Chapter 16: Responsibility to Protect and Save
Last time on "Pokémon Alola Journey", Lillie still proved herself that she was unable to touch Pokémon, which led to Kaito berating her for her cowardice, before he encouraged her to have confidence that she can touch Pokémon someday when the time was right.
At that moment, Prof. Kukui asked everyone to come with him to see Principal Oak, where he presented the Pokémon Egg Ash brought from Kanto, with the other being the one found at Mt. Lanakila.
At being tasked to watch over one of the Egg, Lillie makes the choice of looking after the one that was found at Mt. Lanakila. But remembering about Kazuma's words about responsibility and how he failed to protect Seita once, Kaito volunteered to look after the Pokémon Egg brought from the Kanto region.
Accepting Kaito's decision, the Alola boy was to look after the Kanto Egg while Lillie reluctantly volunteered to look after the Egg brought from Mt. Lanakila. And with school ending, everyone parted ways with each other.
Taking the Egg home, Kaito found it hard to look after it when an Alolan Grimer suddenly attacked in his house! After a quick battle in the house, it ended in Kaito and Buizel's victory, but the Alola boy knew that it would be back with more company.
With those thoughts, the Alola boy and his Sea Weasel Pokémon knew that they would have to brace themselves for what could come next.
Sitting on the couch with the Egg in his lap, the Alola boy frowned to see where the dooor was. It was the same door where he accidentally opened it up, only to let an Alolan Grimer in!
Rockruff and Buizel were sleeping together on the floor, making themselves comfortable with each other as they were sleeping quietly. Shiho and Seita on the other hand, were sleeping next to their elder brother, with Kaito sitting between them.
"That was a close calł... If I made any more mistakes... then the Pokémon Egg Ash brought from Kanto would've been damaged or even worse, crushed if the mess continued to grow bigger and bigger..." Kaito thought as he bit his lips.
Looking at the Egg, he kept it close to his chest, feeling the warmth radiating from the Egg itself.
"I wonder what you're going to be if you come out. I hope you're the sweet kind of Pokémon that can be shy, but energetic at the same time to make new friends... Who knows? Maybe you can be friendly and strong at the same time if you were to battle." Kaito said softly.
He rubbed the Egg's surface, feeling more warmth coming from it. But just as he was caring for the Egg, he felt something move as he blinked! The Egg moved around for a second before it settled down, causing Kaito to widen his eyes in surprise.
"It's moving? Does it mean that it's close to hatching already...?" Kaito thought as he carefully kept the Egg to himself to prevent it from falling down from his lap.
Then, remembering about Shizuka still being absent from being home, the Alola boy stood up with the Egg in his hands as he walked up to a video phone, where he could contact her, since she always had her phone around whenever she went out.
Putting in her number, he began to contact her and see if she was still around or not. Waiting for her to pick up, the Alola boy began to wait, hoping that she would pick up. If she didn't, then it could spell trouble for his mother.
But just as he began to think she wasn't about to pick up, he heard something click in the end before a voice rose up, responding to his call.
"Hello? Who is this?" A familiar voice asked as Kaito smiled in relief.
"It's me, Mom. It's Kaito. Can you make your phone go into video mode?" Kaito asked, caising Shizuka to gasp before her face came onto the screen, showing her surprised expression to her eldest son.
"Oh! Hi, honey... Is something wrong?" Shizuka asked, causing Kaito to raise an eyebrow before he felt a tick mark appearing on his forehead, before he began to speak.
"Something wrong? Of course there's something wrong, Mom! Where have you been for the past few days? Do you have any idea on how Seita and Shiho were worried about you? They said you never came by home ever since you left!" Kaito explained.
His tone began to rise up a little, feeling a bit upset for how unconcerned his mother looked, as Shizuka blinked before she gave an apologetic expression.
"Oh... I'm sorry about that, honey. It's just that... there were a lot of things I need to work on. There were small reports about a group of Alolan Muk and Grimer attacking the Water Pokémon that lives in lakes and ponds." Shizuka started to explain.
At the mention of the two Poison Types, Kaito widened his eyes as he let his mother continue on.
"For some reason, those Pokémon have been acting weirdly. They've been more... aggressive and territorial. I'm taking care of one of the Water Type Pokémon that was attacked by them. My friend, Liana, is also helping me, too." Shizuka explained.
"You mean, Mrs. Summers? One of the staff in Melemele Aquarium?" Kaito asked.
He remembered the time when he first got the Sea Gauntlet back at the Undersea Ruins. Liana was the same person who helped him, Kiawe, Lana, and Lillie get through to the crisis when they've all gotten separated due to the Ruins' trap.
"Yes. I assume that you met her? And there was one other thing I was looking over..." Shizuka explained, causing Kaito to be curious as he tried to ask.
"And what's that?" Kaito asked, before his mother explained.
"I tried to research about your aqua-kinesis powers... But unfortunately, I didn't find any leads. All I do know that it had something to do with the Alolan Sea Kingdom story..." Shizuka explained, shocking Kaito as he almost dropped the Egg in his hands before he regained his clear thoughts.
"The Alolan Sea Kingdom...? You mean, the story about the lost Prince?" Kaito asked, earning a nod from his mother.
