The Southern Air Temple

A little time after their encounter with Prince Zuko, Makoto and the others are set to get moving again after a night of camping. Katara was on Appa's saddle, Makoto just finished packing up the rest of his things, even while pausing to look at his upgraded Synchro Machine.

Aang looked excited as he tightened up Appa's reins. "Wait 'til you see it, guys. The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world." The Airbender just couldn't wait to show his friends one of the Air Temples.

Katara was being cautious with what she had to say to him. "Aang, I know you're excited, but it's been a hundred years since you've been home."

"That's why I'm so excited!" Aang happily said.

"It's just a lot can change in all that time." Katara told him.

"I know, but I need to see it for myself." Aang Airbends off of Appa and lands next to Sokka...who was still asleep. "Wake up, Sokka! Air Temple, here we come!"

"Sleep now...Temple later." Sokka rolled over and snored once again.

Aang blinked, but soon he had a mischievous grin on his face when an idea came to him. He grabbed a stick and ran it up and down Sokka's sleeping bag. "Sokka! Wake up! There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!"

That did the trick. Sokka's eyes snapped open and he shot up, shouting. "Get it off! Get it off!" He yelped when he tripped and fell on his front on the ground.

Makoto couldn't help but laugh at the scene. "Good morning!"

"Great! You're up, let's go!" Aang happily said. Sokka realized that he was tricked, and he didn't look happy about it.

While the gang was getting ready to head out for Aang's home, Zuko was left with no choice but to take his damaged ship over to one of the Fire Nation's navel yards. His ship was not only damaged...but it also looked smaller compared to the other ships that were there.

Zuko stepped out of his ship along with Iroh. "Uncle, I want the repairs made as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay too long and lose their trail."

"You mean the Avatar and the boy with those unusual creatures?" Iroh asked.

Zuko quickly turned to face his uncle. "Don't mention the Avatar's name on these docks! Once word gets out that the Avatar is alive, every Firebender will be out looking for him and I don't want anyone getting in the way."

"Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?" Another voice asked out of nowhere. Zuko and Iroh turned and looked to see that another Firebender was now standing in front of him.

"Captain Zhao." Zuko said with distaste.

"It's commander now." Zhao corrected him. Then he turned to bow at Iroh. "And General Iroh, great hero of our nation."

"Retired general." Iroh corrected the commander.

"The Fire Lord's brother and son are welcomed guests anytime. What brings you to my harbor?" Zhao asked the two of them.

"Our ship is being repaired." Iroh gestured to the damaged ship.

Zhao looked to observe the damage done to the ship. "That's quite a bit of damage."

"Yes...you wouldn't believe what happened." Zuko quickly gave Iroh a sideways glance. "Uncle! Tell Commander Zhao what happened."

Iroh's eyes widened as he blinked at what his nephew just placed on him. "Yes, I will do that. It was incredible." Not knowing what else to say, Iroh leaned a little closer to Zuko to whisper something. "What...did we crash into something?"

Zuko added to that. "Uh, yes! Right into an Earth Kingdom ship."

"Really? You must regale me with all the thrilling details." Zhao moved his face closer to Zuko's. "Join me for a drink?"

"Sorry, but we have to go." Zuko was just about to leave.

Iroh placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder to stop him. "Prince Zuko, show Commander Zhao your respect." He turned to the commander. "We would be honored to join you." He and Zhao began to walk. "Do you have any ginseng tea? It's my favorite."

Zuko growled in frustration and released fired from his fists in anger. Finally, he followed after his uncle and the commander down the dock.

Back with Aang and the others, the Avatar was now steering Appa in the direction of his home. While that was going on, Makoto was telling them about the adventures he had back in his home dimension.

"...After I caught Pecharunt, everyone in Kitakami returned to their normal selves. Some time after that, I enjoyed the rest of my vacation there with Nemona, Arven, Penny, Carmine, and Kieran before the six of us went back to our respective schools." Makoto wrapped up his tale.

Katara was amazed by the story. "Whoa, Makoto! You've really been through a lot ever since you enrolled into the Naranja Academy."

Aang grinned. "This Treasure Hunt assignment really sounds like fun!"

Makoto rubbed the back of his head. "Well, my Pokemon and I DID had to deal with some rough stuff along the way, but we still had a good time."

"So, do you have Ogerpon, Terapagos, and Pecharunt with you?" Katara asked him.

Makoto shook his head. "Actually, the three of them are back in my dimension. A Pokemon Trainer like me is only allowed to carry a maximum of six Pokemon."

