It was nighttime as the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft made their way to the Paldea Region and everybody aboard both ships was fast asleep. That is save for three on the former; as of right now, Friede, Cap, and Murdock had snuck into the kitchen for some reason, looking intense as if there was something important that only the three of them knew. "Anyone onto us?"
"No, we're good."
"All clear."
Little did they know, however, that a sleepy Roy and Fuecoco were making their way back to their bedroom after using the bathroom, seeing the kitchen lights turned on and Cap through the window.
"Okay, let's get started," Murdock nodded as he made his way to a cabinet at the bottom left-hand corner of the kitchen to reveal a tray packed with sweets (donuts, supposedly, and a sleeping Alcremie).
"Hold it!" Friede whispered, stopping him as he and Cap heard and saw Roy and his partner through the door's window before peeking out to see them. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"
"Yes, Sir, goodnight," Roy replied as he and his partner yawned and made their way back to bed.
"'K, goodnight," Friede nodded before he closed the door and gave Murdock the signal with a sigh of relief, "In the clear, we're safe."
Murdock nodded as he took out the tray which had five beautifully made and delicious donuts on it but he sighed in sadness and disappointment in himself as he glumly informed, "Another day, another fail."
Feeling sympathetic for their friend and not wanting his hard work to go to waste, Friede and Cap happily ate the untouched donuts as the former replied, "Mmm, tastes perfect to me; perfectly friede, perfect dough for frosting ratio... It melts in your mouth with every bite."
"Without question," Cap nodded in agreement. But, Murdock wasn't so sure as he crossed his arms and continued to reply glumly, "Man, I really thought I had it nailed this time for her."
"Really? The Murdock Cap and I know would never give up so easily."
"Yeah, you're right..."
However, as the two Brave Olivine crew members talked, they had no idea that they were being eavesdropped on by Quaxly who had come out of his and Dot's room to listen in on them (suggesting that he's none other than Dot's Partner Pokémon). Immediately, he could tell how down Murdock was about his donuts being untouched by their trainer/niece for some reason and he couldn't help but be left deep in thought, curious about what the kindly cook prepared for her.
"Hmm..."
(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)
July 3rd came quickly as the entire Brave Olivine crew, Roy, and Liko had breakfast with Sarah and Race (who had come to check up on the group from the Dragon Craft once again).
"Mmm-mmm-mmm..."
"Ah, yes..."
"That was delicious!" they all answered happily.
Liko and Roy couldn't help but sing Murdock's praises as they told him, "Breakfast was great, Murdock! Everything you made was so amazing!"
"Yeah, your food always tastes so good!"
Murdock smiled at the pair as he said, "I love how you two dig in with such gusto on you, makes all the cooking I do well worth it."
"Ahem!"
Liko and Roy turned and flinched in surprise to see Sarah glaring at the pair as she remarked in annoyance, "Hello! What am I to you two, Chopped Spoink? I was the one who helped Murdock with the Pokémon food while he was making breakfast, you know. There's only so much he could do as a one-man army here."
"Oh! U-Uh, no, Sarah, I-I-I mean, well... You were great, too, your handling of the Pokémon food was great!"
"I'm sure the Pokemon, even Fuecoco and Sprigatito enjoyed the work you did for them! Yeah, uh, he-he!"
Murdock couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at them before he told the princess, "Your work ethic and what you whipped up to help me is very thoughtful and brilliant in and of itself, Sarah. Why, up until now, I've never come across a fine young woman who can cook for everyone, even Pokémon, such as you. You really do know your way around a kitchen no matter who you cook for, don't you?"
"Well, with how big my family is now, I had to step up to the plate."
"Believe it or not, Murdock, Island Girl was born for an apron no matter what century," replied Race, giving his wife a smirk and a playful punch to her left shoulder as she sat next to him from his right.
"She's great, I'm stuffed thanks to her!"
"Thanks, Sarah!" Fuecoco and Sprigatito grinned in thanks.
However, as Sarah, Liko, and Roy shared a laugh, the little princess noticed an empty chair amongst them, realizing that it was supposed to be meant for Dot, "Guys, wasn't Dot supposed to come and eat with us?"
Friede shook his head as he answered, "Nah, she said it's a pain to eat with others."
Roy, Liko, Race, and Sarah blinked in surprise as the former two echoed, "A pain?"
"What is she talking about?"
"Doesn't she know not to skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner as they're all important parts of the day to keep a working man, woman, boy, and girl going?" the royal couple inquired in confusion.
"Well, she's never been interested in food as much as you four and the rest of your family. Never has been as far as we know," Murdock explained.
"Speaking of which, we seemed to be burning through food supplies faster than we should be. Especially with our sugar, Moo-Moo Milk, butter, and dried fruit deposits," Mollie informed, checking the Brave Olivine's food supplies on her Rotom Phone in Tablet Mode.
The little princess blinked as she quipped, "That's the kind of stuff used to make sweets, especially donuts."
"You mean somebody's been making deserts and stuffing their faces with them in secret?" Orla asked, surprised by what she heard until she, Mollie, and Liko looked over at Murdock and Friede (the two of them stuttering and sweating nervously as they tried to keep everyone in the dark about the donuts the friendly cook made for Dot).
"What? Don't look at me, I know nothing about it," Murdock denied, making Sarah look at him worried.
Liko wasn't convinced, "It's so obvious."
Friede tried to defuse the situation as he debated, "N-Now, hold on! Let's not get all suspicious here, trying to find out who did it won't make the food come back."
"And, we just found his accomplice," Liko sighed, making Friede flinch as she, Orla, and Mollie turned their suspicious glares at him as well.
"So, what's the solution, go all the way to Paldea totally snackless?" Mollie inquired Friede with a hardened edge to her voice.
"Hey, Liko, Mollie, Orla, come on, now! Take it easy, let's not fight and point fingers at anybody," Sarah chastised, stepping up to Friede and Murdock's defense.
"Yeah, we're all on the same side here!" Robbie said as he, Bella, Blitz, and Curly were just about done with their breakfast.
"Even if somebody were to be baking sweets at any time, what makes you think Friede and Murdock would irrationally scarf them down and cost you guys a hefty quarter of the Brave Olivine's food reserves?" Blitz agreed, also unconvinced that Friede and Murdock were the culprits.
Sarah agreed as Race hummed thoughtfully, concurring with Robbie's thoughts as he told everyone (saving Friede and Murdock the trouble of telling everybody about Dot and the donuts that were made for her), "Look, everyone, we can worry about that another time. Speaking of your food resources, we'd probably have to stock up on supplies anyway. Even if we'll be going to Paldea and should we keep going after that Rayquaza from Roy's Ancient Pokeball, I say we take time off of getting there for a moment to stock up on supplies."
"Hey, Race is right! Let's touchdown for a few and go shopping," Friede nodded, still trying to keep his cool.
"Sounds like a plan. There just so happens to be a town along our route," Murdock added just as quickly.
"You know, sometimes I wonder if they share two halves of a whole brain. If they keep this up, we'll never get to Paldea in time."
"We can't go without snacks, honey. It'd be too much of a hassle," Johnathan and Diane bantered.
"While we're doing that, if that Rayquaza passed by the town Murdock and Friede mentioned, we can make inquiries and see if anybody knows about it or not. Are we cool or not?" Sarah suggested.
"I see no problem with that. But, why don't we just leave it up for Cap to decide?" the unconventional professor nodded, turning to his male Pikachu who blinked in response.
"Hmm?"
"What do you say, Cap? Do we make a pitstop at the next town we come to or keep going to Paldea?" Murdock asked him.
