Chapter 2: VS Team Skull! The Z-Move of Alola!
Last time on "Pokémon Alola Journey", a new hero this time in the Alola region named Kaito Shirogane, awoke from his bed, due to the rough start he had with his younger siblings, as they wanted to go to the beach with their eldest brother. Finally admitting defeat to Seita and Shiho, the three prepared to head for the beach, along with Kaito's partner and Pokémon brother: Buizel.
Meanwhile, the Ketchum brothers were enjoying their time in the Alola region, as they were doing the Underwater Pokémon Jet-Ski activity with the Sharpedos. They had a small accidental meeting with Kaito as Ash bumped into him and a Litten that the Alola boy had befriended. With the issue cleared out, the brothers met up with Kaito again, as Ash began to bond with the Alola boy.
Distracted by a wild Grubbin, the Kanto trainer and the Alola boy chased the Bug Type into the forest until they were chased by a wild Bewear, leading them to the Pokémon School, where Ash met up with Kaito's classmates and friends: Sophocles, Mallow, Lana, and Lillie. Believing Ash to be a new transfer student, Mallow led him and Kaito to see Principal Samson Oak, the cousin of Prof. Oak.
"Hm hm! Nice to meet you!" Principal Oak laughed as he made a Trapinch expression, while using his hands to make a Trapinch mouth, causing both Ash and Kaito to sweat drop at the principal's actions. "Uh huh... Nice to meet you, too..." Ash said nervously, while the Alola boy sighed.
"This won't be the only time you see Principal Oak doing this, Ash..." Kaito said, folding his arms. "Bui bui. Bui." Buizel agreed, as he folded his arms, too. "That's right... You see, he always makes jokes, having fun with Pokémon names!" Mallow explained nervously as the principal turned to the three trainers with a big smile on his face.
"We all need a little fun! A little dose of levity and laughter is what my RANTITAR!" Principal Oak said as he made a Tyranitar face expression now, leaving Kaito, Ash, and Mallow all sweat dropping at his Tyranitar face attempt. Isamu nervously smiled before he shook his head as he turned to both Kaito and his little brother.
"So, I take it you two met each other... What happened back there? You suddenly disappeared when we were coming here." Isamu asked, as Ash nervously smiled, upon seeing his brother's serious face. "Uh ha ha ha... It's kind of a long story..." Ash said nervously. "Pika Pikachu..." Pikachu agreed as the little brother sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
Later...
Everyone was in the prinicpal's room, where Ash explained all the details of what happened to him when he and Kaito chased after the Grubbin, following when they ran away from a Bewear. The story came to a conclusion where a Ash mentioned a person riding on a Charizard, causing the two to run all the way here and from the forest.
While they were talking, Mr. Mime and Umbreon were having a bit of fun with Pikachu, Buizel, and Bounsweet. "And after Kaito and I chased after Charizard, we kind of just wound up here!" Ash explained, leaving Mallow to come to the real conclusion. "So, that means... You're not a new student here after all!" Mallow said, leaving Ash to nervously laugh in agreement.
"I guess I... never really got the chance to explain." Ash explained, leaving Mallow to shake her head and accept the blame for her premature conclusion. "It's my fault... I'm in such a hurry all the time, I can miss things!" Mallow said as Kaito let out a small chuckle at his friend's embarrassment.
"That's Mallow for you. Always jumping into sudden conclusions without even thinking about it first." Kaito said teasingly, leaving the green-haired girl to pout at the Water Charmer. "Oh, you be quiet, you...!" Mallow said annoyingly, as Isamu just smiled at the two teasing each other. "How long have you two known each other?" Isamu asked, allowing Kaito to explain.
"Two years ago, to be exact... I was just a transfer student here, meeting up with Mallow and the others. That was also the same time when I met Buizel, my best friend and partner! Isn't that right, Bui?" Kaito explained, as he turned the question to his Sea Weasel Pokémon. "Bui bu Bui!" Buizel said happily, confirming his human brother's fact to be true.
"Hey, Samuel! It's me! I've got your Egg safe and sound!" Principal Oak called, as he contacted his cousin from the Kanto region. With the communication clear, Professor Oak's face appeared on the plasma screen! "Excellent, Samson! That's what I like to hear! Thanks to you, Delia!" Prof. Oak said, as he thanked the Ketchum brothers' mother.
"It's my greatest pleasure!" Delia said, giving a small bow to the Kanto Professor. As she did so, an idea suddenly popped into Mallow's head as she made her request to the school principal. "Say... Principal Oak, sir? May Kaito and I show Ash around the campus?" Mallow asked, catching Kaito by surprise, as Ash on the other hand, grew excited.
"Of course! Porygon! Run Away!" Principal Oak said as he showed his Porygon expression, causing the Alola boy to sweat drop again. "Ugh... This never gets old." Kaito groaned, as Buizel groaned as well, showing his understanding to his human brother.
With the decision settled, the green-haired girl got up, facing both Ash and Kaito. "So! Ready to go, Ash?" Mallow asked, which was immediately answered. "YEAH!" Ash exclaimed. As he stood up and began to leave, he turned to Isamu, who seemed calm and quiet. "Hey bro! Do you want to see the Pokémon School with us?" Ash asked eagerly.
The older Ketchum brother blinked before he smiled, shaking his head. "No thanks... I already got a little tour with Mom earlier. You can go on ahead." Isamu explained, causing the little brother to pout at his older brother. "Aw..." pouted Ash as he was pulled away by Kaito, who followed Mallow out of the prinicpal's office.
As soon as they left the office, the Alola boy stood next to Ash as they walked, as he asked a question to the Kanto trainer. "Is your brother always like that?" Kaito asked, as the Kanto trainer shook his head in denial. "No... He used to be energetic, but serious at the same time. That kind of ended after our journey together..." Ash explained.
