In the afternoon, Ange continued his usual leisurely routine. He neither worked nor rushed around for a living.
He lay on a reclining chair under the porch outside the door, rocking back and forth. Munchlax gently massaged his shoulders from behind.
"Munch Munch~ Comfortable, Master?"
"Comfortable Truly comfortable~"
Hearing this, Munchlax massaged with even more effort. Its skilled technique had been honed through its daily, persistent practice of kneading dough.
"With Munchlax's technique, we wouldn't fear lack of business even if we opened a massage parlor," Ange sighed while enjoying the moment with squinted eyes.
"Munch Munch~"
Hearing his Master's praise, Munchlax instantly became as happy as a joyful little bee, buzzing in circles around Ange.
"Munch Munch~ I don't want to open any massage parlor. I only massage Master."
Munchlax said proudly.
After massaging for a while, Ange felt his circulation was completely clear. He waved his hand and said to Munchlax, "Come, come, let's take a nap together."
"Munch Munch~"
Munchlax was delighted by the suggestion. It happily ran to the front, waddling to move its reclining chair next to Ange's, then comfortably lay down.
Ange handed it a blanket, "Here, cover up. Although it's not cold now, it will be different if you fall asleep. Be careful not to catch a cold."
"Munch Munch~ Thank you, Master."
Munchlax happily took the blanket, covering itself beautifully. It truly enjoyed its Master's concern.
Creak Creak~~
The two reclining chairs swayed, occasionally letting out a whine. Accompanied by the occasional cries of Swablu and Fletchling from the sky, Ange and Munchlax gradually drifted off to sleep.
When Diancie walked out of the house, she saw the peaceful, sleeping faces of the Master and disciple.
"These two fellows..." She smiled and shook her head. She tiptoed over and pulled the blankets up for both of them, then quietly went back inside.
***
Ange only slowly opened his eyes in the mid-afternoon. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw a clear, blue sky, truly embodying the feeling of a crisp, refreshing autumn day.
"Blu blu~ Ange, Ange, good afternoon!"
At that moment, a Swablu flapped its wings, descended from the sky, and landed on Ange's leg.
Ange stroked its back, "Swablu, good afternoon!"
"Zee zee~ Ange, Ange."
"Fle Fle~ Ange, I'm here!"
Then Fletchling and Spritzee also landed successively, huddling together with Swablu on Ange's leg. Soon, the three small birds were rolling around in a ball on his lap.
Happiness! Such happiness! Ange narrowed his eyes, playing with the three Pokémon. Wasn't this the life he envisioned when he first transmigrated to the Pokémon world?
What a pity. His body used to be weak, preventing him from casually interacting with Pokémon. He only managed to realize his wish now.
After playing for a while, Fletchling hopped onto Ange's palm.
"Fle Fle~~ Ange, let's go play."
Ange could not understand Fletchling's words, which made Fletchling flutter its wings and chirp anxiously.
It took Ange quite a while to guess, "You want to go out and play together?"
Finally, he understood. Ange, you're a bit slow! Fletchling sighed deeply and spread its wings, expressing its helplessness.
Ange was amused by its actions.
"Sure, let's go play together."
Ange got up, and the three small birds quickly flew off him.
"Munchlax, wake up," Ange pushed Munchlax.
"Munch? Munch?"
Munchlax did not know what it dreamed about. With a slight push from Ange, it instantly jumped up from the reclining chair, frantically looking around until it saw Ange, then sighing in relief.
It plunged into Ange's arms, continuously nudging Ange's stomach with its head, constantly acting spoiled.
"Munch Munch~ Master, you scared me so much. I looked for you for a long time and couldn't find you. I thought you didn't want me anymore."
Ange gently patted its back, "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
"Munch~"
Munchlax nodded lightly.
"There, there, don't be afraid," Ange comforted it, "Master is here. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Once Munchlax calmed down, Ange asked, "Do you want to come out and play with us?"
"Munch Munch~ Yes, let's go play together."
Munchlax nodded vigorously, then held onto Ange's hand.
"Diancie, Munchlax and I are going out for a bit," Ange called into the house.
"I know, don't play until too late," Diancie's instruction came from inside.