"Only six, eh?" Sokka questioned. "And you told us you can make a battle more unique by using an orb to let your Pokemon do something called...Teraforming?"

"It's actually called Terastallizing." Makoto corrected Sokka. "It's a petty big thing around Paldea." He brought out his Tera Orb. "When Terastallized, a Pokemon's moves of the same Tera Type get quite a boost. Not only that, but there are some trainers who have Pokemon that can completely change their types when it happens."

"That's amazing!" Aang said.

"I may not have a Pokemon with me that has a Tera Type that's completely different than their own type, but I can show you guys what it looks like when we get to the Air Temple if you want." Makoto offered.

Katara smiled and nodded. "I'd like to see that."

"Same here!" Aang happily agreed.

Sokka was about to reply, but then his stomach growled, demanding food. "Hey, stomach, be quiet, all right? I'm trying to find us some food." He searched through the food bag. When he tried to dump it out...only a few crumbs dropped on his glove. "Hey! Who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?"

"Oh, that was food?" Makoto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head while he gave Sokka and apologetic look. "Sorry, Sokka, I used it to start the campfire last night."

"You WHAT!?" Sokka groaned as he remembered the fire from last night. "No wonder the flames smelled so good." He even drooled a little at the thought.

Appa was swooping even closer to the mountains in front of them, and Aang knew what they were and what it means. "The Batola mountain range! We're almost there!"

Katara looked uneasy about what she was about to say to the Airbender. "Aang? Before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the Airbenders."

"What about'em?" Aang asked.

"Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see." Katara told him. "The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother and they could have done the same to your people."

Aang just relaxed on Appa's head. "Just because no one has seen an Airbender, doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped."

"I know it's hard to accept." Katara said.

"You don't understand, Katara. The only way to get to an Airbender Temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the Fire Nation has any flying bison." Aang turned to his flying bison. "Right, Appa?" He rubbed Appa's head, making the flying bison grunt in reply. "Yip yip!"

Appa flies them around the mountains. He made it up and over a rocky outcropping and some treetops. Finally, they were able to see an Air Temple in front of them.

"There it is...the Southern Air Temple." Aang told his friends.

Makoto smiled as he looked at the temple. "Wow, I wish my friends were here with us to see this."

"Aang, it's amazing!" Katara couldn't believe her eyes.

"We're home, buddy. We're home." Aang told Appa. His eyes never left the Southern Air Temple.

Back with Commander Zhao, he was telling Prince Zuko and Iroh something while at a big map on the wall of the tent they were in. "And by year's end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule." He turned to Zuko who was sitting in a chair. "The Fire Lord will finally claim victory in this war." Iroh was inspecting a set of weapons that were in the tent as well.

"If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he's a fool." Zuko said.

Zhao took a seat in a chair next to Zuko. "Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue. So, how is your search for the Avatar going?"

A crash was heard. Zuko and Zhao saw that Iroh knocked over the set of weapons he was looking at. Iroh cringes at the mess he just made. "My fault entirely." He sheepishly backed away from Zhao.

"We haven't found him yet." Zuko answered Zhao's question.

The commander turned to the prince. "Did you really expect to? The Avatar died a hundred years ago, along with the rest of the Airbenders." While Zuko looked away, Zhao's face looked kinda eager. "Unless you found some evidence that the Avatar is alive."

Zuko still looked away. "No. Nothing."

Zhao stood up from his chair. "Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war." He leaned in closer to Zuko. "If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found."

"I haven't found anything. It's like you said. The Avatar probably died a long time ago. Come on, Uncle, we're going." Zuko got up and tried to leave, but the guards crossed their spears in front of him, preventing him from leaving the tent.

Another guard approaches Zhao to tell him something. "Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let him escape. They also informed us that the Avatar was with someone else: a boy who seems to have some strange and unusual creatures with him."

Zhao smiled as he walked over to Zuko. "Now, remind me...how exactly was your ship damaged?"

Zuko glared at Zhao, knowing now that he was caught red handed.

After landing at the Southern Air Temple, Aang, Katara, and Sokka were standing in front of Makoto in a big open area next to Appa. The Pokemon Trainer had his six Poke Balls in his hands.

"You've seen about half of my team, now it's time for you to meet the whole team. Come on out!" He tossed the Poke Balls into the air. They opened to reveal Makoto's entire Pokemon team.

Aang grinned as he saw the six of them, Katara was amazed, Sokka took a step back in shock when he saw Koraidon. "That's one of yours!?" He pointed his weapon in Koraidon's direction.

