Another two weeks had passed since everybody first arrived in Milyfa Town and the Forest of Okoya along with meeting KoKo and DaDa for the first time. The Jungle Guard, its commanders, the baby Jungle Pokemon, Appletun, Piplup, and Snom all got along swimmingly with their new family and friends (although the baby Jungle Pokemon had to be fed milk before they would be able to eat solid food).
Right now, Sarah and the others were all taking a break in a vast clearing near what is a misty jungle area where only mountains oversaw the entire land that they're on. Ash and the others had already finished their own training and were chilling out with their partners as they've often done and helping to look after the baby Jungle Pokemon but for Sarah, as was the case with her, there's no rest for the weary.
She was currently brushing up on her martial arts with Tsukumaro again as her family, Tyson, Xena, and Tai Lung watched from the sidelines. The rest of the guard were a few feet from them as they were busy with their own training to be ready for whenever Team Eclipse would rear their ugly heads again or a new enemy would appear.
As they sparred, Sarah managed to block her godfather as he threw a punch before she grabbed his lower arm and flipped him over. However, he expertly flipped and landed on his feet before he went to trip her until she jumped over and landed on his other side. That proved to be a mistake, however, as she went for a kick and he caught her leg and flipped her on her back as she laid down in defeat.
"Ah... Urgh, oh, not again!" she groaned, annoyed that she lost to Tsukumaro for the umpteenth time despite whatever victories she had in the past with their sparring matches.
"Hmm, you're doing better, Princess. But, you mustn't be so complicated in your fighting," chuckled Tsukumaro as he helped her up. "Focus more on the basics, they're your greatest weapons."
"...Right," Sarah nodded as she then gathered her weapons and her heirlooms.
"You know, the kid's not too bad with her training," Tyson admitted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "She and her godfather seemed to be evenly matched."
"Very remarkable, I must say. She's extremely proficient in her martial arts with all of the training she went through with him," agreed Xena.
"And, while the others were just as impressive with their own training and how much they've cared for Pokemon, I think they still have much to learn before they could be fully-fledged warriors," remarked Amber, regarding her friends.
"But, you can't deny how determined and committed to their training they were in their own ways," Freezeon pointed out.
"That's true, maybe they'll eventually show us how serious they're to be as warriors, the princess' bodyguards, and these Power Rangers," Craggeon nodded.
"Even if they've already shown us how strong they've become-bzzt?" Manteon asked, confused.
"Yes, Son, even that," Guardeon smiled as he patted Manteon on his head.
"You'll continue to see how special our girl's friends all are," reassured Nikki.
"Our Ponchita's really something but her friends are all just as strong and as skilled as she is as Pokemon Trainers," agreed James.
"Hey, everybody, I just realized!" Sophocles told the entire group as he checked his Wrist Com, seeing the map and calendar he brought up on its screen. "It says here that there's a village up ahead and it's celebrating the Lunar New Year Celebration today!"
"Oh yeah, we're in the midst of the 15-day Lunar New Year Celebration and it started two days ago!" Rotom-Dex said, checking his calendar.
"Alright!" the others cheered along with their equally ecstatic partners.
"I can't wait to try all of the food the village will serve! I want to see what'll work for our restaurant!" Mallow smiled.
"I want to see all of the wonderful decorations!" Lana cried.
"This'll be fun!" Lillie agreed.
"Princess, what's this Lunar New Year Celebration you kids are talking about?" Tai Lung quizzed curiously.
"Uh... It's a special celebration usually held in Asian countries such as China, Tibet, Vietnam, and Korea," Sarah explained.
"Throughout the fifteen days of what is normally referred to Westerners as the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, it's the main holiday of China that celebrates the coming of Spring and the beginning of a new year according to the Chinese's traditional lunisolar calendar. It's a time when Asian families would come together to spend time with another but it's usually a celebration where many of them would honor deities as well as their ancestors."
"Yeah, and they usually clean up their houses and decorate their houses and buildings with red things such as couplets and paper-cuts and giving away money in red envelopes," Sophocles added.
"It's all in the veins of bringing good luck to Asian families and households!" Mallow agreed.
"It's a huge Chinese party!" Lana said.
"Party?!" Freezeon and Seleneon along with the baby Jungle Pokemon cheered.
"Hey, Sis! We managed to clear Nitro's trial months ago and I evolved so you can still come with us to celebrate the Lunar New Year!" Vikavolt gasped excitedly to Togedemaru.
"Really?!" blinked Togedemaru, smiling excitedly before she turned to Sonic. "Please?"
"As long as you promise to be careful and not cause any trouble for the villagers when we get there," nodded the Totem Togedemaru, making the two cheer.
"I wonder where it's even being held?" Kiawe pondered. "We could go for a break and I don't mind stay for a few days to see what it has to offer."
"I wonder if there are any trainers who would be holding special Pokemon battles to celebrate the new year," puzzled Ash, feeling giddy as Pikachu chirped excitedly.
"It says that the celebration is being held at a village not far from here called Claw Town. It's right up north and we can't miss it; since it started two days ago, we should hear it going on when we get there," Sophocles noted as he showed the route.
"So, basically, we'll have to go up north from where we are right now and we'll be able to reach Claw Town for this celebration?" Nyasi asked Sophocles, to which he nodded in confirmation.
"That's basically it."
"I wonder if this Lunar New Year Celebration being held in Claw Town is any bigger compared to the celebrations that were held back home in Alola?" pondered Pyroar.
"It will no doubt be an interesting delight to see what it's like," Rosa said.
"Most people that had been influenced by the Chinese holiday take this very seriously compared to others so it'll be wonderful to see how the villagers celebrate the Lunar New Year," nodded Tsareena.
"If there are any martial arts demonstrations being held, then Hashi and I are down for it," Ching Wan smiled brightly.
"Yeah, that'll be a blast since we lived and breathed Chinese Wushu/Kung Fu," agreed Hashimoto, sharing his brother's enthusiasm.
"You would because you've been training on the Isle of Armor in Kung Fu all your lives before you joined us during Sarah's time as a one-day student of the Master Dojo," replied Phoenix.
"And, you're fans of those old school Kung Fu movies we've been watching for a while back home and some contemporary martial arts films like Kung Fu Panda and the Karate Kid," Glastrier remarked.
"You guys want to come with us to check out Claw Town and the Lunar New Year Celebration?" Mai asked the Jungle Guard.
"I wouldn't mind sssssssseeing what the hubbub issssss about," Medusa replied, shrugging with a curious smile.
"Aww, what harm can it do?" Tyson nodded as well.
The Baby Pokemon all cheered, wanting to go to Claw Town while Piplup, Skiddo, Snom, Appletun, and Buneary sighed before they gave relenting smiles and nods to the little Mimikyu.
Sarah smiled as she giggled at them before she addressed everyone, "Well, everybody, are we all in agreement? Shall we go to Claw Town for the Lunar New Year?"
"YEAH/YEAH/YEAH!" everybody cheered unanimously.
"Oh, brother... Are you sure we gotta do this little gig thing with all the dancing, the eating, the music, and the annoying-YEOW!" grumbled Eternatus before Nebby and Nebula nudged and tugged on him beggingly.
"Aww, come on, Uncle E.T! Team Eclispe is out of our hair, for now, and you've been working overtime with us two weeks ago while we were in the Forest of Okoya and hanging out with Cousin KoKo and his DaDa! You need a vacation!" pleaded Nebby.
"I don't know..."
"Pleeeeeeeease?" Nebula added, pulling off a sad puppy face.
"Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no, no! Not the face, you runt, not the face!" Eternatus growled as Nebula got closer to him, still pulling off the puppy face until he finally sighed and gave up. "D'oh, okay... We're going, stop it with the damn face, okay?"
"YAHOOOOOOO!"
With everyone unanimous in their decision, after gathering their stuff and sticking together for the next part of their journey, they quickly made their way north to Claw Town to attend the Lunar New Year Celebration. However, little did Sarah and her friends know that their arrival to and attendance at Claw Town's Chinese New Year buzz will bring them face to face with another team of Legendary Rangers; one that specializes in Kung Fu and that was once charged with defending the world against the evil that is known as Dai Shi.
(Special Opening Power Ranger Jungle Fury Special Pokemon Edition)
(The scene opens up as an African Lion, Mega Lion and Smilodon Spirit appeared running through the jungle before coming out through the special titles)
Pokemon - Ultra Jungle Fury Rescue
Power Rangers!
(The scene changed to Sarah in her Panthera Super Charge Mode as golden yellow energy formed around her before she's seen with her African Lion, Mega Lion and Smilodon spirits behind her as they roared in unison)
Go! Cause were the Power Rangers Ultra Jungle Fury, Go!
Training hard to be the best that we can
Power Rangers!
Protecting people from the evil Black Dragon gang
(The scenes changed depicting Sarah and the Pokemon School Gang with their respective Animal Spirits; Ash - Mouse, Kiawe - Turtle; Lillie - Fox; Lana - Seal; Mallow - Hedgehog, Race - American Bald Eagle and Sarah - Lion, Smilodon and Dragon. The scene changed to depict the Black Dragon Gang which beared a strange resemblence to Lothor and the Seven Sins whom all had the spirit of the Dragon)
Stand up for what we know is right, we will never lose a fight
Black Dragons (Go Away)
We are here (To save the day!)
(The scene changed to Sarah and the Black Dragons's leader; Dai Shi faced off with her Lion and Smilodon spirits facing off against his large Dragon spirit before Sarah is seen unleashing her own Dragon Spirits which were in the form of Shadow before changing into Winter and then Ryu)
Cause we're the Power Rangers Jungle Fury (Jungle Fury!)
We're fast we're strong unstoppable (Jungle Fury!)
Here comes the Power Rangers Jungle Fury (Jungle Fury Go!)
(The scene changes to Sarah unleashing her Panthers Super Charge mode to save her friends and the Mane Five from the Black Dragons as she uses her Terror Bow and Acid Arrow to blast a few before switching to her Dark Night Blade and White Light Blaster to battle the other Black Dragon forces)
(Go!, Go!)
Power Rangers!
(Go!, Go!)
Jungle Fury!
(Go!, Go!)
Power Rangers!
(Go!, Go!)
Jungle Fury
By the time the entire group finally arrived at Claw Town, the Lunar New Year Celebration was in full swing as it was for the previous two days. Everyone was astonished and amazed as they saw the town and the villagers (along with some occasional outsiders) enjoying themselves and how electric everything had become around them; everywhere they looked, they could see red lanterns and streamers dotting the buildings and more of them along with red couplets, Chinese knots, red window paper-cuts, red New Years pictures, and more lining up the streets. Also, the citizens were all wearing different variations of red.
The food stalls and restaurants that serve traditional Chinese food from Dim Sum and Lo/Chow Mien of all kinds to Dan Dan Noodles and dumplings (from chicken and veg to pork) are brimming with activity, many of them also providing reunion dinners with special food for the occasion for any citizens coming into Claw Town that have family members and friends living in the area. This got everybody's mouths watering and Mallow, Tsareena, and her Shaymin, in particular, had their eyes twinkling in delight; to them, it was a foodie's Chinese food paradise, and so, the Grass Type student was already getting ideas about what to make include in her family restaurant menu.
Traditional Chinese music and contemporary Chinese New Year tunes were being played and sung by famous musicians, bands, and orchestras that have been invited to perform in the 15-day event. Children played with friends and family as they danced to the music and songs they grew up listening to.
For Hashimoto and Ching Wan, the main highlight for them were the Kung Fu/Wushu demonstrations and contests that were being held around the town as well as special classes and lectures from world-renowned martial arts masters for anybody who would want to learn Chinese Martial Arts. Also, what sweetened the deal for them is that some places had makeshift movie viewing spots where they played films like Shaolin Avengers, The Sword Stained With Royal Blood, Once Upon A Time In China, Heroes Two, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, and more.
The sounds of drums, cymbals, gongs, and firecrackers being lit up (the latter decorations of which had also been strung up at several buildings) filled the air as well for everybody also saw several groups from martial arts schools around the world were also performing dragon dances and lion dances (North and Southern styles) to ward away any evil spirits and bring good luck to Claw Town.
Needless to say, the entire group was floored by the massive celebration happening around them.
Surprisingly, and to the delight of the Pokemon School gang and Sarah's awe, Claw Town also had some Pokemon joining in the celebration as they volunteered and took part in the activities along with their human families and friends. There were even some demonstrations of Pokemon battles that specialize in using their physical and special attacks in specific ways like in martial arts films and Kung Fu schools.
"WOW/WOW/WOW!" everybody gasped in total fascination.
"Damn, you were right, Missy! Some people do take this celebration more seriously than others," blinked Brawleon to Tsareena in surprise.
"Oh, it's wonderful!" gasped Freezeon, amazed.
"I can't believe it! This is the Lunar New Year Celebration?" cried a stunned Hydro. "I've never seen humans this lively before!"
"Yeah, everything's all decked out in red and all of those people are wearing different clothes that sported red!" added a surprised Braviary, blinking his eyes but seeing it as it is and not being a dream, at all.
"Now, this is a party!" giggled Mesprit.
"Y-Yeah, a loud o-o-one at that, h-heh," Uxie nodded as some firecrackers went off.
"Mmm... I can smell some of the Dim Sum parlors about a mile away from us," sniffed James as he breathed in the food being served.
"Well, I'll be a Mankey's uncle!" said Tsukumaro, awestruck as he saw people singing, dancing, mingling about, and eating together. "We've never had celebrations like this from where the princess and I came from back then."
"I...Love it!"
"Wow, Sophocles, you and Rotom were right! This really is the Lunar New Year Celebration!"
"We told you it was going to be fun!"
"This is so beautiful... The color red that shows good luck and prosperity in the Chinese sense, I feel so moved like I've been supercharged by a Master Kung Fu Inferno Overdrive!"
"Awesome!"
"I wonder what kind of food we'll be able to find and eat?" Ash and the Pokemon School gang reacted, still fascinated.
"Check out the clothes, even the dresses some of the villagers and their Pokemon are wearing!" replied Star, pointing to a woman wearing a red Chinese Cheongsam along with a Gardevoir.
"Amazing! Look at those Kung Fu students performing that dance with a lion costume!" Calyrex gawked in amazement, he and his sons seeing a martial arts group performing a Southern Style lion dance (Fo-Shan). "Do you see how those two inside the lion move just like it and with such firm stances and diligence? The majesty, the power, the grace! Absolutely astounding, the mark of true Kung Fu students under the tutelage of a remarkable master!"
"He-he-he-he-he-he-he! Hey, look!" Tifu giggled, pointing everybody towards two pairs of Kung Fu students from another Kung Fu school doing the adult Northern Lion Dance and being playful as they did jumps, spins, wrestling, and other playful behaviors amidst a series of Chinese circus props along with a single performer acting as their ringmaster while holding a ball. "Those northern lions and their leader are being really funny!"
"And, look at the shops around us! They're selling all kinds of things from kung fu supplies and weapons to jade jewelry!" noted Lilac, taking a look at one of the other shops selling Chinese apparel, clothing, and sports applications among many things.
"And, look at all the Pokemon with the villagers and coming into town with their trainers!" Lillie gasped in delight, seeing the Pokemon wearing some speck of red or martial arts uniforms or formal clothing as part of one of the martial arts schools or orchestras attending.
"Hey, some of them are also having Pokemon battles!" Ash cried excitedly, seeing a Primeape and a Hitmonlee (belonging to two martial arts students from another school) doing a Kung Fu demonstration for a small crowd. "Man, I want to try that out so bad!"
"Me, too!" Pikachu nodded.
"That's more our style and game, right, Ani-Chan?"
"You bet, Hashi," smiled the Wushu Brothers.
"I had a feeling you'd love that kind of thing, huh. boys?" Sarah smiled at her Kubfu and Urshifu. "I bet you wish Mustard and Honey and your fellow disciples along with their trainers and even Klara would love it here and would like to spend it with you, huh?"
"Yeah, we used to have these kinds of celebrations back home all the time whenever the Lunar New Year comes about and we've been traveling around to showcase our martial arts as most schools do to not only raise money for the Master Dojo but also to raise awareness in Chinese Kung Fu."
"But, we've never been to a Lunar New Year celebration that as large and electric as this; they would've loved to visit this place. Especially since this place is steeped in tradition and Chinese Kung Fu heritage and since it's China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and such condensed in this one village."
Next, the group went into a small part of the town that's decorated with large tapestries; some of the tapestries that were hung up and shown were put up for sale as souvenirs while others are being displayed as part of a Chinese art exhibition. The tapestries depicted different historical tales and folklore that's been told in China for years, displaying many of the animals and humans that became the stuff of legend and were deeply respected by the Chinese such as Guan Yu, Wong Fei Hung, Monk Zhi Shan, Hong Xi Guan, Fang Shi Yu, the lion, the Nian, the tiger, the dragon, the phoenix, and the thunderbird.
Shadow and the other dragons of Berk were curious and in awe about the tapestries displaying Chinese dragons of all different designs; they were impressed by how much respect the Chinese had for their species and they couldn't help but feel humbled that there are some humans in the world who truly appreciated, respected, and worshipped their kind.
"Hey, Mom! Guys, over here!" Star shouted, getting her family's attention as well as the others as they saw the Shiny Lucario and Zarude looking at a large tapestry in a Chinese apparel and accessory shop. "Come see what we've found!"
"What's up, guys?" asked Sarah as they joined the two.
"We found this large tapestry that has these pictures of what looked to be Nebby and Nebula along with a dragon and a phoenix sewn into it," Nyasi explained, pointing to what looked to be a Solgaleo and a Lunala (both of them being Shinies as seen by their red colorings) above a Chinese dragon and phoenix in a Yin-Yang symbol formation but with an odd gem in the center of them. "It looked like them apart from their colorings, do you think it has anything to do with them?"
"Whoa..."
"What do you know? It does look like them!"
"Pretty..." gasped Ash, Sophocles, and Lillie.
"Wow, this is amazing! I've never seen a tapestry so exquisitely detailed nor have I've ever heard something like this legend! Documenting, documenting~!" Rotom-Dex buzzed in amazement, taking photos of the tapestry and what's on it.
"That's weird, the Solgaleo and Lunala on the tapestry are both red," Mallow noted in surprise, looking between the Alola Legendaries on the tapestry and Sarah's Ultra Beasts. "Nebby's actually white and Nebula's blue-violet compared to those two."
"You think the Ultra Beasts shown on it must be Shinies?" pondered Kiawe curiously. "I mean, they're both red. And, red does symbolize good luck in Chinese culture."
"Hmm, how very odd. That does seem to be the case, Sir. Kiawe," nodded Tsukumaro thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as he looked at the tapestry. "Their red colorings do go practically well given the celebration."
"And, even the dragon and the phoenix make sense since they're both lucky animals for the Chinese," agreed Race before he saw the gem. "But, what I don't get is what that strange gem they're both circling around in the Yin-Yang formation even is."
"Must be special to the Chinese if it's a central part of the legend the tapestry is telling everybody, who knows?" replied Sarah.
"Well, either way, I'm sure we'll find out somehow if there's ever going to be another thing detailing the legend during the festival," replied James.
"Yeah, but for now, let's all get back to the festivities and enjoy ourselves," added Nikki with a smile.
Everyone else cheered as they rejoined the Lunar New Year celebration still going in full swing. But, little did everyone know as they left the shop and went off to do their own things during their time in Claw Town, they were being watched by seven particular humans nearby. They were the Power Rangers Jungle Fury, the 16th team of Legendary Rangers that were once responsible for defeating the evil known as Dai Shi years ago, watching the group from another stand as they took note of the tapestry.
"Are you sure that girl with them was her, Casey?" the Yellow Ranger/Cheetah Master, Lily, questioned the team's leader and Red Tiger Ranger/Master, Casey.
"Yeah, Lily, that was really her with that group by this very tapestry," Casey nodded, taking a look at the tapestry as well. "What's more, I sensed her lion spirits very clearly. They're very strong, stronger than most animal spirits. Right, Jarrod?"
"Mmm, I felt them, too. While it is odd that she possessed two lion spirits, her heart is noble and true," agreed Jarrod, Casey's former rival/senior/enemy and Dai Shi's former host. "What we felt back at the temple and heard about from the Forest of Okoya was true; she's like the lions to a tee from both her truth of heart and loyalty."
"Which means she's the one the legend alluded to involving the gem in this very tapestry," added Jarrod's former right-hand and his current girlfriend/love, Camille.
"Did anybody notice that strange sword and shield she has on her and that lion and bat?" the Blue Jaguar Ranger/Master, Theo, puzzled. "They looked like the ones shown on the tapestry."
"Ah, yes, the cool cat and nocturnal bird as the legends foretold. But, in actuality, those two are actually the Legendary Pokemon of Alola," the Purple Wolf Ranger/Master and the Jungle Fury Rangers' mentor, RJ, noted.
"They are known as Solgaleo and Lunala, Ultra Beasts or Pokemon of the sun and moon made flesh. But here, the ones on the tapestry are actually Shinies since they're both red and the ones with her are their normal colors. What's more, the masters, Dom, and I've heard about them when we poured over the records detailing the Ultra Beast War and the Alolan Monarchy; they're called the Sun Sword and Moon Shield, the personal heirlooms to her parents, King Doug and Queen Delilah Tomoe."
Dominic (aka Dom), the White Jungle Fury Rhino Ranger and RJ's best friend, nodded thoughtfully, "They're definitely the ones and if memory of those records served, there should be other two heirlooms made especially for her: the Twilight Amulet and the Artificial Pokemon, Magearna. If our suspicions are correct, having them all could be trouble for her and her family."
Lily grew worried at the prospect, "So, what'll we do?"
"I say we follow them, see what happens and act accordingly but try not to draw attention to us from them," Theo suggested.
The other Jungle Fury Rangers, Jarrod, and Camille all agreed as they left the tapestry shop to follow Sarah and her family and friends. But, like with them, they had no idea that they were also being watched by six humans clad in black while having the symbol of a golden dragon on their chests as medallions from a nearby Dim Sum parlor. They also saw Sarah along with Nebula and Nebby and they were curious yet suspicious at the same time.
"So... That's them, the ones noted on the tapestry, right, brother?" asked one of the humans, Teng Xue.
"Yes, the girl and those creatures with her are them," replied the leader, Jin Gang, nodding. "They could be the keys we needed to reach the Twilight Gem and finally bring back our master."
"What about the Jungle Fury Rangers? They've caught on to those three, too."
"They've probably heard about the Ultra Beast War and the last family of the Alola Monarchy as well and will be meeting them first, if possible."
"If they know that Dai Shi will be coming back thanks to us, they'll be sure to stomp out our plans and do away with him again."
"What should we do with them, Jin?" inquired the other four members.
"We'll deal with them accordingly as well. Right now, we'll keep an eye on them, the girl, and those beasts the legends foretold. Come," Jin suggested as they left, paid for their meal, and went off like ninjas after Sarah, her friends, and her family.
With Sarah and her family and the others, they were all enjoying themselves immensely as they took part in several activities that were being held during the 15-day celebration; for Ash and Sophocles, they were stuffing themselves with all of the Chinese food the festival had to offer: sweet rice cake, whole fish and chicken, dumplings, rice balls, braised Shiitake Mushrooms, tangerines and oranges, Longevity Noddles, the lot.
Of course, baffled by the possibility of the two being bottomless pits as they ate, the Jungle Guard, their commanders, Skiddo, Piplup, Appletun, Snom, Buneary, Fennekin, Phanpy, Swablu, and Cyndaquil sweatdropped at them for how much they're literally stuffing their faces and their lack of manners.
"Yep, that's what happens with them and our other friends when greeted with the sight of food."
"This is rather common since we've been with them for a while now so you might as well get used to it," warned Shadow and Winter sheepishly.
"I see..." Tai Lung nodded slowly as he ate his Electric Pokemon Beef Lo Mien.
"Let's hope they don't eat the festival out of house and home," agreed Piplup, eating Shrimp Wonton Soup.
Even though it was embarrassing when it came to Ash and Sophocles, Nikki, Tsukumaro, and James thought it good to try out the food being offered.
With Mallow, Tsareena, and her Shaymin, they were surveying the food stalls and restaurants as the Grass Type student took notes and tried out all the food they can find and they were having a field day.
"Mmn, yummy!" peeped Shaymin, enjoying a sweet rice ball.
"Mmm! This is so delicious, Mallow, darling! A sweet treat for the new year!" Tsareena smiled brightly, having a slice of New Year cake.
"Mmm-Mmm-Mmm! These Chinese stalls have everything they can have that's cooked and made fresh and from organic ingredients they have! I want to try out recipes from all of them!" agreed Mallow, eating some dumplings.
Lana and her partners went off on their own for a bit to check out some circus troopes that were invited to perform for the festival and she and Brionne were enthralled by seeing some ribbon and sword dancers perform. Their movements were flowing and graceful, they were elegant and light on their feet, like as if they were dancing from above water as the ribbons flowed like river currents and waves in the ocean.
"So pretty, they're following a beat and they're one with the music as if it's the ocean," Lana breathed.
"They look so beautiful...!" Brionne gasped in amazement.
"Groovy, groovy, groovy! I wanna play, I wanna play!" Sandy cheered after the performers finished and asked for some volunteers.
Of course, excited as he is and wanting to try out something he's never seen before, he immediately stepped up to the plate with Lana and Brionne following him in surprise. They were both startled that Sandy had gotten them and himself chosen but after they were shown what to do and were taught how to dance, they slowly started getting into it and they were all soon having fun.
Kiawe, Pyroar, and Turtonator were checking out some of the lion dance troopes from Kung Fu schools dotted across the town and they were so intrigued by them, they decided to participate in a demonstration as guest volunteers with one such troope holding a lecture.
With Lillie and Snowy, they took some time to observe the many decorations that were dotted across the town and were searching in an apparel and gift shop that was having a Lunar New Year sale throughout the celebration. The Ice Type student had also decided to find some souvenirs to bring home for her family including her father should Lusamine, Wicke, Burnet, Faba, and the rest of the Aether Foundation should find any clues to his current whereabouts in the Ultra Dimension.
"Snowy, let's take this Cheongsam for Mother," Lillie smiled, finding a Cheongsam dress that she feels is perfect for Lusamine. "I'm sure she'll love to wear this for whenever Father will be back. She'll want to look her best as well as we do for whenever he comes back, right?"
"Yeah!" replied the Alolan Vulpix in agreement.
With Ching Wan and Hashimoto, before they would meet up with their family for dinner, they found themselves enthralled by a Kung Fu/Wushu demonstration being held by some of China's top Wushu athletes and students from places like Shaolin and Wudang.
"Now, this is something we can really dig!" Ching Wan smirked, seeing some Wushu athletes from Hebei Province perform a 3-fighter Duilain (duel) set using a three-section staff, a sword and shield, and a regular waxwood staff.
"You said it, Ani-Chan!" agreed an equally ecstatic Hashimoto as he watched upon his brother's shoulder.
Things got even better for them when they were selected from a number of volunteers in the Kung Fu lecture that took place soon after and they've demonstrated their Tiger, Leopard, Crane, and Seven Star Mantis styles and their proficient mastery of them. The crowd and the athletes along with the Shaolin and Wudang students were most impressed.
Returning to Sarah and her family, Fennekin and Cyndaquil's mouths watered in delight and they tried to snag one of the pork dumplings but Piplup and Sarah stopped them as they brought them back to their and the Jungle Guard/Pokemon's table.
"Not so fast, you two. You can't eat solid food like that yet," warned the older Penguin Pokemon as they put the two down with Swablu and Phanpy.
"Aww, what?"
"Not fair," pouted the baby Fire Types with a huff.
"You're still too young to be eating solid food, as Piplup said. You two, Phanpy, and Swablu better stick with milk until then," Sarah replied, gently petting them as she gave them full milk bottles.
"Yeah..."
"Okay..." they agreed reluctantly as they sucked on them.
Chuckling at his baby sisters, Piplup then went to take a New Year cake but what he didn't notice was that somebody accidentally spilled some Hot Sauce on it. So, when he put it in his mouth to eat it, he suddenly felt the burn of it from his tongue and he breathed fire as he screamed.
"AAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH!" the poor Sinnoh Water Starter cried, fanning his burned tongue and swollen lips when he fell to the ground as the others winced while the baby Pokemon laughed at his expense.
"Oh, my!"
"Whoops, looks like somebody got a first hefty dose of Hot Sauce," winced Nikki and James sympathetically.
"Hot Sauce? Don't be ridiculous, how harmful can a dose of that stuff really be?" pondered Tsukumaro skeptically, taking another New Year cake with a bit of Hot Sauce put on it, only to react the same as Piplup had as he fell to the ground.
"T-Tsukumaro!"
"Uncle Tsuku!"
"Sensei! Are you alright?!" gasped Absol, Bambi, and Natu in shock and surprise while everyone else around them laughed from seeing his and Piplup's reactions to their New Year cakes drenched in Hot Sauce.
"Daddy Tsuki fall down and go boom!" giggled Togepi, she and Whimsicott also laughing at the old advisor's expense. "Funny, funny! Again, again!"
"Are you okay, Tsukumaro?" Amber blinked worriedly as she took a Hot Sauce-drenched New Year cake and ate it along with the rest of Sarah's Fire Types.
"Oh, sure... I really do like heat," Tsukumaro groaned as Nikki and James helped him up.
The baby Pokemon still found it a great joke as they laughed harder and even some of the Jungle Guard couldn't help but chuckle as they cracked smiles. However, their joy wasn't to last as Xena suddenly felt something off around him and the Guard's family as he looked around and prepared a Water Shuriken, attracting Tai Lung's attention to the Greninja.
"What's wrong, Xena?" the Shiny Zeraora asked before his section commander threw his signature attack at his family's supposed intruders before the men clad in black surrounded them, stopping the celebration as the visitors and villagers gasped in shock at the men.
"ZOINKS!"
"Hey, what's this about?!"
"Who are you?"
"What happened?"
"What's with those men in black?"
"AH! It's an ambush!"
"Are they insane?!"
"They don't look very friendly!" gasped some of the nearby villagers as Ash and Sophocles stopped eating to see what was going on.
"Hello, girly," asked Teng, smirking at Sarah as he pointed a saber at her.
"Who are you guys, what's going on?" asked Sarah suspiciously, raising her hand to reach her Sun Sword as her family braced themselves to fight if things get really nasty. "Are you here to cause any trouble for everybody here?"
"Oh, we're only popping by for a visit because you came to the right place and the right time. You're just in time to join us for a little trip to our little resting place for a little favor we'd like to ask of you. Now, you come with us and try no games and bring the lion and the bat with you along with the sword and shield; we'll be leaving soon and we'll let you live as long as you obey our every command and there won't be any trouble."
"ALRIGHT! Knock it off, you guys are ruining everything when you showed up!" Ash snapped angrily at the men in black.
"Yeah!" Pikachu agreed.
"What's it to you, Kanto Boonie?" scoffed Jin, not finding them to be a threat.
"Simple; if Sarah doesn't want to go with you along with Nebby and Nebula, I'm not gonna let you take them!"
"Oh yeah? Well, who's gonna make-GAH?!" sneered Teng until his saber was blasted out of his hand by a magic blast from Mallow holding her Beast-X Magistick as she, Kiawe, Lana, and Lillie reunited with their party after hearing the commotion and saw the men in black threatening Sarah.
"That's right!"
"As per personal bodyguards and best friends, we have a duty to protect our princess no matter who tries to get her!"
"If you want her, you'll have to go through us!"
"All of us!" Mallow, Kiawe, Lillie, and Lana agreed firmly.
"HA! Really, you kids? Stop us, impossible," snorted the third member of the men in black, Mao Xieren, unimpressed. "You meddling punks can't possibly hope to defeat us: the Black Dragons."
"We've waited too long for this moment to finally happen and now, our time has finally come!"
"For years, we've had to contend with being without our master those insolent Power Rangers and those traitors, Jarrod and Camille, thirteen years ago destroyed him when he was so close to proving that animals rule the world and mankind should be left to ruin."
"Now, with the arrival of the Solar Lion and the Lunar Bat and this very girl in front of us, our master will be reborn and those pesky rangers and their masters will rue the day they've defeated him!" added the three other Black Dragons, Zhao Yuhan, Zhen Yu and, Hao Kang.
"The Black Dragons will do anything they can to bring back Master Dai Shi and once he rises from his ashes, he'll show everyone that the world deserves to be ruled and controlled by the animals alone!" Jin finished, the name shocking the Ultra Rescue Rangers.
"Dai Shi?!"
"The golden dragon spirit who tried to lead his army of evil animal spirits to eradicate humanity and have it ruled by animals?" gasped Lana and Kiawe.
"You want to kidnap Sarah, Nebby, and Nebula just so you can bring back your lost master?" Mallow gawked.
"You don't know what you're doing!" Ash snapped.
"Dai Shi could care less about you!" Sophocles scoffed.
"And, that means you knew about that legend about the red Solgaleo and Lunala we've discovered from that tapestry!" Lillie noted, bringing out her Beast-X Defender.
"On the contrary, we're his most loyal squadron of dragons that were secretly dispatched to find the means to bring him back no matter what the cost," Zhao scoffed towards Ash and Sophocles. "Our master's revival is everything to us and none of us care if we die; as long as Dai Shi is returned to this world, our own lives mean nothing!"
"We're wide awake and we know what we're doing and soon, with the power of the Alola Legendaries and the girl, the Infernal Dragon will walk upon our world and live once again!" Zhen added.
