Episode 387: Following a Maiden's Voyage

It was shortly after Sora, Kairi, Roxas, Xion, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Chase, Elaine, Wes, Rui, Michael, Pikachu, Angel, Xipak, Celeste, Marill, Volt, and Maple had left for the Sinnoh region, and Riku and Naminé had left for Porta Vista. Rei and Ben stand before Teol in his chambers.

"If what Ash has said about Cascade and Viento is true, we will have to think of a way to bring them back safely," Rei said.

"I strongly agree. But the problem is, Ash's visions did not say how to do so," Ben said.

"And that's a problem we need to solve," Rei said.

"Yes, but there is more to the problem than you are led to believe. Gaia is the only one left to worry about, but what does Master Xehanort intend to do next?" Teol asked.

"Wait, Master Xehanort? How is that possible? He's gone, along with his two halves," Rei said.

"There was 'Ansem' who had command of the Heartless and Xemnas who had command of the Nobodies. Sora and Kairi have destroyed them both if I'm remembering correctly," Ben said.

"Indeed both Ansem and Xemnas have met their ends. However, therein lies exactly our problem. Their destruction now guarantees the original Xehanort's reconstruction," Teol said.

"Reconstruction?" Ben asked.

"Xehanort's heart, once seized by his Heartless half, is now free. And his body, which had become his Nobody, has been vanquished. Both halves will now be returned to the whole. In short...this means Master Xehanort will return," Teol said. Rei and Ben both gasped.

"Do you think he's going to finish what he began so long ago?" Ben asked.

"I have no doubts that he will, but it may be a long time before he could do so. Centuries of being separated from one another possibly due to his old age may have temporarily weakened him, and there is no telling when he will fully recover and how he will announce his return, and his location would be unknown even to Fusoya," Teol said.

"Sora, Kairi, and the others will eventually face him when the time comes, and it may not be too long," Rei said.

"True, and I have no doubt they are strong, but Xehanort is a Keyblade Master, and even when working together, your apprentices will not overcome him easily," Teol said.

"But there is still the matter of other Keyblade candidates out there in the world. I'd wager my Keyblade that Xehanort knows that our search is continuing on," Ben said.

"I agree. And he would have left many roads open," Teol said.

"I feel that we must tell our apprentices of this bit of knowledge as a precaution," Ben said.

"You're right, we should," Rei agreed.

"No," Teol said, tapping his staff on the ground. Rei and Ben looked at the elderly wizard.

"Why not?" Rei asked.

"It is too soon to be certain. And we do not know more of Xehanort's intentions, nor do we know his whereabouts and the day that he should return. Until we do, your apprentices must never know about this," Teol said. Rei and Ben didn't like the idea of keeping secrets from their apprentices, but they knew he was right because they needed to know more first.

"We understand," Ben said.

Meanwhile, over to Count Ernesh's mansion, the count kneels before his master in respect.

"You summoned me, my Master?" Count Ernesh asked.

"There is a great disturbance, my friend," Insidious said. "Have you felt it?"

"Yes, I have," Count Ernesh replied.

"It would seem Master Xehanort is close to returning to us," Insidious said.

"Master Xehanort? Forgive me, my Master, but it was my understanding that his Heartless and Nobody were destroyed by the hands of Kaito Ketchum's son and his female companion. He couldn't have returned," Count Ernesh said.

"You are half correct. Both Ansem and Xemnas have met their demise by the hands of those children, but in doing so, they have allowed him to be recompleted. But he was not the only one," Insidious said.

"Recompleted, Master?" Count Ernesh asked.

"As you are aware, when one were to succumb to the darkness, the individual becomes a Heartless, correct?" Insidious questioned.

"Indeed, Master. And in the process, a Nobody is created from the empty shell it leaves behind," Count Ernesh said.

"Also correct," Insidious said.

"If I may ask, my Lord, but how is this remotely possible?" Count Ernesh asked.

"When both the Heartless and Nobody of the same individual had been vanquished, then the heart and body reunite with each other, allowing them to become human once more. When a Nobody has reached a certain age, the aging process loses power over them. The members of Organization XIII have been recompleted thanks to Kaito Ketchum's son and his friends," Insidious said.

