Another day shined on the Galar Region since went the group's adventures in the Crown Tundra and since Sarah caught the King of Bountiful Harvests and his loyal steeds. Calyrex and his steeds proved to be very helpful pokemon to Sarah and her family. Though the dragons were a bit skeptical of the two horse pokemon due to their previous wild actions, however the way they got along with their rider/friend, made them trust Spectrier and Glastrier a little more, though they did have to keep an eye on Spectrier when he would try to steal their energy while they slept. But that's what his Pokédex entry said about him when Rotom looked up their information,
"Calyrex, the King Pokemon. A Psychic and Grass type. Calyrex is known in legend as a king that ruled over Galar in ancient times. It has the power to cause hearts to mend and plants to spring forth. Calyrex is a merciful Pokémon, capable of providing healing and blessings. Calyrex is in its Ice Rider form now. According to lore, this Pokémon showed no mercy to those who got in its way, yet it would heal its opponents' wounds after battle."
"Glastrier, the Wild Horse Pokémon. An Ice Type. Glastrier emits intense cold from its hooves. It's also noted to be an aggressive Pokémon. Anything it wants, it takes by force. Glastrier has tremendous physical strength, and the mask of ice covering its face is 100 times harder than diamond."
"Spectrier, the Swift Horse Pokémon. A Ghost Type. Spectrier traverses its surroundings without using its sense of sight, as its eyes are normally closed. Its kicks are said to separate a soul from its body. As it dashes through the night, Spectrier absorbs the life-force of sleeping creatures. It craves silence and solitude."
Spectrier's entry, as expected, sent chills through everyone's spines but Calyrex reassured them that Spectrier wouldn't try absorb anyone's life force when they were asleep.
Sarah did make sure to have Calyrex grow some more Shaderoot and Iceroot carrots for Spectrier and Glastrier, but seeing that the brothers had bottomless pits for stomachs, she was forced to take back... alot more carrots and carrot seeds which Tsukumaro and Silvally playfully teased her about.
Luckily, Peony gave her a portable case to carry all the carrots back to Postwick with them.
As for Nebula, the little Cosmong got along very well with Sarah's family, even the dragons adored the baby cosmic ball of fluff. Nebula seemed very attached to Nebby for some reason which Sarah thought was probably because he was a Cosmong before as well. Like Nebby, Nebula did have the move Teleport but unlike Nebby, she didn't cry at all, she was always smiling and wanting to play which saved everyone some headaches.
Even Stufful played with her new baby sister along with Winter and Shadow. The Furies nuzzled the little ball of fluff making her giggle and proceed to tickle them back with her little wisps. Even Silver, Venom, Inferno and Sunflare liked the little baby Cosmong despite trying to deny it.
Camo and his family like Sarah's little Cosmong. Nebula would cutely babble at them, wanting to play which they obliged. Skystorm and Starfire fell in love with the tiny pokemon. Nebula didn't even mind Skystorm's crown of spikes on her head, but when she tried to touch them with her wisps Starfire gently nudged her away from, not wanting the innocent little Pokemon to accidentally poison herself.
Sarah still couldn't believe that she got another Cosmong. She wondered which evolution Neubla would turn into.
Would she turn into a another Solgeleo or would she become Lunala? Sarah and her family couldn't wait to see.
Now, the group was taking the train to the Isle of Armor before they would head back to Alola the following day.
"Alright class, on our second to last day in the Galar Region, today we're going to the Isle of Armor where we'll see the Master Dojo, a special dojo in the is a battle facility on the Isle of Armor in the Galar region. It is owned and operated by Mustard and his wife Honey."
"Mustard?"
"Honey?" asked Lillie, Lana, Sophocles, and Mallow, finding the names confusing.
This, however, got Ash and Kiawe's battle appetites wet and making them excited for what was about to be in store for them and the others; an island in itself from the Galar Region that focuses on battling? This could provide them extra special training for them and the rest of the gang for the Alola League when it's completed and it's great news for Victor and the others to help them prepare for the Champion Cup.
"An island specifically for training?"
"Where is it, exactly?" they asked eagerly.
"It's a few miles to the right side of Galar, you can get there from anywhere else in the region as long as you have an Armor Pass," replied Hop.
"But, since it's in the ocean off of Galar, the only way you can get into it besides using an Armor Pass is with a Flying Taxi," added Gloria.
"Did you guys know anything about the Isle of Armor, Victor?" Lana asked.
"No idea, we've only heard stories but many who had been visiting the place said that the island is home to a special Pokemon that is capable of being a martial arts master under the tutelage of Master Mustard," said Victor. "There's also something they said about the Pokemon that's said to be called the Secret Armor of the Master Dojo."
Sarah grew curious; Secret Armor of the Master Dojo? To her, it sounded as though Victor was talking about some sort of armor that a person could wear in combat so why would a Pokemon be called a set of armor?
"There's bound to be some Pokemon we haven't seen yet in the Isle of Armor like the ones in the Crown Tundra, right?" pitched in Sophocles.
"That's right and not only that, because it's also a battle facility, you're bound to meet several students of Master Mustard's who are training to become Pokemon Martial Arts Masters under his tutelage. Only those daring to make the trek to meet with him and after passing several trials of his will be given the honor of training with him."
Everyone's eyes widened and glistened in excitement. This was a big opportunity for each of them and they could use the special training to prepare them for their big events that they're preparing for. Ash was excited since he planned to use this for his upcoming Grand Trial on Poni Island and the Alola League and become the Alola League Champion which everyone else agreed upon barring the Grand Trial part.
Sarah felt the same but she felt that it would do her more good to train at the Isle of Armor to increase her own self-confidence and continue proving her worth as the Sun Princess and the main threat against Team Eclipse and their plans for revenge.
"And, as Young Gloria said, you'll all need Armor Passes if you're going to be permitted to take the train and flying taxis to the Isle of Armor and take part in Mustard's classes at the Master Dojo," said Principal Oak, producing ten Armor Passes for the kids. "And, once you've completed your class with him, you'll share with us what you've discovered throughout your training before we leave tomorrow evening or so, during which we'll be given the honor of watching who reigns supreme in the Champion Cup."
He paused impressively before he winked slyly towards Prof. Kukui, who shared the wink knowingly with a smirk. "And, as an added bonus that Victor noted, one of you will have the honor of being given a special Pokemon or two that are said to be the Master Dojo's Secret Armor!" he added.
"Really?! What's the Pokemon like?" Ash cried, unable to contain his excitement to Kukui's amusement.
"You'll have to wait to find out until you get there."
Everyone cheered; this is gonna be quite an event to cap off their studies and learning experience about the Galar Region after witnessing what there is to see, heard all there is to hear, and much more in the Galar Region despite the short week-long trip. Plus, this was going to be a training experience that nobody would ever want to forget in the long run.
But, Kukui wasn't done yet as he turned towards Sarah and he had a little warning for the others as well. "But, I wouldn't get too excited if I were you, kids. The Master Dojo can only accept 20 students at a time and right now, they have one last spot that I've arranged with Mustard for one of you," he said.
"Aw..." groaned Ash, comically falling in despair.
"Then, who's going to be the student to represent us and the Pokemon School at the Master Dojo, Professor?" asked Lillie curiously.
"While you all will be assigned to explore and do some up-close research on the Isle of Armor throughout the duration of your stay, I've already arranged for the best student among you to become Mustard's student for his class."
"And, who's that?" puzzled Sarah.
Kukui smiled and winked at her, cluing Sarah in that she was the student that Kukui assigned with Mustard to be his last student in his current class. Sarah's eyes widened once more; she was given the honor of being Master Mustard's last student for his current class at his Master Dojo. This did not go unnoticed by the others as they all gawked at her again.
"HUH?!" gasped everybody barring Kukui, Principal Oak, Tsukumaro, Sonia, and Magnolia, who all gave knowing chuckles from everyone's reactions.
Meanwhile, at the Isle of Armor and at his home, said trainer/Dojo Master and his wife are speaking with Kukui through a video phone about what they were about to encounter with Sarah agreeing to be his last student for his latest class. Needless to say, they were thrilled by this and couldn't wait to see what she's capable of.
"Why, yes, Master Kukui! That's fantastic, we'll gladly take her in for our class once she gets here!" chuckled Mustard.
"And, I'll expect her arrival so we'll start to make sure she learns everything she can from us before you all go," agreed Honey as they finished the call. "Of course, thank you, Kukui dear. Our pleasure, it was wonderful to talk to you again. Thanks for calling, goodbye."
Honey turned to her husband, delighted from the idea of having a new student in the form of Kukui's best student and they nodded before they turned to find two cub-like Pokemon in a sparring match nearby while taking care not to completely roughhouse their home. Whatever they have planned for them upon Sarah's arrival, this was going to be big for them and the cubs.
(Galar Special Theme Song)
[Hikari Sentai Maskman: "Do-Re-Mi Fight! Fight Maskman!" – Pokémon Version]
(From a bird's eye view, while the clouds in the heavens part on a sunny day in the World of Pokémon, a beautiful and majestic view of the Galar Region, along with the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra, is shown as Flying Type Pokémon including Corviknight, Fletchling, Pikapek, Pidgey, Pidgeot, Staraptor, and Dragon Type Pokémon that can fly such as Dragonair, Salamence, and Flygon, soar peacefully through the clear blue skies)
The Galar Region – the most beautiful and mysterious of all regions in the World of Pokémon. It is a region full of tradition, royal fascination, and revealing surprises unlike any other in the eyes of both humans and Pokémon.
(The Sun Princess of Alola and the daughter of King Doug and Queen Delilah, Sarah Tomoe, is seen walking through a mythical dwelling known to all in Galar as the Slumbering Weald, as several images of Galar's Pokémon including the Galar Starters and their evolutions, a Shiny Zeraora, Sir Farfetch'd, Yamper, Galarian Slowpoke and Slowbro, Kubfu and Urshifu (both Single and Rapid Strike styles), Zarude the Rogue Monkey Pokémon and a young boy with him, and the King of Bountiful Harvests, Calyrex and his loyal steeds, Spectrier and Glastrier before being shown face to face with Galar's main Legendaries, Zacian and Zamazenta)
What wonderful and exotic mysteries will elude and await the Lost Sun Princess as she treks through areas of phenomenal mystique and wonder from the royal defenders of Galar's Sword and Shield to the Snowy dynamics of the Crown Tundra?
(The main titles are revealed after a bright light shines between them as it reveals the word, Pokémon, in the midst of the Slumbering Weald in the background before it whooshes out and a bright light flashed in the foreground to reveal the main Galar Special titles in their full glory via rising from the ground in stone before they glowed and become fully colored in the clear Galar sky as the clouds roll by)
Sarah: Pokémon Special!
Ash, Lana, Mallow, Kiawe, Sophocles, and Lillie: To Galar and Beyond!
(As the opening plays to the Hikari Sentai Maskman Movie Opening Song, "Do-Re-Mi Fight! Fight Maskman", Sarah and her friends are seen doing a Para-Para dance and doing specific poses in the opening instrumental on several beats on the rooftops of a few buildings at the city of Wyndon before they're seen jumping down to the ground through flips and fancy poses thanks to their Power Rangers/Ultra Guardians training, Sarah going first, then Ash and Lillie as a pair, Mallow and Lana, and ending with Kiawe and Sophocles)
Do-Re-Mi, Fight! Fight, Pokémon~!
Fa-Mi-Re, Doki! Doki! That/So-La Heartbeat Kick~!
(They resumed their dance with their Pokémon partners by their side as the citizens of Wyndon and their Pokémon including game trainers Gloria, Victor, and their best friend and rival, Hop, with their fully-evolved Galar Starters watched on in excitement with some of them dancing in the audience)
Do-Re-Mi, Fight! Fight, Pokémon~!
Fa-Mi-Re, Doki! Doki! That/So-La Heartbeat Kick~!
(Our heroes were soon quickly introduced beginning with Sarah joined by Blitz and Silvally, Ash dancing with Pikachu, Mallow getting in the grove with Tsareena, Sophocles having fun with Togedemaru, Kiawe rocking off with Turtonator and Pyroar, and Lillie enjoying the music with Snowy)
We are Ultra Guardians, we have Seven Fresh Hearts~!
Our Special Companions are our Pokémon~!
Let's Go and Ca-atch Them All~!
(Two Kubfu are training with a man and Martial Arts Master named Mustard on the Isle of Armor before they evolve into both the Rapid Strike and Single Strike styles of Urshifu. The Galar Legendaries, Zacian and Zamazenta, are then shown overlooking the Slumbering Weald before they are shown with their lost powers as they begin to fight whatever evil is approaching them)
The more we all Learn and Train, nobody will match our Power~!
If we make Friends with all Pokémon, our Bonds with them grow Infinitely~!
(Sarah and her friends continued to dance away as the Wyndon citizens, their Pokémon, Victor, Gloria, Hop, and their Galar Starters cheered for the Alola and Kanto newcomers. The Rogue Monkey Pokémon, Zarude, wearing a large pink cape, is seeing swinging and running through the trees and above the forest homes of Ballonlea with a boy looking similar to him apart from his pale skin, crimson hair, and wearing only a loincloth, unknown to the citizens themselves and only known in the world's legends about them before they looked towards the viewers/readers and gave them a nod)
Hundred Punches, a Thousand Punches, All Perfectly Concentrated~!
Hey, hey, hey~!
(With their backs turned and still to the beat of the song, Sarah and her friends, in the same order of their introductions, make different poses as they do an About-Face to the audience one-by-one with their Pokémon making different ones after them in reverse before they both cheered)
Hundred Punches, a Thousand Punches, All Perfectly Concentrated~!
Hey, hey, hey~!
Fire, Ultra Bomber~!
(Shots of the gang doing different Z-Moves are quickly shown in the same order before cutting to several Pokémon being affected by Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing and battling throughout the Galar battle phenomenon. The gang poses with their Pokémon again as they danced before Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests, is shown riding through the Crown Tundra on Spectrier with Glastrier not far behind them before they came across a giant tree where the Galar Legendary Birds lived and the two groups faced each other)
Do-Re-Mi, Fight! Fight, Pokémon! Fa-Mi-Re, Doki! Doki! That/So-La Heartbeat Kick~!
Do-Re-Mi, Fight! Fight, Pokémon! Fa-Mi-Re, Doki! Doki! That/So-La Heartbeat Kick~!
(Amidst the final chorus, the two groups of Legendaries eyed each other as the opening rounds out with the gang and their Pokémon along with the dragons and Solar dancing their hearts out to the audience, Hop, Gloria, and Victor, and their own Pokémon before ending with a group pose to the audience's applause)
Pokémon Alola Journey Special – To Galar and Beyond
After taking the train and flying taxis to the Isle of Armor, the gang arrived at their intended destination and they couldn't be happier for what was about to be in store for all of them. Even Sarah could hardly wait to take part; after being told by Kukui that she was to be Mustard's last student for his current class, the Alolan Professor then said that training at the Master Dojo with Mustard could do some good for her and Riolu if only to improve her battling.
He had already seen how much the Emanation Pokemon had been performing better in terms of her fighting recently so he felt like having them train at the Master Dojo would be invaluable training for them, which the princes thought would be necessary for the two of them to learn more martial arts.
"*Now approaching The Isle of Armor, we hope you enjoy their stay and are ready to experience Galarian martial arts might from the best of the best, Thank you for coming,*" replied the station intercom as the flying taxis carrying the gang touched down.
"We made it!" cried Ash, jumping out of his, Sophocles, and Kiawe's taxi in excitement.
"Is this the Isle of Armor?" asked Mallow, looking around the place.
"It sure is, you've arrived just in time," replied a young woman at the ticket and information window. "Is this your first visit to the Isle of Armor for all of you?"
"Yes, Ma'am, we've only just arrived for a school lesson on behalf of our professor," nodded Lillie.
"Great! I'm researching Pokemon that live on this island, do you want me to update your Pokedex so you can register the Isle of Armor Pokemon here?"
"I can help with that!" Rotom-Dex buzzed eagerly. "Leave it to me, I'm just as good as those Rotom Phones the newbies got!"
"That's wonderful, I can update those as well if you kids want," smiled the woman, addressing Gloria, Victor, and Hop.
"Wow, that's awesome!"
"Thank you, that'll be great!"
"We'll be glad to help you with finding any Pokemon here, mate," obliged the Galar trainers as their Rotom Phones flew out of their pockets to the woman.
The young woman scientist then made the necessary updates to have the Rotom Phones and Rotom-Dex to be equipped with the Isle of Armor Pokedex, much to the delight of everyone involved if they decide to find and catch any Galar Pokemon living on the island.
"Downloading complete!" buzzed Rotom-Dex again, his upgrade complete.
"Thank you so much, kids. Before you leave, once you found a lot of Isle of Armor Pokemon, please show me your Pokedex and I'll add your contributions to my research of this place and its Pokemon."
"Will do!" the gang replied kindly before they left the woman and began their research trip.
"Well, guys, I'm off to the Master Dojo," replied Sarah, preparing to leave with Riolu and Blitz.
"Then, it looks like it's time for us to get on with our research of this island," Hop complied. "Sure wish we were going with you, Sarah."
"Yeah, it would've been fun to train with Master Mustard but it'll do you good to train with him instead, especially since he'll want to know what you're made of," agreed Gloria.
"You're very fortunate to get to train with him even for a day, Sarah. You know that?" Mallow smiled.
"What can you say? I'm full of surprises," chuckled Sarah. "I'll see ya when I'm done with my training with Master Mustard, fill me in every now and then if you find anything awesome like those new Pokemon we promised that scientist to find."
"You got it!" smiled Sophocles.
"Well, see ya," replied Kiawe as they and their partners left.
"See ya soon!" called Ash as they soon disappeared.
While the gang left to do their research on the Isle of Armor's Pokemon (also not limited to catching them as well), Sarah, Riolu, and Blitz prepared to head out to find the Master Dojo when they noticed a young woman in an odd sports-like outfit under a fluffy jacket, a ring on her left hand and a glove on the other along with a Dynamax Band on her right wrist, white low-heels, and a moth-like bow on her pink and cream-striped hair approaching them.
"Aha, there you are! Right on time, too! You're pretty punctual for a bunch of kids, you and your friends," replied the woman, known as Klara.
"Huh?" cried Sarah in surprise.
Now, how did the gang end up meeting Klara, you ask? You see, upon arriving at the Wedgehurst train station after they got their Armor passes from Prof. Magnolia, Principal Oak, and Prof. Kukui, the gang met her as soon as they began to board the train but the meeting was only brief as she bragged to them about the Isle of Armor and stuff before she boarded the train and the first flying taxi to the island.
"Oh, and what happened to your friends? Run off by themselves, have they?" asked Klara.
"Actually, no. They left to do some research on the island and its Pokemon for a school project that I'm a part of. I'm actually here to take part in training at the Master Dojo," replied Sarah matter-of-factly.
"I see. Hmm... Have we met somewhere before?" Klara hummed before she shrugged. "Oh well, it doesn't really matter, anyway."
"I'm Klara. I've been at the dojo for a long time so I've been sent to find the newbie that will be joining us for today's class. And, I have to guess that you're the newbie that will be joining us as arranged by your professor and the master, huh?"
"So, what if I am?" Sarah asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.
Already, she felt something off about Klara, as if she noticed an underlining tone of jealousy and suspicion thrown at her. It sounded as though Klara didn't have high expectations for her from the get-go.
Klara saw that Sarah didn't take too kindly about being underestimated and she smirked, deciding to see if Kukui's best student really is as gifted and strong as her master had implied. Before the gang arrived, after the arrangements were made, Mustard gathered his students to the Master Dojo to speak to them about having a new student for the day in the form of Sarah and telling them about some of her previous escapades he learned from the Alola professor.
The students were impressed and surprised by what they were told but Klara had her doubts. She didn't think highly about Kukui's best student and she wasn't sure if the little princess would make the cut to train with them under Mustard's tutelage as the Dojo Master.
"Well then, if you're not sure... How about a quick battle before we head off? Just so, y'know, we can see who's actually the better trainer?" she asked slyly before walked out of the station with a smirk.
"That kid will never know what hit her..." she sniggered quietly.
Without hearing Klara, Sarah immediately followed but once she walked out of the station, she, Blitz, and Riolu were quickly greeted by a stunning sight. The station is at the edge of the island on a beach. A tranquil feeling of power and peace quickly filled the air around them as they took in the Isle of Armor's beauty which is reinforced by a couple of Galarian Slowpoke basking in the sunlight and the place dotted with several Dynamax Power Spots and Chinese, Southeast Asian, and Japanese buildings landmarking specific places on the island.
"Pika..." breathed Blitz in awe.
"Cool..." agreed Riolu, her eyes twinkling and jaw-dropped.
"Hee-hee, I bet this is your first time seeing the Isle of Armor in all its splendor," chuckled Klara as she joined them. "I bet you're willing to explore what it has to offer and to get to class, but first things first! We need to make sure you're ready, the Master Dojo won't accept any student unless they showed promise!"
Klara then thought to herself as she collected her thoughts, "Since I've been at the Master Dojo for a little while and had trained with the best now..."
"...I'll be the first one to test you out! Go easy on me as we battle, okay?"
Sarah sweatdropped as Klara sent out her first Pokemon which was revealed to be a Venipede. This was already turning out to be an eventful start to her first-ever visit to the Isle of Armor; not five minutes into her next Galar adventure after arrangements for her as Mustard's new student were made and she's already clashing with someone who's having ego issues and underestimating her right off the bat. What's more, she's not the type of trainer to hold back whenever in battle, given what she had to go through with Team Eclipse and Team Skull.
"Does that weird lady even know that Mommy's not going to hold back?" puzzled Riolu to Blitz, who shook his head with a sigh at Klara as they sweatdropped.
They were just about to have their battle when suddenly, Poipole giggled as she twirled and popped out of her Pokeball, wanting to have some fun on the Isle of Armor.
"Hey! Who invited you?!" gawked Klara, seeing the Ultra Beast.
"Poipole, what are you doing?" asked Sarah. "I thought this trip was meant for Riolu since we're going to train with Mustard at the Master Dojo. Besides, I was gonna use Riolu or Houndoom for this fight and-"
"Poi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i! Poipole, Poi, Poi, Poi-i-i-i-i-, Poipole, Poi!" replied Poipole, pointing at Venipede.
"You want to battle Venipede?"
"Poi!"
Sarah grew uncertain since she knew both Poipole and Venipede were both Poison Types. "I don't know..." she started before Poipole pouted as she got up close and pulled off the sad puppy face.
"Poi...?" she whimpered.
Sarah sighed after a tense silence, she knew there was no getting around the sad puppy face no matter what she did. "Oh, all right, but just for this battle," she said.
"Poi-i-i-i-i-i!" cheered Poipole as she got ready.
"Hmph, well then, I'd say this fight's just getting started! But, remember, this is just a test so take it easy," scoffed Klara with a smirk. "I'll be nice and gentle...As soon as I knock you out flat! Venipede, start off with Defense Curl and Rollout, please!"
"Veni, Veni!" chattered Venipede as it raised its defense in a curl before it rolled at a fast rate before it jumped towards Poipole who cheekily dodged it.
Poipole giggled again before she did a little taunting raspberry, managing to irk Venipede before it tried to get at her again but failing every time as Poipole continued to dodge.
"Come on, Poipole, focus! Use Peck!" called Sarah, wanting her tiny Ultra Beast to stop playing around and start fighting.
Poipole nodded before she zipped around and caught the Centipede Pokemon off guard with her agility, spying its back before she brought out her stinger and used Peck on it. As it was a Flying Type move, Peck proved to be Super Effective on Venipede as it was also a Bug Type.
"Venipede, no!" cried Klara in alarm.
"Now, use Fury Attack!"
Not giving Venipede any time to recover from the Peck attack, Poipole charged forward and prepared to end the match between her and the Centipede Pokemon but instead of the Normal Type attack, Poipole's tail started to glow and gain a silver metallic finish before she swung it like a metal baseball bat and knocked out Venipede with one hit coupled with the heavy damage it took from Peck.
"Venipede!" screamed Kalar in shock, seeing Venipede groan as it had small swirls for eyes after being stunned by her Iron Tail.
"Hey, that was Iron Tail!" gasped Riolu in bewilderment.
"Pika, Pikachu, Pi, Pika, Pika?" asked Blitz, also baffled over Poipole learning a new move.
"I have no idea how but I'm not complaining," gawked Sarah, the Iron Tail taking her by surprise as well.
Klara returned Venipede and she slowly began to panic, "How can this be? Why am I being the one backed into a corner, this can't be happening!?"
She snarled as she pulled out a second Pokeball containing her next Pokemon. "I'll show you! Slowpoke, go!" she shouted, sending out her Psychic Type.
"Slow..." yawned Slowpoke as it got into a battle stance.
"One of those Galarian Slowpokes, huh? Well, I have the perfect one in mind for you," mused Sarah as she brought out a Pokeball from her satchel and brought out a familiar Shiny Pokemon.
"Bre!" cried Umbreon, getting into a battle stance with his shades glistening in the sunlight.
"Switch out, Poipole!" called Sarah, dampening the Ultra Beast's spirits as she wanted to continue fighting.
But, her sadness didn't last long as she smiled again and rejoined her mother figure to allow the large panther-like Moonlight Pokemon to fight against Klara's second Pokemon.
"A Shiny Umbreon, huh? Seems like a giant pussycat although with those adorable shades on," sniggered Klara.
"Umbreon's more than just a teddy bear since he's also a family man. Umbreon, Iron Tail!"
"Bre...ON!" screeched Umbreon, his tail becoming like iron and slamming it to the ground just as Slowpoke managed to dodge.
"Slowpoke, use your Zen Headbutt!" Klara called, allowing the Dopey Pokemon to charge as its head resonated with psychic energy.
"Use your Dark Pulse when it gets close, Umbreon!" countered Sarah.
Charging up his Dark Type energy, Umbreon eyed Slowpoke before he unleashed a powerful Dark Pulse when the Psychic Type came too close to dodge or fully counter the Dark Type attack, knocking it out in a One-Hit Wonder.
"No, this can't be!" Klara bellowed in shock as she returned Slowpoke and tried to reach for another Pokeball only to realize something. "Well, my next Pokemon will make short work out of-Huh? That was my last one?"
"I win!" taunted Sarah with a smug smile and a peace sign, knowing what it meant.
Poipole, Riolu, and Blitz cheered for their victory while Umbreon adjusted his shades with a smile and yet a disappointed sigh. He had expected something more in this short battle but he decided not to complain about it and take his brief victory in stride.
"Thanks, Umbreon, return for now," replied Sarah, returning her Moonlight Pokemon as he nodded kindly before doing the same to Poipole. "You too, Poipole."
While she congratulated and returned her two Pokemon, Klara was still in shock that she was defeated so easily by Kukui's best student and the Master Dojo's newbie for Mustard's class. She didn't think Sarah had it in her to defeat her and the young woman thought she was made out of stronger stuff than what she and her Pokemon displayed.
"Huh...? No... No, no, no, no, no, NO! NO! NO! I'm projecting my 'NO' at this, NO!" she flustered, her humiliation and jealously made clear as she brooded over her quick loss. "T-There must be some mistake! Not good, not good at all... Man..."
"How, why?! She beat me, just like that! How could that newbie be so strong, she's just a kid! If that brat joins the Dojo and takes everybody by storm, then nobody will witness my own incredible strength, my own power...! I could just tell her to buzz off and-No... No, they asked me to bring the new student and she was recommended to master by her teacher, Professor Kukui... If he found out that I rejected her, then..."
As she mused and brooded, however, she didn't notice Riolu hearing everything she said and narrowing her eyes suspiciously as she clenched her tiny paws at the cocky Master Dojo senior student stewing in her jealousy.
At that moment, Klara decided on her next plan and turned to Sarah. "Hey, you're pretty good, kid. I mean, I wasn't giving it my all, you know... But, you see, our Dojo's got a long-standing reputation," she said, clearing her throat.
"Really?" asked Sarah, sensing something still off about Klara.
"That's right, even our region's undefeated champion, Leon, trained here himself and he's the best we've ever had! No offense but maybe, just maybe... You're not quite as good as him to make the cut at our Dojo?"
"Oh yeah, what makes you think I can't after beating you?" asked Sarah incredulously, her own suspicions mirrored by Riolu's growing. "You've seen what my Pokemon and I are made of! Besides, I'm supposed to train there with Riolu as part of my studies from Professor Kukui."
"Oh... I'll tell you what, kid: why don't you enjoy the sights of our island for a little while but just stay away from the Master Dojo over the bridge, all right?"
"Forget it, my friends are doing that right now. I'm going to the Master Dojo to begin our training right now," scoffed Sarah as she left. "Come on, guys, let's go."
Riolu and Blitz agreed as they followed Sarah to the Master Dojo, the Shiny Emanation Pokemon eager to begin her training as soon as possible. Klara just cantered along behind the trio, fuming.
As they walked, however, Riolu turned to her human mother with a curious question on her mind. "Mommy, do you think our training will involve Dynamax?" she quizzed.
Sarah briefly looked at the Dynamax Band that was attached to her right wrist; during the week, the gang had their own stints with Dynamax as Victor, Hop, and Gloria had demonstrated to them when they encountered a few Power Spots and some Pokemon capable of this crazy battling ability. Some of the Alola crew, including Ash, had tried their hand on controlling its power but their efforts often ended in failure with the three Galar trainers having to pick up the slack in their crash course for them.
Now, it was Sarah's turn to find out more about Dynamaxing herself which was why she was entrusted with the Dynamax Band that was given to her for her training at the Isle of Armor's Master Dojo before the gang left Wedgehurst.
"I don't know, Riolu... I really don't know," she said, at last, knowing they'll have to wait until they find out when they get to the Master Dojo.
Before long, after a short walk across the bridge and up the hill leading up to the island's main training facility, the Master Dojo came into view and waiting for Sarah, Riolu, Blitz, and Klara was a kind young woman in her 40s wearing white jeans, a custom-made lime-green sweater, and beautiful orange hair. This is the wife of Dojo Master Mustard, Honey.
"Hello there, Love. You must be Sarah Tomoe, our new student for today's class as Master Kukui's Alola Ambassador. Welcome to the Master Dojo," greeted Honey, bowing to the young girl. "My name's Honey, I help keep this place running with the help of my husband's students. So, you could say that I'm the lady of this house, not that the Master Dojo is any old house, Ha-Ha!"
"Thanks. This is Riolu and Blitz," nodded Sarah, introducing her Pokemon. "Riolu and I are here to train with you guys for a class project my friends and I are doing."
"Well, I'm sure there's a lot you two can learn about our island and the Master Dojo, Sarah. We'll be glad to make your acquaintance," smiled Honey.
Klara saw the exchange between Sarah and Honey and she quietly snarled, her jealousy festering as she collected her thoughts.
"Aaauugh! But, how? Why?!" she began, fuming once more before fretting worriedly. "What do I do, what do I do? What does that little pipsqueak think she's doing, walking up like that and making a good first impression? Oh, this is not good, Miss Honey will find out what happened somehow and she and Master Mustard will sideline me...!"
Neither Honey nor Sarah heard her as they continued their conversation but Riolu heard her as she turned her head towards the cocky Master Dojo student. She growled quietly from Klara's low expectations of her human mother but when Blitz heard her and asked her what's wrong, she shook her head, saying she's all right.
Honey smiled as she looked towards Klara, still not knowing about her jealousy over Sarah. "Well, well, looks like you and your kids already got to know our Klara. Bit of an odd Duckling throughout her time with us but she's one of our own and one of the best students we've had in months," she continued.
"She came here to train at the Dojo so she can learn the ropes to become a gym leader someday. I hope that throughout your time with us during your lesson, you two will be able to get along, right?"
"Uh... Yeah, sure," replied Sarah skeptically.
In truth, she wasn't sure if she and Klara would get along during her time at the Master Dojo and after being underestimated badly by one of the Master Dojo's senior students. The princess' first impressions of her were not good and judging from Sarah's growing suspicions of her, that wasn't going to change any time soon.
Klara, however, dropped her worries for a bit as she hid her jealousy and discomfort through a mask. "Oh! Hee-hee, yes, I'm sure we can be friends throughout her stay," she smiled, chuckling sheepishly. This brought a smile to Honey's face before she noticed what she was doing.
"Oh, goodness me! And, here I am making you stand around after coming all this way, you and your Pokemon must be really anxious to start your training," she told Sarah. "Come along, dearie, don't mind the faint stench of sweat! My husband and his other students will be very happy to meet you!"
She quickly went to the Master Dojo with Sarah and Klara following but not before the latter issued a warning between two students stemming from her continued jealousy towards her soon-to-be fellow student while she was out of earshot.
"If you dare tell Ms. Honey or Master Mustard about what happened at the station, I'll melt you down to size until you beg for mercy! You understand?" she snarled.
"And, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" scoffed Sarah again, hating her attitude. Klara groaned and quickly left to enter the Dojo.
While Blitz and Riolu sighed before they made their way to the door, Sarah felt as though she was being watched and looked up at the roof to find out who or what. But, when she looked at the roof, there was no one there which left her confused.
"Mommy! Come on, let's go inside!" called Riolu.
Sarah nodded as she looked at the roof again, still not finding anything or anybody watching her before she joined Blitz and Riolu and headed inside the Master Dojo. What she didn't notice close enough, however, was that whoever was watching her was the pair of bear cubs that noticed the princess and took a keen interest in her.
When she was out of sight, the cubs looked at each other and nodded, feeling as though she would be important to them later on before they went back the way they came into the Dojo.
When Sarah, Riolu, and Blitz joined Klara and Honey inside the Master Dojo, they found Mustard and his students for his latest class already lined up and ready to start training. The princess looked around the Dojo and took in its martial arts splendor from the Asian scrolls in various languages in Vietnamese, Mandarin/Cantonese Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese dotting the place, training equipment as well as supplies from towels to stretching machines placed in peculiar spots for everyone to utilize the place without getting in each other's way, a small kitchen on the left-hand side, pictures of different Pokemon scattered along the walls, and the main training field was lowered three-steps down where the students and some of their Pokemon were gathered.
Sarah even noticed that the majority of the students were wearing yellow and black uniforms comprised of red, white, and blue Karate/Kung Fu belts, a black t-shirt with yellow lining and the Isle of Armor logo under a yellow sweater, black shorts also with yellow lining and the Isle of Armor logo, and black and yellow kneecaps coupled with white, black, and yellow sneakers to boot, akin to what Bruce Lee would wear.
To her surprise, some of the students didn't don the Isle of Armor uniform. Four of them, in particular, had their own uniforms that fit them since it's very likely that there weren't any uniforms that were made for their sizes yet.
There were even some Fighting Pokemon with the students including a Scraggy, a Poliwrath, a Primeape, a Scizor, a Hitmonlee, a Hitmonchan, a Hariyama, a regular Lucario, and a Hitmontop standing at attention with them.
"Ahem! Attention, everyone, I have an important announcement to make!" announced Honey, getting the students' attention. "Today, our new student from the Alola Region and under the tutelage of Professor Kukui and Principal Oak's Pokemon School is here to join us! Please welcome Sarah Tomoe, I'm sure you'll all have lots to teach her during this time!"
The students bowed kindly and with great respect and bright smiles; despite their serious training demeanor, they seemed friendly and eager to show Sarah and her two partners what they all know and what she'll be learning.
"Hi-Yah! Welcome to the Dojo, Ms. Tomoe!" they greeted, doing several martial arts poses with their Pokemon.
Sarah, Riolu, and Blitz couldn't help but feel awkward by the welcoming committee they got but they still smiled in kind.
"Uh... Hi," began Sarah, waving sheepishly as Riolu did the same with Blitz rubbing the back of his head as he blushed.
"Our students, coming from all around the world, are all so good and hardworking to learn martial arts such as Kung Fu, Karate, Eskrima, Bushido, Tai Chi, and many more and find contemplation in this island. Everyone really gives it their all around here as they trained."
"Wow! Now, here's someone that I hadn't expected to be on my database of students!" replied a young boy wearing light brown shorts, brown strap shoes, a pink sweatshirt that had a bear cub stitched on it over a white long-sleeved shirt, and cyan earbuds coming towards Honey and Sarah. "Not even a Pikachu and a Shiny Riolu, neat!"
Honey smiled at the boy. "Hello there, Sweetie Pie! It's not usual for you to come over and greet a newcomer such as her! Sarah, this is Hyde-my darling only son," she smiled, introducing her and Mustard's son, Hyde.
Hyde smiled at Sarah, already finding her interesting. "Hey, are you an outliner? You look like you come from the Alola Region and you're the person representing Principal Oak and his awesome Pokemon School! Here, you should give this a try," he said, handing Sarah an Exp. Charm.
"Thanks, Hyde, what is this?" Sarah asked, looking at the Charm.
"It's an Exp. Charm, I made it myself. It's useful in helping Pokemon get increased experience after several battles but make sure not to open it, okay? It's got some wicked tech that I've developed inside and I don't want you to go and ruin it. See ya later!"
"Thank you."
With that, Hyde went back to doing what he was doing as Honey smiled at him, proud that her son had made a new friend in his gift to her.
"He always has a knack for making something new and is always good with those little hands of his, such a clever and wonderful boy..." she sighed happily before she turned to Mustard. "And, that handsome gent over there is none other than my darling hubby and the very master of the Master Dojo!"
Everyone turned to Mustard as he meditated before he smiled warmly as he did his own Karate pose, seeing his new student with his wife and Klara.
"Why, hello there, Ms. Tomoe! As you've already known, my name is Mustard! I'm also really good at Pokemon battles, you know!" he greeted. "I'm pleased as cheese that you could join us!"
"...Cheesed to make your acquaintance, Mr. Mustard!" greeted Riolu, doing a Karate pose while getting a chuckle out of Blitz and Sarah, who just waved back.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! I see you and your Pokemon got a nice sense of humor, good, good!"
Honey smiled knowingly as she saw Sarah, Riolu, and Blitz letting at him out another chuckle, they were liking her husband already.
"Don't let him fool you into thinking he's just a silly old man, kids," she chuckled. "He's a real beast when he gets serious. He's not the Dojo Master for nothing given his years as a Fighting Pokemon Master, one of, if not, the best the world has ever seen. Well, darling, I'll leave the rest to you!"
With that, Honey left to her own duties in taking care of the students in her own way, leaving Mustard to begin teaching Sarah the ways of how and what trainers learn at the Master Dojo and its greatest secret.
"Yaaay! This is my favorite part, I wanna see how good you are by having a battle against little old me!" cheered Mustard as he got himself ready on the field. "So, what do you say, lass? You say the word when you're ready and we'll get our game on!"
"Do you even have to ask?" smirked Sarah as she positioned herself against her new master. "I'm ready so you better prepare for trouble!"
"Isn't that what those bad guys from Team Rocket say?" asked Riolu, puzzled.
"Just roll with it, Riolu."
Mustard laughed again as his students cheered, eager to see the battle between him and their new fellow student to see how strong and formidable she is to him.
"Yippie, HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Oh, I can't wait to see you battle your heart out, Missy! Come on out, Mienfoo! Show me Kung Fu!" he bellowed in amusement, sending out his first Pokemon.
"Mien!" shouted Mienfoo, getting into a battle stance.
"Riolu, I think it's time for a Fighting Pokemon rumble," said Sarah, signaling Riolu to fight.
"Yeah, let's go!" she chirped, joining Mienfoo on the opposite side of the field. "Bring it on, dude!"
