Taking to the air and the lead once again, the griffon flock (with Gallus, Gabby, and Gilda leading the charge once more) led everybody to the grazing grounds of Chance the Unicorn/Pegasi leader and his herd. Sarah and her family (those that couldn't fly), in the meantime, followed on board Drogon and Zephyr (most of them preferring to fly there themselves as dragons or Flying Types).
Before long, after several minutes of uneventful flying and searching, they soon reached the valley Race discovered on the map pieces he and his party found. Upon arriving, everybody heard some loud neighs and they looked down to find six equines grazing together peacefully with no sort of danger to be seen anywhere around the valley.
"Unicorn Valley, the entire range below us at the bottom of Dragon Mountain is the grazing grounds of Chance and his herd," smiled Gallus, seeing the valley and the equine herd they're looking for. "You won't find another valley like this in Cyberspace. Ah, and look over there. Chance and his herd are all grazing down below, right now."
"Look, Mama! Unicorns, just like Ms. Izzy!" Nebby chirped, seeing the griffons' friend and his unicorn herd mates.
"And, Pegasi like Ms. Pipp and Ms. Zipp!" added Nebula, spotting the Pegasi with him.
"Oh no, you're all not getting me anywhere near those puny ponies! If they start acting like Ms. Happy-Go-Lucky, I am DONE and BAILING this scene!" groaned Eternatus in frustration.
"What are you talking about, Eternatus? What if those unicorns are nothing like Izzy, nobody's got her bubbly personality and they're really are shy as we were told, they're more afraid of you than you are of them," Star rebutted.
"What's the difference?" Eternatus sighed, already knowing where the Shiny Lucario is going with her previous words as they landed a considerable distance from the herd and hid in some foliage around them.
Parting away some of the foliage at certain spots for them to see the herd, Sarah and her family noticed something off about the Pegasi in Chase's herd.
"Hey, guys. Is it just me or do those winged horses look a little...big-bzzt?" Manteon questioned, seeing how much larger the Pegasi before them are compared to a regular horse or even Pipp and Zipp.
"Manteon's right; look at them, they look much too big to be horses and what's crazy is that Pipp and Zipp would be dwarfed in size by them," Nikki added in agreement, seeing the size difference.
"Lady Nikki, unlike our pony friends, the Pegasi in the Wizarding World has three different breeds of them: Abraxan, Atheonan, and Granian," clarified Tsukumaro, observing the Pegasi. "Aside from the two unicorns, this herd seems to be of the Abraxan species, the biggest of them all as they were the size of an elephant and resembled Palamino horses with their Palamino coats which are white, black hooves, and red eyes while their wings are Palomino but with snowy white feathers."
"Right, you already heard of Chase, their leader. But, the other three with them are Gale and their herd mates, Soarin and Fleetfoot," Gallus added, directing them to the other three Pegasi with their herd leader.
"Oh, Arceus save me (Pfft, please)!"
"Incredible, they're as big as Mudsdale and Mudella!"
"I sure wouldn't like to meet fellas like those in a dark alley."
"Ooooooooh!"
"Astounding creatures, they are!"
"Heh, wow, they could win pet beauty contests with looks like those!"
"With whatever powers and strength they have to complement their sizes, you really don't want to make any of them mad," Eternatus, Whiplash, Zorro, Skystorm and Flystorm's daughters, Virizion, Terrakion, and Blossom reacted in awe and amazement.
"What about the unicorns?" asked Appa.
"Oh, those are Roseluck and Celestia, the new additions to his herd," Sapphira introduced, directing the group to the unicorns which had pure white coats with snowy white manes and tails, gold hooves and horns, and are the same size as Rapidash in terms of height and length.
"Pretty..." gasped the female baby Jungle Pokemon in awe.
"They look so beautiful, can we keep 'em?" begged Ponyta.
"They're not meant to be in our world for too long if Cyberspace is their home, Ponyta," smiled Sarah in amusement.
"They're better, they're pretty unicorns like me and Mommy! Now, we'll have creatures like us to play with, too!"
"Holy moly, I guess they were able to be like this because of their lack of contact with any human species. That explains why they were able to live peaceful lives since there aren't any humans around as far as we could tell," admitted Ghost, giving an impressed whistle as they watched Chase and his herd continuing to graze in peace with the unicorns relaxing on the grass blissfully.
"Okay, Gallus, we found the herd we're looking for. Now, how are we gonna go up to them without actually spooking them?" Sarah quizzed.
"Don't worry, Sarah. Chance is an old friend of ours and he and his herd are used to seeing us compared to most creatures as I've mentioned before, even if meeting them usually comes every once in a blue moon," Gallus instructed, laying down the groundwork for the group's meeting with the small herd. "But, just to be on the safe side, I'd recommend your dragons and most of your family hanging back here. The Qilin and Jiu Wei Hu couples stay as they're not intimidating at first glance."
"And, what of Island Girl's Galarian Ponyta and Rapidash, Captain Feathers?" quipped Race, directing the griffons and Gallus to Ponyta and her mother.
"Let them come, they're unicorns as well despite being more colorful so they won't have a problem," Gabby complied, quickly looking the two over.
"It would be good to give Chance and his herd a sense of comfort in the face of new arrivals and Young Ponyta and her mother would be a great deal of help for them," nodded Cobalion in agreement.
"I agree; they'll be easier to trust since they're unicorns in their own right," Virizion agreed, knowing this to be true.
"Agreed. Now come, the rest of you stay here," Gallus nodded, agreeing to the plan before he, his flock, and the Qilin and Jiu Wei Hu couples came forward with Sarah, Rapidash, and Ponyta tagging along while the others remained in their hiding place.
The leader of the equine herd took notice of his and his herd's old friends and he had to smile. "Ah, Gallus, good to see you all again. I was wondering what you've been up to ever since our last little get-together. How are things with you and your flock, old friend?" he greeted warmly.
"We're alright, Chance. But, for the most part, it's been pretty quiet until we met some new friends of ours that are in need of our help when they came into Cyberspace by mistake," replied Gallus before he directed him and his herd to Sarah, Ponyta, and Rapidash.
"Oh? And, who are your new friends? I'm impressed to see you alongside some Qilin and Jiu Wei Hu we've never seen these three before," Gale questioned, seeing the trio in question along with the Qilin and Jiu Wei Hu with Gallus, his flock, Sarah, and her Unique Horn Pokemon. "Last I checked with you all, you never usually make friends given how prideful you and your flock are."
"That's true, Gale, but these three are our new companions. They were actually brought into the game by mistake since they and their family are currently hunted by two madmen with tamed dinosaurs looking for them."
Chance blinked in surprise and shock over this along with his herd as they looked at each other, "Hunted by two madmen, brought here by mistake? What exactly happened to you all and what'd you do to make them mad in the first place?
"Long story, one I'm sure you wouldn't believe even if we told you," Sarah sighed as Celestia carefully walked over to her, unsure of how to react after she heard what Gallus told them and given she never made contact with humans as expected. "Come on, come on up, girl. I'm not gonna hurt you..."
Celestia (the youngest between her and Roseluck) could hear the distinct and soft, motherly tone in the princess' voice and despite her own insecurities still taking hold of her, she edged herself a little closer to her which caught her herd's attention. When she was near Sarah as she raised her hand to her, she gently sniffed it as expected from a horse's first human interaction the princess gently placed her hand on her snout and rubbed it. This garnered a relaxed and happy snort from Celestia as she smiled at her.
"You smell like roses, like Roseluck," she noted.
"Well, I do have that effect sometimes. But, you're beautiful for a Potterverse unicorn," Sarah replied modestly, smiling back.
But then, when Celestia caught sight of the bandages wrapped around her waist underneath her shirt, she gently nudged it which caused Sarah to hiss in pain as she shut her eyes tight and flinch. The hit she got from the Hungarian Horntail still hasn't healed yet and the pain told Chance and his herd that she must've done something crazy that could've garnered such a blow on her. She looked towards Gallus as he nodded to the princess as she tried to overcome the pain to which he just nodded in grim confirmation and nodded towards Dragon Mountain.
The younger unicorn realized that Sarah had tangled with one of the dragons, her best guess being the Hungarian Horntail which was why Sarah was in pain. Deciding to take action, she lit up her horn and gently touched the bandaged bruise as some gold dust traveled from it and lit up her wound. The bruise sparkled for a moment before it slowly disappeared along with the pain as the princess suddenly felt better from her act of kindness.
This action by the younger unicorn left her herd and the griffons along with the Qilin and Jiu Wei Hu couples in surprise and awe as Sarah could only look on in amazement and disbelief at what just happened. Even her family and their new friends couldn't help but gawk over what the unicorn did for the little princess/their mother figure/adopted daughter/goddaughter when she get the gist of how she was bruised in the first place.
"My waist..." she gasped, quickly taking off her shirt and unwrapping the bandage on her midsection, seeing her wound from the Horntail gone from her waist as she showed it to everyone with her. "She healed my waist!"
"A new healing spell, I assume?" Gilda smirked at Celestia as Sarah rubbed her nose in gratitude.
"Yeah, Chance just taught it to me and Roseluck three days ago," nodded the younger unicorn.
"But, it was interesting, though. Between the two of them and the rest of the herd, Celestia's much more skittish," replied Roseluck, the older unicorn surprised to see how her sister interacted with a human from the real world and seeing her Ponyta and Rapidash starting to mingle with her.
"Hmm, your unicorns seem...unique, given their unorthodox colors and their docile nature towards you," Chance replied, seeing how Celestia was getting on with her Galar Psychic/Fairy Types.
"Yeah, that's how they are when I first met them and their family. First, it was Ponyta and one of her brothers and later on, it was their remaining brothers and their mother when they crossed over from another region to my own home in the real world," Sarah admitted to him.
"And, you're not alone?"
"No, the rest of my family's close by. Would it be alright if you and your herd get to know them?"
"I don't see why not. After all, you've shown that you meant no harm and it'll do us good to see your own herd."
Sarah nodded as she turned to her family at their hiding spot, "Hey, guys! Come on out in groups, I want you all to meet Chance and his herd!"
True to form, Sarah's family debated and they came out in groups as the princess promised, the dragon hatchlings, the baby Jungle Pokemon and their older siblings, and the rest of Sarah's younger Pokemon taking the lead to meet Chance and his herd. Dart, Pouncer, and Ruffrunner, in particular, looked at the herd curiously before they waddled to Chance's tail along with Skitty and they tried to play with it, much to the Pegasi leader's amusement as he egged them on. Swablu fluttered happily towards the unicorn sisters over the prospect of more new friends as she twittered at Celestia and she allowed her to perch herself on her back.
Once they were comfortable with the youngsters, Sarah's medium-sized family members were carefully introduced to Chance and his herd one at a time in hopes of not spooking them accidentally, especially in regards to Karabi. But, with the Nundu's docile nature, it wasn't much of a problem given how friendly he acted towards the equine herd and they became accustomed to him like he was something of a kindred spirit or something.
Finally, it was time for the herd to come face to face with the largest members of their new friend's family (to which Sarah was quick to warn them about Eternatus as his regular appearance would be intimidating to some). However, while Soarin and Fleetfoot along with Roseluck and Celestia looked a little unnerved by the former Darkest Day after her larger Pokemon were introduced, Chance and Gale looked him over and tilted their heads at him. They thought he looked more like a skeleton rather than a scary dragon which did irk him somewhat despite keeping himself calm and doing what he can to not maul them under Sarah's eye and wing for what he considered to be an insult.
As for the Mythical Thirteen, the Zouwu, her dragons, and the ShiShi couple, the equine herd didn't mind as they mingled peacefully with one another.
Not even Sapphira and her children could strike fear in the herd even if they could had they been far different dragons; Sarah had been nervous for them on account of their giant sizes but the Pegasi and unicorns have taken to them warmly so they weren't much of a problem for the equine herd.
"Huh, how about that? They took it rather well, much better than I thought, really," admitted Race, shrugging at Sarah after he and his team along with Nikki, James, Tsukumaro, and their own Pokemon made their own introductions to the herd. "Not to mention, we found the first of the three we need to get out of the game."
