Chapter 39: Off to Treasure Island! Kaito and Ash!
"Come on, Kai? Can you please cheer up?" Hau asked with a frown.
Kaito sighed, his face showing on how upset or depressed he looked. Ever since his battle with the Thunderclap Wanderer, now known as Zeraora yesterday... the Alola boy found it hard to enjoy spending time with his friends and Pokémon.
Because of that, Hau and Lana had invited Kaito to join them and the others in their shopping at the shopping district so that they could cheer the Alola boy up, while buying the things that they wanted or needed.
But for the Alola boy, it was hard for him now that he remembered a little about his history with the Thunderclap Pokémon, with him remembering Zeraora's name.
"Bu? Bu bui?"
"Rock...?"
"Vul...?"
He felt his three Pokémon tapping onto him or tugging on his shorts as he looked down to see his three Pokémon all looking at him in concern, causing him to give them a weak smile to comfort them and get them out of their worries.
"Sorry... I know that we're supposed to have fun by coming here with the others... Don't worry. I think I'll be better when the day goes by." Kaito said softly, causing Vulpix to smile a little in satisfaction at hearing that.
Buizel and Rockruff however, weren't sure of whether to believe that or not. Because after the tears and upset expression their human brother had let out yesterday, they knew that it was going to take a lot more than a little shopping to turn that depressed expression backwards.
But Hau seemed to have accepted it, though it looked hesitant, as he gave a small smile of relief before he left his friend be, knowing that he would want to be alone with his Pokémon for a while, now that he was like this.
The group was soon at a small shop where there seemed to be sweets for Pokémon, and some accessories that the girls would seem to enjoy. The boys looked like they had already the things that they needed, except for Kaito.
For the Kanto Trainer, he was curious as to one of the sweets as he picked it up.
"What's that? Is it candy?" Ash asked, with Pikachu giving a curious cry.
"Pika?" Pikachu questioned before Rotom floated over to explain.
"It's a kind of Pokémon food they call Poké Beans!" Rotom explained, causing Ash to smile at learning what it was now.
"Yeah? Poké Beans sound good! Wonder which one Pikachu would like..." Ash wondered as he picked up several different colored Poké Beans to see what his Electric Type partner would prefer.
As for Mallow, she picked up a rather unique Poké Bean for Steenee to enjoy.
"Look, Steenee! Steenee likes this floral-patterned Poké Beans!" Mallow stated, causing the evolved Grass Type to cry out in joy, much to the Rotom Pokédex's surprise as it floated over to take a picture.
"What!? Floral-patterned!? Updating data! I didn't know they had Poké Beans like that!" Rotom admitted as the Kanto Trainer picked up a yellow colored one, knowing that Pikachu's body color was yellow.
"This Pikachu-colored one might be good. What do you think, buddy?" Ash asked, earning an affirmative cry from the Mouse Pokémon. Nodding to him, the Kanto Trainer called for the clerk so that he could buy the Poké Bean.
"I'll take this, please!" Ash called out as he walked over to the clerk.
As for the girls, Lillie turned to Mallow, Lana, and Camilla before she called for them to follow her.
"Mallow? Lana? Camilla? I'd like to look at scarves and bandanna for Snowy. Sound good?" Lillie asked, causing Snowy to give a happy cry of agreement. Camilla smiled at the idea and nod in approval.
"Sounds good... Little Snowy would look good with a little accessory." Camilla stated, with Mallow nodding.
"She's right! Let's go, then!" Mallow agreed before the girls headed over to the section where there were scarves and accessories they could see and possibly buy. The boys watched them leave as Ash joined them.
"You know... They're sure having a wonderful time." Sophocles pointed out, with Kiawe giving a shrug.
"I guess..." Kiawe agreed before Rotom revealed on how much the girls like to shop with his data.
"Some statistics have shown when asked if they liked to go shopping, over 87% answered they really like it, or they at least don't mind it one bit!" Rotom explained, causing Sophocles to frown.
"They should ask us the same thing!" Sophocles groaned, causing Hau to smile sheepishly.
"Aw, come on, Sophocles... It can't be that bad!" Hau tried to reassure, before Kiawe frowned.
"Not sure about that, Hau... You never know what could happen." Kiawe reminded, causing the Kahuna's grandson to sweat drop at the reminder before he kept the sheepish smile on his face.
"Well... We've been in the shopping district for a long time, have we? I mean, this could be the last stop before we part ways with one another for today, right?" Hau asked, causing the other boys to remain silent.
"Um... guys?" Hau tried to ask again before he was met with silence, causing him to sweat drop.
Later...
"Glad you found something nice!" Mallow giggled as she and the other girls walked out of the store while the boys were waiting. At seeing them come out, the Electric Type user smiled sheepishly, hoping that this was the last stop.
"Hah... So I guess that wraps it up, doesn't it?" Sophocles asked, only to have his hope shot down when Mallow corrected him.
