Chapter 17: The Chaos Involving a Raticate!
Dream
Kaito slowly opened his eyes to see himself not underwater this time, but in some sort of a field.
"Where... is this?" Kaito asked himself as he slowly stood up to see where he was. He looked like he was in a field, with hills full of dandelions. Looking around while walking around, the Alola boy frowned before he noticed something up ahead.
"Huh? What's...?" Kaito started to ask himself before he noticed someone familiar up ahead. The figure was yellow, while looking like a Pokémon. As it gave a small glance back at Kaito, the Alola boy immediately recognized the Pokémon that saved both him and Lana yesterday.
"You're...!" Kaito said in surprise while the figure turned.
The Pokémon began to walk off, leaving Kaito to widen his eyes before he tried to chase after it.
"Wait! Hold on!" Kaito called out as he ran after the yellow Pokémon.
Soon, as the Alola boy tried to chase after the savior from yesterday, Kaito tried to run faster to reach the Pokémon, only to realize that the Pokémon was getting farther and farther away from him!
"No, stop! Wait!" Kaito called before he tripped, causing him to fall onto the ground!
"UGH!" Kaito grunted before he winced in pain before he stood to see the Pokémon getting out of his sight.
"I said wait! Come back!" Kaito pleaded loudly, only for his pleas to futile. The yellow Pokémon was already gone, leaving Kaito in the darkness.
Reality
"N-Ngh..." Kaito groaned before he slowly opened his eyes. Rubbing his eyes, the Alola boy found himself back in his bedroom, with Buizel sleeping at his left and with Rockruff sleeping at his right. They were still sleeping, and the sun hasn't come up yet.
The Alola boy sighed before he remembered the Pokémon that saved the Pokémon Egg from the Alolan Muk yesterday.
"That Pokémon... Just who was that?" Kaito asked as he tried to remember the memories he could've had with the savior yesterday.
But nothing came to his mind, leaving the Alola boy to sigh as he scratched the back of his head.
"I only wish that Pokémon stayed a bit longer... It could've given me points or hints about what I should know about it..." Kaito said to himself again before he lied back down on the bed, looking at the wooden ceiling.
Then, remembering the Sea Gauntlet that was stuck on his left arm, the Alola boy frowned before he gazed at it, while seeing the Water Type Z-Crystal attached to the Gauntlet.
"So now I have two mysteries to solve... One: to find out why I have this Sea Gauntlet with me now. And two: to find out what Pokémon that was. That Pokémon was very familiar to me for some reason, and I need to know why that is..." Kaito thought seriously.
(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, Turtonator, 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)
Kaito was headed his way to where Prof. Kukui and Ash lived together with Rockruff and Buizel. While he was walking down, he remembered of what occurred yesterday and the time when he received the Sea Gauntlet during the Undersea Ruins expedition.
Flashback
Kaito was in his outdoor outfit again, all ready to go as he turned to Buizel and Rockruff as they were still snoozing on his comfortable bed. Watching in amusement, the Alola boy gave a chuckle before he walked over to the two.
Tickling their bellies, the Sea Weasel Pokémon giggled a little before curling his body to prevent the one that was tickling him. Rockruff on the other hand, whimpered as a smile crept up to his face, causing Kaito to chuckle at the two.
"Geez, you two..." Kaito chuckled before he turned his little tickling into rubbing their stomachs. That made the two feel even more content as Buizel's smile began to turn into a grin while Rockruff let his tongue out, enjoying the feeling.
Soon, the rubbing caused the two Pokémon to wake up and look up at their Trainer, who was looking down at them with an amused expression and smile.
"Hey, you two... Did you both sleep well?" Kaito asked softly, before he rubbed their heads this time. Buizel responded with a weak nod and a sleepy grin while Rockruff yawned before making a little bark to his Trainer.
"Bu bui..."
"Rock... Rockruff."
Nodding to their responses, the Alola boy cleared his throat before his expression became serious.
"Hey... Do you two remember the Pokémon that saved us yesterday? The one that saved the Egg and helped us defeat that Alolan Muk?" Kaito asked. That question made both Buizel and Rockruff a little more awake as they remembered that Pokémon from before.
They only saw that it saved the Egg from Muk before smiling at their Trainer. Before they could get a closer look at this Pokémon, it already retreated away, fast.
"Bui..."
"Ruff..."
The two nodded in affirmation. They didn't know what kind of Pokémon this was since they never saw it before once. For Rockruff, he never did. But for Buizel, the Sea Weasel Pokémon frowned before he folded his arms, trying to think of a time.
Noticing this, Kaito placed a hand on his Water Type's shoulders, understanding of what Buizel was thinking.
"You feeling the same way, too, huh? That feeling of when we met that Pokémon before..." Kaito asked, earning a nod from the Water Type.
"Bui bui..." Buizel said while Rockruff tilted his head in confusion.
"Ah, that's right... You wouldn't know. You see, Rockruff... That Pokémon... I think it's someone that Buizel and I know of, Rockruff. We think it's a Pokémon that we've met before in the past. But... the thing is, we can't remember who it was..." Kaito explained as he sighed.