"Pikachu..." Pikachu said, as he remembered on how Isamu and Umbreon changed during their travels in the Hoenn region. By the time they had reunited with Isamu there, the older Ketchum brother had started to change a little as the time went by. Eventually, the older brother soon became a serious Johto Champion, who took Pokémon training and battling seriously.
"But... There were a few times when he supported me when I was on my journey with my friends and all my other Pokémon!" Ash explained, as this interested the Alola boy. "Wow... He must be a pretty nice brother for you to have." Kaito sighed, showing a hint of jealousy, as the Kanto trainer nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, he is... He can be cold and hard sometimes, but deep down... He's really nice and supportive at the same time!" Ash explained with a smile. "Pika Pika." Pikachu replied, as he agreed with Ash's words. The Alola boy smiled, feeling happy for his new friend as Mallow stopped by at a classroom!
"Now, this is our classroom!" Mallow explained as she presented the room to the Kanto trainer, who was immediately in awe to see such an open classroom. "Whoa... Wow!" Ash said as he ran around, before he reached the outside of the classroom. The cool breeze blew onto his and Pikachu's face as the two relaxed with the soft breeze coming to them.
"This is so nice!" "Pika!" Ash said, with Pikachu agreeing. "That's not all that's nice. Remember the field? That's where we ran into Tauros." Kaito explained, recalling on how he and Ash were trampled accidentally by Mallow and the others. "Right! There's also a lake, and the campus is huge, and we learn all sorts of amazing things!" Mallow explained brightly.
This left the Kanto trainer even excited to see more as another person came in, greeting the three trainers. "Hi! A big Alola to you all!" A man said, walking in. He looked like a professor, but in a more relaxed and intelligent way. "Hey, Prof. Kukui. Alola to you, too!" Kaito said, giving a small bow to the Alola Professor.
"Professor?" Ash repeated in surprise, causing Mallow to explain. "Yeah! He's a teacher here!" Mallow explained before she turned to her teacher. "Professor? Kaito and I'd like you to meet Ash!" Mallow said as she introduced the Kanto trainer to her teacher. The Alola Professor let out a small chuckle before he gave a nod to one of his student.
"Prinicpal Oak just filled me in! Hi, Ash! Pikachu! The Pokémon School is a wonderful place! I hope you enjoy your visit here!" Prof. Kukui assured to Ash, who nodded in response. "Thank you!" "Pika!" The two thanked together as they felt happy to meet the Alola Professor.
The Alola boy smiled at Ash's enthusiasm, only for his smile to drop as he heard a familiar roar coming from near the school entrance! Everyone in the classroom turned to see a boy confronting three suspicious looking people with a Charizard at his side! Noticing the suspicious people, Ash frowned at seeing them.
"Who are they?" Ash asked, as Kaito scoffed in annoyance. "Ugh... Team Skull... Not them again." Kaito groaned as he ran out of the classroom, with Buizel at his side. "Wait! Kaito!" Mallow said as she ran after the Alola boy. "Hey! Hold up, you guys!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cried together as they ran after their two new friends out of the school.
Prof. Kukui frowned at the scene ahead as he knew that this wasn't good. "Oh boy..." said the Professor as he ran outside to confront the scene.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Pokémon School...
The boy and his Charizard glared at the three suspicious people, as they stepped off of their motorcycles to confront the boy. "Stopping our bikes the way you did was not the smartest of moves." The first grunt said in annoyance. "Yeah! Just like what my bro said!" The second grunt agreed, showing the same annoyance as the first.
"Team Skull doesn't like anyone getting in our way!" The first grunt said, giving the reminder to the boy, which the third grunt agreed on. "You've got that right!" The female grunt said with small laughter. The boy sharpened his glare as he remained unfazed by the small threats that the grunts were giving off.
"I don't remember blocking the road. The only people I see getting in the way are you." The boy said, amusing the first grunt as he began to taunt the boy even more. "Well! Listen to the big talker!" The first grunt said in amusement as the argument went on. "Ha! I dare you to say that again!" The second grunt said, making his taunt as well.
While the grunts were arguing with the boy, Lana, Sophocles, and Lillie watched with Popplio and Togedemaru as their friend was confronting their enemies. By that time, Kaito, Ash, and Mallow had arrived in time to see the scene. "Who are those guys!?" Ash said, not liking them already.
"Like I said, they're Team Skull... Troublemakers of the Alola region." Kaito said bitterly, as he gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Bui..." hissed the Sea Weasel Pokémon. "Yeah. They're always bullying us into a Pokémon battle! Not nice!" Mallow said, showing her upset about the evil organization in Alola.
By the time she had said that, Prof. Kukui arrived in time to see the grunts challenging one of his students to an unfair battle. "IF... you can beat us in a Pokémon battle, MAYBE we'll let you walk away." The first grunt said, as the second one made another deal. "Yeah! But if we beat you, then that Charizard of yours will belong to us!" The second grunt said in a tauntingly way.
At that part, the boy's face darkened before he raised it up to face his enemies in a battle. "You'll be sorry..." the boy said, which unfazed the grunts as they took out their Pokéballs! "Ha! We'll see about that! Come on out, Salandit!" The first grunt cried as he summoned his three Alola Pokémon out for battle.
"Yungoos!" "Zubat!" The two other grunts called their three Pokémon out, all calling them out for battle. As they were summoned, the nine Pokémon prepared to fight as they hissed and glared at their enemy, which seemed to be only one. "Now, tell your Charizard to fight!" The first grunt demanded, much to the boy's annoyance.
Just as he was about to send one of his Pokémon out, that was when Kaito and Ash ran up, confronting the Team Skull grunts. "Hold it right there!" "Stop it!" The two cried out as they faced the grunts. The three all blinked to see new opponent's running up as both Kaito and Ash glared at them, both annoyed by their antics and unfair battling styles.
