"Victor and Gloria's journey seems dead in the water, until they befriend Horace, saving him from Team Yell, and get rewarded with a Rotom Bike that can travel across Circhester Bay. What other challenges will our heroes face?"

"Inner Beauty, Inner Strength"

Victor is riding the Rotom Bike Water Mode across the large bay, with Gloria seated behind him, before they wobble slightly and straighten up.

"Victor, I can do some of the pedaling," Gloria offers. "You have been doing this for a while."

Victor looks over his shoulder, "I'm fine. Besides, I think I finally got the hang of this."

The Rotom Bike's front wheel bumps against a small rock, causing the Rotom Bike, as well as Victor and Gloria to fall forward and land on a shorebank. The two Trainers push themselves up a little bit.

"Well…" Victor says, as he looks over to his friend. "I guess I could use a break."

Victor finishes collapsing the Rotom Bike, before placing it into his backpack.

Gloria watches as Victor gets up and puts the backpack on, "I can carry it, Victor."

"It's okay, I'm fine," Victor says, before stumbles slightly then straightens himself up.

Gloria shrugs her shoulders.

Within moments, Victor and Gloria walk across the landmass, with Gloria looking at her Rotom Phone.

"According to the map, there's actually a couple landmasses on the Route," Gloria says. "So it's not just water the entire time." She then smiles. "At least we won't have to spend the night sleeping on a bike."

"Curchin!"

Gloria looks ahead, with them seeing a Pincurchin approaching them from around a boulder.

"What's that Pokémon?" Victor asks.

Victor's Rotom Phone flies up, "Pincurchin, the Sea Urchin Pokémon, It feeds on seaweed, using its teeth to scrape it off rocks. Electric current flows from the tips of its spines."

"Curchin! Curchin!" Pincurchin surrounds itself with electricity before charges ahead.

Victor and Gloria jump out of the way as Pincurchin shoots past them.

"Wh-What it wants?!" Victor asks.

"You think we've stepped into its territory?" Gloria suggests.

"Curchin! Curchin!" Pincurchin lands, then, still surrounded with electricity, charges back.

Victor holds up a Poké Ball, "Then we have no choice but to battle…"

Suddenly, fossil-like rocks fly through the air and slam against Pincurchin, knocking it back and dissipating the electricity, "Curchin!"

Pinchurchin turns around and runs away.

"What… What was that?" Gloria asks.

"I-I think it was Ancient Power…" Victor slowly lowers his Poké Ball.

"Tovis!"

Victor and Gloria turn to see Arctovish approaching them, as it happily says, "Tovis!"

"Is that… Arctovish?" Victor asks.

"Could it be the same one Cara Liss created?" Gloria asks.

"Tovis!"

Arctovish turns its head to see, coming from around a large tree is Ellie, Dracozolt, Dracovish, and Arctozolt.

"Ah, there where you went," Ellie says.

"It's you!" Victor and Gloria call out, surprised.

Ellie smiles, "Funny running into you here."

Shortly later, Victor, Gloria, and Ellie are standing together, while the four fossil Pokémon are looking around the area.

"And since then I've been traveling around Galar with the fossil Pokémon, slowly introducing them to the modern world," Ellie tells the two young Trainers.

"But what about Cara Liss?" Gloria asks.

"Don't worry about her," Ellie says, waving a hand. "Cara is getting some much needed help."

Victor smiles, "I'm happy to hear that."

He then looks over to Arctovish, who is lying on the ground with its flippers at its sides, "Tovis…"

"Is Arctovish okay?" Victor points at the fossil Pokémon. "It isn't looking too good."

Ellie sighs, "I hadn't been able to help out Arctovish much. It had been moody for a long time, and now isn't eating much."

Victor watches Arctovish, before looking to Ellie, "Do you mind if I check on it?"

"Of course not, go ahead," Ellie holds out a hand.

Victor walks over to Arctovish, kneeling next to it with a hand on its head, "Are you okay there?

"Tovis?" Arctovish looks over to Victor, before pushing itself up onto its flippers, and happily responds. "Tovis! Tovis!"

Victor smiles, "You seem happier now."

"Wow, nothing seems to be able to cheer up Arctovish," Ellie says, as he crosses his arms. "Until now, that is."

