The next day, Lucas was lying in the resting area, feeling refreshed and not at all worried about the Breeding House's business.
"Open once, eat for a year," as the saying goes.
This refers to the pokémon egg that Tomoyo's parents bought for her yesterday.
After selling the Dratini egg, Lucas was completely unconcerned about the Breeding House's business. A pseudo-legendary pokémon egg, especially a Dratini egg, was worth enough to cover the entire winter's income.
This even included the revenue from the Cottage and delivery services.
One can imagine how much that Dratini egg sold for.
"Who would have thought, who would have thought——"
Lucas lay on the recliner, singing while shaking his head, feeling incredibly content.
Gothitelle passed by, glanced at him, and rolled her eyes. "Look at your pathetic self."
However, Lucas's leisure didn't last long. His rotom phone floated in front of him. Seeing Gary's video call request on the screen, he reached out and answered it.
"Hey, Gary, what's up?"
Lucas asked lazily, still lying in the chair.
"Hey, Manager, are you free right now?"
Gary's head appeared on the screen. Seeing Lucas lying on the recliner, he asked.
"I'm free, what's going on?"
Gary got straight to the point. "Manager, a while ago I rescued a few Shieldon, and I've been observing them and recording their condition. But the day before yesterday, I noticed two of the Shieldon seemed sick. They can't eat anything, and they won't even eat Energy Cubes. I took them to the Pokémon Center, but even after treatment, they're still like this. That's why I'm asking if you know why."
Was Gary's research in Sinnoh about Shieldon?
The Pokémon that supposedly lived a hundred million years ago.
Lucas looked at the screen and said, "Then point the camera at them and let me see."
Gary nodded and pointed the camera at the two Shieldon.
Lucas watched intently until he eventually frowned.
Seeing this, Gary felt incredibly anxious.
Lucas: *Staring*——
He stared for a long time, but no text description popped up.
'Can't I tell from the video?' Lucas thought to himself.
Seeing Lucas look away, Gary finally asked, "Manager, is the situation serious?"
Lucas snapped back to reality, looked at Gary, and shook his head. "Not really. It's just hard for me to tell what the problem is through the video."
Gary breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "Then, Manager, do you have time to come over?"
"Of course, I'll pay for your time."
Lucas waved his hand. He had just made a big sale yesterday; he didn't need Gary to cover such a small amount of money.
Gothitelle was right; he really had no ambition.
"As a teacher, it's only right to help a student solve problems. I'll come over tomorrow. Where are you?"
"I'm in Canalave City. Manager, can you come today?"
Gary gave a Gengar-like grin and said.
Lucas: ——
"Wait a second."
After saying that, Lucas asked Mr. and Mrs. Fujino if there was anything at the Breeding House that needed his attention over the next two days. Mr. and Mrs. Fujino shook their heads. "Don't worry, Manager. If anything happens at the Breeding House, we'll let you know."
Hearing Mr. Fujino's words, Lucas nodded, then looked back at Gary in the center of the screen and said irritably, "Just wait."
After saying that, he hung up the phone.
After hanging up, Gary looked at Byron. "My teacher is on his way."
Byron nodded. He had heard from Roark that it was Gary's teacher who had led Lance to resolve the incident with Articuno and Zapdos.
"Then let's get ready and wait for him to arrive."
Gary nodded.
Back at the Breeding House, Lucas was thinking about who to take with him.
After thinking about it, he decided to bring his main team.
Gengar, Lilligant, Gothitelle, Ninetales, Azumarill.
Lucas also asked Mime Jr., but Mime Jr. indicated that it couldn't leave the Canteen. He then asked Roserade, and Roserade indicated that it needed to go to the Cottage to keep watch; otherwise, if Gothitelle left and it also left, there would be no Pokémon to guard the Cottage.
Snorunt also refused, because it had grown fond of going to school with Shauna. Luxray was spending the winter in the forest, Vespiquen had to guard the hive, and Azumarill also refused him, saying that after delivering the takeout for the next two days, it wanted to play with other little friends.
Was the big Breeding House unable to scrape together six Pokémon?
Lucas sighed.
Gengar's little underling, that Misdreavus—Lucas hadn't seen it for a long time. Maybe it had been caught by some Trainer.
Staraptor couldn't be taken away; the mature and steady Staraptor was the most suitable Pokémon to guard the Breeding House.
Lucas ran to the Lake, and when he came back, he was holding a Poké Ball in his hand, feeling satisfied.
The older brother Lapras was taken by him, while the younger sister stayed at the Breeding House to play with Shauna and Tomoyo.
