It was another beautiful summer's day in the World of Pokémon; of course, as with Pokémon and our heroes these days, something wicked was coming their way again and in the most unexpected way possible (which would represent another major turning point in their ongoing quest to solve the mysteries of Lucius, Laqua, and the Six Heroes). It all started when a small cargo ship was going about through one of the world's oceans, carrying several tons of food in boxes when a mysterious fog rolled in without warning.
The crew and their Pokemon (including two Buizel and one Floatzel) were baffled as the Floatzel looked out through the bridge's window with its captain.
"Hmm, what a strange fog we're in, Captain," Floatzel informed.
"This mist rolled in from out of nowhere, huh?" the captain asked, getting the same idea.
"What'll we do, Cap'n? Do we turn back or sail around it?"
"We can't carry out our deliveries through this, it's like we're sailing through pea soup," two crew members piped in.
"Nah, it shouldn't be too much to sail carefully through. We can handle it as long as we're careful," the captain reassured just before the ship started to rock.
"Captain, we're approaching a nearby reef! If we don't stop, we might-!" cried a third crew member in alarm, trailing off as he was afraid to finish his sentence.
"We'll be in big trouble if we hit those rocks," the Captain finished knowingly.
But, just before panic could set in and the crew tried to figure out what to do or brace themselves for the impact, they suddenly heard a mysterious voice. To the crew, it sounds like a soft, hypnotic singing echoing all around them through the fog. None of them knew what to do and had no idea who or what was responsible for the singing until they saw a silhouette of a Pokémon before them, looking somewhat like a Lapras. It was far out in front of the ship and it appeared to be leading them through the fog before it and the fog suddenly disappeared.
The crew was relieved as the third member cheered, "Phew, we're safe! We're out of the fog!"
"A song in the white mist? So, the rumors were true, after all... Thank you, Lapras," the captain breathed, sighing with relief and smiling in gratitude to the Transport Pokémon.
(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 28th and everything was clear and bright for everybody in the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft. Cap felt especially cheerful as there were no cloudy skies and choppy seas around them from where he could see from the Brave Olivine's bridge. Nosepass pointed everyone in the right direction from where he was perched and Liko's Terapagos slept peacefully on him. They and the rest of the heroes were already riding on Cloud Nine with the fun-filled and unexpected arrival of Polteageist, Sinstea, and Lazuli and Dot's new Featherhides and it seemed as though the good times they were having weren't going to end as far as they know.
"All clear," the Brave Olivine captain grinned.
In the Brave Olivine's briefing room, Diana had gathered the heroes and her granddaughter to discuss a new lead she found concerning a certain Transport Pokémon belonging to Marena and Lucius from her research.
"Come again? You're saying that...you found something that would lead us to the fifth of my husband's Six Heroes?"
"This Song in the White Mist?" puzzled Marena and Liko to the elderly adventurer.
"Yes, it's a sea-faring rumor amongst sailors whispered in hushed tones amongst themselves. They say there's a mysterious Pokémon in our waters guiding ships that had gotten lost in a fog bank with its song," Diana informed from one of her books.
"With its song?"
"That sounds lovely!" Liko and Roy beamed.
"Wow/Cool!" agreed an eager Fuecoco and Sprigatito.
"From what you've told us, Diana, it sounds like it pertains to the Transport Pokémon: Lapras," Sarah deducted immediately.
"Right. But, not just any Lapras, it's supposed to be a Shining Lapras from what they described," Diana added.
"Lapras... Ah, wait! You mean, Lucius and Marena's Lapras?!"
"One of the Six Heroes?!" Liko and Roy gawked with building excitement.
"It's possible but I can't say for certain."
"But, there's a good chance it might've been a special Lapras as the rumors suggested," Friede replied, remaining optimistic.
Diana smiled as she then told Sarah, Marena, Liko, and Roy, "That song the rumors mentioned has been heard worldwide for a long time, after all. Why, in my day, I've been searching for a long time for Lucius' Lapras."
This surprised the young trainers as they gasped and Roy spoke on their behalf, "You mean you've seen Lapras before while you were exploring?!"
"Unfortunately, I did not; I remembered hearing of a rumor about Lapras and followed it. But, by the time I came to its supposed location, I found out it had already left. This had been the same story for me throughout, and in the end, I simply gave up on it."
But, Roy, knowing that Lapras is tied to Lucius' Rayquaza was still determined to find it as he urged, "But, you said it's in the mist as you said, right? Let's go to the deck and have a look at it when we find it!"
The young adventurer tried to go to the Brave Olivine's deck to look for Lapras but Marena caught him by his shirt collar and reminded him, "Roy, slow down for a sec, will ya? Have you already forgotten why Lapras is even called the Transport Pokémon? And, what's more, how can you be sure we would find the darling even if you tried looking up on deck?"
"She's got a point, we don't even know where it is and it won't be that easy to find," Mollie agreed.
"Aww, really?" Roy replied sheepishly as he returned to his seat after Sarah's human advisor let him go.
"Well, Diana, Marena, do any of you have any more leads about where Lapras could be?" asked Friede, knowing the heroes had their work cut out for them.
"Luckily, we got you covered on my end with a little help from Dot, of course," Diana confirmed.
"Sounds like that captain and the coastal town are good starting points. He and his crew might know about Lapras since they're the most recent people to encounter it so far according to the reports on the Lapras sightings," Penny concurred.
