During our heroes' arrival in Paldea, the royal couple found time to catch up with their old friends from Uva and Blueberry Academies during the 4th of July reunion celebration while Liko struggled to tell her father about what she wanted to do. After talking with Sarah, Liko decided that she wanted to continue on her journey with the Rising Volt Tacklers and travel around the world with them. When the subject of the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza then came into play, Alex informed them that a man named Brassius who was also the Artazon Town Gym Leader, may have a clue as to its whereabouts. And, right now, we find Roy, Liko, Fuecoco, and Sprigatito all making their way to Artazon Town to meet up with Sarah, her family, Race, and their Paldea friends to speak with them about the exotic Pokémon.

After Liko and Friede told everyone on the Brave Olivine about the lead they got from Alex on the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza (while also handing Roy the picture books he picked out for him), the young trainees of the royal couple and their Partner Pokémon made their way to Artazon to meet up with its gym leader, Brassius, and make inquiries about the exotic Legendary.

When the Rising Volt Tacklers called Sarah and relayed the lead to her and Race, the little princess was intrigued and informed them that she, her family, Race, and their Paldea friends (with the addition of Lazuli) informed them they were in the town as they speak, waiting to reunite with them with the news regarding their new lead.

"This is it, Liko!" Roy grinned in anticipation as the quartet arrived at Artazon. "The town of Artazon!"

The young trainers and Paldea Starters were intrigued and impressed by what they saw as they went about the town, Fuecoco and Roy looking on in wonder and awe as they took in everything new to them within their sight.

"Ah! Look, they're Pokemon!" Roy gasped in amazement, seeing packs of Skiploom and Bounsweet basking in the sunlight on garden islands stationed around them.

"In a town known for its art and flowers, of course, there would be some Grass Type Pokémon," grinned Liko before she found what looked to be Grass Type Pokémon that looked like large olives. "Hey, look! It's a pair of Smoliv!"

Amazed by this, Roy pulled out his Rotom Phone and scanned the Smoliv, "Smoliv, the Olive Pokémon. A Grass and Normal Type, Smoliv convert nutrients into oil and stores it on the fruits above their heads, easily going for a week without drinking or eating anything."

"They're small but they seem super tough," Roy commented, impressed by what he had heard.

Then, the pair and Sprigatito heard Fuecoco cheering as he danced happily with a pair of Sunflora nearby next to a statue that looked like the Sunflower Pokémon in their likeness.

The two trainers were amused by this as they went over to them and remarked, "And, who are those happy Pokémon over there?"

"They're Sunflora! And, look, that's a Sunflora sculpture!"

Liko and Roy looked at the name of the sculpture but when they took a look at the name of the artist who created it, they were surprised to discover that it was from the man they were looking for, "It's called 'The Wondering Sulflora'! The artist is...! Hey, it's Brassius!"


Speaking of the Artazon Town gym leader himself, in a darkened area somewhere in the town, amidst a series of expertly crafted Pokémon sculptures including Sunflora, Sudowoodo, Bonsly, and more, Brassius had just finished his latest masterpiece after some immense time and effort that came from a recent stroke of inspiration that came to him. When he overlooked the entirety of his finished work, he was enthralled, enlightened, and completely awestruck by what he had created. The sculpture in question that he had finished making just happened to be...

"...This piece is an avant-garde," he began quietly as he soon marveled over his recreation of the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza and thus commended with an artist's pride, "AN EXPLOSION OF GENIUS!"


(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)


While Liko and Roy continued to get around Artazon to find Sarah, her family, Race, and their Paldea friends, the two of them began to make inquiries to the townsfolk, wondering if any of them had heard about or seen the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza. However, they ended up getting the same answer from the people they talked to: none of them had ever seen the exotic Legendary (alluding to the fact that it still could be anywhere by that point and in another part of Paldea or anywhere else in the world).

"Another dead end, now what?" Roy moaned, sounding like he was ready to give up.

"It's way too soon to give up on the spot. Maybe we'll learn something from Brassius once we find and meet up with him," Liko reassured, trying to keep her friend's spirits up.

"Good! Now, try and come at Nemona again!"

"Yeah! Go get 'em, Nemona!" two voices rang out, surprising the pair as they recognized one of the voice's owners.

"Hey, wait... Was that Sarah we heard just now?"

"And, did she and someone else say 'Nemona'?" they gawked in surprise.

Yes, it was indeed Sarah who spoke up with another girl (who was a younger schoolgirl) who was watching a battle taking place with some other children between another boy about her age using a Skiploom against the Champion-Rank Trainer in question and one of her Partner Pokémon, Pawmo. As it turned out, while they were waiting for Liko and Roy to join them, they were at the Artazon Pokémon Center and giving the boy with the Skiploom a training battle along with some pointers on how to improve their battling tactics while the rest of her family, their friends, and some of the Artazon locals watched.

"Now, Pawmo, use Spark!" called Nemona to her evolved Paldea Mouse Pokémon, allowing her to land the final blow on Skiploom and thus, knock it out of the battle.

"Aww, man! I lost again!" griped the boy as he checked his Skiploom.

Nemona just smiled, "I think we all learned a lot from that, I'll battle you whenever you want. Sarah, too!"

Sarah nodded in agreement as she added, "And, remember, you and your Pokémon have got to work together as one. You become a part of each other the moment you meet and live, train, and play together and you must learn to lean on each other whenever you're backed into a corner. The key to a first victory is a combination of many things but, most importantly, trust; if you and your partner trust each other and train hard together, you can learn to do all things."

Her Quaxly, now named Crest, nodded in agreement (since he was the one sent out to battle the boy's Skiploom earlier in the training battle before Nemona and her Pawmo had their turn with them) as the boy smiled in appreciation, "Thanks, Sarah, Nemona! You got it!"

Liko was amazed when she saw how well Nemona and her Pawmo battled but Roy's eyes twinkled as he excitedly rushed over to Sarah and Nemona and gushed to the latter, "That battle was totally amazing!"

Nemona smiled back at him in appreciation before she realized that he was a trainer and became psyched for a battle with the young boy (her eyes glistening in fascination), "Aww, aren't you sweet? Thank you. Hey! By any chance, are you a Pokémon Trainer? When trainers lock eyes, "

Liko and Roy went pale at this but Race and Arven were quick to hold her back before she could put through the wringer as they shouted, "Hey, wait! Slow down, Ms. Battle-Happy!"

"Tone it down on them, will ya?!"

Sarah chuckled in amusement, shaking her head at Nemona before she introduced the Champion-Rank Trainer to him, "Well, Roy, I see you finally found us, we've been waiting for you. Allow me to introduce to you one of Uva Academy's best students and its sole Champion-Rank Trainer: Nemona."

She then noticed Liko before she told her, chuckling at the young girl, "Hey, Liko, where've you been? I thought you and Roy would be finding us the moment you set foot in town. We came here a few hours ago after a shopping trip in Levincia to get something for our guest."

"Well, I remembered everything you told me last night and I finally told my dad that I wanted to continue my journey with you, Race, and everyone else and he allowed me to. He also mentioned that Brassius, the Artazon Town Gym Leader we met at the reunion party, might've seen the Shiny Rayquaza we were looking for so we came looking for him after making some inquiries with the townsfolk," Liko answered, growing sheepish at the last part she mentioned.

Nemona was surprised as she echoed, "Wait, you're looking for Brassius to ask him about this Shiny Rayquaza Sarah and Race told us about?"

Remembering where Brassius' home and art studio was, Sarah (and her family) and Race along with Nemona, Arven, Penny, the rest of their Paldea Friends, the Viking Teens, the dragons, and the Pokemon made their way to Brassius' place. As they made their way over, Liko, Roy, Sprigatito, and Fuecoco couldn't help but be amazed and entranced by the sculptures crafted by the Artazon Gym Leader including a Sawsbuck sculpture and a Tropius sculpture that greeted them on his front lawn.

"Well, here we are," grinned Sarah's Fuecoco, Chili.

"Mr. Brassius' home and personal art studio," added her Sprigatito, Rosie, grinning with pride at the gym leader's Grass Type sculptures.

"Oh, my! What an exquisite array of Pokémon artwork!"

"This is what humans these days and back then would describe in French as 'avant-garde'!" Delilah and Doug gasped in wonder.

Tsukumaro chuckled at his old friends' amazement at Brassius' sculptures as he told them, "There are very few people in the world that can match the passion and inspiration displayed in these Pokémon sculptures as well as the craftsmanship demonstrated by Master Brassius whenever he is in, what youngsters these days, called 'his element'."

"This is Brassius's studio?" breathed Liko in fascination.

"He's a very humble man and a powerful gym leader but he's a triple threat when it comes to his art," Penny smiled at her brightly.

"Mm-hmm, he splits his time between here and the Artazon Gym," Nemona agreed.

"The Artazon Gym?" Roy echoed, intrigued.

"Brassius is incredibly multi-talented, he's not only an artist as you've already known but also, for those who don't know, the local gym leader!"

Roy was immersed by what the excited battle-hungry Nemona told him and Liko as he pointed out, "I've heard that Gym Leaders are really strong trainers compared to normal ones and they're very powerful in battle..."

