Chapter 3: The Friendly Hyena to Meet
Luna's POV
"Dear Diary,
Today has been quite a big day. Just when Isamu and I were heading back to Pallet Town together to reunite with everyone, we heard a strange, but powerful voice that came to our heads. To our surprise, he called himself one of the Great Kings of the Past. His name was Mufasa.
King Mufasa explained the situation of what was happening to his world and how his world needed us to aid it, such as helping his grandson and his Lion Guard in the Pride Lands. To be quite honest, I didn't know what to believe or what to think because of the sudden news.
But then again, it wasn't the first time weird things happened to both me and the boy that I loved. So, with Isamu and I thinking for a moment, we both accepted the King's request for us to help his family with his troubles.
And the next thing we know, poof! We're suddenly in the Pride Lands, where talking animals are around, but Pokémon aren't. Things got crazier and crazier when we met Kion and his friends, along with two other humans that were helping the Lion Guard: Cole and Erika.
When Kion took us back to meet with his family, things weren't going well at first with us and the current Lion King: Simba. That is, until I thought Isamu had done something to convince King Simba that we were allies to him and his land, not enemies when I saw them both walking to us together.
Nevertheless, we met many more of the Pride Land animals... We even got to meet Pumbaa and Timon, Bunga's adoptive uncles.
And just when things couldn't get any bigger, Isamu somehow gained the ability to transform into an Eevee with that Eevee tail mark that's on his hand. I've got to admit... He looked so cute as an Eevee! Although... this isn't the first time he got turned into an Eevee once.
Anyways, what I do know, is that there will be someday when I get a power of mine like Isamu has right now. I want to be useful too, not just by sitting on the sidelines and giving out orders.
End POV
"Come on, boys! It's lunch time and I'm starvin'!" A hyena smirked evilly.
In the Pride Lands, there was a stampede of gazelles running away from a trio of hyenas. with the flock of birds flying away first. And behind the gazelles were the hyenas that came from the Outlands, the lands that are nothing like the Pride Lands.
"I'm always starvin'!" The bigger, but dumber looking hyena commented with a silly grin as the chase went on.
But just as the trio were attempting to catch up with the gazelles, a voice boomed out, stopping the trio from their tracks!
"Hyenas!" Kion snapped, causing the three to stop and see what was stopping them. It was the Lion Guard! And besides them were the four humans, along with Umbreon and Typhlosion.
"Hey!" The bigger hyena whined until Kion stepped up with an angry expression.
"I told you to stay out of the Pride Lands!" Kion snapped angrily, only for the leader to sneer back in response.
"Didja now? My stomach keeps forgettin'." The hyena leader smirked, causing the bigger hyena to chuckle at the joke the leader gave off.
"His stomach forgets... Ha ha! That's a good one." The bigger hyena laughed a little, until the hyena leader noticed the additional teammates the Lion Guard has gained after their last meeting.
"Well, well! Two more humans and... two strange animals. What gives, Kion? Did the Lion Guard get so weak that they needed more weak humans and some strange animals to help them, huh?" The leading hyena asked, much to Kion's frustration.
But before he could respond, Isamu stepped up with a cold expression as he glared at the trio.
"No... It's because you three morons would never quit which is why we were called here." Isamu said seriously, causing the leader to pale for a moment before he backed away a little.
"What's with this human...?" The third hyena asked, before the bigger one shook his head.
"I don't know..." The bigger hyena admitted as Kion stepped up with an big yell.
"GO!" Kion boomed, causing the trio to flinch before they began to make their escape from the Pride Lands.
"Oh no..." was all the leader said as he and his minions began to run out of the enemy's territory to head back to their homeland.
"Ah ha ha...! That lion cub's got no sense of humor! And what's with the strange animals and new humans, Janja?" The dumber hyena asked, causing the leader, Janja to glance back at the humans that were with the Lion Guard.
"No clue... All I know is, that our enemies are getting tougher..." Janja angrily admitted. He didn't want to admit that his hyena group was losing in numbers, but considering the bigger numbers the Guard has gained, he knew he had to admit defeat for once.
"Lion Guard! Calm down the herd! I'll take care of these guys!" Kion called out before he began to chase after the retreating hyenas.
"You got it!" Fuli said as she, Bunga, Ono, and Beshte began to go after the gazelle herd to calm them down. All that was left were the humans and the two Pokémon.
"Erika, let's go." Cole said, causing his twin sister to nod as they joined their animal friends. But for the Trainers and Isamu's two Pokémon, they stayed behind as Luna held onto her boyfriend's arm.
"Isamu, let's go after them." Luna called out, until she noticed the elder Ketchum brother shaking his head to where Kion was running to.
"Luna... You go after them. Umbreon and Typhlosion, I'm counting on you two as well." Isamu said, causing the Dark Type to blink before she frowned.
"Wait, are you going to...?" Umbreon asked, causing the elder Ketchum brother to nod in response.
"Yeah... I'm going to go help him. There's a limit to what one person or cub can do on his own." Isamu said before he revealed the Eevee's tail sign that was marked onto his left hand. Gently pressing onto it, the elder Ketchum brother began was engulfed by the light.