Cap raised an eyebrow as he echoed, "A pitstop, eh?"
Friede, however, grinned as he noted, "A pitstop, it is!"
The girls (save for Sarah) were not impressed by this as Orla and Mollie could only remark, "Didn't sound like that to me."
"Whatever, in any case, Race and Sarah would probably be right given that we might already be low on other stock in addition to what we're lacking in our food sources and that Rayquaza could've passed by anyone else to who-knows-where. If that's the case, we should prepare for landing."
"Roger that!" Murdrock and Friede stated as Sarah brought out her Pup Pad and radioed MK-1 in the Dragon Craft.
"MK-1, we'll be making a pitstop at the next town for a bit to restock on supplies and food. Prepare to dock once we get there, okay?" she asked, getting two affirming barks from MK-1 as everybody made their way to the nearest town.
"So, what'll we do to help prepare for landing?" Roy puzzled eagerly.
Sarah laughed as Rotoscope came out of her pocket and switched to Tablet Mode as he told them on her behalf (while showing a little reminder to them on his screen), "Sorry, little cats, but don't you two have a certain task at hand involving your studies?"
Roy and Liko gasped in surprise before they realized what Rotoscope meant by the word "studies" and groaned in dismay, "Aww, man...!"
"Don't leave your classes hanging since we don't have any lectures planned for today," Sarah chuckled as she ushered them to attend their online classes.
With Liko and Roy attending school now that the school break was over for them, Race and Sarah decided to return to the Dragon Craft to continue relaxing after the ordeal with the Explorers and figure out a counterstrategy to prepare for their eventual return following Amethio and his crew's attempts on them and Liko for the Terapagos Three and her pendant. Their relaxation (after returning to their shared master bedroom), however, was cut short when they received a surprising phone call from an old friend, the director of Uva Academy: Director Clavell.
"Ring-ring-ring, girlfriend! We got ourselves a phone call from the director of Uva Academy himself," he informed, surprising the royal couple as they saw him picking up Director Clavell call and were greeted by the headmaster himself.
"Oh! Hi, Director Clavell," Sarah answered.
"Something wrong back in Uva Academy?" Race asked.
"Good morning, Your Majesties. And, don't worry, Race, it's nothing dire. I've just been told that you two will be returning to Paldea for a spell, correct?" smiled the Uva Academy director warmly.
The little princess nodded, "We are, Director. "
"Well, I happen to know three students and old friends of yours who would be most happy to hear of your return especially given that tomorrow will be the 4th of July which you and your people and all of the United States celebrate. I'm hoping you could check up on them upon returning and see how they've been getting on following your adventures together."
"Sure, Director, that'll be great! We were planning to meet them at some point, anyway," Sarah smiled, remembering Nemona, Arven, and Penny.
"How's Arven holding up after Area Zero and learning about what happened to his parents?" Race quizzed, concerned about Arven's well-being.
"He's fine, he's been doing much better now and is in higher spirits," replied Director Calvell reassuringly. "Nemona's helping him as best he could and Penny and Team Star are still warmly accepted."
"Thanks, Director. It's good to know that they're doing okay even after we left for the summer; especially Arven since he's still learning more about his mom and dad."
"We'll let them know we're back when we and our new friends with us land in Paldea."
"And, we and all of Uva Academy will be here when you come back and see us, Your Highnesses. I'm sure Carmen and Kieren will be just as happy to hear of your return when I inform them, Briar, and all of Blueberry Academy. Until then, we'll be waiting," Director Calvell smiled again.
"Take it easy, Director," Race finished with a knowing nod and smile as he and Sarah ended the call.
Soon, the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine arrived at the town where they were to stock up on the food and supplies they needed (with Friede and Murdock managing to keep everyone else in the dark about the planned donuts Murdock still wanted to make for Dot which drew greater concern for them from Sarah). The Rising Volt Tacklers decided who gets to go to town and get the supplies and who has to watch the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft by playing a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, and unfortunately for Roy, he lost when he played "Rock" instead of "Paper" so he had to stay with the ships and help look after the Pokémon (and dragons even if the RVT were still in the dark about them).
Roy was terrified as he watched Mollie, Murdock, Cap, Friede, and Orla leave to get their supplies and he desperately begged Liko to take his place, wanting to inquire about the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza. Liko, however, didn't mind this at all since, after she finished all of her chores for the day, she could watch a livestream being done by Nidothing that was being done today (meaning she would somehow get to know Dot in person).
Meanwhile, Sarah and Race continued to relax together on their shared bed. As with everything else they spruced up with their magic, even the Matori Matrix's former aircraft was heavily modified to suit their family's needs:
- The top floor of their master bedroom in the Dragon Craft was modeled after the master bedroom in their Paldea home they used to stay at during their time at Uva Academy but its lower floors, however, were modeled after the basement of Newt Scamander's apartment from Fantastic Beasts, allowing their Mythicals to be let out and roam freely and quietly without drawing attention to themselves
This also included the royal couple's dragonets (i.e. Azure, Aster, Warner, Spice, Ginger, Kalahari, Aloe, Macaw, Finch, and Arcoiris), Starla the Cuddle Monkey, and the rest of the Kwamis from their Miraculous Box which were the "siblings" of Snickers, Paws, Enix, Simon, Comet, and Admiral. Speaking of the Miraculous, Sarah and Race allowed them to roam around freely just as long as they didn't cause any trouble whenever they were by themselves.
With the Kwamis in question, they appeared before them, wanting to know more about their plan to deal with the Explorers as Snickers pondered, "So, you two, what do you plan on doing regarding these Explorers? You all, your new friends, and the Rising Volt Tacklers barely escaped from Amethio and his cohorts by the skin of your teeth before that Shiny Rayquaza appeared so what would you do if they come back?"
The royal couple fed them pieces of masaladas to help them keep their strength up as Sarah answered, "Well, we're in a pickle now given we were forced to reveal ourselves as Power Rangers to Amethio when he and his Ceruledge nearly killed Sprigatito and Fuecoco. But, the good news is that Friede, Liko, and Roy agreed to keep this tippet of ours a secret and if they told the others in their crew, I imagine they'll do the same despite the shock of it if they also heard of the Power Rangers."
"Which means we'll have to work twice as hard to keep you guys and your siblings a carefully-guarded secret. Who knows what'll happen if the Explorers were also clued in about you in addition to our ranger powers?" Race concurred knowingly.
"What about the Terapagos Three and Liko's pendant? Would they still be after them now that the Shiny Rayquaza from Roy's Ancient Pokeball is out and about somewhere?" puzzled Admiral.
"Well, given that Amethio's a victim of the three-strikes formula when he failed to snag them from us, I can only imagine him being sidelined for someone else from the Explorers who could finish what he started without failing," Sarah replied.
"And, our 'special guest' occupying one of the rooms in this jumbo flyer?" added Paws.
"So far, she hasn't made any trouble for us apart from saving our behinds along with Liko, Roy, and their partners back at Roy's island abode at her and her Pokémon's own risk. She seems pretty happy to have a roof over her head and a full stomach and not once thought of contacting the Explorers given she's also on the run from them. Maybe she's truly not what we expected from the Explorers, it's clear she hates them as much as we do."
"I'm honestly surprised by her blunt but well-meaning honesty. She's proving herself to be a trustworthy ally just as Dr. Stacey did," the Kwami of Nobility concurred in response.
Either way, they would need to make sure that Lazuli was still true to her word so Race and Sarah decided to check up on her to see how she and her Pokémon were faring. They were just about to enter her bedroom after arriving when they were suddenly started by a panicked gasp, forcing them to dart inside and see her panting heavily and in a cold sweat. The royal couple was taken aback as they saw how vulnerable and shaken the former Explorer was as she held her face, never seeing her in such a state before.
