Last time on Pokemon Super: Sun & Moon, after arriving in the Alola Region, Ash and Pikachu met some new people and some new Pokemon. One of the new people they met is actually a person from outer space, a Saiyan named Cabba. Together, they made it to the Pokemon School and helped Kiawe fight against Team Skull. Later that night, both Ash and Cabba had an encounter with the guardian of Melemele Island, a Pokemon named Tapu Koko. It gave them each a present, two rings called Z-Rings. But why give them Z-Rings, especially since Cabba isn't even a Pokemon Trainer? Either way, today's a new day and Ash and Cabba's journey in Alola begins today...at the Pokemon School!
The Guardian's Challenge
It's a bright sunny day in the Pokemon School in the Alola Region, and in the classroom, the students were doing their own thing before Professor Kukui comes in.
"Popplio, make a balloon." Lana told her Water-Type. The Sea Lion Pokemon began to blow a balloon with her nose. Just as it was starting to get bigger, it popped. Startled at first, both Lana and Popplio shook their heads to get the water off their faces, even with Lana giggling and Popplio whimpering a little.
Sophocles was working on a little experiment with Togedemaru by his side. He gave a signal to his little Electric-Type. "Togedemaru, charge program. Execute!" "Toge!" Togedemaru jumped in the running wheel and began to run on it to power her trainer's computer. Seeing it working made Sophocles grin.
Then, someone else came into the classroom. They looked over to see that Xandra walked in. By her side was a blue Pokemon that looked like a fish with orange spikes on his cheeks. "Alola, guys!" Xandra happily waved. "Mudkip!" Her Pokemon, known as a Mudkip, greeted as well. "Alola!" Mallow, Lana, Sophocles, and Lillie replied back together.
"Xandra, you're never this early for School. Did you find what you were looking for?" Mallow asked.
Xandra sat at her own desk. "In a way, you could say that. However, someone else beat me to it."
"Someone you know?" Sophocles asked. "Actually, I think one of those two boys from yesterday found the ball before I did." Xandra replied.
"Ash and Cabba? You think one of them found it?" Mallow asked with a raised eyebrow. Bounsweet happily got on her trainer's shoulder.
"I can't say for sure. All I do know is that I noticed a faint glow in that Cabba guy's clothes after Team Skull ran away from the school." Xandra answered.
Knowing about the Pokemon on her friend's shoulder, Lillie nervously walked over to Mallow. "Uh, Mallow?" Once she got the green haired girl's attention, Lillie handed her a recipe sheet and continued. "The recipe you came up with...if you added Mago Berry or Aguav Berry, the Pokemon Food would be better balanced."
Mallow was delighted as she looked at the sheet. "Lillie, you're just the best! I'll try it now! Thank you!"
Lillie smiled. "I'm happy to help-" But she shrieked when Bounsweet came right up to her face.
Mallow sighed. "It's such a shame. You know so much about Pokemon, yet you can't touch them."
"I can too touch them. I theorize that it's only a matter of whether I want to touch them or not." Lillie denied.
"Well, when that day comes, you know we'll be there to support you no matter what. Isn't that right, Muddy?" Xandra gently ran her hand on her Mudkip's head. "Kip Mudkip!" Muddy agreed and happily wagged his tail fin.
Now Kiawe made his way to the classroom. "Alola..." He muttered. Mallow greeted him back. "Alola! Did you have a delivery this morning?" Kiawe took his seat. "Yeah. To Ula'ula Island."
"Ula'ula Island? That's far away." Sophocles mentioned. Kiawe smirked. "With my Charizard, it takes no time at all." Xandra grinned. "I'll agree to that. I still remember the times you and Charizard even beat me in sky races."
Finally, Professor Kukui came in with Chimchar on his shoulder again. "Alola!/Chimchar!" They both greeted the students. "Alola!" they greeted back to the two.
From behind the professor, Ash and Cabba walked in. Both Kiawe and Xandra noticed the Z-Rings on the boys wrists. "Alola!" Both Cabba and Ash greeted the class. "Starting today, Ash and Cabba will be joining us at the Pokemon School. If they have any questions, please don't hesitate to help them out." Professor Kukui explained.
Ash grinned. "You see, I really want to become a Pokemon Master, so I really want to learn everything about this place. I'm glad to be here!" "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed with his trainer.
Unlike Ash, Cabba looked a little nervous. "Even though I'm not really a Pokemon Trainer, I'll try my very best to learn everything there is to know about them and all of Alola. It's an honor to be here!" It was only until he gave a bow to the class that he thought something entirely different. "Wait, what am I doing? I've got other things to worry about, I can't start school on this planet!" He thought to himself. He didn't notice the confused look Chimchar was giving him. "Char?"
After the first class, Mallow, Lana, Lillie, and Sophocles surrounded Ash and Cabba. Ash was explaining his reason for staying in the Alola Region. As the Kanto Trainer talked, Sophocles finally noticed the Z-Rings on Ash and Cabba. "That's so cool...!"
The three girls noticed them as well. "Wow, Ash, Cabba! Are those Z-Crystals on your wrists?" Mallow asked.
Cabba opened his mouth to answer...but someone else answered for him. "Yeah. Those are an Electrium-Z and a Firium-Z." The one who spoke was Kiawe. He walked over to the group with a stern look on his face. "Where did you two get those? Not the Island Challenge...neither of you passed any trials that I know of."
"You might not believe me, but Tapu Koko gave them to me and Ash." Cabba answered. The classmates were surprised to hear it. "Tapu Koko!?" Kiawe asked in shock.
Xandra walked over to the group quickly. "Hold on! You mean you two saw it again!?"
Ash nodded. "Pikachu, Cabba, and I heard Tapu Koko's voice, so we took off after it. When we found Tapu Koko, these things just came floating down to us. Yep, right out of the sky." "Pika." Pikachu voiced in.
"Tapu Koko? How could it have gotten two Z-Rings?" Kiawe questioned.
"And then...?" Mallow asked. Cabba answered this time. "Well, Tapu Koko gave both me and Ash this look. Like it was telling us that these rings belong to us now. After we put them on, Tapu Koko flew up into the night sky." The Saiyan looked at his Z-Ring and the Firium-Z Z-Crystal.
The class was stunned to hear what happened to their two new friends. "I read about Tapu Koko before. Tapu Koko's very well known as the guardian who likes to help islanders, but it also likes to play tricks on people. If it thinks it's necessary, it can sometimes even punish them. I also read that on rare occasions, it will give mysterious gifts to people it likes." Lillie spoke up.
Mallow smiled. "That's great! So, that must mean Tapu Koko really likes Ash and Cabba!"
"Tapu Koko...likes us?" Cabba asked in confusion. "Uh, I'm honored to be liked by a guardian, but now I REALLY don't get it. Both me and Ash haven't been in Alola that long, and I haven't even been on this planet long either, so why does it like us so much that it wants to give us these rings?" The others, even Ash, gave the Saiyan confused looks on their faces.
Sophocles, deciding to question Cabba later, turned his head to Kiawe. "Kiawe, hold on. You got your Z-Ring from the Akala Island Kahuna, right?" The Fire-Type trainer nodded. "Yeah, by successfully passing the Grand Trial."
Lana turned to Xandra. "And you got your Z-Ring from Poni Island's Kahuna, correct?" Xandra nodded and showed her friends her Z-Ring. "It wasn't easy, but Muddy and I managed to get through that Grand Trial."
Ash brightened up. "That's awesome! Does this mean now me and Cabba can use Z-Moves just like you?"
Kiawe gave the Kanto Trainer a stern glare. "Using Z-Moves should NOT be taken lightly!" Ash and Cabba were both startled. "Only when a Pokemon and its Trainer's hearts become one will the Z-Rings turn their feelings into power." Kiawe continued explaining for both Ash and Cabba. "But those feeling must be greater than themselves. Like..."
