Chapter 7: Rockruff is Tough or Shy!?
Kazuma faced the mysterious figure that came from the sea as he narrowed his eyes to see who it was as the figure called him an old friend. The figure got out of the water, looking like a normal Alola person, who seemed to be just a serious, muscular man.
However, Kazuma knew better as the man in front of him had a trident pendant over his neck. He wore an outfit that looked like what a person in vacation would wear, only except that this man looked more eye-catching as he even had golden armbands.
Kazuma widened his eyes as memories of this man started to come back to him as he took a few steps back, staggering as he struggled to remember the man that was currently calling him old friend. The memories of when the two would speak together in private, so that no one, not even his family would know.
At remembering the name of the man in front of him, Kazuma approached the man again with a calm, but serious look on his face. "Kaisuke... Or should I say, King Kaisuke..." Kazuma said deeply as the man known as Kaisuke nodded, seeing that his old friend remembered him.
"I see that you've remembered about the legend of the lost prince... The lost prince that is... my son, that is." Kaisuke said as Kazuma knew what the Sea King meant. He gave a small glance back at the walls where he learned of his "son"'s prophecy.
"Yes, I have..." Kazuma said with a frown.
"Have you told him about his true self yet?" Kaisuke asked as Kazuma shook his head.
"No... You didn't forget that you erased some of my memories of us meeting, haven't you? And now that you're here, I'm remembering everything about on what you said... On when you want... Kaito back..." Kazuma said solemnly.
"I did not forget, Kazuma... And I remember... for every time the boy sees the blue moon, he will slowly be coming back to his true home and become his true self. That was our promise, wasn't it?" Kaisuke asked, causing Kazuma bite his lips.
He now remembered clearly of the promise he and the Sea King made a few years ago, during the time when the Alola Sea Kingdom was under attack by some humans.
Flashback
"Kaisuke!? What is the meaning of this!? You're..." Kazuma said in shock as King Kaisuke appeared to the shocked man, in his merman form. The King of the Alolan Sea was struggling to breathe as well as struggling to sit up even with the aid of his golden trident.
He held a young merchild with a cobalt tail in his hands.
It was most likely, his son, the Prince who was adored by all Water Type Pokémon. Kaisuke looked up to his old human friend, who was still shocked to see Kaisuke like this as the Sea King explained.
"Kazuma... I need... you to take care of my family. My son, my queen... I need you to keep them safe from the Alolan sea for a while..." Kaisuke requested as Kazuma took the young merchild in his hands, while still being confused from the sudden request.
"I... I don't understand..." Kazuma started to say, until Kaisuke explained.
"The sea is in a middle of a war... The enemies were here... trying to steal my son away. Whatever you do, do not reveal anything about him! Trust no one but yourself." Kaisuke said with ragged breath as Kazuma shook his head, still unsure of what to do.
"War...? What are you talking about, Kaisuke? What happened?" Kazuma asked as the King of the Alolan Sea explained.
"Wretched humans... from some organization invaded my kingdom... They wanted to take my son and use his powers to their liking... With their foolish desire, they attacked the kingdom and attacked my people. I managed to save Shizuka by turning her into a human..." Kaisuke explained.
"Your own queen... Into a human?" Kazuma repeated in disbelief as Kaisuke nodded in affirmation.
"Yes... I want you... in my place... take care of her and my son as the war goes on as a father and a husband. When the war is over, I'll send you a message in your dreams while you sleep one night." Kaisuke explained as he started to crawl back into the sea.
But Kazuma stopped his old friend, reminding the King of his son, who was still in his merboy form.
"Wait! But what about him!? Doesn't your son needs to become human with your powers?!" Kazuma asked as Kaisuke glanced back before he shook his head with a weak smile.
"There's no need... I... I need you to take him into your home. Keep him out of sight from all the other humans until he goes into his human form. Shizuka managed to use her powers to transform him into a human once he stayed out of the sea for a whole day." Kaisuke said.
The man who was soon going to be the merchild's father looked at the still sleeping merchild, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully, possibly due to his father protecting him as the King had escaped from the battle for a while.
"What's your son's name?" Kazuma asked as Kaisuke was back in the water again, with the King smiled softly at his human friend. "His name... is Kaito." Kaisuke said as he dove back underwater to aid his allies in the war against the humans.
Kazuma kept an eye on the sea, unsure of what to do with the merchild until he realized he needed to find the Queen that would be his wife for a while and the merchild, who would soon be a human and his son.
Having fathered many children at an orphanage once, he cradled the merchild, who seemed to be whimpering a little in his sleep.
"Hush... You'll be safe... Kaito..." Kazuma said as he quietly ran around the beach to find Shizuka, and to get back to his home so he would keep both the Queen and the Prince safe.
Flashback End
"Back then, my memories of meeting you again started to fade away as I started to believe Shizuka and Kaito were my true family... But, that's not true, isn't it?" Kazuma asked as Kaisuke nodded with a serious look on his face.
"Yes... Even when the war was over, I believed they would come back, which let me decide to erase some of your memories from time to time, so that when you forget about our last meeting... so that you would protect my son and wife more..." Kaisuke said as Kazuma frowned.
"Kaisuke..." Kazuma stated to say until the King of the Alolan Sea cleared his throat before he explained his true reasons for being here in the first place.