"Nothing able to cheer it up till now…" Gloria says to herself, before looking up. "Wait, I almost forgot."

Victor's Rotom Phone says, "Arctovish, the Fossil Pokémon, Though it's able to capture prey by freezing its surroundings, it has trouble eating the prey afterward because its mouth is on top of its head."

"None of this seems right," Gloria lowers her Rotom Phone.

"Although, Arctovish seems… interesting…" Victor looks over to her.

"Make senses you appreciate Arctovish, since I used your fossils to restore it," Cara says.

"That's it! Cara said that Arctovish was created from my and Victor's fossils," Gloria remembers, before looking to Ellie. "Could it be possible that Arctovish is able to sense a connection with Victor because of that."

"Y'know, you might be right," Ellie says. "There is a lot we don't know about Pokémon's feelings, and how those feelings could translate through time." Ellie then snaps his fingers. "And that gave me an idea."

Ellie approaches Victor and Arctovish, "Maybe Arctovish should go with Victor."

"Really?" Victor's surprised.

"Tovis! Tovis!" Arctovish happily says.

Victor smiles at Arctovish, "I would love for you to join my team."

"Tovis! Tovis!"

"Go ahead, catch it," Ellie says, as Victor stands up.

"Go, Poké Ball!" Victor throws a Poké Ball.

The Poké Ball bounces off Arctovish's head, before opening, with Arctovish turns into red energy and flies into the Poké Ball. The Poké Ball lands on the ground, rocks side by side a couple times, before stopping and stars shoot out.

Victor raises the Poké Ball, "Alright, I caught Arctovish!"

A tent stables itself, as Victor, Gloria and Ellie step away from their three tents, with the fossil Pokémon watching them.

"There, we all set for the night," Gloria says.

"Tovis!" Arctovish calls out, with Victor looking over to it and smiles.

"Hey, I should introduce the rest of my Pokémon to our new friend," Victor says.

Victor throws five Poké Balls, "Everyone, come out!"

Five red energies shoot out and take form.

"Ra-boot!"

"Pika! Chu!"

"Knigh!"

"Sili!"

"Toxt! Icit!" Toxtricity strums its chest.

"Hey, everyone, meet our new friend, Arctovish," Victor stands next to the Pokémon.

"Tovis!"

The other five Pokémon look on at Arctovish, with startled expressions.

Arctovish, using its fins, takes a step toward the five Pokémon, before they take a step back. Arctovish then takes another step forward, with the others taking another step back. They continue for a couple more steps.

"Tovis! Tovis!" Arctovish happily says.

"Sili!" Silicobra says, with a sweatdrop.

"Tovis!" Arctovish holds down its head, and shoots out a blast of water.

Victor tries to sidestep out of the way of the water blast, and ends up slipping and falls down a steep hill.

Victor reaches the bottom of the hill, hitting his head.

"Tovis!" Arctovish slides down the hill, toward the unconscious Victor. "Tovis!"

"Sili!"

Suddenly the wild Silicobra jumps out, toward the Arctovish, and then spins around, hitting the Pokémon and sending it flying into the distance.

Silicobra lands near Victor, who starts to motion, "Sili!"

"Sili!" Silicobra calls out again, before jumping back and hiding behind a tree.

"What's going on…?" Victor asks, before tilting his head slightly.

Later on, after it turned dark, Victor, Gloria, and Ellie are sitting around, with their Pokémon sleeping in their respective tents, except for Arctovish, who is lying next to Victor.

"I just don't understand why everyone seems uncomfortable around Arctovish," Victor says, as he looks at Arctovish.

"Well, Victor, you have to admit, its appearance is kinda unnerving," Gloria says.

"I guess, but…" Victor looks ahead.

"Unfortunately that isn't a new problem," Ellie starts. "Both Trainers and other Pokémon have been turned off by all the fossil Pokémon's appearances."

"That isn't fair," Victor says. "Outward appearances don't matter."

"That's right," Gloria says. "My mom always said that inner beauty is all a person needs, and the same is with Pokémon."

"I agree with you both," Ellie tells them. "But it's still a problem that Arctovish and the others will have to face."

