Moving is undoubtedly an exhausting ordeal.
As dusk fell, the last of the belongings were finally relocated. The Neighborhood Committee Auntie waved cheerfully, saying, "If you ever need anything, just ask Auntie!"
"Machamp!"
The Machamps flexed
their muscles and struck bodybuilding poses in unison to show their support.
Lu Ye nodded with a smile. "Absolutely!"
The new home was a cozy villa, its low walls adorned with lush green vines. The red roof contrasted beautifully with the white marble balcony, where a clothes rack stood in the courtyard amidst a patch of vibrant grass.
In many ways, it bore a striking resemblance to the Nohara family's house from Crayon Shin-chan.
Surveying his surroundings, Lu Ye nodded slowly.
Renting this villa for just 10,000 Pokedollars a month in Modu is definitely a steal!
"This is our new home," Lu Ye said with a smile. "Let's get everything set up and then prepare dinner!"
"Haunter!"
Haunter grinned excitedly, carrying a box inside.
Squirtle wiped its brow and carefully placed the fish tank on the ground. Then, it turned its head and froze in confusion.
Wait a second—weren't we supposed to carry our own stuff?
Then why isn't Eevee carrying anything?!
"Vee?"
Eevee gave Squirtle a sideways glance.
Got a problem?
Squirtle hesitated briefly before scooping up the fish tank again and scurrying inside.
Nope, no problem—leaving now!
As Squirtle glanced back at the house, a flash of light shone in its eyes.
Hmm… Aura scans confirm—this isn't an illusion!
Carrying Eevee's exercise wheel, Lu Ye entered the house.
The hallway led to a kitchen, and a large oval dining table sat at the center, easily spacious enough for multiple Pokémon.
Lu Ye's expression turned peculiar.
"Surely… we're not expecting that many Pokémon to dine here, are we?"
Switching on the chandelier, a warm orange glow filled the room, creating a cozy atmosphere.
Setting down the exercise wheel, Lu Ye expertly tied on an apron and nodded confidently.
"Haunter, clean up the rooms. Dinner's coming soon!"
"Haunter! (๑`▽´๑)۶"
Eevee pushed its exercise wheel into the living room, settling down on the floor with its tail swishing contentedly.
Suddenly, a tinge of pink spread across Eevee's face.
Am I… really getting fat lately?
"Vee! (〃＞皿＜)"
Eevee hopped onto the exercise wheel, but after a few moments, it happily cast its worries aside.
"Vee! (*≧▽≦)"
The cheerful sound of its cries filled the living room.
Shaking his head with a sigh, Lu Ye called out, "Squirtle, take the fish tank to the second floor and set it up in the bedroom."
Though the rooms were spacious enough, Lu Ye had grown used to sleeping alongside his Pokémon.
If only they'd stop sneaking out at night…
"Squirtle!" Squirtle struggled to carry the tank up the stairs.
Seeing this, Haunter grabbed a broom and floated after it.
"Squirtle?" Squirtle glanced back in confusion.
"Haunter!" Haunter flashed a mischievous grin and gave Squirtle a knowing look.
Follow me—got a treasure to show you!
The two critters, acting like guilty conspirators, snuck into a room.
Haunter opened a laptop, and the soft blue glow illuminated their faces.
"Haunter!" Haunter proudly produced a dirt-colored USB drive.
"Squirtle?" Squirtle blinked, its expression shifting to realization.
The two Pokémon exchanged a glance, then broke into matching sly grins.
Haunter & Squirtle: (o≖◡≖)
Haunter thought to itself, the master's so busy… leaving me the TM clearly means he wants me to train Squirtle!
"Haunter~!"
Haunter nodded smugly.
This is such an obvious task—no wonder he didn't spell it out!
Squirtle had the same idea.
Only by growing stronger and learning more moves can I better serve the master!
Curious about the USB drive's contents, the pair decided to play the file labeled "#007 Squirtle: Dig Training."
The video showed a female Squirtle expertly burrowing into the ground.
Bathed in the dim glow of the screen, the two Pokémon chuckled mischievously…
Bang!
The door suddenly swung open.
"Haunter? Σ(っ°Д°;)っ"
"Squirtle! Σ(°△°|||)︴"
Haunter hastily shut the laptop, both Pokémon stiffly turning to face Lu Ye.
"What are you two up to?" Lu Ye asked suspiciously.
The pair shook their heads furiously.
Rubbing his chin, Lu Ye muttered, "Why does it feel like they're plotting yet another scheme to wreck the house…"
Still, it was the first day in the new home. Lu Ye chuckled.
Surely my luck isn't that bad!
"Come on, dinner's ready. Time to celebrate our move!"
Haunter & Squirtle: ψ(｀∇´)ψ
---
"Cheers!"
The warm orange glow of the dining room lights made the meal look especially appetizing.
Lu Ye raised his glass, clinking it against the MooMoo Milk cups held by Haunter and Squirtle.
"Vee!"
Eevee leaped onto the table, its dark eyes glaring indignantly at Lu Ye.
Why didn't you toast with me?!
Startled, Lu Ye watched as Eevee nudged a glass with its head toward him, looking expectantly.
Smiling, he patted its little head and raised his glass again.
"Cheers!"
"Vee~!" Eevee grinned, flashing its tiny fangs.
"You don't even like MooMoo Milk…" Lu Ye teased.
"Vee!" (I'll drink it anyway!)
Eevee stood on its hind legs and stuck its head into the glass, managing to lick the milk.
Lu Ye froze.
Could Eevee, like a cat, also be a liquid animal?
"Hmm… maybe Professor Oak could turn this into a research project," he mused.
"Vee… Vee—hic!"
Eevee hiccupped suddenly, its face flushed as it glanced around with a deadly glare.
Haunter and Squirtle buried their faces in their bowls, pretending not to notice.
Looking up now would probably get us killed!
"Vee!"
Satisfied, Eevee nodded.
---
The first day in the new house was tiring, but the Pokémon quickly adapted, even throwing a mini-party in the living room.
Squirtle squirted Water Gun everywhere, while Haunter floated around with a mop, pretending to clean up.
Eevee joyfully splashed in the puddles.
"Make sure you clean this up yourselves!" Lu Ye grumbled.
Half an hour later, Squirtle collapsed into its shell and fell asleep.
Eevee yawned and dozed off on the sofa, its head bobbing occasionally.
Leaning against the wall, Lu Ye smiled at the two.
They're adorable when they're asleep… but when they're causing chaos, it's a different story!
Haunter poked Lu Ye's shoulder, grinning mischievously.
"Haunter ? (ノ￣▽￣)"
Lu Ye blinked, then sighed in resignation.
"Alright, fine. Let's go train now."
Previously, Lu Ye had promised Haunter a training session after buying it a Toxic Orb.
Haunter bounced with excitement as Lu Ye prepped for the session.
Training with a Toxic Orb was risky, so Lu Ye had made thorough notes beforehand.
"This is only my second training session, right?" Lu Ye murmured, recalling their first attempt with Toxic.
"Thinking about it… I'm actually a bit excited!"