Chapter 37: The Training to Battle a Mythical!
"Vulpix, use Ember one more time!" Kaito shouted out. The Fox Pokémon cooed before she spat out fireballs to hit a student's Alolan Grimer! The Dark-Poison Type grunted in pain as the student named Takeshi yelped in surprise.
"Not good! Grimer, use Toxic!" Takeshi shouted out, causing the Alolan Grimer to shoot the Poison Type attack to where Vulpix stood. But the Alola boy was ready to counter as he called for another counterattack.
"Dodge it, and then use Ember one more time!" Kaito exclaimed.
The young Fire Type didn't need to be told twice as she narrowly evaded the Poison Type attack before she blasted the Dark-Poison Type away once more with her Fire Type attack, which dealt more damage like the first time!
Takeshi gritted his teeth, realizing that he was being pushed into a corner right now.
For Ash, he was facing off against Hiroki and his Mudbray, with Rockruff battling against the Ground Type. The two knocked heads with each other before they skidded back to their Trainers, with Ash making the next move.
"Go for it, Rockruff! Use Rock Throw!" Ash shouted out. The Puppy Pokémon barked before shooting the sharp Rock Type attack to where Mudbray stood, as Hiroki countered with a more stronger move!
"Now, Mudbray! Use Double Kick!" Hiroki called out, causing the Ground Type to kick the rocks, rendering them useless.
As the two battles were going on, the other students were watching on the sidelines, with their Pokémon partners watching as well.
"Aw, so close!" Mallow groaned, seeing how close the Rock Type move was striking at Mudbray until the Fighting Type move countered it.
"Vulpix seems to be doing okay, using her speed and moves to overwhelm that Grimer! Keep it going, Vulpix!" Hau cheered, with Pichu and Eevee doing the same for their young Fire Type friend.
"Kai seems to be doing pretty okay with Vulpix taking charge in the battle, while Ash and Rockruff on the other hand..." Lana said, feeling worried for the Rock Type as Kiawe folded his arms.
"You see, Rockruff's a Rock Type. It doesn't have a much advantage over a Ground Type like Mudbray." Kiawe pointed out, until Sophocles piped up, seeing how the Kanto Trainer was handling the battling pretty well.
"But still... I don't see Ash at a disadvantage, you know?" Sophocles asked with a grin, with Lillie agreeing with the Electric Type user.
"It looks like both Kai and Ash are having a lot of fun out there!" Lillie pointed out softly as she held Snowy in her arms, only for Camilla to correct the timid student with a stern expression on his face.
"Not quite... Ash looks like he's having fun in this, but Kaito doesn't seem to look like it. Look at his face..." Camilla pointed out, causing everyone to turn and see how serious the Alola boy looked... Too serious, it seems.
"What's wrong with Kai?" Mallow asked. Lana bit her lips, knowing the reason why that is. Akira and Hau remained silent as well, both remembering the events that seemed to have changed Kai ever since his near loss against Tokio and the mysterious Pokémon, Type: Null.
The others on the other hand, are confused with this as well as the two battles went on with Kaito taking advantage over the situation he and Vulpix had over Takeshi and his Grimer.
"All right, let's end this with just one more attack! With a Z-Move!" Kaito called out as he replaced the Waterium-Z with the Normalium-Z. At that point, the Sea Gauntlet and the Z-Crystal both began to glow!
And the Alola boy was ready to make the pose, with the Fox Pokémon preparing to make the move.
For Ash, he looked at his Rock Type, a little concerned about the Puppy Pokémon's condition.
"Rockruff, can you go on?" Ash asked, earning an affirmative bark from the Puppy Pokémon. At the immediate response, the Kanto Trainer began to make the Normal Type Z-Move work for him as well!
"Then, it's time to use our Z-Move!" Ash exclaimed as he and Rockruff began to make the pose together! Both Hiroki and Takeshi widened their eyes at their opponents preparing to unleash their devastating attack.
With the poses ready, both boys warned their opponents of what's coming to them.
"Look out, now... Check out some real power!" The boys shouted together in unison, with both Vulpix and Rockruff crying their affirmative cries in unison. Everyone smiled to see what was about to happen, with Lillie making the question.
"Isn't that...?" Lillie started to ask, with Hau making the answer as he regained the smile on his face.
"It's their Z-Move! Double Z-Move, that is!" Hau exclaimed as Kiawe and Camilla both watched carefully as the boys got ready to unleash their Z-Power to their opponents and their Pokémon.
