Chapter 16
Upon our arrival at Paniola Town, we stand in awe, beholding numerous wooden houses and the magnificent Paniola Ranch sprawling before us. "This place looks perfect," I remark.
"Yeah, it boasts the biggest ranch in the entire Alola Region," Lillie informs me just as we spot Hau rushing towards us.
"Hey! Guys! Glad I ran into you... So we can see who's stronger now! I got a Z-Power Ring from my gramps, too, after making it through his grand trial!" Hau says, panting heavily from the run.
"But do you seriously have to run like that?" Nate asks.
"Having a battle in a place like Paniola Town feels like we're in a real old-fashioned Western showdown or something, right? This is so cool! Though if we're real honorable cowboys, we've gotta make sure our teams are healthy first."
He decides to heal our Pokémon first, before Hau and I face each other. "Awrite, team! Dartrix and Pikachu and everybody, you oughta all be bursting with energy after eating a pile of my mom's special pancakes, so let's show this newbie what Alola's got!" Hau exclaims, rallying his Pokémon.
"Me? Newbie?" I taunt back as we engage in a four-on-four battle. Hau's team consists of Pikachu, Noibat, Eevee, and Dartrix for the battle. As the battle progresses, Hau's Pikachu is the first to face Snowy. Snowy, utilizing its icy powers, overwhelms Pikachu with a barrage of chilling Ice Beams, exploiting its type advantage to secure the victory.
Next, Hau sends out his Noibat to counter Snowy. Seeing this, I switch in my Rockruff, which swiftly dodges Noibat's Supersonic attacks. Rockruff retaliates with a combination of Bite and Rock Throw, gradually wearing down Noibat's defenses until it faints.
Following that, Hau brings out his Eevee, eager to turn the tide. My Crabrawler steps up, utilizing its powerful punching moves. With a series of dynamic Power-Up Punches and Crabhammer strikes, Eevee finds it challenging to keep up, eventually succumbing to Crabrawler's relentless assault.
Lastly, Hau calls upon his Dartrix, hoping for a comeback. My Pikachu, fueled by our earlier strategies and the bond we share, skillfully outmaneuvers Dartrix's Leaf Blade with agility and quick Thunderbolt attacks, gradually wearing it down until it's unable to battle.
"Nice! How'd you come up with that kind of battle plan? You gotta tell me!" Hau asks, eager to learn.
"Well, I just like to think outside the box," I reply with a grin.
"Ma-a-an, that was some kinda battle! Dartrix and everybody all look like they had a blast, too!" Hau exclaims enthusiastically. "Right then. Here. I'll share my bit of good luck with you, Ash."
At that moment, he hands me a Dire Hit, continuing, "You know how the Totem Pokémon are all, like, surrounded by some aura of power? If you use a Dire Hit on your Pokémon and manage to land a critical hit, that aura won't mean a thing! You might wanna try using some of those Rotom Powers when you're fighting a totem, too! You know, Pokémon battles are just, like, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But you're only really a loser if you don't have any fun while you're at it. Right? Anyway, I'm heading off to Paniola Ranch!"
After Hau leaves, we witness two Team Skull grunts harassing an Alolan Vulpix, demanding a Bottle Cap from it. "Yo, yo, Vulpix! Gimme that Bottle Cap!"
The distressed owner pleads for them to stop.
"Hey! Knock it out!" I assert firmly, stepping in to intervene.
The grunts abruptly notice our presence. The male grunt, with a confrontational tone, challenges us, "Whatchu lookin' at?! What's this Pokemon need a nice Bottle Cap for? I'm just gonna put it to better use, that's all!"
"You want a piece of me? I'll show you what happens when you mess with Team Skull!" the other grunt adds as they both send out their Alolan Rattata to battle us.
Undeterred, we engage in the battle and swiftly overpower their Alolan Rattata, emerging victorious against the Team Skull grunts without much difficulty. As the battle concludes, the female grunt admits, "You got a piece of me! And I guess I shouldn't have messed with you..."