"Lazuli!"
"What happened?!" they cried as they and a startled Pantherra and Galaxagus rushed to her aid.
Lazuli's breathing became less erratic as she calmed down from her panic before she told them and her partners, "H-Hey, I'm fine... Don't worry! …I-It's, it's nothing. Just a nightmare, a n-n-nightmare, that's all. I-I'll be okay..."
Sarah's heart wrenched and she didn't dare raise an eyebrow in suspicion, looking at the bags under Lazuli's eyes that suggested a lack of sleep; it was only a half-truth but whatever it was that she was jolted awake from, clearly, it had taken a toll on her. This was nothing like the snarky, sometimes playful, yet determined and powerful swordswoman that helped push back Amethio and his Ceruledge at Roy's island abode, now she was a scared, trembling figure of a woman who went through some sort of trauma that left her scarred for life.
She and Race didn't know what to think as they watched her beginning to cry while holding her face (again) she slowly began, "...L-Lazuli? What happened, are you okay?"
"...What? Of course, I'm okay! It's just a nightmare, what did you expect?" Lazuli sounded insulted as she turned towards them with a broken glare on her face.
Along with his wife, Race tried to resist the urge to give a loud gasp as their jaws dropped in horror. The result of Lazuli's half-truth and her crying was plain for them, Pantherra, and Galaxagus to see: she had fresh tears running down her eyes, the bags below her eyes were more pronounced than the royal couple expected, and despite the look of angered indignancy they gave, her eyes showed how much of a wreck she was becoming (and from something they knew nothing about).
Lazuli didn't understand why they were staring at her like that but when she felt her tears and touched them, she frantically tried to wipe them away from her face and deny that she was crying. But, a heartwarming yet deeply worried look on Pantherra's face as he placed a comforting paw on her lap stopped her and she looked at him and Galaxagus as they continued to express their worry for her, the Hidden Gem Pokémon going as far as to lick her right cheek to wash her tears away.
Eventually, after a short mental debate between the three of them with Sarah and Race watching on, the former Explorer sighed in defeat and then nodded...
She looked back to the royal couple and looked away as she confessed, "...I don't know why but just recently, I've been having a string of nightmares ever since I abandoned the Explorers and became a rogue with only Pantherra and Galaxagus for company. I thought after we ditched them after they backstabbed me by throwing me out after I completed my mission, I thought everything would be fine for us as long as we kept a low profile as a trio of Rurounis. But, ever since I left, I began having these dreams, these nightmares, about something that happened to me long ago. And, yet, I didn't understand any of them; I couldn't figure out why I was having them, at all..."
Lazuli took a deep breath to calm herself down again before she could break down, continuing as she spoke, "It didn't help when the Explorers found out about my impromptu departure a week after I left and they tried to drag me back, worried that I would somehow spill their secrets thanks to my years of so-called 'loyal service' to them. I was forced to use my sword against them and fight them off with the help of my partners, and since we were the strongest and the most skilled team in the Explorers, the grunts that were assigned to capture us didn't stand a chance and they and their Pokémon with them were killed. Their attempts to get me and my partners back made me forget about the nightmares as my main focus was on us staying alive no matter what whenever we slept at night."
"...The attempted captures continued until we managed to slip into obscurity somehow while we were on the run from another platoon sent after us, but eventually, the Explorers thought we were dead after we vanished and took their eyes off of us. We spent the next four months traveling around incognito, me in my cloak and my partners in their Pokeballs, until we ended up on the island home of one of your young friends, Roy, I believe... And, even though the nightmares pop up now and then, we were able to live in peace, but..."
Sarah and Race didn't want to think about what she would say next, the two of them left shocked and completely floored by how tragic things had been for Lazuli and her partners. But, their hopes for Lazuli to give off a happy ending to her sad and tragic tale were dashed when the former Explorer eventually pulled out a necklace she had around her neck that they didn't know about which was comprised of a sterling silver Spider Chain and had a shield-like pendant (looking like the Hylian Shield from The Legend of Zelda) of some sort attached to it. She then opened it via a button atop it and it opened via the two sides acting like butterfly wings which then showed a holographic image of two people that only she knew about.
They looked like Explorers from their uniforms but they were in two different designs compared to what Amethio and his fellow agents wore for the sake of individuality and for what their supposed fighting styles were. They looked like a man in his early 30s with a sword similar to or exactly like the one she had hanging from a clip on the left side of his waistband and a woman in her late 20s who had a pair of belts that had small metal bells with flowers attached to them at each end tied around her waist.
What was really unnerving to the royal couple was that the holographic pair from Lazuli's pendant was giving her haunting yet sad and caring smiles as they locked hands with each other which threatened to make the swordswoman cry again as she shuddered and tried to stop her tears flooding down her eyes.
"...Lazuli?" Sarah began again quietly. "Who are they?"
"...I-I, I don't know. It was all a blur regarding them; all I remember from my last nightmare was... Me, crying out, calling for help...Somebody threatening me to follow them if I was a good girl. And, then, these two names popped up in my head: Seiya and Mary. Then, an explosion, and I was back in reality. I don't even know where or how I got this locket when I found out about it."
"...Oh. And, then?"
"...I'm sorry but, that... That's all I know, I can't remember anything else other than that and those previous nightmares I had, I can't recall any of them," Lazuli answered, closing her locket and clutching it tightly as her hands shook. "Whatever they were, I don't know. I can't seem to remember what they were, what happened to me back then... I couldn't understand them no matter how hard I thought back, it's all just a big blank... Why, why can't I remember?!"
Now, the royal couple felt bad for Lazuli as they watched Pantherra and Galaxagus do their best to comfort their trainer/human friend as they nuzzled her. Just watching the former Explorer slowly break down as she did as she told them her story gave them a rough idea as to what happened to her, one that they weren't sure of as Sarah slowly went over to the swordswoman and placed a gentle hand on her right shoulder.
The broken swordswoman tensed up as she turned to the little princess who then spoke up, "Lazuli, I can't imagine what you must be going through and I won't ask you to remember right away. But, you must've been suffering badly ever since you left the Explorers and got those weird nightmares that were chipping away at you. Do you still remember anything else besides what you told us?"
Lazuli shook her head as she admitted, "How could I? I've lived with the Explorers for the last twenty years before Pantherra, Galaxagus, and I ditched them. I can't even remember the first five years of my life..."
Sarah and Race were taken aback as the latter echoed, "...You, you can't remember, the first five years...of your life?"
"...No. At least, not until my recent nightmares, that is."
The two young royals didn't know what to think now; they looked at each other worriedly, eventually realizing that the trauma she was experiencing coupled with her recent bout of nightmares could be a form of amnesia she was suffering from that suddenly was pulling back small bits of her past.
Unsure of how they would help their friend further with what she gave them, and knowing she needed time to herself, Pantherra and Galaxagus kindly offered the royal couple to let them give her all the company she needed while they carried on with their own business as usual. Reluctantly, and despite not wanting to leave Lazuli alone (knowing that it wasn't a mere coincidence), they agreed and left her in their care and went to the Brave Olivine, deciding to see how Liko and Sprigatito were getting on and if they were watching Nidothing's livestream during their chat with the former Explorer. Of course, they wouldn't be going alone as the Terapagos Three came over and wanted to tag along now that the Explorers were out of everyone's hair for the time being (which they cautiously agreed to).
