Chapter 34: The Brutal Battle That Strikes!
Last time on "Pokémon Alola Journey", as Kaito and Ash were heading to the Pokémon School, they were confronted by a young Trainer, who claimed himself to be Kaito's archrival! His name was known to be Sho Kitagawa.
Unfortunately, both Kaito and Buizel didn't seem to remember Sho at all, much to the Hothead Trainer's chagrin as they battled together, only for the battle to end in Kaito's perfect victory.
This however, only flared up Sho's determination to defeat Kaito as he stalked after the Alola boy and his friends just so that they could battle! Each battle ended in the Alola boy's victory, but each battle began to take a toll on Kaito's patience.
In their latest battle, Kaito grew more serious than the previous battles he had with Sho so far. With Lana and Mallow noticing this, the Alola boy will soon come to realize on why he was against battling in the first place.
"Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!" Sho snapped angrily as he kicked the sand on the ground, flailing around angrily for the multiple losses he had to take from Kaito as Brionne and Torracat watched with sweat drops.
"Why can't I win!? Why can't I ever beat that guy!? What is it about him that makes him more stronger than my Pokémon and my strategies!?" Sho snapped angrily, angry at himself for the losses he had to take despite his effort.
Flashback
"I don't really see a good relationship between you and your Pokémon. You seem to like winning and battling more than bonding with your Pokémon..." Young Kaito explained to him as he looked down at Young Sho, who was gritting his teeth angrily.
He had lost a battle against Kaito, with his Popplio being defeated by the Alola boy's Buizel. After the battle, the young Hothead Trainer had to try and comfort his defeated Water Type while Kaito went over to explain why Sho lost.
"What's that supposed to mean!? Of course I love my Pokémon!" Young Sho snapped back, causing Young Kaito to sweat drop at the temper his opponent was giving off at the moment.
"Seriously...? You yell at them to keep fighting when they've reached their limits, and you do it with aggression... I seriously doubt that a real Trainer and friend would do that to their Pokémon..." Young Kaito spoke bluntly.
"ARGH! Keep your lectures to yourself! One day, we'll meet again! And the next time we meet, I'll win for sure! I'll remember your name just so that I can crush you later! Kaito Shirogane!" Young Sho bellowed before he ran off with Popplio in his arms.
Flashback End
At remembering the past, the Hothead Trainer turned to see Torracat relaxing while Brionne was making more colorful balloons from her nose, causing him to frown at the words Kaito had spoken to him about.
"So I don't have a good relationship with my Pokémon, huh...? Fine. I'll just have to prove to him that I'm much more stronger, and that my bond with my Pokémon is much stronger compared to his and his Buizel!" Sho thought angrily.
He clenched his fists before he stood straight up, his eyes looking like they were burning up with determination.
"I'LL DO IT! AND I WILL WIN!" Sho bellowed out loud, startling his two Pokémon, along with the other wild Pokémon that were near where the Hothead Trainer was!
Meanwhile...
Kaito was lying on his bed, thinking about the battles he had with Sho. So far, he had won all of them... but each battle was starting to take a toll of his patience. Grumbling to himself, he sighed before he turned to his Water Type, who was lying on his right side.
Vulpix and Rockruff were with Shiho and Seita, which could mean that they would be sleeping with them for today.
"What do you think was up with that guy? He kept insisting that I was his archrival, yet neither of us know nothing about him..." Kaito asked, earning a "Bui" in agreement. Just as Buizel agreed, the Alola boy frowned.
"But there was something off about him... Something familiar..." Kaito added, making the Sea Weasel Pokémon confused as he cocked his head in confusion as he asked his human brother.
"Bui?" Buizel asked, causing the Alola boy to shake his head before he gave a reassuring smile.
"It's nothing... I must be in over my head or something..." Kaito spoke sheepishly, causing the Sea Weasel Pokémon to pout at the response before the two chuckled together.
With their moment together being done, the Alola boy looked out the window, seeing the moon starting to rise up at the night sky.
"It isn't nothing, though... What is it about him that makes me so irritated?" Kaito thought before he dismissed the thought a minute later. Soon, he was lying on the bed with Buizel at his side.
The next day...
"Battle me again!" Sho demanded confidently, causing Kaito to sweat drop and face palm at seeing the Hothead Trainer getting in his way of getting to the Pokémon School once again like before.
"This must be the reason why..." Kaito thought before his eyes twitched in annoyance.
"This time will be different! I assure you that I'm not the same person that you've faced several times before!" Sho assured confidently, causing the Alola boy to sigh before he dropped his backpack onto the ground, before he turned to Buizel.
"You up for another round, Bui?" Kaito asked, earning a nod from the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"Bu bui!" Buizel exclaimed, before he got in front to face one of Sho's Pokémon. As for the Hothead Trainer, he smirked before he sent out a familiar Water Type.
"In that case, go! Brionne!" Sho exclaimed as he sent his Pop Star Pokémon out to face the Sea Weasel Pokémon. The two Water Types glared at each other, before the battle began with Sho making the first move.
Sho: Brionne + 1 VS Kaito: Buizel + 1
"The first strike will lead to victory! Brionne, Disarming Voice!" Sho exclaimed, causing the Pop Star Pokémon to use her voice to strike at Buizel, while the Alola boy called for a counterattack.