"Not just yet, Sophocles! Next, it's off to Alola Sunrise!" Mallow declared, before pumping her fist in the air, with Lana following her lead.
"Yay!" Lana cried out while Camilla and Lillie smiled together. Of course, this caused Hau, Kiawe, and Sophocles to sweat drop at the girls planning to shop even more with whatever they're going to.
"You're kidding!" Sophocles groaned in despair as Lillie smiled happily at the thought of the accessory shop.
"Alola Sunrise! I've always wanted to go there!" Lillie sighed happily, causing the Kanto Trainer to be confused as he hadn't heard of the shop yet.
"Hold on... What's Alola Sunrise?" Ash asked in confusion.
"It's an accessory shop for Melemele Island girls and super-popular!" Mallow explained cheerfully, causing the boys to frown at the words.
"Oh boy..." Sophocles sighed with Hau scratching the back of his head.
"Super-popular...? What about for us boys...?" Hau asked with a pout.
"Accessory shop?" Rotom added with a deadpanned tone and expression, as the Kanto Trainer joined in.
"For Melemele Island girls..." Ash added sheepishly, as Mallow grinned at the thought of the shop.
"They're made out of Heart Scales washed that wash up on the beach! And Corsola branches! They have the most amazing accessories there, and everything is completely natural!" Mallow explained brightly.
"Totally!" Lana added brightly, with Lillie and Camilla joining in.
"They're all from the ocean... Ah..." Camilla sighed while Lillie gave a pleasant sigh. This only made the boys feel more uncomfortable as Kiawe was the first to take his leave to head back home.
"Well, I think I'm gonna go home. I want to give my Pokémon back at the farm all the Pokémon food I bought for them today." Kiawe explained as he got onto his Charizard, who prepared to take off into the air.
"Sure!" Hau called as he waved to his friend goodbye as the Fire Type user took off to head back to Akala Island. As soon as he was gone, Sophocles suddenly yelled out loud, startling the others as he began to walk off weirdly.
"AH! I forgot to water the flowers in my garden! See ya!" Sophocles nervously explained as he began to walk off, only to get called out by Kaito.
"Hold it right there, Sophocles." Kaito spoke out, causing the Electric Type user to freeze in his tracks as he nervously glanced to where Kaito was standing, who glared at him with a knowing expression.
"W-What is it, Kai?" Sophocles asked, with Togedemaru giving a confused expression.
"You're trying to walk away with that lame excuse, right? Your dad is the one that's in charge of watering the flowers. All you do is experiment or gather data at the Sophocles Laboratory." Kaito reminded, causing Sophocles to gulp.
"N-No! I mean... well... my dad entrusted me with his flowers for today, so I...!" Sophocles tried to explain, only to have Hau frown in suspicion as well, along with both Ash and Pikachu.
"Hang on... If your dad entrusted you with the flowers, then why did you come with us when you could be doing that now?" Hau asked, causing the Electric Type user to sweat even more before he raced out of their sight.
"G-GOTTA GO!" Sophocles yelled as he ran off, much to Hau's surprise as he ran after the escaping Electric Type user.
"H-Hey! Sophocles! Get back here!" Hau called out as he ran after the retreating figure. At the two running, both Kaito and Ash sweat dropped at them as the Kanto Trainer gave a nervous chuckle.
"...Just look at them go." Ash chuckled nervously, earning a slight nod from the Alola boy.
But just as they agreed on one thing, Rotom began to buzz in with the alarm setting! Everyone turned to the Rotom Pokédex in surprise as he showed a timer of what could happen later.
"Alolan Detective Laki is starting in just 17 minutes and 30 seconds, give or take a few!" Rotom buzzed, causing Kaito to sweat drop.
"That show again...? You do realize that the DVR can record it, right?" Kaito reminded, only to get an excuse from the Rotom Pokédex on why it needed to leave.
"That's true, but watching it live and recorded is what a true Laki fan would do! See you later!" Rotom exclaimed as it floated off, leaving Ash and Kaito be with the rest of the girls.
"Oh man..." Kaito muttered as he sweat dropped, with the same going for Ash as he tried to make up an excuse of what he wanted to do.
"Uh... You know what? I've got something, too..." Ash started to say until the girls crowded around the boys, all trying to convince them to come with them!
"You've got to come! I know the two of you will have a great time! Especially you, Kaito!" Mallow assured brightly, causing the Kanto Trainer to sweat drop while the Alola boy frowned at the assurance.
"Are you serious...?" Kaito asked, causing Lana to pipe up.
"Come on, let's go! Pikachu, Buizel, Rockruff, and Vulpix... You all come, too!" Lana called out, causing Pikachu and Vulpix to look at the girls curiously while Buizel and Rockruff gave deadpanned looks, realizing that they were outnumbered.
Eventually, the boys soon realized they had to give in, as they both sighed in defeat.
"All right..."
"Sure..."
(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)
With the girls convincing Ash and Kaito to come with them to the Alola Sunrise, the six students all made it there to see the collection and accessories that were displayed for them to see and buy.
