"Victor and Gloria left Hammerlocke for Circhester, when they came across Hop and his new Pokémon, Boltund, but before they could continue, Boltund must mend a broken friendship from its past. Now our heroes are able to continue to Route 8."

"Falinks Formation"

"Alright, Raboot, Ember!" Victor raises a hand, before raising another. "Pikachu, Discharge!

"Ra-boot!" Raboot runs past its Trainer and starts to shoot a series of small fireballs from its mouth.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu dodges past the small fireballs, as it gives off small electricity, while Gloria and the other Pokémon watch them.

Impidimp looks over to Toxel, who happily claps its hands as it cheers, "Toxe! Toxe!"

Impidimp grins, "Impi." Impidimp slides over to Toxel and points ahead, "Impi, Impi, Impi."

"Toxe?" Toxel responds, as it watches Pikachu, surging with electricity, jumps back to avoid Raboot's kick.

"Impi, Impi, Impi," Impidimp nods its head.

"Toxe, Toxe!" Toxel says, before it starts to walk forward, with Impidimp watching.

"Now, Pikachu, Discharge!" Victor calls out.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu starts to surge with electricity.

Toxel is walking over.

Sirfetch'd looks over, "Sir, Fetch!"

Gloria looks over, before looking ahead, "Victor, watch out!"

"Toxe," Toxel continues to walk over.

"Toxel!" Victor calls out.

"Ra-boot!" Raboot calls out.

Pikachu releases a large blast of electricity all around it, "Pika!"

Raboot jumps ahead, grabs Toxel, and pulls it away, with the two barely avoiding the blast of electricity.

Impidimp holds its hands to its mouth, as it tries to hold back its laughter, "Impi, Impi…"

Sirfetch'd bangs it's leek on Impidimp's head, "Sir, Fetch!"

Victor and Pikachu run over to Raboot and Toxel, "Is everyone okay?"

"Pika Pika?"

"Toxe, Toxe!" Toxel happily says.

"Ra-boot," Raboot looks at Toxel, with a sweatdrop.

Victor, Gloria, and their Pokémon continue walking through the route, with Gloria looking at her Rotom Phone.

"That's odd, there's a warning about the route."

"Wonder what that could be about…?" Victor asks.

At that moment, a backpacker and a Vullaby are approaching the group from down the route.

"Vull! Vull!" the Vullaby calls out, as it and its Trainer reach them.

"Sir, Fetch," Sirfetch'd takes a step forward.

"Don't even think about it," Gloria looks at Sirfetch'd, with a sweatdrop.

"Excuse me, are you all heading through this route to Circhester?" the backpacker asks.

"Yes, ma'am," Victor says.

The backpacker smiles, "Just call me Barbara. And you don't want to go this way."

"Why not?" Gloria asks.

"Crust."

Barbara turns, as the Trainers and their Pokémon see a Crustle walking through the route's valley.

"A Crustle," Gloria realizes.

Gloria's Rotom Phone rises up, "Crustle, the Stone Home Pokémon, This highly territorial Pokémon prefers dry climates. It won't come out of its boulder on rainy days."

"Just watch, and you'll see," Barbara says.

Victor and Gloria look at each other, then back ahead.

"Crust," Crustle continues forward, when several Falinks come out of the holes in the cliffs around the valley.

"Links! Links! Links!" all the Falinks chant.

"Crust…?" Crustle looks around.

A single Falinks approaches Crustle, "Links!"

"Links! Links! Links!" the rest of the Falinks chant.

"A herd of Falinks?" Gloria realizes.

"Falinks?" Victor repeats.

Victor's Rotom Phone rises up, "Falinks, the Formation Pokémon, The six of them work together as one Pokémon. Teamwork is also their battle strategy, and they constantly change their formation as they fight."

"Crust!" Crustle calls out, as three rocks shoot from its boulder.

"Links!" The single Falinks runs left to right, dodging each of the rocks. "Links!"

The Falinks jumps ahead, slamming its head against Crustle's head.

"Crust!" Crustle slashs with its claw, knocking Falinks back.

"Links!"

"Crust!" Crustle calls out, as four rocks shoot from its boulder.

"Links!" Falinks calls out, as the front section, known as brass, and the other sections, the troopers, separate and glow with red auras.

The four rocks slam on top of the Falinks.

"Crustle got it!" Gloria calls out.

"Sir Fetch!"

"No, look," Victor says.

