Chapter 42: Litten Returns! A New Life! Pt. 2
Last time on "Pokémon Alola Journey",when Ash and Kaito discovered blue fins of a merman that Kaito gained after they returned from their trip to Treasure Island, both boys agreed to keep it a secret from the others until the time was right.
As they were shopping, they met up with Anela while reuniting with Litten! The Fire Cat Pokémon still proved to have a bitter relationship with Ash while having a friendly one with the Alola boy as the boys discover Litten trying to learn Fire Fang from his old friend, Stoutland.
But as Stoutland was trying to teach Litten on how to do it, Stoutland didn't look too well, which Kaito noticed, much to his concern.
That concern proved to be right, as Kaito and Ash discovers Stoutland not feeling so well. When they take Stoutland to the Pokémon Center, they hear bad news from Nurse Joy, much to the Alola boy's shock and fear, knowing that his concerns were right.
But as the boys try to look after their two friends, they discover Litten and Stoutland missing from the Center as they encountered Meowth, who advised them to not give up on the Fire Cat Pokémon before taking his leave.
Puzzled with the Team Rocket member's words, the boys continued to head to where Litten and Stoutland were... as they knew where the two could be at.
In the canal and under the bridge, the Fire Cat Pokémon was with the sick Big Hearted Pokémon. The elderly Normal Type coughed for a bit, still unwell despite the checkups Nurse Joy gave to him back at the Pokémon Center.
Noticing his sick old friend, Litten got up on the couch and licked the Big Hearted Pokémon's face several times to comfort Stoutland by licking his face a few times.
Grateful for the attempt of comfort, the elderly Normal Type smiled a little before he called for Litten to continue his training with the Fire Fang attack. Understanding the order, the Fire Cat Pokémon got off the couch and faced the coconut again.
Continuing with the lesson he had learned so far from the Big Hearted Pokémon, Litten began to charge up the heat and power onto his back, as Stoutland watched.
"Stout!" Stoutland grunted as he gave Litten a demonstration of what to do next. To do so, he got ready to charge up, charging up the heat and power to use Fire Fang as well!
Watching his elderly friend do so, the Fire Cat Pokémon began to do the same, charging up the heat onto his back. Then...
"LIT!" Litten yowled as he lunged at the coconut with his fangs bared with flames. The Fire Fang attack looked like it would do the job, but unfortunately... As the attack had landed down...
The attack failed... as Litten could only wince from the pain his fangs and jaw felt when he couldn't even lay a scratch or mark onto the coconut! Slumping down in defeat, Litten pouted before turning to see Stoutland.
As he turned to the elderly Normal Type for some advice, the Fire Cat Pokémon took notice of Stoutland already asleep, looking like his attempt of demonstrating his power tired him out...
The Fire Cat Pokémon seemed to understand this, despite pouting a little as he climbed up onto the old sofa and laid himself down next to the sleeping Normal Type. Feeling fatigued himself, the Fire Cat Pokémon soon fell asleep.
Neither of them had taken notice Ash and Kaito staring at them from the bridge they were on that was close to the bridge that the two were sleeping under.
"They're there..." Kaito breathed out as Ash nodded in agreement, taking notice of them as well.
"What now...?" The Kanto Trainer questioned as the Alola boy frowned, before he spoke.
"You go on back home... I'll be here for a little longer." Kaito advised, causing Ash to look at his Alola friend in concern before he nodded in understanding. Turning to his Electric Type partner, who nodded back, the two headed back to where Prof. Kukui lived.
As for the Alola boy, he and Buizel watched the Fire Cat Pokémon sleep with his elderly friend. Buizel watched, frowning in sadness upon knowing what might happen if Litten truly knew of what Stoutland's fate was...
For the Alola boy, he bit his lips, not wanting to believe that a terrible fate awaits for the Normal Type.
But as time passed by, it was almost midnight as Buizel yawned while rubbing his eyes. At seeing this, the Alola boy frowned, feeling rather fatigued himself.
Turning back to where both Stoutland and Litten were still sleeping at, Kaito sighed and turned to his Sea Weasel Pokémon partner.
"Come on, Bui... Let's go." Kaito called out, earning a nod from the Water Type as the two headed back to their home, leaving their two old friends be in their sleep.
By the time the two got back home, Seita and Shiho were already asleep. Rockruff, Eevee, and Vulpix were all fast asleep as well in Kaito's room. While being careful to not wake any of them up, the Alola boy just went to bed without changing.
