Liko - Still looking for clues regarding the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza, we arrived at the Forest of Arboliva where we would find a Pokémon known as Arboliva that is said to have a connection to it according to Brassius. When we arrived, however, we found that it was severely damaged by a wildfire caused by some Magneton and Lazuli told us that they were spying on us and learning every move we made. This led us to realize that the Explorers purposely made the fire to keep track of our movements so they get my pendant and Sarah and Race's Terapagos for whatever their mission is. Wanting to help Arboliva save her forest and help the Pokémon that lost their homes in it after we were shown the full devastation of what the Explorers did to them, Roy and I came to a decision...
Now knowing the full scale of the devastation the Explorers left behind in their wake for their continued pursuit of Sarah and Race's Terapagos and her pendant, Liko and Roy rejoined the others after Arboliva lowered them back to the ground to tell them what they found out.
"Liko, Roy?" Mollie asked as she and the rest of their group came over to see what the matter was.
"The far side of the forest Arboliva showed us was also burned down by the Explorers."
"It's way worse than anybody first thought," the young trainers reported while Arboliva wept miserably over the loss of much of her forest.
"My goodness...!"
"...That sucked."
"Big time," Delilah, Ortega, and Giacomo gasped.
"Unfortunately, until the forest can regrow itself, there will be more Pokémon who can't survive on their own power like that Wooper we saved. Arboliva shares some of her own nutrition with the forest Pokémon to heal their wounds but with much of the forest in shambles, it's impossible now," Mollie added gloomly.
"That means she's like a forest doctor," Roy compared, impressed.
Mollie nodded, "Right, that's one way to put it. But, still... As long as the forest stays like this, there's only so much she can do."
Liko felt bad for Arboliva, now understanding why she mistook the heroes for bad humans including poachers or arsonists and even the Explorers as she thought, "Arboliva and the forest Pokémon are all in a terrible situation because of the Explorers. They destroyed much of their home to get any eyes on us from their end just for my pendant and the Terapagos from Race and Sarah they're after. How can we help to ensure this doesn't happen again...?"
Eventually, after looking around the rest of the forest around her and her entire group, she steeled herself and informed everyone, "Let's all do what we can... To bring back the forest and restore everyone's home here..."
Roy and Mollie gasped softly at her but everyone else smiled knowingly in response while Nyasi gave her a warm fatherly smile as he agreed, "Yes, it's time to reawaken the forest from the ashes left behind by the Explorers..."
Even Arboliva was floored as she widened her eyes over the suggestion and looked at the humans with the young girl that spoke; who are these people to her and why would they want to help her after she nearly tried to kill them over the destruction of her beloved home?
(Theme Song - Anywhere My Pokémon Go)
I love watching how my Pokémon grow
I'm sharing everything my Pokémon know
(We open with Sarah and her family with the Viking Teens as they find themselves in Paldea as part of Sarah's vacation plan before the little princess and Race are shown finding Miraidon and Koraidon on the beach before meeting Nemona, Penny, and Arven from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet)
Nighttime, daytime, there are shining more so
I'll go anywhere my Pokémon go
(We see Sarah and Hootie joining forces with Liko and her partner, Sprigatito, as they all perform Leafage before we meet a boy named Roy and his Pokémon, Fuecoco, battling Sarah as she summoned her Primarina, Aqua, and they begin to have a battle. Then, we cut to one of the villains belonging to a new team of foes named Amethio using a Ceruledge to square off against Sarah as she fights with Kaji and Keldeo before a new Pokémon Professor, Friede, and his crew: the Rising Volt Tacklers are shown with their Pokémon)
Anything you wanna see, (Ooh!) anything you wanna do
Promise you can be with me, be with me, (Yeah!) I can be with you
(We soon find our heroes joined by Edgar, Henna, Stoick, Gobber, their Pokémon and dragons, Nemona, Penny, and Arven as they find themselves in Area Zero where Sarah's Walking Wake and Iron Leaves, Link and Zelda, are facing an army of Paradox Pokémon in front of them. Then, Sarah and Race's necklaces glow with the former accessing the power of Terastallization for her Pokemon as she Terastallizes and Mega Evolves them before the royal couple, the Viking Teens, Miraidon, Koraidon, Liko, Roy, Nemona, Arven, and Penny are shown together as they stare out into the heavens)
I wanna go around and around and around the world with you
I'll go anywhere my Pokémon go
Trials of Sarah: Pokémon Horizons
(End Theme Song)
Without wasting any time, the group went to work on restoring the forest to its original state from the ashes of destruction the Explorers left behind. Liko and Sprigatito led the charge as they harvested a variety of ripe berries for them and everyone else to gather the seeds inside them and plant them across the barren wastelands that suffered the most from the intentional wildfire with Quick Attack and Leafage.
Mollie got her Rotom Phone up as she tried to call Friede and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers for help but because the Magneton from Spindel continued to emit EMP Waves from its current location, it still disrupted the reception.
"You just can't get a reception because of those damn Electric Types from the Explorers, can ya?" she grumbled in annoyance.
"What's wrong?" Liko asked.
"I wanted to ask Friede and the crew back at the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft for help but no go."
"That's okay, we got more than enough hands, paws, and feet for the job here, let's try again later once that Magneton's out of the way. If Sarah already sent a message to them, they should deal with it soon," Liko reassured before she turned to Roy and told him, "Mollie and I will go out and continue to gather berries from the forest. Why don't you help everyone else get the soil ready and clear the wastelands of all the rocks and dead trees?"
"You got it!" Roy grinned excitedly before he turned to his partner, "Let's get to work, Fuecoco!"
"Yeah!" Fuecoco grinned as the two young trainers and their Partner Pokémon went their separate ways to complete their tasks while Mollie and Chansey smiled at them.
While Liko and Sprigatito continued to collect ripe berries from the forest with the traveling doctor and her Happiness Pokémon, Roy and Fuecoco helped the rest of the group with the wastelands. The dragons, joined by Mr. Hu and Mistral, helped to clear away all of the dead trees and tree stumps along with the rocks (or, in Meatlug and Rubble's cases, eat the rocks) and Fuecoco assisted Stormfly and the other Deadly Naddlers (as they used their spiked tails for plows) by using Stomping Tantrum to plow the ground and smooth it down. All the while, Arboliva smiled warmly at them, finally seeing the humans, creatures, and Pokémon before her as people and animals she and her fellow Pokémon could trust thanks to their wonderful act of kindness in restoring a part of them that they lost to the Explorers.
The work was long and tedious with so much land they had to restore given the arduous level of damage done to the forest (especially since Liko and Mollie ended up needing help to harvest and carry the berries they found back to the wastelands) but the heroes took it all in stride as they continued to do their part to help with the forest's revitalization.
In no time at all, after planting all of the berries and their seeds on the now-smooth and debris-free forest farmland, the job was complete, leaving everyone satisfied with the work they put into it.
"Yes! We did it, Fuecoco!"
"Arboliva's Forest is back in action!" Roy and Fuecoco cheered excitedly.
"You're an excellent berry picker, Sprigatito!"
"You, too!" Liko and Sprigatito complimented one another happily.
"This is great and all but we're all missing one key component for the forest's restoration," Mollie informed, knowing the heroes are forgetting something.
Liko and Roy went pale as they realized, "Oh, right! Water!"
"Exactamente. The problem here is that we're still in the height of summer and Paldea doesn't get much rainfall during this time," Nemona frowned worriedly as Liko and Roy gave off said frowns, knowing that without rain, their chances of bringing the forest back to life were slim from the get-go.
"And, the amount of land from the forest is so extensive, I don't think Goodra can cover all of that with his Rain Dance attack," Sarah added, knowing they would need a helping hand to soften the land before them.
With the Rising Volt Tacklers, Dot and Quaxly busied themselves with a new Nidothing video focusing on Pokémon abilities and they had just completed the video with the young recluse preparing to upload it before she noticed her internet connecting being spotty and going out of whack, "Okay, video check-up complete. Just got to upload now and, hmm? Why is the reception all warped?"