As the dust cloud from the attack clears, Falinks, united, charges and slams its slightly glowing horn against Crustle, "Falinks!"

"Crust!" Crustle is knocked far back at the cliff wall. Crustle pulls itself away from the cliff and starts to run away. "Crust!"

"Links! Links! Links!" the other Falinks start to cheer, as their leader turns to them.

All the Falinks start to return to the holes in the cliffs, as the Trainers and their Pokémon watch from high up.

"There you have it," Barbara says, as Victor and Gloria turn to her. "This Falinks herd had been blocking any travelers, people and Pokémon, and won't let anyone pass unless they could defeat their leader." She turns to them. "I even heard Gym Challengers are looking for another way around them."

Gloria crosses her arms, "This certainly explains the warning on the Rotom Phone." She looks at Victor. "What are we gonna do?"

Victor looks at his Pokémon, "What do you guys say?"

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu pumps its arms.

"Ra-boot!" Raboot nods its head.

"Knigh!" Corviknight smiles.

"Sili…" Silicobra gives a small smile, with a sweat drop.

Victor smiles, "Guess we're battling."

"Sir Fetch!" Sirfetch'd swings down its leek.

"You're always up for a battle," Gloria says, before sighing.

"I'm really impressed by you kids," Barbara says.

"Vul!" Vullaby agrees.

Impidimp looks over to Toxel, who is pumping its hands, "Toxe!"

"Impi…" Impidimp says, with a sweatdrop.

Victor, Gloria, Barbara, and their Pokémon are walking through the valley.

"So Victor, what's your plan?" Gloria asks, holding her hands behind her back.

Victor is looking at his Rotom Phone, "Well Falinks' a Fighting-type, so my best chance would be Corviknight."

"Knigh," Corviknight flies next to Victor, happily.

"I know I can count on you," Victor says to his Pokémon.

"Knigh!"

"Links! Links! Links!" the herd of Falinks start to exit their tunnels in the cliffs, chanting.

"Links!" The leader Falinks approaches the group of Trainers and Pokémon.

"Here goes nothing…" Victor says to himself, before taking a step forward. "We accept your challenge."

"Knigh!"

"Links!" the Falinks calls out.

"Okay, Corviknight, use Drill Peck!" Victor holds out an arm.

"Knigh! Knigh!" Corviknight flies ahead, before starting to spun around.

"Links!" The Falinks jumps ahead, slamming against the spinning Corviknight with its head, before the two are knocked back.

"Corviknight, Pluck!" Victor instructs.

"Knight!" Corviknight comes out of its spin, before flying ahead. "Knigh!"

Corviknight grabs Falinks' rear trooper and takes off, "Links!"

"Mmhm, that's not something you see everyday," Barbara says.

"Links!" Falinks calls out, as the brass and the remaining troopers separate and glow with red auras.

"That's the same attack it used earlier," Gloria realizes.

Victor looks at his Rotom Phone, "It's No Retreat. It prevents Falinks from running away, but it also raises its stats."

"Links!" The reunited Falinks charges ahead, before jumping up and starts running alongside the cliffs. "Links!"

Falinks jumps off the cliff wall and headbutts Corviknight, "Knigh!"

Corviknight slams against the cliff wall, as it lets go of the trooper.

"Links!" The Falinks completely reunite, before its horn slightly glows and slams into Corviknight.

"Knigh…" Corviknight lies on the ground, with its eyes whirling.

"Corviknight, return," Victor holds out a Poké Ball, which shoots out a red beam, turning Corviknight into red energy and flying back into the Poké Ball. Victor then looks at the Poké Ball, "You did great, Corviknight. Now, rest easy."

"I don't believe how strong Falinks is," Gloria says, with Victor looking over to her.

"Falinks' attack was Megahorn, it's a high level move," Barbara says. "Falinks must've trained hard to learn it."

Impidimp looks at Toxel, who starts to walk forward, "Toxe!"

"Impi?!" Impidimp responds, before holding out a hand to block Toxel's path.

Toxel looks over to Impidimp, "Toxe?"

Sirfetch'd notices the two, before walking past them and stands in front of Falinks, "Sir Fetch!"

"Sirfetch'd, you want to battle Falinks?" Gloria realizes, before smiling. "Okay, then I'll back you up."

'"Sir Fetch!" Sirfetch'd swings its leek down.

"Links!" The leader Falinks calls out.

"Sirfetch'd, Rock Smash!" Gloria instructs.

