Liko - My name is Liko and I wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer so I attended Indigo Academy in the Kanto Region. There, I met Sprigatito and my new friends from the Alola Region and the Alolan Royal Family: Princess Sarah Tomoe and her husband, Race Konami, and started my brand new life. That's when things took a turn; a group of strangers showed up and tried to steal a pendant my grandmother gave me and three Pokémon I didn't know of at the time from Sarah and Race. In the nick of time, Friede swooped in with his Charizard and came to our rescue along with Sarah's Solgaleo and Lunala: Nebby and Nebula. He said it was my mother who asked him to come for me personally; he's part of a crew that travels the world, adventuring and trying to uncover the mysteries of Pokémon! A group that Sarah's adoptive grandparents from her older sister's side were a part of when they found out about them: the Rising Volt Tacklers! And, that's when my journey with Sprigatito began!
As we begin the next chapter of Sarah, Race, Liko, and Roy's shared story, Liko recalls everything that happened ever since her early days at Indigo Academy, her first meeting with Sprigatito, Sarah, her family, and Race including their run-ins with the Explorers and the Rising Volt Tacklers before they joined the latter group (whom Asha's grandparents are a proud part of).
We stopped at an island along the way and met Roy: he befriended Fuecoco and joined the crew. And, we met Nidot-uh-I mean, Dot, who streams Nidothing videos from the ship with her friend and partner: Quaxly. I'm happy there's another girl my age on the crew.
Our young heroine then recalls her meetings with Dot and Roy, feeling happy to have her two human friends in her life since she joined the Rising Volt Tacklers and got to know them throughout their journey together. But, she soon started to recall the serious bits of her journey including the royal couple's reveal as Power Rangers and the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza.
During our adventures, we came across a few unusual Pokémon and uncovered a shocking secret about Sarah and Race along with a woman they're familiar with named Marena. First, a Shiny Rayquaza came out of Roy's Ancient Pokeball. Then, we met Arboliva who was protecting a Pokémon forest. At Galar Mine, we met Galarian Moltres. They're three of the Pokémon known only in legends as the Six Heroes who traveled with the Ancient Adventurer, Lucius, who was also Marena's dearly beloved. But, before we met Arboliva and Moltres, we discovered that Sarah and Race along with their old friends from Alola and Kanto are part of a legion of superheroes in spandex known to one and all as the Power Rangers, people with superpowers who fight and ward off evildoers including the Explorers who tried to steal my pendant and Sarah and Race's three Pokémon while killing them off along with a traitor in their ranks that defected to the side of good: Lazuli Himura.
She then recalled the reveal of her pendant as a Terapagos following their taming of Lucius' Moltres (which is also the kind of Pokémon Sarah and Race have on them, three in total), now knowing that there is a whole array of mysteries surrounding the four Tera Pokémon she and everyone else had yet to solve despite what they already know about them.
My pendant resonated with all of Lucius' Pokémon each time we met them. And then, right there in the mine after we tamed and befriended Moltres, the pendant did something amazing... It took the form of a Pokemon itself known to Race and Sarah as Terapagos!
(Opening)
Now, head forth! Pierce through the clouds~
(Our opening for Part 2 of Pokémon Horizons (i.e. The Gleam of Terapagos) begins with Liko, Sarah, and Race in a triangle formation (Liko up top, Race from the bottom right-hand corner from her left, and Sarah from the bottom left-hand corner on her right) as their pendant and Terapagos Three shone in darkness before the former turned into Liko's Terapagos)
(We swiftly pan across the oceans akin to the beginning of the opening of Attack on Titan S4 Pt. 2 (The Rumbling by SIM) before stopping amongst the horizon as the titles for Pokémon Horizons: The Gleam of Terapagos appeared amidst a sunset/sunrise)
When I remember the words I couldn't say
I dove down to hide myself
Swimming my way through in uncertainty
I cut through the clouds and head for the blue sky
(We see a young Liko walking with her parents through a marketplace before we see her as she is, her uncertainty lifted as she holds and looks at her pendant underneath a moonlit sky from the rooftop of her family's house along with Sarah as she enjoyed her life in Alola growing up before she is shown holding her family's Sun Sword in its powered-down form as the young woman she is and held it above her head underneath the Alolan sun in a split-screen sequence. Then, in a flurry of Leafage and cosmic energy, we see the pair with their three Terapagos, Sprigatito, Hatenna, Blitz, Curly, and Silvally enjoying the breeze together on the observation decks of the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft)
One day, I'll look back
At that fiery red sunset
And burn it all into memory
(A young Roy is shown being fascinated by stories his grandfather was showing him until we see him as the boy he is (looking dirty all over and wearing the Brave Olivine's flag like a cape) eyeing the Ancient Pokeball that once held Lucius' Rayquaza in his right hand and raising it high above him in the rising or setting sun while Race is seen being found by Brandon, enjoying life with him and the other Frontier Brains, and being the man he is now as he eyed the camera and held a Pokeball in front of him while glaring at the camera in the same split-screen sequence before they're shown via Flamethrower, Shadow Claw, and Thunder watching the sunset on the Brave Olivine's Wing Deck and the Dragon craft's sun deck watching the sunset with Bella, Robbie, Tou-Tou, Wattrel, and Fuecoco)
Even if I can't reach the truth of the world~
Or the feelings of that girl~
It's okay to not understand~
Just shine like a rainbow~
(We are shown their friends and Sarah's family including a few of their Pokémon in five/six slot group sequences as follows: Friede, Orla, Mollie, Dot, Ludlow, and Murdock with Charizard, Metagross and Elekid, Chansey, Quaxly, Rockruff and Alcremie, and Quagsire; Burnet (with the cute addition of Lei) and Kukui with Munchlax, Incineroar, and Braviary joined by Diane, James, Nikki, and Johnathan with Romeo, Dragonite, Lucario, Clover, Catnip, Juliet, and Clover; Ash, Lana, Mallow, Kiawe, Lillie, and Sophocles with their respective partners; and Delilah, Doug, Donna (former queen), David, Asha, and Gladion with Mischief, Persian, the Tomoe Squad, Flicker, Flicka, June, Proud, Ziracon, Umbreon, Silvally, and Lycanroc; Goh, Nemona, Arven, Penny, and Team Star with Meowscarda, Pawmo, Killowattrel, Cinderace, Inteleon, Grookey, Mabostiff, the Eevees, Bisharp, Torkoal, Skuntank, Revavroom, Azumarill, Wigglytuff, Passimian, and Toxicroak; and the Blueberry Academy students with Hydrapple, Mightyena, Toucannon, Magmortor, Empoleon, Reuniclus, Whimsicott, Granbull, Flygon, and Haxorus)
(We see a smirking Cap from the Brave Olivine's bridge and Friede taking the wheel along with MK-1 on the Dragon Craft's Bridge at its controls with an eager bark, the three of them preparing to take everyone aboard their respective ships to new heights and continue discovering all the world has to offer among the horizons)
Now, head forth! Pierce through the clouds~
Stumbling, staggering~
Standing firm and reaching farther~
Now, run forth! Towards my future~
(In the horizons, with the heroes riding their respective ships, they dash forward with Lucius' Rayquaza roaring and flying alongside them before Liko, Roy, Dot, Murdock, and Ludlow are shown with their partners stumbling, running, or sliding along Rayquaza's body with Mollie, Chansey, and Orla following on Metagross and Sarah and Race tailing their new friends aboard Bolt and Winter with the rest of their family joining them before Marena and Stormcloud joined them. Meanwhile, Amethio is shown training with his Ceruledge and Corviknight with the former forced back by the latter and their master staggering to the floor and sitting on his ass from the intensity of the training battle. As his partners sparred, he gritted his teeth and tugged his shirt, feeling unsatisfied about the current progress he was making and wanting to do more to improve themselves and himself on something while Hamber and Dusknoir watched on)
At the end of this long, long journey
I'll remember you
One day, we'll shake hands
And laugh
(Lucca, Diana, and Liko were seen together with the final Terapagos in the young girl's arms who cried out and unleashed an energy wave, showing Moltres, Arboliva, and Rayquaza with the second half of the Six Heroes: Entei, Lapras, and Kleavor, in small bursts along with Lucius and Liko's Terapagos, before Sarah, Race, Liko, their Terapagos Four, Sprigatito, Rosie, Chili, Crest, Silvally, Tou-Tou, Robbie, and Bella along with a tearful Marena come across Lucius on a cliff point before they joined the Ancient Adventurer on his current spot)
A light appeared
At the end of the rainbow
And I found my dream
(We see the Explorers in short bursts along with a Tera Orb in Sarah's hand, Lucius' gear and records, one of the Terapagos Four in Stellar Form, and someone reaching out in between the heroes looking out to the horizon and the sun in the heavens before Sarah, Liko, Marena, and Race are seen face to face with the Six Heroes as the opening ends)
(End Theme Song)
July 19th came as everyone had breakfast at the Crown Palace's dining room with Sarah introducing her Alola, Kanto, and Galar friend to Paldea's culinary delicacies including the Potato Tortilla, the Escalivada, the Chocolate-Vanilla Fruit Parfait, and sandwiches she, her family, her, Race, and Asha's classmates, and the Rising Volt Tacklers made. In turn, she would introduce her, her husband, and her sister's classmates to foods unique to Alola and her own dishes she made for her family including Malasadas, Poke Puffs, Jubilife Muffins, Shaderoot and Iceroot Pokémon Pellets, and more.
