Previously on Poké Rangers: Eon Force...
Xactowl and Walter summoned Yandian, an Agent of Chaos, as a distraction to keep the Rangers occupied while they further prepared their plans. With his unique powers, Yandian quickly trapped Sally, Matt, and Sam in recreations of their worst fears, and his demonic inability to be killed made him prove to be a tough fight to David, the only Ranger immune to his powers. While he was fighting, Walter lured Alicia to her family farm and forced her to write a mysterious message, seemingly erasing her and her family's memories of the events afterwards. With their task complete, Xactowl destroyed Yandian's seal, just in time for Matt to escape his trap and help send him back to the Infernal World.
David's house, Azalea Town...
"Yo, David?" Walking into his room, Sam waited until his friend realized he was there and looked up from the book he was reading before going on. "You got a minute?"
"Yeah, sure." Setting his reading aside, David sat up as Sam entered the room and took a seat.
"I've been trying to find a good time to talk to you." Sam told him. "That nightmare you had, a few nights ago?" David nodded in remembrance. "It was about Walter, wasn't it?"
"Yeah..." David admitted with a frown. "What about it?"
"I thought as much." Sam said. "I understand why you would be afraid of him. I just wanted to let you know, I'd never let him get to you. No matter what." David chuckled. "What? What's so funny?"
"Oh, it's just, that's the opposite of the dream." David told him. "The worst part about the nightmare was that I couldn't protect YOU from him, not the other way around." Sam blinked in surprise.
"Me?" he asked.
"Yeah." David told him. "I forget, you weren't awake at the time. At the ruins, how do you think he got me to go down there with him?" Sam stared at him in confusion. "He threatened you, Sam." Reaching up, he tapped his ear. "He said he'd have his Exploud make you deaf just like me"
"Oh...hmm." Sam scratched his chin uncertainly. "That's...wow. Okay then."
"Yeah." David nodded. "Exactly. I don't want that, Sam. More than anything, I don't want that. That's what scares me the most, that he might make good on that threat, and I won't be able to stop it."
"Well...you will." Sam nodded confidently. "I'd put my trust in you any day."
"Thanks." David smiled. "Don't worry about me, and we both need to try not to worry about Walter too much. If he comes after us...we'll deal with him."
"Yeah. I mean, we ARE Rangers, after all." Sam said. As David started to reply, the door flew open and Professor Diggswell entered the room.
"Sammy, David!" He quickly took a seat with them. Behind him, Eusine entered as well. "I have news! Oh, this my old friend, Eusine, sometimes called the Suicune Researcher."
As David and Sam both said silent thank you's that he hadn't shown up two seconds earlier, Eusine set down a briefcase and opened it up.
"Yeah, I remember you mentioning him. What's going on?" Sam asked, sitting forward. Eusine looked to the two of them and grinned.
"It's good to meet you two as well." Pulling out a paper, he held it out to them. "I've made a discovery that I thought my friend Dirk would be very interested in." David took the paper and looked it over, while Sam glanced to Diggswell.
"Your first name is Dirk?" he asked in amazement. "Dude, it's like one letter away from dirt. Why is your name just one massive pun!?"
"Never mind that." Eusine reached a hand over and pointed. On the paper, there were several ancient symbols drawn, none of which made any sense to David. "Do you see?"
"Uh...no." David shook his head. "Afraid I don't get it." Sighing, Eusine pulled a pen from his pocket and pointed to one symbol in particular.
"These are writings on the ancient story of Ho-oh and the three legendary beasts, Entei, Raikou, and Suicune." Eusine explained. "According to legend, the three perished in a fire in what is today called the Burned Tower thousands of years ago, but Ho-oh's flames brought them back to life. However, the writings are very old and damaged. I realized..."
"That this symbol could be two things!" Diggswell broke in, pointing to one near the end. "It's always been accepted as 'the legendary flames granted new life...' but, if it's this instead..." Eusine clicked his pen and drew a different design, crossing out part that had been damaged on the original text. "...then it becomes, 'the Goddess's flames granted new life...'!"
"You mean..." Sam started.
"Exactly! This is somehow tied to the same Gods and Goddesses I've devoted my life to studying! Which means that after all these years, me and Eusine's research has crossed paths at last!" The two quickly fist bumped as Sam and David looked at each other. "We set out tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow?" David blinked. "Okay..." He glanced to Sam and he nodded, the same question running through his head. The time had come to leave with the professor...now how would they be there to help the other Rangers as well?
(Theme Song inspired by Power Rangers: Wild Force Opening)
*beat begins with a strange ethereal pulse (replace all roars with such) before quickly building into a rock beat* (The Eon Crystals awake and float into the air)
Eon Force Poké Rangers! (The original five Rangers enter the Vanishing Shrine...)
Eon Crystals are forever! (...and are bonded with their respective Eon Crystal.)
Eon Force Poké Rangers! (All seven Rangers' helmets appear to complete their morphing sequences)
We'll defend Johto together! (The seven pose together as an explosion bursts behind them.)
Eon Force! Eon Force! (Various scenes of the unmorphed Rangers using their powers)
Ancient powers have awakened; (Go!) (Richard tosses a basketball into a hoop, his Cyndaquil letting off a showy burst as it swishes. Turning to the camera, he flashes a thumbs up as the Red Ranger and Flare are shown.)
Eon Force gonna save them. (Eon Force!) (Sally steps off the bus into Azalea Town with her Mimikyu right behind. Noticing the camera, she waves as the Pink Ranger and Esper are shown.)
Our whole timeline in danger; (Go!) (Phillip reaches out and pulls a plastic bottle from a river, dropping it into a bag his Croconaw is carrying. Seeing the camera, he nods as the Blue Ranger and Vapor are shown.)
We will save (Emma is working on an explosive in a lab with her Voltorb on the table observing. She jumps back from a spark and grins at the camera as the Yellow Ranger and Jolt are shown.)
this world! (Matt looks over the Underwood Ranch as his Tyranitar walks up beside him. Petting her, he sees the camera and smiles as the Black Ranger and Umbre are shown.)
Eon Force Poké Rangers! (Sam and David laugh together with their Meganium and Swinub as the Green and White Rangers are shown with Leaf and Glace.)
Eon Crystals are forever! (Alicia raises a Pokéball and clicks it open/Victoria smiles beside her Arcanine)
Eon Force Poké Rangers! (The Rangers summon their weapons.)
We'll defend Johto together! (The Rangers aim and fire the Eon Cannon.)
*guitar riff* (Celebi and Hypnotica are talking in the shrine, Xactowl and Ditgle bow to Mask of Ice in his lair/Walter puts on his Terror mask)
Eon Force Poké Rangers! (The Eon Zords join together into the Eon Force Megazord...)
We'll defend Johto together! (...that is then shown using the Eon Spirit Charge.)
Eon...Force! Eon Force! (All seven Rangers pose together as the Eon Zords appear behind them, followed by the logo being shown (use your imagination, cuz I don't have the artistic skill to draw one))
Blackthorn City...
In the Johto Region's most northeastern city, a figure walked through the streets, approaching the Gym. She had pale skin, blue eyes, and light blue hair tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a skintight bodysuit in two tones of blue, blue fingerless gloves, and black bracelets, and a black-and-maroon cape flowed behind her. Her blue high-heeled boots reached up to her knees and she wore a necklace with a Dragonair-like pearl and dragon tooth-shaped earrings. Though they saw her most days, the citizens of Blackthorn still gazed at her in awe.
This was Clair, head of the Johto Gym Leaders and one of the most respected people in the region.
Pulling out a key, she made to unlock her Gym for the day. She didn't often get challengers; most trainers taking the Gym Challenge tended to save her for last, since she was regarded as the strongest of them all. Plus, she was just intimidating, with a fierce competitive streak and Pokémon powerful enough to rival those of the Elite Four. Still, she opened the Gym every day, just in case.
Just as she was turning her key, a drop hit her shoulder. Turning and looking up, she watched as more started to fall around her. Citizens of the city, caught without umbrellas or other protective gear, scrambled for cover, but Clair merely held out a hand in interest.
"Rain...?" She felt it hit her and pulled her hand back. "Cold rain, mixed with sleet. That wasn't in the forecast..."
