Chapter 30: The Stones Stay in the Group!
Last time on "Pokémon Alola Journey", as Kaito and Buizel returns to their house after making a quick swim in the ocean, they discover that upon arriving, that Rockruff had left the house a while ago while they were in the ocean.
But as the Alola boy sees Rockruff returning, he gets shocked with the wounds the Puppy Pokémon had all over him! Kaito then discovers from Ash that the wild Rockruff living with him and Prof. Kukui was caught in a similar situation as well.
And upon learning from Rotom that Rockruff can act independent and temperamental when they're close to evolving, the Alola boy grows concerned as he remembered the bitter times Rockruff had to endure from losing in battles.
But at seeing Rockruff acting cheerful around his siblings, Kaito starts to forget his own doubts until he and Buizel discovers Rockruff leaving. While they made chase, they come across Ash and Prof. Kukui, as they all head over to see where the two Rock Types were heading to.
At arriving at a place called Clawmark Hill, the three discover Pokémon training together, with the Midday and Midnight Form Lycanroc taking charge of the Pokémon dojo. To Kaito's surprise, he witnesses his own Rockruff challenging the Thunderclap Wanderer to a battle, a battle which Rockruff loses in.
At seeing the battle, the doubts return to the Alola boy, as he frets over on what the Puppy Pokémon is truly thinking in his mind.
"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.
Later...
After with the training looking like it was over, Ash, Kaito, and Prof. Kukui left the sight to let their two Rock Type friends come to them, as they stopped after making some distance away, only to see the wild Rockruff helping Kaito's Rockruff walk.
But as the two noticed their human and Pokémon friends up ahead, they both barked happily before they managed to run over to them. Pikachu and Buizel both cried out happily at reuniting with the two.
"Hey, you two! How you doing?" Ash asked, causing the four Pokémon to stop running around as the Kanto Trainer rubbed the wild Puppy Pokémon's face, much to the Rock Type's content.
"Both of you were so amazing! You were both so cool, taking on all those strong Pokémon!" Ash praised, causing the wild Rockruff to bark happily while the Alola boy's Rockruff frowned at the praise being given.
Noticing the expression, Kaito knelt down to his Rock Type, questioning on how he was truly feeling.
"You feeling down about that loss?" Kaito asked, causing Rockruff to eye at him in surprise before the Alola boy explained.
"I saw you battling it. The Thunderclap Wanderer. Why were you doing that? Were you trying to train hard so you could become stronger, so that one day... you would be able to show your skills to your pack?" Kaito asked, as he rubbed his Puppy Pokémon's head.
Feeling comfort from Kaito's affection, the Puppy Pokémon barked in affirmation before a smile crept up to the Rock Type's face.
"I see... So, how did you feel about that battle? Frustrated?" Kaito asked, causing Rockruff to give a small nod before the Alola boy smiled in understanding.
"I see..." was all the Alola boy needed to say before he rubbed Rockruff's head, who whined a little in content before Ash spoke to the wild Rockruff about his rocky collar glowing during his battle with Magmar.
"Rockruff, wasn't this glowing a while ago? The Professor said that means you were getting ready to use a move." Ash explained, much to the wild Rockruff's confusion as he gave a questioning whine while tilting his head in confusion.
Kaito glanced to see the Kanto Trainer offering to help the wild Pokémon with his training, as did Kaito's Rockruff, who noticed how his wild friend looked excited to learn something that he can't use yet.
"Hey, would you like to do some training you and me together? To learn a new move?" Ash asked, much to the wild Puppy Pokémon's excitement, Rockruff barked happily, as Pikachu ran over to the Kanto Trainer's side, offering to help as well.
"Pika Pikachu!"
"Pikachu will help, too!" Ash assured, until Rotom questioned on why he would bother training the wild Pokémon.
"But Ash, why would you go through all that trouble?" Rotom buzzed, allowing Kaito to listen and hear what the Kanto Trainer's response would be. Ash just grinned, as he explained his reason for going through the trouble.
"I'm not sure I'd call that trouble, I just wanna help Rockruff! That's reason enough!" Ash explained, causing the Alola boy to blink while the Rotom Pokédex was bewildered for a moment before it realized in understanding.
"Reason enough?! Wait... I think I understand your offer!" Rotom buzzed, allowing the Kanto Trainer to look back down at his Rock Type friend.
"So, what do you say? You'll learn an awesome move, and then you'll beat that Magmar, along with the Thunderclap Wanderer!" Ash assured, before he made expression of a Magmar, before trying to make Zeraora's face expression.
The Alola boy sweat dropped at the Kanto Trainer mimicking of what Principal Oak would've done just now, but he realized in understanding. The wild Rockruff would have to become stronger and learn better moves if he wanted to defeat the Fire Type opponent that defeated him tonight.
"Ruff!" Rockruff barked, catching Kaito's attention as he turned to see the Puppy Pokémon growling in determination, showing that he truly wanted to defeat the Electric Type in their next battle, causing Kaito to smile weakly.
"I can tell... You want to become stronger too, right? So that you can defeat the Wanderer in your next battle together?" Kaito asked, earning an affirmative bark from his Rock Type friend.
"Bu bui!" Buizel declared, as he supports Rockruff on this decision. The Alola boy nodded to his Sea Weasel Pokémon before he turned to his Puppy Pokémon.
"Alright, Rockruff... You've got yourself a deal. Let's make you more stronger so that you can beat the Thunderclap Wanderer the next time you battle it, okay?" Kaito asked, causing the Puppy Pokémon to bark happily.
He then nuzzled onto Buizel's neck, causing the Water Type to flinch but accept the affection before the Puppy Pokémon nuzzled into Kaito this time, causing the Alola boy to wince before he embraced his excited Rock Type Pokémon back.
No one noticed that a familiar pair of serious blue eyes were staring at the scene that while Ash was bonding with the wild Rockruff, the Alola boy was bonding with his own Rockruff.
The figure, revealing himself to be Zeraora, just narrowed its eyes before it left, showing a hint of smile on its face before it jumped onto several trees to make its way back to its home.
Later...
After saying goodbye to both Ash and the Professor, the Alola boy and Buizel took Rockruff back home where they would both treat Rockruff's wounds. The Alola boy managed to spray some wounds with the Super Potion, but he knew that Rockruff would need some rest.
Offering to let Rockruff sleep with him and Buizel again, the Puppy Pokémon accepted eagerly as the Rock Type slept next to the still asleep Vulpix while the Alola boy and the Sea Weasel Pokémon laid on the bed next.
But before they slept, the Alola boy couldn't help, but having an uneasy feeling that was still nagging at him.
"I just hope that I have the courage to ask Rockruff of what I couldn't ask him earlier..." Kaito thought before he let sleep take over him.
The next day...
With the Pokémon School closed for today, the Alola boy took Rockruff out for some training. At hearing that the Kanto Trainer was busy training with the wild Rockruff with the Professor and Pikachu, the Alola boy decided to train Rockruff on his own with both Buizel and Vulpix.
Hau and Camilla had came over by the time Kaito was about to begin training with the Puppy Pokémon. So, the Alola boy allowed the two to either join in with the training or watch how it goes.
