Episode 390: Dawn of a New Era
A little while after Sora has caught Piplup, Kairi decided to bring her Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Torchic brought over from her Pokémon Box.
Dawn gets her second chance to deal catch herself a Buneary.
"So, that's a Buneary, huh?" Kairi asked, taking out her Rotom Phone and scanned it.
Buneary, the Rabbit Pokémon
Type: Normal
When it senses danger, it perks up its ears. On cold nights, it sleeps with its head tucked into its fur.
"She's such a cutie," Kairi said.
"Go for it," Kris said.
"Okay! Piplup! Use Peck!" Dawn ordered. Piplup charges with a Peck, but the Rabbit Pokémon dodged and gave the Penguin Pokémon a Mega Punch in the face with her ears.
"That was a Mega Punch," May said.
"Try again, Dawn! Don't give up!" Roxas said.
"Pikachu!" Xipak said.
"Okay, use Bubble Beam!" Dawn ordered. Piplup fired Bubble Beam, but Buneary dodged and gave Piplup a Mega Kick.
"Buneary followed with a Mega Kick," Lyra said.
"Marill," Marill said. Buneary gave Piplup a hard Pound, knocking him out.
"Oh, no! Piplup!" Dawn said.
"My turn," Kairi said, taking out a Pokéball and threw it. "Squirtle! Go!" Kairi called out. Her Squirtle came out, ready to battle.
"I gotta check this out," Lucas said, taking out his Rotom Phone and scanned Squirtle.
Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon
Type: Water
Its shell is not just for protection. Its rounded shape and the grooves on its surface minimize resistance in water, enabling Squirtle to swim at high speeds.
"That Squirtle looks like it's ready to go," Lucas said.
"Okay, Squirtle! Use Ice Punch!" Kairi ordered. Squirtle came at Buneary with an Ice Punch as the Rabbit Pokémon came at her opponent with a Mega Punch. Buneary tried to land the first strike, but Squirtle quickly ducks his head and gave the Rabbit Pokémon a quick strike. "Now, use Mega Kick!" Squirtle gave Buneary a Mega Kick, dealing some damage on Buneary. "Use Water Gun!" Squirtle fired Water Gun, hitting Buneary on the mark. Kairi took out a Pokéball and threw it. Buneary flowed inside and the Pokéball wobbles around and around. Stars swirls around the Pokéball to confirm the catch. "And I caught myself a Buneary!"
"Eevee, vee!" Angel said.
"Squirtle!" Squirtle said.
"Sorry for doing that, Dawn. I had faith in you," Kairi said.
"It's okay, Kairi, but I'll try again. I won't give up," Dawn said.
"Piplup," Piplup said.
"Now, let's heal you up," Kairi said, taking out some potion and healing his injuries. "There, good as new."
"Thank you for healing my Piplup, Kairi," Dawn said.
"Anytime," Kairi said.
The sky suddenly got brighter, grabbing everyone's attention.
"What's that?" Chase asked.
"It feels so warm all of a sudden," Lucas said.
"That's gotta be Sunny Day," Wes said.
"Sunny Day?" Lucas asked.
"Sunny Day is a Fire-type move that raises a Pokémon's Fire-type move," Wes said.
"Suddenly, I don't feel bummed out," Dawn said.
"I wonder what's causing it," Elaine said.
"There's only one way to find out. Come on," Sora said.
With that said, the group followed the Sunny Day to its source. It turns out it was caused by a Budew and there is a young man with it. He is a tall young man with light skin, shoulder-length black hair, and blue eyes, one of which is always covered by his hair. His usual outfit consists of a green hat and a green cape held together by a red gem and blue cravat, over a blue vest, off-white shirt, gray trousers, and black boots. He also wore a brown shoulder bag, and carries a golden harp shaped like a Mew.
"Ah, it's a Budew," May said.
"Does this Budew belong to you?" Brendan asked.
"Yes. I noticed how distressed you were feeling, so I thought I would have Sunny Day brighten up your day. For when your heart is light, then your mood is happy and bright. Tell me, don't you feel better now?" The young man asked.
"Yeah, I do," Dawn said.
"As you should be," the young man said.
"Well, my name is Sora."
"Pikachu," Pikachu said.
"I'm Kairi, and this is Angel."
"Eevee," Angel said.
