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

Chapter 8: Litten's Burden

A new day in Alola began with sunlight across the mansion windows and Nebby staying safely at home.

Lillie checked the bag twice before leaving it with my parents, even though Nebby was not inside it today. Dad promised to watch the little Cosmog carefully, and Mom promised that anyone trying to cause trouble would have to get past her first.

That should have sounded funny. After everything connected to Ultra Space, it mostly made Lillie breathe easier.

We left for school with Trenor, Selene, Nate, and Rosa, taking the path toward town while our Pokemon stretched beside us. Pikachu walked on my shoulder, Rowlet dozed inside its hood-like feathers, and Pikipek watched every fence post like it wanted to test the wood.

Selene walked near the back with Popplio and Alolan Grimer. Grimer slid carefully along the side of the path, stopping whenever Selene told it to avoid something someone might step in later.

"You are already training it in manners," Rosa said.

Selene smiled. "Mostly I am training myself to notice what it notices."

Before Rosa could answer, a dark shape appeared on a low wall ahead of us.

A Litten stared down at us with red eyes, its tail flicking like it had already judged everyone and found us slightly disappointing. I had seen it before, around school, near the restaurant, and once watching Kukui's lab from a distance.

"A Litten," Trenor said. "We have seen that one quite often."

The Litten jumped down and walked toward me with surprising calm. It brushed against my leg once, then looked up with an almost affectionate expression.

Lillie softened immediately. "I wonder if it is hungry."

"I have a croquette sandwich for lunch," I said, reaching into my bag. "Maybe it wants a little."

The moment the sandwich came out, Litten sprang.

It grabbed the whole thing in its mouth and bolted down the path.

"Hey! That is mine!" I shouted.

Litten stopped just long enough to twist back and swipe my hand with Scratch before darting away again.

"Ash!" Lillie caught my wrist. "Are you all right?"

"It is a good thing I packed other food," I muttered, looking at the scratch.

Pikachu glared down the path, sparks snapping at his cheeks.

"Leave it for now," I said. "That Litten knows where it is going."

Selene frowned after it. "That did not feel like simple stealing."

Nate adjusted his bag. "It felt like a routine."

Rosa nodded. "Then the question is not why it stole. It is who it is feeding."

The words followed me all the way to school. I kept replaying the way Litten had taken the whole sandwich instead of eating beside us. It had not acted like a hungry Pokemon finding a quick meal. It had acted like someone with a destination.

At school, the Litten became the first topic anyone wanted to discuss.

Mallow looked worried when I explained what happened. "That Litten comes near my family's restaurant often. It never stays long, but it watches the kitchen door."

Sophocles tapped his fingers together. "It does not really like interacting with people. Togedemaru tried to roll closer once, and Litten vanished before I blinked."

"Kiawe saw it at the market stealing berries," Lana added. "He said it moved like it knew every stall."

Kiawe folded his arms. "Stealing is still stealing, but a Pokemon that repeats a path usually has a reason."