Plot-Scorbunny 7: The Girl With The Pendant Part 1
Author's note: This story takes place the same time as "Ghetsis's Revenge" and "Ashley and Sapphire vs. Ghetsis"
Boredom.
For someone as fun-loving, excitable and bubbly as Emerald Silverlock, it felt like the worst thing in the world. The girl in green lounged on the sofa with a loud sight to herself as she considered her current situation. There was nothing to do at the moment. None of the Pokémon needed caring for as it had all been done this morning, Sapphire was currently on holiday with Ashley Benson over in Unova and Ruby was currently away in Wyndon City to await her next Championship battle. The semi-finals were underway and Emerald wanted to watch the final between Ruby and the eventual winner of the semi-finals but that wouldn't take place until much later today and Emerald didn't want to be sat around doing nothing until then. There was currently nothing else on TV to watch before then and with her sisters gone, there was nobody to play with. She could play with her Pokémon, but for now they were taking a rest so nobody was up for playing. There were no contests currently scheduled for the time being so there was no drive to train some more either.
So what to do now? If Emerald lay on this sofa any longer, she'd die of boredom! The brunette girl ran her hands down her face in exasperation.
"It sucks when my sisters are out having all the fun and I'm stuck here alone." she moaned, "I hope my Pokémon decide to wake up soon so I can have SOMETHING to do around here!"
Then suddenly, Emerald realized something. Why was she sitting here feeling bored when there was something to do right in front of her face?
"Ah! That's it! I can see how Tony's doing." the coordinator decided, "Maybe he wants to do something with me."
She whipped out her Rotom phone and dialled Tony's number. She waited for a moment as Tony answered the phone.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Hi sweetie!" Emerald cooed cheerfully, "How are you today?"
"Ah, if it isn't the adorable voice of my little gem!" Tony said jovially, "I'm fine thank you. It's kind of a slow day for me so I'm glad you called."
"How funny, it's like that for me too." Emerald confirmed, "Ruby's waiting for her next opponent and Sapph's on holiday so it's just little old me on my lonesome for now. If you want, we can hang out together so we're not sitting around doing nothing?"
"Sure thing beautiful." Tony said brightly, "Got anything in mind?"
"How's about a bit of clothes shopping and lunch at the Captain's Table?" Emerald suggested, "We could maybe find some new outfits to wear for the next time a contest is occurring. I know I'm up for a new dress right now."
"Sounds alright to me." Tony said agreeably, "I haven't eaten at the Captain's Table for a while and I do like Hulbury Town so it'll be great to hang out there for the day."
"So that's that then!" Emerald said eagerly, "I don't want to be out all day though. I want us to be done before the evening as I'd hate to miss Ruby's next battle."
"I'm sure we'll be done before then so we won't miss anything." Tony reassured his girlfriend, "Do you want me to come over or…"
"No, it's OK, we can just meet up at Hulbury together." Emerald said, "I'll catch a Flying Taxi so I can get there as quickly as possible."
"OK, I'll do the same. See you there, little gem." Tony said warmly.
"You too sweetie." Emerald cooed, blowing kisses into the phone.
She hung up and headed out into the garden to pick six Pokémon to take with her for this trip out. At least now she wouldn't be bored anymore! A day out with Tony Summers would be just the ticket to give her something to do! As she made her way out into the garden, Emerald suddenly saw something in the corner of her eye. She looked up and saw there was something up in the sky. Emerald squinted and held a hand above her eyes to try and get a clearer look at this airborne object. It was too far to make out clearly but she could make out its shape at least. This was no Flying Taxi or plane. It looked like a blimp of some kind. That was unusual. When was the last time a blimp ever flew over Galar? This blimp didn't seem like any blimp she'd ever seen before. It looked as if it had a boat attached underneath it and was it her imagination or did the blimp seem to have wings near the back of it?
"Who knows what that weird contraption is…" Emerald murmured, "Never seen anything like that before. Maybe there's some kind of air show going on in the distance?"
