Author's Note: Since Sarah will now be balancing ruling the Barbaric Archipelago and helping Equestria, there will likely be two Subseries; Game of Dragons and Make Your Mark.
How Quang and I work on them is still unknown since we only have our Return to Galar Special and Alola Pokemon League Arcs to go through in Vol 3 along with other episodes from Ultra Legends.
The next day, the heroes gathered were currently debating on the situation involving the future of the Six Spirits rescues including the dinosaurs and all of the genetically engineered Pokemon that were freed from Dr. Zin and Team Eclipse's grasp. Now, that the villains had been dealt with following the cowardly disappearance of the mad doctor and the end of Lothor and his cronies, it was time for them to figure out what purpose and/or home the rescues the Six Spirits managed to liberate would do and/or go to no matter where they are.
Eventually, they agreed that the genetically engineered Pokemon would live in Dragonstone Kingdom with the Six Spirits and their subjects, remembering that Viren and his men would go into a tizzy to make money out of them should they be brought over to Alola. This left everybody with the dinosaurs they have to ponder leaving with whoever would take them under their wing or bringing them to Alola to live with the Ultra Rescue Rangers now that the threat of Team Eclipse is no more.
"You know, Sarah, I've been thinking," Kiawe suggested. "Why don't we have Tyler and the rest of the Dino Charge team take the dinosaurs to their dimension, at least they'll be happier there."
"But, I can't have Chomp, Munch, and the girls as the only ones of their species for the rest of their lives," Sarah protested. "It wouldn't be fair to them if we did, you know that."
"She's right, Kiawe. Herbivores, according to what we know, thrive better in herds and they don't fare any better whenever they're alone," Shelby concurred with a nod. "Even if Chomp, Munch, and the girls are all herbivores and raptors and T-Rexes like Terry and Arcane are carnivores, they work and live better in teams and that's what we need to consider for them to be happy."
"Even Smilodons and Dire Wolves feel the same way with their packs and prides," Chase agreed. "Some creatures can only live alone for so long."
"But, given what we've looked through with your creature count, you've only got one Indominous Rex and an Indoraptor on you. Nothing more, nothing less on that," Robin pointed out, showing the cards featuring Zalika and Fang as he pulled them out.
"That's true but regardless, I've checked their DNA beforehand after our escapades in Adventure City with the PAW Patrol and they have traces of raptor DNA in them so they'll feel right at home with Blue, Panthera, and the rest of the raptors," Sarah noted.
"But, if you're going to care for a number of the dinosaurs we have on us, you'll need a giant area to let them all roam happily and freely without having them run the fear of poaching by anybody," Hadji remarked knowingly.
"Where are we supposed to find a spot big enough for all those dinosaurs if Sarah's going to keep them when you guys go home to Alola?" Jonny questioned, bringing up the million-dollar question they now have on their minds.
Everyone wracked their brains over where they could have Sarah keep the dinosaurs at upon the Ultra Rescue Rangers' return to Alola but nobody could figure out what...That is until Lillie and Ash remembered a place: the resticted island of Isla Sona and the Dino Wilds area Ryder and the PAW Patrol noted to them during their Adventure City misadventures. Both places, they figured, had more than enough space for them to live in and they can live happily and freely there without fear of hunters and poachers.
"...I know one; we can have some of them live on the abandoned island of Isla Sona!"
"Me, too; we can also have the other dinosaurs living in the Dino Wilds Ryder and the PAW Patrol told us about! Whatever hunters or poachers looking to make some money out of them would never expect them to live in both of those places!" the pair suggested.
"You're right! One of the PAW Patrol's recent members, Rex, specializes in caring for dinosaurs where he lives and he'll be the perfect pup to care for the dinosaurs we'll send to him and his owners there!" Sophocles gasped in realization, snapping his fingers.
"So, the short version is you want to split the rescues into two groups with one half living on Isla Sona and the other half transferred to the Dino Wilds and have them under the jurisdiction of Rex and the famous Dino Vet, Dr. Tammy Turbot?" Aiyon theorized, getting what the Kanto trainer and the two Pokemon students said.
"Dr. Tammy Turbot of the Turbot family? I didn't know she was a Dino Vet of all people," Amelia gasped in surprise.
"Yeah, I had no idea that she specializes in caring for real, living dinosaurs!" Izzy agreed, amazed.
"Sweet!"
"Dino Vet sound awesome!" Koda smiled brightly.
"I think she and Rex would be delighted to have more dinosaurs in their dino family if we can contact them and explain everything to them and the PAW Patrol and see if they can accept them!" Nate added, getting a brainstorm.
"But, don't you guys have to get permission from the government and President Biden to claim ownership of that whole island let alone an abandoned one, Sarah?" Tyler remarked, bringing in a valid point that presents a large snag in the group's plan.
"Whatever happens, it's not going to be easy if we get the government involved and it'll be hard enough for all of us to help you get your dinosaurs into Isla Sona unnoticed even if we could slip under their noses," Zayto nodded, a little apprehensive of the idea and the ramifications that could follow.
Rajhu chuckled as he and the Six Spirits approached the Power Ranger teams in discussion on the matter, "If it helps, my young friends, I'll gladly move Isla Sona to Dragonstone Kingdom for their added protection whether or not you can handle the negotiations with the government should they catch wind of this debate."
"But, that does present legal issues we still have to deal with and that's going to be a problem in and of itself," Casey reminded.
"Yeah, you'll have to file legal papers to claim ownership of the island and ensure that the dinosaurs that are to be rehabilitated in Isla Sona and the Dino Wilds are to be safe from creditors and poachers who would want to make money out of them," Theo nodded, concerned.
"Yeah, and the most irate of politicians will find reasons or anything to take a potshot at with all of this and you can bet they'll raise ire with some people on our dino dilemma who will be against this," Shelby warned in agreement.
"On the contrary, Theo, Shelby, I'd say we got this cat in the bag. You just leave this to us; what do you think, Doctor, can it be done?" Adult Race reassured as he and Dr. Quest came into the meeting.
"I'm already on it, Race. If I can get in contact with Commander Harris to tell him about our decisions on what to do with the dinosaurs left in our hands and get his permission on the matter, we'll have Isla Sona in Sarah's hands and the second group of dinosaurs will be transferred to the Dino Wilds and left under Dr. Turbot and Rex's care in no time," Dr. Quest concurred, immediately starting to make the arrangements upon his call to Commander Harris of Intelligence One.
"I just hope he, President Biden, and the rest of the government would be supportive of this mission for the dinosaurs' sake," Lily prayed as everyone shared her sentiments.
In no time at all, after the heroes told them everything that went down, President Biden and Commander Harris made the necessary arrangements for the dinosaur rescues.
Naturally, there was some debate from the government's side regarding the matter but ultimately, after President Biden and Commander Harris expressed their opinions on the heroes' dino dilemma and what they should do about it, the politicians came into an agreement (with the Democrats, at the end of the day, ultimately having the final say in approving the heroes' solution to their dinosaur escapade).
When the arrangements were made and the president and Intelligence One's high-ranking officer were ready to meet with her, Sarah apparated to the White House in seconds and picked up the papers that had been made, one of which was a deed that allowed her, her human family, and Teen Race full custody over their mythical friends, their dinosaurs, and their dragons (both the ancient and current breeds) to prevent anyone from trying to capture and sell them upon their return to Alola. The two of them also agreed to have the first group of dinosaurs placed in Isla Sona where it'll be remade into a dino paradise for the first group of dinosaurs while the second group would be legally transferred to the Dino Wilds and placed under Rex and Dr. Turbot's care and jurisdiction for the foreseeable future.
They were also so impressed with how she handled herself against the likes of Dr. Zin and sent him running after he was beaten, she and her friends were labeled as honorary members of the Quest Team for her skills in busting high-priority criminals such as Zin and their valor against him and Team Eclipse and their entire armada in battle, which she humbly accepted via a respective handshake with both of them.
And so, with legal papers and honors at hand, the little princess made her way back to her family and the rest of the heroes as her friends questioned whether or not Biden and Commander Harris approved of their plans. She needed only to flash them the legal papers, give a confirming nod and show them the honor extended to them, and the excited cheers rang up once again.
But, there was still something on James' mind as he turned to his adopted daughter in surprise, "Did they really approve, Ponchita?"
"They did. However, we know how Team Skull and Viren and his cronies would react when we get home; money is always the first thing on their minds if they're looking to make a quick buck and seeing Drogon and the rest of our dragons and creatures with us will have their cash cow wheels turning," Sarah nodded.
"Oh, no!" groaned Kiawe, facepalming while Turtonator also moaned in anger and shook his head at the mention of Viren.
"Let me guess, this Viren guy, not your type?" Hiccup pondered, seeing Kiawe's reaction and getting denying headshakes from the other Ultra Rescue Rangers.
"And, whoever he is you're talkin' about, he's bad, right?" Zenna quizzed Sarah.