"I'm Ash."
"My name's Leaf."
"I'm Chase and this is Volt."
"Pikachu," Volt said.
"I'm Elaine and this is Maple."
"Eevee," Maple said.
"I'm Ethan."
"My name's Kris."
"I'm Lyra."
"Marill," Marill said.
"My name's Brendan."
"I'm May."
"I'm Lucas."
"My name's Dawn."
"I'm Wes."
"I'm Rui."
"My name's Michael."
"I'm Roxas and this is Xipak."
"I'm Xion and this is Celeste."
"Pika," Xipak said.
"Eevee," Celeste said.
"A pleasure. My name is Nando the Pokémon Bard. And this is Budew. We travel the world, bringing joy to all," Nando said.
"You must have a great time," Wes said.
"Hey, I got it! How about I show you how strong I've gotten," Dawn said.
"How?" Michael asked.
"I think we're about to find out," Rui said.
"Nando, do you mind battling with me?" Dawn asked.
"If that pleases you," Nando said.
"Don't forget this will be your very first battle, Dawn," Chase said.
"He's right. It won't be easy," Roxas said.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," Dawn said.
"Dawn, are you by any chance on the quest to win the Sinnoh Pokémon League?" Nando asked.
"No, I'm a quest to win the Grand Festival," Dawn said.
"I see. Then a Contest battle it is. There is a clearing up ahead that is perfect for our needs," Nando said.
"Great," Dawn said. The group all followed Nando the clearing he was talking about.
Meanwhile, over to Count Ernesh's mansion, Lucius, Kanako, and Silver Moon stood before Count Ernesh.
"Is it finally time, Master?" Kanako asked.
"Yes. Our time of hiding has ended. You will go to the Sinnoh region and you will defeat the Guardians of Kingdom Heart," Count Ernesh instructed.
"It's about damn time. I was getting sick of hiding," Lucius said.
"Watch your tongue, Lucius. And I understand your anxiousness, but you mustn't be careless. The Guardians of Kingdom Hearts are more powerful than you think. And what's more, they have found new Guardians by now. But they have yet to awaken the power that still sleeps within them. It is essential that they do not awaken their power," Count Ernesh said.
"Yes, Master," Kanako and Silver Moon said.
"And when you come across a Keyblade wielder named Riku, bring him to me alive," Count Ernesh said.
"Yes, Master," Silver Moon said.
"If that's what you want," Kanako said.
"Why should we do-" Lucius was cut off by the count.
"Because I demand it!" Count Ernesh said, giving Lucius a lightning blast. "What I demand, I receive. Understood?"
"Yes," Lucius replied, pained by the lightning blast.
"You will depart immediately. And I will remind you, I do not tolerate failure," Count Ernesh said.
"We will not fail, Master," Kanako said.
With that said, Kanako, Silver Moon, and Lucius have begun their departure for the Sinnoh region to begin their mission.
Genishiro is piloting the plane needed for their needs. He knew Count Ernesh was sending him there to aid in the search.
Meanwhile, in Darklight's palace, Leo Griffin takes on several robots, striking them down when Darklight enters the training room.
"You have done well in your training, Leo Griffin. Your skills have improved," Darklight said.
"Thank you, Master," Leo said.
"There has been a development, my student. A tremor in the darkness," Darklight said.
"What is this tremor?" Leo asked.
"A band of Keyblade wielders have gone to a land known as the Sinnoh region. It is in the world inhabited by creatures known as Pokémon. You are unfamiliar with these creatures, but there are other Keyblade wielders who inhabit that world as well. Count Ernesh has dispatched three of his apprentices to the Sinnoh region to deal with these Keyblade wielders. Lord Insidious calls them the Guardians of Kingdom Hearts. You will go there and eliminate them before Count Ernesh's apprentices does so. Kill anyone and anything that gets in your way, especially Count Ernesh's apprentices," Darklight said.
"Yes, Master," Leo said.
"Remember, I do not tolerate failure," Darklight said.
"Yes, Master," Leo said as Darklight opened a corridor of darkness. Leo walked on through it.
Over to Loki, he was watching Count Ernesh and Darklight giving their apprentices their assignments.
"Well, well, it looks those are definitely aren't wasting time. They both want to get it done first," Loki said.