Subsequently, Ange left with Munchlax, Swablu, Spritzee, and Fletchling.
"Munch Munch~~"
Munchlax bounced and leaped behind Fletchling and the others, constantly trying to reach them with its hands. But Fletchling and the others dodged and darted, refusing to let it succeed. Munchlax's cheerful cries and the chirping of Fletchling and the others rose and fell, echoing across the empty grassland.
This kid is truly big-hearted. He was so frightened just now from a nightmare, yet he started happily frolicking the moment he stepped outside.
***
As they walked, Ange encountered two Gogoat grazing. They initially seemed about to turn and run, but for some unknown reason, they abruptly stopped.
"Goat Goat~"
"Goat Goat~"
They cried out to Ange twice, seemingly greeting him.
Ange was stunned. It was not the first time he had seen Gogoat nearby, but every time before, the Gogoat would turn and run when they saw him.
Did the sun rise in the west today?
So, he also tried to greet the Gogoat, "Good afternoon!"
The two Gogoat seriously nodded at Ange. Ange was pleasantly surprised.
After bidding farewell to the Gogoat, Ange continued walking. Before long, he encountered a Hippopotas and a Hippowdon. Their attitude towards Ange was exactly the same as the Gogoat's just now.
Not only that, Ange subsequently encountered Claydol, Aron, Deerling, Drilbur, Watchog, and Patrat... These Pokémon that used to turn and run when they saw him were now willing to actively greet him.
After much thought, Ange figured he had probably finally gained the recognition of the Pokémon on the Nebel Plateau, truly becoming a part of the Nebel Plateau community.
This was indeed the case.
The news of Ange helping Gardevoir had spread across the plateau. The Pokémon on the Nebel Plateau were always united. For other Pokémon, Ange helping Gardevoir was the same as helping themselves.
They were willing to acknowledge Ange's status as a Nebel Plateau resident for this, and they were also willing to treat Ange as a member of the big Nebel Plateau family.
***
Unconsciously, Ange and Munchlax arrived at the shore of the Nebel Lake.
Spritzee was very mischievous. It quickly landed on a thick lotus pad floating on the water's surface, then stomped down hard. The lotus pad caved into the water, and the water quickly converged towards the center of the pad. Then, before the water reached its feet, Spritzee shrieked and flew up again.
"Zee Zee~"
Finding it fun, Spritzee burst into laughter in the air, then did it again.
Seeing this, Fletchling and Swablu were not to be outdone. They all copied Spritzee, stomping on the lotus pads again and again.
"Fle Fle"
"Blu blu~"
The three small birds were having an incredibly joyful time.
Seeing how much fun Spritzee and the others were having, Munchlax immediately stepped forward, ready to rush into the water and copy them by stomping on the lotus pads.
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?" Ange grabbed Munchlax by the back of its neck, pulling it back just in time.
"Munch Munch~"
Munchlax gestured, wanting to play with Spritzee and the others.
Ange said helplessly, "How big are they, and how big are you? The lotus pads can't handle your weight."
"Munch Munch~~"
Munchlax looked wronged. It kept glancing at Spritzee and the others, its eyes full of envy. It wanted to play too.
Ange looked around. Suddenly, he spotted a Marill nearby on the lake shore. His eyes lit up, and he said to Munchlax,
"That's right, you and Diancie both like Asire Seaweed, don't you? Should we go ask Marill where we can gather some?"
Hearing something about food, Munchlax immediately perked up, instantly forgetting about stomping on the lotus pads.
"Munch Munch~"
Munchlax grabbed Ange's hand and ran towards the Marill, waving at them as it ran.
The Marill were playing in the water with several Azurill. Seeing Ange and his group, they all jumped out of the water and came bouncing over to greet them.
"Marill, Azurill, good afternoon."
"Rill Rill~ Ange, good afternoon."
Ange and the Marill family greeted each other.
"Rill Rill~ Munchlax, Munchlax, come play."
The Azurill gathered around Munchlax. Their elastic tails made them bounce high like rubber balls.
"Munch Munch~ Okay, okay."
