Perrin stared in a daze at the photo frozen on her camera's screen: every Pokémon beaming with joy, Dragonite and Dragonair soaring in the sky, and, in one corner of the image, Moltres flying freely above the golden wheat field.
Touching the flower crown Comfey had given her, Perrin felt the tension in her lips—caused by her nerves over possibly ruining the shoot—melt away in sync with the smiles in the photo. A gentle smile appeared on her own face.
This was the first time since falling into her slump that Perrin had taken a photo whose emotions even moved her as the photographer. Anyone who saw such a warm, happy photo would probably find their lips curving upward unconsciously.
If it were this photo, it could definitely win an award—
That thought only lingered in Perrin's mind for a moment before she chased it out.
Her morals wouldn't allow her to publish or submit someone else's photo without permission.
After dismissing the Pokémon—
"This is the memory card with the photo data. You can take it to a professional photo studio to get prints made. The instant photos from my Polaroid aren't high resolution." Perrin handed the small memory card to Lucas, then brought up the backup on her camera. "Here's the backup. I'll delete it in front of you."
"Wait a second." Lucas, seeing Perrin about to delete the backup, stopped smiling and reached out to stop her. "Why delete the backup?"
Perrin paused, looking puzzled. "Aren't you living so low-key on this farm to keep Moltres a secret? Otherwise, with your abilities, you could easily hold a high position in any League."
"If these photos accidentally got out, you and your Pokémon might be targeted by greedy people or evil organizations."
Such rare Pokémon as Dragonite, Dragonair, the shiny Dragonair, and Moltres were trophies any trainer would chase after—if exposed, trouble would surely follow.
Though Perrin made a good point, Lucas just waved his hand. "Didn't you say you're in a slump? Just now you smiled at the photo, so you must be satisfied with it. While this is our family portrait, it's also your work as a photographer. You can use it to promote yourself if you want."
"As for trouble… Maybe I used to hide for that reason, but not anymore. I have a clear goal now."
Lucas thought back to that night on the flight to Alola, when he caught a fleeting glimpse of the shiny Rayquaza—the awe-inspiring presence it exuded.
If he didn't even have the confidence to face trouble, how could he ever hope to surpass that black Rayquaza? He might as well go home and farm!
Perrin looked deeply at Lucas, then let go of the delete button. Perhaps keeping this family portrait would give her new motivation in her photography career.
After their conversation, the two clearly became closer. As friends, before leaving, Perrin chatted with Lucas about her next plans.
"I'm planning to explore the Paldea region's wilds for more photos. I'm really interested in those rarely seen scenic spots—the so-called 'Ten Sights of Paldea.'"
"Once I've finished my training as a photographer here, I'm heading to Kitakami. I've heard there's a Pokémon there called the 'Bloomoon.' I'm very interested."
"Kitakami? Bloodmoon?"
Lucas frowned. These were names he'd never heard before—were they things only available in the DLC?
"You don't even know Kitakami? Well, I guess it makes sense—you're from Paldea, after all."
Perrin covered her mouth in mild surprise, then cleared her throat to explain: "Kitakami is about 12 hours ahead of Paldea, near Sinnoh. There are towering mountains and a tranquil, natural landscape different from Paldea. I hear they hold festivals there all the time!"
"As for the Bloodmoon, I've only heard it's a very special Pokémon. I'll have to investigate further when I get to Kitakami."
Lucas nodded to show he was listening. "I see. This is the first I've heard of it."
By then, the two had walked to the farm's entrance.
Perrin glanced at the darkening sky and waved goodbye. "I'm off! See you again if we get the chance. If I can, I'll mail you some of the photos I take in Paldea. Look forward to it~"
"I'll look forward to it. Goodbye."
Lucas smiled and waved as he watched Perrin leave. Then, turning to look at the sky, he held the memory card and muttered, "There should still be time. I can ride Dragonite into town and get the photos printed."
…
The Next Morning
Lucas got up early, and even the Pokémon who liked sleeping in were dragging themselves from their warm nests.
Because this morning, it was time for Delibird's planned departure.
After a breakfast many times more lavish than usual—made by Lucas using his own harvested crops—every Pokémon gathered at the farm entrance to see Delibird off, just like when they took the family photo.
Delibird said goodbye to every Pokémon, then, under the worried eyes of Dragonair and Dragonite, patted its own chest to show it could now predict the weather and handle all sorts of extreme weather. There wouldn't be a repeat of last time.
"Comfey~"
Comfey, looking sad, came forward and gently placed a flower crown it had carefully woven onto Delibird's head. If you looked closely, you'd see flowers from the Sawsbuck's antlers blooming in the crown as well.
Delibird's eyes turned red as it accepted Comfey's blessing, choked with emotion.
Finally, it was Lucas's turn to say goodbye.
Lucas handed Delibird a sturdy-looking little box. "Open it up."
Delibird carefully opened the box—and froze at what it saw inside.
A brand-new family photo, a notebook filled with information, a slip of paper, several boxes of Pokéblocks, and a few PokéDollars.
"The photo was printed last night on rush order in town with Dragonite's help. The notebook contains some outdoor survival tips, along with a hand-drawn field guide to edible wild plants. If you get lost, try to use it."
"The slip of paper has my contact info and the farm's address. If you get into trouble, go to the Pokémon Center in the city, the one I took you to before, and ask for Nurse Joy. She'll be happy to help you."
"The Pokéblocks are for emergencies—just one will last you several days. Only eat them if you truly can't find any food."