Hey there! I'm back! And so is the crew! Here is where we get to meet some guest characters. Well, that's enough out of me.

Fave, review, enjoy por favor.

Also, I do not own Pokemon. That is the property of Game Freak and Nintendo.

Guest Stars:
Delia Ketchum as Mira
Professor Oak as Elder Oak

Chapter 2:
The Trinity Legend

It has been three days at sea already, and the Guardian Sora's crew were already growing anxious for the next day's destination. Captain Drake had informed everyone that they were going to Trinity Island, Sora's home, to supply the ship with what they needed for the voyage. It had been a long time since Sora saw his home. He wondered if everyone was alright and well. What tales would he begin to tell them about his adventure? The idea made Sora super restless. So much so that he was unable to sit still. He raced up and down the deck, climbed the rigging, and swung around like an Aipom.

Prince Pewter, Tidus, Yolanda, Chef Opal, and Teller were puzzled by his behavior.

"What's gotten into him?" Tidus pondered.

"He does appear to be different than when we were in Aurora," Teller observed.

"That's just how he gets when he's excited over something," Drake explained as he came up to them, watching with a disapproving look.

"What do you mean?" Yolanda asked.

"Sora hasn't been home to Trinity Island in a long time," Cancer elaborated. "Ever since he composed this crew, Sora's been all over the known world. He's traveled quite a ways from home, so it's no wonder he's so giddy and excited."

Dropping down in front of the group, Sora told them, "And that's not even the half of it. The Elder who gave me my Pokéstone with Pikachu has big news when I arrive. And, I might be able to fulfill a legendary prophecy at the island ruins."

"Well now that is something to be excited about," Prince Pewter realized.

"But what's this legendary prophecy you hope to fulfill?" Opal asked.

Sora went over to the prow, just overlooking where Rina and her sisters were hiding, and explained, "There's a legend that's been known since before I was born. That a great treasure awaits the one to present the Pokémon Trinity."

"The Pokémon Trinity?" Tidus wondered aloud. Everyone, including the stowaways, leaned in to hear more.

"They say that if you manage to befriend three Pokémon of the elements, the path to greatness will open." Sora continued. "'The stream of constant change, the meadow of noble duty, and the inferno of unbridled passion. Bring these three together, and the way will open.'" The crew suddenly became excited at this, as they all began to wonder what treasure the legend spoke of.

The three mermaids below were also quite intrigued by this.

"A legendary treasure of the Pokémon Trinity," Rina repeated.

"From the sounds of it, one of those Pokémon must need to be a Water-type," Kari pointed out. "But which one?"

"Aw, let the humans find their silly treasure," Sarah said, scoffing. "I heard of a more interesting thing about the island we're going to."

"Oh yeah! Those undersea caves," Kari preplied, perking up. Rina was confused by her sisters words, and she did not try to hide her confusion.

"While you were listening to stories about humans Rina," Sarah explained, "the Wailord told us about a series of caverns underneath Trinity Island. It's possible there could be a hidden treasure in those caves."

"I…see," Was all Rina said in response.

Sarah was about to ask what was up, when she heard a, "Piplup Pip!" Below the trio, swimming along with the ship, was a Piplup. The blue Penguin Pokémon had apparently found something of interest, because it was chirping like crazy.

"Piplup!" Sarah exclaimed. "What did you find?"

'There's an island not too far ahead mistress,' Piplup told her. 'And there was a cave deep underwater.'

Excited by the news, Sarah dove off the anchor and back into the water. "Well done, my friend," Sarah said in delight. "Lead the way." As she and Piplup dove under, Kari followed and dove back into the sea. Rina, on the other hand, was hesitant. She didn't want to go too far from Sora, in case she might get his attention. Then again, her sisters might run into trouble on their own, and they would need her to deal with it. With a heavy sigh, she followed after Kari and Sarah.

The next day, Sora and Pikachu awoke to Kenneth calling out, "Land ho!" Everyone rushed on deck to see Trinity Island coming into view. The land certainly lived up to its name. Different parts of the island were dominated by a different element. One area was dominated by a forest, another had various lakes and marshes dotting the landscape, and above it all was an ash-black mountain that Sora remembered was a dormant volcano.

Breathing in the familiar air, Sora whispered, "We're home buddy."

At the dock, a huge crowd had gathered to greet the 'Aura' and her crew. As Sora disembarked with Drake and Cancer, he announced, "Trinity island, I have returned!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu added. The crowd cheered at his arrival, which stunned Sora's companions.