Luna shied her eyes away from the light and looked back when it died down. What was once Isamu, was an Eevee who had Isamu's hairstyle. Turning to his three friends, the young Eevee made an order for his friends to follow.
"I'll try to make sure Kion doesn't do anything reckless. You guys go and help the others." Isamu grunted as he started to run after the young leader.
"O-Oh... Okay..." Luna said, as worried feelings began to creep up on her. Just as she was about to call Isamu back, she felt a paw resting on her shoulder, as she turned to see Typhlosion gazing at her with a serious expression.
"Come on, Luna. Let's go. I'm sure Isamu knows what he's doing." Typhlosion said confidently, with Umbreon reluctantly agreeing with the Fire Type.
"Y-Yeah... this isn't the first time we got into a complicated situation like this, remember? Have faith in him for now." Umbreon said, her tone losing her reluctance.
Blinking, Luna looked back to see Isamu far ahead before she frowned. Nodding in agreement, she took lead by running after the other members of the Lion Guard. Umbreon and Typhlosion followed, but not before the Dark Type made one thought for the elder Ketchum brother.
"Isamu... Please be careful." Umbreon thought as she ran with Typhlosion and Luna to join the others. She knew that she can trust in the human she loved, but she knew there were several dangers that Isamu might not be able to overcome.
Meanwhile...
Kion was still chasing after the hyena trio, forcing them to run out of his homeland.
"We're leaving!? What about lunch?" The bigger hyena asked, confused as to why they were retreating.
"All of a sudden, I'm not so hungry!" Janja excused himself, much to the dismay of the dumber hyena.
"But Janja! You said you were starving!" The dumber hyena protested, much to the annoyance of the hyena leader.
"ARGH! Just run, fur brains! There's another one coming after us right now!" Janja snapped. While they were retreating, the leader of the hyenas noticed Isamu following both his group and Kion in his Eevee form, though Janja didn't know that the human and Eevee were the same.
Nevertheless, he continued to run with his two minions as he and his two ran on a log bridge to get back to the Outlands while Kion continued the chase until he stopped in the middle of the log.
As Kion stopped, Isamu managed to keep up and notice where the lion cub was standing. Kion wasn't able to see himself, but the elder Ketchum brother was able to see what was wrong.
"Oh no... That log doesn't look too good to keep Kion up like that!" Isamu thought as he ran towards the log bridge to warn the lion cub.
"That's right! Back to the Outlands! NOW!" Kion roared. But just as he did, the log under him began to creak loudly!
"KION! Get out of there!" Isamu yelled, catching the lion cub's attention. But before the leader of the Lion Guard could react, the log under him couldn't support his weight and broke down!
"AH!" Kion yelled as he started to fall into the river, forcing the Eevee to make a stupid risk.
"ARGH!" Isamu growled as he bit onto Kion's furry neck, much to Kion's surprise as he looked up to see Isamu holding onto him with his mouth.
"Isamu!?" The lion cub couldn't help but express his surprise as he realized that he was being rescued by the elder Ketchum brother. That was, until the land under the Eevee's feet began to break.
"Oh no... AH!" Isamu yelled as the land under him fell apart, forcing both Kion and himself to fall into the river. As the two fell into the water, the two found themselves being dragged by the river's current as they held onto the log that broke under the cub's weight.
"*cough* *cough*… Hey... You okay?" Isamu coughed as he coughed out some water as the lion cub turned to him with a frown.
"I should be... *cough*… asking you the same thing. Why didn't you go with the others?" Kion grunted as the elder Ketchum brother sighed.
"I'll explain... once we get out of this mess!" Isamu grunted as he pulled himself onto the log, with the leader of the Lion Guard following his lead.
(Pokémon VS Lion Guard)
(SAO Opening: Innocence (English Subbed))
(I do not own these lyrics)
My hidden feelings are crying out as I hold an absolute vow
(A strong breeze across the plains as Luna watches the sun setting down while she stands on a rock)
(Isamu looks down at his reflection at the waterhole, unfazed with beings staring at him)
(Opening title comes out as the sun shines brightly)
Seeking nothing but a miracle, I wander in the everlasting darkness
If I stay here, I won't ever be able to see the future again
(Isamu watches as Rafiki paints a picture of him, Luna, and two humans with the Lion Guard)
(Luna watches Kiara and Simba speaking in a daughter and father conversation, before she frowns)
Tonight's moon is inviting again and I still can't say those words, but I kept shouting them in my heart
(Erika prepares herself to begin her duties as a member of the Lion Guard, along with Cole)
(Isamu and Luna faces the twins as they all smile at each other)
My hidden feelings are crying out as I hold an absolute vow
(The four kids run with the Lion Guard, all preparing to face Janja and his clan)
(Umbreon, Arcanine, Ninetales all appear together)
(Simba and Nala watches the Pride Lands on Pride Rock)
(A silhouette of a spirit sneers as fire surrounds him)
If I can be just a little stronger
Then I'll go beyond this sky in front of my eyes
(Isamu and Luna hold hands together as new enemies come to face the two and their new comrades)
(Mufasa smiles down at the Guard and the four humans bonding together)
Then I'll reach out toward the future that lies ahead
(Isamu looks up at the sky before he's splashed by Bunga's dive as he blinks to see others laughing at him)
(Seeing how fun they were having, the elder brother joins his new friends and Luna)
(Opening ends)
"That's right... Easy there!" Beshte said calmly. The others were doing their work of calming the gazelle herd down. By the time they stopped, the other members of the Lion Guard were altogether, except for two.