"Like what?" Ash asked. "Helping the islands, helping Pokemon, or helping others. Only those who care about all living things of the world are permitted to use Z-Moves." Kiawe explained. He folded his arms and looked at Ash and Cabba. "I'm not exactly sure on what Tapu Koko saw in you two...but now that both of you are Z-Ring owners, you need to know your responsibilities."
Ash looked at his Z-Ring before looking back up at Kiawe. "Kiawe...I don't understand much about the complicated stuff, but...I know how special the Z-Moves are. For sure! You can count on both me and Cabba! And that's about all I could say."
Kiawe smirked and accepted the words from a trainer from Kanto. "Heh...That's good enough."
"Uh, Kiawe?" Once they turned to him, Cabba held up his Z-Ring for the class to see better. "While I understood what you mean by helping everyone, I don't know if Tapu Koko giving me this is going to do much. I'm not even a Pokemon Trainer. In fact, I'm still new to how things go around here."
"Don't worry, you'll be able to get a Pokemon of your own soon." Lana assured him. That made him smile a little.
Listening to the students outside the classroom was Professor Kukui with Chimchar by his side. He smiled. "So, we have a clash between a Thunderbolt and a Flamethrower." He turned his eyes to Cabba. "Still, he's got a Z-Ring and no Pokemon? Well, we can fix that for him." Before he could walk in to start the next class, a sudden glow from Cabba's clothes caught the attention of him, Chimchar, and the students.
"What the...?" Quickly, Cabba pulled something out of his armor. Everyone looked at the glowing Two-Star ball that is now in the Saiyan's hand.
From their spot, both Professor Kukui and Chimchar were surprised to see the glowing ball themselves. "Chimchar?" Chimchar even blinked in shock. Suddenly Professor Kukui chuckled to himself. "Looks like Cabba found the ball before Xandra."
Speaking of Xandra, her eyes were wide once she saw the ball. "Cabba? What is that?" Ash asked. Cabba shrugged. "I don't know. I found it in the forest just before I met both you and Pikachu."
Quickly, the ball was snatched out of his hand! Surprised at first, they quickly looked to see that Xandra's now holding the ball with a big grin on her face. "I knew it! I thought I saw your outfit glowing a little the other day, and now I know why!" She went over to show the ball to Muddy. "Muddy, look! We've got another one for the collection!" Seeing the ball made the Mudkip jump in excitement. "Mudkip Mudkip Mud!"
Sophocles nudged Cabba a little. "Looks like you just made Xandra's day." "I...did?" Cabba asked in confusion.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing!? That's Cabba's ball, he found it first!" Ash snapped at Xandra. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.
"Oh!" Xandra gave the ball back to the Saiyan with a sheepish grin on her face. "Sorry about that. Guess I got a little too excited once I saw it." Mallow stepped up. "See, Xandra's been looking all over the Alola Region for a ball like that."
"You mean there's another ball that looks like this one?" Cabba pointed at his Two-Star Ball.
Sophocles nodded. "About six more to be specific."
Xandra dug into her backpack and pulled something out of it. "I think I know why your ball started glowing like that. Take a look at this." She showed her friends a ball similar to Cabba's...only her's has five purple stars on it. "There's another one?" Ash asked. "Pikachu." Pikachu nodded. They saw that the two balls were glowing once again.
"Look, they're both glowing!" Lillie noticed. Xandra nodded. "That's because my Dragon Ball was reacting to Cabba's." After she said that, the two balls stopped glowing.
Ash and Cabba looked at each other in confusion. "Dragon Ball?" Pikachu just shrugged his shoulders.
"Xandra means the two balls you and her are holding." Sophocles told them.
"Two of seven unique balls with a different number of stars on them. See?" Lana pointed to the stars on the balls. "Cabba's Dragon Ball has two stars on it, and Xandra's has five stars."
"Lana's right. The number of stars are different." Cabba noticed. Ash tilted his head. "Still, I've never heard of anything called Dragon Balls." "Chu Pika..." Pikachu didn't know himself.
"I'm not surprised. Not many people in the world know about the Dragon Balls. I didn't even know about them myself until I found this ball and took it back home to Poni Island to do some more research." Xandra mentioned.
"She even took that Dragon Ball with her to class and show it to us." Mallow pointed out. "She told us that the Dragon Balls can do great things for the world."
"However, they can also do bad things." Kiawe explained seriously. "If any thieves got their hands on the Dragon Balls, it could mean trouble not only for the Alola Region, but for the entire world as well."
The two newcomers were shocked to hear it. "The entire world!?" Cabba asked in shock. Ash gulped a bit. "So, what exactly can they do?"
Xandra gave them a serious look. "Okay, how do I put this...?"
Meanwhile, in a completely different island of the Alola Region, another Dragon Ball was found in some sort of old abandoned supermarket.
Nearing the ball, which was on one of the boxes, were a trio of thieves. One was a teen girl with long, puffy red hair, one was a teen guy with short bright green hair, and the third was a purple Pokemon with sharp teeth and gems for eyes. (A/N: I thought a Sableye would go better in a team of Dragon Ball thieves.) All three of them saw the Dragon Ball and smirked.
"There it is, at last." The female teenager walked over. She was about to get it when...A Ghost Pokemon appeared and gave her a good scare. She screamed as it laughed.
Even the guy jumped a little. "Should've guessed this old market would have Ghost-Type Pokemon lurking inside."
The Pokemon next to him noticed that the girl was about to angrily yell at the Ghost Pokemon, so he quickly stepped up to help. "It's okay, Judy! I can handle this!" Surprisingly, this Pokemon's able to speak like a human and not in Pokemon language. It took a few seconds, but Judy huffed and stood there while her companion turned to the Ghost Pokemon. "Okay, that was a good scare, Haunter, but we're kinda in a hurry. Just let us have that pretty blue ball there and me and my friends will be on our way." The Pokemon said.
The Ghost...I mean, Haunter, thought about it for a couple of seconds. Then he just shrugged and flew away. "Ter Haunter Haunter." It waved an armless hand over to the ball.
The Pokemon turned to his two human friends. "He says we're free to grab the ball."
"Finally!" Judy marched over and snatched up the One-Star Dragon Ball. "Took a little longer than I thought, even with that Haunter popping up out of nowhere, but at least we got the ball." The three of them got out of the old market.
"And now that we've got the ball, it's time to make our wish!" the man said.
"Whoa! Hold on! Not so fast, Roger, it's not that simple." The talking Pokemon folded his arms.
Judy turned her head to the Pokemon in annoyance. "What do you mean, Sableye?"
"I mean, if we want to make a wish, we're gonna need the rest of the Dragon Balls. Our One-Star friend isn't enough." Sableye pointed at the Dragon Ball, then he smirked at his two friends. "But just think, once we get all seven of the Dragon Balls and summon the Eternal Dragon, our wildest wishes will finally be a reality!"
Roger agreed with Sableye. "All the islands of Alola could belong to us!"
Judy looked at the Dragon Ball in her hand, and slowly a smirk appeared on her face. "Why stop at just the Alola Region? With the Dragon Balls, the entire world can and shall be ours to rule! Now that sounds worth some more searching. Let's get going, boys!"
Agreeing with each other, Judy and Roger took to the sky with Sableye hanging on to Roger's shoulder. Their mission? To search all of Alola for the six remaining Dragon Balls!
Back at the Pokemon School, Xandra just finished explaining the Dragon Balls to Ash and Cabba.
Cabba looked at his Two-Star Ball. "So, these balls are needed to summon a dragon who can grant any wish?"
Xandra nodded. "That's right."
"Man, I wonder what wish any thief would ask for." Ash muttered to himself. "If what Xandra's saying is true, then that means I have a chance to bring them back." Cabba thought with a smile.
"We're even helping Xandra find the Dragon Balls. The thought of seeing a wish granting dragon sounds so cool!" Sophocles said in amazement.
That's when Professor Kukui and Chimchar came into the room. "Very nice. All right, class! It's almost time for Pokemon Science. Today's teacher is Principle Oak."
Chimchar looked just as Bounsweet put Togedemaru in a sitting position.
