Delibird, moved to tears, closed the little box like it was a treasure, then carefully tucked it into its tail.
Delibird's tail was like a giant bag that could carry many things. Because it was part of its body, the odds of losing anything inside were extremely low.
In fact, when Luxray found Delibird, even though it was unconscious and had let go of its tail, none of the food it had stored inside had spilled out.
Its tail automatically sealed itself even when the Pokémon was unconscious.
Compared to space equipment that might get lost, Lucas felt it was more reliable to trust Delibird's own tail.
After clinging to Lucas for a while, reluctant to part, Delibird finally steadied itself under Lucas's comforting words.
Leaving Lucas's arms, Delibird flapped its wings, soaring into the sky under the gazes of all the Pokémon, gradually disappearing beyond the horizon.
Only when Delibird was out of sight did Lucas quietly say, "Let's go back."
The Pokémon, their spirits low, called softly a few times, then turned and walked back into the farm, looking back with every few steps.
Goodbyes are for better reunions. Even if they were now far apart, the family photo would keep their hearts connected until the day they met again.
…
Elsewhere, Delibird flew toward the ocean for a long time, planning to visit other continents and see new sights.
After breaking through a dangerous storm—thanks to Dragonite and Dragonair's training—a tired Delibird heard a long, melodious whistle.
Looking down at the giant ship below, Delibird pulled out the notebook from its tail, flipped to a certain page, and compared the hand-drawn illustration to the steel cruise ship below.
During its recovery with Lucas, Delibird had learned to recognize some human words. Laboriously reading the notes beside the picture, Delibird focused on one tip:
"If you encounter a cruise ship at sea, you can land on it and rest—just find a hidden corner and treat it like a little island."
"PS: Human cruise ships usually head toward a port. If you're interested, you can let the ship decide your course and enjoy a random journey."
Delibird carefully put the notebook back in its tail, eyes brightening, and chose to land atop the cruise ship.
The notebook said humans rarely went up there.
Basking in the sea breeze, Delibird's ears twitched as a loud announcement blared from the ship below:
["This cruise will soon dock at Old Shore Wharf for routine inspection and supplies. The wharf is under Kanto's jurisdiction. Passengers are free to disembark and explore the area, but please return to the ship before 6 PM departure."]
…
Paldea Region, outskirts of Los Platos.
Lucas was surrounded by three Poliwag, being dragged toward Thunder Lake.
Perhaps because of excitement, the Poliwag were a bit rough. With no arms and mouths too thick to grip Lucas's clothes, they could only push his waist with their heads to move him forward.
"Ow, ow, stop bumping me! We're going to Thunder Lake, right? I get it, so stop pushing!"
Rubbing his sore waist, Lucas gasped for breath and pleaded.
"Poli—wag!"
The Poliwag exchanged glances, then reluctantly stopped, following Lucas to Thunder Lake, as if afraid he might run away.
When they arrived, Lucas saw Swampert, Poliwhirl, and three Dragonair gathered by the lake, doing who-knows-what.
Standing on the damp ground, Lucas was puzzled.
The weather had been clear for days with no rain—why was the soil still damp? This was far from the lake, so it couldn't be from overflow.
With that question in mind, Lucas, still rubbing his aching waist, approached the gathered Pokémon.
Seeing Lucas, the Pokémon turned to face him. Lucas got straight to the point: "Did you call me for something?"
The Pokémon exchanged glances, and then Swampert pushed forward Poliwhirl, who was grinning with excitement, and encouraged it to speak.
The three Dragonair chimed in with ethereal voices, encouraging Poliwhirl.
The three Poliwag behind Lucas hopped around, cheering for their big brother.
Poliwhirl, touched, patted its cheeks and, eyes shining with determination, stepped forward. Under Lucas's gaze, it raised both arms, stared up at the sky, and called out, "Poli—whirl!"
To Lucas's astonishment, clouds gathered overhead. A breeze swept through the pasture, making the two Sawsbuck who were eating grass lift their heads, but, used to it by now, they lowered their heads and kept eating.
The now more mature Mudsdale glanced at the sky, then calmly walked off to a spot where it wouldn't be affected—it didn't like rain.
Then, a cold drop of water landed on Lucas's nose. As realization dawned, a gentle rain began to fall around Thunder Lake.
Not caring that his clothes and hair were getting soaked, Lucas looked at Poliwhirl in delight. "You learned Rain Dance?"
Poliwhirl blushed and nodded shyly.
"That's wonderful news! Be sure to tell Ceruledge—it'll be so happy for you!" Lucas brushed his wet hair back, revealing his forehead. "Now you can help Dragonair water the crops!"
That was exactly what Poliwhirl wanted to hear. A sense of accomplishment and satisfaction surged in its heart. It had practiced Rain Dance with Dragonair for so long just to make Lucas happy—and to regain its job watering the fields!
Swampert congratulated Poliwhirl with a heavy pat on the shoulder, while the Dragonair flew through the rain to celebrate, and the Poliwag circled around their big brother, praising him.
Watching, Lucas quickly understood what had happened. Apparently, Poliwhirl had trained with Dragonair and finally learned Rain Dance without him knowing.
Not wanting to interrupt their celebration, Lucas muttered, "Looks like it's time to prepare a King's Rock for Poliwhirl. Now that it's learned Rain Dance, it's ready to evolve."