Battle for the Z-Ring Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Sneak Peek

  Copyright

  For ten-year-old Ash Ketchum, every day was a step on his grand journey to becoming a Pokémon Master. Since he’d arrived in the Alola region, Ash had enrolled in the Pokémon School, where he and Pikachu had met many new friends and Pokémon. Each and every day, they were learning new things and having exciting adventures.

  Ash and Pikachu loved exploring Alola. One of Ash’s favorite parts of being in a new place was discovering all the new Pokémon. Since they’d first come to Alola, they’d met many new Pokémon friends, and they’d also found a new battling partner for their team. The adorable Rowlet was a Grass- and Flying-type Pokémon with a knack for sneaking up on opponents … and then sleeping away the rest of the day in Ash’s backpack.

  One morning, Ash was on his way to school when he encountered a Pokémon he hadn’t seen before. It stared at him with its intense yellow eyes. Ash gazed right back.

  In no time, Rotom Dex gave Ash the lowdown on the Pokémon. “Litten. The Fire Cat Pokémon,” Rotom Dex announced, hovering in the air just behind Ash. “A Fire-type. Litten show few emotions and prefer being alone.”

  Rotom Dex was a unique companion for Ash. Rotom was a Pokémon that had the ability to live inside various electronic devices. This Rotom was a present from Ash’s teacher, Professor Kukui. Rotom had slipped straight from an electrical outlet and into a Pokédex. Now it was an amazing talking device that kept Ash informed about all the unknown Pokémon in Alola. Ash took Rotom Dex with him almost everywhere.

  Litten stood on top of a stone wall and kept its steely eyes on Ash. Ash knelt down, trying to lure it his way.

  “Litten takes time to build any level of trust,” Rotom Dex told Ash.

  Ash heard Rotom, but he still wanted to try to make friends with the cute Litten.

  Litten jumped down from the wall and approached Ash.

  “Hi. What’s up?” Ash said, holding out his hand.

  Without hesitating, Litten began to rub up against Ash’s knees. Pikachu watched from its perch on Ash’s shoulder.

  “Hey, maybe you’re hungry!” Ash said. He opened his backpack and pulled something out. “See? It’s my lunch,” he explained to the curious Litten.

  Ash was excited about the lunch that Professor Kukui had prepared for him. The professor was not only Ash’s teacher, but he was also his host. Ash was staying with the professor in his cozy island bungalow for the school year. Professor Kukui was an expert on Pokémon, and he could also make a delicious sandwich.

  “Yay! Yummy,” Ash said. He tore off a corner of the sandwich and offered it to Litten. “Here you go. It’s great!”

  “Mrow? Mrow?” Litten looked at the corner of the sandwich in Ash’s one hand, and then it looked at the larger part of the sandwich in Ash’s other hand. All at once, it leaped for the larger chunk of sandwich, swiping it right out of Ash’s hand. Then Litten tried to escape, but not before Ash grabbed its thick tail.

  Litten lashed out with its claws, slapping Ash across the face. Rotom Dex chased it down, but Litten swatted Rotom away with a brisk swish of its tail. Ash, Pikachu, and Rotom Dex watched as Litten trotted off along the stone wall, jumped down, and escaped out of sight.

  It was a rough way to start the morning. Plus, now Ash was running late for school!

  The Pokémon School was on the island of Melemele, which was one of many beautiful tropical islands in the region. Ash had originally visited Melemele on vacation with his mom. With its strong sun, lush forests, long stretches of beach, and fresh, delicious food, the entire Alola region was a paradise.

  Of course, Ash didn’t feel like Melemele was paradise that morning. He was really annoyed about his encounter with Litten. It wasn’t just that he’d lost his lunch. Ash sensed something else in Litten, and he wasn’t sure what it was. He hoped his friends at school might be able to fill him in.

  Wow, so you finally met that Litten,” Mallow said. She was standing by the balcony in their classroom. As she looked out over the ocean, the breeze blew through her long green ponytails.

  “Is it your friend?” Ash questioned.

  “Litten comes up asking for food all the time,” Mallow explained. “It’s so cute!”