The princess could only nod as she just said, "Very bad."
"But, since the legal papers are filed and made official by President Biden and Commander Harris, they can't get their money from them even if they tried," Ash put in. "
They want money from them-which they won't-they'll have to answer to those two," Lana concurred.
"If I may add, if you want to, you can also introduce the Ancient Dragon Breeds to the world where your pony friends live," Marena suggested, turning to Sunny and her friends. "Their magical prowess will be of great help to them and it'll be essential to the place they call Equestria."
"Wow, really?! That'll be awesome!" Sunny cried, elated. "Why, to not only reintroduce dragons to Equestria but also bring in new dragons there with magic and power unlike anything we ponies have, they could teach us so much! Everything they know about magic, how it works, and so much more, what more can we ever ask for to make Equestria a better place? What do you think, guys? Should we also take up the offer?"
"Well, if Opaline does show up, I suppose it won't hurt. As Maretime Bay's sheriff, you got yourself a deal," Hitch nodded as Pipp and Zipp chuckled in agreement.
Even Discord couldn't argue with that as he gave a rhy smile and crossed his arms, having to be content with the arrangement, "Well, I suppose Equestria won't mind having new faces living with them after all these years."
"Speaking of dragons, we got a mondo problem to deal with. Hey, Sarah, what's your genius plan for your duel with Mr. Cold as Ice?" Izzy (unicorn) quizzed.
"He is an Ice/Dragon Type but since he's a Legendary Pokemon and the most powerful of the Tao Trio with the supposed power he has compared to the likes of Reshiram and Zekrom, he's not going to be easy for you to beat or convince you are worthy of your dad's sword," Rotom-Dex noted.
"It wouldn't be that hard if you guys can face him as a team but taking on a Legendary Pokemon by yourself, one-on-one, that's asking a lot," Javi remarked.
"No! Baby, I implore you to think this through!" Donna (former queen) demanded, going into Overprotective Grandma Mode as she and David. "There has to be another way to know where our children are!"
"Sweetheart, come to your senses! You must be mad if you're thinking about fighting Kyurem, a Legendary Pokemon of all creatures, to seek out the truth about Doug and Delilah's whereabouts even if it is the only one who knows of where they are!" concurred David, being equally overprotective.
"I know but this could be my best shot and our only chance of getting them back. If Kyurem really does know where they are for the last 500 years after they made the sealing spell on Lothor and Team Eclipse, I have to do this. We were in the dark about where they were for far too long until the Magearna's Soul Heart months ago led us straight to it which means Kyurem's the hail mary we were looking for," Sarah argued.
"All the same, consider bringing somebody along to keep an eye on you!" Donna (former queen) urged.
"You have no idea what kind of power Kyurem will unleash once you fight against it at the Full Court," David continued, still in doubt over Kyurem's offer.
"No way! I'm not a quitter and I'm not backing out on its offer; if we're going to have any hope of seeing Mom and Dad again, I have to figure out how to fight it alone and I'm not going to cheat if I'm to beat him. I won't be any better than my own uncle if I do," Sarah pleaded, still not backing down.
"We all know how you feel at one point or another, lass," Gobber reassured, looking concerned for the stressed little princess.
"Yeah, but you should consider that Kyurem's not going to hold back when you do fight it for the answers on your parents' whereabouts," Astrid replied knowingly.
"We'll find another way to prove you're worthy of your father's sword to it or beat it in battle," suggested Zipp.
"But, proving to it that I'm worthy of Dad's sword or beating it in a battle is the only way!" Sarah said adamantly, her decision made as she went to retrieve her father's heirloom and prepare to head for the Full Court.
"She must love her parents too much to really be this adamant about battling Kyurem alone," Fishlegs admitted.
"Can you blame her? She's been without them for the past 500+ years since she was sent to this time period after the Ultra Beast War took place so it's understandable she would've made up her mind about Kyurem's offer," Rotom-Dex remarked.
"Hey, Ash, Keldeo, you two and the Swords of Justice have seen Kyurem battle before so what moves do you think he has on hand besides his ability to use Reshiram and Zekrom's powers when he absorbs them?" Mallow questioned, turning to Ash and the Colt Pokemon and his mentors.
"Well, for a start, the last few times I fought Kyurem, it was able to use Shadow Claw to cut my horn the first time and it uses Dragon Pulse in its original form," Keldeo recalled as he remembered his first battle and rematch against the Boundary Pokemon.
"But, whenever it's either Black Kyurem or White Kyurem, it uses Freeze Shock or Ice Burn," Ash remembered, thinking back to his, Cilan, and Iris' encounter with Kyurem.
"It was also able to use Freeze Shock to imprison the three of us in a block of ice when we tried to intervene in his first match and we couldn't do anything against that kind of power even if we tried," Virizion added in remembrance.
"It was kinda freezing when we were trapped in there but thankfully, we didn't stay in there too long when Ash and his friends called out to us and freed us from the ice," Terrakion added.
"Aside from those attacks, he also knows Ice Beam and Dragon Pulse so that's a total of six moves she'll have to learn to counter and defend against," Ash finished.
"On the plus side, she has been learning and improving on using her new Elemental Manipulation so she shouldn't have too much of a problem with that," Sophocles pointed out.
"Kyurem doesn't sound tough the way you guys put it. How hard can that guy be?" Snotlout quizzed doubtfully.
"There's a reason why Kyurem is known by many as the Strongest Ice/Dragon Type Pokemon in the world, Snotlout; being the last of the Tao Trio, that means in addition to his own power, he is able to use the powers of both Zekrom and Reshiram," Rotom-Dex reminded.
"The old legend about the Tao Trio mentioned that over 2500 years ago when two princes known as the Heroes of Truth and Ideals were governing all of Unova, there was an ancient single dragon that helped to rule the land alongside them and carry out their missions. One day, however, the heroes got into an argument over their respective beliefs, and as a result of the rift between them, the original dragon was split into the Tao Trio we know today: Reshiram, Zekrom, and the empty husk of the original dragon, Kyurem," Virizion began, recalling the legend of how the Tao Trio came to be.
"Then, a terrible war followed from their arguments and the split of the original dragon which devastated Unova and the Kingdom of the Vale there after a powerful body of energy called the Dragon Force was thrown into chaos in response to their fighting. Their father, the original King of the Vale, took drastic measures to protect his people and ensure that his kingdom is not destroyed in order to help his sons see sense and stop the fighting with the help of the Legendary Victory Pokemon: Victini. His final act of valor worked but he sacrificed himself to save everyone and all of Unova and upon realizing their mistake, the guilt-ridden brothers hid their stones away and went off on their own," Cobalion finished.
"Until the time when Cilan, Iris, and I came to the Kingdom of the Vale and we met Victini along with Reshiram and Zekrom and had to stop Damon from repeating the mistakes the two heroes made when he tried to use Victini's power to move the Sword of the Vale and woke up the Dragon Force," Ash added, also in remembrance to one of his biggest Unova adventures at that time.
"That explains why Sarah told us it was able to use another attack it knows called Fusion Flare when she saw it appear as White Kyurem," Kiawe breathed in awe.
"I still think this is a mistake for her to face a Legendary Pokemon like Kyurem alone and without any help, there must be a way for us to have Kyurem tell us where our children are without picking a fight with it," Donna (former queen) sighed, feeling exasperated over how stubborn her granddaughter is being.
"Your Highness, please understand and be rational. This is how Kyurem handles things and he did the same thing with Keldeo while we were training him," Cobalion urged patiently. "I understand that you and your husband are scared for your granddaughter but Kyurem has made its decision just as the princess made hers. If she doesn't hold up on her end of the deal, Kyurem won't be able to talk of her parents' whereabouts."
"So, unless Sarah battles it alone head-on as it requested, then Kyurem won't tell us about her real parents and where they are by any other means?" Lillie quizzed worriedly to Cobalion.
The Steel Type Sword of Justice sighed as he gave a grim nod and confirmed, "I'm afraid so."
"My Lady, My Lord, let her do this," Tsukumaro implored, knowing what David and Donna (former queen) are thinking. "I know it hurts for you to know this but if we're to have any hope of seeing my old friends again, we have to take Kyurem on its word, or else, it'll never tell us where they are. There is no other way; fighting is the only way for Kyurem to trust us with what he knows."
Donna (former queen) was anxious about what she heard and what Tsukumaro just told her along with Cobalion's previous words; she tried to protest again but a gentle hand grabbing one of her shoulders and a shake of his head from her family's old advisor was enough to tell her one thing - there really is no other way for Kyurem to tell them about Doug and Delilah's current location other than fighting. Doug also realized this when he thought about it and even he had to admit that there was really nothing he and his wife could do otherwise to convince their granddaughter to use another alternative.