"Stoutland..." was all Kaito think of before he closed his eyes, with Buizel climbing up to his bed and sleeping next to him.
Dream
"Mm... Hm?" Kaito groaned as he slowly shook his head and blinked slowly a few times before he widened his eyes as he looked around.
There was nothing around him. Just white and the path he was on that seemed to be endless.
"Where... Where am I?" Kaito asked himself before he slowly turned to his right to see...
"Stoutland...? Big guy...?" Kaito breathed out in surprise as the old Normal Type nodded to him with a grunt. Widening his eyes to see the Big-Hearted Pokémon starting to move away from him, Kaito stood up.
"Wait! Stoutland!" Kaito called out as he ran after the old Normal Type. As he began to ran, the Big Hearted Pokémon was already starting to fade away, much to the Alola boy's shock.
"No! Wait! Please, Stoutland, no! Litten needs you...! I need you...!" Kaito pleaded as he continued to run before he tripped! The Alola boy yelped as he fell on his face on the path before he looked up to see the Big Hearted Pokémon nowhere in sight anymore.
"No... No, please... Oh please no... No..." Kaito's voice started to crack as he broke into a small sob, coming to a realization on where Stoutland might've gone, despite of how hard he tried to run in order to catch up.
Reality
"GAH!"
The Alola boy shot up in shock as he looked around, before he realized that he was still in his room. Shaking his head, the Alola boy groaned before covering his face with his hands.
"What... What did I see just now...? That dream... Ah!" Kaito started to grumble before he gasped in realization.
"Stoutland...! No... That must've been just a dream, right...!?" Kaito grunted as he jumped out of bed before he dashed out of his room. Upon feeling quick and rough movement, Buizel groaned and shook his head to see his human brother leaving his room.
"Bui!? Bu bui!" Buizel cried out as he ran after his human brother after rubbing the sleepy bags out of his eyes.
Later...
"Huff... Huff..."
The Alola boy ran as fast as he could to where Litten and Stoutland could be at the moment. As he rushed across the town and to where the bridge was...
"Litten! Stoutland...!?" Kaito cried out as he arrived to where the two wild Pokémon were, only to see neither of them under their home. Widening his eyes, the Alola boy bit his lips, wanting to believe that something else could've happened.
"Litten..." Kaito breathed out as Buizel caught up to him.
"Bui!? Bu bui!?" The Sea Weasel Pokémon had taken notice of his two missing friends as Kaito gave a curt nod to his Sea Weasel Pokémon's questioning cry.
"Come on... They... They couldn't have gone too far...!" Kaito grunted, with Buizel nodding in understanding. With that being said, the two rushed out from under the bridge and headed back to the town.
While they were doing so, they hadn't noticed that they passed Hau and Pichu, as the kahuna's grandson blinked in surprise to see his friend and rival passing by.
"Kai?" Hau questioned in concern as he watched his friend and rival run past him with Buizel by his side. At seeing them gone, the kahuna's grandson turned to Pichu, who shrugged in confusion, as he didn't know what was going on either.
"Mm..." Hau frowned as he continued to make his way to where he was heading to.
"Whatever it was, it didn't seem good to Kai..." Hau thought as he and Pichu continued their way across the town.
Meanwhile...
The Alola boy and Buizel were running across the woods, heading for the abandoned home to where Litten and Stoutland had first lived in before the Alolan Persian forced them to move to the bridge.
By the time the two got there, they ran inside to see that there was nothing inside... Not even a hint of a Pokémon being in here...
"They're not here... So where...?" Kaito breathed out in concern as he took deep breaths from the long running he had to do. For Buizel, he frowned as he sniffed around, hoping to find some clues, until...
"Bu? Bui! Bu bui!" Buizel cried out, catching Kaito's attention as he took notice of his Water Type partner sniffing on the ground.
"Did you pick up a scent, Bui?" Kaito asked, earning a nod from the Sea Weasel Pokémon as he continued to sniff around before heading outside, allowing the Alola boy to understand where one of their friends might've gone.
Later...
The scent has led the to the marketplace as Kaito raised an eyebrow in realization.
"The marketplace... Litten always came here to get some fruit or something to eat from the people here or some berries from Ms. Anela... Wait..." Kaito thought before he realized on who he could ask...
Running in the marketplace, he took notice of the familiar lady as he called out to her.
"Ms. Anela!" Kaito called out, catching her attention.
"Oh? Hello there, young one. Is there anything I can do to help you with?" Anela asked, as Kaito looked around, hoping to at least find a glimpse of the little Fire Type, but there seemed to be no luck.
