Kai frowned slightly as he pushed Kukui's drooling face away—why was he leaning in so much?
His mind drifted to the farm.
How were the Pokémon doing tonight? Would they run into any trouble without him there?
[Host, look outside.]
The system's abrupt message startled Kai.
He instinctively turned toward the window—and in that instant, he found himself locked in a gaze with a pair of majestic golden eyes.
"Am I hallucinating?"
Kai blinked, rubbed his eyes, then looked again.
The golden eyes were still there—staring at him, unblinking, from beyond the airplane window.
His brain short-circuited.
His eyes widened in disbelief, and before he could stop himself, he let out a hushed but genuine expletive.
"Holy sh—"
He had only been thinking about it.
So how had Rayquaza actually shown up!?
WT—◑﹏◐
The Pokémon before him had a sleek, serpentine body, resembling the mythical dragons of ancient legends.
Its entire form was jet-black, with smooth, seamless scales that gleamed like polished obsidian jade.
Flowing across its long body were intricate golden patterns, some forming ring-like shapes that glowed faintly, illuminating the darkness around it like lanterns in the night.
Majestic. Noble. Overwhelming. Unfathomably powerful.
Even words struggled to capture the sheer presence of this Pokémon.
The air itself grew dense and heavy, suffocating under the sheer pressure of its aura.
Just existing in this space was enough for it to reshape the environment itself.
At last, Kai understood.
Why had Paldea's skies been so eerily clear yesterday?
Why had there been not a single cloud in sight?
It wasn't a coincidence.
It was because of this Pokémon.
The Legendary Sky Dragon—Rayquaza.
---
Fortunately, this shiny Rayquaza seemed to have no interest in the aircraft itself.
After briefly locking eyes with Kai, it simply coiled its enormous body, then twisted through the air.
With a single, effortless motion—
It broke the sound barrier, vanishing into the higher reaches of the stratosphere.
[It was merely passing through, hunting down Minior husks.]
The system's explanation was meaningless to Kai.
He sat there, frozen, unable to process what had just happened.
It was only after a long pause that he parted his dry lips and muttered:
"So strong…"
Even after all his growth, even after becoming a Champion-level trainer, the moment he had met Rayquaza's gaze, he had felt it in his bones—
Even if he fought at full power… he would lose.
That realization (┬┬﹏┬┬) hit him like a hammer to the chest.
It was a wake-up call.
A painful one.
Could he protect the farm if a force like this attacked?
No.
There was no hesitation in the answer.
He couldn't.
[Host…]
Sensing Kai's sudden silence, the system hesitated.
Had it made a mistake by telling him to look outside?
After a long moment, Kai finally spoke again.
His voice was low but steady.
"I need to get stronger."
[…What?]
Kai clenched his slightly trembling fist.
Whether it was excitement or fear, he wasn't sure.
But his determination burned brighter than ever.
"Strong enough that no force—no matter how powerful—can threaten my farm or the Pokémon under my protection."
One year ago, Kai had set out as a trainer for a simple reason—
To build a better life for himself.
---
Now, with newfound clarity, Kai set his sights on becoming stronger—not just for himself, but to protect his farm and the Pokémon he cherished.
He would continue climbing toward the peak of being a Pokémon Trainer.
As the airplane's announcement chime rang out, signaling their impending landing, Kukui stretched with a lazy yawn.
"Haah… Mornin'~" he muttered sleepily, his half-lidded eyes shifting toward Kai.
Kai turned to glance at him, then nodded slightly.
"Morning."
It was obvious that Kai hadn't slept a wink.
The dark circles under his eyes were hard to miss.
But for some reason, Kukui noticed something different about him.
It was subtle—an almost imperceptible shift—but no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't quite figure out what had changed.
The two chatted idly as the plane descended smoothly, finally coming to a gentle stop at the jet bridge.
The well-trained flight attendants, all wearing warm smiles, efficiently guided the passengers off the plane.
Kukui and Kai followed the flow of travelers, stepping onto Alolan soil at last.
Then, without warning—
Kukui, dressed in his signature white lab coat, suddenly threw up his arms and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"I'M BACK, ALOLA!!!"
