After school at lunchtime, Cole stopped by the courier shop to mail the Water Stone before heading home with Chikorita for lunch.
As they neared home, the sky suddenly turned dark with storm clouds, followed by fierce winds that nearly knocked Cole off balance. Though Coumarine's coastal location usually meant mild, stable weather, this storm was unusually extreme.
Cole grew uneasy. It was harvest season at the orchard, and such strong winds would devastate his crop. Worried about his nearly-ripe berries being blown away, he called out to Chikorita:
"Chikorita, let's hurry home!"
"Chiko~"
The small Pokémon tried to follow, but the powerful gusts kept pushing it around. Cole had to scoop it up. Before they could reach home, torrential rain began pouring down, soaking them completely.
"Gardevoir~" — Darling!
Through the rain, Cole spotted his mother Daisy approaching with a psychic barrier. Seeing the sudden storm and knowing he'd be returning from school, she had come to meet him. Though such weather was rare in Coumarine, they had often faced similar storms while living on the island, so she remained calm.
She quickly enveloped both Cole and Chikorita in her psychic barrier and rushed them home. By then, the downpour had intensified — the rain formed such a thick curtain that visibility was nearly zero.
BOOM!!!
A golden flash illuminated the sky, followed by a deafening thunderclap that made Cole jump.
"Why is the thunder so loud?" He asked, drying his soaked hair with the towel Buneary brought him.
"Gardevoir~"
Daisy shook her head — this was the most severe weather she'd seen since moving to Coumarine.
"This weather seems so strange!" Cole remarked, staring at the deluge outside.
Daisy and Buneary shared his unease, with Buneary trembling as it clung to Daisy's leg.
"How's the situation at the staff dormitory? Is everyone back?" Cole suddenly asked.
"Gardevoir~"
Daisy shook her head — she had rushed out to meet him and hadn't checked the staff dormitory yet.
Cole noticed Brionne and Helioptile hadn't returned home either. He grabbed a raincoat and told his mom:
"I'm going to check on the staff dormitory."
"Gardevoir~" — I'll come with you.
She said worriedly.
Cole nodded after brief consideration. In such severe weather, he might need his mother's psychic powers if anything unexpected happened.
"Chiko~Chiko~" — I want to go too, I want to go too.
Chikorita hopped up and down eagerly.
"Stay home where it's safe. The wind and rain are too dangerous for you." Cole said, patting its head.
"Chiko~" — Okay, I understand.
Chikorita lowered its head sadly.
Cole released Larvitar from its Poké Ball and addressed the three Pokémon, "I'm leaving the house to you three. Don't wander around, okay?"
"Chiko~"
"Yow~"
"Bun~"
The three little ones joined hands, their expressions serious as they accepted their task.
Cole and Daisy donned their raincoats and ventured into the storm, their figures quickly vanishing behind the curtain of rain.
Chikorita watched anxiously as they disappeared.
Protected by both raincoats and psychic power, Cole and Daisy made their way to the staff dormitory.
Passing the orchard, Cole's heart sank at the sight of broken berry tree branches and fruit scattered in the muddy ground.
But against nature's fury, he could do nothing.
At least his buildings were sturdy, standing firm against the fierce wind and rain.
As they entered the staff building, Cole's phone rang. It was Sarah, his homeroom teacher, canceling afternoon classes due to the dangerous weather.
Cole then called the orphanage, concerned about their situation.
Meili answered promptly, assuring him all was well. Alfred and the others had returned early from school at lunch, safely avoiding the storm.
Cole breathed a sigh of relief at the news.
Entering the staff dormitory, he first checked on the Talonflame group, since Fire-type Pokémon were naturally vulnerable to rainy weather. At the Talonflame captain's door, he found it resting with its head tucked under its wing.
Upon Cole and Daisy's arrival, it lifted its head and gave them a questioning look.
"The storm is really strong outside — I was worried and wanted to check on everyone. Have all the Talonflame, Fletchinder, and Fletchling returned?" Cole asked.
Touched by his concern, the Talonflame captain confirmed it had already done a headcount — all the Pokémon had returned safely to their nests.
Being weather-sensitive, the Talonflame captain had called its subordinates back as soon as the strong winds began, ensuring none were caught in the rain. They had also warned the other Pokémon in the orchard, so everyone should have returned.
Despite these assurances, Cole wanted to verify personally.
He checked on all the residents: the three Diggersby, the Floette and Flabébé group, Purrloin and the Ghost-types (Gastly, Misdreavus, and Litwick), Machamp, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and Leavanny. All were safe, with only a few slightly damp from the rain.
But three Pokémon were still missing: Vaporeon, Brionne, and Helioptile.
Cole had hoped Brionne and Helioptile might have sought shelter in the dormitory, but they weren't there — and neither was Vaporeon.
Leavanny informed him that Brionne and Vaporeon were using the rare storm to study the Rain Dance move.
Cole was speechless at their dedication.
As for Helioptile, no one had seen where it went.
Another thunderclap boomed overhead, even louder than before, startling both Cole and the dormitory's residents.
The Pokémon grew restless and uneasy. This eerie storm carried a subtle but oppressive aura that left them deeply uncomfortable.
Daisy sensed it too, and after sharing her concerns with Cole, he became even more convinced that this was no ordinary storm.
Worried about Brionne, Helioptile, and Vaporeon, he had no choice but to venture out with his mom to search for them.
✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲
Meanwhile, the extreme weather in Coumarine caught the attention of the three Legendary Birds in the Sea Spirit's Den.