The girls enjoyed it a lot, along with Popplio, Steenee, Snowy, and Ribombee... The boys on the other hand were having a bit of trouble trying to enjoy it, as this was a shop for Melemele Island girls.
Vulpix was more curious than bored, while Pikachu was attracted by the Sweet Scent of joy Steenee gave out when she wore some white jewelry and some accessories that she seemed to enjoy.
Rockruff and Buizel just watched with boredom, as they just stood with their human brother. They weren't really interested much in the accessories, so they just watched as the girls all enjoyed their time.
While the girls and their Pokémon partners were enjoying their time looking and trying stuff at the Alola Sunrise, the boys headed outside with their Pokémon friends, before they looked to see an island a bit far ahead.
Ash grinned at the sight of it while Kaito just watched. At seeing the expression the Alola boy had on his face, the Kanto Trainer frowned.
"You okay, Kai...?" Ash asked, causing the Alola boy to blink before he sighed.
"Don't know... I'm not really sure on how to feel about this." Kaito admitted, causing Ash to frown.
"The Thunderclap Wanderer... You called it Zeraora. Was that its real name?" Ash asked, earning a nod from the Alola boy.
"Yeah... When Zeraora wrapped the battle up after my Z-Move with Buizel failed to finish it off, I got a bit of a... flashback? That flashback... It made me remember what that Pokémon's name was..." Kaito explained, causing Ash to blink.
The Alola boy looked up at the blue sky, his expression showing on how troubled he felt with everything that happened yesterday.
"I don't know why I got so upset yesterday... But... just remembering its name... made me... I don't know... so upset." Kaito explained, leaving the Kanto Trainer to frown again before Ash looked back to where the island was.
Then, feeling the need to stretch, both he and Pikachu stretched their bodies up together, both feeling the relief of doing it.
"Mm... It feels great!" Ash grunted happily.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried out in agreement, causing Kaito and his three Pokémon to all turn to them.
"You seem to be pretty relaxed..." Kaito commented, causing the Kanto Trainer to chuckle. Before he could respond, a woman came over to the boys and watched the island with them.
"Beautiful, isn't it? It's wonderful to be able to look at the ocean while I'm at work." The manager of the store explained as she came over, looking at the island for a moment before she turned to the boys.
"Did you boys come here with your friends? You all must be close." The manager asked, causing Kaito to blink before he gave a small nod to the question in response. Ash just blushed a little before he gave a sheepish grin in response.
The manager then pointed to the island where the boys once looked.
"You see? Are you two able to make out that little island over there?" The manager asked, causing the boys to turn and see where she was pointing at before the Alola boy gave a small smile as he responded back with his question.
"That's Treasure Island over there, right...? Where it's filled with many different wild Pokémon there?" Kaito asked, catching Ash's attention while the manager smiled.
"Oh? So you know about it? Yes... That is Treasure Island over there." The manager answered with a smile, while the Kanto Trainer grew curious about it.
"Treasure Island?" Ash repeated in confusion.
"I go there sometimes to find materials to make my accessories. I really do it for fun. Plus, like your friend said here, I also get to see a lot of wild Pokémon." The manager explained, much to Ash's excitement.
"Pokémon? I wanna go to Treasure Island, too! What do you say?" Ash exclaimed out of his excitement before he asked his Electric Type partner. Pikachu blinked as his human partner turned to the Alola boy.
"Hey, Kai! You want to come along, too? You know about that island, right?" Ash asked, causing Kaito to blink before he gave a small nod.
"Well, yeah... Buizel and I sometimes swim there to meet with other wild Pokémon, so this won't be our first time having a small trip there." Kaito admitted, causing Ash to gape at the Alola boy, while the manager just blinked in surprise.
"Did you say... you swim there?" Ash asked in disbelief, causing Kaito to blink before he frowned.
"Uh, yeah... It's not that troublesome, if that's what you're about to ask." Kaito said with a reassuring smile, causing Ash to sweat drop before he gave a sheepish smile after he shook his head.
"N-Never mind..." Ash spoke as the manager giggled before she offered the boys her kayaks they could use for their small trip.
"Oh, you boys are welcome to borrow my kayaks if you'd like." The manager said as she pointed to the two kayaks that were near the Alola Sunrise store.
"Kayaks? Really!?" Ash exclaimed, causing the manager to smile at his excited expression.
"Of course! I'll lend it to you both as my little gift!" The manager added, earning a thankful look from the Kanto Trainer.
"Awesome! Thanks so much!" Ash said gratefully, before Kaito spoke up with an apologetic expression on his face.
"Thank you, but... I kinda actually prefer it I swam there with Buizel at my side..." Kaito spoke with a sad smile, causing Buizel to give an affirmative cry, as if he was agreeing with his human brother of what they would rather do.
"No worries! I'm impressed that you're able to swim all the way there from here, though..." The manager assured with a smile, causing the Alola boy to thank her for her understanding.