Makoto rubbed the side of Koraidon's neck. "Don't worry, Sokka. This is Koraidon, a Fighting and Dragon-Type. Koraidon's friendly, he won't hurt you." Koraidon growled happily.

"So, who are the rest of your team?" Katara asked.

Makoto walked over to Meowscarada. "Well, like I said, you've already seen them, but these are my Pokemon brothers: Meowscarada, Golduck, and Armarouge."

"Meow." Meowscarada gave a small bow.

Golduck grinned at his trainer's new friends. "Golduck!"

"Arma." Armarouge simply nodded his head.

Makoto waved his hand to Raichu and Tinkaton. "And over there are the two you've never seen before. They're my Pokemon sisters: Raichu and Tinkaton."

"Raichu." Raichu kindly greeted them.

"Tinka!" Tinkaton waved.

Aang took a look at what Tinkaton was holding and blinked. "Uh, that's a pretty big hammer Tinkaton's holding, isn't it?"

Makoto grinned. "Well it has to be. A Tinkaton is best known for swinging a big hammer at an opponent."

Sokka grinned a little after hearing that. "Now that's actually pretty smart." That made Tinkaton stand proud.

"So, this is my team." Makoto gestured to the three male Pokemon. "Three brothers," He waved to the two females. "two sisters," He finally placed a hand on Koraidon to wrap up the introductions. "and one guardian dragon."

After introducing them, Makoto let his Pokemon stay out of their balls so they can look at the temple with the others.

Aang was happily taking the lead while Makoto, Katara, and Sokka were behind him. Sokka clutched his stomach in hunger. "So when do I get something to eat?"

"You're lucky enough to be one of the first outsiders to ever visit an Airbender temple and all you can think about is food?" Katara asked her brother.

Sokka shrugged. "I'm just a simple guy with simple needs."

Raichu tilted her head when she heard that. "Raichu?"

Aang waited on an edge to let the others catch up. Once they did, he pointed to some of the parts of the area below them. "So that's where my friends and I would play Air Ball. And...over there would be where the bison would sleep...and..." He trailed off with a sigh.

"What's wrong, Aang?" Makoto asked the Avatar.

"This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds." Aang looks on in sadness. "I can't believe how much things have changed."

Katara, Sokka, Makoto, and even the Pokemon looked at each as if trying to find a way to cheer him up. Suddenly, Armarouge walked over to Aang. "Armarouge. Arma Rouge." The Fire Warrior Pokemon was pointing at the field where the game Air Ball would be played.

Seeing what his Fire/Psychic-Type Pokemon was trying to do, Makoto smiled and walked over to them as well. "Aang, I think Armarouge is curious about Air Ball. How do you play?" That made the Airbender smile again.

Soon, Armarouge was standing in the field. Aang was on the other end with the ball, using his Airbending to keep it floating above his hand. He throws it up into the air with Armarouge following it with his eyes. Aang placed his hands behind his back, closed his eyes and smiled. When the ball came back down, he cracked an eye open and used his Airbending at the right time to send the ball smacking through the field of sticks as if it was like a game of pinball. Armarouge watched as the ball got closer. His eyes glowed and he made the ball stop just before it could hit him. Using his Psychic powers, Armarouge thrusts his arm forward and made the ball hit the field on its way back to Aang's side. The Avatar kept his smile before going for another dose of Airbending to send the ball back away. Armarouge wasn't fast enough to send it back, he barely had enough time just to duck while the ball shot over his head and into the goal behind him. The ball ended up hitting Sokka in the stomach, sending him down on his back.

Aang cheered at his victory. "Yes! Aang four, Armarouge three!" He gave the Pokemon a compliment. "Good game, Armarouge!"

The Fire Warrior seemed to be glad for both the compliment and the fun game because he happily closed his eyes and nodded. "Rouge!"

Makoto, Katara, and the other five Pokemon watched as Sokka painfully got up, still holding the ball. "Watching Armarouge making him feel better is putting me in a world of hurt." Golduck couldn't help but laugh a little at what just happened to Sokka.

Makoto smiled while he turned his head to Aang and Armarouge. "Well, at least Aang's having fun. Plus I think Armarouge's found a new favorite game."

Sokka tossed the ball away, but as he did his eyes spotted something that made him move forward. He crawled over to it and saw that it was a Fire Nation helmet lying on the ground. "Guys, check this out."

