Chapter 24: The Tournament Gets Big! Go, Z-Move!
Last time on "Pokémon Alola Journey", Kaito and the others hear from Hau about a Pokémon Festival Tournament that would take place in Iki Town soon. With the girls except Camilla passing the chance, the boys knew they will have a tough competition ahead of them.
At arriving at home, Kaito thinks about Shizuka and Kazuma, wondering on how the two of them are doing so far as he recalls of the last time they were here, with Kazuma being gone the most.
But meanwhile, King Kaisuke is called by Kazuma as the foster father of Kaito decides not to be a part of the merpeople, due to the chance of Kaito showing anger towards him for not being the real father.
There's more, as when Kazuma reveals that he discovers the organization that attacked the Alolan Sea Kingdom, Kaisuke is in shock for what he discovers from his old human friend.
Back at Melemele Island, the students of the Pokémon School discover from Hau that the competition was about to take place today! As Kaito heads there with his siblings and his Pokémon, he is confronted by a strange man that had a nasty attitude around him.
Nevertheless, the competition began with Ash, Kaito, and Camilla knocking Hau, Sophocles, and Kiawe out of the tournament, which allowed Kaito to face Camilla once again while Ash would face another Trainer. Just how intense would the competition get between the "Water Charmer" and the "Queen of the Waves"?
1. Ash VS Ren
2. Camilla VS Kaito
Kaito blinked at this as he turned to see Camilla, who looked as surprised as he was. Then, the "Queen of the Waves" glanced at the Alola boy, as they both knew that their battle would be intense unlike the last time they fought back at Akala Island.
Ash on the other hand, was more excited to keep the battles going on and hope to win the entire thing. The same went for Pikachu and Buizel, as the two starters knew they would have to fight hard to make their human friends proud and satisfied.
Soon, the Fighting Type user called up both Ash and Ren, allowing the boys to face each other in battle, with Hala standing in between them.
"Bring out the true power of your Pokémon, you two! Let the battle begin!" Hala called out, allowing both boys to send out their Pokémon.
"Here it comes! Diglett, come on out!" Ren called out as a familiar looking Ground Type appeared, poking its head off the ground! Rotom flew over to scan the Mole Pokémon as he gave data on it.
"Diglett, the Mole Pokémon. A Ground and Steel Type. Diglett has a head that sports an altered form of whiskers made of metal. When in communication with its comrades, its whiskers wobble to and fro." Rotom buzzed
"So it's an Alolan Diglett... And it's a Ground and Steel Type, too! In that case, Rowlet! I choose you!" Ash called out as he sent out the Grass Quill Pokémon out to fight. Awakened once again, the Grass-Flying Type gave a loud hoot as he flew around, preparing to face Diglett.
Ash: Rowlet + Pikachu VS Ren: Diglett + 1
"We'll make the first move! Diglett, use Metal Claw!" Ren shouted out, catching the Kanto Trainer by surprise.
"I didn't know a Diglett can use Metal Claw... How does it use Metal Claw without a claw...?" Ash asked, causing Ren to narrow his eyes as he reminded the Kanto Trainer about the battle they're in.
"I think you'd want to focus on the battle more than just Diglett here, mister. Do it, Diglett!" Ren shouted out. The Mole Pokémon dug underground to make a surprise Metal Claw attack, as Ash tried to encounter.
"Ah! Fly away, Rowlet! Then, use Leafage!" Ash cried out.
Evading the Steel Type move narrowly, the Grass Quill Pokémon flew far into the air before he let out a loud hoot. Spinning, the Grass-Flying Type sent leaves to surround Diglett, making the Mole Pokémon look around in worry.
"Stay sharp, Diglett! Don't let the attack get to you! Just keep your eyes on Rowlet!" Ren called out. Diglett turned its eyes in the air, only to see Rowlet diving in close! Ash grinned before he called out a move.
"Now, Rowlet! Use Peck!" Ash shouted out. Using his sharp beak and his agility to strike fast, the Grass Quill Pokémon knocked Diglett away! The impact caused the Mole Pokémon to skid back before it glared to where Rowlet flew.
"Nice move, but it won't be good enough! Diglett, use Double Team!" Ren shouted out. Making copies of itself, the Mole Pokémon surrounded Rowlet, who flew around in question.
"Just attacking them one at a time won't do any good, so let's get them all at once! Rowlet, use Leafage one more time!" Ash shouted out. Spinning once again, the Grass Quill Pokémon shot more leaves, allowing them to cut through the copies!
With all the copies gone, the real one took the hit also!
"No way!" Ren gasped as the Kanto Trainer grinned.
"Keep it going, Rowlet! Now, use Tackle!" Ash called out as Rowlet began to do so, until the opponent countered with a different move.
"You won't be ahead for long! Counter that with Sucker Punch!" Ren shot back. Recovering from Leafage, the Ground-Steel Type managed to bash Rowlet away with the Dark Type move, much to Mallow's surprise.
"What was that just now!? I thought Rowlet was the one doing the attacking!" Mallow exclaimed, causing Lillie to explain at recognizing the move.
"Sucker Punch is a move that allows the Pokémon using it to go first, as long as the opponent is using an attack move. Since Rowlet was starting to attack, that made Sucker Punch effective towards it!" Lillie explained in worry.
"Don't give in, Rowlet! Use Tackle, one more time!" Ash shouted out. Recovering his balance in the air, the Grass Quill Pokémon charged before tackling Diglett away again! The Mole Pokémon skidded back before it recovered.
"Heh... This is starting to get intense already! Diglett, use Iron Head!" Ren called out. Charging on the ground, the Mole Pokémon was about to bash Rowlet away, only for the Kanto Trainer to counter with the same defense.
"Rowlet, use Leafage again!" Ash shouted out, causing Rowlet to spin while sending leaves to where Diglett was! But as Leafage looked like it was doing its work, the Iron Head easily broke through, making the attack useless.
"Now we've got you... Huh?" Ren started to say until he noticed to see the Grass Quill Pokémon not anywhere in sight!
"What...!? Where did Rowlet go!?" Ren exclaimed in shock. Even Diglett was rather shocked to see that its opponent had gone out of sight. What Ren did notice though, was seeing the Grass Quill Pokémon creep onto Diglett from behind.
"It somehow got behind!? Behind you, Diglett!" Ren exclaimed.
"Not a chance! Rowlet, use Tackle!" Ash shouted out.
Just as the Mole Pokémon turned to see where its opponent was, a kick on the face caused Diglett to skid back as it yelled in pain!
"Diglett, no!" Ren exclaimed as he watched his Mole Pokémon groan in defeat, with Hala noticing how stunned it looked before he gestured the first battle winner to be the Grass Quill Pokémon.
"Diglett is unable to battle! Rowlet is the winner!" Hala declared, causing Ren to quickly return his defeated Mole Pokémon back to its Pokéball.
Ren: 1 Pokémon
"Alright! Ash won the first round!" Mallow exclaimed as Lillie reminded everyone of the Pokémon Ren had left.
"Now it's down to just one Pokémon..." Lillie commented as everyone else watched to see the battle go on.
"You're really good. No wonder you have that Z-Ring on your wrist! But don't think this is gonna be that easy! Come on out, Flareon!" Ren called out. Ash widened his eyes at seeing the Fire Type Eeveelution coming out to face Rowlet in battle!
"It's a Flareon..." Kiawe pointed out, with Rotom scanning the Fire Type.
"Allow me to explain the details! Flareon, the Flame Pokémon. A Fire Type. Flareon's average body temperature is between 1300 and 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. In its internal flame sac, the temperature reaches up to 3000 degrees." Rotom buzzed.
"That sounds like it would come from a volcano..." Hau commented sheepishly as Kaito frowned.
"This isn't good for Ash. With Rowlet being a part Grass Type, he'll have to find a way to prevent Rowlet from getting burned too much in this battle if Flareon were to unleash its fiery flames onto it." Kaito thought as the second part of the battle began.
