Elf: Start your slow-paced life after becoming a farmer.

"Please let me treat you to dinner tonight."

"Okay, okay, I'd like to try other foods at Bao's cafeteria too."

Chapter 204 Good News

While Carl was having dinner with Aoki at the Treasure Diner, Yaji, who was far away in Takate City, also received a recording from Aoki.

After listening to the entire recording, Ye Ci sighed deeply, a bitter smile curving his lips: "I really owe him a huge favor this time."

For Ye Ci, as the president of the Padiya Alliance, the stability of the Padiya Alliance is what she cares about most. The Padiya Giant Pit is the biggest "bomb" of the Padiya Alliance. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable.

As for the Pokémon that Carl mentioned in the recording, Ye Ci actually already knew about their existence.

Having read the report from the Zero Zone Research Institute, she knew that the four Pokémon named Guruton and Milton possessed extremely strong abilities, but due to the instability of "Paranoia Pokémon," they were completely unable to exist as a stable fighting force.

After all, in the Padia League, besides her, only the Four Heavenly Kings had the power to restrain them, and that was all they could do. Getting them to obey commands and fight was completely impossible.

Currently, the Padiya League is short-handed, and even the Four Heavenly Kings are not at full strength.

If another one of the Four Heavenly Kings were assigned to oversee them, the Alliance would be even more short-handed.

Therefore, in Yaji's eyes, these four Pokémon were entirely negative assets. When Carl wanted to take them away, Yaji readily agreed.

"Sigh, what should we use to compensate Karl?" Ye Ci said with some distress. "Indeed, the most appropriate compensation would be to give Karl the position of one of the Four Heavenly Kings."

Meanwhile, far away in Jinhui Town, Karl suddenly shivered.

Seeing this, Aoki, who was sitting opposite Karl, asked with concern, "Karl, what's wrong? Is the food not to your liking today? Or did you catch a cold in the Parthian Pit?"

“No, the food today is very good.” Carl touched his left forearm with his right hand, and said somewhat uncertainly, “It’s just that I have a feeling of being suddenly watched.”

"Being targeted?" Aoki frowned slightly and turned to look around. "Treasure Canteen is an industry under the Alliance. This kind of thing shouldn't happen here."

In fact, the reason why Aoki was so sure that no one would be targeting Carl at Ho-Shoku was because Ho-Shoku seemed to have recently developed a special dish that could change the type of a Pokémon.

Once this matter was reported, it immediately caught Ye Ci's attention. She knew very well how valuable a dish that could change the properties of Taijing was.

Therefore, in recent days, most of the diners who have been able to enter the Treasure Canteen are Alliance employees, with only a small number being long-time diners.

While Karl was somewhat well-known in Padiya, he was far from being someone who would be closely watched.

"It must be my imagination," Karl chuckled. "Could it be that President Ye Ci is targeting me again?"

"..." Upon hearing this, Aoki immediately fell into deep thought. Based on his understanding of Yaji, this was not impossible.

Looking at the silent Aoki in front of him, Karl's expression froze for a moment, and then he realized that this might not be impossible.

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment, before Karl gave an awkward laugh and said, "Since things have come to this, let's eat first."

“Okay.” Aoki nodded, then hesitated before asking, “Well, Karl, I’d like to ask you why you refused to join the Padia Alliance? If this question is difficult for you, you don’t have to answer it.”

“Actually, it’s not a difficult question to answer.” Karl took a bite of the rice ball in his hand, swallowed the food in his mouth, and then slowly began to explain to Aoki why he refused to join the Padia Alliance.

“Brother Aoki, you should also know that I grew up in the Sinnoh region, so I am essentially a Sinnoh person.”

"When I first started out, I completed the Sinnoh Champion Road, but at that time I did not take over as Sinnoh Champion in order to improve my strength. If I joined the Padia League, Professor Yamanashi, who raised me, would have a difficult time."

Aoki nodded silently upon hearing this. If it were him, he wouldn't have chosen to join the Padia Alliance under these circumstances either.

"Secondly, I'm not interested in those complicated matters. I prefer spending time with my Pokémon to dealing with those tedious official duties. Whether it's traveling around or running a farm, as long as I'm with my partners, that's enough for me."

Aoki looked at the young man in front of him who was talking eloquently, and a faint sense of envy rose in his heart.

In Aoki's view, Carl's current life is already the life he longs for most: running a farm peacefully and spending time with Pokémon.

'Sigh, how can the gap between people be so huge?' Aoki sighed inwardly.

“It’s alright. As long as you don’t agree, there’s nothing Chairman Yeci can do about it.” Aoki tried to comfort Karl with his years of experience as the “chief servant of Padia.”

"Well, in my opinion, it's not hard to understand what President Yeci is doing." Karl paused for a moment. "As the president of the alliance who is dedicated to promoting the Padia Alliance, I can very well understand her desire to recruit talent."

“It’s a pity that your ambitions lie elsewhere.” Aoki picked up a beer and took a sip, then said, “However, it’s great that you understand the president, Karl.”

