Alolan Vulpix—an unusual regional form of Vulpix introduced in Generation VII.
Unlike its Kanto counterpart, which dwells in grasslands and volcanic plains, Alolan Vulpix lives in small groups of two to five on snow-covered mountains where winter never ends, helping and protecting one another in order to survive.
Even though the Sun & Moon anime had aired long ago, Hayato still remembered clearly: Alolan Vulpix was first discovered on Mount Lanakila of Ula'ula Island.
He lifted his gaze toward the vast snowy peak rising before him.
Today's goal was simple—try to capture one of those fluffy Alolan Vulpix and bring it home.
But according to the researchers stationed here, Alolan Vulpix were extremely rare in this region.
Hayato had prepared himself for a long battle of patience.
Before leaving camp that morning, he'd specifically told Dr. Lund and his team that he wouldn't be back for lunch, so they wouldn't worry.
As for the evening…
If he failed to return before nightfall, the temperature of an Arctic night could very well freeze him to death.
Climbing along the narrow trail, Hayato noticed that today the mountain seemed livelier than usual—Pokémon appeared in greater numbers.
Yet, unlike the swarm of Beedrill that had once terrorized him in Petalburg Woods, the Pokémon here were surprisingly friendly. None showed any hostility toward him.
Perhaps it was because the Arctic was so rarely visited by humans.
Watching the playful Smoochum and Snover scamper through the snow like little sprites of winter, Hayato's eyes lit up with warmth.
He quickly pulled out his camera and snapped three shots in succession.
And so, he continued forward—sometimes taking pictures, sometimes scattering food from the feeding boxes Dr. Lund had provided.
Regrettably, he still found no trace of Alolan Vulpix.
By noon, heavy snow began to fall.
Seeing this, Hayato halted his climb. With Gengar's help, he pitched a heat-insulated tent directly in the snowfield.
After brushing the snow from his shoulders, he crawled inside and released Charmeleon. The flame on its tail would serve as a campfire.
"Char!"
The considerate Pokémon was thrilled to be useful. It stretched its blazing tail forward like a torch.
When Hayato met its gaze, Charmeleon was beaming with a wide, earnest smile.
Adorable.
Hayato chuckled, rubbing its head, then dug through his backpack. Pulling out a small kettle, bottled water, and instant noodle packets, he used Charmeleon's tail flame to boil the water.
Cooking instant noodles wasn't difficult—once the water bubbled, he poured in the seasoning packet. Soon the warm tent was filled with the rich, savory aroma of steaming noodles.
"Gulp…"
Charmeleon's eyes locked on the pot, its throat audibly swallowing.
Hayato gave it a speechless look.
"Char… eheh." Charmeleon scratched its head in embarrassment.
"Not going to eat your Pokéblocks?" Hayato gestured toward the container of blocks set in front of it.
Noodles were his food—he couldn't exactly whip up a lavish Pokémon meal here. The blocks were all he had for them.
Charmeleon glanced down at the cold, hard Pokéblocks, then back at the steaming, fragrant noodles. Its face turned pitiful.
"…Fine."
Hayato sighed. Clearly, even Pokémon disliked cold food in winter.
He grabbed another bowl and split the noodles into two portions.
One for Charmeleon, one for himself.
Cradling the bowl in its claws, Charmeleon tilted its head back and slurped furiously. When it gulped down the last mouthful of broth, a look of pure bliss spread across its face.
But then it peeked up again, still unsatisfied, eyes pleading.
"…You win."
Five minutes later.
Charmeleon was happily chugging down a second bowl—this one with Pokéblocks added.
Spicy Pokéblocks as soup seasoning actually works pretty well, Hayato mused, watching it guzzle away.
After eating, Hayato prepared meals for his other Pokémon. By the time everyone had eaten their fill, it was already 1:30 in the afternoon, and the snow outside had yet to cease.
Sitting cross-legged in the tent beside his makeshift "heater" Charmeleon, Hayato unzipped the flap to watch the endless flurry outside.
At first he hadn't thought much of the snowfall. Only later did it strike him—scientifically speaking, the Arctic rarely snowed.
The air there was far too dry for such heavy precipitation.
Which meant… perhaps this wasn't truly the Arctic proper, but rather a region within the Arctic Circle.
The snow didn't stop until nearly 4 p.m., and Hayato had no choice but to spend the whole afternoon inside the tent.
With daylight fading, he could delay no longer. If he didn't head back now, he wouldn't make it to camp before dark.
So he gave up—for now.
When Hayato returned, Brendan and Tory were already sitting by the investigator team's heater.
The moment they spotted him, they called out together:
"Big bro Hayato!"
"How did it go today?" Hayato asked as he sat beside Brendan, stretching his hands toward the fire.
"I got tons of pictures of Dewgong!" Tory announced proudly.
"And I filmed a Swinub evolving into Piloswine!" Brendan added, brimming with excitement.
Smiling at the two, Hayato couldn't help slipping into the tone of someone praising children. "Amazing, both of you."
Just then, Dr. Lund entered the tent with a broad smile. "So, kids, any special finds today?"
"That's a secret!" Tory grinned mischievously. "I'm saving mine for the grand finale!"
"Haha! Then I'll be looking forward to it," Dr. Lund laughed. He was in high spirits—after all, they had gathered plenty of valuable wild Pokémon research data today.
But he hadn't come to speak about that.
Scanning the three of them, Dr. Lund finally announced, "Our expedition team will be leaving this place in three days."
"Huh?"
Hayato froze.
Wait, what about the rest of the storyline?
Not only him—even Brendan and Tory looked reluctant, as if they weren't ready for things to end.
But before they could protest, Dr. Lund's eyes twinkled. "Because in three days, we'll set out for the northernmost point of this planet—an awe-inspiring land made entirely of ice."
Just as Hayato had suspected.
This place was within the Arctic Circle, but not the true pole itself.
He let out a quiet breath of relief. His journey hadn't been in vain.
"Wow! That's amazing!" Tory threw up his hand. "Dad, will there be lots of Pokémon there too?"
Dr. Lund nodded. "Indeed. That land has never been fully explored by humans. In fact, much of this world remains undiscovered—many regions and Pokémon still await us."
His eyes shone with conviction. "But I believe that one day, every corner of this world will bear the footprints of our discovery."
End of Chapter