"Then, I guess it's time we question him and see what he thinks. Okay, everybody, Operation: Lapras is a go," Sarah agreed as everyone nodded, knowing what they had to do.
"Yeah!" cried Liko and Roy, grinning from ear to ear.
The heroes soon arrived at the coastal town and while everyone else stood by or asked some of the other crew members about their Lapras sighting, Marena, Lazuli, Sarah, Race, Roy, Liko, and Friede met up with the captain and his Floatzel at the dock to make inquiries.
"Oh, yes... I've heard about those rumors and after what happened to us today, I now believe them. It truly was a beautiful song we heard," the captain told them.
"It cuts through your soul and touches your heart like nothing else!" agreed Floatzel.
"Then, is Lapras really...?" Roy asked eagerly.
"When exactly did you see it while out on your freight run, Captain?" Marena quizzed soon after.
"It's hard to pinpoint where and when exactly but it was earlier this morning out in the open sea when the fog rolled in and we couldn't tell where we were going. But, luckily, Lapras came and saved us before things could go wrong."
"That's amazing...!" breathed Liko in awe as the captain's crew came by with new boxes of goods.
"Captain, we're starting to reload the goods on the ship now," informed one of the crew members.
"Good, I'm counting on you."
"Restocking?"
"Did something happen to your previous load while you were rescued?" Friede and Race questioned curiously.
"That's the strange part; after we went in the fog bank, the ship must've hit something thick and fierce and all our cargo fell off."
"Fell off?!"
"That's awful?!" Liko and Roy balked while Sarah, Marena, Lazuli, and Race narrowed their eyes and looked at each other.
"Because of that, we had to repurchase everything we lost and we're behind schedule because of that mishap. But, all's well that ends well; none of us nor the ship are hurt and we got to meet Lapras when we needed help the most."
"Too true!" grinned his Floatzel, leaving the royal couple, the swordswoman, and Lucius' wife with a funny feeling that there may be more to what the captain told them.
"Well, thanks for your help, anyway. We better get going but we'll think about it; come on, everyone, back to the ships," Friede replied as the group returned to the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft.
"Right!" the young trainers nodded.
After everyone left and they were back on the move, Sarah, Roy, Lazuli, Marena, Race, and Liko gathered on the Brave Olivine's deck (while their Pokemon with them were having lunch to pass the time), giving the young girl time to look up Lapras on her Rotom Phone's Pokedex, "Lapras, the Transport Pokémon. A Water and Ice Type; it is a kindhearted Pokémon able to understand human speech. It glides across the sea's surface while its beautiful song echoes around it. With its mild temperament, Lapras prefer to carry people on its back rather than engage in Pokémon battles."
"It understands human speech? That's amazing!" Liko gasped, amazed by what she learned.
"The Pokedex is right, they're the kindest Pokémon you could meet," Roy concurred with the Pokedex entry on Lapras' temperament.
"You met a Lapras, Roy?"
"Uh-huh! When I lived with my gramps, the Lapras around those parts would come and play by the shoreline. They're very friendly with people and would let us ride them, they don't even care about battling!"
"Really? That sounds great! Do you think I'll be able to befriend the one we're looking for and ride it?"
"I'd hate to spoil your fun, kid, but my husband's Lapras won't be like those friendly types and would despise humans for a reason. Not all Pokémon are the same despite being from the same species," Marena warned.
"What do you mean?"
"Why wouldn't Lucius' Lapras be like them?" the young pair puzzled, looking confused at the Sea Witch.
"You'll see; you haven't forgotten that I was the one who had to separate them to ensure their safety and survival so no one with a black heart would claim them including the Explorers, have you? I have an eerie feeling he'll be a tough cookie to handle once he sees us and we find him. He'll probably have some choice words for me when I see him again and if he won't listen to what I have to say, I'll have to roll with the punches until I can get him to hear me out..."
"She's right, you know," Ludlow quipped in agreement as the group turned to see him coming over with Quaxly who was holding Dot's Rotom Phone on a Rotom Stick.
"Quaxly!" Liko blinked in surprise.
"Why are you here with Dot's Rotom Phone?" the former BF Champion questioned, seeing the Rotom Stick the Paldea Water Starter was carrying as he joined his friends and their picnic.
"Dot, what are you doing?" Sarah asked the young recluse as she felt unsure about what she and Quaxly were doing.
"This is big, Sarah! When we find Lucius' Lapras, I'm going to capture every last moment of it on film!" Dot quipped eagerly.
"That's the dig!" agreed Quaxly as he helped himself to some of his friends' berries.
"I think doing a Nidothing video on it might be a bit...well, much, don't you think, Dot?" Liko awkwardly asked.
"Yeah, I know but this is something very personal to me. Lapras of the Six Heroes also gets my heart racing, you know," Dot replied with a blush before she returned her attention to Quaxly. "Quaxly, let's not let our friends' picnic keep your eyes off the prize, okay?"
"Okey-dokey!" Quaxly saluted with a grin.
The small group shrugged at each other as they understood why she would want to do this but they suddenly started to feel the Brave Olivine lose altitude.
"Wait, is it just me or are we somehow dropping?" Liko asked, looking over the railing.
