On hearing the name Kitakami, Lucas blinked. The last time he'd heard of it was from Perrin, the photographer who'd taken his family photo and who had connections to the old Hisui region.
Perrin had said she'd head to Kitakami, on the other side of the world, to investigate a Pokémon called "Bloodmoon" after her Paldea trip.
During her Paldea travels, she'd send him postcard-like photos—mostly of Paldea's culture and landscapes. According to Oranguru's records, she'd seen all ten of Paldea's scenic wonders.
But lately, he'd received fewer photos. Was she too busy in Kitakami, or had her photography career hit another snag?
He made a mental note to ask about it later, and maybe offer some advice—after all, Perrin had helped him and his Delibird pick a great camera.
Back to the present, Lucas eyed the apple in Sean's hand. Even from a tiny piece, he could tell the apple's quality was superb.
Probably not just due to the variety—Kitakami must have unique cultivation techniques.
He sniffed the faint apple aroma in the air, confirming his guess: the "Ripening" trait.
Maybe Lucas stared too intently, and Sean misunderstood, thinking Lucas was coveting his precious apple. Sean's face twisted in inner conflict.
Honestly, he wanted to befriend Lucas, but the Kitakami apple was so rare—he'd only gotten one, and the rest had gone to the town mayor's family.
He'd already split it with Primeape, and now Lucas wanted a taste?
After a long internal struggle, Sean finally steeled himself and handed Lucas a quarter of the apple.
"Here, take it!"
Lucas: ????
He exchanged glances with Luxray and Dragonite, realizing Sean had misunderstood. But since the offer was so sincere, he accepted.
He would return the favor later with some farm fruit.
"Thanks, then—I'll gladly accept."
With a pained look, Sean handed over the piece. Lucas split it again, giving some to Luxray, Dragonite, and Swampert, who had just returned to move more trees. He tasted the tiny remaining piece himself.
After savoring it, he was even more certain.
Even accounting for differences in geography and climate, the unique flavor and aroma could only be produced by Pokémon with the "Ripening" trait.
Kitakami probably raised a batch of Applin, using their trait to produce these in-demand apples.
Lucas remembered Applin had two evolution lines: Appletun and Flapple—both with, well, less-than-lovely appearances. He couldn't imagine the look on Serperior's face if it saw cute Applin evolve like that.
Lately, Applin seemed more eager to evolve after seeing Vulpix become Ninetales.
Since Kitakami had Applin, they must have the evolution items for it. Compared to searching blindly in Galar, he thought he could buy Tart Apples or Sweet Apples from Kitakami instead.
"If only Applin had a third evolution line that looked better than the other two," Lucas mused, shaking off the unrealistic thought.
What, did Game Freak add a new evolution after his transmigration as a treat?
If Luxray saw that, it'd be furious.
"You wait here, I'll be right back," Lucas told the bewildered Sean, leaving Dragonite to help Swampert, and sped to the warehouse on Luxray.
Seeing how much Sean treasured the apple, Lucas almost felt bad—he ate fruit ripened by Applin all the time.
As compensation, he'd let Sean and Primeape taste some of the farm's special fruit—never sold outside, only for friends and family.
A short while later, Lucas returned with a basket of fruit, handing it to Sean and the now-drooling Primeape.
Sean barely had time to say thanks before Primeape snatched a few bananas and dug in.
Sean, seeing this, joined the scuffle, fighting Primeape for the fruit.
Dragonite and Swampert paused, stunned by the chaos.
Are people outside really living this rough?
But wasn't this just the farm's daily dessert?
"Delicious!" Sean mumbled, cheeks bulging.
Maybe it was the competition, but when tasting the fruit—especially the apples—Sean felt they were just as good, if not better, than the Kitakami apples.
After the chaos died down, Sean, red-faced, thanked Lucas again, quickly tidied up, and drove off.
Lucas, left in the dust, wore a strange expression.
A grown man blushing? Weird.
He shook his head and headed for the mailbox as planned.