Tomoyo now came to the Breeding House to play every day after school.
Gothitelle had also taught Mrs. Fujino how to make the herbal tea and herbal medicine at the Breeding House, which was why Lucas could feel so at ease taking her away.
The Cottage had Roserade, Heracross, and Pinsir; the Breeding House had Mr. and Mrs. Fujino, Lapras, Machoke, San Li, Rhyperior, Staraptor, Vespiquen, and the others, plus Luxray, Seviper, and Lopunny in the forest, so security shouldn't be a big problem.
After arranging everything, Lucas sat in the resting area, waiting for Gothitelle and Lilligant to pack his luggage.
"Lucas."
Latias's voice echoed in Lucas's mind.
"What's wrong?"
Lucas asked Latias.
Latias came to Lucas's side. "Are you going out?"
Lucas nodded.
The reason he brought his main team this time was because he planned to take the opportunity to challenge the Canalave Gym in Canalave City and record the challenge video to bring back for Shauna and Tomoyo to watch.
This could be considered teaching by example, right?
Lucas thought to himself.
"Can I go with you?"
Latias's voice sounded again, and Lucas was stunned for a moment.
"You want to go with me?"
Latias nodded. "Yeah, because you gave me a very precious gift, so I want to help you too."
Lucas laughed. "You have to understand, I gave you a gift because I like you and want to be friends with you, not because I want you to repay me, you know?"
Latias paused for a moment before speaking. "Then, Lucas, are we friends?"
Lucas nodded. "Of course."
"Then shouldn't friends help each other? So I can provide a Helping Hand to Lucas too, and I'm really fast!"
As if to prove herself, Latias instantly went from the resting area to the second floor.
"Then I'll trouble you, Latias."
Lucas couldn't refuse anymore.
Latias's eyes curved. "You're welcome."
After Gothitelle brought the luggage down from the second floor and handed it to Gengar, Lucas recalled them into their Poké Balls, walked to the door, and prepared to leave.
"Thank you, Latias."
Lucas sat on Latias's back, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke.
It was his first time riding Latias in his life. He had no experience, no protective gear, and he was a bit panicked.
Anyone with experience, come help out.
Latias took off slowly, but stopped the next second.
"Lucas?"
It was a familiar voice. Lucas looked up abruptly and found a Bronzong floating above his head, with a man Lucas was very familiar with standing on it.
"Lucian——"
Lucas curled his lips and narrowed his eyes. "Lucian, do you want to go on a trip?"
Lucian glanced at the Latias beneath him. He was a bit surprised that Lucas had actually caught a Latias, but after recalling the incident with the Legendary Birds, he wasn't so surprised anymore.
Hearing Lucas's words, Lucian pushed up his glasses and gently tapped the Bronzong with his foot.
"Let's go, let's go home, Bronzong."
After he finished speaking, Bronzong slowly flew up, intending to leave the Breeding House.
"Don't go, Lucian-chan——"
Lucas shouted to make him stay.
Lucian stopped and looked at Lucas. "Manager, I'm not stupid. I just finished working overtime."
Feeling the terrifying resentment radiating from Lucian, Lucas thought to himself: 'Can't mess with him, definitely can't mess with him.'
People who have just finished working overtime are the most dangerous; even a passing dog would get slapped twice.
"Then, I'll leave the Breeding House to you?"
Lucas asked weakly.
The next second, Lucian, beaming like a spring breeze, jumped off the Bronzong, stood at the entrance of the Breeding House, and waved at Lucas with a full smile.
"Lucas, have a safe trip."
Lucas: ——
"Then, do you have time to help me teach Shauna and her friend Tomoyo how to battle?"
"No problem."
Teaching battles was the easiest thing.
"There might be students from Jubilife Academy coming to challenge the Breeding House in the next two days. I'll leave that to you too?"
"No problem."
He could just let Bronzong and the others handle it.
"And the takeout——"
"Latias, if we don't leave now, we won't make it in time."
Listening to Lucian's words, Latias accelerated, and with Lucas's scream, she disappeared from the Breeding House entrance.
Lucian stretched, released his Pokémon, and said, "I'll be troubling you from now on."
Lucian said to Mr. and Mrs. Fujino.
Mr. and Mrs. Fujino were already very familiar with Lucian, a friend of the Breeding House, and smiled and agreed.
Afterward, Lucian sat down in the resting area as he was accustomed to, picked up the tea Gothitelle had brewed for Lucas, poured a cup for himself and Mr. Fujino, and took a sip.
"Phew."
He let out a comfortable sigh and lay down.
Indeed, days without overtime are the most comfortable.