"Dodge it with Aqua Jet!" Kaito exclaimed, causing Buizel to get out of the way in time while surrounding himself with water. The Sea Weasel Pokémon soon sped around the boys and his opponent, while trying to aim the perfect spot to land a hit!
"Damn, that speed is annoying! Bubblebeam!" Sho exclaimed. The Pop Star Pokémon wasted no time shooting colorful bubbles to strike at Buizel, attempting to knock her opponent down so that he would be caught in surprise.
But with her speed as of now, it was getting hard to do so as Buizel was more faster than she was. Kaito was noticing this too, before he called for another attack.
"Now, use Ice Beam!" Kaito exclaimed. The Sea Weasel Pokémon shot the ice, freezing Brionne in her tracks! Sho widened his eyes in surprise before he tried to get the Pop Star Pokémon to free herself with her strength.
"Not good! Use Disarming Voice to break free!" Sho shouted out, causing Brionne to use her voice to crack the ice! At seeing the opponent struggle by using the attack on herself, the Alola boy was ready to strike again.
"Aqua Jet, back to back! And use Agility to boost the speed!" Kaito shouted out.
The Sea Weasel Pokémon didn't need to be told twice as he raised his speed to a much higher level before he knocked Brionne away, while breaking the ice at the same time! The Pop Star Pokémon shrieked as she tumbled on the ground.
But that wasn't the end of her troubles, as Buizel continued to strike at the evolved Water Type, creating multiple damages as Sho gritted his teeth.
"UGH! This combo again! You always give me trouble with this sort of combo, especially when that was the same combo you used back then to humiliate me and my Pokémon!" Sho snapped angrily.
"Back then...?" Kaito questioned, confused as to what the Hothead Trainer was referring to. Nevertheless, the battle went on with Sho trying to counter the Aqua Jet and Agility combo with another attack.
"In that case... Brionne, block it with Protect!" Sho exclaimed, catching Kaito by surprise. A barrier formed around the Pop Star Pokémon, negating the power of the Buizel's Aqua Jet and Agility combo!
"What!? That's new..." Kaito exclaimed, causing Sho to smirk before he began his comeback.
"I didn't think we had to use this because I thought we would be able to win without defense... But after the multiple losses you gave us in the past few days, I guess there is a first for everything! Now, Bubblebeam!" Sho smirked.
Buizel didn't have time to dodge the next attack this time as he was struck hard by the colorful bubbles! Skidding back to where Kaito stood, the Sea Weasel Pokémon shook the water off of him before he glared to where Brionne stood.
"So he decided to try something new this time... Looks like I'll have to get even more serious than the last time..." Kaito thought before he called for another attack.
"Then how do you like this? Use Ice Beam!" Kaito exclaimed, causing Buizel to launch the Ice Type attack to freeze Brionne again, forcing the Hothead Trainer to defend once more before striking back.
"Not happening! Protect!" Sho exclaimed.
Like before, another barrier formed to block the ice! But just as the Ice Beam attack froze the barrier before breaking down, the Pop Star Pokémon found her opponent suddenly right in front of her!
"What the...!?" Sho exclaimed as an Aqua Jet bashed the Pop Star Pokémon high into the air!
"What happened!?" Sho exclaimed as he watched Brionne slam down onto the ground, before groaning in defeat.
Sho: 1 Pokémon
"By using Ice Beam as a decoy, I was able to make your Brionne use up her Protect ability, so that Buizel would have the chance to make a surprise attack in order to strike Brionne down." Kaito explained with a small smile on his face.
"ARGH! You and your cheap surprises!" Sho snapped before he recalled the unconscious Brionne, before he sent out his last Pokémon for the battle.
"You had me going there, but this is where your surprises stop! Let's go, Torracat!" Sho exclaimed, as he sent out the evolved Fire Cat Pokémon to face Buizel, who was ready to face his second opponent.
Torracat hissed back, believing that Buizel was the one to defeat Brionne as he was more than ready to avenge his fallen friend.
"Don't hold back, Torracat! Use Iron Tail!" Sho exclaimed, causing Torracat to launch himself in the air, before he aimed his Steel Type attack to where Buizel stood! But remembering this move, the Alola boy immediately countered back.
"Don't think that'll work! Counter with Aqua Jet!" Kaito shouted back. Surrounding himself with water once more, the Sea Weasel Pokémon hit head on with Aqua Jet, with Torracat striking with the Steel Type attack.
The two struggled to overpower one another until Sho called a different attack to turn the tide of the battle to his side!
"I got you now! Torracat, use Cut!" Sho exclaimed, causing the evolved Fire Cat Pokémon to yowl before he slashed at Buizel, forcing the Sea Weasel Pokémon to lose focus of Aqua Jet and send him plummeting to the ground.
"Buizel, hold on! Soften your landing with Aqua Jet!" Kaito exclaimed.
Hearing his human brother in time, the Sea Weasel Pokémon surrounded himself with water to slow himself down before he set himself onto the ground. Wincing in pain, the Sea Weasel Pokémon glared to where the Fire Cat Pokémon landed.