"Now then... I believe you've read the ruins about Kaito becoming a merboy again, correct?" Kaisuke asked as Kazuma merely nodded, earning himself a nod from the Sea King as well.
"It's just as the ruins told you as you deciphered some of the words, Kazuma... For every blue moon Kaito sees every night, he will regain his abilities as a merboy and slowly become his true form. When that happens, he must return to my kingdom. That goes for Shizuka as well." Kaisuke explained.
"B-But... what about Seita and Shiho? While years passed by, Kaito became the eldest son in the family as the little ones were born!" Kazuma explained desperately as the Sea King frowned, before he made his decision.
"They will have to come as well... as they have some of the merfolk abilities, since Shizuka was my queen." Kaisuke said as Kazuma widened his eyes, as he realized on what this meant.
"So... Does this mean... I'll be left alone? Alone once again like before...?" Kazuma asked as Kaisuke blinked a little, before he bit his lips. The King of the Alolan Sea then nodded slowly with regret as Kazuma sighed.
Realizing that his role as a father was soon coming to an end, he felt a hand placed onto his shoulder by the regretful Sea King.
"Kazuma... Believe me... I truly am thankful for what you've done for me and to my kingdom, even when you were a human. I am truly grateful for your abilities to protect my family and in return... I'd like to ask you one thing." Kaisuke said as Kazuma listened.
"Kazuma... in return for all your help, would you like to become part of the royal family of the sea? Become a merman to be a part of my family...?" Kaisuke asked as the sudden question shocked the man as he was left speechless for a moment before he began to think of the right answer to make.
(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)
"Pikachu, jump up!" Ash yelled as the Electric Type did so, evading a String Shot that was shot from the Bug Type Pokémon, who was known as Grubbin, the same Pokémon that was chased by Ash and followed by Kaito!
As the Pokémon School students were exploring more around in the forest, they've encountered Team Rocket until they were taken away by the same Bewear that chased Ash and Kaito out of the forest. Now, they met the same Grubbin that had pinched Ash on the day he met his new friends.
So, with the interest in catching the Bug Type, Ash began a battle with it in order to make Grubbin his first catch and teammate in the Alola region. As the String Shot was dodged, Ash commanded an attack to counter back!
"Now, use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled as Pikachu shot his special move, shocking Grubbin in the process! The Bug Type struggled to stay standing as Rotom explained the basics of catching a Pokémon and adding it into a Trainer's team.
"In order to catch a Pokémon, you have to throw a Pokéball at it after it's been exhausted by battle! Pokémon battle basics!" Rotom buzzed as the Kanto trainer was about to do so! "Alright!" Ash called as he threw the ball towards Grubbin!
The ball sucked the Bug Type inside as it shook several times with the button glowing red. Ash watched excitedly, hoping for it to be a success as the girls were hoping for Ash's success as well. Kiawe, Kaito, and Sophocles all watched as the Fire Type user frowned with folded arms.
"Will he catch it?" Kiawe asked as Kaito was unsure, remembering that Pikachu only managed to strike Grubbin with a single Thunderbolt. No one would be able to catch a Pokémon that easily with just one attack.
"If Grubbin only took one Thunderbolt to boot, then I think the chances of Ash catching it are 50/50..." Kaito said as he made his prediction. Sophocles gulped as the ball kept shaking, until...
Grubbin escaped the Pokéball while using Dig! Both the Kanto trainer and his Electric Type groaned together at the failure. And the capture success was so close to boot! "Too bad..." Mallow said with disappointment.
"He was so close..." added Lana as Kaito folded his arms as he kept watch of where Grubbin was moving. The others followed as well as Ash watched to see Grubbin moving underground until it suddenly stopped! Seeing that as a chance, the Kanto trainer made his call for another attack!
"Quick, Pikachu! Aim to where Grubbin's about to come out and then use Quick Attack!" Ash yelled. Pikachu nodded as he got ready to make a surprise attack to Grubbin! But as everyone watched, it didn't come out where it had stopped, it dug out to where Lillie was near!
"AHHHHHHH!" Lillie screamed as her fear of touching Pokémon was still intact! She quickly hid behind Mallow, surprising Kaito, Mallow, and Kiawe in the process. Then, after seeing how she got scared caused the three classmates to all sigh together as Mallow began to tease her best friend.
"You sure know how to get scared!" Mallow teased, earning a pout from Lillie.
"I am NOT scared! I LOVE to research Pokémon! It's just like..." Lillie started to say. But before she could finish, Pikachu took position and charged at Grubbin with a Quick Attack! Grubbin shot a String Shot, as Kaito and Kiawe got out of the way on one side as Lillie and Mallow got out of the way at the other side!
Lillie screamed again as she got in the way of Pikachu's dodging! When the Electric Type tried to dodge the multiple String Shot attacks, Lillie accidentally pushed Pikachu to the target where String Shot was aimed, causing his left foot to be caught!
Ash and Rotom both widened their eyes as the Kanto trainer tried to warn his partner of the incoming attack.
"Pikachu!?" "Watch out for its powerful jaws!" Ash and Rotom yelled together, only for the double warning to come too late! Grubbin quickly slammed Pikachu away, making a near fatal hit with its powerful jaws! Pikachu grunted in pain before he fell on the ground, defeated by the powerful blow.
