Chapter 3: Ash's Challenge! The School Surprise!
Arriving at the Pokémon School, the Alola boy stopped at the gate as Ash stopped, too. "Okay! I'll meet you there, okay?" Ash asked as he had something else to do. "Alright. I'll see you in class, then, Ash." "Bui bui!" Kaito and Buizel said together. "Okay! See ya!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu said together before they took their leave.
Seeing the Kanto trainer disappear out of sight and into the school, the Alola boy smiled, as he looked down at his Sea Weasel Pokémon, who smiled along. The two both realized together that today in class, would be an interesting day with Ash and Pikachu to stick around.
With nothing else to do, the Alola boy walked around the school with Buizel to head to their classroom.
Later...
"Popplio! Make a balloon!" Lana said as the Sea Lion Pokémon started to blow a balloon from its nose! As it started to get bigger, it popped, startling both Lana and itself, causing the two to shake their heads to get the popped water out of their faces.
Sophocles on the other hand was working on some kind of program with Togedemaru at his side, as he gave the signal to his little Electric Type Pokémon. "Togedemaru! Charge program... Execute!" Sophocles cried out as the spiky Electric Type jumped inside a running wheel, allowing the power to work in the computer!
The Electric user grinned, seeing that his computer program was working perfectly, thanks to his partner's help. At the same time, it was when Kaito and Buizel came in together, as the Alola boy and his partner called out their greetings to their classmates. "Alola, guys!" "Bu bui!" The two said together, catching the classmates' attention.
"Alola!" Lana, Mallow, Lillie, and Sophocles said together as Popplio ran over to the Sea Weasel Pokémon and Kaito, happily greeting them with a clap of its paws. "Pop! Pop Pop!" Popplio said happily as Buizel grinned, before taking the Sea Lion Pokémon's paws into his paws as the two nuzzled their noses together.
The Alola boy let out a small chuckle before he noticed Lana coming over to him, with a small smile and blush on her face. "Good morning, Kai." Lana said nervously, as Kaito smiled back. "Morning to you too, Lan-Lan." Kaito said as Mallow smirked at the two getting along together.
Sophocles noticed this too, and smirked while Lillie watched with a caring smile on her face. The three of them, along with Kiawe all knew what was going on between the two and their starters, but decided not to press on the situation.
With the greetings over, everyone went back to what they were doing as Kaito began to prepare for class. He glanced to see Lillie nervously walking over to Mallow, due to Bounsweet being right next to her Trainer. "Um... Mallow?" Lillie called, catching Mallow's attention as she handed a recipe sheet to her.
"The recipe you came up with... If you added Mago Berry or Aguav Berry, the Pokémon food would be better balanced!" Lillie said, much to Mallow's delight as she took it with thanks. "Lillie, you're just the best! I'll try it now! Thank you!" thanked Mallow, causing Lillie to smile.
"I'm happy to help- EEEEEK!" Lillie started before Bounsweet came right into her face! This caused her to scream, causing both Kaito and Buizel to snicker at their classmate's lingering fear of touching Pokémon. The green-haired girl sighed, before she made a point to her shy and nervous classmate.
"It's such a shame! You know so much about Pokémon, yet you can't touch them!" Mallow said, causing Lillie to counter with her excuse again. "I can too touch them! I theorize it's only a matter of whether I want to touch them or not!" Lillie said, only for the Alola boy to tease her with a small smirk on his face.
"Oh really? And when is that the time, Lillie?" Kaito asked, causing the smart girl to blink, before she frowned. "Um... Uh..." She began to stutter until someone else came into the classroom, making his greeting to the others. "Alola..." muttered Kiawe as Mallow said her greeting back.
"Alola! Did you have a delivery this morning?" Mallow asked, which Kiawe confirmed. "Yeah. To Ula'ula Island." Kiawe said, interesting Sophocles as he pointed out the matter of time it would take to reach there. "Ula'ula Island? That's far away!" Sophocles said as Kiawe smirked at that. "With my Charizard, it takes no time at all." Kiawe explained.
He sat down on his seat, before he noticed a Z-Ring attached on Kaito's left wrist. "Huh...? That Z-Ring..." Kiawe said in surprise, until someone else came in! "Alola!" Prof. Kukui said, greeting his students as the students said their greetings back. "Alola!" Everyone said as Ash followed the Professor from behind.
As the Kanto trainer walked in with Pikachu at his shoulder, Kiawe widened his eyes to see another Z-Ring attached, this time to Ash's wrist! This made him both suspicious and curious as he looked at both his rival and his new classmate.
"Alola!" Ash said, saying his greeting to his new friends and Kaito. "Starting today, Ash will be joining us at the Pokémon School! If he has any questions, please don't hesitate to help him out!" Prof. Kukui announced as the Kanto trainer grinned before saying his words with determination.
