Liko - When we got to the Galar Region, the trains were shut down for a day so we had time to look around after meeting Sarah's old friends. At the Battle Cafe in Motostoke, we met Mitchell, a chef there who was an old friend of Murdock. I was thinking how great it was that they and Alcremie were able to reconnect thanks to Sarah and her Slurpuff, when suddenly...
"You... You wouldn't happen to be Kabu, the Motostoke Gym Leader, would you?" Roy beamed, his eyes fixed on Kabu who smiled at him.
"Indeed, I am," he confirmed as a small crowd gathered around him, starstruck that he was in the Battle Cafe having a tea break.
"Hey, Gym Leader Kabu! Are you here on break today?" a man asked excitedly.
"I was just jogging in the area but I couldn't pass up the delicious sweets they sell here. The cakes I just had today were crowd pleasers from what I can tell and the surprise bake-off along with the commentary for it from four of the princess' Pokémon was intriguing to see."
"If you get a chance, you should drop by our store," a woman suggested eagerly.
"That would be nice."
"Ah! Can I come and see your stadium, is that alright?" a young boy quizzed in admiration.
Kabu chuckled and he answered, "Yes, of course it is."
"So, that guy is the Motostoke Gym Leader, Kabu?" Liko asked, blinking in surprise.
"Heh, that's him, alright. The Steam King of Motostoke and the city's Fire Type Pokémon Master, he's a legend and he's put us through the wringer when we challenged him in our journey together," Hop grinned with a chuckle, patting Liko on her right shoulder.
"It's so cool that we finally get to meet him!" Roy continued to beam before Kabu turned his attention to Sarah.
"I must say, Princess, I watched your battle as I came in and I'm very impressed with what I've seen. Your use of your Slurpuff's Cotton Guard was quite remarkable; it just goes to show how strong your bond with her is and how much it shone through today," Kabu praised the little princess.
"Gee, thanks, Kabu," Sarah replied modestly, rubbing the back of her head.
"I also heard that Leon issued you a special challenge to you on behalf of Opal in Ballonea. You and your family and friends better hurry and not keep them waiting."
"Right, we're heading over there right now. Good luck at the gym today!"
"Wait, Sarah, you're going to Ballonea, already?" Liko puzzled the princess.
"Yeah, Opal's waiting there with a special challenge for us from Leon and we're going to find out what they have in store for us."
"Don't worry about us, Liko, you'll be fine. And, besides, Kabu's often not one for settling down for too long; you better hurry up and catch him while you still can," Victor grinned as he directed the young girl and Roy to Kabu who jogged off after finishing his tea break.
"Hey, wait! Kabu!" Roy called as he scrambled after him.
"Wait up, Roy!" Liko yelped as she followed suit with Sprigatito and Fuecoco trailing behind.
"Partner!"
"Hey, wait for us!" they cried.
"Wha-!? Uh, you two-!" Murdock shouted in bewilderment only to be too late as they were already going after Kabu.
"I think those two are gonna have quite a day when they catch up to Kabu and he gives them pointers on being a Pokémon Trainer should they ask him to train them," Gloria sighed with an amused smile.
"When he's in his element, Kabu can be quite the taskmaster," added Victor.
"Don't worry too much, Murdock, mate. When they're done, they'll come back to you all and you'll be on your way to Hammerlocke tomorrow once the trains are running again. In the meantime, we've got a battle appointment with Opal for the day. We'll let you, Alcremie, and Mitchell have fun together, don't wait up," Hop reassured as the heroes went on their way to Ballonea.
Murdock, Alcremie, and Mitchell just smiled as the friendly cook called out to them, "Okay! Don't be late coming back to the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft tonight, will ya? You'll be getting an early start tomorrow!"
"Okay!" Sarah shouted as she gave the trio a thumbs-up she and everyone else with her departed for Ballonea to meet up with Opal and Leon.
Speaking of Leon, the Pokémon Monarch himself was playing around in Glimwood Tangle Forest with a flock of wild Phantump, wild Spritzee, and wild Swirlix with one of the Spritzees happily nuzzling him, making him laugh.
"Now, Spritzee... There, there," he cooed as the other wild Pokemon gathered around and playfully tickled him before he got up, remembering his challenge to Sarah, her family, and her friends. "Well, I'd love to stay and play with you a little longer. But... It's time for me to go, I got an important family and some old friends to meet, bye!"
He was just about to walk off to Ballonea and the Ballonea Gym when he realized he was lost and asked the wild Pokémon, "By the way, do any of you know which way is Ballonea?"
The wild Pokémon were confused but even they knew that, despite being a powerful and kind Pokémon Trainer he is since he's the Pokémon World Monarch, Leon had a terrible pension for directions. They, like everybody else in the region, knew it would take a while for him to get a full grasp on directions and where he should go on his travels.
(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)
Before long, the heroes had arrived in Ballonea and they were currently eating at one of the town's local pastry shops (A.K.A. a pasteleria) before their intended appointment with Opal. The reason for that was Sarah, Race, and their old friends wanted to introduce Asha, their Paldean classmates, and Lazuli to sweets and pastries that were sold in and unique to the Galar Region including Bizcochos, Canelés, Cheesymite Scrolls, Cinnamon Buns, Crêpes Suzette, and Dabby-Doughs. It was a win-win for everyone since they would not only have a sweet meal to enjoy before meeting with Opal and Leon but Latios, Ella, the younglings in Sarah's family, and the Terapagos Three were having the time of their lives being surrounded by all sorts of Galar sweets.
The little princess couldn't help but look on in amusement as they scarfed down the sweets they were given, especially the Terapagos Three since they revealed that they have an obsession with sweet things.
Lazuli, since she never had any deserts in her life since her tenure with the Explorers, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she looked at one of the canelés in her hands and puzzled, "These little things are why you came here after answering that gym leader's call earlier?"
"Where's your sweet tooth when you need it, Lazuli? These sweets sold in Ballonea are some of the best that Galar has to offer according to everyone in town and the entire region," Sarah smiled at the former explorer as she enjoyed her cinnamon bun and Rosie helped herself to a Danish strudel. "The last couple of times we were in Galar, we missed coming here and this shop has been on my bucket list for my family ever since."
"I'd normally discredit rumors as they were never hearsay, honey, but what everybody here said about these delectable treats is true," Delilah noted, smiling as she enjoyed a Dabby-Dough while having some tea with it.
"Indeed, the pastry chefs and their Pokémon working here are exceptionally talented if they were to create such treats that are just as appetizing and pleasing to the eye," Tsukumaro grinned in agreement as he and Absol enjoyed a blueberry muffin with whipped cream on top and a Cheesymite Scroll.
"There were some remarkable pastries made in our time but the ones being made in this era such as what we have here are some of the best things I've ever eaten!" Doug concurred.
"Nothing comes close to all this!"
"Yeah! Thanks, Sarah, for letting us know about this cool place!" Sophocles and Ash beamed over the pastries they were eating.
"You're a genius!" Pikachu added, ecstatic over having more food to eat.
"It all sure is delectable!"
"We don't have anything like this back home in our academies," Amarys and Carmine put in, singing their praises.
"Mm-hmm!" the others agreed, all of them not getting enough of the pastries on them.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I wish I could say there was a secret behind it all but when you boil it down, it's on account of the cream."
"The cream?"
"How so, Sarah?" Ash and Goh asked curiously.
Sarah pointed the pair to the chef and his Alcremie as she told him, "That chef there and his Alcremie, like Murdock with his Ruby Swirl Alcremie partner; while we were buying the shop's treats, they told me that the flavor of an Alcremie's cream is influenced by their friendships and strong bonds with their trainers. It was evident between Murdock and Alcremie when they made their new and improved Ruby Swirl Cakes with the addition of Sprigatito's Leafage garnish earlier in Motostoke during our bake-off with Mitchell."
"Wow, so it's just like how Murdock and his Alcremie were whenever they cook together," the future Pokémon Master breathed in realization before he pulled out his Rotom Phone and looked up the Cream Pokémon.
"Alcremie, the Cream Pokémon. A Fairy Type, the cream that an Alcremie makes becomes sweeter and richer whenever it is happy."
Goh was intrigued by this as he thought, "So, that means that the Alcremie we're seeing and its trainer are partners and they share a deep trust with them."
"Incredible!"