"And! If you can defeat all eight Gym Leaders in a Pokémon League including the Paldea League, like Race here when he, Sarah, and Asha were studying at Uva Academy, you can attend the Champion's Assessment! Hey, you two are trainers, right? You should totally go for it, you'll love it! Come on!"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Nemona's a Paldean version of Izzy back in Equestria," James whispered to Nikki.

"They do share the same amount of energy and she's feeling as happy-go-lucky as her," Nikki concurred.

"There she goes again," sighed Arven, rolling his eyes at the Champion-Rank Trainer.

"Well, as they always say, some things never change," Sarah replied, feeling sympathetic for Arven as she shrugged innocently yet sheepishly.

Liko blinked in surprise as she realized something about Nemona that she supposedly knew of but forgot about, telling her, "Nemona, you-? Hey! Wait a minute! Oh, wow, really?! Nemona, are you really THE Nemona? The Champion-Rank Trainer of Uva Academy?!"

"Yep, that's me! Nice to see you again, Liko," grinned Nemona.

"O-Oh! Yeah, uh... Nice to see you again, too."

"Nemona, you mentioned earlier that Brassius has recently been feeling a little... Shall we say, off? And, after returning from the reunion party?" Race inquired.

Nemona sighed as she said, "Yeah. Brassius has put a hold on his gym leader duties but his break has gone way too long. All of the local kids wanted him back in action ASAP so they've been gathering Sunflora together for him."

"But, why is it that they want to gather Sunflora?" Doug inquired.

"It's been said that Sunflora, the Sunflower Pokémon, represented the sun; in other words, they are the symbolic representations of light and happiness. They think that if they could gather enough Sunflora for Brassius, they will cheer him up and he will be ready to open his gym again for the local kids and the students," Carmine explained.

"That's so sweet!" Liko thought, smiling at the local kids' act of kindness for the Artazon Gym Leader.

"But, doesn't Big Brother Nebby represent the sun as well?" Snowflake asked in a confused yet innocent way.

Sarah chuckled as she picked up her Alolan Vulpix and gently rubbed her as she told her, "Yes, Snowflake, Nebby does represent the sun as well. But, a Solgaleo such as him and the solar half of his creators isn't native to Paldea or any other region apart from Alola so they have to make do with Sunflora. In a way, that makes sense; sunflowers follow the sun and they need about 6-8 hours of sunlight per day in vast open areas. The more sunlight they have on them, the better."

Arven smiled in agreement as he went on to tell an equally interested Roy and Liko, "Scientists and Pokémon Researchers also discovered that Sunflora and sunflowers follow the sun every day, pointing their heads east and following its movements to the west before they turn back to the east at night and the cycle repeats all over again. It's also been said that they have internal circadian clocks, acting on growth hormones, to follow its movements."

"Whoa..." Liko and Roy gasped in wonder.

"Well, he's having it rough at times with him having to juggle his art career and his duties, so naturally, he's got a lot on his plate at the moment," Drayton sympathized.

"But, what do you suppose made him want to shut himself up in his studio for so long?" pondered Kieran.

"And, what could he be working on?" added a stumped Eri.

"THIS IS NOT A VANGUARD! UNGH! (CRASH!)"

The heroes blinked and gasped in surprise as the Artazon Gym Leader himself gave off a frustrated roar followed by a loud crashing sound coming from his backyard which could easily be heard from the front lawn they were standing on.

"Um, did...You hear that?" Liko began.

"I guess... That answers that question," Carmine replied awkwardly, looking worried for Brassius.

"Let's go and see what's eating him right now," Ortega suggested as the heroes rushed to the backyard and found Brassius in a deeply disgruntled state, having destroyed a sculpture of a Sunkern (which he found and deemed to be not what he envisioned as a masterpiece) in the slump he was in.

"Brassius!"

"What are you d-?" Sarah and Nemona gawked in surprise, getting the gym leader artist's attention as he slowly turned and saw who came to see him.

A majority of the group winced and some of them gulped at the sight of dark and heavy bags under his eyes; he was definitely in a sorry state right now and he was far from his original condition when the princess, Race, and Asha first met him when they attempted the Paldea League as part of their treasure hunt while they were still studying in Uva Academy. Something was obviously wrong with him and they were keen to find out what it was so they could help him get back to his old self again.

"Okay, that's creepy."

"He looks like he's seen better days," Amays and Crispin whispered worriedly, getting agreeing nods from everyone else as Sarah, Nemona, Race, Asha, Liko, and Roy went forward to see what the matter was.

"Oh, great, it's only you. And, Young Sarah, you and your family and friends are in tow with a few newbies, are you?" the Artazon Gym Leader greeted solemnly.

"Yeah, I hope we don't mean to intrude on whatever you're doing right now, Brassius," nodded Sarah, deeply concerned for him.

"How are you doing? …We were worried for you, are you okay?" added Nemona, feeling a little awkward.

"...What do your eyes tell you two? I'm doing great."

None of the heroes and their friends knew what to say next for fear of insulting him in his current condition even if they knew otherwise from the bags under his eyes and hearing how depressed he was.

"Um... Yeah, well... My, uh...friend here, Liko, wanted to ask you something," Sarah replied, gently ushering Liko forward and nodding to her to ask him about the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza.

"Oh! Uh... Mr. Brassius, my dad, Alex, is a Pokémon picture book author and I heard you were an acquaintance of his. So, I was hoping, if you don't mind...to ask you a few questions. Oh, and as Sarah told you, my name's Liko, by the way," Liko introduced quickly and nervously, trying to be as polite as she could be.

Brassius was intrigued when he heard this as he echoed what she told her and became excited as he got in her face, "Alex, the picture book artist, you say...? AHH! You mean, THE Alex?! You're the daughter of Alex, oh my!"

"Uh, yeah..." Liko replied, looking petrified squeaking with fear over how much he was fanboying over her father and his picture books and seeing his excitement over meeting her as his offspring in full blast.

"Brassius, please don't make her die of a heart attack before we begin helping you," Penny sighed, looking a little exasperated.


Shortly after, the Artazon Gym Leader welcomed the group inside his home and art studio and helped them to some drinks including tea, hot chocolate, and coffee and biscuits to go with them with Blitz, Robbie, Curly, and Bella joining Sarah and Race while the rest of their family and team waited outside due to their giant sizes and not wanting to intrude on Brassius' matters given what he was going through as of now.

"Alex's daughter visiting me at my home, this is truly avant-garde," Brassius beamed again, handing Liko her drink via a mug crafted like a Hoppip.

"Oh! U-Uh, t-thank you," Liko thanked as she took the mug.

Roy looked at the mugs holding their drinks and gasped in awe, "It's a Pokémon mug!"

"And, so is this one," Nemona added, impressed by the Sunkern mug she held.

"This is truly astounding craftsmanship, Sir Brassius," David commended, observing his Bulbasaur mug before he drank his tea.

"It is an honor for us to witness such fantastic artistry made entirely by your hands. All of these sculptures you've created could rival the murals found in the temples situated in the ruins of the islands of our family's fatherland," Delilah concurred with wonder while some of the group's partners helped themselves to the biscuits that came with their drinks.

"Exactly, and your compliments flatter me, Your Majesties. They're all works of art, handcrafted by me. Statues, sculptures, objects; the art is to not pale the limitations of their real-world counterparts, but when made with passion, they can outshine the originals!" Brassius replied, passionate about his works throughout his time as an artist just as his Partner Pokémon (and the evolved form of Smoliv), Dolliv, became startled by his artist's pride and accidentally sprayed oil onto Nemona's Pawmo.

"Hmm?" Pawmo blinked, awkwardly pausing in his eating over his being covered in Dolliv's oil.

"Ooh!"

"Oh, my!" Bella and Curly yelped in surprise as Robbie flinched at the sight and Blitz swallowed a biscuit he was eating down the wrong tube and coughed to try and lodge it down the right way again.

"Oh, no! Here, buddy," Nemona gulped as she gave her partner a cloth for him to wipe the oil off of him.

"Oops. Here, Blitz," Sarah ushered, giving her Pikachu son her hot chocolate and allowing him to drink it to clear his throat.

"My apologies, young ones, Your Majesties. As you all know, when my partner gets startled, she tends to expel her oil."

Curious, Roy looked up Dolliv from his Rotom Phone, "Dolliv, the Olive Pokemon. A Grass and Normal Type, it produces oil with a fresh scent. When it gets enough sunlight and the fruit on its head opens, it leaves human settlements to go on a journey."

"So, that must mean Dolliv is the evolved form of Smoliv," Liko breathed, getting a knowing nod from Brassius.

Wanting to meet their fellow Grass Type, Sprigatito and Rosie toddled over to the evolved Olive Pokémon. But, Dolliv became a little intimidated by them and jumped onto her human partner's lap until the two Grass Cat Pokémon emitted their species' calming scent and soothed the scared Grass/Normal Type, essentially calming her down and allowing her to feel comfortable with them as the three of them began to mingle happily with one another.

"Look at that, Liko, both Rosie and your Sprigatito are already hitting it off with Dolliv thanks to their species' scent," Mela smiled, approving of Rosie and Sprigatito's actions.

