The camera starts up on the familiar dirt road of Jubilife Village, operating under its own power-- though it seems to be playing nice with its owner today.

“It occurs to me that I didn’t actually keep up on documenting Jubilife’s growth as a settlement.” Says the man in question; off to the side, his hand pokes into frame as he turns a palm up in apology.

At the movement, Rotom pivots to look at him, and as it does, it reveals that there are a fair number of people on this portion of the road. One seems to be bartering over salt, out front a small shop, and another inspecting berries on display. Opposite them, a similar negotiation seems to be in progress between a man in a red uniform and an individual stationed to the side of a cart. There’s more happening beyond them, but with the people in the foreground, the details can’t be made out yet.

“It’s a bit funny, actually. The last time I made a recording like this, I’d just finished handing my research off to Professor Laventon. That’s precisely what I was doing today as well, but I suspect that it’s for the last time. I’ll still be in the village for several days, able to answer questions if he has any, but-- ah.” He stops abruptly and laughs to himself, “I’m getting sidetracked. What I mean to demonstrate is how much Jubilife has changed, as there’s been a great deal of development in the time since. When you take the means into account, it’s no small feat-- I’ll have to impress upon Captain Sanqua just how remarkable her Construction Corps’ work is…”

He starts down the dusty path, the Arc Phone hovering behind him, dutifully following what he points out. The housing block seems more active, and as he passes the building next to the store, a familiar face rockets through its interior.

Ingo turns to look as his name is called and Arezu waves him down, her severe lean only possible due to the grip she has on the door. They speak for a moment, and Ingo glances back at Rotom at one point, then nods. The two of them part ways not long after.

There’s a similar-- if much more dignified-- acknowledgment at the next storefront, where one woman is looking over a kimono top and two more are deep in conversation in the main building. The one with the dark, elaborate hairstyle glances up and raises a hand as he passes, which is promptly returned.

He pauses just after moving past, then seems to think better of whatever he’d had in mind.

His compromise is to continue along the path, but explain, “I don’t want to interrupt her work, but it’s only right to finally give Anthe proper credit for how much she’s helped me. My coat was in a sorry state before she repaired it, and she did an absolutely spectacular job. I’ve tried to express my gratitude, but she won’t hear it any longer.”

He wanders past the previously-seen photography studio without commentary, but stops at the gate for an excited exchange with the man standing guard. The sentinel looks surprised for a moment, but then laughs, posture turning slightly embarrassed. He nods, and Ingo practically shouts what must be a thank you, recognizable regardless of the language he speaks.

Tucked away behind the gate’s massive door, a Mr. Mime acts out peering around a wall to watch as he turns and leaves. It earns itself a jaunty wave, and pretends to duck back behind its invisible wall.

As the camera turns to follow, it shows the biggest difference in the village yet: not only are there more Pokemon in the paddock-- and even people inside, interacting with a Bibarel and Luxray among others-- but where there had once been an open field and idle construction equipment now stands a new row of housing.

‘New’ is a somewhat relative term, however, as it’s clear from a glance that these homes have been established for some time, helping their residents lead active lives. It’s first exemplified by the old woman resting in the shade, beneath what must be her Chimecho, then the half-depleted pile of firewood stored in between the eaves to keep dry, and finally the mats laid out in the sun to dry a recent Magikarp catch.

At the block’s end is an empty palette, upon which three children congregate. Their words are indistinct, but their postures would be familiar to anyone with playground experience: one flopped on his back, another kicking his feet and the last sitting with his knees tucked close to his chest. For lack of anything else to do, all three stop to look as Ingo passes by. One of them calls something out, and gets a pointed question in return. He flushes pink and turns his back, doing his utmost to act like nothing just happened.

“Seems he might benefit from some more practice with mud balls before graduating to pokeballs, after all.” He confides to Rotom, amused, as it swoops around to get a different vantage point.

The new perspective highlights the fact that it’s not just one extra row of living space-- this expansion must have come second to the new homes built back to back against the original block. Rotom swishes by to look down the alleyway as they pass it, but there doesn’t seem to be anything of note.

Jubilife’s southern gate is the same as ever, and the Arc Phone pivots again to put the main road on display. It still ends in Galaxy Hall, of course, but people congregate on its either side, going about their day or stopping to talk with neighbors.

Ingo pauses here, and looks down the road, too.

“I feel like there should be more to say about how the village itself has evolved since I first arrived here, but I never idled at this terminal for too terribly long. What little I did was either spent in recovery, cooperating with the Survey Corps or running around chasing Pokemon down. That’s changed somewhat in recent months, but Jubilife was only ever a temporary stop. While it was somewhat more long term than I had expected, that also holds true of Hisui itself.”

He looks off to the side-- toward the fields-- while the Arc Phone is still pointed down the lane. For just a couple of seconds, it refocuses itself, still aimed in the same direction, but centered on the distant peak of Mount Coronet. Its silhouette is crisp against the blue sky, albeit obscured by the clouds slowly passing in front of it. There’s no sign that the rift had ever existed in the first place.

