After saying goodbye to Professor Blathers, the group went to heal their Pokemon, then to a small dirt field. The boys watched as Frank released Pidgeot from her ball.

"Pijyo?"

the bird Pokemon cooed.

Frank placed a wing on her chest

"You can do it, right?"

Pidgeot closed her eyes and nodded.

She spread her wings out, staying still as her trainer climbed atop her back.

"Well, you guys coming along or what?"

Frank asked as he looked at his friends.

The younger boys climbed atop of Pidgeot, grabbing onto her back feathers. Their grips were firm enough to stay still, but gentle enough not to hurt the bird Pokemon.

"Pidgeot, let's fly to Mt. Chimney!"

Frank commanded his Pokemon.

"PIJYOOOOOOO!"

Pidgeot cried out as she took off into the air.

The warm breeze flew into everybody's faces. The Hoenn sky faded from bright blue to pale grey. Kidd wrapped an arm around Tank's waist, relaxing as he watched more bird Pokemon fly nearby them. A group of Taillow raced against a swarm of Wingull, both groups squabbling as they zipped through the skies.

A small flock of bird Pokemon trailed behind Pidgeot. These birds looked different from Taillow and Wingull; their blue bodies were round and their wings were like fluffy white clouds.

"Pidgeot, land over there!"

Frank pointed at a yellow building.

"Pijyo!"

Pidgeot cried out as it made a sharp nosedive through the air, leaving the small birds in the dust. The younger boys screamed as they held onto Pidgeot's back.

Pidgeot landed onto Route 112, her talons scraping against the dirt trail. After the bird Pokemon made a firm landing, the four trainers climbed off of her. Frank petted Pidgeot on the head before returning her to her ball.

"So, why are we stopping here?"

Kidd asked as he adjusted his scarf

"I thought we were going to Mt. Chimney"

"Yes, we are. But" Frank lit up a cigarette.

"Mt. Chimney's ash is dangerous for most Pokemon. If I let Pidgeot anywhere near that smoke, I'd..."

He took another inhale of his cigarette, choking out from the taste.

"I'd end up with another Belladonna on my hands…."

"Belladonna?" Benedict asked.

"Now who's that?"

Frank gulped. He plucked the cigarette out of his mouth, gently holding it between two of his fingers. He coughed again, but this time to cover up a sob. He kept looking away from the boys

"...She was a Croagunk, and my first Pokemon"

The boys looked at each other. They remembered that night they spent at Hawkian Corp. The white urn shaped like a Croagunk….

"What happened to her?"

Tank asked him.

Frank wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He grabbed his coat collar, the sturdy fabric taking his grip

"I lost her" he sighed. He tried not to think of that day; the heat of the Sinnohian volcano, the death glare of a purple bulldog, Belladonna jumping in front of a large red and grey Pokemon. It was too much to think about… He shook his head clear.

"But I'll talk about her later"

He pointed at the large yellow building.

"We'll take the cable car to the summit, find Team Cottage and put a stop to them. Got it?"

The boys nodded in understanding.

The group walked away from the cave, past the white fences and headed inside the yellow building.

The Cable Car Station: Reaching new Hoennian heights.

Nearly everything inside was a cheery shade of yellow; the floors, walls, ceilings, and of course, the cable cars themselves. A small lobby was located near the entrance. A slow jazz song played over the speakers, but was quiet enough that the group could hear the hum of the machines. Luckily, nobody was in line today.

A dark pink mouse stood in front of the cable cars. She wore her yellow hair in a low bun and a neatly pressed grey uniform with a pink ribbon on the chest.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to Cable Car Station A"

the pink mouse bowed as she greeted the group. She frowned

"Sir, will you please put your cigarette out? We don't allow smoking on board"

Frank frowned as he finished his cigarette, angrily blushing from being called out.

"Thank you," the mouse sighed. She led the group to their cable car. A cheery painted landscape decorated the door.

The cable car automatically opened up. The group climbed into the cable car and each grabbed a seat.

Tank and Kidd sat on one end of the car, while Benedict and Frank sat on the other.

The door automatically closed. Outside, the mouse waved goodbye as the cable car slowly lifted off the platform and ascended up the mountains.