"For real, that's the best scent I've ever smelled," Nemona concurred as she and everyone else sniffed their sweet scent and happily took it all in.

"That's good, there's the smile we were missing months ago," Asha sighed, feeling happy for Dolliv.

"Good job, girl."

"Thanks so much, Sprigatito, you and Rosie really put Dolliv at ease," Sarah and Liko praised their Paldea Grass Starters warmly.

"You're welcome/No worries," they meowed, satisfied.

Dolliv cheered and sang happily as she twirled like a ballet dancer and sprayed her oil on Pawmo for a second time, who blinked awkwardly again. However, this seemed to affect Brassius in a subtle yet curious way as he became amazed by what he had seen.

"I haven't seen Happiness Oil for quite a while," he admitted, surprising everyone as they turned to him.

"Happiness Oil?" Nikki echoed in confusion.

"I'll elaborate for you; Dolliv's rare moments of extreme delight allow her to produce a lot of energy, and if she generates a considerable amount of that same energy from within her, she can expel her oil."

Sarah was intrigued by what she and everyone else was told, slowly getting an idea as to why he was feeling depressed as of late, "And, you're saying you haven't been happy in a while?"

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot why we also came here," Roy realized as he looked at Brassius, remembering the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza.

"Oh, right, excuse me. You did say you came here for another purpose, please continue," Brassius replied, setting himself and Dolliv down as they listened to what the group had to say.

"We were wondering if you knew something about a Shiny Rayquaza we're looking for."

"Did you say a Shiny Rayquaza?"

Roy took out his Ancient Pokeball and showed it to Brassius (not realizing he was making him upset) as he confirmed, "Yeah, it came out of this Ancient Pokeball of mine a few days ago and we were wondering if you knew anything about-"

"I think that's more than he could take, Roy. He looks as though he's seen and heard enough," Sarah cut him off, giving Roy a warning glare as she looked between him and Brassius while he became more upset which prompted her to tell him (looking apologetic as she did so), "Sorry, Brassius, we'll wait. If you're having trouble with something right now, we'll come back another time..."

Brassius sighed as he replied, "...Apologies, Sarah, I understand but this is not avant-garde; in fact, it's the opposite of avant-garde. Excuse me..."

He then took his leave with Dolliv following him to keep her partner company and comfort him, leaving his guests worrying for him even more with some of them glaring and frowning at him for making him depressed once more.

"Yikes..." gulped Bella.

"Poor guy," Robbie added, feeling sorry for Brassius.

"Whatever's gotten Mr. Art Man down in the dumps, he's taking it really hard," admitted Mischief.

"Oh, dear... I haven't Mr. Brassius so depressed in a long time. He's usually so passionate about his second life whenever he's not at the Artazon Gym but this is on an entirely different level," mused a deeply worried Mabosstiff.

"Nice going there, moron."

"Great, now he's gone all Mr. Mopey again," Blitz and Curly grumbled, frowning and glaring at Roy.


After he left his friends, old and new, Brassius, joined by Dolliv, went to a lower level of his house that was much dimmer than the rest of the place before coming into a corridor that had pieces of what looked to be parts of a statue featuring a certain Legendary Pokemon.


"...Was it something I said that made him upset?" Roy asked, feeling a little guilty.

"Well, what are we gonna do now?" Giacomo puzzled.

"I suspected it earlier but I never thought he'd have it hard like that. I think...Brassius has reached a roadblock of some sort with his art," Sarah stated, getting everybody's attention.

"What roadblock are you talking about, Little Buddy?" Arven asked in confusion.

"...I think he was experiencing a hefty case of Creator's Block by the time we came here," the princess elaborated just as Liko noticed something behind an Appletun statue, going over to it and seeing a few more pieces of the statue Brassius was eyeing before she recalled the pieces of the destroyed Sunkern sculpture from earlier.

"You know, Sarah's right. I think Brassius might be in a bit of a slump right now," she agreed, immediately catching on.

"Creative block, a slump? And, what are they? Pokémon?" Roy quizzed, confused by what he heard.

"Not Pokémon, you dunce! They're a mental phenomenon people like Brassius go through; if they don't have any ideas for their next pieces in something like fine arts or literature, they get stuck and they can't come up with anything new if they don't have a stroke of inspiration," Ortega frowned in annoyance.

"Like when you make something of a masterpiece in terms of a statue, sculpture, drawing, or painting in fine arts that you're personally proud of but you realize that you'll have to make something else that can top it and you end up with nothing coming out of your mind," elaborated Lacey, making Ortega nod in confirmation.

"They're right; no matter how hard you work on a certain piece, you can't get it right. My Dad's had it lots of times."

"It's the same thing I had to go through while I was writing songs before I met and married Nikki. Much of them were mainly about love but I didn't know much about it back then," James concurred as he gave an example.

"This mental phenomenon is something that, regrettably, all artists have to go through every now and again with their careers. Some artists get over it right away at the first sign of inspiration on them. Others, though, would take much longer to get past that until that stroke of inspiration comes at them. And, right now, Brassius is no different," Amarys sympathized, understanding Brassius' plight.

"Ah, yes, most regrettable and painful, that... Some of my friends at Hogwarts during my youth had to go through that same phenomenon when they were working on their spells. It's a prestigious job but one that demands exquisite and meticulous work on the wizard or witch's part to understand and get it right," Tsukumaro sighed, recalling another bit of his life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"And, what did your dad do to deal with it, Liko?"

"Yeah, James, how did you manage to overcome something like that?" Nemona and Fishlegs puzzled curiously.

"Hmm... Well, he would do simple things like cooking food, listening to music... Basically, doing anything that makes him smile," Liko answered fondly.

"Usually, it would be a walk with Dragonite to help me get ideas and to clear my head, especially since I wasn't overly happy before my married life."

"Smiles are good... Wait! I know, why don't we help the local kids cheer him up by going off and collecting a bunch of Sunflora ourselves just as they do?" Roy suggested, getting an idea on how to help Brassius with his Creator's Block.

Nemona immediately caught on as she agreed to the idea, "'The symbol of the smile that's as bright as the sun'! Yes!"

"That's brilliant!"

"Genius," agreed Atticus and Penny.

Sarah, however, wasn't so sure, "Roy, I don't think it'll work even if we tried..."

Roy was baffled as he turned to Sarah, a little offended by her skepticism as he demanded, "What?! Why not?"

"The Creator's Block Brassius is experiencing right now would be much bigger and harder to break with just that. If the kids are trying that and it doesn't work out for them, what difference would us following in their footsteps do?"

"She's got ya there, Roy. We need to try something different to help him get inspired again and pull him out of his biggest slump yet," Lacey nodded, sharing Sarah's doubts over Roy's plan.

But, Roy wouldn't have it as he told her and begged Sarah, "But, what if those Sunflora are the key to helping him break free of his slump? If he's going to be inspired again, we need to make him smile again! Rosie and Sprigatito were able to make his Dolliv smile easily and I'm sure we can do the same by helping the kids with those Sunflora! Come on, Sarah! We have to help Brassius so he can tell us what he knows about Rayquaza! If we help the local kids gather all of the Sunflora around here for him, he'll have to tell us what he knows and we can give him the inspiration he's looking for! Please, Sarah! Pretty please, please, please, please, please, please, please please?"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Double no, triple no, no times infinity, no how, no way! No, no, no, no, no! Not happening! Uh-uh, NO!" Sarah shot down, confident in her decision.

Roy was still determined to help Brassius in any way possible and they were going to do it the way the local kids were doing as he then proceeded to scream beggingly at her (causing the group to cover their ears as he threatened to deafen them), "PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!?"

"OKAY, OKAY! …Fine! We'll do it your way if we're going to break him out of his Creator's Block!" Sarah lashed out as she then sighed in defeat, "We'll go and help get those Sunflora and see what happens, Roy. But, if your plan backfires and we're back to square one, we're going with my idea."


With Brassius, in what is now shown as his bedroom, he was straightening his outfit out from his dresser mirror, thinking of how to take his mind off of Roy's inquiries about the Shiny Rayquaza he saw, which was evident by the broken pieces of his supposed sculpture. Dolliv was with him, watching as he sighed and readied himself with what he was going to do next for the day in silent agreement; deep down and in the back of her mind, however, despite sharing her partner's sentiments, she was worried about the artist, too, and wondering what she could do on her end to cheer him up and get him inspired again.

"All I can do now...is take a walk!" he decided before he left his studio for a stroll to calm himself and his nerves with Dolliv joining him to keep him company.


"We can gather all of the Sunflora right here. This is the gathering place for the Sunflora in this area: Sunflora Lawn," Nemona began as she, Arven, Penny, her friends, and their classmates from Blueberry Academy led the heroes to a small daycare-like area for the Sunflora. "I think we should be able to help the kids collect enough Sunflora to fill every inch of it."

Liko nodded in agreement as Roy grinned and turned to his partner, "Right on! Let's do it all in one go, Fuecoco!"

"**Let's get picking!**" Fuecoco cried, sharing Roy's excitement as everybody began to look for all of the Sunflora in the entire town.

