The evening after Sarah and her family and friends' outing in Ballonea with Opal and Liko and Roy's training day with Kabu, a storm was brewing somewhere in the Galar Region.
Several roars were heard from a huge mountain in the distance, ringing loud and clear, as lightning flashed and thunder roared while the rain pelted down. Amid the chaos brewed about from the wild weather, while many Pokémon ran for cover, a tiny wild Hatenna was whimpering as it ran through the forest, feeling terrified before a large clap of thunder forced it to stop and shiver in total fright.
A wild Drilbur came to see what was wrong with it but a few flashes of lightning spooked the little Psychic Type and it ran away in terror, leaving the Drilbur to watch it leave in confusion.
Eventually, after a while of running before it could be petrified with fear over the storm again, Hatenna found what looked to be a giant castle by coincidence or pure luck. It didn't care how it found a place or two to stay until the storm died down, however, as it quickly made its way inside the castle and crawled onto a small open box in a storage room below one of the windows. The little Calm Pokémon looked out the window while standing on the box's lid as the storm continued but it got spooked by the lightning again as it moved away from the window only to fall back-first inside and promptly fall asleep soon after, unaware of the adventure it'll have that will change its life forever.
(Theme Song - Pokémon Horizons Jap. Opening 1 (Heart-Pounding Diary))
I'm starting to take a ride on this heart-pounding wave, I'll go far~
(Our opening begins with the sight of Liko and Sprigatito joined by Sarah, Blitz, Curly, her Alcremie, Silvally, and her two Terapagos enjoying the daytime breeze from the Brave Olivine's observation deck with the airship and the Dragon Craft flying together to parts unknown in the world before we pan to the heavens above and the main titles appear)
There're a lot of things I can't really put into words
Things that make me sad, always troubling my heart
But, somehow, I'll know I'll shine on today
Look at the flowers blooming, now it's time to play~
(We then see several members of Sarah's family and friends on the Dragon Craft from the right side of the screen in addition to shots of the Brave Olivine's crew, the Rising Volt Tacklers, with the first ones shown being Freide, Cap, and Charizard on the Brave Olivine's bridge and the little princess' blood family overlooking the horizon before them, Mischief, Persian, and the Tomoe Squad on the Dragon Craft's sunroof. Orla, Carkol, Slugma, and Elekid were working in the Brave Olivine's engine room while Sarah, Race, and Asha's Paldean classmates were having fun battling in the Dragon Craft's training room. Murdock and his Ruby Swirl Alcremie were cooking in the airship's kitchen with Rockruff eagerly awaiting a culinary masterpiece from them while Asha and her family were helping Sarah's Rainbow Swirl Alcremie in the Dragon Craft's kitchen as they and Sarah work on a new dish. And, Mollie and her Chansey were overseeing medical examinations for the wild Pokémon traveling with them and their friends from the Brave Olivine's medical room while Race looked out from one of the windows while he and his team kicked back in the Dragon Craft's spa room and his Terapagos watched with him from his left shoulder)
I'm running through a white fog every day
I can't even find what I'm looking for (uh)
It's this super-duper energetic-looking diary
But I said, "What's this?" and then I threw it away
No way, no way, no way, no way, no...
My heart was so dark and empty then~
(Roy and Fuecoco were seen strolling happily along a forest together while Dot and Quaxly make a Nidothing video and Ludlow was fishing from the stern at dusk before we see Liko with Sprigatito and Sarah and her two Terapagos in their respective bedrooms later that night)
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
(We see different shots of Liko, Sarah, Roy, and Race with Sprigatito, Blitz, Koraidon, Fuecoco, Robbie, and Miraidon)
But now I know I can change "No way" to "It's possible"
Floating around on this feel-good wind
Even if it's gonna be really super tough
I'll try my best to fly~
(While Liko clutches her pendant, Sarah unsheathes her Cosmic Grace as its Rayquaza Gem shone brightly with the pendant and her two Terapagos appeared in a glow they shared with the young girl's pendant. Liko, Roy, Sarah, and Race plop down on the Brave Olivine's Wing Deck and the Dragon Craft's sun deck before Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Blitz, Silvally, Tou-Tou, and Bella checked on them before the four friends laughed before we see the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft flying proudly in the skies together before we see something akin to a shooting star zip by)
And so, I'm riding on this heart-pounding wave!
But I'm sure that, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I won't let stories I don't get scare me
(Liko and Roy are then shown with Sarah battling together with the young trainers using Fuecoco and Sprigatito while they shoot Flamethrower and Leafage against Arcanine and Tundra with everybody else watching on happily for them before Roy, holding an Ancient Pokeball, looks on in astonishment at the sight of Lucius' Rayquaza as it appeared from a break in a distant storm)
In my sparkling daydreams, the world starts to dance!
So let's smile, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Because there's no time to be afraid, yeah
(Amethio and his Ceruledge battle against Lazuli as she, Pantherra, and Galaxagus unleash their rage towards two of those in the Explorers who were responsible for ruining the swordswoman's old life. Everybody from the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft was now shown in the latter's dining room as Murdock and Sarah finish cooking and bring out some completed dishes, planning to enjoy a meal together)
I just want to know myself!
Because there's still a lot, a lot, a lot I don't know, know, know, know
I just want to find myself!
If I can find it in myself to say "I'm off now"
Then I guess I'll know I've grown up a bit~
(As the opening ends, we see Liko and Sarah standing together with Sprigatito, the princess' Terapagos and Rainbow Swirl Alcremie, Silvally, Curly, and Blitz standing together as the clouds fly past them. They then noticed their friends, Lazuli, and the latter's family passing by them as they were on a dock, preparing to leave for their next adventure before they turned back and grinned at them. Roy and Race look back and stretch out their hands, prompting them to join, getting a smile out of the pair before they join in and we see them together one last time (but with the long-awaited addition of Dot following the events of "Quaxly, we can do it!"))