Benedict looked out the window, focused on a group of bird Pokemon flying through the skies. They looked similar to the ones he saw in the Hoennian skies. Hmm, maybe I should catch one of those at one point, he thought to himself.

Frank pulled out a notebook and scribbled down some notes for himself. He looked away from the group, still embarrassed by being reprimanded by somebody he barely knew. "But what did she know about him and his life?"

Kidd yawned as the cable car got higher. He stretched and leaned over, placing one of his arms on Tank's upper back.

Tank looked over and blushed

"Um, dude?"

"Oh, um, sorry"

Kidd moved his arm away.

"Don't worry about it"

Tank shrugged. He stayed quiet as he looked out the other window, watching the mountain come closer and closer. Soot swirled around in the air

The group stayed silent, the next ten minutes feeling like forty.

Finally, the cable car stopped at its destination. Again, the doors opened themselves. The four animals walked out of the cable car. Everything looked the same as the first station; same architecture, layout, obnoxious shades of yellow. Well, everything except the attendant. She was also a pink mouse, but her fur was a lighter shade, she had short pink hair, blue insides of her ears, and wore a green ribbon.

"Thanks for using the Cable Car!"

The pink mouse waved as she watched the group head out of the station and into the mountains.

Mt. Chimney. A volcano of many proportions. This volcano towers the Hoennian skies, the view from the peak is beyond gorgeous. It's rumored that a legendary Pokemon dwells inside its very lava.

The guys looked around at their surroundings. Mt. Chimney's surface was brick red, yet was cool to the touch. Small flecks of ash fell through the skies, landing against the ground like fresh snowflakes.

Two grunts, one Pastel and one Cottage, argued with each other as both of their Poochyena brawled near the station's entrance.

"You're the maniacs!"

"No, YOU'RE the maniacs!"

"If you ask me, I think they're both maniacs"

Kidd snarked with a chuckle.

The group scaled up a mountain path, looking around for anyone else. But all they saw was yet more Pastel and Cottage grunts engaged in Pokemon battles.

A feminine voice called out

"My oh my, gentlemen!"

The guys turned around in surprise.

Judy walked up to the group, sashaying her hips as she came closer. She pushed her ponytail behind her shoulder and waved.

"Why, I'm surprised to see you three here! How's everything been with your little journey, hm?"

"You three know her?"

Frank asked as she pointed at her. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yep"

Tank explained. "We fought some of her grunts back in Slateport City"

Judy nodded in confirmation

"It was rather surprising. I would've expected Apollo to roll in, sure, but a whole pack of trainers? My oh my was it a surprise! Anyways, I came to ask for a favor.

Would any of you care to battle alongside me?"

Kidd crossed his arms

"What's the catch? If it's joining Team Pastel, I'd rather not"

"No no no no, you guys aren't joining us" Judy held her paws up in defense. "It's just that I need more animals against Team Cottage. So, just trust me"

Tank thought it over quickly. On one hand, Team Pastel did want to restore the world at the cost of animalkind, BUT Team Cottage were much more ruthless and violent…

"I'll do it!"

Kidd looked over

"If he's doing it, then count me in too!"

"Excellent!" Judy clapped her paws.

"And how about you two?"

"We're good, thanks" Frank explained. "Benedict and I were gonna stop Project Sintra ourselves"

Judy's eyes turned white in surprise. She facepalmed

"He's still doing that?!"

"Um, Jude, what do y'all mean by still?"

Benedict was confused. "Did you two know each other?"

"You could say that, yes"

Judy frowned as she pressed her foot down on a pebble.

"He's been wanting to do Project Sintra long before we stopped talking to each other. I don't want to see him, so you two can go ahead and stop him"

She turned to the other two mammals

"You guys ready?"

"Yep!"

"Mhm"

"Then it's on"

Judy nodded as she led them to another part of Mt. Chimney. Three male Team Cottage grunts stopped them in their tracks, glaring with ruthless intentions.

The three deer sent out a Gloom, a Koffing and a Vulpix.

Tank and Kidd sent out Lotad and Libra, while Judy sent out a white moth Pokemon with pink wings.

"Gloom, use Razor Leaf!"

"Koffing, use Sludge!"

"Vulpix, Will-O-Wisp!"

"Libra, use Confusion!"

"Lotad, Water Gun!"

"Masquerain, my darling, use Bubble Beam!"