"So, that's it, then... Sweetheart has her mother's heart and her father's stubborn head, she truly is the spitting image of our Doug and Delilah in a nutshell. She's changed so much during this time and already, she's stepping up to be a true, firm, and compassionate leader," David admitted, a small smile growing on his face as Sarah returned with the Sun Sword slung across from her right along her back via a right shoulder strap (akin to how ninjas would sometimes wear their swords).
"Are you sure you're ready for this, sweetie?" Nikki questioned.
"...I am," Sarah nodded firmly.
"If it helps, we and the Old Man will jump ship with her to keep an eye on them," Terrakion offered to the royal pair.
"...Terrakion, all of you," David breathed in surprise, seeing Cobalion and Virizion giving knowing and reassuring nods to him and Donna (former queen).
"My Lord, please, shed no tears. The princess will be alright with us throughout the battle. This is one of those times when parental figures have to learn the hardest lesson of all: to know when to let go and let their children and grandchildren choose their own paths," Tsukumaro added, facing his former king with a knowing look. "This is what the princess chose to do when Kyurem made its offer to her and she's willing to take it just for this one chance to see Master Doug and Ms. Delilah again."
"...I know, Tsukumaro, just watch over while you're there," David smiled sadly, he and Tsukumaro sharing a knowing hug.
"...Don't die on us when you do fight Kyurem, baby," Donna (former queen) spoke gently to Sarah, doing her best not to cry.
"I will, Granny," Sarah finished, sharing a hug with her grandparents before she joined the Swords of Justice and Tsukumaro.
"Mom, wait!" Blitz called as he and Curly quickly joined the small party of six with adamant looks on their faces before they could depart. "You're not leaving without us, are you?"
"Blitz, you-" Sarah breathed before Curly spoke up.
"Sarah, let us go with you! We won't join you but we'll offer you all the support you need," the female Pikachu said too.
"We started this whole thing together ever since we found out what happened to your Mom and Dad, it's only fair if we finish this together. Together forever, as it always has been since I first came into your life," Blitz finished determinedly.
Sarah was surprised but she was also touched by the truth in Blitz's words along with Curly's; she knew Blitz was right and that it was only fair that they end their journey to find out about her parents' ultimate fate together and to have Curly come with them as well for additional moral support. And so, in the end, she agreed.
Moments later, after a few goodbyes and reassurances for their safe return, the party of eight left to meet with Kyurem in the Unova Region. Apparating away to the Swords' home region, Sarah, the Swords of Justice, Tsukumaro, Blitz, and Curly arrived at the Full Court and the main entrance to Kyurem's battleground where the fated duel between the little princess and the Boundary Pokemon. Cautiously stepping inside as they wind through the caves and passages that lead into the main makeshift arena, with the Swords of Justice leading the way, Tsukumaro, Sarah, and the Pikachu couple couldn't help but be in awe that the Full Court was part of an abandoned mine, complete with train tracks and the sight of industrial buildings taken hold of by the elements throughout time.
Keldeo sighed as he recalled the entire journey years ago that made him into the Sword of Justice he is now; he had to admit, back then, he was young and reckless when he was still Virizion, Terrakion, and Cobalion's trainee and charge ever since he was found and taken in. He had progressed well during his training under their wings with the three main Swords being his inspiration to do so but his ego and head-strong attitude were what held him back from being permitted to battle Kyurem the first time and it was because of his arrogance that he first paid the price after lying to the Boundary Pokemon and with his mentors held prisoner when they tried to save him.
But, then, he changed when he first met Ash, Cilan, and Iris and came to terms with his mistake throughout his time with them; throughout that period, he was able to open up about much of his life with the Swords of Justice and he drew on a strength he never had from opening up to them and owning up to Kyurem (even if the Legendary Pokemon knew he wasn't ready to face it beforehand). This was what allowed him to unleash his Resolute Form and Secret Sword before he won his rematch through a selfless act of courage in a true show of honor.
The Colt Pokemon had grown since then and despite sometimes being headstrong and cocky as before, he was much less reckless than he was and was more mature from the entire ordeal he had gone through. He was able to become a true Sword of Justice throughout that journey and he had his three human friends throughout their Unova escapades to thank for his current place in his life.
Eventually, they reached the heart of the abandoned mine, the old turntable and mine complex roundhouse which was the same arena where Keldeo had his first match and rematch against Kyurem. Waiting to greet them was a giant flock of Ice Type Pokemon known as Cryogonal, the Crystalizing Pokemon, who also doubled as friends and personal guards of Kyurem in its lair as they circled around the group.
Realizing that the Cryogonal wanted confirmation of her answer regarding her duel with their master, Sarah stepped forward slightly and spoke up before shouting in front of a dark open cavern inside the roundhouse complex, "Kyurem! I came here as you asked me to yesterday when you first appeared! I'm ready for you, come out!"
A tense minute had passed when she made herself and her party known as the Cryogonal watched them before they dispersed and stood at attention around the minefield, prompting Tsukumaro, the Swords, and the Pikachu couple to get to a platform above it where they can watch the duel. The flock of Crystalizing Pokemon seemed to have approved of the princess' confirmation to the duel offered by their master and in a blanket of a familiar mist, the Boundary Pokemon itself appeared from the other side of the mine and out of the darkness of its cavern as it eyed her knowingly.
"Welcome, Princess, to my home. I trust you are ready for our impending duel, then?" Kyurem asked knowingly.
"...I am, Kyurem," Sarah confirmed, prompting the powerful Pokemon to roar and create two large ice pillars that formed a gateway around the battlefield as was the case with Keldeo's test.
"If you are truly ready, pass through the gate and we will begin," Kyurem began, waiting for Sarah to enter.
Taking a huge gulp and steeling herself for her greatest challenge yet, the little princess entered the arena and the gateway was dispersed. The Boundary Pokemon's eyes glowed as it prepared to fight while Sarah unsheathed her father's sword and her mother's Moon Shield, having them at the ready as their duel would finally begin. All the while, their spectators along the platform they're on could only watch as the two fighters began to duke it out for the possibility of the answer to Doug and Delilah's current location.
"Alright, Kyurem! I'm ready!" she dared, bracing herself for the Legendary Pokemon's wrath.
Kyurem just nodded before it then shouted, "*Come!*"
Immediately after she was offered to make the first move, Sarah charged her Sun Sword and slammed it down to the ground in a downward slash, sending a shockwave of light straight at the Boundary Pokemon. Kyurem, however, was able to counter with a powerful Shadow Claw that cut through it before it charged forward and it swiped back at her mercilessly, making her crash into one of the pillars while Blitz and Curly winced from the pain she was enduring.
But, that was only the start of it as she managed to recover before scaling the pillar she crashed into for another attack and jumped across from pillar to pillar four times before lunging at it while doing a forward thrust with the momentum she had built and unleashing a Fire Breath from her Elemental Manipulation.
Kyurem took notice of the double barrage coming at it before it jumped up at the last second and landed on one of the mine's buildings nearby and fired Ice Beam to freeze her. However, just after landing, Sarah unleashed her Fire Breath again in the classic battle match-up of fire and ice. But, Kyurem was not holding back even an inch as its Ice Beam was nothing but a feint, allowing it to jump in front of her and fire Dragon Pulse.
Seeing the Dragon Pulse coming at her, the little princess blocked it with her mother's Moon Shield and shot a ball of light from it before lunging at Kyurem again, the ball managing to hit the Boundary Pokemon and make it skid back a few feet. But, her advance was cut off when the Legendary Pokemon caught her with its left wing and then threw her to the ground, causing her to roll back.
"You're the heir to that sword belonging to your father? What did your godfather and the Swords of Justice teach you when you first started learning how to wield a sword?" Kyurem taunted, expecting more of a challenge from her.
Sarah tried her best to shake off the extra pain she had been dealt with as she got back into her battle stance. She knew she had to continue fighting and show the powerful Pokemon if she was worthy of Doug's Sun Sword or beat it in their match, knowing that she came too far to give up on her ongoing search for her real parents.
The Boundary Pokemon, seeing her get up, decided to launch a second Ice Beam attack but this time, Sarah decided to use her Water Breath instead of her Fire Breath to counter it. Despite the oddball elemental match-up, her Water Breath did manage to block the Ice Beam as tiny droplets of ice fell onto the ground, showing that their latest clash was reaching a stalemate.
For Kyurem, this was the time for it to unleash the second of its form changes; focusing its energies on drawing the power of Zekrom, as lightning crackled and sparked around its body, it immediately transformed into Black Zekrom. Unlike its previous form as White Kyurem through Reshiram's power, when it is Black Kyurem from Zekrom's power, its left-hand side gained the Deep Black Pokemon's colors and obtains more muscular arms, lacking the wing membranes attached that are most prominent with Reshiram and White Kyurem. And, to top it all off, its left arm and wing were both still frozen while its neck remained the same, only becoming more upright.