Looking around, she saw that the streets had cleared, but there was a figure approaching through the murk of the rain. Narrowing her eyes, she saw that they walked on all fours, and as they got closer, their shape became recognizable.
"Suicune?" Clair asked in surprise. The Legendary Pokémon stopped a dozen or so feet away from her, watching her carefully. Clair's eyes shifted side to side, unsure what it wanted. "What is it? Are you trying to tell me something?"
Suicune's mouth opened and Clair took a single step forward, before a rainbow beam fired out.
Clair dove aside, feeling an intense, biting cold pass by her. The Aurora Beam struck the Gym's door, coating it in ice as Clair rolled to her feet.
"Oh, so you wanna fight, huh?" Clair held a Pokéball as she stood and Suicune turned to face her. "Well, I'll oblige!" Clicking the ball open, her Dragonair emerged and coiled around her.
Suicune's body glowed blue and Clair spotted some sort of crystalline wall growing around the area, soon bending and closing into a dome and entrapping them.
"Hmph. Dragon Breath, Dragonair!" she commanded.
Opening her mouth, Dragonair fired a pulsing ray of draconic power. Suicune dodged aside with incredible speed, the attack striking the crystal wall, seeming to spread across and be absorbed into it.
"Slam!" Clair called. Dragonair's tail lashed around and swiped at Suicune, the Legendary leaping into the air over it. Firing another Aurora Beam, Dragonair twisted out of the way and managed to avoid getting hit. "Rain Dance!"
Flying upwards, Dragonair circled, forming a rainstorm in the dome that poured down over the battle. Suicune stopped and fired a Bubblebeam, the bubbles absorbing water as they flew and growing larger. However, the Whirlwind Dragonair was whipping up blew them aside, sending them drifting around the dome.
"Nice try." Clair grinned. "But I knew you'd try to take advantage of that. Now, Thunder!"
Dragonair sparked and a powerful bolt of lightning shot up from its body, spreading throughout the storm and shooting down all across the dome. The biggest slammed down onto Suicune...whose body burst apart into shards of ice, scattering across the floor.
"Huh...a fake?" Clair spun, looking around to try and find where their opponent had gone. At last, she caught a glimpse of a silhouette outside the dome.
Suicune leaped through, the crystal seeming to spread like liquid around him as he passed through it.
"That's cheap!" Clair snapped. Suicune almost seemed to smirk, a powerful blast of wind firing off of it, the Gust shoving both her and Dragonair back. The Pokémon came into contact with one of the now enormous bubbles floating around them and was engulfed inside it.
As soon as Dragonair was inside, Suicune launched an Aurora Beam, striking the bubble directly. The entire thing froze into a sphere of ice, dropping to the ground and rolling to a halt beside Clair with Dragonair trapped inside.
As Clair growled in frustration and reached for another Pokéball, Suicune shooks his head in disappointment before dashing away too fast to follow. The crystal dome retreated and soon vanished, letting sleet briefly pour down before it too was gone.
"Where...?" Clair waited to see if Suicune would come back, but it soon became apparent that he was not. "What was that about?"
"Clair?" The Gym Leader whirled and held up her Pokéball, stopping herself from releasing it as she recognized the man before her.
"Pryce." she sighed. "What brings you here?" Pryce looked to her Dragonair, still frozen solid in the bubble, and raised an eyebrow.
"Looks like you've had a visitor." he noted. "Must've been somebody powerful."
"You could say that." Clair recalled Dragonair back into his ball, to be thawed and healed as soon as she could get to a machine. "A Legendary Pokémon, Suicune, ambushed me. Fought me for a bit, then just left. I don't know why."
"Interesting..." Pryce frowned and tapped his cane thoughtfully. "Suicune has been busy lately. I wonder what it could be up to...?"
"Well, it's gone now." Clair looked around, still checking to be sure. "Was there something you needed?"
"Just checking up on you." Pryce told her. "You haven't called the other Gym Leaders in a while. With this whole Remnant business going on, I would think..."
"Well, now that you've brought it up, I have to tell you." she rolled her eyes. "The Elite Four was asking for a report on the subject. I was trying to give you guys more time to get it all in line."
"Ah..." Pryce nodded. "Very well."
"So, how does it go?" Clair asked.
"They seem to have been involved in some sort of battle at the Ruins of Alph." Pryce told her. "Most of them are gone, the few left in hiding. It's mostly wound down."
"But you don't know where their leaders are." Clair pointed out.
"No, indeed we do not." Pryce frowned. "Victoria and Walter have not surfaced as of yet. We are currently investigating a mysterious incident with the new Gym Leader in Goldenrod to see if there's some connection." He nodded. "I'll let you know what comes of it."
"And prepare that report for the Elite Four." Clair called as Pryce turned to start and walk away. "They'll want it ASAP."
"I will." he nodded. "I'll have it to you as soon as I can."
"Thank you." Clair smiled. "Good to see you again, Pryce."
"Yeah. You as well." Pryce glanced back and gave a last wave. "I'll see you soon."
As he walked away, Pryce's mind raced. From Clair's description, it almost seemed like Suicune was testing her in some way. And if Suicune was testing trainers, then that could only mean one thing.
"It's looking for somebody to fight alongside." he determined. "And that must mean there's a problem coming it thinks it can't deal with alone." He nodded in understanding. "If I'm quick about it...perhaps I can intervene and solve the issue before things get out of hand."
The Vanishing Shrine...
"You guys are leaving?" Sally asked in disbelief.
At Sam and David's call, the team had gathered in the Ilex Forest temple for an emergency meeting, where the pair had announced that the Professor had found their next journey.
"Yeah." Sam stuck his hands in his pockets. "We're heading north to Ecruteak tommorrow morning to investigate the Burned Tower."
"Who knows where that will take us afterwards." David pointed out.
"You can't be serious." Richard folded his arms. "You're Rangers. We need you."
"I know!" Sam said. "But the Professor needs us too, and I promised him we wouldn't leave him. We just wanted to let you guys know ahead of time, as soon as we heard about it."
"I suppose I could fetch you whenever something comes up." Matt frowned. "It's inconvenient, but it could work, as long as the Professor doesn't mind you disappearing."
"He's promised not to question that." David told them.
'That's an idea...' The team looked to Celebi, who was hovering nearby. 'But there's a better solution. I had it made in preparation for this exact situation."
"Really?" Phillip asked. "What is it?"
'To find that out, you'll have to retrieve it.' Celebi told them. 'I stored it in Blackthorn City for safety.'
"And why couldn't you store it here, again?" Richard asked in mild annoyance.
'There are other reasons you will be needed in Blackthorn today.' Celebi told him. 'You'll find out when you get there.'
"...alright then." Sam shrugged. "Guess we're going to Blackthorn."
"Sweet!" Emma grinned. "I've always wanted to see the so-called City of Dragons!"
'You'll see more than just the city.' Celebi smiled. 'The box is stored in the Dragon's Den. You'll have to talk to the Gym Leader about getting access to it. Ask for the box with my face on it."
"Oh, good." Phillip nodded. "You've made it as easy as possible for us." Celebi chuckled.
'Phillip, to retrieve it easily would defeat the purpose. You must find the box, solve the problems in Blackthorn, and open the box to retrieve your prize. And without my or Hypnotica's help. It is important that you find out how to handle it yourselves.' he told them.
"Come on, guys." Matt waved. "Let's just get there. We can figure it out."
"Yeah." Sally agreed, reaching out to take his hand and holding out her own for somebody else to grab. "Group up!"
Everyone gathered in a ring and linked hands as Celebi floated overhead.
'Good luck, Rangers.' Celebi nodded. 'I know you can do this.'
Matt stepped forward and brought his foot down in Celebi's shadow, the whole group vanishing into it. Nodding in satisfaction, Celebi sat back and called up a viewing sphere to watch their progress.
Azalea Town...
Sitting in the Poké Center, Looker leaned back in his seat, flipping through the notebook he held, occassionally marking something on the pages.
He had bought it new when Mr. Franklin had contacted him about the case; every case got its own new book. He also had in his bag an old book from years before, when the Grays had hired him to investigate the same subject he now hunted for.
Dressed in a brown jacket over a black shirt, tan pants, black shoes, Looker was not quite as his name seemed to imply. He seemed exceedingly average, which was the whole point of this particular outfit, his standard investigative gear. The less you stood out, the less likely people were to notice you.
