Last time, Sarah found herself kidnapped by the Explorers but thanks to the efforts of her family, Liko, and the Rising Volt Tacklers, she is back with them and they're setting off for Liko's home region: Paldea.
Picking up where the last episode left off, Liko and Sprigatito were wide awake as the former changed out of her school uniform and was now wearing an aqua-blue sleeveless coat over a white dress skirt, dark blue shorts, long white shin-length socks with aqua-blue trims, and white shoes with aqua details. With her new look, the young student and her partner went off to meet Friede and his friends in the dining room but their attention was drawn to someone singing close by as they looked for the source of the singing.
"What's that sound?" she pondered before she and Sprigatito saw Fuecoco singing without a care in the world.
However, while he was singing, Fuecoco took notice of his unexpected guests to his music session, letting out a panicked scream before he waddled quickly out of sight out of sheer embarrassment.
Deciding to not worry about Fuecoco and what he was doing for now (and feeling awkward about what she saw), the duo made their way to the dining hall where the Rising Volt Tacklers were waiting and discussing what they were planning to do after reaching Paldea and getting their money for the journey ahead.
"Um, good morning, everyone."
"Hello!" they greeted, getting Friede, Murdock, Mollie, Orla, and Cap's attention.
"Ah, good, you're awake."
"That outfit's super cute on you," Friede and Orla began, smiling at Liko in her new travel outfit.
"Thanks... I know I don't always need to be in my school uniform so I brought this with me."
Mollie and Murdock smiled warmly as they added their two bits about her new look, "Well, it looks great."
"It sure does."
"Alright, Liko. From this day forth, since you'll be joining us along with Sarah, her family, and Race, you and Sprigatito are on lookout duty, okay?" Friede offered to her.
"Uh, yes Sir, we'll do our best," Liko nodded, thinking happily to herself, "*I can't believe it, I have an official job to do. This is so exciting!*"
Before long, she and Sprigatito began their journey by being on lookout duty for anything out of the ordinary. All the while, Sprigatito relaxed and basked in the sunlight while her partner took additional notes regarding her behavior, seeing her emitting a sweet scent due to her being exposed in the sunlight.
Meanwhile, over on the Dragon Craft, with Sarah and Race, things were peachy on their end as they and her family were already having breakfast in the dining room, having used the Auto Food Maker with Johnathan and Diane's help to make everybody's meals. For the most part, things seemed rather peaceful since they didn't have to worry about the Explorers tailgating them and they could figure out the mystery regarding the Terapagos Three and Liko's pendant soon after upon arriving in the Paldea Region.
However, their return trip to Paldea with the Rising Volt Tacklers would have to wait as they heard a surprised and worried bark coming from MK-1, getting Race and Sarah's attention as they, Johnathan, and Diane were forced to join the robotic pup on the bridge.
"What is it, MK-1?" Sarah asked, MK-1 directing the four humans to the Brave Olivine in front of them suddenly losing altitude for some reason.
"Hey, what's up with the Brave Olivine?" Race pondered in confusion.
"Something must've gone wrong with Friede's old lady but it could be anything. MK-1, m'boy, take us down after our friends," Johnathan ordered, allowing MK-1 to go after the Brave Olivine which settled along a rocky cassava while he landed the Dragon Craft on the sandy beach near the shoreline.
"Oh, dear! Whatever could've happened?" Diane gasped as Sarah took out her X-ray glasses and scanned the airship, eventually seeing large holes in its internal gas bags.
"Uh-Oh, the ship's internal gas bags had been punctured somehow," Sarah deducted.
"Really? Hmm, I did warn Friede one time that the old girl there might be getting old and would need an overhaul at some point. But, if the damage is that bad, then those gas bags and any other worn parts it's suffering from would need to be fixed up or overhauled in a jiffy," Johnathan thought.
"But, they won't have the time needed to carry out such repairs and I have a feeling they don't have the necessary materials needed. The fabric used on the ship is a specific kind and it could be a rare brand that's not readily available nowadays," Diane retorted.
"Well, it looks like we're sitting ducks for the time being. What'll we do now?" Race asked.
Johnathan chuckled as he sniggered, "Well, knowing Mr. Unconventional and how he works, he'd probably go to one of his 'old friends' living on this particular island for help. He's gotten several contacts across the world in addition to Liko's mother so how he gets around for a game of 'Hunt The Supplies' should be interesting. But, I suppose you two would be wanting a breather after the excitement you went through yesterday. Feel free to check the island if you wish but make sure to return to the ship and the Brave Olivine at the first sign of danger, especially if those Explorers rear their ugly heads again, no exceptions."
"Okay, Grandpa," Sarah nodded as she and Race went off to explore the island with Robbie, Bella, Blitz, and Curly going with them along with Petunia while the rest of their family stayed behind to keep an eye out for the Explorers and to protect the Terapagos Three.
Meanwhile, down on the beach below, Roy was enjoying himself as he was now skipping stones across the water while keeping his eye out for anything of interest the storm had washed ashore on his island in addition to the Brave Olivine's flag.
"Oh, yeah! That was great!" he cheered excitedly before he pulled out the flag he had stowed away in his bag and unfurled it, seeing its design in the gleaming sunlight. "This is so cool!"
With Sarah and Race, they were currently exploring the island's jungle after leaving the Dragon Craft with Petunia happily fluttering around the trees while babbling and cooing with glee.
"Your baby's looking chipper compared to back then or so, eh, Island Girl?" Race chuckled, shaking his head at the baby dragon who was happy to see more of the world outside of Alola.
"Can you blame her? This is the second island she's been to and this change of scenery's beneficial to her since she's used to flying around our island region by this point," Sarah replied, looking at Petunia in amusement until they saw her sensing something from nearby and she landed on her feet before toddling her way through a bush on her left.
"Hey, Petunia?"
"Where are you going?"
Surprised by this change in Petunia, Sarah, Blitz, Curly, Race, Robbie, and Bella quickly gave chase until they eventually came across a forest clearing where a young woman of 25 and a fair-skin complexion was looking around peacefully. The woman had black hair ending in white tips along with blue eyes but what stunned the royal couple and their Pokémon was that she was wearing an Explorers uniform which was a grey shirt with black pants that had a purple stripe running down either arm and leg with black shoes to match.
