When we last saw our heroes, they landed on a remote island in the Kanto Region on the way to Paldea for emergency repairs and to check out their unexpected surroundings. With Liko, she and Sprigatito were on the hunt for Fuecoco after he went overboard trying to follow Charizard, unintentionally getting themselves and a new friend, Roy, in a tangled web of angry rants and seething fury thrown at them from a mob of angry wild Pokémon as the Fire Croc Pokémon had eaten all of their berries beforehand.
With Sarah and Race, they finally crossed paths with the mole responsible for leaking information about them and the Terapagos Three to the Explorers named Lazuli, a swordsman who wanders around the world and had defected from her former team for four months as the only one with information about the royal couple. The two of them and their Pikachu and Mimikyu didn't know what to make of her given how she was responsible for putting a new target on their backs but after their conversation with her about her motives and how she betrayed the Explorers because of their supposed goals involving the Terapagos Three and Liko's pendant, they had no idea if she's truly evil or not.
It was during the heroes' only night on the Kantonian island that we find Roy and Lazuli (joined by her two Partner Pokémon: Galaxagus and Pantherra) making their towards the Brave Olivine on the rocky crevasse the boy saw before when he rescued Fuecoco and on the beach nearby. Their respective inhabitants were fast asleep so they had no idea that they were about to receive some unexpected passengers.
While Roy stared at the Brave Olivine in awe and climbed aboard (unaware of the ancient Pokémon in his shoulder pack glowing again as it was nearing Liko's pendant and he was spotted by Cap upon entering), Lazuli observed the Dragon Craft for a moment longer until, "...Creative yet strange. Oh, well, I guess we should see if they have anything to eat, much better than having Pokeblock all the time."
Despite wanting to throw caution to the wind as she carefully unclipped her sword for self-defense, the Explorers' former swordswoman nonchalantly entered the Dragon Craft with Galaxagus and Pantherra following behind. As they entered through its hanger, Twilight, Dawn (Deathgripper), and their children woke up as they felt their presence, the older scorpion-like Strike Class dragons quietly hissing to each other and nodding before they silently slunk out of their rider's bedroom to find the intruders.
It wasn't long until they spotted Lazuli and her Pokémon wandering in the vehicle hanger and looking around, the trio unaware of the dragons that would pounce on them, think they were enemies and part of the Explorers due to the swordswoman's outfit under her cloak (which was shown a little bit after she held her growling stomach for a moment).
At the time, Sarah, her family, Liko, and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers were sound asleep in their respective bedrooms. But, not for long...
"DAGH!"
"AAAAHHHH!"
Liko and Sprigatito were startled awake and so were Sarah and her family when they heard a Thunderbolt/Thundershock/Thunder attack from Cap on the Brave Olivine coupled with Roy's pained screams along with a loud smack and a clanging sound from the Dragon Craft's vehicle hanger.
"What happened?!"
"Somebody's in here!"
"We've been hijacked!" Sarah, Johnathan, and Diane cried as they shot up in bewilderment before the little princess summoned her father's sword and raced out, getting Race's attention as he mumbled sleepily and noticed his wife running out of their bedroom to find the source of the disturbance.
(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)
On the Dragon Craft, while Roy was found by Liko and the Rising Volt Tacklers after Cap caught him trespassing, Sarah, Race, and their family (who were now wide awake from the disturbance) rushed to the craft's ground level and entered the vehicle hanger seeing Twilight, Dawn (Deathgripper) and their pack surrounding three figures.
"Twilight, Dawn, children! What's going on in here?" Sarah demanded until she and Race noticed that one of the figures the Deathgrippers caught was a familiar swordswoman they met earlier (who was pinned by the female Deathgripper who gave an amused grin and warbled proudly at her and her pack's handiwork).
"LAZULI?!" the royal couple spluttered in shocked disbelief.
A little later, Blossom had Lazuli tied up with her Vine Whip attack, the rest of her and her family now glaring at the former Explorer (having been told everything that went down involving their meeting with her and thinking she was going to cause trouble for everyone again). Petunia was the only one who was happy to see her again as she babbled and clapped happily at her new friend responsible for feeding her Pokeblock.
Galaxagus and Pantherra were also with her in a similar predicament as they were bound by Nyasi and Gogoat's Vine Whip attacks as well to prevent them from escaping should they try and fight their way out.
"You got some nerve trying to sneak into this baby after planting a target on our backs before you left the Explorers," Race grumbled at the former Explorer.
"Why are you here, anyway? What were you trying to pull? We thought you told us you had nothing to do with the Explorers and their goal to steal our Terapagos and Liko's pendant after you left them," the little princess demanded.
"Well, can't a woman like me help it if I was looking for something else to eat other than Pokeblock? A girl's gotta keep up with her appetite after a while, you know?" Lazuli replied, sounding hurt but in a playful manner.
"This young lady you met earlier is part of the Explorers, baby?" Diane frowned.
"The mole planted by them who leaked information about you and the Terapagos Three to her cohorts and superior?" Keldeo added suspiciously.
"And, who didn't spill the beans about your powers and the Paradox Pokémon?" Tyson growled.
"Former member," she told us that much," Sarah corrected.
"No kidding; bailed out on and betrayed them four months ago with all the knowledge on us she gained. In doing so, she left the Explorers high and dry with literally nothing else about us under their belts," Race added, his suspicious glare still trained on Lazuli as he held her sword (which he had confiscated earlier).
"Young Lady, you better have a good explanation as to why you came here willy-nilly given your prior allegiance with the Explorers," Johnathan informed darkly.
"And, through uncouth and frankly inconceivable methods such as breaking and entering through private property," Calyrex nodded as his sons snorted in agreement and suspicion.
"Breaking and entering, me? Noooo! Why, perish the thought! Would you rather I'd bust up a window to make an entrance?" Lazuli continued in her hurt yet playful manner while her Partner Pokémon found themselves under the curious yet suspicious glares of the Junior Patrollers which she noticed. "Your pups are an interesting bunch, I see they're starting to become well acquainted with my Pokémon."
"Yeah, about that... What kind are they? It's obvious they're not from around here and I've never seen them before. And, believe you-me, that's coming from my family and I with exotic Eeveelutions and Pokémon from Cyberspace," Sarah remarked, her suspicions still running high.
"My Night Pegasus Pokémon: Galaxagus; Dark/Flying Type, extremely loyal and never one to miss a beat in battle, I've often trusted him to take me to places made impossible by such trivial manners such as breaking and entering. My Hidden Gem Pokémon: Pantherra; Ground Type, just as loyal but much more cunning given his grace and agility with a roar and voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, anybody who knew about Pantherra from fighting with him would know better than to cross his path."
Everybody looked at Lazuli's Partner Pokémon in question, seeing the pair glance between them and each other with semi-bored expressions on their faces.
"Okay, what'll we do with this creep and her bozos?" Silvally questioned.
"I say we toss her overboard. She's nothing but an annoying little Explorer pipsqueak and she knows too much," Eternatus suggested darkly.
"Forget it! That's serious overkill, Eternatus," Sarah chastised firmly at the Gigantic Pokémon.
"But, Auntie, Uncle Eternatus might be right! I don't agree with the pirate logic in that but he's got a point, she knows too much about us and the Terapagos so she can't stay with us," Prinplup debated.
"But, Auntie told us that lady left the Explorers four months ago and wanted nothing to do with them anymore, Big Bro. She can't be all bad after she left them, right?"
"She's right; she hasn't done anything bad to them even she, Uncle Race, our cousins, and Petunia met her by accident in the clearing they found her in," Braixen and Quilava argued.
"That still doesn't mean she's not a threat given the Explorers are still coming after us for the Terapagos and Liko's pendant! What if she has a hidden camera on her recording every second of our crime scene investigation? They'll be ready to pounce on us the moment she sings like a canary!" Frosmoth hissed, not trusting Lazuli and sharing his brother's sentiments.
"Now, why would you all insist that I'm still the backstabbing mole for those ingrates I used to work with?" Lazuli puzzled innocently.