"Excuse me?" Looker glanced up to see a woman standing before him. The inconspicuous nature of his appearance only made it more unusual for somebody to approach him out of the blue.
Looker lowered his notebook and his eyes quickly took note of her appearance. Fairly tall, raven-black hair, wearing a flowing green dress that had a feather-like design to it. Gold earrings in her ears, a similarly shiny necklace, and even more bling on her wrists in the form of bracelets. High-heeled shoes, not the easiest walking choice; he pegged her as being vain about her appearance. She offered a friendly smile, shifting a dark brown bag that she carried via a strap over her shoulder.
"What can I do for you?" Looker asked carefully. No introductions, not to a stranger. Never when he didn't know who he was talking to.
"You are Looker, yes?" she asked. "I felt you would be here."
"You felt..." Looker frowned. She knew who he was, so that put him at a disadvantage. He decided to return her smile, see where it got him. "Yes, I am Looker. And you are...?"
"Madame Xana." Slipping her bag off, she took a seat near him, setting the bag down beside her. "I was...it's hard to describe, but I was drawn to you. To your mission."
"My mission, huh?" Looker absentmindly raised a pen and stuck it in his mouth, chewing on the end. "Are you claiming you're a psychic?"
"Did the name not give it away?" she asked with a laugh. As Looker continued to stare at her, she frowned. "You doubt my abilities?"
"I'm just careful." he told her. "If you truly do know who I am from your...visions, you should understand that."
"I do, of course." Madame Xana nodded. She scooted closer to him. "I can give you a demonstration, if you want?"
"Is that so?" Looker took a mental note of her perfume, some sort of breezy summer type. "How would you do that?"
"Can you give me your hand?" Xana held out her palm. "Please?" She smiled nervously. Looker had to admit, she seemed pretty harmless. When you've been a detective for over twenty years, you learn to pick up on the signs of your femme fatales. They all carried themselves a certain way, had a sly undertone to what they said, like a snake waiting to sink its fangs into your ankle. This woman carried none of that. Still, one could not be too careful; as Looker held out his hand to place on top of hers, his other hand was resting on a holstered pistol on his other side.
"Hmm. Walter Franklin, huh? So that's his name." she murmured before looking up to him. "I could tell you were hunting somebody, but not the specifics."
"That doesn't prove you're psychic." Looker pointed out. "You could've known that beforehand and be lying."
"So suspicious!" Madame Xana feigned hurt. "Well, I appreciate that you think I'm beautiful..." Looker had indeed been thinking that; he resisted the urge to blush. Still could've been a lucky guess. "...but I can show you other ways. I have telekinetic powers as well."
Holding out her hand, her bag rose into the air and floated forward into her grip. Smiling, she held out her other hand and Looker's notebook pulled free of his grip, floating into the air and circling him.
"Before you suggested I rigged my bag somehow." she smiled. Once again, that had been Looker's thought.
"Alright, alright. You've convinced me." Looker gave a small laugh as he caught his notebook. Xana allowed him to pluck it out of the air. "So, what do you plan to do?"
"I want to help, of course!" Xana told him. "I said it already, I was drawn to your mission. A call that I can't really explain...as if I could hear a voice suggesting...no, no, demanding is more the word, that I come see you."
"I have heard of psychics helping detectives before." Looker nodded. "Sketchwork profiling, locating missing people, that sort of thing. If you can do something like that..."
"I can try." Xana gave him a sunny smile. "Do you have a lead?"
"He was seen in this town." Looker told her. "I've obtained a blurry cell phone selfie that happened to catch him hurrying by in the background. Where he was heading, I do not know."
"Well, perhaps I can read the destination from the photo." she suggested. "May I see it?"
"I don't see why not." Looker had several copies made already; there was no harm in handing her one. Taking it, Madame Xana glanced it over before smiling.
"I think I see...yes!" She leaped up enthusiastically. "I see where he was going at the time! To the north, in Goldenrod!"
"Okay then, I'll give it a shot." Looker stood. "I can always come back if it doesn't pan out."
"Yeah." Xana grinned. "Do you mind a tagalong?" she asked as Looker walked past. Halting, he glanced to her and smiled. She seemed like fun company, maybe even helpful to the case.
"I think I'd quite like that." he nodded. "Come along then. Don't fall behind!" Turning once more, he dashed out the door and Xana ran after.
'Excellent...' Underneath his disguise, Xactowl smiled to himself. He had to make sure to send out a constant flow of nonthreatening thoughts and impulses, but it seemed Looker was already coming around to his presence. 'All according to plan...'
Blackthorn City...
"You want the time capsule?" Clair asked as she leaned against her Gym's door. The Rangers stood gathered in front of her, all morphed.
First the ambush of Suicune, then, just when she got back into her gym, one of her trainers came running up to tell her the Poké Rangers were there to see her. The day was just becoming more and more surprising.
"Is that what it is?" Richard asked. Clair shrugged.
"I don't know, not really. It's always been there. That's what we've assumed, what with the image of Celebi on it. But nobody has ever been able to get it open." she told them.
"Can we see it?" Sally asked.
"Sure." Clair waved them along. "Follow me."
She led the Rangers to the Dragon's Den, guiding them through it until they reached the far back. The Rangers couldn't help but look in awe at the Dratini and Dragonair that inhabited the Den, Pokémon that weren't often seen outside of Blackthorn.
"They're beautiful..." Sally said quietly as a Dratini slid past her. Clair looked back to her and smiled.
"They certainly are." she agreed.
"Is that why you dress like one?" Sam asked. Clair gave him a quick annoyed glance. "What? You do!" He looked to the other Rangers. "C'mon, don't tell me I was the only one thinking it."
"From your tone, I'm amazed you were able to think at all." Clair told him, turning and continuing on her way. Sam grumbled and David patted him on the shoulder as the Rangers followed. "And here we are." Clair stepped aside so the Rangers could see the object they had been sent after.
"Huh..." Richard knelt before a wooden chest, elaborately carved with an image of Celebi on the front. A padlock hung from the Celebi's forehead. "Smaller than I thought it would be, honestly."
"Do you see a way to open it?" Emma asked.
"There's a keyhole, but no key." Clair said. "All other methods have proven fruitless."
"The lock is wood..." Richard placed a hand over it and lifted it up so they could see. "Maybe I can get it off."
Richard ignited his hand and let the flames lick at the lock, but after several minutes passed, it became apparent they weren't catching.
"I don't think it's working." Phillip pointed out. Richard let the lock go; not so much as a slight charring.
"I told you, nobody can open it." Clair reminded them.
"Hold on..." David circled around behind the box and looked down at it. "There's some kind of writing on the back."
"Yeah." Clair reached out and spun the box around so the Rangers could read.
"'This box protected by the Seal of Seven'" Matt read. Nothing else could be made out; the other writing was in a language the Rangers didn't understand.
"We have to figure out how to get this box open." Richard said. "Whatever is inside..."
"Let me try something." Sam stepped forward. "If the box is wood, then I should be able to control it..." Holding out his hand, Sam focused his powers on the box and tried to make the lock click open. It refused to be moved. Growling, he tried to make the box split, but there was no reaction. "Or maybe not."
The Rangers took turns trying different ways to open it. Emma placed an explosive she had with her on the lock and detonated it, but the blast didn't leave a scratch. Sally tried to pull the box open with her telekinesis, but it was as unyielding to her as Sam. Matt tried cutting the lock with his claws, but they just bounced off with no effect. David tried freezing the lock until it became brittle and broke, but it never did.
Now Phillip was kneeling before the box, trying to pick the lock with one of his Aqua Jetters.
"Phil, come on." Richard told him. "It's not going to work."
"You don't know that..." Phillip muttered.
"You've been at it for ten minutes!" Emma told him. "It's not gonna open."
"...fine." Sighing, Phillip stood and dispelled his weapon. "I don't know how to get in there."
"Can we take it?" Richard asked. Clair thought for a moment.
"I suppose so." she said at last. "We don't have any real need for it here. If it's supposed to belong to you guys, then you probably should claim it."
"Thanks." Sally said. Sam picked up the box and turned towards the others.
"I have an idea." he said. "I think I know who might be able to help us."
"Celebi said we have to do it ourselves." Richard pointed out.