She shrugged and put the blimp out of her mind. It was nothing to do with her so why bother thinking about it? Emerald headed over to the horde of Pokémon and selected her team to accompany her on her trip with Tony. She was sure that nothing bad was going to happen and the trip would go just fine but it never hurt to be on the safe side. Also it allowed some of them to get some time away from Postwick Town and see another town for a change. Now Emerald was ready, she called for a Flying Taxi to take her to Hulbury.
If Emerald had been able to see the blimp up close, she would've seen very quickly that it was no blimp at all. It was actually an airship and it was a flying contraption like nothing anybody had flown before. It was part blimp part boat and was able to fly and go on the water as a result of this unusual design. The wings at the back were able to fold together to form a battle arena for any battle training to take place. It sported an orange and yellow logo that resembled a Pikachu on the sides of the balloon. The airship was powered by burning coal and it used propellers in order to move through the sky. There was a captain's deck, a kitchen, an infirmary, a conference room, bedrooms for the crew to sleep in and an observation deck. The ship was called Brave Asagi and it was owned by a group of adventurers known as the Rising Volt Tacklers. The team consisted of the leader Professor Friede, a medic named Mollie, an engineer named Orla, a chef named Murdock and a fisherman named Ludlow. They also had a sixth member of the team who wasn't just any member of the team, but was also a little girl they'd been hired to protect by the girl's parents. That girl's name was Liko.
Liko was about thirteen years old with light turquoise eyes and black hair with blue highlights on the inside. Part of her fringe swept to one side above her eyes and she wore a green hairclip that resembled the logo of the Pokémon League. Liko dressed casually in a white t-shirt, short blue shorts, white socks she wore up to her calves, white and blue trainers and a light blue hoodie. She also wore a bulky yellow bag across her chest. It seemed an unusual way to wear a bag but Liko had her reasons. She was born in the Paldea region and had been attending the Indigo Academy in Kanto for school sessions and Pokémon training. It was there she'd received her starter Pokémon, which coincidentally happened to be a Pokémon from Paldea.
Her partner was Sprigatito, an adorable Grass-type Pokémon resembling a green kitten with a large hear, a bushy tail, small round paws, large pinkish red eyes and a green tuft on its chest that looked like a large leaf. The two hadn't had the best start together with Sprigatito being fussy and particular about how it was cuddled due to not being very affectionate but they'd since bonded together and the two were truly the best of friends. Sprigatito was on Liko's shoulder and gazing out at the world of Galar that lay stretched out under their ship like a huge carpet. Liko had never been to Galar before.
"So this is Galar. It looks like a really pretty region." the Paldean teen said happily, "What do you think Sprigatito?"
"Meow!" Sprigatito mewed in response, sharing its trainer's enthusiasm.
Couldn't agree more. I bet I'll see lots of new Pokémon if we ever stop by. Liko thought to herself. She often talked to herself in her mind for she was the kind of girl with an ever active brain and always had something to mull over.
She put a hand to her chest and toyed with the pendant she wore around her neck. It was hidden down her shirt to keep it out of view from prying eyes. Her pendant was a gift from her grandmother and was meant to be a good luck charm. Instead, it had made her a target of some mysterious people who wanted it for their own needs. Hardly lucky!
And hopefully those Explorers won't find me here. Liko thought again, It'd be nice to explore a new region without being chased by them.
Liko was snapped out of her thoughts as Professor Friede suddenly called to her.
"Hey Liko! All hands on deck! We're gonna be stopping by here for a restock of supplies." Friede announced, "Be sure to hold on tight as we come in to land."
"Oh OK sir! If you don't mind, me and Sprigatito would love to look around while we're here." Liko requested, "This is our first time in Galar after all."
"Sure thing, just don't wander too far, OK?" Friede said, his voice warm but also firm, "We'd hate for anything to happen to you."
"As long as I'm with Sprigatito, I'll be fine." Liko said reassuringly.
"Meow!" Sprigatito chimed in.