“However, I think that in a while, President Yeci will probably receive some news that will make her very happy.” Karl recalled the phone call he had with the Sinnoh Champion a while ago. “As far as I know, if nothing unexpected happens, a powerful trainer will come to the Padilla region to apply for the Elite Four title in the near future.”

"oh?!"

Upon hearing Karl's words, Aoki instantly perked up. Given Karl's strength, the "powerful" Karl spoke of was very likely capable of taking the throne of the Padia Alliance.

In fact, according to information Aoki recently learned, it seems that Chairman Yaji wants to appoint an eight-year-old trainer as one of the Elite Four.

When Aoki heard the news, he almost thought that Ji had gone mad, until he saw the trainer's information and then he put the thought aside.

However, from Aoki's personal perspective, he didn't want that child to become one of the Four Heavenly Kings, since the position of Heavenly King was far too heavy a burden for an eight-year-old child.

Even he, an adult, felt suffocated by the weight of the throne, let alone a child.

"This is probably the best news I've heard all day." Aoki took another sip of his drink. "Come on, let's continue eating."

Chapter 205 The Arrival of Cattleya

After having dinner with Aoki, Carl planned to return directly to the farm. Although staying overnight in Jinhui Town wouldn't have been a problem, Carl preferred to sleep at home rather than in a hotel.

Before Karl left, Aoki hesitated for a moment, but finally said to Karl, "Karl, Treasure Canteen will be launching a special dish soon, you can keep an eye out for it."

Special cuisine?

Karl was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant and nodded slightly to Aoki, saying, "Okay, Brother Aoki, I'll keep an eye on it."

In fact, after Carl told Metagross about this, Metagross had been buying up crystal fragments on the market.

Before Carl left the farm, Metagross mentioned this to Carl.

According to Metagross, recently, there have been people on the market buying up crystal fragments of various attributes.

However, because Metagross entered the market earlier, most individual players selling Crystal Shards were still willing to sell Crystal Shards to Metagross.

For Carl now, the crystal fragments are not only a worthwhile "investment product" to buy, but also an essential ingredient for cultivating the secret seasoning.

Not to mention that some of Carl's Pokémon also needed to use Crystal Shards to change their Crystal types, so Carl didn't let Metagross be sold off at this time.

Based on market prices, one unit of Taijing fragments costs approximately 2000-3000 Alliance Coins.

Recently, the price of a single unit of Taijing fragments has increased by 50% and continues to rise, even before the special dishes at Bao Canteen have been introduced.

In Carl's memory, Metagross seemed to have bought around 20 million pieces of Crystal Fragment. Based on the current price increase, it has made at least 10 million, which is quite a successful investment.

However, given Carl's understanding of Metagross, it would never be satisfied with this, as evidenced by its continued acquisition of Crystal Fragments.

However, Carl is very confident in Metagross when it comes to investments, since Metagross has received substantial returns on every investment so far.

So even if they lost money in the end, Carl could afford it. Besides, the crystal fragments could be used to cultivate secret seasonings, so Carl went with Metagross.

Karl would rather have Metagross fry crystal fragments than be a slave owner.

After bidding farewell to Aoki, Karl rode his Steel-Armored Raven towards the direction of Little Key Town.

In the end, Carl made it back to his beloved farm before midnight.

Perhaps because the trip to the Padia pits was so thrilling, Karl fell into a deep sleep after washing up.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Padiya Alliance in Table City, the Padiya Alliance President, Ye Ci, was receiving her chief ox-horse.

"Karl said that a powerful trainer will be coming to the Padia region to apply for a spot among the Elite Four during this period?" Yeci repeated the information she had received from Aoki, then fell into deep thought.

Although this statement may seem like just an advance notice of this exciting news, based on Ye Ci's understanding of Karl, it likely carries a deeper meaning.

Could it be that this trainer's skill level is questionable?

No, Carl wouldn't joke about this, so...

"Is there something wrong with this trainer?" Ye Ci muttered to himself.

Looking at Ye Ci, who was currently analyzing Karl's words, Aoki sighed inwardly, maintaining a calm expression: "Chairman, I have finished my report, so I..."

"Oh, sorry, Aoki." Yaji gathered his thoughts and said apologetically, "You can go home now. Remember to turn it on; overtime pay is triple."

"Okay, thank you, Chairman. Please take good care of yourself." Aoki stood up from his chair, bowed slightly to Ye Ci, then picked up his briefcase and left the office without looking back.

Watching Aoki's departing figure, Yaji continued to ponder the selection of the last Heavenly King.

Yaji never rejects trainers from other regions joining the Padilla League, as evidenced by her active engagement in exchanges with Blueberry Academy.

However, Ci Shang has not yet figured out whether to hand over the important position of Heavenly King to someone from another place.

However, since Carl had informed her of this matter in advance, Yeci would still consider it carefully. After all, Carl called her a "powerful trainer," so she must be qualified in terms of strength.

To be honest, if the Padiya League hadn't been so short-handed, Ye Ci wouldn't have been so heartless as to hand over the Padiya King's throne to an eight-year-old child.

