Liko - In the blink of an eye, I suddenly started to forget everything about myself and who I am. But, what I didn't realize was that I was saved by Sarah as she somehow enchanted the bag I always carried on my chest with her Animus Magic. Little did I know that the pendant I was wearing around my neck was a fake to trick Spindel and his Pokémon while the real pendant was safely stored in my bag the whole time. I have to wonder, though... If Spindel realized he had been played for a fool, what would happen next? How will I and the others continue to protect my pendant and Sarah and Race's Terapagos should he strike back with a vengeance?

At the canyon where the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft were moored, everybody was waiting for Liko and Sprigatito along with Lazuli to return. The Rising Volt Tacklers realized that the young girl and her partner had not returned from their shopping trip and the swordswoman had also recently disappeared which meant that until they returned or were found, they wouldn't take off for Galar as soon as they hoped, even after the full system scan for the airship was completed.

"Liko isn't back yet?" Friede asked Roy, feeling worried for Liko.

"She said she was going shopping today for some Spicy Herba Mystica," the young boy answered.

"Well, Artazon and Levincia were the only towns within walking distance for us," Murdock stated.

"Right, but neither town is far enough to take this long," the unconventional professor replied before he turned to Mollie and Orla who tried to contact Liko via their Rotom Phones. "No messages?"

The traveling doctor and the mechanic shook their heads as they replied, "I've tried contacting her; nothing but static."

"And, there's no location data, either."

"Maybe her battery died..."

"Hey, there she is!" Roy gasped, pointing everyone to Lazuli, Liko, and Sprigatito, the young girl and her partner looking rather shaken which left him worried as he came up to them, "Whoa, you two alright?"

Lazuli looked at Murdock, Friede, Orla, and Mollie as she said to them, "I told the kid on the way here; Spindel, he struck while she was in town. Her memory was nearly wiped out but the princess saved her bacon earlier today before he could make off with her pendant."

The four adults gasped in shock as Friede quickly asked Liko, "Liko, is this true?"

Liko nodded, still feeling shaken by everything she was told as she replied (taking her real pendant out of her bag and examining it), "Sarah was right... Spindel came to me while I was in Levincia, he tried to wipe my memories and steal my pendant but I didn't realize until Lazuli told me he was fooled by a fake pendant that looked like my real one. Thank goodness she did that..."

Everyone gathered save for Lazuli gasped at this and even Dot was taken aback as she quietly gasped and listened in via her Rotom Phone and Roto Stick (one of her Rotom Accessories she used to create her Nidothing videos) just as Sarah and Race arrived upon hearing that the former Explorer and their young friend had returned unharmed.

"Well, I guess it was obvious with what he pulled here; Lazuli called us and said she was in Levincia looking for Spicy Herba Mystica but the ad she saw from her Rotom Phone saying that it was on sale was a phony. Spindel wanted to isolate Liko and Sprigatito from us so he could get them alone, and what's more, no shop in Paldea can sell Spicy Herba Mystica that easily," the princess informed.

"Really?"

"Why not?" Liko and Murdock asked, perplexed.

"There's only one place in the region where that herb can grow: Area Zero, in the Great Crater of Paldea. And, that's not the worst problem; the ones that grew outside of the Great Crater were all protected by Titan Pokémon. In between challenging the Paldea League, while Race and Sis were uncovering the mystery behind Team Star, I went with Arven to gather those herbs to heal his Mabostiff and the Titan Pokémon were no cakewalk fighting just to get them."

"They certainly weren't a picnic when they showed us how powerful they were. Even I have to admit that they're not Pokémon to be taken lightly when I saw even Sarah's Pokémon and my own having difficulty fighting against all of them. We were lucky to survive and get the herbs after beating them," Arven added as he, Penny, Carmine, Nemona, and Kieran joined them along with their Partner Pokémon.

Mabosstiff nuzzled his best friend knowingly, remembering all the trouble he and Sarah went through to make the sandwiches that had the Spicy Herba Mystica in them to rid him of his deteriorating condition.

Race had to agree as he confirmed, "Because the Spicy Herba Mystica was a rarity with Area Zero and the Great Crater off-limits to everybody apart from us and the Titan Pokémon guarding them wouldn't let them go until they were beaten, nobody can harvest let alone sell it. Spindel probably knew of its rarity and set Liko up with that phony ad he sent her."

Liko blushed, embarrassed that she even fell for such a simple trick in her haste to help Murdock. She now knew why Sarah and Race would be so worried for her in their own way; realizing that she had come close to losing her pendant to the Explorers, she knew she had to be more careful should they pull a stunt like that on her and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers and best friends again. The young girl knew she owed her royal friends and their family a lot because if it wasn't for what Sarah did to protect her and their warnings, her Terapagos would've fallen into Spindel's hands and she'd end up like Lazuli when she was forced into the evil syndicate's ranks.

"Wait, if you encountered Spindel, Liko, how come his Beeheyem didn't wipe your memories clean?" Orla pondered, realizing that Liko's memories were untouched.

"I saved her; I enchanted her bag with a spell to protect her from Beeheyem's psychic power while simultaneously safeguarding her real pendant while Spindel made off with the fake," Sarah replied.

"A spell?"

"Enchanted?" echoed a confused Mollie and Friede.

"Animus Magic, an ancient and powerful form of magic that originated from a fallen kingdom I've inherited in the Barbaric Archipelago which is the homeworld of Hiccup and his friends. It allows whichever user who wields it, such as myself and Race, to enchant anything and everything around us for a specific purpose."

"Island Girl used her magic to safeguard Liko's bag once her pendant was put inside it. It also managed to shield her and Sprigatito from Beeheyem's psychic power, forcing her to fake her amnesia once it tried to wipe her memories," Race put in.

Liko was astonished by Sarah's selfless act through her magic for her protection as she thought, "Animus Magic? Sarah protected me with an ancient form of magic...? So, if it wasn't for that, my memory would've been wiped clean and Spindel would've wised up to her trick and stole my pendant had he looked through my bag. Who knows what would've happened to me then?"

"Well, I'll be darned. Looks like a touch of actual ancient magic saved the day," Murdock grinned.

"Nice hocus-pocus on your part to save Liko, Sarah."

"Great work," added an impressed Orla and Mollie.

"So, what about that fake pendant had Spindel take from her?" Roy questioned.

Sarah smirked as she told Roy, "Oh, that? It's actually a homing device I made that looked like Liko's pendant in every way possible, and as long as Spindel has it and is none the wiser about it being the real deal, we can follow his every move in turn until we strike."

The young boy and Liko were amazed as they smiled brightly and said, "Hey! So, Spindel would unknowingly lure us over to him!"

"And, he won't know I still have my pendant with me thanks to you!"

Friede had to agree as he smirked at Sarah and said, "That's using your magical noggin there, Sarah! With Spindel not knowing about the mix-up you performed, we can track him down to his current location and give him the old Pokémon One-Two!"

"That is until he eventually takes it apart, allowing him to wise up to the trick she pulled," Lazuli warned, knowing they don't have much time. "Unless we take him down now and get him off our backs, there's no way he'll let us off that easily."

"If that's the case, let's get ready for him should he strike," Friede informed everyone gathered as they all nodded in agreement.

"Let's get ready, then," Sarah concurred.

"Friede, Sarah, wait!"

Everyone turned to Dot as she appeared from Rotoscope's screen after she called the princess' number and told everyone, "I, um... I was wondering, could you let me in on this mission for Liko's sake since we nearly lost her?"

Sarah blinked in surprise at this but she had a sneaking suspicion as to why she wanted to join the group since she first talked to the young recluse aboard the Brave Olivine, remarking, "Dot, what's with the request? I thought going outside was a bit too much for you, didn't you make it clear while we, Liko, and Roy were having our little chats prior?"

Roy and Liko were startled as they heard Dot tell their royal friend, "It is too much... But, um, I want to help everyone fight Spindel, just... I can't stand the thought of someone trying to mess around with my friends."

Sarah smiled warmly at this and even Friede understood her sentiments as he joined them and replied, "I know exactly how you felt, especially since you and Sarah have some things in common in that regard. We all do. But, it's an expert Pokémon Trainer from the Explorers we're dealing with, and if it ever comes to a battle, you'll need a partner."

"A partner?"

Dot's answer came when Friede smirked at her, seeing Quaxly from behind her on a post he had set up in her bedroom and readying his hair which made her turn to him while he replied, "Me."

"Hey, Quaxly," Dot grinned warmly at the Ducking Pokémon.

Friede continued to smirk as he told the young recluse, "Okay, it looks like you're ready now, huh? Alright, let's go!"

"Right, I'll go and get Dot and Quaxly but only a decent-sized squadron of us will go and confront Spindel and anybody else with him should he make his move. Nebby and Nebula will carry my human family along with the Tomoe Squad, Mischief, and Persian and my and Race's friends from Uva and Blueberry Academies, I'll create small temporary chariots for them to ride on so we'll all be together. The rest of us will ride aboard Miraidon and Koraidon while everyone else stays and guards the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine should they be seized while we're gone!" Sarah nodded before she prepared to head inside the Brave Olivine.

"Roger!" Nemona, Kieran, Arven, Carmine, and Penny agreed as they hurried to the Dragon Craft to inform their classmates.

"I'll go and tell your folks and the rest that we're leaving to find and confront Spindel soon," Race informed his wife, getting an appreciating nod from her as he also went back to the Dragon Craft.

"And, I'll lend two of you Rising Volt Tacklers Pantherra, he should be big and strong enough to carry two people," Lazuli added to Friede and his crew before she turned to Liko. "Kid, you and your cat are ridin' the skies with me and Galaxagus."

Liko nodded but quickly realized something as she rushed over to Sarah and handed the princess her pendant, "Sarah, wait! I think my pendant will be safer in your hands until Spindel's out of our hair after we confront him. If you could enchant it should he try to get it..."

Sarah looked between Liko and the pendant (A.K.A. her Terapagos) before she eventually nodded and took it in her hands, "Okay, Liko. I'll enchant it with another spell on the way back to Levincia after I've picked up Dot and Quaxly."

With that, everybody else gathered on the airship to prepare to return to Levincia, find Spindel, and confront him with Sarah heading inside the Brave Olivine to meet up with Dot and bring her along with the group.

When Sarah eventually came to the young recluse's room, the door was slowly opened and Dot herself appeared alongside Quaxly (who was standing a few feet behind her), showing herself to be around Liko and Roy's age (as Murdock said prior), having purple and pink hair with a large fringe covering her purple eyes, and an outfit consisting of a dark violet tank top, green jeans, and a loose Glameow-inspired jacket hanging off of his shoulders matching her hair coloration along with Snorlax Slippers.

"Dot... Hi," the princess smiled.

"...H-Hey," Dot stuttered shyly, seeing as it was their first-ever time meeting each other face to face while Quaxly smiled at them.

"Listen, thanks for everything throughout the last couple of days and your wanting to join us just now. We're glad you could come along; me, Race, my family, our friends, and Liko and Roy..."

"Oh, uh... S-Sure..."

The little princess nodded warmly before she then told her, "Come on, we'll be ready to leave once we head out. You up for it?"

"Y-Yeah."

Quaxly smiled as he watched Sarah and Dot talk before he and they headed out to meet with the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers, Lazuli, and her family and friends; he knew his partner got on well with Dot since their first conversations with each other but he couldn't be happier for the young recluse as she took the initiative to join her and the others for their confrontation with Spindel out of a genuine kindness towards her, Race, Liko, and Roy.

Meanwhile, while the heroes prepared themselves to fight him, Spindel examined the fake pendant as he put it under a scanner. As of right now, he had no idea that it was a homing device in disguise Sarah crafted to fool him while the real pendant he was after prior was still safely with her and Liko thanks to the princess' fake-out mix-up.

"Interesting, it appears to be made of the same crystal as a Tera Orb. However, I doubt that's all that is to it," he mused thoughtfully as he watched the scan take place.