"Did... Litten come by here, by any chance?" Kaito asked, causing Anela to blink before she shook her head in denial.
"I'm afraid I haven't seen Litten in a while. The last time I saw the little one was during when I met up with you and your friend once again..." Anela explained, causing Kaito to bite his lips a little.
"So he didn't come by here...?" Kaito thought before he nodded to the elderly lady.
"Thank you..." Kaito spoke out as he ran ahead with Buizel, who continued to track down Litten's scent.
"No... From what Buizel seems to be sensing, Litten did come by here. She must've not seen him going through here. Either he went past her quickly and she didn't see, or he seemed to be in a rush..." Kaito continued to think as he continued to run with Buizel by his side.
Soon, the two arrived at a cliff where Litten was once attacked by the Alolan Persian. Sniffing on the ground, Buizel continued to sniff before he frowned, shaking his head at his human brother.
"Bu... Bu bui..." Buizel said sadly, causing Kaito to blink in surprise.
"The trail ends here...? But that can't be..." Kaito breathed out before he looked over at the cliff, only to see the sea being pushed onto the cliff, making it wet as usual as the Alola boy frowned.
Shaking his head, Kaito turned back, beginning to walk away from the cliff as Buizel walked by his side in concern.
"Bui?" Buizel asked, causing Kaito to sigh.
"Come on... Let's head back to where the canal is. There's a chance that Litten must've gotten back... and maybe even Stoutland." Kaito said silently, feeling hope that Stoutland may still be around the Fire Cat Pokémon.
Later...
By the time the two have arrived back to the canal where the bridge was, the Sea Weasel Pokémon caught sight of a familiar Pokémon as he widened his eyes before he called to his human brother to inform him.
"Bui! Bu bui!" Buizel cried out, catching Kaito's attention as he turned to see Litten running towards to where his new home was.
"Litten?" Kaito called out as he ran down from the bridge and into the canal, before running over to where the Fire Cat Pokémon was. From what the Alola boy was seeing, Litten seemed to have found something and chased after it, until...
"Lit...?" Litten widened his eyes in confusion, seeing the figure disappear out of sight by the time he had reached the spot.
Arriving to where the Fire Cat Pokémon was, Kaito frowned before he heard a creak! Both Buizel and Litten heard the noise before they all took the couch collapsing, due to how old it was...
As soon as it did, the last leaf on the tree got loose and floated under the bridge, before landing softly onto the couch as Litten watched. By that time, the tree was bare, having no more leaves or green to lose.
"No... It... couldn't be..." Kaito breathed out, as Buizel frowned in concern and fear.
Litten didn't seem to take notice of his two friends behind him as he had watched the last leaf fall. Widening his eyes, the Fire Cat Pokémon ran out from under the canal and headed over to where the tree was.
Upon seeing it bare, the Fire Cat Pokémon seemed to realize on what had happened to his old friend. As he continued to look at the tree, Litten blinked a little, feeling a raindrop as he looked up to see the grey clouds starting to pour rain down onto him and the entire town.
Kaito had felt the rain starting to pour on both Buizel and him, too. But despite the rain showering down, the Alola boy couldn't care less. With his face darkening, he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in both sadness and frustration.
Litten on the other hand, began to wail sadly, as if he was trying to beg for Stoutland to come back to him, despite on how futile it seemed.
The wailing continued on while Kaito remained silent and frustrated.
"Bui...?" Buizel whispered out before he blinked, feeling few presences as he turned to see Ash and Prof. Kukui coming over with umbrellas in their hands.
"Kai...? What happened...?" Ash asked, calling out to his Alola friend. But the Alola boy didn't respond, giving Ash the hint of what might've happened as he heard Litten wailing sadly.
Rotom however, didn't seem to understand much as he floated over to the Alolan Professor for a question...
"Professor, where's Stoutland?" Rotom buzzed curiously. Frowning, the Professor could only close his eyes and walk over to place a hand on Kaito's shaking shoulder, as he began to understand his feelings.
"Kaito... I'm sorry..." Prof. Kukui spoke softly, as Kaito continued to grit his teeth and have his face remain darkened before he fell to his knees. The Kanto Trainer blinked in surprise, but frowned again.
"Kai..." Ash breathed out as Buizel tried to comfort his human brother, which didn't seem to work much as Kaito covered his face with his hands, as if he was trying to prevent anyone from seeing him cry.
"I should've known... I should've known this would happen... and yet... I did nothing... I couldn't do anything..." Kaito sobbed as he continued to shake with Ash and the Professor both frowning at his words.