After explaining to the two of how Rockruff wanted to train to be stronger than the Thunderclap Wanderer, Hau immediately knew who Kaito was referring to.
"Oh! You mean that Electric Type Pokémon that gave you the Electrium-Z after it saved us from those Team Skull numskulls?" Hau asked, earning a nod from the Alola boy.
"The same one." Kaito affirmed, as Camilla pouted at the two.
"You're both lucky that you got to see that rare Pokémon, with Rockruff being lucky that it was able to battle it during that time at night." Camilla grumbled, causing Kaito to shake his head in denial.
"I wouldn't say lucky that he battled against the Wanderer... I would say that he's lucky to not get a serious injury from that tough battle, despite of it being just a training battle." Kaito corrected, with Rockruff barking in determination.
"Anyways, this Thunderclap Wanderer... It's an Electric Type Pokémon that helps out other Pokémon and people that are in need, right?" Camilla asked, earning a nod from the Alola boy as the Kahuna's grandson came up with a suggestion of what Kaito could do to help Rockruff train.
"Then, how about Pichu? Pichu's an Electric Type, so he might be able to help with the training that Rockruff could use! And the way to train is to have a battle! What do you say, Kai?" Hau exclaimed brightly.
"Pichu!" Pichu squeaked in agreement, causing Kaito to turn to the Puppy Pokémon, who was determined to get stronger as he barked in agreement, as if he was accepting the challenge.
"Okay then, Hau... We accept your challenge!"
"Rockruff!" Kaito declared, with Rockruff barking in affirmation.
With that being said, the boys made some distance from each other, as did Pichu and Rockruff. Camilla stood in between while Eevee, Buizel, and Vulpix watched from the sidelines to see the battle begin.
"Alright, then! Battle begin!" Camilla declared, telling the start of the battle.
Kaito: Rockruff VS Hau: Pichu
"We'll make the first move this time... Rockruff, use Howl!" Kaito called out, causing the Puppy Pokémon to howl in response. Pichu braced himself for impact in case if he needed to as Kaito made the next move.
"And now, use Rock Slide!" Kaito shouted out, causing the Rock Type to howl again! Boulders came crashing down to knock Pichu away as the Kahuna's grandson called for an evasive tactic.
"Roll out of the way, Pichu!" Hau exclaimed. Rolling out of the way in time, the little Electric Type managed to evade the Rock Type attack before Hau made the next move this time.
"Now it's our turn to attack! Pichu, use Thunder Shock!" Hau called out.
Charging up his cheeks, the little Electric Type sent electricity to shock the Puppy Pokémon, as Kaito called for an evasive maneuver himself.
"We'll dodge your attack, too!" Kaito called out. But despite the order Kaito had given to Rockruff, the Puppy Pokémon remained where he was, much to the Alola boy's surprise as he watched Rockruff get shocked by the Electric Type attack.
"Rockruff!? What are you-!?" Kaito gasped as he watched his Puppy Pokémon intentionally get shocked by the attack! Both Camilla and Hau widened their eyes in surprise at this, as did the other Pokémon that have seen this happen.
For Rockruff, the Puppy Pokémon shook it off before he growled at Pichu, who returned to being cautious around the Rock Type.
Bewildered for the fact that Rockruff disobeyed him for not dodging, the Alola boy frowned and bit his lips before he shook his head to try and make a counterattack to turn the battle around.
"I-In that case... Rockruff, use Crunch!" Kaito called out. This time, the Rock Type obeyed by biting onto Pichu before throwing him high up in the air! The little Electric Type wailed before Kaito continued his assault.
"Now, use Rock Slide one more time!" Kaito exclaimed, causing Rockruff to howl again! Boulders knocked Pichu down, but it didn't knock him out just yet! Pichu grunted before he managed to get back up.
"That's the spirit, Pichu! Now, let's use Shock Wave!" Hau exclaimed.
"Shock Wave? That's a move that can't miss, no matter how much you want to dodge it. In that case...!" Kaito thought as he watched to see the Shock Wave coming! At the right timing, Kaito called to his Rock Type.
"Now, Rockruff! Rock Slide one more time!" Kaito exclaimed, causing the Puppy Pokémon to call forth the boulders once more! The two moves collided with one another, before the collision made them both explode!
Both Pichu and Rockruff tumbled back before they managed to get back up and face each other once again.
"Now, Pichu! Use Thunder Shock one more time!" Hau called out, allowing the Tiny Mouse Pokémon to send little bolts of electricity towards the Puppy Pokémon, who braced himself for impact this time.
"Okay, Rockruff! You've got to dodge this time!" Kaito called out, only for him to watch in dismay and see Rockruff get himself shocked by the Electric Type attack! The others and the Pokémon all gasped at this while Rockruff tumbled back, growling in annoyance.
"Rockruff, what are you doing!? If you don't dodge, then you'll get hurt!" Kaito warned, causing the Puppy Pokémon to turn to Kaito in surprise before Hau called for another attack to catch their attention.
"Don't look back! The battle isn't over yet! Pichu, Thunder Shock!" Hau exclaimed, which allowed the Tiny Mouse Pokémon to aim more electricity to where Rockruff stood. Kaito frowned as he tried to make Rockruff dodge again.
"Okay, you have to dodge this time, Rockruff!" Kaito warned, only for Rockruff to hold his ground! The electricity shocked the Puppy Pokémon, making him wince in pain. Narrowing his eyes in both annoyance and confusion, Kaito bit his lips.
"What is Rockruff trying to do!? Is he trying to get hurt on purpose? No... He has to have a reason of why he's doing so. Now that I think about it, he didn't even try to dodge the Thunderclap Wanderer's attacks yesterday. Is he...?" Kaito thought before he listened to Hau call out to Pichu once more.
"Let's wrap this up! Pichu, use Thunder Shock one more time!" Hau called out, allowing Pichu to shock another attack to where Rockruff stood! Thinking differently this time, the Alola boy called out a different order for Rockruff to follow!
"Better now than never! Rockruff, Sand Attack!" Kaito shouted out, causing Rockruff to bark before he kicked sand to block the electricity!
At seeing Rockruff obey him when calling out a counterattack, the Alola boy slowly began to understand a little as to what the Puppy Pokémon was trying to do now.
"So he won't dodge, but he'll counter the attacks? Rockruff, use Rock Slide one more time!" Kaito exclaimed. Boulders were once again summoned as they knocked Pichu away! The Tiny Mouse Pokémon squealed before he was slammed onto the ground from the impact.
"Ah! Pichu!" Hau gasped as he managed to catch Pichu before the Tiny Mouse Pokémon could take any more damage from the impact he had taken. Despite of Hau's catch, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon was already unconscious by the time he caught it.
"Pichu is unable to battle! Rockruff is the winner! So this battle goes to Kaito!" Camilla declared, gesturing to the Alola boy's side.
Winner: Kaito
Rockruff barked happily for the win as he panted for the beat up he had to take from Pichu's electricity attacks. Hau sheepishly smiled before he called the Tiny Mouse Pokémon back into his Pokéball.
