Chapter 29: The Wild Stones Handle the Fire!
Kaito was making his way home after swimming in the ocean with Buizel today. The Alola boy sighed before he hung his towel around his neck, with Buizel walking besides him with a satisfied smile on his face.
"Bui! Bu bui!" Buizel cried out, causing the Alola boy to smile back at the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"I know it's been a while since we did this. So many things have happened in a month or two. And to be honest, I'm kinda glad that we did it today since it's been a while when we swam together." Kaito admitted before he rubbed the Sea Weasel Pokémon's head, much to the Water Type's content.
As they were near their home, the Alola boy began to return to his thoughts about the Thunderclap Wanderer when it had saved both him and Lillie a few days ago after Snowy and Vulpix finally hatched from their Eggs.
"I still can't get my finger around it... Why is it that whenever I see that Pokémon, I just have to see it again? Do you know why, Bui?" Kaito asked, only to get a frown and a shaking head from the Water Type.
"Bui..." Buizel said sadly, causing the Alola boy to smile at his Sea Weasel Pokémon before he rubbed his head again.
"Don't worry about it... I'm sure we'll be able to find more clues to the mysteries that we have to solve..." Kaito assured, causing Buizel to regain his smile as the Alola boy and his Water Type smiled at each other, both in content with each other.
Soon, they were in front of the door as Kaito opened up to greet his two siblings, along with Rockruff and Vulpix.
"We're back!"
"Bu bui!" Kaito and Buizel called out together, which caught Shiho and Seita's attention as they ran over to their elder brother.
"Welcome back, big brother!"
"You're here, big bro!"
"Vul!" Shiho and Seita immediately rushed into their older brother's arms while Vulpix cooed happily before she jumped into the Alola boy's arms, cuddling onto his bare chest. Buizel climbed up on his human brother's shoulder as he watched to see Kaito embracing his three family members.
But at realizing that someone was missing, the Alola boy looked around in confusion to see who wasn't around.
"Hang on a second... Where did Rockruff go?" Kaito asked, causing Shiho to frown before she tried to explain.
"Well... Rockruff suddenly left home a while after you left, big brother... It seemed urgent or something." Shiho explained, catching the Alola boy before he frowned in worry.
"Urgent? Did it have something to do with his pack?" Kaito thought, before Seita added in more details.
"You don't think something bad has happened to Rockruff, big bro?" Seita asked, expressing his concern. The Alola boy blinked before he shook his head in reassurance as he smiled at his little brother.
"That's silly, Seita... This is Rockruff we're talking about here. I'm sure that he'll be fine. You both know that he's strong even for a young fighter, right?" Kaito asked, earning nods from his two siblings before Vulpix noticed something from behind him.
"Vul! Vulpix!" Vulpix cooed in surprise, causing Kaito to turn and see someone familiar behind him!
"Oh! Rockruff, you're back... WHAT!?" Kaito started to say in relief before he suddenly widened his eyes in both shock and disbelief. Seita and Shiho both gasped at this while Buizel widened his eyes in surprise to see what occurred to the Puppy Pokémon.
Rockruff's body was all scratched up! There were scratch marks, scrapes, cuts, along with a little bruise over Rockruff's scarred eye.
"What... How...!? Huh!? How the heck did this happen!? Rockruff...?" Kaito spluttered before he lifted his injured Puppy Pokémon in his arms. The little Rock Type whimpered in pain, as he still felt the cuts and scratches he had taken from somewhere.
"Poor Rockruff..." Shiho cried out in worry while Seita just frowned.
"What could've happened to him, big bro?" Seita asked, causing Kaito to shake his head. Buizel and Vulpix both watched in worry as the Alola boy went to one of the cabinets to take out Pokémon medicine for the injured Rock Type.
"Come on, Rockruff... I don't know what you did out there, but I asked you to look after Shiho, Seita, and Vulpix, didn't I? What were you doing out there...?" Kaito asked, causing Rockruff to whimper in response.
He obviously felt ashamed for defying Kaito's request of looking after the young ones, but he had a good reason of doing so. But it would be difficult to explain it to the Alola boy since he couldn't understand Pokémon language.
(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, Seita, and Vulpix, 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)
It was another day at the Pokémon School, as Kaito was still a little shaken up from what had happened to Rockruff last night. During class, the Alola boy explained the whole situation to the others, which surprised them, including the Kanto Trainer.
"And that's what happened... I honestly don't know how he got those wounds..." Kaito admitted, before Ash spoke up.
"Hey, come to think about it... Our Rockruff back at Prof. Kukui's house was hurt, too!" Ash explained, much to the others' surprise, with Hau asking in disbelief.
"Whoa, Prof. Kukui's Rockruff, too...?" Hau breathed out in disbelief before Lillie brought up a question on what the Professor or the Alola boy could've done.
"But if this has been an ongoing problem, then why didn't Prof. Kukui make sure both Rockruff stays inside its Pokéball? And you, Kaito...?" Lillie asked, causing the Alola boy to shake his head before he gave a small smile.