"Ah! Pikachu! Are you okay!?" Ash asked as he helped his defeated Electric Type up. Pikachu smiled weakly before telling his human friend that he was alright as Kaito ran over, frowning at the damage Pikachu had taken from the recent attack.
"Confirming damage! Confirming damage!" Rotom buzzed as Kaito shook his head.
"There's no need. We all know Pikachu took some huge damage from that attack from the jaws. Jeez..." Kaito grumbled as Buizel, Popplio, and Togedemaru showed their worry for the Electric Type as Lillie felt bad for what had happened.
"I'm so sorry!" Lillie said apologetically as she realized her fault as Mallow volunteered to take Ash and Pikachu to the nearest Pokémon Center. "I'll take you to the Pokémon Center now!" Mallow said as Ash looked at her with thanks.
"A Pokémon Center would be great! So lead the way, Mallow! And don't you worry, Lillie. You coming, Kai?" Ash asked as the Alola boy shook his head with a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, Ash. I have my own ways of making Buizel better after a battle." Kaito said as Buizel nodded in agreement.
"Bu Bui!" Buizel cried out as Ash nodded in understanding.
"Ash, Kaito... We'll go back to School and tell Prof. Kukui what happened, okay?" Kiawe said as the two boys nodded with thankful looks on their eyes. "Thanks. That would be a lot of help, Kiawe." Kaito said as Buizel climbed up to his left shoulder.
"Bu bui!" Buizel cried out as the group separated from each other. While Ash and Mallow headed for the Pokémon Center to heal Pikachu... Lana, Kiawe, and Sophocles headed back to the Pokémon School to tell the Alolan Professor what happened in their exploration.
Kaito on the other hand, headed down to the beach where he carefully looked around to see if no one was around. Once the coast seemed clear, the Alola boy looked at Buizel, who nodded back with a smile. Agreeing to hang out for a while, the Alola boy stripped himself down to his orange swimming trunks.
With Buizel taking the first dive underwater, the Sea Weasel Pokémon waved to his human brother, urging him to join him as Kaito did so by diving headfirst! Soon, the two were swimming together underwater to head to the location of the place that only they know about.
It was a few minutes later when the Alola boy and his Buizel arrived at their 'secret hideout', which was where they kept most of their precious items and things that represented their precious memories together near the ocean and at the beach.
One of the objects was a Water Stone, which they found together as their first treasure under the sea. Another object was a blue gem that seemed to be similar to the Mystic Water necklace stone. Other than the first two, the duo had many treasures they've found in the bright sea.
Shaking the water off of his face and head, the Alola boy smiled at their secret hideout. Whenever school was over or when he was done with the work given to him by Shizuka, the two of them would always come here when they weren't asked to do something by Kaito's younger siblings.
"Alright, Buizel... Let's get you all fixed up." Kaito said, earning a reluctant nod from the Sea Weasel Pokémon as Buizel knew what his human brother meant about getting fixed up: The Alola boy was going to use his unknown powers to heal Buizel.
Walking towards his human brother, he allowed Kaito to hold his orange furry arms, which were scratched up a little after his battle against the Rockruff from earlier. As Kaito held his partner's left arm, he closed his eyes and focused on healing Buizel.
At concentrating, the water on the shore began splashing a bit harshly, as if it was responding to Kaito's healing powers. Buizel watched as the wounds on his arm began to disappear, resulting in him becoming better. But he didn't like the process at all.
Whenever the healing is done, Kaito becomes exhausted, as if he gave up some of his life energy just to make him feel better. But when the Alola boy goes back into the sea or into the ocean, he feels less exhausted. It's as if the sea is his medicine whenever Kaito feels exhausted for some reason.
This made Buizel curious and worried, yet he never questioned his human brother, due to the fact that he must be hiding his power from everyone including his friends and family, because he didn't want to have any more attention pinned on him than he had right now.
Soon, as Buizel ended those thoughts, he was completely healed. But as a result, Kaito was once again exhausted as he panted from the energy and concentration he had used to heal his Pokémon brother. "Bui? Bu bui?" Buizel asked as he ran over before placing his paws onto Kaito's chest.
The Alola boy gave a weak smile to his worried partner before he gave a weak grin at the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"Heh... Don't worry about me, Buizel. I'm fine. I just... need to relax a little, that's all." Kaito said as he slowly got up and walked over to the shore. Placing his feet on the ocean water again, he felt the relaxation come to him as he smiled, feeling the energy in his body come back into him again.
Buizel watched with both worry, yet amazement to see the water healing his human brother's physical energy. He held back again to ask the question on why Kaito was being healed by the water as the Sea Weasel Pokémon sighed in relief.
Then, feeling his human brother rub his head with care, Buizel couldn't help but giggle and look up to see Kaito smiling down at him. "Now that our healing is out of the way, what should we do now, Bui?" Kaito asked as Buizel blinked before he made some thoughts.
Then, remembering of the treasures he could find under the sea, Buizel pointed back to the water, urging his human brother to help him search for more items that could be treasures for them! "Bui! Bu Bui!" Buizel cried out as Kaito laughed as he understood what his partner wanted.
