Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
"Mmmm…"
Alessandra splashed her face over the sink in her room. She grabbed a washcloth and dried her face and sighed. She looked into the mirror, planting her hands on the sink.
"You'll be fine… Balto's still out there. He's okay…"
She lightly slapped her cheeks.
"Balto wouldn't want you depressed…" She told herself as she closed her eyes. I miss you, bud…
She opened her eyes again, smirking. "Alright… here we go. Today you're facing the gym leader." She said as she looked through her phone.
"Brassius. The Grass type Gym Leader known for his art."
She smiled as she pulled out several makeup kits.
"As usual, I got the perfect setup for this."
She reached for the lipstick first. "Let's see… which shade do I want-"
Knock knock knock!
"Hmm?"
Alessandra walked over to the door, looked into the peep hole and saw Flandre on the other side. "Flanny?" She wondered as she opened the door. "What's up?"
"Hey, could you help me with something?" Flandre asked as she was sporting a new modern look that Alessandra had picked out for her the day before they set off for Alessandra's journey and before the Fashion War concluded.
Flandre was now wearing a white collared button-up, short-sleeved blouse that's neatly tucked in and a light grey button-up sleeveless sweater underneath a slightly fitted scarlet red blazer with gold buttons that are buttoned down, a black pleated miniskirt that falls above her knees, a pair of black knee-high socks decorated with two red horizontal stripes near the top, and a pair of white sneakers with red laces and minor accents on the backside. She was also wearing a loose untied black necktie around her neck with red stripes decorated somewhere in the middle, the silver opal bracelet Mabel gave her on her left wrist, and the Warriors of Hope's badge pinned to the right lapel of her blazer as she retains her trademark mob cap with the red ribbon still attached.
"Oh, I was right! You look adorable all modernized!" Alessandra smiled.
"Thanks… but I'm having trouble trying to tie this dumb tie."
"Oh, not to worry." Alessandra said, gently pulling Flandre to the mirror. "We can get you all situated. First thing is-"
She blinked, seeing herself in the mirror but Flandre's reflection was nowhere to be seen.
"...Right. Vampire." She sweatdropped.
"Duh." Flandre snickered.
"Okay, forget the mirror." She turned to Flandre and smiled, gently helping tying it up for her.
"Man, you're good at this…" Flandre said.
"Well, when you're going for a theme in your modeling, you tend to be a pro at some of this stuff."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I did a few modeling gigs where I posed as a waitress on rollerblades or a bellhop or even a businesswoman, they all had ties on them. Needless to say, I was a quick learner on the whole tying a tie thing."
"Even when you're looking straight at it and helping someone?"
"Hehe~ I had a few photoshoots of that too." She winked as she slid the knot up. "There! All done."
She pulled up a hand mirror. "What do you think?"
"...All I see is a wall."
Alessandra lightly facepalmed. "Vampire…" She shook her head as she snapped a photo instead.
"Oh cool!" Flandre said, her eyes sparkling as she hugged Alessandra. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome." Alessandra hugged her back as Flandre walked out of the door with a hum.
Alessandra giggled. "Cute kid… well, if you can call someone who's four hundred and ninety five a "kid"." She chuckled as she made her way back to her workshop.
BGM: Muse & Cocoon Menu (Fashion Dreamer)
She poked around with the lipstick until she found the right one. She pulled it up, took the lid off and applied the lime green lipstick on her lips. Once her lips were fully green, she puckered up and winked, before kissing the mirror out of habit, seeing green lipstick on the mirror.
"Perfect~!" Alessandra smiled before wiping the green lips off of the mirror before reapplying it on her lips.
She then hummed, proceeding to put on yellow eyeshadow with green trim while also applying some black eyeliner.
She then pulled out the nail polish and put a green base on her nails before carefully painting sunflowers on her nails. She pulled out a fan and turned it on, blowing them into her nails to dry them off.
With a hum, she went into her wardrobe to see what would work best for her, trying on some different clothing… before settling on a Gossifleur styled yellow sun hat with a Weepinbell pin on the side of her hair while wearing Bellossom flower earrings.
She was wearing a pale yellow blouse with some sunflowers on the front with a Sunflora in the middle of the decal, while also wearing a light green jacket while also sporting blue shorts with red stripes on the side with a Roselia and Roserade on both sides, then sported brown boots.
She immediately did a mini modeling shoot for herself, sending pictures to Coco.
"Damn girl, rock it!"
Alessandra smiled, putting everything away and smiled confidently. "Let's go get that gym badge."
End BGM
BGM: Artazon/Zapapico (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
Alessandra walked out of her room and made her way to the cafeteria where the others were chilling and having breakfast.
"Hmm? Whoa…!" Gloria said as she saw Alessandra. "Damn, lass! Yer lookin' incredible!"
"Thank you~!" Alessandra giggled. "Hey, wait a sec, where's Cian? Is he sleeping in again?"
"Actually, he's outside gettin' ready to head back to Naranuva." Marnie said.
"Oh!"
Alessandra headed outside where she saw him sitting on a bench. "Plannin' on leaving, are ya?"
"Well, school isn't gonna learn itself." Cian said.
"True." Alessandra chuckled. "I got my online classes, you got your in-person classes… you sure you don't want to take online classes with me?"
"Nah, I'm fine."
"Alright then."
"I… do feel bad that I'm gonna miss out on your gym battle, but… good luck on fighting Brassius."
"Yeah! Good luck being a history nerd at school." She winked, causing Cian to chuckle as the two hugged, then the taxi arrived.
"Where to?" The driver asked.
"Mesagoza." Cian responded as he climbed in, then the flock of Squawkabilly flew off.
"No Corviknight taxi? I wonder why…" Alessandra mused, deciding to scan the Squawkabilly.
"Squawkabilly, the Parrot Pokemon. These Pokémon prefer to live in cities. They form flocks based on the color of their feathers, and they fight over territory. Green-feathered flocks hold the most sway. When they're out searching for food in the mornings and evenings, it gets very noisy."
"Green feathered? There's more than one color?" Alessandra wondered, seeing that three more entries popped up. "Blue Plumage, Yellow Plumage and White Plumage. Neat. Wonder what it says on each…"
"Blue Plumage: The largest of their flocks can contain more than fifty individuals. They fly around towns and forests, searching for food and making a racket. Blue-feathered Squawkabilly view their green- feathered counterparts as rivals, since the latter make up the largest, most powerful groups.