"That's true but the other two aren't going to be easy and we only just scratched the surface," replied Sarah with a sigh. "There are still three more capsules and two more creatures left to find: the Wampus Cat and the Diricawl. And, we'll need to decide which unicorn would help us get out."
"Two more creatures, you say?" asked Soarin, hearing their conversation as he came over. "What are these creatures you're all looking for, by any means?"
"The Wampus Cat and the Diricawl, you know anything about them rascals?" asked James.
"A Wampus Cat? Hmm, I've heard of them; they live in a small cave near the summit of Rune Mountain not too far from here. Mischievous creatures but they do mean well if they're not prank-happy on everybody they meet, they are. I believe we saw the one you're looking for coming down the mountain from time to time," Roseluck informed.
"Oh, really? Well, that's not so bad," sighed Sarah, not catching Race raising an eyebrow at her.
"...But, for reasons that baffle even us, it's been chasing away anybody who tries to enter its cave."
Sarah's eyes bugged out as she sagged in disbelief, causing Race to chuckle as he pointed at her and said, "Jinx".
"Okay, so there's another catch to it as well. But, do you guys also know anything about the egg capsules made by your creator and our friend, Ming Wu, we're supposed to find?" Amber added.
"Yeah, do you know where we can find them?" Mienshao put in, crossing her arms expectantly.
"There does happen to be a capsule hidden around here but where your human friend has buried it upon creating the game, even I don't know," Chance admitted.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" barked Yamper, bounding up to Sarah after he heard the word "buried" and wagging his tail as he whimpered eagerly. "Let me find it, let me find it! Please, please, please, please, please, please, please!"
"Oh! Heh, I see your little puppy friend is eager to dig. Maybe, he can help you find it, Sarah," Chance chuckled, seeing where he was going.
"Really?" blinked the princess as Boltund joined her in realization.
"Of course! Sarah, don't you get it? Dogs and Grass Pokemon, as well as dragons, have an acute sense of smell so if Yamper can sniff this valley out for the next capsule we're looking for, we'll find the map piece that'll lead us to the Wampus Cat," the Galar Dog Pokemon/Sandy's father noted.
"Well... If that's so, then, okay Yamper. I guess it's up to you," smiled Sarah, taking out the capsule that held the Lightning Stone and cards with it and holding it out for Yamper to sniff (with Avel pitching in to give him a helping hand).
After a few seconds, they then sniffed the air and the ground for the capsule until at last...
"Capsule, capsule, capsule found! Found it, we found it! We found it, found it! This way!" the two barked excitedly before they darted off and the rest kept up with them as they ran through an opening on their left (adjacent to the path heading away from the valley and Dragon Mountain).
They eventually reached a clearing at the end of the new path that looked to be empty with nothing in sight which left most of Sarah's family and Chance's herd puzzled by this.
"Little guy, are you and your friend's noses running astray here?" quizzed one of the other Pegasi in confusion. "I don't see anything that resembles-"
"Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it! We sniffed it, I sniffed it! We did, I totally did! It's right here, here, here!" Yamper barked defiantly as he and Avel looked around and sniffed again.
"Capsule here, buried somewhere in place," added Avel cutely yet determinedly.
"You think they'll find anything resembling a capsule in this empty vacancy, Mother?" questioned Silvally skeptically.
"Yeah, I can't see anything that's an egg-like thing around here unless you can dig around," Tou-Tou put in, looking around but not seeing the next capsule they needed which was the trigger word Yamper needed as he went to the middle of the clearing where a patch of dirt is and began digging with Avel helping out.
"Dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig...!" Yamper chanted as they dug away until they found something white on the ground that shone.
Growing excited, Yamper and Avel continued to dig away at whatever they found until everybody saw that the object that they found in the dirt patch was none other than the fourth capsule Ming Wu had created for the heroes.
"Is that...?" gasped Faraji as Yamper took the capsule in his mouth and gave it to Sarah and Magearna as they came up to him and Avel.
"That's it, the fourth capsule! Good boys," Sarah praised Yamper and Avel as Magearna took the capsule and handed it to her charge.
"What's inside this one, Princess?" the Artificial Pokemon asked as Sarah opened it, finding a brown stone called an Earth Stonealong with a dinosaur card of a Stegosaurus and an Ankylosaurus called a Euoplocephalus with the move card: Spike Arrow, and the fourth map piece.
"Two more dinosaur cards, a new move card, an Earth Stone, and the fourth map piece," she answered, revealing the contents in the capsule. "Maybe the map piece will show us where Rune mountain and the cave the Wampus Cat lives in are."
Race then came over and brought up the map in its current state before Sarah aligned the fourth piece with the others and it revealed what was a single mountain surrounded by miles of forest a short distance from the valley they're in and Dragon Mountain.
"Looks like Rune Mountain is in the middle of another part of the jungle east of here, Island Girl," the Battle Frontier Champion noted. "We should be able to make it without any trouble if we hurry but since we'll need a unicorn along with the Diricawl and the Wampus Cat to finish the game, we'll need to take either Roseluck or Celestia with us."
"But, don't we need Chance's approval before we decide who to take with us for the end of the game?" Sarah reminded.
"I'm sure he'll understand along with his herd, you know we're still on the run from the Black Dragons, right?"
"Yeah..."
Then, the Jumanji drums sounded off again which startled the equine herd and surprised Sapphira and her children when the Zouwu, Jiu Wei Hu, Qilin, and ShiShi couples looked around warily, knowing that trouble could be coming for them soon.
"Oh, come on! Why, in the name of Thor, do those drums have to rumble whenever trouble comes looking for us?!"
"You mean why does this always happen to us, Sis?" bantered Hydro and Hurricane in annoyance, just as two familiar roars shook everyone to the core and Jin and Teng finally reemerged with their dinosaurs.
"The Black Dragons!" gasped the Jungle Guard, the baby Jungle Pokemon, and the latter group's older siblings.
"SURPRISE!" cackled Teng.
"Not you guys!" gasped Sarah in shock.
"We've no time for your nonsense, fiends! Clear off now or you'll regret it!" Guardeon warned the villains, not wanting to deal with the Black Dragons again.
"Hmph, you're quite clever giving us the slip last time after your dinosaurs pummeled our boys, kid. But, this is where your fun ends and with your only way out being to win the game, you lose!" scoffed Jin, eager to get Race and Sarah's powers from the Twilight Gem for Dai Shi's revival.
"You'll be sorry once we finally get out of the game and start deleting you meanies!" spat Fennekin angrily, getting on Sarah's right shoulder (since the Winged Serpent with her took up its spot on her left shoulder) and blowing a raspberry at the Black Dragons.
"As I told you, your only chance for survival lies in winning this game and since you're two creatures short and seven levels away from the only exit you have on you, you'll be trapped for as long as we can chase you in this wild bonanza of Cat and Mouse!"
"Oh, yeah? Well, don't be on it! We're gonna beat your little hack and you as well once we find the Diricawl and the Wampus Cat!" agreed Skiddo.
"You're in way over your draconic heads unlike us, boys!" snarked Wyveon.
"Oh no, my little dragon, I assure you we're about as sane and open-eyed as we are with our biggest gamble yet. If you've gotten the hint that we're baiting you at every turn with our little tippets of tricks to not only throw you off but also stir up trouble for you to make it harder for you wretched heroes to complete the game and delay the inevitable return of our master."
"Hold on, that spear that shot Sapphira down earlier... It was you who grounded her minutes ago, wasn't it?!" gasped Solar, staring in shock at Jin and startling the friendly dragon in question and her children.
"All part of our plan to continuously bait you and keep you on your toes until you're distracted long enough for us to destroy you by any means necessary. As long as you're stuck in the game and you have no way of reaching those creatures you're desperate to find to get out, you'll be ripe for the picking and your master and her friend will die, resulting in us taking the powers needed to revive our master from the grave."
"Hope you like my brother's spear work, never one to miss a trick in weaponry and spiking down anybody without warning. We had tried to hit you with it but my brother made do with that flying winged lizard we've laid eyes on this morning and bingo, her left wing was gutted before you backtracked and lost precious time making your escape. That, in turn, left your friends even more stretched for time to keep the others occupied while they try to take them down and destroy their only means of communicating with you in due time," sneered Teng.
"You bastards!"
"It was you imbeciles who shot down Ms. Sapphira when the princess told us how she and the rest of our family and the griffon flock with Sir Gallus met her!" growled James and Tsukumaro.
"I see now, you're not only trying to shut us down and get our powers from the Twilight Gem Faraji had given to us a weak ago. You're also dragging these innocent creatures into your ploy just to continue your lamebrain and DOA plan to revive Dai Shi!" spat Race, giving a searing glare at Jin and Teng.
"Necessary sacrifices that'll have to be made, just to ensure that our master's revival is fulfilled and the beasts will continue their reign as planned," Teng sneered again, sniffing at him.
"I may not care as much for these cybernetic lamebrains but I'd be lying if I didn't say we'll shut you down first before you even touch my pipsqueak!" Eternatus snapped as Jin gave a nonchalant yawn at him.
"Oh, please. We've seen and fought beings way scarier than you, Mr. Skeleton. Do you really think you can compete with our prehistoric behemoths?" he snorted snootily much to Eternatus' irate.
"MR. SKELETON?! Why, you little-!" Eternatus tried to get back at him but Nebby quickly bit him by the tail, holding him back before the Gigantic Pokemon could try anything stupid. "Let me go, runt! I'll teach those-GRR! Let me at 'em, come on! Let me at 'em!"
Jin chuckled darkly as Terry and Blaze prepared to go for the kill, "Oh, Terry! You and Blaze wanted to have a hearty meal after over a billion years, here's your main course!" Terry and Blaze roared eagerly as Sarah and her family along with their virtual friends prepared to fight their way to Level 4 but before they could go for the kill, Chance and his small herd immediately took action as the Pegasi (Chance leading the charge) flocked in front of the two in order to blind their vision before they could bite, stomp, or land a hit on the heroes. To add to their annoyance, Roseluck and Celestia assisted in distracting the menacing dinosaurs as they fired several magical shots at them and gave the evil dino duo hard bucks.
"Grrrr, you digital mares are becoming more trouble than you're worth!" snarled Jin before he, Teng, and their dinosaurs were knocked to the side and landed on the ground, courtesy of an unknown attacker.
The dinosaur that rammed into them and helped Chance's herd give them a rough time continuing their efforts to kill Sarah and Race and destroy their friends and family was revealed to be a bipedal dino with a light brown coloration, a 26 ft. long body with short black stripes going along its back while standing 6 ft. high, and its boney dome-shaped head was surrounded by tiny horns while it was glowing in transparent rainbow colors.
"Geez, Island Girl, what would you call that dino?"
"That's a Pachycephalosaurus!"
"A Pachycephalosaurus, the Thick-Headed Lizard?!" gasped Tsukumaro in shock, referring to the species in question that attacked Jin, Teng, and their virtual pets.
"I guess Ming Wu did her homework when it came to creating each dinosaur but let's hope she didn't go overboard on that front for the game," James said.
"But, look! I don't remember reading about giant lizards like that one having a glowing rainbow head," noted Star, seeing the rainbow glow on the Pachycephalosaurus' head.
"Do you think Ming Wu took creative liberties to have its head glow like that?" pondered Nikki.
"I've no idea, Lady Nikki. But, whatever it's down with that glow, it's having an effect when it appeared out of nowhere and attacked those fiends belonging to Dai Shi," replied Calyrex as the heroes saw the Pachycephalosaurus standing in front of the heroes and letting out a challenging roar at the opposing evil dinosaurs and their masters.
"Hey! Who invited you, pal?!" snapped Teng, getting the newcomer dino's attention as it eyed him and Blaze. "I don't know who you are or why you're here but you got five seconds to move out of the way or we're going to plow through you, chowder brain!"
Blaze aimed to smack the Pachycephalosaurus back as he raised his tail but it was much smaller and agile which was good for it as it jumped over his tail before he ran forward, looking like a battering ram before it smacked into the evil dinosaur on his left side. The force of the charge and the head bash was so powerful, it caused Teng's virtual pet to stagger and nearly topple over to the right.
