Adventure on Treasure Island

by Jeanette Lane

  Ash held out his arms and examined them again. “That’s why my scratches are gone,” he told the others.

  Next, Rotom Dex switched screens. “Wimpod,” it said. “The Turn Tail Pokémon. A Bug-Water-type. From beaches to seabeds, Wimpod live in all kinds of places. They eat anything, even if it’s rotten. They’re nature’s vacuum cleaners!”

  Ash nodded, taking it all in.

  “You see, Tapu Lele is the Island Guardian of Akala Island. And meeting it was a stroke of luck!” said Professor Kukui.

  “Yeah, I wanna see it again! Think I can?” Ash asked.

  “If your luck holds out,” his professor answered honestly.

  “Nah, I don’t need luck. No way! I’ll see it again. We’ll see it again!” Ash looked around at his friends. He felt very confident. He wanted to share his excitement with everyone—Pikachu, Rowlet, Rotom Dex, Rockruff. “You guys can all meet it, okay?”

  On days like these, Ash felt like there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do.

  Of course, things did not always go as planned. The very next morning, he found himself facing a new challenge.

  Ash had gone to the market with Pikachu, Rockruff, and Rotom Dex. As usual, he had bought too much stuff and was having a hard time carrying it all. As he juggled the bags, a doughnut tumbled out and rolled over to the shop’s owner.

  “Alola, young man!” she said. “Out on errands?”

  Ash knew her! She was friends with Litten. “Yes,” he replied with a smile.

  “This is yours,” she said, holding out the doughnut.

  Ash reached over to take it. Out of nowhere, Litten sprang up and snatched the doughnut away! It was just like old times. Litten was up to its usual tricks!

  “Litten! How are you?” Ash was not upset that Litten stole the food. In fact, he was happy to see the pesky little Pokémon again.

  Litten, however, did not seem as pleased to see Ash again. Instead of mewing a hello, it dashed off without a sound.

  Ash and the others took off, too, hoping to track down the Pokémon.

  Litten was as swift as always. It bounded through a crowd in the town square and went down cobblestone alleys. Ash and his team would not give up! But as they came to a bridge, Litten was nowhere to be seen.

  “What? Where?” Ash gasped, trying to catch his breath.

  “Pika! Pika! Pika!” Pikachu was pointing over the side of the bridge.

  “What is it, Pikachu?” Ash asked, looking down. He saw a flight of steps leading to a lower level. There was a stone walkway that went along the side of the canal.

  “Pika, pika!” Pikachu replied, pointing.

  That’s when Ash noticed Litten, leaping down the last steps.

  “Look at that! So that’s where Litten went,” Ash declared.

  “I can see Stoutland as well!” Rotom Dex announced.

  Ash was not surprised to see that Litten and the much older Stoutland were still sticking together. The two Pokémon were pretty much inseparable. Litten immediately set the doughnut on the sofa where Stoutland was resting. Stoutland gobbled it up gratefully.

  As soon as Stoutland was done, Litten trotted toward an old stump on the walkway. The Pokémon took a battle stance and placed its four legs evenly. Litten leaned forward with its tail in the air. It was ready for a practice battle!

  Before Litten could start its attack, Stoutland interrupted it. While still stretched out on the sofa, Stoutland arched its back. A bright red flame appeared along its spine. Then it grunted and sprang upward.

  “I’ve seen that move before!” Ash exclaimed.

  “It’s using Fire Fang!” Rotom Dex announced, sounding just as thrilled as Ash.

  As Stoutland soared through the air, orange fire appeared to fill its mouth. Stoutland landed on the walkway and clenched the stump in its teeth. Brilliant orange flames roared from its mouth. With a blast of smoke, the stump was gone.

  Stoutland very slowly made its way back to the sofa. Exhausted, it sighed and collapsed on the cushions.

  Litten went back to its place on the walkway. This time, it took its battle position in front of a giant tree.

  “Stoutland, stout,” Stoutland grumbled, giving the younger Pokémon advice.

  Litten took its stance and pounced. Fire burst from Litten’s mouth, just as it had from Stoutland’s. A red glow surrounded Litten. As the Pokémon came in for a landing, it latched its fangs on the tree.