"We're not giving them to you!" Lana spat.
"Then, we'll take them," smirked Jin.
"Hello, lots of us and six of you, you know?" Mallow smirked back.
Jin just chuckled as he got closed to Sarah and grabbed her, "Oh, please."
But, Jin underestimated Sarah and her friends because as he grabbed her, she hit him on his lower left arm before she grabbed his right arm and jerked his wrist in one direction. Yelling in pain as he dropped his saber, Jin was then thrown over the table and into the ground, shocking and amazing the locals.
"Everybody, stand back!" the princess warned, getting nods from the villagers and the visitors as they quickly backed off and took cover while her friends shielded them from the danger before them.
Seeing their leader downed, Zhao and Zhen moved forward as they lunged at her with a few more punches but after dodging them for several seconds to taunt them and throw them off, Sarah caught their last punches and twisted their fists. The two Black Dragons yelped as she then released them and thrusted her palms into their chests, immediately knocking them to the ground as well. Hao then took his chance to stop her but she fooled him as she used the momentum of his charge to throw him, tossing him head over heels as the villagers and villagers cheered for her.
But, the Black Dragons weren't done yet as Teng was the last one standing and as he charged to make his own assault while retrieving his saber, Sarah drew her Sun Sword and locked blades with him. The two of them were in a deadlock but a very short one as the princess lifted his blade before she grabbed his belt and then spun him before she let him go flying to the other Black Dragons as they were getting up. When they did, they saw a screaming Teng flying towards them and he crashed into them like a bowling ball against a set of five bowling pins which garnered louder cheers and applause from the visitors of and visitors to Claw Town.
"Urgh, this isn't over!" snapped Jin before he and the rest of the Black Dragons ran off to form a Plan B, passing by the Jungle Fury Rangers as they heard and saw and saw everything that went down.
"WHOO-HOO!"
"HOU!"
"JIA-YOU!"
"Well done!"
"She did it!"
"That girl's wonderful!"
"My hero!"
"Thank you!" the villagers and visitors congratulated as Sarah paid the workers for any damages.
"Thank you so much, Miss! How could we ever repay you for saving us?" smiled one of the workers, relieved.
"Don't thank me alone, Sir. My friends helped keep you all out of danger and I just wanted to make sure you all weren't hurt," the princess replied kindly.
"Our Ponchita is always like that when helping others, Sir," nodded James in agreement.
"Whenever somebody's in danger, she always puts people and Pokemon first," added Nikki.
"That sure was an easy fight," Ash chuckled.
"Those Black Dragon guys really didn't know what hit 'em," smirked Sophocles.
"Yeah, but I'm kinda worried. I didn't think it'd be possible for Dai Shi to have any followers left after Jarrod destroyed him completely," Kiawe thought worriedly as the thought of Dai Shi returning filled the gang's minds.
"Me, too. I thought he was finished after he exploded him from inside his body after taking such a big gamble years ago," Lillie agreed.
"Yeah," nodded Lana.
"Well, we better be careful. If those Black Dragons wanted Sarah, Nebby, and Nebula that badly, they must be wanting them to find something that can help them bring back the Infernal Dragon spirit," suggested Mallow.
"Only question is how are they planning to get Dai Shi back?" pondered Tsukumaro as he and Sarah joined them. "And, what's more, how does their plan replate to the princess as well as her Solgaleo and Lunala?"
"How about we fill you cool cats in on him?" RJ asked as he, his fellow rangers, Jarrod, and Camille joined the group.
"Huh? Hey, do we know you guys from somewhere?"
"Yeah, you look awfully familiar..." Ash and Mallow said, looking the group over.
"AH! Now, I remember; I've read about you guys during Ranger History Class with Prof. Burnet and my mother," gasped Lillie in surprise as she pointed to their Jungle Fury predecessors. "Aren't you Casey, Lily, Theo, RJ, Dominic, Jarrod, and Camille?"
"No way! Now, I get it; you guys are the Legendary Jungle Fury Power Rangers!" added Sophocles, his jaw immediately dropping in amazement.
"The ones who stopped Dai Shi thirteen years ago!" Lana breathed in shock.
"And, you're all here!" cried Sarah in awe.
"That's incredible!" Kiawe bellowed as his eyes bugged out.
RJ chuckled at their reactions, "Heh, looks like you dudes and dudettes have been brushing up on your ranger history homework."
"Guilty as charged, good to finally meet you kids," smiled Camille.
"Yeah. And, you must be Sarah, Ash, Kiawe, Mallow, Lana, Sophocles, and Lillie, the new Power Rangers Ultra Rescue," smiled Casey. "Pleasure to meet you all, at last. You've been making massive waves across the world with your heroics in Alola."
"Wow, you heard about us before?" Ash gasped at him.
"Sure do, that incident with Evox that resulted in you first meeting the Beast Morphers Rangers was morphenominal!" Lily nodded with a bright smile.
"You kids really do have a lot of guts going up against a guy like him," Theo nodded.
"Thanks, Theo. So, do you guys know anything about the Black Dragons that tried to cause trouble earlier?" Sarah quizzed their predecessors.
"Yeah, who exactly where those creeps, anyway?"
"Or, why they want the princess along with her Solgaleo and Lunala to bring back Dai Shi?" Tsukumaro added, looking to them concerned. "I thought you all and your masters from the Order of the Claw were able to destroy him years ago."
"It's a long story but it's something that you all should know since he's planned out his return long before we finally finished him off. Follow us," Jarrod replied, he, Camille, and the Jungle Fury Rangers leading them to another restaurant to talk over another meal after their first one got interrupted.
"Now, in case you all don't fully know about him, here's the thing about Dai Shi; over ten thousand years ago, Dai Shi, the Infernal Dragon, once caused havoc and destruction in his beliefs that humans don't deserve to walk on our planet and that animals should be the ones to rule alone. Many warriors fought to stop him but they all failed until seven were able to channel their animal spirits and unleash their power to subdue him inside a box and since then, they've been charged with protecting the chest to ensure that he will never escape and harm anyone again. The masters fought valiantly against him and were able to seal him but out of all of them, only 4-3 managed to survive while the others reside in the spirit world for their valiant sacrifice."
"As you all know, Lily, Theo, and I were charged with being the new guardians thirteen years ago but after Jarrod was expelled for his arrogance and accidentally helped him escape, he took possession of him and he used him and Camille to fight us and finish what he started," Casey added, continuing the story. "We were able to hold Dai Shi's army off as they came at us, one by one. But, soon, we gained help and learned every new technique on how to stop him by some of our masters including RJ."
"With help from Master Phant, Master Swoop, Master Finn, and our master from the Spirit World, Master Rilla, Master Lope, and Master Guin, we were able to match him and help set Jarrod free from his hold on him," Lily replied.
"We've put everything on the line as he did anything and everything he could to take us down with the assistance of his army and only then were we able to beat him thanks to my students and Jarrod," RJ went on.
"But, recently, we've found out that Dai Shi had a Plan B after Casey, Lily, and Theo earned their Jungle Master powers from the Spirit World masters in the form of his most loyal soldiers, the ones you've met earlier: the Black Dragons," Dominic informed them of their new common enemy.
"The Black Dragons are the strongest warriors in Dai Shi's army. All of them share the Spirit of the Dragon but they used it for their own gain as well as evil and greed, for the sake of their master," Camille told the new rangers. "We've just found out that they're planning to bring back Dai Shi and we've been tracking their movements ever since until we came across them with you all."
"But, how exactly are they planning to revive Dai Shi?" Lana asked.
"Don't they need some sort of massive power that can bring him back from the grave?" Mallow pondered.
"Best guess, they're after the Twilight Gem," Jarrod told them gravely.
"Twilight Gem?" the Ultra Rescue Rangers echoed.
"Guys, remember that gem we saw on that tapestry, in the center of the dragon and phoenix Yin-Yang formation?" quizzed Race to the others. "That gem must be it, the Twilight Gem. It's one of the things it foretold along with the Shiny Solgaleo and Lunala."
RJ nodded, "Right, that tapestry you saw is known as the Legend of the Twilight Gem. It's a small but famous legend known in Claw Town, relating to the Order of the Claw. It's a powerful gem rumored to have Solar and Lunar magic fused with the Phoenix and Dragon spirits."
"Solar and Lunar magic?" blinked Kiawe, surprised.
"Of course! Two powerful forms of magic that allow the user to use the power of both the sun and moon such as Little Nebby's Sunsteel Strike and Nebula's Moongiest Beam!" Tsukumaro informed, blinking in surprise and realization.
"But, what about the other abilities it has? What else would the Gem give to the one who wields it?" questioned Mallow.
"Many elements including Pyrokinesis, Hydrokinesis, Geokinesis, and Glaciokinesis."
"Oh... In English, please?" Ash moaned from the technical stuff until he cringed as his left ear was pulled by his team's leader.
"Ash, the user of said magic will be able to control fire, water, earth, ice, solar and lunar power, and more, idiot," groaned Sarah.
"Exactly. But, nobody knows for sure if the Gem truly exists but the legend says that the key to finding it lies in two creatures and artifacts that can wield the power of the Sun and Moon themselves," nodded Theo, looking at Sarah, her parents' heirlooms, and Nebby and Nebula. "The Black Dragons got the hint that your Solgaleo and Nebula along with your sword and shield could be the keys they needed to find the Twilight Gem and use its powers to bring him back."
"And, you think that after he's brought back with the use of its powers, he's also going to use it to enact his revenge?" Lillie added worriedly.
"Wait, hold up. Two creatures wielding the powers of the sun and moon?"
"Two artifacts? Are you talking about Nebby, Nebula, the Moon Shield, and the Sun Sword?" Kiawe and Sophocles noted in realization.
"That's right; it's said that aside from being Ultra Beasts, Solgaleo and Lunala are the Sun and Moon made flesh," nodded Dominic. "The Black Dragons think you, your creatures, and your treasures might be the ones to help them restore Dai Shi and allow him to come back in full force."
"No way, are you serious?!"
"That's crazy!"
"Unreal!"
"That's why those men wanted you!"
"They wanted Nebby and Nebula!"
"And, your parents' heirlooms!" the gang cried to Sarah.
"So, that's why they wanted you to come with them, Ponchita."
"I can imagine those men having horrible intentions if they want to free Dai Shi that badly with your 'help'," agreed Nikki, worried for her daughter.
"You've managed to drive them away from here but that won't stop them for long," replied Camille. "They're not the Black Dragons for nothing; they'll do anything to get the Twilight Gem and they're very patient in waiting for the right moment to strike whenever that chance appears."
"That means we better find out where the Twilight Gem is before they do and watch over our shoulders as we do so," Lana replied.
"Yes, but the Black Dragons are not going to make it any easy since their loyalty to Dai Shi knows no bounds and their power is incomparable compared to what we've been through thirteen years ago," Jarrod nodded grimly.
"What you've experienced from them is nothing but child's play, Sarah. They're much stronger than you think since they're probably gauging you," Theo added.
"I suppose I've only just scratched the surface with them earlier," the princess replied with a sigh.
"But, where are we supposed to look for the Gem and how do we do it if we don't know where it is?" asked Ash.
"Mind if we make a suggestion?" replied Ching Wan as he and Hashimoto arrived, carrying a familiar rolled-up tapestry. "I think the legend you speak up may have given us a clue as to how we can locate it."
"Ching Wan, Hashimoto!" gasped Sarah before she noticed the tapestry in her Urshifu's hands. "Wait, that tapestry! How did you-?"
"The man running the tapestry shop heard about what happened to you along with the Black Dragons earlier and while we were heading back to you, he told us that we can have the tapestry as a thank-you gift, free of charge," added Hashimoto as Ching Wan unfurled the tapestry and he then pointed to the Shiny Solgaleo and Lunala and the Twilight Gem. "Okay, we know this Twilight Gem is connected with both Solgaleo and Lunala, right?"
"Right," the Ultra Rescue Rangers nodded.
"As the legend pertains to, my little cub, yes," nodded RJ.
"Then, maybe Nebby and Nebula can help track it down since they're both a Solgaleo and Lunala! We can have them lead us and make use of their power, having them act as makeshift tracking devices that can lead us to wherever it's hidden!"
"Whoa, you mean like using them as treasure hunting detectors?" Ash gasped in realization.
"Like having us be dogs hunting for buried treasure?" quizzed Nebby, tilting his head.
Hashimoto nodded before he directed everyone to the dragon and the phoenix woven on it, "Yeah! And, there's more; something tells us that there could be another key to wherever the Gem is pertaining to the Yin-Yang symbol and the dragon and phoenix. The Gem is right in the center of them, smack dab in the middle."
"That does seem like a good point, but why?" pondered Lily, looking carefully at the dragon and the phoenix in the tapestry. "I get that many of the Chinese have a lot of respect for the animals crucial to their culture like the Horse, the Pig, the Rooster, and the Snake. But, out of all of them, why only the dragon and the phoenix?"
"Well, if the masters know something about this, we should ask them if they know anything about the Twilight Gem and its legend," Dominic thought.
"That's something we need to figure out when we find the Twilight Gem before the Black Dragons can cut us off," replied Sarah.
"Maybe they represent some aspects of the sun and moon, what about fire and water?" quizzed Ash, thinking a bit.
"That's a start but remember, the legend also said that the key to its location lies within two creatures and artifacts that can use their powers," Casey reminded before he turned to Sarah himself. "Sarah, maybe your parents' heirlooms along with Nebby and Nebula can lead us to the Twilight Gem."
"Yes! That's great, Master Casey!" nodded Magearna, also turning to Sarah. "Princess, Master Casey may be onto something here!"
"That's true... You're right, Casey, maybe my parents' sword and shield and Nebby and Nebula can lead us to the Twilight Gem and help awaken its powers just as the Shiny Solgaleo and Lunala did in the tapestry!" gasped the princess, seeing where Casey was going.
"Are you sure it'll actually work, Ponchita? What if there's also something else you need to do to awaken it let alone find it?" James questioned curiously.
"Dad, right now, it's our only chance of finding it and that's on top of being one step ahead of the Black Dragons so their plans for bringing back Dai Shi won't become a reality. We can't afford to let him return and run loose on the world again along with his army should they be brought back with him."
"Excellent. First thing tomorrow, we'll head out and start finding the Twilight Gem. But, make sure to watch your back at all times; the Black Dragons know about it, too, and they'll do whatever it takes to reach it and bring back their master," Casey agreed, getting agreeing nods from the others as their current plan was put into action.
The following morning, while the Lunar New Year Celebration continued back in Claw Town, everybody was all set to find the Twilight Gem as they gathered with Jarrod, Camille, and the Jungle Fury Rangers outside of town. They were hoping that their search for it would help them prevent the Black Dragons from achieving their goal and that Dai Shi won't be able to return and eradicate humanity for the beasts to rule the world again. They also agreed that at some point, they would find Casey, Theo, Lily, RJ, and Dom's masters so that they could get more insight into the Twilight Gem and the legend that told of it.
"Alright, everybody ready? This is going to be quite a trek and we'll never know what we might encounter in finding the Twilight Gem," RJ replied, addressing everyone. "Whatever happens, we mustn't let the Black Dragons get it or else Dai Shi will be back to finish what he started as he did before."
"Right," the group nodded together.
Just as they were about to set off on their trek for the Twilight Gem, Nebby and Nebula suddenly felt tense as their breaths hitched, feeling as though that something was calling out to them. Two somethings, as they heard what sounded like a roar and a screech, from two beings pleading for help as they looked around and caught the attention of their family and friends.
"What's wrong, Nebby, Nebula?" Sarah asked her grown-up Ultra Beasts.
"Mama, I feel kinda funny..."
"You are funny-Hey, I feel it, too!" Nebby and Nebula bantered, beginning to grunt a little.
"Are you both feeling sick all of a sudden?"
"N-No... I sense-feel something, like, something's calling out to me..."
"Me, too! Something-Nngh, something's crying out! N-Ggh-Someone needs me..."
"Master, you think they might've picked up a trail leading to the Twilight Gem?" Hashimoto quizzed.
"If the Twilight Gem does have a trail of some kind, I think we better find out what it is," Ching Wan nodded. "The Black Dragons must've already picked it up somehow and are hot on its heels, too."
As if Nebby and Nebula's reactions weren't strange enough, the Sun Sword and Moon Shield (both still slung over Sarah's right shoulder) then started to blink on and off in response. Sarah noticed her parents' heirlooms glowing as well before they suddenly formed a ball of light and sent a thin beam from it, traveling along the ground and into a dense, misty jungle close by.
"Whoa..."
"Looks like they found the way to the Twilight Gem," Race replied, seeing where the beam was traveling and leading them.
"Master Casey, it looks like that's the way to the Twilight Gem and if we follow the beam of light, we should be able to seek it out," noted Magearna, getting a knowing nod from Casey.
"Alright, stay close, everybody. Don't get lost, we don't know what's in that jungle," the Red Jungle Fury Ranger warned as they followed the light into the jungle.
Entering the misty jungle, the Ultra Rescue Rangers, Sarah's family, Race, his partners, and their Power Ranger predecessors stuck close together, doing their best to not get separated while Nebby and Nebula led the way, pushing away any branches and bushes from nearby. All the while, they looked around and over their shoulders to see if the Black Dragons were discreetly following them somehow. Eternatus and Reshiram, as was the case with their humongous sizes, resorted to keeping pace with them on the air and monitoring them from above so none of them would leave their eyesight as well as pinpoint where the Black Dragons are if they appear to be following them from somewhere.
The trek to wherever the light was leading them was proving itself to be anything but easy as they crossed several rivers that are too wide and too deep for them to wade through (which were sometimes solved by having Aurorus use her Ice Type attacks to devise different ways across), suspicious clearings that they had to be wary off, and other obstacles that impeded them progress for a bit until they came across something rather peculiar.
"Hey, guys! Casey, RJ, Lil, Dom, Jarrod, Camille, come look at this!" Theo shouted, spotting a stone slab that had a strange illustration on it.
The stone slab that they're all looking at had an ancient picture of a Thunderbird next to what looked like a phoenix and what is considered by many in the magical world to be the deadliest creature to any wizard and witch alive, the Nundu.
"A thunderbird next to a phoenix?" Race deciphered, looking at the two bird-like creatures.
"What does that mean?" Lana quizzed.
"Strange, the thunderbird is said to be a close relative to the phoenix as far as any available records from the Wizarding World are concerned. Could this be the means of a guide to them?" RJ pondered, examining the drawing.
"And, what about that weird cat? I don't know about you but just looking at it gives me the heebie-jeebies," Kiawe added.
"I think the appropriate name for that cat would be a Nundu," answered Tsukumaro, examining the leopard-like creature on the drawing. "Quite an interesting and odd but nonetheless, deadly cat in the Wizarding World; its breath is very toxic - one breath released and it can kill an entire village should it come to it."
The Pokemon School gang paled as they all gulped; they once thought Deathgrippers like Twilight, Dawn, and their kids and Death Songs such as Melody and Cantana are scary and amongst the deadliest creatures alive that they've seen. Now, they have a magical leopard of death to worry about and they don't want to be on the receiving end of one should they cross paths with the beast.
"That explains why we haven't heard anything about it and what it can do," noted Sophocles as nobody noticed something coming from behind them as they kept talking, apart from Ash and Pikachu as they froze and slowly turned in terror.
"Um, guys...?" Ash squeaked.
"But, didn't there use to be a legend in the Wizarding World that says that a wizard by the name of Newt Scamander was able to have and tame one by unknown means?" Lillie asked curiously. "I've heard about him and his collection of beasts from a book I once read in Sarah's Library."
"Yeah, that's what I've heard after looking through records after you showed me the book. But, one thing's for sure; I'm not going near that thing should it appear before us," Mallow replied contentedly.
"Guys...?"
"But, why would there be a Nundu and a Thunderbird around these parts along with a phoenix?" Dominic wondered.
"I don't know I'm hoping we don't run into any of those creatures while we still can," Sarah remarked nervously before Ash's frightened squeaking got everyone's attention.
"Is something wrong, Ash?" asked Jarrod.
But, Ash just pointed to what he and Pikachu saw as everybody gasped; a Nundu and a Thunderbird emerged from the trees ahead of them which made them scream in fear at the sheer sight of them.
The Thunderbird matched Nebula's size but it was light yellow and had a pure snowy white eagle-inspired head with blood-red talons and three pairs of wings that had golden shading on its shoulders, tail base, and midsection of the tail. Its tail was decorated in beautiful feathers and was split in two with the ends reaching the tail feathers on it.
But, compared to the Thunderbird, the Nundu looked more threatening as it matched Nebby's height and had a leopard appearance but it was covered in sharp but small pufferfish spikes all over its body and face. What was most terrifying about are its blood-red eyes as they peered down at the so-called intruders to it and the Thunderbird's supposed domain.
"What are those things?!" Lily cried.
"I think we just found the Thunderbird and the Nundu the drawing alluded to!" Camille gasped.
"Or, more likely, they found us!" Tai Lung panicked.
"I don't wanna be cat food for that Nundu thing!" Dart screamed in panic as she and her brothers hid behind their parents.
"Me, too!" a frightened Ruffrunner and Pouncer agreed.
"Now, I'm starting to get why they're so scary!"
"Yeah, not even us Berk dragons can match against magical creatures like them!" Puff and Big Buff added, scared to death.
"Aww, man! Now, we know how Harry Potter felt when he went up against a Hungarian Horntail during Goblet of Fire!" whimpered a terrified Star.
"I bet that Horntail doesn't even come close to being as terrifying as those two!" Theo remarked fearfully.
"Amazing! A real Nundu and an actual Thunderbird! Astounding, very astounding!" gasped Tsukumaro in total awe, marveling at the sight of the creatures before him, his family, their friends, and the Jungle Fury Rangers.
"Uh, guys, what'll we do now...?" stuttered Sophocles, wanting to run.
"I think... We, better... RUN FOR OUR LI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-IVES!" screamed Sarah as they ran for their lives while the Nundu roared and the Thunderbird screeched.
(A Donde Vas Background Music and Scene Reference - Scooby Doo and the Monster of Mexico OR Scooby Doo and the Alien Invaders + Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase (The Aliens Are Here ft. The Hippos & Hello Cyberdream ft. David Nicoll))
In a Scooby Doo-inspired chase scene, everybody split into four groups so as to distract them and not have the two creatures follow all of them (Ash with the Pokemon School gang, Sarah and her family (Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro) along with Race, the Jungle Fury Rangers and their friends/allies, and all of the Pokemon and dragons gathered).
Seeing them split up and what their plan was, the Thunderbird quickly flew after Sarah and her family, freaking them out as they immediately hightailed it while the mythical bird chased after them in a similar running motion to Skystorm and Flystorm's on ground level. The Nundu, also seeing what their plan was, immediately went after the Pokemon School gang, Jarrod, Camille, and the Jungle Fury Rangers.
However, with them going after the easier prey, this left the Pokemon and dragons high and dry as they saw the Nundu and Thunderbird chasing after their human friends and family. With no time left to lose and seeing their trainer/rider/mother and her family in danger, Winter and the dragons, Beautifly, Kaji, Amber, Ghost, Latios, Latias, Flygon, Hydregion, Draco, Salamance, Braviary, Talonflame, Poipole, Nebby, Nebula, Nitro, Wyveon, Breezeon, the Lake Trio, and Shaymin (who was in his Sky Form after managing to find a nearby patch of Gracidea flowers) took off after the Thunderbird.
The others, in the meantime, took off after the Nandu to help the Pokemon School gang, Jarrod, Camille, and the Jungle Fury Rangers escape from it.
With Sarah and her family, the Thunderbird tried to peck at them but they continued to freak and leap out of the way, causing it to miss. But, on one of the jumps, Sarah and Race inadvertently ended up on its neck to which the annoyed bird tried to buck them off. Despite its bucking, they held on as tightly as they could but they only made the Thunderbird madder as it then took to the air just as Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro managed to get back down from a tree they've jumped into. They weren't going to let it get away, however, as Tsukumaro grabbed onto its split tail while James grabbed his legs and Nikki grabbed his own.
Sarah's dragons and Flying Types along with Nebby and Nebula and the Lake Trio all arrived at the scene and saw the five humans in trouble as they held onto the Thunderbird but the mythical creature divebombed them at full speed, causing them to panic again before they darted for the trees. Inexplicitly, it even did a flip, causing Sarah's adopted parents and godfather to join said princess and her boyfriend on the creature's back as it continued to fly.
In response to having five passengers on its back but knowing where the intruders were, the Thunderbird immediately sliced the tops of the trees clean off with its wings, making the dragons and Flying Types along with Sarah's Psychic Types with them poke their heads out. But, they immediately gave out frightened screams again as they saw the magical creature coming at them again.
With the Nundu, the Pokemon School Gang and their Legendary Ranger predecessors all ran as fast as they could from the magical leopard with the gang's partners and the rest of Sarah's family darting after them. The humans rounded a corner before Casey and his friends jumped into the trees while Ash and the others dived into some bushes and hid in them, just in time before the Nundu rounded the corner and started to sniff them out before it came to the bushes the Pokemon School gang were in and pawed at them.
The Jungle Fury Rangers, Jarrod, and Camille quickly poked their heads out of the trees as they then drew the Nundu's attention. But, the Pokemon School gang did the same before it could paw at them and it was like that between them for a few moments (at about four times) before the deadpanned mythical lion had enough and it roared, spooking the daylights out of all of them along with the Pokemon coming along to save them from the beast before they ran off and it clawed the same trees and bushes the thirteen humans were in.
Back in the air, the Thunderbird continued to try and shake its unwanted passengers off as they continued to hold on tight. It did all sorts of tricks: flips, spins, zig-zags, even climbs and divebombs, but nothing worked in its favor. But, one thing it did do was that it started to make its human stragglers a little airsick as they did their best not to vomit.
On the ground, the Nundu then switched targets to the Pokemon following it to save their human friends but not falling for the same trick twice as it saw them hiding and poking their heads at it from another round of bushes and trees, it unleashed its toxic breath and disintegrated the bushes and trees while letting out a roar, also spooking the Pokemon as they ran for their lives. But, they also ran into Ash and the others as they crashed into them before the Nundu charged at them from the trees and forced them to run for their lives from the mythical cat again.
Poking their heads out from their hiding places, the Dragons, Nebby, Nebula, the Lake Trio, and Sarah's Flying Types all saw the chaos going on from down below between the other groups. Knowing that they'll have to take drastic measures to save everyone, they decided to split up as the dragons decided to keep the Nundu occupied while the Pokemon half of their group take on the Thunderbird and rescue Sarah and her family. Nodding in agreement to the arrangements, they quickly darted off to their own respective teams.
The Nundu was close to chomping the humans and Pokemon it was coming after as they continued to run and it looked to be over for them as the two groups crashed into each other again and found themselves cornered by the mythical creature. Just before it could eat them alive or release its breath on them, however, they were saved in the nick of time by Amber shots fired by Echo and Melody. The Death Song/Sithersong couple managed to reach them and imprison the Nundu before it could kill them as the other dragons circled around the beast, the magical leopard angered that it was outwitted by a bunch of, in its eyes, exotic lizards as they kept a close eye on it while it struggled to break out of its prison in vain.
"Thanks for that," breathed Kiawe as the humans and Pokemon with them let out a sigh of relief.
"Don't mention it," Melody replied, equally relieved.
"I hope we never have to go through another Scooby Doo chase like that again!" groaned Ash.
"You said it," panted Pikachu.
"What should we do with the Nundu in the meantime?" Mallow asked.
"Uh, it might be a little early to decide what's next for our magical feline, everybody. Look!" replied Dominic, immediately seeing and pointing to the Thunderbird as it continued to try and shake off its airsick passengers while they held on tight while the princess' Flying Types and other Pokemon that can fly tried to keep up with it.
"Sarah!"
"What'll we do?!" panicked Lillie and Snowy.
"They're gonna be buzzard bait if we don't save them!" shrieked Flareon in panic.
"How are we supposed to go up against a giant bird like that big guy up there?" Wildfire quizzed.
"Jinkies, we've gotta do something before the Thunderbird crushes them and the others trying to save them and fast!" Mallow fretted.
"And, I'm not an expert in the health department but Sarah and her family and Race aren't looking so hot," added a worried Vikavolt as he noticed how green Sarah and her family are still becoming.
"Somehow, we've got to pull that big bird back down if we're going to stop its wild rampage!" Ching Wan suggested.
"But, how? That Thunderbird's got a lot of power running through it and it's not stupid, it'll create storms at will and it'll blast lightning from its beak!" Theo pointed out, seeing it display some of its power while Sarah and her family did their best to dodge its assault, impeding the efforts of her Pokemon trying to save them.
"He's right; one more problem, that magical turkey's just as tall as your Solgaleo and Lunala," nodded Camille in agreement. "We can't hope to pit them against a powerful creature since we don't know what it can do to them."
"If only there was some way for us to outsmart that enormous ruffian of a magical feathered creature," thought Calyrex as he looked at the Thunderbird. "It's obvious that we can't match it in terms of power and strength."
"How do we do it, Calyrex?" asked Lana as everyone turned to the King of Bountiful Harvests.
"Hmm... By Jove, I've got it! If we can get the dragons all of the Pokemon trying to reach them to fire their attacks on it, we'll get it to swoop down low and have Melody and Echo trap it with their amber shots as they did with the Nundu!" Calyrex deducted.
"Slick plan there, Royal Cat," smiled RJ, liking the idea. "But, just be mindful; Thunderbirds are very well known for their intelligence so you'll need to anticipate when it'll attack and how it responds to your wild ambush."
"He's got a point there, Calyrex. Just make sure they get only that wild eagle and not hit Mother, Aunt Nikki, Uncle James, Grandpa Tsukumaro, and Race," warned Nyasi as Ash climbed aboard Shadow, Lillie and Lana shared Winter, Mallow got on Skystorm, and Kiawe and Sophocles mounted Sunflare (the former holding her horns while the latter held tightly to Kiawe).
"Agreed, you kids and the dragons only got one shot to take it down and trap it. Don't die before we do," Guardeon agreed knowingly.
"Well, come on!" Hashimoto told the Jungle Fury Rangers, Jarrod, and Camille as Venom, his mate, and Phoenix came to them.
"Right! Ready, guys?" Casey nodded before he took out his Solar Morpher, a pair of sunglasses that channeled their animal spirit and creates the rangers' suits through the Morphin Grid.
"Ready!" the others agreed as Jarrod and Camille prepared themselves while Lily, Dominic, Theo, and RJ prepped their own morphers.
"Jungle Beast, spirit unleash!" the five Legendary Rangers shouted, activating their morphers and becoming their ranger alter-egos while Jarrod and Camille did the same with their original Lion and Chameleon villain forms.
"With the strength of a tiger, Jungle Fury Red Ranger!"
"With the speed of a cheetah, Jungle Fury Yellow Ranger!"
"With the stealth of a jaguar, Jungle Fury Blue Ranger!"
"With the courage of a wolf, Jungle Fury Wolf Ranger!"
"With the power of a rhino, Jungle Fury Rhino Ranger!"
"With the spirit of the mighty lion, HA! Lion Warrior!"
"With the cunning of the chameleon, HYAH! Chameleon Warrior!"
"We summon the animal spirits from within, Power Rangers Jungle Fury!" shouted the seven Legendary Rangers, doing their role call before they mounted Venom, Rosethorn, and Phoenix (Casey, RJ, and Dom - Venom; Lily and Theo - Rosethorn; Jarrod and Camille - Phoenix) and they all went after the Thunderbird.
"EEK!" squeaked Latias as she dodged a lightning beam from the Thunderbird.
"Watch it, Sis, that big bird's got a lot of thunder power on it!" warned Latios.
"That Thunderbird's still not making it easy with all of those wild and crazy twists and turns it's still doing to try and throw the princess and her family off!" Azelf snarled, eying the Thunderbird still trying to throw its passengers off.
"We've gotta do something and stop it!" Poipole said, greatly concerned.
"But, what can we do?" Beautifly replied frantically.
"We'll need big-time help if we're gonna save them!" Breezeon noted.
Things were still no better with Sarah and her family as Amber and Ghost were being chased by the Thunderbird as they zig-zagged from side to side, trying to get away from the magical beast but also indirectly making the wild ride even more uncomfortable for its passengers.
"Oh... I don't feel so good," Sarah moaned, feeling like she's gonna blow chunks soon along with her adopted parents and her godfather.
"Ugh... Now, I know how Grant Imahara and Adam Savage from Mythbusters feel after they got seasick," groaned Race as he turned green in the face, trying to keep himself from hurling.
"Don't worry, Sarah! We're coming!" the princess' Shaymin shouted.
"H-Hang on, P-Princess!" cried Uxie.
"Mmph, yeah? What else are we going to do?!" Sarah shouted back, still trying to keep herself from losing her lunch.
"Hang on, guys!"
"We're coming for ya!" shouted Ash and Casey as the others along with some of Sarah's dragons approached the chaos in the sky.
"About time you guys decided to join the party!" remarked Wyveon.
"Enough with the sarcasm, Wyveon. We've got to figure out how to stop that beast dead in its tracks before it does Sarah and her parents, Race, and Tsukumaro harm!" Hydreigon replied, seeing the situation getting worse.
"You got any ideas from any one of those three heads of yours, I'd love to hear 'em!" retorted Talonflame.
"Guys, we've got an idea! But, it's risky; we'll need to get its attention and try to ground it the only way we can!" replied Shadow.
