Chapter 4: Tapu Koko's Interest! Destined Friends!
Last time on "Pokémon Alola Journey", Kaito and Ash headed off to the Pokémon School together, where Kaito reunites with his classmates, as Ash transfers in his classroom. When Kiawe discovers Ash and Kaito having Z-Rings, he lectures the Kanto trainer about the responsibilities as a Z-Ring user when Ash takes the Z-Ring a bit too lightly.
Reminded about responsibilities in life, Kaito is reminded of his father, Kazuma scolding him to take his responsibilities seriously in order to take care of Shiho and Seita. With Buizel comforting him, the Alola boy decides to make a surprise welcome to the Kanto trainer as he contacts his friends to make plans about tomorrow.
As the next morning came by, Ash was welcomed in a surprising way as Mallow refereed the first challenge, which to Ash's disappointment was a balloon popping activity, not a battle. The Kanto trainer accepted Sophocles' challenge however, as he and Pikachu attempted to pop all the balloons as they started to have difficulty, however.
Due to being distracted by Togedemaru's ability: LightingRod to absorb Pikachu's Thunderbolt, Ash lost the first surprise challenge, which was when Lana decided to make Ash participate in her surprise next.
"Ash? Ready for your third surprise? It's a challenge against us!" Lana asked with a sweet smile on her face. At the mention of challenge, the Kanto trainer accepted immediately. "Yeah! If it's a challenge you're asking for, I accept! What's the challenge?" Ash asked as Kaito made the explanation.
"Popplio and Pikachu will race against each other, of course." Kaito said as Buizel climbed up to his shoulder, calling out his agreement. "Bu bui!" Buizel said in agreement. That was when until Lana nervously turned to the Alola boy with a small request in her mind as she blushed a little.
"Um, Kai? If it's alright with you, would you participate in the surprise, too?" Lana asked, surprising both Kaito and Buizel in the process. Popplio seemed ecstatic with the idea as it clapped its paws, inviting Buizel to the challenge, too! Even Ash seemed to be alright with the idea as he urged Kaito to join in.
"Oh yeah! The more, the merrier! What do you say, Kaito?" Ash asked, causing the Alola boy to blink before he sighed as he accepted the request. "Alright. I'll join in, too." Kaito said as Lana smiled happily with a nod as Popplio clapped its paws again, happy to see that its best friend would be in the surprise.
Sophocles only smirked, believing the reason why Lana would ask this. "Only Lana would ask her crush to join in with the fun." Sophocles said as Kiawe understood with a nod. "Yeah... I hear you." Kiawe said silently until Mallow interrupted the two with a small glare, having a small pout on her face.
"Don't make fun of them like that! It's no surprise that Lana would be asking Kai into the fun!" Mallow said angrily, causing both Kiawe and Sophocles to sweat drop as they knew that Mallow had a point for the relationship between Kaito and Lana.
Ash blinked, confused with what the three were saying as Lillie only shrugged while giving him a nervous smile on her face. Soon, with the small issue out of the way, the third surprise began, with Pikachu, Buizel, and Popplio racing with each other to the water! Mallow then explained the race of this surprise.
"A Pokémon Aquathlon is a competitive sport where you run and swim! Now, let's see which of the three wins!" Mallow cried out as the students all began to cheer for the three Pokémon, with Ash cheering for Pikachu, while Kaito cheered for his Sea Weasel Pokémon. "Pikachu! Wing it, buddy!" Ash cried out.
"Don't give in, Buizel! You're the master of speed and swimming!" Kaito cried out, encouraging his Sea Weasel Pokémon to run faster and push ahead of Pikachu! "Good luck to all of you, Pikachu, Buizel, and Popplio!" Sophocles cried out as he couldn't cheer for just one of them, causing him to cheer for all of them.
As Popplio trailed behind, Pikachu and Buizel had already dove into the water, with Buizel taking the lead! "Alright! Use your skills to swim ahead, Buizel!" Kaito called out as Ash grew more determined to see his Electric Type win.
"Pick up the pace, Pikachu! Pass Buizel and head for the finish line!" Ash said as he ran besides Pikachu, who swam to head for the goal! Kiawe only smiled in amusement to see Ash trying to pass Kaito and his partner.
"Well, let's see how easy it is." Kiawe said amusingly. His words proved to be right as Popplio suddenly swam past Pikachu underwater! Both the Kanto trainer and his Electric Type were surprised to see Popplio passing right through them! It was in equal length with Buizel as both Kaito and Lana encouraged their Water Types to go on.
"You're almost there, Buizel! Go now!" Kaito called, causing Buizel to swim ahead! Lana did the same as she encouraged her Water Type to complete the challenge. "You're almost there, Popplio!" Lana cried out as both Water Types swam in equal speed, causing them both to jump out of the water!
The two landed in the finish line together, resulting in a tie between them, both being in first place! The Alola boy and Lana both praised their Water Types for making it through the Aquathlon, while Ash and Pikachu could only watch to see their opponents defeating them, in a surprise way like what Sophocles and Togedemaru had done!
"Nice swim, Bui. You were great out there!" Kaito said as Buizel grinned, as he said his thanks to his human brother. "I'm proud of you! You did great, Popplio! You were amazing!" Lana said as the two hugged each other for their tied victory.
Kaito held Buizel in his arms before he turned to see Ash still looking amazed with how fast Buizel and Popplio swam together underwater until Lillie stepped up, explaining the reason for their victory. "Popplio can swim at speed for about 25 miles per hour! Quite impressive!" Lillie said, amazing Ash once again.
"Well, what about Buizel, Lillie? How do you think he won with Popplio?" Kaito asked, causing Lillie to blink before she frowned at the question.
"Um... For Buizel? To be quite honest, I'm not quite sure... I was also surprised to see him fast at equal speed with Popplio." Lillie said, causing the Alola boy to sweat drop in response. "Huh... No compliments about the win, huh..." Kaito said dryly, as Buizel gave off the same dry expression to the blonde hair girl.