"You see, I really want to become a Pokémon Master! So, I really want to learn everything about this place! I'm glad to be here!" Ash explained with a bright smile on his face. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, as he smiled at his new friends as well.
Kaito nodded slowly, before he sighed. "Becoming a Pokémon Master, huh..." Kaito said to himself silently. "Bui..." Buizel blinked, before he frowned at the dream that sounded difficult to get.
(Pokémon Opening: Sun and Moon English Subbed)
Ash - "I'm Ash of Pallet Town. My dream is to become a Pokémon Master. This is my partner, Pikachu! Let's all search for Pokémon with full force!"
(The Japanese opening title shows on the screen)
There's no use in just standing around all the time
(Both Kaito and Ash pant under the hot sun with Pikachu and Buizel)
(Lana, Mallow, Lillie, Kiawe, and Sophocles all run over to help them)
I want to try and set out on a head-turning adventure
(Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, Sophocles, and Lillie appear in different sections)
(Bounsweet, Popplio, Turbonator, and Togedemaru appear with their trainers)
With the sun, the moon, Pokémon, and Pikachu
(The friends all slide down the school slide)
(They slide before crashing into each other by Alolan Exeggutor)
(Yeah, yeah, yeah!)
(They all recover and make repeated steps together)
It never stops being surprising and refreshing
(Kaito, Ash, and Prof. Kukui runs for the school)
(Litten shrieks before shooting Ember at Ash's face, much to his startle)
I'm here! I'm there! I'm over there! I can't stay put!
(Kaito pops up, until Shiho and Seita pulls at his two arms)
(Buizel lands on his head as the two grin at each other)
C'mon, there's still so, so much more to see
(Kaito and Ash leads their friends and Pokémon across the island)
(Yeah, yeah, yeah!)
(Samson Oak dances a little, until Komala bashes him away)
In intense battles, I choose you!
(In intense battles, I choose you!)
(Ash, Kaito, Lana, Mallow, Sophocles, and Kiawe all appear with their Pokémon partners)
(A Pokémon Egg floats in front of Lillie)
And it's time to catch 'em all!
(And it's time to catch 'em all!)
(Kaito throws a Pokéball at a Rockruff, catching it with success)
(Ash throws a Pokéball at a Grubbin, catching it with success)
(Their classmate watch their success together)
(Go!)
(Ash sends Pikachu out for battle)
Burn brighter, sun!
Take off with your pulse burning! (Okay!)
(Pikachu defeats Mimikyu with Iron Tail)
(Pikachu then defeats Yungoos, Alolan Rattata, and Salandit with Thunderbolt)
(Solgaleo appears besides the little Electric Type)
Your courage is overflowing, moon!
You will light up the dreams!
(Kaito sinks underwater into the abyss, unconscious)
(Then, a bright light flashes, showing a silhouette that looks just like Kaito)
Come on, feel the maximum energy with your all
(Ash and Pikachu perform Gigavolt Havoc)
(Kaito and Buizel perform Hydro Vortex)
Shout it out, "Alola!"
(Both boys run to say their Alolan greeting in the school)
(Opening End)
After the first class, Lana, Lillie, Mallow, and Sophocles surrounded both Ash and Kaito, as the Kanto trainer was explaining about his reasons for remaining in the Alola region as he started to get along with his new classmates. As he was talking, Sophocles noticed the two Z-Rings on both Kaito and Ash's wrist!
"That's so cool...!" Sophocles said as Mallow and the other girls noticed them, too. "Wow, Ash! Kaito! Are those Z-Crystals on your wrists?" Mallow asked as Kiawe was the one who answered.
"Yeah. Those are Electrium-Z and Waterium-Z. Where did you two get that? Not the island challenge... Neither of you passed any trials that I know of." Kiawe asked with a stern look on his face. Kaito frowned, as he suspected that his rival would feel suspicious about this as he turned to explain with a serious look on his face.
"You... might not believe us, but it was given to us by Tapu Koko." Kaito explained with Buizel agreeing. "Bu Bui." Buizel said as the classmates were surprised to hear this. "What!? Tapu Koko!?" Kiawe said in shock as Mallow stepped up. "Ah! No way! You two saw it again together!?" Mallow exclaimed as Ash answered this time.
"Uh huh! Pikachu and I heard Tapu Koko's voice! So we took off after it! When we were doing so, we met up with Kaito and Buizel, since they heard the same thing, too!" Ash explained as the Alola boy nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. It felt like the Guardian of Melemele Island was calling for the both of us." Kaito added, allowing Ash to continue on.