"Using Protect to defend himself with Brionne... And then using Cut while Iron Tail and Aqua Jet struggled to overpower one another... So he's been learning from the past battles we've had so far?" Kaito thought as Sho continued with the attacks.
"You showed me your surprise attack, now let's see you like mine! Torracat, use Dig!" Sho exclaimed, causing the Fire Cat Pokémon to dig underground to make a surprise underground attack!
The Sea Weasel Pokémon got ready in case if his opponent were to strike him from under or behind, as Kaito frowned.
"He even used Dig to make a surprise attack to make a surprise attack instead of attacking head-on... Just what was he doing that made him this calculated... In our previous battles, he's been doing nothing but attacking..." Kaito thought as he looked around carefully.
Then, all of a sudden... the Dig attack struck Buizel from behind! The Sea Weasel Pokémon yelped as he staggered to regain his footing before he glared to where Torracat sneered at him, looking like it was satisfied for the damage it was doing.
"If he keeps this up, then Buizel won't be able to last! I've got to finish this-" Kaito started to think before Sho revealed something around his left wrist.
"Is that... a Z-Ring!?" Kaito exclaimed as Sho grinned, before he began his pose to begin the Z-Move with Torracat.
"Right on! And it's going to get VERY hot, I tell you! Let's do this, Torracat!" Sho exclaimed, causing the evolved Fire Cat Pokémon to let out a battle cry before he got ready to make the finish with his Trainer.
Narrowing his eyes, the Alola boy responded back with his Waterium-Z attached to the Sea Gauntlet before he began to make the pose with Buizel.
"If that hits you, then it'll be devastating! Let's strike back with our Z-Move, Bui!" Kaito exclaimed, causing Buizel to let out an agreeing cry before he began to make the Water Type Z-Move pose with his human brother.
With both sides having done their poses together, the two sides unleashed their Z-Move attacks against each other!
"Go! Let's blow everything away with this! Inferno Overdrive!" Sho yelled as he and Torracat launched their Z-Move together to blast their opponent. But both Buizel and Kaito were ready to counter back with their Z-Move!
"No more holding back! No more hesitating! Hydro Vortex!" Kaito exclaimed as Buizel lunged to where Torracat stood, as the Hydro Vortex and Inferno Overdrive began to struggle with one another before one move overpowered the other.
BOOM!
An explosion occurred, causing both sides to fall back as they were hit by the shockwave from the two Z-Moves colliding with one another!
"WHOA!" Both boys yelled as they fell onto the ground, with the dust blocking their view of what happened in the battle just now. As they both recovered from the fall they had taken, they managed to get a clear look on what happened to their Pokémon.
Buizel somehow was still standing, but with burnt marks all over his body, while Torracat was unconscious, groaning from the collision his Z-Move had done with the Sea Weasel Pokémon's Z-Move.
Winner: Kaito
"Torracat!? No way!" Sho exclaimed as he ran over to his defeated Fire Type, before holding him in his arms. As Kaito ran over to see the Sea Weasel Pokémon's condition, he watched to see Sho glare at him before he stood up to make his run.
"You got lucky again this time! If it weren't for the Z-Moves colliding with one another, my Pokémon and I would've won for sure! I'll be back!" Sho snapped as he ran off with the unconscious evolved Fire Cat Pokémon in his arms.
At seeing his opponent leave him and Buizel, the Alola boy narrowed his eyes.
"This time, I even had to use a Z-Move to win... And with the way he performed his Z-Move... Is it just me or is this guy getting better than he did before...?" Kaito thought before he shook his head.
Later...
"Another battle? Is he kidding? Just how many times does that make so far?" Camilla asked, looking irritated when she heard the news about Kaito's recent battle with the Hothead Trainer.
"That makes this the sixth battle... I just hope he's learned from what he's doing so far isn't going to help him and his Pokémon get what they want during a battle." Kaito sighed before he looked at the sky.
It remained blue as always, looking calm with little clouds floating in the sky as the Alola boy frowned.
"I just wonder what would he gain from beating me... His pride, maybe?" Kaito asked, causing Camilla to shrug before she made a guess.
"Don't know... Maybe if he were to actually beat you in a battle, his streak as a hothead Trainer might end..." Camilla guessed, causing Kaito to narrow his eyes at her, before he gave a small chuckle.
"Don't think it would end that easily even if he were to beat me..." Kaito chuckled, as he walked with the Queen of the Waves to where the port was, as Camilla was ready to head back to Akala Island to where her home was.
"You're just going to head back, just like that? Nothing new or special?" Kaito asked, causing Camilla to look back before she smiled.
"Believe me, if anything crazy or interesting was about to happen, like something related to your Sea Gauntlet and my Sea Necklace, then I wouldn't have asked you to accompany me to the port so that I can head back home already." Camilla reminded with a giggle.
Leaving Kaito to raise his eyebrows in amusement, the Queen of the Waves headed inside the building to arrange her trip back to Akala Island, leaving the Alola boy by himself with the Sea Weasel Pokémon, as Kaito looked at his Sea Gauntlet.
"Come to think of it, I haven't figured out anything about the Sea Gauntlet, other than the fact that it belonged to King Kaisuke's ancestors and to himself..." Kaito thought before he narrowed his eyes.
