When Arcanine uses Extreme Speed, it can cover enormous distances in a remarkably short time. The place Officer Jenny wanted to take Nova was a small town called Tundra, roughly three hundred kilometres south of Forest City.
The town sat among gently rolling hills, and farther south lay the border between the Forest City and Oakville city. Despite being not too far from Forest City, the land here felt completely different from the desert. The hills were covered in fresh spring growth, green and bright under the morning sun.
Arcanine's pace was something else entirely. In barely half an hour, they had already arrived. When Nova climbed down and caught his breath, he noticed that the Arcanine hadn't so much as panted. It stood calmly beside Officer Jenny, looking for all the world as if it had just taken a short walk around the block rather than blazed across hundreds of kilometres of open terrain. Arcanine! it barked cheerfully, tail sweeping back and forth.
Inside the town itself, using Extreme Speed would have been reckless, so the two of them continued on foot. They followed a narrow road heading south toward the edge of town. Arcanine, clearly recognising where it was, could barely contain itself — it bounded forward, looped back, and nearly knocked over a produce stall before Officer Jenny put a firm hand on the back of its neck.
"Easy," she said, rubbing its broad head firmly. "We're almost there, I know. But settle down — you're going to frighten someone."
Nova caught the key detail in that sentence. Almost there. As in, somewhere familiar.
Sure enough, the road ended at a sprawling property that stretched across several of the low hills — a large breeding facility, fenced in and well kept, with paddocks and pens visible beyond the entrance. It was only when he saw the sign above the gate that Officer Jenny turned to make her introduction.
"Welcome to my home, Nova."
The wooden plaque was old and weathered, but clean and clearly cared for. It read: Jenny Family Kennels.
"So Officer Jenny comes from a family of breeders," Nova said with genuine respect. "That explains a lot."
In a world full of Pokémon, a so-called kennel was no ordinary place. Common animals — the kind you might keep as simple pets — simply couldn't compare with Pokémon. Pokémon had intelligence, personality, and the ability to understand human speech. They could form deep bonds and use powerful moves in battle. As far as Nova had seen since arriving in this world, ordinary dogs had quietly vanished from everyday life, out-competed and out-bonded long ago. He'd seen articles about ordinary cattle being raised for food production, but a plain household dog? Never once.
Officer Jenny pulled out an old-fashioned key, unlocked the gate, and led him inside, explaining as they walked.
"Calling us a proper breeding operation isn't quite right," she said. "The kennel has always been my grandmother's project. My grandfather passed away when I was young, so she's run this place alone ever since. My father grew up and moved on — he works as a researcher now and doesn't come back very often. So it was Grandma who raised me." She paused and smiled faintly. "She always said raising me was easy. She was already raising Pokémon pups, so what was one more?"
Nova listened quietly as they walked the winding path up toward the main buildings.
"I grew up alongside Growlithe and Poochyena," Jenny continued. "I practically thought of myself as part of the pack. It's probably why I ended up joining the Security Force. Working with Pokémon felt natural." She glanced at the hills around them. "I always assumed this place would just... stay. But Grandma's getting older. Running the kennel on her own has become too much."
She paused at a bend in the path.
"This past New Year, she told me she was going to sell the last litter and close the kennel. After that, she planned to move to Forest City and live with me." Officer Jenny's voice was steady, but there was something careful about the way she chose her words. "That was when it hit me — I'm twenty-six, and Grandma is very old. She's not concerned about getting a good price. She just wants to know the pups will go somewhere good."
She folded her arms.
"But I can't just accept that. These Pokémon carry everything Grandma put into this place. Some of them might have the talent to become a real partner for a trainer. I don't want her life's work to end with pups living out quiet, uneventful lives simply because we were too tired to find out what they could become. At the same time, Grandma won't hear of hiring a professional evaluator — partly the cost, and partly because a proper talent assessment takes someone with real experience."
She looked over at him.
"We don't need a full expert evaluation. We just need someone who can tell which of the pups might have something worth developing. When I heard about your ability, I thought you might be able to help. And I'm not asking for nothing in return — you appraise the litter, and you're welcome to take any one of them for yourself."
Nova's first thought was simple: This is excellent.
Honestly, even without any offer of payment, he would have agreed. A glance was all it took for him — effortless. And a kennel that had been running for decades, tended with genuine care until the very end, wasn't going to produce an unremarkable litter.
Talented Pokémon were rare, but they weren't impossible to find when someone had been doing things right for a long time. If there was even one standout among the pups, the chance to take it home would have been worth paying for. He still had a substantial bounty from the desert expedition sitting uncollected. Money could be earned again. An opportunity like this was harder to come by.
The mountain path wound upward past the paddocks and eventually opened onto a broad yard surrounded by a few modest bungalows. It was a simple home, practical and lived-in, the kind of place that had been well used and well loved.
Standing in the yard, holding a long broom and staring at nothing in particular, was a small, white-haired woman bent slightly at the shoulders. She seemed to have forgotten what she was doing mid-sweep.
"What was I just about to do...?" she murmured to herself.
Jenny's expression softened immediately. She crossed the yard in quick strides and wrapped both arms around her grandmother. "Grandma. I've brought a friend. This is Nova."
Nova stepped forward and gave a polite bow. "Hello. It's nice to meet you."
The old woman squinted at him for a moment, then blinked. "What's that? Grass?" She looked genuinely puzzled. "We keep Pokémon here, dear, not Tauros. Though I suppose I could find some kibble if you're hungry."
Jenny let out a laugh before she could stop herself.
Nova stood very still, trying to work out what had just happened.