: The Monster Who Stole the Mask

Chapter 23: The Monster Who Stole the Mask

After dinner, the little Snorlax, which had been given a lot of water, finally recovered. Although it was almost killed by the spiciness of the red tangerine, it did not affect its appetite.

"It seems necessary to mention this point when selling them in the future, otherwise it could be dangerous if someone eats them without knowing the details."

Mingyou didn't want her client to die from the spiciness of a red tangerine after accidentally eating it.

He also hadn't tried the gray tangerines before; he only knew they were very hard and not very juicy, but definitely not as outrageous as the red tangerines...

Today was a very fruitful day. Not only did the mandarin oranges ripen, but we also gained a customer. More importantly, we successfully became partners with the mandarin oranges!

Not only him, but Ponpo was also very happy and loved life at the manor. However, it was getting late, and it had to go back...

Standing in front of the villa, Mingyou looked at Pengpeng, who seemed a little downcast, and asked in confusion, "Do you really have to go back? It's fine to stay here. There are plenty of rooms. I can go and prepare some for you."

"Hmm..."

Ponpo gently shook her head and told the truth.

It wasn't that it absolutely had to go back, but rather that the monster that stole its mask only appeared at night when it was foggy, and it was waiting for an opportunity to try and secretly retrieve the mask.

So it usually goes there at night, and sometimes it goes during the day, or sleeps in the cave, which is why it doesn't come to the manor every day.

"A mask...?"

Mingyou understood what it meant, stroked her chin, and fell into deep thought. Before, Pengpeng had said that it was a monster that ate people and was very scary, which was why it didn't want to tell her too much.

But this can't go on forever. Without those masks, Ponpon's fighting power is very weak. If they are caught stealing the masks, Ponpon will probably be eaten.

and so……

"Let's go together and investigate!"

"Hmm?"

Ponpo was slightly taken aback, then immediately shook her head anxiously. It was too dangerous; she would be eaten!

"But isn't it dangerous for you to go alone?"

"Hmm..."

Mingyou's words left Ponpo speechless. He continued, "We're partners. Just as you trust me, I'll also take responsibility for you and help you reclaim your mask!"

He had some ideas of his own. Since the monster was so terrifying that there was no way to defeat it head-on, he needed to devise a plan.

Ponpo is too naive and simple-minded; she's honest and straightforward. There's no way she could have any plans or schemes to steal. When would she wait? What if the other party doesn't give her a chance? She definitely has to find a way!

Hearing his suggestion, Ponpo stood there blankly, seemingly considering whether to agree or not, because it was really worried that Mingyou would be in danger.

However, Mingyou had already noticed its worry, so she squatted down, reached out and patted its head, and said, "Don't worry, I definitely won't put myself in danger, so until then, stay at the manor."

"...Hmm~"

After Mingyou's constant persuasion, Ponpo finally nodded. It really wanted to stay here, so why would it disagree?

However, there were still some things it needed to go back to get, and upon learning this, Mingyou smiled and said, "Then I'll go with you tomorrow, and we can also see where you usually live."

"Hmm..."

Ponpon gently shook her head.

It's too far. It lives at the foot of Ghost Mountain, which is more than ten kilometers away from here. You have to climb the mountain, and it would take a long time to walk without a means of transportation. Fortunately, it moves quickly, so a round trip doesn't take long.

However, Mingyou didn't mind and replied with a smile, "Just think of it as taking a walk with you to enjoy the scenery. Besides, it's good exercise along the way!"

"Mmm~"

Upon hearing this, Ponpo immediately agreed, and then a smile bloomed on her face again. She stepped forward and took Mingyou's hand, knowing that she could live in the manor from now on.

"Mmm~"

"Yes, this will be your home from now on."

Mingyou smiled, led it into the living room, and then said, "I'll go prepare a room for you... Hmm, you should be the one to choose."

"Hmm?"