"There was nothing you could've done to help, Kaito... You know that..." Prof. Kukui reminded as Kaito continued to sob as he rubbed his human brother's back to try and comfort him.
Just then, Litten had stopped his sad wailing before he came back under the canal as he jumped onto the broken couch to sleep in a bit early as the Kanto Trainer watched him do so.
"Litten..." Ash called out, only to have no response from the saddened Fire Cat Pokémon. Litten only closed his eyes after curling himself to keep himself warm as he slept next to the dead green leaf to keep himself comforted.
Kaito has stopped crying as well, but remained saddened as he continued to sit on the ground with his knees as the Alolan Professor offered him the umbrella.
"Come on, Kaito... Let's take you back home..." Prof. Kukui comforted, only to get a shaking head from the Alola boy.
"I... I'm staying here for a bit..." Kaito spoke out, much to the Professor and Ash's surprise. Even Rotom was surprised by Kaito's reckless decision as he tried to protest to the Alola boy's decision.
"But there's a 75% percent chance that you'll catch a cold if you stay out in the rain like this! It won't be good for your body if you stay out here in a bad weather like this...!" Rotom reminded.
"I'll be fine... I just... need some to think..." Kaito called out, causing Rotom to frown as he wanted to argue again, only to get a shaking head from the Alolan Professor, as he understood the Alola boy's decision.
"All right... But don't stay out in the rain too long, alright?" Prof. Kukui asked, getting a "Mm" from Kaito in response. With that being settled, the Alolan Professor turned to take his leave while Ash and Pikachu remained.
"Professor... There's something I wanna do first, if it's okay?" Ash asked, causing the Alolan Professor to turn to the Kanto Trainer in surprise, before he realized on what Ash wanted to do before heading back.
"All right... But don't stay out for too long." Prof. Kukui advised, earning a nod from the Kanto Trainer before Ash went off back to where the marketplace was with Pikachu and Rotom by his side.
For the Alolan Professor, he turned to see Kaito still on his knees, looking down as he took a deep breath before he sighed. Then, he headed back to where his house would be, leaving the Alola boy be with the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
As for Kaito, he remained silent as the rain continued pouring down on him. It was lucky for him that the Alolan Professor took his leave before he got to see the strange familiar glow on Kaito's legs again.
At seeing it, the Sea Weasel Pokémon widened his eyes as he tried to shake his human brother to get his attention on what was happening to his legs.
"Bu!? Bu bui!? Bui!" Buizel called out, causing Kaito to perk up before he felt pain on his legs again as he turned to see them glowing like before.
"Oh no..." Kaito gasped silently before he quickly made a dash for the tunnel as he managed to run into it before his legs could turn into a fish tail once again. By the time he got in, the glowing had almost turned his legs into fins.
Sighing in relief, the Alola boy slid down on the ground, with his back against the couch to where Litten was sleeping on. Turning to where his Fire Cat Pokémon friend was, Kaito watched as the young Fire Type slept.
"Litten... I'm sorry..." Kaito breathed out before he stroked Litten's head gently to try and comfort him in his sleep.
Meanwhile...
Ash was at the marketplace to get some fruit from Anela, as he had told her on what had happened to Litten. Understanding on how sad the Fire Cat Pokémon might be as of right now, Anela gave a bag of Sitrus Berries for Ash to take.
"Please take these to our friend..." Anela said softly, earning a nod from the Kanto Trainer.
"I sure will! Hope this will cheer Litten up... And maybe Kai, too." Ash spoke with a smile. Nodding to the boy's words, Anela made a simple request for the Kanto Trainer to accomplish for the Pokémon.
"Please tell Litten it can come here any time." Anela requested, earning a nod from Ash before he ran off with Pikachu and Rotom by his side.
Back to Kaito and Buizel...
The two remained under the tunnel, both attempting to comfort the Fire Cat Pokémon in his sleep. The Alola boy remained silent while trying to comfort the young Fire Type in his sleep, as he understood how Litten could be feeling right now.
"I know I could've done something... even a little..." Kaito breathed out, catching Buizel's attention as he stared at his human brother with concern in his eyes.
Before he could try and comfort Kaito as well...
"Kai!" Ash called out, catching both Kaito and Buizel's attention as they turned to see Ash coming over with a bag that seemed to have Sitrus Berries inside it.
"How's Litten?" The Kanto Trainer questioned, only to get a shaking head from the Alola boy.
