While malicious organizations, led by equally fearsome individuals, trouble most of the known world, Alola has been thankfully spared their presence. Team Skull is less a gang of actual pokemon thieves than a group of orphans and runaways dressing up as one, and the Aether Foundation, whatever its controversies, is still viewed as essentially a benign conservationist organization by most of the Alolan public. But in this interconnected age, Alolans are aware of the perils caused by evildoers overseas – and curiously, often seriously, many have attributed their safety to the Rockruff.
Villains, after all, have long been fond of kicking puppies, and the friendliness and harmlessness of species like Riolu and Lillipup has made harming them a symbol of evil; if someone kicks one of these pokemon, only their karma and (positive) reputation will suffer. Growlithe's fire makes kicking them moderately more perilous, which proves that the custom did not originate in Kanto, but few Growlithe are in any shape to battle a Team Rocket member after a good punt.
Those who seek to kick Rockruff, however, succeed only in injuring themselves, for their stone hide is far too hard to fear the feet of mortal men. On the contrary, puppy-kickers in Alola are lucky if they escape with a stubbed toe; serious sprains or broken bones are far more common consequences. As aspiring evildoers await recovery, they recognize their pain in what they have done to others, and are often haunted by the memory of the Rockruff's soft, almost betrayed howls.
Most are too embarrassed to admit to friends and minions the source of their injury, and turn from the path of evil entirely, and even those who are not taught to care for others learn from this experience to commit more subtle and original atrocities in the future.