While Blaze was knocked back, Terry managed to recover as he shook himself and got back on his feet. Despite being rattled by the new dinosaur's unexpected intrusion and its immense strength, he was able to stand again alongside Blaze with Teng and Jin still holding on to their partners. They didn't take too kindly to the Pachycephalosaurus' interference and they were looking for some payback against it.
"Numbskull, I should've known you'd be in cahoots with those idiots!" Jin snarled at the new dino who responded with a roar as its head glowed in a bright rainbow glow once more which blinded the villains and the heroes as they did their best to shield their eyes.
"DAMN, THAT LIGHT!"
"URGH! STOP, what's it doing?!" Teng and Jin shouted.
"Owie/That hurt/The light/My eyes, they're burning/Make it stop!" the baby Jungle Pokemon cried as the Jungle Guard did their best to shield them and themselves from the rainbow glow.
"Christ, what's with the light show?" Race groaned, doing his own best to shield his eyes along with Sarah.
"I don't know, I've never known such creatures to have some sort of power even if this is Cyberspace," Tsukumaro replied.
"You don't?" blinked Nikki and James in bewilderment to the old advisor.
"Alright, you lunkhead, we don't have time to deal with your insolent head games 'cause we got a job to do and right now, you're butting in at the wrong place at the wrong time!" snapped Jin as he pointed at the Pachycephalosaurus standing in front of the heroes.
In response to this, the Pachycephalosaurus just roared as it pointed its head along with the rainbow light shining from it before it shot a beam of light towards the evil dinosaurs and their riders as they crashed into some nearby trees. The force of the blast was so powerful that it caused Terry and Blaze to be blasted off their feet as they crash-landed, shocking the heroes from the unexpected save.
"BLOODY HELL!"
"Oh, man!"
"Owch!"
"Ooh!"
"Yeow!"
"Sweet dixie dreidels!"
"Oh, good Thor!"
"For the love of Berk!"
"WOW!"
"Are you kiddin' me?!"
"How did he-?!" gawked a few of the heroes in complete shock.
"Was that really a beam made from rainbow light?!" Spike spluttered, flabbergasted.
"I'm more concerned about how it was able to pull off such an attack!" Charger replied in total disbelief.
"I never knew a dinosaur from an age long past was able to pull off such a thing!" Nyasi gasped.
"Not in the real world, it can't! But, in Cyberspace, anything's possible!" Tai Lung replied, also stunned.
With their enemies out of their hair once again, at least until they reappear as they knew given what they've been through, the Pachycephalosaurus gave off a victorious roar before it glowed in its rainbow light before it turned into another Dinosaur Card and floated to Sarah and her family.
"Hey, it's another Dinosaur Card! But, how did it get here without any of us summoning it?" Race noted in surprise as it floated in front of them.
"I got it, NYA!" Skitty meowed, running to the card and grabbing it in her mouth before the villains could recover and brought it over to Sarah (the card having the face of the new dino on the front with the Japanese kanji for "Light" on the back along with the designated symbol for it).
"That's weird, this card has the symbol and kanji for Light but none of the other cards we have on us have them," Sarah mused as she looked at the card.
"How about you wrack your brain on that after we bail this scene and get to Level 4 before we have Dai Shi's Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum breathing down our necks again?" Race reminded incredulously.
"He's right! This way, head for Rune Mountain!" Chance shouted, he and his herd taking the lead as they all made a break down a path they knew leading to Rune Mountain to look for the Wampus Cat before Teng and Jin and the evil dinosaurs would recover.
Once they got more distance from the Black Dragons again and with Chance and his herd leading everybody down the path they knew leading to their intended destination, they finally arrived at Level 4 and Rune Mountain, the home of the Wampus Cat and a mountain that looked to be as big as one on of the world's tallest mountains, Mount Kilimanjaro, as the clouds covered its peak.
"Okay, I could be wrong but is that really Rune Mountain those horses are implying?" Silvally remarked as Sarah double-checked the near-completed map.
"Yep, this is it. The map doesn't lie and neither do the griffons and the equines," she confirmed.
"That's it, alright. This mountain before us is the home of the Wampus Cat you're all looking for," nodded Chance in confirmation as he joined them. "The Wampus Cat is usually peaceful with everybody else around this area and where he's recently on a riot against anybody coming across his turf."
"But, it gets freezing the higher you go since the cave's near the peak," Celestia added.
"Then, I suppose you better be ready to warm yourselves up since we're to arrive at and search the cave for our friend," warned Sapphira as Roseluck and Celestia carefully got on her back with everyone preparing to make the climb.
Then, when they were bundled up for the frosty peak and the cave within Rune Mountain's peak vicinity (with Sarah, her family, and Race having managed to pack winter clothing for everyone before leaving to find Delilah and Doug), they made their way to the cave housing the Wampus Cat as they braved the chill of the air the higher they went.
"Well, here we are," Chance announced as they arrived and the humans, Roseluck, and Celestia dismounted their giant companions or landed safely alongside them.
"Are you sure the Wampus Cat we're looking for to clear the game is around here, Young Chance?" questioned Reshiram to the equine leader.
"I'm sure of it, my friend. The Wampus Cat made its home here despite this cave being in cold mountain territory and nobody's having it easy recently with how agitated and unnerved he is," the equine leader nodded.
"Well, everybody, it's showtime," Shadow announced as they all nodded, slowly and cautiously making their way inside the cave as they kept their eyes and ears open for the Wampus Cat and hope that Jin and Teng won't cut them off again.
Casting Lumos after bringing out their wands again, Sarah, Tsukumaro, and Race helped to illuminate the cave as they went further and further into it as they continued their search for the Wampus Cat. Roseluck and Celestia along with the Horned Serpents (still riding on the princess and her boyfriend's left and right shoulders), in the meantime, lit up their horns and jeweled foreheads to add to the lights being cast.
However, no matter how hard they looked or listened, nobody could find any sign of the Wampus Cat they needed for Sarah and her family to clear the game until they eventually heard a threatening meow from nearby. Everybody froze as they got ready to defend themselves again as yet another threatening meow sounded off of the cave walls, making the group wheel around in several directions to figure out where and what the source of the meows is.
"What was that?" gasped Nikki.
"Did anybody else hear that besides me?" gulped Star.
"What's that noise, Mama?" added Nebula.
"I hear it, too," Snom put in, feeling creeped out.
"I don't know but keep your eyes and ears open," Sarah replied before they heard a third threatening meow before the entire group finally saw the creature they're looking for coming in front of them from another part of the cavern, a Wampus Cat.
The Wampus Cat looked to be about the size of a female cougar (approximately 6 ft. and 9 inches in length and 4 ft. and 11 inches in height) and by the looks of its glare and the way it was snarling at the heroes, it was not happy to have any sort of company in its mountain home.
Nobody dared to move or breath as it continued to glare and snarl at them, wondering what could've gotten the mythical cyber feline so angry and willing to frighten off and attack anybody intruding on her home. Their answer soon came in the form of three more meows but they sounded much younger until the source revealed itself to be a trio of cougar kittens walking over to who was their mother and nuzzling her.
"The Wampus Cat/The Wampus Cat!" shrieked the baby Jungle Pokemon and the dragon hatchlings in shock.
"Man, after searching this dank and freezing den for minutes after arriving, now the big feline decides to show up?!"
"And, you thought I was doubting whether or not it was really making its home in this dump," Tyson and Silvally bantered.
"How was it able to find us that fast?" Nico gawked.
"And, how did it know we would be here?" Azula added, terrified.
"I don't know but she doesn't look too happy about us being here," gulped a fearful Ruffrunner.
"She?!" Dart and Pouncer spluttered, wheeling over to their youngest brother.
"How did you know, darling?" Winter asked, equally surprised.
Ruffrunner pointed to the kittens huddled behind their mother's left front leg as they looked in slight fear at the supposed "intruders" to their cavern abode, "See those three over there? They must be her kittens and the Wampus Cat must've been born with them so we didn't know about her young beforehand."
"Aw, man! I did not see that coming!" blinked a surprised Sho.
"You mean the Wampus Cat was a mother and she was worried for her babies' safety?" questioned a stunned Gilda.
"So, that's why she was so agitated and attacked everybody coming near her cave!" Chance breathed in awe.
"No wonder she was mad at us when we trespassed in her cavern as everyone else that did recently when she attacked them and chased them away! She was trying to protect and watch over her new kittens!" Gabby exclaimed in shock and realization.
"So, that's it! The Wampus Cat must've been born with them a while back after finding herself a mate some time ago and now that she's a single mother for some reason, she's left to provide them with whatever food and shelter she has at hand for them with her cavern abode!" Gallus deducted, finally realizing why the Wampus Cat was so agitated and attacking everybody on sight whenever they came to her home.
"But, who's her mate that allowed her to get those babies with her?" asked Cyndaquil curiously.
"How about we find that out or we don't since we're about to be cat bait right now, Sis?" Piplup replied to her as the mother Wampus Cat let out a warning growl, not taking too kindly still to her home's trespassers and still being protective of her young.
"Someone, say something," whimpered Mienshao through gritted teeth, trying not to break down underneath the Wampus Cat's searing glare.
"What do you say to a 6 ft. cat-bzzt?" Manteon whispered, his legs shaking with fright.
"Anything you want, Son," Guardeon encouraged quietly, keeping eye contact with the virtual feline mother.
"You want to work your animal magic, Island Girl?"
"Me?! I can't get within 10 ft. of her without picking me off if she thinks I'm going to hurt their babies!" Race and Sarah bantered.
Nikki listened as she looked between the mother Wampus Cat and her kittens; she wanted to be afraid but she couldn't help but feel that she's in the presence of a kindred spirit. The Wampus Cat was very protective of her young just as she was loving of Sarah in Delilah's place (along with Delilah herself before Lothor made his attack on her family years ago) and since she didn't see a father Wampus Cat with the mother and her babies, she had a feeling that something must've happened to them that caused their father/mate to disappear or leave them behind. Since she was now a single mother and solely responsible for the safety and wellbeing of her kittens, the Wampus Cat has to toil with raising and feeding them as best she can while providing them with all the love she can offer, warding off whatever she sees as a threat if they got too close to their cavern.
Instead of feeling frightened by the Wampus Cat, she now felt sorry for her and understood the burden she was carrying on her shoulders as it was the same one that she and James were shouldered with when Doug and Delilah tasked them with raising their daughter in their place.
"...Let me try," Nikki responded, deciding to take the first step as she went forward carefully.
"Honey, wait!"
"Mom!"
"Ms. Nikki!" James, Sarah, and Tsukumaro gasped, seeing Nikki bravely walking towards the Wampus Cat as she gave another warning growl directed at her.
"There, there, I know how you feel. Your babies are still young and are not ready to fend for themselves yet," Nikki soothed, raising her hands in surrender and reassurance to her. "I know you think we're here to hurt them and you but the truth is far from that, we're here because my family and I need your help and that of our new friends."
The Wampus Cat softened in curiosity but she remained suspicious of Sarah's adoptive mother as she continued to step forward before her and her kittens (the latter three looking hesitantly at her from their hiding spot as well while meowing worriedly).
"It's alright, we come in peace. We mean you all no harm, we just came to find you so we can all get back home to our friends in the real world before our enemies find and destroy us and you as well should they catch up. You all must be lonely without your mate and father, huh? My husband and I know how you feel, we were in the same boat as you are with two people, who are extremely close to our daughter, entrusting us with her and her safety for our help over a decade ago. We lost a dear child of our own and we had to shoulder the burden of raising Sarah for them when we found out what they had to do to protect her from their sworn enemies."
The Wampus Cat looked on hesitantly at her as Nikki raised a gentle hand (left hand) to her and looked into her sympathetic and caring eyes as if she could see everything she and James went through when Sarah's birth parents gave her to them and pleaded with them to look after her while they stopped Lothor and Team Eclipse from continuing to wreak havoc in the Alola Region in the real world during the Ultra Beast War. She wanted to believe the human but she didn't want to take any chances if it meant risking the safety of her young.
"I can show you we don't mean you all harm, at all. I promise," Nikki reassured finally, allowing the Wampus Cat mother to decide what she must do as she kept her left hand out and closed her eyes.