"You're all okay now!" Beshte assured with Bunga adding in another fact.
"Yeah... Kion's chased those hyenas back into the Outlands!" Bunga assured, causing Luna to blink before Fuli spoke up in confusion.
"Hold on... Where did Isamu go? Wasn't he supposed to be with you, Umbreon, and Typhlosion, Luna?" Fuli asked, causing the twins and the other members to turn to the three before Typhlosion spoke up.
"He went after Kion to help him out... Although... He and the cub are taking a bit longer than I thought they were..." Typhlosion explained before he admitted that something was amiss.
Umbreon's ears flattened a little. She knew what this could mean: trouble for both her human brother and the lion cub.
"That doesn't sound good... Ono, can you fly ahead and tell us where those two are?" Erika asked, causing the egret to nod in response.
"Affirmative!" Ono replied as he flew up to search for their two missing friends. But as he looked to his left, he widened his eyes as his keen sight allowed him to see... both Kion and Isamu being dragged away by the river currents!
"Hapana!" Ono gasped as he flew back to where the others were.
"Everyone! Everyone! It's Kion and Isamu! They're both in trouble! Come on!" Ono called out as he flew ahead.
"No... I knew this would happen." Luna whispered as Typhlosion allowed the girl to get on. Erika and Cole transformed into lion cubs once again as everyone headed to where the boys could be.
Back to Isamu and Kion...
The two young ones were still being dragged away by the rough river currents. With the two of them being wet, it was getting harder for them to hold onto the log they were holding onto so they wouldn't drown.
"Whoa... Woah... WHOA!" Kion couldn't help but cry out as he was being dragged away with Isamu on his side. The elder Ketchum brother on the other hand, struggled to try and find something that could help him and the lion cub out of the situation they were in.
"KION!"
"ISAMU!"
Bunga and Luna called out to the boys, causing them to give quick glances at their friends running after them as they struggled to hold onto the log.
"Hang on, guys! We're coming!" Bunga called out as he dove into the water to go after the two, much to Beshte's surprise as they tried to stop the reckless honey badger.
"Little B, don't! The current's too strong!" Beshte called out, only to watch Bunga dive into the water.
"That honey badger..." Cole grunted as he kept running with Erika at his side.
"Ono! Keep pace with Kion and Isamu!" Fuli called out, causing the egret to fly ahead.
"Right!" Ono exclaimed as he flew after his two friends. As the group continued to run, Typhlosion glanced down to see Bunga struggling to swim across the river, as the currents were dragging him down and away as well.
"Someone get the little guy out of there!" Typhlosion called out, only for Beshte to jump into the river and save the honey badger by pulling him up with his big mouth. Coughing out water, the honey badger grinned weakly before he turned to his strongest savior.
"Thanks, Big B..." Bunga said sheepishly as the Fire Type glared at "bravest" member of the Guard.
"You little... You would've drowned if Beshte hadn't saved you there..." Typhlosion grunted bitterly before he continued to run ahead with Luna on his back and Umbreon at his left. Erika and Cole followed as Bunga watched them leave.
"What's with Typhlosion...?" Bunga asked, causing Fuli to sigh.
"It's probably because of the stunt you pulled just now that would've made you drown, Bunga!" Fuli snapped, causing the young honey badger to flinch.
Back to Isamu and Kion, the two were dragged across the river as Ono tried to catch up with the two to save them.
"Hang in there, Kion! Isamu!" Ono called out as he was getting closer to the young ones. But just as he was about to do something, the egret widened his eyes for what's up ahead!
"Oh no! Kion! Isamu! Look out! Rocks! Straight ahead!" Ono called out, causing the two to look back and widen their eyes at the danger that's ahead of them.
"W-Whoa!"
"No way..."
The two gasped as they yelled in surprise. With the currents getting stronger, the two were dragged across the more stronger currents. As the river dragged them down, they bumped into rocks and cliff walls!
And it started to get worse when they lost their grip on the log. The two sunk underwater, struggling to move along the currents until Isamu managed to press his right paw onto his left paw again. Engulfed in light, the mark allowed him to become human again.
In his human form, the elder Ketchum brother supported the lion cub by pulling him into his arm. Then, once he managed to get himself and Kion surfaced, Isamu managed to swim a little to where the nearest land was.
Pushing himself to reach it, the elder Ketchum brother got himself and the lion cub onto the rocky land as they fell down together weakly. What happened to them just now really tired them out, forcing the two of them to lie on the hard ground.
"*cough* *cough*…That was...*cough*…not fun at all." Isamu coughed as he placed his hand over his head, as Kion weakly turned to the human boy that saved him from drowning as he gave a weak smile.