"Maybe it's becausssse three of your former cohortssss had been mean and rotten."
"Sneaky!"
"Selfish."
"Cruel!"
"Wicked."
"100% Devious."
"Untrustworthy?"
"Manipulative to a devilish degree?"
"And, don't forget, low-down!" Medusa, Duke, Zorua, Sonic, Totem Marowak, Nitro, Tyson, Xena, and Tyrantrum put in, still having suspicious frowns and glares on their faces.
Lazuli just snorted, "Ha, please! You think comparing me to Amethio and his cronies along with those other downers back at HQ warrants your distaste for me? Especially after Zirc planted a tracker on your buddies' airship?"
"I'm sorry, it's just...TRACKER?" Sarah blinked in shock.
"Oh, you didn't know? Before I came to say 'hi', I noticed a little tracker planted on the hull of that airship next to your Dragon Craft parked on that crevasse. Turns out one of Amethio's dogs planted a bug on it for some time now, I could see it blinking a mile away when my partners and I dropped by. Honestly, and I thought you all and your pals would be smart enough to see it beforehand."
"They what?!" Dawn (Deathgripper) spluttered in shock.
"I knew there was something fishy about that guy when he was spying on us two days ago! He was already down at the docks where we were while Sarah was rescued!" Twilight seethed in self-loathing.
"Oh, great. That means they were tailgating us since we left that town, we should've done a quick inspection pit stop for something out of the ordinary before we left," Race sighed, seeing that they were currently compromised.
"Which also implies that they'll attack us at sunrise," Blaze confirmed gravely.
"So, are we gonna go back to my original plan of throwing this prat overboard, Pipsqueak?" Eternatus barked bluntly to Sarah.
"Let me pound her like a pancake!" offered Cobalion's slightly psychotic Paradox Pokémon descendant, Iron Crown.
"Not happening! We're not going to use that joke to sink low as the pirates in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean did as it's been used dozens of times before and it's become a cliche at this point, Eternatus. And, Crown, first-degree murder is out of the question; Lazuli never cared about Liko's pendant or our Terapagos and she told us she was annoyed with her former team for keeping secrets from her and she defected from them after finding out about the truth of their goals. And, she didn't lie; I could tell from her aura and how she spoke from her heart. The only things she has on her are her Partner Pokémon, her pack, and her sword, nothing else even if it is as strange as it sounds," Sarah objected adamantly.
"So, what'll we do with her now-bzt?" Manteon questioned.
"Princess, what would you do?" Seleneon inquired to the little princess.
"...As much as I hate to admit it, we have nothing else to go on. And, given her betrayal and how she ditched them and kept everything she learned about us to herself, she's a traitor to the Explorers so they'll be looking for her as well. We're stuck between a rock and a hard place; I would place her under house arrest until further notice and once we're out of the danger at hand."
"What?!" Silvally balked in shock.
"But, we'll have the Explorers hounding us until we surrender the Terapagos and Liko's pendant!"
"O-Or, we would g-g-g-go down f-f-fighting!" protested Mesprit and Uxie.
"Yes, but at least this way, the Explorers will somehow back off for a spell since they'll be wanting her head as well."
"Dark," Donphan muttered quietly.
"Island Girl's right, we don't have a choice. But, in hindsight, this could be our only chance to exploit them; the offer she gave us yesterday still stands: if we wanted any more information on the Explorers, we should come to her before she left. She, however, came to us which makes it easier for us in that regard," Race put in.
Everybody groaned as Jolteon voiced the entire group's thoughts on the matter involving Lazuli, "This sucks, this really SUCKS!"
"...Fine, do what you want, Pipsqueak. But, leave me out of it," Eternatus huffed as he went off to brood in silent solitude.
"Very well, Princess. If we're to combat the Explorers with everything she knows about them, we won't stop you from doing what you must on her part," Cobalion agreed, deciding to support Sarah's current plan of action.
"You think we should ring up Friede and the others and give them a heads-up about the woman?" Terrakion asked.
"Forget it!"
"Yeah, if they find out we got an Explorer in our grasp despite her defection and they get the wrong idea, they're gonna freak!" Danielle and Danny objected.
"Exactly. They shouldn't know about the Explorers spying on us since our arrival to Paldea yet and we shouldn't get Nemona, Penny, Arven, and everyone else from Uva and Blueberry Academies involved so we don't put them in any more danger," Virizion opted in agreement.
"We're not sure how they would react to her and the other Explorers and if they're as much trouble for everyone in Paldea, we should keep them in the dark about those guys until we find it in ourselves and a good point in time to tell the truth," Aurequine confirmed.
"I don't like it but I see no other options for us to go through this safely without squirming through a bottleneck," Thunderailer sighed, feeling a little disgruntled like everyone else.
"Oh, and by the way... I thought you'd like to know that Mr. Treasure Hunter from yesterday snuck until the other ship parked alongside yours in the crevice," Lazuli interjected.
Everyone was baffled by this but none more so than Sarah and Race as they remembered who the boy was, "Roy?"
With the young treasure hunter in question, he ended up being shocked by Cap upon entering (who was none too pleased with him jumping aboard the Brave Olivine without his or anybody else's permission) which drew the attention of his crew and Liko. When he picked himself up again, Roy told everyone that he came to them for Fuecoco as he wanted to be his trainer. However, Friede reminded him that, despite his excitement over the little Paldea Fire Starter, it is mainly up to Fuecoco to decide whether or not he wants to go with him and accept him as his trainer.
Understanding this, Roy decided to leave it up to Fuecoco if that's what he wanted as well, eventually joining Liko to find him and tell him about his decision as he hadn't appeared yet.
"Huh... How about that? Fuecoco does like to eat a lot so I thought he would be in the kitchen, but..." Liko pondered as they and Sprigatito looked for him in the kitchen.
"Maybe he's just hiding somewhere," Roy suggested.
He then started to sing while looking inside a pot to try and get the Fire Croc Pokémon's attention which annoyed Sprigatito as she threw him an unimpressed meow but Liko was more surprised by this as she instead asked him, "Roy, was that Fuecoco's song you were singing just now?"
"Yeah, I sang with him yesterday in the forest after I found him. I thought if he were here somewhere, he might just sing back."
But, as the duo and Sprigatito looked around the Brave Olivine, they couldn't find him anywhere. If they had been more thorough in their search, however, they would've noticed the lovable yet gluttonous Fire Type sleeping peacefully in an open food box in the storage hull (since he was also a heavy sleeper at the best of times).
Eventually, Liko and Roy decided to give up searching for Fuecoco for the night as they rested on the Brave Olivine's Wing Deck, Roy landing flat on his back with disappointment.
"I'm sorry, Roy. We'll keep looking for him tomorrow," Liko reassured.
"Ok, Liko, that sounds great. But, hmm..." Roy replied, still feeling down over not finding Fuecoco as he hoped while he looked at the moon and Sprigatito jumped on her partner's lap before curling up for a small catnap. "I wonder if Fuecoco doesn't like me after what happened yesterday..."
"I don't think you should worry too much. I was a little like you when I first got Sprigatito; I had no idea what she was thinking at the time and we were just starting to connect albeit with a rocky start. But, thanks to Race and Sarah and with a little help from them and their Pokémon, I came to realize how much we had in common, and after that, well... We both just focused on learning how to communicate, and now, we're partners."
Roy was amazed as he grinned at his new friend, "That's so awesome! I think I get it."
He then started singing Fuecoco's song again much to Liko's amusement and Sprigatito's annoyance as they remarked, "Really, Roy?/Thanks a lot."
His singing didn't last long, however, as a ball of fluff suddenly plopped itself onto Roy's head, making him yelp in fright while also making Liko and Sprigatito jump in bewilderment at it. The ball of fluff jumped off and landed near them before it uncurled itself to reveal Wooloo, looking a little peeved at the young treasure hunter.
"Would you cut that out? It's past midnight and some of us are trying to sleep here," the Sheep Pokémon frowned with a yawn.
Roy was amazed as he looked over Wooloo and pondered, "What is that? Is it a Pokémon?"