"No, Celebi said he and Hypnotica couldn't help us." Sam reminded him. "He never said we couldn't find other help."
"...fair enough." Richard nodded in agreement.
As the Rangers left the Dragon's Den and returned into Blackthorn City proper, they and Clair were greeted with the sight of a monster walking down the street.
He was tall and lanky, armored in gleaming silver metal painted with purple accents. Metallic Crobat wings stretched from his back and when they could see his face, they saw it was a Crobat face, but the right half was hidden under a jagged-edged half-helmet with a Skarmory design. In his hand, he carried some sort of device, a bright red light flickering more and more rapidly as he looked around.
"It must be here somewhere..." he growled.
"Guess we found what Celebi was referring to." Richard said. "Stay back, Clair. We'll handle this guy."
"If you say so..." She tossed a Pokéball repeatedly into the air. "I'll be here if you need bailed out."
"Yeah, sure." Sam laughed in disbelief, but quickly shut up when Clair glared at him.
Running forward, the Rangers cut off the monster's path.
"Hey, freakshow!" Richard called. The monster looked up from its device and spotted them, snarling in annoyance. "Just who are you supposed to be?"
"Rangers. I am Sir Skarmacro, sent by the great Mask of Ice to locate a very important asset for him." The Red Ranger glanced back at the Box of Seven, the team stepping closer together in front of Sam.
"Well, you can't have it!" Emma called. "We've got it and we aren't giving it to you!"
"Is that so...?" Skarmacro reached around behind him and put the device he carried away. "We'll see. Cryoclopes, to arms!" With a wave of his hand, the icy golem minions appeared all around him. "Attack!"
"Sam, guard the box!" Richard called.
"Wait a sec...!" Sam tried to protest as the others ran forward to meet the Cryoclopes in battle. "Why do I get to babysit the box!?" He glanced to Clair and dropped it at her feet. "You watch the box." Charging forward, he leaped into battle with his teammates.
Summoning his Icicle Spear, David formed a trail of ice in front of him, letting him slide and duck down, sweeping several Cryoclopes' legs out from under them. Rising, he dodged past one that was swinging an ice mace at him and stabbed it through the back before spinning and blocking an ice sword swinging at his face. Kicking the wielder back, he leaped and spun, slashing them across the chest and shattering them apart.
Sam aimed his Seed Bomber and fired, blasting the lead Cryoclopes charging at him down and scattering seeds around him. Holding out his hand, thorny vines quickly sprouted and lashed outwards, smashing through golems around them. A Cryoclopes at the back formed an ice machete and slashed through the vines before springing at him and Sam dodged aside, blasting it in the back and into pieces.
A line of Cryoclopes formed ice bows and aimed, firing towards Emma. The Yellow Ranger swung her Discharger in an arc and smashed them out of the air before leaping and firing lightning down, blasting the group apart. Landing, one formed an ice spear and stabbed at her. Blocking with her shield, she ducked down and kicked its leg out from under it, grabbing its arm and flipping it over her shoulder into one of its allies.
Richard charged flame into his Fire Blaster, leaping over Cryoclopes and firing at Skarmacro himelf. The Chaos Beast's wings folded closed around him, blocking the shot before swinging out and sending an Air Cutter flying out to strike the Red Ranger, sending him falling to the ground in a burst of sparks.
Leaping over to join him, Phillip blasted water from his Aqua Jetters' hilts, pulling him into a spin that would've hit Skarmacro several times had he not took to the air and flew above them.
"Come and get me, Rangers!" he laughed, his smaller wings launching air blasts down that exploded around the Blue Ranger.
"I've got him!" Sally called, waving a hand and flinging Cryoclopes aside. Springing into the air, she used her powers to lift herself upwards.
"You call that flying?" Skarmacro dodged away from a swing of the Pink Ranger's Psycho Cutter. Sally tried to follow him as he circled her, but he was moving too quickly, too nimbly. Holding out her hand, she tried to stop him, but was met with his metal wings slashing across her back, knocking her out of the air.
As Richard and Phillip helped her to her feet, Skarmacro swooped down towards them. Matt ran up from behind his teammates and leaped up towards him, but Skarmacro flipped himself around and slammed his feet into the Black Ranger, launching him back to crash into the others.
"You Rangers are a joke!" he called. Emma joined the group and fired lightning upwards, but he dodged aside without issue. "How did anyone ever have trouble with you?"
"Energies together!" Richard called. Holding out their hands, the Rangers formed the Eon Cannon and aimed it upwards. "Fire!"
Beams in their respective colors fired out and merged together into a swirling rainbow sphere, but Skarmacro quickly flew around behind them, avoiding being hit. Firing air blasts down, the Rangers all yelled as they were blasted off their feet, the Eon Cannon flying from their grip and vanishing as it hit the ground.
A few Cryoclopes charged towards Clair and she held out her Pokéball, opening to release a Kingdra. Firing precise shots of water forward, it blasted holes in each golem, stopping them in their tracks.
Suddenly, everyone's attention was caught by a powerful roar, one that made the ground tremble with its sheer magnitude. In a blaze of flame, Entei came leaping to land in the middle of the street.
"Ah, it's here!" Skarmacro grinned. "It seems you Rangers were lying about having my target."
Roaring in fury, Entei's mouth fired a steam of gold-colored flames across the area. As the sweeping attack came towards Clair, she commanded her Kingdra to counter it with a Hydro Pump.
While the force managed to deflect the attack from hitting her, to her surprise the water did nothing to douse the fire. The flames burned across the liquid's surface like it was gasoline instead of water, only growing larger and hotter.
Launching another blast, Entei struck Kingdra directly and it was flung backwards with a cry of pain. The flames continued to burn on his body, not seeming to be consuming it, but not going out either.
As it turned towards the Rangers, they saw that one of Entei's eyes was glowing red.
"Something's wrong with it..." Richard told the others. Roaring, Entei fired at them and the Rangers leaped aside as the flames caught on where they had been standing.
"Well, we have to do something!" Phillip said. "Or it'll burn us all!"
Finishing the last of the Cryoclopes facing them, Sam and David ran over to join the others.
"Fire's spreading!" David pointed out. Indeed, Entei's flames were only expanding to cover more and more of the area. "We're running out of time."
"Flare!" Richard reached up to touch his crystal. "Can you still absorb these flames?"
"I can try." Emerging from his Eon Crystal, the Flareon spirit flew around the area. Entei's flames were pulled into its body, the spirit growing brighter the more it absorbed.
"Sally, something's wrong with its mind, I think." Richard said. "Can you try to get in there?" Nodding, the Pink Ranger approached Entei, extending her mind out to him.
To her surprise, she couldn't get into Entei's head. It wasn't like with Matt or Ms. North or Celebi, where she just couldn't get any thoughts out of them, but instead like she was coming up against some sort of barrier. According to what she'd been told, that wasn't how psychic defense worked, so she was confused what was going on.
She focused harder, trying to push through whatever was blocking her from Entei's mind. As she did, Entei became still, frozen in place, as if stunned.
By using her power more, Sally was also opening her mind more, which became clear when she heard an internal voice above her.
'Perfect! She's immobilized it!' Looking up, Sally saw Skarmacro pulling back an arm with a Master Ball in his hand. 'You're mine!'
"No!" Sally called, swinging her hand upward in an arch. The Master Ball was knocked away and hit the ground, rolling to a stop at her feet.
While she was distracted, Entei shook his head, roaring as he broke out of the trancelike state. Sally watched it's mouth glow hotter as he prepared to launch another fire blast at her.
Before it could, a blue crystal wall grew before it, forcing Entei back. Sally and the others looked to see Suicune standing nearby, watching. Entei turned to look at it as well, their eyes meeting. After a moment of staring, Entei growled and shook its head. When it looked up again, its glowing red eye was back to normal.
Turning, Entei dashed off at incredible speeds, Suicune soon taking its leave as well. Above, Skarmacro growled in frustration.
"I must capture it!" he yelled, flying off as fast as he could after Entei.
As Entei had left, his fires had all quickly gone out. The Rangers approached Clair, who was kneeling and applying a Burn Heal to her Kingdra.
"Is it okay?" Matt asked in concern.
"Seems to be." Clair frowned. "The burn heals like normal, anyway." Sighing, she stood up and returned Kingdra to his ball. "First Suicune attacks me, now Entei. This is not normal."