And so the Brave Asagi made its descent towards Galar so they could restock. But as it made its way down towards the region, the Rising Volt Tacklers had no idea that they were being followed. Down in the ocean nearby, a submarine was keeping pace with the Brave Asagi. There was no chance of it ever being seen by anyone on the ship with it hiding underwater like so. The crew of the submarine could see through the periscope that the Brave Asagi was coming in to land.
"They're landing." said one crew member, "Excellent. Now we'll be able to intercept the target. Soon that pendant will be ours…"
Emerald's Flying Taxi touched down at Hulbury Stadium and she stood by to wait for Tony. It didn't take long for him to arrive either. Emerald only waited five minutes for him to arrive and no sooner has his Flying Taxi landed, he was out of the cab and rushing to Emerald so he could wrap his arms around her. Emerald hugged him back. She loved it when Tony gave her hugs. Whenever his strong arms were around her, she felt warm, loved and protected all at once. She also impishly liked to tease Tony that she just enjoyed getting to feel him up close like this, something even Ruby and Sapphire was gobsmacked to hear coming from the one who was considered the most innocent of the trio.
"Glad you're looking well Emerald." Tony complimented.
"I wouldn't be here if I looked unwell." Emerald joked, "And you're looking fine too Tony, though that goes without saying." she teased.
"Heh, you're proper becoming a little imp aren't you?" Tony purred.
"Maybe it's because I hang around you too much." Emerald quipped.
"I'll gave you that one." Tony said with a laugh, "So, which shop shall we do first?"
"Let's get the clothes done and out the way and then we can look round anywhere else if you want." Emerald suggested.
So the clothes shop was where they went first. The clothes shop wasn't far from the station to walk so they got there in a matter of minutes and were already inside looking at what they had on offer. The shop was relatively new and hadn't been around for long but ever since the success of Galar's first ever Pokémon Contest, the shop had been opened up to provide new and upcoming coordinators any possible outfits to wear. There were casual clothes for non-coordinators to buy as well so there was something for anybody to buy in this shop.
Emerald and Tony looked around at the different dresses and suits that were on offer in the shop. Despite being a relatively small shop, it seemed to have enough clothes in there for all of Hulbury to wear. Tony had his eye on a purple suit with black lapels and wondered if he should take it. Emerald came up with a bunch of dresses in her arms.
"So what do you think I should pick out of this lot?" Emerald asked.
She held up a low cut black dress with no sleeves and a ribbon on the chest area.
"This one says "Performer with a dark side"!" she declared.
Then she held up another dress that was backless in design and bright crimson in colour.
"While this one says "I'm the Crimson Coordinator…with a dark side"!" she purred.
"Heh, I'm not sure if I'm the best person to ask for that." Tony chuckled, "I'm no fashion expert. You pick whatever suits you little gem."
"OK! I'll try a few on and see what I like the most." Emerald said brightly.
"Of course. Though if you ask me, that green one would suit you best." Tony added, pointing to a mint-green dress in Emerald's pile, "That's the one that says "My sparkling little gem…with a dark side"." he joked.
"Hee, hee! Very funny. I'll be sure to try that one too." Emerald offered.
And so she spent the next hour or so trying on all the different dresses she'd found. Tony waited patiently for her but he had to admit that Emerald was taking the mickey here. How many dresses did one girl need to try on?! He even wondered how many boys out there had to go through this sort of thing with their girlfriends as well. Eventually, Emerald finished trying on all the dresses and picked three she liked the best to buy in the end. Tony was glad to see she'd picked the mint green one at least.
"These'll do just nicely. I'll take the lot!" Emerald said eagerly.
"Glad you got there…eventually." Tony remarked, "Now it's your turn to wait for me while I try this suit on. I want to see how good it looks on me."
He'd chosen the purple suit he was looking at earlier. Emerald looked at it unsurely.
"I dunno Tony, that suit looks a little too Kilgrave for my tastes." she muttered, "And that's one supervillain I DON'T want to be reminded of!"
"I'll try it on anyway." Tony insisted, "I'll be right back Emerald."
And with that he went into the changing rooms to try on the suit.