"Wooloo, what are you doing here?" Liko blinked until she realized, "Wait. If you came here from the Dragon Craft, does that mean-?"
The two kids and Sprigatito turned and found Sarah and Race joined by Ponyta, Yamper, and Scorch approaching them, the two of them now fully in the know about Roy's 'trespassing' after Friede and Cap told them everything.
"Sarah, Race!"
"Hey! Sarah and Race, right?" they grinned.
"Hey, Roy, I suppose you took us all by surprise when you climbed your way up to the Brave Olivine."
"You do know some guys like Cap don't take too kindly to strangers, especially those who hitch a free ride aboard an airship like this one even if they do have a reason, right?" Sarah and Race chuckled in amusement at Roy's earlier folly.
The young treasure hunter blushed as he sheepishly chuckled while rubbing the back of his head, "Uh, he-he-he, yeah... Sorry about that."
"What are you doing up at this time?" Liko puzzled.
"Well, you and the others aren't the only ones who had a surprise guest jumping ship tonight. We got our own, too."
"You did?"
"Who?"
Sarah breathed a deep sigh before she answered, "You don't want to know right now. We'll tell you later on when we feel ready."
Roy and Liko looked at each other in surprise at Sarah's answer as the latter couldn't help but think, "Tell us later, what are they talking about? We got Roy but who did they get hitching a ride on the Dragon Craft?"
"Anyway, I think we all had a wild day today and we still need to get some sleep. Save the singing for Fuecoco tomorrow, Roy, you'll see him again soon. Also, try not to break Wooloo from his beauty sleep, or else, he'll give you another Wooloo Pounce."
"Okay, g'night," Roy nodded as Sarah and Race left the pair and Sprigatito with Wooloo and his siblings toddling cutely behind them, making their way back to the Dragon Craft (prompting the young trio to return to bed as well).
The next morning, on the Dragon Craft, Sarah was making her way to a spare bedroom given to Lazuli, Galaxagus, and Pantherra with a large breakfast plate on her with Glaciel and Wang Lun bringing in two bowls of Pokémon Food for her Partner Pokémon. After she arranged for the former Explorer swordswoman to be put on house arrest despite her family's objections, she gave them a master bedroom to themselves to make them feel welcome and comfortable despite the tense atmosphere that permeated the air around the royal family and the defective trio.
"Breakfast time, come and get it!" Sarah called as she entered the bedroom and found Lazuli on her bed.
"Great. But, is what you made more filling than the Pokeblock we've been having?" she puzzled, stunning Sarah as she, Wang Lun, and Glaciel gave her and her partners their food.
"Hold up, you've been eating nothing but Pokeblock for some time now? For real?" Glaciel balked in disbelief.
"Four months since I've left, I'm not just a swordswoman and an intelligence officer. I did have a dabble at cooking for Pokémon in my spare time away from those downers back at HQ, you know. Not much money made on my end while working with those fools, if I'm being honest; had to make do with what we got while trying to find a roof of some sort over our heads as well. Besides, if you're thinking Galaxagus, Pantherra, and I are making a break for it, big deal. Having a roof over us is way better than camping out 24/7 in a forest with no equipment, kid, really."
Sarah was astounded by what he, Wang Lun, and Glaciel had been told as they watched Lazuli and her Partner Pokémon eat their breakfast but like everybody else on their end, they were still on the fence as to whether or not she can be truly trusted given she was still responsible for putting a target on her and Race's backs for the Explorers to find and hit. Deciding not to dwell on it and leave them to their own devices, Sarah joined up with Race and they returned to the Brave Olivine where they found nearly the entire crew along with Roy, Liko, and Sprigatito up bright and early and in greater spirits.
"Good morning!" Roy greeted happily, full of energy and ready for the day ahead of them.
"Good morning to you, too, Roy!" Liko smiled.
"Morning," Sprigatito greeted back kindly.
"Nice to see you're up and about, kid," Race chuckled.
"I guess you're ready to search for Fuecoco again and tell him what you want to do with him, huh?" Sarah quizzed knowingly as Roy gave an eager nod just as Friede and Cap arrived.
"Hey, Roy, how'd you sleep last night?" Friede questioned, smiling at Roy and sharing her thoughts regarding Fuecoco.
"I slept like a log," Roy replied only for a worn-out and sleep-deprived Orla to come in, supported by her Metagross as she moaned miserably, "...Lucky you..."
Everyone else was greatly bewildered by poor Orla's terrible condition as Sarah and Race winced, leaving Friede to ask while sweatdropping at her, "Did you pull off an all-nighter?"
"I can't keep up with the repairs the whole time; as one leak closes on my end, another one pops up for me to stitch up. It's like playing Thrawk-a-Sentret, I can't keep up with them."
"Ouch, that doesn't sound like fun. Looks like we're going to have to figure something else out."
"There are holes in this thing?" Roy asked Orla.
"Yeah, in the internal gas bags. We don't have enough raw materials to patch up the holes, and until we do, we're never gonna get this thing off the ground again."
"Hey, maybe you can use some of the wild Pokémon around here to help you figure out how to get the holes plugged up," Roy suggested.
Friede and Cap were intrigued by this as the former voiced their thoughts on the idea, "Hmm, that's not a bad idea."
"Do you have any Pokémon or anything specific in mind?" Liko questioned.
"Not really but maybe Gramps can help us."
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea, we'll go ashore after breakfast."
"If that doesn't prove to be enough and if the damage to the gas bags is worse than you guys assumed, I know someone who can help you," Sarah offered before she took out her Pup Pad and called for Arcia.
"What's up, Sarah? Anything I can do to help?" the pup in question asked after appearing on the Pup Pad's screen, surprising and intriguing Roy, Liko, and the Rising Volt Tacklers.
"Plenty, Arcia; Orla's pulled off an all-nighter trying to patch up the Brave Olivine's internal gas bags and it can't take off since she doesn't have enough materials the cover and plug in the holes. We'll need your help to pull off the emergency repairs, especially since we'll need to get moving sometime in the day after breakfast. You up for those fast-track repairs?"
"Big or small, I'll build it all! I'll be down there wherever you are with my gears in full swing!"
"Stay in touch!" Sarah said before she ended the call.
"Now, who's this Arcia you just called up, Sarah?" puzzled Murdock.
"Someone who likes building and repairing things judging from how enthusiastic she sounded by the assignment you gave her, I'll bet," chuckled Friede.
"She is and she's one of the best mechanics and builders I know, she can give the wild Pokémon you guys bring over to the ship a hand with the internal gas bags when she gets here."
Orla was relieved as she made her thoughts known, "Well, we can probably manage to move the ship to the sandy beach where the Dragon Craft is parked at."
"Then, let's do it!"
"I'll have Elder and Alder help you move it, too."
True to her word, Sarah managed to call her Titan Wing Mist Twister (who amazed Roy as his jaw dropped and he smiled at them with overwhelming excitement) to help the Rising Volt Tacklers move the Brave Olivine to the beach and place it next to the Dragon Craft. They were just in time, too, as Arcia (wearing her uniform) arrived in her Construction Rig via her new Apparition Pup Tag attached to her collar which threw the group, Liko, and Roy in for a loop when they saw her.
"Arcia!" Sarah called, seeing her pup and waving her over.
"Right here, Sarah!" Arcia grinned as she pulled over to the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine.
"Wait, this is Arcia...?"
"...SHE'S A DOG?!" Friede, his crew, Liko, and Roy balked as their jaws dropped altogether.
"For real?!"
"Oh, my Arceus," Sprigatito and Cap spluttered in shock.
"I'm an 8-year-old puppy, thank you," Arcia replied as she boarded the Brave Olivine and turned to Sarah before saluting her. "Arcia, reporting for duty, Sarah, ma'am!"
"That's even worse, I thought she'd be a young woman or a teen!" Murdock stated in bewilderment.
"Oh, this is not gonna be good!" Orla added, fearing the worst.
"I'll take that as a compliment and pretend I didn't hear that," the pup replied with a grin, understanding their shock.