While Lillie dealt with Kaito's unimpressed expression, Pikachu finally came out of the water, looking a bit upset for losing in another activity again. Ash came over to his Electric Type partner, comforting him for his loss. "Great, Pikachu! You rocked it!" Ash said, earning a big smile from the Electric Type Pokémon.
"Pika!" Pikachu said happily as Mallow ran over to compliment both Buizel and Popplio. "You two are so fast, Popplio! Buizel!" Mallow said amazingly as the Kanto trainer accepted his loss once again. "Yeah! I can't believe on how fast both Popplio and Buizel can move!" Ash said sheepishly as Popplio smiled at the compliment.
"Popplio! Pop pop pop!" Popplio said in thanks as Kaito chuckled. "Buizel and I swam together a lot at the beach, so that should be the reason why he could swim in similar speed with Popplio here." Kaito explained as Buizel grinned, showing his white teeth.
"Bui bui!" Buizel said as Kiawe stepped up, preparing to challenge Ash next. "Your fourth surprise will be competing against me! One and one! What do you say?" Kiawe asked, as the Kanto trainer grinned at the challenge. "Oh yeah! I'm ready for it, Kiawe! What's your surprise?" Ash asked.
Kaito stepped up, making the answer for Ash. "His surprise is to race you with Tauros!" Kaito said, amazing Kanto trainer. "Oh wow! Really!?" Ash exclaimed, which Kiawe responded with a nod.
With the challenge accepted, both Ash and Kiawe mounted themselves onto the school's Tauros, as they were ready to begin the race. Once Mallow gave the word for them to start, the two boys were off, with Kiawe taking the early lead! Mallow, Lana, Lillie, and Sophocles all cheered for the two to make the race more exciting.
Kaito only watched as he glanced at Buizel, who winked at him, causing the Alola boy to wink at him in response. But just as they did so, the Alola boy noticed Shiho and Seita running into the race field to see the race go on! "Looks like Mom and those two are finally here." Kaito said as he carefully ran over to them.
The Sea Weasel Pokémon followed as they ran over to greet Kaito's younger siblings. "Hey, you two! What took you both so long?" Kaito asked as Seita grinned at the question.
"Hey, big bro! We had to help Mom with getting ready for the Pokémon School's lunch! So, that's kind of why we're late." Seita said sheepishly as Shiho nodded in agreement. She turned her eyes to see Ash and Kiawe racing against each other with Tauros as she took notice of the Kanto trainer riding on one of them!
"Oh wow! Big brother, is that the Ash you were talking about yesterday?" Shiho asked, earning a nod from her older brother. "Yeah. The same one, Shiho. The trainer who came from Pallet Town, in the Kanto region!" Kaito said as Shizuka chuckled sweetly at her eldest son's answer.
"My, my... He looks so energetic out there. I see this is what you meant about him being so determined to compete and win in any challenge, honey." Shizuka said as Kaito blinked in surprise to see his mother in front of him and between his two siblings. "M-Mom? When did you get here all of a sudden?" Kaito asked in surprise.
"Bui...?" Even Buizel looked surprised to see his human brother's mother greeting them so suddenly as Shizuka smiled at her son's surprised expression. "Just a few seconds ago when you were answering your sister's question, Kaito." Shizuka said, causing Seita to snicker, with Shiho stifling a giggle.
Blushing with embarrassment, the Alola boy shook his head as he noticed the ingredients for the Alola dishes that his mother was carrying. "Are those ingredients for lunch, Mom?" Kaito asked, earning a nod from his mother.
"That's right! I thought we would get here in time to earn the approval from Principal Oak, but... it seems we kind of arrived here a little too late since your surprise had already begun." Shizuka said as Kaito pouted a little. "Geez... Just how long did it take for you to prepare...?" Kaito asked playfully, as Shizuka only smiled at her son's expression.
"I'll try to come earlier next time, honey." Shizuka said as her words were interrupted by Mallow and the others cheering even louder, causing Kaito to see that the Tauros race was over, with Kiawe being the victor of the fourth surprise. "It was a tight race, but Kiawe wins!" Mallow cried out as the Alola boy sighed.
"Looks like Ash lost again..." Kaito said as Ash smiled sheepishly for another loss in the activity.
"Man... And to think I was so close!" Ash said as Kiawe looked back with a smile on his face. "You rode pretty well." Kiawe said, as he made his compliment to his new classmate. With the race over, the Kanto trainer dismounted himself off of Tauros, as he smiled at the Normal Type for his efforts in the race.
"Thanks, Tauros! You were awesome!" Ash said, causing Tauros to smile back and give a moo towards him. "Pika!" Pikachu cried out, catching Ash's attention. The Kanto trainer turned to see his Electric Type partner running towards him as he smiled at him with thanks as well. "Thanks for cheering me on, buddy." Ash said.
Pikachu nodded until he noticed to see Shiho and Seita staring at the Kanto trainer in amazement, causing Ash to turn to see Kaito's siblings right behind him! "Whoa! Who are you two guys?" Ash said in surprise as Seita smirked, while Shiho smiled sweetly.
"I'm Seita!" "And I'm Shiho!" The two cried out as Kaito walked over with Buizel on his shoulder. "Ash, meet my two younger siblings. And this is my Mom, Shizuka!" Kaito explained as he introduced his family to the Kanto trainer. Shizuka walked over, at hearing her son introduce her as Ash smiled to see the family meet him.
"Wow! It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Shirogane!" Ash said politely as Shizuka smiled at the Kanto trainer's politeness. "Oh please... Call me Shizuka! It's nice to meet you as well, Ash. I've heard a lot about from my son when you first arrived here. You were the only person he was talking about during the night." Shizuka said, much to Kaito's embarrassment.
"Mom! You don't have to tell him that!" Kaito said with a small blush on his face, as Ash grinned at his friend. "Your family looks pretty nice here, Kaito!" Ash said as Shiho pulled on his left arm with a sweet smile on her face. "So, big brother says that you're from the Kanto region?" Shiho asked with curiosity.
