On the morning of Kukui's fourth day at Kai's farm, the last of the seeds and saplings were finally planted in the farmland. To reward the Pokémon for nearly a week of hard work, Kai, despite his limited funds, decided to host a feast.
Life is short—enjoy it while you can.
Money could always be earned again, but life was meant to be lived in comfort.
That night, at the banquet, Kukui finally had the chance to taste the food prepared by the Ceruledge he had been so curious about.
Taking a big bite of a steaming hot skewer, he didn't even care that the juices dripped down his chin. Speaking with his mouth full, he mumbled, "Mmm… so good! This skewer is way too good!"
His Pokémon were just as ravenous, devouring their food as if they hadn't eaten in centuries.
If there was a competition for the most enthusiastic eater, it would undoubtedly be between Kukui's Incineroar, gnawing on a skewer, and Kai's Swampert, tearing into a grilled fish.
Both Pokémon were large, powerful starters with bold personalities. As their gazes met, sparks of competitive energy flickered between them.
And as expected of two muscular powerhouses, the moment they finished their food, they ran off to an open area to wrestle.
Kukui's Incineroar was clearly well-trained, displaying impressive wrestling techniques in battle.
Noticing Kai's intrigued gaze, Kukui swallowed a large chunk of fatty meat, the grease practically seeping out from the roast, and grinned. "Incineroar was my starter Pokémon. Back in Alola, we have a competition called Battle Rojal—it's a four-way battle held at the Battle Rojal Dome."
"The money I used for my journey, as well as Incineroar's fighting skills, were all honed through the brutal competition of Battle Rojal."
"That sounds interesting." Kai nodded thoughtfully. He was somewhat familiar with Alola's Battle Rojal—after all, Kukui's alter ego, the Masked Rojal, was the region's undefeated champion, beloved by its people.
Alola was vastly different from the battle-obsessed Galar region. Most of its residents lived in harmony with nature and didn't have a strong desire for Pokémon battles.
If Kukui had the strength to challenge the Kanto Elite Four, then in Battle Rojal, he was undoubtedly one of the top contenders.
Noticing Kai's growing interest in Alola, Kukui was about to continue the conversation when a sudden commotion erupted among the gathered Pokémon, immediately drawing their attention.
In the middle of the crowd, Kukui's Braviary and Kai's Dragonite were raring to go, their eyes fixed on the sky, their expressions full of anticipation.
Kai's movements paused, and he muttered, "Are they… about to have a flying race?"
"Haha, Braviary is as competitive as ever." Kukui laughed heartily before turning to Kai with an apologetic look. "It probably doesn't sit well with him that, as a warrior of the skies, he had to be rescued by Dragonite. I bet he wants to have a fair race now that he's fully recovered."
Kai had no objections to this sort of thing—he wasn't the type to be overly controlling. Pokémon had their own social interactions, and there was no need to interfere.
However, just before the Pokémon cleared out a large space for Dragonite and Braviary to take off, Kai suddenly patted the solid back of a certain Pokémon, which was still focused on devouring its meal.
"Moltres, you should fly with them too," he said.
Moltres froze mid-bite.
Then, it shook its head violently.
Why should it bother participating in such a meaningless competition? That time would be better spent enjoying a few more skewers!
Moltres plopped down on the ground, making it very clear that it had no intention of moving. It looked perfectly content to just stay put for the rest of the night.
Kukui had been observing Kai's interaction with Moltres, and he was completely taken aback by its demeanor. During his travels in the Kanto region, he had often heard legends about Moltres.
It was said that this divine bird could be reborn from magma, that a mere flap of its wings would send shimmering embers dancing through the sky, stirring the hearts of those who beheld it. Its burning wings could illuminate the night, guiding lost travelers safely through dark mountain paths. Even in the coldest of snow-covered lands, its presence alone could usher in an early spring.
The flames of Moltres were revered as the sacred fire of both the Indigo League and the Silver Conference, worshipped by countless people.
But… this Moltres, slouching around like a lazy loaf, was supposed to be that divine bird?
If Kai could hear Kukui's thoughts, he would have answered without hesitation: Yes. Yes, it is.
At least, back when Luxray first dragged Moltres home, it had still somewhat resembled the legendary figure described in myths.
Now, Kai was so frustrated by Moltres's shameless behavior that his temple throbbed. He snatched away the skewer from its beak and, with a meaningful tone, said, "Your 'kid' is watching. Don't make this difficult for both of us, got it?"
Moltres hesitated and turned its gaze to the side. Though its eyes were hard to see beneath its feathers, they were undoubtedly filled with guilt as it looked at the innocent Growlithe staring at them in confusion.
After a moment's hesitation, Moltres very reluctantly got to its feet and trudged over to stand behind Dragonite and Braviary.
Satisfied, Kai returned to his seat. He had already spared Moltres plenty of dignity by not outright saying "You've gotten a bit chubby—go fly and lose some weight."
Kukui's Lucario took on the role of the race's signal starter. With a powerful Aura Sphere bursting in the air, a gust of wind swept across the ground—Braviary and Dragonite immediately shot forward.
Their takeoff postures were flawless. Their altitude control was impeccable. Their acceleration was seamless. As Pokémon whose very instincts were tied to the sky, they executed every motion with practiced ease.
Moltres, on the other hand…
Its takeoff was rough.
Maybe it had been lounging around for too long, but its movements were stiff, and it even needed a few steps of running start before managing to lift off the ground.
As it did, its clearly rounder belly jiggled like rolling waves, bouncing up and down in sync with its awkward, unpracticed wingbeats.
Kai covered his face, unable to bear watching any longer.
What happened to the proud and untamed Moltres he first met? What kind of experience had turned it into… this?
Kukui, meanwhile, had his mouth hanging open in pure shock—wide enough to fit a whole egg inside. What the hell happened to this Moltres?!
—
Despite Moltres's struggles, all three Pokémon were undeniably strong, and their flying speed was nothing to scoff at. Within just a few minutes, they had completed a full lap of the designated course and were returning.
Dragonite was the first to land, touching down smoothly at the finish line. Braviary followed, but it had fallen behind by at least a dozen body lengths. Though it landed gracefully, the fierce frustration in its eyes made it clear—it hated losing.
As for Moltres…
Kai had already erased that part from his memory.
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