Tapu Lele, the guardian deity of Akala Island, was revered by the locals as the embodiment of nature's power.
Like the other guardian deities of Alola, it possessed an extraordinary sensitivity to natural energy.
The moment it sensed that surge of energy, Tapu Lele shimmered and vanished from its perch, swiftly flying in pursuit of the mysterious force that had stirred the land.
In the blink of an eye, its form reappeared above a grassy plain near Paniola Town.
It looked like an abandoned pasture at first glance, but something incredible was happening. New life was steadily blooming on the land.
Tapu Lele hovered silently, peering down. It saw a group of Pokémon radiating strong, natural auras, as well as several humans… and to its astonishment, those humans were surrounded by an unusually rich flow of natural energy.
"Le…le…?" the deity murmured, puzzled.
Tapu Lele stared in disbelief. It had never seen humans like this before. Who were they? Where did they come from?
Still suspicious but intrigued, the guardian remained hidden, silently observing the strange scene below.
Down on the ranch, Naoki had no idea that his actions had drawn the attention of Akala's guardian.
Elara clapped her hands gleefully as she watched the newly sprouted coconut tree, her big eyes filled with wonder.
"Wah!"
Naoki grinned. "That's just the beginning," he said playfully. "Keep watching!"
He grabbed a fresh handful of seeds and scattered them across the tilled field.
The Gogoats stepped forward again, their horns glowing with a vibrant green energy. Waves of Grass-type power surged outward, washing over the earth. Then, like magic, the entire field lit up with dazzling emerald light.
Dozens of tiny sprouts burst through the soil all at once, growing faster than anyone could have imagined. In mere moments, slender trunks stretched skyward, thickened, and unfurled lush, green fronds. A grove of fully grown, fruit-laden coconut trees now stood where empty earth had been just seconds before.
Elara's jaw dropped. She let out an amazed squeal, eyes sparkling with joy as she looked up at the towering trees.
Naoki chuckled and teased, "So? Isn't Daddy amazing?"
But before he could enjoy her reaction, Elara suddenly pointed her tiny hand toward the sky. "Woo—!"
"Huh? Something in the sky?" Naoki followed her gaze.
And there it was.
Hovering just above them in the open air was a pink, half-shelled figure with flowing magenta hair and shimmering wings.
Tapu Lele.
Naoki's breath caught. Why was the island guardian here?
As their eyes met, Tapu Lele didn't flee or hide. Instead, it gracefully floated down, stopping just in front of Naoki and Elara.
Naoki's posture shifted, suddenly more guarded. He stood, holding Elara protectively in his arms and eyeing the deity warily.
If he remembered right, Tapu Lele's personality could be… unpredictable.
Despite its outwardly innocent and elegant appearance, the guardian deity was known to have a mischievous and sometimes dangerous temperament.
Its favorite pastime? Battle.
And while Tapu Lele loved to challenge others in combat, it rarely considered the strength of its opponents. If they weren't strong enough… it might accidentally injure or even cripple them. Playfully.
Naoki recalled what he'd seen in the anime. When Tapu Lele had found Ash's Rockruff injured, it had tried to heal it with its mystical scales. But when the healing failed, Tapu Lele had grown visibly upset. It had even turned its frustration toward Gladion and Lillie's Lycanrocs, attacking them without hesitation.
Tapu Lele's temperament was, to put it mildly, a little unpredictable.
Naoki couldn't help but feel nervous. If either he or Elara did something to displease it, would it lash out in anger?
But to his surprise, that didn't happen at all.
Rather than being upset, Tapu Lele looked absolutely delighted.
It gracefully circled above the grove of coconut trees, then drifted over to the trio of Gogoat not far away. It let out a cheerful cry.
"Lele!"
Naoki blinked in surprise.
Then Tapu Lele spun back into the air, twirling above the pasture in a dreamy, dance-like motion.