For the next several minutes, the entire group including Sarah's human family looked high and low for Sunflora living with the people within Artazon and the town's outskirts. They seemed to be having a lot of fun in doing so, hoping that the work they did in finding and bringing them to Sunflora Lawn would bring a smile to Brassius' face again and help him get inspired.

Of course, Lacey still had her doubts but they were overshadowed by Sarah's as she found some Sunflora of her own, thinking to herself, "I still think this is a bad idea, what's Brassius going to say about all this?"

She was right; as she and the others looked all over Artazon for the local and wild Sunflora in the area, they had no idea they were being eavesdropped by a certain gym leader artist and his partner while the two of them were out strolling through the town. He couldn't believe what they were trying to do for him, and as the little princess suspected, he took it the wrong way.

"What on earth do the princess and those kids think they're doing?!" Brassius growled as Dolliv looked at him, her worries for him growing upon realizing he was ready to snap when they least expected it.

The fun-filled search carried on regardless of his sentiments as the heroes searched every nook and cranny for any Sunflora they can bring to Sunflora Lawn.

Eventually, they found all the Sunflora they were looking for and returned to Sunflora Lawn to tally up their finds and group them inside the entire daycare-like area. They all found considerable numbers of them but Liko ended up coming out on top with a flock of over 40 Sunflower Pokemon in total after getting the idea to find a clearing in the town's forest outskirts where many Sunflora would be gathered at.

"Ta-Da~!

Roy was amazed as he grinned at his fellow trainer and friend and asked, "Wow, Liko! How did you get that much Sunflora on you?"

"I've never come across that many Sunflora in one place before!" added an impressed Drayton.

Liko just grinned as she replied, "It's all thanks to Sprigatito. Besides, you're no slouches, either."

"Yeah, well, ten's pretty good."

"I think we can say we outdone ourselves with our little Sunflora Search," Nemona smiled as the heroes gathered all of the Sunflora they found and filled every inch of Sunflora Lawn with them.

"Well, guys, we did it. That's all of the Sunflora we could find in the entire town, not too shabby if I do say so myself."

"And, we got ourselves a full garden of smiles!" Carmine and Liko smiled brightly, seeing the end result of the group's search.

But, Sarah was still having her doubts about the whole thing as she voiced her honest thoughts on the matter and crossed her arms with a grouch, "I still say we should've gone with my idea to help him. Who's to say Brassius would be back to his old self with something like this? For all we know, given the depression and the slump he's still in, if he sees all this, he's gonna totally flip for all the wrong reasons."

"Where's your artistic sense, Sarah? If happiness if what'll help him get inspired again, we got him happiness right here! Didn't you see how happy all those Sunflora are here?" Kieran retorted, being as optimistic as he can be.

"I'm just being honest for his sake, you saw how the head artist did a 180 on us when Roy mentioned the Shiny Rayquaza and he doesn't want to be thinking about it if he's that irked about it somehow."

"Trust us, Sarah, this will cheer him right up. If this doesn't make Brassius happy, I don't know what will," Roy countered, sharing Carmine, Kieran, and Liko's smiles.

Brassius, having seen and heard the whole thing while he eavesdropped on the group, just snarled in disgust. Seeing how disgruntled her partner was about what they just saw, Dolliv frowned knowingly and came forward as they prepared to leave and get them.

"If we're all set with this garden of ours, should we find Brassius and Dolliv, then?" suggested Arven.

Roy nodded as he then told the Sunflora gathered, "Yeah, we're all ready. Stay here, everybody, we'll go get him!"

"Hold it!"

To everyone's surprise, Dolliv blocked Roy's path and she glared at everyone in disapproval of their actions despite their noble intentions regarding her partner and the slump he's in. It was clear she agreed with Sarah's brutal yet sympathetic honesty and she wasn't about to take the heroes' attempt at cheering Brassius up lying down.

"Dolliv!"

"What are you doing here?" Liko and Asha gasped in surprise, seeing how disappointed she was at them all.

Dolliv didn't say a word as she continued to glare at the group in disappointment before she looked at Sarah and nodded in agreement with her sentiments. Instead, she decided to show them the end result of their efforts as she sprayed Brassius with her oil and made his presence known.

"Brassius!" Roy yelped, bewildered.

"He's here~"

"He and Dolliv found out about our Sunflora Search and saw our garden of smiles..."

"And, they don't look too happy 'bout it..." shuddered Chili, Rosie, and Crest as they huddled close to Sarah, fearfully looking at Brassius' cold-hearted gaze upon everyone and unable to get Dolliv's disappointed glare off their minds over everything.

"Busted..."

"Big time..." gulped a nervous Prinplup and Gogoat, realizing they and everyone else had been found out by the Artazon Gym Leader himself and his partner.

Sarah grimaced as she directed her next words to Roy in an admonishing whisper, "I told you Brassius is going to flip for all the wrong reasons and this idea would blow up in our faces!"

Brassius kept his cold gaze and his frown fixed at everyone for a few more moments before he turned and prepared to walk away but not before an apologetic Roy and Nemona called out, "Brassius, wait! We just gathered all of these Sunflora so we can see you smile again."

"All of the town's children are waiting anxiously for you to come back to the gym!"

"I guess we're going with Plan B on Mother's end, then," Silvally remarked as Sarah came over to Brassius and Dolliv and bowed apologetically to them.

"Brassius, Dolliv, I'm sorry. We're all sorry about all this; we were only worried for you since you abruptly left after Roy mentioned the Shiny Rayquaza and we wanted to help you. It wasn't our intent to make you feel even more down in the dumps, we wanted to help you smile and get inspired by going along with this plan as Roy said. But, since it had no effect, we can make it up to you! Really!" she begged before she then got on her knees.

Brassius turned back slightly to watch Sarah and listen in what she had to tell him after, Dolliv voicing his thoughts as she pondered warily, "You will? How, dearie?"

"I have a friend who's an artist just like your partner, Dolliv. She also went through Creator's Block every now and again with whatever she makes just as he is right now and she might have an idea on how to help him break free from his slump and get inspired again," she informed the evolved Olive Pokemon before she looked at Brassius and begged him again.

"Brassius, I'm begging you, please! Don't shut us out for trying to help you! If you want, I can introduce you to my friend and help you get inspired to do another masterpiece again! Let us help you, tell us what the problem was and she can give you a hand...! Whatever Creator's Block you're suffering from, we can help you get inspired again but we and my friend can't help you if you won't let us in and explain why even mentioning the Shiny Rayquaza puts you off like that earlier!"

Brassius and Dolliv were astounded by this as they continued to watch Sarah begging at them on her knees, continuing her pleas as she went on, "We'll do whatever you want to help you, I'll do what I can to help you; even bring my friend I'm mentioning over to help you break free of your creative slump! Please, Brassius...! I beg of you..!"

She gave them one final bow and stayed like that for several moments, leaving everyone in stunned shock at her submission to the depressed and uninspired artist. They didn't expect her to pull off such a thing with anybody given how stubborn, well-minded for the well-being of everyone else, extremely compassionate for those she loves, and how tenacious she was in the face of danger and problems before her and her family and friends.

"Princess, you..." Dolliv began but trailed off soon after as she and her partner were both left completely dumbstruck by Sarah's act of fealty towards them given their current circumstances.

Eventually, after giving her words much thought and knowing he was only bottling his emotions inside him for the worst, knowing that it wouldn't do him any good to keep them locked away for much longer, he sighed in defeat and relented to her pleas.

"...Alright, follow me back to my home. It's time I told you about the avant-garde experience that changed the very course of my life forever."

Returning to his house and leading his guests to his inner studio on the lower floor, Brassius turned on the lights and showed them something personal to him that he had previously worked on before entering his slump, To everyone's shock, what they saw in front of them were two statues standing together as a two-piece sculpture, one of them being a Sunflora staring or glaring at the larger figure which was none other than the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza as it looked down upon the Sunflower Pokémon.

"R-R-R-RAY, RAY... IT'S RAYQUAZAAAAAAA!" screamed Roy, flabbergasted by what he saw.

"B-But, that's a statue! And, one of exquisite detail along with a wonderfully detailed Sunflora!"

"Mr. Brassius, I've never seen anything like it in my life!"

"Yes, you must've been very proud to have made such a wonderful sculpture!"

"That creation featuring Sunflora and Rayquaza's a work of genius! The shock, fear, and intrigue by the Sunflora as well as Rayquaza's superiority! The latter's beauty, its majesty, the power, the grace!"

"Indeed, and it also perfectly demonstrates what a frightening weapon it would be if it fell into the wrong hands," David, Delilah, Donna (former queen), Doug, and Tsukumaro cried, astounded and amazed by what everyone was seeing in front of them.

"Yes, indeed, Your Majesties, and it's only natural for all of you to think that. This is a unique piece I created entitled, 'Sunflora Glared at by a Black Dragon'. I was inspired by a similar work of Alex's so I made this," Brassius nodded in confirmation.

"Really?"

"Amazing," Liko and Penny gasped in awe.