Focusing its electric power from Zekrom as electricity continued to spark across its body, Kyurem placed its claws together and conjured up a light-blue and white ball of electric energy that slowly became larger; Kyurem was about to unleash its signature attack in its Black Kyurem form: Freeze Shock.
The princess gasped as she saw this but taking notice of the ice shards she had made through her Water Breath combined with Kyurem's previous ice beam, she manipulated them and jumped 12 ft. into the air before she landed on an industrial building and fired her own version of Rock Slide, summoning giant rocks around her. Hoping to counter and cancel Freeze Shock, Sarah combined the rocks with the ice shards and fired them at the attack which worked like a charm as they created a large veil of smoke in the process that blinded the Boundary Pokemon's vision even though the Pokemon in question didn't react to this development.
Unfazed by Sarah's counter to its Freeze Shock attack, Kyurem reverted back to its original form before it and Sarah charged at each other again. Without warning, as Sarah made a series of slashes that it dodged with ease, it used Shadow Claw again to strike at her and send her flying to another ice pillar she crashed into (with a loud and painful yell) before she fell onto the ground.
Curly and Blitz winced again as they, Tsukumaro, and the Swords of Justice looked on with the Pikachu couple going, "Oh/Man, that was harsh!"
"Ugh..." The princess was battered and bruised from the punishment she was given by Kyurem as she tried to get back up while said Pokemon threw another challenging roar at her.
Continuing with its latest assault, it fired another Dragon Pulse that she was forced to counter with a Water Sphere, thus creation another explosion of smoke. This gave her another chance to attack as she charged forward and jumped above the Boundary Pokemon before she fired a fire stream at which Kyurem froze with yet another Ice Beam.
"So far, so good. The battle's already started and even though she's slacking behind, it's looking pretty even for the time being."
"The princess is fighting well even though she was being outmatched by what Kyurem can do," Terrakion and Virizion smiled.
"But, as we all know, it'll all come down to whether or not she will be able to unlock the true power of her sword," Cobalion noted, keeping a steely gaze at the battle before them.
"And, this is the point where things start to really heat up between them," Keldeo agreed as Tsukumaro can only give an agreeing yet grim nod as Sarah and Kyurem eventually pushed each other back after another clash between them.
"Rrgh, not bad, Princess. You do have some spine in you and your swordsmanship is impressive but let's see how you handle this!" Kyurem lunged forward with another Shadow Claw but Sarah managed to coat her Sun Sword with a mix of fire and water energy to parry or counter its Ghost Type attack.
Sword and claw clashed yet again as they collided but continuing to prove that it was still no cakewalk nor pushover, Kyurem knocked Sarah back and caused her to skid on the floor but luckily, she kept a firm grip on her real parents' heirlooms. Another Dragon Pulse was then shot at her, forcing the little princess to dodge, finally deciding to recall everything she had learned during her private lessons with her godfather and the Swords of Justice (which was everything they taught Keldeo during his training to be a Sword of Justice himself).
Terrakion - Never take your eyes off your opponent, keep up your focus until the very end
Recalling Terrakion's lesson, Sarah kept her eyes on Kyurem as she made another lunge toward it as it fired Dragon Pulse at her again, prompting her to jump and flip above the Boundary Pokemon before she landed on a nearby ice pillar and jumped down to avoid a stronger Dragon Pulse which she deflected despite the attack knocking her back into the pillar behind her.
"MOM!" cried Blitz, being forced back by Keldeo and Curly when he tried to reach her.
Sarah groaned as the pain from the attacks and being knocked into the ice pillars continued to get to her despite her altered DNA, her will to live, and her body's superhuman keeping her alive while she fell on the ground.
"Well now, Princess, you surprise me. Are you ready to give up?" Kyurem taunted again as it faced her.
"N-N-No way!" Sarah stuttered in pain and slightly growing fear as she tried to get up and use the pillar behind her to stabilize herself and kept her eyes on it, all the while holding her family's Sun Sword at the powerful Legendary Pokemon.
Even though she was doing all she could to keep up against Kyurem and steel herself against its wrath, she started to feel a little on edge as her right hand holding her family's Sun Sword started to shake and her panting started to speed up; she was stunted, shocked, and a little terrified by how powerful the Boundary Pokemon truly was and she was starting to feel unsure about actually proving herself to it or beating it in their duel even though she knew she had to keep going for the sake of her real parents. But, she knew that no matter what happens, either way, if she fails, she would disgrace her family and shame her grandparents and her real parents if they were here to see her now and how she was faring. It started to hurt her that she was starting to regret accepting Kyurem's offer for a battle to prove her metal and her being worthy of her father's sword just for the sake of reuniting with her birth parents.
It was at that moment that she suddenly recalled another lesson that the Sword of Justices taught to her and Keldeo beforehand on the subject of fear and how to overcome it in the heat of battle (in this case, Virizion's lesson):
Virizion - Fear is your greatest enemy, you must conquer the fear that lives in your heart
Widening her eyes in realization and noticing an Ice Beam being shot at her again, Sara dodged another Ice Beam being shot at her by sliding underneath it and started to fight through her surfaced fears as she kept her eyes locked onto Kyurem. Then, without warning, she jumped up above the Ice/Dragon Type and fired another string of fire that burned into it and sent it skidding back by a few more feet, making it roar in slight pain.
Not wanting to admit defeat and deciding to play hardball at her, Kyurem shot forward at her again with another Shadow Claw but the little princess showered her Sun Sword in a coat of fire through her Elemental Manipulation and they once again clashed in a deadlock of fire and ice. At that moment, Cobalion's voice rang in her head as she recalled one of the most important lessons she would have the honor of learning just as Keldeo once had in his time before hers:
Cobalion - It is what you learn from defeat that is truly important
Taking all of the losses she had endured along with the fails she made at every turn along her journey and throughout her duel with Kyurem, Sarah decided to put together a new plan that would allow her to prove her worthiness towards the Boundary Pokemon or beat it in combat. Kyurem pushed her back before it fired Dragon Pulse at her (the first one that was just shot being a feint) but to her luck, she learned from her mistakes and dodged the attack to the right and dodged a second Dragon Pulse being fired as she ran towards it. Then, she slid underneath the powerful Pokemon and jumped onto the ice pillar in front of her before she coated her entire body and her sword in a plume of fire and jumped forward with a flip before she collided with Kyurem head-on as she also threw a downward forward slash at it.
The resulting collision caused another explosion that sent her sliding back to the mine's floor while Kyurem was knocked out of the field, the princess panting heavily from exerting so much strength.
However, despite managing to best Kyurem there, she started to realize that her victory with Round 1 was only the tip of the iceberg as the Boundary Pokemon was nowhere to be seen. Cautiously, she stepped forward with her sword and Moon Shield at the ready and looked around for the powerful Legendary Pokemon, hoping that she would still be ready to attack should it get the jump on her. Even Tsukumaro, Curly, Blitz, and the Swords of Justice couldn't help but wonder if Kyurem really is getting started with the duel.
Their concerns were indeed valid for, without warning, a large bright blue light flashed and shot up, causing her to stumble back in surprise as Kyurem had shifted forms to be Black Kyurem again. Clutching her father's sword as she quickly got back on her feet, the two lunged at each other again with Kyurem pushing and knocking her back hard with another but much more powerful Shadow Claw being thrown at her. Having managed to disorientate the princess, Kyurem charged at her again and fired Freeze Shock to trap her in ice and contain her before the attack would explode with her still inside.
Sarah quickly moved so as to dodge the attack but this was the moment Kyurem had been waiting for as it had set up the whole thing as a trap. Due to the amount of energy she had been using throughout the first two-quarters of the duel, she wasn't able to make it out of the way in time and its Freeze Shock attack struck her as a result, trapping her inside a block of ice just as the original Swords of Justice were years ago.
Kyurem roared at its supposed victory while the others were shocked, Blitz looking devastated from seeing his mother lose in such a merciless fashion as Curly did her best to comfort him.
At that moment, just as he tried to do before, Terrakion stepped in to intervene before Cobalion eyed him to stop, "Wait."
Terrakion, Keldeo, and Virizion were stumped until Cobalion directed everyone to Sarah's frozen form as it started glowing green.
"Hmmmmm?" As it turned away, Kyurem suddenly noticed the glow and turned back to face it just as it was becoming more and more intense.
Then, without warning, the ice from the Freeze Shock attack exploded and Sarah immediately emerged from her prison while letting out a battle cry with her father's sword still at hand but with the blade glowing a bright green along with a particular gem in its guard. The small green glow in the guard came from the Rayquaza Gem and from the Sun Sword itself, when it finally unleashed a hidden power that not even its new wielder was aware of, it released a large dragon-like spirit in the form of the Sky High Pokemon into the field.
The Rayquaza spirit unleashed its real counterpart's signature attack, Dragon Ascent, proceeding to fly into the air and glow a bright white before it divebombed at Kyurem and knocked it back hard, the Dragon Type attack dealing some major damage to the Boundary Pokemon. "Rrrrrrgh!"