"I don't know... It just seemed wrong to keep Rockruff inside when he made friends with both Shiho and Seita... He always looks after the two when I leave him at home when Bui and I have to do something together..." Kaito explained before he turned to see where the Sea Weasel Pokémon was.
The Water Type was watching Popplio, who seemed to be preparing to make a water balloon for Pikachu, Bounsweet, Eevee, Vulpix, and Pichu to enjoy as Ash brought up a different reason for the Alola Professor's case.
"The thing is, for Prof. Kukui... Rockruff really isn't the Professor's Pokémon." Ash explained, causing everyone else to be a little startled or surprised at the news.
"It isn't?" Mallow asked in surprise, before Ash explained.
"That's what he said. One day, Rockruff just followed him after back home after he gave it some Pokémon food." Ash explained, causing the others to question themselves about the wild Rockruff they know now.
"So Rockruff is wild?" Mallow asked, with Camilla sweat dropping before she gave a smile.
"I actually thought it was his Pokémon since he seemed to be quite attached to the Professor... But to hear that he's actually a wild Pokémon... that's actually kind of surprising." Camilla admitted, with Kiawe folding his arms.
"Me, too... Like Camilla said, Rockruff's completely attached to Prof. Kukui. It's just like how your Rockruff's attached to you, Kai." Kiawe stated, turning to the Alola boy, who nodded in agreement.
"I guess... but I'd say he's more kind of... attached to Shiho and Seita? I mean, he plays with them all the time and always shows a positive attitude when he's around them." Kaito assured sheepishly, causing Camilla to raise an eyebrow.
"Don't be so modest... You're Rockruff's Trainer, Kaito. So of course he would be attached to you. All Rockruff are like that whether they are wild or a Trainer's Pokémon." Camilla reminded, causing the Alola boy to give a nod before Rotom floated up, reminding everyone of the way Rockruff does things.
"Camilla's right! You see, Rockruff have quite a reputation for being genuine people-friendly Pokémon." Rotom buzzed before it revealed the details about the Puppy Pokémon.
"Rockruff, the Puppy Pokémon. A Rock Type. Rockruff have lived with humans since ancient times. They train themselves by running around." Rotom buzzed, causing Lana to make a guess on what could've happened to the two Rock Types.
"So training may be why the two of them got hurt!" Lana guessed before Kaito brought up another question.
"If that's the case, then what kind of training did they do? Running around a lot doesn't get you all scratched up or bruised like that..." Kaito reminded, causing the Water Type user to nod in understanding.
"So some sort of training did that?" Ash asked, before Sophocles brought up a hypothesis on what could be happening with the two.
"I'll bet I know what's going on. Yeah, maybe both Rockruff are getting close to evolving!" Sophocles guessed, catching Kaito by surprise, along with Ash.
"Evolving?" Ash repeated in confusion before the Rotom Pokédex buzzed in with new details about Rockruff's evolution.
"Rockruff evolves into Lycanroc, which has two different forms based on when it evolves. It evolves into Midday Form Lycanroc during the day and Midnight Form Lycanroc during the night." Rotom buzzed.
"Wow... What it looks like depends on when Rockruff evolves!" Ash breathed out in amazement, causing Kaito to narrow his eyes.
"But... with the training the two of them could've done at night, could it be that they want to become the Midnight Form...?" Kaito asked, causing Hau to pipe up.
"It's possible! But man... it would be plenty scary if there were two Midnight Form Lycanroc! I heard they can be quite short tempered when something doesn't go right or when they're in a tough battle!" Hau explained, knowing what the Midnight Form can do.
"Scary is one thing... As for Midday Form, it's calm during battles and they can be extremely loyal to Trainers! They can be patient too, but that makes it sound like they're a bit... well, weaker than the Midnight Form." Camilla explained.
"Furthermore, when it gets close to evolving, Rockruff's temperament becomes more aggressive and it tends to act more independent. It's common for it to disappear and then return after it has evolved." Rotom buzzed.
At the mentioning of a Rockruff disappearing and returning after evolving, it caught both Ash and Kaito's attention as they perked their heads up in surprise! As soon as they gasped, the water balloon Popplio made suddenly popped!
At water splashing on them, Pikachu, Pichu, Vulpix, Eevee, Bounsweet, and Togedemaru all wailed in surprise before they groaned for being wet, much to the Sea Lion Pokémon and the Sea Weasel Pokémon's chagrin.
"Temperamental and independent...?" Kaito repeated in disbelief, which didn't go unnoticed by both Hau and Camilla, as they looked at each other before they looked back at the Alola boy.
The Alola boy looked fixed in his thoughts, which could possibly be due to what Rotom said about Rockruff just now.
After school...
Kaito was about walk home with Buizel and Vulpix at his side, until he was called to by Hau.
