The sailors aboard the White Sea Lion had their own private channels. During their long voyages, they had encountered all sorts of passengers.
Perhaps, through their mouths, one might glean some news about Pokémon Hunters.
Not long after Hayato sent his message, he received a reply from the crew. They assured him they would help inquire about any useful information.
At that moment, Ralts popped out of its Poké Ball, its little face filled with worry as it looked up at him.
Hayato reassured it gently."Don't worry. It's already over."
"Ralts…" Ralts nodded its tiny head. Sensitive to its trainer's emotions, it calmed down once it felt certain that Hayato was truly fine.
"Go back to sleep," Hayato said softly.
"Ral~."
Ralts closed its eyes, but Hayato himself felt no trace of sleepiness.
With Zapdos temporarily absent, his party—aside from Cramorant—was once again reduced to five Pokémon.
That only deepened Hayato's resolve to seek out the Legendary Titans as guardians of his home.
But he knew full well—this was not something to be rushed.
As long as the seal on the Stone Chamber remained intact, the entrances to their ruins would never open.
Of course, there was always the possibility of breaking through by force—perhaps with Cramorant's peculiar power.
The White Sea Lion's crew had already begun searching the Rustboro waters for the small islet cavern that sealed Regice. Hayato believed it wouldn't take long before they had results.
Once it was found, he would first attempt to breach the seal with Cramorant. If brute force failed, then he would return to investigating the Stone Chamber.
In addition, he had also entrusted Steven with the task of searching for ruins during his constant travels for rare stones. In exchange, Hayato promised to provide him with unusual specimens.
For Hayato, the ruins were merely a path to uncovering information about Legendary Pokémon.
But Steven and the crew of the White Sea Lion saw it differently. To them, his obsession bordered on mania—enough to dub him a true "Ruins Maniac."
Hayato, of course, remained blissfully unaware of this reputation.
With the safety of the Ecological Park temporarily secured, his heart eased slightly. Yet at the same time, he found his thoughts drifting toward the next "dungeon scenario."
In Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys, Deoxys had never meant harm. It had merely come to Earth to revive its petrified companion.
Rayquaza did not know this.
To Rayquaza, Deoxys was nothing but an alien invader from beyond the stars, and so it attacked with relentless fury.
In short—it was all a misunderstanding.
If handled properly, Deoxys would not invade LaRousse City in the coming events, and the city's automated defense system would not collapse.
But the exact details… Hayato would only discover once he confirmed the current situation between Deoxys and Rayquaza.
The following morning.
Dr. Lund and his team had finished preparations. Hayato and Brendan boarded the same plane as yesterday, flying north along the longitude line that passed Mt. Chimney.
The plane cruised smoothly through the stratosphere.
For Brendan and Tory, this was their first time leaving home for a land so far away. Neither could contain their excitement.
They pressed eagerly against the windows, marveling at the endless white clouds and deep blue sky."Wow! What a beautiful view!"
In contrast, Hayato appeared utterly calm.
Slouched in his seat, he gazed outside with bored eyes—the very picture of "invincible loneliness."
One of Dr. Lund's assistants, a composed and independent woman named Yuko, noticed. She found the boy rather intriguing.
"I remember… you're not from Littleroot Town, are you?" she asked.
Visitors to LaRousse City always had their identities verified by the Block Bots before receiving transit passes. Curious about the trainer who had captured both Relicanth and Zapdos, Yuko had checked his details.
It had listed him as being from Petalburg City—not Littleroot.
Hearing her question, Hayato glanced over and replied simply,"Yeah. Petalburg City."
That had been the first city he ever reached. The Officer Jenny there had automatically registered him under Petalburg's census, erasing his status as an unregistered drifter.
Yuko smiled warmly."Petalburg's a wonderful city."
Hayato: "…"
So she was praising his "hometown."
But of course, Petalburg wasn't really his home.
Still, it didn't matter."It's not bad," he answered evenly.
Yuko smiled again, letting the matter drop."Get some rest. We still have over ten hours before we reach our destination."
Indeed, ten hours was a long stretch.
With little else to do, Hayato closed his eyes to rest. He had slept poorly the night before, his mind lingering on matters concerning the Ecological Park.
Before long, he drifted off.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already eleven in the morning.
Noticing him awake, Tory whispered,"Big Brother Hayato, you're up?"
"Yeah." Hayato glanced outside. "Where are we now?"
"Just passed Sinnoh. We're halfway there," Dr. Lund himself answered, having wandered over at some point.
The name Sinnoh startled Hayato for a moment.
But he quickly recalled: Sinnoh was the northernmost region of the Pokémon world. Passing it on the way to the Arctic was only natural.
"Well then," Dr. Lund said cheerfully, "why don't you join Tory and Brendan for lunch?"
Hayato's stomach agreed, so he nodded and followed them to the rear cabin's dining area.
There weren't nearly as many people on board as Hayato had expected. Dr. Lund had brought only a bare minimum of observers for the expedition.
In the dining room, people were already chatting excitedly about the "Aurora Veil phenomenon" and the "coming meteor shower."
Hayato ate in silence, listening for details connected to the storyline.
Just then, Brendan suddenly called,"Hey, Hayato!"
"What is it?"
Brendan's gaze had fixed on the camera hanging from his neck."That camera… do you use it to record your travels with Pokémon?"
Hayato froze mid-bite. His expression turned awkward. He lowered his eyes to the camera."Sort of. But most of the time, I use it to photograph wild Pokémon in their natural habitats."
At that, Brendan's eyes lit up. Fascinated by Pokémon already, he nearly dropped his food."Can I see your pictures? Please?"
He had long dreamed of setting out on a journey. But worried about his father, he had promised to wait two more years.