"You did great, Pichu. Now, get a good rest." Hau spoke out as Pichu groaned at being recalled back. As soon as the unconscious Electric Type was recalled, the Kahuna's grandson stated the enthusiasm and determination Rockruff had during the battle.
"I gotta say, I didn't expect Rockruff to just take Pichu's attacks like that before countering back! It's like it's doing the Midnight Lycanroc's battling style!" Hau pointed out, catching the Alola boy by surprise.
"Was that what it was? It was trying to mimic the Midnight Form's battling style? Now that I think about it, he did look excited with the wild Rockruff at seeing the two Lycanroc battle it out at Clawmark Hill..." Kaito thought before Camilla piped up.
"I guess I'm up." Camilla called out, catching the boys' attention as the Queen of the Waves stepped up to take Hau's place in battle.
"This is the perfect chance to have our rematch, isn't it? Litten, it's time to shine!" Camilla called out, as she sent forth the Fire Cat Pokémon that Rockruff had a draw with back at the festival tournament!
At recognizing his past opponent, Rockruff growled, causing the Fire Type to growl back. Sensing the Rock Type's determination to win, the Alola boy slowly nodded before he faced Camilla for their next battle.
"Okay then... Bring it, Camilla! Litten!" Kaito called out, as Hau took Camilla's place as the referee.
"Okay! Battle begin!" Hau declared, allowing the second battle to start.
Kaito: Rockruff VS Camilla: Litten
"Litten, let's kick things off with Double Kick!" Camilla exclaimed, causing Litten to screech in determination before it lunged at Rockruff to make the super effective attack make the double hit!
"Dodge it this time, Rockruff!" Kaito called out. And to his surprise, the Puppy Pokémon evaded the attack! Startled at first, the Alola boy shook his head to clear the thought away as he made the next command.
"So he dodges this time...? Anyways, use Rock Slide!" Kaito exclaimed. The Puppy Pokémon howled, causing boulders to fall where Litten stood!
"Don't let them get to you, Litten! Use Double Team!" Camilla called out. Clones of Litten appeared, allowing the Fire Cat Pokémon to evade the rocks! But that was the moment where Kaito got where he wanted them to be.
"I got you now! Rockruff, use Crunch!" Kaito shouted out, causing Rockruff to crunch onto Litten's body, making the Fire Cat Pokémon yowl in pain.
"No way!" Camilla exclaimed before she watched Litten get thrown high up into the air!
"And now, use Rock Slide!" Kaito exclaimed.
Howling once more, boulders smashed Litten away, causing it to tumble on the ground, much to the Queen of the Waves' worry and dismay.
"Litten, are you alright?" Camilla asked, making the Fire Cat Pokémon meow in affirmation before it made a growl as it glared at the Puppy Pokémon, who barked in determination, showing that he can go on.
"Now, Rockruff! Use Howl!" Kaito exclaimed, making the Puppy Pokémon howl once again to boost his attack power even more, while Litten managed to recover from the tough blows it had taken just now from the two consecutive attacks.
"Okay... let's try to turn the tide around on this battle! Litten, strike with Iron Tail!" Camilla shouted out. The tail on the Fire Cat Pokémon's tail glowed as it lunged towards Rockruff again, causing Kaito to call for another evasive maneuver.
"Dodge again, Rockruff!" Kaito exclaimed, causing Rockruff to dodge before an attack order was issued to counter back.
"Now, use Crunch! Follow it up with Rock Slide!" Kaito called out, allowing Rockruff to counter Litten's second Iron Tail attempt with Crunch! The hard tail and teeth made contact with one another before Litten was thrown up high in the air!
Camilla gasped as Litten wailed in both pain and surprise before Rockruff howled for more boulders to appear and crash down towards Litten! But the Queen of the Waves wasn't going to let something like this hurt her Fire Type again, as she called for her Fire Type to make an evasive maneuver.
"Come on, Litten! Use those rocks to gain speed! Double Team!" Camilla exclaimed, allowing Litten to regain its balance in the air before it made clones of itself! The boulders made contact with the clones, leaving only the real one left to evade the super effective attack!
"They countered the assault combo...!?" Kaito exclaimed in disbelief, with Rockruff watching in surprise before he growled at the Fire Cat Pokémon, who only growled back in response.
"Now it's our turn to strike! Litten, use Fire Fang!" Camilla exclaimed, causing Litten to try and strike Rockruff once more with a different move. But the Alola boy wasn't naïve enough to let his Pokémon take a hit.
"Don't count on us getting hit by your attack that easily! Dodge it!" Kaito exclaimed, allowing Rockruff to narrowly evade the burning attack from Litten's Fire Fang before he flipped backwards to regain his footing on the ground.
"Now, use Sand Attack!" Kaito exclaimed. But instead of kicking sand, the Puppy Pokémon jumped up before he dove underground! The three Trainers and the Pokémon watching all watched in surprise, as did Litten.
"What was that just now...!?" Hau exclaimed, with Camilla knowing the move's name.
"That was Dig..." Camilla breathed out before she watched in shock to see Litten getting hit from under! The Fire Cat Pokémon yowled in pain before it tumbled on the ground, groaning in defeat from the super effective attack it had taken just now.
"Litten!" Camilla exclaimed as she held Litten in her arms.
"Litten is unable to battle! Rockruff wins! So this battle goes to Kaito!" Hau declared, gesturing to the Alola boy and his Puppy Pokémon's side.
Winner: Kaito
Camilla thanked Litten for its efforts before returning it to its Pokéball. Kaito on the other hand, remained unsure and surprised as Rockruff howled in triumph, content with the second consecutive victory he gained against his rivals!
"So much for hoping to take back the win..." Camilla sighed as she noticed to see the Alola boy having the unsure expression on his face. Rockruff didn't seem to notice as the Puppy Pokémon growled, determined to take on more opponents.
The Rock Type eventually turned to Buizel, who raised an eyebrow before he shrugged. Complying to the Puppy Pokémon's request, the Sea Weasel Pokémon began training with the Puppy Pokémon as Kaito just watched with the same unsure expression on his face.
Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he turned to his left to see Hau grinning at him.
"Come on... Let's leave them be." Hau said, causing the Alola boy to slowly nod in agreement as he joined both Hau and Camilla to watch their Pokémon train by themselves. While Buizel trained with Rockruff, Eevee playfully trained with Vulpix, who struggled to keep up.
As the three Trainers watched, Camilla raised a question to the Alola boy about his thoughts right now.
"So... Mind telling us what you're really thinking about right now?" Camilla asked, causing Kaito to glance towards her as he sighed. Raising an eyebrow, the Queen of the Waves tried to make a guess on what Kaito's doubts were right now.
"Is it about the Sea Gauntlet again?" Camilla asked, earning a shaking head in response.
"Oh! Maybe, is it about the Grand Trials that you have to take on other islands?" Hau asked eagerly, causing another shaking head to respond.
"Then what is it? We can't help you with whatever you have doubts on if you don't tell us!" Camilla grumbled, making a pout on her face. The Alola boy sweat dropped at her face expression before he sighed, knowing what he needed to do at the moment.
