In the spring of the League Calendar Year 198, the afternoon sun felt warm on the skin.
Natsuki placed necessary luggage and homemade snacks into specialized mesh bags on the Mudbray's back.
Chatot perched on the Mudbray's head, a nut clutched in his talons, pecking at it with a steady "thwack-thwack" sound.
Minccino circled the Mudbray once, muttering with a quite disgusted look on her face.
She flourished her weapon (her fluffy large tail) and swept the Mudbray from top to bottom before she was willing to climb onto its back to wait for Natsuki.
At this time, Natsuki was giving instructions to Kangaskhan.
"I've prepared your afternoon snacks. You can eat if you're hungry. We'll be back as soon as we finish our errands."
He stood on his tiptoes and patted Kangaskhan's shoulder.
"I'll leave the ranch to you for now, Boss."
Kangaskhan lowered her head, letting out a pitiful whimper, and picked Natsuki up with a firm embrace.
She held him tightly, acting spoiled, clearly wanting to go with him.
This time, Natsuki hardened his heart and refused. The ranch was no longer the empty, impoverished place it was when he first arrived, it needed someone to stand guard.
Since he had to go out to buy supplies and handle some errands, Kangaskhan was undoubtedly the best choice to stay behind.
"Kangaskhan, if you come along, there will be no one to watch the house."
"What if some bad guys sneak in and cause trouble? I promise I'll head back the moment I'm done. I won't let you worry, okay?"
After a series of reassurances, Kangaskhan finally loosened her grip on Natsuki.
At the ranch gate, Natsuki waved goodbye to her, then flipped himself onto Mudbray's back and headed out.
Though Mudbray was small, this amount of weight was effortless for it.
Had it not been for Natsuki's comfort, Mudbray could have galloped through the wild, cutting the travel time to Shalour City by half.
But even at a relatively steady pace, by the time they reached the Pokémon Center on the outskirts of Shalour City, Natsuki was dizzy and nauseous from the jolting ride.
Leaning against Mudbray at the entrance of the Pokémon Center, he dry-heaved repeatedly.
Minccino gently patted his back with her tail, turning back to shoot a reproachful glare at Mudbray.
Knowing it had messed up, Mudbray lowered its head and pawed at the ground sheepishly.
It took a good while before Natsuki felt better.
He scooped up Minccino for a quick rub and used his other hand to soothe Mudbray.
"It's not your fault. I didn't think it through, I should have prepared a saddle and stirrups beforehand."
"Mud-mud~"
Receiving comfort, Mudbray felt a bit better.
However, it made a silent vow to evolve as soon as possible into a towering Mudsdale. That way, Natsuki wouldn't feel any bumps while riding.
"Let's go. Let's head inside together."
It had been a long time since he'd visited a Pokémon Center, and it was as lively as ever. Rows of seats in the lobby were filled with Trainers and various Pokémon.
Nurse Joy and the medical staff were busy without pause, only finding a moment's rest with the help of medical Pokémon.
The fact that Trainers could become the mainstream of the world was inseparable from the convenient logistics provided by Pokémon Centers.
It wasn't just about healthcare, it was a comprehensive service hub.
Natsuki walked to a window in the corner. Next to it was an icon of a Pelipper carrying a green mailbag stuffed with letters destined for all corners of the world.
Guarding the window was a Delibird wearing a red mailman's hat.
"Excuse me, I'm Trainer Natsuki. Here is my ID."
Natsuki pulled out his ID card. The front featured a handsome photo, rivaling that of a main character, and the back bore a minimalist Great Ball design.
"I'd like to check if there are any letters for me."
Delibird operated the system skillfully, inputting Natsuki's information with its claws.
"De-li~"
Then, Delibird opened the sack in its tail and reached in to rummage around. Soon, it pulled out a stack of letters.
"So many?"
Natsuki was surprised. He had a fair number of friends, but he had only been "missing" for a few days.
After thanking the Delibird and completing the registration as urged, the pickup process was finished.
Natsuki ordered a small dessert set for Minccino and the others, found a corner seat, and began opening the letters one by one.
First was a letter from home.
Indeed, Natsuki was not an orphan, he had a family and had lived a full life in this world.
Dear Natsuki,
Sweetie, how have you been lately? Are you eating well? Don't stay up too late... Mom won an all-expenses-paid seven-day trip to Alola. Do you want to come along?
Love, Mom.
Attached: A photo of the travel tickets (Date: April 1st).jpg
Though he had been traveling for three years, Natsuki's bond with his family had never been broken, and they kept in frequent contact through letters.
Natsuki would also return home to visit his mother whenever he had the chance.
"Go to Alola?"
His gaze fell on the three Pokémon beside him. By April, the ranch should be on the right track, so taking a trip shouldn't be a problem.
April would be the start of summer. The spring crops should have finished their final harvest by then.
He could wait until he returned to sow the autumn crops, giving himself and the Pokémon a well-deserved vacation.
Having made his decision, Natsuki picked up a blank sheet of paper and began writing a reply.
Dear Mom,
Mom, I got your letter. I'll take good care of myself and Kangaskhan, so don't worry too much. I've bought a ranch in Shalour City and plan to settle down permanently with Kangaskhan and the others.
Please forgive me, but the ranch is a hassle right now, and there's about a hundred things that need to be done, so I can't come home to visit you just yet. Once everything is settled, I hope you can come visit, I'll introduce you to all the Pokémon living here.
Regarding your summer travel invitation, count me in.
Natsuki.
After a moment of thought, Natsuki felt a bit of regret. Kangaskhan wasn't here, otherwise, he could have taken a family photo to send to his mom.
For now, he'd have to let it go, it wouldn't be too late to send one later when he had the chance.
After double-checking for errors, Natsuki set the letter aside and picked up the other unopened ones.
He went through them one by one, most of which were from the same person: A girl he met during his first year of traveling who was chasing her dream of becoming an actress in Lumiose City.
Her letters mostly shared snippets of her life or vented about various problems she encountered in her acting career.
The most recent one was good news—s he had officially moved up from a bit player to a somewhat well-known actress.
Apparently, she had recently filmed a movie where she played the female lead. A huge step forward in her career.
Checking the date in the bottom right corner, the letter was from just three days ago. As a friend, her progress made him genuinely happy.
Natsuki quickly wrote a reply, stating he would go to the cinema on the day the movie premiered and congratulating her on her blossoming career.
He also wrote replies to his other friends, informing them of his current situation. Of course, by the time they received the letters, it would likely be a week later.
Though the League's development was rapid, trans-regional mail was still difficult. Only a very small number of Pokémon could cross the ocean in a short time.
Returning to the counter, he applied stamps and handed the replies to Delibird one by one.
"Whew!" Natsuki looked down at the three little ones beside him and asked a redundant question, seeing as their mouths were still covered in cream. "Are you three still hungry?"