Tsukumaro, Keldeo, Curly, and Blitz gasped in shock at what they saw from the Sun Sword and the Rayquaza spirit and even the original Swords of Justice were amazed and impressed at the unexpected surprise.
"Is that-?!"
"Yes, it's the Sun Sword's ultimate power: Soul Summoning!" Terrakion and Virizion gasped in awe while Cobalion gave an approving nod and a small smile.
"What is that?" breathed a stunned Curly.
"Yeah, I didn't know the Sun Sword could do that!" Blitz added, shocked as he then rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
"Soul Summoning; it's the ultimate power of the Sun Sword when all seven of the original Pokemon Gems are all returned to their rightful places on its guard," Cobalion explained, not taking his eyes off of the battle as everyone watched the Rayquaza spirit return to the gem it came from.
"Somehow, the princess was able to awaken the gems through her will to win and her wish to see my old friends again and break free from the Freeze Shock attack," Tsukumaro nodded.
"When all of the gems were safely found and recovered, and their powers are needed in a critical time of need whenever she would need them, then that particular Pokemon's spirit will appear through the power of the Sun Sword and it'll aid the wielder in battle by using its counterpart's signature attack. The spirit of Rayquaza used Dragon Ascent that belonged to the real Rayquaza and landed a powerful blow on it just when all hope seemed lost for my goddaughter and allowed her to use it to continue fighting... But, there is a catch with that trick."
Blitz and Curly hummed in confusion when Tsukumaro narrowed his eyes at his goddaughter and they noticed Sarah starting to pant and look a little weak after using much of her strength to break free from her prison and summon Rayquaza's spirit once its gem stopped glowing.
But, true to her will to win and her stubbornness to prove herself to Kyurem, Sarah fought through her exhaustion as she dodged another Ice Beam and fired a Light Pulse at the Boundary Pokemon. This time, answering to her need to take the Legendary Ice/Dragon Type by surprise, Giratina's Pokemon Gem glowed a bright violet along with the Sun Sword's blade before she vanished into the shadows around the pair.
Kyurem noticed her being gone and looked around for the little princess but she appeared behind it and used her Fire Breath to blast it, making it growl in annoyance over her persistence. It retaliated with yet another Ice Beam to freeze her again instead of its Freeze Shock from its Black Zekrom form but Giratina's gem glowed again before her body turned black and she vanished into the shadows once more. However, when she reappeared a short distance away from it, she started panting harder.
"Is it just me or does Mom look a little weak after using those power boosts from those gems?" Blitz pondered, worried.
"Yes, she's looking a little tired after breaking out of that ice and using Rayquaza and Giratina's attacks," Curly nodded.
"It looks like using Soul Summoning takes up a lot of energy from the sword's wielder so using Rayquaza and Giratina's attacks and abilities in succession is draining her," Keldeo replied, looking grim as they watch the battle continue.
"If she awakens and uses either Zacian, Zamazenta, Xerneas, or Zygarde's attacks and abilities in a reckless manner, she'll only be turning the tide in Kyurem's favor," Tsukumaro agreed grimly.
Kyurem then struck back with a Dragon Pulse attack, forcing Sarah to block it with both her Sun Sword and her Moon Shield as she fought against the power of the Dragon Type attack to keep her stance while slowly skidding back. Then, when she managed to cancel the powerful attack, she gathered as much of her energy as she could to walk towards her which took the Boundary Pokemon by surprise as it stepped back a few steps, seeing her determined glare despite being so exhausted and the pain she endured.
"You're still standing after all those hits and in doing so, you've done it," it began, suddenly giving off a satisfying growl. "At last, I've been waiting for this; your true power, your true sword, has finally emerged!"
Then, as if to make his satisfaction over Sarah finally unleashing her family's sword's true power quite clear, it fired a stronger Dragon Pulse that hit Sarah and pushed her back, causing another explosion as she grunted and kept her footing while trying to withstand the blow.
"Now, that you've uncovered your sword's true power and used it against me, the real battle begins... Our battle today, will be legendary!"
With that, Kyurem charged itself up with another Freeze Shock attack but at full power and with no holds barred for one final attack. Deciding to end the battle to determine either a victory for her or to finally prove herself to Kyurem, the little princess charged up a full-powered fireball combined with a Light Pulse and fired it just as Kyurem managed to unleash Freeze Shock at her.
But then, before any of them realized it, something went horribly wrong; the two attacks did clash and the Light Pulse coating the fireball did manage to deflect the Freeze Shock but Sarah gasped in shock as she saw where the attack was going; it was heading straight towards the Swords of Justice, her godfather, and the Pikachu couple as they cried in horror and braced themselves when they would take the hit.
"NO!" Sarah screamed, immediately jumping in front of them and shocking everyone around her including Kyurem.
Holding her Sun Sword out and wishing for a way to save her family from Kyurem's Freeze Shock being deflected toward them, her father's heirloom glistened a bright blue and it grew to be three times its original size and sliced the Boundary Pokemon's attack in half, letting out a battle cry in the process before it eventually exploded with her in between the two halves of the attack as a large plume of smoke filled the area. At that moment, she managed to awaken Zacian's gem and unleash his signature attack which was Behemoth Blade but at the cost of sacrificing the match to save her family from the danger they were in.
"Sarah/Princess/MOM!" the Swords, Tsukumaro, and the Pikachu couple cried in shock and horror as the smoke started to clear and they saw the little princess on the ground.
She had fallen after taking the brunt of the explosion prior and the ground had a large dent from where she had landed. She was on her last legs as she tried to get up, staggering to her feet feeling battered, bruised, worn out, and completely exhausted while being covered in soot with her clothes now ripped and in tatters. But, despite managing to stand up, she was only able to do so for a few seconds before she collapsed and became unconscious, the match ending in defeat for her; a defeat that was proven when Kyurem placed its left foot on top of her sword and roared at her which the princess had no response to from its victory but ultimately accepted.
But, Kyurem had other ideas as it took its foot off the Sun Sword's blade and gently nudged her awake, causing her to stagger again as she tried to get back up before she was forced to sit in front of it while the Legendary Pokemon gave a growl of content and admiration as it stared at her and its eyes softened. Sarah was surprised and stunned over why Kyurem wouldn't finish what it started, knowing that she lost the battle and it won in the end, thus making it obvious that she couldn't beat it in combat or prove herself to the Boundary Pokemon as she could've.
"Why? What is this...?" she panted, not understanding what Kyurem's motives are.
The Legendary Pokemon's answer, however, came as a surprise to her while everyone else looked on in amazement, "Rather than pursue victory after unleashing your sword's true power, you used it to protect your family from certain doom... You loved them too much to let them go as we were fighting since your true strength also lies in them and your friends. You have a very fine sword, Princess, the Swords of Justice have trained you well."
Sarah was surprised when Kyurem admitted its satisfaction over everything that happened. She couldn't muster up the strength to say so but she gave a small smile and nodded, knowing what it meant for her now.
Kyurem nodded back as it then continued, "As promised, now that you've proven yourself to me, I'll tell you what happened to your parents; the words of guidance you've been hearing ever since your journey began came from your mother and father themselves. Even now, as they work to keep your Poipole's guardian, Necrozma, at bay from within the shrine underneath the Altar of the Sunne, they call out to you for your help. However, their power will soon be exhausted. Once that happens, Necrozma will be free and nothing will stop it from consuming the Light of Alola."
Sarah blinked in shock, "...My parents are alive, in a shrine under the Altar of the Sunne at Poni Island?"
"Yes... But, the shrine can only be opened and its entrance revealed when all four of their family's heirlooms are present as they are the keys to your getting them beak: The Twilight Amulet, the Sun Sword, the Moon Shield, and your guardian Pokemon, your Magearna. Only when all four are in your possession and you present them to the shrine from within the Altar of the Sunne in the Alola Region's Poni Island will you be allowed entry into it and after all these years, you will finally be back with them after all these years. I wish you luck wherever your future lies once you're all back together, Princess..."
With one final bow and nod to her, Kyurem turned back and left the princes behind as it returned to its ice cavern dwelling through the tunnel it came from with its Cryogonal friends in tow. Sarah could only give a thankful smile and a contented sigh as she watched them leave and before she knew it, the Sun Sword and Moon Shield glowed again before they coated her in a cocoon of white light, fixing up all the wear and tear her clothes had gone through and healing her of all the wounds she sustained in the duel.
"Goodbye, Kyurem, I'll remember..." she whispered in thanks to the Boundary Pokemon.
"MOOOOOOM!" shouted a relieved and ecstatic Blitz as she turned to her Pikachu and Curly, the two of them pouncing on her and giving her loving licks as they toppled her to the ground and made her laugh.
"I'm okay, guys, really!" she laughed.