But, the funniest thing about her is that when Sarah sensed her aura, she realized the woman felt more mellow and relaxed compared to the likes of Amethio, Onia, and Zirc (which could be a ploy to hide how cunning and dangerous she was, causing the group to tense and be ready to fight if she saw them).
However, oblivious to the supposed danger before them and curious about the young woman before her and her family, Petunia cooed as she toddled her way to her. Shocked by this, Sarah tried to grab her and pull her back but missed, forcing Blitz, Bella, Robbie, and Curly to try and drag her back until they eventually lost their grip and rolled back, sending Petunia tumbling towards the woman.
"Hey!" the young woman shouted as she felt something bump her legs, drawing a metal stick-like sword from a clip on the right side of her waist belt until she looked down and saw Petunia between her legs in surprise, giggling cutely at her and causing Sarah to gasp and Race to wince from their hiding spot.
(Theme Song - Anywhere My Pokémon Go)
I love watching how my Pokémon grow
I'm sharing everything my Pokémon know
(We open with Sarah and her family with the Viking Teens as they find themselves in Paldea as part of Sarah's vacation plan before the little princess and Race are shown finding Miraidon and Koraidon on the beach before meeting Nemona, Penny, and Arven from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet)
Nighttime, daytime, there are shining more so
I'll go anywhere my Pokémon go
(We see Sarah and Hootie joining forces with Liko and her partner, Sprigatito, as they all perform Leafage before we meet a boy named Roy and his Pokémon, Fuecoco, battling Sarah as she summoned her Primarina, Aqua, and they begin to have a battle. Then, we cut to one of the villains belonging to a new team of foes named Amethio using a Ceruledge to square off against Sarah as she fights with Kaji and Keldeo before a new Pokémon Professor, Friede, and his crew: the Rising Volt Tacklers are shown with their Pokémon)
Anything you wanna see, (Ooh!) anything you wanna do
Promise you can be with me, be with me, (Yeah!) I can be with you
(We soon find our heroes joined by Edgar, Henna, Stoick, Gobber, their Pokémon and dragons, Nemona, Penny, and Arven as they find themselves in Area Zero where Sarah's Walking Wake and Iron Leaves, Link and Zelda, are facing an army of Paradox Pokémon in front of them. Then, Sarah and Race's necklaces glow with the former accessing the power of Terastallization for her Pokemon as she Terastallizes and Mega Evolves them before the royal couple, the Viking Teens, Miraidon, Koraidon, Liko, Roy, Nemona, Arven, and Penny are shown together as they stare out into the heavens)
I wanna go around and around and around the world with you
I'll go anywhere my Pokémon go
Trials of Sarah: Pokémon Horizons
(End Theme Song)
Curious about the strange creature before her (while Sarah watched with growing worry from the bushes as Race tried to calm her down), the woman set her sword down and smiled kindly at the baby dragon as she mused, "Well, now, you're a strange-looking fella. You're looking spiffy today, never seen the likes of you around these parts. Where'd you come from?"
Petunia babbled cutely, getting a smile from the woman before she pulled out a Pokeblock case from one of her pockets and presented the baby dragon with a rainbow Pokeblock as she continued, "Here, you hungry? Have a Pokeblock, it's a sort of block candy for Pokémon. Not sure how you'll like it but I can imagine it'll taste good."
The baby dragon cooed in awe at the Pokeblock and taking it in her hands, she popped it in her mouth and chewed before she breathed a small flame and giggled happily, surprising the woman and making her smile widen as she then said, "Well, you like it, eh? Well, try eating something like this for four months straight. But, you shouldn't be out here for too long. Who do you belong to, anyway?"
"She's mine if you're wondering," Sarah interjected as she, Race, Robbie, Bella, Blitz, and Curly appeared and surrounded the duo, their eyes trained on the woman and daring her to attack after seeing her sword. "Why are you here, are you in league with Amethio and his cohorts?"
"Who, me? With the Explorers? Why would you think I'd be associated with those morons?" the woman replied, pointing to herself and acting hurt.
"Don't make it any harder than it has to be, okay? I already had it rough with them before and I'm not gonna let it happen again," Sarah demanded once more.
The woman sighed as she picked up her sword and turned it over in her right hand, the blade pointing upward and away as she told Sarah, "Look, I know what you're going to say but don't. As for me, I'm looking for someone; a few somethings, shall we say..."
"What are they?"
"That's none of your business nor mine. But, since you're nothing like every last one of those assholes that gave me nothing but endless migraines throughout my time with them, I guess there's no harm in spilling the beans. After all, you read my mind earlier and I felt you probing me from within, didn't I?"
Sarah and Race widened their eyes in shock at this; how could this woman before them, an Explorer, denounce an organization she was supposedly in league with and find out about their telepathy?
The woman looked between the royal couple and retorted (before she turned her back towards them as she spoke), "Relax, kids, nobody's with us right now so you can drop the 'Surprise, Motherfrigger!' act. And, close your mouths, you're not a pair of codfishes, you know. I'm the only one amongst those creeps who have been studying you and your powers since you came to Paldea, you've impressed me with how powerful you really were and the strange Pokémon who have with you and encountered in the heart of Area Zero proved that. It's no wonder the necklaces given to you beforehand chose you of all people."
She moved around a bit while the three younger Mouse Pokémon and the Disguise Pokémon along with Petunia rejoined their human parents and continued, "I apologize for spilling the beans about you to Amethio, his cronies, and my stupid superior regarding your Terapagos but I was in a bind by the time you encountered the third of them with Blair's expedition team. Honestly, now I wonder why I even bothered to do their bidding since they never told me why they wanted to know about them so much. But, since they didn't care about anything else but them, I wouldn't give a damn about those bastards in turn."
"Oh... So, you were the mole the Explorers sent to tail us throughout our journey in Paldea. Then, you must've known about Arven, Nemona, and Penny's exploits, too, right?" Race grunted in disgust.
"You could say that. But, the more I went on with my work, the more I began to see you two from a new angle with the way you've gone about your journey with them and your Pokémon. By the time you two along with those three went to Area Zero after restoring the powers of the Miraidon and Koraidon and saw how you all went to hell and back to help them when they came face to face with their more hostile counterparts, I finally saw the light and realized the Explorers would be no match for you two. I also never cared about your Terapagos when I noticed them amongst your Pokémon in addition to the third one from Area Zero after you, Blair, and your other two friends: Carmine and Kieran, encountered and subdued it."