"Links!" Falinks calls out, as two rocks shoot from the ground around it.

"Sir!" Sirfetch'd swings its leek, smashing apart one rock, then swings its leek again, smashing the second rock. "Fetch!"

"Sirfetch'd, get in close and use Fury Cutter!" Gloria calls out.

"Sir, Fetch!" Sirfetch'd charges ahead and starts to swing it's leek back and forth.

"Links!" Falinks' brass and troopers separate, dodging the swinging leek.

"Sir Fetch?!" Sirfetch'd stops swinging, as it watches the brass and troopers run past it, before it turns.

"Links!" Falinks reunites and charges, headbutting.

"Sirfetch'd, block with Iron Defense!" Gloria calls out.

"Sir Fetch!" Sirfetch'd raises its leaf shield, which turns silver.

"Links!" Falinks headbutts the silver leaf shield. "Links! Links! Links!" Falinks continues to headbutt the leaf shield, as Sirfetch'd starts to struggle holding it up. "Links!"

Falinks launches one more headbutt, knocking Sirfetch'd back, "Sir Fetch!"

"Links!" Falinks' horn glows before it charges ahead. "Links!"

"Sir Fetch!" Sirfetch'd is knocked by Falinks' charging, before landing on the ground, with its eyes whirling.

"Sirfetch'd!" Gloria rushes ahead.

"Falinks was able to bash through Sirfetch'd's defenses with miniature damages to itself," Victor realizes.

"Sirfetch'd, are you okay?" Gloria asks, as Drizzile and Orbeetle are next to her..

"Sir… Fetch…" Sirfetch'd tries to push itself up with its leek, but winches.

Victor crosses his arms, "What can we do now…?" He turns to look at the Pokémon, before noticing something. "...Wait, where's Toxel?"

"Impi…" Impidimp, sweating, points ahead, where Toxel is approaching the Falinks.

"Toxe! Toxe!" Toxels says to Falinks.

"Links…"

"Drizz?" Drizzile says.

"Is Toxel challenging Falinks?" Gloria asks.

"Toxel, I don't think this is a good idea…" Victor starts to reach out.

"Toxe!" Toxel starts to shoot globs of acid from its mouth.

"Links!" Falinks separates, with its brass and troopers dodging the globs of acid, before reuniting and slams its head against Toxel. "Links!"

"Toxe!" Toxel is knocked back.

"Toxel!" Victor calls out, as Raboot runs past him.

"Toxe…" Toxel starts to get up.

"Links!" Falinks charges ahead, with its horn glowing.

"Ra-boot!" Robot pushes Toxel to the side.

In midair, Toxel watches as Raboot is slammed by Falinks' glowing horn.

Raboot slams hard against the cliff hard, "Ra-boot!"

Toxel falls onto the ground and looks up to see Raboot falling onto the ground, "Toxe!"

Toxel runs over to Raboot, alongside Victor, Gloria, and their Pokémon.

Victor, on his knees, helps Raboot up, "Raboot, are you okay?"

"Ra-boot," Raboot says, with a small smile.

"Toxe…" Toxel says, saddened.

Pikachu looks from Raboot to Toxel, then turns away and approaches Falinks, "Pika Pika Pi!"

"Pikachu?" Victor says, before looking over to Gloria. "Can you stay with Raboot?"

"Of course," Gloria says.

Victor gets up and runs over, as Gloria seats next to Raboot.

Impidimp notices that Toxel continues to watch Raboot, before rubbing its arm, "Impi…"

Victor stands several feet behind Pikachu, "Alright, Pikachu, let's go."

"Pika!"

Barbara crosses her arms, ""There seems to be a strong bond, not just between Trainer and Pokémon, but also between Pokémon."

"Vull?"

Barbara smiles, "Now I'm starting to think they're gonna win."

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Victor instructs.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu charges ahead, at a breakneck pace.

"Links!" Falinks splits up, dodging Pikachu's charge, before reuniting.

"Pikachu, keep it up with Quick Attack!" Victor calls out.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu charges.

"Links!" Falinks splits up, dodges, and reunites. "Links!" It then splits up again to dodge before reuniting. "Links!" Falinks splits up to dodge one more time and reunites. "Links!" Falinks is surrounded by a red glow.

"It's No Retreat again," Victor says. "Pikachu, Quick Attack again!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu charges, at a breakneck pace.

"Links!" Falinks charges ahead.

Pikachu and Falinks' heads collide, with them both knocked back.

