Chapter 1: Don't you need a female Nidoran?
A strong wind was blowing past our heroes as they stood on the roof of a train. The train driver, Sophia, was completely oblivious to the ridiculous actions taking place above her.
"Hi-yah!" Tasuku swung his net in a precise, swift motion, aiming directly at the small furry creature that was currently hopping for its life. His net barely grazed the bunny.
"Yew missed," Kiri screamed. He grabbed his bunny-catching net and strode onto the extendable metal platform that Tasuku was already occupying, and put his hand on Tasuku's shoulder. "Watch and learn," he stated calmly.
Kiri moved into his special stance and gripped his net in the ready position. The gears in his mind began to spin as his eyes darted around to follow his target. As the bunny approached him, Kiri raised his arm and brought the net down in a powerful swing.
The terrified bunny leaped to the side, barely avoiding Kiri's net. Kiri, who was now unfortunately off-balance and overextended, stumbled off the platform. Tasuku instinctively reached out and grabbed Kiri's flailing arm. Suddenly, he found himself being pulled over the edge due to the combined weight of Kiri and the bunny-catching net. In panic, Tasuku yelled, "Gao! Help us!"
Behind them, a cover was lifted up, and a young boy heroically climbed out onto the top of the train. "Did someone call for the Mighty Sun Fighter?" he asked with a smirk. But before he could do anything, someone soared by on a large, glowing banana.
"Yo yo YO!" Tetsuya shouted, "I cast! Diabolical Hardcore!"
His spell's effect created a large ball of energy that sent the two boys who were hanging precariously on the edge of the train flying backwards to safety with a crash.
"Tank-oo!" Kiri gratefully said to Tetsuya.
"Ah, it was nothin', yo!" Tetsuya gladly exclaimed.
"You know, Kiri," Tasuku explained, "I'm very disappointed in you, now. I thought you might actually know something about bunny catching."
"I do," Kiri shouted back. "That bunny was just too agile and fast."
Suddenly, Tasuku looked at Kiri.
"Do you think it could be – the Legendary Lopunny!?" Tasuku asked with wide eyes.
"What's the 'Legendary Lopunny'?" Gao pondered.
"It's an old legend," Kiri explained. "The legend is that there is a super fast, super strong Lopunny roaming about in this area. The legend also says that that Lopunny can undergo a transformation like no other, which makes it even harder to catch."
Awed, Gao gasped. "We've got to get that bunny!"
The boys all agreed that this was their new goal and set out to find the bunny. They divided up and watched their surroundings as they whizzed by the areas from their perches on the train, each facing different directions.
At last, just when Gao was about to give up, he spotted a large white blur that seemed to have bunny ears. "Look!" he exclaimed, pointing down at it. "A bunny!"
"Get it!" Kiri screamed. Gao threw his net over the blur and pulled it up onto the train.
"Why does everyone keep calling me a bunny?" Kyoya complained.
Surprised to see a familiar face in the large net, Tasuku didn't know what to say. "Huh? But-but how?"
Kyoya folded his arms. "I was just minding my own business down there when you guys tossed this fishing net out to haul me up! That was not appreciated," he huffed.
"Sa-ree," Kiri said awkwardly as he attempted to untangle the large net from Kyoya's suspiciously bunny-like hair.
Tasuku knelt down next to his old buddy old pal. Even though he had seen Kyoya in this state before, he couldn't resist the strong urge to reach out his hands and pet the "bunny ears". They're so…soft, he thought as he touched the smooth "ears" absentmindedly.
"Why were you wandering so close to the tracks?" Gao questioned Kyoya.
Kyoya stood up, straightened his back, and cleared his throat. "I was checking the humidity level in the grass."
"Why would you do that?" Tasuku screamed.
"Well, if someone stepped on a blade of grass, it would lose water, right?" Kyoya explained. "So, if I check the humidity of the grass, I can tell where the grass has been stepped on, and if I follow the 'footprints', I might find…A BUNNY!"
Gao, Tasuku, and Kiri were all shocked.
Is Kyoya a bunny maniac? Kiri thought.
Is Kyoya a bunny collector? Gao thought.
"How many bunnies do you have?" Tasuku spoke his thoughts.
Kyoya cleared his throat, acting like an official. "I have a Bunnelby, Diggersby, Buneary, Lopunny, a shiny Diggersby, a Buneary with Pokérus, and a male Nidoran. All I need to finish my collection is the Legendary Lopunny!"
"Hey dude," Tetsuya commented. "Don't you also need a female Nidoran, a Nidorino, a Nidorina, Nidoking, and a Nidoqueen, yo?"
Kyoya's face fell. He had finally met his match in bunny knowledge! He embarrassedly glanced off to the side, adding, "I…don't care so much for those."
Feeling a bit sympathetic, Gao decided to change the topic. "Well, you're after the same thing as we are, so why don't we work together?"
Just then, an announcement came on over the loudspeaker. The sound traveled up from inside the train car and reached Kyoya's ears. It was Sophia! "We are approaching a break in the track. Prepare yourselves," her voice said calmly as she let the train keep traveling forward toward the break. When the boys looked forward, they noticed that the train was about to drive into the water!
"SOPHIA!" Kyoya bellowed into the microphone for the loudspeaker. "Stop–the–train!"
No response.
"You, yo, maybe she's listenin' to the radio?" Tetsuya suggested.
"It doesn't matter at all!" Tasuku proclaimed. He leaped into the train car. "We have the emergency brake!"
"I forgot about that!" Gao exclaimed while running to where Tasuku was. "Kiri! We need your help!"
"He left!" Kyoya said. "No, wait! He's on the platform!"
"Talk about a quitter," Tasuku groaned. "I quit. Let's just fall in the water. I can swim."
"Do you think I can swim?" Gao screamed. "I'm the Mighty Sun Fighter! Sun! Sun's can't swim!"
"Shhh! It's here!" Kiri whispered loudly over the noise of the rushing water below.
"What?" Kyoya asked.
"The Legendary Lopunny is here!" Kiri yelled. "Aagh!"
SPLASH! The train chugged straight into the water. All the windows and doors automatically closed and a large propeller extended from the back of the train.
"Eeehh?!" screamed Gao. He watched in horror as the entire train transformed into a makeshift submarine. "Is…this…a nightmare?" he said weakly. He stumbled backward and collapsed.
Tasuku was quick to catch him. "Gao! Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
Kiri had a somber expression on his face as he examined the boy. "I think he fainted," he concluded.
"Excuse me, but we have bigger problems," Kyoya interrupted, pointing. They were heading straight toward a giant octopus!