The students paid attention as Principle Oak gave them a lecture on a Pokemon called Exeggutor. He even wore an Exeggutor costume to make an example for them. "Like this Exeggutor and the Alolan Exeggutor, there are many Pokemon that look different in the Alola Region and with a different type as well." Principle Oak said.
Ash looked at the Pokemon next to the principle. In his past journeys, the Exeggutors he's seen were a lot shorter than the one right before him. "Wow...Their heights are totally different." Sophocles noticed. "To!" Even Togedemaru was amazed. "Their faces look the same." Lana noticed.
"The reason why Alola Exeggutor have grown taller is Alolan's climate. Alola is warm and sunny all year long, so it's the perfect climate for Exeggcute and Exeggutor to thrive. As a matter of fact, it can be stated that an Alolan Exeggutor looks exactly the way it's supposed to. Of course, this is the result of living in an ideal environment." Principle Oak explained. "Exeg." Exeggutor calmly said.
"The phenomenon of Pokemon developing that distinct appearance is based on the region they live in is what we call Regional Variant." Principle Oak explained. "For example, Exeggutor is normally a Grass and Psychic-Type."
"Psychic-Type?" Lillie repeated.
"Tell us what type Alolan Exeggutor is, like a Machamp!" Principle Oak said, making another Pokemon expression on his face.
Lillie raised her hand to answer the question. "Of course! A Grass and Dragon-Type!"
Ash was surprised as he stood up. "Grass and Dragon? Wow!" In amazement, he walked over to the Alolan Exeggutor. "So, Exeggutor is a Dragon-Type, too. That's so cool, you even got a tail." He even rubbed the Pokemon's tail.
Lillie widened her eyes. "There's something about it's tail you should know!" Ash turned to her in confusion. However, before she could explain, the tail came right at Ash's face, angrily smacking him away towards the ladder. Ash yelped and tried to stop himself, finally holding on to the ladder. His classmates watched on in shock and worry.
"Oh brother..." Kiawe sighed. Sophocles frowned. "Are you okay?" Xandra chuckled a little. "Bet you didn't see that coming, did ya?"
Cabba turned to the blonde girl. "What just happened, Lillie?" Lillie began to explain. "The tail of the Alolan Exeggutor has a mind of its own. You need to be careful when it decides to attack you, which is what I was trying to say before."
"Next time, get to the point a little sooner, okay?" Ash was recovering from the attack as he climbed back down to take his seat.
Principle Oak laughed. "You see, learning here is like a wild Tauros! Have the patience of a Conkeldurr!" He made two more Pokemon expressions. Seeing the expression made Chimchar sigh and slowly shake his head.
The sun was setting at Professor Kukui's house. Speaking of the Alolan Professor, he just set plates down for Ash and Cabba. "Whoa! That looks awesome!" Ash happily said.
Cabba took a bite from his plate, and he smiled at the taste. "This is great! Professor Kukui, what's it called?"
"It's called an Alola Plate." Professor Kukui set bowls of Pokemon food down for Pikachu, Chimchar, and a dog Pokemon with small rocks around it's neck. "You like it?"
Cabba nodded before he swallowed. "It's fantastic!" "I love it!" Ash agreed.
Professor Kukui chuckled. "Really? Love at first bite. Glad to hear it."
Pikachu picked up a piece of Pokemon food and happily chomped. Next to him, Chimchar and the other Pokemon happily ate as well. All three of them were happily talking to each other.
Professor Kukui looked over to the three Pokemon. "Look at that, Pikachu, Chimchar, and Rockruff are already friends."
"I'm glad to hear that." Cabba said. "Cause Rockruff's friendly, too." Ash agreed.
Professor Kukui turned to the two boys and was surprised to see two empty plates already in front of them. "Thank you!" They both said at the same time. "You're both done?" Professor Kukui asked.
"Pika!" Hearing Pikachu, the Professor turned to the Pokemon...and saw an empty bowl. "Wow, you guys too."
Ash opened his arms to Rockruff. "Come here, Rockruff." Rockruff happily ran into Ash's arms.
Professor Kukui looked to see Rockruff go over to Pikachu and rub his neck against the Electric-Type, making him giggle. Rockruff did the same for Ash and Cabba. "You see, the way Rockruff greet each other is by rubbing the rocks on their necks against each other. It's obvious Rockruff really likes the three of you."
"Yeah, Rockruff? You do?" Ash asked. Rockruff happily barked.
"Professor, does Rockruff do that to you and Chimchar too?" Cabba asked. "Well, of course he does." Professor turned his full attention to Cabba. "But let's move on to you, Cabba."
Confused, the Saiyan tilted his head a little. "Huh? What about me?" Kukui took a seat next to Cabba. "I find it kinda odd that you have a tail, and that you're not a Pokemon Trainer. Ash even told me that you're something called a Saiyan."
Just hearing the word Saiyan made Ash and the Pokemon curious as well. "Now that he's mentioned it, you never really told me much about Saiyans back in the forest, Cabba. Only that they have tails and they don't even have Pokemon where you came from." Ash mentioned.
Professor Kukui was surprised. "No Pokemon, eh? No wonder you Head Charged in to take on Team Skull without a Pokemon by your side." Cabba laughed sheepishly at the reminder. "Go on, Cabba. Bulk Up and tell us more about the Saiyans!" Professor Kukui even patted Cabba on the back.
"Yeah! Tell us, Cabba!" Even Ash wanted to know more.
"Pika Chu!" Pikachu encouraged Cabba. "Char Char!/Ruff!" Chimchar and Rockruff wanted to know about Saiyans as well.
Cabba was surprised to hear that his new friend, the Pokemon, and even his new teacher wanted to know more about his race. Still, he smiled and nodded. "Okay. Saiyans are considered to be a race of proud warriors. From the home planet of Sadala, which is ruled by a Saiyan king with a lot of pride known as King Sadala."
"Wow, a Saiyan king?" Ash said in amazement.
"Yeah. By order of King Sadala, the Saiyans have been trying to protect many different planets from any bad guys who would hurt the citizens or even destroy the planets." Cabba explained.
"Oh really?" Professor Kukui grinned. "Sounds like the Saiyans were known as the heroes of the galaxy." Cabba nodded. "Yeah, that's what most people of different planets called us."
"Whoa, amazing!" Ash said. Pikachu, Chimchar, and even Rockruff were also amazed by the Saiyans.
"There was also an elite unite in charge of protecting Planet Sadala, called the Sadala Defense Force. In fact, I'm part of it myself." Cabba continued.
The others looked surprise. "Whoa, really?" Ash asked. Cabba nodded. "Yeah, some of the other Saiyans even called me the Defense Force Elite for my progress and power." The Saiyan bashfully answered.
Professor Kukui was amazed. "Kinda makes me want to see that power for myself. You must've worked really hard to earn that title with a Calm Mind."
Cabba chuckled a little. "Well, I learned from one of the best. My mentor is named Renso, Captain of the Sadala Defense Force." He sweat dropped and chuckled a little. "Or I should say retired Captain of the Sadala Defense Force. But, even after he retired, Renso still taught me what I know about fighting to keep the universe safe."
While Professor Kukui kept a grin on his face, Ash and the Pokemon had sparkles in their eyes. "Wow, Cabba! The Saiyans sound so amazing! Someday, we've gotta get a ship ready, I'd like to see more Saiyans and Planet Sadala myself!" Ash turned to his Electric-Type partner. "You'd like to see more Saiyans too, don't you, buddy?"
Pikachu happily nodded. "Pika Pikachu!"
"You know, that's not a bad idea. Maybe we should take the class on a special field trip to Planet Sadala. The class will definitely have a Focus Blast!" Professor Kukui suggested. "Chimchar Chim!/Ruff Rockruff!" Chimchar and Rockruff happily jumped in agreement.
Cabba's smiled suddenly turned into a sad frown. "Believe me, I'd be more than happy about a field trip to my home planet. And I'd be honored to show you more Saiyans like my mentor, and even all of Planet Sadala...but, I'm afraid I can't."
The five of them turned to him in confusion. "What do you mean?" Ash asked.