In the Sea Spirit's Den, Lugia remained in slumber as Yveltal's residual power slowly dissipated within it. The three Legendary Birds kept their quiet vigil, staying close to guard it.
They rested on the white pillar with eyes closed, the sleeping Lugia between them.
Suddenly, Zapdos's eyes snapped open and turned toward Coumarine, confusion crossing its face. Seeing this movement, Articuno and Moltres awakened as well.
"What's wrong?" Articuno asked.
"Something's amiss. Coumarine's weather has become abnormal. I sense a raging energy there—one that shares my origin." Zapdos replied.
Articuno and Moltres's expressions grew grave at these words.
"Could there be trouble?" Moltres asked.
"Why don't you investigate?" Articuno said to Zapdos.
After a moment's thought, Zapdos nodded.
As it rose to leave, Articuno added, "Why not have Moltres accompany you?"
If something could make even Zapdos wary, it couldn't be simple. Articuno didn't want to risk sending it alone.
Among the three Legendary Birds, the level-headed Articuno had always been their voice of reason. At this suggestion, Moltres nodded in agreement.
Together, Zapdos and Moltres took wing from the Sea Spirit's Den, heading for Coumarine.
✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲
Meanwhile, Cole's search through the storm led him to Brionne and Vaporeon. He found them in an open space, gazing absently at the dark clouds above.
As Water-type Pokémon, they weren't bothered by the downpour — if anything, they seemed to relish it.
"Brionne! Vaporeon..."
BOOM!!!
Just as Cole called out, thunder crashed overhead, drowning his voice completely. This blast felt closer than ever, as if lightning had struck right beside him.
"Brionne! Vaporeon!"
This time when Cole shouted, the two Pokémon heard him. They turned to see him and Daisy through the rain, and surprised by their presence, quickly rushed to join them.
"Are you all right?" Cole shouted over the roaring rain.
Brionne and Vaporeon shook their heads quickly, signaling they were fine, and gestured for him to go back — there was no need to worry about them.
Reassured of their safety, Cole asked, "Have you seen Helioptile?"
Brionne pointed toward the mountain where the lightning rod was installed.
Cole looked surprised, "Over there?"
"Be careful out here, I'm going to look for Helioptile!" He called out, then began making his way toward the lightning rod, protected by Daisy's psychic barrier.
The storm made progress difficult, and it took Cole and his mother a while to reach their destination. There, they discovered an unexpected sight: thin golden electric currents coiled around the lightning rod, while Helioptile lay beneath, slowly absorbing the electricity.
Each time it absorbed the energy, its body quivered, its face showing the same expression of pleasure it had during wellness treatments.
"Helioptile!" Cole called from a safe distance.
Just finishing another shiver, Helioptile heard his voice and scampered to his side.
"Ah-bi~Ah-bi~Ah-bi~" — Cole, why did you come? The rain is too heavy, you should go back.
Water streamed off its body as it looked up at him worriedly.
"Look who's talking!" Cole replied crossly, "What are you doing here? Don't you know you should go home in weather like this?"
"Ah-bi~Ah-bi~Ah-bi~"
Helioptile gestured toward the lightning rod and explained everything. Cole learned that when the rain began, Helioptile had indeed planned to return home.
But while passing the lightning rod, a thunderclap had boomed overhead, and Helioptile noticed weak electric currents flickering on the rod. Something about them had drawn it irresistibly.
Unable to resist, Helioptile had approached.
Drawn by the electric current, Helioptile couldn't resist taking a small taste — but once it started, it was impossible to stop. As electricity flowed through its body, the sensation felt like soaking in a hot spring. Every cell seemed to come alive, absorbing the electric current completely.
The feeling was so euphoric that Helioptile lost all sense of time until Cole arrived searching for it.
While Cole spoke with Helioptile, Zapdos and Moltres passed over Mt. Ascendant. Through the thick storm clouds, Zapdos's keen eyes immediately spotted him.
"Look, it's that human!" Zapdos called to Moltres.
Following Zapdos's gesture, Moltres spotted the young human.
"So this is where that human lives. His name was Cole, wasn't it?" Moltres asked.
Though rain still poured down, the droplets instantly vaporized against Moltres's fiery form. The weather posed no threat, even if Moltres found it unpleasant.
"That's right, that's his name." Zapdos confirmed.
The two Legendary Birds held a special regard for this human child who had saved Lugia.
Yet they didn't linger at Mt. Ascendant merely because they spotted him. Having located the source of the weather anomaly in the mountains beyond, they remained focused on resolving it swiftly, with no time for reunions.
Hidden by the dense storm clouds above, Cole remained unaware of Zapdos and Moltres. After learning why Helioptile hadn't come home, he carefully examined its condition.
What he discovered astounded him — the Source Energy within Helioptile's body had grown purer, more concentrated, and had increased dramatically in quantity.
Because he helped with its wellness treatments almost every day, he knew Helioptile's physical condition like the back of his hand — and the changes were immediately apparent.
Could this lightning be some kind of miracle cure? The dramatic increase in Helioptile's strength seemed beyond what normal lightning could achieve.
While Coumarine occasionally experienced thunderstorms, he had never seen lightning affect Helioptile so profoundly before.
Intrigued, Cole gazed up at the sky again — this storm was truly extraordinary!
However, the heavy rain and pitch-black clouds obscured any unusual signs he might have spotted.
Most remarkably, he discovered that another portion of Helioptile's hidden energy circuit had been illuminated. With only a tiny section still remaining unlit, the Pokémon was closer than ever to unlocking its full potential.
✲✲✲
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