"If I may ask, what does this have to do with us, my Lord?" Count Ernesh asked.

"Everything, my friend. The time has come for us to find suitable individuals to form a new Organization XIII. These individuals must meet the required standards to meet Master Xehanort's heart. And I am counting on you to make certain that happens," Insidious said.

"Yes, my Lord. And I already have the perfect candidate in mind," Count Ernesh said. He thinks of Riku, thinking he would be perfect due to his ability to use the darkness.

Over in Twinleaf Town, we enter Dawn's bedroom and she gets up from her bed. She wore pink pajama bottoms and a matching shirt with a yellow line going down them. She got dressed in her clothes.

"Dawn, are you up?" Johanna asked.

"I am SO up!" Dawn said, getting her hair done. Johanna opens the door.

"Morning, dear," Johanna greeted.

"Good morning, mom!" Dawn greeted back.

"It was about time that you got up," Johanna said.

"Mom, I'm ten years old," Dawn said. She bends down to her mom's Glameow. "Morning, Glameow." Glameow jumped on Dawn's bed and takes a nap on it. Dawn and her mother head downstairs for breakfast.

"I hope you finished packing," Johanna said.

"Did it all yesterday," Dawn said.

"And just in case you forgot. Did you pack the postcard from Professor Rowan? You won't be able to get your Pokémon without it, or download the Pokédex app on your phone," Johanna said.

"I know, mom," Dawn said, showing her the postcard. On the postcard are the three Sinnoh starter Pokémon on the postcard. "See? I'll never forget this!"

"Good! So, have you decided which of those three Pokémon you're going to pick?" Johanna asked.

"Not yet," Dawn answered. "They're all so cute! The thing is, I'm sure that any of them would make an awesome partner!" Dawn looked at the trophies and photos of Johanna's youth. "Gotta be smart though. I wanna be a Top Coordinator like you, mom!"

"Then, first off, you have to become a great Pokémon Trainer," Johanna said. "And a breeder, too. Please remember, dear, all winning Coordinators first started out as Pokémon Trainers."

"You're right, mom. That's just what I'll do!" Dawn said.

We go to Dawn's fantasy as she is making her Pokémon Contest debut.

"And now, our next Coordinator! Making her debut, it's Dawn from Twinleaf Town!" The MC announced as Dawn entered the stage. She wore a pink dress. She took out a Pokéball.

"Okay, Chimchar! Spotlight!" Dawn called out. The Pokéball opened up and Chimchar emerged from inside. "Now, use Flame Wheel!" Chimchar rolls into a ball and surrounds itself with flames. Chimchar rolls back down and subsides the flame, finishing up. The crowd applauds for Dawn and Chimchar.

"And an astounding Flame Wheel from Chimchar!" The MC announced.

In reality, Dawn was doing a pose.

"There, what'd you think of that, mom?" Dawn asked.

"Top Coordinators need to eat breakfast, too," Johanna said.

"Or Piplup. Piplup's a Water-type Pokémon," Dawn said.

We look into Dawn's fantasy again, and this time we see her in a lime green dress. She took out a Pokéball and threw it.

"Piplup! Spotlight!" Dawn called out. Piplup emerged from inside. "Bubble Beam, go!" Piplup fired Bubble Beam straight into the sky, right into the sun. The bubbles exploded, making it rain down sparkles.

"Wow! Now, that's the definition of a perfect Bubble Beam!" The MC announced.

Back in reality, Dawn was doing another pose.

"Can't this wait until after we eat?" Johanna asked.

"Or Turtwig, a Grass-type," Dawn said.

We look into Dawn's fantasy once again and we see her in a lavender tuxedo this time.

"Go! Turtwig!" Dawn called out. Turtwig emerged from inside. She took out some pink balls and threw them up in the air. "Use Razor Leaf!" Turtwig unleashed Razor Leaf, cutting the balls in half. They both do a twirl.

Dawn does so in reality.

