On the other side of the flower field, after quite a bit of effort, Cyclizar finally managed to catch a beautiful butterfly.
It looked at the delicate creature fluttering its wings between its claws and grinned with pride.
"Gaa!"
The little one is going to love this!
Thinking of Elara's joyful face, Cyclizar turned and eagerly dashed back the way it came.
But when it arrived at the spot where he had left her… she was gone.
Completely gone.
Cyclizar froze. Panic gripped its chest. Its claws loosened in shock, and the butterfly fluttered free, disappearing into the depths of the flower field before it could even react.
Guilt. Worry. Fear. They all crashed down at once.
Trying hard not to lose its head, Cyclizar began searching frantically, darting between blooms and calling out anxiously.
It spotted Combee still gathering nectar nearby and quickly ran over to ask for help.
But the Combee shook its heads. They hadn't seen anything.
"Gaao…" Cyclizar whined, eyes wide with dread.
Seeing the distress, the Combee stopped gathering nectar and offered to help search.
Meanwhile, sitting beyond the flower field at the garden's edge were Entei, Suicune, and Raikou. Because of their massive size, the three Legendary Beasts hadn't entered the delicate flower garden, they knew they might accidentally trample the blossoms that Naoki had so lovingly cultivated.
Instead, they had remained on watch from a distance after Elara and the Cyclizar went in.
Then, a sudden gust of north wind blew across the garden.
Suicune lifted its head, feeling a disturbance in the air. A sense of unease prickled through its senses.
"Something's wrong," Suicune murmured.
Sure enough, a moment later, Entei noticed the Combee flying nervously around, their formation chaotic as if searching for something.
Entei stood up sharply and called over Combee. Its voice was calm but commanding.
"What happened?"
The Combee flitted in front of them, its wings buzzing in distress.
"Buzz!" (The little one is missing!)
What?!
The three Legendary Beasts stiffened.
Raikou's expression darkened, and without hesitation, it prepared to sprint into the flowers—lightning crackling around its paws—but Suicune quickly stepped in front to block him.
"Wait. When did this happen?" Suicune asked firmly.
The Combee replied, "Buzz!" (Just now!)
Entei lowered its massive head and sniffed the air, sorting through the fragrant chaos of the flower field. Its powerful nose twitched.
"The scent is still fresh, she hasn't gone far," Entei said.
Without wasting another moment, the three Legendary Beasts set off, following the faint trail of Elara's scent. Along the way, they met up with the distressed Cyclizar, who quickly joined them. One by one, more Pokémon from the ranch began to help in the search.
Eventually, after pushing through the densest part of the flower field, the group reached the center clearing.
There, to their surprise, was Elara.
She sat peacefully at a quaint iron tea table, holding a tiny teacup in both hands, giggling as she played with Polteageist, Sinistea.
The Legendary Beasts stopped in their tracks.
Cyclizar, overwhelmed with relief, bolted toward her. "Gaao!"
"Yiyaya!" Elara squealed in delight.
Seeing her little friend again, she laughed happily and wobbled in place, raising her hands to greet him.
Cyclizar let out a deep breath and finally relaxed.
"Gaao…"
Seeing the state of the Pokémon around him, and noticing that Elara had clearly crawled out of the flower field on her own, Calyrex immediately understood what had happened.
A warm smile spread across his face. Turning to the anxious Pokémon, he spoke gently, "No need to worry. Elara just came here to play with me for a little while."
The Legendary Beasts let out a collective breath of relief.
The Pokémon before them, known as the Calyrex, King of Bountiful Harvests, was a being of immense power, even greater than their own Lord Ho-Oh. As long as Calyrex was here, Elara would be perfectly safe.
The crisis had passed, but Cyclizar still looked disheartened.
It blamed itself.
"Gaaao…" it murmured, eyes downcast.
The guilt was eating away at it. If only it hadn't left Elara's side...
Back at the ranch, Iono quickly heard about what had happened.
When she saw the sulking Cyclizar, she gently walked over and placed a comforting hand on its head.
"It's okay, don't be so hard on yourself," she said kindly. "Look—Elara's perfectly fine, isn't she? And you were only trying to catch a butterfly to make her smile."
"Gaaao…" Cyclizar replied, still low-spirited.
After thinking for a moment, Iono carefully placed Elara into the Cyclizar's arms.
