Chapter 33: A Persistent Rival! It's Sho!

"Ugh... if I ended up getting hit by the Inferno Overdrive attack, I would've been toast for sure. Thanks for backing me up yesterday, Kai..." Ash said gratefully, turning to the Alola boy, who gave him a sheepish smile in response.

"No problem, Ash... I still couldn't believe that Kiawe would resort to that, even when you didn't lose the Electrium-Z on purpose." Kaito chuckled, remembering how angry Kiawe got from Ash losing his Electrium-Z yesterday.

It was crazy yesterday when Kaito arrived at the Pokémon School, he and the others discovered that Ash had somehow lost the Electrium-Z, making everyone fear of what Kiawe might do if he were to have found out.

So in trying to keep the Fire Type user from finding out, Ash sent Pikachu to search, with Kaito asking Buizel to help out in the search. Rotom took charge in the investigation as it acted as the detective Laki, as it was a fan of the show that appeared on TV.

Unfortunately, Kiawe started to act suspicious, which turned into full anger when Rotom accidentally spilled the beans of what might've happened to the Electric Type Z-Crystal. But things quickly changed when Rotom discovered that the Z-Crystal was inside its wig!

In the end, it was Rotom who nearly got itself mauled by Kiawe, who was furious at being falsely accused for being the thief, when it was Rotom who was the real culprit of the Z-Crystal thievery.

Now, with that day passing by, the Kanto Trainer and the Alola boy were walking together to head for the Pokémon School, both meeting up with each other early in the morning.

"Still... who knew that it was you who had the Z-Crystal that whole time, huh?" Ash asked, smirking at the Rotom Pokédex, who sweat dropped at the embarrassing moment it had to go through.

"Please do not bring that subject up. I nearly got mauled by Kiawe because of that incident..." Rotom groaned before it folded its arms.

"Still! It was well worth it, since I was able to investigate like a real detective! Maybe from all of that, I might be getting closer on becoming one someday!" Rotom buzzed eagerly.

"Yeah... Like with the 'evidence' that you found with Ash and Kiawe being together, that's kind of unlikely..." Kaito spoke out bluntly, causing Rotom to freeze in his tracks before he paled completely.

"That was so blunt..." Rotom commented before it felt as if it was floating down miserably. Ash grinned sheepishly while Pikachu and Buizel just chuckled at the sight of Rotom taking the Alola boy's blunt comment.

Soon, they were getting close to the Pokémon School gates, with the Kanto Trainer wondering on what today's lecture was going to be about.

"Hey... What do you think Prof. Kukui's going to teach us about next?" Ash asked, causing the Alola boy to shrug before he took an educated guess.

"I guess... about Z-Moves? Or maybe a history about an Alolan culture... Who knows... One thing's for sure, anything can come in a surprise when you expect it the least." Kaito explained, causing Ash to smile.

"Yeah... You're right about that!" Ash chuckled. But just as the two were about to walk past the school gates once they arrived there, an unfamiliar voice stopped them from taking any more step towards the Pokémon School!

"Well then! Did you expect to meet me, waiting for you at the school that you go to!?" A cocky voice cried out, causing the boys and their Pokémon friends to perk up at the unfamiliar voice as they looked around.

"Who's there!?" Kaito called out before a few figures jumped out of the bushes! The boys jumped back in surprise, as did their Pokémon. What got in their way, were two Pokémon!

One looked like a Popplio, but more different. The same went for the second Pokémon who looked like a Litten, only to be bigger and having a small collar that had a fire symbol on it.

"Who are those Pokémon? That looks like Litten while the other one looks like Popplio, but..." Ash started to ask, with Kaito giving the answer.

"They're Brionne and Torracat... Evolved forms of the Pokémon that we know of!" Kaito stated as another figure appeared out of the bushes behind the two evolved Pokémon.

"Yeah, that's right! They're my Pokémon that you're looking at right now!" A boy called out as he revealed himself to the Kanto Trainer and Alola boy. The boys both blinked at seeing who the newcomer was in front of them.