Flashback
"Hm... All I can say is, is that the Gauntlet won't be coming off anytime now or later. But according to the research I've done after our little expedition at the Undersea Ruins, the Gauntlet seemed to have chosen you, Kaito..." Mrs. Summers explained.
"Chosen me? For what?" Kaito asked, as he was eager to know what she meant.
"The Sea Gauntlet is supposed to be some sort of a legendary weapon that is used in order to strengthen the merpeople's power to gain control of the entire sea. It chooses the merperson that is descended from the ancient Sea King that created and used this Gauntlet for the first time." Mrs. Summers explained.
"The ancient Sea King?" Lana repeated in awe, while Popplio gazed at the Gauntlet in amazement.
"Yes... I believe King Kaisuke wore this Gauntlet as he was descended from the Sea King... But for it to choose you... Kaito, you must be related to the merpeople of the Alolan Sea Kingdom..." Mrs. Summers said, causing the Alola boy to widen his eyes.
Flashback End
Kaito remained silent, while he kept his eyes on the Sea Gauntlet, before he was brought out of his thoughts by his Sea Weasel Pokémon, who was waving his paw at him to gain his attention.
"Bui? Bu bui?" Buizel asked, looking concerned for his human brother. Blinking in surprise, the Alola boy shook his head before he smiled at the Water Type.
"I'm fine, Bui... Just thinking back about when I first got the Sea Gauntlet. It replaced my Z-Ring when it got attached to my left wrist, right? It's just been nagging at my mind, along with the fact that Sho won't leave us alone..." Kaito explained.
His face of thinking was replaced by an irritated expression, recalling of how persistent Sho was for wanting to defeat him. The Sea Weasel Pokémon gave a sheepish grin, understanding for how his human brother was feeling.
Even he himself was getting annoyed with the fact that the human calling himself Kaito's archrival was getting on his nerves. And having to battle against the same opponents multiple times was starting to get a little boring.
But even so, the Water Type knew that there was no avoiding a battle, especially since an opponent can be quite determined to make another Trainer accept his or her challenge, no matter what the mood they're in.
And Sho proved to be one of those opponents since he seemed VERY determined to defeat his human brother, since even with the multiple losses he and his Pokémon were forced to take, they kept coming on for more battles.
But as both Kaito and Buizel were thinking about what was on their minds, they didn't notice Sho watching them from not too far, as he narrowed his eyes at hearing and seeing what Kaito had in him.
"The legendary weapon of the sea... The Sea Gauntlet? How the heck did he get that? He never had that for when we first battled against each other the first time for when we were younger..." Sho said to himself with a frown.
Then, an idea came to the Hothead Trainer's mind as he made a comical smirk to himself.
"So he's searching for answers related to that mythical Alolan Sea Kingdom, huh...? Well then...! This shouldn't be too much of a problem for someone like me to handle!" Sho thought as he rubbed his hands together at the mischievous plan he had in mind.
Later...
As Kaito was arriving home with Buizel at his side, the Alola boy noticed something from the mailbox as he narrowed his eyes. Taking out what looked like a piece of paper, he read what it said, before his face turned into more of a frown.
"'Kaito Shirogane, if you're searching for answers related to the mythical Alolan Sea Kingdom, then I might have some information for you. Come to Kala'e Bay and you will get what you want to hear. And further, come alone... but your Pokémon can come if they want. From, Sender'." Kaito read carefully.
Narrowing his eyes, the Alola boy sighed before he turned to Buizel, who nodded to his human brother, as if he knew that they would need to accept if they were to find out whether if it was true or not.
Taking the Sea Weasel Pokémon's answer, the Alola boy made a quick trip inside his house to prepare for the confrontation. Of course, that preparation was to just get his two other Pokéballs that had Rockruff and Vulpix inside them.
And after informing Shiho and Seita of where he was going to go, the siblings, however...
"I wanna come! I wanna come! It's been a while since we've been to Kala'e Bay together, big bro!" Seita whined, sounding desperate enough for wanting to go to the place that was near the cave.
"I want to come, too! Seita is right! We haven't been there ever since Daddy left us!" Shiho added, causing a bit of salt to be added in Kaito's wound that already opened up when Kala'e Bay was mentioned.
"Ever since Dad left us, huh..." Kaito thought before he sighed in defeat. With the attitude his siblings was giving him, he wasn't getting much of a choice here. Reluctantly making the agreement, the whining and complaining immediately stopped.
By that time, it was starting to get dark out with the sun setting in the sky. With time not on their side, the Alola boy headed off to where Kala'e Bay would be at with his two younger siblings at his side.
"I should know where it is... It may have been a few years ago, but I know the directions to it like it's wrapped around my head!" Kaito thought as he took the lead, leading Shiho, Seita, and Buizel to where the Melemele Meadow is.
Despite of it being evening, the meadow still looked peaceful and nice, which made Shiho feel content at seeing the Cutiefly and other wild Pokémon that lived in the meadow. It took a little time for Kaito to drag his little sister out so they could continue to head for the Kala'e Bay.
Later...
By the time the three siblings arrived to where there was an exit out of the Seaward Cave, they were met by a dark sight.
Ahead of them, was the shore with the seawater glistening thanks to the moon starting to shine down on it, making the sight look rather dark, but beautiful at the same time. Blinking several times, a smile crept up to Kaito's face.