While he was working, his Umbreon came over and cooed to him, "Master?"

"Yes, Umbreon, what is it? Do you sense something about it?" the crafty Explorer puzzled his Moonlight Pokémon before he smirked and looked out to Levincia through the transceiver on his Beeheyem (who was back out in the city out of sight) via the computer monitor on his left. "It's all quite fascinating, isn't it?"

(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)

With the heroes, true to form, Sarah returned to the group with Dot and Quaxly at hand, and with the young recluse and the Duckling Pokémon present, they made their way toward Levincia.

Friede and Cap led the way while riding aboard Charizard (the Flame Pokémon carefully holding Dot and Quaxly in his hands as he flew), Nebby carried Race and Sarah's friends from Uva and Blueberry Academies and Nebula carried Sarah's human family on two temporary carriages they were pulling to accommodate them, Sarah and Murdock were soaring aboard Koraidon (who amazingly was able to carry the gentle giant chef thanks to his recovered strength from his family's Paldea escapades) with Blitz joining his human mother atop Koraidon's head, Orla and Roy were keeping up with them from the ground aboard Pantherra, Race, Roy, and Fuecoco followed from behind aboard Miraidon, and Liko and Sprigatito were with Lazuli as the trio was on Galaxagus, bringing up the rear.

The rest of their group from Sarah's family, in the meantime, stayed with the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine in case the Explorers (under Spindel's command) sent in squadrons of fighters to set up an ambush that would delay them further.

It was dark by the time they arrived back in Levincia, the home of its gym leader and an old friend of Dot who's also an internet sensation in her own right, Iono from the Kalos Region. The city became aglow as its citizens and their Pokémon prepared themselves for a busy and eventful night ahead of them, streetlights and city lights glistening brightly everywhere the heroes went.

Sarah grew sentimental as she looked around the familiar sights and sounds of Levincia at its finest during the night; even then and now, during her, Asha, and Race's first visit while the royal couple were having their first meeting and gym battles with Iono (since Asha had to deal with Team Star during that time), it was teaming with an after-hours buzz that has to be seen to be believed. Like Pipp back in Equestria, despite her hyperactive disposition and eccentricity, she loved to do livestreams in between her gym leader duties, covering nearly everything she does in her daily life. It was a pretty embarrassing topic for her when she and her husband went there to challenge her because she didn't want herself and her family to be plastered on the internet.

It was made all the more difficult for her to keep a low profile as any hunters or poachers in the region would've traveled to Levincia and jumped at the opportunity to snag any of the Pokémon in her family because of that. This grated on her immensely despite her growing reputation as a feared and powerful do-gooder in the criminal underworld due to being part of the Quest Team and a Junior Pokémon Cop on top of that.

Once they gathered in the main town square, the Rising Volt Tacklers (save for Ludlow as he and Quagsire remained to watch over the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine with the rest of Sarah's family and Race's team), Lazuli, and Sarah and Race's party along with her human family were ready to hunt down Spindel.

Mollie, Orla, and Murdock already went ahead in the search along with Johnathan, Diane, Nikki, and James while the rest remained with Friede as he wanted to confirm one thing before they began their part.

"Okay, now that we're all here," Friede commented before he declared, "Rising Volt Tacklers, everybody, time to issue our counterattack!"

"Yeah!/Sir/Right!"

"Y-Yeah," everybody shouted before Dot shyly followed (with Quaxly chirping with a happy nod on her right shoulder).

Dot then turned to the Duckling Pokemon as she asked impassively, "Well, Quaxly, you ready for this?"

"You bet, Partner!" Quaxly nodded to her with a knowing wink.

"Dot, think fast, here!" Friede called as he threw her a Pokeball, making her catch it in surprise.

"You threw me a Pokeball?"

"Your first catch is with Quaxly, right?"

Liko was even more surprised as she puzzled the girl behind Nidothing, "Wait, does that mean you're not Quaxly's trainer yet?"

Dot was a little embarrassed as she told her and Roy, "Becoming a Pokémon Trainer never really felt like my forte..."

Roy was now curious about her choice to join them and take part in the operation to kick Spindel's ass as he questioned, "So, then... Why come with us and why do you want to start being one right now?"

"W-What does it matter, who cares?" she replied, looking flustered and caught off guard before Quaxly jumped down in front of her and smiled warmly, making her realize, "...Hey, why am I suddenly getting embarrassed about all this? I-I mean, we've been together forever... And, you've never left my side since we first met and you were given to me by Ludlow..."

Quaxly nodded, understanding what she meant and knowing what she was feeling before the young recluse sighed and braced herself as she confirmed, "Quaxly, from this point forward... I choose you as my first Partner Pokémon!"

That was all the Duckling Pokémon wanted to hear as he smiled, "I believe in you, Dot."

"Well, here goes..."

Not wanting to regret her own first step forward to a new adventure and new chapter in her life, Dot threw the Pokeball at the Paldea Water Starter and it hit him on the head, sucking him inside before it shook three times and clicked shut. It was official; from that point on, Quaxly was officially Dot's first Pokémon and her true Partner Pokémon.

"I think it's safe to say Quaxly wanted to be your official partner, Dot. You didn't even have to try, he went right into the Pokeball," Liko smiled.

Dot slowly started to smile as she looked at the Pokeball and released her partner, "It did, huh? Quaxly!"

Her Partner Pokémon greeted everyone with a cheer as he briefly celebrated his official status as Dot's new partner, making Rosie, Chili, and Crest (who wanted to help take down Spindel and his Pokémon at Sarah's behest before she gave in to them) along with Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Cap grin at him.

"Congrats, Mr. Quaxly!"

"Great!"

"You're in, friend!"

"You rock!"

"Whoo-hoo!"

"Welcome aboard, officially, Little Duck Bill."

Dot smiled at her new partner, telling him, "Quaxly, we've gotta look out for each other from now on. That's what partners do, right?"

"Now and forever!" Quaxly nodded, happy to have her as his partner and friend for life.

Along with Chili, Crest, Blitz, Rosie, and the rest of the Pokémon (including the others' Partner Pokémon) and dragons helping them, joining the heroes gathered were the Swords of Justice, Elder and Alder, Ruby and Sapphire, the Night Lights, Mr. Hu, Mistral, Winter, Silvally, Zeraora, the Tomoe Squad, and Zorua. Everybody in Sarah's family and Race's team wanted a piece of Spindel; however, while the rest stayed behind with Ludlow and his Quagsire to guard the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine, the Pokémon and dragons in question would help give him a taste of his own medicine.

"This square is where Murdock's crew will be meeting us shortly. Once we're all back together, you all split up and look for anyone suspicious that could be trying to slow us down should Spindel know about our plan. He still thinks he has the original pendant and he'll know we'll be going after him thanks to the fake. So, he'll do anything to ensure that his mission continues as a success even if he couldn't have gone far. I won't be surprised if he has a couple of nasty surprises ready for us including several men from the Explorers in disguise to do us harm," Friede informed, knowing what they must do.

"And, what are you going to do, Adventure-For-Brains?" Lazuli snarked in response.

"Me? I'm gonna be our eyes in the sky for those stragglers of ours!"

"Good luck!" Cap grinned as he and his partner left aboard Charizard, getting an admiring gaze from Fuecoco as his eyes twinkled at his idol.

"Don't take too long, Friede, dear!" Delilah called out.

Fuecoco cheered loudly for Charizard, still wishing he could be like Friede's Flame Pokémon as Roy smiled at him and commented, "You want to fly like that, too. Don't you, Fuecoco?"

"Well, I guess until Murdock, Mollie, Orla, and the others with them come back, and while we're waiting, let's sum up the situation as we now know it," Dot suggested.

"Just what I was thinking, Dot," Sarah nodded in reply as everyone else in their group agreed.

"We know that Spindel is nearby and he doesn't know about the real pendant still being with us after he took the fake off of Liko. This confirms that he's still nearby and he'll probably have some grunts from the Explorers stationed anywhere should he eventually discover our ploy," Race put in.

"That means until he begins to wise up to the mix-up, they're stalling for time, right?" Roy added, getting a confirming nod from the former Battle Frontier Champion.

"Yeah, I guess you got a point. If they wanted the pendant, they got it only they have the fake one and the real pendant is still with me. So, why haven't they left for their base yet?" Liko pondered thoughtfully.

"Maybe they would've if they were getting away with a car, a train if there's a railway station here, or a Pokémon," Dot noted.

Roy had the same feeling as he also said, "Yeah, it looks like they're probably waiting for something."

"Yeah, but what?" Then, Dot remembered hearing about the pendant numerous times beforehand and turned to Liko as she asked, "So, Liko, not that it's any of my business but what exactly is the deal with your pendant if Spindel wanted it that badly?"

Liko thought back over everything she went through and the times when her pendant (or her Terapagos had saved her life when she and everybody else around her were in dire situations), telling the young recluse, "Well, I thought it was just an ordinary good luck charm; it was given to me by my grandmother years before I went to Indigo Academy in Kanto. But, when the Explorers found us, it protected me, Sarah, and Race a few times with some sort of strange power. Sarah and Race thought that it might be related to the Terapagos they have on them, and because of it, we and Roy ended up meeting wonderful Pokémon including Arboliva and the Shiny Rayquaza with a Terastallized body. "

She continued to smile as she went on, "And, then, it hit me; I met them, you, Roy, and the Rising Volt Tacklers, all because of it. It's what led me to this whole adventure in front of us, so now, it's priceless to me. Also, for a brief moment, after we helped Arboliva restore her forest to normal, my pendant changed into a Terapagos for a brief period; it confirmed to me that when Sarah told me about it being a Legendary Pokémon, it wasn't just a charm. Before our eyes, it was a living breathing creature in a different form, placed under my protection without me even realizing it..."

"That settles it, then. We have to keep it away from Spindel at all costs," Dot nodded, finally understanding what Liko told her as everyone decided to take a walk along the edge of the city while keeping their eyes open.

"But, where could that dork be if he still has that little fake-out?" Silvally questioned.

"Well, we know Spindel could've fled stage right out of Paldea if he had Liko's pendant but he would've given himself away with a car or Pokémon and I doubt he has a Ride Pokémon on him," Zeraora informed.

"That's a truth, especially given how unique our situation is. Considering what the Explorers want with it and the princess and her man's Terapagos for who-knows-what," Terrakion agreed.

With Murdock, Johnathan, and the rest of their party, they were gathering intel and making inquiries with the people on their end as to the sightings and whereabouts of Spindel, trying to be as discreet as possible about their descriptions and what they've learned about him so nobody would have the wrong suspicions about them.

"I wonder how Asha and the others are holding up on the search, especially with Friede, Cap, and Charizard on their own from the skies above," Diane pondered, feeling worried for Asha and her well-being as well as the rest of the group with her.

"Don't tell me you don't have faith in our little Ponchita, do you, Diane?" Johnathan inquired, knowing how concerned she was over their granddaughter with Romeo and Juliet giving her reassuring nods. "She's still with us and we won't lose her again like we did all those years ago."

"Do you think it's cool to just let Friede fly solo on this while the others including the kids are left to their own devices?" Orla pondered to Mollie, wondering if they should get back to the town square to meet up with the others.

"The reality is we don't know if Spindel and his Pokémon are somewhere we don't have our eyes on as of yet. They wouldn't make a quick getaway by car or a Ride Pokémon if they wanted to given how crowded it is in this place, and even if there was a train around here at a railway station, they'd have to pay for a ticket. The only other logical explanation would be in a boat along with a form of incognito travel to get to it. We gotta try and get as much info as we can," the traveling doctor answered.

Orla just nodded, "Okay."

Back at the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine, Ludlow was looking out in the distance from the latter's stern as he mused (centering his thoughts this time on the group's current dilemma), "In truth, every novice Pokémon Trainer has a wish, that the start of their own first voyage is on a seaworthy vessel. Preferably, a luxury cruise ship rather than a garbage barge."