"T-Thanks, Isamu..." Kion said gratefully, earning a small smile from the elder Ketchum brother.
"Anytime, Kion..." Isamu grunted as he forced himself to sit up, only to see the others running to see where they were from the other side of the river.
"Kion! Isamu! Are you two okay!?" Bunga called out, causing the two to turn to their comrades before they responded back differently.
"A little wet...*cough* *cough*... but I'm okay!" Kion coughed again as the elder Ketchum brother shook his head before he responded as well.
"I'm fine, too... It was just... ugh... a rough time for the both of us, that's all." Isamu grunted as Luna glared at the elder Ketchum brother, causing Isamu to flinch a little before he turned to see Umbreon eyeing at him in worry.
The same went for Typhlosion, though it wasn't too much. The Fire Type always knew that Isamu would be able to pull through despite on how dangerous the situation was, like what happened now.
Ono flew down, meeting with the two as he gave them a reminder of where they were right now.
"But you guys... Look! You both are over here! In the Outlands!" Ono pointed grimly, as he turned to where the rocky cliffs and boulders were.
"Yeah... We're aware of that, Ono." Isamu said as he stood up to see what's ahead. To the elder Ketchum brother's sight, there were nothing but rocks and rocky paths ahead. Not to mention that the cliffs looked a bit fragile.
One mistake could cost both him and Kion a lot if one of them made the wrong step.
"Isamu's right... And, it looks like we can take that trail upriver..." Kion pointed out, noticing the trail that headed up. The elder brother noticed this before he gave another glance to where the others were watching them in worry.
"Don't worry, Ono. We'll be fine. Besides, we don't have much of a choice. We definitely can't cross the river from here. The water's way too rough." Kion pointed out, which amused the elder brother as he turned to the leader for a suggestion.
"So what do you suggest we should do? Go into the Outlands and take the risk? From what you and your father told me and Luna, Kion... the Outlands doesn't seem to be a safe route for the both of us to take, especially since we're in the enemy's territory now." Isamu said seriously.
"Yeah... I know." was all Kion could say before he turned to the rest of the Guard and their comrades.
"Lion Guard! Meet us at Flat Ridge Rock! The two of us can cross the river from there!" Kion called out, much to the Guard's surprise and confusion. The twins were more confused as Luna frowned.
"Huh...?"
"Flat Ridge Rock...?" Beshte and Fuli couldn't help but question the name of the place Kion wanted everyone to meet up on.
"Where is that place...?" Cole asked as he and Erika didn't know much about the land too much.
"Well, I know EXACTLY where that is! Follow me!" Bunga called out as he led the others away, with the twins hesitating before they followed. Umbreon, Luna, and Typhlosion once again didn't move as the girl called out to her boyfriend.
"Isamu... When I see you again... you BETTER be okay, you hear me? I am to not see you injured or hurt or anything!" Luna called out sternly, causing the elder Ketchum brother to sweat drop at her for her demands.
"What are you, my Mom? You know me better than that, Luna..." Isamu grunted as he scratched the back of his head, while the lion cub watched the two of them talk in confusion.
"Try to be careful, bro. The lands over there doesn't seem safe." Typhlosion called out, earning a nod from the elder Ketchum brother. Umbreon didn't say anything but sigh as she left with Luna and Typhlosion to join with the others.
As soon as they were gone, the lion cub turned to Ono, assigning the young egret to stay with the others in case something weird happens.
"Ono!"
"Yes, Kion?"
"Better go with them. Make sure Bunga really does know where Flat Ridge Rock is!" Kion explained, earning a nod of understanding from the egret.
"Affirmative! Guys, wait up!" Ono called out as he flew after his friends. While he flew off, the lion cub turned to the human, gesturing him to follow.
"Come on." was all Kion needed to say to allow Isamu to nod before he turned into Eevee again by pressing his fingers on the Eevee tail mark on his left hand. With the rocky path and many obstacles they needed to go through, the eldest Ketchum brother knew he couldn't go through them as a human.
"It's a good thing this power was given to me before we came to this..." Isamu thought as he followed the leader of the Lion Guard to where Flatridge Rock could be. But as they were running together, they didn't notice that someone was spying on them from above.
Back to Luna...
Bunga was leading the others to the forest as he was confident that he could lead the others where Flat Ridge Rock was, though Cole and Typhlosion didn't seem to believe the young honey badger knew.
"Come on! Come on! We don't want Kion or Isamu waiting up at Flat Ridge Rock, wondering where we are!" Bunga insisted as he continued to take lead before Cole spoke up, his tone sounding a little suspicious about this.
"Bunga... You sure you know where Flat Ridge Rock is? This may be my first time hearing about the Rock, along with Erika and Luna, but..." Cole started to say, only for the honey badger to interrupt him with a reassuring look.
"Don't worry about it, Cole! I know what I'm doing!" Bunga assured as he continued to lead everyone to different paths. As they arrived to a clearing, the honey badger grinned, only to lose it when he realized that he led everyone to a dead end.