"I mean, my home planet...Planet Sadala...has been destroyed." Cabba uneasily answered, shocking the others.
"Destroyed?" Ash asked. "What happened, Cabba?" Professor Kukui asked seriously.
Cabba sighed sadly. "It was about a couple of weeks ago, before I came to this planet. I just came back to my family after a mission from a far off planet."
Flashback on Planet Sadala:
Cabba and his family were happily talking about the mission Cabba just finished.
"I was reliving my mission with my family, but then...it happened." Cabba sadly explained.
"What happened?" Ash asked curiously.
Suddenly, an explosion was heard from outside. It surprised Cabba and his family.
"What was that?" Cabba's Mom asked. "I don't know, but it can't be good!" Cabba's Dad said seriously.
They went outside and met with another Saiyan, one that had his hair in a ponytail and a cane. "Cabba, we've got trouble!"
"Renso, what's happening?" Cabba asked his mentor. Renso pointed up at the sky. Cabba and his family looked up, and what they saw in the sky made them gasp.
"Turns out, just as I got back, Planet Sadala was starting to get attacked by a strong group of Space Pirates." Cabba answered Ash's question.
"Space Pirates?" Professor Kukui repeated.
Many brave Saiyans fought against the Space Pirates...but it didn't go well. Some of the Saiyans were beginning to lose their lives while the Space Pirates began to destroy the buildings as well as kill more Saiyans along the way.
"Many Saiyan warriors fought against these Space Pirates with everything they've got. They were doing a great job, but as more Space Pirates fell, many more Saiyans went down with them...including some members of my family." Cabba continued explaining to Ash and Professor Kukui.
Soon, the battle was now down to Cabba, his mentor Renso, and his father Kototsuna. The three of them were looking pretty injured from the battle.
"The battle continued on until the only Saiyans on Sadala left standing were my mentor Renso, my father Kototsuna, and myself." Cabba explained.
The Space Pirates fired their attacks at the three Saiyans. The three of them jumped up to dodge, then they charged up one last attack.
"We gathered up whatever strength we had left and fired a powerful ki blast that reduced the Space Pirates to ashes." Cabba told them.
The Space Pirates were killed by the combined ki blast. After that, Cabba, Kototsuna, and Renso stood in the middle of the ruined castle of the deceased Saiyan King, panting.
"Yes! Now that's using your Trump Card!" Professor Kukui cheered.
"With the loss of many brave Saiyans, including King Sadala himself, the battle against the Space Pirates was finally over...or so we thought." Cabba said with remorse.
"What happened after that?" Ash asked.
Suddenly, Renso was shot from behind and killed by a mysterious attack. Both Cabba and Kototsuna gasped as Renso's lifeless body fell to the ground. They looked behind them and saw a mysterious figure wearing a cloak that was covering his whole body.
"Turns out those Space Pirates were just the sneak preview of what their captain had in store for us." Cabba answered.
Cabba and Kototsuna glared at the mysterious figure before they charged at him and began to throw their fists at him. The mysterious figure was blocking and dodging the attacks from the two Saiyans. He took his chance and punched Kototsuna in the face and even kicked Cabba away and flew into the sky.
Cabba turned to his father, and gasped. It looked like Kototsuna was suddenly hit with poison with the purple color on his face. Worried, Cabba quickly rushed over despite his injuries. "Father! What happened to you!?"
Kototsuna grunted from the poison as he looked up at his boy. "C-Cabba...my son, be-be careful! This mysterious enemy...he-he somehow poisoned me just be g-g-giving me that punch!"
The mysterious figure laughed as he held up a huge ki blast above his hood covered head.
"So, your father took some sort of Poison Jab from the mysterious captain?" Professor Kukui asked in concern.
"Yes. The captain was about to unleash one last attack...and that's when it happened." Cabba sounds like he was hesitating to explain.
Cabba stood up, glaring at the captain and getting ready to protect his father.
Kototsuna looked around the destruction that was once a happy home for the Saiyans. His eyes even noticed an old Space Pod close to them, then he glanced at Cabba...more importantly, his tail. Kototsuna knew now what he had to do, the only thing he can do...to save his son. "Only one of us is going to die...but it won't be my son!" Kototsuna suddenly reached out and grabbed Cabba by his tail with one hand. His other hand held a remote for the pod.
Weakened by having his tail grabbed, Cabba turned his head to Kototsuna. "F-Father, wh-wh-what are you doing?"
"...My final act as your father." Once the pod hatch opened up, Kototsuna used the last of his strength to toss Cabba into the pod. He used the remote to quickly close up the pod before Cabba could get out.
"Father, no! Why are you doing this!?" Cabba banged on the pod to try and get out. Kototsuna just sat there, pressing some buttons on the remote. He stopped messing with the remote once he saw the pod slowly rise into the sky.
The mysterious captain watched on in amusement. He would've done something about it, but he decided to let this play out. He still held the huge ki blast above his head.
Kototsuna looked on as the pod got higher and higher, he also saw that Cabba was still trying to get out. "Sorry, Cabba, but this is for your own good. I might die here today, but there's no way in hell I'm taking you with me to the afterlife. You must live on...for me, the Saiyans, and Planet Sadala." As a single tear slid down Kototsuna's cheek, the pod took off into space.
"NO! FATHER! LET ME OUT!" Cabba screamed with tears running down his face. But the pod was still shooting up.
The mysterious captain chuckled just before he finally shot his attack on Kototsuna...and Planet Sadala.
While the blast was getting closer, Kototsuna just closed his eyes and waited for his death. He no longer had the strength to fight back. "You've made me very proud, Cabba...Goodbye, my son." He whispered his last words.
In his pod, Cabba finally opened his eyes...only to gasp. Before his eyes, Planet Sadala was blowing up into nothing...and what's worse was that his father was still there.
Cabba shut his eyes tight, his tears coming down even harder. "NNNOOOOOOO!" As he screamed, the Space Pod kept getting further into outer space.
Flashback end:
Cabba looked up at the ceiling in sadness. "My father made the ultimate sacrifice to save my life. As my Space Pod kept floating away from what Sadala used to be, my heart ached for what just happened on that day. I've lost my mentor, my family, my home...everything." He finished explaining to Ash, Professor Kukui, and the three Pokemon.
The five of them were really sad by what they heard. Ash and the Pokemon even had tears in their eyes. "Th-That's so sad. I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Cabba." Ash sniffed and tried to dry his tears. "Pikachu!" Pikachu cried a little.
Professor Kukui had an arm around Cabba as some sort of comfort. "Are you going to be okay?"
Cabba smiled sadly and nodded. "Yeah, my father would've wanted me to live on." Suddenly Chimchar jumped into Cabba's lap and the Chimp Pokemon gave the Saiyan a reassuring pat. "Thanks."
Ash finally dried up his eyes. "Chimchar really seems to want to make Cabba feel better."
"...That's because Chimchar lost someone important to him as well." Professor Kukui answered, confusing the two boys.
"What?/What happened?" They both asked.
"It happened about a year ago." Professor Kukui answered. "I got a call from Professor Rowan in the Sinnoh Region. He told me that one of his assistants, a Pokemon Trainer named Lucas, was coming over for some fun in the Alolan sun as well as do some research on the Alolan Region and the Regional Variants. The thing about Lucas, he just became a new trainer who chose Chimchar as his partner. The same Chimchar that's now on Cabba lap."
The boys looked over at the Fire-Type who just nodded. Now worried about Chimchar, Cabba turned to the professor. "Did something terrible happen on his way to Alola, Professor Kukui?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Professor Kukui answered seriously. "The day that Lucas and Chimchar left for the Alola Region...there was something wrong with the plane they flew on. It might've been from a wild Pokemon on the wing or from technical difficulties, all I knew is that it didn't end well. The plane crashed somewhere far away from here, and when I got to the crash sight...there were no survivors. The only thing left was a lone Poke Ball."