"Are we going with a frontal assault?" Kaji questioned.
"Yes, we'll get it to notice us and have Ghost and Amber lead it to us and then, follow our lead!" Winter nodded.
"Sounds risky but it's our only option and we've got a 65% chance of getting the bird to stop its mad rampage!" Nitro deducted as he watched the Thunderbird continue to go wild above them. "Whatever you have in mind, we're in! Just make sure you all don't hurt Sarah and her family!"
"You guys gonna give us a hand, Casey?" asked Breezeon to the Tiger Ranger.
"You bet! We'll use a fraction of our power to bring it back down!" Casey nodded to the Flying Type Eeveelution. "Hopefully, we'll give Melody and Echo a clear shot to trap it like they did with the Nundu earlier!"
"Hurry!" cried Poiple.
"Alright, Skystorm! Single Spike Shot!" shouted Mallow, pointing towards the Thunderbird as she, Shadow, and Winter attacked first, firing a single spike and weak plasma blasts to disorientate and scrape one of its wings along the top rim, making it let out a startled and pained cry.
"Lead the Thunderbird to us, Amber, Ghost!" called Jarrod, getting said Pokemon's attention.
"Okay, going down!" the Shiny Charizard nodded before she and the Dragapult divebombed and got the injured but even more angered Thunderbird to follow them.
"Okay, Venom, you and Rosethrorn with Theo and I!"
"Follow our lead!" Casey and Theo told their dragon companions, who nodded.
"Call to the beast inside! Free/Unleash the tiger/jaguar!" they bellowed, sending out their animal spirits while Rosethorn and Venom shot their fire breath at the magical winged beast while some of the others gave it hard knocks along its wings, head, and tail to further bring it down.
"Steady..."
"Wait for it..." Melody and Echo updated, seeing the Thunderbird getting close to them.
"Sunflare, Phoenix! Flame up!" shouted Kiawe, making the Monstrous Nightmare mates use their shared Fire Jacket ability to force the startled Thunderbird back from them as well. right in range the Death Song and Slithersong couple.
"NOW!" screamed Nebula and Nebby, allowing Melody and Echo to fire their amber shots again.
They finally trapped the wild bird but they also ended up ensnaring its passengers in the process as it screeched and they screamed while in freefall into the forest below, landing near the still-struggling Nundu with everyone else approaching Sarah and her family.
"Sarah! You guys alright?!" gasped Ash as he, the gang, and the Jungle Fury Rangers joined them after dismounting their chosen dragon companions.
"Melody, Echo! I told you earlier you shouldn't target Sarah and her family as well!" groaned Nitro as he saw the five humans on the Thunderbird's back trapped in their amber prison as well.
"Now, they're stuck in the amber with that beast as well!" Flygon grumbled as he held his head, exasperated as Draco comforted her son.
"Uh-Oh, sorry," gulped Melody, he and Echo feeling embarrassed.
"Are you okay, Mother?" blinked a surprised Nyasi.
"Oh yeah, just peachy. In fact, one more thing... MELODY, ECHO!" replied Sarah, relieved but also annoyed that she and her family are stuck and making said dragons flinch in fear before she groaned from her airsickness again.
"I knew that Grand Tour reference would be coming," remarked Race in amusement despite how green he is from being airsick.
"I only hope we don't have to go through that again."
"I think I've had enough high flying for one day."
"I... I think I'll stay away from flying for a time," Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro groaned, feeling their airsickness getting to them.
The Thunderbird and the Nundu roared and screeched aggressively, both of them still trying in vain to break free from their amber prisons. However, they didn't strike fear to everybody as Swablu, as with all babies and youngsters her age, oblivious to the danger present to her and her new family, immediately fluttered up to the Thunderbird's face. It growled at her as she looked it over until she found something odd in the center of its forehead.
"Swablu, what are you doing?!"
"Come back here!"
"You're too close to the Thunderbird!" Lana, Ash, and Theo hissed at her.
"Hey, guys! Look here, there's something on its forehead!" she cooed to her group, pointing to what looked like a familiar symbol of a golden dragon face on the magical beast's forehead.
"What's that?" Lily asked, seeing what Swablu was pointing at.
"A mark?" Casey pondered before he jumped onto the amber and, while being careful to mind the agitated bird, saw the mark and the dragon's face on it. "The Black Dragons!"
"The Black Dragons?!" the Pokemon School gang gasped in shock.
"I should've known they might've had something to do with this!" snarled Jarrod in disgust, slamming his right fist into his left hand in annoyance.
"I suppose they're trying to use these creatures to impede our progress so we'll fail at stopping them from reaching the Twilight Gem and bringing back Dai Shi," snorted Camille, sharing Jarrod's disgust.
"They've must've infected these two with whatever power he left them with before his inevitable destruction, thus making them go after us after they became aggressive. There's another mark on the Nundu's forehead as well," Reshiram deduced thoughtfully as he looked at the creatures from above and saw the same mark on the Nundu's forehead.
"I'm not surprised; those men in black aren't going to let up on their stupid quest to bring back their dead and buried lizard," sniffed Eternatus, shaking his head in annoyance over the Black Dragons.
"But, if the Black Dragons are responsible for their going wild, how are we supposed to remove them?" Lillie questioned worriedly.
"If we can figure out how to get them off without actually hurting or killing them, we can break whatever spells the Black Dragons cast on them earlier," the Cheetah Ranger suggested.
"But, who's crazy enough to pull off a stupid stunt like that without getting pecked on or eaten alive?" Cobalt remarked skeptically.
"Hmm... Let me try something," Sarah's Shaymin suggested before he flew up to the Thunderbird and landed on its forehead.
"Brother, be careful!" cried Mallow's Shaymin worriedly.
"I got it, Sis! Don't worry!" he called to his sister, starting to use Aromatherapy to try and remove the Black Dragon's influence on the bird.
As he glowed green and used his and his sister's healing attack to heal the Thunderbird and remove their enemies' hold on it, the giant bird screeched angrily as it vainly thrashed about in its amber prison. Try as it might to resist, it couldn't ignore the effects of the healing move as its eyes lost their blood red color before they reverted to a golden yellow, slowly calming down as the mark of the Black Dragons as it cracked and dissipated from its forehead. Once he was done, it squawked gently and looked around in confusion.
"Hey, it worked!" smiled Dom in amazement.
"He's alright!"
"He's okay!" Ash and Pikachu yelped happily.
"Phew, thank Arceus for that," sighed a relieved Tsareena, wiping her brow.
"Not bad there, kid," Silvally smiled, impressed.
"Yeah, pretty awesome!" agreed Tou-Tou.
"Good job, Shaymin. Now, do the same for the Nundu but gently so you don't spook it as well," Tai Lung instructed with an approving nod.
"You got it," he agreed, flying to the Nundu and proceeding to do the same while avoiding its spines.
When he was finally finished and the Black Dragons mark dissipated as well, the Nundu's blood red eyes turned a dark brown and it suddenly growled and purred in confusion as well. It seemed as though both magical beasts had no recollection of what had happened to them prior to their getting the dark marks on them from their near-victims' enemies and they didn't know what was going on.
"That's it!"
"They're both back to normal!"
"Thank heavens," Mallow, Lana, and Lillie smiled in relief.
"Nice work, Shaymin! That's two defenses from the Black Dragons down," Casey smiled, seeing the confused beasts as they turned to them in surprise.
"Uh, guys... HELP!" screamed Sarah, startling everybody as they saw her and her family still trapped in the Thunderbird's prison with it.
"Oh, sorry!" blinked Sunflare and Phoenix, quickly melting the amber off of the Nundu and Thunderbird along with Sarah and her family.
Relieved to be out of their prisons but also confused as to what happened to them and what was going on, the Nundu and Thunderbird stretched and ruffled their feathers. Then, they took one look at Nebby and Nebula before they blinked and slowly approached Sarah's grown-up baby Ultra Beasts. The Nundu sniffed Nebby all over as it circled and then nudged him like a giant kitten while the Thunderbird tilted its head curiously at Nebula.
"Hmm, looks like the Nundu and the Thunderbird have taken a liking to you cool cats," chuckled RJ.
"You think they've taken a liking to those two?" Tyson remarked, raising a surprised eyebrow at the beasts as they clicked with Sarah's Sunne and Moone Pokemon.
"If everything we've heard about the princess is spot on and down to a tee, I wouldn't be surprised if that Nundu and the Thunderbird are taking a shine to them as we as Sarah once we see what happens to her with them," Guardeon noted.
"I've no doubt about that given how close the dragons with us are to her," Craggeon added, nodding in agreement.
"Oh no, you are NOT going to have them join us moments after saving their hides after they tried to make us our chew toys, turn us into molten lava, and make us buzzard bait while they were duped by those Black Lizards!" Eternatus barked indignantly. "If you think we're going to have that canary and that pussycat tag along after they tried to kill us, I'm gonna freak!"
"How bad can that be, Eternatus? That's probably how Newt came to have those two in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them we saw during the holidays last year during one of our recent sleepovers at Sarah's place," Sophocles replied, not seeing the problem with having the Nundu and Thunderbird come along and help.
"They don't look as threatening anymore and they're not monsters since Shaymin's brother got rid of the marks the Black Dragons had given them," added Azul.
"What harm can they do to us now?" asked Saba, seeing how docile they are now.
"That is true, I remember Newt saying that he saved a Thunderbird from poachers at one point to a friend of his during the movie and it trusted him ever since," Lillie nodded.
"Well, I suppose since they've taken a liking to Nebby and Nebula, I think we could do with the extra help," Sarah decided after a few moments of thought and silence.
"As long as they don't do anything funny or stupid like the Nundu unintentionally using its Breath of Death. Right...?" Ghost noted before he turned to the Nundu and raised an eyebrow at it, the magical feline shaking its head at the group along with the Thunderbird.
"Guess that answers that, maybe somebody in this forest would know anything about them," Sylveon replied.
"When you take that into account and aside from what we knew about them from the movie and material related to it, that's about our only lead," agreed Umbreon.
"And, they could be invaluable to us being our own major line of defense against the Black Dragons should they reappear and we either catch up to them or they reach us when we get to the Twilight Gem," said Houndoom.
"That is a good point, three good points, really," nodded Hashimoto along with the rest of the gang.
"So, it's settled. So, how about it, you guys want to come with us as long as you don't give us any trouble?" Lily asked the two magical beasts, getting agreeing nods from them.
"I knew it..."
"Called it," Eternatus and Silvally groaned knowingly.
With their new Nundu and Thunderbird companions tagging along for the journey to find the Twilight Gem before the Black Dragons could overtake them, the heroes continued on their way through the misty jungle. Thankfully, even with the mist around them, with their giant animal tagalongs being so large and being much more friendly and docile towards the group, it was easy for them to stay close and not get lost.
They continued on their way until Cufant suddenly sniffed as he raised his trunk and waved it around him.
"Cufant, what is it?" Sarah asked, looking to her little elephant-like Pokemon as he continued to wheel around for what he sensed/sniffed.
"I smell something... I feel something like another elephant nearby, this way!" he shouted, immediately making a break for the source of the scent he sniffed which was west of them.
"Cufant!"
"Where are you going?!"
"Cuffy!" Cinderace, Arctozolt, and Stufful cried in surprise, running after him as the others tried to keep up.
"Cufant, wait!"
"Come back!"
"We've got to stick together!"
"Cufant, not so fast! Please!"
"We can't keep up with you if you keep running like that!"
"Slow down, Cufant!"
"Hold up, little dude!"
"Wait!" The Pokemon School gang, Race, and Sarah called to him as the Copperderm Pokemon.
"For a little guy, he sure can run fast!" Goodra admitted. "Did he start partaking in marathons behind our backs?"
"Actually, he told me and Zeraora had been practicing on making more use of his speed in addition to whatever attacks and abilities he has on him so he can better protect the princess and himself as well as everyone else in our family," Magearna replied.
By the time everybody managed to catch up to the surprisingly fast Steel Type Pokemon, he was nuzzling who looked to be an elderly man that's actually a veteran Kung Fu master. The man was a familiar face to the Jungle Fury Rangers, Jarrod, and Camille as he was one of the three surviving Pai Zhuq masters that helped to seal away Dai Shi the first time and help do away with him and his minions years ago. That man was Lily's master who the Yellow Cheetah Ranger helped to regain his self-confidence as the greatest master yet, Master Phant.
"Well, hello there, little fella," he chuckled, petting Cufant. "Where did you come from?"
"Master Phant!" Lily cried happily, rushing to her old master along with the other Jungle Fury Rangers.
"Lily!" gasped Master Phant, laughing as he and Lily shared a hug and saluted to each other.
"Master, good to see you again!" smiled Casey as he, Theo, Dominic, and RJ saluted him as well.
"How have you been?" added Jarrod as he and Camille bowed politely to him.
"Very well, Casey, Jarrod. I see you've all been doing well ever since you've all taken over for us at the Pai Zhuq," Master Phant replied before he smiled at Lily. "And, it's good to know you're doing well after all this time, Lily."
"I've been keeping what you've taught close and I've never forgotten," Lily nodded, still smiling at him before she turned to her and her friends' successors. "Master Phant, I'd like you to meet our successors. These are Sarah, Kiawe, Ash, Mallow, Sophocles, Lillie, and Lana, the Power Rangers Ultra Rescue."
"Ah, yes. The new Power Rangers; a great honor it is to meet you. You may seem like kids but I can tell that you have the spirits of the mightiest heroes ever to roam the earth and cast out evil in their wake. I'll admit, your presence was unexpected when you first emerged in Alola but with the coming of your heroic deeds, I've no reason to believe you're anything but heroes."
"Gosh, we really appreciate that, Master," smiled Mallow bashfully.
"It's no problem but it's not just us that did Alola and the world a great deal in our war against Lothor and Team Eclipse," added Ash with a kind smile. "We've gotten stronger and are becoming better rangers through our Pokemon friends."
"That's right!" Pikachu agreed as he got on his partner's right shoulder to greet Master Phant.
"He's not wrong there," Pyroar nodded.
"It's an honor to meet you, Sir Phant," Tsukumaro bowed in greeting along with Niki and James. "My name's Tsukumaro and I'm Princess Sarah's godfather. These two are her adopted parents, Nikki and James."
"Hello."
"Master," Nikki and James greeted warmly.
"The honor's all mine," Master Phant smiled before he turned to Sarah. "And, you're the Lost Princess of Alola everyone's heard about, correct?"
"Yes, Master," Sarah replied with a nod.
"May I ask what brings you all my way or why you're doing out here?"
"We were wondering if you, Master Swoop, and Master Finn got time to spare and if they're around, Master. There's something important we need to ask you something," Casey told him.
"And, what might that be, Casey?" replied a voice, making everybody turn to a large man hanging upside down on a nearby tree branch which startled the Ultra Rescue Rangers and their party but garnering smiles from the Legendary Jungle Fury Rangers.
The man wearing sunglasses, wearing an all-black coat that covered his entire body height and with a fan at hand, was none other than Theo's master and the one responsible for helping him to keep focus on what's most important and RJ's favorite Pai Zhuq master. The Spirit of the Bat himself: Master Swoop.
"It's a man!"
"He's hanging upside down on that tree branch!"
"Literally!"
"But, that's impossible!" gasped Mallow, Kiawe, Lana, and Sophocles in shock before he flew down to the ground, flying between the gang and Sarah and again before he landed.
"ZOINKS!" Lillie and Ash freaked as they dodged before they all came face to face with him.
"Who are-?" asked a baffled Sarah as the others joined RJ and Theo's (blind) master.
"Master Swoop," smiled RJ and Theo.
"Greetings, RJ, Theo," Master Swoop greeted warmly.
"You mean, you two know him?" Race asked the Wolf and Jaguar Rangers.
"Well, Master Swoop is my favorite master. Taught Theo and I the Swoop Technique (Fighting Without Eyesight)," RJ introduced.
"He's also the Spirit of the Bat just as Mater Phant is the Spirit of the Elephant," Theo went on.
"And, you've also heard about us when our fights against Team Eclipse started making headlines, Master?" Sophocles asked.
"Indeed. I'll admit, I was surprised to see that kids such as you were able to take up the mantle of Power Rangers as you were but you've proven yourselves to be worthy of the power given to you by the Morphin Grid," Master Swoop nodded to him.
"It's an honor to hear you say those words just as Master Phant did, Master Swoop," Lillie replied in kind, despite she and her gang being a little intimidated by his size.
Despite being blind, he turned to Sarah with his other senses and nodded politely to her, "And, you're Princess Sarah Tomoe, the Lost Princess and the last of the Alolan Monarchy that was abolished years ago. It's my greatest honor to finally meet you as well."
"Uh, gee... Thanks, Master," Sarah bowed anxiously before she whispered to Race, "He also knows my name."
"Well, these masters we're seeing here had been keeping tabs on us just as your successors had done when you guys first stepped up to being Power Rangers, Island Girl," Race replied.
"I see you and the young man with you are a couple, Princess. Isn't that right?" Master Swoop continued, startling the couple as they turned to him while blushing.
"M-Master, w-we're not married!" Sarah spluttered in surprise.
"How could you hear what we're saying when we're only just whispering?" Race gawked.
"I'm blind," the Bat Master replied simply, surprising them and their party when he took off his sunglasses and showed his blurred blue eyes. "That doesn't mean I'm amused and happy to see that you've been doing well in your late-teens and he hasn't been giving you any trouble so far."
Race and Sarah blushed harder as they spluttered again and tried to come up with a response to him as he put his sunglasses back on while everyone else chuckled or laughed at them.
"Well, well, RJ. What's this party you and Casey are having?" chuckled a third voice as the group saw Casey's mentor and RJ's father approaching them. It was the Spirit of the Shark and the last of the three surviving Pai Zhuq masters from the great battle against Dai Shi: Master Finn.
"Dad!"
"Master Finn!" RJ and Casey cried as he joined Master Swoop and Master Phant.
"All will be explained soon, Dad," RJ replied as they shared a hug before he turned to Sarah and the others.
"And, you kids must be the new team known as the Power Rangers Ultra Rescue; your endeavors, ever since you first came to be with the arrival of the Ultra Beast known as Buzzwole, speak volumes. And, recently, you've made a name for yourselves along with the Zarude Boy, KoKo, while in the Forest of Okoya. That means you're also the Lost Princess of Alola, young lady. It is an honor to finally meet you, your family, and your friends."
"Allow me to introduce RJ's father and my master, the Spirit of the Shark: Master Finn," smiled Casey, introducing the Shark Master to the group.
"Master Finn," Sarah replied, she, her family, and her friends bowing respectively to him.
"Now, you mentioned you have something you want to talk to us about?"
They all went to Master Phant's house where the group immediately gave the three masters the lowdown on what had been going on with the Black Dragons, their current knowledge of the Twilight Gem, and their journey to get to it before the villains could. They've even explained how they came across the Nundu and the Thunderbird and how they were controlled by Dai Shi's most loyal warriors before Sarah's Shaymin freed them with Aromatherapy.
"We were wondering if we could ask you guys something important that you should know about, Masters," Lily replied.
"My friends, my family, and I just had a run-in last night with these six men in black known as the Black Dragons and they're looking for something called the Twilight Gem that can be used to revive their master," added Sarah.
"You three and the Spirit Masters might remember and know him as the Infernal Dragon, Dai Shi," Race finished, shocking and surprising the three surviving Pai Zhuq masters.
"The Black Dragons have finally appeared?"
"And, they're after the Twilight Gem?"
"With a plan to revive Dai Shi using it?" they gasped, getting nods from the entire group.
"You know about Dai Shi's last soldiers and the gem?" Ash asked, blinking at them.
"We've been on the lookout for them recently when there had been rumblings of their presence with them being Dai Shi's finest warriors," Master Phant nodded to the Kanto Trainer. "I thought we've managed to destroy him and his minions years ago but it looks as though he had a Plan B in the works even after his end."
"We've also heard of the Twilight Gem along with Master Guin, Master Rilla, Master Lope, and Master Mao from what records of it exist within the Pai Zhuq," added Master Swoop as he looked to the Ultra Rescue and Jungle Fury Rangers and their friends/family/allies. "Many, over the years, wanted to covet the ancient treasure and obtain the magic contained within it but all that have tried for it failed."
"We trust that you've heard about the legend upon your arrival, Sarah?" Master Finn asked Sarah.
Sarah nodded to him, "Yeah. My Lucario and Zarude, Star and Nyasi, were the first ones to hear about it while we were at the tapestry shop at Claw Town."
"Yeah, we've gotten the basic gist of it from Casey and his friends and this tapestry we got from the owner of the tapestry shop back after Master Sarah saved the townsfolk from the Black Dragons last night," Hashimoto replied, he and Ching Wan handing the masters the tapestry detailing the Legend of the Twilight Gem.
"So far, what we understand is that Nebby, Nebula, and Sarah's heirlooms are the keys that'll lead us to the Gem," Casey noted as the masters looked the tapestry over.
"But, the strange thing about it is that there are only a dragon and a phoenix in the Yin-Yang symbol," Jarrod added.
"We were hoping you could know why they're the only ones on it out of all the animals that the Chinese worship," nodded Lily in agreement.
"Hmm... Interesting, do you all see the symbols they've aligned themselves with?" Master Swoop noted, pointing to the dragon on the yang symbol and the phoenix on the yin as he showed the tapestry. "This is because they're both closely associated with Yin and Yang."
"...What do you mean?" Tsukumaro asked the Bat Master.
"In terms of Chinese mythology, the Chinese phoenix is the wisest and the most beautiful of all birds. The Fenghuang, as the Chinese called it, is most associated with Yin for being yielding, dark, soft, and feminine and it represents the empress back during the times when an emperor sat on the Dragon Throne in Beijing's Forbidden City. The Emperor is closely connected to the dragon for it expresses illuminating, aggressive, hard, and masculine, qualities that are more aligned with Yang. They're both in the Yin-Yang symbol on the tapestry along with the Gem which means that its resting place is guarded by a powerful being with incredible magic, a hybrid of the two creatures."
"A hybrid?"
"Between the phoenix and the dragon?"
"Really?!/What?!/For real?!" Nikki and James and everyone else gawked in surprise.
"A phoenix and dragon hybrid?!"
"There's actually something like that out here?!" the Wushu Brothers reacted in total bewilderment.
"So, this dragon/phoenix hybrid creature is the one responsible for protecting the Twilight Gem who wanted to have its magic and use it for their own gain?" Reshiram noted thoughtfully.
"Is this weird beast gonna be like these two tagalongs we got stuck with us after freeing them from the influence those men in black put them under?" Eternatus quirked, looking at the Nundu and the Thunderbird as they tilted their heads in confusion at what everyone was saying.
"Yes, like those two you have with you. Indeed, it's rather strange to see a real docile Thunderbird and Nundu up close but it looks like you've managed to gain their trust when you saved them from the Black Dragons," Master Finn nodded in confirmation. "The hybrid Master Swoop mentioned is known as the Dragon Phoenix."
"Dragon Phoenix?" everybody echoed again in surprise.
"A powerful, beautiful, and gentle creature rumored to be the sole guardian of the Twilight Gem. Some say that the Dragon Phoenix is as big as a mountain while others noted that it's as gentle as a favor and only appears to those who it deems worthy of gaining the treasure it protects with its very life," Master Phant continued to explain. "No one has ever seen it given its duties to the Gem and its protection and any and all who come across them to use it for nefarious purposes were subjected to its power. But, none have been able to reach it as both the Dragon Phoenix and the gem were both protected by a Basilisk."
"BASILISK?" the Pokemon School gang cried out in shock.
"You mean like that freaky giant snake thing that was in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets that is said to kill people just by looking them in the eye?" Kiawe winced fearfully.
"Scary!" whimpered Lana.
"Yeah, but that's only possible if some people maintain eye contact with it," Theo replied, also feeling unnerved along with his friends as they tried to compose themselves. "The most that its victims could get out of it in the film was being petrified which was much more merciful than death."
"The same. And, you are correct, Theo; as long as you maintain a single moment of eye contact with it, it will be instant death. But, the Dragon Phoenix is largely immune to its glare which makes it the perfect first line of defense for it and the Twilight Gem. Chances are, it'll be there once you find them," Master Swoop confirmed, sending shivers down everyone's spines.
"...Suddenly, I'm not in the mood for finding that thing now," Mai squeaked fearfully.
"Oh man, that sounds like one nasty snake. I don't know how we're going to get past it if Harry had a hard time fighting it," Ash shuddered.
"Totally creepy and we'll be toast before long," Pikachu agreed.
"That could be a problem," Snowflake added.
"Well, how are we supposed to get past that monster?" Sarah asked, concerned.
"No problem, Master Swoop taught Theo and I how to fight without using our eyes when Bai Lai and Carden, the bodyguards of Carnisoar, first rampaged on Ocean Bluff. He'll help you do the same with the Basilisk," RJ requested, knowing what they should do.
"He can?" Piplup blinked, surprised as he and his Jungle Pokemon siblings looked at the Bat Master.
"That is correct, my little penguin. When RJ was training to be a Pai Zhuq master and ended up awakening his Wolf Animal Spirit, I was the one who taught him the Swoop Technique - fighting without eyesight," Master Swoop confirmed again.
"As you already know, the Basilisk's most lethal weapon is its eyesight; one look into its eyes and it'll be instant death for you. If you want to get past the Basilisk, you all must concentrate on the task at hand and not let your minds be scattered with anything else. To overcome even a powerful foe such as that will require you to make use of your other senses and focus your state of mind on what's most important. I'll be the one to help you all with that."
"All?"
"You mean, us, too?" James and Nikki chirped, surprised to hear him include them as well.
"And, me?" Tsukumaro added, a little taken aback.
Master Swoop just nodded, "You will all need to reach an enlightened state of mind if you were to get past the Basilisk with the rest of your family including Sarah."
The three adults gulped as they looked at each other, knowing that they'll have their work cut out in training under a true Pai Zhuq master.
"Oh, come on, you three," Ash spoke up. "You guys can do it."
"Yeah, how hard can training under Master Swoop be?" agreed Kiawe.
"Much difficult than you boys might think, learning under a Pai Zhuq master in terms of Kung Fu and harnessing your animal spirits will take much more than hard work alone," Master Swoop countered before he turned to RJ with a task for him. "Can I trust you and our fellow masters to help Sarah's friends while I teach her and her family, RJ?"
"Sure. Uh, guys, do you mind...?" RJ nodded before questioning his friends, Master Phant and his dad.
"I think we can help you all with that," Camille nodded in agreement.
"It will do these kids a world a good to know how to channel their animal spirits if we're to go up against the Black Dragons again," Master Phant agreed.
"Let's do it, Dai Shi will be back any minute if they're already ahead of us," said Casey, immediately onto Master Swoop's proposal.
"Can you do that?" asked Mallow in surprise and awe, realizing what the others are thinking.
"Are we going to be training with you all?" Lillie gasped.
"Yes. Normally, we would have you take years to learn and perfect any one of the Pai Zhuq's Kung Fu styles and harness whatever animal spirit rests within you," Master Finn confirmed knowingly.
"Yet, with the Black Dragons at large and with their plan to revive Dai Shi using the Twilight Gem already underway with their failed interference through the Nundu and the Thunderbird, we'll have to teach you children and the princess and her family as much as we can within the timeframe we have on us," Master Phant added, looking at their and the Jungle Fury Rangers' soon-to-be new students.
"Are you ready to find and unleash the animal spirits within you?" Jarrod asked cautiously, knowing that learning from him and Camille, their friends, and their masters will not be easy.
"...We're ready," Ash replied eventually.
"We'll train as hard as we can," Kiawe added, stepping forward.
"Whatever it is you want us to do, we'll do it," Mallow put in determinedly.
"If it helps to keep the Black Dragons from reaching the gem, we'll accept whatever you teach us," Sophocles agreed.
"Please teach us," said Lana.
"We'll work hard with you to ensure they'll never bring back Dai Shi," Lillie finished as their Pokemon agreed and Sarah nodded on her family's behalf.
"Then, let us begin," Master Swoop began as he, his fellow masters, and their former students nodded back.
As Master Phant, Master Finn, and the Jungle Fury Rangers began training her friends and their partners in another part of the jungle, Sarah and her entire family began their training under Master Swoop's wing as he had blindfolds on them (Pokemon and dragons included despite Skylar already being blind). The latter group was with him in front of Master Phant's house while the Nundu and Thunderbird watched on and the Swords of Justice were overseeing the exercise alongside the Bat Master.
They were lying down on their stomachs or sitting in meditative crossed-leg/pretzel leg positions as they tried to focus and sharpen their other senses such as their sense of hearing, taking mental note of everything around them.
Master Swoop, meanwhile, took Sarah (also wearing a blindfold over her eyes) off to the side as he decided to train her personally while the others focused their minds with the Swords of Justice looking them over.
"Now, Sarah, from what Jarrod has told me, you have a Morph-X DNA fusion with Nebby as he was a lion in his own right," he began as he looked down at the meditating princess while walking around her. "It's also come to our attention that you've obtained two lion spirits as the lion is a highly skilled predator relying on hearing to locate its prey."
"Yes," Sarah replied, trying to focus her mind as she stood before him.
"Your Grassland Pokemon and the wisest of the Swords of Justice, Virizion, told me that she helped you to listen to the voice of the grass; a good start for you and your family to learn how to fight without eyesight. Now, turn around and listen. Tell me, what do you see, or rather, what do you hear around you?"
Heeding to his orders and recalling her training with Virizion, she carefully turned in a circle and listen to the sounds of the jungle around her. Despite whatever thoughts that continued to linger in her mind, she was doing her best to feel at ease and figure out what the jungle is saying to her through her hearing.
"...The grass swaying, the birds chirping, the animals running, the river flowing."
"Good. Nature all around you; the dirt, the trees, the sun, the water, all of nature's riches are working together towards a single goal. Like an orchestra of life, perfectly in tune with one another... It is this type of focus that you've displayed in your quest to defeat your fallen uncle, Lothor, and his syndicate despite tackling your regular life and your duties in between such as looking after Alola in place of your real parents. Their disappearance as well as everything you're going through along with having once lost your Zarude son, Nyasi, ties into all of the stress you've been under ever since you've discovered your enemies' plans."
Sarah's breath hitched but she sighed as she tried to fight through whatever pain is coming back to her mind; from the emotional overload she once felt from remembering her former uncle's downfall to her momentary loss of Nyasi, she's fighting a mental battle that Master Swoop was spot on in picking up. She could even recall trying to get over all of the drama and physical pain she endured while fighting to protect her family and friends with her most clear-cut example being her sacrifice and diligence to save Solar and King from Evox and his minions as well as Team Eclipse.
"Y-Yeah... I still have occasional nightmares of those kinds of moments haunting me whenever I sleep," the princess replied, trying to keep calm.
"I've always doubted myself if I could ever stop him from destroying everyone I love as well as my home. All of those years of training to become as strong as he is back then while I had only one along with my friends and my family. I did gain a ton of powers but I've hardly used any of them against Lothor and Team Eclipse. I'm worried they'll fail on me at a moment's notice when I least expect it and they'll try to take advantage of me the moment I leave myself open..."
The Bat Master nodded understandably as he began to lecture, "You remind me of Theo when he went through a similar problem after Bai Lai and Carden returned thirteen years ago; when I first started training him, his mind was scattered and he focused on too many things at once instead of concentrating on the task at hand."
"In his previous state of mind, he was of no use to Casey and Lily and it's the same thing with you since you'll be of no use to your friends and your family as long as your mind is clouded and scattered beyond your control. It becomes easier for one to make many mistakes that could cost them in battle which is what happened with you two at particular points during your battles against your foes. I've taught RJ how to fight blind, I've taught Theo how to relax and concentrate on one task while finding his center, and I will do the same for you on both in order to help you combat the Basilisk on equal ground."
Sarah nodded back as she listened carefully and he continued, "Listen, everything you do requires you to learn how to be present and in the moment. What's more, your eyes can deceive you, even in the heat of battle, and they won't tell you the full truth on anything."
"So, I have to not just rely on my sight but also everything else around me and my other senses if I'm going to continue getting far in life as well as during my time as a ranger?" she clarified.
"Yes, life is a series of obstacles that we must overcome; it's not a question of can we manage them but how. Sometimes, all those obstacles can come at once but we can't conquer all of them."
"...What should I do?"
"You relax, you release, you find your center... Manage your mind, release all of your anxiety building within you, focus on one single goal. Only then, will you be successful," he went on, pulling out another fan and handing it to her as they began. "Follow my lead and clear your mind. Only when you are truly focused can the impossible, become possible."
With Master Swoop beside her and while her family continued his training under the Swords' observation and tutelage through him, Sarah took off her blindfold and followed him as she focused on the exercise they were doing and blocked out the rest of the world around them. Through his guiding words of wisdom, the princess slowly but surely went into a trance, following his movements as she cleared her mind and released herself from the anxiety from her fears and concerns brewing within her.
Keeping in sync with her Pai Zhuq master as they performed his own variation of the Tai Chi Fan, as Theo did prior to her when he was his student, Sarah was able to follow him in her trance while keeping herself relaxed and focused. She was starting to feel at ease and finding her center much easier as she blocked out the rest of the world and just concentrated on the exercise.
Even though he wasn't able to see due to his disability, Master Swoop was able to feel Sarah following him as she went through the exercise with him and he could tell that she was progressing after taking his words and the lesson he's teaching her into consideration.