  “I fall for it every time!” Lana added. Both Bounsweet and Popplio, Mallow’s and Lana’s Pokémon, cooed in agreement.

  Ash liked Mallow and Lana. He trusted their opinions, but he didn’t feel the same way about Litten.

  “Well, I don’t think it’s so cute,” Ash said. “That’s how I lost most of my sandwich!”

  “You mean Litten stole it?” Lillie asked.

  “You got it,” Ash replied.

  Ash’s classmates laughed and groaned. They weren’t making fun of Ash. They felt bad for him, but the story was pretty funny.

  “That sounds like our Litten, all right,” Lana said.

  “Litten’s not the kind who enjoys dealing with people,” added Sophocles, another classmate. “It takes a long time to warm up to Trainers, too. They say it’s not your average Pokémon.”

  “That’s precisely what I told Ash earlier,” Rotom Dex declared.

  “You could say Litten’s the lone star of Pokémon, right?” said Mallow. “It always seems to be hanging around our restaurant.”

  “I see it in the market, too,” Kiawe said. “It steals all kinds of berries.”

  “Still, Litten is so cute. I just can’t get angry at it.” Mallow shrugged.

  Kiawe, who was the oldest of the students in the class, seemed less enchanted by Litten than the others. He also seemed to understand Ash’s frustration. “So, do you have a plan?” he asked Ash. “To deal with Litten?”

  “Someone should teach it!” Ash insisted. “You don’t mess with a guy’s sandwich!”

  “Wait. Teach it?” Lillie asked. “What are you talking about?”

  Lillie was the one student who didn’t have her own Pokémon. She enjoyed researching Pokémon more than training them.

  “Uh, I know just what to do,” Ash said with certainty. “I’ll catch it!”

  All of Ash’s classmates were surprised. After everything they had told him about Litten, Ash still seemed to think he could get the stubborn, independent Pokémon to join his team.

  * * *

  The next day, Professor Kukui and Ash were shopping at the local outdoor market. They had already bought lots of fresh fruit and vegetables for dinner. The teacher was listing the things they still needed to find when, like a flash, Litten ran by.

  Just as quick, Ash and Pikachu were on its tail.

  “A Litten sighting!” cried Rotom Dex. It began explaining the situation to Professor Kukui.

  Litten was quick … and sneaky. After racing past several fruit stands, Ash and Pikachu had lost track of the little Litten. Where could it have gone?

  “Want to buy some berries, dear?” a kind woman asked Ash. She had gray hair and glasses with thin wire frames.

  Ash quickly turned her down. “No, we were looking for a Litten.” He scanned the area. “There it is!” he exclaimed, locating Litten just inside the woman’s fruit stand. To no one’s surprise, it was eating.

  As soon as Litten saw Ash, it raised its head and growled. Ash clenched his teeth.

  “Now you two,” the shopkeeper said, “let’s play nice.”

  “You give it food?” Ash questioned.

  “In Alola, nature’s bounty is for sharing,” the wo
man said. She bent over and handed Litten a big, juicy berry. “Now, dear, don’t eat too fast. I love to feed you, Litten.”

  Litten looked very content. It trotted off with the berry in its mouth.

  By this time, Professor Kukui had caught up to the others. “Does that Litten come here a lot?” he asked the woman.

  “All the time,” she responded. “A habit, every day. Honestly, I think Litten enjoys looking out for me. That’s why I have berries waiting when it comes by for a visit. Now, let me guess,” she said, turning to Ash, “Litten made off with some of your food, didn’t it?”

  “It sure did!” Ash replied. “My sandwich, specially made!” He felt frustrated all over again. If Litten had eaten his sandwich, why was it still so hungry? Why did it need a bowl of fruit and a big berry, too? And why did so many people like to care for it when it wasn’t very nice to them?

  “Ash,” Professor Kukui said, “I can make you another one.” Like Ash’s classmates, his teacher wasn’t certain why Ash was so upset.

  The shopkeeper laughed to herself. “I have no idea where Litten lives, but it certainly is a dear.”

  The next afternoon, Ash, Pikachu, and Rotom Dex said good-bye to their friends at school and headed for home. They took their usual winding path on a road that looked out over the sea. Melemele Island was so peaceful!