The boys, Pikachu, and Rockruff were shocked to hear that there were no survivors from the crash, but Professor Kukui continued anyway. "Once I picked up the Poke Ball, it opened up, and Chimchar appeared in a Flash."
Cabba turned to the sad Fire-Type in his lap. "What happened after Chimchar got out?" The Saiyan rubbed a comforting hand on Chimchar's head.
"He took a look at the burning plane and ran over to find Lucas. He was able to find him...but it was too late. That day, Chimchar didn't lose just a trainer...but a kind and caring friend. Ever since that day, Chimchar's been staying with me and Rockruff. He even became a little helper of the Pokemon School."
Ash and Cabba looked at Chimchar in sadness as did Pikachu and Rockruff.
"So, you and Chimchar have something in common, Cabba." Professor Kukui said.
"I guess, but Chimchar got off luckier than me." Cabba said sadly. "Chimchar just lost a trainer, I lost an entire planet and most of my race. For all I know, I could be the last Saiyan in the universe." He petted Chimchar once again.
"Well, still, you both still lost someone you care about." Ash place a hand on Cabba's shoulder. Cabba and Chimchar looked at each other and realized Ash was right.
Suddenly, Professor Kukui's phone rang. He stood up to take it out and answer it. "Kukui here. What's up?" Ash and Cabba looked up as he stepped out of the room. "Huh? Uh, yeah. I see. All right, then."
Turns out, Mallow was the one who called Professor Kukui from her family restaurant. She giggled as she got off the phone with the professor. "All right, listen up! The professor said it's okay." She told her friends. Lana, Lillie, Xandra, Kiawe, and Sophocles were also there and they were happy by what they heard.
"So, it's program go!" Sophocles said.
"Great!" Kiawe added.
"All right." Lana smiled.
"Got it, Mallow." Lillie said.
Xandra grinned. "I think they'll love it!"
"I can't wait." Mallow laughed lightly. "Bounsweet!" Bounsweet happily said. "So, tomorrow, the party is on!" Mallow exclaimed. "Yeah!" the others agreed.
The next morning...
"Ah! We're late we're late!" Ash panted. He and Pikachu accidentally overslept and thought they were running late.
"I tried to wake you up, but it wasn't easy!" Cabba said. Earlier, the Saiyan did try to get his friend up...trouble is Ash and Pikachu can be heavy sleepers. So now they were running to get to the Pokemon School, thinking they were gonna be late.
"No...we might make it if we really push! Hurry, guys!" Ash pushed harder to run. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "Got it!" Cabba easily joined in.
As soon as the three of them made it to the gate, streamers popped in their ears, making them stop in surprise. Then, a water balloon got bigger right in front of Ash and Cabba. The one who blew the balloon was Popplio. Once it popped, it knocked the Kanto Trainer and the Saiyan warrior off their feet. "Whoa!" they both yelped.
Cabba looked at the Sea Lion Pokemon. "Uh...good morning, Popplio." "What was that?" Ash asked.
Mallow, Lana, and Lillie went over to greet them. "Alola Surprise!"
"Hey guys..." Ash blinked in confusion. "Did we surprise you guys?" Someone offered their hand to Ash. He looked up to that it was Kiawe. "You can say that again." Ash took Kiawe's hand and the Fire-Type trainer helped him up.
"What's going on?" Cabba asked. A pair of gloved hands pulled the Saiyan back up under the arms. He looked back to see that a grinning Xandra helped him back up. "We figured that since both you and Ash are new to the Alola Region, we'd throw you two a surprise welcome party today." She explained. Mallow giggled. "That's right, and that's just the first surprise."
"The first one?" Ash and Cabba asked. Sophocles stepped forward. "And next...Togedemaru and I want to challenge you! I'm sure you know what I mean by that." He told Ash.
"Challenge...? Oh! A Pokemon Battle, right?" Ash asked, jumping to a conclusion that Sophocles seemed satisfied about. "Not quite." Xandra said quietly.
Ash smirked. "Alright, Sophocles! I accept your challenge...Huh?" He looked confused when he noticed three stacks of balloons in front of them. "Balloons?"
"Right, balloons!" Mallow answered. "Whichever team pops all the balloons first wins the game." This just made both Ash and Pikachu groan a little.
Cabba looked at the stack carefully. "Hold on, if Sophocles challenged Ash, why are there three stacks?" "The third stack is for you, Cabba." Lana answered.
Cabba blinked. "Me?" Xandra nodded. "Yeah! It's your surprise party too, silly!"
"But I still don't have a Pokemon with me. How's this going to work?" Cabba asked.
"For this challenge, it doesn't matter who pops the balloons. It can be either the Pokemon or the trainer, so you're good to go." Mallow answered.
"Balloons...? Pop them first...? That'll be a piece of cake!" Ash exclaimed in excitement. Cabba looked back at his friend, then he smiled. "This could be fun."
Kiawe acted as the referee for the challenge. "Ready...GO!" Ash, Cabba, and Sophocles ran over to the balloons. Ash grabbed one and try to crush it...but it was only then that he realized how thick and hard the balloon is. "Hey...this isn't as easy as I thought..." Ash grunted. Pikachu tried to pop one with his teeth. Finally, Ash and Pikachu managed to pop a couple of balloons. "Hah...Finally popped one." Ash sighed.
The sound of popping caught their attention. They looked to their left and saw that Cabba didn't have much trouble squeezing the balloons until they popped. When they looked to the right, they saw Sophocles pop balloons with ease using the spikes on Togedemaru's back. "Okay, next!" Sophocles said.
"Wow, they're fast." Ash commented.
"You can do it, Ash and Pikachu!" Lana cheered for the Kanto duo. Mallow waved to encourage them. "Maybe you didn't know, you can use Pokemon moves." Lillie explained to Ash.
"Really? That's cool." Ash looked down at his partner. "Alright, Pikachu! Let's pop all the balloons with Thunderbolt!" Pikachu agreed with a nod.
Sophocles looked over at them. "All right."
Xandra shook her head. "I wouldn't do that."
Too late, Pikachu fired off his Thunderbolt attack. "Alright, this is our chance!" Sophocles suddenly shouted. Togedemaru jumped up and took the electricity from Thunderbolt, surprising not only Ash and Pikachu, but also Cabba who paused his popping to look over. "Togedemaru, Zing Zap! Let's go!" Sophocles said.
"Maru!" Togedemaru began to spin around while surrounded by electricity, popping the balloons even faster.
"Hey, what's all that about?" Ash asked. Sophocles explained it to him. "Here's the deal. Togedemaru's ability is Lightning Rod. It absorbs all Electric-Type attacks, then it releases that stored up electricity as a move. Isn't it great Ash?"
Ash was amazed. "Wow. Togedemaru really rocks!" "Yeah, that was really impressive." Cabba agreed with a smile.
Kiawe spoke up to the two of them. "Excuse me. This is no time to be impressed." That got them back into the game. "Yeah, you're right!" Ash yelled.
They were about to pop again, but a cry from Togedemaru got their attention. They looked over and saw that the Electric/Steel-Type already popped all the balloons in Sophocles' balloon pit.
"The game's winners are Sophocles and Togedemaru!" Mallow declared. Sophocles held his Pokemon in the air. "Alright, you were great! We did it!" Togedemaru happily cheered for the victory. Ash sighed and smiled weakly. Cabba just shrugged. "Congratulations, Sophocles."
Lana walked over to Ash while holding Popplio in her arms. "Ash? Ready for your third surprise? It's a challenge against us." Once he heard 'challenge', Ash accepted immediately. "Yeah! If it's a challenge you're asking for, I accept! What's the challenge?"
Xandra walked over to answer. "A Pokemon swimming race known as a Pokemon Aquathlon." She turned to Lana. "Hope you don't mind me participating in this surprise, do you? Muddy just loves racing in the water." Muddy happily got up to his trainer's shoulder. "Mudkip!"
Lana smiled and nodded. "Of course, that'll make it more fun." Ash agreed. "Yeah, the more the merrier!"
The third surprise began and Pikachu, Popplio, and Muddy were racing each other to the water. Ash, Lana, and Xandra were cheering for their Pokemon.