In the briefing room, Murdock was beginning to sweat and twitch in fear for Liko, Roy, and the others as he still couldn't get a reception over his Rotom Phone, wondering what the hell was going on, "I'm not liking this! Shouldn't they have been back by now?!"
"I'm sure they're totally fine, Murdock. Trust me, Mollie's with them along with Sarah, her family, Race, his team, and their friends from Uva and Blueberry Academies," Orla reassured.
"Maybe so but they haven't texted back or checked in or anything!" Murdock fretted to her before they, Friede, and Cap were taken by surprise by a text from Dot from their Rotom Phones and Sarah's Messenger Arrow as it entered the room through one of the open windows and stuck itself on the table.
"What do you know? We just got a ping and a special text from Sarah via an arrow," Friede smirked as Sarah's message regarding the Magneton came out of the arrow before he and everyone else frowned at what they found out from the princess and the recluse. "What?"
"It's Dot, that's strange. And, the message from Sarah reads, 'There's a Magneton emitting EMP waves to disrupt communications between us through our Rotom Phones over Artazon. Get rid of it and all communications will be restored'," the mechanic read.
"Dot's text also says, '*Something is messing with the Rotom Phone signals in the area but IDK what*'," Murdock added, reading his niece's text.
"That explains why we haven't been getting any updates from Liko, Sarah, and the others. Something's throwing our communications out of whack with a Magneton but who could've sent it to Paldea?"
Getting to his feet and having an idea of who could've sent the Magneton to cause problems for everyone, Friede told Orla and Murdock, "The two of you are in charge of the ship."
"O...kay," Murdock began.
"I'm heading out for a bit. You better come, too, Cap."
"Gotcha," Cap nodded as he joined his partner and they went off to meet with Charizard.
"So, does that mean...?" Orla quipped, raising an eyebrow.
"Friede's becoming more of a worrywart than me," the friendly cook chuckled.
Getting together, the small team of three flew over to Artzaon looking for the Magneton Sarah and Dot told them about, eventually arriving at the path connecting the town to Arboliva's forest to find out where the Magnet Pokémon is.
"Come on, what do you mean we got no signal out here, either?" Friede griped, looking at his Rotom Phone.
"Target ahead!" Cap called, pointing towards the Magneton they were searching for.
"What's up, Cap? What have you got?" Friede questioned before he saw the Magneton ahead of them and Charizard, emitting its EMP waves to disrupt Rotom Phone communications between them and the others as Dot and Sarah alluded them, Orla, and Murdock to. "Huh, it's that Magneton we're looking for; well, looks like Sarah's right on the money with the message she sent us."
Then, he and Cap smirked as they knew what they had to do to get the eavesdropping Magnet Pokemon off of everyone's backs, "I think it's time we give that little intruder a surprise, Cap."
"Ready," Cap smirked back as he jumped into the air and unleashed a Thunderbolt, shocking Magneton and making it panic before it flew away in terror from the surprise assault while the cool Pikachu landed back on Charizard's head in satisfaction. "All done."
"Nice work there, Cap. Now, let's see if that helps at all," Friede congratulated as he checked his Rotom Phone again until...
"Ring-Ring-Ring! Ring-Ring-Ring! Ring-Ring-Ring!"
"Hey, I'm here!"
"…Hey, Friede, are you guys okay back at the Brave Olivine?"
"It looks like we finally got through to you!" Sarah and Liko answered through Rotoscope.
"What's going on, Liko, Sarah? Are you all okay?"
"Yeah, we just cleared away the wasteland here and plowed the ground so we can build a new forest," Liko answered.
"You're planting, a forest?" Friede quipped in confusion.
"Forest?" Cap echoed curiously.
"Yeah, we're in Arboliva's forest and we found the Pokémon we're looking for. But, much of her home was destroyed by the Explorers and that Magneton I told you about from my Messenger Arrow by the time we arrived. We did everything we could to help restore it from the fire they caused but we need a little help here with water," Sarah explained.
"Okay, I get it, I think I know what you're all up to. I'm glad you're alright..."
"Huh, what'd you say?"
"Heh, don't worry about it. Listen, if you're all going to plant a forest, you'll need water as you said so leave that to me. Okay, Charizard, let's fly!"
"Roger!" Charizard agreed before he, his partner, and Cap made a break for the Brave Olivine and went to the forest soon after, eventually finding the group they were looking for (who kept themselves busy while they were waiting for help to arrive) as they landed with Orla and her Metagross in tow.
"Hey there, sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Think nothing of it, Sir Friede. We're glad to see you arrive and that you finally got our call," Doug smiled at the unconventional professor, Cap, and Charizard as Liko saw Orla and her Metagross approaching the group.
"Hey, Orla's here, too!" she chirped.
"That's right! And, I brought a friend along with me to help you plant your forest!" she grinned as she revealed Ludlow (whom Friede had asked given he had just the Pokémon to help the heroes restore Arboliva's forest). "It's Old Man Ludlow!"
Ludlow laughed knowingly but Roy was baffled as he spluttered in surprise, "W-B-But, but why?!"
"Because I'd rather have passed out from exhaustion rather than boredom while fishing. I will do my best here, I hope it's adequate," he replied before taking out a Dive Ball and opening it to summon his Partner Pokémon: Quagsire. "We come seeking blessings from above! Quagsire, use Rain Dance!"
Knowing what his human partner wanted, Quagsire cooed out to the heavens as he used Rain Dance, bringing in storm clouds to soak the ground and make the soil fertile enough for Arboliva to do her part in restoring her home. Soon, it started to rain, and seeing this, Goodra happily joined in with his Rain Dance attack, adding to Quagsire's work and prompting Tsukumaro to use an Umbrella Spell to shield everybody from the heavy downpour.
Some of the group relished in the rain while the others happily huddled under Arboliva as she acted as a makeshift umbrella and Tsukumaro's Umbrella Spell.
"Hey, everybody, look at the ground!" grinned Glaceon excitedly as she noticed the soil becoming more and more fertile with the rain it was finally getting, prompting Liko to look up Ludlow's partner via her Rotom Phone while he and Goodra continued to dance and carry out their Rain Dance.
"Quagsire, the Water Fish Pokémon. A Water and Ground Type, Quagsire has an easy-going nature and doesn't care if it bumps its head on rocks and boats while swimming."
"I can't believe I know two people with that Pokémon and a Goodra that's capable of using Rain Dance," Liko breathed while looking at Ludlow's partner and Goodra.
"Yeah, I've never seen a Quagsire or a Goodra learning or using Rain Dance before, either," Mollie admitted, impressed as Goodra and Quagsire completed their Rain Dance attacks and the storm clouds dispersed when they completed their job.
With the ground soft enough from the Rain Dance by the Dragon and Water Fish Pokémon, Arboliva began to restore life to her now-fertile and replenished home using her signature ability, Seed Sower, slowly regenerating her forest back to its original state and undoing the damage left behind by the Explorers.
"Whoa!"
"Get a load of that!"
"Amazing, truly amazing!"
"Beautiful!"
"It's exactly like the ability Nyasi and his people used to restore Okoya Forest!"
"Fascinating!" Mischief, Persian, and the Tomoe Squad gasped in amazement and wonder as everyone looked on in surprise.
"Arboliva," breathed Liko.
Sure enough, as soon as Seed Sower took effect, the planted berries took shape as small sprouts that dotted the wastelands before the group. Then, in seconds, they gradually grew into saplings before they became bigger and bigger, becoming the trees they once were. Finally, once she was done with her handiwork, everyone looked on in wonder at the sight of the revitalized forest as if the wildfire by the Explorers never happened.
"It's Seed Sower, Arboliva's ability," Friede said.
"Yes... It's quite incredible, really. That powerful rainstorm Mr. Ludlow's Quagsire and Goodra created must've restored Arboliva's power and allowed her to revitalize her forest," David concurred happily.
