Chapter 25: The Pancake Race Preparation
"Huh..." was all Kaito could say at the moment. He and Ash had visited Mallow's family restaurant for today until they noticed Mallow training Bounsweet to do something... And that was... carrying pancakes on a plate?
The Kanto Trainer was more confused, but the Alola boy couldn't help but express his confusion, too. He didn't expect Mallow to be doing something like this... whatever she's doing at the moment.
"Way to go, Bounsweet!" Mallow praised her Pokémon, causing Bounsweet to happily cry out before she bounced the pancake stack up high in the air before she caught the whole stack of it bit by bit, making her little trick a success in the process.
"Pika...?"
"Bui...?
"Ruff?" Even Pikachu, Buizel, and Rockruff were confused as to what the little Grass Type was doing. Rotom turned to the two boys with the question everyone except Mallow had in their minds.
"Do you have any idea what Bounsweet's up to?" Rotom buzzed, causing Ash to shake his head before he tried to call out his classmate.
"Beats me... Mallow!" Ash called out, only to be stopped by her sudden sharp tone.
"Not now! We're concentrating!" Mallow spoke sharply, causing the Kanto Trainer to gulp and straighten himself out.
"Right!" Ash gulped, until Kaito raised an eyebrow as he tried to call Mallow also.
"Concentrating on doing what? Bouncing training? Whatever you and Bounsweet are doing, we just want to know what it is!" Kaito called out, only to get a glare from Mallow as she snapped at the Alola boy.
"Argh! I'll tell you later! Can we talk later!? You're distracting us!" Mallow snapped, causing the Alola boy to twitch his eyes before he sighed, putting his hands on the back of his head.
"Whatever..." grumbled the Alola boy, causing the Kanto Trainer to give a sheepish smile to his Alola friend.
"Now that's the spirit, Bounsweet! All right, full speed!" Mallow called out, as she encouraged her Grass Type to keep going whatever she's doing. Bounsweet gave an affirmative cry before she started to bounce and move even faster!
As soon as she passed Mallow, the Grass Type user stopped her timer and was amazed with the speed her partner had done this time.
"Wow! And you did it all in great time!" Mallow exclaimed, causing the Fruit Pokémon to be proud of herself as she jumped up and down, overjoyed with the success of their pancake training.
Raising an eyebrow, the Alola boy turned to the Kanto Trainer, who just shrugged as Mallow became confident on whatever they were going to do later.
"If we keep training every day until the race, your time will get even quicker!" Mallow assured, causing the Fruit Pokémon to fly up a little happily. And with the training done, the Kanto Trainer was finally able to ask Mallow on what this was all about.
"Did you say race?" Ash asked, causing Mallow to blink before she turned to the two boys.
"Oh, that's right! I guess the two of you wouldn't know about it. It's a Melemele tradition! The Pokémon Pancake Race!" Mallow explained, causing the boys to be intrigued for what she just said.
"The Pokémon Pancake Race?" Ash repeated in confusion.
"Funny... If it's a Melemele tradition, then how come this is the first time I'm hearing about it? I've been living in the Alola region for a few years, so I should've known something like this in the past!" Kaito asked, as he felt a little left out for missing the past races.
"Oh... That's actually because... during the races, you were sick at those times! And there was also a time when you got hurt, which made you unable to compete in the previous Pancake Races..." Mallow explained, causing Kaito to sweat drop.
"Huh... Oh yeah... Three years ago, I caught a fever and wasn't able to move for a few days. Then after that year, I broke my ankle due to some people not watching where they were going when they were making deliveries... And the year after that, I got sick again..." Kaito thought bitterly.
Buizel gave his human brother a sad smile before he gave him a pat on the back to comfort him. Rockruff did the same by nuzzling his rocky collar onto his Trainer's arm, causing the Alola boy to smile at his two Pokémon giving him comfort.
"I've never heard of the Pokémon Pancake Race before." Rotom buzzed in, allowing the Grass Type to think before he suggested to her two friends to join in.
"I know! Why don't you two join in all the fun, Ash? Kaito? Anyone can participate, the rules are simple, and I know you'll have lots of fun!" Mallow assured brightly, causing the Kanto Trainer to grin while Kaito smiled in interest.
"Hey, maybe I'll give it a shot!" Ash exclaimed, with Kaito speaking his words.
"I've missed three years of this... So sure! I'll participate in it." Kaito agreed, causing the Grass Type user to nod and smile at their interest.