"Hey! Kaito!" Hau called out, catching the Alola boy's attention as he turned to see the Kahuna's grandson run over to him with a bright smile on his face.
"You heading home?" Hau asked, causing the Alola boy to raise an eyebrow before he nodded in affirmation.
"Of... course. That's where I sometimes go so that I could check up on my siblings. Why?" Kaito asked, causing the Kahuna's grandson to clear his throat before he explained as to why he called him.
"Well... You kinda looked bothered when Rotom explained about the Rockruff being temperamental and independent, that's all... You worried about that?" Hau asked, causing the Alola boy to blink before he sighed at the subject.
"I was afraid you or the others might figure it out, but... yeah. Who wouldn't be worried? If it was your Pokémon that have gotten hurt by something or someone, then wouldn't you get worried for them?" Kaito asked, only for Hau to shake his head.
"Nah... I wouldn't be TOO worried, since I know that my Pokémon will know what they want or need to do even when I'm not around! You need to have some faith in Rockruff too, you know?" Hau reminded brightly.
At being reminded to be supportive for the Puppy Pokémon, the Alola boy sighed before he looked up at the blue sky, while Buizel and Vulpix watched him do so.
"I know... But after what happened to him last night, it's kind of hard to do that since that got me all... shocked for whatever happened to him. If it is special training, then I'd like to at least know on what it was. Otherwise, it'd be hard to believe in him when he gets all injured like that." Kaito explained before he walked off.
Hau just watched the Alola boy leave, before he scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile.
"You really do love your Pokémon... Don't you, Kai?" Hau asked himself, with the smile remaining on his face.
At Kaito's home...
"I'm back!" Kaito called out, which earned him a cheerful bark from a familiar Pokémon. The Puppy Pokémon bounded over to his two Pokémon friends and his human brother happily, as he wrestled around playfully with the cooing Fox Pokémon.
"Good... Rockruff stayed while we were gone back at the Pokémon School..." Kaito thought, before he sighed in relief as Seita and Shiho came over to greet their older brother.
"Welcome home, big bro!" Seita exclaimed while Shiho just nodded in agreement. Just as Kaito was about to thank the two for their patience, he was suddenly jumped on by the Puppy Pokémon, who happily nuzzled his rocky collar onto the Alola boy.
At first, Kaito winced before he gave a sheepish smile, as he tried to accept the painful affection that he was being given from the Rock Type.
"Easy, easy there... I know that by rubbing your rocky collar on me, you show how much you like me or the others, but try to be more careful when you do that, okay?" Kaito asked politely, as he kept the smile on his face.
"Ruff!" Rockruff barked happily, as he panted with a cheerful smile on his face. Vulpix cooed to the Puppy Pokémon, causing the Rock Type to run around with the Fox Pokémon around the living room to run around while Buizel watched with a smile on his face.
As Kaito was headed to his room, he watched Rockruff play around with the Fire Type, before he recalled of what the Puppy Pokémon was like before he joined both the Alola boy and the Sea Weasel Pokémon after he left his pack.
"It's only been a month or so, but Rockruff looks like he's already accustomed to home... I wonder how the pack is doing without him." Kaito thought before he left for his room, with Buizel following close.
Later...
Kaito was in the living room reading a book, while Seita and Shiho played around with both Vulpix and Rockruff. Buizel sat next to his human brother, as he was more relaxed with him instead of being energetic like Rockruff and Vulpix were.
But while Kaito was reading, he made sure to give small glances to the Puppy Pokémon to make sure his behavior doesn't seem temperamental. Otherwise, it could cause relationship problems between the Puppy Pokémon itself and his younger siblings.
Given the fact that both Shiho and Seita loved the Puppy Pokémon as a part of their family, the Alola boy could fear of what would occur if the Puppy Pokémon suddenly acted aggressive.
"Independent and temperamental... Those are signs to show that Rockruff are close to evolving, but... with the personality that Rockruff is showing, it doesn't seem like he's close... Then again, he has trained a lot back when he was with the pack..." Kaito thought carefully.
He recalled back when Buizel battled against Rockruff the first time, who proved to be a tough cookie to beat despite of the type advantage the Sea Weasel Pokémon had against the Puppy Pokémon.
"That was a tough battle, if I say so for myself... Back then, he was so determined to win and was easily upset for when he would lose or when the battle was interrupted by his father calling him..." Kaito thought again before he frowned.
"But... is he still feeling that way? I mean, despite of the many battles we had, there were some bitter times that Rockruff was forced to take because he was battling alongside me..." Kaito thought, as he clearly remembered the defeats Rockruff had to endure.
One time was when the Puppy Pokémon was easily defeated by Hariyama after battling against Kahuna Hala's Crabrawler. Another time was when Rockruff had made a tie with Camilla's Litten during the festival at Iki Town despite of the type advantage Rockruff had.
