Heavy Storm

After a brief moment of hesitation, Kai decided to play it safe and dialed the number Principal Clavell had given him during the faculty meeting.

Beep… beep… beep…

The call connected quickly, and Clavell's voice came through the speaker. "Is something the matter, Professor Kai?"

Kai took a second to gather his thoughts before speaking. "About the message you just sent to all faculty… I just wanted to confirm—"

"Oh, that one?" Clavell chuckled knowingly. "It's exactly as it says. While Battle Studies can technically be taught in a classroom setting, the weather's gotten pretty nasty. I also heard from a friend that a typhoon might be forming over the Paldean Sea. If that happens, we might have to cancel even the indoor lessons."

"I know you could ride your Dragonite here if you really wanted to, but Naranja Academy isn't so heartless that we'd make you all battle through extreme weather just to get to class."

"Until the typhoon passes, just stay home and take it easy. And don't worry—your salary won't be affected."

Kai was briefly at a loss for words. "Uh…?"

Was Naranja Academy actually running a charity?

Even with an unexpected day off, Kai found himself at a bit of a loss for what to do.

The heavy rain meant he couldn't tend to the crops in the farming area. Thankfully, he'd had the foresight to spend a bit of money building a basic drainage system, or else he'd be worrying about waterlogging right now.

With both the farm and the ranch temporarily out of commission, all that was left to do was relax at home.

After washing up, Kai headed to the living room.

The fireplace crackled with warmth. To escape the rain, Moltres had also taken shelter inside, and Growlithe was curled up beside it, fast asleep. Kai's missing second slipper was now serving as Growlithe's makeshift pillow.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Kai decided not to wake the snoozing Growlithe just to reclaim his slipper. He had a backup pair on anyway.

Under Moltres' watchful gaze, Kai quietly walked over to the fireplace and added another log to the flames.

As he watched the flickering embers—vivid orange with traces of gold—his mind wandered.

He recalled that in Kanto and Johto, Moltres' fire was considered sacred. Events like the Indigo League and the Silver Conference would ceremoniously ignite their torches with it.

And here he was… using it to heat his house.

Moltres, who had been idly observing Kai, suddenly shivered. It wasn't because of the cold—it was a deep, instinctual unease.

The Legendary Pokémon had a feeling this human was thinking something highly disrespectful.

But given that it was currently seeking shelter under Kai's roof, it wasn't in a position to voice any complaints.

Moltres knew it had fully recovered from its injuries and could leave anytime. Yet, when it considered how the little Growlithe beside it might react, it hesitated.

At the very least… it would stay until Growlithe was a bit older. Maybe even teach it a few moves before leaving. Otherwise, it just wouldn't feel right.

Snapping out of his aimless thoughts, Kai got up and walked to the other side of the living room. His gaze briefly met Moltres', but neither had much to say to the other.

Moltres was keeping quiet for fear that Kai might outright tell it to leave.

Kai, on the other hand, had come to accept that many Legendary Pokémon carried themselves with this kind of aloofness. They weren't exactly friendly toward others—Moltres was probably only close to Growlithe because it had hatched from its egg.

Since it wanted to stay for Growlithe's sake, then so be it. Even if Moltres' presence might attract trouble, Kai wasn't so weak that he couldn't protect a single Legendary Pokémon.

Both man and Pokémon maintained a silent, mutual understanding.

On the other side of the room, Luxray lay stretched out on the floor, keeping watch over the Delibird it had dragged home the night before. Poliwag was also resting nearby, having decided to stay indoors due to the rain.

Unlike some Pokémon that needed to stay in water at all times, Poliwag and its kind could sleep comfortably on land.

Luxray was a light sleeper—an old habit from before it met Kai. The moment Kai approached, its sharp eyes opened, alert and aware.

Kai placed a hand on its damp fur and gave it a few gentle strokes. "Thanks for keeping an eye on Delibird overnight."

Luxray nodded slightly, a deep purring sound rumbling from its throat, showing its enjoyment of the attention.

The warm glow of the fireplace flickered against the walls, the crackling of burning wood contrasting with the howling wind outside. The sturdy walls of the house provided a reassuring sense of safety.

Kai cherished these peaceful moments. He picked up the groggy, half-asleep Poliwag and turned his gaze toward the still-sleeping Delibird. "Did you clean it up?"

"Poli!"

Poliwag instinctively nodded but then froze, sneaking a wary glance at Kai, worried that it had acted on its own without permission.

Kai took a closer look at Delibird and saw a stark difference from last night.

The small nest where it had been resting was now scattered with singed feathers, blackened from the lightning strike. Without them, Delibird was almost unrecognizable—its sleek, glossy feathers had been reduced to mere tufts, leaving it looking like a pitiful little bird.

Its mostly bare skin was now exposed to the cold, but it didn't seem uncomfortable. That was probably thanks to its Ice typing.

Kai looked back at Poliwag, noting its hesitant expression, and immediately understood.

This clever little guy was overthinking things again.

With a reassuring smile, Kai gently patted Poliwag's head. "Relax, I'm not mad."

"You did great. Given Delibird's condition, cleaning it up with Bubble Beam was the right call. Keeping those burnt feathers would've only gotten in the way of new ones growing back."

Poliwag let out a relieved sigh, its usual playful energy returning.

Kai chuckled. Taking care of Pokémon's emotional needs was just as much a skill as treating their physical ones. After leaving Poliwag in Luxray's care, he headed toward the kitchen.

Even before stepping inside, he could already hear the rhythmic chopping of a knife against a cutting board.

Remembering what he'd asked Ceruledge to do the night before, Kai smiled and pushed the door open.

There stood Ceruledge, wearing an apron patterned with ocean waves. Its sharp, battle-honed gaze was locked onto the ingredients before it.

The very same fiery blades that could pierce through a Mega Blastoise's defenses were now carefully slicing carrots into evenly sized chunks.

That apron, Kai recalled, was one he had specially picked out for Ceruledge back in City.

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