"This place looks the same as before... Dark, but nice as always." Kaito commented, as he watched his two siblings take their sandals off, before they ran to the water, both looking content as they splashed water against each other.
"Ugh! The water is cold... but it feels nice, though!" Seita yelped, before feeling content for feeling the seawater with his bare feet.
"Come on... It always felt like this when we came here a few years ago..." Shiho reminded with a pout, causing the brother to grin sheepishly at the sister, before the two continued to splash each other around, making it a splashing war.
Buizel grinned, seeing how content Kaito's younger siblings were by playing around. The same went for Kaito, until he heard a familiar and obnoxious voice calling out to him.
"So you actually came! Wow... I didn't think you would, considering on how 'sharp' you look!" The familiar voice called out, causing Kaito to blink in surprise before both he and Buizel turned to their right to see... Sho standing not too far from them with his arms crossed.
"And you even brought your little brother and sister... Even when I told you to come alone with your Pokémon..." Sho grumbled, seeing the siblings of his "archrival". At hearing this from Sho, Kaito's eyes twitched in annoyance as he scoffed.
"I should've known it was you! To drag me all the way here just so you could have a battle with me! What are you trying to pull by winning against me?" Kaito asked, his tone clearly showing that he wasn't amused with this situation.
"What am I trying to pull? Isn't that obvious? I want to restore my pride as a great Pokémon Trainer... the pride that you and your Pokémon reaped me of three years ago!" Sho declared, catching Kaito by surprise.
"The pride that my Pokémon and I reaped from you...? Just what are you talking about?" Kaito asked, his expression showing how irritated and confused he was.
"So you still don't remember!? Tch... Fine! I'll make you remember in this battle, by crushing you and your team's spirit!" Sho snapped as he took out a Pokéball, prepared to battle against his archrival.
Kaito responded by taking out a Pokéball of his own as well, with Buizel making a battle stance in case if he had to fight against Sho's Pokémon later.
With the commotion being loud enough to catch anyone's attention, Shiho and Seita turned to see their eldest brother preparing to fight against Sho, a boy that the two didn't know of, as they ran over to hide behind their brother.
"Big brother...? Who is that guy?" Shiho asked, causing Kaito to try and comfort his little sister.
"Someone that's been following me just so that we could have a battle. But don't worry. I've beaten him plenty of times before, so I'm sure that Buizel and the others won't lose to his Pokémon that fights with him." Kaito assured softly.
"O-Okay... You better not lose, okay!?" Seita spoke out reluctantly, earning a nod from the Alola boy. With that being said, the two younger siblings took several steps back to watch the battle between their brother and his "archrival".
"Here we go, Kaito Shirogane! Let the battle begin! Go, Torracat!" Sho exclaimed, as he sent out his evolved Fire Cat Pokémon, who let out a loud battle cry at being called out to battle again.
"He's starting off with Torracat... In that case, Rockruff! Show them what you've got!" Kaito exclaimed as he sent out the Puppy Pokémon to face the familiar Fire Type opponent. With the two Pokémon sent out, the two glared at each other, both ready to give it their all.
Sho: Torracat + 1 VS Kaito: Rockruff + 1
"Let's turn up the heat quickly! Torracat, use Fire Fang!" Sho exclaimed, causing Torracat to lunge where Rockruff stood!
"He's going for a head on attack already? In that case... Rockruff, use Crunch to counter!" Kaito shouted out. Barking in affirmation, the Puppy Pokémon jumped up to meet Torracat's attack with his Dark Type attack! But...
"I got you! Iron Tail!" Sho exclaimed, catching Kaito by surprise. With Fire Fang still in effect, the Fire Cat Pokémon lashed his tail out! It slammed Rockruff away, knocking the poor Rock Type onto the ground.
"What!? Rockruff!?" Kaito exclaimed in shock before he watched Fire Fang smash Rockruff away! The Puppy Pokémon howled in pain before he withstood the double attacks, growling angrily for the consecutive attacks he had taken just now.
"Do you like that!? That's the Iron Tail and Fire Fang combination I've created with Torracat! It deals major damage to the opponent like it did just now!" Sho bragged, with Torracat meowing in agreement.
"A combination attack? By using two moves at the same time? It takes a lot of practice to even try something like that! But for him to do something like that and strike Rockruff hard without hesitation... This guy is..." Kaito thought before he clenched his fists.
"Big brother...?" Shiho asked in concern before the Alola boy issued another order to continue the battle.
"Even so, the battle isn't over yet! Rockruff, use Howl!" Kaito exclaimed, causing the Puppy Pokémon to howl, as his attack power was raised up a bit. Noticing this, Sho issued another attack, this time by underground!
"No problem! All we have to do is to make sure you don't hit us! Use Dig!" Sho cried out. Wasting no time, the evolved Fire Type dug underground, forcing Rockruff to be wary of his surroundings as he growled lowly to see where Torracat might be.
"Do it now! Fire Fang!" Sho exclaimed, catching both Kaito and Rockruff by surprise.
Shooting out of the ground with flames in its teeth, the Fire Cat Pokémon struck Rockruff from behind! The Puppy Pokémon howled in pain again before skidding back to withstand the surprise attack he had just taken.