"What do you think of that?" Dawn asked, doing a bow.

"I think if you keep messing around, you won't have time to get any Pokémon," Johanna said.

"Hm?" Dawn asked, realizing she was right. She blushed. "You're right. Sorry, mom." Dawn walked back to the table to eat her breakfast.

After breakfast, Johanna opens the front door as she steps out to see how a beautiful day it was.

"What a day. Perfect for starting on a journey," Johanna said. She looked inside the house. "So, Dawn, are you ready?" Dawn came in, rolling in a suitcase.

"Oh, yeah!" Dawn said.

"Oh? What's all that?" Johanna asked.

"It's just all my stuff. It's not that I packed things I don't need," Dawn said. Johnna looked inside and saw it was all clothes, shoes, accessories.

"It's all clothes," Johanna said.

"Also some jewelry and some face stuff," Dawn said. Johanna looked at her daughter with a worried look.

"Do you know what your journey is for?" Johanna asked.

"To become a Pokémon Trainer, right?" Dawn replied.

"Exactly," Johanna said, giving her daughter a yellow backpack. "Which means this is plenty."

"Aw, that's it?" Dawn asked.

"If you want to become a Top Coordinator and a smart traveler, then trust me," Johanna said.

"Okay, mom," Dawn said, taking the backpack instead of a suitcase.

"One more thing," Johanna said, handing Dawn a ribbon.

"Huh? Mom, what's this?" Dawn asked, taking the ribbon.

"That's the first championship ribbon I have ever won in a contest. I always carried it as a good-luck charm. Now, if you will, I'd like you to carry it too," Johanna said.

"Really?" Dawn asked. Johanna nodded.

"Long as you don't lose it," Johanna said.

"Wow, thanks, mom! See you soon!" Dawn said, heading for her bike. Once she got on, she started to head for her first stop, Sandgem Town to pick up her very first Pokémon. "Off we go!"

"Do your best and take of yourself, dear!" Johanna said. Dawn turned around and waved at her mom.

"No need to worry, mom!" Dawn said. Dawn wasn't looking where she was going and hits a pebble. She begins to wobble around. Dawn thought she was going to fall off, but she retook her balance. "See? I told ya Bye!" Dawn rode off. Johanna sighs.

"Every time she tells me not to worry is when I worry the most," Johanna said.

"Meow," Glameow purred.

Dawn rides off to Sandgem Town as a flock of Chatot fly by. Hoothoot are sleeping inside of hollow trees as a troop of Aipom are eating berries from the trees. Dawn rode right in Sandgem Town and arrived at a building.

"And here we are! I'd know Professor Rowan's lab anywhere!" Dawn said. She got off her bike and headed for the building. She opens the door.

"'Kay, I'm here for my Pokémon!" Dawn announced.

"You came to the right place, kid!" A man's voice spoke. Dawn saw it was a ramen restaurant. The patrons were all looking at her. "Hey, you're going to eat, too, aren't you?" Dawn felt awkward and embarrassed, so she fastly rode on her bike.

"Oh man! Me and my great directions!" Dawn said. Dawn went to one place. "Not there!" She rode to another. "Wrong way! She went one more way. "I want my mom!" Dawn rode off. She looks over the map on the postcard. "Let's see. Make a right and then make a left, or a left then right?" She looked around for the lab. "Maybe it's upside down." She bumps into Professor Rowan. He is wearing a brown coat, tie and shoes. He has white hair and a white mustache. He has dark brown pants. Under his coat, he wears a blue suit with yellow buttons on it. He's carrying a brownish orange suitcase. Dawn winced when she bumped into someone. "I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!"

"Hello," Professor Rowan greeted. "You're looking lost."

"Huh? Are you talking to me, sir?" Dawn asked.

"Right. There's no one else here, and you're looking very lost," Professor Rowan stated. Dawn sure walked into that one.

"Yeah, but I'll be fine," Dawn assured him.

"Perhaps. But you don't look fine right now," the man said.

"Yeah, I guess so," Dawn said, hanging her head.