"Ruff..." Rockruff whined out in worry before turning to see Buizel, who also sighed in disappointment. The three all stood together in silence before an idea came up to the Alola boy's mind.
"Hey, you two? I think I may know who to turn to. And that's Prof. Kukui. He's the Pokémon Professor, so he may know something about this." Kaito said, causing Buizel to smile in understanding while Rockruff felt the same way as he barked out his agreement.
Flashback End
And that's how the Alola boy got here to this point, to where he would meet with the Alola Professor to get some answers that he wants to know. And that way, he would be able to solve one of the two mysteries that he needs to solve for himself.
But as he approached the Professor's house and was about to knock on the door, he heard voices coming from inside, which Kaito recognized.
"A Z-Crystal?" Prof. Kukui's voice called out, like he was asking.
"Yeah! I want to get a whole lot stronger and then have a rematch with Tapu Koko!" Ash's voice explained, causing Kaito to widen his eyes. He remembered of when both he and Ash fought Tapu Koko once together when the Melemele Guardian suddenly appeared at the Pokémon School.
"That was also the same day when it took Seita away once... just so it could have a battle with both me and Ash. Now that I think about it, Tapu Koko was the one who gave me the Z-Ring with the Waterium-Z, which... was replaced by the Sea Gauntlet." Kaito thought before he sighed.
"I want to try those Z-Moves again! Yeah! Right, buddy?" Ash asked, which sounded as if he was asking Pikachu.
"Pika Pika...!" Pikachu's voice sounded muffled, which could be due to him eating something.
Kaito's small smile returned before he rang the doorbell, which seemed to have caught their attention.
"Oh! I got it!" Ash called out as his footsteps were heard getting closer before the door opened up with Ash's face showing up.
"Kai? Hey! Alola!" Ash said, his grin returning to his face.
"Alola, Ash. And Alola to you too, Professor." Kaito said, before he turned to the Alola Professor, who noticed the Alola boy coming in, thanks to the Kanto Trainer.
"Ah! Alola, Kaito! What brings you here?" Prof. Kukui asked. The Rockruff living with Prof. Kukui barked happily at Kaito's arrival before he noticed the Alola boy's Puppy Pokémon, causing the excited Rock Type to greet its fellow Rock Type with a bark.
Kaito's Rockruff barked back with a smile before the two greeted each other with their rocky necks.
Buizel greeted Pikachu, who called out his greeting back to his Water Type friend.
"Alola, Kaito!" Rotom buzzed positively, earning a nod back from the Alola boy before he turned to the Kanto Trainer and the Alola Professor.
"I was coming here to ask you something until I heard Ash mentioning about wanting to use Z-Moves again since his Electrium-Z was destroyed when we fought against Tapu Koko together." Kaito explained. At him mentioning this, Ash widened his eyes in realization.
"Oh yeah, that's right! It's your Z-Crystal, right? The Waterium-Z! It didn't shatter just like how my Z-Crystal did, right?" Ash asked, causing the Alola Professor to blink before he understood what Ash meant.
"That's right... Is that why you're here, Kaito?" Prof. Kukui asked until Kaito shook his head.
"Oh... No, it's nothing like that, Professor. I wanted to ask you something about a certain Pokémon that Lana and I had met yesterday when we were caring for the Egg together." Kaito explained, catching both of Ash and Prof. Kukui's attention.
"A certain Pokémon?" Prof. Kukui repeated in confusion.
"Was it a Pokémon that you've never seen before?" Ash asked.
At the questions, both Pikachu and the Rockruff turned their attention to the three humans while Kaito's two Pokémon listened, understanding that the Alola boy was talking about the yellow savior from yesterday.
Even Rotom-dex got close, as it wanted to know what Pokémon Kaito met yesterday.
"Yeah... You see, after Lana and Popplio visited together to help me care for the Pokémon Egg, my house was attacked by a group of wild Alolan Grimer and their leader, the Alolan Muk..." Kaito started to explain, surprising the Kanto Trainer.
"Whoa, what happened then!?" Ash asked in surprise.
"Well... the Muk stole the Egg from us by using a Poison Gas attack to stun us. I think it thought that the Egg had another Grimer in it when they stole it, so they took it with them to wait for it to hatch. But once the Egg was stolen, Lana and I made chase after them with our Pokémon." Kaito continued on.
"And then what...? Did you give those Pokémon the Beat Up?" Prof. Kukui asked this time.
"Kind of... We managed to take out all the Alolan Grimer with a surprise attack, but this Muk... It kept the Egg hostage and was about to knock us out again, until..." Kaito started to say before Rotom flew in front of his face, as it asked the question this time.
"Until what? Was it that Pokémon you're talking about? Give me the details! Maybe I can help you know what this Pokémon is!" Rotom suggested, with the Alola Professor agreeing.
"Rotom-dex is right! The Pokédex can show all kinds of Pokémon that live here in the Alola region. Maybe once you explain what it looked like, then we might be able to know what Pokémon that was that helped you and Lana with the Egg rescue." Prof. Kukui explained.