Not only that, there was also the time for when Rockruff was defeated by Ash's Rowlet during the final round of the tournament. After the competition was over, Kaito was sure he had seen Rockruff looking bitter and upset for the defeat he was forced to take.
"There was also that time when he was nearly defeated by Totem Gumshoos during our trial at Verdant Caverns..." Kaito thought before a devastating thought came to the Alola boy's mind as he nearly dropped the book he was reading.
"No... Could it be...? Could it be that by staying with me... Rockruff is being held back from becoming stronger? I mean, he proved to be really strong back when he was with the pack, but with the many losses he gained from staying with me... It could be possible that..." Kaito started to think.
That was, until his thoughts were interrupted by Shiho calling to him.
"Big brother?" Shiho called out, catching Kaito by surprise as he looked at his little sister.
"Hm? W-What is it, Shiho?" Kaito asked, only to get a frown from the little girl.
"That's what I should be asking... You looked like you were afraid of something just now." Shiho pointed out, causing Buizel to blink while Kaito just tensed at Shiho pointing out the face expression he had while being collected in his thoughts.
"It's... It's nothing, Shiho... Really. I just... had some thoughts back when the festival happened. Remember? I was at the competition that I thought I would lose in several times for when I battled against Camilla and Ash..." Kaito reminded sheepishly.
"Oh yeah...! You looked really determined to win back at the competition, big bro..." Seita exclaimed, unaware of what his big brother was really thinking. Shiho on the other hand, didn't seem convinced as she pouted at her brother.
"Is that really what you were thinking, big brother...? Nothing else?" Shiho asked, causing the Alola boy to sweat drop at her attempt of making a stern expression.
"Come on, Shiho... Would I lie to you? Even a little?" Kaito asked, causing the little sister to make a small giggle before she shook her head in response.
"Mm... Kinda... You sometimes try to not make us worry by saying that you're okay when you're actually not, big brother..." Shiho admitted, as she knew that Kaito told her and Seita a lie for a few times so that the two of them wouldn't worry much for him.
Nodding back with a sweat drop and a sheepish expression, the Alola boy looked to see Rockruff looking at him in curiosity while Vulpix jumped onto his lap, cooing at him in concern.
Sweat dropping at the looks he's been given, the Alola boy could only sigh before he placed his book down, before rubbing Vulpix's head, causing the young Fire Type to smile happily at the affection being given to her.
"All right, fine... I'm... well... It's kinda hard to explain, really. I don't think it's the best time, really." Kaito admitted, as he truthfully didn't want to admit out loud that he was thinking about Rockruff.
If the Puppy Pokémon were to hear now about the ill thoughts Kaito thought about him, it could possibly damage his relationship with the Rock Type.
"Mm... Then, when you feel like it's okay to tell us, will you tell us, then?" Seita asked, causing Kaito to blink before he chuckled as he ruffled Seita's head, making the younger brother of his pout for the affection.
"Aw, big bro...!" Seita groaned, before he held his head with a pouty manner.
"Ha ha... Sure. I'll tell you when I feel like it, okay?" Kaito asked, earning approved nods from his younger siblings.
"Okay!" The two cried out before they headed upstairs, with Vulpix trailing after them happily. Rockruff soon followed, chasing after the younger kids and Vulpix, leaving the Alola boy with his Sea Weasel Pokémon.
By the time they were all upstairs, the Alola boy sighed, as he slouched down on the couch.
"Bui?" Buizel asked, nudging his human brother. The Alola boy shook his head as he admitted to Buizel of what he couldn't do at the moment.
"I just... can't do it. I can't tell those two of what I'm really thinking, Bui... If I say it now, then it'll make them even more worried. And not to mention, it might hurt Rockruff a bit if I say it out loud..." Kaito admitted as he held his head with a groan.
The Sea Weasel Pokémon gave a sympathetic cry before he looked to where the siblings and his two Pokémon friends had gone off to before he looked back at his human brother.
"Bui..." was all the Water Type could say before he nuzzled into Kaito, causing the Alola boy to accept the affection he was getting from his Sea Weasel Pokémon.
That night...
Kaito was on his bed with Buizel at his left side, reading another book that was related to Water Types. Vulpix was at his right with Rockruff being right next to her. Despite of the tight squeeze on the bed, the four of them together seemed to be okay with the positions they were in.
Buizel was watching his human brother read, while Vulpix and Rockruff looked like they were sleeping a bit early today. As the two slept, Kaito gave a glance to see the fast asleep Puppy Pokémon sleeping peacefully.
"Hm... Maybe I had the wrong idea..." Kaito thought simply before he turned his eyes back on the book.
But as time passed by later on, the Alola boy was wrong about having the wrong idea.
While he had fallen asleep with Buizel together, the Rock Type twitched his ears before he opened his eyes and looked around, before looking out at the window, as he seemed to have heard something from the forest that was near his new home.
Narrowing his eyes, the Puppy Pokémon bounded away by leaving the room and heading downstairs. But the Rock Type didn't get far when Kaito had woken up due to the sudden rustling he had heard in his room.