Yellow Plumage: These Squawkabilly are hotheaded, and their fighting style is vicious. They'll leap within reach of their foes to engage in close combat. The yellow Squawkabilly are especially fierce. They've even been known to drive other bird Pokémon out of town.
White Plumage: This Pokémon dislikes being alone. It has a strong sense of community and survives by cooperating with allies. Though these Squawkabilly are the fewest in number, they have no trouble living in towns since they blend in with the white buildings."
"Wow! That's good to know." Alessandra said. "Now then, let's get some breakfast and do some online classes before I do the gym." She walked off while Zinnia walked out, seeing Cian fly off.
She smiled, calling out her Salamence.
"Let's follow him, but let's also not be seen."
"Sala." Salamence nodded as Zinnia hopped on and flew after him.
"Where's she headed off to?" Victor asked.
"Oh, she was saying she wanted to talk to him." Sonia responded. "I've a feeling it more than likely has to do with both of them being history geeks."
"Yeah, that sounds about right." Victor nodded.
Later, after Aless took her classes…
"Phew, alright!" Alessandra smiled. "Now let's go say hi to Brassius."
All of them walked over to the gym where the gym was decorated with Sunflora statues and had Grass Pokemon painted on the walls of the gym.
"Something to note while I was doing my early morning run, this guy made a lot of Sunflora sculptures in town. Hell, there's a few at the jungle gym over there." Kotoko said.
"Interesting…" Alessandra mused as they walked into the gym.
"Hola~!" Nemona waved as they walked in.
"Nemona? You're here too?" Alessandra asked.
"Yup! Man, it's such a coincidence that we're tackling the same gyms at the same time! It must be crazy, right?"
"...Are you stalking us?" Bede asked.
"Quuuuue? Noooo, of course not! I'm totally not keeping tabs on Aless and cheering her on by the sidelines. That's loco!"
Everyone gave her a deadpanned expression, causing her to sweatdrop.
"I'm totally not. I swear… and I'm not planning on fighting Aless this time as much as I want to." Nemona said, casually tossing some Ethers her way. "Here, just in case if your Pokemon are fatigued with some moves." She winked.
"Oh! Thanks."
"Hasta luego!" Nemona waved before running out the door. "Dios mio, that was close…" She said before taking off to Levincia.
"Did you buy all that?" Hop whispered.
"She's a horrible liar. I wasn't buying that for a second." Bede said.
"Welcome to the gym, you must be Alessandra, yes?" The clerk asked.
"That'd be me!"
"Well, in order for you to be eligible to face Brassius, you will have to do a gym test. And this one is called Sunflora Hide and Seek."
"Pffft, really? I scouted out a lot of Sunflora statues in town this morning. I know where I can guide her." Kotoko said.
"Actually, this is ten biological Sunflora."
Kotoko blinked. "Oh…"
"So much for a head start, huh?" Kokoro teased, lightly bumping Kotoko with her elbow.
"Maaaan, so much for doing recon…" Kotoko sighed.
With a nod, Alessandra walked out with her group. "Sooo, what was your second gym test?" She asked.
"Going through a water maze and turning the valves on and off." Hop said. "It was pretty cool!"
"Wouldn't surprise me if Gloria went through the water pressure." Bede teased.
"Actually, I did just ta see if I could." Gloria said.
"WHAT?!"
Earlier…
"Uh… why are you sopping wet?" Nessa asked, looking at a drenched Gloria.
"I wanted ta see if I could!"
Nessa sweatdropped. Oh dear… a Scotswoman that goes through her problems…
Back in the present…
Victor shook his head with a sigh. "I… am totally not surprised you did that."
"You powered through all that? I thought the water pressure would just shove you into the metal grating." Marnie said.
Bede's eye twitched. "How are you even alive?"
"I was wondering why she was so drenched. I thought she just slipped in the pool." Hop said. "That… makes so much sense now."
Gloria shrugged. "Wasn'tae big deal."
I'm amazed Nessa allowed that… Sonia thought as they walked over to the Sunflora Gardens.
"Ah, you must be the challenger. Alright, all you gotta do is find ten Sunflora that are hiding all over town." The ref explained. "Your friends may help out if they so desire."
"Fine with me." Alessandra nodded.
"Now then, close your eyes and the Sunflora will hide." The ref instructed as they closed their eyes.
"Flora Floooora!" The Sunflora ran off.
"Psst. Give me five." Mabel whispered, holding her hand out.
"Flor? Sun!" One of the Sunflora slapped her hand with a giggle and ran off.
"Alright, you may begin!" The ref said as they all turned around.
"I got just the solution for this~!" Mabel said, opening her bag as Waddles poked out of it and hopped out. "Alright, get a whiff of that Sunflora's scent."
Waddles sniffed Mabel's hand. "Oink!" Waddles turned around and started running off.
"We got a lead! You guys spread out!"
Everyone looked at each other and with a shrug, they all split up.
Pause BGM
BGM: Gym Test (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
Kotoko looked behind a Sunflora statue, but none were there. She smirked and turned around, hoping to find a Sunflora behind another Sunflora statue.
Kokoro looked behind an alleyway in some shops, hearing a soft giggle. She used her ocelot ears to guide her to the giggling and found a Sunflora behind a box. "Hey!"
"Flora? Sun Sun~!"
Coco and Velvet walked by the pool. "Naturally, a Sunflora would be around water, though I doubt it'd drink up chlorine." Coco said. "Though, I can imagine-"
"...Um, Coco?" Velvet pointed toward a lawn chair as they saw a Sunflora chilling on a lawn chair, wearing sunglasses, holding a reflective mirror and a bottle of water on the table next to it.
Coco blinked, pulling down her shades in surprise. "...Ya don't see that every day."
Mabel and Waddles found the Sunflora in a flower pot. "Found you!"
"Flora!"
At the jungle gym, Alessandra peeked her head through some openings and found two Sunflora hiding in the shade. "Gotcha!"
"Sun!"
"Flor!"
The Galarians made their way through a hedge maze where they found three Sunflora in different paths, including one smack dab in the middle of the hedge maze.
"Found one!" Hop called out.
"We found one over here too!" Sonia called out.
"So did we!" Marnie called out to them.
Flandre flew around the perimeter of Artazon, spotting a moving sunflower next to a vending machine. "Aha!" She flew down and landed near it, then poked it.
"Flor? Sunflora!"