When they had finished, the Bat Master turned to the princess as she landed after her round of levitation, feeling her current state of mind improving by a lot.
"Well done, Sarah. You've done well for your first try," he commended. "Now, let's try one more time. We'll need to see if your mind's truly clear and if you can really combat the Basilisk while being blind."
Sarah nodded at her Pai Zhuq master, knowing that soon enough, she, her family, and her friends will be on the right track to reaching the Twilight Gem before the Black Dragons could cut them off.
With RJ, Master Phant, Master Finn, his fellow rangers, Jarrod, and Camille, they were helping the Pokemon School gang and Ash learn how to find and channel their animal spirits. Their partners were off to the side, watching carefully as their human friends meditated before them.
It wasn't long before, despite a little bit of difficulty with them trying to maintain their concentration and focus along the way, Ash and the others finally discovered what their animal spirits would be:
Ash - Mouse
Mallow - Garden Snake
Kiawe - Turtle
Lana - Sea Lion
Sophocles - Grasshopper
Lillie - Arctic Fox
Race - American Bald Eagle
"Man, this kind of training is tough," Pikachu admitted as the Pokemon watched the gang meditate and train under RJ, Jarrod, Master Finn, and Casey, Theo, and Camille's supervision. "I thought all we have to do is battle the Pai Zhuq masters but this is intense in a different way."
"Kung Fu masters don't normally combat with their students and each other to improve themselves, Pikachu," remarked Tsareena. "There's also mental concentration that one has to be aware of and maintain so you can be your best at all times."
"This could be useful in the long run since we all still need to prove ourselves as Sarah's bodyguards," Togedemaru added.
"Urgh, this is so boring! I need animal action, when are they gonna give us a battle?!" fumed Sandy, pouting as he was getting bored.
"Sandy! Hold on, you must understand that battling is not the only way for martial artists like Master Phant, Master Finn, and the Jungle Fury Rangers to get stronger over time!" Rotom-Dex barked at Lana's Eevee as he recorded the gang and Race's training. "Kung Fu takes years and years of training for anybody to achieve such an unparalleled state of mind and body and while the others and Sarah are a special case, for most students, it can't be learned overnight! It's as they said, 'Rome wasn't built in a day'."
"Yeah, even though we didn't cut the mustard with Sarah given that she's the strongest trainer between her friends, we're still working hard but in our own ways in addition to the training we were given," replied Turtonator in agreement.
"I wonder how Nikki and James are doing right now," pondered Brionne.
"What about Mr. Tsukumaro, how's he doing with Master Phant and Ms. Lily?" asked Snowy innocently.
"That's what I want to know," Guardeon added curiously.
"We'll go and check on how they're doing," Tai Lung suggested, he and the Jungle Guard going to a small clearing a short ways away to see how Sarah's adopted parents and godfather were faring with Lily and Master Phant.
With Master Swoop tutoring Sarah and her family with the assistance of the Swords of Justice and Master Finn, Jarrod, Camille, Casey, RJ, and Theo occupied with the Pokemon School gang and Ash, it fell upon Master Phant and Lily to teach them what they knew to them and help them find their animal spirits. They found out the answer to Brionne's curiosity over them soon enough; by the time they arrived at the clearing, they were greeted with the sounds of frantic screaming before they quickly moved out of the way to find Nikki and James flying out before they crashed into a nearby tree. The crash caused them to create cartoon implants on the bark as it and their screams got Master Swoop and Sarah's attention as they hurried over to them.
"What the hell-?!" Brawleon gawked in shock.
"What happened?" Medusa added, looking flustered at what she saw.
They found out again when Master Phant and Lily training Tsukumaro as he countered them with his sword as best he can. Lily (while morphed) was using her Jungle Bo and Master Phant was wielding his and her Jungle Fury weapon, the Jungle Mace, using it with unparalleled control as he used his own body to fight with it effectively. Seeing the Jungle Guard as well as Nikki and James in their current predicament, he went over to them and shook his head over how things were going with the two.
"Ooh..."
"Ow, drop the Santa Fe Railroad on our heads, that hurt..." they groaned, stumbling out of the trees as Cobalt and Xena helped to stabilize them.
"You two okay?" quizzed a worried Freezeon.
"We're fine..."
"Yeah..." they groaned again.
"Mom, Dad? Are you alright?" Sarah quizzed as she and Master Swoop also came in.
"Hmm... I see you two haven't had much martial arts training from what I can see," Master Phant remarked to the pair as he joined the group.
"Yeah, Kung Fu has never been their best forte since they're essentially greenhorns-bzzt," Manteon replied awkwardly.
"I'll say; from what Sarah told us ever since we've joined them, when those two finished their Pokemon journeys and before they met each other, Ms. Nikki became a fashion designer and James is a songwriter and retail worker," added Spookeon.
"Not the best backgrounds for those two if they're having to learn Chinese martial arts for the first time," sighed Helioseon.
"We're fine, just having a bit of trouble getting our heads and bodies around all this," James countered, trying to sound reassuring.
"Where's my godfather?" asked the princess again, wondering about Tsukumaro until they heard Lily screaming, a loud clang, and the old advisor screaming as he flew back until he fell in front of them, becoming 2D in a familiar gag and groaning.
"Does that answer your question?" Ghost deadpanned as Lily demorphed and joined them.
"Ugh... You okay, Tsukumaro?" winced Tyson as Absol, Bambi, Axew, and Natu pulled him up. "Man... What, in the name of the Heart Tree, happened to you?"
"Ooh... In all my years of magical training and swordsmanship years ago, I've never had to go through such an extreme regime such as that," the old advisor sighed as he shook his head to rid himself of the dizziness and the headache he felt.
"You seemed pretty good for a while but you needed more confidence in yourself and your own abilities if we're going to get the Twilight Gem and stop the Black Dragons," Lily commended as she helped to dust him off while the others joined them.
"Wow, I can see you guys are getting off to a rocky start on your training," chuckled RJ.
"Rocky? Try it being tedious for us," James grumbled in defeat.
"I never thought learning Kung Fu could be this demanding and difficult," sighed Nikki as her Pokemon as well as James' and Tsukumaro's comforted the three downcast adults.
"That's how it goes with martial arts; there's no shortcut to learning everything you need to know about them," Camille replied sympathetically.
"And, given two of you are looking stiff and you haven't gotten the basics of it, you're really out of your depth compared to the rest of us," Theo added knowingly.
"This is becoming a problem and we've not much time before we need to stop the Black Dragons, they could be reaching the gem, the Dragon Phoenix, and the Basilisk as we speak," remarked Dominic worriedly.
"I don't know how we're going to do it before the Black Dragons make their move for the gem," Tsukumaro admitted before the sound of a portal opened.
Everyone turned to the portal opening in front of them. Then, before their eyes, there emerged four humans that are actually the four deceased Pai Zhuq masters that helped to seal away Dai Shi over ten thousand years ago: Master Mao - Casey, Lily, and Theo's original Pai Zhuq master and the Feline Animal Spirit, Master Rilla - Casey's Spirit Master and the Gorilla Spirit, Master Lope - Theo's Spirit Master and the Antelope/Gazelle Spirit, and Master Guin - Lily's Spirit Master and the Penguin Spirit.
"Master Mao!"
"Master Rilla!"
"Master Guin!"
"Master Lope!" gasped RJ and Dominic, Casey, Lily, and Theo in surprise as they approached.
"Masters, what are you all doing here?" questioned Jarrod, he and Camille (also looking surprised) and their friends bowing to them in respect.
"When our animal spirits detected the Black Dragons, we've crossed over through another portal that opened for us," Master Rilla answered.
"We also felt the presence of two lion spirits having recently been awakened amongst one of you," added Master Guin, looking around at the group before her eyes were eventually trained on Sarah. "Your spirits, young lady."
"...Mine?" Sarah gulped, not knowing what to say to Master Guin and her fellow Spirit Masters.
The Penguin Master simply nodded, "Only a person such as you who's able to harness the power of two lions through unorthodox means could find it in yourself to harness and tame such virtuous animal spirits at once. This has never happened throughout the history of the Pai Zhuq until you came into the picture."
"Oh, right... Uh, is it really that bad?"
"On the contrary, while it's extremely rare for someone to have two animal spirits, you've proven yourself to have a noble and true heart like a real lion," Master Rilla reassured.
"What's more, with the inevitable return of Dai Shi through the power of the legendary Twilight Gem, it becomes necessary for us to take part in this battle to seal his fate for good alongside you once again," Master Lope went on.
"I wouldn't miss a battle like this for the world knowing what's at stake for all of us if the Black Dragons were to be successful," Master Mao agreed as he then looked to Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro. "It has also come to our attention through our former students and our fellow masters that you three are struggling in your Pai Zhuq training to retrieve the Twilight Gem, correct?"
"Yes, Sir."
"We're floundering like fish out of water compared to Ponchita and the other kids."
"Your Kung Fu turned out to be more complex than we originally thought," Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro replied as Master Mao nodded understandably.
"It's never easy as you continue to progress compared to how you do at the beginning and many people will sympathize with you on that. But, think of what you and these children with you will accomplish if you put your mind to it and find what it is you are fighting for just as they had."
"We've also felt your daughter/goddaughter's friends having found and awakened their animal spirits but noticed that you three are having trouble coming to grips with our teachings," Master Rilla added.
"Perhaps with our assistance, we'll not only help you all stop the Black Dragons and finish off Dai Shi should he be revived but we'll also help you find out what your animal spirits are," Master Lope told Sarah's adopted parents and godfather. "We can also help you understand our teachings better in order to help you get past the Basilisk and match up to the Dragon Phoenix at the gem's resting place."
"And, what might that be assssssss of right now?" Medusa inquired to the Spirit Masters.
"Given that we're still on a time crunch, we need to get started with them and fast," added Craggeon.
"What exactly are their animal spirits, Masters?" Tai Lung questioned.
Master Guin gave a rhy smile as she looked between Tsukumaro, Nikki, and James regarding their own animal spirits, "The hawk, the hummingbird, and the Okapi."
"Huh?!" the Pokemon School gang and Ash gawked in surprise and bewilderment.
"The hawk?"
"A hummingbird and Okapi?"
"Why those three?" blinked Tsukumaro and Sarah's adopted parents, astonished.
"Masters, wh-?" Sarah began, cutting herself off in stunned silence as Master Guin explained further to her.
"The hawk is known for its intelligence and sharp eyesight which is shown through your godfather's ability to oversee and plan out solutions to whatever problems that lie before you. The hummingbird is not normally seen as a fighter but it makes its true colors known through its swiftness in flight and the humming of its wings, your mother is able to respond quickly to any situation but also relieve others of any negativity around them and bring joy while enjoying what life has to offer to her. The Okapi is a loner but it'll come together with another to mate; your father once lived in solitude until his Dragonite decided to change his fate for the better and bring him and your mother together years ago. A little while after, they were married with family and friends as witnesses and he's very protective of you two when you came into his life."
"...That makes sense," Sarah replied after thinking about it. "But, how exactly are you guys going to help Mom, Dad, and Tsukumaro with that?"
"We'll take them to the Spirit World with us and help them with their training," Master Lope replied as he, Master Mao, Master Rilla, and Master Guin shared knowing smiles. "By the time we're done for the day, they'll have learned a great deal and will be invaluable to you all in the impending quest."
Tsukumaro, Nikki, and James gulped nervously; they had no idea what they're about to be thrown into. For the rest of the day, while Master Swoop, Master Phant, and Master Finn along with the Jungle Fury Rangers continued to assist Sarah and her family and her friends, the Spirit Masters took the princess' adopted parents and her family's advisor under their wing. Under the tutelage of the Spirit Masters, the three adults did show some considerable improvement although the new regime did leave them sore and worn out by the time everyone was done (with very favorable results). With their fast-track training complete and all of them ready to find the Twilight Gem, they all spent the night with the seven Pai Zhuq Masters to prepare for the long day and the hectic battle against the Black Dragons ahead.
But, while the heroes' Pai Zhuq training went well, in the forest bordering Master Phant's home, the Black Dragons were indeed trailing them but they were astounded that the Jungle Fury Rangers and the seven Pai Zhuq Masters were onto them. Their problems with the heroes were minor given their prior humiliation back at Claw Town but with their newfound knowledge of the Twilight Gem, the assistance of the Jungle Fury Rangers' old masters, and the inclusion of the Nundu and Thunderbird they've liberated from their control, they knew they had to come up with a Plan B.
"Well, Jin, we're in a real pickle this time," inquired Teng asked the brother of the Black Dragons. "Our defense with those beasts crumbled. Now, what'll we do?"
"I'll say, our seal on them was meant to be impenetrable once they're put under our and Master Dai Shi's power but that flying turquoise rat of the girl's managed to break them off with one move," Hao grumbled as he and Zhen practiced the Golden Dragon Fist (the shared Pai Zhuq Kung Fu style between the Black Dragons) and had a sparring match.
"They even managed to bring in the original seven Pai Zhuq masters responsible for sealing him in the first place," Mao sulked, working on a fire they got going for their current camping site. "And, what's more, those kids are also the new Power Rangers. One ranger team is bad enough for Master and his other minions but no, there had to be two this time to spoil our fun."
"That does present a problem. But, no worries, we know that they're after the Twilight Gem and they're planning to cut us off when they reach its resting place," Jin reassured, looking over a map showing where they are and the gem's possible location.
"The temple holding the gem is somewhere within this jungle beyond the Elephant Master's abode; we've no clue of its present location but we'll trail the princess and her friends and family along with those meddling rangers and wait for our chance to take it. If all goes well and if those ruddy masters don't dare to interfere as they have done before, Master Dai Shi will return and he'll be free to enact the reign of the beasts as he once tried to before those traitors finished him off."
"Oh yeah, what about the Nundu and the Thunderbird from before? And, what of the rumored Dragon Phoenix and the Basilisk before it guarding the temple and our only means of reviving him, have you got any bright ideas for those creatures, brother?" Mao remarked with a raised eyebrow at Jin.
"And, her friends and those lumbering oxen under the Spirit Masters' wing? They've found their animal spirits and they've learned much from all of them and the Jungle Fury Rangers in a short time. Will they pose a threat?" inquired Zhao.
"And, what of the princess' posse should they also find out we're trailing them for the gem? Shall we deal with them when we catch up?" interjected Zhen as he and Hao finished their sparring match.
Jin scoffed as he continued reading the map, "Hmph. Remember, our master is our prime target and our loyalty to him has proven that we'll do whatever it takes to get him back. The Nundu and the Thunderbird are no longer our concern when that brat's flying bilge rat cleansed our seals off of them with only one healing move associated with certain Pokemon and the Basilisk... They'll have to figure out how to get past its deadly stare before they could even come close to it let alone deal with the Dragon Phoenix guarding the gem. No man or woman who wanted to covet that treasure has ever managed to get past it let alone fight it and live to tell the tale."
He then rubbed his chin as he thought back to Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro (not knowing of the full extent of their fast-track training with the Spirit Masters as of late), "What's more, those three adult greenhorns are the weakest links in the chain of warriors we have standing against us and Dai Shi. They've no experience in Kung Fu so they'll be easy pickings as far as we know, I doubt what the Spirit Masters taught them will be of any help."
"As for the Basilisk and the Dragon Phoenix, we'll see how they do with it tomorrow and make a break for the temple the moment its attention is on them. The Dragon Phoenix will be a greater asset to us, though; once we take the Twilight Gem and bring back our master, it'll be more of a useful ally compared to those featherbrained and housecat waste dumps."
"Right," the other Black Dragons nodded before they brought their right hands together in a circle stack and grinned darkly, knowing that no matter what happens, Dai Shi will return.
The next morning, with all of the Pai Zhuq masters joining them, the two ranger teams made their way to the Twilight Gem's current location.
Given the scale of the danger present to the world should the Black Dragons achieve their goal in taking the Twilight Gem after getting past the Dragon Phoenix and the Basilisk, everybody knew that it would take the efforts of everyone gathered to stop them and prevent Dai Shi from returning (or destroying him again should he be brought back successfully). With Nebby and Nebula leading the charge again and using Delilah and Doug's heirlooms showing the way, things seem to be going smoothly for the heroes but they also kept a lookout for the Black Dragons should they know that they're being followed. As they walked through the jungle, Nebby and Nebula felt a stronger pull yearning them towards whatever's emitting the energy pulse calling out to them.
"Feel anything, guys?" Sarah asked her Ultra Beasts, knowing they're on edge from the energy they're feeling.
"Yeah, Mama... It's the Twilight Gem," Nebby informed.
"We're getting closer to it..." Nebula added, feeling herself resonating with the gem's energy getting stronger.
"If that's so, we must be getting closer to the temple housing the gem," Master Mao informed, knowing what's about to come. "Once we arrive, the Basilisk will be waiting for us if it senses our presence."
"Then, I guess we better be ready for it when we get there," Kiawe replied.
"I hope all the training we did last night would be worth it," added Lillie.
"Of course it will, we've been training hard all day yesterday and we've gotten much stronger!" Ash reassured confidently.
"And, we did find out what our animal spirits are so they'll be of great help," Mallow put in.
"Even so, we must be ready for whatever the Basilisk and the Dragon Phoenix will throw at us should we finally meet them at the temple," warned Master Phant.
"Yeah. Get set, everybody, I think we've just arrived," replied Race, pointing to an old temple amidst a large clearing ahead of them with moss-covered statues of the dragon and the phoenix on its entrance.
"Whoa..." the ranger teams gasped in awe.
"Masters, is this where...?" Cobalt began in total astonishment.
"This is it; the temple where the Twilight Gem is rumored to be resting at," confirmed Master Lope with a nod.
"I never knew there was something like this in the jungle let alone tied to the Pai Zhuq," Casey admitted, awestruck by the temple as everyone climbed up the stairs and carefully approached the entrance.
"Think it through even for a brief moment, Sarah. We won't get another chance like this in the time frame we have should the Black Dragons make their way here," cautioned Jarrod, wanting Sarah to be careful along with her family and friends.
"We have to do this; the world and everyone else living on this planet depends on all of us stopping the Black Dragons and keeping Dai Shi from resurrecting or destroying him if he does return," Sarah admitted.
"We've thought about it last night before turning in and we're not going to back out now," Kiawe put in.
"We're staying and finishing this," added Lana.
"No matter what happens, we can't let the Black Dragons get the Twilight Gem and bring back Dai Shi," Sophocles finished determinedly as their ranger predecessors and the Pai Zhuq masters nodded in agreement.
"Stay close, I got a bad feeling about this place," Nyasi told everyone as Sarah gently pushed the doors opened and they entered the first section of the temple which was the main floor.
It was dark as they entered and looked around for the Black Dragons to be trailing them for the Dragon Gem still and/or the Basilisk to finally appear and impede their progress when they least expect it just as the doors closed behind them eerily. Seeing that there wasn't much light for them to go around, Umbreon and Candy used Flash in order to light up the main floor, allowing the group to move forward inside.
"So far, so good," RJ noted, looking around the temple.
"Let's hope the Basilisk doesn't show up," James hoped as they all walked on.
Everybody continued to walk deeper into the temple for the Twilight Gem's location, hoping that they won't come across the Basilisk early on as they reach the Dragon Phoenix and the Twilight Gem. Everywhere they went in the temple, they made sure to stick together so they'll never get separated even if it makes it easier for the giant snake to surround them yet they were enthralled by the pictures and other illustrations of dragons and phoenixes as well as much of China's heroes throughout the country's history including rebel patriots from the Manchu Qing Dynasty including Lie Jinlun, Nian Ruiquing, Tong Qianqin, and the monk: Sande.
The Thunderbird and the Nundu also looked around carefully for any sign of trouble as they walked with their allies, the former arching its head around the group for anything from above while the latter sniffed around. The temple, thankfully, was large enough for everybody to squeeze inside so it wasn't a problem for them to fit inside compared to the larger Pokemon and dragons in their party.
But then, the sound of high-pitched laughter sounded off as the Nundu soon snarled and everyone tensed, getting into their battle stances and sticking close together for what was to come.
"What was that?!" Zorua cried.
"Who's laughing in here?" Zeraora questioned, looking around.
"Don't look at me, I didn't make any wisecracks," Jolteon rebutted.
"Sparky, we got company coming our way," Silvally intervened as a pack of spotted hyenas, the mortal enemy of the lions, appeared from the shadows.
"Those are Spotted Hyenas!" gasped Sarah, remembering the species from the documents she and Lillie watched for homework previously.
"Spotted Hyenas?!" gasped Master Finn, readying his swords.
"I thought those only exist in Africa!" gasped Lillie. "They're often in competition with the lions and would will lion cubs they find without a second thought!"
"What are they doing in the temple?!" gawked Theo, getting into a Jaguar Style stance.
"I'll bet you this laughing-gas brethren found out about this temple after they somehow migrated to this jungle and made their home in this place's interior!" seethed Race, not in the mood to deal with the four-legged chatterboxes.
"What are we waiting for? We can't let them stop us from getting the Twilight Gem, let's get 'em!" Talonflame snarled before she tried to attack and was stopped by Audino.
"Hold it!" she warned, glaring at the hyenas as she held an arm out in front of the Kalos Fire/Flying Type. "There's something off about these creatures."
"Are you kidding? They're gonna try and pick usssssss off at thisssss rate!" Seviper replied, not wanting to be hyena bait.
"No, look at their eyes! Don't they look familiar to you?" Dart shouted in shock, drawing everyone's attention to the eyes of the hyena pack she just saw being blood red.
"Their eyes, they're completely red!" gasped Fennekin as she and the rest of the baby Pokemon got on Nebby to hide.
"I see the Black Dragons are not wasting any time, they've already gathered reinforcements to stop us from reaching the gem!" scowled Master Mao, knowing the culprits responsible for their being ambushed.
"And, they've pulled the same brainwashing routine as they did with Big Bird and Wildcat here," James remarked, remembering the chase the Nundu and Thunderbird put them through prior.
"Guys, Masters, what'll we do?" questioned Nikki, concerned as she put her fists up to try and defend herself.
The others and the Pai Zhuq masters said nothing as they all knew one thing; they were trapped and with 30 Spotted Hyenas on the prowl for them, they would have a rough time dealing with them given how vicious and agile they were. Even Sarah couldn't find it in herself to fight them all given that she's the only one who is a lioness as the thought of taking them all on would be nothing but her signing her own death warrant immediately. This was proven when three larger hyenas entered the fray.
"Well, well, Reiner, what do we have here?" sniggered the leader and the Queen of the Hyenas (the largest and oldest of what are the hyena leaders; voice reference - Florence Kasumba)).
"Oh, I don't know, Gabi, my queen... Hmm, what do you think, Bertholdt?" sneered one of the male hyenas to her left, a devilish smirk on his face as they eyed the heroes eagerly as he questioned the third male hyena who laughed eagerly. "Ah, yes, I can see it now... You're right, it's just what we'd suspect; a posse of humans, Pokemon, dragons, and Pai Zhuq masters for trespassers!"
"We're not trespassing!" Ash snapped, irked from a repeat of his and Sarah's first encounter with Hapu.
"We can assure you all that we're only here for one thing and that it's none of your concern as of now," Tsukumaro replied, keeping his glare on the hyenas as the queen, Gabi, and her fellow leaders, Reiner and Bertholdt, circled the heroes along with five other hyenas.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, yes... I remember hearing about you, Missy," Gabi interrupted, eying the princess with evil glee. "You're the Last King and Queen's only daughter, Sarah Tomoe, huh?"
"So, what if I am?" Sarah asked suspiciously.
"Now, pack your bags 'cause we're kicking you out of here if you hurt her and us!" Mallow threatened.
"You and your alleycats obviously don't know who you're dealing with, Queenie," scoffed Dominic.
"Is that so? Judging by how you got yourself wrangled with this circus of Pokemon and dragons along with those humans in color along with the Seven Pai Zhuq Masters, that makes you all..." sneered Reiner again.
"Yeah, we're also the Power Rangers!" spat Lana, bringing out her Beast-X Pirate Blaster and Saber, much to Gabi's amusement.
"Ooh! Where's my autograph book? HA! Power Rangers?" she remarked sarcastically, laughing. "So, even to this day, the late Zordon of Eltar and the Morphin Grid we've heard many legends about still uses a bunch of kids to do their dirty work for them."
"Do you all know what happens to and what we do to kings, queens, princes, and princesses, you know, the royal lot, who step out of their kingdom?" added Reiner (voice reference: Banzai - The Lion King (1994/2019 ft. Cheech Marin)) as Dorky laughed again.
"Guys, whatever you do, don't antagonize them any further unless we find a way out and get them out of our hair," Sophocles warned, also bringing out his Beast-X Roly Poly Blaster.
"That's easier said than done most of the time when they mean business, Sophocles," replied Lillie, bringing out her Beast-X Defender in self-defense. "Once they have their eyes set on any lion cubs, there's no stopping them unless something else or a bigger lion threatens them."
"Then, you all won't mind if we make our due and continue towards our intended destination in the temple," Master Lope added as they all prepared to leave the hyenas behind.
"There's an artifact that we're looking for that can help us stop a great evil from coming back and we don't have time to waste on you," added Master Guin firmly just as the Nundu snarled at the hyena clan before Gabi notices it and the Thunderbird and cuts them off.
"What's the hurry, we'd love for you to stick around for dinner. Besides, color me impressed for you mortals have actually managed to find and tame a wild Nundu and a hair-brained Thunderbird and lived to tell the tale."
"So? At least, we have them as our allies to help us find what we're looking for," Casey argued, not wanting to deal with the hyenas.
"Now, how about you just make way for us and we'll let you get on with whatever business you're doing and once we're done, we're on our way," RJ put in as the hyenas prepared to sic themselves on the heroes until...
Two strange figures appeared in front of the heroes and made themselves known as they flipped in front of them, startling the villainous clan and heroes as they saw a Zorua and a Zoroark that looked completely different from Zeraora's pupil and Mischief.
The two are white and red all over but with the Zorua, it had a much fluffier collar around its neck that faded into light red which turned into a flowing darker red tip, looking a little like a string of fire. The same can be said for the fur on its paws which were dark blue/indigo and its eyes were a shade of golden orange.
Compared to Mischief, the white and red Zoroark had red spots on its legs and arms but the red-tipped main on its head is much, much thicker compared to his own and it's a lot more concentrated on the left side of its face, some of its strands flowing majestically in an invisible wind. Its body structure is similar to Mischief's along with his collar but the collar on it faded into white instead of the normal black.
"You?!" gasped Gabi and Reiner along with a "Huh?" from Bertholdt.
But, the white Zorua and Zoroark didn't give them any verbal response as they proceeded to go nuts on the hyenas while everyone else watched in surprise and bewilderment by the two Pokemon fighting their adversaries despite the opposing (yet brainwashed) animal clan's best efforts to fend them off. It was only five minutes or so before the hyena clan was thrown back and Gabi, Bertholdt, and Reiner were the only ones left against the pair.
"Care to be a little more sporting for someone your own size?" scoffed the white Zorua (voice reference - Paw Patrol The Movie ft. Iain Armitage (Chase)).
"Oh, not you again! You got the worst timing ever for spirit foxes who got nothing better to do!" groaned Reiner, annoyed from seeing the newcomers.
"What do you know about anything to do? Hunting these peaceful humans and their allies, allowing yourselves to become spawns for the Black Dragons, loyal servants of Dai Shi, you know nothing about them," snarled the white Zoroark (voice reference: Raksha - The Jungle Book (2016) ft. Lupita Nyong'o). "They're ours alone, ours to deal with so return to the shadows from whence you've come or face our illusions, you foul beasts!"
"Aww, what's the point with you always spoiling our fun at every turn? At least, give us something fun to do or let us find something decent to eat around this dump!" snorted Gabi before she was harshly nudged by a begrudging Reiner and Bertholdt.
"None of you will defile *our* home nor these innocent humans and their allies if they're here for an important reason," the female white Zoroark scoffed, not in the mood for playing games with the hyenas. "Now, we'll give you one chance to leave or choose what to do, Gabi: us and our illusions or the ones you tried to kill. Either way, you'll lose and your meal will be long gone."
"Oh, forget it, we know when we're outwitted by you," he grumbled as the other hyenas also snarled in disgust before they left as well. "Come on, Gabi, no point in arguing with those two spoilsports. It's out of our hair now, let's bail."
"Hmph, fine... This is far from over," harrumphed Gabi as she, Reiner, Bertholdt, and their hyena clan returned to the shadows.
The white Zorua and his Zoroark parent figure looked at each other and nodded after they disappeared and turned to the ones they saved. "Everybody all right?" the latter asked as they approached the heroes, still looking awestruck and surprised at the pair.
"What, w-why are you looking at us like that?" the white Zorua asked as everybody looked between them and their regular counterparts in Zorua and Mischief.
"Oh! Nothing, nothing," blinked Lily, snapping out of her stupor first.
"It's just, uh..."
"We're not used to..."
"Well, you know..."
"Y-You're... White and red," remarked Nyasi, Twilight, Seleneon, Dawn (Midday Lycanroc) awkwardly.
"You look like you're me but you're all flowy-looking and snowy white," Zorua added, tilting her head as she soon faced her white male counterpart.
"And, you're both an odd shade of red and pink all over in certain areas," Mischief put in, approaching and looking his white and female counterpart all over.
"He-he-he-he! Silly, of course, we're white and red! This is what our kind is like back during the time of the Hisui Region!" the white (now dubbed Hisuian) Zorua noted with a snigger.
"Hisui Region/Hisui Region/Hisui Region?" the Alola party echoed in confusion.
"Our original home from long, long ago," clarified the Hisuian Zoroark kindly. "However, it is unfortunate that we're all that's left of it now."
"Isn't that the region that would come to be known as the Sinnoh Region during this time long before humans and Pokemon would come together according to what records on it are found and what survived?" added Master Phant curiously.
The Hisuian Zoroark nodded in confirmation, "Yes, it would indeed be called the Sinnoh Region years later when humans and Pokemon there finally established their first bonds together after much time and research into us Pokemon and debunking the many misconceptions about us that sprung up from that time."
"Okay, that makes sense... But, seriously, what kind of Pokemon are you two?" Nikki inquired. "Not that we don't appreciate you saving us from those meat-eaters but we're just curious."
"Yeah, by the looks of your white coats, you both look as though you're Ice Types," Sarah guessed which got the Hisuian Zorua to snigger at her.
"He-he-he-he-he! EEH! Gong, you lose," he told her before he revealed as he did a flip and posed, "Understandable but you're way off, Miima and I are actually Normal and Ghost Types, the first-ever kind known to the world! Ta-Da!"
This revelation shocked the entire Alola party as their jaws dropped and their eyes bugged out, "NORMAL AND GHOST TYPES?!"
"WHAT?!/WHA-?" gawked all of the Pokemon and dragons gathered.
"Huh, that does kinda make sense given their flowing mane tips," James remarked after collecting himself, looking at their mane tips and seeing a ghost-like resemblance.
"Although, it ironically makes them weak to their own Dark Type counterparts," Tsukumaro said awkwardly.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Hold on, back up! Are you saying you guys once lived during a time during something like, oh, I don't know, the Edo Period or long before our time or any other?" blinked Casy in bewilderment at the Hisuian Zorua and Zoroark.
"'Cause if that's the case, or if you're from Medieval Japan and such, that'll make you at least 300-500+ years old! Maybe even older!" Dominic added, gobsmacked.
"Interesting, humans today had never known about you in today's records about the Sinnoh Region in the past when it was the Hisui Region," Master Mao pondered curiously. "Tell us, young ones, how is it that you've ended up here and what of your species in the Hisui Region?"
The female Hisuian Zoroark sighed solemnly along with the male Hisuian Zorua as he came close to her as if they were going through something traumatic that caused their species to exist back then, "It's a tragic story... One that allowed us to become the 'Spiteful Fox Pokemon and the Baneful Fox Pokemon' you see before you... It's not for the faint of heart, I warn you..."
Now, everyone was worried for the two as they looked on with great concern for them. "...What happened to you two and your species back then?" Sarah finally asked, wanting to know how they became the Pokemon they are back then.
The now-classified Spiteful Fox Pokemon and Baneful Fox Pokemon looked at each other and nodded solemnly, deciding to reveal the truth about their own species to everybody and release what they had as a heavy burden bearing down on them before they turned to the group before them. Knowing that a story was at hand from the pair, everybody sat down and listened in on their tragic tale.
"In the Hisui Region, we Zorua are known as the Spiteful Fox Pokemon, long before we became known as the Tricky Fox Pokemon and accepted into those lands by humans," the Hisuian Zorua began. "We were shunned by humans from our homes for our illusions and migrated to the Hisui region as a result."
"...But, our living there was all for naught as the cold mountain environment was too much for us to cope with and as a result, we died in the frozen snow-covered lands that dotted the area. Our souls, however, lingered on and we became the Normal/Ghost Type you see before you; we were reborn from our malice towards humans and the other Pokemon that thought differently of us! Nobody wanted us back then and we were left to die after coming to Hisui and hatred and contempt for them created us."
"N-N-Nobody cared for you guys?"
"None at all, not even the Pokemon back then?"
"Crazy..." breathed Lillie, Mallow, and Lana fearfully for the Hisuian Zorua and Zoroark, to which they nodded.
"If anybody at that time, preferably a lone human or Pokemon, was in our sights, we would appear before them in a guise mimicking our target's appearance but unlike the illusions of our Dark Type counterparts, our ghostly mimicries are created using the full power of our spite emitted from the long fur sticking out from our heads, around our necks, and from our tails. Doing this, we appear to draw our strength from the terror of those who witnessed these illusions firsthand."