"No more hesitation... No more holding back! You're going to see how strong our bond is together! Get ready!" Kaito added, with Ash adding in his words.
"Aw yeah! You're gonna see what we can do!" Ash exclaimed as both boys called out their Z-Moves at the same time to unleash the final blow.
"Breakneck Blitz, now!"
"Use Breakneck Blitz!"
Both Vulpix and Rockruff were surrounded with Z-Power, as they both charged in to strike at the Alolan Grimer and Mudbray! As they charged, Rotom recorded on how fast the two Pokémon were moving, and was astounded by the results.
"Incredible!" Rotom buzzed as both of the opponents' Pokémon got ready, until they were both bashed into the air! Both Takeshi and Hiroki gasped to see their Pokémon get defeated by the powerful attacks, as they called out to their Pokémon in worry.
"No way! Grimer!"
"No! Mudbray!" The two exclaimed in shock and disbelief as the dust cleared to show two unconscious Pokémon, showing that both Ash and Kaito were the winners in their battles.
"All right!" Ash exclaimed, ecstatic with how he and his Rock Type won their battle. Kaito just gave a sigh, before giving a satisfied smile as Rockruff panted in exhaustion while Vulpix cooed happily for her win.
"Mudbray and Grimer are both unable to battle! Which means the winners of the two battles are Ash and Kaito!" Prof. Kukui declared, gesturing to the boys' side.
Winner: Kaito
Winner: Ash
"Wow! They both won!" Mallow exclaimed, with Steenee, having evolved from Bounsweet yesterday also happy with her friends' victory.
"Remarkable!" Lillie commented, with Snowy cooing in amazement. As for the Kahuna's grandson, Hau pumped his fist in the air.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Hau exclaimed with a grin as Pikachu, Buizel, Kaito's Rockruff, Akira's Rockruff, Eevee, Pichu, and Togedemaru cheered for their friends' victory against their opponents.
Vulpix cooed happily while she ran into her father figure's arms, causing Kaito to rub her head softly, feeling thankful for her efforts in the battle. Rockruff panted as the Kanto Trainer ran over to check up on his Rock Type.
As he did, Rotom flew in between the two boys, informing them of what he recorded.
"I recorded it! Both of Vulpix and Rockruff's Z-Moves are on tape!" Rotom buzzed in with a smile, causing the Kanto Trainer to smile back at the Rotom Pokédex.
"Thanks a lot, Rotom!" Ash said gratefully while Kaito gave a nod, not having anything to say as the Kanto Trainer knelt down before he rubbed the Rock Type's head, with the Alola boy holding his young Fire Type in his arms.
"You were great! Nice work!" Ash praised, causing Rockruff to bark happily.
While the two were bonding together, the Alola boy watched before he frowned. The battle with Tokio and Type: Null yesterday left him rather... uncomfortable. Ever since he nearly lost that fight, the Alola boy found it hard to enjoy battles now.
Because not every battle can mean fun, especially when it includes opponents that could possibly tear your Pokémon apart. For today, the Alola boy felt lucky for not encountering anyone like that so far.
But he knew he couldn't let his guard down. For he did, he or his friends and Pokémon would pay.
"I can't... enjoy this." Kaito thought before he heard a cooing noise from Vulpix. Blinking, the Alola boy looked down to see the young Fox Pokémon looking at her father figure in both confusion and concern, as if she had spotted on how troubled Kaito looked.
"Vul? Vulpix Vul?" Vulpix asked, causing the Alola boy to regain his small smile and rub the Fire Type's head.
"Nothing to worry about, Vulpix. I'm fine. Great work on the battle." Kaito said in reassurance, causing the Fox Pokémon to coo happily and forget her early concern. But as Buizel and Rockruff ran over to congratulate their young friend, the Sea Weasel Pokémon knew better.
The battle he and Kaito had yesterday was also troubling him too, which made it harder for him to continue enjoying Pokémon battles, despite of him knowing that it was just one way of making himself and his friends stronger as time went by.
Far from where the group was standing, a familiar figure was watching from the tree as it narrowed its blue stern eyes to where Kaito was standing at. It had watched the whole battle and from the looks of it, the Alola boy was having trouble.
(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)
(Akira walks up on a cliff with Rockruff, who has a strange gemstone attached on its rock collar)
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)
Ash and Hiroki shook hands with each other, as did Kaito and Takeshi. The defeated ones smiled, seeing how powerful their opponents' Z-Moves were as they enjoyed the battle, despite of their loss.
"That move was incredible! Nice battle!" Hiroki commented, with Takeshi saying the same way.