"Great! And the day of the race is just like a giant festival!" Mallow added, causing the Kanto Trainer to be excited for what's about to come soon while Kaito on the other hand, was hoping to know what the race will be really like during the day it happens.
(Pokémon Opening: Breathe English Subbed)
(I do not own this ending song)
A music chart full of positive words
Giving a supportive push even when you didn't ask
(Kaito opens his eyes, before revealing the Sea Gauntlet, which began to shine brightly)
(The opening title reveals itself on the screen)
You are doing your best already
Don't know why you're rushing and forcing yourself to change something
(Shiho trips, much to Seita's surprise until Kaito helps his little sister up, causing Shiho to smile)
(Kaito is joined by Buizel and Rockruff, before he turns to see Ash and the rest of his classmates calling to him while running towards him)
Do you think that you're not good enough now? If you don't act quick enough
(Hau is eating a malasada with Pichu and Eevee before he blinks, turning to the window of the malasada shop to see dark clouds)
(Camilla is enjoying her time at the beach with Austin, Comfey, Fomantis, Litten, and Cutiefly until she notices the dark clouds)
Can you not make it to the future?
(Kaito watches the sky as he sighs before Ash puts his arm around his shoulder, much to his surprise as Ash grins at him)
(The boys watch with Shiho and Seita, seeing Buizel and Pikachu sparring together, with Rowlet and Rockruff against one another)
The negative is only an important fragment of
Your spectacular journey
(Kaito is near the ocean until he turns to see unknown people sending out their Pokémon to attack him)
(Kaito tries to defend himself only for the enemies to blast all their attacks on him)
(Just as Kaito looked like he was hit, a giant thunderbolt repelled the attacks, revealing Zeraora)
Why not just be as you are
If you make an unassuming voice, it will echo
(Storm clouds gather before a giant wave splashes in the air)
(Camilla holds her necklace to her, looking afraid until she's comforted by her Pokémon)
(A boy walks up on a cliff with a Rockruff, who has a strange gemstone attached on its neck)
I've heard it from a well-known phrase, before you know it, it will still remain unchanged
(King Kaisuke reunites with Shizuka, who smiles at the Sea King with tears welling up in her eyes)
(A Primarina uses Oceanic Operetta, as the giant water orb explodes, splashing water everywhere)
Even if it doesn't become famous, it's still your song
(Kaito and Ash faces Zeraora with Pikachu and Buizel as the battle gets intense)
(Kaito opens his eyes again, only to be sleeping on the beach with all of his friends and Pokémon)
(Opening End)
After hearing about the Pancake Race from Mallow, Kaito made a decision to participate in the Pokémon Pancake Race. But first, he accompanied Ash to meet with Prof. Kukui, as the Alola Professor needed to do some shopping at the store at the city.
It took a while, but by the time they were finished, the boys and the Professor had their hands full carrying the shopping bags. Pikachu, Buizel, and the two Rockruff walked with them as the Alola Professor checked the supplies of what he needed.
"Let's see... I guess we've gotten enough for a while. And thanks for helping me and Ash out with the shopping, Kaito." Prof. Kukui said gratefully, causing the Alola boy to sigh as he kept walking with a small pout on his face.
"I still don't understand on why I needed to help shopping when it's for your house and not mine, Professor." Kaito grumbled, causing the Alola Professor to chuckle sheepishly before Ash noticed on how much they bought.
"There's so much! How come?" Ash asked, causing the Alola Professor to explain.
"Someone in my house has a big appetite." Prof. Kukui explained, causing Kaito to raise an eyebrow before he gave a glance towards Ash, then to where Pikachu was walking.
"A big appetite, huh..." Kaito repeated before he and the others stopped in front of a restaurant, which gave Prof. Kukui a thought of something as he turned to the boys with a suggestion for the both of them.
"Uh... say, boys? Want to grab a quick bite with me?" Prof. Kukui asked, causing Ash to grin as he immediately accepted the request.
"I sure do!"
"Pika!"
"Rock! Ruff! Ruff!" Ash called out, with Pikachu taking the suggestion, too. Even the Professor's Rockruff barked happily, as he wanted to get a quick bite to eat, too! As for the Alola boy, Kaito blinked before he nodded slowly, before accepting the invitation.
"If it's okay, then yes."
"Bu bui!"