"Let's turn up the heat, Flareon! Use Sunny Day!" Ren shouted out, causing the Flame Pokémon to call forth the sun! With the sun shining brightly in the sky, things started to get a little more hotter as Ash just watched, feeling the heat on his skin.
"If Flareon hits us with a Fire Type move, no way Rowlet will be able to recover! Rowlet, quick! Use Leafage!" Ash shouted out. Spinning to attack, the Grass Quill Pokémon shot more leaves, this time at the Flame Pokémon!
"That won't work! Flareon, use Flamethrower!" Ren called out. At the order, the Fire Type blasted flames onto the leaves! Rowlet hooted in shock as he couldn't dodge in time, which got him burned in the process.
"Ah! Rowlet!" Ash exclaimed as he watched Rowlet fall down to the ground, as the Grass Quill Pokémon groaned, unconscious from the heavy damage he had taken from the super effective attack from the Fire Type move.
"Rowlet is unable to battle! Flareon is the winner!" Hala called out, causing Ash to quickly return his defeated Grass Type.
Ash: 1 Pokémon
"Okay, Rowlet! Return!" Ash called out as the defeated Grass-Flying Type was called back.
"You did awesome out there, Rowlet. Now get some good rest." Ash said softly before he put it away. He then turned to his Electric Type partner, which Pikachu seemed to have understood as the Mouse Pokémon got onto the field to face Flareon!
"Let's do this, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash shouted out. Dashing with his speed, the Electric Type knocked Flareon away! The Flame Pokémon yelped in pain before it skidded on the ground, resisting the attack.
"Don't let them do this to you, Flareon! Use Fire Spin!" Ren called out. Using the energy it had, the Flame Pokémon shot the spiral flames to hit Pikachu, as the Kanto Trainer made an attempt to counter the incoming attack.
"Here it comes, Pikachu! Counter it with Thunderbolt!" Ash shot back. The Electric Type dashed before he shot his electricity to clash with the spiraling flames! The two moves pushed against each other, until an explosion occurred between the two of them!
Both Pikachu and Flareon skidded back, with their Trainers calling out their next attack.
"Now, use Iron Tail!"
"Don't hold back! Fire Fang, let's go!"
Iron Tail was aimed to hit Flareon, but the Fire Fang countered the Steel Type attack, causing both Pokémon to struggle against one another! Ren gritted his teeth while the Kanto Trainer grinned, seeing an opportunity for some major damage!
"I've got you where I want you! Now, Pikachu! Use Electro Ball!" Ash shouted out.
Ren widened his eyes as he watched the Electric Type charged a ball of electricity before the move blasted Flareon back! The Flame Pokémon was forced to let go of Pikachu's tail before he was sent tumbling back onto the ground.
"No, Flareon!" Ren gasped as the others watched.
"Check it out! Pikachu dealt some big hit onto Flareon just now!" Hau exclaimed, with Camilla explaining.
"Of course... Ash must've expected this to happen, so that Pikachu would be able to surprise Flareon with this sort of attack." Camilla guessed as the others watched in amazement.
Back at the battle, Ren tried to encourage his Flame Pokémon to keep on fighting.
"Come on, Flareon! Don't quit now!" Ren pleaded as Flareon struggled to stand up. The Kanto Trainer grinned before he called to his Electric Type partner.
"Hey, Pikachu! You ready to do this?" Ash asked as he revealed the Electrium-Z that was attached to his Z-Crystal.
"Pika! Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed as the Mouse Pokémon smiled in determination. Understanding his partner's approval, the Kanto Trainer began to make their pose for the Z-Move.
"Okay, let's go! Pikachu!" Ash cried out as both he and Pikachu began to pose together. The crowd watching was in awe to see what was going on.
"Is that a Z-Move that kid is doing?"
"Is it going to be a different Z-Move?"
"Oh man... I'm totally getting shivers from watching it about to happen!"
Kaito and the others listened to the crowd commenting on what was going on as Sophocles sweat dropped with how big the crowd is going for Ash and his Z-Move with his Electric Type partner.
"Things... are starting to heat up, aren't they?" Sophocles asked, with Togedemaru cheering for Pikachu.
"Well, I'm sure it'll cool down once this round is over." Kaito assured as he and the others watched to see the two complete their pose for the Electric Type Z-Move.
"Here we go! Charge at full power! Gigavolt Havoc!" Ash yelled as he punched his fist in the air. Gaining Z-Power from their pose together, the Mouse Pokémon let out a loud battle cry before he charged up enough electricity to launch the electrical energy to where Flareon was!
Both Ren and his Fire Type Pokémon widened their eyes in shock as the Z-Move made a huge impact onto the Flame Pokémon! The move blasted Flareon into the air before the Flame Pokémon fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
"No! Flareon!" Ren gasped as Hala noticed the stunned Flame Pokémon not moving.
"Flareon is unable to battle! So the winner of this match goes to Ash!" Hala declared, as he gestured Ash and Pikachu as the winners of the first match of the semi-finals.
Winner: Ash
"Alright!"
"Pikachu!"
The Kanto Trainer and his Electric Type partner celebrated their victory together while Ren disappointedly returned his defeated Flame Pokémon. As the match went to Ash and Pikachu, Kaito smiled, before raising an eyebrow in amusement.
"So I'll have a chance of battling Ash in the finals, huh? This should be great." Kaito declared until someone spoiled his fun.
"That's only if you beat me in the semi-final battle, Kaito." Camilla reminded, causing the Alola boy to turn and see the "Queen of the Waves" staring at him with a stern expression, causing Kaito to frown at her.
"I'm well aware. And I don't plan on losing just because you're a girl." Kaito reminded dryly, causing Camilla to smile in amusement.
"Same here... I don't plan on going easy on you just because we're similar." Camilla assured, causing the others from the Pokémon School to listen in what Camilla was saying to the Alola boy as Kaito shot back at her.
"What do you 'we're similar'? Are you referring to the items we have? My Sea Gauntlet and your necklace?" Kaito asked as he revealed his "weapon" to Camilla, who nodded back in response.
"Yes, that's right. You and I have items that are similar with each other, both related to the Alolan Sea Kingdom... With the way things are, this could make the battle a bit more intense. So, I wish the best of luck to you in our battle... That is, if you need any." Camilla explained, before she headed to a different area.
"What was that all about? What does she mean she has a similar item to you, Kai?" Ash asked. Realizing that only Lana and Hau knew about the necklace that Camilla had on her, the Alola boy sighed before he turned to the Kanto Trainer.
"What she means, is that she has something that is similar to the Sea Gauntlet that I have with me right now, Ash. It's a necklace of some sort that has similar powers to the Gauntlet." Kaito explained, catching Ash and Pikachu both by surprise.
"Whoa, really!?"
"Pika!?"
The two couldn't help but express their surprises. Both Lillie and Mallow were shocked by the news as well.
"I was wondering how Camilla got along with Water Type Pokémon back when we were at the beach. I guess this must be the reason of it, partially." Lillie admitted as she was unaware of the secret that their new friend was hiding from them.
"Then again, she was a bit timid when we met her for the first time..." Mallow added. Sophocles just frowned in worry while Kiawe folded his arms with a stern expression on his face.
"So, does this mean she's related to the Alolan Sea Kingdom, Kaito?" Kiawe asked, causing the Alola boy to shake his head.
"I can't say for sure. But one thing's for sure, she knows mostly about the Kingdom and the story of what happened to it. She says she found that necklace of hers somewhere near the beach back at Akala Island..." Kaito explained.
"Right... She didn't say anything besides that. It felt like... she didn't want to reveal one of her biggest secrets to us..." Lana explained, as the Water Type user remembered on how Camilla felt around her, Kaito, and Hau when they visited her home.
She hadn't been ecstatic or happy about it. Rather, she felt a bit timid towards them when they greeted her. But when it came to a battle, she looked more serious rather than just being a timid girl.