"The same... It hasn't been that long since he slept..." Kaito spoke silently, causing the Kanto Trainer to frown before he turned to his Alola friend.
"And how are you feeling?" Ash asked, earning a sad smile from the Alola boy as he tried to speak carefully, only to shake his head as his sad smile turned into a frown.
"I don't know... I just... know that I could've done something to help the big guy out, but... I couldn't do anything... even after learning on how his condition was." Kaito spoke, his tone filled with hurt.
Ash could only frown at his friend's sadness before he remembered the snacks he had for both him and Litten to enjoy.
"Hey... Bet you and Litten are hungry. It's from the lady in the shop." Ash said, as he held up the bag for Kaito to see, as he blinked on who he was referring to.
"Ms. Anela?" Kaito questioned, earning a nod from the Kanto Trainer before he turned to the Fire Cat Pokémon.
"Hey Litten... The lady in the shop said that you can come by anytime." Ash explained, with Pikachu holding out the Sitrus Berry for the Fire Type to take. However, despite hearing about food, Litten wasn't in the mood to accept any.
He curled up more to himself to continue his sleep as the boys frowned at this.
"Litten..." Kaito breathed out as he sighed.
Placing a hand on his shoulder, the Kanto Trainer gave his Alola friend a small smile.
"Come on... We should head back." Ash called out, earning a reluctant nod from the Alola boy as the boys headed back to where their homes are, with Ash sharing his umbrella with the Alola boy to make sure his legs wouldn't turn.
By the time Ash took Kaito to his home, the Alola boy had thanked the Kanto Trainer for the assistance before Ash took his leave.
As soon as he did so, the Alola boy fell down on the couch, staring at the ceiling while lying down. Seita and Shiho heard their brother coming in as they peeked out from the kitchen to see their brother lying on the couch.
Vulpix, Eevee, and Rockruff had taken notice as well, as they both looked at each other in concern. Buizel had taken notice of the five, and shook his head at them. While the younger siblings had a little trouble understanding, the two Pokémon understood immediately.
With that coming in mind, they let their human brother be with Buizel joining them. The two siblings watched their four Pokémon friends head up to Kaito's room before they approached their eldest brother.
"Big brother...? Are you okay...?" Shiho asked, only to get silence from her big brother.
"Big bro... What happened? Why do you look so sad?" Seita asked this time, only to get the same answer like his sister did. Frowning together, the two younger siblings looked at each other until Kaito spoke up.
"Something sad happened today... Something very sad, you two... I just... need some time to think about it..." Kaito explained, catching their attention before they realized on what their brother was talking about.
"Is there... anything we could do to help?" Shiho asked, only to get looked at by her brother as he gave a sad smile.
"Mm... I don't think so, Shiho..." Kaito spoke, before Seita frowned.
"Well... Is there anything you can do to help yourself...?" Seita asked, causing the Alola boy to sigh and look back up towards the ceiling.
"I just... need some time. I'm sorry, you two." said the Alola boy, as the two siblings frowned at their brother's tone before they backed off, knowing that their elder brother needed time alone.
As soon as they did so, Kaito turned his back as he narrowed his eyes before covering his face with a pillow that was on the couch.
"Why... Why couldn't I... have done anything...? Why didn't I notice sooner...?" Kaito spoke to himself before he closed his eyes, before he soon fell asleep.
The next day...
Hau had taken Kaito out to eat some malasada together at the malasada shop in hopes of cheering him up after Ash had informed him and the others on what had happened to the Alola boy's old friend.
"Come on, Kai. Cheer up! You've got to eat something to make you feel better..." Hau spoke, as Kaito gave a sheepish smile to his friend before he sighed sadly, still recalling of what could've happened to Stoutland.
"That's easier said than done, Hau... I just don't know what to do now..." Kaito spoke, as the kahuna's grandson frowned.
"Stoutland was a good friend of yours, huh... I wish I could've been able to meet him..." Hau spoke sadly, earning a small nod from the Alola boy before Hau continued to speak up for his friend.
"Still... Just staying like this won't do any good for you, Kai. It's already bad enough when you got depressed upon learning the Thunderclap Wanderer's true name..." Hau reminded, causing Kaito to blink.
Recalling of when he finally remembered Zeraora's name did make him sad and depressed, but at the same time, it made him feel happy that he finally remembered his old friend's name.
"I know... I just... need time, is all." Kaito explained, before Hau raised another question for the Alola boy to be puzzled about.
"For how long?" Hau questioned, causing Kaito to try and answer, only for nothing to come out as the Alola boy bit his lips, unsure on how to respond. Sighing, Hau put his hands on the back of his neck.