"Hey, guys, guys! It's okay! I told you, Arcia's one of the best mechanics I know and she's an expert at this stuff. Trust her and see what she can do before you jump the gun; she's extremely capable of what she can do. Believe me, I was once like you when I was first introduced to her and her friends," Sarah added, managing to stifle her laughter at Roy, Liko, and the Rising Volt Tacklers.
"Good to know. Now, let's build this little fixer-upper from the ground up!"
And, with that, Arcia went to work, Immediately, she was flooring the Rising Volt Tacklers, Roy, and Liko with what she did next: pulling a sheet large enough to cover the holes and an assortment of tools from out of her Pup Pack.
"Now, if you're all done playing 'Holy Tarter Sauce & Jumpin' Fishpaste,', you think you can take us to your grandfather, Roy?" Race asked, unable to keep his smirk at his and Sarah's friends' reactions at Arcia as she set to work, helping Orla with the Brave Olivine's repairs.
Recomposing himself, Roy grinned as he replied, "Sure thing! I'm sure he could help us as well."
"Seems reasonable enough. In that case, let's go see him," Friede added, recomposing himself before he turned to Cap and Charizard. "Cap, Charizard, you two keep watch for trouble and let us know if we're in deep right away."
"You got it, pal."
"Charizard's honor," they nodded as Liko kept herself busy with a video by Nidothing and Quaxly on Pokeballs made from Apricorns.
With Roy, before he could leave with his friends and Friede, he placed three Oran Berries he picked up from the storage hull on a small stool when Mollie dropped in on him, "Hey!"
"Ah!"
"What are you up to in here?"
"Oh! Uh, I was just, erm... You know," Roy stuttered, unable to find the words he wanted to say until the traveling doctor saw the berries and realized what he was doing (he was leaving the berries for Fuecoco, hoping he would get to see him again sometime later).
Sure enough, after regrouping with one another once Sarah and Race had finished things up on their end, the group of five made their way to the home of the village elder (which was also Roy and his grandfather's home) joined by Silvally, Tou-Tou, Blitz, Curly, Bella, Robbie, Ella, Kit, Latios, and Latias.
"This is your grandfather's house?!" Friede spluttered in shock, remembering the house clearly from his last visit and seeing Roy's grandfather again (who was looking none too pleased to see him again over what could be a trivial matter).
"You've got to be kidding," Silvally muttered.
"Are you serious?" added a dumbstruck Tou-Tou.
"Yeah, why so shocked?" Roy asked Friede.
"I didn't realize your grandfather was the village elder."
Back on the Brave Olivine, Fuecoco finally woke up feeling hungry again as he crawled out of his box and into the kitchen. When he arrived and began to look for a meal, he noticed the berries Roy left behind for him, wondering who left them there for him when Mollie arrived back and saw him inside.
"Hey, where have you been all this time?" she puzzled as the Fire Croc Pokémon turned to and squeaked curiously at her, still wondering about the berries. "Oh, those berries... You just missed Roy; he was here last night looking for you and he left them there for you, thinking you might want some. You remember him?"
"Oh, Roy..." Fuecoco cooed thoughtfully, remembering his first-ever true friend who enjoyed his singing and he sang along with during their time together in the forest before he ran out to find him. "ROY! Roy, buddy! Roy?"
His search for Roy immediately caught the attention of Mai and the other Pokémon from the Dragon Craft as they saw him leaving the Brave Olivine with a steeled look on his face, determined to find and reunite with Roy no matter what it took or who got in his way.
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOY!" he shouted as he vanished out of sight, keeping his eyes and ears open for Roy.
"And, now he's gone," Mai sighed.
"There he goes again," grumbled Lolita.
"He does seem much more energetic, though, ever since he met Roy. He doesn't seem bothered by any of us hearing or seeing him sing from afar last night before he went to sleep himself," put in Gorie.
"Hmm, maybe meeting the kid must've helped him with his confidence and his singing. Perhaps their accidental meeting sparked something in him and he wants to see him again, maybe to have him be a human partner of sorts," Inferhound suggested thoughtfully.
"You mean he wants Roy to be his trainer?" Raksha puzzled in surprise.
"If he's searching for Roy and he gets himself into trouble with the wild Pokémon again, I think it's best if somebody follows him," said Spookeon.
"So, who's gonna be the one stuck with babysitting duties on him this time?" quizzed Brawleon, seeing nobody wanting to look out for Fuecoco until Frosmoth groaned.
"Fine, I'll go. Better not keep him waiting if he gets his tail in a tizzy with them again," he sighed reluctantly.
"Actually, I'll look out for him, M'dear. It's better if I look for him from the air," Noctowl offered before he turned to Eevee. "Eevee, would you like to come along with me?"
"Yes, Uncle Noctowl!" grinned Eevee as she hopped aboard the Owl Pokemon and the two of them went off to follow Fuecoco and help guide him to Roy (making sure he kept out of trouble along the way).
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY GRANDSON BOARDED YOUR SHIP WITHOUT PERMISSION?!"
Of course, with Roy's grandfather, when Friede, Sarah, Race, Liko, and the boy in question told him about what had happened the previous night and why he boarded the Brave Olivine as he did (which made the village elder worry and feeling greatly upset since he hadn't seen hair or hide of his grandson when the morning broke), he broke out into an absolute fit which was actually from his worries over his grandson's safety and not from the group wanting his help over trivial matters.
"Ah! You know, it's just one of those things you do when you're a kid. It's no biggie, no need to go hard on him," Friede reassured, feeling awkward about the situation.
After releasing his frustrations and having cooled down, the village elder sighed roughly and nodded before he returned to the house, leaving everybody in silence (which felt even more awkward compared to telling him of Roy's whereabouts and well-being the previous night). That was until he finally came out and brought in a tray of homemade takoyaki along with some tea and milk to treat his grandson and his new friends.
"Have something to eat," he offered as he poured himself a cup of tea.
"Thanks so much, it looks delicious," Liko thanked.
"Yeah!" Sprigatito agreed, getting hungry.
Friede smiled as he then whispered to Liko, "He may seem grumpy by his appearance but he's really a big softie with a heart of gold."
Curious about the conditions of the Brave Olivine and his mind at ease over Roy's well-being, the elder (having also been introduced to Sarah and Race earlier) questioned Friede, "By the way, young man, did you find a way to fix your airship?"
"Yeah, thanks to Sarah. And, we decided to get a little more help from the wild Pokémon around here."
"We think the wild Weedle and Caterpie from yesterday along with one of the Scyther using their silk to add to the repairs being made and its blades to cut the silk to the lengths and thickness we need," Sarah explained as everybody ate and drank their tea or milk.
"Elder!" called a man as everybody turned to see some of the villagers coming to see Roy's grandfather with food supplies. "We're here to visit!"
The elder looked at the villagers and smiled warmly, apparently recognizing them as he went over to greet them, "Oh, good, I've been waiting."
"What's this all about?" Friede pondered until Liko took notice of the Pokémon the visitors had with them including the Kanto Starters, a Krabby, a Psyduck, and a Mankey.
"Look at all the Pokémon!" she cooed at the team of six looking at the newcomers to their village curiously.
"So, what do you think of these?" one of the visiting villagers grinned as he and his neighbors showed the elder the array of vegetables they'd collected from a recent harvest they carried out.
The elder was satisfied with what he saw from the contents in the baskets they carried over and he generously offered to Friede, "It's almost lunchtime. Since Roy's been such a big bother, how about you all eat with us? I'm sure we won't mind the company of Alola's Sun Princess and her husband since we heard so much good about them and their friends."
"Well, I suppose a little lunch won't hurt," Friede smirked in reply, seeing Liko's fascination with the six Kanto Pokémon.
Meanwhile, Fuecoco continued his search for Roy, first going to his secret base to find him only to find it empty and that he wasn't there. He then retraced his steps to the tree where they first met and sang together but he became disappointed as he didn't find him there as well. The only there was an Oran Berry which he took with him as he went over to the crevice where he was rescued but the results weren't promising as Roy wasn't there, either. Sad and feeling like he wouldn't see his first real friend again, all the Fire Croc Pokémon could do was walk to the shoreline and wait for him to arrive only to trip and lose the Oran Berry he was carrying to the seas in front of him.