"Ruff! Ruff!" Kaito spoke before Buizel and Rockruff contently accepted the Professor's request. For Rotom, it was confused as to who the Professor was referring to, as he had mentioned about someone having a big appetite.
"I wonder who that 'someone' is..." Rotom spoke, causing the Alola boy to chuckle at the Pokédex's confusion. With everyone agreeing to accept the invitation, the boys and the Alola Professor headed inside the restaurant with their Pokémon friends at their side.
As they went in, they were greeted by a girl that seemed to be a waitress of the restaurant as she greeted the new customers coming in just now.
"Professor Kukui. It's nice to see you!" The girl greeted, allowing the Alola Professor to recognize the girl in front of him.
"You too, Nina!" Prof. Kukui called back, before he noticed the poster about the Pokémon Pancake Race! It had the picture of both Nina and a Pokémon that looked like a Raichu, but in a different form!
"Ah... Is it that time of year already? Time flies." Prof. Kukui asked, before Ash recognized on what the poster was about.
"Hey! The Pokémon Pancake Race!" Ash exclaimed, causing the Professor to turn to the Kanto Trainer in surprise.
"Ash, you heard of it before?" Prof. Kukui asked, allowing the Alola boy to explain as both Buizel and Rockruff climbed up onto his shoulders.
"That's right... I heard about it, too. Mallow explained it to us about the race coming up. She invited the two of us to join in on the fun." Kaito explained, which made Nina brighten up and smile at the new participants entering the fun.
"I think you both should! You're going to have the best time!" Nina assured, until Ash noticed something about the girl and the poster.
"Hold on... You're the girl on the poster, aren't you?" Ash asked, causing Nina to introduce herself before she called in a familiar Pokémon.
"I'm Nina. Raichu?" Nina called out, catching the attention of a familiar Electric Type Pokémon! Raichu was tending to the customers before it heard Nina calling out to it, causing the evolved Electric Type to float to where its Trainer was.
The Mouse Pokémon greeted the newcomers before Nina introduced her partner to the boys and the Professor.
"This is my partner, Raichu." Nina explained, as Kaito blinked. Prof. Kukui explained to the boys of what Nina and Raichu were at the last year's Pancake Race.
"Nina and Raichu were champions at last year's Pokémon Pancake Race!" Prof. Kukui explained, surprising the boys before the Kanto Trainer expressed his amazement to see the champions in front of his eyes.
"You two are champions!? All right!" Ash exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. Pikachu was more shocked than amazed as he couldn't believe it himself.
"That's a surprise..." Kaito admitted briefly in awe. Buizel and Rockruff were too, both awed to be meeting the Pancake Race's champion as Ash grinned at the evolved Mouse Pokémon.
"Wow, Raichu... I can see why you're the champion! The way you can float like that is cool!" Ash exclaimed, amazed with the ability that this Raichu had with it. The praise made the Mouse Pokémon puff its chest out proudly as Rotom scanned the Alolan Pokémon.
"Raichu, Alola Form. The Mouse Pokémon. An Electric and Psychic Type. Raichu manipulates electricity with its mind, and its psychic powers allow it to use its tail as transportation." Rotom buzzed in explanation.
"Awesome... So it's not just an Electric Type. It's a Psychic Type, too!" Ash breathed out in amazement. Kaito had to agree with the Kanto Trainer on how impressive the Mouse Pokémon looked. If this Pokémon was entering the competition, then it was going to be very difficult.
Nevertheless, the boys and the Professor allowed Nina to take them to where there was a table free for them to use as they awaited for their pancakes. It was only a few minutes when Nina arrived with Raichu holding three plates of large stacks of pancakes!
"And here you go! Three Alola pancake stacks, coming up!" Nina called out, causing Raichu to cry out affirmatively.
"Look at that! They look so delicious!" Prof. Kukui commented, with Ash being awed by the looks of it, too.
"Sure do... Oh, man!" Ash exclaimed as Kaito gulped.
"I didn't think the stacks would be that big..." Kaito admitted as the plates were set in front of them by the Mouse Pokémon.
"They're about the same size as the stack you'll have for the race!" Nina explained as the Kanto Trainer grinned, as he was more than ready to dig in.
"I can't wait!" Ash exclaimed, feeling excited about the race coming up as Kaito took his plate in thanks. With the final plate set for Prof. Kukui, Nina explained more about the race and what rules there were in order to win or get disqualified.