"Yeah! It's where I first started my Pokémon journey, with my very first Pokémon being Pikachu!" answered Ash, as Seita pulled on his right arm with a question of his own. "Does this mean you're really strong?" Seita asked in amazement as the Kanto trainer sheepishly rubbed re back of his head before he nodded slowly.
"Well, to be honest... I'm starting over... But with Pikachu and me, yeah! I guess you could call us strong." Ash said as Mallow and the others watched to see Ash chatting with the younger Shirogane siblings.
"It's Kaito's mom and his siblings!" Mallow said with a smile as Kiawe noticed this, too. "Looks like they heard about Ash coming to the Pokémon School." Kiawe said as Lana and Lillie smiled together.
"I think it's Kaito who told them about Ash..." Sophocles said with a smirk as Prof. Kukui arrived to see that the transfer student was chatting with Kaito's family. "Oh... Mrs. Shirogane and her two other kids." Prof. Kukui said as he walked over to the mother, catching her attention.
"Mrs. Shirogane! It's a surprise on seeing you here with your kids!" Prof. Kukui said as Shizuka turned to see the Alola Professor as she smiled. "It's good to see you too, Professor. My son asked me to come to the Pokémon School so his brother and sister could meet Ash, since he had arrived in the Alola region a few days ago." Shizuka said politely.
"I see... Well, that's Kaito for you. When something new happens in the region, he can get very talkative about it." Prof. Kukui said as they watched to see Shiho and Seita asking Ash even more questions, until Seita raised a surprising question for Ash and his big brother.
"Hey! Would it be alright if you battle big brother here?" Seita asked, as this caught Ash off guard, while startling Kaito for a bit. "You mean, against Kaito?" Ash asked as Shiho seemed to be like the idea as well.
"Yeah! We've never seen big brother battle before with Buizel, so we'd like it if you could battle big brother Kaito here!" Shiho said as Kaito sighed. Before he could voice out his protest, Prof. Kukui stepped up, agreeing to the battle challenge as well.
"I think it's a good idea, too! After all, you said you were going to be the fifth surprise, weren't you, Kaito?" Prof. Kukui asked teasingly, as this partially annoyed Kaito as he sighed before he made his words. "Yes, Professor. I did say that." Kaito said as Buizel looked at his human brother in confusion.
"Bui?" Buizel asked, confused on why Kaito seemed to be against the battle request. "It's nothing, Buizel. This was just so sudden, that's all." Kaito said in reassurance as the Kanto trainer grinned at the thought of battling his new friend.
"Alright! A Pokémon battle...? And against Kaito and Buizel!? Alright! This is the best surprise of all!" Ash cried out, with Pikachu agreeing. "Pika!" Pikachu said as the Alola boy sighed. His frown turned into a small smile before he got ready for the battle as he and Buizel backed away to make some distance.
"Alright then, Ash. I accept your challenge. So, bring it!" Kaito said as Ash backed away with Pikachu, too!
"Oh, don't worry, Kaito! I won't hold back!" Ash said as Prof. Kukui became the referee for the battle. Lana, Kiawe, Sophocles, and Lillie watched from a distance to see the battle go on as Shiho and Seita joined them to see their brother battle against his new friend.
Meanwhile, Mallow and Shizuka went back inside the Pokémon School to prepare some lunch with the ingredients that Shizuka had brought. "The battle between Ash and Kaito is now about to begin! Each side will only use one Pokémon with no time limit! Now... Let the battle begin!" Prof. Kukui called out, signaling the two boys to send out their partners.
"Okay, Pikachu! Ready for our first battle at the Pokémon School?" Ash asked as he sent his Electric Type partner out. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed as Kaito turned to Buizel with a questioning look.
"Welp, here goes... You ready, Bui?" Kaito asked as Buizel nodded with a determined look as he jumped off his human brother's shoulders to confront Pikachu for the match. With both sides ready, they each called out a move.
Kaito: Buizel VS Ash: Pikachu
"Okay, we'll go first! Pikachu, start this off with a Thunderbolt!" Ash called out as Pikachu jumped in the air to shoot the Electric Type attack at Buizel! Both the Alola boy and his Sea Weasel Pokémon prepared to make their timing perfect and counter it as Kaito made the call for his Pokémon.
"Dodge with Aqua Jet, Buizel!" Kaito cried out as Buizel did so, surrounding himself with water in the process. Controlling the Thunderbolt, the Electric Type caused his attack to follow the evading Aqua Jet, as the move proved to be futile, due to Buizel's speed! The speed of Buizel's movements made Ash amazed.
"Whoa, that's fast!" Ash said as Kiawe seemed amazed, too. "They're much faster than when we fought against Team Skull..." Kiawe pointed out as Lana raised a question for the group to think about.
"Do you think they trained for this surprise?" Lana asked as Lillie made her guess. "I don't know, but if they did... then this proves that they're going to give it all in this Pokémon battle." Lillie said as the battle went on with Sophocles and Togedemaru cheering for the two to fight on, along with Bounsweet and Popplio!
"Come on, you guys! Fight hard, both of you!" Sophocles cried out as the three little Pokémon cheered on for Buizel and Pikachu as well.
The next Thunderbolt also missed its mark, thanks to Buizel evading it with Aqua Jet! Kaito remained calm as Ash kept his determined face on. "If Thunderbolt won't work, then how about an Electro Ball!?" Ash called as he punched his fist in the air.
Pikachu understood as he charged up the power to summon an Electro Ball to throw it at Buizel! "Dodge that, Buizel! Then, use Rain Dance!" Kaito cried out as Electro Ball missed like with Thunderbolt! Once he dodged the attack, Buizel raised his orange furry arms up in the air to call forth dark rain clouds!
Everyone watching the battle looked up to see some dark clouds surrounding the field as Sophocles gulped. "Oh man... it's getting darker here!" Sophocles said as Kiawe remained calm to watch. Then, as the Rain Dance was finished, rain started to pour down onto the battlefield as both Buizel and Pikachu glared at each other.
Kaito and Ash did the same to each other as the Kanto trainer called out another attack, oblivious to what's coming next! "Rain won't stop us from winning, Kaito! Quick, Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!" Ash called out as Kaito gave off a dark smirk. "Ice Punch, let's go!" Kaito called out.