"It's about Rockruff... I saw Rockruff... battling against the Thunderclap Wanderer yesterday night when Ash, Prof. Kukui, and I trailed after my Rockruff and the wild one..." Kaito explained, much to Hau's shock and Camilla's confusion.
"No way! That same Pokémon that gave you the Electrium-Z!?" Hau exclaimed, earning a nod from the Alola boy while Camilla blinked to hear Kaito getting an Electrium-Z from some unknown Pokémon.
"The Thunderclap Wanderer? You said it was battling Rockruff, but why was it battling Rockruff in the first place, anyway..." Camilla started to ask, before allowing Kaito to explain.
"My guess was... that the Wanderer was training Rockruff to be stronger, since it didn't seem like it was trying to win against Rockruff yesterday, despite of it winning that battle." Kaito explained, causing Hau to scratch the back of his head.
"So... could that be why Rockruff is so hard on himself like this? I mean, after those two battles against Pichu and Litten, he still looks like he wants to battle..." Hau pointed out as he and the others watched to see Rockruff panting in exhaustion.
Yet, the Puppy Pokémon still looked like he still wanted to keep battling as he continued on striking towards Buizel while taking hits at the same time. The Sea Weasel Pokémon started to look concerned, but didn't bother to argue, as he knew what Rockruff wanted.
"That could be one thing, but I think it's more..." Kaito admitted, confusing both Camilla and Hau as the Kahuna's grandson tried to question the Alola boy.
"What do you mean...?" Hau asked, before Kaito began to explain.
"Do you two remember yesterday when Rotom explained about Rockruff being temperamental and independent? I feel like... Rockruff's going into that stage already with the way he is." Kaito explained, causing Camilla to frown.
"You mean... evolving into a Lycanroc?" Camilla asked, allowing the Alola boy to nod in affirmation and continue on.
"Mm hm... There are also bitter times that Rockruff had to take, such as losing battles against opponents he probably didn't want to lose against, no matter what situation he was in... I feel like, well..." Kaito continued, before Camilla finished his explanation with her guess.
"You think you're holding him back by asking him to battle alongside you? Kaito, that's just crazy!" Camilla exclaimed, causing Hau to add in his protest.
"Yeah! I mean, if Rockruff didn't want to be with you or Buizel anymore, then wouldn't he have left already back to his pack?" Hau asked, causing Kaito to blink before he bit his lips.
"Well, I guess, but still..." Kaito added, unsure of what to say as the Queen of the Waves sighed.
"Well then... If that's what's bothering you the most, then why don't you go and ask Rockruff?" Camilla asked, only to get her idea shut down immediately.
"N-No way! If I ask Rockruff like that, then who knows how he might react!? It might make things awkward, with our bond together taking a big hit from that question..." Kaito protested, not wanting to make his Rock Type feel unhappy.
"Kai..." was all Hau could say as Camilla pressed on.
"That may be true, but if you don't ask or tell him now, then it's going to make things more awkward for the two of you! I mean, you don't want that, right?" Camilla asked on sternly, causing the Alola boy to twitch his eyes as he bit his lips.
"You know, you're not exactly helping by pressing onto the matter! This only concerns me and my Pokémon! It doesn't concern you, okay!? Just let me do things at my own pace!" Kaito snapped, surprising his two friends as the Alola boy stood up and ran off.
"Bu bui!"
"Vul!"
Buizel and Vulpix quickly took notice to the Alola boy leaving as they ran after him, with Rockruff being the last to notice.
"Rockruff!" Rockruff barked as he ran after his two friends and his human brother, leaving Hau and Camilla be with Eevee at their side. The Queen of the Waves sighed while Hau gave her a small disbelieving look.
"Well... So much for getting Kaito to be confident, thanks to someone acting hasty about it..." Hau mumbled, causing Camilla to flush red before she scoffed.
"D-Don't blame me for what happened just now! Hmph!" Camilla snapped, causing both Hau and Eevee to wince as they watched her leave the beach, leaving the two to be bewildered of what just happened.
"Woo boy... This is starting to feel ugly."
"Vee..."
Meanwhile...
The Alola boy had the still annoyed expression on his face while his three Pokémon trailed after him to where their house was.
"Geez... I can get what Camilla was trying to say, but that doesn't mean she has to be so annoyed about it...! Not to mention, she even pressed into the situation..." Kaito grumbled to himself as he kept walking, until he heard the Sea Weasel Pokémon call out to him, followed by Vulpix and Rockruff.
"Bu bui!"
"Vul!"
"Rockruff!"
Their cries stopped the Alola boy in his tracks as Kaito turned to his three friends, as he immediately lost his annoyed expression. He gave a sigh before he apologized to his Pokémon for his temper just now.
"Sorry, you three... Looks like I let my anger get the best of me back there..." Kaito said apologetically, only to get a shaking head and a coo from the Fox Pokémon.
"Vul..." Vulpix cooed softly while Buizel rubbed the Alola boy's arm in comfort. Rockruff panted before he jumped up and rubbed his rocky collar onto the Alola boy's neck, causing Kaito to wince before he accepted the affection.
But at feeling Rockruff's show for affection, the Alola boy narrowed his eyes before he held Rockruff in the air, making the Puppy Pokémon question him with a small bark, as did Vulpix, who was also confused as to what Kaito was about to do to Rockruff.
Buizel knew however, as he remained calm, knowing that his human brother might make the right decision of what he needed to do for the Rock Type.
"Rockruff... I... uh... Well, do you ever... think about your pack back home? Thinking on how they're doing or on how your dad is doing?" Kaito asked, causing Rockruff to question him again with a questioning bark.
"Ruff...?" Rockruff asked, causing the Alola boy to try and explain.
"Ah, well... How do I say this... Do you... ever think of wanting to try and go back to them someday to see how they're doing?" Kaito asked, earning a grin from the Rock Type before he barked at him affirmatively.
"Rock!" Rockruff barked, making Kaito smile weakly at the response.
"I see..." was all Kaito needed to say before he sighed. Vulpix watched, still remaining confused as to why Kaito was asking all of this. For the Sea Weasel Pokémon, the Water Type knew that Kaito didn't have the courage inside him to ask, which was why he was stalling.
"Well, in that case... You want to get stronger, right? So that not only you can surpass your dad, but the Thunderclap Wanderer too, right? That way, you can be strong enough to battle against anyone." Kaito asked again.
"Rock!" barked the Puppy Pokémon affirmatively, as he made a face expression, telling the Alola boy that he wanted to become stronger.
"Okay then... Why don't we find someone else to train with, then? I'm sure the others would be willing to help you with your training to become stronger." Kaito suggested, earning another affirmative bark from the Rock Type.
"Ruff! Rockruff!" Rockruff barked enthusiastically, which seemed to make the little Fox Pokémon feel excited for what the Rock Type was feeling.
"Vul! Vulpix!" Vulpix cooed happily while the Sea Weasel Pokémon gave a sheepish smile.
As for the Alola boy, he sighed in his thoughts, understanding of what he couldn't do.
