I run an orphanage in the Pokémon world.

Although the alliance does have some regulations on this matter, such as what to do if the adopter leaves the current area, that would be more troublesome and would require a lot of forms. Teng Shu didn't want to create trouble for himself.

After completing the simple formalities for Kojiro and Eiya, Fujiki clapped his hands and smiled as he saw Kojiro and Eiya off with the cat bosses.

As he closed the door, Teng Shu looked at the iron gate in front of him, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Every adoption is a new beginning, but also an end – the end of the little ones' time in the orphanage.

"Have you been holding it in for a long time?" Teng Shu turned around and looked at the woods behind him.

He sensed two sorrowful emotions lurking in the back; they were the two cat leaders.

The two cat leaders emerged from behind the tree, looking at the vine with a hint of moisture in their eyes.

Tengshu rubbed their heads.

There's no way around it; separation and reunion are inherent parts of life, and no one can avoid them.

"Alright, don't be sad. Once someone adopts you, your new life will begin." Teng Shu smiled and patted the heads of the two cat leaders. The cat leaders nodded and then squatted down beside Teng Shu, quietly looking at the iron gate in front of them.

Don't know what to think.

Teng Shu had planned to make lunch and let the two cat bosses taste Wangzai's big milk can, but before he could do so, his phone rang.

【Gentiana macrophylla】

Teng Shu frowned slightly. Why was the phone ringing again?

"Hello?" Teng Shu answered the phone.

Then there was a pause.

"Okay, I understand... Hmm, I get it, I'm at the orphanage now." The call wasn't very long. After hanging up, Teng Shu couldn't help but pinch his brow and then looked towards the orphanage's main gate.

"Dean, what's wrong?" Locke walked over. He had just noticed that the cat leaders were in a bad mood and wanted to come over to offer some psychological counseling, so he didn't bring any snacks for the first time in a long time.

Tengshu's beef jerky is still being made, but the production process will be a little slower due to the heavy rain and snow.

“The natural disaster crushed several families in a nearby village. One family only had an old man left, and that old man…” Teng Shu’s voice softened, but Locke understood what Teng Shu meant.

"So you have a Pokémon to send here." Locke said with certainty, and Tengshu nodded in agreement. It was indeed true that a Pokémon was to be sent to him.

The old woman had no children, no partner, only two Pokémon to keep her company all day long.

Now, a heavy snowfall has destroyed her house and her small home.

Teng Shu stood at the gate of the orphanage, and soon, Jun Sha Feng arrived on her Growlithe.

"Tengshu, these two Pokémon have been checked and are fine, they're just a bit old, so they need to be kept here for observation for a while," Officer Jenny said softly. Tengshu nodded and silently accepted the two Poké Balls.

The Poké Balls are very old and worn, but they are very clean, showing that their owner takes great care of them.

Jun Shafeng left; she had other things to take care of. After the natural disaster, Changqing City was in complete chaos.

They need to be on-site for many things.

Teng Shu then took the two Poké Balls back to the orphanage.

Lada

Normal-type Pokémon

[Devastated]

[Dizzy Flower]

Grass/Poison type Pokémon

[Devastated]

A very simple assessment, nothing more: these two Pokémon are indeed free of any diseases.

My mood isn't very good.

“Lock.” Teng Shu looked at Locke. In this situation, Locke needed to step in.

Chapter 116 Old Master Xingzhen

After being released, Lada and the Silence Flower became somewhat sullen, remaining silent and still.

Teng Shu looked at the two little ones in front of him with a hint of tenderness in his eyes.

Although he knew he was running an orphanage and that very few of the Pokémon sent there were actually healthy, Teng Shu still felt a mix of emotions seeing these Pokémon, who could have lived happily, end up like this.

“They’re a bit autistic and refuse to communicate with people.” Locke walked over; he had just tried to communicate with the two little guys, but they didn’t react at all.

It seems Locke is an air person.

Locke wasn't surprised.

The death of a close relative always leads to this situation, but everyone reacts differently when faced with the loss of their loved ones.

Some people are devastated, some isolate themselves, and some don't shed a single tear when their loved ones die, but then fall into a long period of grief afterward.