At seeing the two confront them, Lana, Mallow, Lillie, Sophocles, and Prof. Kukui all gasped in surprise as Mallow and Lana called out to the two in worry. "Ash!?" "Wait, Kaito!" The girls cried out as the second grunt sneered at the two. "Who do you two think you are!?" The second grunt demanded annoyingly, as Kaito sharpened his glare.
"This has gone far enough, you imbeciles. Three against one is rough, but nine against one!? That's going way too far!" Kaito said, as Ash aided his words. "That's right! You're all cowards! Ganging up against just one opponent!?" Ash snapped, as the first grunt scoffed at the two.
"Ha! And what are you two going to do about it?" The first grunt asked, which was immediately answered. "I'll fight, too!" "I'll be a part of this battle!" The boys shouted out together as they got ready to fight. "Are you ready!? Um... And you are...?" Ash started to ask, until he realized that he was teaming up with someone he didn't know.
"Kiawe... But I don't need any help. Especially yours, Kaito." Kiawe said, as he turned to his classmate. The Alola boy raised his eyebrows before he shook his head. "That attitude of yours haven't changed, hasn't it, Kiawe?" Kaito said, teasing his rival and friend. The dark skin boy smirked at the Alola boy as the two got ready to fight.
"Those guys are really dangerous, Ash! Kaito!" Mallow said in worry, as the Alola boy sighed. "Relax, Mallow. I've dealt with these kinds of people before. It won't be that hard." Kaito said in assurance. "Bui bui!" Buizel said confidently as he got into a fighting pose, much to the grunts' annoyance. "Won't be that hard!? Why, you little..." The second grunt snapped angrily.
"Pikachu! Ready? I choose you!" Ash said as he sent out his partner for battle. The Electric Type stood next to Buizel, also ready to fight. At seeing the Kanto trainer's determination, the Alola Professor widened his eyes before he stroked his chin, feeling interested with the Kanto trainer. "Oh my..." Prof. Kukui said in amusement.
"Don't hurt yourselves, you two." Kiawe said, warning his comrades, as Kaito glanced back. "Speak for yourself. Like I said, I've dealt with these people before. Nothing to worry about." Kaito said confidently, causing Kiawe to raise his eyebrows as he took out a Pokéball for battle. He closed his eyes for a moment before he sent out his battling partner.
"Now! Turtonator! Come on out!" Kiawe called as he summoned a giant Pokémon that had piercing spikes on its back. It looked like an unfriendly fire dragon, while sturdy as a boulder at the same time! At the sight of Turtonator, the Kanto trainer was amazed to see such a Pokémon. "Wow! Totally awesome! So that's a Turtonator, huh?" Ash asked in amazement.
"A Fire and Dragon Type. A strong and trusty friend. A wise one." Kiawe explained as the battle began.
Team Skull Grunts: Yungoos, Zubat, Salandit (x3) VS Kaito, Ash, Kiawe: Buizel, Pikachu, Turtonator
"Alright, Salandit! Show 'em your strength with Venoshock!" The first grunt cried out loud. "Yungoos! Use Bite!" "Zubat! Leech Life!" The second and third grunt cried out loud.
"Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" "Buizel, counter them with Aqua Jet!" Ash and Kaito shouted out their commands, causing their partners to evade the Venoshock attacks! While not taking damage from the enemies' attacks, the Quick Attack and Aqua Jet together bashed the three Salandits away! Kiawe widened his eyes at the speed of the two together.
"Both of them are fast!" Kiawe commented in surprise as he noticed six more enemies coming to his way this time! The three Zubats and the three Yungoos struck at Turtonator, who only turned around, letting its enemies bite its spiky back. As the attacks made contact, the spikes on the Fire-Dragon Type's back suddenly exploded!
It blasted the three Zubats and Yungoos away, knocking them all on the ground, much to the grunts' shock and disbelief. Ash was shocked too as he never seen an attack or ability like that. "Ah! What happened!?" Ash gasped as Kaito smiled. "That's one of Turtonator's Traps." Kaito said, leaving the Kanto trainer confused. "Traps?" Ash repeated in confusion.
"Right. If something touches the spine on Turtonator's shell, they'll blow up." Kiawe explained, leaving the Kanto trainer even more amazed as his eyes sparkled in amazement. "Wow...!" It was all Ash could say as the first grunt used this chance to counterattack with his three Fire-Poison Types!
"Quick, Salandit! Use Flame Burst!" The first grunt yelled desperately, calling for another attack. At that point, one of the Salandits launched small rings of fire towards Pikachu and Buizel, causing the boys to counter the attacks. "Stop it with Ice Punch, Buizel!" "Pikachu! Dodge it and use Thunderbolt!"
At the orders, the three Flame Bursts were blocked by Buizel's Ice Punch, as the cold temperature of the attack negated the flames. As for Pikachu, the Electric Type dodged the other Fire Type attacks and launched an Electric Type attack at the Salandits! The move shocked them all, knocking the three down for a moment.
"That's power..." Kaito said, impressed with the electrifying power. The other classmates seemed amazed as they all cheered for Ash, Kaito, and Kiawe for the win. "Yeah! Way to go!" Ash said, as he felt more determined to win.
What he and Kaito didn't notice was that a pair of eyes were staring at him and the Alola boy, as if the figure was interested in the two. Other than that, the battle wasn't over as none of the grunts' Pokémon were going down that easily. But with the huge amount of damage they all took, it wouldn't be long before victory came for Kaito and his two comrades.