Just as Iron Tail was about to make a hit, Buizel zipped himself out of the way with high speed! "What!?" "Pika!?" The two cried together in surprise as Pikachu was punched in the air by Ice Punch! The Electric Type yelled in pain as he skidded on the ground, withstanding the surprise attack he had just taken to his face.
"What happened!?" Ash said in shock as Kaito smiled knowingly. "Don't tell me you don't know about Buizel's ability, Ash... His ability is Swift Swim, which can increase Buizel's speed once it rains." Kaito explained as Ash smirked in amusement.
"Ha ha... I guess I kinda forgot... But, it doesn't matter! This Rain Dance will also give us the advantage in this battle, Kaito!" Ash called out, causing the Alola boy to raise an eyebrow. "And how do you mean by that?" Kaito asked as the Kanto trainer showed proof of his words.
"Pikachu! Aim at the clouds with Thunderbolt!" Ash said as this bewildered everyone with the move choice. "Thunderbolt at the cloud? What is he doing?" Kiawe asked as Lillie seemed to have understand Ash's strategy for the use of Rain Dance.
"I get it! I understand now!" Lillie said as the others and Kaito's siblings looked at her in confusion. Kaito on the other hand, seemed oblivious to what Ash was going to do as he called out a move. "Don't know what you're planning, but I won't let it go on! Buizel, use your speed and power to attack with Aqua Jet!" Kaito called out loud.
At the order, the Sea Weasel Pokémon surrounded himself in water again, which was boosted by Rain Dance's effect! But just as the attack started to get close to Pikachu, Ash made the call, with the timing being correct.
"Now's our chance! Electro Ball, let's go!" Ash cried out. The sudden call surprised both Kaito and Buizel as Pikachu used the rain and his power to charge up a large Electro Ball to throw it at Buizel! It exploded onto the Sea Weasel Pokémon, negating Aqua Jet in the process! "Oh no!" Kaito said in shock.
Shiho and Seita watched in surprise to see Buizel being countered as the Sea Weasel Pokémon skidded back, shaking off the electricity that just shocked him! As Buizel recovered from the shock, he smirked at the Electric Type Pokémon, as if he was impressed with Pikachu's speed and skills.
Pikachu seemed to have felt the same as he gave the same expression to his Water Type opponent as both Ash and Kaito smirked at each other, as if they were impressed with each other's skills with their Pokémon's attacks and the way they raised them.
"You surprised us there, Ash. I didn't think you would be able to use Buizel's Rain Dance like that. You're one of the people that's full of surprises, aren't they?" Kaito asked with a smirk as Ash complimented his Alola friend back.
"You too, Kaito! I didn't think I would have this much fun in a Pokémon battle against you!" Ash said, as the classmates smiled to see the two boys bonding with each other in battle. Prof. Kukui smiled as well, seeing how the surprise made by Kaito was getting along perfectly.
With both eyes making contact, the two boys prepared to make their next attack, until a growling sound was heard, startling everyone and the Pokémon that were also watching the battle! Buizel and Pikachu both looked around in confusion until they found the source of the strange noise: Ash's stomach.
Sweat dropping from the attention he's getting, the Kanto trainer rubbed the back of his head sheepishly for his hunger for food. "Ah ha ha ha... I guess I'm kinda hungry..." Ash said, causing Kaito to fall over. The classmates were bewildered to hear Ash say this in a middle of a battle as Seita and Shiho just snickered at those words.
Prof. Kukui on the other hand, scratched the back of his head sheepishly with an embarrassed smile as the Alola boy slowly got up, showing an annoyed expression on his face. "How can you think about food in the middle of a battle...?" Kaito asked dryly as Buizel understood his human brother's feelings.
"Bui..." The Sea Weasel Pokémon shook his head with a sigh until Mallow ran up, calling for her friends and the adults. "Hold the surprise, everyone! Because it's lunch time!" Mallow cried out as the word lunch made the Kanto trainer even more hungry.
"Lunchtime...? Now that I think about it, I'm even more hungry after hearing that..." Ash said with a groan. Kiawe and Sophocles seemed to be sharing the same feelings as they groaned from hunger as well. "Yeah..." Kiawe said as Sophocles just drooled, imagining the food he could be eating now.
Lana and Lillie smiled nervously as Kaito sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Kiawe and Sophocles? Not you guys, too..." Kaito said until he heard another stomach growling, coming from Buizel, much to the Sea Weasel Pokémon's embarrassment.
The Alola boy smiled as Buizel blushed with embarrassment as everyone agreed to have lunch together, with Shiho and Seita joining in.
Later...
With everyone sitting on the outside cafeteria tables, Mallow and Shizuka brought out the dishes that they've made together. "Lunch is served!" Mallow cried out as she and Shizuka passed the dishes to the trainers, Shiho, Seita, and Prof. Kukui!
Once all the students and adults had their lunch, Mallow took out a large bowl of Pokémon from the recipe that she made, thanks to Lillie's help. "Here! Eat up, everyone!" Mallow said as the Pokémon were ecstatic to see food right in front of them! Once they took a second to sniff the food, the Pokémon began to munch on their lunch.
Both Kaito and Lana turned to Popplio and Buizel, hoping that their lunch tasted good for them. "Is it good, Bui?" "Yummy?" The two asked together, before they blushed at each other, as both Water Types cried out their responses before chuckling at their trainers' embarrassment together.
"You know what? I followed your Pokémon food recipe, and it worked!" Mallow said, complimenting Lillie as she smiled at her cooking friend. "It's tasty, but it's also healthy Pokémon food!" Lillie pointed out.
For Ash, he seemed to be enjoying the healthy meal that both Mallow and Shizuka had cooked up as he shoved it all into his mouth, using the fork! "Delish!" Ash cried out, his mouth muffled by the food. Kiawe and Sophocles agreed together as they understood why the Kanto trainer seemed to like it so much.