Katara, Makoto, and the Pokemon came and saw the helmet as well. "Fire Nation." Katara said quietly.

Makoto looked serious as he turned to the Southern Water Tribe siblings. "We'd better tell him about this."

Katara nodded and turned to call to Aang. "Aang, there's something you need to see."

"Okay!" Aang began to make his way over to them. Armarouge was next to him.

Katara looked back and forth between the helmet and the happy Airbender coming their way, unsure of what to do. Finally making a choice, she Waterbends the snow on a nearby bank down onto the helmet, as well as Sokka to cover it up. That got both Golduck and Tinkaton to laugh at Sokka's misfortune.

Aang and Armarouge got to them. "What is it?" the Avatar asked.

"Uh...just a new Waterbending move I learned." Katara said uneasily. Both Makoto and Meowscarada just raised an eyebrow at her.

"Nice one, but enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see!" Aang happily walks off to show them the temple.

Sokka got up and wiped some snow off his shoulders. "You know, you can't protect him forever." He told his sister.

They were now making their way to the entrance gate to the temple itself. While Aang runs in there alone, Sokka, Katara, Makoto, and his Pokemon were behind while the humans had a talk involving Aang.

"Katara, Firebenders were here." Sokka said seriously. "You can't pretend they weren't."

"I can for Aang's sake." Katara walked away while the boys and the Pokemon followed her. "If he finds out that the Fire Nation invaded his home, he'll be devastated."

"Listen, I know you don't want him to be crushed by the news. But even if we don't tell him, he'll find out on his own." Makoto told her. Koraidon gave a sad growl, making Makoto turn to rub his head softly. "Yeah, I know. The truth can hurt."

"Hey, guys!" Aang called out to them. They saw that he was motioning towards statues of some monks. "I want you to meet somebody."

They walked over to see the statue he was standing in front of. "Who's that?" Makoto asked.

"Monk Gyatso, the greatest Airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know." Aang smiled as he thought back to his teacher.

Flashback 100 years earlier:

"But the true secret..." Monk Gyatso pulled a cake out of the oven and placed it with the others. He used his Airbending to raise the filling on top a little. "...is in the gooey center."

He looked to see that Aang wasn't paying attention to the lesson. "My ancient cake making technique isn't the only thing on your mind, is it, Aang?" Monk Gyatso asked his pupil.

Aang gave his teacher an answer. "This whole Avatar thing...maybe the monks made a mistake."

"The only mistake they made was telling you before you turned sixteen. But we can't concern ourselves with what was, we must act on what is." Monk Gyatso gestured to the temple around them, full of flying bison and other residence.

"But Gyatso, how do I know if I'm ready for this?" Aang asked his teacher.

"Your questions will be answered when you are old enough to enter the Air Temple Sanctuary." Monk Gyatso replied. "Inside you will meet someone who will guide you on your journey."

Hearing that made Aang excited as he jumped to his feet to face Gyatso. "Who is it?"

"When you are ready, he will reveal himself to you." Aang sighed in frustration at Gyatso's reply, but the older Airbender just smiled as he asked his student one more question. "Now, are you going to help me with these cakes or not?"

Aang smiled at his teacher again. "All right."

Both Aang and Monk Gyatso stood in front of the four cakes, getting into Airbending stances. They both made air balls and got ready to throw them. "One...Two...Three!" Gyatso counted down. When it got to three, they threw their air balls at the cakes, launching them high into the air.

The cakes came back down...on four meditating monks. Not long after that, the surprised monks were surrounded by lemurs who began to feast on the splattered cakes.

Aang and Gyatso saw this and had a good laugh about it. After the laugh, they bowed to each other in respect. Monk Gyatso then pats Aang on the head. "Your aim has improved greatly, my young pupil."

Flashback end:

Aang bows to the statue of Monk Gyatso.

Katara placed a hand on his shoulder. "You must miss him."

"Yeah." Aang moves on to go into the temple.

"Where are you going?" Makoto asked the Airbender.

"The Air Temple Sanctuary." Aang answered the Pokemon Trainer's question. "There's someone I'm ready to meet."

Katara and Makoto turned to Sokka and the Pokemon. The seven of them just shrugged before they all followed after Aang into the temple.

Soon they were all standing in front of a big door leading to the Air Temple Sanctuary.

Makoto looked at the door with a raised eyebrow. "I don't know about this, Aang. Nobody could've survived in there for a hundred years."

"It's not impossible. I survived in the iceberg for that long." Aang pointed out.

"Good point." Katara agreed.

