A rather rumbling and and heating morning has waken up Ash as he and Pikachu faces his continuum rival between Kiawe, as Pikachu and Turtonator give it their all by traded blow by blow attacks, not backing down from the challenge whatsoever. Turtonator's physical strength wins against Pikachu out through its size and weight, while the little mouse takes the speed advantage from its reflexes and quick witted thinking. Both trainers already showed exhaustion from a rather shaking battle, which Rotomdex finally declares the match a tie.

"Nice going Ash, I've really notice Pikachu is much faster since our last fight. Keep it up."

The boy flicked a thumbs up, where Ash gushes for the words of compliments.

"Thanks! You and Turtonator were on fire!"

A drumbeat gag sound plays in Rotomdex and it's system as it couldn't help doing so watching a man play the exact same drum on a late night TV show. Rowlet was tucked away inside Ash's backpack, where it resumes its overnight slumber, where Ash took a seat on the sand right next to it. Pikachu nuzzles right next to the the boy, a feeling of uncertainty and wonder sprung into the boy's mind, watching Kiawe doing some morning stretching to keep himself from getting any cramps after any more anime gag moments, something that Bob suffers from doing too much.

"Szzo whatcha gonna do next Ash?"

Rotomdex zooms right by after it has finished taking photos of both Pikachu and Turtonator in battle. Which that was the thing that Ash was so questioned to himself. He was waiting for a battle with Kiawe all night yesterday and it's been done in 10 minutes.

"Don't know... I really didn't think this though..."

A bit upset to struggle to find something fun to do on Melemele Island, but only finds his mind more static than a tv with no cable.

"If it's a start, let's just go for a walk in down, something's bound to happen there."

Kiawe spikes his own idea, which Ash agreed to do rather because he couldn't come up with his own idea, so he just took it. Hau'Oli City is just as lively as ever as people and Pokémon walk through the streets with the whole day ahead of them, but there was something in the market place that seem to spot the color blue in a canvas smeared of all sorts of different colors expect that one color.

"Oh Litten... If you won't eat, you'll never feel any better than you do now..."

An old woman knees down right by a fruit stand that she presumably owned, towards a Litten that has some history with Ash off camera, staring into its food with a face without appetite. Ash separates himself from Kiawe from the large crowd to have a closer gander of the two.

"Oh Litten! It's you! Hi there!"

Ash being all bright and bubbly swoops by for a greetings, which taking that look a step in only realizes that Litten isn't any hotter than it once was. Something has definitely cooled down, and Ash wanted to know what it was.

"Uhh, what happened to Litten?"

Ash asked the lady without making a fixed contact, which she by the name of Anela answers without confidence.

"I'm afraid I do not know young man. One day it was full of energy and cleaned its bowl like a happy growing child, but the next..."

Little force kept Anela from finishing, which Ash tilts his head to Litten and its overnight mood swing.

"You must be one of Litten's acquaintances if I may refer you by. You wouldn't think you'd could find out why Litten is suddenly so down can't you?"

Ash putting on his smile that honestly we all could use every now and again on those days where we could really hope to shine on, he reaches out to pet the Pokémon, which doesn't even try to push or bite the hand away, nor flinch from contact, but once he does, it gives him a blank look.

"Murrr...?"

"Hey Litten, I may not know what's gotten you down, but I'm ready to lift you back up! Whaddya say?"

Not looking back up to Ash, it simply picks itself up and walked down the street, Where Ash planned to follow it being a sign that he's supposed too, but Kiawe stops him in wonder if he was split up by mistake.

"What was that all about Ash?"

Haven't even realizing he just left his friend out in the crowd like a piece of driftwood in the dust, Ash scratched his head in an innocent way.

"Oh.. Sorry Kiawe... Heheh... Right now, we have to help Litten find its friend!"

The scratchy boy fills him in on what he has been promised to Litten that he would help it in it's time of need. Kiawe seems to recognize Litten as a Pokémon who swiped Ash's sandwich when he wasn't looking.

"Oh yeah Litten... I'm guessing you both have made up have you? Or are you still not over that Sandwich?"

"Don't worry, I am. Let's get going, I'm sure Stoutland can't be too far from here, in its state right now..."

Heading out of the city complex into the suburban streets, the group was lead into an abandoned house which looks like it's been left alone with no cleaning or construction for the past 15 years or so, Litten slips through the window crack of the door which you'd think resembles a wood chip nailed onto the latches of the wall. Walking through, the boys checked the dusty couch, just plowing your hand on it would clog the air with dirt, something extremely unsanitary to be living in.

"Stoutland isn't here? But where could it have gone?"

