Paldean Expedition #1

Professor Sada and Professor Turo, the two most prominent Pokémon researchers in the Paldea region, recently got into contact with me to request that I visit a remote and snowy corner of their homeland known as Glaseado. The offer came as a surprise to myself and the other faculty members of Wyndon University, as the relationship between the scientific communities of Paldea and Galar has been strained for over a decade. 

Therefore this trip is, in part, a research expedition but also an attempt to rekindle relations between the Paldea region and the Galar region. I will be the first Galarian scientist to visit Paldea in almost fifteen years so the opportunity is both an honour and a sincere privilege. 

The letter of invitation from the two professors spoke of their fondness for my expeditionary work and also gave ample warning of the extreme coldness of the mountains of Glaseado, which would be where I would be spending the majority of my time once all the diplomatic formalities were taken care of. 

With this in mind, I brought only my partner PokèmonVulpix along with me on the journey, given its affinity with the frozen climes we would soon be experiencing. Vulpix was almost vibrating with excitement as we got on the plane to the Paldea region. It had been a few months since last we took a long journey like this and I could sense that my Pokémon was feeling the same yearning for exploration that I was! 

When we touched down on Paldean soil, we were greeted by a driver who informed us that Professors Sada and Turo had requested that we meet directly at Glaseado. The drive took about an hour and travelling across Paldea felt like taking a journey through every season at once. We passed through Levincia; a city bustling with the energy of spring. Then we drove through the sunny  Mesagoza at the centre of the region. The final leg of the drive saw us pass through a small town called Artazon, in which the sprawling farmland dotted by churning windmills evoked a feeling of the soothing autumnal. When we finally arrived in Glaseado, the grassy plains were replaced by snowy mountains that loomed over the horizon endlessly. 

As soon as we stepped out of the car, Vulpix bounded off into the snow, barely containing its excited squeaks. Meanwhile, I was greeted by the two professors, with whom I exchanged some awkward pleasantries before getting straight into business. Sada and Turo explained to me that a company of miners had recently dug into a huge and unexplored cave network that had, until now, been entirely unknown to the scientists and cartographers of the region. 

My task would be to explore this cave system and to document any potentially dangerous Pokémon living inside. After a long night spent hammering out the details with the professors, I settled into my Paldean lodgings and prepared myself for the expedition to come. 

- Dr Tom, Paldean Expedition #1