"Ash? Kai?" Lana called, catching their attention as they turned to see the girls all ready as they seemed to have gotten what they wanted to get.
"We got some great things..." Lillie started, before Mallow finished for her.
"And had such a great time!" Mallow added, causing Ash to grin while Kaito gave a small smile.
"That's great! WOW Good timing!" Ash exclaimed, as he turned to his Electric Type partner, much to the girls' confusion.
"Good timing...? What's that all about?" Camilla asked, before Kaito explained.
"He and I were planning to head for Treasure Island to explore there and see some wild Pokémon. That's all." Kaito explained, allowing the girls to understand as the Kanto Trainer was ready to head over to the island right now.
"So, you'll really let me borrow your kayak right now?" Ash asked, earning a smile from the manager.
"Of course, dear." The manager assured, causing the Kanto Trainer to thank her again.
"You're really going to swim all the way there...? I honestly thought you were kidding back then..." Ash said in disbelief as he gaped to see Kaito in his orange swim trunks with blue stripes at the sides, with Buizel at his side.
Vulpix and Rockruff headed back to his home, as they knew their way back since they've gone back to back from the house to the Pokémon School many times when it was a school day for Kaito and his friends.
"Of course I wasn't kidding. Buizel and I always swim together when it comes to swimming to other places... Although, it can't be too far like going from Melemele Island to Akala Island. Reaching to Treasure Island is kinda our limit." Kaito explained.
"Bu bui..." Buizel agreed as he began to stretch for a little swim to the island. Kaito followed suit while the Kanto Trainer watched in awe. He himself swam a bit far once... like when he tried to pull his friends to the North Pole back at Kanto.
But to think someone else could swim so far... That left the Kanto Trainer a bit awed and speechless.
Nevertheless, the Kanto Trainer prepared the kayak with Pikachu getting on top of it, so that he could enjoy the sights. As Ash got onto the kayak and began to use the kayak paddle to row to the island, he turned to Kaito and Buizel, as they both dove into the water.
"Come on, Pikachu!" Ash called out, earning an affirmative "Pika" from his Electric Type partner.
With that said, the Kanto Trainer rowed to where the Treasure Island was. While rowing there, he noticed Kaito and Buizel swimming together as they were a little ahead of them. Seeing that, Ash managed to catch up to them by rowing a little fast there.
By the time they got there, they were in the middle of the ocean.
"Hey, Kai! You tired yet?" Ash asked, causing Kaito to get his head out of the water and look up to where Ash was.
"Nah... I'm actually getting warmed up. And so is Bui here." Kaito reassured with a soft smile.
"Bu bui!" Buizel cried out in agreement as Ash grinned.
"That's nice..." Ash chuckled before he looked around to see nothing but water around him and Pikachu.
"Ocean in the front... Ocean in the back! Ocean to the right... Ocean to the left! Ocean everywhere!" Ash breathed out in awe.
"Pikachu...!" Pikachu cried out in awe, as he shared the same awe as his human friend. Kaito and Buizel on the other hand, were both confused as to what the Kanto Trainer was trying to say as the Alola boy spoke.
"Uh... yeah? We're in the middle of the ocean, so of course there would be ocean all around you." Kaito spoke out, causing the Kanto Trainer to give a sheepish grin to his Alola friend.
"Yeah, I know... I just felt like saying it for some reason!" Ash explained sheepishly before he looked up at the blue sky.
"You know what...? The sky's almost as blue as the ocean..." Ash added, causing the Alola boy to look up as he noticed what Ash meant.
"It sure is... Except that there are some white clouds that are floating in the sky..." Kaito commented, with Buizel and Pikachu looking up as well. As the four all looked up, they all felt a gentle breeze, allowing them all to relax.
"This is so great... It's so relaxing! It almost feels like the four of us are the only ones on the planet. Weird, but awesome!" Ash breathed out happily, with Pikachu giving a cry of agreement.
"It sure is..." Kaito agreed, with Buizel sighing in relief.
But just as the Alola boy was gentling the breeze while still in the water, he didn't take notice of the Sea Gauntlet giving a small glow before he felt something weird in his legs. He blinked, feeling something as he frowned.
"H-Huh...?" Kaito started to speak before he winced, as the feeling started to feel a little painful.
"Ngh! What... in the...!?" Kaito started before he nearly sunk, catching Buizel's attention! Ash and Pikachu followed suit as they all widened their eyes in shock to see the Alola boy looking like he was having trouble.
"Kai!? Kai!" Ash gasped as he reached out for his friend.
"Bu bui!" Buizel yelled as he pulled his human brother to where Ash was, who managed to grab onto Kaito's arm and drag him onto the kayak. Thankfully, the kayak was enough to support their combined weight, so it gave the boys some relief, allowing Kaito to relax a little.
"Kai... What happened just now? You looked fine for a minute, when you suddenly looked like you were about to drown...!" Ash spoke out of concern, causing Kaito to wince before he shook his head to shake the painful feeling off.
