After a good time of flying, Ash, Liko, Charizard, sprigatito, and Pikachu saw a blimp and a ship combined.

"What is that?!" Liko both surprised and shocked to see the ship in front of them.

"Ah, that's our ship. The Brave Asagi."

"AWESOME!" Ash shouted excitedly, with yellow sparkles on his eyes, "That looks like a ship combined with a blimp! The ship that can fly is so cool!"

"Hahaha, i guess even the world monarch likes it!"

"You know me?"

Friede replied back, "Of course i know you! The world monarch face is already known to so many people after all!"

Friede put a call on his rotom phone, "We're back! Deploy the Wing Deck!"

After Friede said that, the wing on the top back of the ship shapeshift into some kind of battle arena.

"The wing has transformed to an arena platform!" Ash and Pikachu got more amazed than they used to.

Charizard also had to admit it's fascinating to see something like that because it's not everyday you see that.

Both Friede and Ash descend towards the platform and land safely there.

"Touchdown!" Friede get down from his charizard.

Ash and Pikachu get down from his charizard first, and then he giving a hand to Liko to get down.

"Thanks Ash, Charizard." While Liko thanked Ash, sprigatito get down from Liko's hug.

"No problem!"

"Welcome back."

Ash and Liko turned to see a tall dark skin man and a woman that looks like an edgy version of Nurse Joy.

"You gave us quite a hustle there." The dark skin man told friede.

Sprigatito approach the incoming rockruff and play with it like the first time meeting each other.

Friede and the dark skin man do their own hand gestures.

"You must be Liko, my name's Molly, nice to meet you." The pink haired woman deduced.

"Y-Yes. Is it true that friede-san was told to be my bodyguard from my mother?"

"Wait what?" Molly turned to friede in surprise, "You become this girl's bodyguard from her mother request?!"

"Eh? didn't i tell you guys about it?" Friede wasn't aware that he forgot to tell his friends about it.

"Oi oi, you only tell us to picked her up from school and we didn't know about you being her bodyguard."

"Also.." Molly looked at Ash, "How did you also bring the world monarch with you?!"

"I am friends with Liko," Ash answered, "She called me up and told me she's in danger so i rushed back to school and helped her."

"That's surprising to hear." The dark skinned man replied, "Anyway, i'm Murdock, pleased to meet the world Monarch. And that's my partner rockruff."

"Nice to meet you," Ash give a fist bump, "But please just call me Ash, i still not used for being popular at all."

"Being modest i see, as expected of Ash Ketchum." Friede praised.

"Also this is my partner Pikachu!"

"Pika-Pika!"

"Guess Cap's not gonna be the only pikachu here." Friede commented.

"Hogaaaaa~"

Liko and Ash saw 2 little pokemon coming.

"A Fuecoco and a Pawmi!"

"Liko, could these pokemon comes from Paldea?" Ash decide to ask.

"Yes!"

"They certainly looked awesome!"

"I agree, Ash!" Liko bent down on the little pokemons level then thought, 'Whenever I see Pokemon, I start moving on instinct. My heart starts racing'

Liko looked at Molly and Murdock, "Why are there Pokemon from Paldea here?"

"Oh those guys? They settled in here during our journeys. Plus it's not just pokemon from Paldea."

"You mean there's more?!" Ash got excited instantly.

"Sure is, look over there." Murdock point behind him.

There is noctowl, snorunt, and a shuckle greeted.

Liko worries starts to disappear, 'I guess Friede's telling the truth then. Nothing to be worried about.'

Liko suddenly felt someone tap her shoulder and it's ash who did it.

"Liko, look over there."

Liko looked and saw that her sprigatito is kneading rockruff's tail. Sprigatito kneading let out some sweet scent, made Ash's Pikachu, fuecoco, and pawmi join the fun. And by their expression, the pokemon looks like it's having fun.

'They're all so cute!' Liko squealed inside her mind, she's dying from cuteness by just seeing it.

Ash looked at Liko's face, and for some reason he felt happy to see Liko's happy face and let out a small warm smile.

And then Friede's rotom phone let out some kind of warning alarm, "Okay, one sec. One, two, three..."

Friede become cautious, "Could it be the same group?!"

"What is it, Friede?" Molly ask.

"I'm going to the wheelhouse." Friede walked past Murdock and Molly, "We're setting sail now!"

"Noctowl, you keep a lookout to check around. Those people haven't given up yet."

Ash's eyes widened as he turns around, "You mean those people back at school?! They're much stubborn like the team rocket trio."

"Team rocket trio?" Liko tilted her head.

"Sorry Liko, story for another time."