The Wampus Cat mother hardened her glare at Nikki but after deciding to take her word for it, with her babies following closely, she took two steps closer to Sarah's adoptive mother and sniffed her left hand hesitantly. By now, her kittens looked on in wonder and awe as they took in the sight of her no longer being afraid of the female human before them and their own mother so ultimately, they bounded up to her and meowed with no sign of hesitation whatsoever. This left the griffons, Chance, and his herd in surprise as they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Even Race, Sarah, her family, James, and Tsukumaro couldn't hold back their shock as their jaws dropped to the ground over Nikki bonding with the Wampus Cat and her young before them.
Nikki opened her eyes and looked down at the Wampus Kittens meowing, gently pawing, and cooing at her and she couldn't help but smile warmly as she crouched down to their level and started petting them. This took the Wampus Cat mother by surprise as she blinked at how comfortable and trusting her babies are until she finally came closer and gently nudged Nikki, signaling to her that the virtual feline now trusts her.
Nikki didn't need to say anything as she extended her warm smile to the Wampus Cat and gently rubbed her as well, she was glad to have the group's second mythical creature they needed to find on their side. What's more, she knew exactly what the Wampus Cat meant when she did that to her, all while purring happily over her worries for her babies now being unfounded.
"Well, well, looks like you've tamed your very first cat and a giant one at that, honey," James smirked, impressed.
"Huh, so I did," Nikki chuckled as the Wampus Cat continued to nuzzle her happily while her babies meowed warmly as they pawed her for her attention.
"Very impressive, Ms. Nikki. Even I couldn't have accomplished such a feat but you seemed to have stepped out of your comfort zone with this one," replied Tsukumaro, also intrigued by what he witnessed.
"Color me impressed," nodded Gilda with an impressed smile.
"Very well done, M'dear," congratulated Guardeon.
"Totally cool!"
"Radical-bzzt!"
"That was amazing!"
"Yeah, you've connected with that giant cat better than any of us could even if we tried!" Craggeon, Manteon, Helioseon, and Thundereon commented in amazement.
"I don't believe what I'm seeing..."
"Me too," blinked Mist and Spark in astonishment.
"Should we be worried about her right now?" Mai questioned, mentioning their initial worries over the Wampus Cat.
"I wouldn't think so, the Wampus Cat would only retaliate by hypnotizing others and its ability to wipe off her enemies' memories through her tears," chuckled Gallus, knowing what the little Mimikyu was thinking. "But, since your friend was able to bond with and get her to trust us as her babies had done, she wouldn't dare try anything fishy and even if she did, her hypnosis and memory-erasing through her tears are her only abilities."
"Now, Miss, the reason why we're here is to find an object that looks like a white egg; a capsule, let's say. Do you know where we can find it?" Nikki asked the Wampus Cat.
The Wampus Cat mother nodded in response to her question as Nikki spoke but then, she frowned while shaking her head as she didn't know where it could be in her cave as her kittens started to play together. However, as they were having fun roughhousing each other, one of the cubs was playfully knocked back as she stirred up some dirt before the patch revealed a small egg-like thing buried halfway into the ground.
"Hey, everybody, look!" gasped Appletun, seeing the capsule his family was looking for.
"That's it, the fifth capsule!" cheered Slurpuff.
"Who'd known it'd be right there under our noses?" remarked Medusa in amusement as the kitten that found it retrieved the object with her mouth after digging it out and brought it over to Nikki.
"The capsule! Where'd you find it? Thank you, sweetie," Nikki cooed, rubbing the happy kitten as she smiled.
Opening the capsule after taking it from the kitten that found it, Nikki found the contents that are stocked inside it: two new Dinosaur Cards featuring an Allosaurus (the King of the Jurassic Period) and a Megaraptor (a dinosaur that's part of the Raptor species), two Move Cards: Mayflyand Sonic Blast, a stone that had the Japanese kanji and symbol for "Wind" called a Wind Stone, and the fifth piece of the map.
Sarah joined her and the Wampus Cat's kittens as the latter cooed curiously at what her adoptive mother found, "The fifth map piece, new Dinosaur and Move Cards, and a stone that controls wind."
"So, not only do we have five capsules on us now but we also have five stones corresponding to the five natural elements they represent," Tai Lung mused.
"Yes, so that means we have the Wind, Earth, Lightning, Water, and Grass capsules in addition to the Dinosaur and Move Cards we have at the moment," mused Shadow, recalling the capsules along with their contents they found along the way.
"But, with those five on us, what else are we supposed to find in the game, Mom?" questioned Kion, looking at Sarah as she took the Earth, Wind, and Water capsules in her hands before she handed them over to Race while she kept the Lightning and Grass capsules.
"Well, we found five capsules since we were zapped into the game and Ming Wu noted to us during one of her update calls that she's designed up to six capsules for each playthrough. And, depending on the game mode players choose with this being Story Mode, they can vary since she's designed several for it."
"That means, we'll have to find the Fire capsule now. And, it's the last capsule we'll need to use in the game," Skylar noted just as something caught Aqua's attention on the cavern wall to her family's right side and the Wampus Cat and her kittens' left as she paddled closer to see what it was.
"But, where can we find the Fire capsule?" Tifu questioned.
"It could be anywhere but at least we have the next map piece to point us in the right," Arctozolt reassured.
"He's right, the map's nearly completed and once we know where we're supposed to go next, that capsule and the Diricawl will finally be ours," added Dracovish.
"But still, those swine for dragons will have probably found the Fire capsule already after they found it upon downloading themselves in the game and are making good use of the cards in it along with the Fire Stone," Umbreon theorized grimly.
His daughters gasped in surprise and bewilderment as Espeon put in, "You mean, they have the last capsule we needed to find and the T-Rex and Acrocanthosaurus and the last map piece revealing the final level is with them, Daddy?!"
Umbreon nodded grimly as he told her, "I fear they may have dashed off to the last level upon entering through another hack which allowed them to acquire the means needed to destroy Sarah and Race in Cyberspace."
"That could be a problem..." gulped Mirage.
"If they do have it, what'll we do now?" quizzed Buneary worriedly.
"The only thing we could do if we figure out that they did find the Fire capsule and have been using the cards it held, we'll have to fight back and finish them off once and for all," replied Solar firmly. "We can't let Jin and Teng keep using the Tyrannosaurus and the Acrocanthosaurus to kill us all and destroy the game in the process."
"And, how are we going to do that?" puzzled Ghost.
"They could be anywhere after we gave them the slip," nodded Twilight.
"Actually, Sis, they could be trailing us and they're why we had to keep moving as fast as we were throughout the game's run," contradicted Dawn (Deathgripper) towards his sister.
"What'll we do with them if they catch up again?" peeped Stufful.
"We'll figure it out later. Right now, we've got to find that bird before we end up being dino bait," Silvally reminded.
"Hey, Mom! Come over here!" called Aqua, getting everyone's attention as Sarah turned towards her Primarina and joined her at another cave drawing she just discovered. "I found this drawing on this side of the cavern. Do you think it has something to do with the Diricawl we're looking for?"
Sarah looked over the drawing as some of her family, Race, Gallus, Gilda, the Wampus Cat, the three mythical couples, Chance, and Celestia came over to see what the drawing was about. The cave drawing looked to be a giant lake but with the word "BEWARE" written under the water which was strange enough in its own right.
"It's a lake."
"But, look! It has the word 'BEWARE' written under the water," noted Lilac, seeing the warning on the drawing.
"Is it some kind of warning for what was about to come in the next level?" Raikou pondered.
"If it is, Brother, and since this is Level 4, we must be getting close to Level 5," Suicune interjected.
"You might be right, Suicune. But still, we can't get too complacent given everything we've been through so far," Entei nodded cautiously.
"But, what is it warning us about?" Hashimoto pondered.
"Something nasty, I think. Must be about some kind of creature living in the lake let alone the bottom of it, sorta like that myth about the Loch Ness Monster," Race suggested, getting an idea.
"If that's so, then we must continue to exercise caution at all times. Aside from the Black Dragons, we don't know what could be lurking around in this lake," Chance nodded.
"Mother, for everyone's sake, I think it's best we get going and find the Diricawl if it's at the lake as the cave drawing could be telling us," Nyasi informed his human mother. "The faster we clear the game and destroy the Black Dragons, the safer everybody in Cyberspace will be. We're causing a lot of trouble for the creatures living in this virtual world."
"You're right, Nyasi. It's too dangerous for us to stay here," Sarah nodded.
"Hold it, you may think finding the Diricawl is easy but it's the trickiest creature to look for if you don't know how to get around its trump card ability," Gallus interjected with a warning. "Diricawls are masters of Invisibility, they can disappear and reappear at their own free will so it won't be easy for anybody to find them."
"It's almost like a deceptive version of Nebby and Nebula's Teleport attack," Sylveon noted to the griffon who just nodded in confirmation.
"But, where are we supposed to look for it if that bird's extremely good at its own vanishing act?" Houndoom questioned.
"Hey, Race, put the map piece we have now together with the others. There's bound to be a lead as to where the Diricawl could be living at," Ching Wan told the Battle Frontier Champion who nodded in agreement, took the fifth map piece, and put it together with the other pieces they had all found so far.
The nearly completed map showed that beyond Rune Mountain and Dragon Mountain there laid a large lake about fifteen miles from their current destination (which housed the remaining six levels that they'll need to clear quickly before they'll be picked off again). The intriguing thing about the lake on the nearly-finished map was that it was similar to the lake skewered on the cave drawing but it didn't have the warning sign drawn on it as well.
"Hey, the lake on the map's similar to the one on the cavern wall!" gasped a surprised Latias.
"And, it's on the path leading away from the Wampus Cat family's home on this very mountain!" added Latios.
"You think it could be the lake that the Diricawls would call home?" Rosa pondered curiously.
"It has to, all living things need water to survive and it doesn't matter if they're flesh and blood or strings of cybernetic data," nodded Kaji.
"You think Diricawls especially need water more than most mythical creatures?" James pondered, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
"Positive, if they're drawn to a large source of water in any one area, then the Diricawls must be taking refuge or making their home there including the one we're looking for to get us out of here," Race nodded, not taking his eyes off of the nearly-finished map.
"Then, I suppose if we make our way to the lake, we'll find the Diricawl and make haste out of Cyberspace. What's more, if those two infernal Black Dragons along with their dinosaurs get the drop on us once again, we'll do battle with them once more, find out if they were the ones who took the Fire capsule ahead of us, knock out their prehistoric weaponry and destroy them before they could make do with Race and the princess," Calyrex put in.
"But, it's miles from Rune mountain as far as the map can tell us," reminded Freezeon. "How will we make it there in time before they catch up to us?"
"Actually, there is a way but we'll need to draw their attention elsewhere while the others make a quick break for the lake and hold the fort until we all rendezvous there. Long enough to keep them off our backs again until we find the Diricawl," Chance suggested, getting everyone's attention.
"Really?"
"How?" Wyveon and Draco quizzed curiously.
"There's a Warp Zone in the forest that's part of the route at the bottom of Rune Mountain two miles away from the base. Some of you should go on ahead and prepare for what was to come along with finding the Diricawl before your so-called 'friends' drop in and try to take you down for a final time."
"I say we split into two groups; one group shall head for the lake to find the Diricawl and be ready for anything while the rest of us clear the rest of the game to keep Jin and Teng and their dinosaurs occupied," Zeraora suggested.
"Right/Right/Right," everyone agreed.
"Yep, let's go," Hashimoto nodded, he and his herd taking the lead once again as they lead everyone down the path.
But, as everybody else continued on their way to what was to be the final level of the game or the rest of it leading to the final level (with the now-friendly Wampus Cat and her kittens tagging along, keeping close to Nikki in the process), Faraji stayed behind in thought as she wracked her brain over what had happened throughout their time in the game and what Jin and Teng had said. The Dragon Phoenix suddenly grew remorseful as she soon realized that by entrusting her new friends with the powers of the Twilight Gem, she inadvertently or unintentionally made them the Black Dragons' primary targets in giving them so she was responsible for putting them on such a perilous path that left them vulnerable targets for Jin and Teng and the other Black Dragons.
Sho and Arrietty turned back to find their giant mythical friend lost in her thoughts and decided to leave everyone else alone for a bit to console her and to get her to see that she didn't do anything wrong. They knew she only did what she thought was right to protect the gem and its powers and they couldn't have seen the Black Dragons' new plan into ensuring their master's revival from happening and putting Race and Sarah in danger.