Kotoko sighed. "I've tried every Sunflora statue and I can't find a stinkin' Sunflora…" She mumbled.
She was then poked on the shoulder as she turned her head to see a small yellow faced shady businessman wearing shades, a mustache, a hat and a comically overgrown brown coat to the point that the bottom half of the coat and sleeves were touching the ground and being dragged behind.
"Can I help you…?"
The shady businessman pointed over in a direction.
"Oh, I'll find a Sunflora there? Thank you!"
Kotoko ran off… before she stopped. "Hey, wait a minute!"
The shady businessman waddled away before Kotoko tackled him from behind, taking off the hat and long coat to reveal the Sunflora. "Thought you could fool me, eh?"
"Sun…" Sunflora sighed before giggling, then took off the rest of its disguise and happily bounced alongside her.
Once everyone had regrouped, they put all the Sunflora back into the fields.
End BGM
"Congratulations! All ten are accounted for. The gym leader awaits."
Alessandra smiled. "Let's rock~!" She said as they headed over to the gym.
"Don't worry, I'll record the whole fight so Cian and Zinnia won't miss a thing!" Kotoko said.
"Thanks." Alessandra giggled as she approached her end of the battle arena with her friends watching on the sidelines.
BGM: Gym Theme (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"You there!" A voice called out as Alessandra looked around. "Up here!"
Alessandra looked up to see Brassius standing on top of a windmill blade.
"Why the hell is he standing on a windmill blade?!" Marnie asked in surprise.
"I've witnessed your gym test from up here. You and your friends working together to catch all ten was simply avant-garde!" He said.
"Thanks… you gonna… battle me from up there?" Alessandra asked.
"No." Brassius responded as he jumped off, somersaulting a few times before gracefully landing on the ground, causing everyone to look at him as if he lost his ever loving mind.
"Dude…" Coco could only say.
"I am Brassius! You don't have to introduce yourself… I know exactly who you are. Your declaration of war was heard all the way here. I was captivated by the majesty of your outfit in the denouement of the fashion show. Calling it a masterpiece is an understatement!"
Alessandra blushed. "Thank you."
"And here you are, all dolled up and themed just like a Grass type. The beauty of it all… it's so avant-garde!" He said as tears rolled down his cheeks.
First Hassel and now Brassius? Dear Arceus, there's two of them… Alessandra deadpanned with a sweatdrop.
"Now then! Let us begin our grand duel!"
"I couldn't agree-"
CA-CRACK!
Alessandra paled at the sound of the whip that he just pulled out. "-More…?"
End BGM
BGM: Battle! Gym Leader (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
The Verdant Virtuoso - Brassius
"Petilil, let's show her art!" Brassius called out his Petilil.
"Peti!"
Alessandra snapped out of it and pulled out a Great Ball, tossing it in the air. "Wisp, let's go!"
"Charca!"
Ah, Fire against Grass… I'm truly at a disadvantage. But let's put on a show regardless!" Brassius thought. "Put that Charcadet to sleep!"
"Lillll!" Petilil used Sleep Powder.
"Dodge it and use Ember!"
"Charca!" Wisp jumped to the side to avoid the Sleep Powder and used Ember on the Petilil, striking it point blank.
"Peti!" Petilil cried, shaking it off.
"Mega Drain!"
"Fire Spin!"
"Charcaaaaa!" Wisp conjured up a fire tornado while Petilil started to absorb some of his energy, only to get a face full of a fire tornado at it, KOing the Pokemon.
"Petiiii…" Petilil groaned as Brassius put it away.
"Sleep well." He said before calling out his next Pokemon. "Dolliv, let's get creative!"
"Doll!"
"Hmm? What's that one?" Gloria wondered as she scanned the Dolliv.
"Dolliv, the Olive Pokemon and the evolved form of Smoliv. Dolliv shares its tasty, fresh-scented oil with others. This species has coexisted with humans since times long gone. It basks in the sun to its heart's content until the fruits on its head ripen. After that, Dolliv departs from human settlements and goes on a journey."
"Wonder where it wanders off to?" Hop wondered.
"Good question." Gloria responded. "I dunnae."
"You still good, Wisp?"
"Det!"
"Alright. Ember!"
"Grass Knot!"
"Charcaaa!" Wisp used Ember on Dolliv right as she calmly put her foot down, as a grass knot wrapped around Wisp's foot and tripped him up. "Charca?!" Wisp fell on his butt. "Det…"
"Energy Ball!"
"Dooooliiii!" Dolliv threw an Energy Ball at the Charcadet, hitting him directly. Wisp got back up and shrugged it off.
"Fire Spin!"
"Seed Bomb!"
Dolliv launched into the air and threw down several seeds, then was caught in the firestorm. "Liiiiiv!" Dolliv cried before landing on the ground, falling on one knee.
"Ember!/Energy Ball!"
Both Pokemon unleashed their moves against each other, the Energy Ball and Ember clashing against each other until the Energy Ball dissipated as the Ember slammed into the Dolliv.
"DOOOOLLLLL!" Dolliv cried before falling to the ground in defeat. "Liiiv…"
"You did well…" Brassius smiled, recalling Dolliv.
"Charca…" Wisp had fallen on one knee, looking a bit beaten up.
"Hang on, let me heal you up." Alessandra used a Potion on Wisp.
"Charca!" Wisp nodded, getting back up and ready to go another round.
"Sudowoodo, let's finish this masterpiece!" Brassius called out his Sudowoodo.
"Sudowoodo~!"
"Get ready, Wisp! I know what's about to come!"
"Charc!"
"Allow me to touch this work up slightly! I will call it… "Truleewoodo"!"
End BGM
BGM: Victory Lies Before You! (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
Brassius brought out his Tera Orb as Alessandra did the same thing, both of them charging up their Tera Orbs before throwing it at their Pokemon, Terastallizing into Fire/Grass Tera types.
"CHARCAAAAAA!/SUDOOOOOOO!"
"Fire Spin/Trailblaze!"
"Sudo!" Sudowoodo stomped the ground to create a grassy field before running through, jumping over as he narrowly avoided the Fire Spin.
"Dodge it!" Alessandra yelled out as Wisp jumped away to avoid being ran over as the Sudowoodo chased after him. "Astonish!"
Wisp hid in the tall grass, which amazingly also hid his Tera Jewel as the Sudowoodo looked around, trying to find the Charcadet.
"CHARCA!" Wisp cried, jumping out in front of him.
