League Calendar Year 198, April 1st, early summer.
On this day, Silas traveled with his mom and Serena from Lumiose City, taking an international flight to Alola.
You ask why his dad didn't come along?
Well, of course he was off traveling somewhere with Ash's dad!
Back to the main topic—Silas and his family arrived in Alola and checked into the Hano Grand Resort.
This was the largest resort in all of Alola. Hotel reservations here were booked solid far in advance every year, and the fact that they were able to stay was largely thanks to that one-week vacation pass.
After putting down his luggage in the room and greeting his mom and Serena, Silas headed straight to Hano Beach.
Finding a secluded corner with no one around, he tossed out all the Poké Balls he was carrying.
Minccino was the first to jump out impatiently, immediately curiously surveying the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Min… Min~"
(So many people, so many Pokémon—it's like grains of rice everywhere.)
"Bébé!"
"Kang~"
"Meow!"
"Mud~"
"Smo!"
(The sun feels sooo good!)
All the Pokémon excitedly explored their surroundings, their eyes and hearts filled with curiosity.
The blazing Alolan sunshine was exceptionally comfortable for Smoliv. It could clearly feel the speed at which it accumulated energy increasing.
This was Alola—a region brimming with a tropical atmosphere everywhere you looked.
Every year, countless tourists from all regions came to Alola to vacation and relax.
Here, you could see Pokémon from all over the world, and the four main islands each offered completely different scenery.
Silas first settled the Pokémon down and made sure they were all well fed.
Just then, Serena and his mom arrived after changing into their swimsuits.
Seeing the adorable Minccino and Morpeko, Serena quickened her pace and ran over, scooping them both into her arms and rubbing her cheek against them.
"Minccino, long time no see! Did you miss me?"
She stroked and kissed them for quite a while before lifting Morpeko up and running over to Silas.
"Big brother, big brother, what's this Pokémon called?"
"Morpe~!"
Being lifted into the air, Morpeko wore an utterly lifeless expression, even stopping its chewing mid-bite.
Pinching Morpeko's round little belly, Silas said, "It's called Morpeko. It's an Electric-type Pokémon. Don't touch its cheek pouches—there's electricity in them."
"So it's called Morpeko! I already got shocked earlier, it felt all tingly and numb."
Serena explained shyly. Kids wanted to grab and play with everything they saw.
And judging by how Serena looked now, that little shock hadn't affected her at all.
No wonder in the anime she could get hit by Pikachu's Thunderbolt so many times without any issues—turns out she'd been training since childhood. In that case, it wasn't surprising at all.
"Serena, come help Mom apply some sunscreen."
Not far away, Silas's mom called out while holding Minccino.
"I'm coming right away!"
Holding Morpeko high above her head, Serena hopped over cheerfully.
As for Silas, he continued feeding the Pokémon.
Once they were full, the Pokémon each found their own places to play.
The three Mudsdale sat leaning together, calmly observing their surroundings with unshakable expressions. They found the environment here in Alola very comfortable.
Beside them was Mareep. Lazy Mareep yawned endlessly, its eyes barely able to stay open.
Despite doing absolutely nothing, it was unbearably sleepy, looking completely listless.
By contrast, nearby Burly Mareep was showing off its strength beside Pretty Mareep, trying to draw her attention.
However, Pretty Mareep's attention was entirely on Happy Mareep, who quietly followed behind Silas, curiously observing the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Alolan Meowth, is your home on this island?" Silas asked.
Alolan Meowth looked around, finding everything unfamiliar. "Meow~"
(Not here, meow!)
"Then it should be on Melemele Island. Tomorrow I'll have Noivern take you there."
The four main islands of Alola weren't far apart. Riding Noivern made round trips between islands quick and easy.
Alolan Meowth glanced at Silas, then at Noivern behind him.
It originally wanted to refuse—it didn't want Silas to go through so much trouble for its sake, wasting this hard-earned vacation time.
But when it met Silas's serious gaze, Alolan Meowth nodded. "Meow~"
Standing by the shore, with seawater reaching his ankles, Silas turned to look at the Pokémon following behind him.
"You don't have to keep following me. Go have fun too."
"Bébé…"
"Noi~"
Noibat was extremely uncomfortable, trying to burrow into Silas's clothes and hide its head.
There was no helping it—the Alolan sun was simply too intense.
For Pokémon that preferred dark environments, like Noibat and Noivern, it was particularly uncomfortable and rather distressing.
"Wait a bit. I'll take you inside to sleep, and you can come out later in the evening."
After soothing Noibat, Silas looked at the Flabébé, the Meowth, the Mareep, and the others.
As for Cyclizar and Kangaskhan, one was sitting under a coconut tree holding a Pokémon egg, checking it carefully and occasionally pressing it to its ear to listen.
The other had entered riding mode, sprinting along the edge of the beach and splashing up sheets of water, utterly carefree and joyful.
"Just go play. We'll be here all day today."
After hearing Silas's words, Flabébé and the others flew over to Kangaskhan and began playing in the sand.
Meowth called over Happy Mareep, Pretty Mareep, and Burly Mareep. They split into two groups and started playing beach volleyball at a short distance from each other.
The small volleyball was batted back and forth, and the sounds of Pokémon laughter never ceased.
Away from the ranch, the Pokémon could truly relax and enjoy life.
Silas was no exception. After taking the two Noibat back to the room, he rented a jet ski along the beach.
"Veluza, I'll be counting on you!"
With a flash of light, the pink fish splashed onto the surface of the sea, half its body emerging.
Under the staff's guidance, a full set of equipment was fitted onto Veluza.
This was a riding set designed for aquatic Pokémon. Silas himself put on a life jacket and goggles.
"Let's go! Take us along the coastline for a lap first."
He patted Veluza to signal it.
"Vee…"
Veluza flicked its body, using its psychic power to protect Silas's vital points. Like an arrow released from a bow, it split the surface of the sea and sped along the nearshore waters.
"Cyc~ Cyc!"
Cyclizar noticed them and chased from behind.
Not just Cyclizar—Noivern also caught up, flying alongside Veluza in pursuit.
After swimming for quite a while, once Veluza's body was fully warmed up, Silas took a deep breath and patted Veluza, signaling that it could dive.
Receiving the instruction, Veluza sank beneath the surface like a submarine, leaving behind only a blurry pink trail and the bewildered Cyclizar and Noivern staring at each other.
Diving underwater, the seafloor world was a feast for the eyes.
Schools of Wishiwashi formed swirling storms, evading the pursuit of various predatory Pokémon.
Gesturing for Veluza to steer clear, they arrived at a nearshore coral area, and before long, Silas's gaze was drawn to a particular Pokémon.
Slowly approaching together with Veluza, he caught it in his palm—only for a pair of white scissor-like claws to suddenly snap out, startling him badly.
(End of Chapter)