From above, Noctowl and Eevee could only feel bad for him to come up empty in his search for Roy no matter where he looked. However, as all three of them looked out to the sea, they all gasped to see a submarine pulling into the island in front of them. But, it was the people on top of the submarine that sent alarm bells in them ringing like mad; it was Zirc, Onia, and Amethio as the former two were using binoculars to look for their targets and the latter using the GPS on his Rotom Phone to hunt for the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft via the only tracker they had left that was planted on the former.
"No sign of them yet, Sir," Zirc informed Amethio with a sigh.
"Ugh, those kids, the princess' family, and those blasted Rising Volt Tacklers, why couldn't they just stay put?" Onia grumbled in annoyance.
"Don't let your guard down. They're close thanks to our remaining tracker after we lost our second," Amethio replied, seeing they were getting closer to their targets. "This only proves they're more resourceful than we thought. We'll land on the island and conduct a covert reconnaissance mission upon arrival."
Back with the heroes, Liko, Friede, and the elder watched Sprigatito playing with a female Nidorino as the villagers brought in additional Pokémon to join the group for lunch.
"Looks like Sprigatito just made a new friend," Liko smiled gleefully, seeing how well the female Nidorino and Sprigatito were getting on.
"It's wild, and yet, it's relaxed around people," Friede added, sharing Liko's sentiments and feeling impressed by the wild female Nidorino feeling at ease with the villagers (with Mankey, Krabby, Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur helping the villagers make lunch by harvesting berries and vegetables, slicing the harvested crops, heating a pot as a stew was being made, washing the crops for cooking, and helping to serve drinks respectively). "Same with Mankey and Krabby, what a party we got going here."
Roy's grandfather nodded happily as he confirmed to Friede and Liko, "The Pokémon living on this island are like family to us just as the Pokémon belonging to the princess are part of her family. Even the Pokémon belonging to her husband, from what we can see here, are also treated like a family in his own making."
The elder was right; as the villagers and the wild Pokémon continued to make their feast for lunch (working in tangent and perfect harmony), they were graciously offered help by Sarah, Race, and their Pokémon with them. The wild Pokémon and villagers were thankful for this and they were intrigued to know more about the royal couple, their Pokémon, and their previous adventures as they asked questions and mingled with their royal guests of honor.
"So cool! I can't believe all of you live amongst Pokémon like this, even without catching them!" Liko beamed at the amazing yet simple lifestyle the villagers and the wild Pokémon shared on the island.
She then noticed Psyduck happily nuzzling Roy (given that the two of them were close friends before the boy's fated meeting with Fuecoco and his new friends) as she chuckled, "And, Psyducks all over Roy!"
"Sir, if you don't mind us asking, would the wild Caterpie and Weedle be so kind as to help us fix the Brave Olivine's internal gas bags?" puzzled Sarah to the elder.
"Well, I'm sure it won't be a problem if the damage done to it is pretty serious. Caterpie and Weedle's String Shot attacks are pretty strong."
"Oh, right! I forgot, their String Shot attacks worked to trap Roy, Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and I during the berry stash incident! So, their String Shot can add to Arcia's repairs by covering up any holes left behind and the wild Scyther can cut them into the patches we need!" Liko added, remembering what she and the others were speaking to the elder about.
"If they don't mind giving us a helping hand, I suppose the only thing we should do is ask them. I just hope they're not sore over Fuecoco costing them their previous berry stash," Race nodded.
With Roy, he noticed Psyduck's hair tufts and he blinked. "Hey, that hair on your head today, it's really moving a lot... Wait, did something cool and exciting happen to you today, Psyduck?"
After he, Onia, and Amethio docked their submarine upon reaching the island, Zirc and his Skarmory flew above, looking for any sign of the heroes. When they flew over the beach and the path to Roy's home village, he saw the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine (the latter in top condition and the former still having its repairs carried out).
"Amethio, Sir? I found them on the beach right over there. Their airship is busted and they're working out the repairs, unable to take off as of now. The craft, however, is fully functional," Zirc informed as he regrouped with his teammates and pointed left, all while Fuecoco, Eevee, and Noctowl (the latter two making themselves known to the Fire Croc Pokémon earlier) watched on, and were being extremely careful to not let themselves draw the Explorers' attention and get caught.
"Then, what are were standing around here for? What's going on over there?" Onia demanded.
"Friede and our targets aren't with them."
"Good, that's even better. Why don't we take their ship before they come back?"
"Oh, yeah! Then, we can ambush them when they least expect it!"
But, Amethio wasn't convinced that their plan would work as he dismissed the idea and told them, "Negative. I'm sure you haven't forgotten if you've been paying attention; two of our targets have approximately over 200 Pokémon in total including Legendary and Mythical Pokémon such as the Legendary Beasts and the Swords of Justice. If they find out about us and unleash their wrath, they'll destroy us before we even get a chance to reach them and Liko. I'm not about to give the pendant and the three mysterious Pokémon another chance to slip away. The two of you are going to draw the others out of the craft and the ship and I'm going out to find the targets."
"Yes, Sir," Zirc and Onia nodded as the three of them split up to carry out their mission unaware that Noctowl, Fuecoco, and Eevee had seen and heard everything from their hiding place.
"Oh, no! Roy and the others are in trouble! What are we gonna do?" Fuecoco fretted.
"We've got to warn them and everybody else before those meanies could hurt them!" Eevee added.
"Then, it's most imperative that we find the boy, Liko, Sarah, and Master Friede as soon as possible and alert everyone to the Explorers' arrival! I believe I saw the village while Eevee and I were flying over you, Little Fuecoco, come on!" Noctowl directed, getting knowing nods from the Evolution and Fire Croc Pokémon as the two of them got on him and the three of them took off for the village.
Unaware of the danger present on the island (no thanks to the Explorers), as Friede along with Sarah, Race, and their Pokémon continued to take part in the feast, Liko and Roy stood and sat together along one of the garden walls bordering the village as the former contemplated on the latter and his village's peaceful lifestyle with the island's wild Pokémon.
"The friendships you have with the island's Pokémon are so amazing!" she praised.
"I know. And, I'm hoping that Fuecoco and I can be friends in the exact same way," Roy grinned in response.
This gave a worrying thought to Liko; realizing that she had deepened her friendship with Roy, she was concerned that once she, Sarah, her family, Race, and the Rising Volt Tacklers left the island after the repairs to the Brave Olivine's internal gas bags were complete, she would have to say goodbye to him which meant she'll never see him again for some time or ever. At the back of her mind, she also wondered how Fuecoco was going to take leaving his only real friend in a long time who loved his singing, feeling he was going to be devastated should the news of their departure break out.
But, that would have to wait as the Paldea Fire Starter himself, Eevee, and Noctowl suddenly appeared (with the Normal and Flying Types making their way towards Sarah while Fuecoco jumped off and rushed back to the airship), all of them looking frantic.
"Master!"
"Auntie!"
"HEEEEELP! DANGER, DANGER! EMERGENCY!"
"Eevee, Noctowl!"
"Fuecoco!" Sarah and Roy gasped in surprise or delight, the Fire Croc Pokémon skidding to a stop and turning back towards Roy as he heard him while Eevee and Noctowl explained what was going on to the little princess and Race (who had joined her after seeing them as well).
"ROY, ROY! I FOUND YOU, DANGER! TROUBLE, BIG! EXPLORERS! THEY'RE HERE! EVERYBODY, NEED HELP! NOW!" Fuecoco continued to cry.
"I've been looking for you and why are you covered in sand?" Roy began before he began to notice how deeply scared and worried his little friend was and he then asked, "What's going on, Fuecoco? Did something bad happen?"
"Over there, something bad IS going to happen!" he fretted, pointing down the path leading to the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine.