"I want to know what that Pokémon is, too!" Ash exclaimed with his eyes shining a little.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu called out happily. Even the Rockruff was excited to know what this Pokémon was, while Buizel and Kaito's Rockruff joined their human and Pokémon friends. At seeing them all look at him with expectation, the Alola boy sighed before he explained.
"Alright..." was all Kaito said before he explained the description.
"This Pokémon was yellow... And, it had black zigzag stripes on its body. I think that means that Pokémon could be an Electric Type Pokémon. Not only that, it had a thunderbolt-shaped ponytail..." Kaito explained, before Rotom tried to find the identity of this Pokémon.
"Computing data... Computing data..." Rotom buzzed, while the three humans watched. The four Pokémon all watched to see what might come up until the disappointing result came up.
"No data available? Huh? How's this possible?!" Rotom buzzed in surprise, before questioning itself. This surprised Kaito as he stood up in surprise.
"No data? Are you serious, Rotom-dex? This isn't a joke, right?" Kaito asked as Rotom frowned.
"I wouldn't be joking like this, Kaito! I can't find any data of the Pokémon you're looking for! And the Electric Types I've been trying to search up is not the kind of Pokémon you were describing!" Rotom buzzed, causing Kaito to frown.
"Ugh... Just great. And to think I could have a lead on my savior yesterday..." Kaito groaned, while Buizel frowned, with Rockruff giving a small whine at the disappointing results.
"Kai..." Ash said, feeling sorry for the Alola boy. The Alola Professor frowned until Kaito shook his head, regaining his smile despite the fact it could be forced.
"Sorry... I didn't mean for the mood to go down, especially since you were talking about the Island Challenge just now..." Kaito said, catching Ash's attention as he nodded before he scratched the back of his head.
"You heard that?" Ash asked, earning a nod from the Alola boy, before the Kanto Trainer grinned as he felt excited about having to use Z-Moves once again when he has the chance.
"You're right... I want to be able to compete in the Island Challenge so I can use Z-Moves again! You're going to do it too! Right, Kai?" Ash asked, catching the Alola boy by surprise as he blinked in confusion.
"Huh? Did I... say that I would?" Kaito asked, earning a small pout from the Kanto Trainer.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten already! We promised that we'd take the Island Challenge together when we both have time, right?" Ash asked, causing the Alola boy to remember when Ash declared that he would participate in the Island Challenge.
"Huh... Now that he's telling me this, I kinda do remember that..."
Flashback
"Alright then! I'll take the Island challenge trial! I'll pass the trial, I'll get another Z-Crystal, and then I'll be able to use Z-Moves the right way!" declared Ash as his sudden declaration surprised everyone, causing the Alola boy to smile in amusement.
"Heh... In that case, if you're taking part of it, then I'll take part in the trial, too." Kaito said, as he had surprised looks aiming at his face this time. The Alola boy looked at his Z-Ring with a weak smile on his face.
"I want to know why out of everyone, why Tapu Koko gave me and Ash the Z-Rings, and why the Waterium-Z stayed when Ash's Z-Crystal broke apart. Like Ash, I didn't take any part of the trials, too." Kaito said sheepishly.
Flashback End
"Oh yeah... I did say that I would take part it. But that's only because I wanted to know why my Waterium-Z didn't break while your Electrium-Z did... It's nothing more than that..." Kaito said sheepishly.
"For real? Then you're not going to go on with the Island Challenge?" Ash asked with a frown. The Alola Professor watched the two talk to each other before he gave a small smile.
"They look like they're having a Play Nice together. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised if they were able to complete their Island Challenge here in Melemele Island..." Prof. Kukui thought before Kaito spoke up.
"I haven't decided yet, but I might not want to since I'm not a big fan of Pokémon Battles..." Kaito confessed, catching Ash by surprise, along with Pikachu and Rotom.
"You don't like to battle? How come? You battled me once when you and the others made that welcome surprise for me at the Pokémon School, remember?" Ash asked, causing Kaito to shake his head.
"I only did that because Prof. Kukui asked me to challenge you since you came from a different region, after all." Kaito explained before he gave a small glance at the Alola Professor, who sweat dropped at the look the Alola boy was giving him.
"Ah ha ha... Guilty as charged..." Prof. Kukui said sheepishly, until Ash turned to Kaito again.
"What about when you battled your Rockruff to catch it? And the time when that Muk stole your Pokémon Egg?" Ash asked, allowing Kaito to easily answer them all.
"For Rockruff, I wanted to make a new friend and ally so that I can keep my siblings safe more from any danger. As for battling Muk, I only battled because the situation was serious and dire." Kaito confessed bluntly, causing Rotom to buzz in with a question.
"Well then, why don't you like battling? According to my data, in order to become a strong Pokémon Trainer along with their Pokémon, you'd have to battle and train hard in order to become strong!" Rotom buzzed in.
"Being strong... isn't really my thing, really. All I want to do is to move on with my life and uncover the secrets in the Alola region. One of those secrets is to discover the true power of the Sea Gauntlet that's stuck with me..." Kaito explained before he showed his Sea Gauntlet.