"Sounds like you were left with revenge against the ones who wronged you being your only option to survive after you died and became the Pokemon you are now," Master Guin replied sympathetically.
Everyone else was left speechless as she was as some of them had tears brimming from their eyes while others held contempt for the people and Pokemon of the Hisui Region back then for their uncalled behavior and treatment of the Hisuian Zorua.
"We're sorry, we had no idea..."
"We didn't know..." Ash and Pikachu lamented sadly.
"That's terrible."
"Shunned by humans and other Pokmon just for your illusions? I can't imagine how you were able to go through all that which led to your deaths in that region long ago," admitted Kiawe and Sophocles, stunned by what they've heard from the Hisuian Zorua.
"It's understandable where you're coming from," Master Swoop sympathized towards the Hisuian Zorua. "Most Pokemon and people often go through that kind of short-sighted prejudice from others in a way so I'm sure there might've been some at the time who can understand what you're going through."
"That's a truth although those kinds are few and far between," nodded the Hisuian Zorua.
"And, what about you, young lady? Do you know anything about yourself?" Master Rilla inquired to the Hisuian Zoroark who nodded in confirmation again.
"We Hisuian Zoroark, unlike the Hisuian Zorua including my son, are known as the Baneful Fox Pokemon, a species known for being hostile towards people and Pokemon given what happened to us as our pre-evolved forms. However, one thing that sets us apart and makes us invaluable allies towards our human partners, if any, is the fact that we regard those who we can trust and see as family with compassion if they establish and extend their trust to us," she told everyone.
"And, is that what happened with us when you saved us from those hyenas under the influence of the Black Dragons when they first appeared to us?" Master Lope questioned the Hisuian Zoroark and Zorua.
They nodded as the female Zoroark spoke, "Indeed, you've shown no alternative motives when you entered the temple and while we were watching you since you came here, you've proven yourselves that you can be trusted."
"It's the same situation that allowed me to come across my son and raise him as my own at that time after finding him alone. However, the power of our spite from the humans and Pokemon back then in our original father region emitted from my long, writhing fur on me projects terrifying illusions and it also will inflict physical harm upon my species' foes. Thus, their bodies would be damaged inside out. They also have such powerful expressions of malice towards every last thing upon the world that anybody who's seen them is said to be driven mad by their terror."
"But, you don't look hostile and you didn't try to kill us with your illusions," Skiddo implied, regarding their currently docile nature.
"Of course, it all comes down to my compassionate nature that stemmed from finding my son. And, since your trainer has a Zorua and a Zoroark with her, that suggests to us she has a very different opinion of our species no matter what Pokemon Type it is and how she came to be."
"You bet, he-he-he-he!" smiled Zorua, giggling from atop Zeraora's head.
"Right. So, who are you and what exactly are you doing here in this old temple?" Solar inquired. "We only found out yesterday that this was the current resting place of the Twilight Gem as well as its guardians: the Dragon Phoenix and the Basilisk."
"I am Arrietty and this is my adopted son, Sho," replied the Hisuian Zoroark, Aruna. "We were found within the snowy plans of Mt. Coronet and brought here by Faraji to be her secondary guardians."
"Secondary guardians?" Tai Lung echoed curiously.
"Faraji?" Solar added, tilting his head at the pair before the group.
"The Dragon Phoenix living here who's our friend. She's the one responsible for safeguarding the Twilight Gem in our home's main chamber and our Basilisk friend, Slither, is their main defender," replied Sho, smiling at the group. "Don't worry, she's harmless once you get to know her. She only gets aggressive when you make her angry for one reason or another."
"Oh yeah? Well, staring people to death in the eye is not something I'd consider a harmless action by anything or anybody," grumbled Tyson, crossing his arms and glaring at them. "I'd rather not be snake bait if we ever do reach your slimy, slithery friend if we do meet her."
"What do you mean? Her stare doesn't work on us," he confessed, surprising the group.
"Wait, hold up. So, you're telling us you're somehow immune to her power by looking her in the eye?" Theo asked skeptically to Arrietty and Sho. "Like, actually look at her dead in the eyes, for real?"
"That's right, it's why she immediately trusts us," nodded Arrietty, smiling at them.
"...Mommy-bzzt," Manteon buzzed quietly in shock before fainting as Helioseon and Seleneon carefully caught him.
"But, that's impossible! Basilisks are known to kill everyone when they look at them straight in the eye!"
"The most the victims in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets got from the basilisk was being petrified from good fortune like Colin's camera and Mrs. Norris seeing its reflection on the water when the second floor was flooded before she was attacked!"
"And, how are you not dead?!"
"I know the basilisk in the movie is huge and the snake in real life is only twelve inches from what we've read from the legends surrounding it but even I know looking straight at it in the eye is dangerous!" Ash, Sophocles, Mallow, and Lillie shrieked, flabbergasted.
"Actually, it's not that difficult for some Pokemon; some Pokemon are Ghost Types like them," quipped Ghost matter-of-factly. "Besides, aren't Ghost Types technically 'dead', per say? Take the Princess' Mimikyu and those two along with Spookeon, Totem Marowak, Tou-Tou and Silvally (if they were given their Ghost Type Memory Drives), and Calyrex's Spectrier, for example; they're ghosts themselves so logically, they can't die again."
The Pokemon School gang's jaws dropped in utter surprise, all of them along with Sarah, Race, Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro realizing that they've never thought about that fact about Ghost Pokemon at all.
"Anybody thinking of writing a report on that and Ghost Pokemon before we get back after finding my parents?" Sarah blankly asked her friends.
"Yes..." they answered, still in their stunned stupor.
"That does make sense, even gives us food for thought on how we were able to roam in the Spirit World for so long after we died stopping Dai Shi," pondered Master Rilla thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
"Phew, that's a load off our minds," Brawleon sighed in relief, wiping his brow.
"Yeah, I guess we got a perk on that," Sarah nodded in agreement as everybody prepared to move on. "Well, I suppose we better get to the Twilight Gem before those hyenas come back for another chance at having us for a snack."
"Well, you better have us tag along as well if you don't want them coming after you again," Sho put in as his mother nodded in agreement.
"Your service will be most appreciated, you two," smiled Master Finn kindly.
With their new friends joining them, the group continued on their way through the temple (the layout, they discovered, being similar to that of the Shaolin Temple in real life as they moved forward). They took the lead along with Nebby, Nebula, the Thunderbird, and the Nundu as they became the first line of defense for the group for any other trouble they're likely to come across.
They soon arrived at another room on another level, featuring emblems, symbols, and illustrations of all kinds featuring the Fenghuang decorating the area and it had a midnight glow illuminating the room. It looked haunting and beautiful in its own right given what they could see.
"Oh, wow..."
"It's beautiful..." cooed Mallow and Lana in awe, looking around.
"But, why do I get the feeling that we're still being watched?" Amber replied, feeling uneasy.
The sound of flapping wings soon caught their attention from above and they quickly looked up to find a large phoenix descending towards the ground. But, unlike the traditional Chinese Fenghuang, this phoenix was the same height as the Thunderbird, had teal eyes, a grey beak, and dark blue legs coupled with teal claws. Its feather plumage consisted of night blue and glowing teal feathers but the latter appeared to glisten and its head is decorated with a crest of teal feathers next to her eyes and gray and blue markings around her eyes. Its two tails featured swirling blue patterns with a blue flame on the ends going along three rackets and a blue flame present on each side and below the tails.
Curiously, the phoenix had what looked to be a black, grey, and blue-furred feline on its back that sported a pair of horns covered with swirl patterns. In addition, instead of having paws, it had bird-like talons and its feet lacked fur coupled with a body covered in a thick, bushy pelt that was also prominent around the neck, and its eyes had black scleras with blue irises. The two creatures eyed the group cautiously as the phoenix touched down and the feline leapt off its back and it purred at them with suspicious eyes thrown at the humans, Pokemon, and dragons gathered along with Solar (but not without a slight flinch after one of its paws touched the ground).
"Whoa... Is that a phoenix?"
"Yes, but it's not like the Chinese Fenghuang. You know what kind it is, Camille?"
"I've no idea, I've never seen such a fascinating creature like that before," Casey, Jarrod, and Camille bantered, looking at the phoenix.
"Yeah, look at it; I've never seen a phoenix that can have blue fire around it in my life," noted Lily curiously.
"Or one that's literally blue," Theo added in intrigue. "Most are predominately red and the Fenghuang looks more elegant according to the emblems and the illustrations decorated in the room."
"Wait, Sarah, didn't you show us those two one time when you introduced us to an animated series called Dragon Prince before we left home?" Mulan inquired, seeing the two creatures more closely.
"Yeah, I remember... They're the creatures in the series that are both capable of drawing power from the moon: the Moon Phoenix and the Shadowpaw," Sarah nodded in surprise, recognizing the phoenix and the feline. "I haven't seen much of the series yet but I guess that's really them from what else I found back home."
"Nice names," Mai quipped.
"I think they might want to test you on something, Sarah," RJ noticed, seeing them stare at Sarah. "They seem to be looking at you in particular."
"But, why? What would they want with me?" she questioned.
The baby Pokemon (inlcuding Togepi), having noticed the Shadowpaw wincing as one of its paws touched the floor after it and the Moon Phoenix confronted the group, immediately went up to the mythical feline and the Moon Phoenix, the latter starting to threaten them as if it didn't want them to get near the Shadowpaw for some reason. Being too young to be afraid of anything protecting what they see as friends, Fennekin and her baby siblings looked at the Moon Phoenix and took no notice of its glare along with some protests from the others to move back.
The tiny Fox Pokemon looked at the Shadowpaw as she and her siblings eventually smiled kindly at it, making the feline blink in surprise after it tried to growl at them to frighten them off but failed as they didn't budge back an inch. This drew intrigue and surprise from the Alola party's ranger predecessors and the Pai Zhuq masters as they watched
"Hi, I'm Fennekin. This is Phanpy, Swablu, Togepi, and Cyndaquil" she spoke to the surprised Shadowpaw. "Are you hurt? Is your paw okay?"
The Shadowpaw blinked again before it took a step forward before it winced again, feeling a sharp pain on its front right paw before it whimpered a little and showed what looked to be a red bruise and it looked very swollen.
"Hey, look! What happened to its front right paw?" Camille gasped in surprise, seeing its swollen and bruised paw.
"Oh, the poor thing! It must've somehow bruised its own paw before seeing us!" Lillie cried.
"That bruise looks bad. I'll take a look," Sarah suggested, the Pai Zhuq masters not objecting as they let her pass to get close to the Shadowpaw, knowing that this is a challenge of kindness for her.
Joining her baby Jungle Pokemon and Tsukumaro's Togepi and the Shadowpaw, Sarah tried to take a look at the bruise on its front right paw but the Moon Phoenix slapped her hand away and glared at her. It gave her a suspicious look as it felt like she was about to hurt its already-wounded feline companion.
"Hey, what was that for?!" snapped Ash, not liking how the Moon Phoenix was acting.
"She was only trying to help you!" Kiawe added, both he and Ash preparing to give it a piece of their minds before Master Mao held out his right arm to stop them as they came up his right, surprising them. "Master Mao!"
"It's alright, it's natural for the Moon Phoenix to be protective of her friend if he's injured in any way," he reassured them gently. "It's best we let Sarah deal with them just as her baby Pokemon have done, this is a test of her kindness we're witnessing."
"I know how you feel about your friend but please believe me that I only want to help him," Sarah cooed gently to the suspicious mythical bird while the Shadowpaw and her baby Pokemon looked on as they comforted him. "I can help you heal him but you must trust me since I only want to do the right thing, I promise."
The Moon Phoenix blinked in surprise and bewilderment at her, not expecting the Sun Princess (a person she and the Shadowpaw never met during whatever time they spent in the temple or their lives in it) to be so compassionate as she did. But, while she and her baby Pokemon were soothing and comforting the two mythical creatures, they didn't notice Shadow, Starlight, and Eclipse suddenly perking up as they sniffed the room. This caught everyone else's attention as they noticed Winter's mate and the pair of Night Furies looking around curiously at what caught their attention in the spur of the moment.
"Shadow, Starlight, Eclipse?"
"What's wrong, guys?"
"Are you feeling okay?" Casey, Lily, and Ash questioned them.
They and everyone else got the answer to their odd behavior when they looked up at the ceiling and from out of the shadows, there came another pair of Night Furies similar to Toothless and Stryka as they landed down near the Shadowpaw and the Moon Phoenix. Their presence soon caught Sarah and the baby Pokemon's attention as they looked on in surprise while the mythical creatures smiled.
"Is that another Night Fury couple?" gasped Nikki.
"By Zacian's Sword, this is phenomenal!" gawked Calyrex, looking in surprise at the Night Fury couple before them as the three Night Furies belonging to Sarah waddled up to them with wide eyes. "I never thought there would also be other Night Furies living in our world and away from Berk besides Shadow long before we welcomed Starlight and Eclipse into our family!"
"Amazing! I never knew about this until now, this is going to be a real first for us given Sarah's conservation project for endangered animals and beasts!" Rotom-Dex gawked in awe as he took photos of the wild Night Fury couple.
"Yeah, there might still be hope for their species!"
"We're definitely getting a boost on Night Fury conservation!" smiled Lillie and Mallow brightly.
"Conservation project, what are you kids on about?" inquired Master Guin curiously as Sarah collected herself and called Solar over to bring her medical kit over as she looked over the Shadowpaw's bruise.
"Well, Master, while we were at an island around a place called Berk, we've discovered that the Night Fury and Buffalord dragon species that we've told you about last night during dinner were endangered - five adult Night Furies (two of them with us being adult-newborns) along with two Night Fury eggs and three Buffalords," answered Rotom-Dex as he continued to photograph the Night Fury couple. "This unfortunate fate led Sarah to begin a conservation project to preserve and revive their species, especially given the eggs that became orphans after we discovered that their parents were killed by Dragon Hunters. And, as far as I can see, two more Night Furies can really help with that."
The Pai Zhuq masters and the Jungle Fury Rangers were amazed by how selfless Sarah was and how far she was willing to go to help and protect those she sees as a friend and loves dearly. They eventually had to smile as they realized they were fighting against Dai Shi alongside someone special.
"Well, well, looks like someone's been working hard for others lately."
"Color me impressed."
"Now, that's a noble goal worthy of anyone who loves people, Pokemon, and creatures dear to her,"
"That Sarah, she's really something," RJ, Dominic, Casey, Jarrod commented with impressed smiles.
The Night Fury couple eyed Sarah and the baby Jungle Pokemon along with Solar suspiciously as the princess took her medical kit from his Power Pack, inching closer to the male Shadowpaw and curling their tails around him protectively. The female Moon Phoenix, a little flustered by her kindness minutes ago, didn't know what to say as she looked on.
"Now, now, it's alright. I only just want to look at his paw and help him. Believe me, I know how you and the Moon Phoenix are feeling," Sarah soothed again, now directing her words to the protective Night Furies as she approached the Shadowpaw and her baby Pokemon still comforting him with them. "If I wanted to hurt him, I would've had a tranquilizer on me or sicked one of my other dragons or Pokemon on you which I don't."
The Night Furies looked on suspiciously still as she got to work on healing the Shadowpaw's front right paw, gently touching the bruise but making it wince with a whimper as she inspected it again, making the wild dragons start snarling quietly at her. This prompted the Night Lights to step in to pacify and soothe them as best they can before they would do anything rash to her.
"Hey, guys, guys. It's okay, Auntie won't hurt your friend."
"If she wanted to hurt him, she would've skinned him for his fur and not help him with his bruise on his paw."
"Yeah, you can trust Auntie," Dart and her brothers reassured them.
The Moon Phoenix and the Night Fury looked at them but then, they stared her in the eyes as she looked at them momentarily. Recognizing her noble heart and kindness and seeing no alternative motives, they soon moved back to allow her to continue helping their wounded feline friend.
Sarah just nodded to them in respect as she finished inspecting the wound while the Shadowpaw looked on at her curiously while still giving small whimpers when she gently touched the bruise again. Eventually, she deduced it to be more of a superficial wound and there was no sign of infection as of yet.
"Hmm... That bruise doesn't look too bad and thankfully, it hasn't been infected yet. But, still, that inflammation doesn't inspire confidence unless I get it treated immediately," she told the mythical feline, proceeding to gently bandage it after she placed healing ointment on it.
The Pai Zhuq masters were most impressed as they watched her nurse the male Shadowpaw's wound while he tilted his head at her.
"Is she always like this with all creatures she meets including Pokemon and dragons?" Master Swoop questioned curiously.
"That's Sarah, alright. She always puts others ahead of herself, not caring once for her own safety and more so on others' wellbeing," Sophocles smiled, nodding to the Bat Master.
"Wow, Miima, she's cool..." gasped Sho, looking in awe at Sarah.
"She must be very special with how compassionate she is towards other creatures including humans," nodded an impressed Arrietty.
"Whenever there's a Pokemon, dragon, creature, or human in danger, she's always there for them."
"That's part of who she is, as our best friend," Ash and Lillie agreed.
"A true lion with a noble heart," smiled Master Mao approvingly as Sarah finally wrapped the Shadowpaw's front right paw.
"Well, that should do it. It'll be good as long as you don't put too much pressure on it," she told the mythical cat, rubbing him as he purred and nuzzled her in gratitude.
The Moon Phoenix and the Night Furies were most surprised by the act of kindness that the princess had demonstrated to the Shadowpaw. They could see that she truly meant no harm along with her baby Pokemon as Fennekin and her siblings nuzzled him back, prompting their older siblings to then join them.
"Hi, I'm Piplup."
"My name's Buneary."
"Appletun, nice to meet you."
"The name's Snom, at your service," Piplup, Buneary, Appletun, and Snom smiled, making the Shadowpaw purr kindly to them which brought warm smiles to the faces of the Night Furies and the Moon Phoenix.
"Look at that, did you see what Fennekin and the other babies did?"
"Now, ain't that the most adorable thing they did."
"I'll say, they and Togepi are too young to be afraid of anything which got their older brothers and sisters convinced. Not even the Shadowpaw, the two Night Furies, and the Moon Phoenix could strike fear into them even if they tried," Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro smiled.
"Hey, it must be pretty lonely for you guys to live in an old temple like this, right?" Sarah asked the Shadowpaw who nodded to her. "Well, why don't you come with us and I take you home after we find my parents? You'll be safer where I live and you won't worry about anything else like those hyenas we came across earlier."
The Shadowpaw was surprised by the offer along with the Moon Phoenix and the Night Furies; given that they've never trusted humans as far as they can tell and they're the likely reason his front right paw was heavily bruised and swollen, this was a whole new thing for them. They've been living in the temple for who knows how long but here was Sarah, a human who's not afraid of them, actually offering them a real place to call home where they can be safe and happy. This was also compounded by the fact that the baby Jungle Pokemon and their older siblings approached them fearlessly (the former four, at first) and had already made friends with them without actually fighting them.
None of them knew what to say as they looked at each other in a mental debate until the Shadowpaw gently patted his bandaged front right paw before they all nodded, prompting Sarah to smile kindly at them before she rubbed each of them in turn.
The others all watched on proudly while Eternatus and Silvally groaned.
"Oh, don't tell me you're seriously going to stuff those lizards, that blue jay, and that giant pussycat into our circus as you did with your Jungle Pokemon menagerie from the Okoya place, pipsqueak," Eterantus grumbled.
"You've already got over 200 mouths to feed already with our family as giant as it is," added Silvally, looking exasperated. "What's the point of bringing in more company if they're gonna drive you bananas eventually?"
"You haven't forgotten that I still got my conservation project for the Buffalords and the Night Furies hitting the ground running, did you? Besides, where's the harm in having the Moon Phoenix and the Shadowpaw with us?" Sarah replied incredulously and matter-of-factly to them. "I have a feeling that they had a bad run-in with humans long before we came along and who knows how long they've been living here? And, what if the Black Dragons had already hurt the Shadowpaw?"
"So?" asked Silvally again.
"That tells us more than enough that we need all the help we can get to stop them before they reach the Twilight Gem and revive Dai Shi. They'll probably have a score to settle with them and they'll need help to become used to humans and anybody else around them, the Moon Phoenix and the Shadowpaw can do us a great service against the Infernal Dragon and his followers, too."
"Isn't this how everything with the Nundu and the Thunderbird went down after we tamed them while they were under the Black Dragons' influence?" noted Reshiram to the Gigantic and Synthetic Pokemon knowingly.
"...Okay, okay, you got us."
"We can't ever convince you to think otherwise so why do we even bother?" Eternatus and Silvally conceded.
"How about that, Island Girl? First, you're a beacon of light for Pokemon, then you're last hope for your dragons and their species back at Berk, and now, you got mythical animals stalking you after a single act of kindness," chuckled Race in amusement, making his girlfriend simply roll her eyes at him.
The Pai Zhuq masters and the Jungle Fury Rangers just chuckled in amusement themselves and everybody continued on through the temple as Phanpy did his best to support the Shadowpaw's bandaged front right paw as they walked along. Each room they passed was detailed with bits and bobs as well as illustrations pertaining to more animals and warriors that inspired and specialize in different Kung Fu styles such as those with the body and weapons. Some of them had traps they had to pass through which required one volunteer from the others as well as Sarah to pass through while recalling everything they've learned pertaining to the techniques of the Pai Zhuq. The going wasn't easy and it was tough as they continued but they soldiered on regardless, knowing what's at stake.
They ventured deeper into the temple until they came across a room that appeared to be empty safe for a single mirror similar to the Mirror of Erised from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone. It looked unappealing and simple but as a martial arts student or master would know, nothing is ever so simple and most things are more than meets the eye.
"A single room with a mirror? After all the traps and drama we've been through, we end up in a dark room with only a mirror, not much of a challenge from what I'm seeing," Theo remarked skeptically.
"Keep an open mind, Theo," warned Master Lope to his old student.
"There are many traps in this temple as we've seen in the previous rooms while we were making our way into the chamber holding the Twilight Gem but not all temple traps are downright dangerous. There are some chambers masters put into temples like this one that would require their students to test their hearts and knowledge to see if they are indeed worthy of continuing. Some students have to deal with mental battles within themselves as well as physical fights."
"So, who's going to check it out?" Ash questioned.
"I think this one might be for me," Sarah said, moving forward.
Carefully, the princess (joined by the Shadowpaw, her baby Jungle Pokemon, Danny, Danielle, Curly, Blitz, and Xena) approached the mirror and saw their reflections on the innocent-looking glass. Three seconds passed before a message started to appear on it, forming what seemed to be a riddle.
The riddle on the glass said: "I am as simple as a circle, worthless as a leader; but when I follow a group, their strength increases tenfold. By myself, I'm practically nothing. What am I?"
"What's that?" quizzed Swablu, flapping closer to the mirror and eying the riddle.
"It looks like a riddle of some sort," answered Blitz.
"It said, 'I am as simple as a circle, worthless as a leader; but when I follow a group, their strength increases tenfold. By myself, I'm practically nothing. What am I?'," Curly read before she scratched her head in confusion. "What does that mean?"
"I think this is meant to be some sort of riddle on leadership," Xena replied thoughtfully, rubbing his scarf tongue. "Something about how one is worthless by oneself but stronger when with a group of people."
"That's not much to go on in a riddle like that," Phanpy spoke up, raising a confused eyebrow.
"Still, we gotta give it an answer and we're not moving on until we solve it," Sarah noted, knowing what they must do.
The small party thought for a moment, trying to brainstorm answers to what the riddle means and as well as what it alludes to in terms of leadership. Each time they would give the mirror an answer to the riddle, it would just remain silent and keep the sentence on the glass as if to tell them to keep guessing. However, it wasn't until Cyndaquil started to hum a little song while she was thinking which sounded like a Disney song from the Disney Renaissance film, Hercules, and she started to scat the words out loud until...
"Wait! That's it! Hey, Cyndaquil, what was that you just said while you were singing?" Sarah gasped, looking to her baby Fire Mouse Pokemon.
"Uh... I think it was, 'He was a no-one, a zero-zero'," she repeated, surprised along with the rest of their party.
"Are you binge-watching those Disney movies she and her friends told us about on that movie player in Nebby's carriage, Sis?" Phanpy snorted with a snigger while the Shadowpaw tilted his head in confusion at the party with him.
"I was bored while we were off to find Sarah's parents after leaving home!" Cyndaquil retorted.
"Why couldn't you just read one of the books that were packed in the carriage?"
"Reading what's on a book is not as fun as watching what happens in a story on a TV or movie screen!"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Fennekin halted, remembering the word 'Zero' that her sister sang.
"Zero... The riddle said, 'I am as simple as a circle, worthless as a leader; but when I follow a group, their strength increases tenfold. By myself, I'm practically nothing. What am I?'. What if it's saying that someone, human or Pokemon, who's part of a team is practically nothing while his or her own and that person is stronger when he/she is an actual part of said team?"
Sarah nodded in agreement and then turned to the mirror, pointing to it as she said, "Is that person a 'Zero'?"
The riddle on the mirror was then replaced by a glowing green checkmark, indicating that she was correct in her answer which got the baby Pokemon cheering for her and Cyndaquil. But, the mirror wasn't done yet as it then revealed a question that ties in with the riddle and alluded to how she was able to become a leader and what made her the leader, person, and princess that she currently is.
"What makes you a leader and a princess?" Danielle read.
"Huh?" the baby Jungle Pokemon puzzled.
"Isn't that answer obvious?" Danny asked in confusion.
"What makes Sarah a leader and a princess... Isn't that obvious?"
"She's got her parents' heirlooms."
"And, she has a lot of powers on her," Ash, Kiawe, and Sophocles noted, getting to the basics of the question.
"Hang on, guys, that sounds way too simple," Casey warned. "It takes more than just powers and heirlooms to make a real leader and a real princess."
"You mean there's more to being a princess than just what she has on her?" Buneary asked the Tiger Master, getting a nod from Casey.
"Casey's right; that's something that many people take for granted about being a princess. There's usually much more to being a real princess and a real leader than just what you have in your possession and having a dress or being the one in charge of something like a huge project," agreed Mallow thoughtfully, scratching her chin.
"That's true," Lana added.
"Right, it usually takes a lot of effort and personal work to become a real princess and a real leader if you want to become either of those people," Lillie nodded.
Sarah listened to her friends speak their minds out in response to the question and she had to agree with Mallow, Lana, and Lillie in what they think makes a real princess and a real leader. Then, she began to collect her thoughts, recalling how she was able to become the leader that she is ever since she met her friends for the first time and when they first accepted being the newest team of Power Rangers after rescuing Lusamine.
She thought back to her heirlooms including Magearna and the Dragon Heart Scepter she earned when she ended the Berk Dragon Wars. She thought about her DNA fusion with Morph-X and Nebby's Solgaleo DNA, the Roar of the Elders, her Lion's Courage from Solar along with his Lion DNA, her Lion and Mega Lion Spirits coupled with her Smilodon Spirit following their debut as the Power Rangers Ultra Rescue. Then, she recalled all of the times she was compassionate, brave, strong, fair, humble, respectful, doesn't gossip about anything and everything, confident, and kind to all of the people, Pokemon, and creatures she connected with including Hiccup, Zenna, Toothless and Stryka, her Alola friends and family, and the gang's Power Ranger predecessors.
She even thought back to all of the times she would have to take charge of a situation in front of her and the gang and become a guiding light to all who are lost in the darkness of their own problems despite whatever hopelessness plagues them and their families and friends. Even though she ended up risking her life to do what she feels is right in leading everybody to the solution of whatever problems are put in front of them, the princess knew that if she hadn't taken the first steps in solving them and encouraged her family and friends to think of how to help others such as helping Zenna and Hiccup show that the Vikings of Berk and dragons can live in peace together and when she and their Galar friends came up with their gamble on how to save the Galar Region when Eternatus was first reawakened upon Rose's wishes to use his powers for what he deemed as his region's future.
Her heirlooms and her powers, she thought, didn't make her the leader and princess she was today and her family and friends would come to know her as. She came to understand that there was something more that helped her to become the person she is...
"Lillie, Mallow, Lana... You're right," she began, getting everyone's attention. "It's not my powers and my heirlooms that made me a leader and a princess, it's me."
Everyone was silent as she continued, "All of the powers and weapons I've obtained, the heirlooms I have on me, all of the Pokemon and dragons I have under my wing... They made only one part of who I am as a princess and a leader. I made myself as the princess and the leader I'm meant to be."
"Being a princess is more than having treasure, a castle, and a dress and a leader is only as strong as his or her weakest link in the chain. A princess has to be kind, respectful, fair, honest... And, a leader has to be trustworthy, honorable, to be able to listen to his or her team if they have any problems while also compromising anything regarding solutions to problems..."
"What?" the Pokemon School boys peeped in confusion.
"It's really who I am, don't you get it, guys? I was already a princess even though I didn't know it; I didn't need them when I first met Silvally along with Aqua and Milotic when I protected them last year from Team Rocket and their old trainer. I was already a leader when I decided to take charge of our rescue mission to save Lusamine after we first crossed over to the Ultra Dimension after Nihilego took her there Everything that's happened to me including all the friends I made, the additions to my family, all of that was me. Me, all along! None of my heirlooms and my powers had anything to do with it; ever since I met you all, time and time again, I've displayed the charity, compassion, devotion, integrity, optimism, and the leadership demanded of a real princess..."
She looked at her reflection and the question again as she continued, "Mom and Dad were great leaders as my grandparents were, not because they have powers but because they treat everybody with kindness and love as I did. Now, I know that I can be the same as them. If I ever choose give my powers back to their original owners after defeating Team Eclipse... I'll be down with that." This caused her friends and her family to blink in surprise as she made that confession after discovering the truth about how she became a leader and a princess in the first place. Their predecessors and the Pai Zhua masters, however, nodded in confirmation and smiled proudly again.
"But, Sarah-!" gasped Ash.
"No, Ash, it's okay. I'm sure that there were many rangers before us that went back to their normal lives after they returned their powers but they're not gone forever, they're just waiting until the time comes when they would be needed again. That's what'll happen with all of us; there won't be any need of our powers after Team Eclipse is done for but they're not gone forever. The Power Rangers Ultra Rescue will wait until they're needed once again."
"Then, they're a part of us for all time even if we give them up or return them when we're done?" Mallow blinked.
"Of course, then they really won't be gone forever! They'll be waiting in the shadows and in Mother and the Aether Foundation's hands until they're needed again just like our predecessors!" gasped Lillie, smiling as she got what her best friend was saying.
"The Power Rangers are eternal!" chirped Lana happily.
"So, as long as we keep the spirits of the Power Rangers in us..."
"We and all of Alola will always call for them whenever we need their help in times of great danger!" Sophocles and Kiawe said, now smiling in realization.
"That, along with our friendship with all our Pokemon and you, is something Team Eclipse can never take away from us! And, you've already proven yourself to be a princess as well as a leader just by being the person you really are!" Ash added, finally getting the picture.
"By being you without your powers and heirlooms!" Pikachu finished, also realizing the truth.
"And, we've been able to become stronger because of our love and kindness for each other."
"We've been able to lead each other and everybody out of different sticky situations because we put our faith and trust in one another."
"Just as My Lord and Lady have done prior to Lothor's attack after they took up the throne," Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro put in proudly.
"Well said, Sarah," smiled Master Guin.
"Truer words never spoken," agreed Master Finn.
"Wise words even from a young cub such as you," nodded Master Mao proudly.
"Your powers and the heirlooms of your real parents never made you stronger, you made yourself stronger through all the struggles you've gone through and in turn, them, and your family and friends."
"That's the exact same lesson RJ once taught me when I was useless after losing my Tiger Spirit," replied Casey, he and his friends feeling proud for her. "Your spirit doesn't make you stronger, you make your spirit stronger."
"You've come so far, Sarah."
"Now, you're a real princess and a true leader," added a proud Lily and Theo as RJ, Dominic, Jarrod, and Camille nodded in agreement.
"Thanks, guys, Masters," the princess said to them. The mirror was inclined to agree with everything that had been said as it then gave twin green checkmarks and a glowing red 100% along with a dinging gold bell before it then glowed. It wavered for a moment before the slab it was on opened up, revealing what looked to be a hidden staircase similar to the staircase found in Hyrule Castle from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
"Whoa..." the Pokemon School gang gasped in awe.
"Let me guess, that's where the Twilight Gem we're looking for is in?" asked Race, pointing to the dark space the staircase is leading everyone to.
"Yes, this passage from the Mirror of Questions should lead us down to the room known as the Chamber of Patriots," nodded Arrietty in confirmation. "The Twilight Gem has always been safe from the Black Dragons and those who are willing to pillage its power thanks to our friends, Faraji and Slither, both of whom rest down there in the temple's catacombs."
"That means your friends and the gem are waiting for us down there," Amber put in, getting confirming nods from her and Sho.
"That's it. Mind how you step, though," warned Sho as they began to walk down the staircase, the Mirror of Questions closing the entrance as soon as the last Pokemon and dragons entered.
Eventually, after a long but careful walk through the final hallway leading to the final room of the temple, they came across a large door that produced a purple and golden glow to it. Everybody knew what this meant, this was the final stretch and the final room in the temple - the Chamber of Patriots housing the Twilight Gem and where Slither and Faraji are said to reside in as its guardians.