"Underwater treasure hunt again, huh? That's fine! I bet there are more things that are wanting to be found by us!" Kaito said with his eyes shining with hope. Forgetting about his past worries earlier, Buizel's eyes shined as well as he thought of the rare items he and his human brother could find under the sea.
With their decision settled to head for underwater, Kaito took a deep breath and dove under with Buizel joining at his side.
Later, that night...
Dumping himself on his comfy bed with his pajamas on, Kaito yawned a little as the underwater exploration earlier resulted in them finding nothing rare, but some trash and discarded items that people left out underwater, either by polluting or by accident.
"So much for that underwater search... I couldn't find anything new under there at all..." Kaito groaned as Buizel fell onto the bed besides his human brother. "Bu bui..." Buizel said as he felt disappointed as well. The two then looked at each other and chuckled, as they both had the same thoughts for tomorrow.
"Ah well... Might as well try again tomorrow." Kaito thought as he got ready to sleep with the covers on. Buizel snuggled in close, enjoying the warmth from the bed and his human brother's body. but before the two could get even more comfier, they heard something ringing in the room!
Kaito blinked as he slowly sat up to see his computer ringing, showing that someone was calling him. Sighing in annoyance, the Alola boy got off of his bed and answered the call as Buizel watched to see who it was while sitting on the bed.
And to their surprise, it was none other than Lana! "Hey, Kai... Sorry if I'm bothering you right now..." Lana said apologetically as the Alola boy shook his head with a reassuring smile.
"It's fine, Lana. What is it?" Kaito asked as Lana cleared her threat before she explained.
"I just wanted to ask you if you want to go back to that forest again tomorrow afternoon. You know... to look for that same Rockruff that came out of nowhere earlier today?" Lana asked. At the sudden request, this surprised Kaito as he frowned in confusion.
"Oh yeah... You mean that little tough guy? What about him?" Kaito asked as Lana explained with a frown on her face.
"Remember what Lillie said about that Rockruff and its pack? She said something about them becoming strong enough to take down other wild Pokémon and a Pokémon Trainer. The Rockruff we met today seemed to be one of the members from that pack, but..." Lana started to say as Kaito blinked before he narrowed his eyes as he asked.
"But...?" Kaito repeated as Lana continued on.
"That Rockruff... It didn't seem to be that eager to go back to its pack when the battle was going on. Remember? We heard the howl before the battle could go on. That Rockruff didn't seem so happy to hear that howling since it didn't finish its battle with you." Lana said as Kaito sat on his chair, frowning at the words. Buizel ran over to listen as Kaito talked back.
"Oh yeah... It seemed like... it didn't want to go back. It looked like, it was trying to prove something... Something to prove to its own comrades. Do you think it's because it's considered the weakest in that pack?" Kaito asked as Lana shook her head.
"I don't know, really... But you see, Kiawe, Sophocles, and I all encountered that same Rockruff when we were about to part with each other when the school day was over... It came out of nowhere and suddenly challenged the three of us all to a battle." Lana explained, shocking the Alola boy and the Sea Weasel Pokémon as Kaito asked.
"What!? What happened then!?" Kaito asked as Lana continued on.
"We barely managed to win, thanks to Kiawe using Turtonator's Z-Move attack. And when the battle was over, it seemed to be upset about something... I think it had something to do about losing in a battle when it was part of a strong pack." Lana said as Kaito frowned.
He folded his arms as he gave some thoughts about the Rockruff. Remembering about the scar on its face, he gave a serious expression before he looked back at Lana.
"I think I can understand what Rockruff is feeling... For being upset, it could've been thinking that it lost its chance to prove itself... To show that it can be strong on its own..." Kaito said silently, making his prediction. "To prove itself?" Lana repeated in confusion as Kaito shook his head.
"No... Never mind. Let's go back tomorrow. I think we should be able to see why that Rockruff was like that once we know where its pack is." Kaito said, earning a nod of agreement from Lana. With the decision settled, they ended their call as Kaito sighed before he turned to his Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"Buizel... I think we're in for another battle with that Rockruff..." Kaito said as Buizel nodded with a determined look on his face. If anyone were to threaten the Sea Weasel Pokémon's friends or family, then he would fight to protect them all.
The next day...
Kaito and Lana were soon in the forest again in search for the Rockruff that challenged Kaito and Buizel to a battle yesterday. Buizel walked besides his human brother, as he remained cautious of his surroundings. Popplio remained in Lana's arms, as it also got ready to attack in case if something comes out of nowhere.
"Stay alert, Lana. It could come out at any time." Kaito said in warning, as Lana slowly nodded in understanding.
"Right behind you... Did you hear that, Popplio?" Lana asked as the Sea Lion Pokémon nodded in understanding as well.
As the two kept looking around while walking, they both heard rustling behind them! They quickly turned to see rustling bushes, as Lana grew worried on what it was. "A Pokémon? Or... could it be that same Rockruff?" Lana asked as Kaito glanced at Buizel, who nodded and got ready to attack.
"Don't know... But whatever it is... it's going to be in for a surprise. Buizel, aim for that bush and use-" Kaito started to command, until two figures ran out of the bushes!
"Wait, big brother! It's just us!" A familiar voice cried out, shocking the Alola boy and his classmate in surprise!