Beforehand, Sarah and Race served the Kwamis (including Comet, Admiral, Snickers, Paws, Simon, and Enix) their own breakfast and they enjoyed it. As for Eternatus, he returned to Hammerlocke with Leon, Sonia, and Magnolia to complete their research on him and his tests to help him with his powers and fully give him the ability to initiate Dynamaxing/Gigantimaxing at will without the need for Power Spots. He was dismayed and annoyed to return to Hammerlocke but they reassured him and Sarah that it wouldn't take them long to finish before he would return to the little princess.
As everybody was eating, however, one Pokémon amongst the heroes was curious yet confused about the meal it was given: Liko's Terapagos. Since it woke up from its slumber following the Galar Mine fiasco, it has been trying to learn about the new world it is now in including figuring out what to eat in its current state. That was especially the case as it cooed at the Pokémon food Murdock prepared for it (the entirety of it being solid) and sniffed it, trying to figure out what it was.
"I like seconds, please!" Diana grinned as she finished her rice bowl.
"Please!" Squawkabilly echoed.
"Coming up!" Murdock beamed as he took her bowl and refilled it.
"Oh, wow, Grandma!"
"You sure do load up during breakfast, huh?" Liko and Friede blinked with everyone being taken aback by her appetite.
"We're finished!"
"I'll have seconds, too!"
"Me, three!"
"Another round, please, Murdock!"
"And, me!" Ash, Roy, Sophocles, Fishlegs, and Fuecoco grinned, presenting their empty bowls after they chowed down on their meals.
"Coming up!" Murdock beamed again, eager to see them also having hearty appetites.
"She's always been like that with her appetite. Canned food is her go-to but when there's fresh food made anywhere, once she gets her pallet down, it's out of the frying pan and into her stomach the food goes," Diane sighed knowingly.
Diana grinned at her best friend as she told everyone before directing her comments to the four boys, "You have to load up. One needs energy and strength to go adventuring and discover more about our world as we all know. So, eat while the eating's good."
"Right!" replied the four boys as they shared Diana's enthusiasm, getting warm and amused smiles out of everyone.
Liko was the most delighted out of everyone else as she saw how her grandmother and her Arcanine were gelling with their group, "Yep, that's Grandma; she just met the crew, Sarah's family, and her friends from Uva and Blueberry Academies and they're already becoming good friends."
She looked at Arcanine and Cap as they beamed at each other, already liking each other's company which made her grin brighter, "Look at Cap and Arcanine, they're really getting along with each other well."
"They seemed to have a natural repour with each other," Diana replied, sharing her granddaughter's sentiments about her partner and Cap.
"So tough fires such as what we found are quick to bond," Friede mentioned, grinning at Diana with admiration as he had his coffee. "Diana, I'd like to learn as much as I can from you about raising Pokémon."
"Sure, there's not much formula here; I just go with my gut. But, you really should be asking the princess; she's much more skilled at that and it's more up her forte with what I've seen out of her."
Sarah blushed before she turned her attention to the newest members of her family from the Great Book of Disney as they ate their homemade puppy chow from her; following her family's escapades in its latest chapter, Oliver & Company, the 2-year-old siblings of Dodger: Spike, Luna, Rusty, and Molly joined by the reformed 3-year-old American Akita and Shikoku that once belonged to Skyes: Kaiya and Hiro, were adjusting to their new lives quickly. The others were surprised to see her with six more pups when she returned from the book and didn't know what to think; on the other hand, the Junior Patrollers were delighted to have more friends to play with and have their team grow even bigger (with the potential to become the newest members of the latest generation of the PAW Patrol).
Even though they were adamant about having no more pets in their growing family than they already had, Nikki and James couldn't help but feel sorry for them once they were told of their backstories and accepted them with open arms (going so far as to adopt them into their side of the royal family).
With her old friends, they were excited to try out Paldea's culinary delights and the reactions they gave showed with Mallow, Shaymin, Lillie, Pikachu, and Ash's reactions being the most telling:
- Mallow & Shaymin - Wow, Sarah! This food from Paldea is amazing, you and your classmates are lucky to have these/SO GOOD!!
- Lillie - They're so wonderful!
- Ash & Pikachu - These churros are delicious/Mm-hmm!
"I'm glad, they're quite popular with everybody in the region from what I've seen."
"Once you get your hands on one of them and chow down, you'll never get tired of them even if you tried," Sarah and Arven grinned.
Their mutual modesty showed ever since their time together whenever they would meet up during her treasure hunt assignment. While Arven used one of two Herba Mysticas they found to cure Mabostiff and make his sandwiches for him, Sarah kept the others for medical purposes.
"You know, Sarah, I'm amazed with how your cooking improved. And, the surprise addition of your Alcremie's cream and the food you two made from it as a base adds a perfect Sweet Scent to the taste," Kukui praised as he and Burnet enjoyed her and Berry's new Rainbow Swirl Alcreamie Danishes with Fruit and Pancakes and Rainbow Swirl Alcreamie Cinnamon Rolls and Waffles.
"You and Berry should have your very own cooking show should you come back to Alola or if you feel like it while you're traveling," Burnet concurred while Danny and Danielle helped the married couple feed baby food to Lei as he babbled happily.
"I'll think about that since I've added what you're eating to my cookbook but thanks for the praise, you two," Sarah replied modestly just as Penny and Arven poured through it in awe.
"Even now, I still can't get over everything you wrote in it. All of this in one book while you have a lot on your plate including your studies at Uva Academy and you still find time to write in it."
"It's amazing, all of the food, the recipes, what you need to make them... Geez, sure wish I could get something like this done. I'm still shocked you even wrote this given how busy you were," they remarked, still amazed by the cookbook.
"Well, I had help from Mallow in creating it. She, her family, and their restaurant were responsible along with Mom and Nikki for getting me to cook," the little princess replied modestly.
Liko couldn't help but grin as she made her next thoughts known, "Even Sarah, Race, and Asha's classmates are such a joy to be with; all of them having unique personalities and backstories I've never known, and despite what happened to them, they all bring out the best in each other whenever they're together. I sure hope my Terapagos makes friends with the other Pokémon soon."
Suddenly, she noticed something off as she looked at the Pokémon and noticed one of the bowls of Pokémon food being left untouched, showing that her little Tera Pokemon had vanished.
"WAH!" she cried frantically while looking around.
"Liko?"
"What's up?" Friede and Ash asked, confused by her reaction.
"Terapagos is gone!"
No sooner did she alert everyone to the disappearance of her Terapagos than Liko and the entire group heard a crashing sound coming from the Crown Palace's kitchen, realizing that someone had snuck inside for a bite to eat without anybody knowing. They soon heard a cute baby-like whining coming from it but the young girl gasped in shocked worry, realizing who or what it was.
"Terapagos!" she gasped.
"I'll get it," the wild Keldeo volunteered as she went to the kitchen.
"I'll give you a hand."
"Me, too," Wo Chien and Glaciel offered as they joined the female Colt Pokémon to help look for Liko's Terapagos.