"Cripes... So much for trying to ask..." Kaito thought to himself as he let his Rock Type down so that he could run. With that being done, the Alola boy headed to a different beach, hoping he could find some of his other school friends there.
Later...
As Kaito was getting to another beach, he noticed Ash and Kiawe up ahead. The Fire Type user had Turtonator out while Ash was with Pikachu! The wild Rockruff living with Prof. Kukui was watching the battle began as Kiawe made the first attack.
"Turtonator! Flamethrower, let's go!" Kiawe called out, allowing the Blast Turtle Pokémon to blast flames to where Pikachu stood! But narrowly, the Mouse Pokémon got out of the way to prevent himself from getting hit!
"Wow... Nice dodge!" Kiawe complimented, as the Alola boy raised an eyebrow as he had witnessed the narrow dodge.
"That was fast..." Kaito commented silently as Rockruff barked in excitement, before he raced to where Kiawe and Ash were with their starter Pokémon and the wild Rockruff, much to the Alola boy and his other two Pokémon's surprise.
"Wait, Rockruff!? Where are you...!?" Kaito started to ask before he realized what the Puppy Pokémon could want right now. He gave a glance at his Sea Weasel Pokémon, who nodded to him. Vulpix looked at the two before she noticed to see Kaito running after the Rock Type!
Buizel soon followed, causing the Fox Pokémon to coo in surprise before she began to pursuit after she watched them go on.
Ash was teaching the wild Rockruff on how to evade a strong Fire Type like Flamethrower, by using Pikachu as an example of what the wild Rock Type needed to do.
"Did you see that? That's how you dodge it! All you've gotta do with Flamethrower is dodge!" Ash reminded, causing Kiawe to raise an eyebrow, as he knew that there were more ways to counter moves like Flamethrower.
"Guess that's one way, but still..." Kiawe started to say until he was interrupted by another barking!
"Ruff! Ruff!" Kaito's Rockruff barked, his face clearly showing how determined he was to battle. Turtonator looked down at his new opponent in surprise while Kiawe and Ash took notice of the energetic Puppy Pokémon.
"Huh? Another Rockruff? Wait, isn't this...?" Kiawe started to ask before Kaito called out to his two friends.
"Sorry, guys! That's my energetic buddy right there!" Kaito called out, catching both boys' attention as Ash waved to his Alola friend.
"Hey, Kai! Alola!" Ash exclaimed, allowing the Alola boy to say his Alolan greeting back to the Kanto Trainer.
"Alola, Ash... Kiawe. Mind if we join in on your little training here? This is to help the wild one with Magmar's attacks, right?" Kaito asked, earning an affirmative nod from Ash, as he took notice of the other Rock Type's determination.
"Yup! That's what we're doing right now! What about you, Kai? Your Rockruff's opponent was the Thunderclap Wanderer, wasn't it?" Ash asked, catching the Fire Type user by surprise as he questioned his two friends.
"The Thunderclap Wanderer? You both seen it before?" Kiawe asked, with the Blast Turtle Pokémon expressing his surprise as well.
"Yeah! That Pokémon was so close and really strong! It was battling against Kai's Rockruff last night, which made it determined to win against that Pokémon!" Ash explained, making the Fire Type user frown at hearing this.
"Battle against it? I mean sure... Kaito, your Rockruff may be strong, but can it withstand the attacks that the Thunderclap Wanderer shoots out?" Kiawe asked, causing Kaito to explain with a sheepish expression.
"Well... That's why we've been training with Hau and Camilla earlier, but..." Kaito started to say, before stopping himself. He didn't want to get more of his friends involved with whatever he was dealing with inside his head.
"But...?" Ash repeated in confusion, only to get a shaking head from the Alola boy in response.
"N-Nothing... Rockruff and I just had a battle with those two and won, but... Since we're up against the Thunderclap Wanderer, I was hoping that your Pikachu could help Rockruff here with the training he needs." Kaito explained.
The Kanto Trainer grinned, before accepting Kaito's request for training assistance.
"No prob, Kai! I just need to show Rockruff on how to dodge Flamethrower in case if he faces it again when it battles that Magmar! Ready, Rockruff?" Ash exclaimed, before he questioned the wild Rockruff on whether it was ready or not.
"Rockruff!" The wild Rockruff barked eagerly before he ran to face Turtonator a few distance away, making Kaito's Rockruff to run over to his Trainer and stand with him, Buizel, Vulpix, Ash, and Pikachu.
"All right, Kiawe! One more time!" Ash shouted out, giving the signal for the Fire Type user to issue a command to his partner.
"Flamethrower again!" Kiawe called out. Wasting no time, the Blast Turtle Pokémon shot the flames to where the wild Rockruff stood! As everyone watched, the Puppy Pokémon managed to get out of the way... only for his tail to get caught on fire!
Kaito couldn't help but wince at seeing the wild Rock Type scream in pain with his tail on fire, before the wild Puppy Pokémon dove into the water to let the fire die down immediately.
"That's gotta hurt..." Kaito thought as he smiled sheepishly at the poor Puppy Pokémon.
Later...
After having the wild Rockruff take some more dodging practice with Kiawe and Turtonator, the Kanto Trainer turned to Kaito to lend him some assistance with training, as he faced the Alola boy and his Rockruff with Pikachu at his side.
Buizel, Vulpix, the wild Rockruff, and Rotom watched on the sidelines as the boys faced each other. A moment later, they began the battle with each side calling out the first attacks.
Kaito: Rockruff VS Ash: Pikachu
"Alright! Now, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash shouted out. The Mouse Pokémon let out a battle cry before he dashed forward to tackle the Puppy Pokémon, making the Alola boy call for an evasive maneuver.
"Don't count on it! Use Dig!" Kaito shouted out, causing the Puppy Pokémon to dig underground to evade Quick Attack! The Electric Type stopped his attack, surprised at for what happened just now.
"Since when did your Rockruff learn how to use Dig!?" Ash gaped in disbelief, only to get a grin from the Alola boy in response.
"Just a few hours ago while it was battling against Camilla's Litten! Brace yourself!" Kaito warned, causing Pikachu to look around and be aware of the Rock Type's presence. Ash just remained calm as he commanded Pikachu to keep on running.
"Pikachu, keep using Quick Attack! We won't let Rockruff get to you!" Ash shouted out, allowing the Mouse Pokémon to dash around the sandy beach! But as soon as the Electric Type was running around, he was knocked high into the air by Dig!
"PIKA!?" Pikachu yelped as he tumbled onto the ground before he regained his hold on the ground.
"Pikachu, you okay!?" Ash asked, earning an affirmative cry from his Electric Type partner.
"Whoa... I wasn't expecting Rockruff to do that! In that case, give Iron Tail a try!" Ash admitted before the Steel Type move was called. Obeying immediately, the Mouse Pokémon aimed to strike his hard tail onto Rockruff!
"Counter with Crunch!" Kaito shouted out, allowing the Dark Type move to clash with the Steel Type attack! The two battling Pokémon struggled against one another until the Kanto Trainer smirked at the two making contact with one another!