  At least, it was usually peaceful. Ash heard some kind of commotion on the hill below. When Ash peeked over the fence on the side of the road, he saw Litten! It was facing off with a much larger Pokémon.

  “Rotom, who’s that Pokémon?” Ash called out.

  “It’s a Persian,” Rotom Dex responded.

  “Persian? It’s not like any Persian I’ve ever seen,” Ash replied. Ash had learned that some of the local Pokémon had evolved to look very different from the versions that Ash knew from Kanto. Ash was familiar with a tan-colored Persian with a red jewel on its head. The Alolan version was gray, and the gem on its forehead was turquoise. They really did look different.

  “The Alolan Persian is a Dark-type, so it can be cunning with a bit of a mean streak,” Rotom warned.

  “But that means that … it’s gonna …” Ash’s voice trailed off as he watched the action below with concern.

  Persian was advancing toward Litten. Litten was backing away, but it was nearing a steep cliff. Below the cliff, there was only ocean. Litten held a yellow berry in its mouth.

  “Rrrrrraa. Rrrrrraa.” Persian took a step forward, menacing Litten. Then, all at once, Persian used Fury Swipes, knocking Litten clear off its feet.

  “Don’t do it!” Ash yelled as he skidded down the rocky hillside. Pikachu was right at his side. “This has gotta stop! Knock it off!” he scolded Persian. “For a single berry, you’re being way too rough.”

  “Pika!” Pikachu agreed.

  Disgusted, Persian aimed a Power Gem move at them.

  Litten tried to pick up its berry and slip away, but Persian wasn’t done with the Fire Cat Pokémon.

  “Rrrrrraa. Rrrrrraa!” Persian had Litten trapped at the edge of the cliff!

  “I said knock it off!” Ash yelled out. “Pikachu, Electro Ball!”

  Pikachu wound up and pitched an Electro Ball. Persian dodged it. But it was not as lucky when Ash ordered a Thunderbolt. Pikachu’s blast landed with a ZAP! Persian finally got the message and skulked away.

  Ash, Pikachu, and Rotom turned their attention to Litten, who was limping away.

  “Hey, Litten,” Ash said. “Are you okay?”

  “Litten has taken a lot of damage,” Rotom Dex said.

  It worried Ash to see Litten in pain. “Don’t push yourself so hard!” Ash advised. “C’mon, please!”

  Pikachu begged Litten, too, but the Pokémon was too stubborn to listen.

  Ash walked toward Litten. He knew that the Pokémon was injured, and he wanted to help. At least he could carry the berry for the hurt Pokémon.

  But when Ash reached out for the yellow fruit, Litten nipped at him. “Litten? Let’s work together,” Ash suggested. “We’re going to the Pokémon Center.”

  Litten didn’t like that idea one bit. It wrestled away from Ash’s hands.

  Pikachu tried to convince Litten, but it wasn’t until the exhausted Pokémon nearly passed out that Ash could grab hold of it.

  Ash promised Litten that he wasn’t trying to take the berry away. It was just that Litten needed help so it could recover from its battle.

  With Litten still struggling, Ash carried it off. “Rotom, grab Litten’s berry!” he instructed. And to Litten, he demanded, “Stop! Quit biting me!”

  At the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy did her best to bandage Litten so the injuries would heal properly. She wrapped a bandage around its back and belly several times. Still, she was worried that Litten would try to lick its wounds, so she put a Heliolisk Collar around its neck. The collar looked like a big disk that shielded its head. Litten was not happy about it.

  Once she was finished with Litten, Nurse Joy told Ash that it was his turn. “Litten’s not the only one who got hurt,” she pointed out. Ash looked down and realized he had scratches up and down his arms.

  As they prepared to clean up Ash’s cuts, Litten sneakily snatched the berry and leaped from its bed.

  “Hey, stop!” yelled Ash. He raced after Litten.

  “Ash, try to make sure Litten doesn’t overdo it!” Nurse Joy called out.

  On the way out the door, Ash passed Kiawe.

  Kiawe shook his head as he stared after his classmate. “All that for a sandwich,” Kiawe murmured.