"Never mind, let them be quiet for a while," Tengshu sighed.

There's no way to persuade someone about this. After all, what can you expect to get Rattata and Bellsprout's trainers back?

They can't come back.

Under such circumstances, saying anything is useless; all we can do is let the two Pokémon be quiet for a while and let the passage of time gradually heal their inner wounds.

The death of a loved one is an unavoidable problem in this world, but unfortunately, no one has ever taught us how to face such a problem.

Just as Tengshu was about to turn back and fill out some information about the two Pokémon, there was a knock on the door, and Tengshu paused for a moment.

Could it be that Miss Officer Jenny discovered something, which is why she came to give me these instructions?

"Feng, what's going on here..." Teng Shu opened the door and asked casually, but then he saw the person in front of him.

Someone I know somewhat.

Teng Shu had met the other party once before. At that time, Teng Shu took a wandering ghost to look for the other party and even paid for the cremation.

Grandpa Xingzhen.

"Dean Teng Shu, I've finally found you." After not seeing him for many days, Grandpa Xingzhen looked much older, with more wrinkles on his face, and his energy seemed to have collapsed in an instant.

Now, Xingzhen is like an old man who is very old and has one foot in the grave.

He no longer has the upright posture he used to have.

“Grandpa Xingzhen…” Teng Shu looked at Xingzhen in front of him with some embarrassment. He had lied to the old man that he was his son’s coworker, but he did not expect that the other party would come to his door.

"Dean Teng Shu, do you need a cleaner here? I don't want a salary," Grandpa Xingzhen asked softly.

"Grandpa, what's wrong with you..." Teng Shu looked at Xing Zhen in front of him. He remembered that the last time he saw this old man, the old man's back was straight. Even though his son's gambling had ruined their family, the old man never bent down.

But now, Xingzhen's back is not so straight anymore.

"I asked many people before I found out that you helped us. I'm old and useless. I just wanted to help you clean up." Xingzhen's tone was firm as he stared straight at Tengshu.

He asked many people and went to the Alliance office many times before he finally found out about Teng Shu, learned about Teng Shu's identity, and naturally learned that his son had passed away.

Although she didn't know what relationship Tengshu had with his son, Xingzhen wanted to do something for Tengshu just because he had helped him pay for the old woman's funeral.

Locke glanced at Teng Shu, thinking to himself that the Dean was quite an interesting person.

“Okay, but our orphanage is under the jurisdiction of the Alliance and is subject to the Alliance’s supervision, so we still have to pay wages.” Looking at Grandpa Xingzhen’s eyes, Teng Shu knew that he couldn’t refuse. Even if he refused, the old man would probably find other ways to clean.

It would be better to just agree and give the benefits that are due, which would improve the old man's life.

"Then thank you very much, Dean Teng Shu." A smile appeared on the old man's face, but the wrinkles made him look even older.

Teng Shu politely led Grandpa Xingzhen into the orphanage and then gave a brief introduction to the areas that needed cleaning.

Actually, there aren't many.

The buildings inside the welfare home have self-cleaning facilities, so there is no need to clean them. The kitchen and dining hall are considered Tengshu's private areas, so Tengshu has always cleaned them himself.

The only thing needed to clean in the natural environment outside was the short stretch of road from the main building to the entrance.

It can be said to be very simple.

For this reason, Teng Shu never planned to hire a cleaner, since there wasn't much work to be done and he could handle it all by himself.

But now that Grandpa Xingzhen wanted to do something for him, Tengshu couldn't find a way to refuse. Considering that the work here was very easy, Tengshu naturally agreed.

"Dean Tengshu, thank you." Xingzhen said sincerely, though Locke was long gone by now.

He took the speechless flower and the rhabdita to the infirmary, which also provided a place for Fujiki and Sachima to talk.

"Grandpa Xingzhen, you already know?" Teng Shu was a little embarrassed. Back then, in order to let Xingyi, a ghost who had been wandering in the human world, return, Teng Shu had lied.

I thought we'd never see each other again, but to my surprise, the old man came to my door and wanted to clean my place to repay me.

This is somewhat awkward.