It was Shiho and Seita! The two of them were happily grinning at their shocked brother and friend as the Alola boy scolded them for the sudden scare.
"Oh, you two! You surprised us both! We thought you were some wild Pokémon aiming to sneak behind us!" Kaito snapped as Shiho stuck out her tongue teasingly while Seita scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Sorry, big bro, but... There's a reason why we followed you and Lana here!" Seita said as Kaito blinked, before Shiho explained.
"We want to come exploring with you! Mom thought it would be a good idea for us to be with you since Prof. Kukui told her about you and your friends exploring this forest for a new Pokémon!" Shiho explained as the Alola boy sighed as he face palmed.
"Oh Mom... Why did you send these two out when it could be dangerous here...?" Kaito groaned silently as Buizel sighed in relief. Lana just giggled while Popplio clapped its blue paws happily at seeing the two young ones.
Shiho and Seita laughed together as they played with Popplio, who started playing with them after Lana had let him go. Seeing the two siblings of Kaito having fun with her partner, Lana looked at her good friend and tried to assure to him that everything will be alright for now.
"I think it's a good idea. The more, the merrier, right? And besides, this is their first time exploring a forest filled with wild Pokémon, right?" Lana asked, earning a reluctant nod from the Alola boy. "You're right about that one..." Kaito said as he looked at his two younger siblings.
Remembering the tough Rockruff and the Bewear that had captured Team Rocket, the Alola boy grew hesitant to let his two younger siblings come until Buizel gave him an eye, that was saying to let the two young ones come. Kaito sighed before he gave in to Lana and Buizel's suggestion and request.
"Alright, fine... But I want you two to stay close to me when a wild Pokémon comes out, okay? This forest can have dangerous Pokémon here, so I don't want the two of you to just run off and make a Pokémon go mad." Kaito said seriously as his two siblings nodded together in understanding.
"We will!" They cried out in unison as they played with the playful Popplio, who blew small bubbles to them to make them smile and laugh. Buizel watched his best friend play with his human brother's siblings as he chuckled at how much fun the two were having.
Both Kaito and Lana kept watching as they smiled together until they heard another rustle coming from the bushes. Popplio and Buizel heard as well as they turned to where the rustling was coming from! Shiho and Seita stopped as well, as they turned to see something coming out!
They ran over to their eldest brother while Popplio ran over to Lana's side. Everyone watched the bushes carefully as another figure came out! Kaito spotted the figure first and recognized it.
"There it is! That same Rockruff from yesterday!" Kaito said as Lana, Popplio, and Buizel widened their eyes in surprise. The two younger siblings of Kaito grew nervous as they remembered how dangerous a forest can be with the wild Pokémon around.
However, the Rockruff didn't seem to be interested in them, but at Kaito and Buizel! It smirked, facing the Sea Weasel Pokémon, who glared back as he prepared to fight again. Before Buizel could move however, he noticed that his tough opponent had small wounds all over his body!
Kaito noticed it too as he frowned in suspicion. "Those wounds... They can't be from our battle yesterday..." Kaito thought suspiciously until another howl interrupted his thoughts.
The two Water Types and the young siblings perked up to hear the howling as Lana and Kaito listened as well.
For the Rockruff, it whimpered, not wanting to go back until it realized that it needed to head back. Otherwise, the Puppy Pokémon would suffer consequences should he disobey his leader. Reluctantly, it ran off as Kaito called for it come back again.
"Wait! Hold on!" Kaito called as he ran after the retreating Puppy Pokémon. Buizel followed suit as Lana widened her eyes to see her good friend following the weakened Puppy Pokémon.
"Kai! Buizel! Wait, you two!" Lana cried as she and Popplio ran after the two, with Shiho and Seita next to them! The four humans and the two Pokémon all chased after the retreating Rockruff, who didn't notice them at all!
A few minutes later, the chase had ended, leading Kaito and the others to see where Rockruff was running to! Both Kaito and Lana widened their eyes as Buizel and Popplio were both amazed. Shiho and Seita were surprised on how big the area was.
Where a Rockruff was running to, there seemed to be a bunch of Rockruff playing and training together. There were even a few Lycanroc, some in their Midday Form while the others had their Midnight Form. Where they lived seem to be a rocky place.
There was also a large rock that seemed to be where the leader would climb on and howl for its comrades to come and to have a meeting. Kaito was amazed to see how the Rockruff were able to live in a well-hidden place like this. But his amazement was interrupted when he and the others were spotted by a Midnight Lycanroc!
It barked and pointed at them accusingly for coming into their pack territory! Soon, all the other Rockruff and Lycanroc caught their eyes on the four young humans with their two Water Types as some growled at them, while some gazed at the humans and their Pokémon with curiosity.
"U-Uh... Big brother... Why are they... mad at us?" Shiho asked shakily. Seeing them growl and glare at them made the little sister feel scared as she had never seen Pokémon this hostile before. Kaito stood in front of his two siblings, before he glared back at the growling Lycanroc and Rockruffs.
He had no idea on how to answer the question right now in a simple way. All he could think of were possible ways to not make them even more mad. But before anyone could do something to calm the Lycanroc and Rockruffs down, one barked at the others!