"You must be a new Trainer since you got that don't you come with me to my lab and get your starter Pokémon?" The man offered.

"Guess I could," Dawn said, but she gasped in realization. "Wait did you say 'lab?'" Dawn asked.

"You may be lost, but you can hear. I'm Professor Rowan," the man introduced himself. Dawn didn't know what to say. He stopped and turned. "You do want to get your Pokémon now, don't you?"

"Yeah, of course I do!" Dawn said.

We head right to Professor Rowan's lab. Gary is working as a researcher as he takes a look at a Starly and two other starling Pokémon.

One is a grayish-brown, avian Pokémon with black and white markings. Its head and upper body are primarily black with an "M"-shaped pattern over its white chest. On its forehead is a grayish-brown spot. On its face is a white, mask-like marking with a pattern of spikes along the lower edge. It has small, black eyes with white pupils and a long, orange beak with a black tip. On the back of its head is a long tuft of feathers, which curves forward. The lower halves of its wings are black, and it has black tail feathers with a single white feather in the center. Its orange, anisodactyl feet have black talons. This Pokémon is known as Staravia.

The other is a grayish-brown, avian Pokémon similar to a large bird of prey. It has small, red eyes and a thin, yellow beak with a black tip. There is a circular white patch on its forehead. Larger white markings cover the front of its throat and chest, separated by a black ruff encircling the shoulders. A red-tipped black crest extends over its head, nearly reaching the tip of its beak. It has large wings, five black-tipped tail feathers, and yellow feet with black talons. This Pokémon is known as Staraptor.

"You have a nice plumage, Staravia. Same to you Staraptor," Gary said.

The three starter Pokémon of Sinnoh were happily eating the Pokémon food the research staff has provided them. A couple of people from the research staff show up.

"Hey, Gary, that Pokémon food you brought over is a huge hit with the Pokémon. Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup love it," one of the research team members said.

"My grandpa gave me the recipe from a friend's girlfriend in Kanto. She does wonders for his Pokémon as well as her own," Gary said.

"And judging by how they're wolfing it down, it's no wonder," the first research team member said. "And how is the research on the Starly evolution line going?"

"It's going smoothly, Yuzo. Umbreon and Electivire have been giving me a hand," Gary said.

"That's good. You know, I have always been a huge fan of Starly. Starly is the very first Pokémon that I have ever caught on my journey," Yuzo said.

"Yeah? Mine was a Bidoof!" Another research team member said.

"No kidding! My sister's first Pokémon was a Bidoof!" Yuzo said. Chimchar had eaten its fill and looked over to Piplup's bowl and snatched it from the penguin-like Pokémon and ate it.

"Hey, what's the big idea? Why did you have to eat what I was going to eat?!" - Piplup subtitle. Chimchar taunted Piplup and its rear at it.

"Gotta be quick, I always say!" - Chimchar subtitle.

"You always do this! You always have to be a bully to me! Take this!" - Piplup subtitle. Gary, Yuzo, and the rest of the research team saw the ruckus going on as Piplup fires Bubble Beam at the fire monkey Pokémon. Chimchar avoids the bubbles as Turtwig happily kept eating.

"Piplup, Chimchar! Stop this instant!" Yuzo scolded. Piplup didn't listen and kept firing Bubble Beam at Chimchar. "Piplup, stop acting like a spoiled child!" Piplup kept shooting Bubble Beam and shot at Starly, Staravia, and Staraptor. The three starling Pokémon all start flying around.

"Sarly, Staravia, Staraptor! Settle down! Settle down!" Gary shouted. Staraptor begins to flap its large wings, making a huge wind. "No, not Whirlwind! Not in here!" Staraptor's Whirlwind makes a huge mess in the lab as the window shatters. Starly, Staravia, and Staraptor all fly out the window. "No! Come back!" Piplup breaks out of Yuzo's hold as it chases after Chimchar.

"Just perfect! Professor Rowan is going to be back and going to have himself a fit when he sees this mess, but the worst of it is, a new Trainer is coming today and two of the starter Pokémon have literally gone out the window!" Yuzo said.

