When Hope's group looked around, they were in a strange cave like area with sharp teeth and wrecked ships.
"I think...we're been here before." Riku said before seeing an old man. "That's...Geppetto!"
"This anatomy…" Gundham said. "We are in the bowels of a large whale!"
"We're what? How does that even work?" Fuyuhiko asked.
"I know what you're thinking, belly of the whale." Hope said.
"Its…. new to us, to say the least." Sonia said.
"I thought this place looked familiar. This is Monstro's belly." Zephyr said.
"Okay, so were in a whale. And that old guy, Geppetto?" Hiyoko asked.
"Yeah. I've been here before." Riku said approaching the ship as the others followed.
"Hmm?" Geppetto said. "And who are all of you?"
"I'm Riku, and these are my friends." Riku said.
"You poor children. You got swallowed by Monstro like the rest of us. My name is Geppetto and I am looking for my son Pinocchio." Geppetto said.
"Did he happen to go further into his belly?" Hope asked.
"He did, but how did you know?" Geppetto asked.
"You… wouldnt exactly believe us." Hope said.
"Are you really going to help find Pinocchio?" asked a voice as they saw Jiminy standing nearby.
"Huh? Jiminy?" Hope asked.
"Yes. That's me. Jiminy Cricket. Have we met?" Jiminy said.
"No you havent. We would be said otherwise." Hope said.
"I suppose you got a point there." Jiminy said. "Anyway, Pinocchio comes first.".
"So come on." Hope said.
"Sure thing." Jiminy said hopping onto rikus shoulder. "We gotta go after Pinocchio and the stranger in the black coat he followed."
"Stranger in a black coat. He's back again." Riku said to himself.
They pressed further inward into the whale where they soon saw Pinocchio with a cloaked figure.
"Pinocchio!" Jiminy said.
"Oh! Jiminy!" Pinocchio said.
"Let him go now!" Riku said.
The figure just gave Pinocchio a shove as he ran to Jiminy.
"Now….who the heck are you?" Hope demanded.
The figure pulled back their hood to reveal Riku's own face.
"You're…." Riku said before it vanished.
"Wow. As I leave and breathe." Jiminy said.
"That was...my darkside." Riku said. "I gave into the darkness once. And ever since, it chased me around in one form or another. A Seeker of Darkness who stole my body, a puppet replica of the shadows of my heart...and now, I'm facing me."
The then heard a rumble and a roar.
"Well that doesnt sound good." Ibuiki said.
"You think?" Hiyoko asked.
"Stay here with Jiminy, Pinochio. Were gonna check it out." Hope said.
Going further into the stomach, they saw Chill Clawbster firing lasers frantically all around Monstro's stomach wall.
"Hey! What do you think youre doing?" Hope said.
Chill Clawbster was then engulfed in gastric acids, melting its shell revealing a new form. It was bright red and shooting out fire.
"It changed." Gemini said.
"Okay...Char Clawbster, a lobster dream eater with power over fire." Hope said.
They then heard another rumble.
"Is monstro acting up again?" Riku said.
"Nah, her stomachs just grumblin." Nekomaru said as he held Akane who was drooling.
"Hope, lobster meat is tasty, right?" Akane asked.
"We beat this thing, then we see if we can cook it up." Hope said.
But before it could attack, something huge appeared behind it and devoured it. The group was surprised to see a large black creature with a huge mouth over its stomach and large claws.
"Gah! Ultra Beast alert!" Hiyoko said.
"Man, that thing scarfed it down almost as fast as Akane on meat nights." Kazuichi said.
"Its UB-05 Glutton." Hope said.
It just roared loudly as it turned its attention to the group.
"I dont think it likes its code name." Sonia said.
"Actually...I think we're its next meal!" Ichiro said.
It roared as it marched right towards them.
"No one ruins my idea of a new meat sampling! Its on!" Akane said.
"Lets go." RIku said as they charged in.
"Careful, its a dragon/dark type!" Hope said.
"Got it." Riku said as he attacked the top part of Glutton's body dealing some good damage. It retaliated with a large Thrash Attack all over the stomach.
"This thing really knows how to fight. Good. Its not a pushover." Akane said easily countering its thrashing claws.
"Its not gonna be easy to push this thing back." Riku said as he kept going at it.
"Finally, an exuse to use the new gadget Tails gave me." Akane said clipping on the arm device with the seum.
"Hey, isnt that my…?" Terueru asked.
"Yeah, I requested tails to perfect that stuff. Minus what you did that day which trashed the classroom. Its no longer a doping thing anymore." Hope said.
But before Akane could drink it, the creature knocked it out of her hands and swallowed it.
"Crap." Hope said.
The Ultra Beast then started coughing after ingesting it and turn away from them.
"Huh? Its supposed to be beefing up." Teruteru said.
"Wait a second…" Hope said seeing Glutton cringe. "The stuff in that serum builds up on people, but Ultra Beasts have the opposite effect, we poisoned it!"
The Ultra Beast then began to fade from their sight.
"Huh? It must have woken up after ingesting that." Riku said.
"Hey, Glutton. Before you go, at least tell us your real name." Hope said.
It just roared at Hope before completely vanishing.
"I under stood him. His name is known as...Guzzlord! His story is the same as the other beast the others fought. Somehow, humans dragged him here." Gundham said.
"Guzzlord, huh?" Hope said. "I get the feeling hes gonna be after us personally once we get to alola."
"Yeah. When we get to Alola, things will be tough." Riku said.
"Wait, we?" Hope asked.
"After the test is over...I'm coming with. I wanna see what this Ultra Beast Phenomenon is all about." Riku said.
"Riku, you are always gonna be a member of this team." Hope said.
"Thanks." Riku said as they saw the keyhole and Riku unlocked it. "So lets work together, as teammates."
Back in Radiant Garden, Lea was returning to the library with Sheath. "Where are they? I've turned this castle upside down." Lea said returning to see Ienzo and Aeleus looking. "Hey, are the other two still out cold?"
"Dilan and Even are conscious again. But still unstable. They're resting inside." Aeleus said.
"Sheath go sweepy castle grounds." Sheath said.
"Don't. If they were back, we would have found them by now." Aeleus said.
"So you think they were blasted off to some other world or what?" Lea asked.
"It is highly improbable. When both heart and body are rejoined, they should have returned to where they had fallen. Yet strangely, you awoke in Paris and not here, where you did fall." Ienzo said.
"Huh. I guess thats where I was last." Lea said. "Wait, that was where I fought with...Xion. I get it. Another of the Universe's cruel jokes."
"I do find it strange they aren't here." Ienzo said.
"Man, what a drag. I fought against Ouma for my life and end up not seeing everyone here." Lea moaned. "You know what, Sheath. We're gonna go bring them back ourselves."
"Yay! Sheath follow Mr. Lea!" Sheath said.
"That's right. Man, why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs?" Lea said.