"And, it shows; these pastries they made are so sweet and rich like the honey back home in Alola!" Lillie and Mallow smiled gleefully.
"They're just as good as a Masalada or even better!"
"As great and tasty as Sarah's homemade sweets!" Kiawe and Lana concurred.
"Whipped cream!"
"Delicious/Mmmmm/Awesome!" Ash, Sophocles, Pikachu, Togedemaru, and Vikavolt grinned, all of them having a mouthful of the whipped cream they were eating.
"Ah! Oh, Ash, Sophocles! You and your Pokémon, where are your manners?!" Donna (former queen) cried in disgust.
"Forget it, Granny. Once those two and their partners start, they could go on for hours," Sarah chuckled in amusement.
Donna (former queen) sighed as she had to be content with Sophocles and Ash's table manners and those of their Pokémon but as everybody continued to eat and enjoy themselves before they were to go to the Ballonea Gym, a familiar Pokémon floated up to the table and came up next to Sarah as she was enjoying one of her latest sweets.
The little princess soon noticed that the Pokémon that came up to her was a Milcery and she smiled, "Hey, there..."
The others soon noticed the Milcery next to Sarah and Eri was the first to break out in a fit of cuteness overload as she gushed over it, "AAAAAAHHHHHH! A MILCERY, IT'S SO CUTE!"
"You're right! It is a Milcery just like Murdock and Mitchell's best friend before she evolved into a Ruby Swirl Alcremie!" added Fishlegs sweetly.
"What's it doing here at our table?"
"I think all of the cakes and treats we have on us got its attention and it popped by when it noticed Sarah's cake," Zenna and Hiccup remarked.
"Really? I'm guessing it must be a real cake lover," Giacomo joked in amusement.
"Wow, it looks like a blob, a blob of floating milk. That's weird...and cool, I like that," Snotlout acknowledged as he looked over the Milcery with Sarah, confused but also intrigued.
"Well, it's a good thing we stopped at a bakery to meet this little fella and it sure is no coincidence given what we went through in Motostoke," Rotoscope laughed as he appeared and scanned Milcery. "Milcery, the Cream Pokemon. A Fairy Type and the pre-evolved form of Alcremie, Milcery's body is made of a special cream that forms when sweet-smelling particles travel on the wind and gather together."
The little Milcery giggled as it floated up to Sarah, flew around her for a minute, and nuzzled her left cheek while getting a giggle out of her before she asked it, "What's up with you, little guy? Do you... Do you want me to catch you?"
"NOOOOO!" James and Nikki shrieked in horror, not wanting to imagine what would happen if she caught Milcery.
"No how, no way! We're not going through with this again, Ponchita!"
"Sarah, you already have a whole army of nearly 300 Pokémon in our family on you! I think you could do with one less this time from now on!"
"You know how she is with Pokémon given how many of them flocked over to her because of her heart and compassion, Mom, Dad. Besides, you're already on the losing side of this battle. Plus, it means more hands in helping Sis make lunch and dinner so at least it won't be much of a hassle for her now," Asha smiled sheepishly as she shrugged at them, knowing what her parents and Sarah were thinking.
James and Nikki could only groan in defeat while the chef and his Alcremie sniggered at them from the counter they were running and all Silvally could say was (after he sighed knowingly since he also had no say on the matter as usual), "Oh, well... I suppose it does make more sense given the blob could help Mother cook as was the case with Creamy and the Big Friendly Giant. Hey, more food for us? I'm not complaining..."
"Yeah! I just heard how you, a friend of yours, and Mr. Mitchell from Motostoke competed in a bake-off today, I'd love to help you make more delicious sweets if you want!" Milcery replied along with a small army of other Milcery that joined it.
Then, they noticed a Rainbow Swirl Candied Fruit amongst the sweets Sarah had on her and they cooed as their eyes twinkled at it, "Oooooooooh!"
Sarah also noticed this and she kindly asked while offering the candied fruit, "Oh, would you guys like to have some?"
"Yes, yes, yes, yes! But, can I have a Rainbow Swirl Berry, please?" Milcery asked cutely as they pulled off the cute pouting puppy eyes.
The little princess smiled as she carefully scooped a Rainbow Swirl Berry from her candied fruit and handed it to the Milcery, allowing them to grab it and merge as one, the Cream Pokémon spinning and glowing until it finally became a Rainbow Swirl Alcremie before Sarah brought out a Friend Ball.
"Ta-da~!" the newly-evolved Rainbow Swirl Alcremie cheered before it opened the Friend Ball and caught itself.
"Special delivery, Alcremie (Rainbow Swirl Form) has been registered to your Pokedex!" Rotoscope alerted gayly before Sarah's new female Alcremie let herself out and rested on her new owner's right hand.
"Whoa/No way/Wow/Unbelievable!" Snotlout, Fishlegs, Arven, and Lacey gawked in astonishment while the rest of Sarah, Race, and Asha's Paldean classmates watched on, goggle-eyed and jaw-dropped.
"How did it do that?!" Kieran flustered.
"Milcery can evolve by twirling exactly like how cream for baking is whipped by mixing it around and around. This little darling must've been extremely happy to receive the Rainbow Swirl Berry and the candied fruit it was on from you, Princess," the chef explained in a French accent, smiling at Sarah and her new Cream Pokémon.
"You really think so?" Sarah asked the chef who simply nodded in confirmation.
"I'm sure from that little display of kindness, you two will make excellent partners from this day forward."
"Wow...! Thank you so much, we're gonna have so much fun together!"
"Yes, thank you!" Sarah and her Alcremie smiled back as the latter was put on the table and she nuzzled her human's hand lovingly while James and Nikki sulked in dismay.
"Murdock and his Alcremie along with Liko and Roy are gonna flip when they see this," Race chuckled, wondering how the friendly cook, his Ruby Swirl Cream Pokémon, and their young friends, Sprigatito, and Fuecoco were gonna react upon seeing his wife's Rainbow Swirl Alcremie.
After their tea and cake break at the bakery, with Sarah's new Alcremie in tow (and occupying her head since Curly and Blitz were riding on her shoulders), the heroes finally arrived at the Ballonea Gym where they found Opal waiting for them along with her successor, Bede.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Opal," Sarah greeted as they approached.
"Oh, hey, Bede. You here, too?" Hop blinked in surprise.
The former rival-turned-friend of Victor, Gloria, and Hop had to smirk at them and their friends as he also saw them coming; while his cocky attitude hadn't gone away, it was balanced by his newfound sense of pride as a Fairy Type Trainer and Gym Leader ever since he was made Opal's successor and his growing humility since the heroes' last visit to Galar (which they saw in full display with how he previously saved the city from the Dynamaxed/Gigantamaxed Pokémon). In short, the new Bede was much more tolerable and he had shown himself to be a more capable trainer and much happier in his new position if not cheeky.
"Hmph, well, well... Who'd thought you lot would drop by again? I'm not surprised given Teacher Opal's request, and as her chosen successor, why should I be?" he noted smugly.
"Yeah, yeah, we know you would, Bede," Gloria replied as she, Victor, and Hop chuckled in amusement, now used to his cocky demeanor and knowing he meant well.
"Uh..."
"What?"
"...Seriously?"
"You've got to be kiddin' me, he's the new Ballonea Gym Leader?" Penny, Ortega, Carmine, and Arven remarked, not knowing what to think as they and their classmates looked at Bede in disbelief.
"Well, good afternoon, everyone. You've arrived," Opal smiled as she turned to the heroes.
"Miss Opal, it's good to see you again and in good health, I might add," Tsukumaro smiled as he gently took her hand and kissed it in greeting.
"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Wong. I'm pleased to see that you're all doing well, too."
"Opal! What kind of challenge are we looking at today? I can't even begin to tell you how psyched I am! Is Leon already here?" Ash asked excitedly as he approached the former Ballonea Gym Leader.
"Come on, Ash, calm down. The challenge she gave us isn't going anywhere."
"And, where are your manners? We're in the presence of a powerful former gym leader and her equally skilled successor here," Race and Sarah sighed while Opal chuckled and Bede rolled his eyes, sniggering.
"Now, now, everybody, relax. You'll soon see what the challenge is all about. Follow me," Opal reassured as she and Bede led everyone to the main stadium while telling the little princess, "I'm also happy to tell you, Princess, that thanks to Bede, all of the Pokémon living in Ballonea since the incident involving Solward and Shielbert are happy and living well."
