The next morning, Alex and the group flew south from the Fossil Restoration Center over Brooklet Hill beneath clear skies and steady ocean winds. The wetland stretched across the landscape below them in a maze of rivers, ponds, and narrow streams hidden between dense tropical forest. Massive waterfalls crashed down moss-covered cliffs into interconnected lakes below, their constant roar echoing throughout the entire area even from the air. Wooden walkways and narrow trails wound through parts of the wetlands where trainers moved between fishing spots and deeper sections of the trial grounds.
Wild Pokémon were everywhere. Psyduck wandered through the shallows near the riverbanks while groups of Poliwag drifted lazily through calmer waters. Dewpider skimmed silently across the surface of the water beneath overhanging branches, and schools of Seaking moved beneath the larger lakes with enough size to remain visible even from the air. Smaller Surskit darted between floating plants near the edges of the marsh while Feebas lingered near murkier pools thick with algae and mud.
Trainers could be seen battling near the waterways while others fished from the edges of the lakes or explored deeper into the marshes. The air smelled of freshwater, wet earth, and vegetation carried upward by the wind during the flight.
“This is where we completed Lana’s trial and fought a giant Wishiwashi,” Malia said. “It wasn’t too difficult for us since Nohea and I both specialize in Water types, but the battle dragged on for a long time.”
“Yeah,” Nohea agreed. “The Totem Wishiwashi kept using Aqua Ring while calling Alomomola for support. My Milotic spent most of the fight trying to keep Malia’s Gyarados alive with Life Dew while we dealt with the nonstop pressure. Honestly, they probably went easy on us because it was our first trial. Otherwise, we would’ve eventually been overwhelmed by the constant Surfs and repeated calls for help.”
Somewhere deeper within the wetlands, something large shifted beneath the water before disappearing again, scattering nearby wild Pokémon in every direction. Alex noticed it immediately and was able to tell it was the Totem Wishiwashi in Schooling Form given how familiar he was with their shade when under the water.
He had half a mind to give his Wishiwashi the same treatment as Mantine and force them to grow to a similar size, but decided against it after considering the heavy upkeep requirements. Kaia could barely keep Grim, Knight, and Mantine supplied with enough Herba Mystica as it was. It was a shame he couldn’t afford more Titan Pokémon.
Between Brooklet Hill and Paniola Ranch, the group passed over Route 5 for most of the afternoon. The landscape there was more structured than the wetlands, with winding paths cutting through open grasslands, scattered trainer checkpoints, and small clusters of resting spots where travelers and battlers regularly stopped to train or recover. Occasional battles could be seen breaking out along the routes, with trainers calling out Pokémon across patches of tall grass while others moved steadily along the main paths.
By the late afternoon, Alex and the group finally reached Paniola Ranch after nearly a day of flying over Brooklet Hill and Route 5. From the air, the ranch stretched across wide open fields of tall grass and rolling hills divided by wooden fences and dirt roads worn smooth from years of use. Large windmills turned steadily in the distance while herds of Pokémon moved across the pasturelands beneath the supervision of ranch workers preparing to bring them in for the evening.
Thousands of Tauros and Miltank grazed throughout the fields, resting beneath scattered trees as the temperature slowly cooled. Mudsdale hauled supplies between different sections of the ranch while energetic Lycanroc patrolled near the fences in pairs, keeping watch over the perimeter and occasionally scattering wild Pokémon that wandered too close.
As the sun began to set, the group descended toward an open area near the edge of the ranch to rest for the night. Before long, Alex deployed the portable home onto a flat stretch of ground just outside the ranch perimeter, while the others began preparing dinner and settling in for the night after an entire day in the air.
The kids, however, enjoyed their time with their new Pokémon, eager to begin training them.
“Sit!” Lila shouted at her Tyrunt, who refused to budge, content to lie on the grass and simply relax. “Oh, come on! Sit, Tyrunt! Don’t make me sit on you again.”
Tyrunt yawned lazily, then sat up before pouncing on Lila and licking her face.
“Eww!” she shouted in disgust as Tyrunt returned to lying on the grass.