"Arboliva was finally able to help the forest, all thanks to our help and the kindness we gave her and her Pokémon," Liko thought, smiling warmly.
"Hey, check it out!"
"Guys, all of the forest Pokémon that had been driven away by the fire are returning home!" gasped Roy and Arven excitedly, seeing the wild Pokémon living in the forest coming back to their homes and celebrating the forest's return.
"This is great!"
"Dear Odin, that's awesome!"
"I'm liking this, now the Pokémon won't have to worry about the Explorers again!"
"Hopefully, Arboliva will be able to relax a little now," Roy, Snotlout, Astrid, and Liko grinned as everybody looked up to see Arboliva feeling at peace once more.
"My home and my heart... Are whole again," Arboliva breathed peacefully, satisfied that she and her fellow Pokémon wouldn't be given any more trouble by the worst of humanity ever again with their home revitalized.
Friede and Orla nodded in agreement before they looked at Sarah and said, "Sarah, we just got your message regarding the Magneton and we took care of it."
"The message also mentioned that the Magneton disrupting our Rotom Phone communications and starting the wildfire was from one of the Explorers named Spindel, right?"
The princess nodded as Lazuli informed the Rising Volt Tacklers, "Yes, that was Spindel's handiwork; he sent it here and it had a two-way transceiver system with it. One of them was planted in the forest so he and the rest of the Explorers could spy on all of you including me and my Pokémon so they'd learn about our every move, all for the sake of obtaining the girl's pendant and the kids' Terapagos."
"I see, these Explorers are getting more dangerous and cunning by the minute a-hey, wait a minute. Who are you, anyway? How did you know about them?" Friede began thoughtfully before he blinked in surprise and turned to Lazuli since he and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers hadn't been properly introduced to her.
Suddenly, Liko's pendant shimmered brightly without warning, taking everybody by surprise as they looked over to the little girl (who was just as baffled by what her pendant from her grandmother was doing).
"My pendant!" she gasped.
"It's just like the time when we first met the Shiny Rayquaza!" Roy added, looking just as surprised.
"Something's happening to the pendant, it's growing!" Blitz cried, seeing Liko's pendant suddenly growing until she had her whole hand holding it like it was some kind of giant pearl.
"What's going on with that thing?!" Fishlegs balked. "I-I don't know! It's never been like this before and I never knew it could do this!"
Sarah and Race were astounded by what they were witnessing, their suspicions about Liko's pendant from Indigo Academy coming to fruition as the pendant grew a head, legs, and a tail before emerging from the light as a fourth Terapagos before everyone's eyes. Everyone's jaws dropped in absolute shock at the sight of the Terapagos before them and facing Arboliva with a happy coo (as if it knew her somehow), the new Tera Pokémon belonging to Liko also throwing the rest of Sarah's human family, Penny, Arven, Nemona, and the rest of their friends from Uva and Blueberry Academies for a loop as they tried to wrap their heads around the newcomer.
The Terapagos Three belonging to Sarah and Race were astounded by this as they quickly scampered over to Liko, Roy, and their human parents who could only balk in complete bewilderment at the fourth Tera Pokémon. Arboliva cooed sentimentally at it before it produced a strange misty energy that enveloped Roy and Liko along with Sarah, Race, and their Terapagos.
"Liko, Roy, Race, Sarah!" Friede gasped as he and everybody else watched on in surprise.
"What's going on, what is this?!" Roy fretted as he had no idea what was happening before he, Liko, Race, and Sarah suddenly found themselves in a pink misty void with nobody else around them.
None of them knew what was happening around them and their Terapagos as well until Liko, Race, and Sarah heard a kindly voice, "Go out and find it..."
The three of them turned back and saw a cloaked figure standing in front of the silhouette of Arboliva just as the figure turned to the young trainer and the royal couple and called out to them and Roy in a gentle plea, "Go out and find it, this world..."
The trio and Roy (who had heard what the figure said and was also baffled by what he witnessed) didn't know what to make of the figure's words as it and Arboliva faced them and that was all they got before they were returned to reality and Liko's Terapagos returned to its dormant form at that moment. They were amazed and they didn't know what to say as the rest of their giant party came over to check on them.
"What was...that about?" Sarah blinked thoughtfully, now left with more questions than answers to the mystery regarding what the four of them and the Terapagos with them witnessed.
"Liko, Roy, Sarah, Race! Are you all okay?" Friede questioned, relieved.
"You all saw that?"
"Yeah..."
"We did."
"We saw it, alright," the four trainers bantered breathlessly as they eyed Liko's dormant Terapagos.
"What do you think? What was that...?"
Then, to add more fuel to the flames of surprise, Arboliva breathed peacefully again and activated the Ancient Pokeball on her chest as it shimmered in a golden light.
"That's the Ancient Pokeball I saw earlier!" Roy gasped before Arboliva then returned herself to the ball and it dropped down, rolling over to the quartet.
"Arboliva...!"
"She went back in on her own, I wonder if it means she wants to come along with us, now. You think...?"
Liko tried to open the Ancient Pokeball belonging to Arboliva via the button but it didn't open as the ball was sealed shut, "No good, it won't open..."
"That's weird, let me try," Roy offered as he took the Pokeball when Liko offered it to him and he tried to pry it open but to no avail.
"Christ, whoever made those Pokeballs must've struck gold with their design and the kind of Pokémon they're meant for. Even Island Girl and I would have a hard time coaxing her out of it if she made it stuck fast and the lock is firmly shut," Race admitted, not understanding what was going on in Arboliva's mind right now.
"What could this mean?" Sarah pondered curiously.
"I think this means she has plans of her own. But, it's pretty safe to say that Arboliva now sees the best of humanity through all of us, you children especially, since she appreciates what you've done here. You might want to hang on to that Pokeball if she decided to join us for reasons only she knows," Friede said with a knowing smile.
"Right/Okay," Liko and Roy nodded.
Sarah and Race agreed and their Terapagos cooed happily as the unconventional professor told them, "We all witnessed something incredible today. And, Sarah, Race, I suppose you two know about that especially judging from your surprise Pokémon with us."
The little princess and her husband nodded as the former told him, "Yeah, but given what we've seen, it's not safe for us to talk about it here. I've been holding off on this for long enough but now's as good a time as any so let's get to my, Race, and Asha's summerhouse. And, you better call Murdock over and have Dot listen in on this; it's time we told you everything that's been happening on our end."
However, as the entire group made their way out of Arboliva's forest and back to Asha, Sarah, and Race's summerhouse in Cabo Poco, with the wild Pokémon thanking them and saying goodbye, little did they know that Spindel was indeed spying on them via an unmarked van and several monitors.
He chuckled darkly as he and an Umbreon by his side watched, musing to himself, "I too have witnessed something incredible today. And, I seemed to have found our little runaway with our targets, too. It won't be too long before you finally come home, Lazuli, dear..."
While the heroes regrouped at Sarah, Race, and Asha's summerhouse as the little princess told them everything regarding Lazuli and what they knew about the Explorers as well as her tragic past and what she had been up to before her defection from them, Friede and Cap went over to the local Artazon library to do some research on the Ancient Pokeballs or whatever was on their minds before meeting up with them. So far, however, they weren't hitting a home run as there were virtually no records or data on the Pokeballs or the subject they had in mind.
"The ornamentation and design of this is really unique but I can't find anything like it in any of these books," he said in a hushed tone before he grew frustrated and barked out loud, "Come on! How can there be no info on any of this?!"
"Chill, Friede!" Cap chastised.
"Please, keep it down!" a voice scolded quietly while sounding amused, getting their attention with the voice's owner revealing itself to be a young woman with a yellow, black, and white parrot-like Pokémon called a Squawkabilly (Yellow Plumage). "This is a library, you know."
The woman was none other than Lucca, Liko's mother, whom Friede was surprised to meet again (given their supposed friendship and they were acquaintances once upon a time) as he spluttered, "Uh, Ms. Lucca, it's you!"