"Come on... If Stoutland was seeing you like this right now, you think he'd be happy? I'm sure the same would be for Litten if the big guy was with him right now." Hau advised, as Kaito munched on a malasada.
Upon hearing those words, the Alola boy came to realize that what the kahuna's grandson was saying might be the truth.
"You may be right..." Kaito spoke as he munched on the malasada slowly.
"I know I'm right on this one. Kai... People and Pokémon need to move on with whatever tragic things happen... like how you and Litten are struggling with whatever happened to the big guy." Hau reminded as Kaito frowned.
"You seemed to know about this more than I do..." he commented as Hau gave a sheepish smile.
"Well... I was taught by Gramps to move on no matter how tragic things might be... even if it could traumatize you for life. I remember one time when Gramps got so mad, I got so scared of him..." Hau explained, catching Kaito's attention.
"Kahuna Hala? So mad? I wouldn't know it unless I saw him actually enraged..." Kaito questioned in surprise as the kahuna's grandson smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah, well... That was a long time ago, back when I was still younger... Ever since that day, I was terrified of what Gramps might do if he got enraged... He would always try to cheer me up, only for it to not work as I was still traumatized by that day..." Hau continued on before he smiled.
"But eventually... I was able to move on and become the cheery self I am right now! Although, I still have problems trying to take Gramps down even when he's not giving it his all..." Hau chuckled sheepishly.
"Heh... yeah. Kahuna Hala is a strong Trainer, of course. Nothing about the Grand Trial is easy unless you know everything that you need to do during the trial." Kaito chuckled, before he blinked in surprise.
Now that he and Hau were getting along with the conversation they were having together, it felt as if... he was starting to move on before he sighed as he smiled weakly at his friend.
"Hau..."
"Huh?"
"Thanks for spending time with me on a day like this..." Kaito said softly, earning a cheeky grin from the kahuna's grandson.
"Ha ha! Anytime, Kai! I'm glad that you're already starting to feel better after this little talk!" Hau chuckled, before he looked down in shock to see that he had eaten all of his malasada.
"Ah! I ate all of mine! I'm going to need more...!" Hau yelped, much to the Alola boy's surprise.
"Another one!? That's your fifth one! You're going to get a stomachache or lose your appetite if supper comes!" Kaito warned in surprise.
Later...
Time went by as Kaito started to feel better, but the hesitant feeling of forgetting about Stoutland made him still feel a little hesitant. But despite it all, the Alola boy decided that he would be strong for the Big Hearted Pokémon.
With that in mind, both he and Ash would constantly come over to check up on the still depressed Fire Type Pokémon, who remained silent and unresponsive to their calls, while not eating anything despite of the hunger he might have.
But one day, the boys made a decision as they agreed on what they want to do for Litten.
With the two of them agreeing to cheer Litten up together, the boys headed back to the canal to where Litten lived with their Pokémon friends by their side and with Rotom accompanying the two boys as well.
By the time they got under the bridge to where Litten was, they both took notice of Litten still curled up and not eating anything despite the numerous amount of Sitrus Berries still remaining as he hadn't eaten one of them.
"Litten...?" Kaito called out with Ash kneeling down to the Fire Cat Pokémon's level. Pikachu, Buizel, Vulpix, Rowlet, Eevee, and the two Rockruff came up to their Fire Type friend as Ash spoke next.
"We're gonna hang out here until you decide you're gonna eat." Ash spoke out, with Pikachu crying out in agreement.
Kaito nods before he sat next to his Fire Type friend, before placing him on his lap. The Fire Cat Pokémon opened his eyes a little to see his friend smiling down at him as the Alola boy began to speak.
"Prof. Kukui said it was all right, and my younger siblings understood the situation, so you're stuck with all of us." Kaito spoke gently as he rubbed Litten's fur to comfort the Fire Type.
The Fire Cat Pokémon didn't respond, but seemed to acknowledge the boys as it rested on Kaito's lap as it didn't make a single fuss or complaint about the company he had with him now.
None of the boys or their Pokémon friends have taken notice Meowth, who had came to speak with Litten glancing at them with a frown on his face as he sat out in the rain.
"Crazy twerps..." Meowth grumbled to himself.
Later...
Time went by as the rain continued to pour down... But by the time the rain had stopped, the sun started to shine bright in the sky again.
It was at that time when Litten would soon move on again with his life, as Kaito had.