  But for Ash, this was way beyond a sandwich now.

  Ash had almost caught up with Litten when the feisty Pokémon tried to jump through an iron fence. But Litten couldn’t fit through the bars because of its bulky collar. The dazed Pokémon fell backward on the sidewalk.

  Ash stared down at it. “Will you listen to me, please?” he begged. “From now on, no running away! You’re not doing what you’re told, and it’s only hurting you.”

  Ash scooped up the little Pokémon. He had no choice: he had to take Litten to Professor Kukui’s place.

  The professor was understanding, as long as it was just for the night. Litten seemed willing to take it easy there. Ash even removed the collar so Litten could relax, and the independent Pokémon curled up and fell fast asleep in Ash’s lap.

  Ash sighed. He wished Litten would trust him more.

  Many hours later, Ash blinked his bleary eyes open. It was still the middle of the night, and he’d been sound asleep. He heard a scratching. He got up and noticed Litten standing by the door. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll open it in a second.”

  It wasn’t until Litten had already bolted out the open door that Ash really woke up and realized what had happened. Yikes!

  “Where’s Litten going?” he yelled, rousing Rotom Dex.

  “Data is incomplete!” Rotom Dex replied. “Litten’s full recovery requires lots of sleep and the absence of stress and strain!”

  In no time, Ash, Pikachu, and Rotom Dex were chasing Litten again. They ran down city streets until they came to a remote lane that led to an old, deserted, ivy-covered cottage. Litten ran inside.

  Ash, Pikachu, and Rotom all crept inside after it. They saw Litten run to the back room. There, Litten dropped the yellow berry on a table.

  “A Stoutland,” Ash mumbled, seeing the large Pokémon resting on a couch.

  “One that’s getting on in years, I’d say,” added Rotom.

  “I wonder if Litten’s been stealing food to bring to Stoutland,” Ash thought out loud. That was why Litten needed so much food!

  When Litten realized they were there, it turned to face them and hissed. It was clearly protecting the older Stoutland. Ash guessed that the Stoutland had once protected Litten when it was tiny.

  As Stoutland munched on the berry, Pikachu reassured Litten that they were there to help.

  Ash knelt down next to the two Pokémon. “Guess your dinner’s a little late. Sorry, Stoutla
nd,” he said softly. “See, Litten got hurt in a fight, so we all went to my place to rest.”

  Ash took a deep breath and turned to Litten. “Litten, I was hoping I could catch you so you’d be on my team. But now that I see what you’re doing, it was a bad plan.”

  Ash really admired Litten’s devotion to its friend. He was glad that he could finally understand why Litten acted the way it did.

  Ash looked at Pikachu and Rotom. “We’d better head home. Professor Kukui might get worried,” he said. “And next time I visit, I’ll bring some food for you.” This time, he was talking to Litten. “I can come visit, can’t I?”

  Just then, they all heard a sound come from outside.

  “It appears something is approaching!” Rotom warned them.

  “What is it?” Ash asked.

  The Alolan Persian leaped down from a high window and aimed its turquoise gem at them.

  “Quick! Let’s get outside!” Ash declared. He, Pikachu, Rotom Dex, and Litten all dashed out the door as Persian sent a blast their way.

  Persian pounced and landed right in front of Litten and Pikachu. “Such persistence! There’s no doubt Persian is out for revenge,” Rotom observed.

  Pikachu and Litten bounded forward, ready to defend their friends. “Take it easy,” Ash advised them. “Why don’t you give it up?” he asked Persian.

  Persian growled in response.

  Ash called for a Thunderbolt attack. Pikachu aimed, and Litten got ready for its Ember move. But Persian was too quick and attacked Ash with Fury Swipes!

  Litten looked concerned, but Ash brushed it off. “A few scratches aren’t going to hurt me!”

  Persian came at Pikachu and Litten again. Stoutland began to murmur instructions to Litten. It was giving the younger Pokémon battle advice! Litten listened closely.

  Litten focused its energy. The bandages wrapped around its belly burst off, and Litten’s whole body seemed to pulse with fiery power. Litten faced Persian and blasted a huge cough of fire for its mightiest Ember ever!