"That was a nice play, using the Z-Move to wrap the battle up." Takeshi commented, causing the Kanto Trainer to grin while the Alola boy just nodded in thanks with the small smile on his face.
"Do it again sometime?" Ash asked, earning a nod from Hiroki.
"Yeah!" Hiroki said before he took his leave with a smile. For Kaito, he just gave a small nod before complimenting his opponent back.
"Thanks... You were doing great at the battle, too. For a second, I thought we were going to lose at first. Rematch someday?" Kaito asked, causing Takeshi to smirk before he walked off, the same way as Hiroki did.
"Sure thing! I'll await your challenge anytime!" Takeshi called out as he left with Hiroki, running up to catch up to him.
As their former opponents were gone, the Kanto Trainer heard a sigh coming from the Alola boy, making him curious as he was about to ask Kaito until Mallow called them by their names.
"Ash! Kaito!" Mallow shouted out, causing the boys to turn and see where their friends were coming to them.
"Those full power Z-Moves are the best! They made the whole battle!" Mallow commented with a smile, causing Ash to smile at the compliment.
"Hey, thanks! But, I still want to get a whole lot stronger!" Ash exclaimed, causing Camilla to raise an eyebrow before she smiled at the determination the Kanto Trainer had in him.
"That is you, I guess... Being determined and fired up to become stronger." Camilla commented, with Lana agreeing.
"He is Ash, after all..." Lana added, with the Kanto Trainer scratching the back of his head with a grin.
"When Pokémon Trainers get stronger, their Z-Moves will do the exact same thing!" Prof. Kukui pointed out as he walked up to his students. At the point, the Kanto Trainer grinned before he questioned the Alola Professor at his words.
"Yeah? You mean that?" Ash asked, allowing the Professor to nod and speak more.
"Yeah. When a Pokémon uses a Z-Move, it receives power from its Trainer and then makes use of that power." Prof. Kukui explained, with Kiawe adding in of why his two classmates needed to get stronger in their battles.
"That's why it's important for both Ash and Kaito to get stronger." Kiawe added, causing Kaito to blink before he bit his lips.
"Important for me to get stronger, huh..." Kaito thought, as he recalled back to realizing on how limited his bond and strength was with Buizel when Tokio was about to unleash his Steel Type Z-Move on them.
Buizel also frowned at the past, while the Kanto Trainer took no notice as he grinned. The determination to become stronger was getting fresh in his mind as he pumped his fists together.
"Awesome... All right! Just watch me! Then you know who I'll battle?" Ash asked, causing Akira to cock his head in confusion.
"Who?" was all Akira needed to ask to let the Kanto Trainer respond with a determined smile.
"Tapu Koko, that's who!" Ash exclaimed, catching the others by surprise while Kaito gave the Kanto Trainer a knowing look.
"Ah, that's right. Ash was looking forward to have a rematch against Tapu Koko so they could be more stronger than they were the first time they battled against the Island Guardian..." Kaito thought as the Alola Professor laughed at the thought of seeing his student's rematch.
"That'll be something to see!" Prof. Kukui laughed, as he seemed to admire the determination the Kanto Trainer was giving off.
The girls all blinked in surprise as Camilla turned to Lillie, Lana, and Mallow.
"Hey... you all said that both Ash and Kaito faced Tapu Koko once in a battle together, right? It happened when you all were giving Ash an Alola Surprise?" Camilla asked, earning a nod from Lillie.
"Yes... Although I'm a little bit jealous. Ash sounds totally ready to challenge even the strongest opponents head on." Lillie agreed, before admitting to the little envy she had for the Kanto Trainer.
"But Tapu Koko? It's so strong..." Lana reminded, as Mallow gave a giggle at the reminder.
"Of course it's strong! We're talking the Island Guardian!" Mallow gave another reminder, only for Ash to keep his determination to challenge the Island Guardian.
"I know! But remember, Tapu Koko gave both me and Kai a Z-Ring!" Ash reminded as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder before he went on to explain.
"I want it to know just how much stronger I can get!"
"Pika!" Ash explained, with his Mouse Pokémon crying out in agreement. The Alola Professor smiled, before he reminded his students of what big things can happen if one were to succeed in a big trial.
"The bigger the goal, the better the reward!" Prof. Kukui commented before Akira turned to the Alola boy.
"Hey, Kaito... You still with us? You haven't said a word for a while after your battle." Akira asked, causing the Alola boy to perk up and see everyone else looking at him with concerned expressions. This only made Kaito fluster as he gave a sheepish smile.