"Well, we ruled out trains, Pokémon, and cars on how he would make his getaway with the fake pendant or if he had the real one. That just leaves our only option being boats since they go overseas and other places around the world instead of across the region."

"And, while you have to pay to go on a boat as well, Spindel will most likely use one to get away with the homing device," Nemona and Carmine thought as everybody continued to walk on the city's edge with the ocean to their right just behind two streets.

"I heard that the cruise ship stationed at the port is departing tonight but he couldn't be with the crowd of people leaving for an overseas vacation. He needed to have a private room, mainly a deluxe suite, to carry out his plans and that's without getting the attention of the staff in charge of housekeeping," Penny added.

"But, still, who knows how long we'll have to catch up with him until he finds out about the fake pendant and the mix-up Sarah made?" pondered Eri.

As before with Liko, Dot was curious about Sarah and Race's Terapagos as she turned to the little princess and asked, "...Sarah, we know how Liko goes with her pendant. What about you and Race, what makes those Pokémon you call Terapagos unique to the point that the Explorers would chase you for them?"

Sarah blinked at this but she gave a sentimental smile as she told Dot, "It started when Zelda and Link crossed over to Alola weeks before the Alola League took place; while some of my friends from Alola and I were training, after we met them, my Iron Leaves, the futuristic descendant of Virizion, had two of my and Race's Terapagos around her neck in their dormant forms. They didn't become the Pokémon we know today until my Terapagos appeared before me and my Pikachu, Blitz, during an exhibition battle with my teacher: Professor Kukui, and one of Alola's Guardian Deities: Tapu Koko. Just when we were about to be beaten, he awakened and gave us the power we needed to turn the match around..."

Race nodded as he told the young recluse, "My Terapagos? Well, mine didn't awaken until we had a wild adventure inside Island Girl's mother's magical book while we were going through one of the stories her granny used to tell her. It was in a kingdom called Rosas, at a point when my wife and some friends of ours were threatened by a mad king desperate for power and the wishes of everyone in it for himself after one of them made a powerful wish on a star and it came to life... Just as when we're on our last legs and that mad king, it came to our rescue. It came to life through my wish to continue protecting and living for my baby, and along with our two friends that began that whole adventure, it saved Rosas... Since then, it's been a crazy relationship I had with the little guy in my possession..."

He remained silent for a moment as Dot and Quaxly stared in surprise and awe before he continued, "In the following months, Island Girl and I did some research throughout our time with them. According to what records there were on them, Terapagos were said to have lived over two million years ago in this very region in the under-depths of Area Zero. However, many people thought they had died due to seismic shifts in the Great Crater and the depths below. That was apart from four of them belonging to us and Liko, respectively."

"All of them were in a deep slumber after that and gave birth to the Terastal Phenomenon in the years that followed, filling the caverns of Aera Zero with large Tera Crystals including a Terastallized tree filled to the brim with Terastal Energy. Since then, their power spread all across Paldea and a man named Heath discovered the Terapagos I recently caught 200 years later but in its Stellar Form. Of course, everybody back then thought he was crazy with his findings after he published the Scarlet and Violet Books about it but they had no idea what he found described the best-case scenario for the little Pokémon," Sarah finished for her husband.

Nemona and the rest of Sarah and Race's Paldean friends were thunderstruck by the revelation as the Champion-Rank Trainer could only breathe out, "Espera un minuto, if your Terapagos along with Liko's spread their Terastal Energy to all of Paldea all those years ago... Doesn't that mean...?"

"Yeah! Doesn't that mean that-?" Mela gasped while Liko, Roy, Dot, and their partners could only watch as their eyes bugged out and their jaws dropped in shocked surprise.

Sarah and Race just nodded as the little princess confirmed, "It's made very clear that our Terapagos were responsible for the Terastal Phenomenon everybody in Paldea is using today."

"No way..."

"You're kiddin' dudes...!"

"Oh, my Arceus...!" Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly breathed, sharing Liko, Roy, and Dot's shock as they looked at the Terapagos belonging to the royal couple who cooed at them.

Liko looked at the pendant around her neck her grandmother had given her, astonished to know that the Pokémon that appeared from it was one of the same four Terapagos responsible for the creation of the Terastal Phenomenon that had become a popular battle trend/style in her home region.

"...I-I never thought of that..." she breathed after a moment of stunned silence.

"That's from what we found, anyway. But, as to whether or not they're the only ones left, who knows? Pokémon like them can be very resilient and most end up branching out from their Pokémon ancestors, Arven and Tirtouga, becoming the creatures they are today eons ago," Sarah said.

"But, how exactly did Link and Zelda end up finding two of them in the first place?"

"There has to be a logical explanation as to how they even came across these rare Pokémon before they left Area Zero," Arven and Penny questioned, asking what was on everybody's minds regarding how the female Iron Leaves and the male Walking Wake ended up finding two of the four remaining Tera Pokémon in the bowels of Area Zero before they made the long trip to Alola.

"We did ask them about it; from what they told us, they were just as shocked as we were when they discovered the other two apart from the one Heath discovered and Liko's until the real Professors Sada and Toro went into the under-depths to do some research on them. That was when their time machine was finished and they brought them, Miraidon, Koraidon, and the rest of their Paradox Pokémon friends here. They were still in slumber and it was when Link also found his Secret Stone," Race replied as their Terapagos cooed at their human parents cutely.

Liko was even more astonished as she could only look at the three Tera Pokémon and think to herself, "Wow, that's amazing! One tiny Pokemon, that Terapagos this Heath guy mentioned in his books, changed all of Paldea... That Pokémon in Sarah and Race's possession along with the other two and mine were the reason why we have the Terastal Phenomenon today!"

She then asked the royal couple, "So, the four Terapagos we have now... Is it possible they're the only ones left from their species?"

"They could be, Liko, and it's even more of a mystery as to how they breed back then. So, as far as we know, they could be considered fundamentally extinct," Sarah sighed as she gently rubbed the Terapagos Three on their heads while they babbled at her. "I do plan to start a breeding program for them, but right now, with what little info we have, it's not possible..."

Just then, a small yet unmarked van drove past them, causing Sarah's Pup Pad to blink and ring as she pulled it out of her pocket and noticed the homing device's signal reading louder and clearer, "Hey, the signal just jumped, right when that van went past us!"

Everyone turned and saw the unmarked van heading for Levincia's docks as Arven remarked, "And, it's heading straight for the port. You think Spindel's in that van with the homing device?"

"If the signal's moving now and he still has no idea we have the real pendant on us, that's got to be our man, Arven."

She looked back at the Pup Pad to find the homing device and Spindel's van moving towards the dock and heading towards one of the ships moored there, "Looks like Spindel's going to make a getaway in one of the ships, he'll most likely be heading towards either the ferry or the container ship close by."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Nemona urged, wanting a battle against Spindel.

"Still, we must exercise caution. It's possible that Spindel already has guards waiting on either ship to protect the fake pendant even if they don't know about the switch-up," Cobalion warned.

With everyone nodding in agreement, they all made their way to the dock to find the ship that Spindel would be escaping on. At the port out of Paldea and Levincia, they found the container ship and the ferry with the latter preparing to leave the port with its passengers. Its horn blared before it began to move out of port just as the group caught up with it, Dot panting from behind as she caught up with them (since she wasn't used to running a lot given her low stamina).

"Oh no, the boat!"

"The ferry, it's leaving!" Liko and Kieran cried.

"You gotta be kidding me! All that running for nothing," Dot groaned as she sweated, getting down on her but in exhaustion.

"You okay, Partner?" Quaxly asked, worried for her.

"It's okay, Dot. We still have a chance to catch up with him; I have a feeling Spindel must've planted someone else on it to lure us away from him so that just leaves the container ship we're looking for," Sarah reassured the young recluse just as a roar was heard and Friede, Cap, and Charizard loomed overhead, passing them and making their way towards the ferry.

"Friede?" the three young trainers puzzled.

"Ugh, wrong ship, doofus," Lazuli grouched, facepalming herself as the unconventional professor and his partners landed on the ferry.

"Thanks, Charizard. Now, return," Friede thanked as he returned Charizard and looked around. "Now, who looks suspicious here?"

The unconventional professor and Cap looked around carefully for someone would be sent by Spindel to stop them and everyone else from getting him off their backs now that he had the (fake) pendant on him until a middle-aged man appeared before them.

"Friede," Cap said, noticing the man standing before them and giving them a deadpanned glare of authority.

"I know you; you're Friede, one of the Rising Volt Tacklers and an acquaintance of Princess Sarah Tomoe, correct?" the man questioned.

"Hmm, I'm guessing you're just another subordinate and you've been sent by your leader to try and stop us, huh?"

"That's right... And, we can't have you interfering with our master now that he's got his prize."

"And, so, you wanna battle? Just what I was hoping for... Cap?"

"Bring it," Cap smirked to his human partner as he threw away his hat, bracing himself for a battle as Spindel's subordinate summoned a Bisharp to fight him and Friede with.

"Okay, got it. So, Friede went after the ferry?"

"That's right; he's ruled it out as the wrong ship for us when he, Cap, and Charizard boarded it."

"That means Spindel's in one of the container ships still in the port and one of them would be due to leave tonight according to the manifests Penny uncovered."

"Right. Dot, listen, it's dangerous so I want you, Sarah, and the others to just wait for us until we can meet up at the dock," Murdock, Dot, and Sarah bantered as they patched a call through from Rotoscope to the young recluse's uncle's Rotom Phone before the friendly cook hang up and he and his party rushed off to the dock.

"Wait? We can't wait!"

"By the time Murdock and the others get here, the ship Spindel's in would've left!" Zorua and Keldeo remarked incredulously.

"Well, good thing I'm not waiting. I'm going after him first, you have fun playing the waiting game!" Lazuli retorted as she, Galaxagus, and Pantherra scrambled off.

"Wait, come back!" Mr. Hu cried.

"And, they're gone," Zeraora quipped.

"Lazuli!" Liko screamed in alarm.

"What does that idiot think she's doing?!"

"Goodness, Ms. Lazuli's going to get herself and her Pokémon killed with those horrible thoughts!" Arven and Delilah gasped in shock while everyone else looked on at the departing trio, flabbergasted as the swordswoman and Pantherra jumped aboard Galaxagus and took off to find the ship Spindel's in without the help of Sarah's homing device.

"Oh, man! We haven't even found out which ship Spindel's in yet!" Sarah huffed as she looked at her Pup Pad and then towards the small array of boats parked in different berths around them.

"Which means we need to keep our eyes peeled for which container ship he's slipped in before he could get away!" Ortega put in.

"Only problem is Lazuli's going by a gut feeling given she wants revenge on that monster for what he and the Explorers had done to her and her family!" Lacey informed worriedly.

"Urgh! Why does she have to leap first and think later when it comes to revenge, especially since we don't know which container ship that creep is hiding in?" groaned Mistral in exasperation before she screamed out into the distance, "COME ON, LAZULI, COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT! YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY HOPE TO TAKE DOWN SPINDEL ALL BY YOURSELF!"

"This isn't good," gulped Penny.

Meanwhile, Friede and Cap were still going all out against the subordinate Spindel had positioned on the ferry, the pair now knowing fully well that he was nothing like the Explorer in question, "Pal, this guy's such a loser. He's nothing like Spindel."

"Right, both his Pokémon and his battling style are nothing like what we and Sarah saw in that alley yesterday. He's definitely a subordinate and the true rat is still lurking around the port."

"Agreed."

"So, Cap, what do you say we put an end to this little sideshow? Use Thunderpunch!" Friede finished, getting a nod from Cap as he struck the Bisharp hard and knocked it out.

The subordinate grunted before he huffed, "I lost."

Quickly, the subordinate returned his Bisharp and growled as he threw a smoke bomb and disappeared, leaving Friede and Cap alone as the latter turned to the unconventional professor and asked, "Now, what?"

Suddenly, Friede got an urgent call from Murdock and he quickly picked up his friend's call before he asked, "What's up, Murdock?"