Kai froze.
"…What are you doing?"
He glanced left and right, and sure enough—every single passenger was now staring at them, most with amused smiles.
Not wanting to be associated with the spectacle, Kai quickly covered his face and took a discreet step away.
◑﹏◐
But Kukui wasn't done.
Without missing a beat, he threw an arm around Kai's shoulders, practically dragging him back in as he grinned excitedly.
"C'mon, say it with me! A! Lo! La!"
Kai's entire soul left his body.
The sheer secondhand embarrassment was enough to make his toes curl so hard, he was pretty sure he could dig a three-bedroom apartment into the ground.
But to his surprise—
The surrounding crowd didn't mock or ridicule them.
Instead, many of them—both tourists and locals alike—cheerfully responded with their own bright greetings:
"Alola!"
Kukui beamed.
"See? Everyone in Alola is super friendly!"
He gave Kai a hearty slap on the back, his infectious energy making him seem like a completely different person compared to when he was in Paldea.
"No need to be shy—no one's gonna make fun of you here!"
Kai, unable to withstand Kukui's relentless enthusiasm, finally mumbled under his breath:
"…Alola."
---
Their luggage situation was laughably simple.
Kai only carried a modestly sized backpack, packed with his passport, some medicine, and a few portable rations.
Kukui, on the other hand, had brought nothing extra beyond his usual attire.
With no need to retrieve any suitcases, they left the airport immediately.
They had landed in Hau'oli City, on Melemele Island—Kukui's hometown.
The moment they stepped outside, the difference was palpable.
Alola's bustling tourism was immediately evident—
The streets were alive with vibrant, floral-clad tourists, while the locals, though dressed more modestly, exuded a warm, laid-back atmosphere.
The buildings were festively decorated, as if a celebration was in full swing.
Even just walking through the city, one couldn't help but be swept up in its unique tropical charm.
After taking in the scenery, Kukui led Kai toward Melemele Island's port.
As they approached the docks, preparing to board a ship bound for Ula'ula Island, Kai hesitated.
He turned to Kukui and asked, slightly concerned:
"Are you sure you don't want to stop by home first?"
Kukui simply grinned, flashing his trademark toothy smile.
"Nah, it's fine. A few days won't make a difference."
"I'll swing by after you officially start your training with Tapu Bulu."
Hearing that, Kai decided not to press the matter further.
He nodded in acknowledgment—though, in his heart, he couldn't help but wonder:
Why does Kukui seem even more excited about this than I am?
---
As the two waited to board, a deep, rumbling voice suddenly called out to them.
"You two are looking for Tapu Bulu?"
Both men turned toward the source of the voice.
Standing nearby was a broad-shouldered sailor, his tanned skin marked by years of braving the elements.
The man's muscular frame was as if forged from steel itself.
Kukui exchanged glances with Kai before nodding.
"Yeah, we're heading to Ula'ula Island to find Tapu Bulu."
The sailor crossed his arms, a wry smile forming on his face.
"That's rare. These days, everyone knows that Tapu Bulu is impossible to approach."
He let out a low chuckle before adding:
"The folks in Tapu Village angered it some time ago.
And in its wrath, it completely destroyed the entire village-in-progress."
His tone shifted, becoming more pointed:
"You sure you want to go looking for Tapu Bulu?
I don't know if you two are brave… or just clueless."
Kukui frowned, about to argue, but before he could—
Kai reached out, gently grasping his sleeve to stop him.
Meeting Kukui's confused gaze, Kai shook his head, then leaned in and whispered:
"I don't know what exactly happened, but…
If Tapu Bulu—who normally values peace—chose to lash out, then something humans did must have crossed the line."
"Whatever the truth may be, deep-rooted prejudices won't change just because of a few words."
"What you should be doing isn't arguing, but working toward building a better Alola—one that can erase those biases over time."
Kukui fell silent.
Then, slowly, he clenched his fist and gave a firm nod.
"…You're right."
No further words were exchanged.
But in that moment, Kukui's resolve had only strengthened.
(Chapter End)
---
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