"If the stack falls or you drop your plate, you're immediately disqualified, but it's so much fun!" Nina explained, causing the Kanto Trainer to turn to where Pikachu was, who was at his right.
"What do you say? Wanna be in it with me?" Ash asked, causing Pikachu to happily nod and accept the invitation from his best friend. But just as he accepted, he heard a taunting cry coming from behind!
"Rai rai..." Raichu smirked, causing Pikachu to glare angrily at his newfound Alola rival.
"Pikachu...!" Pikachu growled, causing Raichu to growl back. The two Electric Type butted their faces against each other, sparks sparkling out of their cheeks! Kaito raised an eyebrow at this while Nina just giggled to see her partner getting fired up.
"I think Raichu's found a rival." Nina said with a smile. Kaito sighed at the sparkling rivalry going on between the two Electric Types until he heard something from his Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"Bui? Bui bui!" Buizel called out, causing the Alola boy to turn to where Buizel was at with Rockruff! The Sea Weasel Pokémon was staring at something or someone, making Kaito curious as to who it was.
As he scooted over to where his Water Type partner was, the Sea Weasel Pokémon was greeting someone that was a little distance away from them! To Kaito's eyes, it was a Pokémon that looked bigger, but very similar to Buizel!
"A Floatzel?" Kaito pointed out in question. His question caught Ash and Prof. Kukui's attention as they turned to where the Floatzel was! The evolved Water Type smiled timidly before Nina giggled, recognizing on who the Alola boy was referring to.
"Oh, that's Floatzel! My little brother's best friend, that is." Nina explained, causing Ash to turn to her in question.
"Little brother?" The Kanto Trainer repeated in confusion until he heard a young voice calling out to the evolved Water Type.
"Floatzel!" A young boy called out. The evolved Water Type turned to see a young boy running over to him with a small smile on his face. Kaito noticed that the boy was a little younger than both him and Ash, and yet... he looked caring and reliable, like a real Trainer.
The boy had the same hair color as Nina, but a little more spiky and masculine. He wore a white sleeveless shirt with a water droplet along with beige shorts. He even wore navy sandals on his feet, as the boy pulled onto Floatzel's arm.
"Come on! The Pokémon Pancake Race is coming up soon! We need to train extra hard so we can beat sis and Raichu, right?" The boy asked, causing the evolved Water Type to slowly nod, the timid smile rising up on its face.
That made the boy smile back as he was about to leave with his Floatzel, until he noticed the stares he was getting from the Alola Professor, the Alola boy, the Kanto Trainer, and the Pokémon that heard the small commotion also.
"Oh! I'm sorry for being loud!" The boy said apologetically as he gave a small bow to apologize before he ran out of the restaurant with Floatzel running from behind. As they left, Kaito questioned as to who it was.
"Was that your little brother that just left?" Kaito asked, causing Nina to nod in affirmation.
"Yes... His name is Kotaro! He adores Water Type Pokémon, especially with Floatzel!" Nina explained, causing Buizel to think about the boy and his Floatzel a little before he turned to his human brother with a determined look.
"Bui! Bu bui!" Buizel called out, causing Kaito to smile in understanding as he knew what the Sea Weasel Pokémon wanted to do.
"I get it... We'll compete in the race, too. You and me!" Kaito assured, causing Buizel to grin. As for Rockruff, the strong Puppy Pokémon whined a little for not being able to participate in the competition until he was comforted by Prof. Kukui's Rockruff and Buizel!
"Nina? Would you mind telling us a little more about the race?" Ash asked, only to get a shake of the head from the young waitress.
"Not at all! But first, you should eat your lunch." Nina remined, causing the Kanto Trainer to get with it.
"Good deal!" Ash exclaimed as he stared at his stack of pancakes that he was about to eat with the Professor and his Alola friend.
"Dig in! I'll bet that pancake stack brings you two some good luck. So, what do you boys say?" Prof. Kukui asked, causing the boys to agree with the Alola Professor.
"Down the hatch!" The three called out as they began their meal. Slicing off a bit of pancake, the three all took a bite out of it before they commented on how very delicious it tasted to them!
"Delicious!"
"They're the BEST!"
"I definitely feel like I can eat more!"
They all continued to eat until Ash noticed that Pikachu was staring at him with his mouth drooling. Not wanting to let his Electric Type friend be left out, the Kanto Trainer offered a piece of pancake for Pikachu to try and enjoy.
"You want some, Pikachu?" Ash asked, causing the Electric Type to cry out happily.
