Chapter 62
: If you want a contract, show it to yourself; you know the rules.
"Woo~~"
No problem, just remember to make me look good in the photos.
"Minas said you have to take a nice picture of it, or you can't take the photo with you."
Xia Ming turned around and translated Milos's words to Hailey, adding his own embellishments.
Hailey, standing beside her, didn't seem to find anything wrong with it. Instead, she confidently raised her camera and nodded.
"No problem, Milotic! Trust my aesthetic sense and photography skills!"
Abigail, on the other side, covered her mouth and smiled without correcting this.
Click~ Click~
The camera flash went off again and again; Hailey's enthusiasm seemed inexhaustible. She sifted through the photos one by one, finally putting the best ones into her photo box.
These photos include beautiful pictures of Milotic, the dominant Pokémon, as well as images of a group of Milotic dancing together on a lake.
There are also photos of Xia Ming and Abigail together, as well as group photos of her with the Milotics. Of course, photos of the little ones are also included.
If Xia Ming hadn't come with a mission, Hailey could have dragged the two of them to take pictures by this lake all day long!
"Thank you, Xia Ming, and Abilgay. I'll send these photos to you after I've developed them."
Half an hour later, Hailey, still wanting more, followed Xia Ming and the other man onto the road leading deeper into the mountains.
The Milotic behind them stretched its neck out of the lake and watched them disappear into the distance until it was completely hidden by the trees before it led the other Milotics back into the water.
………………
After leaving Sunshine Lake, Xia Ming's first destination was Miss Skirt's habitat.
The mountain range where Stardew Valley is located does not have an official name. Some people call it "Rainbow Deer Mountain Range", some call it "Hidden Rock Gorge", and others call it "Fallen Star Valley", and so on.
Locals often call Stardew Valley "Fallen Star Valley".
More than 120 different Pokémon live in Falling Star Valley. Some live in the mountains and forests, some live inside the mountains, some live in lakes and underground, and even the sky is a migration route for many flying Pokémon.
Stardew Valley is just a small town outside this mountain range. Due to historical reasons and local special circumstances, Stardew Valley is the only place in the area with inhabitants.
Miss Skirts are not very common in this mountain range; they live more in lush flowerbeds and dense forests, and are actually quite rare in mountainous areas.
Of the habitats on Xia Ming's map, only three belonged to Miss Qun'er. The others either wouldn't sign a contract with him at all, or they had been contracted by Pierre and several other farmers in the town.
Xia Ming's ancestors had originally signed a contract with one of the branches, but because Xia Ming's father did not inherit the farm, it was returned to him by his grandfather in a polite manner with a bunch of things in the last ten years or so.
Xia Ming has that scene in his memory; it's from when he was two years old.
This time, he just happened to be planning to talk to these ladies he knew about "getting back together".
But obviously.
Combining things is easy to talk about, but in reality... it's not that difficult.
After about an hour's journey, the group arrived at a dense forest at the foot of a low hill. Nearby was a clear stream, and a group of lily root dolls and skirt ladies who fed on dew and nectar lived nearby.
There weren't many of them, only six Miss Skirts and more than twenty Lily Root Dolls, but their refreshing fragrance could be smelled from hundreds or even thousands of meters away, and it could also waft for hundreds of meters in the forest.
The arrival of the three people and four Pokémon caught their attention.
Malone's reminder from a while ago came in handy at this moment, as it was clear that the leader, the lady in the skirt, was holding a teacup woven from leaves.
She walked over gracefully and handed the prepared honey tea to Xia Ming.
"Doli~"
"Young Yoshi"
Xia Ming, she's inviting you for tea.
"Thank you, Miss Skirt."
It seems like the family connections are still quite strong; this contract journey shouldn't be too difficult.
Xia Ming took the honey tea from Miss Qun'er and gulped it down in one go, satisfied. Although it wasn't very sweet, it had a strong floral aroma.
Top-notch!
"Miss Skirt, you probably already know why I'm here. I won't waste any more words. I am Natsume's grandson, and I want to re-sign the 'Homestead Contract' with you, so that you can return to the farm you used to live on."
【Homestead Contract】is an ancient contract between humans and Pokémon families that forms a "family"-like relationship. It is not an employment arrangement, but rather a shared home and food arrangement.
From the moment the contract is signed, the Pokémon will become part of the family, and the human, as the "parent," will have the obligation to ensure their survival and meet their needs.
As "family members," Pokémon will also have the obligation to protect and maintain the family, and fulfill the responsibilities given to them by the "parents."
Once the contract is broken, the party breaking it must pay a "price" that is recognized, otherwise no Pokémon will be willing to sign this ancient spiritual contract with him or his bloodline.
That's right, this contract doesn't even have a paper contract; it's all based on a spiritual agreement between the two parties. However, usually, almost no Pokémon will be the one to break the contract.
Faced with Xia Ming's request, Miss Skirt and even the tribe behind him showed obvious signs of change. Many Lily Root Dolls missed their former land and life, and the other Miss Skirts also showed obvious signs of struggle and hesitation.
On the one hand, they wanted to return to that farm, but on the other hand, they were afraid that Xia Ming would break the contract again after he grew old.
Pokémon are incredibly emotional and sensitive creatures; they don't want to experience that feeling of loss a second time.
At the same time, they also harbored an expectation that had been buried in their hearts for more than a decade.
So, Miss Skirt, as the leader, spoke up to Xia Ming:
"Doli~"
"Youji Youji".
Xia Ming said that if you want to re-sign the contract from back then, you can, but you have to show enough sincerity.
The result was a little unexpected. Xia Ming thought that the girls would agree immediately because of their family history and grandfather's relationship, but he seemed to have underestimated the harm that "loss" would cause to the Pokémon.
This injury increased the difficulty of their contract from easy to normal, and Xia Ming needs to pass the "test" again to gain their trust and affection.
Xia Ming didn't complain too much about this. Miss Qun'er was already giving him face by giving him a chance. If it were someone he didn't know well, he would have to start by building a harmonious relationship.
So, Xia Ming began his demonstration. He first stepped forward, lowered his head, and began to pay for his father's sins:
"First of all, I apologize to you all on behalf of my father. He did not keep this ancient covenant to continue the bond between us and you, nor did he take much responsibility for it. This is his fault, and it is the price I should pay for him."