The boy's skin was tanned, with his eyes having the turquoise color. He wore red pants with orange stripes, a light-brown shirt with a water symbol on one sleeve while the fire symbol was on the other sleeve. He even had white goggles on his head, with sandals on his feet.

The boy grinned, before he pointed at Kaito with a demanding tone and expression.

"I finally caught up and found you! Kaito Shirogane!" The boy called out, catching the Alola boy by surprise.

"Me...?" Kaito asked, before the boy smirked.

"Yeah, that's right! Me! Today's the day when I finally beat you and get my revenge! It's payback time after the humiliating defeat you gave me when we battled for the first time! My Pokémon and I have gotten much stronger and...!" The boy started to rant on, until Kaito stopped him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Hold it right there! Payback? Humiliation? I don't understand what you're talking about... Just who are you?" Kaito asked, causing the boy to immediately stop his ranting and turn white in shock.

His two evolved Pokémon sweat dropped at the reaction their Trainer had gained on his face, before the boy furiously shook his head and glared at the Alola boy for lacking knowledge on who he was.

"W-What!? You don't know who I am!? My name is Sho Kitagawa! I'm your archrival!" The boy, now known as Sho snapped fiercely, surprising both Ash and Kaito as they flinched at the loud tone the new Trainer was saying right now.

"Sho... Kitagawa... Never heard of you." Kaito spoke bluntly, causing Sho and his two Pokémon to fall over, before the boy flailed around angrily.

"ARGH! You can't be serious! You must be lying just so you wouldn't have to battle me!" Sho snapped angrily, causing Ash to sweat drop at the attitude Sho had, while Kaito sighed before shaking his head.

With the way things seemed to be, he wasn't going to convince this boy that he was not the person that Sho was looking for.

"Uh, Kai...? You sure you don't know who this guy is?" Ash asked, unsure of whether to believe whether Sho was Kaito's archrival or not.

"No, I really don't. This guy is just out of his mind. If I did remember him, then I would be accepting his challenge by now. Now let's go. We can't be late..." Kaito reminded, as he tried to push Ash to where the building was.

But the boy wasn't going to let his chance of battling Kaito escape from his grasp as he got in front of the two with an angry expression.

"No you don't! I'll let you two pass after you battle me! And I will win, with all the training my Pokémon had to go through!" Sho snapped, causing Kaito to twitch his eyes in annoyance, while Ash glared.

"You are starting to really tick us off, you know that...? Fine. One battle. Just one. And when this is over, you get out of our sight. Got it?" Kaito asked sternly, causing Sho to grin mischievously, with Brionne and Torracat looking satisfied with the answer.

"It's a deal! Let's start our battle now!" Sho declared loudly.

(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, Vulpix, 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, Rowlet, and Vulpix, seeing Buizel and Pikachu sparring together, with Ash's Rockruff and Kaito's 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)

Sho and Kaito stood on the school grounds, facing against each other at opposite sides as Ash stood at the center with Pikachu on his shoulder and Rotom floating besides him.

"What's this guy's deal? I mean, we're late because of his persistence to battle against Kai..." Ash asked, as he looked at both sides, as Sho made the rules as to how the battle will go.

"We'll battle with two Pokémon each! How does that sound?" Sho asked with a confident smirk, causing Kaito to narrow his eyes before he shrugged, before responding with a serious tone.

"That's fine..." Kaito said briefly, before Sho turned to his two Pokémon, before calling one of them out.

"Torracat, it's all you!" Sho exclaimed, causing the evolved form of Litten to smirk and nod before he jumped out to face Kaito, who narrowed his eyes. Rotom quickly made a scan on the evolved Fire Type, before giving out the details.

"Torracat, the Fire Cat Pokémon. A Fire Type, and the evolved form of Litten! When Torracat spits fire, the fiery bell in its throat makes a high-pitch ringing sound!" Rotom buzzed, causing Ash to turn to the battle.