"This is it, guys."
"The Twilight Gem's in here," Arrietty and Sho told them.
"Along with Faraji and Slither," Lana added.
"Well, everybody, let's go," Sarah began, going up to the door and opening it, finding it unlocked as it moved.
Carefully entering the room, the entire group found themselves inside the Chamber of Patriots which was a large room lined with pillars on the sides reaching up to the ceiling. However, lining in between the pillars were statues and monuments of China's most renowned and legendary Ming patriots that took part in the war efforts against the tyrannical Manchi Qing Dynasty including the Three (Southern) Shaolin Masters: Hong Xiguan, Fang Shiyu, and Hu Hui Chien and the Five (Northern) Shaolin Masters: Ma Caoxin, Fang Dahung, Hu Dedi, Cai Dezhong, and Li Sekai.
Everyone looked at and gasped at the room and the statues of the Ming Patriots in awe, having not experienced such a place where Shaolin masters during that time were so highly regarded.
It wasn't long until they reached the back of the chamber and saw a ten-story podium in front of them. It featured a circle of ten statues showing the tiger, snake, leopard, dragon, and crane along with fire, water, earth, gold, and wood bordering it and two statues on both sides that featured a larger tiger and a bigger crane and in between them while hovering above it, protected by a magical barrier, was a gem with a glowing color mixture of a bright fiery red and dark purple. This was the object the entire group and the Black Dragons were looking for: the Twilight Gem.
Nobody knew what else to say regarding the gem and the chamber until a loud roar was heard around them and before their very eyes, they saw the Dragon Phoenix herself and one of Arrietty and Sho's friends, Faraji, appearing from around the podium.
Faraji looked to be about 50 ft. tall and 50 ft. long (50x50) and resembled the Fenghuang as she was almost entirely golden yellow with red and gold stripes running down both sides of her long body. Her claws and her beak were a gleaming gold while her eyes glistened with crimson irises and yellow pupils. Her wings were akin to those of an eagle with crimson feathers coupled with red and gold plumage on the edges and her dragon-like attributes featured a pair of large orange horns, larger fin-like ears, whiskers on her face, and a scaled beige-colored underbelly.
But, she wasn't alone as a winged creature representing the widely worshipped and respected Chinese winged lion, a Pixiu, appeared on her right side.
The winged Chinese feline was a little bigger compared to the Shadowpaw but it had a color mix of orange, dark orange, cream, grey, and teal for its fur coat and its thick mane had the same orange and dark orange mix with teal shading that reached down to its chest. The same teal shading matched its horns while its twin tails were both brown, matching its body and having flames at their tips.
But, despite its lion-like appearance, this was actually the Twin-Tailed Inferno-Tooth Tiger, a creature that draws its power from the sun.
Then, slithering up onto Faraji's left was the main front-line guardian of her and the Twilight Gem and Sho and Arrietty's Basilisk friend, Slither. She matched Faraji's length and her appearance matched that of the giant Wizarding World snake from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
None of the group before the three creatures had anything to say as they were enthralled by Faraji's beauty and the majestic that Master Swoop described her to be.
Her beauty was compounded by the sheer majesty and the powerful beast-like presence of the Inferno Tooth Tiger and Slither as they took them in (doing their best to avoid making direct eye contact with the Basilisk guardian and indirectly dying as a result of that unfortunate folly).
The Dragon Phoenix looked down at the pack of humans, Pokemon, and odd-looking dragons before her, the Inferno Tooth Tiger, and Slither and all three were curious yet suspicious of why they had come to their temple, especially if they had come for the treasure they've guarded for years.
"Hmm... Humans, I see. We don't often get many visitors who mean well. Most raided this temple for years just to get the Twilight Gem and failed," Faraji (voice reference: Captain Marvel ft. Dove Cameron) questioned suspiciously with narrowed eyes. "Why are you all here, then? What reasons do you have for trespassing upon my sacred grounds?"
The Pokemon School gang, their partners, Sarah, and her family along with the Jungle Fury Rangers all looked at each other nervously while the Pai Zhuq masters stood firm. After some mental debating, Casey, Master Mao, and Sarah eventually stepped forward to address themselves and speak their causes to her and her fellow guardians.
"...F-Forgive us, O Great and Noble Faraji," gulped Sarah, trying to be brave in front of the skeptical Chinese animal god. "But, rest assured, we come in peace."
"We mean you three no harm, My Dear," nodded Master Mao confidently.
"We just came to help you and your friends safeguard the Twilight Gem you've been protecting for years. We've just gotten wind yesterday that Dai Shi's final and most trusted warriors, the Black Dragons, are planning to go after it so they can use its power to bring back their master and help him continue the Beast Wars and eradicate humanity."
"What, the Black Dragonsssssss?" hissed Slither, the Basilisk scoffing in disgust. "Urgh, those buffoonsssssss for lizardssssssss! They never learn, do they?"
"You three...know them?" Tsukumaro questioned curiously.
"Know them, know them? We have been ssssssssuffering the brunt of their wrath as well as that of other dark forcessssss who have all tried and failed to get passsssst me to steal Farari's gem for centuriesssss."
"And, we take it that they haven't been successful in addition to falling victim to the traps we've managed to get through?" Casey added, doing his best to not look Slither in the eye.
The Basilisk nodded before she hissed again, saying, "Yesssssss, Tiger Master Casey Rhodesssssssss. This old temple and its many chambers including this, the Chamber of Patriots, a monument in itself dedicated to the most renowned Ming patriots in all of China, have often been littered with the bones of those who have all tried to overcome its deadly obstacles for its power. But, nevertheless, they've all fallen by our might and those of the traps that had been set in place by the warriors that once came to and lived here when it was part of the Pai Zhua temple system before Dai SSSSSSSSShi and hissssss minionssssss attacked and he was later sssssealed away."
"We've lived for hundreds of years and throughout the centuries protecting the Twilight Gem as we've been assigned to do after we were first brought to this world and no human has ever managed to claim it, even if they did manage to reach the chamber we're in now," Faraji continued as the Inferno Tooth Tiger nodded in agreement to her words.
"We've never allowed any humansssssss with black heartsssssss to take one ssssssstep closer to the gem if they make it to thisssss chamber and are forced to fight usssss for it and-" Silther ranted on before she stopped abruptly upon seeing Aruna and Akela with the group. "Arrietty? SSSSSSSho? What are you two doing with all thessssse humansssssss, their Pokemon, and thessssse ugly dragons?"
"Ugly?!" Sarah's dragons barked indignantly and in surprise.
"Hey, got a problem with our looks, lizard head?" snorted an offended Hydro.
"We'll have you know that we're the official Dragons of Berk belonging to our princess and-!" continued an angry Rosa before Nyasi used Vine Whip to wrap their mouths and muzzle them before they said something rash.
"Will you chill?" he sighed.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Guys, it's okay, she didn't mean it," Sho pacified before he and Arrietty turned to their giant snake of a friend. "They're our friends, Slither, they came here to help you guys protect the Twilight Gem. We even met our Dark Type counterparts from Unova."
"Counterpartsssssss, you mean there are other Zorua and Zoroark like you living in thissssss world and alongsssssside humanssssss unlike before during your time?"
"That's right, there are two with us belonging to our friend, Sarah, one of them being a good friend to the Mythical Pokemon known as Zeraora or the Thunderclap Wanderer and the other being an evolved partner of one of her parents," confirmed Arrietty.
"I sssssssee... Hmm, I never expected you to even mingle with a sssssssingle human given how much trouble those bassssstards they've given usssssss over the centuries, even after the days of the Hisui Region were over when it eventually became known as Sinnoh."
"We believed that, too," admitted Sho to her.
"But, we encountered these cool dudes and the Jungle Fury Rangers as well as their Pai Zhuq masters a few rooms away from the entrance when they were attacked by Gabi and her clan under the influence of the Black Dragons. We had a feeling that those creeps were responsible for what's going on given that we've heard roaring and screeching from the Thunderbird and the Nundu that lived nearby here and decided to tag along after they were freed from those infernal dorks' power."
"The Nundu and the Thunderbird?" blinked a surprised Faraji, looking towards the mythical feline and bird eying her and the tiger curiously. "I was wondering what all the racket outside was, especially with all the screaming, the banging, and crashing going on."
"Please don't mention that again!" begged Ash.
"I don't ever want to go through that again in my life!"
"Me, too!"
"I've never run so fast in my life!"
"Especially when we're nearly buzzard bait!"
"Yeah!" the Pokemon School gang said.
The three guardians sniggered in amusement, finding their panicked reactions funny. "Forgive us, we couldn't help but picture how much of a harrowing experience you all went through with those adorable babies even though they were once brainwashed by our most aggravating foes," chuckled Faraji.
"Yeah, you wouldn't be laughing if you were on the receiving end of their talons and teeth and you end up being airsick if one of them did crazy aerial maneuvers just to throw us off," Race grunted as he crossed his arms, not fond of remembering his, Sarah, Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro's airsickness.
"I fail to see the humor in being hunted like cat fodder like in Scooby Doo, too," added Tou-Tou, not the least bit amused as the guardians were.
"That'sssssss true but your losssssssssss. Anyway, why are you here for the Twilight Gem?" Slither continued after composing herself. "Have you come to pillage for itsssssss power or do you intend to usssssse it against the Black Dragonsssssss and prevent Dai SSSSSSSShi's return?"
"We've been going through the temple to come here and retrieve it to help you end their attempts to resurrect him," explained Master Guin. "We knew that if they were to get their hands on it and use its power to do so, then Dai Shi will ensure his wrath and the world will be overrun by his beasts."
"We also got a note of the legend about it from an old tapestry that told us about the gem and we've discovered that it and its legend may tie into Sarah's Solgaleo and Lunala, Nebby and Nebula, along with her heirlooms," Master Rilla added as Master Phant presented the tapestry.
"Yesssssssss, it's natural that you would find out about that legend as well."
"And, I suppose that this Sarah with you is the one who is destined for my Twilight Gem if she was able to have those creatures and these treasures with her?" Faraji questioned again, now eying Sarah.
"...Yep, that's me," Sarah replied, bowing as Magearna came up alongside her and did the same.
"Hmm... You really are their daughter, not just by their heirlooms but by your eyes as well. They were your mother's," the Dragon Phoenix mused, seeing her parents' heirlooms, her amulet, and her Artificial Pokemon guardian.
Sarah gulped again as he nodded, "Yeah... Uh, they both led us here along with my Ultra Beasts, Nebby and Nebula."
Faraji nodded in acknowledgment as she looked to the Inferno Tooth Tiger and Slither in a mental debate then she eyed the Sun Sword, the Moon Shield, Magearna, the Twilight Amulet, and Nebby and Nebula, taking in all the three of them heard. But, while the heroes were locked in their discussion with the Twilight Gem's guardians as Faraji and Sarah spoke, they were not aware that they were being followed by a familiar group of
"That makessssssss SSSSSSSense, you're much different from the other humanssssssss who came seeking her gem for whatever purposes they had," hissed Slither again, scratching her chin with her tail.
"She's not like those horrid humans that wanted your gem for their horrible deeds, Your Holyness," Magearna added, stepping forward as she held her feelers together. "The Princess merely wanted to help secure your gem from the Black Dragons and protect you if they try to put you under their control as well."
"Well, it's a good thing we've had our eye on you should you decide to resist our master and our power," scoffed a familiar dark voice, causing the group to turn and see an Infernal Dragon spirit charging towards Faraji.
Realizing who it was that followed them, Casey, Jarrod, and Sarah quickly unleashed their tiger, black lion, (regular) lion, and Mega Lion spirits at the evil dragon spirit before they ended their clash in a stalemate. Everyone looked to the owner of the dark spirit and saw Jin (responsible for the sudden attack on the Dragon Phoenix), the rest of the Black Dragons, and Gabi and her clan (along with Reiner and Bertholdt), prowling at them from the entrance of the chamber.
"Hi~" Gabi sneered with a smirk and a snarl.
"It's the Black Dragons!"
"And, Gabi and her hyena clan, too!" gasped Kiawe and Akela in shock.
"You!" Faraji gasped in shock and outrage, snarling at her, Slither, and the Inferno Tooth Tiger's foes.
"SSSSSSSSSo, we meet again," growled Slither.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Mao sniggered, eying the Jungle Fury Rangers and their masters. "The old Power Rangers Jungle Fury and the seven Pai Zhuq masters back together again, you're all a sight for sore eyes on our master's behalf."
"Never expected you and your fellow masters to cross over from the Spirit World again ever since you've flouted the barriers between that and the Real World on account of helping to end Master Dai Shi," sneered Zhao.
"Even those meddling kids proved to be a trying task to deal with along with those ghosts that warded off our jungle dogs with how they've progressed," Zhen snorted darkly. "Though, I never imagined them being able to make it through Death Alley with ease as they did along with their old men and women."
"Where did you come from?!" snapped Ash, not in the mood to fight them as Pikachu got himself ready.
"I have a good idea why you were here! You feeling it too, guys?" retorted Casey to the Black Dragons and questioned his friends.
"No kidding, I suppose you followed us after we entered the temple knowing that you would have it easy with not having to deal with the traps that had been put in place along with Faraji, Slither, and the tiger with them!" Theo seethed as the Jungle Fury Rangers and their masters got into their battle stances along with the others.
"Why would you want the Twilight Gem other than using its power to revive your master?" Lily scoffed at the Black Dragons. "We know your game ever since you made yourselves known back at Claw Town when you tried to kidnap Sarah while she and her family and friends were having fun during the Lunar New Year celebration there!"
"Indeed we have, Sherlock. You really are the brightest student to ever master the Cheetah Style and catch on to our plans in years," Mao sneered again.
"Now, if you don't mind and thanks to your efforts, we'll be taking the gem. Then, we'll bring back Master Dai Shi and before long, he and our fellow beasts along with us will reign supreme on this miserable world!" Hao cackled as the Black Dragons summoned their spirits to do battle against Faraji, the tiger, and Slither along with the rest of the heroes.
"Humans have walked and riddled this world with their filth for far too long and now, it's time for the beasts to come in and take over," Jin put in darkly as he gave a hard frown and a searing glare.
"Humanity has always shown how much of a bunch of cowards they were when pitted next to beasts like your pitiful Pokemon and dragons. You looked upon and down on us while we were treated like cattle, thinking you are so better than us just because you thought of yourselves as the best and the only beings who deserve to rule this world... But, no, oh no... How wrong you are, you've ensured our wrath and that of the Pokemon the moment you turned your backs on us and those you have under your pathetic wings are no better given how much you've brainwashed them with your ideals, friendship, love, it all makes us beasts sick... Well, we're going to show you what happens when you mess with such animals and take them by the horns, claws, talons, and teeth! No mere human shall ever make a mockery out of beasts ever again, we will reign supreme!"
"The beastsssssss alone don't make thisssssss world whole, Jin! Humanssssss, Pokemon, and other beingssssss including many animalssssss like the dragonsssss you see before you as well as mysssssself, Faraji, Inferno Tiger, Arrietty SSSSSSho, and our guests deserve to be on it together! Humanity may have been arrogant but mosssssst are not like the bad applessssss in thissss world!" Slither retorted firmly with a hiss.
"Humanity has made many mistakes but they alone don't show us what and they truly are. This is why you all failed time and time again to get the Twilight Gem no matter what you tried," Faraji agreed, glaring back at Jin. "You couldn't defeat us no matter how hard you tried and you were never worthy of using its power because all you cared about was your own master and revenge! You won't win this time!"
"We can make do with that, Scales," scoffed Gabi as Reiner and Bertholdt stood beside her on her left and right, being ready to fight as her hyena clan prepared to attack (most of the hyenas sniggering cockily).
"Your time has come," Jin spat darkly as the Black Dragons and their Infernal Dragon spirits also prepared to fight.
"Humanity's past it when they showed their true colors and despised the beasts, I'm sure you recall the legend regarding the Legendary Beasts and Ho-Oh in the Johto Region? Well, that changes now with our taking the world from them and ensuring the return of our great master and it'll be even better when you join us through a little 'persuasion', dearie. When Dai Shi is finally back through the Twilight Gem's might and you're brought over to us, the reign of the beasts will finally begin and humanity and all those aligned with them will drown in the everblooming darkness!"
Teng, Zhen, Zhao, and Hao made the first move as they sent their spirits to attack Faraji while she braced herself for a full-out assault from them.
"Oh no, you don't!" Sarah bellowed, immediately getting in front of her and holding out her Moon Shield as the Force Field activated, Faraji, Slither, and the tiger, Inferno, looking on in shock as she prevented them from attacking the Dragon Phoenix.
"No way!"
"She backlogged our dragon spirits!" gawked Hao and Teng in shock.
"Urgh, your persistence and ignorance to the future of this world are becoming bothersome," Jin snarled in annoyance, just as Sarah drew her Sun Sword and then pointed it at the Black Dragons.
"Expecto Patronum!" she shouted, her Pyroar Patronus immediately being summoned as the other Infernal Dragon spirits charged towards it and gave challenging roars.
The princess' Patronus roared back at the evil animal spirits before it met them head-on, blasting past them as it clawed their spiritual and transparent faces before it charged at Jin and Teng, knocking them to the ground before it lunged at the other Black Dragons (while the previous two quickly got up). Zhen, Zhao, and Hao (along with their recovered spirits that managed to return to them albeit a little wounded from Sarah's Force Field) tried to gang up on them but it jumped above them before kicking them like an antelope/a gazelle, sending them flying before they crashed into Jin and Teng along with Gabi, Reiner, and Bertholdt.
The villains weren't done yet as the Black Dragon animal spirits regrouped and turned their attention to the Patronus, Jin's spirit lunging at it first again in their renewed assault. However, the Pyroar Patronus clashed with it for a few moments on equal footing it eventually retaliated with a powerful slash of its front right claws, destroying the spiritual beast with ease and dealing quite a round of pain for Jin as he grunted and gritted his teeth and held himself.
"Wow!"
"Look at that!"
"Amazing!"
"Way slick!"
"Incredible!"
"What power!"
"Remarkable!" gasped the Jungle Fury Rangers, Jarrod, and Camille in amazement, seeing the Pyroar Patronus roar at the heroes' enemies before it vanished, the first of the Black Dragons' animal spirits destroyed by its own claws.
"Ge's spirit!"
"It's gone!" Zhao and Zhen spluttered in total bewilderment as Teng helped his downed elder brother up.
"Hey, brother, what'll we do?" Teng asked, the eldest Black Dragon growling at Sarah.
"Your glowing oversized cat may have destroyed my spirit and proved that you could hold an animal spirit within you but you're still no match for us!" Jin bellowed furiously to Sarah as he panted.
"Not happening!"
"No way!"
"Even if you do revive your master, you and Dai Shi won't win!"
"We're not going to stand by and let you do what you want!"
"We have to protect this world from him and you creeps!" Ash, Lana, Theo, Kiawe, and Lily spat angrily.
"The Twilight Gem is never yours and it never will be, even if you use its power to revive Dai Shi and have him become more powerful!"
"The beasts will never rule this world alone and we're going to make sure you all and your master stay down!" Magearna and Sarah snapped at the Black Dragons before the princess took out her Panthera Charge Morpher and a Panthera Charger. "Power Rangers! You guys ready?"
"READY!" the Ultra Rescue and Jungle Fury Rangers agreed, standing together with their fellow heroes while Sho, Arrietty, Faraji, the Inferno Tiger, and Slither watched on in surprise.
"It's Morphin Time!"
Without another word and on that note, Jarrod and Camille summoned their Beast Armor, the Jungle Fury Rangers activated their Solar, Rhino, and Wolf Morphers, the Pokemon School gang brought out their Poke-X Morphers and Keys, and Sarah activated her Panthera Charger before inserting it into her Panthera Charge Morpher and clamped down on its mouth. All the while, Nikki, James, Tsukumaro, the Pai Zhuq Masters, and the dragons and Pokemon got into their own battle stances as they prepared to fight as well.
"Panthera Charger, engage!"
"Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!" the Jungle Fury Rangers shouted, morphing into their Jungle Fury alter-egos.
"Link to Morphin Grid, HA!"
"Energize, HA! Unleash the power!" Sarah and her friends screamed, morphing back into the Power Rangers Ultra Rescue and Yellow Dino Charge Ranger.
The Black Dragons and evil hyenas reeled back in shock and Sho, Faraji, Arrietty, Slither, and the Inferno Tiger couldn't believe what they were seeing; fourteen of the humans before them are superheroes. Even the Night Fury couple, Moon Phoenix, and Shadowpaw were all stunned by what they just saw.
But, Casey, Theo, and Lily weren't done yet as they soon brought out their Claw Boosters and changed into their Jungle Master Modes for the added firepower, causing the villains and hyenas to gasp in total shock and bewilderment at their enemies. Their shock was elevated further when Master Swoop, Master Finn, and Master Phant channeled their animal spirits and summoned their Spirit Ranger selves, allowing the trio to fight alongside the heroes as they did in the Jungle Fury team's final standoff against Dai Shi and his minions.
"Pikachu Ranger, Ash!"
"Turtonator Ranger, Kiawe!"
"Tsareena Ranger, Mallow!"
"Togedemaru Ranger, Sophocles!"
"Popplio Ranger, Lana!"
"Vulpix Ranger, Lillie!"
"Mega Lion! Power Ranger, Yellow! Sarah!"
"Rangers Forever, Defenders Together! Power Rangers Ultra Rescue!" Sarah and her friends began, doing their roll call.
"With the strength of a tiger, Jungle Fury Red Ranger!"
"With the speed of a cheetah, Jungle Fury Yellow Ranger!"
"With the stealth of a jaguar, Jungle Fury Blue Ranger!"
"With the courage of a wolf, Jungle Fury Wolf Ranger!"
"With the power of a rhino, Jungle Fury Rhino Ranger!"
"With the spirit of the mighty lion, HA! Lion Warrior!"
"With the cunning of the chameleon, HYAH! Chameleon Warrior!"
"With the spirit of a bat, Jungle Fury Bat Ranger!"
"With the spirit of the shark, Jungle Fury Shark Ranger!"
"With the spirit of an elephant, Jungle Fury Elephant Ranger!"
"We summon the animal spirits from within, Power Rangers Jungle Fury!" the Jungle Fury Rangers all shouted, they and the Spirit Masters getting into their battle stances as the rangers, Jarrod, and Camille completed their roll call.
"Through the spirits of the world's fiercest animal defenders and the strength of Pokemon and dragons combined...!"
"We'll fight to protect the earth!" Sarah and Casey declared proudly as the heroes all stood together.
"We are..."
"THE POWER RANGERS!" everybody shouted amidst background explosions.
"What issssss thisssssss?!" spluttered Slither in total shock, her eyes widening.
The Inferno Tiger growled in surprise and shock as he looked between the morphed rangers, unsure of what to say as whatever growls he had were stuck in his throat.
"T-Those humans... W-W-What are they, how were they able to obtain such incredible power and become superheroes...?" Faraji spluttered, not knowing what to make of the sight before her and her fellow guardians.
"Miima, look! Are those the legendary Power Rangers?" Sho squeaked in awe as he jumped up and down and pointed his mother to the Power Rangers. "Are they the ones responsible for destroying that mean dragon years ago?"
"Yes, and those kids are the newest Power Rangers that everybody's been hearing about recently," Arrietty added, gasping in wonder. "I never realized we were in the presence of mighty heroes the moment they first stepped into the temple..."
The Black Dragons and the hyenas all growled furiously, realizing that they're about to fight against two ranger teams that would no doubt make the entire battle a living hell for them. Jin, especially, was most annoyed by the sheer resistance the heroes were about to put up against him, his brothers, and their lackeys. He could tell they were really getting on their nerves and the other villains were feeling the pressure and possibility of failing their master creeping up on them.
"Take no prisoners!" he finally bellowed, the villains letting out battle cries and charging first as the battle began.
"Nebby, Nebula, Reshiram, Eternatus, stay here and protect Faraji, Slither, their tiger friend, and the Twilight Gem!" Sarah shouted to her four giant Pokemon and Ultra Beasts. "Don't let them, the Nundu, the Thunderbird, the Shadowpaw, and the Moon Phoenix out of your sight! If any of them fall, we're finished!"
"Do we have a choice?" remarked Eternatus, knowing what she wanted.
"Okay, Mama!"
"Got it!" Nebby and Nebula nodded, all of them moving back.
"We'll hold them off!" Reshiram finished as Sarah and the other heroes charged towards the villains and started duking it out with them.
Soon, it was an all-out war for the Twilight Gem which would ensure the world's salvation or the dreaded return of Dai Shi and his renewed Age of the Beasts that he and his minions once attempted. While the Pokemon and the dragons brawled against the hyenas including Gabi and her sidekicks, with Sho and Arrietty joining in after collecting themselves and wanting to give their new friends a hand, the two ranger teams and the Spirit Masters dueled against the Black Dragons themselves to ensure that neither of them would slip through them and make their way to the gem and its protectors.
In the meantime, any hyenas that attempted to get the Twilight Gem along with the mythical creatures while everyone else was distracted would be faced with Nebby, Nebula, Eternatus, and Reshiram's wrath as they dealt with any and all stragglers. There was no way any of them would be willing to let their group's new mythical friends fall into enemy hands and be at the Black Dragons' and Dai Shi's mercy along with the Twilight Gem.
Arrietty and Sho were clawing, biting, and using their illusions as best they can, being surprisingly adept, agile, and powerful fighters for being Normal and Ghost Types, using moves that were considered merciless, drawing from whatever malice their species once had for humans and channeling it to their common cause to protect the good humans living in the world they're in now.
Slither was stunned as she looked around at the group along with her fellow guardians, being extremely careful not to use her deadly stare to accidentally put someone on her, Faraji, and Inferno's side to death, knowing what it would mean for them all.
As they watched their Night Fury friends help in the battle, the Moon Phoenix and Shadowpaw went close to Faraji as they looked on (the Shadowpaw being unable to help with its bruised paw).
With the Black Dragons' remaining evil animal spirits, they were fighting the Jungle Guard and its commanders as they carried out their assault on the spectral beasts, hoping that not one of them would slip past them and reach Faraji, Slither, Inferno, the Moon Phoenix, and the Shadowpaw along with the Twilight Gem.
"Night Slash!"
"Scorching Sands!"
"Breaking Swipe!"
"Aura Sphere!"
"Power-Up Punch!"
"Close Combat!"
"Fire Spin!"
"Shadow Ball!" The Jungle Guard and their commanders boomed, blasting and smacking away the evil spirits belonging to Mao, Teng, and Hao as best they could.
"Double Team!" Guardeon, Spookeon, and Veneon bellowed, deciding to throw off Zhao and Zhen's spirits by creating clones of themselves.
"Air Slash!"
"Rock Slide!"
"Moonblast!"
"Thunderbolt!"
"Confusion!"
"Focus Blast!" Breezeon, Craggeon, Helioseon, Thundereon, Freezeon, and Brawleon screamed, firing their own attacks at the distracted Infernal Dragon spirits.
"HYAH! HAH! RAAAAAAAGH!" growled Sho, unleashing his inner fury towards the hyenas as he clawed, bit, and fired his illusions on the hyenas surrounding him and his mother. "Oh, yeah! Come on, you jungle puppies! You wanna piece of me?!"
"Now, feel the ghostly wrath of Arrietty, the Hisuian Zoroark! HAAAAAAAA!" Arrietty snarled towards the hyena group surrounding her and her son before she unleashed her own illusions at it, Gabi and her two hyena henchmen getting caught in her attack as they failed to make their move.
As for the baby Jungle Pokemon and their older siblings, they were doing their best to fight off their hyena enemies but they found it easier to outwit them as they distracted the fiends by running around the chamber and having them following the group and giving some of the Pokemon and dragons assisting in the fight a chance to knock them out when they passed by. Since they haven't gotten much or haven't started training yet, it would be a while before they could even knock their foes out.
While Jin, Hao, and Mao clashed with the Power Rangers and Gabi, Reiner, and Bertholdt broke off from their clan to give them a hand, Teng, Zhen, and Zhao and their infernal dragon spirits decided to pick out Sarah adopted parents and Tsukumaro as their Pokemon prepared themselves as per their plan. The Black Dragons all thought that given their lack of training and proficiency in Kung Fu, they were still easy targets for them to take out, not knowing about their extreme training with the Spirit Masters.
"Well now, you three are looking rather peachy today," sneered Teng with a snigger as he eyed the trio. "Must be nice for you to have your first-ever fight again after wasting your lives away on your own careers and lives, are you ready?"
"You beasts of an infernal swine, we're all going to settle the score once and for all," Tsukumaro spat with a glare. "Your master will never return, not as long as my goddaughter and her friends are around along with us."
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! And, how would you know? You've never had a dabble in martial arts let alone Kung Fu," laughed Hao, feeling skeptical of his words. "I can only imagine you floundering around trying to figure out who you're supposed to hit!"
"How can you hope to beat us and end our master if you can't help being nothing but third wheels?" agreed Mao, also giving a laugh with his brothers.
That does seem to be the case until Tsukumaro winked at Nikki and James and summoned a brown Hawk Spirit, pointing it towards Teng and having it start pecking him by his head. Teng, as a result, yelped in pain as it continued to peck away at him, making him run back and forth in panic from its relentless assault. Even his dragon spirit couldn't seem to land a blow as it was too quick and nimble to be attacked as it dodged and pecked and clawed it as well.
Nikki and James were surprised by this but not wanting their training to go to waste, they soon summoned a pink Hummingbird Spirit and a blue Okapi Spirit to help.
Zhen and Zhao laughed hysterically at the two spirits as they thought them harmless and not fighters but they soon learned to regret thinking less about them, the two spirits having immediately ganged up on them while they weren't looking. The Okapi Spirit galloped forward while they laughing and kicked them both by their rectums/anuses after getting behind them (getting two loud pained yelps in the process), allowing the Hummingbird Spirit (sounding like Flit from Disney's Pocahontas as it buzzed angrily at them) to attack it pecked them at the speed of light before they returned to their summoners and bowed to them.
"Huh, how about that?" James admitted as the Okapi Spirit looked at him.
"You know, I guess you're not so bad after all," smiled Nikki as her Hummingbird Spirit squeaked at her with a nod.
Mao and Hao and their own Infernal Dragon Spirits went up against the Jungle Fury Rangers and their Pai Zhua masters along with some of the other hyenas that were still up and raring to fight even though much of the influenced clan was pretty much down and out. Even with Teng, Zhen, and Zhao already bested by Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro and Jin's dragon spirit defeated, the Black Dragons and whatever remained of the hyenas were still formidable adversaries.
Casey, Lily, RJ, Theo, and Dominic went up against Mao, the original three rangers now duking it out with the Jungle Bo, Jungle Tonfa, and Jungle Chucks in place of their Claw Boosters. Jarrod and Camille along with RJ and Dominic, in the meantime, dealt with the hyena small fry that tried to assist Mao while half of the Pokemon and dragons belonging to Sarah squared off against his evil dragon spirit.
"Jungle Chucks!"
"Jungle Bo!"
"Jungle Tonfa!" shouted Casey, Lily, and Theo, using their weapons at their maximum power along with their animal spirits against Mao.
"URGH! You three stooges are really starting to bug me!" growled Mao, trying to fend them off but failing as the three rangers ganged up on him.
"HA! You're not so tough!"
"Now, feel this! I call forth the spirit of the mighty lion!" Camille and Jarrod boomed, summoning their Black Lion and Chameleon Spirits and blasting their own hyena pack out of the way, breaking the Black Dragons' influence on them.
"Call to the beast inside! I summon the wolf!"
"Call to the beast inside! Unleash the rhino!" screamed RJ and Dominic, unleashing their own animal spirits as they plowed through the hyenas attacking them.
The other hyenas that were left along with the two Infernal Dragon spirits were left to deal with Sarah's Pokemon and dragons assaulting them along with the Pai Zhuq masters but the heroes proved to be gaining the edge and are pummeling them brilliantly despite the odds being in the villains' favor.
Master Swoop, Master Phant, and Master Finn along with their Spirit Ranger selves were easily pummeling Mao's dragon spirit along with Sarah's dragon party as it tried to swat them away or blast them off with its roar, bites, and claws. But, they were becoming more than a match for it as the dragons distracted it as best they could while giving them a chance to attack whenever possible.
The Spirit Masters and Sarah's Pokemon party with them are currently going up against Hao's dragon spirit and the hyenas assisting it. The hyenas, however, found themselves outmatched by the four legendary Pai Zhuq experts as they quickly brought them down while displaying their mastery of the Pai Zhuq Feline, Penguin, Antelope/Gazelle, and Gorilla Fists. While they dealt with the small fry surrounding them, the Pokemon clashed with Hao's spirit now that its help was all tied up with no way of getting through their opposition and even the evil animal spirit was finding them bothersome and difficult to put down as they ambushed it from all sides.
Jin was left alone to deal with Sarah as her friends took care of the hyenas left standing with him, the two of them now engaged in a sword fight frenzy between them.
Jin had a makeshift Ox Tail Dao saber in his hands while Sarah had her Sun Sword out in the fray, going at each other in a classic sword fight showdown between the tiger and the phoenix. Sarah was relentless in her grace, agility, energy, and strength while handling her father's heirloom and using it as an extension of her mind and body but Jin countered her blows with his own through his power, speed, flight, and dependence through his saber.
