Catching Up and Learning Something New

Now that Yugi and his friends knew where the Cobalt Star shard was, it was only a matter of time before the divine Pokémon sovereign would request their presence. Until then, they agreed to stay with Lugia and explore the Whirl Islands with him.

There was a corner of the island that humans didn't normally like to explore, so it was safe for Lugia to come to the surface. They played on the shores and reefs and swam in the water. Even the Pokémon were enjoying themselves.

In the evening, while the heroes were resting, Lugia asked Emily if he could speak to her Pokémon. She said it was all right and she released them from their Pokéballs. None of them knew what it was about, but they distanced themselves from their trainer and joined Lugia for a private conversation.

"Oh, Lugia, it's a great honor to be in your presence," Undine said respectfully.

"Emily's so lucky to be friends with you," said Shade.

Lugia was flattered. "It is not luck," he responded. "Us meeting together was fate."

That made something occur to Undine. "There's something I've been curious to know. How is it that legendary Pokémon like you know Emily?"

"Long ago, her mother and father were great friends even to legendary Pokémon," Lugia answers. "Her mother was actually once a student training under them. But how I personally know Emily is a different matter. I helped her and her friends to save mankind."

"What happened?" Sylphid asked.

"Before I answer, I need to know, are you all fond of Emily?"

The siblings faced each other as they were thinking about Lugia's question. Luna was the first to reply. "I love Emily very much. She's been so kind and good to us and she's taken good care of us."

Lumina agreed. "She's like a second mother to us. She's looked after us when we were ill or injured, she's comforted us when we were sad or scared, and she taught us about real strength."

"But it doesn't mean we love her more than we love our real mother," Salamando added. "And she's knows that as well."

"Emily's risking so much for us to help us find and reunite with our parents," said Shade.

Lugia was acknowledging their responses. "If you should find your parents, what will be the course of your journey?"

"We've been thinking a lot about that," said Sylphid. "I know it's selfish of me to speak for myself, but I love Emily and I'll never find another human like her. I wouldn't be who I am today without her. And I owe her for that. So I want to stay with her forever."

His siblings agree and say the same thing. "Emily helped us to grow in body and spirit," said Lumina. "And I want to return the favor by always being there for her not as a companion, but as a friend and a sister."

"She said we were family to her, and we think she's family too," said Luna. "We love traveling with Emily because we love Emily. So instead of going back to the wild, we'll remain as her Pokémon."

Lugia was not surprised to hear these words. "Your loyalty and devotion to the princess is true and I can see that she really has taken care of you and been more than a friend to you. I know because I had the same experiences long ago."

Undine was confused. "Princess? Did you say Emily is a princess?"

Lugia nods and asks, "Tell me, have any of you sensed a powerful force emanating from her body?" The siblings were thinking back. They had often recalled sensing something hidden inside of Emily. "The force you have been sensing lately is the Millennium Star."

"What's the Millennium Star?" Lumina asked.

Lugia began telling the story of the Battle of the Gods and how Millennia and Cobalt were turned into stars and how they had warriors fighting on their behalf. "Princess Emily and her friends are descendants of warriors of Millennia. They have been sent by the Great Goddess herself to find and gather the shards of the Cobalt Star."

"That's right," Lumina muttered. "Emily and her friends have been talking about that a lot on the journey. We didn't realize what any of it meant." She looks back at Emily, then faces Lugia again and asks, "Why did she never tell us who she really was?"

"Princess Emily could not tell you because she and her friends come from a world where Pokémon exist only in stories," Lugia answered. "It is a place where you could never belong no matter how much you would wish to stay with her."

The siblings silently gasped at that. If that was true, then none of them would be able to go home with Emily. They would have to stay in their own world.

"But you must understand," Lugia was saying, "though you and the princess will be worlds apart, your bonds will last. But be honest with me, does this discovery change your feelings towards your trainer?"

The siblings remained silent as they faced each other. They didn't appreciate that Emily was keeping a strong secret from them. But was it something to be upset about? They said they loved her. Luna stepped forward and was the first to answer. "No." Her brothers and sisters gave the same response.