Cabba turned his head in Mallow's direction. "So, what a Pokemon Aquathlon anyway?" "A Pokemon Aquathlon is a competitive sport where you run and swim. Now, let's see who wins it." From a distance, Tapu Koko was watching both Ash and Cabba from the trees.
"Pikachu! Win it, buddy!" Ash cheered for Pikachu. "Come on, Muddy! Show them what a strong Mud Fish Pokemon like you can do!" Xandra encouraged her partner.
"Good luck to all three of you, Pikachu, Popplio, and Muddy!" Sophocles cheered for all three Pokemon.
While Popplio trailed behind, Pikachu and Muddy already dived into the water. Muddy was already swimming ahead of Pikachu. "That's my boy, Muddy! Use those swimming skills of yours to win!" Xandra cheered. "Pick up the pace, Pikachu! Pass Muddy and head for the finish line!" Ash said. The trainers were running alongside their swimming Pokemon.
"Well, let's see how easy it is." Kiawe said amusingly. True to his word, Popplio suddenly swam past Pikachu underwater. Both Pikachu and Ash were surprised to see Popplio speeding past them in the water. Popplio even swam past Muddy, but instead of being surprised, both the Mudkip and his trainer smirked at the challenge. "Okay, now it's getting good." Xandra said. "You're almost there, Popplio!" Lana cheered. "Go for it, Muddy!" Xandra cheered.
Muddy grunted and began to swim faster, just as he was about to take first place again...Popplio already popped out of the water and gracefully landed on the ribbon. Muddy was so shocked he stopped just in front of the finish line. Ash and Pikachu watched on in surprise.
"I'm proud of you! You did great, Popplio! You were amazing!" Lana hugged the Water-Type, congratulating her for the victory.
Cabba smiled at both Lana and Popplio. "Popplio's pretty good at a Pokemon Aquathlon." Lillie explained something to not only Cabba, but to Ash as well. "Popplio can swim at speeds of 25 miles per hour. Quite impressive."
Xandra picked her Mudkip up from the water. "Ah, that's okay. We can always try again another time, right, Muddy?" Muddy happily wagged his tailfin. "Mud!"
Pikachu finally came out of the water, feeling upset about losing again, but Ash came over with a towel. "Great, Pikachu. You rocked it." What the trainer said but a big smile on the Mouse Pokemon's face.
"You're so fast Popplio!" Mallow praised. "I can't believe how fast Popplio moves." Ash agreed. "Popplio!" The Sea Lion Pokemon waved her fins at them.
"Muddy and I faced off against Lana and Popplio in swimming races before...but we always end up in second place. That just shows how good they are." Xandra sheepishly pointed out. Muddy nodded his head. "Kip Kip."
Kiawe turned to Cabba. "Now it's time for your third surprise, Cabba." The Saiyan turned to him. "What's my third surprise?" "It's competing against me. One on one. What do you say?" Kiawe answered.
Cabba smiled and nodded. "I accept, Kiawe! So, what's the challenge?"
Cabba's third surprise...is a Tauros race against Kiawe!
Ash, Mallow, Lana, Lillie, Xandra, and Sophocles, not to mention their Pokemon cheered while Cabba and Kiawe raced around the track on two of the School's Tauros.
Watching the race happen from up in the classroom was Professor Kukui and Rockruff. Principle Oak walked up behind them. "Wow, look at them Rapidash!"
"Everyone decided to have a welcoming party for Ash, Cabba, and Pikachu." Professor Kukui explained.
"Music to my ears. Eevee-dently! Buizely, Xerneastic!" Principle Oak made at least three different Pokemon facial expressions.
"The Cross Chop of friendship is always a critical hit, don't you think?" Principle Oak asked.
Principle Oak turned to the professor. "Professor, you'll be taking part of the festivities, right?"
"For sure, very soon." Kukui looked down at Rockruff. "Right, Rockruff?" Rockruff happily barked. "Rockruff!" Professor Kukui turned back to the Principle. "The truth of it is, I'm part of their fourth surprise."
"You are? Now, I see." Principle Oak said. Then a thought came to him. "By the way, have you seen Chimchar around? I haven't Horsean him all day."
Professor Kukui chuckled and held up a Poke Ball. "I wouldn't worry about him. He and I went over this surprise while Ash and Cabba were asleep."
Flashback:
Ash, Pikachu, and Cabba just went to sleep for the night.
Professor Kukui was about to hit the sack himself, but he noticed that Chimchar was sitting down with a couple of things in his hands. "Chimchar?"
Curious, the professor walked over to the sad Chimp Pokemon to get a closer look at what he was holding. In the Fire-Type's left hand was a Poke Ball with a fire symbol on the top front. In his right hand was a picture of himself and his deceased trainer Lucas. (A/N: For those of you with questions, yes this is indeed the Male protagonist from the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl games.)
The picture was a bit wrecked because of the plane crash, but it still showed a good image of Lucas and Chimchar smiling at each other. Looking at the picture, Chimchar couldn't help but sigh in sadness. He gently ran a hand through the part of the picture that had Lucas' smiling face, after he let his Poke Ball go of course. He really missed Lucas so much. He couldn't help but remember what Cabba told them about his planet and his race, and he realized that Professor Kukui was right when he said the two of them have something in common: Both Chimchar and Cabba lost someone close to them, even if one lost a lot more than the other.
"So, you still thinking about what Cabba told us about the Saiyans, aren't you?" Professor Kukui got the Fire-Type's attention. "Chim." Chimchar sadly nodded.
Professor Kukui sat down next to Chimchar and gently petted the Fire-Type. "Well, I did say you two have something in common. Perhaps it's best for you and Cabba to give each other a Helping Hand."
"Char?" Chimchar asked. Professor Kukui turned his head to give Chimchar and assuring smile. "I know it's hard to replace him, but I've talked to both Professor Rowan and Lucas before he came to Alola, and you know what kind of person he was. Lucas and Professor Rowan would've wanted you to move on and be happy. And to be honest...I have a feeling you're gonna need Cabba just as much as he's gonna need you. What do you say?"
Chimchar thought about what the professor was trying to tell him. He did make some good points, both Chimchar and Cabba did go through the pain of losing something, even if Chimchar lost a trainer and a good friend, but Cabba lost his entire home planet and possibly the rest of his race. As he looked down at his Poke Ball and his picture again, Chimchar's look turned serious. "Char." The Chimp Pokemon nodded, making a decision.
Professor Kukui smiled and nodded. Seams like he knows what Chimchar's choice is.
Flashback ends:
Back at the track, Cabba and Kiawe were neck and neck as they reached the finish line...but Kiawe managed to finish first.
"It was a tight race, but Kiawe wins!" Mallow declared.
Ash sighed. "Oh man, Cabba was so close."
Cabba smiled a little. "Oh well, that was still a good race." Kiawe looked back to the Saiyan. "You rode pretty well." Cabba smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, Kiawe." They both got off the two Normal-Type Pokemon. Once he was off, Cabba gave the Tauros he rode a gentle petting. "You were great, Tauros. Thank you." Tauros smiled and mooed at the Saiyan.
Pikachu looked and saw someone coming their way. "Pika?" Everyone else looked and saw Professor Kukui walking over to them.
"Huh? Professor Kukui?" Ash smiled once he saw the Rock-Type the professor was holding. "Hey, Rockruff."
Xandra grinned as she walked over to stand next to the professor. "You two ready?"
"Ready for what?" Cabba asked in confusion. He and Ash were standing next to each other now.
"You two are now looking at your fourth surprise." Professor Kukui told them.
"Huh!?" Ash and Cabba surprised.
"That's right. Your surprise is a Pokemon Battle against me and Professor Kukui." Xandra added.
"Ah, I almost forgot!" Professor Kukui pulled a Poke Ball out of his pocket. "Here ya go, Cabba. A present for you!" He tossed the ball into the air. Cabba caught it without a problem...but as soon as he caught it, the ball opened up and something appeared in a flash of light.