"Mien, Mien, Mienfoo, Foo!" smirked Mienfoo, daring Riolu to fight as he allowed her to attack first.
"Riolu, Fire Punch plus Thunder Punch!" shouted Sarah, Riolu charging first as Mienfoo wanted.
"Mienfoo, start off with Close Combat!" called Mustard.
The two Pokemon traded Physical and Special Attack blows, quickly getting into a wild rumble between two Fighting Types.
The rumble continued between the two Pokemon as they punched and kicked at each other, the students and their Pokemon partners cheering as they watched Riolu and Mienfoo duke it out to see who would fall by who's paws.
Riolu threw a Thunder Punch at Mienfoo but the Kung Fu Pokemon smirked as he grabbed her right paw to cancel the Electric Type attack and immediately lifted her up before kicking her in the stomach, making her roll back on her side of the field. But, the stubborn Emanation Pokemon was relentless as she attacked again and then threw a Fire Punch. But, not minding the shock from the previous Thunder Punch or the burns from Fire Punch as he caught her left paw and held it as he swayed like water and maneuvered her as she was trapped in his grasp. Then, he pushed her back with little effort and movement with his paws in the form of a tiger's claws with their palm bottoms together, although she felt a large chunk of power directed at her as she struggled to stop skidding back before she managed to stop.
"What was that?!" gasped Riolu in bewilderment as she panted.
"Mien, Mienfoo, Mienfoo, Foo, Foo," replied Mienfoo as he got into a Tai Chi stance. "Mienfoo!"
"Tai Chi?"
Mienfoo charged again as he used Tai Chi to back Riolu into a corner as she then used Shadow Claw with both of her palms to try and defend against Mustard's Unova Kung Fu fighter as best she could. The students cheered when they saw this but Sarah gritted her teeth, knowing she had to move fast if she was going to be accepted into the Master Dojo. She heard Riolu mention the words "Tai Chi" and given what Tsukumaro had told her about the Kung Fu style during her private lessons back home, she had a basic understanding of what it could do and how it's used.
"Riolu, try to move with him! Use Tai Chi back at him!" she called.
"But, I don't know how to do it!" Riolu protested as she blocked Mienfoo's blows.
"Trust me! Do as Mienfoo do and get ready to attack!" shot back Sarah.
"...Okay!"
Deciding to go with the plan, Riolu watched Mienfoo closely as he continued to attack while she blocked him, trying to see every bit of him using what is known to many Kung Fu learners as "The Supreme Ultimate Fist" or "Shadowboxing" before she would be given a chance to strike.
Finally, when Mienfoo had her cornered and she felt like she got an idea on how to counter him, Riolu swiftly grabbed his paws as he tried to do a double-handed double push and then started to engage in a technique that he had used against her known as Tuishou (Pushing Hands). They tried to tune themselves into each other's minds as they gave determined glares for a whole minute until Riolu pulled him back, startling Mienfoo from the unexpected break before she quickly powered up Aura Sphere and shot it at him, throwing him into the roof before he fell and she jumped and slam-dunked him with a double-ax hand technique, stunning him and clinching the first round.
The students gasped in amazement, completely taken by surprise that Riolu had beaten Mienfoo in the first round. Mustard, however, was having too much fun seeing how Sarah and Riolu were coping against him and Mienfoo as he returned his Kung Fu Pokemon.
"Ooooh, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Looks like you got little ol' me cornered using our Tai Chi against us despite being a couple of novices!" he laughed before he sent out his next Pokemon. "I'm getting the shivers! Let's go, Shinx, show me Ka-Rah-Tae!"
This time, the Sinnoh Spark Pokemon came out and shook himself before he did some Karate poses despite having four legs and smirked, eager for a battle.
"A Shinx? Riolu, wanna keep going?" asked Sarah.
"Yeah, Mommy! I'm just getting warmed up!" bragged Riolu, eager to continue despite the beating she got from Mienfoo.
"Shinx, use Bite and Spark!" called Mustard again, sending Shinx to fight first this time.
"Riolu, Thunder Punch!" countered Sarah, Riolu sending Thunder Punches back at Shinx as they both charged.
They kept on trading Electric Type blows from Thunder Punch and Spark although Riolu had to take great care so she doesn't get caught in Shinx's Bite attack if he would fake her out at one point. Riolu soon felt the difference between him and Mienfoo; while the Kung Fu Pokemon was more fluid in his movements as they fought, Shinx was more grounded as he struck with amazing power and accuracy in his own movements in spite of both of them being absolutely clear in their minds.
"Let it rip, Shinx, old boy!" smirked Mustard.
That was the signal for Shinx as he gave a determined nod and smirk before he jumped over Riolu as she used Thunder Punch again and swung his body before swinging an Iron Tail attack with power and precision as he whomped Riolu and made her roll to his side to the rousing cheers of the students and their Pokemon partners.
The Shiny Emanation Pokemon got back up just as Shinx charged with Bite again but Sarah was not going to let Shinx take it home.
"Riolu, try Aura Sphere!" she called, allowing Riolu to use her signature attack against Shinx as she managed to stun the Spark Pokemon when the Fighting Type attack canceled out Bite. "Now, use Vacuum Wave!"
With Shinx distracted, Riolu ended the match with three consecutive Vacuum Waves, all of them hitting the Electric Type and the final wave instilling a Critical Hit. This was the clincher as Shinx finally fell and he was out cold, clinching her victory and beating Mustard in the entry battle.
The students jaw-dropped in complete astonishment at what they've seen; their teacher, their master, Dojo Master Mustard, has been defeated by the newbie of their little group and now she's an honorary student of the Master Dojo.
Mustard laughed once more as he congratulated Shinx and returned him, enthralled by Sarah and Riolu's battling prowess.
"Ho-ho-ho! That exquisite battling was all that I could ever hope for and more!" he replied. "I've lost but it's been fun! You're pretty strong, are you?"
"Yay!" cheered the two young boys in the audience.
"Amazing! Master didn't go all out despite his, Mienfoo, and Shinx's awesome battling but that was still incredible!"
"Did you see how that Riolu was able to take down both Shinx and Mienfoo like that?"
"That was flawless!"
"Such strength and after all that pounding, too!"
"Who is this kid, anyway?" breathed the older students in wonder.
Sarah and Mustard then approached each other just as she picked up the battle-weary but proud Riolu, the Emanation Pokemon letting her victory sink in. "You're not too bad, Ms. Tomoe! The way you and Riolu fought like that and thought how to get out of those jams my team and I put you in showed me that you cared a great deal about your Pokemon," congratulated Mustard again.
"Whether or not you came as a misunderstanding or as an honorary ambassador from another region, as long as you have a will to learn... Then, you're welcome to come and learn the best of martial arts at the Master Dojo anytime, he-ha-ha! I think with you joining us for this class, I think we can all help each other become stronger and better fighters! I'm happy that you've come to join us on behalf of Professor Kukui!"
He then turned to one of the senior students, a young woman in her late 20s, as she brought what looked to be a Master Dojo uniform that would fit the princess' size.
"So, on that note, here's your dojo uniform!" said Mustard, handing the uniform to Sarah.
"...Wow, for me?" gasped Sarah in astonishment from her latest gift before she headed to a nearby bathroom to change. "I'm gonna put it on now!"
The changing process took only a few minutes but when she emerged from the bathroom, everyone gasped in amazement and cheered to see Sarah in her dojo uniform as an honorary Master Dojo student. Just like with Peony's exploration team uniform before it, the Dojo Uniform looked as though it was made for her, fitting snuggly on her and she even got a Master Dojo backpack to go with it.
"Those garments were genuinely crafted by Honey and myself as a symbol of what the Master Dojo stands for. With them, you will fit right in with your Dojo Brothers and Sisters, your fellow senior students, here at the Master Dojo."
"Congrats, newbie! On behalf of all of us, welcome to the Master Dojo!" smiled one of the senior students as he came up to her, pointing to a nearby bedroom where Honey was standing. "And, anytime you ever want to change back to your own clothes or take a break for a little bit, just go to that room near Ms. Honey and Master Mustard's living quarters."
Sarah nodded as Master Mustard soon began his class now that he's got his final student.
"Now then, with Sarah on board with us, the Master Dojo is now at full capacity! Now's the time to really start our long-awaited training and starting now, you'll all take part in three trials."
The students were surprised by this announcement. "Three trials?!" they gasped.
"Wait, Master, why would the Master Dojo be at full capacity right now?" asked another one of the senior students.
"There's more to that because whoever can complete these three trials I've prepared for you all will be the one to receive the Secret Armor of this dojo! If you want to obtain it, you must learn to use every ounce of your knowledge, your willpower, your strength, your heart, and the trust between you and your Pokemon to pass the trials before you!"
Now, the students were excited as each of them now had something worth fighting for in this class; one of them would be deemed worthy to obtain the secret armor Mustard has for them if they can pass his trials. Sarah was surprised by this but she didn't know what the armor is and if she could be worthy enough to have it. Still, she was determined to earn the armor and not disappoint her new master as she gave a determined nod to him.
Upon hearing his students' eagerness for the armor he alluded to, he laughed in acknowledgment. "Heh-heh, that's the spirit!" he chuckled.
"Remember, you must use every ounce of what you're made of and you must work together with your Pokemon in order to pass the trials and for one of you to prove yourselves worthy of obtaining the Master Dojo's secret armor. Now, for your first trial..."
Klara, who had been awestruck and stricken with jealousy and shock over Sarah's success and acceptance, noticed that she didn't have her uniform given to her and went up to confront her master.
"Aww! But, Master, you haven't given me my uniform yet!" she whined with a pout. "Why have you given the new kid a uniform and not me?! It's not fair!"
Riolu raised a suspicious eyebrow as she watched Klara crying crocodile tears, sensing her continued and hidden jealousy towards her human mother.
Blitz groaned as he facepalmed at Klara, finding her whining and jealousy over Sarah to be tedious. "Pi-Pika," he mumbled in annoyance.
Mustard, however, didn't notice as he laughed again. "Oh! Ho-ho-ho! You don't have a uniform yet, Young Klara? My bad, my bad!" he smiled.
"But, no need to worry. That's easy to fix, I already have your uniform right here waiting for you." He then pulled out what looked to be Klara's Dojo Uniform and handed it to her.
But, no sooner did she manage to get her uniform when suddenly... "POKE!" A yellow and pink blur popped up out of nowhere and snatched her uniform out of her hands, taking everyone by surprise as they couldn't see who stole it from her.
"Huh, what was that?!" she squawked in shock until she noticed the lack of some form of small weight in her hands. "Wha-oh, no! My uniform, it's gone! I must've been robbed! Where'd it go?!"
The students looked around for the culprit behind the theft of Klara's Dojo Uniform but then they heard the sound of what could be a Pokemon inside the dojo. They looked towards the direction of the dojo's dining hall and kitchen and there, standing before them with Klara's uniform and three others in their grasp were three Galarian Slowpoke.
"That speed, incredible! Could it really have been this Slowpoke here and its friends?"
"I've never seen any Slowpoke, Kanto or Galarian, move that fast before!"
"Me neither! And, the leader in front of those two whipped by in such a blur, I could hardly see it!" cried some of the students in astonishment.
"Hey, what are you doing?! That's my Dojo Uniform, you thief, give it back!" screamed Klara angrily at the three Slowpoke.
"Sloow? Sloooow..." thought the Slowpoke leader before it spoke in a huddle debate with its fellow Dopey Pokemon.
The three of them debated for a few seconds but then they nodded and then, they ran out of the Master Dojo with the uniforms still with them, laughing at their own wits.
"Hey! Come back here!" bellowed Klara as she gave chase to get her uniform back.
The students and Sarah along with Riolu and Blitz were all baffled by what they had seen. The three Galarian Slowpoke took off with the uniforms they stole and taunted Klara to the point of having her chase after them in a fit of rage to retrieve her uniform.
"Uh... Is it gonna be like those funny cartoon cat and mouse guys we saw on TV back home?" asked Riolu, completely bewildered.
"Pika, Pika..." replied Blitz, trying to get his head around what he had seen.
"Oopsey-daisy, ha-ha-ha! Seems like I've left the Three Slowpoke Stooges out of their Pokeballs too soon!" laughed Mustard, drawing his students' attention to him.
"Master, what's up with those Slowpoke? Why did they get away with the uniforms they have including Klara's?" puzzled the first senior student.
"This is your first trial, my students, one that will test your speed and agility to the max... As Klara demonstrated, you must find and chase after those three fast Slowpoke, trained with care by little ol' me! But, that's not all; they're also adept fighters so you must defeat them as well before they give you the slip! And, while you're at it, could you retrieve Klara's Dojo Uniform?"
"Aww! Do we have to?" groaned the students.
But, Sarah, having sometimes been the peacemaker to her friends in several previous scrapes, pacified the situation as she had an idea that could allow her and them to do the first trial with ease without complaining about getting Klara's uniform back.
"Well, that's his orders but I got an idea on how to do that. Why don't we make it a race? Whoever can find and battle the Slowpoke that left and bring back the uniforms including Klara's will win the first trial. How about that?"
The students gave her idea some thought while Mustard nodded with an approving smile from the idea by his new student. It wasn't long before everyone grew determined, signaling their approval of Sarah's idea to interpret the first trial as a race and they all raced outside to find the Slowpoke trio, retrieve the uniforms, and see who would eventually come out on top.
Sarah followed as soon as they all left with Blitz and Riolu taking up the rear but as they left the Master Dojo and raced to the beach to find the Slowpoke, they realized that what the Galarian Slowpoke trio's current specialty, from what they've seen, is speed.
"Pika, Pi, Pikachu, Pi, Pika, Pikachu," said Blitz, knowing that the Slowpoke are very fast with how they ran out of the dojo.
"How are we going to catch them if they run like lightning?" asked Riolu.
"We could run like the others are doing but I have a better way to handle that and we'll need help from a friend," Sarah suggested as she brought out two familiar Ultra Balls. "Mustard may have had us catch the Slowpoke but he probably meant for us to do it by whatever means we'll deem useful!"
She threw the Ultra Balls and they opened, releasing Calyrex, Spectrier, and Glastrier into the open. Right now, Calyrex was in his Shadow Rider form as he decided to choose Spectrier to be his steed for the day.
"Princess, where are we? What is this place?" questioned Calyrex, looking around his current new surroundings.
"Short and sweet, Calyrex, I'm now a student at the Master Dojo for the day. Right now, we're doing a trial of speed and agility and that involves finding and battling three Slowpoke that have stolen Dojo Uniforms, one of them belonging to a senior student named Klara."
"Mommy's going to train with Mr. Mustard and she's tasked with finding and battling three Galarian Slowpoke like that cartoon cat and mouse we saw on TV back home," added Riolu.
Calyrex nodded, despite not getting Riolu's words on the cartoon cat and mouse part. "I see... And, do you have any clues as to where those Slowpoke you mentioned might be?" he asked.
"AHA, GOTCHA!" shouted one of the senior students from the path to the dojo.
The princess and her Pokemon turned as they saw six of the senior students managing to find and corner the three Slowpoke that stole the uniforms. It looked as though they would be able to battle them after cornering the three Dopey Pokemon but then they managed to run down a path towards a large, open field that looked like some Florida wetlands with several lakes dotted around the area. The students immediately gave chase but the three Slowpoke proved to be too fast and hid in the wetlands, forcing them to look around for them.
"I think we found your culprits, Sarah," replied Calyrex, now getting the full picture.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go after them!" Sarah said, going after the Slowpoke with her Pokemon not too far behind.
Arriving at the field known as the Soothing Wetlands, they all looked around with the other students for the speedy Slowpoke. But, given how elusive they can be with the use of their baffling speed, it proved difficult as a majority of the students would get frustrated when they would find the Slowpoke they were looking for, only to have then run away while they laughed at them, forcing them to give chase but to no avail. No matter how fast they ran, it looked as though Mustard's Slowpoke are proving to be tedious.
"Seriously, isn't this like those chase scenes we saw from that cartoon show featuring that funny cat and mouse back home?" asked Riolu as the chase continued.
"You mean Tom and Jerry?" quizzed Sarah in response. "Maybe, only there's no slapstick comedy coming from our end!"
"Pika-Pi!" shouted Blitz, pointing at a speedy Slowpoke he saw running from one lake and into another.
"Let's go after them!" shouted Sarah.
"Pika!"
"Right!"
"Let's go!" nodded Blitz, Riolu, and Calyrex, with Glastrier and Spectrier neighing in agreement before they went after the Slowpoke.
"Those Slowpoke are mine!"
"Not if I get to them first!" challenged the senior students, giving chase.
(K2G – ft. Puffy Amiyumi - Side Note: You can play the song while you're reading; picture the gang as the Teen Titans and the Three Galarian Slowpoke Stooges as Mad Mod during the chase from the original Teen Titans episode)
The three Galarian Slowpokes, still with all the uniforms they stole, ran as fast as they could along the coast to continue making the first trial harder for everybody. Sarah, her Pokemon, and the other students trailed behind the Galarian Slowpoke Stooges along the way but they didn't realize that they missed them, the three Psychic Types hiding and acting like a pink tree as they stood on top of each other in front of a real tree as their pursuers passed.
The leading Slowpoke, at the top, chuckled cheekily before it threw an apple at them before they ran off with the uniforms still in their grasp. The group, still in their race, noticed and ended up having to chase them again to get the uniforms before they escaped.
The tables were briefly turned, however, a barrage of toy gun darts flying through the air before they were seen running away from the Galarian Slowpoke, who were able to somehow snatch toy Nerf machine guns and fire several darts at them as they screamed before one of the Slowpoke turned to the audience and shot at the camera in another 4th Wall break.
Next, they enter a pagoda near the Soothing Wetlands where inside it were several holes around the place similar to the Sea of Holes from the Beatles Yellow Submarine movie, the three Galarian Slowpoke Stooges slipping into one hole to escape. Sarah and Blitz tried to follow them but they faceplanted onto it as though it was sealed, making everyone groan before they saw them in another hole behind them.
One of the female senior students tried to get to them before she slipped down the next hole and three others went down other holes while Sarah and the remaining two looked through other holes, their upper bodies ending up in different holes in a dimensional gag.
Then, with her Pokemon beside her, Sarah picked up a random hole and poked her head through it to find nothing as they went through it before it plopped back into the ground. Surprised beyond belief, the two remaining senior students, another young woman and a black man in his late 30s, went to the whole as the female student jumped on it before she shrugged and fell through.
The black man was the only one left as he saw his fellow students and Sarah's heads pop in and out through more holes before he yelped at the sight of one of his fellow senior's head being large as it stuck out from a random hole before he slipped down another.
When they regrouped, they found themselves in rock n roll dance outfits that represent the musical culture shift into contemporary pop and rock in the 80s from 70s disco at the time complete with each of them holding instruments from that period such as electric guitars, keyboards, electric basses, microphones, drums, even the earliest electric violins of that time.
They all looked ridiculous in their new outfits but then, they soon saw the three Slowpokes speeding past them with the uniforms still remaining in their grasp while laughing, making them growl and ditch their temporary get-ups for their Dojo Uniforms to continue the chase and quickly pass Mustard's first trial.
Soon after, they ran up another level of the pagoda that had a winding staircase within the tall structure with the three Slowpoke Stooges far ahead as they tried to keep up. When the Slowpoke reached the top, however, they pressed a nearby conveniently-placed button that collapses the stairs and caused the senior students to slip and land on their stomachs, groaning in pain and frustration from their continued trickery. Sarah, Riolu, and Blitz managed to hold out as Spectrier and Glastrier dug their hooves into the flattened staircase and Calyrex used Psychic to boost them onto Glastrier.
The same could not be said for the senior students as Sarah noticed them sliding down towards a slide that'll send them out of the pagoda and into a lake back at the Soothing Wetlands. Thinking quickly, she sent out Latios and Latias and pointed towards the senior students for the Eon Siblings to use Psychic to save them. They did so with ease, although one of the female students ended up being crushed by one of the older male students, causing her to glare at her while he smiled with a sheepish shrug as they were all dragged up to the door.
Finally, they caught up with the Galarian Slowpoke trio amidst a series of passages covered by vines, representing themselves as makeshift doors as in a Scooby-Doo monster chase in a nearby forest when they got out of the pagoda a short ways away from the Soothing Wetlands. The Galarian Slowpoke are seen running through one vine door before going through a third door while their pursuers accidentally slammed into each other upon entering before going down the same road.
One male senior student was left behind before they saw the Slowpoke entering a vine door close to them and she quickly followed. The three Slowpoke then appeared again, forcing Sarah, Riolu, Blitz, Calyrex, Spectrier, and Glastrier, popping out of one vine door, to give chase once more towards the door furthest from them. But, it was clear their games were getting to them.
A male Japanese senior student charged through one vine door to another in a straight line and a caucasian female student stumbled through another vine door, just missing the three Slowpoke riding three bikes. Two of the other senior students dashed through two more vine doors, exchanging doors as they passed one another.
After they left, the Spanish female student popped out and looked around to find the Slowpoke driving what looked to be Cruella De Vil's car from 101 Dalmatians, forcing her to go after them. Once the Slowpoke and the student had vanished, Riolu and Blitz appeared again from a nearby door and ran to the one at the end of the forest path but their sizes didn't change in a perspective gag, forcing them to crawl through it. Sarah and Calyrex, riding both Glastrier and Spectrier appeared once more and they went to the farthest door from them. Their sizes, in another perspective gag, didn't change as well and they were left tiny as Calyrex had to use Psychic to push the vines away and allow them to run through.
It was an absolute madhouse with everybody trying and failing to catch the Three Slowpoke Stooges. A Thai female senior student charged through the forest hall while riding atop of Glastrier with the Slowpoke trio acting like a rider in a canoe across the grassy floor after. A male French senior student ran out and looked around, only to see Glastrier running past; his eyes bugged out in surprise as he followed. Then, Sarah, Riolu, Blitz, Calyrex, Glastrier, and Spectrier regrouped and watched as the Scooby-Doo door chase mayhem continues with the senior students running past them while a human-sized Wailord slid on the ground while one of the senior students held on to its tail as it ran through another vine door and all the senior students running through the bottom of a nearby vine door as they shrunk and ran towards the door adjacent to it as perspective-tricked miniatures, still on everyone's mad chase for the speedy Slowpoke.
By then, the senior students that found the Slowpoke first had worn themselves out and returned to the Dojo to rest before they would continue or give up. This left Sarah and her Pokemon as the little princess pointed furiously in every direction to where a vine door is, releasing Latios and Latias again for the other two doors they'll need to see through.
They fanned out to a door and, on Sarah's signal, pushed the vines of each door out of the way to see if the Slowpoke were all there. Nothing behind any of them, leaving only the vine last door that they haven't checked yet, Sarah smirking as they all gathered in front of it and she pulled the vines aside, only for the group to scream as an enlarged head of a Tyrantrum greeted and roared at them as it popped out.
Meanwhile, the Slowpoke popped out and pulled a few cheeky raspberries at them before they ran off again with the uniforms but this time, the tables would turn on them as Latios and Latias blocked their way with Riolu and Blitz running forward and joining them to block their left and right sides. This left Calyrex, Sarah, Spectrier, and Glastrier boxing them in and leaving them with no choice but to fight their way out.
This was the moment Sarah had been waiting for she prepared to battle them. "Calyrex, get 'em!" she ordered, her eyes on the uniforms the Slowpoke stole.
"Right away!" nodded Calyrex as he and Spectrier faced them.
"Slo-o-o-o-o-ow, Slowpoke," dared the leading Slowpoke before they unleashed a trio of Shadow Balls at the High King Pokemon.
As Calyrex was now part-Ghost Type, being in his Shadow Rider Form with Spectrier, he braced himself as he and his older steed began to fight. "Agility, son!" he bellowed, Spectrier increasing their speed before they dodged the Ghost Type attack barrage.
The three Slowpoke then used a Group Zen Headbutt attack before they fired Shadow Ball back at them, stunning them for a bit and then, prepared to use their signature attack on the Psychic rascals.
"I don't want us to be too rough on those rapscallions, Spectrier! Just enough to demand them to return those uniforms including the one belonging to that Klara girl!" reminded the High King Pokemon.
Spectrier grunted, knowing that he has to be careful, knowing that there's a possibility that they'll damage the uniforms by being reckless.
"Astral Barrage, but not too much power! Only enough to knock them out!"
Upon his father-figure's call, Spectrier charged up a considerable amount of Ghost Type energy and summoned several small laughing ghosts akin to the ghosts from the Noveltoon Casper cartoons which flew around and near the Three Galarian Slowpoke Stooges, causing them to get spooked. The ghosts then slammed into them, making the Psychic Types yelp in pain as they were heavily stunned and the uniforms they stole went flying out of their grasp while they were sent flying and splashing in one of the lakes in the Soothing Wetlands for their little prank.
Latios and Latias then used Psychic to catch the unscathed uniforms including Klara's and everyone smiled; not a single uniform nor even a piece of them was destroyed or ruined and they defeated the Slowpoke which meant that Sarah passed the first trial.
With the uniforms at hand and returning to the Master Dojo, Sarah quickly returned Latios, Latias, Calyrex, Spectrier, and Glastrier to their Pokeballs after thanking them for their help. Surprisingly, when she, Riolu, and Blitz, reentered, she was the first one back as the others were probably still searching for the Slowpoke after seeing some of the senior students she encountered outside the dojo before were worn out from the chase.
Honey and Mustard were talking to each other and when Sarah came into view, they turned to her and noticed she had the uniforms back.
"Ah, Young Sarah, welcome back!" greeted Mustard. "Oh, and I see you've found all the uniforms! I trust that you've managed to find and beat the Slowpoke I've looked after to get them back?"
"Yeah, I did. But, I'm telling ya, it wasn't easy!" replied Sarah, glad that the first trial was over.
At that moment, Klara had returned, still looking flustered after failing to find and beat the Slowpoke trio along with the other students who had failed in the first trial. She was most surprised when she saw that the little princess got her uniform back along with the other two that Honey had been given.
"What? How, w-Don't tell me! You got my uniform back all by yourself and on the first trial?!" she screeched, completely baffled.
Sarah smiled, putting her suspicions over Klara aside as she handed her uniform back to her. "Here you go," said Sarah. The older Master Dojo student was in shock as she looked over the uniform she was given back.
The other students looked on in amazement; Sarah had not been a student of the Master Dojo for long and she had passed the first trial ahead of them despite their own best efforts, essentially losing the race altogether. But, they took their loss in stride as they smiled warmly at her, knowing she deserved to win after having found and beaten the speedy Slowpoke first.
"Oh, um... Well, uh, thanks... I guess," thanked Klara admittingly.
"Well mustered, Sarah, ha-ha-ha! You've cleared the first trial like it was nothing!" laughed Mustard in approval. "You've must've had a lot of running to do in order to find all my Slowpoke that fast! Why, I think this is the first time since Leon himself was able to handle all three of them on their own!"
He then turned to the other students, also impressed by their efforts while Klara groaned in embarrassment.
"And, you all did great too, having managed to catch up to them. But, even if you couldn't defeat them, you still tried your best and that's all that matters. I'll tell ya what, anyone who was able to catch up to my Slowpoke at least once despite will get a pass. Ms. Sarah outdid herself out on the field with them so it's only fair that everyone gets a second chance."
"Oh, how generous!"
"Thank you, Master!"
"We'll work harder on the next trial!"
"We can promise you that!" thanked the other students ecstatically, relieved that they haven't lost yet.
Mustard nodded, "I know you won't, especially since you still have a chance to come out on top! Try to make a comeback and from then on, the sky's the limit, everybody!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Mustard returned to Honey's side, ready to begin the second trial as everyone waited in anticipation to see what they'll be doing next to get the dojo's secret armor.
"Now, with everyone still having a chance to turn the tide around, it's time for your second trial to begin. Oh, that reminds me. Honey, dear, where are the little ones?"
"Oh, yes! Of course, darling, I almost forgot!" said Honey, knowing what he meant. "Squirtle, Bulbasaur! Come on in, dearies, it's time!"
From Honey and Mustard's living quarters, two of the three Kanto Starters made their way to the dojo training arena which are a normal-colored Bulbasaur and a Squirtle.
"Squirtle, Squirt!"
"Bulbasaur!" greeted the two Kanto Starters.
"These two are our sweet little Pokemon from Kanto, meet Bulbasaur and Squirtle," began Honey to Sarah as she came up alongside them. "They were given to us by the world's greatest Pokemon scientist, Professor Oak, and I'd say they're more than a little curious about your strength as a trainer since they heard you and darling going at each other with your Pokemon earlier."
"What do you want me to do with them?"
"Why don't you pick one of them to keep for yourself, dear? You did succeed in the first trial, after all. And just so you know, these two have been raised in a special way that's very common and unique to only the Galar Region. When they evolve after lots of love and care along with their training, they'll have the ability to Gigantamax!"
"Gigantamax, you mean Bulbasaur and Squirtle can Gigantamax when they evolve into Venusaur and Blastoise?!" gawked Sarah, reeling from what she's told.
"That's right! And, because Gigantamax is more powerful than Dynamax alone, Pokemon like Bulbasaur and Squirtle that have that ability can have abilities that are more unique to it in that form compared to Dynamax forms from other Pokemon. And, that's not all, there's one more Kanto Starter that Professor Oak sent us that is capable of Gigantamax and when Leon was here training with us, he picked the one that would eventually become his partner for life that you saw before you. Oh, Charmander!"
"Char, Char!" cried the Flame Pokemon, appearing from Honey and Mustard's living quarters and running towards his fellow starters.
The three of them tussled happily before they stood at attention, being prepared to see who would be chosen to be Sarah's new partner.
"So, who will it be?" offered Honey, gesturing to any of the Gigantamax Kanto Starters.
Sarah looked at each of the Kanto Starters with the ability to Gigantamax, no doubt she wanted to have all of them but she had to be generous to any of the other students who would be chosen to pick any of the three starters and she was only supposed to have one on her.
Bulbasaur and Squirtle hoped they would be chosen but when she looked towards the little Fire Type, Charmander made a knowing glare towards her, its determined smile expressing a willingness to join her. Immediately, the princess was left in awe of its fighting spirit burning deep inside it as they locked eyes with each other. They could tell there was something special in them and they wanted to join forces to see what they can accomplish together.
The stare-off was intense until Charmander's determined smile widened and it stretched out a claw to her, signaling Sarah to nod her approval to it and to do the same; it was decided as Charmander made the decision for her. Honey and Mustard were surprised but they smiled brightly, knowing what it meant for the two of them.
"Well, Charmander's as pleased as punch that you both chose each other!" smiled Honey.
Bulbasaur and Squirtle wilted in sadness, having been bypassed for Charmander but they eventually smiled at their fellow Kanto Starter in support of the little Flame Pokemon. Charmander turned to its fellow Kanto Starters and smiled before they tussled happily one last time before it joined its new trainer.
"Just remember, Ms. Tomoe, your new friend will only be able to Gigantamax let alone Dynamax once he has fully evolved into a Charizard just as Leon did with his own Charmander. Be sure to raise him well and let us know how he's getting on!"
"Dynamaxing... A mysterious yet fascinating and frightening phenomenon unique only to the Pokemon of Galar..." mused Mustard. "And then, there's Gigantamaxing, a very special way of Dynamaxing for very special Pokemon like Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur... Their moves change from their regular attacks, of course. Not only that, but their appearances can also change when infused with that power, too... Speaking of Gigantamaxing, there's even that secret recipe of the Master Dojo. Drinking the product that comes from it can help make you gigantic and strong, I call it Max Soup!"
"Max Soup?" puzzled Riolu.
"Pika?" asked Blitz, also curious about Max Soup.
"Mm-hmm! I'd love to have a bowl of Max Soup full of Max Mushrooms right about now, it has been so long since we've had that... And that's why your second trial would be mushroom picking! This exercise will help you, your fellow students, and your Pokemon get closer to nature as well as enhance your problem-solving and decision-making as Max Mushrooms are the key to a Pokemon's Gigantamaxing. So, I'm trusting you to find three of them of exceptional quality as they are red with a spiral pattern, I'm sure they like to grow in dark, humid places so be sure to look closely for them. And, on that bombshell, your trial begins as of now! I'm counting on ya!"
"Yes, Sir!" saluted the other students as they immediately set off to find the Max Mushrooms.
Honey then turned to Bulbasaur and Squirtle, knowing how they felt about being left out.
"Bulbasaur, Squirtle, don't you two dearies worry your little heads. I'll be sure to raise you two with lots of love just as Young Sarah would for your friend," she cooed to the Kanto Grass and Water Starters kindly. "I'll make you two oh-so-strong so you won't lose to Charmander the next time you see each other again!"
"Squirtle!"
"Bulb!" nodded the Starters in determination.
"Ms. Honey, if you want Squirtle and Bulbasaur or Charmander to learn new moves for anybody who will be next to claim one of them next time, you can leave it to me!" volunteered a senior student who stayed behind to help Honey with the remaining Kanto Starters.
"Well, aren't you the sweetest thing!" nodded Honey before she turned to Sarah with another piece of advice while giving her five pieces of ore. "That lovely lad there is Anthony and he's always so kind to teach new moves to Pokemon given to students like Charmander. If you give him some Armorite Ore, he'll gladly teach Charmander a new move if you want."
"Thanks but it'll be more fun for us to have him learn one by himself."
Honey and Anthony smiled knowingly, they knew what she meant. After all, it's always been said that experience is the best teacher. With that, Sarah, with her new Kanto Starter joining her, Riolu, and Blitz, the quartet began their quest for finding the Max Mushrooms for the Max Soup Mustard wants to make. They haven't gone far after leaving the Master Dojo when Mustard came running to them, realizing he made a mistake.
"Hey, hey! Hold up, Sarah, my bad! My bad!" he shouted, stopping them in their tracks. "It just occurred to me that you're still new to the Isle of Armor and you haven't been given the time needed to know your way around here! I bet you have no idea where to even look for the Max Mushrooms for my Max Soup!"
Sarah sweat dropped; this was quite the folly she made as well and it completely slipped her mind.
"That's okay, I'm sure we'll be able to remedy that. Why don't you come along with me and I'll show you some of our Max Mushroom hot spots?"
With Mustard as her and her Pokemon's guide for her second trial as he hummed along down the path through the Soothing Wetlands, Sarah immediately followed her master with Charmander, Riolu, and Blitz walking with them to a path towards a wooden bridge leading to a dark forest where some of the students were looking for Max Mushrooms.
"Now, usually, the Forest of Focus over there is usually chock-full of Max Mushrooms so it would be the natural place for my students to start looking for them," informed Mustard. "But, the thing is, a swarm of Greedant came here earlier today and last week and they ate every last one of them! My students are already searching for a few that could've survived their hunger but they're already hitting a roadblock here."
He then pointed ahead to the path within the forest to where another spawn of Max Mushrooms could be located. "So, contrary to the forest, I think you'll have much better luck at finding them if you take a peek at Warm-Up Tunnel. It's just on the other side of the forest so it's easy to see once you make it out. But, make sure you don't lose your way while you're in the forest, 'K? It's pretty easy to get lost if some of the other students are heading there right now."
He then turned and left to return to the Master Dojo to wait for the arrival of the Max Mushrooms. "Anyhoo... Good luck with your quest for the Mushrooms, catch you back at the Dojo!" he said as he left.
"Okay!" cried Riolu as she waved goodbye.
"Char, Char?" asked Charmander, ready to begin heading for Warm-Up Tunnel.
"Well, guys, let's go," nodded Sarah, all of them heading inside the Forest of Focus after crossing the bridge.
The Forest of Focus was dark even with the sunlight overhead, which was blocked by the immense amount of foliage from the tree's branches overhead as they went along the path.
As they watched some of the students looking around for any stray Max Mushrooms as they made their way to Warm-Up Tunnel, the quartet kept close to each other so that they don't somehow separate and get lost while heading towards their intended destination.
"Are we gonna do a chase montage like we did before with those Slowpoke?" asked Riolu in a 4th Wall break.
"PI!" blurted out Blitz, not wanting to go through a maniacal chase again.
"Char, Mander?" puzzled Charmander, tilting his head in confusion.
Deciding to leave it at that, the gang continued on their way through the Forest of Focus until they finally came across a field known as the Training Lowlands with Warm-Up Tunnel at the other end. Sarah smiled, she was one step closer to completing the second trial since all that's left for her and her Pokemon trio to do is to go inside and search for the Max Mushrooms she and the other students are looking for. It was dark with a strange illuminating glow from the Dynamax energy that radiated off of the place and they were glad to have Charmander's tail flame as a light source or else we'd literally be walking in the dark.
It wasn't long, however, until they finally came across the mushrooms that they're looking for. To Sarah and her Pokemon's luck, there are eight of them clustered together, three of them being the ones they needed for Mustard's Max Soup.
"Char, Char, Charmander!" cried Charmander excitedly, pointing to the mushrooms before they ran to them.
"Max Mushrooms... Are they what we're looking for to make Mustard's Max Soup, Charmander?" Sarah asked the Flame Pokemon.
Charmander nodded happily, "Char, Char, Char!"
"And, we got three of them in one place in this cave!" cheered Riolu, preparing to pick them. "Let's see that whiny lady try and stop us now!"
"Hold on a second!" shouted a familiar voice frantically, causing the quartet to turn to the owner.
"Pik..." deadpanned Blitz to Riolu, the latter blushing sheepishly at him.
Blitz was right; there coming from behind them was Klara, who sprinted to the small group after having seen them starting to pick the Max Mushrooms after either being pointed to or having found Warm-Up Tunnel after Sarah chose Charmander to join her.
"...Hello, what's this, then? How about it, three Max Mushrooms together in one spot?" she bristled cheekily. "Phew, that's a relief! And here, I thought I'd have to go through the trouble of finding them one by one! I saw those mushrooms first, I swear!"
This peeved off Sarah as she became suspicious of Klara again trying to one-up her with the Max Mushrooms, especially since she was the one who came across the Max Mushrooms her team found first and had no idea where her senior was when she started looking after Mustard pointed her to Warm-Up Tunnel. Even Riolu and Blitz raised suspicious stink-eye eyebrows at her for her attempt to steal them but Charmander just tilted his head in confusion at the older student.
"Excuse me? I think you'll find that my Pokemon and I came across them after Mustard pointed us here, thank you," she scoffed. "What makes you think you can cheat and take them from me after my Pokemon and I had to find them after we just got here?"
"Does it matter? I've been at the Dojo longer and all and you're just a newbie so you just got lucky with them with Master's help," Klara scoffed back. "So... It's only fair that you let me have them and I'll leave you be, right?"
"Fair... Fair?! Are you kidding me?" gawked Sarah in disbelief. "You mean you want to take those mushrooms for yourself so you can one-up me so you can get the armor Mustard promised us for yourself?! If you're gonna be like that, forget it!"
"What?! Urgh, gosh, you're such a pain in the neck ever since you arrived..." grumbled Klara, having lost it. "You come to the Dojo and showed yourself to be young and talented as you battled Master and completed the first trial with ease while I end in a slump...!"
"So, that's how you want to play it, huh, kid? Very well... If you're gonna be like that and get in my way, well... I suppose a few vile poisons will take care of you and I'll be the one to prove myself to everyone again and claim my reward! As long as you're around and win everyone's favor, I'll never be more than a shadow!"
After throwing her tantrum, she sent out her newly-healed Galarian Slowpoke for a rematch, causing Blitz to walk forward and prepare to fight against Klara's Pokemon this time. He didn't take too kindly to Klara belittling his human mother and was looking to give her a piece of his mind.