"So how you're gonna counter this, Kai? Either Buizel and Rockruff should handle the trick..." Ash commented, understanding the type advantage Kaito had while facing a Fire Type.

Taking out a Pokéball, the Alola boy sent out his trusted Rock Type friend to handle the first battle.

"In that case, Rockruff! Show them what you've got!" Kaito called out as he sent his Rock Type to face his opponent! Rockruff growled, while feeling excited to have a battle, now that he was able to fight again.

Sho: Torracat + Brionne VS Kaito: Rockruff + 1

"We'll turn up the heat quick! Torracat, use Fire Fang!" Sho cried out. The Fire Cat Pokémon lunged towards Rockruff, who braced himself for impact. At seeing it coming, the Alola boy immediately called for a counterattack.

"Sand Attack, now!" Kaito exclaimed. A kick on the ground was what Rockruff needed to temporarily blind Torracat, who yowled in pain before it tumbled to the ground, struggling to get the sand out of its eyes.

"What!?" Sho exclaimed, before Kaito continued on with the attacks.

"Now, use Rock Slide!" Kaito exclaimed as Rockruff howled, causing large rocks to appear and crash onto Torracat, who yowled again in pain before it tumbled back from the super effective attack it was forced to take.

"Come on, Torracat! Don't let them take you like that! Use Iron Tail!" Sho exclaimed, causing Torracat to try and shake off the damage before it jumped into the air, before aiming its Steel Type attack onto Rockruff.

"Crunch on the Iron Tail! Then, hold it hard!" Kaito exclaimed. Jumping up to meet Torracat's attack, the Puppy Pokémon bit onto the glowing tail, catching the evolved Fire Cat Pokémon by surprise.

"What happened!?" Sho exclaimed as the Alola boy didn't waste another second ordering another attack.

"Now, send it hard to the ground! Followed by Rock Slide!" Kaito exclaimed. The Puppy Pokémon howled once more after he slammed the evolved Fire Type on the ground. The boulders crashed down, knocking Torracat back!

"Torracat, no!" Sho exclaimed as he watched his Fire Cat Pokémon skid to where he stood, before falling unconscious.

Sho: 1 Pokémon

"All right! Nice win, Rockruff!"

"Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cheered for the victorious Rock Type, who barked happily for the first victory. Kaito smiled in satisfaction while Buizel grinned at the win his Rock Type friend had gained just now.

As for Sho, he quickly returned his defeated Torracat before he angrily ordered Brionne to take the field.

"Brionne, it's your turn!" Sho snapped, causing the evolved Water Type to coo before it faced Rockruff, causing Rotom to scan it like it did with Torracat.

"Brionne, the Pop Star Pokémon. A Water Type, and the evolved form of Popplio! Brionne can make balloons in all sorts of colors and performs a joyful dance when its Trainer needs cheering up!" Rotom buzzed.

Kaito blinked, seeing how fierce Brionne seemed for battle, before the Alola boy sighed.

"There doesn't seem to be anything joyful for this Brionne, except for its desire for battle. Rockruff, you want to keep going?" Kaito asked, earning an affirmative bark from the Puppy Pokémon.

"That's just fine! It'll be easier since Rock Types are weak against Water Types! Brionne, use Bubblebeam!" Sho shouted out.

The Pop Star Pokémon didn't waste any time shooting colorful bubbles from her nose to take the Puppy Pokémon down. But the Alola boy was prepared as he called for another counterattack.

"That won't work! Rock Slide, let's go!" Kaito exclaimed. The Rock Type howled, causing more boulders to appear and block the Water Type attack, catching the determined Trainer by surprise.

"No way!" Sho exclaimed before the Alola boy called for another assault.

"Now, use Crunch!" Kaito exclaimed as he watched Rockruff strike at Brionne, causing the Water Type to shriek in pain, before Sho tried to save his Pokémon from trouble with another attack.

"That's gotta be painful...! Brionne, get it off of you with Disarming Voice!" Sho shouted out.