"WOODO?!" Sudowoodo cried in surprise, flinching at the sudden attack.
"Gotcha! Ember!"
"Deeeeeet!" Wisp unleashed a point blank Ember on the Sudowoodo, knocking the Sudowoodo back as the grassy terrain disappeared.
"Stone Edge!"
"Sudooooo!" Sudowoodo stomped on the ground, but by Alessandra's command, Wisp jumped back and unleashed Fire Spin, slamming into the Sudowoodo. "SUDOOOOOOOO!"
By the time the smoke settled, Sudowoodo collapsed on his back in defeat.
End BGM
"Augh! Avant-garde…!"
"Way to go, lil' dude!" Alessandra smiled, high fiving her Charcadet.
"That battle was truly an art for the ages. I was truly captivated!" Brassius said. "This gym badge is yours."
"Thanks!" Alessandra smiled, taking the gym badge with a smile.
"Now then, I would like to invite you and your friends to some of my masterpieces-"
"Buh hu hu hu hu! Mind if I join you?" A voice sobbed as they turned to see Hassel approaching.
"Hassel, my old friend! What brings you here?" Brassius asked.
"I came by to see how Nemona's pupil is doing and my breath was taken away by the majesty of that artistic battle!" Hassel said, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Brassius chuckled. "Indeed, it was one of the fine arts!"
"I would have been here sooner but I had run into an Alolan artist who submitted some of her work here. Yes, Mina's art was truly captivating! Buh hu hu hu hu!"
"Alolan artist?" Hop wondered as they turned to see Mina painting near the battlefield, with her Ribombee sitting on her shoulder.
"Just a little dash of red on the lil' Charcadet's cheeks…" Mina mumbled, deep in concentration.
"Wonder if Umber knows she's here." Gloria said.
Hassel wiped his eyes. "Young miss Alessandra… you may not know this, but this blubbering old man you see… is also a member of the Elite Four."
"Really?!" Alessandra said in surprise.
"Indeed. I look forward to our battle as you have massive potential… but it is a shame that your brother is not here."
"Oh, don't worry!" Kotoko said. "I recorded the entire thing!"
"Ah, wonderful!"
"Soooo uh… your artworks?" Alessandra asked.
"Ah yes, right this way!" Brassius responded as he walked off with everyone following.
Meanwhile…
"Cyclizar, the Mount Pokemon. Apparently Cyclizar has been allowing people to ride on its back since ancient times. Depictions of this have been found in ten thousand-year-old murals. It can sprint at over seventy mph while carrying a human. The rider's body heat warms Cyclizar's back and lifts the Pokémon's spirit."
"I have to say, it's kinda adorable!" Ruby said, putting her Rotom Scroll away as the Cyclizar was sleeping next to a few Litleo.
"Yeah, definitely." Yang agreed as they walked further along, looking around for the base when they crossed Team Star's territory.
"Wonder what's going on over there?" Pit wondered, seeing Levincia in the distance.
"Heck if I know. It's a cool town though." Sun said as Nagisa turned his head and spotted the entrance to the Star Base.
"Ah, there it is." Nagisa said as they started to walk over, but then noticed "Clive" standing there.
"Oh, it's you again." Yang said as Clive turned around.
"Ah, nice to bump into you again." "Clive" greeted.
"Soooo, what exactly is your endgame during all this?" Blake asked.
"To put it simply… I need answers." Clive responded. "How do I resolve this situation with Team Star… and what's causing its members odd behavior?"
"What's the situation?" Meryl asked.
"Well… Team Star is the subject of more than a few nasty rumors swirling around the academy, you know. Some say their bullying has caused a worrying number of students to drop out of school. Others say they are holed up in their bases, plotting to cause trouble to the academy. But these are rumors. The matter I am directly confronted with is something else…"
"That being?" Neptune asked.
"I'm talking about Team Star's persistent truancy. They've all been skipping classes for a while now… five of them in particular, the so-called "bosses" of Team Star, haven't so much as set foot inside a classroom for over a year. And it seems the team's rank and file recently started up stirring up mischief as well. That's why I took it upon myself to issue a direct order to Team Star to disband. I informed them that should they refuse, I would have no choice but to expel all students affiliated with their team…"
"Isn't that a bit much?" Ruby asked.
"Perhaps, but… I've no other choice, I'm afraid. There has been no response and the deadline I've set for them to make their choice between dissolution or expulsion is nigh upon us. So when I overheard that you were talking to Cassiopeia on the phone, it couldn't have come at a more crucial time."
"Then I suppose I'm their guardian angel?"
BGM: Cassiopeia (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
Ruby's Rotom Scroll came up.
"I seem to have a knack for this sort of thing."
"...How long have you been listening in?" Clive asked.
"Long enough."
"I see…"
"While it is true that Team Star hasn't made contact with the school for over a year… perhaps it would be wise to reconsider their expulsion. I understand that you are at your wit's end, but knocking out the bosses seems to be working."
"You have only knocked down one boss of Team Star. I've a feeling the rest won't be so easy."
"Indeed, considering the Schedar Squad is a bit more… fiery than Giacomo's."
"What do you know about the Schedar Squad?" Masaru asked.
"They specialize in Fire type Pokemon, and their leader, Mela, is… shall we say, a roughneck to say the least. She's hot blooded, so don't be alarmed if she loses her temper. That's just who she is."
"That's good to know…" Claude nodded.
"Not to mention I believe the Schedar Squad is on edge over this declaration of war, not to mention Segin Squad was eliminated. So they're going to be on high alert."
"Good to know." Ruby nodded.
"I'll keep in touch. Just ring that bell when you're ready to kick things off."
End BGM
"I will accompany you from the sidelines." Clive said as they walked forward, where Yang would scare off a Team Star Grunt with Apollo, forcing him to run away.
"Good boy." Yang smiled.
"Charca…"
They all turned to see a Charcadet approaching them, which caused Clive's eyes to widen in surprise.
"Charlos, is that you?"
"Charlos?" Masaru raised an eyebrow.
"Charca!"
"I thought so… what are you doing here?" Clive wondered.
"You know this little guy?" Meryl asked.
"Yes, this is Charlos the Charcadet. He's one of the Pokemon the Academy takes care of within its grounds."
"Charcaaaa!" The Charcadet ran inside the base.
"Wait! It's far too-"
The Charcadet went inside.
"Dangerous… hmm… he must have a connection with this base. How interesting." He mused.