"I... don't know. Maybe cramps...? This never happened while Buizel and I swam, though..." Kaito explained with a frown.
"Bui..." Buizel spoke worriedly, causing the Kanto Trainer and Pikachu to look at each other before Ash made an offer.
"You know... I could row us back to Melemele Island so you can get some rest from your swimming...?" Ash offered, only to get a shaking head and reassurance from the Alola boy, as he gave a small smile to his Kanto friend.
"I'll be fine... I just needed a little minute to rest, that's all." Kaito reassured weakly, his smile looking like it was forced. Though, Ash didn't seem to notice it as he frowned for a while before he accepted his Alola friend's words.
"Okay..." Ash said as he watched Kaito get back into the water to continue his swimming towards the island. Buizel followed suit, his concerned expression not fading even one bit. While the two swam together, the Kanto Trainer couldn't help but feel worried.
"What was that about, though...? It looked like something was happening to Kai..." Ash thought before he continued rowing towards the island, not wanting to be way behind from where the Alola boy and his Sea Weasel Pokémon was.
"All right... We're almost there! Let's step on the gas!" Ash called out as he continued rowing hard to get to where he wanted to go.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried out in excitement, as his worry for Kaito started to fade away, now that their destination was close.
Soon, the boys and their Pokémon partners are near as they approached the rocky cliffs. While Kaito and Buizel took a brief moment looking up at the rocky cliff before swimming off together, both Ash and Pikachu were awed by how tall it looked.
They gleefully looked at each other before Ash rowed all the way to where there seemed to be a shore nearby.
By that time, Kaito and Buizel have already reached the shore as they sighed in relief for arriving at Treasure Island with no problem at all... excluding the time when Kaito's legs suddenly began to ache.
Ash and Pikachu both got off the kayak as they raised their arms up high in the air together in triumph.
"We made it!"
"Pika!" The two cried out together, earning amused looks from both Kaito and Buizel. But as the Sea Weasel Pokémon was shaking the water off of his fur, the Alola boy stretched his arms before he felt pain in his legs again!
"Augh! Not again...!" Kaito yelped as he fell on the sand, much to Buizel's surprise as he ran over to check on his human brother.
"Bu bui!" Buizel cried out in concern, which caught Ash and Pikachu's attention as they ran over to see what was going on.
"Kai? Are you okay!?"
"Pika Pika?" Ash asked, with Pikachu expressing his worry. The Alola boy wanted to answer, but he couldn't, as he winced again from the pain he was feeling on his legs. At seeing his legs in pain, the Kanto Trainer checked to see if anything was wrong.
"It's got to be cramps... You wouldn't be having this problem if you were... huh?" Ash started to state before he blinked in surprise.
"What...? What is it?" Kaito asked as he shook his head to shake the pain off. Then, he looked over to where Ash was looking at. And to his surprise, his feet looked rather... peculiar.
"What in the world...?" Kaito breathed out as he took a closer look. On his legs... there seemed to be some sort of... shine on both of his legs? Whatever it was, it looked like it was reflecting a little from the sunlight shining down.
"What is this...?" Ash asked curiously, causing Kaito to frown.
"I... don't know. This is a first to me." Kaito admitted as he and Ash watched to see the shine on Kaito's legs disappear. At that, the Alola boy sighed in relief, lying on his back on the sand, feeling relief for not feeling the pain.
"Ugh... I didn't think it would be this painful..." Kaito groaned, causing the Kanto Trainer to bite his lips in worry.
"Maybe it was a bad idea coming here if you were going to swim all the way here..." Ash breathed out, earning a shaking head from the Alola boy.
"Trust me... I'll be fine. I think I need to get away from the water for a while before I swim again." Kaito reassured, causing Ash to grow hesitant a little before he nodded at his Alola friend's decision.
"Bui..." Buizel wasn't sure if that was the right choice or not, but whether if it was good or not, this was his human brother they were talking about. Shaking his head, the Sea Weasel Pokémon respected Kaito's decision.
As Kaito managed to get back up, thanks to Ash, the boys and their starters heard sounds coming from not too far from where they were. As they turned, they all saw a group of Crabrawler brawling it out together?
"What's going on?" Ash asked as he and Kaito watched with their Pokémon friends.
"It's a group of Crabrawler... Looks like two of them are having a boxing match." Kaito pointed out, much to the Kanto Trainer's awe.
"A boxing match...? Cool!" Ash exclaimed as he watched the first Crabrawler knock the second Crabrawler out by sending it flying into the air before it groaned in defeat, unconscious from the hard hit it had taken.
"Awesome!"
"Pika!" Both Ash and Pikachu cried out as they ran over to see it even closer.
"Hold on... Don't get too close, Ash!" Kaito warned as he ran over to see what's about to happen as the Crabrawler group stopped their cheering before they turned to see the human boys and their Pokémon partners.