At hearing the boy call out to her, the Pop Star Pokémon began to yell loudly, enough to get Rockruff startled and off of her arm, before the Puppy Pokemon jumped back to make some distance before he grimaced at the loud voice he was forced to take.

"Brionne can use Disarming Voice...!" Ash exclaimed with Pikachu watching in surprise. Kaito narrowed his eyes while Rockruff growled in réponse, annoyed with the loud attack he had taken from the evolved Water Type.

"Now we're talking! Now, Brionne! Use Bubblebeam!" Sho exclaimed. The Pop Star Pokémon wasted no time shooting more colorful bubbles to strike at Rockruff, who only braced himself for the upcoming attack.

"Dodge it, and then use Howl!" Kaito exclaimed. The Puppy Pokémon managed to dodge the attack in time before he howled loudly, causing his attack to be raised up! Not concerned for this, the determined Trainer continued his attacks.

"I won't let you win this one! Brionne, Bubblebeam!" Sho shouted out. The evolved Water Type shot more bubbles to strike at Rockruff, until the Alola boy countered with an attack this time to put his opponent in his place.

"Counter that with Rock Slide!" Kaito shouted out. The Puppy Pokémon howled, allowing the boulders to intercept the colorful bubbles, resulting in another stalemate! Gritting his teeth, the determined Trainer ordered his battling Pokémon to keep her guard up.

"Stay sharp, Brionne! Disarming Voice!" Sho exclaimed. Letting out the attack that came from her voice, the Pop Star Pokémon attempted to strike at her Rock Type opponent, who took the attack while standing his ground.

"Push through the attack, and then use Crunch!" Kaito exclaimed, catching Sho by surprise.

"What!?" Sho exclaimed as he watched Rockruff ignore the pain from Disarming Voice before he smashed the Dark Type attack onto Brionne! The move knocked the Pop Star Pokémon high into the air, with Kaito giving the last order.

"Wrap it up with Rock Slide!" Kaito exclaimed, allowing the Puppy Pokémon to howl one last time before the rocks knocked the evolved Water Type to the ground, hard! Sho widened his eyes in horror as he watched his second Pokémon get defeated.

Winner: Kaito

"Alright! Kai did it!"

"Pika!" Ash cheered with the Mouse Pokémon ecstatic for his Rock Type friend's second victory. Buizel grinned at seeing his ally triumphing once more while the Puppy Pokémon howled in triumph, satisfied with the wins he gained for his human brother.

"Rockruff, you did awesome out there... Thanks for putting everything you've got in that battle..." Kaito said gratefully, causing the Puppy Pokémon to happily bark before he nuzzled into Kaito's neck, causing the Alola boy to flinch before he accepted the affection.

The Sea Weasel Pokémon joined in with the hug as the three bonded together. But the moment was gone when Sho angrily flailed around for his loss.

"ARGH! THIS BITES! I can't believe I lost AGAIN!" Sho snapped as he stomped his foot several times on the ground hard. As he did so, he returned his defeated Water Type back into her Pokéball before he glared at the Alola boy.

"I'll be back! This isn't over, Kaito! I will defeat you someday!" Sho snapped as he ran off, leaving the boys bewildered at seeing the former opponent run out of their sight. Raising an eyebrow, the Alola boy sighed before he shook his head.

"That was... intense?" Kaito guessed, unsure of what to say of Sho and the battle they had just now.

"Yeah..." was all the Kanto Trainer could say while Rotom blinked.

"I believe that Sho was well... outraged by the loss? The temperature from his face was more than 80 degrees when he had lost to you, Kaito! And it started to rise up!" Rotom buzzed, causing the boys to sweat drop.

"Outraged by the loss, huh? Just what did I do to him that made him so worked up about in the past?" Kaito asked, as he scratched the back of his head. Rockruff and Buizel could only make questioning looks, as they didn't know about it either.

Later...

"So that boy was the reason you two were late? Wow... That guy sure must've been persistent if he wanted to battle you so badly!" Mallow commented, as she sounded surprised at hearing the explanation Ash and Kaito had brought out about Sho.