"Gotcha now, Kai! Thunderbolt!" Ash exclaimed. Kaito widened his eyes as he tried to call for Rockruff to evade the shock.
"Snap! Get off of Pikachu, Rockruff!" Kaito yelped, only for his order to be ignored! To the Alola boy's surprise, the Puppy Pokémon held his grip despite of the big shock he was getting!
"Again!? Rockruff, what are you doing!?" Kaito exclaimed as he watched Rockruff struggle before he threw Pikachu up in the air with Crunch! The Mouse Pokémon wailed in surprise as the others watched in surprise.
"Unbelievable! Rockruff just took that Thunderbolt while throwing Pikachu off guard in the air! Out of all the things, I've never seen a Pokémon do that while getting shocked by an Electric Type attack!" Rotom admitted.
Buizel and Vulpix just watched together with the wild Rockruff, as the wild Puppy Pokémon was shocked to see his friend taking the shock instead of trying to escape. Vulpix was more concerned while Buizel watched carefully.
"No good! Pikachu, try an Electro Ball!" Ash called out. The Mouse Pokémon made an affirmative cry before he gathered up energy from his tail to shoot the ball of electricity to where the Puppy Pokémon stood!
"That move is gonna land a hard mark if it hits! Rockruff, you have to dodge it this time!" Kaito ordered, only to be ignored again as the Electro Ball made its mark! The Puppy Pokémon howled in pain before he skidded back to hold his ground.
"I don't understand! This is just like when he battled against Hau's Pichu! But he didn't do something like this when he fought against Camilla's Litten... unless..." Kaito thought before a realization hit his head.
"Now, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out, allowing the Mouse Pokémon to shoot another Electric Type attack to where Rockruff stood.
"Not this time! Counter with Rock Slide!" ordered the Alola boy.
This time, Rockruff obeyed by howling! Boulders negated the Electric Type attack, as the two moves cancelled each other out! The Kanto Trainer expressed his surprise while Pikachu remained cautious.
"So he won't dodge, but he'll at least counter... I think I get it a little! Rockruff, now use Crunch!" Kaito exclaimed. Dashing forward, the Puppy Pokémon aimed his Dark Type attack onto the Electric Type, as the Kanto Trainer tried to strike back.
"Here he comes! Use Thunderbolt to counter, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. Wasting no time, the Mouse Pokémon tried to shock his opponent into submission with his Electric Type attack. But despite the attack coming, the Alola boy didn't call for a dodge this time.
The Electric Type attack made a hit onto Rockruff, causing the Puppy Pokémon to wince in pain!
"Yeah! You got 'em, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, only for his smile to drop as he widened his eyes to see Rockruff using Crunch on the Electric Type despite of the shock he was getting!
"Afraid not! Now, Rockruff! Toss Pikachu into the air and use Rock Slide!" Kaito exclaimed. Howling in battle cry, the Puppy Pokémon tossed Pikachu into the air once again before howling again to call for more rocks and boulders!
The Mouse Pokémon yelled in surprise as he was knocked down by the heavy attack, before he skidded on the ground to face his Rock Type opponent once again. At realizing what Rockruff's true intentions were, the Alola boy called to Ash for a stop.
"Stop!" Kaito called out, causing Ash to look up in surprise, as did Pikachu. Rockruff did the same as he questioned his human brother with a curious expression as the Alola boy sighed sheepishly, before he scratched the back of his head.
"I think I get your battle strategy here, Rockruff... Instead of dodging Electric Type attacks, you just want to try and take the attacks so you can attack despite being attacked yourself, right?" Kaito asked, catching both Ash and Rotom by surprise.
"Ruff! Rockruff!" Rockruff barked happily, as he sounded content at seeing that the Alola boy finally got his strategy for not dodging Electric Type attacks.
"Whoa, really!?" Ash exclaimed, earning a nod from Kaito, who then explained as to how he came to that guess.
"Yeah... It first happened when Rockruff and I were battling against Hau and his Pichu... He didn't try to dodge the attacks coming at him, but when we fought Camilla and Litten, he dodged Litten's attacks..." Kaito explained before he continued on.
"And now... instead of dodging Pikachu's attacks, he went right with it while attacking Pikachu at the same time as well. It's as if, he wants to take the attack so that he wouldn't have to waste time attacking the opponent right away." Kaito explained.
"That may be fine, but isn't it a bit too risky? Besides, this is the Thunderclap Wanderer we're talking about! If it's a Pokémon that's really fast and strong, then it has to be around the same level as Tapu Koko, right? Wouldn't it be too strong for Rockruff to beat?" Rotom asked in confusion.
But the Alola boy just rubbed Rockruff's head, causing the Puppy Pokémon to sigh in content as Vulpix and the wild Rockruff ran around the scarred Pokémon, both amazed to see how strong Rockruff went against a strong opponent like Pikachu.
"I don't think it matters to Rockruff... All he ever wanted to do was to fight against strong opponents, even if it meant getting beaten up or losing to them... That kept happening back when you were still in the pack, right?" Kaito asked, causing Rockruff to bark in affirmation.
"Ruff!" Rockruff cried out, as he panted with his tongue out.
"I think I get it..." Ash spoke out, realizing what Kaito's Rockruff desired as Buizel smiled before folding his arms in understanding. Vulpix cooed, smiling for the Rock Type while Pikachu smiled at his Rock Type friend, as did the wild Rockruff.
But as the other Pokémon were praising Kaito's Rockruff for his desire to become stronger by battling against strong opponents, the doubt in Kaito's mind remained as his smile started to weaken a little as he remembered of what he was thinking before.
"Still... Even with his desire to become stronger, he still had to endure the bitter losses and interruptions when he was around with me... I just hope that I can really understand of what Rockruff feels right now." Kaito thought as he had yet to ask Rockruff of what he wishes to do now.
And that was as in to stay or leave the group.
A few days later...
Shiho and Seita were in bed by the time the sun had set and the moon was starting to rise up in the sky. The Alola boy sat with Buizel and Vulpix at his side, while Rockruff was more pumped up to have his rematch against the Thunderclap Wanderer.
After their training battle with Ash and Pikachu, the Puppy Pokémon trained hard to fight with the mysterious Pokémon again so that he wouldn't be blindsided should he have to take or face the upcoming Electric Type attacks.
And while training went on, the doubtful thoughts remained on Kaito's mind, as he had yet asked Rockruff whether if he wanted to stay with him or return to the pack to become stronger.
The Alola boy managed to reconcile with both Hau and Camilla, as they now understood his hesitance to ask the Puppy Pokémon about his feelings and decision. ANd now, after another day of training, the Alola boy sat with his three Pokémon to wait for night to come.
Kaito was aware of what might happen tonight, and he wanted to see everything that happens, especially his Rock Type's battle with his Electric Type savior.
Just then, while Rockruff was trying to train himself, his eyes widened and his ears perked up! The Alola boy took this as a sign that the battle was about to begin, as both Buizel and Vulpix noticed as well.
"Okay then... Let's go!" Kaito called out to his three Pokémon, as they all responded affirmatively.
Later...