It was then the time as Kiawe stepped up, preparing to make one last move. "I'll finish this." Kiawe said, catching the Kanto trainer off guard. Before he could question Kiawe, Kaito placed a hand on his shoulder, telling him to back up. "Brace yourself. Because this is going to be very hot." Kaito said, confusing Ash once again.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked. Before the Alola boy could answer, Kiawe's ring on his left wrist began to glow, showing a Type symbol as he made several poses, while calling for Turtonator's attention. "Alright! Turtonator, let's go!" Kiawe called, as the Fire-Dragon Type nodded in agreement, as it was ready to make one last attack.
Ash gasped to see this as the Team Skull grunts widened their eyes in shock. "Oh no!" The first grunt gasped. "Uh oh!" "Could it be THE move!?" The other two grunts panicked as Kiawe made some words to chant as the 'move' process went on.
"The scenic! All my might! Of body! And spirit! With the great mountain of Akala! Become a raging fire and burn! INFERNO OVERDRIVE!" Kiawe yelled as he and Turtonator were in complete sync, as they made poses to show how strong their bond was. With the power and the spirit together, the Fire-Deagon Type created a giant burning fireball!
It blasted the fireball at the nine Team Skull Pokémon, creating a huge explosion in the process! Ash watched in awe as the smoke cleared to show all of Team Skull's Pokémon knocked out! Panicking for their loss, the grunts returned their Pokémon, annoyed and afraid at the same time. "Argh! This can't be happening...!" The first grunt panicked as the others panicked as well.
Winner: Ash, Kaito, and Kiawe
"What's the holdup here!?" A female, demanding voice said angrily, catching the grunts off guard as they slowly turned to see another member walking towards them. This one looked different as she looked a bit higher ranked than the three themselves. She looked like an insane woman, but a tough-looking one at the same time!
"H-Hey! It's Big Sis Plumeria!" The second grunt said in surprise. At hearing this, Ash, Kaito, and Kiawe all widened their eyes. "Big Sis...?" Ash repeated in confusion. "I guess that means she's the leader of those guys." Kaito said, gritting his teeth. "Pika..." "Bui..." Both Pikachu and Buizel all glared at the newcomer as Plumeria narrowed her eyes.
"You're close, kid, but not quite. My name is Plumeria. I'm the Admin of Team Skull." Plumeria explained, catching the Kanto trainer and the Alola boy by surprise. "The Admin!?" Ash exclaimed in shock as Kiawe scoffed, narrowing his eyes. "Then that means... you're a higher ranked member than the ones we've defeated." Kiawe said angrily.
"Correct you are! And I can see you defeated these dummies here..." Plumeria said as she gave a small glare to her defeated comrades. "W-We're sorry, Big Sis Plumeria!" The third grunt said, as she bowed to the Admin. Plumeria said nothing as she turned her face back to the trainers that defeated her comrades.
"From the way you defeated the three here, you three have realized what idiots all these guys are, right?" Plumeria asked, as the Alola boy stepped up. "And so what would you say if we did realize that?" Kaito asked, as he sounded like a challenge was about to come to him. At his question, Plumeria smirked insanely, before making her words.
"Then I would say, 'Don't you think some dummies are cute in their dumbness'?" Plumeria said, as Ash frowned at the way she's talking. "That's cruel... Saying such things about your comrades..." Ash said silently. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed as the Admin continued on with her words.
"You should know what I mean by saying that, right? You picking on my cute, dumb brothers and sisters is really annoying!" Plumeria said as she took out two Pokéballs, preparing for battle.
"So! I say that one of you should come here and pay the price for doing such annoying things! If I win, then you are to never mess with my dummies again! But should I lose, we'll forget everything that's happened here!" Plumeria demanded as she grew her two Pokéballs in the air, summoning a Golbat and another Salandit!
But this Salandit seemed stronger than the first grunt's, as it looked more experienced and bigger than the three Kaito and his two comrades have faced. "A double battle, huh?" Kiawe said as he started to take a step, only for someone else to pitch in! "I'll be the one to take this battle, if you don't mind." Isamu said coldly.
At hearing his older brother's voice, Ash turned to see his brother glaring coldly at the Team Skull grunts and Plumeria, who narrowed her eyes at the Johto Champion. "Brother!?" Ash said in surprise, which caught Plumeria's attention. "And who are you, kid?" Plumeria asked as Isamu stepped up in front of Ash, Kaito, and Kiawe.
"I'm someone that you don't want to mess with. Someone that's going to send you and your comrades packing." Isamu said coldly. Ash frowned at his older brother's tone as Kiawe narrowed his eyes. Kaito on the other hand, felt something was pressuring him as Plumeria smirked in amusement. "Hmph. Alright then. I'll accept your challenge, whoever you are." Plumeria said as Isamu took out his two Pokéballs.
"Go! Umbreon and Typloshion!" Isamu yelled as he summoned his two ace Pokémon out for battle. The two Johto Pokémon growled and glared at their opponent as they were ready to fight. "Oh man... If he's choosing both Umbreon and Typloshion, then that means he's not going to hold back at all..." Ash said out loud, catching Kiawe and Kaito by surprise.
Plumeria: Golbat + Salandit VS Isamu: Umbreon + Typloshion
"Alright then! Let's get this started! Golbat, use Air Cutter! And Salandit, you use Flame Burst!" Plumeria cried out loud. At the orders, her two Poison Types launched their attacks, which were all headed straight for Umbreon and Typloshion! "Umbreon, counter with Dark Pulse! And Typloshion, use Flamethrower to counter!" Isamu shouted back.
"Umb!" "Ty!" His two partners said their battle cries as they launched their attacks, which collided with Flame Burst and Air Cutter! The moves easily overpowered their opponents as the attacks blasted both Golbat and Salandit away! "What!?" Plumeria gasped as the grunts gasped in shock. "No way!" "Big Sis Plumeria!?" The grunts were shocked to see their 'sister' actually losing.