"What the hell's your problem?!" snapped Sarah, angered by Klara's attitude towards her. "I was just doing what I could as a student at the Master Dojo and doing what he asked of us! Are you gonna take this personally?!"
"You bet I am, now let's settle the score once and for all! I'll show you... I'll show you that between us, I'm the better trainer and not you, once and for all! Slowpoke, Water Pulse!"
Klara's Slowpoke channeled its energy to
"Blitz, trap Slowpoke with Electroweb!" called Sarah, pointing at the Slowpoke.
"Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika...PI, CHU!" shouted Blitz, preparing and shooting the Electroweb at the Dopey Pokemon.
"Dodge it!" countered Klara, allowing Slowpoke to use its speed to avoid being captured before countering with Mud Shot.
"Break through that Mud Shot with Iron Tail!"
"Chu...PIKA!" Responding to his human mother's command, Blitz eyed the Mud Shot coming at him before smacked it with Iron Tail even though tiny bits of mud caused him to close his eyes so he could avoid being blinded.
"Now, Zen Headbutt!"
"Slo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o...POKE!" yawned Slowpoke before it tackled Blitz with Zen Headbutt, Blitz taking on the attack and its psychic power before he got up and prepared to fight again.
"Pika, Pikachu... Pi Pika, Pika!" warned Blitz, not wanting to be underestimated.
"Klara, I don't know what you're thinking but I can tell you this right now, I didn't mean to one-up you! I would never do that to somebody like you but your whining about not being the best ever since I arrived makes you think I want to cause you grief after arriving!" snapped Sarah, not wanting to deal with her fellow student's nonsense as Blitz and Slowpoke continued to fight.
"Well, you try having to deal with being second best to someone who's already won the heart of and made a good first impression on Master Mustard and then have everybody sideline me as being the best in the Master Dojo until I'm bested by a newbie who's so young and talented unlike me!" retorted Klara, still in her fit of rage. "I used to be Number One in the dojo and respected by my fellow students for everything I've done for them but then you waltzed right in on account of a school project for your Alola Pokemon school and you've managed to steal everyone away from me just by being the very best! I just couldn't take it anymore, I had to do something!"
"And, you thought trying to one-up me in the stupidest way possible is going to help you get your position back like trying to humiliate me when you could've thought of something better to do that!?"
"I'll do whatever it takes to regain my honor and if I have to use dirty tricks to become the best again, then so be it! Slowpoke, attack!"
"Blitz, Double Team!"
Just as Slowpoke was about to unleash another Zen Headbutt, Blitz created several clones of himself and encircled them around the Dopey Pokemon, the Psychic Type looking around in surprise as it tried to find the real Mouse Pokemon hidden from within the clones.
"Slowpoke, use Surf to wash them away and expose that little rat!" smirked Klara.
"Slo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-wwwww!" yawned Slowpoke again as it used a Water Type attack to try and sweep away Blitz and the clones.
"Just because Galarian Slowpoke are Psychic Types doesn't mean they don't have a few tricks up their tails!"
"Yeah, but you forgot one thing! Surf's a Water Type attack and while it's Psychic Type, my mouse will electrocute it with a single touch of electricity from him! The tide of this battle is turning, Klara!" scoffed Sarah. "Blitz, use Thunderbolt on Slowpoke and spin!"
"Pika...CHU!" bellowed Blitz, unleashing his Electric Type attack and using the water from Surf to conduct the water around Slowpoke and shock it, all while spinning on his back.
As he did so, several strings of Thunderbolt surrounded him and blocked the Surf attack while simultaneously shocking the Galarian Dopey Pokemon.
"Finish it with Iron Tail!"
"Chu...PIKA!" With one final Iron Tail and with Slowpoke immobilized, Blitz managed to land a knockout blow to Slowpoke's head and stun it, knocking it out and ending the first round in Sarah's favor.
Klara balked at this and returned her Pokemon, now annoyed with what she has to go through with losing a second time to the Master Dojo's new rising star pupil.
"Oh, sure! I can see it now, 'let's all take potshots at Klara 'cause she's not at the top of her game and class anymore'! What are ya, a defensive Super Effective striker machine?!" she griped as she got out her next Pokeball and sent her next Pokemon into battle. "Not happening, I say! I'll show you! Koffing, show that brat no mercy!"
"Koffing!" cried the Poison Gas Pokemon as it got into a battle stance.
"So, I guess you caught a Koffing, huh?"
"That's right and even though we just met, it's proven to be a great companion of mine! He'll make sure we come out on top and we'll regain my honor before you can say 'Max Soup, here I come', brat! Koffing, Sludge Attack!"
"Blitz, look out!" Sarah shouted.
But, before Blitz could dodge as the Sludge came at him, Charmander ran forward and tackled him out of the way before he got in front of his fellow Pokemon and spun around as his tail sent little flames at Koffing while he spun like a top. Charmander just used Ember to stop it!
Koffing was baffled as it nearly got scorched by Charmander's Ember defense and growled as the little Flame Pokemon stopped and got into a Karate battle stance, ready to take on the Poison Type as his first opponent. He was also not impressed by Klara's fits and whining about her lost honor and he wanted to help teach her a lesson.
"Charmander, you..." began Sarah, in awe from the Kanto Fire Starter's actions.
"Char, Chamander, Char, Char," nodded Charmander, ready to fight.
"Right! Charmander, attack!"
With Sarah's approval, Charmander prepared himself as Koffing also prepared to fight its new opponent. "Koffing, Smog! Then, use Sludge Bomb!" shouted Klara, becoming very annoyed.
Koffing used Smog to fog up the area with poisonous gas, forcing Sarah, Blitz, and Riolu to try and hold their noses to prevent sucking in the gas. Charmander, however, didn't mind the smell as he closed his eyes and got back into his Karate battle stance, focusing his mind to attack when Koffing makes its move. Having been raised and trained under Honey and Mustard's care, he and his fellow Kanto Starters have learned much of the tricks and trades about martial arts and what's been practiced at the Master Dojo.
With the training they got, their minds and bodies had been developed in such a manner that they'll be as strong as they are without evolving until they choose to do so and they'll be able to withstand even the most tedious of attacks that would normally give other Pokemon battling headaches.
He blocked out anything and everything that could be a distraction to him as he focused on Koffing and Koffing alone, his claws slowly unraveling as they glowed white and turned to steel. Then, sensing Koffing about to attack from behind, he turned and used Metal Claw to cancel the Sludge Bomb before he jumped at the Poison Type and slashed at it again with his Steel Type attack.
"CHA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-AR!" yelled Charmander, his Metal Claw quickly knocking out Koffing.
Koffing groaned as it got swirls in its eyes, the Metal Claw attack from Charmander having proven itself to be too much for it to take. Seeing this, the still-baffled Klara returned her Poison Type but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was about to lose for a second time since Sarah first arrived on the Isle of Armor.
"How, how can this be...? Am I really going to lose again?" she mused worriedly. "Why...? Is there... Is there really something wrong with me?"
"...No, I won't lose! I'm ready this time, I've been training for so long and I've never been this worried in my life but I suppose I'll have to prove to you that I'll still be the best even when the odds are against me, kid! Whirlipede, let's go!"
Sending out her newly-evolved Bug Type, Whirlipede eyed Charmander as he kept his Metal Claw at the ready and got into another Karate stance. But then, to the girls and his opponent's surprise, Charmander did a Kata to goad Whirlipede and gauge it and Klara to have them make a reckless move on their part before anything else.
"Pika..." gasped Blitz in awe, seeing Charmander's immense concentration and sharp yet fluid moves in his Kata.
"Cool..." chirped Riolu as she saw Charmander end his Kata and getting into one last Karate battle stance after seeing the Unova Bug Type getting agitated.
Klara knew she had one chance to end the battle and proving herself to get back at her rival as she eyed Charmander and prepared to attack at full strength. "Whirlipede, Double Edge! GO!" she bellowed, pointing at Charmander.
"Whirl!" cried Whirlipede, rolling towards the Flame Pokemon at full speed and made look like it was two of itself rolling from opposite ends.
The young and yet disciplined Kanto Fire Starter, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes at the evolved Curlipede Pokemon. Then, seeing his chance, he jumped with great timing that allowed him to dodge the attack, causing Whirlipede to panic and stop itself as it skidded to a wall.
It managed to decelerate itself so it wouldn't cause a cave-in but it was too late as it soon hit the wall with a loud WHOMP, the effects of Double Edge's recoil taking effect as it rolled backward towards Klara and Sarah in pain. That gave Charmander the opportunity to unleash one of his Fire Type attacks he knows and finally put an end to the battle, once and for all.
"CHA-A-A-A-A-A-A-R-R-R-R-R-R-R!" he screamed, sending out an extended ring of fire that encircled Whirlipede and left it with no chance of escape after it was immobilized.
Sarah, Riolu, and Blitz gasped in shock and awe from what they've seen out of Charmander but Klara was horrified as she watched Whirlipede getting burnt while it was left with no other choice but to take the never-ending ring of fire head-on. What had happened was clear, Charmander had used Fire Spin to trap Whirlipede while it was stunned from Double Edge's recoil and burn it simultaneously.
Finally, the Fire Spin subsided and Whirlipede groaned as it fell on one side and had two swirls for eyes as it felt dizzy from the fiery vortex. It was over as Charmander bowed politely to Whirlipede and stood beside Sarah with a smile of content, the disciplined Flame Pokemon had won.
"No, how is this possible...? Just, just what do you have that I don't that makes you such a phenomenal trainer...?" Klara breathed in complete astonishment as she returned her downed Curlipede Pokemon before she threw another hissy fit.
"ARGH! How, how can I lose?! It can't be true, I'm trying as hard as I can to be the best the Master Dojo ever has! I can't ever win against you, how could you win?! What am I missing?! ...Oh, fine! You can have those stupid mushrooms, kid! I bet I'm going to find even better ones, anyway! So there, NYAH!"
Still brimming in her jealousy and giving her rival and her Pokemon an angered raspberry, Klara ran off in a huff to find her own Max Mushrooms and figure out how to get back at her another time.
"And, don't come back, you big baby! NYAH!" snorted Riolu, sending a raspberry back at Klara.
"Pi, Pika, Pi, Pi, Pika Pikachu Pi," muttered Blitz, annoyed at Klara and thinking she should take anger management classes.
"Char, Char. Charman, Charmander, Char, Charmander, Char, Char," nodded Charmander before reminding everyone about the Max Mushrooms they need to take.
"Okay," agreed Sarah, taking the clusters of Max Mushrooms they found and preparing to head back.
But then, her Video Phone rang up, attracting their attention to it. Sarah was surprised; she thought it would've been the others doing their research to see how she was doing with her class with Mustard but when she activated it, she was surprised to find Honey having made contact with her.
"Hello, is this Sarah? How's the trial coming, Love?" she asked through the link to her Video Phone.
"Oh, hi Honey. Well, everything's going great," she replied. "In fact, I've already found a lot of them already. Three clusters, actually, more than enough."
"Oh, my! You mean you've managed to find all three Max Mushrooms and not long after your trial started?! Well, if my eyes and ears don't deceive me, it looks like you have found all three of them and enough for two Max Soups! I've been checking everybody's progress and seeing how they're all doing with their mushroom hunts but it looks like you've flung yourself into First Place once again! You really are our new rising star, aren't ya? I'd better get the pot on the stove and get to work but you best be careful on your way back, all right? Ciao!"
Ending the call to her, Sarah could only blink before she got another call on her Wrist Com and answered as she, Riolu, Charmander, and Blitz headed back to the Master Dojo, this time being her friends as they went about their research of the Isle of Armor.
"Hey, Sarah, mate! How's everything in your class right now?" piped in Victor.
"Hey, guys, how's your research? Find anything good while you're out here?"
"Well, if you count the Galarian Slowpoke that are dotted in the area, not much. But, there are some Pokemon my mates and I found and caught for our national Pokedex and your crew even snagged a few that caught their eye."
"It looks like there are a lot of Pokemon from other regions as well as the Galarian Slowpoke we found that have made the Isle of Armor their home and adapted to their new environments easily but we still have a lot to find out about if we're going to help you guys with that last report," added Gloria. "What are you even doing out here? I thought you'd be training at the Master Dojo."
"I am, I'm doing a few things for Master Mustard as part of that," she said. "He had Riolu and I battle him and his Shinx and Mienfoo first before he accepted us and he wants us looking for a few things for what he calls Max Soup."
"Don't forget having to chase three Slowpoke missiles and getting giant mushrooms while dealing with a crummy senior," added Riolu, still sore over Klara.
"Pika, Pikachu, Pika," nodded Blitz.
"Guess you've been pretty busy while you're at it," Hop replied. "We'll continue our research here, let us know if anything fun's going on there."
"Take it easy, guys," nodded Sarah, ending the call.
"Well, at least the others are doing fine with their research. Let's get these mushrooms back to Mustard and Honey, that Max Soup isn't gonna want to cook itself if she's already getting her hands dirty."
"Yeah!" cheered Riolu as she Blitz, and Charmander took two of the mushrooms with Sarah taking the third as they headed back to the Master Dojo.
After returning with the Max Mushrooms they found at hand, the small group found their senior students and the rest of their class gathered back on the main battlefield and floor. Some of them had returned with a few mushrooms below the initial requirement of three and watched Honey preparing her cooking utensils but the rest were sadly telling Mustard of their lackluster progress on their hunts.
Just by seeing how distraught they were told Sarah and her Pokemon that their own hunts for the Max Mushrooms yielded no results. They've looked all over the most well-known locations and a few hidden ones where they could've grown but their searches for them ended up fruitless and they were forced to return. Mustard understood how distraught they were and proceeded to console them and reassure them of what they needed to do to improve themselves.
"I'm back!" called Sarah as she, Charmander, Riolu, and Blitz approached Mustard and her seniors.
"Ah, hey there, Sarah! Welcome back again, it looks like you've nailed the trial just as you did with the first one!" smiled Mustard brightly, seeing the Max Mushrooms they brought to him and Honey and Charmander helping his new family. "Ooh, and I see Charmander's already being a big help to you guys! Good for you, ha-ha-ha!"
"My hearty congrats to you on completing and winning the second trial! It's obvious that Trial Number 2 was no problem for you just as Trial Number 1 was, I assume. As for your seniors, I'm afraid they had a lot of trouble with this one since they all ended up getting lost in the Forest of Focus while looking for them. Turns out, finding Max Mushrooms left there was frankly the least of their concerns. I'm sure you've noticed while on your way through with your own search, right?"
"Yeah, I've noticed. They all looked pretty flustered as we kept to the path on the way out," nodded the princess.
"And, I can tell since you were wise enough to stick to the path leading to the other side of the forest and came back with the Max Mushrooms we needed. It's a shame, really, but I suppose everybody else apart from you failed the trial."
"No!"
"Oh, come on!"
"No way!"
"Aww, man!"
"Totally uncool!"
"Bust!"
"This sucks!"
"Really?"
"What?!"
"Crap!"
"D'aww..." groaned the other students in despair. But, regardless, it was true; they failed as a result of getting themselves lost in the forest.
"You've all tried your hardest and that's what matters, well done all of you for getting this far. Now then, first things first before we get started on your final trial, child-a proper meal! Let's have the Max Mushrooms you brought made into our Dojo's famous Max Soup!"
Taking Sarah and her Pokemon with him to the kitchen while everyone else watched, Mustard went over to Honey and gave her the ingredient she needed to start preparing the Max Soup. She watched the pot simmering as she cooked with the other ingredients she had on hand and with the mushrooms added, she could see that it's just about complete which leaves her with one crucial ingredient she needs to truly finish it.
"Mmm, mmm, mmm! Beautiful, absolutely beautiful!" she praised herself, the results in front of her satisfying so far. "I've really outdone myself this time! Now, all that's left to do is to add the Max Mushrooms you've brought us and bing badda boom, our Max Soup is ready to go!"
"WAIT!" a familiar voice burst out, flustered.
Everyone turned to find Klara having returned to the Master Dojo looking worn out from her extended search, oblivious to the fact that Sarah had already completed her trial and everyone else was left in the dust regarding their slip-up with their search in the Forest of Focus. Needless to say, everyone was very surprised by how tuckered out she had been, and they were even more baffled to find that she finally had Max Mushrooms with her but ultimately, turning up too late with the Max Soup already being prepared.
"...Ms. Honey, please...! Wait...!" panted Klara heavily.
"Oh, my! Klara, honey! Are you all right?" asked Honey, surprised and worried. "I've never seen you in such a panicked fluster like this and you're awfully late, what in the world has gotten into you?"
"...I, phew... I, I got some Max Mushrooms, too! It took a while for me to find them but I think these should do it!" Klara said, presenting her Max Mushrooms to her and Mustard.
"Oh-ho-ho! Well done there, Klara, girl! Those Max Mushrooms are as ripe as ever!" smiled Mustard again, with Honey also looking impressed by the mushrooms she found. "It must've taken you a while to find them and a lot of hard work to figure out where they are. That means you are officially the second person to pass my second trial in flying colors!"
"WAHOO! I did it, I did it!" Klara cheered, starting to cry in relief and happiness.
She was very, very relieved to hear the good news; so far, she managed to pass the previous two trials along with Sarah for the Isle of Armor's secret armor and unlike the others, she wasn't kicked out thanks to her own hard work. She didn't care if she got Second Place in the second trial, she was just glad to still be in the running and proving herself to be a great student of the Master Dojo. Honey just smiled; she understood how Klara was feeling and knew that her success was possible due to her perseverance.
"Aww, chin up now, Klara! There's no need for tears," she congratulated proudly. "You did it, you've managed to find some Max Mushrooms as well! This is a cause for celebration!"
The other students all agreed as they applauded her for her efforts and being the second person to pass the second trial.
Even Sarah couldn't help but give a small smile towards Klara for what she did to keep herself on the long run; despite the brash, cocky, and jealous senior student often rubbing her off the wrong way, she couldn't help but find a worthy and interesting rival in Klara as the trials went on. She was starting to respect her now, knowing that she would be able to make Mustard and Honey proud just through her hard work and determination. Riolu, Charmander, and Blitz, on the other hand, just glared skeptically and silently with suspicious eyebrows raised at her since she was partially responsible for nearly getting their human mother/trainer kicked out of the trials after trying to steal the Max Mushrooms they found.
"Master, Ms. Honey, I have a favor to ask of you. Just this once, please?" Klara began again, feeling proud of herself. "It's just that, after all that hard work I've done, and having passed the trial..."
"...I want you to put my Max Mushrooms in your Max Soup! I want to share my work with everybody here!" she said, bowing to Honey and Mustard.
"Oh, Klara, if that's what you want... Then, we'll perfectly oblige to do just that for you!" chuckled Honey to Klara's delight. "Though, this is hardly the first time you've asked something from us and I can tell it won't be the last."
"I hope you don't feel like your thunder being stolen, Sarah. You see, we're all a family here and families share. So, we're going to use Klara's mushrooms today! It's just so hard for her to work this much on this front and I really want to reward her for that. You can hang on to those Max Mushrooms of yours, I'm sure you'll find a good use for all of them."
"Nah, don't worry, I've had this sort of thing before. Go ahead, Klara, you put your mushrooms in there. You earned it," smiled Sarah, turning to Klara with a soft smile before she looked to Honey again.
"Besides, as you said, I'm sure I can find more uses for Max Mushrooms. They might have be useful for other things besides the Max Soup but I'm gonna have to do a little digging to find out what else they can be used for. If possible, I can even grow some and start a Max Mushroom garden!"
Everyone laughed; they were impressed with Sarah's honor and good humor. As she already had plenty of experience in raising a family of her own ever since she started her Pokemon journey, she became incredibly humble and didn't find it worth it to be worked up over anything so petty and small such as not having her Max Mushrooms be used for the Max Soup. Charmander smiled with a nod of approval to his trainer and even Blitz and Riolu smiled, having to agree that just knowing they won the second trial was the best prize they can have.
"He-ha-ha! Spoken like a true Master Dojo student with the greatest honor imaginable, Sarah!" congratulated Mustard, impressed by her humbled nature and honor. "But, don't worry, you still passed the second trial in flying colors and I couldn't be more proud of you! Think of the mushrooms you found as a special consolation prize!"
Sarah nodded; no doubt she would be able to find a good use for the Max Mushrooms she found. Everyone cheered for both her and Klara for their hard work and passing the second trial until they all heard a small growling noise coming from Riolu as she held her stomach and blushed in embarrassment.
"...I'm hungry, can we eat now?" she asked.
Everyone laughed again but they couldn't deny what she was saying; they were all feeling hungry all of a sudden after being hard at work trying to pass two trials and they could really use a hearty meal to replenish themselves after everything they've been through in their training so far. With Klara's Max Mushrooms put into the pot, Honey had managed to complete the Max Soup and brought the bowl over to everybody with everything else she had prepared including Pokemon Power Food.
"All right, everyone! Soup's on!" called Honey, everyone getting to the table upon her call after setting the soup on the table. "The famous Max Soup of the Master Dojo!"
"Mmm...!" murmured everyone, enjoying the smell of the Max Soup and the Pokemon Power Food prepared.
"Well, I'm famished! And, you've really outdone yourself, Honey," complemented Mustard. "Well, everybody, time to dig in!"
"Let's eat!" shouted everyone, beginning to enjoy the results of the Master Dojo buffet and the Max Soup.
With their lunch and the Max Soup for all to enjoy, Mustard, Honey, Sarah, Klara, all the other students, and all their Pokemon drank and ate away as they find the results of their meal satisfying. So satisfying that Mustard felt compelled to reveal a secret involving the Max Soup and his surprise.
"Well, Young Sarah, how are you enjoying the soup?" asked Mustard as everyone ate.
"It's fantastic!" said Sarah, impressed by the Max Soup.
"I'm glad you like it! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention! I never did explain about the big deal involving this lovely soup, didn't ?"
"...What do you mean?"
"Well, when one drinks this famous Max Soup of ours..." continued Mustard before he stopped Sarah as he sensed her trying to respond while she tried to feel something different about her. "No, you don't, here's the deal: the whole human Dynamax thing doesn't happen and isn't practical when you drink this soup."
He then gave her a sly smile as his eyes glistened. "But! Things are a bit different when certain Pokemon who have the ability to use Dynamax and are affected by Eternatus' Gigantamax Particles drink the Max Soup themselves!"
"You see, there are certain Pokemon in the Galar Region that have that distinct potential that not many others do. And, once they drink the soup, their original Dynamax Forms will shift from the power brewing from it and change into a powerful Gigantamax Form! In fact, the secret armor I've planned for either you or Klara to obtain after your upcoming Third Trial are two of those Pokemon that have this unique trope."
"And, on that, I'll have one of our lads in the kitchen be on Soup Duty from now on, too," smiled Honey directing to one of the other senior students with her as he bowed to Sarah. "His name is Ziggy and he'll serve you another bowl of Max Soup whenever you and your Pokemon want."
"Now then, let's wrap things up, folks! With our previous two trials down, it's time for our top two students here to begin their final trial for my little surprise," Mustard declared, deciding to go ahead with the last trial. "You've all done your best in the second trial despite your lackluster results and I'm very proud of all of you. Klara, Sarah, would you two kindly meet with me in my room later?"
"Yes!"
"Yes, Master," they said.
"And, last but not least, thanks for the soup, Honey!"
"Thanks for the soup, Ms. Honey!" everyone thanked happily as Honey giggled with an appreciative smile.
With everyone full from their meal and with Klara and Sarah being the only two students remaining for Mustard's final trial, the two of them joined him at his and Honey's living quarters while the rest of the students and their Pokemon partners went back to their normal training. They may have been bummed out about failing halfway through their master's trials but they soon took their loss in stride and worked even harder to make sure they're ready for the next time they'll be tested for the Master Dojo's secret armor.
While taking a moment to prepare themselves for what Mustard was about to throw at them upon entering his living quarters, the Dojo Master proceeded to begin his briefing on what his final trial for the Dojo's secret armor would be.
"Klara, Sarah, you two have done brilliantly throughout the last two trials ever since our class started," began Mustard. "Out of all the students I've seen in class, you two showed the most promise with everything you've done and the only ones I deem worthy of the Master Dojo's... Final...Last...Ultimate, third trial!"
"The final...last...ultimate...third trial?!" gasped Klara before she tilted her head in confusion. "Uh, what is the final last ultimate third trial, Master?"
"Ah, yes, you see... That's the gist of it, from what I've seen, you're the brightest, most clever, and promising students I've seen in a while. Out of everyone in today's class, you two are the only ones to have successfully passed the second trial with your know-how and wits along with your teamwork with your Pokemon. You kids pushed yourselves to greater heights and even learned from and helped each other to succeed and grow along the way. So, I'd say it's time for all of us to finally see which of you is stronger...In a full-out Dynamax Pokemon battle!"
Sarah and her Pokemon gawked; Mustard is actually going to choose if either the princess or Klara would be worthy enough for his secret armor in her first-ever Dynamax Battle. That means she will finally get her chance to learn about Dynamax from experience and have a full-on battle using that very power against Klara. Even Klara was surprised by what the third trial is going to be.
"Dynamax battle?!"
"What? We're going to have a Dynamax battle, that's the last trial?" they gasped.
"That's right, this will be a test of everything you've learned throughout this class, and what's more, we'll see if any of you would be able to use and master the power of Dynamax in this battle. The rules are actually simple; whoever wins will complete the trial. The winner of the final trial will be the honorary student to receive the Secret Armor of the Master Dojo."
He then grew serious as he eyed them carefully, knowing what the last trial would permit once they start to battle. There were a few things that he wanted to make clear with them so they would be playing fair and not cheat their way to victory.
"But, be forewarned, only one of you must be in tune with your chosen Pokemon and only one Pokemon must be chosen for this battle, no substitutions as this will be a 1-on-1 Dynamax battle. In addition, you will not go into this battle thinking you can win my Dojo's armor in your first battle and on the first round! To do so would be arrogant and arrogance is for fools, not warriors nor my students, so you will do this battle with the sole purpose of improving your battling skills, your honor, and your bonds with your Pokemon."
"This is it, finally..." breathed Klara, thinking that she's going to win the armor before looking at Sarah. "But, can I...?"
"Your battle will be taking place behind the Master Dojo at the Battle Court but not to worry, the Court is a Power Spot so you two and your chosen Pokemon can all battle to your heart's content throughout the trial."
"Y-yes! I've gotta get going, I'll need to be extra ready and prepare my pure heart for this chance of a lifetime!" cheered Klara, already setting out. "I'm gonna head out first, K? You and your Pokemon can all laze about like a Slowpoke for as much as you need until then!"
Riolu and Blitz comically fell as they groaned, realizing that despite her previously humble and good-hearted nature when the Max Soup was being made, she was still being selfish and thinking about herself. It was clear that they still didn't like her after she intentionally tried to demean their human mother again, her jealousy still brewing but not showing to Mustard.
"Char, Char, Chamander," grumbled Charmander with a facepalm, also not impressed with Klara.
Mustard sighed; he knew that Klara was very proud of her talent and he could tell that she was a good student with what she's doing but her pride in her own skills left her to slack off and become lazy herself, a hypocritical position for her to be in considering she's trying to find ways to get ahead without doing any of the hard work required before Sarah came into the picture. It was the hardest she's ever worked in her time at the Master Dojo but the Dojo Master could tell she still had a lot to learn.
"...Oh, that Klara, I can see where she's going but I sure wish she'd be more honest and come to us or her fellow students for help let alone trust us more with her thoughts," he sighed thoughtfully. "She's got talent and she is a promising student-that's for sure-but I worry for her since her confidence in her own skills caused her to slack off."
"It's as if she never felt the need to try hard at anything let alone realize that great Pokemon trainers such as you, Sarah, were made and not born, I guess... Even with all her training and the results she produced throughout her time here, I can tell that she's not giving it her all and really only doing the bare minimum that's required of her and my other students..."
Sarah, Riolu, and Blitz were surprised while Charmander nodded grimly; the former three had no idea that she was being lazy with her own skills and Pokemon and never had to do the hard work required to become a great Pokemon trainer given her confidence in her own talents as well as her frankly lackluster skills with her Pokemon partners. When the princess arrived and worked her way up as the Master Dojo's new rising star pupil, however, they noticed a change in her that they couldn't pinpoint with her frustration on losing two battles in a row and nearly failing two trials in her haste to be better.
Mustard, on the other hand, smiled as he turned to Sarah since he had seen how much Klara had changed with her rise to the top. "But, ever since you arrived, things have changed and I've been seeing a drastic change within her for the better, Sarah. I've never seen her work so hard in a long time and I couldn't be more proud of her as well as you. Maybe you've woken up some sort of passion in her that's driving her to be the very best she can be, did ya?" he said, chuckling.
"Still, I hope that hard work you had into helping her through your own success isn't put into anything mischievous, he-he-he. But, who am I kidding? Are you ready to battle her? I know I said we'll be doing a 1-on-1 Dynamax Battle but I'd like to see how Blitz and Charmander had been getting on as well since you started training. I can tell you want to save Little Riolu for the big one, right?"
Sarah nodded; she didn't need to say anything, Mustard knew exactly what he meant when he said that.
"Good, meet Klara at the Battle Court whenever you're ready and we'll all join in after. I'm really looking forward to seeing how you would do with your chosen Dynamax Pokemon."
As Mustard turned away to prepare himself for the upcoming trial he'll need to oversee, Sarah and her Pokemon, feeling ready after their previous hearty meal, made their way to the Battle Court at the back of the Master Dojo.
Granted, Sarah, Blitz, and Riolu were surprised when they saw that the Battle Court was at the end of a giant canyon with a narrow pathway large enough for them to walk through with Charmander leading the way given he knew his way around the Isle of Armor ever since he and his fellow Kanto Starters were left in Honey and Mustard's care. They were even more shocked when they found the Battle Court with Klara waiting there and it was GIANT, it resembled an early form of the Pokemon stadiums dotted across the Galar Region.
And there, who should be waiting for them to begin the final trial with them but Klara, who ran to them after she noticed them coming from the Master Dojo.
"So, you finally made it. About time, I've been waiting for you," said Klara, looking determined to win. "When I finally beat you, I'll get the Dojo's secret armor and then, after completing my training... I'm going to become a Poison Type Gym Leader!"
Sarah was now surprised; had Klara gone to the Master Dojo to work hard and train herself and her Pokemon to become a gym leader despite her previous lackluster efforts before she came into the picture?
"I've just got to win and make my friends and my family proud, no matter what... We've always been rivals ever since our class started, huh? You've pushed me just as I've pushed you... But, it all ends here, I'm ready to win this time so I'm gonna go all out and finally beat you. Are you ready?"
Sarah smirked; she could tell she made a huge impact on Klara and was ready to see if she can beat her this time. "Why ask? Let's go," she replied, both of them preparing to take their places just as Mustard, Honey, and the other students arrived.
"Well, looks like the two of you are all fired up and ready to go," Mustard replied approvingly. "Now, remember, one of you may win but at times, there are no winners, only truths. For when trainers of equal powers class, their true nature is revealed."
"Good luck!" cheered the other students.
As the students and Honey took their places on the sidelines, Mustard became the referee for the final trial as Klara and Sarah immediately took their places on either side of the Battle Court. This was it for both trainers; the final trial to decide who comes out on top and earn the Master Dojo's secret armor. But, little did anybody know that the two Pokemon that watched Sarah from before had appeared on the top of the canyon on Sarah's side, nobody noticing them as they prepared to watch if she would win in her first-ever Dynamax battle.
"The Master Dojo's final trial... Ready! Annnnnnnd... BEGIN!" signaled Mustard, starting the trial.
"Go, Skorupi!"
"Charmander!" cried Klara and Sarah, sending out their first Pokemon to battle with Sarah's Dynamax Band activating, ready for her first Dynamax to be used when ready.
"I hope you're ready for me this time, Sarah, 'cause I'm not holding back one single bit here! It's time for us to settle this-fair and square! Oh, and I don't want to rain on your parade if you do manage to beat me, watch your step! I have a feeling some Toxic Spikes somehow made their way into the court!"
Sarah gasped as Charmander grunted while he stood strong, trying to fight the poison that came from a spike he accidentally stepped on.
"Charmander! Are you all right?" she asked worriedly.
"Char, Charmander, Char-Char," reassured the Flame Pokemon before he got ready to fight. "Charman!"
"Skorupi, Poison Sting attack!" shouted Klara.
"Charmander, Fire Spin!" countered Sarah.
The Poison Type and Fire Type fired their attacks and Charmander ended up overpowering Skorupi but even with the early victory at hand, Sarah noticed Klara not freaking out as she used to in their previous battle. She was now calm and collected, she held the smirk on her face as if she had some sort of plan in mind that involved Skorupi losing the first round and given Sarah and Charmander the early lead. It made her feel something's off with Klara now.
"Oh, sorry Skorupi, darling... Looks like I should've given you better directions after we started but don't worry! We still got this, Signal Beam!" she smirked as Skorupi as her Pokemon complied, knowing what she's thinking regarding her big plan.
"Use Metal Claw!" Sarah countered again.
With his Steel Type attack, Charmander was able to deal a massive blow and knock out Skorupi after dodging the Signal Beam but the Scorpion Pokemon took the loss in stride as it gave a worn-out smirk, knowing that it did its part in its trainer's plan while Klara returned it.
"...Well, you're not too bad after all this time, Kid. But, you and Charmander better watch yourselves," Klara called, still keeping her smirk and preparing her second Pokeball on as she watched Charmander wince from the Toxic Spikes' poison still taking effect. "As long as Charmander is battling on top of those spikes and his energy's getting sapped, you might as well be running on fumes!"
Charmander started to pant heavily; he couldn't deny that the poison from the Toxic Spikes was taking a toll on him and if he was being reckless, he would be badly incapacitated and unable to fight. But, being trained in the Isle of Armor and the honorable Pokemon that he is, he didn't want to let Sarah down if he were to quit on account of the poison. If he was to go down during the match, it would not be without a fight so he steeled himself and prepared for the second round.
"Now, meet my new and improved smog machine! Let's go, Weezing!"
Klara soon sent her next Pokemon out which was a Galarian Weezing. Unlike the Kanto Weezing, Galarian Weezing has a gray body with its skull, crossbones, and ring changed to yellow. Both heads have a hat-like tube located on top of them that constantly releases purified air. Five green puffs of poison gas clouds can be seen floating around it. The larger head has a cloud-like mustache, while the smaller head has clouds on its face in the shape of eyebrows and a beard.
"I could never get around the idea of Pokemon like that helping clean the air when they're Poison Types," remarked Riolu.
"Pika, Pikachu, Pi, Pi, Pikachu, Pika," Blitz shrugged, not seeing it as a problem before he looked towards the poisoned Charmander. "Pika, Pi, Pi, Pikachu, Pi, Pika, Pika, Pikachu, Pi..."
"Charmander, can you still fight?" asked Sarah, not wanting to risk pushing Charmander any further.
"Char, Charman, Char... Charman!" reassured Charmander again, getting into a Karate stance and still bound by his honor.
"Right, let's do it! Try Ember!"
Going into a tailspin and with his tail out, the Lizard Pokemon spread several embers using his basic Ember attack to try and gauge Weezing as the princess tried to figure out how to attack the Poison Gas Pokemon. Klara just continued to smirk as she thought about her next move before getting it on.
"Weezing, time for a fancy Smog attack and let's see how that lizard does when blind!" she winked, allowing Weezing to use the Poison attack as Charmander was trapped within a thick layer of Smog that heated up from the embers.
Thus, the Kanto Fire Starter was forced to cancel his Ember attack and get back into a Karate stance and endure the smell from the Poison Type attack, his vision being blocked as he carefully looked around for Weezing. This presented a problem with him since Smog provided quite the cover for Klara's Poison Type and he wasn't sure which direction it could attack but since it had been training in the Isle of Armor, it picked up a few things to make up for that.
Listening carefully throughout the Smog around him, Charmander followed his sense of hearing and clarity for the Galarian Poison Gas Pokemon until...
"Charmander... CHARMAN!" he shouted, turning around and using Metal Claw at Weezing attacking him from behind.
But, not before Weezing quickly used what is called Destiny Bond to link his damage to Charmander, causing them both to be knocked out of the fight.
"Charmander!"
"Pikachu!"
"No way!" gasped Riolu, Blitz, and Sarah in shock.
"Weezing and Charmander are unable to battle, Round 2 is a draw!" announced Mustard to the intrigue and amazement at Honey and the other students watching.
As Sarah quickly retrieved Charmander and placed him with her two remaining Pokemon, the smile of satisfaction on his face being clear that he did good in his second and third battles, Klara returned Weezing but despite her continued smirking, she felt something off about Sarah and her Pokemon as well. Despite Charmander being poisoned from the Toxic Spikes, he was still able to soldier on before being beaten by Weezing's Destiny Bond. To her, it doesn't make any sense as to why the Lizard Pokemon would fight on regardless of being poisoned.
What Sarah and Mustard didn't realize, however, was that after getting a head start, Klara had eventually decided to cheat her way to victory using the Toxic Spikes ahead of time before the match even started so as to give her and her Poison Types an advantage and not worry about Sarah and her team fighting at full strength like before. Her jealousy towards Sarah's success was still festering and now, she felt like she had no other choice but to do the unthinkable if she even has a chance to fulfill her dream of becoming a gym leader.
"Not bad... Your Charmander's got spunk but let's see how your next Pokemon outlasts my Whirlipede looking for a rematch!" she sneered, sending out her Curlipede Pokemon.
"Thanks, Charmander..." smiled Sarah softly, knowing how honorable he had been in the fight before turning back to Klara. "Blitz, look after Charmander. Ready, Riolu?"
"Thought you never ask, Mommy!" smirked Riolu as she ran out to the field and fought against the poison from the Toxic Spikes.
"I hope you don't mind, Master! I'm not gonna use Blitz here since I need him for Charmander," replied Sarah to Mustard.
Mustard just smiled knowingly, "I don't see why not. Good luck, Riolu!"
"Now, let's see how fast you really are. Then, once you're out of the way, the Secret Armor and my dream will finally be mine," whispered Klara, still determined to win as ever despite her cheating. "Whirlipede, Rollout!"
Whirlipede began to roll, its speed getting faster and hoping to land a hit to make up for the loss it suffered from Sarah and her Pokemon last time.
"Here it comes, Riolu! Use Vacuum Wave to try and knock it off course!"
"Right!" Riolu agreed with a nod, sending a Vacuum Wave towards the Unova Poison/Bug Type.
"Roll away and use Iron Defense, Whirlipede!" cried Klara, preparing to finish things off.
Continuing to use Rollout, Whirlipede used Iron Defense while enduring the Vacuum Wave sent at it. While it did get a bruise from the opposing attack, the Curlipede Pokemon was barely fazed and continued to roll towards Riolu, forcing her to dodge and unleash a few more Vaccum Waves to throw it off track but to no avail.
"It's not working-urgh!" Riolu bellowed before she felt the poison start to take effect.
"Something's not right, I don't recall Toxic Spikes being put on the Battle Court already just as Klara said. If she was going to use them, why didn't she use them already when our battle already started?" thought Sarah, seeing the odds already stacked against her but in a suspicious fashion that got her intrigue. "What the hell is she even trying to pull?"
Blitz narrowed his eyes at Klara as she kept her smirk but it looked off as it was not just confident but also starting to falter as she watched Charmander and Riolu fighting on regardless of the poison they were inflicted from the Toxic Spikes. He had a feeling that Klara wasn't being as honorable as she appears to be in the battle.