Prof. Kukui just frowned, coming to a realization that he now has two students who had "accessories" that are related to the story of the Alolan Sea Kingdom.
"Looks like there are more mysteries coming right now than we all thought it would. First the Sea Gauntlet and now a necklace... Just what is going on?" Prof. Kukui thought as he turned to where Kaito stood, before turning to where Camilla was walking.
Later...
"And now, for the second match of the semi-finals! Let us welcome the two challengers that have made it this far! Before you stands Camilla, the prodigy Trainer who is declared 'Queen of the Waves' from Akala Island!" Hala called out.
The "Queen of the Waves" stepped up onto the battling platform, prepared for what's about to happen before the Kahuna turned to the other side.
"Before her stands Kaito, one of the ones that has met with Tapu Koko!" Hala called out, allowing Kaito to come up to the stage. As he faced Camilla, he heard voices around him, which seemed to be about him and the Melemele Guardian.
"What?!"
"What a curious little thin Tapu Koko is! Hah, that's just typical of it!"
"I wonder what one of them will show us in battle..."
Kaito narrowed his eyes before he gave a small smile, before turning his eyes back to where Camilla stood.
"You can do it, guys! Just give us the best battle that you both have to show us!" Ash shouted out, encouraging his two classmates to go on and fight.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu joined his human friend with the encouragement, as the others at the Pokémon School began to cheer for the two battling students too, along with Bounsweet, Togedemaru, Popplio, Turtonator, Pichu and Eevee.
"Shall we do this? Remember, no holding back in our battle, got it? Otherwise, this wouldn't be called a real battle." Camilla reminded, causing the Alola boy to nod in understanding.
"I'm well aware of what you said before. I don't intend to hold back either, Camilla." Kaito assured, as both Trainers were ready. After looking at both sides, the Fighting Type user made the call for the match to begin.
"Kaito! Camilla! Bring forth the power of your Pokémon! Let the battle begin!" Hala called out.
With Pokéballs in hand, both Trainers called out their Pokémon for battle!
"Litten, it's your time to shine!"
"Rockruff, come on! Show them what you've got!"
Camilla had sent out a third member of her Pokémon team while Kaito sent out his Puppy Pokémon! At seeing the new Pokémon, the Alola boy blinked in surprise as the Litten he was facing looked determined to win for its master.
"A Litten...? I sure didn't see that one coming." Kaito admitted as Lana widened her eyes.
"Camilla has a new Pokémon?" Lana asked, as Kiawe and Lillie just watched in surprise. Ash, Hau, Mallow, and Sophocles continued to watch as the battle began with Camilla making the first move for an attack.
Camilla: Litten + 1 VS Kaito: Rockruff + Buizel
"Let's charge through! Litten, use Fire Fang, go!" Camilla shouted out. Dashing to attack Rockruff, the Fire Cat Pokémon bared its fangs! The fangs began to show flames as it was ready to inflict some serious damage!
"Don't count on it being that easy to hit! Rockruff, dodge! Then, use Howl!" Kaito shouted out. Waiting for the right moment, the Puppy Pokémon evaded the Fire Fang attack before he howled loudly to boost his strength.
"If he hits us now, then it'll be dangerous! Litten, use Double Kick!" Camilla exclaimed. Kaito blinked as he watched to see Litten get right in front of Rockruff before it performed a Double Kick attack onto the Rock Type!
Rockruff whined in pain before he managed to get up again and growl for the hit Litten had done just now.
"Double Kick? That's a Fighting Type move! That must've hurt for Rockruff!" Sophocles pointed out in worry.
"I honestly didn't expect for Camilla to have a Fire Type Pokémon to use that kind of move..." Kiawe admitted as the battle went on with Camilla calling out the next attack.
"Let's go, Litten! Use Fire Fang once more!" Camilla exclaimed. Charging with its fangs on flames again, Litten aimed to hit Rockruff once more with a different move, only for Kaito to counter with another move!
"Intercept with Rock Slide!" Kaito shot back. As Litten charged to where Rockruff stood, the Puppy Pokémon let out a loud howl! The howl summoned boulders to knock Litten away as the move did so, causing Litten to tumble back!
"No! Litten!" Camilla exclaimed, before Kaito continued on with his counterattack to prevent any more damage to his team.
"Let's wrap this up quick, Rockruff! Use Crunch!" Kaito shouted out. Wasting no movement or time, the Puppy Pokémon dashed to where Litten was trying to get up. Noticing the opponent coming, Camilla tried to encourage her Fire Type to keep fighting.
"Come on, Litten! You can do it! Defend yourself with Double Team!" Camilla called out.
Managing to recover from the hard hit the Fire Type had taken, Litten grunted before it made copies of itself, all surrounding Rockruff! The Crunch attack missed its mark, as the Puppy Pokémon looked around, trying to find the real one.
"This looks bad... Rockruff, use Rock Slide one more time!" Kaito called out, allowing the Rock Type to summon more rocks and boulders to get rid of the copies. But while the Rock Slide attacks continued to miss their marks, Camilla took this chance to counter back.
"It's distracted... Now, Litten! Use Iron Tail!" Camilla shouted out. Yelling loudly for a battle cry, the Fire Cat Pokémon launched itself up into the air before it slammed its hard tail onto Rockruff, causing the Puppy Pokémon to shriek before he tumbled back.
"What!?" Kaito gasped as he watched Rockruff struggle to stand before Camilla continued her next attack.
"Third time's the charm! Now, use Fire Fang!" Camilla shot out, causing Litten to charge before it bit onto Rockruff's body. Yelping in pain, the Puppy Pokémon was thrown into the air before the finishing move was about to occur.
"Wrap this up with another Iron Tail!" Camilla called out. Yelling in battle cry, the Fire Cat Pokémon aimed to land the Steel Type attack to where Rockruff was in the air, until the Alola boy found a way to counter the super effective attack.
"Block that with Crunch, Rockruff!" Kaito exclaimed.
In response, the Rock Type noticed the Fire Type coming to him with the Steel Type attack. Managing to regain his balance while in mid-air, the Puppy Pokémon bit onto the Fire Cat Pokémon's tail with his strong jaws!
"No way!" Camilla exclaimed.
"Rockruff caught the Iron Tail..." Lana pointed out in amazement.
"If that were to have made the hit, then Rockruff would've been done for." Kiawe pointed out as Ash and Pikachu continued to cheer for the two battling Trainers to keep on fighting hard.
"Go get her, Kai! You can do it too, Camilla!" Ash cheered, causing the others to look at him strangely while Hau just grinned with how well the battle was going.
"Just whose side are you on? You do realize that you're battling one of them in the finals, remember?" Kiawe asked in reminder.
"I know, but with the battle those two are giving to each other, I can't help but feel excited for one of them to battle me when their battle is done!" Ash explained as he turned back to where the battle continued on.
Fire Fang was blocked while the Rock Slide attack was dodged. The battle was starting to become even again for both sides, despite of the type advantage the Puppy Pokémon had with him at the moment.
"One more time! Crunch!"
"Iron Tail!"
The two attacks collided with each other before they knocked each other back. The two battling Pokémon skidded back to their Trainers, both panting. The two of them were starting to feel worn out from the beatings they were giving to each other.
The Trainers noticed this as they both had thoughts of a way to end the first part of the battle soon.
"Rockruff is soon to collapse if the battle drags on like this. I've got to get a move on and end this first battle quickly!" Kaito thought as Camilla frowned.
"Litten won't be able to take another attack if it starts to get too heavy... This has to end soon!" Camilla thought before they each called out one last attack for their Pokémon to use.
"Rockruff, let's try this one more time! Use Rock Slide!" Kaito exclaimed.
"Now, Litten! Charge and use Iron Tail!" Camilla shouted back.
As Rockruff howled and summoned more rocks to overpower Litten, the Fire Cat Pokémon charged before it clamped its jaws onto Rockruff's side, causing fire to knock and burn the Puppy Pokémon away!