Because of the booming milk business, orders now exceeded supply. After allocating shares for the farm's Pokémon and the Corviknight security team, all excess was sold out. Lucas had notified the post office to suspend milk orders, so there was no need to worry about an overflowing mailbox.
Inside were three quiet letters, each different in color and style—clearly from different people and places.
Taking them out, Lucas's expression grew more intrigued as he read the names on the envelopes.
The first was from the three students out treasure hunting. Besides a letter in elegant handwriting (clearly from Eri), there were several photos.
Judging from the architecture, they'd reached Levincia.
The letter described their travels and mentioned that Nemona was about to challenge the Levincia Gym.
If Lucas's sources were right, from this gym on, Nemona's tests would get much tougher—she'd face Gym Leaders at full strength, no more holding back.
It meant that Nemona's strength and potential had caught the Paldea League's attention.
Lucas remembered that, in his own journey, it was his fifth gym, Medali (run by old pal Larry), where he first faced a Gym Leader using their main team.
Even if Larry didn't use his ace, he still brought out his best. Later, from chatting with Geeta, Lucas learned the League had decided to test his limits.
They hadn't expected Lucas to beat Larry and Staraptor so easily with Luxray.
After that, all the Gym Leaders he faced fought at full strength—no mercy.
Still, none could beat him.
Nemona facing a fully powered Gym Leader was a sign—if she passed, the League's true Champion assessment would open to her.
Lucas mentally cheered for Nemona and put the letter back, noting their next destination so he could send her a reply in advance.
The second letter was from Unova.
Orange envelope, Lucas smiled—classic Alder style. The earlier messages must have been from his grandson, Benga.
Opening the envelope, he was hit by a "sunny" aura. The letter paper sparkled in the sunlight, making Lucas's smile freeze—was this Volcarona scale powder? Highly flammable, and a key part of Volcarona's power.
How could Alder risk sprinkling it on letter paper?
Resisting the urge to complain, Lucas read the messy writing.
Just as he thought, Alder had accepted his invitation and would soon visit Paldea.
Volcarona needed only one more secret seasoning to heal. Lucas wanted to witness its rebirth, to see if the "mythical god" lived up to the legends, so he invited Alder to the farm.
"Should I tell Geeta?" Lucas muttered.
Probably not—Alder was coming as a friend, not as a Unova Champion.
He carefully stored Alder's letter, asking Dragonite to cool the area with Ice Beam to prevent spontaneous combustion.
Finally, he opened the last letter.
A blue envelope, with the bold name "Perrin" written on it.
It had been a while since he'd heard from her, but the timing made sense.
Inside were several photos—a trademark of letters from Perrin, a professional photographer. Her carefully selected shots were the best souvenirs.
Through them, Lucas glimpsed a corner of Kitakami.
The whole region matched the snippets he'd seen online—a beautiful, rural countryside nestled at the foot of tall mountains.
Apple Hill, Wistful Fields, Mossfell Confluence, Timeless Woods, Fellhorn Gorge—Perrin's lens had captured them all.
She'd also photographed Kitakami's unique foods—apple pie, apple candy, apple tart, apple stew, and more. There were also treats like mochi, udon, and sushi.
With Perrin's skill, the photos were mouthwatering.
But the last photo stopped Lucas in his tracks.
It was surreal, even eerie.
Night had fallen, the endless forest covered in thick fog that blurred trees and distance alike. Amid the quiet mist, a blood-red moon hung in the sky—not the pure, silver moon, but one stained as if with blood, casting an ominous, bewitching light that made the scene feel strange and oppressive.
Honestly, this photo belonged in a horror movie or game—it was hard to believe it was taken in peaceful Kitakami.
The contrast with the earlier photos was jarring.
Taking a deep breath, Lucas set aside the photo and read the letter.
Sure enough, besides stories and legends from Kitakami (like the "Loyal Three" and "Oni Mountain"), Perrin focused on the being she was tracking—the mysterious "Bloodmoon," a Pokémon of legend.
She invited Lucas to visit if he had time. The local agriculture and the Bloodmoon itself would surely interest him.
After a moment, Lucas picked up the photo again, comparing it to the letter.
"Bloodmoon, huh..."
...
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