"It's hardly a secret, Loki. Given that Ernesh and Darklight hate each other," a mysterious woman said from the shadows.
"You have a point there. But watching those two have their little competition with each other is too entertaining to pass up. The Guardians of Kingdom Hearts might have found new members to extend their little club, and since Master Xehanort isn't feeling so well at the moment, we will have to do all the heavy lifting until he and the new Organization XIII are ready," Loki said.
"True. At least it was worth the wait," the mysterious woman said.
"Yeah, but since you're here, how about you and I have some fun together?" Loki flirted as he attempts to touch her, but she gave Loki a kick in the face.
"Not on your life, Loki," the mysterious woman said.
"I love a woman who plays hard to get," Loki said.
Back in Sinnoh, Dawn took out her Pokéball.
"Okay, first thing's first! My Pokémon has to make a gorgeous entrance!" Dawn said. She then threw her Pokéball. "Alright then, Piplup! Spotlight!" Piplup came out to battle.
"You may have the first attack," Nando said.
"Thank you. Budew's a Grass-type Pokémon, so Budew's weak against Flying-type moves, and I know just the one! Peck!" Dawn ordered.
"Please, dodge it," Nando said. Budew avoids Piplup's Peck by jumping out of the, much to her shock.
"What happened?!" Dawn gasped.
"That Budew is fast!" Roxas said.
"Pika," Xipak said.
"Please, Bullet Seed," Nando ordered. Budew fires Bullet Seed right at the Penguin Pokémon.
"Uh-oh, Bullet Seed is a Grass-type move! And that spells big problems for Piplup when that hits!" Sora said.
"Dodge it, Piplup!" Dawn called out. Piplup dodges Budew's Bullet Seed attack. :All right, my turn! Piplup! Use Bubble Beam!" Piplup fires Bubble Beam right at the Bulb Pokémon to deal some heavy damage. The bubbles struck Budew on the mark, making an explosion. "Alright!" Nando chuckles much to Dawn's shock. Budew was still standing even after taking Bubble Beam. "But how? That was a direct hit!"
"A Water-type move doesn't do much damage on a Grass-type Pokémon like Budew," Lucas said.
"Budew is taking that like it was nothing," Xion said.
"So, that's it. Budew took that Bubble Beam on purpose. It even used the smoke from the explosion," Wes said.
"Solar Beam, if you please," Nando ordered. Dawn was confident to finish this now.
"I know it takes time for Solar Beam to fire. Piplup! Use Peck, now!" Dawn ordered. Piplup charges right at Budew to win the battle, but Solar Beam was already fully charged.
"Please, fire now," Nando ordered. Budew fires Solar Beam right at Piplup, knocking him out completely.
"Piplup!" Dawn gasped as she went to help Piplup up. "Oh, my Piplup!"
"It appears our battle is over," Nando said.
"But, how did they do Solar Beam so fast?" Dawn asked.
"I know how. It's because of Budew's Sunny Day," Brendan said.
"He's right. We forgot to mention that Sunny Day allows Solar Beam and Solar Blade to be used without charging," Ethan said.
"I see. I'm so sorry, Piplup," Dawn said.
"Piplup, Piplup," Piplup said in a reassuring manner.
"Dawn, I wouldn't have guessed it was your first battle, you were so good," Nando complimented. Dawn was moved by the bard's kind words.
"Wow, that's such a nice thing to say. Thank you," Dawn said.
"But you gave it your best shot, Dawn. I mean you had the right idea with that Peck," May said.
"Yeah, you recognized your Pokémon's disadvantage and improvised with a move the opponent was weak against," Ash said.
"Those two really know how to battle. And you too, Dawn. It'll help you get even stronger," Kairi said.
"Yeah!" Dawn agreed.
"Piplup, Piplup!" Piplup added.
"I'm off. Best of luck," Nando bid farewell.
As the sunsets, Sora, Kairi, Roxas, Xion, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Chase, Elaine, Lucas, Dawn, Wes, Rui, Michael, Pikachu, Angel, Xipak, Celeste, Marill, Volt, and Maple were continuing their walk through the forest as the sun was setting. Dawn was still depressed she couldn't catch a single Pokémon of her own.
"Oh man, I can't catch a Pokémon and I can't win a battle," Dawn said.
"If it makes you feel better, that's the same with me. I didn't do so well in my first battle," May said.