"I'll just buy this lot while I'm waiting." Emerald decided, "Then I'll look and see about any accessories my Pokémon could…"
BUMP!
Emerald cried out in surprise as she suddenly found herself colliding with someone and falling over on her back. She rubbed her forehead in pain and grunted. The dresses she'd been about to buy lay sprawled on the floor beside her. Emerald sat up and saw another teenage girl with black and blue hair and dressed in shorts and a blue hoodie was sitting on the floor rubbing her own head. That had to be who she'd crashed into. Emerald recovered first and ran over to the girl and helped her up onto her feet. Liko was still reeling over what had happened. Her Sprigatito climbed onto her shoulder and nuzzled her cheek to try and make her feel better.
"Oh my gosh, I am SO sorry!" Emerald blustered frantically, "I'm such a clumsy little git sometimes! Please forgive me!"
"N-no, no, i-it's OK. I'm the one who should be sorry!" Liko said meekly, massaging her temples, "I should've been watching where I was going instead of talking to Sprigatito!"
"Oh I'm sharing the blame too, miss. I'm as much at fault here." Emerald insisted, "Are you hurt? Please tell me you're not hurt!"
"I'm fine, really! Please stop fussing over me!" said Liko reassuringly, "I'm not hurt, honest!"
"That's a relief then." Emerald sighed happily, "I was so worried for a minute there."
The Galarian girl took a moment to properly look at Liko. She'd definitely never met this girl before. She felt even worse about the accident now for she'd probably set a terrible first impression for this stranger. She seemed polite enough about it but Emerald was sure she was just being nice so she wouldn't feel so bad about it.
"I don't believe we've met." Emerald acknowledged, "I'm Emerald Silverlock. What's your name?"
Liko hesitated for a moment.
Should I trust this stranger? She seems nice enough and was quick to apologize for bumping into me so maybe it'll be OK. the Paldean teen wondered, I guess it'd be rude to ignore her…
"Oh, I'm Liko." she answered aloud, "I'm new here. You see, I'm actually from Paldea and this is my first time here in Galar."
"I thought your accent sounded familiar…" Emerald murmured, "Me and my sisters have been to Paldea for a holiday one time. We had a lovely time there and even got the chance to battle Nemona."
"Y-you've been there?" Liko said with interest, "That's lovely! Did you beat Nemona while you were there?"
"Oh no, I didn't fight her. My older sister did and she won the fight." Emerald answered, "Her name's Ruby and she's the Champion of Galar. I'm sure you've heard of her, right?"
Liko's eyes widened incredulously.
SHE'S the Champion of Galar's sister?! What is this sudden twist?! she screamed internally.
"Y-y-yes! I have heard of her!" Liko babbled a little louder than she'd meant to, "Me and my parents all heard about when she saved Galar from some dark cloud thing a few years ago. I thought that was pretty incredible when I heard it. I never would've guessed you two were related!"
"Oh really? Why not?" Emerald asked, sounding a little hurt by the comment.
Liko balked and screwed her face up in shame.
Ack! I messed up! So awkward! she winced.
"S-sorry, that was rude of me. F-forget I said that." Liko said sheepishly.
"It's fine. I'm sure you didn't mean to offend." Emerald said casually.
She then noticed Liko's Sprigatito sitting on the Paldean girl's shoulder. The Grass Cat Pokémon looked back at her with curious eyes. Emerald's eyes became a pair of love hearts as Sprigatito adorable appearance won her over instantly.
"Oh my Arceus that is the CUTEST Pokémon I've ever seen!" she shrieked, "What is that? I WANNA CUDDLE WUDDLE IT!"
Liko held up a hand to keep Emerald back.
"N-no! Wait, wait!" she exclaimed, "Please don't do that! Sprigatito's not very affectionate and it might scratch you if you try cuddling it. It's OK with being touched but not cuddled, understand?"
"Ah…right. Sorry about that." Emerald said meekly, feeling embarrassed about her sudden freak out, "I'm just a sucker for cute things, that's all."
