Grandpa's Manor

Kitakami lay in a remote area south of the Sinnoh Region, separated from it by a stretch of sea. It bordered the southeastern Almia Region and shared a continent with the Kanto and Johto regions.

Surrounded by mountains, it had farmland, apple orchards, and the kind of peaceful scenery big cities lacked.

It had once been known for its fruit industry, but tourism was now its main source of income. Only one road, built in recent years, connected the countryside to the outside world.

Back in the present, Mingyou found himself chased down the road by a pack of Poochyena. He nearly jumped into a field and escaped only after surrendering every snack in his backpack.

Watching them carry off his chips and sausages, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and caught his breath.

No one could expect a fool to exercise every day. His fitness was poor even compared with others his age, and he had always been rather frail.

As for his Pokémon...

If he could pass the Naranja Academy entrance exam, he could get a free Starter Pokémon. But that was wishful thinking.

Buy a Poké Ball and catch one himself? Even more far-fetched. While his parents were alive, they would never have let him, for fear he would do something reckless and get hurt by a Pokémon.

Thinking about it left him feeling miserable. Sometimes he felt it might have been nice to stay a fool—as long as someone had been willing to look after him...

After resting a little longer, he headed toward Verdant Town at the foot of the mountain. From a distance, he spotted a roadside sign reading "Verdant Town, Apple Country," with two Hoothoot dozing atop it.

He passed the sign and entered a town that looked thoroughly modern. Cell towers covered the whole town, the roads were well maintained, and a Flying Taxi was even parked by the roadside.

The houses hardly looked rural. Several Vulpix huddled together under the eaves beside a streetlamp, still asleep after their midday nap, while a Wooper and a Poliwag splashed water at each other in the flowerbed below.

Perhaps the only thing that fit his image of village life was the residents sitting on little stools in the shade outside their homes, waving palm-leaf fans as they chatted.

Thanks to tourism, this remote village had grown into a modern town lined with villas. The older residents still called it "the village," though.

As Mingyou looked around Verdant Town, a bald elderly man in purple clothes and glasses approached him.

His clothes bore a Poké Ball emblem resembling the character for "ogre," a symbol of Kitakami. Its landmark was Oni Mountain. As for why it had such a frightening name, that was tied to local legend...

The old man came up and greeted him. "I'm Yao Qian, the administrator in charge of Kitakami's facilities. Are you..."

"Hello, I'm Mingyou."

Mingyou answered politely.

Yao Qian smiled when he heard the name. "I thought it was you. I figured you'd arrive around now, so I came out to look. You seem a little different from how you sounded on the phone, though. Was your journey all right?"

"It was fine. Thank you for asking."

Mingyou nodded. Another reason he had come was that this man had called every few days, urging him to deal with his grandfather's affairs.

After the introductions, Yao Qian invited him to the Community Center. It stood in the center of Verdant Town, where locals often gathered to enjoy the air-conditioning and chat.

On the way there, Mingyou listened as Yao Qian told him about Kitakami.

Only after they found seats inside did Yao Qian get to the point. His voice turned grave. "The lease on the land your grandfather left you expires in three years. He bought the right to use it in installments..."

"What do you mean?"

"Your grandfather still owed money when he died. We didn't collect it because of his health. If you take over the land, you'll have to repay the debt in his place. Think carefully."

"Hmm..."

Mingyou rubbed his chin. It felt as though Yao Qian was hinting at something. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Could I see the contract first?"

He had only just arrived and did not understand the situation. Still, it concerned his grandfather, even if he barely remembered him.

Kitakami was so far from Paldea, and his parents had been so busy with work, that they had brought him here only occasionally for New Year's. That had been when he was little, and his memories were hazy.

He vaguely recalled a kind, gentle grandfather who made candied apples for him. But the old man had also been stubborn, choosing to live here alone rather than move to Levincia...

"Of course!"

Yao Qian went to the Community Center's front desk, fetched a document, and placed it on the table.

Mingyou read the terms carefully. It was indeed a thirty-year right to use the land.

His grandfather had paid only part of the cost up front and chosen to pay the rest in annual installments. Each payment could be delayed by up to five years.

Once that deadline passed, the land would be repossessed, and the outstanding debt would still have to be paid. Otherwise, legal action would follow...

Yao Qian thought for a moment, then added, "Your grandfather stopped paying two years ago. I heard something happened to your family?"

"Two years..."

Mingyou frowned. His grandfather had left him quite a mess. Even if he owed only a fifth of the price, Mingyou could not afford it now unless he sold the apartment in Levincia.

Seeing his expression, Yao Qian cleared his throat. "Since the old gentleman has passed away and you're his only family, the decision is yours. But I do have a proposal."

"Hm? What proposal?"