"That's good, I was planning to see how they were faring after their previous Dynamax/Gigantimax spurts after this," Sarah smiled thankfully, much to the surprise of her, Race, and Asha's Paldean classmates before she told them, "Bede surprised us when we met up with him again after he was first disqualified from the Gym Challenge and ended up as Opal's successor but after saving the city from the recent Dynamax/Gigantimax incident, it's good to know that Ballonea and its Pokémon are still in good hands."
Bede gave an amused but proud snort while the Postwick Trio nodded in agreement; of course, while Bede can be a little too much for them to handle at times due to his cocky nature, with his newfound humility and sense of pride as a Fairy Type Trainer in being his master's successor, he's now a good friend of theirs who can be relied on when needed.
Soon, they arrived at the main stadium, and seeing who he thought was Leon standing in the middle, Ash couldn't help but feel giddy as he approached the man while shouting, "Leon!"
But, the man turned and it was soon revealed that he was not Leon but the Hammerlocke Gym Leader and the Dragon Type Master of the Galar Gym Challenge: Raihan, much to Ash's surprise as he stopped and gawked at him.
"Is that...?" breathed an equally surprised Pikachu.
"Raihan?" Sarah blinked, surprised to see Raihan in the Ballonea Gym.
"Gym Leader Raihan! It must be an incredible challenge for a member of the Masters Eight AND the Galar Gym Challenge to appear!" Goh gasped in fascination, cluing everyone in that both he and Ash had seen him together prior at one point.
As it had been some time since he last saw the heroes and he had missed them on their previous visit to his fatherland, Raihan curiously went over to Ash and looked him over, having a funny feeling that he had seen him somewhere before.
"Aren't you...? I've seen you before," he remarked with a knowing smile, remembering when he first heard Ash excitedly vow that he was going to beat his fellow trainer, close friend, and rival (who is obviously Leon following a battle between them in which the Pokémon Monarch won easily despite his best efforts) and become the greatest Pokémon Trainer ever and when he helped save all of Galar and the world from Eternatus and Chairman Rose. "Hey, now, you're that ambitious guy and one of those people who helped to save our world from Ol' Eternatus and Chairman Rose. What's your name?"
"My name's Ash! This here is my partner: Pikachu!" the Kanto Trainer smirked proudly at himself and his partner.
"Nice to meet you!" Pikachu greeted, sharing Ash's smirk.
"So, you're the Ash that Leon's been talking so much about."
"Right!"
Then, Raihan noticed everybody else with Ash and Pikachu, smiling at him in remembrance as he happily greeted, "Hello there, Sarah, everyone! How are ya'll doing? It's been a while since anybody in Galar's ever seen you, I've heard about the bake-off madness earlier in Motostoke today. That was quite a tasty show you've put up with Mitchell and your friend, Sarah."
"Yeah, I guess so," Sarah replied with a sheepish grin while everyone else chuckled at her before she turned to Rotoscope, Rotom-Dex, her Paldea Starters, and Muffin (all of whom were smiling and whistling innocently in response when they felt her eyes on them) as she continued, "I think we all know who was responsible for that baking frenzy going viral when it happened."
Raihan just chuckled at her before he looked around and noticed someone missing for Opal's challenge, "Now, that's strange, Leon isn't here yet, is he? Maybe he ran away."
Ash growled at this as he fiercely defended Leon, spitting at Raihan, "Leon would never run away from anything, especially not from any battle, ever!"
Hop blinked before he sighed curmudgeonly and facepalmed himself, knowing what became of his brother, "Oh, boy. I bet Big Bro got himself lost again on the way here, right, Rai'?"
"Lost again?"
"What do you mean?" puzzled Drayton and Lacey, confused.
Sarah sheepishly smiled and rubbed the back of her head as she told them and their classmates, "Let's just say... While Leon is a powerful trainer and he isn't the Pokémon World Monarch for nothing, the one thing he sucks at is directions."
"One time he flunked at going somewhere, he made plans to go to the beach but he ended up in a forest," Victor added as he and Gloria sighed and they and Hop shrugged knowingly at each other.
"Ouch..."
"Maybe he should've had a map with him at all times before going on his detour trips," Arven and Penny winced, feeling sorry for Leon.
"Anyway, Sir Raihan, what brings you to the Ballonea Gym exactly? Sir Leon obviously wouldn't run away from a battle if the opportunity arose but you seemed eager to leave judging from what I can hear from your frightened tone, are you?" Tsukumaro said, turning to Raihan.
Raihan grimaced a little and glanced at Opal in slight hesitation before he groaned, "Opal called me to join you today as well, and to be honest, I couldn't pass up the opportunity given what she offered. Believe me, if I could get out of this, I definitely would."
This left everyone in surprise and confusion as they gave him funny looks while he sighed but Opal smirked with pride as she noted to Raihan, "I'd never let you get away."
Hearing this, the heroes started to get antsy as Raihan went on to confirm, "The truth is I know that if I'd run, I'll be in for something much worse. It's been a long time since anyone told you 'no', huh?"
"And, that's precisely why I never say 'no' to her, ever," Bede mentioned knowingly.
Lazuli, in particular, was feeling uneasy along with Mr. Hu and Mistral as they sweatdropped and she quietly suggested to them, "Maybe, this is where we say our goodbyes here..."
"Maybe..."
"If she's that cunning, I don't see why not," Mistral and Mr. Hu gulped only to freeze as Opal slyly turned to them and everyone else (Pokémon School Gang, Gladion, Sarah's human family, the Uva/Blueberry Academy students, Goh, and Hiccup and his friends included).
"Needless to say, you all will be competing in my little challenge as well," she remarked.
"Too late!"
"Erk!"
"Say, what?!"
"Huh?!"
"Oh, you mean us, Ms. Opal?"
"For real?"
"Impresionante, thank you!" Kiawe, Mallow, Carmine, Kieran, Doug, James, and Nemona yelped in surprise, shock, or amazement.
"Oh, boy..." Lazuli gulped fearfully as she gripped her sword.
"And, one of you has fulfilled the one requirement I'm looking for to help you compete. Well done, Princess," Opal cheerfully chirped, noticing Sarah's Alcremie who was still riding on her owner's head.
"That's right!" Alcremie smiled just as Leon came in, panting.
"I'm here! Forgive me, sorry for being late!" he shouted as he finally arrived.
"Got lost again on the way, Big Bro?" Hop quizzed matter-of-factly with a smirk as Leon chuckled nervously at him.
"And, late you are, Leon," Raihan smirked with a sigh.
"Oh, so you're all here too, aren't you?" the Pokémon Monarch smiled at his old friends once he noticed them.
"Yeah, I'm totally looking forward to it ever since Sarah got the call! I was hoping you and I could have a battle!" Ash exclaimed excitedly, hoping to battle Leon.
"Of course you are."
"Not surprising, huh?" Lillie and Sarah commented together, chuckling.
"I'm afraid that's up to Opal since she was the one who initiated the challenge earlier," Leon told Ash, surprising him before he turned to the former Ballonea Gym Leader and asked her, "So, Opal, what kind of outrageous fun have you been plotting for all of us today?"
Opal smirked as she announced to everyone, "Prepare yourselves, every single one of you...! The ever-popular Opal will now preside...over the very first All-Alcremie Decoration Challenge! Fasten your seatbelts!"
Ortega, Arven, Ash, and Sarah were puzzled as they echoed, "All-Alcremie Decoration Challenge?"
"Ms. Opal, please elaborate... I don't understand where you're getting at," Tsukumaro pondered, wondering what Opal had in mind for her challenge.
Opal continued to smirk as several Alcremie came up from behind her and she replied, "It's quite simple and the rules are not hard to follow; first, each of you will team up with an Alcremie before you, and after that, the two of you will bake a cake together."
Everyone was surprised to see more Alcremie just like Murdock's cooking partner and Sarah's new addition as they gasped and smiled at them with Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, Penny, Goh, and Ash remarked on everyone's behalf, "Wow!"
"Look at that!"
"Great Odin's Beard, check it out! So many Alcremie and all of them are different from one another!"
"Wow, look at all the Alcremie!"
"I never knew there were so many colors!"