"Yeah! It's good." Kiawe said as Sophocles smiled at the taste of Mallow's part of the food. "Mallow's restaurant is good! I don't like to eat anywhere else!" Sophocles said as Kaito raised an eyebrow, knowing that the three were forgetting about someone.
"You forget that my mom was helping with the healthy food, too, guys. She's part of the reason why Mallow's restaurant tastes good because of the fruits and vegetables we grow, remember?" Kaito said darkly, causing Kiawe and Sophocles to sweat drop and nod nervously at the Alola boy's question.
"Y-Yeah, we know about that, Kaito..." Kiawe said as Shizuka only giggled at her son criticizing his two friends. Before she could say something however, a loud cry caught everyone's attention, mainly Ash and Kaito as the two boys turned to see where the sound had came from.
"You hear that, guys?" Ash asked as Kaito stood up from the table. "That sound..." Kaito said as Buizel also heard it, causing him to perk his head up! Shiho and Seita frowned, as they felt a bit startled from the sudden call. "Big brother? What was that...?" Shiho asked nervously as Kaito turned to his younger sister.
"I believe that was... Tapu Koko, Shiho." Kaito said, catching his two siblings by surprise. "No way! THE Tapu Koko!?" Seita gasped as this caught everyone else off guard. As Ash started to look around to where it had came from, something appeared right in front of his face! Blinking his eyes several times, Ash yelped, taking a few steps back.
Everyone gasped and widened their eyes to see that what they're seeing was the real thing. "Melemele Island's Guardian, Tapu Koko!" Lillie gasped in amazement and surprise. "What a sight..." Mallow said breathlessly. "Beautiful..." was what Lana could only say as she was surprised to see the Guardian right in front of her.
Shiho and Seita were amazed to see the Guardian right in front of them for the first time as Shizuka and Prof. Kukui were stunned to see the Guardian of the island right in front of their own eyes. The Pokémon on the other hand, were happy to see their island Guardian meeting them as Buizel kept the serious look on his face.
Kaito narrowed his eyes, wanting to be friendly, but he knew that there would be a good reason for why Tapu Koko would come out like this all of a sudden. Ash didn't seem to get that however, as he walked up to the Guardian and greeted it in a friendly way!
"It's great to see you! I didn't get the chance to thank you for the ring! So, thank you!" Ash said thankfully as Kaito started to say his thanks, too. "Yeah... That goes for me, too. I'd like to thank you for the Z-Ring, but... is there a reason to why you gave us these Z-Rings and Z-Crystals in the first place?" asked Kaito.
At the question, Tapu Koko only made a short cry, until it zipped out of sight! It left everyone surprised until it appeared right behind Ash! "Wha- Hey!" Ash yelped as he tried to find Tapu Koko, only for the Guardian to be too fast as its speed was too much for everyone to see with a naked eye!
While it zipped around, it pulled a little prank on Pikachu by putting Ash's hat on its head before it took it again! "Argh! It's moving too fast! I can't see it properly!" Kaito grunted with a serious look as Shiho and Seita held onto their brother for comfort.
"Big brother...? What's Tapu Koko going to do with us?" Shiho asked frighteningly, as Kaito held his siblings close to him. "If it's aiming to hurt one of us, I won't let it hurt you two..." Kaito said as Shizuka noticed on how serious her son was, especially with the serious face he had at the moment.
But suddenly, while Kaito was distracted by Tapu Koko's speed, Seita was taken off of his hands! "AHHHHH!" Seita screamed, catching everyone by shock as they all turned to see Seita on Tapu Koko's arms! "SEITA!" Kaito yelled as he angrily ran after the Guardian, who flew off into the forest!
"Bu Bui!" Buizel cried out as he ran after his human brother, causing Shiho and Shizuka to run after them. "Big brother!? Buizel! Wait up!" pleaded Shiho as Shizuka ran for her younger son. "Seita!?" She cried out as everyone else ran after the Guardian, too.
"Hey! My hat!" Ash said as he joined the chase, too with Pikachu running at his side. Seeing the chase go on, Kaito's classmates followed with their Pokémon in their arms and besides them as Prof. Kukui followed along to see what would happen to his students and the Shirogane family.
As Tapu Koko flew into the forest with Ash's hat on its tall head and the frightened Seita in his arms, it noticed Kaito and Ash giving chase as the boys were chasing it for the things it stole from them. "Hey! Wait up!" "Give Seita back right now!" Ash and Kaito yelled out together as they ran way ahead, leaving the others behind!
"Kaito! Seita! Hold on!" Shizuka cried out as she helped Shiho go over the log before she continued running after them. Kiawe followed her, as Lana helped Popplio up before she climbed over the log! Mallow took off after them, as she tried to call for her two friends. "Ash! Kaito! Slow down, you guys!" Mallow called out loud.
While Lana, Mallow, and Kiawe made it through with no problem, Lillie and Prof. Kukui had to hold back to help Sophocles climb over the log, which seemed too difficult for the electronic kid to go over! "Just... a little farther!" Prof. Kukui called out as he pulled Sophocles over, causing him to fall on the ground by his face!
While they had done that, Ash and Kaito ran to where Tapu Koko had disappeared off to with the hat and Seita. "Where is it?" Ash asked, looking around as Kaito frantically looked around. If Seita were to have been hurt by this mess, then the Alola boy had himself to blame with for not keeping his little brother safe!
"Where did it go?" Ash asked again until his question was answered! Both boys turned to see Tapu Koko appearing right in front of them again as it placed Ash's hat onto his head while placing Seita on Kaito's arms! The Alola boy grew startled until he realized that his little brother was safe as Seita started to sob by the scary experience.
"Brother... I... I... WAAAAAAHHHH!" Seita cried out as he sobbed into his older brother's chest, as Kaito gave his little brother a comforting hug, comforting Seita from his fearful experience. "It's okay, Seita. I'm here now." Kaito said silently as he comforted his little brother as Buizel climbed up on his human brother's shoulder to comfort Seita as well.
Once the retrieval was done, Tapu Koko flew back a little, making a battle stance for Ash and Kaito to see as they soon realized on what the Guardian of Melemele Island wanted from the two. "Hey... What's going on? I think you mean you want to have a battle with us...?" Ash asked as the others caught up to hear Ash speak.