"Riolu, try using Consecutive Fire Punches and Shadow Claws!"
"Urgh, coming right up!"
Using Fire Punch and Shadow Claw together, Riolu fought back against Whirlipede's Rollout as they traded blows and the Curlipede Pokemon slowly became stronger.
Obviously, having improved since its earlier loss, Whirlipede proved to be a much better opponent now that it's going all out with the training it had to take in the short amount of time it had before the final trial. But, even so, Riolu seemed to have the upper hand with her resilience against its brute force and her continued will to change and attack from other angles rather than the same one despite adding Iron Defense to even the odds with Rollout's continued increasing power.
Seeing that they need to end the battle before the poison would take an even worse effect on the Emanation Pokemon, Sarah looked to see whatever weaknesses are left for Whirlipede besides the obvious Type weaknesses that could allow her and Riolu to progress faster and keep the poison from killing her. It proved tricky to find any until she noticed its eyes being within its curled-up body.
"Wait... That's it! Riolu, target its eyes with a bit of Aura Sphere slapstick!" she shouted.
"Whatever you say, Mommy!" complied Riolu, deciding to take a chance and not question the strange order.
Carefully watching Whirlipede continue to use Rollout as it made its way towards her, she charged up her Aura Sphere and eyed when she'll be able to attack until she dodged upon the Bug/Poison Type getting at close range to the right before she found its right eye. Unfortunately, for Whirlipede and Klara, they didn't notice since the Curlipede Pokemon was rolling out of control and they were too late to notice.
"Whirlipede, get out of there!" shouted Klara, panicked from her oversight.
"Eat my Aura Sphere Zinger, loser!" mocked Riolu, throwing the Aura Sphere into Whirlipede's eye as it traveled in slow-motion like in a scene from The Matrix before it landed a hit.
The Aura Sphere soon made contact with Whirlipede's right eye and it screamed and yelped in pain as it swerved violently before it eventually crashed into one of the cliff walls.
"Ooh..." the senior students and Honey winced.
"Whirlipede, no!" yelled Klara, aghast to see Whirlipede completely dizzy again as it groaned and got a black eye from the Aura Sphere.
"Whirlipede is unable to battle, Riolu takes Round 3!" announced Mustard again, declaring the best 2/3 for Sarah.
"You did it, Riolu! How are ya feeling?" cheered Sarah.
"A little dizzy from the poison but I'm good to go for the last round!" smiled Riolu, giving a thumbs-up just as Klara returned Whirlipede and congratulated it for a good battle.
"This is impossible! I had everything all planned out from this to the Toxic Spikes I've managed to plant before the match began and still, that star punk managed to one-up me even with Charmander and Riolu poisoned!" she fretted from within her mind, feeling frustrated over being so close to defeat despite her improved battling and her cheating. "What is she? No one's ever managed to stand firm even when the odds are in my favor the way she did!"
"...There's no way I'm losing to you, brat! I'm not giving up until the bitter end, I will have that secret armor if it's the last thing I ever do!"
This caught Sarah's attention as she brought out Slowbro, her evolved Galarian Slowpoke, into battle as her final Pokemon for the real Dynamax Battle. If this was really personal to Klara, why didn't she come forward to tell her why she was so desperate and adamant to beat her and come out on top as the Master Dojo's top student in the first place? What lengths is she really willing to go through in order to make her dream a reality? Perhaps, she should've reached her hand out to her more and actually talked to her for a moment to sort everything out.
"Klara, wait!" called Sarah, wanting to speak with her for a moment. "Please, whatever I've done to you, I can help you with that! Just trust me, okay?"
"You don't understand, this is too important for me," Klara retorted angrily. "I'm not in the mood to talk after what you did to me! I'm going to pummel you and win this, got that?"
"But, why are you so adamant about beating me when I could've helped you if you just came to me whenever you needed help? Why would you be so obsessed with winning if you think it's going to help you make your gym leader dream come true?"
"I've wanted to prove something to my friends and my family back at my home ever since I've announced that I'm going to train in order to raise my profile but ever since I've arrived, I've forgotten about my training since I wanted to be looked up upon by everybody else. But ever since you arrived, I've been in the background and being left in the dust while you won everyone's attention and they all wanted to reach your levels. What's even worse is that with how much of a big name you've made yourself from what we've all heard, my seniors and juniors all wanted to talk with you and nobody paid attention to me anymore!"
"What's that got to do with anything other than your training?!"
"You have something that I don't and I'm going to find out what it is no matter what I do to become well known and successful! I've sacrificed so much to become well-known to everybody but nothing I've done ever works out until the Isle of Armor came into mind! No more Mrs. Nice Guy, I've decided that the only way to see that I'm still the best to everyone else at the Master Dojo and become a gym leader is to rise up to the top no matter what!"
"Klara, that's the stupidest idea you ever thought of to get your name out there by any means! The only way you can even be the very best is to work hard and do your best, there's no other way!"
"From my point of view, your stupid popularity won't end until I beat you and win the Secret Armor so I can become a Poison Type gym leader! Just my popularity by any means without getting too much work done is good enough for me!"
"Well then, you're lost!" That was it for both of them; with this clash of ideals, they decided that it was time to go all out in their Dynamax battle if only to prove their points.
"Yeesh, that ugly lady needs a hobby that'll get her something other than ugly money," groaned Riolu, face-palming from Klara's tantrum and revelation.
"Never mind that, Riolu! We've got to show Klara that only through hard work and determination can we all strive to be the very best we can be!" reminded Sarah to her Shiny Emanation Pokemon as her Dynamax Band activated and she prepared Riolu's Pokeball. "It's like Walt Disney himself always said, 'The difference between winning and losing is most often not quitting'! And, he's right on all ends, we're not going to quit! Now, let's do it!"
She quickly returned Riolu and her Dynamax Band glowed, filling the Pokeball with the Dynamax energy she got from the Max Soup and Eternatus' particles from them as it grew into the size of a large soccer ball that still fits in her hands. This was it; it was time for her to experience her first-ever Dynamax battle.
The students and Honey, all continuing to watch from the sidelines, gasped in awe and amazement as they were about to witness Sarah and Riolu going all out in a real Dynamax battle. Even Charmander and Blitz couldn't help but look on in awe over what they're witnessing.
"Ho-ho-ho! Now, she's getting it!" hollered Mustard excitedly.
"...Here goes nothing," whispered Sarah, praying that the Dynamax wouldn't backfire on her and Riolu.
Throwing the enlarged Dynamaxed Pokeball behind her, out came Riolu who grew giant-sized like Alice when she drank from the Big Bottle in Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" as the sky darkened with Dynamax energy and the ground shook as she got into a battle stance. Although, she looked over herself and became baffled by her growth in size and her voice from her Telepathy boomed, causing everyone to hold their ears as they winced.
"Whoa! I-I'm...Huge!" she screeched in surprise.
"PIKA, PIKA!" shouted Blitz, trying to get her to hear him.
"HEY, HOLD IT DOWN, RIOLU!" screamed Sarah, her ears now ringing like crazy.
Riolu realized her mistake as she saw everyone in front of her groaning, trying to shake off the ringing in their ears and some of them swearing that they'll go deaf for weeks or so after hearing Riolu scream from her Dynamaxed Telepathy with Sarah and Blitz glaring at her as they also groaned from nearly being made deaf.
"I'm sorry..." she whimpered sheepishly.
"Oh, you think that's impressive? Just watch this, ladies and gentlemen!" scoffed Klara, her smirk coming back as she returned Slowbro and proceeded to Dynamax it as well to even out the odds. "Watch out, Kid! Here's my special dose of Klara Poison, one hit with this stuff and there's no turning back for all that oppose me!"
Soon, Slowbro became a Dynamax Pokemon on Klara's side of the field, both Fighting and Psychic Types preparing to duke it out despite the obvious Type differences being presented to have Klara be given a slight edge in addition to the poison from the Toxic Spikes.
"Slowbro, Max Ooze!" shouted Klara, allowing Slowbro to shoot a powerful stream of Ooze towards Riolu.
"Okay, let's hope those lessons on Dynamax pay off. Riolu, Max Phantasm! GO!" countered Riolu.
"HYAH!" screamed Riolu, sending a powerful ray of Ghost Type energy despite the damage done to her from Max Ooze to lower Slowbro's defense despite the decent damage it took.
"Ha, you think that move's got to do anything? Well, too bad for you, my Slowbro's got your Riolu oozed up and we're gonna make you drown in it!" cackled Klara, feeling like her victory's assured.
"Yeah? But, there's one small problem, that's just the decoy!" smirked Sarah.
"What?!" gawked Klara, taken aback.
"Riolu, finish it off with Max Quake!"
"Got it!"
With Sarah's final say, Riolu burrowed under the ground and shot at Slowbro, the Dynamaxed Ground Type attack from Dig dealing heavy damage towards Slowbro and making it explode and shrink back to its original size as it fainted with its Dynamax energy ultimately backfiring on it.
"SLOWBRO!" screamed Klara in panic, seeing her supposed victory going up in flames as she saw her Psychic Type knocked out.
"Slowbro is unable to battle! The winners of the Master Dojo's Dynamax Battle Trial are Sarah Tomoe and Riolu from Alola!" declared Mustard one last time, causing all of the students, Charmander, Blitz, and Honey to cheer for them.
"She did it!"
"Amazing, Sarah won! She really won!"
"Man, what a wild rush!"
"Holy crap, that was crazy!"
"Bloody hell!"
"Fantastic!"
"That old Bait 'n Switch technique was flawless!" cheered the students.
"Well done, Sarah! You've passed all three trials!" cried Honey happily, also cheering for Sarah.
"Char, Charman, Char..." grunted Charmander with a smile and an agreeing nod from Blitz.
Riolu, having won the Dynamax battle, changed back to her original form as the Dynamax energy left her and the Battle Court was returned to normal. She groaned as the huge influx of Dynamax energy she felt for the first time took a toll on her like she had ran a 5K marathon for Pokemon with no break whatsoever in addition to the poison still coursing through her.
"...We, we win..." she panted, pumping her fist for her and Sarah's victory and falling back as Sarah rushed to her and caught her.
"We did it, Riolu! We did it, we won! Us and Charmander!" cheered Sarah, feeling proud of herself, Charmander, and Riolu for the victory.
"But, I gave it my all and I didn't even hold back for this one," breathed Klara, horrified that she had lost despite doing all she could to win. "How could this be...? I never should've lost, not after everything I did to win..."
"Well, Sarah, it looks like our victor's been decided! The only one to pass all three trials in flying colors despite all the odds presented is you! Congratulations!" congratulated Mustard proudly.
Sarah smiled proudly before she nodded. "Thank you, Sir. Although..." she began, looking at Riolu and Charmander, both still poisoned.
"He-he-he, here, let me help you with that. Blitz, would you kindly bring Charmander to the front, please?" asked Mustard to Sarah's Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon nodding before he brought Charmander to him and Sarah and Riolu before he brought out two Pokemon. "Chansey, Ponyta! Heal Bell and Heal Pulse, let's go!"
Soon, the Kanto Normal Type and Galarian Psychic Type both appeared under Mustard's care and they both used their healing attacks to relieve the battle-weary Charmander and Riolu of the poison in them and of their wounds from the battle trial. They were quickly back in full health and looked as though the battle trial never even happened.
"Yeah!"
"Charmander!" they cried happily.
"Wow, thanks!" thanked Sarah, the little Ponyta and Chansey nodding in appreciation.
Then, she met up with the still-stunned and stupefied Klara, who was still reeling from her loss despite her and her Pokemon having to fight at her full strength and playing dirty with the Toxic Spikes early on. She couldn't understand for a bit that she still lost even after what she did.
"But how, how could I have lost...? I don't understand... Well, this stinks," she began, groaning in defeat. "I didn't even hold back and my Pokemon and I truly gave it our all... I've done everything I could-even cheat a little-and I still end up losing and being second best..."
She then looked sadly at Sarah, who was now beginning to feel sorry for her over everything she was told.
"I don't expect such a young, bright, and talented kid such as you to understand where I'm coming from, but... I've been in such a slump ever since I failed in the underground music scene and I couldn't even get past basic training, I...Really was trying, as hard as I could, honestly... Maybe I should just give up on my dream to become a gym leader, I'm sure I'll be expelled from the Master Dojo once everybody finds out that I cheated... Perhaps, you could tell Master that for me, huh, Kid?"
Mustard, however, just smiled and approached them; he had heard everything Klara and Sarah said throughout the last phase of their battle and understood immediately where his troubled student was coming from. Also, to Sarah's surprise, he felt a little guilty in part for Klara's current predicament.
"No need to tell me, Klara, I already know! You can't hide anything, even your worries, from little old me!" he laughed heartily.
"M-Master?!" gasped Klara in bewilderment.
"It's good to know that you're not only owning up for your trickery but to see you open yourself to our new star pupil about your troubles. Sarah, please forgive me on behalf of Klara as her master, as well. I know what she did was wrong and not how we do things but her newfound drive to be successful and not be beaten by her greatest rival is absolutely genuine, that's all. It's proof that despite her cheating, you did make a wonderful change in her since this is the hardest she's worked that I've ever seen and I couldn't be more proud of her for that. She's truly a hardworking and good student that just needed a nudge in the right direction to become the best student she really is so I'll let it slide but I'll give her a punishment that suits her fancy to help her learn more about humility and honor."
Klara was surprised by this but she was greatly relieved that she wasn't going to be booted out since she was given a second chance.
"Oh... Master, t-thank you...!" she sniffed, crying happily. "Sarah, I-I'm sorry..."
Mustard smiled before he got down to business for her punishment. "I can't say that I'm impressed with your trickery early on, Klara, but I can tell that you are really sorry for what you did and I'm proud of you for owning up to it all. So, as I said, I'm willing to let it slide. But, in return, as punishment for your dirty fighting and to ensure of your maturity as a student, I'm assigning you to watch all the Dojo's Pokemon for the next six months...By yourself!"
Klara and Sarah were surprised by Mustard's leniency but since Klara not only owned up to the trouble she caused in the final trial and seeing that he was moved by her opening of herself and her struggles and feelings to her greatest rival, they knew he meant that to help Klara learn from her mistakes and grow from them. So, despite her surprise, the older student knew that she was let off with a serious warning.
"What?! Really, all by myself? Well, I mean, yes... That's a lot of hard work but... Is that all?" she flustered, trying to get her head around Mustard's leniency.
"Of course! The best quality of a Pokemon trainer is their heart, a heart that truly understands, loves, and cares for the Pokemon around them! You got the makings of a great gym leader hidden within you but all you needed to do was to trust your Pokemon more and they will always be there to help you out of a jam whenever you need them! So, to that end, let's work on helping you strengthen your heart!"
Klara smiled and nodded, tears of relief and joy flowing from her eyes. "...O-Ok!"
"All right, everyone! Things are all settled here and we're ready for the big reveal!" declared Mustard to everyone in the small audience before they all joined him to congratulate Klara and Sarah for what they've done and learned.
"Oh, girls, I'm so proud of you both! You two mustered so much effort and feelings with your Pokemon and you tried so hard throughout the battle!" Honey congratulated proudly. "I got so teared up from how passionately you battled, I couldn't see half of the battle! But, what I've seen out of you is more than enough for me!"
Even the students agreed as they all felt moved by the battle they saw, their own tears of joy and happiness flowing from their faces over the efforts made by their Dojo's best students.
"I'm so moved by your battling!"
"I can't help but tear up by all that!"
"Congratulations, Sarah!"
"You too, Klara!"
"You guys rock!"
"Yeah!" they cheered again.
Once their congratulations had been given, everyone turned to Sarah, who was the victor of all three trials and ready to be given the Master Dojo's secret armor through all her and her Pokemon's hard work and determination to come out on top as the Master Dojo's new star pupil.
"Sarah, your performances throughout all three trials were absolutely stellar! You've mastered your speed and agility when catching my Slowpoke, you've thought hard and made sharp decisions when finding those Max Mushrooms, and you all gave your best and triumphed over Klara even when in the odds of an unfair challenge with the Toxic Spikes! All with the help and trust of all your Pokemon!" congratulated Mustard once more.
"And so, to you, who has completed all of the Master Dojo's trials... I proudly grant you the secret armor of the Master Dojo!"
Sarah gasped in awe from the announcement. "Really, could I...?" she asked in amazement.
"That's right! It'll take some time to prepare and I've got a big surprise for you involving it so I'll gladly run on ahead and get things sorted for you when you return to the Dojo. That's all, everybody! As you were, but remember to meet back here when the armor's ready and waiting for our victor!"
"Yes, Master!" saluted the students before they dispersed to continue their training while Mustard and Honey left to prepare the secret armor that Sarah won.
"Sarah, wait!" called Klara, stopping Sarah before she could join them.
"Well, I, I-uh... Well..." she stammered, coming over to hand them what looks like a league card.
"You... You're really strong, and...Thank you," she whispered kindly before she ran ahead to join her fellow students and begin her punishment.
Sarah and her Pokemon were surprised by this act of kindness and generosity from her; did the little princess make that much of a huge change in her and helped her realize that she needed to do things the right way if she was going to be successful in life, after all?
"Pika, Pika..." breathed Blitz, thrown for a loop over Klara's change of heart.
"Charmander, Char, Charman, Charmander," said Charmander, a soft, approving smile growing on his face from Klara's redemption.
"Did she really do that, Mommy?" asked Riolu, a little taken aback.
"...Yeah, she really did. I guess that means she finally found her way and is ready to take the next step to become a better person through more honorable means," smiled Sarah, looking at Sarah's League Card before pocketing it and deciding to make her way back to the Dojo.
Upon arriving, she decided to see how Mustard and Honey's son, Hyde, was doing with his own thing before meeting up with Mustard again. When she, Charmander, Riolu, and Blitz checked with him, they found the genius boy working on a small machine that looked like some kind of funny-looking stork-like Pokemon.
"Mmm-hmm, perfect! Now, it's sure to work this time!" he mused as he turned it on. "All that's left to do is to fire this baby up with the ON button and then, BAM, this baby is up and running! So, here it goes!"
The strange machine started to work after it was turned on but to Hyde's confusion and dismay, it died down after a few seconds of running.
"Aww, cripes, it powered down again! Must need some more watts to kick it up a notch..."
"Hey, Hyde, what're you doing? And, what is that thing?" replied Sarah, looking at his machine as he worked on his computer.
"Oh, 'ello, Sarah! I heard about your trials from Mum and Dad, congratulations on winning them and earning the secret armor, by the way!" smiled Hyde.
"You like it? Just to let you know, that thing there is my Cram-o-Matic and it's the invention of the century. It's my very own brilliant, homemade take on recycling. It doesn't work right now since it ran out of power so I'll need some Watts to make it run again even though Mum won't let me have hers... But, I can't keep you waiting, Dad has the armor all ready for you in the main hall!"
"Okay. Thanks, Hyde," nodded Sarah, returning to the main training hall with her gathered Pokemon to meet with their fellow students and Mustard for the secret armor.
"Ah, Sarah, there you are! Enjoying keeping this old man waiting for the good part to happen for a bit of suspense, eh?" chuckled Mustard as he brought out two Pokeballs on his right hand. "Since you've managed to complete all three trials as I've noted earlier, I shall now present to you the secret armor of the Master Dojo! Now then, come on out, boys!"
Out of all the Pokemon Sarah had witnessed throughout her time in the Galar Region, aside from Calyrex, Spectrier, and Glastrier, what came out of Mustard's Pokeballs were two bear cubs that stood proud in silent meditation as they soon opened their eyes and began to show off their martial arts skills to everybody and in a playful yet devoted manner. They threw punches and kicks at each other playfully and towards Mustard (to the Dojo Master's amusement) before they bounced off each of the pillars while everybody watched in amazement and awe, some of the female students even gushing at the sight of them. They looked so adorable!
When they finished and landed back on the center of the field, however, they finally took notice of the princess standing before them. One of the cubs, being the eldest, took a few wary steps back but the youngest of the two immediately panicked after doing the same before running and hiding behind Mustard's right leg.
"...NO! No, no, no, no, no, no! Not me, not me! No, thanks!" he cried through Telepathy, cowering behind Mustard as the Dojo Master laughed from their predicament.
"Uh... Shi-Fu, help..." stuttered the elder cub, taking a few more steps back and joining the younger cub as he stood by him.
Sarah, Riolu, and Blitz were baffled when they saw the two cub-like Pokemon. Were these two there the secret armor of the Isle of Armor's Master Dojo, is this some kind of joke Mustard's pulling on them?
"Pika, Pikachu..." Blitz remarked, tilting his head at the cubs.
"They're the secret armor...?" quizzed Riolu in surprise.
"These two Pokemon here are the secret armor of the Master Dojo! Sarah Tomoe, may I present to you, Riolu, and Blitz... Ching Wan and Hashimoto, the Kubfu Brothers!" Mustard proudly declared before he chuckled from seeing their baffled faces. "I know, I know, they're really tiny for the Dojo's secret armor and I bet you're thinking they're meant to be some sort of actual armor you wear in battle. But, if you raise them with diligence and true friendship, they'll become strong enough to see you through in any battle and no opponent will ever push past them on the field!"
He then looked down at the two Wushu Pokemon brothers as they continued to stare at Sarah and her Pokemon gathered.
"These two Wushu Pokemon, in particular, have a lot of potential within them and have been training their whole lives for this point. Problem is, they're a bit shy for the most part... They don't seem to have a lot of confidence in themselves and their skills despite how hard they worked. So, I've been thinking and when Prof. Kukui offered to have me take you in as part of your school project involving how the Pokemon live here and how we do things at the Master Dojo, it just came to me! If you were to take them both on your adventure after proving yourself worthy after our trials, you can help them break out of their shells until they're ready. So, you do well to take care of them for me, ya hear? I leave them in your hands!"
This left the little princess reeling as she knelt down and looked to the Wushu Pokemon still looking at her nervously, the younger Kubfu not daring to reach her from his place with Mustard out of fear for her as a stranger.
Riolu waved to them as she smiled, taking the Wushu Pokemon by surprise. They looked to their father-figure and master and Mustard nodded, encouraging them both to join Sarah and her Pokemon.
Ching Wan, being the eldest, walked over and stared intensely at his new trainer while Hashimoto watched from his original spot, refusing to budge. The two of them stared for a few tense seconds or so before the eldest brother eventually spoke.
"...So, you're me and my brother's new trainer, right...?" he began slowly.
"Yeah, I'm Sarah. This is Charmander, Riolu, and Blitz," nodded Sarah, introducing herself and her Pokemon with her. "You wanna come with us? I promise we can have a lot of fun together. You guys won't have anything to worry about with my family and I around."
Ching Wan just stared at Sarah, taking in what she said to him involving him and his brother. Then, he nodded as he pumped a fist and cheered, getting on her left shoulder before he noticed Hashimoto still hiding behind Mustard's leg.
"Go on, Hashimoto, she's not gonna hurt you. You can trust her, she's the brightest student we had in a long time and for her age, too," Mustard coaxed soothingly.
"Come on, Hashi! Master Sarah's not gonna bite, you're not thinking I'd let you off and leave you in the jaws of a hungry Chewtle, do ya?" asked Ching Wan with a raised eyebrow and his paws on his hips.
Hashimoto shook his head, not wanting to think that nor did he even seem to but still not budging from his current spot. "Then, come on! Let's get you acquainted with our new master and let's go!" continued Ching Wan, gently dragging Hashimoto to Sarah and having him look at her as well.
Sarah smiled as Hashimoto looked at her just as Riolu came over to him and she held out a paw in greeting. Hashimoto was surprised by this but seeing that she meant well, he slowly grabbed her paw and accepted a handshake. It took Sarah all her strength to try not to explode from a cuteness overload from how adorable Hashimoto was being.
Mustard nodded proudly; Hashimoto and Ching Wan have accepted Sarah as their new trainer and parent-figure and now, they were ready for the next part of their journey.
"Now then, in order to have Ching Wan and Hashimoto unleash their true potential, the first thing you have to do is to become best friends with them. You and your Pokemon need to have a strong bond of trust between them so they can unlock their true strength and unleash the Wushu Beast within them. They've never had a chance to really explore the outside world beyond the premise of the Dojo so getting them to adjust to new surroundings of any kind would prove tedious to them, at first. And, since you haven't had the chance to explore our peaceful island as well, maybe it'll do you three good to become fast friends by looking around. Take it to a spot that has a great view of the Isle of Armor and have them soak in what they'll be in for in your ownership."
"So, I need to have them slowly adjust to their new surroundings before they can become Fighting Type Pokemon masters?"
"Right! I'll have a few more of my best students stationed at whatever those good spots are so keep an eye out for them and they'll give you a crash course on them," confirmed Mustard, to the surprise of the students that listened in.
"And, of course, that's only one part of the path to help you three connect and become best friends and family. Having Pokemon battles with your fellow students and their partners and camping out together can help bring you closer together. Hmm, what else do I need to tell... Oh, right, I got it! As you take a stroll with Ching Wan and Hashimoto, once you're all close friends, you can go to two special towers where they'll each obtain a particular power according to whichever path they choose to follow."
"Two towers?" questioned Riolu, confused.
"Yep, when you're all best friends, we'll start their training in earnest. Just make sure to rendevous back here and let me know once you think they're ready. Can I count on you to do that, you three?"
"Of course!"
"Uh... Right, Master!"
"Yes, Shi-Fu," nodded Sarah and the Kubfu Brothers, bowing to Mustard.
Mustard, satisfied with their responses, smiled before he left to return to his living quarters. "Excellent, have fun, you three! Don't wait up once you think you're ready!"
With her new task at hand and two new Pokemon under her motherly wing, Sarah, joined by Blitz, Riolu, Charmander, Ching Wan, and Hashimoto, made their way out of the Master Dojo to allow themselves to explore the Isle of Armor and get to know one another. It was a little awkward at first when they started but Ching Wan decided to make the most of it by being the first to strike up conversation with Sarah as they walked along the beach after passing the Fields of Honor and entering the Soothing Wetlands again.
"Um... Master-" he began.
"It's Sarah, Ching Wan," she smiled at the elder Kubfu.
"Uh, right, sorry... Sarah, is it? What did Shi-Fu mean by your...Family?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know... You act as though you're like a...Mother, to us... We never had parents before, not even friends... Well, whatever those are..."
"You've never had a friend in your lives?"
"Well... We've always had Shi-Fu and Ms. Honey for company while we're here but for the most part, it's just my bro and I... We've never gone beyond the Master Dojo until now..."
"...You know, I think it's best if you see for yourselves what I meant and help you get accustomed to your new surroundings," Sarah realized before she took out her Pokeballs and let her Pokemon family out. "All right, you guys! Time to welcome the new kids on the block!"
Ching Wan and Hashimoto soon got the biggest shock and surprise of their lives as they watched all of the Pokemon under Sarah's care appear from their balls and eventually found the Kubfu Brothers staring at them. Uncomfortable with all the attention on him and Ching Wan, Hashimoto quickly hid behind his brother with Ching Wan ready to fight if he felt that any of them should prove hostile towards him and his little brother.
Then, Sarah looked around and shouted, "Okay, guys! We're in the clear, you can come out now!"
From out of their new hiding spots came Winter and Shadow and the rest of the dragons under Sarah's proverbial wing which threw Hashimoto and Ching Wan in for another loop. The dragons looked and cooed at them in awe and surprise, taken aback from seeing Pokemon as odd as the Kubfu Brothers.
Seeing how tense Ching Wan was becoming and how frightened Hashimoto was becoming, the little princess intervened to ease them into their new family and keep them from going in a tizzy or a panic.
"Hey, guys, guys. It's okay," she chuckled gently. "This is my family, these are all the Pokemon I have under my care and these guys are my dragons."
"Dragons...? They don't look like Pokemon," quipped Ching Wan, he and Hashimoto taken aback by Shadow, Winter, and their fellow dragons who warbled in greeting.
"What the hell...? Hey, Mother, what's with those baby bears there? You trying to earn cash from babysitting or something?" Silvally quipped, surprised to see Hashimoto and Ching Wan.
"Hey, we're not bear cubs!" snapped Ching Wan, feeling insulted. "We're the secret armor of the Master Dojo!"
"...Uh, right!" Hashimoto agreed, albeit hesitantly.
"More like a pair of bear cub coats judging by how you're-OW!" Silvally was immediately cut off by Calyrex, slapping his head scales hard with Pound from atop Spectrier and looking unimpressed at the brash and hotheaded Synthetic Pokemon.
"You may be good with your battling but your rough manners and your tongue need a little more work, Young Silvally," the High King Pokemon admonished. "Those two are the legendary Wushu Pokemon of this island and they have a unique strength and quip that other Pokemon won't have nor match besides Gigantamax and Dynamax."
"Silvally, you really ought to shut up right about now," groaned Sarah before she immediately introduced the Kubfu Brothers. "This is Ching Wan and his brother, Hashimoto."
Each of Sarah's Pokemon greeted the Kubfu Brothers in turn, eager to know more about them and what they can do as the Master Dojo's secret armor. Mai even crawled forward to have a handshake with them with her shadow arm despite their uneasiness from her appearance watered-down by her kind, child-like personality.
"Hi, I'm Mai," she greeted happily.
"Uh... Hi, are you..." began Ching Wan as they shook hands with her.
"...A g-g-ghost?" finished Hashimoto, feeling uneasy around Mai.
"I'm a Ghost Type and a Fairy Type, nice to meet you!"
"...Y-yeah," replied the Kubfu Brothers, now feeling a little easier despite their previous skepticism.
"*What are you doing with them, Mama?*" quizzed Nebby, his eyes on the Kubfu Brothers while Nebula babbled happily as she floated around them.
"Well, my master gave them to me after I passed all his trials and he wanted me to help them gain more self-confidence since this will be their first-ever time entering the outside world. They've never been anywhere else other than the Master Dojo so I'm going to help them become more accustomed to the world and prepare them for their trials at two towers so they can become the secret armor Mustard was talking about. They're a little shy for the most part; never had anyone else to meet and they did nothing but train before I came along and he passed them down to me."
"And, how are you supposed to help those cubbies become buffed up? Not to mention, are you seriously gonna pack your house with every single Pokemon you find?"
"I'm not gonna catch every single one, I'm not that crazy! Anyway, Mustard tasked me to take the Kubfu Brothers..."
While Sarah talked about her task involving the Kubfu Brothers, the Wushu Pokemon were met by Scorch, Skitty, and Yamper, being the first ones along with Mai to greet them up close.
"Scorbun, Scor, Bun!" bragged Scorch.
"Yamper, Yam, Yam!" barked Yamper happily.
"Nya, Nya, Nya!" meowed Skitty before she chased her tail again.
"Yeah, hi," nodded Ching Wan with Hashimoto nodding as well in greeting.
They were also surprised to see Stufful approaching them; as she was also a cub-like Pokemon and once she saw the Wushu Pokemon, she felt at ease to be with them since she's also a Pokemon bear cub despite her shy nature.
"Stufful..." she cooed shyly as she approached.
"...Wow, are you a bear cub, too?" quizzed Hashimoto in surprise as he came alongside his brother. "Awesome! You're just like us!"
The younger Kubfu didn't know what to make of Stuffull but her shy personality as she greeted them seemed to have struck a chord with him. But, he flinched a little as he was startled when Nebula floated to him and Ching Wan again and babbled happily before he and Ching Wan did a double-take and they gawked at her.
"No way... Are you a Cosmog?" breathed Hashimoto, stunned.
"Get out! I thought Ultra Beasts like you only existed in Alola, how'd you get here?" gasped Ching Wan in shock.
"So, now that you have these two young ones in your care... What do you propose we do to help them with their self-confidence, Sarah?" asked Calyrex, eager to see what the Kubfu Brothers are capable of.
"Mustard mentioned that we'd have to take them to a few spots where some of his students are assigned at for that goal so my bonds with them can grow. But, he also said that battling with the other students or camping out around the island can do the job just fine as well."
"What are you going to do?"
"Neigh, Neigh...?"
"Ampha, Ampharos, Ros?" questioned Candy, Nebby, and Rapidash.
"I want to see what moves they already have on them so we can know what they're up for if they decide to battle," decided the princess before she turned to the Kubfu Brothers. "Guys, we're going to have you do a mock double battle with Riolu and Wooloo. If we're going to get you at full battle capacity, we need to know what moves you already have on ya and what we can keep or get rid of for your skills."
"...Will it hurt?" Hashimoto asked worriedly.
"Nah, you don't have to go at full strength in mock battles, they're just so we can see how you two fight. They always said 'experience is the best teacher' and there's no better time for you to start than now."
"That's true," nodded Ching Wan in agreement. "Who should we be paired with?"
"You'll be battling Riolu, Ching Wan. Hashimoto, you'll be paired with Wooloo but don't worry, he'll go easy on ya this time."
"You think Solar would want in with hearing about and seeing this, Mother? You know how that robot's gonna flip when he sees these rascals and how they can kick ass with everybody once they're at full strength."
"Who's Solar?" the Kubfu Brothers asked, tilting their heads at Sarah and Silvally.
"He's my Beast Bot," Sarah said. "I left him with Professor Magnolia and my teacher, Professor Kukui, back at Wedgehurst to help them with a few things. Well, shall we get to work?"
With that, and with their new family watching them, Ching Wan and Hashimoto began their training to bond with Sarah and reach the next level of their training. As previously arranged, the elder Wushu Pokemon was paired with Riolu for his mock battle and Hashimoto ended up with Wooloo for his own. Through both mock battles, everyone was able to see what kinds of moves they've learned before being given to the little princess. They had a surprisingly similar yet diverse move set to begin with including Fire Punch, Ice Punch, and Thunder Punch but while Ching Wan has Brick Break and Revenge, Hashimoto had Counter and Aerial Ace to round them off.
Sarah didn't know it but she also could've sworn that she saw Ching Wan looking like he was coming at and defending against Riolu at full force and with great speed using movements similar to the tiger and the leopard. She even noticed Hashimoto as more fluid in his attacks against Wooloo but striking with incredible accuracy, balance, grace, and agility like the crane and the praying mantis.
During the short montage, Sarah even took them to challenge and battle some of the wild Pokemon living in the Fields of Honor, the Soothing Wetlands, and the Forest of Focus (thankfully, without getting lost), and saw that they were very into fighting numerous opponents despite their small sizes. Even Hashimoto had it in himself to become stronger through battling despite his shy nature as he fought against his own wild opponents. But, between then, Ching Wan was very confident while fighting and he often came out on top with his younger brother doing the same but with a little more difficulty.
"Yeah! Who's bad? Uh-huh, I'm bad!" rapped Ching Wan, having defeated a wild, medium-sized Crawdaunt.
"Nice going, bro!" Hashimoto cheered.
"Great! Now, that we got your move sets out of the way and you've proven your mettle against much of the wild Pokemon here, how about we deal with your reaction time before we get started on sightseeing?" suggested Sarah.
"Aww, sightseeing? Really...?"
"What about our battling?" asked the Kubfu Brothers, starting to feel disappointed.
"There's more to Pokemon and trainers getting closer together than just battling, you need to take time to wind yourselves down and enjoy the view around you. There are a lot of things that you'll be missing if you have a one-track mind with your training. We're going to do this last exercise and we'll take in some of the best sights the island has to offer to help you get more accustomed to your new surroundings. You don't have to evolve and become stronger right away."
This took the Kubfu Brothers by surprise as they looked at each other and Sarah with widened eyes. "Not evolve right away?" repeated Ching Wan.
"What do you mean?" quizzed a baffled Hashimoto.
"There's a lot more to you and Pokemon than just evolving for the sake of evolving and getting stronger, guys. Some Pokemon would rather want to become stronger as they were. Take Wooloo, Ponyta, Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott, for instance."
"What about them?" pondered Hashimoto again.
"They're really adamant in not evolving to their stronger forms. While evolution is great and all, it's not for every Pokemon. There are some that would rather choose to reject the idea of evolving right off the bat and be the best they can be as they were, in their original or current forms. Even Blitz decided not to evolve and become stronger as a Pikachu and we both know that he can choose to evolve when he wants to but right now, he'll fight as a Pikachu and he'll evolve only by his choice. Besides, it's not my place to decide if you want to evolve or not, only you can choose when and how you're going to evolve."
"You mean we're in charge of our own evolutions ourselves and not you or Shi-Fu?" Ching Wan clarified.
"No. the decision is yours and yours alone. I'm sure Mustard would understand if we tell him, he probably wanted that for you guys."
Ching Wan and Hashimoto thought about it; Sarah did raise some good points and they knew that they've already learned what they know during their training and having to live at the Master Dojo. They were even given the option to not evolve right away if they have a good reason to do so and they were already becoming accustomed to the ways of their new family with what they're doing right now. Could their evolutions be really something of a choice meant for them and them alone?
Finally, after some internal debating, the two of them nodded and made their agreement before looking to Sarah with their choices made.
"Master, we've decided. I'm going to evolve right away after we speak with Shi-Fu but my little bro wants time to think about his evolution," confirmed Ching Wan.
Sarah was surprised by what she heard and so was her family; she thought that both Kubfus would be able to take time to figure out what their next evolutions would be and get stronger as they are but only Hashimoto was willing to do so while Ching Wan became set on evolving after speaking with Mustard.
"Ching Wan! Are you sure you want to evolve now, what if you still have to train as a Kubfu before then? Can't you take a little more time to think this through first?" she begged.
Ching Wan shook his head, completely adamant over his choice. "I've made my mind up, long before we were given to you."
Hashimoto looked towards his older brother, firmly believing that he still has a lot to learn before he could even decide on regarding his evolution. It did hurt him that he won't be able to evolve alongside Ching Wan but he knew that his extra bit of training while in Sarah's care would do him some good to figure out how he should be stronger in his new form. Either way, he'll support what his brother does no matter what.
"I think Big Bro will be ready for his ultimate test when we're done so he should go first," he said. "It's only fair if he evolves before me so I can get a taste of what I'll be in for later."
"...All right, I won't stop you," Sarah gave up, smiling. "If that's what you want to do, Ching Wan, then do it. Now then, let's see how your reaction time is before we wrap things up with our sightseeing trip."
She took off her satchel and dug in it to find her Beast-X King Morpher before putting it on and summoning her Beast-X King Ultra Bow for the Kubfu Brothers' reaction time test. Now, as they weren't familiar with Sarah and her friends being Power Rangers, Ching Wan and Hashimoto were understandably taken aback when they saw her weapon from the Beast Morphers Rangers appearing in a flow of Morph-X.
"WHOA!"
"What is that?!" they gasped, completely bewildered.
"This is the Beast-X King Ultra Bow, some friends of mine made it and they gave it to me as a gift. I'm going to shoot some arrows at you to see how fast you react and what we'll need to do to improve on your reflexes so you can be ready whenever there's danger ahead. Ching Wan, you're up first."
She prepared an energy arrow as Ching Wan took his place and Hashimoto stepped back.
Calyrex, who was also baffled by the appearance of the Beast-X King Ultra Bow, couldn't help but stare at the Grid Battleforce weapon in shock along with Spectrier and Glastrier, the two of them having neighed in surprise when it appeared in her hands from the Ultra Rescue Rangers' HQ back in Alola.
"What the Dusknoir devil is Sarah trying to pull with that weapon?" breathed Calyrex.
"Relax, Mr. Calyrex, Mommy's going to use that thing to test Hashimoto and Ching Wan's reflexes," assured Riolu.
"Are you sure this is a good idea for her to pull off a stunt like that? Arrows are very dangerous and they can take out an eye if her aim isn't true."