"Friede! Who are those people you mentioned?" Murdock turned to Ash, "What happened back there?"

"I'll fill you in later, Murdock. You check downstairs for now." Friede told him.

"Molly, Ash, can you two look after Liko for the meantime?"

"Okay!"

"I'll make sure Liko's fine!"

Molly with rotom phone on her hand told friede, "Orio's freaking out because a storm is in our flight path."

"I'll figure something out. let's go, Charizard!"

With that, charizard going with Friede whilst Murdock return his partner with Fuecoco followed charizard from behind.

"Let's get inside Ash, Liko!"

"Okay!" Ash and Liko go inside, "Pikachu! Get inside right now!"

"Pika!" Pikachu, Pawmi, and Sprigatito go inside the room in front of them.

Inside the room, the rooms is in shape of a circle. in the middle is an elevator to go down while every side of the room is filled with windows to look outside.

Suddenly the lights went out, made the room's darker.

"A blackout..!"

Molly clicked her teeth, "Why now of all times..."

"Excuse me, i don't know what's going on at all, I was at school and then those people showed up..."

Ash, Molly, and Liko heard the noctowl sound as if it's warning them about something outside.

"So, they've finally shown themselves!" Molly, Liko, And Ash looked outside from the window.

Molly checking with the telescope while Liko keep explaining, "They were really suspicious, asking all this stuff about my pendant..."

When Molly spotted them, she told everyone with shock, "Those guys...! They're the Explorers!"

"What?! The Explorers chasing us?!"

When these event happens, Friede manage to go to the cockpit room and take over the control after his Pikachu, which he nicknames cap is on shift.

Back where Ash, Liko, and Molly are right now, they keep watching the explorers at the distance. Molly then began to call one of the crew, "Orio, can you give us more speed?"

"Uugh, Like i said, I'm doing my best already!"

"If that's the case, We will go towards the storm in front of us." Friede informed.

Murdock is flabbergasted by what Friede told from the phone, "Huh?! You gotta be jokin."

"Honestly... I couldn't have asked for better weather today!"

"Another day of friede being reckless..." Molly commented, "But no option left for us i guess. Orio, it's all up to you now."

In the engine room, Orio and charizard is taking a break for a little.

"You didn't hear anything i say, did you? Oh well, let's do this!"

"Let's continue, Charizard!"

Charizard continue to let out flamethrower to the engine, with Fuecoco climb on top of charizard's head and try to shoot out fire like charizard but nothing got out at all.

"Thanks Hogator." Still, Orio decide to keep Fuecoco's spirit didn't shatter, along with slugma and carkol also keep up with the engine going.

With that, the propeller outside spin faster that made the Balloon ship fly faster, "Thanks, Everyone!"

Friede spin the wheel to the right, towards the storm, "Turn to Starboard!"

As the result, they manage to outspeed the explorers group.

"Alright!"

Liko while remain seated, she had to hold tight sprigatito because of how fast the ship out of nowhere.

'These guys are so perky...'

"Looks like that did the trick!" Ash celebrated.

'...I guess Ash's also perky as well.'

While they celebrate for being able to outrun the explorers, Liko still being tense with the storm is still happening.

"Pika-pika..?"

Liko felt a small tap on her left elbow, and saw it's pikachu.

"Ah Pikachu... i-i'm okay, no need to worry."

"Hm..?" Ash looked at Liko and realize, "Liko, you still worried that those guys gonna catch up with us am i right?"

"Y-Yes..."

Ash put his right hand on one of Liko's shoulder, "If that happens, i will face them."

"You're gonna face them?! A-Alone?!"

"But..." Liko noticed something outside the window and her eyes widened, The explorers are trying to break the barrier on the wing deck.

"T-They here!"

"What?!" Ash and Pikachu turned around and indeed they saw the explorers are trying to break in.

Molly calling friede, "Friede! Those explorers is forcing to enter the wing deck!"

"For real?! Could you retract the wing deck?"

"The power's out. Got no choice at all." Molly going outside, "All of you, stay here!"

"Huh? Where are you going?" Liko asked.

"To retract the wing deck manually." Everyone close their eyes with how hard the wind enter the room.

Back in the cockpit.

"Hey Friede, everything's good?" It was Murdock who enter the cockpit.

"Murdock, You take the wheel. Let's go, Cap!" Friede's pikachu and friede himself going towards the wing deck.

"No problem. Don't be too reckless though, We also got children on board here!"

As Molly tried to retract the wing deck, She noticed the green light flickering above her. "Dangit, it's too late!"

The light indicates that the barrier won't hold too long and true at that, the explorers broke the barrier.