"A battle?" Kiawe said in surprise as Lillie, Sophocles, and Prof. Kukui caught up. "So, instead of Kaito finishing up as the surprise, the one that's going to finish the surprise is Tapu Koko instead." Prof. Kukui said as Lillie remembered the facts about Tapu Koko's personality to the people and trainers in Melemele Island.
"I've read about this sort of thing before. It said Tapu Koko is a very curious Pokémon. Long ago, it would challenge the islanders to a Pokémon battle and Alolan sumos, too!" Lillie said as Shizuka watched in concern. "So, it's not just challenging Ash, but my son as well? But why?" Shizuka asked as Kaito frowned.
He gave a glance to Buizel, who nodded in understanding. Jumping off of his shoulder, the Sea Weasel Pokémon prepared to fight the Guardian of Melemele Island, as the Alola boy accepted the challenge. He first looked to the still frightened Seita and softly spoke with him to go to the worried Shizuka.
"Seita, go to Mom and stay with her. This battle is about to go wild." Kaito said as Seita immediately nodded and ran into his mother's arms, as Shizuka grew relieved to see her younger son safe from harm.
"So... that's how it is, huh? Normally, I don't like to fight, but with the way you dragged Seita into this, you're leaving me with no choice! I accept your challenge, Tapu Koko!" Kaito cried out as he tightened his orange fingerless gloves, causing Ash to grin and accept the challenge, too.
"Alright, I'll join in, too! Let's have a battle right now, Tapu Koko!" Ash said as he gave a look to Kaito, who accepted his request to team up. With the agreement settled, both boys looked at the Guardian of Melemele Island, both ready to fight as Tapu Koko let out a loud battle cry, causing an electric field to appear!
Tapu Koko VS Ash/Kaito: Pikachu/Buizel
It surprised both Ash and Kaito as Prof. Kukui knew what this was. "That's Electric Terrain..." Prof. Kukui said as Lillie took this chance to remind the boys about the field Change. "Ash! Kaito! Electric Types will be more powerful as long as Electric Terrain is in effect!" Lillie cried out as Kaito narrowed his eyes.
"Then, that would be putting me and Buizel in a disadvantage..." Kaito said, biting his lips as Buizel braced himself for a hard shock, as the Guardian was both Electric and Fairy Type. However, due to Ash only having Pikachu, the Kanto trainer smirked, seeing that the field would be giving him an advantage, too.
"That's lucky for us, though... We're ready!" Ash called out. At the call, Tapu Koko made the first move as it charged in to slam into Pikachu, causing Kaito to counter the Guardian. "Intercept with Aqua Jet, Buizel!" Kaito cried out as Buizel did so.
Surrounding himself with water, he knocked head to head with the Guardian of Melemele Island, as the two struggled to overpower each other as the result was a draw, with Buizel skidding on the ground. "Whoa, thanks for the save, Kai!" Ash said, saying the nickname as Kaito nodded back, with the battle going on.
The Guardian began to glow in different colors, as Kaito knew what this was. "Dazzling Gleam! Hit the deck, Buizel! Agility!" Kaito helped as Buizel prepared to speed away as Ash gave the signal for Pikachu to dodge. "Now, Pikachu!" Ash said as both starters dodged out of the way, causing a long scar to appear on the ground.
Once Dazzling Gleam was finished with the damage, the Kanto trainer took his turn to attack while Kaito and Buizel waited together to see what Ash and Pikachu would do for a counterattack. "Now, let's show them all what we can do! Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled out loud.
At the order, the Electric Type launched a boosted Thunderbolt thanks to Electric Terrain! The move made the hit, causing Ash to smile with the success. "Awesome!" Ash exclaimed as Kaito took this chance to make his attack! "Now, Buizel! Take this chance for an Ice Punch attack!" Kaito cried out loud.
Using the speed boosted from Agility, the Sea Weasel Pokémon quickly ran up to punch Tapu Koko with the Ice Type attack, only for the Guardian to block it with its shield looking arms! "What!?" Kaito gasped as Buizel was knocked back, causing him to skid on the ground as both he and Pikachu were surprised to see Tapu Koko unaffected.
"Both Thunderbolt and Ice Punch didn't do a thing!" Ash said in shock as the classmates and the adults were bewildered to see this as Kiawe bit his lips. "Tapu Koko is just too strong..." Kiawe said as Shiho grew worried.
"Does this mean big brother and Buizel are going to lose?" Shiho asked as Shizuka comforted her daughter with a weak, but comforting smile. "Your brother and Buizel are going to be just fine, sweetie. Just have faith in them both." Shizuka said as Shiho reluctantly nodded as Seita couldn't say anything due to the frightening experience from earlier.
Then suddenly, instead of targeting either Pikachu or Buizel, the Guardian of Melemele Island flew towards both Ash and Kaito, much to their surprise as Ash held out his arms to block the attack and protect himself while Kaito only shut his eyes tight, while keeping his left arm out.
But, when they braced themselves for the attack, they felt nothing, only to feel something tingling as they noticed Tapu Koko tapping onto their Z-Rings! At the touch, both the Electrium-Z and the Waterium-Z began to glow as both boys were surprised to what the Guardian had done just now as they looked at it with confusion.
"You mean..." "You're telling us now is the time to use them?" Ash started to ask with Kaito finishing it off. Both Pikachu and Buizel looked at their trainers with the new Z-Ring and Z-Crystal they received from Tapu Koko last night as Kaito narrowed his eyes to see his Waterium-Z glowing brightly, like how underwater looked like with the sun shining through it.
"Waterium-Z..." Kaito said as Ash muttered the Electrium-Z name. As they looked at each other, the two nodded to each other as they knew on what they had to do for their next attack as Tapu Koko floated back, ready to take the attack that came from the boys that interested it so much.
"Heh... I have no idea on how to do it, but I'll give it a try! Alright, Pikachu! Let's show our Z-Move!" "Pika!" Ash called out as Pikachu agreed, as he thought the same as his human friend did.