"I wished to portray the intimidating glances of a Shiny Rayquaza like the one you see before you from the viewpoint of a Sunflora and I do believe I have captured that. But, only a few days ago, before the princess and Race returned to Paldea for yesterday's reunion party at Uva Academy, I had the immense fortune to encounter it: a real, living, breathing, Shiny Rayquaza!"

Roy was astounded as he gasped, "Really, the same one?!"

"I get it, that explains why Dot drew that picture of Rayquaza flying over Paldea after Liko and Roy's training battle with Mom and Race!"

"If Mr. Brassius was able to create a Shiny Rayquaza like that one, then he must've seen the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza we encountered back on Roy's Island days ago!"

"So, from what you guys told Chili, Rosie, and I, it proves that Rayquaza did fly to Paldea after he was released from Roy's Ancient Pokeball and Brassius was one of the very few people that have seen it but, for him, in a case of 'life imitating art'!" Blitz, Lopunny, and Crest cried in shock.

"It was a magical night, one unlike any other I've ever had; I was taking a stroll through the woods outside of town when suddenly, a Shiny Rayquaza pierced through the night with blazing speed. I was the Sunflora before you out of the black dragon's art, I was utterly overwhelmed! I've never felt so vulnerable yet so transfixed in its majesty!"

Nemona frowned sadly as she now understood where Brassius was going following that night, "And, that's when you fell into your slump and started neglecting your gym leader duties, that Shiny Rayquaza had given you a stroke of inspiration that you've never felt before after seeing it that night."

"After that, nothing I've created as of late felt inspired and brought me joy. I had no desire to battle so I retreated to my studio here ever since. Quite simply, as you all know now, I...was ultimately defeated by the art of Rayquaza. How could I possibly hope to top such an unparalleled masterpiece?"

"**Brassius...**" Dolliv frowned sadly, unsure of what she should do to cheer him up and inspire him again.

"*Poor Brassius, he's been through so much suffering since that night...*" Liko frowned worriedly.

"...There is one way for you to top that. If I bring her here, my friend and I can elaborate on what I mean," Sarah replied, getting Brassius' attention. "It's the same way you would use when you tackle any problem including your lack of inspiration: you start, by *taking the first step*."

The gym leader artist was confused as he echoed, "...First step?"

Sarah nodded as she told her, "You're not the only one who's hit one roadblock after another in your path, Brassius. Before coming to Paldea, and before I became the trainer you see before you, I was just an ordinary girl in Alola. But, when I was fifteen and on a field trip with my class in Akala Island, my life changed forever when I discovered my ties to my real family and my royal lineage that was supposedly destroyed over five centuries ago. I felt lost after that and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do because nobody knew of what happened to my blood family; it didn't help that my crazed uncle, Lothor, found out about me and wanted me dead as well while I had to rule our kingdom alone."

Brassius listened intently and was in awe of what he was hearing as Sarah continued, "Throughout that time, I didn't think anybody would understand my plight and me as a whole. I was worried that I would be treated differently and not be as normal as I was before because I was a princess from an age long past. But, that didn't happen because my friends and my family had always been there for me to pick me up and have my back. Thanks to them, I'm who I am now and I have the confidence to live life to the fullest after going through every slump and roadblock with their help. The same can happen to you regarding both your confidence and your artwork, you start by taking the first step even if it's the scariest thing to do."

Liko grew sympathetic for her friend but her eyes suddenly widened as she realized what the Swords of Justice meant before her and Roy's training battle with each other regarding what they called a 'sensitive issue' from her past, "*Wow, I never knew Sarah went through so much and-Ah! Wait, the Swords of Justice meant something about her past, some sort of sensitive issue! Maybe... Could this uncle of hers, be the sensitive issue they were talking about..?*"

"Ah! Now, I really can't wait to see Rayquaza again! And, your Rayquaza statue is just as awesome as the real thing! You said it appeared to you in the woods outside of town, right? I've gotta go there! Okay, bye!" Roy shrieked excitedly, completely oblivious to Brassius' plight much to the annoyance and disappointment of Sarah and Race's Pokémon eyeing and frowning at him.

"Remind me again why we and the Rising Volt Tacklers have him tagging along," grumbled Oshawott.

"He's not being zen or very sensitive to others' feelings whenever Rayquaza is on his mind, is he?" Tepig snorted in agreement.

"Uh, hold it! Why are you ever so determined to chase after Rayquaza?" the disgruntled artist demanded, stopping Roy before he could leave as he was taken by surprise at his determination.

"Because Rayquaza helped me to take the very first step in my journey!"

"...Your first step, too, eh? Captivating... Well, just how avant-garde can a young boy like you possibly get...? I never imagined I'd be meeting an adolescent with such passion after seeing the craft and determined and loving perfection of family love of Sarah and her husband," the gym leader artist replied, smiling again as he seemed to have been amazed by what he was sensing out of Race, Sarah, and Liko's energetic friend (shocking everybody gathered). "Alright, then so be it! I will now determine, as leader of the Artazon Gym, whether you possess the crucial skills you need to challenge the mighty Rayquaza. I'll gladly put you to the test, Roy!"

This filled the group's hearts with amazement and overwhelming joy as they all began to smile brightly for him; thanks to Sarah's compassion and sympathy for him and Roy's determination, Brassius finally broke out of his slump and he was ready to witness the next sign of inspiration that would spark his creativity and get him back in the swing of things concerning his gym leader duties.


Later, the Artazon Gym was reopened and Roy took his place along with Brassius in the arena atop the gym's roof, the gym leader standing ready atop his gym's windmill as he eyed the young and prepared to face him.

"Eyes up here, young challenger!" Brassius called as he jumped down from his gym's windmill and stood before Roy on his side of the field. "As artists, you and I will achieve the pinnacle of our doing so together!"

"Yes! Gym Leader Brassius has finally come back to us thanks to you guys!" Nemona gushed happily in gratitude as everybody else watched from the sidelines.

"Ha! This is my first time battling a Gym Leader ever, I can't wait!" Roy beamed as he and Fuecoco prepared to fight, waiting with bated breath to begin.

"I can't wait to witness your passion in battle, Young Roy."

"I want to inspire you so I won't lose!"

"Me, too!" grinned Fuecoco in agreement, sharing Roy's sentiments.

Brassius grinned again as he took out a Pokeball and sent out one of his trusted team members in addition to Dolliv to battle Roy and Fuecoco, "Are you prepared? Begin the sculpting!"

The Pokémon he had sent to do battle against his honorary challengers was a Sudowoodo as it gave a happy cry, "Ready to craft with style, Sir!".

"Good one, he chose Sudowoodo against his Fuecoco!" Nemona beamed, shocking Liko as she recognized what kind of Pokémon the Imitation Pokémon was.

"Roy, wait! Don't attack first, that Pokémon is-!"

But, her warning fell on deaf ears as Roy began, "No matter what, it's a Grass Type, and Fuecoco's real strong against Grass Types! Fuecoco, use Ember!"

"NOOOOOOOOO!" shrieked Rosie, Chili, and Crest in horror as they also realized that Roy and Fuecoco were making a big mistake from the get-go.

"Burn, baby, burn!" Fuecoco shouted, firing Ember and scoring a direct hit on Sudowoodo.

"Alright!" Roy grinned only for Brassius to smirk in amusement as Sudowoodo came out of it with no scratch at all as it cheekily taunted at him and his equally baffled Partner Pokémon, "Surprise!"

"DAH!"

"It had no effect!" the energetic pair team gawked, flabbergasted by their biggest fail yet.

"You idiot! Didn't you and your partner hear your friend trying to warn you that Brassius' Sudowoodo is not a Grass Type?!" ranted Chili as he flailed angrily at his fellow Fire Croc Pokémon.

"Didn't you hear Ms. Liko earlier when she tried to warn you and Fuecoco, Sir Roy?! Sudowoodo is purely a Rock Type and Rock Types are impervious to Fire Types!" Tsukumaro admonished in exasperation and annoyance.

"Be careful, Roy! Don't let Brassius and Sudowoodo deceive you and Fuecoco like that again! Sudowoodo was able to fool their challengers from the get-go each time he was sent out first with his Grass Type looks and he's also a powerful Pokémon, too, so stay sharp!" warned Kieran, getting a knowing smirk from the Artazon Gym Leader as Roy went pale with a horrified gasp.

"Artists should first deconstruct their art and then reconstruct it. Sudowoodo, use Rock Throw!" Brassius declared, having his Imitation Pokémon make the next move as he threw several rocks at the little Fire Type before him and successfully landed a hit horrifying Roy in the process).

"Fuecoco!"

"Now, use Rock Throw again!"

There was no time for Roy and Fuecoco to catch a breather as Sudowoodo and Brassius went on the attack again, the Rock Type using Rock Throw once more and putting their challengers on the defensive.

"Fuecoco, use Tackle, now!" Roy shouted, having his partner charge forward to dodge the rocks and meet Sudowoodo head-on.

The strategy to charge head-on seemed to be working as Fuecoco managed to dodge Rock Throw and an impressed Sudowoodo landed on the stadium again, preparing to meet his charge with another attack issued by his partner.