"Wow!" Yolanda gasped. "I knew Sora was really famous in Aurora, but I never figured he would be this famous here."

"But with all the adventuring he has done, it would be no wonder that he would be well received here at home," Opal pointed out. And he was not wrong. A massive crowd gathered to receive their hometown hero. But there was one person who was looking forward to Sora's return the most.

"Sora!" A woman called out from among the crowd. Sora looked to who shouted out to him, and spotted his mother, Mira, rushing towards him. Her crimson hair and crimson dress trailed behind her as she ran up to greet her returning son.

"Mother!" he called back. "I have returned!" And he ran up to his mother. As they drew closer, both had their arms wide open to receive each other. And right at the moment when the two met up, Mira grasped Pikachu, leaving Sora to faceplant.

"It's been too long Pikachu," She said with glee, cuddling the lightning mouse. "Have you been well?"

"Pikachu Pi," Pikachu chirped.

Getting up, Sora complained, "Hey! What about me?"

"Welcome back dear," Mira greeted with a warm smile. Sora felt somewhat embarrassed by the lack of attention from his own mother. He knew she still loved him, she just liked giving Sora's Pokémon a teensy bit more attention.

"Ah, Sora, welcome back," Came the island elder, Oak. Sora turned to see the elder come up to him, with a Bayleef following close behind. The elder had on a white robe, and had short, graying hair.

"Greetings elder," Sora returned. And he was then tackled by his Bayleef.

"Bay! Bay!" it cried with joy.

"Glad to see you too, Bayleef," Sora tried to say as his Pokémon nuzzled him strongly. "But could you let me up? I can't breathe." As he got up, Yolanda, Tidus, and the others came up to them.

"Wow master! I never knew you had a Bayleef," Tidus exclaimed in awe.

"It definitely seems to like you. Quite a lot, actually," Yolanda noted as she observed how the Pokémon nuzzled its master.

"It's always had a huge crush on Sora since it was a Chikorita," Drake explained. "But because of it always causing trouble, Sora had to send it back here under my orders."

"Why couldn't you just put Bayleef in your Pokéstone?" Tidus asked.

"I tried. But Bayleef just kept popping back out each time," Sora answered. As if on cue, a beam of light escaped from the staff, and a blue otter Pokémon with a scalchop on its belly appeared on Sora's other shoulder.

"Wha?! Oshawott!" Sora gasped. But Oshawott just stood proudly on his shoulder, until a Vine Whip from Bayleef knocked it off. Enraged, Oshawott began shouting at Bayleef, but Bayleef just shrugged it off. Made even more angry by the action, Oshawott drew out its Razor Shell attack. Pikachu tried to calm it down, but the sea otter Pokémon simply ignored him. As it charged, Sora called out to return it, and Oshawott returned to Sora's staff.

"Phew! That was close," Sora voiced with a sigh.

"You certainly have some energetic Pokémon with you," Prince Pewter remarked. That was when Elder Oak and Mira took notice to the new group of people.

"My apologies for not properly introducing ourselves," Oak began. "I am this island's elder, Oak. And this is Sora's mother, Mira."

"It's a pleasure to meet new friends of Sora's." Mira greeted them with a beaming smile.

"It is a privilege to be welcomed to your humble island," Prince Pewter returned. "I am the prince of Aurora, Prince Pewter."

"I'm Tidus, Sora's apprentice," the young pupil spoke with gusto. Prince Pewter's aids, Teller and Opal, introduced themselves as well.

And then the princess introduced, "And I am Yolanda, Sora's betrothed."

"Betrothed?" Mira gasped, "When did this happen?"

"Long story, mother," Sora told her. Then he requested, "Elder, may I make my way to the island ruins?"

"Very well," Elder Oak complied. "In the meantime, we shall speak with Prince Pewter and his companions."

Before Sora did take off, Tidus pleaded, "Could I please go with Sora too? I want to see these ruins he told us about."

"Me too. I'd love to try exploring myself," Yolanda chimed in. Oak complied with their requests, but advised that they remain with Sora and follow his instructions. Sora then returned Bayleef to his staff, in case he needed her help, and took off with Tidus and Yolanda for the ruins.