"Right! And when we found Tapu Koko, these things came down floating to us! Yep! Right out of the sky!" Ash exclaimed as Kaito glanced at the Kanto trainer with a frown. "I think you mean Tapu Koko gave it to us by letting it float towards us..." Kaito said with a disbelief look, causing Ash to grin sheepishly.
"Uh, yeah! That's what I meant!" Ash said as Kiawe looked down with a puzzled look. "Tapu Koko... How could it have gotten not just one, but two Z-Rings?" Kiawe asked himself as Mallow asked another question. "And then...?" Mallow asked as Kaito continued on with the story from yesterday.
"Right after it was giving us those Z-Rings, it gave us this look, as if it was telling us that the Z-Rings belonged to us now. Once it gave us these Rings, it flew off into the night sky." Kaito explained as he looked at his Waterium-Z, as Buizel climbed up his shoulder. "Bu bu bui." Buizel added along as the classmates were stunned.
Never did they expect to hear such a strange story, especially if it involved a Guardian Pokémon like Tapu Koko. Lillie then spoke up, remembering the part where she read about Tapu Koko.
"I read about Tapu Koko before. Tapu Koko's very known... As the Guardian who likes islanders, but it likes to trick people. And if it think it's necessary, it can sometimes even punish them! I also read that on rare occasions, it will give mysterious gifts to people it likes." Lillie explained, which caused Mallow to smile.
"That's great! Then that must mean Tapu Koko really likes both Ash and Kaito!" Mallow exclaimed as Kaito frowned. "That kind of doesn't make sense... I've lived in this island for about two years now... And Ash just arrived in the Alola region a few days ago. Why would it like us both now...?" Kaito asked with a frown.
That left the classmates and Ash unsure as even Pikachu and Buizel were not sure on how to answer this question, as Sophocles turned to Kiawe, who was also a user of the Z-Ring. "Kiawe, hold on! You got your Z-Ring from the Akala Island Kahuna, right?" Sopchocles asked as the Fire Type user nodded.
"Yeah. By successfully passing the Grand Trial." Kiawe said as Ash brightened up, feeling excited about this. "That's awesome! Does this means now the two us can use Z-Moves just like you!?" Ash asked, only for Kiawe to glare at him with an annoyed expression.
"Using Z-Moves should NOT be taken lightly!" Kiawe snapped, startling Ash as the Alola boy glared back. "Kiawe, back off. You should know by now that Ash doesn't know the true nature of these Z-Rings. There should be no reason for you to be so angry about it!" Kaito snapped back, earning a glare from Kiawe.
"I'm not angry. I'm just trying to explain why they can't be taken lightly! This should be going to you too, Kaito." Kiawe said calmly, as the Alola boy narrowed his eyes, with Buizel looking at his human brother in worry. Mallow, Lana, Lillie, and Sophocles all watched in worry as their two best trainers looked as if they were going to fight.
But, instead of arguing back, the Alola boy just scoffed and folded his arms as he allowed his rival to explain the true nature about Z-Moves. "Only when a Pokémon and its Trainer's hearts become one will the Z-Rings turn their feelings into power!" Kiawe explained. He continued on, making a lecture for both Ash and Kaito about Z-Moves and Z-Rings.
"But those feelings must be greater than themselves! Like..." "Like what?" Kiawe continued as Ash raised a question as the Fire Type user continued on. "Like helping the islands. Helping Pokémon or helping others! Only those who care about all living things of the world are permitted to use Z-Moves." Kiawe explained.
He folded his arms before turning to the two boys. "I'm not exactly sure on what Tapu Koko saw on you both... But now that the two of you are Z-Ring owners, you both need to know your responsibilities." Kiawe explained as those words pierced Kaito's feelings like an arrow shooting at a heart.
His face darkened as Ash looked at his Z-Ring, before he looked back up at the Fire Type user. "Kiawe... I don't understand much about the complicated stuff, but... I know how special the Z-Moves are. For sure! You can count on the both of us!... And that's about all that I could say." Ash said sheepishly.
At the Kanto trainer's words, Kiawe smirked as he accepted them. "Heh... That's good enough." Kiawe said as Kaito kept his face darkened which Buizel noticed. "Bui? Bu bui?" Buizel asked as his human brother didn't answer as memories started to flood into the Alola boy's mind as he thought about responsibility.
Flashback
CRASH!
A younger version of Kaito (Age: 9) ran over to see that his little brother Seita accidentally broke a vase, while playing a ball game with Shiho as the Alola boy gasped at the mess. "What the...!? Are you two alright!? Are any of you hurt!?" Kaito gasped as he ran over to his younger siblings as Seita sniffed.
"I'm... I'm sorry... Big brother... I was the one... that broke it." Seita said while sobbing, as Kaito frowned. "It-It's okay. We just need to clear it away before Dad-" Kaito started until a shadow loomed over him. The Alola boy froze in place as he slowly took a glance to see who was behind him as he widened his eyes.