Race and Sarah were even more surprised as the former Explorer went on, "That is why I didn't bother to tell Amethio and the rest of the Explorers about the Paradox Pokémon that escaped from there giving you the necklaces they came from in the first place. I also left your other Paradox Pokémon out of the mix as well, didn't think they'd be interested in messing with the unknown nor it'd be worth it, really."
"Wait, so you purposely didn't spill about the Paradox Pokémon on us including Koraidon and Miraidon and the others living in Area Zero? Why wouldn't you?" Sarah puzzled suspiciously as Blitz, Curly, Bella, and Robbie kept their guards up which got the woman chuckling.
"'Why wouldn't I'? Nobody can match them; apart from you two, the Paradox Pokémon in Area Zero are powerhouses and they would crush the Explorers in a heartbeat. Their rage over being transported from the distant past or future to here can attest to that. Besides, the parents belonging to the kid, Arven, proved that; felt pretty bad for the poor guy when the truth finally came out..."
Sarah and Race looked down at the ground sadly, remembering how devastated Arven was after they, Nemona, and Penny realized what had happened to his parents and how Koraidon and Miraidon came to be with them in the first place.
The woman sighed as she continued with her explanation, "After everything that went down with you two, when I gave my report to my so-called superior and my former team and they revealed their intentions regarding your Terapagos, I've had enough. I bailed out on them four months ago, and now, here I am - a wandering swordswoman who's the only one with any intel on you. None of my former teammates know the ins and outs of you all including your Legendary and Mythical Pokémon so, for the most part, you're home free."
She then brought out a notebook and looked at it, chuckling as she did so, "Pity, really... I might've been a downer to them by leaving but I guess it's for the best; they'll have to learn what happens when they play games with you the hard way. Who knows, I might get a good laugh at their plight once you take them down Pound Central Station."
The royal couple and their Pokémon blinked in bewilderment and Petunia (in her naivety) clapped and giggled at her, seeing that the woman was being blunt and honest about what she was telling them.
"Anyway, thanks for popping by, I enjoyed the chat. I'll be here for the next few days before I take my leave, it does get kind of boring staying in one place for too long with nobody to play with. It would be nice to do with a little company every now and then..."
"...Right, but I hope you can forgive us given our history with evil syndicates and criminal organizations," Sarah frowned, not trusting the woman one bit. "Besides, how do we know you're speaking from your heart? Who are you, anyway?"
"...Lazuli. And, if you and your hubby want any additional info on my former teammates if you're planning to give them a thrashing as well, come and see me if you feel like it. I'll be waiting."
With nothing else to say, Sarah and Race along with their Pokémon and Petunia parted ways with the former Explorer (now known as Lazuli), the little princess wondering what she was on about and about the mysterious somethings she was looking for.
While all of this was happening, back on the Brave Olivine, Liko watched as the Pokémon with her and Sprigatito ate their breakfast happily (having given them their meals prepared for them by Murdock beforehand). However, when she looked between them, she suddenly realized that only one of them was missing from the roster.
"Hey, wait a minute. Where'd Fuecoco go?" she pondered, first going to the kitchen to speak with Murdock and Rockruff and inquire about the Fire Croc Pokémon's whereabouts.
"Nope, I haven't seen him," Murdock answered (while he was eating a carrot as he was prepping lunch) with Rockruff barking at him, getting an amused smile out of his human partner as he then said, "Ah, you're right! He was in the kitchen earlier, trying to grab a snack until Rockruff told him, 'No way!', didn't ya?"
"Yep! He can't get past me when his hunger pains kick in, no sirree!" Rockruff barked proudly.
"Stealing snacks, huh?" Liko sighed.
At that moment, Murdock got a frantic call from Orla from his Rotom Phone as the mechanic was struggling to stitch some twine to fix the holes in the internal gas bags, lacking the patience to carry out such a task as she screamed, "Hey, Murdock! I could really use a hand here! Ugh, I hate this! I'M SO BAD AT THIS STUFF!"
Deciding to leave Murdock and Rockruff to do their own thing, Liko and Sprigatito went out as the young trainer asked her Rotom Phone, "Hey, Rotom, can you tell me a little more about Fuecoco?"
Her Rotom Phone was more than happy to oblige as it read Fuecoco's entry, "Fuecoco, the Fire Croc Pokemon. A Fire Type, the fire energy from its body makes the flame on its head ripple like waves. When its emotions run high, the flames grow much bigger accordingly."
"Well, not much help there, really. But, I do remember it making some pretty strange noises this morning before we landed."
"Ah, so you must've heard Fuecoco singing earlier, huh?"
Liko turned and saw Ludlow appearing before her and Sprigatito with Quaxly by his side, greatly surprising them before she inquired to him while he was fishing, "Singing?"
"That little one that came with Quaxly and the rest of the Pokémon from Paldea is quite the fella with a heart of gold; he likes to sing songs whenever he's alone. But, as soon as he realizes someone is watching him, he stops and runs away."
"Oh, so that's why he ran away when he saw us," Liko mused in remembrance over Fuecoco's panic when she and Sprigatito caught him singing. "Maybe Mollie might have a clue as to where he could be."
When she reached the medical doctor in question and made her inquiries while she checked Sprigatito over, Mollie told her, "You can't find Fuecoco? Hmm, have you ever tried checking the top deck? Whenever Charizard is gone, he waits there the whole time until he comes back. I think the main reason why he stays on the ship is because Charizard lives here, he's become something of an idol to him."
This got Liko thinking; she did remember how ecstatic Fuecoco was from seeing Charizard after she, Race, and Sarah were first brought aboard the Brave Olivine and met the Rising Volt Tacklers for the first time and he went over to the Flame Pokémon without a second thought following his and Friede's return after rescuing them. Deciding to test Mollie's theory, she and Sprigatito (once she had received a clean bill of health) went to the observation deck only to find it empty and Fuecoco nowhere to be found.
However, their luck changed when they searched the Wing Deck and Sprigatito found some scratches across the deck that had been made by a small Pokémon, making the pair gasp. It was clear to them that Fuecoco had somehow fallen off the airship and was now lost on the island down below.
Their suspicions were confirmed when they got off the airship and found what looked to be a trail of footprints in the shape of two small hooves that went off into the jungle ahead of them.
"We gotta go look for him and fast!" Liko stated as they went off to find the Fire Croc Pokémon.