"This time he used Dig with Fire Fang..." Kaito commented dryly as Sho smirked cockily.
"How do you like that!? Are you awed by our second combination attack!? I call it the Dig and Fire Fang combination! It's like Iron Tail, but it packs a strong surprise attack from below!" Sho explained confidently.
"Rockruff is getting pummeled hard by those double attacks..." Seita pointed out as Shiho remained quiet, but worried at the same time. Buizel frowned, seeing the struggle Rockruff was being forced in as Kaito bit his lips.
"If this keeps on, then Rockruff will quickly run out of steam! I've gotta find a way to counter these combination moves he's been bragging about just now!" Kaito thought before he called for a counterattack.
"In that case... Rockruff, use Rock Slide!" Kaito exclaimed, causing Rockruff to howl before boulders began to fall to where Torracat stood! The Fire Cat Pokémon yowled in pain and surprise before he was knocked by the super effective attack.
"Snap! Didn't see that coming!" Sho yelped, as he too, was surprised for the sudden counterattack. That expression changed though, as the Hothead Trainer called for the Fire Cat Pokémon to strike back.
"That was only one attack, though! It may have been effective, but don't count on it helping you a lot! Torracat, use Fire Fang!" Sho exclaimed, causing the evolved Fire Type to lunge himself towards Rockruff!
"So which is it...? With Iron Tail or Dig?" Kaito thought before he countered once more.
"Use Rock Slide one more time!" Kaito shouted out, causing Rockruff to summon more boulders to knock his opponent away. But this time, Sho was prepared as he issued a counterattack to evade Rock Slide and strike at the opponent.
"Use your speed to dodge the rocks, Torracat! Then, hit your target!" Sho exclaimed, causing Torracat to narrowly dodge the Rock Type attacks, and aim for Rockruff at the same time!
To Kaito and Rockruff's surprise, not one of the rocks made a hit as the evolved Fire Cat Pokémon was quite near to where the Puppy Pokémon stood.
"Dodge it with Dig!" Kaito shouted out, forcing Rockruff to dig underground before the Fire Fang attack could make its mark.
"They dodged Fire Fang! No biggie... Let's force them out with an Iron Tail!" Sho exclaimed, causing Torracat to jump in the air before he aimed to smash his tail onto the ground to force Rockruff out of hiding!
"If that hits, then Rockruff could be dealt with major damage! Get out of there and use Crunch!" Kaito called out. Just in time, before the Iron Tail could force him out, the Rock Type managed to dig himself out to prevent any damage.
Then, with Torracat distracted by missing his target, the Puppy Pokémon managed to make a big hit with Crunch! The attack left Torracat yowling in pain before he was thrown up in the air by the Puppy Pokémon's strength.
"Argh! No way! Torracat, try to strike back with Cut!" Sho exclaimed, as Kaito called for another counterattack.
"Don't count on it! Strike again with Rock Slide, Rockruff!" Kaito shot back.
With Torracat diving down to make a big cut, Rockruff howled once again to summon more boulders! But as the two attacks were issued, Torracat struggled to use his attack as the boulders continued to hit and weaken him as he was getting closer to strike at his opponent.
Rockruff wasn't in his best condition either as he was weakened from the attacks he had to use, while dodging his opponent's hard attacks at the same time. And the combination attacks he had taken in the beginning was making it worse, too!
"Rockruff, get out of there!" Kaito warned, only for his warning to be futile. The Cut attack managed to make it through, despite of the multiple hits Torracat had taken from the Rock Slide attack!
With one cut, Rockruff was knocked back before he tumbled onto the ground. The same could be said for Torracat, who tumbled on the ground after hitting the sand. Both boys widened their eyes as they called for their Pokémon.
"Torracat!"
"Rockruff!"
As the two ran over to the two, both Rockruff and Torracat had swirls in their eyes, showing that the two of them were defeated at the same time! Kaito widened his eyes in shock while Sho just gritted his teeth in frustration.
"No way! Rockruff was taken down!" Seita exclaimed in shock and disbelief.
"Poor Rockruff..." Shiho breathed out sadly, feeling bad for the unconscious Rock Type.
Sho: 1 Pokémon
Kaito: 1 Pokémon
With their first Pokémon of the two defeated, both boys returned them back to their Pokéballs, before they stared at each other.
"To think it would end up in a draw instead of Torracat taking the first win for this battle... But that won't change my victory! The next battle will surely be your loss and my win!" Sho breathed out with gritted teeth.
"Don't think it's going to be that easy. In our last battle, you may have improved with providing defense with Brionne while striking hard to tire Buizel out, but that doesn't mean that we're going to lose that easily!" Kaito reminded sternly.
"Bui! Bu bui!" Buizel shot out in agreement, as Sho narrowed his eyes.
"Don't think talking tough will get you out of this way, Kaito Shirogane! Because you're toast when this is over! Let's go, Brionne!" Sho exclaimed, as he sent out his Pop Star Pokémon to face off against whoever Kaito was sending out next.
Of course, his choice would be...
"Buizel, I know that you can do this!" Kaito assured, earning a nod from his Sea Weasel Pokémon before he faced Brionne, who glared back to see the opponent that she had lost to in their recent battle from before.