"H-Huh? Uh... Well... I guess... I was just thinking about a certain Pokémon that I want to face against." Kaito admitted, as he recalled his Electric Type savior that saved him multiple times in the past.
"Hey, you don't mean...?" Hau started to ask, earning a nod from the Alola boy.
"Yeah... I'm talking about challenging the Thunderclap Wanderer to a battle." Kaito explained, causing the others to be surprised at his decision, while the Alola Professor was rather amused at a different goal Kaito was wanting to have.
"Hold on? Why the Thunderclap Wanderer and not Tapu Koko? I mean, Tapu Koko was the one that gave you the Z-Ring before it was replaced by the Sea Gauntlet, wasn't it?" Sophocles asked.
"Right... But it gave me this. The Electrium-Z." Kaito explained as he revealed the Electric Type Z-Crystal he had received from the Thunderclap Pokémon, causing everyone except Hau to be awed at what the Alola boy had with him.
"Whoa... So how many Z-Crystals do you have right now, then?" Ash asked, causing the Alola boy to scratch his head before he answered.
"Four, right now. The Waterium-Z I got from Tapu Koko, the Normalium-Z I got from Totem Gumshoos, the Fightinium-Z I got from Kahuna Hala, and finally... the Electrium-Z I got from the Wanderer." Kaito explained, causing Ash to sweat drop.
"That's two more than I have...!" Ash grunted, tears comically falling out of his eyes as the others chuckled sheepishly for the Kanto Trainer as Kaito cleared his throat before explaining again.
"As I was saying, in order to solve the mysteries that involve me, I want to challenge the Thunderclap Wanderer. If I were to battle it, then maybe... Just maybe... I might be able to remember more of it." Kaito explained.
"Remember more of it...?" Kiawe repeated in confusion before Akira explained.
"Kaito here says that he may have a connection to the Thunderclap Wanderer by possibly being friends with it in the past. I mean, that's what he thinks, considering there were times when the Wanderer had saved Kaito and some of us in the past." Akira explained.
Ash, Mallow, Lillie, Hau, and Lana knew what Akira was talking about, as they had encountered the Wanderer in one of those times when Kaito was in trouble. The Alola Professor began to think it over, before the Alola boy spoke up again.
"That's the reason why I want to challenge it... So that maybe, I can figure why the Wanderer is so fond of me. I just need to know." Kaito explained, with his voice sounding like he insists that it needs to be done.
Prof. Kukui gave a soft smile, understanding of what his student wanted from the Thunderclap Wanderer as he too, remembered of when he encountered the Wanderer for the first time back at Clawmark Hill.
"So Kaito is on a journey not just to discover his involvement with the Alolan Sea Kingdom... and the past he might have with the Wanderer... That certainly is a difficult journey to have, especially since there are more questions than answers..." Prof. Kukui thought as Mallow turned to the two boys.
"So then... How are you two going to train for your battles?" Mallow asked, causing Kaito to think. Ash frowned, before he began to think as well, with Lillie remembering on what Types the Island Guardian and the Thunderclap Wanderer might have.
"Tapu Koko is an Electric and Fairy Type, while the Thunderclap Wanderer could be just an Electric Type. Why don't you two come up with something based on that?" Lillie suggested, until Sophocles came up with an idea.
"If you two are battling Electric Types, then I'm your man!" Sophocles assured, catching everyone's attention.
"You're our man?" Ash asked as Kaito raised an eyebrow, before he realized what the Electric Type user meant.
"Ah, of course... You're an expert on the Alola region's Electric Type. So if we ask your help..." Kaito started to say, until Camilla finished for him.
"...then you two might have a bit of an advantage if you were to battle against those tough opponents. That's a pretty good idea." Camilla finished, before commenting on how nice the idea sounded.
"Right! Why don't you two come by my house today? I've been gathering up more data than you've ever seen! And that can help with the two of you with your training!" Sophocles assured brightly.
"That's so great! Thanks a lot, Sophocles!" Ash exclaimed before he turned to the Alola boy.
"What do you say, Kai? You want to join me and Sophocles with our training?" Ash asked, causing Kaito to blink before he shook his head as he explained.
"I'll catch up with you two later. There's something I want to do first before I get started on training." Kaito replied, causing the Electric Type user to nod at him.
"Sure thing! Ash and I will see you later, then!" Sophocles said, earning a thankful nod from the Alola boy. But at the reply Kaito came up with, Hau just blinked with curiosity while Camilla just narrowed her eyes a little in suspicion.