"If it helps Ching Wan and Hashimoto improve their reaction time before they complete their training, then yeah."
"Pika," nodded Blitz in agreement.
"Be careful, Bro!" warned Hashimoto worriedly as he stood back.
"I got it, Kid!" chuckled Ching Wan with a wave before he faced Sarah and went into a Tiger Style stance. "I'm ready, Master!"
"Don't shoot out his eye after firing, Sarah! Master Mustard won't be happy if he found out the little one's one eye short!" Calyrex warned.
"No worries, Calyrex! Are you ready, Ching Wan?" Sarah said.
Ching Wan nodded, ready to begin his reflex and reaction time test. Without wasting a moment after giving the elder Wushu Pokemon a 5-second headstart, Sarah fired an energy bow from her weapon at Ching Wan. The elder Kubfu eyed the arrow coming closer and closer to him as it traveled in slow motion like in another scene from The Matrix through his eyes as he reacted accordingly, dodging the arrow to the left and backhanding it with his right fist to a nearby rock at Challenge Beach.
Hashimoto breathed a sigh of relief to see his older brother all right as he made a Leopard Style stance after dodging the arrow while the others were impressed with what they saw.
"How's that?" Ching Wan asked.
"That was great! You dodged and blocked my arrow like it was nothing!" Sarah smiled.
"I did learn from the best, after all. Even my brother could do that after a few times even though he's a little slow on the draw when we started learning how to defend against enemy projectiles."
"Hey, I can dodge those as well as you, you know!" retorted Hashimoto, a little indignant.
"Then, how about you try your luck, Hashi? You've already done this before and you passed while in training so what's the problem? It's just one arrow and it's not as hard as it looks," smirked Ching Wan, knowing his brother's true potential.
"Wait, me?!" gasped Hashimoto, realizing what he's getting himself into before running to Winter and hiding behind her front right leg as she was standing. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no! No way!"
"Aww..." giggled Mai, causing Ching Wan to sigh in exasperation and Hashimoto to blush.
"It's just one arrow, bro. What's one crummy arrow gonna do to you?" Ching Wan coaxed.
"Poke out an eye or holes in me, I might get a shaft stuck in me, I could be pinned to a tree, anything can go wrong!" argued Hashimoto.
"I dodged and blocked one arrow, you can do the same if you try hard and have confidence in yourself!"
"Yeah, but that's because Master Sarah didn't use it at her full capacity!"
"All right, all right, let's take a breather for a moment here, guys," intervened Sarah, stopping their bickering. "Hashimoto, I was never gonna use my Beast-X King Ultra Bow on ya and Ching Wan at full power. That last arrow was only weaker 'cause I controlled my shot, that's what I'm going to do for your reaction time test as well. You can still block or dodge it, you just have to anticipate it coming at you. If I did shoot it at full strength, your brother would've been dead by now."
"You promise not to shoot it at full strength?"
"Scout's honor, little guy."
"Well... Okay," Hashimoto gulped as he walked over and got into a Crane Style stance. "...Ready."
"Here it comes, Hashimoto!" called Sarah, releasing an energy arrow at the younger Kubfu.
With another controlled shot from Sarah, the energy arrow sailed towards the younger Kubfu, forcing him to close his eyes in slight fear after trying to anticipate it coming at him. The others grew worried as they saw his fear of getting hit by the arrow and failing his test take him over.
"Open your eyes, Hashi! Dodge or break it when it comes!" encouraged Ching Wan.
Hashimoto kept his eyes closed as he waited for the inevitable shot to hit him but then, when everyone least expected it, as soon as the arrow was several inches away from him, the younger Wushu Pokemon jumped in the air via a backflip with a grunt. In the middle of his jump, the arrow sailed past below him but it inadvertently hits a nearby rock and bounced back towards him, causing Ching Wan and everybody else to gasp in shock. Hashimoto opened his eyes mid-jump and yelped in a panic after seeing the arrow coming back but he held out his tiny paws and caught it just in time before it could knock him back.
He closed his eyes as he did so and he didn't relax until he landed on the ground and hoped it would all be over. Everyone watched in awe as they saw the arrow in his paws but still alive after the unexpected shock he had from seeing it nearly hit him after the unexpected change of direction it took.
Eventually, the younglings cheered as Snivy sniffed with a congratulatory smirk towards the younger Wushu Pokemon. Hearing their cheering, Hashimoto opened his eyes and felt something in his palms but when he looked down at the object he was holding, he saw that he was holding the energy arrow Sarah shot at him.
"WAH!" he yelped in surprise, immediately dropping the arrow as it vanished.
"You did it, Hashi! You did it, you got the arrow!" cheered Ching Wan as he rushed to his brother and gave him a noogie.
Hashimoto groaned as he slowly laughed, starting to feel the weight of his success despite the adrenaline rush he was feeling from his second unexpected attempt to dodge the energy arrow.
"Nya, Nya! Nya, Nya, Nya, Nya, Nya, Nya...!" chirped Skitty as she nuzzled him and Nebula babbled happily as she floated around them.
Sarah smiled brightly; she didn't need to say anything, like Ching Wan, she knew that Hashimoto has a lot of potential in him and he didn't see it in full bloom yet. Silvally, on the other hand, seemed impressed as he was baffled by how Hashimoto was able to prove himself as his brother had despite his consistently shy nature. In a was, he was slowly starting to have respect for the Kubfu Brothers.
"Okay, okay, I'll admit... You two are not too bad. You just got lucky with those arrows," he sighed in admittance.
"Lucky? I don't recall luck being in our martial arts vocabulary," smirked Ching Wan, his paws on his hips giving a smug smirk at Silvally.
"Yeah... We became what we are through our training," Hashimoto agreed.
With their little test done and dusted, Sarah thought it was time for them to do some sightseeing since she could feel her bonds with Hashimoto and Ching Wan getting stronger the more time they spent with each other. After returning her Beast-X King Ultra Bow to the Ultra Rescue HQ, she and her family, with Hashimoto and Ching Wan in tow, went on a trek around the Isle of Armor and found herself taking in the stunning views of places such as Loop Lagoon that stretches across a few miles and leads to the sea on the horizon and quiet yet majestic tranquility of Brawler's Cave.
"Man... You never know how beautiful or big the world really is until you take that first step," breathed Ching Wan, observing Brawler's Cave's tranquility.
"No kidding..." agreed Hashimoto.
Finally, the last spot where the Kubfu Brothers are to take in the breathtaking view of the larger world within and beyond the Isle of Armor was among the low mountain peaks of Challenge Road. There, of course, was the hassle of the numerous stairs leading to the last student watching the view and it became a workout for them.
"I wonder how many steps there are around here..." panted Mai heavily.
"Kid, there's too damn many to count... I'm so gonna whomp the idiot who thought this was a bright idea," gasped Silvally as they climbed.
"Even I can't handle climbing these crazy steps after a while..." agreed Riolu as she panted from exhaustion while Hashimoto and Ching Wan ran past their family and waited for them.
"Come on, guys! There aren't that many steps here!" replied Hashimoto as they joined the two.
"You guys aren't really gonna chicken out on us after you got this far, huh? And, I thought you're supposed to be the best student in that Kukui dude's class!" jabbed Ching Wan cheekily.
"Don't you pipsqueaks even go there!" snarled Silvally with a stink eye.
"Pika, Pika..." quipped Blitz, giving Silvally the stink eye in turn.
"Char, Charmander, Charman, Char, Char," nodded Charmander in agreement.
"I'm just saying! We're made out of stronger metal than this!" retorted Silvally in defense.
At last, they can see the breathtaking view from the spot where the last senior student was standing by despite the slight shower that greeted them. Despite the bad weather that greeted the large group, they were still taken by the scenery and the horizon that was presented. They even noticed an inkling of one of the two towers Mustard mentioned to the princess, Charmander, Blitz, and Riolu earlier and a couple of Power Spots in the distance.
The Kubfu Brothers took in their last sight which was the final stage for their bonds with Sarah and both Wushu Pokemon felt they were ready to take on Mustard's tests for them even though they've yet to mention that Hashimoto would want to prepare for his test at his own pace and Ching Wan was already set on his path.
With Ching Wan and Hashimoto ready, everyone knew that it was time to return to Mustard and agree to the new trials he's got set up for the two but when they returned, they found Honey pondering about something.
With the Master Dojo still not being big enough to accommodate everyone in Sarah's family, the princess had returned her Pokemon to their Pokeballs while her dragons went back to their hiding places so none of the other students would see them and be spooked.
"Hmm... If only someone, well... No, but who else would gather that many," she mumbled thoughtfully before she noticed Sarah, Riolu, Hashimoto, Charmander, Blitz, and Ching Wan returning. "Oh, Sarah, just the person I wanted to see! I hope Ching Wan and Hashimoto haven't been giving you a rough time."
"Hey, we're not being big babies! We've been good since joining Master Sarah!" retorted Ching Wan indignantly.
"Yeah!" Hashimoto agreed, also pouting.
"Nah, they've been doing great. We're just dropping back to see Mustard about those tests he's preparing for them."
"He-he-he, I see, that's good. You know, just earlier after the umpteenth time you left, I was left thinking about the day Darling and I first met those two rascals. You two were a far cry from the Pokemon you once were."
(Flashback - 4 Years Ago)
"It was four years ago when we met you for the first time," Honey recounted, going through her memories.
"Darling and I were on a peaceful stroll around the Isle of Armor and when we were passing through Brawler's Cave, we heard Hashimoto crying and found him and Ching Wan all alone in that tiny cave behind the lagoon."
Before Honey and Mustard met Sarah and accepted her as the Master Dojo's newest student, the married couple were minding their own business as they were going about a normal, peaceful walk across the Isle of Armor. But, just as they were making their way through Brawler's Cave and took in the quiet tranquility of the cave, their attention was directed towards some whimpering at a small cave behind the small river lagoon. Making their way towards the cave, they soon found the Kubfu Brothers alone, Ching Wan noticing and preparing to protect his crying brother from them.
"They were orphans when we discovered they have no parents with them. We assumed that whoever gave birth to and raised them had somehow died and they were left to fend for themselves. We felt bad for them given what they had to go through so we offered to help them and raise them to become Pokemon Martial Arts Masters when we saw their potential and they showed us what they can do."
Honey and Mustard were surprised to see them but when they noticed that they were alone, they grew concerned for them and tried to offer their help a few times before Ching Wan attacked them with several punches and kicks, causing them to dodge in surprise and amazement from the elder Kubfu's fighting prowess. Even Hashimoto displayed some hidden martial arts prowess within him when he joined in and they got into a battle stance to force what they assumed to be a threat away from them.
This left the couple in complete awe of them and seeing that they needed to be trained to use their skills properly and to give them a home while finding a worthy trainer/student to give them to, they kindly offered to take the Kubfu Brothers to the Master Dojo to live and train with them. Both Wushu Pokemon were stunned by this and after a short huddle to discuss their options, they agreed and accepted their caretakers' help.
"You two were really spiffy for younglings and very talented with your martial arts, boys," continued Honey, addressing Ching Wan and Hashimoto. "Even though you had no formal training prior to us finding you, you still amazed us with your skills and you both loved each other very much. I don't know how things would've gone if we haven't found you beforehand."
(End Flashback - Present Day)
"Since then, you've trained diligently and have improved so much in such a short time. You became happier and you're bound to become masters at any point when we'll finally pass you on to a trainer who'd look after you lovingly just as we had. Look at you two now," she smiled at them.
"But, enough about that. Do you collect Watts, Sarah?"
"Watts?" puzzled the princess.
"The business that specializes particularly in Watts is practically booming right now, I'll have you know. The company's staff said that whoever holds the most Watts on them holds the key to success since they're a currency for any essentials needed like a Pokeball and such. My son, Hyde, has been meaning to get some in order to complete his latest project and I've been trying to gather up some Watts to spruce up the Dojo such as getting some more gear. But, I'm afraid he and Darling are more of the indoors type of people, Couch Potatoes, shall we say? And, it's hard for me to collect that many Watts on my own so if you have any Watts on you that you can spare us, it'll be our pleasure. Come and see me if you have any, but I can't keep you waiting. I'll let you see my darling hubby and explain that you're ready to go with Ching Wan and Hashimoto."
Nodding to Honey, the five Pokemon and Sarah made their way to Hyde, Honey, and Mustard's living quarters and approached Mustard, playing and working on a strategy game to sharpen his mind.
"Shi-Fu, we're back!" called Ching Wan.
"Yeah, we're ready!" agreed Hashimoto.
"Oh, really? Is that so, kids? Well then, let me see how you two and your new family are getting on," replied Mustard, shutting off his game and coming forward to examine their bonds with Sarah. "Have you been good after I lent you two to her?"
"Did we ever! We finally got to see so much of this place instead of being cooped up in the Dojo and we got to see a lot of her Pokemon, too!"
"We're ready to go with her, Master!" chirped Ching Wan and Hashimoto.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Is that so? My, you sure have become the best of friends and in such a short time, too!" laughed Mustard in approval. "I daresay, Sarah, you've outdone yourself! With these two looking as confident as ever now, you're all ready for the next part of my test for you and the Kubfu Brothers! Follow me!"
With Sarah, Riolu, Blitz, Charmander, and the Kubfu Brothers following close behind, Mustard took them back to the Soothing Wetlands where he would give them the next part of his test involving Ching Wan and Hashimoto's hidden prowess.
"Ah... There, I think this could be a good place to give you all the lowdown. Now Sarah, boys, you've all done well to get yourselves fully acquainted with one another since you first came together but that's only the first step on your final journey here. If you three want to get stronger, there are two special training grounds specifically made for the Wushu Pokemon in mind. Prepare yourselves for the grounds known as...The Towers of Two Fists!"
He then directed the group towards the blue tower residing at Challenge Beach and the red tower over at the top of Challenge Road.
"Look there, that Blue Tower at Challenge Beach is called the Tower of Waters and the red tower at the end of Challenge Road is known to everyone in Galar as the Tower of Darkness. Normally, if you have one Kubfu, you'd best choose wisely since you'll be permitted to climb only one of the two towers. But, since you have both Ching Wan and Hashimoto on you, you have my permission to climb both of them. Their fighting styles will change drastically depending on the towers you choose for one of them and their Pokemon Types will change as well depending on those styles. Think carefully before you choose which Kubfu climbs which tower. Each tower is about five stories tall and each floor has a worthy adversary waiting for you to battle them as you climb to the top. The boys should be strong enough to be permitted to enter the towers after all the training they went through but be sure to double-check and prepare yourselves before you make your way to the top. They're not that far to reach and you can get to either of them by going through the Forest of Focus. That said, I'm really looking forward to when you three make it to the top of those towers!"
"Actually, Master... I want Hashimoto would rather wait until he's stronger before he could take on either tower. Ching Wan told me he made up his mind on which tower to climb," Sarah intervened with the younger Kubfu nodding in confirmation.
Mustard just smiled knowingly. "Heh, I might've guessed. Hashimoto's always the one to pace himself in his training while Ching Wan's always one to go all out. I know both of them could be ready but our little elder's proven himself for so long for the past four years, he's no doubt ready to challenge either tower and come out on top."
He then looked at Hashimoto, who was standing beside Sarah's right leg. "I wish you the best of luck in your continued training but whenever you feel ready to evolve and unleash your true potential, come home at any time and make your choice so we'll see how much you've improved since then," reminded the Dojo Master.
"Yes, Master," replied Hashimoto, bowing.
"Now, Ching Wan, since you're ready to unleash your full power, you can decide which of the two towers will be yours to climb. It's going to be so exciting, I'm looking forward to seeing you and Sarah reach the top! Good luck, children!"
Ching Wan nodded, he knew what Mustard meant given what he's in for. With that, Mustard left to return to the Master Dojo and prepare for what could be ahead for Sarah and the Kubfu Brothers.
"Well, Master, let's go!" said Ching Wan, eager to begin his final training stages.
Sarah nodded and steeling themselves for the final stages of training for the elder Kubfu, she allowed him to choose which tower he wants to climb to achieve his true state of power and mind. As Ching Wan took the lead, he had his sights set on the Tower of Darkness causing the group to give chase as they climbed up to the top of Challenge Road and found the Tower of Darkness standing tall and proud amidst the small gale that's blowing around them. It looked majestic with an air of power and mystique amidst the wind and rain.
"Pika..." breathed Blitz.
"*Freaky...*" Riolu shivered, feeling creeped out by the Tower of Darkness.
"So, you're going to climb the Tower of Darkness, Ching Wan?" Hashimoto asked his elder brother.
"Right, you and I fought differently during our sparring matches before all this happened. You're always one to anticipate your opponent's moves and react to them accordingly and I'm always one to go at full power and without pulling my punches and kicks," said Ching Wan, nodding as he eyes the Tower of Darkness. "I feel as though it's calling out to me, like some sort of dark power that's brewing from within..."
"But, isn't darkness bad for you?"
"Not really... I always seem to have a strange affinity with the dark, it never bothered me just as it did with you sometimes. I think whatever lies in the darkness of this world is actually misunderstood because people who fear the unknown tend to be scared real easily of things they don't understand."
Hashimoto raised an eyebrow in surprise. "When did you get so philosophical with this stuff?" he quizzed.
"I'm a fast learner in our philosophy lessons given to us by Shi-Fu. You were a little slow on the draw when it came to studying apart from training."
"I'm not that slow!"
"Of course, you're not, I'm just messin' with ya!"
The two brothers shared a laugh between them with their little squabble before they made their way to the Tower of Darkness. As they and their new family approached the Tower, one of the senior students standing guard at the doors noticed them as they approached.
"Hey, Sarah! Perfect timing, Master's got the word out already and it looks like you're in tip-top shape along with one of your Kubfu!" replied the student. "As I'm sure you already know, this is the Tower of Darkness, one of the two training grounds made especially for Kubfu. If you and Ching Wan are going to begin your final training phase here, you must only have him with you. The rest will have to wait outside."
Sarah faltered; she didn't realize that she would have to go about the Tower of Darkness alone with Ching Wan. This obviously saddened Hashimoto as he wanted to watch his older brother fight his way to the top and obtain the power that he needed to unlock his true potential and evolve and even Riolu and Blitz were taken aback by this. But, Charmander just contemplated the situation before he nodded to the student before he encouraged Riolu and Blitz to sit Ching Wan's final training out and let him take over.
They didn't want to go through with it but given that it was the only way for the elder Kubfu brother to begin training at the Tower of Darkness, they would have to give way to the elder Wushu Pokemon and hope for the best. Reluctantly, they nodded as he then told Sarah to return them to their Pokeballs and go at it alone with Ching Wan.
The princess also reluctantly complied as she returned the Lizard, Emanation, and Mouse Pokemon and put their balls in her satchel. Hashimoto, on the other hand, didn't want to comply since he wanted to watch his brother train and evolve.
"Come on, Hashimoto, let's get you in your ball for this one," Sarah said, preparing to return him.
"...No," came the blunt reply before Hashimoto turned to her. "I'm staying and I'm watching my brother fight."
"You know the rules, Hashimoto, your brother won't enter the tower if you're still out! We can't ruin this for him for your sake!"
"I don't care! It's still nuts that I'd have to leave Ching's side just to have him train with complete concentration alone but I want to be here just to offer my support should he end up somehow on the chopping block and he doesn't make it to the top!"
"It's okay, Hashi," reassured Ching Wan as he came to him and smiled. "I understand but I'll be all right. You've done more than enough for me while we lived at the Master Dojo but it's time for me to put my skills to the test. You still need to be ready to choose your own path meanwhile..."
"Bro..."
"Hey, besides, never give up. Remember, like when we went up against and creamed every wild Pokemon coming our way back home?"
"...Yeah, but still-"
"I still know you'll be here with me just as I would be with you. But, this is something I have to do alone and no matter what you think, I still have you..." he then pointed to his little brother's chest, at the spot where his heart is. "Right here, where you should be."
"...You really mean that?"
"You're a part of me and my heart just as I'm am with you and yours, you're my power and I'm yours. As long as we stick together in our hearts and minds, I'm sure we'll climb the Tower of Darkness and the Tower of Waters. And nobody, not even Shi-Fu, is going to stop us from unleashing our true potential."
Hashimoto contemplated on everything he was told since his brother had a valid point on what he was referring to. Then, after a few minutes of contemplation and thinking on the subject, he finally smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, you're right..." he sighed before they shared a quick hug. "See ya when ya make it down, man..."
"You know it..."
Returning Hashimoto to his Pokeball, Sarah exchanged a confirming nod with Ching Wan as they were now ready to take on the Tower of Darkness. On the way there, Sarah did manage to check his current level of power and found it to be adequate enough for him to be granted access to the red tower and begin his training upon entering.
The student saw that they were on their own and nodded in approval as they approached her. "Good job, Sarah. Now, in the Tower of Darkness, Ching Wan will learn the essence of darkness and be trained in ways on how to harness it and use it to defend the weak and the oppressed if necessary. If he's raised up to Lv. 70 before you came here, his training will go smoothly. But be warned, once you entered the Tower of Darkness, there's no turning back until you beat your opponents or lose yourself."
"What's more, the remaining tower will be available to Hashimoto should he choose to train and evolve there but it'll be barred to Ching Wan forever once he's made his choice to enter and train here. Do you want him to forsake the path of water and allow him to enter the path of darkness?"
"...I do," Sarah nodded.
"Not even a question," added Ching Wan in agreement.
The senior student smiled as she nodded. "I can see your hearts are set. You may proceed, I wish you two the best of luck on your way up," she said as she moved aside.
Soon, the doors opened as soon as the student stepped aside and steeling themselves for the path of darkness, Sarah and Ching Wan made their way inside the Tower of Darkness. The first floor of the Tower gave off an eerie presence with the only light source coming from lit candles illuminating the field around them. There was even a staircase leading up to the next floor and in front of them stood one of the senior students waiting for them.
"Welcome, Sarah, Ching Wan. In the Tower of Darkness, know this: walking only on the path of light will not help broaden your perspective... You must learn to use both the light and the dark for all things and this world cannot live without one or the other. It's time I show you how it all works! Zorua, let's go!"
"En!" cried the Tricky Fox Pokemon after it was sent out.
"Okay, that's no coincidence," remarked Sarah seeing the Dark Type Pokemon belonging to the student. "Ching Wan, let's rocket!"
"Oh yeah, bring it on!" smirked Ching Wan as he got into position.
"Zorua, Night Daze, let's go!"
"Ching Wan, defend then Fire Punch!" ordered the two students.
Trading blows with one another from Fire Punch and Night Daze onwards, Zorua and Ching Wan fought hard as the older Kubfu tried to dodge and defend against the Tricky Fox Pokemon's tricks and playful nature. Sarah didn't have too much of a problem with it, though, given she had experience with the Zorua with Zeraora back in Alola.
After a few minutes of battling Zorua and the senior student's surprising usage of Dark Type attacks in addition to whatever other attacks it had up its sleeve, Ching Wan and Sarah found an opening Zorua made by mistake which allowed them to land the final blow on it.
"Go, Ching Wan, Brick Break at full power!"
"End it, Zorua! Hyper Voice!"
Zorua screeched loudly in a last-ditch effort to drown her Wushu Pokemon opponent in a high-pitched scream into submission but the older Kubfu was relentless as he still carried on despite flinching a little, hoping to make his breakthrough to the next floor and the top of the tower. Rushing through the attack and despite his ears ringing, Ching Wan eventually brought a hammer fist down on Zorua with Brick Break, essentially knocking it out.
"HYAH!" finished Ching Wan, getting into a Tiger Style stance.
The student, stunned by the loss, became impressed as he returned his partner Pokemon and nodded in approval.
"Congratulations, you two. You may proceed to the second floor but be warned; once you've lost to any of the other fighters going forward or unless you defeat all of your opponents and claim your reward, you will never leave the tower."
Sarah and Ching Wan nodded as they hurriedly moved on to the second floor and their second battle. What follows next is a short montage of the following three battles on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors before the final battle on the fifth floor with both facing against other senior students using a Scraggy, an Inkay, and Krokorok, all three of them being stronger than the last despite having not evolved because of their own rigorous training. It was hard work trying to defend against and counter their opponents with their strength of using Dark Type attacks and the lessons they've each learned and imparted during the battles but the elder Wushu Pokemon and the princess became persistent in their fights and soon emerged victorious in each one before they eventually reached the 5th floor.
"You think our strongest opponent could be on the final floor, Master?" asked Ching Wan as they climbed the last staircase.
"How should I know?" retorted Sarah as they finally arrived at the fifth floor.
The fifth floor was like the other floors but upon the last staircase, Ching Wan and Sarah noticed that it had two Chinese lamps hanging on a low height from long chains and a small area for meditation with four pillows for that very contemplation exercise. One peculiar thing that they noticed above the meditation area was a scroll hanging from the wall that depicted what looked to be a Japanese kanji or Chinese characters labeling it as "Darkness" in front of an elegantly painted depiction of black fire in a dark background.
But, the biggest surprise for both trainer and Pokemon came in the form of a familiar Dojo Master that was waiting for them as they approached him. It was Mustard and he smiled knowingly as they gawked in shock and came to him.
"Shi-Fu! You-!"
"Master! Why are you-?!" they gasped, completely gobsmacked.
"Well, there you are, children," he smiled. "I figured you'd choose the Tower of Darkness for Ching Wan, Sarah. So, naturally, I decided to wait for you out here for your final bout. Sarah, Ching Wan, you've both done well against your seniors and their partners to make it this far and as I've said, you've learned a lot in such a short time since you came together."
"Yes, Shi-Fu!" nodded Ching Wan in confirmation.
"With all that said, your final opponent here will be little old me! It's been a while since I've battled like this and that was some time ago but I think you both can handle it given what you've gone through!" continued Mustard as he prepared himself, slowly unzipping his jacket and getting a Pokeball out. "As you know, a stream too clear in the light is avoided by fish Pokemon... We all need a little darkness in ourselves, so then... Allow me to be the one to teach you the final lesson on the essence of darkness!"
He threw off his unzipped jacket and threw out his Pokeball to reveal his Dojo Master uniform and another Kubfu but one that's much stronger and laser-focused in its own training and skill. Sarah was thrown for a loop as she gasped in shock from the surprise Pokemon her master had in store for her and Ching Wan's final Tower of Darkness battle.
"WHA-?! Another Kubfu?!" she gawked again.
"No, that's one of my and Hashi's senior pupils! The most adept in the Tiger and Leopard Styles, he's very formidable despite also being a Kubfu!" warned Ching Wan, getting himself ready.
"Now, Kubfu, show them the merciless ferocity of the tiger and the leopard! Use Close Combat!" began Mustard.
"Kubfu, Kub!" saluted Kubfu as it charged forward and started throwing numerous kicks and punches at Ching Wan, forcing him to counter with his elemental punches and with a few kicks thrown into the mix.
For a short moment, Ching Wan and Kubfu proved to be evenly matched but Mustard eventually called for a Dynamic Punch allowing Kubfu, clenching his paws like a tiger's claw, to throw a Dynamic Punch at the elder Kubfu Brother and force him back. The force of the Tiger-like Dynamic Punch was so effective, Ching Wan stumbled back as he tried to hold himself together.
"Ching Wan!" shouted Sarah, noticing this.
"I'm okay, but he's got the Tiger Style nailed! I don't know if I can take another hit like that!" panted her Wushu Pokemon.
"It's like you've been taught before on your way up, children. We all need a little darkness in ourselves and neither human nor Pokemon can fight or live without light or darkness alone," chastised Mustard before he pointed at Ching Wan. "I hope you're watching this, kids, 'cause this is what Kubfu's fists are made of! Kubfu, show Ching Wan your true power with Bulk Up followed by Leopard Style Acrobatics!"
Soon, Kubfu powered itself up using Bulk Up before it charged forward at Ching Wan, moving like a leopard and using Acrobatics to catch him off guard.
"Ching Wan, consecutive Brick Break!" shouted Sarah, calling for another attack to counter Kubfu's Acrobatics before they were forced back to their respective sides when their latest clash ended.
By now, the two Kubfu were becoming exhausted but Ching Wan was a little worse for wear compared to the more experienced and stronger Kubfu belonging to Mustard, who also panted from the heavy battling and damage taken but not as heavily.
"I'm impressed, Sarah, Ching Wan. You've managed to withstand everything we threw at ya and I commend you rascals for that but now, it's time to put an end to this," commended Mustard before he and Kubfu got ready. "Show me what you got!"
"No problem!"
"It's on, Shi-Fu!" retorted Sarah and Ching Wan, glaring at them determinedly.
In the midst of a Tiger Style faceoff to close off their match, the two Kubfu got into different Tiger Style stances as they waited to see who would strike first on the signal of anything around them or of the gale outside. Finally, a crash of thunder and a lightning strike resonated and lit up the entire floor giving Mustard and Sarah the opportune moment to call their Wushu Pokemon's final attacks.
"Tiger Style Aerial Ace!"
"Revenge!" they bellowed.
The two Kubfu immediately charged forward with Ching Wan's paws glowing bright orange and the older Kubfu charging at him at blinding speed as they traded blows one last time before with a final "HYAH!", Ching Wan managed to find an opening and knock Kubfu back. The more experienced and older Fighting Type was thrown back to the wall holding the scroll as it was slammed onto its back amidst a small cloud of smoke before it slid down and tried to get up to continue fighting. But, with Revenge already making its mark on it, it eventually fainted after a few more seconds and just laid there in defeat.
Sarah was stunned but soon, her joy took over. "...You did it... You did it, Ching Wan! You won!" she cheered.
"...Yeah, I did," he panted.
Mustard looked on as he smiled proudly, satisfied that he saw their full potential given what he and Kubfu had pushed them to. "You young folk grow so fast and through so much, you never cease to amaze me with your tricks of the trade!" he laughed proudly.
He then turned to his Kubfu and returned it to its Pokeball. "Thank you, Kubfu, I'm proud of you," he told his Wushu Pokemon before he turned back to Sarah and Ching Wan.
"Impressive work, you two! Congratulations, you've passed the test!"
"...YEAH!" cheered Ching Wan and Sarah, sharing a backhand bump before the Wushu Pokemon did a victory dance which got a huge laugh out of the two humans.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Sarah, my girl, I knew you were worthy of my trust ever since you've passed my first trials for Ching Wan and Hashimoto!" continued Mustard. "You've done well to bring Ching Wan to this unique level of strength and in just a short time, too, very well indeed! You reminded me a lot of Leon when he was once my best student...A long time ago. He, too, attempted the trial you both undertook... Ha-ha-ha-ha! But, the funny thing is, he never made it to either tower! He got lost along the way, as was the case with his sense of direction!"
"But, enough about that. Now, it's time for Ching Wan to finally evolve. I've mentioned before that there are two paths he and Hashimoto can choose to evolve once they've decided on which tower to take on after they've proven themselves worthy. The path you chose for Ching Wan is that of darkness so go ahead and show him the Scroll of Darkness, he's finally ready!"
With Mustard's permission, Sarah took Ching Wan over to the Scroll of Darkness behind them for him to look at. As he observed the scroll, he felt like a strong pulse of Dark Type energy take him over as he felt the darkness within him giving him newfound strength. He also felt like he was hearing the roaring and snarls of the tiger and the leopard around him as he took in the scroll.
"You feel anything, buddy?" asked Sarah.
"Yeah... I feel it, something's brewing from within me," began the elder Kubfu Brother. "This scroll, I can feel something as I'm seeing it. I'm also hearing a tiger and leopard roaring together like they're somehow becoming a part of me the more I take in this thing... I can feel the power growing...It's a miracle!"
Finally, in a matter of minutes, Ching Wan glowed a bright blue and white as he grew larger and larger until he became a big black, grey, white, and yellow bear. Ching Wan had become his evolved form known as an Urshifu, a large, bipedal Pokémon resembling a humanoid black bear with a wushu motif. It has a muscular build with long legs and long arms with large paws and claws for striking. Its body and head are covered in gray, black, and white fur, minus the yellow muzzle. The front of Urshifu's pelt slightly resembles a traditional frog buttoned/braid buttoned hanging off ends on both front and back. The fur on Urshifu's head is spikier and flares into a flowing white and black headband. The backs of Urshifu's hands, its knuckles, and the tops of its feet are also white-colored.
In terms of his appearance, the headband flares behind his head flowed upward and backward and the hairs that are on top of his head go up. He had become a Single-Strike Style Urshifu, which firmly believes in battling without holding back and the One-Hit KO strategy. True to his chosen style, based on the Tiger and Leopard Kung Fu Styles, in his current stance, he has his front fist raised, back fist lowered, and both feet planted on the ground.
"Behold! Before you, Lass, stands your secret armor: Ching Wan as Urshifu, sure to be your unyielding and impenetrable armor that will shatter any and all blades turned against him... The Master of Darkness and the Tiger and Leopard Styles, Single-Strike Urshifu!" proclaimed Mustard proudly.
"Osu!" saluted Ching Wan, quickly taking in his new form and power proudly.
"No way..." gasped Sarah, looking over Ching Wan in his new form and body.
Mustard continued to smile proudly as they faced him. "My, you two... You sure have grown since your first meeting several hours ago and already, the difference is telling. But, you, Ching Wan, you've grown a lot and I'd imagine your brother would do the same once he begins his own test. After all, beforehand, to think that you would've hightailed it behind me just as Hashimoto did the moment you both got scared!"
"Indeed, no matter how old I get or how many times I've seen something like this happen, it always brings a shred of joy into my heart. Sarah, Ching Wan, I thank you both from the bottom of my heart," he finished before he realized something and pulled what looked like a League Card out. "Oh, I almost forgot! I'm supposed to pass this down to anybody who'd have the heart to face me whenever I'm taking my battles seriously."
Sarah took the card and pocketed her new gift from Mustard before the Dojo Master decided to leave the Tower of Darkness. "Now, let's head back to the Dojo. I've a feeling we're about to have a couple of visitors who are wanting to see how you're doing," he said, puzzling Sarah and Ching Wan before they decided to follow him.
After bringing back Charmander, Riolu, Blitz, and Hashimoto upon leaving the tower (the younger Kubfu gushing at his older brother's new looks and fighting style when he found out that he won), the group made it back to the Master Dojo where they found Mustard greeting Hop (barring the others) and her godfather with Rillaboom and Absol and talking with them.
"Oh! Hey, welcome back, Sarah! I see you're still keeping in top form as Master Mustard's new student!" laughed Hop in greeting.
"Rilla, Rillaboom!" greeted Rillaboom.
"Hop, Tsukumaro?! Why are you-?!" gasped Sarah.
Even her Pokemon were surprised to see her Galar friend and her godfather at the Master Dojo but Hashimoto ran back and hid behind his evolved brother.
"Surprise! That's just the kind of reaction we were hoping to get!" laughed Hop again. "I've decided to share with Master Mustard all the research the others and I have done on the Pokemon living here and about the Dynamax Phenomenon. Plus, your old man wants to see how you're getting on ever since you started training here!"
"Well, now... He-he-he! My, my, how you've changed and in only a day, Princess. Turn around for a minute, let me look at you. I see you've traded in your explorer's outfit from Peony for a Kung Fu sprucer, as you young'uns put it," chuckled Tsukumaro as she obliged to show off her uniform. "You know, just a few hours ago, Sir Mustard called the Professor, Miss Sonia, and I about your progress training with him and we were wondering what had become of you since this morning."
He then looked at Hashimoto, Ching Wan, and Charmander, the former having walked slowly forward from his old spot with his brother to look at Hop and Tsukumaro before they and their partners noticed him and he froze before he ran back.
"EEP! Stranger Danger!" he yelped before immediately hiding behind Sarah.
Ching Wan just sighed with an amused smile, "Oh, Hashi, Hashi, Hashi..."
"Oh, and I see you have new additions to your team," noted the old advisor.
"Yeah, this is Hashimoto and behind us is his brother, Ching Wan," introduced Sarah, Ching Wan immediately greeting Hop and Tsukumaro with "Osu!".
"Delightful, I see that you already became friends, Sarah! But, I forgot to tell you; your journey with Ching Wan's not over yet," continued Mustard.
"There's something I must pertain to you about Kubfu-or rather its evolution-Urshifu. The truth is, not unlike certain Pokemon like Charmander after they evolved into their final forms, Ching Wan and Hashimoto, when they evolve, are also capable of Gigantamaxing. But, it's tricky for them to do because they can't stand the strong taste of Max Mushrooms from the Max Soup Riolu, Blitz, and Charmander had before."
"Wait, they hate Max Mushrooms?" balked Sarah before she noticed Hashimoto and Ching Wan cringe at the mention of Max Mushrooms. "You guys hate the Max Mushrooms from the Max Soup?"
"Well... As Sensei said, it's not anything like the texture that turns us off of it but the taste," put in Hashimoto.
"We can't stand how strong the damn things are and they're gross without anything sweet or something in there to counter the kick from them," agreed Ching Wan before he shuddered.
"Since they can't stand the taste of the Max Mushrooms, Max Soup is usually off the menu unless you make it more appealing to them and them alone. There's a certain something you can find here that's grown only on the Isle of Armor that will make even a Rapid-Strike or Single-Strike Style Urshifu gobble up one giant bowl of Max Soup. And that ingredient is...!"
"What is it?" asked Hop, with everyone else anticipating the reveal.
"A special sweetener that'll balance the hot and sour kick from the Max Mushrooms!"
"Yes?" everyone questioned eagerly.
"That certain sweetener is actually...?"
"Yes?!" questioned everybody again, growing more excited.
"What is it, Master?!" begged Riolu, her smile broadening like crazy.
"...Actually, oopsey daisy, I forgot what it is! My bad!" laughed Mustard after a suspenseful minute, making everybody fall comically and groaning in disappointment and despair.
"NOOOOOO!"
"Aw, man!"
"What the hell-?!"
"Dude!"
"Mate, that is so wrong!"
"Master?!"
"Sir Mustard, you jest-!"
"Sensei!?"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Man, Shi-Fu, that's low!" cried everybody in the Master Dojo, annoyed and dramatically from Mustard's abrupt about-face.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Boy, Hoppy-kins, you're more fun to prank than your brother ever was!" cackled Mustard before he composed himself and continued. "That ingredient I'm thinking of will surely make the Max Soup more palatable to an Urshifu and it's got something to do with another Pokemon."
"Now, I'll let you three figure out what it is so give it a good think together as you work your way up to it. You're on your own on this one, my friends! The world is your Cloyster so get cracking!"
On that note and after everybody recovered from the surprise about-face from Mustard, who left to continue his own business, Sarah is once again left to her own devices with Hop and Tsukumaro joining her for the exercise involving the ingredient for Ching Wan and Hashimoto's Max Soup.
"Okay, let me get this straight, is this how your training here goes?" Hop asked incredulously.
"That's about the size of it."
"Wow, that's wild. I really, really got no Rapidash in this race here but even I'm curious about this 'secret ingredient' your master's alluding us to! I think I've been reading about something about Urshifu in a book once at the Wedgehurst Library. It's known as the Wushu Pokemon, said to have lived and come from a far-off region, right?"
"Really? I just got Ching Wan and Hashimoto hours ago and I didn't know anything about them prior."
"Oh yeah, sorry... Anyway, I remember reading that Urshifu can usually go mad over something sweet that it likes."
"And, by what does it like that's really sweet?" puzzled Tsukumaro. "You youngsters have a lot of things today that are sweet like this candy including this chocolate, sugar, some sort of sticky honey, chocolate mint, ice cream, caramel-"
As Tsukumaro started to list off anything that's sweet that an Urshifu or a Kubfu would like added to the Max Soup, Sarah and Hop's eyes widened with realization upon the word "honey".