  But … nothing else happened. The flames died down, and Litten landed—splat—on the walkway.

  After watching Stoutland complete a Fire Fang attack—and Litten try but not quite succeed—Ash and his team hurried down the stairs to the canal below. Ash wanted to check on the two Pokémon before Litten had a chance to rush off again.

  “Hey, Stoutland,” Ash said as he approached the elderly Pokémon. “How are you?”

  Stoutland gave Ash a long look, and Litten grumbled. Litten seemed surprised that Ash and the others had found them. But Ash and Litten had a history. Litten should have known that Ash wouldn’t give up that easily. He was genuinely concerned about the Fire Cat Pokémon.

  “So, Litten,” Ash began, “I guess you’re practicing Fire Fang, aren’t you?”

  But a loud series of coughs from Stoutland drew Ash’s attention back to the Big-Hearted Pokémon. “Stoutland?” Ash asked. “Are you all right?”

  Pikachu and Rockruff looked concerned, too.

  “Stoutland, stout.” It was clear that Stoutland did not want anyone to worry. It wanted to be as independent as Litten! Maybe that’s why the two got along so well.

  “Oh, yeah!” Ash said, searching through one of his bags. “I just bought some Berries. See? How about we split them?”

  Before Ash could find the Berries, Litten zapped him with an Ember move.

  “Yee-owch!” Ash cried, his face burning with Litten’s surprise attack. Ash rushed over to dunk his face in the water of the canal.

  Stoutland scolded its young friend. After all, Ash was just trying to be nice.

  Ash looked up from where he was bent over the canal. Water was streaming down his face. “Litten hasn’t changed a bit, huh?”

  Litten did not look sorry. It looked like it was more determined than ever to master its new, more difficult move—Fire Fang.

  Ash and the others agreed it was time to call it a day, so they headed back to Professor Kukui’s. There, they talked about their meeting with Stoutland and Litten while they put away the food from the market.

  Professor Kukui was fascinated by the special relationship between Stoutland and Litten. Rotom Dex shared a video that it had recorded. The video showed the two Pokémon working on their Fire Fang technique.

  “That is rare,” Ash’s teacher declared. “You almost never see Pokémon of two different types practicing moves together.” He leaned closer to Rotom Dex’s screen. “See that? Their backs are both rounded. This is what they do to build up their energy.”

  “Yeah,” responded Ash. “Come to think of it, they did that a lot.”

  “Pika,” Pikachu agreed with Ash.

  “That Stoutland is taking awfully good care of that Litten, all right,” Professor Kukui said.

  Ash agreed with the professor, but he also believed that Litten was taking good care of Stoutland.

  The next day, Ash and Pikachu were walking home from the Pokémon School. As usual, Rotom Dex hovered next to them.

  “I think we should go back and see Litten again soon,” said Ash. “We can take some Berries.”

  “Pikachu!” Pikachu thought it was a great idea, yet Rotom Dex looked wary. Would Litten and Stoutland be happy to see Ash and his crew?

  Before there was any time to think about it, Team Rocket—Ash’s longtime enemies—stepped right into their path.

  “What do you want?” Ash asked, putting his hands on his hips.

  Jessie flipped her long, pink hair. “Prepare for trouble,” she announced. “You’re such a twerp bore.”

  “And then make it do
uble,” James chimed in. “I couldn’t agree more!”

  Team Rocket loved making a dramatic entrance.

  “Team Rocket,” Jessie and James declared. “Let’s fight!”

  “That’s right!” cried Meowth, their Pokémon partner.

  “Wobbuffet!” Another of Team Rocket’s Pokémon, Wobbuffet, always agreed with Jessie, James, and Meowth.

  Suddenly, a fire ball surrounded Team Rocket. They yelped in surprise, and Litten appeared. It bounded up to Ash and the others.

  “Pika, pika?” Pikachu was instantly worried.

  Litten stopped at Ash’s feet and called out to him, its yellow eyes big with concern.

  “It doesn’t sound good,” Ash admitted.

  “Stop!” Jessie cried, annoyed.

  “Interrupting is rude!” James added.

  “That’s the grub-grabber,” Meowth realized, recognizing Litten. It had stolen Team Rocket’s food in the past.