Delilah laughed in delight as she cooed at the Alcremie, "Lots and lots of colors as far as the eye can see from a Pokémon so small! And, each of them has different food decorations on them, too!"
"How exquisite!" Donna (former queen) agreed, astonished.
Even Arven was floored by what he was seeing as he also added, "I never knew one Pokémon could have so many different flavors according to their forms."
"Whoa...! Daddy, did you see? Did you see that?!"
"Yeah, Dad, it's Alcremies on Parade!" Thundereon and Craggeon spluttered, goggle-eyed as they spoke to their equally stunned father.
"A-And I t-t-thought that Eevee h-h-had a v-v-variety of f-forms," Donka blinked.
"Most, most impressive," Flameaconda nodded, impressed.
"As before with the princess' new companion, it all comes down to a series of choices here-bzt," noted Manteon.
"Alcremie's creams come in a variety of flavors depending on the trainer, I've always wondered what kind of flavors a series of strong trainers can bring out. Or, gentle trainers, energetic trainers, too! Just thinking about it makes me want to taste test all of those different flavors!"
Raihan gave a curmudgeon-like sigh as he lamented, "Another weird challenge for the taking..."
"You mean, this kind of thing has happened before?" Drayton asked curiously.
"Indeed, and believe you me, this kind of thing she pulls off scares me at times so there's nothing I can do about it," Bede admitted.
Leon couldn't help but agree as he told everyone, "Yep, every now and then, Opal gets an idea for a challenge. Sometimes, they're about battling. But.. Not today, it seems."
"You never know what she can come up with so you just have to roll with the punches and take each challenge as they come or you won't get another chance. Trust us, we and Bede found out the hard way," Gloria informed as Victor and Hop gave knowing nods.
Ash slumped sadly at this as he moaned to Leon, "Aw, man! I wanted to battle with you..."
"So, it's not happening now?" Pikachu wondered, hoping he and Ash would still get to battle the Pokémon Monarch despite their disappointment.
"Honestly, Ash, it's not the end of the world if you don't get to battle Mr. Leon. Ms. Opal has invited us here to take part in this Alcremie Decorative Challenge of hers out of the goodness of her heart and it'll do us good to show her how we all are as Pokémon trainers in our own right. I don't think she would appreciate you and Pikachu turning down this offer just for your own need to become the very best in a short time as you'd hoped," Doug frowned at Ash, unimpressed as he crossed his arms.
Opal smiled cheekily and Leon just laughed before the Pokémon Monarch reassured Ash, "Just try your very best! And, remember, the winner has the most fun!"
"Really, Leon...? Great!" Ash replied, his spirits quickly lifted.
"It definitely sounds like fun!"
"Yeah, let's do it!" cheered Lillie and Snowy.
"Well, I suppose it won't hurt for me to give a challenge such as this a shot," Gladion decided after thinking about it.
"But, I've never even made a cake despite the time I went through with Daddy. Have you, Sister Snowy?" Nihilego Lillie pondered to her human sister's partner.
"Sure, we did! Mommy and I did it a few times with Grandmama Lusamine and Grandpapa Mohn before we went to Kanto," Snowy grinned at her.
"I loved baking cakes in addition to everything else at my family's restaurant, this is going to be fun!" Mallow replied gleefully before she turned to Shaymin and Tsareena. "What do you think, Shaymin, Tsareena? Want to have a go at it?"
"Yes, yes!"
"Of course, darling! Most especially!" grinned Shaymin and Tsareena eagerly.
"I don't know... I've never even made a cake my whole life, could I really do it?" Lazuli besieged, feeling awkward about the predicament she was in.
"You'll do fine, Kiddo. Just put your best foot forward, do your best, and have fun with it," Mr. Hu reassured as he gently patted the swordswoman while Galaxagus and Pantherra gave her comforting yet cheeky grins despite her groaning over the prospect of baking a cake for the first time.
"Alright, everyone. Choose the Alcremie that will be your partner for my challenge and we will begin," Opal nodded, gesturing to the Alcremie army behind her and allowing everyone to step forward and choose who they want for her cake challenge.
"Well, I guess you can rule me out until everybody's ready in that case," Sarah replied as she tickled her Alcremie on her head who giggled in response to her touch.
Before long, everyone had chosen their respective Alcremie for the All-Alcremie Decorative Challenge, and Opal was impressed with the choices they all made when she looked them over (already knowing that Sarah was going with her Rainbow Swirl Cream Pokémon off the bat):
Of course, while everyone else picked their partners, Raihan didn't want to have any part in the challenge and he tried to make his getaway only for Opal to get in his way as she warned him in a suspicious tone, "What's this? Are you trying to run away even though Leon and the princess are perfectly willing?"
"Ugh-! Uh... I'm not running away! I enter every challenge and win!" denied Raihan, trying to cover up his failed escape through a false bravado until he became convinced to stay and take part by a friendly Rainbow Swirl Alcremie that crawled onto his left shoulder, taking a selfie with it as he replied, "This'll be fine, just perfect for me."
Sarah looked around at all of her friends and her human family, seeing them having picked out their Alcremie and feeling happy and satisfied with who they got before turning to her Rainbow Swirl Berry Alcremie as the Cream Pokémon cutely peeped, "Ready?"
"Ready," the little princess confirmed before she looked at Opal and then told her, "Ms. Opal, we're ready!"
"Fine, all have decided," the former Ballonea Gym Leader smiled, satisfied with what she saw as she looked around and presented everyone with their respective baking stations primed with cooking utensils such as mixing bowls, whisks, and rotating plates holding primed-and-ready cake bases along with four large tables filled with berries and fruits and a smaller one holding a large vase of flowers up front for additional decoration. "Now, everyone take your places, and...! Let's go!"
"Alright!"
"We'll do it!"
"Yeah!"
"Let's go!" Ash, Lillie, and their partners cheered as everybody took to their baking stations.
"*Pour the whipped cream on the sponge cake, use a palate knife to spread it out, and using a rotating plate, spread the cream on the sides as well,*" instructed Goh and Arven's Rotom Phones as they started work on their cakes on their respective stations with Mabostiff and Grookey by their sides and their chosen Alcremie helping them.
"This part is so important," Goh mused from his station.
"The first step once the cream is whipped, we better make this good," Arven thought before his and Goh's Alcremie helped them get started on mixing their cream.
"Thank you, Alcremie/Thanks, that's a good first step from here!"
"You're welcome, let's get baking!" their Alcremie replied sweetly as Mabostiff and Grookey barked and cooed cutely.
The others were also getting the hang of starting on their cakes by mixing the cream swimmingly with little to no trouble as they followed the directions they found on their Rotom Phones and being as careful as they could to mix the cream their Alcremie had given to them so they don't end up bad or too runny. Some of them such as Lillie, Sarah, Delilah, Nikki, and Mallow took to this first step naturally with their respective partners and their Alcremie helping them along the way and they were able to proceed to the next step with ease.
As for someone like Ash, he became determined to go the fun route by going out of the ordinary as he always did with everything, hoping he could create a masterpiece of his own making that best shows who he is as a person and a Pokémon Trainer to become an eventual Pokémon Master.
"Bring out your best-tasting cream, okay, Alcremie?" Ash grinned and his Caramel Swirl Alcremie did just that. "Yeah! All I have to do is spread the cream, right? Ha-ha, here we go!"
However, what Ash didn't know was that his caramel cream was too runny and he had forgotten the most important thing to do for the cream to pour properly onto the cake base he had on him was to stir it.
But, there was one other tippet of advice Sarah had given him as she whisked her bowl of cream while it sat on a plate of ice with her Alcremie watching on happily.
"Slow down, Ash, your cream's too runny. When Nikki and Mom taught me how to bake, they said that if your cream is too runny, you place the bowl on ice and whip it while it chills," she told her old friend.
"Oh, yeah... That makes sense. Thanks, Sarah!" thanked Ash before he went back to work, making sure to not jump the gun too hard on his end.
"You sure pick stuff like this up pretty fast, friend," the Rainbow Swirl Alcremie giggled to her owner and friend/mother figure.
"Well, I have my adoptive mom from my sister's side and my real mom to thank for that even if I had to teach my real mom how to bake treats in this era with Nikki's help. It was a lot of fun, though."