(End Theme Song)
It was July 13th by the time the storm ended and at the moored Brave Olivine and Dragon Craft, while she was in her bedroom, Liko was done with her class for the day and she was now on the chat with Ann (the two friends and classmates deciding to speak to each other for the first time in a while (according to the playful and energetic classmate, anyway)).
"Phew! That was a good class we took today, right?" Liko asked Sprigatito.
"Sure was," Sprigatito agreed just as Ann came in.
"Hey, hi, Liko! Did you get that essay done yet, the one about what we all want to be?" she asked cheerfully.
"...Uh, no, actually. To be honest, I'm not even sure I know where to start."
"Oh, yeah... Well, I mean, I basically wrote that I wanna win lots of battles with Oshawott!"
"Nothing ever shakes you, does it?" Liko giggled at her first friend.
Then, before they realized it, Liko and Sprigatito found themselves spooked by a Kantonian Sandshrew that appeared on screen as Ann replied, "Oops, sorry 'bout that! Guess it's time for you and Sprigatito to meet Sandshrew!"
Liko was surprised by the new addition to Ann's team as she asked, "Hey, wait a minute, you caught it all by yourself?!"
Ann just smiled as she watched Oshawott and Sandshrew happily nuzzle each other and she told Liko, "Sure did! Oshawott sure loved him when we brought him along; he loved having a new friend around and they got on like a house on fire. What about you, Liko? When are you gonna catch a new Pokémon, like Sarah and Race did before you met?"
"Oh, I don't know... I don't know what other Pokémon I want to catch; for now, I want to focus on raising Sprigatito," the young girl admitted just before Roy knocked on the door.
"Hey, Liko, are your classes over?" the young adventurer asked from the other side.
"Yeah, I'm just about finished for the day! We'll meet you and everybody else out there," Liko nodded to her energetic and adventure-loving friend before she told Ann, "Hey, sorry, Ann. Gotta go, my friends and I are about to go into the Galar Mine with Sarah's old friends: Victor, Gloria, and Hop."
"A mine, with the new Galar Champion and her friends?! That sounds like a fun adventure, just be careful, okay?"
"Bye, Liko, have fun out there! Be safe!" Oshawott smiled as he said his goodbyes as well.
"Bye, talk to ya soon!" Liko smiled as she ended the call and left to join Roy and her friends on their trip to the Galar Mine.
Liko - While Sarah and her family and friends were with Opal at Ballonea yesterday, Kabu, the Motostoke Gym Leader, told us that the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza belonging to the Ancient Adventurer, Lucius, he saw headed off towards the Galar Mine. So, today, we're going to investigate with Gloria, Hop, and Victor leading the way.
As Liko and her giant party made their way to the Galar Mine, as planned prior, Victor, Hop, Gloria, and their Partner Pokémon took the lead as they remembered the path that led them to the Galar Mine which once resulted in one of their previous clashes with Bede during their journey.
The journey along the mountain path was made easier thanks to the bigger members of Sarah's family with the little princess, Arven, Nemona, and Penny riding together on Koraidon as they had done when they first made their way to Area Zero and Liko and Roy along with Sprigatito and Fuecoco riding on Miraidon.
Serpent had no trouble carrying Burnet, Lei (who was enjoying the ride aboard the female Miraidon), and Kukui on her back and even the Postwick Trio enjoyed the ride Athisua was giving them along the way to the Galar Mine. As for Ash and the Pokémon School Gang, they all bunched up together aboard Nebby with Friede and Cap riding aboard Reshiram.
"We've got to be going along these mountain paths for a while since we began making the trek to the Galar Mine. You all doing alright back there?" Friede called out to the others from behind.
"We're fine!"
"Just peachy, Friede!" Ash and Mallow signaled.
"Yeah, I'm so hyped right now! Rayquaza is waiting for us as we speak!"
"I can hardly wait!" Roy and Fuecoco cheered, eager for the chance to meet Lucius' Rayquaza again.
Liko was impressed by Roy's spirit as she quipped, "Nothing ever phases you, Roy."
"The first of Lucius' Six Heroes is a pretty strong Pokémon, you know that?" Friede reminded Roy, recalling the powerful Draco Meteor Lucius' first friend used to nearly clobber everyone in sight at the young adventurer's island home. "He might be as old as Sarah's Legendary Pokémon, being over 100 years old and all, I might add."
"Yeah, I know, but that's the whole reason why I'm on this adventure in the first place! So, when we do meet up with him again, I'm going to give it everything I got!"
"Roy is always up for taking things head-on without a care in the world, I think that's pretty amazing. I wonder if Sprigatito wants to get stronger herself," Liko thought as her partner meowed at her, wondering what she was thinking about.
"Hey, something wrong, Liko?" Roy asked, a little concerned for her.
"Not really, I was just wondering what kind of trainer I want to be."
"Well... Just be whatever kind of trainer you want to be. That's what Kabu told us yesterday, right?"
"He's right, Liko, the thing about trainers is that they can have a lot of different goals. And, that in itself can be a lot of fun," Goh agreed, smiling at Liko and knowing what Roy was talking about. "Take me, for example; while some trainers want to get stronger, I, on the other hand, want to catch a whole lot of Pokémon. And, by catching all of them, I'm hoping to meet Mew because the future is in the palm of my hand!"
Friede nodded, sharing Goh and Roy's sentiments as he then added, "Some trainers are all about discovering new Pokémon, too. Whatever path you choose, just keep following the path you want to follow and that will lead you to the kind of trainer you want to be in the end."
Liko nodded as she replied, "Got it, at least... I think."
