On the second day after Kukui regained consciousness, his strong physique as a "Super Alolan" began to take effect—manifesting in his ability to eat more food and even start walking around.
Once he was able to move, he couldn't resist heading toward the farmland to observe what Kai usually did and whether there was anything he could help with.
During the day, Kai spent most of his time in the fields.
Aside from Kukui's own Pokémon, only a handful of Pokémon regularly roamed the farmland.
Three Eldegoss served as the primary force for soil cultivation, they cultivate land by utilizing the cotton-like substance that it produces. A small pokemon trailed behind them, but it was still too young to contribute much and could only cheer them on from the sidelines.
From time to time, a Pokémon unfamiliar to Kukui—a small puppy Pokémon—played nearby with another one he recognized as Fidough. Meanwhile, the Pokémon overseeing the farm operations was a regal-looking Serperior.
The moment Kukui laid eyes on Serperior, he could tell it was exceptionally strong. But what puzzled him was why, despite having such a powerful Pokémon, Kai still relied on the slow method of letting the Eldegoss cultivate the soil by scattering their cotton-like spores.
Wouldn't it be much more efficient to simply have Serperior use Grassy Terrain?
Kukui mentally noted this and decided to continue observing.
During the breaks between planting, Kai would often gather some of the younger Pokémon to train them.
From this, along with the presence of a few Pokémon that instantly ignited his battling instincts, Kukui concluded that Kai was undoubtedly a skilled Trainer.
Among the Pokémon undergoing training, there was a group of Poliwag practicing their Water Gun under the guidance of a particularly intelligent-looking Poliwhirl.
Each Poliwag had a different Ability—two had Damp, one had Water Absorb, while the Poliwhirl, which hadn't demonstrated either Ability, was likely to have the rare Swift Swim, Kukui deduced.
These Pokémon resided in a lake within the farm, which Kai had casually referred to as "Thunder Lake" during one of their conversations. Kukui hadn't seen the lake himself yet, but the name intrigued him—why was it called "Thunder Lake"?
During breaks, the Eldegoss would also gather around Kai, bringing that small pokemon with them, attentively listening to his lessons. Their half-understanding yet eager expressions were strangely endearing to Kukui.
As for the small puppy Pokémon playing with Fidough, Kai had told him its name—Growlithe.
Kukui had been shocked upon first hearing this. The Growlithe he knew didn't look like that at all!
In Alola, some Officer Jennys were even partnered with Growlithe as police Pokémon.
Unfortunately for his curiosity, Kai had only given him a vague, amused response, avoiding the topic. In the end, Kukui had no choice but to treat this Growlithe as a regional variant—just like Alola's Exeggutor or Raticate.
From what Kukui observed, this Growlithe was exceptionally talented. Occasionally, Kai would invite Lycanroc over to teach it Rock-type moves, leading Kukui to speculate that this Growlithe was likely a Fire/Rock-type.
It was also an incredibly fast learner. According to Kai, Growlithe had been training under Lycanroc for several days now. So far, it had already mastered Smack Down, Rock Tomb, and Stealth Rock.
In Kukui's eyes, this Growlithe had great potential as a battle Pokémon. While its movements were still somewhat immature, its obedience to commands, battle instincts, and sponge-like ability to absorb new knowledge made it no less impressive than his own Incineroar.
Kai seemed to focus on training only a few select Pokémon at a time. When Kukui asked about it, Kai explained that the rest of his unevolved Pokémon had only recently arrived at the farm and still needed time to adjust before starting intensive training.
Kukui wholeheartedly agreed with this approach.
For Pokémon with evolution potential as miraculous as theirs, childhood was often fleeting.
Since his body had yet to fully recover, Kukui could only stay outside for a short while before being escorted back to the wooden three-story farmhouse by the Dragonite Kai had assigned to look after him.
The Pokémon living inside the house were an eye-opening experience for Kukui.
For instance, a small Milcery resided in one of the kitchen cabinets, producing fresh whipped cream. Kukui was fortunate enough to taste it once, and the sweetness and texture were simply divine. He could already imagine how incredible it would be if this cream were used as the filling for a Big Malasada.
After observing the unevolved Pokémon, Kukui's attention shifted to the ones that were clearly Kai's main team.
Through them, he reaffirmed a belief—Kai had undoubtedly been a powerful Trainer in the past.
The Luxray frequently patrolled the farm, acting as if it were guarding its territory. Occasionally, it would enter Kukui's room to check on him, a sign of its strong sense of responsibility.
The Ceruledge, on the other hand, had a passion for cooking. Kukui often saw it holding two different aprons, as if it had a particular fondness for them. Unfortunately, despite his curiosity, he had never had the chance to taste the meals prepared by this Ceruledge.
Occasionally, Ceruledge would engage in sparring matches downstairs with a Swampert that rarely appeared. From the force of their moves and the intensity of their clashes, Kukui could tell they never let their battle skills dull—they remained in top fighting form at all times.
Once he was feeling better, Kukui planned to challenge Kai to a battle himself.
Luxray, Serperior, Ceruledge, Swampert, and Dragonite—these five seemed to make up Kai's main team. As for the last member… Kukui was left both shocked and uncertain.
In the living room on the first floor, curled up near the fireplace, was a slightly plump-looking Pokémon. If Kukui wasn't mistaken, that Pokémon was none other than the legendary flame of a certain Dragon Master's homeland—the embodiment of the sacred fire, Moltres.
It was this very Moltres that confirmed Kukui's suspicions: Kai had to be an incredibly strong Trainer.
After all, it wasn't every day that someone successfully captured a Legendary Pokémon.
Kukui felt grateful for the twist of fate that had brought him to Kai's farm during his journey following his failed challenge against the Kanto League. Here, he had witnessed a different kind of life between Trainers and Pokémon—one where they worked together to build a warm and thriving farm.
Perhaps… he didn't have to limit himself to being just a Trainer.
Maybe there were other ways he could contribute.
Like helping his home, Alola, establish a Pokémon League of its own!
During his recovery, Kukui made another observation. If there was anything a Trainer like him—who had fallen just short of the Elite Four—could offer Kai, it would be that particular thing.
Based on his observations, none of Kai's Grass-type Pokémon knew Grassy Terrain. But just a regular Grassy Terrain wasn't quite enough to be considered a worthy gift.
Fortunately, Kukui happened to know a special method—one unique to Alola—for learning an enhanced version of Grassy Terrain.
If Kai was interested, Kukui wanted to offer this knowledge as a way to repay the man who had saved his life.
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