Victor looks down slightly, "I'm certain that my Pokémon will be able to learn to look past Arctovish's appearance."

Not too far away from the group, Frank and Paul pull themselves onto the shore, drenched and exhausted.

"We are finally…" Paul starts, before Jean covers his mouth with her hand.

They both look ahead to see past some trees and boulders are Victor, Gloria, and Ellie seated in front of the three tents.

Jean and Paul then hurry to behind the trees and boulders, watching the group.

"It's the wannabe and the neverbe, with a nobodybe," Jean loudly whispers.

"We need to stop them from reaching Spikemuth," Frank loudly whispers, as he and Jean start to hold up Poké Balls.

"However they do have a habit of lucking out and beating us somehow…" Jean loudly whispers, as she starts to lower her Poké Ball.

"With their annoying luck, we must make sure nothing goes to chance…" Paul loudly whispers, as he starts to lower his Poké Ball.

Jean suddenly looks ahead, before turning to Paul and grins, loudly whispers, "And I have the perfect idea for that."

Paul turns back to Jean and grins.

The next day, Ellie and the three other fossil Pokémon are walking away, as Victor and Gloria wave goodbye, with their Pokémon next to them.

"Take care, everyone," Ellie says.

"You too," Gloria adds, before turning to Victor. "Ready to go?"

"I think so," Victor says, before noticing Arctovish.

"Tovis…" Arctovish is looking at the water past the shore.

"Hey, Arctovish, want to go for a swim?" Victor says to his Pokémon.

"Tovis! Tovis!" Arctovish happily says, before jumping into the water, causing a large splash of water to hit everyone else, although Sirfetch'd uses its leaf shield to block the water from hitting Gloria.

"Sir, Fetch…" Sirfetch'd slowly lowers its leaf shield.

"Oh, thanks, Sirfetch'd," Gloria says.

Sirfetch'd immediately turns to Gloria and bows to her, "Sir, Fetch!"

"Toxt…" Toxtricity slowly strums its chest. "Icit."

"Tovis, Tovis!" Arctovish swims in a circle, before waving a flipper at its Trainer.

"You want me to join you?" Victor asks.

"Tovis!" Arctovish happily responds.

"Sorry, but I'm not much of a swimmer," Victor rubs the back of his head.

"Y'know, I have an idea," Gloria says, with Victor looking at her, confused.

Shortly, Victor is riding the Rotom Bike on the water surface, with his other five Pokémon watching from the shore.

Victor turns to the shore, "Hey, guys, wanna join me on the Rotom Bike?"

"Ra-boot!"

"Pika Pi!"

Raboot and Pikachu jump, with Raboot landing on the Rotom Bike's handlebars and Pikachu landing on Victor's shoulders.

"Hey there," Victor smiles at his two Pokémon.

"Pika," Pikachu responds.

"Tovis! Tovis!" Arctovish happily says, as it approaches the Rotom Bike.

"Ra-boot," Raboot jumps onto Victor's shoulder, as it and Pikachu look uncomfortable.

Victor sighs, before looking at the Pokémon on his shoulders, "C'mon guys, Arctovish is just saying 'hi'."

Drizzile takes a step forward on the shore, noticing the water surface starts to bubble some, "Drizz?"

"What's that?" Gloria notices the bubbling water surface, before it starts to get worse. "Victor, watch out!"

Suddenly an explosion of water knocks Victor, Pikachu, Raboot, and the Rotom Bike through the air, with them screaming. They then land hard on a small landmass, with Pikachu slams against a boulder and falls down.

"Pika!"

"Pikachu!" Victor calls out, before picking Pikachu up in its arms.

"Pika…" Pikachu weakly says, with a small surge of electricity from its cheeks.

"What was that?" Victor looks to the side.

Emerging from the water surface is a Wailord, "Wail!"

"It's a Wailord!" Victor calls out.

Victor's Rotom Phone, drenched in water, rises up, "Wailord, the Float Whale Pokémon, It can sometimes knock out opponents with the shock created by breaching and crashing its big body onto the water."

"Victor!" Gloria calls out, as Corviknight flies past her.

"Knigh!" Corviknight calls out.

"Wail!" Wailord hops slightly, causing a splash of water, before slams against Corviknight. "Wail!"

