Bad Weather
Dragonite flew low, gliding steadily through the air as Kai looked up at the stormy sky, still shaken from their close call.
Dark clouds loomed above, crackling with lightning that periodically illuminated half the sky. Raindrops, fat and heavy, began to fall. At this rate, Kai even wondered whether classes at Academy would be canceled tomorrow.
Fortunately, they made it back to the farm just before getting completely drenched. Kai had planned to go inside, boil some water, and take a hot bath with Dragonite and Poliwag.
But before he could step inside, he noticed something unusual—
Instead of immediately seeking shelter from the rain, Luxray, who had likely returned from Thunderclap Lake after sensing the bad weather, was casually walking back toward the farm from outside. Its fur was soaked, and in its jaws, it carried… something.
Kai: "???"
Wait a minute—Luxray's Ability was Guts, not Pickup.
So why did it bring back a pitch-black, unidentifiable mass this time?
Last time, it was Moltres… Could it be Articuno or Zapdos this time?
Quickly opening the door, Kai let Luxray into the house. Shaking off raindrops from its fur, Luxray carefully set down the object before moving to an empty corner, where it finally gave a full-body shake to rid itself of excess water.
The other Pokémon that had taken shelter inside curiously gathered around, eyeing the… creature… that Luxray had brought back.
Judging by the faint rise and fall of its chest, it was still alive. For now, they could at least confirm it was a Pokémon—though its exact species remained uncertain.
From what little could still be discerned, it was clearly a bird Pokémon. Unfortunately, what should have been identifiable plumage had been completely charred black, with some feathers even falling out. Kai, as a Trainer familiar with Electric-types, immediately recognized these as the unmistakable burn marks left by lightning.
Thinking back to the storm still raging outside, Kai quickly pieced together the situation.
Unlike Dragonite, which had keen instincts and plenty of experience navigating storms, this bird must have been flying high in the sky without realizing the danger. It either failed to sense the lightning building up within the clouds or was simply unlucky—struck down by a natural thunderbolt.
Sweeping his gaze across the Pokémon in the room, Kai took stock of his options.
Aside from Swampert and the trio of Poliwag, who had likely returned to Thunderclap Lake to rest, all of his Pokémon were currently gathered indoors.
Among his main battlers, none had the ability to heal others. Over the past year of traveling, injuries had always been treated with store-bought medicine or at Pokémon Centers.
Poliwag, Moltres, and Growlithe didn't have any moves that could heal others. Whimsicott had potential, but…
Even among his three Whimsicott, none had learned Aromatherapy or Pollen Puff yet.
Looked like he would have to rely on the good old-fashioned method.
After a brief moment of thought, Kai turned to Serperior. "Could you grab the medical kit from upstairs? If we don't treat this Pokémon soon, it might not survive."
Serperior gave a small nod before slithering toward the second floor.
It returned swiftly, using its Vine Whip to carry a large medical kit. Kai took it, quickly retrieving a Potion and a Paralyze Heal. At the same time, he asked Ceruledge to fetch two Sitrus Berries from the kitchen.
With practiced efficiency, Kai applied the medicine and fed the berries while assessing the Pokémon's condition. Now that he could examine it more closely, he could finally identify its species.
It was a Delibird—a Pokémon known for its role as a courier. An Ice- and Flying-type, just like Articuno. While not a Legendary, Luxray had once again dragged back a bird Pokémon with the same typing as one.
Kai's impression of Delibird mostly came from the one used by Team Rocket in the anime. Unlike most Pokémon, a Delibird's tail was hollow—when lifted, it could be used like a bag to store items.
That Team Rocket Delibird had often delivered Poké Balls containing Pokémon to different locations.
The one Luxray brought back was quite large—its tail pouch was almost the size of a full-grown Serperior's coil. If it had a flock, it was likely the leader.
After finishing the emergency treatment, Kai carefully placed Delibird in a quiet spot—far from Moltres and the fireplace, which would only cause discomfort to the Ice-type Pokémon.
Judging by its condition, Delibird wasn't waking up anytime soon.
Kai checked his phone—it was already 9 PM.
The rain outside showed no sign of stopping, growing even heavier. There was no telling whether it would last all night, but for now, it was best to sleep early and be well-rested for his first day of teaching at Academy.
—
The next morning, Kai woke to the sound of howling wind outside his window.
He opened his eyes and saw that it was exactly 7 AM. Carefully, he lifted the Mimikyu curled up on his chest and tucked it into the warm blankets. Then, he shifted Serperior's coiled tail to free himself from the bed.
Barefoot, Kai took a few steps around his bedroom, only to notice something missing.
His right slipper had vanished.
Again.
Sighing, he rubbed his temple. No doubt Growlithe had snuck into his room while he was asleep and stolen it to play with.
He had suspected it before, but was Growlithe's personality… becoming more and more like a mischievous Yamper?
Kai chose not to dwell on it.
Stepping over Dragonite, who was sprawled out on the carpet with its belly exposed, he walked to the window.
His brows furrowed slightly.
The rain had only gotten heavier overnight.
Opening the window just a crack, Kai was immediately met with an icy gust of wind.
"Bwuuh…"
Dragonite, still half-asleep, instinctively rubbed its belly and curled up tighter, seeking warmth.
Kai quickly shut the window, feeling a little guilty. Thankfully, he hadn't woken Dragonite up.
Rubbing his eyes, Kai no longer felt drowsy after facing the morning chill. It was time to get ready and head to Academy.
Yawning, he reached for the door handle—
But just as his fingers touched it, his phone vibrated in his pajama pocket.
Kai paused and took out his phone, only to see a mass message.
The sender was Academy's Principle.
[To all faculty: Due to extreme weather conditions, all outdoor classes for today are canceled. Students will remain in classrooms or the library for self-study. Below is a list of affected courses…]
Kai scanned the list.
Battle Studies was right there at the top.
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