"You wish to challenge us in a melee? Sudowoodo, use Substitute!" smirked Brassius as his partner created an identical copy of himself, leaving the younger Paldea Fire Starter baffled as he didn't know which Sudowoodo was the original or a fake.

"WHA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A! Which one, which one, which one, which one, which one...?!" he shrieked as he flailed in panic, unable to decide which Sudowoodo to attack.

"Oh, no! Fuecoco can't tell which Sudowoodo's which, it's a similar situation we found ourselves in with Snivy and Oshawott's Double Team!" gulped Liko worriedly.

"Roy and Fuecoco are really gonna have to think on their toes for this one, Brassius and Sudowoodo are masters at deception and they got this one planned out!" agreed Giacomo, keeping his eyes fixed on Fuecoco and Sudowoodo.

"Keep your guard up and stay calm, Fuecoco!" shouted Ella.

"Err...On the right! Hit the right one, Fuecoco!" Roy shouted, allowing Fuecoco to tackle the Sudowoodo on the right only to hit a phony rock which told everyone he missed the real Imitation Pokémon on the left. "Fuecoco! Are you alright?!"

"Peachy..." moaned Fuecoco, groaning in pain as he got a bump on his head.

Sarah's Paldea Starters winced as Chili ended up commenting, "Glad I'm not out there or else I would've been schooled and made into Fuecoco Stew or part of a painting like my double."

"I HEARD THAT!" Roy's Fuecoco spluttered indignantly, glaring at Chili.

Chili shrugged innocently and told him, "Just sayin'."

"Has your perception gone cloudy? Use Substitute!" Brassius continued to smirk.

"Okay, now go for the left one this time!" Roy called, having Fuecoco go for the left Sudowoodos but ended up missing the real deal again as he got the fake rocks.

Poor Fuecoco was now getting a headache from what he was forced to go through and he started to falter, making Roy panic as he realized they were in trouble, "Ah! Wha-?! Trying to tackle which one isn't working!"

"Roy and Fuecoco are not doing so hot against Brassius and Sudowoodo, are they?" puzzled Ochotomy, looking worried for the pair team struggling to match and outwit the artist and his current trusted fighter.

"Certainly not; compared to Liko when she learned to watch and observe her opponent's movements which allowed her and Little Sprigatito to act on them accordingly, Roy and Fuecoco are acting on impulse and following their hearts in battle. They're slowly making more and more rash decisions as the battle goes on and they can't come up with a single strategy that benefits them and helps them make the most of their strengths, it only works in favor of their opponents," Aurequine frowned, seeing where Roy and his partner were going wrong against Brassius and Sudowoodo.

"And, because that sturdy rock on legs is not only too fast for him to take on but also a master of disguise given his species classification and reputation as the Imitation Pokémon, that trump card allows him and his partner to maintain control of the battle," nodded Inferhound.

"Not to mention Sudowoodo is a 100% Rock Type and his Pokémon Type is completely invulnerable to Fire Types like Fuecoco, a highly improbable match-up that's already one-sided. So, no matter what power or speed attacks he and Roy would throw at him, Sudowoodo would disguise himself and squirm out of the way with his Substitute attack," Calculator concurred.

"Which means they're not gonna get anywhere if they keep floundering like this," Sarah sighed.

"Most definitely, baby girl," Doug agreed, giving his daughter a knowing pat on the head.

Of course, Brassius was not done with his and his Imitation Pokémon's ploy and he decided to egg Roy and Fuecoco on as he ordered his Rock Type, "Sudowoodo, use Taunt!"

"Nya-n-nya-n-nya-nya! Come on, Croccy, what are you waiting for? Come and get me~!" Sudowoodo taunted, sharing his partner's smirk as he irked Fuecoco who immediately took offense to the taunting.

"WHY, YOU LIT-I'M NOT CROCCY! DON'T CALL ME THAT, OKAY?! I HATE IT, I HATE IT, I HATE IT!" the Fire Croc Pokémon raged as he went red in the face and fell victim to his anger.

"And, so it begins," Terrakion frowned, seeing a repeat of what Sprigaitito was doing in her and Fuecoco's first training battle with Sarah.

"He's not listening to Roy the moment he went on his Ember rage fest," gasped Seth.

"His and Sprigatito's training is going to suffer a major setback if they can't learn to control themselves in the heat of battle with attacks like that thrown at them," Azula added, sharing Terrakion's sentiments and those of the other Swords of Justice as Keldeo, Cobalion, and Virizion also frowned at Roy's Fire Croc Pokémon.

"Just use Tackle on it again! You got this, Fuecoco!" Roy shouted, only to have his words fall on deaf this time as his partner unleashed a rage-filled Ember that struck the substitute once more, shocking him as he realized what was happening. "Uh-!? Why didn't you listen to me? Okay, use Tackle now!"

But, Fuecoco didn't listen as he fired random Embers at Sudowoodo again, hitting the Substitutes every time and flat-out ignoring Roy's order which also irked him as a result and made him snap at his partner, "AAAUGH! Come on, why?! Work with me, would ya?!"

"Seeing as you have no artistic instinct, tell me, what do you think you're supposed to be focused on?" Brassius inquired knowingly, his smirk still on his face.

"You know, the real Sudowoodo, of course!" Roy snapped, making the Artazon Gym Leader frown at him as he then hit him with the harsh truth of his and Fuecoco's current state.

"Hmph, with that attitude of yours, facing Rayquaza is just a dream within a dream, forever unfulfilled!"

"W-Well, then... What should I do?"

"Nothing else in battle demands your attention and focus any more than your own Pokémon child as the princess herself can attest during my previous gym battles with her and her husband!"

"My own Pokémon?"

He then directed Roy's attention to Fuecoco as he pointed at him, the young Fire Croc Pokémon now stomping on the ground as he had begun to learn a new move with the arena starting to crack as he was building more and more power with each enraged stomp.

The young boy was amazed at this, and soon, an idea suddenly came to him as he smirked, "Whoa! Fuecoco's anger is giving him more power so if we can build more of that power, maybe... Yeah, I can use that! Ha-ha, yeah, I get it now! Okay! Keep going, Fuecoco, get angry and let it all out "

Brassius' smirk broadened as he was beginning to see what Roy's Fuecoco was beginning to create from his rage and Roy having finally caught on to what he was telling him, "That's it! Alright, Fuecoco, let that frustration and anger of yours flow through you! Show me the perfection that comes from the burning fires of the bond you share with Roy and unleash your true colors!"

That did the trick, and taking Brassius' advice and Roy's words to heart, Fuecoco unleashed an almighty roar and went on a stomping frenzy. Just as Sprigatito had learned Quick Attack after dodging in tangent to his string of Tackle attacks and increased her speed during their, Liko, and Roy's previous training battle, he had learned a new move by channeling his anger and allowing himself to unleash it the only way he knows how. The result: the Ground Type move known as Stomping Tantrum.

Everyone was surprised at the new move Fuecoco learned as Race, Carmine, and Liko gasped, "Oh, man!"

"I don't believe it!"

"I've never seen a move like that before, what is it?"

"Of course, that's Stomping Tantrum!" Sarah balked as Nemona grinned and explained, "When driven by frustration, its power under Fuecoco's hands is doubled when his previous attack fails."

True to form and Nemona's explanation, as Fuecoco used Stomping Tantrum, he was finally able to get a one-up on Sudowoodo as the Imitation Pokémon and his cope started to falter. Then, they fell on their bums after losing their footing, and as they did so, the copy disappeared which left the real Sudowoodo exposed as he gasped over his canceled Substitute move.

"Yes, we found the real one!" smirked Roy in satisfaction, ready to continue or end the battle.

"That was very well-determined on your part, Roy. You do have a keen aesthetic eye, after all," Brassius complimented proudly.

"How amazing! Roy's Fuecoco must be super talented to learn a new move like Stomping Tantrum right in the middle of a battle," Nemona gushed, liking what she was seeing.

Sarah smiled and nodded in agreement but her smile fell into a frown as she noted darkly, "That's true and it was pretty ingenious of Roy to act on Fuecoco's tantrum to allow him to learn that move. But, still, if Fuecoco continued to let his anger get the better of him had Roy not been so flexible after seeing his power, they wouldn't have gotten another chance against Brassius and his Sudowoodo."

"Whoa... That's incredible, Brassius and Sudowoodo were able to help Roy and Fuecoco learn a new move with just one battle!" Liko thought, awestruck by what she saw on the field.

Roy grinned as he and Fuecoco (now smirking with pride and satisfaction over his new move) prepared to turn the tables on the Artazon Gym Leader and his Rock Type as he issued, "Okay, Fuecoco, let's turn this match around and show Brassius and Sudowoodo what we're made of! Use Stomping Tantrum!"

"Rock 'n...…ROLL!" Fuecoco roared with a devilish smirk, using Stomping Tantrum to crush the spot he was on and send a chunk of rock flying towards Sudowoodo and knocking him down, taking him by surprise.

"Oh, yeah! Ground Type moves are super effective against Rock Types like Sudowoodo! That move really made a difference!" cheered Nemona.

"Now, I'm gonna end it in one shot. Final blow, Fuecoco, get 'im!"

"SAY 'UNCLE'!"