"And the new secret I found is that Pokémon that saved the Egg yesterday... I need to know who that Pokémon is." Kaito explained before Ash frowned. From what the Alola boy was saying, it was clear that Kaito had no intention to become the strongest.
But for Ash, he wasn't going to let this go as he made a determined expression on his face before speaking to his Alola friend.
"Come on, Kai... Can't you at least try the Island Challenge a little bit first before you come to that decision? Who knows? It could be fun and challenging!" Ash said, trying to change the Alola boy's mind.
The Alola boy didn't answer back as he looked like he was thinking. As for Prof. Kukui, he just smiled to see how fired up Ash seemed with his determination to complete his Island Challenge.
"You're as fired up as if you were hit by a Blast Burn!" Prof. Kukui chuckled, catching Kaito out of his daze before Ash spoke again, this time to the Alola Professor.
"I remember you can earn Z-Crystals by going through the Island Challenge! Isn't that right?" Ash asked, turning to Prof. Kukui before the Alola Professor spoke back with an explanation.
"It isn't the only way, but going through the Island Challenge is the most certain way! The key to your success is to pass the Gand Trial of each of the island's Kahunas!" Prof. Kukui explained, causing Ash to be curious.
Kaito listened as well, as he was starting to feel interested with the information that's being explained out right now.
"So how do you do that?" Ash asked, as he referred to the Grand Trial. Rotom took this chance to make an explanation for that as he took the Professor's spotlight to explain.
"I will answer that with pleasure! The Grand Trial is a battle between a Trainer and the Island Kahuna! If the Trainer wins, then the Kahuna acknowledges that Trainer's worthiness!" Rotom explained.
Kaito blinked in curiosity while Ash was ecstatic to hear this. His excitement level started to grow higher as he grinned.
"WHOA! Sounds like fun!" Ash exclaimed. Prof. Kukui took Rotom out of the way and chuckled at Ash's positive attitude towards the big challenge.
"Fun? You're up against a Kahuna! So, if you're too overconfident, you can get yourself hurt! And..." Prof. Kukui said with a reminder until a Rotom broke free from the Professor's grip to continue its explanation.
Pikachu on the other hand, was munching up his Pokémon food before the energetic Rockruff joined him with the fast breakfast. Buizel and Kaito's Rockruff watched with bewildered expressions before they chuckled at their ways of enjoying a meal.
"According to my data, a Grand Trial is preceded by lesser Trials that must be overcome first!" Rotom buzzed as Kaito turned to both Rotom and the Alola Professor, before an idea came to the Alola boy's mind.
"Hey, Professor Kukui... The Kahuna for Melemele Island is Hala, right? Do you think he might know something about the Pokémon that saved me and my Egg yesterday?" Kaito asked.
At the Alola Professor began to think, before he gave the Alola boy a sheepish smile.
"To be honest, Kaito... I can't say for sure that Kahuna Hala would know something about this mysterious Pokémon. But it's worth giving a shot by asking him first..." Prof. Kukui explained.
Kaito frowned, not satisfied with the answer, before Ash piped up with his energetic expression.
"Come on, Kai! Cheer up! This is the Island Kahuna we're talking about, right? First we complete some littler trials, then boom! We can ask the Kahuna while we try to overcome the Grand Trial!" Ash reassured brightly.
At Ash's energetic personality, the Alola boy shook his head with a sheepish smile before he shrugged.
"You may be onto something with that... Though I still don't get how you can be so energetic even with Rotom-dex and Prof. Kukui explaining on how difficult the Trial and the Grand Trial could be..." Kaito admitted with a small smile.
"Alright! I think we should all go pay a visit to Hala, the Kahuna of Melemele Island!" Prof. Kukui suggested, causing Ash to grin and agree to the suggestion.
"Right! You coming, Kai?" Ash asked, allowing Kaito to stand up before he made his answer.
"Sure, why not?" Kaito said simply before he followed Ash, Pikachu, and Rotom outside with Buizel and Rockruff following him!
"Let's go!"
"Pika Pika!"
Both Ash and Pikachu called out as they begin to run out of the house, with Kaito and his two Pokémon following him! Prof. Kukui was about to follow until he called to Rockruff to guard the house while they were gone.
"Be sure to guard the fort, Rockruff!" Prof. Kukui called out, causing Rockruff to bark with a smile.
"Rock! Ruff ruff!" The energetic Rockruff called out before he whimpered a little for not being able to go with his friends. And to see Kaito's Rockruff leaving with them, it made the energetic Rockruff feel a bit envious before he yawned.
He might as well guard the house while he's at it, in case of any intruders were to come out.
Later...
As Kaito, Ash, and Prof. Kukui were making their way to Hala's house, they noticed a group of people running to where there were many people in the area! This caught their attention as they headed to where the many people were.
"Pika?"
"Bui?"
"Ruff?"
The three Pokémon questioned of what was going on, with Ash asking the question also.
"What's that?" Ash asked, causing Rotom to buzz in with the answer.
"I'd say an accident!" Rotom buzzed as they made it to where the accident occurred. Officer Jenny was also in the area, trying to prevent any more problems from occurring.
