What Are Photographs For? (Please keep reading!!!)

Chen Yan stood on the cliff, camera in hand, watching Ho-Oh disappear into the sunset.

Gengar floated beside him with Kakuna in its arms, while Glameow sat perched on a nearby rock.

As Ho-Oh flew farther and farther away between the sunset and the rainbow, Chen Yan drew his gaze back.

He raised his camera and scrolled through the photos.

Curious, Gengar floated over and pressed against Chen Yan to look at the photos on the camera with him.

There was one photo of Ho-Oh after another, distant shots, close-ups-almost everything he could want.

"Gengar, did you know? They say people and Pokémon who see Ho-Oh will be happy for the rest of their lives."

"Gengar?"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I'll send the video back to Grandmother, then mail her the photos too, so we can share our happiness with her."

"Gengar-"

Yay.

Chen Yan was still looking through the photos when a glimmer from a tree caught Gengar's eye. It glanced at Chen Yan, then floated over.

The reason Chen Yan had managed to take so many photos of Ho-Oh was that he had shouted to it just as it was about to fly away. To his surprise, Ho-Oh had actually stopped and waited for him.

So Chen Yan had climbed onto the cliff, looked up at Ho-Oh in the sky, and exchanged a few words with it. After he took a few photos, Ho-Oh left.

"Ho-Oh was pretty easy to talk to," Chen Yan said to Glameow beside him as he looked through the photos.

"Meow."

It's so beautiful.

"You're beautiful too. In my eyes, you're every bit as beautiful as it is."

Glameow looked up at Chen Yan, who was still looking at the photos, and blinked without saying anything.

Very pleased with his photos, Chen Yan put away his camera and rubbed his legs.

Never mind this life-he had never run with such excitement even in his previous life. Now both his legs felt as heavy as lead.

He had just found somewhere to sit when Gengar floated over with Kakuna in its arms.

"Gengar-"

Take a look at this.

Chen Yan turned and noticed that Gengar was holding a feather glowing with rainbow light.

"This is..."

Chen Yan reached out to take the feather, and the system's text suddenly popped up.

[Ho-Oh's Feather: A rainbow-colored feather shed by Ho-Oh. It seems capable of bringing good luck to whoever carries it?]

[Fortune: Something special may happen under certain circumstances.]

[Ho-Oh, the rainbow bird of good fortune: How could an excellent photographer come to this world without seeking out a true photographer? Congratulations! Not only did you meet it, you also photographed it. As the embodiment of happiness, it has granted you its blessing.]

[Fire and Flying affinity: This is Ho-Oh's blessing to you. As a photographer, you certainly cannot frighten the Pokémon you photograph. From today onward, you will gain the affinity of Fire-type and Flying-type Pokémon when photographing them, with an affinity level above 90.]

[Congratulations! You have photographed a true Legendary Pokémon and earned 1,500 View Count.]

Chen Yan blinked at the rainbow feather before him, his thoughts racing.

Isn't this basically a lucky die?

Fire and Flying affinity? Wouldn't that make me even better at what I do?

Shiny Fearow! You really are the Pokémon world's number one photographer!

I love this blessing!

And that last one-1,500 View Count!

Good grief... how much did Shiny Suicune give me again?

Just a few hundred View Count...

Shiny Fearow gave me this much?!

As expected of a top-tier legendary!

[Publishing its photos or video will earn you an additional 1,000 View Count.]

Chen Yan: !

I swear, you're the best system in the world! Bar none!

"Gengar?"

Gengar's voice pulled Chen Yan out of his thoughts. He looked over and found Gengar watching him curiously.

He reached out and tugged Gengar's cheek. "This is Ho-Oh's Feather. It's very rare. They say people or Pokémon who carry it will have good luck."

"Gengar..."

Oh...

Chen Yan smiled at its reaction. "You might even find lots of snacks lying around."

Gengar: ?!!

Gengar stared intently at the feather in Chen Yan's hand. Chen Yan shook his head, took out an unused box, carefully placed the feather inside, and handed it to Gengar.

Gengar accepted it with an utterly solemn expression.

From now on, this is my second-most important possession!

(◦`~´◦)

Chen Yan glanced at the sky and said, "We're tired today. Let's rest here for the night and head out tomorrow."

"We seem to have strayed a long way off our route. We'll need to get up early tomorrow and get moving, or we might not make it to Lake Verity."

"Gengar-"

"Meow~"

[Blinking]

At Professor Rowan's laboratory, after dinner.

Professor Rowan passed beneath a tree, stopped, and looked up at Snivy sitting in its branches. As always, it sat high above the ground, gazing into the distance.

Today, it was no longer looking in its usual direction.

Nor was it looking toward Twinleaf Town.