At the same time, the rocks for the Rock Slide attack knocked Litten back, causing the Fire Type to land on the ground hard once again.
"No, Rockruff!"
"Litten, no!"
Both Trainers voiced out their concerns for their Pokémon as everyone watched to see both Pokémon hit the ground before the smoke cleared. As it cleared away, both Rockruff and Litten were knocked out!
"Both Rockruff and Litten are unable to continue!" Hala declared, causing both Trainers to widen their eyes before their expressions became serious.
Kaito: 1 Pokémon
Camilla: 1 Pokémon
"Unreal! It's a draw!" Sophocles pointed out, with Prof. Kukui stating the truth about what's about to occur.
"This means that this battle will be the last one in this round. Both Kaito and Camilla will have to go serious about this if the two of them wants to defeat each other." Prof. Kukui explained as Kaito turned to Buizel.
"Buizel, it's up to you now. You ready?" Kaito asked as he had recalled Rockruff back.
"Bui!" Buizel exclaimed as he ran to the battle platform to face Camilla. The "Queen of the Waves" on the other hand, brought out a familiar Pokémon out to battle.
"Ribombee, it's your time to shine!" Camilla exclaimed, as she brought out her Pokémon that evolved when she battled against Kiawe at the second round. At recognizing the Pokémon, Kaito tensed a little.
"So this is how it is, huh..." Kaito breathed out while Buizel glared at Ribombee, who only glared back.
"Let's make this smooth, but quick. Ribombee, start off with Fairy Wind!" Camilla called out. The Bee Fly Pokémon unleashed a light wind for Buizel to feel before it suddenly got intense!
The Sea Weasel Pokémon yelped as he was lifted off into the air before he was knocked to the ground.
"Buizel!?" Kaito exclaimed as he watched Buizel slowly get up before he glared at the Bee Fly Pokémon for what she did with her Fairy Type move.
"That was a sharp she delivered just now... Buizel, let's pay them back with Aqua Jet!" Kaito called out. Surrounding himself with water, the Sea Weasel Pokémon wasted no time charging to where Ribombee was right now!
"Ribombee, use Psychic!" Camilla shot back. Using her abilities, the Bee Fly Pokémon froze Buizel's movements with Psychic! The Sea Weasel Pokémon yelped as he was lifted in the air again, this time by a Psychic Type attack!
"What!?" Kaito exclaimed as he watched his Water Type partner get lifted up by Psychic before Camilla continued her move.
"And now, let's use Silver Wind!" Camilla added, allowing her newly evolved Pokémon to send more sharp wind to deal some more damage to the Sea Weasel Pokémon! The Psychic powers were still in effect, as Buizel couldn't move much!
"No, if this keeps up... then we're done for! Buizel, try to regain control and use Ice Beam! Spin!" Kaito yelled out loud. Hearing his human brother's voice, the Sea Weasel Pokémon struggled to regain control of his body, only for Camilla to notice.
"Don't bother! Ribombee's Psychic attack is much stronger than she was when she was still a Cutiefly! Buizel's only to get hurt if he resists even more!" Camilla pointed out, causing Kaito to narrow his eyes before he spoke back.
"That may be, but that doesn't mean we're just gonna let ourselves get hit! Come on, Buizel! You can do it!" Kaito shouted out, encouraging his Water Type to keep pushing through the Psychic powers that were binding him.
(Sir Aaron's Theme 1 OST)
Gritting his teeth in anger and pain from the strain, the Sea Weasel Pokémon let out a loud battle cry before he broke free! Ribombee flinched in surprise as she lost her focus on using both Silver Wind and Psychic, much to Camilla's surprise.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing!" Camilla exclaimed in shock. The others at the sidelines were surprised to see this as well.
"Buizel broke free from Ribombee's Psychic! That's amazing!" Mallow exclaimed in amazement.
"How could that be!? Ribombee's Psychic powers should've been much stronger than it was when it was just a Cutiefly!" Rotom buzzed until Ash came up with an answer that he knew.
"That's because... Kai believed in Buizel." Ash responded silently, causing the others to turn to him with Rotom buzzing in surprise.
"Believed in Buizel...?" Rotom buzzed in confusion. Before the Kanto Trainer could explain, the Alola Professor chuckled before he stepped up, supporting the Kanto Trainer's answers.
"Ash... I believe you're right. No ordinary Pokémon should be able to break free from the Psychic power that can be strong, like what Ribombee has shown us. But... there were always rare occasions for when a Trainer truly believed in their Pokémon, then their Pokémon was able to overcome anything that got in its way." Prof. Kukui explained.
Ash grinned, before he nodded to the Alola Professor.
"Kai and Buizel... They're both amazing." Hau commented, with Eevee and Pichu speaking out their agreement.
"Still... Even if they have broken free from Psychic, that doesn't mean they're safe yet. So far, the only one that has taken damage from this battle so far was Buizel. So if Kaito doesn't think of a way to counter from the attacks Camilla is giving off, then there's a chance that he'll lose." Kiawe spoke out sternly.
"I believe in Kai! I'm sure he and Buizel will find a way to overcome the trial they're in right now!" Lana declared boldly, her eyes shining a little. Popplio gave a bark of agreement as her eyes showed the same shine as her Trainer's.
"Lana..." Mallow said in surprise before she smiled sheepishly as she turned back to the battle.
Buizel was using Ice Beam to counter Ribombee's Silver Wind attack. The two moves collided with one another before they exploded as the battle went on, with the Alola boy calling out the next attack first.
"Good! Things are going pretty well right now! Buizel, use Rain Dance!" Kaito shouted out.
Raising his orange furry paws in the air, the Sea Weasel Pokémon hummed and made a pose to call for the rain. As he was doing that, rain clouds began to darken the sky, causing the crowd to all watch to see rain starting to pour down a little.
"He's going to try and get ahead of us by using Buizel's ability, Swift Swim!" Camilla thought, as she understood what Kaito was trying to do with the rain.
"Quick, Ribombee! Use Fairy Wind!" Camilla exclaimed. Sending more wind to attack, the Bee Fly Pokémon unleashed the Fairy Type attack, only for Buizel to quickly dodge the attack and get out of the way.
"That's fast! Even more fast than before!" Camilla pointed out in surprise.
"If you think that's fast, then how about this? Buizel, use Agility! Then, follow through with Aqua Jet!" Kaito called out. Using the Psychic Type move to boost his speed, the Sea Weasel Pokémon surrounded himself with water before he began his assault!
Ribombee shrieked in surprise before she was bashed by the Aqua Jet attack! And just as she was starting to recover, she was hit from the back this time! Camilla widened her eyes at seeing Ribombee get continuously hit from the Water Type move.
Sophocles widened his eyes, recognizing the relentless technique that the Alola boy was using.
"Hey... That's the same kind of strategy he used against me from when we were battling against each other in the second round!" Sophocles exclaimed as Mallow noticed something different with this strategy.
"You're right! Except... Buizel's going much faster than it was before he used Rain Dance or Agility!" Mallow pointed out. Everyone watched to see the Grass Type user was correct as the speed from the Sea Weasel Pokémon was much better than what happened at the last round.
"Come on, Ribombee! Pull yourself together! Get ahold of Buizel by using Psychic!" Camilla exclaimed. Recovering from the last blow she had taken just now, the Bee Fly Pokémon managed to stop Buizel in his tracks with Psychic again!
"Not this move again!" Kaito grunted as the "Queen of the Wave" was ready to strike back hard.
"And now! Use Silver Wind!" added Camilla as the Bug Type move was sent to knock Buizel away, only for the Sea Weasel Pokémon to counter back under the Alola boy's orders.
"Don't count on it! Use Ice Beam!" Kaito shouted back. Ice was shot from the Sea Weasel Pokémon as the Silver Wind collided with it once more! The two special attacks struggled to overpower one another as both battling Pokémon struggled to overpower each other!