"We'll be up top." Claude said as Sliver teleported him, Dipper, Pit and himself up on the cliffs.
BGM: Team Star Base (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"Alright… let's knock these boneheads down!" Neptune said, calling out his Blastoise.
"Right behind you!" Weiss nodded, calling out her Primarina as they took off together, both Water Pokemon knocking down Torkoal, Numel, and Houndour.
"Aw man, this stinks…" Ruby frowned, having Scarlet beat up some Houndour. "Sorry about this!"
Up above, the four were providing aid as Claude fired an arrow, striking the ground near a Torkoal as it let out a small electric current.
"Tork Torko!" Torkoal cried as Yang had Dahuo pummel it.
"Lady Palutena!" Pit called out as a chunk of ice appeared in his hand as he threw it down where it exploded when making contact with the ground, creating an icy mist that slowed down the Fire types, giving everyone else a shot at easily defeating them while Silver used his telekinesis to stop some advancing Houndoom while Dipper had his Ray Gun set to stun and shot at anyone he saw trying to sneak up on anyone from behind.
End BGM
"Alright, looks like I have to step in!" A voice declared.
BGM: Team Star Boss Intro (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
They all turned to see a Starmobile approaching the group with Mela riding on top of it, her back turned to them before she turned around to face them.
"So, you're the dopes who picked a fight with Team Star. I'm not sure why you did something so stupid, but I don't care. You challenged us, and we'll beat you down… and considering you beat the hell out of Giacomo, I'm going to make sure your asses get THOROUGHLY grinded into a pulp!"
"We'll see about that." Weiss said as she stood bravely in front of Mela.
"Tank and I will provide backup just in case!" Neptune said.
"Stoise!"
"Thanks." Weiss nodded. "Manaphy, let's go!"
"Mana!" Manaphy jumped in and squared up with a smirk.
"I'm gonna mess y'all up!" Mela declared.
End BGM
BGM: Team Star Boss Battle (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
Hot Blooded - Mela
"Torkoal, let's fry them up!" Mela called out, throwing a Quick Ball.
"Torkoooal!" Torkoal cried with smoke coming out of his nostrils.
"FLARE BLITZ!" Mela yelled.
"Whirlpool!"
"Tooooorkooooooal!" Torkoal launched himself toward Manaphy.
"Manaaaa!" Manaphy conjured up a whirlpool and threw it down, immediately extinguishing the Flare Blitz and pushing Torkoal away.
"Tork…" Torkoal tried to stay standing. "Tor!"
"Put that thing to sleep! Use Yawn!"
"Toooooooor…" Torkoal yawned, which was enough to make Manaphy drowsy.
"Sleepy…" Manaphy yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"Take Heart!" Weiss ordered.
"MANAAAA!" Manaphy cried, pumping his arms as he also slapped himself awake, while a red and blue aura surrounded him.
"Body Press! Crush it!"
"Torkoooooaaaaal!" Torkoal launched high into the air.
"Water Pulse!"
"Phyyyyy!" Manaphy unleashed Water Pulse, hitting Torkoal's underbelly to push him away as he landed on the back of his shell, KO'd.
"Grrr…!" Mela growled, recalling Torkoal. "Go Arcanine!"
"Aroooo!"
"Sorry about this, Ruby…" Weiss said. "Water Pulse!"
"Extreme Speed! RUN HIM OVER!"
Arcanine ran forward as Manaphy used Water Pulse, striking the Arcanine but he pushed through and slammed into Manaphy. "Manaaaa…!" Manaphy cried as he was knocked into the air.
"OVERHEAT!"
Manaphy flipped over in midair. "MANAPHYYYYYY!" He cried, unleashing Water Pulse to counter the fiery inferno, pushing the fire back and slamming into Arcanine.
"Aroooo…!" Arcanine stumbled.
"Whirlpool!"
"Mana Maaaanaaa!" Manaphy threw a Whirlpool down on Arcanine, sending him crashing into the ground to KO him.
"RAAAAAUUUUUGH!" Mela screamed as she put away Arcanine.
"Is the horrible beat down over?" Ruby asked, covering her eyes.
"The Arcanine's gone." Yang said.
"...As in KO'd or no longer with us?"
"The former, obviously!"
Ruby sighed in relief, uncovering her eyes. "That's good."
"Mana!" Manaphy squared up.
"RRRRRGH…!" Mela growled angrily. "Revavroom, Blazing Torque that little squirt!"
"REVAAAA!" The Starmobile cried and launched forward.
"Tank!" Neptune cued as his Blastoise jumped in and grappled the Revavroom, sliding a few feet but standing his ground.
"Blast…!" Blastoise grunted.
Neptune put his googles on. "Not to worry, I'll boost you up!" He said, tapping a Mega Stone on the right side of his googles, where his Blastoise Mega Evolved.
"STOOOIIIISE!"
"Hydro Pump it away!"
Tank smirked, unleashing Hydro Pump from all three cannons, pushing Revavroom back.
"Reva…!"
"Nnngh!" Mela grunted. "Swift!"
"Vrooooom!" Revavroom unleashed Swift on Blastoise, crossing his arms.
"Now Screech!"
Revavroom screeched his tires against the ground, causing Blastoise to wince.
"Perfect… now run it over with Blazing Torque again!"
"Revaaaa!" Revavroom charged forward as Tank got ready and grappled with the Revavroom again.
Manaphy turned to his mother. "Mama! Shiny!"
"Shiny…? Oh!" Weiss pulled out her Tera Orb, charging it up and threw it at Manaphy, where he Terastallized as a Water Tera.
"MANAAAAA!"
"WATER PULSE!"
"Phyyy!" Manaphy cried, Tera crystals launching out of his crown as he jumped up in the air and unleashed Water Pulse.
"Tank, Wave Crash!"
"BLAAAAAST!" Tank cried as he unleashed Wave Crash, slamming into Revavroom at the same time as Manaphy's Water Pulse connected.
"REVAAAAAA!" Revavroom cried before falling apart as Mela fell on her knees in dismay.
"No… no freakin' way…" Mela said in disbelief.
End BGM
"Is this… how it's going to end…?" Mela wondered. "What a hassle…"
BGM: Team Star Flashback (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
About a year and a half ago…
Mela goose stepped across the field. "Ugh, stupid boots…" She grumbled. "Such a hassle… pulled it off just in time."
"Welcome back, Mellie!" Eri smiled.