"We got to find them and get them back before something happens!" Gary said.

"Right," the rest of the research team agreed. They were heading out to look for Chimchar and Piplup when Professor Rowan and Dawn walked on in.

"Crap, he's back!" Yuzo exclaimed.

"Yes. This is my laboratory, isn't it?" Professor Rowan pointed out.

"Professor, of course it is!" Gary, Yuzo, and the rest of the staff answered all at once. Dawn looked at the mess.

"Oh, dear," Dawn said.

"What happened in here?" Professor Rowan asked.

"Sir, I apologize for this. We had a slight problem. The Chimchar and the Piplup we had for the new trainer ran into the forest," Yuzo reported.

Gary added, "On top of that, while I was conducting my evolution research, the three Starly stages all got out as well."

"Fortunately, we still have Turtwig," Yuzo said. Turtwig looked at Professor Rowan and got scared of his stern expression. Dawn still hasn't decided on which one to get as her first. She had to do something to make things right.

"Sir, I'd like to go look for them," Dawn volunteered. Professor Rowan turned to the beginning trainer.

"You would?" Professor Rowan asked.

"Yes. We're talking about Pokémon that could be my future partner!" Dawn stated. Professor Rowan looked at her for a moment. He decided to allow her to go along with it.

"Very well. Just remember, if you find them, you need to crouch down so you can talk to them at eye level. You should be able to calm them down," Professor Rowan said. Dawn smiled as she was filled with confidence.

"I'll do that!" Dawn said.

"Good girl! I wish you luck!" Professor Rowan said.

"Thank you!" Dawn said. She sets off to find the missing two Pokémon. "Wow, that Professor Rowan is a real nice guy, much nicer than I thought." Dawn sets off to find them.

A Bidoof and another beaver-like Pokémon moves out of her path. It is a bulky, bipedal Pokémon similar to a beaver. Brown fur covers most of this Pokémon, with a tan bib-like pattern on its chest. Its face is covered by a tan mask with a rounded extension over each eye. While its forepaws are small and slightly webbed, its hind paws are larger and more rounded. Both sets of paws are black with three toes, but the hind paws have circular, tan paw pads. Its large, flat tail is black with a tan, wavy marking near the tip. Rounded tufts of fur line each side of its face. Its short, dark brown snout has a small red nose and protruding upper incisors. This is Bidoof's evolved form, Bibarel.

She heads to the edge of the forest.

"Chimchar!" Chimchar said, hanging from a branch.

"It's Chimchar!" Dawn gasped. Piplup catches up with Chimchar. "And Piplup, too!" Piplup fires Bubble Beam at the fire monkey Pokémon, but Chimchar avoids the attack by jumping to the next, throwing a temper tantrum for missing its target. "Stop that, Piplup!" Piplup fired Bubble Beam at Dawn. She jumps out of the way of the penguin Pokémon's attack. "That's not nice!" Piplup kept chasing after Chimchar into the forest. Hey, you two! Wait up!" Dawn ran after them both. She searches the forest for Chimchar and Piplup. "Where could those two be?"

"PIPLUP!" Piplup shrieked. Dawn turned to where she figured the sound came from.

"Is that Piplup?" Dawn asked. Dawn ran to the source where she found Piplup tangled up in a web, along with a Pidgey, a Rattata, a Weedle, a Zigzagoon, a Ninjask, and a Dunsparce. "It was you!" Piplup didn't like being tangled up one bit. She takes a step closer only to be met with a Sludge Bomb on the ground. She gasped that she realized whose web it was; it was occupied by an Ariados. "Ariados! Leave them alone!" Ariadoes fires another Sludge Bomb. Dawn shrieked when she avoided the attack again "That's it!' She stared at the spider-like Pokémon with determination. "Okay, Ariados, that's it!" She starts to run. "Right this way!" She ran to get Ariados's attention. "Hurry!" Ariadoes kept chasing after her. "Come on! Hurry it up!" She stopped right in front of the web. Piplup was getting worried about Dawn. "Don't worry, Piplup. Won't be long now." Piplup didn't know what she had planned, but he hoped it'll work. Ariados fired Sludge Bomb, sending Piplup and the other captive Pokémon free. Dawn catches Piplup in her arms as she ran. "I got ya!" Piplup was angry by that stunt. "I'm sorry you got scared, but at least you're safe!" She fell over a slope while holding Piplup and lands right into a bush. "Me and my big fat mouth!" She gets back up on her feet. "This time, you're safe. Piplup gave Dawn a few pecks on the cheek. "Ow, ow, ow!" The penguin jumps out of Dawn's arms.