Mingyou looked up in confusion. Yao Qian took out another contract, this one for a transfer, and laid it on the table with a smile. "Sign this now and transfer the land to us, and we'll wipe out the entire debt!"

"..."

Now Mingyou understood. They wanted the land, and that was why Yao Qian had sought him out. With Kitakami relying on tourism, a valuable plot like that could be put to other uses.

"So, what do you say?"

Yao Qian waited for his answer.

Mingyou studied the contract and thought it over before looking up. "Could I give you an answer tomorrow? I'd like to see where my grandfather lived first. It's been a long time since I came here."

He was curious about his grandfather. After living here alone for so many years, perhaps the old man had left something for him at home.

Yao Qian had no reason to refuse, so long as Mingyou agreed in the end.

Mingyou nodded and asked where his grandfather had lived. The answer caught him completely off guard.

"That far away?"

He stared in disbelief. As a child, he had never noticed the distance and had assumed his grandfather lived near Verdant Town. But the place was nearly ten kilometers beyond town. Why live so far away?

Fortunately, he had seen a Flying Taxi in town. He could take it there.

After a little more conversation, he said goodbye to Yao Qian, left the Community Center with his backpack, and soon reached the Flying Taxi stop.

The taxis in Kitakami looked much like those in Paldea: helicopters without tail booms or rotors. Only their colors and the company logos on top differed.

There was no driver in the cabin, though. Mingyou called out twice before one came over from a nearby convenience store, carrying a bottle of water.

"Need a ride, kid? Where to?"

"The manor by Wavy Riverbank."

"No problem. Hop in!"

The driver blew the whistle hanging around his neck. Three Noctowl resting in a nearby tree immediately flew down and settled on top of the cabin.

"Hm?"

Mingyou was surprised. Flying Taxis in Paldea were pulled by Squawkabilly. He had never seen Noctowl used before...

He boarded the taxi and listened to the Noctowl flap their wings as the ground fell away. Then he turned to the window to take in the scenery of Kitakami.

But the moment he looked outside, his gaze was seized by Oni Mountain, magnificent and towering into the clouds. It made him feel tiny.

"It's huge..."

While he admired the mountain, the taxi reached its destination. After Mingyou paid, the driver gave him a phone number, saying he could call a Flying Taxi anywhere in Kitakami.

As the taxi flew away, Mingyou looked into his wallet and felt a pang in his chest. "That was expensive... Three times the price of a taxi in Paldea!"

Tourist destinations really knew how to make money that way.

Shaking off the sting, he looked up at the orchard before him. He could see hardly any fruit, and a few Spinarak had spun webs among the trees.

The weeds along the road had not been cleared in ages and stood nearly half a meter tall. Broken branches and scraps of food left by Pokémon were scattered everywhere.

At the far end stood an old three-story villa, conspicuous and alone. Unknown plants covered its walls. It looked as though no one had tended it in a long time.

Curious, he followed the concrete path through the middle, studying his surroundings as lines of information appeared in his mind.

[Apple tree: Though no one cares for it, this tree still bears apples. The fruit is poor quality. Two months until its next harvest.]

"Two months? Then isn't that an apple?"

On a branch of the nearest tree, he spotted an apple hanging from a green stem. He reached up and plucked it.

The apple's stem promptly opened its eyes. The green stem twisted like a tail, as though it were angry.

"Chirp!"

"...Sorry to bother you."

Mingyou quickly hung the Applin back on the tree, and information about it appeared before him.

[Applin: The apple-dwelling Pokémon. It doesn't like you much. Don't bother it unless you have food. A Sweet Apple would be best.]

He had seen plenty of information about Pokémon along the way. Whenever he thought about wanting to know more, a description appeared, usually telling him how to get on their good side.

As for that card that had vanished earlier, he still did not understand his ability...

He made his way through the orchard. Just as he neared the villa, an indescribable stench of rotting food hit him, forcing him back two steps.

Following the smell, he soon found its source. A Pokémon nearly a meter tall lay motionless by the villa door. It had blue fur, a white face and belly, and looked rather like a chinchilla. The stench was coming from it.

"It reeks... Is it still alive?"

Mingyou raised an eyebrow and cautiously approached the differently colored Munchlax. Information about it appeared in his mind.

[Munchlax (Shiny): The Big Eater Pokémon. All it does is eat and sleep, and it wakes only when hungry. Try luring it with food.]

He relaxed when he read that. It was only asleep. Food hidden in its fur had probably rotted without it noticing; Munchlax did have a habit of storing food there.

But why sleep right in front of someone's door? Did the Snorlax family have an inborn habit of blocking the way?

Puzzled, Mingyou stepped over Munchlax and took the key from his bag.

He slipped it into the lock and turned it gently. With a click, the wheels of fate began to turn...