She once again replayed Kabu's most important tippet of advice for them in her mind, "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."
As she thought over what she was told, she quietly mused to herself, "The path I want to follow..."
Her thoughts were shattered as she heard Roy and Fuecoco singing off-key again to pass the time they were all going along the mountain path they were on now and Friede and Cap couldn't help but quip in amusement, "They're in good spirits."
"Sure, they are."
Despite the off-key singing she heard and realizing she was still at a crossroads regarding the path she wanted to follow as a Pokémon Trainer in her own right, Liko couldn't help feeling lost as she mused again, "Hmm, both Roy and Ann seem to know what they want and just roll with it. Sarah and Race are already the trainers they were along with their old friends. But, me...?"
"It's not far now, Galar Mine shouldn't be too far ahead," Hop called out, knowing they were getting closer to their intended destination as they came to a fork in the road.
"The last time we came here, we ended up going to the mine on the left and we ended up meeting with Bede again," Victor added.
"So, if memory serves us correctly, the left pathway should lead us back to the mine. There's a mountain hut along the way leading towards the mine," Gloria informed as everybody went down the left path (knowing that the path to their right would take them back to Motostoke).
At that moment, Hiccup noticed a cluster of storm clouds brewing above them as he warned the others, "Uh, everybody, I don't want to dampen anybody's parade but... I think it's about to rain soon."
He pointed everybody toward the impending storm before them and before long, it started to rain on them, leaving everybody bewildered as they yelped and tried to shield themselves from the drops of rain pelting down on them.
"Oh! Goodness me, if there's one thing I hate in this entire world, it's rain above all else!"
"You're tellin' me, Sister! My circuits can't stand this stupid downpour!" Zelda and Iron Boulder griped.
"Here, Auntie, Uncle!" Nebula cried as she shielded Zelda and Iron Boulder from the rain while Ho-Oh graciously shielded Iron Will with her own body.
"Uh... Zelda, are you and Iron Boulder okay?" Liko puzzled.
"Let's just say... Zelda, Iron Will, and Iron Boulder, Liko, while they're Pokémon, they're also part-robot. And, robots and water don't mix," Rotom-Dex replied as he floated over to her, choosing his words carefully. "Same goes for her Ground Types, Rock Types, and Fire Types, none of them cope well with water, too."
"Oh, I see..."
"Aww, man! Where can we go? We'll never get to Galar Mine and see Rayquaza again at this rate!" Roy griped.
"I never thought the weather could get this choppy and after the weather reports said we'd have clear skies today," sighed Hop.
"Well, luckily for us, I got a castle around these parts. We can go in there to wait out the storm until it passes," Sarah informed.
"A castle, really?"
"For real?"
"YOU HAVE A CASTLE IN GALAR?!" Friede, Liko, Cap, and Roy screamed in total bewilderment as their eyes bugged out, not expecting to hear this from their royal friend.
Now, it was Sarah's turn to falter as she fell over a little and spluttered, "Dgh-Didn't I tell you about that?!"
"Did it ever occur to you that we'd end up in your royal Galar abode at any point during our duration with the Rising Volt Tacklers let alone searching for Lucius' Rayquaza, Island Girl?" Race noted, leaving his wife a little embarrassed as she blushed and rubbed the back of her head over her oversight.
"Well, I, uh-well... It's-duh, I, well, I-I... Ugh, okay, so it must've slipped my mind. Anyway, before we met you and the others, I managed to acquire a castle in this region when I discovered several of them scattered around Hammerlocke. I asked Raihan and the townsfolk if it was okay for me to acquire a second home of sorts and they agreed. After they gave it to me, I moved the castle to an area between Route 2 and Route 3 from its original spot for cautionary reasons; didn't want any wild Pokémon, bandits, or any other troublemakers getting any ideas should they know I had another castle on me. The Explorers would be no exception should they find out I sometimes go there."
And, with that, the little princess led everybody to her Galar castle within the area between Route 2 and Route 3 with Liko, Friede, and Roy now fully understanding why their royal friend would want it out of an area the Explorers would target to carry out their mission for her and Race's Terapagos and Liko's pendant.
Before long, they came to the spot where she had hidden her Galar castle, brandishing her wand and waving it to the left to reveal a large circular hole in the open space before them, allowing them to fly and/or run through it.
It turned out that Sarah had concealed her Galar castle with "Cave Inimicum" as she did prior with her family and Lazuli's original cavern hideout back at Paldea as a safety precaution after moving it to a valley with a large clearing.
From the outside, the castle was made out of a beautiful grade of limestone and granite that had two towers from the front and back, overlooking a courtyard in the center that was littered with bushes of daffodil, hydrangea, lavender, orchid, tulip, lily, red and white roses, marigolds, and other types of flowers such as those from Pyrrhia's Rainforest Kingdom. The flowers encircled a large fountain that was sculpted in the shape of a NightWing that had vines of Oran Berries, Pinap Berries, papayas, mangos, kiwis, and so on that slithered up a colonnade that overlooked the courtyard as well.
There was also a large gazebo located on the other side of the courtyard near the secondary exit that was surrounded by delicately grown white, orange, and pink orchids in a colorful mix, Fuchsias, and giant bright orange and gold flowers, its supports coated in vines that also housed violet blossoms.
"Whoa...!" everybody gasped in awe.
It was not long before they arrived at the castle's grandly polished wooden doors as the little princess quickly ushered everyone inside, its interior shown to be that of a classic medieval flare which housed a large entrance hall leading into its main room that had two sofas on either side of a large coffee table. There were also two grand spiral staircases leading to the second floor and its walkway that led to the castle's east wing and west wing (both having balconies running along either side).
"Wow!"
"Look at this!"
"For real?!"
"So big!"
"It's great!"