"Hey, you alright?" the Hisuian Zorua asked worriedly as they joined her.
"Oh, Sho, Arrietty... What have I done, what have I done?" the Dragon Phoenix moaned in regret.
"The Twilight Gem's put Race and Sarah in more danger than ever?" Arrietty deducted, knowing what's likely swimming in their friend's mind. "Don't blame yourself, Faraji. You couldn't have known this would happen as a result of you trusting them with its powers, you chose well in entrusting them with the Twilight Gem."
"Then, how are the Black Dragons being persistent in their goal to revive Dai Shi using its powers and willing to go through every length possible in order to achieve their goal of a world where only the beasts rule and humanity is exterminated? Their massacre of anybody standing in their and Dai Shi's way is no different from how life has been for the Ming Patriots in their long war against the Manchu Qing Dynasty or to what the Power Rangers Jungle Fury had been through when that monster of a dragon has been trying to tear them and their masters along with Jarrod and Camille apart by any means necessary. They're not fearful of losing their lives, they're willing to cross every line they come across to fulfill their duty, they've destroyed our old home, when is the violence from them going to end?"
"...I can't speak for everyone in that regard and neither can my son. But, it won't be over unless we make it happen and do what we must just as Master Hong and his Shaolin brothers have done," Arrietty spoke with an honest sigh.
"We've all been through this before in our own ways and even if things did go belly-up in one way or another, that doesn't mean we should stop trying to do the right thing," added Sho, agreeing with his mother despite Faraji continuing to feel down about her previous actions as she turned away.
"Either way, I shouldn't have done what I did and kept the Twilight Gem intact. It's my fault Race and Sarah and the rest of us are being chased by those monsters and why we're stuck in the game until we reach the final level and get to the Diricawl. If anything happened to those two and the gem's powers were stolen along with their lives once they've been killed, I'll never forgive myself! How can I live with myself and face Master Hong, Master Fang, their brothers, all of the Ming Patriots that fought for a cause if they should find out what I've done? How can I face them again, even if they're now legends and stone statues back at our old temple home?"
"...We can't say, either. But, I'm sure they wouldn't want you to give up so soon since you've been putting up a good fight along with everything else since we've managed to survive this long into the game," Sho decided to say, choosing his words carefully as he spoke. "Master Hong and his brothers were able to last long and keep up the fight for their country against the Manchus as best they could and eventually, their efforts spoke for themselves even if their rebellions didn't turn out well, really. It'll be the same with you and your decision to transfer the gem's powers to Race and Sarah."
"And, how would things turn out even if I did decide to let the Twilight Gem remain with me and not put their lives at risk?" Faraji continued to frown.
"Just do something about it instead of moping about whatever wrongs you've inadvertently made. If you can learn from them and become a better creature as a result, you can do better in helping and protect them so what happened with the Black Dragons won't happen twice," Sho reassured with his gentle words and gaze getting her attention again.
"So what if you goofed up on your part and didn't think things through? At least, you have good intentions and Sarah and her boyfriend can see that along with the rest of us, they wouldn't blame you for that and they would do the same thing had your roles been reversed that day. What's happened before happened so we either have to live with it or do something to ensure that the worst case scenario never happens. In your case, you should do the latter like continuing to live for them as their friend and ours, as part of Sarah's family like we are."
Arrietty nodded in agreement with a warm smile as she then said, "That doesn't matter know as my son put it to you. What's important right now is to finish off the Black Dragons so that any traces of Dai Shi will be gone for good and the Twilight Gem's powers and Sarah and Race will be out of his and their reach permanently."
Then, she decided to poke fun at her by adding (while growing a cheeky smile on her face), "Besides, I'm sure Slither once told you that you're stronger than you look whenever you're at your worst. What would she say if she saw a dragon of an eagle such as you down on her luck, would you really allow yourself to be upstaged by something of a lizard like those Black Dragons?"
That irked Faraji a little as she forgot about her regrets and raised an incredulous eyebrow as Sho started to snigger, "I'm not an eagle! I'm a Dragon Phoenix, you slippery nine-tailed twit!"
That finally broke Arrietty and Sho as they finally burst out with laughter, surprising Faraji as she looked at them but eventually joined in as she started to feel better.
Once they finally settled down, all three of them were smiling with the Dragon Phoenix now in brighter and better spirits. "You're right, I'm sure Slither won't ever let me hear the end of it when she sees me like that insufferable crosspatch known as The Grinch as those kids told us about," she sighed, still smiling.
"There you go! Now, are you gonna get off your sorry behind and do something to protect Race and Sarah from the Black Dragons?" Sho smiled back with a knowing nod which Faraji returned wholeheartedly. "Well, what are you standing around for? Let's go!"
With that, Sho and Arrietty started to make their way back to the rest of their new family. But, before Faraji could join them, she quickly called out, "Sho, Arrietty!"
Once they stopped and turned to her, she then said to them, "...Thanks."
The Hisuian Zorua and Zoroark nodded warmly as the pair left to rejoin their family first while Faraji took a deep breath and quickly followed, now content with what she has to do now to ensure Race and Sarah's protection until the demise of Dai Shi's most powerful, trusted, and loyal warriors.
By the time the three of them managed to reunite with the rest of their family, after exiting the Wampus Cat and her kittens' cave and leaving Rune Mountain, they ended up at a fork in the road leading out of the forest that bordered the mountain. The left path in front of them was the Warp Zone Chance told them about that'll take them directly to the final level after reaching the lake (Level 5) but the right pathway, if they choose to take it and skip Level 5, will lead them through the rest of the game before reaching Level 10. For them, this is where they'll execute their plan to possibly kill two birds with one stone in finding the Diricawl and thus, reach the final level where they'll have their final confrontation with Jin and Teng.
When they arrived back, Sarah was already making contact with Ming Wu as she activated her Wrist Com and brought her image up from her laptop.
"Oh, Sarah! Thank goodness you're alright, I'm glad to see you're all still alive and in one piece!" the Pai Zhuq video game designer sighed with relief before noticing Chance, his herd, the new dragons, and the griffons after picking up the call. "Oh, I see you have company, you must've been busy while our friends were holding the fort out here against the other Black Dragons."
"Yeah. Well, we're glad you're still hooked or we'd be stuck for the rest of the game," Sarah remarked.
"True, true. I'm impressed you guys are actually on your way to Level 5 and you now have the Wampus Cat. That makes it 2/3 for you to bail out of there."
"Not bad if you knew where we're going while we're trying to keep our heads intact," Race quipped.
"I know, I didn't intend for players to clear the whole thing in one sitting with the multitude of options for multiple playthroughs. What are you guys planning to do now that they're halfway through the game?"
"We've got it worked out; from here, we're going to split into two groups to not only look for the Diricawl but also to get Jin and Teng's attention. While most of my family are clearing the rest of the game to draw them away from Race and I, we're staying with the griffons and the mythical creatures we've found to find the Diricawl before we return to the Warp Zone and meet up with them on the final level. Any chance you know where Level 10 is along with the other levels right now?"
"Well, as far as I can tell when designing the game, the Diricawl is intended for Level 5 which is near or at the lake you're heading towards. Level 6, it's over at the eastern side of the mountain close by which is a vast valley not unlike the grazing grounds for the unicorn and its herd you have with you. Level 7 is pretty much another cave when you ascend your way up after who knows what and Level 8 has you contending with a vast desert by contrast. As for Level 9, it's another part of the jungle but it's much thicker compared to what you've been trekking through lately. But, since you're on your way to getting all three mythical creatures to leave the game, getting through the remaining four levels will be easy as long as you be careful. As for Level 10, that's another story since what it is and its location is on the final map piece you need."
"And, therein lies the problem; we think that the Black Dragons have somehow managed to get their hands on the Fire capsule and make use of their pets from the cards they found along with the Fire Stone after we got pulled in," noted Cobalt.
"Oh, I see... That is a problem," Ming Wu gulped worriedly. "That's worrying in and on itself since you'll need to use the Fire capsule in order to complete the game since you'll need all the dino power you can get and that's on top of the fact that you still need the final map piece from those creeps."
"And, how is that worrying for you, Ms. Wu?" asked Tsukumaro, concerned.
"...I just hope you guys don't kill me for this but as far as I can tell, nobody's beaten the game in full since I've intended for Level 10 to be the toughest level of them all. Nobody who play-tested it has ever won the final level, even I wasn't able to clear it after getting that far no matter how hard I tried before I went ahead with the presentation."
"...YOU DIDN'T WIN/YOU DIDN'T WIN/YOU DIDN'T WIN?!" gawked a majority of Sarah's family in shock after a moment of awkward silence.
"Oh, come on! Why do these sorts of things always not inspire confidence?!" Jolteon screamed in aggravation.
"Easy, Sis. Don't start losing your head over this," Vaporeon pacified her hot-headed Electric Type sister.
"Oh, boy... And, jusssssst when we were about to have it eassssssy with finding the unicorn and Wampus Cat we needed to bail out and ressssscue our friendsssss back in the real world," Medusa groaned.
"What'll we do now?" Skiddo questioned worriedly.
"We can't stay here, the others need us right now!"
"The rest of the Black Dragons will cream them and the Jungle Fury Rangers if we don't hurry!" Twilight and Dawn (Deathgripper) noted.
"Then, I guess we'll have to find the Diricawl fast and clear the rest of the game while retrieving the Fire capsule before we can get to the final level and clear it, too," Star sighed, knowing what must be done.
"Do we have a choice?" Brawleon added.
"I guess we'll just have to roll with what we got and hope things turn out better and in our favor," Seleneon replied, trying to rectify the best of a bad situation.
"You're right, Seleneon. We should stick with our current plan of action for now and think of how to deal with Jin and Teng on retrieving the Fire capsule as well as the cards they have on them, the Fire Stone, and the final map piece," Reshiram nodded in agreement.
"As far as I can tell, that's your best course of action," Ming Wu said, agreeing to their plan. "Aside from what I told you, sorry I couldn't be of more help with preparing you for the final level. It'll take everything you got on your part alone just to survive."
"Well, thanks for what you've done, Ming. We'll call again if we need you for anything else," Sarah nodded in appreciation.
"Take it easy, guys," Ming Wu finished with a knowing nod as the princess ended her call.
"What'll we do, Sarah?" Cansu questioned the little princess.
"Should we stick to our plan as we told Ming Wu or do we come up with a Plan B instead?" suggested Charger.
"We don't have a choice if our friends and the Jungle Fury Rangers still have their hands tied with Jin and Teng's brothers and they're already hot on our tails as it is," Sarah replied, knowing what they have to do as she turned to the Dragon Phoenix. "Faraji, I want you to take Chance and his herd, the Griffons, the entire Jungle Guard, Hashimoto, Ching Wan, the Eevee Squad, and the Mythical Thirteen with you to Level 5 and find the Diricawl."
She then turned to the rest of her family, Race, and his team, "The rest of us will move on ahead and deal with Jin and Teng as we clear the rest of the levels. When we reach Level 10, we'll wait for you until you find it and then make your way to the Warp Zone."
"But, what about you?" Celestia put in, knowing what it meant for her and Race.
"Do you really want to oblige them by putting yourselves in danger again for the umpteenth time, Sarah?" Gallus asked, gravely concerned.
"We'll be alright, Gallus, Celestia. We're not ones to furnish a meal for them and their dinosaurs given our previous near-death experiences, we need to be ready for what Level 10 can throw at us if Jin and Teng decide to go at us for one last bout. You know how it is with these kinds of video game bosses."
I agree. But, only for the sake of getting you two and your family out of danger," Sapphira relented as her children nodded.
Within a few minutes of more walking and upon reaching the lake where the Diricawl was said to be residing, both groups were prepared for what was to come until they reunite at Level 10.
"Okay, Sarah, good luck."
"And, to you, Faraji," Sarah and Faraji said as they shared a handshake and the two groups parted ways for their own objectives.
For several miles after they passed and left Level 5 and the Diricawl to Faraji's group, Sarah and Race's party crossed over to Level 6 which was a valley that is as vast as it is wide for miles on end. But, contrary to the other levels they've made it through (apart from Level 5 with Faraji's group), there was no sign of life anywhere as far as they could see. It was, essentially, abandoned or completely empty.