A man that had a serious look on his face glared down at him with his icy blue eyes. "D-Dad... I can explain..." Kaito tried to say as Shiho and Seita cowered in fear of seeing their father as the man sighed. "Kaito. Outside. Now." Kaito's father said seriously, driving the Alola boy to quickly head out to the front door.
Shizuka noticed this and came down, widening her eyes to see the mess that the younger siblings had made. "Wait... Kazuma... What is it? What's wrong?" Shizuka asked as the father known as Kazuma sighed before he followed his son outside.
"I'm going to have a word with our eldest son, Shizuka. Keep an eye on our younger ones before they break something again." Kazuma said sternly, earning a hesitant nod from his wife as the father went out the door as Shizuka knelt down to see the broken parts of the vase as Shiho sniffed before shaking.
"M-Mom... What's going to happen to big bro?" Shiho asked as Shizuka pulled her younger son and daughter close to her body as she comforted the two. "Shh... It's going to be alright, you two. Your father is just going to have a word with your brother." Shizuka said as she tried to calm her younger children down.
Outside, Kaito looked at the ground with shame as his father glared at his eldest son. "Son... This is the third time your siblings have broken something because you haven't been watching them! Haven't you realized yet on what would happen if you weren't there for them at all times!?" Kazuma bellowed out loud, frightening his son.
"I... I know, Dad... I... I'm just..." Kaito tried to say only for his words to stutter as Kazuma sighed, before he folded his arms. He calmed down, before talking again. "Kaito... Son, look at me... Look at my face." Kazuma said calmly, causing the Alola boy to slowly look up at his father's eyes.
With the way the Alola boy was looking at Kazuma, his father didn't seem to be so angry anymore, but it looked as if he was concerned instead as Kazuma began to remind his son about the future he would have along with Shiho and Seita.
"Kaito... There will be some times when your mother and I won't be here for you as the years go by. When we are not with you or Shiho and Seita... It is your responsibility to look after them and care of them until they are ready to be by themselves. With the way they are right now, they can't look after themselves or for each other." Kazuma explained.
He looked up at the orange evening sky before he continued on. "I am telling you this son, because I love you... And of course... I love Seita and Shiho as well. I just want to remind you that it is your true responsibility to look after the ones that you love, whether if it's Pokémon or family." Kazuma explained as Kaito nodded.
"Yes... Dad..." Kaito said as tears welled in his eyes as his father wiped them off before they could drop down. "It may sound hard, but... As your father, I know that you can do it. No matter how hard or difficult an objective is, you cannot give up when you're doing it for the ones that you love, son. Do you understand?" Kazuma asked as the Alola boy slowly nodded in response.
"Yes... I understand, Dad. And... I'm sorry." Kaito said as more tears welled up in his eyes before they fell from his cheeks as Kazuma pulled his son into a comforting embrace as Kaito hugged his father back. "I'm sorry too, my son." Kazuma said as the two remained embracing each other as stars started to appear on the orange sky.
Flashback End
"Kaito? Hey! Kaito!" Ash cried, catching the Alola boy's attention as he blinked to see Ash and the others looking at him in concern, as Buizel, Pikachu, Togedemaru, Popplio, and Bounsweet were looking at him in concern, too. "Is everything okay? You seem to look upset about something..." Lana asked as the Alola boy nervously smiled before he shook his head.
"N-No. Nothing's wrong, guys." Kaito said as Prof. Kukui frowned. He knew that it wasn't true as Kaito had that expression before, before the time when Ash arrived. "Kazuma... You told your son everything about responsibility, did you..." Prof. Kukui thought as everyone headed back to their seats for the class to begin.
One of their lessons was about the Alolan Exeggutor, which was the part where Prinicpal Oak was the one to lecture about. He even wore an Exeggutor costume to make an example of them.
"Like this Exeggutor and the Alolan Exeggutor, there are many Pokémon that look different in the Alola region and with a different type as well!" Principal Oak explained as Ash looked at the Alola Pokémon. Unlike the Exeggutor he had seen in his past travels, this Exeggutor's neck was long and it seemed to look different, too!
"Wow... Their heights are totally different!" Sophocles explained as he was amazed to see the difference between the two. Kaito remained silent as he didn't care about the size difference. What he was more curious of, was why Tapu Koko approached him now when it was two years since he had moved to the Alola region.
"To!" Even Togedemaru seemed amazed as Lana pointed out the similarities between the two. "Their faces look the same!" Lana pointed out as the Principal continued on. "The reason why Alolan Exeggutor haven grown taller is Alola's climate! Alola is warm and sunny all year long! So, it's a perfect for an Exeggcute and Exeggutor to thrive!" Prinicpal Oak explained.