Lugia smiled. "Very well. Now go to her." And he dives back into the water.

The siblings looked and saw Emily walking on the shoreline looking for some beach treasure to collect like shells and stones. As she saw them looking up at her, she assumed, "You all look like you have something to say."

"We do," said Undine. "We know who you really are. We found out from Lugia."

Emily silently gasped. She looked at her Pokémon with great remorse. "I'm sorry."

"When were you going to tell us?" Lumina asked. "You know, about being a princess with incredible powers and being chosen by a goddess to carry out a mission."

"Were you ever going to tell us?" Shade wondered. "If not, then that's fine."

But it wasn't fine. "I didn't think any of you would have believed me if I told you from the beginning. And you already had your own problems. I didn't want my mission to get in the way of helping you find your family. I was afraid that if I did, you would think I would be using you for selfish ambitions." Thinking about it caused tears to fill Emily's eyes.

Luna approaches Emily and kisses her. "Please don't cry, Emily. We know now and that's what counts."

"That's true," said Sylphid. "And if your journey was in our way, we'd let you know. But we've had so much fun traveling with you. Not to mention it's been good for us."

"Sylphid's right," Salamando said in agreement. "If we had never met you and had just gone back to find our parents, we wouldn't have lasted out there. Traveling with you has kept us safe and made us stronger."

"And if helping you fulfill you mission will return the favor, we'll do it," said Shade. "Because we'll still be helping each other. You'll be helping us find our parents and we'll help you get the Cobalt Star shard you need."

Emily couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Do you all really mean that?"

Luna nods. "We love you, Emily, and we want you to be happy like you want us to be happy. And if we can't go back with you to your world, then it's okay. We can wait for you to come back for us."

Lumina agreed. "We just have to build a home we can share."

Emily smiled and hugged her Pokémon. "Thank you all. And I'm sorry."

Lugia sighed as he watched Emily bonding with her Pokémon. He was pleased to know that he was right and none of them harbored bitter feelings. But watching them made him feel a little sick at heart. It had been so long since he last shared the same experience with his old friends and now they were gone. But perhaps he could relive it again with his new friends.

Lugia approached the shoreline. "Princess Emily," he softly called.

"Oh, hi, Lugia," she told him. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, of course," he told her. "I was just wondering, have you been happy since you came here?"

She nods and says, "After we defeated the Leviathan, my friends and I were promised that we would get to come to your world someday too and live in it. We've been looking forward to that day since then. And now that we're here, it's just as we were promised it would be. I can't wait to tell the rest of my friends back home about the world of Pokémon when I get back. And I'll come back here and share with them all I've learned and seen." She pauses and remembers, "But I'll have to face Arceus for the Cobalt Star shard before I can."

"That time will come soon," Lugia promises her. "You know, Princess, I am awfully glad that you and your friends are here."

Emily smiles and approaches Lugia to pet him. "We were promised that we would meet you again. And it's really great to see you."

He turns around and gestures for her to climb on his back. "Come with me," he offers. "I want to show you my world."

Emily becomes excited, but before climbing on, she starts thinking about her friends. "But what about Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba? I'd ask if they can come along, but I don't think you'll be able to carry them. I remember you did manage to carry all of us once before, but maybe this time could be different."

Lugia didn't want the boys to feel left out either. He still could carry everybody at once, but the journey would be long. Then he got an idea. "I can carry two at a time. You can bring a partner with you and I can take the other half of the team on a ride as well."

"Good idea," Emily said in agreement. She returns her Pokémon in their Pokéballs and approaches her friends. "Hey, guys, Lugia's going to take me for a ride. He said I could bring one of you with me, but he can take the rest of you on a ride too. Do any of you want to come?"

It sounded exciting. Yugi decided to go along with her and Kaiba and Joey decided to ride together for their turn. Together, they climbed on Lugia's back. Before Lugia can fly, he has to get under the surface first. So he swims deeper under the water, then picks up enough thrust as he returns to the surface and starts flying.