"Awesome!"
"¡Masiva!"
"Holy Arceus, are you seein' this?"
"Bloody hell!"
"This is amazing, Sarah!"
"It's as big as the interior of your old house!"
"It does have an elegant medieval character to it," a few of Sarah's friends remarked.
"This looks incredible," Doug breathed in fascination.
"It's so beautiful," agreed Delilah, astonished by the medieval architecture despite the added contemporary items for modern convenience mingling with the old-fashioned aesthetics.
"Of Godric Gryffindor's sword and might, this castle's been exquisitely maintained even though we've just arrived," put in an impressed Tsukumaro.
"Wow... If anybody else could get one of the other castles in the region looking like this, they'd have a field day with it," Kieran gawked in awe after giving off an impressed whistle.
"They'd have to burn a hefty budget from somebody and somewhere to accomplish that," Arven remarked.
"Wow, this castle is so beautiful! Who'd ever thought someone like Sarah could have such a place like this in Galar? I wonder what her home in the Alola Region is like... Come to think of it, is it as big as this here or bigger?" Liko thought as she looked around in amazement.
However, what she, Friede, Cap, Roy, Victor, Gloria, Hop, and the Paldea group didn't know was that they were about to come face-to-face with someone in the castle and another group in another part of the building that would take them all by surprise.
"SARAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Startled by the excited scream, Sarah looked ahead and yelped as her NightWing advisor, Reader, jumped her with a playful tackle and a happy flutter of her wings. The little princess laughed as Reader nuzzled her but the sight of her caught the Paldea students, Victor, Hop, Gloria, Roy, Friede, Goh, Cap, and Liko off guard as they'd never seen a creature like her before. Even Sprigatito and Fuecoco couldn't help but look at Reader goggle-eyed as their jaws dropped in shock for they immediately realized she was not a Pokémon at all.
"Hey, Reader, ugh... Never thought I'd find you here," Sarah groaned playfully, rubbing her head.
"READER/READER?!" balked the Paldea students, Victor, Hop, Gloria, Roy, Friede, Goh, Cap, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Liko.
"That's me!" Reader grinned as she got off her charge and waved to the group.
"Little buddy, this couldn't be this Reader you mentioned, is she?" Arven asked Sarah, still in disbelief.
Sarah, amused by Arven's disbelief and trusting the group well enough to know about the other side of her royal rule, got up and brushed herself off and proceeded to tell everyone not in the know, "Friede, Liko, Roy, Cap, guys, meet my advisor and seer from my kingdom of Dragonstone: Reader. She's a NightWing dragon and the one responsible for predicting future events including what the Explorers were doing."
Liko was stunned as she mused, "For real?! I can't believe Sarah actually has a dragon that can see into the future and more dragon guardians!"
"Wow! So, your NightWing species of dragons were responsible for predicting and/or seeing the future? Man, that's incredible! I know of Espeon being able to see the future but this takes the cake as far as I'm concerned!" Friede gasped in amazement before he smiled thankfully. "Guess we have you to thank for that, the help you've given us is most appreciated even if it is only for this leg of our journey. The more hands we have on deck to help us find out more about the Six Heroes and keep the Explorers at bay, the better."
"We owe you for that," Cap agreed, thankful and astounded while Reader giggled humbly.
"Of course, so that's why Sarah knew what Spinel was planning when he tried to go for Liko's pendant! And, it's also why Gladion and the rest of her old friends know about the Explorers now," Roy commented in awe.
"That's amazing, Sarah!" Liko remarked as the others who were not in the know agreed.
"Hey, hey... Come on, you give me, my family, and my charges too much credit," Sarah replied with a shrug before she looked out the window and saw how hard the downpour was from outside. "Hmm, well, I guess we're not going to get to Galar Mine anytime today."
"What, are you serious?" Roy groaned as he dried off Fuecoco.
Over at a storage room from her party's left, while she and Liko looked around, Sprigatito went over to an open box over at one of the windows and she cooed, "Hey, Liko, what's this?"
"Hmm, something in there?" Liko asked her partner as her partner sniffed the box and she looked inside and gasped.
Her gasp echoed around and got everyone's attention as they went over to her and Sprigatito, eventually seeing that the pair in question had stumbled upon the tiny Hatenna that had taken shelter inside the castle and stumbled inside the box before their arrival.
"What is that?"
"Is that a Hatenna?" Lana and Kukui breathed in surprise.
"Pretty strange for one to be in a place like this, especially since your shield spell hid your castle from view, Sarah," Friede remarked, intrigued by what he and everyone else saw.
"It looks like it's in a deep sleep," Liko thought.
Deciding to see what kind of Pokémon it was, Roy took out his Rotom Phone and scanned the little Hatenna as it then said, "Hatenna, the Calm Pokémon. A Psychic Type - it can pick up on the feelings of others and great care is recommended as sensing strong emotions for an extended period can leave it exhausted."
"But, how did it even get here? That's what I want to know," Mallow puzzled.
"I found the little one inside the box while I was helping to maintain the castle and it looked as though it was exhausted from trying to escape from the storm so I decided to leave it there to sleep," Reader answered.
"Wonder what it means by 'strong emotions', like anger and stuff?"
"Maybe, like... If someone near it is sad, then Hatenna gets sad, too," Roy and Liko bantered.
"Then, it must act similar to Ralts from the Hoenn Region," theorized Lillie thoughtfully. "I remember reading that Ralts can also detect emotions and act upon them as well."
"I get that; this one time, I was eating in a restaurant and this married couple started arguing really loudly and completely lost my appetite," Friede remarked.
Sarah rolled her eyes before she corrected the unconventional professor, "That's not how it works for a Pokémon like a Ralts or, in this case, a Hatenna; even a wild Hatenna can become greatly affected by the emotions that surround it and if it becomes heavily bombarded by those emotions, it gets easily disturbed or scared through them."