Meanwhile, on a higher part of Mt. Chimney…

Frank pulled the note out so they could both read it. The handwriting was very neat, compared to the crumpled mess of paper.

"I get the meteor part, but"

Benedict pointed at the page. "Y'all got any idea where the machine is?"

"If you ask me" Frank looked back up at the volcano.

"It'd be close to the lava"

That'd make sense, the duo thought. Team Cottage would use lava to make their machine run, and it'd be as close to the ancient Pokemon as possible….

The duo climbed up one of the Mt. Chimney cliffs, trying to avoid all the ash and soot. Once Frank made it to a flatter surface, he grabbed Benedict by the wing and pulled him up. The two birds stopped when they saw Beau and Fauna approach them.

Frank placed a firm wing on Benedict's shoulder

"Benedict? I'll handle these two, if you can go and stop Project Sinatra"

Benedict gulped

"Are y'all sure I can handle this?!"

"Of course"

Frank assured him. "Trust me on this, alright"

The shorter bird nodded in understanding. He tightly grabbed onto the strap of his backpack.

Frank turned around and yelled at the two deer

"I know all about Project Sinatra, and you are NOT letting it happen!"

Benedict panted as he ran away from the upcoming fight. He stopped nearby a long glass platform built across Mt. Chimney's vent. The area smelled of smoke and ash. It wasn't bitter like Frank's cigarettes, Benedict thought. The scent made him think of barbecue back home. The platform was empty except for a bizarre red and grey machine and an all-too-familiar wolf. This had to be what Frank was talking about, he thought to himself.

He slowly tiptoed over the glass floor. His body trembled as he tried not to think about the burning lava beneath the glass. One bad move, he'd fall in lava and die. Once he saw how close he was, he froze up in his tracks.

Dobie stood in front of the machine. He opened the lid and placed several stones inside. He watched intently as the stones glowed a bright shade of pink underneath the energy lamp.

The wolf glanced over his shoulder; oh great, one of Frank's tagalong brats, he thought to himself.

"…..Can I help you?"

"Yeah, just what the heck do y'all think you're doin?"

Benedict pointed at the machine.

"Oh, this old thing?"

Dobie chuckled as he patted the machine.

"Would you believe me if I said Meteor Falls has the key to….revitalizing the world?"

"Yeah, an' I'm the Champion of the Hoenn region,"

Benedict snarked.

"I read the note y'all left behind, and Project Sinatra ain't happenin'!"

Dobie snarled

"Do NOT doubt me! But if you must know, I'm using these meteor shards to summon an ancient Pokemon from this very volcano"

"That makes no sense," Benedict shook his head. "I mean, look down below y'all. Nothin' can live there. That lava could burn a Skarmory from the inside out!"

"That's not the point, you brat" the wolf folded his paws together. A white sparkle shone from the edge of his glasses.

"The point is, there's an ancient Pokemon who can revitalize this world. With Meteor Falls' fragments, I plan to create a stone that can summon the ancient Pokemon that lives here. With its powers, we can force Mt. Chimney to erupt, beginning a new Hoenn"

"But what 'bout all the animals an' wild Pokemon 'round here?"

Benedict pointed out.

"Yes, what about them?"

Dobie looked over at the machine. The glass top began to glow a faint shade of red.

"Don't y'all care that they might die if ya set off the machine?!"

Benedict snapped.

Dobie shook his head

"A small sacrifice to make, yes. But I know it will be for a greater good"

"Don't y'all care about who's gettin' killed over this?!"

Benedict yelled at him. "Is it even worth it?!"

Dobie stomped one foot on the ground

"Will you shut it already?!"

"No!" Benedict yelled back. "Y'all are not killin' other animals just for your idea of a better region! And I'll prove it!"

He grabbed one of his Poke Balls

"Let's battle"

"So that's how you want to play. Very well then"

Dobie held an Ultra Ball in front of him. A Mightyena popped out of the red light, snarling as it stood in front of its trainer. Some of its fur flew in the wind.

"Jojo, let's go!"

Benedict yelled and released his Combusken for battle

Jojo cawed as he shadow boxed the air.

Dobie adjusted his glasses

"Mightyena, use Crunch!"

Mightyena ran across the glass floor,

mangy fur flying in the wind and fangs glowing black.