"Attention! This road will be closed until such time as the timber can be removed. Until that happens, please use a different route!" Officer Jenny called out with her megaphone. Behind her was a man who seemed to be the driver of a cart as he looked at his three Tauros in worry.
"Have any of you been hurt?" The man asked, only to get happy responses from the Tauros as they reassured to the man that they were fine.
Prof. Kukui walked up to the officer in question while Kaito and Ash followed behind.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Prof. Kukui asked, catching the officer's attention.
"Prof. Kukui! A large group of Rattata and Raticate were eating everything in the field! And during their escape, they raced across the road, causing all of this." Officer Jenny explained as she gestured to the fallen timber that was blocking the road.
"Rattata and Raticate did that?" Ash asked in surprise, as Kaito sighed in annoyance.
"I'm guessing it's those greedy ones... The ones that like to cause trouble and munch every berries and food in sight!" Kaito groaned, causing Buizel to understand as he frowned, before he folded his arms.
"Bui..." Buizel groaned as the officer turned to the two boys and their Pokémon.
"Are you two students at the Pokémon School?" Officer Jenny asked, earning nods from the boys before they introduced themselves.
"Yeah! My name is Ash! This is my partner, Pikachu and Rotom-dex!" Ash said before Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder to introduce himself as well. Rotom joined in with a small bow and smile.
"Pikachu!"
"Greetings!"
"My name is Kaito. And these are my Pokémon friends, Buizel and Rockruff!" Kaito explained, before he allowed his two Pokémon to climb up to his shoulders.
"Bu bui!"
"Rock! Rockruff!"
"Officer Jenny, at your service! Actually, I'm a graduate of the Pokémon School, too!" Officer Jenny explained while she saluted herself to the two boys and the Alola Professor.
"Wow! That's so cool!" Ash called out, amazed to see one of the graduates. But before Kaito could speak, there were awed and amazed sounds coming from the people, as everyone turned to see a Hariyama carrying the logs easily, along with a man that seemed to be strong as well.
The two laid the logs back onto the cart while Ash watched in amazement. Kaito on the other hand, smiled as he recognized the man that was clearing the way.
"You're strong! Those logs are like twigs to you!" Ash exclaimed in amazement, catching the evolved Fighting Type's attention, along with the man's attention. Prof. Kukui turned to the two boys, before he introduced the man that was helping his Hariyama out.
"This gentleman is Hala, the Island Kahuna!" Prof. Kukui explained before he walked up to the Kahuna. Kaito and Ash followed before the Alola Professor made an offer to help clear the way.
"Hey, let me help!" Prof. Kukui called out, with Ash joining in.
"Me, too!" Ash volunteered before he and Pikachu tried to lift a log together.
"I'd like to help, too." Kaito said before he, Buizel, and Rockruff got to work together. Hala just smiled, before he turned to the three gratefully.
"Thank you all very much." Hala said gently before he noticed the Z-Ring Ash had on his left wrist. He even took notice of the Sea Gauntlet that was attached to Kaito's wrist, along with the Waterium-Z, which seemed to have caught the Kahuna's attention.
He opened one eye before he noticed Pikachu and Buizel struggling to lift a log together. Due to Buizel's height and strength, he was able to lift the log a little bit, but it wasn't enough to lift the log completely.
Before the two could lift it even higher, they felt themselves getting lifted up along with the log! They both let go of the log while Officer Jenny thanked the Island Kahuna for his assistance.
"Thanks a lot, Kahuna Hala!" Officer Jenny said thankfully, earning a nod from the Fighting Type user.
"Of course. It's my job to solve any problems the island may encounter." Hala said as he lifted the log back to the cart. Officer Jenny walked up, informing the Kahuna of what she did to help clean the mess.
"I have a cleanup crew on their way here now... And there they are!" Officer Jenny explained. She turned to see another police truck arriving with a group of Machamp working together! The four evolved Fighting Types showed their determined faces before they all began to get to work.
Soon, with the four of them making effort together, the road was finally cleared! The logs were all back in the cart as Officer Jenny made thanks to the ones that helped clear the way.
"Thank you all for your cooperation!" Officer Jenny called out. Everyone applauded happily, as one of the problems were cleared now, thanks to the Machamp group and the Island Kahuna with his partner.
With the problem solved, Ash turned to Hala with a request.
"Kahuna, I'm here for the Island Challenge..." Ash started to say until the Fighting Type user spoke, speaking as if he was aware of the request Ash was going to make before he spoke.
"I'm well aware of that." Hala said, catching Ash by surprise. Kaito blinked before Hala made a suggestion to the Kanto Trainer.
"I've been waiting, so why don't you and young Kaito come by with the Professor soon?" Hala asked, causing Kaito to give a sheepish smile while Prof. Kukui accepted the invitation.
"We certainly will, sir!" Prof. Kukui said while Kaito nodded in response.
"ALL RIGHT!" Ash exclaimed as he was excited about his upcoming battle challenge.
The next day...
Kaito met up with the Alola Professor and Ash with Buizel and Rockruff so that he could join the two in meeting the Island Kahuna, as Prof. Kukui took the two to his house, which was where Hala greeted them in surprise.