"As a matter of fact, it can be stated that an Alolan Exeggutor looks exactly the way it's supposed to! Of course, this is the result of them living in an ideal environment!" Principal Oak explained. "Exegg!" The Alola Pokémon cried out happily as the Principal continued on with the explanation.
"The phenomenon of Pokémon developing their state appearance based on the region which they live is what we call 'regional variant'. For example, an Exeggutor's normally a Grass and Psychic Type!" Prinicpal Oak explained as this surprised Lillie, who didn't know anything about Exeggutor's original types in the other regions.
"Psychic Type...?" Lillie repeated as Prinicpal Oak raised a question to all the classmates. "Tell us what Type Alolan Exeggutor is! Like a Machamp!" Prinicpal Oak said as he made a Machamp face expression as Lillie raised her hand to answer the question.
"Of course! A Grass and Dragon Type!" Lillie answered, surprising the Kanto trainer as he stood up to walk over to the evolved Alolan Pokémon. "Grass and Dragon? Wow! So Exeggutor is a Dragon Type, too! That's so cool that you've even got a tail!" Ash said in amazement as he rubbed the Grass-Dragon Type's tail.
Kaito watched as Lillie widened her eyes as she tried to warn Ash about the danger of its tail. "Ah! There's something about its tail that you should know!" Lillie exclaimed as the Kanto trainer turned to her in confusion. But before Lillie could explain what the danger was, the tail came right at Ash's face!
It angrily attacked the Kanto trainer, sending him flying towards a ladder as Ash struggled to stop himself from falling as he yelled in pain. "AHHH!" screamed Ash as he tumbled down before he held onto the ladder, much to both Buizel and Pikachu's shock. The classmates all watched Ash, looking worried about him.
"Oh brother..." Kiawe sighed as Sophocles frowned. "Are you okay?" Sophocles asked as Kaito sighed as well. "You didn't see it coming, did you?" Kaito asked as Lillie explained about the tail. "The tail of the Alolan Exeggutor has a mind of its own. You need to be careful when it decides to attack you, which is what I was trying to say before." Lillie explained.
Recovering from the surprise attack, the Kanto trainer climbed down before he sheepishly smiled. "Next time, get to the point a little sooner, okay?" Ash asked as he set his feet on the ground as Principal Oak laughed. "Ha ha ha! You see, learning here is like the wild Tauros! Have the patience of a Conkeldurr!" Prinicpal Oak said, making his advice.
He even made face expressions of a Tauros and a Conkeldurr as Ash slumped down, sweat dropping at the Principal's way of making Pokémon jokes. "This is getting old..." "Bui..." Kaito frowned as his Water Type agreed.
Later, after school...
While everyone already left, Kaito was packing up his things as Prof. Kukui approached him with a small frown on his face. "Is everything alright, Kaito? You seemed down like you were Smacked Down." Prof. Kukui asked as the Alola boy made a fake smile as he nodded. "Y-Yeah... Nothing's wrong, Professor." Kaito said nervously.
He quickly took leave of the classroom with Buizel following behind as Prof. Kukui kept his frown, knowing that it wasn't really true. He gave a sigh before he packed up his things and took his leave, too. He needed to serve Ash a new Alola dish since he never experienced it before.
For Kaito, he remained silent as he quietly walked home, with Buizel walking at his right side. "Bui bui? Bu bui?" Buizel asked in worry as the Alola boy nervously smiled at the Sea Weasel Pokémon as he made the same words to him. "I'm fine, Buizel. Nothing's wrong. Really." Kaito lied as Buizel puffed his cheeks out.
He knows a lie when he sees it, whether if his human brother was showing it or not. To this, he raised a paw to summon black clouds over his human brother's head, startling Kaito as he felt rain raining down at him! "What the... Ah! Buizel, what are you doing!? Stop that!" Kaito yelped as he tried to escape from the small Rain Dance.
But noticing his Sea Weasel Pokémon's questioning look, the Alola boy sighed before he shook his head. "Alright, alright! Fine! Just stop the rain, okay?" Kaito asked as Buizel did so, sending the black clouds back. The two continued on walking home as the Alola boy explained about his previous thoughts.
"It's just... What Kiawe said about responsibility... It reminds me of the time when my Dad lectured me about knowing my responsibility... Like keeping Shiho, Seita, and mom safe... And everyone else that I love." Kaito explained as he glanced at Buizel, who widened his eyes in surprise as the Alola boy continued on.
"It just... bugs me. Ever since Dad disappeared, I started to forget that lecture until Kiawe reminded me of my past two years ago... Before I arrived in the Alola region and before I met you. Now that I remember about it... It feels like... I have to stay alert, whether if we're home or in a safe place." Kaito explained.