They looked to be evenly matched for a few minutes until Jin gave a powerful downward slash as he held his saber in both of his hands. This prompted Sarah to block him with her family's sword being held horizontally as she pushed back until she reached for her Dragon Blade and set it ablaze while pointing it at the eldest Black Dragon, forcing him to jump back in shock as he took in the new weapon.
"What the-?! What kind of sword is that?" he gawked.
"This? Oh, just a little something I made in a place called Berk," Sarah replied simply before they continued their sword duel, Jin now being flustered as he tried to fend off against two swords at once.
Even the gang's Pokemon proved to be no slouches either when they squared off against their own hyena pack, they and their human partners/friends proving that they had improved much and they were becoming more and more like the bodyguards the others in Sarah's family had intended and thought them to be. They're still the lovable clowns they were but at least they were becoming more responsible in their ranger duties as well as their being the princess' chosen protectors.
Swapping out their weapons for their Claw Boosters, Casey, Lily, and Theo joined up with RJ, Camille, Jarrod, Dominic, and their masters along with Sarah's Pokemon and dragons with them as they saw Gabi's hyena clan (sans the queen, Reiner, and Bertholdt), Zhen, Zhao, Hao, Mao, and Teng (along with their evil dragon spirits) regroup as the battle came to a head with both forces preparing to duke it out again.
The five Black Dragons facing their giant opposing group down looked at each other and smirked before Mao, Hao, and Zhao along with their animal spirits charged at the heroes in a feint before Teng and Zhen (joined by their dragon spirits) made a break for the Twilight Gem along with Faraji and her friends along with the Shadowpaw and the Moon Phoenix.
Hearing Teng and Zhen's spirits roaring at them, the wild Night Furies, Sho, and Arrietty turned and gasped in horror at the sight before them, knowing that the Black Dragons would claim it and turn the guardians and the two creatures with them against them and their new friends.
"FARAJI!"
"NO!" the Spiteful and Baneful Fox Pokemon screamed as the Night Furies roared at the Moon Phoenix and the Shadowpaw to run.
"Look out!"
"Slither!"
"Run for it!"
"Out of the way!"
"Heads up!"
"Hurry!"
"Watch out!" Casey, Jarrod, Lily, Theo, Dominic, Camille, and RJ shouted at the mythical animals.
But, just in the nick of time, Eternatus, Reshiram, Nebby, and Nebula came to the rescue. Nebby and Nebula blasted the dragon spirits back with Flash Cannon and Moongiest Beam but that didn't stop them as they broke through the attacks, also dodging Eternatus and Reshiram's Twin Dragon Pulse before they bashed them away and set their sights on the five mythical creatures. They braced themselves for the assault that was to follow along with their loss of the gem but just when they were about to be brought under the Black Dragons' control, four squawks immediately sounded off before the dragon spirits were cut hard by something, roaring in pain from the unexpected assault as they moved back.
The culprits soon revealed themselves to be two pairs of mythical creatures that looked to be a pair of winged creatures as they glared at the evil spirits, pitting themselves in front of the soon-to-be victims.
The first two were winged serpentine-like creatures that had teal feathers along with purple hair and wings. They had two legs and they were only 15 ft. tall and 30 ft. long. The other two were a cross between an eagle and a horse (the male having a chestnut coat, white neck, head, and front chest, and inky black hooves while the female had the males' colors in reverse and inky black hooves as well).
The four squawked furiously, not being best pleased with their friends being attacked by the Black Dragons let alone humans and other creatures that meant well for them and the mythical creatures living with them in the temple.
"It'sssssssss you!" gasped Slither in relief.
"Orchard, Orion, Stormtalon, Flurrywing! You made it!" smiled Faraji as the mythical tiger, the Shadowpaw, and the Moon Phoenix growled, squawked, and roared happily at them.
The Occamies and Hippogriffs turned to the five they saved and smiled, relieved to see that they're unharmed much to the bewilderment and surprise of the heroes and villains that noticed the renewed assault against Teng and Zhen's dragon spirits.
Eterntaus was most annoyed as he eyed them in disbelief. "Oh, come on! How many friends do you have, Scaley? Now, you pick the best time to barge in and give us a hand while we had our behinds whomped?!" he snapped as he groaned in exasperation.
"Grrr! So, you do have some backup in waiting for you, huh?" Teng snorted in disgust and growing annoyance, seeing the villains' current hopelessness of their situation before he took out a wand of his own. "Well, I suppose you won't mind a little magic of my own that I've picked up while we're on the run! Mark my words, we're not finished yet! Dai Shi will return and the beasts will soon rule the world again! Black Dragons, Brother Jin, come!"
As if they knew what their Plan B from Teng and Jin is, the other Black Dragons nodded and made a break out of the chamber, Jin nodding in agreement as he broke off from Sarah and joined them.
Even the surviving hyenas including Gabi, Reiner, and Bertholdt (still under the Black Dragons) knew what they were up to as they quickly joined the Black Dragons in escaping the temple before Teng prepared to unleash his next move with his own wand.
"Grrrr! Come back here, you serpentine numpties!" Amber snarled, immediately chasing after them before anybody could stop her.
"Amber!"
"Damn it, Amber! Come back!" Tai Lung and Tyson snapped before they and the rest of the Jungle Guard sighed in exasperation.
"There she goes again," groaned Seleneon.
"Why doesn't she always use her head-bzzt?" grumbled Manteon.
"Man, are we glad to see you!" cheered Sho as he and Arrietty joined the mythical pairs.
"Try not to wait too long to make a dramatic entrance, okay?" chuckled Arrietty as the Occamies and Hippogriffs just smiled at them.
"Mama, the gem! Those dragon meanies forgot it!"
"Hurry up, kid! Grab the jewel and let's blow before they know what hit 'em!" Nebby and Hydro alerted.
Sarah nodded before she ran up to the podium as fast as she could, eventually reaching the Twilight Gem and managing to grab it, the jewel sensing that she has a righteous heart and is worthy of its power. The princess sighed happily and in relief as she marveled at the gem; it was protected along with Faraji and her friends and the Black Dragons wouldn't stand a chance or revive Dai Shi without its power.
But, her relief turned out to be premature as everyone soon heard Amber screaming in a total panic as a glowing red, yellow, and orange light shone from the corner where she and the Black Dragons and the surviving hyenas disappeared to. The female Shiny Charizard, still screaming in terror, quickly grabbed Kaji by his right hand and dragged him along (just as Ron Weasley did with Hermoine Granger in Deathly Hallows Pt. 2).
"RUN! THOSE BLACK DRAGON DORKS HAVE SET THE DAMN PLACE ON FIRE!" she cried as they left the chamber disappeared the way everybody came through.
"Fire?!" gasped the heroes as they turned and saw a giant wave of fire in the shape of a large serpent, hissing at them.
The Pokemon School gang, Sarah, and her family all screamed in terror while Faraji, her friends, the wild Night Furies, the Jungle Fury Rangers, and the Pai Zhuq masters gasped, screeched, and warbled in shock at what they were seeing.
"Oh no... It can't be!" gasped Tsukumaro, horrified as he remembered the spell that was casted. "I never thought that bastard would master it like this!"
"What is that thing?!"
"I don't know but it doesn't look friendly and it's a pure being of fire magic that's about to engulf the entire temple in flames!"
"And, it's coming straight for us!" Ash, Sophocles (analyzing the serpent on his Beast-X Navigator), and Lillie shouted in panic.
"What is that?" asked Casey, wanting to know what's going on.
"The fools! One of them used Fiendfyre, the most powerful dark magic of fire in the Wizarding World!" Tsukumaro cursed as the fire serpent hissed at the heroes.
"It's a deadly curse that takes the form of a neverending fire that consumes anything and everything in its path, destroying everything in its wake; a magical wildfire that has no end in sight unless it can be dispelled somehow! We have to get out of the temple or else we'll all be burned down with it and the Black Dragons will use this opportunity to claim the Twilight Gem and summon Dai Shi back into the waking world!"
"No, we can't leave this place!" screamed a shocked Sho. "This is the only home we've ever known!"
"YEOW!"
"Jinkies!"
"EEK!"
"AHH!"
"HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT!" Fennekin, Tundra, Cyndaquil, Pearl, and Dawn (Deathgripper) panicked as the flames licked or touched them.
"What'll we do now?!" Cyndaquil squeaked, terrified.
"It's too hot, I don't want to die in a magical inferno!" begged Snom, wanting to live. "I'm too young and handsome!"
"We're all lost if the flames reach us!" Tai Lung grunted, frustrated.
"We've got to try and put it out!" Vaporeon suggested as she, the other Water Types belonging to Sarah, Brionne, Hurricane, and Hydro tried to extinguish the fire with the attacks but to no avail.
"It's not working!" Nikki cried, seeing what was happening.
"The fire's not going out from the water, what's going on?!" Jarrod gasped as he and Camille dodged some flames.
"That's magical fire, any normal water and enchanted water can't put it out unless there's a stronger magical force to suppress and put it out!" Tsukumaro fretted in alarm.
"Now, what'll we do?!" Mallow grunted worriedly.
"It's becoming like an oven in here and I hate fire and heatwaves!" Star shouted, starting to sweat badly.
"The fire's also big enough to take out the entire temple as it grows and once it reaches the forest, it'll be way too big to stop!" Entei shouted, knowing that they have to leave the temple.
"I hate to say this, Kid, but we better blow before we go out like a couple of oil-burning night lights!" Raikou agreed.
"They're right, we have to get out of here!" Shadow agreed.
"Exactly, we must make haste for the entrance! Everybody, back the way we came, immediately!" Xena informed as everybody prepared to leave (the gang returning their partners to their Pokeballs for safety).
Sarah quickly turned to Faraji and her friends, her visor shielding her eyes from Slither's stare. "Faraji, are there any other creatures living in this temple besides you and your friends along with the Moon Phoenix and the Shadowpaw?" she asked the Dragon Phoenix.
"Just one other here- my friend, Hydra the Runespoor!" she responded, the three-headed snake in question (being orange all over with black stripes and the same size as the serpent belonging to Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) slithering in front of everyone in a panic.
The heroes suddenly jumped as the Runespoor's three heads hissed in shock and bewilderment before they all looked at Faraji.
"I'll explain later, Hydra! We've got to go, now!" she told the panicked serpent.
As Hydra nodded in agreement, everybody started to make a break for the temple entrance, even a reluctant and distraught Sho and Arrietty as Slither gently and sympathetically nudged them to run with her and their friends. But, the magical fire serpent lunged at them while it left a huge trail of fire behind it that engulfed the chamber, proving to be too fast for them to get away from as it cut them off at the door (now in the form of a Europeon dragon).
"We're cut off!" cried Lana in horror.
"We're trapped!" Eevee squeaked, terrified as she rode on Umbreon's head.
"Great, it's not going to let us through!" Ghost grunted in aggravation. "Can this day get any worse?"
"DON'T JINX IT!" Fennekin, Phanpy, Cyndaquil, and Swablu screamed at him.
"What are we gonna do?!" Hashimoto thought.
"Uh-oh! Got any magic tricks to get us out of this, Sarah?" gulped Piplup as he, Snom, Skiddo, Buneary, Appletun, and the baby Jungle Pokemon scooted close to her as the flames started to surround the heroes.
"Let me try something!" Sarah deducted, quickly getting in front of everybody before she sighed and faced the Fiendfyre curse. "Here goes..."
Taking a deep breath and screaming with all her might, she unleashed the Roar of the Elders at the curse, its power forcing the flames back and causing the fire dragon to disperse and showing the door out of the chamber.
"There's the door!" Master Guin shouted, pointing at it.
"Alright! Now, follow me! Stay close!" Sarah nodded, leading everybody as they ran out of the chamber.
"Let's go! Come on!" Master Phant urged as everybody scramble out of the Chamber of Patriots and out the way they came.
Sho and Arrietty were the last ones to reach the door but before they left, they turned to the burning chamber and sadly looked at the statues of the eight shaolin masters one last time.
"We'll miss you, old friends," Arrietty sighed as they ran off.
As they ran through the temple and back out the way they came, with Faraji and her friends quickly behind them (the rooms thankfully being large inside to hold the mythical creatures as well as Sho and Arrietty along with Moon Phoenix, the wild Night Furies, and the Shadowpaw), the heroes and the Pokemon and dragons with them made a break for the temple entrance. Once they were outside, they were treated to the sight of the temple being completely engulfed in flames, all of them staring in horror at what the Black Dragons had done.
"Our home... It's finished," cried Akela as he started to sweep, his mother holding him tenderly as she shed some tears for the temple as well.
"What are we going to do?" Lily asked worriedly.
"Mother, there's got to be a way to stop that magical inferno!" Nyasi told Sarah.
"If we don't do something, the fire could spread out to the rest of the jungle and destroy it!" Master Mao stated grimly.
"But, how? You saw how powerful that magical fire is!"
"Yeah, regular and enchanted water won't put it out so what else can?" Ash and Kiawe retorted frantically.
"Can't you do something, Tsukumaro?" Lana quizzed.
"I'm afraid not, the Fiendfyre curse can't be extinguished with enchanted water as well! I told you all that before," the old advisor answered, currently at a loss.
Everyone tried to wrack their brains on what to do about the inferno before them but none of them could come up with anything. However, as Sarah tried and failed to come up with any solutions to their current dilemma, she suddenly heard her real mother and father's voices resonating in her head as she got a slight headache.
"You know what to do, honey..."
"Trust yourself to control the fire in front of you..."
Sarah suddenly breathed quietly as her eyes widened from what her real parents' voices told her. "I have the means, to control the fire...?" she repeated, quickly pulling out her Dragon Heart Scepter and eyeing both it and the inferno.
Hoping that Doug and Delilah were both right, she pointed the scepter at the Fiendfyre curse as it soon morphed into a Chimera. It soon turned its attention back to the heroes that escaped its wrath and roared at them before it lunged at the group for a second chance at burning them. But, the scepter's jewel glowed as it drew the curse towards it, absorbing the flames as they got close to the heroes.
"Whoa! What the hell-?!" Dominic gasped, flustered in awe.
"What-?"
"But, how?! I didn't know the scepter could do that!"
"Me, neither!" Kiawe, Sophocles, and Lillie gasped in shock.
"Don't you guys remember me telling you? I just remembered that the Dragon Heart Scepter can manipulate and absorb any draconic elements and that included fire! I just didn't think I'd use it for that until now!" Sarah yelled to them, the Fiendfyre curse continuing to be absorbed into the scepter.
The strain, however, was beginning to tell as the curse's power was slowly starting to overwhelm the scepter and she was starting to lose control over it. But then, a loud roar came from the skies above the heroes and they all turned their attention to find a large figure flying down from the heavens to help them.
It was a large, female Chinese Dragon being 20 ft. high and 30 ft. long in height and length with ocean blue eyes, red and black scales, wide wings with white spots scattered across her upper backside, and glowing red marks from underneath. Her head, adorned with yellow stripes across her snout, cheeks, and forehead, featured four large horns and spiky cheeks while two long whiskers grew from her muzzle. In addition to her light yellow underbelly, claws, and partial scales on her legs, her tail expanded with a spiky end, being in the same yellow shade as her head.
The creature soon hovered over the princess after seeing the fire and flapped her wings, creating a cloud of dust to put out the flames but it didn't do much to improve things either for the heroes.
"It's still not working!"
"That inferno's gotta be even bigger than that from a full-size volcano!" Nikki and James fretted.
"Damn! Even with help from our unexpected visitor, the curse is still in effect!" snarled Tsukumaro in aggravation, unsure of what to do now.
"Unless we stop the fire in addition to what we've got going now, we could lose an important mark in the legacy of Kung Fu and the Pai Zhuq!" added a disgruntled Master Finn, trying to wrack up new ideas.
"But, how can we put it out? Water and dust didn't do anything and we have no more ideas!" Lillie asked, still in a frizzy as everyone else is.
"If there are any ideas we can come up with, even crazy ones, to put out that big fire before it destroys the temple, I'd love to hear 'em!" Theo agreed.
Then, an idea came into Arrietty's head as she remembered the Twilight Gem and whatever powers Faraji has on her if she was exposed to its magic throughout her lifetime of guarding it before the heroes came to her and Sho's home.
"The gem, Faraji..." she breathed as her eyes widened and she quickly looked to the princess. "Sarah, give Faraji the Twilight Gem!"
"What?! What's she going to do with the curse?" Sarah gawked, still trying to control the Fiendfyre curse as she held onto her scepter and it absorbed the flames. "I'm a little busy with this stupid fire right now!"
"Trust me! She can help us with this mess; let her take back the gem for a moment and let her work her magic!"
"Okay! Faraji, catch!" she relented, quickly reaching to her satchel and pulling out the gem before she threw it back to its main guardian.
The Dragon Phoenix saw the Twilight Gem coming and taking it back in her claws, she concentrated whatever power she had on her, making it glow brightly and allowing a Phoenix Spirit to awaken from it as it gave a majestic screech. It then flew over the flames, flying in a tight circle, manipulating them as it gained more speed before it then spread her flames out minutes later.
Everybody was in awe of Faraji's Phoenix Spirit managing to put out the fire with Sarah's and the dragon's help and in the nick of time despite whatever heavy damage the temple may have suffered from because of the Black Dragons. The damage from the Fiendfyre curse was definitely heavy and it was not much good news for the mythical creatures, Sho, and Arrietty as they saw what became of it; it was basically like the Shaolin monastery after the Manchus burned it to the ground but the interiors might've gotten worse apart from the ruined exterior.
"Whoa..." the Pokemon School gang and Ash gasped in awe.
"Now, THAT is some serious firepower there," RJ admitted, very impressed by what he saw.
"It looks beautiful," smiled Lily, seeing Faraji's animal spirit in all its glory before it flew around and returned to the Twilight Gem.
"I gotta admit, Faraji really knows how to work her magic when given the Twilight Gem," chuckled Theo, also feeling impressed.
"Guess that's why they called her the Dragon Phoenix, always one to rise up from her own ashes and start anew after every battle," Casey remarked as Master Mao nodded with an approving smile.
The other Pai Zhuq masters, Dominic, Jarrod, and Camille also looked impressed as they nodded to each other and showered her with praise and compliments for her effort to save the temple as the dragon touched down next to her friend.
However, Sarah breathed a little heavily before she sighed and collapsed, feeling glad to be out of yet another life-threatening situation despite her worries for everyone's mythical friends and Sho and Arrietty over losing the only home they've known.
"Sarah!" gasped Snom as he and the baby Jungle Pokemon, Ponyta, and Wooloo rushed over to her. "You okay?"
"Yeah... I just, never thought that curse, would be so powerful..." she admitted as her first two Galar Pokemon prodded her over for any wounds. "I feel so tired, this is also the most I've had to use the Roar in a while..."
Faraji sighed herself as she smiled and looked down at the Twilight Gem, "I still got it after all this time..."
"Indeed, you do, Faraji," smiled the female dragon before she raised an eyebrow at her. "Now, I don't mean to probe like this but who was the fool responsible for using the forbidden Fiendfyre curse in the temple?"
"You won't believe it, Pyrrah, but the Black Dragons have struck again. Hmph, they're still hoping to use its power to bring back Dai Shi after all this time, even going so far as to unleash it to destroy the whole jungle along with the temple had it not been for these fine humans, their Pokemon, and the other dragons with them here."
The dragon, Pyrrah, looked over at the heroes curiously as she examined them, "Hmm... Very interesting, you're all definitely a bunch of oddballs, I must say."
"Yeah, we get that a lot from everybody we meet," replied Sunflare nonchalantly.
"Same old story wherever we go but we've learned to live with it," added Pyre.
"And, by the time we adapt to everywhere else, they've also gotten used to us," put in Puff.
"No point in griping about how weird we are as a group to everyone else around us," Charger agreed.
"All the same, what kind of dragon are you, anyway?"
"Of course, we've never known another one like you to be around here until you found out about the temple burning after the Black Dragons made their move," puzzled Dart and Calyrex.
"No kidding, you're red like Uncle Inferno and Auntie Nova but you're huge!" added Pouncer.
"But, at least, we got you to thank for helping us deal with that wild magical inferno," thanked Craggeon.
"We owe you a great debt of gratitude, M'lady," thanked Guardeon, bowing to the dragon.
"Oh, think nothing of it. I'm Pyrrah, the Fire Dragon; unlike most dragons, I draw my power from the sun," Pyrrah began, introducing herself to the group with a kind smile.
"Like that tiger friend of Slither and Faraji?" Ash put in.
"Right. Although, judging by all those dragons you have on you, I take it you're some kind of dragon whisperer."
"You're right; in our homeworld, however, she's also known as the Dragon Princess."
"This is Sarah, she's the Sun Princess of Alola. She's here with all of us and her friends to help the Power Rangers Jungle Fury and their Pai Zhuq masters stop the Black Dragons from reviving their master, Dai Shi," Winter and Shadow introduced, surprising the Fire Dragon.
"Oh, the new Power Rangers I've heard stories about and the one who first stopped the fiends and saved Claw Town yesterday," Pyrrah blinked before she turned to the Jungle Fury Rangers and their masters. "Also, they're the ones that first destroyed the Infernal Dragon himself, are they the ones?"
"That's us-NYA!" boasted Skitty from Salamence's back.
"And, we helped to deal with those horrid monsters that wanted to steal the gem for their master's return," Sawsbuck added with a nod.
"We barely managed to make it out of the temple alive and save it if it hadn't been for you, Sarah, and Faraji," agreed Haxorus.
"What's more, Sarah and her friends along with us were the ones who are currently dealing with threats like Team Eclipse and Evox whenever we're needed in Coral Harbor," Aqua said to her.
"Plus, Master Casey and his friends are indeed the ones responsible for dealing the final blow to that preposterous dragon a little over thirteen years ago," nodded Noctowl.
"I see... Well, anybody that does a good turn for Faraji is alright with me," smiled Pyrrah again.
The heroes then heard a small chirp coming from her back and saw a dragon hatchling jumping off to greet Sarah, bounding up to her like a puppy. It was like a small dog in size as it was bigger than the Berk dragon hatchlings with light blue scales, a white mane growing from his neck, several horns protruding from his head, blue eyes, white claws, and a tuft of white fur on its tail tip.
"Awww!"/"Awww!"/"Awww!" Sarah's Pokemon/dragon family cooed, seeing how cute the hatching is as it panted to their trainer/mother/rider.
"Oh, Pyrrah, he's adorable!" Dawn (Lycanroc) cooed brightly as Sarah rubbed him gently while kneeling down.
"He's gotta be the cutest darling we've ever seen!" added Misa, immediately swooning over the hatchling as she then nuzzled him, making him chirp happily from her touch.
"I'm glad you all think of him highly that way," Pyrrah admitted with a smile.
"Who is he, anyway?" asked Hashimoto, also coming forward to rub him as he did a puppy leg reflex while on his back.
"This right there is Avel, he's known to many in my world as a Storm Dragon."
"Storm Dragon?" echoed Spectrier and Glastrier in confusion.
"Now, what do you mean by 'Storm Dragon', Ms. Pyrrah?" inquired Calyrex curiously.
Pyrrah sighed as she frowned remorsefully, "Where I come from, in my world, Storm Dragons are known to be a powerful species whose magic would come from the sky itself, allowing them to control lightning and harness the power of wind and storms themselves. I found the darling as an egg but their species is unfortunately rare so, I suppose he must the only one of his kind left."
"Only one?"
"What do you mean?" Brawleon and Spookeon puzzled at her.
"How come he's the only one of the Storm Dragons left?" Sarah added, making her sigh again with sorrowful eyes as she turned away.
"It's been said that Storm Dragons can only give birth to a child, once every 1,000 years..."
"1,000 years?!"
"No!"
"That's not fair!"
"That's, like, a whole millennium alone for them if they're mates!"
"I can't imagine how hard it must've been for you!"
"Me too, I can't imagine myself and my future boyfriend living alone for 1,000 years before we would even have a baby of our own!" Ash, Jolteon, Kiawe, Latias, Lillie, and Mallow gasped in shock.
"He-he, hi! I like you, friend," cooed Avel, licking at Sarah.
Sarah giggled as she held Avel while he continued to lick her, his puppy instincts continuing to kick in. "Wow, you're a cute little guy!" the princess admitted, giggling from how cute he was being.
"Well, I suppose that means you'll be taking him in for your conservation project, honey," smiled Nikki knowingly.
"You do have to figure out how to find a loophole for that 1000-year pregnancy handicap for the Storm Dragons, though, Princess," added Tsukumaro.
"I'll think about that..."
"Oh, Arceus, save me (Pft... Yeah, right)," sulked Eternatus. "12-15 more mouths to feed and if you're thinking about bringing them home now that their old dump is wrecked and burned to the ground, I'm gonna freak."
"Oh, really? What's your beef with your mouth, then, Mr. Skeleton?" snarked Pyrrah, raising an eyebrow at the former Darkest Day.
"Skele-?! I'm not a skeleton, I'm a dragon, you twit!"
"Sure, you are..." Pyrrah grinned, making the group chuckle at his expense.
"Sarah, I owe you and your friends our lives for everything you've done to help protect the Twilight Gem and us in turn," Faraji thanked, turning to the princess in gratitude with the rest of her friends. "Our home is lost to that terrible fire but I wouldn't trade the lives of my friends and the gem for anything else in the world as long as we're away from enemy hands. Nor would I forsake the jungle for them."
"Well, it was the least that we could do. We're just glad that curse didn't do too much damage to it and the Black Dragons are out of our hair now that we have you all with us," Sarah smiled.
"And, since you went above and beyond along with all your friends and your family with your heroism as well as overcoming each challenge that had been set along its chambers, I feel it's only right for you to have the Twilight Gem. There is no other human alive that I would trust it and its powers to in the world, I know fully well that you've earned the right to carry it in your hands."
Taking the gem after approaching Faraji with Race alongside her, the princess and her boyfriend nodded to each other as they observed her new treasure and the Hoenn BF Champion joined his right hand with hers, the magical object suddenly glowing as he touched the gem.
The princess and champion gasped as they saw the gem hovering in front of them, both of them sharing surprised looks before it showered them in a bright glow.
"Mom!"
"Daddy?!"
"Father!" chirped a surprised Blitz, Bella, and Robbie, seeing the Twilight Gem split its magic between the two as the humans saw two animal spirits roaring within their minds (Race - Spirit of the Dragon, Sarah - Spirit of the Phoenix).
Within moments, the gem's Power Transfer was completed and the gem soon disappeared along with its luminous glow, the entirety of its magic now resting within the two of them.
"No way..."
"The Twilight Gem transferred all of its power to Sarah and Race!"
"Two new guardians for the price of one gem, impressive," Casey, Lily, and Theo admitted, even more impressed as they saw their joined hands glowing yellow and purple as the gem's magic became part of them now.
"I-I can't believe it, the gem bonded with us!"
"What does that mean?" they questioned, bewildered by what they went through.
"I know what, you both now possess all of the gem's powers and that includes you earning the spirits of both the dragon and the phoenix," smiled Tsukumaro as he approached them.
Race blinked in surprise as he then noticed their hands glowing a bright red and two small flames appeared in each of their palms.
"Okay... This is going to take some getting used to, honestly," he admitted, feeling awkward about having magic as well.
"True, but it doesn't hurt to learn the basics from our Magic Master here," Hashimoto reassured.
"I guess that means you're the first ever Pokemon Champion to have real magic on you now, Race," chuckled Ching Wan.
"Right, right!" chirped Stufful, nodding.
"Hmm-Hmm-Hmm. I must say, even I wasn't expecting this from the Twilight Gem even though I've heard of its magic," chuckled Pyrrah as she looked to Sarah's entire family. "Your human must be full of surprises and a long way above the average little girl for her age."
"You have no idea/You have no idea/You have no idea," they all quipped.
"So, Faraji, what'll you do now? It's no longer safe for you to stay at the temple, not after what Teng did with that Fiendfyre curse," Sarah asked the Dragon Phoenix, looking at the mostly-charred ruins of the temple before them. "I don't want you to make do with your home knowing that you'll be attacked by the Black Dragons again if they rear their ugly heads again and they've lost the Twilight Gem so their plans for reviving Dai Shi are out of the picture, for now."
"That's true; it doesn't help that if Team Eclipse or Evox got word of them, they might target you next before the Black Dragons could bring Dai Shi back somehow," Ash agreed.
"I don't know... We've been here at this old beauty for years ever since we've moved out of Sinnoh/Hisui back then and we never knew of another home like this one," Sho admitted as he squirmed a little.
"Even if there is another place where we could all stay in, who's to say the Black Dragons wouldn't be back to continue their plans to bring us to the dark side and align us with their master if they've managed to complete his resurrection?" Arrietty pondered, seeing the wild Night Furies, the Shadowpaw, and the Moon Phoenix whining sadly at the ruined state of their home.
"That won't be too much of a problem," reassured Mallow. "We'll gladly welcome you to Alola once we're done with our journey to find Sarah's real parents."
"She's got a huge dome and castle that acts as a home to all creatures she has under her wing including her Pokémon and dragons," added Sophocles. "I'm sure she and her family will take you in as well since you have nowhere else to live anymore."
Faraji thought for a moment as she looked at the ruins of her and her friends' temple, "Well, my soul's at ease knowing that the Twilight Gem is finally safe once more and we've taken a liking to you all... Alright, I suppose we'll join you and see what this home of yours is like."
"YEAH!" the baby dragons cooed excitedly, dogpiling on Avel who's now their new baby brother as they laughed and chirped happily.
"Oh no..." Eternatus and Silvally groaned.
"Come on, you two! I've had to put up with your whining on bringing in new faces to our family since we came together, what's wrong with bringing in some mythical creatures and two more Pokémon this time?" Sarah groaned at her Gigantic and Synthetic Pokemon.
"She's right, you two. This is still a battle you can't win," agreed Calyrex, smiling sheepishly at them. "You know how the princess is with helping any and all creatures and people in need, she can't help it no matter how hard you try to make her stop."
"...You promise you won't stuff any more into our family for a while or from now on?" Silvally begged, conceding in defeat.
"Sure, it won't be for a while since our family's already big enough with them around."
"Oh... Alright, but for Lady Snake Almighty, she's not coming!" Eternatus nodded in defeat.
"Who ssssssssaid I would be joining you? My job isssssss now complete and the gem issssss sssssafely with SSSSSSarah and her loved one," smiled Slither, looking at Race and Sarah, making them fluster as they tried to come up with an excuse.
"You're not coming, Slither?" Sho blinked in surprise.
"Oh, Akela, I am part of your passssssst now. SSSSSSSarah and her family and friendsssssss are part of your future," the basilisk replied, giving him a sad smile.
"Slither..."
"You've grown ssssssso much and the Twilight Gem issssssss now in ssssssssafer hands. Faraji, you and the princesssss, please look after Arrietty and SSSSSSho for me."
"We will, Slither," Faraji replied.
"You'll be fine without me, SSSSSho. I will always be watching over you in my heart," Slither finished as she soon went off into the misty jungle. "But, I know the princesssss and Faraji will take good care of you. For now, it'ssssss time to ssssssssay goodbye and thank you!"
"Wait, Slither!" Sho screamed, watching Slither disappear to live a new life now that her duty is complete while Arrietty hugs her distraught son gently.
"Goodbye, Slither, I'll remember," Sarah sighed, seeing the friendly basilisk vanish to live out her new life, wild and free from all danger.
Later, everyone was back at Master Phant's house with the Pai Zhuq Masters facing their former students, Sarah, her friends, and her family (Sho, Arrietty Faraji, and the other mythical creatures joining them) as they prepared to part ways. With the Twilight Gem's powers safely in Race and Sarah's hands and the Black Dragons thwarted in their mission to bring back Dai Shi, for now, it was time for the Ultra Rescue Rangers, their allies, and their predecessors to return to Claw Town to continue celebrating the Lunar New Year celebration before they would continue their journey for Sarah's real parents.
"Masters, thank you for helping us again," Casey thanked as he and everyone else bowed to them.
"We'll never be able to thank you enough," Sarah added gratefully.
"Now, now, Princess. You and your friends and family's use of your animal spirits and our techniques along with those of your fellow rangers have taught you is thanks enough," Master Mao smiled knowingly with a nod. "And, Casey, you've all done us a great deal in managing to prevent the Black Dragons from going through with their plan to revive Dai Shi but it'll only be a matter of time until they return."
"With the Black Dragons at large, they'll be back and they'll do anything they can to get the gem's power from you both," Master Guin warned Sarah and Race. "You two must be vigilant at all times should they come to Alola."
"Whether the Twilight Gem's powers will be used to revive Dai Shi should they steal them when you least expect it would be entirely up to you," Master Swoop added.
"The gem is now in your possession along with your new animal spirits, guard them well and use them wisely," smiled Master Rilla.
"Yes," Race and Sarah nodded to him, knowing what they must do.
"And, while you've learned all that there is to know from us, there's no end to studying the way of the Pai Zhua," went on Master Finn, nodding at their students. "So, work diligently and become a sound moral judgment no matter where you all are."
"As long as you learn to be one with your animal spirits, the Pai Zhua master within you all will grow and will never die," Master Phant continued proudly.
"Right!" Ash and the Pokemon School gang nodded.
"Thank you, Masters, for everything," the princess finished, bowing to the seven masters one last time.
Master Lope nodded with a warm smile, "Should the Black Dragons reemerge and make their move to ensure Dai Shi's revival, if you ever need us, we'll be waiting."