"PIKA!" Pikachu exclaimed eagerly as Ash fed him a piece of the pancake. As soon as Pikachu chewed onto it, his eyes shined brightly like stars as he held his cheeks ecstatically at the delicious taste!
"You too, Rockruff!" Prof. Kukui called out as he let his Puppy Pokémon get a good taste of the pancake. As the energetic Puppy Pokémon took a bite out of it, he made the same reaction as Pikachu did, crying out happily with his eyes sparkling by a lot.
For the Alola boy, he did the same for his Pokémon, only to cut two pieces of his pancake for Buizel and Rockruff to try.
"Okay, you two! Bottoms up!" Kaito called as his two Pokémon eagerly chewed onto the pieces of pancakes given to them before they cried out in content, both delighted with how delicious the pancake tasted to them.
Later...
After having pancakes for lunch, the Alola Professor left for his house to let Ash and Kaito train for the upcoming Pokémon Pancake Race. Nina asked her little brother to join in too, causing Kotaro and Floatzel to aid the boys in their training.
Ash trained with Nina while Kaito trained with Kotaro, causing Pikachu and Raichu to train together while Buizel and Floatzel trained together. The Water Type users were at one side while the Electric Type users were at the other side.
Raichu had no problem, thanks to his ability to levitate in the air while holding his pancake stack, but Pikachu was having trouble due to his inexperience on running while trying to be careful to not let anything fall from his back.
Buizel seemed to have a similar problem, yet he was doing fairly well. But as for the evolved Water Type, Floatzel was a little too nervous to move or train, causing Kotaro to be a little concerned with his best friend.
"That's the way it's done, Raichu!" Nina called out, as she cheered for her partner to keep up the pace.
"Rai rai rai!" Raichu gloated as he easily slipped past his pre-evolved form, while Pikachu could only watch his new rival get ahead of him too easily as he began to wear out a little!
"Looking good, buddy!" Ash called out, encouraging his Electric Type partner to keep moving.
"Pikachu's slowly picking up speed! You're moving up from a 5-kilometer start!" Rotom buzzed, his screen showing on how "fired up" he looked to encourage the Mouse Pokémon to pick up the pace.
"You're picking up speed, Bui! Keep it up!" Kaito called out, as he encouraged his Water Type to keep moving.
"Bu bui!" Buizel exclaimed as he picked up speed again, causing him to leave Floatzel behind, who began to hesitate as he kept running on his legs while holding the pancakes with his furry orange arms.
"Come on, Floatzel! I know you can go faster! Do it!" Kotaro cheered, causing Floatzel to lose a bit of his hesitation as he slowly began to pick up the pace, too. Eventually, the two Water Types were getting near to where the boys were. And so were Pikachu and Raichu!
"Now, Raichu! Time to give it the gas!" Nina called out, with Ash doing the same for Pikachu.
"You too, buddy!" Ash shouted out. At the shouts, Pikachu slowly began to catch up to Raichu! Rotom noticed this and was shocked at the quick development!
"You've increased your speed to 15 kilometers per hour!" Rotom buzzed in surprise. But despite the increase of speed, Pikachu was still no match for the evolved Mouse Pokémon as Raichu mocked Pikachu before he arrived to where Nina was!
Pikachu followed behind a second later, arriving to where the Kanto Trainer stood as the Trainers praised their Pokémon for their efforts in their speed.
"Raichu, that was great! If you keep up this pace, we'll be able to win this year as well!" Nina assured brightly, causing the evolved Mouse Pokémon to agree happily.
"Your stack's in perfect order! Shall we aim to shave three minutes off your time during the next practice?" Rotom suggested, causing the little Electric Type to agree reluctantly before Ash took the pancake stack off of his back.
"You gave it your all. Great!" praised Ash, causing the Mouse Pokémon to smile happily before Raichu sneered at him.
"Rai rai..." Raichu said in a mocking tone, snapping Pikachu as he glared back, growling at his evolved form with his red cheeks sparking with electricity! Raichu growled back, causing Nina to sigh at her Pokémon's childish rivalry with the pre-evolved Electric Type.
"Again? Oh dear, what am I to do with you?" Nina sighed as she held her partner up in her arms, allowing Raichu to lose his mocking attitude and tone and show how affectionate he was with his Trainer.
"You were great too, Pikachu! And that was your first time! And you didn't drop the plate or a single pancake! Keep practicing and you might have a shot at being a top finisher!" Nina assured confidently, getting Ash his hopes up as he grinned.