"Liana told me about what you asked her to do, honey... And I have to say, I'm a bit upset with how you risked your life of going to the Undersea Ruins with your friends, young man. Do you have any idea on how worried I was!?" Shizuka started to say before her tone became stern and serious.
The Alola boy flinched at her sudden change of tone, causing him to nearly drop his Egg again before he gave a sheepish smile, his curious and serious expression going away as he sweat dropped for the annoyance tone and expression his mother was giving off.
"Um... Sorry, Mom. There were just... things I needed to confirm about. You know about my aqua-kinesis powers, right? Well, I thought I would confirm whether my powers were related to the Alolan Sea Kingdom story by heading into the Undersea Ruins with the others, with Mrs. Summers' help." Kaito explained.
Shizuka sighed, before she placed a hand on her forehead. Shaking her head, she regained her smile, although it seemed to be a weak one.
"I understand... Although, I'm not pleased to hear that you and your friends nearly died in the ruins because of some trap or misstep..." Shizuka sighed as Kaito gave her a sheepish smile again.
"Anyways, I'm sorry if I wasn't home that much, honey. I promise to make it up to you once I get back, okay? And take care of Shiho and Seita until I'm back, all right?" Shizuka requested, earning a nod from the elder son as he made his words.
"That's what I've been doing for a while, Mom. I promise that nothing bad will happen to them..." Kaito said in a reassuring tone before he blinked in realization.
"Oh yeah... Mom?" Kaito asked, catching his mother's attention. The Alola boy frowned, before he tried to ask his mother about Kazuma.
"Mom... Did you hear anything about Dad? I haven't heard from him for a few months now..." Kaito asked, causing Shizuka to pale for a second before she gave a small smile to her eldest son.
"I'm sorry, honey... But, I haven't heard anything from your father, either..." Shizuka said reluctantly, causing Kaito to blink before he shook his head, accepting her words as he began to say his small farewell to his mother.
"Okay... Well, I'll see you later, Mom. Hope you can come home soon." Kaito said softly, causing his mother to smile sweetly at him before she ended the call. By the time the conversation was finished, the Alola boy felt something tugging onto his vest, causing him to turn.
Shiho looked worried as she looked up to her brother as she asked.
"Was that Mom on the phone just now? Is she okay, big brother?" Shiho asked, causing Kaito to smile before he rubbed her head in comfort.
"Don't worry. She's fine. She's just having some complicating situations right now with her friends. She'll be back home soon, if there aren't any more problems later on." Kaito said softly, causing Shiho to smile before she nodded in acceptance.
"Okay..." was the only thing Shiho said before there was a knocking on the door.
Alerted to the knocking, Kaito narrowed his eyes to see who was at the door while Shiho held onto her brother's vest tightly. She didn't want to see the same Alolan Grimer attacking them like before as Kaito slowly went up to the door before he spoke.
"Who is it?" Kaito asked softly, earning a response from outside.
"Kai! It's Lana! Can I come in?" Lana's voice called out from outside, causing both Kaito and his sister to be relieved. Opening the door, the Alola boy allowed his classmate in, who walked in with Popplio in her arms.
By the time she walked in, Buizel and Rockruff woke up, with Seita awakening as well.
"H-Huh? Is that big sis Lana out there?" Seita asked sleepily while Rockruff yawned big, before he scratched his ear with his left hind leg. Buizel rubbed his eyes before he watched to see Popplio approaching him with a cheery look and smile!
"Pop! Pop pop pop!"
"Bu? Bu bui!"
The two Water Types greeted each other happily, causing Kaito to chuckle a little before he looked up to his good friend.
"Hey, Lan-Lan? What brings you here?" Kaito asked, as the Water Type user explained.
"I thought I would help you today for looking after the Egg! Since Ash is helping Lillie out with her Egg caring, I thought I could help you with this!" Lana explained, earning an appreciated expression from the Alola boy.
"Thanks. I could use some help, really. I kind of don't know how to look after a Pokémon Egg except providing warmth." Kaito explained, allowing Lana to understand as Popplio played with Buizel and Shiho. Seita and Rockruff just watched to see the others play as they both yawned in boredom.
"I see... Well, Pokémon Egg caring is kind of hard, unless you know how to do it in a good way." Lana said, before she placed her hands on her hips, before taking a good look at the Egg the Alola boy was caring for right now.
"Do you have any experience in looking after an Egg, Lana?" Kaito asked, causing Lana to sheepishly shake her head in denial.
"I'm afraid I don't. But they do say that two heads are better than one, right?" Lana asked, causing Kaito to blink before he cocked his head with a sheepish smile.
"You've got a point there..." Kaito said as he sighed. Sitting on the couch again, Lana sat next to him as Popplio and Buizel played together with Shiho joining them. Rockruff began to nap again, while Seita just watched with a hint of envy expression on his face.
"They seem to be having fun..." Seita grumbled, showing envy on his face as Kaito looked at his little brother with a small smile.
"Then, why don't you join them, little brother?" Kaito asked, causing the little brother to pout, before he sighed.
"I want to, big bro, but... for some reason, I just don't feel like playing at all. But at the same time, I do..." Seita said as Kaito blinked, before Lana giggled, catching the Alola boy's attention.
