Three days later, the LaRousse City expedition team's plane finally left the icy region and headed further north.
Inside the plane, Hayato leaned against the window, staring lifelessly at the snowfields slowly shrinking beneath him.
Three days!
He had spent a full three days searching that snowy mountain!
And yet, even up until the very end, he never once found a trace of the Alolan Vulpix the investigators had spoken of.
He had even tried asking Cramorant for help with the search. But when faced with this request, the bird only stood there dumbly, letting out its goofy, clueless cry.
Hayato: "..."
Piecing everything together, Hayato came to one conclusion:Those investigators must have been mistaken! That mountain definitely had no Alolan Vulpix at all. It was absolutely not his fault.
Having failed to catch the fluffy companion he longed for, Hayato's mood was thoroughly soured.
Not even the upcoming events involving Rayquaza and Deoxys seemed all that exciting to him anymore.
He sat alone by the window, drowning in melancholy.
Brendan and Tory exchanged a glance at this scene, neither daring to disturb him.
The distance from the Arctic Circle to the North Pole wasn't nearly as far as the journey from Hoenn to this place.
Before long, the plane arrived at its destination.
As Hayato reached the cabin door, a world of towering icebergs unfolded before his eyes.
The unyielding permafrost and solid ice of the surface seemed to declare how few human footsteps had ever touched this land.
And yet, contrary to what Hayato imagined, it was not a desolate, lonely place.
Because upon that thick frozen sheet stretched an endless, teeming mass of Spheal families, rolling out like waves to the horizon.
They pushed and jostled one another, cuddling together. Some were playing with companions, some lay flat with their chins pressed to the ice as if resting, while others ran tirelessly beneath the shimmering aurora, never seeming to know exhaustion.
The expedition members disembarked to set up camp. Because of their young age, Brendan and Tory were kept aboard the plane until things were ready.
Hayato, shamelessly taking advantage of this, stayed behind with them, enjoying the air conditioning and snacks indoors.
Before long, camp was complete.
The three moved into the encampment and gathered by the fire for warmth.
Dr. Lund was also there. When Hayato entered, he overheard them discussing the Pokémon of this region.
"It seems that the only Pokémon still inhabiting this land are Spheal and their kin," one assistant murmured thoughtfully.
Dr. Lund, however, was not surprised. He thought for a moment, then nodded as if everything made sense.
"Quite natural. Spheal and its evolution Walrein have large stores of fat in their bodies. That fat is more than enough to sustain them in this environment."
"Notice how, apart from ice and frozen ground, nothing else exists here. Mamoswine, Jynx, and Abomasnow can't find food here. But Walrein can still hunt fish beneath the ice through breathing holes to restore its strength."
By contrast, the previous snowy region still had hardy plants and shrubs that could survive the cold.
Those plants sometimes bore edible berries, which sustained Pokémon like Mamoswine.
After Dr. Lund's explanation, the assistant quickly understood.
Sitting by the fire for a while, Hayato's body finally began to thaw.
But without anything fluffy to hug, he decided instead to go play with the adorable Spheal.
Brendan and Tory, upon hearing this, immediately insisted on tagging along.
Hayato gladly agreed. The little trio set out once more, wading through the sea of Spheal rolling all around them.
Just then, Tory suddenly cried out: "A Pokémon I've never seen before!"
Hayato turned, following his gaze—only to spot, atop a distant ice cliff, a small blue figure resembling a penguin.
That was… one of the Sinnoh region's Starter Pokémon—Piplup!
OMG! A rare Starter!
Hayato instantly felt the urge to catch it. But the next second, the Piplup leapt gracefully into the ocean below the cliff.
By the time the three reached the spot, the little penguin had already vanished into the waves.
"It's gone…" Tory murmured.
As Professor Birch's son, Brendan knew some things about Sinnoh's Starters. Staring at the calm, icy sea, he said:"That Pokémon was likely a Piplup from the Sinnoh region."
"Piplup?" Tory tilted his head.
Brendan nodded. "A very rare Pokémon."
Having never heard of Piplup, Tory had no concept of its value. He thought for a moment, then asked:"How does it compare to big brother Hayato's Zapdos?"
Hayato: "..."
Brendan: "Of course Zapdos is rarer! That's a Legendary Pokémon said to command lightning itself!"
"Oh!" Tory nodded blankly, enlightened.
Still hoping to see the Piplup again, the three waited there the entire afternoon.
But by nightfall, it never reappeared.
Feeling various shades of disappointment, they had no choice but to return to camp, planning to try their luck again tomorrow.
At dinner, the researchers chatted idly as they ate.
Hayato, half-distracted in his own thoughts, suddenly caught a word that snapped his attention awake: meteor.
Instantly, he perked up.
One researcher was saying: "If I remember correctly, the meteor shower observed before our departure should be happening within the next couple of days, right?"
Another replied eagerly: "That's right! They say if you make a wish on a falling star, it'll come true the very next day!"
…
Far away in the depths of outer space—
A fleet of vessels shaped like meteors soared neatly through the endless void.
Inside the lead "meteor ship," a Clefairy gazed out with sparkling eyes at the blue planet now entering view.
They were almost there!
The rich, fertile land flowing with milk and honey!
"Clefairy!"
The Clefairy cried out happily. From who knows where, it pulled out a photograph.
In the picture, they stood together with a certain very, very special human.
That human had repaired their spaceship, allowing them to return safely to their homeworld.
And now, they had brought along the "gift" that human liked most, returning to visit them once more!
But just then, another Clefairy suddenly let out a startled cry: "Clefairy!" (There's something strange over there!)
Turning, the first Clefairy saw it too—a bizarre meteor, patterned with rainbow-colored veins, drifting alongside their fleet toward the planet.
From within that meteor, an immense power seemed to stir.
"Clefairy…"
The Clefairy stared, wide-eyed, their cries echoing as they tilted their heads up at the sight outside.
At that very moment, the being inside the strange meteor became aware of the little creatures nearby.
It turned slightly, its gaze piercing countless layers of space—meeting the Clefairies' eyes directly.
(End of Chapter)