Chapter 444:
Kaede was taken aback for a moment before he remembered who that voice belonged to.
It was Mallow from the Alola region.
Rotom represented his private line. Aside from a few close acquaintances, he basically never gave the number out.
When the call connected, Kaede had been wondering who it could be at this time.
"It's me. Alola, Mallow," Kaede used the standard Alolan greeting.
"Alola, Mr. Kaede."
On the other end of the line, at a hospital in the Alola region.
Mallow stood outside the hospital room, somewhat flustered. When she parted ways with Kaede back then, he had specifically given her a piece of paper with some strange instructions, which had left her feeling uneasy ever since.
Finally, she couldn't hold back and persuaded her mother to go for a check-up.
And that check-up...
Revealed the illness. The doctor said it was fortunate they came early; any later and the chances of successful treatment would have been much smaller.
When she heard this news, Mallow was momentarily overwhelmed by an indescribable mix of emotions.
Relief, gratitude, all sorts of feelings she couldn't put into words made her think again of Kaede, who had told her those words back then.
That mysterious man who had come all the way from the Eastova region just to find a mother for a Bounsweet.
But she quickly snapped back to reality. Although the doctor said the cure rate was high, there was still a small risk.
That risk made her immediately go find that piece of paper. After hesitating, she still chose to dial this number.
But now, with the words on the tip of her tongue, she felt something she couldn't express.
Because the Eastova region was just so far from Alola.
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Hearing the greeting followed by a long silence, Kaede couldn't help but ask.
And that question shattered Mallow's already fragile emotional defenses at that moment. She murmured, "My mom is sick..."
"Huh!?"
Kaede's tone immediately sharpened a little on his end.
He quickly followed with concern, "Is it serious?"
He could hear that Mallow's emotions were off.
In the anime, Mallow's personality was always quite optimistic. Hearing her like this, Kaede worried that perhaps it was already too late.
"The doctor said..."
Mallow relayed what the doctor had told her, then stammered, "He said there's a little risk, so... so..."
"A little risk that it might not be cured?"
Kaede was momentarily stunned on his end.
Listening to this, it seemed Mallow had taken his words to heart and taken her mother for a check-up, and it was still in the early stages.
At the same time, he also breathed a sigh of relief.
If it was the early stage, it should actually be quite manageable.
The simpler way would be to mail a bottle of Pecha Berry Wine over; that should do the trick.
The more troublesome way would be to go there personally, use his Viridian Power to assess the situation, and treat it directly. Not a big problem.
"Thank you... really, thank you for the reminder, Mr. Kaede..."
Mallow's voice trembled.
"It's no trouble, no trouble. I just noticed something seemed off at the time, so I mentioned it. Hahaha, I guess it was fate, considering how awkward I was back then in Alola," Kaede laughed, comforting her.
He then added, "Since there's a little risk, would you like me to come take a look? I have some confidence in my medical skills."
"This... this..." Hearing this, Mallow was suddenly at a loss for words.
She couldn't bring herself to refuse, but agreeing felt like she'd be imposing too much on Kaede.
"Ha, don't worry about all that. Coincidentally, I was actually thinking about going to Alola soon myself. I have some business there," Kaede directly cut off her hesitation.
"Ah?"
"It's like this. Winters in the Eastova region can get quite cold, but Alola is summer all year round. So I plan to buy a property in Alola and spend the winters there with my Pokémon."
Kaede wasn't lying.
This idea had been in his mind for a long time.
In winter, nothing grows, fruit trees don't bear fruit, and staying at the Breeding House would feel a bit aimless.
It was already May. He couldn't wait until October or November to go house-hunting over there.
What if he couldn't find a good property? He might need to build one himself, and there could be all sorts of complicated procedures. By then, it might be too late.
"Alola... That's... Thank you so much, Mr. Kaede... I... I really don't know how to thank you."
"Alola, haha, consider it payment for the meals back then..."
"This... how can that compare?"
"Alright then, when winter comes, I'll bring my Pokémon to your restaurant for a feast! It's settled then. No more talk, I need to pack."
Kaede accepted the girl's gratitude straightforwardly, even cracking a joke, before hanging up.
After the call ended, Rotom inquired, "Is Master going to Alola?"
"Yes, to buy a house there. Please let everyone know for me," Kaede nodded, entrusting Rotom with informing the others.
If the matter wasn't urgent, Kaede didn't plan to bother Giratina.
After all, it was the ruler of the Distortion World. Making it seem like a Distortion World express service just for him... didn't feel right.
Soon, the Pokémon currently at the Breeding House learned the news and quickly gathered with Kaede by the Reservoir in the plantation.
There was Alolan Ninetales, Gardevoir, Serperior...
"Ninetales?"
The first to ask was naturally Alolan Ninetales. It had a long-standing "grievance" about Kaede never taking it on his trips.
"Ninetales!" (*This time, no matter what, you have to take me!*)
Those were Alolan Ninetales's exact words. It looked at Kaede with anticipation, though a hint of apprehension lingered in its eyes—it was afraid Kaede would leave it behind again this time.
"Alright, alright, I'll take you."
Since this trip was more like a vacation, of course Alolan Ninetales could come. It would also be a chance for it to see its homeland.
"Ninetales? Ninetales!!"
At first, Alolan Ninetales was bewildered, thinking it had misheard. But upon seeing Kaede's smiling face, it immediately knew it was true, and its expression lit up with joy.
Seeing Kaede agree so readily, the other Pokémon couldn't help but look at him with expectant eyes as well.