"Bui?" Buizel asked, which Kaito took as 'Why?'. "Because... If I let my guard down for even a moment... People and Pokémon that I love could get hurt. You're one of them, Bui. The ones that I love the most." Kaito explained as this startled Buizel before he smiled happily with his eyes sparkling a little, as he climbed up to his human brother's shoulder.
He licked Kaito's left cheek softly in affection, before rubbing his cheek in comfort. "Bui bui. Bu bu bui. Bui bui. Bu bui." Buizel explained as Kaito struggled to understand. But, despite the struggle, he knew of what his best friend and brother was saying. He smiled before he rubbed his partner's head softly, much to Buizel's content.
"You're saying... that I shouldn't worry too much, huh?" Kaito asked, which Buizel nodded to. "Bui bui!" Buizel confirmed with a small grin on his face as the Alola boy smiled back. "Ha ha... I guess not..." Kaito said as he regained his calm look on his face before he noticed that they were in front of their house.
"Welp. Looks like we're home." Kaito said, with the Sea Weasel Pokémon nodding. At nodding to each other, the two headed inside the house, only for Shiho and Seita to meet up with them. "Welcome home, big bro! Buizel!" The two cried together as the older brother chuckled with a smile. "Hey, guys! I'm home!" Kaito said with a smile.
Shizuka walked over, greeting her son with a smile. "Welcome home, honey. How was the Pokémon School?" Shizuka asked as the Alola boy smiled. "Not bad. Ash and Pikachu joined our class today." Kaito explained as the mother blinked.
"Is this Ash the new friend you were talking about?" Shizuka asked as even Shiho and Seita were curious to hear about this. "Yeah. From the Kanto region, if you remember." Kaito explained as his mother smiled sweetly. "He must be a good friend if you're talking about him right now..." Shizuka said as Shiho spoke up.
"Big brother... Would it be alright if we meet Ash?" Shiho asked as Kaito blinked in surprise. "Yeah! I want to meet your new friend, too! We never had any visitors coming from another region!" Seita pointed out as the Alola boy teased the two by making a fake thinking pose. "Mm... I don't know..." Kaito said teasingly.
"Pleeeeaase?" The younger siblings asked together as Kaito gave a small glance at his mother, who only giggled at the two's cute looks. The Alola boy gave a fake sigh before he gave a grin at his two younger siblings. "Alright, alright... You can meet him. If you want, you could come with me to the Pokémon School tomorrow! What do you say?" Kaito asked.
"YEAH!" Shiho and Seita cried together as they ran up the stairs, feeling excited about meeting a new friend as Shizuka smiled. "Thank you, honey... It really means a lot that you're making your little brother and sister happy." Shizuka said as Kaito nodded. "Bui bui." Buizel called out, causing the mother to smile at the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"Of course, I'm thankful for you too, Buizel. I don't think that my son would've had any friends without you around!" Shizuka said, offending Kaito as he pouted at his mother's teasing. "Aw, come on, Mom! Did you have to say it that way!?" Kaito complained as he turned away with a huff.
Shizuka only giggled at her son's expression until the Alola boy had an idea flying to his head as he smiled. "Hey, Mom... Would it be alright if you come to the Pokémon School tomorrow?" Kaito asked as his mother blinked in surprise at the sudden request.
"Um, sure... But, what for?" Shizuka asked as Kaito gave a mischievous smirk. "I think... giving Ash a surprise welcome at the Alola region and the Pokémon School is just what he would need to feel more accustomed to our home region." Kaito said as his mother smiled, understanding the reason for this.
"Ah... I see. Alright then... If you say so, then I'll come. I could even help with the school lunch if you'd like!" Shizuka said as the Alola boy nodded. "Great! That would be perfect! I just need to let the others know, too!" Kaito said as he ran to the phone screen as Shizuka smiled at seeing her son pick up the pace.
She turned to the fireplace where her husband's picture frame stood on top of the fireplace. "Kazuma... Our little Kaito is growing up so brightly... If you were here to see it, then I'm sure you would be more prouder than I am right now..." Shizuka said as she held the picture before she looked out at the window to see the sun setting.
"Just where are you right now...?" Shizuka asked as she placed the picture back on top of the fireplace.
To Kaito, he went up to his room with Buizel and turned on the computer to contact his five classmates. He contacted Lillie, Lana, Mallow, Kiawe, and Sophocles, making a video chat, only for Mallow to be the only one to appear on the computer screen.
"Hey, Kaito! What's going on?" Mallow asked as the Alola boy frowned. "Um, Mallow? Where are the others?" Kaito asked as Lana and Sophocles popped their heads into the screen, greeting their Water Charmer friend. "We're right here, Kai." Lana said softly as Sophocles also added Lillie and Kiawe into the conversation.
