The once-mighty Buzzwole now looked like a deflated bullfrog, sprawled across the sand, completely unconscious.
Naoki walked over and poked at its massive, twitching muscles, muttering to himself,
"So Ultra Beasts have already started leaking out of Ultra Space this early?"
Beside him, Iono furrowed her brow and glanced toward the beach, where a trembling trainer was holding a Pikachu that had been drained until it resembled nothing more than a flat yellow plush.
"That's awful… Did that Pikachu get killed by this thing?" she asked in concern.
Naoki shook his head as he stood up and took in the scene. The trainer clutched the limp Pikachu in his arms, crying quietly. Naoki explained gently,
"Not quite. Pokémon drained by Ultra Beasts like Buzzwole aren't dead. As long as their energy is restored, they'll bounce back just fine."
He paused for a moment, then rummaged through the backpack slung over his shoulder and pulled out a small glass bottle.
"Here," he said, walking up to the distraught trainer and offering the bottle, "Give your Pikachu this. It's called Life Goat Milk. It'll help it recover."
The man blinked in surprise, staring at the bottle as if someone had handed him a miracle. Gratefully, he uncorked it and carefully poured the milk into Pikachu's mouth.
Moments later, the flattened Pikachu began to puff up, its body slowly regaining its original shape. It blinked groggily and looked around in confusion, its large black eyes still cloudy with fatigue.
"Pika…chu?" it squeaked, dazed.
"Pikachu! Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" the trainer cried, clutching Pikachu tightly to his chest.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu squealed, flailing its little paws against the trainer's chest, clearly squished and gasping for air.
Realizing he was holding on a bit too tightly, the man loosened his grip and gave a sheepish laugh. Then he bowed deeply to Naoki.
"Thank you, thank you so much! I don't know what would've happened without your help!"
Naoki smiled warmly. "Don't mention it. I'm just glad Pikachu's alright."
With that, he turned around and walked back to his family. He knelt next to Elara, who had been watching everything with wide, curious eyes.
"All better now," Naoki said cheerfully, pinching her chubby cheeks.
At that moment, the low hum of an engine drew his attention upward.
A sleek aircraft descended overhead and hovered just above the sand before two figures jumped down from the open hatch. One of them rushed toward the unconscious Buzzwole to assess its condition, while the other approached Naoki and his group.
"Sir!" the man said politely, saluting. "Thank you for your assistance! We're with the Aether Foundation, and we're currently tasked with securing and returning this… Pokémon!"
Naoki nodded slightly. He was already familiar with the Aether Foundation. It had been established by Lusamine, the mother of Lillie, to rescue injured Pokémon and study Ultra Beasts.
Because Ultra Beasts frequently invade the Alola region, the Aether Foundation is also tasked with protecting the region from these dangerous interdimensional entities.
In the anime, Lusamine even formed the Ultra Guardians, a specialized defense team that included Ash and his friends. Their mission was to locate Ultra Beasts that accidentally slipped into the Alola region and safely return them to their own world, preserving peace across the islands.
Naoki, however, didn't intend to get more involved than necessary. With a casual wave of his hand, he handed the defeated Buzzwole over to the Aether Foundation agents, who immediately began preparing it for return to Ultra Space.
After the surprise attack, the family's beach day was more or less over. The mood had shifted, and no one felt like playing anymore.
Instead, they rested for a bit by the shore, then decided to take Iono and the Pokémon into Hau'oli City to try the region's famous treat, Malasadas, at one of the local chain stores.
Meanwhile, at the Aether Paradise…
Lusamine sat at her desk, listening carefully to the field report from her subordinates.
"Chairwoman, reporting in! UB02's wounds have been treated, and it has successfully been returned to Ultra Space!"
"I see," Lusamine replied with a nod, though her thoughts lingered on the earlier report, Buzzwole, one of the most notoriously powerful Ultra Beasts, had been defeated with a single move.
After a brief silence, she asked, "Investigate that trainer's identity for me."
Someone strong enough to dispatch an Ultra Beast so effortlessly might prove valuable. If possible, the Aether Foundation could offer him a generous contract to assist with Ultra Beast containment and defense operations.
"Yes, Chairwoman!" the agent responded at once, then turned and left the room briskly.
Lusamine turned back toward the large monitor in front of her, its screen filled with energy readings and interdimensional data. Her mind churned with strategies on how to strengthen their Ultra Beast response teams.
But just a few minutes later, the lab doors swung open again. The same agent returned, this time looking flustered.
"Back so soon?" Lusamine asked, a bit surprised. "Is there something else?"
"Chairwoman!" the agent said, catching his breath. "I've identified the trainer!"
Lusamine raised an eyebrow. "That fast?"
The man scratched the back of his head and gave a sheepish smile.
"I just ran a quick search online. Turns out he's actually pretty well-known. His name is Naoki. He runs a ranch, and he's quite popular across several trainer forums."
"Naoki…" Lusamine echoed softly, committing the name to memory.
The agent nodded, pulling up a tablet. "A lot of trainers online are talking about his ranch… apparently it's home to some very rare and powerful Pokémon."
"Is that so?"
"I heard he's opened several trial challenges on his ranch. Apparently, only a handful of trainers have managed to pass them. Even some Champion-level trainers couldn't succeed," the man reported, sounding impressed.
He paused, then added, "Also, I found some real estate listings. It looks like he purchased a ranch here in the Alola region. From what I can tell, he's currently on vacation with his family."
The source had come from a local realtor who initially didn't realize the buyer was the well-known ranch owner, Naoki. But once the agent found out, he quickly posted about it online, and word spread.
"The ranch is supposedly located near Paniola Town on Akala Island," the man finished.
Lusamine fell into thoughtful silence for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Understood."
Considering this man's reputation, she knew it would be appropriate and strategic to meet him personally. She intended to extend an invitation with sincerity and proper respect.
After making her decision, another thought crossed her mind. Lusamine turned to her butler and asked softly, "How is Lillie?"
The butler bowed slightly and answered, "The young lady is currently attending the Pokémon School. However… she still avoids direct contact with Pokémon."
Lusamine's eyes dimmed slightly. She already knew this, but hearing it again stung.
Everything had been fine until three years ago, when she took Lillie to Aether Paradise to meet some Pokémon. But something happened that day. Lillie changed. She grew afraid of Pokémon and even lost her memory of that visit.
Despite Lusamine's efforts to investigate what went wrong, she found nothing conclusive.
From that point on, the relationship between mother and daughter had grown strained and distant.
Lusamine had tried many times to bridge that gap, but Lillie continued to keep her distance.
Eventually, her daughter left home altogether and enrolled in the Pokémon School in Hau'oli City.
Now, as those memories resurfaced, Lusamine's heart ached. She made a quiet promise to visit Lillie soon, but first, she had work to complete.
By the time she wrapped up her final meeting for the day, it was already three o'clock in the afternoon. Lusamine glanced at the clock, straightened her coat, and prepared to leave for Akala Island.