Blinking several times, the Alola boy eyed to where Rockruff was before, until he widened his eyes in shock. Shaking Buizel awake, the Alola boy began to feel a little frantic for what happened to the missing Rock Type.
"Hey... Hey! Buizel, wake up!" Kaito called out silently, causing Buizel to jerk himself awake, before the Sea Weasel Pokémon looked around frantically before he turned to see his human brother looking at him with the same expression.
"He's off! We need to follow after him!" Kaito exclaimed silently, causing the Sea Weasel Pokémon to look where Rockruff was before the Water Type noticed the Puppy Pokémon's absence.
Understanding of what he and his human brother needed to do, the two headed outside to see whether they could follow after the Puppy Pokémon after the Alola boy wore his outdoor clothes on once again.
Soon, while leaving the house quietly, the Sea Weasel Pokémon was able to use his nose to know where the Puppy Pokémon had gone off to. After picking up the Rock Type's scent, the Sea Weasel Pokémon ran ahead with Kaito following him from behind.
Soon, the two noticed Rockruff running across the woods up ahead, causing them to stealthily follow to make sure Rockruff doesn't see them trailing after him.
"Where is he going...?" Kaito asked silently, only to get a frown from the Water Type, as Buizel didn't know the answer to the question, too.
"Bui..." Buizel replied in response. But just as the two were about to continue their chase, Buizel gave a silent cry to catch Kaito's attention. Blinking in surprise, the Alola boy looked to see another Rockruff heading to where their Rock Type friend was heading for!
"Another Rockruff... Wait, could that be...?" Kaito started to ask before he heard someone calling to him.
"Kai!" Ash called out, causing both Kaito and Buizel to turn and see the Kanto Trainer running over to them with the Alola Professor, Pikachu, and Rotom.
"What are you doing here...?" Ash asked, causing the Alola boy to ask the same question back.
"What am I doing here? What are you and the Professor doing here?" Kaito asked, allowing the Alola Professor to explain.
"Ash told me about what happened to your Rockruff, Kaito... You see, our Rockruff is acting the same way as yours." Prof. Kukui explained, causing the Alola boy to be reminded of when Ash explained that Prof. Kukui's Rockruff had scrapes and scratches like his was, too!
"So... Does this mean...?" Kaito started to ask, before the Alola Professor nodded to him.
"Right... I believe our reason for being here is the same reason as yours." Prof. Kukui assured, causing Kaito to slowly nod before Ash nodded back at the Alola boy. With the three of them nodding to each other, they joined together to trail after the two runaway Rock Types.
Soon, while the two Rockruff went over a log with the boys and the Professor following after them with Pikachu, Buizel, and Rotom, the Professor stopped the boys as he recognized as to where the two Rock Types seemed to be heading to right now.
"Wait a sec! Just up ahead..." Prof. Kukui started to say, confusing the two boys before they all continued to make way to where the two Puppy Pokémon were heading for.
Later, as they seemed to be getting close to where the two Rock Types were going, they all heard howls up ahead.
"Those howls..." Kaito started to say before he went ahead with Buizel at his side. Arriving out of the forest, the Alola boy widened his eyes as to what he was seeing with his own eyes right now.
What Kaito was seeing, seemed to be some sort of a rocky hill that resembled a rocky mountain. The mountain was shaped like a claw, and that wasn't the only thing that awed both the Alola boy and the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
At the mountain, were two Lycanroc! One was a Midday Form and the other was a Midnight Form. The two stood on the claw-like rocks on the rocky mountain, with many other Pokémon dashing forward to confront each other!
Two of them were the Rockruff that Kaito, Ash, and Prof. Kukui were trailing after.
While Kaito was awed by the sights he was seeing, the Kanto Trainer and the Alola Professor had caught up as they all took witness as to what they were seeing right now and what Pokémon there were at the rocky mountain.
The Kanto Trainer blinked, as he was particularly interested at the two Wolf Pokémon that were standing at the two claw-like rocks.
"They're Lycanroc!" Ash breathed out in awe, with Rotom noticing the forms of the two.
"It's a Midday Form and a Midnight Form Lycanroc to boot! This is a very curious situation, indeed..." Rotom buzzed, before the Professor acknowledged of what he knew about this mountain.
"I knew it... We're all looking at Clawmark Hill!" Prof. Kukui exclaimed, much to the Alola boy's confusion.
"Clawmark Hill...?" Kaito repeated in confusion before he turned to see the Midday and Midnight Form Lycanroc jump down and face each other! The Midday Form made the first move by sending sharp rocks to strike the Midnight Form!
Wincing in pain, the Midnight Form took the attack before the Midday Form struck the Midnight Form again with an Accelerock attack! The Pokémon cheered for the two to show them their battling, with Kaito's Rockruff and Prof. Kukui's Rockruff encouraging them also.