"I'll say." Phillip said quietly. He was still staring in the direction Suicune had fled. It had been right there, in front of him. "When did Suicune attack?"
"Just a little bit ago." Clair told them. "I'd just healed my Dragonair when you guys got here."
"Did it have the red eye thing going on too?" Phillip asked. Clair shook her head.
"I would've noticed something like that." she said. "And it didn't seem to...well, it trapped me in crystal, beat my Dragonair, and then left. It seemed almost disappointed, but not like it wanted to do me serious harm. Entei seemed much worse."
"We'll have to see if Celebi can tell us anything about this." Richard frowned. "If he will tell us."
"One thing's for sure, we can't let Mask of Ice get his hands on Entei, or Suicune, or Raikou either." Phillip said. "If he gets ahold of Pokémon that powerful...who knows what he could do with them."
"I agree, those Pokémon must not fall into the wrong hands." Clair looked over to the Master Ball Sally had picked up. "Where did he even get that? Those are hard to come by."
"I don't know." Richard said. "We'll have to look into it more."
"Yeah, but first, maybe we'd better get this box open as soon as we can." Sam suggested, bending and picking up the Box of Seven.
"You said you had an idea?" Sally remembered. Sam nodded.
"Well...good luck, Rangers." Clair nodded. "You'll let me know if you figure out what's going on with these Legendary attacks, right?"
"Yeah. Of course." Richard told her. "We'll pass it along."
As Clair gave them a final wave and walked away, Sally looked after her in amazement.
"So, she's the biggest Gym Leader in the region?" she asked.
"Mmmhmm." Emma nodded. "Toughest of them all. Most people trying to collect Johto's badges save her for last."
"I can see why." Sally said. "She seems...I don't know. Just being around her is intense."
"Family pride." Phillip told her. "A lot of people in her family have been powerful Dragon-type specialists. Heck, her cousin runs the Elite Four over in Kanto."
"It's a legacy she fights hard for." Matt reached up and put a hand on her shoulder. "But don't worry. You have something even more important to fight for." Sally glanced at him. "Yourself." Sally smiled and nodded in understanding.
"So, what's your idea?" Richard asked Sam. The Green Ranger turned to Matt.
"We've got to get to David's house." he said. "Mattow, can you take us?"
"I still think you could've came up with something better for me." Matt muttered, but he reached out a hand anyway. The Rangers all linked up he reached his foot back into a building's shadow, the whole group vanishing along with the box.
Soon, David's house...
"What is it, again?" Professor Diggswell asked as he looked over the Box of Seven in fascination.
"It's some sort of ancient artifact that we, uh, acquired?" Sam said. The Professor looked to him. "We didn't steal it, I swear!"
"No, no, I never thought that." Diggswell frowned as he examined the writing on the box. "'Seal of Seven' huh? I've never heard any references to such a thing..."
"The thing we've found is, the box will NOT open by any means." David explained. "It can't be forced, and there's no key to go into that hole."
"Strange shape for a keyhole, anyway." Diggswell observed. "Check out it. It's like a little tunnel, then with a larger spherical area deeper inside." The two knelt to look into the keyhole, seeing what the professor was talking about. "I don't know how you would get the ball to fit that part in through the smaller tunnel. It makes no sense."
"Huh..." Sam frowned. "That is strange."
"Do you think you can figure out how to get it open?" David asked. The Professor scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"I dunno, but I can sure give it the old college try." he said. Hefting it up, he carried it towards his room. "I'm gonna try to look up some of these symbols on the back. I'll give you a call if I figure out anything."
"Alright. Thanks, Professor!" Sam called. Entering his room, the Professor kicked the door closed behind him. David folded his arms.
"So, what do we do when he does figure it out?" David asked.
"Snatch the box, make up some excuse, and get it out of here?" Sam shrugged. "You have a better idea?"
"No...no I don't." David sighed. "I'm gonna go let the others know what's happening. You keep an ear out for him to give some sort of indication he's solved it."
"If he yells 'Eureka!', I'm never letting him live it down." Sam told him. David chuckled as he turned to walk away. Sighing, Sam approached the Professor's door and leaned against the wall nearby, listening to the sounds of pages flipping within. "C'mon, Professor. I know you can do this."
Later, at the Goldenrod City Pokémon Gym...
"Leader Whitney?" Pausing midconversation, Whitney turned to find one of the Trainers of her Gym standing in the door to her office. "A detective and his partner are here to see you? They said something about the two that went missing?"
"Oh, of course." Whitney nodded. "Go on, send them in." The Trainer nodded and left to fetch them while Whitney lifted her phone back up. "I'm terribly sorry, but can I put you on hold? Yes, I'll try to make it quick. I appreciate it."
Setting the phone down, she took a seat as Looker and Xana entered the room.
"Hello." She waved towards a set of chairs. "Have a seat."
"Thank you." Looker took a seat, but Xana opted to stand behind him, leaning forward to rest her arms on the back of his chair. "My name is Looker. I'm in the region trying to track down Walter Franklin."
"So are we." Whitney told him. "He and the rest of the Remnants have been something of a problem in recent times."
"Yes, I've heard." Looker nodded, sitting forward. "I've heard that he was here. For what purpose, I can't imagine."
"You don't know?" Whitney frowned. "But you referenced it to get in here."
"That was me." Xana spoke up. "I didn't know what it meant. It just came to mind when we were talking to that young man." She smiled. "I'm Madame Xana, by the way."
"She's a psychic I met in Azalea." Looker explained. "She was able to read from a photo that Walter was on his way to this gym."
"Ah..." Whitney nodded. "Interesting. Well, I'm sorry to say that we don't really have a lead on where he is at the moment. He simply stole back two Pokémon of his that we had confiscated."
"Nothing at all?" Looker frowned. "Nothing unusual you've noticed around here?"
"No..." Whitney blinked. "Nothing here at the gym."
"How about elsewhere?" Xana asked. "You seem to have something on your mind."
"Well, there was an odd incident not long ago." Whitney admitted. "I went home from the gym, but I had no memory of it. I was just here one moment, and then I was waking up at home, bound in ropes along with my parents. My sister was there too, and she showed me a note I'd apparently written to get her to come there, but she didn't remember receiving or heeding it. We don't know what went on."
"Hmm..." Looker frowned. "Can I see the note?"
"My sister has it." Whitney told her. "She said she was going to try and figure out what happened."
"I see. Where is she?" Looker asked, writing everything she had said down in his notebook.
"Back the way you came." Whitney smiled. "Near Azalea, at the Underwood Ranch. Ask for Alicia Milton."
"Very well." Looker jotted the name and location down and flipped his book closed. "Thank you for your time."
"One thought." Xana rose up straight and looked at Whitney curiously. "Do you think I could have a try at reading your mind? It's obvious something has been suppressed there; perhaps I can draw it out?"
"I suppose it's worth a shot." Whitney watched as Xana approached, leaning across her desk. "Go ahead."
"Look at me..." Xana stared into Whitney's eyes as she raised them to meet hers. Xana had hazel eyes that were oddly piercing, almost as if inflected with gold. Frowning, she seemed to focus harder. Whitney flinched in reflex, half-expecting her head to start hurting, but nothing of the sort happened.
After an uncomfortable amount of silence that had Looker anxiously tapping a pen against his notebook, Xana moved back.
"It's hard to see much." she said in annoyance. "Something has buried the memories of what happened deep."
"Did you get anything?" Looker asked.
"Yes." Xana turned to face him. "Cianwood City."
"Cianwood..." Looker frowned. "Isn't that pretty much on the other side of Johto? What could Walter be up to there?"
"I don't know." Xana said. "But I know what I saw. Its name was right on the sign."
"Hmm." Looker wrote Cianwood down with a question mark. "Whitney, can you think of anything, ANYTHING that would make somebody like Walter go to Cianwood?"
"Well, they're working on the new Safari Zone right now." Whitney said. "The Gym Leader there, Chuck, has been overseeing it."
"There's been a problem..." Xana muttered. Whitney looked to her in confusion.
"No...I mean, some mild environmental protests, but nothing major that I've heard of." she said.
Whitney's phone began to ring on its secondary line, the one reserved for contact between other Gyms and the Elite Four. Frowning, she picked it up.