Meanwhile, in the sea, the three mermaids were busy looking for the sea caves that they heard from the Wailord. But while Kari and Sarah were busy looking, Rina took the time to look out onto the mainland. To be perfectly honest, Rina still did not fully understand this interest she had in humans, let alone Sora. But just at the mention of his name, something inside her felt different. Disturbed maybe. All the frustration and hatred she used to have against humans felt distant, and misplaced. And with it, she wondered if she and Sora could possibly be… more. More than just some human who caused problems for Pokémon, or even any problems from all she saw of him.

Rina's sisters were observant in her distant behavior, and became even more suspicious as to why.

"You think something happened to Rina during that storm?" Sarah asked her sister.

"I have come to think so," Kari answered. Then she elaborated, "Out of the three of us, Rina has had the biggest hatred of humans ever since those pirates years ago. The way they treated those Pokémon like slaves. It was sickening."

"I don't think I'll ever get those images out of my head," Sarah said as she massaged her temple. "And I doubt Rina would too. So, why does she follow these humans?"

"Well, she had said she had taken an interest in that Sora human. But what about him is different from all other humans?" All Sarah could do was shrug at her sister's question. Whatever happened to their sister was a mystery to them.

Just then, Kari's Squirtle called out to them, pointing to a section of sea wall. When the two mermaids went to investigate, they found a massive cave entrance embedded in the rock. The hidden sea caves.

"Good work Squirtle," Kari thanked.

"Piplup, go get Rina for us." Sarah told her partner. And Piplup swam up to the rock Rina rested on.

Rina's thoughts swirled around the boy, Sora. She was becoming quite fixated on him. Ever since the day of the storm, Rina could not quite understand her fixation. But then, she remembered his valiant effort to save his Squirtle, the love he had for his Pikachu, and the synchronization he had with Bulbasuar while in battle. She had often thought that humans believed that Pokémon were inferior beings, tools for their own use and goals. But Sora portrayed an attitude that was quite the opposite. Could she have been wrong?

In her mind's wanderings, Rina was caught by surprise when Piplup came up to her, informing her that her sisters had found the sea caves.

With a sigh, she whispered to herself, "Someday, I want to know Sora more. And maybe, just maybe, I can be with him." Coming back to the real world, Rina dove back into the water and followed Kari and Sarah into the caves.

In the wooded area of the island, Sora and his companions trekked to where the ruins were located. Sora remembered, when he was little, that he had accidentally stumbled upon those ruins while chasing after Pokémon. Back then, he had no idea about what they were for. But just before he left for his adventure, Elder Oak had told him the legend. And now that he was older, he hoped to unlock what was inside.

"Whoa! Look at all the Pokémon," Tidus spoke in astonishment, spotting pairs of Pidgey and Taillow in the treetops.

"There certainly are some unique ones around here," Yolanda noted, seeing Wooper and Lotad in the ponds to their left.

"Trinity Island is home to a lot of unique Pokémon that you wouldn't find in Aurora," Sora told them. "But it is also home to rarer Pokémon that aren't found anywhere else."

"You mean like your Bulbasaur and Squirtle?" Tidus asked eagerly.

"Right. Many people come here, hoping to befriend them," Sora informed.

"But, you have those two and a Charizard. How come?" Yolanda inquired.

"That's a rarer case. And even more uncommon is befriending a Pikachu like I have," Sora answered.

"So Pikachu really was your first partner?" Tidus asked further.

"Yep," Sora affirmed. "Then, we befriended Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle while we lived here."

"And no one else has been able to do that before?" Yolanda questioned.

"Nope. No one, save me," the guardian explained. "Because when people typically bond with any of the three here, the other two will be blocked for reasons no one can explain. Not even Elder Oak has figured out why that is. And many people have tried."

"That is so cool!" Tidus beamed. "I wonder if I can befriend a trio like you master."

"Maybe Tidus. Maybe."

Just then, the group arrived at a set of ruins at a juncture where the forest, ponds, and mountain all joined together. On the doors was a triangle with elemental symbols: fire on top, grass on the right, and water on the left. As Sora approached, the three symbols began to glow and the door opened.

"Stay close," Sora instructed his friends. So they did as they entered the ruins. Inside was a long hallway, with vines growing over the walls, and luminescent fungi and flowers dotting the inside that cast a soft glow. At the far end stood a slab of stone, marked with writing and an image of someone surrounded by three Pokémon, forming a triangle. As Sora and company approached, they saw the same element symbols from earlier in three circles placed in a triangle on the ground.

"So, now what?" Tidus asked.

"You said you needed to present the three Pokémon to unlock the treasure hidden here, right? 'The stream of constant change, the meadow of noble duty, and the inferno of unbridled passion.'" Yolanda recited. But Sora already knew which Pokémon to call upon.