With that, Master Phant, Master Finn, and Master Swoop returned to their respective homes while the Spirit Masters returned to the Spirit World, leaving everyone else to return to Claw Town and rejoin the Lunar New Year Celebration that's still in full swing.
When they arrived back and the villagers and visitors saw them returning to the celebration (now at peace with the Black Dragons also out of their hair), they were left in shock when they saw Faraji, the other mythical creatures, and Sho and Arrietty. They were admittedly thrown in for a loop by this but they eventually decided to not question it when the heroes mentioned that the Black Dragons are gone from the town to their shared relief and happiness.
Thus, Sarah decided to give the other mythical creatures new names:
Telsa - Thunderbird
Karabi - Nundu
Callisto - Moon Phoenix
Aku - Shadowpaw
Sunce - Twin-Tailed Inferno Tooth Tiger
Now, the villagers and visitors' reactions to the mythical creatures along with the appearance of Sho and Arrietty (being a completely different kind of Zorua and Zoroark that the rest of the world never knew) varied; Orchard, Storm, Flurry, Aku, Faraji, Tesla, and Callisto left the villagers awestruck as most of them were avid learners of Chinese and international mythology while the kids were all taken by Aku and Sunce, both of them purring and nuzzling them. The children giggled as they continued to play with them and, still acting like a little puppy, Avel playfully pounced on other kids as he shared their boundless energy which made them laugh as they chased after him and played.
They were more wary around Hydra, Karabi, and Pyrrah, though. But, their throwing caution to the wind was understandable, their worries soon being absolved when they discovered them to be much more docile which got them to calm down.
"They sure adapted to your newbies very quickly despite their initial reactions, Island Girl," Race remarked to his girlfriend.
"Well, they did learn some Chinese mythology or much of it while they were growing up and learning in school so they got that going," she retorted pointedly to him.
"Let's hope Hydra, Karabi, and Pyrrah don't make something of a bad first impression for them," Nikki hoped.
"With how they're taking them well given how docile and friendly they are like newborn kittens ready for adoption, I'd say they're doing good at that," James replied.
"That's good," nodded Tsukumaro.
"Now that we've got the Black Dragons out of our hair, how about we get back to enjoying the celebration and have some fun?" Ash decided.
"No kidding, I'm ready for some Pokemon Lunar New Year excitement!"
"Alright!"
"WHOO-HOO!"
"I can't wait to learn more about Chinese culture!"
"And, there's more food that I've yet to try!" The Pokemon School gang cheered.
"Great!"
"I can hardly wait!"
"Me, too!" Pikachu, Vikavolt, and Snowy cheered.
"I suppose a couple more days here before we move on won't hurt."
"I agree, we all need a break," Tsareena and Turtonator nodded happily.
"Just what I was thinking," smiled James again as Aku came back to his family and he rubbed his head, making him purr with glee. "We've all been through a lot today so it's only natural for us to take a much-needed breather."
"I'll second that," agreed Nikki.
"What do you say, Sho? Want to check out what everybody does during the Lunar New Year, you and Arrietty?" asked Sarah to Sho and his mother.
"Are you kiddin'? We're gonna have the time of our lives doing stuff we couldn't even do while we were alive, this'll be so much fun!" Sho cheered, making Arrietty smile at him and know that their new lives would be getting better.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go and have fun!" Dominic cheered, causing everyone else to follow in his cheering as they continued on with the party.
"A wild Kung Fu adventure takes a turn for the better for everyone as they gained new friends in some mythical creatures, new enemies in the Black Dragons, and wonderful allies in the Power Rangers Jungle Fury and their Pai Zhua masters. With their new knowledge of their Kung Fu styles under their belts along with their animal spirits and the Twilight Gem in their grasp, Sarah, her friends, and her family take a much-needed breather to have fun and take a break before they would soon complete their on-going journey for the princess' real parents as the journey continues!"
Sarah's Team
1. Pikachu (aka Blitz)
Moves - Thundershock, Tackle, Thunderpunch, Double Team, Thunderbolt, Electroweb, Volt Tackle, Wild Charge
2. Lycanroc (Dusk Form) (aka Dusk)
Moves - Rock Throw, Bite, Tackle, Rock Slide, Protect, Accelarock, Outrage, Stone Edge, Close Combat
3. Lycanroc (Midnight Form) (aka Luna)
Moves - Rock Throw, Bite, Tackle, Protect, Rock Slide, Outrage, Counter, Stone Edge, Close Combat
4. Silvally
Moves - Crush Claw, Air Slash, Hyper Beam, Swords Dance, Dragon Claw, Multi Attack, Tri Attack, Aerial Ace, Blizzard
5. Mudsdale
Moves - High Horsepower, Double Kick, Mud Slap, Bulldoze, Iron Head, Superpower, Close Combat, Focus Blast
6. Wooloo
Moves - Wild Charge, Tackle, Electro Ball, Volt Tackle, Double Kick, Copycat, Cotton Guard
7. Ponyta (Galarian Form)
Moves - Dazzling Gleam, Moonblast, High Horsepower, Heal Pulse, Psybeam, Psychic, Future Sight
8. Meowth (Alola Form) (aka Lolita)
Moves - Thunderbolt, Scratch, Iron Tail, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw
9. Primarina (aka Aqua)
Moves - Pound, Water Gun, Icy Wind, Bubblebeam, Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Acrobatics, Liquidation, Sparkling Aria, Hydro Cannon
10. Milotic
Moves - Dragon Pulse, Ice Beam, Twister, Mirror Coat, Dragon Tail, Hydro Pump, Recover, Aqua Tail
11. Ampharos (Shiny) (aka Candy)
Moves - Thunderbolt, Confuse Ray, Power Gem, Signal Beam, Discharge, Iron Tail, Dragon Pulse, Focus Punch, Shock Wave
12. Sylveon
Moves - Tackle, Tail Whip, Copycat, Shadow Ball, Light Screen, Moonblast, Dazzling Gleam, Fairy Wind
13. Goodra
Moves - Water Gun, Protect, Tackle, Dragon Breath, Dragon Pulse, Rain Dance, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Water Pulse
14. Noctowl
Moves - Wing Attack, Foresight, Air Slash, Confusion, Sky Drop, Superpower
15. Meowstic (Male) (aka Danny)
Moves - Helping Hand, Psyshock, Light Screen, Future Sight, Dark Pulse, Psychic, Calm Mind, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Miracle Eye
16. Meowstic (Female) (aka Danielle)
Moves - Heal Pulse, Psyshock, Light Screen, Dark Pulse, Future Sight, Psychic, Charge Beam, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball
17. Snivy
Moves - Vine Whip, Leaf Storm, Twister, Leaf Blade, Grass Pledge, Double Team, Solarbeam
18. Oshawott
Moves - Water Gun, Razor Shell, Icy Wind, Iron Tail, Water Pledge, Double Team, Scared Sword
19. Tepig
Moves - Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Solar Beam, Rock Tomb, Fire Pledge, Wild Charge, Double Team
20. Vulpix (Alola Form) (aka Snowflake)
Moves - Protect, Powder Snow, Ice Beam, Iron Tail, Icy Wind, Hypnosis, Freeze-Dry
21. Dragonite (aka Draco)
Moves - Dragon Rage, Iron Tail, Ice Beam, Hyper Beam, Dragon Rush, Dragon Claw, Dragon Dance, Dragon Tail
22. Hydreigon
Moves - Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Wing Attack, Flash Cannon, Dragon Rush, Tri Attack, Hyper Beam, Dragon Pulse
23. Flygon
Moves - Crunch, Dig, Rock Slide, Steel Wing, Dragon Rush, Dragon Claw, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch
24. Solgaleo (aka Nebby)
Moves - Sunsteel Strike, Focus Blast, Teleport, Flamethrower, Wild Charge, Cosmic Power, Calm Mind, Psychic
25. Lucario (Shiny) (aka Star)
Moves - Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Aura Sphere, Dig, Vacuum Wave, Shadow Claw, Focus Blast, Dragon Pulse, Metal Claw, Force Palm
26. Poipole
Moves - Venoshock, Fury Attack, Peck, Iron Tail, Poison Jab, Pin Missile, Nasty Plot
27. Mimikyu (aka Mai)
Moves - Shadow Claw, Drain Punch, Wood Hammer, Psychic, Mimic, Light Screen, Dark Pulse
28. Umbreon (Shiny)
Moves - Dark Pulse, Psychic, Moonlight, Shadow Ball, Iron Tail, Flash, Throat Chop, Copycat
29. Jolteon
Moves - Thunder Fang, Thunderbolt, Double Kick, Shadow Ball, Pin Missile, Wild Charge, Copycat
30. Vaporeon
Moves - Water Gun, Swift, Iron Tail, Shadow Ball, Dive, Copycat, Water Pulse
31. Flareon
Moves - Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Double Edge, Shadow Ball, Ember, Copycat, Mystical Fire
32. Espeon
Moves - Psychic, Psybeam, Iron Tail, Shadow Ball, Light Screen, Copycat, Dazzling Gleam
33. Leafeon
Moves - Synthesis, Energy Ball, Solar Blade, Shadow Ball, Leaf Storm, Copycat, Last Resort
34. Glaceon
Moves - Shadow Ball, Ice Fang, Icy Wind, Ice Shard, Iron Tail, Copycat, Freeze-Dry
35. Eevee
Moves - Helping Hand, Protect, Dig, Double Edge, Swift, Iron Tail, Copycat, Bouncy Bubble
36. Skitty
Moves - Doubleslap, Ice Beam, Iron Tail, Copycat, Double-Edge, Play Rough, Solar Beam, Charge Beam
37. Braviary
Moves - Superpower, Sky Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat, Steel Wing, Sky Drop, Rock Tomb, Wing Attack
38. Absol (Shiny) (aka Mulan)
Moves - Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Shadow Claw, Hyper Beam, Flamethrower, Shadow Ball, Stone Edge, Close Combat
39. Houndoom (Shiny)
Moves - Thunder Fang, Solar Beam, Sludge Bomb, Flamethrower, Crunch, Stone Edge, Iron Tail, Incinerate
40. Latias (Shiny)
Moves - Safeguard, Psychic, Mist Ball, Dragon Pulse, Steel Wing, Recover, Reflect, Dragon Dance
41. Latios (Shiny)
Moves - Steel Wing, Psychic, Giga Impact, Dragon Pulse, Luster Purge, Charge Beam, Reflect, Dragon Dance
42. Salamance (Shiny)
Moves - Incinerate, Hydro Pump, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Rush, Protect, Steel Wing, Shadow Claw, Draco Meteor
43. Rapidash (Galarian Form)
Moves - Psycho Cut, Mystical Fire, Megahorn, High Horsepower, Heal Pulse, Agility, Wild Charge
44. Yamper
Moves - Wild Charge, Fire Fang, Play Rough, Double Edge, Dig, Thunder Fang, Howl
45. Raboot (aka Scorch)
Moves - Quick Attack, Double Kick, Flame Charge, Ember, Headbutt, Blaze Kick, Acrobatics, Counter
46. Stufful
Moves - Force Palm, Ice Punch, Thunderpunch, Focus Punch, Brick Break, Rock Slide
47. Calyrex
Moves - Psychic, Magical Leaf, Agility, Pound, Solarbeam, Light Screen, Reflect
Calyrex (Ice Rider)
Moves - Psychic, Headbutt, Mist, High Horsepower, Icicle Crash, Double Kick, Glacial Lance, Light Screen, Reflect
Calyrex (Shadow Rider)
Moves - Psychic, Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Agility, Phantom Force, Double Kick, Astral Barrage, Light Screen, Reflect
48. Glastrier
Moves - Headbutt, Thrash, High Horsepower, Mist, Icicle Crash, Double Kick, Ice Beam, Blizzard
49. Spectrier
Moves - Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Calm Mind, Agility, Phantom Force, Double Kick, Haze, Protect
50. Lunala (aka Nebula)
Moves - Teleport, Cosmic Power, Moongeist Beam, Moonblast, Phantom Force, Protect, Psychic, Psycho Cut
51. Charizard (aka Kaji)
Moves - Ember, Fire Spin, Dragon Rush, Metal Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Claw, Thunderpunch, Fire Punch, Seismic Toss, Blast Burn
52. Kubfu (aka Hashimoto)
Moves - Counter, Aerial Ace, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Ice Punch, Iron Head, Headbutt
53. Urshifu (Single Strike Style) (aka Ching Wan)
Moves - Brick Break, Revenge, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Ice Punch, Wicked Blow, Protect, Bulk Up
54. Eternatus
Moves - Dragon Pulse, Dynamax Cannon, Recover, Enternabeam, Cross Poison, Flash Cannon, Dragon Tail
55. Arctozolt
Moves - Freeze-Dry, Pluck, Ancient Power, Bolt Beak, Discharge, Hydro Pump, Icicle Crash, Icicle Spear
56. Cinderace
Moves - Ember, Counter, Double Kick, Electro Ball, Acrobatics, Reversal, Flame Charge, Bulk Up, Pyro Ball
57. Cufant
Moves - Iron Head, Play Rough, High Horsepower, Superpower, Iron Defense, Rock Tomb, Dig, Brick Break
58. Dracovish
Moves - Hydro Pump, Dragon Pulse, Ice Fang, Dragon Rush, Earthquake, Fishious Rend, Rock Tomb, Bulldoze
59. Dracozolt
Moves - Pluck, Dragon Tail, Bolt Beak, Discharge, High Horsepower, Stone Edge, Dragon Claw, Dragon Rush
60. Zarude
Moves - Jungle Healing, Close Combat, Solar Blade, Vine Whip, Power Whip, Darkest Lariat, Synthesis
61. Arcanine (Shiny)
Moves - Agility, Dragon Pulse, Iron Tail, Close Combat, Wild Charge, Psychic Fangs, Howl, Extreme Speed, Heat Wave
62. Alolan Ninetales (aka Tundra)
Moves - Aurora Beam, Ice Beam, Aurora Veil, Dazzling Gleam, Blizzard, Confuse Ray, Freeze-Dry, Draining Kiss
63. Tyrunt
Moves - Thunder Fang, Crunch, Rock Tomb, Ice Fang, Draco Meteor, Dragon Tail, Fire Fang, Charm
64. Amaura
Moves - Ancient Power, Blizzard, Mud Shot, Aurora Veil, Calm Mind, Mirror Coat, Safeguard, Weather Ball
65. Pyroar (Shiny) (aka Kion)
Moves - Tackle, Ember, Noble Roar, Headbutt, Double Team, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Bulldoze, Iron Tail
66. Pyroar (Shiny) (aka Kiara)
Moves - Tackle, Ember, Double Team, Fire Fang, Wild Charge, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Bulldoze, Iron Tail
67. Suicune (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Ice Beam, Aroura Beam, Air Slash, Hydro Pump, Mirror Coat, Roar
68. Raikou (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Charge Beam, Thunderbolt, Discharge, Aura Sphere, Wild Charge, Roar
69. Entei (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Flare Blitz, Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Eruption, Lava Plume, Roar
70. Beautifly
Moves - Twister, Electroweb, Safeguard, Solarbeam, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Aerial Ace
71. Lycanroc (Midday Form) (aka Dawn)
Moves - Drill Run, Safeguard, Close Combat, Iron Tail, Fire Fang, Stone Edge
72. Seviper
Moves - Haze, Poison Tail, Flamethrower, Double Edge, Iron Tail, Dragon Tail, Dark Pulse, Wrap
73. Audino
Moves - Heal Pulse, Safeguard, Psychic, Fire Blast, Dazzling Gleam, Ice Beam
74. Cranidos (Shiny)
Moves - Double Team, Headbutt, Head Smash, Crunch, Swords Dance, Zen Headbutt
75. Talonflame (Shiny)
Moves - Ember, Flame Charge, Tailwind, Brave Bird, Aerial Ace, Steel Wing
76. Tyrantrum (Shiny)
Moves - Head Smash, Ancient Power, Thunder Fang, Fire Fang, Ice Fang, Draco Meteor
77. Aurorus (Shiny)
Moves - Hail, Rock Tomb, Aurora Veil, Ice Beam, Mist, Nature Power
78. Haxrous (Shiny)
Moves - Dragon Claw, Draco Meteor, Focus Blast, Giga Impact, Iron Tail, Close Combat
79. Sawsbuck (Shiny)
Moves - Double Kick, Megahorn, Energy Ball, Double Edge, Solarbeam, Camouflage
80. Totem Alolan Marowak
Moves - Shadow Bone, Bone Rush, Double Edge, Stone Edge, Iron Head, Boomerang, Flare Blitz
81. Totem Togedemaru (aka Sonic)
Moves - Zing Zap, Spiky Shield, Pin Missile, Iron Head, Iron Tail, Rollout, Thunderbolt
82. Totem Vikavolt (aka Nitro)
Moves - Thunderbolt, Signal Beam, Zap Cannon, Solar Beam, Energy Ball, Wild Charge
83. Kommo-o
Moves - Counter, Focus Punch, Close Combat, Clanging Scales, Dragon Claw, Dragon Pulse, Shadow Claw
84. Zeraora
Moves - Brick Break, Plasma Fists, Iron Tail, Drain Punch, Close Combat, Thunderpunch, Focus Blast, Double Team
85. Zoura
Moves - Night Daze, Dig, Super Fang, Bounce, Tackle, Double Kick, Mud Slap, Dark Pulse, Copycat, Shadow Ball, Foul Play
86. Cobalion
Moves - Metal Claw, Flash Cannon, Quick Attack, Work Up, Leer, Retaliate, Swords Dance, Sacred Sword, Focus Blast, Close Combat, Double Team
87. Virizion
Moves - Megahorn, Giga Drain, Double Kick, Sacred Sword, Swords Dance, Magical Leaf, Focus Blast, Close Combat, Energy Ball, Double Team, Calm Mind, Helping Hand, Quick Attack
88. Terrakion
Moves - Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Smack Down, Sacred Sword, Hyper Beam, Retaliate, Swords Dance, Focus Blast, Double Team, Close Combat
89. Keldeo
Moves - Aqua Jet, Focus Blast, Hydro Pump, Secret Sword, Water Pulse, Double Team, Close Combat, Calm Mind, Scald
90. Cresselia
Moves - Psychic, Moonlight, Moonblast, Magic Coat, Psycho Cut, Protect, Double Team, Signal Beam, Solarbeam
91. Pikachu (aka Curly)
Moves - Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Charm, Grass Knot, Brick Break, Light Screen
92. Zoroark (aka Mischief)
Moves - Night Daze, Night Slash, Double Team, Shadow Ball, Foul Play, Agility, Focus Blast, Copycat, Shadow Claw
93. Persian (Alola Form)
Moves - Power Gem, Bite, Scratch, Fury Swipes, Night Slash, Play Rough, Hypnosis, Shadow Claw, Iron Tail
94. Serperior (Shiny) (aka Blossom)
Moves - Frenzy Plant, Grass Pledge, Solarbeam, Double Team, Sunny Day. Synthesis, Dragon Tail, Dragon Pulse, Iron Tail
95. Samurott (Shiny) (aka Sokka)
Moves - Razor Shell, Sacred Sword, Detect, Night Slash, Slash, Megahorn, Water Pulse, Hydro Cannon, Liquidation, Iron Tail
96. Torterra (aka Kurma)
Moves - Frenzy Plant, Grass Pledge, Grassy Terrain, Solarbeam, Stone Edge, Synthesis, Rock Polish, Double Team, Wood Hammer, Rock Slide
97. Sceptile (aka Zorro)
Moves - Frenzy Plant, Grass Pledge, Grass Whistle, Solarbeam, Leaf Storm, Dragon Pulse, Double Team, Dragon Claw, Acrobatics, Aerial Ace
98. Slurpuff
Moves - Fairy Wind, Safeguard, Magic Coat, Cotton Guard, Draining Kiss, Aromatherapy, Copycat
99 - 108. Kion and Kiara's Pride - (6 F and 3 M)
Totem Luxray
Moves - Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Electro Ball, Double Team, Double Kick, Secret Power
Sarafina, Nala and Sarabi
Moves - Tackle, Heat Wave, Double Team, Fire Fang, Protect, Flame Charge, Flamethrower
Kovu and Simba
Moves - Tackle, Heat Wave, Double Team, Noble Roar, Wild Charge, Flame Charge, Flamethrower
Litleo Cubs (Tifu, Zuri, Cinder)
Moves - Tackle, Ember, Headbutt
109. Delcatty
Moves - Copycat, Blizzard, Solarbeam, Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, Iron Tail, Water Pulse
110. Boltund
Moves - Fire Fang, Thunderbolt, Charge, Wild Charge, Flame Charge, Psychic Fangs
111. Wvyeon
Moves - Dragon Claw, Dragon Breath, Ice Beam, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, Steel Wing
112. Cryoceros (aka Nico)
Moves - Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Wide Guard, Ice Shard, Sheer Cold, Focus Energy
113. Cryoceros (aka Saba)
Moves - Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Wide Guard, Ice Beam, Icicle Spear, Work Up
114. Orcrown (aka Azul)
Moves - Water Gun, Water Pulse, Aqua Jet, Aqua Tail, Hypnosis, Light Screen
115. Orcrown (aka Azula)
Moves - Water Gun, Water Pulse, Life Dew, Liquidation, Muddy Water, Magic Coat
116. Infernoble (aka Apollo)
Moves - Flamethrower, Noble Roar, Psychic Fangs, Fire Fangs, Flame Charge, Calm Mind
117. Infernoble (aka Enya)
Moves - Flamethrower, Noble Roar, Psychic Fangs, Fire Fangs, Flame Charge, Light Screen
118. Reshiram
Moves - Fusion Flare, Blue Flare, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Claw, Steel Wing, Flamethrower
119. Minesheo
Moves - Bulk Up, Force Palm, Focus Punch, Aura Sphere, Acrobatics, Detect
120. Uxie
Moves - Teleport, Psychic, Protect, Light Screen, Reflect, Copycat, Tri Attack
121. Mesprit
Moves - Teleport, Psychic, Protect, Light Screen, Reflect, Copycat, Tri Attack
122. Azelf
Moves - Teleport, Psychic, Protect, Light Screen, Reflect, Copycat, Tri Attack
123. Shaymin (Land Form) (Shiny)
Moves - Seed Flare, Quick Attack, Magical Leaf, Aromatherapy, Double Team, Nature Power
124. Magearna (Original Color)
Moves - Focus Blast, Crafty Shield, Shadow Ball, Brick Break, Dazzling Gleam, Double Team, Signal Beam
Jungle Guard - 125 - 135 - (7 M and 4 F)
Guardeon
Moves - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Metal Claw, Iron Tail, Double Team, Focus Energy
Spookeon
Moves - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, Confuse Ray, Double Team, Focus Energy
Veneon
Moves - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Poison Tail, Acid Armor, Double Team, Focus Energy
Breezeon
Moves - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Air Slash, Steel Wing, Double Team, Focus Energy
Craggeon
Moves - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Accelarock, Rock Slide, Double Team, Focus Energy
Brawleon
Moves - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Close Combat, Focus Blast, Double Team, Focus Energy
Manteon
Moves - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Bug Buzz, Fury Cutter, Double Team, Focus Energy
Helioseon
Moves - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Moonblast, Double Team, Focus Energy
Thundereon
Moves - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Dragon Rush, Thunderbolt, Double Team, Focus Energy
Seleneon
Moves - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Confusion, Moonlight, Double Team, Focus Energy
Freezeon
Moves - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Psychic Terrain, Mirror Coat, Double Team, Focus Energy
Zeraora (Shiny) (aka Tai Lung)
Moves - Power-Up Punch, Quick Attack, Plasma Fists, Iron Tail, Close Combat, Work Up
Jungle Guard Second in Commands - 136 - 141 - (2 F and 4 M)
Charizard (Shiny) (aka Amber)
Moves - Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Dragon Claw, Dragon Breath, Steel Wing, Blast Burn
Greninja (aka Xena)
Moves - Water Shuriken, Double Team, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace, Night Slash, Cut
Lucario (aka Cobalt)
Moves - Aura Sphere, Detect, Bone Rush, Close Combat, Circle Throw, Bulk Up
Sandaconda (aka Medusa)
Moves - Scorching Sands, Scale Shot, Skull Bash, Dig, Dragon Rush, Glare
Dragapult (aka Ghost)
Moves - Breaking Swipe, Bite, Dragon Darts, Dragon Dance, Shadow Ball, Quick Attack
Infernape (aka Tyson)
Moves - Close Combat, Calm Mind, Bulk Up, Mach Punch, Power-Up Punch, Blast Burn
Jungle Baby Pokemon - 142 - 145 - (4 F and 1 M)
Fennekin
Moves - Scratch, Heat Wave, Magic Coat, Psychic Terrain, Hypnosis, Wish
Swablu
Moves - Peck, Dragon Rush, Tailwind, Roost, Haze, Feather Dance
Cyndaquill
Moves - Crush Claw, Reversal, Flare Blitz, Double Kick, Double Edge, Extrasensory
Phanpy
Moves - Ice Shard, Mud Slap, Play Rough, Head Smash, Ancient Power, Focus Energy
146. Buneary (Shiny)
Moves - Circle Throw, Copycat, Fire Punch, Ice Beam, Dizzy Punch, Bounce
147. Piplup
Moves - Peck, Bubblebeam, Pound, Fury Attack, Rain Dance, Feather Dance
148. Appletun
Moves - Headbutt, Protect, Iron Defense, Recover, Apple Acid, Solarbeam
149. Snom
Moves - Bug Bite, Struggle Bug, Powder Snow, Magic Coat, Fairy Wind, Mirror Coat
150. Skiddo
Moves - Vine Whip, Milk Drink, Grassy Terrain, Rollout, Razor Leaf, Synthesis
151. Lycanroc (Midday) (aka Misa)
Moves - Accelarock, Double Team, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Quick Attack, Protect
152. Zoura (Hisuian Form) (aka Sho)
Moves - Scratch, Double Team, Copycat, Dark Pulse, Night Daze, Shadow Ball
153. Zoroark (Hisuian Form) (aka Arrietty)
Moves - Night Slash, Shadow Claw, Copycat, Dark Pulse, Night Daze, Shadow Ball
Sarah's Dragon Companions:
1. Winter - Light Fury (F) (voiced by Laura Marano)
2. Shadow - Night Fury (M) (voiced by Ross Lynch)
3. Skystorm - Deadly Nadder (F) (voiced by Yvette Nicole Brown)
4. Mist and Spark - Titan Wing Hideous Zippleback (M) (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui)
5. Inferno - Singetail (M) (voiced by Kevin Hart)
6. Sunflare - Monstrous Nightmare (F) (voiced by Tiffany Haddish)
7. Starfire - Stormcutter (F) (voiced by Alfre Woodard)
8. Silver - Razorwhip (F) (voiced by Madge Sinclair)
9. Venom - Triple Stryke (M) (voiced by Wilber Zaldivar)
10. Camo - Titan Wing Dramillion (M) (voiced by Max Charles - Teenage Kion)
11-15. His pack of five - Dramillions (3 F and 2 M)
Yellow Dramillions: Mimic - F, Violet - F, Sunflower - F (voiced by Mia Mitchell, Sarah Hyland and Madison Pettis)
Red Dramillions: Ocean - M, Tidal - M (voiced by Shane Harper and Ben Savage)
16. Melody - Death Song (M) (voiced by Lin-Manuel Miranda)
17. Echo - Slithersong (F) (voiced by Eden Riegel)
18. Twilight - Deathgripper (F) (voiced by Gabrielle Union)
19. Dawn - Deathgripper (M) (voiced by Cheech Marin)
20. Dart - Night Light (F) (voiced by Esteralla - Elena of Avalor)
21. Pouncer - Night Light (M) (voiced by Zoom - Elena of Avalor)
22. Ruffrunner - Night Light (M) (voiced by Mingo - Elena of Avalor)
23. Rosa - Titan Wing Dramillion (F) (voiced by Aimee Carrero)
24. Lilac - Terrible Terror (F) (voiced by Kate Micucci)
25. Hydro - Tide Glider (F) (voiced by Danielle Fishel)
26. Hurricane - Windwalker (M) (voiced by Kevin Quinn)
27. Cantana - Death Song (F) (voiced by Sabrina Carpenter)
28. Rubble - Gronckle (M) (voiced by Zac Efron)
29. Boulder - Shovelhelm (M) (voiced by Nick Jonas)
30. Voltage - Skrill (M) (voiced by Shawn Mendes)
31. Flystorm - Deadly Nadder (M) (voiced by Cole Sprouse)
32. Phoenix - Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare (M) (voiced Doc Shaw)
33. Nova - Titan Wing Singetail (F) (voiced by Selena Gomez)
34. Whiplash - Razorwhip (M) (voiced by Luke Benward)
35. Rosethorn - Triple Stryke (F) (voiced by Debby Ryan)
36. Reignstorm - Stormcutter (M) (voice of Garret Clayton)
37. Ruby (M) and Sapphire (F) - Mist and Spark's Parent - Titan Wing Zippleback (voiced by Jason Dolly and Bella Thorne)
38-40. Skystorm and Flystorm's Children - Pearl, Amethyst, Diamond (3 F) (voiced by Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Zendaya)
41-42. Sunflare and Phoenix's Children - Prye, Wildfire (2 M) (voiced by Bradley Steven Perry and Corbin Bleu)
43. Silver and Whiplash's Child - Skylar (F) (voiced by Dominic Scott Kay)
44. Starfire and Reignstorm's Child - Crescent (M) (voiced by Skyler Gisondo)
45. Venom and Rosethorns' Child - Flora (F) (voiced by Abigail Breslin)
46. Inferno and Nova's Child - Sunset (M) (voiced by Josh Flitter)
47 - 51. Twilight and Dawn's Adoptive Children - Viper, Wyvern, Rhaegal, Kayda, Edna (3 M and 2 F) - (voiced by Davis Cleverland, Roshon Fegan, Adam Irigoyen, Ainsley Bailey and R. Brandon Johnson)
52. Mirage - Changewing (F) (voiced by Miley Cyrus)
53. Flo - Threadtail (F) (voiced by Kristen Bell)
54 - 55. Puff and Big Buff - Buffalord (M and F) (voiced by Dwyane Johnson and Peyton List)
56. Charger - Rumblehorn (F) (voiced by Jessica Marie Garcia)
57 - 58. Night Fury Eggs
59 - 60. Starlight and Eclipse - Night Fury (F and M) (Andrea Libman and Nick Jonas)
61 - 62. Spike and Appa - Buffalord (M and F) (voiced by Jake T. Austin and Ashleigh Bell)
63 - 64. Cansu and Asra - Night Fury (M and F) (voiced by Cathy Weseluck and Nicole Oliver)
Sarah's Mythical/Magical Companions:
1. Tesla - Thunderbird (F)
2. Karabi - Nundu (M)
3. Callisto - Moon Phoenix (F)
4. Aku - Shadowpaw (M)
5. Sunce - Twin-Tailed Inferno Tooth Tiger (M)
6. Faraji - Dragon Phoenix (F) (voiced by Dove Cameron)
7. Stormtalon (or Storm) - Hippogriff (M)
8. Flurrywing (or Flurry) - Hippogriff (F)
9. Orchard - Occamy (F)
10. Orion - Occamy (M)
11. Hydra - Runespoor (M)
12. Pyrrah - Fire Dragon (F) (voiced by Racquel Belmonte)
13. Avel - Storm Dragon (M) (voiced by Ryan McCartan)
Sarah's Pokemon Gems (Original):
1. Cresselia
Moves - Psychic, Moonlight, Moonblast, Magic Coat, Psycho Cut, Protect, Signal Beam, Solarbeam
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
4. Zacian (Hero of Many Battles/Crowned Sword)
Moves - Iron Head/Behemoth Blade, Metal Claw, Sacred Sword, Wild Charge, Solar Blade, Swords Dance
5. Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles/Crowned Shield)
Moves - Iron Head/Behemoth Bash, Metal Claw, Close Combat, Dazzling Gleam, Focus Blast, Iron Defense
6. Xerneas
Moves - Moonblast, Aurora Beam, Dazzling Gleam, Geomancy, Focus Blast, Nature Power
7. Zygarde (10% Form/50% Form)
Moves - Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Core Enforcer, Superpower, Land's Wrath, Dragon Dance
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
3. Suicune (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Ice Beam, Aroura Beam, Air Slash, Hydro Pump, Mirror Coat, Roar
4. Raikou (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Charge Beam, Thunderbolt, Discharge, Aura Sphere, Wild Charge, Roar
5. Entei (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Flare Blitz, Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Eruption, Lava Plume, Roar
6. Ho-Oh
Moves - Sacred Fire, Sky Attack, Flamethrower, Safeguard, Recover, Steel Wing
7. Yveltal
Moves - Oblivion Wing, Focus Blast, Dragon Rush, Phantom Force, Psychic, Sky Attack
8. Reshiram
Moves - Fusion Flare, Blue Flare, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Claw, Steel Wing, Flamethrower
9. Zekrom
Moves - Fusion Bolt, Bolt Strike, Dragon Claw, Dragon Pulse, Wild Charge, Steel Wing
10. Kyurem
Moves - Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse, Shadow Claw, Glaciate, Sheer Cold, Focus Blast, Flash Cannon
Black Kyurem
Moves - Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse, Shadow Claw, Fusion Bolt, Freeze Shock, Sheer Cold, Focus Blast, Flash Cannon
White Kyurem
Moves - Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse, Shadow Claw, Fusion Flare, Ice Burn, Sheer Cold, Focus Blast, Flash Cannon