Professor Rowan followed its gaze and realized it was staring toward Lake Verity.

Watching the lost-in-thought Snivy, Professor Rowan spoke softly.

"Snivy."

Snivy came to its senses and looked down at Professor Rowan.

"Go."

Snivy looked thoroughly puzzled.

"You've already helped us a great deal. Our research is nearly finished," Professor Rowan said.

"Don't leave yourself with any regrets. Perhaps he needs you more than we do."

Snivy said nothing, only stared at Professor Rowan. After a long while, it stood and swiftly disappeared from his sight.

Watching Snivy vanish, Professor Rowan gave a heartfelt chuckle.

Pokémon...

They really were such simple creatures...

Just because Professor Juniper had taken it in, it had kept helping with their work to repay her kindness...

But if it was Chen Yan...

Perhaps he really would be a good person for Snivy to go to.

Twinleaf Town.

Officer Jenny took a parcel from the mail carrier, checked the address, then mounted Arcanine and headed out of Twinleaf Town.

"Grandmother," Officer Jenny called as she entered the yard with Arcanine, greeting Grandmother, who was sitting on the porch.

"Xiao Yi, you're here?" Grandmother put down her needlework and looked at Officer Jenny with a smile.

"Yes, I came to see you, and to bring you the mail Chen Yan sent back."

"Chen Yan sent something?"

"Right here."

Officer Jenny took the box off Arcanine's back and handed it to Dragonite. Dragonite carried it to the porch, set it beside Grandmother's feet, and slit the tape with a claw.

Growlithe also ran in from the yard. It seemed to have heard Chen Yan's name and thought he had come home.

After looking around and finding neither Chen Yan nor Gengar, it lowered its head in disappointment.

Seeing its child looking unhappy, Arcanine leaned over and gently nuzzled it.

"Growlithe, look. He sent something back for you."

"Awooo~"

Growlithe came to Grandmother's side and panted with its tongue out as it looked at the flying disc in her hands.

Dragonite took the disc and led Growlithe to the backyard to play.

Looking at the pile of things Chen Yan had sent, Grandmother couldn't stop smiling. "That boy. I gave him money for his travels, and he went and spent it all buying things for me."

"As he should." Officer Jenny sat beside Grandmother, glanced at the half-finished scarf on the table, and asked curiously:

"Grandmother, are you knitting that scarf for him?"

Grandmother put the things back in the box and nodded.

"Yes. That boy probably has no idea how cold winter gets here in the Sinnoh Region."

"Isn't it a little early? It's only summer."

"Not early anymore..." Grandmother murmured.

"What?"

"Nothing. When you get old, you tend to mutter to yourself. Oh, right, he sent this back for you."

Officer Jenny took the photo album from Grandmother, opened it, and looked through a few pages before smiling. "Looks like that boy hasn't forgotten our promise."

"Hahaha! He values his promises more than anything."

"He does. Well, Grandmother, now that I've delivered everything, I'll be off. There's been a lot going on in Twinleaf Town lately. We've been seeing more and more signs of Pokémon hunter activity. Be careful when you're on your own, and call me if anything happens."

"All right. Thank you for your trouble."

"Oh, don't mention it."

Taking the photo album with her, Officer Jenny rode Arcanine out of Grandmother's yard.

Grandmother went back to knitting the scarf.

Late that night.

Grandmother sat on her bed, turning the pages of the photo album and studying each photo carefully.

Growlithe lay fast asleep at her feet.

Dragonite stood in the doorway.

"Glameow?" Grandmother chuckled when she saw a photo of the sleeping Glameow.

"Dragonite, what do you think..."

Dragonite stood with its arms folded, watching Grandmother, occasionally nodding or shaking its head. It seemed afraid that making a sound would disturb this hard-won happiness.

Grandmother finished looking through the album and closed it. Dragonite took it from her and carefully placed it in a drawer.

Grandmother took the picture frame Chen Yan had sent and placed it on the table in her room.

The table was crowded with picture frames.

Many had lost their color.

Grandmother gently brushed her hand over those faded frames.

There was one of a girl holding a Pokémon Egg, one of a girl with Hatterene on her head, one of a girl and a boy cradling Dratini in their arms...

At last, her hand stopped before one frame.

It had been winter. A girl with a scarf around her neck smiled sweetly at the camera, with a boy sporting a buzz cut standing beside her.

Behind them, the silhouettes of several imposing Pokémon were faintly visible...

But the photo was so old that it was impossible to tell what Pokémon they were...

"Photographs..." Grandmother murmured softly.

"What are photographs really for..."

"Good night, old man."

Grandmother gently brushed her thumb over the buzz-cut boy's face and spoke with a smile.

Dragonite quietly turned off the light, stepped out, and closed the door.

Only Growlithe's snores remained in the room.