"You got the wrong ship, Friede. Spindel's in one of the container ships set to leave port tonight and we just heard Mistral screaming, I'm afraid this meant Lazuli went after him by herself without warning," Murdock reported.

"You don't mean...?!" Friede breathed in shock at what Lazuli was doing, not wasting any time as he brought Charizard back out and the trio made their way back to the port.

"Now, what are we going to do? Lazuli's out there with her parents' Pokémon and they're gonna get themselves killed if we don't catch up to them," Atticus gulped.

"We have to go after them and fast which means we got to figure out which container ship he's boarded and where it's moored up at," Asha informed, knowing they still have time before Spindel would leave on the ship carrying him.

"But, there are several ships in the port, where are we supposed to look?" Nemona reminded.

"One of them must have the van we're looking for. No doubt Lazuli knows how to pinpoint it if she's gonna search from the air for it in this area," Penny deducted.

"That's one way of putting it. Now, all we gotta do is catch up to Lazuli, Galaxagus, and Pantherra. The only problem is how are we going to find the ship that has Spindel's van," Roy pondered, knowing what they had to do next.

"We fly, of course," Winter reminded.

"Yeah, you guys can ride with me and Sister Nebula if you like," Nebby offered as he and Nebula offered themselves and their temporary carriages, allowing Mr. Hu, Arven, Mabosstiff, Nemona, Eri, Mela, Ortega, Giacomo, and Atticus to climb aboard them however their chose (either on their backs or in the small carriages).

Mistral opted to fly alongside them with Carmine, Kieran, and their classmates joining Hiccup and his friends along with their Partner Pokémon aboard their dragons with Race and Sarah riding aboard Koraidon and Miraidon (with Dot and Quaxly joining Sarah aboard the prehistoric Paradox Pokémon and Liko, Roy, Sprigatito, and Fuecoco behind Race aboard the futuristic Paradox Pokémon). Delilah, Doug, Tsukumaro, Donna (former queen), and David opted to ride on Winter, Virizion, Cobalion, and Terrakion while Asha got on board Silvally with Zeraora and Zorua and the Tomoe Squad riding on Elder and Alder, Ruby and Sapphire, and Gale and Haze while Aegis, Zap, Splattertail, and Googles flew alongside them.

Continuing to follow the signal of the homing device on Sarah's Pup Pad, the heroes looked around for the container ship carrying Spindel's van until they saw the van (where the homing signal was at its strongest) on the bow of a container ship stationed on one of the first berths leading out of port to an open estuary that acted as a gateway to the rest of the world.

"The signal's getting stronger again; the van must be here somewhere," Sarah mused until Zorua cried out, pointing at the van they were looking for, "There's the van!"

Wasting no time and knowing they found their ship, the heroes all landed on the container ship, knowing they managed to catch it before it could depart with Spindel and his Pokémon on it. They knew they had to act fast before he could make off with the homing device even though he still didn't have any idea about Liko's pendant being with Sarah (which was enchanted to allow no one else other than Liko to take it off of her whenever she wears it and safely tucked away in her Festival Cinch Bag).

"Is this the ship where Spindel must be hiding as Zorua pointed out, Sarah?" Liko questioned, looking around.

"I'm positive, the homing signal's at its strongest here. What's more, we saw Spindel's van on the starboard bow," Sarah nodded to her.

"That means if his van's here on the ship, so will he and his Pokémon."

"And, Lazuli, too, since she took off and left us in the dust before we could stop her and her Pokémon," Roy and Dot put in.

"Which also means the quickest way for us to find Spindel as well as Lazuli before he does anything to her again is to split up," added Arven knowingly.

"Right, now here's what we'll do; Dot, Quaxly, you two and I along with Mr. Hu, Blitz, Silvally, the Swords of Justice, Zorua, Zeraora, and my parents will go north to the front of the ship. And, Liko, Roy, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, you guys stay with Race, Asha, our friends, and Mistral head south to the stern. Aegis, Gale, and Haze along with Zap, Goggles, and Splattertail will look for Lazuli, Galaxagus, and Pantherra since they may already be here," the little princess informed the three young trainers and their Partner Pokémon.

"Bring it! I'm ready to sock that bozo and his cerebral and magnet freaks with him," Zorua scoffed, eager to pound Spindel's Magneton and Beeheyem.

"Just be sure we're ready to tackle his Umbreon should he bring it out since we don't have our Eevee Squad leader with us for this one, kid," Zeraora told the Tricky Fox Pokémon.

"Wait a minute, Sarah, aren't you and Race worried he'll try to swipe your Terapagos away from you when your backs are turned or from under your noses somehow? And, you know he'll be after Liko's pendant once he discovers the ruse behind your homing device," Dot asked, noticing the Terapagos Three as they cooed at her while stretching out their arms in Doug and Delilah's arms.

"They'll be safe under my and Mom and Dad's protection. Besides, I've already enchanted Liko's Terapagos on the way to the city after she gave it to me; what he doesn't know won't hurt him," the little princess replied.

"Which reinforces the idea that we're not going to let that monster have them," Keldeo reassured the young recluse.

"You might need some help with that," called a voice.

Everyone turned in surprise to the owner of the new voice, seeing a female tuxedo cat before there; it was Shade, back in her uniform, and having snuck away from Alola to help them with her Jaguar Powers (since the species her powers were inspired from were masters of stealth during the night).

"Hi!"

Sarah was shocked as she joined the little tuxedo cat, "Shade! What are you doing here? Or better yet, how did you even get to Paldea?! I thought you'd be back home!"

"Arcia told us everything when she came back from repairing your friends' airship. Wondering how you've been getting on, I decided to visit you with help from the others and Reader until I heard about what you're doing against this Spindel guy after they sent me to the Dragon Craft. Sounds to me like you'll need my help dealing with him and protecting your Terapagos. Besides, this cat's gotta climb!"

Everyone was baffled by this but Sarah just stared at Shade as she grinned innocently and sighed, giving a defeated smile, "Well, as long as you don't end up getting yourself in trouble..."

Then, everybody heard the blare of the ship's horn sounding off and a slow shift in movement, the heroes and Shade realizing that they were running out of time and they had to get back on track.

"The ship's leaving and with us on it!"

"We don't have much time before we get too far from the city!" Liko and Roy gasped in alarm.

"We have to find Spindel and fast!"

"Then, we retrieve Lazuli and make a break for it back to the others!" Cobalion and Mr. Hu informed.

"Right/Yes/Let's go!" everyone nodded before they went into their respective groups with Shade tagging along with Dot, Quaxly, Sarah, and their party as they went to the ship's bow.

With Friede, Cap, and Charizard, they were making their way back to the harbor and were in contact with Mollie as she and her party were getting inquiries on what had happened earlier when the container ship left.

"Yeah, heading towards the harbor now," Friede said.

"It wasn't only that ferry Sarah and the others opted out that was docked here earlier. When we arrived, we found out there was another boat that left a few minutes after it; it was a massive container ship once moored in Berth 1. But, we talked to someone about a few people near there, two of whom matched Liko and Sarah's descriptions. He even told us that they and the others in their group were seen flying around the harbor before finding the container ship that they felt Spindel was hiding inside, lurking in the shadows and biding his time to make his next move on us again," Mollie informed as Orla talked to a harbor worker nearby.

"A container ship, huh?"

"We'll contact you again once we get a location on the ship."

"I'll be ready," Friede nodded as he prayed with all his heart for the well-being of Sarah and everyone else with her, "Come on, come on, please be okay..."

Back on the ship where Spindel was hiding, Sarah, Shade, Mr. Hu, Blitz, Silvally, the Swords of Justice, Zorua, Zeraora, her human family (with her parents still looking after her two Terapagos), Dot, and Quaxly ran along the deck, looking for the van at the stern.

"My friends, something is seriously wrong with this whole set-up," Mr. Hu said, looking around the ship.

"Yeah, shouldn't there be a crew around?" Dot agreed, seeing that nobody else was aboard let alone manning the vessel.

"You think there'd be a captain or helmsmen stationed on this thing but there's not a soul in sight and we don't know if Spindel really is on its stern," Keldeo concurred before the Cerebral Pokémon reappeared and cut the Tiger Zodiac, the humans, and Shade off from the Pokémon with them.

"Ah! What is that?!" gasped Dot in shock as Beeheyem prepared to attack her and the others.

"It's Spindel's Beeheyem! Watch out!" Sarah shouted as the two braced themselves before Quaxly charged back towards them and knocked the evil Psychic Type aside with Pound, causing it to then fly in between shipping crates.

"Good boy, Quaxly!" the princess grinned with Quaxly giving her a thumbs-up and a wink.

"Hey, that's the Beeheyem that tried to erase Liko's memories! I've gotta call the others on this, quick!" Dot added breathlessly in realization, attempting to call the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers only to see her Rotom Phone's signal being jammed. "Sarah, my signal's jammed again! I can't call Friede and the rest!"

Sarah and the others in their group gasped as she asked Rotoscope (as he got out of her pocket and attempted to make the emergency call as well), "I see... That confirms Spindel is indeed on this very ship. Rotoscope, you...?"

"Aww, nuts! I've gone static, must be that stupid Magneton of his ratting us out!" snapped the pink Rotom Phone in annoyance just before they heard the ship's horn blaring, signaling that everyone aboard was now quite a distance from Levincia and the shore.

"Oh, no! The ship's too far from the harbor!" Dot cried worriedly, realizing how far off they were.

"Are you serious?! Spindel's hauled us so far out on this aquatic jalopy, I can barely see the shore!" Blitz balked in disbelief as he saw they were too far away from Paldea to make an exit and reunite with Friede, Murdock, and their group.

"No time to wait for Friede and the others, we'll have to make do with bringing the fight to Spindel and dragging him out the old-fashioned way. Winter, you know what to do," the little princess informed as she turned to Winter, the Light Fury nodding in agreement as she fired a plasma blast into the sky and it exploded into a ring of purple flames.

The explosion and the ring of purple flames caught the attention of Liko, Roy, and their party as they noticed Winter's distress call.

"Hey, over there!"

"What's that?" Liko and Roy gasped, seeing Winter's distress call before them.

"A distress call, from Winter... Spindel's Pokémon must've found the others, come on!" Race informed as he and his team rushed over to the scene of the disaster.

With Lazuli, Galaxagus, and Pantherra, after finding the ship Spindel was in, they quickly searched about it, looking at and through every nook and cranny of the vessel for any trace of her mortal enemy. But, the swordswoman was getting rather irritated as they found no trace of the Explorer responsible for making her the child soldier of her former syndicate and who had a major hand in destroying her old life by the time they decided to look inside it.

What they didn't know was that the Night Lights were searching around the ship as well but for them with Splattertail and her brothers leading the way while they sniffed the ground for their scents. Indeed, seeing how reckless Lazuli was being and wondering how she would be doing if she, Galaxagus, and Pantherra weren't with the others for protection should Spindel strike against her, once Sarah assigned them the task of finding the swordswoman, they immediately set to work (worried that she was going to land herself in trouble the moment she finds him).

The seconds ticked by and they were growing worried as they hadn't found her and her parents' Pokémon yet but their luck suddenly turned for the better when they heard her raging in anger from a short distance ahead of them, prompting them to run towards her.

"Rrgh! Not here, either? Shit!" Lazuli cursed as she looked inside an empty cabin and slammed a hand on the wall to her right in mounting frustration. "Just how many places can that weasel be hiding in?!"

"Calm down, Lazuli, he couldn't have gone too far. Let's just keep looking and keep our heads together, this is exactly what Spindel wants and he won't hesitate to attack you again should he know we're here," Galaxagus warned, looking deeply concerned.

"I know! But, I've waited months to finally get my own back and take him out myself! As long as he's around and trying to hurt everybody around me, I'll never be at peace and Mom and Dad will never rest for as long as I live!" the swordswoman ranted.

The tiny tooth Night Lights chirped with delight before they scampered over to and latched themselves onto Lazuli's legs, "Huh? You three?" She blinked in surprise before Gale, Haze and Aegis appeared, "Oh. You must be the kid's dragons."