In the end, the two moves exploded causing no one to take any damage.
"I'll admit... you're better than I thought you were than the last time we battled, Kaito." Camilla admitted, as she smiled a little from how intense the battle was starting to get.
"I should say the same for you, Camilla. You're giving me and Buizel quite a hard time with winning this battle, with you and your ways of countering my attacks." Kaito grunted, as he began to smile a little as well.
At those words, the "Queen of the Waves" revealed her Z-Ring with the Fairy Type Z-Crystal.
"In that case, why don't we put this intense battle at an end? This can't go on forever, just so you know." Camilla suggested, causing Kaito to smile a little before he revealed the Sea Gauntlet with the Water Type Z-Crystal.
"That's fine with me. Bring it!" Kaito called out. Buizel and Ribombee both called out to each other, the two Pokémon expecting the other to bring their best as Ash grinned at what was about to happen.
(End OST)
"They're about to use their Z-Moves!" Ash exclaimed, with Mallow widening her eyes in realization.
"At the stage!? This is going to get big if they were to use their Z-Moves both at the same time!" Mallow exclaimed in surprise.
But Mallow's words were unheard as both Trainers began to perform their poses with their Pokémon.
"Okay, Buizel! You ready? Let's bring this battle to a cool end!" Kaito called out.
"Bui!" Buizel grunted as he posed with his human brother.
"That goes for us too, Ribombee! Let's bring this to an elegant end!" Camilla exclaimed, causing Ribombee to buzz in agreement.
"Ri! Bom bom!" Ribombee exclaimed as both sides prepared to use their Z-Moves.
"Flying freely into the air and sparkling hope... Let's show them what our true bond is like!" Camilla declared out loud as Kaito followed suit at the same time.
"No more holding back! No more hesitating! Let's show everyone how strong our mind and body is together!" Kaito cried out, as the Z-Power from both Trainers entered into their Pokémon's bodies, allowing the two Pokémon to charge up for their Z-Moves!
"Hydro Vortex, let's go!"
"Twinkle Tackle, now!"
The Water Type Z-Move and the Fairy Type Z-Move clashed together, with both Buizel and Ribombee butting heads with each other! The two struggled to overpower one another as they unleashed their final attacks against each other!
Once again, as the moves were about to be completed and unleashed, both battling Pokémon continued to try and overpower one another until one side gave in. The winning side knocked the opponent down, while overcoming their Z-Move with their own.
The last attack knocked the defeated one down, engulfing the opponent with the attack! As the move was done doing its work, the losing Pokémon let out a loud cry of pain before it was smashed to the ground, due to impact of how strong the Z-Move was.
Everyone watched with widened eyes as they watched to see who had won and who had lost. The students of the Pokémon School and the Alola Professor watched closely as well. Hala watched carefully as the dust cleared to show who was defeated by the final attack.
Tensing before he accepted the results, the Fighting Type user declared the winner of the match, before he gestured to the winning side.
"Ribombee is unable to continue! So the winner of the second semi-final match is... Kaito!" Hala declared, causing the crowd to cheer for the victorious ones as the Alola boy sighed in relief before he picked his exhausted Pokémon up.
Winner: Kaito
Buizel too, sighed in relief as he rested his head onto his human brother's chest.
"Thanks for fighting hard, Bui. Now we're off to the finals!" Kaito said gratefully, earning a satisfied "Bui" from the process.
Back at the sidelines, the students of the Pokémon School and Prof. Kukui were all amazed with how the battle resulted.
"That was so cool!" Ash exclaimed, with Pikachu crying out his agreement.
"To think that the battle between Z-Moves would go like this..." Kiawe admitted in surprise, as he didn't expect for the Z-Moves collision to occur.
"Hydro Vortex and Twinkle Tackle... The two moves colliding with one another is like two Take Down attacks trying to take each other out! That was a hot and intense battle for sure!" Prof. Kukui chuckled before Hau came to a realization.
"Hey, Ash! That would mean that you're battling Kaito in the final round!" Hau pointed out, causing the Kanto Trainer to blink before he grinned in agreement.
"Yeah... Now we'll be able to settle the score for the battle we couldn't finish before!" Ash agreed, as he remembered the first time they battled. It never ended, due to the Kanto Trainer being hungry and with Mallow calling off the battle during his Alola Surprise.
"Good luck to the both of you!" Lillie said softly, earning a nod from the Kanto Trainer.
"Right!" Ash exclaimed as he got ready to be called up to the battling platform.
As the Kanto Trainer was getting ready, Camilla had recalled her defeated Bee Fly Pokémon back to her Pokéball, before she sighed. She didn't feel frustrated or upset. Rather, she was disappointed.
"I guess this means I'll have to focus on training my Pokémon harder than right now... That way, I won't be able to lose again to Kaito if we were to battle again. But with the way he and Buizel showed their bond... It's just..." Camilla thought before she smiled.
"Their bond... It was obviously more stronger than the bond between my Pokémon." Camilla thought before she stepped off the battling platform, only to be greeted by both Lana and Mallow, along with Sophocles.
"We're sorry that you lost, Camilla." Mallow said, feeling a bit sorry for the "Queen of the Waves". Camilla only waved it off before she reassured the three with a reassuring smile.
"No, it's fine. Besides, I kind of had fun with the battle that happened just now. I just need to focus on my Pokémon and their limits harder so that we can prepare for our next battle against each other." Camilla assured softly.
"Well, it's good to see you okay with this rather than being upset about it." Sophocles said in relief.
"There's always next year, right?" Lana asked, causing the "Queen of the Waves" to nod in agreement.
Later...
After his battle against Camilla, Kaito helped his two Pokémon recover for the final match. Just in time, both Buizel and Rockruff recovered fast enough to allow themselves to continue onto the final round, where they would face Ash and his two Pokémon in the final battle.
Hala called up the two boys to allow them to step forward. As they came face to face with one another, they both smiled at each other for what was about to happen.
"Didn't think we would be battling like this, Kai. I knew we would be battling, but to battle in a big competition like this..." Ash started to say, before Kaito nodded to the Kanto Trainer in understanding.
"I get that feeling, too. I just hope you, Pikachu, and Rowlet will be able to give it your all in this battle." Kaito said confidently.
"Bui! Bu bui!" Buizel added in agreement as Pikachu grinned back at his Water Type friend.
"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu shot back confidently.
Eventually, the Fighting Type user broke the boys up with a clear of throat. Signaled to be at their spots for battle, both Ash and Kaito headed to the spots they were supposed to be in for their battle to begin.
The students of the Pokémon School watched again with the Alola Professor at their side, along with their partner Pokémon. The students all knew what to do, and that would be to cheer their friends on. No matter who wins, it would be a great battle, especially since it's in the finals.
"Kaito! Ash! Bring forth the power of your Pokémon! Let the battle begin!" Hala called out, allowing both boys to send out their Pokémon for battle.
"Okay! Rowlet, I choose you!"
"Rockruff, come on! Show them what you've got!"
Both Rowlet and Rockruff appeared out of their Pokéballs before they faced each other in battle! The two sides gazed at each other before one of them made the first move to attack.
Kaito: Rockruff + Buizel VS Ash: Rowlet + Pikachu
"We'll make the first move! Rowlet, use Tackle!" Ash shouted out. Charging headfirst in the air, the Grass Quill Pokémon began to descend down fast and aim to hit Rockruff with his talons!
"Don't be so sure! Rockruff, dodge it! Then, use Howl!" Kaito called out. After narrowly evading the attack from the Tackle attack, the Puppy Pokémon began to howl, raising his attack power in the process.
"Howl again... If Kaito does this again, then it'll hurt real bad if Rowlet gets hurt! Rowlet, use Leafage!" Ash shouted out. Wasting no time, the Grass Quill Pokémon surrounded the Puppy Pokémon with leaves, leaving the Rock Type trapped!
