Lorze immediately had two game plans in mind.
The first was sticking to his original idea: attempting to cultivate Zorua using his necromancy.
If it worked, the little fox’s strength would skyrocket, and it wouldn’t be long before it could hunt Rhodes down and tear him apart with its own paws.
But on the off chance his theory failed, he would just find a way to expose this Venom Blade Syndicate’s operation to the authorities.
When that happened, Rhodes would be utterly fucked, which also counted as getting revenge for Zorua.
Of course, there was still some time before these scumbags made their move, so Lorze definitely leaned toward prioritizing Zorua’s training first.
If his earlier hypothesis proved true and necromancy could genuinely help Zorua rapidly grow stronger, it was absolutely better to let the little fox enact its revenge personally.
The plan was set, but since Lorze had just arrived in this world, he hadn’t even had the time to understand the Pokémon level system yet.
He urgently needed to find a professional facility to run some tests, and more importantly, he needed to find a place to crash.
“Haunter, and you too, Shuppet and Duskull.
Are you sure you’re not rolling with me?
Those Pokéblocks from earlier must’ve tasted a hell of a lot better than the rotten resentment you usually suck up, right?”
Haunter nodded solemnly.
“Food is precious, and female ghosts are even more highly prized, but for the sake of freedom, both can be tossed aside!
Me and the boys are used to living free and reckless.
Let’s just stick to being regular bros.”
“Alright~ Since we’re all bros here, when I go to sabotage their little operation later, why don’t you guys tag along and help—”
“Oh, holy shit~ I just remembered, today is the due date for the Froslass at the graveyard next door!
I really gotta blast this time.”
The “sick, crippled, and elderly” trio of ghosts melted into the shadows, vanishing without a trace.
Lorze and Zorua exchanged an amused glance before leaving as well.
It was already nightfall.
Lilycove City’s neon lights sparked to life one after another, painting the coastal metropolis in a dazzling, vibrant glow.
Holding the little fox—who was using its “Illusion” ability to disguise itself as a normal Zorua—Lorze strolled through the bustling streets, soaking in the long-lost noise and chaotic energy of a modern city.
Having originally been a city dweller on Earth, this kind of metropolitan prosperity naturally felt incredibly intimate to him.
Not to mention, Lorze had spent two and a half years surviving on sheer terror in that medieval-style magical world.
Now, feeling the ocean breeze on his face, he experienced an indescribable sense of liberation and relief.
However, his Zorua was, after all, an extinct breed.
Unless it was hiding in his shadow, any time it appeared in public, it absolutely had to disguise itself, just like the standard Dark-type form it was currently maintaining.
Until Lorze’s power reached the upper echelons of this world, he had to be extremely careful about keeping a low profile.
He rubbed Zorua’s fluffy head and said, “Let’s find a place to crash first, then I’ll feed you a proper meal to recover.
I dropped several hundred grand on top-tier resources today.
Once you digest all that, your power is guaranteed to skyrocket.”
After saying this, Lorze whipped out his newly purchased smartphone and started browsing local rental websites.
He quickly realized that Lilycove City’s housing market was fucking brutal.
The rent in the central district effortlessly hit tens of thousands a month, making an undocumented immigrant like him back off in cold sweat.
Even though he still had a chunk of change left over from pawning the gemstone, that money was strictly for resources to grow stronger.
He couldn’t just casually piss it away on rent.
After filtering by price, location, and whether Pokémon were allowed, his eyes locked onto a rather inconspicuous rental ad:
“Cozy Bachelor Apartment at Crescent Bay.
One bedroom, one living room, independent kitchen and bathroom. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Excellent lighting, quiet and highly livable.
Small Pokémon allowed (must ensure cleanliness and not disturb neighbors).
Monthly rent: 3,000.
Deposit: One month’s rent.
Contact: Ms.
Joy.
Phone: 139…”
Three grand a month.
In a coastal metropolis where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, this price was so ridiculously generous it was almost highly suspicious.
“This is the spot.”
Lorze made an instant decision and dialed the number.
The call connected swiftly, and a slightly exhausted but still sweet and professional female voice came through:
“Hello, who is this?”
The voice sounded oddly familiar, but through the phone receiver, Lorze couldn’t be completely sure.