"Hello?" She listened for a moment. "What do you mean 'a problem'?" Looker and Xana glanced at each other. "Okay. Yeah. Thanks for letting me know." Hanging up, she looked to the other two people in the room. "That was Chuck. Apparently, a group of Pokémon my family sent to help with the Safari Zone's construction were stolen."
"That connects with Walter messing around with you and your family farm..." Looker mused. "We'll have to check this out!" Standing aruptly, he held out a hand, offering Whitney a vigorous shake. "Thank you for your time."
"Of course." Whitney smiled before pulling her hand back. "Be sure to let me know if you figure anything out." Looker gave her an affirmative nod before he and Xana turned to leave. Once they were out the door, Whitney picked her phone back up. "Sorry about that, Sabrina. So, about what I was asking you...?"
The Underwood Ranch..
Matt was giving Onix its daily rock meal when Professor Diggswell came running up. As the rock snake lifted a stone up and crunched into it, the Professor approached. Behind him, the Box of Seven was being carried on his Donphan's back.
"Ah, an Onix. Excellent, most magnificent!" Diggswell exclaimed. Behind him, Sam came running up.
"Hey..." Panting and gasping, he tried to catch his breath. "Man, you move fast for an old dude, Professor."
"Pardon me for not introducing myself." Diggswell apologized. "My name is..."
"Professor Diggswell, I know." Matt nodded and smiled in greeting. "I'm a friend of Sam and David's. They've told me a lot about you. I'm Matt Underwood."
"Ah, very good then." Diggswell shook his hand.
"What's the big rush about, Professor?" Sam asked. "Did you figure out the box?"
"Some of it." Diggswell told him. He glanced to Matt. "Has Sammy told you about this box of his?"
"As a matter of fact, yes." Matt stepped forward and leaned down beside the box. "I'm very curious about it."
"Well, I've managed to translate some of the symbols." Professor Diggswell knelt and dug around in his duffel bag, locating a journal. "It's written in an ancient language I've only encountered a couple times before. It's an incomplete tongue that some people claim never existed."
"So what does it say?" Sam asked.
"From what I can tell, this reads..." The Professor ran his finger along the line of symbols as he wrote. "Seven of the same nature must attack..." He frowned as his finger moved to the last pair of symbols. "This part I'm not sure about, but I think it says 'at once.' I'm thinking we try to hit it with seven Pokémon attacks, from seven Pokémon of the same type."
"I see..." Matt said thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Do you have seven Pokémon of the same type?"
"That's why I came here." the Professor told him. "I have five Ground-type Pokémon. I was hoping I could find two more willing to pitch in here." He looked up at Onix and reached a hand out, rubbing its rocky hide. "This fella will make six. Are there any more?"
"Yeah. Hold on a second." Matt turned and ran towards the house. Soon, he returned with Sally in tow. Once they had explained the situation, she sent Larvitar out to assist.
"Larv?" Larvitar looked around in interest. 'What's going on? Battle?'
"No, not today." Sally told him. "We just need you to help with something."
"Onix, you okay with pitching in?" Matt asked. The rock snake nodded, sliding forward to loom behind the group. "Thanks. Okay, Professor. Bring out the rest of your Pokémon."
"Right you are." The Professor drew four Pokéballs and opened them, releasing his Dugtrio, Mamoswine, Quagsire, and Marowak to join with Donphan. "Everyone, listen up!" His Pokémon all looked to him, as did Onix and Larvitar once Sally prompted him to. "At the count of three, I need all of you to launch a Ground-type attack at this box." He pointed to the Box of Seven. "Can you do that?"
The Pokémon all gave affirmative responses and turned towards the box. The huamns around took a step back as they prepared attacks.
"One...two..." Diggswell counted, raising an arm. "Three!" He dropped his arm and the Pokémon all launched their attacks. Quagsire and Dugtrio launched Mud Bombs, Marowak hurled a Bonemerang, Donphan and Mamoswine charged forward with Bulldoze, Onix hurled a Sand Tomb, and Larvitar burrowed through the ground to strike from underneath with a Dig.
As the dust and mud settled, Marowak caught its returning bone, Donphan and Mamoswine stepped back, and Larvitar emerged back onto the surface, it was revealed that the box was still entirely undamaged.
"Drat it all!" Diggswell folded his arms. "It seems my theory is off in some manner."
"Well, it was a decent idea." Sam assured him.
"I will have to give it some more thought." Diggswell knelt by the box, looking at the symbols and muttering to himself. After a moment, he glanced up. "Would you mind if I stayed here? It's possible my theory was somewhat close, in which case I may need those Pokémon again."
"Of course." Matt nodded. "I'm afraid I have more work to do, but I'll come check up later." Waving to the group and to Onix, he and Sally both turned to walk away.
Diggswell searched through his bag before remembering he still had his book out and flipping through it, frowning.
"Seven of the same nature must attack at once..." the Professor repeated to himself. "If that's not referring to Pokémon typing, then I don't know what it is about." Sam listened thoughtfully, a few ideas he couldn't share with the Professor running through his head.
"You said you weren't certain it said 'at once'." Sam decided to point out instead. "What else could it say?"
"Oh, who knows? It could be some variant, or maybe it's nothing like what I said at all." Diggswell sighed. "I'll have to consider other options."
As the Professor scanned his book, Sam took off towards the house, probably to use the restroom or something. A shadow fell over Diggswell and he looked up to find Onix looming over him.
"Oh, hello there." The Professor smiled. "Do you mind? You're kind of blocking the light."
Looking chastised, Onix quickly moved aside. The Professor stood and reached out hand to him.
"Hey, don't look so down. I didn't mean I mind you being here." he assured. Onix leaned forward to touch his hand with its face, the Professor grinning. "You're a friendly Onix, that's for sure. Have you ever met any of your kind that live deeper in the Earth?" Onix nodded. "Quite temperamental, aren't they? I think it comes from not having really any other species around."
Onix curled around, bringing its head around behind the Box of Seven. The Professor watched him look over the writings there.
"You can't read that, can you?" The Professor asked curiously. Onix shook his head sadly. "I didn't think so. That would've been crazy." Diggswell wandered around to beside Onix where he could see the ancient words too. "Seven of the same nature must attack...at once." The Professor folded his arms. "I think it's at once. Maybe Sam is right and it's not."
"Nix." Onix rose upwards, moving aside and forming boulders around itself. Diggswell watched as it dropped seven of them in a line.
"What are you doing?" he asked curiously. Onix raised its tail and pointed at the boulders, using it to push them apart. Turning to the Professor, he shook his head before turning back and pushing all the boulders together. Forming one boulder the size of all the others combined, he put it beside them and turned back to Diggswell eagerly.
"Onix!" he called cheerfully.
"Hmm..." The Professor scratched his chin and went back to examine the writing again. "Yes...eureka! I think you're right!"
"Oh my Arceus, you really do say it." Sam said as he returned from behind. Diggswell spun to face him with a grin.
"Onix has proposed a new theory!" he declared. Sam raised an eyebrow. "And I think he might just have solved it!"
"What is it?" Sam asked.
"It doesn't say 'at once'. Rather, it says 'as one'." The Professor told him. "A small but important distinction. We need to find a way to combine seven attacks into one, instead of just having them hit seperately."
"...right." Sam grinned. "I think I understand! That's perfect, Professor!"
'Sam.' Celebi's voice projected into his mind through his crystal. 'Skarmacro is going to pass over the town soon in his chase. You and the others have to intercept him!'
'We're on it, Celebi.' Sam thought back. Bending down, he grabbed the box and lifted it up. "Thanks so much, Professor!" Sally and Matt went running by, having received the same message. "I think I can handle it from here."
"Hang on a moment!" Diggswell called. Sam halted in his tracks. "You are going to tell me what's inside if you get it open, right?"
"Oh, uh..." Sam cringed. "It's kinda...other job related."
"Aww..." The Professor frowned. "You piqued my curiosity, and now you're yanking the answer away?"
"Sorry!" Sam called as he resumed his run. "I'll make it up to you, I swear!"
"Yeah, you had better!" Diggswell yelled after him. Sighing, he glanced up at Onix. "Kids these days. So secretive." Onix grunted in agreement.
Soon, in Azalea Town...