Ange glanced at Munchlax, who was already playing with the Azurill, then turned to ask the Marill, "Marill, I wanted to ask, where did you gather the Asire Seaweed you gave me before?"
"Rill Rill~"
Marill gestured and explained to Ange, pointing a finger in another direction at the same time.
Following the direction Marill was pointing, Ange realized that Spritzee and the others were now playing a battle game with a group of Poliwag, without him realizing it.
"Poli Poli Poli~~"
The Poliwag spat "saliva" (Water Gun) at Spritzee, Fletchling, and Swablu in the air, while Fletchling, Spritzee, and Swablu retaliated with Ember, Fairy Wind, and Growl, respectively.
Seeing this, Ange quickly ran over, intending to mediate. However, when he arrived, he realized it was a misunderstanding. Poliwag and Fletchling were only playing a battle game and were having a blast, filled with continuous laughter and joyous sounds.
The lotus pads were originally where the Poliwag sunbathed. Fletchling and the others stomping on the pads naturally startled the Poliwag hidden underneath.
After a difficult explanation from Marill, Ange finally understood: the previous Asire Seaweed was all given to them by the Poliwag, and they were only passing on the favor.
Therefore, if Ange wanted Asire Seaweed, he only had to ask the Poliwag for help.
Seeing the Poliwag having fun, Ange did not rush to interrupt. Instead, he, Munchlax, Marill, and Azurill found a soft, thick patch of grass to sit on, quietly watching Fletchling and the others "battle."
The Poliwag were numerous and powerful. How could the three small birds be a match for them? They were soon defeated.
"Fle Fle"
"Zee Zee~"
"Blu blu~"
The three small birds landed next to Ange, panting heavily. They lay sprawled on the grass, taking deep breaths.
The Poliwag were also quite tired, lying on the lotus pads with their bellies sticking out.
Ange laughed and asked the three small birds, "Had a good time playing?"
Hearing this, the three small birds immediately did a flip, jumping up. They danced and excitedly recounted their battle achievements to Ange.
Yet, they were clearly the ones who lost.
What a pity, Ange did not understand a word.
After the Poliwag rested for a while, Ange stepped forward to ask them about the Asire Seaweed.
Before, the Poliwag would have immediately jumped into the water and fled when they saw Ange approach, but this time, they did not.
When they learned that Ange wanted Asire Seaweed, they did not refuse.
A Poliwag jumped into the water and motioned to Ange.
Ange asked, "Do you want me to follow you?"
The Poliwag nodded, then called out to the other Poliwag on the lotus pads. Instantly, all the Poliwag lined up and jumped into the water, following that Poliwag as they swam into the distance.
Although they liked to sunbathe there, their habitat was not in that spot.
Watching the Poliwag gradually swim away, Ange was stumped. Did they expect him to swim after them? He truly could not do that. This was the Nebel Lake, not some small pond or puddle.
"Rill Rill~~"
At that moment, a Marill walked over and tugged on Ange's pants leg.
Ange asked, "Marill, are you... going to help me?"
"Rill Rill~"
Marill nodded, then splashed into the water. The other Marill and Azurill followed close behind, and soon they disappeared beneath the water surface.
Ange and Munchlax waited on the shore for a while. Soon, Marill returned with its companions, accompanied by another Pokémon.
"It's you, Lapras," Ange greeted the Pokémon in surprise.
"La~"
Lapras also narrowed its eyes and greeted Ange.
Realizing that Marill had gone to ask Lapras for help, Ange sincerely thanked it, "Marill, thank you."
"Rill Rill~" You're welcome.
Marill waved its hands repeatedly.
"Lapras, I'll rely on you too," Ange said to Lapras.
"La~~"
Lapras nodded, then turned its head, motioning for Ange and Munchlax to sit on its back.
Thus, Ange and Munchlax rode Lapras and swam towards the Poliwag's habitat, while Fletchling and the others chirped above in the air.
Lapras and Marill both knew where the Poliwag lived. Guided by them, Ange soon saw a place rich with aquatic grass.
Within the dense aquatic grass, Ange could see Poliwag and Poliwhirl playing. He could also see Surskit quickly skimming across the water's surface and Masquerain resting on the aquatic grass.