It was lunchtime when the royal couple and the Terapagos Three (which they held in their arms) found Liko and Sprigatito arriving on the Brave Olivine. And, when they did, they found them in front of Dot's room with two lunchboxes at hand.
While Sarah and Race were busy with their own work and Lazuli, Liko had finished her online class and her chores for the day which included feeding the Pokémon, giving them a wash (being extremely careful with Charizard when his turn came around), doing the laundry (while Sprigatito played with one of the sheets), taking out the trash and giving it to the Alolan Grimer (which served as his breakfast for the day), and swabbed the Brave Olivine's deck but not without accidentally soaking her partner as she did so (all while Ludlow, who also stayed behind, fished from the stern as he always did).
After recounting everything she was supposed to do, she found the cupboard that once held Murdock's donuts for Dot and recalled Roy telling her about him and Friede using it the previous night. Wanting to prove their, Orla, and Mollie's suspicions correct, she opened it but found Alcremie in it who angrily sprayed her and Sprigatito with her cream.
"And, stay out!" the Ruby Swirl Cream Pokémon spat furiously as she slammed the cabinet door shut (obviously in the know regarding Murdock's mission with his donuts for Dot and being as diligent as she could to keep them a secret from anybody including Liko and Sprigatito).
Then, after the pair wiped themselves clean, Murdock gave Liko a call and told her he had prepared lunch for her, Ludlow, and Dot in three separate lunchboxes. Of course, this later came as a surprise to her as she and Ludlow took their own boxes, seeing the last one and realizing that it was indeed meant for her niece. After Ludlow gave his approval and told her Dot wouldn't mind being given her lunch from her uncle, Liko immediately took action and took the third lunchbox with her to give it to her personally.
"Um, Dot, I brought you some lunch if you want it," Liko called as she knocked on her bedroom door just as Sarah and Race appeared along with the Terapagos Three to check up on her and Sprigatito.
The Paldea Grass Starter in question pawed at the door as her human partner prepared to leave after she didn't get a response, and to their surprise, a familiar tune started to ring out from the room in front of the pair.
Liko gasped as she realized what it meant, excitedly thinking to herself, "That song, it's Nidothing's theme song! Maybe, we have something in common after all!"
The royal couple was surprised as they quietly eavesdropped on their discovery, opting to hear Dot speak from her bedroom as Liko then asked, "Um... I heard Nidothing's theme song in there, and, uh... Do you follow them?"
No reply was heard, prompting her to press on, "Were you watching a video just now? Do you know that Nidothing's doing a livestream today? Maybe, we can watch it together-!"
"RAH! DON'T TALK TO ME, I'M BUSY!"
Liko winced and the royal couple jumped in surprise, hearing Dot suddenly explode in annoyance from the other side of the door.
"I was thinking-"
"Rah! Think quietly, okay?!"
"Oh, well... I was thinking, I like Nidothing, too. And, I like that for so many reasons, the character's cute and a few friends of mine were quite interested in her when I introduced her videos to them. Granted, I did show her videos to one of them first, but, you get the idea..."
"...What do you mean by 'cute'?"
Sarah and Race looked at each other with growing curiosity after listening to the growing confusion in her voice as they were slowly getting an idea as to who Dot was as a person even though they, Liko, and Roy still knew nothing about her as a whole. The surprise confession they heard her give was a start but they knew they still needed more to go on so they continued to eavesdrop. All the while, their Terapagos Three looked between them and Liko and Sprigatito in front of Dot's bedroom door and listened with great innocence, not understanding what was actually going on given their child-like wonder, naivety, and mindsets.
"The whole idea was so great when I found out about her and her costume was so good! Oh, and she knows so much about Pokemon and I love how much fun she's having with her videos. What about you?" Liko continued, realizing she was getting something in terms of a conversation with Dot.
"...Me? Um..."
"One more push!" Liko thought, knowing she was getting closer as she went on to explain, "You know, ever since I found out about Nidothing's videos, my life has been so much better. They're all so good and they made me appreciate Pokémon even more!"
She looked at her partner with a knowing grin as she said to and petted her, "Right, Sprigatito?"
"You said it," Sprigatito smiled cutely.
In her bedroom, Dot was on her computer with Quaxly inside, watching his partner from the door as Liko then asked her, "Okay, Dot, now it's your turn!"
Dot wasn't sure what to think during her conversation with Liko as she mused for a moment before, "Why should I have to-Ah! Oh no, it's time!"
Sarah's eyes widened when she heard this, "Time?"
Liko was also surprised as she looked at her Rotom Phone and realized that Nidothing's stream hadn't started as of yet, "That's weird, the livestream hasn't started yet. Hmm, I guess Nidothing must be running late today."
"Yeah, well, no thanks to you in that regard. Listen, I'm not interested in buddying with you or anyone else, alright? Just go away!"
"Dot, why don't you want to hang out with the rest of us? Is Quaxly with you since he's the only one you trust given he popped out from his doggie door yesterday?" puzzled Sarah gently as she and Race appeared, surprising Liko as her attention was drawn to the royal couple. "Why wouldn't you want to leave your room? Don't you think it's just as important for you to have friends who support you for what you do and have meals with or just have a talk with them?"
"Ugh, too much work. I've already got more on my plate than I already have. Blah, blah, blah. Now, leave me alone, I GOT WORK TO DO!"
Sarah became even more curious as she, Race, and Liko got an inkling of who Dot was and why she shut herself in her bedroom and isolated herself from her uncle, his friends, and the outside world. She wanted to press on but she knew that what she and Race heard from her and Liko's previous conversation was all they were going to get for the time being.
"Well, okay... We'll leave you to it. But, if you feel like it, don't be afraid to reach out and come talk with us. We'll be waiting for you," Sarah replied, smiling softly and not giving up on the reclusive shut-in as she looked at Race and nodded at him, mentally telling him that they and Liko should leave Dot alone for now.
Liko agreed as she set Dot's lunchbox down by the door and told her, "I see. Okay, I'll leave you alone."
And, with that, the three humans left Dot alone and went to do their own things again with the Terapagos Three cooing at their human parents. But, not without Sarah also leaving a trinket for her and a lunchbox for Quaxly as they had gone.
"Oh, great. So, you threw the princess' kindness back in her face in addition to that nice girl's generosity when she gave you your lunch? And, after all the help you gave them and the boy from yesterday to kick off their training regime under her and her man's wing," he remarked to his partner with a disappointed frown and glare on his face and his wings on his waist.
It was clear that while he may not know Liko, Sarah, Race, and Roy very well, in the short time they'd been with the Rising Volt Tacklers since becoming official members, the Duckling Pokémon had become rather fond of the quartet and was slowly becoming friends with them. He also gained a great respect for Sarah and Race given their mannerisms and their knowledge about his pride in his looks when they prevented Roy from touching him and ruining his hair which he appreciated. And, after seeing how his human partner reacted to Sarah and how she initially spoke to Liko before she tried to have a simple conversation with her, he wasn't impressed by how she handled the whole thing.
Dot didn't know what to think as she felt Quaxly's glare on her and frantically changed into her Nidothing cosplay as she stated, "Ugh! Look at the time! Okay, mental switch, on! Yo-yo-yo!"
In the town, while Murdock, Orla, and Mollie were getting the supplies they needed along with some other things that caught their eye, Friede, Fuecoco, Cap, and Roy were left to make inquiries about the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza. Unfortunately, the latter quartet fell for the trick of an old scammer when it came to a cloth of some sort when they noticed the salesman selling it claimed it could "shine Spoinks pearl every time". Roy was tempted to buy it but Friede warned him not to do so until the salesman lied to them, saying that he had some information regarding the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza they were looking for. They did so but they soon realized they had been duped as the cloth was expensive and the scammer had nothing on Rayquaza.