At the same time, the Paldea Fire Starter in question walked through the forest dejectedly since he didn't know where to go to get to Charizard or back to the airship until he sensed something via his flame head. Then, he sniffed something out with his nose as his hunger pains kicked in and he gave a happy cry, scampering through the bushes to find what he was looking for (most likely, food, given how hungry he was becoming).
Meanwhile, over on Roy's end, the young treasure hunter left the beach and was now in the forest, having his Rotom Phone out in Tablet Mode as he prepared to take an online class (since he's also a school student).
"Where's today's desk gonna be? Ah-ha! I'll choose right here," he grinned as his Rotom Phone rang a school bell ring tone and he sat down on a nearby tree stump, entering a school chat and joining his class for the lesson of the day. "Okay, I'm ready now."
With Fuecoco, he finally found what he was looking for - a pile of Sitrus and Oran Berries at a tree opening. Without a care in the world and listening only to his stomach, he happily munched away at the berries, unaware that whoever once stockpiled them at the tree was not going to be happy should they find out he had eaten the berry pile out of house and home.
"Check it out! Yesterday, I caught a Tailow!"
"Oh, yeah, I got a Glameow from my Dad."
"Ooh! And, look, I caught a Stufful! Isn't she so cute?"
Those responses were what Roy heard from his classmates present for class as they presented him with the Pokémon they caught or were given for their assignments, leaving him to tell them, "So, all you guys are already Pokémon Trainers? That's so cool! I hope I get to be one soon."
"Well, you're in the Kanto Region. Right, Roy?"
"Why don't you try catching a Pikachu?" two of his classmates suggested.
"I would and I'd love to. But, there aren't any Pokémon Trainers on this whole island, I don't know how I'd even do that."
"Really, no trainers where you're at, at all?"
"That's surprising, honestly."
"Wait, you mean you haven't even left your island yet?"
"No, I just watch online videos," Roy replied as he watched a pack of Bellsprout, Oddish, Caterpie, and Weedle scurry past him.
In a sense, Roy was probably right; as he had lived on the island he called home for much of his life, he had only seen online videos of the outside world through his Rotom Phone since he couldn't leave the island by his own choice even when and if he wanted to. But, while he was happy to be living in his island abode, he was still curious to get out and see the world and discover what was beyond the island's borders.
His classmates were surprised but they smiled for him as they said, "But, there are tons of Pokemon living all around you in the wild, right? How cool is that?"
"Oh, yeah, totally! And, today, I just found a cool treasure at the beach. But, I want to know; what do all of you want the most as trainers in your own rights?"
"I want all of the Gym Badges!"
"And, I want to challenge some Totem Pokémon in the Alola Region!"
"What about you, Roy?"
"Hmm, that's the thing... I don't know yet but I'm working on a plan. And, to carry it out, I'm gonna need a Partner Pokémon," Roy confessed as he brought out a Pokeball from his shoulder pack that was nothing like the present-day or Hisuian Pokeballs as it had different shades of brown and light golden trim and a much more elegant and sophisticated lock system design on it.
Soon, it was time for class as the rest of his classmates and their teacher joined in the chat as the latter greeted, "Good morning, everyone! I see you're all online and ready to learn, right?"
"YEAH/YEAH!"
"All present and accounted for. Alright, now that we're all here, let's begin class. Picking up where we left off yesterday..."
As Roy was having his online class for the day, and Liko and Sprigatito were continuing their search for him, Fuecoco (now stuffed with the berries he had found and eaten and happier than ever) trundled through the forest to look for Charizard until he came across a small wooden treehouse which was supposedly a secret base of some sort made by him. Curious about what he might find inside it, being the fun-loving and happy-go-lucky glutton that he is, the Fire Croc Pokémon toddled inside and hoped he would find more food for him to eat should he get hungry again.
With Liko and Sprigatito, they were having no luck in finding him yet with the latter continuing to pick up his scent until they came across the tree hollow he was once at and found scraps and crumbs of the berries he had eaten. But, their troubles were only just beginning as they were subjected to a swarm of shocked and angry wild Pokémon that were not too pleased about their berry stash being eaten (thinking they had eaten the whole stash and not knowing it was Fuecoco that had eaten it out of house and home).
Unable to explain themselves and with the wild Pokémon too mad about their lost berry stash to care, with the angry Caterpie and Weedle firing String Shot at them to begin dishing out their punishment, Liko and Sprigatito screamed as they tried to save themselves from the onslaught before they were forced to run.
With Roy, however, things were hunky-dory for him; he had just finished his online class for the day and was now watching a video featuring Nidothing and a Quaxly by her side on the subject of Pokeballs.
A little later, while a pair of Scyther walked by (supposedly told by the angry mob that attacked Liko and Sprigatito about their lost berry pile and were now searching for them), Roy had another rock in his hands as he practiced throwing a Pokeball again.
"Someday, I'll get one, too; my very own Pokémon Partner! Ah-ha, now I gotcha!" Roy grinned as he made his way to his jungle base, seeing an oran berry bush above him and tossing the rock in his hands to resemble throwing another Pokeball which clipped one of the berries off the bush with perfect accuracy. "Yeah, great catch!"
However, when he looked at his secret base, he noticed the door had been opened and he went inside only to find his base and a pile of food he had stored in it completely trashed, "Oh, no! What happened to my secret base?!"
He noticed a hole that was made by someone very small on the roof and he climbed up onto the base's lookout platform until he heard someone singing from afar.
"Huh? What's that weird noise?"
Curious about who was singing just as Liko was the morning prior, he looked around for the source until he got on the treetops and the singing became clearer as he looked towards a tree that stood a fair distance from behind him.
"It's a song..."
When Roy made his way down and ran toward the tree, he crept forward as quietly as he could until he found the source of the singing to be none other than Fuecoco who was singing his heart out again now that he found somewhere peaceful and nobody could see him. This delighted Roy as he had never seen a Pokémon from other regions including Paldea.
"Wow, a Pokemon I've never seen before! And, it looks like a fun one, too!" he continued to grin as he then made his way toward Fuecoco, not knowing about the Fire Croc Pokémon's stage fright before he got up close and said, "Hey, you have a great singing voice!"
Fuecoco stopped singing and turned to Roy, and then, realizing that somebody was listening to him again, he panicked and ran off down the hill to hide and find another spot where he wouldn't be seen by anybody and be embarrassed again.
