Da Wu didn't dwell too long on the fact that Aggron could surf.
Anything is possible.
Who says landlocked areas without water can't learn to surf?
More important than worrying about that, was leaving this dangerous place.
Fortunately.
They weren't far from the surface to begin with, at most a hundred meters, and with the help of Mawile and Claydol, it was easy to get out.
As a result, the water surged quickly, but besides Aggron, basically no one was touched by the water.
Soon after.
Baimu and Da Wu stood at a high point, alongside a dusting-off Mawile, an amazed Aron and Aggron, and a contemplative Claydol.
They overlooked the water gurgling out below, each with different expressions.
The former thought the water would enlarge the cave opening, but found that soon the water flow decreased, as if the underground river had dried up.
And some of the water that came out seeped into the ground, while the rest evaporated quickly in the scorching sun.
This crazy weather.
Baimu frowned slightly, feeling that greening the southern Ore Region to improve the climate was very important. With this blazing sun, who knows how many fragile plants would wither.
Speaking of which, Pokémon World has a very interesting aspect, in that a single area can have various climates, such as deserts or icy regions.
Da Wu walked to the cave entrance, glanced at the dark opening and said:
"We might have dug into a tributary or shallow groundwater."
"Hmm."
Baimu responded while looking at Aggron, "Now there's water, the first condition is barely met. What about the ore?"
"As for the ore, I think it already sensed it."
Da Wu interjected with a smile, "Maybe you didn't notice, but where we were earlier, the soil already had many small particles, further digging might lead us to the ore deposit."
Aggron nodded rapidly, like pounding garlic.
"Seems like you're very satisfied with this place..."
Baimu could easily see Aggron's instant affection for the mountain range, not to mention finding water and ore, even if they weren't found, it would find a reason.
But this is a mountain range!
He felt a bit of a headache, hoping Liu Ge and the others wouldn't overreact.
Seeing the trainer's utterly helpless expression, Aggron knew he had agreed and immediately ran jubilantly between the hills.
Mawile originally didn't care, but seeing Aggron so joyfully crazed, felt somewhat envious.
"Chido!"
"...Planting trees is very troublesome, loosening soil is even more troublesome. Isn't sitting in a chair having afternoon tea more comfortable than basking in the sun?" Baimu timely squatted down to persuade Mawile against having such naive ideas.
Maintaining the natural environment of a mountain range is quite a hassle.
Mawile imagined Aggron watering under the blazing sun, and its freshly stirred emotions instantly subsided, "Chido."
It raised two fingers to Baimu.
The latter bent one down, "You can't eat that much."
"Chido!"
Mawile puffed its cheeks but still compromised, one piece of cake it is, better than nothing.
On the hillside, the excited Aggron quickly disappeared from sight, as it had already moved to another spot, apparently planning to patrol its new territory.
To prevent it from expanding a few kilometers, and to set boundaries for it, Baimu released Steelix.
"Roar!"
Steelix landed, looked around, and then its eyes shone brightly as it gazed at the trainer.
Need my help to dig a tunnel?
"Ahem, I need you to give me a ride." Baimu coughed and gestured for it to lower its head.
Alright.
I like flying too.
Steelix lowered its massive head, allowing the trainer to step on.
Baimu originally intended to invite Da Wu along, but turned to see Da Wu had already withdrawn Claydol in favor of a Shiny Metagross.
He said, "Shall we go for a trip?"
"Let's go."
Da Wu looked terribly bored.
So.
The two accompanied Aggron all afternoon, flying back and forth over the endless mountains to set boundaries for Aggron's territory.
There's no denying a vast unclaimed territory in front of Aggron is like a huge gold nugget placed in front of a human. It indeed made one's eyes dazzle, unable to resist.
Fortunately, Baimu argued reasonably, preventing Lairon's territory from expanding further.
"Sigh, I don't even know how to explain this to Liu Ge and the others."
He looked at the circle drawn on the electronic map.
"Once there's an opportunity to buy it, everything will naturally be explained." Da Wu said with a smile, Brother Fu's demeanor was unmistakable.
