After securing the funding, Charles Gold left the Headmaster's office.
The next task was to set up the Nature Reserve. Creating landscapes like mountains and plains was not the hard part—the real challenge was reproducing day and night, and the changes in weather and climate.
Of course, Weather Charms could handle that to some extent, but they had their limits and tended to fade over time. Maintaining them over such a vast area was also a daunting task.
Charles's idea was more radical—he planned to directly transfer sections of small islands from the ocean into the reserve, complete with their natural climates. It was as if he had cut out a slice of reality and pasted it into his own office space.
This way, the weather patterns of those islands remained synchronized with their original locations.
Before long, within this ever-expanding reserve, one could witness snowy tundras standing right beside tropical jungles, yet neither was disturbed by the other's presence.
Entering through the Breeding House door led to the vast grassland region. Surrounding it on all sides were snow-capped mountains, dense forests, desert wastelands, and wetlands with sprawling lakes.
At first, Charles thought the area was enormous, but once all the environments were added, it suddenly felt a bit cramped.
Still, it was more than large enough.
After all, both the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake could already host countless magical creatures. In comparison, his Nature Reserve was ten times the size of Hogwarts—capable of housing tens of thousands of Pokémon without issue.
By the time Charles completed the major environmental layout, it was already the end of August. The Pokémon that had hatched earlier had grown considerably—Mime Jr. had even evolved into Mr. Mime.
Now, they served as the staff of the Nature Reserve, tending to newly hatched Pokémon and managing their habitats.
The Pokémon eggs supplied by the Breeding House had included many species, but the rarer the Pokémon, the fewer times their eggs could be incubated.
At present, Raticate and Tauros herds had already formed in the grassland area. From now on, they could sustain themselves through natural reproduction.
A few Miltank also shared the same habitat as the Tauros. Their relationship wasn't exactly harmonious, but as members of the same Field Egg Group, they could still produce offspring together.
Of course, Pokémon reproduction in reality didn't work quite the same way as in the games. In the games, the egg species was determined by the mother—meaning a male Tauros could only breed a Tauros egg if paired with a Ditto.
Reality, however, was less rigid—offspring could inherit traits from either parent. Thankfully, that didn't lead to… strange hybrids.
By now, dozens of different Pokémon species thrived across the grassland. The environment was suitable for most Pokémon types, and some from the forests or wetlands occasionally wandered across the borders.
Among them were even a few young Ponyta.
The forest region mainly hosted Grass, Bug, and Flying-type Pokémon. Many species overlapped with the grasslands, but due to the dense woods and hills, there were almost no Fire-types or fast-running Pokémon there.
The desert and rocky region was dominated by Rock and Ground-type Pokémon. The exposed terrain and scorching heat made it a harsh environment for many creatures.
In truth, nearly eighty percent of the Rock-types there were Geodude, with a few Onix, and only a rare Rhyhorn or two.
The snowfield region had the fewest Pokémon. So far, the only Ice-types Charles had access to were Jynx and Lapras—though Lapras mostly preferred the ocean.
Technically, Seel and Shellder also had Ice potential, but before evolving, they were pure Water-types—and like Lapras, they lived primarily in aquatic environments.
It was worth noting that since Charles had literally imported parts of natural environments, many ordinary animals coexisted inside the reserve. Carnivorous Pokémon could hunt them for sustenance.
However, Charles had already begun cultivating Berries, whose nutritional value far surpassed that of normal meat. Even Pokémon like Charizard could thrive entirely on Berry nutrients.
For now, he could only grow Oran Berries, but in great quantity. He planted patches across various zones, tended by his Venusaur and several other Grass-types.
Throughout August, Charles practically lived inside the reserve. By the time Dumbledore informed him to prepare for the new students' Welcoming Feast, the Nature Reserve still wasn't fully complete. Even then, Charles was reluctant to leave—he wanted to keep working.
Still, he eventually put the thought aside.
Attendance at the Feast wasn't strictly mandatory—after all, that "old fraud" who taught Divination almost never showed up—but if one didn't hear "Hannah Abbott" being called, it somehow made the bloodlines feel… less pure.
During this period, Charles's course schedule had also been finalized. Since his class wouldn't appear in O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. exams, the workload was light, and all four Houses attended together.
First-year classes would take place on Monday afternoons. Not long ago, the school had used owl post to deliver his textbook, Pokémon Encyclopedia, to all students, informing them that the course materials would be provided entirely by Hogwarts.
The first edition of his Pokédex only covered the non-legendary and non-Mythical Pokémon of the Kanto Region—a total of 146 species. Thus, his lectures would mainly focus on those.
Still, since all four Houses studied together, Charles considered showcasing a few Pokémon not listed in the Kanto Dex—perhaps ones that could symbolize each House, yet were still distinct from those 146 species.
Soon, it was September 1st. Before the old and new students arrived at Hogwarts, Charles needed to be in the Great Hall early.
His seat was placed to Dumbledore's left, which suited him well—it meant he was far from both Snape and that garlic-reeking Quirrell. The last thing Charles wanted was to have his appetite ruined by unhygienic tablemates.
The Great Hall of Hogwarts was immense—large enough to fit an entire two-story house inside the entrance hall. Like Gringotts, its stone walls were lined with blazing torches, and the ceiling was so high it was barely visible. At the far end stood an elegant marble staircase that led upward.
Charles eyed the flames, wondering if they were Gubraithian Fire.
(End of Chapter)