Koa and Kai, meanwhile, were content watching their Tirtouga and Lileep swim in a small pond Gardevoir had created for them, while Micah enjoyed the scenery with his Amaura in peace.
The older kids, however, knew better than to simply start training their Pokémon. It was important to first establish their drive; otherwise, no amount of poking, prodding, or yelling would ever get them to follow along. The first step toward that was to inspire them.
Malia and Nohea released their Water types and began a mock battle, while their Omanyte and Kabuto watched on with excitement. Meanwhile, Alvera had no trouble at all; her Arctovish was the possessive type, so all it took was Alvera asking if it could protect her to convince it to take strength and training seriously.
“Are you planning on initiating them?” Vera asked Alex as they watched over the kids.
“No,” Alex replied, shaking his head. “Alvera was a special case; she was too innocent. She needed the wake-up call. Kai and Micah aren’t the adventurous type, so they won’t need it either. They’re probably content just being at peace with their Pokémon.”
“What about Lila?” Lyra asked. “She’s definitely going to be a bounty hunter, just like her daddy.”
“She understands how dangerous Pokémon are, so she won’t need the same lesson as Alvera. But you’re right, she’ll need to be exposed to humanity’s cruelty so she takes her training seriously.”
“What are you planning?”
“Nothing serious,” Alex replied. “Our next stop is Heahea City, and they have a thriving Underworld network there, so I figured I’d crash a few locations while bringing her along.”
“Aren’t you afraid of traumatizing the poor child?” Kaia asked.
“A bit, but I’m hoping it focuses her energy on a more realistic future, like Alvera.”
“They are quite alike, aren’t they?” Lyra said with a heavy sigh. “Let’s hope she doesn’t get your bloodlust and lose a few screws like Lily and Emma.”
“How are they doing, by the way?” Alex asked. “Do you think they’ll be able to reach Champion rank soon?”
“I think so. Why? What are you planning for them?”
“We’re almost done saving up money for Dale to move to Hoenn, so the next stop would be Sinnoh and Unova. They’ll need branch leaders, and I was thinking of handing it over to them.”
“So soon?”
“Just being prepared. It’ll be good for them to have some direction in their lives.”
“I’ll talk to them about it.”
“Thanks.”
“Dinner’s ready!” Lina shouted, gathering everyone into the house, including the young, eager Pokémon, who were fed Elite ranked meat.
After dinner, everyone turned in early, with anticipation for the ranch tour the following morning evident in the way they settled down and in how quickly they rose with the first light. Each group had their own reasons for looking forward to it. For the adults, it was the promise of premium, Champion ranked milk and steaks. For the teens, it was the novelty of exploring a new place.
The kids, meanwhile, were simply eager to see more Pokémon, tightly hugging their starters and insisting on bringing them along. It was, after all, important to build a strong bond by staying together, no matter how mundane the activity.
“Welcome, everyone, to Paniola Ranch!” a man in cowboy attire announced.
What followed was a horseback-style tour around the entire ranch, riding Mudsdale as they moved through the fields and pastures. Along the way, they watched Tauros and Miltank go about their day, grazing on the grass and moving calmly through the open land. It was exciting at first, but it quickly grew repetitive, as it was largely the same scenery they had seen the day before, just from different angles.
By lunch, everyone was pretty much bored. Fortunately, their meal was anything but, as they were served the best-cooked Champion ranked Tauros steak they had ever had. Even Alex had to admit the meat was simply divine, enough to make him consider arranging regular deliveries.
Unfortunately, even he wasn’t rich enough to sustain that kind of ongoing expense, considering it would cost millions of credits per month. Once was a treat, but paying for it constantly was simply too much. Instead, he opted to buy some milk to bring back for his Pokémon. No doubt they would appreciate the premium quality.
They ended the day with a tour around the Miltank farm, where the milk was specially harvested, while enjoying flavored Champion ranked milkshakes under the afternoon heat. It was a fitting end to a relaxed day spent on vacation.
The following morning, they would take to the skies again, flying over Route 4 before continuing onward toward Heahea City.