Kaito, Lana, Shiho, and Seita all looked in surprise to see a still scratched up Rockruff barking at his friends and comrades, as if it was telling them to leave the humans and their Water Types alone. Kaito blinked, recognizing this Rockruff.
"Would you look at that... It's the same tough guy we met just now. I think... it's telling the others that we don't mean harm to them." Kaito said as Lana seemed to understand. "Yeah... That must be that Rockruff..." Lana said as Buizel and Popplio watched carefully as a Rockruff continued explaining.
By the time it finished, one Midnight Form Lycanroc didn't accept it as it snapped at the Rockruff, threatening to attack it if it didn't move! Another Lycanroc did the same as a Rockruff got ready to fight back if it needed to!
Seeing that the young one wouldn't move, the first Lycanroc howled for battle until it charged at Rockruff, before it slammed its fist at the ground! At that, glowing sharp stones bursted out from the ground, all aiming towards the Puppy Pokémon as it dodged out of the way, before it kicked sand towards his attacker!
The Midnight Lycanroc growled at being blind as the second Midnight Form snapped its jaws around Rockruff, who whimpered at being bitten until the hold from Lycanroc's Crunch became stronger, making it even more painful for the already wounded Puppy Pokémon!
Everyone gasped to see the Lycanroc treating the little tough guy like this as Rockruff was thrown away towards the ground right in front of Kaito's feet! At recovering, Rockruff whimpered, as it felt afraid suddenly at seeing his two opponents approaching him with anger in their eyes.
Shiho couldn't see this anymore as she tugged onto her brother's jacket sleeve, begging him to help the innocent one.
"Big brother, stop them! They're bullying the poor Rockruff!" Shiho cried out tearfully as Seita backed away with fear in his eyes. Kaito noticed his two siblings afraid as he gritted his teeth before he ordered Buizel to attack.
"That's enough! Two against one is completely out of order! Aqua Jet, Buizel!" Kaito yelled as Buizel nodded before he bashed the two hostile Lycanroc away, forcing them to drop Rockruff and send the wounded Puppy Pokémon tumbling onto the ground.
Some of the Rockruffs were surprised to see an outsider helping one of their kind, while some Lycanroc were interested in the Sea Weasel Pokémon and his master. The two Midnight Form Lycanroc however, were not amused as they were angry at the outsiders interfering with their battle against the disobedient one.
Rockruff struggled to stand as he weakly opened his eyes to see his rival protecting him as he tried to stand, only for him to fall again. Buizel glared at the two Lycanroc, as they glared back and looked like they were ready to attack again!
However, that was when a loud howling noise caught everyone's attention. Someone else was coming out from the groups that were watching. The Lycanroc and Rockruffs all got out of the way to let their leader through. Kaito noticed that this Lycanroc was a Midday Form, having a scar over the left eye.
"Could that be... the leader of this pack?" Lana asked questionigly as the two siblings and Popplio gazed at the leader in question. Kaito remained cautious until the leader snapped at the two Midnight Form Lycanroc for attacking a young one as they winced before they bowed their heads in apology.
Then, with the scolding done, the leader walked over to Buizel's rival, and gave him a gentle lick on the cheek, causing the Rockruff to weakly see his leader, or his father smile softly st him. The son smiled back before giving weak barks at his father several times as he explained why the humans and their Pokémon were here.
It seemed to be that way as the leader took a glance at the four humans and the two Water Types, before he allowed his son to continue on. Rockruff then explained on how much he wanted to prove himself to his father that he could handle himself and not be treated as a child anymore.
To prove that, he wanted to defeat many Pokémon he met, such as his rival Buizel. But that was stopped since Lycanroc kept calling for him. This caused Lycanroc to frown before he nudged his son apologetically as all the other Rockruffs and Lycanroc watched with happy looks on their faces.
They all seemed to be relieved and glad that the son was reconciling with his father.
"What are they doing, big brother?" Seita asked, as he was still confused on what was going on. Kaito smiled at his little brother, before he explained.
"I believe... that the leader of this pack, the one that's speaking to our tough Rockruff right now... is the tough guy's father. I could tell by the same scars they had over their left eyes." Kaito explained softly. Seita widened his eyes before he looked back to see the father and son reconcile completely.
Once that was done, Rockruff managed to stand up again and face his father with a determined look on his face. It barked confidently, as he was trying to ask a request to his father. Lycanroc seemed surprised to hear this coming from his son, until he nodded in approval.
"What do you think Rockruff is trying to say, Kai?" Lana asked as the Alola boy folded his arms with a small smile on his face.
"I think... our tough guy here is trying to get permission from his father to let him battle with me and Buizel again, since two of our battles have been interrupted by his call..." Kaito said as Buizel nodded, confirming that his human brother's words were true.
"Bu Bui." Buizel said as Rockruff turned and growled, challenging the Sea Weasel Pokémon to a battle!
Buizel glared back and growled as the two battlers were ready to go. Kaito took a step, understanding on how his partner felt as he got ready to fight as well. Lana and the two siblings of Kaito stepped back, as they wanted to see on how the battle would go.
The other members of the pack took a few steps back to watch as well as both Buizel and Rockruff were ready to go.
"Let's go, Buizel! Ice Punch, let's go!" Kaito cried as Buizel did so, charging towards Rockruff with the Ice Type attack! For Rockruff, due to the small wounds he still had from his battle with the bullies, he couldn't move fast enough, but was able to barely dodge the Ice Punch attack!