"A Rock Throw and an Accelerock!? This is incredible!" Prof. Kukui admitted as the Pokémon continued to cheer for the two Lycanroc to keep their battling go on as the Midday Form glared at the Midnight Form, who glared back threateningly.
The two continued their staring contest for a while until the Midday Form ended the staring by jumping in the air and striking the Midnight Form with a Bite attack!
However, while taking damage from the attack, the Midnight Form countered back by smashing the Midday Form into the air with its fist!
"That was Counter!" Ash pointed out, before the Alola Professor explained the Midnight Form's battling style.
"The Midnight Form's preferred battling style is to take its opponent's attacks and then land a decisive blow!" Prof. Kukui explained while Kaito continued to watch.
"Could this be it? Was Rockruff just inspired to train hard by watching these two fight one another? If so, then who was the one that inflicted him so much pain?" Kaito thought, while Rotom was determined to gather information about the two!
"This is no time to be amazed. I must record this!" Rotom buzzed as he began to take pictures of the battle going on
But while the two were battling one another, they both howled loudly together, causing the Pokémon that were watching the battle to face against one another! The Machoke wrestled with a Hariyama, with a Golduck wrestling with a Pangoro!
A Vullaby faced a Boldore, while a Sableye challenged a Primeape! The Braviary and Fearow faced each other as well in an aerial battle, as the three humans and their Pokémon friends watched in surprise.
"Wait, where's our two Rockruff friends?" Kaito asked, standing up until the Professor noticed one on a rock.
"One of them is over there!" Prof. Kukui pointed out, while Buizel pointed to another one that was on another rock.
"Bu bui!" Buizel pointed out, causing Kaito to look and see his Rock Type Pokémon friend looking around, which seemed to be due to his wish to fight against an opponent.
Ash noticed this all happening as he was ready to head down and call to the Rock Types.
"It's all making sense to me now!" Ash exclaimed, until the Professor stopped him from going down.
"Wait! We know why both of the Rockruff got hurt, but what matters most is what the two of them want, so let's all watch things a little bit longer and see what happens!" Prof. Kukui suggested seriously.
"By the time it's over, those two will be pummeled down! You expect me to just stand here and watch like a spectator at a game, Professor!?" Kaito asked, his tone showing how clearly annoyed he was for the Professor making such a suggestion.
"Kaito... I understand your concern for your Pokémon, but would Rockruff want to quit now after he came all this way?" Prof. Kukui asked, only to get glared at from the Alola boy before he sighed in defeat.
"Fine... Let's watch a little more..." Kaito grumbled as he sat with Ash to watch things go on. Buizel gave him a pat on the shoulder in comfort, causing the Alola boy to calm down and see what's happening down below at Clawmark Hill.
"Ah! Look at those two!" Ash exclaimed, as he pointed to where a Sudowoodo and a Mankey were both slammed into the wall! A Magmar seemed to be taking the whole battle apart as it easily defeated its first two opponents.
The next ones to fall to it were a Machop, Sableye, Primeape, Spinda, and an Alolan Raticate! The wild Rockruff had seen enough as he stepped down to challenge the evolved Fire Type!
"Ruff! Ruff! Ruff!" Rockruff barked as Kaito's Rockruff just watched carefully to see Magmar glaring at the wild Puppy Pokémon.
Accepting the wild Rockruff's challenge, Magmar readied a Fire Punch, before knocking the wild Rockruff in the air! The wild Rock Type winced in pain before he tumbled on the ground, causing Ash to turn to the Professor.
"Professor!" Ash protested, only to get a shaking head in response from the Alola Professor.
"Not just yet. Patience." Prof. Kukui spoke back, causing Kaito to frown as the bitter battle for the wild Rock Type go on. While Rockruff was able to get a few hits in, Magmar easily had the upper hand with its Fire Type attacks!
And more blast knocked the wild Rock Type back, as Kaito's Rockruff continued to watch carefully before he noticed the stones on the wild Puppy Pokémon's neck glowing all of a sudden!
Magmar blinked in surprise, as did the Kanto Trainer and the Alola boy as they watched closely to see what the Puppy Pokémon was trying to do.
"What's that?" Ash asked, causing the Alola Professor to answer.
"It means Rockruff's about to use a move!" Prof. Kukui explained as Kaito watched to see the wild Rockruff focus on his remaining energy to try and counterattack! But while the stones on his neck were glowing, nothing particular seemed to be happening at the moment.
Seeing this as a chance, Magmar took its turn again by blasting the wild Rockruff away with Flamethrower!
"Rockruff got hit!" Ash exclaimed, with Pikachu expressing his worry for his Rock Type friend.
"You can see the difference in their strengths." Prof. Kukui pointed out, before Kaito's Rockruff took a chance and landed right in front of where the wild Rockruff stood! Magmar smirked at the same Pokémon appearing and motioned for him to come.
Glancing back to see his wild friend wincing in pain from the burn he had taken, the Puppy Pokémon howled loudly!