  Ash had no time for Team Rocket’s silly threats. “Pikachu, use Electro Ball!” he directed.

  Pikachu jumped up and shot an Electro Ball at Team Rocket. Then it raced off with Ash and the others. They needed to see why Litten was so worried.

  Team Rocket was offended. They had hoped for a good, fun fight. “Let’s retreat and regroup,” James suggested.

  “Meowth, come along,” Jessie called.

  But Meowth wasn’t thinking about the fight. He had something else on his mind. “No, thanks,” Meowth replied. “I’m going to deal with this.”

  Stoutland!” Ash called as soon as he spotted Stoutland. It was sprawled out on the walkway under the bridge of the canal, and something was not right. It was clear the Big-Hearted Pokémon was in distress.

  “It’s having trouble breathing!” Rotom Dex observed.

  “This is what you were so worried about, right?” Ash confirmed with Litten.

  “Ra-raow.” Litten looked Ash right in the eye.

  “Don’t worry! We’ll get Stoutland to a Pokémon Center right away!” Ash sounded very sure of himself as he bent down to lift Stoutland onto his back.

  “You’re going to carry it?” Rotom Dex asked.

  “What else can I do?” Ash replied, grunting under the Pokémon’s weight. “Stoutland’s not heavy.”

  Ash hunched forward, draping Stoutland’s enormous front paws over his shoulders.

  “Pika, pika,” Pikachu put in.

  “But it’s still big,” Ash admitted. He was determined not to let Litten down. “Don’t worry, Litten!” he said, moving toward the stairs. “Stoutland will be better in no time.”

  The group was so concerned that they did not even realize they had passed Meowth as they left the canal walkway. The Scratch Cat Pokémon watched them go. Then he followed them.

  Ash kept his promise to Litten. Soon they’d reached a Pokémon Center. The workers there helped Stoutland into a room right away. They used special machines to check on the Pokémon’s heart and breathing.

  Litten was not permitted to go into the room with Stoutland during Nurse Joy’s exam. The Fire Cat Pokémon watched everything through a large window. Ash, Pikachu, and Rotom Dex waited right by Litten’s side.

  As soon as the doors opened and Nurse Joy came out to speak to Ash, Litten slipped inside. It jumped up on the exam table and began licking its friend’s face.

  “Hi, Nurse Joy,” Ash said. “Is Stoutland going to be all right?”

  Nurse Joy paused. “Stoutland isn’t hurt, and it doesn’t have any serious illnesses,” she tried to explain. “It’s just …” Nurse Joy paused again, searching for the right words. “Well, Stoutland is …”

  Ash realized what Nurse Joy was trying to say. Ash had known that Stoutland was much older than Litten, but he wasn’t sure exactly how old Stoutland was. “Do you think Litten knows?” he asked Nurse Joy.

  “I think Litten can sense the truth,” she responded, looking back into the exam room at the two Pokémon.

  Ash took a deep breath. He wondered what it would mean for Litten. He wondered if he could do anything for its friend.

  A little while later, Ash called Professor Kukui to ask permission to stay at the Pokémon Center overnight. That way, he could watch over Stoutland and Litten.

  “I agree,” Professor Kukui said. “You should stay with Stoutland tonight.”

  “Thank you, Professor,” Ash replied with relief.

  “It’s obvious Litten thinks you’re a human it can trust,” Professor Kukui added. He sounded proud of his student. “Otherwise, it never would have come to you for help like that. Do what you can.”

  “Right,” Ash answered.

  After he hung up, Ash hurried to the market. Litten and Stoutland would need food for dinner. He decided that he, Rotom Dex, and Pikachu would buy the most delicious-looking Berries they could find. That might help Stoutland and Litten feel better!

  As soon as Ash and his Pokémon returned, they headed for Stoutland’s exam room. “Check out the Berries I brought for you two,” he announced as he opened the door.

  But the exam room was empty. Stoutland and Litten were gone!

  “Oh no, it can’t be!” Rotom Dex cried. “Considering Stoutland’s condition, they couldn’t have gone far.”

  “I know where they went,” Ash said, dropping his bag and rushing for the door. “Let’s go!”