"We are! Is there another air leak in the engine room?" Roy pondered worriedly just as Rotoscope appeared from Sarah's pocket with a call from Friede.
"Change of search plans from Big Brain Friede and Head Cheese Cap, folks, coming up!" he grinned as he patched the group through to the unconventional professor and his most trusted partner.
"Friede, what's going on? Why are we dropping from the sky right now?" questioned Lazuli, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing serious, Lazuli, Everyone, I'm going to put the ship on the water for this portion of the journey while everyone else in the Dragon Craft maintains aerial reconnaissance. It'll be much easier for us to search for Lapras from the air and sea rather than one element or the other. So, now, please enjoy yourselves as we take you on a sea-faring search party cruise along the seven seas!" Friede informed from the bridge.
"Weigh Brave Olivine!" Cap smirked as Friede touched the Brave Olivine down, sailing his grandfather's boat smoothly across the sea much to the amazement of Sarah and her small party.
"This is so cool! We're racing across the ocean in this thing!" Roy cheered excitedly as his eyes twinkled.
Ludlow laughed and told the small group, "Yes, indeed! After all, this pride and joy was *my fishing boat*."
But, no sooner had the heroes decided to extend their search for Lapras to the sea with the Brave Olivine in its original primary element and the Dragon Craft remaining in the air for aerial reconnaissance that Roy suddenly spotted something floating ahead of them.
"Hey, what's that?" he asked, pointing at the object.
Using her Lion's Vision, Sarah saw a food crate the captain they talked to said fell off of his and his crew's ship with the rest of their cargo.
Even Race could immediately tell what it was as he noted, "Hey, Island Girl, isn't that one of the crates the captain said fell off his crew's ship?"
"Yeah, emphasis on 'fell off'," she replied, placing air quotes on "fell off".
"Look, there's another one!" Liko gasped, pointing at a second empty crate floating ahead of them.
Soon, everybody noticed the site where the captain said they entered the fog bank and lost all of their cargo before they were guided out of the mist by the Lapras he told them about. No sooner did they enter the site that Liko's Terapagos suddenly started to babble and coo happily, getting Liko's attention as she turned to her baby Tera Pokémon.
"Terapagos? What is it, do you sense something?" Liko questioned.
Roy suddenly became excited again as he could only reply, "Wait! Is it Lapras, is it nearby?!"
"Lapras; is the Lapras you're sensing the one we're looking for, Lucius' partner?!"
"It's gotta be! We've come so far!"
As they approached the area, Friede rang everybody up on the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft via their Rotom Phones again with another announcement about their ongoing search for Lucius' Lapras.
"Everyone, we're approaching the target area now. We'll slow down here and cruise at a more leisurely pace. Liko, Roy, Sarah, Race, Diana, Marena, it's all down to you; you better keep your eyes and ears open and find Lapras, you hear?" Friede called from Liko's Rotom Phone and Rotoscope.
"And, once we're done finding Lapras, we'll have a big party! I'm already making some premium doughnuts for the occasion!" Murdock added, sporting a big grin as everyone watched him whipping some doughnut batter with Alcremie and Rockruff in the Brave Olivine's kitchen.
"Freshly baked!"
"And, I'll be ready to eat 'em!" Alcremie and Rockruff added with a smile.
"Doughnuts, YEAH!" Liko and Roy cheered excitedly.
"Hey, now, hold on. We're not really on a picnic outing, you know," Friede chuckled.
"I can't wait to hear Lapras' song, I wonder what it's like according to what the sailors from earlier told us?" Roy wondered, his hopes soaring high as he turned to his partner. "You want to sing Lapras' song, too, Fuecoco? Well, do ya?"
"Yeah, it sounds cool!" Fuecoco grinned wholeheartedly.
"I'm sure this one will understand us right away unlike Moltres back at Galar Mine!"
"You're right! He is a Pokemon that rescues ships, after all; he'll come and help us find Lakua and Lucius, for sure!" Liko hoped.
But, Sarah, Race, Marena, and Lazuli weren't so sure as the little princess could only reply, "I wouldn't be too sure about that. We've had it lucky with Entei and Kleavor since they were with Marena the whole time but who's to say that unlike Arboliva, Moltres, or Rayquaza wherever he is, Lapras would be any different? You know how wishful thinking gets us into trouble, remember?"
"We did nearly get ourselves killed after we found the guy's Moltres when he went on a rampage that way," agreed Lazuli, folding her arms at the pair.
"Huh?"
Even Ludlow had to agree as he sagely warned Liko and Roy (while continuing to fish from the Brave Olivine's stern), "Be wary of making rash assumptions because the more you dig deeper into the problem at hand and the deeper the knowledge you obtain, the greater the value of an open mind. Nobody, not even we, can foresee what will happen at any moment."
And, he was right; at that moment, the heroes suddenly found themselves amid the fog bank the captain and his crew found themselves in beforehand.
"Well, speak of the devil," the swordswoman frowned as she readied her sword.
"The fog sure came in quick and fast," Friede noticed from the bridge.
"And, it's thick as pea soup," agreed Cap.
The unconventional professor had to smile as he knew what was going on, "Which means only one thing..."
"...He's here," thought Marena, steeling herself and keeping her eyes and ears open as she readied her staff.
"It was clear until just a second ago, right?"