"Those guys made it huh?" Ash pull out the great ball and the pokeball, "Come out, greninja! Charizard! Scorbunny!"

Greninja, Scorbunny, and charizard stand beside each other, "We have some kind of criminal group named the explorer. And they're after Liko's pendant for whatever reason, so help me out to stop them when they attack okay?"

"Ninja!"

"Zaaard!"

"Scorbun!"

"Good." Ash grinned, "Liko, you stay here okay? I'll make sure those guys won't be near you."

Liko only nodded, as she watched Ash walked out with his pokemon following from behind. The girl knows she's no match for those explorers group, and the only thing she could say is, "Good luck, Ash..." But she say it quietly.

When the explorer groups return their flying pokemon, Ash already went down the little stairs, "This is as far as you three could go."

The group looked at who's in front of them, but Amethio is the only one who recognize it with his eyes widened.

"You got to be kidding me..."

"Sir Amethio, what is it?" The rough man saw that Amethio got tense when he see the kid in front of them.

"That kid in front of us, that's Ash Ketchum!"

Both the grunts eyes widened, "You mean the Alola champion!"

"And also the world monarch, the strongest pokemon trainer?!"

Ash show his toothy grin, "You got that right! You three trying to take away Liko's pendant for some reason, and it will be a good choice for you to leave now!"

"And if we don't?"

Ash turn his hat 180 Degree, "You have to face me and my pokemon first!"

As on cue, Charizard land on Ash right, Greninja on Ash left, Pikachu jump from Ash's shoulder landed in front of him and let out sparks from his cheeks, and lastly Scorbunny jumped off of Greninja's shoulder and landed next to Pikachu with fire coming out from his foot.

"Ash..."

Ash turned around and saw Liko's behind him with Molly is on her side, "Don't worry, just stay behind me Liko!"

Amethio's team decide to let out their pokemon, but Amethio stop it, "Hold it, I have a proposal." Amethio then told Ash, "Me and my team will battle you on a 1v1 pokemon battle. But if you lost against me, we will take that girl's pendant."

"If he lose, you will be fighting me next!"

Ash and Liko turned around and saw Friede's riding his charizard in the rain and landed safely next to liko a meter away.

"Friede!"

"Molly, you look after the pokemon!"

"Okay!" Molly then pulled Liko, "You get inside too, Liko!"

"But-"

Friede put his safety googles on top of his head, "Leave these guys to us!"

"Liko, trust me, i'd win!" Ash gives Liko his confident smile.

Liko looked at Ash and want to retort, but she stopped when she know that she'll only get on Ash's way so she decide to tell him, "I know you won't need this, but be careful for me, okay?"

Ash give her a thumbs up. "You got it!"

Sprigatito actually trying to shook off of Liko's grip but she told her pokemon, "Don't sprigatito, leave this to Ash and his pokemon, we will only get in his way if we didn't go back."

"Nyaooo..." Sprigatito wasn't pleased, but it knew that Liko's right about it.

"Let's go, Liko."

"Yeah."

Liko and Molly went inside the room and decide to watch from the window.

"Alright, who wanna go first now?"

"Conia, you fight him first." Amethio ordered.

"Alright, sir Amethio!" The woman, named Conia let out her pokemon, "Go, Golduck!"

Golduck materialized to the arena

"Alright Charizard, it's Your turn!" Charizard step himself till he's in front of Ash and ready for the battle with his Battle roar.

"Really? I expected the champion know how pokemon type works."

Ash retorted, "And i expected you not to underestimated me despite knowing who i am."

Friede's whistled, "That's a good comeback over there." Friede's charizard and pikachu's giving a nod.

"Who said i'm underestimating you? Use water pulse!"

Golduck shoot out water from its mouth.

"Charizard, take it!"

Friede got shocked, "Wait, what?!"

The others got shocked with Ash's comand.

Inside, Molly commented, "Why would he said that? That water would damage his charizard!"

"Molly-san, Ash know what he's doing and i think he has a plan."

And charizard comply with him Standing pridefully, took the water pulse like it's nothing.

"What?!" Amethio surprised by what just happened.

"That charizard took the water pulse and didn't even flinch at all!"

Ash grinned and comman charizard, "Push that Water pulse with Flamethrower!"

Charizard spew out a big amount of flamethrower and as a result, the flamethrower bested out the water pulse and directly hit Golduck.

"A direct hit! It's not effective against water type, but that flamethrower is still powerful!"

When the smoke clear, everyone saw that Golduck is on the floor, fainted.

"Alright! That's 1-0!" Ash cheered with all of his pokemon.

"But how?! Golduck should have survived that at least!" Conia wasn't expecting this outcome.