"Did it just sneak into the kitchen without warning?" blinked a bewildered Nemona.
"I think so but what could it want in there?" Cripsin replied, looking surprised.
With the wild Keldeo, Glaciel, and Wo Chien, they looked around the kitchen looking for Liko's Terapagos while hearing its cries before they finally noticed it flailing on its back near crates of berries that it had found and tried and failed to get (while being surrounded by some Oran Berries from a crate it toppled over to the floor).
"Terapagos!"
"There you are!"
"Why the devil did you toddle off like that? You scared Liko badly!" they chastised as they helped the youngest Tera Pokémon back on its feet before they noticed it happily eating one of the berries closest to it.
The three of them were surprised by this but thinking back to when they and the others started having breakfast, they were quick to realize and notice that Terapagos didn't touch its given bowl for a second before wandering off like it did. Understanding why it snuck into the kitchen, they nodded to each other and Glaciel placed Terapagos on the wild Keldeo's head before she took it out while Wo Chien and Glaciel prepared another bowl for it and cleared up the mess.
"Found it~!" the wild Keldeo called as she brought Terapagos aboard her head before Wo Chien and Glaciel joined them, the Glacial Fist Pokémon carrying a bowl of berries for the young Tera Pokémon to eat as he replaced the bowl of Pokémon food with it.
"Here you go," he smiled, getting a happy coo from Liko's Terapagos before it ate away at the berries.
Everyone was amazed by this (with all of them smiling and cooing at how cute it looked while eating its berry bowl) with Roy also realizing what he, Wo Chien, and the wild Keldeo discovered as he smiled at Liko, "Seems like it just wanted some berries stored in the kitchen."
Liko was surprised by this as she recalled, "Come to think of it... It didn't seem to touch any of its Pokémon food while we were eating. Apart from Sarah and Race when they did their research on Larmina, Garnet, and Topaz's species, I don't know anything about this Pokémon. I'll have to study it more closely as they did."
This, however, didn't sit well with Sprigatito as she finished her breakfast and heard what Liko said. Seeing Liko's attention on her Terapagos and eying Larmina, Topaz, and Garnet getting Sarah and Race's attention as they fed them made her jealousy rear its ugly head again, thus making her leave the dining room in a small huff. Of course, this didn't go unnoticed as Rosie, Chili, and Crest saw her leaving, wondering what was bugging her.
Throughout the day, after breakfast, Liko started to make careful observations of the behaviors of her Terapagos and even helped babysit Larmina, Garnet, and Topaz for the day as Sarah and Race had their attention elsewhere. One of the first instances of this was when she watched them socializing with Sarah's family before they went over to Iron Crown who just frowned at them once he noticed the Terapagos Four.
"What do you want?" he huffed quietly before the Terapagos Four babbled happily at Cobalion's futuristic and robotic descendant, wanting him to play with them.
Iron Crown turned sharply away so as not to humor them but they didn't care as they crowded around him, babbling and begging him to play with them despite his shocked protests.
"Gah-! Hey! Ah-wha-?! What are you, stop! Let go!? Get off of-! I swear-! If you don't stop, I'm go-! Oh! Why, you little-!?" the Paradox Pokémon barked, completely flustered by his new Tera Pokémon fan club as he tried and failed to get them off his back (which only made them happy as they laughed and thought of his protests as a game).
"Aww, how do you like that?"
"Hey, come on, Iron Crown! They love you!" Ash and Sophocles grinned at him.
"Better you than us!" Cap smirked.
"I swear, you're all gonna regret trivializing this if you don't get these crystal pests off me!" Iron Crown snapped as Terapagos, Garnet, Topaz, and Larmina continued to play with him which got a laugh out of everyone else including Friede.
Liko smiled in amusement as she wrote down her observations on her Rotom Phone in Tablet Mode, "They don't seem to flinch whenever somebody yells at and plays rough with them as if nothing seemed to faze them, not even Sarah's Paradox Pokémon including Iron Crown whom they immediately took to without a second thought despite his mood and protests. Their attitudes are so cheerful."
Next, while following them down one of the hallways, she saw them coming across Sarah's Night Lights who stared at the Tera Pokémon curiously. Zap, Splattertail, and Goggles eyed them all over as they waddled in circles around them (the seven younglings sniffing and tilting their heads at each other curiously) until they immediately took to them and soon began to play with them, much to the surprise and delight of their parents and Aegis.
Liko chuckled at the younglings playing as she wrote down, "The sight of unusual creatures such as Sarah's dragons including the Night Lights also didn't get them edgy. Their cute demeanor helped them click with Gale and Haze's younglings in a snap."
Then, she followed them into the Crown Palace's kitchen again where they watched Murdock and Alcremie finishing up a new cake they baked (with Larmina, Garnet, and Topaz already given finished cakes of their own to eat). Liko's Terapagos was in awe of the cake in front of it before it stuck its head in the finished treat, startling the trio before it happily cooed and licked the cream after it popped its head out.
Murdock laughed heartily as he asked the little Tera Pokémon, "Do you like it?"
"That's a sweet home run from this cutie," grinned Alcremie, impressed.
"Five stars," Rockruff (who was with his partner and Alcremie while they were making the cake) barked in agreement, eager for a taste himself.
"Surprisingly, like Sarah and Race's Terapagos, it has a real sweet tooth," Liko thought, amazed as she continued to write down her observations while following the Terapagos Four to the Crown Palace's spa where the Tera Pokémon were eying and following the spinning motion of a watermill aiding in the flow of water from a hot spring from the core of the mountain the palace was sitting on. "No matter where it goes, like Larmina, Garnet, and Topaz, it never seems to get bored. And, its sparkling eyes are just the cutest!"
Tsukumaro was preparing to enter one of the palace's spa pools and hot tubs with Ogerpon when they took notice of the young girl and the Terapagos Four by its watermill and joined them, the old advisor chuckling as he told her, "Must be quite a challenge for you to follow them everywhere in this place, Young Liko."
"Yeah... But, when I see how much fun Terapagos is having, especially when it's around Larmina, Topaz, and Garnet, I just wanted to keep observing it," Liko replied just as Terapagos ended up getting dizzy after circling its head too fast and ended up on its back again before she righted it up. "Oh, not again!"
The pair just smiled with Larmina, Garnet, and Topaz cooing happily and Ogerpon doing a Happy Ogre Dance for it.
Later, while she met up with Race and Sarah again (the royal couple wanting to check on their Terapagos and how they're doing with Liko's new addition since they left them in her hands for the time being), the Terapagos Four ended up waddling into Dot's guest room. While inside it, she and Quaxly were doing a new Nidothing video on the variety of Pokémon Battles at hand including Double Battles and Raid Battles (using a computer and equipment the little princess prepped for them that's exactly like what they used in her bedroom in the Brave Olivine).
However, while filming the video, they were cutely interrupted by the Terapagos Four as Larmina, Garnet, Topaz, and Terapagos got in front of their camera and curiously cooed at it, wondering what the manmade device was. This didn't sit well for them as they inevitably snapped and were forced to halt production for the time being, realizing who they belonged to.
"CUT, CUT!"
"HEY! What do you think you're doing?!" they raged at the Terapagos Four who ignored them in their curiosity.
"LIKO, SARAH, RACE!"
"That's Dot!" Liko gasped as she and the royal couple looked around the hallway they were in now, wondering where the Terapagos Four went until they heard Dot's angry and exasperated screams from her guest room. "Did they just go into-?"
"By the sound of those screams, yes," Sarah gulped as the trio reached her room and Dot appeared while holding the Terapagos Four in her hands (still in her Nidothing suit).
"AAAHHH! NIDOTHING, YEAH!" Liko shrieked in surprise as she flipped out over Dot's alter-ego, making an equally surprised Hatenna jump out of her hood and flail.
Once the commotion had died down, the quartet quickly gathered in Dot's room and sat together on her bed, watching the Terapagos Four continuing to look around curiously with Liko's Terapagos looking at the technology the young recluse got from Sarah for her videos.
"Oh, good grief," Quaxly sighed, still exasperated.
"Sorry, Dot, we didn't mean for them to sneak into your room while you and Quaxly were filming your latest video. They were just curious about everything around them," Sarah apologized sheepishly to Dot (who was now out of her suit to discuss the matter involving the quartet with her, Race, and Liko).