"What's with the sudden call, Kaito? Is something up?" Sophocles asked as the Alola boy smiled. "I want to make a surprise welcome for Ash tomorrow, so I thought I'd tell you guys this." Kaito explained as he explained the details about what kind of surprise he would want to give for the Kanto trainer tomorrow.
At hearing the idea, the five classmates smiled, all believing it to be a great idea. "That sounds great! We just need to tell Prof. Kukui the same thing, too!" Mallow exclaimed, earning a nod from the Alola boy. "Alright. I'll see you all tomorrow, then." Kaito said as the video chat was done.
With the plans ready for tomorrow and with his mother and siblings coming, tomorrow at the Pokémon School was going to be hectic for the Water Charmer and his best friend. The Alola boy fell onto his bed with his pajamas on as he looked up at the ceiling, before he felt Buizel lying down to his right, giving him a small smile on his face.
"Tomorrow will be a big surprise, won't it, Bui?" Kaito asked as he rubbed his Sea Weasel Pokémon's head. "Bu bui..." Buizel said before he yawned, showing his small fangs. Soon after a small conversation and bonding, the two fell asleep together as the orange sky became the night sky.
The next morning...
"Ah! I'm late! I'm late! No... I might make it if I really push... Hurry, Pikachu!" Ash cried as he picked up the pace. He and Pikachu accidentally overslept, causing them to rush out of Prof. Kukui's house and run for the Pokémon School as fast as they could, with the Kanto trainer believed that they were late.
As the two ran up, approaching the school gates, the Kanto trainer suddenly bumped his face into a large growing bubble that started to grow larger and larger right onto his face! The one making the bubble was none other than Popplio, as the bubble popped, sending Ash down to the ground on his bottom!
"Whoa... AHHHH!" Ash yelled as he groaned before he opened his eyes to see Lana, Lillie, Kiawe, Mallow, Sophocles, and Prof. Kukui come out from all sides! "What was that...?" Ash asked as Kaito came up from behind with Buizel at his side. The Alola boy smirked, before he looked down at the Kanto trainer and his Electric Type partner.
"Whoa! Kaito!?" "Pika!?" Both Ash and Pikachu were surprised to see the Alola boy and his Sea Weasel Pokémon standing right behind them as they never noticed the two following them! "Alola Surprise!" Lana, Lillie, and Mallow cried together as the Kanto trainer turned back before blinking in confusion.
"Hey, guys..." Ash said as Kiawe offered a hand to him. "Did we surprise you?" Kiawe asked as Ash took his hand. "You can say that again..." Ash said as the Fire Type user helped him up. Kaito stood besides Ash as he explained the situation for the School activity for today.
"Well, we decided that today would be a perfect day to make a Surprise Welcome Party for you, considering that you're new to the Alola region." Kaito explained as Mallow giggled. "That's right! And that's just the first surprise!" Mallow exclaimed as Ash cocked his head in confusion. "The first one?" Ash repeated as Sophocles stepped up.
"And next... Togedemaru and I want to challenge you! I'm sure you must know on what I mean by that!" Sophocles explained, pointing his finger at the Kanto trainer as Ash blinked in confusion. "Challenge...? Oh! A Pokémon battle, right?" Ash asked, jumping to a conclusion which Sophocles seemed satisfied with.
"Not really..." Kaito said silently as the Kanto trainer faced Sophocles with a smirk. "Alright, Sophocles! I accept your challenge... Huh?" Ash started, before he stopped. Up ahead we're two stacks of balloon pits! "Balloons?" Ash asked in disbelief as Kaito and Mallow tried to explain the challenge of the next surprise.
"Right! Balloons! Whichever team pops the most balloon first wins the game!" Mallow explained as this didn't seem to interest either Pikachu or Ash at all, as Kaito sheepishly smiled. "Sorry to get your hopes up too early, Ash. I know that you love Pokémon battles, but we decided to save that for the fifth surprise." Kaito said apologetically.
"Bui bui! Bui!" Buizel said sheepishly as the Alola boy continued on. "Oh yeah... One more thing. It doesn't matter which one of you pops the balloons. It can be both Trainer and Pokémon working together as a team." Kaito added as the Kanto trainer's face darkened, before his voice started to rise up in amusement.
"Balloons...? Pop them first...? That'll be a piece of cake!" Ash exclaimed, startling the Alola boy in the process. "Huh... Way to break the dark mood..." Kaito thought in amazement before he regained his calm expression and smile.
He looked back at the main entrance gate as he knew that his mom, Seita, and Shiho will arrive soon in time to meet Ash. So with that said, the surprise will continue on. He looked back to see Ash and Sophocles both getting ready to compete in the balloon challenge with Pikachu and Togedemaru at their side.