But, Brassius held his smirk as he brought out a crystal sphere shaped like a Pokeball in his hands which was his Tera Orb and charged it up with the power of Terastallization, declaring to Roy and everyone else gathered (including the local kids that came to see him back in action), "Now, I shall express my artistic prowess with a beauty and grace unlike anything the world has ever seen, known only to one and all in Paldea. Behold!"

Liko gasped and Nemona continued to grin excitedly as they breathed, "Oh, my gosh, that's-!"

"Yes, here it comes!"

"This is it, people!"

"Get ready for the greatest thing ever to come from Pokémon battles in Paldea!"

"Don't blink if you're already forgotten!" smirked Arven, Carmine, and Eri with the rest of Sarah, Asha, and Race's Paldea friends sharing their and Nemona's smirks and excited grins as they watched with bated breath.

"It's the ultimate... The magna opera of my art!"

The Tera Orb in Brassius' right hand shined and shimmered brightly, and once it was fully charged, that's when he made his move. He throws the orb at Sudowoodo and it hovers above the Imitation Pokémon, and in a flurry of light and emerging from a crystal cocoon, the Rock Type gained a crystalline appearance complete with a crown made from a bouquet of crystal flowers with the crown jewel of them all being a sunflower which is the biggest and in the middle (which he shared with Grass Types due to his current apperance).

"Wait, what?! It just grew flowers from its head?" Roy spluttered in bewilderment, not knowing about Tera Orbs.

"Wh-Huh?!" Fuecoco gasped in surprise, snapping out of his rage as he stared at Sudowoodo's new appearance.

"Ta-Da~!" Sudowoodo grinned.

"Oh, that? That's a little Paldea special that distinguishes our region's Pokémon battles from those in the other regions."

"We like to call that 'Terastallization'," smiled Carmine and Nemona.

"Oh, how gorgeous!"

"It's so beautiful, it looks as though it's literally made from crystals!"

"Amazing, what an extraordinary phenomenon! Truly amazing!"

"So, that's what the people of Paldea call Terastallization; the perfection from Master Brassius' Sudowoodo, the power, the grace! It's such a wonder!" gasped Donna (former queen), Delilah, David, and Doug in amazement as the Terapagos Three cooed excitedly from seeing the result of Sudowoodo's Terastallization.

"Terastallization is truly a phenomenon unlike anything the world has ever seen. Admittedly, it can sometimes put the powers of Z-Moves, Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing, and Mega Evolution to shame since Pokémon using this power can briefly change their abilities and Types when in battle," Tsukumaro smiled, chuckling at his old friends and their parents' fascination.

"I dubbed this piece, 'From Fiction Comes Truth'. Now, before you and from the power of my Tera Orb, Sudowoodo has been turned into a Grass Tera Type Pokémon," Brassius informed proudly, showing Roy the end result of his trump card.

This made Roy all the more eager to get a hit on Sudowoodo again as he smirked at him, "Wow, that's so cool, Sudowoodo! Oh, wait... And, now that he's a Grass Type thanks to that ball, it's a major step up for us. Guess that means Fire Types should finally give us a home run!"

"There he goes again," Crest sighed with a shrug.

"He never looks before he leaps," Vaporeon agreed.

"Reminds you of somebody the way he tries to plow through despite Mr. B still being in control, doesn't he?" Jolteon remarked, already giving up on Roy and Fuecoco after seeing Sudowoodo's Terastallization.

"*I can definitely see that,*" Keldeo nodded, also seeing the end of the match.

"We can do this, Fuecoco! Let's party with Ember!"

"Yeah! See ya!" Fuecoco smirked, firing an Ember attack and not noticing Brassius' victorious smirk.

"Let us leave this artistic endeavor to its conclusion. Sudowoodo, use Trailblaze!"

"Yes, Partner!" Sudowoodo saluted as he charged up his Tera Energy and unleashed it, using his Grass Type move and demonstrating his increased speed to dodge the Ember attacks thrown at him before socking Fuecoco with a powerful right cross and ending the match in a final one-hit Tera-knockout. "Ready, aim, BOO-YAH!"

Fuecoco screamed in pain and he was immediately taken out, leaving Roy in total shock as he could only gasp in awe, "That happened so fast!"

"Checkmate," Sudowoodo smiled as the match went to him and Brassius and everybody else cheered for the Artazon Town Gym Leader.

Ecstatic that their town's gym leader and idol was back in the fray and inspired once more, his students went over to congratulate him while Fuecoco was brought back to the rest of the group as he and Roy recuperated from their first gym battle loss. It was a crushing loss for the pair but despite how the battle went down on their end, the young boy knew that they did their best and learned a great deal from Brassius and Sudowoodo so the blow to their pride as a team wasn't too heavy on them.

"Fuecoco, Fuecoco? Are you alright?" Roy asked as his partner opened his eyes and saw his friends staring at him.

"Uh... Roy, I-We... We lost, haven't we?" the Fire Croc Pokémon squeaked sadly, feeling a little down.

"You did your best, buddy. Thank you, pal."

"Yeah, Bro..."

"You can say that, Roy, and you did do a good job. But, despite your and Fuecoco's efforts, you failed one of the most important lessons in a Pokémon battle," Keldeo stated matter-of-factly.

"Huh?" Roy was surprised when he heard this as he turned to the Colt Pokémon and his family.

Terrakion could only nod as he explained, "Allowing Fuecoco to unleash his anger to learn Stomping Tantrum after seeing the power he was generating was a smart move, kid, we'll admit that. But, regardless, your partner fell victim to his anger and you didn't try hard enough to control him when he lost it."

"Not to mention you didn't bother changing up your strategy and using your head when Sudowoodo kept on using his Substitute attack," Virizion concurred in disappointment, being as brief and blunt as she could get despite her years of wisdom. "Every wise trainer and his or her Pokémon working together know never to make rash decisions in battle and to remain a team even in the tightest of pinches."

"You've even allowed him to act out of your command when Sudowoodo used Taunt to get him so riled up. A true trainer and a true Pokémon always remember to never let their emotions control them in battle as it allows their adversaries to take advantage of and exploit them for their own gain. You still have much to learn before you can even begin to meet let alone challenge the Terastal Shiny Raquaza yourself," Cobalion finished sympathetically yet as firmly as he could be.

Chili could only nod at her male counterpart in disappointment, showing that she completely agreed with everything the Swords of Justice had to say to him and Roy regarding their gym battle performance and teamwork.

"Sorry, Roy, but they're right. Most importantly, Cobalion makes a valid point; you and Fuecoco allowed your emotions to take control of you and your overconfidence in you two and your combined strength cost you the match despite knowing how powerful gym leaders can be. You showed us how you severely underestimated Brassius and how powerful a gym leader he really is whenever he's in his element. Besides, Nemona and Island Girl's battles we told you about are living proof that being single-minded on trivial things in Pokémon battles such as Type advantages isn't a guarantee for immediate victory. It's not a healthy way of thinking and we don't want you falling into that same trap many other trainers before you fell for," Race concurred.

"...Yeah. I guess... We did royally goof up on that, I'm sorry," Roy apologized before he breathed in fascination, "But, still, that was amazing...!"

Liko could only agree as everybody turned their attention to Brassius trying to be as humble as he could be with his students despite being overwhelmed by their singing of his praises, the young girl admitting, "I never imagined what Terastallization looked like in battle."

Carmine and Nemona nodded in agreement as they went on to explain what Terastallization does to the two young trainers, "That's right; Terastallization is a unique power boost that allows Pokémon in Paldea to not only become stronger for a brief period during battle but also look good doing it. Sudowoodo was only able to win the battle by Brassius increasing his speed, power, defense, special attack and defense, and his physical attack and defense stats using his Tera Orb to turn him from a Rock Type to a Grass Tera Type. We can all learn a lot from people who are geniuses in what they do like Brassius."

"And, by the way, the Tera Type that a Pokémon can change into varies depending on the Pokémon itself. For example, most Pawmo would turn into a Tera Electric Type but there are some Pawmo out there who could change into a Flying Tera Type by comparison. That means, after Terastallizing your Pawmo and having it become a different Tera Type like a Flying Tera Type, you got yourself an Electric Type Pokémon that can dish out strong attacks against Ground Types. Trainers that use Terastallization well can make their Pokémon shine even brighter in battle!"

"And, like with Z-Moves, Mega-Evolution, Dynamaxing, and Gigantamaxing, while Terastallization can be used only once per battle from both trainers, the variety in which Terastallization forms to use for each Pokémon is immense. You'll have to decide which Tera Type form and the Pokémon capable of any of them to use at a certain point so you can turn the tide of battle between you and your opponents," Penny concluded.

"It'll be nice to have more options in battle, for sure."

"Yeah, I want to try it, too!" Liko and Roy replied, both intrigued.

"Yeah, no. You still have a giant learning curve to bowl through before you go all sparkle-sparkle-sparkle, runts," Eternatus quipped, unimpressed, making Liko and Roy sweatdrop and wilt.