"Mm hm... That's just like how you were when we met for the first time, Kai..." Lana giggled, causing Kaito to flush a little before he folded his arms and turned his head away from the Water Type user.
"N-No I wasn't! Besides, the first time I met you and Mallow together, I remember that I was energetic, without any problems in mind!" Kaito said, feeling a little embarrassed with how Lana thought of him when they first met each other at a young age.
"Energetic AND timid!" Lana said in a teasing way before she stuck her tongue out on the Alola boy, annoying Kaito even more a small he began to flush red, embarrassed with what Lana was saying to him.
"Ugh... Whatever." Kaito grumbled, before he scratched the back of his head.
"Uh... Big bro? Are you done chatting with big sis Lana? She's your girlfriend, right?" Seita asked. At the question, even Rockruff was curious to know as Kaito flushed red again, with Lana surprised at the sudden question.
"Huh?! No! Lan-Lan isn't my girlfriend!"
"Th-That's right! We're just friends, Seita!"
The two Pokémon School students were flustered as they tried to convince Seita that it wasn't what he was thinking right now. But the little brother of Kaito just smirked, feeling a bit mischievous after seeing how they reacted.
"Oh? Heh heh heh... Mallow says that you two are the perfect pair together! Kiawe finds it amusing to see the two of you together all the time! And Sophocles thinks you two match together perfectly since you two get along more together than with the others!" Seita said mischievously.
Rockruff found this amusing as he gave a little growl of amusement, earning a small glare from the Alola boy.
Buizel and Popplio stopped playing together with Shiho as Kaito spoke softly to his little brother, although it sounded more as a "threat" to keep him silent.
"Seita... This will be the only time I will allow you to use your little mouth to speak big words, all right?" Kaito asked, his forehead showing a tick mark as the Sea Gauntlet began to glow a bit brightly, as if it was responding to his calm anger.
Seita immediately understood the message as sweat began to form on his forehead as the little brother gave a nervous chuckle.
"Ah ha ha... Yes...?" Seita said as he tried to keep smiling, despite of it being crooked, due to him being nervous with his brother's current face expression right now.
Buizel gave a sheepish smile at this while Popplio just gave a sigh. Rockruff on the other hand, shivered a Little as he never saw this side of Kaito before... The Kaito that would act calm, while showing an angry face at the same time.
"Ruff..." Rockruff whimpered as he hid his head with his paws.
Seita hugged Rockruff close to him as he comforted his brother's Puppy Pokémon.
"It's okay, Rockruff... I don't think big bro is angry anymore..." Seita said as Kaito regained his calm composure. Sighing before looking at the Egg again, he rubbed the surface again, feeling the warmth radiating from it once more.
"What do you all think will come out of this Egg? Remember, this Egg came from the Kanto region." Kaito said softly. Seita and Shiho got close, with Buizel, Popplio, and Rockruff joining them as the two began to make guesses on what it could be.
"Maybe it could be... a Growlithe? I've read in a book once that in the Kanto and Johto regions, the Officer Jenny there has a Growlithe or an Arcanine as their partners!" Seita guessed, before his eyes shone with excitement.
"I think it's a Magby Egg! Magmar originally comes from the Kanto region right? That's what I've heard from one of Prof. Oak's poems on TV!" Shiho guessed, feeling excited as well for what could come out.
"You're guessing it just by the color and its Type? Well, I guess since it's red, that's understandable..." Kaito said, until Lana brought up her guess.
"What about a Vulpix? I heard there's one in Mt. Lanakila where the Egg came from, which is an Ice Type Pokémon! But there's also a Vulpix in the Kanto region that's a Fire Type Pokémon!" Lana guessed, causing Kaito to blink in surprise.
"A Fire Type Vulpix? That's new..." Kaito admitted as he didn't know anything about a Vulpix being a Fire Type, since there were only little times when he and the others studied about Pokémon that were different from the Kanto region.
"A Fire Type Vulpix...? That sounds really cool, too!" Seita exclaimed, his sparkles on his eyes becoming even brighter.
"Bu bui..."
"Rock..."
"Pop! Pop pop!"
The three Pokémon were excited to hear about this as they wanted to see what their new friends will look like soon. But just as things were starting to get exciting, there were weird noises coming from the front door!
Everyone turned their attention to where the door was as it was louder this time. Shiho and Seita ran behind their brother while Buizel and Rockruff got ready to fight. Popplio joined the two as both Kaito and Lana were ready.
"Big brother...! Is it...!?" Shiho asked, scared.
"It could be... That same Grimer that attacked us!" Kaito grunted as Buizel hissed at the door.
The weird noises from the front door grew louder and soon, there were thumping noises coming from outside! The door was knocked on, as if there were more than just one "visitor" outside.
"There's more...?" Kaito asked himself as Lana gave a small gulp.
With one more thump on the door, it was forced open! Everyone widen their eyes to see not just one Alolan Grimer, but multiple of them barging inside! They looked hostile as they glared to where Kaito and the others were all standing at!
"EEK! THERE'S SO MANY GRIMER!" Shiho screamed in fright while Seita turned pale.