After Cap had given the scammer a harsh punishment for his lying and cheating (leaving the man running with his tail between his legs for his crime), knowing they would get a tongue-lashing from everyone else (especially Mollie for them buying something that wasn't on her list), Friede and Roy went on their way, feeling ashamed and embarrassed. However, there was one small consolation prize they gained from the ordeal: the fact that the Explorers now have their eyes on the Shiny Rayquaza in addition to Liko's pendant and Sarah and Race's Terapagos Three.
"That was an expensive cloth," Friede breathed in embarrassment.
"My bad. I can't believe that guy bluffed about Rayquaza just so we could buy something," Roy apologized, feeling especially bad for how hasty he had been.
"It happens but at least now we know that the Explorers seem to be looking for it, too. And, I bet it may be tied to Liko's pendant as well as the Terapagos Three belonging to Sarah and Race. We can't let our guard down again," Friede reassured determinedly, knowing that they and the others along with Sarah, Race, and their family would have to watch their backs more than ever given the stakes at hand.
While the Rising Volt Tacklers and Roy were continuing to carry out their shopping (with Roy learning a few lessons from Friede about being the kind of Pokémon Trainer he wanted to be along the way), and Liko kept herself busy with Nidothing's livestream, Sarah and Race decided to pay Lazuli and her Pokémon another visit to see if she was doing better compared to before and help her with her amnesia. This time, however, they were accompanied by the Jungle Guard, Johnathan, Diane, Romeo, and Juliet as they arrived in her room, still finding her badly shaken and unable to sleep while Galaxagus and Pantherra continued to comfort her.
"Oh, dear!"
"Good lord, when you two said she was having a rough night last night and she was a train wreck today, you weren't kiddin'," Johnathan and Diane winced.
"You feel any better?"
"Your memories coming back to you?" Sarah and Race questioned worriedly only to get nothing as Lazuli continued to shudder while holding her face as if she had been crying again, leaving Galaxagus and Pantherra to shake their heads in response.
"She's gotten worse since you two left to check on your young friend. There's nothing else we can do to calm her no matter how hard we try."
"It's become too much for her to bear now. I'm afraid, the only way we have to help her is to somehow bring back the memories she lost of her childhood before she ended up with those bastards that ruined her," they sighed sadly.
Sarah, Race, and the Jungle Guard frowned sadly and even Johnathan and Diane couldn't help but grow worried for Lazuli in her current state despite not understanding Pokémon Speak.
Then, Sarah had an idea as she told them and their partner, "Maybe, I can help."
The little princess then sat on Lazuli's bed as Pantherra and Galaxagus stepped back, thankful for whatever she was going to do to help their human partner be at ease again and free her from the nightmares that had been tormenting her. The former Explorer was a little startled as her hands were gently removed from her face and her head was placed upright as she watched Sarah ease her into a more comfortable position and carefully raised her right pointer as a white glow came from it.
"W-Wait a minute," she blinked as Sarah tapped into her Memory Restoration ability from her Nephilim Physiology and gently placed her pointer in the middle of her forehead. "What are you doing to me?!"
"Now, close your eyes and think back. Don't fight it, let your memories come back to you, and do the best you can to remember. Let them flow through you, come at you. I can help you remember, but only if, you trust me," the princess told her gently, eventually getting a reluctant nod as her eyes then turned white (as she desperately wanted to know about her lost past).
(Flashback)
Twenty years ago, when she was only five, Lazuli was playing by herself out in a backyard of sorts and enjoying herself. She felt like she was on top of the world and she could do anything as she laughed with overwhelming joy. Unfortunately, the peace and happiness she was experiencing wasn't to last as she found herself in the talons of a large bird-like Pokémon as it swooped down and snatched her. The little girl screamed in terror at this as she saw the culprit that grabbed her which was a Corviknight.
At that moment, a large female Dragonite and a male Honchcrow came to the rescue as they bashed and punched the Raven Pokémon, forcing it to let go of the little girl until a Beheeyem appeared and grabbed her with a Psychic attack before they could catch her.
"AHHHH! Hey! What are you doing?! What's the big idea, let go of me! Ungh! Ngh! MOMMY!"
A mocking laughter rang out as Spindel appeared, his eyes trained on Lazuli as she desperately screamed and flailed about, trying to break free but to no avail.
"Now, now, dearie. What good will the screaming do? It'll all be over soon for you. Now, be a good girl and come with us," the Explorers agent sniggered.
"Let her go!"
Suddenly, without warning, a ninja throwing star was shot at Beheeyem as it stuck itself on its left hand, making it flail around in pain to get rid of it and break off its Psychic attack. Lazuli was released as a result before two Pokémon which were Galaxagus and Pantherra came in and smacked and bashed the Cerebral Pokémon back before two humans came into the fray, the same men and women from the present-day Lazuli's locket (the woman wearing the locket before she did).
The man drew his metal stick sword at Spindel and his Beheeyem while the woman kept the girl in her clutches as he demanded, "Who are you, why did you come here? What do you want with our daughter?!"
"Leave us alone! Whatever business you have with our baby, just forget it! Go, now!" the woman snapped.
"Seiya, Mary, come back! Stop fighting them and get Lazuli home!" shouted a voice as another man appeared who was in his late 40s and had slick black hair coupled with hair strips around his cheeks and a beard on his chin while wearing a black jacket with yellow stripes (three on either side) on top of a red shirt with matching pants and sneakers. "Stop it, already! You're gonna get yourselves killed by the Explorers, you idiots!"
The men and woman who were actually Lazuli's parents, Seiya and Mary, didn't listen as they continued to glare at Spindel and his Beheeyem before they were joined by Amethio and the other admin agents with their Pokémon. All of them glared daggers at the couple that dared to defy them and prevent Lazuli from falling into their hands.
The only thing that Amethio said when he eyed the couple and their daughter was, "We take what we want and we don't want any witnesses compromising our mission with her, including you."
He snapped his fingers as Ceruledge appeared and prepared to attack only for Pantherra to charge at him and bite his leg, throwing him away from his trainer and his wife.
Galaxagus only kept the other admins' Pokémon away from Lazuli and her parents as he bucked and stomped at them, forcing them to keep their distance while they tried to fight back. Seeing that there was no way out of this mess they were in, Seiya and Mary were forced to make a difficult judgment call as they joined their daughter and held her gently in a tight hug.
"Mommy, Daddy?"
Lazuli was terrified as she looked between them before they released her from their embrace and Seiya gently shushed her before he apologized, "We're sorry for all of this, Lazuli, I didn't think they'd find out about us let alone you. Now, it looks like we won't be able to watch you grow into a beautiful young lady with your own path to follow, Dewdrop."
Then, sharing Seiya's sentiments, Mary smiled sadly as she unlatched her locket and clipped it around her daughter's neck.
"Keep this with you at all times. And, remember: no matter where you go, no matter what path you follow... No matter who you eventually become, we'll always be with you to guide you out of the darkness and into the light. Until that happens, until the day you decide to choose a new life for yourself should you fall into the Explorers' hands, you've got to... You've got to stay alive!" she sniffed, knowing it would be the last time she and Seiya would ever get to see their daughter again.
Lazuli didn't know what to say but she didn't get the chance as Seiya turned towards her and handed her his sword and the belt clip that went with it.