Sam, Sally, and Matt joined up with the other Rangers, who were scanning the skies for any sign of Skarmacro.
"Hey." Sam set the Box of Seven down as they turned to look at him.
"DId the Professor figure it out?" David asked eagerly.
"I think so." Sam nodded. 'Or, rather, the Onix at Matt's ranch figured it out, apparently."
"So how do we open it?" Richard asked.
"It's so simple." Sam laughed. "We have to combine powers." He pointed amongst them. "There's seven of us. If we put our energy into one attack, it will break the Seal of Seven."
"Huh..." Phillip nodded. "You're right. That is simple. Why didn't we think of that?"
"There he is!" Emma called, pointing. The other Rangers looked up as Skarmacro zoomed over the town.
"In hot pursuit of Entei..." Sam grinned. "We'd better stop him."
"Right." Richard agreed. "Let's give this a try!" Drawing his Morpher, he held it up. "Ready?"
"Ready!" the others agreed.
"Bring on the power of Eon!" they all called, pressing their Morphers against their chest. Glowing lines in their respective colors spread from their Morphers' corners around their bodies as their Eon Spirits emerged from the crystal, flying up above and shooting the appropriate element down to form their Ranger Suits. Circling around, the spirits transformed into helmets to complete their transformation.
Once they were morphed, Richard held out his hand. The others all joined him, focusing their power out and together. From the merging, the Eon Cannon formed, dropping into the Red Ranger's hands.
"Whoa..." Richard looked it over. "It's even better than before!"
The Eon Cannon now had seven barrels instead of the previous five, one in the center and the other six in a ring around it. The same red spot for his hand was in place on the handle, as were the blue and yellow spaces on the weapon's bottom front and the pink and black spaces on the bottom back. However, there were now green and white spaces on top of the weapon's back.
"Sweet!" Sam stepped around to the back of the group. "Let's charge it up!"
Richard held the weapon by its handle while Phillip and Emma knelt in front of him, Sally and Matt knelt behind him, and Sam and David stood behind them, reaching their hands out to place on the indicated spots. As the seven all focused, the weapon's barrels began to glow in each of their colors.
"How do we know this won't destroy what's inside?" Richard asked as they aimed at the Box of Seven.
"Oh ye of little faith..." Sam shook his head. "Simple answer: we don't."
"We'll find out." David told them. Richard nodded.
"Fire!" he called.
From the weapon's barrels, beams of their color fired forward, swirling together into a larger multicolored sphere of power. As the attack reached the box, it shrank down and was pulled into the 'keyhole' on the lock, passing down the tunnel before growing larger in the chamber beyond. The lock exploded apart into wooden shards, scattering across the ground.
"It worked!" The Rangers ran forward and Richard pulled the remains of the lock off the box. Grabbing the lid, he pushed it up.
"What's inside?" Emma asked eagerly, leaning to look past him. "What are they?"
Richard pulled out what appeared to be a tiny surfboard, only a few inches in length. It was red in color with the image of a Flareon painted down the top.
"Strange..." Richard stepped back as the other Rangers all found similar miniatures for them inside. "How is this supposed to help us?"
"Celebi said they would." Phillip examined his blue version with a Vaporeon image. "They have to do something."
As Richard leaned to check the box and make sure there was nothing more, he brought the board closer to the crystal on his chest and a brief spark of energy leaped between them before he yanked them apart.
"Whoa...check this out!" Richard turned to the others and brought it closer again. Energy flew out of his crystal and into the miniature, which began to glow bright red. Pulling free of his grip, it shot forward and grew into a full-sized board, hovering over the ground with jets of flame shooting out of its bottom, somehow not scorching the earth beneath them.
The others followed suit, using their crystals to charge up their boards. Sally's floated on a pulse of psychic power, Emma's discharged electricity from its underside, Phillip's had several hydro jets keeping it up, Matt's exuded a dark pulse of shadow, Sam's was hovering on some sort of green powder spray, and David's used icy mist.
'Congratulations, Rangers.' The team looked up to find that Celebi had come to see them. Grinning, he descended. 'You all truly have learned how to be one team and trust in each other. As your reward...these are your Spirit Boards.' He waved towards the elemental surfboards. 'Climb on.'
Nodding, the Rangers stepped forward and onto their Spirit Boards. Celebi hovered before them as they quickly figured out how to balance on them, David catching Sam's arm as the Green Ranger almost managed to flip his board.
'They can fly at hypersonic speeds that let them traverse the region in no time at all.' Celebi explained. He looked to Sam and David. 'So whenever we need you, you'll have the means to get to us fast.'
"Got it." Sam grinned. "Thanks, Celeport."
'And they should allow you to chase down that menace Skarmacro.' Celebi added. 'So what are you waiting for, Rangers? Go for it!'
"You got it." Richard nodded. "Let's go, team!" Crouching and putting his weight towards the back, his board tilted upwards and shot into the sky. The others mimicked his moves, racing up after him.
"Whooooo!" Emma cheered, holding out her hand to swipe through a cloud as she passed, causing lightning to discharge from it. "This is awesome!"
"I think...you mean...dizzying!" Sam called as he weaved back and forth. David flew up beside him.
"Well if you would stop looking straight down..." he called. Sam looked up from where he had indeed been looking over the side of his board.
"Oh yeah..." he sighed. "It is kinda better if you ignore the height."
"Come on, guys." Phillip called. "Let's get after him." Richard nodded in agreement and the team flew forward, pushing the Spirit Boards to their top speed. Soon, the image of Skarmacro became clear in the sky before them.
"I see him!" Richard summoned his Fire Blaster as they got closer, aiming it forward and charging up. "And...fire!" Launching a powerful sphere of flame, it slammed against Skarmacro's back and exploded, making him swerve in the sky, looking back over his shoulder at them.
"You fly now!?" he snarled in annoyance. "You'll never match me!" Turning away, he shot forward even faster.
"I wouldn't say that..." Skarmacro looked down to find Emma keeping pace with him from below. Laughing, she reached up and pressed a finger to him, discharging electricity and knocking him off-course.
As he righted himself, Sally flew in circles around him, drawing her Psycho Cutter and slashing repeatedly.
"Not as fun on the other side, is it?" she asked, focusing her power and landing a psychokinetic slash that flung him back between Matt and Phillip.
Summoning their Night Slashers and Aqua Jetters, the Black and Blue Rangers struck repeatedly, bouncing the Chaos Beast back and forth between them. Flying past, they quickly circled around, landing final slashes as they passed.
"You Rangers shall NOT stop my quest!" he snapped, his smaller wings aiming at Sam as he approached and firing air blasts. The Green Ranger steered aside from each, grinning under his helmet.
"Too slow, Sir Skarmacro!" Sam laughed. "We're leaving you in the dust!" Pulling his board up vertically, the powder firing from the bottom blasted into Skarmacro's face, making him cough and flap to try and disperse it. As he did, he found himself facing the barrel of the Green Ranger's Seed Bomber. "Get it?" Sam fired and sent him falling backwards.
Before he could right himself, David flew up from below, firing an ice blast that froze his wings together. Soaring past, he spun around and flew after the screaming and falling Chaos Beast, summoning his Icicle Spear and drawing it back. Hurling the weapon, it pierced into Skarmacro and drove him down faster, smashing into the ground in a powerful impact.
"Nice shot, dude!" Sam high-fived him as he flew past. The Rangers all descended lower, leaping off their Spirit Boards and landing before Skarmacro as he staggered unsteadily to his feet, ice still coating much of his wings.
"Let's finish this guy." Richard suggested, holding up his hand. "Energies together!" The Rangers focused their power and formed their new and improved Eon Cannon, taking up positions as they aimed at Skarmacro. "Annnd..."
"Fire!" The team called together, launching the weapon's powerful blast. The sphere of their combined power struck Skarmacro, sending him staggering back with sparks flying.
"Nooo...I can't...fail!" Skarmacro groaned as he toppled onto his back, his body icing over and exploding.
His destruction was short-lived, however, a chaotic ice cube rising and pulling his statue back together before increasing his size. Reforming at massive height, Skarmacro looked down at the Rangers.
"Another chance for glory!" Drawing back an arm, he swiped out and the Rangers ducked as his fingers passed overhead. "I'll take it!"