"Piplup, Piplup, Pip, Pip, Piplup, Pip!" Piplup yelled.

"Hey, you were the one chasing after Chimchar, so if I were you, I would feel pretty embarrassed!" Dawn said. Piplup starts throwing another temper tantrum. "Hey, I know the truth hurts, but come on!" Piplup kept throwing a tantrum. Piplup stops once its stomach starts growling. Dawn gave a teasing grin when she figured out what the fuss was about. "I get why you're such a grump. You're really hungry, aren't you?"

"Piplup!" Piplup denied.

"Yup, I knew it! I can read you like a book!" Dawn said. Piplup blushed in embarrassment.

"Pip," Piplup said. Dawn pours the store bought Pokémon food. She held it for Piplup.

"Here you go, Pipup. Some yummy Pokémon food. Piplup sniffed the food, but downright refused when it saw it was the kind Piplup was used to. "Say what? Whaddaya mean no? I think you got an attitude problem! Piplup stuck its tongue out at the food. "Oh, come on!" She heard some rustling up in the trees as the same Ariados from before comes on down and glares at Dawn. She and Piplup screamed when the spider-like Pokémon scared her out of her wits. Ariados fires Poison Sting at the both of them. Dawn and Piplup tumbles backwards and they freaked out when they saw several more Ariados in the web. They were all angered. Piplup, let's go!"

"Piplup!" Piplup agreed. They both ran for it, but the Ariadoes fires their thread, trapping them both.

"They're pretty mad because we destroyed their nest! The Ariados fired Poison Sting as Dawn tries to avoid them. Dawn drops the can of Pokémon food. She looks at the can and gets an idea. "I know! Piplup, we'll use the Pokémon food as bait to distract them!" Then we'll use your Bubble Beam ro smash the web!"

"Piplup!" Piplup agreed. Dawn grabs the can and throws the food.

"'Kay, come and get it!" Dawn said. The Ariados sees the food and uses their threads to catch the food and eats it. "Do it!" Piplup fires Bubble Beam right at the threads, cutting through the web. "We are out!" One of the Ariados sends out a thread and it wraps around Dawn's ankle. The Ariados start to make their way towards her.

"Piplup, Pip, Pip, Piplup, Pip!" Piplup said, trying to gesture Dawn to move.

"Piplup, get out of here! I'll be fine!" Dawn said.

"Piplup!" Piplup pleaded.

"Hurry!" Dawn also pleaded. The Ariados eventually reaches her and attacks with Poison Sting and Sludge Bomb. Dawn covered her eyes, awaiting the inevitable, but Piplup jumps in front of Dawn took a stance, taking the hits. Dawn opened her eyes to see Piplup take the hits. The Ariados kept firing Sludge Bomb at the penguin-like Pokémon. Piplup starts giving off a white glow. "Is that an attack?" Dawn blinks twice. "Wait a minute, that's gotta be Bide!" Piplup sends out a powerful white energy right at the Long Leg Pokémon and destroying the rest of their web. They all go for a fly before they all come down for a crash landing. Piplup panted as it used up some energy. "Bide gave back twice the damage they gave us. Bide's one of the coolest moves I've ever seen!" She looked at Piplup and she smiled. She bends down on her knees. Piplup, thanks so much." Piplup falls backwards as Dawn catches it in her hands. She picks the tired penguin Pokémon up and stands on her feet. "Oh, Piplup."

"Staraptor!" A voice said. Dawn and Piplup saw the three Starly stages flying back and Staraptor was carrying Chimchar in its talons.