"You think so? Wouldn't that be awesome!?" Ash asked excitedly, causing the Mouse Pokémon to respond back happily as he lost his weariness expression. Just as the Kanto Trainer and his Electric Type partner was getting excited, they thought they heard something breaking nearby!
"Ah! Oh no..." Kotaro gasped, causing Ash and Nina to turn and see what happened. Floatzel had accidentally dropped his plate, causing the stack of pancakes to fall off while the plate was smashed into pieces.
"Float..." Floatzel said sadly, as he tried to apologize to Kotaro, who could see how sorry he was.
"Don't worry, Floatzel. I know that you didn't mean it. Let's just try to be careful when we're in the competition, okay?" Kotaro asked, earning a hesitant nod from the evolved Water Type.
"Kotaro? Is everything okay here?" Nina asked, causing the little brother of hers to nod with a sigh.
"Yeah... We just ended up having a small accident here. Nothing too much to worry about, sis." Kotaro assured as Kaito raised an eyebrow at the young boy, before he looked back to Floatzel, who was being comforted by his pre-evolved form.
"Bui bui..." Buizel said softly, causing his evolved form to give a timid, but grateful smile as the Alola boy turned to the younger brother of Nina.
"Is your Floatzel always like this?" Kaito asked, causing Kotaro to scratch the back of his head as he gave a sheepish smile.
"To be honest, yes... Floatzel was always like this, even when he's a Buizel." Kotaro explained as he began a story of when he met his very timid Buizel.
Flashback
Young Kotaro was playing on the sand with Nina watching him with a giggle. But as Kotaro was playing around, he felt like he saw someone watching him. Looking around, the young boy noticed to see a head floating on the surface of a water.
It was a Buizel! The Buizel seemed to be staring at him until Kotaro realized who was watching him. As soon as the young boy turned to see the Buizel, the timid Sea Weasel Pokémon flinched and ducked its head underwater.
"Huh...?" Kotaro cocked his head in confusion as he ran over to where he had seen the Buizel. The head slowly came out of the water again, only to see the young boy staring at him in awe and curiosity.
"Bui!?" The Buizel shrieked in surprise before it ducked its head underwater again until Kotaro tried to call it back.
"Wait... I'm not gonna hurt you! Promise!" Kotaro assured, causing the Buizel to stop itself before it slowly turned to where the young human was at. The boy offered a hand for the Sea Weasel Pokémon to take, causing Buizel to hesitate.
After a few moments, the Sea Weasel Pokémon slowly swam back to where Kotaro was, who was at the edge of the sand and to where the ocean water was coming in and out.
Reluctant, the Sea Weasel Pokémon finally approached the young boy. Sniffing his hand, the timid Buizel gave a small smile to the young boy, causing Kotaro to grin happily before he gave his new friend a gentle hug.
The timid Sea Weasel Pokémon flinched at the contact, but soon calmed down when he realized that the young human meant no harm. Unaware to the two of them, Nina had watched the whole thing, as she smiled at the new friend Kotaro had gained today.
Flashback End
"Ever since that day, Floatzel would always hide from new people or freeze up since he is a Pokémon that can be really timid and hesitant on doing things right." Kotaro explained as he smiled at his Water Type friend, who was speaking with Pikachu and Buizel.
"I see... So why enter the Pancake Race?" Kaito asked, causing Kotaro to explain.
"Well... I thought it might help him boost his confidence if we were to try hard enough to win, but as you can see... training is not going so well, especially since the way Floatzel dropped his plate and the stack of pancakes by accident." Kotaro explained.
"Oh wow... I've met many Pokémon before, but I've never seen a Floatzel being this hesitant or timid before..." Ash admitted as Nina smiled.
"Well, that's how it goes! But I'm sure that you and Floatzel will be able to do well during the competition, little brother." Nina assured, causing Kotaro to chuckle sheepishly before he nodded to his older sister.
"I know we will, sis! Just watch us! Floatzel and I will take you all by surprise!" Kotaro assured, causing Ash to grin at the newfound determination the young boy gained while Kaito just smiled.
Soon, after the conversation about the past was done, the training continued on with Floatzel getting a new plate and a new stack of pancakes. Training went on until it got very late. The boys parted ways with the siblings before they parted ways themselves once they were near Prof. Kukui's home.