The boys explained to everyone of why they were late to school, which Prof. Kukui seemed to understand. Right now, the boys were telling their friends at lunch of what happened with their encounter with the determined Trainer.

"I wonder why, though...? Why did this Sho want to battle Kai so badly?" Lana asked, causing the Alola boy to shake his head in response.

"That's what I want to know, too... I don't know if I did something to him in the past, but... One thing's for sure, I don't remember ever battling him with Buizel before. Do you, Bui?" Kaito explained, before he turned to his Sea Weasel Pokémon.

"Bu..." Buizel shook his head in response, as he didn't recall of facing Sho or any of his Pokémon as well.

"He had a Torracat and a Brionne, right? A Fire Type and a Water Type?" Sophocles asked, earning a nod from the Kanto Trainer.

"Well, yeah... Those were the two he had with them." Ash spoke, confirming whatever the Electric Type user was thinking. At the confirmation, Sophocles widened his eyes before he let out a surprise yelp.

"Seriously!? The Hothead Trainer returned after a long time!?" Sophocles exclaimed, catching the others by surprise before Kiawe blinked in realization.

"Hothead Trainer?" Lillie repeated in confusion, before Kiawe began to explain.

"Yeah... I think I remember. He was that kid that was shorter than the rest of us. If I remember correctly, he was the Trainer that claimed that he was going to be the strongest Trainer of all in the Alola region. It was about two or three years ago he claimed that..." Kiawe explained.

"Right! And after that claim, he started to challenge lots of Trainers to Pokémon battles! Some of them he won at, but when he came to face stronger opponents, he ended up losing, causing him to throw a bit of a tantrum... Kinda scary and immature, if you ask me." Sophocles added.

Narrowing his eyes, the Alola boy frowned before he bit onto his sandwich.

"Two or three years ago, huh..." Kaito breathed out before he shook his head as he bit onto it again. He then turned to his classmates, curious about the Hothead Trainer even more.

"So... What's Sho's battling style like with his Pokémon?" Kaito asked, causing Kiawe to think before he came up with an answer.

"Well, when he uses a Fire Type like his Torracat, he tends to attack straight away so that the opponent wouldn't be able to counter. He depends on Torracat's speed and physical type attacks in order to outmaneuver his opponent so that there would be no chance for a counterattack." Kiawe explained.

"Right! And as for Brionne, he uses her special Water Type or Fairy Type attacks to catch the opponent off guard! In exchange for speed, special attacks and defense are what Brionne is all about!" Sophocles added, giving information about the evolved Pop Star Pokémon.

Narrowing his eyes, the Alola boy recalled as to how Sho fought him with Torracat and Brionne at his side. Torracat had fought Rockruff by trying to use his speed and physical attacks to deal serious blows onto the Puppy Pokémon.

For Brionne, Sho only gave special attacks such as Bubblebeam and Disarming Voice to allow Brionne to attack from long distance. But even with the two together, it didn't work for Sho as Kaito was somehow able to deal with the two without having any problem.

But just as the group were about to discuss it more, they all heard voices coming from out of the classroom and in the hallway.

"L-Like I said! Sho, you can't just come barging in here just because you want to battle against one of the students here!" Prof. Kukui's voice sounded desperate as Kaito blinked at hearing a familiar name from the Professor's words.

"Sho?" Kaito repeated in surprise as everyone turned to see Sho trying to push past the Alola Professor with a determined expression on his face.

"I don't care about the rules here, especially since I don't attend the Pokémon School! I just want a battle! Besides, it's lunchtime right now, isn't it!? That means that Kaito still has time so that we can battle!" Sho snapped angrily.

At his outburst, the Hothead Trainer managed to get past the Alola Professor before he arrived at the classroom to see everyone staring at him with bewildered expressions on their faces.

"AH HA! I found you here, Kaito Shirogane! Battle me again! This time, I'll win it for sure!" Sho demanded, as he pointed at the Alola boy, who sweat dropped at the immediate demand he was getting from the Hothead Trainer.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Kaito breathed out as everyone spoke out Sho's nickname, as they recognized on who he could be.