"We were really worried, you know!" Curly pouted angrily with tears in her eyes as they stopped licking and gave her furiously tearful looks.
"...Don't ever scare us like that again, okay?!" Blitz concurred, already tearing up as he then hugged her tightly.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to worry you like that!" the princess pleaded, realizing she scared her two Pikachu half-to-death when they and the others saw her out cold after she forfeit the match earlier to save them.
"Princess, thank the rainbow light of Ho-Oh you're alright!" Tsukumaro breathed as he and the Swords of Justice joined them.
"Way to go, Princess!"
"You got guts, I'll tell ya, ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"You fought well, Princess," Keldeo, Terrakion, and Virizion praised their student proudly.
"Now, you understand the true weight of your family's sword?" Cobalion asked with a tinge of pride and respect for her, getting a knowing nod from Sarah.
"Now, that you have all the answers you've been searching for, we've got to get back to the others and tell them your mother and your old man are at Poni Island and waiting for you at the Altar of the Sunne!" Terrakion suggested.
Everyone chuckled as Sarah couldn't help but nod in agreement with the Cavern Pokemon before she apparated herself and her entire party back to the others. But, when she returned to their previous location, everyone around them started clapping and cheering and giving off excited and proud whistles, meows, barks, and roars in between, throwing Sarah, the Swords, Tsukumaro, Curly, and Blitz off as they reeled back in surprise.
"Wait, why are you all cheering?! What happened, what's going on?" Sarah asked in total shock and bewilderment as the cheers and applause went on.
"Calm down, girlfriend, you're not losing your head or anything," Liberty smirked, giving a playful nudge to her left leg.
"...But, how?" Sarah questioned again, not knowing how they knew about the duel between her and Kyurem and how it played out.
"I believe you have moi to thank for a first-hand viewing of that fantastic show you've put up for us at the Full Court against Mr. Freeze," Discord winked.
"...Why?"
"When you guys left to battle Kyurem, we had no idea what the throwdown between you and that giant ice lizard would be like," Beast Boy began.
"So, Discord decided to put forward a projection circle that allowed us to see your duel with this Kyurem and see if you would be successful," Starfire added.
"We were taken by surprise when you two were evenly matched throughout and your Sun Sword unleashed a power that involved those spirits of Zacian, Rayquaza, and Giratina when they came to your aid and you used their special attacks to get the drop on it and protect your friends when one of its attacks was heading straight for them by mistake," Veneon continued.
"But, even though you lost-bzzt, you still came out on top after Kyurem surrendered and told you what you needed to know-bzzt," agreed an ecstatic Manteon.
"That was a mighty fine battle you've put up with that powerful dragon, lass," Gobber praised.
"Good show, lass! Good show, indeed!" agreed an equally proud Stoick.
"That was a battle of a lifetime."
"Totally one for the ages!"
"You sure got guts from where you're standing," Hiccup, Zenna, and Astrid remarked proudly with the other Viking Teens and all their dragon partners giving their own agreeing cheers and roars.
"I can't believe you went up against a full-blown Legendary Pokemon and took it on without having to use your powers, once! And, you even won out of self-sacrifice and earned Kyurem's respect as a result!" Izzy commented in admiration.
"Izzy's right! Not once did we ever see you use your morphers against Kyurem as you two were going nuts on each other," Javi smiled brightly.
"You sure are crazy, Sarah!"
"I'll say, what you did was bonkers!"
"Really bonkers!"
"Don't ever scare us like that again or else we'll hunt you down ourselves, okay?"
"You sent us on the edge of our seats after you lost before Kyurem gave its victory to you!"
"Your battle with it burned hotter than an Inferno Overdrive but warn us next time you were going to pull something like that!" the princess' friends all concurred as their Pokemon all agreed, sharing Blitz and Curly's relief and exasperation.
"Okay, okay, you made your point! I get it! No promises, though," Sarah vowed, realizing she also scared her friends with her loss and defeat by Kyurem's claws.
"Honey, we're so proud of you!"
"Drop the Union Pacific Railroad on our heads, Ponchita, I was worried you got yourself a one-way ticket to Loser Street after Kyurem bested you following that stunt you pulled but you won in the end," Nikki and James added, feeling proud of their adopted daughter.
"Pumpkin, you've done us all and your parents proud with what you did."
"But, next time, don't do anything as reckless as that ever again!" David and Donna (former queen) said to their granddaughter.
"It took a lot of guts and real skin to pull off that move to save your family and the Swords of Justice."
"But, only you can do that," Tyler and Shelby laughed proudly.
"I think you gave the Legendary Rangers a run for their money the way you battled without having to rely on your powers," Ravi smiled proudly.
"Nobody, especially us, would even dare try what you just did," Zoey agreed ecstatically, full of admiration.
"...Thanks, guys, you're all the best," Sarah sniffed, starting to cry happily as she shared a group hug with her friends and the cheers continued on.
Later, once they were all ready for the moment of truth to finally happen and she steeled herself for what was to come, Sarah, her family, and friends all made their way home to Alola with the other heroes tagging along so as to meet her parents as well (even Solon joined them after she decided to teleport from the Dino Fury base when she got wind of the news). With help from the Six Spirits and their mastery of Apparation, they arrived at Poni Island and the entrance leading to the Altar of the Sunne, a sight that hasn't changed much since the princess, Lillie, and Gladion along with their Pokemon at the time first came in search of answers of rescuing Lusamine from Nihilego's clutches.
Of course, as they looked at the Altar of the Sunne, the other heroes couldn't help but be in awe of the geography of their current location and the history that made it such a sacred location to all of Alola.
"Nice holy pad," Steel commented, giving an impressed whistle.
"So, this is the Altar of the Sunne. Hmm, mighty spiffy and full of colorful history for such an ancient shrine hidden in here," Solon remarked, impressed as she looked around the altar.
"Amazing, the Altar of the Sunne is still here and it hasn't been destroyed in all these years," David gasped, taking in the sight of the altar and seeing it after the end of the Ultra Beast War 500+ years ago. "You're saying Kyurem told you that the shrine where our children were is somewhere deep within her, Pumpkin?"
"I'm sure of it, that's what it told me," Sarah nodded as she started to look around.
"Yeah, but I doubt you'll find anything dinosaur worthy for a record book in here," Shelby joked.
"No, Shelby, there has to be something here that'll lead us to the entrance to the shrine and have it show itself. And, since I have my family's heirlooms with me, I got my work cut out right then and there. Well, come on, don't just stand there; help me figure out where it is!"
"Patience, Princess, we know you're excited but your parents are not going anywhere. As you humans would always say, 'Haste makes waste'," chuckled a familiar voice, the owner revealing itself to be Tapu Koko before he was then joined by his fellow Island Guardians, catching the other heroes by surprise as they gasped and yelped.
"Tapu Koko!"
"It's him!" Pikachu and Ash cried.
"There's Tapu Lele!"
"And, Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini, too!" Lana and Lillie gasped in awe.
"Fascinating, those four must be the Legendary Tapu Island Guardians of Alola: Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Fini," Zayto remarked in amazement.
"Now, that's crazy!" Ollie admitted, gawking.
"Welcome home, Princess," Tapu Fini smiled before she continued as she saw the other heroes with her. "Ooh, I see you and your friends brought company with you."
"And, as we can tell, you now know where your parents are thanks to Kyurem," Tapu Bulu added knowingly.
"I have it to thank for that after battling with it at the Full Court," Sarah nodded.
"But, Kyurem also told me Mom and Dad were sleeping from within here in an ancient shrine trying to keep Necrozma at bay with their combined power and it told me that in order for me to find the entrance, I needed to have my amulet, Dad's sword, Mom's shield, and Magearna presented to it. But, how could we find it and how can I open it if we don't know where it is?"
"The answer, Princess, has been right in front of you all the whole time," Tapu Bulu chuckled.
"...In front of me?"
Tapu Lele laughed, "He-he-he-he-he! Just stand in front of the altar with your heirlooms present and we'll handle the rest, duh!"
Sarah blinked before she facepalmed and mentally chastised herself over forgetting something as simple as Tapu Lele said and steeled herself to begin the process of revealing the shrine entrance. Taking the Twilight Amulet, the Sun Sword along with the Moon Shield, and nodding to Magearna for the Artificial Pokemon to join her charge (which said Pokemon accepted), the little princess stood before the Island Guardians in the middle of the shrine while everyone else watched from afar.
Once she was ready, the Island Guardians gathered around Sarah in a box formation and started to meditate, using Psychic to gather all four of her family's heirlooms and place them in a single file line while they started chanting. The seconds ticked by until eventually, the four heirlooms all started glowing (Magearna's Soul Heart also giving off its own glow) and they shot four beams of light that converged into one powerful beam before it touched the center of the altar, triggering a hidden mechanism that caused the ground beneath it to sink lower.