"Let me tell you something, what you witnessed just now is that my Charizard's Flamethrower fused with your water pulses and damage your golduck which deals damage twice!"

"Fire and water fused?!" Everyone ask at the same time, even Molly and Liko who is inside the building got surprised.

"Hey Ash," Ash looked at Friede, "When we got time, i would like to battle your charizard!"

"Just tell me when you like to do it okay?!"

"Okay!" Friede give a thumbs up.

"Zirc, it's your turn!"

"Right! Sir Amethio! Go Rhydon!"

Rhydon materialized and ready to battle.

"In that case, i choose you, scorbunny!"

"Bun-Bun!" Scorbunny did a shoulder check while walked to his spot and do his battle pose after he's ready.

"After i saw what happened to Conia's golduck, it would be the best to go all out."

"Let's see what you got!"

"With pleasure! Rhydon! Rock Blast!"

Rhydon shoot 5 rocks from its mouth towards Scorbunny.

"Dodge those with Trailblaze!"

Scorbunny charged at Rhydon while doing a zigzag moves for dodging the rock blast. As he got near Rhydon, Scorbunny hit rhydon with a punch but he's not done yet as Scorbunny did a rapid punch with trailblaze still active and did an uppercut at Rhydon's jaw that made it fall to the floor.

"Rhydon!"

"I never know scorbunny can use a grass move at all..." Friede commented.

"Rhydon, are you okay?"

Rhydon got damage badly with the rapid punch from Scorbunny, but he still standing with the damage that it got from scorbunny.

Rhydon expression shows that he's angry at scorbunny while scorbunny just taunt Rhydon with giving a thumbs down.

Liko sweatdropped at Ash's scorbunny, "Scorbunny... is really cocky there."

"Okay Rhydon, use rockblast at him again!"

Rhydon spew out another rock blasts.

"Trailblaze again!"

Scorbunny uses trailblaze but this time he use it to punch those rocks. Scorbunny manage to hit four rocks with his trailblaze, but one of the rocks manage to hit scorbunny's right cheek.

"Yosh! One rock manage to hit it!"

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet if i were you."

"Huh?!"

When Zirc look at scorbunny again, scorbunny just wiped the dust on his right cheek and laugh it up. Rhydon anger turned to fear when it know that its attack isn't doing well against scorbunny.

"Now end it with Double kick!"

Scorbunny jumped and hit Rhydon's stomach and sent it fly and got slammed to the barrier behind the explorers group and fall to the wing deck floor, showing that Rhydon has fainted.

"Rhydon, return!" Rhydon went back to zirc's pokeball.

"Now it's 2-0!" Ash told the explorer, "Now do you want to continue this battle or not, Amethio?"

"Tch!" Amethio knows it's useless to fight him when both Ash's fire type pokemon just knocked both pokemon from his teammate, so he turned back and let out his corviknight, "Conia, Zirc, we're leaving!"

"Yes Sir Amethio!" Both Zirc and Conia let out their Skarmory.

"We will retreat for now but next time, we will get her pendant no matter what!"

The explorers fly out from the broken barrier that they broke earlier, leaving the ship behind.

"We did it!"

"Pika!"

"Char!"

"Scorbun!"

Liko rushed out of the room and called out, "Ash!"

Ash turned to Liko's running at him, "You did it!"

Ash show his thumbs up, "I know i would win, but thanks for trusting me Liko!"

"Y-You're welcome!" Liko show a bit of blush on her cheeks.

Sprigatito went to scorbunny and give it a small high five with their foots.

"Hey little bun-bun!" Scorbunny turned to see charizard, who gives him a thumbs up, "You did well consider that's your second battle!"

Scorbunny is shocked to see a praise from charizard, but he's pleased with it and replied it with a thumbs up as well.

"Well Friede i know that you need to explain to us everything, but..." Ash let out a yawn, "Can we... rest... for now...?"

"Consider it's already late, we could rest now!" Friede turned to Molly who is near the stairs, "Molly, can you bring the kids to the bedroom? i'll look for the pokemon up here until you come back."

"Yes friede. Follow me you two."

"Yes."

Liko looked at Ash's tired form and suddenly an idea show up on her head, but she's a bit embarrassed with the idea with her cheeks reddened but she decide to force herself. She grabbed Ash's right hand with her left hand and drag him.

"Liko...?"

Liko while still blushing, replied, "I cannot thank you enough so i decide to thank you by bringing you to the bed okay?"

Ash replied with tired voice, "Thank you..."

Liko's blushing harder but she's happy with Ash right now and give him a reply, "You're welcome, Ash..."

Their pokemon follows them from behind enter the room, and with that the adventure continued the next day.