"Like I said before, the first strike leads to victory! Brionne, use Disarming Voice!" Sho exclaimed, causing the Pop Star Pokémon to shoot out the Fairy Type attack, which came from her voice!
"They're using the same move from when they made the first attack in our last battle... In that case, Buizel! Ice Beam!" Kaito exclaimed. The Ice Type attack was launched from Buizel as the freezing attack met up with the singing attack!
The two moves collided with one another, before it created a small explosion! It was at that moment when Sho issued another command for Brionne to use to get himself closer to victory.
"Aqua Jet, back to back!" Sho cried out. Kaito blinked as Brionne surrounded herself with water before she aimed to strike at the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"We'll use Aqua Jet as well! Counter back, Buizel!" snapped Kaito. The Sea Weasel Pokémon didn't need to be told twice as he surrounded himself with water too, before he went head-to-head with the evolved Water Type!
The two Aqua Jet attacks collided with one another several times, before they stopped their attacks to return to their Trainers' side.
"Bubblebeam, let's go!" Sho ordered, causing the evolved Water Type to shoot the colorful bubbles while Kaito countered with another attack.
"Counter with Ice Beam once more!" Kaito exclaimed, allowing the Sea Weasel Pokémon to freeze the bubbles with the Ice Type attack! With Bubblebeam proving itself to be useless, the Hothead Trainer wasn't done yet as he issued another attack.
"Don't quit, Brionne! Disarming Voice!" Sho exclaimed, causing Brionne to shoot out the Fairy Type attack! This time, it made a hit as it knocked Buizel back, much to the Alola boy's shock, along with Shiho and Seita's shock.
"Buizel!?" Kaito exclaimed as Sho took this chance to strike again.
"Keep it going, Brionne! Now, use Bubblebeam!" Sho called out, punching his fist in the air. Without needing to be told twice, the Pop Star Pokémon shot more colorful bubbles, this time hitting Buizel as the Sea Weasel Pokémon struggled to resist.
"Stay strong, Bui! Don't give in! Use Rain Dance, now!" Kaito shouted out. Regaining his footing on the sand, the Water Type raised his paws in the air, summoning rain clouds for the battle to escalate into a rain battle!
"Big mistake, Kaito! Didn't you know that with the rain, it's only going to make Brionne's Water Type attacks even stronger, despite of increasing your Buizel's Water Type attacks?" Sho asked with a smirk.
"That's not what I'm aiming for... Agility!" Kaito exclaimed, causing Buizel to speed around the sandy shore, catching both Sho and Brionne by surprise!
"His speed has increased by a lot!? Wait... Ah, come on! How did I forget!? Buizel's ability is Swift Swim! When it rains, it makes the Pokémon go even faster! So that's what he was aiming for!" Sho thought grimly before he tried to strike.
"Don't think just because your speed has increased, you're going to win this! Brionne! Follow with Aqua Jet!" Sho exclaimed. Surrounding herself in water, the Pop Star Pokémon chased after Buizel, who continued to speed through with Agility.
"We'll use Aqua Jet as well!" Kaito exclaimed as Buizel stopped his Psychic Type move before he surrounded himself with water, easily overcoming Brionne's speed with his! The Pop Star Pokémon's speed couldn't follow as she was getting far behind.
"Ah, no way! Even with Aqua Jet, it's still not enough! Brionne, use Disarming Voice!" Sho exclaimed, allowing Brionne to knock Buizel out of his Aqua Jet attack with the Fairy Type attack! This surprised Kaito as he watched his Water Type tumble on the ground several times.
"Buizel!?" Kaito exclaimed as Sho regained his smirk, before he began to call for the finishing blow.
"This is it! Brionne, let's wrap this up with a Bubblebeam attack!" Sho exclaimed.
Still in mid-air, the Pop Star Pokémon shot more colorful bubbles to wrap the battle up. As they were getting close to hit the weakened Sea Weasel Pokémon, the Alola boy made a call that changed the tide of the battle.
"Spin with Ice Beam, Bui!" Kaito exclaimed. The order caught Sho off guard as he watched the Sea Weasel Pokémon struggle, but manage to spin on his back! The Ice Beam attack countered all of the incoming bubbles, freezing them to make them useless!
"Say what!?" Sho exclaimed, as the ice froze Brionne in the process! The Hothead Trainer watched helplessly before the Alola boy wrapped the battle up with one final attack, as Buizel managed to get in front of him again.
"One more attack should do it! Buizel!" Kaito shouted out as he began to pose, with the Sea Gauntlet starting to shine a little! The Waterium-Z began to glow as well, as Buizel created the pose to begin their Z-Move.
"Big bro's using the Water Type Z-Move!" Seita pointed out, as he recognized on what this was.
"You can do it, big brother! Buizel!" Shiho cheered as Sho gritted his teeth in realization.
"No! Brionne can't move because of the ice!" Sho exclaimed in disbelief as he watched his opponent and his Water Type partner accomplish their pose to begin the final attack to end the battle.
"Let's wrap it up with this attack! Hydro Vortex, let's go!" Kaito yelled as Buizel let out a loud battle cry.
