1. Ash's Story (Part 9: Alola)

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!"