"There it is, Level 6," Race noted as they arrived.
"It's incredible," gasped Star, taking in the quiet and tranquil majesty of the valley.
"Yeah, even though Ms. Wu made the path to clearing the game linear, she must've taken great care as to not have players stuck on a one-way street or else they'll have no reason to come back to it," remarked Noctowl.
"Maybe we'll have it easier this time compared to the previous levels," Skiddo replied.
"Don't jinx it," groaned Oshawott.
"Video games aren't meant to have such haphazard difficulty shifts, they're supposed to gradually become harder as they test a gamer's skills as they progress through them and learn a few tricks of the trade through their mechanics," Snivy detailed to the Kalos Grass Type.
"Well, what are we supposed to do here? Start jaywalking across the valley like it's a walk in the park?" pondered Snom as he prepared to walk forward before he was startled by a loud childish cheer and laughing before he was startled by a blur appearing from above him and his family.
"WHEEEEEEEEEE!"
"WAH!" cried Snom as he jumped and stumbled back in surprise.
"What the devil-?!"
"What was that?!"
"I don't know!"
"It was so fast, I couldn't see a thing!"
"Did anybody else hear that?"
"What did we just see?!"
"Where'd it go?"
"Is it a bird?"
"It's a plane!" Scorch, Rosa, Ghost, Echo, Sylveon, Misa, Kaji, Shaymin, and Azul gawked in bewilderment.
"No, it's actually-!" gasped Sarah, seeing the blur reveal itself in its true form as it flew in front of them while laughing.
"Oh, look! It's another Pegasus, a foal, actually! How cute!" Magearna gushed, seeing the tiny figure revealing itself to indeed be a pegasus foal as it flew down to and landed in front of the princess' entire party.
"Hi!" chirped the Pegasus foal, giggling.
However, what's unique yet odd at the same time about the Pegasus foal is that it is actually a Pokemon resembling a Pegasus foal. It was about Ponyta's general height, had a light purple coloration coupled with a dark purple mane and tail, golden markings on the rear, the back of its neck, and under its mane, and it has golden hooves.
"Huh, where'd you come from?" blinked Kurma in surprise.
"Okay, am I missing something here?" Wyveon quipped, raising a confused eyebrow at the newcomer.
"Somebody say something," chirped Latios awkwardly, unsure of what to say to the cheerful Pokemon.
"Okay, stop me if I'm wrong but doesn't that little horse look a little odd to be a mythical creature?" observed Leafeon curiously.
"Pardon me, little one. But, who or what are you supposed to be, if you don't mind me asking?" questioned Calyrex as he, Spectrier (whom he was riding in Shadow Rider Form), and Glastrier stepped forward to greet the Pokemon.
"Oh, me? I'm Delosky, the Legendary Sky Spirit Pokemon!" the Pokemon chirped with a bright smile, fluttering up in front of them and spreading its wings.
"A Pokemon?"
"Legendary..."
"...Sky Spirit..."
"...Pokemon?" Sarah and Race and James, Nikki, and Tsukumaro echoed, gawking in surprise and shock.
"Huh, I never thought the Jungle Fury Rangers' friend would even have the thought to create Pokemon specifically for this game," Kommo-o blinked, scratching his chin in thought.
"But, aren't Pokemon made by humans often meant to be bad?"
"This one doesn't seem too bad and it hasn't attacked us since it only surprised us," Buneary and Piplup bantered, raising confused eyebrows.
"And, it scared me when it appeared!" Snom blurted, trying to slow his heart down.
"Okay, but are you really a Legendary Pokemon? You don't seem to look like one given your size and such," Glastrier replied skeptically to Delosky.
Delosky raised an eyebrow at the Wild Horse Pokemon but it smiled as it fluttered over to him, "Oh, I'm a Legendary Pokemon, alright! With my wings, I can create powerful hurricanes and I work with my big sisters, Parosea and Naxoreal, in preventing disasters involving climate change in this world."
"Hey, wait, wait! Whoa, back up! I'm sorry, but what?" Zorua gawked in bewilderment as she looked at the new Pokemon from her place atop Zeraora's head. "So, just with a single measly flap of your wings, you and your family can actually prevent climate change here in Cyberspace?"
"Cool!" peeped Poipole as she twirled with a giggle.
"Oh, brother, now I've heard everything!" groaned Eternatus.
"Yeah, we get our titles of Climate Saviors because of that by the Cyberspace locals. So, what are you all doing here, you and your lot are not common around these parts. How'd you get into the game?"
"It wasn't our choice but we were zapped into Cyberspace and the game by two creepazoids from our world that belonged to a group known as the Black Dragons," replied Race.
"And now, we're trying to get to the final level of the game while the rest of our party are trying to find a Diricawl which we need to get out of the game besides beating it," Sarah finished as Delosky continued to smile.
"Really? So, that's why you look like you're in a hurry. Well, that'll be easy for you; my first sister, Parosea, lives in a cave while my second sister, Naxoreal, actually lives in a desert, both of which are actually Level 7 and Level 8. Oh, you need to clear both of them as well as this one, that means along with me, you'll get to meet my big sisters, too!"
Sarah and her family all looked in disbelief and sweatdropped by Delosky's exuberant personality and carefree nature. To them, there was a bit of deja-vu flying in their faces as the only other one who could get along with her well in terms of her happy-go-lucky nature was Izzy during their Equestria escapades. It was like they were seeing her cybernetic Pokemon counterpart except she had wings in place of a unicorn horn and was much younger, no younger than a child instead of a young woman or older teen.
"Oh, no..."
"Oh, please don't tell me we just met Izzy Moonbow 2.0! I thought one of her was bad enough as it is!" sulked Eternatus and Silvally in dismay.
"Well, at least she means well," Nikki replied reassuringly.
"We're lucky she's not running on caffeine or else she'd have her motor running wild," James remarked with a sigh.
"Let's hope she's not too much like Izzy or we'll be in for the long run," Flareon hoped.
"Right," her sisters nodded.
"Well, look on the bright side; you told us about your experience in Equestria before we got zapped into this crazy place so this isn't new to you all beside us," Sho reassured with a soft smile.
But before any more could be said from either Sarah and her family or Delosky, the sound of the Jumanji drums was heard and everyone looked around to see what else would be coming their way.
"Oh, come on! What the hell-?!"
"Those Arceus-damned drums!"
"Those drums always picked the wrong time to ring out!"
"Can't we ever catch a break with them?" groaned Enya, Sonic, Mai, and Mesprit.
"What's the matter?" Delosky asked, concerned.
Suddenly, before anybody could answer the little Legendary Pokemon's question, a loud roar followed by a giant hiss was heard from one of the grassy hills around the group. Then, without warning, a giant creature leapt out from one of the hills on the left of the valley and revealed itself to be another mythical creature but one that had the body of a goat, the head of a lion, and the tail of a dragon. The sight of the mix-match menagerie of animal body parts in one form startled the group as they all let out startled and surprised screams.
"What is that thing?!"
"What's up with it?"
"It looks like a goat!"
"But, look at it! It has the head of a lion in front of that goat's body!"
"And, that tail, it looked as though it belonged to a dragon!"
"F-F-F-F-F-F-FREAKY!"
"It doesn't even look like a legit creature!" spluttered a shocked Spookeon, Nico, Slurpuff, Simba, Seleneon, Uxie, and Talonflame.
"Aw, man! Can anybody take this creature seriously when it's like that?"
"Some people, Sis, but not a majority!" Latias and Latios bantered in bewilderment.
"That's not an ordinary creature, that's a mythical creature from the human country in your world known as Greece called a Chimera!" Delosky shrieked in horror before she steeled herself and faced down the beast. "Stay away from my friends, you big meanie!"
The Chimera eyed Delosky's friends behind her and looked back at the little Sky Spirit Pokemon before it. Of course, because she was dwarfed in size compared to it, the mangled and jumbled animal Frankenstein from Greece mythology didn't see her as a threat. In response to her threat of defiance to its superiority and predatorial instincts, it ignored her and snarled, showing off its blood-coated teeth (suggested that it had finished whatever kill it managed to make before sensing the virtual Legendary and Sarah and her family) before it roared regardless and it immediately charged towards the group as they prepared to run or fight.
"Look out, it's coming after us!" screamed Tsukumaro in warning.
"What are we gonna do, Mama?!" shrieked a terrified Nebby.
"Oh no, you don't!" Delosky spat, now deciding to flap her wings hard as they soon created a powerful tornado, leaving Sarah and her family completely shocked.
"Look!"
"What the-?!"
"What is she doing?!"
"Delosky's making a tornado!"
"By flapping her wings?!"
"She's making it grow bigger and become more powerful with each flap!"
"She's gonna blow us away by mistake if she's not careful!"
"And, she'll do that along with the Chimera coming at us!" cried Sarah, Race, Luna, Star, Tai Lung, Xena, Mudsdale, and Dawn (Midday Lycanroc).
"Everybody, hang on!" Reshiram warned, having everybody bracing themselves as the tornado's force was felt.
The Chimera widened its eyes in shock as it managed to halt its charge at the last minute but it was too late to turn back and run as it gave off a frightened cat's yelp upon being sucked inside the tornado. It continued to yowl in terror as it spun around inside of the wind cyclone the little Pegasus-like Pokemon was generating and manipulating to her will until she sent it far away from her and her new friends with the Chimera still trapped inside it.
"Yeah, that's right! Never ever mess with the little heroine of winds, that's me!" Delosky shouted with a taunting smirk as she turned back towards her stunned friends before looking towards the once-skeptical Eternatus, who was now stricken with shocked silence at what he had seen out of her. "So, Mr. Dragon, convinced?"
"...Uh, yeah, I'm convinced," the Gigantic Pokemon finally gulped.
"Well, color me impressed. You got yourself some sky superiority," chuckled Nikki as she brushed herself off, her pun only resulting in annoyed or unamused groans from her family.
"Well, he's gone now so you won't have any problem with him. Unless you got some dino grunts stomping your way if you're not looking," Delosky smiled.
"Urgh, don't remind usssssss," grumbled Seviper, not wanting a repeat of his family's escapade with the velociraptors.
"Anyway, since you basically cleared this level for this playthrough, you'll have it on easy street with me around. Come on, I'll take you to meet my sisters," Delosky continued, taking the lead into the next two levels.
"Thank you, Ms. Delosky. Your help is most appreciated," Magearna replied appreciatingly as everyone else followed the little Pegasus-like Pokemon.
Meanwhile, back on the path leading to Level 5, Faraji and her family were bracing themselves for what was about to come when they reach the lake and start finding the Diricawl. They knew that as they and the rest of their family went further into the game, the difficulty curve would start to take its toll on them and it would become harder for them to clear the remaining levels. This also didn't help that they and Sarah and Race's party were also having Jin and Teng and the dinosaurs they have from the Fire capsule hot on their tails, meaning that if they didn't hurry, they could be deleted faster than they could say "Oops".
After some time walking, they finally arrived at the lake Sarah and her party bypassed on their way to the rest of the levels they still have yet to clear. "Well, here we are. This is the lake that's meant to be Level 5, right?" Ching Wan said, turning to the Wampus Cat for confirmation (which she gave a confirming nod to the older Wushu Pokemon).
"It's exactly like the cavern drawing in her and her kittens' cavern abode back at Rune Mountain," Twilight noted, remembering the cavern drawing and making a mental comparison.
"Yeah, if the Diricawl we're looking for is anywhere here, the drawing sure knew where we'd have to go to reach it," added Dawn (Deathgripper) with an agreeing nod.
"Indeed, you better keep your eyes and ears open if you want to find it and within the time you all have at the moment with your enemies at close hand," Chance informed as they began their search. "The Diricawl is very elusive and the cavern drawing did warn us of a great danger that's resting within the bowels of the lake before us."
"But, where can a single Diricawl hide out in such a vast lake?" Hashimoto questioned, looking around for the Diricawl but seeing nothing as far as he can tell.