Aegis and this family nodded before the sound of Winter's plasma blast echoed through the air. Lazuli and her Pokémon edited the cabin and saw the purple ring of fire.

"That must be another one of her dragon's distress call."

"They must have found Spindel's Pokémon. Come on." Lazuli urged and the tiny tooth Night Lights let go on her legs and fluttered in the direction of the distress call with their family, Lazuli, Galaxagus and Pantherra right behind them.

Meanwhile, Dot and Sarah's group was confronted with Beeheyem and Magneton, "Magneton use Electro Ball."

Magneton fired Electro Ball at Quaxly whom at first dodged it but it blasted a second cheap shot Electro Ball and struck him in his mid section and he fell into the ground, "Quaxly!" Dot cried as she went to her Water Duck Pokémon, "Are you okay?"

"Let me take care of the walking magnet, Mother!" Silvally huffed.

"Silvally, hold!" Sarah shouted, stopping her Synthetic Pokémon from doing something rash.

"That second Electro Ball you threw at Dot and Quaxly was a disgraceful cheap shot you've pulled, Spindel, you bastard!" Doug roared angrily.

"You really would sink to any kind of low just to get us off your back now that you got what you came for!" Keldeo added in disgust.

"If the bozo wants to cheat his way to victory, I don't think 'honor' is a word in his dictionary, Dougie," Mischief rebutted as he and Persian got into a battle stance.

"Hmph, obviously, getting down and dirty and finding ways to skirt the playing field in his favor is his way of battling and paving the way for what the Explorers want to accomplish," the royal Alolan Classy Cat Pokémon huffed in agreement just as Magneton attacked again by shooting three more Electro Balls, knowing what its master was thinking from his hiding place.

"Here comes some more!" shouted Koraidon.

"I got one!" Zorua shouted as she jumped up and used Double Kick to deflect the first Electro Ball.

"This one's mine!" Kurma added as he stepped forward and tanked the second Electro Ball.

"Not so fast!" Zeraora barked, getting in front of the last Electro Ball and absorbing its power while helping to shield Quaxly and Dot.

Spindel watched on in amusement as he then taunted to the young recluse and her partner, "And, here, I thought this was going to be a challenge. Despite coming with the princess and her family along with the magic tiger of the young woman I once twisted into the Explorer's master weapon of espionage, I assumed you two were an accomplished pair team. But, unlike her, you weren't even worth noticing..."

"That's a lie! Dot can be a great trainer as well, she's just taking her first step into a larger world with Quaxly! Like with Amethio when he underestimated Liko and Roy, you're underestimating them already! She's got potential and I'll be the judge of that!" Sarah barked.

"YIKES!"

The heroes jumped and everyone turned to their left or right to find Della, Scooby, and Scrappy bursting out from some crates as they were being chased by several crew members from the Explorers that were actually Spindel's remaining subordinates (five in total and wearing Explorers uniforms just like the subordinate Friede and Cap defeated), all of them joined by a Haxrous, a Houndoom, a Bisharp, a Venasaur, and a Blastoise.

"Let me at 'em! Let me at 'em!" Scrappy barked daringly as he punched at their pursuers while he was in Scooby's arms.

"HELP!" Della screamed in panic.

"I guess we now know what happened to Spindel's subordinates though I wonder how those three rascals followed us," Sarah remarked as she was the grunts surrounding her and her party as well.

"Scrappy, Della, Scooby!"

"What the hell are you all doing here on this blasted ship?!" Delilah and Doug shouted in shock at the three puppies as they rejoined their family while Dot and Quaxly watched on in bewilderment.

"Ask Scrappy! It was his fault; he found out about you guys being in Paldea from Arcia back home and when Shade left, he followed her and dragged us with him! And, the next thing we knew, after arriving on the Dragon Craft and quietly following you all, we ended up on the ship and meeting up with these clowns!" Della snapped, pointing angrily at Scrappy who just shrugged nonchalantly at her.

"Never mind that! We're still in a big jam right now!" Zorua barked at them.

"I guess we now know where the crew went and who they are, exactly!" Sarah grunted, seeing the five grunts and their Pokémon surrounding the heroes alongside Spindel's Beeheyem and Magneton.

Winter growled in agreement as she went to defend the three pups while they hid behind Delilah and Doug via their legs; while she was also baffled and disappointed in Della, Scooby, and Scrappy risking their own lives by jumping into the fight, there was no time for anybody to dwell on that as they knew they still have a fight to finish.

"Let's wrap this up. Magneton, use Electro Ball again and give them a good dose of pain," Spindel sneered, already getting bored as Dot, Sarah, and everyone else on their party braced themselves for Magneton's renewed assault.

"Sprigatito, use Quick Attack!"

Suddenly, Sprigatito emerged and used Quick Attack to bash Magneton and force it to throw its Electro Ball in another direction while it was knocked back. Beeheyem tried to target the Grass Cat Pokémon but before it could do anything, a battle cry was heard before Lazuli jumped into view, running towards the group with the Night Lights, Galaxagus, and Pantherra following behind her before she jumped using Qing Gong (light body skill), flipped forward, and twisted back while unleashing a left-to-right slash with her sword which also knocked the Psychic Type back and gave it a sword scar.

"Lazuli!"

"Whoa!" Sarah and Dot gasped in surprise.

"Hey, Dot, Your Majesties, Sarah! Sorry we're late!" Liko shouted as she, Liko, and their party arrived.

"Are you guys okay?" Roy added, relieved to see the rest of their group unharmed before she noticed Lazuli standing between the others and the grunts. "Lazuli!"

Spindel's subordinates were shocked to see the swordswoman as they gasped in alarm and stepped back along with their equally-shocked Pokémon, "It's the Female Battousai!?"

"Lazuli Himura!"

"Impossible!"

"How can she be here?"

"I thought she was dead after she fled!"

Then, before they could get their bearings, they were knocked off their feet by the Night Lights, Galaxagus, and Pantherra as they bashed at and tripped the evil men and Pokémon over before they joined Lazuli.

"Liko, Roy, everyone! You guys saw that distress call, right?" Dot called to Roy and Liko and their party, relieved to see them.

"That's Beeheyem and Magneton!"

"Those are the other subordinates, where's Spindel?" the two young trainers questioned, seeing Beeheyem and Magneton regroup with the knocked-down subordinates while Sprigatito and Fuecoco braced themselves.

"We have no idea, we haven't even found his van yet. But, one thing's for sure; we now know for sure that Spindel's been giving commands to Beeheyem and Magneton remotely."

Roy growled as he and the others realized how much of a coward Spindel was by not facing them himself and leaving his own subordinates and their Pokémon along with his own team to do the dirty work, "So, the guy's a coward...!"

"Ah, it seems you decided to come to me this time after our little spat earlier, Sweet Cheeks. Are you and Liko also planning to get your memories erased again?" Spindel sneered at Lazuli.

"Your underhanded memory erasing days only serve to remind me of the pain I was forced to endure for the last twenty years as a manslayer specializing in reconnaissance for the Explorers and look where that's gotten us! I lost Mom and Dad thanks to you freaks and I got the princess and her hubby into this crap so I'm gonna get them out of it whether you like it or not!" the swordswoman spat back.

She then looked between the subordinates and Liko as she continued, "And, if you think I'm gonna let you waltz back in and have your floating memory eraser pull out a modern take on 'Obliviate' again, you're history!"

Spindel gave off a mocking snigger as he sneered, "Oh, Sweet Cheeks, that's just like you when you betrayed us after fulfilling your purpose; always acting so noble and honorable to complete strangers including those who don't trust her after the harm she inflicted as the best warrior in our ranks. Are you really willing to go through forsaking the Explorers by telling them everything about us, your former teammates? Will it all be worth it in the end, knowing you played a part in our operations?"

"You all didn't have a problem making me your puppet and throwing me out when you got what you wanted! That's the reason why I choose to be the person I am now; I've committed many crimes including the ones I made towards my chaperones and I can't possibly repent for them all..."

She looked at her sword and said to her former "master", "For months after I left after spying on the princess and her hubby, I thought long and hard that it didn't matter whether I live or die as long as I can atone for the pain I've brought upon everyone I've come across... Especially after you killed Mom and Dad and took everything from me, I was the happiest girl alive until you ripped them away! That stupid 'life' you forced me to live wasn't what they wanted, they wanted me to choose my own life and live it how I would want to..."

The swordswoman faced the subordinates, their Pokémon, Magneton, and Beeheyem again as she glared at them before she finished, "But, now... Thanks to the people I've put in danger in light of your orders for me, I finally will destroy you, once and for all. No matter what happens, I will hold all life sacred with my parents watching over me through their Partner Pokémon while doing so and I'll never lose myself to monsters such as you ever again!"

"Hmph, we'll see. Your bravado is most admirable but unfortunately, you've doomed yourself to a lifetime of pain from us once you're either brought back or killed slowly," Spindel mocked, still sneering at the vengeful swordswoman with a smirk as Beeheyem prepared to erase her memories first. "But, very soon, along with Liko, you will forget about everything such as that pendant, your friends, your stupid family, and your life..."

"Not happening!"

"Forget it!"

"Sprigatito/Fuecoco, use Leafage/Ember!" Liko and Roy barked, having their partners fire their favorite attacks and forcing Beeheyem to dodge before it could be hit.

The subordinates' Pokémon tried to strike back at them for their attempted assault but the Night Lights, Pantherra, and Galaxagus stepped forward and lunged at them, forcing them to back away and snarl at them aggressively. This didn't bother the attackers in question as they stood firm and snarled back, making Liko, Roy, and the others see just how deadly and dangerous the Explorers could be since they didn't want them getting in the way of their mission. It made the young girl feel lucky that she gave her pendant to Sarah early on before the confrontation took place.

"Don't worry, Lazuli! We're here for you just as you would be for us, all of us!" Liko reassured the former Explorer.

"Yeah, you'll be fine along with Liko, Sarah, and Race," put in Roy, sharing Liko's sentiments as he grinned at her. "This time, just as you had for us in my home, we got your back."

"He tried to steal Liko's pendant despite the switch having been made to protect it. Now, we've got to protect it at all costs!" concurred Dot, greatly surprising Spindel as he heard everything and looked back at the 'pendant' he had taken from Liko which was Sarah's homing device.

"A switch? But, what did-!" he gasped before Umbreon frowned and fired a small Shadow Ball and destroyed the device, making his master smirk at Sarah's ingenuity as he chuckled darkly at its remains.

"Well, Princess, color me impressed. It seems you are indeed more resourceful than I thought; you clearly anticipated me hoping to steal the pendant from under Liko's nose once I've erased her memories. Sweet Cheeks obviously clued you in on how I think things through regarding my operation and what I planned to do to get it, and after seeing how I had been toying with her and her Pokémon yesterday, you decided to create a homing device that will allow you to find me with ease. My, my, my, aren't you a clever and sly little fox? I suppose you deserve some praise for coming all this way, though."

His Beeheyem locked its gaze back at Liko and it prepared to wipe her memories as Spindel barked, "But, your friend here will soon forget everything including this ship and her precious friends..."

However, the Cerebral Pokémon was cut off once more as Clover, Catnip, June, and Melon charged at the Psychic Type this time and scratched its face simultaneously to prevent it from touching Liko and meddling with her memories.

"Guess that answers that. Spindel, you have our answer but there's one thing I want to make clear to emphasize that point; even if you do take my and Race's Pokémon and Liko's pendant, know that nothing you throw our way is going to stop us in our tracks! What exactly do you want with them? What gives you the right to take something that doesn't belong to you and has personal meaning to us and Liko?" Sarah demanded, wanting answers.

"We have a job to do, one that Sweet Cheeks had forsaken when she abandoned us and left us for dead even after we got what we wanted; I need those three Pokémon in your and your husband's possession along with that pendant you hid away from me and I intend to get them... And, once I do, none of us will mourn you once you die!"