"I can't see anything in this fog," Liko and Roy remarked as their partners and Quaxly looked around, the Paldea Duckling Pokémon griping for a moment as he and Dot couldn't see through the fog bank.
Feeling as wary as Lazuli and Marena about their current situation, Sarah and Race brought out their Mystic Staffs and braced themselves for what was about to come. And, it was a good thing they did because the heroes suddenly heard a mystical yet haunting song echoing around them. Liko gasped as she immediately realized what it was and who was making it, her Terapagos babbling as it recognized the song and who was singing it.
"A song!"
"Lapras?" Roy and Liko peeped just as Ash, Gladion, and the Pokémon School Gang arrived with their sabers drawn (including a Silvally Saber Lusamine, Mohn, and the Aether Foundation made just for their son) to give them a hand.
"Hey, Sarah, guys!" Ash called.
"You noticed the fog, too?" Race quizzed their old classmates/friends.
"Yeah, we thought we'd drop by to help you find Lapras and see what's about to happen," Mallow nodded.
"Good thing we came just in time," Gladion concurred.
"We told everyone else back on the Dragon Craft to stay sharp and keep close to the Brave Olivine so MK-1 should have no problem keeping us on our end out of danger," Sophocles informed.
"I'm glad to hear it," Sarah thanked.
At that moment, the Brave Olivine was rocked in the same way as the captain's ship, something Friede and Cap noticed as they quickly regained control and looked tense as they were both curious about what was going on. Then, just as the others did on the bow, through the fog, they could make out the mysterious singing around them as the "Song of the White Mist" the captain spoke to them about and the faint silhouette of Lapras ahead of them.
The pair grinned as they had found everyone's target with Friede remarking, "It's just as the rumors said! Here it comes..."
"It, really is Lapras! Right in front of us," Liko breathed.
"And, singing its song, awesome," added Roy, astonished as he tried to see it.
"So blissful..."
"And, admittedly creepy," commented Fuecoco (while holding a Tomato Berry) and Sprigatito.
The others also saw Lapras ahead of them but thanks to their Pyroar and Solgaleo/Lion DNA, the royal couple saw far more of it. Even Marena couldn't break her gaze on it as her heart pounded and a stray tear fell from her right eye; the trio couldn't help but notice that the Transport Pokémon ahead of them was much larger compared to any other species of Water Pokémon including its own and it also sported a crackled shell along with a scar over its left eye. There was no denying it when it became clear; to them, in their hearts, this is the fifth member of Lucius' Six Heroes and another close friend/family member of the Ancient Adventurer and his wife.
"...Old friend, you've been here, all this time... Do you...remember me?" Marena prayed, despite not wanting to get her hopes of a peaceful reunion between herself and her husband's Transport Pokémon up.
"See it there, partner?" Quaxly asked Dot, also trying hard to see Lapras' silhouette in front of the heroes.
But, as Dot, Friede, and Cap noticed, while they could make out Lapras' silhouette, the fog bank was too thick and neither couldn't make it out as clearly as they had hoped.
"Man, I can barely see it while we're in this fog," Dot sighed as her Featherhide chirped worriedly at her and the silhouette through her Rotom Phone.
The unconventional professor agreed as he decided, "We can't do much to see let alone follow it with visibility this bad. We need to get out of here and rethink our approach."
The only Lapras before the heroes looked at them and sang its mysterious song again, supposedly moving north through the fog bank as it gave Cap and Friede a sense of where they should go to get out of the fog bank.
"So, Lapras really has come to rescue us? Well, time to play 'Follow The Leader', Cap."
"Head due north, pal!" agreed Cap.
On the observation deck, while looking through her telescope, Diana couldn't help but wonder if something was off about Lapras' appearance, "How very peculiar..."
As Lapras continued its song while it led the heroes to wherever they needed to go, while everyone else on the stern watched, Liko's Terapagos could only stare at its silhouette as it became fainter and fainter. It eventually toddled onto the silver deck plank and started calling out to Lapras to try and get its attention. But, as Liko and Roy joined it and also tried to call out to get Lapras' attention, through her Lion Hearing, Sarah heard Fuecoco shout "STOP, THIEF!" and swiftly turned to whoever he yelled out and pounced on the disturbance.
"Hey!" she shouted.
"Nya-Nya~! Can't catch me~!" taunted the disturbance she tried to pounce as it jumped and she rolled under it, stopping and turning back to gasp in shock at the sight of a wild (female) Ambipom and a wild (male) Toedscruel (the Paldean evolved form of Tentacruel) having boarded the ship as they were stealing the Pokémon's berries.
Ambipom, in particular, was engaged in a tug-of-war with Fuecoco as she had grabbed his Tomato Berry without warning and tried to wrench it out of his hands with a cheeky smile on her face. Toedscruel, on the other hand, had his sights set on the Magost Berries as he carefully packed a few onto his tentacles.
"Hey, look!"
"Are those Pokémon?!" gasped Mallow and Lana in surprise.
"Not just Pokémon, Pokémon Pirates!"
"Again?! And, I thought the Pirates of Delacore were the last we've seen even though they're a friendly bunch!" growled Ash and Pikachu, a sense of deja vu coming to them immediately.
"You dealt with these kinds of characters before, Ash?" Marena puzzled the future Pokémon Master.