"Long time no see, Friede. So, my husband told me you and the crew along with Princess Sarah and her family with you were headed over to Artazon. Knowing you, I'd figured you'd be in here."
She then smiled at Cap as she greeted, "Hello, Cap, how are you?"
"Good, girl!" Cap replied quietly with a smile.
"So, what have you been doing all this time? I've been trying to contact you, you know."
Lucca smiled sheepishly as she apologized, "Yeah, sorry about that. I was worried it might be a bit dangerous to contact you considering I'm her mother and she was in the presence of Alolan royalty who is more than meets the eye."
"Dangerous?"
Unfortunately for the two of them and Cap, Lucca's Squawkabilly decided to have some fun, echoing loudly, "DANGER, DANGER, DANGER-!"
Lucca tried to get her partner to stay quiet but to no avail despite trying to muffle it by covering its mouth, the racket it was causing earning the quartet the ire of the local librarian as she angrily cleared her throat to them.
"Ahem!"
"Uh, apologies, m'am!" Friede spluttered apologetically.
"...How about we take this outside?" Lucca suggested sheepishly, knowing they had overstayed their welcome.
At Race, Sarah, and Asha's summerhouse, while the rest of their part waited for the royal couple (who were out on a shopping spree for supplies to make dinner) to tell them what was going on involving the Explorers, Lazuli, her past, and her former syndicate's hunt for the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza and their and Liko's Terapagos (after putting Dot on speaker phone and getting Murdock over so he can hear what was happening) as they did their own thing, Liko and Sprigatito were relaxing in one of the guest rooms with her father's picture books on the table for Roy to have a look at.
"Hey, Liko, have you seen Friede anywhere in this place?" Roy asked as he and Fuecoco came in to see them.
"He went to the Cabo Poco Library a little while ago," she answered before the young treasure hunter noticed Alex's picture books for him.
"Aren't those...?!"
"My dad wanted you to have them."
"...Okay if I read 'em?"
"Sure, they're yours."
Roy was ecstatic as he picked up the first picture book and prepared to look through it, only to gasp in shock as he saw what was on the cover, startling Sprgiatito and Liko before they turned to him.
"Why are you yelling?! You scared me!" she cried in alarm.
Roy spluttered, still in his shock as he showed Liko the cover before he finally asked, "...This! Why?!"
The cover of the picture book he held showed a portrait-like depiction of a cloaked figure with a cape fluttering in the wind and stars trailing behind it which looked surprisingly familiar to them (with Roy making the comparison to what was on the cover and the figure they saw from Arboliva's strange vision power called a Memory Bubble), with Liko not understanding what Roy meant as she asked, "W-Why what, Roy? Is there something wrong with it?"
"This is it! This book, I-I-it's the one: 'The Legend of the Ancient Adventurer'! Remember?!"
"Huh?!"
With Lucca and Friede, as dusk finally fell before them after getting out of the Cabo Poco library, they and their partners went to see the sunset together as they continued their discussion over everything that had been going on as of late.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Friede, but... You don't look the part of a Pokémon Professor," Lucca joked to Friede who just chuckled at her.
"What can I say? Lab coats are never my thing."
"I understand. So, this Pokeball you were researching earlier, what have you been able to learn so far about it?"
The unconventional professor looked at the photo he took of it on his Rotom Phone as he informed her, "Well, judging from its ornate components and the condition that it's in, it's old. Maybe as old as Sarah and her family..."
Lucca smiled at him as she clarified, "Not as old as them given it had been five centuries since the Alolan Royal Hierarchy was initially dissolved following the Ultra Beast War until their return but it is very old. About a century ago, an Ancient Adventurer by the name of Lucius traveled the world with six Pokémon searching for paradise. That Pokeball you were looking up was his."
"Gramps used to read this to me all the time when I was younger, I remember this cover and everything in it," Roy answered Liko as he recalled the legend he was told.
Intrigued by what she was told, Liko opened the book and began to read the entire story while she and Roy eyed the illustrations Alex made involving Lucius's legend and what happened to him and his Pokémon during his time (including Arboliva and the Terastral Shiny Rayquaza) that came with it.
"Long ago, in days of old, there traveled an adventurer who called a Shiny Rayquaza his friend. He ventured to region after region, encountering many incredible Pokémon, six of whom he formed powerful and unbreakable bonds with. In a dream, he saw a land that he had never been to so he journeyed with his Pokemon friends to the far reaches of the world. They all joined forces; they covered miles of tumultuous ground, went through broken-down walls, soared through the vast skies of blue, healed wounds, and crossed vast oceans before them. After many adventures together, they finally reached their destination: a glittering paradise that's as lush, abundant, and beautiful as can be. The traveler, the Shiny Rayquaza, and all their Pokémon friends lived happily together in that paradise from then on, knowing that they found their home. Over the years, throughout the generations, the people who recognized the traveler's courage, kindness, and endless curiosity bestowed him a name, one that many would come to know him and who he would be immortalized as in memory, story, and song: Lucius, the Ancient Adventurer."
Eventually, they came to the end of the story where they saw a short profile of Liko's father, showing that he was the author behind Roy's favorite childhood story.
"Whoa! Check it out, Liko, your dad was the author of this picture book!" Roy grinned excitedly.
Liko was awestruck by that and more as she recalled their team and friend's first-ever encounter with the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza, "It's kind of wild that your gramps used to read this to you while growing up. Do you think the Shiny Rayquaza Dad painted in the book and the Pokémon we saw that day are the same?"
"And, when the book said 'healing wounds', could it be referring to Arboliva since we saw her using Seed Sower earlier today?"
"So, that means... Rayquaza and Arboliva were two of the Ancient Adventurer's partners, making them nearly one hundred years old!"
"Which means that somewhere out there, the other four are still alive, too! AWESOME! Now, I'm really looking forward to finding them all! Right, Fuecoco?"
"You bet! I can't wait to see them!" grinned Fuecoco, feeling just as eager to find and meet the rest of Lucius' team wherever they are.
With Friede and Lucca, after he and Cap were told of the "Legend of Lucius" as well, the unconventional professor became awestruck as he looked back at the photo of the Ancient Pokeball that once held Rayquaza on his Rotom Phone and mused, "So, you're telling me that the Shiny Rayquaza from days ago and Arboliva just now who came from those Pokeballs...?"
"Yes. They're two of the six Pokémon that the legends surrounding them and Lucius referred to as the 'Six Heroes of Lucius'," Lucca confirmed, looking out to the sunset on the horizon.
"Six Heroes... The Ancient Pokeball holding Arboliva and the one that once held Rayquaza after we first met Roy on his island home seemed to react to Liko's pendant, especially whenever we were in danger. So, tell me, what do you know about that?"
"Liko's pendant?"
"I saw it with my own eyes; it started glowing, and earlier today, it turned into what Race and her friends called a Terapagos, the same Pokémon she and Race have on them - three, to be more specific. They're what they and Blair recently called Tera Pokémon, the three they have on them coming from Area Zero from what little I heard from them. They promised to tell us more about them later but that's all I got. I have a feeling though that they've awakened similarly but in their own times since my crew, Liko, Roy, and I knew nothing about them as of yet."
"I see, so that also happened to her," Lucca said thoughtfully.
"You're a renowned scholar yourself, Ms. Lucca. You must know something about that pendant and it becoming Terapagos, not to mention Liko's mother," Friede put in.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Friede, but I don't know much about it myself. The pendant never really belonged to me; it belonged to my mother, Liko's grandmother: Diana. Once it was ultimately decided that Liko would attend Indigo Academy in Kanto rather than Naranja or Uva Academies, my mother gave it to her as a good luck charm."
"Belonged to mother, belonged to mother~!" Lucca's Squawkabilly echoed cheekily, getting a beak scratch from his amused human partner.
