Lin Feng froze for a moment before recognizing the voice.
It belonged to Mallow from the Alola region.
Rotom represented his private phone, and only a handful of people he trusted had its number.
When the call connected, he had been wondering who would contact him at a time like this.
"Alola, Mallow."
Lin Feng greeted her using Alola's traditional greeting.
"Alola, Mr. Lin Feng."
On the other end of the call was a hospital in the Alola region.
Mallow stood outside a hospital room, her emotions in turmoil.
Before they had parted ways, Lin Feng had handed her a blank sheet of paper. The strange gesture had left her feeling uneasy.
In the end, she had convinced her mother to undergo a medical examination.
And after that examination...
The diagnosis had been confirmed.
The doctor had told them that they were fortunate to have come in early. If they had delayed much longer, the chances of successful treatment would have dropped dramatically.
When Mallow heard those words, countless emotions surged through her heart.
Relief.
Gratitude.
Disbelief.
And above all, she remembered what Lin Feng had said to her.
That mysterious man from the Eastern Region had traveled all the way to Alola simply to find Sweet Bamboo's mother.
Soon afterward, however, reality caught up with her.
Although the doctor said her mother had an excellent chance of recovery, there was still a small risk involved.
That lingering uncertainty drove her back to the slip of paper Lin Feng had given her.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally dialed the number.
Yet now that the call had connected, the words refused to come out.
Another wave of complicated emotions washed over her.
After all, the Eastern Region was incredibly far from Alola.
"...Hmm? Did something happen?"
Hearing only silence after her greeting, Lin Feng asked gently.
That simple question shattered the emotional wall Mallow had been desperately holding together.
"My... my mom is sick..."
"Huh?!"
Lin Feng's voice immediately rose with concern.
"Is it serious?"
He could tell from her voice that she was on the verge of breaking down.
In the anime, Mallow was always optimistic and cheerful.
Hearing her like this made Lin Feng worry that the situation might already be beyond saving.
"The doctor said..."
Mallow repeated everything the doctor had told her before stammering,
"He said... there's still a small risk, so... so..."
"So there's still a chance it can't be completely cured?"
Lin Feng paused.
It seemed Mallow had taken his advice to heart and brought her mother in for an examination while the illness was still in its early stages.
At the same time, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
An early-stage illness was actually quite easy to deal with.
The simplest solution would be mailing her a bottle of Peach Wine.
That alone should solve the problem.
The more troublesome option would be traveling there personally, using the Power of Viridian to examine her, and treating the illness directly.
Still, that wasn't difficult for him.
"Thank you.
"Thank you so much for warning me, Mr. Lin Feng..."
Mallow's voice trembled slightly.
"It's nothing."
"I just felt something wasn't quite right back then, so I gave you a reminder."
"Haha, maybe it was simply fate."
"After all, I had my own awkward experiences when I first visited Alola."
Lin Feng chuckled to ease her worries.
Then he added,
"Since there's still some risk, would you like me to come take a look?"
"I'm fairly confident in my medical skills."
"I... I..."
Mallow suddenly didn't know how to respond.
She felt too embarrassed to refuse.
Yet agreeing felt like she would be imposing far too much on him.
"Haha, don't overthink it."
Lin Feng interrupted her kindly.
"I've actually been planning a trip to Alola soon anyway. I have a few things I need to take care of there."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"The winters in the Eastern Region are pretty harsh, while Alola enjoys summer weather all year round."
"So I'm planning to buy a place there and bring my Pokémon over every winter."
He wasn't lying.
The idea had been in his mind for a long time.
Winter meant dormant plants.
Fruit trees stopped growing.
Remaining in the ranch during those months would leave him with very little to do.
It was already May.
There was no reason to wait until October or November to start looking for a property.
If he couldn't find a suitable estate, he might even have to build one himself, along with dealing with countless tedious procedures.
By then, it would probably be too late.
"Alola...
"Thank you so much, Mr. Lin Feng..."
"I... I truly don't know how I could ever repay you."
"Haha."
"Just consider it payment for that wonderful meal you treated me to."
"Th... that's nowhere near enough..."
"In that case..."
"When winter comes, I'll bring all my Pokémon to your restaurant and enjoy a huge feast."
"Deal?"
"I won't keep you any longer."
"I'd better start packing."
Lin Feng accepted her gratitude with a smile, joked lightly to ease the atmosphere, and ended the call.
After the call disconnected, Rotom floated over.
"Master, are we going to Alola?"
"Yes."
"I'm going there to buy a house."
"Please let everyone know."
Lin Feng nodded and asked Rotom to notify the others.
Unless it was an emergency, he didn't want to trouble Giratina.
After all, Giratina ruled the Distortion World.
It wouldn't be right to treat it like a personal express train every time he wanted to travel.
That simply wasn't appropriate.
Before long, all the Pokémon currently at the ranch gathered beside the plantation reservoir after hearing the news.
Alolan Ninetales.
Gardevoir.
Serperior.
And the others.
"Ying?"
The first to speak was Alolan Ninetales.
It had been secretly holding a grudge for quite some time because Lin Feng never seemed to take it along whenever he traveled.
"Ying! Ying!"
(No matter what, you have to take me with you this time!)
It stared at Lin Feng with hopeful eyes.
Yet beneath that anticipation was a trace of fear.
It was afraid he would leave it behind again.
"Haha, alright."
"I'll take you with me."
This trip was practically an adventure, so there was no reason not to bring Alolan Ninetales.
Besides, it was the perfect opportunity for it to return to its homeland for a visit.
"Ying?"
"Ying! Ying!!"
At first, Alolan Ninetales blinked in confusion, wondering if it had misheard him.
But when it saw Lin Feng smiling warmly, it finally realized he meant it.
Its face instantly blossomed into a radiant smile.
Seeing how readily Lin Feng had agreed, the other Pokémon all looked at him with eager, expectant eyes as well.
------------------------------
Love the story? Show your support and unlock early access to new chapters by joining me on Patreon! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.