"So, the four of them were in hibernation for, like. decades, right...? Especially yours when Zelda found the first two before she and Link went to Alola and when you, Race, Kieran, Carmine, and Briar found the third in the heart of Area Zero... So, our world's full of things they never saw before," Dot mentioned, putting two and two together.
"Oh, yeah... I haven't thought about that, it only just woke up. Maybe it didn't eat the Pokémon food it was given, because, it didn't realize that it was even food to begin with," Liko admitted thoughtfully.
"I know what you mean; that's exactly what happened to my family when they came back last year and even our royal guard including Levi a few months later had a hard time adjusting to today's modern world society after we met them again in Alola's Depths," Sarah nodded, understanding what Dot meant.
Dot nodded as she continued, "Waking up to a brand new world, it must've been hard trying to adjust to the world as it is today even if you and your family were much older than them."
This gave Liko a new perspective on her Terapagos as she thought, "That means I'll have to teach Terapagos everything I know. But, I didn't know anything about Terapagos until Race and Sarah showed me their findings on Larmina, Topaz, and Garnet and their species. That means I'll have to study Terapagos more closely, then..."
"Uh, Island Girl, Liko?" Race called, breaking his wife and their young friend out of their thoughtful reveries to find the Terapagos Four having toddled off without their knowledge again.
"Again!?" Liko yelped before she and the royal couple left Dot and ran after them. "Seriously, it's like they're always vanishing!"
"Liko!" meowed Sprigatito happily upon seeing her trainer while out on one of her walks.
"Sprigatito, there you are. Can you help us find, Terapagos, Larmina, Garnet, and Topaz...please? They vanished again while we were talking with Dot and I'm worried. Will you help me look for them?" Liko asked her partner.
All she got from her Grass Cat Pokémon was a jealous frown and a huff, eventually turning away and going up a flight of stairs as she still felt like her partner was repeating the ordeal she went through involving Alex's Fidough before she warmed up to her.
"Sprigatito?" Liko called, confused and concerned for her just as the Swords of Justice belonging to Sarah, Zeraora, Zorua, the Eevee Squad, Ash, the Pokemon School Gang, Gladion, their partners, and the new members of the Junior Patrollers arrived after noticing them while they were walking around the palace together.
"Hey, guys, what's up?" Zorua questioned.
"You look pretty worried," Lillie added curiously.
"Nothing serious, we're trying to find and follow Larmina, Topaz, Garnet, and Liko's Terapagos so they don't get into trouble while Liko's learning about her new Pokémon."
"And, after we lost them again while speaking to Dot about them, we ran into Sprigatito but she flat-out ignored Liko's request for help finding them and left us alone soon after. But, she was in quite a mood when Liko mentioned Terapagos as she did," Sarah and Race admitted.
"Oh, dear..." Virizion frowned, concerned for Sprigatito.
Sarah nodded as she deduced what she thought of the situation, "I'm worried we might have a repeat of her jealousy hissy fit, but this time, over Liko's growing concern for Terapagos."
"Sprigatito, jealous?"
"You mean like the time you told us involving a Fidough belonging to Liko's father when it felt happy to see her again during your short stay in Paldea and she directed her attention to it?" puzzled Gladion and Lillie.
Liko frowned sadly as the others took in what they were told.
However, Dodger's siblings, Hiro, and Kaiya didn't know what was being discussed as the Shikoku questioned, "We're not following, Ms. Sarah. What do you mean by 'jealous'?"
"You mean Liko's partner's got a bone to pick with somebody?" Molly added, sharing Hiro's confusion.
"Well, whenever someone such as Alex's Fidough gets Liko's attention for even a brief moment, Sprigatito can become rather possessive of her partner given everything they went through, guys. And, because of that, she doesn't like other Pokémon who dote over her and vice versa since she thinks she's the only one meant to do so. The only exception to her rule was Hatenna since she shared Liko's feelings during their first meeting and wanted friends and a family since she was alone for much of her life before meeting us."
"That could be a problem," Ash replied as he and Pikachu grew worried for Liko's Terapagos and Sprigatito.
"It might also mean that despite having no problems with Hatenna, with Terapagos now part of her team/family, Sprigatito felt threatened about her current position. She'll see it as a competition for Liko's affection between her and Terapagos and that could mean trouble," Kiawe frowned grimly.
"And, how exactly is that giving bad vibes to Sprigatito involving Terapa-thingy?" Spike inquired, still confused.
"Because, Spike, as Liko started to give Terapagos her attention and its curious yet bubbly nature could get itself into trouble which required her to follow it at all times so it wouldn't get hurt, Sprigatito felt threatened and she wouldn't see it as part of her family for who-knows-how-long," Race informed.
"Her jealousy in its current stage is a polite way of Liko's little kitten showing and not telling us, 'What about me? I'm your partner; I'm your favorite Pokémon so stop doting over the newbie and start doting on me!'. That kind of thing; pretty dangerous mindset, if anything," Terrakion clarified.
"Dangerous?" Liko echoed, wondering what Terrakion meant.
"Liko, like Larmina, Garnet, and Topaz, isn't your Terapagos still a baby in its current stage?" Keldeo informed.
"Yeah..."
"In its current state, it can't defend itself from any substantial threat to it unless it regains its full power. Until that time comes, it'll have to rely on you and your Pokémon to defend it. But, given how Sprigatito's feeling jealous of Terapagos, she might not choose to protect it but rather wait for something to happen or take matters into her own paws so she could be your number one partner again."
Liko gasped in horror, "Would she do that?!"
"We're not saying she would actually go through with it out of spite! We're sure she still loves you and you still care for her," Mallow replied quickly so Liko didn't get any ideas and would not start fearing the worst. "But, jealousy is powerful and brings out the worst in people and Pokémon at the worst possible time. You have to show Sprigatito that you still love her and would never replace her with Terapagos just as you didn't with Hatenna."
"You started your journey with Sprigatito when you two first met each other at Indigo Academy, right?" Lana reminded reassuringly.
Liko recalled her and Sprigatito's time bonding at Indigo Academy from their first meeting and everything they went through that led to their current position. Remembering their adventures together, and their growth as partners, friends, and family in their own right through it all, she smiled as the others nodded reassuringly at her. She knew that what everyone was telling her was true and she needed to put things right with her partner once again.
"You're right, and the next time I see her again, I'll make sure she understands that. But, before I do, we need to find our Terapagos," she replied determinedly.
She wouldn't have to wait long as Hatenna perked up, jumped off her hoodie, and frantically ran in circles while squeaking, "Mama, Mama, Mama! Little Brother, Little Brother! Trouble, trouble, trouble!"
"Hatenna, wait!"
"Hold on, Hatenna!"
"Where are you going?!" Liko, Lana, and Lillie yelped in alarm as they and the others went after the frantic Calm Pokémon who ran to the second floor, leading everyone to where she sensed Terapagos, Larmina, Garnet, and Topaz's presence.
While they followed her to the second floor, Diana was fast asleep in the Crown Palace's lounge area after doing some heavy research, prompting them to tiptoe past so they don't wake her up. But, just as they arrived at the second floor, they noticed a worried Larmina, Topaz, and Garnet staring at something ahead of them; that something was none other than Liko's Terapagos climbing its way up the rooftop.
"Oh, no!"
"Terapagos!"
"What's it doing up there!?"
"It'll fall!" Ash, Kiawe, Goh, and Mallow screamed in horror.
"Terapagos! What are you doing on the rooftop?!" Liko shouted to her baby Pokémon who was oblivious to the danger it was in. "Come back!"
But, Terapagos didn't listen as it kept on climbing, supposedly having something on its mind that the heroes didn't know about. Eventually, the little Tera Pokémon reached the top of the rooftop and began to cry out, supposedly trying to call something or someone from afar. However, while some of the Pokémon took notice of the sound of Terapagos' cries and what it was doing, that was the last thing on the heroes' minds (especially Liko's) as they knew Terapagos could seriously hurt itself should it fall without warning.
"Terapagos! Come back, please!" Liko cried again.
Suddenly, before anybody could think of a plan to get Terapagos back down again, Liko immediately climbed up to her baby Pokémon to get it down herself (without any rational thinking on how to get back to the others or get down safely).