"It's the Hothead Trainer!" The eight students except Kaito exclaimed, causing Sho to fall on his back in shock before he angrily stood back up.

"WHAT!? Hothead!? Where do you crazy people get that nickname from!?" Sho snapped, causing Camilla to raise an eyebrow.

"Technically, everyone in Melemele Island that heard of you came up with that nickname, considering on how hotheaded you can be when it comes to Pokémon battles." Camilla pointed out, causing Sho to twitch his eyes in anger.

"ARGH! Forget about it! Enough with the nicknames! Battle me again, Kaito! I challenge you!" Sho demanded, causing Kaito to narrow his eyes before he sighed, before standing up.

"Fine..." was all Kaito needed to say to make Sho smirk confidently.

"You sure, Kai? I mean, you already beat him with just Rockruff, right? What reason is there for you to be battling him again?" Lana asked, causing the Alola boy to respond with an annoyed tone.

"Because if I refuse his challenge, then he might continue to pester me until I accept... And besides, he completely trespassed into the school without even letting the teachers explain of what's allowed and what's not allowed here." Kaito explained as he stood up.

Both Buizel and Rockruff got ready for another battle while Vulpix just watched before she wagged her tail, feeling excited of what could happen right now.

"He's got a point there... But there's kind of another problem. Even if he does accept his challenge and win again, then the pestering might continue on until Kaito actually loses..." Camilla pointed out.

"Yeah, but I seriously doubt that this guy will accept an easy win. Just look at him! He looks like he's practically on fire because of his burning determination!" Mallow pointed out, seeing the fire on Sho's eyes.

"So... does that mean he doesn't think of battling as fun?" Hau asked, oblivious as to why Sho was very determined to defeat Kaito.

"He probably does... Let's just put it that way." Lillie giggled sheepishly, with Snowy cooing with curiosity.

Later...

BOOM!

"Torracat is unable to battle! Buizel wins, so the victor of this battle goes to Kaito!" Prof. Kukui declared as he gestured to the Alola boy's side, who smiled and gave a fist bump to his Water Type partner.

Winner: Kaito

"Alright! Kai won again!"

"Pikachu!" Ash cheered, with Pikachu cheering along. The others smiled at the victory that Kaito had attained against Sho for the second time, while Camilla just smiled. Turning to where Sho was, the Hothead Trainer flailed around again.

"ARGH! THAT'S IT! My Pokémon and I will train a lot harder so that we can beat you!? Got it!? You just got lucky in this battle!" Sho snapped as he recalled Torracat back into his Pokéball, before he ran off.

"Geez... He's got some attitude problem. A battle is supposed to be fun as long as it doesn't involve anything dangerous or weird, right?" Hau asked, causing Camilla to sigh before she shook her head.

"I don't think that's what he was thinking, Hau. Still... I feel like this isn't the last time we've seen the Hothead Trainer around." Camilla pointed out, with Prof. Kukui scratching the back of his head.

"I'll have to ask the teachers if they could stop him from getting in so he won't cause any more trouble..." Prof. Kukui sighed before he gestured his students to come back inside the school building and finish their lunch period.

After school...

"Alright, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"

"Buizel! Counter with Ice Beam!"

Both Pikachu and Buizel shot their attacks against each other, both trying to overpower one another. But as a result, the two attacks created an explosion, resulting in neither side taking damage, as the explosion wasn't big.

The two starter Pokémon skidded back to their Trainers, both smiling at each other, as if they acknowledged each others' strength. The same went for Kaito and Ash as the boys smiled at each other for how strong they were.

"You're getting stronger, Kai! I can't believe it's only been a few weeks ever since that festival tournament that Kahuna Hala introduced to all of us!" Ash grinned, remembering the draw they had during the tournament finals.

"The same for you, Ash... And yeah... ever since that battle at the finals, I feel like something changed inside me, along with Buizel and the others." Kaito explained as he rubbed the Sea Weasel Pokémon's head, much to Buizel's pleasure.