"Really?" Dawn asked, looking at her.
"It's true. I lost to some kid who calls himself a Knickerbocker when I was traveling in Hoenn. And I'll tell you, he was an eccentric kid. I lost before I knew what to do. My only Pokémon was my Blaziken when she was a Torchic," May said.
"May was just getting started when we met her. Not everyone gets it right away," Leaf said.
"She's right, Dawn. I beat Barry's Piplup with my Chimchar. Chimchar would have lost if his Piplup knew Water-type attacks," Lucas said.
"Well, I'm happy for you, Dawn, but it doesn't exactly changes the fact I lost my very first battle," Dawn said.
"Don't sweat it, Dawn. We'll just have a nice dinner, get a good night's sleep, and be off tomorrow," Sora said.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said.
"Good night's sleep? How do you get that without a bed?" Dawn asked, surprised.
"Pokémon Center. And that reminds me. Isn't there one just nearby?' Sora asked.
"It's not too far from us," Ethan said, looking it over on the map app on his Rotom Phone.
"Really? Hooray! A real bed in a room!" Dawn cheered happily. "I can join civilization again!"
The group makes it over to the Pokémon Center and they're greeted by Nurse Joy.
"Good evening, Nurse Joy," Sora, Kairi, Roxas, Xion, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Chase, Elaine, Wes, Rui, and Michael greeted.
"Good evening. Welcome to the Pokémon Center," Nurse Joy greeted back.
"Wait, didn't I meet you in Sandgem Town?" Dawn asked.
"Oh, no me. The Nurse Joy you met there was my sister," Nurse Joy said.
"Huh? Sister?" Dawn asked.
"We'll fill you in. Every Pokémon Center we've been to have been ran by a Nurse Joy. So, they're either sisters or cousins," Ash explained.
"Sisters, cousins?" Dawn asked.
"Here," Ash said, showing Lucas and Dawn a photo.
"So many Nurse Joys," Dawn said.
"It's get less weird after a while," Sora said. Just then, his Rotom Phone began to ring. He saw it was coming from Riku.
"Who's calling?" Michael asked.
"It's Riku," Sora said.
"I'll let you have your privacy. Don't hesitate to ask when you need something," Nurse Joy said, returning to her duties. Sora answered it.
"Hey, Sora. I was wondering when you were going to get there," Riku said.
"Hey, Riku. Haven't seen you since we left," Sora said.
"Who's he?" Dawn asked.
"That's Riku. He's a friend of ours. We first met him during our first journey in Kanto," Kairi said.
"Ash, Roxas, Leaf, Xion, Ethan, Brendan, May, Kris, Lyra, Wes, Michael, Rui, Elaine, and Chase, along with the Pokémon partners, too. Glad you all made it. And I'm seeing a couple of new faces in the mix," Riku said.
"My name is Lucas," Lucas introduced himself.
"And I'm Dawn. It's nice to meet you," Dawn greeted.
"Right back at you. So, how are things in Sinnoh?" Riku asked.
"Things are going great. We caught some of the local Pokémon and we've only been here since this morning," Sora said.
"And on top of that, we had a run-in with some Heartless. Haven't seen any Nobodies or Unversed yet," Ethan said.
"Thought as much. Where are you right now?" Riku asked.
"We're in a Pokémon Center on our way to Jubilife City. Kairi and Dawn are going to be part of a Pokémon Contest taking place there," Leaf said.
"It doesn't really surprise me. Naminé and I are getting there by boat, same as you. We're already heading there," Riku said.
"Is Naminé with you right now?" Xion asked.
"She's fast asleep. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Same with Eevee and Azurill. Speaking of Pokémon, how's your egg?" Riku asked.
"My egg hatched. It turns out it was a Riolu," Sora said.
"I had a feeling it was close to hatching. I was only calling to check up. Naminé and I will join up with you as soon as we can," Riku said.
"Try not to take so long," Sora said.
"You know me, Sora. I wouldn't think of disappointing you," Riku said, breaking contact.
"Riku seems like a nice guy," Dawn said.
"He's someone you would definitely get along with. But there's another call to make," Sora said, calling Rei's Rotom Phone.
"Who are you calling now?" Lucas asked.
"Another important person," Sora said. Sora waited and they see Rei's face on the screen.