"Don't lose sight of the light even if the Explorers make you forget who you are. At the end of it all, you're still our daughter and we'll always love you. We'll be gone from today but our spirits will also live on through Galaxagus and Pantherra as they will look after you from now on. Even if... Even if you're the only one left in our family, we want you to survive..." he finished sweetly as he gently kissed his daughter's forehead.
"I've had enough! Ceruledge, now!" Amethio barked, having Ceruledge bash Pantherra out of the way while they were having a scuffle of their own before he charged at the young couple having their final moments with their daughter.
Mary and Seiya noticed this and they quickly pushed Lazuli out of the way as the former shouted, "LOOK OUT!"
Before Lazuli knew it, her parents were knocked to the ground hard which caused Pantherra and Galaxagus to stop what they were doing and watch in shocked horror. Realizing what was going to happen, they charged towards Lazuli and came by her side to shield her from what was going to happen next. All the while, the older man watched on helplessly as he didn't know what to do, being filled with terror over what'll happen to Seiya, Mary, and their daughter by the Explorers' hands and those of their Pokémon.
"Seiya, Mary! They'll kill you!" he screamed in terror.
"MAMA, DADDY!" Little Lazuli wailed as she tried to reach her parents only for a distressed and heartbroken Pantherra and Galaxagus to hold her back, knowing that the end of their trainers was inevitable and their daughter's fate and her life rested on their shoulders.
"LAZULI! GO!" Mary wailed back as she and Seiya tried to pick themselves up but to no avail given how hard Ceruledge rammed into them.
"RUN! RUN!" roared Seiya to his and Mary's daughter as Zirc let out a malicious smirk as he and his Rhydon appeared and readied themselves for the final blow.
"Nighty-night... Rhydon, Hyper Beam!" he sneered, having his Rhydon fire his most powerful attack on them and killing them in a powerful explosion as they screamed in pain.
"SEIYA! MARY, NO!" the man shrieked, devastated at their deaths and horrifying Lazuli to such a degree that she passed out in her terror, forever traumatized at the sight of her parents being killed in cold blood (leaving Pantherra and Galaxagus to desperately try and wake her up before they and Lazuli were eventually captured and taken alive).
When she woke up, Lazuli found herself in a laboratory, strapped down to a medical table while she was surrounded by Amethio, Onia, Zirc, Hamber, Spindel, and three other admins who were the Explorers' other three top agents: Sango, Onyx, and Agate.
Lazuli was now in a state of terror she had never been before as she looked around frantically and tried to break free from her bonds, leaving Sango to laugh cruelly at her as she mocked the girl, "HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Just look at the brat! She's such a big baby and a cute one at that."
"Relax, kid, we need you for something important. A few others before you had been tried and tested for this experiment but none of them made the cut. You, on the other hand, are different. You are the perfect candidate for a little project we're working on," Amethio said.
"N-NO! I wanna go home! I-I don't know you!" Lazuli wailed, still frantic.
She continued to struggle but while Spindel and Sango relished in her suffering, the others looked on indifferently as the former sneered with his trademark smirk, "Home? I'm sorry but you've nowhere to go, now. Wherever your home is, it'll be with us and here. You'll soon come around after we make some...adjustments to you. Beheeyem, if you please?"
The Cerebral Pokémon saluted to its human master as it moved in front of Lazuli and raised its right arm, making her scream louder and thrash about more harshly.
"Now, be a good child...and you'll have a new life. Sweet dreams," Spindel sneered a final time before Beheeyem's lights entered her vision before she eventually blacked out, ceased her struggles, and knew no more.
(End Flashback)
Suddenly, as the flashback ended, the whiplash from Lazuli eventually startling herself awake following her previous thrashing in desperation knocked Sarah off her bed and the former Explorer was left in a hollow state now that her lost memories were back. Johnathan, Diane, Race, and the Jungle Guard rushed to Sarah's aid while Pantherra and Galaxagus joined their human charge as she began to sob. Her pained sobs over everything that happened to her soon caught the attention of Petunia who was flying around the Dragon Craft to find her parents after playing with her brothers and sisters until she heard Lazuli's sobs upon reaching her room and floated towards the door, carefully peering through the open space and seeing her new human friend in a broken state.
The little princess was horrified by what she had uncovered as she staggered to her feet with her family and the Jungle Guard's help and carefully walked over to Lazuli, only breathing out, "...…Y-You, you were, c-c-captured and made into, one of the, Explorers... After, your, your... Your parents, were, m-m-murdered?"
The swordswoman slowed her sobs and gave Sarah a broken look on her face as she nodded and told her, "...I finally remember... And, now, you know..."
The princess felt incredibly guilty as she looked away in shame and regret; now, she was getting to wish she hadn't helped Lazuli uncover her memories straight away despite the circumstances present and helped her gradually learn about what happened to Seiya and Maya and her past to help her deal with the pain she would be facing. Even if her intentions were noble, she just put her through the most traumatic and devastating series of life-changing events that led her to become one of the Explorers by force and not giving her a choice in the matter before her betrayal and denouncement of the syndicate years later.
She was broken out of her guilt-ridden reverie when Lazuli added, "I was only five when it happened... My mom and dad, those damned Explorer tartars killed them when they wouldn't hand me over. After that, Spindel's Beheeyem, it then wiped all of my memories clean and made me into a blank slate. They made me into a child soldier at that moment; everything I once had, once knew, it's all gone..."
Her sobs continued and then, she proceeded to give the Jungle Guard, Johnathan, Diane, Race, and Sarah a tearful glare as she snapped at them, "I didn't have a choice! I was never given one, I never asked to be part of the Explorers! What do you think I am, now? Huh, what?! You think being an Explorer, one of those asshats that ruined my life and murdered Mom and Dad in cold blood, is what I aspired to be!? I saved you from that asshole and his Ceruledge who set the stage for my forced indoctrination into that horrible cult! I was willing to lend you a hand to destroy them for good with everything I know about them! I complied with your orders and never once questioned them when we made that deal! And, yet, a part of you all still wonders if I'm one of them when I told you I would never backstab you just as those clowns did with me! Were you thinking that? WERE ANY OF YOU THINKING THAT? HUH!?"
Sarah was speechless as she didn't know what to say, "...But, I-!"
"Would you chill?! At least you didn't have an uncle who-!" Braixen snapped back before she was stopped by Xena and Tai Lung who gave her a look of disapproval for her outburst and forced her to stand down as they kept her from doing anything she might regret.
Once she had calmed down and Prinplup and Frosmoth gently held her back, the wisest of the Jungle Guard and its original leader stepped up and gently told Lazuli, "Ms. Lazuli, you must understand. What you told us was indeed terrifying and none of us could understand the pain you went through but you must know that while we, our family, and the princess are in the wrong for thinking you're still with the Explorers, we had good reason to assume that."
"You may not believe this but now that we think about it, we realize you and the princess have something in common. However, you were luckier compared to her because while you lived out the first five years of your life happily, the princess was nearly killed off when she was only two weeks old."
Lazuli was taken aback as her eyes widened and she echoed, "...….S-S-She was?"
Tai Lung nodded as he gave a solemn sigh and explained, "It happened over 500 years ago in her old life; we were told by some Pokémon very close to her and her family that not long after she was born, a few years after they were married, her mother and father were set to take over the throne in their kingdom for their parents. This was done with the knowledge that she would take over for them when it is time for them to hand over the throne given she was its rightful heir. A man who was once her uncle wouldn't have it and conspired with a few other accursed souls to have her killed off by trying to smuggle her out of her home region of Alola."
Lazuli, Pantherra, and Galaxagus were stunned until Xena continued, "He even tried to lie about her father so he could steal the throne. He and his accomplices were caught but monsters such as them left a bad taste in her family's mouths since."