"Great! Now, Grookey, hold the bowl!" Goh smiled in satisfaction as Grookey helped him hold his mixing bowl (which was also sitting on a plate of ice as Sarah suggested) and he began to stir while his Alcremie cheered for them.
"That's it, buddy, steady as she goes," remarked Arven, giving off a satisfied smile as he and Mabostiff did the same with his own Alcremie cheering them on.
Leon chuckled as he and his chosen Alcremie (a Matcha Cream Flower Sweet Alcremie) also mixed their cream under the same plate of ice while having the time of their lives, "That's great, Leon! You're a first-class cake cream whisker!"
"Well, I'm having fun and that's all that counts!"
Raihan was starting to enjoy himself as he rapidly stirred his Alcremie's cream on a plate of ice as well while she poured it into his bowl with a competitive smirk, "I'm gonna whip up the world's best-tasting cake ever! So bring it on home, partner!"
"Coming right up!" smirked his Alcremie, sharing his competitive nature.
"Bring it on, there, pal!"
"These cakes are gonna be poderosa deliciosa!" Arven and Nemona challenged playfully as their Berry Sweet Mint Cream and Star Sweet Lemon Cream Alcremie helped to spread their finished whipped cream onto their cakes.
Despite picking up on some of the cooking tips she went through, Lazuli was having trouble with her cake and cream. Thankfully, Mr. Hu, Galaxagus, Mistral, and Pantherra were able to guide her with her tiny Alcremie happily lending the most help in her baking.
"So... Like this?" she asked her Alcremie after showing it the whipped cream she whisked.
"Great! Now, use your frosting knife and spread it evenly, like this," her Alcremie partner nodded as it guided the swordswoman in spreading the cream all over her cake base.
Ash had managed to finish spreading his whipped cream on his cake base despite having done a rough job on it, taking a satisfying taste of the cream he managed to properly stir and grin in delight, "Mmm! This whipped cream tasted totally awesome! Smells great, too!"
"And, how!" his Caramel Swirl Alcremie agreed happily.
"Now, it's all done. Pikachu, you're up!"
"Oh, yeah!" Pikachu grinned as he tossed some berries, fruits, and or flowers to his partner so they could begin decorating their cake.
"Don't you and Pikachu go hogging all of the berries, fruits, and flowers, Ash! We'll all need those for decorating our cakes once the bases are finished!" Race warned as he, Robbie, Bella, and his Flower Sweet Rainbow Swirl Alcremie completed their creamed cake base and got onto decorating.
"Like this?" Lana asked her Alcremie as they finished the cake base and got to work on decorating their cake, using their leftover cream as their frosting while Sandy and Primarina watched carefully in eagerness.
"That's right," her Clover Sweet Vanilla Cream Alcremie nodded with an approving smile as it watched and guided Lana through their next step.
"Oh, dear! What are you doing?!" Goh's Alcremie shuddered, getting Goh's attention as he noticed Grookey eating the remaining cream in their mixing bowl as her sweet tooth kicked in.
"D'oh! Come on, Grookey! Will you stop snacking?!" he whined before Cinderace came to his rescue and he picked up Grookey, stopping her from eating before she could cause any more trouble.
"Let's do this, you guys!"
"Right/Yeah/Let's go!" Kiawe, his Alcremie, Pyroar, and Turtonator cheered proudly as the three of them went all in together with their own cake.
"This cake is going to be so beautiful, Tsareena, Shaymin! And, we'll have you to thank for that and the stroke of inspiration we'll get for our sweets in our family restaurant back home, Alcremie!" Mallow beamed at her partners and Alcremie, having a field day baking their cake as the three of them cheered in agreement.
As for Sarah and her Alcremie, Blitz, Curly, Latias (who was being carefully monitored by her older brother), Petunia, Slurpuff, Appletun, Latios, and the younglings in their family could only watch with twinkling eyes, watering mouths, and delighted moans as the two of them decorated their completed cake base. Even Leon and Raihan along with their Alcremie partners were making strides with their cakes as the Pokemon Monarch put frosting tops on his cake and the Hammerlocke Gym Leader expertly sliced a berry placed atop his finished cake into expertly-sliced pieces, the pieces coming clean off as they made themselves into a small crown.
"He-heh!" he grinned proudly.
"**Wonderful knifework, my friend!**" applauded his Flower Sweet Rainbow Swirl Alcremie rosily, admiring his handiwork.
The others were also enjoying themselves along with their partners and their Alcremie helping them to complete their cakes in their own fashions, looking to help Opal discover from their cakes who they are as trainers and individuals.
With Ash, his Berry Sweet Caramel Sweet Alcremie and Pikachu were left stunned in awestruck silence as he added several more berry/fruit/flower decorations onto his cake to finish it off, "These go here, and these will go here..."
"Gorgeous! And as pretty as a picture!" Raihan chuckled, radiant at the sight of his and his Alcremie's finished cake.
"Perfection!" his Alcremie agreed happily.
"That sure was fun."
"Sure is!" smiled Leon and his Alcremie over their finished cake.
"Hey, Goh, what happened to your cake?" Penny asked Goh, surprised that the Mew Seeker's cake had nothing on it.
"Well, despite our best efforts, Grookey still managed to lick every bit of cream and the decorations on it," he admitted in defeat as he pointed to Grookey who was off to the side and having a bulged stomach after eating his and his Alcremie's cake cream and decorations out of house and home while Cinderace shook his head, looking unimpressed at her.
"Oh, I guess she couldn't hold back her sweet tooth after seeing how delicious it turned out."
"You're gonna have to keep her on a leash so she doesn't let herself run rampant with sweets," remarked Ortega and Atticus awkwardly.
"I'm sure Opal will let you do it over again if you tell her and she'll permit it if she can," Lacey reassured kindly.
"This has been a lot of fun!"
"Real fun!" Lillie, Nihilego Lillie, her Alcremie, and Snowy chirped ecstatically, feeling proud of their cake.
"We're finished!"
"We're done!"
"Clocked it!"
"Me, too!" Mallow, Kiawe, Sophocles, and Lana called out as they, their Alcremie, and their partners happily showed off their completed cakes.
"Not bad if I do say so myself."
"Agreed."
"Not too shabby," Hiccup, Astrid, and Zenna concurred as they, their friends, their dragons, their Partner Pokémon, and their Alcremie looked satisfied with how their cakes turned out after going through trial and error with their Cream Pokémon guiding them along the way.
"You know what, I had a lot of fun making this thing. It turned out better than I had imagined," Lazuli admitted as she, her Alcremie, Mr. Hu, Mistral, Galaxagus, and Pantherra looked on at her cake, impressed by how good it looked now that they were done.
Mr. Hu gave an impressed whistle as he remarked, "Your parents would be very proud if they saw you make this right now."
"A true 5-Star piece of work if I do say so myself," agreed Lazuli's Alcremie.
"Everyone, look at mine! Ta-da~!" Ash beamed brightly, showing off his completed cake except that he went overboard on decorating it much to everyone else's chagrin.
Nobody knew what to think as they just stared awkwardly at the over-decorated cake as Bede (who had finished his cake) voiced a part of everyone's thoughts, "You've got to be kidding me..."
"Uh, Ash..."
"...Is that supposed to be..."
"...a cake?"
"It sure doesn't look like one to me."
"I've seen the baker and his Alcremie back at his shop earlier make better cakes than that," Carmine, Kieran, and the Postwick Trio (all of whom and the rest of the Uva/Blueberry Academy students and their Alcremie having completed their cakes) awkwardly commented.
Hiccup shook his head in amusement and Toothless laughed as the former Viking underdog added, "Ash, I think you went overboard with the decorating."
"Goodness gracious, Ash Ketchum! I know you were passionate about something but from how you went about it, that's the most over-the-top and disastrous-looking cake I've ever seen," Doug gawked with a wince as he and his family completed their cakes (feeling satisfied over how they turned out on their ends).
"But, in all honesty, it does scream the Alola Region," Lillie giggled sheepishly.
"There we go... Right! Da-da-da-daaaah~!" Sarah shouted heartily as she and her Alcremie proudly presented their completed cake to everyone and they couldn't help but look at how it turned out, google-eyed and jaw-dropped.