Liko and Lazuli and the royal couple glared at the Pokémon belonging to the monster responsible for this entire ordeal and the subordinates preparing to attack them and everyone else with them.

"Fine, then," Liko began as she, Roy, Dot, the royal couple, and their regrouped faction stood together and readied themselves for a fight (just as a gust of wind blew and lifted Dot's tuffs, showing her face for the first time). "We'll settle this with a battle, you and your subordinates against all of us!"

Spindel just gave the heroes an amused snort while continuing to sneer at them and made the first move, "The odds of you all winning against me are exceptionally and laughably grim. Magneton, use Electro Ball!"

Magneton fired Electo Ball but Dot and Quaxly were hot on their heels as the young recluse shouted to her partner, "Quaxly, use Water Gun!"

"Beeheyem, use Psychic."

"Haxorus/Houndoom, use Dragon Pulse/Sludge Bomb!" two of the subordinates boomed, having the evil Haxorus and Houndoom assist Magneton and Beeheyem (who was manipulating Electro Ball with Psychic to avoid Quaxly's Water Gun attack) by unleashing a two-faced assault.

"Dot, look out!

"Nebby!" Liko and Sarah screamed, seeing what was happening.

Nebby jolted forward and defended Quaxly as he tanked Sludge Bomb while endured Dragon Pulse despite the minor damage he took, immediately using Psychic to break Beeheyem's hold of Magneton's Electro Ball and sending it to Blitz who absorbed it with his Lightning Rod ability.

"Whoa! He can do that and have his subordinates attack alongside him and his Pokemon simultaneously?!"

"That was a cheap shot you and your stooges, you snake!" Zap growled angrily even if his growls were not fluent for Spindel and his grunts to hear.

"Whatever happened to honor in battle?" huffed Mr. Hu in disgust.

"Forget it, Mr. Hu, that's exactly how Spindel plays whenever he's on the field. He's obviously upped his ante after knowing that I'd be with the kids and our royals following my battle with him," retorted Lazuli, maintaining her constant vigilance as she held her sword at the ready.

"Bisharp, slice those runts and the traitor with Night Slash!"

"Venasaur, trap those fools with Petal Blizzard!"

"Wash them out of here with your Hydro Cannon, Blastoise!" the remaining three subordinates bellowed, having the evil Bisharp and the evolved evil Kanto Starters fire their chosen attacks at the heroes.

But, Nebula took the initiative to defend her friends and family this time as she flew forward and used Protect before she harnessed the moon's energy (as it was a full moon that night) and struck back at them with a Moonblast and Moongeist Beam combo attack.

"Veevees, use Swift!"

"Tauros, Horn Attack on Bisharp, go!"

"Annihilape, Raging Fists on Haxorus! Let's go!" Penny, Arven, and Eri added, not giving the evil Bisharp, Venasaur, and Blastoise a chance to counter as they knocked them back hard despite the three enduring the assault.

This didn't stop the subordinates' Pokemon, however, as they clashed with Penny's Veevees, Arven's Tauros, and Eri's Annihilape for a brief moment before they knocked them back as well. Just as they were about to clean their clocks, Hiccup and his friends came in from behind the heroes aboard their dragons and with the Partner Pokemon riding with them with Toothless and Stryka firing two plasma blasts at the evil Pokemon to force them back again.

The subordinates were shocked at this but Snotlout sniffed smugly as he glared at them and barked, "Lesson Number One: never take your eyes off of everybody in battle unless you make sure we stay firmly in one place!"

"NOT! UNGH!" laughed Tuffnut and Ruffnut as they banged their helmets together while they, Zangoose, and Seviper mocked Spindel's grunts.

Barf and Belch both agreed as the former let out a plume of gas and Belch ignited it, sending Houndoom and Blastoise back as they were hit despite the Dark Hound Pokemon tanking the blast and the Shellfish Pokemon gritting its teeth in pain.

"And, just a word of warning, only we are supposed to rough up our friends like that," sniffed Fishlegs matter-of-factly at the subordinates.

"Toothless, use your Plasma Blast!"

"Lazuli, Aura Sphere!" Hiccup and Zenna cried, allowing Toothless and the female Lucario to shoot a combined Plasma Blast and Aura Sphere combo attack.

This time, it was Bisharp that struck back as it sliced through both attacks and charged at the former Viking underdogs, their Night Furies, and their Lucario before Stormfly intervened, zipping in front of it and grabbing the Unova Sword Blade Pokemon. Then, she threw it into the air, allowing Fraxure to jump up and knock it down from above (as it was at a height he was comfortable attacking from given his small size) before Astrid swung her axe like it was a baseball bat and hit Bisharp from one of its flat sides, sending it crashing back to its trainer.

"No bullies on this ship will have free rides where you're going."

"And, how!" Astrid and Fraxure spat as the Hofferson tomboy twirled her axe and they and Stormfly glared hard at the subordinates.

"Sprigatito, use lots of Leafage on both Magneton and Beeheyem!" Liko screamed, her partner immediately firing her favorite attack at Spindel's Pokemon which took them by surprise (given that they used Psychic and Electro Ball on them again) before they followed through with a Quick Attack, "Now, use Quick Attack!"

"Quaxly, Water Gun again!" Dot added as Sprigatito bashed Beeheyem with Quick Attack, giving Quaxly an opening to fire his Water Gun on the Cerebral Pokemon again which made it panic and force itself to retreat as it couldn't handle them and the other heroes anymore.

"We did it!"

"Yeah!"

"Wow!"

"Score!" cheered both the young girl and the young recluse along with their partners.

"Nice work, Dot, Liko! You too, Sprigatito, Quaxly!" Sarah grinned proudly.

"Later, gator!" taunted a smirking Atticus as Beeheyem cowered and floated off.

"One down, six to go!" Atticus added, smirking as the tide started to turn in the heroes' favor.

"Alright, that means it's our turn to battle now! Fuecoco, use Ember!" Roy began.

"Go higher, Magneton!" Spindel called to his Magneton as Doug and Delilah noticed a surprising shift in the tone of his voice while watching his Magnet Pokémon float higher to avoid Fuecoco's Ember attack.

"It's not high enough," Dot realized.

"Since Beeheyem left the picture, now Magneton's the only stooge left and that means Spindel's Umbreon will join the fray once we fry that floating bag of bolts and melt it down," Lazuli informed, noticing Beeheyem leaving the fray in a panicked frenzy.

"Alright, let's try this: Fuecoco, use Ember! Wattrel, come out and use Peck!" Roy nodded, having Fuecoco attack again while he brought out his Storm Petrel Pokémon to join in on the fight.

However, Fuecoco's next attack was canceled as Wattrel landed on his head and jumped off of him like he was a springboard, lunging toward the evolved Steel/Electric Type and landing a Peck attack on it. Angered and humiliated over having his thunder stolen, Fuecoco shot Ember out of spite, making Wattrel dodge it before it finally struck the evolved evil Magnet Pokémon and knocked it out, much to Dot's surprise and Spindel's annoyance.

"He hit it?!"

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" they spoke up as expected from Roy improvising on Fuecoco and Wattrel's new team dynamic.

"Amazing, Roy!"

"Way to improvise, kid!" Liko and Hiccup congratulated.

"That was pretty unorthodox but it was a cool move there," Carmine smiled, impressed.

The same couldn't be said between Fuecoco and Wattrel as the two began to squabble and bicker, trading Ember and Peck attacks while they ranted, "You stupid buzz-jumping crocodile, I had that floating metal head before you tried to fry me!"

"You're in my way, birdbrain! And, you springboarded off of me when I tried to fry the damn creepazoid!"

"Stop it, you two! You're not supposed to fight each other! This isn't the time for petty squabbling; we're fighting for our lives here!" Roy yelped, trying to stop Fuecoco and Wattrel's first petty spat.

As Roy tried to stop Fuecoco and Wattrel from fighting while in the middle of a life-or-death battle everyone was having, Dot couldn't help but think over how the entire battle went as she mused, "So, this is how Pokémon battles really are up close? Even when on the verge of life and death when there is something worth fighting for...? It's complete chaos... But, it's also... It's, fun, really fun..."

The young recluse soon began to smile over the adrenaline she was feeling regarding her first battle with Roy sharing her smile until the moment of happiness was broken by a sneak attack from one of Spindel's subordinates and his Haxorus. He smirked, then snapped his fingers while pointing at the bickering Pokémon, and the evil Sword Blade Pokémon immediately attacked on cue, using Dragon Tail to whack them and slam them into a container which knocked them out cold.

"Wattrel, Fuecoco! No!" Roy screamed as he rushed over to his two Pokémon with Arven quickly joining him to help them while the heroes gasped in shock and horror at the sight.

Nemona, in particular, was shocked as she growled at the subordinate and his Haxorus for their dirty fighting and took out a Pokeball, roaring at him, "You're gonna regret jumping our friend's Pokémon like that! Meowscarada, use Play Rough!"

Throwing her Pokeball, she brought out a male Meowscarada (who was her second Partner Pokémon behind her Paldean Tauros, shocking Sprigatito, Clover, Catnip, June, and Melon as they stared at their final evolved form). The male Magician Pokémon roared proudly before he eyed the evil Axe Jaw Pokémon before he lunged at it, giving it a major beatdown as he pounded, kicked, and punched the evil Dragon Type with no mercy before he kicked it to its trainer and jumped back, flipping back to the heroes' side as he stood in front of his human partner and bowed.

"A-Thank you," he cooed with a sly smirk as he watched the Haxorus crashing into its master and knocking them both out cold in return.

"Whoa..." Sprigatito, Clover, Catnip, June, and Melon breathed in awed fascination.

Rosie, however, grinned as she quipped to everyone, "That's my older brother under Nemona's care, everybody!"

"Alright, Nemona, way to go!"

"That's what we'd expect from Uva Academy's Champion-Rank Trainer!"

"Now that Magneton, Beeheyem, and Haxorus are done for, that means we got four more Pokémon left to beat!" Drayton, Giacomo, and Penny cheered.

The feeling that the odds were continuing to tilt in the heroes' favor was mutual because Dot, becoming more confident in herself and everyone else with her, quipped to Spindel, "Hey, Spindel... You said something about the odds of us beating you being laughably grim, did ya? 'Cause, like, we're currently beating the odds! Now, leave while you still can and we'll continue to keep an eye on the pendant, okay? It's much safer in our hands more than it'll ever be with you."

That was the final straw for Spindel as he snapped and sent out his Umbreon, gritting his teeth as he boomed, "Umbreon, use Snarl!"

His Moonlight Pokémon immediately jumped into the fray, surprising the heroes as they saw Spindel's true Partner Pokémon finally coming out to fight them with Roy and Liko shouting as the former pointed at him, "Hey, guys, look!"

"It's Spindel's Umbreon!"

"I guess Spindel's no longer playing around if he's decided to finally bring out his ace of a walking night light to play," Lazuli quipped, snarling at Spindel's partner.

Lazuli was right; without warning and hesitation, Spindel's Umbreon fired Snarl and targeted Quaxly and Sprigatito along with Liko and Dot before hitting Roy, Arven, Fuecoco, and Wattrel, knocking them down hard before the evil Dark Type faced the heroes from atop the container while the remaining subordinates and their partners joined him.

"I apologize, Umbreon. I didn't plan to sic you on such weak opponents but the rest including Sweet Cheeks and the princess will be a true test of your power."

His partner understood as he went forward to attack again with another Snarl attack, knowing his master's motives and wanting to put the heroes down quickly given that he now targeted the others before him and his team (mainly Lazuli, Galaxagus, Sarah, and Pantherra with his eyes trained on them).

"Here comes another Snarl!" Lacey cried in alarm.

"Mischief, Sokka, use Hydro Cannon and Night Shade! Zorro, Acrobatics!" Doug boomed, having Mischief and Sokka fire Hydro Cannon and Night Shade via a combo attack that countered Snarl and allowed Zorro to charge at Spindel's Umbreon with Acrobatics (the pair clashing as they traded blows fast and furiously while letting out battle cries, similar in fashion to the fight between Kenshin (slowly reverting to his old alter ego as Battousai The Manslayer) and Hajime Saito in Episode 30 of Rurouni Kenshin (original anime)).