"What's wrong, little B?" Beshte asked, causing the honey badger to grin sheepishly while facing the others.
"Uh... Nothing!" Bunga said, causing Cole to face palm while Erika gave a sheepish smile. Luna sighed, not knowing what to say about this. Umbreon and Typhlosion looked at each other before they looked back at the young one leading them right now.
Fuli on the other hand, looked annoyed as she frowned at the honey badger.
"Bunga... Are you sure you know how to get to Flat Ridge Rock?" Fuli asked, causing Bunga to nod in assurance.
"Pfft... Of course I know! It's this way!" Bunga said confidently as he continued the lead to where Flatridge Rock might be. As they were walking, Cole muttered to his twin sister about the honey badger.
"Somehow... I'm getting the feeling that Bunga doesn't have a clue. Do you?" Cole asked, causing Erika to frown.
"Don't be so hard on him, Cole... He can be reckless sometimes, but at least he has a good heart." Erika reminded, quiet enough to let only Ono and Beshte hear.
"Yep... You're right about, Erika." Beshte agreed with Ono giving a sheepish expression.
"He's a good honey badger, but... he can make wrong decisions a few times." Ono added, earning a small glare from the cheetah.
"A few times? I know there's more than that, Ono..." Fuli said sharply, causing the egret to frown before the group continued on.
But as Bunga led the group to another path where there seemed to be a fork in the road up ahead, the young honey badger stopped suddenly, causing Fuli to bump into Beshte while Ono lost balance and fell onto Beshte's nose!
Umbreon accidentally bumps into Typhlosion who flinches at the sudden pause. The twins just blinked in surprise as they all turned to Bunga in confusion. The honey badger looked a little confused himself until he pointed back to where they were.
"Wait! No, no, no, no! It's this way!" Bunga corrected himself as he led everyone to another path. As they walked on, both Umbreon and Typhlosion looked at each other, realizing that this could be another dead end they're heading to.
"This little guy doesn't even know where we're going... It's just like back then when I went with Isamu and the others back at Johto..." Typhlosion thought as he shook his head.
"This is... rather weird." Umbreon thought with a sheepish smile. That smile dropped when she thought about her human brother, who was with Kion at the moment. At her feelings down, Luna took notice of this before she tried to comfort the Dark Type.
"Umbreon, don't worry... We'll see Isamu again when we get to the place we need to get to." Luna reassured softly, causing the Moonlight Pokémon to look up at her before a weak smile rose up to her face.
"Yes... I know, but you know that I can't help but worry." Umbreon reminded the young girl, causing her to nod in understanding.
"Sss... Going somewhere, Bunga?" A hissy voice asked, causing the girls to turn their attention to where Bunga had led them and the others! It was another dead end, but with a snake in the way!
Bunga flinched at the sight of the snake at the dead end before his smile rose back as he tried to lead everyone to a different direction.
"Nope! Gotta be this way!" Bunga called out as he took the lead again. This time, everyone looked at each other with knowing looks as they sighed before they all trailed after the honey badger once again.
But before they could follow him, the honey badger stopped a few seconds later as he looked around, only to see nothing but trees and bushes.
"Mm... Well, it's one of these ways..." Bunga said while Beshte frowned, knowing who they could use for help.
"Too bad Kion's not here to lead us." Beshte commented as Cole raised an eyebrow before he called to the honey badger with a stern tone.
"Uh, Bunga? You sure you know where the Flat Ridge Rock is? Because to us, you seem to be unsure of where we're going at the moment..." Cole asked, causing the honey badger to turn to Cole with a bright smile.
"Of course I do, Cole! It just has to be around one of these ways..." Bunga said as he looked around, before Cole spoke again.
"Okay... Can you tell us, then? Where are we right now?" Cole asked, causing the honey badger to blink before he gave a sheepish answer for everyone to hear.
"Sure! Uh... We're lost!" Bunga answered bluntly. At the immediate answer, both Umbreon and Typhlosion fell over while Luna fell back in bewilderment. The Lion Guard animals groaned in annoyance while the twin brother face palmed. The twin sister on the other hand sighed at this.
Back to Isamu and Kion...
The leader of the Guard and the elder Ketchum brother were making their way across the Outland to get to the Flatridge Rock.
"Hey, Kion." Isamu called out, causing Kion to glance at him.
"Yeah, Isamu?" was all Kion asked before the elder brother spoke to him.
"Have you ever been in the Outlands before? I mean, before you gained the Roar of the Elders?" Isamu asked as he walked besides the lion cub.
"Now that you ask, no... I haven't. I've been told to never go in the Outlands because of how dangerous it was. But now that we're here, I can see what Dad meant by that..." Kion explained as he looked around. The cliff walls and boulders looked a bit unstable, threatening to fall at some point.
Pebbles and rocks crumbled down, causing the lion cub to frown as he and Isamu kept walking. But as they continued to walk, the Eevee turned human stopped for a moment as he narrowed his eyes before looking around.
"Isamu? Is something wrong?" Kion asked, before the elder brother spoke back.
"No... I thought I heard something, but... I guess it was my imagination." Isamu started to say before he heard something from behind him. Jumping back to see what came to him, the Eevee spun quickly, only to see...