"That's... some power." Kaito said again, this time in disbelief. Even Kiawe seemed amazed to see such power and teamwork between Isamu and his two Pokémon. "Tch! I'm not done yet! Salandit, use Sludge Bomb! And Golbat, you use Haze!" Plumeria yelled, as she tried to make a distraction to her enemy's Pokémon.
But just as Haze filled the area, Isamu was already prepared to counter her attacks. "It's useless! Typloshion, Blast Burn! And Umbreon, use Shadow Ball!" Isamu yelled as his two ace were already onto making their attacks.
Typloshion slammed his fist on the ground, creating a huge eruption, which surrounded Salandit, as Umbreon's Shadow Ball blasted Golbat away, slamming it onto the Fire-Poison Type! "Ah! No!" Plumeria shrieked as Blast Burn took its effect, as an explosion occurred, blasting both her two Pokémon away and slamming into the ground.
All the students of the Pokémon School and Prof. Kukui gasped. They had never seen such power before... and it was coming from a brother of Ash.
Winner: Isamu
Seeing her Pokémon defeated, Plumeria gritted her teeth as she returned Golbat and Salandit, before she ran for her motorcycle. "This isn't over, you hear me! I'll be back to get you someday!" Plumeria snapped as she drove off, leaving her comrades to get on their motorcycles and follow her! "Wait! Big Sis Plumeria!" "Come back!" They all shouted desperately.
As soon as they were gone, the Johto Champion took a deep breath and sighed. He felt Umbreon nuzzling his leg, and Typloshion grinning at him as Isamu smiled at his two Pokémon, thanking them for their help. "Great work, you two." Isamu said as he praised his two ace for their hard work. As he returned Typloshion, he noticed Ash, Kaito, and Kiawe all looking at him in disbelief.
This left the older brother to laugh nervously as Kaito twitched his eyebrows, shocked to see an easy victory for the Johto Champion, as he didn't know who he really was. "That was... fast." Kaito said, as Kiawe seemed to agree. "I... have to agree." Kiawe said, as the little brother grinned sheepishly, before nodding along.
"Yep! That's my brother! Johto Champion and all!" Ash said with a chuckle, catching Kaito and the other students by surprise. They all expressed their shocked comments by turning to Isamu.
Sophocles - "No way! You're the Johto Champion!?"
Lana - "No wonder you were able to defeat the Admin so easily..."
Mallow - "That was so amazing... The way your Pokémon took her out that easily..."
Lillie - "This is just... incredible!"
Prof. Kukui gave a chuckle as he felt impressed with Isamu as well. "Well, well... Your mothr and Principal Oak clearly said on how strong you are... But to be strong as a Champion, I just say... I'm more than impressed!" Prof. Kukui said, complimenting Isamu's strength and bond with his Pokémon.
The older Ketchum brother frowned, as he didn't like having too much attention by other people, which Ash noticed. Remembering of what Kiawe did earlier, he turned to him, asking of what he did. "By the way... Kiawe, what was that move you did earlier?" Ash asked. Pikachu felt as though he had the same question as he hopped onto Ash's shoulder.
"Pika..." Pikachu said as he was also amazed to see the move from before. "A Z-Move!" Prof. Kukui said, catching the Kanto trainer's attention by surprise. Isamu also turned his attention to the Alola Professor, as Kaito regained his smile, recalling of what the move actually does for the Trainer and their Pokémon.
"Z-Move?" Ash repeated in confusion. "Yep!" Prof. Kukui said, confirming his words as Kaito explained. "Z-Moves are like what you call, special moves that have been passed down in the Alola region." Kaito explained as he allowed the Alola Professor to continue.
"That's right! In Alola, there are four islands! And each of them has its own Guardian Pokémon! Only for those who participate in the ceremony called the Island Challenge are able to use Z-Moves!" Prof. Kukui explained, which seemed to have sparked Ash's interest as he was even more excited to know more about this region.
"Ah...! Island Guardians...! Island Challenge... And Z-Moves, too!" Ash said happily, which Isamu noticed. The older Ketchum brother sighed silently before he smiled, as he knew what his little brother would want to do sooner or later. At seeing Ash's interest, Prof. Kukui placed a hand on both Ash and Kaito's shoulders, pulling them together.
"Now, that was a real Mega Punch Level battle, with you two teaming up with Kiawe earlier!" Prof. Kukui said as he gave a small smile to Kiawe, who smiled back coolly. "Say, Ash! You seem to enjoy a great battle!" Prof. Kukui said, which the little brother agreed on with a big grin on his face.
"Yeah! I want to become a Pokémon Master!" Ash said, leaving Kaito surprised while leaving the Alola Professor amazed. "Oh! I see!" Prof. Kukui said as the Alola boy looked at Ash, with Buizel climbing up on his shoulder. "That's a difficult dream to achieve..." Kaito said, causing Ash to turn to him for a moment until he felt something fall on his head!
The Alola boy noticed it too as he and Ash turned to see a Pokémon flying by and into the forest, soon out of sight. Isamu noticed it too, as he blinked to see a Pokémon that he had never seen before. He gave a small glance at Umbreon, who nodded, showing that she had seen the Pokémon, too. Ash was the first to ask what Pokémon it was.
"Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked, catching the students' attention. Mallow, Lana, Lillie, Sophocles, and Kiawe all looked around, as they were confused on what the little brother of Isamu was saying. "Pokémon?" Sophocles repeated in confusion. "But where?" Lana asked, looking around. Mallow frowned, as she didn't see anything fly by, either.
"I didn't see anything!" Mallow said, as Kaito turned to the others, saying his words, too. "I saw it, too. But... I just don't if what I saw is true..." Kaito said, admitting his unsureness until Isamu spoke up. "I saw it, too. It flew past us and out of sight, into the forest up ahead." Isamu said, pointing to where the Pokémon had disappeared off to.