He then skidded on the ground and charged towards Buizel! It made a sharp Bite attack on the Sea Weasel Pokémon's arm, causing Buizel to wince and yelp in pain. "Shake him off, Buizel! Use Ice Punch again!" Kaito cried as the jaws of Rockruff started to freeze!
Rockruff widened his eyes in shock as he shook himself off, while spitting the ice that got into his mouth. Seeing this as a perfect moment to attack, the Alola boy called for another attack! "Here's our chance, Buizel! Aqua Jet, back to back!" Kaito yelled as Buizel surrounded himself with water!
The Rockruff and Lycanroc pack were in awe to see that their young member was handling himself well, as Buizel kept bashing him with multiple Aqua Jets! Despite the super effective attacks, the fire in Rockruff's eyes hadn't died out yet as he let out a loud Howl!
Buizel skidded on the ground, hearing it as he knew that the attacks from his opponents would become even stronger! And he was right as Rockruff summoned multiple boulders to all fall towards him! Seeing the incoming boulders, the Alola boy called for an evasive maneuver.
"Evade them all with Aqua Jet, Buizel! Then, call up a Rain Dance!" Kaito yelled as Buizel surrounded himself with water again before he evaded the rocks again! When the evasion was complete, the Sea Weasel Pokémon raised his arms up high in the air to call up some rain clouds!
Rain began pouring down, as Popplio seemed to enjoy getting wet. Seita and Shiho on the other hand, remained amazed to the battle as they didn't notice themselves getting wet! Lana shook a little at getting wet as Kaito continued on with his wet attacks.
"Now, Buizel! Aqua Jet, again!" Kaito yelled as Buizel wrapped himself with water once more, which soon became stronger, thanks to the rain's effect! The speed of his movements increased due to his ability, Swift Swim. With the ability, he bashed Rockruff again multiple times!
Rockruff, stubborn as always summoned more boulders to trap Buizel, which left the Sea Weasel Pokémon struggling as he soon realized he was going too fast with Aqua Jet and with his ability! Kaito noticed this and called back his partner.
"Buizel, hang in there! Make some distance!" Kaito cried out as Buizel tried to do so, until Rockruff bashed and bit his Water Type opponent with Bite! Lana and Popplio began to grow worried for the Sea Weasel Pokémon and his human brother while the two siblings called for their brother and Buizel to win.
"You can do it, big brother! Buizel!" Shiho cried out as Seita tried to do the same.
"You can't lose to that puppy, bro! Step on it as well, Buizel!" Seita yelled as Buizel felt himself powering up! Looking at Kaito, the Alola boy knew what the look on Buizel's eyes were. They were going to use the Z-Move, with the help from the Waterium-Z.
At that moment, the Waterium-Z on Kaito's Z-Ring began to glowing in and out, as if it heard the two's thoughts of planning to use the Z-Move! Kaito blinked as Lana noticed the glow as well. "Kai... Your Z-Crystal!" Lana said as Kaito nodded in understanding. Turning to Buizel, the two nodded at each other.
"Okay... Let's do this, Buizel! Full power on this attack!" Kaito cried out as he prepared to make the Water Type pose! Buizel followed suit as the two were in complete sync with each other! They made wave movements with their arms and hands/paws to show that they were in sync!
Lana and Kaito's two siblings watched as they were in awe to see the Water Type Z-Move again. Rockruff was confused on what the two were doing as he braced himself, knowing that a head-on attack would be too reckless as he stood still.
For the Alola boy and his Water Type partner, their pose was complete, allowing them to access through with the Z-Move!
"Here goes! Hydro Vortex! Full power!" Kaito yelled as he and Buizel yelled a battle cry while summoning a raging whirlpool with their spirits infused together! The whole pack was shocked to see a giant whirlpool above them while Rockruff was in disbelief.
Buizel rushed to Rockruff while he was surrounded with blue aura! He bashed the Puppy Pokémon into the giant whirlpool, causing the Rock-Normal Type to howl in both fear and pain as Buizel jumped into the whirlpool, using the power from the Z-Move to bash Rockruff multiple times!
At the multiple assaults, the whirlpool disappeared, with Buizel making the final hit! Rockruff was smashed to the ground, being defeated by the critical hit and the super effective attack. As Buizel landed, he struggled to stay balanced while standing before he stood his ground.
The whole pack was shocked while Rockruff's father was amazed by the power, despite of himself being the leader.
For his son however, the Puppy Pokémon felt defeat inside him as he admitted his defeat before falling unconscious from the super effective attack. At the victory, Shiho and Seita cheered for their eldest brother's win against the persistent Rockruff!
"Yeah! Big brother and Buizel did it! They won!" Seita cried out as Shiho laughed happily. Popplio clapped its hands together with joy as Lana smiled to see the success Kaito had earned. For the pack, the other young Rockruffs were worried about their tough friend defeated.
Some of the Lycanroc were concerned as well while others were unsure of what to feel for the young one. The leader on the other hand, walked over to his defeated son, who managed to wake up again and see his father comforting him once again.