Hearing that she could choose for herself, Ponpon revealed her little fangs, her clear eyes scanning the area before finally settling on the sofa where Munchlax was sleeping not far away...

"Mmm~"

"Huh? You want to compete with it for sleeping space?"

Mingyou was stunned for a moment.

"Hmm?"

Can't I sleep there?

"Well... that's possible, but I'm afraid Snorlax wouldn't be willing."

"Hmm..."

Ponpon gradually fell into thought, and it seemed so.

and so……

"Mmm~"

Ponpon looked up at Mingyou, then smiled and asked, "Can I hold you while I sleep?"

"Well……"

Mingyou was speechless for a moment. This was probably... a bit inappropriate, wasn't it? He had never had the habit of sleeping with a plush toy, let alone being held by a Pokémon.

Looking at Pengpeng's innocent yet expectant eyes, he really didn't know how to refuse. Besides, spending more time with her would be nice, like having a daughter by his side.

"Fine, whatever you do!"

"Mmm~"

"Ha ha."

Mingyou affectionately patted Pengpeng's head, relieved that the days ahead wouldn't be too boring!

And so, Ponpo stayed at the manor.

When Mingyou woke up early the next morning, he found that Pengpeng was lying on her side, holding his arm tightly as if she didn't want him to leave, and she had a smile on her face as if she was having a sweet dream.

"You're sleeping so soundly, so rest a little longer. I'll go prepare breakfast."

Mingyou gently pulled her arm away from the other person's embrace, without disturbing them any further, and left the room to tidy herself up before going downstairs.

He also contacted Bigmouth Logistics to pick up the goods. He made a lot of money this time and can buy some better ingredients to celebrate that night.

He opened the villa door, and a breath of fresh air, carried by the wind blowing towards the orchard, rushed into the house, along with warm sunlight streaming in.

The weather is nice today.

With a smile on her face, Mingyou walked over to the tangerine tree, greeted the chubby flower and the others, and then picked all the remaining tangerines.

Just as the last fruit was picked, a burst of blue particle light spread out from the fruit tree, transforming into a mysterious card that rotated, and the mysterious orange tree returned to a normal orange tree.

"They really brought back the cards..."

Mingyou looked at the card in her hand. There was no change in the text information, but Pengpeng's favorability towards her had risen to level 9.

Although it's unclear what the maximum level of affection is, comparing it with affection levels of other Pokémon reveals the absurd difference.

He looked up at the tangerine tree. It would be a long time before it blossomed and bore fruit again. To be honest, he might as well just buy a sapling that was already in bloom.

Just as he was thinking this, another reminder suddenly appeared in his mind...

[Note: If a fruit tree has already borne fruit and yielded a harvest using a card, using the card again on the same tree will increase the fruit yield and quality.]

"You don't want me to exploit a bug..."

Mingyou chuckled and dismissed her own idea. In the short term, her method was definitely better, but in the long run, it would be better to continue using the ponkan tree for cultivation.

It's like raising Pokémon. You can't just replace a Pokémon immediately if you find it's too weak, right? There are no weak Pokémon, only useless trainers. If you don't even know how to use it, what kind of strength are you talking about?

The same principle applies to cultivating fruit trees!

So he used the card on the tangerine tree again. After the information changed, a growth cycle appeared. Although it was much shorter than that of an ordinary tangerine tree, it was still very long.

"Will we have to wait another six months for them to ripen? Six months... that's a bit long."

Mingyou stroked his chin, lost in thought.

However, with the help of quick-acting fertilizer and the care of the 'mouth-shaped' flowers, it is estimated that half the time can be saved, and it will be able to bear fruit again after this summer.

Thinking about all this, he wasn't in a hurry. By the end of the month, the apples and sweet potatoes would be ripe, and the farm would have plenty of crops to sell!

So he looked at the mandarin orange tree, and with a hopeful smile, said, "Grow up well!"

……

(End of this chapter)