"Ugh... Crumbling rocks." Isamu grumbled, causing the lion cub to give him a sympathetic look. But before one of them could speak to each another, a new voice chimed in, catching both of their attention.
"Hello!" A female voice cried out. Both boys turned to see... a hyena jumping down to greet them! They both widened their eyes at the sight of the female hyena as the newcomer laughed at the expressions the boys were giving off.
"Surprise! Ah ha ha! Didn't know I was up here, didja?" The female hyena laughed before she lowered down to confront the two as Isamu frowned.
"So this was the presence I kept feeling while we were moving. And to think it was a hyena, out of all the animals or things it could've been. The question, who is she supposed to be? An ally or an enemy? Judging by Kion's expression, though..." Isamu thought before Kion stuttered out his words.
"N-No, I... I knew you were there the whole time... Hyena!" Kion growled, causing the hyena to roll her eyes at the final word.
"Yep! I'm a hyena, alright! You Pride Landers are SO clever... Ha ha ha ha! Especially you two! Kion, Leader of the Lion Guard and Isamu, the human that's what do you call it? Oh, right! An Eevee!" The hyena smirked, catching both Kion and Isamu by surprise.
"You know us?" Kion asked as the elder Ketchum brother frowned.
"Just by reputation! The mark on your shoulder is a giveaway, though! And the same goes for that tail mark that's on your paw too, human!" The hyena laughed, causing Isamu to blink before he realized she was gesturing to the Eevee tail mark that was on his paw.
"How...?" Isamu breathed out as the hyena just giggled.
"You see... I've heard everything about you, human. Ever since those twins became new members of the Lion Guard, and when you and your girlfriend showed up to the Pride Lands with your, um... Pokémon... I think? Well anyways, word has spread out all over! Even in the Outlands!" The hyena explained smoothly.
The explanation left the elder Ketchum brother surprised. Kion was more surprised as well before he raised a question to the new hyena.
"So... You're not in Janja's clan?" Kion asked, causing the hyena to scoff.
"Janja? Yeah... That's a good one." The hyena scoffed before she jumped down to the boys' level.
"What are you two doing in the Outlands? Not exactly your territory. That goes for you too, human." The hyena said, causing the elder Ketchum brother to narrow his eyes in frustration.
"First up, I would prefer it if you call me by my real name, especially since you know what it is. And secondly, we're well aware that this isn't where we're supposed to be at the moment... hyena." Isamu said, using the same tone as Kion did with the last word.
That seemed to make the new hyena tense a little as Kion spoke up.
"Isamu's right. We're going to Flat Ridge Rock, so we can get back to the Pride Lands. If that's okay with you... hyena." Kion explained seriously before making the hyena tense again by calling her that.
"The name's Jasiri. And if you both are headed back to the Pride Lands, you're going the wrong way." The hyena, now known as Jasiri explained while shaking her head. The lion cub narrowed his eyes while the Eevee frowned.
"Uh huh... And we should trust a hyena, because...?" Kion started to ask before Jasiri explained with an annoyed expression.
"Because I want you both out of my territory." Jasiri said bluntly, causing the elder Ketchum brother to sigh.
"That's just what we're about to do. And how do you know which way is which? You don't seem to be the type to go out of your territory or something." Isamu asked, causing the female hyena to smirk at his question.
"That's a silly question. Of course I sometimes go out of my territory. Just staying in the Outlands is a little boring if it happens too long. So, there are only rare times when I would check out the Pride Lands." Jasiri explained.
The elder Ketchum brother raised an eyebrow before Kion nudged him, asking him to move.
"Let's go, Isamu..." Kion called out, causing Isamu to glance at the hyena again before he followed the lion cub. The two began again to try and make their way out of the Outlands. While they were leaving, the female hyena gave another giggle.
"You two are going the wrong way, you know?" Jasiri called out as she followed after them.
Back to Luna and the others...
After Ono flew out of the forest, the young egret managed to find a way for him and the others to leave the forest and out into the plains and hills.
"Thanks for getting us out of the woods, Ono..." Erika said gratefully, earning a smile from the young egret.
"No problem! But... I don't know which way to go from here. I've never been to Flat Ridge Rock!" Ono admitted, causing the twins to shake their heads as well.
"We haven't been to most parts of the Pride Lands when you guys brought us here, so we don't know either..." Cole admitted, before Fuli and Beshte spoke.
"Neither have I."
"Me neither."
Luna shook her head, with Umbreon and Typhlosion doing the same.
"This is the first when we've been this far away from Pride Rock. Not to mention, this is only our second day here..." Luna reminded sadly. As everyone admitted their lack of knowledge to where Flat Ridge Rock is, they all turned to Bunga, who blinked at everyone staring at him.
"Well... It's probably around here somewhere." Bunga assured nervously as he looked around.
"Somewhere where?" Cole asked simply, causing the honey badger to smile sheepishly before he shrugged.
"This is going to take forever if we keep this up." Typhlosion sighed, annoyed with everything that was going on. Umbreon smiled at her Fire Type brother, feeling sorry for how he was feeling as Beshte pointed out of what he was seeing.