"That was an amazing punch! Mind if we hang out and watch?" Ash asked, with Pikachu asking the same question.
The Alola boy sweat dropped as he glanced to see the Crabrawler group all silent for a minute, before...
A big panic! Their sudden panic startled the Kanto Trainer and his Electric Type partner as the boys watched to see the Crabrawler running away with the group taking their defeated friend along with them!
"Hey, wait!" Ash called out, only to see the group disappear from his sight.
"Aw, man..." Ash groaned, earning a small glare from the Alola boy.
"That's what happens when you get too close to them without warning. If you do that, then they'll panic, thinking that they're under attack." Kaito reprimanded, causing Ash to scratch the back of his head sheepishly.
"Yeah... I think I'll remember that." Ash agreed sheepishly, before he and Pikachu noticed to see a Cutiefly flying towards their way.
"Hey... Isn't this... a Cutiefly? The same one Camilla had before it evolved into a Ribombee?" Ash asked, earning a nod from the Alola boy.
"Yeah... Now that I think about it, Camilla never did tell us or the others on how she got her Pokémon in the first place, right?" Kaito asked, earning a nod from Ash, who understood what the Alola boy meant.
The Cutiefly then got onto Pikachu's face, which tickled the Mouse Pokémon's nose! As Pikachu was about to sneeze...
Meanwhile...
"A...Achoo!" Camilla sneezed, catching Ribombee, Fomantis, and Litten all by surprise.
"Ribom?" Ribombee asked out of concern, causing the Queen of the Waves to give her Pokémon a reassuring look.
"Don't mind me... It's just... that I thought someone was talking about me." Camilla sighed before she continued reading her book while she was on her bed.
"ACHOO!" Pikachu sneezed as well, causing Cutiefly to fly off of him. The Kanto Trainer found it a little funny as he gave his Electric Type partner a little laugh at what happened just now.
"Hey, maybe it thinks you're a flower, Pikachu!" Ash chuckled, causing Pikachu to sniff before he shook his head to recover from the small sneeze. For the Cutiefly, it flew towards the forest, causing Ash to make a suggestion.
"Let's go follow it!" Ash called out, as he and Pikachu ran after it, causing Kaito and Buizel to look at each before they followed their Kanto friend and his partner as they followed after the Cutiefly into the forest.
Along the way, the Kanto Trainer had picked up a stick, like he was using it for a march or something.
As the boys made their way through, they came across... a flowery meadow! There were lots of Bug Type Pokémon around, along with some Comfey! Both Buizel and Pikachu sighed blissfully at the smell of the flowers.
"It smells heavenly like always..." Kaito sighed in relief, as a Comfey came over to place its flower lei around Ash's neck, making the Kanto Trainer feel blissful as he sighed in relief and joy.
"How cool is this? It's just like paradise!" Ash sighed happily, with Pikachu giving a cry of agreement as both he and Ash stretched their arms up in the air. At the sight, the Alola boy couldn't help but chuckle.
"Glad you're enjoying the meadow..." Kaito chuckled before both he and Ash heard small rumbling as the boys turned to see a group of Alolan Exeggutor marching together in a straight line, much to the Kanto Trainer's awe.
"A bunch of Exeggutor!" Ash exclaimed, as both he and his Electric Type partner ran up to get close to them.
"There they go again..." Kaito sighed, earning a sheepish smile from Buizel as the two ran up to catch up with Ash. By the time the boys got close, the Kanto Trainer was awed once again at the size of the Alolan Pokémon.
"Whoa... Alolan Exeggutor! They sure are tall!" Ash pointed out, earning a nod from Kaito.
"Well, of course... This is what they look like when they get used to the Alolan environment." Kaito reminded, before he noticed to see Ash and Pikachu trying to join in their little march.
"Let's follow them!" Ash suggested, much to the Alola boy's surprise before he sweat dropped. The first time he and Buizel tried to follow them once when they visited the island, it almost became a bitter ordeal for them...
Nevertheless, the boys joined in on the march with Ash being ahead of the Alola boy as their Pokémon partners got on top of the boys' head to join in with the march and the chanting.
As the leading Exeggutor made a chant, the other Exeggutor followed its lead! But as the Kanto Trainer tried to follow with a loud chant, it ended up startling the Exeggutor's tail that he and Pikachu were right behind!
That caught the other Exeggutor's attention as they all glared at the boys, much to their surprise while the Alola boy sweat dropped at the same ordeal he and his Kanto friend got caught up in.
"Not this again..." Kaito whispered, shaking as Buizel went stiff from their glares. Pikachu was in a similar situation as the Kanto Trainer gulped before chanting the Alolan Exeggutor's name one more time.
"Uh... Exeggutor...?" Ash gulped, which seemed to have calmed them all down. At hearing Ash say their name chant, the Alolan Exeggutor blinked before they returned to their march and their chant.
At seeing them leave, both Ash and Kaito sighed in relief, before the Alola boy hit his Kanto friend's head.