She held out her hand and Sprigatito sniffed at it. It seemed curious about the fact Emerald wore gloves unlike most trainers it saw but it also saw Emerald as a nice person it could be comfortable with. It nuzzled against her palm and purred.
"Aww, it likes you." Liko said sweetly.
"I swear that Pokémon's stolen my heart…" Emerald whispered in awe, "Tell you what, it can have it! Sprigatito's too cute for words!"
"That's kinda how I feel about it too." Liko said with awe, "It's not just cute, it's also very reliable and is always by my side when I'm in a tough spot."
"Sounds like me with my own Pokémon." Emerald replied, "I bet you're always sticking your adorable little neck out for Liko aren't you sweetie?" she cooed.
Sprigatito meowed in response. Before the conversation could continue, Tony emerged from the changing rooms with his purple suit still in hand.
"Hey Emerald, the suit fits me perfectly and it looks fine on me." he informed, "I think I'll take it after…"
He then noticed that Emerald was with a stranger with an equally strange Pokémon he'd never seen before. He gave Liko a friendly smile and held out a hand for her to shake.
"So who's this cute little lady then?" he asked, "Is she a new friend of yours?"
Liko gasped and hid her face behind her hands as her face turned redder than the feathers of a Blaziken.
D-D-DID THAT BOY JUST C-C-CALL ME CUTE?! she shrieked in her mind.
"Great Tony, your inability to say hi to a girl without hitting on them has completely broken my new friend." Emerald muttered, "How many times must we have this talk Tony Summers?"
"I only gave her a compliment! Complimenting people isn't the same as flirting, little gem!" Tony protested.
"It is when you're involved you wannabe Casanova." Emerald retorted, "Anyway, this is Liko. We kinda ran into each other while you were in the changing rooms but we're OK and we're getting along nicely together.
"It's lovely to meet you." Tony said kindly, "I do apologize for flustering you like that."
Liko recovered and shook Tony's hand in response. If Emerald knew this boy then he must be pleasant company in spite of his apparent inability to say hi to a girl without flirting.
"O-oh no, n-no, it's OK. You just…surprised me is all." she said shyly, "It's nice to meet you too, Tony. So are you and Emerald together?" she asked.
"Oh yes. He's my boyfriend." Emerald confirmed.
"We've been dating for about a year now." Tony added, putting his arm around Emerald, "And I have a feeling we'll be doing it for plenty more years after this one." he purred.
"Not in front of our new friend you little scamp." Emerald chuckled.
"I'm sure you two will be very happy together." Liko said kindly, "While we're here, maybe you two could help me out? As I'm new to Galar, I'm taking a look around before my ship has to leave here. Can you show me around this town before I go?"
"Oh, you're not staying?" Emerald said, sounding disappointed, "That's a pity. Oh well, me and Tony will gladly show you around. Hulbury Town's very lovely."
"Maybe we can even have lunch together." Tony offered, "You need to try a meal at the Captain's Table before you go. You won't regret it."
"Sure. I'm certain my crew will be OK with that." Liko said brightly.
Emerald, Tony and Liko spent the rest of the morning touring around Hulbury together. After Emerald and Tony bought their dresses and suits, they set off out of the clothes shop and Liko followed her Galarian friends as they showed her around the quiet seaside town. They showed her the docks and watched some wild Pokémon swimming in the water together. Emerald even showed Liko the exact spot where she fished up Abyss the Lanturn back when he was still a Chinchou on her Pokémon journey. They also showed Liko Hulbury Stadium and explained to the Paldean girl that this was one of Galar's Gyms and that it was home to the Water-type Gym Leader Nessa. Liko was interested to see this for Paldea also had a Water-type Gym, a fact she mentioned to her new friends. Emerald and Tony also took a moment to show off some of their Pokémon. Liko and Sprigatito had been excited to see what they had, especially as some of their Pokémon were species that couldn't be found in Paldea like Rillaboom, Roserade, Cinderace, Orbeetle and Thievul. Upon seeing Flossy the Alcremie, Liko was instantly reminded of Murdock's Alcremie back on the Brave Asagi. They showed her the lighthouse and then finally, they headed into the Captain's Table for lunch. Liko phoned Professor Friede to ask if he minded waiting for her while she dined and he said it was fine just as long as she was out of trouble. He was also happy to hear she'd made some new friends during their brief stay in Galar.