"I managed to get a buncha Charcadet to evolve. That oughta be enough to power the Starmobile and finally get that hunka metal rollin'."
"Glad tidings, indeed. Is it not so, Ortega?" Atticus asked.
"I'm just surprised she's not all hot air…"
A cross vein appeared on Mela's head, giving him a glare that made Ortega's blood run cold. "Oh, shut it with the snide comments! You can be such an annoyin' twerp, ya know that?!"
"As if you're any better, Mela!" Ortega shot back. "Being rude and saying mean things is literally your whole deal."
"That's not true, Ortie." Eri spoke up. "The girls at the academy have always been jealous of how cute Mellie is. She just puts on a surly attitude so they'll stop picking on her."
Mela blushed, her eyebrow twitching.
"Although… I guess you're not wrong to say that the surly attitude is what people know her for…" Eri continued.
"Come on… not you too, Eri…" Mela grumbled.
"How 'bout we leave it at that, folks?" Giacomo chimed in. "It's almost time for the big event."
"Yes, Operation Star… it's finally happening." Eri said.
"And the big boss? What, pray, is their plan?" Atticus wondered.
"They already got in touch with all the bullies and asked 'em to head over to the schoolyard." Giacomo said.
"It's finally time, huh… Man, I'm stoked! The thrill's burnin' me right up!" Mela said.
End BGM
Back in the present…
Mela sighed, seeming a lot calmer. "I burned through everything I had and… well… I've been sputtered out."
She looked at Manaphy who was snuggling up in Weiss's arms. She couldn't help but smile at this over how cute it was.
"I will say, that Manaphy and Blastoise combo really let the whole team have it." She said as she goose stepped over to Weiss. "Still, here's this-"
"What's with the walking?" Neptune wondered.
"Ugh, these boots suck. I've been trying to get them off so my feet can breathe yet… I just can't quite get these damn things off."
She then pulled out a TM. "Here, it's Flame Charge but I dunno who in your team can use it but maybe someone else can." She said, tossing it to the crowd as Sun grabbed it.
"...Wait, do you want it?" Sun asked Yang.
"Nah, Dahuo already has Flame Charge."
"Alright then!"
Mela turned around. "Now you got what y'all came for, now leave me alone…"
BGM: Emotion (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
Clive approached Mela. "You're Mela from Team Star, right? There's a Pokemon I'd like you to see."
"Huh? Who are you-" She spotted a Charcadet running to her.
"Charca!"
"Wait, this Charcadet…" She suddenly smiled. "Well, if it ain't Charlos! What the hell are you doin' here?"
"It seems like he was looking for you."
"Char Charca!"
"Really?" Mela wondered.
"He's very attached to you, isn't he?"
"Yeah, 'cause I used to play with him every day back when I was still goin' to school… I can even tell more or less what he's thinkin' just by lookin' at the way his flames move."
"Do you have any idea why this Charcadet wanted to see you?"
"I…" Mela looked away as Charlos ran around her to look at her.
"Charca!"
"To me, it looks like he's saying he wants you to come back…"
"Just shut it already, would ya?" Mela mumbled.
"They say Team Star has holed itself up in these bases to plot something against the academy. Were you aware of this?"
"First I've heard of a stupid rumor like that. Man, nothin's changed since back then… everyone's still spoutin' garbage."
"Then what about that modified car you were motoring around in just now? "
"The Starmobile? We made that thing a long time ago to help us out in a big fight. But we never actually used it against anyone before y'all came lookin' for trouble."
"You never… used it before? What's this about a big fight?" Clive wondered, a hint of disturbance in his voice.
"You ever heard of Operation Star?"
"Operation Star…? Not Operation Starfall? No, this is the first time I'm hearing it."
"Huh, yeah… I guess you wouldn't know. But for me and the rest of Team Star, it's a memory we'll always treasure."
Weiss's eyes widened, feeling something burn inside of her chest as she clutched it. The same burning sensation she felt after dealing with Giacomo, but this time it was less easier to ignore.
"Mama…?" Manaphy wondered.
"I'm fine, sweetie…" Weiss responded, kissing him on the forehead as they walked out of the base.
End BGM
"Ro-to-to-to!"
Ruby pulled out her Rotom Scroll after they left the base.
"It's me. I see the Schedar Squad has been dismantled. Any of the stragglers will be giving up any time now." Cassiopeia said. "...Mela…"
"You okay?" Nagisa asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine… I just got distracted again. I'll transfer some LP to your devices again along with Alessandra's. Anyway, my supply rep will come shortly. See you around."
Ruby's Rotom Scroll went back in her pocket as a few moments later, Penny walked over to them.
"Hey. Heard you-"
Suddenly, Nagisa's Pokeball opened up from the hip as his Arctozolt came out.
"Wh-what the…?! What the hell is that thing?!" Penny said in surprise.
"Arcto…" Arctozolt approached Penny and smiled. "Zolt Zolt!" Arctozolt hugged her.
"Yagh! Cold! COLD COLD COLD! FREEZING COLD! AAAACK!"
"That's strange, Oller's normally not like that around strangers. I guess he's taking a shine to you." Nagisa said, pulling Oller back.
"Haaaah… I've touched the void and it's frickin' freezing!" Penny shuddered.
"You okay?" Nagisa asked.
"N-no! I've probably gotten frostbite now!" Penny said as she stared at Nagisa, her face turning red. "Of course, I'm… thawing as we speak."
"Well, that's good." Nagisa said. "Though I see your fever returned."
"Oh goodness…" Meryl shook her head as RWBY and co snickered at Nagisa's obliviousness.
"A-anyway… here's your stuff… that's probably frozen over…" Penny said, handing them TM materials. "By the way, what do you think of Team Star?"
"Mmm, they seem to be a bit misguided or something." Blake said.
"Well, rumors were saying that Team Star weren't always a bunch of delinquents." Penny said. "Most of them used to be victims of bullying, or they're just… really socially awkward. But then they found each other and formed Team Star. All they wanted to do was push back against the bullies they couldn't face alone."
She shook her head. "Of course, I got that info by hacking into other student's social media accounts. There's also talk about some secret mastermind behind the bosses, someone who recruited them to the team in the first place. Ugh, I don't normally speak this much… my throat hurts."
"Maybe you oughta lie down. A fever and a sore throat could very well indicate that you're sick." Nagisa said.
Are you always this hopeless? Penny thought. …Arceus, why does that make you cuter?