"Hold on, isn't that the road leading back to the airship and the Dragon Craft?" Liko asked as she held Sprigatito and Sarah and Race (now looking grim) joined them as well.
"I've got a pretty bad feeling about this," Roy mused as Friede came over and shared the young boy's worries.
"And, you'd be right to feel that, Roy. Noctowl and Eevee told Race and I everything; it appears the Explorers had found us via a tracker they placed on the Brave Olivine. They and Fuecoco heard that they're going to attack us now that they know we're here," Sarah informed.
"What, a tracker?!" Liko screamed in horror.
Race nodded on his wife's behalf as he explained, "The tracker they planted on the Brave Olivine allowed them to follow us to Roy's island, and with the airship undergoing repairs, they're more than likely to attack and capture us while we're down."
Friede nodded as he soon decided, "If that's the case, I'll head back and see if the others, Johnathan, and Diane need my help. You two, Liko, and Roy along with your Pokémon stay in the village where it's safe.
"Keep an eye on them!" Friede then requested the elder as he ran back to the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft.
"Why, sure, but-Friede!" the elder called out to him, only being too late as he was soon out of earshot and the skies began to darken (unbeknownst to everyone despite it not raining).
Back at the beach where the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft were moored over, Cap and Charizard got a sinking feeling in their stomachs and they decided to go and see what the problem was and inform everyone of what was going on.
"Take off, old friend!" Cap shouted to Charizard as the pair flew off and kept their eyes open for trouble.
"Phew... Well, we managed to make it, sure. Thanks for the help earlier, Arcia," Orla sighed with relief as she plopped atop her Metagross and Arcia joined her, the two of them and the others having to work themselves to the bone with the repairs needed for the airship's gas bags stopping for lunch.
"No worries, I'm just glad I could help. As a good friend of mine and Sarah once said, 'Whenever you're in trouble, just yelp for help!'," Arcia smiled kindly.
"Sorry I took so long to get your lunch ready, little buddy," Murdock smiled as his Rockruff ate away.
"Good to see you're all holding up out there despite running out of building gas, gang!" grinned Dracozolt at the Rising Volt Tacklers with a cheeky laugh.
"The good news is you're nearly done with the repairs!" added Arctozolt reassuringly.
"As soon as you get the final touches done and the wild Pokémon Sarah and Roy mentioned from their earlier call to us come and help, we'll be ready to fly again!" Donphan cheered.
But then, Mollie noticed something off as she and the others on the Brave Olivine felt the airship starting to settle down on the water, leaving her to ponder, "Is it just me or is the ship listing a little?"
Johnathan, Diane, Romeo, and Juliet (having decided to help with the repairs to the Brave Olivine) appeared from inside the airship (having also felt the ship gently dropping and touching down on the water), the old man pondering as they joined Mollie and Murdock, "It feels like it, Mollie. But, by the looks of it, we should be gently touching the water which would be safer for us to continue the repairs to its internal gas bags."
"I suppose that'll help stabilize things," Mollie admitted.
"Guys, look! At our 1:00!" Cap alerted as he and Charizard glared at everyone's enemies coming towards them.
Romeo and Juliet turned and also noticed the three familiar foes as the former warned his partner, "Master! Cap's right; over there, coming toward us aboard a Corviknight and two Skarmory!"
"Oh, great, the Explorers!" Murdock griped in annoyance.
"Well, they sure took their time getting here!" grunted a seething Johnathan.
"Seriously?!"
"They followed us all the way here?" fretted Diane and Orla.
"This is not good! Let's get everyone off the ship and the Dragon Craft!" Murdock warned, knowing they and everybody else would have to fight their way out now.
"Let's move!"
"Come on!" Cap and Charizard shouted.
"Oh, no! They're back!"
"I guess Lazuli wasn't lying, after all!" Kiara and Kion balked in shock.
With no choice but to fight, joined by a majority of Sarah's family (including Johnathan, Diane, Romeo, and Juliet) and the rest of Race's team, Murdock, Rockruff, Orla, and Metagross braced themselves as they faced off against Zirc and Onia.
"Return, Skarmory," Zirc called as he and Onia returned their Skarmory and the two of them summoned their partners in battle. "Rhydon, let's go!"
"You're up, Golduck!"
"Romeo, battle dance!"
"Juliet, prepare to defend yourself!" Johnathan and Diane shouted, allowing their Gallade and Gardevoir to ready themselves to fight.
"We hope you haven't worn yourselves out with your little pit stop but we'll be taking those ships of yours," Zirc sneered at the heroes.
"Yeah, I don't think so, Chump! Metagross!"
"Rockruff, let's go!" Murdock and Orla replied defiantly as they and their trusted partners got into battle stances while Friede (reunited with Charizard and Cap) appeared before Amethio and Corviknight.
"You really don't know when to quit, do you?" the unconventional professor commented as some of Sarah and Race's Flying Types joined the trio.
"My business isn't with you," Amethio sniffed indifferently.
"And, why do you have to be so cold?" Friede continued, smirking.
"Yeah, what's up, Doc?" added Cap, sharing Friede's smirk.
"Where are the pendant, the Pokémon, the girls, and the boy, Friede?"
"Somebody's getting a little repetitive with their demands, aren't they? You really think I'd tell you willy-nilly?"
"Not really. Well then, let's battle," Amethio finished as Corviknight and Charizard landed and the two men dismounted, allowing Charizard to take his place and Cap to help defend the Brave Olivine.
"Alright, Charizard, let's go."
"Right, buddy!" Charizard agreed before he gave Cap a thumbs-up. "Got my back, Cap?"
"Go for it," Cap replied, still smirking as he returned the gesture and allowed his oldest friends to duke it out once more against Amethio as they had done a few days prior.
"Can't those jokers learn to take a hike when they can?!"
"They don't, I'm afraid, Star, since they're still laser-focused on targeting the Terapagos Three and Liko's pendant!"
"I don't care if they come at us with all their strength! While Sarah and the others are out in the village, we and everyone else are the only ones left to stop them! We can't let the Explorers beat us!" Star, Candy, and Houndoom growled.
"Houndoom's right! The fate of Liko's pendant and the Terapagos Three is in our hands, paws, and claws! For them, Liko, and Roy; for Mom and Race, we'll fight the Explorers off, to the end!" Kaji vowed as everybody on the heroes' side prepared for one of the craziest fights of their lives.
Meanwhile, in their master bedroom in the Dragon Craft, Galaxagus and Pantherra along with Lazuli felt the presence of their former teammates and their own Partner Pokémon as they looked out from one of the windows and saw the commotion going on outside.
"...So, Amethio and his posse have finally shown up, huh?" Lazuli mused darkly, glaring at Amethio, Onia, and Zirc.
"Indeed, Master, but it seems as though they had forgotten about us even though it has been four months since our impromptu departure," Galaxagus nodded in response to his master's thoughts.
"Once again, your assumptions and observations were correct, Master. Amethio, Zirc, and Onia are still as brash yet calculating as ever and they wasted no time pursuing our new acquaintances," added Pantherra.
"Even if the odds were against them, I fear they've gotten stronger since the last time we saw them. I have a feeling despite their combined strength and their numbers present, the princess' family and the Rising Volt Tacklers are going to have their hands full with those downers if the training they had since we left them and the entire crew behind proves anything..."
"Who are the Explorers?" Roy asked, having heard what Sarah said earlier but not understanding about the Explorers.
"We don't have time to explain about them to you and your grandfather, Roy, but short, sweet, and to the point: they're a group of bad guys who are after Liko's pendant and three special Pokémon belonging to Race and I. If they're here, that means we have to get out of here as soon as possible. Let's get the Pokémon in the forest and bring them to the beach, quickly!" Sarah informed despite Liko's growing worries over everyone involved getting hurt because of them and Race.
But, before she could make her way to the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft to suggest another surrender against Sarah and Race's wishes, an explosion from the beach and a small cloud of smoke appeared, making them gasp in shock and horror at what was happening on the beach.
They were right to be worried as Orla's Metagross had taken a ton of damage by a Rock Blast attack by Zirc's Rhydon and a Dig attack by Onia's Golduck, leaving him badly bruised and left with little strength left to fight on (given that ).