To their surprise, what came out of the ball was Chimchar. "Char Chaimchar!" The Fire-Type Pokemon was now happily sitting on Cabba's shoulder.
"Chimchar!?" Cabba asked in shock. "I wondered were he was." Kiawe added.
Mallow giggled. "You two look like a great team."
"Professor, what's going on?" Cabba asked. "Think of it as our way of welcoming you to the world of Pokemon, Cabba. Now you're a Pokemon Trainer yourself." The professor grinned.
"Awesome! That's great, Cabba! Now you can have Pokemon battles too!" Ash happily exclaimed. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.
Cabba looked unsure, but his mind went back to what he told them yesterday about his race. Once his mind went back to Chimchar's loss, it became clear to him. So he gave the professor a grateful smile. "Thank you, Professor Kukui. I promise I'll take good care of Chimchar." As he petted his new Pokemon, he whispered something to him. "Thank you as well, Chimchar." Chimchar just smiled and nodded.
Lillie was surprised. "I guess this means Chimchar's got a new trainer now." Kiawe crossed his arms. "Seems like Chimchar saw something special in Cabba and that made him want to be his first Pokemon."
Sophocles raised an eyebrow. "Something special? You mean that tail he has for some reason?" Kiawe blinked a couple of times. "Huh? His tail?"
The girls looked back over at Cabba's tail. Lillie shrieked a little. "He really does have a tail!" Mallow was dumbfound. "How did we not notice that before?" Lana blinked. "Interesting."
Xandra blinked a couple of times before she and Muddy looked at each other. But she quickly shook her head to get everyone back on track. "Anyway, back to the surprise at hand!"
Professor Kukui nodded. "If Pikachu and Chimchar agree, let's have a Pokemon battle!"
Pikachu and Chimchar nodded their heads. Ash was excited. "A Pokemon battle? And against Professor Kukui and Xandra! All right! This is the best surprise of all!"
"Looks like it'll be our first official battle as Pokemon and trainer. Ready?" Cabba asked. Chimchar nodded. "Char!"
Mallow suddenly stopped them. "Before that...I'm the poster girl for my family's restaurant, so that means I'm going to prepare us all a little lunch."
"Lunchtime?" After he asked that, Ash's stomach growled. "Come to think of it, I'm starving." "Yeah." both Kiawe and Sophocles moaned in agreement. Lillie, Xandra, and Lana smiled nervously.
The sound of a stomach growling was heard, one that was a little louder than Ash's. Everyone looked to a blushing Cabba. The Saiyan laughed a little. "I guess I'm kinda hungry myself." Chimchar giggled a little at his new trainer's reaction.
Everyone was sitting on the outside cafeteria tables when Mallow brought out the dishes she made for them. "Lunch is served!" She passed the dishes to the trainers and Professor Kukui.
Once the students and the teacher got their food, Mallow took out a large bowl of Pokemon Food she made with the recipe Lillie gave her. "Here! Eat up, everyone!" The Pokemon were ecstatic once they saw the food in front of them. Once they sniffed it, they began to happily eat lunch.
"Yummy?" Lana asked Popplio. Popplio gave a happy nod. "I'm glad."
"You know what? I followed your Pokemon Food recipe, and it worked." Mallow told Lillie, complimenting her for the help. Lillie smiled. "It's tasty, but it's also healthy Pokemon Food."
Ash seemed to be enjoying his meal. "Delish!" he called out. "Yeah, it's good!" Kiawe agreed. Sophocles smiled. "Mallow's restaurant is good. I don't like to eat anywhere else."
Cabba's happily enjoying his meal. "This is really good stuff. You're a great cook, Mallow." The compliment made Mallow giggle a little. "Thanks, Cabba."
Suddenly, a loud cry caught their attention, mainly Ash and Cabba. They both turned to see where it came from. "You hear that guys?" Ash stood up from the table.
Cabba got up and looked around carefully. "It couldn't be...could it?" Something appeared right in front of Ash's face! Blinking a couple of times, Ash yelped and took a few steps back.
Everyone gasped and widened their eyes as they looked at what was in front of them. "Melemele Island's Guardian, Tapu Koko!" Lillie was right. In front of them was indeed the Guardian Deity of Melemele Island, Tapu Koko! "What a sight..." Mallow said breathlessly. "Beautiful..." Was the only thing Lana could say. Xandra was left speechless.
Professor Kukui was stunned to see the Melemele guardian in front of him. The Pokemon, on the other hand, were happy to see Tapu Koko.
Cabba kept a serious face as he looked at Tapu Koko. The question on his mind: Why would Tapu Koko appear before them this time?
Ash walked over to the guardian in a friendly way. "It's great to see you. I didn't get a chance to thank you for the ring. So thank you!"
Cabba stepped up. "Uh...yes. Thanks for the rings. But I've got to ask you something, Tapu Koko. Why did you give these to me and Ash in the first place?"
Tapu Koko's answer...was a short cry before it zipped out of sight, leaving everyone surprised. It reappeared behind Ash. "Wha-Hey!" Ash tried to see it, but it was too fast, it even took his hat! Tapu Koko played a little joke and placed the hat on Pikachu's head. "Pika!"
Everyone was surprised, Cabba even moved his eyes around rapidly. "It's too fast! I can't keep up with it!" Xandra was in the same boat as him. "Tell me about it!"
Tapu Koko appeared before them again, a ways from the stairs. It was holding not only Ash's hat...but also Cabba's Two-Star Dragon Ball!
Cabba was shocked and checked his armor. "What!? How...When did you get that!?" Tapu Koko just flew off into the forest with the two items in hand.
"Hey! My hat!" Ash ran after Tapu Koko with Pikachu by his side. "Come back here!" Cabba and Chimchar joined the chase. The classmates and Professor Kukui joined the chase as well with the Pokemon in their arms.
Tapu Koko led Ash and Cabba deeper into the forest. It wore Ash's hat and kept a firm grip on Cabba's Dragon Ball. "Hey! Wait up!" Ash shouted. "Come back with the Dragon Ball!" Cabba shouted.
"Ash, Cabba, slow down!" Mallow called out to them. She, Xandra, Lana, and Kiawe easily made it over a log that was in the way. Lillie and Professor Kukui stayed behind to help Sophocles over the log. "Just...a little farther!" Professor Kukui called. With one last push, Sophocles made it over...and landed on the ground face first.
Ash and Cabba ran over to where Tapu Koko disappeared. They looked around for the island guardian. "Where is it? Where did it go?" Ash asked. "Tapu Koko?" Cabba asked.
After the questions, Tapu Koko appeared before them again. It placed the hat on Ash's head and the Dragon Ball in Cabba's hand. The boys were confused, but Tapu Koko flew back a little and made a fighting stance to both of them. "Hey...What's going on?" Ash asked. Cabba's eyes began to widen in realization. "That stance...Ash, I think Tapu Koko wants to have a battle with us." The others caught up them and they heard what the Saiyan just said.
"A battle?" Kiawe asked. Sophocles, Lillie, and Professor Kukui finally caught up to them.
"Well, Professor, it's looks like we're not their fourth surprise after all." Xandra told Professor Kukui. He nodded in agreement. "Guess it's Tapu Koko instead."
"I read about this sort of thing once before. It's said that Tapu Koko is a very curious Pokemon. Long ago, it would challenge the islanders to a Pokemon Battle and Alolan sumo too!" Lillie explained.
Ash looked over at Tapu Koko. "All right, you got yourself a deal. Let's have a battle now!" "Pika!" Pikachu got ready for battle.
Cabba looked at Chimchar and then back at Tapu Koko with a serious look on his face. "I thought for sure that Xandra and Professor Kukui were going to be my first opponents as a trainer, but I guess not. I'm honored to have the Island Guardian of Melemele Island be my first test as a Pokemon Trainer, and I promise to do my absolute best against you!" Cabba gave Tapu Koko a little bow. "Chimchar!" Chimchar got ready to fight.
"Koko!" Thrilled, Tapu Koko made an electrical field around them. It surprised both Ash and Cabba. "What is this?" the latter asked.