Still, though his body was bound at home, his heart had long since flown free—imagining chance encounters with Pokémon in the wild.
Seeing Brendan's eager face, Hayato found himself at a loss.
If he showed him, wouldn't the whole incident with Rayquaza be exposed?But if he refused, would Brendan think him stingy?
After a moment of hesitation, Hayato shook his head."There's really nothing worth seeing."
"Oh… alright." Brendan's voice carried clear disappointment.
Fortunately, it didn't last long.
By the time the plane touched down on the vast frozen tundra, Brendan was once again the upright, energetic boy he had always been.
The cabin stairs extended, the hatch opened, and a blast of frigid wind swept inside.
"Brrr…" Hayato shivered hard, actually sucking in a breath of icy air.
But Brendan and Tory seemed unaffected, bounding down the steps with excitement. They waved back enthusiastically."Come on, Hayato!"
Hayato: "…"
He exhaled in relief. At least Brendan hadn't dwelled on the camera.
Dr. Lund descended next, just in time to see his son darting off into the distance.
He frowned."Tory! Don't go too far! Be careful!"
"I know, Dad!"
Though it was already evening, the northern lights painted the tundra bright as day.
Beneath their feet stretched a sheet of solid, glassy ice. Overhead shimmered a dazzling aurora. Compared to LaRousse City, this world was utterly alien.
Here lived Pokémon unseen in Hoenn—fluffy, round Spheal; plump Sealeo; and the massive Walrein, their tusks gleaming.
Tory and Brendan had not run too far. Hayato followed close behind, watching as the boys' eyes lit up at the sight of a Spheal family.
"Whoa!"
"It's a Spheal!"
"So cute!"
Their cries of delight never ceased.
Hayato couldn't deny it—even as an adult, the round little Spheal melted his heart.
He reached for his Poké Balls, intending to let his team out to play.
But the moment they emerged, those unused to the Arctic began shivering violently.
"Frax…" Fraxure wheezed, struggling for breath in the cold. It gazed pitifully at its trainer.
Hayato: "…"
He had nearly forgotten Fraxure's weakness to Ice.
"I'm freezing too…"
Even Gengar, wrapped in the scarf Hayato had once bought for it, shivered violently. The Polar chill was nothing like Petalburg's gentle winters. Hugging its round belly, it trembled midair.
"Char…" Charmeleon's tail flame flickered weakly, sapped by the cold.
"Ral…"
"Rade…"
Ralts and Roserade fared no better.
The only one unfazed was Cramorant.
Hayato turned toward it.
Cramorant tilted its head blankly."Gah."
Hayato: "…"
"…Figures."
With no choice, he returned his shivering team to their Poké Balls, left standing alone upon the ice.
Then, from beneath him came a soft, bouncing cry.
"Spheee~ Spheee~"
Looking down, he found a Spheal had rolled up at his feet, staring curiously at the strange creature before it.
"Sphee~."
The little round thing looked delighted. Balancing on its tail flippers, it raised its stubby forelimbs and beat its belly like a drum.
Hayato couldn't help but smile.
He crouched, reaching out to pat its head.
At his touch, Spheal closed its eyes, lowering its body slightly and purring like a kitten.
When he pulled back, it leapt again with joy—only to wobble, topple, and roll backwards like a ball.
"Sphee…"
What an adorable little thing.
By eight that night, the temporary camp was complete.
Hayato returned with Brendan and Tory to find the place filled with computers and instruments.
Yuko was reporting to Dr. Lund.
"…The Aurora Veil phenomenon has officially begun. It's expected to last for a full month. During this time, even more Ice-type Pokémon will gather here on the tundra."
Dr. Lund's eyes shone with excitement."Excellent! This is the greatest fortune of the year!"
It was obvious—this expedition would push the study of Ice-type ecology to a new milestone.
"Truly something to look forward to," Yuko agreed with a smile.
Spotting the three boys, Dr. Lund turned with a grin."Oh yes, you've been told already, haven't you?"
"Huh?" All three blinked in confusion.
"You mean… she didn't tell you?"
He was referring to An, the assistant who had shown them around the research facility. But Hayato hadn't seen her today.
"Perhaps something came up on her end," Yuko suggested.
Dr. Lund waved it off."No matter. I'll tell you myself."
"This time, our purpose is to observe the ecology of Ice-type Pokémon. Everyone must help. So—I've prepared a small task for the three of you."
"What is it, Dad?" Tory's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Dr. Lund produced three cameras from a crate."You will help photograph the Ice-types. What you capture is up to you—them eating, sleeping, or playing. Whoever records the greatest variety will earn a prize I've prepared."
Brendan and Tory's eyes grew bright with excitement.
Hayato, meanwhile, remained perfectly calm.
A game to amuse children—that was all. He cared little for prizes.
But then Dr. Lund withdrew a small pale-green seed.
"…This is a Miracle Seed. When held, it boosts the power of Grass-type moves."
Hayato's eyes flicked toward it.
[ Miracle Seed: A seed infused with life. Boosts Grass-type moves by 20%. Rare. Long-term use refines the purity of Grass-type energy. ]
Not useless. Roserade could certainly benefit from it.
His gaze lingered with clear interest.
Dr. Lund smiled knowingly. He had guessed as much.
Traveling trainers might scoff at things like a Soothe Bell or Silk Scarf… but no one could refuse an item that directly made Pokémon stronger.
Consider it his thanks for the invaluable data Hayato had provided on Relicanth and Zapdos.
As for Brendan and Tory—he had also prepared prizes suited for them. But those would remain secret until the end.
For now—
Dr. Lund held out three insulated winter suits."Go on, then! This task is in your hands!"
"Yes, Professor!" / "Yes, Dad!" Brendan and Tory chorused eagerly.
(End of Chapter)