"Jojo! Backflip away and use Double Kick!"

"Commmmm-BUSKEN!"

Jojo backflipped away from the bite Pokemon. He jumped up and kicked Mightyena twice in the chest. The dark type skidded across the platform. It stopped in front of its trainer, trying to shake off the damage.

Dobie scoffed

"Mightyena. Frustration"

Mightyena's body glowed bright red. It roared as it headbutted Jojo in the chest. Jojo flew backwards, nearly knocking his trainer over.

The young fowl Pokemon glared as he stood back up. He bounced back and forth in his spot, like he was in a fighting game.

"Jojo! Flame Charge!"

Jojo roared as bright red flames surrounded his body. He leaped forward and tackled Mightyena, flames flying off his body and landing into the volcano.

Mightyena groaned as the flames hit its body. The dark type collapsed onto the ground, unable to move an inch.

Dobie closed his eyes and frowned as he returned Mightyena to its ball. He opened his eyes and glared down at the ball before stuffing it in his pocket. He grabbed a different ball and released a different Pokemon.

This Pokemon looked like a larger Koffing, except it had a smaller head protruding from its left side. Balls of brown gas spewed from its geysers.

Benedict returned Jojo to his ball. He thought quick; Kenshiro would have a type advantage with Bulldoze, but this Pokemon is floating in the air, must have Levitate…. A-ha!

He tossed up another Poke Ball

"Makoto! Now!"

"Kir!"

Makoto curtsied before taking on a battle stance.

Dobie looked back at his machine at a second

"Weezing, Poison Gas!"

Weezing took a deep breath in. The poison-type slowly exhaled and spewed thick purple gas from its geysers.

"Makoto! Dodge and use Confusion"

Makoto gracefully leaped above the heavy gas. His skirt billowed in the air as he shot a bright pink orb from his hands. The ball of energy exploded in Weezing's face, temporarily stunning it in its spot. The purple gas dissolved in the air.

Dobie pushed his coat sleeves up to his elbows

"Weezing, Sludge!"

Weezing opened both mouths and spat out two rays of sludge. The purple goo splattered against Makoto's body, slowing him down and forcing him to land on the ground.

Makoto panted as he shook some of the sludge off his body. His cheeks glowed purple and he trembled in his spot from the attack.

"Makoto! Y'all wanna keep goin'?"

Benedict called out

The Kirlia looked over his shoulder and nodded. He was NOT going to let his trainer down already!

"Confusion again!"

Makoto stood his ground, his arms and eyes glowing pink. He stared down Weezing as he formed a pink orb between his hands.

"KIRLIAAAAAAAA!"

Makoto screamed as he launched the pink orb at Weezing's bigger face, watching as the psychic energy exploded across the battlefield.

Weezing swayed back and forth before dropping to the platform with a heavy thud. Surprisingly, the glass below didn't shatter or even crack from the impact.

Dobie facepalmed as he returned Weezing to its ball.

"Golbat, now"

He held out another Poke Ball, releasing a large blue bat Pokemon with wide purple wings. The bat Pokemon hovered in its spot, its wings picking up speed.

Benedict looked at his Pokemon

"Makoto, do y'all wanna take a break?"

"Kirl!"

Makoto turned around and nodded. He stood still as his trainer returned him to safety.

Benedict jumped up as he tossed another Poke Ball

"Freiza! Now!"

Freiza popped out of his ball, turning his head up to howl in pride.

"Golbat, use Poison Fang!"

Golbat's mouth glowed bright purple as it darted through the air, getting closer to its opponent. Purple gunk dripped onto the glass, splattering across like acrylic paint.

"Freiza! Use Volt Switch!"

"Manec-TRIC!"

Freiza barked and shot a huge yellow ball into Golbat's mouth. The flying type stopped in its tracks and flinched, coughing out sparks and sludge onto the ground.

Freiza ran back to his trainer, returning himself to his ball. In his place, Kenshiro popped out and roared.

"ARONNNN!"

Dobie muttered under his breath before shouting

"Golbat, use Bite!"

Golbat screeched as it bit multiple times in the air, trying to land a hit on Kenshiro. The rock type darted back and forth, avoiding every single hit like clockwork.

