Chapter 133: Kitakami and Okidogi, The Delibird's Departure

Little Sha Li stared blankly at the frozen image on her camera screen: every Pokémon beaming with joy, the Dragonites and Hakera soaring through the sky, and in one corner of the photo, the figure of Moltres gliding freely over the wheat fields.

Touching the floral wreath gifted to her by the Comfey atop her head, the corners of Little Sha Li's mouth, previously tightened from nervousness over taking poor photos, involuntarily softened along with the smiles in the picture, curving upward.

This was the first time since falling into a slump that she had captured a photo capable of infecting even her, the photographer, with its emotion; surely, anyone seeing this image brimming with warmth and happiness would find the corners of their mouth involuntarily lifting slightly?

If it's this photo, it's sure to win an award—

Such a thought existed in Little Sha Li's mind for only an instant before she chased it away.

Her sense of morality did not permit her to casually publish or submit another person's photographs.

After dismissing the Pokémon,

"This is a memory card storing the photo data; you can take it to a professional photo studio to have prints made, as the pixel quality of the instant camera I carry isn't very good." After handing the small memory card to Luo Mu, Little Sha Li picked up her camera to access its built-in backup storage, saying, "This is the backup; I will delete it right in front of you now."

"Wait a moment." Seeing Little Sha Li about to delete the backup, Luo Mu restrained his smile and reached out to stop her, asking, "Why are you deleting the backup?"

Little Sha Li paused her actions with a strange expression: "Aren't you living in seclusion on this farm precisely because of Moltres? Otherwise, with your strength, you could easily hold a high position in any League, couldn't you?"

"If the photos I took here were to accidentally leak out, you and your Pokémon might become targets for greedy individuals and evil organizations."

For trainers, these super-rare Dragonites, Hakera, shiny Hakera, and Moltres are creatures everyone flocks to; once exposed, trouble would undoubtedly follow in quick succession.

Although what Little Sha Li said was correct, Luo Mu still waved his hand and said, "Didn't you say you were in a slump? Just now, you smiled at the photo, which shows you are very satisfied with it. Although this is our family portrait, it is also your work as a photographer; you might as well use it to promote yourself."

"As for trouble, perhaps I once hid away for such a reason, but now it is unnecessary, after all, I already have a clear goal."

Luo Mu recalled that night, on the plane to Alola, the fleeting glimpse of the shiny Rayquaza and its awe-inspiring, soul-shaking dominance.

If one doesn't even have the confidence to face such troubles, what talk is there of surpassing the black Rayquaza? Might as well go home and farm!

Little Sha Li looked deeply at Luo Mu for a moment, and ultimately did not press the delete button. Perhaps, keeping this family portrait could bring new motivation to her future career as a photographer.

After their conversation, the relationship between Little Sha Li and Luo Mu had obviously grown much closer. As a friend, before leaving, Little Sha Li discussed her upcoming plans with Luo Mu.

"I plan to head into the wilds of the Paldea region to continue taking photos; I am very interested in some rarely visited scenic spots known as the Ten Views of Paldea."

"After completing my training as a photographer here, I intend to travel to Kitakami; I have heard rumors of a Pokémon there called 'Okidogi,' and I am very interested."

"Kitakami? Okidogi?"

Luo Mu frowned; these were names he had never heard of either. Could they be something only implemented in the DLC?

"You don't even know about Kitakami? But then again, you are from the Paldea region after all."

Covering her mouth in some surprise, Little Sha Li cleared her throat and explained to Luo Mu: "Kitakami is a full twelve hours ahead of the Paldea region, located near the Sinnoh region. There, towering mountains rise, offering a tranquil natural scenery distinct from that of Paldea, and I heard they often hold festivals there!"

"As for Okidogi, I have only heard that it is a very special Pokémon; I will have to investigate its specific identity after I arrive in Kitakami."

Luo Mu nodded to indicate he had heard: "I see, this is the first time I've heard of it."

By this time, the two had already reached the farm gate.

Glancing at the gradually darkening sky, Little Sha Li waved goodbye, saying, "Well, I'm off; let's meet again if we have the chance. If possible, I'll mail you the photos I take in the Paldea region, so just look forward to it~"

"I will certainly look forward to it. Goodbye."

Smiling, Luo Mu waved back; after watching Little Sha Li leave, he turned to glance at the sky, pinching the memory card in his hand and murmuring, "There should still be enough time; I can ride a Dragonite to town to find a photo studio and get the prints developed."

The next morning.

Early in the dawn, Luo Mu got out of bed, and even the few Pokémon on the farm who loved to sleep in forced themselves to endure their drowsiness and crawl out of their warm nests.

All because this morning was the scheduled time for the Delibird to embark on its journey.

After a breakfast specially prepared by Luo Mu using harvested crops, several times more lavish than usual, at the farm gate—just like when the family portrait was taken—all the Pokémon on the farm gathered here to bid farewell to the Delibird.

The Delibird bid farewell to each Pokémon one by one, and under the worried gazes of the Hakera and Dragonites, it patted its chest, indicating that it could now identify weather patterns and had gained experience dealing with various extreme weather conditions, so incidents like before would not happen again.

"Comfey~"

With a sorrowful expression, the Comfey stepped forward and placed a floral wreath it had carefully woven onto the Delibird's head; upon closer inspection, flowers from the antlers of two Meng Ya Lu were also blooming within the wreath.

The Delibird's eyes turned red, and it choked up as it accepted the blessing from the Comfey.

Finally, it was Luo Mu's turn to bid it farewell.

Luo Mu handed the Delibird a small box that looked very sturdy, saying, "Open it and take a look."

The Delibird carefully opened the box, and its contents left it stunned.

A brand-new family portrait photo, a notebook filled with notes, a slip of paper, several boxes of Pokéblocks, and some League currency.

"The photo was rushed out last night by me and the Dragonite at the town studio; the notebook records some precautions for the wilds and also includes many hand-drawn guides of edible wild plants—if you get lost, try identifying them based on the contents."

"The slip of paper has my contact information and the farm's address; if you encounter difficulties, go to the city and seek out Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center I took you to last time; they will be happy to help you."

"Eat the Pokéblocks only in emergencies; with your appetite, one piece can provide you with energy for several days, so be sure to eat them only when there is absolutely no other food to obtain."

(End of Chapter)