“Hi there.
I saw your rental listing for the bachelor apartment at Crescent Bay.
I desperately need a place to stay right now, so would it be convenient for me to head over immediately?”
“Immediately?”
The woman on the other end seemed a bit surprised, but figuring he might be an out-of-towner in a rush, she quickly agreed:
“That works.
Just follow the address and come over.
I’m already here.”
“Great, thank you, Ms.
Joy.”
Lorze hung up the phone, caught a cab, and rushed over.
Climbing up to the second floor, he found a stunningly curvaceous figure already waiting outside the door.
“Nurse…
Nurse Joy!
You’re the landlady of this place?!”
The current Joy Jing wasn’t wearing the skirt uniform she wore during the day at the Pokémon Center, nor did she have her signature braided hair loops.
She was dressed simply in a pale cyan dress, a silk belt accentuating the flawless, hourglass curve of her waist.
Her pink hair cascaded down like a waterfall, perfectly framing her exquisite, breathtakingly beautiful face.
As it turned out, the so-called “Ms.
Joy” from the listing was literally Nurse Joy.
Lorze was completely caught off guard.
The air fell dead silent for two seconds.
“Mr…
Mr.
Lorze?
I can’t believe the person asking about the apartment turned out to be you!”
“I certainly didn’t expect you to be ‘Ms. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
Joy’ either!” Lorze pointed at the apartment door.
At that moment, Joy Jing noticed the Zorua in Lorze’s arms.
Her beautiful face instantly lit up with surprise.
She trotted over, bending down to play with the little fox.
“Huh?
I thought you didn’t have a Pokémon!
How did you suddenly manage to catch a Zorua?
These aren’t common Pokémon at all!”
From Lorze’s current vantage point, looking down, he had a front-row seat to two massive, milky-white mountains jiggling and bouncing within her loose neckline.
The view was so fucking magnificent that he completely forgot to answer.
After all, he had spent two and a half full years in the magical world treading on thin ice, never daring to engage in any intimate contact with women.
He was definitely suffering from severe sexual frustration.
And the Joy clan truly lived up to their reputation as the undisputed number one healers in the Pokémon world.
One glance proved their assets were obscenely massive and unfathomably deep.
Joy Jing suddenly sensed something, immediately shooting up straight and bashfully adjusting her clothes.
Since she was the one who had excitedly leaned in first, she couldn’t really blame Lorze.
But the atmosphere between them instantly took a heavily ambiguous turn.
“Um~ Weren’t you still applying for a starter Pokémon this morning?
You got one incredibly fast.”
“Oh, you mean Zorua?
He was abandoned by his Trainer.
He’s my Pokémon now.”
“Abandoned!
How could that be?
Zorua are incredibly rare Pokémon!
And it looks perfectly healthy.
Also, are you really capable of…”
The look Joy Jing gave Lorze grew increasingly skeptical.
She clearly didn’t believe that this young man—who she still suspected had mental health issues—could properly take care of a Zorua.
Feeling Joy Jing’s doubtful gaze, before Lorze could even say a word, Zorua keenly responded.
It immediately nuzzled against Lorze’s chest, its demeanor and whimpers displaying unparalleled affection.
It was the most perfect rebuttal to her doubts.
The astonishment in Joy Jing’s beautiful eyes flashed for a second.
She realized that her previous assessment of Lorze desperately needed to be rewritten.
After all, in this world, possessing the innate ability to make Pokémon trust and gravitate towards you was the single greatest trait a Trainer could have.
Yet, she had completely misjudged such a talent just this morning, almost burying his potential.
Thinking of this, Joy Jing even began to feel that his bizarre application form earlier was merely an eccentric sense of humor she hadn’t grasped, and she hadn’t even given him the chance to explain himself.
Just like that, thanks to her own runaway imagination and overthinking, Joy Jing actually started feeling a deep sense of guilt towards Lorze.
Thus, she immediately stated that since raising a Zorua was no easy task for him, he could enjoy a special perk: half-off rent and entirely free utilities.
Even though Lorze wasn’t short on cash right now, he was more than happy to accept this “sugar mommy” subsidy, immediately signing a long-term lease.