"What do they want with us!?" Seita shrieked as one of the Alolan Grimer made a demanding tone by pointing at the one thing that Kaito was holding in his arms: the Pokemon Egg Ash brought from the Kanto region.
"They want the Egg!? But what for!?" Kaito snapped as he took a step back.
His question was never answered as the Alolan Grimer made expressions and stances, looking like they were about to attack!
"Oh no... If they attack here, then your house will be damaged!" Lana gasped as Kaito got ready to fight back and protect his siblings and his home.
"I won't let that happen! Buizel, use Aqua Jet! And Rockruff, you use Rock Slide!" Kaito cried out.
At the order, the Sea Weasel Pokémon quickly surrounded himself with water before he bashed some of the Alolan Grimer with his physical Water Type attack. Rockruff on the other hand, summoned big rocks to damage the othe group of the Alolan Grimer!
"Popplio! Quick! Use Bubblebeam!" Lana added, as she joined in the fight.
The Sea Lion Pokemon shot bubbles from her nose, knocking the third group of the Alolan Grimer back!
But just as the triple damage from the three Pokémon were done, there were still some Grimer that were hostile and strong enough to keep fighting!
"These guys are really stubborn! Buizel, Ice Punch!" Kaito yelped as he gave an order to his Water Type partner.
Aiming his frozen fist carefully, the Sea Weasel Pokémon managed to land a punch on one of the Alolan Grimer! But he didn't expect another one to use Mud Bomb on him! Buizel screeched in pain as he tumbled back, much to Kaito's surprise.
"Buizel!?" Kaito gasped as Rockruff growled.
Dashing to where the Mud Bomb user was, Rockruff retaliated back with a Crunch attack! But just as he used the attack, it only affected the Puppy Pokémon more as he felt disgust for feeling the sludge in his mouth from Grimer's hand.
Jumping bam to spit the sludge out, Rockruff groaned while Popplio tried to strike back to help her friends.
Using another Bubblebeam attack, Popplio attempted to strike at three Alolan Grimers! But unfortunately, a newcomer joined in the battle, canceling her attack out with a Sludge Bomb attack!
"What!?"
"Huh!?"
Both Kaito and Lana expressed their surprise surprise while Shiho and Seita watched in disbelief from behind their brother's back. The Alolan Grimer all turned to see the newcomers barge in the house as they got out of the way...
...only to reveal an Alolan Muk barging in angrily as it snapped at the young humans and their Pokémon that attacked his Grimer friends. Shiho gave a small shriek at the sight while Seita paled to see the leader of the Alolan Grimer group.
"What... What is that!? A Muk!?" Seita gasped as Lana took a step back.
Kaito did the same while keeping the Egg close to his chest while he kept his two younger siblings behind him.
"That Muk and the Grimer group... Could this be the same one that's been causing trouble for the Water Pokémon like what Mom said...?" Kaito thought as he took another step back.
Popplio, Rockruff, and Buizel got ready to fight back again as the Alolan Muk pointed at the Egg, before giving the "Give it here" motion to the Alola boy. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Kaito scoffed as he immediately denied the demand.
"You won't have this Egg, Muk! I don't understand why you want to keep it if this Egg doesn't have a Grimer in it like your friends!" Kaito retorted back, annoying the evolved Poison-Dark Type.
Yelling out orders, the Alolan Muk let out a battle cry, causing all the other Alolan Grimer to cry out as well before they prepared to attack! Sludge Bomb, Mud Bomb, and Acid Spray struck Buizel, Rockruff, and Popplio, causing them all to yell in pain!
"No! Buizel! Rockruff!"
"No, Popplio!"
Both Trainers ran over to their injured Pokémon as Muk let out a loud cry, startling the siblings as they yelled in surprise.
Just as Kaito turned to see Muk advancing towards him, the evolved Poison-Dark Type shot dark gas on the living room, causing everyone except the Grimer group and Muk itself to yell in surprise before they all covered their mouths.
"Muk is using Poison Gas! Hold your breath, everyone!" Kaito grunted with his voice muffled by his hand covering it to prevent himself from breathing in the poisonous air.
Lana did the same, while Shiho and Seita covered their mouths, too! The three Pokémon covered their heads and mouths, doing the same thing as their human friends were doing until the poisonous air from the Poison Gas went away.
But by the time everyone recovered from the trouble they had to go through, Kaito didn't feel anything in his arms as he widened his eyes in horror, realizing something from the Poison Gas attack.
"No! They took the Egg! That Poison Gas attack was to distract us from the Egg!" Kaito gasped, causing Lana and the siblings to gasp in shock, too. Even the three Pokémon were in disbelief to hear Muk pulling a trick like that on them.
"Oh no...!" Lana gasped as Popplio widened her eyes in shock and horror.
"The poor Pokémon in the Egg... Big brother, do you think it's going to be okay?" Shiho asked, causing Kaito to bite his lips before he noticed a slimy trail on the ground. It was most likely left by the Alolan Grimer group and their leader as Kaito stood up with a serious look.
"I think... Muk wouldn't harm the Pokémon that's inside the Egg. It's probably because it thinks that there's another Grimer inside it..." Kaito said silently. Buizel looked at his human brother in concern while Rockruff growled to where the enemies had escaped.