"Whoa, you guys, too!?" Mallow said in surprise as the little brother tried to explain. "Yeah! It was just there! It was a Pokémon for sure! It was yellow... It was this big... with an orange crest on its head!" Ash explained as he tried to explain the description of the Pokémon he, Kaito, and Isamu had saw just now.
The description left Kaito to widen his eyes as Buizel expressed his surprise, too. "Then, what you're saying is... we all saw..." Kaito started to say, as Kiawe finished it.
"Tapu Koko..." Kiawe said in disbelief, as Lillie stepped up in surprise. "You three saw Tapu Koko!? Guardian of Melemele Island?!" Lillie asked, catching Ash by surprise. "Wow... Guardian? That's what that was...?" Ash asked.
He turned to his brother, who only shrugged with a stern look on his face. With the expression Isamu was giving, he wasn't sure on what to believe anymore. Kaito on the other hand, looked back to where Tapu Koko had disappeared off to. "But, why would Tapu Koko show around now?" Kaito asked. "Bui?" Even Buizel didn't seem to know the answer to that question.
That night...
At a restaurant, the Ketchum family were enjoying an Alolan cuisine, as Delia seemed to enjoy it the most, along with Mr. Mime. Taking a bite from her dishes, the mother of the Ketchum brothers smiled, beaming at the taste of the cuisine. "Mm... This is so good!" Delia said, complimenting the taste of the Alola dish.
Pikachu, Umbreon, a Typloshion, and Mr. Mime seemed to be enjoying their food as well as they beamed at the tastes, too. But for Isamu, instead of thinking about the food, he knew that once he returned to Kanto, he would have to go back to Johto soon to continue his job as the Johto Champion. But what he had experienced earlier was definitely not a dream.
And he wasn't the only one who saw it. His little brother and Kaito had also seen that Pokémon, too. "Tapu Koko... The Guardian of Melemele Island..." Isamu thought calmly. He turned to his little brother, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, but more in an exciting way.
Seeing his expression left the older brother smiling as he was sure of what Ash wanted now, now that he has seen most of the Alola Pokémon, while making some new friends as well. "Anything interesting happen today, you two?" Delia asked, catching the brothers' attention. They turned to their mother, who smiled at what they were thinking just now.
"You both seem a little... distracted this evening." Delia said, catching both Isamu and Ash by surprise. They looked at each other for a moment, before they smiled at each other. The two of them looked back at their mother, with Isamu saying the first words.
"You have no idea... how many interesting things happened today, Mom." Isamu said, catching Delia by surprise as she smiled at her eldest son's words. "I see..." Delia said happily. Before Ash could say anything, he heard a Pokemon cry coming near them, as the little brother shot up from his seat. Isamu and Delia both looked at Ash in surprise as he looked around.
As he kept looking, he spotted a familiar figure passing by, causing him to jump up and run after the figure. "Yeah! That was it!" Ash said as he ran off, with Pikachu following him! "Where are you going!? Pikachu!?" Delia said in surprise until Isamu stopped her. "Just let them be, Mom." Isamu said, catching his mother by surprise again.
The older Ketchum brother laid back on his seat and folded his arms, before saying his words. "You can't stop Ash or Pikachu when they found or heard something interesting... like what they did just now." Isamu said, causing Delia to smile and agree. "I guess you're right about that..." Delia said with a sigh.
She looked back to where her youngest son had ran off to, as Isamu looked at Typloshion and Umbreon. His two partners nodded to him while smiling, causing the older Ketchum brother to nod back. The three of them all realized that on what they needed to do for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, at Kaito's house...
"Oh my... You actually saw the Guardian of Melemele Island, Tapu Koko?" Kaito's mother, Shizuka asked in surprise. At dinner, the Alola boy explained to his mother and his two siblings on what he had experienced and on what he had saw earlier at the Pokémon School. He didn't mention about having a battle with Team Skull as this would've left his mother overprotective of him again.
The last time when Kaito fought against Team Skull, he and Buizel were nearly defeated until they managed to drive the grunts off, leaving Shizuka extremely worried as she had scolded the two for fighting against the troublemakers of the Alola region.
"Yeah... It happened when I met a new friend of mine, and the Johto Champion." Kaito explained, catching Shiho and Seita by surprise as they widened their eyes at their eldest brother. "Wow! Big bro! You met the Johto Champion!?" Seita said in shock. "And you got to meet the Guardian of Melemele Island!?" Shiho asked on disbelief.
"I know it's kind of hard to believe, but yeah. I saw on how the Champion battled, while being friends with that little brother of his. The two of them were really cool and nice. I can tell that they both loved Pokémon more than I do." Kaito explained clearly. "Bui..." Buizel said in agreement, as he had also experienced this as well.
Shizuka smiled, her light-brown eyes shining with little tears as she wiped them away, which Kaito noticed. "M-Mom? Is... Is something wrong? I thought you were just crying earlier." Kaito asked, as Shizuka shook her head with a smile. "No... It's just that... for you to meet the Guardian of this island and to make a new friend... I just... I just..." Shizuka struggled to speak as she smiled through her tears.
"Mom... Please. Stop crying. This is making me feel bad, you know...?" Kaito asked, which Shizuka nodded at. "Right... Right..." Shizuka said as she rose up, before she left the dining room, leaving her three kids alone. "Mom...?" Kaito said in worry. "Bui bui." Buizel said, comforting his human brother.
Understanding his partner's comfort, Kaito nodded softly as Shiho frowned to where her mother had left to. "Big brother? Is Mom going to be okay?" Shiho asked in worry. "We didn't do anything wrong, right?" Seita asked, leaving Kaito to frown. He shook his head, before he turned to his two siblings, giving them both a small smile of hesitation.