"It's Electric Terrain.." Professor Kukui said. "Ash, Cabba! Electric-Type attacks will be more powerful as long as Electric Terrain is in effect!" Lillie explained.
Cabba nodded. "I see. Thanks, Lillie!" He looked down at his Pokemon. "Chimchar, don't let your guard down!" Chimchar nodded. "Char!"
Ash grinned. "That's lucky for us! We're ready!"
Tapu Koko started the battle by charging in to slam not just Pikachu, but Chimchar as well. "Pika Pi!" They both got hit by the guardian. They both groaned.
Tapu Koko was now surrounded by a rainbow of light and was coming down for them again. "Down, Pikachu!" Ash shouted. "Chimchar, watch out!" Cabba warned. The two Pokemon got out of the way just in time. "Now, let's show them all what we can do! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash called out. Pikachu let out a Thunderbolt attack, it's more powerful thanks to Electric Terrain.
Remembering the moves Chimchar knows, thanks to Professor Kukui, Cabba gave his own command. "We've got your back, Ash! Chimchar, use your Ember attack!" Chimchar jumped up and fired his Ember attack at Tapu Koko.
Tapu Koko blocked both attacks with its shield like arms, shocking the two boys. "Oh no!" Cabba gasped. "Both Thunderbolt and Ember didn't do a thing!" Ash added.
The others were bewildered. "Tapu Koko's just too strong." Kiawe bit his lip.
Tapu Koko charged in again, but instead of going for Pikachu and Chimchar...it went right for Ash and Cabba! Xandra gasped. "Look out!"
They both raised their arms in front of them...only for Tapu Koko to tap the Z-Crystals on their wrists. Ash and Cabba, while confused, looked and saw their Electrium-Z and Firium-Z glowing. "You mean...?" Ash started. "You want us to try and use them?" Cabba finished. Tapu Koko nodded yes to answer the question.
"The Z-Ring and Electrium-Z." Ash muttered. "The Firium-Z." Cabba muttered. "Tapu Koko!" Tapu Koko told them.
"Heh...I have no idea how to do it, but I'll give it a try! Alright, Pikachu! Let's show our Z-Move!" Ash called out. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed.
Cabba saw how determined both Ash and Pikachu are, so he nodded before turning to his own partner. "Well, if Ash's willing to try it, then I'll use it too! You ready, Chimchar?" Chimchar nodded seriously. "Char Chimchar!"
"Oh Ash...Cabba..." Mallow muttered, worried. Sophocles was unsure. "Can they do it? I wonder..."
While Tapu Koko was giving the move instructions to Ash and Pikachu, Chimchar got Cabba to follow his lead. The Saiyan was even thinking back to when he first saw Kiawe use the Fire-Type Z-Move. Ash and Pikachu followed Tapu Koko's example for the Electric-Type move while Cabba made the same movements that Chimchar was showing him.
"Go, Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu finished off the pose. "Pika!"
"Give it your best shot, Chimchar!" Cabba and Chimchar finished their pose as well. "Chim!"
They both gathered up energy. For Pikachu, a spear of electricity appeared before him. For Chimchar, he raised his hands and summoned a powerful ball of fire.
"Full power! YAAAAAHH!" Both Ash and Pikachu punched the air while Pikachu smacked the electricity over to Tapu Koko.
"With everything we've got! INFERNO OVERDRIVE, GOOOO!" Cabba shouted. Chimchar cried out and tossed the fire ball at Tapu Koko. As they got closer, the two Z-Moves merged with each other.
"That's Inferno Overdrive and the Electric-Type Z-Move!" Kiawe pointed out in shock. He and the others were surprised by the amount of power coming from them both. "That was Gigavolt Havoc! Wow!" Professor Kukui added.
Tapu Koko caws as the combined attack came at it, creating a big explosion. While Ash, Cabba, and their Pokemon stood their ground, some of the others behind them held on to each other. "Huh? That's a Z-Move? Oh man..." Ash grunted. "And this is two Z-Moves combined! What power!" Cabba grunted. Suddenly their Z-Crystal shattered, leaving them both with just the Z-Rings.
Pikachu and Chimchar panted. As the dust settled, everyone saw that Tapu Koko placed it's two shield arms together to protect itself. "Huh!?" Ash and Cabba asked in shock. Tapu Koko revealed that no damage was done to it.
"Huh...? What's going on?" Ash asked. "Tapu Koko." Cabba carefully took a step forward...only for Tapu Koko to let out a cry before taking off into the air and out of sight. Ash, Cabba, Pikachu, and Chimchar were left bewildered. "Tapu Koko. Wow." Ash muttered.
"Ash! Cabba! Are you two okay?" Mallow ran over to the two of them. "Huh? Yeah." Ash answered. "We're okay." Cabba added. "That's incredible! I can't believe how strong you two are together with Pikachu and Chimchar!" Mallow said.
"Well, honestly, I didn't expect the Z-Move to work out so well." Cabba admitted. Kiawe and Xandra walked over to check on the Z-Rings. "What happened to your Z-Crystals?" Kiawe asked. Ash and Cabba looked at their Z-Rings...and noticed that their crystals are gone. "They disintegrated. It's like they weren't there when Tapu Koko gave you the rings." Xandra noticed.
Kiawe folded his arms. "That means it's too soon for either one of you to use Z-Moves." He told Cabba and Ash. Xandra agreed with a serious nod. "Kiawe's right, guys. Neither one have passed an Island Challenge trial yet."
Ash grinned. "Alright then. I'll take the Island Challenge trial! I'll get another Z-Crystal, and then I'll be able to use Z-Moves the right way!" The others were surprised by the declaration.
Cabba looked back at his Z-Ring. "I'll admit, I'm curious about the Island Challenge myself." He smiled and looked back at his classmates and teacher. "So, as long as I'm here in Alola, I'll take part in the Island Challenge myself. If I do that, then it might help strengthen my own skills as a Martial Artist."
"Your own skills?" Lana asked in confusion. "While I was performing the Fire-Type Z-Move, it was as if I was fighting Tapu Koko in Chimchar's place. Something about this place seems to help strengthen my own power as well as my Pokemon. So, I'm going to try the Island Challenge as a form of starting my own training from square one." Cabba explained.
"Well, those reasons make sense." Professor Kukui chuckled.
Mallow smiled. "Well, that sounds perfect! We'll all be cheering for you two! Right, gang?"
"Okay!" Lana said. "Pop!" Popplio agreed.
Lillie smiled and nodded. "Of course we will."
"Togedemaru and I know a lot about Electric-Types. Yeah, tons of stuff!" Sophocles agreed.
Xandra grinned. "When it comes to Martial Arts training, I'd be more than happy to help with that." "Kip Mudkip!" Muddy agreed.
The only one left was a stiff Kiawe. "Please?" Ash begged. "Come on." Mallow teased. Kiawe sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, if I have to...Other than Xandra, I'm the only one with a Z-Ring."
"That's awesome! Thanks you guys!" Ash said with a grin. Cabba gave them a grateful bow. "We really appreciate it."
"No problem. In return, maybe you can help us look for the rest of the Dragon Balls." Xandra said with a wink.
Cabba nodded. "Of course we will." Ash agreed right away. "Yeah! I want to see this Eternal Dragon with my own eyes!" The Pokemon voiced in their own agreement.
Ash, Cabba, Pikachu, and Chimchar have found not one, but two goals in Alola: Taking the Island Challenge and helping Xandra and the rest of their classmates find the remaining five Dragon Balls! Both the Kanto Trainer and the Saiyan Warrior have taken a big step in their new adventure. Who will they meet along the way? Is the legend of the Dragon Balls true? The journey continues next time on Pokemon Super: Sun & Moon!
Cabba's Pokemon Team (So far):
1. Chimchar (M) (Scratch, Leer, Ember)
Xandra's Pokemon Team (So far):
1. Muddy (Mudkip) (M) (Tackle, Growl, Water Gun, Mud Slap)