Serperior's intervention was nothing short of a lifesaver, preventing Braviary and the unconscious man from crashing into the ground and turning into a mess of broken bones and bruises.
Kai, still on Dragonite's back, quickly descended and leapt off as soon as they landed. He rushed toward the pair, whom Serperior had skillfully rescued.
Braviary's muscles twitched involuntarily—clear signs of extreme fatigue. It must have been pushing itself to the absolute limit, flying on nothing but sheer willpower.
As for the man clutched tightly in Braviary's talons, his condition was actually somewhat better.
He wore a white cap, his tanned skin radiating a healthy bronze. Over his broad shoulders hung a long white lab coat, but his well-defined chest and abs were exposed underneath, giving him a rather rugged appearance.
His complexion, however, was pale. His lips were dry and cracked, and his stomach looked slightly sunken.
Dehydration, hunger, and exhaustion—it was obvious.
Kai sent Serperior back inside the house to fetch the medical kit. Then, crouching beside the unconscious man, he muttered to himself, "He doesn't really look like someone from Paldea… His outfit makes him seem more like a resident of a tropical region. Is he from another region?"
His gaze drifted lower, stopping at the six Poké Balls fastened to the man's belt.
"One of these must belong to Braviary… but the other five are locked." Kai frowned. "So, he's definitely a Trainer."
There was something oddly familiar about this man, but Kai couldn't quite place where he had seen him before.
Serperior returned quickly, bringing not only the medical kit but also a bottle of warm water.
Kai gave the Grass-type an appreciative pat before immediately beginning first aid.
—
"Mm… A strange ceiling?"
Kukui awoke from his deep slumber, his dry eyes slowly adjusting to the wooden ceiling above him.
His mind, sluggish at first, throbbed with a dull ache as it pieced together what had happened.
There was no doubt—he had survived that sudden typhoon.
Before he could even feel relieved at his own luck, his eyes widened in alarm.
If he had been rescued… then what about Braviary? What about his other Pokémon?
A wave of unease surged through Kukui. He tried to force his exhausted body to sit up, but his strength failed him.
Just then, a large hand pressed down on his chest, holding him firmly in place.
Startled, Kukui turned his gaze toward the owner of that powerful grip.
An orange body, a gentle yet unwavering gaze—instantly familiar.
There was no mistaking this Pokémon's identity.
The very Dragonite that had once defeated his own partner—the ace of the Dragon-type Trainer he had battled before.
With a hoarse voice, Kukui murmured, "Dragonite…"
"Bwu."
Hearing its name, Dragonite tilted its head slightly and responded with a soft chuff. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, it shot Kukui a warning look, silently telling him not to move.
After ensuring its message had been received, Dragonite turned around and waddled out of the room.
Though the heavy weight on his chest was gone, Kukui remained still.
Even with the limited information he had, he could already piece together a rough idea of what had happened.
The owner of this house must have saved him.
That Dragonite likely belonged to them.
And if his assumption was correct, then Braviary must have been rescued as well.
Choosing to wait patiently, Kukui didn't have to wait long before his theory was confirmed.
Shortly after Dragonite left, two distinct sets of footsteps approached from outside.
Moments later, the door swung open, and two figures stepped into the room—one of whom was all too familiar to Kukui.
And trailing right behind them, of course, was Dragonite.
The familiar face Kukui recognized was Nurse Joy, who had been brought here by Kai.
As soon as she entered the room, Nurse Joy knelt down with practiced professionalism and began checking Kukui's condition.
After a moment, she let out a sigh of relief and turned to Kai with a smile. "As long as he's awake, there's nothing to worry about. For the next few days, make sure he only eats small portions of liquid food—his digestive system won't be able to handle anything too heavy just yet."
"If there's nothing else, I'll head back to the Pokémon Center."
Kai nodded and expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Nurse Joy. I really appreciate it."
"It's nothing, just part of the job."
With a casual wave of her hand, Nurse Joy strode out of the room with her usual grace.
The two men silently watched her leave. The room remained quiet for a while before Kukui finally broke the silence.
"Did you save me?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah, it was me."
"…How long was I unconscious?"
"I don't know how long you were out before I found you, but since I rescued you, it's been three full days."
In that time, Kai had already made significant progress on sowing his fields.
Kukui's expression shifted to concern as he looked at Kai. "Then… what about Braviary and the others?"
Kai smirked and teased, "Your Pokémon? They're in much better shape than you. Right now, they're helping out on my farm."
Whether it was the Venusaur, the Lucario, or the Incineroar—they were all strong Pokémon and had saved him a lot of trouble.
"Oh, by the way," Kai continued, "five of your Poké Balls were locked, and I was worried that the Pokémon inside might have been injured, just like Braviary. Keeping them inside like that would've only made things worse, so I had someone unlock them. Hope you don't mind."
"Of course not. In fact, I should be thanking you." Kukui shook his head, his face filled with gratitude.
Kai chuckled. "No problem. Your Pokémon have been a huge help these past few days—thanks to them, I managed to speed up my planting quite a bit."
"…Planting?"
Kukui looked Kai up and down before glancing at the Dragonite standing behind him.
Now that he thought about it, this young man had mentioned that this place was a farm, and that he was in the middle of planting crops. But the presence of the Dragonite behind him…
Even just standing there, its aura alone was enough to make Kukui feel its sheer strength.
Among all the Dragonite he had ever encountered, perhaps only that red-haired Dragon Master's could surpass this one.
And yet, a Trainer of this caliber was simply… farming?
Kai didn't pay any attention to Kukui's puzzled expression. He had already formed a theory about the man's identity, but he still asked, "By the way, you don't seem like you're from Paldea. Can you tell me your name and where you're from?"
Kukui blinked before nodding. "Of course. My name is Kukui, and I'm from a wonderful region called Alola."
Just as he expected.
The moment Kai had released those particular Pokémon from their Poké Balls, he had already begun to suspect.
The man he had rescued was likely none other than Professor Kukui from the Alola region.
Kai remained composed and asked, "So, Kukui—what exactly happened to you and Braviary? How did you end up in such a state, all the way out here in the outskirts of Los Platos?"
Kukui's pale face showed a flash of lingering fear as he slowly recounted, "Braviary and I were flying across the ocean when we were caught in a sudden and terrifying typhoon…"
----
Don't forget to drop some Power Stones!💎💎💎
Read more chapters ahead of everyone else on my Patreon
Patreon/ Nyxal