Friede was speechless until he finally blurted out, "...How did you know?"
"Sarah doesn't need to Psychic herself out for that since she has two Ralts on her and she understood how they act," Kukui smiled in response, looking at Tony and Jessie who stood near Romeo and Juliet.
"So, that means it's a gentle Pokémon, right?" Liko clarified, understanding what Sarah was saying.
Sarah smiled in thanks at her old teacher and Liko. But, without warning, her eyes turned white, and she saw a vision of two sets of Zords roaring proudly, one set centered on her animal spirits and the other based on some Pokémon. The vision ended but she quickly ended up getting another whiplash as she stumbled back and propped herself along the wall behind her.
"Sarah! Are you alright?!" Roy cried frantically as he and Liko came over to help her.
"What was that about?" Friede spluttered in bewilderment.
"I remember that; you once got a vision about the Panthera Fury Zords last year when your eyes turned white!" Lana recalled.
"Wait, for real? Visions about Zords? As in, Power Ranger Zords, real ones?! No way!" Roy gawked in amazement.
"Yeah... And, if... I'm getting this, I think... There might be, new Zords," Sarah panted as she held her head.
Allowing Lillie to help hold the little princess when she came over, Liko went over to the Hatenna and felt its head while it breathed heavily, feeling worried as she picked it up and said, "Something isn't right... Sorry, but I have to get it back to the ship! I have to get it to Mollie!"
Without warning, she raced out of the castle with Friede and Roy racing after her as the former shouted, "Liko, wait!"
Sarah's Silvally walked over to the window and asked his human mother, "Mother, you think it went over to that mountain over there?"
"...I think you're right, Silvally. But, what's in there, I have no idea," Sarah replied to her Synthetic Pokémon.
"I suppose the only way to find out is to make our way up the mountain and find out what's up there," Tai Lung suggested.
"That does sound like our only option."
"Yeah, the mountain must have a clue as to what the orbs are. I'll bet the Morphin Masters had something to do with it without us knowing if something happened to them," Ash and Sophocles nodded, agreeing to the idea.
"No way, I'm not going up that creepy mountain in a storm!" quivered Scooby defiantly.
"Come on, Scooby! It'll be fun, I want to see more of Galar before we leave to find Ms. Liko's grandma," Della pleaded.
"There might be ghosts, roaring mountain ghosts! We'll be struck down by the lightning if we go to the top! I'm not going up there, you can't make me!"
"Where's your sense of adventure, bro? We got a mystery to solve and we're gonna do it with hero and puppy power!" grinned Scrappy in response, unfazed by his brother's cowardly nature.
"Gone with the rain, that's where!"
"Okay, Scooby. You and the others can stay here if it'll make you happy, my human family and I will go to the mountain and take Nebby, Nebula, and my Water Types with us to find out what's on the mountain. There's a lot of stuff you can do here if you're feeling bored, and if you're hungry, there's food in the kitchen down the hall. See ya," Sarah (after getting a raincoat) obliged as she, her human family, Nebby, Nebula, and her Water Types, joined by Della and Scrappy, left the castle.
"FOOOOOOOD!" Scooby, Ash, and Sophocles cheered as they dashed off to the kitchen.
"Do they always act like that went it comes to food?" Arven puzzled.
"Not all the time. But, for the most part," Asha replied before she and everyone else chorused together, "Yes/Yes/Yes."
Meanwhile, after making it back to the Brave Olivine and hanging their coats out to dry, Liko (joined by Friede, Roy, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Cap) brought Hatenna to Mollie who examined it and gave her thoughts, "Hmm, it looks pretty good. It doesn't seem to have any injuries or status conditions from what I'm seeing."
Liko was surprised as she insisted, "But, something must be wrong with it. It's not making a sound ever since we found it."
"Could be more of an emotional thing, really."
"Emotional thing?"
"Happens with people and it can happen with Pokémon, too; whenever we experience something upsetting, even though our bodies are in perfect health, it feels like we've lost all of our energy. It happened with Lazuli all those years ago when she developed her own form of PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, to be specific."
"So, what do you do whenever that happens?"
"That's a question with no easy answer, I'm afraid. Besides, what exactly would you want to say to Lazuli if you witnessed her parents being killed in front of her just as Mr. Hu did and he wasn't able to do a thing to stop it or if you went through what happened to Sarah two years ago?"
Liko was silent; she realized where Mollie was going since she wouldn't have known what to say to either of them had she been there at those points in time until she replied, "...You're right. But, even if I don't know what I would say to them... I, I sometimes...I sometimes want to be left alone or be with my friends regardless."
Mollie smiled at the young girl for her quick understanding of her words as she confirmed, "That's the point; we may want to help someone but what we want isn't always what they need. So, about Hatenna, what would you want to do for it?"
"...This Pokémon? Well... I was the one to bring it here, and all... If it's all right with you, I'd like to look after it."
"That sounds like a good idea."
"Thanks, Mollie, you're the best. I'll take good care of it until it's feeling better."
With that, Liko carefully took Hatenna in her arms and she looked at Sprigatito, knowing what she was thinking as she gazed at the Calm Pokémon with a familiar look, "Don't go getting jealous of it on me, Sprigatito."
"Well... Oh, okay, I guess it won't be too much of a pain, anyway," Sprigatito meowed with a shrug.
All the same, Liko couldn't help but wonder, "I wonder if you really understood what I'm trying to say."
