"Come on, Manik. You can throw harder than that," Josh said as he and Manik threw a football back and forth.
"Sorry, Josh. I'm just getting my strength back after being possessed by that knight's spirit," Manik said, referring to the events that had occurred last week.
"It's all right, Manik. Just try to throw it a little better."
"Sure. I'll put a little more heat on it."
"That's more like it," Josh said.
"Heads up," Manik said before throwing the football Josh's way.
"I got it. I got it." Before Josh could catch the football, he tripped and fell to the ground.
"Maybe it's not me that's the problem."
"Very funny, Manik. I just tripped over something. That's all there is," Josh said as he helped himself to his feet.
"What'd you trip over," Manik asked as he walked up to Josh. Both him and Josh looked at what was sticking out of the ground.
"Looks like some old bottle."
"Well, dig it up and we'll know for sure."
"Of course, master," Josh said before digging up the earth around the bottle.
"Look at that. It was a bottle after all," Manik said as Josh pulled the bottle out of the ground.
"Of course it was. I said so just a few seconds ago."
"What's in it?"
"Looks like an old map," Josh said as he looked at the bottle's contents.
"An old map? That's it? What a rip-off. I was hoping there would be something more in there," Manik said.
"Like what?"
"Like a ghost pirate."
"You mean a pirate's spirit," Josh asked.
"Exactly. Instead, we find a bottle with an old map. Seriously disappointing," Manik said.
"Yeah. Well, we should be getting back before my dad and your mom start up a search party."
"But what about that bottle?"
"I'll just take with me inside so we can investigate this thing," Josh said.
"Good thinking. Let's go." Josh and Manik then started the journey from their current position back to New Mobotropolis.
"Don't you think it's strange that my mom is dating your dad in this timeline," Manik asked as he and Josh walked through the forest.
"I do, but it won't last long."
"What do you mean by that? You don't think my mom's right for your dad?"
"I didn't mean it like that. I just mean that my parents will end up together soon enough," Josh said.
"Good. At first, it sounded like you were insulting my mom," Manik said.
"I would never do that. You should know that."
"Right. What was I thinking? My best friend would never insult my family."
"Exactly. I love Sonia too much to talk about her behind her back," Josh said as he and Manik kept walking towards New Mobotropolis.
"Well, here we are. Outside the sanctuary known as New Mobotropolis."
"Feels good to be here again," Manik said.
"Sure does," Josh said before opening the door to the city.
"Right this way."
"Thank you." Manik then stepped inside with Josh following back inside the gates of New Mobotropolis.
"This place gets more and more beautiful every time we get back," Manik said.
"It actually does for a city made entirely of nanites," Josh said.
"Nice to see you two again," Rocket said as he and Sally walked to Josh and Manik.
"Where have you two been," Sally asked.
"Just playing football in the forest. Nothing serious."
"Well, did you find something while you two were having fun?"
"Sorry, Dad. Nothing of value anywhere in that forest," Josh replied.
"Interesting," Rocket said.
"Well, we better get going." Manik and Josh then ran off, leaving Sally and Rocket to themselves.
"What do you think, hon? Is my son and yours telling the truth or did they just lie to our faces?"
"The latter. I sensed something was afoul with Josh's story. The only way to confirm my suspicions is to follow them and find out what they're hiding."
"I was thinking that exact thought," Sally said.
"It seems we truly are in sync just like Sonic and Blaze are," Rocket said before he and Sally followed Josh and Manik.