"Rockruff's using Howl to increase his attack power... That's clever!" Kaito commented, as Buizel watched closely to see what his friend was doing. As for Magmar, the Fire Type responded by trying to punch the Puppy Pokémon away with Fire Punch!
But unlike the wild Rockruff, Kaito's Rockruff managed to dodge before he used Crunch onto the evolved Fire Type's arm! Magmar yelled in pain before Rockruff threw him off, amazing the Kanto Trainer to see such strength.
"Whoa... Kai, your Rockruff is doing pretty well!" Ash complimented, causing the Alola boy to nod in thanks as he kept watch.
Annoyed by getting knocked down, Magmar tried to burn his new opponent with Flamethrower, only for Kaito's Rockruff to counter by howling loudly! Boulders appeared to block and prevent the flames from getting close to him!
"Rock Slide... He used that to block the Flamethrower..." Kaito commented, before he watched his Rock Type howl again by summoning more boulders! The falling boulders and rocks knocked Magmar away, who yelled in pain from the super effective attack.
The humans and their Pokémon friends watched in surprise to see Magmar groaning in defeat, with some of the watching Pokémon cheering for the Puppy Pokémon's victory over a strong opponent.
"So... did Kai's Rockruff win whatever they were doing just now?" Ash asked, until...
A thunderbolt struck the ground, surprising most of the Pokémon, except for Kaito's Rockruff, who smirked at the new challenger he was getting! The Midnight Form and Midday Form Lycanroc didn't seem so surprised either, as they didn't mess with whoever showed up just now.
But to Kaito's shock, the new challenger that appeared to challenge Rockruff was...
"N-No way... It's the... The Thunderclap Wanderer!" Kaito exclaimed, much to Ash's shock as he recognized the Pokémon that saved both Kaito and Lillie when he and Mallow followed after them.
"So that's the mythical Thunderclap Wanderer... Like Kahuna Hala said." Prof. Kukui breathed out, as he too, looked awed for the appearance of a Pokémon he hasn't seen yet physically.
Rotom immediately began to take pictures of the Wanderer, hoping to gather data about it the next time it sees the Electric Type. Pikachu and Buizel both watched in surprise, as they certainly didn't expect the Wanderer to be at a crowded place like Clawmark Hill.
Kaito's Rockruff looked like he certainly did expect the Wanderer to be in Clawmark Hill as he barked at it, challenging it to a battle.
For Zeraora, the Thunderclap Pokémon narrowed its eyes before it made a battle stance, allowing Rockruff to make the first move! The Puppy Pokémon howled, causing boulders to try and knock Zeraora away.
But the Thunderclap Pokémon had other plans as it effortlessly dodged the incoming boulders with its speed! The other Pokémon cheered for the battling Pokémon while the Kanto Trainer was shocked at how fast the Wanderer was dodging.
"Whoa... The Wanderer is really fast!" Ash exclaimed as Rotom began to take more pictures of the Electric Type's speed.
"I need to take more pictures so I can gather more data on it!" Rotom buzzed as the battle went on, with Rockruff lunging towards Zeraora with Crunch! Seeing it coming, the Electric Type took the hit by letting Rockruff use Crunch on his right arm!
The Thunderclap Pokémon winced before the arm that it let Rockruff crunch on began to crackle with electricity! The Puppy Pokémon was too late to react as the Thunder Punch from its fist shocked the Rock Type away!
Rockruff wailed in pain as he tumbled back, feeling the shock all over his body.
"Oh no... Rockruff!" Kaito exclaimed as he watched the Wanderer take assault this time by making repeated punches and kicks onto the poor Rock Type! The Alola Professor recognized this move as he frowned at it.
"That's Close Combat... Looks like the Thunderclap Wanderer isn't giving Rockruff a second to dodge or a chance to counter!" Prof. Kukui pointed out as they all watched Rockruff get beaten up and scraped before the Rock Type tumbled on the ground.
At seeing its opponent get beat up by its own power, the Thunderclap Pokémon narrowed his eyes, feeling pity for an opponent that hasn't even evolved yet.
But despite the damage Kaito's Rockruff had taken, the Rock Type growled angrily, unwilling to submit to his tough opponent! Gritting his teeth, the Puppy Pokémon howled, which boosted his attack strength before he used Rock Slide again!
Once again, Zeraora effortlessly dodged the rocks, until it noticed someone from behind! It blinked in surprise to see Rockruff using Crunch on its arm again like before, only for the Dark Type attack to be a bit more painful.
Wincing and gritting its teeth in pain, the Thunderclap Pokémon made his fists crackle with electricity again! But this time, the Puppy Pokémon was able to narrowly dodge the attack by letting his Mythical Pokémon opponent go from his grasp.
"Check it out... Rockruff's making a big comeback, Kai!" Ash pointed out, causing the Alola boy to notice on how hard his Puppy Pokémon was trying to do to triumph against his opponent.