"I've known about them, but to do it in real life... Heh... What do you say, Buizel? Shall we make our first Z-Move against the Guardian of Melemele Island?" asked Kaito as Buizel grinned with a thumbs up. "Bu Bui! Bui!" Buizel called out, causing the Alola boy to nod as he prepared to show off his Z-Move.
"Okay then... Let's go!" Kaito said as the classmates were amazed and nervous for the two. "Oh, Ash..." "Kai..." Mallow and Lana said together in worry as Sophocles was unsure about the chance of the two getting it right. "Can they do it? I wonder..." he said as Shiho and Seita watched in amazement, with Shizuka close to them.
She only smiled softly, knowing how this looked to her as she remembered on how Kaito's father looked when he performed a Z-Move the first time. "Kazuma... Your son is following in your footsteps, with the same Z-Crystal that you've used to make your first Z-Move..." Shizuka thought happily as she thought she was seeing Kazuma inside her son.
With Tapu Koko giving movements to Ash to show how to do it, both Ash and Pikachu made the same movements together to perform the Z-Move for Electric Types. Kaito, having the knowledge of the Z-Move movements moved with Buizel as they made the Z-Move movements for the Waterium-Z!
With Ash and Pikachu making a zigzag shape together, Kaito and Buizel made wavy shapes together at the same time! "Go! Pikachu!" "Hit him hard, Buizel!" The boys shouted out together. With the energy charging together, both Pikachu and Buizel were surrounded by an energy that was borrowed from their trainers!
"Full power! YAAAAAAHH!" Ash cried out as he and Pikachu aimed a punch towards the Guardian, which was when Pikachu's fist charged up an electric ball to be punched and to be thrown towards Tapu Koko!
"Were not falling behind! After their move, Buizel!" Kaito cried out as he and Buizel raised their arms up in the air, as water gushed out of nowhere, forming a giant whirlpool in the process! With Buizel yelling, he threw the whirlpool at Tapu Koko, combining it with Pikachu's Z-Move attack in the process!
"An Electric Type Z-Move! And a Water Type Z-Move!" Kiawe pointed out in shock as the Professor knew what they were. "That's Gigavolt Havoc and Hydro Vortex! Wow!" Prof. Kukui cried out as the two Z-Moves blasted the amazed Tapu Koko, dealing some critical damage to the forest and to itself!
The impact of the double attacks nearly blew everyone off as they stood on their grounds, some holding onto each other. The boys that were battling held their feet on the ground as they had witnessed the power that the Z-Moves had gave off. "Huh? That's a Z-Move? Oh man..." Ash said, not believing the power it gave off.
As he said that, the Electrium-Z suddenly shattered, leaving the Kanto trainer with only the ring, but with no crystal. "To think those Z-Moves combined could be so destructive..." Kaito grunted as he noticed his Z-Crystal remaining while Ash's Z-Crystal shattering.
The Alola boy looked at his Z-Crystal in confusion as he noticed it glowing a little, as if it was responding for being used just now. "What is this...? What just happened? Why did Ash's Z-Crystal shatter, while mine stayed fine?" Kaito thought to himself in confusion as he frowned at this.
Pikachu and Buizel panted, until they widened their eyes to see what their attacks had done! Both Ash and Kaito also looked up to see Tapu Koko using his arms as a shield to defend himself from the double Z-Move attacks! But despite of that, the moves that Buizel and Pikachu had gave off, made a huge impact on the ground!
It was like a crater had appeared, with something huge smashing down on it. As Tapu Koko revealed itself, Ash blinked while Kaito kept a serious look on his face. "Huh...? What's going on? Tapu Koko?" Ash asked as he took a step forward to it.
But just as he did so, the Guardian of Melemele Island let out a loud cry before it took off into the air and out of sight, leaving both Kaito and Ash bewildered, along with their Pokémon starters. "Ash! Kaito!" Mallow cried out, catching their attention. Both boys turned to see Mallow and Lana running towards them.
Concerned about their brother, Seita and Shiho ran over to Kaito as Shizuka was amazed to see how the battle went out for her son and friend. "Are you two alright!? That's incredible! I can't believe how strong the two of you are together with Pikachu and Buizel!" Mallow said in amazement as Lana checked up on the two.
"You're not hurt or anything, are you?" Lana asked as the Alola boy shook his head. "No, we're fine... You should be asking our Pokémon that since they were the ones in the action." Kaito said as Buizel climbed up on his shoulder, licking his cheek in both reassurance and affection. "Bu bui." Buizel said with a smirk.
Chuckling, the Alola boy rubbed his head as Seita and Shiho looked at their brother in confusion. "Big brother? Are you and Buizel okay?" Shiho asked worriedly as Kaito smiled with a nod. "I'm fine, Shiho. I'm not hurt. How are you two feeling?" Kaito asked as Seita bit his lips before he shook his head.
"I'm fine, big bro, but... I was more worried for you and Buizel..." Seita said with guilt as Kaito smiled before he placed a hand on his little brother's head. "Don't feel sad, Seita. It was just a battle that the Guardian of Melemele Island challenged us with. It had nothing to do with hurting us." Kaito said as Seita looked at his brother.
Accepting his answer, the little brother nodded hesitantly as Kiawe walked over the two to check their Z-Rings. "What happened to your Z-Crystals?" Kiawe asked as he took a look on both of their Rings. He blinked in surprise to see the Electrium-Z gone, but was confused to see the Waterium-Z still on Kaito's Z-Ring.
"That's funny... Why did your Electrium-Z disintegrate, while Kaito's Waterium-Z stay?" Kiawe asked as he looked at the two boys as Ash noticed to see Kaito's crystal still in good shape as this left him both surprised and confused. "Whoa, yours look still okay! How did that happen, Kai?" Ash asked as Kaito frowned.
"That's what I'm asking myself. Why did mine stay when yours shatter?" Kaito asked darkly as he bit his lips with the mystery he asked himself. Seita and Shiho noticed his expression as they frowned at seeing their brother not looking well.