"Tomorrow is going to be very wild and big, I just know it..." Kaito thought as he headed inside his home once he arrived there, with the Sea Weasel Pokémon at his side. The Alola boy knew that tomorrow will be wild as he managed to get to bed with Buizel at his side after changing into his pajamas.
The next day...
"Blue skies and a beautiful day! Perfect for our annual celebration of a Melemele Island tradition! The Pokémon Pancake Race!" The announcer announced as she rode on her Magnezone, who agreed with what she said with a buzz.
"And we at Alola TV, will be proudly broadcasting the entire exciting race to all the Alolan Islands Live!" The announcer added before she gestured to the giant plasma screen where a map was shown to explain the course.
"If you look at the diagram on your screen, you can see this year's course!" The announcer explained before the courses were revealed for everyone to see.
"All our human competitors must clear obstacles, such as steep inclines, until they finally join their Pokémon partners! Then, they must pull their Pokémon partners in a wagon until they get to their next checkpoint!"
"And after that? The leg of the competition with Pokémon only! If any Pokémon uses an attack to hinder their opponents, then that Pokémon will be immediately disqualified!" The announcer explained as the rules were all set and explained on the plasma screen.
The competitors were ready as they were getting prepared for the competition to begin anytime soon.
"We've got a lot of competitors gathering at the starting line, as the excitement mounts!" The announcer explained, as she noticed the number of Trainers and competitors that were entering the Pancake Race today.
At the stands, Shiho, Lillie, Principal Oak, and Prof. Kukui watched on the sidelines with Komala and Rockruff at their sides.
"Have a great time out there!" Prof. Kukui called out, with Rockruff barking to cheer to all his human and Pokémon friends.
"Show us on how hard you work together, like a group of Dugtrio or a group of Diglett!" Principal Oak added before he made face expressions of the two Ground Types, causing the Alola boy to sweat drop at him.
"We get it, Principal Oak... We get what you're saying..." Kaito sighed as he scratched the back of his head.
"Good luck to all of you!" Lillie added to the cheer, causing the others to wave back to the ones cheering for them.
"Hey, thanks!" Ash called out as he waved back, with Kiawe and Mallow joining in.
"You'll be proud!" Kiawe assured, with Mallow waving back to Lillie, Shiho, and the two teachers.
"We want to hear you out there!" Mallow called out, causing Lillie to nod back happily.
"Okay!" was all Lillie needed to say as Shiho encouraged her brother to win while holding onto Kaito's Pokémon Egg as Lillie had hers in her arms.
"You can do it, big brother! You too, Seita!" Shiho cheered, causing Kaito to raise an eyebrow before he shook his head in surprise. He turned to his right to see... Seita holding a stack of pancakes!
"Seita!? What are you doing here!?" Kaito exclaimed in shock as Seita grinned before he gave a peace sign to his elder brother.
"When I heard about the Pokémon Pancake Race, I wanted to enter, too! So did Rockruff since you were going to enter with Buizel, big bro!" Seita explained, causing the Alola boy to sweat drop at how Seita was able to know about the competition.
"So Rockruff is partnered up with you, huh... Well then, don't expect me to pull back because of you being behind, little brother." Kaito said playfully, causing Seita to grin back, having the fire burning in his heart.
"Oh, it's on, big bro!" Seita shot back confidently.
As Shiho giggled to see her brothers growing a small sibling rivalry together, she didn't notice the Pokémon Egg starting to glow a little in her hands. The same went for Lillie, who wasn't aware of the small glow her Egg was giving off!
As the contestants were getting ready to start, the announcer and Magnezone lowered themselves to let the announcer raise a question to Nina, since she was the last year's champion.
"And here's Nina! Last year's winner! Do you think you'll be making it two wins in a row?" The announcer asked, before she allowed the Pancake Race to explain on what she thinks will happen in the competition today.
"I know this race was created to be a source of fun and enjoyment for Melemele Island's citizens, so... I'd say my number one goal is to have a wonderful time! And my number two goal is to stay safe. So I guess that would place winning at... number three!" Nina explained proudly.
At her speech being finished, Kaito and Ash looked at her as the Kanto Trainer smiled, admiring on how confident she sounded.
"I like Nina's confidence!" Ash admitted as Kaito looked around. Around him, he noticed... that Kotaro was in the race, of course. Other than that, even Camilla and Hau looked like they were entering the race with their hands full of a plate and stack of pancakes.
"So I guess they're entering this too..." Kaito thought as he was more than ready to win.