With the sun shining brightly, a breeze began to blow through the canal, which soon began to blow the stray leaf away from Litten, who had felt the breeze and took notice of the leaf flying off.
Jumping off of Kaito's lap, the Fire Type began to chase after it. While he did so, the boys soon awoke with their Pokémon to see Litten running out of the canal before stopping to see the leaf fly off high in the air, thanks to the breeze.
Upon stopping, the Fire Cat Pokémon watched as the leaf flew high in the air and into the sky as he widened his eyes, feeling though as seeing Stoutland in the clouds!
Smiling in happiness, the Fire Type watched as the Stoutland cloud figure smiled down at him, before nodding as he faded away, allowing Litten to understand the Big Hearted Pokémon's wish as he grinned in joy.
The boys came out with Buizel and Pikachu by their side as the Alola boy watched with a small smile on his face.
"Looks like he's moving on with life... as Stoutland would've wanted..." Kaito breathed out, as he smiled, with Ash nodding in agreement. But before he could speak, a grumble in his stomach made him wince and groan.
"Seriously...?" Kaito asked with a deadpanned look as the Kanto Trainer gave a sheepish grin.
Litten on the other hand, grew alert to Ash's hunger as he ran back into the canal. As the other Pokémon watched, the Fire Cat Pokémon grabbed the Sitrus Berry that was on the couch and ran over to the Kanto Trainer.
"For me?" Ash asked as Litten placed the Sitrus Berry in front of him, and meowed in affirmation. Kaito chuckled, as he was witnessing Litten's kindness to the Kanto Trainer for the first time.
"Looks like he finally started to open up..." Kaito thought before he watched Ash and Litten pass each other the Sitrus Berry, as both of them were quite insistent on having the other eat it first!
Eventually, Pikachu couldn't take it as he wobbled backwards from dizziness from the quick exchange. Both blinking in surprise, the Kanto Trainer and Litten grinned and chuckled at each other with Buizel snickering at his friend's problem.
Kaito chuckled along, before seeing another Sitrus Berry in front of him as Litten meowed towards him.
"For me?"
That earned him a nod from the Fire Cat Pokémon, as the Alola boy chuckled in response.
"Thanks... You really are a kind one, aren't ya?" Kaito asked, as he rubbed Litten's head, causing the Fire Cat Pokémon to purr in content.
"So, Litten... Would you like to join up with us?" Ash asked, earning a surprised look from the Fire Cat Pokémon.
"Pika Pika!"
"Bu bui!" Both Pikachu and Buizel seemed to like the idea too, with Kaito feeling the same way, though he felt a little surprised that Ash made the offer so suddenly.
"I think it would be awesome if you finished up your Fire Fang training with me! You could be part of the family." Ash offered, with Pikachu crying out in agreement.
At that moment however, Litten made a mischievous look as he fired an Ember attack on Ash's face, much to his, and his three Pokémon's surprise! Even Rotom was surprised by the sudden Ember attack.
Kaito on the other hand, chuckled at this.
"I think Litten wants a battle first before he considers joining your team, Ash..." Kaito chuckled as the Kanto Trainer dunked his head on the water before he recovered from the burn he had taken.
"I see... But I thought you would want to take Litten in first, Kai..." Ash grunted as he smiled at his Alola friend, who shook his head.
"I think it's time for Litten to get to know something that no one else haven't taught him yet... Something that you have, Ash." Kaito spoke out, much to the Kanto Trainer's confusion as he cocked his head.
"Something what I have?" Ash repeated, before earning a nod from Kaito. While remaining confused with the Alola boy's words, the Kanto Trainer gave a big grin as he nodded before he turned to the waiting Fire Cat Pokémon.
"You wanna battle? Whaddaya say?" Ash asked, as Pikachu quickly got in front of Ash to accept the challenge.
"Pika!" Pikachu called out, before the Kanto Trainer warned Litten of what could happen.
"Okay, but you better get ready for us!" Ash reminded, as Litten glared, preparing for battle as Kaito and Buizel watched on the sidelines with the rest of the boys' Pokémon and Rotom watching underneath the bridge.
Ash: Pikachu VS Litten
The battle began with Litten firing an Ember attack!
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted out, allowing his Electric Type partner to use his favorite move to counter Ember before the Kanto Trainer issued another command to strike again.
"Now, Quick Attack!" Ash called out, with Pikachu doing so as he sped towards the Fire Cat Pokémon. But Litten was no easy target to strike as he jumped out of the way to dodge, before he shot another Ember!