  “Pika!” Pikachu agreed.

  The three friends rushed out and headed down a narrow street. At once, a dark figure appeared in front of them. They skidded to a stop.

  “It’s Meowth,” Ash said.

  The Pokémon stood his ground, squinting at them.

  “Hey, what do you want?” Ash asked. He didn’t have time for a one-on-one battle with Meowth!

  “I’ve got a bone to pick with the two of you,” Meowth replied. “Litten’s the kind of Pokémon that never gives up. So you twerps better make sure you never give up on Litten, got it?”

  “What are you talking about?” Ash asked.

  “I’m done,” Meowth declared. “Don’t forget it!” Then he dashed off without another word.

  “Man, that was weird,” Ash said. Pikachu and Rotom Dex agreed.

  But they were glad to hear Meowth was looking out for Litten, too. They vowed to stay true to the Fire Cat Pokémon. They would not give up on Litten.

  Ash and his friends were not going to give up on Litten … or Stoutland. Still, Ash decided to let the two Pokémon have some time alone. Ash had taken Stoutland to the Pokémon Center. He had done all he could do to help. For now, Ash and the others went back to Professor Kukui’s house.

  The next day was cloudy. Ash, Professor Kukui, and their Pokémon friends headed out for the canal. They were going to check on Litten and Stoutland.

  By the time they arrived, it was raining.

  “Litten!” Ash called as soon as he saw Litten. It was sitting in the rain, crying. And it was all alone.

  “Professor, where’s Stoutland?” Rotom Dex asked.

  “I’m sorry,” the professor responded sadly.

  Litten walked back under the bridge and jumped up on the sofa it had shared with Stoutland. It wouldn’t even look at Ash and the others.

  “Litten …” Ash said, but Litten ignored him. It was clear the Pokémon wanted to be left alone.

  Ash wasn’t sure what to do. When it stopped raining, he decided to visit Litten’s friend in the market. The shop lady gave Ash a lovely bag of Berries.

  “Please take these to our friend,” she said.

  “I sure will. I hope these will cheer Litten up,” Ash replied. He went to find Litten right away.

  “Bet you’re hungry. It’s from the lady in the shop. She said you can come by anytime,” Ash told Litten.

  “Pikachu,” Pikachu confirmed.

  Most of all, Ash, Pikachu, and the others wanted Litten to know it could come to them. They wanted Litten to know that they cared.

  It rained a lot over the next few days. Ash thought about Litten all the time: during classes
at the Pokémon School; during long walks in the rain; at dinner.

  Litten had another visitor during those long, sad days, an unexpected visitor: Meowth.

  “You can talk to me anytime, you know,” Meowth told Litten. “See, sometimes talking things out can really help.”

  But even Meowth could not get Litten to talk.

  Ash was worried about the stubborn young Pokémon. It hadn’t eaten in days!

  Ash decided that he could be stubborn, too. He came up with a plan.

  “Litten?” Ash said the next time he went to visit. “We’re going to hang out here until you decide to eat.”

  “Pika,” Pikachu agreed. It could be very stubborn, too.

  “Professor Kukui said it was all right, so you’re stuck with us,” Ash explained. Then he sat down and offered Litten a Berry.

  Meowth had been hiding in the shadows. When he heard Ash’s plan, he was impressed. “Crazy twerp,” Meowth murmured.

  Ash and his crew stayed that whole day, and they stayed the whole night.

  The next morning, the rain had stopped. When Litten woke up, it heard something rustle nearby. When it went to see what it was, Litten noticed an amazing rainbow reaching across the sky—the colors were so pure and bright.

  Then, just behind the rainbow, a cloud seemed to change shape. When Litten looked closely, it could see the face of Stoutland in the cloud! Stoutland seemed to be looking down at Litten with a kind, reassuring expression.

  Ash and Pikachu came over to see what Litten was up to.

  Something changed for Litten in that moment. It took one last look at the cloud before it changed shape again. Then, the Fire Cat Pokémon ran to the bag of fruit that Ash had brought. It grabbed a Berry, carried it over, and placed it in front of Ash.

  “For me?” Ash questioned. “I think you should go on and eat first.” He pushed the fruit in front of Litten.