This surprised Roy and he immediately chased after him, "Hey! Don't run away! It's okay, you don't have to be scared of me! Please stop running!"
But, Fuecoco didn't care as he then tripped and tumbled down the hill before they ran down a flat stretch and he straightened himself again before he kept on running; all he wanted was to get away from any prying eyes that were glued to him and intrigued by his singing and that included Roy who was slowly gaining on him as they ran through the forest.
Unfortunately, Fuecoco was in such a desperate rush to get away from him that he didn't notice he was running towards a rocky cassava in front of him and tried to jump over the gap in it (despite Roy's warning) only to look down and flail in panic until the young boy caught him and they were safely on the other side.
Fuecoco was surprised that Roy had saved his life as he gave him a happy grin but when he looked past the outcrop and saw the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft, he gasped in shock.
Meanwhile, while Sarah and Race, Liko, and Roy are doing their own things, Friede (joined by Cap and Charizard) is with the village elder (Roy's grandfather) discussing the parts needed to repair the Brave Olivine's internal gas bags but the elder was annoyed by the request and made his lack of amusement and enthusiasm by it known.
"Here, after you came back to see us after all this time, I thought you'd finally come on a real mission and all you want are balloon parts? I'm not going to help you with this one. It's your problem, Professor," he griped in annoyance with his arms crossed.
"I see, I'm sorry to hear that. By the way, can you stop with the whole 'Professor' stuff, Elder?" Friede replied sheepishly.
But, before the conversation could continue, one of the villagers came into the village and told the elder, "Elder, we got a problem! We got several Pokémon rampaging through the forest like mad, a dozen of them from what we can tell!"
Roy's grandfather blinked in shock, "What's that?!"
Worried about Sarah, Race, and Liko, Friede told Cap and Charizard, "Let's go check it out, gang."
"Yeah."
"Right!"
Back in the forest, Roy was amazed and intrigued after seeing the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine in the rocky cassava and the beach nearby, wanting to ask Fuecoco about them and his singing.
"Can you tell me? Did you come from one of those ship-like things I saw?" he questioned the Fire Croc Pokémon despite not understanding him fluently.
"Yep," Fuecoco answered.
"Of course, you did! I mean, I've never seen a Pokemon like you before, after all. Wow, that must be the coolest thing ever; getting to travel on a flying ship! I'm freaking out just thinking about it!"
"Yeah, isn't it?"
"Hey, can I hear it again?"
"Hear what?"
"You were singing earlier, right? It sounded like you were singing 'la-la-la', something like that."
Fuecoco, however, sweatdropped in fear, his stage fright kicking in and worrying that he would be laughed at despite Roy's amazement at his singing as he gently pressed him about it, "Come on, sing some more."
Unsure if he should sing again with anybody watching him, he turned and scooted away much to Roy's disappointment as he tried to convince him to sing again, "Aw, please? I promise I won't make fun of you if you do. Besides, you got a great voice and it's not something to be ashamed of."
This triggered a nerve in Fuecoco as he blinked in surprise at Roy who continued to look at him with a smile, "Hmm...?"
"I really like the way you sang when I found you, it sounded so pretty."
"…My singing, pretty? It's not awkward or...stupid, to you? Really?!"
"Yeah! I mean, when you hear it and when I hear it, it just makes you happy!"
This made Fuecoco feel better at once and he couldn't be happier as Roy joined him and they sang together; to him, it looked as though he had found a wonderful gift he never knew he wanted every time he sang his heart out despite his stage fright - a friend who wouldn't judge him for his singing. At that moment, Roy and Fuecoco's hidden destiny as friends for life was thus set in motion.
With Liko and Sprigatito, however, they weren't having any fun as they continued to scream and run away from the angry mob of Pokémon in fear, all of them still eager to pound them and still thinking they were responsible for eating their berry stash. Their troubles only worsened when the Scyther pair team appeared and raged at them for the lost berry stash as well, forcing them to continue running for their lives despite Liko's attempts to pacify them and explain herself and the Grass Cat Pokémon.
After they finished singing, Roy and Fuecoco helped themselves to some Oran Berries as the young boy told him about what he planned to do after becoming a Pokémon Trainer and getting his very first Pokémon, "You see, I'm working on a plan right now. I'm gonna be a Pokémon Trainer, and after that, I'm finally gonna get off this island and have some fun adventures along the way. Gramps and the villagers all said that everywhere else is just like here but I feel there's much more for me to see out there and I want to meet Pokémon I don't even know yet! And, then, when I get my own ship..."
He pulled out the Brave Olivine's flag and held it out for him to see, "I want to raise a flag just like this."
Fuecoco gasped in surprise upon seeing the familiar flag; he thought it had been lost in the storm the night before yesterday, and now, it was with Roy.
"I know, right? I mean, it's awesome!"
Just then, they heard the cries of angry Scyther from nearby which caught their attention, prompting Roy to put the flag away and put on his shoulder pack as he knew there was trouble afoot, "That sound, it must be a Scyther calling and it sounds angry! Maybe somebody did something bad, come on!"
Feeling that his new friend may be right (despite being oblivious to what actually happened prior), Fuecoco rushed after Roy to see what happened, not seeing the strange Pokeball inside his shoulder pack glowing in response to something nearby.
Back to Liko and Sprigatito, they were continuing to run for their lives from the angry mob of Pokémon looking to pound them for their lost berries until the former's pendant began to glow again. At the same time, a rock was thrown towards them and it bounced along the trees which got the angry Pokémon mob's attention and allowed the pair to go down a side path away from them, putting them directly underneath Roy and Fuecoco.
"Hey! Over here! Come on, hurry, Climb up!" Roy called, holding out his hand.
"Hey, who is that boy? And, why is Fuecoco with him on his back? Man, I'm asking too many questions, aren't I?" Liko thought before she took Roy's hand and he pulled her up to the treetops, making sure to throw another rock in another direction to distract the Pokémon.
But, as they, Fuecoco, and Sprigatito ran off, the Scyther noticed what Roy did and they nodded to each other, quietly following after them to watch their every move before they would call the angry mob over and make their move.
"Thank you... For saving me," Liko wheezed as she and Sprigatito caught their breath while they, Roy, and Fuecoco stayed amidst a part of the beach that was surrounded by rocky cliffs.
Roy simply grinned as he rested on a rock, "That was so awesome!"
"Yeah... Anyway, I'm Liko and this is my partner, Sprigatito."
