Late that night.
With ever-greater mastery over air currents and flight speed, Dragonite carried Lucas swiftly back to the Paldea region—the farm on the outskirts of Los Platos.
Lucas had tested it with Calyrex; with its current ability, Dragonite's "Hurricane" move was now approaching a true natural disaster—the prototype of an "Ultra Typhoon".
If Dragonite kept growing like this, it might one day be able to create world-spanning storms like Lugia. By then, even Rayquaza's "Air Lock" wouldn't so easily nullify Dragonite's pride in its powers.
Add to that the "Extreme Speed Manual" acquired from the Dragon Clan—Dragonite had already grown far stronger in this single year than before the farm was built.
Thunder Lake's ice was even thicker now. Each day, Dragonite and friends had to break the ice just to get out; tonight, Lucas let Dragonite sleep inside, so as not to disturb Politoed and Dragonair.
After a good night's rest, the next morning arrived.
Having spent several days in Kanto, Lucas had trouble getting used to the cold winter again—he struggled for ages before dragging himself out of bed.
Thankfully, Moltres soon started heating the house.
After washing up and breakfast, Lucas bundled up and opened the door.
A wave of cold air rushed in, making him shiver.
Even the bell-shaped Ogerpon inside, wrapped in blankets, couldn't keep warm—he had to huddle by the fireplace.
But now Ogerpon faced a dilemma.
As a Grass-type, it felt cold when too far, but got too hot if too close to the Sacred Fire in the hearth—truly caught in a bind.
Just then…
Carrying a tray of freshly-baked, steaming cookies, humming as it walked, Alcremie caught Ogerpon's attention.
"Bonnie~"
Ogerpon eyed the adorable, steaming cookies, licking its lips…and then, lightbulb! From under its cloak, it pulled out a fiery red mask and put it on.
Perfect! Now it could sit closer, enjoy the warmth without getting burnt—problem solved!
Triumphant, Ogerpon forgot its mask looked terrifying.
When Gimmighoul wandered by, fresh out of its treasure chest and still drowsy, it looked up and saw a giant red ghost-face staring at it.
"Clang clang clang—!"
"A ghost!!"
…
Elsewhere, Lucas—with Luxray—headed into the snow-covered pasture, where grass was nowhere to be seen.
There were houses for the Pokémon here.
Five Miltank, two Gogoat, Mudsdale and its two Diglett buddies lived here.
With the freezing weather, Lucas wouldn't let them stay outside.
As Hanazawa had said, don't overthink whether wild Miltank had shelters—just take care of your own, ensuring both milk production and their welfare.
Even though Miltank could handle outdoor temperatures, their milk quality could suffer if they weren't kept healthy.
Gogoat (a Grass-type) and Mudsdale (a Ground-type) needed special care for the cold.
The houses had thermostats, keeping the temperature at optimal levels.
Houndoom, when it was patrolling, sometimes stayed overnight.
The barn doors allowed easy Pokémon access—inside, Lucas and Luxray found the Miltank cuddled together, dozing after early-morning milking.
It wasn't laziness—the cows just preferred a bed of hay.
Lucas had prepared warmer pads, but neither Miltank nor Gogoat liked them; in the end, only hay worked.
Still, he had mixed in plenty of warm fur and cotton in secret—they hadn't noticed yet.
Nearby, the two Gogoat were sprawled on the ground. On snowy days, even energetic Gogoat rarely ventured out.
These days, those out and about were Ninetales, Regice, Glastrier, the Sandslash family, and the Abomasnow family.
Seeing everyone at rest, Lucas and Luxray walked quietly into the next house.
Compared to the hay-strewn first house, this one was different.
In the center was a huge mud pit—just as Mudsdale liked, kept warm by the thermostat.
Mudsdale was snoring away in the mud. The Diglett were gone—likely out playing.
They had lived wild on the mountain before being brought in, but Lucas never restricted them—just asked that they not stay out overnight.
A pair of Maushold, also "recruited," had become more and more adept at chores under Oranguru's instruction.
When they evolved, they'd learn "Tidy Up"—no dust, cobwebs, Spikes, Stealth Rock, Sticky Web, or Substitute would stand a chance.
Carefully avoiding the mud pit, not waking Mudsdale, Lucas entered the last house.
Spring, summer, and autumn, Mudsdale was kept busy.
But in winter, aside from supplying Siebold's restaurant and Katy's Pâtisserie with fruits, farmland work was mostly on hold—no major planting until spring, aside from maintenance.
This year, Lucas wanted Mudsdale to have a good rest.
Comfey, Eldegoss, and Politoed deserved the same break.