Growling, Rockruff turned to where he was surrounded until Ash called out his next attack!
"Now! Rowlet, use Peck!" Ash called out.
The Grass Quill Pokémon let out a loud hoot before he pecked the Puppy Pokémon away! Rockruff winced in pain as he skidded back, resisting the surprise attack the Grass-Flying Type did just now.
"That was surprising... Of course, not too surprising since I'm well aware of the ability that Rowlet can use to make himself move quick while in stealth. Rockruff, use Howl one more time!" Kaito shouted out.
Howling once again to boost his attack, Rockruff gained more attack power as he growled at Rowlet. The Grass Quill Pokémon glared back as the battle continued on with the Kanto Trainer calling out the next attack.
"More power? Rowlet, use Leafage one more time!" Ash shouted out. Once again, Leafage was used to surround the Rock Type until Kaito countered this time!
"The same trick won't work twice! Rockruff, use Rock Slide to cancel the Leafage!" Kaito called out.
Howling, the rocks and boulders were called out as the move cancelled out the Grass Type attack! Both Ash and Rowlet gasped in surprise, with Pikachu widening his eyes in disbelief.
"No way!" Ash exclaimed as the others were surprised to see this, too.
"A Rock Type move defeated a Grass Type move!? This is quite unbelievable!" Rotom buzzed until Prof. Kukui corrected him.
"No... It was possible. Since Rockruff used Howl not just once, but twice... it made the Rock Slide attack more powerful since Rock Slide is a physical type of attack." Prof. Kukui explained, as Hau grinned.
"Woo! Keep it up, Kai! You fight hard too, Ash!" Hau exclaimed, causing the others to look at the Kahuna's grandson in both wonder and confusion.
"He's cheering for the both of them even when he's not going to battle one of them?" Sophocles thought with a sweat drop as Mallow just gave a sheepish grin.
"I guess he isn't called the Kahuna's grandson for nothing, huh..." Mallow thought as the battle continued on.
"Leafage was countered by Rock Slide... In that case! Rowlet, use Leafage! But this time, let's show more power and speed into that attack!" Ash shouted out. Kaito blinked as he watched Rowlet surround Rockruff once more with the Grass Type attack.
"This move again...? It may have more power than the other Leafage you unleashed, but the results will be the same! Rockruff, use Rock Slide again!" Kaito shouted, causing the Puppy Pokémon to howl, allowing more boulders to appear to counter Leafage.
But as the rocks were ready to block the Grass Type attack, the Leafage leaves sliced through the rocks!
"What!?" Kaito gasped as Rockruff expressed his surprise as well.
"Yeah, that's it! Now, use Tackle!" Ash called out. The Grass Quill Pokémon charged, before slamming Rockruff away with his talon! The Rock Type gritted his teeth as he skidded on the ground to prevent himself from losing ground.
"That was a surprise... He put more power into Leafage? Rockruff, let's try Rock Slide one more time!" Kaito shouted out. The Rock Slide was called forth again to attack Rowlet! The Grass-Flying Type panicked as he flew around to prevent himself from being hit, until...
"I've got you now! Rockruff, use Crunch!" Kaito exclaimed. Both the Kanto Trainer and his Grass Quill Pokémon widened their eyes to see Rockruff suddenly getting in front of where Rowlet was flying!
The hard Dark Type attack made contact, as the move sent Rowlet high flying into the air!
"No, Rowlet!" Ash gasped as he watched Rowlet slowly start to fall down before he slowly recovered from the blow he had taken just now.
"Hey... Isn't that... the same strategy that Rockruff used against Kai and Buizel before he became Kai's new Pokémon to the team?" Lana pointed out, causing the others to realize on what the Water Type user meant.
"Oh yeah... Now that you mention it, that sneaky strategy did look familiar as to what Rockruff did just now." Kiawe admitted as he recognized a similar strategy.
For Ash, he was more concentrated on helping himself and his Pokémon to win the final match.
"Rowlet, are you okay?" Ash asked, as Rowlet struggled to stand before he gave a hoot of affirmation! Grinning, the Kanto Trainer was ready to make a comeback.
"Great! In that case, let's use Peck!" Ash called out, causing Rowlet to charge with his beak aiming to hit the Puppy Pokémon!
"A head-on attack? What is he...? Rockruff, counter Rowlet with Rock Slide!" Kaito shot back. Wasting no time once again, the Puppy Pokémon let out a howl to summon more rocks to counter Rowlet.
But with Rowlet being able to fly through the rocks and dodge most of them coming, the Peck attack did its work, knocking the Rock Type back!
"Ah!" Kaito gasped as he watched his Rock Type skid back, panting from the little hits he's taken so far.
"Rockruff!?" Kaito exclaimed as he blinked in shock, noticing how exhausted Rockruff looked right now.
"No... Could Rockruff have not recovered from his last battle against Camilla and her Litten? He only took little damage so far and yet he already looks so fatigued!" Kaito thought as Rockruff continued to pant from the wounds he gained.
"If that's the case, then I can't let Rockruff risk taking another hit! This battle will have to end quick!" Kaito thought as he made one last call for an attack.
"One more attack's the limit, so let's make this count, Rockruff! Use Rock Slide one more time!" Kaito yelled. Howling again, the boulders began to fall to where Rowlet was flying at, much to the Kanto Trainer's surprise.
"Rock Slide again? Rowlet, use Leafage to counter!" Ash shouted out. Hooting loudly, the Grass Quill Pokémon spun around. The Leafage leaves were sent, countering the rocks until they struck Rockruff! Howling in pain, Rockruff was knocked back.
"No! Rockruff!" Kaito exclaimed as he watched his Rock Type get defeated by the super effective attack. He could only watch as his Puppy Pokémon groan in defeat, unconscious from the Grass Type attack he was hit with.
"Rockruff is unable to continue! So Rowlet is the winner!" Hala declared, gesturing to Ash's side.
Kaito: 1 Pokémon
"Alright! Way to go, Rowlet!"
"Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu praised their Grass-Flying Type friend for his hard work. The Grass Quill Pokémon hooted proudly as the Alola boy slowly returned Rockruff back to his Pokéball as he bit his lips.
"I'm sorry, Rockruff... for being so blind to the wounds you haven't recovered from." Kaito said silently. Buizel could only watch at his human brother in concern before he watched to see Kaito turning to him with a serious expression.
"Buizel, let's show them what you've really got." Kaito said seriously, causing Buizel to nod in affirmation as he headed to the battling stage to face the already weakened Rowlet.
"So it's all up to Buizel again..." Kiawe pointed out, with Lillie expressing her worry.
"I'm starting to get a little worried... Isn't this the first time Kaito's been acting too worked up like this?" Lillie asked, causing the others to see how serious Kaito was acting, only for the Alola Professor to correct her.
"No, Lillie... This isn't the first time he's acting all worked up like this. In fact, this is just one of those times he acts like this when he's in a battle or when he's in a dire situation." Prof. Kukui explained, causing the students to all look at their teacher in surprise.
"So, what do you think is going to happen now, Professor?" Mallow asked. The Alola Professor didn't respond, as he just watched to see the second part of the final match to begin with Ash making the first move.
"Buizel's a Water Type Pokémon, so a Grass Type move should work! Rowlet, use Leafage again!" Ash called out. Spinning once again to unleash Leafage, the leaves surrounded Buizel this time. But this time, Kaito wasn't too concerned as he called out a countermove!
"Leafage is going to be trouble if this keeps up. Buizel, counter Leafage with Ice Beam!" Kaito shot back. Spinning in the air, the Sea Weasel Pokémon froze all the leaves from Leafage with the Ice Type move!
But just as Buizel froze the Grass Type attack, he didn't notice to see Rowlet suddenly behind him!
"Look out! Rowlet's behind you, Bui!" Kaito exclaimed, causing Buizel to widen his eyes before Ash called out a command to knock his opponent down.