Kaito sighed in relief, seeing that victory was both his and Buizel's. Then, he went over to his Sea Weasel Pokémon, patting his head for a job well done. Buizel turned and gave a small grin to his human brother as Kaito praised his partner for a good battle it put on.
"Good work, Buizel. We won." Kaito said as Buizel nodded back. But before they could enjoy their small win, Rockruff managed to stand up again with his father's help as the two walked over to the Alola boy and the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
The Alola watched carefully as Rockruff managed to walk over to him and Buizel, despite the recent injuries he gained just now.
The Rock-Normal Type then gave a small bow to the Alola boy and the Sea Weasel Pokémon, deeming them to be a good team together. Lycanroc seemed to agree as he nodded along as Lana walked over to the Alola boy, making her suggestion to him.
"Kai... Maybe you can catch Rockruff this time! Now that you've won the battle, Rockruff seems to respect you and Buizel a lot more now." Lana suggested as Kaito blinked at the sudden suggestion. At hearing this suggestion though, Rockruff let out a bark of approval!
He turned to his father, who seemed to understand as the father and son nuzzled noses together before Rockruff turned back to the still surprised Alola boy. "Rock! Rock ruff!" Rockruff barked with a confident look on his face. Kaito blinked again before he let out a small chuckle and a smile.
"So you're that determined to prove your strength to me again, huh? Alright... It's a deal, Rockruff. Buizel and I promise that we will battle alongside you when the fight gets tough!" Kaito said as he took out an empty Pokéball for Rockruff to go into.
Immediately, Rockruff pressed the button on the Pokéball with his right paw, allowing himself to be sucked in! As he got inside, the ball shook a little with the button glowing red a few times before it clicked, resulting in a capture to be a success! Standing up straight, Kaito raised the ball high in the air to pose his successful capture.
"Our new friend joins us under the sun! Rockruff, welcome to the team!" Kaito cried out as Buizel jumped in joy for a new friend as well. Lana, Shiho, and Seita all watched happily to see the Alola boy having a new member on his team.
The other Rockruff in the pack barked and howled happily to see that their friend made his choice as the father and leader bowed to the Alola boy, requesting that he would take good care of his son.
Nodding in understanding of the what the leader could be saying to him, Kaito sent out Rockruff again to let him say his goodbye to his father and the rest of his pack. Rockruff blinked at being sent out before he turned to see his new Trainer giving him a sad smile.
"I thought you'd want to see goodbye to the rest of your pack... in case if you would miss them if we just left." Kaito said as Rockruff smiled, feeling thankful for Kaito before it let out a loud howl to say his goodbye to his pack and to his father.
The other Rockruffs immediately howled back, saying their goodbye to their good, but tough friend. Many of the Lycanroc followed along, along with the father who allowed his son to go with his new human friend and his Water Type rival.
Once the farewell was done, the Puppy Pokémon went with his new Trainer, as Kaito and Buizel walked out of the pack, with Lana, Shiho, and Seita following them as well. While they were walking, Shiho and Seita ran over to their new friend, as they wanted to have fun with the new member of the family.
"Hi, Rockruff! It's so nice to be your friend!" Shiho said softly as Rockruff panted back happily before he barked happily as well! "Wow... You were so cool in that battle with big bro and Buizel!" Seita exclaimed, complimenting the Rock-Normal Type.
"Rock! Rock ruff!" Rockruff barked happily as Kaito and Lana both glanced to see the Puppy Pokémon first getting along with Shiho, then Seita as the three all ran around together happily. Buizel got on top of his human brother's left shoulder as the Alola boy smiled in amusement.
"Well... looks like we're seeing another side of your rival... Huh, Bui?" Kaito asked, causing the Sea Weasel Pokémon to grin and nod in agreement. "Bu bui!" Buizel said with a smirk as Lana chuckled along, with Popplio just smiling to see a new friend coming along.
What everyone in the group right now didn't know, was that another friend was going to come along and join their friends in a similar, but different situation!
To be continued...
Kaito's Team:
Buizel (M): (Ice Punch, Agility, Rain Dance, Aqua Jet)
Rockruff (M): (Bite, Sand Attack, Rock Slide, Howl)
Next chapters:
Chapter 8: Rowlet's Leafage! A New Bond!
Chapter 9: The Balloon Dream! Go, Popplio!
Chapter 10: The Water Pokémon to Charm!
Chapter 11: House Mess to Shopping Spree!
Chapter 12: The Maze of the Trapped Mall!
Next chapter preview:
Ash: Take a look at that! That Rowlet is a part of that Pikipek flock family!
Kaito: This is just like with Rockruff and his pack, only for the situation to be different...
Jessie: Well, if it isn't the twerps! It's time for my Mimikyu here to come out and play against Pikachu!
Lana: They're taking both the berries and the flock away! We have to stop them, Kai! Ash! Mallow!
Ash: This isn't looking good... Mimikyu is looking a bit too strong! But the other Pokémon...!
Kaito: You dirtbags are really pissing me off! The berries I understand, but stealing the flock is going too far!
Events that occurred:
- Kaito and Lana reunite with the same wild Rockruff from before
- Kaito meets Rockruff's pack, full of other Rockruff and Lycanroc
- Rockruff joins Kaito's party, with the permission from the leader
- King Kaisuke of the Alolan Sea is revealed to be Kaito's true father