"Metagross!" Orla screamed.
"Rockruff, use Rock Tomb!" Murdock shouted, allowing his Alolan Puppy Pokémon to try and trap Zirc's Rhydon only for the Horn Pokémon to shatter his smaller opponent's makeshift prison.
"You'll have to do better than that amateur move. Rhydon, use Rock Blast again!" the brute Explorer sneered.
Rhydon managed to fire Rock Blast while Rockruff managed to dodge the attack, but to Murdock and Orla's horror, the attack nearly made its mark on the wild Krabby watching the action from nearby (all of them scurrying around in panic to avoid being hit).
"He's got the nearby Krabby in the line of fire!"
"We've got to help them!"
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! What's the matter with you guys? Just come at us!" Zirc cackled until he and Onia were thrown for a shocking loop as Kaji and Amber (letting out battle cries) charged at Rhydon and Golduck before thrashing them with Dragon Claw and Thunderpunch, sending them crashing into a rock wall behind them.
"AH!"
"NO WAY!"
"You will not exploit these innocent Pokémon for your own gain!"
"Come and take us on if you two and your sacks of Poke-dung are up to it!" Kaji and Amber dared, sharing a knowing smirk and a fist bump.
"Kaji, Amber!" Orla breathed as she and Murdock along with their partners smiled with relief while Johnathan and Diane regrouped with the quartet.
"Better late than never!"
"Indeed, thanks for coming, you two!" Romeo and Juliet (looking bruised but well) thanked as they joined the two Flame Pokémon, the four of them.
"Those two Charizard must be part of the princess' Pokémon and the Gallade and Gardevoir with them are tough to put down. It looks like our hunt for our targets will have to wait," Onia snarled before she smirked darkly as she muttered quietly and looked back at the forest above the ongoing scuffle, "Although, since she, her hubby, and those kids found out about us being here, it won't be long before they come dancing our way..."
In said forest, Liko, Sarah, Race, and Roy met up with the Pokémon the previous day as Sarah finished telling them what was going on (which shocked them as they realized the severity of the situation), "And, that's that. As long as the Explorers are here, they'll stop at nothing to get Liko's pendant and three of my and Race's Pokémon. That is why we need your help to complete the repairs to the Brave Olivine, one of our ships docked on the island, by using both your String Shot attacks and your blades. I know yesterday had been extremely rough for you given the berry stash incident but we ask you to please help us in our time of need!"
Roy shared Sarah's thoughts and feelings as he added to her pleas (speaking from his heart to the wild Pokémon), "There's big trouble down at the beach just as Sarah told you, everyone! Yesterday may not be easy for you, but still, we really need your help! Okay?"
Liko noticed Roy shaking as he hoped his and Sarah's pleas were answered, asking him, "Roy, are you alright?"
Continuing to shake as he became worried that the Pokémon wouldn't help him and his friends this time, and with the danger present before them all, Roy could only state, "I don't know... But, that airship with the Dragon Craft is home to you, Fuecoco, and everyone with you! We have to protect it as well as you, Sarah, Race, and those Pokémon these Explorers guys wanted!"
Liko was surprised as she admitted, "I guess...… We're both kind of scared of what's gonna happen. But, even so, we have our Pokémon to help us."
Fuecoco frowned, wondering what he should do to help his friends, especially Roy (despite having not learned and used Ember the previous day before they, Liko, and Sprigatito were captured) until he became determined and told his human friend, "Let's murderize 'em, buddy!"
Roy looked at the Fire Croc Pokémon, staring into his eyes as he realized what his destined friend and partner wanted, "Fuecoco, you mean...? ...I understand, you're saying we got this. And, I think you're right; if you're feeling good right now, then we'll be okay no matter what!"
Fuecoco nodded, knowing that he and his friends, old and new, would be able to pull through against the Explorers somehow which got the wild Pokemon inspired as some of the Weedle and Caterpie came over to join in (with one of their Scyther friends nodding in agreement).
"We're in!"
"Show us the way to the airship!"
Satisfied with the help of the wild Pokémon, Sarah shared a short handshake with the Scyther and turned to Roy and Liko, "They'll help us with the repairs but we'll need to act fast. Liko, Roy, get them to the Brave Olivine and fast! Race and I will join Friede to help him take the fight to Amethio! We don't mind if you join us but please be careful; be alert and don't engage with him or his cohorts for too long!"
Liko and Roy nodded in agreement; the plan had been set and they would all need to be quick if they were to prevent the Explorers from completing their mission.
"Hey, Mister! We're here to help!"
"We're coming, Uncle Murdock!" Roy and Fuecoco called, getting Murdock's attention as he noticed them, Liko, and Sprigatito coming into view from the forest with the wild Scyther, Weedle, and Caterpie to help with the repairs.
"We got the last of the repairs, let's go!" one of the wild Scyther concurred, much to the delight of Orla as she and her Metagross tended to the frightened Krabby (doing their best to comfort them after their near miss with Zirc's Rhydon).
"We're so glad to see you!" she grinned before she said her goodbyes to the Krabby and she and Metagross boarded the ship again. "Got to go!"
Seeing their chance, Mollie and Chansey disembarked to take their, Murdock's, and Rockruff's place and protect the Krabby as the former told her partner, "Let's go, Chansey!"
"Coming, Mollie!" Chansey replied.
"We're counting on you, Mollie!" Murdock encouraged as he held Rockruff and he, Orla, Metagross, and the wild Pokémon joined them and went inside the Brave Olivine, "Arcia, open up! We're coming in with help!"
"They did it," Friede smirked proudly, seeing that Liko and Roy had gotten the additional help they needed to repair the airship's gas bags.
"You really ought to pay more attention in battle! Corviknight, use Hurricane!" Amethio spat as he commanded his Raven Pokémon to unleash a Hurricane attack against Charizard who dodged the Flying Type move with ease.
"Murdock, Orla! I've gotten many of the holes plugged up but we'll need much more than this if we're to have them sealed up! They just keep tearing up!" Arcia shouted with relief, having gotten a majority of the repairs complete despite the gas bags being as troublesome in their current damaged state.
"Well, we've got the cure you need for that piece of mischievous fabric, little lady! Weedle!"
"Caterpie!"
"Use String Shot!" Wasting no time, the wild Weedle and Caterpie used String Shot and the wild Scyther sliced the strings to the patches off.
"YEAH!"
"Alright!" Murdock, Orla, and Arcia cheered as the Brave Olivine was straightened out once more and it slowly lifted itself back to its normal moored position much to Roy, Liko, Sprigatito, and Fuecoco's delight.
"It worked!"
"They did it!"
"That's awesome, they fixed the gas bags!"
"OUR HOME IS SAVED, WE CAN FLY AGAIN!"
"Chansey, use Pound!" Mollie shouted, her partner readying herself with the Fighting Type move as she charged at Zirc's Rhydon and took a swipe only to miss as Rhydon dodged her at the last second. "That Rhydon's sure quick on its toes."
"You got this, Chansey!"
"Hang in there!" Roy and Liko encouraged Chansey as Fuecoco and Sprigatito stepped forward to offer their support, the odds tiling in the heroes' favor irking Zirc as he realized he, Onia, and Amethio were running out of time.
"That really tears it. Rhydon, use Rock Blast and put 'em down hard!" he roared, having his partner fire a Rock Blast attack at full power which blasted the three Pokémon and struck them as he had hoped.
"Sprigatito/Fuecoco!"
Friede's attention returned to the trio and Mollie as he realized they, Murdock, and Orla were having a hard time battling Onia and Zirc despite the assistance of Sarah's family and Race's team which caused Amethio to make the next move in their battle to draw his attention away from them again.
"Use Air Slash!"
"Send it back!"
Heeding his partner/brother figure's call, Charizard created a powerful gust of wind to send Corviknight's Air Slash attack back at him. All the while, Liko, Roy, and Mollie tended to their battered partners, Chansey having taken massive damage in the fight while Sprigatito and Fuecoco were dazed but thankfully unhurt.