"Oh, that was fast! Please, come on in!" Hala said as he welcomed his guests into his home.
"Thank you." Prof. Kukui said simply as he and the boys got comfortable into the Kahuna's home. Rotom took pictures of Hariyama, who didn't seem to mind as the Pokédex updated the data it needed to know.
"Data updated." Rotom buzzed out loud.
For Ash and Kaito, the two were passing a room until they noticed some Z-Crystals at a desk along with some Z-Rings!
"Uh... is this...? Whoa..." Ash said in amazement while Kaito blinked in surprise. Hala approached them before he gave out a chuckle.
"Yes. The Z-Ring you are now wearing is one that I made." Hala explained, causing Ash to turn in surprise while Kaito just turned to the Island Kahuna.
"You made it? But I got it from Tapu Koko! Kai got one too, except that his was replaced by that Sea Gauntlet that he's wearing..." Ash explained, causing Hala to give a glance to the Gauntlet the Alola boy was wearing.
At noticing the Kahuna gaze at the Sea Gauntlet, Kaito frowned as he didn't appreciate the stare. But that soon stopped when Hala spoke to Ash again.
"I thought that might be the case..." Hala said, earning confused looks from the boys.
Soon, the boys sat with the Professor and the Kahuna, where Hala began to explain the possibility of how both Ash and Kaito managed to get their Z-Rings from the Guardian of Melemele Island.
"One day, I noticed that one of my Z-Rings could not be accounted for. Then I realized it was the work of Tapu Koko." Hala started to explain. He recalled of the two Z-Rings going missing, with one being the one having the Electrium-Z, while the other had the Waterium-Z.
"Has something like that ever happened before?" Prof. Kukui asked, allowing the Kahuna to explain.
"This is the first time Tapu Koko's taken not just one, but two Z-Rings, that's for sure." Hala explained before he opened one eye, looking away for a moment. Thinking to himself, he came to a realization of why the Guardian of Melemele Island did such a thing before he spoke.
"It appears Tapu Koko has taken some strong interests in the two of you..." Hala said, before Kaito asked.
"What was that, Kahuna Hala?" Kaito asked, before he earned a shaking head from the Fighting Type user.
"I'm just talking to myself." Hala explained, causing Kaito to pout before Ash made a request to the Kahuna.
"Kahuna? I'd like to get a Z-Crystal as soon as I can. I'll need it for when I battle Tapu Koko again, together with Kai!" Ash explained, causing Kaito to gaze at him in surprise.
"Me too?" Kaito said in surprise.
"Why not? Tapu Koko didn't challenge just me, but you to a battle too, remember?" Ash asked, allowing Kaito to remember when he was challenged by the Guardian of Melemele Island after it took off with Ash's hat and Seita in its arms.
"Yeah... You have a point there." Kaito admitted before Hala spoke up.
"Again, huh? Ah..." Hala said, before he realized what the Kanto Trainer meant by 'again'.
"Ash... Kaito, if you two don't mind, I'd like you to answer a question for me." Hala said, catching both boys' attention.
"A question for us...?" Kaito asked, before he allowed the Kahuna to explain.
"I assume that the two of you now know that the people of this island have been troubled by a rash of wild Rattata and Raticate. Am I right?" Hala asked.
"Yes, sir." Both Ash and Kaito said in unison before they allowed Hala to go on.
"If you two were the ones being asked to solve this problem... What would you do?" Hala asked. The complicated question left the boys surprised while Prof. Kukui smiled, as he recognized this question.
Kaito frowned, as he didn't know what the true answer would be, until Ash spoke up with a grin.
"I know! For me, I'd take Pikachu and Rowlet and challenge them all to a battle, then..." Ash started to say before Hala kindly interrupted him.
"My young Ash... Are you interested in learning why the Island Challenge was started so many years ago?" Hala asked, before Ash listened. Kaito listened as well while Buizel, Pikachu, and Rockruff played with Hariyama.
"You see, it wasn't simply to make Trainers stronger in battle. It was to raise young people in such a way that they will love and protect the islands of Alola as well as many people and Pokémon who inhabit them." Hala explained, making both Ash and Kaito curious about this.
For the Alola boy, he honestly didn't think of the Island Challenge like this as he hadn't much motivation to participate in one.
"Love all that's here and protect it..." Ash repeated as he felt Pikachu climbing onto his lap. Feeling his Electric Type's presence, the Kanto Trainer rubbed his best friend's back while Hala spoke to him.
"I want you to look for answers that won't only lead you to battle. We'll talk about the Z-Crystal after I've heard what you've come up with." Hala said, causing the Alola Professor to chuckle as he watched Ash try to think of a better answer.
"During my trial, I spent quite a long time thinking about Hala's question, too!" Prof. Kukui admitted, surprising both Ash and Kaito as they turned to their teacher.
"During your trial?" Kaito asked, earning a nod from the Professor.
"Yeah." Prof. Kukui said simply while Hala just laughed.
"Ha ha ha ha! Food for thought, huh? Instead of rushing through things and answering right away, why not take your time and think it over?" Hala suggested. At his suggestion, the Kanto Trainer folded his arms, trying to think of a good answer until Kaito spoke up, having a different question to ask for.
