But I'm 007!

The impatience in Luo Mu's words was so obvious that even Poppy could faintly sense it through the phone.

He seemed to be feeling the pinch of a cash shortage already.

Poppy smiled meaningfully and said slowly, "There's no need to rush too much. Naranja Academy is on break right now, and classes won't start until spring, a month from now."

"You can use this time to finish the initial construction work at your place and get one step closer to your dream."

"As for the Terastal Orb, I remember the Lighthouse Institute the two doctors established in South District 1 is quite close to Pingdie Town. I'll take care of the costs and the arrangements. Surely you'd feel more at ease delivering such a precious item to them yourself?"

[Host, why do I get the feeling this woman has some other agenda?]

Luo Mu's smile froze for an instant. Unpracticed, he replied in his mind, "You think I'm an idiot? I've seen more schemes than you've had contracted hosts. I can more or less guess the president's motive. But that's beside the point—I'm more than happy to fall into this trap!"

"Do you even understand the value of a cushy teaching job where you only work two classes a week and still get a decent salary?"

"This is the ultimate dream of us 996 wage slaves, short of lying around at home doing nothing!"

Though Luo Mu had never been to Naranja Academy and had no idea what teachers earned, at the very least, the job could cover his future utility bills.

And he could get the cost of making the Terastal Orb covered for free, too. How could he pass up such a deal!?

[But I'm 007.]

Luo Mu: "..."

For a moment, he didn't know how to keep the conversation going.

Though he was chatting with the system in his head, Luo Mu hadn't forgotten what he needed to take care of.

He used the sensible approach of a reliable adult to confirm his start date, salary, and the other minor details with Poppy. Then he waited, thoroughly satisfied, for her to hang up first. The next moment, he nearly cheered out loud.

All right!

Not only were his utility bills taken care of, there'd even be money left over!

Poppy had promised that even during his probation period, Luo Mu would earn 50,000 a month.

The job was easy, and he was satisfied.

It might not seem to match the stature of a Champion-level Trainer, but the jobs and tasks that required that status were all the more troublesome.

Perhaps thanks to the liberation of productive forces, the League prices for most goods were fairly uniform across the regions.

Pokémon-related items were a bit more expensive. Poké Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls—the types classified in the games he'd played before transmigrating—cost somewhat more than they did in the games.

They were pricier, but not so expensive that ordinary people couldn't afford them. Even the pay from regular work could buy plenty of Poké Balls; there was no need to risk life and limb just to get an empty one.

Land prices weren't too outrageous either, thanks to the small town of Pingdie. Luo Mu had bought his plot—which bordered wild mountains, a river, and a forest—for only two million in savings.

But in major cities like Miare City and Breg Light City, prices were another matter.

Luo Mu weighed the Terastal Raw Ore in his hand, thinking about the farm's future layout and what services it might offer. Then he asked, "By the way, do you have any functions like a system space or storage space?"

The ore was too valuable. Until he'd put everything in order here and headed to the research institute in South District 1, he was caught between worrying it might fall if he carried it around and worrying it might get stolen if he left it at home.

[Sorry. I don't have any of those functions.]

Strangely enough, Luo Mu thought he detected a hint of hurt in the text.

He sighed. He didn't know how to comfort it, so he just scratched the back of his head and started rummaging through the cardboard box.

"I remember there's a little bag in here that's still usable."

Muttering to himself, Luo Mu searched through the box until he spotted a small canvas crossbody bag for men. His eyes lit up.

It was probably a bag the old woman had made for her husband. Luo Mu didn't feel squeamish about using the belongings of someone who had passed away. He was a firm materialist.

He put the Terastal Raw Ore into the bag, then adjusted the strap so it would stay in front of his chest. He felt a little more at ease.

"Okay, now I can go buy some necessities."

That night.

Stars filled the darkened sky, and the bright moon shone softly overhead.

A sudden gust swept across the peaceful sky, and a blurry orange-yellow shape came hurtling down from above. Over the sound of the wind came the troubled voice of a young man.

"Slow down, slow down! That's your dinner for tonight in there!"

Luo Mu pushed open the rickety gate of what would become his farm, followed by Luxray, whose back was piled high with supplies.

"Bwoo~"

A slightly goofy cry drifted through the air. A round-bodied Pokémon with a delicate little horn on top of its head, two whisker-like feelers, and a pair of adorable wings that looked small for its size rubbed its head sheepishly.

Dragonite knew it might have gotten a little too excited today.

But there was a feast waiting tonight, and it had been a long time since it had gotten to stretch its wings. It had only flown a tiny bit faster than usual, that was all.

Luo Mu held his forehead. He could tell at a glance that Dragonite had completely missed the point and thought he was scolding it for flying too fast and recklessly.

In truth, he was simply worried it might accidentally drop the bottles and jars it was carrying.

Without the most important barbecue seasoning, Ceruledge would get angry.

How had the Dratini who'd been so clever back then turned out like this after its long evolution?

But when Dragonite reached out with an almost pleading, hug-me expression, Luo Mu remembered how it had looked when it first hatched from its Pokémon Egg. All the things he wanted to say turned into a sigh, and he gently hugged it for a moment.

With Gyarados being so adorable, he supposed he'd forgive it.

"All right, let's get down to business." Luo Mu walked over to Luxray and took the bags and bundles off its back.

These were the bedding and other household items they'd need for the night. Dragonite's load, on the other hand, was tonight's ingredients and all sorts of seasonings.

Luo Mu smiled and said, "I'll go get everything put away first. Tomorrow morning, we have to visit Dr. Jacq and Dr. Futaba at the research institute in South District 1."

"Luxray, you and Dragonite go around back and find Ceruledge. Just hand everything over to her."

"Meow~"

"Bwoo~"

Dragonite and Luxray answered with practiced ease, then headed off toward Ceruledge with happy, eager steps.

They hadn't had Ceruledge's homemade skewers in ages!

Just imagining them made their mouths water.

Skewers covered in spices and seasoning, steaming hot, with all the fat perfectly grilled out—slurp!