With Pikachu on his shoulder, Sora called out, "Stream of change, Squirtle! Meadow of nobility, Bulbasaur! Inferno of passion, Charizard!" As he called out each Pokémon's name, the corresponding Pokémon came out and stood on the corresponding element symbol, with Sora in the center. Once all three appeared, lights shined out from beneath each one and the Guardian. And then, the floor beneath them fell out, and they dropped.

"SORA!" Tidua and Yolanda cried out.

Earlier, in the caves below the island, the three mermaids and their two escorts navigated their way through the tunnels. They were lucky enough to have not come acrossany dead ends or crossroads, but they did not let their guard down for even a second. Who knew what they could expect to happen here.

"I wonder if there will be treasure hidden here," Kari spoke after a while of swimming.

"Treasure!" Sarah squealed in delight. Then she said as she fantasized, "Ooh, I hope so! Imagine: gold, diamonds, emeralds. All sorts of pretty gems to find."

"And if we find it, we'll get it before any human does," Kari pointed out. "We could have so many precious trinkets that we wouldn't know what to do with them."

"Yeah. We might even rule the humans with all that gold. Right Rina?"

"Huh?" Rina replied, not even listening to the conversation. "Oh yeah. Treasure."

"Are you thinking about that human again?" Kari interrogated, hands on her hips.

"Rina, come on! This is treasure we are talking about," Sarah griped. "Gold and jewels! Isn't that way better than some human?" For Rina, nothing seemed to get her mind off of Sora. Even the thought of finding treasure did not seem as enticing as it was for her sisters.

Kari and Sarah were picking up on this, and decided on a method to get their sister's head back underwater.

"Let's find that treasure, then we'll decide what to do with it," Kari suggested. Sarah agreed, and Rina sorta complied vacantly. It was as that moment that the cave began to shake. The tremor was so strong that parts of the cave began to fall. A slab of stone fell right in front of Kari's Squirtle, scaring it off into the deeper parts of the cave.

"Squirtle, come back!" Kari called, and she swam after it. Rina, Sarah, and Piplup swam after her to make sure nothing else happened.

After a while of falling, Sora and Pikachu became sprawled out at the bottom of the drop. Immediately following, Squirtle and Bulbasaur landed on top of him. Luckily, Charizard used its massive wings to parachute itself next to the dog pile.

With a groan, Sora said, "That smarts. I didn't think it would do that." But then he began to notice the place he and his friends had fallen in. It was a huge underground lake, with luminescent mushrooms and flowers casting a green and blue hue. Where he and the Pokémon had landed was covered with grass, with a single tree near the water's edge to their left. And to the right, steam vents and hot springs dotted a blackened landscape that had several flowers and lilies sticking out. The whole place looked like a fusion of Trinity Island, a unity of elements.

But as Sora and his Pokémon marveled at the sight, they heard something cry out. They ventured to where the noise was coming from, and saw a young Squirtle flailing on its shell. Not wasting a second to ponder, Sora set his staff in the ground and went over to help the turtle Pokémon.

"Hang on. I gotcha," Sora whispered soothingly. He placed one hand below Squirtle's head, and his other hand on his its belly, and flipped it onto its feet. Once the tyke realized it was alright, it looked up to find that Sora had helped it. Then, Sora noticed that its arm was scraped somewhat.

"Don't worry." He assured, "I'll heal that with some Revival paste."

But before he could even reach for his medicine poach, a girl's voice cried out, "Don't you dare touch my Squirtle!"

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" Looking up just in time, Sora dodged a stream of super powered bubbles that were coming down on him. When he looked up to his attackers, he saw that they were girls, with a Piplup standing proudly in front of the one with dark-blue hair. The girls kept themselves somewhat submerged, so only their heads showed.

"How dare you try to hurt a poor, defenseless Pokémon!" the one with blue hair scolded. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Wait, that's not it!" Sora tried to reason.

But then the other one interrupted, "If you want to be so cruel, then let's battle!"

Sora tried to explain himself once more, but then Piplup and Squirtle attacked with a Bubblebeam and Bubble attack. Sora dodged once more, and realized the time for talking was past. Then, Charizard stood before his master, and roared a mighty roar.

"Bad move, sending a Fire-type against two Water-types," The blue haired girl taunted.

"This will be an easy win," The brown haired one added with confidence. But Sora thought otherwise.