"Yeah! But, the only Pokémon Pirates we know of are very friendly and we met them while I was on my journey in Unova with my friends, Iris and Cilan; while we were traveling through the Delacore Islands, we came across some Pokémon abandoned by their trainers and stole from people to get revenge on them. But, we helped them and they've stopped stealing after."
"They're a friendly lot once our Snivy and Pignite friends got to know them and Meowth helped us to understand why they did what they did but I don't know about those clowns over there!" Pikachu concurred, glaring at Ambipom and Toedscruel.
"Well, then, let's stop 'em!" Sprigatito replied, readying herself for battle.
"Agreed!" nodded Quaxly, joining her and getting into a battle stance.
"Well, now... Unexpected guests from the open seas," Ludlow began curiously.
"Let go, you thief! That's my berry! IT'S MINE!" Fuecoco demanded as he tugged harder on his Tomato Berry despite Ambipom's firm grip.
Sarah got back on her feet and pointed her staff at the intruders, demanding, "I don't know why you two are here or what's going on but you got some nerve coming onto one of our ships without warning! They're both private property and we welcome all barring those with black hearts, you're trespassing on one of them!"
But, Ambipom sniggered in reply as she taunted, "Sorry, lady, but our leader calls the shots in these parts. Once you cross over into these waters, you're at his mercy and ours."
"And, we're not about to let you get in the way of our mission so forgive us for not cooperating. Mud Shot!" Toedscruel agreed as he swiftly fired two Mud Shot attacks, knocking Fuecoco back as he was hit in the face and doing the same to Sarah before she could defend herself (making her yelp in surprise as she tried to wipe the mud off her face).
"Sarah!" everyone on the heroes' side gasped in alarm.
"Hey, what was that for?! You okay there, Fuecoco?" Roy snapped at the wild Pokémon before he tended to his partner.
"INTRUDERS!"
"Stop this right now!"
At that moment, Ambipom and Toedscruel turned and gasped as Lapis and Suicune came out of the fog and landed on the stern, startling them before Race heard another cry, turning to it and seeing the large figure of a Wailord (which was also covered in scars) coming to the Brave Olivine.
The former Hoenn BF Champion gasped in shock as he could only think, "A Wailord! And, it's also covered in scars, what's going on here?!"
But, Ambipom and Toedscruel were not deterred for long as they regained their composure, felt the scarred Wailord's presence, and prepared to leave as the Woodear Pokémon told the heroes, "So, you do have some firepower with you. I assume that dragon's not a Pokémon and you have a Legendary Pokémon or two like that Suicune, impressive... But, I believe that's our cue to leave. And, so, we bid you all adieu, for now..."
"Hey, wait! We're not finished yet!" Shaymin barked, offended.
"Come back and fight, freaks!" Togedemaru growled.
"Sorry but we'll be back for the main event since this was our dress rehearsal and it turned out well. Later, gators!" grinned the Long Tail Pokémon as they jumped off the Brave Olivine and vanished from sight (when in reality, they jumped onboard Wailord and it quickly carried them away).
"COWARDS!" Sandy screeched in anger. "Come back!" Roy shouted as he and the others looked over the railing on the Brave Olivine's left-hand side only to see nothing.
"They're gone, both of them!"
"Over there!" Quaxly shouted, making out Wailord's silhouette darting ahead even though the fog was still too thick for the heroes to see.
"What is this?" gasped an astonished Dot as she looked at the Wailord silhouette just as the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft pulled out of the fog bank and Lapras was nowhere to be found.
"The fog... Lapras, it's gone," Liko realized as everyone realized that they didn't get a clear view of Lapras (even though Race, Sarah, and Marena would beg to differ on their end).
"Aw, man... I guess we're back to square one, huh?" sighed Roy as Liko's Terapagos cooed sadly, disappointed that it didn't get the attention of Lucius' Transport Pokémon as it had hoped.
"Hmm, what do you think, pal?" Cap asked Friede as his human friend pondered over everything.
Later, everyone gathered in the Brave Olivine's briefing room, wondering what had happened while they were after Lapras and Toedscruel and Ambipom infiltrated the airship.
"It seems Lapras dived underwater while we were going after it," Diana theorized regarding how Lapras shook them off.
"Yeah, we lost track of it after we got out of the fog bank," Friede agreed, trying to wrack his brain over everyone's losing Lapras.
"If anything, I'm afraid this is going to be the start of it," Marena sighed, fearing the worst.
"Good thing the ship's safe from harm, however. Imagine if we had hit something while we were in the fog bank or if we got caught up in a storm," Orla replied, trying to lift the mood up even by a tiny bit.
Mollie couldn't help but agree as she bluntly added, "We would've gone down to Davy Jones' Locker had we capsized somehow."
"Thanks so much, Lapras!"
"Ha! Lapras, guiding us out of the fog? I highly doubt it given what we've just gone through on the damn stern," Sarah huffed indignantly as she and Race entered the briefing room with her blood family.
"Indeed, one of those Pokemon pirate ruffians blasted my daughter with Mud Shot earlier and we had to clean her face thoroughly to make sure the mud left on it didn't get into her eyes," added Delilah, infuriated by how a wild Pokemon assaulted her and Doug's daughter.
"She and Race told us everything and based on what they said to us, I have a feeling that the Lapras we're looking for is going to play what you youngsters call 'Hard to Catch'," Tsukumaro agreed, not happy about the assault on his goddaughter as well.