"Pikachu!" Victor calls out.

"Pika!" Pikachu shakes its head, before looking back at its Trainer, happily. "Pika Pi!"

"Links!" Falinks shakes its head, before charging ahead. "Links!"

"Falinks using Headbutt again, Pikachu, counter with Electro Ball!" Victor raises a hand.

"Pika Pika Pika!" a ball of electricity forms on Pikachu's tail. "Pika Pika Pi Chu!"

Pikachu whips its tail, launching the ball of electricity, with Falinks splits up, dodging the attack, "Links!"

"Falinks keeps on splitting up to dodge our attacks…" Victor says to himself. "Wait, that's it! Pikachu, use Discharge!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu releases a large blast of electricity all around it.

Falinks splints up to dodge each bolt of electricity.

"Now, Pikachu, Quick Attack, go from piece to piece!" Victor swings a hand to the side.

"Pika!" Pikachu starts running, slamming trooper to trooper to trooper.

"Links!" Falinks' brass and a trooper start to reunite.

"Discharge, again!" Victor calls out.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu releases a large blast of electricity as it runs ahead.

"Links!" Falinks' brass and trooper are forced apart to dodge the blast of electricity.

"Pika!" Pikachu slams against the trooper.

"Links!" Falinks' brass angrily says, before charging ahead, with its horn glowing.

"Pikachu, dodge!" Victor calls out.

"Pika!" Pikachu jumps to the side, as Fainks' brass charges past it.

Falinks' brass slams against the cliff wall, with its horn stuck in the wall, and it's unable to get out, "Links! Links!"

All the troopers run over and start to reunite with the brass.

"Here's our chance, Pikachu, Electro Ball!" Victor holds out a hand.

"Pika Pika Pika!" a ball of electricity forms on Pikachu's tail. "Pika Pika Pi Chu!"

Pikachu whips its tail, launching the ball of electricity, which hits the stuck Falinks, causing an explosion of electricity, "Links!"

As the dust clears, Falinks, free from the cliff, lies on the ground, with its eyes whirling.

"Links?!" All the other Falinks respond.

"Alright!" Gloria raises a hand in the air. "They beat Falinks, and mastered Discharge!"

"Drizz…" Drizzile says, as it takes a step closer to its Trainer.

Gloria looks aheads and lowers her arm, noticing the rest of the Falinks are angrily looking at them, "Wha-what's going on…?"

"I don't think they're happy you beat their leader," Barbara picks up Vullaby and holds it in her arms.

"Sir… Fetch…" Sirfetch stands in front of Gloria, alongside Drizzile and Orbeetle.

"Impi," Impidimp looks side to side.

"Toxe!" Toxel calls out, before watching Raboot weakingly stands in front of it.

"Sili…" Silicobra looks ahead, sweating, before a beam of red energy shoots out in front of it and forms Corviknight.

"Knigh…" Corviknight, weakingly, spreads its wings.

"Pika!" Pikachu calls out, with its cheeks sparking, as it stands in front of Victor.

"Links!"

Everyone looks over to the leader Falinks, who gets up, "Links! Links, Links Links!"

The rest of the Falinks look at their leader.

"Links!" the leader Falinks calls out.

The rest of the Falinks move to opposite sides, creating a path through the valley.

"Look like you earned the leader's respect," Barbara says to Victor.

Victor smiles.

Later on, further down the route, Gloria is spraying a Potion on Corviknight, Sirfetch'd, and Raboot.

"There, all better?" Gloria says, with Sirfetch'd seeing her as a princess.

"Sir, Fetch!" Sirfetch'd bows in front of Gloria.

Corviknight and Raboot look at each other and laugh.

Victor and the rest of the Pokémon are watching, when Barbara and Vullaby approach.

"Well, we'll be going," Barbara says. "And thanks for clearing the way."

"Vull!" Vullaby says, before it and Barbara starts to walk away.

"No problem," Victor says, as he and Gloria watch her, before he looks down at Pikachu. "Although we really have Pikachu to thank."

"Drizz," Drizzile says to Pikachu.

"Sili, Sili," Silicobra adds.

"Pika Pika Pi!" Pikachu proudly bangs a hand on its chest.

Everyone starts to laugh, except for Toxel, who is watching Raboot, "Toxe…"

"Through a hard fought battle, Pikachu managed to clear the path for our heroes. But Toxel seemed concerned about what had happened. What could be next?"

"Find out, as the journey continues…"