True, he was at a disadvantage by type. However, Charizard was far stronger than either Pokémon. And he knew his partner was itching to show these two a thing about underestimating its power.

"Piplup, use Whirlpool!" Piplup summoned a massive swirl of water over itself, and launched it right at its opponent.

"Charizard, counter with Flamethrower!" Charizard let loose a tongue of fire so hot it evaporated the Whirlpool in an instant.

"Squirtle, hit it with your Ice Beam!" Squirtle released a sub thermal beam at Charizard, which it blocked using its wing. As it froze over, Charizard shattered the ice with its deafening roar. The two girls didn't like the looks of where this battle was going.

So the blue haired one cried out, "Hydro Pump Piplup! And hurry!" With a mighty chirp, Piplup blasted a torrent of water at Charizard.

"Charizard, use Dragon Tail to block it!" Sora called out. As energy surrounded its tail, Charizard used the attack and diverted the blast of water.
Now things looked really bad for the girls. None of their attacks seemed to even scratch Charizard.

"While it is true Water-types have the advantage over Fire-types," Sora lectured, "that doesn't mean water always trumps fire. It also depends on the strength of the Pokémon." With the warm up over, Charizard flapped its massive wings, and lifted itself into the air. Piplup and Squirtle began to whimper at the terrifying sight, and the girls cringed at the predicament.

"Now it's my turn," Sora announced. "Charizard, Flamethrower!" With a mighty roar, Charizard let loose more fire onto the two Pokémon.

Desperate, the brown-haired girl cried out, "Squirtle, use Rapid Spin to dodge!"

"Piplup, block with Hydro Pump!" But while Squirtle managed to evade the inferno, Piplup was unable to counter with Hydro Pump and got roasted by the attack.
Squirtle then made its way to Charizard, spinning really fast. But Charizard caught the projectile in its claws with relative ease.

"Now Charizard, Seismic Toss." Holding Squirtle close to itself, Charizard went as high as it could go, circled around with a few aerial flips, and then dove down and slammed Squirtle into the ground, hard. With that, the battle was over.

As Charizard landed, Sora, Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur went to check on the two battlers.

"Stay away from them!" the blue haired girl demanded, halting the winning party's advance.

But then, "Sarah, Kari, calm down! He's not going to hurt them." Sora looked behind the two girls to see Rina swimming up to them. She looked very stern, and Sora figured out why.

"You two must be Rina's sisters," He said aloud. "You're mermaids!"

With a mighty 'harumph!,' Sarah responded, "That's preposterous! Mermaid aren't real."

"And even if they were, how would you know?" Kari added in a haughty manner.

"Um, because Rina is a mermaid. And she told me she had sisters," Sora pointed out. The two mermaids gasped in shock. They couldn't believe their sister ratted them out to some random human. But Rina pushed past them, pulled herself up onto the grassy landscape, and tended to Piplup's injuries. Sora applied a green paste to Squirtle's scrape, and fed it a Revival Herb to restore its energy. Immediately, Kari's Squirtle was looking refreshed and restored. Once he was done tending to it, he looked over to Piplup, and did the same procedure. After both Pokémon were fit and energized, they returned to their masters.

"Why would you help creatures you view as inferior?" Kari questioned.

"Yeah. Don't you think it's a little beneath you to help Pokémon?" Sarah accused.

Sora was quite confused by the accusation. So he answered, "I would never think that. I think all Pokémon are amazing, and great friends. But, it does make me sad when I see people who treat Pokémon as nothing more than tools. But I never think that." Both mermaids were quite surprised by his response. Sora was one peculiar human.

"Well, thanks for healing our Pokémon," Sarah replied bitterly.

"But, if you ever treat your Pokémon like inferiors, we will punish you for it!" Kari threatened. And they dove under.

"Don't take it personally," Rina assured him. "They're just starting to get to know humans like I have."

"It's alright," Sora returned. "I'm getting to know more about mermaids and their Pokémon. That was an awesome battle we had!"

"I'm amazed that you managed to beat two Water-types with a Charizard." Rina spoke in slight amazement.

The two shared a laugh, and Sora's Pokémon joined up with them. Pikachu nuzzled next to Rina, Squirtle stood proudly next to her, Bulbasaur sat in Sora's lap, and Charizard rested behind him. As they looked out to the cavern, something about it came across Sora's mind. A unity of differences. Then he remembered something.

"Do you remember when we first met, when you asked me to come with you?" he spoke up.

"Yeah. I remember," Rina affirmed.