Friede was intrigued by this as he began to think, "Hmm, maybe Liko having that pendant from her was some kind of catalyst for everything that's happening and it might also involve the three Terapagos belonging to Sarah and Race."
"I only know about Lucius and the Six Heroes because of folktales my mother would tell us. You want to learn more about them, you'll have to tell and ask her."
"Galar, castle! Galar castle! Galar castle! Galar castle!" Lucca's Squawkabilly squawked again, giving the whereabouts of Diana: Lucca's mother/Liko's grandmother.
"A castle, in the Galar region?"
Back at Sarah, Race, And Asha's summerhouse (as Sarah, Race, and the Pokémon with them returned with the groceries they bought to make dinner for everybody tonight before they explained themselves to the rest of their party and the Rising Volt Tacklers), Liko called her father to inquire about the story involving Lucius and the Six Heroes.
"Oh, yeah. I wrote that picture book based on all these far-out legends and myths your grandmother used to tell us," Alex smiled over his Rotom Phone while he cared for Fidough and worked on his latest painting.
"So, you're saying everything in the book was just a lie?"
"It's not a lie, it's just fiction. But, if your friends from Alola are proof of legends becoming real, it can be fact. Do you really like that book much?"
"Yeah, Dad, I liked it a lot. Talk to you again later, bye. Hmm, I guess it's really all just make-believe."
"Mm-hmm, Liko, it's all too true! Besides, Sarah and her family are actual legends come to life so those six Pokémon must be real, too! Plus, there's got to be some real stuff in there; the Shiny Rayquaza with the Terastallized body came out of my Ancient Pokeball days ago, and today, we found and met Arboliva," Roy persuaded, keeping his hopes up involving Lucius' team.
"Yeah, you're right... And, come to think of it, there's that person we saw in Arboliva's Forest when she covered us, Race, and Sarah in that strange bubble she created..." Liko admitted, wondering why she was doubting the legend of the Ancient Adventurer.
"Exactly, we didn't dream that. It was real, all along!"
"I guess, in some strange way, he was trying to tell us something, or maybe... He was talking to my, Terapagos..."
"Well, one thing's for sure; I want to know more about it should it appear again!"
"Me, too!" Fuecoco and Sprigatito grinned excitedly as they looked over Alex's profile in the book, eager to meet the rest of Lucius' team and find them and their dear friend as well.
Roy and Liko couldn't help but smile at their Partner Pokémon's enthusiasm over the latter's Terapagos as the young girl said, "I can tell you two can feel it as well, that there are still so many exciting adventures for us to unfold and so much more for us to discover. All new wonders of the world involving the Ancient Adventurer, his Pokémon, and so much more waiting for us out there..."
"Yeah!"
"Totally!"
"Well, time for me to get home," Lucca decided after her Squawkabilly flew off to meet and be with Diana, deciding to go home as she prepared to leave.
"Are you really, not planning to see your daughter?" Friede asked, a little perplexed by her choice.
"This is where I was going to take the pendant from Liko, I'll admit. I say let's let her decide what to do with it from here."
"You wanted her to make her own choice on the matter? I think Sarah and Race would've allowed her to do the same if she confided her thoughts about the pendant after today."
"Yeah... If I saw her right now, I'd be the parent that tells her how to do everything. But, I believe it's more important for her to choose which path she should take on her own; that's my educational philosophy."
"Educational Philosophy, huh? Sure is a teacher-like thing for you to say."
"I taught you to find your way years ago, didn't I?"
"She got ya there, pal," Cap smirked at his partner.
"Yeah, you sure did."
"I'm glad Liko's got you by her side along with the princess and her husband. Safe travels to you all!"
And, with that, Lucca waved goodbye as she went to join Alex at their and Liko's family home while Friede and Cap went to Sarah, Race, and Asha's summerhouse to meet up with everyone else for dinner.
Once dinner had been set up and everyone went to the dining room, Sarah and Race explained to everyone gathered about Lazuli and her former connections with the Explorers hence why she knew so much about them and proved herself as a worthy friend and asset to them. Of course, the entire story (including the nitty-gritty about how her parents died and her indoctrination into her former syndicate's ranks) left them all on the fence as to whether or not they should trust her or not despite their shock.
"Well, that's quite a story and I had no idea you harbored a former criminal from tragic origins since we landed on Roy's island home days ago after meeting you two, your family, and Liko," Friede mused thoughtfully and darkly while Cap gave the royal couple an incredulous glare over how long they kept their crew, Liko, and Roy in the dark about the swordswoman.
"Friede, I'm sorry, we both are. We knew better than to not tell you about Lazuli."
"But, given our previous encounters with Amethio and his posse, we knew you'd freak if you saw her," the royal couple apologized.
"None of us knew about her when she and her partners, Galaxagus and Pantherra, came into the Dragon Craft without warning apart from Race and our girl during their first run-in but we've learned to trust her after finding out what happened to her. The poor girl's been nothing but honest and despises the Explorers as much as we do for everything they've put her through," Johnathan concurred as everyone ate or drank their tea, coffee, juice, soda, or water while they listened in.
"We're not asking you to trust her right away, dearies, and we do indeed want you to take it slow given what we've gone through with Amethio and his crew. But, now that we're all in the know about why she did what she did and how vital she is to keep the Explorers off of our backs, we're asking you all to understand her and where she's coming from," Diane finished as everyone turned to Lazuli who squirmed in her seat and fiddled with the food on her plate, feeling very small as all eyes were upon her.
Everyone was silent for a moment until Friede once again replied, "Well, you do have a good reason not to inform us from the get-go, especially since you were forced to blow your identities as the Power Rangers to protect us."
"And, it's true that if she wanted your and Liko's Terapagos, she would've done so a long time ago and went on Main Street with a butt-ton of money on her as a result. Alas, she never did that and let them be," Orla added half-heartedly.
"It does mean a lot to us that you finally decided to spill the beans when you did. That goes to show how much you trust all of us with this info," Mollie commented, humbled by everything she heard.
"But, still... Your 'pal' from the Explorers has a long road to go through if she's to prove herself as a friend," Murdock acknowledged, throwing a suspicious frown at Lazuli.
"Now, Murdock, be reasonable. You can't judge people based on the actions of a misguided few, especially if those actions are not their own," Ludlow warned sagely.
"That's true. Ever since she appeared under my radar, she's been nothing but a blessing, and not once did she try to snitch on us when she had the chance," Dot noted in agreement from her Rotom Phone before she addressed Liko and Roy. "I can practically hear her screaming from her nightmares whenever she has one of her episodes while asleep. Still, though... There is the Copperajah in the room we need to hear from, what do you two think?"
Liko and Roy didn't need telling twice in that regard as they knew Dot was talking about them. Everyone turned to hear what they thought and what they should do about the former Explorer as they looked between themselves and Lazuli, recalling everything that happened in their battle with Amethio including her, Pantherra, and Galaxagus along with Race, Sarah, Koraidon, and Miraidon coming to their, Sprigatito, and Fuecoco's rescue. They were quiet for a moment during their mental debate until...
"...You know, I trust Sarah and Race. So, Lazuli... It's only fair that after everything we were told, I trust you as well," Liko began, getting Lazuli's attention as she looked at her and Roy in surprise.
Roy gave a determined nod as he added, "Me, too. Besides, it's our fault both Race and Sarah were forced to morph in front of Amethio and Ceruledge to protect us and our partners. We also got you, Galaxagus, and Pantherra involved so we owe you for saving us, too."
Lazuli was stunned by this but she gave them an appreciative smile after Sprigatito and Fuecoco nodded and cried in agreement, throwing her trusting smiles as they were touched by her tragic story and wanted to give her a hand.
She then frowned bitterly about the Explorers as she promised them, Liko, Roy, and everyone else, "I promise, I'll do whatever it takes to help you stop the Explorers and destroy them. I know I have to work a lot to earn your trust and everyone else's but it'll all be worth it in the end when Spindel and the rest of those bastards are done for."