Victor is using his body to shield Pikachu from the wave of water, before looking ahead, "That was Heavy Slam."

"Knigh!" Corviknight is knocked back and falls into the water, before having trouble remaining at the water surface.

"Corviknight!" Victor calls out.

"Drizzile, Orbeetle, help Corviknight!" Gloria calls out.

"Drizz!"

"Or-beet!"

Drizzile and Orbeetle rush ahead.

"Wail!" Wailord dives underwater, before quickly rises up, knocking back Drizzile and Orbeetle.

"Drizz!"

"Or-beet!"

Corviknight is having trouble staying at the water surface, being knocked by waves, until suddenly it is pushed up on Arctovish's back, with Arctovish then swims ahead.

"Tovis," Arctovish brings Corviknight to the larger landmass, where Toxtricty and Sirfetch'd pull Corviknight onto land.

"Toxt…" Toxtricity looks ahead at Arctovish, and after a few seconds, Toxtricity nods its head. "Icit."

"Tovis!" Arctovish swims away and towards Wailord.

"Ra-boot," Raboot looks ahead, as Victor also look ahead.

"Is Arctovish gonna battle Wailord?" Victor asks.

"Pi…ka…" Pikachu says, as it watches from Victor's arms.

"Wail!" Wailord calls out at the charging Arctovish.

"Tovis!" Arctovish lowers its head, before a blast of chilled air shoots out of its mouth.

"That's Icy Wind!" Victor realizes.

"Wail!" Wailord yells through the chilled air, before starting to charge ahead.

"Watch out, Arctovish!" Victor calls out.

"Ra-boot!" Raboot calls out.

"Wail!" Wailord hops slightly and comes down toward Arctovish, who starts to swim to the side.

Wailord slams down, causing waves of water, which Arctovish swims across and around, before getting launched off a wave, "Tovis!"

"Incredible," Victor says, with Raboot also watching.

"Wail!" Wailord dives underwater.

"It's getting ready to use Dive again!" Victor realizes.

"Tovis!" Arctovish is in midair, with its mouth glowing a bright blue.

"What move is that?" Victor wonders, as his Rotom Phone flies over to him and looks at it, before looking back up. "Arctovish is using… Freeze-Dry!"

"Wail!" Wailord quickly rises up out of the water.

"Tovis!" Arctovish shoots a large blast of ice from its mouth.

The rising Wailord is hitted by the blast of ice, completely freezing over, before the ice shatters and Wailord falls down.

Arctovish falls into the water and resurfaces, "Tovis!"

"Wail…" Wailord resurfaces and watches Arctovish for a moment, before turning and swims away. "Wail."

"Alright, Arctovish!" Victor calls out to his Pokémon, who turns to him and swims toward the small landmass. "You were awesome!"

"Ra-boot, Ra-boot," Raboot nods its head.

"Tovis!" Arctovish happily says.

Gloria is watching the scene from the larger land and smiles, "I don't know why that Wailord attacked us, but everything does seem to be better now."

Back on the larger landmass, Victor sprays Pikachu with a Potion.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu happily says.

"Glad you're feeling better, Pikachu," Victor says.

"Tovis! Tovis!" Arctovish happily says, as it stands next to Corviknight and Silicobra.

"Knigh, Knigh," Corviknigh happily says, while places a wing on Arctovish's back.

"Sili…" Silicobra says, with a small smile and a sweatdrop.

Toxtricity strums its stomach, when Pikachu then jumps over Arctovish, who turns to follow after it, and Raboot runs alongside the two, as the three Pokémon starting to play, with everyone else watching.

Not too far away, Jean and Paul are watching behind boulders and trees.

"I don't believe our plan failed," Jean loudly whispers.

"And after all that time spent holding our breaths and attacking Wailord unseen so it'll attack the wannabe and neverbe," Paul loudly whispers.

"We need to up our game, if we're gonna stop them from reaching Spikemuth," Jean loudly whispers.

Jean and Paul shrink away, as the others are continuing their fun.

"It's very easy to judge someone by their appearance, but Arctovish proved itself to be a true friend, with everyone learning that an inner character is all that matters. What other lessons will our heroes learn as they continue onward to Spikemuth?"

"Find out, as the journey continues…"