"Whoever's in there might help me figure out this Avatar thing!" Aang said.

"And whoever's in there might have some delicious pure meats!" Sokka said in hunger. He rushed over to the door and tried to open it...only to crash into and land on his back. He got up and turned to Aang. "I don't suppose you have a key."

"The key, Sokka, is Airbending." Aang replied. The Airbender took a deep breath before he used his Airbending on the pipes of the door. The air pushed through the pipes, turning the red symbols on it to the blue side one at a time. The door was unlocked and opened up to let the Avatar and his friends inside.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Aang called out. He got no reply, so he walked inside the room, followed by Katara, Sokka, Makoto, and the Pokemon.

Back with Zhao, he walked in front of Zuko who was now back in his seat, clearly unhappy.

"So, a twelve year old boy, as well as a child that's younger than the boy both defeated you and your Firebenders? You're more pathetic than I thought." Zhao told Zuko.

"I underestimated them once, but it will not happen again." Zuko said.

"No, it will not, because you won't have a second chance." Zhao sternly said.

Zuko was alarmed by what he was just told. "Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years and I-"

Zhao cuts him off. "And you failed!" He's now towering over Zuko. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. He's mine now. Not just him, but that boy who seems to have a special bond with these odd creatures. From what I was told, he might be just as dangerous as the Avatar himself."

In anger, Zuko launched himself at Zhao...but was restrained by the guards that were standing behind him. As he turned to leave, Zhao gave an order to his guards. "Keep them here."

In further frustration, Zuko kicks the table away. Iroh was sitting there while the little scene was unfolding, drinking some tea. "More tea please?"

Back in the Air Temple Sanctuary, Aang and the others walked further inside and saw that the room was filled with a bunch of statues.

"Statues!? That's it? Where's the meat?" Sokka moaned.

Makoto looked at the statues with his Pokemon. "Who are all of these guys?"

Aang looked uncertain. "I'm not sure, but it feels like I know them somehow." He pointed at a statue in front of them. "Look! This one's an Airbender!"

Katara pointed at the statue next to the one Aang pointed out. "And this one's a Waterbender. They're lined up in a pattern: air, water, earth, and fire."

"That's the Avatar cycle." Aang realized.

Katara figured it out. "Of course! They're Avatars. All these people are your past lives, Aang."

While the Pokemon looked at each other silently, Sokka was skeptical. "Past lives? Katara you really believe in that stuff?"

"It's true." Katara told her brother. "When the Avatar dies he's reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle."

Makoto looked up and saw a lot more statues. "I believe in reincarnation, but this is taking it to an entirely new level. I can't even see the top!"

Aang looks at a statue of another Avatar and just looks at it, not blinking. It was as if the person the statue was made after had some role to play in Aang's life as the Avatar.

Meowscarada noticed that Aang looked like he was in some sort of trance, so he shook his shoulder to snap him out of it. "Meow? Meowscarada!"

The Magician Pokemon got the Airbender to snap out of it. "Huh?"

Meowscarada pointed at the statue in front of them. "Rada?"

"Who's that?" Aang asked. When Meowscarada nodded, Aang gave an answer. "That's Avatar Roku. The Avatar before me."

The others walked over to look at the statue. "You were a Firebender? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met." Sokka said.

Katara looked at the statue carefully. "There's no writing. How do you know his name?"

Aang shrugged. "I'm not sure...I just know it somehow."

Sokka growls in frustration. "You just couldn't get any weirder!"

"Maybe he got lucky. I mean, I've seen a lot of things when I was in the middle of my Treasure Hunt, and even I'm still surprised by the stuff I've seen in places like Kitakami and Area Zero." Makoto said.

Sokka gave him a dull look. "I take that back...BOTH of you couldn't get any weirder!"

They sensed a presence and turned their attention back to the entrance. There they saw a shadow with long ears heading their way. Thinking fast, Aang, Makoto, Katara, and Sokka hid behind a couple of statues. Makoto returned all of his Pokemon to have a better chance at hiding from the mysterious figure.

"Firebender." Sokka whispered. "Nobody make a sound."

"You're making a sound!" Katara argued, only to be shushed by the boys.

As he saw the shadow getting closer, Makoto held Tinkaton's Poke Ball in his hand. "I think one smack from Tinkaton's Gigaton Hammer should be enough to get him off the Southern Air Temple."

Sokka grinned at the idea. "Good thinking, Makoto. That Firebender won't know what hit'em."