Liko and Roy nodded in agreement, holding her to her word and knowing she meant what she said out of genuine gratitude for their understanding.
Everyone continued to eat and drink until Lazuli looked at Mr. Hu, wanting to know more about her late parents,"...Mr. Hu?"
Mr. Hu turned to Lazuli as he asked curiously, "Yes, child?"
"...What do you know...? You know, um... About, Mom and Dad... What were they like...before they died? Why did the Explorers attack us, how did they...find out about us all those years ago?"
"All we know is that they wanted something from her and they experimented on her for some reason after kidnapping her," Sarah interjected.
Mr. Hu looked between Lazuli and Sarah over what he had heard before he eventually gave a sorrowful sigh while Petunia cooed and fluttered over to the swordswoman's chest to comfort her, allowing her to gently rub the baby dragon's head.
"...There is a reason but I was afraid to tell you because of how you'd react before you would turn eighteen. My fellow Zodiacs and I knew that the Explorers were hunting you and your parents down for a specific reason and they wouldn't stop until they thought you were dead or kill you all. We had to help you disappear, keeping you three under your noses and making them think you were dead while Galaxagus and Pantherra kept you safe without incident. That way, I can make amends for my failure and watch over you once more as I have done since you were born."
"You've watched over me since I was a baby, why?"
"Lazuli, your mother and father... They...were not ordinary people. They're like me, Mistral, and the Circle of Twelve, they're actually...Zodiacs."
Lazuli was shocked as her eyes widened and Race and Sarah blinked in bewilderment as they asked on her behalf, "Master, so Lazuli's family..."
"...They're Zodiacs, not human?"
Everyone else was equally stunned by the reveal as their jaws dropped and Mr. Hu and Mistral nodded solemnly over the truth about Lazuli's parents.
Mr. Hu, however, began to smile as he recalled the characters of her parents as well as who and what they were before their deaths, "Your mother, Mary, is a Unicorn Zodiac connected to the Virgo constellation; a rooster according to the Chinese Zodiac which is synonymous with hard work and a relentless spirit of exploration. She was quite the adventurer and a hard worker on any task she was given during her time before she met your father. Speaking of whom, your father, Seiya, is a Lion Zodiac or a Nemean Lion Zodiac to be precise; he is connected to the Leo constellation, synonymous with the monkey in the Chinese Zodiac. Before meeting your mother, he was a brilliant swordsman and a humorous spirit, full of energy and excitement wherever he goes but he's humble and kind thanks to his swordsmanship despite getting into numerous scrapes in his youth."
He then looked at Sarah as he continued to tell Lazuli, "Your father was an interesting fellow at that since he and the royal kid here are connected by the Leo Constellation even though she's an African Lion Zodiac by comparison."
"...Father, a Nemean Lion?" puzzled Lazuli in confusion despite her curiosity and amazement. "He, and Mom, her being a unicorn...?"
"A powerful creature, one of the most powerful if I do say so myself, in the mythological lion species according to Ancient Greek mythology... That creature is known for having unbreakable fur, skin, teeth, and claws which were their only fundamental flaw should one turn them on themselves. Fascinating," Amarys breathed in awe and wonder.
Mr. Hu chuckled in agreement as he went on, "Indeed, your parents were the most powerful Zodiac around before Mistral and I took their place. Your mother's Zodiac was a remarkable one; able to communicate and summon a variety of unicorns under her wing and befriend them, looking for guidance wherever needed with a great pension for healing. Your father's Zodiac, he was given immense fighting prowess from the Nemean Lion."
Mistral continued where Mr. Hu left off as he explained, "By the time you were born, we had been wondering which Zodiac you would fall into by their bloodline but the Explorers found out about this and they were determined to capture and/or kill you for your power and bloodline. We hoped they wouldn't know how powerful you would become when you're of age after they discovered you but this wasn't to be as they found you and kidnapped you, wanting to try and force your Zodiac to appear so they would use it and you for their dark purposes."
"To ensure your bloodline would be safeguarded, I assigned myself the task of watching over you as your Tiger Guardian until the day when your powers would awaken but that wasn't to last," Mr. Hu put in.
A single tear welled up in Lazuli's right eye as she recalled Seiya and Mary dying to protect her, "That day, when they found me, Mom and Dad... They refused, they wouldn't give me up. So, the Explorers, they lashed out... They killed them..."
"None of the Explorers discovered that I could transform into my true form as a Tiger Zodiac, but back then, I would've made things worse if they knew how powerful I was. I was devastated by their loss and your being kidnapped; I feared the worst after I never saw you again... But, now, here you are; your being alive after all these years gave me hope for their bloodline. I was able to move forward, even more so when I found out you betrayed those bastards and abandoned them."
"After they made me lose the last twenty-five years of my damn life," Lazuli growled miserably, gritting her teeth as another tear fell from her right eye.
"But, you're still alive, you're finally safe; better late than never and that's what matters. And, since you now know about the connection between you and the royal girl, I hope you won't mind us staying with you two to help you with your training as Junior Guardians," Mistral reassured.
"But, the Explorers, won't they discover your powers?" Sarah reminded.
"...Kiddo, what happened to your faith in us Zodiacs? And, where's your hope? Perish the thought of our capture should the Explorers rear their miserable heads again," Mistral replied playfully with a dramatic tone to his voice.
"Heh, you continue to underestimate us despite how bright you are, kid. They have no idea they're taking on a tiger that will skin them, piece by piece. You've proven yourself time and time again to be more than capable of defending yourselves and taking on your most formidable enemies to date. And, don't underestimate Young Lazuli; while it's true that the last twenty years of her life are not the happiest and a time we wish to forget, there is a benefit to her time with the Explorers. You remember her telling you she knows about their strengths and weaknesses as well as their individual and team battle styles, don't you?" Mr. Hu added in amusement.
"And, since your young friends from these Rising Volt Tacklers need a helping claw around their ship, we'll crash with them," Mistral finished on his and Mr. Hu's end.
Friede smiled at Lazuli and the Dragon and Tiger Zodiacs, feeling like he could trust Lazuli more with them around as he told everyone (before getting into another important matter at hand), "I see no problem with that, Lazuli will need all the help she can get and perhaps she can help us with Liko and Roy's training as a fellow coach. As for what I've learned, however, if you're wondering about the Ancient Pokeball, I've given you my two cents on that. That's why I'm asking Liko where we should go next."
"Well, kid, your call," Cap agreed as everyone turned to Liko, wondering what they should do concerning her Terapagos.
"...Well, in that case, I like to visit my grandmother. Sarah and Race knew about their Terapagos already and my Terapagos belonged to my grandmother before she gave it to me. If we go to the Galar Region and talk to her, maybe we can learn something about it," she suggested after thinking for a moment.
"Can Fuecoco and I come along with you?" Roy asked eagerly.
"Of course."
Roy grinned as he thought out loud, "Awesome! Maybe we can also learn more about the Shiny Rayquaza and the Ancient Pokeballs, too! I bet she knows lots of stuff! Plus, I really want to meet your grandmother 'cause she sounds like such a cool lady!"
Liko blushed modestly, telling Roy with a humble smile, "She is pretty amazing. She's quite the adventurer in her day and she still is to this day, always traveling all over the world, and... Well, Mom and Dad and I never knew where she is at any given time..."
"Well, that's not good. How are we gonna find her if she's going on nonstop adventures?"
Friede grinned reassuringly as he replied, "Have no fear, my friends! I've learned from Ms. Lucca that there is one place we can find Liko's grandmother from a certain feathered Pokémon of hers, she's currently living at a castle in the Galar Region."
Everyone was surprised by this but Penny grimaced in response to the announcement as Eri gasped, "The Galar Region, the place where Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing in Pokémon battles were born?"
"She's in the Galar Region?"
"I don't know anything about that region," Liko and Roy quipped, astonished.
"Galar is Penny's home region!"