"Kahuna Hala... The truth is, there's another reason on why I came with Ash and Prof. Kukui to meet you..." Kaito confessed, catching the Kahuna's attention.
"Yes? What would that be, young Kaito?" Hala asked, allowing the Alola boy to explain.
"You see... Two days ago, I've encountered a certain Pokémon that I felt like I was familiar with, yet I can't remember it. It saved me and my friend, Lana, when we trying to rescue a Pokémon Egg that an Alolan Muk has stolen from us. I was wondering if you knew what this Pokémon was." Kaito explained.
With that said, the Alola boy began explaining the details on what the mysterious Pokémon looked like, causing Hala to fold his arms before an idea came up to his mind.
"Ah, that Pokémon... Do you mean the Thunderclap Wanderer?" Hala asked, catching Kaito and his two Pokémon by surprise. Even Ash and Prof. Kukui were surprised by the question.
"The Thunderclap Wanderer...?" Kaito repeated in confusion.
"Yes... You see, based on what you explained to me, I believe you've encountered the Thunderclap Wanderer. It's an Electric Type Pokémon that helps out the people when they're in dire situation. Its reasons are currently unknown, but I believe it was the Wanderer that saved you and your friend before." Hala explained.
Kaito could only think before he tried to think of what the Kahuna said to him just now.
"Thunderclap... Thunderclap... Where have I heard that before...?" Kaito asked himself as Buizel tried to think, too. Rockruff just whined, seeing two of his friends trying hard to remember of what their mysterious savior was like to them.
Unfortunately, like before, nothing good came into both Kaito and Buizel's minds. They both sighed as they shook their head together.
"No good... I can't remember anything else from our savior..." Kaito explained sadly, with Buizel groaning.
"No need to be so downhearted, young Kaito... for I believe you'll be able to find the answers when the time comes." Hala said in a reassuring tone. Kaito could only nod slowly before he thanked the Kahuna for the information.
"Thank you, Kahuna Hala... And by the way... do you know something about the Sea Gauntlet I have stuck with me here, sir?" Kaito asked, allowing Hala to see the "treasure" that he found in the Undersea Ruins.
"So it's true... To think I would actually see the Sea Gauntlet right in front of my eyes. And it even allows a Z-Crystal to be attached, just like a Z-Ring..." Hala commented before he held the Gauntlet that was attached to the Alola boy's left arm.
"Hm... Young Kaito, I believe you may find this Gauntlet useful to you should you get into any serious problems. I may not know much about it, but there are words in some ancient books that the Sea Gauntlet can grant mysterious powers from the sea should you handle it well." Hala explained.
"Mysterious powers from the sea?" Kaito asked while Buizel got onto his left shoulder, with Rockruff getting onto his right.
"Yes... When the time comes, I'm sure you'll be able to understand what that all means." Hala said in a reassuring tone, causing Kaito to frown before he sighed.
"Mysterious powers, huh...? I guess that means I'll be stuck with this thing attached to me unless I figure out what its true purpose is..." Kaito thought seriously.
The next day, at the Pokémon School...
Komala rang the school bell, signaling that the Pokémon School's class were about to begin shortly.
Lillie had brought the Egg to class so she could look over it when she had the time. In the meantime, she placed the Egg on a chair with a soft pillow to make the Egg feel comfy. Mallow and Bounsweet checked their friend, as the Grass Type user noticed on how well Lillie was doing with the Egg.
"I have to say, you're handling that Egg with confidence!" Mallow said confidently.
"Bounsweet!" The Grass Type cried out while Lillie just smiled sadly.
"I wish I could agree, but I'm always afraid that I'll drop it. Doesn't sound confident to me." Lillie said sadly, thinking of how the Egg could break if she didn't act carefully. Mallow just smiled before she nodded to her friend.
"But that's my point exactly!" Mallow said, making Lillie confused.
"Just think about it! You used to be afraid of the Egg itself!" Mallow said, making Lillie come to a realization. But while they were talking, they heard moaning and grumbling coming from Ash as they turned to where the Kanto Trainer was sitting at.
The Kanto Trainer was still thinking about the Rattata and Raticate question that was given to him by Hala, as he tried to think of a good answer that could help. But nothing came to his mind, which explained his frustration of not knowing the answer.
"Ash, it's not that bad... And Kaito, you need to cheer up!" Rotom buzzed in comfort.
Pikachu comforted his Trainer also, while Ash just groaned to himself, lying his head on the desk.
Kaito on the other hand, wasn't faring well either as he sighed while folding his arms. He managed to get little answers from the Kahuna himself about the mysterious Pokémon, but it wasn't really satisfying to him.
And the information of his Sea Gauntlet was starting to nag him, as he couldn't figure out the secrets of the treasure he gained from the Ruins. Buizel comforted him with a small nuzzle on the cheek while Rockruff just pawed at his arm in worry.
For the girls, they found this worrying as they checked on the two boys to see what was going on.
"I wonder what could be wrong...?" Lana asked while Rotom buzzed up.