"No, Liko, wait!"
"Liko!"
"Liko, come back! You'll fall!"
"We can't reach you!" Sophocles, Race, Lana, and Gladion shouted frantically.
"Liko! Stop, you and Terapagos are too high!" Sarah screamed, now scared for Liko and Terapagos.
But, despite their pleas (with Larmina, Topaz, and Garnet cooing in absolute panic at them), Liko ignored them as she attempted to reach her baby Pokémon while it continued to cry out for whatever or whoever was ahead of them. As the young girl carried out her reckless rescue attempt and Terapagos kept on crying out, everyone's pleas and cries immediately attracted Sprigatito's attention as she went about her business, still steaming over Liko's attention on her little Tera Pokémon.
She gave a nonchalant glance outside from her position but once she noticed what her partner was doing, the jealous Grass Cat Pokémon gawked and meowed in pure horror; at this point, Sprigatito realized that if Liko fell from such a height while attempting to reach Terapagos, there was a good chance they could fall and she'll die from falling at a great height. That was something she couldn't let happen and she'd be damned if Liko along with Terapagos were to die before her very eyes.
With her jealousy thrown out the window, and knowing she had to get help as soon as possible, she darted as fast as she could to the lounge area and found the sleeping Diana before frantically nudging her.
"Ms. Diana! Ms. Diana! Can you hear me?! WAKE UP!" she squealed, finally waking the elderly adventurer as she aroused herself from her nudges.
"Sprigatito? What's the matter, something wrong?" Diana asked as she followed her granddaughter's partner out of the palace's lounge.
"Trouble!" the spunky Grass Cat Pokémon informed, leading her to the second floor and showing her Liko climbing up to Terapagos (who was now starting to slip from its current position after it lost its footing and held on by its front feet for dear life).
"Ah! Liko!" the elderly adventurer gasped in alarm, seeing Liko in trouble as she got closer and closer to Terapagos.
"Liko, stop! Come back!" meowed Sprigatito to her partner.
"Terapagos!" Liko called to Terapagos as she stretched out her hand to her baby.
Terapagos cooed as it looked at its human mother while she reassured it, "You're gonna be okay, I got you now!"
Deciding to take a chance and trusting the young girl who cared for it dearly since it was given to her by Diana, Terapagos immediately turned and let go, allowing itself to fall over to her as Liko caught its front left foot. But, in turn, this action caused Liko to begin losing her grip on the rooftop and they started to slip as the cold climate and the ice made the roof slippery, making her lose her footing.
Liko and Terapagos cried in alarm and everybody watched screamed in fear for their lives but then, in the nick of time, their savior would come in the form of...
"LIKO!"
"GOTCHA, KID!" Diana and Arcanine barked as the former caught her granddaughter and Terapagos just in time before they could fall further and the latter jumped from the rooftop and returned to where the others were, safe and sound.
Everybody cheered when they saw this and as she watched from her current position, Sprigatito was relieved that Liko and Terapagos were unhurt as she sighed. But, she also felt ashamed in the back of her mind despite still feeling jealous of Terapagos, though only by an extremely tiny margin now after what she witnessed beforehand.
A little later, the heroes and the Paldean students (who were informed of Liko's reckless bravery and rescue attempt) gathered in the palace's lounge room, all of them looking relieved to see that the young girl was unhurt along with Terapagos (who was resting easily on the sofa Liko and Diana occupied).
"¡Dios mío, niña! I can't believe you would be so crazy to pull that off to save Terapagos before it could fall!"
"What were you thinking!? Damn it!"
"Did you know how badly you scared us back there?!" a relieved but disgruntled Nemona, Arven, and Sarah snapped.
Liko blushed as she apologized, "Sorry, I know I did something so risky. I was so worried for Terapagos, I didn't realize what I was doing earlier..."
"That's highly ironic coming from you since you jumped into a field of raging fire to save Hiccup and Zenna from death after you three, Old Man, Reshiram, Stryka, Winter, and Shadow killed the Red Death," Race chuckled over Sarah's hypocrisy, getting an annoyed pout and glare from his wife which only made him laugh.
"You did what?!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"For real!?"
"Oh, come on!"
"You're just as bad as Liko is on that front!" Penny, Giacomo, Eri, Mela, and Atticus balked in shock at the little princess who didn't know what to say as she blushed and groaned, unable to deny what she did during the tail end of her family's first adventure in the Barbaric Archipelago.
"Long story, we'll blab about it another time," Zorua reassured calmly.
"Still, you did it out of pure instinct, knowing what would happen if you didn't help it; hard to fault that, especially with a baby. Good thing Sprigatito alerted me to the situation when she found out," Diana stated, giving Liko a warm smile.
"Oh, really? Thanks, Sprigatito!" Liko gasped before she cheerfully gave her thanks to her partner only for Sprigatito to sigh before she left the lounge room, seemingly ignoring her before she moved out to have some time alone to think. "I guess she's kind of mad at me right now for taking so many chances as of late just as Sarah did, especially when she tried to hold off Lucius' Moltres while the others and I escaped from Galar Mine during his rampage."
"But, you take those chances as well 'cause you love Pokémon, yes? I believe that's what she and everyone else would call 'courage'. And, that's what woke your Terapagos up; I'm certain it was you. In my day, when I wore that pendant, all it did was hang around my neck."
"Grandma, I..."
"It seems that my adventures were to lead you in taking that first step. And, now, I'm sure you'll go much farther in your travels than I ever could."
"You know, Grandma...? All this time, I've been thinking about everything you said..."
(Flashback)
"I'm so happy to hear you say that, Liko. If that's what you really believe, and if Laqua can be found, then you must seek out the rest of the Six Heroes."
(End Flashback)
"So, what's going to happen now, Grandma? When do I find the rest of the Six Heroes, especially since we know of Rayquaza and given the fact that we have Arboliva and Moltres with us?" Liko asked, wondering what to do about the remaining half of Lucius' Six Heroes.
Diana nodded as she dug into her bag and brought out Lucius' notebook before presenting it to her granddaughter, smiling as she told her, "I think you're just about ready for me to show you this. Lucius' notebook; you'll find all the Pokémon he met during his travels and his life and relationship with Marena written in its pages."
Liko blinked in awed wonder as she questioned, "Really?"
Diana chuckled as she flipped through its pages just as Marena quietly entered the lounge room after hearing her mention her husband to listen in, "Lucius is always one to write down everything, and from what I could gather, he and Marena were practically inseparable."
Once she found the page she was looking for and Marena joined her and Liko, Diana showed everyone a drawing of Terapagos in its Terastal Form.
"Isn't that...?" breathed Liko, astonished.
"Terapagos in its Terastal Form just like Topaz when Sis, Race, Ms. Briar, Sarah, and I encountered at the heart of Area Zero during one of our expeditions there," Kieran explained, getting a confirming nod and smile of approval from Diana.
She soon explained to everyone, "It seems Lucius and Marena formed a close bond with it just as they did with the Six Heroes."
"But, mine, Larmina, Topaz, Garnet, and Larmina were so..."
"I know; perhaps yours doesn't have enough power to achieve it yet apart from Sarah and Race's Terapagos."
Liko gasped as she recalled, "I just remembered! When we met Arboliva and Moltres, this weird light glowed around us and I saw Lucius in it."
"You mean...? Could he possibly be like...the man in this old photograph here?" Diana quizzed as she produced an old photo from the journal of who Marena's late husband and the Ancient Adventurer were (as both were the same person) and what he looked like.
Liko gasped in surprise but Marena was floored by what she saw before she swiftly snatched the photo and confirmed to her and everyone (who were just as shocked as they were when they saw the photograph for themselves), "Yes! Lucius! That's him, it is him! That's exactly how I remember him in our day even without his cape!"
Diana was amazed by this revelation and stated, "Well, that makes sense. You see, from what you all told me and when it resonated with Arboliva and Moltres, Terapagos must've recalled some of their memories which might be why it returned to its original form. If you meet the rest of the Six Heroes, you may be able to unlock its true power as the other three had."
"I see... And, what happens then?" her granddaughter inquired as Terapagos woke up and noticed Marena with her and Diana.
"At that time, should it ever happen and you were successful, the path to Laqua may finally open up to you just as if Lucius of the Old was guiding you himself."