When the figure got close enough, they peaked from their hiding spot. But they saw that it wasn't a Firebender at all, but rather a lemur whose long ears flopped down when he saw the four humans just looking at him.

Makoto blinked. "That's not a Firebender."

Recognizing the animal, Aang beamed. "Lemur!"

Sokka looked at him and drooled. "Dinner..."

The lemur blinked. "Don't listen to him!" Aang told the lemur. "You're gonna be my new pet."

"Not if I get him first!" Sokka said. Both he and Aang lunged at the lemur who screeched and ran away.

Aang and Sokka ran out of the sanctuary, chasing after the lemur. "Wait! Come back!" Aang called out. "I wanna eat you!" Sokka called out himself.

They both continued to chase after the lemur. Sokka takes a swipe at Aang's legs with his weapon, but the Airbender uses his Airbending skills to run on the walls, laughing as he did. Once he was far enough, Aang launches an air ball at Sokka, hitting him in the stomach and making him land on his face.

The lemur jumps on to the guardrail of the balcony. He sees Aang coming and jumps off, flying away. Aang jumps down and uses his Airbending to follow the lemur down the cliff.

Sokka caught up and saw Aang falling down. "Hey! No fair!"

Commander Zhao opened the flaps to his tent, entering to inform both Prince Zuko and Iroh of something. "My search party is ready. Once I'm out at sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship and you'll be free to go."

"Why? Are you worried I'm going to try and stop you?" Zuko asked.

Zhao laughed at that. "You? Stop me? Impossible."

Zuko got up and glared at Zhao. "Don't underestimate me, Zhao. I will capture the Avatar and the tamer of these beasts called Pokemon before you do!"

Iroh stood up to stop his nephew. "Prince Zuko, that's enough!"

"You can't compete with me." Zhao told the prince. "I have a hundred warships under my command. And you...you're just a banished prince. No home, no allies, your own father doesn't even want you."

"You're wrong. Once I deliver the Avatar and the Pokemon Tamer to my father, he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne." Zuko said.

"If your father really wanted you home, he'd have let you return by now, Avatar, strange creatures, or not." Zhao mentioned. "But in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation."

"That's not true!" Zuko argued.

"You have the scar to prove it." Zhao pointed out.

Zuko shot up to his feet and his face was just a little close to Zhao's. "Maybe you'd like one to match!"

Zhao took that as a challenge. "Is that a challenge?"

"An agni kai, at sunset!" Zuko declared.

"Very well." Zhao accepted the challenge. "It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle will do." He leaves to get ready for the challenge.

Iroh turned to Zuko with a worried look on his face. "Prince Zuko, have you forgotten what happened the last time you dueled a master?"

Not even looking, Prince Zuko answered his uncle. "I will never forget." He really won't. The scar on his face reminds him of it no matter what.

Back at the Air Temple, the lemur chase was still going on even after Aang and the lemur landed on the ground. The Airbender pounced on the lemur, but he missed. "Hey! Come back!" Aang chased after the lemur who crawled through an old tent.

Aang followed the lemur into the tent, but lost him. "Come on out, little lemur. That hungry guy won't bother you anymore." When Aang walked through a drape, he gasped in shock at what he saw.

He looked to see skeletons in Fire Soldier armor around the decaying building. "Firebenders? They were here?" Aang noticed the skeleton of an Airbender monk under the light. When he saw the necklace, he knew right away who it was. "Gyatso..." Seeing all of this made Aang fall to his knees in devastation.

Sokka entered the room himself. "Hey Aang, you find my dinner yet?" He sees that Aang was on his knees, crying. "Aang, I wasn't really gonna eat the lemur, okay?" He looks over at the skeletons and realizes why Aang's sad. "Oh, man...come on, Aang, everything will be all right. Let's get outta here."

Just as Sokka placed a hand on Aang's shoulder, the arrow tattoos gave off a glow. His eyes glowed as well. An angry expression was seen on Aang's face. Sokka gasped as he looked at the glowing Avatar.

Katara and Makoto kept looking at the statues back in the Air Temple Sanctuary. As they looked...the eyes on Roku's statue suddenly gave off a glow.

The two stepped back just as the eyes glowed on all of the other statues as well.

Makoto blinked as he saw that. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Katara guessed what happened and looked worried. "Aang!" She ran out of the sanctuary with Makoto not far behind her.

While that was going on in the Southern Air Temple, other temples around the dimension glowed as well...including one in the Fire Nation.