"Big brother...?" Shiho asked as Kaito shook his head as he regained his smile back. "It's nothing... I'm fine, you two." Kaito said as his answer caused the two both reluctantly accept it as the Fire Type user turned to Ash with a serious look on his face, knowing the reason for the Electrium-Z breaking apart.
"As for you, Ash... This means that's it's too soon for you to use Z-Moves. You haven't passed an Island challenge trial yet." Kiawe said, causing Ash to pout until he made a decision with a big grin on his face.
"Alright then! I'll take the Island challenge trial! I'll pass the trial, I'll get another Z-Crystal, and then I'll be able to use Z-Moves the right way!" declared Ash as his sudden declaration surprised everyone, as the Alola boy smiled.
"Heh... In that case, if you're taking part of it, then I'll take part in the trial, too." Kaito said, as he had surprised looks aiming at his face this time. The Alola boy looked at his Z-Ring with a weak smile on his face.
"I want to know why out of everyone, why Tapu Koko gave me and Ash the Z-Rings, and why the Waterium-Z stayed when Ash's Z-Crystal broke apart. Like Ash, I didn't take any part of the trials, too." Kaito said sheepishly as Shizuka smiled at her son. "I can understand where this is going, son." Shizuka said sweetly.
"Well, those reasons make sense!" Prof. Kukui said with a chuckle as the classmates began to call out their support as well.
"Well, that sounds perfect! We'll all be cheering for the two of you! Right, gang?" Mallow asked, as Lana, Sophocles, and Lillie immediately agreed to make their support to their two young battlers. "Okay!" "Pop!" Lana and Popplio cried out together.
"Of course we will!" Lillie said with a nod and a smile.
"Togedemaru and I know a lot about Electric Types! Yeah! Tons of stuff!" Sophocles cried out. That left only Kiawe as he felt stiff, unsure of whether to be supportive or not as Ash turned to him with a pleading look on his face. "Please?" "Come on!" Ash asked, while Mallow teased as the Fire Type user sighed as he noticed Kaito nodding at him.
Seeing himself outnumbered, he sighed as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, if I have to... Other than Kaito, I'm the only one with the Z-Ring..." Kiawe said as Kaito raised an eyebrow. "What kind of a response is that?" Kaito asked bitterly as everyone else laughed at the two rivals making a spark against each other.
Stopping his chuckling, the Kanto trainer grinned, feeling more accomplished than ever with his friends at his side. "That's awesome! Thanks, you guys!" Ash said as Kaito nodded along as he said his thanks as well.
Shizuka only smiled to see her son bonding with her classmates and his new friend even more as she looked up at the sky for a while. "Kazuma... You should've seen our boy battle... You would've been even more proud than I think you'd be..." Shizuka said softly as she shook her head, remembering the reason for her husband's disappearance.
Meanwhile, at an unknown location...
A man was walking around inside a ruins as he looked around with a serious look on his face. "These ruins... They might have the answer to why he's attracting so many Water Types to him." The man said as he took out a photo of his family and himself.
Kaito was smiling next to the man, showing his happy look besides the man as he sighed. "Kaito, my son... I hope you are well..." The man, now known as Kazuma said as he looked around. He put the photo away before he continued looking around.
"It must've been for a few months by now since I've went missing... But the reason I've been gone for so long is to find out about your powers... Your reason for attracting so many of our Sea Pokémon..." Kazuma said as he touched some symbols of the ruins. Something then glistened on Kazuma's wrist as he glanced at it.
His black Z-Ring with the Waterium-Z was blinking on and off several times, confusing the father as he looked at it. "Hm? The Waterium-Z... Its responding to something...?" Kazuma asked as he braced himself for what could come out until a bright light emitted around him, startling the father in the process.
"Argh! What the...?!" Kazuma yelled as he was blinded by the bright blue light. When the brightness died down, Kazuma opened his eyes, only to witness something shocking to his eyes. "What...!? This is...!?" Kazuma gasped as the ruins were showing full pictures of its secrets.
There were pictures of a kingdom that seemed to reign underwater, as there were many symbols of Water Type Pokémon. What caught Kazuma's attention were creatures that were half-human on the top half while half-fish on the bottom half.
"Merfolks... What in blazes am I seeing...?" Kazuma asked as he was bewildered of what he was seeing. But the next thing saw as he moved left him in shock as he took a few steps back in disbelief and shock. "What!? It... It can't... be..." Kazuma said as he stuttered.
The picture that he looked was were pictures of a King and Queen merfolks holding a merchild that were being blessed by many Water Type Pokémon surrounding it as the symbols seemed to be adoring the newborn merchild. The child looked familiar as Kazuma couldn't say another word. "This... This can't be..." Kazuma said in disbelief as he fell to his knees.
He shook his head wildly before he looked back at the picture of the newborn merchild. "Is this... the answer? The answer to why Kaito... has the power to attract the Water Pokémon back at Alola?" Kazuma asked dryly and weakly as he couldn't bring himself to believe in such myth.
To be continued...
Kaito's Team:
Buizel (M): (Ice Punch, Agility, Rain Dance, Aqua Jet)
Next chapters:
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!
Chapter 9: The Balloon Dream! Go, Popplio!
Next chapter preview:
Prof. Kukui: You two are up for a surprise with that Pokédex and Rotom here!
Ash: Wow! So Rotom can go inside this Pokédex! That is so awesome! Alola, Rotom!
Rotom: Awesome? I'm afraid I do not comprehend on what you mean.
Kaito: I guess this could make it easier for us to understand what Rotom is saying at the moment...
Ash: If there's that many Alola Pokémon out there... then I want to catch them and be friends with them!
Kaito: You're already wanting to go for broke? I guess I can't say that I don't understand your excitement for this.
Events that occurred:
- Ash competes in all of the surprises the classmates had for him
- Ash challenges Kaito to a battle, until the battle is called off
- Tapu Koko challenges Ash and Kaito to a battle, until it flees, leaving the result unknown
- Ash's Electrium Z shatters, while Kaito's Waterium Z remains fine
- Kazuma discovers a partial secret about Kaito's powers