Delighted to see an old friend it had known for so long back in their day, Terapagos immediately jumped off the sofa and then waddled over to Marena before it cried out at her.
"Terapagos..." Marena breathed as she gently picked it up and it continued to coo at her.
"What's wrong with it?" Diana puzzled.
"It always reacts like this whenever you say 'Lucius' or 'Laqua'. Maybe Terapagos heard Lucius' name and it was trying to call out to him earlier, do you think it misses him just as it missed Marena?" Liko theorized.
"And, you think that's why it's crying out, especially given how happy it is to see her again?"
"Maybe it's thinking that if it could go to Lakua, it'll likely be with Lucius again since seeing Marena again gave it more hope."
As Terapagos continued to cry out at Marena, Diana thought about Liko's theory for a moment until she said, "There is one problem with that theory, however; Lucius, unfortunately, never wrote down Lakua's exact location in his works and he lived almost a century ago. No matter how much it wants to see him again..."
Despite knowing Terapagos' chances of reuniting with the second half of its old human friends were slim to none, Liko remained optimistic as she replied, "Yeah... But, still, wherever it wants to go, I want to help it get there with everyone's help. Even if Terapagos never gets to meet him again by then, maybe he left something behind there; a memento to tell us what happened to him. Marena's still here for Terapagos... Laqua, the place they were always searching for; I want to take my Terapagos there."
"Liko..."
Diana was in awe of her granddaughter's conviction for Terapagos' sake but smiled proudly as she took off the belt she wore around her waist and handed it to Liko, telling her, "It'll be a steep path for you all to climb but absolutely. This belt I'm wearing belonged to Lucius himself; it can hold all of the Six Ancient Pokeballs belonging to the Six Heroes. It's only appropriate if you have it now."
Liko was amazed by the belt of the Ancient Adventurer given to her. However, she looked towards Marena as she began to caress and play with Terapagos (so they could start catching up on the time they lost) and went over to the Dragonstone Sea Witch with the belt in her hands as she instead presented it to her.
Marena was shocked once she saw her husband's old belt, looking between it and the young girl as she puzzled, "Why me? You're quite keen on assisting Terapagos in finding my husband and Laqua. As your grandmother told you, it's only fair that you have it."
"That's why; you deserve it more than I do. You wanted to make things right with the Six Heroes and this is the way; I'm sure Lucius would want you to have it in his memory and honor."
The Dragonstone Sea Witch didn't know what to think but after looking at Diana and seeing the elderly adventurer throw her a knowing smile and nod (mentally urging her to take the belt after seeing Liko pass it down to her for Lucius' sake), she looked back at her husband's belt in Liko's hands. With no more doubts over Liko's choice, she smiled in thanks and took the belt before clipping it around her waist, getting happy coos from Terapagos as it saw Lucius' belt with her.
All the while, the only thing she could say in response was, "It's strange, really; I never thought, in all my years, I'd be putting any hopes of finding Laqua and my husband onto a child...let alone you of all people."
Liko just smiled and told Marena with wisdom beyond her years for her sake, "That's life; it changes quickly and we do things we might not know from the heart. But, I know Lucius will be happy for you if he could see you now, especially since your heart regarding him and the fates of the Six Heroes is in the right place."
Marena (even though she still needed to tell the rest of the Six Heroes while she and Lucius had to separate them should they find the others again) could only let out a tearful smile and gave Liko a thankful nod as she did her best not to cry as everyone else looked on and smiled warmly, feeling happy for her. Even Liko's Terapagos couldn't help but babble happily at her as it saw Lucius' belt around her waist and recalled her and her husband.
Smiling proudly at Liko for her generosity and knowing what she needed to say next regarding the heroes' search for the rest of the Six Heroes, Diana said to her, "Liko, do you understand why those Pokémon appeared to you as they did? Like Marena and Sarah, you truly emphasized with Moltres and Arboliva's feelings and those of the Pokémon around you. When you met your partner, you took that first step. That hidden talent of yours bloomed in you at that time and I know Marena will help them open up as well."
"My partner... (?!) Sprigatito!"
Remembering her Paldea Starter, Liko left the lounge room and looked around the Crown Palace for her until she found Sprigatito near one of the windows in her guest room.
"Sprigatito? There you are," Liko called as she entered, making her ear twitch as the Grass Cat Pokémon noticed her partner. "Even when we're apart, I always know where to find you no matter where we are."
Sprigatito turned away, still a teeny bit miffed over Liko paying more attention to Terapagos until she was gently picked up and given a hug and gentle rubs on her head despite her protests before she managed to jump out of her arms.
But, not without Liko telling her, "Sprigatito, you're always the one looking out for me since Indigo Academy, aren't you? I realize now that I only took my first step into adventure and met everyone with us because of you. Even if you don't understand my words... I want you by my side, forever."
Sprigatito was silent for a moment as she thought about her partner's words before she approached and meowed in reply, "…Sure."
"Sprigatito!" Liko smiled as she took her partner in her arms only for the spunky Grass Cat Pokémon to put her paws to her face to stop her short of a hug, opting to jump into her lap with a happy meow which left her human partner awkwardly smiling at her.
"Pokémon are exciting and wonderful creatures. Even if you can't talk to them, your feelings do get through to them," Diana chuckled as she and Marena arrived with the latter holding Terapagos in her arms.
"My feelings... Thanks, Grandma," Liko smiled again as Sprigatito occupied her left shoulder.
"Here you go," Marena cooed to Terapagos as she handed it to Liko while it cooed and babbled happily at the pair until Sprigatito shied away from it in her simmering low-key jealousy.
"Whether we're happy, sad, mad, grieving, or just having fun, we can stay friends with Pokémon because whatever they're feeling, we'll understand," Liko mused happily.
"I'll try persuading the Brave Olivine crew and everyone else to go to Lakua!" she vowed to the pair.
Marena nodded in approval and Diana shared her sentiments, encouraging her granddaughter, "It's the start of another great adventure, the greatest you've had so far. Go on, give it a try."
"I will! Sprigatito?"
With Sprigatito walking by her side and Terapagos safely in her arms, Liko went off to find everyone wherever they were in the Crown Palace so she could begin telling them what she wanted to do involving Terapagos and her resolve concerning Lucius and Lakua.
It was dusk by the time she found and gathered everyone in the lounge room, and once she was ready, she told them what she wanted to do for Terapagos, something Friede thought of when she had finished, "Interesting... Huh, who would've thought your little Tera Pokémon would want to go to Laqua so badly?"
"I wonder what kind of place it is..." Orla pondered as Liko's Terapagos cooed cutely.
"It sounds like the place where we'll have an amazing adventure, for sure," Murdock pitched in, eager to find out what Lakua is and where it could be.
"And, it's like a paradise, right?" Mollie recalled, wanting to get some details the group got from Lucius' records right.
"A paradise... Oh, yeah, I bet there are berries all over the place there," Roy grinned to Fuecoco who blissfully replied, "Berries, yes..."
"Curiouser and curiouser..."
"This proposal of yours sounds interesting, Young Liko."
"But, are you sure you want us to undertake such a challenge even though we've little information to go around apart from Master Lucius' notes?" Tsukumaro, Donna (former queen), and David put in.
"That's right. I want to go there and bring this Pokemon here with me, and to do that, I learned that we have to meet with the rest of the Six Heroes. I know it'll be incredibly tough and I'm not quite strong enough for the task yet but that is why... I ask you all now, will you help me do this?" Liko asked sincerely.
"Was it ever a question?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Roy and Kiawe replied, the former laughing and the latter smirking.
"Some of us do have to get back to our other dreams and paths but we'll always be around to help whenever you need us," Mallow smiled.
"We're your friends, Liko. We'll be glad to help whenever we can," Ash grinned.
"That's right!" Pikachu beamed in agreement.
"Us, too," Hiccup concurred.
"Count us in," Zenna agreed with her and Hiccup's friends giving her agreeing nods, ready to help fulfill her wish.
"We never back down from a meaningful challenge, especially when it concerns matters from the heart," Lazuli smiled knowingly as Galaxagus, Pantherra, her Alcremie, Timburr, Woobat, and Roggenrola nodded and cheered in agreement.