"I take it that you made it to the Sinnoh region," Rei said.
"Yes, Master, we have," Sora said.
"Master?" Lucas and Dawn asked.
"Who is that?" Dawn asked.
"Rei Sakura. She's our teacher. As you can guess, she's also a Keyblade wielder," Ash said.
"I'm glad to see so many familiar faces, but there are two I haven't seen before," Rei said.
"My name's Lucas," Lucas in himself.
"And my name's Dawn," Dawn introduced herself.
"We met them today when a swarm of Heartless attacked Dawn here. We managed to drive them back," Sora said.
"But it was Sora's leadership skills that saved the day, Master," Wes said.
"Glad to hear it. Did you make contact with Riku yet?" Rei asked.
"He called us, Master. So he and Naminé are already heading for the Sinnoh region," Kairi said.
"And we'll be meeting up with him soon," May said.
"Excellent. I'll prepare to depart for Sinnoh tomorrow. And I'll meet up with you as well," Rei said.
"Okay," the group said.
"We'll see you when you get here," Chase said.
"Likewise. And Sora, good job on leading them. Just do your best at it and you'll do fine," Rei said, breaking contact.
"So are Riku and Naminé Keyblade wielders, too?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah, they are," Leaf said.
"That's awesome. That means, they can also use magic like you can," Dawn said.
"Yeah, they can. But Riku is more of a combat guy than he is with magic," Roxas said.
"Anyway, what did you mean by Sora's leadership skills?" Lucas asked Wes.
"Sora's the leader of our group," Wes said.
"Master Rei brought this on about us having a leader," Ethan said.
"Some of us thought of either Wes or Riku at first, but we eventually decided it should be Sora since he managed to lead us even before it became official," May said.
"And it turns out it was the right choice," Brendan said.
"So, he chose Riku as his second-in-command," Michael said.
"I guess that explains why you told Kairi and May to go for Dawn," Lucas said.
"Just how many Keyblade wielders are there?" Dawn asked.
"We don't know the exact number other than us. But lately, the numbers have been going up, even though there wasn't that many Keyblade wielders at first," Rui said.
"In other words, there are others out there," Elaine said.
"There could be some we haven't met yet," Lyra said.
"Marill," Marill said.
"Can anyone have a Keyblade?" Lucas asked.
"The Keyblade has to choose you," Leaf said.
"How does that happen?" Dawn asked.
"We don't exactly know, but we only know we were chosen," Kris said.
"Why is a mystery," Kairi said.
"A mystery that I don't think we're gonna answer," Ash said.
"That's not very helpful," Dawn said.
"If weilding a Keyblade was easy, then we would have millions of Keyblade wielders instead of just a handful," Ash said.
"Also, there's one more thing. Our Keyblades has the ability to work on any lock," Sora said.
"Any lock?" Lucas asked.
"Yeah. The Keyblade is a universal skeleton key. A beam of light shoots into a keyhole and it can lock or unlock the keyhole," Sora said.
"Have any of you ever used them to break into places like an amusement park after dark?" Dawn asked.
"No," Sora, Kairi, Roxas, Xion, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Chase, Elaine, Wes, Rui, and Michael all answered at once.
"We never misuse the Keyblade for our personal pleasure," Kris said.
"Yeah, that kind of thing can get us into loads of trouble," Roxas said.
"The power of the Keyblade is something that must never be abused," Xion said.
"And there's one more thing," Sora said, summoning his Kingdom Key and holds it for Lucas. "Here."
"You sure?" Lucas asked.
"Trust me," Sora said.
"Okay," Lucas said, taking the Keyblade. As he held it, he felt awestruck. "Wow, it feels a little heavier than it looked." The Kingdom Key then vanished from Lucas's hand and back to Sora's hand. "What the? How did that happen?"
"This is what we meant by being chosen. When someone who isn't authorized to wield a Keyblade takes it, then it goes back to its owner," Sora said.
"So, we never had to worry about it being stolen," Brendan said.
"I kinda get it though. And I guess you gotta call them out like you did earlier," Lucas said.
"Yup," Sora said, dismissing his Kingdom Key.
"Not many people knows about it, so don't go spreading it around," Xion said.
"We already have problems to deal with," Roxas said.
A little while later, Dawn made contact with her mother. She introduced her new friends to Johanna.