"Hey, there," Sprigatito greeted.
"My name's Roy. Do you know who this Pokémon with me is?"
"He's called Fuecoco; he's the Fire Type Starter common to new trainers from the Paldea Region."
The young adventurer looked at Liko for a brief moment before he excitedly turned to the Fire Croc Pokémon, now knowing who and what kind of Pokémon he was, "Fuecoco, you're Fuecoco? I like that! Hey, you really do look like a Fuecoco, nice to meet ya."
Fuecoco chirped happily at his new friend until Liko then asked, "So, are you from this island? Do you live here?"
"Yeah, I've lived here with Gramps my whole life."
He then pulled out the strange Pokeball from his shoulder pack and examined it again, catching Liko's attention as she noticed it and inquired, "What's that?"
"It's my treasure; the people and Gramps here said it's called an 'Ancient Pokeball'. I think it's old, like historical times, so I asked Gramps about that and he told me that it is."
"Do you know what kind of Pokémon is inside it?"
"Yeah, well, about that... I don't know; Gramps was the one who found it, like, forever ago. For as long as I can remember, we could never get it to open so he thinks it's empty inside. But, hey, all I wanted to do was to be a trainer someday. But, not just any trainer; I want to be the special kind of trainer my gramps told me about like the trainers of old who used these. That'll be the best..."
"Be like the trainers of old? What do they do?"
"Well, they challenge all kinds of Legendary Pokémon and journey on adventures worldwide and do it with style. They get to go places that nobody's ever heard of or had been to before and they hunt for new and undiscovered Pokémon and treasures. Yeah, that kind of trainer, I think."
But, just as Liko and Roy were about to continue mingling with one another, they were soon found and caught out by the wild Pokémon as they surrounded the quartet, leaving them with no way out without fighting.
"How'd they find us already?!"
"This looks pretty bad!"
"Sprigatito, use Leafage!" Liko shouted, her Grass Cat Pokémon using Leafage on the wild Pokémon as they were forced to shield themselves from the powerful force of the Grass Type attack even if it did no damage to them.
"Wow! So cool, a trainer's battle!" Roy gasped in awe.
Wanting to help them, Fuecoco tried to join in by using Ember but all that came out of him was sparks and a cough (showing the two young trainers that he didn't learn and master the attack beforehand) before they were caught in a String Shot trap and taken prisoner.
"What are they doing, what's going on?!"
"I can't move, ungh!"
"Ah..."
"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Roy, Liko, and Sprigatito wailed while Fuecoco sighed, still oblivious to the danger he and the others were in as they were dragged back to the tree hollow where the old berry stash was.
As Liko and Roy's first meeting was going on, thinking that the former and Sprigatito had gotten themselves into trouble somehow, Friede, Cap, and Charizard looked around the forest for them. Eventually, they came across the rock Roy had used to distract the angry mob of Pokémon (save for the Scyther that caught onto their escape), realizing that they had gotten into a spot of bother and they needed help getting out as soon as possible.
"This way," Friede said, leading Cap and Charizard to where Liko and Sprigatito were.
With Sarah and Race, they, Bella, Robbie, Curly, Blitz, and Petunia continued to look around the forest before they made their way back to the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine. As they walked, their thoughts returned to Lazuli and everything she told them regarding her former allegiance and service to the Explorers, wondering if they could even trust her at all despite her being the mole that followed their every move and clued her former colleagues and superior about them and the Terapagos Three since their Paldea adventure began. The royal couple were also debating if they should go back to her at some point before either they and the others or she would leave the island and know more about her former team and how they can deal with them (despite Petunia immediately trusting her after her unorthodox meeting with the swordswoman).
However, the situation involving Lazuli would have to wait as they heard an array of Pokémon ranting angrily about something before they followed the sounds, rushing over to see what the matter was until they found Liko and Sprigatito with Roy and Fuecoco, all of them being held prisoner by an angry Pokémon mob before them.
"Okay, what the hell did we miss?" Race blinked in bewilderment at the scene.
"Oh, my!"
"Goodness!" Curly and Bella gawked.
"Something or someone must've riled all those Pokémon into a tizzy but who's responsible for making them so mad?" Robbie pondered, wondering who was responsible for the wild Pokémon's rant-fest.
Blitz looked between the Pokémon and their captured friends until he saw the scraps of eaten berries in the tree hollow and groaned, "Oh, no!"
Seeing the berry scraps as well, Sarah could only share her Alolan Pikachu's sentiments as she facepalmed and grumbled, "Damn it, Fuecoco! Why on earth did you eat all of their food?"
Even Liko and Roy came to the same conclusion as they realized that Fuecoco had unwittingly eaten all of the wild Pokémon's berries, the angry wild Pokémon mob confirming this as they continued to rant, scream, and shout furiously at the captured children and the Pokémon with them and ignored Liko's apologies as she begged for her, Roy, Fuecoco, and Sprigatito to be shown mercy and be forgiven for the Fire Croc Pokémon's gluttonous plight.
But, help was on the way as a familiar Flame Pokémon flew in before he was joined by a pair of large beast-like Pokémon, one of them looking like a prehistoric reptile and the other being a similar reptilian creature that looked more robotic in design (which were two of the Paradox Pokémon left in Race and Sarah's possession: Miraidon and Koraidon, respectively). With them, came the royal couple, Bella, Curly, Robbie, Blitz, and Petunia who were running behind Cap and Friede to attempt a rescue.
"Liko, Sprigatito!" Sarah shouted, causing the young student to gasp in surprise and relief as she saw her friends and Friede coming over.
"Charizard?!" gasped Roy, seeing Friede's Charizard in shock.
"Liko! How did you end up out here?"
"What's going on?" Friede and Race added.
"What's all this?" demanded Cap as the small team of rescuers looked at the scene before them.
"Friede, Sarah, Race, help us!" Liko pleaded just as the Pokémon mob turned their angry spats and snarls toward the small platoon before them.
"Hmm, they're really worked up, huh? Not good," Friede deducted, seeing how angry the Wild Pokémon were being.
"Agreed," Cap agreed grimly just as Charizard prepared to fight the mob and rescue their friends and Roy himself before his partner stopped him (knowing of the dangers of Fire Types battling against Bug and Grass Types and deciding to let Cap take the field again).
"No, don't! Charizard, if you use your fire, you could hurt them and burn our friends as well. Looks like you and I will have to handle that angry mob, Cap."