"Sprigatito!" Liko called to her Grass Cat Pokémon.
"Fuecoco! Are you alright?" Roy asked the Fire Croc Pokémon as he saw him get back on his feet in one piece and then look at Charizard fighting Corviknight with Flamethrower, his eyes twinkling with inspired determination.
He then noticed Kaji and Amber working in sync as they continued to aid everyone in battle, using Dragon Claw and Thunderpunch again while they swooped down at the Horn and Duck Pokemon before wailing at them again as he could only breathe out, "Awesome...!"
"You want to battle like Friede's Charizard and the Charizards belonging to Sarah, don't you?" Roy guessed, seeing how determined he was to follow in the steps of Friede and Sarah's Flame Pokémon.
Fuecoco turned to him and confirmed his thoughts, telling him, "That's right! If I work hard to become stronger and use a Fire Type move, I might be able to help him! We can do it, buddy!"
Roy, inspired by Fuecoco's courage, nodded before he turned to Mollie, "Okay! We got this, get Chansey to safety!"
"Right. Thanks, Roy," Mollie thanked as she and Chansey boarded the Brave Olivine again, leaving the young boy, Liko, Fuecoco, and Sprigatito to do battle against Zirc and his Rhydon.
"Alright, Fuecoco, use Ember!" Roy began (sadly not realizing that Fuecoco couldn't battle since he hadn't learned a Fire Type move yet including Ember).
Fuecoco tried his best to fight back but after a few moments and getting only a few puffs and tiny flames out of him, he suddenly froze, remembering that he didn't know how to use Ember which got him terrified.
"Uh... Fuecoco?" gulped Roy, sharing his friend's fears.
"Roy!"
"Oh, man!" Liko and Sprigatito cried worriedly.
"Don't try it, just run!" Friede called out, now worried for Roy and Liko's safety along with Sprigatito and Fuecoco's well-being.
"Corviknight, use Hurricane!" snapped Amethio, his right eye twitching in annoyance as he had his Raven Pokémon attack again, finally landing a hit on the distracted Charizard (who was also worried for his little admirer). "This is a real battle, stop getting distracted!"
"Hey, I can pay attention to do things at once," Friede joked with his trademark smirk, irking Amethio as he growled at him in his growing annoyance.
"Then, how about we clobber your birdbrain, shut your trap for you and your posse, and then beat the stuffing out of you ourselves?!" shouted a familiar voice, getting Amethio's attention as he then became shocked by his Corviknight being ambushed by an assault from Tou-Tou and Silvally (the two of them using Multi-Attack while they were changed into Fire and Electric Types).
"You?!" he barked, looking incensed at he saw Sarah and Race riding aboard the two Synthetic Pokémon with Latios, Latias, Kit, Ella, Bella, Robbie, Blitz, Curly, Noctowl, and Eevee alongside them as they surrounded the pair.
"Sarah, Race! You're-?" Friede blinked in surprise.
"Yes, Friede, we're back and ready for action!" smirked Sarah.
"Well, what took you two so long to come and play then?"
"Sorry, Friede, but we had to surprise our uninvited guests while you all were keeping them occupied," Race chuckled.
"What'll I do?" Roy fretted as Fuecoco tried in vain to learn Ember but to no avail as he slowly started to lose his breath, coughing from his failed attempts.
"Roy! You can do this, I know you can! It's the same thing Sarah and Race did with their Pokémon!" Liko called out, deciding to give her new friend a hand as he turned his attention to her. "I took what they told me to heart and realized what they and another friend of mine told me about this, you just got to let Fuecoco know your true feelings!"
Realizing this and remembering the time when he and Fuecoco sang their hearts out together, Roy understood what he had to do as he nodded and prepared to take a gamble to help Fuecoco out of the rut he was in, "Well, here goes nothing."
Steeling himself, he took a deep breath and then sang his heart out to the Fire Croc Pokémon (much to Liko's bewilderment as she and Sprigatito looked on and Fuecoco's surprise once the Paldea Fire Starter turned to him), "Go, go, Fuecoco~! Go, Go, Fuecoco~! You got to know I believe in you, go, go, Fuecoco~! You can do anything, do it, Fuecoco~!"
At that moment, as he listened to what his friend for life had to say through song, Fuecoco nodded in determination and he understood what he needed to do; the only reason he didn't learn Ember and couldn't use it was because he didn't believe in himself and he was controlled by his fears of everyone mocking and laughing at him for his singing and not being able to match Friede's Charizard. What he needed to do was to believe in himself as well as the newfound bond of friendship he made with his first true friend as well as his other friends, old and new, and if he puts his heart, mind, body, and spirit into it, he would finally learn Ember and help fight to protect everyone he loved.
Turning back towards Zirc and his Rhydon, he began to sing in tune with Roy, his self-confidence building as he fully embraced his singing in public (i.e. with everyone else staring at him as he pulled through with Roy's help and guidance) and his determined glare hardened.
Then, once they were ready, Roy called out, "This is it, Fuecoco! Use Ember!"
"…HYAH!" Fuecoco barked, taking a deep breath and then, finally, learning Ember as he shot a fireball as big as he is at Rhydon which took the Horn Pokémon by surprise and knocked him back.
The young treasure hunter and Fire Croc Pokémon were awestruck but once the reality of the situation had finally sunk in, they could only cheer for their success at the latter finally learning to use Ember.
"You did it, Fuecoco! You were awesome!"
"ROOOOOOOOOOOY!" they screamed as they shared a happy embrace.
"Well, what do you know? They actually did it," Race chuckled, impressed.
"They understand each other through song?" Liko blinked.
"Lame," scoffed Sprigatito before the two of them shared a smile for the new pair team.
"Yeah, somehow, they're a little like me and Aqua in that regard," Sarah smiled.
"I knew he had it in him," Friede chuckled until he turned back and realized that Amethio and Corviknight were gone.
"Amethio!"
"He's gone!"
"Huh, where'd he go?" the trio blinked before they suddenly noticed their adversary darting toward Liko as she and Sprigatito were left wide open for capture.
"I warned you over and over again throughout our battle, Friede... Not to get distracted!" he snapped as he went after Liko.
"Liko!" Friede shouted in horror.
"Amethio, don't!"
"Stop!" the royal couple yelled as they jumped off their Silvally and ran after Amethio, forcing his Corviknight to use Hurricane to blast sand and wind all over and disrupt everyone's view while he made his move.
Seeing this from their bedroom window, Lazuli gasped in surprised horror while Galaxagus and Pantherra growled, feeling useless while they were all under house arrest and forced to witness what Amethio was pulling off behind Friede, Sarah, and Race's backs.
"The damn fool, he has no shame whatsoever as always! He'll still do anything to complete his mission no matter what it takes!"
"Amethio's a hypocrite and a true bastard; he has no honor in him to finish a battle through," the Night Pegasus and Hidden Gem Pokémon snorted in disgust, unimpressed with Amethio's current plan of action.
"I know we're not supposed to break protocol but things are looking bad for our playmates out there and they need help," Lazuli agreed as Galaxagus turned to her.
"What are we going to do?" he asked, getting her to think as she turned to her cloak and sword resting on the dining table.
"AH! Liko, Sarah, Race! Where are you?!" Roy panicked as he shielded himself and Fuecoco.
"Roy?!" Liko shouted.
Sarah and Race, on the other hand, weren't bothered by the wind and sand thanks to their being able to see through the elements with Wind Vision and Sand Vision, allowing them to apparate to Liko and Sprigatito to protect them.
"Liko, it's too dangerous for you and Sprigatito to stay here!"
"Get back to the Brave Olivine as fast as you can!" they told them urgently.
"No! We can help!" Liko protested.
"Don't argue with us, damn it!"
"Hurry before we end up getting captured together!"
"TOO LATE!" screamed a horrified Sprigatito as she directed the trio to Amethio and Corviknight coming at them, bracing herself while Liko screamed and the royal couple placed themselves in front of the duo, deciding to fight them themselves.
To Be Continued...