"All I see are grass, trees, and zebras!" Beshte pointed out, causing Fuli to groan in annoyance as she sat on the ground.
"Ugh! I can't believe we don't know where to go! We're the Lion Guard! Ugh... This NEVER happens when Kion's around!" Fuli snapped, causing Erika to try and calm down the annoyed cheetah down.
"Cheer up, Fuli. Maybe we can go around and ask other animals if they know where Flat Ridge Rock is. That could make things easier for us so we won't have to endlessly search around." Erika suggested, causing Beshte to grin at the idea.
"Great idea, Erika!" Beshte exclaimed. But just before someone else could respond to the idea, they were joined by a zebra that seemed to be the leader of the zebra herd that was near them.
"Hello, Lion Guard! And hello to you too, young humans. I couldn't help but overhear that you need directions?" A zebra called out, as he walked over to them.
"Yeah! We do! Do you know where Flatridge Rock is?" Bunga asked, causing the zebra to raise an eyebrow.
"Flat Ridge Rock? Uh... oh! Is that near Ukuni Woods? Or Big Springs?" The zebra asked, causing Cole to shake his head before he tried to explain.
"Uh... Actually, we don't know where it is. That's why we were wondering if you know where it is." Cole explained, causing the zebra to chuckle before he gave the bad news.
"I see... Well, that's too bad. I'm not sure where it is. Now... Where was I going?" The zebra explained before he asked, as he looked around, seemingly clueless on what he was about to do.
"Where was he going? Is he seriously asking himself that?" Typhlosion asked with a sweat drop as Umbreon gave a sigh.
"Uh... Maybe back to your herd?" Beshte asked, reminding the zebra of what he was going to do.
"Oh! Of course! Thank you!" The zebra said as he walked back to where his herd was. As he was gone, Ono shook his head in disbelief.
"Zebras... Ugh... They never know where they're going. I'm starting to understand on how you feel now, Typhlosion." Ono said, earning a small nod from the big Fire Type. As the egret and the Fire Type agreed together with one thing, an idea came to Beshte's mind.
"Hey! We could ask Mbeya the rhino! He knows the Pride Lands on the back of his horn!" Beshte suggested, causing Fuli to smile in satisfaction.
"Great! Any idea where we can find Mbeya?" Fuli asked, allowing the friendly hippo to give a good guess on where the big rhino could be at.
"This time of the day, Mbeya usually hangs out at the watering hole!" Beshte explained, causing Luna to blink in realization.
"The watering hole...? Oh... Now that you mention it, you guys found us near where the watering hole was, right? The day when we were sent here by King Mufasa." Luna reminded, causing Erika to nod in response.
"Mm... You and Isamu took us by surprise by your sudden appearance." Erika said softly, with Cole nodding in affirmation.
"Yeah! Watering hole, here we come!" Bunga exclaimed as he started to take the lead again, only for Typhlosion to pull him back, confusing the young honey badger as he watched to see the Volcano Pokémon turn to the young egret.
"Hey, Ono. Mind if you take the lead this time?" Typhlosion asked, causing Ono to smile and nod in understanding.
"Affirmative! Follow me!" Ono exclaimed as he flew up to lead the others to where the watering hole could be. As everyone followed him, Bunga was about to walk the other way until Fuli called out to him sternly.
"This way, Bunga." Fuli spoke out, causing the honey badger to flinch before he began to follow after his friends.
"I... uh, was taking a shortcut!" Bunga explained as they all headed to where the rhino could be.
Back to Isamu and Kion...
The lion cub and the Eevee were continuing to make their way to find the Flat Ridge Rock. But as they were moving together, the human turned Eevee narrowed his eyes before he glanced back to see who was behind him.
"She's trailing us. You know that, right?" Isamu asked bluntly, causing the lion cub to nod in affirmation.
"Yeah... I do." Kion said as they turned to see the female hyena following them, much to Kion's annoyance.
"Still following us?" Kion asked crossly, causing the female hyena to roll her eyes before she explained her reason.
"Well, you're both ignoring my advice." Jasiri stated, causing Isamu to narrow his eyes as the lion cub shot back with a glare.
"About going the wrong way? Huh. I'm sure I'm heading towards Flat Ridge Rock." Kion grunted as he climbed the rocks to get to the top of the cliff, with Isamu struggling to follow him from behind. Jasiri continued to follow as she smirked at the two.
"Maybe so, but you can't get there on this trail!" Jasiri insisted, causing the elder Ketchum brother to glance back at the female hyena.
"Oh? And why is that?" Isamu grunted as he and Kion climbed to the top. The female hyena smirked before she gave a quick answer.
"Because the trail ends... here!" Jasiri called out before she started to laugh.
"What... AH!" Kion yelped as he started to fall.
"LOOK OUT!" Isamu yelled as he quickly grabbed onto Kion's neck with his mouth. But due to the lion cub suddenly starting to fall fast, the elder Ketchum brother was dragged along, causing the both of them to fall into the thorns!