It was made into the shape of Raging Bolt with Nebby beside him on his back legs, his front legs supporting the mane of the cake version of Raikou's distant ancestor/multiverse counterpart. There were also tiny and carefully-crafted cake figurines of Nebula and the Swords of Justice on the Raging Bolt cake but on the back of the Nebby cake, it had cake figurines of her blood parents' Tomoe Squad. But, that wasn't all; the Nebby cake sported a colorful mane of rainbow frosting which glistened under the gym's stage lights and the Raging Bolt cake was topped off with Hydrapple and Appletun's apple nectar and syrup, the nectar and syrup mix making it glisten as well.
"Whoa, that's wild!"
"How is this even possible...?"
"How did you do it?"
"Even I couldn't make something like that even if I tried!" Crispin, Bede, Gloria, and Carmine spluttered in stunned shock.
"That's crazy!"
"I'll say, there's no way you could've completed all of that!"
"And, in such a short time, too!" Victor, Hop, and Raihan griped in slight annoyance.
"What would you call that even though we expected it, old friend?" Tsukumaro breathed to Doug, awestruck by his goddaughter's latest baking handiwork.
"I see it but I hardly dare believe it," replied Doug, staggered by what his and Delilah's daughter had created with her Berry Sweet Rainbow Swirl Alcremie's help.
"Asombrosa, absolutamente fantástica!"
"Wow! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That's my buddy, she can really bake her heart out!" Nemona and Arven grinned ecstatically, already singing Sarah's praises.
"Congratulations, Sarah!" Penny smiled brightly as the princess' classmates shared her, Nemona, and Arven's sentiments.
"Aaauuugh! Why are we all always falling behind Sarah on something such as baking a cake?!" Kiawe cried dramatically before he slumped down on his table in despair while his Pokémon and his Alcremie looked thunderstruck by Sarah's cake.
"Sure looks delicious!"
"That's our Sarah!"
"She's a baking master!" Mallow, Lillie, and Lana grinned at their best friend.
"Slick, girlfriend! You have everyone's eyes and dibs on your sweet culinary delight!"
"AMAZING! I've never seen such a delicious cake displaying the power, majesty, grace, wonder, and beauty of Raging Bolt and Nebby while showing the support they give to us all!" Rotoscope and Rotom-Dex gushed as they took pictures of Sarah's cake.
That was when it was time for Opal to judge everyone's cakes as she stood up from where she sat and observed everybody working. She was amazed to see how their cakes were turning out and was eager to give all of them a taste to find out how they were as Pokémon trainers and individuals as a whole.
"Is everybody done? Let me see," she asked as she began to judge (nearly all of) the completed cakes before her.
She first started with Leon's cake and she was impressed with what Leon and his Alcremie came up with, "Mmm... Mm-mmm, strong flavors...and the sweetness hits hard. It gives off such a bold and yet colorful aroma, I think I can say that this is the flavor of a champion!"
"Thanks! If you're happy, so am I!" Leon smiled in response.
Raihan's cake was the next to be tested and Opal gave her thoughts after having a piece of it, "Mmm... Mm-mmm! It looks flamboyant, and its flavors are a bit complicated; so at first glance, it's a little bit showy. However, at it's core, this is a first class product with principles that are sound."
Raihan smiled, "Great! I told you so, I can win any challenge!"
She was very impressed with how the cakes of the Viking Teens, Sarah's human family, her apprentice/successor, the Postwick Trio, and her, Race, and Asha's Paldean classmates made and she soon made her way to Lillie, Lana, and Mallow's cakes to give them a taste test.
"Mm-mmm... Mm-hmm, it seems while you three have such vastly different personalities with your flavors and textures, there is a gentle spirit in you all that loved to take wonderfully good care of your Pokémon while reaching out to new frontiers at their cores. Yes, it comes shining through all of you in the taste," she praised as she made her thoughts known.
"Thank you so very much!"
"Thank you!" Mallow, Lillie, Lana, and their Alcremie thanked.
Goh sighed sadly at his plain and ordinary cake as he told Opal, "Grookey ate all of the decorations and frosting."
But, Opal wasn't deterred as she smiled at him and said, "If your partner ate to her heart's content, then you and your Alcremie have developed a special bond in such a short time. So, as a reward for your remarkable trial, I'll let you have that Alcremie."
"Wow! Thanks so much! We do!" Goh grinned.
"Yes!" his Alcremie cheered.
She soon made her way to Lazuli's cake, the swordswoman gulping as Opal looked it over and looked impressed by the sight of how tidy it was while having a surprisingly grand appearance and said, "Ah, starting from the ground up with the basics, I see?"
"Uh... Yeah, I've never made a cake before and I was lucky to have someone like this Alcremie here to show me how to even do one," Lazuli replied, trying her best to keep her cool while her Alcremie and Mr. Hu did their best to calm her down while Opal tasted the cake.
"Mmm... Mmm, mm, mm-hmm... Interesting, your cake has shown me that you've come from a difficult and traumatic background following a brief time of innocence. The flavors and textures also told me that not only did you pull yourself and those originally closest to you out of the darkness you were once in but you also found your way back into the light with people, creatures, and Pokémon that pulled you out of the dark abyss you were once trapped in."
"...You, you can tell who I am...? Just by tasting my cake?"
"Every cake has its story and what I'm witnessing from your cake here is a story of tragedy, redemption, resurrection, and newfound hope for one's future and self, and your Alcremie helping you demonstrate how far you've come spoke volumes with the final result of your cake. A true culinary masterpiece of storytelling, if I do say so myself."
Lazuli sighed as she wiped her brow and gave a relieved but thankful bow along with her Alcremie who bowed happily in response to Opal (while Pantherra, Mistral, Mr. Hu, and Galaxagus smiled proudly at her), "Phew...! Thank you, madam."
"Thank you, Ms. Opal!" her Alcremie cooed cutely.
Next, it was time for Ash's cake to be tested and she was especially surprised by how extremely decorative it was, "Oh my, now isn't this exceptionally creative?"
"Alcremie made me some really great-tasting cream here so I wanted to match it with the tastiest cake I could come up with!" Ash grinned in response.
"Yeah!" the Kanto Trainer's Berry Sweet Caramel Swirl Alcremie cheered as Opal tasted his cake and was also impressed with what she found from it that described Ash as a whole.
She then sang her praises to Kiawe and Sophocles for their cakes after tasting them until finally, she came across Sarah's cake and she was astonished by what the little princess came up with.
"My, my, my! This is a surprisingly exquisite cake you made, Princess, but that's what's to be expected given your creativity and your family. It'll be exciting to eat something like this when you have no idea what it'll taste like," she complimented grandly as she helped herself to a piece.
"Thanks, Ms. Opal," Sarah replied modestly as her Alcremie grinned at her and Opal tasted the piece of her cake she took.
Everyone watched in awed silence and with bated breath at what the former Ballonea Gym Leader would think of her cake until...
"Mm-hmm... Mmm! Goodness, such an unusual flavor that makes me want to have more! …Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Fun-tastic!"
"Does that mean Sarah's cake tastes good?"
"She's got quite an odd sense of taste if she thinks that," whispered Ortega and Amarys.
"I bet she doesn't judge sweets based on their appearance and neither should you," Arven replied as quietly as he could with a shrug.
"That's true," Goh nodded in agreement.
With the Alcremie Decorative Challenge and having tasted everyone's cakes, Opal turned to Sarah and pointed at her as she told everyone, "I've decided; Princess, you are the one I will battle today!"
Everyone was shocked and even Sarah was taken aback as she spluttered, "M-M-Me, battle you!? Really?!"
"Hang about, is it possible for her to change the rules for her challenge on a whim?" puzzled Tsukumaro, not understanding where Opal was going now.
"Who cares? At the end of the day, it's her challenge so she decides the rules and does whatever she pleases for her challengers," Bede shrugged, obviously not questioning Opal's methods.
Opal just grinned as she told everyone before redirecting her attention to the little princess, "In this particular challenge, any trainer who could create such interesting flavors out of a single cake must be more interesting in battle. Well, Princess, what are you waiting for? Take your position and show me the results of your culinary craft in a Pokémon battle!"
Sarah was stunned but she quickly recomposed herself and smiled, bowing in response as she replied, "Yes, Ms. Opal!"
Raihan sighed as he remarked, "Oh boy, here we go again. This isn't the first time Opal changed the rules to her challenges on a whim."