"Right… um… good luck with the other bases." She said as she walked off in a hurry. "Cassiopeia will let you know where the third base is!"
"Okay." Nagisa nodded and noticed everyone looking at him. "...Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"I cannot believe you're oblivious to love, man." Masaru said.
"What?"
"Yeah, she's totally into you." Jataro said.
"Her? Yeah… I don't see it…"
"Oh, but we do~" Weiss giggled as they walked off.
"...Seriously, I don't think she likes me that much." Nagisa said.
Meanwhile, at Mesagoza…
Cian walked into the lobby, stretching. "Aaah, what a day…"
"Done with classes already?"
"Ack!" Cian looked up to see Zinnia sitting on top of a bookshelf.
"Yo." Zinnia greeted.
"Huh, you followed me here?"
"I suppose you could say that." Zinnia landed on the ground. "I also noticed you were feeling a bit down from breakfast, so I thought I'd come cheer you up."
"I'm not feeling down."
"Oh, don't give me that. You're still upset over Balto, aren't you?"
Cian looked away. "Okay… you got me."
"Don't worry… I've lost someone important to me too."
"Really?"
"Yeah." Zinnia nodded. "The previous lorekeeper… I've looked up to them when I was a kid. They were the best Lorekeeper ever and then one day… Aster disappeared. It crushed me… I bore the responsibility of Lorekeeper ever since. Of course, with a heavy burden, I… wasn't the nicest person around but I had an attitude change after Ray Ray stabbed me."
She shook her head. "Though, I do have a Whismur named Aster as to keep his memory alive… though the Whismur is more like a daughter to me."
"Oh… so… where's your Whismur?"
Zinnia pulled out a Pokeball. "Right here." She said, calling her out.
"Whis Whis…?"
"Oh hey little one." Cian smiled, offering his hand out to the Whismur, but she hid behind Zinnia's ankle.
"Mur…"
"It's okay, sweetie… he's a friend." Zinnia smiled.
"Mur Mur…"
"I'm always seeking out legends." Zinnia explained. "It's just the perks of being a Lorekeeper." She winked.
"I see…"
"Don't worry about losin' Balto… I've a feeling you guys are gonna reunite sooner or later."
"I sure hope you're right."
"And another thing… I'll help you out by looking for those Treasures of Ruin. I couldn't help but notice those interested you."
"Yeah, and so does this Pokemon that started this Tera Phenomenon."
Zinnia smiled. "Indeed!" She wrapped an arm around him. "It's gonna be okay… Balto's still out there and I bet he's looking for you."
"Problem is, we're in Paldea and he's still in Galar…"
"Well, never say never." Zinnia said as she had an idea. "Hey, let's go outside for a bit."
"Okay…?" Cian tilted his head.
Later, at the town square…
"So, why did you bring me out here?" He asked once they stopped.
"Get in position."
"Huh?!"
Zinnia turned around. "I'm gonna get your mind off things!" She grinned.
"R-right now?!"
"Yeah! And I ain't gonna hold back either, so get your rear in gear because I'm challengin' ya to a Pokemon Battle!"
"...Okay. I accept!" Cian nodded as they both got into position.
"Hey, looks like there's a Pokemon battle about to start!" An onlooker said.
"Ooooh, I wonder who's going to win!" Another said excitedly.
Cian took a deep breath. "Here we go." He said.
BGM: Battle! Zinnia (Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire)
The Lorekeeper - Zinnia
"Goodra, let's rock!" Zinnia threw out her first Pokemon.
"Goooo!"
Cian sweatdropped. "Oh boy…" He said. "Houdini, let's go!"
"Rrrow!" His Floragato cried.
"Thunderbolt!"
"Seed Bomb!"
"Rrrooooow!" Houdini threw Seed Bombs at Goodra, who shot back with Thunderbolt, striking the Floragato.
"Mro…w…!" Houdini winced.
"Hang in there! Hone Claws and then Quick Attack!"
"Mrooooow!" Houdini sharpened his claws and charged straight for Goodra.
"Sorry about this. Ice Beam!"
"Dodge it!" Cian exclaimed in a panic as Houdini rolled out of the way and used Quick Attack, striking Goodra… but bounced off his soft belly.
"Goodra~!" Goodra giggled, seemingly having been tickled… before using a point blank Ice Beam that knocked Floragato to the count.
"Aaaugh…" Cian grimaced as he recalled Floragato. "Kevin, let's go!"
"Starly!"
"Oooh, I feel kinda bad…" Zinnia said. "I apologize in advance for this. Thunderbolt!"
"Double Team!"
"Starrrr!" Starly used Double Team to avoid the Thunderbolt.
"Wing Attack! And dodge either the Thunderbolt or Ice Beam!"
"Star!" Starly flew around, dodging the Thunderbolts and Ice Beams before striking the Goodra in the face and then flew up, only to get hit by a Dragon Breath. "Staarrrr!" Starly cried as he fell to the ground but quickly recovered, but looked like he was about to pass out as well.
"Alright Kevin, same strategy!"
"Muddy Water!" Zinnia ordered as Goodra unleashed Muddy Water on the Starly but he was able to fly over the Muddy Water, only to get hit with a Thunderbolt.
"STARRR!" Starly fell to the ground in defeat.
Cian sighed, recalling his Starly and then called out Mo'o.
"Sala!"
"Poison Gas!"
"Saaalllll!" Salandit sprayed Poison Gas on him, where Goodra avoided the attack but got a whiff of it anyway.
"Good…" Goodra winced.
"Got 'im!" Cian smiled as Zinnia recalled the Goodra.
"I'm not gonna let you suffer out there." Zinnia said before calling out Tyrantrum.
"Tyraaaant!"
"...Shit." Cian whimpered.
"Sala!" Mo'o cried out.
"Right. Use… Poison Fang and hope for the best!"
"Earthquake!"
"Raaaantruuuum!" Tyrantrum stomped the ground to cause the earth to shake as Salandit did not jump away in time.
"SALAAAA!" Mo'o cried as she fell to the ground in defeat.
Cian grimaced, recalling his Salandit. "Can we… uh… call it?"
"Nuh-uh. You ain't runnin' from a trainer battle!" Zinnia said.
I was afraid of that… He thought as he called out his last Pokemon, which was El Dorado.
"Gimmi!" Gimmighoul cried… but saw the massive Tyrantrum in front of him. He let out a whimper and hid inside of his treasure chest.
Tyrantrum simply walked over to his chest and lightly kicked it, causing it to tip over and made Gimmighoul fall out.