The two winced in pain from how prickly the thorn was as they watched to see Jasiri coming down to where the two trapped ones were.
"Hevi Kabisa!" Kion exclaimed as he braced himself to be attacked.
"How did this happen to us...?" Isamu grunted as he tried to move, despite of the prickly thorns that were piercing his furry body a little.
Back to Luna and the others...
With Ono leading the Lion Guard and the humans and Pokémon to where the watering hole was, they managed to spot Mbeya the rhino relaxing, just as Beshte said he would. With Beshte taking the lead, he began to talk with the rhino.
But apparently, the friendly hippo was somehow taking longer than he should, as the others were starting to get a little impatient for how long Beshte was going.
"Ugh... How long can it possibly take to ask for directions for Flat Ridge Rock? They've been talking forever." Fuli asked in annoyance.
"Maybe they're talking more than just directions." Erika guessed as Typhlosion shook his head.
"Well... That can explain one thing." Typhlosion stated plainly, as Umbreon sighed.
"I just hope Isamu is alright with Kion. I mean, I know I can trust him to be fine, but..." Umbreon stated in worry, only for Typhlosion to reassure her.
"Hey, sis? Don't worry about it. Isamu is stronger than we think, so I know he'll be fine. I worry for him too, but I have faith that he'll be fine." Typhlosion spoke softly in reassurance.
The Moonlight Pokémon gave a glance at the Volcano Pokémon before she sighed again.
"I hope you're right." Umbreon said in reluctance, much to the Fire Type's dismay as he frowned at his Dark Type sister for the constant worry looks she was showing because of their human brother.
"Perhaps I should go talk to him." Ono suggested as he flew up to meet up with the friendly hippo and the big rhino.
"...You get to be my age, you never know what might happen." Mbeya was explaining, causing the friendly hippo to laugh at the words that he was given. But just as he was about to enjoy more, Ono flew over, interrupting the enjoying moment.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Beshte! We have to meet with Kion and Isamu? To Flat Ridge Rock?" Ono reminded sternly, causing the hippo to blink before he said his quick goodbye to the big rhino.
"Oh yeah! Guess I better be going! See ya later, Mbeya!" Beshte called out, causing the rhino to say his goodbye, too.
"Later, Beshte..." The big rhino grunted as he watched the two Lion Guard members reunite with the others. By the time the two got there, Fuli was already asking the questions of what the big rhino had said.
"So? What did he say?" Fuli asked.
"You won't believe it! Remember the heat wave we had yesterday?" Beshte asked, causing Luna to blink before she remembered on how hot it was.
"Oh yes... That was scorching hot... And it happened on the day we arrived here." Luna said, remembering that time until Umbreon asked this time.
"We know it was hot because we felt the heat yesterday, Beshte. And? What else did Mbeya say?" Umbreon asked, allowing the friendly hippo to answer differently this time.
"He forgot to cover himself with mud! Ha ha ha!" Beshte laughed, causing the two Pokémon to sweat drop while Erika winced at the mention of mud. Luna just gave a sheepish smile while Bunga was confused.
"Why would Mbeya want to cover himself with mud, Big B?" Bunga asked curiously, allowing Cole to explain.
"That's because by covering themselves with mud, the rhinos wouldn't get sunburn...I'm sure it's common knowledge around here, right?" Cole explained, earning nods from both Fuli and Ono.
"Uh, Beshte? What sis and Fuli meant was on what did he say about the directions?" Typhlosion asked, causing the friendly hippo to blink before he chuckled with a question of his own.
"Typhlosion... You don't need directions to cover yourself with mud. Just find a nice mud puddle and roll in it!" Beshte chuckled, causing the Volcano Pokémon to fall over before he shook his head in annoyance.
"Wha...!? I-I wasn't talking about directions for the mud bathing! I meant... what did he say about the directions for the Flat Ridge Rock? That's why we came here to see him in the first place, remember?" Typhlosion asked, his face growing red a little.
Luna and Umbreon quickly calmed the Volcano Pokémon down a little as he was starting to get a little hot. Beshte noticed this too before he sheepishly realized what the Volcano Pokémon meant now.
"Oh yeah! The directions to Flat Ridge Rock... I forgot to ask." Beshte said nervously, causing Typhlosion to fall over again while Luna and Umbreon both sweat dropped at the blunt response.
"Be right back!" Beshte said sheepishly before he went over to speak with the rhino once again. As he went, Luna slowly knelt to Typhlosion, noticing on how upset and annoyed he looked as of now.
"This is hopeless.. Utterly hopeless..." Typhlosion groaned, causing Umbreon to smile sadly at her Fire Type brother. She nuzzled his face to comfort the Fire Type as Cole scratched the back of his head.
"I bet Kion and Isamu are almost there by now..." Cole grumbled, with Bunga making his agreement.
"Yeah! Kion would never forget something like that!" Bunga added, only to earn looks from the others.
"You're one to talk..." Luna, Cole, and Erika thought together before they all sighed.
To be continued...
Events that occurred:
- Isamu and Luna confront Janja and his minions for the first time
- Isamu and Kion meet a hyena named Jasiri