"But, she does have a point; battling against Sarah will be interesting and I'm wondering what new tricks she and her family pulled last time I saw them," Leon grinned, eager to see what had changed in the little princess during her and Opal's battle.
Either way, deciding not to question the methods of Bede's teacher and predecessor, everybody else waited and watched from the stands while Sarah and Opal took their places with Leon stepping forward to act as the referee for the battle challenge.
"Alright, I'll be the referee for this challenge! Whichever Pokémon you prefer, bring it out, both of you! And, we'll see where you go from here!" the Pokémon World Monarch announced.
Having a feeling who Opal would bring out to fight her, Sarah decided to go with Calyrex and Spectrier as she summoned them from her Ultra Ball containing them (the trio having decided that the King of Bountiful Harvests would go up against whoever the former Ballonea Gym Leader would send out in Shadow Rider Form).
"Right! Now, Calyrex, Spectrier, I choose you!" Sarah shouted, bringing out the King of Bountiful Harvests and the Swift Horse Pokémon as the eldest of the former's sons neighed proudly.
"Hmm, interesting, you've brought out the King of Bountiful Harvests. I'd love to see how he fights... Come on out, Alcremie!" Opal grinned as she brought out her own Alcremie.
"Ready to fight, Ms. Opal!" her Cream Pokémon cooed grandly.
"Whoa... That Alcremie's much different from Murdock's or Sarah's!" Goh blinked in surprised realization, seeing Opal's Alcremie while his female Alcremie cheered for her friend while riding on his left shoulder.
"Good luck out there, Sister!" she cheered with a wave.
"You're right, Goh! It's pink all over!" said Drayton, looking just as surprised.
"What does that mean?" Kieran questioned curiously.
"By the looks of it, that Alcremie of hers is a Strawberry Sweet Ruby Cream Alcremie!" Penny informed as she looked up the next form of Alcremie from her Rotom Phone.
"Good luck, Sarah! Keep your guard up against my sister!" called out the Berry Sweet Rainbow Swirl Alcremie to her owner.
"We got it!" Sarah reassured her Cream Pokémon (who was with her blood mother to watch the battle from the sidelines as well).
"Alright, everybody ready? Battle... BEGIN!" Leon announced, beginning the battle.
"Let's show them the true power of the dark side, Calyrex, Spectrier! Use Dark Pulse!" Sarah began, making the first move as she allowed Calyrex and Spectrier to use Dark Pulse on Opal's Ruby Cream Alcremie.
"Counter with Dazzling Gleam," Opal called simply, having her Alcremie counter Dark Pulse and cancel it while allowing her to follow through with another attack thrown at them, "Now, use Attract."
"He-he-he, hi there~!" her Cream Pokémon giggled as she cutely winked and sent out a flurry of hearts towards the King of Bountiful Harvests and his elder steed.
"Not so fast, Opal! Phantom Force, go!" Sarah countered, having Spectrier and Calyrex use Phantom Force to vanish from sight and make Opal's Alcremie's Attract miss its mark.
"Huh?! Hey! Where did they go?" pouted the Ruby Cream Alcremie as it looked around before Spectrier and Calyrex reappeared from behind it.
"Our sincere apologies for this, young lady. NOW!" Calyrex signaled Spectrier, allowing him to bash it with Double Kick.
The Ruby Cream Alcremie squealed in shock and pain as it rolled across the field and fell to the ground but it and Opal were not done as the former got up and the former Ballonea Gym Leader continued, undeterred, "Use Dazzling Gleam again!"
"Spectrier, Light Screen!"
Just as Opal's Alcremie came at him and his father, upon hearing his caretaker's next call, the Swift Horse Pokémon reared up on his hind legs and neighed as he conjured a Light Screen that cut the power done by Dazzling Gleam by half once they were hit.
"He did it!"
"Say, what?!" cried Nemona and Goh in excitement or shock.
"That's some quick-thinking defense on Sarah's part; by using Light Screen at that precise moment when Alcremie was about to make contact, the power out of special moves such as Dazzling Gleam is cut in half. Now, any special attacks Opal and her Alcremie want to perform will have little effect on Calyrex and Spectrier!" Leon smirked, impressed by what he saw.
"Amazing! Resourceful, battling worthy of a true royal," Opal commented, beaming brightly at Sarah before she recalled Alcremie and revealed her Dynamax Band.
Realizing what Opal was now doing and seeing she was going to enter a Dynamax/Gigantimax Battle, Sarah frowned and braced herself, bringing out her own Dynamax Band and placing it on her right wrist.
"Here it comes!"
"Yeah, it's finally time!" Ash and Goh grinned in anticipation, knowing what was about to come.
"Time for what?" Amarys questioned.
"So, Sarah, are you prepared to let your culinary battle talent show? I'm going to have so much fun with this," Opal continued to grin as the energy of the Dynamax Phenomenon took effect, her Pokéball growing larger before she turned back and threw it in the air to reveal her Gigantamax Alcremie.
"WHAAAAA-?!"
"OH, ARCEUS!"
"Is that the Dynamax Phenomenon?!"
"No!"
"What!?"
"Crazy!"
"This is gonna make one hell of a report for Director Clavell!" Sarah, Asha, and Race's Uva Academy classmates spluttered in shock.
"That's a Gigantimax Alcremie!"
"Amazing!"
"I didn't think they could get that big with Dynamax or Gigantimax!" Carmine and Kieran balked.
"Oh, you want to play that game, Ms. Opal? Well, if so, two can play at that game! Come on, Calyrex, Spectrier!" Sarah dared, recalling Calyrex and his eldest son before activating her Dynamax Band and summoning them back to the battlefield as Gigantimax Pokémon, retaining their blue Gigantamax/Dynamax aura as they readied themselves for battle again.
Raihan and Bede smirked but Goh was shocked by the blue aura Calyrex and Spectrier showed off as he cried, "Now, Spectrier and Calyrex are Dynamaxed as well!"
"You mean 'Gigantimaxed'; they're looking slick out there, especially in that blue aura," remarked Lana, grinning at the King of Bountiful Harvests and his eldest son.
"Even now, that blue aura is a mystery to us," Lillie added, eager to see Calyrex and Spectrier in a Dynamax/Gigantimax battle again.
The Dynamax/Gigantimax battle began as Opal made the first move with a Dynamax/Gigantimax attack, "G-Max Finale!"
"LET'S GET CREAMY!" smirked her Gigantimax Alcremie as it created giant cream projectiles to fall from the sky and land on its opponents.
"Augh! Hey! No fair, I can't see! Get it off, get it off, GET IT OFF!" Spectrier wailed as he shook the cream off his face and tried to blink whatever cream got into his unseen eyes off.
"Urgh! Hmph, that was a clever trick but my boy and I will not fall for such a ploy again!" Calyrex huffed as he wiped the cream off of his face as well and turned to Sarah, "Princess, let's show the dear and Madame Opal how we royals battle in true Gigantimax/Dynamax fashion."
"Right! Max Phantasm, let's go!" Sarah agreed, allowing Calyrex and Spectrier to use their Max Move based on Phantom Force and strike down Opal's Alcremie, causing it to squeal in pain and its Physical Defense stats to be cut down.
Opal grinned as she continued, "Okay, Alcremie, Max Starfall!"
Her Alcremie unleashed its Max Starfall on the pair but while the Fairy Type Max Move did some damage to them and they both got bruises from it, to the surprise of the Uva and Blueberry Academy students, Calyrex and Spectrier were still standing.
"Hey, look! That attack didn't land any more scratches on them!"
"They looked as though they're not fazed by G-Max Finale and Max Starfall, at all!"
"But, how were Spectrier and Calyrex still standing?"
"Hang on, didn't Sarah use Light Screen to protect them before they went Dynamax/Gigantimax just now?" Kieran, Lacey, Eri, and Giacomo gasped in awe.
"(?!)...Of course! Sarah had Spectrier use Light Screen earlier in the battle to shield himself and his father from Opal and her Alcremie's Dazzling Gleam attacks so Max Moves that are based on special attacks have their attack power cut in half for three turns and it still works even in a Dynamax battle!" Rotom-Dex recalled in amazed realization.
"So, Sarah's on her last turn before Light Screen wears out. She needs to make her next move count for this one," Penny added knowingly.