Later, after school...
With class ending, the school bell rang thanks to Komala, as the group separated from one another to either head home or do something that they had planned to do today in the afternoon.
For Kaito, he headed up to the forest with Buizel, Rockruff, and Vulpix walking by his side. Rockruff and Vulpix were a bit curious as to what the Alola boy was planning to do. But Buizel on the other hand, seemed to understand as he gave a small smile of understanding.
"If I were to battle it... then I might be able to get a few clues of the relationship it has with me... Maybe then, I can be at ease, knowing that I do share a past with the Thunderclap Wanderer." Kaito thought as he continued walking.
He didn't take notice of the stalkers that were pursuing him stealthily. Not too far behind him, were Hau and Camilla, as they both agreed to follow after Kaito. With the way the Alola boy talked, the two of them became concerned for the Alola boy, which made them decide to follow him.
Of course, they had to realize that it wasn't easy, due to the path not being so smooth with the leaves and sticks getting in the way of their path. One wrong move, and Kaito would immediately suspect that they were following him!
"Hey, Camilla...? This kind of feels wrong. I mean, we're following him just to make sure he's really okay, but... I get the feeling that if he somehow finds out, it's not going to be pretty." Hau admitted in worry.
"I can understand that, Hau... But heading to the forest instead of heading for Sophocles' house for training with Ash... I thought he would've went with those two immediately when class was over..." Camilla reminded.
That allowed the Kahuna's grandson to partially understand as both he and Camilla continued their move to where Kaito could be heading to.
For the Alola boy, he approached a clearing where there seemed to be less trees around. The area wasn't too bright, but it was enough to let Kaito do what he had planned to do by coming here.
Camilla and Hau peeked from the trees they were hiding at as they watched to see what Kaito was about to do. Both Rockruff and Vulpix both watched in confusion as well, while Buizel remained unfazed with his human brother's planned action.
With a deep breath, the Alola boy sighed before he released the words that he wanted to say out loud.
"Thunderclap Wanderer! If you can hear my voice, then please listen to what I have to say! I may not know who you are, but I definitely know that there is a connection between the two of us with you being the only one knowing it! So I have a request for you!" Kaito started to shout out loud.
The sudden shouting startled the two students as well as Kaito's two Pokémon, while Buizel sweat dropped before he gave a sheepish grin to his human brother's sudden outburst to catch the Wanderer's attention.
"I like to challenge you to a battle near where the Pokémon School is! If we were to battle, then I'm sure that I'll remember most of the past that we shared together! The past that I think we cherished together! So... if you don't mind, then I hope you accept my challenge!" Kaito explained out loud.
At his outburst being done, the Alola boy gave a deep sigh, earning a pat on the arm from Buizel. The Alola boy turned to see his Sea Weasel Pokémon trying to give him comfort, with the same going for Rockruff and Vulpix as they did the same for Kaito.
Smiling with gratefulness, the Alola boy rubbed their heads one at a time, causing them to grin happily at the affection the Alola boy was giving them before he gestured them all to follow him back down, which they did so without hesitation.
While they were heading back down, Hau peeked from the tree he was hiding at, sighing in relief.
"Well... At least he didn't get himself into a BIG situation like he somehow does... like those numbskulls from Team Skull and those jerks from Team Kings..." Hau sighed in relief while Camilla nodded in agreement.
"Yeah... So he came here to just challenge the Wanderer to a battle. But how does he know that it'll be here? I mean, I didn't see any Pokémon while coming up here..." Camilla pointed out, remembering how little the forest Pokémon there were.
The Kahuna's grandson scratched the back of his head, before he reminded the "Queen of the Waves" of what they accomplished today.
"Well, let's just call this mission accomplished. Kai didn't get into any danger, and we got to see what he was up to, right?" Hau asked, causing Camilla to blink before she nodded back with a smile.
"You're right..." Camilla spoke out before the two got out of their hiding places. Soon, they both took their leave in heading back down to where the town was.
While they left, they hadn't taken notice of a familiar figure standing on the sturdy tree branch that was a bit high from the ground. The moment it listened to what Kaito had to say, it couldn't help but smile in amusement.
Coming out from the trees' shadows... was none other than Zeraora.
"A battle, huh...? It's been a while since I had to fight serious battles, unlike the time when I had to get in the humans' ways of harming him and his friends..." Zeraora thought before it looked up at the sky.
"But still... You were right about one thing. We did have a connection... until THAT happened..." Zeraora thought again before it took its leave, jumping from one tree branch to another.