"THAT'S IT!" they screamed together in affirmation, startling their little group.
"What's it?" asked Ching Wan.
"I get it! Isn't honey usually made from the nectar of plants and flowers? So, we need to find some very sweet nectar that's made by some sort of Pokemon that looked like a plant or flower!" Hop deduced. "If we're looking for a certain Pokemon, I bet there's a lot in the forest!"
"That's right, Hop, but we need to figure out which Pokemon living in the Forest of Focus is capable of making the nectar," reminded Sarah.
"That's if there's even such a Pokemon that could be making such a treat in this forest you've mentioned, Princess," said Tsukumaro.
"Yeah, I'm going to be doing additional research into the Dynamax Phenomenon while the others are continuing our current research on the island and the Pokemon living here in general. There's a forest past the wetlands to the left of this place, right? Betcha I can beat ya there!"
With that, he and Rillaboom hurried off to the Forest of Focus leaving everyone else to their own devices and training as well as Sarah, Tsukumaro, and their Pokemon alone in the Dojo as they watched him leave.
"Okay, that was weird," commented Ching Wan.
"Yeah, that happened..." agreed Hashimoto.
"Should we follow him?" suggested Tsukumaro.
"We probably should, it's easy for somebody like Hop to get lost in there if he doesn't follow the paths laid out before him," nodded Sarah, signaling the group's departure from the Master Dojo to the Forest of Focus.
"You sure make friends with very strange humans, Master," commented Ching Wan again as they ran through the Soothing Wetlands.
"Weird would be putting it lightly but like Hop, they're great friends once you get to know them. You'll be seeing more of them along with my parents when we return to the Alola Region."
Soon, they found Hop and Rillaboom coming back from the Forest of Focus after a bit of exploring. As Hop proved, they made it there before Sarah and her group and had been looking through the forest. Surprisingly, he didn't get lost as they found their way back to the entrance.
"Finally, Sarah, Old Man! My buddy and I have been waiting forever for you all, you took your time getting here!" chuckled Hop. "Guess I should've waited for you to tell me about it. I thought Glimwood Triangle was a maze but this place is on an entirely different level!"
"Not to mention, it was so hot and humid out here, I feel like I'm sweating a bloody pond over here! The other day when Sonia asked if we could help her with her research on the Galar Region and its legends, we opted to split up in several places to survey and she opted for the cold and snow of the Crown Tundra-and all. We may have had it easier back then but it sucks that we can't divide the heat between us just as we and the others had days ago back at the Crown Tundra and the cold. It would've made things a little better... Anyway, Rillaboom and I were checking out this Forest of Focus place while we were waiting for you blokes and we saw signs of Lilligant and Applin that live here! Maybe we can gather a bit of that sweet nectar that your Urshifu loves from any of their flowers and nectar!"
"I do have a name, you know!" interrupted Ching Wan indignantly, giving Hop the stink eye.
"Me, too!" agreed Hashimoto, pouting with his arms crossed. "I'm Hashimoto and he's Ching Wan, remember?"
Hop chuckled sheepishly but as they start to make their way back into the Forest of Focus, they found what looked like a Grass Type Pokemon from the Unova Region called a Petilil a few feet from the bridge but it looked down in the dumps as it was moping around and was forlorn.
"What's that?" Hashimoto asked.
"It looks like one of the Pokemon from the Forest of Focus," said Ching Wan.
"Wait, doesn't that Petilil seem to be acting a little unorthodox for what it is?" put in Tsukumaro, noticing the Bulb Pokemon's downcast look.
"She looks kind of sad," frowned Riolu.
"Yeah, now that you mention it... It's still pretty little for what she is, maybe she somehow got separated from her family..."
The Petilil turned around after hearing Hop and it quickly perked up, quickly scuttling over to them, specifically Hop, and cried as if it needed their help, much to his surprise.
"W-Who're you glomming onto, mate?! You must be really lost if you think I'm your mum!"
"Pika, Pikachu, Pi..." mused Blitz in embarrassment as he chuckled sheepishly over Hop's predicament.
"And now, I'm stuck... Ok, Sarah, would you mind helping me out here? Go into the forest and see if you can find Petilil's parents if they're here. Just look for some worrying Liligant and I'll wait here with this little one, Rillaboom can help me take care of her while you're gone. I'm afraid of stepping on her if she ever decides to start wandering about and we walk with her."
Nodded awkwardly, Sarah, Tsukumaro, the Wushu Brothers, Riolu, Blitz, Absol, and Charmander left Hop to look after the coddling Petilil and look for the Liligant it belonged to. As if things couldn't already be any stranger or more awkward for Hashimoto and Ching Wan to see, they thought Hop being the lonely little Petilil's surrogate parent just took the cake.
"What was that about?" asked Hashimoto, clearly stupified by what he had seen.
"That was obviously too weird for TV," agreed Ching Wan as they looked around for Petilil's parent(s).
"Believe it or not, you two, my princess has a few Pokemon that looked up to her as a mother and were raised as her own," remarked Tsukumaro.
"Wait, what?!" they balked in bewilderment, turning to the old advisor. They couldn't believe what they had heard!
"You gotta be kidding!"
"A human like Master Sarah, raising and looking after Pokemon like they were her own children? A mother to them, really?"
"The princess wouldn't lie if she told you. If you're still not sure, you can ask some of her Pokemon and they'll confirm it to you."
"Found her! She's near that little berry tree!" cried Riolu, having spotted the Grass Type Pokemon they were looking for near a small tree at a fork in the road. "Excuse me."
"Lili...?" asked the Liligant.
"We found your daughter, Ma'am, she's waiting with a friend of ours at the edge of this forest."
"Liiiigant?! Lili! Li, Lil, Lil, Liligant, Gant, Lil, Li!" cried Liligant happily, feeling relieved.
With Lilligant looking extremely relieved to hear that Petilil, which she knew, was safe and sound after it supposedly wandered off without it nearby, the Flowering Pokemon followed the group back to the entrance of the Forest of Focus where Petilil was waiting with Hop.
"Finally, Sarah, you're back and you got Lilligant with you!" Hop cried, relieved.
The little Petilil and Lilligant reunited with each other and cheered happily, the Flowering Pokemon also gently scolding what was supposed to be her daughter for running off without warning and making her worry. The Petilil wilted sadly but perked up again once Lilligant expresses her relief and happiness for her.
"Well, looks like they're both pretty happy to see each other, especially since she's Petilil's mother," chuckled Hop before Lilligant spoke happily to them in gratitude. "How about that, Sarah? Seems like Lilligant is thanking you for leading her back to her daughter."
The Flowering Pokemon then handed the duo and the rest of their group a bit of nectar she has on her as a gift for the safe return of Petilil.
"Huh, what's this? Is this...Hey, isn't that some of the nectar from your flower, Lilligant?"
"Lil Lilli, Lil!" nodded Lilligant happily.
"Til, Til!" cried Petilil cutely before they left to return to their home in the Forest of Focus.
"See ya, Petilil, Lilligant!" called Hop as they disappeared.
"How about that? We got ourselves some nectar from that Lilligant and only through a single good deed," Hashimoto commented in surprise.
"Guess that Hop guy isn't much of a weird guy after all," nodded Ching Wan, impressed.
"Nice work, Sarah, we got ourselves some nectar from Lilligant! Good job finding her but let's hope it's the really sweet and sticky kind that'll be perfect for Ching Wan and Hashimoto! Only one way to find out..."
With the nectar at hand, Hop decided to give it a taste test which really grossed out the others and the Wushu Brothers.
"EW!" they cried in disgust.
"Did Mr. Hop seriously do that?" Riolu replied, also grossed out.
"Char..."
"Pi, Pika..." mumbled Charmander and Blitz, shaking their heads or facepalming.
"Ab, Sol..." groaned Absol in agreement.
"Well, how is it?" asked Sarah, not wanting to know or even taste Lilligant's nectar that way.
"Well... Hmm, I'd say it's sweet but it's not exactly the sticky kind as your Urshifu and Kubfu want... It's actually pretty watery," deducted Hop, thinking over the nectar's taste and texture. "Nope, I don't think this nectar from Lilligant is the kind we need for your Wushu Pokemon. But, at least we did a good deed for it, anyway. Maybe there's an Applin that has the taste and texture down, come on! Let's go find it and give that nectar a tast next!"
With his sights set on nectar from an Applin next, Hop immediately rushed over to where a nearby Applin would be at a deeper part of the Forest of Focus with Rillaboom following behind to make sure he stays out of trouble and he doesn't get lost.
"...Has he, always been like that?" asked Ching Wan.
"He's pretty much energetic when my friends and I first met him, Gloria, and Victor when we arrived at Galar for the week but he's a good guy and a skilled trainer at that."
"Even if he's a little...weird?" added Hashimoto in confusion.
"He's not that weird, he's just...Eccentric and he does things his own way," rebutted Sarah.
"Come on, we better make sure Sir Hop doesn't get lost while trying to find that Applin we're looking for and its nectar," reminded Tsukumaro before they entered the Forest.
Wandering into the Forest of Focus again but with Absol, Tsukumaro, Hashimoto, and Ching Wan by her side this time, Sarah and her Pokemon looked high and low for the Applin they're searching for to get its nectar. Like before, thankfully, they didn't get lost as they stuck to the path before them. But, as they reached another fork in the road, they came across a stray Applin near a dead end.
"App, Applin!" chirped the Apple Core Pokemon without a care in the world.
Hearing the Grass Type Pokemon, Hashimoto turned to it, his eyes widening at the sight of it. "Hey! Found one," he called.
"Good eye there, Hashi," smiled Ching Wan, kneeling down and giving him a soft noogie making him laugh.
"That's an Applin? Strange, it looks like an apple but that green bit on its back, doesn't look like a Caterpie at all," remarked Tsukumaro as he looked at Applin with interest.
"What are we waiting for, let's get it!" shouted Riolu, preparing to sneak up and grab it.
"Not so fast, kid," Ching Wan warned, picking her up and making her squirm to get out of his grip.
"What's wrong, Ching Wan?" asked Sarah, confused.
"That Applin's pretty small and if it sees us, it'll probably roll away in fright and look for a hiding place. They may be slow and may seem dumb but they're very mobile and they're really good rollers. We don't want to disturb it or else it'll be scared by us since we're larger than it and we're in a group. So, we'll need to be as quiet as possible and make sure we're not a threat to it."
At that moment, just as Ching Wan had finished warning everybody on what they should do with Applin, Hop, having heard Hashimoto's earlier shout, came running over to them and he also saw the Applin minding its own business.
"Hey, there it is! It's an Applin!" he screamed in excitement.
"Ap? APPLIN! Apppawaaay!" screeched Applin in confusion and then panic.
Quickly, and without warning, it turned and began rolling away as it hoped to get away from its pursuers.
"Applin! No, wait!" cried Hop, realizing his mistake as they chased after it.
"It's getting away!" Hashimoto cried in alarm!
They chased the frightened Applin all the way to another berry tree at the dead end it was nearby at but when the group looked around for the Apple Core Pokemon, the little Grass Type was nowhere to be seen. Since it rolled away from them at a fast pace, it may have lost them.
"Pika, Pi?" pondered Blitz, wondering where Applin rolled off to.
"Ab, Absol, Sol, Ab," replied Absol, looking around.
"Clever little fellow, rolling like that to allude us," mused Tsukumaro. "This would make it difficult for us to find it."
"Aww, this just takes the biscuit! That Applin would've been gone by now and I don't see it anywhere!" grumbled Hop as he looked all over the place. "But, I was sure that we saw it rolling down this way, where else could it go in this forest? We've gotta find it or we'll never get that nectar!"
They all searched around the area for the Applin with Sarah, Hashimoto, and Ching Wan looking at the tree and proceeding to look around it for any sign of the Applin that rolled off. But, as they looked for the Applin, with his new size, Ching Wan was able to look at the berries at the berry tree with ease and when he saw a berry that looked off and like an apple compared to the others, he soon realized what it was.
"Hey, guys! I found the culprit!" he called, pointing to the Applin on the top of the tree.
"Huh, what's up? Something up with that berry tree, mate?" asked Hop as they crowded around.
"Let me try something," Hashimoto volunteered, coming up to the tree and giving it a hard kick. "HYAH!"
"PIIII!" screamed Applin in panic again.
But, as soon as Hashimoto kicked the tree and it shook, not only did Applin fall down from the tree but it also konked Sarah on the head while leaving something moist and sticky on her as it rolled off after seeing the group again.
"Pika!" shouted Blitz as it ran away.
But, it was too late, Applin was already racing off into the distance and out of sight which left Hop annoyed as he couldn't see it anywhere.
"Argh, Bloody Barnacles! It ran off again!" he snapped before he turned and saw Sarah trying to get the moist stuff off her hair.
"Hey, Sarah, mate... Is your head looking a little, moist?" asked Hop, noticing something shining from her hair in the sunlight which he smiled at.
"Yes, I see what it is! That's gotta be Applin's nectar on you, it may have given us the slip when we found it but we still got what we came for so it wasn't all in vain!"
Sarah fumed, remembering what he was thinking when he tasted Lilligant's nectar. "If you try to lick the nectar out of my hair like a Bug Pokemon baby with a honey pacifier, I swear I'll take some of this nectar and smother you with it until you eventually get birds like Pikipek and Pidgey coming at you for it," she growled lowly.
"Chill out, Sarah, I wasn't really going to lick it off of ya like that!"
"Mind if we give it a try?" offered Ching Wan, breaking up the fight and taking a sample of the nectar for him and Hashimoto to try.
The two Wushu Pokemon tried out the nectar from Applin but after a few seconds, they crossed their arms and shook their heads in dissatisfaction.
"Nah, not the sweet and sticky kind," said Hashimoto, unimpressed. "This tastes sweet and juicy."
"You mean like apple cider and apple juice?" put in Sarah.
"Yeah, something like those," nodded Ching Wan.
"Can I try?" asked Hop, allowing Ching Wan to give him his sample and taste it, too. "Hmm, yep, you're both right. I wouldn't call it sticky even if it's still sweet, it's got more of a juice feeling."
He sighed, feeling their search becoming fruitless. "Man, we're getting nowhere at this rate. Applin's nectar didn't cut it and Lilligant's nectar didn't even come close... None of those nectars are really sticky enough to be the sticky type of honey for Ching Wan and Hashimoto and their Max Soup."
Then, Tsukumaro realized something that they've overlooked in their hunt for Ching Wan and Hashimoto's favorite honey. "Sir Hop, Princess, I've just realized something! We've been looking around for some nectar and honey for Sir Hashimoto and Sir Ching Wan but those two sweet essences are not exactly the same thing! Aren't we supposed to find one of those essences for them, the honey, that is?" he suggested.
"Charmander?"
"What do you mean, Mr. Tsukumaro?" asked Riolu and Charmander in surprise.
"Remember what you kids mentioned: 'sweet and sticky', as you've put it? What if the sweet and sticky essence is actually honey, what if they wanted honey in their Max Soup? Surely, there must be a Pokemon here that has honey for them!"
Suddenly, Hop's face lit up from the revelation and he mentally cursed himself for being so stupid. "Of course, it all makes sense! The nectars from Lilligant and Applin were not really honey, I was thinking that nectar and honey are the same things so I ended up having us look around for plants and flowers! Bloody hell, I've must've been barking up the wrong tree!" he said.
"And, since honey is the sweet and sticky essence we're looking for, what kind of creature or Pokemon makes honey?"
Sarah and Hop's eyes widened and they both pointed to each other for the same answers. "Bees, Combee, and Vespiqueen!" they cried in realization.
"Yeah! HONEY!" cheered the Wushu Brothers, perking at the mention of 'honey'.
"So, that's it! Bees can make honey and Combee and Vespiqueen can make honey, the sweet and sticky thing that Ching Wan and Hashimoto liked!"
"Now, all we have to do is figure out where Combee and/or Vespiqueen are so we can find their honey and bring it back. But, where would we find them...?"
As they figured out where to find the Pokemon they talked about, they noticed a wild Venipede crawling by them.
"Wow, a Venipede! Golly, I don't see one of those every day and they're only common in the Unova Region!" gasped Hop in surprise. "They're really cute, right? But, don't let their looks fool you. They produce a really thick, gooey poison inside their bodies its body to defend itself-making them pretty dangerous."
Then, another lightbulb went on his head on another thing. "...THAT'S IT! I was stuck on Pokemon that produce nectar but what we really need is a Pokemon that USES that sort of nectar to create the honey we needed!"
"And, when it comes to the sort of Pokemon that can collect and store up lots and lots of nectar to make honey, the answer's obvious and we've already figured it out: the Beehive Pokemon, Vespiqueen! It's got to be the answer this time, I'm sure of it! Have you guys ever seen a Vespiqueen before?"
Sarah shook her head and the others followed, having never seen a Vespiqueen before. But, Hop wasn't deterred in the slightest; he was glad that they all found out the answer they needed since honey was what they needed for the Wushu Brothers' Max Soup.
"And, given that this place is the Isle of Armor... I'm sure that we'll find some honey made by Vespiqueen at the island shaped like a honeycomb over near that big blue tower on the beach!"
"The Tower of Waters!" Hashimoto blurted in surprise.
"You mean there's a strange honeycomb-shaped island near the tower at Challenge Beach?" quizzed Ching Wan. "I've hard Shi-Fu mention it to us, it's called Honeycalm Island."
"Yeah! Now that we know where we're going, I'm off, guys! Don't make me wait!" finished Hop as he ran off again.
"So, now that we know where to go from here, shall we get going?" Tsukumaro put in again.
"Yeah, at least Hop didn't get lost as Leon had. He probably has a better grasp at directions and where he's going compared to the Galar Champion himself."
"Who's Leon?" asked Hashimoto and Ching Wan again.
"I'll tell you later, come on. Let's go find this Honeycalm Island you mentioned and if Hop's any indicator, he'll already be there as we speak."
Once again, with another lead for them to follow, Sarah, Tsukumaro, and the others made their way to the Tower of Waters at the end of Challenge Beach and found Honeycalm Island a short swim away (which Sarah decided to opt for having Salamence fly her, Blitz, Riolu, Charmander, and Hashimoto with Latias and Latios brought out to help with using Psychic to carry Tsukumaro, Absol, and Ching Wan over to the small island) with Hop already waiting for them.
True to its name, Honeycalm Island is shaped like a honeycomb and there are several Combee buzzing about happily despite the small gale surrounding the place. There were also, at least, eight Power Spots at each part of the island's comb-like outer rim and a modestly large tree in the middle of it around a large patch of grass.
"Hey, Sarah, you guys finally made it! What kept ya?" Hop greeted, noticing Sarah returning Salamence, Latios, and Latias after thanking them for their help.
"Did you find where that Vespiqueen is yet?" asked the princess.
"Not yet, I've seen several Combee around here ever since I found the place but I haven't seen a single Vespiqueen yet... But, I'm sure that they're the ones who'd have and are making the sticky honey we need for Ching Wan and Hashimoto and-"
Suddenly, a loud beeping from a device in Hop's left jeans pocket rang up and he pulled out what was a small detector remote that allowed him to find and locate any available Power Spots in the group's current location. He couldn't understand it as he looked at the Power Spot energy readings spiking like crazy.
"Huh? That's weird, I borrowed a Power Spot Detector from Sonia to help us with our Isle of Armor research and on the Pokemon able to Dynamax here for our project from Prof. Kukui and Prof. Magnolia but why is it going off now?" he puzzled before he noticed the tree nearby. "Could it have something to do with this tree? Hey, Sarah, how about you shake it? I got a funny feeling what we came here for is definitely up there on the branches."
"*But, won't we be making whoever's living there mad by shaking that tree?*" asked Riolu.
"What's the harm in that? My bro and I need honey for our soup and I'm starving!" rebutted Hashimoto.
"Well... Okay," Sarah replied after hesitating.
Being extremely careful and exercising caution, with Riolu, Blitz, and Ching Wan's help, Sarah shook the tree to call out for Vespiqueen, only to have something screeching at the group.
"Vvvvvvvvvvrrrrrrrrrrrrrrn!" buzzed a voice, sounding aggravated.
"Wha-?! What is that?" gasped Hop, jumping from the loud voice.
Even the Pokemon couldn't help but feel spooked by the unexpected voice booming around them after Sarah rocked the tree. But, this was only the tip of the iceberg for the group's latest challenge as Hop noticed his Power Spot Detector beeping like crazy as well as the tree resonating with a huge plethora of Galar Particles, confirming that Honeycalm Island is a Power Spot Pokemon Den belonging to a certain Pokemon.
"GYAH!"
"RILLA-!"
"What's happening!?"
"Pika!"
"*Look out!*"
"Char, Charmander, Char!" cried Rillaboom, Hashimoto, Hop, Blitz, Riolu, and Charmander in complete bewilderment.
Then, a loud buzzing sound was heard as a Pokemon flew out of the tree and buzzed around until it caught sight of the princess and screeched loudly before it captured and dragged her down to its Dynamax Pokemon Den.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" screamed Sarah, vanishing in the Pokemon's grasp as she was dragged down to the Pokemon Den.
"MOMMY!"
"PRINCESS!"
"SARAH!"
"OH, NO!"
"MASTER!" screamed Tsukumaro, Riolu, Hashimoto, Hop, and Ching Wan in horror.
After being dragged into the Pokemon Den and also being separated from the others, Sarah was down on her stomach and unconscious for a short time before she got her bearings again and found herself in a Dynamax Pokemon Den. But, when she looked around her new surroundings, her gaze finally landed on a Dynamaxed Vespiqueen, who challenged her to a Dynamax Battle.
"So, you're a Dynamax Pokemon and you want me to fight you? You must've known my family, friends, and I are here for your honey," she called to the Dynamax Beehive Pokemon, to which it nodded.
"I see, I guess I'll have to fight you to earn that honey for Hashimoto and Ching Wan..."
She then took out a familiar Ultra Ball and threw it, releasing her High King Pokemon. "Let's go, Calyrex!" she called to the Psychic/Grass Type.
Upon being released from his and Spectrier's Ultra Ball, Calyrex looked around to find himself in a Pokemon Den and Sarah behind him, confused by what was going on.
"Sarah, what's going on? Where are we, what is this place?" he questioned, looking around the Pokemon Den before he caught sight of the Dynamax Vespiqueen. "What the samhill-?! Is that a Dynamax Vespiqueen?"
"Yeah, believe it or not, we'll have to fight it on equal ground," nodded Sarah. "Calyrex, Vespiqueen has something the others and I want for Ching Wan and Hashimoto and we'll have to battle it in order to earn her prize. That means you'll have to take part in a Dynamax Battle."
"...I see, a Dynamax Battle," Calyrex nodded before he gathered his thoughts and finally gave a determined nod with Spectrier snorting in agreement to his father and Sarah's wishes. "All right, let's get it started, m'lady!"
Sarah nodded before she activated her Dynamax Band, returned Calyrex and Spectrier to their Ultra Ball before it grew to an energized soccer ball form again, and then threw it back, the High King Pokemon now appearing in his Dynamax Form. But, to the princess' surprise, Calyrex and Spectrier both appeared in a *blue* Dynamax Form unlike the usual red form emitted from Vespiqueen as it stared down its royal opponent and prepared itself to fight.
"Huh?! Wait, how can you Dynamax like that?" she gasped at Calyrex.
"I'd rather you save the questions about my Dynamax Form for later and concentrate on the task at hand, Young Sarah," chided Calyrex amidst his booming Telepathy, directing her towards Vespiqueen.
"Oh, yeah!"
"Vespi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i!" buzzed Vespiqueen, using Max Flutterby to shoot several glowing butterflies and moths towards Calyrex and Spectrier.
"Okay, here goes! Attack, Calyrex!" shouted Sarah, pointing him and the Swift Horse Pokemon towards Vespiqueen.
"Max Guard!" began Calyrex, using a powerful shield to block and deflect Vespiqueen's Max Flutterby. "Max Phantasm!"
Conjuring several objects in a Ghost Pokemon energy thanks to being in his Shadow Rider Form, Calyrex and Spectrier gave Vespiqueen a hard beating but it didn't go down because of its will to keep fighting.
"QUE-E-E-E-E-E-EN!" boomed Vespiqueen, now using Max Airstream to shoot a heavily-concentrated vortex of air straight at the King of Bountiful Harvests, dealing him and his Swift Horse Pokemon steed considerable damage in turn.
"Mmm, you're a formidable fighter, m'lady," he complimented before he glared back. "But, my devoted fellow royal has a duty to fulfill right now and we've no time left to bother with you until we have what she came here for! Max Mindstorm!"
Concentrating his Psychic Type energy now into a supercharged array of mind waves, the King of Bountiful Harvests fired his next Dynamax attack and clobbered Vespiqueen to a tee as it screamed in pain, the continued battering steadily making it weaker and weaker to end with one final assault.
"I'm not finished yet! I've saved the best attacks for last just for you, my lady! Now, feel the wrath of my Max Overgrowth!"
Vespiqueen tried to counter Calyrex's final Dynamax attack by utilizing Max Guard but given that it was now slower from the damage it took from the previous attacks that came after it, it was too late to put up its defense in time as the powerful Dynamax Grass Type attack as he conjured up and shot four giant seeds that grew into large mushrooms. Then, on his signal, they immediately exploded and dealt a ricochet to the Beehive Pokemon.
But, despite the damage being so minuscule from its resistance to Grass Type attacks, it was distracted enough to be blind-sighted by his Max Strike attack soon after, effectively ending the fight in his favor. Having lost the Dynamax battle, Vespiqueen screamed as it exploded and reverted back to its normal size.
"Vesp, Vespiqueen!" it screeched as it changed back before it passed out from its intense battle against the High King Pokemon.
"Honorable Zacian and Zamazenta, bless this Vespiqueen..." prayed Calyrex (as he returned to normal size), satisfied with how the battle turned out as he, Spectrier, and Sarah were returned to the real world.
Soon after, the aftershocks of the battle then cause a comb of Max Honey (which is red and enhanced with Galar Particles unlike regular golden honey and adds a smooth taste to Mustard and Honey's Max Soup) from Dynamax Vespiqueen to fall from its tree. The princess nodded with satisfaction in having gotten the Max Honey and nodded to Calyrex and Spectrier in thanks as she petted the Swift Horse Pokemon (to his glee as he nuzzled her).
"SARAH!"
"MASTER SARAH!" cried Hashimoto and Ching Wan, the two of them running to her along with her other relieved Pokemon, Absol, Rillaboom, Hop, and Tsukumaro.
"Pika, Pikachu! Pi, Pikachu, Pika, Pi, Pi!?" Blitz screamed, furiously beating at her legs with intense relief.
"Princess, thank goodness you're here! Are you all right?" asked Tsukumaro, looking her over.
"I'm fine, but we got the Max Honey," she reassured.
"Really, that's cool!" chirped Riolu.
"Charman, Char, Char, Charmander," nodded Charmander, satisfied with what he saw.
"That was bloody crazy, Sarah! I never would've thought a Dynamaxed Vespiqueen would actually appear and attack us just for trying to get its honey!" put in Hop, reeling from what had happened. "I was so shocked from seeing it jump at you and pulling you into its den for a Dynamax Battle, Rillaboom and I couldn't find it in ourselves to join the battle!"
"Rill, Rilla, Boom, Boom, Boom!" agreed Rillaboom, the Drummer Pokemon also reeling from Vespiqueen's surprise attack.
"But, that sure is some sticky honey we got here. I'm sure that's gotta be the mystery ingredient Ching Wan and Hashimoto love to have in their Max Soup! And, I'll bet a billion Pokedollars that Max Honey is what set off my Power Spot Detector, too. It's definitely not much of a stretch from what I can see."
Nodding in response to what she and the others were being told, Sarah gave Hop the Max Honey to examine as he thought about what he and the others had found out about the Max Mushrooms and the Max Honey during their time in addition to their prior Isle of Armor research.
"The Max Mushrooms and this honey that you can only find on the Isle of Armor... If it's anything, they both seem to have some kind of strange connection and ties to the powers of Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing. There's tons of info about them that we don't know yet so there's bound to be much research to do if we're to fully understand what they're about. Well, come on! We got what we came for so let's hurry back to the Dojo and show it to Master Mustard!"
"YEAH! MAX HONEY SOUP!" cheered the Wushu Brothers, getting a laugh out of everyone gathered.
With the Max Honey from Vespiqueen's tree, the group proceeded to backtrack to the Master Dojo and prepare the Max Soup for Ching Wan and Hashimoto. After all the work they did to get what they wanted, they felt like it was worth it to obtain the power of Gigantamaxing as well as Dynamaxing.
When they arrived back at the Master Dojo, Mustard was waiting for them as if he expected the group to return after figuring out and claiming their prize.
"Welcome back, my wandering Wooloo..." greeted Mustard as he took notice of them entering before he sniffed around. "Oh, wait a minute... And, what is that sweet, luxurious scent I smell wafted from the air around you? Getting in touch with some Pokemon, I bet!"
"Ha, that's nothing! Get this, that's actually the Max Honey that Ching Wan and Hashimoto love to the max!" laughed Hop proudly. "We managed to get our hands on a nice haul of it while we were at Honeycalm Island after trying out some nectars from a Lilligant and an Applin at the Forest of Focus!"
Mustard was surprised when he heard the words "Max Honey" from Hop. "Oh! Max Honey! Did you really find it, already?" he gasped in amazement.
"It's true, Sir Mustard. My goddaughter won it after she and one of her Pokemon battled a Dynamaxed Vespiqueen for it," nodded Tsukumaro with a smile.
"And, besides, you did put my mate an I on it, Master! There's nothing the two of us can't do as long as we worked together!" finished Hop.
Mustard couldn't help but laugh proudly at them. "HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! I see, he-ha-ha! Oh, you kids did a real bang-up job finding that Max Honey with hardly a hint from me and that's saying something! Very nice job, children!" he praised.
"You didn't forget for a second what that 'certain something' was when you told us about the Max Soup an Urshifu and Kubfu loves, didn't you, Master?"
Mustard had to laugh again and even Hop and Sarah couldn't help but join in, this was something of a victory for all of them to share with what they had to figure out and the riddle he had left them with before they started their little quest.
Then, the senior student whom Honey had on Soup Duty, Ziggy, came forward having heard that Sarah had returned with some Max Honey at hand for Ching Wan and Hashimoto's Max Soup.
"That Max Honey you have there is of exceptional quality! If we add that to Honey's Max Soup, I'll bet even Ching Wan and Hashimoto themselves can't resist giving it a sip!" he said happily.
"ALL RIGHT!" the Wushu Brothers cheered, sharing a hi-five.
Mustard nodded in contempt; he was now fully convinced that after passing his class, Sarah had learned everything she needed to know from him and the Master Dojo since what he had planned for her after is when she will be allowed to leave.
"Well, it's been real, Sarah. I'm proud of you for having come so far and in such a short time. You performed beautifully but it looks like you've learned everything there is to know from me and the Master Dojo. Which means... As a final sendoff and your exit exam, you and I will finally have a proper battle with no holding back and no holds barred!" replied Mustard proudly to Sarah.
"I could use a bit of training myself if I'm going to be ready for what's to come when you leave and return to Alola, after all... I won't be pulling any punches in our real battle, kiddo! So, if you think you're really ready, just come and talk to me over on the Battle Court at the back!"
And, with that, Mustard went over to the Battle Court to prepare himself for Sarah's final test. The princess could hardly believe it; she had passed all of Mustard's tests and learned everything that he and the Master Dojo can teach her in a single day despite how crazy and unorthodox his teachings are. What's more, she got two new friends out of the entire experience that are both more than meets the eye and who would make fine additions to her growing family.
"Wow, battling the Master no holds barred when he's serious... That's seriously terrifying, only the best students can graduate from the Master Dojo after learning all the ins and outs from him let alone make it this far," commented Ziggy.
Hop just smiled knowingly, "He's definitely the one who taught Lee everything he knew and I always saw it put into practice whenever he battles so Mustard's gotta be one wicked-strong trainer if he's gonna be like that!"
"'Course he is, he's not the Dojo Master for nothing after everything he learned in his own journey and from what he passes down to us! Better steel yourself and your spirit for your grand finale here, Sarah, he's a far different trainer when he's like that!"
"Right, I think it's time I get the others serious about our research we're doing here before we leave and you finish your class. You're a great trainer to have made it so far in the Master Dojo, Sarah! I'm sure you'll blow everybody away as you always have since you arrived at Galar, good luck!"
And, with that, Hop and Rillaboom left to reunite with the others and not only ramp up but wrap up their research upon Sarah's graduation from the Master Dojo, leaving her, Tsukumaro, and their Pokemon.
"I suppose it's time for me to return to Wedgehurst and prepare everything for our departure, Princess," said Tsukumaro at last. "I can see you're handling yourself well with your class and you're becoming the brightest student of your age. So, I see there's no point in hanging around after seeing how far you've come since this morning."
"Well, okay, I'll see ya when we get back," nodded Sarah.
"So long," finished Tsukumaro, hugging Sarah and Absol nuzzling her before they left to take a Corviknight Taxi back to Galar's mainland and the train back to Wedgehurst.
"So, what'll we do now?" pondered Riolu.
"I suppose we'll fix a few things before we join Mustard for my graduation battle. I think we should deal with the Max Soup factor and the issue regarding Watts for Hyde before we leave. The others might already be finishing up their research for our project and they'll be wanting to see me once my graduation battle begins."
"Aww! Can't we have our Max Soup first, Sarah?" pouted Hashimoto. "We're starving as it is and I wanna eat!"
"Can't we take a lunch break first? I can't fight Shi-Fu on an empty stomach, after all," agreed Ching Wan.
"After we help Hyde with his little Watts beef first, guys. I seem to have some Watts on me so I'm hoping I have enough to help him with his machine."
"Did you even find the time to actually look for Watts?" reminded Ching Wan.
"No, but while we've been going around the island doing our tasks, I'm sure we did find some amount of Watts around the place. I didn't think it'll be easy for us to do everything Mustard taught us to do. So, at the very least, I'll be doing something good for Hyde."
They quickly went over to Hyde and handed him the Watts he needed for his Cram-o-matic, which he gladly appreciated. With that out of the way, Sarah can approach Ziggy and finally get onto the very thing Ching Wan and Hashimoto have been dying to do: having their own Max Soup with Max Honey and obtaining the power of Gigantamaxing.
The student in question was waiting in the kitchen just as they entered and Ching Wan and Hashimoto immediately the two front seats on the table for their meal. He had to smile when he saw how excited they were to have their Max Soup, especially since Sarah now had an excuse to use her Max Mushrooms, after all.
"Hey there, Sarah! I see you're here for some Max Soup for Ching Wan and Hashimoto, right?" he asked.
"Yep, that's about it."
"Well, today's your lucky day! I can make you some Max Soup that even they love to eat, that is, if you have any Max Honey and Max Mushrooms on you."
"Yeah, guess what, Ziggy? I still have my Max Mushrooms primed and ready along with the Max Honey Hop and I found at Honeycalm Island," replied Sarah, handing him the essential ingredients he needed for the Wushu Brothers' Max Soup.
"Well, well! I figured you'll be using those Max Mushrooms for our Dojo's Max Soup, anyway!" he laughed as he got to work preparing the Max Soup. "And, they, along with that Max Honey, are just what I need!"
As Ziggy worked on the Max Soup, the wait became excruciating for Ching Wan and Hashimoto as they soon became bored after a few minutes and tried to distract themselves with any games between them or with their new family or even nap away while the soup was being cooked. It wasn't long until the timer rang as the two of them napped and they immediately jolted with a start before seeing Ziggy bring the finished Max Soup over to them.
"YAY!" cheered Hashimoto, bouncing on his chair.
"Oh yeah, baby!" hollered Ching Wan excitedly.
"Here you are, boys! On the house, cheers!" smiled Ziggy as he served them.
The other students in the Dojo laughed while the two of them happily slurped and ate away since they now know how much the Wushu Brothers loved Max Soup with Max Honey added. Soon, they were both full and gave satisfying groans, the sweet and smooth taste of the soup in them with Hashimoto letting out a small burp.
"Excuse me," he peeped.
Sarah had to chuckle as soon as she saw Hashimoto blush and see Ching Wan giving him another loving noogie, she could tell they both loved Max Soup whenever Max Honey is found and added into the mix to counter the strong taste of the Max Mushrooms and they wouldn't have it any other way.
"I now know why you like it with something like Max Honey added," she told them.
"It's just better for us this way," replied Ching Wan. "If it doesn't have any Max Honey added to counter those Max Mushrooms, it's dead on arrival to us"
"No way are we gonna eat it without any Max Honey added," nodded Hashimoto in agreement.
"Pika, Pika..." sighed Blitz with a smile.
"*Don't you even wanna try it a teensy bit as it is without the Max Honey at one point?*" suggested Riolu.
"No!" retorted the Wushu Brothers defiantly.
"*It's just an idea, really,*" pouted the Emanation Pokemon as she crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks indignantly but cutely, making her family laugh.
"Okay, now with that out of the way, are you guys ready to take on your old master before we go?"
"Are you kidding? We're gonna have the best battle ever with Sensei at his full strength!" chirped Hashimoto excitedly. "It'll be even better if I can evolve and finally Gigantamax as an Urshifu!"
"You'll have to choose either the Tower of Darkness or the Tower of Darkness if you want to evolve someday, Hashi," reminded Ching Wan amusingly.
"I know that!"
"Well, all that aside, we better get ready to take on Mustard. If he's going to battle at his full strength, then your fellow Kubfu might've already evolved by then and will be ready to take you down with Gigantamaxing as well."
And, do you know who you're going to pit against Master Mustard and his Pokemon including that Kubfu, Mommy?" questioned Riolu, who stopped pouting.
"I'll choose as I go along, Riolu. He's probably got something of a formidable team in addition to his own Wushu Pokemon and he'll pull some wild cards on us as we battle."
After taking some time to plan out a strategy and choose who's going to battle against Mustard (who's finally going to go at full strength for her Master Dojo graduation battle), Sarah and her family moved to the Battle Court where they found Mustard waiting for them. The old Dojo Master was eager to begin battling to see how much Sarah had really learned and how far she had come since she joined his class during her morning arrival.
"Well, well! He-ha-ha, I'm seeing you're in tip-top change for our ultimate battle," he chuckled as they approached with the rest of her class and Honey (who had taken time off of their own training and business to watch their best student graduate in her final battle). "Are you ready to face little old me again?"
"I am," replied Sarah simply.
"Yeah, we're ready, Sensei!" cheered Hashimoto with a hop and a pumped fist.
"Osu!" saluted Ching Wan, ready as ever.
The other Pokemon nodded in agreement, eager to see who would be chosen to fight Mustard and his full team but at their full strength this time.
Mustard laughed his approval again. "That's what I want to hear from you rascals! If you're so sure, then let's mosey on over to the Battle Court and begin!"
Taking their respective places on the Battle Court, as she did with Klara during her previous Battle Court match against her, Sarah steeled herself to battle her new master for the third time just as the late afternoon rolled in. She knew Mustard had already proven himself to be a formidable opponent along with his Pokemon during her entry match and Tower of Darkness battle with him, Meinfoo, Shinx, and his Kubfu but they haven't gone out all the way to gauge her and her family. Even Hashimoto and Ching Wan had a feeling their old master was about to show his true battle colors in their final bout against him.
