That night, a sudden tropical storm swept through the island, dumping heavy rainfall across the region.
Naoki, fast asleep, was stirred by the sudden, urgent sound of wind and rain.
A gust rattled the window, and a spray of rain spattered through the cracked glass, sending a chill across the room.
Naoki bolted upright.
"It's raining!"
"Huh?" Iono murmured, still drowsy as she rubbed her eyes.
The moment she looked up, she saw Naoki getting out of bed to close the window.
With a quiet thunk, the window shut, and the storm was shut out.
Iono sat up and peered out through the glass, watching the heavy downpour.
Naoki's thoughts immediately turned to the Pokémon outside. He quickly threw on his coat and shoes. "I'll go bring Butterfree and the others inside."
Koraidon and Pawmot stirred from their sleep, blinking in confusion.
"Ah... gash?" murmured Koraidon groggily.
"You two go back to sleep." Naoki gently patted Koraidon's head. "I'll take care of everyone."
"Gash…" Koraidon nodded.
"Bamo…" Pawmot yawned.
Naoki rushed downstairs, while Pawmot padded to the window and looked out into the rainy night. The sound of the raindrops pattering on the windowpane echoed through the quiet room, a steady, comforting rhythm. Water streamed down the glass like silver threads.
It had been a long time since the ranch saw such heavy rainfall.
In Naoki's memory, this kind of storm hadn't happened since the early days after he first arrived in this world.
Back then, before the ranch had many residents, the weather was far more unpredictable. But ever since the arrival of the Dragonites and Dragonairs, the skies had always been calm.
Naoki hurried downstairs and stepped outside into the storm, flashlight in hand.
There wasn't a glass greenhouse on the ranch. On clear days, that was fine, but when it rained, Pokémon like Butterfree and the Combee trio had no proper shelter and could only hide under the eaves.
As he scanned the yard, Naoki spotted them huddled together just outside the house. Butterfree and the three Combee were clinging to the shadows beneath the overhang, watching the downpour with nervous eyes.
Raindrops dotted their wings. It looked like they'd already been caught in the storm before finding shelter.
The moment they saw Naoki, Butterfree's eyes lit up.
"Freee?"
"Come on in," Naoki called, opening the door and motioning for them to enter. If Butterfree didn't prefer the outdoors so much, Naoki would've let them stay inside all the time.
"Freee!" Butterfree chirped gratefully.
The group flapped their wings and flew into the living room in an orderly line, perching neatly on the wooden stair railings.
With them safe inside, Naoki pressed forward into the storm, his boots sinking into the soggy grass as he swept the flashlight across the pasture.
Soon, he spotted the Gogoat and Wooloo huddled together in the open field.
There were no barns or covered pens on this ranch yet, just a fenced-in pasture. The poor Pokémon were clustered together in the rain, soaked and shivering under the dark sky.
Naoki's heart clenched.
"Come on, Gogoat, Wooloo, this way!" he called out. "Let's get you all inside!"
"Mehhhhh!" cried the Gogoat, and a chorus of bleats followed as the herd stood up and trotted toward him.
Naoki guided them carefully through the mud and into the house, where they shuffled into the warm living room one after another.
Elara was still fast asleep, snoring gently, but Iono was already up. When she saw the soaked Pokémon streaming in, she hurried over with towels and blankets, helping to dry them off with gentle hands.
She even called over Slugma, asking it to blow warm air over the wet wool of the Gogoat and Wooloo.
Meanwhile, Naoki made his way across the yard to check on the Miltank and Garganacl.
Thankfully, the Miltank had their own cow shed, thickly layered with dry hay. Inside, several Miltank and a pair of Garganacl were already taking shelter, watching the storm silently from within.
But it was clear that space was tight, the shed barely fit the Pokémon already inside.
Naoki frowned to himself. "Guess I'll need to visit Ohana Town tomorrow… and hire a few carpenters. We're going to need proper shelters for everyone."
He realized he should have thought about this sooner. It was a careless oversight, but one he would correct.
After making sure all the Pokémon were safe and accounted for, he returned home.
The living room was now packed with Pokémon.
Wooloo, Gogoat, Butterfree, the Combee trio…
Even Ogerpon, Gholdengo, and Cyclizar had come downstairs after hearing the commotion and were now crowding the space with the rest.
It was a full house, but also a warm and cozy one.
Naoki stepped in, shut the door behind him, and was about to speak when—
Click.
The lights went out.
The entire room was instantly plunged into darkness.
Naoki: "…"
Iono: "…"
Only the flames on Slugma's body cast a gentle, reddish glow across the room. Naoki sighed, then pulled out a candle, lit it, and placed it on the nearby table. The weak flame flickered softly, illuminating just a small circle of space.
"It's probably just the old wiring," Naoki said, trying to reassure everyone with a calm voice.
He really should have checked it earlier. This house had clearly aged, and he'd moved in without inspecting the electrical circuits. A rookie mistake.
Outside, the storm continued to rage, sheets of rain pouring down. Inside, the Pokémon had gathered around the faint candlelight like it was a small hearth.
Despite the blackout and the gloomy weather, none of them looked frightened.
In fact… they all looked happy.
There was something cozy and magical about it—everyone huddled close, the rain tapping rhythmically on the windows, warm bodies pressed together, fur slightly damp, but hearts at peace. The living room might have been dim, but the atmosphere was glowing.
Naoki had originally planned to inspect the fuse box and see if he could fix the power outage himself. But when he saw the relaxed, joyful expressions of the Pokémon around him, he smiled to himself and let it go.
No need to rush. He could check it after the rain passed and the morning sun returned.
Right now…
This was the perfect setting for a story.
The moment Naoki suggested it, a ripple of excitement passed through the room. Every Pokémon turned to look at him.
Their eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Pon!" cried Ogerpon, her mask gleaming faintly in the candlelight. She bounced in place, clearly thrilled by the idea.
"Meaa~!"
"Awooo!"
Even the Gogoat and Dragonite raised their heads, eager to listen.
Iono couldn't help but laugh at the sight. She nestled into the fluff of a nearby Eeveelutions and gave Naoki a teasing glance. "Well? Don't keep us waiting."
Naoki chuckled and looked around at his fuzzy audience. He cleared his throat and said in a mysterious tone, "Alright, listen closely."
Every Pokémon perked up.
And so, the tale began.
"Once upon a time, deep within a silent forest, there was an old mansion," Naoki said slowly, letting his voice echo softly off the walls.
"In this mansion lived an old man, his twin grandchildren, a boy and a girl, and two Pokémon companions. Their days were peaceful and happy, full of laughter, chores, and the scent of wildflowers…"
"But one day, a stranger appeared. A young man, charismatic and well-dressed. He claimed to be an entrepreneur… and also the old man's former student."
"He asked to stay for a while, to study under his teacher once more. The old man agreed. He was good at painting, and the twins quickly grew fond of him…"
Naoki's voice dropped just slightly, the flickering candle casting shadows across the floor.
"But months later, that kind young man… revealed his true colors."
"A dark ambition stirred in his heart. You see, the girl's Pokémon was no ordinary partner, it was rare, powerful… and it held the secret to the vault hidden beneath the mansion."
"On a stormy night, lightning crackling outside just like tonight… he made his move."
"He secretly poisoned the old man's and the boy's dinner, planning to eliminate everyone but the girl… so he could steal the Pokémon and the vault password."
...
Bonus @1500