November 23rd.
The sun shone brightly.
After breakfast, Lin Feng packed a series of kitchen tools into a storage ball and grabbed a small bag.
He informed all his Pokémon that he would be away for a while.
A large group of Pokémon froze in shock.
"Leaving already?"
The Ice-type Ninetales was the first to react, excitement mixed with surprise. "Eeeeee!?"
Where were they going?
It had thought they were just going out to play.
But Lin Feng's next words wiped the excitement from its face.
"Be good. This time, I'm only taking Dragonite and Mewtwo. I have some matters to attend to."
Lin Feng patted Ninetales on the head.
"Eeeee…"
Ninetales clawed at Lin Feng's shoes, clearly upset.
"I don't want to…"
Several Eevee also stared at him blankly, unsure what to make of it.
"Ai-ai?"
The Gardevoir siblings looked equally puzzled.
"This is sudden, I know, but it's better to deal with it sooner rather than later. I want to resolve this before the New Year. For now, I'm entrusting the house to both of you. Can you manage?"
Lin Feng crouched and gently stroked the Gardevoir siblings' faces.
"Can you take care of the house and help Gardevoir manage everything?"
"Ai-ai…"
"Ai-ai…"
The two busybodies were overwhelmed by the gesture, their minds blank as they nodded repeatedly.
"Chamo…"
The Blaziken looked a bit reluctant too, casting Lin Feng a glance and even licking its lips.
"Don't worry. You'll get your share of the food!" Lin Feng said with a smile.
"Nian-nian…"
Gumshoos looked toward Mewtwo, who replied, "Stay at home. Behave yourself."
"Nian-nian…"
Gumshoos felt it was treated unfairly. But for now, it didn't need to stick to Mewtwo.
Sprigatito approached Lin Feng and received a hug before stepping back obediently.
"Yanyan?"
"When will you return?"
Finally, Serperior asked the last question.
Lin Feng held it close. "Maybe soon, maybe in a few days. But I'll definitely be back within seven days."
"The renovation of the new house is done. Once the beds are delivered today, everyone can move in right away."
Lin Feng added one more instruction, then patted an excited Dragonite. "I'm counting on you."
"Woohoo~"
Dragonite let out a long roar toward the sky.
Lin Feng climbed onto its back, and it soared upward.
Below, the Pokémon who had been happily finishing breakfast suddenly looked dejected.
Arcanine's tail drooped as it returned to its post.
Ninetales' nine tails floated, but no longer held their proud stance.
Milotic and Samurott sank into the water.
Sprigatito looked at the day's weather, hopped a few times, and settled atop the nursery to sunbathe, though it occasionally blinked toward the direction Dragonite had flown.
Bounsweet looked at Gardevoir, lips moving but ultimately saying nothing.
Serperior watched Dragonite soar before sliding toward the center of the plantation.
"Eeee…"
Ninetales immediately chased after Serperior.
"Yanyan?"
Serperior turned its head.
"Eeee?"
Listening to Ninetales' confused call, Serperior shook its head and gently brushed its tail along Ninetales. "Yanyan…"
"Eee…"
Ninetales stopped pressing the issue.
It turned and ran to Gardevoir.
This was the first time Lin Feng had not been nearby, and the absence filled Ninetales with unease.
Soon, it found Gardevoir.
"Eeee?"
Seeing Ninetales' slight distress, Gardevoir comforted it. "It will come back. Don't worry."
Ninetales lowered its head and walked into the nursery.
Without Lin Feng, none of them knew what to do for the day.
"Ninetales!"
"Wow! Long time no see! Lin Feng's Ninetales has evolved!"
Even the astonished voices around them didn't catch its attention.
High above the ground.
Why was it so happy?
Sitting on Dragonite's back, Lin Feng noticed the joy radiating from its face and asked.
"Woohoo~"
Dragonite responded gleefully.
Whoosh…
But with the wind so strong, Lin Feng could barely hear it.
He glanced at Mewtwo flying alongside them.
Mewtwo's speed was not slower than Dragonite's.
He wondered how it would compare to Latias.
Deep in thought, Dragonite quickly flew out of the Huadong Alliance territory and over the vast ocean.
Looking down at the sparkling waves, Lin Feng felt a mix of awe and novelty.
Though he had spent eighteen years in the Pokémon world, he had never seen its ocean.
The water gleamed a brilliant blue, reflecting the sky. With his keen eyesight, he could sometimes see fish swimming beneath the surface.
Lin Feng said, "Fly a bit lower…"
"Woohoo~"
Dragonite immediately complied.
As long as the flight altitude wasn't too low, the air currents from Dragonite's wings wouldn't disturb the water.
At that moment, perhaps affected by Dragonite's presence, a large school of fish leaped from the water.
Lin Feng remembered asking Dragonite before. Despite being at the top of the ocean food chain, Dragonite rarely attacked other Pokémon in the sea.
It mostly ate ordinary fish.
As they flew over, some fish reacted late to Dragonite's speed, leaping into the air just as it passed.
"Hey, there are Mantyke," Lin Feng noted, spotting a few among the school.
These Pokémon were friendly. Usually, they weren't scared of passing ships and even swirled around them playfully.
Unfortunately, they had to continue their journey, so there was no time to interact with the Mantyke.
Soon, they passed through the area, and Lin Feng commanded Dragonite to climb higher.
Above the sea, as a group of Lapras came into view, the sunlight brightened, and the rush of wind no longer stung his ears.
Lin Feng realized they were now very close to the Alola region.
After a little while, a massive island appeared before him.
Alola… they had arrived.