Just as Hashimoto voiced his thoughts on the matter, everybody soon heard what sounded like a frantic chirping coming from a few feet from them in their current location on the lake's edge. By the frantic chirping, it sounded like the owner of it was in a total panic and it was needing help badly like it was in some sort of danger.
"What's that chirping?" Ghost asked, looking around.
"It sounds like somebody's calling for help," Amber deducted, recognizing the frantic tone in the owner's chirping.
"Where's it coming from?" Glaceon pondered before Aku's ears twitched and he looked sharply around before he found out where the owner was and came up to Gallus, pawing his front leg frantically to get his attention.
"What is it, friend?"
"What's wrong, Aku?" Gallus and Fennekin quizzed, the startled Shadowpaw pointing his paw to the middle of the lake and directing everyone to something in the middle of the lake.
Everyone gasped in shock to see what was on the lake, the Wampus Cat and her kittens roaring and meowing in shock and horror at what they're seeing with the voice's owner; there, in the middle of the lake before them, was the Diricawl (a plump and fluffy-feathered but flightless bird that was no bigger than Mai and Robbie) but it also had a fairly large nest with it that housed three smaller babies belonging to it that also gave panicked chirps. But, what caught the Wampus Cat and her kittens' attention was the sight of a second Wampus Cat that roared in surprise at the female and her/their babies when it saw them.
"Oh no, the Diricawl's stranded in the middle of the lake! And, it also has three babies in its nest trapped with it!" Skiddo gawked in shock.
"But, what's that with them?" Buneary added, looking at the second Wampus Cat with the Diricawl family.
"M'Lady, is that your mate with the Diricawl and its family over there?" gawked Chase to the Wampus Cat mother who nodded frantically as her kittens continued to meow for their father.
"I get it! That Wampus Cat must be the mate to the one with us and the father to her kittens!" Gilda gasped. "But, how did her mate get all the way out to the middle of the lake with the Diricawls?"
"I don't know but if that warning we found on the cave drawing of it is anything to go by, it's too dangerous for both of them to be there," Cobalt said to the older griffon. "Who knows what kind of creatures would be living in the middle of it and that would pose a threat to them?"
"I'm more worried about how he was able to fit in that nest and float all the way down there," Spookeon remarked.
"We'll worry about that later, Son. Right now, we must concentrate on getting the Wampus Cat's mate and the Diricawls back on dry land before we all run into any more trouble," Guardeon replied, knowing what's more important for them to focus on.
However, trouble once again found its way to the heroes and this time, the Wampus Cat and Diricawl families are being dragged into the fray as a loud and predatory screeching neigh sounded off. Now, instead of Jin and Teng and their dinosaurs, the velociraptors, and the angry Hungarian Horntail, Faraji's party and their mythical cybernetic friends were greeted by the sight of a monster breaching the surface of the lake. It looked like a Hippocampus (a mythical fish-tailed horse from Greek mythology) but it had more of a long yet bulrish mane and tail and it had two long whiskers slithering from its face and stretching to the midsection of its body. The mythical monster neighed again proudly and with a predatory aura surrounding it, the sheer presence of it causing Faraji's entire party to scream, meow, and roar in utter terror (the Wampus Cat's kittens resorting to hiding underneath their mother as they shook with unparalleled fear).
"What the hell is that?!" shouted Helioseon when everyone was finished screaming.
"It looks like some kind of...fish!"
"But, it also looked like a horse-bzzt!"
"It must be both but what I want to know is what would humans in the real world call that?!" Freezeon, Manteon, and Soarin shrieked in fright.
"Is it a Hippocampus?" Gabby peeped as she shivered.
"Oh, dear, I was hoping we'd never have to run into one of those beasts," gulped Chance as he tried to remain strong in front of the being. "That's not a Hippocampus, that's a Scottish Kelpie!"
"Kelpie?!"
"Who'd call a monster like that a Kelpie? It doesn't even look like kelp!" spluttered Craggeon and Brawleon in disbelief.
"No, Kelpies are water horse spirits that were believed to reside in the lochs and pools of Scotland in the real world on the western side of the world. I believe it was a famous historian known as Douglas Harper who best described the name of it as 'the Lowland name of a demon in the shape of a horse'," informed an equally shocked and horrified Faraji as Sunce gave a fearful nod while he cowered behind her.
"And, that's not the worst of it; Kelpies are also known for luring away unwary travelers along their waters such as humans onto their backs before dragging them underwater and eating them," Gallus added grimly, not filling everyone with much confidence.
"Draco, help us," gulped Drogon, feeling like he could faint.
"Mother, I'm scared!" Zypher whimpered, huddling close to Sapphira who comforted her daughter as best she could after wrapping her right wing around her.
"That Kelpie doesn't look very friendly!"
"No way, it's not!"
"And, it knows we're here along with the Diricawl and the Wampus Cat's mate!"
"That must be the beast the cavern drawing at Rune Mountain warned us about!" gasped Fennekin, Phanpy, Swablu, and Cyndaquil.
"You know, for once, I'm not in the mood to go mythical creature hunting!"
"Me too!"
"Me three!" cried a terrified Pearl, Diamond, and Amethyst.
"But, how did it manage to catch the Diricawl family and the Wampus Cat's mate?" Sunset asked, trying to figure out what they should do to save them.
"Brainstorm a theory like that later, Sun! We've got to rescue them and fast because I hear it's ready to eat them alive!" Skylar informed.
"Are you crazy, Skylar?! I'm not swimming in that lake, not with that man-eating fishhead of a horse prowling in there!" Hydro remarked angrily.
"Well, we gotta do something before that Kelpie has them for its next meal and we need the Diricawl if we're going to get out of here and back home!" reminded Hurricane, sharing his sister's worries but knowing that their only chance of making it back home is near.
"We won't a minute against that hungry Scottish shark of a horse-fish even if we do attack it! We're stuck on dry land and we're dealing with an aquatic shape-shifting monster with no way of reaching the Wampus Cat mother's mate and the Diricawls without getting eaten alive ourselves and getting a permanent game over! How, for the love of Thor and Odin, are we going to beat that creep and win Level 5?!" snarled Camo in frustration.
"What are we gonna do?" Appletun fretted.
"Maybe we can help, friends?" peeped a new voice, making everybody turn to the owner of it which came flying down to them from above.
At the same time, after meeting Delosky and barely escaping the Chimera boss after clearing Level 6, the Legendary Sky Spirit Pokemon from Cyberspace led Sarah's party to Level 7 which was another cave as Ming Wu told her and her family. However, instead of being at a mountain as was the case with Rune Mountain with the Wampus Cat family's cave and those of the Harry Potter dragons, Sapphira and her children, and the Hungarian Horntail at Dragon Mountain, the cave in Level 7 was surrounded by a familiar river which was as calm as could be.
Silvally groaned as he recognized the river and what he and his family went through before in the early levels of the game, "Oh no, please don't tell me we have to cross this death trap again."
"Well, at least those raptors are the least of our worries, Ani. We must be far away from them by now so they won't be able to find us again even if they could run like crazy," Tou-Tou reassured as he nuzzled his second older brother.
"Why would you say that and what's this about raptors?" Delosky asked curiously, turning to the older Synthetic Pokemon.
"Please don't ask," Rapidash's children begged, not wanting to recall their family's near-death experience with the velociraptor herd.
"We're not keen on remembering that."
"Not after we were raptor bait by those walking meatheads," Nikki and James sighed in annoyance.
"The only thing you need to know about that is that we were almost dead meat to those running fang heads until the Zouwu saved us by using Apparition to get us away from them," Tsukumaro informed.
"Are we going to go back along the river or ride it again, Princess?" Magearna asked her charge.
"Well, we got no choice, Magearna. We've got to ride it in order to find Delosky's sisters and she's going to lead us to them since she knows where they live," the princess told her Artificial Pokemon.
"And, if Delosky's first sister really is living in the cave that goes along this river, what have we got to lose?" Sylveon convinced, knowing that they could trust Delosky after she saved them from the Chimera.
Nodding in agreement to what they've seen out of the Legendary Sky Spirit Pokemon and given how trusting she is despite being a Pokemon counterpart of Izzy, everybody in Sarah's party knew that they had to do it. Taking out their wands and waving them, Tsukumaro, Sarah, and Race made a new raft to replace the one they used to traverse across the river the first time and to get away from the velociraptor herd in the early levels of the game. While Sarah's Flying Types along with Eternatus, Reshiram, and Shaymin (having changed to Sky Form again after finding a Gracidea flower patch amongst the floral along the way) decided to fly alongside them, the princess' Water Types decided to swim, run, or jump across the water alongside the raft.
"Are we there yet?" Eternatus asked, minutes after starting their journey to Level 7.
"He-he-he! Not yet, just follow me and you won't get lost, this way!" giggled Delosky as she continued to lead the way, fluttering ahead of the group.
"We've only just started floating down the river minutes ago, Mr. Eternatus," Magearna told the former Darkest Day.
"My point exactly," the Gigantic Pokemon retorted.
Soon, they came across a 4-way fork in the river that had four channels leading down different paths from either the right or the left.
"Oh no, not more river channels!" groaned Goodra.
"Now, what are we going to do? We don't know which path to take to see Delosky's first sister," sighed Leafeon.
"We can't stay here for long, we've got to get moving before Jin and Teng along with their dinos head us off and then get the drop on us again before we could even get to the last level," Glastrier told everyone.
"And, that's after we take back the Fire capsule along with the final map piece we need before we could get there," Azelf reminded the Wild Horse Pokemon.
"Well, Island Girl, what do you think? Any idea on which channel to take that'll get us to Level 7?" Race answered, gesturing to the four river channel tunnels in front of them.
"I don't know, any one of them could get us there or a different level if we're not careful," Sarah said to him before she turned to Delosky. "Hey, Delosky, got any idea on which channel we'll have to take to find your sister and Level 7?"
"Sure I know which one. But, just to keep you guessing, we should let the river current decide for us," the Sky Spirit Pokemon teased, causing the majority of Sarah's family to groan at her and comically fall on the raft.
"Delosky, is that you, little sister? My goodness, I never thought you'd be back so soon after visiting me last week and with some company at hand," replied a voice, the source of it revealing itself as it came from the second channel from the right and breached the surface of the water before facing the raft.
The voice's owner was actually a Pokemon that was a female Hippocampus at about Ponyta's size with an aquamarine mane that resembled more of a fish's dorsal fin with her another fin on her tail being the same color. However, unlike those fins, her tail was a shade of dark blue which faded to light blue as it reached her tail fin and her ocean blue body had yellow markings on the front and to top it all off, her hooves were a beautiful shade of bright yellow.
"Hey, Big Sister, what's up? Any water lilies biting you while you're having your beauty sleep?" Delosky replied cheekily to her sister.
"No, Delosky, there weren't any around to disturb me. As a matter of fact, I was out on a swim on this lovely day until I heard you and your unexpected guests on this very river leading to my cavern home on Level 7 which suggests to me that whoever's here managed to clear Level 6 which was your home and game level," retorted the newcomer in amusement, rolling her eyes at the Sky Spirit Pokemon.
She then noticed Delosky's new friends and tilted her head curiously at them. "Delosky, correct me if I'm wrong but are these the ones that I've been hearing about from everyone else in Cyberspace? The ones that were beamed into the game and were making their way through to get out before they could be deleted?"
"Right! Everybody, meet my sister! This is Parosea: the Legendary South Spirit Pokemon and my eldest sister! Big Sis, meet my new friends: Sarah and her family!"
"Pleasure, now I'm sure you're looking to get out of the game before your enemies could delete you?" the new Legendary Pokemon, Parosea, greeted (voice reference - Sofia Carson).
"You heard about us?" Race questioned curiously.
Parosea nodded in confirmation, "That's no secret, talk of the town these days; everybody's saying loads about you guys and you're already making huge waves in Cyberspace with your escapades. I can tell you know about Gallus, Chance, and their herds as well as Sapphira and her kids, right?"
"Yeah, they're back at Level 5 along with my dragons and a few more members of my family searching for a Diricawl that we needed to clear the game and get out of here. That is if we can get the Fire capsule back and get the final map piece that'll lead us to Level 10 and its current location," Sarah nodded back.