Later...
Leaving the forest and to where the town was, Kaito headed to where Sophocles' house was, which was very close to the Pokémon School. At arriving there, he met Sophocles' mother, who told him of what Sophocles and Ash did together.
"Oh! Hello there, Kaito! You just missed my son and Ash! They headed off to the Sophocles Laboratory. It seems that Sophocles' friend, Ash, was so determined to face our Island Guardian to a battle..." Sophocles' mom explained.
The Alola boy gave a small chuckle, realizing what the mother meant for the Kanto Trainer.
"That's Ash for you, ma'am... He can be quite excited when he and his Pokémon are going up against strong opponents, despite the fact that they can be stronger than him and his team..." Kaito chuckled with a smile.
"I see... Well then... Would you like a malasada before you meet up with them? There's just one more left before I can make some more!" Sophocles' mom offered, before the Alola boy slowly took it from the plate.
"Thank you, ma'am..." Kaito said thankfully as he took a bite out of it, before he broke them into pieces so that his three Pokémon could enjoy them. Of course, both Rockruff and Vulpix found it a little hard to enjoy, due to the mother being happy to see such "cute" Pokémon besides Togedemaru.
That caused Kaito to sweat drop while Buizel just gave a sheepish smile, while feeling sorry for what the Puppy Pokémon and the Fox Pokémon had to go through, as the to struggled to get out of her grip.
By the time they got out, they were both pouting for the little help they got from the Alola boy and the Sea Weasel Pokémon, causing Kaito to apologize to the two of them for not helping them immediately.
By the time the situation has passed, the Alola boy was out in the backyard, meeting up with Sophocles' father, who looked exactly like his son, only except that he was older and his clothes were different than his son's.
"Hey there, Kaito! You here to see Sophocles?" Sophocles' dad asked, causing the Alola boy to nod, which allowed the father to explain.
"He just went in there with his new friend, Ash. They seem to be doing something in there." Sophocles' dad explained, causing Kaito to thank the father before he made his way to where the Sophocles Laboratory was.
But before he could place his hand on the door, he heard screaming and shocking coming from inside.
Flinching in surprise, as did his three Pokémon, he heard complaints which sounded like Rotom and Sophocles.
"What in the world did you do that for!?" Rotom's voice buzzed, sounding like it was angry for what seemed to have happened inside.
"I told you to ASK me first!" Sophocles snapped along, causing Ash's voice to come up next.
"I knew that... Sorry." Ash spoke apologetically, causing the Alola boy to sweat drop.
"Looks like Ash somehow messed something up in the Laboratory." Kaito thought before he knocked on it, which seemed to have caught everyone's attention inside.
"Who is it? Dad?" Sophocles asked, causing Kaito to raise an eyebrow.
"Uh, no... It's me, Sophocles." Kaito said, causing the door to open and reveal the Electric Type user, who gave an apologetic look to the Alola boy for his mistake.
"Oh! Ah ha... Sorry, Kai. Come on in! You're just in time to see what I was about to show to Ash now!" Sophocles spoke out, as he welcomed the Alola boy and his three Pokémon in, allowing Kaito to see Ash and Pikachu again, along with Togedemaru and Rotom.
"Hey, Kai! You're here!" Ash exclaimed, causing Kaito to nod back before Sophocles came over and sat on his chair to do something with his computer. While he was doing that, Togedemaru invited Pikachu to come up on top of a shelf.
The Mouse Pokémon accepted the invitation as he climbed up, with Vulpix and Rockruff following. Buizel remained at his human brother's side as the Electric Type user explained of what data he gathered after Ash and Kaito's first battle with Tapu Koko.
"When you two had your battle with Tapu Koko, I analyzed its electric field." Sophocles started, catching Ash and Rotom's attention, before Kaito and Buizel joined in to listen to his results.
"Tapu Koko utilized its Ability, Electric Surge, to generate it." Sophocles explained, causing Kaito to blink.
"So it wasn't Electric Terrain, then? It was its own Ability that did it?" Kaito asked, earning a nod from the Electric Type user.
"Right." Sophocles responded simply before Rotom buzzed in.
"Electric Type moves gain more power when they're performed within an electric field!" Rotom explained, allowing Sophocles to point out what that meant.
"And that means it will benefit an Electric Type like Pikachu, but it'll put Buizel in a disadvantage since he's weak against Electric Type attacks." Sophocles pointed out, causing Buizel to sweat drop at his weakness being revealed.