The male grunt directs his frustration at the Alolan Vulpix, blaming it, "It's all your fault - just 'cause you wouldn't hand over that Bottle Cap!"
Protectively, we surround the Alolan Vulpix, but the male grunt simply mutters, "Yo, you got lucky, Vulpix! Don't count on people to help you next time!" Both grunts then hastily retreat from the scene.
The relieved owner expresses her gratitude, saying, "Oh thank goodness... Everything's going to be all right now."
However, instead of staying, the Alolan Vulpix abruptly dashes off. Concerned, the owner reacts, "Oh dear... What's wrong?" She sighs softly and continues, "It'd make this old lady happy if you'd come back tomorrow, too."
We nod in understanding, promising to return the next day as the owner requested. As we depart, we can't help but wonder about the reasons behind the Vulpix's sudden departure and hope to find out more during our return visit.
Once we depart, our next destination is Kiawe's farm, where we're greeted warmly by his family. Their hospitality extends to sharing the finest Moomoo Milk products with us. Selene indulges in a bite of the ice cream and remarks, "They're really delicious."
"You're absolutely right! The Moomoo Milk from Paniola Ranch is unmatched. Its richness and creaminess elevate dishes like white sauce to a whole new level... Mmm! The taste is indescribable!" Mallow expresses with delight.
"That's because our family poured their heart into it," Kiawe explains proudly. "Charizard played a significant role in helping us expand and bring our products to other islands as well."
"That's amazing," I comment in awe of their hard work and success.
During our visit, we're asked to help groom the Mudbray, a beloved Ground-type Pokémon on the farm. One Mudbray, in particular, seems to have a fondness for us, and thanks to Kiawe's mother, I'm granted the opportunity to add this Mudbray to our team. The generosity of Kiawe's family leaves a lasting impression on us as we continue our journey through the Alola region.
Mudbray: The Donkey Pokemon: Ground Type. It loves playing in the mud. If it isn't showered with mud on a daily basis, it gets stressed out and stops listening to its Trainer.
As we spend time at Kiawe's farm, it becomes apparent that he is incredibly protective of his sister, Mimo. I can empathize with his attitude, having been similarly overprotective with some of my own siblings. Our shared experiences create a sense of understanding between us.
Amidst our observations, we come across the Lillipup evolution line, prompting Olivia, the island kahuna, to explain the details of the next class. "Ash, would you be so kind as to lend me your Ride Pager?" Olivia requests.
I nod in agreement and hand it to her. She deftly installs Stoutland inside, expanding our options for Ride Pokémon. And if I remember, Stoutland is the replacement of the Dowsing Machine here in Alola. "Now, with Stoutland as our Ride Pokémon, we're about to embark on a treasure hunt!"
"A treasure hunt?" Lillie inquires.
"Indeed! Stoutland has an incredible sense of smell that allows it to detect buried items you wouldn't spot otherwise! Give it a go! There's a plethora of things scattered around just waiting for discovery—rare ingredients, precious stones, and even Pokémon fossils. As Stoutland gets closer to an item underground, its barks will get louder and more insistent!" Olivia explains enthusiastically. "And the person who finds the best treasure is the winner!"
In groups of two, each paired with a Stoutland, our search for treasures begins. Lillie and I set off together, but luck doesn't seem to be on our side as we uncover only a collection of Red Shards, Yellow Shards, Blue Shards, and Green Shards.
Meanwhile, Mallow and Rosa stumble upon various berries, while Sophocles and Nate strike gold with a discovery of a Star Piece. Kiawe and Trenor manage to unearth numerous fossils, and to our astonishment, Selene and Lana make a remarkable find—the very same Sparkling Stone that had once played a pivotal role in my encounter with Tapu Koko.