"But, that evil man came back with an army and they attacked Alola with no mercy. He was still planning to kill her and everyone he once loved so he could have the throne for himself and her folks were also forced to make a tough call to save her," Gogoat added.
"With no other options and with help from a close friend of theirs from the Wizarding World, they used a time travel spell to send her 500 years into the future."
"The princess didn't have much of a choice on that front just as you don't. You were luckier than most but she's not one of them even if her new life before rediscovering her past turned out for the better," Altaria and Freezeon finished.
Lazuli remained silent despite her continued despair, prompting a heartbroken Petunia to flutter over to her and coo at her while she cuddled onto her chest lovingly.
The swordswoman blinked at her first friend for her selfless act of compassion but she eventually gave a sad smile and tenderly held the baby dragon close to her as if she was a newborn puppy while her tears continued to trail down her eyes.
"...Uh, ahem. Our, uh, our... Apologies, Lazuli, dear," Diane sighed sadly.
"We only hope you'll understand why our family has become so suspicious of people such as you given your previously forced allegiance with the Explorers and their crazy pig-headed goals from what you've just been told by the Jungle Guard," Johnathan added sheepishly.
Lazuli continued to remain silent as she then gently stroked Petunia and told them, "...Forget it, I understand. You all had it rougher compared to me. I know why you did what you did now..."
Sarah sighed as she rejoined Lazuli and told her, "Lazuli, I'm sorry... I promise you, we'll help you avenge your parents and make the Explorers pay for what they did. And, don't worry about what you want to do; we'll figure it out. Get some sleep, we'll be leaving for Paldea soon once Friede and the others are back. You can come once we arrive in the region, if you want..."
"Mama, me stay?" Petunia cooed, wanting to stay with Lazuli for the night.
Sarah just smiled and nodded her approval. And, with that, the little princess, her husband, Johnathan, Diane, and the Jungle Guard left Lazuli alone for the night with only Petunia, Galaxagus, and Pantherra to watch over and comfort her. However, they were still reeling from what they'd just learned from her tragic past and what the Explorers were truly capable of in addition to what they wanted from the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza, the Terapagos Three, and Liko's pendant.
"How do you like that for cold-blooded?" Brawleon grunted in disgust.
"And, to be stripped away from her parents and be indoctrinated by those asses when she was only five, all in the same day, too!" Craggeon concurred furiously.
"Those Explorers are the worst! They'll stop at nothing to get what they want, and with the Shiny Rayquaza from three days ago, they'll be going after it as well as the Terapagos and Liko's pendant!" put in Lopunny in agreement.
"Which makes them bigger monsters compared to Team Rocket and Team Eclipse," Veneon said, sharing their sentiments.
Race noticed his wife deep in thought over what she and everybody else was told and asked, "Island Girl, what are you thinking?"
"Just thinking...about something else I saw in Lazuli's memories. Do any of you remember Mr. Hu?" she answered.
"You mean the Tiger Zodiac who is one of your Phoenix Guardians from the Circle of 12?" Tyson recalled.
"What's that got to do with him?" Amber puzzled.
"...I know it sounds weird but while I was probing through her memories and brought back her origins... I saw him, back when Lazuli, Galaxagus, and Pantherra were captured and Seiya and Mary were killed..."
Everyone was surprised as Johnathan gasped, "Mr. Hu, with Lazuli and her parents? How?"
"I don't know... He must've somehow known that her parents would be killed and Seiya did tell her they didn't think they'd find out about them let alone their daughter."
"Whoa, hold up! Are you ssssssssaying Lazuli might have ssssssssomething the Explorerssssss wanted out of her and they wanted what sssssssshe has that they sssssssee as a prize?" Medusa gawked.
Sarah nodded as she gulped, "But, what it is that she has on her, I have no idea. I don't know if Mr. Hu knows anything about that but from the looks of that final memory before I was kicked out of her mind, the Explorers got what they wanted and they...experimented on her, for what Amethio said is a project the Explorers were working on."
"EXPERIMENTED!?" shrieked Braxien, Prinplup, and their siblings, aghast.
"How could they do this to the poor girl?! They should've known better than to tamper with human life needlessly for something they wanted to use for their gain!" Cobalt fumed in rage, disgusted by what the Explorers did.
"That sounds like what that wicked lady did when she wanted your Phoenix Spirit during the Lunar New Year celebration earlier, Mommy," Braixen added (alluding to a previous story that would be told for another and very distant day).
"Right... But, as I said before, what they wanted exactly, even Mr. Hu doesn't know. Even I don't know what they could be looking for... For now, it's best if we don't put Lazuli through all of this anymore. She's already in a catastrophic state as it is and she needs all the rest she can get before we can pry her on anything. What happened earlier on my part, while critical and beneficial for all of us given what we now know, was not the smartest idea I had in mind despite my intentions."
"Well, at least we now know what to tell Liko, Roy, and the Rising Volt Tacklers should they want answers regarding her. I won't be surprised if any of them found out about her already and would be wanting answers as to why we have an Explorer in our hands," Race sighed.
"Let's just hope none of them blow anything out of proportion before we have time to explain everything to them," Guardeon admitted, hoping for the best.
Dusk fell by the time Friede, Mollie, Cap, Orla, Murdock, and Roy returned with the supplies they needed and soon, the Brave Olivine's food reserves had been replenished. Of course, Friede and Roy were given a tongue lashing by Mollie when they told her about the scammer who gave them the cloth they were stuck with but when she and everyone else was told about the Explorers now having their eyes on the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza, she let them off with a warning to never buy anything off of her shopping list again even on the promise of intel about the exotic Sky High Pokémon.
With Roy, he and Fuecoco reunited with Liko and Sprigatito and went to Dot's room with them so he could thank her for the help she had given in her clue regarding the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza.
Sarah and Race were also heading for Dot's room to check up on her and see if she was willing to have a conversation with them and the others until they heard her scream, "DON'T YOU DARE!", making them realize she was already in talks with someone else (whom they soon found and realized was Roy and Liko when they saw them in front of her door).
"Oh, Liko, what were you trying to do before we came here?" Sarah sighed, wondering what she and Roy had done to get Dot's attention after reuniting with each other.
"Was that...Dot?! Wow, you were right. Maybe she really does talk," Roy spluttered in surprise and excitement as the young trainers looked back at Dot's door.
"Take your little party away from my door," Dot grumbled from her bedroom, exasperated.
"Hey, Dot! Guess what, earlier while we were in town today, there was this wild Spearow and Fuecoco and I-!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard all about it."
Roy blinked before he brought out the cloth he and Friede bought to show her, "Yeah... But, did you hear about it, a cloth that makes anything shine? Oh, yeah! And, we found out that the Explorers want the Shiny Rayquaza we saw days ago, too!"
Sarah's eyes widened as she thought, "No, Rayquaza?!"
"Not interested."
But, Liko was determined for her and Roy to continue striking up a conversation with Dot as she then asked politely, "Well, if that's the case... What exactly are you interested in, Dot? We really want to get to know you, I'm sure Race and Sarah wouldn't mind meeting you if they were here now."
She then looked at where the royal couple were supposedly eavesdropping on them and she smiled knowingly (while Roy used the cloth to polish his Ancient Pokeball which got Sprigatito's interest as she meowed eagerly, wanting to play with it) while Dot labeled, "…Interesting stuff like ancient treasure, Legendary Pokémon, things that nobody's ever seen. Something mystical, that's what I'm interested in. New, exciting, different, but stuff that is so hard to find. Are you done now?"