"So let's get back to the lab," Dawn said. Piplup nodded in agreement when a wind blew their way. They saw it was coming from the lake. An invisible figure stood on the water. They couldn't make out what it was. They couldn't see it, but they could hear it. The invisible figure fades into the woods. "What was that? Was it a Pokémon?"

"Piplup," Piplup said.

They stared out to the lake for a few minutes before heading back to Professor Rowan's lab. She told the professor what she saw at Lake Verity and it immediately grabbed his attention.

"Hm. There have been stories about legendary Pokémon living in Lake Verity since the days of Hisui. That could be the Pokémon you saw," Professor Rowan said.

"Wow, you think so?" Dawn asked, amazed. "Awesome."

"You had quite a day. Perhaps not as expected, but your journey has begun. Now it's time to give you your Pokéballs and your Pokémon Box. Gary shall download the Pokédex app on your Rotom Phone," Professor Rowan said.

"I'm gonna need that for a second, please," Gary said. Dawn hands her Rotom Phone to Gary and he downloads the Pokédex app on the phone. "Done. Your Rotom Phone now has been equipped with a Pokédex." He hands it back to her.

"Wow, thanks," Dawn said.

"And you will need these. Your Pokéballs and your Pokémon Box," Yuzo said.

"The Pokédex will provide you with information on the various Pokémon you come across in your journey. The Pokéballs are used to carry your Pokémon and to capture the wild Pokémon you come across. Simply weaken the Pokémon in a battle and then throw the Pokéball at the Pokémon once it is low on stamina. And the Pokémon Box shall inform you that you have exceeded the limit in the number of Pokémon you can carry with you, so you can choose to keep the Pokémon you've caught in exchange for one on your team, or send it right here to the lab. Now it is time to choose one Pokémon, and these are the three available for first time Trainers here in the Sinnoh region. The Fire-type, Chimchar. The Water-type, Piplup. And finally, the Grass-type, Turtwig. So do you know which one do you like?" Professor Rowan asked.

"Yes, sir, I do. Piplup," Dawn said.

"Piplup!" Piplup said.

Chimchar does an anime-style fall, knowing it wasn't chosen.

"I had a feeling you'd choose Piplup. After the day you had, it's clear as crystal that you two are made for each other," Gary said.

"I agree. And here. This is Piplup's Pokéball," Rowan said, holding up Piplup's Pokéball.

"Thank you," Dawn said, accepting Piplup's Pokéball. She walked up to her new partner. "Piplup, you and I have already been through an awful lot, we're really a team."

"Piplup," Piplup chirped.

"Okay, let's go," Dawn said, recalling Piplup back to its Pokéball. She giggled to herself.

After getting her new gear, Dawn has stepped outside with Professor Rowan and his staff.

"One thing's for sure, anything can happen. So anytime you need help, just let me know," Professor Rowan said.

"Thank you so much. We'll see you all later," Dawn said, getting on her bike and rode off.

"Good luck!" Professor Rowan's staff said. Gary could somehow sense that Dawn has real potential, and he didn't need a Keyblade or magic powers to know it. But somehow, he knew Dawn is destined for great things. And he didn't know how right he was.

Meanwhile, over to the lab in Radiant Garden, formerly known as Hollow Bastion, we see Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Axel, and Saïx lying unconscious. Axel and Saïx are still wearing their black coats while Xaldin and Lexeaus are wearing their guard uniforms while Vexen and Zexion are wearing their lab coats. Braig was the first to regain consciousness and accompanying him is a young man who has mildly tanned skin, golden eyes, and silver hair which both slightly spikes and falls past his shoulders in the back; it is styled similar to Gaianort's, albeit with four bangs framing his face, the back two thicker than the front two, and the two backward spikes on the sides are absent, the topmost one slicked back. He wears a black coat.

Organization XIII may have been destroyed, but their Nobodies have become human again, with the exception of Roxas due to him and Xion each having a human vessel as their own bodies. The members of Organization XIII were recompleted along with Xehanort.