Seeing the glow and realizing what it means, an old sage leans out the door to talk to another sage. "Send word to the Fire Lord immediately! The Avatar has returned!"

The glow from the temple in the Fire Nation even caught the attention of a figure wearing a a dark purple hood. "Well, this is surprising. I'll continue my search while the people inside are distracted." Digging into his pocket, the figure looked down to look at what was in his hand...which happens to be a Poke Ball.

Back at the temple, Aang began to form a sphere of air around himself.

"Aang! Come on, snap out of it!" Sokka tried to reach for the glowing Avatar, but the wind pushed him away and destroyed the hut that they were in.

Katara and Makoto joined Sokka behind the rubble that was keeping them from being blown away. "Sokka, what happened to Aang!?" Makoto asked through the wind, keeping his hat from being blown away.

"He found out Firebenders killed Gyatso!" Sokka answered the question.

Katara looked over at the glowing Avatar. "Oh no, it's his Avatar spirit! He must have triggered it! I'm gonna try and calm him down!" She began to make her way to Aang.

"Well, do it before he blows us off the mountain!" Sokka was hanging on to the rubble while Katara slowly approached Aang. The Avatar was slowly rising into the air in his sphere.

While that was going on, Iroh watched as both Commander Zhao and Prince Zuko were ready to battle.

"Remember your Firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons." Iroh advised his nephew.

Zuko stood up. "I refuse to let him win."

Zhao was ready for the agni kai as well. "This will be over quickly."

A gong was heard, signaling the start of the agni kai. Zuko started off by firing his fire at Zhao, but the commander simply dodged the attacks. Zuko fired some more shots, but Zhao blocked only the last one with a satisfied look on his face. Zuko was frustrated, he moved towards Zhao while unleashing fire from his hands and feet. Zhao was prepared for that however, he dodged and blocked the attacks the prince threw his way before he fired some fire on the ground in front of him.

Iroh watched on anxiously. "Basics, Zuko! Break his roots!"

Zhao fired a volley of flames. Zuko blocked the attacks, but was still being pushed back. Zhao used both hands for one last blast and it was enough to send Zuko skidding back in the dirt. Zhao jumped after him, Zuko saw him coming down and tried to get up, but the best he could do was roll away to avoid Zhao's next blast of fire. As he did, he swept Zhao off his while he stood back up on his own. Seeing that made Zuko smile slightly, but he wasn't done yet. He used his feet to fire some more fire at Zhao. The commander was caught off guard and wobbled backwards slowly.

Iroh's fists were clenched and he had a hopeful smile on his face.

With another blast of fire, Zuko was able to knock Zhao on his back. Zuko rushed in and was ready for another blow on his down opponent. "Do it!" Zhao even encouraged Zuko to take the shot.

Zuko fired another shot at the spot next to Zhao. "That's it? Your father raised a coward." Zhao said.

"Next time you get in my way, I promise I won't hold back." Zuko turned and walked away from Zhao.

The commander gets up and angrily unleashes a whip of fire in Zuko's direction. The attack would've hit, but Iroh caught the commander by the foot, making the flames disappear. Iroh pushed Zhao back.

Mad about the sneak attack, Zuko was about to rush at Zhao, but Iroh held him back. "No, Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory." Iroh turned from his nephew to give the commander a look of disappointment. "So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat. Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you." Zuko had a surprised look on his face when he heard his uncle say that. "Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious." Iroh turned to leave while Zuko was not too far behind him. Zhao just glared as he watched the two of them leave through the gate.

"Did you really mean that, Uncle?" Zuko quietly asked Iroh.

"Of course." Iroh gave a sly answer. "I told you ginseng tea is my favorite."

With that, both uncle and nephew walked away to get back on the boat to continue the hunt for the Avatar...as well as the boy with the unique creatures. The boy that was now dubbed 'The Pokemon Tamer'.

At the Air Temple, Aang was still glowing and was still in the air sphere above the ground. Katara, Sokka, and Makoto were still hanging on to some of the rubble to avoid getting blasted away by the wind.

"Aang, I know you're upset..." Katara shouts out to the Avatar. "...and I know how hard it is to lose the people you love! I went through the same thing when I lost my mom! Monk Gyatso and the other Airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family! Me, Sokka, Makoto, and even Makoto's Pokemon! We're your family now!"

Katara's words must have worked, because Aang began to slowly come back down to the ground. They waited until Aang was on his feet. The sphere went away before they made their way over to him. He may not be in the air anymore, but he was still glowing.

"We're not going to let anything happen to you. Promise." Sokka gently said.