Comforting Buizel with a pat on the head, the Alola boy continued to listen as Sophocles continued.
"But even so... the two of you will need different strategies for battling with Rowlet and Rockruff, or with Rockruff and Vulpix." Sophocles added, making Ash frown while the Alola boy raised an eyebrow.
"Sophocles... You're making it kind of sound like I'm going to battle Tapu Koko, but... you do know that I'm planning to battle the Thunderclap Wanderer, right?" Kaito reminded, causing the Electric Type user.
"I know! But if you two are battling near each other like you did before today during your battles, then the Electric Surge ability will also help the Wanderer when it's battling with you..." Sophocles reminded, causing Kaito to sweat drop.
"So before even the battle begins, I'll already be at a disadvantage since my battle with the Wanderer will be near to where Ash's battle with Tapu Koko will be at." Kaito thought before he allowed the Electric Type user to continue.
"So I've got the conduction rate of its electric field right here on screen! You see, I arrived at this figure by factoring the evasive effectiveness of both of your Rockruff's speed!" Sophocles explained, which seemed to have caught Rotom's interest.
"Is this the data you have for Electric Types?" Rotom buzzed in question, earning a nod from the Electric Type user.
"Yep! Togedemaru's been helping me research electricity generation in different environments, which I then convert into digital data. I've been comparing my data with other Electric Type researchers, and I think we can use it all to counter Tapu Koko's electric field!" Sophocles explained.
At this point, Ash was just looking around in the Laboratory as he clearly didn't seem to understand the detailed explanation Sophocles was explaining,
Kaito on the other hand, kept watching and listening with Buizel at his side. Although, with the complicated explanation the Electric Type user was giving off, he felt like his head was going to steam with all the details being drilled into his head.
Pikachu and Togedemaru were hanging on top of the lights, enjoying the view from high height, while Rockruff and Vulpix watched the two in amusement.
It wasn't long before the four Pokémon were on the ground altogether as they all rode on a small cart before being knocked away after they hit the wall! Ash continued to look around, before grumbling at the complicated details that was being forced into his head, like Kaito was.
"Truly fascinating stuff! So with that Pokémon data..." Rotom started to say before Ash interrupted with a loud groan and complaint.
"No more! I don't get any of that gobbledygook!" Ash complained, catching Sophocles and Rotom by surprise, with the Electric Type user questioning the Kanto Trainer's use of words.
"Gobbledygook...?" Sophocles repeated in confusion, while Rotom just sighed before it buzzed in.
"Things that go entirely over Ash's head." Rotom buzzed before it turned to see Kaito steaming a little.
"Uh... Kaito? Are you feeling alright?" Rotom buzzed in concern, causing Sophocles to turn and see the Alola boy's face looking rather a bit redder than his face originally was.
"Uh oh... Stay with us, Kai!" Sophocles yelped as he tried to fan Kaito's head to prevent himself from overheating.
"Bui!? Bui! Bu bui!" Buizel yelped as he tried to cool his human brother off as well, with Ash jumping up in surprise to see Kaito's face looking a bit steamed.
A few minutes later...
Kaito was feeling normal again as he continued to hear Sophocles apologizing to him for making him nearly overheat, causing the Alola boy to reassure the Electric Type user that it was fine, making both of his classmates relieved.
By the time Kaito recovered, it left the boys relieved along with Pikachu, Togedemaru, and Kaito's three Pokémon.
With that being dealt with, the Kanto Trainer took notice of Togedemaru pushing Pikachu into some sort of wheel that Togedemaru had used when he had first arrived at the Pokémon School as a new transfer student.
"Yeah... Looks like fun!" Ash agreed, as he noticed Pikachu looking content with how the wheel was moving with him exercising inside it. Togedemaru watched happily while both Rockruff and Vulpix watched the Mouse Pokémon curiously.
At seeing Pikachu run in Togedemaru's wheel, this gave Sophocles an idea as he turned to his two friends.
"Hey! Ash? Kai? It could be..." Sophocles started to say, catching both of the boys' attention.
"...The training you both need to get stronger!" Sophocles finished, catching the boys' attention while Rotom was rather confused.
"Training?" Rotom buzzed in confusion while the Kanto Trainer looked content. Kaito just smiled, seeing how this was going.
Later...
Outside, the Electric Type user showed Ash and Kaito a giant wheel that looked exactly like the one that was inside the Laboratory as they both watched in awe of what the running circle looked like by the size of it.
"Whoa... It's big." Ash breathed out in awe, with Pikachu speaking out in agreement.