"You okay, guys?" Nemona asked as she and her Meowscarada brought Arven, Roy, Wattrel, and Fuecoco over to Liko, Dot, Sprigatito, and Quaxly.

"Yeah... But, that Pokémon's going to be tough. Spindel's partner is much stronger than the others, I have a feeling not even the remaining Pokémon from his subordinates could match it," Dot winced.

"Yeah, there's got to be a way for us to fight it. Zorro's matching it so far but I don't know how long he'll last before he's attacked from behind or what with those subordinates of Spindel's trying to gang up on us," Roy nodded in agreement.

"Jaguar Stealth!"

Everyone watched in shock and surprise as Shade proudly jumped into the fray, making a big leap over the short melee between Zorro and the evil Umbreon before her uniform glowed in a purple light and she landed on a container adjacent to the battle before her.

"Meow, Neutralizer Ray!" she continued as she her Kitty Pack and brought out a blaster that she shot at the subordinates' Pokémon, getting their attention as they tried to attack her with their special attacks only to find that they couldn't use them.

"Hey, what-?!"

"Our Pokémon's attacks!"

"What happened?!" three of the four remaining subordinates cried in alarm before the fourth turned to Shade and growled, "You! What did you do to our Pokémon?!"

"I've nullified their attacks for the time being with my Neutralizer Ray; your Pokémon can't use any of your special attacks throughout the remainder of this battle, at least until the effects wear out," the crafty tuxedo cat snickered, making Spindel and his subordinates snarl back at her for her intelligence and how she had outwitted them all.

"Whoa!"

"Wow, thanks, Shade!"

"Amazing, that cat's incredible," Roy, Liko, and Dot remarked, amazed by what they had seen.

Even Sarah and Race's Terapagos cooed happily at what Shade did despite not knowing exactly what was happening in front of them.

"Thanks, Shade, now it's time for my Uva Academy Pokémon One-Two! Tauros, Meowscarada, use Horn Attack and Flower Trick on Bisharp and Blastoise!" Nemona smirked, knowing that she and the others would have a chance as she allowed her evolved Paldea Grass Starter and Paldean Wild Bull Pokémon to attack the Sword Blade and Shellfish Pokémon, causing them to be blasted back and crash onto the ship's deck floor.

Spindel's Umbreon tried to go at the heroes again once his sights were set on Nemona's Tauros and Meowscarada but he found himself surrounded by Penny's Veevees before the Team Star head honcho called out, "Now, Veevees, use Charm on Umbreon! Don't give him an edge!"

Using their cuteness against the evil Moonlight Pokémon, the Veevees used Charm to severely weaken Umbreon's Physical Attack stats. This angered Spindel as he finally came out of his hiding spot and faced the heroes himself while the others continued to do battle against the remaining subordinates and their Pokémon.

"I refuse to leave without the real pendant and those three Pokémon on you! Umbreon!" Spindel raged, having his partner charge at the heroes to steal the pendant and the Terapagos Three.

Liko shrieked in horror as she saw Umbreon rushing over to her and the royal couple to attack them and wrench the pendant and the Terapagos Three away from them but just before he could touch them all, a large tube of a bright teal light appeared from Liko's pendant, becoming a beacon or Friede, Cap, and Charizard as they saw the light just as they were inching towards the cargo ship.

"That light!" Cap called as they suddenly noticed Arboliva appearing from her Ancient Pokeball and standing before everyone.

"Wait, is that light... Arboliva?" Friede pondered as he stared at the giant evolved form of Dolliv belonging to Lucius.

The powerful Olive Pokémon of legends stood proud and tall amidst the chaos down below her and her presence took everyone gathered by surprise as they stared at her with Arven blinking in bewilderment while he remarked, "Whoa! Arboliva's out and about now? But, why? Why now of all times? She hasn't come out of her Ancient Pokeball for days!"

"I thought she only wanted to come with us to find Lucius and the rest of their team along with Rayquaza!" added an equally flustered Kieran.

"I don't know... Maybe she somehow found out about our fight and wanted to protect us," Atticus theorized, unsure of what Arboliva was thinking when she decided to appear.

The subordinate with the Houndoom fought through what he felt was a growing angst as he snarled, "Houndoom, take care of that wretch! Sludge Bomb!"

The evil Dark Hound Pokémon howled as it fired the Poison Type attack at Arboliva but it didn't seem to affect her due to her massive size and her Seed Sower ability. This also backed the villains into a corner they couldn't get out of as a hidden effect of Seed Sower was revealed in the form of the deck floor around everyone turning green; this, much to everyone's amazement, turned out to be Grassy Terrain.

"Hey, look, the deck floor!"

"It's turning green!" cried Ortega and Drayton.

"What, is this Grassy Terrain? But, how?!" Doug balked.

Rotoscope appeared from out of Sarah's pocket as he grinned excitedly, "It's Victory Central for us and Bad Luck Station for the villains, cool cats! Arboliva's Seed Sower can turn the ground into Grassy Terrain when she's hit by an attack! The Explorers' Big Bad Wolf just gave us an unintended Hail Mary!"

Rotoscope was right; as soon as Grassy Terrain was activated after Arboliva was hit, Zorro, Kurma, Blossom, Penny's Leafeon, Virizion, Sprigatito, Meowscarada, Clover, Catnip, Melon, June, and Rosie all gained a power boost as they glowed in a green aura. Seeing that the Explorers had given them a gift, Liko smirked as she pointed her partner towards Blastoise with one thing in mind.

"Okay, Sprigatito, use Leafage on Blastoise!" she bellowed, having her partner fire a Leafage frenzy on the evil Shellfish Pokémon as it groaned in pain.

"Rosie, use your Magical Leaf to wear down Houndoom!"

"Clover/Catnip/Melon/June, Petal Blizzard!" Sarah, Nikki, Delilah, Donna (former queen), and Diane roared, the five Sprigatito belonging to the royal family unleashing their respective moves that had been powered by Grass Terrain which caused the two evil Pokémon to be flung back hard toward another container (with Houndoom crashing into it first and Blastoise following after, leaving a large dent on it and both of them knocked out from the impact and the recoil that followed).

"Two down, two to go!" cheered Kieran.

"Not so tough now that your numbers are dwindling, eh, Spindey?" Race taunted Spindel with an unimpressed frown on his face just as Friede, Cap, and Charizard arrived.

"Everyone, thank goodness we found you!" the unconventional professor called.

"Friede!"

"Cap, Charizard!" Liko and Roy grinned.

Sarah nodded before she stepped forward and prepared to end the battle as she faced Spindel and his last subordinates, saying, "It's over, Spindel. You've seen our power and what we can do, now it's time to show you what happens when you cross with Alolan royalty."

She raised her right arm to show her Z-Power Ring and the Dragonium Z housed on it, turning to Koraidon and nodding at him to help her finish the job. The prehistoric yet docile Paradox Pokémon grinned and nodded before he came forward, readying himself as Sarah activated her Z-Power Ring and prepared to unleash a Z-Move on the Explorers.

Liko, Roy, Dot, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, Friede, Cap, and Charizard looked on in awe and fascination as they had no idea what was going on with Sarah and Koraidon as they watched them performing moves they'd never seen or heard of before.

"Eye of the Dragon, Heart of the Dragon, hear my cry and roar out! Fly, be free, unleash yourself from the heavens, and grant thou power to the dragon of the ancients: Koraidon!" Sarah recited as she and Koraidon (who had gotten back into his battle form and was standing on his hind legs) performed the poses for the Dragon Type Z-Move: Devastating Drake.

"What is she doing?"

"Koraidon's following her every movement!"

"I've never seen anything like it! What's happening?" the three young trainers remarked.

"Yahoo! Z-Move time again, Mama!" Nebby cheered happily.

The subordinates and Spindel were stunned by this as the latter looked between the little princess and her docile Paradox Pokémon and Arboliva while giving off a slightly insane chuckle and smile as he quipped, "Well, this has gotten a lot more interesting!"

Sarah just glared at Spindel as she transferred her Z-Power to Koraidon and spat at him, "This is the end result of what you'll be facing down the line, and if it hasn't sunk in on you yet, let me remind you, Spindel; nothing you and the Explorers throw at us will stop us from doing what we must in solving the mystery involving Liko's pendant and my and Race's Terapagos! Especially since you wanted our Tera Pokemon for who-knows-what! And, when we and the monster responsible for setting off your vendetta against all of us finally fight, believe me, victory will be ours!"

She then drew her and her father's Cosmic Grace and pointed it at the villains before she continued, "Our Terapagos along with Liko's pendant will be safeguarded until our last breath, Lazuli's parents will be avenged, and you and the Explorers will pay for all the people you've hurt in the name of your sick little mission! I'm coming for you, Spindel!"

Lazuli, despite her own shock, decided to assist Sarah as she brought out her Tera Orb again and charged it up as she and Galaxagus entered the fold, "Don't leave us hangin', Mrs. Pretty! Galaxagus!"

"Right!" replied the Night Pegasus Pokemon as he was quickly transformed into a Tera Dark Type again and joined forces with the supercharged Koraidon (who shared a nod with him, knowing what they have to do).

Sarah was baffled when she saw Galaxagus alongside Koraidon and noticed Lazuli standing alongside her but stopped when she turned to her and gave her a soft but trusting smile coupled with a wink.

The little princess nodded back and the two of them began their final assault as they shouted to their respective partners, "Alright, Koraidon, let's finish this battle! Use Devastating Drake!"

"Galaxagus, Tera Blast at full power! Go!"

The two supercharged Paradox and Night Pegasus Pokemon, at that moment, fired off their attacks as the former's dragon spirit emerged and the latter's Tera Energy was thrown at the Explorers as a powerful energy beam. Seeing this, Umbreon, Venasaur, and Bisharp tried to pull off a last-ditch effort to stop them as the evil Moonlight Pokemon fired off Snarl, Bisharp charging at them with Night Slash, and Venasaur unleashing Power Whip. But, it was no use; Devastating Drake and Tera Blast broke through all three attacks and converged into one move that struck them all in a massive explosion.

When the dust settled, Bisharp and Venasaur were beaten and even Umbreon couldn't help but accept defeat as he got back on his paws and has no strength left to fight anymore.

Spindel's jaw dropped and even his subordinates could hardly believe their eyes but Snotlout, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, their dragons, and their Partner Pokemon laughed in their faces as the cocky Viking cackled at them, "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That's our Princess of Power, bozos!"

"Phenomenal power!" breathed Cap, awestruck.

"Amazing, even with Tera Blast by Lazuli and Galaxagus, Sarah and Koraidon used one move to finish Umbreon, Bisharp, and Venasaur off!" Friede added in agreement.

"That's so cool!"

"It took just one move to finish them off!"

"The power, incredible!" Liko, Roy, and Dot breathed in amazement as the subordinates regrouped.

"Cool is the rule with an Alolan specialty known to one and all as a Z-Move, cool kittens!" Rotoscope grinned in response.

Liko blinked in surprise as she looked between him and Sarah and Koraidon (who purred as his owner petted him in thanks) and thought, "Z-Move, was that what we saw just now?"

The subordinates tried to recall their Pokemon and make a hasty retreat with Spindel, but unfortunately, they were too slow as Sarah noticed this and whipped out her Mystic Lion Staff, sending a wave of light energy to turn them into eggs and paralyze them. Then, once she was sure they wouldn't get away, she brought out Delilah's Moon Shield on Crossbow Mode and fired Binding Arrows to ensnare and trap them so they can be handed over to the authorities.

"I'm sure the police back in Levincia would be very interested to have some choice words with you now that you're all under arrest," Sarah spat at them before she turned to Spindel and prepared to trap him as well.