"Then, it looks like you dudes and dudettes need all the help you can get. There's so much I can travel on water but that won't be too much of a problem since the river also stems across the final level so I can still give you a hand. Judging by the roars from those mad dinos trying to make full-course meals out of you, I suppose you'll need us and our sister to bail you out."
"I'm not complaining, we'd love to have your help," Flygon relented knowingly.
"Me, neither," agreed Snowflake as their parents nodded in agreement.
"I'm sure we're most appreciative of your assistance, Parosea," Tundra replied with a soft and thankful smile.
"We'll need all the help we can get to stop the Black Dragons and you and your sisters will be invaluable in helping us deal with them and what the final level may have in store for us," added Arcanine.
"Scout's honor," saluted Parosea.
"Yeah, more adventure with my sister!" cheered Delosky, excited to have her first sister join them.
"Come on, my cavern's down here," Parosea replied, the South Spirit Pokemon leading her and her sister's new friends down the first tunnel from the left where she felt and knew the current is stronger.
"If those walking chompers rear their ugly and toothy mugs around here again and we have another repeat of our run out of the cavern and into another bout of rapids and another waterfall, I am done with this game," Silvally shuddered, bracing himself for what was to come.
"At least things can't get any worse now that we have Delosky's first sister with us," Scorch remarked.
"Don't jinx it!" cried his siblings as they pounced on him.
"Mother, I'm worried about Faraji and the rest of our family and our friends. You think it was a good idea to split up with them, especially knowing that the Zouwu's Apparation would be really handy in another quick escape plan should those raptors pop up again?" Nyasi pondered, looking back and feeling concerned about Faraji's party back at Level 5.
"Hopefully, they'll have it easy compared to what we're going to go up against and they have the Warp Zone on the path to the lake. So, if they're lucky and found the Diricawl and backtrack all the way to there, we can meet up with them at the last level," Sarah reassured.
"Whatever Ming Wu has for us, it better not be those Arceus-damned raptors. Otherwise, I'm going to freak from dealing with them all over again," Candy prayed.
That was what everyone else in Sarah's family was hoping and it was also what Delosky was about to find out according to her previous question. They were just making their way down the river cavern with Parosea leading the way to her abode when the Jumanji drums started banging again but what filled the hearts of Sarah and her family with dread was the familiar sounds of hissing and screeches coming from behind them. They all looked back to see what was following them and to their shock, there was the velociraptor herd charging towards them with a vengeance and with the Alpha Raptor leading its fellow dinosaurs in the chase. However, in their second encounter with their lost buffet of flesh and bone, everyone was baffled and bewildered to a huge extent to see them riding on hoverboards across the river.
"ZOINKS!"
"They're back!"
"Are you kiddin' me?!"
"Impossible, I thought we lost them at the waterfall on the way to Level 2!"
"I never thought they'd have a 97% chance of making a comeback into the game after we lost them at that waterfall when the Zouwu saved us with Apparation!" cried a terrified Mai and Bella and a shocked Star, Falcon (Race's Pidgeot), and Nitro.
"On the contrary, their chances of pursuing us despite our once-successful escape has been 100% accurate and we didn't know they were able to tailgate us along the river in the hopes of catching us again for their dinner," Calculator replied to the Totem Vikavolt.
"Holy shit, are they actually surfing?!" Race gawked.
"They are! And, they're on hoverboards!" gasped Terrakion in bewilderment and shock as he saw the hoverboards the raptors were using. "That doesn't make any sense, at all, logical or otherwise!"
"Nothing in this game would normally make sense, Terrakion!" replied Keldeo.
"Are you kidding, dinosaurs can't surf!"
"I think Ms. Wu did some tinkering into their programming to make them act and behave like humans on that front for the game, Haxorus!" balked Haxorus and Cresselia.
"Are you guys seriously questioning gaming logic?" Raikou questioned while raising an eyebrow.
"You think, by now, we'd gotten used to this and we agreed not to discuss the plot holes or how it's even supposed to make sense," Tepig remarked matter-of-factly.
"Good point," replied Wyveon, shrugging in agreement.
"I really thought dinosaurs like them and Pokemon like us can't surf!"
"Back in the real world many eons ago, Sis, we wouldn't have!" Amaura and Tyrunt chirped to each other.
"But, since Ming Wu created the game, she's not completely bound by real-world logic and she's got full creative control!" Dracovish panicked.
"I've learned that Velociraptors are amongst the most intelligent dinosaurs to roam the earth but I never thought they would think of using human technology like those hoverboards let alone pick up surfing!" Sarah shrieked, seeing the raptors continue to chase her and her family on their hoverboards.
"Oh, now I see why you didn't want to talk about that! That looks like fun!" giggled Delosky, causing some of her new friends to look at her in disbelief.
"How can you not be freaking out over surfing dinosaurs at a time like this?!" screamed Tou-Tou.
"Hey, you're now friends with my sister, the South Spirit Pokemon! There's a reason why Big Sis is the Pokemon she is and why she made her home in her river cave on Level 7!"
"She's not wrong there! Enjoy your cruise, folks, I'll be right back!" Parosea replied, sharing her sister's optimistic smile and she dived back in the water as an idea came to her.
She quickly swam underneath the raft and darted under the surfing velociraptors before she breached the surface again, being directly behind them as she prepared to execute her plan to get the raptors off her and her baby sister's new friends' backs.
"Time to say 'Cowabunga' and 'Wipeout'," she smirked, lifting up her tail and making an all-mighty splash which created a wave that was about 20 ft. high and heading straight towards the unsuspecting dinosaurs still chasing their intended targets.
Sarah's family saw what Delosky's sister was doing as the Sky Spirit Pokemon hollered excitedly while they looked on in growing shock and horror.
"TIDAL WAVE!" Dusk, Luna, and Dawn (Midday Lycanroc) shrieked again, their water phobia kicking in.
"No, it's a tsunami!" corrected a horrorstruck Calyrex.
"Is that water lug trying to sink you guys or make those chompers with sharp teeth swim after knocking them overboard?" bellowed Eternatus in shock and disbelief.
"If she soaks my mane and washes out my fire, I am seriously going to kill her!" roared a shocked Apollo as he, Enya, and the other Fire Types took cover as best they could on the raft.
"Ms. Parosea, what did you do?!" shouted a horrified Magearna.
"Delosky, what is your sister trying to do?!" screamed Sarah to her family's new friend.
"Simple, Big Sis is making this more fun for all of us! Surf's up, Gang! 'Cause we're in for a wild water-logging hoedown, ho daddy!" the youngest virtual Legendary cheered, striking fear into everyone else as they shouted, "WHAT/WHAT/WHAT?!"
They could hardly believe that like in the Alola, Scooby-Doo movie, they were all unintentionally engaged in what looked to be a makeshift surfing contest. The raptors were coming closer towards their targets, some of them paddling on whatever boards they had on hand that weren't even hoverboards compared to what most raptors got that are steadily gaining on them. The first few that managed to draw level to Sarah and her family tried to board the raft and pick at them but those that were swimming alongside them like Aqua, Oshawott, and Suicune were able to knock them back, sending them into the river as they had done before.
Sarah even had to step in to give them a hand with the absence of the Jungle Guard, the Wushu Brothers, and the rest of Faraji's party by using Water Manipulation, moving the raft to the left and right when needed. It was hard work since she had to be mindful of the tidal wave Parosea created that was about to wash the raptors away any moment when it comes at them and juggle dealing with the carnivorous dinos at the same time but with Espeon, Calyrex, Lunala, Nebby, Danny, and Danielle's assistance with Psychic, she was able to manuver the raft while the rest of her family and Race and his Pokemon dealt with their hungry foes once more.
They also had to keep to the curve of the waves coming at them (as Parosea decided to unleash a few more to continue washing away the raptors should they remain persistent in getting their meal). This made it harder for the heroes as they continued to brace themselves for any waves that were to come their way and threaten to knock one of them off the raft should they be careless, Delosky doing her best to give them a hand whenever possible and to keep an eye out for the river cavern that served as her first sister's abode as well as the way out.
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! You got 'em, Mommy! You got those nasty lizards good, radical!" laughed Poipole, pointing at a few of the raptors that were surprisingly crushed between the cavern wall and ledge to their right after the princess had to move the raft away from an oncoming tidal wave to her family's right.
"GAH! I can see why you humans would call this 'surfing' and enjoy it!" Tyrantrum groaned, getting himself soaked by accident when the boat swerved hard to the right to avoid some raptors that were washed away by a wave coming from another wave by Parosea.
"WHOA! Sweet Mother of Swirlix, Princess, is this like the new-fangled Mantine Surfing you young'ns do back in Alola in the real world?!" breathed Tsukumaro, trying his best not to fall off while trying to comprehend the subject of surfing despite the heroes' current circumstances.
"Something like that!" replied the little princess to her godfather.
"A sport, that's what it is in Alola! However, I never thought someone like Ponchita would be one to take it up and excel in it at such a fast rate," James chuckled as he looked to the old advisor.
"Either way, aside from Parosea's waves, her surfing's really getting us out of trouble here," Nikki sighed in relief once the raptors were all taken care of and Parosea reunited with everybody and her sister at the front of the raft.
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Wow, way past cool! Now, that was the most fun I had with visitors coming to my river cavern home in a long time!" Parosea laughed as her sister joined in, also finding the chase great fun.
"Fun, fun, fun! Real fun for everyone, that's what I say!" Delosky chirped excitedly.
"Fun, FUN? You call running from a group of marching and surfing dinos wanting to pick us off for dinner 'fun'?!" Beautifly snapped, not seeing the amusing or exciting side of the experience.
"I am so done with this game when we get back home!" Jolteon screamed in aggravation, not wanting anything else to do with Ming Wu's game upon completing it and making it back to the real world.
"We only just survived becoming dino chowder for a bunch of raptors that actually have brains compared to most lizards in this stupid game and you think getting chased by them and barely escaping by the skin of our teeth is fun?!" Talonflame bellowed angrily, sighing heavily as she plopped onto the raft while Cranidos comforted her as best she can.
"I'd hardly call something as horrendous as escaping those menacing dinosaurs fun, Little Parosea," agreed Reshiram, not amused by what he heard.
"I agree, we were lucky to escape them even though they were surfing on hoverboards until we got this far into the river," Umbreon nodded.
"Guys, can we please save our whining and snapping at them for after we get out of this level?" Sarah groaned, frowning.
"Oh yeah, how come you're ready to snap given that we barely escaped death's door and a game over from those dinosaur handbags?" Race frowned back, looking at her with a knowing glare.
"I was trying to keep calm even though they're trying to have us for lunch, thank you very much! At least, I know better than to take my growing anger out on them when we had more important things to worry about! Parosea saved us with her waves, didn't she?!"
"On the contrary, Princess, you look like you're about to give up and not have any hope left had we not managed to save ourselves from those horrible velociraptors," Magearna retorted, not liking her charge's current tone.
"Those dinosaurs were pushing you past your breaking point and if it hadn't been for Ms. Parosea's assistance, no matter how unorthodox and outrageous her suggestion to soak them with those waves was, we would've been dead by now. Although, I'd also have to condemn her for nearly drowning us with those tidal waves and I sincerely hoped she and her sister would be more understanding of our current plights and what we had to go through before meeting them. I'm seriously considering giving them a good talking to when we finally reach Level 8 and meet their middle sister."
Sarah groaned, "Oh, not you too, Magearna! Cut her some slack, will ya?"
"Okay, I don't know if I'm sounding like a broken record and I hate to ruin your moment with my pipsqueak but ARE WE THERE YET?" Eternatus asked in annoyance, wanting to get their time in Cyberspace over and done with.
"Oh, we're super close to the exit since we've been sailing across my home for a while now. Those nice raptors were able to help us get there early with their surfing, come on! It's this way!" Parosea replied, taking the lead again with Delosky by her side while everyone else followed behind, deciding not to question them anymore.
"Ugh..." Silvally sighed heavily as he slumped down onto the raft.
"You okay, Ani?" asked Tou-Tou, concerned.
"It's official, this game is going to be our end and an embodiment of every running gag that plagued us," the older Synthetic Pokemon sulked as his brother comforted him with a gentle nuzzle.
Note: Stay Tuned for Part 3! What a wild ride this Special is. Don't worry, more surprises lay in store for the group :)