The bat Pokemon opened its mouth wide, ready to swallow Kenshiro whole until–

"Kenshiro! Use Iron Head!"

"ARON!"

Kenshiro's head glowed white as he leaped up and headbutted Golbat in the upper jaw. Golbat yelped as it flew backwards, landing on its back from the impact. Its eyes were swirled and its body could barely move aside from the occasional twitch.

Dobie's eyes widened in surprise. This fool, no, this trainer was brutal, he thought. He crossed his arms as he returned Golbat to its ball.

The wolf sent out his last Pokemon; a huge red camel with two short grey humps on its back, three blue circle patterns on its sides, and long droopy ears.

Benedict looked quick at the Pokemon; while it did look to be a fire type, the large frame and humps on it back also made it look part ground type….

He returned Kenshiro to his ball and sent out Asuka

Dobie raised an eyebrow in surprise; just a Magikarp this time, and a golden one at that? Hmmm..

"Camerupt, use Flame Burst!"

The camel Pokemon stood still, its nostrils flaring up and fur spiking up. Its humps glowed orange as it spewed two explosions of scarlet flames.

"Asuka, put it out with Splash!"

"Magi!"

Asuka hopped into the air. She formed a small ball of water in her tail, then used her tail to catapult the water into Camerupt's face. The camel Pokemon closed its eyes and shook the water off, its humps cooling down from the distraction.

"Great job, Asuka!" Benedict cheered on. "Now, use Tackle on its face!"

"Karp!"

Asuka threw herself against Camerupt's nose, forcing the camel Pokemon to scoot backwards.

"Camerupt, Take Down!"

Camerupt's body glowed orange as it charged forward. It headbutted Asuka, forcing her to catapult through the air. Benedict ran forward, catching Asuka in both wings.

Benedict kneeled down and looked at his Pokemon. Asuka panted heavily from the impact, a bright red bruise forming on her golden scales.

"Asuka, do y'all wanna take a break?"

Asuka shook her head no, glaring as she hopped out of Benedict's arms. She flicked one of her fins, saying 'bring it' to her opponent. The fish Pokemon heaved as she stood still, thinking about everything she had been through with Benedict; their fateful encounter at Dewford Town, challenging the Kachinekos with Kenshiro, battling alongside Libra in Meteor Falls….

It was time to be the best Water-type she could be!

Asuka stood completely still as her body glowed white. Her form slowly changed, growing more serpentine in silhouette. Her tail fanned out wider while spikes formed from her back. The light exploded, revealing her new form.

Instead of a bright shade of gold, her scales were the same pretty shade of red as her trainer's feathers. Long white whiskers dangled next to her chin, while sharp fangs sparkled from her mouth.

"GYAAAAAAAAAA"

she triumphantly roared, proud of herself for coming this far.

Benedict was starstruck. His other Pokemon didn't grow this huge after evolution, he thought. But Asuka was no ordinary Pokemon. She pushed herself to be the best of Magikarp, and now here she was, a powerful Gyarados who could destroy entire towns if she wanted to.

Asuka growled and held her tail out to Benedict.

"Huh? Asuka, do y'all want me to climb on ya?"

Benedict asked.

Asuka closed her mouth and nodded. She stood still and watched as Benedict climbed atop of her body. He sat in front of her larger white fin, wrapping his wings around her head crest.

Dobie's heart raced as he backed away from the large Pokemon. He tried to return Camerupt to its ball, but the camel Pokemon stood its ground, not wanting to lose so easily to a Water-type.

Dobie crossed his arms.

"Camerupt, Flame Burst"

Camerupt's humps glowed yellow as it spewed flames from the craters on its humps. Asuka nimbly swayed her body around to avoid the flames, dancing like an Arbok rising from a basket.

Benedict frowned as he held onto the crest. If he had Asuka use Tackle, the impact would hurt him too… Hey, wait a minute!

"Asuka!"

He pointed at the other Pokemon

"Use Bite!"

Asuka darted her head down. Her mouth glowed white as she snapped down on Camerupt's body. Water dripped down from her mouth, dampening the camel's body.

"Take Down again!"

Dobie shouted.

Camerupt refused to listen, turning around and growling at its trainer in defiance. There was no way the camel Pokemon wanted to keep battling.