"OW!" Ash yelped, before he turned to see Kaito glaring at him.
"Do that again... and there's no doubt that these Exeggutor are going to hold back on us when we startled their tails..." Kaito grumbled before he walked past him, causing Ash to smile sheepishly before he followed his Alola friend with Pikachu remaining on his head.
Eventually, as the boys continued to follow the Exeggutor group, they found them starting to drink the water from the spring. Following their example, both Ash and Pikachu did the same, along with Buizel!
Kaito just watched with a sigh, feeling the relaxing feeling in the spring they're in.
"So this is where they were going!" Ash commented, now understanding of where the group was heading to.
"This is where they always go to have fun or to relax. They can be quite playful if you're nice to them." Kaito explained, allowing the Kanto Trainer to understand. He turned to his Electric Type partner with a grin.
"YAHOO!" Ash yelled as he and Pikachu jumped into the water, splashing Kaito and Buizel in the process!
"WHOA!"
"BUI!" The two yelled in surprise as they watched their Kanto friend and Electric Type partner enjoy the swim and splash with the Alolan Exeggutor, causing the Alola boy to raise an eyebrow before he turned to his Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"Bu bui!" Buizel pointed out with a smile, causing Kaito to smile back and nod.
"Well... if you see them having fun, then I guess we should just join them!" Kaito grunted as he dove into the water to follow the Kanto Trainer, with Buizel following suit behind him! And by that time, it was more fun for the boys as they enjoyed the splash they were taking from the Alolan Exeggutor.
The five Grass-Dragon Types seemed to be enjoying this too, as they splashed the boys and looked like they were having fun by the looks on their faces.
The boys even got to hang onto two of the Exeggutor as they rocked their long neck, before they flung the boys off of them! Both Ash and Kaito yelled in surprise as they fell into the water, with Pikachu and Buizel falling after them.
While the other Exeggutor watched them in amusement, the boys surfaced as they laughed together along with their Pokémon partners.
Eventually, time passed by as the Alolan Exeggutor all began to make their leave, allowing the boys to wave goodbye to them, as their partners did the same.
"Thanks, Exeggutor!"
"Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu called out as they waved to their tall friends goodbye.
"Thanks for having fun with us!"
"Bu bui!" Kaito and Buizel called out, as they did the same for their tall friends.
Later...
Ash was in his boxers, as his clothes were needed to dry. For Kaito, since he wore his swim trunks, he just sat with the Kanto Trainer along with their two Pokémon partners on a log as they looked at the ocean that looked wide and unlimited.
Both Buizel and Pikachu yawned together, causing the boys to notice with the Alola boy questioning them.
"Are you two tired?" Kaito asked, earning affirmative cries from both of them.
"Ha... I'm not surprised. We were all spending our energy with the Alolan Exeggutor..." Kaito chuckled before he winced, holding onto his legs.
"Again...? Kai, what's wrong?" Ash asked, before he blinked to see more "shiny" things appearing on Kaito's legs. But this time, they seemed to have spread as the Alola boy gritted his teeth, feeling the pain from this.
"I... don't... know! It must be because I went into the spring water and stayed there for too long...! It feels like... my legs... are trying to become one!" Kaito grunted, causing Buizel to express his worry for his human brother.
"Bui!? Bu bui!?" Buizel asked as Kaito panted, trying to endure the pain his legs were taking before the shine in his legs vanished, all disappearing slowly before they were all gone. By that time, the Alola boy was lying on the sand.
"Ugh... That was... completely unpleasant. The feelings that my legs trying to come together wasn't helpful, either." Kaito groaned, as he couldn't feel his legs, due to them being numb.
"Kai... I think you should take the kayak when we head back to Melemele Island later." Ash suggested, causing the Alola boy to frown at him.
"And how are you going to get back, then? By swimming? You know that it might be too hard for you, considering that it's one island to another, Ash..." Kaito reminded, causing the Kanto Trainer to frown back.
"But you won't be able to swim back if those... things on your legs come back while you're swimming! There's a chance you could drown while..." Ash started to protest, until the Alola boy stopped him from continuing.
"I know... But still... I..." Kaito stopped himself before he bit his lips as he shook his head.
"Never mind..." Kaito sighed, causing the Kanto Trainer to frown in worry before he looked back at the ocean. The boys and their partners continued staring until the Kanto Trainer brought up a question for Kaito to hear.
"Hey, Kai... How did you and Buizel meet?" Ash asked, catching the Alola boy's attention.
"Why do you ask all of a sudden?" Kaito asked, causing the Kanto Trainer to smile a little before he explained.
"Because I wanna know how you and Buizel became so close together, just like how I am with Pikachu!" Ash explained before he scratched Pikachu's head, much to the Mouse Pokémon's content as Kaito softened his eyes before he smiled.
"Well... It all started at the beach in Melemele Island... when I was six and a half years old..." Kaito explained as he recalled back to his first meeting with his Sea Weasel Pokémon.