"Y-Yeah... She just needs to be alone for a while." Kaito said as he slumped in his seat. "What... just happened there? She looked happy there for a moment, and now... she starts to cry. Is she touched by what happened to me and Buizel today?" Kaito thought as he looked at his Water Type partner, who seemed puzzled as he was.
Just then, there was a loud cry coming from outside, which caught Kaito and Buizel's attention. The two widened their eyes as they ran out the door to see where the cry had come from. "Big brother!? Buizel? What is it?" Shiho asked in worry. "I thought I heard Tapu Koko again... Did you, Buizel?" Kaito asked, turning to his Water Type.
"Bui. Bu bu bui." Buizel said, nodding to the Alola boy's words. "No way! THE Tapu Koko!?" Seita exclaimed in surprise. The little siblings also ran out to their older brother, in time to see Tapu Koko flying by, as if it was urging Kaito to follow it! "It... wants us to follow it?" Kaito asked as he ran after the Guardian of Melemele Island.
"Big brother! Where are you going!?" Shiho asked in surprise. "I'll be back soon! Just head back inside! There's something important that I need to take care of!" Kaito said as he and Buizel ran off, running after Tapu Koko. Seita raised his eyebrows, unsure of whether to believe his older brother or not.
"I think he's going after Tapu Koko... The Pokémon we just saw." Seita said with a frown as he felt the urge to follow him. Seeing this, Shiho pouted and pulled Seita by the back of his shirt, much to Seita's surprise as he began to complain for being pulled back. "H-Hey! Shiho! What are you doing!?" Seita yelped as he was pulled away and into the house.
"Big brother said to stay in the house and were going to stay in here!" Shiho said as she shut the door closed, keeping it unlocked so that Kaito would be able to return. "Oh, come on! Don't you want to see Tapu Koko, too!?" Seita complained as he flailed his arms around in annoyance, leaving the sister to sigh in defeat.
"Yeah. We heard its cry and we saw it for a second... But... I think it only wants big brother and Buizel to come. We would only scare it away, don't you think, Seita?" Shiho asked, catching Seita by surprise. He sighed, before he scratched his head in defeat. "Fine... But this is so not fair..." Seita said, as he puffed his cheeks out to show his pouting.
Meanwhile...
At the town's fountain, Kaito and Buizel managed to follow Tapu Koko up to here, before they had lost it as they looked around to see if the Guardian of Melemele Island was around. "Hey! Kaito! Buizel!" Ash cried out, catching the Alola boy by surprise. He and Buizel turned to see the Kanto trainer and Pikachu running towards them.
"Have you been following Tapu Koko, too?" Ash asked, causing Kaito to nod in confirmation. "Yeah... Buizel and I heard its voice together. It looked like it was asking us to follow it." Kaito explained. "Bui bui." "Pika..." Buizel said nearly the same thing to Pikachu, which left the Electric Type to now understand.
"Ko!" Both boys and their starters blinked to see Tapu Koko appearing in their sights, as the Kanto trainer was the first to spot it. "There it is!" Ash said as he ran after the Guardian. Kaito followed as he and Ash followed the Guardian of Melemele Island, up to the high viewpoint of the city.
The two caught their breaths as they confronted Tapu Koko, who didn't fly away this time. It instead waited for the two boys as Kaito stared at it. "To think that I'm confronting the Guardian of Melemele Island... Tapu Koko." Kaito said in disbelief. "Bui bui..." Buizel said, as he couldn't believe it, either. "That's Tapu Koko?" Ash repeated, amazed.
The Alola boy nodded to his new friend as he walked over to the Guardian, with Ash following. "Why do you keep coming to us? Is there something that you want to tell us both?" Ash asked, confused. As they stopped right in front of it, the Guardian of Melemele Island showed two items, before it used its powers to send the two items to both Ash and Kaito.
The boys looked at the items as they noticed that they were rings! "Ah!... Those look like the ones that Kiawe was wearing!" Ash said in surprise as Kaito recognized these rings. "They're Z-Rings... The one one left has a Z-Crystal called Electrium-Z... And the one on the right has a Z-Crystal called the Waterium-Z..." Kaito said in disbelief.
Ash widened his eyes as he looked back at Tapu Koko, as Kaito did the same. A few seconds after they stared at each other, the Guardian of Melemele Island gave a nod to the two boys, as if it was signaling them that the Z-Rings belonged to them. Widening his eyes again, Ash smiled, before he turned to Kaito, who nodded back to him.
Together, the two boys touched their new Z-Rings, Ash touching the one with the Electrium-Z, with Kaito touching the one with the Waterium-Z. As their fingers touched the crystals, Ash's Z-Ring began to glow bright yellow, startling him while Kaito's Z-Ring lit up with an aquatic light, startling him as well.
But soon after, after getting used to the glowing, both the Kanto trainer and the Alola boy watched as they held their new Z-Rings before they attached it to their left wrist. It was a perfect fit, as they looked back up at the Guardian of a Melemele Island. Tapu Koko gave a small nod to the two boys before it flew off and into the night sky.
"Huh!? Hey! Wait a minute!" Ash said as he tried to stop the Guardian Pokémon, only for it to be too late as Tapu Koko was already out of sight. Kaito walked over to the Kanto trainer, standing besides him as he looked back at the Z-Ring Tapu Koko had given him, along with the Waterium-Z crystal. He looked to where Tapu Koko had disappeared off to, before he smiled a little.
"Bui?" Buizel asked, nudging Kaito's cheek with his nose. The Alola boy blinked, before he smiled to his Sea Weasel Pokémon, assuring to him that he was okay. He turned to Ash, asking him something. "What did you think that was about?" Kaito asked, causing the Kanto trainer to frown, as he was unsure about this, too.