"So, what are we going to do?" Seita asked, as he was more concerned for the Egg like his little sister as Kaito bit his lips again.
"For now... we should follow the trail. Buizel and Rockruff, are you two with me?" Kaito asked, earning nods from two of his Pokémon. They were determined to get their new friend in the Egg back from their Poison Type enemies.
"I'll go, too... I'm worried about the Pokémon that's in the Egg, too." Lana said, causing Kaito to turn before he gave a reluctant nod to her. Popplio stepped up, wanting to aid her friends, too!
"Pop! Pop!" Popplio cried out.
As Lana and Popplio both volunteered to help out, Shiho and Seita both stepped up, as they wanted to help get the Egg back, too.
"We want to go, too! Please, big brother?" Shiho pleaded, with Seita joining in.
"The Grimer and Muk can't do anything bad with the Egg! I want to go save our new friend, too!" Seita cried out.
Kaito blinked at the two, before he sighed and shook his head. His expression turned serious before he made his answer.
"I'm sorry, you two... I can't let you two come after all of this." Kaito said sadly. It was right at that instant when he was approached by his two siblings, as they complained for not being able to come to the rescue, too.
"What!? But why!?" Seita complained loudly.
"We won't do anything to get in your way, big brother! Please, let us go, too!" Shiho pleaded again.
Smiling weakly, he knelt down to his siblings' level, before he placed his hands on their shoulders.
"I know. I know that you two won't. But this is very dangerous. Do you remember the last time we were attacked? Shiho, you nearly ended up getting poisoned, while Seita... You on the other hand, were nearly struck hard by those Grimer and Muk..." Kaito said sadly.
The two siblings listened while the three Pokémon and Lana watched.
"I know this may be hard to listen or to take in, but I don't want to risk the two of you getting hurt because of something that I couldn't protect. Can you two understand that, at least?" Kaito asked softly.
Seita frowned, looking like he was about to complain more, until Shiho reluctantly gave in with a sad expression on her face.
"I... I understand, big brother." Shiho said, earning a look of shock from her second older brother.
"What!? But Shiho..." Seita started to say until his little sister looked at him with a pleading look.
"Seita, please... We don't have any Pokémon friends to help us. Even if we did come, then there's a chance that we could get hurt, like big brother said..." Shiho said, trying to convince Seita as the little brother of Kaito retorted back.
"Then that's like saying you don't want to save the Pokémon in the Egg!" Seita retorted, causing Shiho to shout at him back.
"That's not true! I want to save the Pokémon Egg, too! But... don't you remember what big brother said just now? About us nearly getting poisoned and taken down by those icky Grimer and Muk from before?" Shiho asked, tears starting to well up.
"That was before! This is now! I'm sure there's a way for us to help big bro and big sis Lana! We just have to find that way!" Seita protested, as he was too stubborn to surrender this argument.
"That's enough, Seita. Just please listen!" Kaito shouted out, surprising his two siblings as he knelt down to Seita's level.
"Seita... I know you want to save the Pokémon that's in the Egg. Believe me, I do. But... this is something only Lana and I can do with our Pokémon together. Please understand... I don't want you and you're sister being caught in the mess that I've caused..." Kaito said softly.
"The mess... that you caused? Big bro... You didn't do anything..." Seita started to say until Kaito shook his head.
"No, I am part to blame for this mess. Because of me not knowing what true responsibilities were, I ended up losing the Pokémon Egg to those slimy friends of ours. That's why I'm asking you to trust me, as your big brother. Can you do that?" Kaito asked.
Seita bit his lips, as if he was reluctant to let his brother go on.
"But... I really want to help." Seita said sadly, causing Kaito to smile at his little brother.
"I know you do. But it would really help me if you keep the house safe with Shiho. They made a bigger mess in here, didn't they?" Kaito asked, pointing to the slime trail on the floor, causing Seita to look around while Shiho followed.
The two younger siblings both understood what their elder brother meant as Kaito kept his smile at them.
"I... got it, big bro. But you better get the Egg back safely, okay?" Seita asked, before becoming serious once again.
Kaito smiled back, amused with the tone his little brother was giving off before he nodded back to him.
"I will. It's a promise." Kaito said a he held out his fist, earning a fist bump from his little brother.
Lana smiled, seeing how convincing Kaito sounded to his siblings as the Alola boy led the way with Buizel and Rockruff at his side. Lana and Popplio followed, leaving the two siblings to guard the house in case if any more wild Pokémon were to get inside.
But while the two Pokémon School students were soon gone, Seita bit his lips before he turned to his little sister, unsure of whether his decision of letting his brother go alone with Lana and their Pokémon was right or not.
"Shiho...?" Seita started to ask until Shiho shook her head at her second older brother, before her frowned turned upside down.
"I think... we made the right choice in leaving this rescue to big brother and Lana... Did you forget that big brother Kaito is a strong Trainer, Seita?" Shiho asked, causing Seita to blink before he gave a small, sheepish smile.
"I guess so..." Seita said weakly. But deep down, he was still concerned for what could happen to his older brother. Even if he was a strong Trainer, there's always a chance that something bad could happen to both him and Lana, along with their Pokémon.