The last was a single room: perhaps the Miltank, first-time mothers, had handed their Eggs over to Lucas for care, leaving him to it.
Luckily, Hanazawa had provided an in-depth care manual, detailing temperature and every nuance.
Oranguru helped out when Lucas was away; the Eggs were thriving, with Calyrex remarking that the life force inside was robust—a bunch of healthy babies for sure.
Luxray and Lucas entered the room, surveying it.
This wasn't a "bare room" like the others—it was well-decorated.
The floor was insulated from the ground for warmth.
The whole room was kept at 26°C. Eleven labeled tables held 11 incubators, the Eggs floating under special fluid—just like for Growlithe Eggs.
Such attention to detail showed Lucas's dedication.
Since most Eggs here had no mother to incubate them (unlike Sandshrew or Applin), only technology would do.
Luxray settled in to watch as Lucas skillfully removed Eggs, wiped them with a hot towel—three times daily as routine—then returned each to the incubator.
Repeating the process, half an hour passed before he finished his morning care.
Looking at the 11 Eggs, Lucas's eyes were gentle—but, more than anything, filled with anticipation.
He simply couldn't help but wonder what surprises lay in these "blind boxes"—and that's why he worked so hard.
Before leaving, he double-checked every security camera in the room. Seeing they worked, he left with Luxray.
This was just the first job of the morning—many others awaited him.
During all Lucas's farm tasks, Luxray stuck quietly by his side.
If Lucas needed something, Luxray would fetch it instantly if possible.
Unknowingly, noon arrived.
Back in his new kitchen, Lucas started preparing lunch for all the farm's Pokémon—a massive job for dozens, with voracious eaters among them.
Even with Oranguru and Ceruledge helping with prep, and Milcery assisting, Lucas's arms still felt leaden by the end.
He refused to compromise—preferring to make nutritious, delicious food himself instead of simple chow.
As he lay boneless on the soft sofa, enjoying Ogerpon and Tinkatuff's massages, with Eevee sisters kneading his legs, Lucas wondered if it was time to hire a chef.
He wasn't short on money—why work himself to exhaustion?
A human chef would be convenient, but Lucas was uncomfortable having strangers live with him.
For a Pokémon chef, though, he had connections.
Thinking of this, Lucas called over Oranguru from its knitting, shared the idea, and sought its advice.
Oranguru's eyes lit up, and it spoke via telepathy, "Master, you've finally come around!"
Oranguru had long thought, with the farm's ever-increasing revenue (enough to run a small company), there was no need for Lucas to exhaust himself.
It would take time to train someone from scratch.
Why not hire a skilled chef to take over daily meals? If Lucas felt like cooking, they could assist.
Waving its fan, Oranguru pulled a tablet over with psychic power, and, after unlocking it, said eagerly, "I'll ask the headmaster if he knows any good contacts right away!"
"Ah, okay," Lucas replied dumbly, admiring Oranguru's efficiency.
Oranguru was already networking, so Lucas set aside his own ideas about contacting Hanazawa.
…
Afternoon
Not slacking off, Lucas brought rock salt from the salt shed, fresh Moomoo milk, and crates of produce, waiting quietly at the farm gate.
With him were the Eevee sisters, each wrapped in warm scarves knitted by Oranguru, and a warm Larvesta nestled in his arms.
He'd had Dragonite and Dragonair clear the snow from the gate for easy access.
Before long, a car honk announced his visitor's arrival.
A pink pickup parked in the white winter landscape—especially eye-catching.
From the truck, a girl in a thick wool coat and braided wool hat emerged.
"Are you Mr. Lucas?"
She looked about 15 or 16, but radiated calm and confidence.
"That's me," Lucas nodded politely.
"Hi, I'm Sasha—from neighboring Sheep Town."
Sasha smiled and offered her hand.
Lucas shook it politely. "Nurse Joy already mentioned you to me."
"That's great!"
Sasha glanced behind Lucas.
"So these are the goods for trade? Let's load them together!"
She pointed to her pickup's cargo bay.
But Lucas shook his head. "That's just a portion. There's a lot more—your truck can't fit it all."
"Eh!?"
Sasha blinked, not sure what to say.
How much wool was Lucas planning to trade!?
Usually so composed, Sasha panicked a bit. "Th-then, shall we go to Sheep Town and I'll arrange a bigger truck?"
"No need," Lucas replied with a raised eyebrow, pulling out a whistle.
At its piercing note, the sound of wings filled the air, and—right before Sasha's astonished eyes—Steel Corviknight Captain Three Scar and his squad landed before them.