"I do appreciate you looking after my Dawn. I realize she can be quite a handful," Johanna said.
"Not at all," the group said.
"Aw, mom, there's nothing to worry about," Dawn said.
"When you tell me there's nothing to worry about, that's when I worry the most," Johanna said. Dawn chuckled nervously. "It's very nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Kairi said.
"Don't forget I'm counting on you; especially you, Lucas," Johanna said.
"I won't forget," Lucas said.
"Best of luck on your journey," Johanna said, breaking contact.
"My mom. What a mom," Dawn said.
"Our parents are the same way," May said.
"Well, Lucas, we should register for the Sinnoh Pokémon League since we're here," Sora said.
"Yeah, we should," Lucas said.
"You got that right," Roxas said. Everyone looked at Roxas.
"Wait, Roxas, you're competing, too?" Ash asked.
"Well, I participated in the Pokémon Stadium Cup, so why shouldn't I try my luck with this, too?" Roxas asked.
"Pikachu," Xipak said.
"It's only fair we both have a go at it," Roxas said.
"If you're up for it, then I'll back you up," Sora said.
"Sibling rivalry at its finest," May said.
"Well, they battled each other back at the Pokémon Stadium Cup, so Roxas would want nothing more than to have a rematch against him," Brendan said.
A few minutes later, Sora, Roxas, and Lucas all registered for the Sinnoh Pokémon League in order to participate in it.
"There. Sora and Roxas from Pallet Town, and Lucas from Twinleaf Town. Everything is in order," Nurse Joy said.
"Thanks a lot," Lucas said.
"Well, well, well, we meet again," a familar voice spoke. They all turned to see Nando.
"Hey, Nando!" Sora said.
"He's a trainer we met today. A Pokémon Bard named Nando," Kairi said.
"It seems fate is kind to us all," Nando said.
"Are you staying at the center too?" Dawn asked.
"No, there are things for me ponder elsewhere," Nando said as Nurse Joy walked in with Budew.
"Here you go. Your Budew is one hundred percent perfect," Nurse Joy said.
"I am in your debt," Nando said. He takes his Budew in his arms. "Now that Budew is well, I bid you good evening." The bard takes his leave of the Pokémon Center.
"What's there to ponder about?" Lyra asked.
"Nando devides his interests equally between Gym battles and Contests," Nurse Joy said. "I think he's trying to decide the two."
"Yeah? With a strong Budew like his, he should always choose Gym battles," Lucas said.
"No way! It's Contests!" Dawn stepped in.
"Sorry, but Gym battles are the way to go!" Lucas argued.
"He should choose Contests!" Dawn argued back. The two of them argued over which one Nando should participate in.
"Oh boy," Sora and Kairi said.
"Pika," Pikachu said.
"Eevee," Angel said.
"Sora, you agree with me that Gym battles are the way to go, right?" Lucas asked. Sora knew he was being dragged into their argument.
"Kairi, Contests are the best, don't you think? " Dawn asked.
"Don't just bring them into your fight!" Leaf said. They weren't listening as they dragged the couple with them. Pikachu and Angel both went with them as they leave the rest of the group behind.
"Should we go after them?" May asked.
"I think they'll be okay," Chase said.
"He's right. Sora and Kairi will get them to stop arguing soon enough," Ethan said.
The four Trainers and the two Pokémon were going through the woods as the moon is the only light they could see.
"Nobody's here," Lucas said.
"That's weird. Wonder where Nando went?" Dawn asked.
"We could find out tomorrow, because we could use a rest back at the Pokémon Center," Sora said.
"Pika, Pika," Pikachu said.
"I'm with him. It's getting very dark out here," Kairi said.
"Eevee," Angel said as she cuddles up to Pikachu.
"And not to mention, there could be..." Sora was cut off when Creeper Plants grew all around them. "Heartless."
"Not again," Lucas and Dawn said. Sora and Kairi summoned their Keyblades and they were about to engage them when Budew came and fired Bullet Seed on the Creeper Plants, destroying them.
"Budew. If you're here, then where is..." Sora was cut off by Nando.
"I am here, friends," Nando said, appearing before them. "I was having a pleasant evening when I heard a sound. I came here to investigate it when I found you surrounded by creatures unfamiliar to me. I believe you called them 'Heartless', correct?"