Ash looks around the room a tad worried, only to be looking outside the cracked and even broken windows with shards of glass sticking out of them.

"Perhaps to get something to eat for itself and Litten?"

Not having much prior knowledge of this Stoutland, Kiawe might have though that this Pokémon was just in fit shape just like any of the ordinary Pokémon of its kind, but little did he know, that wasn't the case here. This particular Stoutland hasn't been in the best of conditions in this day off age. Litten hasn't acknowledged the fact that the large Pokémon moves sickly as it spoke, which now it starts to sink into it with worry. Ash looks out into the woods, making the grand effort to find if Stoutland was nearby, but it wasn't unfortunately. Things grew tediously difficult thinking about all the possible spots Melemele island to find the creature, but after a long but unsuccessful effort to find the hound, the sun began to set down, nighttime approaches.

"Sorry we couldn't find your friend Litten. I promise you we will look beyond our comprehension!"

Ash rubs Litten down in the most comfortable spot on the Pokémon as possible to lighten its droopy mood of empty eyesight.

"Murrrr...."

"... Until then... Stay strong... Unless you wanna come over to stay the night?"

Leaving the open invite for Litten, it didn't bother to trail the party after they left out the door. The night several hours later was vague and quite for the feline, a light dinner wasn't enough to satisfy the hunger of it missing the one Pokémon who accompanied it in its time of need. Dozing off into sleep wasn't as hard, seeing that Litten hasn't moved much since Ash left.

Litten comes across a dream where it and its old friend Stoutland seemed to have a little day at a quite stream not too far of the home they were staying at, Stoutland caught flopping Magikarp with its teeth, while Litten would chow down the pile berries that fell off the tree over its head. Everything was in so peaceful, until Stoutland began to fade away, Litten goes as far as even entering the water to catch its friend from leaving it behind, an empty dark void swallows Litten, forcing it to wake up after an upsetting dream.

At least five days had passed of excessive searching only left the small feline even more empty than it once did before, only replaying some memories in its head of the two together, but suddenly, it snapped, it rushed on the rooftop of the old home, letting loose a loud cry. It's sound of despair and worriment for Stoutland. The heartbreaking cry was even heard all the way to the professors place, Ash wasn't in the best of moods, which Kukui sees it in his eyes.

"So, Litten still hasn't found Stoutland yet?"

In attempt to break the silence, Ash lifted his head off the couch to stretch the worry of himself out.

"No. I wish I knew where it was to make Litten okay again,"

None of his goofy antics or traits were to be seen, seen as someone whose tried but leads to no success.

"I-I don't know if... If..."

He struggled to finish his sentence, the one which should be thought through before saying, the one that is never to be played around in a case like this. Kukui sits right next to Ash, to pat his back, comforting his efforts to find Stoutland.

"Don't beat yourself about this Ash. You tried. You really tried and I can tell Litten is thankful for you. Stoutland... Is sick."

As vulgar and truthful of his last word Kukui selected, Ash hadn't forgotten that the hound was quite harmed in a way, as if it was crawling on its last paws, the thought really set Ash low, Kukui wished he could do something about this whole problem himself, but only gets up from his seat.

"We need to stop by tomorrow to let it know. It's not alone."

Kukui stood and walked into the kitchen, Rotomdex nodded to what the man said and must indeed show Litten that it needs support.

"The professor is right. I hope it gets better sometime soon..."

"Yeah I hear you,"

Ash agrees right before he crosses is legs to think hard to himself, something going on in that mind of his, until poof! Ash was given a bright idea that may help the saddened Pokémon right back into its normal state.

"I think I just hatched an idea that may help Litten after all! But first... After just one episode of that TV show Bob keeps suggesting that I watch,"

After the night excessive binge watching of Netflix on the Professors account, a quick trip to the supermarket for a treat no Pokémon could ignore no matter what state it was in, Ash and Kukui set forth to the old house where Litten rested, not even bothering to jump to the surprise visit of the two characters.

"Hey Litten! Sorry to barge in so unexpectedly, but I do hope your feeling better than before!"

Ash waves to the small Pokémon, who didn't bother to move too many muscles from its ruptured mood to enable its movement.

"Say Litten, I was wondering if you would like to tag along with us to visit a cool place I always believed it's one of the most overviewed spots on Melemele,"

"Muuuuurr..."

Ash dug into his bag where Rowlet remained asleep while Kukui attempted to convince Litten to get back up on its paws to see something that just may cheer the small Pokémon up from Stoutlands sudden disappearance.

"If you tag along with us, we'll even let you have this great snack we got just for you!"

Taking out a nice, flaky Pokémon treat, the aroma seemed to catch the small Pokémon's attention as it walked towards the two and sat down.