Pikachu turned in surprise before he narrowly dodged the blast, only to be sent flying up in the air!
"Oh no!" Ash gasped as he watched Litten bare his fangs and prepare to use...
"He's using Fire Fang...!" Kaito pointed out as the Kanto Trainer quickly called for a countermove!
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash called out as the Mouse Pokémon did so before the two moves collided! Unfortunately for Litten, since Fire Fang wasn't perfected yet, it did no effect as Pikachu quickly slammed him away to a brick wall!
Yowling in pain, Litten groaned as the Kanto Trainer was ready to strike again.
"All right, use Quick Attack!" Ash shouted out, allowing Pikachu to speed towards Litten for another attack! But Litten wasn't ready to give up yet as he glared and struck back with Scratch!
The two Pokémon collided with one another before they were both knocked back...!
"Use Electro Ball!"
Electro Ball was thrown towards Litten as soon as Pikachu made it while Litten shot another Ember attack! The two special attacks collided, knocking both Pokémon back, but not dealing any damage to each other!
But with the way the battle went, the Fire Cat Pokémon looked ready to accept Ash as his new friend and Trainer. Upon seeing that look, the Kanto Trainer took out an empty Pokéball for Litten to go into.
"So you with us? Yeah?" Ash asked as he readied the Pokéball.
A meow of approval gave the Kanto Trainer the chance to throw his Pokéball to take Litten in as the fourth member of his team!
"Then go, Pokéball!" Ash shouted out with a grin as he threw the ball while Litten jumped up to touch the button before he was sucked into the Pokéball. As it landed on the ground, it gave a few shakes before making a click.
Smiling in triumph and with pride, the Kanto Trainer took the Pokéball up and raised it up high!
"I just caught... a Litten!"
"Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cheered together as the other Pokémon cheered for gaining a new friend in the group while the Alola boy smiled before rubbing his arm.
"Litten... I'm sure Ash will be a good Trainer for you to be around with, since I know that with his love for Pokémon... anything good could happen while you're with him..." Kaito thought before he gazed at his Sea Gauntlet.
"As for me..." Kaito frowned, becoming lost in his thoughts until he heard the Kanto Trainer calling out for Litten now.
"Litten, come on out!" Ash cried out, summoning the Fire Cat Pokémon out. Pikachu, Rowlet, and Ash's Rockruff came over to welcome the Fire Type into the Pokémon family as Kaito's Pokémon came over to greet the Fire Type.
Upon seeing new friends and the friends that he knew, the Fire Cat Pokémon meowed back in greeting as the boys walked over with smiles on their faces.
"I'm glad you're coming along for the ride." Ash said, earning a happy meow from his new fourth team member.
"Now, whaddaya say we all eat together?" Ash asked, raising the bag that had some Sitrus Berries remaining.
Litten meowed happily in response as all the Pokémon gathered together with Ash dumping the Sitrus Berries on the ground for everyone to enjoy as both he and Kaito took one before taking a bite together.
As the boys and their Pokémon enjoyed their little snack together, they didn't take notice of the familiar Electric Type Pokémon that was looking down at Kaito and Ash while standing on top of a building roof.
At seeing the Alola boy enjoy his time with the others that he call friends, the Thunderclap Pokémon gave a small smile before it turned, jumping from one building to another to head back to its own 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)
Eevee (F): (Quick Attack, Swift, Attract, Dig)
Next chapters:
Chapter 43: A Wolf Boy and a Wolf Father!
Chapter 44: An Alternative Bond and Friendship!
Chapter 45: A Masked Pokémon to Bond! Pt. 1
Chapter 46: A Masked Pokémon to Bond! Pt. 2
Chapter 47: The Pokémon School Open House!
Next chapter preview:
Kaito: What was that light just now...? It felt like... something changed, but nothing new is around here.
Boy: Ooh... That's gonna leave a mark there. Oh! Hi there! Are you new around here in the Alola region?
Kaito: Uh, no... I'm not... And wait... Those ears and the tail... Are you perhaps, half-human and half-wolf or something...?
Boy: Oh! Yeah, that's right! My name is Yuki Fenrir! I'm a wolf boy, the hero of Nome Island who saved the children from diphtheria!
Kaito: Diphtheria...? A disease that could end up killing someone? Wait... Nome Island? Well, that's new. Never heard of such island.
Yuki: Huh!? Seriously...? I don't understand... These news should've reached to everyone in all the five islands of the Alola region...
Events that occurred:
- Kaito and Ash learn that Stoutland passes away
- Ash catches Litten and puts him in his team