"Yeah, and thanks for the assist," Sora said, dismissing his Kingdom Key. Kairi dismissed her Destiny's Embrace.
"Shouldn't we be heading back to the Pokémon Center right about now?" Dawn asked.
"It's too dark to head back now. We'll have to wait until morning because we'll never know what we'll run into," Sora said.
"What?! You mean camp out here?!" Dawn exclaimed.
"We really don't have a choice at this point. Of course, that wouldn't be an issue if a certain pair of someones didn't drag us against our will and in the middle of the night just to settle a meaningless argument," Kairi said, glaring right at Lucas and Dawn. The both looked right at the ground.
"Sorry," Lucas and Dawn apologized.
"The damage is already done. And besides, we're used to this kind of thing. We'll have to set up camp right here," Sora said.
"There is no need for that, my friends. I have a place not too far from here, but I am curious to know why you are out here," Nando said.
"The thing is, we're looking for you," Lucas said.
"Me? Why?" Nando asked.
"It's like this," Sora said.
Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, Angel, Lucas, and Dawn went with the Bard to his camp stating that he heard about how he's devided on which on to choose.
"You're correct. I'm feeling torn between choosing between Contests or Gy, battles," Nando said.
"But Budew's so strong, just perfect for the Gym," Lucas said.
"No way! Budew's movves were made for the Contests," Dawn said.
"Guys, it should be Nando's choice to choose," Sora said.
"He's right. It's not fair for Nando if you choose for him," Kairi added.
"If I enter the Sinnoh Pokémon League, I need to win battles in each of eight Gym locations which gives me eight badges. On the other hand, in order to appear in the Sinnoh Grand Festival, I have to win a Contest in each of five arenas, which will give me five ribbons," Nando stated.
"You got it right exactly," Kairi said.
"Whatever you choose is fine. Besides, I don't have anything against Pokémon Contests," Sora said.
"Also, I've been with Sora watching his Gym battles before I started entering Pokémon Contests," Kairi said.
"Then, why did you enter a Contest in the first place?" Dawn asked.
"I just entered because it sounded fun. And I won my very first Contest Ribbon when we were in the Hoenn region," Kairi said.
"I see. But if you be silent for a moment, and you shall hear the forest singing," Nando said. Sora, Kairi, Lucas, and Dawn all looked at the bard.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Dawn asked.
The sounds of the forest Pokémon can be heard. Among the Pokémon living in the woods, are is red with a pale yellow streak down its front and a black cape-like marking on its back. Its head is encircled with a flat, pale yellow structure similar to a collar. There are some that has a bigger collar than others. Two hard, black antennae with curled tips are connected to the head by a dark red segment. A similar dark red segment forms this Pokémon's nose, and it has small, black hands and feet. These Pokémon are known as Kricketot. Buneary were on the forest floor as they also sang their song. Six Burmy were hanging from the trees as they all sang their own song. Two Gastly, a Duskull, and a Misreavus sang as a small band of Chingling, Chimecho, Hoothoot, and Noctowl were also singing. Wooper and Quagsire were also signing. All of the Pokémon were all singing songs in the forest. Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, Angel, Lucas, and Dawn were listening to the forest singing.
"Wow, you were right, I can hear it," Kairi said.
"It's so beautiful," Dawn said.
"Eevee," Angel said. Pikachu placed his arm around her.
"It's gorgeous. I never noticed it before. Now I'll always hear it," Dawn said.
"Sleeping outside's not so bad, isn't it?" Lucas asked his crush.
"Yeah," Dawn said.
"I think it's a good thing we're out here because we get to hear it for ourselves," Sora said.
"Yeah, all of the others would enjoy it," Kairi said.
"Too bad they had to miss it," Sora said. "Kairi, you remember the day we met? When we both saw Ho-Oh flying over us?" Lucas and Dawn were confused by what Sora claimed.
"Yes, I do. It was a beautiful sight to see, espeacially the rainbow trail left behind," Kairi said.
"You know, I did see something like that back at Lake Verity," Dawn said. This catches the couple's attention.
"You did?" Sora and Kairi asked.
"You saw the legendary Pokémon at the lake?" Lucas asked.
"Yes. Professor Rowan mentioned it was probably Mespirit. It was the most incredible thing I have ever seen in my life," Dawn said.