But while the two siblings were heading inside, they didn't know that they were being watched by an unknown figure, who was hiding behind a tree and some bushes. It narrowed its blue eyes before it looked to see where Kaito and Lana had left to.
It then disappeared, possibly with the chance of following the two Trainers and their Pokémon.
Meanwhile...
Kaito and Lana were continuing to follow the slimy trail both Muk and the Alolan Grimer group made while they were escaping. As they ran, Buizel blinked to see something up ahead as he called out to his human brother and his friends.
"Bui! Bu bui!" Buizel cried out, catching both of Kaito and Lana's attention as they saw the same group up ahead! Rockruff growled at the sight of them, while Popplio was more concerned for the Egg that was snatched away from the Alola boy.
While hiding behind the bushes in the forest, both Kaito and Lana peeked to see that Muk was celebrating with its Grimer comrades for their success of taking the Egg for themselves!
"What do you think they're doing? Celebrating?" Kaito asked, with Lana frowning.
"It looks like it. I think that they're hoping that another Alolan Grimer is in that Egg..." Lana guessed, ticking Kaito off.
"Are they serious!? The color of the Egg is definitely not the same color as their bodies are...!" Kaito snapped silently, annoyed with now oblivious the Sludge Pokémon were for what could come out of the Egg.
"What should we do? There's too many of them right now. And even if we did try to attack, there's a chance that one of our attacks could hit the Egg!" Lana pointed out, noticing the disadvantage both she and Kaito were even if the fight were to begin now.
"Tch... You're right. This is going to be harder than I thought... Even so..." Kaito started to say as he turned to his Sea Weasel Pokémon. Buizel looked back at his human brother, before he gave a determined expression and a nod!
"Bui..." Buizel said silently, as he was willing to do anything to get his new friends in the Egg back. The same went for Rockruff, as he growled to where the Poison-Dark Types were all celebrating for their "accomplishment".
At seeing their determination and willingness to aid him, the Alola boy's smiled at his two Pokémon for their resolve.
"Thanks, you two..." Kaito said gratefully, earning him smiles from both Buizel and Rockruff.
"We're with you, too, Kai. Me and Popplio!" "Pop! Pop pop!" Lana and Popplio added together.
"Lana... Popplio... Thanks." Kaito said gratefully before his expression turned serious.
"All right... I have a plan. There's a chance that this might work, and the chance that it might not..." Kairo said as the others listened close.
Later...
Muk was enjoying his time of having the Egg for himself and for his comrades. Now that he got the Egg, he couldn't wait to see if another Grimer could come out. Or maybe even a shiny Grimer!
The Alolan Grimer group were all excited to see their new comrade. But just as they were celebrating, they heard a taunting call calling them from a few distance away! Muk first turned, before the Alolan a Grimer group all turned as well.
Ahead of them... was Kaito's Buizel! It gave a cocky smirk at the Poison-Dark Types as he blew a raspberry at them before making silly faces at them, annoying the Alolan Grimer as one of them yelled at Buizel to stop.
"Grim! Grimer Grim!" One of the Grimer called out.
"Bu bui! Bui bui bu bu! Bu bu bui bui!" Buizel said, rolling his eyes before he taunted the Sludge Pokemon Group again, enraging the Alolan Grimer before they all tried to lunge at Buizel to attack the mocking Water Type!
Muk only stayed before he widened his eyes in surprise in realization.
"Muk! Muk Muk!" Muk cried out in warning. But it was too late as the Alolan Grimer group were too close to the Sea Weasel Pokémon! Buizel then became serious as his two fists became frozen with ice!
He bashed the first four with the Ice Type attack! Then, Rockruff and Popplio took their turns, striking at the Alolan Grimer group! Rock Slide and Bubblebeam blasted the remainder of the Grimer group as they all became unconscious from the multiple attacks.
Muk only watched in disbelief before he glared at the three attackers. He recognized the Pokémon that attacked his friends as Kaito and Lana came out of their hiding place.
"Great work, you three!" Lana said, complimenting their Pokémon for their work.
"I honestly didn't expect those Grimer to attack in anger..." Kaito admitted before he faced Muk, who still had the Pokémon Egg in his slimy hands.
"It's over, Muk! Give us the Egg back! It was never yours to begin with!" Kaito demanded, angering Muk as he kept the Egg away, refusing to give up the Egg that it planned to steal and make friends with, in case if it was another Grimer.
Understanding the refusal that the Sludge Pokémon was showing, Kaito narrowed his eyes before he turned to both Buizel and Rockruff, preparing to battle the Egg thief.
"You want to do this the hard way, huh? Lana... You and Popplio stay back. This is something the three of us have to do in order to retrieve the Egg." Kaito said, turning to the Water Type user.
Reluctant at first, Lana slowly nodded before she took several steps back.
"Okay... Be careful, Kai..." Lana said as she and Popplio watched on the sidelines to watch the Alola boy battle the evolved Sludge Pokémon with Buizel and Rockruff.