Returning to Sarah, Nebby and Nebula managed to teleport themselves, their human mother and her human family, and her Water Types to the mountain which was where the orbs in her possession were leading them from the base of the mountain. After arriving, Tsukumaro, his goddaughter, and his godson-in-law whipped out their wands and cast the Umbrella Charm to keep themselves, Delilah, Doug, David, Donna (former queen), Asha, and her family dry. The source of the power of the orbs made itself known as the orbs started to blink like a car's lane change lights but at a rapid pace while Nebby and Nebula sensed a series of powerful energy readings drawing the orbs closer.
"Well, here we are. This is the mountain," Sarah informed.
"How would you know, Mom?" Vaporeon questioned.
"Remember that white light the orbs shot out earlier? That led us here and the orbs are telling us through their blinking that we need to find out how to get in," the little princess replied, showing the Bubble Jet Pokémon her orbs.
"Get in? Mommy, there's no cave entrance on this thing and it's not a volcano, dormant or active!"
"And, even if there is an entrance, you'd have to be really lucky if you're going to find it in this weather," Oshawott and Prinplup noted.
"I know that. But, the orbs led us here for a reason and we've got to find out how to get in or bust if we want to know how these orbs came to be," Sarah replied as Nebby and Nebula looked around and noticed something off about one part of the mountain's base and the little Solgaleo gently touched it.
Nebby gasped before he called, "Uh... Mama?"
Everybody turned to Nebby and Nebula as Sarah quizzed, "What is it, Nebby, Nebula?"
"There's something here. We sense something, Mama, right here," Nebula cooed as Nebby showed everyone the part he touched and revealed it as a hidden curtain after it shimmered in a bright light, making everybody gasp.
"Oh, my!" Mae Ling began in surprise.
"Hey, everybody, look!" breathed an amazed Crest.
"What is it?"
"It looks like a hidden curtain blocking the entrance we're looking for!" Milotic and Aqua cried, seeing that they had found their entrance to the interior of the mountain.
"And, you mentioned you and Nebby sensed something in there beyond that curtain, Nebula? Something that resonates with you two just like the Twilight Gem?" Sarah puzzled her little Lunala who nodded in confirmation.
"I guess this is it."
"Should we go in?" Johnathan and Diane asked, knowing what they all had to do.
"Well, we got nothing to lose. And, if the orbs brought us here, what other choice do we have?" the little princess shrugged.
"Sis is right; the orbs know something that we don't. Whatever's in this mountain thanks to them is waiting for us and we've got to find it," Asha agreed.
Sarah turned to her little adult Ultra Beasts as she nodded to them, "Alright, Nebby, Nebula, lead the way."
Nodding to their human mother, Nebby and Nebula went through the light curtain and the cavern behind it with everyone else following behind. After entering, they suddenly found themselves in a serene clearing and inner chamber bathed in ethereal moonlight and radiant sunlight. It was here that the Solgaleo and Lunala energies Nebby and Nebula felt made themselves known as well and Sarah understood what Nebula was saying.
"This place, our creators were here..."
"Yeah, we could feel their combined energy here..." they informed before Sarah also began to feel the Solgaleo energy Nebby was feeling thanks to her Solgaleo DNA.
They all soon felt a small power surge before they threw their attention directly to the source of the surge which was a towering crystal obelisk at the center of the clearing, prompting Sarah to point at it and call out, "There, I sensed it, too! From that obelisk, the one in the middle of the clearing!"
"What are those things with it?" Race puzzled as he looked at the base of the obelisk and found what looked to be five Zords around it in a 5-point star formation before they suddenly activated without warning and caught sight of the royal family.
They left their posts and came in front of the royal family and five lights left them to reveal themselves as five Spirit Guardians that matched the design of the unknown Zords that were as follows:
- Solgaleo: the Radiant Sun Spirit, standing at a length of 26 ft. and a height of 13 ft. while looking like a majestic golden lion with shimmering fur and blazing eyes that radiate warmth and light
- Lunala: the Mystic Moon Spirit, being 33 ft. long and 10 ft. tall and looking like a graceful lunar bat with iridescent wings that shimmer with moonlight and eyes that glimmer with ancient wisdom
- Kyurem: the Frostbound Spirit, a 16 ft. long and 39 ft. long formidable dragon with icy scales and frost-covered wings which emanates an aura of cold that chills the air around it
- Naganadel: the Celestial Serpent Spirit, a serpentine dragon sporting a long body that twists and coils with serpentine grace while at a length of 49 ft. and a height of 6.5 ft. and having iridescent scales that shimmer with cosmic energy
- Giratina: the Shadowed Spirit, a mysterious dragon with jagged wings and ghostly tendrils drifting and swaying like smoky wisps while standing at an overall height of 26 ft. and an overall length of 66 ft. at best
"Oh, boy..."
"Okay, well... Looking at those guys, that's kinda cool. But, also, a little messed up regarding why they're even here," Race and Asha gulped at the five spirits standing before them all.
Sarah gulped as she stepped forward to meet the five spirits (not noticing that after looking at her, they noticed Nebby and Nebula) and said, "Listen, it... It's okay, we don't mean any harm. We only came here because of these..."
She then showed them the orbs while they were still blinking and continued, "My family and I found them at a castle I own around these parts and they sent a bright light which led us here."
The spirits remained silent as they eyed everyone with Nebby, Nebula, and their human mother before the Solgaleo spirit spoke up via telepathy, "Hmm, I see... Our Cosmic Orbs for the Zords have brought you here, good."
Even though they were used to Pokemon and supernaturals speaking telepathy, that didn't stop the royal family from gasping and blinking in surprise as Race and Asha remarked, "You speak our language!"
"And, through telepathy, too!"
"So, there are Zords in here; in the Galar Region of all places!"
"But, if there are any Zords in this cave, where are they?" Prinplup and Aqua added, wondering where the Zords the Solgaleo spirit was talking about were.