"What is usually hidden, you now have the eyes with which to see," Nando said, paying his harp. "The forests song allows it to be, a gift for you and me. Let our hearts be grateful that the mysterious world of night Pokémon shows itself ever so selflessly." Lucas was curious about his skills as a Trainer after seeing Dawn's.
"Nando, if it's okay to ask, but I would like to have a battle against you," Lucas said.
"The honor would be all mine," Nando said.
On the next morning, Lucas and Nando got into position for their battle.
"I'm ready whenever you are," Lucas said.
"You have the honor," Nando said. Lucas took out a Pokéball and threw it.
"Okay, Turtwig! Go!" Lucas called out. Turtwig emerged from inside, ready to battle. Nando took out his Pokéball and threw it.
"Go forth, Budew," Nando said. Budew emerged from inside.
"And here's Turtwig," Sora said, getting out his Rotom Phone and scanned it.
Turtwig, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon
Type: Grass
It undertakes photosynthesis within its body, making oxygen. The leaf on its head wilts if the Pokémon is thirsty.
"Tackle!" Lucas ordered.
"Budew, Bullet Seed if you, please," Nando ordered. Budew fired a Bullet Seed right at Turtwig, but the Tiny Leaf Pokémon dodged and lands a hit onto the Bud Pokémon.
"Wow, a clean hit!" Dawn said.
"Yeah. I never would have seen a turtle Pokémon move so fast," Rui said.
"Please, Mega Drain," Nando ordered. Budew lets out a stream of green energy and it saps Turtwig's stamina. Budew recovers from Turtwig's Tackle.
"How did Budew heal?" Dawn asked.
"It was because of Mega Drain. Mega Drain is much like Absorb, but much stronger than that. It saps a Pokémon's stamina and uses it to heals the user," Wes explained.
"Okay, Turtwig! Use Earth Power!" Lucas ordered. Turtwig slammed on the ground, hitting Budew. "Use Leafage!" Turtwig unleashed Leafage, hitting Budew on the mark. Budew wasn't going to go down that easily, so it began to evolve.
"Why is Budew glowing like that? Is it using Solar Beam?" Dawn asked.
"No! Budew's evolving!" May said.
"Awesome, I never seen a Pokémon evolve before!" Dawn said at awe.
"An interesting development to say the least. Rosela. Sunny Day, please," Nando ordered. Roselia raises both of its roses and the sun grew brighter.
"Uh-oh," Sora said, knowing what that means.
"Now if you please, Solar Beam," Nando ordered.
"Get ready, Turtwig," Lucas said.
"Fire please," Nando said. Roselia fires at Turtwig, determined to finish this fast.
"Turtwig! Jump to dodge it!" Lucas called out. Turtwig jumps to avoid Solar Beam. "Now, use Bite!" Turtwig came down and lands a heavy bite on the Thorn Pokémon. Roselia fell onto the ground, beaten.
"Dear Roselia!" Nando gasped.
"Great job, Turtwig!" Lucas said.
"Well, that's the end. It seems we lost," Nando said.
"Nice one, Lucas," Kris said.
"Way to go," Brendan said.
Nando picks up Roselia in his arms.
"A brilliant effort. You deserve a nice long rest," Nando said kindly. He calls Roselia back inside its Pokéball. "You have my thanks, Lucas."
"You're welcome, Nando," Lucas said.
"I finally know what I must do," Nando said.
"Whatever you decide should be okay with us. Right, Lucas, Dawn?" Sora asked, looking at the two beginning Trainers.
"Yes," Lucas and Dawn said.
"What will you do now?" Kairi asked.
"I decided to do both," Nando said.
"Both?!" The whole group exclaimed.
"I enjoyed battling the two of you so much, I wouldn't dream up giving up on either one of them. And so for now, I bod you farewell 'til we meet again," Nando said.
"'Til we meet again," Sora said.
"I'm looking forward in seeing you in a Contest, Nando," Kairi said.
"Best of luck on your path," Ash said.
With that said, they all parted ways with the bard and continued on towards Jubilife City for Kairi and Dawn's Contest.
Although, Lucas and Dawn's paths are different, but the goal is the same for the both of them. But how and when will Leo, Kanako, Lucius, and Silver Moon strike? We will have to wait and see what happens next very soon.