Orla replied, "It can be fixed, but we don't have the materials!"
At this point, Angie spoke up. "If you need materials, you can go to the Azoth Kingdom nearby. It's famous for its arcane science—you should be able to find what you need there."
Orla's face lit up with excitement. "The Azoth Kingdom? The one where the great arcane scientist Nikola is from?"
Indeed, Nikola was renowned far and wide.
Angie nodded. "That's right."
"Fantastic!" Orla was so thrilled she nearly jumped for joy. They had just flown over an uninhabited mountain range, their navigation was malfunctioning, and they had no idea where they had landed.
Angie continued with a word of caution. "But the Azoth Kingdom is a bit far from here."
"How far?" Orla asked.
Angie replied, "If you're walking, you probably wouldn't make it in a day."
"What?"
The Rising Volt Tacklers all looked visibly disappointed.
Angie then made a suggestion. "If you don't mind, why don't you come to my place for now? You can make a list of the materials you need, and I'll see if I can help."
"Really, Mr. Angie? That would be such a huge help!" Friede said, clearly relieved.
"Pikachu~ Pikachu~"
Captain Pikachu also politely thanked Angie.
Angie waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing. Travelers should always lend each other a hand."
Hearing this, Friede's eyes lit up. "Travelers should always lend each other a hand—what a great saying!"
Angie smiled. "Then please, follow me."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and Friede called out toward the ship, "Grandpa Ludlow, come on down!"
It turned out that an elderly man with a fishing rod, who had been fishing into thin air, was sitting at the bow of the ship.
Angie had already sensed the presence of Ludlow's aura, but he couldn't see the man's face clearly.
Ludlow poked his head out and replied, "I'll stay here to watch over the ship!"
Angie reassured him, "There's no need to worry about the ship. The Pokémon of the plateau will guard it."
The Gogoat and Skiddo nodded in agreement.
"Gogoat~ Gogoat~"
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
At that moment, a Talonflame landed on the ship's deck, accompanied by a Staraptor and a Fletchinder, all of them waving their wings at Angie.
Angie smiled and turned to the Rising Volt Tacklers. "See? I told you so."
Friede shouted again to Ludlow, "Look, Grandpa Ludlow! There's nothing to worry about. Come down and join us!"
Ludlow finally rose slowly from his seat.
After disembarking, Ludlow, as the elder of the Rising Volt Tacklers, formally expressed his gratitude to Angie.
In truth, the Brave Olivine was originally Ludlow's fishing boat, which Orla had transformed.
With that, the group set off in high spirits toward Angie's home.
On the way, the group saw a Deerling and a Drilbur driving a flock of chickens out for a walk, and their faces were filled with surprise.
"Mr. Angie, are those chickens yours?" Friede asked.
Angie nodded. "That's right. By the way, just call me Angie."
Friede followed his suggestion smoothly. "Angie, you've got quite the setup here."
Angie shook his head modestly. "It's thanks to the Pokémon being so capable!"
As soon as he finished speaking, they saw a Croconaw noisily chasing a pig across the path ahead.
Mollie chuckled. "Angie, the Pokémon here are so entertaining."
Angie replied in a serious tone, "Honestly, I have to say, my Croconaw is developing a brand-new type of exercise program!"
His words made everyone burst into laughter.
As Captain Pikachu walked along, it suddenly noticed a small mound of earth rise next to it. The electric sparks flashing on its cheeks indicated there was an Electric-type Pokémon beneath the dirt.
Captain Pikachu curiously poked the damp soil with a finger.
"Pawmi~~!"
Suddenly, a Pawmi popped out of the mound, sticking its tongue out and making a scary face at Captain Pikachu.
However, Captain Pikachu wasn't frightened at all; instead, it looked intrigued by Pawmi's antics.
Seeing this, Angie scolded Pawmi, "Pawmi, how could you play pranks on our guests?"
Pawmi scurried out of its burrow and dashed over to Angie, clinging to his leg and acting coy.
"Pawmi~ Pawmi~"
Angie picked it up and apologized to Captain Pikachu with a smile, "Captain, I hope it didn't scare you?"
"Pikachu~"
Captain Pikachu shook its head.
Friede added, "Our Captain has nerves of steel. Something like this couldn't possibly scare it!"
"Pikachu~ Pikachu~"
Captain Pikachu crossed its arms and nodded confidently.
Angie gently tapped Pawmi on the head. "Don't think you're off the hook just because it wasn't scared."
Pawmi hesitated for a moment, rummaged through its thick fur, and eventually pulled out a lollipop. It squirmed out of Angie's arms, trotted over to Captain Pikachu, and held the lollipop out as a gesture of apology.
Captain Pikachu blinked in surprise, unsure whether to accept it or not.
Angie laughed and said, "Go ahead and take it. This is its treasure—it never gives it to anyone. If it's offering it to you, it's truly apologizing from the heart."
"Pikachu~"
Captain Pikachu smiled at Pawmi and accepted the lollipop.
Pawmi, now reassured, pulled out another lollipop for itself. After peeling off the wrapper, it quickly popped it into its mouth, then ran back to Angie's side, contentedly walking along with him toward home.
As it walked, it kept glancing back at Captain Pikachu. Seeing that Captain Pikachu was holding the lollipop without eating it, Pawmi let out a flurry of chirps.
"Pawmi~ Pawmi~"
Captain Pikachu gave a resigned look and obediently unwrapped the lollipop, putting it into its mouth.
Finally satisfied, Pawmi happily hummed a little tune as it licked its lollipop, wiggling its hips in a self-satisfied manner.
Everyone laughed at the sight of the adorable Pawmi.
Along the way, Pawmi alternated between sticking close to Angie and deliberately slowing its pace, pretending to casually end up beside Captain Pikachu. It would sneakily bump its hand into Captain Pikachu's before finally, and quite boldly, holding hands with the Captain. Together, they swaggered along toward Angie's home.
Watching Pawmi's antics, Angie could only shake his head in exasperation.
Note : At this point, the Rising Volt Tacklers didn't yet include Roy, Liko, or Dot.