"We're all in this together and when one of us has their heart set on something, we're always there to back them up, aren't we? That's what we're all about as the Rising Volt Tacklers," Friede added, already on board with the plan.
"All for one and one for all," Cap smirked, nodding.
"I like to find out about this Lakua place, too!"
"It'll be a blast!"
"A perfect shot for us."
"A real party!" Goh, Cinderace, Inteleon, and Grookey grinned with agreeing nods.
Friede then showed everyone the remaining members of the Six Heroes on his Rotom Phone in Tablet Mode they needed to find as he said, "Ever since Diana mentioned Lucius and Marena more told us about her husband, I've been wanting to learn about him. We already have Arboliva and Moltres but the last four remaining heroes we need are as follows: Lapras, Rayquaza, Kleavor, and Entei."
"But, according to the history books on the Sinnoh Region, Kleavor lived in the time of Hisui; that's what Sinnoh was originally called over five centuries ago. How could one survive for all this time given the rules of nature and evolution?" Mollie pointed out.
"And, Entei's a Legendary Beast roaming around the world like Suicune and Raikou," added Astrid.
"There are also hundreds upon hundreds of Lapras swimming worldwide over our planet's ocean. Any one of them could be Lucius' partner as far as we know and we have no idea where it could be right now," Fishlegs noted, also pointing out the "Needle in a Haystack" conundrum involving Lucius' Transport Pokémon.
"Not to mention we're still in the rocks regarding where his Rayquaza is now," Arven sighed, knowing that Lucius' Rayquaza was playing "Hard to Catch" with its wandering about.
"Then, how exactly are we supposed to find them including Kleavor and Entei?" Murdock pondered as Marena grew surprised until she looked down and refused to meet everyone's eyes.
"I have no idea with them so that leaves Lapras and Rayquaza on the spot. If we start with finding Lapras first, we'll have to find clues as to its whereabouts and figure out how to distinguish it from the rest of its species," Friede told him.
"Come on, Friede! Why not just start the search with the Shiny Rayquaza?" Roy chirped excitedly, still eager to see Lucius' Rayquaza again.
"Now, listen, you... If we're to hunt down the big boy himself, we need a plan before we go after him. Rayquaza is a Legendary Pokémon after all just Moltres and Entei, and as you recall, he's flying around the world to who-knows-where. He might already be on his way to finding out the exact location of Lakua without our knowledge so the chances of seeking him out are slim to none."
"Well, I got good news for Roy. There have been several sightings of Lucius' Rayquaza all around the Galar Region so there's a good chance it might be here," Dot informed from her Rotom Phone as she showed the supposed locations of the Rayquaza sightings she discovered from her computer.
"Really?!" Roy grinned brightly.
But, Lazuli wasn't so sure as she warned, "Hold on! Even if those sightings are supposedly true, what makes us think that Lucius' Rayquaza could even be in this region if there's no additional evidence to back up the hearsay?"
"What do you mean, Lazuli?" Lana questioned curiously.
"Think about it; the map presented before us showed what looked to be the sightings of the Shiny Rayquaza according to what any reports were found talking about it, right? And, as far as we know, Legendary Pokémon can often draw a large crowd whenever they appear and are seen by any lucky prying eyes including eager trainers looking for the chance to battle them and test their skills. However, most Legendaries are usually very secretive and wary of humans, so much so that they wouldn't dare show themselves to the public. You can also bet that would mean Pokémon Hunters, and whenever they're involved and on the prowl, they look eager to make dirty money off of them in the black market."
Sarah sighed as she summoned Cosmic Grace and unsheathed to reveal the Rayquaza Gem and back up Lazuli's statement, breaking the hard truth to Dot as she said, "Sorry, Dot, but Lazuli's right. I have a hunch Spinel's got a disinformation campaign rolling on the internet from what Lazuli just told us and he and the Explorers are trying to throw us off track so they'd get the jump on us to snatch our Terapagos and kill me and my family. If somebody in the region did see Rayquaza, there would've been a mountain of paparazzi all over it in a near-instant and my sword's Rayquaza Gem would've resonated in his presence should he be nearby."
Liko frowned knowingly as she replied, "They're right; that's just like what he did with me when he pulled off that fake Herba Mystica ad trick back in Levincia and tried to snatch Terapagos from under my nose."
Dot sighed sadly in agreement as Lazuli nodded, "The kiddo's right on the money there; her fancy-schmancy magic, gizmos, and gadgetry are our best bet for Lucius' remaining Big Hero Six. And, they could be (dare I say) the most reliable source known to man today."
"Well... I know of Kleavor and Entei's whereabouts," Marena admitted as she finally spoke up and got everyone's attention.
"You do?"
"How exactly do you know about Kleavor and Entei?" puzzled Orla and Gladion.
"Perhaps, she knows something about them that we all don't. After all, she is Lucius' wife and they probably worked out one part of their plan involving them to ensure that they don't fall into menacing hands as well. What's in the shadows will always come into the light, eventually," Ludlow suggested sagely.
Roy was now curious as she asked Sarah's royal human advisor, "Marena?"
Marena gave a bittersweet chuckle as she brought out her travel bag, dug into it, and brought out two more Ancient Pokeballs, Entei and Kleavor's Pokeballs, shocking everybody in the palace lounge as she placed them on the table before her from where she was sitting.
"ANCIENT POKEBALLS?!" everybody screamed, completely flabbergasted.
"You had two of Lucius' Ancient Pokeballs on you the whole time?!"
"You actually had Entei and Kleavor all along and none of us, not even the Explorers, knew about it!?" Liko and Roy gawked in total shock.
"UNREAL!" Cap flustered as the other Pokémon and dragons gasped in stunned disbelief.
"But, how? I thought Entei and Kleavor had been separated as well, and if they were out in the world, I hadn't come up with anything regarding their locations," Diana breathed in astonishment.
"I couldn't bear to separate them after losing my husband so after I sent Lapras, Moltres, Rayquaza, and Arboliva away, I kept them with me for years. They're my mementos; reminders of my beloved Lucius and my vow to live on for him..."
"Two of your precious memories of the time you two spent together?" Liko chimed in, understanding Marena's plight.
Marena nodded in confirmation at her understanding but Sophocles piped in as something just hit him regarding her possession of Entei and Kleavor's Ancient Pokeballs, "But, were you able to open them? We tried to open Arboliva and Moltres' Pokeballs ourselves but they wouldn't open unless they wanted to come out of their own free will."
"I designed the Ancient Pokeballs to be like that just for the Six Heroes since they're my personal gifts to them; this is so the Pokémon captured in them can choose to come out and return to them if they want to. This allows them to take control of whatever situation they find themselves in so no being who isn't pure of heart and has malicious intentions can get their hands on them no matter what they do."
"Amazing! So, you designed the Ancient Pokeballs for your and Lucius' family?" Friede quizzed, grinning in fascination as he examined Entei's Pokeball and handed it back to Marena.
Marena nodded as she held Entei's Pokeball in her right hand with Kleavor's Pokeball held in her left hand and said, "But, while they get to choose when to come out and return to their balls, with Entei and Kleavor in my possession and the two of them trusting me the most with my intentions for them and the rest of the Six Heroes with their safety in mind, they can come out on my call. Entei, Kleavor, stand now!"
She held out the Ancient Pokeballs and the locks on both of them clicked open, causing the balls to open up almost immediately, and from them came Lucius' Kleavor and Entei. When the heroes finally got a good look at the Ancient Adventurer's Legendary Beast and Axe Pokémon (with Entei roaring with great power and unparalleled ferocity that it caused Sprigatito, Fuecooc, and Quaxly to yelp in fright and run behind Vulcan and Sarah's Entei), they were shocked to discover Entei stood at 13'10" and Kleavor stood at 11'10".
They gasped in shocked astonishment with Tuffnut, Ruffnut, Lana, Gladion, Drayton, Lacey, and Roy (with awestruck and sparkling eyes) speaking out on everyone's behalf, "Oh, my Odin!"
"Holy Thor's Beard!"
"So big!"
"T-T-They're massive!"
"Are you for real?!"
"That's impossible! Even at their greatest heights, according to researchers and historians, a normal or Shiny Entei shouldn't be more than 6'11" and a Kleavor only stands at 5'11"!"
"Amazing!"