"And, it was home to Zacian, Zamazenta, Rapidash and her family, and even Eternatus," grinned Ortega and Sarah.
"Please, don't remind me of that..."
"Ditto," the tech wiz and the former Darkest Day groaned.
"Huh, how about that? Galar, eh? I wonder how Victor, Hop, and the rest of their friends along with Leon, Professor Magnolia, and Sonia are hanging about since we last heard from them?" Zacian chuckled, recalling their family's Galar friends, the two Galarian Professors, and the Pokémon Monarch.
"I can't wait to see them again!" Zorua smiled.
"Hey, I remember! You told us you caught Eternatus, Zacian, and Zamazenta there and met your Galar friends, too!" Roy beamed at Sarah.
"Yep, that's about it," she replied.
"Of course, that's also where the princess and her family and friends crossed paths with Hashimoto and Ching Wan while on the Isle of Armor and Calyrex and his steeds during their short stay in the Crown Tundra," Zamazenta concurred.
"They're all quite a sight to behold, especially since Young Gloria recently became the Galar Champion after Leon," Delilah smiled.
"The children, Leon, and the professors are all wonderful people along with Master Mustard, his pupils, and the citizens of Freezington, friendliest bunch despite being eccentrics and such," Doug put in, sharing his wife's smile.
Friede nodded in reply as he turned to Liko and Roy, wanting them to be sure about their choices, "Liko, Roy, is this what you kids want to do...?"
"Yes."
That was all the unconventional professor needed to hear as he gave everyone his trademark smirk and told everyone gathered, "Whenever there's a puzzle in front of us, we keep putting the pieces together and we don't stop until it's been solved to the last piece. Thanks to Sarah and Race, we've gotten many of the puzzle pieces to this whole mystery down pat already. So, what do you say, everybody, are we all on board?"
Murdock, Ludlow, Orla, Mollie, Johnathan, and Diane agreed immediately as they smiled back and said, "Yeah, sounds like a good time to me."
"Mm-hmm."
"Do you really think you can fly this ship without me around?"
"There are always Pokémon in need of help wherever we go, count me in."
"And, while you're all doing your own thing, we'll continue to keep watch over our baby."
"It will be nice to see all of our Galar companions again. Especially Diana, I was wondering where she went off to after all this time."
"Huh?! You know my grandmother, Ms. Diane?" Liko blinked in surprise at Sarah's adoptive/Asha's biological grandmother.
"Of course, Diana and I are old friends; we used to have so much fun on her adventures whenever we got together and she would always write to me whenever she was out and about."
"Wicked! Our first time in the Galar Region, that's a bonus! We never get to hang out more often given how busy we are back home," Fishlegs beamed excitedly as Meatlug and Dratini cheered over the thought of seeing a new region.
"Well, I suppose it won't hurt for us to see what Galar is like. Might be a good learning experience for us," Hiccup agreed, smiling along with Toothless and Loki as they warbled and cooed happily while nodding (the others agreeing to the idea as their dragons and Partner Pokémon gave happy warbles, roars, and cheers of their own).
"What do you say, Mom, Dad? Want to come with us back to Galar before you, Tsukumaro, Sis, Auntie, and Uncle head home later or help us with Spindel and the Explorers until then?" Sarah asked the rest of her human family.
"Well, I suppose my Island Challenge isn't going away back home and we're still in the middle of summer vacation. Why not, Sis? I'd love to see the Galar Region and meet your friends there," Asha replied, smiling as she ruffled her sister's hair (given they were sitting next to each other from their right and left (with Race sitting on Sarah's left) respectively).
"As long as you don't run into any more trouble along the way, I guess it won't hurt for us to join you again for the time being," Nikki added.
"Just make sure you and your Pokémon and dragons don't bail out on cleaning up after your meals behind our backs, will ya, Ponchita?" concurred James.
"It would be wonderful to meet our Galar friends and see the Galar Region again, baby."
"There is still so much we haven't seen yet and we'd be delighted if you help us go through the entire region while we're there," Delilah and Doug smiled warmly.
"What's more, we're sure Ms. Magnolia would want to check on Eteranatus' rehabilitation. And, your Paldea friends would be interested in seeing the Dynamax Phenomenon."
"It's been peaceful in the kingdom so far and we don't mind the excitement," Donna (former queen) and David added, smiling.
Then, Tsukumaro, Doug, and Delilah frowned at their daughter/goddaughter as they added, "Given the antics you've been getting yourself into as of late, it will also do us good to make sure you don't go looking for trouble."
"Mom, you know I don't go looking for trouble! Trouble usually finds me," Sarah whined in response.
"Regardless, this Spindel character and these Explorers are becoming a burden to you all. Should they know that Lazuli is alive, if he was spying on us earlier, they might try and hurt you just to get what they want," Doug replied firmly.
"Therefore, while the kingdom can handle itself for a little longer given how peaceful it has been and the lessened string of paperwork your family and I are dealing with, it's only fitting we join you to keep an eye on you until then. Makes more sense since the Galar Region is remarkably close to Paldea from a geographical standpoint," Tsukumaro stated.
Sarah groaned but she couldn't deny what her parents and their old advisor were saying as she nodded in agreement, leaving Friede to chuckle and smirk at her expense before he turned to her and Race's Paldean friends, "Well, kids, it's your call. Would you like to come with us to see the wonders of Galar while you're at it?"
"Are you kiddin'?! ¡Sí, efectivamente! I've always wanted to check out Penny's home region ever since she told us about it! I might even get to see and battle with trainers specializing in Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing!"
"It'll be great; I won't mind going there if it means finding some new spicy recipes and adding a Galar twist to my creations!" Nemona and Arven replied eagerly.
Penny was reluctant to return to her fatherland but she eventually agreed as she said curmudgeonly, "Well... Okay, just as long as you don't take me to my family. I don't want to run into my father again after so long..."
"It'll be best if we get permission first from Director Clavell and Director Cyrano even though it's summer vacation," Giacomo pointed out.
"But, it'll be great to see Dragon Types that hail from the Galar Region."
"We can be there for Sarah and Race during that time while we learn more about the region even if it means optional summer homework for us."
"And, we'll help protect them as well as Liko and Roy and their Terapagos!"
"Student's honor!" Crispin, Drayton, Lacey, and Amarys grinned eagerly.
"We won't mind coming along for the ride, too."
"Yeah, I want to see how trainers in the Galar region battle compared to us and all of Paldea! I want to learn more from fighters such as them and their Pokémon so I can continue being a better Pokémon trainer!" Carmine and Kieran concurred, smiling brightly as well.
Liko was impressed by this but she was still concerned about the choice Sarah and Race's Paldean friends were making, "But, would Director Clavell and Director Cyrano be alright with that should you tell them about your plans?"
"Oh, no need to worry about that, Ms. Liko. We understand where they're coming from."
"We'd be delighted to have our students join you all, Sarah, and Race to represent Paldea as ambassadors for our respective academies during their time in the Galar region, heh-heh-heh-heh!"
"Huh?"
"Director Clavell?" blinked Sarah and Arven in bewilderment while everyone else was surprised, eventually hearing Rotoscope snigger as he appeared and showed his screen featuring Directors Clavell and Cyrano on speaker phone (as he called them without everyone noticing and had them listening in on the group's plan).
"Surprise!" the little princess' Rotom Phone snarked cheekily.
"Rotoscope!" Sarah, Race, Arven, Nemona, Penny, and their fellow students groaned before they laughed with Director Clavell and Director Cyrano joining in.
"I figured you all were gonna tag in and thus do something crazy while hanging out with my girl overseas so I rang up our resident headmasters and let them hear you out on your travel plans," he replied, grinning at Sarah and Race's Paldean friends.
"Directors, you really don't mind us going?"
"You sure you're okay with us going to the Galar Region while in the middle of summer vacation?" Carmine and Arven asked, still surprised over their approval.
