In the spring of the League Calendar, Year 198, the afternoon sunlight fell warmly upon one's body.
Silas secured the necessary luggage and the snacks he had prepared into a specially made netted pack on one of the Mudbray's back.
Chatot stood atop Mudbray's head, gripping a nut between its claws and pecking away nonstop, producing rhythmic clang-clang sounds.
Minccino circled around Mudbray once, hands on its hips, muttering in obvious disdain. Then it revealed its secret weapon—its fluffy, oversized tail—sweeping down from top to bottom to thoroughly brush Mudbray clean. Only after that was it willing to obediently climb onto Mudbray's back and wait for Silas.
At this moment, Silas was giving instructions to Kangaskhan.
"I've already prepared your afternoon snacks. If you get hungry, you can eat them anytime. Once we're done with our errands, we'll come back right away."
He tiptoed and patted Kangaskhan's shoulder in front of him. "I'll leave the ranch to you for now, Kangaskhan."
Kangaskhan lowered its head and let out a pitiful whimper, then firmly scooped Silas up in its arms.
Holding Silas tightly, it acted spoiled, wanting to go along with him.
This time, Silas hardened his heart and refused.
The ranch was no longer the bare, impoverished place it had been when he first arrived.
Now, it needed someone to guard it.
He was heading out to purchase supplies and take care of some matters, and Kangaskhan was undoubtedly the best choice to stay behind.
"Kangaskhan, if you come with me, there won't be anyone left to watch over the ranch."
"What if some bad guys sneak in and wreck the place? I promise I'll finish everything quickly and come straight back—I won't let you worry."
After repeated reassurance, Kangaskhan finally loosened its grip on Silas.
At the ranch gate, Silas waved toward Kangaskhan.
He then swung himself up onto Mudbray's back and headed out of the ranch.
Don't be fooled by Mudbray's small size—this bit of weight was nothing to it.
If not for considering Silas's comfort while riding, Mudbray could have run through the mountains and wilderness, cutting the travel time to Shalour City in half.
Even so, moving at a relatively steady pace, by the time they reached the Pokémon Center outside Shalour City, Silas was still jolted so badly that his head was spinning.
Leaning against Mudbray at the entrance of the Pokémon Center, Silas dry-heaved nonstop. Minccino gently patted his back with its tail, then turned its head to glare reproachfully at Mudbray.
Mudbray, aware that it had done something wrong, lowered its head and scraped at the ground with its hoof.
After quite a while, Silas finally started to feel better.
He hugged Minccino 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~"
After being comforted, Mudbray felt much better.
Deep down, however, it made a firm resolution to evolve as soon as possible.
If it could evolve into the tall and sturdy Mudsdale, Silas wouldn't feel such bumps when riding anymore.
"Let's go, let's head inside together."
It had been a long time since Silas last visited a Pokémon Center, and it was as lively as ever.
Rows upon rows of seats filled the lobby, occupied by Trainers and all kinds of Pokémon.
Nurse Joy and the medical staff were constantly busy, only able to catch brief moments of rest thanks to the assistance of medical Pokémon.
That Trainers had become the mainstream profession of the world was inseparable from the convenient logistical support provided by Pokémon Centers.
It wasn't just about medical care—this place was also a comprehensive service hub.
Silas walked over to a window located in the corner. Beside it was a large Pelipper emblem carrying a green mailbag, bulging with letters destined for all corners of the world.
Standing guard at the window was a Delibird wearing a red mailman's hat.
"Excuse me, I'm Trainer Silas Williams. This is my ID."
Silas took out his identification card. On the front was a handsome photo that could rival any reader, while the back displayed a minimalist illustration of a high-grade Poké Ball.
"I'd like to check if there are any letters for me."
Delibird operated skillfully, inputting Silas's information with its claws.
"Deli~"
Then Delibird opened the pouch hidden in its tail and reached inside to rummage around.
Very quickly, it pulled out a small stack of letters.
"So many?"
Silas was a little surprised. He did have quite a few friends.
But he'd only been gone for a few days.
After thanking Delibird and completing the required registration under its urging, the letter pickup process was finally complete.
Silas ordered a small dessert set for Minccino and the others, then found a corner seat and began opening the letters one by one.
The first was a letter from home.
Yes—Silas was not an orphan.
He had family, and in this world, he had lived a complete life.
…
Dear Silas,
My darling, how have you been lately? Are you eating well? Don't stay up too late… Mom won a seven-day travel ticket to Alola. Would you like to come along, sweetheart?
Love,
Mom
P.S.: Photo of the travel ticket (Date: April 1).jpg
…
Though Silas had been traveling for three years now, his contact with his family had never been severed. They frequently exchanged letters.
Whenever he had time, Silas would also return home to visit his mother.
"Go to Alola, huh?"
His gaze fell on the three Pokémon beside him. If it was April, the ranch should already be on track, so going away for a short trip shouldn't be a problem.
By April, it would already be summer.
The spring crops should have finished their final harvest.
The sowing of autumn crops could easily wait until he returned—perfect timing to give both himself and his Pokémon a little vacation.
Having made his decision, Silas picked up a blank sheet of stationery nearby and began writing his reply.
…
Dear Mom,
Mom, I've received your letter. I'll take good care of myself and Kangaskhan, so you don't need to worry too much about us. I've bought a ranch in Shalour City and plan to settle down here long-term with Kangaskhan and the others.
Please forgive me—right now the ranch is still in its early stages, so I'm unable to come home and visit you.
Once everything is in order, I hope you can come and take a look. I'll introduce you to all the Pokémon living on the ranch.
As for your summer travel invitation, I have no problem on my end.
Silas
…
After thinking for a moment, Silas felt a bit regretful.
If Kangaskhan and the others were here, he could've taken a family photo and sent it along to his mom.
For now, he could only let it go—there would be other opportunities later.
After checking everything carefully to make sure there were no mistakes, Silas set the letter aside and picked up the other unopened ones.
He went through them one by one, and most of them came from the same person.
A friend he had met during his first year of traveling—a girl in Lumiose City who was chasing her dream of becoming an actress.
Most of her letters shared snippets of daily life or poured out the various problems she encountered in her acting career.
The most recent letter was filled with good news: she had officially advanced from a minor actress to one with a bit of fame.
Mm—she had recently acted in a film, playing the female lead.
A huge step forward in her acting career.
Glancing at the date in the lower-right corner, Silas saw that this letter had been sent just three days ago.
As a friend, seeing his friend's progress filled him with genuine happiness.
Silas quickly wrote a reply, saying that he would go to the theater to watch the film on its release day and wishing her continued success in her acting career.
Silas also replied to the letters from his other friends one by one, informing them of his current situation.
Of course, by the time they received his replies, it would probably already be a week later.
Although the League's development advanced by leaps and bounds, cross-regional correspondence was still quite difficult.
Only a very small number of Pokémon could cross vast oceans in a short time.
Returning once more to the counter, Silas affixed stamps to each letter and handed the replies over to Delibird.
"Phew!" Silas lowered his head and glanced at the three little ones beside him. With cream still smeared around their mouths, he asked a completely unnecessary question, "Are you three still hungry?"
(End of Chapter)