Buy it...?
With all his assets totaling just over thirty million, Baimu hesitated for a moment, but the thought indeed crossed his mind.
——
Upon hearing Lairon's choice, Liu Ge was not angry; instead, he generously said:
"Then this mountain range will be yours in the future."
"Huh?"
Baimu was stunned for a moment, "Mine?"
"That's right, from now on the environmental issues in this area will be up to you to solve. Yes, I'll help with the arrangements over at Silicon City, so you can relax." Liu Ge said cheerfully.
Baimu: "… Isn't this a bit whimsical?"
"Whimsical? Of course not. How to improve the environmental governance of the Ore Region is also a challenge for us. If you're willing to share some of the burden, we're naturally more than happy about it."
Liu Ge seemingly wasn't aware of Shanren's plans.
But even so, this attitude of being adamant about handing over the mountain range to him was indeed strange.
One could only say that the Ore Region is in a state of renewal, with various aspects appearing somewhat haphazard.
And ever since dreams came true, Lairon had gone mad, pleading every day for Baimu to visit the mountain range. Had the Underground City not closed, along with the shop selling plants, it would likely have rounded up all the trees inside and planted them on its mountain.
What a pity.
A resourceful woman cannot cook without rice.
First, there are no seeds; second, there isn't suitable soil to allow seeds to sprout; lastly, there's the scorching sun and temperatures that can easily kill plants.
For these reasons, Lairon had to temporarily put aside the environmental transformation of the mountain range.
It looked at the inaccessible mountain for the first time realizing the pain of having too large a territory.
"Roar~"
"Roaring is useless, we have no money. If we had money, we could bring in plants from other regions, and with N's group of Grass-type Pokémon, we could casually achieve lush greenery, but there's no money now." Baimu shrugged.
In fact, if these thirty million were used wisely, with planning, planting drought-resistant plants might actually cover the entire mountain range. But it's clear that Lairon also has specific requirements for plant types.
Of course, there's another way, which is to wait for Shanren to become the mayor... oops, town head, and then get funding from him for greening construction.
Pyrite Town and Silicon City definitely aren't lacking money now. Just the assets controlled by Ergin, the miser, is enough to make jaws drop.
But who knows when Shanren will become town head...
Anyway, there's no rush now.
"The mountain won't run away, let's slowly work on it. At worst, we'll take seventy or eighty years to do it!" Baimu advised Lairon, dissuading it from transplanting two large trees at home to the mountain range.
That's not a world tree; if moved there, it certainly won't take long before it dies.
Lairon felt the same after hearing this, the mountain isn't going anywhere, take it slow.
The big monster returned to its carefree manner.
And soon after, Da Wu decided to say goodbye.
The Champion, who had brought great contributions to Pyrite Town, also quietly left, only leaving Baimu with a few words.
"I believe you will soon leave Ore, my visit was sudden, but when we meet again, I'll give you a gift. Don't have excessive expectations; by the time we meet again, you might not need it."
What does he mean? Is he planning to give a Key Stone?
Baimu hurriedly asked: "Where should I look for you then? De Wen Company?"
"No need." Da Wu replied amusedly: "You'll naturally have an opportunity to meet me again. I also enjoy traveling, seeking rare stones, and admiring this beautiful world. It's possible you'll encounter me during your travels."
With that said.
The Hoenn Champion then left by car.
"Goodbye."
He waved goodbye, gradually regaining his composure.
He felt as if Da Wu had painted him a big pie... But unlike Cang Zhilang, Da Wu purely appreciated him, not only refraining from belittling but constantly praising him.
Key Stone... In the animated world, it's considered rare to the point where even random NPCs have several, yet not so rare that every Trainer has one.
Even if he didn't get a Key Stone from Da Wu, Baimu still had the chance to obtain a Key Stone as well as a Super Stone.
"Traveling, it's time to prepare for departure."
He turned back, looking at Pyrite Town, which exuded vitality, feeling a slight reluctance yet mostly longing for the outside world.