"Now, use Tackle!" Ash shouted out, allowing the Grass Quill Pokémon to kick Buizel away with his talon! The Sea Weasel Pokémon yelled in pain before he skidded on the ground, resisting the impact he had taken from the attack just now.
"That was a hard hit..." Kaito grunted as he bit his lips. Buizel glared at Rowlet, who only glared back as the Kanto Trainer continued the battle with the next attack.
"Let's keep up the pace! Rowlet, use Peck one more time!" Ash called out. Flying in the air, the Grass Quill Pokémon attempted to strike Buizel again, this time with a Flying Type attack.
"Another head-on attack... It won't work this time, Ash! Buizel, get ready!" Kaito called out. Buizel nodded as he waited for the right moment to attack. Ash blinked in confusion as Rowlet continued to get closer and closer to where Buizel stood!
"Now! Ice Beam!" Kaito shouted out, allowing Buizel to freeze Rowlet cold with a close range Ice Type attack!
"Ah! Rowlet!" Ash exclaimed as he watched the ice encasing Rowlet shatter before he witnessed the Grass Quill Pokémon groaning in defeat as he fell onto his back, unconscious from the cold power he was hit with.
"Rowlet is unable to continue! Buizel is the winner!" Hala declared, gesturing to where both Kaito and Buizel stood.
Ash: 1 Pokémon
"Rowlet lost... So that leaves Ash with just Pikachu..." Hau pointed out as Camilla nodded before she made a point of what could happen.
"This is going to be a tough and intense battle between those two... They're using their partners like I've done when Kaito and I battled with our partner Pokémon..." Camilla pointed out as the students watched to see Ash send out Pikachu after calling Rowlet back.
"Pikachu, I choose you! Let's win this final match!" Ash called out, causing the Electric Type to give a determined cry before he faced Buizel, who was more than ready to take his Electric Type friend on.
"Hey, Kai!" Ash called out, catching Kaito's attention as he watched the Kanto Trainer grin before he gave a reminder.
"The last time we had a battle, it was Pikachu against Buizel! We never got to finish that battle, so this will decide everything!" Ash declared, causing the Alola boy to blink before he smiled, closing his eyes in realization.
"Yeah... I do. And you're right. This will decide everything." Kaito spoke out, earning a nod from the Kanto Trainer.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu added, reminding Buizel of their first battle against each other.
"Bui... Bu bui!" Buizel shot back, as he was willing to give it all he's got with his human brother at his side.
With both sides realizing that they both desire to give it the best they've got, the battle began after the boys called out their first attacks.
"Pikachu, start this off with a Thunderbolt!"
"Buizel, let's start off with a cool Ice Beam!"
Thunderbolt and Ice Beam was launched at each other, both colliding with another! The collision created an explosion, causing the two moves to cancel each other out. But as it occurred, Kaito was already calling out his next attack.
"That smoke... Buizel, charge in with Aqua Jet!" Kaito called out. Surrounding himself with water, the Sea Weasel Pokémon charged into the smoke to cover himself while Pikachu watched carefully for the Water Type to come out.
"Buizel can come out at any time! So stay sharp, Pikachu!" Ash reminded, causing the Mouse Pokémon to cry out in affirmation. But just as he was told, Pikachu was knocked into the ground from above!
"What!?" Ash gasped. He didn't expect Buizel to come from above as the Aqua Jet made a direct hit! The Electric Type skidded back, as he managed to resist the blunt force he had taken just now from the surprise attack.
"Always expect the unexpected, Ash! Buizel, Rain Dance!" Kaito called out. Raising his paws in the air, the Sea Weasel Pokémon summoned rain clouds to make the battle more to his advantage!
Rain began to pour down as the Kanto Trainer realized what this meant.
"If it's raining, then... Buizel will get even faster! It's just like when he used Rain Dance to boost Buizel's speed to win against Camilla and Ribombee..." Ash spoke, as he remembered on how fast the attacks were as it was due to Agility and the Swift Swim ability combo.
"Now, Buizel! Use Agility with Aqua Jet!" Kaito called out. Buizel let out a battle cry before he surrounded himself with water again while boosting his speed! And with the rain pouring down, his ability began to take effect!
Pikachu found himself taking back-to-back hits from the Aqua Jet attacks without even a break!
"Stay strong, Pikachu! Try countering with Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted out. Despite the multiple hits the Mouse Pokémon was taking, Pikachu found himself being able to perform a Thunderbolt attack! It struck the clouds again, causing Kaito to notice this before he frowned.
"Buizel, be careful! This could end up just like with what happened last time we battled!" Kaito reminded, causing Buizel to be aware as he kept on his attacks! Eventually, the next Aqua Jet attack knocked Pikachu onto the ground!
"Pikachu!?" Ash gasped as he watched his Electric Type partner fall to the ground, feeling beaten up for all the hits he had taken from Aqua Jet earlier. But despite the hits he had taken, the Electric Type managed to get back up, causing Kaito to narrow his eyes.
"Just as I thought... Of course those two wouldn't go down this easily, even with the advantage that Buizel is getting from the speed and power boost from Rain Dance..." Kaito thought.
"One more strike! Aqua Jet!" Kaito called out. The Sea Weasel Pokémon shot towards Pikachu again, only for the Kanto Trainer to counter back!
"Not this time! Iron Tail, let's go!" Ash shot back. Readying his Steel Type attack, the Electric Type watched carefully to see Buizel closing in fast! Then, with the timing being narrowly correct, the Iron Tail made contact!
Buizel was thrown into the air by the impact of the attack, much to the Alola boy's surprise as he watched Buizel get knocked back.
"No way! Buizel!" Kaito exclaimed. But just as he was about to give an order, electricity from the clouds started to crackle before a lightning bolt shocked Buizel hard! The Sea Weasel Pokémon yelled in pain as he tumbled onto the ground, with his body paralyzed from the hard shock he had taken!
"Buizel, no!" Kaito exclaimed as he watched Buizel slowly start to get up from the powerful shock he had taken just now.
"The lightning bolt... Was that from...!?" Sophocles started to ask, with Lillie giving the answer.
"Right! It came from Pikachu's Thunderbolt earlier!" Lillie answered as Lana watched in worry.
"Buizel looks like he's in pain..." Lana spoke out. Popplio barked out softly in worry as the Sea Weasel Pokémon gritted his teeth, before he managed to hold his ground from the major damage he had taken just now.
"Buizel...?" Kaito breathed out in worry as he bit his lips.
"Argh! I can't believe I was too careless! To think that Pikachu's Thunderbolt at the clouds would strike Buizel now! If this keeps up, then Buizel is going to lose badly if the paralysis goes on...!" Kaito thought as he tried to strike back.
"Come on, Buizel! I know you can still move! Use Aqua Jet!" Kaito called out. But as Buizel tried to surround himself with water, he winced! Electricity crackled around his body, catching the Alola boy by surprise.
"The paralysis!? It's holding Buizel back!?" Kaito exclaimed in disbelief as Ash continued the battle.
"Quick Attack, let's go!" Ash shouted out. Pikachu dashed forward and knocked the Sea Weasel Pokémon away with his speed!
Tumbling back, the Sea Weasel Pokémon managed to get back up again as the Alola boy began to shake a little.
"This feeling... This is really bad. If Buizel takes another direct hit from one of Pikachu's Electric Type attacks, then Buizel's done for! And not to mention, that paralysis is holding Buizel back... What am I going to do!?" Kaito thought as he began to panic in his mind.
"Bu bui!"
Buizel's call snapped the Alola boy out of his mind as he looked to see the Sea Weasel Pokémon giving him a weak glare, as if he was telling him to snap out of it.
"Buizel...?" Kaito spoke silently as Buizel continued his glare at the Alola boy. At the glare Buizel was giving him, Kaito blinked before he sighed, bonking onto his head with his hand.