"I don't know... But whatever we did, I think Tapu Koko had a reason for giving us these Rings!" Ash said with a grin, as he showed his Z-Ring to the Alola boy. Kaito only smiled at that answer as he nodded slowly back.
Later...
After saving his good night to the Kanto trainer, the Alola boy headed back home, where he went inside the house to see that all the lights were out. "Mom, Shiho, and Seita... They all must be sleeping..." Kaito said softly, causing Buizel to nod in agreement.
Quietly and stealthily, the Alola boy and his Sea Weasel Pokémon crept up to their room, where they got ready to sleep. The Alola boy changed into his pajamas before he took his Z-Ring off. He placed it on his desk, preparing to show it to his classmates and the Professor tomorrow morning before class starts.
Once everything was ready, the Alola boy slipped into the covers of his bed, ready to hit the hay tonight. Buizel slipped inside the covers with him, as he snuggled onto his human brother's chest. "Sleep tight, Bui." Kaito said, as Buizel grinned back with a nod. "Bui bui." Buizel said as he slowly fell asleep, causing Kaito to fall asleep, too.
The next morning...
"GAH! We overslept, Buizel! Wake up!" Kaito screamed in panic, causing Buizel to yelp in shock as the Water Type quickly prepared to head out, as he watched his human brother change into his original outdoor outfit, while slipping his Z-Ring on.
Then, running down the stairs, the Alola boy didn't bother to eat breakfast as he sped down the stairs and out the doorway, as Shizuka called for his son. "Have a good time, son! And be careful!" Shizuka called out loud, which Kaito heard. "Right! I'll keep that in mind, Mom! See ya!" Kaito said as he ran off to the Pokémon School, with Buizel at his side.
"See you later, big bro!" "Come back soon, okay?" Seita and Shiho cried to their brother, as Kaito nodded back with a thumbs up. With the farewell done, the Alola boy and his Sea Weasel Pokémon picked up the pace, as they raced each other to the Pokémon School.
Meanwhile...
"Prof. Kukui's house is awesome! Know what!? There's also a Training Room in the basement!" Ash exclaimed as he jumped up and down, filled with joy and excitement. "Pikachu! Pika!" Pikachu said, as he showed his punching abilities to Delia.
Ash had contacted Delia on the TV video program, thanks to Prof. Kukui's help, which allowed them to call Delia if they needed to. The mother of the Ketchum brothers smiled happily at his youngest son's excitement as she said her words to him. "That's great! I love seeing you and Pikachu have a great time!" Delia said with a smile.
Walking up to the plasma screen, the Kanto trainer said his thanks to his mother. "And thanks, Mom." Ash said, much to Delia's confusion. "When I said I wanted to stay on the island, you said fine right off the bat!" Ash said, causing his mother to smile.
"Actually, it was your brother who convinced me to let you stay in the Alola region, Ash." Delia said, catching the Kanto trainer by surprise. "Isamu? He told you that...?" Ash asked in surprise, as Delia nodded.
"Mm hm! But even if he didn't ask me to let you stay, I would've let you stay here anyway! I am your mother, after all. Both he and I had a feeling that you might ask me that! And we were right!" Delia explained happily.
Ash nodded back with a nod, before he gasped as he picked up his hat and backpack, as he prepared to leave. "Ah! I gotta go! I start Pokémon School today!" Ash said as Delia smiled in understanding. "Have a great time! And be careful!" Delia said, which Ash nodded at. "I will!" Ash said as he ran out of the house, after he ended the call.
The Kanto trainer and Pikachu both ran out of Prof. Kukui's house as they ran for the Pokémon School. What they didn't notice was Kaito and Buizel coming to the same direction as they were as the two boys slammed into each other, causing them both to yell out in pain. They fell to the ground before they recovered to see each other's face.
"Kaito!?" "Ash!?" The two pointed at each other in surprise, while Buizel and Pikachu did the same to each other, both surprised to each other again. "Are you headed to the Pokémon School, too?" Kaito asked, as the Kanto trainer grinned with a nod. "Yep! Starting today, I'm going to become a student there!" Ash said as he stood back up.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, as Buizel smiled back with a nod. "Bu bu bui!" Buizel said happily, as the Alola boy smiled, before he nodded to his Kanto friend. Just then, the Kanto trainer took off, leaving Kaito and Buizel behind. "Ha ha! Race you there, Kaito!" Ash said as he ran off, much to the Alola boy's annoyance as he charged after him.
"ARGH! Get back here!" Kaito yelled as he ran after his friend, with Buizel running at his side. Pikachu ran besides Ash as the Kanto duo laughed at being chased by their Alola friend and his Sea Weasel Pokémon.
What the boys didn't know that today... would be the start of their adventures in the Alola region, while having new friends and Pokémon along the way for the trip.
To be continued...
Kaito's Team:
Buizel (M): (Ice Punch, Agility, Rain Dance, Aqua Jet)
Next chapters:
Chapter 3: Ash's Challenge! The School Surprise!
Chapter 4: Tapu Koko's Interest! Destined Friends!
Chapter 5: The Rotom Pokédex Who Speaks!?
Chapter 6: Mimikyu VS Pikachu! Fake VS Real!
Chapter 7: Rockruff is Tough or Shy!?
Next chapter preview:
Lillie: So... Are you saying that Tapu Koko gave you two those two Z-Rings last night?
Kiawe: Using the Z-Move is nothing to be so lax about! Especially when it shows on how you use it!
Ash: All I can say is... I'll be sure to understand the true natures of the Z-Moves... Someday, maybe.
Prof. Kukui: A triple mix of Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, and Water Gun, huh...
Kaito: I don't know why Tapu Koko chose us, but... From what I can tell, it could be serious.
Shiho: Big brother... We would like to meet this new friend of yours, if it's okay...