"What do you mean?" Murdock questioned as he and everyone else did their best to not set off the little princess even further while she was angry.
The princess' husband took over for her and her family, "What happened might not have been a coincidence; there's something else behind that fog bank. It might be possible that the fog that appeared around us is an attack called Mist."
He looked at everyone in the briefing room as he continued, "I have a feeling Lapras might've known that attack and used it as a cover-up for what are his real actions; he was acting as bait on the front lines so whatever friends it has during this time including the Ambipom and Toedscruel we encountered could make off with our food."
"Ah, that's right! Friede, everyone, we have something to tell you," Roy realized as he quickly recounted his group's meeting Ambipom and Toedscruel. "We encountered a wild Ambipom and Toedscruel on the stern and they tried to steal our berries while we were in the mist!"
"One of them even got a cheap shot on me and Sarah by using Mud Shot on our faces while Ambipom tried to steal my Tomato Berry!" Fuecoco confirmed, still being sore about Toedscruel's Mud Shot to his and Sarah's faces and his nearly-stolen berry.
"They were also crafty and very technical about their approach. None of us heard or saw them boarding the Brave Olivine until Fuecoco screamed at Ambipom before she could steal his Tomato Berry from under his nose. They must not be ordinary Pokemon Pirates," Lillie nodded firmly.
"Pokemon Pirates?"
"Ambipom and Toedscruel? But, that's impossible, we're out in the open ocean," Nemona and Arven began in surprise.
"Ambipom live out in jungles and forests and Toedscruel are found on the Socarrat Trail in Paldea's northern province, Tera Raid Battles, and the Kitakami and Timeless Woods. There's no way any of them would be in this area thousands of miles away from dry land," Penny noted, staggered by what she had heard.
"Believe it or not, it's true. The Pokemon that entered our ship without warning and left at the same time were an Ambipom and Toedscruel," confirmed Ludlow.
"Are you serious?!" Friede asked, looking surprised before he used his Rotom Phone to show pictures of the two Pokemon in question on the viewing screen via the screen projector.
"Yes, that's them! The ones that we met earlier!" Roy called out.
"I saw them, too!"
"Me, three!" added Liko and Sprigatito.
"We all did! Just before they disappeared on us after we caught them out and Suicune and Lapis arrived to help!" Kiawe concurred while Turtonator and Pyroar nodded in agreement.
"But, it's just as Penny said; both Ambipom and Toedscruel are forest natives and it's impossible to find them in open water. They don't even live in our world's oceans as far as we know," Friede replied doubtfully.
"There is also the fact that they are not known to live anywhere nearby, either," Diana concurred, surprising Roy and Liko as they looked at her.
"But, how did they come aboard if we're thousands of miles away from civilization and dry land, especially if they can't swim?"
"Are those two really wild Pokemon as described?" Murdock and Orla added, both feeling just as skeptical as Friede and Diana.
"There's something that you all might want to know regarding that," Dot informed as she, her Featherhide, and Quaxly joined in the conversation.
"Dot?" Liko asked before the young recluse showed everyone a visual of Wailord, shocking Race as he recognized the silhouetted Wailord before him and everyone else on the screen.
"What is that?" Roy asked curiously.
"I managed to film it as it was getting away earlier but the fog, if it was a Mist attack, was too thick for me to get a good look at it."
"A boat, then?"
"Does that mean those Pokemon have a trainer targeting us?" Liko and Roy theorized.
"No, they were acting on their own and while they were speaking to Island Girl, they mentioned that their 'leader calls the shots' and they made no implication that this 'leader' of theirs is a human. My guess is that their 'leader must've been Lapras," Race countered.
"Speaking of Mist, Race, Sarah, that's another thing I'm curious about," Friede said, looking at the royal couple with interest.
"Especially since it involves the timing of the fog bank when it appeared as we arrived," Diana added with a knowing smile.
Sarah and Race were surprised but they had to smile back as they replied, "Friede, Diana..."
"So, Island Girl and I weren't the only ones who noticed there was more going on at that point, then..."
"Yeah, and judging from that silhouette, that's very clearly a Wailord."
"Just like the Wailord Tapu Koko called to take Sarah and her family back then to Ulu'Ulu Island to rescue Dusk and Luna's parents and again when it helped bring them to Poni Island so they could follow Lillie and Gladion to the Altar of the Sunne after Lusamine was taken to Ultra Space."
"They needed a way to get to them and through Tapu Koko, that Wailord back home answered their call," Ash, Mallow, and Lana informed knowingly.
"Got that right."
"Most definitely."
"I can't argue with that."
"And, if that big fish dude is with them..."
"There will be others like them around and we haven't noticed them yet," Pikachu, Tsareena, Shaymin, Sandy, and Primarina nodded in agreement.
Friede and Diana nodded as they shared their sentiments before the unconventional professor added to the mix, "Also, there was also a foreboding warning whenever fog was about to come in...
"But here, out in the open sea, it appeared from out of the blue which means..." Mollie deducted.
"Then, does that mean that fog bank's the Mist attack as you suggested?!" Liko asked her best friends who nodded in confirmation.
"Lapras are capable of learning the Mist attack and it's a very effective tactic for defense and evasion if you want to blind-sight your opponents and either get the drop on them or run away to safety. So, maybe..." Sarah explained before trailing off.