"Affirmative!"
"You won't mind a hand from me and Korai, would you, Friede?" Sarah offered as Koraidon turned to the unconventional professor and Cap with the same offer shown from his trusting and friendly eyes.
Friede and Cap looked at each other, and after a short mental debate, they smirked in agreement as the former replied, "Thanks, while your husband and your partners keep our rowdy band of merry Pokémon corralled around here, you and I along with Cap and Koraidon do a little marathon and wind them down a notch."
"Okay. You two lead, we'll follow."
The pair then turned to Sarah's husband as the little princess said to him, "You, the others, and Mirai got Operation: Border Patrol on the ropes, Race?"
Race nodded, "Island Girl, Friede, you two, Korai, and Cap! Go for it!"
"Thanks, Race! Come on!" Friede thanked before he and Cap led Sarah and Koraidon to fight with the angry Pokémon mob, the angry Caterpie and Weedle making the first move as they tried to trap them with String Shot as they did with Liko, Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Roy.
"Go!" When the unconventional professor gave the signal, he, Sarah, Cap, and Koraidon tapped into their agility and speed and dodged the String Shot being thrown at them while Race and the rest of their party surrounded the mob from all sides.
Liko and Roy watched in awe and wonder as they saw Koraidon, Friede, Sarah, and Cap dodge the angry Pokémon with grace and agility, using the Hairy Bug and Worm Pokémon's own String Shot attacks against them, effectively ensnaring them in their own web cocoon trap as they struggled in vain to break free.
"Okay, Friede, that worked like a charm. You and Cap wait with Korai and Charizard, I'll take it from here," Sarah informed as she then whistled to force the angry Pokémon to stop and get their attention fully on her, prompting her to walk towards them carefully and calmly. "Now, I know you're all angry for some reason but you should know better than to sink to such lows like kidnapping. What's this all about?"
"What do you think, missy?!"
"Blame that stupid kid of a fire croc with those kids and that puny feline! He's the one who gobbled up our entire berry stash while we were gone!" the two Scyther seethed in protest.
"Oh, is that what happened? So, without warning, Fuecoco ended up eating your entire pile of berries behind your backs when he became hungry and you all saw fit to retaliate against his so-called 'crime' and make him see justice by capturing him, the young boy with him, and two friends of mine instead of finding and confronting him about the ordeal calmly and like ladies and gentlemen?"
"You would've done the same if that bottomless pit of a Fire Type ate every last scrap of your food, would ya?"
"It's his fault our berries are all gone! Now, we're gonna have to go berry hunting all over again to make up for the pile he ate out of house and home!" an Oddish and a Diglett ranted, the entire conversation amazing Roy, Liko, Friede, Charizard, and Cap (along with Sprigatito and Fuecoco as they didn't know about this little trait of Sarah's beforehand) as they watched on in astonishment.
"Wait, is she-?"
"She's talking, to the Pokémon!"
"She's having a casual conversation with them," Roy, Liko, and Friede blinked, still amazed.
"And, they stopped being crazy angry while they were speaking to her!"
"Cool, dudes!" remarked a stunned Sprigatito and Fuecoco.
"That's incredible!"
"…I don't, believe, what I'm hearing," spluttered Charizard and Cap, looking google-eyed.
"Well, that's strange; I was told by a friend of mine that Fuecoco fell off of the airship he came from, and just by looking at the scraps of berries he left behind in his wake, he was feeling hungry after he wandered off into this very forest. The other strange thing I noticed was that the pile and the tree weren't marked, the lack of a sign telling him that the berry stash you've made could've belonged to anybody which is why he ate it out of house and home and left you all high and dry without any food left for you. Did any of you bother to leave anything like a mark on the tree or something to cover the berries after you stockpiled them?"
The angry Pokémon tried to retort but they soon stopped and looked at each other, eventually looking back at the little princess sheepishly as they gulped with a sweatdrop when she raised an eyebrow at them. This also amazed and impressed Roy, Liko, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Charizard, Friede, and Cap as they realized the whole berry stash incident could've been avoided if the wild Pokémon mob had taken this simple but effective step to salvage their previous stash before the Fire Croc Pokémon ate it completely.
Sarah sighed and resisted the urge to facepalm at the wild Pokémon as she replied, "I thought so. Because you didn't mark your stockpile, Fuecoco ended up scarfing down on your berries none the wiser. So, this was merely an accident on your and Fuecoco's part. Besides, isn't it natural for islanders to share nature's bounties? Where my husband and I come from, we and our people celebrate 'Manalo' and 'Alola' as 'You and I live and share together'."
"Ha! What is that sharing crap of yours gonna do to replace our stash?" a male Bellsprout challenged doubtfully.
"We worked our behinds off to make that stockpile for our feast later today! And, it's all gone no thanks to that stupid big mouth of a glutton!" agreed a female Oddish, still miffed at Fuecoco for eating all of her and her friends' berries.
"It'll take hours or a whole day to replace that old stockpile of ours and, as we've been saying since this stupid mess started, it's all that idiot kid crocodile's fault!" the second Scyther snapped in annoyance.
That was when Petunia came into the picture as she fluttered next to her human mother and giggled and babbled at the angry Pokémon mob, surprising them before she used her transformation dragon fire at a nearby tree, turning it into a brand new stockpile of berries (shocking everybody as the new stockpile was the size of a mountain).
"Mama happy, bweey-bweey?" Petunia babbled as she giggled and showed Sarah the mountain of berries she made.
Sarah couldn't help but chuckle as she wagged a finger at her but said with an amused smile, "Good girl."
She then took a cluster of berries from the new stockpile and fed them to the trapped Bug and Grass Types, seeing them eat the berries and looking much happier now that they had their meals cut out for a spell. All the while, Freide, Charizard, Cap, Liko, Sprigatito, Roy, and Fuecoco smiled, looking impressed by what Sarah had done while Koraidon, Miraidon, and their family with them couldn't be happier for the little princess and what she did as per her duty as a Pokémon Ambassador.
With the Pokémon mob well-fed and happy again, everybody can relax as Race managed to free Liko, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Roy from their String Shot cocoon trap.
"Thanks, you guys!" Liko thanked, relieved.
Roy nodded as he looked between Friede and Sarah and told them, "You two were so awesome, I've never seen anything like it before! I mean, using such tactics to calm every Pokémon down? Whoa! You're not just regular trainers, are you? You guys must be Pokémon Professors, right?"