"Gimmi…? Gim…!" Gimmighoul whimpered as the Tyrantrum lightly poked the Gimmighoul with his foot, which was enough to cause the Gimmighoul to pale and then fainted on the spot.
End BGM
"Man…" Cian sighed.
"Ahehehe~… yeeeeeah… going all out was probably a mistake…" Zinnia rubbed her head.
"...But I'm motivated now." Cian said. "When I fight you again, I'm going to be stronger than I am right now!"
Zinnia smirked. "That's the spirit."
"That was a wonderful battle." A voice said as they turned to see Raifort approaching.
"Ah shit…! You…" Zinnia grimaced.
"I couldn't help but overhear that you wanted to look into the Treasures of Ruin?" Raifort asked.
"Yeah?" Cian nodded.
"Hmhmhmhmhm~ I want to join you on your quest for these Treasures of Ruin. I've got a few stories to share."
Back with Alessandra and co…
"Hmm?" Alessandra looked at her Rotom Phone. "Six thousand LP?"
"Mela has been defeated - Cassiopeia"
"That explains it…" Alessandra nodded as she put her phone away.
"Hey, Aless?" Hop spoke up. "Mind if we chat for a bit?"
"Yeah, sure." Alessandra nodded.
The two of them walked together until they found a private place to chat, which was at the jungle gym.
BGM: Postwick (Pokemon Sword and Shield)
"So, what's up?"
"We've definitely come a long way with the two of us." Hop said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, back then, I was a naive kid thinking I could take on the world, and… well, I was brought back to reality hard."
"Oh yeah, I've actually watched your fight with Glori in the championships in-between photoshoots. You looked so down in the dumps when Glori defeated you."
"Yeah, that stung… I was so close to fighting Leon. I had come so far and… I was eliminated." Hop rubbed his head. "Heck, it still stung for a long while until I got back into the swing of things."
"You poor thing…"
Hop chuckled. "Eh, it's all in the past." He said. "Meanwhile, you became the top supermodel of Galar."
"Hehe, yeah. I got so swamped with photoshoots that I didn't even think about coming to visit you guys. Next thing I hear, Glori's the next champion of Galar. Unfortunately, I was on a plane heading to Sinnoh for a photoshoot, so I wasn't there to congratulate her."
"Ah, that explains it!" Hop chuckled.
"I definitely worked hard to become the prettiest and most gorgeous Galarian. I didn't mean to surpass Nessa, but it just… happened."
"Do you get tired of it?"
"The modeling? Heck no. I love it! …I definitely despise the Papparazzi but luckily my agents shoo them away before they get too hands on. The last thing we need is another Princess Diancie incident."
"So true…" Hop grimaced.
"Trust me, those paparazzi can go jump in Groudon's volcano for all I care. …That's horrible for me to say but they're so damn invasive, it's infuriating."
"I bet." Hop nodded. "I will say… it was great hearing your name again on Iono's stream."
"...I was on what now?"
"Yeah, I was just watching Iono's stream and… She mentioned your name. She said you were moving to Paldea."
"Huh, I didn't know Iono mentioned me… or even heard of me. I don't even think I did any modeling gigs in Paldea. Hmm, maybe some of my magazines made their way here."
"That's a possibility." Hop nodded. "The moment the stream ended, I looked you up and was surprised to see how famous you've gotten."
"How were you surprised? I'm like, the top model of Galar and the fashionista of the region."
"Well… I'm not into fashion like you are. I don't really look into fashion magazines nor watch fashion shows and I know Gloria and Marnie don't, so it's like… what's the point?"
Alessandra giggled. "Fair enough!"
"That said, I… actually bought a few fashion magazines to see what you were doing. You were dominating the whole magazine with a few pictures of Nessa and Klara thrown in here and there."
"Aww, you do like fashion~" Alessandra teased, causing Hop to chuckle, rubbing his upper lip with a blush.
"I've honestly wanted to see you again ever since you moved away… and I'm glad we finally got to hang out again after all this time."
Alessandra smiled. "I feel the same way as you do, Hoppy. I almost feel nostalgic…"
Hop smiled. "I never stopped looking…"
"Huh?"
"I never stopped looking for Balto. During the Gym Challenge, I never stopped looking for him. Even when I was at my lowest when Bede knocked me down… I never gave up looking for him because I thought he was still out there. Every Growlithe and Arcanine I found filled me with hope, but I wouldn't see the blue bandana on them… but I never gave up. Hearing your name again re-lit the flame and I started searching all over again. I even extended my search to the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra, but found nothing… not yet, anyway."
Alessandra's eyes widened the more Hop spoke. Her eyes filled with tears and by the time he finished, she hugged him tightly.
"Oh…!"
"Thank you…" Alessandra whispered, trying to hold it together.
Hop chuckled, returning the hug.
Alessandra pulled away with a soft smile. "So, I have to ask. Did you like those pick-me-up roses that was sent to you after your fight with Glori from that secret admirer?"
"Haha! Yeah, they were pretty good! I loved their scent and their color was pretty cool!"
Alessandra giggled. "Glad you liked it!" She said and walked off.
"Yeah, me too… wait a minute, how did you know I got roses from a secret admirer?"
Unbeknownst to Hop, Alessandra clutched her chest as her cheeks started to turn red.
He's gotten a lot more handsome since I've last met him… oooh, how do I even tell him?
End BGM
Meanwhile…
"Come in, that Klawf's gotta be here somewhere." Arven said, wandering around the area.
"I swear, it was right here! It was so blue, you can't miss it." Umber said.
"Maybe it learned how to blend in." Dedede said.
"Bahahaha! Maybe it's using mud!" Iggy said.
"That's… actually smart of it. But where would it be?" Wendy wondered as everyone scanned the area.
"Hmm…" Roy looked over a cliff, unaware that he was just mere inches from the shiny Titan, making it sweat nervously. "Darn thing is really good at camouflage…"
He kicked a rock off the cliff and walked away, as the rock smacked into the Klawf and broke apart a small bit of the mud armor, showing off a bit of blue.
Arven walked by, rubbing his chin as he spotted the blue on the Klawf. "Hmm…?" He narrowed his eyes before they widened.
He pulled out his phone. "Hello? Aless? Cian? I found another Titan!"
Ibuki: Poor Cian... got demolished by Zinnia-chan...
Deadpool: At least Hop was looking out for Aless!
Yup!