Chapter 231:
Hayashi Kaede moved with lightning speed, grabbing Mew and clamping his hand over its mouth.
Even if this Rayquaza seemed to have a mild temperament, you couldn't just blurt out something like that right in front of it!
Rayquaza seemed almost amused by the audacity. Gazing at the little cat before it, it felt a rare sense of helpless frustration.
At this moment, it would rather go brawl with those two old rivals than stay here another second.
So, it gave Hayashi Kaede one last deep, unreadable look, then turned and shot skyward without a backward glance.
In the blink of an eye, it was gone—vanished beyond the clouds.
"Whew…"
Hayashi Kaede let out a long breath of relief.
Then he turned to Mew's innocent, blinking expression.
He wanted to scold it—but what was the point?
Unlike the rest of them, Mew had probably seen Rayquaza many times before. That familiarity was the only reason it acted so brazenly.
Still, now that Rayquaza was gone, Hayashi Kaede couldn't help a twinge of regret.
Opportunities to meet a Legendary Pokémon like that wouldn't come often.
He didn't even get the chance to increase it's happiness value!
He sighed inwardly.
He couldn't imagine what kind of reward he will get by increasing the happiness value of a Legendary Pokémon.
If only it hadn't appeared so suddenly—he would've at least prepared some dishes to attract Dragon-type Pokémon.
He even thought wistfully, Maybe I could've asked Mewtwo to fetch a meteorite from space.
Nearby, Jirachi was still staring at the sky, looking crestfallen.
"Jirachi…" (It doesn't remember…)
The only possible source of answers about events from a thousand years ago had flown away.
Seeing its downcast expression, Hayashi Kaede walked over and gently hugged it from behind.
"Just because it doesn't remember doesn't mean it didn't happen. You already made your wish back then."
"Jirachi?"
Curled in his arms, Jirachi's eyes shimmered faintly, though the sadness remained.
"We have to look forward" Hayashi Kaede said softly. "Every meeting and every bond—those are precious memories."
He patted Jirachi's head, soothing it with the gentle glow of his Viridian Power.
Then Mew floated over, took Jirachi's hand, and grinned. "Meeew~" (Forget that stingy grouch. I'll take you somewhere new today~)
Jirachi's eyes immediately sparkled. "Okay!"
It loved following Mew—everywhere they went was full of wonder. The world felt vast and endless with Mew leading the way.
"Remember to come back for lunch!" Hayashi Kaede called as the two Mythical Pokémon rose into the sky.
"Jirachi~" (Okay~)
"Meeew~!"
Their voices echoed faintly as they vanished into the distance.
Hayashi Kaede shook his head, smiling helplessly.
When he turned around, everyone else was still frozen, stunned by the Legendary's sudden appearance.
After a long silence, Alolan Vulpix scampered up, its eyes sparkling with excitement. Under Hayashi Kaede's puzzled gaze, it chirped, "Vulpix!" (Was that the super big bad guy!?)
Hayashi Kaede: "???"
He blinked, utterly baffled. "Huh?"
"Vulpix~" (It scared you just now! And it scared Jirachi too! Isn't that the super big bad guy?)
Alolan Vulpix puffed out its chest proudly, as if making a righteous declaration.
"Uh…"
When a Legendary Pokémon drops into your backyard, anyone—even a Champion—would be scared, right?
Before he could explain, Alolan Vulpix had already decided for itself.
"Vulpix~" (That's right! It's the super big bad guy!)
Then it sprinted toward the Eevee squad and began a fiery pre-battle speech.
Phrases like "We've found our opponent!", "It scared our trainer!", and "We need to get stronger to defeat it!" rang through the garden.
Goodra and Blaziken, caught up in the excitement, nodded along.
They, too, wanted to "conquer" Rayquaza.
Hayashi Kaede stood off to the side in silence.
Conquer Rayquaza? Seriously?
He recalled the status panel he'd seen earlier:
[Pokémon: Rayquaza]
[Gender: Genderless]
[Ability: Air Lock]
[Potential: Divine]
[IVs: HP (31) Attack (31) Sp. Atk (31) Defense (31) Sp. Def (31) Speed (31)]
[Level: ???]
[Moves: Dragon Ascent, Scary Face, Twister, Air Slash, Crunch, Dragon Dance, Extreme Speed, Dragon Pulse, Rest…]
[Happiness Value: 10 (Don't be angry, don't be angry…)]
[Friendship: 0 (It doesn't know you.)]
"Gardevoir~…" (Isn't that a bit dangerous?) Gardevoir murmured beside him.
"It's fine," Hayashi Kaede replied, shaking his head.
Earlier, Mew had literally talked about riding Rayquaza.
Its Friendship value hadn't even dropped into the negatives—that alone showed the Legendary wasn't easily provoked.
"Gardevoir~…" (Alright then.)
Gardevoir gave a small nod and disappeared.
Spurred on by Alolan Vulpix, the rest of the Pokémon—who had just been awestruck minutes ago—were now buzzing with excitement, imagining the glorious battle of defeating Rayquaza and protecting their trainer.
At that moment…
Only one little one remained sensible.
The eldest of the Eevees, little three, tilted its head. "Eevee?" (How are we supposed to defeat it?)
"Eevee…" (It's so big, and we're so small…)
That one line cooled the fiery atmosphere instantly.
The tiny heroes who'd been dreaming of victory quieted down.
Then little five piped up, "Eevee~" (Maybe we just need to evolve!)
Little nine's eyes sparkled.
Evolving would make them stronger!
Their gaze turned expectantly toward Blaziken.
Blaziken quickly waved its claws. "Blaziken…" (Don't look at me—there's no way I can beat that thing.)
Was it crazy? That creature's mouth alone was bigger than its entire body. One gulp and it'd be gone.
So the "evolve to defeat Rayquaza" plan was promptly shelved.
Finally, the little ones exchanged thoughtful glances—then turned their hopeful eyes to Hayashi Kaede.
They might not have a way, but their trainer surely did!
Alolan Vulpix bounded over and rubbed affectionately against his leg.
(○｀3′○): "Vulpix~"
"…Alright, alright," Hayashi Kaede said helplessly. "I'll help you get stronger so you can defeat Rayquaza."
The little ones' fiery ambition burned out as quickly as it had sparked. After a few more excited squeaks, they dashed off to the garden with Goodra.
Hayashi Kaede finally exhaled—and then, a streak of crimson fire tore across the sky above the plantation.