Muk (Alola) VS Kaito: Buizel + Rockruff
For Muk, he set the Egg down on a pile of leaves he and his Grimer friends managed to make so that the Egg would be unharmed during the battle. As he did so, he shot gas from his mouth, causing Kaito to recognize this attack.
"Poison Gas again? That won't work twice! Buizel, use Rain Dance!" Kaito called out.
Lifting his orange, furry paws in the air, Buizel focused his energy to call forth rain clouds to change the situation of the battle! Once the move was complete, little rain began to pour down, negating the Poison Gas a little a small Muk glared at his opponents.
Sludge Bomb was next as he shot it towards Buizel and Rockruff, as Kaito made the call to evade the attacks.
"It's Sludge Bomb! Dodge it, you two!" Kaito called out. Both Buizel and Rockruff dodged them as the Alola Boy called for the next attack.
"And now, Rockruff! Use Howl! Buizel, you use Aqua Jet!"
Rockruff howled under Kaito's command, while Buizel surrounded himself with water before he shot towards Muk. Due to the rain pouring down, Buizel's Swift Swim ability was active, and his Aqua Jet was powered up, due to the boost from the rain.
The physical Water Type attack made multiple hits, but not much damage. Muk winced several times before it shot Mud Bomb this time! Buizel managed to get out of the way with his ability and Aqua Jet.
Rockruff managed to get away in time, allowing Kaito to make the next attack.
"Now, Rockruff! Use Rock Slide!" Kaito called out.
Howling loudly, the Puppy Pokémon summoned boulders to damage Muk greatly, while trapping him in the rocks! The Sludge Pokémon yelled in pain before he managed to get himself out, due to his body not being physical.
"Didn't think he would stay trapped like that... Now, use Crunch! And Buizel, you use Ice Punch!" Kaito shouted out.
Rockruff lunged at the Sludge Pokémon with a sharp Dark Type attack, while Buizel made contact with Muk's face with his hard Ice Type attack! Muk yelled in pain before he was knocked back, as he glared to where his opponents were.
They looked confident, as if they knew that they were going to win. But Muk wasn't planning to lose the battle and the Egg just because he was outnumbered! A plan came to the Sludge Pokémon's mind as he quickly held the Egg in front of him with a taunting tone!
Both Buizel and Rockruff widened their eyes before they glared at the Sludge Pokémon for the unfair trick he was doing.
Even Kaito knew what was happening as he gritted his teeth in annoyance, understanding the situation he was in once again.
"No! Muk, you...!" Kaito grunted angrily as Lana complained, before she and Popplio joined the Alola boy's side.
"That's not fair, Muk!"
"Pop pop!" Both Lana and Popplio complained angrily, but Muk didn't care. He was willing to win anyway, even if it meant forcing the Egg to be a hostage, despite of him not liking it.
Rockruff looked ready to attack, but Buizel stopped him by placing his furry arm in front of Rockruff and shaking his head.
"Bui..." Buizel said seriously before he glared back to where Muk was laughing in triumph, believing that victory was his.
"Rats... Now what!?" Kaito grunted as he clenched his fists. He couldn't attack, since the Egg was now being held hostage. And he couldn't let Muk escape with it! Who knows what Muk could do if he escaped again?!
While Kaito was thinking of a way to get the Egg back without any more battling, Muk made a sneaky move as he prepared to attack once more! Buizel widened his eyes in realization before he called to all his friends.
"Bui! Bu Bui!" Buizel cried out, catching Kaito, Lana, Popplio, and Rockruff's attention as they all witnessed to see Muk preparing an attack!
"Kai... Is that...!?" Lana started to ask as energy began to form on Muk's mouth, allowing Kaito to recognize the incoming attack.
"Yeah... It's about to use Hyper Beam!" Kaito grunted as he braced himself. The three Pokémon all braced themselves as well, while Lana stood besides Kaito. Believing himself to be triumphant, Muk fired the Hyper Beam attack that threatened to blast everyone away!
"AH!"
"GET DOWN!"
Lana screamed in shock while Kaito yelled at everyone to brace themselves by getting down as the attack was getting near. But just when it looked as if the attack could hit at any second, something blocked and negated the Hyper Beam attack!
It was some sort of a defensive move, but a powerful move as well that protected Kaito, Lana, and their three Pokémon from the power of the Hyper Beam attack!
Muk could only gape in surprise before he felt something leave his slimy hand as he widened his eyes in horror to see that the Egg was taken away from him by only a second!
For the Trainers and their three Pokémon, they all opened their eyes to see something suddenly appearing in front of them with high speed as it knelt down, handing Kaito the Egg it had taken from Muk.
Kaito could only blink before he looked at the eyes of the one who saved him and his friends, along with the Egg. It wasn't human, but some sort of... Pokémon. But it wasn't any kind of Pokémon that he had seen before in the Alola region.
It seemed to be an Electric Type, considering that its body was mostly yellow. It even had black underfur and yellow fur on its head, forearms, chest, hips, and upper legs. Blue fur can also be seen on its forehead, chest, and whiskers.
Its eyes and paw-pads are similarly blue. Black zigzagging stripes can be seen on its thighs and forearms. It also had four-fingered paws, while its feet have three toes each. A long, yellow, thunderbolt-shaped ponytail extends from the back of its head, giving the appearance of an actual tail.