The little girl instinctively hugged its neck with both tiny arms. Cyclizar blinked in surprise, then slowly embraced her in return.
"Will this ever happen again?" Iono asked softly.
Cyclizar froze for a second, then vigorously shook its head. "Gaao!" Absolutely not!
Iono smiled. "Then we're all good, aren't we?"
Cyclizar stared at her for a moment, then relaxed, its burdens finally lifting. The sorrow in its heart melted away.
That's right.
So long as it stayed by the little master's side from now on, nothing like this would happen again.
At that moment, Cyclizar made a silent vow in its heart:
I will protect her. No matter what, until she's grown up.
Not far away, the three Legendary Beasts watched the scene quietly, without speaking.
They did not step forward or interfere.
Because deep in their hearts, they knew one thing—
They could not stay with Elara forever.
As loyal Guardians of the Rainbow, they still had missions to carry out in other parts of the world, sacred duties entrusted to them by Ho-Oh.
Even though they were reluctant to part, the day would come when Elara would grow into a Rainbow Hero… and they would have to leave her side.
After that day, the Legendary Beasts knew they wouldn't be able to stay with Elara forever. Perhaps their paths would cross again in the future, but before that happened, new Pokémon would need to step in to protect her in their place.
...
Blueberry Academy – Classroom
Inside a bright, modern lecture hall at Blueberry Academy, Naoki stood confidently at the front of the class, facing rows of eager students.
Today's lesson was focused on a foundational yet powerful concept in Pokémon battles: weather-based tactics.
"There are many types of weather-related moves," Naoki began, his tone calm but engaging. "Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Hail... Each one affects the battlefield in unique ways and can sync with specific Pokémon, Abilities, and even moves."
"For example," he continued, "when it's raining, Water-type attacks receive a significant power boost. On the other hand, Fire-type moves weaken due to the moisture in the air."
Several students leaned in, intrigued.
"Also, during rainy conditions, moves like Thunder and Hurricane become much more accurate, often turning the tide of a battle in a single strike."
He paused, scanning the class with a smile.
"Now then, who can tell me which Abilities are triggered during rainy weather?"
The students exchanged glances, their brows furrowed in thought. Naoki waited patiently.
A hand shot up.
"I know, Teacher! Lotad with the Rain Dish Ability slowly regains HP when it's raining!"
"Good!" Naoki nodded approvingly. "Anyone else?"
Another student raised her hand, then answered a little timidly, "Um... Psyduck with the Swift Swim Ability, it gets faster in the rain!"
"Exactly." Naoki's eyes lit up with encouragement. "Swift Swim is one of the most commonly used Abilities in rain teams. Well done."
He gestured for the students to sit, then continued, "And of course, there are many more Pokémon out there that react to different weather patterns."
"Part of being a good Trainer is learning how to uncover those synergies between weather, Abilities, and your Pokémon's move set. Whether it's sunny, stormy, hailing, or a sandstorm's raging, you can always build a battle plan around it."
The students nodded enthusiastically, their eyes shining with excitement. Learning from a Champion-level Trainer like Naoki was a rare privilege, and it showed in their expressions.
Suddenly, a student near the front raised his hand.
"Yes?" Naoki asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Um… Teacher Naoki," the student said with a hopeful grin, "could you… maybe… have a Pokémon battle with us?"
A light chuckle rippled through the classroom.
Naoki blinked in surprise, then quickly caught on. He smiled.
"So you all want to see me in action?"
Several heads nodded vigorously.
He laughed. "Alright."
After thinking it over for a moment, Naoki smiled and said, "How about this? Next week, I'll host a challenge right here at the Academy. Anyone who wants a chance to battle me can participate. The top three students who last the longest against my Pokémon will receive a special gift from me!"
"Gift?!"
The entire class lit up with excitement. Their eyes widened in anticipation, and chatter erupted across the room.
"It doesn't matter what Pokémon you use," Naoki added. "You can bring any kind of move set, held item, or battle strategy you want. Just give it your best."
"Awesome!" Kieran clenched his fists with determination.
He had seven days. He was going to train harder than ever to earn that prize from Mr. Naoki!
Even Carmine, who rarely got fired up, was suddenly full of spirit. What kind of gift would Mr. Naoki give them? A rare item? A powerful TM? Or maybe even a Pokémon?
...
Stones, Stones and Stones