In the spring of the year 198 of the League Calendar, the afternoon sunlight felt warm as it fell across the land.
Hayato packed the necessary luggage and the snacks he had prepared into the specially made net bags strapped to Mudbray 's back.
Chatot stood on top of Mudbray 's head, clutching a nut between its claws and pecking at it nonstop, producing crisp tink tink sounds.
Cinccino circled around Mudbray once, hands on its hips as it muttered in clear dissatisfaction.
Then it revealed its "weapon" — its fluffy tail — and swept down from top to bottom, thoroughly dusting Mudbray off. Only after finishing the cleaning did it obediently climb onto Mudbray 's back to wait for Hayato .
Meanwhile, Hayato was giving instructions to Kangaskhan .
"I've already prepared your afternoon snacks. If you get hungry, just eat them. We'll come back as soon as we finish our errands."
He stood on tiptoe and patted Kangaskhan's shoulder.
"I'll leave the ranch in your care for now, boss."
Kangaskhan lowered its head and let out a soft, aggrieved whimper before suddenly pulling Hayato into a tight hug.
Holding him close, it tried to act cute, clearly wanting to go with him.
But this time, Hayato hardened his heart and refused.
The ranch was no longer the empty, impoverished place it had been when he first arrived.
Someone had to stay behind and watch over it.
He still needed to go out to buy supplies and handle a few matters, and Kangaskhan was undoubtedly the best choice to guard the ranch.
"If you come along, Kangaskhan , there'll be no one left to watch the ranch."
"What if some bad guys sneak in and cause trouble? I promise I'll come straight back after finishing my errands. I won't let you worry."
After repeated reassurance, Kangaskhan finally loosened its grip on him.
At the ranch gate, Hayato waved goodbye.
He then swung himself onto Mudbray 's back and headed out.
Despite its small size, Mudbray could easily handle Hayato 's weight.
If it weren't for Hayato 's riding comfort, Mudbray could have sprinted through the hills and cut the travel time to Shalour City in half.
But even moving at a relatively steady pace, by the time they reached the Pokémon Center outside Shalour City, Hayato felt completely shaken up.
Leaning against Mudbray outside the Pokémon Center, he retched weakly.
Cinccino gently patted his back with its tail, then shot Mudbray a reproachful glare.
Mudbray realized it had done something wrong and lowered its head, nervously scraping the ground with its hoof.
After quite a while, Hayato finally felt better.
He hugged Cinccino and gave it a good rub, then used his other hand to comfort Mudbray .
"It's not your fault. I didn't think things through. I should've prepared a saddle beforehand."
"mud~!"
Hearing the reassurance made Mudbray feel much better.
But deep down, it also made up its mind to evolve sooner.
If it could evolve into the tall and powerful mudsdale, Hayato wouldn't feel the bumps while riding anymore.
"Alright, let's go in together."
It had been a long time since Hayato last visited the Pokémon Center. As always, the place was bustling.
Rows of seats in the lobby were filled with trainers and their Pokémon.
Nurse Joy and the staff were constantly busy, relying on medical Pokémon assistants to steal brief moments of rest.
The fact that trainers had become the mainstream of the world was inseparable from the convenient logistical support provided by Pokémon Centers.
They weren't just medical facilities — they also served as comprehensive service hubs.
Hayato walked to a window located in the corner.
Next to it was a sign showing Pelipper carrying a green mailbag stuffed with Mail Call destined for all over the world.
Standing at the counter was a Delibird wearing a red postman's cap.
"Excuse me. I'm Trainer Hayato . Here's my ID."
Hayato handed over his identification card.
On the front was a handsome photo of him that could rival any reader's looks. On the back was a stylized Ultra Ball design.
"I'd like to check if there are any Mail Call for me."
Delibird skillfully began operating the terminal, tapping in Hayato 's information with its claws.
"Biri~!"
Then Delibird opened the sack attached to its tail and began rummaging through it.
Soon enough, it pulled out a small stack of Mail Call.
"That many?"
Hayato looked surprised.
He did have quite a few friends, but he'd only been out of contact for a few days.
After thanking Delibird and completing the registration process under its urging, he finally finished retrieving the mail.
Hayato ordered a small dessert set for Cinccino and the others, then found a quiet corner seat and began opening the Mail Call one by one.
The first letter was from home.
That's right—Hayato wasn't an orphan.
He had family, and he had lived a complete life in this world.
Dear Hayato ,
Sweetheart, how have you been lately? Have you been eating well? Don't stay up too late...
Mom just won a seven-day trip to Alola in a lottery. Would you like to come along?
Love you,
Mom
P.S. Photo of the travel ticket (Date: April 1).jpg
Even though Hayato had been traveling for three years, he had never lost contact with his family.
They exchanged Mail Call frequently.
Whenever he had time, Hayato would also go home to visit his mother.
"Should we go to Alola?"
His gaze shifted to the three Pokémon beside him.
If it were April, the ranch would already be running smoothly. Taking a short trip shouldn't be a problem.
By April, summer would already be approaching.
The final harvest of the spring crops should be finished.
As for autumn crops, he could simply plant them after returning. It would be the perfect chance to give himself and his Pokémon a little vacation.
Having made up his mind, Hayato took out a blank sheet of letter paper and began writing a reply.
Dear Mom,
I received your letter. Don't worry—Kangaskhan and I are taking good care of ourselves.
I recently bought a ranch near Shalour City, and I plan to settle here long-term with Kangaskhan and the others.
Please forgive me. The ranch is still in its early stages, so I can't come home to visit right now.
Once everything is settled, I hope you can come and visit. I'd love to introduce you to all the Pokémon living at the ranch.
As for your summer travel invitation—
I'd love to go.
Hayato
After thinking for a moment, Hayato felt a little regretful.
Kangaskhan and the others weren't here.
Otherwise, they could have taken a family photo and mailed it to his mom.
For now, he had no choice but to leave it for later.
After checking the letter carefully and confirming there were no mistakes, Hayato set it aside and picked up the remaining unopened envelopes.
Many of them were from the same person.
A friend he had met during his first year of traveling — a girl in Lumiose City chasing her dream of becoming an actress.
Most of her Mail Call shared stories from her daily life or vented about the struggles she encountered in her acting career.
The most recent one contained good news.
She had officially been promoted from a minor actress to one with a bit of recognition.
Recently she had filmed a production where she played the female lead.
A huge step forward in her acting career.
Hayato glanced at the date in the lower right corner.
The letter had been sent only three days ago.
As her friend, he sincerely felt happy about her progress.
Hayato quickly wrote a reply, saying he would go watch the movie in theaters on its release day and wishing her continued success in her acting career.
He also replied to the other Mail Call one by one, updating everyone about his current situation.
Of course, by the time they received his replies, it would probably already be a week later.
Even though the Pokémon League's development advanced rapidly, cross-regional mail was still difficult.
Only a handful of Pokémon could cross oceans in a short time.
Once finished, Hayato returned to the counter, stuck stamps on each letter, and handed them one by one to Delibird.
"Phew."
Lowering his head, he looked at the three Pokémon beside him and asked a rather pointless question.
Their mouths were still covered in cream.
"You three little guys… still hungry?"
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