"Sigh, we're still short-staffed," Ye Ci said.

The next day, Carl slept in late, a rare occurrence for him. When he opened his eyes, it was already 10 a.m.

On the very day Carl left the farm, the construction team from Howl Construction had already moved in, so Carl heard the bustling construction noise outside the farm as soon as he woke up.

When the Haoli Engineering Team arrived at the farm, they first inspected the farmhouse and replaced all the electrical appliances in the entire house with the pre-ordered equipment.

Although with his current savings, Carl could easily demolish the small building and rebuild a larger, more spacious house, this house was one of the few remaining traces of Carl's grandfather and father in this world, so he never had the idea of ​​demolishing and rebuilding it.

Since it was already late at night when he returned to the farm last night, Carl didn't immediately notice the changes in the cabin.

So after washing up, Carl began to wander around the small building.

First of all, the house, which looked a bit old, has been completely renovated, with some of the wood planks that had been damaged by insects being replaced with brand new, aged wood planks.

To prepare for potential typhoons in the future, the Haoli Engineering Team redid the waterproofing layer of this small building to the highest standards.

Each floor was coated with wax, and the late spring sunlight shone on it, giving it a faint sheen.

All the appliances in the house were replaced with those from the German company, and a central air conditioning system was installed on the first floor. The stove in the kitchen was replaced with a high-powered stove recommended by Master Haidai, and a dishwasher was also installed.

More importantly, the construction team demolished Carl's study next door to expand the bathroom and install a double bathtub that Carl had always dreamed of.

I won't go into the other details here, but in short, the farmhouse that was renovated by the Howl Engineering team has been completely transformed into Carl's shape.

Just as Carl was about to go out on patrol with the sandwich prepared by Martial Arts Bear Master in his mouth, a phone rang suddenly.

"Hey, Zhulan, what's wrong?"

"Hmm, hmm?! Cattleya has already boarded the plane to Padia?"

Chapter 206 Cattleya: Huh?!

"You mean, in order to prove herself, Cattleya didn't bring the butler who takes care of her daily life with her, so she hopes I can take care of her, right?"

As Carl listened to Zhu Lan's request on the other end of the phone, he raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose: "Well, if you want me to take care of her, I have no problem with that. But Zhu Lan, are you sure she will accept my care?"

Based on Karl's understanding of Cattleya, this young lady has a rather bad temper; she's the type to explode at the slightest provocation.

After hearing Karl's words, Zhu Lan was silent for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly, "Lia is still very easy to get along with, right..."

Upon hearing this, Karl's lips twitched. If it were in front of Zhu Lan, this young lady would probably control her temper a little, but in front of outsiders, she would turn into a gas canister, the kind that would explode at the slightest touch.

"Since you've asked Zhulan to do this, I'll try my best to take care of her," Karl said helplessly. "Remember to send me her flight information later. By the way, I shouldn't need to help her with her accommodation, right?"

“No need, Cattleya should have a villa in the Padia region.” Zhu Lan recalled for a moment, “I remember it should be near Niangguang City.”

“That’s good.” Karl paused, then asked with some curiosity, “By the way, why did Cattleya come to the Padia region to become the Elite Four member? I remember that the Unova region is currently holding the selection for the next Elite Four member, right?”

In fact, what Carl was more curious about was why Gatricia hadn't become the Elite Four member of the Sinnoh region. Given the power of Gatricia's family in Sinnoh, it shouldn't have been difficult for her to become the Elite Four member.

"Well, that's a long story." Leaning back in her office chair, Zhu Lan awkwardly twirled a strand of hair behind her ear. "Simply put, she missed the Sinnoh Elite Four selection, which is why she didn't become one."

"?"

Carl was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized what was happening.

To be honest, Cynthia's explanation seemed far-fetched to Carl. As the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia absolutely had the right to postpone the Elite Four selection.

As Cattleya's best friend, Cynthia is probably one of the people in the world who understands Cattleya the most.

So the reason why Cattleya didn't become the Elite Four member of Sinnoh is probably because Cynthia was involved.

Is it because they don't want Cattleya to become the Elite Four member of Sinnoh that they let her go and wreak havoc in other regions?

Although Karl inwardly criticized Zhu Lan's actions, he outwardly pretended to know nothing and continued to ask her, "So, the next question is, why did Cattleya choose the Padia region?"

“Ahem, this is also because of me.” Zhu Lan paused for a moment before explaining, “Didn’t I go to the Padiya region once before? Lia was very curious about what was so attractive about the Padiya region, so she made it her first stop.”

'Oh?' Karl's lips curled up slightly. 'So, Cattleya only came because you visited the Padia region a while ago? How capricious, no, how capricious.'

"In short, please try your best to take care of Leah for me, Karl. Although she is a powerful superhuman, she is actually just a somewhat sensitive young girl."

“I understand.” Carl assured Zhu Lan again on the other end of the phone, “I will do my best to take care of her within my capabilities.”

Carl added in his mind, "If she's willing to accept my help."

After hanging up the phone, Zhu Lan immediately sent Carl the information about Cattleya's flight.