"With this, you can all run around together inside. Makes training fun!" Sophocles explained, causing the Alola boy raise an eyebrow in amusement before he gave a small chuckle.
"You've really outdone yourself this time, Sophocles." Kaito chuckled, earning a sheepish grin from the Electric Type user while the Kanto Trainer took out his two Pokéballs to call out his other two Pokémon.
"All right, guys! Come out!" Ash called out, sending his own Puppy Pokémon and Grass Quill Pokémon to join in on the fun. The two cried out happily at coming out, before the Kanto Trainer questioned of whether they're ready or not.
"All right. Ready for some great training?" Ash asked, as Buizel, Pikachu, and Togedemaru came over to the two to explain. Immediately, Ash's Rockruff happily joined in as the Alola boy turned to his two Pokémon remaining.
"All right, you two. You want to join in on the fun?" Kaito asked, earning a happy bark from the Rock Type and a coo from the Fire Type. They joined up with their Pokémon friends, while the Kanto Trainer looked down at the Grass Quill Pokémon.
"'Kay, Rowlet! You're in on this, too!" Ash reminded, earning a coo from Rowlet before he allowed Ash to place him inside of where the training circle was. With all the Pokémon inside, the boys felt as if they were ready to begin.
"There! All set!" Ash stated, until Sophocles stopped them.
"Hold on a second, you guys!" Sophocles called out, catching their attention.
Soon, all the Pokémon and the boys were given some sort of mark or sticker onto their foreheads, making them rather confused on what this was all about.
"And one for each of you guys, too!" Sophocles said as he placed the sticker on the boys' foreheads, causing the Kanto Trainer to be confused, with the Alola boy being the one asking the question.
"And what's this supposed to be...?" Kaito asked curiously, before Sophocles explained.
"See, I'm going to collect data from all of you." Sophocles explained before he revealed a spare sticker in his finger, while Rotom floated down to agree with the Electric Type user's way of training.
"Make no mistake! This is vital!" Rotom buzzed in until the Alola boy raised an eyebrow at him.
"Vital, huh? Then why don't you try it? I mean, sure... You're a Rotom Pokédex, but you were originally a Pokémon, right?" Kaito asked, causing the Rotom Pokédex to sweat drop and shake its head in refusal.
"N-No thanks! I'm not the type to train or battle! I'm the type to collect data from people and Pokémon!" Rotom buzzed in reminder, causing Kaito to shrug while his three Pokémon snickered at the reaction Rotom gave off at the offer.
Soon, the boys joined in with their Pokémon as they all began to walk before going into a jog.
Sophocles and Rotom on the other hand was watching the data of the ones training inside the circle.
"Mm hm! Looking good!" Sophocles reminded, with Rotom encouraging the boys and their Pokémon to keep going.
"Give it everything you've got, gang!" Rotom buzzed, as the boys continued their run.
"We're fine! Speed it up!" Ash panted as he kept running. Kaito followed suit as the speed of the wheel began to increase little by little. The Pokémon were all having no problem... that is, except for Rowlet, who was more used to flying than running.
"Come on... Keep up the pressure! If I'm going to solve my mysteries, then my Pokémon and I... We'll have to push our limits together in the trials we'll have to face!" Kaito thought as he continued to pick up the pace.
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 38: A Mythical and Guardian's Challenge!
Chapter 39: Off to Treasure Island! Kaito and Ash!
Chapter 40: It's a Tough Task! A Scared Eevee!?
Chapter 41: Litten Returns! A New Life! Pt. 1
Chapter 42: Litten Returns! A New Life! Pt. 2
Next chapter preview:
Ash: Hey, Kai! You're saying that you're battling the Thunderclap Wanderer to get back the memories that you lost, right...?
Kaito: That's right... There are many mysteries that are left unsolved, so I want to solve them as soon as I can in order to be okay with my life...
Ash: That may sound good... But do you think you can win against the Thunderclap Wanderer? We saw what it can do against Rockruff...
Kaito: That was when it held back a little against Rockruff since it knew the limits of what Rockruff had... But still, I don't intend on losing...
Ash: Check it out! It's Tapu Koko! It came all this way just to battle with me and Pikachu! And that lightning... Isn't that...!?
Kaito: The Thunderclap Wanderer... I've been waiting, but I didn't think you would come all this way while attracting attention at the same time...
Events that occurred:
- Kaito challenges Zeraora to a battle, who secretly accepts
- Ash and Kaito heads over to Sophocles' house to train