"Well then. Consider this battle done"

Dobie grabbed his Poke Ball, returning Camerupt to its ball.

Benedict sighed in relief. He whispered to Asuka, holding on as she lowered her head to let him down. The bird hopped off his Pokemon and reassured her with a firm headpat. Asuka returned herself to her ball, wanting nothing more than to relax after her toughest battle yet

Dobie looked down at Benedict

"As much as I hate to admit it" he adjusted his glasses. "You're quite the trainer"

"Um, thanks y'all?"

Benedict wasn't sure what else to say.

"Hm"

Dobie walked back to the machine. He turned it off and opened it up, frowning as he saw the Meteor Fall stones had fused together. The pattern didn't look quite right; it was supposed to have a black swirl in the middle, but instead, looked like a bunch of stones glued together…

"Young man? Would you be willing to do me a favor?"

Benedict felt uneasy.

"Yea, what is it?"

Dobie lifted the sedimentary rock out of the machine. He walked back to Benedict

"This stone has no use to me, will you take it off my hands?"

"Sure?"

Benedict held his wings out, staying still as Dobie gently placed the rock in his wings. It felt cool to the touch, some of the fragments sparkling brightly.

"Thank you" Dobie adjusted his glasses. "But, uh, don't tell anyone I just gave this to you. I have a reputation to uphold. Got it?"

"Yeah, I gotcha"

Benedict nodded.

Dobie nodded as well. He pulled out a walkie talkie and pressed down

"Buckingham duo. Report to Mt. Pyre. We have business to take care of, over"

The wolf put the walkie talkie away in his pocket

"Do what you will with that stone, young man. Farewell"

Dobie walked away from the platform, thinking to himself as he looked for Beau and Fauna

"I should've killed him right there, but that Gyarados would've ripped me to shreds for laying a hand on her trainer….Have I gone that soft? No, it's other trainers who went soft"

Benedict ran down one of the hills, stopping once he saw Frank looking around the surface. He hollered at the top of his lungs

"I STOPPED IT!"

Frank turned around in surprise

"You did?!"

Benedict ran up to him, still carrying the large stone. Time to make up a convincing enough story, he thought

"Yep! I beat 'im in battle, knocked 'im out, took the rock while he wasn't lookin, an' boom! No more eruptin' Mt. Chimney for us!"

"Well great job!"

Frank nodded in approval.

Benedict blushed slightly; on one hand, he felt guilty for somewhat lying, but on the other hand, he stopped Team Cottage for now!

"So, uh, where'd those deer go?"

"Well, after I beat them in battle"

Frank explained. "I tried to get them to quit Team Cottage, but they only said they'd think about it. Then they ran off when they saw their boss"

"Fair enough," Benedict nodded. He tightly held onto the stone, not wanting to let go of it. "So, uh, wanna go find everyone else?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea"

Frank lit up another cigarette.

The duo slided down Mt. Chimney, making sure no other Cottage grunts were in sight.

Judy, Tank and Kidd looked around near the Cable Car station. They kept an eye out, hoping somebody would come by soon.

Sure enough, two birds walked up to them.

"Benedict!"

Tank cheered. He ran over to his friend and tightly hugged him.

Kidd ran up to his friend

"You missed it, Benedict! We had to take on at least twenty Cottage grunts!"

Benedict blushed happily

"Aw, guys! Wait, twenty grunts?!"

Judy walked up to Benedict

"My oh my, just what do you have here?"

She looked closely at the stone; it looked hastily put together but was still a sight to behold.

"This ol' thing?"

Benedict explained. "Well, it's part of Project Sinatra. 'Parently he was gonna blow up Mt. Chimney with this, so I took it while Dobie wasn't lookin"

"Oh my goodness!" Judy gasped in surprise

"It's quite the beautiful stone. Anything else?"

"Yep"

Benedict said. "He and those deer are goin' off to Mt. Pyre"

"I see" Judy kept looking at the stone.

"May I see the stone for myself?"

Benedict handed it over, sighing in relief that he wouldn't have to lug that hunk of rock around much longer.

Judy cradled the stone like it was a Pokemon Egg.

"Hmmm, you know what I was thinking?"

"What is it?"

Benedict asked.

Judy firmly held onto the stone

"Since you said you took the stone from Dobie, I think it would be safer if I held onto it"

Benedict was curious

"An' why's that?"

