Very quickly, the Mayor arrived at the Breeding House.
"Owner Victor."
A voice came from the door. Victor quickly stood up and welcomed Mayor Arthur inside.
Gothita brought over two cups of hot tea.
Mayor Arthur took a small sip.
He then asked Victor to explain what he had meant on the phone.
Victor laid out his entire idea.
"I noticed the road from Twinleaf to Sandgem is full of potholes, so I was thinking of filling them in and packing the dirt down to prevent any accidents."
Mayor Arthur nodded.
"At the same time, I'd like to trim the trees along the roadside. Some of them are growing into the middle of the road. I want to landscape them so they look nice but don't interfere with traffic."
"Also, I've seen a lot of empty land around the Breeding House that's been abandoned for a long time and is overgrown with weeds. I was thinking of cleaning it up. That way, if we have more events in the future, we'll have more and better spaces to use."
Mayor Arthur nodded again.
Victor was suddenly reminded of the various events he'd seen in the anime.
"I think if this road is fixed up, we could probably host a lot of different events."
The Vulpix in his lap had woken up. Victor gently stroked its fur.
It closed its eyes in comfort.
"In these peaceful, comfortable times, I think holding an event that brings everyone together is a wonderful thing," Victor said lightly, taking a sip of his tea.
He was someone who actually enjoyed a lively atmosphere. He loved the quiet, peaceful life of the Breeding House, but he also loved having people and Pokémon gather together occasionally to chat, laugh, and play.
It was lively and full of genuine warmth.
Just like the Breeding House Day.
People and Pokémon coexisted harmoniously, creating beautiful memories for everyone.
Listening to Victor's ideas, Mayor Arthur took another sip of tea.
"But that road is very long. The cost of repairing it would be more than we can handle."
Victor relayed what the construction supervisor had told him.
"You mean... we just need to move some dirt, fill in the holes, and then pack the rest of it down?"
Victor nodded.
"That... is possible," Mayor Arthur said, thinking for a moment. He nodded.
"Alright then, let's go with your idea. I'll discuss it with the mayor of Sandgem Town. We'll apply for funding, and Twinleaf and Sandgem will each pay for half."
Mayor Arthur clapped his hands.
"Our Breeding House—"
Victor was about to speak, but the mayor cut him off.
"In that case, we'll leave the landscaping work along the roadside and the design of that abandoned land to your Breeding House."
"You've designed and managed this place so well, I'm sure you can handle it. How does that sound?"
Victor couldn't get a word in edgewise.
He thought for a moment, then nodded.
Saving money is saving money. If the funding application is approved, it's a win for everyone.
If not, I'll just have to mobilize my Pokémon and get it done bit by bit. We'll finish it eventually.
"No problem."
Mayor Arthur nodded, then took out his phone and called the mayor of Sandgem Town.
He began discussing the matter right there, next to Victor.
After a heated discussion, the matter was finally settled.
The funding was approved surprisingly quickly.
Mayor Arthur then said his goodbyes to Victor and headed out, already on the phone with the construction company to discuss the details.
After seeing him off, Victor let out a long breath and collapsed into his lounge chair.
"This is great, everyone."
He heard the agreeing cries of Gengar and the others from around him.
He looked at the time. It was still early. He went and got the wood he had been seasoning for the past several days.
He sat on the floor of the lounge area and, with his tools in hand, began to carve.
Using the techniques he had learned from his great-aunt's item list, the wood in his hands quickly began to take on a clear shape.
The first one he finished was a little Gengar.
It had a small body, which Victor had intentionally carved to be a little extra chubby.
Next was Lilligant, then Dali and the others, then Mime Jr., Vulpix, Gothita...
By the time he had finished all the wooden carvings, it was past three in the morning.
Victor glanced at the time and rolled his neck.
Crack.
He was sore all over.
He looked up and found that he was surrounded by Pokémon.
Mime Jr. was asleep next to Gothita, covered by a small blanket Gothita had brought for it. It was still holding onto Marill's tail.
Marill was sleeping soundly on its back next to Mime Jr.
Roselia was leaning against Lilligant, fast asleep. Lilligant was also dozing, a slight smile on her face, as if in a pleasant dream.
Gothita sat beside Mime Jr. and gave Victor a smile.
Vulpix was curled up on a chair, its tails twitching. It was mumbling something in its sleep, its mouth smacking.
Dali and the others were patrolling the backyard. The Vespiquen was guarding its hive.
Seeing this, Victor's heart warmed.
They had stayed with him, not disturbing him, just surrounding him as he worked. In the lamplight, the affection they were sending him made him incredibly happy.
Gengar floated over to his side and spoke softly.
"Gengar—"
Are you done?
"Mhm. Why didn't you make them go back to their rooms to sleep?" Victor asked in a whisper, gently pulling at the corners of Gengar's mouth.
"Gengar—"
They wanted to stay with you.
Victor didn't say any more. He picked up the Gengar carving and handed it to him.
"This is for you. You have to be happy every day, okay?"
Gengar took the wooden carving, looked at the little figure of itself, and then looked at Victor.
His eyes were full of gentleness.
"Gengar—"
I've been happy every day since I met you!
It then launched its tongue at him.
Victor was still closing his eyes, bracing for the slobber, when he realized he was paralyzed.
"Pa-paralyzed... why am I paralyzed again—"
Victor's voice woke up Lilligant and the others, and the Breeding House once again descended into chaos.
In the end, Gengar expertly pulled a Cheri Berry from somewhere and shoved it into Victor's mouth.
"Gengar—"
I was prepared this time, hehe.
After a moment, Victor recovered.
He angrily tugged Gengar's tail, sending it flying around the room like a deflating balloon, and then handed out the rest of the carvings to Lilligant and the others.
They took their carvings, feeling the emotion embedded within them.
"Lili~"
He played with them for a bit, then sent them off to bed.
He went back to his room, showered, dried his hair, and lay down on his bed, closing his eyes to sleep.
[Victor's Special Wooden Carving (Learned from Great-Aunt): A woodcarving technique learned from the great-aunt's item list. Can slightly improve a Pokémon's mood.]
[You Must All Be Happy Every Day: Victor has imbued these with his feelings and his most sincere wishes for his Pokémon. The Pokémon's mood will now have an extremely small chance of falling into a low state.]
[Wood Carving and Emotion: Represents Victor's most sincere blessing for his Pokémon. Wherever Victor is, that is home. No matter where you are, your Pokémon can always find their way to you.]
[Thank you, Victor —The Breeding House Pokémon]
[We love you, Victor —The Breeding House Pokémon]
A small smile touched Victor's lips.
"I love you all, too. Goodnight. Sweet dreams."
"Gengar—"
A red light glowed from the ceiling, and then faded.
...
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