"Yes, back then... when my wife was cremated, the medical staff from the Alliance investigated and informed me that the beast had died. Then I knew you definitely weren't that beast's coworker." Old Master Xingzhen's tone was very calm, only trembling slightly when he talked about cremation.

Teng Shu didn't speak.

Gamblers will never have a good end.

Koichi's fate was entirely his own fault.

Teng Shu didn't want to say anything for Xingyi. A mistake is a mistake. Would saying "I regret it" do any good?

I wonder what kind of life Koichi lives in the spirit world, and whether there is a special punishment mechanism there.

"Thank you so much for allowing this old woman to leave without any worries," Xingzhen said gratefully.

He could naturally tell that his wife was in poor health during that period, and that she was only able to hold on because she was worried about her good-for-nothing son.

For this reason, although Yukima was very dissatisfied with that beast, she didn't say anything.

The arrival of Tengshu relieved the old woman of her worries, and she passed away peacefully.

Chapter 117 Old Man Pokémon

Grandpa Xingzhen ultimately stayed at the orphanage. The orphanage in Tengshu has a special staff dormitory, but Locke bought a house in Changqing City, so he doesn't usually live in the staff dormitory.

So now, Grandpa Xingzhen has become the first employee in the entire welfare home to move into the staff dormitory. Although he is just a cleaner, Tengshu still reported Grandpa Xingzhen's information to the Alliance.

The wages for cleaners are not very high. According to the wage standards released by Changqing City last year, the wages for cleaners have just reached the passing mark of two thousand Alliance Coins.

However, with the league's performance bonus, the actual take-home pay is around 2,700 yuan, which is considered a welfare-oriented position.

"Grandpa Xingzhen, this is the staff dormitory. Our welfare home provides room and board, and your salary will be deposited into your account on the first of every month," Teng Shu explained to the old man.

The staff dormitory is not very big, just a small single room of about 30 square meters, but it is equipped with a toilet, so you don't have to share a toilet with other people.

Of course, there aren't many staff members in the orphanage right now. Apart from Miss Joey Yun, who works part-time, there's only Locke, the full-time psychologist, and Grandpa Xingzhen, the cleaner.

"Okay, thank you." Grandpa Xingzhen had no complaints about the environment. He simply moved his simple luggage in, and Tengshu didn't bother him too much. He left to prepare lunch and other things.

Grandpa Xingzhen sat alone in the room, staring blankly at the room in front of him. Although the room was not very big, it was just right for him to live alone.

“Old woman…” Xingzhen rubbed the pocket in his arms, which contained some of the old woman’s clothes.

The ashes have been placed in a small urn and then put into the Alliance's special public cemetery. The good news is that it's free, and the Alliance will maintain it regularly. Of course, if you pay, you will also receive some corresponding benefits.

Xingzhen looked at an account in his hand. This was a charity donation account for the welfare home that he had inquired about from the Pokémon League office. People from all walks of life could donate to this account for charity, and he planned to donate all of his salary to it.

Anyway, he's all alone now and doesn't need the money.

Xingzhen sat quietly in the room. For a moment, he seemed to hear his wife rambling on about the trivialities of life, but when he came to his senses, he could hear nothing but deathly silence.

Xingzhen's eyes showed a hint of sadness.

Having been together for so long, he and his wife had long become each other's closest confidantes. But now that his wife has passed away, he is left all alone in this world. Every day, every second, every time he opens his eyes is torture for him.

If it weren't for wanting to repay Fujiki's help, Sachima might have chosen to die.

"Caw?" A strange sound. Yukima looked up and saw a dark raven standing at the window, looking at him curiously.

Seemingly noticing his gaze, Dark Raven tilted its head.

"You... what's that in your mouth, is it an orange berry?" Yukima smiled, noticing what the dark crow was carrying in its beak.

The Dark Raven nodded subconsciously, then its eyes showed a hint of wariness. Could this stranger, who carried the scent of Dean Tengshu, be planning to steal its Orange Berry?

The Dark Raven was planning to use this to grow fruit trees and earn the Dean's praise.

With that thought in mind, the Black Raven promptly flew away.