"But even so... this is the Thunderclap Wanderer we're talking about... It wouldn't lose that easily to Rockruff, despite of his determination and persistence to push past his limit!" Kaito thought as the battle continued on bitterly.
Another Rock Slide was dodged before a Crunch caused some damage to the Thunderclap Pokémon.
This time, however, Zeraora had a different plan in mind as he swung Rockruff away! The Rock Type tumbled on the ground before he stubbornly stood back up to face his Electric Type opponent!
Then, he widened his eyes to see the Thunderclap Pokémon's eyes glow a little! Every other Pokémon, including the wild Rockruff, watched closely as electricity surrounded the Thunderclap Pokémon's body!
Its two fists began to crackle with electricity, causing Kaito to widen his eyes as he recognized the familiar attack.
"That move...! It's the same one it used to defeat Team Rocket and those Team Skull goons! Rockruff is gonna get pummeled if he's hit by that attack!" Kaito exclaimed as Ash and Prof. Kukui watched with surprised expressions.
The surprised expressions lasted as Zeraora roared before he smashed his two fists on the ground, causing the electricity to surge through the ground and shock Rockruff hard! The Puppy Pokémon screamed in pain before he was smashed into a rock!
Being hit with a powerful attack, the Puppy Pokémon groaned before he fell on the ground in defeat, unconscious from the serious blow he had taken just now. The wild Rockruff barked in worry as he ran over to Kaito's Rockruff, who struggled to get up.
While it was doing so, the Pokémon that watched the battle were awed while some cheered for Zeraora's victory over the stubborn Puppy Pokémon.
The Thunderclap Pokémon on the other hand, sighed at the battle it was given with before it watched his defeated opponent get up and pant in exhaustion. Smiling in amusement, Zeraora made a complimenting sound, as if it was saying that it was a good battle.
Kaito's Rockruff gave a weak smile before he nodded back in agreement. At seeing this, the Alola boy narrowed his eyes, slowly coming to an understanding of what was going on right now...
The Professor seemed to understand as well, with Ash being unsure of what to think.
"Professor, what's going on?" Ash asked, allowing the Alola Professor to explain.
"Well, judging from that battle and all the others, they didn't seem to be fighting. They're actually training. The Magmar that defeated our Rockruff earlier wasn't defeating all the other Pokémon simply for show." Prof. Kukui explained, before he turned to see Zeraora rubbing Kaito's Rockruff's head, much to the Rock Type's content.
"The same goes for the Thunderclap Wanderer's battle with Kaito's Rockruff. The Wanderer wasn't trying to defeat its opponent. Rather... it seemed to be training with its opponent by dodging and countering moves every time when an attack is sent at it." Prof. Kukui added, catching Kaito's attention.
"This is a place where humans mustn't get in the way. From the moves and actions that occurred just now, this is more like a Pokémon dojo!" Prof. Kukui explained, causing Kaito to blink in surprise at the explanation.
He then turned back to see the Wanderer praising his Rock Type, before the Alola boy frowned.
"Training, huh... So Rockruff came here to train hard in this... Pokémon dojo? And not to mention, he's even training with the Thunderclap Wanderer..." Kaito thought before he sighed in relief, now understanding that the wounds Rockruff had gained weren't intentional, but from a training battle.
"I just hope... that it doesn't make Rockruff feel that he has no place in the family I have with Shiho and Seita, or with Buizel and Vulpix..." Kaito thought as he kept his eyes at the Pokémon training at Clawmark Hill.
To be continued...
Kaito's Team:
Buizel (M): (Ice Beam, Agility, Rain Dance, Aqua Jet)
Rockruff (M): (Crunch, Sand Attack, Rock Slide, Howl)
Vulpix (F): (Ember, Roar, Baby-Doll Eyes, Quick Attack)
Next chapters:
Chapter 30: The Stones Stay in the Group!
Chapter 31: Little Ones Can Do Big Things!
Chapter 32: Get Mixed with the Big and Bad!
Chapter 33: A Persistent Rival! It's Sho!
Chapter 34: The Brutal Battle That Strikes!
Next chapter preview:
Kaito: I honestly don't know on what I should really do. I mean, I want to help Rockruff get strong, but am I doing it right?
Camilla: What is that supposed to mean? Rockruff is your friend and you're Rockruff's friend, Kaito. You know what is right and wrong.
Hau: Yeah... Besides, if he didn't want to be with you and Buizel, then he would've already left and be with his pack already, right?
Kaito: Well, yeah... That's true, but still... That feeling is kind of nagging me a little. I honestly don't know what I should do or say, really...
Camilla: Ugh... If you keep at it like this, then this proves that you don't understand Rockruff's intentions at all. Just speak or look at him!
Kaito: You know... You're not exactly helping by saying that I should speak with him when I don't exactly know what to say to him...
Events that occurred:
- Kaito discovers that Rockruff is trying to train and battle with Zeraora at Clawmark Hill