Liko polished her pendant with Roy's cloth knowingly as Sarah and Race appeared and the little princess disclosed to the isolated recluse, "Well, you're in luck, Dot. What's hard to find is not the case with me and my husband; if you want something interesting, we're your Cloysters."
"…What?" Dot quizzed, not getting what Sarah's told her.
Roy remembered the royal couple's Shinies and Legendary Pokémon as he told Dot, "Oh, yeah! And, here's something you don't know! Sarah and Race, you know, they both have Legendary and Shiny Pokémon on them including a Shiny Latios and a Shiny Latias! And, we know you heard about Koraidon and Miraidon when they battled against Amethio and his Ceruledge, right?"
"Yeah, but I-Wait, real Legendary Pokémon, like a Shiny Latios and Latias? In the hands of the princess and her husband, really?" Dot replied, now intrigued.
At this, Liko couldn't help but smile as she remarked to Roy, "What she's looking for might be closer to home than she thought."
"Maybe you're right," Roy agreed as the two shared a laugh and Sarah and Race shook their heads in amusement at them. "Oh, yeah, I forgot. Did you get a look at those secret snacks, Liko?"
"Secret snacks? Liko, Roy, did you two pull a Houdini behind our backs while we were in the Dragon Craft?" Sarah asked, looking between the two with a suspicious look on her face.
"Wait a minute, what did you two go on about when you traded places?" Race added.
"Uh! Uh... No, Sarah, Race, we haven't done anything. But, Roy, Murdock's Alcremie was hiding in the cabinet when I found it and she covered me with whipped cream. It was really awful," Liko answered, she and Sprigatito deflating in embarrassment as they recalled getting on Alcremie's wrong end as she kept Murdock's secret hidden from them to Roy.
"What, she covered you in whipped cream?! No fair! I want whipped cream, too!" Roy balked before he excitedly went off to the kitchen to find Alcremie.
"WHIPPED CREAM?! WAIT FOR ME, BUDDY! I WANT IT, TOO!" Fuecoco screeched excitedly as his hunger pains kicked in again and he chased after his partner.
"Hey, what are you-?! Don't try any-! ROY, COME BACK!" Race screamed as he chased after the energetic boy and Fuecoco to stop them from doing something rash.
Liko just smiled as she told Dot before she and Sprigatito left, "Hey, thanks so much, Dot. Talk to ya later!"
Then, once she was alone at Dot's door, Sarah chuckled at Liko and Roy before she turned to Dot's door and said to her, "Hey, Dot? What Roy said earlier is true, Race and I do have Legendary Pokémon on us and that includes our Latios and Latias, too. If you want, we can show you if you feel like having a look at them."
Then, she recalled Murdock and Friede and how they reacted this morning to Mollie, Orla, and Liko's accusations of them seemingly burning through the Brave Olivine's sugar, Moo-Moo Milk, butter, and dried fruit deposits and then told the young recluse, "Dot, have you ever tasted any kind of food besides what you might be eating right now? I found out that your uncle was making something special for you this morning and I can understand what he's going through in a way. I went through the same ordeal with another Legendary Pokémon of mine named Eternatus; when I first brought him to my family after stopping him in the Galar Region a few years ago, he wanted nothing to do with me no matter what I did to help him."
She then chuckled with a soft smile and Dot remained silent as she continued, "That also included not eating what I made for him and something similar happened when a few friends of my old classmate from Principal Oak's Pokémon School, Ash Ketchum, came to visit my home region. He refused at first while we were having breakfast with some friends of mine and while we went on an outing in Akala Island, we didn't know that he would eat the dish I prepared for him until that evening when we came home and I found his bowl empty. Heh, I know, took me by surprise, too, when I found out."
The little princess sighed, "The thing is, Dot... There's a lot more to this world than just being an internet and viral sensation on your computer and that includes eating different food and with other people, too, friends and family alike. Whatever Murdock made for you earlier, please understand the hard work and love he put into preparing it. Who knows? If you try what he's prepared for you in the cabinet Liko mentioned, you might like it. Quaxly, too, if he wants to have a bite. Well, I got to go and help Race check up on Liko and Roy. Think about what I said, okay? And, thanks for taking the time to listen to what I have to tell you. Hope to see you sometime later, bye."
Dot sighed as she heard Sarah leave to join Race, Roy, and Liko, the young recluse being left with a lot to think about, musing as she laid down on her bed, "Finally, I thought they'd never leave. Could they be any more loud and annoying compared to the princess and her man? I mean, come on. Apart from them, why is everyone on this ship a total weirdo?"
Quaxly didn't know what to think as he just stared at her until his trainer heard her Rotom Phone ring and saw that he got a text from her uncle which she read, "*Just found a hard-to-find cookbook, expect great things.*"
Dot just sighed again as she also saw a photo of her uncle with Rockruff and the cookbook he found, wondering what Murdock could have in mind for her but also thinking back to what Sarah said before she left her to her own devices.
Later that night, as everybody finally made their way to Paldea again, Alcremie was fast asleep in the kitchen when Dot and Quaxly snuck inside and noticed the cabinet holding the donuts Murdock made for her. All the while, she kept replaying everything Sarah told her about what she found out from Murdock and her story about Eternatus and how he ended up trying her food after some time in her mind.
An hour had passed and Murdock, Cap, and Friede returned to the kitchen, but this time, everything seemed peaceful for them and they weren't caught out by anybody which seemed rather odd to them.
"Still in the clear, I would've thought somebody would've caught on by now. Especially Sarah given how bright she is," Murdock mused, keeping himself as sharp as ever and hoping they weren't caught in the act.
"Agreed," Cap nodded.
"Why don't you just come clean, already? Tell everyone you're not sneaking snacks at night, that you're just looking for a recipe Dot would like," Friede suggested to his friend.
"Nah, then people will go out their way for me. It's a bad look," the friendly cook admitted as he went to the cabinet, opened it, and found an empty tray inside.
"Hey, Friede, this thing is empty. There's no snacks for us."
Cap and Friede were surprised by this as Murdock took the tray, "Huh? Wait, so what does that mean...?"
"You got anything from that?"
"What it means is...that Dot ate ALL OF IT!" Murdock exclaimed in absolute joy, showing them the empty tray which told them that Dot had indeed eaten all of the donuts he made for her (having finally found the recipe he was looking for).
Cap and Friede were also ecstatic as the latter and the friendly cook performed their team's secret handshake victoriously and cheered, "You did it, pal!"
"Way to cook 'em!"
Murdock was right; Dot was indeed in her bedroom eating all of the donuts he had prepared for her with Quaxly helping himself to one of them, both of them enjoying how delicious they were thanks to the hard work and love he put into making them, especially with the new recipe he found and tried out. Needless to say, the young recluse had taken what Sarah told her to heart and had given the donuts a try, and after that, she ended up liking them.
"Hmm, I didn't know things such as donuts could taste like this. It's not bad," she remarked, impressed by what her uncle whipped up.
"My compliments to your uncle, partner!" Quaxly beamed as they continued to enjoy their midnight snack.
From that moment on, the rest of the flight was smooth sailing and a weight had finally been lifted off of Murdock's shoulders which made him rest easily. The positive mood from the previous night's results of his donut experimentation for Dot carried over the following morning as Friede and Cap slept together on the bridge and dawn eventually broke.
"Mmm... Hey, good morning, Cap."
"Paldea, ahoy!" said the pair as the morning sun woke them up and Cap pointed ahead with a smirk while Friede used a telescope to see everyone's final destination of their current journey.
He smirked as he eyed Liko's home region and said, "There it is, Paldea..."
To Be Continued...