"Let's try again, Spectrier, Calyrex! One last Max Phantasm with all your might!" Sarah roared, pointing at Opal's Fairy Type and allowing the High King and Swift Horse Pokémon to unleash a final Max Phantasm, landing a direct hit on the former Ballonea Gym Leader's Ruby Cream Alcremie.
That did the trick as the Alcremie's Physical Defense stats were cut again and it gained twice the amount of damage initially done to it, the Cream Pokémon cooing in pain when the damage from Max Phantasm proved to be too much for it to handle. With a final defeated coo, the Fairy Type shrunk back down to its regular tiny size and gently lopped onto its back, having swirls over its eyes.
Satisfied with how the battle turned out and as Calyrex and Spectrier returned to their normal sizes, Leon finally declared, "Alcremie is unable to battle, Spectrier and Calyrex win! The victory goes to Sarah from Alola!"
"Yeah, alright!"
"GO, SARAH!" Ash and Pikachu screamed excitedly as Opal grinned and nodded at Sarah while returning her Alcremie without another word.
"¡Qué vista! I can't believe how lucky trainers in the Galar Region were to have battles like this!"
"And, to think, Eternatus himself was responsible for the Dynamax Phenomenon that made Pokémon battles such as Sarah and Ms. Opal's battle possible," Nemona and Atticus remarked in fascination as they grinned from ear to ear.
"Absolutely phenomenal!" Penny beamed as she typed what she and the others witnessed down on her Rotom Phone.
"Believe it. If you're looking for a battle in a gym/Pokémon League challenge or any other whenever you come here, there's no better place to do it than anywhere in the Galar Region," Sophocles smirked proudly.
"We can attest to that."
"The Dynamax battles we and our Pokémon had are some of the most fun we've ever had throughout our journey," Victor and Hop put in ecstatically.
"And, who knows? Maybe if Eternatus can harness his power and control it without the use and help of a Power Spot, we could have fun with Dynamax/Gigantimax battles at any time in Paldea," Eri remarked.
"That'll definitely shake everyone up at the school!"
"Just as long as we don't make a giant mess of everything," Drayton and Arven joked.
"And, it'll do us a great deal against the Explorers should they force our hands again," Carmine reminded, knowing that they can't let their guard down too badly.
After the battle and Opal's challenge was complete, everybody was left to enjoy the cakes they all made together with their Alcremie. They were all impressed and delighted over how they all tasted but Sarah and her cake gained the most praise from everybody including the Terapagos Three, singing their praises the loudest as they babbled with beaming grins on their faces.
"Hmm, I wonder how this one tastes?" Raihan pondered as he took a piece of Sarah's cake and ate it, "...Hey, that's good!"
"Really? Let's see how it takes compared to ours..." Goh replied as he and Nemona got a taste of the little princess' cake. "...Wow! It's delicious!"
"Mmm! Tan sabrosa, the apple syrup Sarah's Hydrapple added to it makes it even sweeter and all the more delicious!" the Champion-Rank student agreed.
"Your cake is the greatest, Sarah!"
"Yeah, it's the sweetest dessert I've ever eaten!" Ash and Mallow grinned while Pikachu, Tsareena, and Shaymin helped themselves to a piece.
"Well, I can't take all the credit. As was the case with Murdock and his baking partner, my Alcremie's the main star," Sarah replied modestly as she grinned at her Berry Sweet Rainbow Swirl Alcremie who blushed happily as she rested on her head.
And, things only got better for the heroes; in addition to Sarah and Goh, Arven found himself enjoying the company he gained from the Berry Sweet Ruby Swirl Alcremie he worked with and even Mabostiff took to her well as she wanted to go with him, happy over how their cake turned out. It was a win-win for him because not only would he have new recipes to work with but with his new Alcremie's help (and baking expertise throughout her time with Opal and her sisters), he would be one step closer to fulfilling his dream of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Chef.
Even Ortega and Lazuli gained new members for their respective Pokémon teams in the form of a Clover Sweet Mint Cream Alcremie for the Blueberry Academy student and a Berry Sweet Vanilla Cream Alcremie for the swordswoman.
Opal smiled at how much of a success her challenge was as she and Leon helped themselves to some cake and bantered, "So many different flavors, so little time, each one a big 'Yum'! This challenge of mine turned out much better than I could've ever dreamed of. So, when shall we have the second round?"
Leon just sniggered before Ash came over and grinned at him, "Hey, Leon, I can't wait to battle you again, especially since I made the World Coronation Series rankings!"
The Pokémon World Monarch nodded with a smile as he promised, "I'll be looking forward to it! And, when we do battle again, I hope it'll be when you finally climb up to me, eventually!"
"Me, too!"
Even Pikachu couldn't resist the urge to battle Leon again on the world stage as he added, "Me three!"
(Epilogue)
Dusk fell as the day ended for everyone involved; Liko and Roy had returned with Murdock to the Brave Olivine after spending the day training with Kabu before they were told by him that he saw Lucius' Rayquaza and where he had last seen it which was the old Galar Mine where Chairman Rose's late father once worked and which Sarah saved along with three wild Coalossal from the first Dynamax incident involving Eternatus' power.
"You think Lucius' Rayquaza could be somewhere inside the Galar Mine?" Friede thought as he looked at an image of the Galar Mine from his Rotom Phone after Roy and Liko finished explaining.
"What reason would Rayquaza even have to go there?" Orla pondered in confusion.
"And, we can't be sure if he'll even be there when we arrive," Mollie noted, knowing that Lucius' Sky High Pokémon could still be wandering around the world for all they know and they only had so much intel to go around.
"That's why we've gotta find out right now!" Roy chirped excitedly, getting Dot's attention as she gave him her input.
"Well, since maintenance is done for the day, if you take the very first train tomorrow morning," the young recluse suggested as Friede hummed and looked at Cap who nodded his approval.
"Okay. So, when the trains run tomorrow, how about we make a quick trip there before heading over to Hammerlocke?" Friede asked since he also made his decision before turning to Liko, "Is that okay with you, Liko? Hmm, Liko?"
The young girl, however, wasn't listening; to everyone's concern, she was tuning them out as something Kabu mentioned earlier was on her mind and she hadn't given much thought to Rayquaza being in the Galar Mine.
"Liko?" Friede called, getting her attention as she blinked and noticed everyone gathered watching her.
"Hmm? U-Oh! Uh, yeah, sure," she replied absent-mindedly.
"ALRIGHT!" Roy cheered, getting excited over the prospect of seeing Lucius' Rayquaza again.
"We're back!"
The Rising Volt Tacklers turned and noticed Sarah and her friends and family having returned following their day with Opal in Ballonea with Roy greeting them, "Hey, guys, how'd everything go with Opal?"
"It was a lot of fun and we had some helping hands after she dished out her challenge for us and my old classmates and friends," Sarah chuckled as her Berry Sweet Rainbow Swirl Alcremie appeared on her head.
"Hello~!" she chirped cheerfully.
Roy and Liko were flabbergasted at seeing her Alcremie but Murdock and his Alcremie grinned wholeheartedly as the friendly cook laughed, "Well, I'll be! Looks like you got yourselves into another bake-off in Ballonea and you've got yourself and Alcremie of your own for the good trouble you've baked up and a Rainbow Swirl one, too, I might add! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Congratulations, Sarah!"
"Welcome aboard, friend!" his Alcremie chirped, eager to have another one of her kind join their growing family.
"That's for sure, and after today, we're going to be making plenty of sweets together for everyone to enjoy."
"Forever!" Sarah's Alcremie finished, getting a hearty laugh out of everybody.
Later that night, Liko found herself deep in thought while on the observation deck. Thinking back to her and Roy's training with Kabu, she couldn't help but repeat an important piece of advice the Motostoke Gym Leader had given her after they completed their training with him.
"But, even so, success in battle is not the only possible path for a Pokémon Trainer; there are many paths to becoming a trainer so I suggest that you choose a path that you believe in the most. I do hope you'll find it."
"Choose the path...that I believe in?"
To Be Continued...
Occurred Events
Sarah catches a Rainbow Swirl Alcreamie
Arven catches a Ruby Swirl Blueberry Sweet (Sprinkle)
Ortega catches a Mint Cream Berry Sweet Alcreamie (Frosting)
Lazuli catches her third Pokemon in over 20 years - A Vanilla Cream Blueberry Sweet Alcreamie (Delight)