The orbs, now known as Cosmic Orbs, provided the answer as they glowed brightly again and shot a multi-colored beam this time (the colors on it matching their own), the beam striking the obelisk and then swirling over to the top. Then, the obelisk opened five celestial platforms around them in the same 5-point star formation and the "Zords" on them (which were actually statues) moved to reveal the REAL Zords on them but in a dormant stone-like appearance.
The royal family gasped in shocked surprise as they couldn't believe what they were seeing. There were Zords in Galar but the question is, "how?"; how is it that five of the thirteen Zords Sarah saw from her unexpected vision were her and, more importantly, what happened to the other eight Zords she saw?
"Good great Arceus, those things there... Are they truly what you call, Zords, Princess?" Link began, flabbergasted.
"They are, Link. They're actual, legit, Power Ranger Zords but in a dormant appearance given their current looks. But, what I don't get is how? How did they get there, who were they meant for before we just found them? Why are they here?" Sarah nodded to her Walking Wake, now full of questions as they went over to examine the dormant Zords with the five spirits overseeing them.
Suddenly, a portal opened from behind everybody gathered and, apart from the five spirits, the royal family whirled around to the portal before they saw two familiar Morphin Masters appear from the Morphin Grid.
"Hello again, Princess, Young Race," smiled Master Green.
"Master Red!"
"Master Green!" the young royal couple gasped.
"I see you've found Astral Haven and its resident Zords," remarked Master Red.
"Astral Haven?"
Master Red nodded as he then told the royal couple, "You have been led by the power of the Cosmic Orbs, Cosmic Pokemon Orbs to be precise, of the Astral Haven Zords that once belonged along with their companions, the Celestial Sanctuary Zords, to thirteen heroes that defended the universe before you eons ago: the Celestial Rangers and the Celestial Guardians."
Then, he and Master Green activated their staffs and showed the royal family visions of their history and what happened with them and their original owners before they ended up in the Galar Region.
"What you see before you are the Astral Haven and Celestial Sanctuary Zords in their prime, fighting machines of immense power and cosmic significance. Originating from the farthest reaches of the cosmos, they had been assigned to safeguard the balance of the universe and our cosmic forces," Master Green began as the royal family saw the Zords they found with the remaining ones: the Solaris and Celestial Lion Zords, the Inferno Phoenix Zord, the Frostbite Smilodon Zord, the Galestorm Parasaurolopus Zord, the Primal Tyrannosaurus Zord, the Thunderstrike Triceratops Zord, and the Thunderclap Pachycephalosaurus Zord.
The visions showed all thirteen Zords liberating planets that had fallen into the clutches of the forces of evil, assisting rebels that were fighting the good fight or fighting losing battles until they were able to push back against their foes, and decimating invasion fleets with the assistance of thirteen Power Rangers that were their most-trusted companions in uniforms that reflected the colors on the Cosmic Pokémon Orbs for each of them with their helmets made to match the heads of their Zords.
"The Celestial Rangers and the Celestial Guardians are responsible for their Zords that assisted in the fight between good and evil and it was they whom we chose and trusted to safeguard the Morphin Grid and ensure the eternal destiny of the Power Rangers from across the multiverse. Each of them had been carefully found, watched over, and selected for their unwavering courage, their noble hearts, and their unyielding dedication to protecting the balance of the cosmos. And, all of them had fulfilled their duties until their last days when each of the original rangers would die valiant deaths, knowing that the wellbeing of everybody they protect is more important than their own lives."
The royal family was in awe of what they witnessed as the thirteen warriors and their Zords fought together to defend the universe against invasions and attacks of all kinds over the years ever since they first came to be, ensuring that light will always triumph over darkness so that the balance between both elements and the cosmos will not be thrown out of whack (since the universe and the multiverse needed both light and darkness to live and thrive) before they were shown sacrificing their own lives for the sake and well-being of everyone around them. These final noble acts of their original partners ensured that peace and tranquility would thrive for some time until the Zords went into a state of slumber in their respective sanctuaries until the day they would be needed once again.
"They are truly Power Rangers of a different caliber compared to what you, your old team, your predecessors, and the Dino Fury team back then along with your friends from Pine Ridge and Zayto, and what you all went through. We missed them dearly but their courage, their hearts, their dedication, and their friendship kept their spirits alive and it continues to carry on to their Zords. And, ever since their Zords came into our custody, they had been safely stored in their respective sanctuaries with the Zords before you resting in Astral Haven and the remaining eight resting peacefully within the Celestial Sanctuary," Master Red put in.
"But, now that we found this place and if they've been their respective havens for so long since then, who gets to claim them?" Sarah puzzled.
"The Zords, since they're also sentient beings such as the old Biozords and Tommy's Dragonzord, are very picky when it comes to choosing who gets to have them thanks to the Guardian Spirits of their old masters, Princess. Only those who were deemed worthy by them would be granted them, and only then, will they have the means to unlock their power."
Sarah and her family said nothing as all of them had been left completely stunned and amazed to say anything. It was certainly out of left field to find two teams of a complete set of Zords hidden away in the Galar Region by the Morphin Masters, but remembering the threat of Lord Zedd following his supposed and impending escape, they had to agree that any solution to take him down would be worth trying.
"So, that's it... The spirits must be the supernatural embodiments of their old partners."
"The deceased rangers must've found a way to live on through them," James and Nikki realized, getting confirming nods from the Guardian Spirits.
"Is that why I got that weird vision about them? What about the orbs?" Sarah puzzled again.
"The Morphin Grid sent them to you, knowing you were ready to wield them through your actions," Master Green reassured.
"My actions...?"
"And, to restore a part of you that was lost forever during your, your friends, and the Dino Fury team's final battle against Santaura and the Sporix in her final moments as Void Queen."