It's evident that Selene and Lana have secured victory due to their extraordinary find. Olivia, acknowledging their success, decides to craft a Z Ring for Lana as well, honoring their remarkable discovery.
The following day, to our surprise, my mom and Lillie's dad arrive at Paniola Town. Lillie's dad expresses his interest in checking out the Contest being held there. With excitement in the air, Selene eagerly prepares herself to participate in the upcoming Contest.
Selene decides to showcase her Mareanie for the performance round of the Contest. As the event begins, the stage lights illuminate the arena, casting a vibrant hue across the venue. Mareanie steps onto the stage, poised and ready to impress the audience.
With a graceful start, Mareanie twirls and performs an elegant Aqua Ring, creating a mesmerizing display of shimmering water droplets that dance around her. The audience watches in awe as Mareanie follows up with a dazzling display of Poison Jab, forming intricate patterns in the air with toxic energy that sparkle like fireworks.
Transitioning seamlessly, Mareanie executes a stunning Sludge Bomb, releasing a burst of colorful sludge that bursts into mesmerizing patterns above her. The crowd erupts into applause at the captivating performance. Everyone is in awe at Selene's performance.
As the battle round commences, Selene chooses her Alolan Grimer to face the opponent's Herdier. The battlefield crackles with energy as both Pokémon take their positions.
Herdier starts off with a powerful Tackle, aiming to charge straight at Alolan Grimer. However, Alolan Grimer swiftly dodges the attack with a nimble Acid Armor, enhancing its defense and agility simultaneously.
Taking advantage of the moment, Alolan Grimer retaliates with a barrage of Sludge Wave, sending waves of toxic sludge crashing towards Herdier. The poison-infused attacks deal significant damage and hinder Herdier's movements, causing it to struggle to maintain its footing.
Herdier tries to counter with a Take Down, but Alolan Grimer skillfully dodges and follows up with a relentless Gunk Shot, landing a direct hit on Herdier. The viscous, poisonous glob connects, weakening Herdier considerably.
Despite the opponent's resilient effort, Alolan Grimer's strategic moves and potent attacks prove too overwhelming. Selene's Alolan Grimer emerges victorious, securing a hard-fought win for Selene in the heated battle round of the Contest, earning her the second ribbon.
"Absolutely amazing, Selene," Lillie exclaims, beaming with pride.
"Your performance was impressive," Lana compliments with a smile.
"Thanks." Selene says. Then we also go back to the owner and we find that the Vulpix has left the Bottle Cap to us, so we decide to take it.
As we explore the Paniola Ranch further, we stumble upon the Pokémon Nursery, where the owner requests our assistance in caring for an Eevee egg. After some discussion, we collectively agree that Lana would be the best caretaker for the egg.
Lana, thrilled and honored, gladly accepts the responsibility of nurturing the Eevee egg. With a sense of excitement and dedication, she takes the egg under her wing, committed to providing it with the utmost care and attention during its incubation period. And since we can't go to Route 6 because of the Sudowoodo blocking the path, we decide to head to Route 5 instead.
Here is a new chapter, and this wraps up the Paniola Ranch and Paniola Town. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be meeting Gladion.
Ash and Lillie's Pokemon:
Charizard, Butterfree x2 (One Pink), Rattata (Alolan), Pikachu, Raichu (Alolan), Vulpix (Alolan), Meowth (Alolan), Grimer (Alolan), Lapras, Meganium, Typhlosion (Hisuian), Steelix (Crystal), Mantine, Sceptile, Gardevoir (Shiny), Milotic, Absol, Infernape, Lucario, Togekiss, Gallade, Samurott, Audino, Zoroark, Hydreigon, Meowstic x2, Aegislash, Hawlucha, Rowlet, Litten, Popplio, Pikipek, Yungoos, Grubbin, Crabrawler, Oricorio, Cutiefly, Rockruff x3, Wishiwashi, Mareanie, Magearna (Shiny), Kleavor