The ground rumbled as everyone shuddered and did their best to get their bearings and footing in check until the entrance to the shrine was finally revealed, leaving everyone in awe and fascination as they saw what was ahead of them.
Everyone gasped as the entrance also revealed a staircase and a hallway beyond the entrance that supposedly led them to Doug and Delilah's current location. As the entrance and the staircase and hallway were revealed, a hidden flock of Golden, Golden Monarch, and Kamehameha Butterflies, regular and Shiny Butterfree, Fancy-Patterned Vivillon, and Beautifly soon awoke from a slumber of their own and started to flutter out into the open as sparkles of light danced around them.
"Whoa, what are those things that were in there earlier?" Amelia breathed in awe.
"Those are Golden Butterflies along with Golden Monarchs and Kamehamehas!"
"And, there are also wild Butterfree, Beautifly, and Fancy-Patterned Vivillon, too!" Donna (former queen) and Lillie gasped.
"They must've been caught or actually lived in the shrine and were also put into a deep sleep 500 years ago as well," Nate blinked in amazement.
"Wait, a deep sleep-eternal slumber, could that mean-?!" Sarah gasped, quickly racing through the entrance and into the hallway leading to the shrine with the others following close behind her.
The run through the path leading to the shrine felt like ages but Sarah pressed on, hoping that Kyurem's words would still ring true and the Boundary Pokemon was not wrong in what it said to her. As she raced around the hallway, in different rooms that dotted the hallway from either side, and as more sparkles of light continued to appear as if they reacted to her presence, there were some wild Pokemon from all eight known regions (as well as another region she had no knowledge of as of yet) in an eternal slumber as well and that started to wake up. It seemed as though they were also reacting to her presence as her amulet (which she had worn back around her neck) gave off a small glow and sent small strings of light toward them to awaken them.
Finally, at the end of the hallway, she came to a stop at the final room which was the shrine she was searching for, complete with a single candle on it amidst some objects that had been laid out as offerings in prayers for Island Guardians. And there, in front of her, was the sight of two people in stone statues with two familiar necklaces on them pertaining to Solgaleo and Lunala; it was the princess' parents, Doug and Delilah Tomoe.
Shocked and stunned to finally see her parents again but in their current state just after they pulled off the ultimate sacrifice for her and all of Alola 500 years ago, the little princess slowly made her way to her mother and father. Her emotions were running wild as she didn't know what to say as she approached them and felt their stoned faces, she didn't know what to think pending the reunion; what could she say or think at this point? Whether it be from nervousness, anxiety, joy, happiness, or sorrow, no words came out from her but there was only one thing that did come from her; she was starting to cry as tears welled up in her eyes and fell down her cheeks.
Unwilling to hold back any longer, she finally sobbed as she embraced the stone statues of both her parents just as everyone else finally caught up with her and saw her break down in front of the very people she was finally able to see again but not as she hoped they would be.
"...Mom?" Blitz asked, feeling sad and yet awkward as she didn't know what to say to help his human mother while his real family and Curly comforted him and offered condolences to the pair.
"...Oh, your majesties," sniffed an equally-devastated Magearna as she joined her charge and saw the current condition of her creators, deciding to be the one to comfort Sarah as they shed tears together (despite the fact that she was a robotic Pokemon and was incapable of shedding real tears).
Nobody knew what to say as the others didn't want to make things that much harder than they already are for Sarah after seeing her parents' fate after they sacrificed themselves to save her, Alola, and their world. But, just as somebody was about to make a move towards her to tell her that there was nothing they could do to help them for now, something strange occurred that drew their attention.
Sensing their wielder's sorrow and immense love for their original owners along with Magearna's, the Twilight Amulet, the Sun Sword, and the Moon Shield all started to resonate and pulse with light as they shook, deciding that after everything that happened, the little princess deserved to finally be reunited with the ones she loved dearly without question just as a stray tear landed on the amulet itself.
Then, it happened; similar to the transformation scene from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, as the three heirlooms glowed, they suddenly shot pellets and beams of light at the statues as they swirled and landed around them in the form of rain and even Magearna was glowing when her Soul Heart started to shoot beams and rain-like pellets of light as well (the Artificial Pokemon looking at herself in surprise as all of this was going on).
Sarah looked on in shock and awe as she was forced to back away and watch everything unfold before her eyes, the others watching from afar feeling the same way as their eyes widened and their mouths dropped while they watched the statues being lifted into the air alongside her family heirlooms as they were twirled about.
The rain-like pellets and beams of light soon touched the statues and just like magic, the statues started to come to life, stretching out their arms and hands as rays of light started to come from them and the stone started to crack and chip off, their legs doing the same until moments later, the statues cracked and chipped off at the base which revealed the humans from within and the light coating them shone brightly.
The explosion of light shattered all of the stone remains from the two humans as they floated back down in a relaxed state (leaving Sarah in absolute shock when she finally saw them in human form). Sarah tried to touch her real parents once they were on the ground and reached out with her right hand, only to suddenly reel back as the royal couple woke up after they were released from their stone prisons, checking themselves and each other over in a stunned and awestruck state before they turned and revealed themselves to the girl behind them.
The two of them were in their early 40s which was about the same age range as Nikki and James but from their looks, the pair couldn't be any more different:
- Doug had short black hair on his head and his royal attire was more armor-like as his shirt was a golden shade of yellow and he had a flowing cape attached to the back along with a sash slung across his right side which was held in place by a Solgaleo pin. Around his neck was his Sunne Necklace and on his waist belt, attached to the left side of his waist, was a sheath to hold the Sun Sword in its true form while his pants were jet black with golden lines on the sides and his shoes/boots were white that had the same gold stripe lined on it. He even wore a magnificent gold crown akin to the crown worn by King Stephen from Disney's Sleeping Beauty.
- Delilah, on the other hand, had long blond hair hanging from the left while she wore a crown that looked more like a tiara similar to the crown worn by My Little Pony's Twilight Sparkle but it was a metallic and sparkling shade of midnight blue with the crest of Lunala at the front. Her attire mainly consists of a purple dress that featured white stripes running diagonally across it and she wore a dark blue belt around her waist that had the same Lunala crest on it. Also, her high heels showed the heels themselves an inch high and had purple and white shading near the top while she wore her Lunala Necklace around her neck.
"Sarah/Sweetie..." the pair breathed as they slowly approached her and felt her before seeing her eyes, Delilah holding her hands with growing elation while Doug finished, "...It's us!"
Sarah looked and felt her parents all over, still thunderstruck as she tried to see if she was dreaming or not, hoping that it wasn't just an elaborate hoax by anybody or a trick played on her by Kyurem and the Island Guardians while everyone else looked at the trio in shock, amazement, awe, and wonder at the sight of the two royals back in the flesh. But, it was only when she looked at Delilah's eyes did she discover that they were exactly like hers and saw her father's own eyes, seeing the warmth and tender love within them both and recalling seeing them when she was just a baby.
At that moment, the little princess was fully convinced that her parents were the real deal as she finally said with growing relief and elation, "...It is you!"
Tears started to well up in all of their eyes as the reunited family of three finally came together for a heartwarming embrace. And what's more, after seeing Magearna along with her in addition to David and Donna (former queen) and Tsukumaro as they gently pushed their way forward and saw Doug and Delilah alive again, the royal couple beckoned them to join in, the trio also crying happily and in growing elation for the return of their children and old friends.
Nothing else needed to be said between them and everyone else watching the entire group didn't need to say anything as they all smiled warmly at the scene before them, some of them also crying at the touching sight as they had to be comforted as well. They all knew what it meant; after 500 years since they were forcibly separated no thanks to Lothor and Team Eclipse as well as the Ultra Beast War, the Last Alolan Royal Family of the abolished Alola Royal Monarchy was finally back together, stronger and happier than ever.
The news of the return of Sarah and her entire family and all her friends as well as the long-awaited return of King Doug and Queen Delilah and Team Eclipse and Lothor's demise spread like wildfire across all of Alola and the entire world. Throughout every corner of the planet, everyone who has heard about the escapades and the accomplishments of the Ultra Rescue Rangers (despite not knowing their true identities even if they found out about one of their other goals) cheered and applauded for the end of Team Eclipse and the return of the Last King and Queen of Alola.
In the Alola Region itself, over at Hau'Oli City (after they had to get their bearings after being startled and shocked by the extreme culture shock they were experiencing from the changes made to their home region over the past 500 years), Doug and Delilah joined their daughter, Tsukumaro, and their parents (along with their all Pokemon on them including Blitz and Curly) in front of a giant crowd showing much of, if not, all of Alola (humans and Pokemon alike) turning out to welcome the royal couple back into the waking world on a stage set up for a big party thrown in honor of them and their family.
Ash and the Pokemon School gang along with their Pokemon were on the stage with them off to the (right) side as they watched on proudly while the Island Kahunas and the Island Guardians stood and floated across from the royal family to their left. The heroes joining them and the rest of Sarah's family were amongst the crowd to give them a warm welcome back to their home region and the world, all of them feeling just as ecstatic as the little princess was.