"Is she really that good?" Kiawe asked, as he questioned the last year champion's skills in this competition. Mallow came over, agreeing with the Kanto Trainer on how great Nina was with this kind of activity.
"Nina and Raichu swept the competition in last year's race!" Mallow added before she frowned at the two boys.
"But Ash... Kaito... it kind of bothers me that I was the one who told you both about the race... then you practiced with last year's champion instead of me!" Mallow pouted, sounding a bit irritated with the fact.
"Well, you never asked us if we wanted to practice with you, so why are you looking so irritated about?" Kaito asked, causing Mallow to giggle before she smiled.
"Ha ha… That's true! And besides, I was just kidding." Mallow assured, causing Ash to give a small sigh of relief while Kaito just raised an eyebrow in amusement. Rotom then flew over to give a reminder to the group of how Raichu and Nina could be doing.
"Her partner Raichu seems really confident, too!" Rotom buzzed in, causing the Kanto Trainer to assure that he and Pikachu were the best when it came to working together as a team.
"When it comes to teamwork, Pikachu and I can't be beat!" Ash assured confidently, as the others joined in to assure that victory was theirs.
"Don't forget about me and Bounsweet!" Mallow reminded, as she recalled the hard training they did together to compete in the race to begin with.
"Togedemaru and I are always in sync!" Sophocles added, with Kiawe and Lana joining in.
"Turtonator and I have passion in our hearts that burns hotter than fire!" Kiawe assured confidently, with the Water Type user speaking about her partner.
"Popplio, I'll be there really soon..." Lana assured, with Hau and Camilla joining the group.
"Don't think it'll be easy, guys... Because Fomantis and I will be the ones taking the lead for sure." Camilla assured confidently as Hau grinned.
"Eevee and I are gonna have tons of fun with this race! And we'll win it, too!" Hau assured brightly, causing Kaito to sweat drop at the "boasting" everyone seemed to be doing about themselves and their partners before he spoke up.
"Don't get ahead of yourselves. If it's teamwork you guys are talking about, then it's definitely me and Buizel that are the top. There's no limit on how much we believe in each other to win for each other." Kaito assured, causing everyone to smile at each other.
At the Pokémon School, they were friends and classmates. But in today's competition, they were rivals.
The confetti popped and flew in the air, allowing the Pancake Race to start! Everyone began to run in the first course, which was the part where the Trainers will have to make their way to where their Pokémon partners are!
"And there they go! First off, we have a competition for the Trainers!" The announcer called out as the citizens of Melemele Island cheered for the ones participating in the race as the competition was on!
Everyone was off to a good start, as Kaito, Ash, Kiawe, Lana, Camilla, Hau, Nina, Kotaro, and Mallow were making their way across the hill. Some were lagging behind, like Sophocles and Seita as the Electric Type user panted, already feeling a bit worn out.
"Huff... Huff... Hey, guys... Do you have to run so fast!?" Sophocles complained as Seita managed to get ahead of Sophocles before he began to try and go faster.
"I'm not losing here today! Wait for me, big bro!" Seita called out as he began to pick up the pace, much to Sophocles' chagrin as someone younger than him was already getting ahead of him!
"Oh, that's just great... Even Seita is getting ahead of me!" Sophocles groaned as he tried to catch up, despite his weariness. What the group didn't know, was that the race was about to get more complicated as they progressed ahead.
Even the Pokémon wasn't aware of how difficult the courses will be, especially when there can be some... problems during the race.
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 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!
Chapter 30: The Stones Stay in the Group!
Next chapter preview:
Sophocles: Huff... Huff... Hey guys! Do you all have to run so fast!? Slow down for a bit, would ya!?
Kaito: This is going to be a little tricky... Not just for me but for Buizel, too... Who knows what'll happen during his time?
Kotaro: We just have to push through! We can do it together, Floatzel! It's you and me to the end!
Ash: After I pull you up through the hill, it'll be your turn to take the course! I'll be cheering for you, Pikachu!
Kaito: Huh... Something about one of those racers make me feel a bit uneasy... But I'm not sure what...
Ash: What do you mean? You're saying that someone in the race could be cheating? No one's attacking yet... Wait, what!?
Events that occurred:
- Kaito and Ash learns about the Pokémon Pancake Race
- Kaito and Ash meets Nina and Raichu, along with Kotaro and Floatzel
- The Pokémon Pancake Race begins