"Well, you see" Judy explained. "If you had the stone, he'd go on a region-wide hunt to get it back. This is where I'd come in. Dobie and I haven't talked to each other in over ten years. I'd be the last animal he'd suspect of taking this stone"

"That actually makes a lotta sense"

Benedict nodded. "Thanks!"

"It's no problem, young man"

Judy smiled. "In fact, I know a place on Mt. Pyre where I can keep it safe"

"An' exactly where is Mt. Pyre?"

Benedict crossed his arms.

"It's on the other half of Hoenn"

Judy explained. "We're planning to fly there soon"

"Can we come with y'all?"

Benedict asked, hoping to see a whole new side of Hoenn.

Judy shook her head

"I'm afraid I'll have to say no. Mt. Pyre is much more dangerous than Mt. Chimney, and I don't think you three are ready to handle it"

The boys looked at each other and frowned. She did have a point; this was a job for the adults to handle. Heck, Frank had six fully evolved Pokemon, he could take this on by himself if he wanted to!

"She's right"

Frank finished his cigarette. "I had fun joining you three, but Mt. Pyre is no laughing matter"

"I guess.."

Benedict sighed. He gulped, trying not to choke out a sob

"But I'm gonna miss y'all, Frank!"

"I know it'll be hard, but"

Frank assured him.

"Trust me. We'll meet again. Oh, and if you see Apollo again, tell him I'm ready to talk to him again"

"Oh, we will!"

Tank nodded. He walked up and gave Frank a firm handshake

"Thanks for battling with us!"

"Yes, thank you so much"

Kidd placed a hoof on his own chest.

Frank fondly smiled as he released Pidgeot from her Ultra Ball. "Oh. Benedict, before I leave?"

He said before pulling something from his pocket.

"Here"

Benedict gulped as he accepted the gift: a green switchblade with a red triangle on the handle and a shiny silver blade.

"Th-thank you"

Without another word, Frank climbed atop of his Pokemon, giving a two-finger salute to the group before taking off for the skies.

The boys waved goodbye as they watched Frank and Pidgeot soar further away.

Judy nodded, still holding the rock

"And I should get going too. Maybe I'll see you gentlemen soon"

She walked into the Cable Car station, figuring it'd be easier on her and her Pokemon to fly from a different spot.

They looked back at each other.

Kidd broke the silence

"So, where to now?"

Tank pulled up a map on his Rotom Phone

"Well, if we go south from here, we'll go down Jagged Pass, make it to another Route 112 part, then we'll be in Lavaridge Town"

"Lavaridge Town? Hey, there's a gym there, alright!" Benedict cheered.

"Oh, speaking of that, I got a surprise to show y'all"

"Oh? What is it?"

Tank asked as he scrolled through the map.

Benedict walked backwards to get some space. He tossed one of his Poke Balls up, releasing Asuka. She looked down at the three trainers, a content smile across her face.

Kidd gasped in surprise

"She's beautiful!"

Tank looked up in marvel

"Wow, look at those scales!"

He swiped to his Pokedex app and scanned the new Pokemon.

"Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokemon. A water and flying type, and the evolved form of Magikarp. When Magikarp evolves into Gyarados, its brain cells undergo a structural transformation. It is said that this transformation is to blame for this Pokémon's wildly violent nature. Johto rumors state that a group of Magikarp were forced to evolve against their will"

"Yep!" Benedict held his wing out, watching as Asuka gently nuzzled his head. "When we were battlin' against that Cottage guy, she evolved in the middle of it!"

Asuka nodded in silence, not wanting to scare anyone with her roaring. She moved her head closer, tilting to the left.

Tank reached out and petted Asuka on her crest. He watched as the Pokemon hummed in approval

"For a Gyarados, she's pretty gentle"

"Yep, if y'all ask me" Benedict pulled some snacks out of his backpack. He munched on some berries "I think she only gets rough in battlin'"

"Hm, like trainer, like Pokemon"

Kidd shrugged as he shook some ash out of his hair.

The boys laughed from what Kidd said. After Benedict returned Asuka to her ball, the boys took some time to heal up their Pokemon, check their belongings, then headed out on the closest path. What strange danger awaits them on the Jagged Pass, as the journey continues!