When Katara took a hold of his hand, Aang stopped glowing and he collapsed in her arms, both grief stricken and exhausted. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault." Katara assured him.

"But you were right. And if the Firebenders found this temple, that means they found the other ones too. I really AM the last Airbender." Aang said in sadness and realization. Katara holds him tighter, Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder and Makoto just gives him a reassuring look.

After the comfort time, Aang looked at the statue of Avatar Roku, wondering how the Avatar before him could help."

Makoto walked over to the Airbender. "Hey, Aang. Everything's packed. You ready to continue our trip to the North Pole?"

Aang didn't look away from the statue when he asked the Pokemon Trainer a question. "How is Roku supposed to help me if I can't talk to him?"

Makoto smiled a little as he placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "I don't know. Don't worry, though, I'm sure you'll find a way. If you want, I'll even help you find a way to talk to him."

Aang was so surprised, he finally looked away from the statue. "You will?"

Makoto nodded. "Of course. You're helping me find my friends and the Dimension Diamonds, think of it as my way of returning the favor."

Aang gave a small smile. But then they, Katara, and Sokka heard something and turned to the door. They saw that the lemur from before came back with something in hand. The lemur ran over to Sokka and dropped what he was carrying in front of his feet before he ran away from him. Sokka saw that he gave him a bunch of fruit and nuts and began to happily eat.

Both Aang and Makoto watched with smiles on their faces. "Look at that, Sokka. I see you've made a new little buddy." Makoto told the warrior.

"Can't talk. Must eat." Sokka replied with his mouth full.

The lemur scurried up Aang until he was perched on his head. "Hey, little guy."

Outside, Aang was giving the abandoned temple one last look with Appa and the lemur by his side. "You, me, and Appa." Aang was talking to the lemur. "We're all that's left of this place. We have to stick together." Aang turned to Sokka, Katara, and Makoto. "Guys, say hello to the newest member of our family."

"Nice to meet you, little fella." Makoto gently petted the lemur on the head.

"What are you gonna name him?" Katara asked the Airbender.

The lemur jumped off Aang's arm, snatched the peach that Sokka was about to eat and went back to the Avatar to eat it himself. That gave Aang an idea for a name for the lemur. "Momo." Sokka was surprised to see that the lemur, now named Momo, took his fruit. Aang, Katara, and Makoto had a good laugh at Sokka's reaction.

Katara was flying Appa away from the Southern Air Temple. Makoto looked to see that Aang and Momo were in the back of the saddle, giving the Avatar's childhood home one final look as it keeps getting further and further away. Makoto couldn't help but give his friend a sad/worried look. "Why does it have to be this way? Now thanks to the Fire Nation, Aang's only got Appa and Momo as a reminder of the Air Nomads."

Sokka was next to him, so he gave Makoto a little pat. "Chin up, Makoto. He's also got us, we'll help him through this. We can get back at those Firebenders with our own dose of Airbending, Waterbending, weapons, and even another shot at using your Synchro Form with your Pokemon."

"You're right, Sokka, we can..." Makoto trailed off and blinked because of what Sokka said. In confusion, he turned his head to the tribe warrior. "Wait, Synchro Form?"

That got Aang and Katara's attention as well. "Are you talking about what Makoto just did with Golduck back on that Fire Nation ship?" Aang asked in confusion.

Sokka nodded. "That's the one."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Why call it the Synchro Form?"

Sokka shrugged. "Why not? Makoto did say that his Synchro Machine on his wrist was what caused him and Golduck to merge in the first place. So, even while we were in the temple, I've been trying to think of something to call it that makes the most sense, and the first thing to pop into my mind was...well, Synchro Form."

Makoto looked down at the Synchro Machine on his left wrist. "That's...actually a good name for that form." He thought of something else. "And if I was able to change into a Synchro Form with Golduck...I think I might be able to do the same with my other Pokemon as well!"

"Guess we'll just have to find out for ourselves on the way, right?" Aang asked him with a smile.

Makoto smiled back and nodded. "Right!"

With that said, the four of them flew off to continue their quest to the North Pole.

Once again, that takes care of the trip to the Southern Air Temple! Like before the edit, as you can tell, Aang's not the only target for Zuko or even Zhao in this story, Makoto also needs to be careful because now he's a target thanks to his actions on Zuko's ship! As the story goes on, you'll be able to ready about the next Synchro Forms that Makoto and his Pokemon will be able to unlock together. But for now, see you on Kyoshi Island!