"You know, Sarah, before we begin... I've been thinking more and more these days, about how fortunate we were to have you join us at the Dojo since this morning..."
"...What do you mean?" Sarah asked, confused.
"Whether it was by mistake, arrangement, or of your own curiosity and fruition, you've done wonders to us all ever since you've been rostered as my final student for this class. I'll never thank you enough, M'dear! It's been years since I've been so excited about any immense promise a student of mine has shown! Whenever I see you giving it your all and the results being shown from your willingness to learn, I can feel my heart dancing with excitement and blood boiling in anticipation! You've become such a wonder in such a short time, I can't fight the urge to resist a battle against a worthy opponent of your stature, no matter how old I get!"
He then proceeded to take off his coat and hat to unveil his Dojo Master Uniform again and proceeded to bring out his first Pokemon.
"And now, let's get it on 'cause this is the most fun time in the world for a Pokemon battle! Let's go, Mienshao!" he shouted, calling forth his evolved Martial Arts Pokemon.
"Mienshao!" screeched Mienshao, getting into an Eagle's Claw stance.
"Hey, isn't that Mienfoo?" Riolu asked, a little surprised.
"Yeah, but it looks like she evolved just for this match and she's not going to hold back as she did with him using Tai Chi on you when we last heard of your scuffle with Shi-Fu," Ching Wan replied.
"Can I go again, Mommy?" chirped the Emanation Pokemon, raising her hand to Sarah.
"Sorry, Riolu, I'll have to bench you for later. Mienfoo just evolved so she's got a few new tricks to counter you and you'll be no match for her right now," replied the princess, deflating the little Shiny Fighting Type.
"Aww..." she moaned, slumping in despair with a faceplant as Charmander soothed her.
"I got someone else in mind for you, Mienshao... 'Cause right now, you and Mustard don't stand a ghost of a chance!" With that, Sarah brought out her first Pokemon to take on the evolved Fighting Type, Mai, in her first-ever Master Dojo Battle.
"Yahoo!" cheered Mai as she popped out of her ball and landed Sarah's side of the Battle Court and faced down Mienshao. "I'm ready!"
"Mien..." smirked Mienshao, interested to see how a young Ghost/Fairy Type like Mai would fare against her.
"A Mimikyu, huh? Quite a cute start to our final battle you got yourself there, Sarah," nodded Mustard, also interested.
"Don't be so sure, Master. Mai's more than just cute when two of my Pokemon and I first met her. Mai, start off with Wood Hammer!"
"It's Hammer-Hammer Time!" hollered Mai as she charged forward with the Grass Type move to slam dunk Mienshao on the first go.
"Mienshao, execute Calm Mind and Pound!" shouted Mustard, emphasizing his commands with a few martial arts stances.
"Shao!" agreed Mienshao, who anticipated Mai's upcoming assault with a charged-up Special Attack and Special Defense from Calm Mind.
Then, as Mai finally came into range and was about to bring her Wood Hammer down with a few hard whacks... "...SHAO!" screamed the Martial Arts Pokemon, glaring as she used her Pound Attack to counter the Wood Hammer attack from her Disguise Pokemon opponent.
"No way!" gasped Mai in shock.
"Shao," smirked Mienshao at the dumbfounded Mimikyu with a small, taunting tongue-sticking.
"Why, you-!" Mai snarled, peeved from the insult and counter before they traded Wood Hammer and Pound attacks.
"Stop, Mai! She's just egging you on, don't give her any reaction!" cried Riolu, trying to coach the peeved Mimikyu as she kept whacking away while Mienshao continued to block her with Pound and Close Combat soon after.
"Pika, Pi, Pika!" bellowed Blitz, trying to tell Mai to calm down but to no avail.
"Mai, that's just what she wants! Control yourself and don't attack with just your anger!" Sarah added.
"My, have we've suddenly got on the wrong foot there, huh, Sarah? Mienshao, force that Mimikyu back with Low Sweep!" yelled Mustard, seizing his and Mienshao's opportunity to attack.
"Mien...SHAO!" cried Mienshao again, blocking Mai before she tripped her with Low Sweep and flung her back with the same move.
"Mai!" called Riolu as Mai tumbled back and panted angrily as she got back up.
"Charmander, Char, Charman! Char, Char, Charmander!" encouraged Charmander, wanting Mai to concentrate and fight with a clear head.
"I know that!" snapped Mai, preparing to fight back again.
"All right, Mai, we need to get our heads straight for this one and that means getting you to calm down and get your act together!" spat Sarah back, not wanting her to reckless again.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you really think your father would be happy to see you lose your cool after Mienshao got through to you like that? We're better than this and so are you, you're just rushing in and reacting after I made the first call and she egged you in."
"What'll I do?"
"We need a plan to beat Mienshao, she's improved from my last battle with her and Mustard when Riolu was fighting her and she's at her full strength. What's more, you need to tune out whatever insults she'll throw at you to knock you off and make you mad. I'll take over for you and you follow every action I give you."
"...Okay," agreed Mai finally.
Sarah nodded before she pointed towards Mienshao (who now got into a Mantis Style stance). "Right, now use Shadow Ball twice!" she ordered.
Quickly, the Ghost/Fairy Type fired a Shadow Ball which Mienshao immediately countered using Double Slap. "Mienshao, Aura Sphere!" countered Mustard, allowing Mienshao to fire an Aura Sphere.
"Use Mimic, Mai!" shouted Sarah, having Mai counter the Aura Sphere in return using Mimic to create and fire the same attack before they went on the attack again. "Use Shadow Claw and Drain Punch together!"
"Force Palm and Detect!" spoke Mustard, smirking as he noticed Mai getting worn out as she and Mienshao kept on trading blows, her stamina depleting slowly as the fight drove on until he found an opening. "High Jump Kick!"
"Mien!" nodded Mienshao, dodging a Shadow Claw thrown at her before she jumped.
Then, she spun around counter-clockwise as she twisted her body to the left, and picked up her right leg before she landed a hit on a shocked Mai on the head and threw her back again with her High Jump Kick attack. The heavy blow from Mienshao caused Mai to bang her head on the ground as she was thrown back and skidded to Sarah before the little Mimikyu was shown to be knocked out, groaning from her head hurting and spinning from the blow.
"Pika!"
"Mai, oh no!" cried Riolu and Blitz in horror as they brought her over to Sarah.
"Mai, you okay?" asked Sarah worriedly, getting only a pained groan from her Mimikyu.
Sarah just gave a sad smile, knowing that she lost the first round. She then noticed Mienshao panting heavily as she smirked, waiting for her next challenger to take her on after she knocked Mai out of the fight.
"You did great, Mai. Just take a good rest," she said, returning Mai to her Pokeball.
The students were in awe to see Mustard and Sarah evenly matched for a period but even more so for their master and Mienshao having shown their true strength and clinching the first round as a result.
"Impressive job, you and your little Mimikyu, Sarah. But, you'll have to do better than that if you want to beat Mienshao and move forward," complemented Mustard with a smirk. "Victory seems to smile on me for this one and it's been a while since I've faced an opponent such as you... My blood's boiling over so after that little showy display, it's time for you to show me what you're really made of from the training given to you!"
"I intend to," nodded Sarah as she sent out her next Pokemon onto the field for Round 2. "Let's do it, Noctowl!"
"Hoot-Hoot!" hooted Noctowl as he got into a battle stance and awaited Mienshao's first move against him.
"A Noctowl, eh? Let's see how your wise old bird can stand against Mienshao's Kung Fu Power! Mienshao, attack with Swift!"
"Noctowl, counter Swift with Air Slash!"
"Mien...SHAO!"
"Hoot...HOOT!" screamed the two Pokemon as their Swift and Air Slash attacks collided in a stalemate before they exploded and a smoke cloud breaks in.
This gave Sarah and Noctowl the opportunity to follow up with a surprise attack to make a comeback. "Noctowl, divebomb and use Wing Attack!" shouted Sarah again.
"Detect and High Jump Kick!" blurted Mustard, eying another opening for him and his evolved Martial Arts Pokemon to attack.
But, this proved to be a mistake because as soon as Mienshao jumped to meet with Noctowl to kick him and knock him to the ground... "Confusion!"
Mustard and Mienshao gasped in shock as Noctowl smirked and charged up his horns and fired a blue psychic energy ray that is Confusion at the Martial Arts Pokemon and landed a hard hit, causing her to scream in pain over her and her master falling for Noctowl's previous feint and meeting the Psychic Type attack in full force. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she dropped back onto the ground and got swirls in her eyes, knocked out hard by the Confusion attack.
"You did it! That was great, Noctowl!" cheered Sarah as Riolu, Hashimoto, and Blitz did the same with Ching Wan and Charmander nodding in approval.
Mustard, taken aback from having fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the Pokemon battle playbook, sighed with a smile as he returned Mienshao to her Pokeball. "Thank you, Mienshao, you fought well," he softly congratulated his Martial Arts Pokemon.
He then looked to Sarah with an impressed smile and readying another Pokeball for his second Pokemon while she returned Noctowl for another battle. "Hmm, I see you finally got your fundamentals down pat but I should warn you, fundamentals alone won't cut it! Especially since my next friend here is gonna rock you!" he told her, sending out a Midday Lycanroc to fight.
"Roc!" growled Lycanroc, preparing to fight using what looks to be the Dog Style.
"So, it's going to be a Lycanroc battle this time, huh? Let's rocket, Luna!" said Sarah, bringing out her Midnight Lycanroc.
"Roooo!" howled Luna, before he got into a battle stance to fight his fellow Lycanroc with a challenging smirk.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! A battle of the Lycanroc, let's see how you build up from the fundamentals you've set up in our previous battle and rate it in our fight! Lycanroc, Accelerock!"
"Roc...!" cried Lycanroc, charging forward towards Luna at blinding speed.
"Use Counter to break it, Luna!" called Sarah, issuing a literal counterattack.
"ROC!" bellowed Luna as he pet Lycanroc's Accelerock with Counter and they pushed back against each other before the Midnight Lycanroc forced his Midday counterpart back.
From the full strength of Counter, Lycanroc did stumble and tumble while skidding back to Mustard but he held his ground after getting his footing and slowing to a stop, smirking from seeing a true challenger in his own Midnight counterpart.
"Lycanroc, Rock Slide! Go!" Upon Mustard's next command, Lycanroc unleashed a huge flurry of rocks onto Luna with Rock Slide.
"Use Protect to defend yourself and use Bite!" shouted Sarah, allowing Luna to bring up his shield to block the Rock Slide attack before he charged forward with his Dark Type attack ready.
"Sand Atack then Bite back at him!" shouted Mustard immediately.
Lycanroc, waiting until Luna got in close for the kill, swiftly used Sand Attack to blind him and while he yelped in pain from the sand he tried to rub off from his eyes, he landed another blow at his neck with Bite. The force of the Bite forced Luna to thrash around to try and pry Lycanroc off of him but to no avail as he kept holding on with the intent of tiring the Midnight-Form Wolf Pokemon out and then knocking him out when given the chance.
"He's not going to last much longer as long as Lycanroc continues to grab on to him!" cried Hashimoto in alarm.
"Do something, Mommy!" Riolu agreed.
"I know just how to get him off and win it! Luna, time to let yourself with Outrage!" shouted Sarah, knowing how to help Luna.
Despite feeling the pain from Lycanroc's Bite, Luna looked towards his foster mother and nodded before he howled loudly and a red aura came over him. The sight of the surge of power from the Dragon Type attack caused Lycanroc to let go in surprise from seeing his fellow Rock Type use it and as it was dumbfounded, Luna charged forward and gave a hard backhand swipe with his right paw using his left as a feint.
"Now, go for Accelerock!"
"You use Accelerock, too, Lycanroc!" bellowed Sarah and Mustard together.
Soon, the battle shifted to a match of speed as both Rock Types charged forward and clashed using their species' signature Rock Type attack, leaving none of them on either side with a chance to come up with a counterattack. At first, they were both evenly matched as with Mai and Mienshao but because of the power surge Luna got from Outrage, he was able to overpower Lycanroc and pummel him with a final Counter and knock him out quickly.
"RRRROOOOOOO!" howled Luna in victory, seeing his downed Wolf Pokemon opponent and causing the impressed students to cheer for Sarah.
"Nice one, Luna!" called Sarah, getting a proud thumbs-up from Dusk's elder brother.
Mustard was once again impressed with how Sarah fared against him with Lycanroc on his side of the field for Round 2 and he couldn't help but feel even more excited as he returned his Rock Type and congratulated it for a good battle.
"Very well done, Sarah, a fine piece of work and a sturdy performance with your Lycanroc," he commended as he then took out his third Pokeball. "But, I doubt you'll be able to hold your own with just your fundamentals and your balance once you get a charge out of this one!"
He threw the Pokeball and it opened to reveal a Luxray which was actually Mustard's Shinx from Sarah's Master Dojo entry battle with him. "Lux, Luxray!" challenged Luxray.
"A Luxray, that must've been his Shinx Riolu battled from this morning. He must've trained it for this battle if he got it to its full strength and final form," thought Sarah as she took out her next Pokeball with her third Pokeball after returning Luna. "I know this is gonna be crazy but there's no harm in trying."
"Candy, let's go!" The princess threw her Pokeball and revealed Candy, who got into a battle stance and faced the smirking Luxray.
The Gleam Eyes Pokemon saw that his opponent for Round 3 is a Shiny Ampharos and despite being a fellow Electric Type, he doesn't plan on going easy on Candy just because she's a girl if the smirk she returned was any indicator. Riolu and Blitz, however, gawked as they didn't know why Sarah would even bother to pit Candy against Luxray since she was an Electric Type. Even though Riolu was really happy to see Candy battle, she couldn't understand why she would be chosen to fight against a fellow Electric Type like Mustard's Gleam Eyes Pokemon.
"Mommy, are you crazy?! You're using Candy to fight Luxray in this one and that's bad, bad, bad!" ranted Riolu, throwing a fit.
"What are you talking about?" asked Sarah, confused by how peeved Riolu and Blitz were.
Blitz facepalmed from her answer. "Pika, Pikachu, Pi, Pika, Pi, Pikachu, Pika, Pika, Pi, Pi! Pikachu, Pi, Pika, Pi, Pi-Pi-Pi, Pikachu, Pi-Pika!" Blitz ranted, telling Sarah the group doesn't know what to do if she went through with having an Electric Type fight against another Electric Type.
"Did she seriously choose an Electric Pokemon to fight Luxray, bro?" asked Hashimoto, tilting his head in confusion at Sarah's preferred Pokemon of choice.
"She did, Hashi. But, I don't understand why she would even pull a crazy move such as this. Electric Types don't fare well against one another and you think she'd take small things like Pokemon Types into consideration even if it's unimportant from the get-go," nodded Ching Wan, also not getting Sarah's next plan of action.
"Oh, I see, Electric vs. Electric... A duel between the Johto Spark Pokemon and the Sinnoh Gleam Eyes Pokemon, let's see how your spark can fare against my gleaming eyes!" mused Mustard as he got into a battle stance again. "Luxray, combine Crunch and Thunder Fang for...Thunder Crunch!"
"Lux!" shouted Luxray, charging forward as he prepared to bite down on Candy using Crunch and Thunder Fang in a combo.
"Iron Tail defense then toss him back!" countered Sarah.
"Ros!" nodded Candy, her tail turning into iron before she charged forward and stuck it out, causing Luxray to bite into it.
While a little bit of damage came from Crunch, Candy held firm as she resisted the Thunder Fang attack and proceeded to spin around like a top before she threw the male Electric Type back towards Mustard and he skidded before he got back on his paws to fight again.
"Luxray, Wild Charge! Let's go!" screamed Mustard, pointing to Candy in a Snake Style stance with his right hand like a snake's tongue.
The Gleam Eyes Pokemon glared hard at Candy before he charged again and blue electricity started to build up and coat him before he became like a running electric lion comet at the Shiny Spark Pokemon. Candy glared back at him while she waited for Sarah's next command to counter or defend against Wild Charge.
"Take it head-on, Candy!"
Candy nodded firmly before she braced herself and took on the Wild Charge, the force of the blow causing her to strain herself as she blocked with all her might and pushed back against Luxray. While she was able to resist the Electric Type power from Wild Charge, the force from Luxray's strongest attack was so great, she felt some considerable amount of pain as she held him back. The two Electric Pokemon growled, straining to push back and overpower one or the other until either of their trainers makes the deciding move.
"Combine Dragon Pulse and Power Gem to make Power Pulse!" commanded the princess quickly, issuing for another combo attack.
"Ampha...ROS!" bellowed Candy, eventually pushing Luxray back and preparing her combo attack, which Mustard noticed as he gasped in shock.
"Luxray, get out of there! Now!" he warned quickly.
But, it was too late; by the time Luxray had noticed and started to halt his attack, Candy had already created her Power Gem and merged it with Dragon Type energy from Dragon Pulse. Then, without warning, she shoved it at his face and blasted him back, causing him to be thrown back to Mustard and tumble while he looked a little singed from taking the combo attack at close range.
"Oh, now I remember! Candy has a diverse move set and Mommy's using it to her advantage!" Riolu realized as she watched.
"Wow, so she compensates Type similarities with varied move sets," put in Hashimoto.
"So, even if she has the same type of Pokemon on her, it wouldn't matter given how many different moves she has under her belt besides her Electric Type attacks," agreed Ching Wan, impressed.
"Pika, Pikachu, Pi, Pi, Pika, Pika, Pikachu, Pika," nodded Blitz but also noting Candy panting from having to exert herself using her previous combo attack to counter Luxray's Wild Charge and the damage she took from its force.
"Candy's really using a lot of energy to use that last combo attack but even with that and the recoil damage Luxray took from Wild Charge, it still landed a hard hit no matter how hard she resisted it," thought Sarah, planning out her next move. "If Master somehow intended that to wear her out, I know fully know that he's not the Dojo Master for nothing. I better watch my step before he pulls a fast one on me and my Pokemon."
"Well, well, well, Dragon Pulse, eh...? Not a common move for your Ampharos' species, impressive work on having her learn it," said Mustard, voicing his approval before attacking again. "But, let's see if she can back up that one as easily! Luxray, charge with Iron Tail!"
"Grab his tail!" shouted Sarah, pointing at Luxray's tail.
Candy reached out and grabbed his tail just as it was about to hit but when it looked like it would be over for the Gleam Eyes Pokemon, he smirked devilishly as he dropped and dug his front left paw into the ground which caught the Shiny Ampharos off guard over what he's smirking about.
"Not so fast, Sarah! Always remember, the hand is quicker than the eye! Sand Attack, Luxray!" smirked Mustard, allowing Luxray to bust up sand at Candy.
The first clump missed as she dodged but the second clump, which Luxray dug up after, landed in her eyes which blinded her and caused her to cough, trying to get it off her and she could get her vision back. The unexpected comeback from the Sinnoh Electric Type caused the other students to cheer for their master again.
"Ah! You okay, Candy?!" gasped Sarah in shock.
"Candy!" cried Riolu, gawking in horror.
"Now, feel the wrath of Luxray, the Gleam Eyes Pokemon! Luxray, Hyper Beam!" called Mustard.
"Lux...RAY!" howled Luxray, charging up a Hyper Beam and then firing it towards Candy, hoping to claim the round as soon as she got the sand out of her eyes.
"Candy, look out!" shouted Sarah, seeing the Hyper Beam coming at her Ampharos.
Gasping as he finally saw the Hyper Beam, Candy was forced to use Discharge at the last minute to counter before the stalemate came just within a few feet from her and an explosion happened, throwing Candy back as she squealed from the shockwave that followed and tumbled back to her trainer's side.
"Candy!"
"No!"
"Pika!"
"Get up!" screamed Sarah, Riolu, Blitz, and Hashimoto, seeing Candy standing but on her last legs after nearly being beaten by Luxray's Hyper Beam.
Charmander and Ching Wan watched with narrowed eyes, seeing that things were already heating up for Sarah.
"Aw, man! I wasn't ready for that Hyper Beam, at all!" she groaned, taking out a Pokeball. "I never thought Mustard could teach Shinx how to use it after evolving, I need us to fight on equal ground, fast!"
"You did good, Candy! Return, for now!" she called, returning Candy to her Pokeball.
"Ampha!" cried Candy, pointing to her Ampharosite and not wanting to quit now.
Sarah shook her head, not wanting to waste their next chance of Mega Evolution after the beating she took nor being in the mood to argue. "I understand how you feel but we need a new plan! I'll Mega Evolve you in due time but not now," she replied adamantly.
Candy didn't want to pack it in until another match when she'll be needed, especially when she still has her ace in the hole in her Mega Evolution. But, looking at Sarah and seeing her eye-to-eye, she could tell that the princess has another plan in store and she needed her to trust her on what she has to do in order to get far into the battle without being reckless and to use Mega Evolution only as a last resort. To Sarah, this was not the right time for her to use her power. Not to mention, she barely made it out of that Hyper Beam's way and Sarah and her family could tell she was really being worn down and would need a rest before she could fight again.
So, nodding reluctantly, Candy accepted and she was returned to her Pokeball until she would be needed again. This caught Mustard's interest as he chuckled over what her new plan would be.
"He-ha-ha! My, you're returning your sparkling dragon for another time! And, after seeing Luxray use his Hyper Beam, I'm guessing you want to change the game again," Mustard replied, seeing what she was doing. "Ready to pack it in?"
"As if, Candy got the ball rolling earlier and thanks to her, Luxray's all ripe and ready to lose this one! Go, Latios! Fight!" she bellowed, sending out the elder Eon Pokemon.
"Laaaa!" cooed Latios, getting both surprised and amazed calls and murmurs from the students on the sidelines.
"Ah, the Legendary Latios of the Eon Duo, good choice. I've always wondered what it would be like to battle another Legendary Pokemon such as him. Luxray, Discharge!"
"Dodge it, Latios!"
Seeing the Discharge attack coming, Latios dodged with grace and ease as he made use of his speed before Sarah issued another attack for him. "Go, Giga Impact!"
As Luxray roared and launched another Discharge, Latios charged himself up with intense energy and coated himself with an energy ball before taking the Electric Type attack head-on and bashing at Luxray, sending him skidding back again.
"Well played, Sarah, but not enough to take us down! Luxray, Hyper Beam once more!" bellowed Mustard.
"Lux...RAY!" shouted Luxray again, using his strongest attack.
"Not so fast! Latios, disappear!" Sarah blasted, allowing Latios to use his invisibility and dodge the Hyper Beam attack.
Because Latios was able to use his invisibility and hide himself from Luxray and Mustard's sights, the Hyper Beam ended up striking the wall of the cliff face bordering the Battle Court. Mustard and Luxray were immediately shocked over the elder Eon Pokemon's ability and even the students and Honey all gasped in surprise from the unexpected development.
"No way, he's gone!" gawked Mustard.
"Lux, Luxray, Lux?" gasped Luxray, looking around for Latios.
"He just vanished!" Hashimoto cried in shock.
"I can't see him! How'd he do that?!" puzzled Ching Wan in bewilderment.
"Latios and his sister showed me while we were training one time before we came to Galar," smiled Sarah in response. "I learned that they can enfold their bodies in their glass-like down, refracting light in order to make them appear invisible. So, your master and Luxray can't hit Latios if they can't see him."
"Okay, I was not expecting that, at all! Mind giving us a warning on that if you pit us against him and his sister?" quipped Hashimoto.
"Where's the fun in that?"
"We don't want to be taken by surprise if you pull that wild card on us at any time, that's all," put in Ching Wan.
"Be careful, Luxray, and keep a sharp eye out!" warned Mustard. "He's a formidable opponent so watch your back!"
Heeding his trainer's words, Luxray sniffed around for any sign of the Shiny Dragon/Psychic Type hoping to find him and catch him off guard before he was attacked and knocked out of the match.
"Luster Purge, Latios!" called Sarah, causing Luxray to narrow his eyes around for any sign of Latios.
But, what he didn't realize was that Latios was up in the sky and charged his signature attack to full power, the luminous glow causing Mustard to look up and gasp in shock and disbelief that his and Luxray's current opponent had played them with his invisibility.
"Luxray, above you!" Mustard shouted.
Luxray looked up but he gasped in shock as he saw Latios' Luster Purge primed and ready. "Laaaaaa!" cooed Latios loudly as he finally chucked it down, making the Gleam Eyes Pokemon scream in panic as it made contact and he disappeared in a cloud of dust and wind amidst a large explosion.
When the dust finally settled, everyone could see that Latios had hit his mark with Luxray groaning with his eyes closed and feeling the force of Luster Purge on him as he failed to get up.
"Round 3, on us!" proclaimed Sarah proudly, giving Luxray a thumbs-down.
"Yeah! Go, Uncle Latios!" cheered Riolu.
Latios cooed proudly as well, having proven himself a worthy opponent against Luxray, whom Mustard returned with a proud smile to his defeated Gleam Eyes Pokemon.
"You battled admirably, Luxray," smiled Mustard before he smirked towards Sarah, continuing to be impressed by what she had shown him. "Well done, Sarah, I'm impressed! You've managed to beat three of my Pokemon and you've only lost one on your end, not an easy feat for anybody to do when my crew and I are at full strength for battles like this."
"What can I say, we've learned from each other for so long, it's kinda like second nature to us," replied Sarah, Latios nodding in agreement with a coo.
"Well then, let's see how you can handle my Dragon King and come out on top!" Mustard smirked as he sent out a Kommo-o.
"A Kommo-o, huh? Come on back, Latios! You did great, buddy" called Sarah, returning Latios to his Pokeball before bringing out her next Pokemon. "Let's dazzle this guy, Ponyta!"
"Neigh!" yelled Ponyta as she appeared and prepared to fight, her Everstone still safely secure by her necklace.
The sight of the little Unique Horn Pokemon took the students and Honey by surprise as they all gasped in bewilderment at seeing Ponyta preparing to take on Mustard's Kommo-o.
"Oh, my!" gasped Honey.
Their surprise and bewilderment is also mirrored by Hashimoto and Ching Wan, the latter reeling back in shock over Sarah's choice for her next Pokemon.
"Whoa, whoa, hold up! A tiny horse, what good will it do against Shi-Fu's Kommo-o?" gawked the Single-Strike Style Urshifu. "That guy's a beast and he'll roast it before it could have a chance to fight!"
He was met with an indignant "Neigh!" from Ponyta before she quickly galloped to him and bucked him in the stomach with a yelp from him before she went back to her original position, making the poor older Wushu Pokemon wince in pain and regret his choice of words as he hunched down on his hands and knees.
"Ow... Okay, that hurt," he groaned, wheezing from Ponyta's angry buck.
"She says she's tough and don't call her 'tiny'," translated Riolu, deadpanning.
"Yeah, Bro, you really should shut up right now," agreed Hashimoto, also deadpanning at his brother while Mustard looked on with intrigue again.
"Interesting, a Galarian Ponyta, eh? Quite an odd choice coming from you but I've a feeling she's more than meets the eye if she's able to prove her metal to Ching Wan like that. Let's get it on! Kommo-o, kick it off with Close Combat!"
"Counter with Dazzling Gleam!"
Kommo-o ran forward as he traded punches, kicks, and tail swings at Ponyta while the little Psychic/Fairy Type glowed all over as she returned his assault with her numerous charges, the two of them being equal in strength despite Ponyta's smaller size.
But, because Kommo-o is a Dragon Type and given how Dragon Types don't take took kindly with the power of Fairy Types and Fairy Type attacks, Ponyta did manage to get some hard blows on him. It was clear that the immense training she undertook with her foster family along with her brother allowed Ponyta to be as formidable as she can be. Surprisingly, even though he was weak to Fairy Pokemon like Ponyta, Kommo-o held his ground as they continued to trade blows as if her Dazzling Gleam attacks were like annoying bug bites from his own training to withstand attacks like Dazzling Gleam for a period.
"Kom, Kommo, Kommo, Kom, Kom!" smirked Kommo-o as the two of them get into a deadlock.
"Neigh, Neigh, Neigh!" Ponyta retorted, smirking in return before they pushed each other back as Dazzling Gleam finally exploded.
By now, the damage done to both Pokemon should've resulted in either one fainting from exhaustion but neither Ponyta nor Kommo-o are more likely to throw in the towel as they looked ready to continue fighting.
"We gotta win this, Ponyta! Psybeam!" called Sarah, seeing that she needs to get an edge up on the battle.
Heeding her call, Ponyta charged up her horn with Psychic energy before she blasted at the Scaly Pokemon. Kommo-o, however, braced himself as he prepared to strike back no matter what attack he uses to counter Psybeam.
"Defend yourself with Clanging Scales!" shouted Mustard finally.
"Kommo!" nodded the Scaly Pokemon as he rubbed his scales together.
Rubbing his scales all over his body created a loud and painful noise that forced nearly everyone to try and cover their ears so they don't end up going deaf from his attack, even Ching Wan and Hashimoto were forced to endure the clanging as they groaned from their ears being assaulted and not even Pikachu and Riolu withstand the excessive noise. Only Charmander seemed to be unaffected by it given the training he had with his fellow Kanto Starters prior to being given to Sarah as he watched.
To Kommo-o's surprise, Ponyta was unaffected by his greatest attack as she continued to fire, her Psybeam clashing against the sonic waves generated by Clanging Scales before it broke through and landed a hit on the larger and older Scaly Pokemon. This was the perfect opportunity for her to strike again while he was disorientated.
"Use High Horsepower!" bellowed Sarah, pointing at Kommo-o.
Running like a bulldozer as she charged herself up with Ground Type energy, Ponyta made her way to the larger Dragon Type, neighing loudly as she knocked him back but at the cost of nearly pushing herself to her limits just to force him a few feet back to his trainer. Kommo-o smirked; he knows now that Ponyta is a force to be reckoned with on her own right despite her tiny size and her unwillingness to evolve when he took a glance at her Everstone.
"Kom-Kom Kommo-o, Kom," complimented the Scaly Pokemon, getting into another battle stance as he panted.
"Very good, Sarah, I see you've trained your Ponyta diligently if she was able to withstand Clanging Scales," chuckled Mustard before he made a few more battle poses and glared expectantly. "But, it'll take more than raw power for her to pass this next match! Kommo-o, Boomburst, now!"
"Kommo...OOOOOO!" screamed Kommo, howling with more powerful soundwaves coming from him.
This time, unlike before with Clanging Scales, the sonic-wave attack managed to nail Ponyta as she was blasted back with a squeal, tumbling back as she became disorientated by Kommo-o's latest attack in turn.
"Ponyta!" cried Sarah in shock.
"Pika!" gasped Blitz.
"You okay, Ponyta?" fretted Riolu.
Ponyta neighed reassuringly as she panted but just by looking at her current condition, she was anything but all right. The Boomburst attack from the Scaly Pokemon landed a good hit on her and because she had exerted herself using a powerful Psybeam and High Horsepower soon after, she wasn't able to anticipate and dodge Kommo-o's renewed assault.
Mustard laughed, feeling impressed as he watched Ponyta stagger on her hooves, also being on her last legs as Mai had been in the first round. "Wow, color me impressed, dear! I must say, your Ponyta's got guts to stand again after being hit by that Boomburst but now it's over," he said, looking towards Kommo-o for his next command.
"Kommo-o, Aura Sphere!"
"Kom!" agreed Kommo-o, preparing to finish the fight in one blast.
"Mommy, Aura Sphere's one of the strongest attacks a Fighting Pokemon has!" warned Riolu.
"Char, Charmander, Charman, Char, Charmander, Char, Char," nodded Charmander, telling Sarah she'll need to act fast if she and Ponyta were to win.
As Sarah thought hard, Kommo-o immediately charged up his Aura Sphere before he eyed Ponyta, who was glaring back at him and not vowing to lose to him no matter what it takes for her to be beaten.
"Kommo, Kommo-o," smiled Kommo-o slyly, the Scaly Pokemon finally throwing his Aura Sphere at Ponyta.
"Kick it back then use Moonblast at full power!" shouted Sarah, making one last-ditch effort to win the battle.
Neighing again, Ponyta reared back and immediately bucked the Aura Sphere back before she turned and prepared a final attack in Moonblast. But, at that moment when Aura Sphere looked like it would hit Kommo-o, the Scaly Pokemon used Close Combat to punch his previous attack back just as the little Unique Horn Pokemon fired her Fairy Type attack, a large ball of Fairy Pokemon energy traveling towards Kommo-o.
Suddenly, just as they looked like they were about to collide with each other, in their haste to land perfect hits with their final attacks and the growing exhaustion that followed, Ponyta and Kommo-o ended up shooting at each other as planned but their spheres scraped each other on the surface before they traveled towards their intended targets. The two of them gasped in shock before they were blasted by each other's attacks, letting out pained screams as a large smoke cloud coated the field.
"Ponyta, no!"
"Kommo-o!" gasped Mustard and Sarah in bewilderment.
The others also gasped as they didn't expect the two attacks to connect at the same time, they wondered who would emerge victorious in the battle and who would be the Pokemon to fall. When the smoke finally cleared, everyone saw that Ponyta and Kommo-o were still standing and they both panted heavily, looking as though they both survived their final assaults. The two Pokemon eyed each other with determined glares and eventually, they sent appreciative smirks to each other before they both groaned and passed out. The results of the battle before everyone were no less stunning as the students and Honey gasped in awe.
"I don't believe it!" Hashimoto gawked in shock.
"They're both out cold!" flustered Ching Wan in surprise.
"So, that means..." began Sarah.
"It's a draw, a well-deserved draw," sighed Mustard with a smile, returning Kommo-o to his Pokeball. "Well done, Kommo-o, you've made your old man proud."
"Thanks a lot, girl. That was your best battle yet," smiled Sarah, returning her exhausted Unique Horn Pokemon.
"That battle took a lot out of her," Riolu put in.
"Pika, Pikachu, Pika, Pi, Pikachu," nodded Blitz, noting that she still managed to knock out Kommo-o despite the match being a draw.
"That only leaves two of Shi-Fu's Pokemon for you guys to fight but it's best you don't underestimate them if one of them's who I think it is," Ching Wan warned.
"No doubt one of them's going to be saved as the best for last," agreed Hashimoto as he looked at Mustard preparing his fifth Pokemon warily.
"Four Pokemon in a row: two victories, one loss, one draw... Not something you get to brag about every day," mused Mustard. "You've really shown how much you've learned, Sarah! But, it's time to see how you and your Pokemon do when my next bad boy takes to the skies!"
He threw his fifth Pokeball and it opened to reveal a Corviknight, looking primed and battle-ready for its own match.
"A Corviknight... I know just the Pokemon to take care of you," Sarah thought, bringing out an Ultra Ball. "Come on, Calyrex, let's get in gear!"
To the shock of everyone gathered barring Hashimoto and Ching Wan (who have met him and his steeds earlier), Calyrex, in his full splendor with his Shadow Rider Form apparent for all to see, emerged from the Ultra Ball holding him and Spectrier to fight Mustard. The Dojo Master was amazed from seeing the King of Bountiful Harvests before him and his students and wife. He had heard tales of Calyrex before throughout his life but he had never seen him until Sarah brought him out to do battle with him, Corviknight, and his final Pokemon. Even the students' partner Pokemon gawked in absolute shock over seeing the ruler of the Crown Tundra before them and beyond his domain under Sarah's ownership.
"Wicked Wiles, the King of Bountiful Harvests, he really does exist..." he breathed, fascinated from seeing the High King Pokemon in the flesh.
"No way!"
"The King!"
"The King of Bountiful Harvests!"
"Calyrex!"
"Jinkies!"
"Zoinks!"
"Jeepers!"
"It's him!"
"The legends are true, he really does exist!"
"Is that one of his steeds?!"
"It is!"
"It's Spectrier, the Legendary Swift Horse Pokemon! "exclaimed the students in shock and awe.
"Unbelievable..." breathed Honey, completely awestruck.
Sensing his father and brother being sent out to fight, Glastrier immediately came out of his own Ultra Ball out of his own fruition to watch them battle, which took Ching Wan and Hashimoto as well as Charmander, Blitz, and Riolu by surprise. The sight of Glastrier caused the students, their Pokemon, and Honey to reel back in shock again; they saw that Calyrex and his sons were both in Sarah's hands. Something that could be considered impossible since many people in all of Galar still didn't know about him.
"A Corviknight, Master Mustard... Sarah, is this what I think it is?" questioned Calyrex, turning to Sarah.
"That's right, Calyrex, this is your and Spectrier's first-ever official battle against another trainer," replied Sarah, nodding to her Psychic/Ghost Type. "This is our final battle with Mustard and he went all-in with six Pokemon but he's more formidable than we expected since he took out Mai on the first round and Ponyta earlier in a draw."
"I see, I'm guessing from the blasts my sons and I heard outside our Ultra Balls, you and your chosen Pokemon were having it rough with your master."
"That would be an understatement, especially since we're two Pokemon away from ultimate victory. We're going up against Corviknight this time so I figured you should be the one to take it down and challenge Mustard's last Pokemon."
"Well, if that's what you want from me, my boy and I will, as you humans would say, 'fight until we drop'. Shall we begin, son?"
"Shhhiiieeeeegggghhhhhh!" neighed Spectrier proudly, rearing on his hind legs and bucking with his front legs as he eyed Corviknight, effectively challenging the Raven Pokemon to fight him and his father.
Corviknight smirked and cawed back, accepting Spectrier's challenge and bracing himself to begin their battle before Mustard's grand finale should he be beaten.
"I guess my boy's response answers that, Princess," said Calyrex, steeling himself as well. "Let's go!"
"Brriiicceee!" cheered Glastrier, getting a reassuring smile and nod from his older brother.
"Corviknight, take the King down with Air Slash!" began Mustard, making the first move again as the Raven Pokemon sent several glowing shards of air at Calyrex and Spectrier.
"Spectrier, Calyrex, Shadow Ball plus Agility!" shouted Sarah.
"Right!" nodded Calyrex, increasing his and Spectrier's speed before the latter shot a Shadow Ball as it countered Air Slash before they exploded in a stalemate.
"Corviknight, Brave Bird!" Upon Mustard's second command, Corviknight coated himself in pure energy as he rose up and dove down towards his royal opponents.
"Now, Astral Barrage!"
"Coming right up!"
Anticipating Corviknight and his Brave Bird attack pummeling down at them, Spectrier and Calyrex charged themselves up with Ghost Type energy and fired several ghostly objects at him. Corviknight took a heavy beating from the objects being thrown at him but he persevered until he finally connected and they were blasted back towards their respective trainers, the former also taking some recoil damage from Brave Bird's immense power.
All the while, Honey, the students, and the Pokemon gathered could only watch in stunned silence and fascination over Calyrex's full power as the High King Pokemon in his Shadow Rider Form. Corviknight was also impressed as he gave an approving smile before he smirked with a determined glare again.
"Caww, Cawww!" he screeched in acknowledgment.
"Never expected less from the King himself! You've shown us your signature attack in your Shadow Rider Form, Your Highness, now meet Corviknight's Sky Attack!" put in Mustard as he pointed at and directed his Flying/Steel Type towards him. "And, don't forget his Hone Claws and Screech attacks!"
"CAAAAAAWWWWWW!" screeched Corviknight, unleashing his Screech attack and causing everyone to cover their ears and scream in pain as they winced from the deafening noise.
"TOO LOUD!"
"AHH, MY EARS!"
"WHAT ARE BIRDMAN'S LUNGS MADE OUT OF, LITERAL IRON?" screamed Riolu, Hashimoto, and Ching Wan.
"CHAR, CHAR, CHARMANDER?" snapped Charmander incredulously at Ching Wan.