Footsteps sound, and Rotom swings back around to tail its companion.

Again, there’s only a perfunctory glance down the new row of homes. In a small courtyard, there’s a hutch where baskets hang. A small pull-cart sits nearby, idle for the moment, but out of the way, sitting amongst the barrels it likely had a hand in moving.

They quickly move on to the expanded farmland. There are more plots than before, dense with vegetation: rows of cabbage, corn and sweet potatoes, but also a number of less recognizable plants. Ingo hesitates here, and then, in the interest of historical accuracy, slowly works his way past the more exotic flora, listing out names. Some are familiar, like pep-up plant and plump beans, but others aren’t-- the likes of sand radishes and candy truffles.

He comes to a complete halt at a planter full of vibrant leaves.

“I, ah. May have made a mistake in regards to the mint I acquired here.” He confesses, a hand curling around the wooden box they’ve been established in. “I remembered that it was easy to propagate, but I failed to anticipate how prolific it was. It never occurred to me that this planting method was to keep it from spreading, and not to keep it safe from the elements or foragers. The Pokemon and I have tried fighting it back, but I’m afraid Heart’s Home Arena may never be the same.”

“...in my defense, Sneasler did find the offering incredibly amusing-- just not the way I had expected when I introduced it.” He sighs heavily and, shaking his head, continues onward.

While they don’t stop at the bridge, Rotom does take a moment to stabilize itself and look down the waterway before giving chase once more.

The marked boundary of the battlefield they move onto is completely deserted, but the red-roofed building is bustling. Its doors are open, and the Arc Phone briefly catches a glimpse of the red haired woman from before, seemingly in the middle of leading some kind of exercise. While he turns to look, Ingo resumes his pace without saying anything, and it’s only once they’re well past that he comments at all.

“Best not to draw her attention while they’re training. It’s a mistake I don’t intend to repeat.”

Interestingly, instead of making a turn onto the main street again, he continues forward, to a small boulder and the tiny shrine built upon it. Its bamboo roof protects the icon beneath from the weather, but moss is already growing on the stone shape. In front of it rest two pieces of mochi and a fresh lily: an offering.

It seems this stop has only been included in the interest of being thorough, because once it’s been documented, Ingo moves to carry on down the worn path to Galaxy Hall. On the way, he passes a new stall and a lone merchant selling some kind of blue candy, and raises a hand in greeting as he moves by the Wallflower.

The last moments of footage find the frame filled with Galaxy Hall once more, steam rising from its many chimneys.

“I still think I’d like to see what Jubilife becomes,” Ingo says, looking away from the building and to the Arc Phone-- albeit from the corner of his eye, “But knowing the people who made it what it is today, it’s going to be bittersweet. As inspiring as it may be to see the distance it crosses, I’ll always know it as this village first.”

Anticipating the hand that raises toward it, Rotom drifts down and the recording ends.

---

The trainers you passed most recently are:

Commander Kamado

Custom Survey Question: What faction are they from?

Answer: Galaxy Team.

Custom Survey Question: What is their role?

Answer: Head of the Galaxy Team.

Custom Survey Question: What Pokemon do they favor?

Answer: His Snorlax is his ace, but he also uses a Golem, Clefairy, Braviary and, as it turns out, a Heracross. I’m unsure if the Heracross is a new addition, or if he saw some reason to leave it behind when he brought the Security Corps out to the Highlands.

Notes (private): I’d suspected as much, but the stakes at Mount Coronet made him rash. He’s a much more practical battler when he has a calm head… and now that I type that, I’m retroactively concerned.

Captain Zisu

Custom Survey Question: What Pokemon do they favor?

Answer: She trains more than a full party of Pokemon! I’ve battled her team of Ambipom, Honchkrow, Luxray and Zoroark before, and was aware that she had a Lopunny, but when I challenged her today, she only used one of them, and then an entirely different team! The composition was less than ideal, but I suspect that’s in service to seeing that everyone gets proper exercise. As I recall, this second team consisted of the Lopunny I’d seen before, a Rapidash, Steelix, Drifblim and Infernape.

Pokemon Trainer Ress

Custom Survey Question: What Pokemon do they favor?

Answer: As mentioned before, he favors an unevolved Shinx, Starly and Bidoof, all of which have been trained spectacularly. I asked if he might consider adding the village’s Luxray, Staraptor and Bibarel to his roster, and while they’re not completely comfortable in the partnership yet, I believe it’s going to be a successful match.

---

Keep an Eye Out for Aipom!: Hiko from the village had his pack stolen by some Aipom. Coincidentally, you recently discovered a lost travel pack in the Cobalt Coastlands after recovering a stolen item. COMPLETE

Back-Alley Mr. Mime: Andra wants your help again, this time about a Mr. Mime that's behaving suspiciously. COMPLETE

Nostalgia is for a Time: Speak with Adaman about the pressing future.

Nostalgia is for a Place: Speak with Irida about where you’re going from here.