"That was more difficult than I thought, but at least things are on track. Lord Xemnas is nowhere to be seen, so that means...the party's already begun, huh?" Braig asked.

"Yes," the young man answered.

"Man, does that Xehanort scare me like nobody's business, the way he can see into minds. And it doesn't help that no one knows what it is that the old man wants. I wonder if even you know what's going on inside your own head," Braig said.

"I will be led...wherever it is I am destined to go," Young Xehanort said.

"Sounds to me like you don't have a clue of your own," Braig said.

"Every Keyblade master is bequeathed a Keyblade of his very own. With the passing of time, as you can imagine, more and more Keyblades were forged to be handed down. But of all the Keyblades in existence, Master Xehanort's is the most ancient. That is my destiny. But it has yet...to become a reality," Young Xehanort said.

"Hey, it's okay. This is all connected to the ancient Keyblade War, isn't that right? Whatever. I got my hands full with my own plans. So, which poor soul will it be?" Braig asked. Young Xehanort smugly grinned and just before he opened his mouth…

Meanwhile, Ruby sensed something in the air. She knew something has begun.

"What could it mean?" Ruby asked herself, trying to understand what she sensed.

Meanwhile, Sora, Kairi, Roxas, Xion, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Chase, Elaine, Wes, Rui, Michael, Pikachu, Angel, Xipak, Celeste, Marill, Volt, and Maple are arriving in the Sinnoh region at last.

"There it is, guys. The Sinnoh region," Sora said.

"This is the next region where the next candidates for the Keyblade are waiting, right?" May asked.

"Yeah, May. You gotta remember that even with Organization XIII gone, Vanitas and the Unversed are still out on the loose, and with no one pulling their strings, the Nobodies are still a threat and so are the Heartless," Roxas said.

"Roxas is right. We're all gonna have to keep on our toes. And while we're here in Sinnoh, I'm gonna register for the Sinnoh Pokémon League," Sora said.

"Yeah, and I can enter Pokémon Contests here, too," Kairi said.

"And on top of that, we'll catch the local Pokémon that live here in Sinnoh," Brendan said.

"And see what other cool stuff around here," May said.

"And so much cities and towns to see," Ethan said.

"Just like Jublife City. I always wanted to see it with my own eyes ever since I was very little," Kris said.

"You're going to get that chance, Kris," Xion said.

"But we shouldn't forget what we're here for," Leaf said.

"I agree with Leaf. But what if Vanitas, the Heartless, the Nobodies, and the Unversed aren't the only ones we gotta worry about? You remember the Elemental Bosses and Zell? What if there's someone else who could be following their footsteps?" Lyra asked.

"I'm with Lyra. We could be up against anything. It could even be another demon like the one who took over Tom," Ash said.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. As soon as we dock to the shore, we'll head for Sandgem Town and meet up with Gary and Professor Rowan. They'll point us in the right direction. And I have to thank Gary for the egg," Sora said.

"It sure was nice of him to give you that egg," Elaine said.

"But where would we go from the dock?" Chase asked.

"The town that's closest to us is Twinleaf Town," Ethan said.

"We could do some looking around while we're heading for Sandgem Town," Kris said.

"And have a look at the local Pokémon while we're at it," Brendan said.

"I'm with them. The Sinnoh region is full of Pokémon I've never seen before, and I would like nothing more than to see them with my own eyes," Michael said.

"I always wanted to see a Gastrodon and a Glameow," Rui said.

"I thought you would," Wes said. Rui just grinned.

"Well, whatever comes our way, I know we'll deal with it as a team," Sora said.

"Yeah!" The group all said in unison.

"Even when we're separated, we have each other's strength," Chase said.

"That's what I like to hear," Sora said. He turned to the shore. "And it starts as soon as we set foot to Sinnoh."

After waiting for a few minutes, the Keyblade-wielding Pokémon Trainers got off the ship, but little did they know, a Piplup is watching the group set foot on land. Piplup has eyed Sora and Pikachu and became fixated on them. The Penguin Pokémon started to follow the group and that's where we'll end it here for now.