"Well, do you want to travel with me? I promise to keep your identity a secret from the others," the guardian offered to her.

"I'd love to, but how would we?" That put a hurdle in Sora's plans. How would he hide Rina's identity as a mermaid? What could he do?

Just then, he remembered, "Yolanda! Tidus!" They're still waiting for me." Rina was saddened when Sora mentioned his companions. So she began to wonder if Sora even considered her to be one of his friends.

With a heavy heart, Rina made her way to the water, whispering, "Good-bye, Sora." But before her tail even tapped the surface, Sora grabbed her wrist to stop her.

As she stared at him, Sora asked, "Will I be able to find you again?" Rina's heart lifted, if only somewhat, at the question.

With a slight blush, Rina laced her pinky finger with his and told him, "I will always be close by. If you truly wish to see me, seek me out." The, she dove back underwater.

Back in the ruins, Yolanda was calling Sora's name, hoping he would hear her. But the only thing that returned were echoes of her own voice. She was beginning to lose hope.

"Don't worry princess," Tidus tried to assure. "Knowing my master, he's alright. I'll bet he's looking for a way to get back to us."

"And how do you know he hasn't-" Yolanda challenged, not daring to finish that sentence. She tried desperately to hold back tears, but she was on the tipping point. That is, until they heard a roar from the hole Sora fell into. And then, a mighty Charizard appeared out of the hole, carrying Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Pikachu, and Sora.

As the mighty fire dragon, set down, and Sora disembarked, Yolanda latched onto him almost immediately. "Oh thank heavens! You're safe," She cried, letting the tears finally stream.

"So? What did you find down there?" Tidus asked.

With a smirk, Sora replied, "Quite a lot."

After returning to town, Sora told everybody about what he had found in the ruins. He left out when he battled the mermaids, and merely told them about the cavern he found down there.

"A unity of elements?" Teller questioned.

"Indeed," Elder Oak pondered. "In all reality, the three elements are not so very different. Our island may appear to keep them separate, but in actuality, they are all linked."

"How so?" Prince Pewter asked.

"Well, fire may destroy life to an extent, but it actually sparks renewal in life itself. Water provides that very life with replenishment, and the land begins anew."

"Of course. It makes absolute sense," Opal shouted out.

"Indeed," Cancer elaborated. "Volcanic soil is actually the best for growing plant life, and the water helps them make food. All three actually work in tandem quite well." It was a lot to understand, but everyone seemed to agree with the idea.

Clearing his throat, Oak spoke, "Sora, I have some news. The Island Chieftains have found you worthy to challenge them to battle."

"They have?" Sora quizzed.

"Island Chieftains? Who are they?" Yolanda asked.

"The Island Chieftains are a group of warriors that are said to be the strongest in the world," Prince Pewter explained. "There are eight, and they only will allow challengers they deem strong enough to battle them."

"Strong, and with great respect for Pokémon," Oak corrected. "And they have recognized your talents, my boy."

"That's great!" Sora beamed. Then proclaimed, "Then I accept!"

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted out.

"Another new adventure for my son." Mira said, "Sora, know that we all stand behind you to win."

"Thank you mother."

The next day, the crew was getting ready for departure. But while Sora waited to board, Elder Oak and his mother came up to him with a small chest.
"This is for you, from a fellow elder on one of the islands," Oak told the guardian. He opened the chest, and inside were a pair of stones. One was almost as big as Sora's hand and orange in color, with a marking of a leaf inside. The other was no bigger than a pebble, and rainbow colored.

Curious, Sora inquired, "What are they?"

"I honestly do not know," Oak replied. "But I was told these two stones can enable your Pokémon to grow even stronger. I believe the big one should go to your Charizard. The small one is for you."

As Sora took the two stones, his mother spoke, "This belonged to your father. It was his good luck charm." And she placed a bracelet on Sora's left wrist that had an indent in it, which was large enough for the small stone. Sora put the stone in it, and marveled at it for a quick bit.

"Thank you, Elder, mother."

"Good luck, my boy."

With their farewells, Sora joined the crew onboard just as the 'Aura' cast off. And as they sailed off, three unlikely stowaways rested on the ships anchor once more.

Next time,

Rina: How wonderful would it be to see how humans live.
Sora: Well, you're in luck. While we look for the first Chieftain, I can take you to explore the town.
Rina: But how? I'm a mermaid.
Sora: Don't worry. I've got an idea.
Rina: That's what worries me.

Next chapter,
The Venturing