"I calculate that was his 786th 'Hmm!' since speaking with Kahuna Hala yesterday! As for Kaito, that was his 600th sighing since speaking with Kahuna Hala also!" Rotom buzzed, shocking the girls as they were seemingly amazed by these news.
"786 times for Ash and 600 times for Kaito!?" Lillie shrieked in surprise.
"Those two are thinking about something for that long!?" Mallow said in disbelief.
"Incredible..." Lana could only say as Kiawe sat up between them, wanting to know what was their problem.
"All right, please tell us what Kahuna Hala said. We may even be able to help you two out!" Kiawe asked, catching Ash's attention immediately as Kaito turned to the Fire Type user. Sophocles joined as he and the girls were willing to help, too.
"All you have to do is let us know what he said." Lillie reminded with Mallow piping up.
"Of course we're all here to listen..." Mallow added, causing Ash's eyes to shine with hope.
"WOW, YOU GUYS ARE OUR HEROES!" Ash exclaimed happily while Kaito just gave a sheepish smile.
Turning his cap straight, the Kanto Trainer began to explain of what the Kahuna spoke to him and Kaito about yesterday.
"'Kay... there's a big group of Rattata and Raticate who have been causing problems all over town." Ash started to say until Sophocles piped up with news of his own.
"I know all about that stuff! My neighbors have a food pantry that was attacked. So I took our refrigerator and... Mmph!" Sophocles started to say before he had his mouth closed by Lana, who stopped him from interrupting.
"Sophocles! Right now, Ash and Kai are telling us what happened." Lana said in reminder. Regretting for his outburst , the Electric Type user apologized for his rudeness.
"I'm sorry..." Sophocles said while his mouth was still muffled by Lana's hand.
"As Ash was saying, those troublemakers were causing problems all over town. That's when Kahuna Hala asked us what we would do to deal with them. But we couldn't use our Pokémon to battle them. We had to find a different solution for that problem." Kaito explained.
At the explanation, the others began to understand with Kiawe being the first one to speak.
"So that's what he said..." Kiawe said before he tried to think.
"Maybe if we knew more about Rattata and Raticate, that information might give us more of a clue." Lillie suggested. That was when Rotom joined the conversation, ready to lend its friends a Helping Hand.
"I believe that is my cue!" Rotom buzzed before he showed the pictures of what the Alolan Rattata and Raticate looked like. Ash was amazed by their appearance as he snatched Rotom out of the air to take a closer look at the two.
"Whoa! That's what Rattata and Raticate look like here? They look different from what I've seen." Ash asked in amazement.
"Rattata and its evolved form, Raticate. The Mouse Pokémon. A Dark and Normal Type. When they band together, they steal food from people's homes. Long ago, they came here to the Alolan Islands aboard cargo ships, and eventually grew into the Pokémon we see today. The numbers of Rattata and Raticate eventually grew so large that Yungoos and Gumshoos were brought in from a different region to chase them off." Rotom buzzed.
At the mentioning of Yungoos and Gumshoos, the seven students all rose up together, crying out in unison.
"THAT'S IT!" Kaito, Ash, Lana, Lillie, Kiawe, Mallow, and Sophocles all cried out together.
"MARU!?"
At their outburst, Togedemaru let out a scared cry before she began to panic. At her panic, she began to run around, not knowing on who would get in her way! In her panic run, she accidentally knocks both Bounsweet and Popplio away, much to their surprise.
Buizel caught Popplio into his arms while Rockruff caught Bounsweet onto his back. For Pikachu, he held onto the panicky Togedemaru, who continued to struggle until she recognized the one that was keeping her!
Knowing that it was Pikachu holding her, the Roly-Poly Pokémon happily nuzzled Pikachu on the cheek, much to the Electric Type's dissatisfaction. Bounsweet just thanked Rockruff for the catch gratefully while Popplio nuzzled her crush by the nose, with Buizel nuzzling back.
Watching the scenes occur, the Alola boy scratched the back of his head before giving a sheepish smile.
"Huh... Togedemaru cares for Pikachu deeply while Pikachu cares a little... Rockruff and Bounsweet just get along while Buizel and Popplio have the strongest bond out of the other Pokémon. Who knew?" Kaito thought before he smiled to see his Water Type partner bonding with Popplio more.
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 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!?
Chapter 22: Queen of the Waves! A Water Match!
Next chapter preview:
Ash: The truth is, Kahuna Hala... We kind of asked our friends to help us with the answer. I hope that wasn't wrong.
Hala: No, no at all! When we're searching for life's answers, we should always look to our friends for help.
Kaito: Look for our friends for help... You make it sound like that's really simple when there's chance it wouldn't be.
Hala: Ah ha ha ha! Well, I guess I can't blame you for saying it like that, young Kaito...
Kaito: I still haven't figured out my first part of my mysteries... That Thunderclap Wanderer...
Ash: Maybe it could be a long, lost friend, Kai! Maybe that's why it feels like you've met that Pokémon before!
Events that occurred:
- Kaito and Ash meets the Kahuna of Melemele Island, Hala
- Hala reveals that the two Z-Rings Kaito and Ash got from Tapu Koko were taken from him