Eri gasped in realization, "Of course, that explains the captain and his crew's missing cargo! Lapras and his 'crew' stole it from under their noses using Mist!"
"W-What?" Roy spluttered.
"But, Lapras saved us just now! What makes you think that-?" Orla began incredulously. "Hold it, Orla," Friede cut in as he began to make a plan.
"But, if that Wailord really is hooked up with Ambipom, Toedscruel, and Lapras, what if there are more Pokémon like them?" Gladion thought.
"That, I don't want to know!" Sophocles hoped.
"Well, seeing that a Wailord is large enough to carry a massive variety of Pokémon as the silhouette showed, who knows how many more joined up with the lot with Lapras as their leader?" Tsukumaro sighed grimly.
"They're smart ones, I'll give them that; apart from Friede, Diana, Sarah, and Race, Lapras and his crew managed to dupe us with Mist and tried to steal from us like the clever pirates they are."
"And, I'll bet that's what happened to the other ship crews that crossed paths with them here including the captain and his crew inquired earlier," Kukui and Burnet said as the latter held and comforted Lei.
"Hey, they're right! Maybe the other reports about ship crews meeting Lapras through its Mist attack and the cargo they all lost along the way are all connected," Lillie nodded, starting to get the bigger picture.
"And, there's something else, too... After Toedscruel blind-sighted Island Girl and Fuecoco with Mud Shot and he and Ambipom prepared to escape, I saw the Wailord approach the Brave Olivine. But, the thing about it is that...it was scarred," Race informed.
Sarah nodded in agreement before she added, "And, it wasn't just the Wailord that was scarred according to Race. Earlier, he, Marena, and I looked closer at the Lapras ahead of us; we couldn't be sure until it made itself clear to us... I think, that Lapras...was indeed Lucius' Lapras, the fifth of the Six Heroes we're looking for."
Race and Marena nodded in agreement and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers gasped in surprise while Murdock inquired incredulously, "How did you three know that through that Mist attack we were in earlier?!"
"My husband's Lapras is distinctive; he had a scar over his left eye, a cracked shell, and was far larger than the rest of his species. It's him," Marena replied firmly.
"But, if we're going to confirm it, we'll need a plan," Friede replied as he was still thinking of a plan while the conversation continued until... "Right, I got it!"
"Friede?" puzzled Liko after seeing Friede getting a brainstorm.
"Everybody, we're making a U-turn back the way we came! It's time we pay another visit to Lapras and unmask the mist behind his hidden agenda."
"Huh?" Everyone was surprised as they just stared at the unconventional professor.
But, Friede didn't care and turned to Ludlow and Orla first with what he had in mind, "Orla, I want you in the engine room to prepare for our turnaround. Old Man, feel like taking the Brave Olivine for a spin?"
"I'm with you."
"Easy as pie," they nodded.
Then, he turned to Mollie, Murdock, and Cap, "Murdock, Mollie, I have another job for you two regarding this new mission. You're in, too, Cap. Come with me."
"**Alright!**" Cap grinned as he joined his human brother-in-arms.
"That's all well and good but why call for us?"
"Just what do you have in mind, Friede?" the traveling doctor and friendly cook inquired suspiciously.
"Nothing much, just a little change of approach, that's all. Everyone else, you're all on standby, our visitors will be waiting for us once we're in the eye of the mist."
The unconventional professor then turned his attention to Ash and Sarah, needing their help with something he had in mind for Cap, "Sarah, Ash, I'll need you two, Pikachu, and Blitz on the outside."
The future Pokemon Master, the little princess, and their respective Mouse Pokémon didn't know what Friede was thinking but they knew it must be important, especially since Cap was generous enough to trust them with their help by a single wink he gave them. And so, they agreed to join him for what he had in mind for them and his front-line partner.
Without delay, Ludlow took control of the Brave Olivine and made a U-turn, to head back into Lapras' territory with the Dragon Craft and everyone else in it following along.
With Liko, Roy, Ash, Gladion, Race, and the Pokémon School Gang, they and their Pokémon returned to the stern, readying themselves for Lapras and his crew despite knowing that the fog from Mist was completely gone and they would be returning into Pokémon Pirate territory. After hearing what Friede has in mind, Asha joined in on the operation to lend a hand in dealing with the pirates under Lapras' wing.
"The fog's completely gone by this point," Roy noted.
"So, how will we find it if it's not there?" Liko agreed, concerned if they'd see Lapras again through Friede's latest gamble.
They soon heard the sounds of boxes being stacked and decided to check on Murdock and Mollie, seeing them (with the voluntary assistance of the Blueberry Academy students and their Partner Pokémon) stack several boxes of food from the hold and placing them on deck for the Pokémon Pirates to steal.
"Huh?!"
"What's going on?!" Liko and Roy questioned, both of them baffled.
"Phew, man, are they heavy," sighed Mollie after she stacked another box.
"This is hard..." agreed Ortega.
"Well, we gotta keep going, you guys. If Lucius's Lapras and his crew *are* responsible for this, it's our only chance of knowing whether or not it's true," Kieran encouraged.
"Little Bro's right, guys. We gotta make this count so let's hustle, pitter-patter," added Carmine.
"Guys, what exactly are you doing?" Asha quizzed as Murdock brought in another berry box from the hold.