"Well, sure, something like that. You can call me Friede," Friede answered, surprising Liko as she looked between him and Roy with the latter introducing himself to the unconventional professor.
"Wait, Friede, a professor? That's news to me," she thought, realizing Friede once again neglected to tell her, Sarah, and Race more about himself.
"He's got ya there, kid. My name's Sarah Tomoe and this man with me here is my husband, Race Konami, along with my baby dragon: Petunia. Oh, and another thing, I'm not a Pokémon Professor unlike Friede," smiled Sarah as she introduced herself, Petunia, and her husband who nodded kindly to him.
"These Electric Types and my Dark Type with us are our Pikachu and Mimikyu: Bella, Curly, Blitz, and Robbie. And, the two gentle giants here that helped us rescue you and pacify the Pokémon mob that captured you are Koraidon and Miraidon," Race added, gesturing to Koraidon, Miraidon, Bella, Blitz, Robbie, and Curly who greeted the boy cheerfully.
"Thanks for helping us rescue Liko, Sprigatito, and Fuecoco, Roy," Friede went on, relieved to see that the two Paldea Starters and Liko were unharmed.
"Back at ya, thanks for the save, too!" Roy nodded, smiling back.
"Okay, Liko, I think you, Fuecoco, and Sprigatito had enough fun for one day, right? We should be getting back now since our berry dilemma's taken care of," the unconventional professor said to Liko, knowing it was time for him, Sarah, Race, their Pokémon, and Petunia to return to the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine before dark.
And, with that, the heroes parted ways with Roy with Cap, Fuecoco, and Friede riding on Charizard again while he carried Liko and Sprigatito for the return trip home with Sarah and Race deciding to ride on Koraidon and Miraidon on the way back.
"Bye! Hope to see you again soon!"
"Okay, bye!"
"Bye, Roy, thanks for singing with me!" Fuecoco cheered as Roy then frowned sadly after they had gone, a feeling of longing creeping into his chest.
That night, while everyone else was asleep on the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine, Liko, Sarah, and Race found themselves wide awake as they went over the day's events on both ends of the spectrum. Not only that but they were hearing Fuecoco singing his heart out again with nobody watching him as the night wore on, his meeting and time with Roy having allowed him to gain a considerable amount of self-confidence in himself and his singing despite his lingering stage fright from before.
With the little princess and Race, the royal couple couldn't help but wonder what the Fire Croc Pokémon had been doing after he fell from the airship and came down onto the island including how he ended up meeting Roy in the first place (despite not knowing about their initial meeting prior). With Liko, she thought back to when her pendant glistened again when it tried to protect her again before Roy came to her and Sprigatito's rescue, leaving her with more questions than answers about her grandmother's heirloom.
In his village home, Roy was also unable to sleep as he held his ancient Pokeball in his right hand and examined it while also thinking about his time with Fuecoco, feeling like something changed in him the moment he crossed paths with the Fire Croc Pokémon. He still didn't know about his and Fuecoco's fates being intertwined but whether he knew it or not, things would never be the same for the young treasure hunter again as his journey as a Pokémon Trainer in his own right was only just beginning.
Little did the heroes know, however, was that they were being watched; the first tracking device Zirc left on the Brave Olivine's hull was still intact and working yet down below on the beach, Lazuli reappeared from the shadows of the forest while looking at the aircraft before her, having witnessed her ability to talk with the angry Pokémon mob and how she had calmed them down with little to no trouble. But, she wasn't alone as she was joined by two Pokémon on either side:
- The first of the pair team was a tall Pegasus-like Pokémon that had completely black fur and a beautiful mane, tail, and fur tufts around its front hooves in a deep shade of dark violet tinged with blue on the ends, white eyes, and golden rings wrapped around its midsection and neck coupled with a gold crown on its head.
- The second of her partners was a black panther-like Pokémon that had small green gemstone markings on the sides of all four of its legs, mud-brown shading on its legs, a diamond emerald on its forehead with two similar emeralds on the front of its mouth, and two small fangs that hung from its mouth.
The trio looked at the Dragon Craft, thinking about Sarah as Lazuli (wearing a black cloak over her uniform to hide her former ties with the Explorers) could only ask her Partner Pokémon pair team, "Well, Galaxagus, Pantherra, what do you two think of her?"
Speaking of the Explorers, a finely-dressed man in allegiance with them (especially Amethio, Onia, and Zirc) was talking with Amethio via a video call, discussing Liko's pendant and the Terapagos Three belonging to the royal couple as he inquired, "Now, those are the pendant and Pokémon Master Gideon were searching for and the intense blue-green glow they emit?"
"That's right, there are massive amounts of energy hiding inside them. But, the princess and her husband are incredibly elusive with their Pokémon; they're doing everything they can to hide them from us so we'd never find a single trace of them no matter what. However, from our old mole, we do know that one of them was originally from the heart of Area Zero and it resisted capture twice before the princess was able to catch it after she beat it in its terastallized state," Amethio confirmed as he showed the man footage of the pendant and the Terapagos Three.
"Well then, this is very interesting, Amethio. Shall we report all of this to Master Gideon, then?"
"Not yet, I'm already on top of it. Don't mention anything to him."
"Of course, I understand. And, Sir, please be careful. Not only are you facing Friede of the Rising Volt Tacklers but you'll also be doing battle with the former Battle Frontier Champion of the Hoenn and the Sun Princess of Alola. They are all quite capable but the princess and the former champion are a powerful pair team and they might have a few surprises that we were somehow left out of the loop of."
"Hmph, I get it. Well, at least they're not pushovers. I had been looking for a challenge and an excuse to test my skills against the two of them together dealt with Friede beforehand."
"Then, I will await news of your success and any updates on this matter. Good luck, Sir," the man finished before the video chat with him, Amethio, Onia, and Zirc ended as the trio had been in a submarine they used to tail the Rising Volt Tacklers and the Dragon Craft's occupants.
"Amethio, Sir, what do you really think the huge secret involving Liko's pendant and the strange Pokémon belonging to Race and Sarah could be?" Onia pondered.
"I don't know yet but we'll find out when we enter dry land. Prepare to dock when we get to the island they're at, we'll have our answers soon enough," Amethio replied as they and Zirc drove their submarine to Roy's island home to settle the score and complete their mission.
To Be Continued...