Rockruff and Vulpix both called out to the Alola boy as they ran over to him, the same going for Rowlet and Ash's Rockruff, as the four all praised their two friends for their training going well, with Vulpix ecstatic for the two the most.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Ash asked, causing the Alola boy to try and answer until...

"Kaito Shirogane!" A familiar voice shouted out, stopping the boys and their Pokémon in their tracks. They all turned to see that it was none other than Sho! Torracat and Brionne was at his side, causing Kaito to sweat drop.

"Give me a break already..." Kaito groaned, with Ash pouting angrily.

"You've got to be kidding!" Ash pouted as Sho pointed at the Alola boy for another challenge.

"Battle with me again! I'm not the same opponent that I was before! This strongest rival of yours is always evolving!" Sho demanded with a confident smirk, causing Ash to flail around, annoyed at the Trainer that's constantly following his Alola friend around.

"Will you quit it! Kai already beat you twice! What makes you think that this time will be any different!? Just give it a rest already, Sho!" Ash snapped, before he heard the Alola boy sigh in defeat.

"All right, fine. I accept your challenge." Kaito said with a bored tone, causing Sho to grin while Ash widened his eyes at his friend.

"Whoa, really!?" Ash exclaimed, earning a nod from the Alola boy.

"Yeah... Maybe this battle will make him know how limited his bond is with his Pokémon." Kaito reassured as Buizel and Rockruff got ready to fight. Vulpix glared, as she wanted to be involved in the battle as well.

BOOM!

Winner: Kaito

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? I'LL BE BACK!" Sho bellowed in an upset way as he ran with the unconscious Torracat and Brionne in his arms.

"You can come back anytime you like! Kai will keep beating you no matter what you do!" Ash called out after the retreating Trainer.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu added, as the Hothead Trainer disappeared from their sights.

This time, the battle was a Double Battle, which Sho demanded that they do. This time, the Alola boy got Vulpix involved with Buizel acting as the leader for the battle, so that he could guide Vulpix on what to do during a battle.

Somehow, the Fox Pokémon was able to make it through, despite of getting wet from the Pop Star Pokémon's Bubblebeam attack and getting hurt by the hard Iron Tail attack from the evolved Fire Cat Pokémon.

At the victory, the Alola boy praised his two Pokémon for winning the battle, much to their pleasure.

The next day...

It was the next day as Kaito was helping Lillie shop for some ingredients of the Pokémon food that she wanted to make, with Snowy and Buizel by their side!

"He had another battle with you again?" Lillie asked, as she was surprised to hear Sho challenged Kaito again despite of the two losses he had before their third battle.

"Yeah... I just hope that he's learned by now that power isn't the only thing that can win you a Pokémon battle. He really needs to put faith in his Pokémon more before he even thinks of attacking..." Kaito sighed while placing his hands on the back of his neck.

The two watched as Buizel chatted with Snowy, who flushed red a little in embarrassment. But just when Kaito was about to tease the two, a familiar figure appeared right in front of both him and Lillie!

The two looked to see... that it was Sho.

"Again...?" Kaito asked in annoyance, with his eyes twitching.

"Again! Battle me again!" Sho demanded loudly.

BOOM!

Winner: Kaito

"AUGH! I'LL BE BACK!" Sho yelled angrily as he ran off after returning his defeated Pop Star Pokémon. At his "rival" running off, the Alola boy scratched the back of his head with Lillie giving him a sheepish smile.

"That was... wild." Lillie commented sheepishly, causing the Alola boy to sigh.

"You think...?" Kaito asked, earning another nod from the timid student.

Later...

Hau had invited both Kaito and Sophocles to the malasada shop in the afternoon so that they could eat together, with their Pokémon enjoying their malasadas. But just when things were about to get peaceful...

"Again!" A familiar voice was heard from outside the shop as the three boys all turned to see Sho glaring at Kaito with a Pokéball in his hand, ready for battle! Annoyed at the challenge, the Alola boy sighed and went outside to battle the Hothead Trainer.