Just as his friends from the past made him a part of their world, it was his turn to make his new friends a part of his world. As he got higher into the sky, he began singing.

I can show you the world

Shining, shimmering, splendid

Tell me, my friends, now when did you last let your hearts decide?

I can open your eyes

Take you wonder by wonder

Over, sideways, and under on the most magical ride

As Lugia began diving through the clouds, Yugi started singing, A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view

No one to tell us 'no' or where to go or say we're only dreaming

Emily joined in and sang, A whole new world, a dazzling place I never knew

But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear that now I'm in a whole new world with you

Now I am in a whole new world with you, Lugia sang.

Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling, Emily was singing, Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky

A whole new world

Don't you dare close your eyes, Yugi sang as he removed her hands from her eyes. They were now getting lower, but still above the ground. They were no longer in Johto, but now flying above Kalos.

A hundred thousand things to see, continued Emily.

Hold your breath, it gets better, Yugi added. Then they saw Ash and Pikachu and their friends Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie and waved at them. Ash and his friends were amazed to see Lugia in the sky. He and Serena and Bonnie and Pikachu waved back at them. Clemont was working on another invention, but as he looked in amazement, by taking his eyes off of his work, it went up in smoke and got everyone dirty and gave them frizzy hair.

Trying not to laugh, Emily continues singing. I'm like a shooting star, I've come so far, I can't go back to where I used to be

A whole new world, Yugi sang as they were coming to the Unova Region.

Every turn a surprise, Emily added. She saw the Swords of Justice Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, and Keldeo galloping through the plains. Lugia lowered himself so she could reach and pet them. Keldeo was tickled by the feeling of her hand in his mane.

Yugi petted Cobalion and sang, With new horizons to pursue

Every moment, red letter, Emily sang as they were getting higher above the ground again.

Together, Yugi and Emily were singing, I'll chase them anywhere, there's time to spare, let me share this whole new world with you

Yugi picked a Gracedia Flower and gave it to Emily. A whole new world

A whole new world, she echoed.

That's where we'll be, Yugi sang.

That's where we'll be, Emily repeated.

Thrilling chase, Yugi added.

A wondrous place, Emily sang.

For you and me, they finished together and began holding hands. Lugia didn't mind that it was starting to get romantic between the two. He understood how much they loved each other. But it was time for him to take them back to Joey and Kaiba, who were still waiting for their turn.

Lugia safely brought them back to the Whirl Islands. Joey was ready to go, but Kaiba saw that Lugia looked a little tired and decided to let him rest. Joey agreed. That would give him time to hear about the places Yugi and Emily visited.

Emily climbed off of Lugia's back. "Thank you for the ride, Lugia. I had a wonderful time."

"It was my pleasure, Princess," he insisted.

She notices a troubled expression on his face. "Is something wrong?"

Lugia clears his throat. "Forgive me. It has been so long since I was able to share such great experiences with my friends. Tonight was the most fun I ever had since… since…"

Emily understood what he was talking about. "You're thinking about Melinda, aren't you," she wondered, "and the times you shared with her."

He nods in sadness. "Although I have let her go, I still miss her and the rest of our friends."

Emily approaches him and gently pets him. "You only wanted her to be happy so you could be happy too and she wanted the same for you. If she were here today, she'd want you to start over and move ahead."

"That is why I was sent here," Lugia tells her. "I understand the burdens love can carry. But I must remember not to dwell on the past. Although I have let her go and she is at peace, I will still have her in my heart. And it is the same for your mother and father."

She nods in agreement. "I wish my father were here. He would have loved seeing you again and seeing this world."

Lugia consoles her by rubbing his head against hers. "I am sure he would be very proud of you, Princess; you and your friends. I miss him too, but he will always be our friend and in our hearts."

Emily smiles and hugs Lugia. "Thank you again, Lugia. I'm glad we're friends."

He places his wing over her to hug her. "So am I, Princess."