"Eon Zord time." Richard told the others, touching his crystal and summoning Flare out of it. As the Eon Spirit transformed into his Zord state, the others rose up and followed suit. Inside the cockpits, the five original Rangers gripped their levers.
"Combine!" they all called. Flare jumped into the air, his body shifting upright as his head moved down onto the front where the chest would be. Esper and Umbre's legs folded up against their bodies and they flipped upright, their heads forming feet as the rest of them formed right and left legs and connected under the Flareon Zord. Jolt and Vapor's hindquarters shifted up into shoulders as the rest of them extended into arms, attaching to the side of the Flareon Zord on the right and left, respectively. From the top of the Flareon Zord rose a humanoid head, twin tassels styled like Flareon's fur blowing from its back. "Eon Force Megazord, ready!"
Laughing, Skarmacro charged forward, his wing slashing out and striking the Megazord across the chest. Leaping up, he slammed his feet against them and the Megazord hit the ground as he propelled himself into the air.
"We're not down yet!" Richard pulled the Megazord back to its feet. "Flamethrower!" Opening his mouth, Flare launched a fiery blast upwards, but Skarmacro easily avoided it.
Circling, he slashed and punched the Megazord repeatedly from multiple directions.
"Hydro Pump!" Phillip aimed the Megazord's Vaporeon arm and shot a high-pressure hydro stream, but Skarmacro flew out of ahead of it, circling to crash into the Megazord's midsection and flip it off its feet.
As he rose upwards, Leaf looked up at him.
"Magical Leaf!" Sam called. Leaf fired a stream of glowing leaves at the Chaos Beast, tracking as he tried to dodge. Unfortunately, they only pelted off his armor with little effect.
Glace approached the Megazord with concern.
"Glace wants to know if you guys are okay?" David asked.
"All in one piece." Richard assured. "But maybe it's time for a new tactic, yeah?"
"You got it." Sam nodded. Emma and Phillip vanished from the cockpit as Jolt and Vapor detached from the Megazord. Leaf and Glace rose up to take their place, Sam and David appearing to join the others. "Let's give it our all!"
As the Rangers focused their power, Leaf and Glace's mouths opened, two cannons extending as they charged up.
"Eon Force, Beam Blasters!" the Rangers called, firing powerful Solarbeam and Ice Beam attacks forward. Skarmacro crossed his wings in front of him, the two blasts being deflected off to the side.
"A valiant effort!" Leaping forward, he slammed a kick into the Megazord and knocked it back. "But not enough!"
"This guy..." Phillip grit his teeth in annoyance from Vapor's cockpit. "We can't land anything!"
"We have to try something!" Emma nodded. "Thunder!" Jolt fired a powerful electric blast upwards, but Skarmacro saw it coming and easily dodged aside as it tried to come back down on him. Flying higher, he fired air blasts from his miniature wings, striking the Megazord and both other Zords.
"I think I have an idea..." The Rangers turned to Sally as she helped the Megazord steady itself.
"Well, what is it?" Matt asked. Sally looked around to see that the rest of the team was all looking to her.
"Sam, do you think Emma could take your spot?" she asked. The Green Ranger nodded and quickly detached Leaf from the Megazord, Jolt leaping up to take his place. Emma reappeared in the cockpit with the others. "Emma, remember how Magical Leaf tracked him? Jolt can do something similar, but more effective, can't he?"
"You bet he can!" Emma nodded in understanding. "Shock Wave!"
Holding up their Jolteon arm, the Megazord fired a mid-sized blast of electricity in a pulsing effect. Skarmacro tried to dodge, but it followed him and slammed against his back, conducting around his armor and making him screech in pain.
"Now, while he's distracted, David! Hit him with an Ice Beam!" Sally suggested. Nodding as Glace translated, the Megazord's Glaceon arm extended its cannon and aimed upwards, firing an Ice Beam that struck Skarmacro in the wings, freezing them once again and sending him plummeting to crash to the ground. "Both of you, swap out now!"
As Skarmacro stumbled upright, Jolt and Glace split from the Megazord. Leaf and Vapor rose up, attaching in their place as Sam and Phillip took Emma and David's spots.
"Now Phil, make him watery." Sally told him.
"I see." Phillip laughed. "You got it! Soak!" Vapor opened her mouth and launched a stream of water forward, forming a liquidly blue aura around Skarmacro as it struck.
"What is this?" Skarmacro looked down at himself in confusion. "I feel strange..."
"And now I take him down!" Sam nodded as Sally was about to tell him. "I get the picture. Solarbeam!"
Leaf's mouth opened and extended a cannon, charging up in green energy as it aimed at the now flightless Skarmacro.
"Fire!" the Rangers yelled together, Leaf blasting the powerful beam attack to pierce through. Skarmacro stumbled to the side as he looked down at the smoking hole left in him.
"You...you Rangers..." Sparking, he fell to his knees. "I may fall, but my master will prevail in the end!" Ice spread up his body as he fell forward, hitting the ground and exploding.
Retracting Leaf's cannon, the Megazord stood victorious as Jolt and Glace walked up to stand beside it.
The next morning, the Underwood Ranch...
"So...I guess this is goodbye?" Sam said as he and David faced the others. "I mean, we'll be here whenever you need us, but still..."
"Yeah..." Richard chuckled. "Weird. I never thought I'd reach this point, but I'll actually miss having you guys around all the time."
"You guys stay safe out there, okay?" Sally said.
"Yeah, don't you worry." Sam nodded.
"I'll do my utmost to keep him out of trouble." David assured. Sam shrugged and grinned. "But I don't know how well it'll work."
"Speaking of trouble..." Emma stepped forward and pressed an object into each of their hands. "Just in case you ever need to get...explosive." Sam looked down at it in surprise.
"You trust US with a fricking grenade?" he asked in shock.
"Don't worry." Emma grinned. "I made them idiot-proof."
"I'll believe that when I see it." Richard smirked. "Please be careful with those."
"Yeah. Sure." Sam gingerly pulled his bag off his shoulder and located an empty pocket, carefully placing it inside. "Thanks, Emplosion." Emma laughed and slapped him a high five.
"I don't know what y'all are talking about." she said. "I think his nicknames are great."
"You two ready to go?" Professor Diggswell walked up to the group. Sam and David nodded and moved over to stand with him.
"Sure thing, Professor." Sam agreed. "But...uh, where'd Eusine get off to?" Phillip noticably perked up at the name.
"He left early to try and find us all a place to stay." Diggswell told them. "We'll meet up with him when we get to Ecruteak."
"Man..." Phillip stepped forward. "I was hoping to meet him...I wanted to give him this." He held out a thick yellow envelope. "Would you mind passing it along? He'll figure out what it is."
"Sure, son." The Professor took the envelope and placed it in one of the bags he carried. "Well, no more time to waste, boys. Our ride is ready."
"Ride?" David blinked. "What ride?"
"This ride." Diggswell held up a Pokéball and clicked it open, releasing Onix from within. "Thank you for letting me take him, Matt."
"No problem, Professor." Matt smiled. "He likes you. I'm glad he's found the trainer he deserves."
"Climb on up!" The Professor scrambled up onto Onix's head as he lowered it. Sam and David followed after him. "Onward!"
As Onix moved off towards the north, the Rangers waved one last time to Sam and David before they went out of sight.
"What do you think they'll find out there?" Sally asked.
"I don't know." Phillip said. "But something strange is going on with Suicune and his brothers. I have a feeling...they might just stumble right into the middle of it."
Next Time on Poké Rangers: Eon Force...
Emma: We're going to miss our train if you don't get moving!
?: Enjoy your time at Ranger-Con!
Alicia: Sorry about that. I shouldn't turn corners that fast.
Mask of Ice: The Staff's chaotic energies are hard on a mortal body.
Clair: Karen? I've got big news for you.
? Rangers numbering five, but none will survive!
?: You guys are Eon Force Rangers, huh? In that case...
Emma: It's you!
Chapter 18: Ranger-Con Part 1-Welcome to Ranger-Con
(A/N: Little bit longer chapter than usual this time, but I couldn't edit it down anymore than I have. Hope y'all don't mind. In any case, don't worry; Sam and David aren't leaving the story by any stretch of the imagination. They just have their own journey to take...and who knows where that could lead. Guess we'll just have to wait and find out! Anyway, next chapter...I'm excited for this one.)