"Meoooow."

"Perfect! I promise that you won't be disappointed Litten!"

Litten Ultimately expected a trip somewhere close by such as the local park, forest, or even beach. Somewhat even correct, the group walked along the Melemele Harbor, where Litten grew quite hesitant to be away from solid land, and even took prepared action by climbing into Ash's head, whining to turn back to safer grounds.

"Muuuuuuuuurr...."

Ash places his hand above him and pets the Pokémon's fluffy head, which felt a lot similar to Saki's own Litten, but a little less clean honestly.

"Hang on tight buddy, we'll be back in no time flat. Once we show you what we have for you, you'll even forget all about your troubles!"

Kukui nods to Ash's promised statement as he waves to a man who appears to be dressed like a sailor. Which meant that they would be going out to the sea, only making Litten more nervous of the fact that it'll be surrounded by water within miles, not to mention on shaking grounds.

"Alola Professor Kukui! Me and the lady of the engine is all shined and ready to sail!"

The man takes his salute pose and smiles high and proud, bringing a smile to the man and Ash, who mimics the pose that has been made.

"Thank you so much for this opportunity Melvin, I can't thank you enough for taking the time off for us,"

"Don't mentioned it sir, it's the least I can do! If you hadn't helped me with those dastardly Sharpedos, my girl would literally be sleeping with the fishes!"

After a laugh to a joke referring to his ship and not a women, the three had climbed aboard the deck, which the sailer heads onto the captains quarters and set sail onto the open sea! Litten at this point was a black and red ball of fright and concern, worried that if something was to go wrong on the boat, things wouldn't be so well.

"Don't worry Litten, we're not going too far into the sea, we don't mean to torture you in any way, but we need to travel by boat in order to reach our destination."

The professor lightens the Pokémon from going any more nuts than a dog in our world finally realizing that it's been tricked in going to the vet.

A soothing turn to the left has been made, which turns out to sail around the island. A gentle pace made the sightseeing way more enjoyable than one could expect from a simple journey to a less visited area of Melemele.

"Check that out Litten, that's what we wanted to show you!"

Ash pointed above to the Pokémon and even talks as if an adult was talking to a child in hope to impress, which a place of a magnificent waterfall from the island comes crashing down to and leads off to the sea. The rocky structure made this sight even more tropical with mosses growing on them. Little grass grew on the bottom, which would be a great place to have a picnic.

"Surprise! Our gift to you is a picnic! On this awesome setting!"

Despite the fact that little walking land could be seen and the largest waterfall seen, Litten actually dug into the sight even with all the water seen.

"Meooooow."

Docking the boat on a right next to a pretty tide-pool, Ash and the professor stepped onto the rather soft and smooth grass that grew from the cracks of the open rocks. Watching the waterfall splashing down was surely something worth the time to make a trip where not many tourists would even think of traveling to. After a quick snack of half a sandwich, Litten already dozed off in the most comfortable condition it has ever been in a long time. Soft grass, the soothing sound of a waterfall, and a blanket of the warm sun gazing upon the planet shines on Litten, having another dream which involved Stoutland. Once pitch black from the dream before, suddenly illuminates the world around it, bringing the small Pokémon back into the forest, which the two played as long as they could, Litten waking up on the right side of the bed.

"Meooowwww."

It purrs from a nice hourly nap, waking up that the sun already setting, Kukui was in the back with the sailor, Ash, Pikachu and Rotomdex by its side.

"Litten. I hope it wasn't too much to bring you on this trip. And I'm sorry about Stoutland's sudden disappearance, but we will find it one way or another!"

Finally arriving back onto the harbor, Ash and Kukui already headed onto the trail which lead to the house where Litten stayed, but to their surprise, the Pokémon didn't slip under the door, it just stayed right where it was.

"Hey buddy, is something wrong?"

Litten and its fluffy tail wagged on and climbed upon Ash's head and even playfully clawed it.

"I think Litten wantzz to thank you for that trip you surprizzed it with!"

Rotomdex informed Ash, while lifting the Pokémon into the air with another one of his goofy grins. He didn't even consider the idea of what Kukui had, but still chimed in anyways.

"Being a man who knows a thing or two about Pokémon, I believe Litten wants to tag along with you for the meantime."

Brightening his face to the possible idea of the professor, Ash leans in if what he said might be true to the Pokémon, as Litten calmly nods.

"Alright! Of course you can be a part of my team! With you by my side, things will definitely be heating up! Stoutland will also be glad to reunite with you once we find it!"

Now in a Pokéball of its own, Litten with quickly sent out to let it walk back home with the two characters, relived that they can find Stoutland, not just Ash and Kukui, but the entire class too, as a team.