"Oh, Asha! You've just arrived? Well, the truth is, Friede asked Mollie and I to pull out all of the boxes of Pokémon food from the hold and put them on deck," Murdock explained, showing the heroes the Pokémon food he and the traveling doctor were pulling out with help from her, Race, and Sarah's Blueberry Academy classmates.
"There was a lot more food in there than they originally thought so we volunteered to help them bring it all out!" added Drayton.
"We don't know why but it concerns those Pokémon pirates," Lacey concurred.
"Where's Sis?" Asha asked, wondering where Sarah had gotten to while Liko and Roy looked on in confusion.
"She, Ash, Pikachu, and Blitz are with Friede and Cap on the Wing Deck! He said he needed them for something important," answered Crispin.
With the sextet in question, they gathered on the Wing Deck just as it was being set up as the Battle Deck while Ludlow continued to steer with great care and expert sailing precision into the pirates' territory.
"Are you sure this is going to work, Friede?" Ash questioned the unconventional professor.
"Well, we won't know until we try. And, if my hunch is right, it should happen any second" Friede replied as they got on the Battle Deck and the fog came down moments later before the Brave Olivine was rocked again. "Talk about perfect timing. I can't see a thing but our Pikachu including Cap aren't extraordinary Pikachu for nothing. Are you two, Pikachu, and Blitz ready?"
"Yeah/Ready!"
"You bet/Pikachu's honor!" the former classmates replied.
Friede nodded as he turned to Cap and they began his plot, "Well, Cap, curtains up. You're on!"
"Showtime, pal!" grinned the Brave Olivine captain as he unleashed his signature Volt Tackle Cyclone.
"Our turn, Ash!"
"Right!"
"Pikachu/Blitz, let's go!" Ash and Sarah shouted, allowing Pikachu and Blitz to use Volt Tackle and join their fellow Electric Type to add more power to his cyclone.
"Let's unleash the power...!"
"...Brave the storm...!"
"...And, fly even higher than the sun!"
"USE TRIPLE VOLT TACKLE!" Through the combined powers of all three Pikachu and their Volt Tackle attacks, Pikachu, Cap, and Blitz wafted away the mist surrounding the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft. And, when they did, they found a surprise waiting for them from their shared vantage point.
"Mom, Ash, Friede, over there!"
"To our left!"
"Pirates, ahoy!" they screamed, pointing to an entire Pokémon Pirates joining the Ambipom and Toedscruel from before.
They were right; when Friede, Ash, and Sarah looked down from their right, they were surprised to find not just Ambipom and Toedscruel but also a Vigoroth, a Galarian Slowbro, two Bibarel, a Barbaracle, a Mandibuzz, a Jellicent couple, an Octillery, a Clawitzer, a Dragalge, Wailord, a Remoraid, a Mantine, and a Dhelmise.
However, none of them were phased by their mist cover being blown and carried on with whatever plan they had in mind. Once they had agreed, Toedscruel and Ambipom made the first move, jumping aboard the Brave Olivine and making their way toward the boxes of Pokémon food left for them and their fellow pirates.
"Hey, you!"
"Who are you and do you want?" Murdock and Mollie demanded as the pair bypassed them and the Blueberry Academy students and reached the Pokémon food before being stopped by Astrid, Stormfly, Skystorm, and Flystorm.
"I wouldn't touch them if I were you," the tomboy Viking smirked just as Roy and Fuecoco came to see what the commotion was about and saw Ambipom and Toedscruel (although they were keeping their cool and not at all worried about being caught by the heroes).
"It's those guys again!"
"They're back," the adventurous pair growled.
"So, it's true."
"There was a Pokémon pirate crew waiting for us," muttered Sarah and Ash, narrowing their eyes at the Pokémon pirates below them and Friede.
"So, you did have pals joining you in your heists, after all," Friede added with an impressed smirk, knowing who was responsible for masterminding the attempted hijacking. "Sarah and Race were right in what they said; that 'guiding lost ships' bit was a sham for you to take advantage of sailors and their cargo... Ain't that the truth, Lapras?"
He then eyed the familiar shape of the Transport Pokémon they were looking for and Liko, Roy, and their group finally saw him, rushing to the stern's endpoint to see the fifth member of Lucius' Six Heroes just as Marena (her hopes soaring high) and Lazuli came over to see him as well.
As the two women, Galaxagus, Timburr, Woobat, Roggenrola, Minty, and Panthera arrived, Larmina, Topaz, and Garnet toddled over as they also felt Lapras' presence and wanted to help them and their family and friends reach him.
Sarah also turned her attention to Lucius' Transport Pokémon as the Water/Ice Type looked at the heroes behind him with a cold glare through his eyes including his scarred left eye. He then eyed Sarah, Marena, Liko, Terapagos, Larmina, Topaz, and Garnet, his glare unfaltering before he gave off a proud yet extremely ferocious roar, leaving the young girl, the little princess, and Lucius' wife in stunned awe and wondering what he was going to do next as their blood ran cold.
Marena, in particular, felt very uneasy after hearing his mighty roar as she thought, "Lapras, old friend... I don't know if you remember me and Lucius after all this time, but... I've waited all this time to see you along with Arboliva, Moltres, and Rayquaza... I have a question and you will answer it no matter how much it scares me: do you forgive me for what I had to do to protect you all...?"
To Be Continued...