"Our battle was, in a word, art. Remember what you've learned from this battle and the wise words of the Sword of Justice and carry them with you forever. And, don't forget the lessons you will learn from the princess and her husband; in doing so, you will be prepared to face Rayquaza and discover its magnificent beauty with mentors such as them," Brassius complimented with a smile, thanking Roy for his part in getting him inspired and happy again as he and Dolliv approached the heroes.

"I will, Brassius! Thank you for everything!" Roy grinned in appreciation.

Brassius nodded but he wasn't done yet as he had something else he wanted to tell them which might be related to the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza, "Now, since I already told you of Rayquaza when I first encountered it, I think it's only fitting that there should be another truth I must impart to you."


Brassius then took the group back to his home studio and pulled a sheet covering a sculpture back to reveal a beautiful glass statue of a Pokémon he created, prompting and awestruck Liko to ask him, "...What is this?"

"This here before you is a glass representation of a special Pokémon known simply as 'Arboliva of the Woods'."

"Arboliva of the Woods?"

"It looks really cool but what is it?" Roy inquired curiously.

"The place where I first witnessed the Shiny Rayquaza is the same forest where I witnessed this Arboliva and where she lives. Now, when I happened to be there and stumbled across the Pokemon, Arboliva began to shine as if in perfect synchronology with Rayquaza when it passed through there."

"Strange... You think this means Rayquaza and Arbolivia are somehow connected in a way, Brassius?" puzzled Carmine, getting a confirming nod from the gym leader artist.

"Wow, that's so cool! Why'd she do that?!" Roy questioned.

He and Liko continued to look at the statue as Brassius could only answer, "It's unclear as far as I can tell... But, what was clear is that she and Rayquaza have some sort of unique connection with each other, something that only they know about and binds them in a way that sets them apart from the rest of the Pokémon in our world. We just have to find out what that connection is..."


Dusk fell on Paldea as Liko and Roy reunited with the Rising Volt Tacklers and the Brave Olivine, telling Friede and the others what they learned from Brassius while Sarah, her family, and her Paldea friends returned to her, Race, and Asha's summerhouse to spend the night. It had been a day full of surprises and inspiration kickers as well as personal revelations and mystery-solving, and feeling happy that Brassius was back to his normal self while eager to find out what he told them about the Pokémon known as Arboliva, they settled down for the night as they were having dinner and prepared to rest up before they go to sleep.

As for the little princess, she decided to return to the clearing where the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft were moored up at, a lot on her mind as of now with her attention directly on the clouds in the red, orange, and yellow evening sky.

She thought back to Lazuli and everything she and her family had learned regarding her past and how she came to be in the Explorers coupled with her defection and escape from them. She was wondering whether or not she and her family traveling with her and Race should ultimately come clean with her Paldea friends, her blood family, James, Nikki, Asha, about the former Explorer. Now that she and her husband know that the Explorers would be after the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza as well, an even bigger target was put on their, Liko, and Roy's backs. They would be put at risk either way and she didn't want to be at odds with everyone she loved.

"Mufasa, Askari! I need to speak with you," she shouted into the sky, needing help.

Before long, the clouds shimmered, and light beamed from them to reveal Simba's father and his brother, appearing before her once again.

"Is that our little royal kitten?" Askari chuckled warmly.

"My, my, Sarah, how long has it been since you called for help? It's good to know you've haven't forgotten us after all this time. What seems to be the problem?" Mufasa added as he and Askari looked glad to see the new owner of the Roar of the Elders, wondering what they could do to assist her.

"Just recently, after Race and I and our family met our new friends: Liko, Roy, and the Rising Volt Tacklers, we learned about this new crime syndicate known as the Explorers with one of its most noteworthy members being named Amethio. He and two others in that group were after our Terapagos Three and a pendant belonging to Liko but since he failed to capture us three times because of them and a Shiny Rayquaza with a Terastallized body appeared from an Ancient Pokeball belonging to Roy, the Explorers got off our backs until they come up with another plan to take our Terapagos and Liko's pendant from us."

"Goodness, it sounds as though you and your new friends have a lot on your plate as of now," Mufasa admitted in surprise.

"Yes, but that's not the main issue; while we were on our journey with them, Race and I crossed paths with a swordswoman named Lazuli who defected from them after being in their service for twenty years after she was indoctrinated into them following her parents being murdered in cold blood. I'm wondering whether or not we should tell everyone about her but I know that doing so would result in them being dragged into our fight with the Explorers and put their lives in danger. It doesn't help that Race and I were forced to reveal ourselves as Power Rangers to Amethio to protect Liko and Roy so they might have ways of countering that. That's on top of them not knowing about my other powers including the Roar and that's just a start. What should I do?"

Mufasa and Askari thought for a moment until the former king of the Pridelands narrowed everything they had been told down to the core issue she was trying to deal with, "Hmm, well, from what you told us, you're worried that you'd not only risk putting the lives of your Paldea friends and your entire family including your blood family, James, Nikki, and your sister in danger but also the lives of your new friends and the Rising Volt Tacklers should you tell them about Lazuli and her former ties to the Explorers. You're also worried that telling them about those horrible humans who were after your and Race's Terapagos and Liko's pendant and Lazuli would put you and the rest of your family in the know all at odds with those left in the dark about them and make you lose their trust in you as a result."

"But, Mufasa, Askari, what should I do to make them see reason should any of them find out before I tell them? How am I supposed to break it to them as gently as possible without them blowing things out of proportion?"

Askari and Mufasa chuckled as the latter told her, "My grandson once faced a similar problem when he called out to me shortly after he became part of the Night Pride through Queen Janna when she completed her journey through the Circle of Life."

"He did, what did you tell him?"

This time, Askari spoke up as he explained with the reassuring tone that only a fun and loving uncle can give to a child, "My brother told him to remember; even though Kion was plagued by worries that he would eventually become the evil that destroyed me and made me as the lion, 'Scar', he would always be here to help him through his darkest hours. He reached out to him once he felt ready to speak to him again and confide in him after so much time apart from him. And, after that, he was able to rest easily knowing that my brother will always be there for him whenever he needed help. If you speak with your heart and tell the truth, the people you love will understand."

Sarah thought over what he told her for a moment before the former Lion Guard leader continued, "It is easier for you to tell the truth rather than hide behind a well-intended lie; my time as leader of the Lion Guard showed me that there is only much one can do alone in the face of danger, especially when protecting those closest to you. You must listen with your heart and reach out to others to confide your worries to them and let them know why you made the choices you made. If they so choose, they will stand by you no matter what. Didn't your Paldea friends throughout your, Race, and Asha's time in Uva Academy prove that time and time again when they faced similar dilemmas that put their own fates into question?"

The little princess nodded knowingly as she thought back to her, Race, and Asha's exploits with their Paldea friends including their scuffles in Area Zero; from her helping Penny and Team Star clear up the scandal surrounding them, to lending a helpful ear and shoulder to Arven to help him make peace with the fate of his late parents, and giving Nemona some tips to help her improve on her battling and be the best trainer she could be in all of Paldea.

But, the biggest misadventure she remembered clearly from their time in Area Zero (which served as a textbook definition of what Askari and Mufasa were telling her) was helping Kieran overcome his unhealthy obsession to become stronger than her out of jealousy and hidden spite. His mistakes nearly cost them and the rest of their group their lives until she took action and led the charge to subdue the third Terapagos they encountered and she captured it once it had been sufficiently weakened.

Throughout all of those exploits, they had each other's backs and they were always there for one another. She was always with them to lend a helping hand and they did the same to her, Race, and Asha whenever any of them needed help. And, if she were to let them in on what had happened, nothing would've changed.

Eventually, she smiled and gave a thoughtful nod, "...Yeah, just like how Ash and the others back home always had our backs and we them. Well, if the Rising Volt Tacklers, Liko, and Roy aren't yet in the know about all of my powers, I'll tell them when I'm ready. You're right; for now, I'll let Penny, Arven, Nemona, and the others along with Mom, Dad, Granny, Gramps, Sis, Nikki, and James back at our summerhouse know about the Explorers."

Mufasa and Askari nodded proudly as they warmly told her, "They will be shocked when you tell them about the Explorers and what they planned to do with your and Race's Terapagos, Liko's pendant, and the Shiny Rayquaza you all and the Rising Volt Tacklers encountered. And, yes, the fact that you and your family have Lazuli with you despite her former ties to them will throw them for a loop you won't be prepared for."

"But, as long as you remain true to yourself and be honest with them, they will always stand by your side and help you weather the worst of storms in terms of trust and betrayal. No betrayal of them will ever come to you as long as you and your family who are in the know about the Explorers open your hearts to the help you will need to see your new mission involving the protection of your friend's pendant, Rayquaza, and your and Race's Terapagos and the mystery surrounding them all through."

Sarah smiled and gave a thankful nod, the Prideland Spirits knowing that she would do what she must as she braced herself to tell her Paldea friends everything she knew about the Explorers and their mission to steal her and Race's Terapagos and Liko's pendant and find the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza.

Meanwhile, in the forest where Brassius encountered the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza and Arboliva, as the citizens of Paldea slept soundly that night, all was quiet save for what looked like a giant Pokémon that took a few steps forward through its home. But, what it was doing is a mystery in and of itself...

To Be Continued...