The Midday Form and Midnight Form Lycanroc were both howling together to start tonight's training of the Pokémon at Clawmark Hill. Kaito reunited with Ash and Prof. Kukui, as their wild Rockruff friend had heard the call for the meeting as well.
The three humans and their Pokémon friends were a bit far away, but they were still able to see of what was going on down there.
"We're really far away. Right?" Rotom asked, with Ash confirming it.
"Yeah, but we can see them... So it's fine." Ash assured, before he looked back to see the training battle go on. Kaito kept his eyes on his scarred Rockruff too, as he awaited for the Thunderclap Wanderer to arrive at the scene.
While Kaito's Rockruff awaited for the Wanderer, the wild Rockruff ran over to Magmar to challenge it once again! It barked at the evolved Fire Type, who noticed the wild Puppy Pokémon's arrival for battle.
Magmar VS Rockruff (wild)
The battle began as Rockruff began to charge ahead to where Magmar stood! The Spitfire Pokémon tried to knock his little opponent down with a hot Flamethrower attack. But remembering what he learned with Ash and Pikachu, the Puppy Pokémon dodged out of the way and continued running!
The Pokémon that were watching cheered for the little Rock Type, as did Kaito's Rockruff, who had taken a little interest to how his wild friend was doing against his Fire Type opponent.
Even the two Lycanroc were rather curious as to how the wild Rockruff was doing, as the wild Puppy Pokémon managed to make the first strike with Tackle! The Spitfire Pokémon winced in pain as it skidded back!
"Rockruff, you're doing great!"
"Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu praised their wild friend for making the first strike, until Magmar angrily struck the wild Rock Type back with Fire Punch! The Pokémon all gasped in concern before Rockruff dodged another Flamethrower attack!
The Puppy Pokémon leapt in the air, his rocky collar starting to glow. The humans and their Pokémon knew what was about to come as Ash pointed it out first.
"Here it comes..." Ash pointed out, with Rotom recognizing the move.
"It's about to use Rock Throw!" Rotom buzzed, with the Alola Professor hoping that it would succeed.
"Hope it's a good one." Prof. Kukui commented as Kaito just watched. But just as Rockruff was about to unleash Rock Throw, the evolved Fire Type knocked Rockruff away with another Flamethrower attack!
Everyone gasped, as they watched Rockruff get hit hard by the hot flames. But recovering due to him being resistant to Fire Type attacks, the wild Puppy Pokémon jumped in the air to make his next attack work this time!
Magmar followed by jumping to meet up with the little Pokémon's attack, as it got the Fire Punch ready to make the last strike. But as everyone watched, the Fire Punch didn't hit its mark this time, as Rockruff managed to dodge it in mid-air!
Kaito's Rockruff watched, impressed as he watched his wild friend blast Magmar down with the Rock Throw this time! The Spitfire Pokémon yelled in pain as he was slammed to the ground, before another Tackle attack knocked the wind out of the Spitfire Pokémon.
As the wild Puppy Pokémon confronted Magmar again in case if it started to attack again, the Spitfire Pokémon struggled to stand up... until it groaned, falling unconscious with the serious damage he had taken!
Winner: Rockruff
The Pokémon watching began to cheer for the new victor, as the three humans smiled to see the wild Rock Type winning in his rematch.
"All right!" Ash exclaimed, happy for his wild Rock Type friend.
"Pika!"
"Vul!"
"Bu bui..." Pikachu, Vulpix, and Buizel cheered for their wild Rock Type friend's victory, while Kaito's Rockruff just howled in content to see his friend become victorious against his Fire Type rival.
"That move was super effective!" Rotom buzzed in awe.
"The little guy did it..." Kaito breathed out, smiling to see the battle ending in the wild Pokémon's favor. But just as he and the others were cheering for the wild Rockruff's victory, the Alola boy knew what would be coming next.
And it seemed as Kaito's Rockruff was well aware of what was about to happen next as he got into a battle stance this time, with the circle of the Pokémon surrounding him getting larger, with the wild Rockruff joining the circle.
Ash and Prof. Kukui noticed this as well as they crouched back down to see the next battle happening. And just as they did so, a familiar thunderbolt struck the ground, causing the Pokémon to be aware of who was appearing in the training battle now.
Kaito's Rockruff watched with determined eyes, seeing Zeraora step in with the same expression it had on its face the first time it appeared to challenge the Puppy Pokémon a few nights ago.
Rockruff VS Zeraora
Rockruff quickly got into position, as did the Thunderclap Pokémon, who awaited for his little opponent's first move. And Rockruff did so, by howling loudly! At that point, Rockruff's attack power increased as he growled at his Electric Type opponent.
"That was Howl..." Kaito pointed out as he watched his Puppy Pokémon howl again, before boulders threatened to smash onto the Thunderclap Pokémon. But like before, Zeraora managed to dodge out of the way effortlessly as it felt presence behind it as the rocks stopped falling.
Using its arm to defend itself, the Thunderclap Pokémon felt Crunch doing its work! Rockruff growled while using the Dark Type attack as Zeraora glared back, before it began to let electricity crackle around its fists.
Aware of what was about to happen, the Puppy Pokémon had quickly let go before a Thunder Punch could make its mark! At that point, Rockruff howled once again, causing more boulders to fall to where Zeraora stood.
Narrowing its eyes at the same move, the Thunderclap Pokémon dodged the rocks before preparing a Thunder Punch attack! But what surprised Zeraora, was that as it turned to strike at its opponent, the Rock Type was nowhere to be seen.
A little surprised to see its opponent missing, Zeraora felt something underneath it before it widened its eyes to see itself getting attacked from underneath! The Dig attack did its work, stunning the Thunderclap Pokémon as it flipped back to regain its footing.
"Nice move! He got the Wanderer off guard by using Dig!" Ash commented, earning a nod from the Alola boy as the battle went on. The Pokémon surrounding the two battlers began to cheer for their young Rock Type friend as Rockruff charged to use Crunch again!
Zeraora charged in this time by preparing Thunder Punch as the two attacks collided with one another! The collision caused both Pokémon to skid back before Zeraora zipped to where Rockruff was, much to the Puppy Pokémon's surprise.
Before the Rock Type could react, he felt multiple damages affecting his body as he howled from the pain he was feeling at the moment before he was smashed to the ground, hard.
"Close Combat...!" Kaito grunted as he winced to see his Rock Type get hurt badly from the Fighting Type attack. But that didn't stop Zeraora from continuing its assault as it leapt up, his fist crackling with electricity once again.
Recovering from the immense blows he had taken, the Puppy Pokémon rolled out of the way to make the Thunder Punch attack miss before he howled once more. This time, the Rock Slide attack made a decent hit this time!
It caused the Thunderclap Pokémon to skid back from the damage it had taken this time, as it hissed a little in pain before smiling in amusement, while at the same time, being impressed with how much Kaito's Rockruff had improved.
Rockruff growled before he howled again, boosting his attack power once more as he was met with another Thunder Punch attack! Yelling in pain, the Puppy Pokémon skidded back before he howled once more to let the Rock Slide do its work.