After some speeches were made, Sarah and her entire royal family were beckoned to face the crowd and make themselves known, everybody gathered immediately cheering for them and chanting the princess' name, showing everyone that it was not just all of her friends and family but also Sarah herself that made everything that happened right now possible.
"SARAH, SARAH, SARAH, SARAH, SARAH...!" the crowd chanted proudly and excitedly as they and the Pokemon gathered continued to cheer, prompting the entire royal family and their Pokemon with them to bow to them in appreciation.
"Looks like you've finished the work we've started and finally put an end to Lothor and his syndicate on our behalf, sweetie," Delilah smiled warmly at her and Doug's daughter.
"I'm so proud of you, baby girl," Doug said proudly, holding Sarah via his left arm in a side hug which Sarah warmly accepted as she snuggled close to her father.
"Mm, mm, mm, now we've seen everything," Piplup bragged as he and his brothers and sisters joined the royal family, prompting them all to laugh before everyone else started chanting "speech" as they wanted to hear any words from either member going forward.
"That's your cue, sweetie," Delilah cooed to Sarah.
"Give them a good one for the future," Doug encouraged, giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead and getting a nod from her as she stepped forward and took a deep breath.
"...Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Pokemon and heroes of all ages, today's a glorious day for us all; with the recent demise of Team Eclipse and its leader, Lothor, comes the return of your region's king and queen from 500 years ago, my parents: Doug and Delilah Tomoe! Even though being here in the modern world 500 years from now is a shock to them, I can assure you that my family and I will do everything we can to help them acclimatize to their new yet familiar surroundings in due time! I am your princess from that time as well and you are our people but more importantly, I am your sister, my parents are your mom and dad, too, just as many of you are our friends and an extension of our family! Starting today, a new day dawns before us; the world is changing with my parents' return and we will learn to grow and change with it so that together, we'll be strong and happy forevermore! That is our promise to you!"
Everyone cheered in elation upon hearing that speech because they all knew it meant one thing; not only is the Last Alola Royal Family back together and in the saddle once more as the region's kindest and fairest rulers of all but with the promise Sarah made to their people and Alola's Pokemon, a new era is dawning that would prove to be the happiest in its entire history.
The party was soon in full swing as everybody gathered let themselves loose and introduced themselves to the returned king and queen, Doug and Delilah taking the time they needed to catch up with their parents, Tsukumaro, and their daughter as they joined in on the fun. While everyone was enjoying themselves in the city, Teen Race decided to take some time off for some self-contemplation as he and his Pokemon went to the beach and looked at the full moon. He was very happy for his girlfriend to be reunited with her real parents after so long but it was a bittersweet thing for him to take notice of since it meant that he'll have to return to the Hoenn Region with the end of their journey around the world for them. He had grown throughout that time, particularly with the gang's misadventures in Adventure City with the PAW Patrol, and he would have to part ways with the very person that helped to turn his life around and let go of his lingering grudge towards the place while allowing him to reunite with his Battle Frontier family even for a brief period.
They wouldn't be alone for long because before they knew it, Adult Race and Robin came over to join him after realizing that the Hoenn Battle Frontier Champion wasn't with the party crowd and went off to find him.
"It's beautiful, huh?" Robin began, catching Teen Race's attention as he and his Pokemon saw the Teen Titans leader and the Quest Team's bodyguard coming to sit down next to them.
"There's something hauntingly fascinating about a full moon. Kinda makes you feel small like a little fly compared to that glowing rock," Adult Race joked.
"Yeah, sure does," Teen Race replied with a sigh.
"Hey, Kid, got your head in the clouds about anything? Something bugging you about Sarah's parents?" Adult Race quizzed, sensing that Teen Race was a little down about something.
"No, not that... It's just, I'm, I'm happy for her, really. I'm glad she found them after so long and I wouldn't trade her happiness for them for anything else," Teen Race began, sighing once more as he began to collect his thoughts. "It's just that, well..."
"...You wanted to go with her, right?" Robin answered knowingly after a moment.
Teen Race blinked but he sighed again, deciding not to deny it anymore before he then said as he laid down on his back and rested his head in his hands, "She's a big girl now, handing Alola off to her folks and making the jump to Dragonstone to take over there... She's off to a roaring start with her and her family having joint kingdoms through Dragonstone and Alola and to start aiding Equestria in its restoration in a matter of time, that's saying a lot. Well, now that she's preparing to leave to begin her new duties..."
"I understand; must be tough for a man such as you to be far apart from your love one way or another," Adult Race smiled sympathetically.
"I know that; took a while for Starfire and I to finally do it until our and our friends' adventure in Tokyo years ago," Robin agreed, smiling warmly in remembrance of him and Starfire finally sealing their engagement and their feelings for each other with a kiss in the Teen Titans' Tokyo adventure. "But, as many of us heroes know, duty always comes before personal pleasure and you are still the Hoenn Battle Frontier Champion."
"I know, I still have a role to play back home but if there's one thing I've learned from my dad and my family while growing up, it's that I must choose my own path no matter where I am in life. Given everything Island Girl and I plan to do now, I'm thinking about retiring and start moving on with her."
"You want to end your life as a Battle Frontier Champion? Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let your family and Scott know about your choice now; if you really want to be with her, go for it, they'll understand. They know you have something worth living ever since you told them about your time with Sarah from what you told us about your journey through Adventure City and I can imagine the Frontier Brains being proud of you that you found young love, even at your age. I'm sure another trainer will be along to take over should they take on the Battle Frontier and defeat your family in battle and achieve what you had done beforehand," Adult Race said.
"...You really think they'll understand once I tell them?"
Adult Race smiled warmly, "Would they object after knowing that you finally found true love?"
Teen Race thought for a moment, recounting everything that led to him and Sarah finally confessing their love for each other and building up on it whenever they would meet, up until the very moment when he reunited with his family at Adventure City and told them everything that had happened with him. Brandon and the others were impressed with what they had done but they were very supportive of him after he confessed that he had fallen for the little princess beneath the surface of who and what she was despite not knowing of her royal heritage at the time.
After thinking about their reactions and what they would say should he tell them that he'll decide to stay with the girl of his dreams, he finally came to a decision and nodded, agreeing to take Adult Race and Robin's words into account and know what he'll do next.
That was all the pair wanted from the teenage Pokemon Master as they gave knowing smiles and nods before they left to rejoin the party and prepare for their groups' eventual departures, leaving the Hoenn Battle Frontier Champion to his thoughts and to figure out the next stage of his life as well as know his eventual future destiny with Sarah.
As he continued to relax and plan out his future in his mind now that his decision had been made, Sarah arrived, also wanting to take a break from the festivities and see how he's been getting on with Mew joining her. The Hoenn Battle Frontier Champion looked at his girlfriend inevitably while she looked on with soft eyes as if to mentally convey to her that he's been doing some thinking and with a little help, he was given a nudge in the right direction concerning his future since he'll be leaving to return to Hoenn in due time.
Sarah was a little disappointed that Teen Race would be leaving again now that she was reunited with her real parents and her family was back together again but she knew it wasn't the end for both of them yet despite the fact that she'll be moving to Dragonstone Kingdom in time, knowing that they still have their lives ahead of them with their love continuing to blossom and they'll see each other again when they need to (more than they initially realized).
Sharing looks again as the BF Champion mentally told her that he plans to tell his family about his eventual future himself and gain their full approval with a knowing nod, the little princess nodded back with a warm smile as they shared a kiss under the moonlight of the full moon, sealing another promise of theirs. This also prompted them to do a little dance to celebrate their eventual future if everything works out for them, causing an ecstatic group of Pokemon and Mew to cheer and create fireworks and celebratory explosions with their own attacks in the skies as the future was already looking bright for everyone.
"Sarah and her friends and family fought bravely during their search for Doug and Delilah Tomoe and with the end of Team Eclipse and their journey coming full circle with the pair's return, our heroine is finally reunited with her dearly beloved. But, there's much more to come for them and our heroes waiting just around the riverbend as the journey continues!"
The End
To Be Continued in Alola Pokemon Journey
Occurred Events
- Sarah is given custody and rights over Isla Sona where half of the 500 dinosaurs will be placed while the other 250 will live in the Dino Wilds with Rex, Dr. Tammy Taylor and Taylor
- Sarah and her friends are made honorary Quest Team members to help catch high profile criminals
- After a battle with Kyurem, he reveals the location of Doug and Deliah, leading to Sarah finally being reunited with her real parents
- Sarah and Race are newly crowned Princess and Prince of Dragonstone and Equestria
- Doug and Deliah are reinstated as the King and Queen of Alola, beginning a new era for the Alolan Monarchy
- Race decides to join Sarah in her duties along with tending to his BF Champion duties