"Ugh... Idiot. What am I thinking...? Buizel hasn't given up yet in the battle. So why am I panicking? If Buizel didn't give up yet, then I shouldn't, either. After all, this is one battle I don't want to lose in, especially whether I'm up against a friend or not!" Kaito thought as he slapped his cheeks with his two hands.
Shaking his head, the Alola boy smiled sheepishly at his Sea Weasel Pokémon, who seemed to notice that his human brother had snapped out of his panicking thoughts.
"Yeah... You're right, Bui. Panicking right now isn't going to get me or you anywhere... Sorry about that." Kaito said apologetically, causing Buizel to nod back with a small smile as Ash smiled back with a raised eyebrow.
"Looks like Kai is back on the game... Okay! You ready, Pikachu?" Ash asked, causing the Electric Type to nod as both Kaito and Buizel got ready to counter back.
"Let's keep the pressure up! Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash called out, allowing his Mouse Pokémon to unleash the ball made of electricity to where Buizel stood!
"It's coming! Buizel, dodge it quick!" Kaito shouted out. Managing to resist the paralysis, the Sea Weasel Pokémon spun in the air to let the Electro Ball zip past him! The Kanto Trainer and Pikachu both widened their eyes in surprise as Kaito called out his next attack.
"And now, let's pay them back with Ice Beam!" Kaito exclaimed. Forming ice in his mouth, the Sea Weasel Pokémon shot the Ice Type attack to where Pikachu stood! The Mouse Pokémon yelled in pain as he tumbled back from the cold attack he was hit with!
"Pikachu!?" Ash gasped as he watched the Electric Type recover before he glared to where Buizel stood. Just as the Mouse Pokémon recovered, the boys began to make their one last attack against each other to end the final battle.
"Well, Ash... The battle was starting to get good, but I think it's time we end this right here!" Kaito declared as he revealed the Sea Gauntlet that had the Waterium-Z attached to it. Ash grinned back, as he revealed his Z-Ring with the Electrium-Z.
"They're both going to use their Z-Moves at the same time?" Kiawe asked in surprise, causing Camilla to sigh before she pouted.
"They're doing the same thing like I did with Kaito back at our battle..." Camilla grumbled as both Trainers began to make poses and transfer their Z-Power to their starter Pokémon!
"Let's do this... No more holding back! No more hesitation! Let's show everyone how strong we are when our mind and body is one!" Kaito called out loud.
"We can do this, too! Go! Pikachu! Full power... NOW!" Ash shouted out loud.
The two starters gathered enough power to shoot at each other as the two Trainers yelled out the Z-Moves to begin their attack!
"Hydro Vortex, let's go!"
"Gigavolt Havoc! Let's go!"
The two Z-Moves were launched at each other as Buizel was onto the physical type of Z-Move, with Pikachu being on the special type of Z-Move! The two moves collided with another, both attempting to overcome with another.
"Is it a tie!?" Mallow exclaimed as everyone watched carefully before the two Z-Moves created a big explosion! Everyone had to hold their ground and cover themselves to keep themselves from being blown back as they watched to see smoke covering the entire battling platform.
"Who won?!" Hau called out as no answer was given yet.
Moments later, the smoke began to clear up before the boys were revealed to the crowd! As for their starter Pokémon, the smoke cleared away for everyone to see! Both Buizel and Pikachu were really battered up. Not only that, they were both panting in exhaustion from the hard battling they did against each other.
Just as they looked like they could keep fighting, the two of them began to lose consciousness as they both fell onto the ground at the same time.
"Pikachu!?"
"Buizel!?"
Both boys expressed their concerns for their Pokémon as Hala realized what this meant.
"Both Pikachu and Buizel are unable to continue! With both side unable to continue, the final match ends in a draw!" Hala declared, causing the crowd to cheer for the great battle the two finalists pulled off just now.
DRAW
Both boys ran over to where their starter Pokémon were as they both held them in their arms.
"Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash asked as the Mouse Pokémon weakly smiled at his human partner, causing the Kanto Trainer to smile back in appreciation.
"Thanks for giving it your all out there, buddy..." Ash said gratefully.
"Pika..." Pikachu spoke weakly as Kaito held his weakened Water Type into his arms.
"How about you, Bui? Are you okay?" Kaito asked, only for Buizel to slowly raise his head and nuzzle noses with his human brother, causing the Alola boy to soften his eyes before he embraced his Water Type gently in appreciation.
"I'm happy that you're okay, Bui. We may not have won, but we still gave it our all, right?" Kaito asked, causing Buizel to give a weak grunt.
"Bu..." Buizel grunted out weakly.
"Let's give a round of applause to the boys who showed us all a great battle, despite of the results having no winners!" Hala declared, causing the crowd and the Pokémon School students to applaud for the boys and their Pokémon for their hard work in battle.
As the crowd applauded, both boys shook hands with one another for a tough battle they did together.
"Great battle, Kai! Let's do it again someday!" Ash declared with a grin on his face.
"The same to you, Ash. Let's just hope that one of us wins on that day." Kaito said, causing the Kanto Trainer to chuckle before he accepted those words.
"It's a deal!" Ash shot back excitedly. Both Buizel and Pikachu gazed at each other with determined expressions on their faces. They too, want to battle against each other again someday when the time is right.
As the boys spoke their words, they were surrounded by the crowd and their friends applauding and cheering for them for making a great finish for the tournament today.
Meanwhile...
The man who pushed Kaito earlier before the tournament began was trudging around with a scoff and with his teeth gritting in annoyance.
"What the heck is wrong with me...? I should've been able to take that pipsqueak down! But instead, I... Tch!" The man grunted angrily. He was about to do something rash, until he heard something ringing onto his pants pocket.
Taking it out, the man answered the call to his phone with a stern expression on his face.
"Yeah, boss?... Yes... Yes... No, I wasn't able to enter the competition due to some brats getting in the way... Yeah... Yeah, one of them had that weird Gauntlet like you said he would... Huh...? Oh... That's interesting..."
As the conversation between the man and his boss continued on, he found himself starting to feel interested as he smirked.
"Yeah... So that's the kid you were aiming for? I see... I see... So, that's how it is." The man chuckled with a sneer.
"Oh? When? Huh... I see... All right, then. I'll wait for further orders, then. But I can't promise that I won't want to enjoy myself with the kid for a little bit... All right." The man said as he finished his call with his boss. As he did so, the man sneered in amusement.
"To think... that kid was what we were after this whole time..." The man chuckled before he began to laugh all the way as he kept walking down the path. Unknown to him, he was watched by a familiar pair of eyes that were glaring at him in annoyance.
A growl came from the figure as it watched the man make his way on the path to a different route or to a different town or city.
To be continued...
Kaito's Team:
Buizel (M): (Ice Beam, Agility, Rain Dance, Aqua Jet)
Rockruff (M): (Crunch, Sand Attack, Rock Slide, Howl)
Next chapters:
Chapter 25: The Pancake Race Preparation
Chapter 26: The Pancake Race is a Blast!
Chapter 27: Getting to Know You, Vulpix!
Chapter 28: The Young Fire Burns in the Heart!
Chapter 29: The Wild Stones Handle the Fire!
Next chapter preview:
Mallow: There's going to be a Pokémon Pancake Race soon. That's why we're training hard as we can to compete in it!
Hau: Oh wow... I've watched Pancake Races before but this year will be my first time participating in it! Gotta have fun in that!
Ash: Pokémon Pancake Race, huh? That sounds fun! I wonder if I should try it out and see if I can get to the top!
Nina: I think you should! You're gonna love the challenge and what courses there could be during the race!
Kaito: Should I? Or should I not? This is a very tempting offer if I want to win those pancake prizes...
Seita: I want to try! I want to try! The Pancake Race is something I've wanted to be a part of ever since I watched it for the first time!
Events that occurred:
- Kaito defeats Camilla, which advances him to the finals
- The battle between Ash and Kaito ends in a draw, allowing them both to win the Pokémon Festival Tournament