"Who... are you?" Kaito asked in disbelief as the Pokémon only smiled down at him softly, as if it knew who Kaito was before it offered to give the Pokémon Egg back again.
Understanding this, the Alola boy took it in his arms, before looking at the Pokémon, feeling grateful for what it did just now.
"T-Thank you..." Kaito could only say before the Pokémon gave a nod to him before it jumped up, before jumping across tree branches to quickly get out of sight, much to Kaito's surprise as he watched it leave.
"That's fast..." Kaito grunted as he turned to see Muk enraged with the Egg being taken from him as he was ready to strike back once more to retrieve it. At seeing this, Kaito quickly turned to Buizel with an order.
"Muk is coming again! Buizel, you ready!?" Kaito called out, as Buizel nodded.
"Bu bui!" Buizel called out as he ran in front of his human brother. Lana, Popplio, and Rockruff all got up, but with the scene going by so fast, they only saw what partially happened, like when the new Pokémon gave Kaito the Egg before it ran off.
"Lana, can you hold the Egg for me?" Kaito asked, as he handed the Egg to the Water Type user, who took it in surprise before she understood what the Alola boy was trying to do with his Sea Weasel Pokémon: They were going to use the Z-Move.
"A-All right..." Lana could only say as she watched with both Popplio and Rockruff at her side while the Alola boy prepared to unleash the Hydro Vortex Z-Move with Buizel onto the angry Alolan Muk. Together, they began making the pose!
"Brace yourself for a splashing impact, Muk! Hydro Vortex!" Kaito yelled as both he and Buizel made the pose together to let Buizel surround Muk with a strong whirlpool, before the Sludge Pokémon was hit multiple times! The direct hit from the Water Z-Move knocked Muk out before he was sent flying into the air!
"Don't cause any more troubles! Okay, Muk!?" Lana called out, with Popplio and Rockruff calling out their farewells to the defeated Poison-Dark Type.
Winner: Kaito
As the battle was over, the Alola boy sighed before he looked at Buizel, who gave him a cheeky grin, causing Kaito to smile back as they gave a fist bump to each other for their victory.
"Glad that's over with, huh, Bui?" Kaito asked, causing Buizel to nod in agreement.
"Bu bui!" Buizel said happily as Lana handed back the Egg to her friend.
"The Egg is safe and sound... I'm glad that nothing bad happened to it while it was with Muk and those Grimer..." Lana said in relief, earning a nod of agreement from the Alola boy.
"Yeah... Although, that Pokémon... Who was that?" Kaito asked, before he turned to see the spot where the Pokémon had disappeared off to. Lana followed his eyes as she turned to the spot where the newcomer had run off to, with Buizel, Rockruff, and Popplio joining them.
"Was it a Pokémon that you knew, Kai? It looked like it knew you, somehow... I saw its expression before it ran off. It looked like it was... happy or relieved to see you?" Lana asked, causing Kaito to blink before he bit his lips.
"Now that you mention it... the one who saved my Egg just now seems familiar... I just can't guess where or when I've seen that Pokémon..." Kaito said seriously. He tried to think of the time he could've met this Pokémon, but nothing good came to his mind.
"Ugh... It's no use. I can't remember when or how I met our savior..." Kaito groaned as he shook his head. Lana looked at him with worry before she held his left arm, catching his attention as the Water Type user spoke.
"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out when the time comes. Right?" Lana asked, allowing the Alola boy to understand before he smiled back.
"Yeah... I guess you're right..." Kaito agreed silently. The two looked at the sky to see the sun shining brightly, before they decided to make their way back to Kaito's house to reunite with Shiho and Seita and tell them the good news.
While they were doing this, the Alola boy knew that this definitely won't be the last time he would see this Pokémon, since he felt some sort of bond between himself and the Pokémon that saved his friends and the Egg from the Alolan Muk that he had animosity for.
To be continued...
Kaito's Team:
Buizel (M): (Ice Punch, Agility, Rain Dance, Aqua Jet)
Rockruff (M): (Crunch, Sand Attack, Rock Slide, Howl)
Next chapters:
Chapter 17: The Chaos Involving a Raticate!
Chapter 18: Gumshoos and Yungoos to Bash!
Chapter 19: The Grand Trial! Kaito VS Hala!
Chapter 20: The Malasada and Fun Lover, Hau!
Chapter 21: Akala Island! A Mysterious Girl!?
Next chapter preview:
Kaito: I still can't get through my head to this... Who was that Pokémon and why do I feel like I know that Pokémon?
Ash: I want to be able to use Z-Moves again! Which means I'm gonna have to get a new Z-Crystal!
Prof. Kukui: You know... I may know a person who can help us... He's the Kahuna of Melemele Island, Kahuna Hala!
Kaito: Kahuna Hala? He gives Trainers the Grand Trials, right? Could he have the answers I might be looking for?
Prof. Kukui: Right! But if you want to compete in the Grand Trial, there are some trials you'll have to complete first!
Ash: A trial and a Grand Trial!? That sounds awesome! I want to be able to compete in one now!
Events that occurred:
- Kaito and Lana meets an unknown Pokémon that seemed familiar to Kaito