"Of course! It would do you all so much good to visit the Galar Region. You children may or may not remember but I once told you, Sarah, Race, and your fellow students that the Treasure Hunt is about exploring beyond what you see and learning beyond what you already know. Going to Galar, Young Penny's fatherland, will be an eye-opener for you; you'll be seeing it firsthand, and while you're there, you can all write a report together for extra credit. It'll be like with Sarah and her extra credit assignment with a report on the Paradox Pokémon of Area Zero," Director Clavell smiled.
"And, the same can be said with you all, Kieran, Carmine. Feel free to enjoy your time in the Galar Region and remember that visiting a new region such as Galar can allow you to broaden your horizons and learn things you never knew before," Cyrano added encouragingly to his students.
Director Clavell then turned to Sarah as he reassured her, knowing what she was about to say, "*Have no fear, Princess. The STCs won't start up again until the beginning of the next school term so Team Star will join you for the trip upon my blessings. Otherwise, the only thing we have left to say is to have fun and study hard while doing so!*"
"Wow...! Thanks, Directors, you're the greatest!"
"We won't let you down!" Carmine and Kieran grinned.
"It's a promise!"
"Yeah, we promise to tell you and everyone else everything we learned about the Galar Region in our reports!" Drayton and Eri concurred while their fellow students gave their own excited and agreeing cheers.
"Alright!"
"We're going to the Galar Region!"
"Sweet, we're now allowed to travel around the world!"
"And, we know what that means: more battles!"
"And, more chances for me to spice up my recipes, too!"
"Cool!"
"Muy fresco!"
"Still, you won't mind us spending and/or blowing off our summer vacation for this?" Arven questioned, wanting to be sure.
"As I said, it'll do all of you good to get out of Paldea and see the world, discovering what's beyond what you already know from your homeland. That goes for you too, Arven; your mother and father traveled the world themselves before they settled down in Paldea during their time. It'll do you well to clear your mind and not think about them for a minute and help you concentrate more on your dreams. What's more, Galar is relatively close to Paldea so it won't be too much trouble for you all to commute between the two regions. Promise me you'll continue to live on for them, my boy," Director Clavell replied sympathetically, getting a soft and knowing nod from Arven.
"...Alright, I'll remember. I promise," he replied as Koraidon and Miraidon nuzzled him in comfort.
"Alright, then it's time for us to fly," Cap nodded, satisfied with what he heard.
Friede had to agree as he said, "Then, it's decided; let's do this! We're off to the Galar Region!"
"Yeah/Right/Let's go!" everybody agreed as they cheered and/or did the secret handshake of the Rising Volt Tacklers.
Liko - And, so, the Rising Volt Tacklers, Princess Sarah, her family, and her friends set off from Paldea in search of my grandmother, Diana. However, little did we know that a certain face from the Explorers was onto us from that very moment...
As everyone prepared to leave for the Galar Region, they had no idea they were still being watched as a familiar Beeheyem spied on them from atop a nearby tree as it projected what it was seeing to its master and his Umbreon.
"Hmm... Interesting, the airship's systems, their communication channels, the trainers and their skills... We've managed to track and analyze everything. But, still, the princess and her family are keeping their secrets and information well hidden. I can't get anything out of their ship, strange..."
Spindel was still in his truck with his Umbreon beside him, looking over the video footage he had collected from his Magneton (who had joined Beeheyem in watching the Rising Volt Tacklers), Sarah, her family, and her friends from afar. Despite finding out more about Friede and his crew along with Roy, Liko, and their Partner Pokémon as well as their encounter with Arboliva, he was unable to get any details in on the Dragon Craft due to its advanced security programming.
But, this didn't deter him as he looked closer at the video footage of Lazuli and petted his Moonlight Pokémon, chuckling darkly, "And, yet, who'd thought that you would be among them and their Paldea posse after being on the run for four months following your betrayal, sweet cheeks? The little adventures you'll be having with them along with that pendant and the Pokémon belonging to the princess and her husband, little did you know, will soon be coming to an end..."
He chuckled again as he shut off his monitors, preparing to carry out his plan now that he was set for what was about to commence.
Episode Epilogue
While everyone made their way to the Galar Region that night and everyone was fast asleep, only Lazuli, Galaxagus, and Pantherra were awake as they sat on the Dragon Craft's sundeck while looking out towards the horizon and the starry sky along with the full moon. She took out her locket and opened it to see the holographic picture of her parents, feeling an undying sorrow and pain from within her, wondering what she would give to see them again even for a brief moment (especially since the dead were not allowed to be among the living after they died).
She let out a pained sigh and another tear fell from her eyes before Mr. Hu came over and sat next to her, having realized that she was still awake and thinking about Seiya and Mary as he admitted to her, "I really thought you three would be alright before the Explorers discovered and kidnapped you after killing them, child..."
"I know... But, it's still not fair; I never got to see them again after I was kidnapped. Twenty years of my life that I could've spent with them while going to school, making new friends, learning what I want to do while growing up, all of that and more down the drain, gone, no more, all because Spindel and those damn Explorers want something from me in addition to Sarah, Liko, and Race's Terapagos...! They ruined me...! Just by killing them, in cold blood!"
She began to shudder violently as she quietly cried her heart out, prompting the Tiger Zodiac to lean over and allow her to hold him, using him as a security blanket as she shed her tears over the loss of her parents and her life before betraying the Explorers and escaping from them.
"I've never gotten over their deaths as well since that day... I failed them and you, in life, badly... But, I won't fail you all again, not even in death."
Eventually, Lazuli stopped crying as she told him, "I wish... I just wish, Mr. Hu, that I could see my parents again. Even if for just one moment..."
Mr. Hu agreed but he knew better as he replied, "I want nothing more than to see them again and let them know you're alright now, child. But, the laws of nature cannot be broken; while it is true that it is never easy to see your loved ones die, it is also understandable that death is a natural part of life. What's more, we must rejoice for those who become a part of us after their deaths and that we must never be afraid to let go of those who we are most afraid to lose when their time comes..."
Despite her own thoughts on the matter, Lazuli had to agree as she knew the painful truth he was telling her all too well, "Yeah, I know... I only wish things didn't have to be this way but I knew that wanting them back long after they're dead is just wishful thinking. I'm sure that, in a way, they would've wanted me to live on, for them..."
The two of them went silent for a moment before she finally said, "...Mr. Hu?"
"...Yes?"
The swordswoman gave him a loving smile as she simply said, "...I'm glad you're here. Thanks, for everything..."
The Tiger Zodiac couldn't hold back a tearful smile of his own as he replied while they shared a loving family-like nuzzle and hug, "Me too, Dewdrop... Me, too..."
They stayed like that for the rest of the night until they had to go to bed with Pantherra and Galaxagus joining in as they helped to comfort their charge on behalf of their deceased trainers.
Speaking of which, little did any of them know that watching them behind their backs were spiritual figures in the form of Seiya and Maya along with the Spirit of Life, Rajhu, himself. While they were watching Mr. Hu, Lazuli, Galaxagus, and Pantherra having their little makeshift family moment together, they couldn't help but feel happy for the young swordswoman despite the tragic journey she went through and what led her to being free from the Explorers and meeting up with her new friends.
Of course, Seiya and Mary knew they couldn't stick around for long as they knew this wasn't the right time to see her, their partners, and Mr. Hu. Even Rajhu knew better than to ruin their moment together with their presence so the three of them wisely chose to leave them alone for the time being and disappear out of sight (still smiling warmly at the quartet before them). It did pain them a little to not meet up with them again as they hoped but they knew it was not the right time to offer them closure and reassurance when needed.
With that, and keeping the hope of seeing their daughter again, Seiya and Mary returned to the heavens where they and Rajhu vowed to wait patiently for the moment of truth, knowing that the day would come for three, Galaxagus, Pantherra, and Mr. Hu to be reunited once more and put her trauma and fears of the unknown without their love to guide her to rest from that day forward. Even if that day would come sooner than expected with the Explorers now involved…
To Be Continued...