"Uh, 'Amazing' might be a bit of a stretch with these guys," Murdock gulped, trying to compose himself from seeing Kleavor's huge axe-like appendages that looked as though they were made of black stone.
"Marena... Are they, uh...nice?" Liko gulped, starting to feel intimidated by Entei and Kleavor's sizes and their shared ferocity and demeanor as they gave stoic glares at the people, Pokémon, and dragons in front of them.
"Easy, boys, these kids are why I summoned you here. I assure you, they mean no harm and want to help us with our dream and my promise," Marena soothed them before introducing the pair to the heroes. "Let me introduce you; these people are my friends, one of them being my royal charge from Dragonstone and Alola - Princess Sarah Tomoe. The rest of them are their Pokémon and dragons. Everyone, meet my husband's Volcano and Axe Pokémon."
"This is awesome! With Entei and Kleavor here with us thanks to you, we have four of the Six Heroes!"
"Now, the only two we have to find are Lapras and Rayquaza!" Goh and Roy grinned ecstatically.
"And, that puts us a few steps closer to finding out where Lakua is!" Liko added with a bright grin on her face.
"This is amazing, Marena. And, judging by how healthy Kleavor and Entei are, I'm glad you decided to keep them in Lucius' honor after all this time," Diana breathed at the Dragonstone Sea Witch in wonder.
"To be honest, and despite the irony of my situation with them, these two here were actually the first to forgive me for my decision to separate our family for their safety and keep them with me with Lucius' approval before he left us. Still, I can't help but wonder if he wanted me to look after them before he left us behind to answer a call to adventure that he got involving Lakua," Marena replied modestly.
"You got to put plans into action to make 'em work if you want to get far, ain't that right, Cap?" Friede grinned at his partner.
"A good defense is a good offense," Cap nodded in agreement.
Satisfied with Cap's approval, the Rising Volt Tacklers proceeded to do their secret handshake as they and everyone else had their new mission and resolve regarding the mysteries of Lucius, the Six Heroes, and Lakua set in place.
"Alright, let's do this! Join together, Rising Volt Tacklers, Power Rangers, Marena, Lazuli, Students of Uva and Blueberry Academies, and everyone in between, and we'll find Lapras and the Shiny Rayquaza! Let's-"
"GOOOOOO!" everyone cheered while the Terapagos Four babbled cheerfully.
Meanwhile, out at sea, night had fallen and Zirc and Onia were traveling in their submarine with Amethio, the former two appearing to be deep in thought regarding the top agent and what they previously went through back at Diana's castle base.
"This is the exact wrong time to bug him, huh?"
"I have no idea what he's thinking ever since we left that castle and the princess and her entourage along with the Rising Volt Tacklers escaped again with the four Pokémon they have still in their grasp and after taking us out, honestly."
"Well, whatever it is, and as long as we stand by him to give him a hand, we'll follow Master Amethio wherever he goes."
"Yeah," Onia and Zirc bantered, renewing their resolve to stick by Amethio's side and give him a hand with his missions.
Speaking of which, the top agent was with Ceruledge atop the submarine, staring at the starry night sky and thinking back to his and Sarah's latest battle which led to his latest defeat after she Terastallized Silvally and delivered the final blow to him moments before Coral and Sidian made their debut on the battlefield.
"Penny for your thoughts, Master?" Ceruledge questioned, wondering what was on his master's mind now.
"Ceruledge... Next time, we'll sort this mess out," Amethio told his Fire Blades Pokémon back on the ship as he watched the moonlit night sky and wondered what they should do to match Sarah's intense battling prowess and counter her crafty nature.
(Epilogue)
The next day (July 20th), Sarah was up bright and early as she was doing routine health checks and bathing for her ever-growing family, dragons, Pokemon, and Mythicals alike with the assistance of the Kwamis in the Crown Palace's stable. All the while, Tsukumaro's female Golden Retriever x Akita Inu Mix, Darla, happily played in the snow without a care in the world alongside Iccub's Moseka, Sengo, Leki, Nandi, and Olee.
As she and the Kwamis carried out her family's routine health checks and baths, her female Shire Horse from her, Stoick, and Hiccup's adventure in the Great Book of Disney's Brave chapter from Merida and the rest of Clan Dunbroch (including her family), Tori, clopped up to her with a gentle nicker and nudged her back.
Turning to her Shire Horse, Sarah chuckled and gently rubbed her mane as she told her, "I know, you'll have your turn soon, Tori. And, I know you're looking for adventure; you couldn't help being cooped up in her for long. That's why we'll be taking time to explore one of Galar's Wild Areas soon. I figured everyone else wouldn't mind if we have a day of R&R in more favorable surroundings including a warmer climate."
Strangely enough, even though it was on the back of her family's minds, this particular day was actually the first anniversary of their accepting Tori after they helped Merida and Eleanor mend their ways and their mother-daughter bond (after they helped the rebellious princess learn the true meaning of "bravery"). This also meant that the 22nd, two days after that, would be the first anniversary of Sarah's Ohana Pride joining them from their escapades in the book's Lion King 2: Simba's Pride chapter.
As she cared for her family, Liko and Roy joined by Sprigatito, Hatenna, Terapagos, and Fuecoco came over as they were looking for her after they helped Ash, Goh, the Pokémon School Gang, and the Paldea students tell their respective families, Professor Cerise, and Director Clavel about Liko's resolve the previous day.
"Hey, Sarah," Liko called, getting the little princess' attention.
"Hey, guys, how'd it go?"
"Brilliant! They actually went through with it; Ash, Goh, the gang, and your friends from Blueberry and Uva Academies asked their families, Professor Cerise, and Director Clavell to help us look for Lakua and they said 'Yes'!" Roy grinned excitedly.
"They're ready!" agreed Fuecoco with a bright grin.
"As long as they focus on themselves while doing so, they're okay with coming along with us," Liko added.
"I'm glad to hear that but it's just as good for me to know that they'll take time off to focus on their own dreams and goals when needed. At least we know they'll be able to help us find Lakua and solve the mysteries behind Lucius and the Six Heroes if we need them. I didn't want to burden them after everything we've been through but if they're tagging along even for a short while to lend us a hand, I should've known better."
"While we're in the Galar Region and before we leave to explore one of the Wild Areas you promised to show us tomorrow, would you and Race mind telling us about your previous adventures?" the young adventurer asked eagerly.
"Really...? Well, I'm sure we got time before tomorrow, what would you two like to know about?"
Liko pondered before she spoke on her and Roy's behalf, "We were wondering how you met Mr. Hu and the rest of the Circle of Twelve. You seemed to be on good terms with them and Lazuli told me that while she was eavesdropping on one of your training sessions with him and Mistral, they praised your efforts and told you that you're the finest student they had in a long time."
Sarah just blushed as she only replied, "...Well, I don't know about that... But, it's a wild tale to tell if you want to hear it."
And so, after finishing her family's routine health checks and bathing, she, the Kwamis, Liko, Roy, and their partners went to the palace's lounge room only to find everyone else in it and Lazuli smirking and winking at her.
The little princess could only deadpan at Liko and Roy as they, Sprigatito, and Fuecoco gave her innocent smiles while she muttered, "I should've known you two would try to weasel something out of me involving my apprenticeship with Hu..."
"So? I'm quite curious to hear the tale, kid. So, what's the sitch with you, your hubby, and Mr. Hu?" Lazuli questioned, giving her a smug smirk as she lay on the couch she occupied in a cool fashion.
"Pleeeaaase?" Liko and Roy begged eagerly for a final time, pulling off the sparkling puppy dog eyes
"PLEASE!" Sprigatito and Fuecoco cooed in agreement, doing the puppy dog eyes as well.
Eying Race suspiciously and only getting a defeated shrug from her husband (who had also been duped by Liko and Roy possibly minutes before they went to her), and unable to resist the quartet's puppy dog eyes trick, Sarah facepalmed and sighed before she finally gave in, "...Oh, well. If we must, we must."
"Alright, everybody, gather around. It was a time we will never forget which happened back in February during the Lunar New Year Celebration after our original debacle involving Area Zero and our uncovering the mystery behind the fates of Professors Sada and Turo, Koraidon, and Miraidon," Race added as he and his wife began their story.
To Be Continued...
Flashback Story: Trials of Sarah - The Tiger's Apprentice