But instead of dodging or getting hit, the Thunderclap Pokémon used his two fists crackling with electricity to cancel the attack out! Gaping in surprise for a moment, Kaito's Rockruff growled before he dug underground to make another surprise attack.
But at realizing what the young Rock Type was about to do, the body of the Thunderclap Wanderer began to glow and crackle with electricity! Kaito widened his eyes in shock, as he realized on what Zeraora was about to do right now.
"It's going to use that move! That move that finished Rockruff off before!" Kaito warned, causing both Ash and Prof. Kukui to be alarmed while the Pokémon watched with widened eyes, all fearing for what might happen to the Puppy Pokémon.
Zeraora wasted no time, slamming its fist on the ground to let electricity surge on the ground wildly before a small explosion took place! The Pokémon watching the battle watched in anticipation before they all took notice of a figure appearing out of the ground!
Even Zeraora admitted to itself that it was surprised, as it took notice of its Rock Type opponent looking quite weary and exhausted, but not out. The damage he had taken from Zeraora's signature move damaged him quite a lot, but it didn't really finish him off like it did before.
"Rock! Rockruff ruff!" Rockruff barked angrily, declaring that he was quite determined to win in their rematch, unlike the last time they battled.
Kaito sighed in relief, as did Ash and their Pokémon friends. The Alola Professor just scratched the back of his head with a relieved smile as Zeraora just raised an eyebrow before it sighed with a hint of smile on its face.
It went to its original position before making a few grunting noises of approval, surprising the Rock Type before he smiled brightly, barking happily in thanks to the Thunderclap Pokémon for a tough battle.
The Pokémon surrounding them cheered for a good battle they had shown as Ash blinked in confusion.
"Uh... What just happened? Did the Thunderclap Wanderer forfeit...?" Ash asked, causing Kaito to shake his head.
"No... It's not that. The Wanderer stopped the battle, because it knew there was no point in continuing when it saw how much Rockruff has improved, despite of the chance that he might lose was very high..." Kaito explained calmly.
"Huh..." was all the Kanto Trainer said as the Thunderclap Pokémon spoke to Rockruff a bit more before it began to take its leave, causing the Puppy Pokémon to howl in thanks before the Wanderer soon disappeared out of his sight.
The Pokémon surrounding the Puppy Pokémon now cheered for the effort Rockruff had pulled off, as did the wild Rockruff, who barked happily as he ran over to where Kaito's Rockruff stood.
The wild Rock Type nuzzled the Alola boy's Rock Type, allowing the scarred Rock Type to accept the affection being given to him before he showed his affection back to his wild friend.
The humans and their Pokémon friends just watched as the cheering from the Pokémon below went on, while Kaito knew what he had to do now tonight. It was now or never, to see what Rockruff wants to do next.
Later...
After parting with Ash and Prof. Kukui, the Alola boy and his three Pokémon went back to where the house was. Soon, as they were there, the Alola boy stopped at the front door, much to both Rockruff and Vulpix's confusion while Buizel came to a realization of why Kaito did so.
For the Alola boy, he bit his lips before he turned to his still confused Puppy Pokémon before he crouched down to where he was at the Rock Type's level. He strained to not feel worried about it, but the expression on his face gave away to Rockruff on what he was really feeling.
"Ruff...?" Rockruff asked in confusion while tilting his head.
The Alola boy twitched his eyes, his doubts still hanging onto him before he managed to get a word out.
"Rockruff... do you... want to stay with me?" Kaito asked, catching Rockruff by surprise before he barked in confusion.
"Rock...?" Rockruff asked, before allowing Kaito to explain.
"Well... it's just that, well... I've noticed that, ever since you've lost some battles, I felt like you were feeling a lot bitter about that. And, it just suddenly came to me, that maybe... Maybe, I was just holding you back from doing your best in battles like you always did back when you were at your home pack."
Rockruff's eyes widened in shock at hearing Kaito's confession as the Alola boy continued on.
"So... I was wondering if... if you want to go back to your home pack, rather than stay here... I mean, I don't want to be well... a burden to you when I'm battling together with you during your battles." Kaito confessed, his tone starting to break down a little.
A hint of tear welled up on Kaito's left eye as it glistened a little. Buizel took notice of this as he rubbed his human brother's arm to try and comfort him. Vulpix did the same, upset for seeing how upset Kaito was looking at the moment.
"So... what do you say...?" Kaito asked, causing Rockruff to keep his shocked expression on his face before his face shadowed.
Biting his lips, the Alola boy began to feel as if he had something wrong or terrible to the Puppy Pokémon until he felt something tackling into his chest! Yelping in surprise, Kaito fell onto his back on the ground, much to both of Buizel and Vulpix's surprise.
Before the Alola boy could speak, he felt something wet dripping onto his cheek, catching him by surprise.
As he looked closely, he widened his eyes to see... Rockruff crying with an upset expression on his face.
"R-Rockruff...?" Kaito asked in disbelief as Rockruff crawled on his chest before nuzzling his human brother's neck softly, enough to not hurt him as Kaito widened his eyes, coming to a realization of how dense he truly was to Rockruff's true feelings.
Sitting himself up slowly, Kaito shut his eyes before he embraced his Rock Type softly, with Buizel and Vulpix joining in on the hug.
"S-So that's how you feel...?" Kaito asked hesitantly, earning a weak bark from the Puppy Pokémon, which seemed to be an affirmative answer from the Rock Type.
"I see... I'm sorry..." Kaito apologized silently, which Rockruff immediately accepted as the Rock Type continued to cry on Kaito's chest, with the Alola boy hugging him back to comfort the Rock Type for his own stupidity.
"I'm sorry for being so stupid just now, little buddy... Can you forgive me?"
"Ruff... Rockruff..."
None of the four ever noticed Zeraora watching them from distance away, as the Thunderclap Wanderer had witnessed the touching moment that occurred between Kaito and Rockruff as the Thunderclap Wanderer sighed in relief before it took its leave again.
To be continued...
Kaito's Team:
Buizel (M): (Ice Beam, Agility, Rain Dance, Aqua Jet)
Rockruff (M): (Crunch, Dig, Rock Slide, Howl)
Vulpix (F): (Ember, Roar, Baby-Doll Eyes, Quick Attack)
Next chapters:
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!
Chapter 35: A Trainer Who Rocks with Rockruff!
Next chapter preview:
Lana: All right, everyone! For those who want to be inside Popplio's balloon, then please get in line!
Ash: So Popplio improved her skills of blowing big bubbles, right? Can they hold not just one, but two Pokémon?
Lana: Of course! Although, if it were to be too much Pokémon in one bubble, then it would easily pop...
Kaito: You mean three is the limit, right? Because... THERE THEY GO NOW! That balloon is taking them away!
Ash: Oh no! Vulpix, Rowlet, and Popplio! We're going to lose sight of them if they keep flying off like that!
Lana: If that's the case... then let's go after them. Kai... Ash... We're going to save our Pokémon hard if we have to!
Events that occurred:
- Rockruff learns how to use Dig
- The wild Rockruff reveals to have learned Rock Throw
- Kaito attempts to release Rockruff, but Rockruff insists on staying with him