Pokémon: The Reemployment of the Retired Champion of Paldea

The next morning, Kaito's parents finally arrived by car, accompanied by a teacher from Naranja Academy.

Once they had safely returned Kaito to his parents, and informed them that Kaito's Wattrel was still receiving treatment at the Pokémon Center, Lucas mounted his Dragonite and flew back to the farm, receiving heartfelt thanks from Kaito's tearful mother and silent, chain-smoking father.

By almost noon, Lucas and Dragonite successfully arrived in the skies above the farm.

At that moment, the Machoke Construction Team was hard at work, taking advantage of the fine weather. The workers, along with several Machoke and Machop, skillfully handled the lumber brought in by their large trucks, assembling it into a sturdy wooden fence that exuded a reassuring sense of safety.

From above, Lucas could see their progress: the pasture's fencing had been fully replaced, and the work around the lake area was nearly complete.

Judging by their efficiency, it wouldn't even take half a month to finish—just a few more days should see the project done.

The foreman, who was overseeing the work, was the first to spot Lucas and Dragonite. Soon, the other workers and Machoke/Machop looked up at the sky as well.

The foreman waved and shouted, "Mr. Lucas, you're back?"

Under Lucas's command, Dragonite managed to land smoothly without any mischief. Lucas smiled and said, "I could see from up there—the progress is impressive!"

The foreman, patting his hard hat, replied with a hearty laugh, "In the Machoke Construction Team, we only know how to finish ahead of schedule. Delays and shoddy work aren't in our vocabulary."

Lucas gave him a thumbs up. This was exactly why he worked with the Machoke Construction Team so often: they were efficient and produced quality work, making things much easier for him.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. I won't get in the way."

Lucas waved and led Dragonite toward the farm. Suddenly, the foreman called out, "Please wait a moment."

Meeting Lucas's puzzled gaze, the foreman grinned and said, "There's a little surprise waiting for you in your farm."

"Oh?"

Lucas was taken aback. What kind of surprise could be waiting for him?

The foreman waved him off. "You'll see when you get back."

Seeing that the foreman wanted to keep the surprise, Lucas didn't press further, and continued walking with Dragonite.

Watching Lucas leave, the foreman recalled the flash of white light he'd seen earlier, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

A Pokémon's evolution must be a great surprise for a trainer. Whenever a Machop from the team evolved, he'd treat everyone to a meal.

A worker sidled over mysteriously and asked, "Boss, who exactly is that client? Wasn't he riding a super rare and powerful Dragon-type Pokémon just now? I think it's called Dragonite?"

The worker's face was full of longing. Back in the day, his dream was to become the Dragon-type Champion, but he ended up as a construction worker instead.

Dragonite—it was the symbol of strength and rarity. He'd always dreamed of having one of his own.

The foreman smacked him on the hard hat and snapped, "Get lost, don't pry into our client's business. Even if he's a top-level Champion, what's it got to do with us?"

"We get paid to do our job, that's all. Our team survives on reputation!"

"Ow, fine, fine, I won't ask anymore."

The worker, rubbing his sore head, grinned and went back to work.

The foreman was right. Instead of worrying about the client, it was better to focus on earning a bit more for the family. Maybe he could even buy some fresh Moomoo Milk for the kids if he worked hard enough.

…

"Woof~!" "Dolli~!"

Right in front of Lucas, two Pokémon with dramatically changed appearances barked at him excitedly.

One Pokémon was about 0.5 meters tall. Its body had changed from looking like dough to resembling a freshly-baked loaf of bread, with pale-colored fur around its neck and tail.

Its body was mostly brown, with the tail, ears, and neck layered in gradient shades from brown to light orange—so mouthwatering it made people hungry just looking at it.

A delicious aroma wafted constantly from its body.

The other Pokémon had changed from looking like a fruit to a tiny green figure. It had sprouted small arms and legs, and its leafy skirt and the olive on its head had split in two, emitting a fresh olive oil scent.

Lucas exclaimed in delight, "Dachsbun, Dolliv!"

In the few days he'd been gone, he hadn't expected Fidough and Smoliv to evolve! So this was the surprise the foreman had mentioned!

Lucas's eyes shone as he petted the two newly-evolved Pokémon all over. This surprise truly made him happy.

"Elde~! Elde~!"

Three Eldegoss crowded around Lucas, chattering about how Dolliv's olives could now produce especially delicious oil, and how Ceruledge had used it to make them a barbecue.

Growlithe raised its head proudly, basking in Dachsbun's adoration as if it were the one who had evolved.

But Growlithe had indeed helped, since Fidough always followed it around and was exposed to the heat from both Growlithe and Moltres, which had helped bake its bread and trigger its evolution.

"Oh, right!" Remembering something, Lucas paused his reunion with the Pokémon and clapped his hands. "We've got five new friends joining us. Let me introduce them to everyone."

A dozen Pokémon looked over curiously.

Lucas first released two Sawbuck, each nearly two meters tall, drawing immediate attention. The bolder Eldegoss floated over to greet them.

The farm's warm welcome left the Sawbuck a bit flustered.

Then, the appearance of three Dragonair sent the atmosphere soaring.

Although the main team knew them, Lucas still introduced the Dragonair to the newer Pokémon on the farm.

"These are Dragonair, the form before Dragonite's evolution. They took care of Dragonite's egg for a long time, so they're like its godmothers. They have the mysterious power to control the weather, so you should all get along, okay?"

Luxray and the others were especially impressed by the shiny Dragonair, greeting them warmly. Poliwag and the others felt even more kinship, since Dragonair's blue bodies clearly showed their Water-type.

They just didn't understand why Dragonite lost its Water typing after evolving.

Regardless, Dragonair's motherly aura quickly made them popular with the farm's baby Pokémon, who soon found themselves being gently carried by their long bodies.

Lucas was pleased to see how quickly they integrated. Unbeknownst to him, when Poliwhirl heard about Dragonair's special abilities, its eyes sparkled.