Lazuli, however, intervened as she stopped her and shook her head, stepping forward herself as she faced her former tormenter as his battered and bruised Umbreon rejoined him and Arbolivia hissed at them, giving them a death glare. It was clear that on behalf of everyone on the heroes' side and Arboliva as well as herself, Lazuli has some choice words for him as well.

"I would've loved to have the honor of killing you and ending my suffering right here and now after everything you've done. But, right now... I realized that I would be no different from you and now's not the time. I still hate you and you've been a thorn on my side along with the others since you've destroyed my old life but I have my limits and I've my new friends and an old guardian to thank for that," Lazuli spat at Spindel, looking back with a small but grateful smile at the heroes and Mr. Hu before returning her attention and hatred to her former colleague.

"I know we'll see each other again, Spindel, and when we do and if you're the same lowdown pile of shit that ruined me, I'll make sure you and the Explorers are forever eradicated from this world and history itself. That said, I'm going to let you go until the day we finish what we started tonight; you and Umbreon are gonna take your memory eraser and your magnetic bag of bolts back to HQ and never mess with us again. And, if you try anything, ANYTHING, to make any trouble for us all just for the kid's pendant and the princess and her hubby's Terapagos, I will change my mind!"

She then pointed her sword at Spindel as he gritted his teeth at her and finished, "Don't make me change my mind..."

Arboliva gave another hiss as she agreed with Lazuli's sentiments and this prompted Umbreon to coax Spindel into retreating as he tugged on his master's coat and they shared a look, knowing it was over and they quickly made their escape. The Olive Pokemon belonging to Lucius looked down at the swordswoman and gave a gentle purr as she lowered one of her arms down and the two shared a small fist bump and a smile, knowing it was time for everyone to leave as everyone watched on happily for the former Explorer over the choice she made.

Soon, it was time to return to Levincia and prepare to leave Paldea the following day as the heroes left the ship with the captured subordinates and their former Pokemon in tow.

"So, this is Arboliva of the Six Heroes?" Dot questioned as she, Quaxly, Liko, Sprigatito, Roy, Fuecoco, and Wattrel rode on Arboliva as she floated and drifted on her back.

"Yes, and she came out earlier to protect us! I know it!" Roy grinned.

"And, not just that but my pendant and Sarah and Race's Terapagos are still with us, safe and sound. I'm so relieved," added a relieved Liko as she looked at the pendant which was safely back around her neck thanks to Sarah.

Arboliva gave a peaceful hiss as the young girl grinned and thanked her, "Arboliva, we can't thank you enough for helping us!"

"Now, I understand why Master Gibeon would be after that pendant and those three Pokemon belonging to the princess and her husband for so long," Spindel mused as Umbreon looked at his master curiosity before he entered their van, wondering what he was musing about. "And, the key is...Them, and the girl with them: Liko."

After handing the subordinates to the authorities and giving them custody of the Pokemon that had been stripped away from them, the Rising Volt Tacklers, Sarah, her family, and her, Race, and Asha's Uva and Blueberry classmates finally left Paldea and they were on their way to Galar to find and meet up with Liko's grandmother: Diana. Speaking of Liko, she and Sprigatito were out on the Wing Deck looking at her pendant, thinking over everything that happened.

"I'm so glad I didn't lose my pendant to Spindel thanks to Sarah, her family, and Race. If it hadn't been for them as well as Sarah, Race, and Asha's classmates from Uva and Blueberry Academies, one wrong move could've spelled disaster for all of us," she mused in relieved happiness before Dot and Quaxly joined her and her Grass Cat Pokemon after they watched them from the door.

"...Yo," the young recluse greeted shyly as she crossed her arms and rested on the railing while Quaxly got on it beside her, they, Liko, and Sprigatito left unsure of what to say next to each other.

That's how it was for a brief moment between them as Liko, Sprigatito, Dot, and Quaxly remained silent until the two young girls decided to speak up.

"I, uh/So, there's..."

"...Uh, well, you go first. Is there something wrong?"

"Well, uh... I don't know. ...No, nothing's wrong, really."

That wasn't what Quaxly wanted to hear from his partner as he snapped and demanded to his partner as he flailed at her, "AAAAAUUUUUUGH! Tell her, Dot! Tell her already, now's your chance! TELL HER, TELL HER, TELL HER, TELL HER, TELL HER, TELL HER-!"

"Alright, alright! Okay, chill! I'll tell her," Dot winced in response as Quaxly gave her a satisfied glare and began again, telling Liko, "So, hey, um... I... I want to, thank you, for...coming to save my group and I, I think..."

"That's what friends do. Don't forget, you two, Roy, and Lazuli really stepped things up to save me with help from Nemona and the others," Liko replied, smiling modestly.

"Okay, so..."

"You got this, Partner. Tell her," Quaxly encouraged, smiling at his human partner.

"...So, there's something I wanted to tell you, if, well... If I could only just get the words I wanted to say out... This, well... Uh... I'm, mmm... I'm sorry, sorry for keeping this a secret from you and Roy. You see, the thing about it is... Even though it was something of a pain a part of me never wanted to tell anyone, I really wanted to tell you about it myself... It's also something I'm sure...Sarah picked up on it since you knew how much I gelled with her whenever she spoke up."

"...What are you talking about?"

"You need more, don't you? It's... It's about, about...Nidothing."

Liko smiled gently as she replied, "Oh, so that's what it is."

Dot was flustered as she gawked, "You mean, you knew?! Just as she did?"

"Yeah, of course. You're a huge Nidothing fan."

Dot faltered before she groaned, "Ugh...! Oh, man, how can anybody like her be so clueless? No, that's not it!"

"Uh, then...?"

"I'M THE REAL NIDOTHING, LIKO!"

Silence followed for another brief moment as Liko and Sprigatito tried to take it all in but as Quaxly watched on (giving his partner a satisfied smile and a proud nod for opening herself and her heart regarding her alter-ego to the pair), they finally realized the truth and pieced together what she had told them to everything that happened since she, Roy, Race, and Sarah first met her as they screamed, "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH/AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!?"

In their bedroom, Race and Sarah heard Liko and Sprigatito's shocked screams as well as Dot's confession about her and Nidothing being the same person (at Quaxly's earlier insistence), and the royal couple couldn't help but laugh as they remarked, "Took a while for her to finally nail it down until Dot finally opened her heart about it, huh?"

"Makes me wish Rotoscope was awake and we were on the Brave Olivine so we got get a snapshot of Liko and Dot's faces to show everyone!"

Meanwhile, using holographic technology to appear in the briefing room in the Explorers' HQ, Spindel was in a virtual meeting with Sango, Hamber, Master Gibeon, Agate, and Onyx as he gave them his report on his mission regarding Liko's pendant and Sarah and Race's Terapagos. After relaying everything that had happened which led him to his failure, Sango couldn't help but laugh at him as she rubbed his folly in his face.

"I'd never thought I'd see the day when Mr. 'Always Prepared for Everything' gets his ass kicked and falls flat on his face! Especially when he got himself pwned by the princess of all people!" she cackled much to Spindel's annoyance.

"A schemer's failed scheme and the biggest heist you've ever blown since you were outfoxed by the princess, no doubt," Onyx vouched in agreement, unimpressed by how royally Spindel screwed up.

Spindel bit back his tongue as he calmly retorted to them, "It's true; what happened earlier was my fault for I have greatly underestimated the princess' intelligence, that I cannot deny."

"But, the power of the pendant and that of the three Pokémon in her and her husband's possession... What did they look to you, Spindel?" Agate asked, turning everyone's attention to the true matter at hand.

"...Everything in my report," he replied as his face darkened

Sango just smirked, "And, here, I was waiting for you to squeal out a sorry excuse for messing everything up. Way worse than what led to Amethio's fall from grace, I might add."

"The princess, after my battle with her and her party, is far more powerful than we've known and even her Pokémon and allies are no pushovers either. She was even able to go undetected through unknown means as my surveillance couldn't pick her and her family up. But, there's something else; another wrench has been thrown into our plans in the form of a familiar person who recently betrayed us..."

Sango, Onyx, Hamber, and Agete were surprised as the young female admin puzzled, "Who are you talking about, brainiac?"

"I'm sure you all remember her by her former codename we've given her ever since we've indoctrinated her into our syndicate after killing her parents and taking her in, don't you? Something along the lines of, the 'Female Battousai', by any chance?"

"Female Battousai? No...! Lazuli Himura, the Lazuli?!" Hamber balked in shock as Agate, Onyx, and Sango blinked and gasped in surprise.

"Wait, Himura the Female Battousai? That Battousai, you sure?!" Sango spluttered.

"But, that's impossible. She's been declared dead for four months, our search teams found no trace of her and her late parents' Pokémon ever since they defected," Agate denied.

"How could our greatest soldier and her Pokémon be on our radar again when she allowed herself to be killed by natural means following her disappearance?" Onyx questioned suspiciously.

"I thought so, too, until I saw Galaxagus and Pantherra and fought with the former. She also somehow regained her memories and she remembers everything, no thanks to the princess, no doubt."

Hamber recomposed himself as he pondered over everything the entire group and Master Gibeon learned, "Hmm, this is indeed troubling... I never thought our own Female Battousai would join forces with the princess and her family and friends after they somehow found her after all this time. But, since it is the truth, we're in for a difficult time. No doubt because of her twenty years of service with us, she knows everything about our operations and our weaknesses and she might know more about her mission than she's let on from her initial reports given to us which she can exploit to our targets' advantage. And, it's confirmed that she's still a frightening foe to go up against given how strategic she still is; she must not be taken lightly now that she's with the heroes and on the path to vengeance."

"Along with the princess, Lazuli must be dealt with! You failed, Spindel, badly... But, there is a small consolation prize: with your demonstration of their combined power and the knowledge that Liko's pendant and the Pokémon in the princess and her husband's possession are still with them, they'll learn that they're dealing with the wrong organization in due time. We'll hunt them down and kill them and everybody else in league with them!" Master Gibeon declared, sounding incredibly irritated over everything he had heard.

"Master, we'll gladly carry our next mission once we're ready. But, there is a small snag to the plot; the princess and her husband have an array of Mythical and Legendary Pokémon in their stead, many of which we've never known about. What's more, I'm sure you haven't forgotten that they revealed themselves to be Power Rangers. As you now know, she took Spindel by surprise, tricked him, flew under his radar, and so on. Who knows what else she has up her sleeve?" Agate reminded.

"I'm aware, Agate, which is why we take out their army as well as her family. We'll use everyone she knows and loves against her so killing her won't be much of a bother."

"And, Lazuli, Master?" Onyx put in, wondering what they should do with their former member.

"The Female Battousai shouldn't have returned from the shadows and joined forces with her since she knows all of our secrets including our weaknesses. I want her destroyed as soon as possible so nobody knows about our operations and what we plan to do once we have the pendant belonging to the girl named Liko and the three Pokémon from the infamous Area Zero. I don't want her to ruin everything we've worked so hard to accomplish! Kill her when you see her and get the chance but let her make the first move before you do so..."

"Right," Spindel, Sango, Onyx, and Agate replied diligently.

Hamber nodded in agreement to Master Gibeon's plan as he informed the four admins, "Alright, then. If that is all, you are dismissed. And, Spindel, consider yourself on probation on account of Master Gibeon's disappointment despite your presumptuous success with what you've told us. Don't disappoint him again just as Amethio did days prior..."

The four admins including Spindel nodded and bowed in response as the brains of the Explorers replied, "I will engrave that failure to my heart and be ready for our enemies in due time, Hamber."

Hamber nodded as everybody left the briefing room and Lazuli's tormentor and his Umbreon were found to be on their boat as they sailed off into the horizon to prepare for a mission involving the swordswoman and the little princess they would take on that would get them back into Master Gibeon's good graces.

"To report on data that has yet to be confirmed, Umbreon, is simply unprofessional," Spindel sighed with a dark chuckle, undeterred as he joined his partner who was looking out towards the sunrise. "Though I must admit, my curiosity has been peaked..."

To Be Continued...