Flashback
Six year old Kaito was running around in the beach in his swim trunks, as he felt excited to swim in the ocean once again.
"Today is the day that I'll swim more than a mile today! I can prove to Dad that I can take care of myself while swimming!" Young Kaito assured to himself as he got ready to swim by stretching.
But as he was doing so, he heard a small cry, causing him to stop his stretching and look around.
"Huh...?" Young Kaito frowned as he tried to listen for the cry he had heard just now. As he did so...
"Bui..."
"There it is again!" Young Kaito gasped as he ran over to where he had heard the sound. As he arrived at the source, he widened his eyes in shock.
"What the...!?" Young Kaito gaped to see a Buizel that seemed weak, having scratches all over its body. It looked like it came from a very difficult battle and either won or escape barely.
"Bui... Bui..." The weak cries from the Sea Weasel Pokémon sounded like it was crying out for help, causing Young Kaito to be cautious as he slowly approached the weak Pokémon before he touched its head.
At feeling someone touching its head, the weak Sea Weasel Pokémon slowly opened its eyes. Of course, since it was already weakened, it couldn't tell clearly on who seemed to be comforting for it.
"Bui..." was all Buizel said before it closed its eyes.
"Oh no... Poor guy." Young Kaito said sadly before he blinked in realization. At remembering that there was a Pokémon Center near where the beach was, the young boy managed to lift Buizel up and run back to where the Pokémon Center was.
As soon as he got there, he explained the whole situation to Nurse Joy, who immediately worked with Blissey and Comfey to treat the injured Water Type's wounds. Young Kaito stayed near where the nurse was treating Buizel as he frowned.
It wasn't until a few minutes later that the nurse came out of the emergency room and asked Kaito to come with her. When Kaito entered the room, the Sea Weasel Pokémon looked rather scared, as it kept shivering in fright.
Even when Blissey or Comfey tried to comfort it, the Water Type remained distant as his eyes showed on how scared he was, since he was in a place he was very unfamiliar of.
"Nurse Joy... Is Buizel going to be okay?" Young Kaito asked, causing the nurse to smile.
"He'll be fine. He just needs a lot of rest and someone to be there for him. This one looked like it was afraid for a very long time. It was a good thing you managed to get him here, or otherwise... it would've been worse for him." Nurse Joy explained.
Young Kaito frowned, seeing how much Buizel was shaking as he slowly approached the frightened Water Type. As Buizel turned to see the young boy coming for him, the Sea Weasel Pokémon didn't make any movement for an attack.
Rather, he shut his eyes tight, bracing himself for what's about to come. But he felt nothing hard coming to him. Instead, the Sea Weasel Pokémon felt something touching his head with care and comfort.
Opening his eyes in surprise, he turned to see Young Kaito smiling at him gently, like he was trying to give reassurance to the frightened Water Type.
"It's okay... I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know if you're okay..." Young Kaito explained, allowing Buizel to slowly stop his shaking before he gave a weak cry of confusion.
"Bui...?" Buizel questioned as the young boy smiled in relief and joy.
"My name is Kaito! Kaito Shirogane! It's nice to meet you, Buizel!" Young Kaito said softly, causing Buizel to blink before he gave a reluctant nod to the young boy.
Flashback End
"After that first meeting between the two of us, it took a while... But eventually, Buizel started to get comfortable around me. And before you know it, Bui here became a new member of my family." Kaito explained.
He rubbed the Sea Weasel Pokémon's head, much to the Water Type's content as he gave a sheepish grin to his human brother.
"Wow... That's some story! So it's been like four to five years since you guys were together, right?" Ash asked, earning a nod from the Alola boy.
"Yeah... I will never forget it. The day when our bond began and how it grew stronger as time passed by... And here we are now, together as partners and attempting to complete the Island Challenge." Kaito agreed.
"Bu bui!" Buizel cried out in agreement, earning a smile from the Alola boy as both Ash and Pikachu smiled at the scene of their bond growing strong together.
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 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
Chapter 43: A Wolf Boy and a Wolf Father!
Chapter 44: An Alternative Bond and Friendship
Next chapter preview:
Ash: Everyone's so warm, like the sun! People and Pokémon live in peace, surrounded by nature...
Kaito: Since when did you become so... wise? I mean, with the way you talked, it's as if you were thinking up something wise...
Ash: You think? Hey, does that mean I'm getting smarter as I make new friends and meet new Pokémon!?
Kaito: I don't think that has anything to do with you or your personality... Hold on. Did you hear that? It sounded a bit further ahead...
Ash: What is that Pokémon!? And there's a whole group of them!? Hey, Kai! Where are you going!?
Kaito: I can't just ignore it, Ash! Something's over there, and I want to see for myself if it's someone hurt or not!
Events that occurred:
- Kaito and Ash heads for Treasure Island together
- Something happens to Kaito whenever he stays in water
- Kaito explains of how he had met Buizel