Soon the food was ordered and brought to their table. Emerald ordered the fish and chips as she always did whenever she ate here while Tony ordered a prawn and chorizo paella. Liko decided to try the mussel soup with bread on the side. At least before going back on the Brave Asagi, she'd get a taster of what food in Galar was like. She spooned some of the soup and tasted it.
"Mmm, that's nice." she said brightly, "You were right to recommend this place."
"We told you you'd like it." Emerald declared, "It's favourite place to eat at when we're in Hulbury. I could eat their fish and chips for the rest of my life, they're that good!"
"How's yours Sprigatito?" Liko inquired.
Sprigatito was on the floor by her feet munching happily on a fish she'd ordered for it. Sprigatito meowed, giving a clear message that the food was good.
"It likes it here too." the Paldean girl said happily.
"This is the kind of restaurant that both people and Pokémon can enjoy dining at." Tony said with awe, "There's something for everybody here I say."
"So you fly around on this big airship with your crew." Emerald acknowledged, spearing some more chips with her fork, "And your visit to Galar was because you needed new supplies. I'm glad you picked here to restock as it's been lovely meeting you."
"Thank you. I've enjoyed meeting you too, Emerald." Liko said appreciatively, "You've been so nice and friendly to me while I've been here. I really can't thank you and your boyfriend enough for this."
"No need. As a proud member of the Silverlock family, kindness is our speciality!" Emerald declared as if this was some proud family motto she was all too happy to boast about.
"It's one of many things I love about her." Tony said admiringly.
"Oh I'm sure!" Liko giggled.
"Say, I hope it's not too much to ask Liko but…could me and Tony have a ride on your airship?" Emerald asked, "Just for a little while, OK? I'm quite curious to see your ship and see what it's like."
Liko thought for a moment.
"I'm sure Friede will be fine with that." she suggested, "We can ask him after lunch."
"Great! I hope he says yes." Emerald said excitedly as she shoved more chips into her mouth.
As they continued eating, Emerald noticed for the first time since she'd met Liko that the girl seemed to have something around her neck. She could see some kind of string around her but it went down her shirt so she couldn't see what was on the end of it. That seemed to be a strange way to wear a necklace or whatever it was. Why was she hiding it?
"Um, forgive me for asking but…what's that around your neck?" Emerald asked.
Liko froze in surprise at the question. She swallowed her mouthful of soup and thought for a moment. What was she asking about? Then she realized. She'd clearly spotted the string of her pendant. Liko began to feel nervous.
Oh no…she's taking an interest in my pendant! she fretted in her thoughts, I was hoping she'd never notice! What if she wants to steal it? If I tell her about it, she might make a grab for it! What if she's actually a spy for the Explorers and the moment I show her the pendant, she'll call them to capture me?! I'll see if I can distract her from it…
"Oh…it's nothing." Liko said hastily, "Don't ask about it again please."
Emerald looked hurt. She only asked an innocent question, Liko didn't need to be so blunt about it! What was so important about that necklace that she wouldn't tell her about it? She wanted to ask again but she worried that she might make Liko uncomfortable if she kept prying so she didn't ask again.
"OK. Sorry if I made you uneasy." Emerald apologized, "I guess it's something very precious to you and you don't want anyone to see it. I understand that."
"Same here." Tony murmured, "We can all have a prized possession that we don't want to share. I guess it's the same with you?"
"Y…yes actually, that's pretty much it." Liko said with a nod.
She allowed herself to relax now that the two understood her reasons.