Sophocles: Togedemaru VS Ash: Pikachu
Kiawe refereed as he gave the start of the game. "Ready... GO!" Kiawe cried as the Kanto trainer and Sophocles ran over to the balloon pit! As Ash grabbed one, he tried to crush it until he realized on how thick and hard the balloon felt as this wasn't an ordinary balloon at all. "Ngh... Hey... This isn't as easy as I thought..." grunted Ash.
He kept pushing the balloon to give it pressure while Pikachu tried to pop it with his teeth! By the time Sophocles and Togedemaru were popping several balloons with little effort, the Kanto trainer and his Electric Type partner managed to get two balloons popped apart. "Hah... I finally popped one..." Ash said with a sigh.
But just then, as he turned to see Togedemaru using her back spikes to pop the balloons, Ash was amazed to see such teamwork between the two. "Wow... They're fast." Ash said as Kaito smiled sheepishly, not knowing what to say to his Kanto friend.
"Of course it would be easy for Sophocles and Togedemaru, considering the spikes on Togedemaru's back is the reason why it's easy for them..." Kaito thought as he looked down at Buizel, who felt the same as the Sea Weasel Pokémon started to feel bad for both Ash and Pikachu, until Mallow, Lana, and Lillie piped up together.
"You can do it, Ash and Pikachu!" Lana cried as Mallow waved to encourage Ash as Lillie gave a reminder to him. "Maybe you didn't know... You can use Pokémon moves!" Lillie explained as this surprised Ash, who got ready to pop the balloons again. "Really? That's cool..." Ash said, before he looked down at his partner.
"Alright, Pikachu! Let's pop all the balloons with Thunderbolt!" Ash exclaimed as Pikachu agreed with a nod. Kaito blinked, before he tried to stop the two. "Wait, no! Not an Electric Type move, Ash!" Kaito cried. The sudden call startled Ash only for the warning to come too late as Thunderbolt was already aimed for the balloons!
"Alright! This is our chance!" Sophocles cried as Togedemaru agreed. The Electric-Steel Type raised her small tail to absorb the Thunderbolt attack and into her body! Both Ash and Pikachu gasped as Togedemaru looked pumped up and ready to go!
"Togedemaru! Zing Zap, let's go!" Sophocles cried, which Togedemaru obeyed. She spun around like a Pokémon using a Gyro Ball! The female Electric-Steel Type began to pop all the remaining balloons in the pit as the Kanto trainer was confused with the sudden attack and absorption.
"Hey? What's all that about?" Ash asked as Kaito explained. "You see, Ash... Togedemaru's ability is LightningRod, which can absorb Electric Type moves to the one who has that ability. Once it absorbs that electricity, it can release that stored power to make a powerful move." Kaito explained, causing Sophocles to pout.
"Hey! I could've explained, Kaito!" Sophocles complained as the Alola boy closed one eye teasingly. "Mm hm..." Kaito said silently as Ash was amazed to see Togedemaru having such ability and power. "Wow... Togedemaru really rocks..." complimented Ash until Kiawe spoke up, reminding the Kanto trainer of the balloon game.
"Excuse me! This is no time to be impressed!" Kiawe called out loud, startling Ash as he turned back to his balloon pit. "Yeah... You're right!" Ash said as he prepared to grab a balloon until Togedemaru let out a cry, showing that she had popped all the balloon at her side of the empty balloon pit!
Winner: Sophocles
"The game winners are Togedemaru and Sophocles!" Mallow cried, announcing the balloon winners. At being called the victors, the Electric Type user held his partner in the air. "Alright! You were great! We did it!" Sophocles cried as Togedemaru cheered for the win, leaving the Kanto trainer to sigh and smile weakly.
The Alola boy watched to see Ash looking a little disappointed for the loss as he smiled. "There's more to than where that came from, Ash." Kaito thought as he glanced and noticed to see Lana stepping up with Popplio in her arms. "Because the second surprise challenge is about to begin." Kaito thought again.
To be continued...
Kaito's Team:
Buizel (M): (Ice Punch, Agility, Rain Dance, Aqua Jet)
Next chapters:
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!?
Chapter 8: Rowlet's Leafage! A New Bond!
Next chapter preview:
Kaito: Shall we get started, then? Your fifth surprise will be having a Pokémon battle with me!
Ash: No way... A battle against Kaito?! You're on! Pikachu and I won't be holding back!
Lana: They're really getting along quite well... They just met each other yesterday and they're already friends...
Ash: Huh!? What the-!? My hat! What's Tapu Koko doing with my hat...? Come back, Tapu Koko!
Lillie: I read that Tapu Koko can be quite frisky and mischievous when confronting people in Alola.
Kaito: That expression you're giving us... Are you challenging both me and Ash to a battle?