BOOM!

Winner: Kaito

"NO FAIR!" Sho whined as he ran with the unconscious Torracat and Brionne in his arms, leaving Kaito sighing in annoyance. The constant battles he was forced to take from Sho was starting to take a toll on his patience.

Later...

Once again, Kaito was challenged by Sho to another battle as Buizel faced off against Torracat, while dodging a Fire Fang attack that came from the evolved Fire Cat Pokémon. Mallow and Lana were the ones to witness this this time as they both watched in awe.

"Is it just me... or do you think Kaito's taking this a bit too seriously?" Mallow asked, causing Lana to give a sheepish smile.

"Well, he's being getting challenges from Sho a lot, so he must've gotten more serious for every battle he was forced to take part in." Lana reminded, as Popplio and Bounsweet watched carefully with Rockruff and Vulpix by their side.

"Come on, Torracat! Iron Tail, let's go!"

"Counter him with Aqua Jet, Buizel!"

Iron Tail and Aqua Jet clashed together, with both sides attempting to overpower one another. But eventually, it was Buizel who succeeded in overpowering the evolved Fire Type, who yowled in pain before being slammed to the ground by the super effective attack.

"No! Torracat!" Sho exclaimed as he watched his evolved Fire Cat Pokémon groan in defeat, causing Sho to fall on his knees before he slowly returned his defeated Fire Type back in its Pokéball.

Winner: Kaito

"Grr... I'm still not giving up! You hear me, Kaito!? I will defeat you one day, if it's the last thing my Pokémon and I will do!" Sho snapped angrily before he pointed at the Alola boy, who sweat dropped at the burning determination that still resided inside the Hothead Trainer.

"He really is a hotheaded Trainer... His eyes... His aura... They're all burning like fire." Kaito thought before he shrugged.

"Do what you want... The results won't change, especially with the way you battle with your Pokémon like that." Kaito spoke with a raised eyebrow, causing Sho to nearly fall over before he growled as he ran off.

"I'LL BE BACK!" Sho snapped angrily as he ran, before he was soon out of sight. As soon as he was gone, Lana and Mallow joined the Alola boy with the Pokémon, while having concerned looks on their faces.

"That guy... just doesn't know when to quit!" Mallow complained before putting her hands on her hips.

"He's like a fire that's hard to put out... Not sure if even Popplio can put him out..." Lana added, with Popplio cooing in curiosity. Kaito on the other hand, just scratched the back of his head, recalling of who Sho really was.

"Sho Kitagawa... The Hothead Trainer... Just who is he to me that makes him want to defeat me so bad?" Kaito asked himself, causing the girls to look at each other, before they shrugged. They didn't have a clue as to how Sho's determination to defeat Kaito flared up...

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 34: The Brutal Battle That Strikes!

Chapter 35: A Trainer Who Rocks with Rockruff!

Chapter 36: The Mysterious Trainer Named Tokio!

Chapter 37: The Training to Battle a Mythical!

Chapter 38: A Mythical and Guardian's Challenge!

Next chapter preview:

Sho: UGH! That's it! I'm sick and tired of losing to you! I'm gonna beat you this time for sure, by beating you at your own game!

Kaito: In my own game? What are you trying to imply? All I do is battle normally and calmly while you on the other hand, try to battle recklessly without a plan.

Sho: Don't think that just because you're smarter than me doesn't make me stronger than you in battles! I'll show you on how strong I can be!

Kaito: He's calling himself strong when his Pokémon is the one doing the battles while he just gives orders. What does he think Pokémon of? Battling tools?

Camilla: What is that kid doing? He acts too reckless in battles, and now he's making careful steps? Something doesn't seem right here...

Kaito: This style... This... brutal battling style of his. Why does it feel so familiar? It feels like... he's trying to get me to drop in despair...

Events that occurred:

- Kaito and Ash meets Sho, who claims to be Kaito's archrival

- Sho is revealed to have a Brionne and a Torracat