A soft pink glow shimmered around its body, and then, from its wings, it scattered a cloud of sparkling scales. The entire sky glittered with the light of floating dust, glowing like morning dew under sunlight.
It was breathtaking.
"Woooow!" Elara gasped, eyes wide with awe.
In that moment, Naoki suddenly understood.
Those scales, this was Tapu Lele's healing dust.
According to legend, Tapu Lele's scales could revitalize the body, heal wounds and illnesses, and provide blessings to both Pokémon and people.
"Was it… blessing us?" Naoki murmured. He felt a pang of guilt for having misjudged it earlier out of caution.
He quickly raised his voice. "Thank you, Tapu Lele!"
"Lele!" Elara echoed, trying to copy him in her tiny voice.
Tapu Lele let out a soft, musical laugh. It gave them both a happy glance, then fluttered up into the sky and vanished into the wind, just as mysteriously as it had appeared.
At that moment, Iono stepped out of the house, blinking. "What just happened?"
Naoki turned toward her. "The guardian deity of Akala Island was drawn here. It sensed the natural energy the Gogoat released while helping the crops grow."
Iono's eyes widened. "The island guardian?!"
Naoki nodded. "Yeah. In the Alola region, each of the four major islands has a guardian. They usually keep to themselves, but they watch over the people and Pokémon who live here."
"That's incredible," Iono said, her eyes lighting up.
Naoki smiled, though in the back of his mind he remembered—compared to some beings, even the Tapu were modest in power.
Ultra Necrozma, the radiant dragon of Alola… its strength was in a whole different league. It was said that no other Pokémon, except for Arceus itself, or at least one of its avatars, could match its brilliance.
Naoki pushed that thought aside and turned to Iono with a grin. "Alright, I'll let you hang out with Elara for a while. I still have more planting to do."
He gently passed their daughter into Iono's arms and turned back to the field.
There was still plenty of work left to finish.
He had brought seeds for six kinds of tropical crops: guava, mango, banana, pineapple, coffee beans, and sugarcane.
Coffee beans weren't new to him, he had grown some at the old ranch before. He even used them to make hand-ground coffee now and then, though he usually just sold them.
As for the newly planted coconuts and the fruits still in his hands, they were all perfect tropical delicacies. He thought fondly of Koraidon, Cyclizar, and the other Pokémon, they'd surely enjoy a taste of these homegrown treats.
He knelt down to begin sketching the layout of the orchard in his notebook.
Coconut trees grew tall and leafy. If he planted them too close to the others, they'd block sunlight and stunt the smaller plants. He needed to give them space.
Alright then, he'd separate them out.
Bananas could go beside the pineapples; they both liked sun and didn't grow too tall. Mangoes could go next to guavas.
With the help of several Pokémon, it didn't take long for the once-barren fields to transform into lush, thriving fruit groves.
The branches of each tree bent under the weight of ripe, colorful fruit.
There were golden bananas and juicy pineapples, emerald-green guavas, rosy-pink mangoes, and tall coconut trees loaded with fresh, green coconuts.
Anyone witnessing this scene would've thought it a miracle.
That afternoon, Naoki used the freshly harvested tropical fruits to prepare a vibrant fruit feast for everyone.
There was coconut milk, sweet coconut meat, fresh juice, and even Elara, who had just weaned off milk, drank an entire glass in one go, her face flushed with joy.
Later, with the chores done and nothing pressing on his schedule, Naoki pulled a few lounge chairs from the house and placed them across the ranch lawn to soak up the warm Alolan sunshine.
Blue skies, puffy white clouds drifting lazily, a soft breeze rustling through the pasture, a perfect climate, and fruits as far as the eye could see…
Life here felt like a dream.
As he stretched out on a beach chair, the morning's hard work finally caught up to him. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier until he drifted off into a peaceful nap.
If all went according to plan, this ranch would be their cozy haven for the entire winter.
But life often had other plans.