I'm glad they see where I'm coming from. she thought, Though maybe I was a little rash back there. If they were truly thieves who wanted my pendant, they wouldn't be so quick to drop the subject. I must be wrong to suspect anything about them…
She began to feel a little guilty now. These two were being so nice and friendly to her and here she was suspecting they might be secret agents for the Explorers? How could she let such a thought cross her mind? She decided she'd make it up to them and make sure they get their flight on the Brave Asagi. That would be nice to let them experience what it was like to be up on there like she was on her travels with them.
Once lunch was finished, the teens left the restaurant. It was now time for Liko to return to the Brave Asagi as the Rising Volt Tacklers were ready to leave.
"Follow me and you'll see where we've docked." Liko offered, "You'll be amazed when you see the ship, trust me!"
"I'm certainly keen to see it." Tony said eagerly, "I've never seen a real airship before."
"You'll like the crew as well." Liko declared, "They're all very friendly, if perky, people and they'd be happy to know I've made two new friends."
"That's great! Let's get a shift on." Emerald said eagerly.
But the teens didn't get to take another step as suddenly, a huge rock shot out from nowhere and crashed down just in front of them. The force of the blast knocked them all off their feet and sent them sprawling. Emerald grunted as she landed on her shoulder, Tony landed flat on his back and gasped as the wind was knocked out of him and Liko crashed into the wall of a nearby docking station. Sprigatito lay beside her, dazed from the impact. What on Earth happened there?! They soon got their answer as a stranger waltzed onto the scene with a cruel smirk on his face.
He was a man with broad shoulders, sharp red eyes and blonde hair down the centre of his head while the sides were shaved close to the scalp. He was dressed in some kind of uniform adorned with an emblem that looked like some kind of letter E against a diamond background. He looked like a thug but he was clearly part of something bigger as the uniform and emblem suggested he was part of an organization. The man also had a Rhydon with him and it was Rhydon that had launched the attack.
The man strode up to Liko. The terrified girl pressed her back against the wall and stared ahead in fear as he approached her. She was well and truly cornered with the man and his Rhydon keeping her from going anywhere. She recognized him and that only made her more scared. This man was Zir, one of the members of the Explorers and he'd found her! Pleased with himself, Zir put his Rotom phone to his ear.
"Amethio sir! I've located the target!" he announced, "She ain't going anywhere! Me and Rhydon have her cornered! That pendant's as good as ours!"
Emerald and Tony are getting along nicely with Liko but sadly, The Explorers have come in to spoil their day together. Will they claim her pendant or will Liko be able to get away? Find out in Part 2...
Trivia: Emerald showing off outfits to Tony and saying "With a dark side" is an obvious reference to The Owl House episode Enchanting Grom Fright. I couldn't resist. XD
Also as I'm writing this Plot-Scorbunny, Pokémon Horizons is still in its infancy and we're still yet to find out what The Explorers want her pendant for and why it's such a big deal for now so don't expect me to provide any answers here. Once the show answers these questions, I might do a sequel where Emerald meets Liko again and gets to find out herself. As is, I can only work with the information I currently have from the show so forgive me if it feels like I'm purposefully being vague at times regarding Liko in this story.
Also don't expect Roy to show up. In this universe, this adventure takes place before they meet Roy and it also makes the story less crowded as a result. I just want to focus on Liko specifically so Liko is all you're getting for this Plot-Scorbunny. Besides, you should know by now I have a preference for writing females so don't be surprised if I'm more keen to write for the girl in this case. =P Sorry Roy fans, maybe next time he can show up. ^^
And yes, before you ask, it was a deliberate decision on my part to make this episode take place simultaneously with the last Plot-Scorbunny and also provide Ruby an in-universe reason for her absence. This was done so Emerald can't just conveniently call Ruby and Sapphire for help to deal with The Explorers in the next two parts and also I want to show Emerald operating solo here as she hasn't really gotten the chance to do so yet. Ruby and Sapphire both got a story to themselves with Knights of Galar and The Isle of Armour whereas Emerald's starring roles have never had her absent from her sisters so this is her chance to finally get a story to herself with no Ruby and Sapphire around. Besides, she may be the sweetheart of the group but that doesn't mean she needs her sisters to hold her hand so this story will give her a chance to show that she doesn't.