"PIKA, PIKACHU, PI, PI!" snapped Blitz, not wanting an argument to stop.
"BRRRIIIICCCEEEEEE!" bellowed Glastrier, unable to take in the noise.
"CALYREX! ARE YOU HOLDING OUT?" called Sarah amidst Corviknight's continued Screech as his Hone Claws attack powered him up and he charged at full speed.
"I'm all right, Princess! But, Corviknight is more formidable than I first thought-AGH!" replied Calyrex, trying to stick it out with Spectrier before they were soon hit.
"CALYREX! SPECTRIER, NO!" screamed Sarah, shocked after realizing she, Calyrex, and Spectrier let their guard down.
"Nice work, Corviknight, now loop around and repeat Sky Attack!" shouted Mustard (who was unaffected by Screech from his immense training), allowing his Raven Pokemon to do the same attack as he came 'round in a circle which the princess noticed.
"CALYREX, SPECTRIER, WE GOTTA BREAK CORVIKNIGHT'S SKY ATTACK! TRY TO DODGE AS HE AND USE DARK PULSE ONCE HE PASSES THROUGH AGAIN!"
"Got it!" nodded Calyrex, followed by a nod and loud snort from Spectrier.
Eying Corviknight as he came around again for another hard pass with Sky Attack, the High King and the Swift Horse Pokemon anticipated their powerful opponent's next shot, waiting for the chance to make their move on Sarah's signal. With every passing second, Corviknight got closer and closer as he continued to use his Screech attack to keep throwing them off. But, they've managed to withstand the pain from their ears constantly ringing from Screech, and when they saw the Raven Pokemon coming at a close enough range within their striking distance...
"...NOW!"
"Go, son!" When Corviknight was finally within ten feet, Spectrier took everyone by surprise as he charged forward and jumped into the air, managing to dodge Sky Attack and causing Corviknight to become flustered and cancel Screech, squawking and flapping frantically as he tried to stop before... "Dark Pulse, Spectrier!"
Heeding his father's signal, Spectrier fired a cluster of Dark Type energy toward Corviknight's back, making him spiral out of control before he crash-landed and gave the Swift Horse Pokemon and Calyrex another chance to attack.
"He's down! Double Kick now, Spectrier, go!" said Sarah, seeing their chance.
Neighing again and seizing his and Calyrex's opportunity, Spectrier charged towards the downed Corviknight as he quickly recovered and noticed them coming. "Corviknight, Iron Head defense!" cried Mustard.
Squawking defiantly, not wanting to lose and disappoint his trainer, Corviknight nodded after getting back on his talons and flew at blinding speed with his head immediately turning into iron. Just as they were at close range, Spectrier snorted as he skidded to a stop and blocked him with his head as he lowered it before tossing him up, which left the Raven Pokemon in shock again as he squawked in bewilderment and canceled his Iron Head attack. Thus, giving the Swift Horse Pokemon the chance to return to Sarah's side and use Double Kick to force him back to Mustard.
"What, oh no!" gawked Mustard, stupified. "How'd he do that?!"
"Psyche out!" cheered Riolu, now laughing along with Blitz as they watched Corviknight flail in a right state.
"Made you look, Sensei!" sniggered Hashimoto, finding Corviknight's predicament funny as well.
"You should've known that head buck was a feint, Brother!" snarked Ching Wan to Corviknight with a smirk, his arms crossed as he watched.
Mustard chuckled; he had to admit his former pupils had a point. "You, your ghostly steed, and Sarah never cease to amaze me ever since we started this round, Your Highness. I suspect you and Spectrier were brilliantly intelligent enough to use Corviknight's fighting position against him when he used Sky Attack and Iron Head," he complimented the High King Pokemon.
"I'm honored by your praise, Master Mustard. You could say that my boys and I have learned a lot before I lost much of my power over the years and faded into legend as a result of that and so much more. And, that was before I met Sarah days ago when she helped me break free of my endless prison of loneliness and reunited me with my steeds," replied Calyrex, bowing politely to the Dojo Master in response before he looked fondly at the little princess.
"I can see how much of a change she's made in you and it's most certainly for the better," agreed Mustard before he smirked again. "But, you'll have to do more to beat Corviknight here!"
"I intend to!"
"Good, then let's have at it! Corviknight, Brave Bird, again!"
"CAAAAAWWWWWWW!" screeched Corviknight again as he charged forward again, hoping to make another mark on Calyrex.
"Steady... Wait for it," warned Sarah, getting a nod from the King of Bountiful Harvests as he held his Reins of Unity.
The two of them and Spectrier eyed Corviknight as he made his way to them at full speed and as a burst of energy again. Finally, when the Raven Pokemon is at a close-enough range to attack, that moment was when Sarah made her move.
"Calyrex, Spectrier, Phantom Force, go!" shouted Sarah.
"On it!" nodded Calyrex with a neigh from Spectrier, both of them vanishing from sight with their combined Ghost Pokemon energy and causing the Raven Pokemon to gawk in shock and cancel his attack, stopping at the spot where he saw them vanish.
"They disappeared, where are they?" thought Mustard, looking around along with Corviknight for the High King Pokemon and his Ghost Type steed.
But, while they were keeping their eyes and ears open for their royal opponents, Calyrex and Spectrier appeared from one of the Raven Pokemon's blind spots, which Mustard noticed as they began to attack with Spectrier using Double Kick in a sneak attack.
"Corviknight!" he screamed in shock.
Corviknight turned upon hearing his master's call but he was too late as he gasped and his eyes widened; he was too slow to react in time to the unexpected Fighting Type attack as he was bucked hard. The damage he took from Double Kick, coupled with the recoil damage he had endured from Brave Bird and Sky Attack, was more than enough to put him out of commission as he faceplanted and left groaning, having been knocked out as swirls rolled in his eyes.
Calyrex sighed as he gave a determined look, knowing that he and Spectier emerged victorious in their battle against Corviknight. "It's over, we've won," he said calmly, seeing the defeated Raven Pokemon in front of him and his steed.
Spectrier galloped back to Sarah's side of the field as he was nuzzled by an ecstatic Glastrier and rubbed by the little princess while her Pokemon with her offered congratulatory words towards him and Calyrex. Even the students and Honey cheered loudly for Corviknight and Spectrier and Calyrex as they were greatly captivated by their duel as Mustard called him back.
"You really did a great job, Corviknight," smiled Mustard to his defeated Flying/Steel Type.
Then, he pulled out one final Pokeball and looked at it, contemplating that his and Sarah's final battle in the match will determine who comes out on top and that her short time with Ching Wan and Hashimoto ever since they were brought together would come full circle with his final Pokemon.
"You're good, Sarah! You've widdled my team down to my final warrior," he called. "Not many students of mine over the years have ever managed to get this close to beating me and very few have actually bested me in their matches back then."
"I told you, I learned from the best and I've been putting everything you taught me into practice and then some," quipped Sarah in response.
"And, I didn't expect anything less. But, my last hope will be your ultimate test for our last battle is a Dynamax Battle. Now then, I choose you, my brother!"
Sending out his final Pokemon, Sarah and Ching Wan were shocked to see an Urshifu which was the elder Kubfu that battled the older Wushu Brother back at the Tower of Darkness but there was something different about it. Even Hashimoto, who had also known about the Kubfu in Mustard's care prior to the Tower of Darkness trial, couldn't believe what he had seen.
"Elder!" Ching Wan gawked.
"Senior!" gasped Hashimoto.
The Urshifu looked like Ching Wan but unlike him, appearance-wise, the fur on top of Mustard's Urshifu's head and on its legs flows down, while its headband flared forward and outward and it has its back fist raised, front fist lowered, and front foot lifted off the ground.
The differences are striking despite Urshifu and Ching Wan's natural similarities; whilst Ching Wan is prominent in his Single-Strike Style akin to the Tiger and Leopard Fist styles, Urshifu takes inspiration from the Mantis and Crane Fist styles as it swayed back and forth in readiness for the junior evolved Wushu Pokemon. Mustard's Urshifu is a Rapid-Style Urshifu.
"Did he just evolve that Kubfu he used against us earlier?" gasped Sarah, also baffled.
"He did, but that's the Rapid-Strike Style he's learned," nodded Ching Wan. "While we Single-Strike Style Urshifu believe in using the One-Hit KO Strategy, Rapid-Strike Style Urshifu like our senior prefer to gauge their opponents and learn their attacks and defense moves before pummeling them with rapid-fire blows like a flowing river."
"And, before you ask, much of it is not based on Tai Chi. Rather, it's based on the balance of the crane and the accuracy of the praying mantis-Seven Star Mantis-to be precise," interjected Hashimoto, cutting Sarah off before she could speak. "That's what I want to learn when I eventually take on the Tower of Waters."
"Then, I guess we got a lot of training to take care of before you can come back here and enter the tower."
"Yeah, I'm more adaptive to that style more so than the Single-Strike Style. And, since he's Sensei's last Pokemon, you can bet he's going to go all out with Gigantamax."
"Then, I guess that means it's my turn next," put in Ching Wan, stepping forward and preparing to fight back.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Ching Wan?" asked Sarah.
"Trust me, I've taken him on once back at the Tower of Darkness so I know how he does things. Hashi and I learned a little bit of all the Kung Fu styles that make up the Single-Strike and Rapid-Strike styles. I bet he also still knows the Tiger and Leopard Styles so he would run circles around the others easily. Besides, how would your other Pokemon besides Hashi, Charmander, Calyrex, and I use Gigantamax and such?"
"You do have a point on the Gigantamax part... All right, Spectrier, Calyrex!"
"Do not underestimate your master, Young Ching Wan. Good luck," said Calyrex, moving back with Spectrier to join their family currently out to watch the final battle.
"Don't worry, I promise!" nodded Ching Wan, getting into his signature battle stance after taking Calyrex's place. "I'm ready, Shi-Fu!"
"Then, let's have at it! I don't expect you and Sarah to disappoint us, Ching Wan!" nodded Mustard, smirking as he got into a battle stance as well. "My skills have only gotten sharper as our match drags on so try not to be so captivated by our might!"
"Bring it!" dared the younger evolved Wushu Pokemon.
Taking out their Ultra Balls, Mustard and Sarah returned their Urshifus and activated their Dynamax Bands, enlarging the balls after infusing them with Galar Particles and threw them back, the Wushu Pokemon both growing until they're so large, they would've already towered over everybody gathered and the entire Battle Court valley.
The differences in their new Gigantamax forms were astounding; in their Gigantamax forms, the patterns on their fur became significantly accentuated, their headbands lengthened, and their eyes and mouth taking on a white glow. In general, parts of their fur that used to be grey are now white, and parts that used to be black are now their signature color. The black parts became red for Ching Wan's Single-Strike Style and the black parts are now blue in line with Urshifu's Rapid-Strike Style. And, while Ching Wan's leg fur and headband gained a spikier appearance, the Rapid-Strike Style Urshifu's leg fur and doubles down on a rounder appearance with a less-spikier appearance.
The students cheered loudest of all for the two Urshifu as they would be experiencing a clash between Mustard's Urshifu and its new mastery of the Seven Star Mantis and Crane Styles and Ching Wan and his Tiger and Leopard Styles. They could hardly wait for the fight to begin.
"Shi, Shifu, Urshi...!" demanded Urshifu, wanting to see Ching Wan's true strength.
"You're on!" called Ching Wan, ready to show his elder what he's made of.
"Urshifu, use Max Knuckle!" shouted Mustard, once again making the first call.
"Ching Wan, defend!" countered Sarah.
Sensing his elder attacking with a powerful Dynamax Attack, Ching Wan braced himself as Urshifu swiped the air in front of him as a fist symbol appeared. Then, a ghostly Dynamax fist form appeared as it pummeled down from the sky and made its mark on him, the Single-Strike Wushu Pokemon grunting loudly in pain as it proved to be a Super Effective blow against him.
"Ching Wan!" cried the princess in shock as Ching Wan returned the favor with a hard Max Knuckle in return. "Ching Wan, fall back! I'll have Calyrex and Spectrier take over-!"
"No! Urgh, I'm all right!" snapped the bruised Single-Strik Urshifu, still raring to fight over his heavy panting. "This battle's meant for me, Sarah! I'm not finished yet!"
"But, if the next Max Knuckle hits you, it'll be over for us-!"
"I don't care! This battle's meaning so much to me, I'm bound by honor and so are Shi-Fu and my senior! This is the only way for us to complete my training, I've come too far to give up now and so have you! Who am I to dishonor myself, Hashi, Elder, and Shi-Fu by running away? Trust me, you know I'm right!"
"Master, please, he's right! Don't force Ching Wan to dishonor himself and our Master Dojo family!" agreed Hashimoto to Sarah. "Sensei told us that one must choose whether to fight or flight in the face of uncertain odds! If you pull Ani-Chan back, he'll never forgive himself for running away like a coward for your sake and he'll forever disappoint our senior and Sensei! It's you, Master, you got to choose just as Ani-Chan had!"
Sarah didn't want to endanger Ching Wan any further after seeing how his and Hashimoto's senior brother had outclassed him with his previous Max Knuckle but she knew Hashimoto was right.
"...All right, let's go!" shouted Sarah to Ching Wan.
This was exactly what Ching Wan wanted to hear as he steeled himself for his senior's next assault from Mustard's command. "Give me your best shot, brother!" he challenged.
"Shifu," nodded Urshifu, allowing Mustard to strike again.
"Fiesty yet worthy words for one so small once upon a time, but now, it's over," said Mustard, issuing his last command. "Urshifu, Max Knuckle again!"
Powering himself up, Urshifu managed to launch one final Max Knuckle to defeat Ching Wan in the Battle of the Urshifus but as the large ghostly Dynamax Fighting Type move it made its way towards the younger evolved Wushu Pokemon and made its mark, the smoke cleared to reveal that he had managed to endure the blast despite being on his last legs as he shakily held his ground. He panted heavily from Max Knuckle's power but he persevered with a determined glare, his trust in Sarah and her willingness to go along with his honor clear for all to see. What's more, his hands seemed to crackle with electricity as he was preparing to unleash his own final assault on his senior and old master.
"No!" gasped Mustard, completely dumbfounded.
"Ur-!?" gawked Urshifu, gaping in absolute bewilderment.
"You seem to forget, Shi-Fu, brother. I'm not just versed in a Dark Type move and Fighting Type attacks such as Wicked Blow and Brick Break, I'm also versed in other moves... 'Cause no other Kubfu or Urshifu before me and Hashi, without our full trust in our new masters, especially Sarah, can do this!"
He punched forward with the last of his remaining energy, the thunderbolt symbol of an Electric Type attack being shown, before a powerful thunderbolt stream descended down on Urshifu. Because Urshifu, in his current Rapid-Strike form, also became a Water Type, it made him completely vulnerable to Ching Wan's Max Lightning attack which rained hell on him before he exploded from the blast.
"URSHIFU!" screamed Mustard, stunned.
"Say...Bye-Bye!" finished Ching Wan.
As Max Lightning finally ceased and Urshifu had come out of the blast, he groaned as he wobbled and electricity crackled on his body before the older Rapid-Strike Wushu Pokemon finally fell back and exploded, returning to his original form and seeing stars and swirls when he passed out.
Everyone was stunned when they saw Mustard's Urshifu down for the count, being the last Pokemon to lose to Sarah after their Dojo Master went all out in his final battle against the little princess. With his battle finished, Ching Wan returned to Sarah's side after his Gigantamax Form wore off. He was tired, battered, and bruised but he gave a proud smile worthy of a warrior of his stature. He had remained true to his kind's code of honor and won.
"I won... YATA!" he screamed victoriously, pumping his fists and falling on his back with a happy sigh.
His cheer permeated the entire Battle Court as the students and their Pokemon partners ended up cheering loudly as they gleefully jumped up and down for Sarah's victory and Honey crying with delight from seeing Mustard and Sarah end their full battle with a bang from their Dynamax battle against Urshifu and Ching Wan. She couldn't have been any more prouder of them and their Pokemon.
"Ani-Chan!" cried Hashimoto, crying tears of joy as he ran towards his brother and hugged him, laughing.
The others soon followed as Sarah, Riolu, and Blitz wrapped Ching Wan in a group hug, all of them laughing ecstatically and congratulating him for clinching their victory while Charmander, Calyrex, Spectrier, and Glastrier stayed back and looked on with proud smiles. This was a victory they all shared thanks to Ching Wan and Sarah and they all desevered to revel in it in their own ways.
"Looks like we have two new full-fledged members of our motly but humble family from this day forward, Young Charmander," smiled Calyrex.
"Charmander," nodded Charmander, smirking in agreement.
Mustard turned to the victorious group and he smiled before he laughed in approval, thuroughly impressed and excited from what he and his Pokemon had witnessed throughout their final battle. It was a full Pokemon battle with his most promising student in a long time that he would never forget in a long while. He may have lost but true to his word, he learned a great deal from it as he intended regarding his loss.
"Strength ebbs and flows in an endless cycle from one's heart. One moment you grasp it, the next, it'll eventually slip away from your hand," he mused happily as he watched on. "But, the strength you now have-the strength of heart you have to defeat me-it is unwavering! Congratulations on your defeating me!"
He then took out his Ultra Ball and returned his worn-out Wushu Pokemon, "Urshifu, return. I'm very proud of you..."
Then, the Dojo Master immediately approached Sarah, still feeling fired up from the match he had gone through. It was clear that the intensity of battling Sarah and her family including taking on two Legendary Pokemon and his former Pokemon pupil had left him with an everlasting impression and energy that he can't get enough of.
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Wow, you've beaten me again and I didn't even hold back! As this moment, the student surpasses the teacher and becomes one herself, a true moment of unwavering pride for the master! Congratulations, Sarah, it wasn't easy for anyone to beat me in a full-out battle but you and your Pokemon are the first ones in a long, long time to truly surpass me! And, you should be proud of yourself, too, Little Ching Wan! Your trust in Sarah and hers in yours truly know no bounds when you blindsighted us with that Max Lighting and your endurance against Max Knuckle!"
"Well, I had help and training from you and Sarah on that," replied Ching Wan, rubbing the back of his head with a humble smile.
"What are you talking about, Ani-Chan? That was all on you!" cheered Hashimoto, still ecstatic.
"He-ha-ha-ha-ha! Your brother's right, Ching Wan, you've stood your ground and held on to your honor in battle!" agreed Mustard, puling out a new League Card. "You should revel in this victory while you still can! And, as a reward, here's a new League Card from me to you and Young Sarah!"
He handed the new League Card to Sarah just as Mustard, his students, Klara, and the others (whom have heard and/or seen Ching Wan and Urshifu battling in their Gigantamax Forms from wherever they are) came to them in stunned shock and fascination. The students and Honey were still baffled over seeing Mustard lose but they were also still ecstatic from seeing Sarah come out on top.
"Oh, darling! Did we hear and see right? You actually lost for the first time in a long time!" gasped Honey before she swooned at him. "Oh, you cheeky thing! You know I can't resist seeing you get all serious when you battle at your full strength! You were so absolutely dazzling, you and your team!"
"Oh! But, look at me getting distracted," she continued, her attention turning to Sarah. "You were marvelous and your Pokemon were amazing out there, Sarah!"
"I think this calls for a celebration with another hearty bowl of Max Soup!" chirped Ziggy, feeling the same way.
"I knew you weren't just a new student with everything you did! I think I'll call you Master Sarah from now on!" agreed one of the female senior students.
The other students agreed, all of them singing their praises to Sarah as well as their master. Still in shock over what they had missed, Ash and the rest of the Alola crew began to bombard her with questions on what she had been doing and why they could see what looked to be giant-sized bear-like Pokemon duking it out.
"Guys, please, we don't have time for this," said Sarah, managing to stop them.
"I wasn't worried at all when we saw you battling Master Mustard! I knew you would win, Sarah, mate! And, you did great too, Ching Wan!" replied Hop.
"Gee...Thanks," nodded Ching Wan.
"Um, Sarah..." began Klara as she came forward. "I-I, uh... Um, well... I just-uh... I-I guess I should congratulate you, too..."
"...But, I won't! Besides, what good would that do when I personally celebrate anything you do like defeating our master, huh?"
Everyone barring Ash and the others laughed; it was typical of Klara to let her pride in her own skills blind her every now and then. Not only that, after what they've seen out of her recently, they could tell she was denying that she really did commend Sarah for her victory and for passing Mustard's class but in her own way.
"What?!"
"Huh?"
"Are you kidding me?" gawked Lillie, Kiawe, and Mallow with incredulous glares with Lana and Sophocles also glaring at her while Victor, Gloria, and Hop gave her suspicious looks.
"Come on! What's your problem, you don't know anything about Sarah! When saw her new Pokemon beat that guy's own Pokemon, she won it!" snapped Ash angrily.
"Chill out, you guys, it's not her fault. Klara was just jealous of me earlier when I passed each of the trials our master set up for us with ease and she sometimes ended up being second best," Sarah admonished towards her friends. "She's turned over a new leaf with Master's help and she's getting better with her training. Right, Klara?"
Klara was surprised by this; she hadn't expected Sarah to vouch for her like that, especially when her friends were justified in their anger at her.
"Uh...Y-y-yes, of course! Still, that cleared up a lot and I know better now! You're strong enough to take out the master when he went all out, I personally never stood a chance when he showed me his true strength! I've also learned a great deal from, of course. But, should we cross paths and I face you again... I'll beat you fair and square, and I won't lose, for sure!"
"I doubt I'll be losing some time, you know."
"Agh! Really, oh?! You're downright aggravating, you know that? You're almost as bad as me, really!"
"Well, at least she's recognizing her flaws so that's a start," chuckled Honey, not feeling surprised at the least as she, the students, and Mustard laughed at Klara's expense again.
"Well, I hate to say this but that just about wraps up the last of your training here at the Master Dojo, for now," said Mustard, having put back his hat and jersey on.
"Oh, back to normal, darling?" smiled Honey, to which Mustard nodded.
"Sarah Tomoe, you've been our finest student in a long time and it's been an honor to have you as our ambassador student from Alola at Kukui's request. I hope, from time to time, you'll come back and have more battles with me. It'll make us both stronger and I'm sure Little Hashimoto would like to complete his training at some point whenever he's ready."
He then looked to Hashimoto as he then rode on Ching Wan's left shoulder. "I'll see you at either the Tower of Waters or the Tower of Darkness whenever you're ready, okay, child?"
"Yeah, I'll be there, Sensei," nodded Hashimoto, bowing to Mustard as he nodded before looking at Ching Wan.
"Ching Wan, your training is complete, I'm very proud of you. Use the darkness within you well and it'll guide you to victory and back to the light."
"Thank you, Shi-Fu," bowed Ching Wan. "I won't let you down."
Then, Hop, Gloria, and Victor's Rotom Phones rang as they ended up getting a message from someone. They checked their phones and discovered that they were forwarded a text message by Sonia, who would eager to show them something that could point to a lead on the research into Galar's history she's still working on. They looked towards their present group and nodded, knowing that it was soon time for them to leave.
"Well, we better get going, Sir," Victor said. "Sorry we have to run but we got business to attend to before our friends return to Alola."
Mustard nodded knowingly, "I understand. But, it would be nice if your friends could stay in Galar for a few more days or pop by again another time."
The gang nodded as Sarah approached Mustard again. "I promise I'll take good care of Ching Wan and Hashimoto, I'll definitely come back if Hashimoto ever decides to complete his training," she reassured.
"I know you will. And, should we battle again when that time comes..."
He trailed off at that for a moment, making Sarah raise an eyebrow at him, wondering what he's trying to allude her to. But, eventually, he smiled and laughed again.
"Don't worry, you'll know what I'm talking about eventually," he replied. "But, I suppose this is where we part. Keep the uniform, as a token from all of us and to remember us by."
Sarah nodded as they soon shared a hug, knowing that their paths will cross again once Hashimoto decides to complete his evolution trial and take on either of the Isle of Armor's Two Towers of his own choice.
"Whenever we think about everything we've been through and put into practice going forward, we'll think about you and everyone at the Master Dojo, Shi-Fu," put in Ching Wan as he and Hashimoto bowed to Mustard, his students, Klara, and Honey in gratitude.
"As long as you remain diligent and strong in the face of any battle or danger, you both will always be the Master Dojo's secret armor and you'll become true Fighting Pokemon Masters with Young Sarah always there to guide you. Goodbye, my friends..."
Saying their goodbyes to Mustard and his students along with Honey and Klara, Sarah, Ash, Hop, and the others made their way to the Corviknight Taxis for the return trip to the mainland to meet up with Sonia with Hashimoto and Ching Wan in tow. What Sarah didn't know, however, is that the three Galar Trainers would end up giving her a farewell gift that they found while doing their research of the Isle of Armor along with the others as they departed.
"Well, let's all head back, shall we? Like one big happy family," replied Mustard to everyone with him after the group left.
"YEAH!" cheered everyone, returning to the Master Dojo.
Meanwhile, at the vibrant mountain town of Stow-on-Side, Sonia was waiting for the gang excitedly as she paced around the town market. While the others were at the Isle of Armor with the gang doing their research for their project and Sarah attending Mustard's class, she continued with her work to uncover more of the true history of the Darkest Day and the truth about Galar's saviors. When she discovered that a lead could be found in Stow-on-Side, she immediately rushed over to the mountain town and called for the gang to meet with her so she can share what she's got so far. She even remembered to bring Solar with her, since he would like to be back with Sarah before the Alola group would end their field trip and leave for home the following day.
She was really excited as she knew she was becoming closer than ever to uncovering Galar's saviors. "This is it, I'm sure that all the work I've done leads to the answers hidden away in these mountains," she chirped with glee.
"Soon, I'll have all the answers I need to the mystery surrounding the Darkest Day. Everyone in the region has got to know about this, they must if we're to find how who's really responsible for saving Galar in the first place 3,000 years ago! I wonder if Grandmother and Prof. Kukui would like to know"
"You sure are happy with what you've discovered, Sonia," replied Solar, sounding happy for her. "You look like you've won a million-pound prize from a British lottery."
"I am, isn't this great? Now, I'll be able to uncover the true saviors who managed to stop the Darkest Day and Eternatus in his tracks that day!"
"Hey, Sonia!" cried a voice.
The two of them turned to find Sarah and the others coming at her with Hashimoto, Calyrex, his steeds, and Ching Wan joining them. "Hey, guys!" she shouted happily, waving to them.
"Solar!" called Sarah as he came and nuzzled her. "How are you, buddy?"
"Man, am I glad to see you-huh?" began the Beast Bot before he noticed the Legendary Pokemon with her.
"And...What's your point?" she asked nonchalantly.
"I may have not known much about them from what you told me about them from the Crown Tundra report you all did but you told me that people lost their minds for a time when they saw you having Nebby with you as a Solgaleo after you guys saved Lusamine from being stuck in the Ultra Dimension!"
"So, I intended for this. I have a plan to help Calyrex regain relevance in Galar after everything he went through and it's not like many know about Ching Wan and Hashimoto as Kubfu and Urshifu. They've no clue right now so we're in the clear and-"
While Sonia was busy talking about her recent findings on her research and Solar and Sarah were lost in their conversation regarding her new Legendary Pokemon, they all heard what sounded like a loud bang and rumble coming from the mountains which made the group and everyone else around them in surprise and fright.
"Wha-what in the world is that?!" gasped Sonia, completely taken by surprise from the noise.
"Could that have been a Dynamax Pokemon from below?" Kiawe theorized.
"No way, there should be a Power Spot in this area but we don't know where it is and the others could be in the Wild Areas along Route 6 in the east and Glimwood Tangle up north!" Gloria shot down.
"It's more like an explosion!" Lana put in.
"But, where's it coming from?" Lillie questioned.
Another boom rang out as everyone looked to find out where it's coming from. "There it is again!" put in Hop.
"We've got to find out what's making that noise!" snapped Victor.
A third boom rang out until Sarah, Solar, and her Pokemon gathered looked towards the mountains and had an idea of its origins. "Mommy, guys, up there!" cried Riolu, pointing towards the staircase leading to a nearby monument behind the Stow-on-Side Stadium.
"It sounds like it's coming from the direction of the ruins I'm here for!" realized Sonia, before she turned to her Yamper. "Let's check it out, Yamper!"
"Yam!" agreed her Yamper.
Fearing the worst, Sonia and her Yamper rushed off to find out who was responsible for the noise and disrupting the ruins she planned to look at. Gasping from their rushing off, the others quickly followed to see what they were worried about.
"Sonia!"
"Where are you-!"
"Sonia, wait! Not so fast!" cried the Galar trainers, trying to keep up with their friends.
"Hang on, we're coming! Wait up!" Ash called out.
"She sure seems worried!" panted Sophocles.
"Something tells me someone's interrupted her research, Sophocles," quipped Mallow.
"Whatever it was, I'm sure it's nothing pretty! Come on, we can't lose her and her Yamper!" replied Sarah.
"Are you kidding? Why does she always have to act like a hero with stuff such as this, cut us some slack!" grumbled Kiawe.
"We know, mate, it's a habit of hers," soothed Victor.
Continuing to follow Sonia and Yamper, they passed through other people who were also startled by the loud booming noises coming from the mountains. None of them had any idea what was going on but the gang could see that something must be very wrong if they were so worried. They all zipped past the Stow-on-Side Stadium and up a long staircase to where they found a stone mural that is painted with bright colors that may seem like an ordinary work of art at the top. But, Sarah noticed, to her surprise, that the mural also depicted a sword and a shield painted on it and thought back to what she had discovered involving Zacian, Zamazenta, and the Darkest Day.
However, Victor, Gloria, and Hop gasped in complete shock as they saw what looked to be a large elephant-like Pokemon and a boy at about their age in purple barking orders at it. It seems as though they know the boy judging from their reactions to seeing him.
"Yes, YES! Destroy it, destroy it all! We have to find those Wishing Stars for the chairman, idiot!" the boy screamed to the Pokemon.
"Rrraaaaaaaaaaji!" trumpeted the elephant-like Pokemon, sounding very hesitant over the boy's orders.
"I don't care what you think about this! We're going to find and collect as many Wishing Stars as possible to please the chairman if it's the last thing we ever do! We're going to do it and that's that! Copperajah, if you really are the chairman's favorite Pokemon, then you should be grateful for this chance I'm giving you to help me find all the Wishing Stars we can get our hands on here!"
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" snarled Ash.
The boy heard Ash but he grumbled before he snarled, "Stay out of this!"
"What are you trying to do to that mural, you creep?" snapped a furious Lana.
"None of your business, now stay out of my way!" snapped the boy back, turning before he noticed Gloria, Victor, and Hop, all three of them and their partners glaring dangerously at him as they got ready to fight him.
"Tch, oh my, you again...? And, just when I thought things are going well for me," he scoffed.
"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" spat Gloria.
"I thought we made it clear you aren't going to put us down even though you're picked as the chairman's favorite!" added Victor, snarling.
"We never thought you'd sink this low into doing this, Bede!" growled Hop towards the boy, now known as Bede, who just scoffed smugly.
"Well, this is getting off to a heated start. The gang and Sonia have come across Gloria, Hop, and Victor's supposed rival, Bede, who looks intent on destroying a mural he has his eyes on to find Wishing Stars and would do anything to get them, and right after everyone had finished their final Galar project for Prof. Kukui, too! What is Bede planning to do and why does he want those Wishing Stars he's looking for so badly? But, more importantly, as all of this is going on, what happened to Team Eclipse? What are they even doing after meeting Chairman Rose? The plot thickens next time as the journey continues..."
Sarah's Team:
1. Pikachu
Moves - Thundershock, Tackle, Thunderpunch, Double Team, Thunderbolt, Electroweb
2. Lycanroc (Dusk Form)
Moves - Rock Throw, Bite, Tackle, Rock Slide, Protect, Accelarock, Outrage
3. Lycanroc (Midnight Form)
Moves - Rock Throw, Bite, Tackle, Protect, Rock Slide, Outrage, Counter, Accelarock
4. Silvally
Moves - Crush Claw, Air Slash, Hyper Beam, Swords Dance, Dragon Claw, Multi Attack, Tri Attack
5. Mudsdale
Moves - High Horsepower, Double Kick, Mud Slap, Bulldoze, Iron Head
6. Wooloo
Moves - Wild Charge, Tackle, Electro Ball, Volt Tackle
7. Ponyta (Galar Form)
Moves - Dazzling Gleam, Moonblast, High Horsepower, Heal Pulse, Psybeam
8. Meowth (Alola Form)
Moves - Thunderbolt, Scratch, Iron Tail, Dark Pulse
9. Brionne
Moves - Pound, Water Gun, Icy Wind, Bubblebeam, Aqua Jet
10. Milotic
Moves - Dragon Pulse, Ice Beam, Twister, Mirror Coat
11. Ampharos (Shiny)
Moves - Thunderbolt, Confuse Ray, Power Gem, Signal Beam, Discharge, Iron Tail, Thunderpunch, Dragon Pulse
12. Sylveon
Moves - Tackle, Tail Whip, Copycat, Shadow Ball, Light Screen
13. Goodra
Moves - Water Gun, Protect, Tackle, Dragon Breath, Dragon Pulse, Rain Dance, Aqua Tail
14. Noctowl
Moves - Wing Attack, Foresight, Air Slash, Confusion
15. Meowstic (Male)
Moves - Helping Hand, Psyshock, Light Screen, Future Sight, Dark Pulse
16. Meowstic (Female)
Moves - Heal Pulse, Psyshock, Dark Pulse, Future Sight
17. Snivy
Moves - Vine Whip, Leaf Storm, Twister, Leaf Blade
18. Oshawott
Moves - Water Gun, Razor Shell, Icy Wind, Iron Tail
19. Tepig
Moves - Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Solar Beam, Rock Tomb
20. Vulpix (Alola Form)
Moves - Protect, Powder Snow, Ice Beam, Iron Tail, Aurora Beam
21. Dragonite
Moves - Dragon Rage, Iron Tail, Ice Beam, Hyper Beam, Dragon Rush, Dragon Claw
22. Hydreigon
Moves - Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Wing Attack, Flash Cannon, Dragon Rush, Tri Attack
23. Flygon
Moves - Crunch, Dig, Rock Slide, Steel Wing, Dragon Rush, Dragon Claw
24. Solgaleo (aka Nebby)
Moves - Sunsteel Strike, Focus Blast, Teleport, Flamethrower, Wild Charge, Cosmic Power
25. Riolu (Shiny)
Moves - Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Aura Sphere, Dig, Vacuum Wave, Shadow Claw
26. Poipole
Moves - Venoshock, Fury Attack, Peck, Iron Tail
27. Mimikyu
Moves - Shadow Claw, Drain Punch, Wood Hammer, Psychic, Mimic
28. Umbreon (Shiny)
Moves - Dark Pulse, Psychic, Moonlight, Shadow Ball, Iron Tail, Flash
29. Jolteon
Moves - Thunder Fang, Thunderbolt, Double Kick, Shadow Ball, Pin Missile
30. Vaporeon
Moves - Water Gun, Swift, Iron Tail, Shadow Ball, Dive
31. Flareon
Moves - Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Double Edge, Shadow Ball, Ember
32. Espeon
Moves - Psychic, Psybeam, Iron Tail, Shadow Ball, Light Screen
33. Leafeon
Moves - Synthesis, Energy Ball, Solar Blade, Shadow Ball, Leaf Storm
34. Glaceon
Moves - Shadow Ball, Ice Fang, Icy Wind, Ice Shard, Iron Tail
35. Eevee
Moves - Helping Hand, Protect, Dig, Double Edge, Swift, Tail Whip
36. Skitty
Moves - Doubleslap, Ice Beam, Iron Tail, Copycat, Double-Edge, Play Rough
37. Braviary
Moves - Superpower, Sky Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat, Steel Wing, Aerial Ace
38. Absol (Shiny)
Moves - Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Shadow Claw, Hyper Beam, Flamethrower, Shadow Ball
39. Houndoom (Shiny)
Moves - Thunder Fang, Solar Beam, Sludge Bomb, Flamethrower, Crunch, Stone Edge
40. Latias (Shiny)
Moves - Safeguard, Psychic, Mist Ball, Dragon Pulse, Steel Wing, Recover
41. Latios (Shiny)
Moves - Steel Wing, Psychic, Giga Impact, Dragon Pulse, Luster Purge, Charge Beam
42. Salamance (Shiny)
Moves - Incinerate, Hydro Pump, Dragon Tail, Dragon Rush, Protect, Steel Wing
43. Rapidash (Galar Region)
Moves - Psycho Cut, Mystical Fire, Megahorn, High Horsepower, Heal Pulse
44. Yamper
Moves - Wild Charge, Fire Fang, Play Rough, Double Edge, Dig
45. Scorbunny
Moves - Quick Attack, Double Kick, Flame Charge, Ember, Headbutt
46. Stufful
Moves - Force Palm, Ice Punch, Thunderpunch, Focus Punch, Brick Break
47. Calyrex
Moves - Psychic, Magical Leaf, Agility, Pound, Solarbeam
Calyrex (Ice Rider)
Moves - Psychic, Headbutt, Thrash, High Horsepower, Mist, Icicle Crash, Double Kick, Glacial Lance
Calyrex (Shadow Rider)
Moves - Psychic, Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Calm Mind, Agility, Phantom Force, Double Kick, Astral Barrage
48. Glastrier
Moves - Headbutt, Thrash, High Horsepower, Mist, Icicle Crash, Double Kick
49. Spectrier
Moves - Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Calm Mind, Agility, Phantom Force, Double Kick
50. Cosmong (aka Nebula)
Moves - Teleport
51. Charmander
Moves - Ember, Fire Spin, Dragon Rush, Metal Claw, Flamethrower
52. Kubfu (aka Hashimoto)
Moves - Counter, Aerial Ace, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Ice Punch
53. Urshifu (Single Strike Style) (aka Ching Wan)
Moves - Brick Break, Revenge, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Ice Punch, Wicked Blow
Sarah's Dragon Companions:
1. Winter - Light Fury (F)
2. Shadow - Night Fury (M)
3. Skystorm - Deadly Nadder (F)
4. Mist and Spark - Titan Wing Hideous Zippleback (M)
5. Inferno - Singetail (M)
6. Sunflare - Monstrous Nightmare (F)
7. Starfire - Stormcutter (F)
8. Silver - Razorwhip (F)
9. Venom - Triple Stryke (M)
10. Camo - Titan Wing Dramillion (M)
11-15. His pack of five - Dramillions (3 F and 2 M)
Yellow Dramillions: Mimic - F, Violet - F, Sunflower - F
Red Dramillions: Ocean - M, Tidal - M
16. Melody - Death Song (M)
17. Echo - Slithersong (F)
18. Twilight - Deathgripper (F)
19. Dawn - Deathgripper (M)
Sarah's Pokemon Gems (Original):
1. Cresselia
Moves - Psychic, Moonlight, Moonblast, Magic Coat, Psycho Cut, Protect
2. Giratina (Origin/Altered Form)
Moves - Shadow Force, Dragon Pulse, Aura Sphere, Will-O-Wisp, Dragon Claw, Iron Tail
3. Rayquaza
Moves - Draco Meteor, Hyper Beam, Dragon Rush, Dragon Claw, Dragon Ascent, Twister
Sarah's Pokemon Gems (Non-Original)
1. Dialga
Moves - Roar of Time, Flash Cannon, Draco Meteor, Dragon Claw, Aura Sphere, Protect
2. Palkia
Moves - Spacial Rend, Hyper Beam, Dragon Claw, Fire Blast, Aura Sphere, Protect