"BUI!" With the last of his energy being spent, the Sea Weasel Pokémon dove to where his frozen opponent was, creating a whirlpool from the seawater nearby and the sand to trap his frozen opponent and deal the finishing blow.
As the move went on, both boys covered their eyes to prevent themselves from being blinded by the sand and seawater coming out from Buizel's Z-Move as Shiho and Seita covered their eyes as well!
It was only a few moments later when the Z-Move was done. Everyone uncovered their eyes to see what had occurred to the two Pokémon that were battling. The dust from the sand were clearing away, allowing everyone to see what the results were.
"What...!? Brionne!? It can't be!" Sho exclaimed as he witnessed his Brionne having the swirls in her eyes, showing that she was defeated. Buizel on the other hand, was on his knees, panting in exhaustion for the tiring battle he had to deal with.
"Buizel's okay! Does that mean...?" Shiho started to ask, before Seita smirked.
"Big bro won the battle!" Seita exclaimed, causing Shiho to smile in content while the younger brother jumped up and down, happy to see his elder brother had won despite of the trouble he had.
Winner: Kaito
Sho's face darkened before he silently returned Brionne back to her Pokéball as Kaito glared at where his "archrival" stood.
"Now talk. You said something about the Alolan Sea Kingdom, but you know next to nothing about it, don't you?" Kaito asked sternly, causing him to get a glare from Sho as he flailed around angrily for the loss he gained.
"Ugh! Of course I wouldn't know! I just learned about that mythical Kingdom today! How the heck am I supposed to know!?" Sho snapped, causing Kaito to sweat drop and sigh in annoyance.
"Just as I thought..." Kaito thought in irritation, before Sho pointed at him angrily, having a tick mark grow on his head.
"Just you wait! I'll get my Pokémon and myself grow stronger so that the next time we meet, it won't end well for you! I'll be back someday, Kaito Shirogane!" Sho snapped as he ran out of the shore, leaving Kaito be with his siblings and Buizel.
"Good riddance..." Kaito breathed to himself before he checked his Sea Weasel Pokémon's wounds.
"Bui... You okay?" Kaito asked, earning a weak smile from the Water Type.
"Bu bui..." Buizel spoke out weakly, causing Kaito to nod, before he frowned.
"The way he battled just now... It felt like... he was trying to bring me down to despair." Kaito thought before he bit his lips.
"Tch... So I guess figured out why I don't enjoy battling much... It was because of his brutal battling style... Attacking with no mercy and attacking head-on... That guy is completely nuts when it came to battling!" Kaito thought again before clenching his fist.
Flashback
"What are you doing!? Stop hurting him! That's not how a battle is supposed to go!"
"What do you know!? Battling is all about winning! There's nothing good about losing! Hit it hard!"
"Stop... STOP! I won't let you do this anymore, you creep! Buizel, hang in there! Stay strong!"
"Just GIVE UP! You won't win just by believing in your Pokémon! It takes strength to win!"
Flashback End
Narrowing his eyes, the Alola boy sighed before he lifted Buizel in his arms. Turning to his two siblings, he called to them so that they would follow.
"Come on, you two. Let's head home. It's already late." Kaito called out, causing Shiho and Seita to respond immediately at his call.
"Okay..." The two spoke in unison, before they yawned together. Because of the battle taking some time, it made them feel even more tired than before as this was the latest time they were out before heading back home.
As the three were heading home, none of them have noticed a pair of glowing eyes coming from above where there was land and the trees. The figure came out of the shadows, revealing itself to be none other than... Zeraora.
It had watched the battle go on, and it had to say... it had to agree for what Kaito could've been thinking.
"Hmph... That's not how a battle is really supposed to go. Just winning doesn't mean everything goes well for the victorious one. There are good times that can happen when someone loses... Of course, that's only if it isn't so serious..." Zeraora thought before it folded its arms.
"I just wonder how he'll go if he wants to solve the mysteries that he wishes to solve so eagerly... With one of those mysteries, being of how I know him and how he should know me..." Zeraora thought again before it looked up at the night sky.
The stars twinkled, making the sight look great. And the moon was the best sight of all, leading the Thunderclap Pokémon to take its eyes to the sea, where the seawater's surface was glistening by the moon's light.
"Huh... It really is beautiful when it's night." was all Zeraora said before it jumped up, making its way to head back to its home.
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 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!
Chapter 39: Off to Treasure Island! Kaito and Ash!
Next chapter preview:
Boy: Hey, hey! Do you know where Prof. Kukui's house is!? That's where I'm supposed to go today so that I can meet up with him!
Kaito: Uh, sure... But, why do you want to meet up with him? Is it to enroll in the Pokémon School? I don't remember seeing you there.
Boy: Oh! That's because I just moved into the Alola region for the year! My name is Akira! Prof. Kukui is my uncle, you see!?
Hau: Whoa! Prof. Kukui has a nephew!? I never knew that! Does that mean you're an expert on Pokémon and Pokémon battles?
Akira: Actually... I know next to nothing about Pokémon! I don't even know what a Pikachu looks like, actually...
Kaito: This is rather... a surprise. You seem to love Pokémon, but you know next to nothing about it... How do you intend on becoming a Trainer?
Events that occurred:
- Kaito defeats Sho, before recalling as to why he didn't like battling