"We and the Morphin Masters searched all over the multiverse and your universe, Young Lady, but there's no one who would fill in the shoes we've left behind other than you. You've proven yourself to be the only Power Ranger capable of handling our power and our Zords throughout your trials, using your intuition and insight amongst all of your skills to navigate through each challenge presented to you with wisdom beyond your years in such a short time."
"Your unwavering courage and inner strength allowed you to face challenges with immense bravery and resilience in the face of adversity. This was most prominent when you were up against the most impeccable odds imagination in Area Zero in the Paldea Region."
"You've endured the harshness of the thought of revealing yourself to your enemies to protect your friends, further demonstrating your resilience in the face of adversity."
"You showed great adaptability and respect, embracing change and transformations around you with an open mind and staggering agility. And, with the newfound threat you're up against in the form of the Explorers, that's saying a lot. Especially when using your Animus Magic to protect others around you, I might add," the Lunala, Solgaleo, Kyurem, and Naganadel spirits noted with praise.
"But, most importantly, you've helped a few friends of yours confront their inner demons and allowed them to come clean by their own choices when you gave them a nudge in the right direction. You've shown staggering courage, patience, and resolve in the face of the unknown. Everything you did gave us no doubt that you would indeed be worthy of our old partners and those of our fellow-deceased friends once you find them. You have our upmost blessings, child," the Giratina spirit finished warmly.
Sarah nodded in thanks and gratitude but she then turned to Master Green, still confused about what she said, "Just one question, Master; when you said 'restore a part of me that was lost forever', what part of me are we talking about?"
She soon got her answer as the Solgaleo Cosmic Orb (officially known as the Solgaleo Sphere) shimmered brightly before it floated away from the other Cosmic Orbs and floated around her before it placed itself on her left wrist where her Wrist Com once was. Then, it created what is essentially a new gauntlet-like morpher known as a Cosmic Morpher which had its slot cover shaped after Nebby's head before it opened and the Solgaleo Sphere went into the morpher's new slot.
"Whoa..." the little princess breathed in astonishment.
"Wow, Mama! It looks just like me!" Nebby quipped in amazement, looking at his human mother's new Cosmic Morpher.
"What does it mean? What is this thing?"
"That is your new Cosmic Morpher crafted by our own power and that of the Cosmic Orb on you known as the Solgaleo Sphere, Princess; just like with your Poke-X Key and your old morpher, when in danger, insert the sphere into the morpher's slot and close the hatch after and you will become a new and improved version of your old alter ego as the new Cosmic Solgaleo Ranger," Master Red instructed.
"Cosmic Solgaleo Ranger?"
"Sounds old school but it suits Sis well," Race and Asha remarked, smiling at Sarah as they realized that by using her new morpher, her original alter ego would be reborn again.
"Will it work?" Sarah asked Master Red and Master Green, getting reassuring nods from both of them before she took a deep breath and steeled herself before closing her morpher's hatch and shouting, "...Here goes, Link to Morphin' Grid!"
Suddenly, as the Cosmic Morpher linked with her Solgaleo Sphere and showed Nebby's colors from the hatch, she was imbued in a white light, commencing her first transformation into her old alter ego for the first time in a while.
With her transformation sequence, she found herself in the Morphin Grid again but in a new white, violet, orange, and yellow spandex bodysuit covering her entire body (known as the Cosmic Solgaleo Suit) before thrusting her left arm and the Cosmic Morpher forward after pulling back a bit.
The Morpher then projected a holographic glowing image of Nebby as it radiated solar flares, allowing her to run and jump forward after flipping backward once past the Solgaleo hologram, floating as she did so and donning the rest of her new power suit (the hologram materializing into the armored parts of her suit on her chest, forearms, and abdomen, including the belt (which sprouted out two white silk flails that stretched to her shins and stopped halfway from the back and also housed the thunderbolt insignia of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on the buckle)).
Once her body was fully decked out, she landed on one knee and stood up, swiping her right hand down across her face to materialize her new helmet to complete her new transformation.
After she was finished transforming into the new and improved version of her old ranger self, Sarah gained a new weapon that corresponded with her Cosmic Solgaleo Suit known simply as the Solgaleo Flare Saber, a 4 ft. long golden sword gleaming with intricately etched solar motifs along the blade which allowed it to emit a fiery aura.
Everyone was amazed by what they saw but that was just the start; once Sarah's transformation commenced and was complete, the Solgaleo Zord's eyes flashed in a golden yellow light and it came to life, destroying the stone that encased it. Now, out of its stone slumber, it was revealed to be a majestic and sentient robotic lion with golden armor adored with fiery solar symbols across its body that stood at about the same size as the Zord and old friend of Cole Evans from the Power Rangers Wild Force, the leader of the Wild Zords from the floating turtle-like island of Animaria: Red Lion.
And, it turns out, after the Solgaleo Zord was awakened, the other four Zords followed suit:
- The first to awaken after the Solgaleo Zord was the Lunala Zord which was elegant and mysterious in appearance, having sleek black wings that resembled a crescent moon and glowing purple markings while shown to be 30 meters in terms of length
- The second after it was the Kyurem Zord, a towering and robotic ice dragon that sported crystalline scales and glowing blue eyes while emanating a cold aura and standing at about 82 meters long
- The third of the Astral Haven Zords to be activated was the Naganadel Zord, revealing itself to be sleek and serpentine in appearance, sporting iridescent purple scales and venomous stingers on its tail while showing itself to be 32 meters long
- The fourth and final of the Astral Haven Zords to be awakened after the Solgaleo Zord was the Giratina Zord, standing 33 meters long and giving off a sinister look for a spectral dragon with tattered wings, glowing red eyes, and a shadowy aura around it
Despite their varying lengths, they stood at a shared height of 21.5 meters, all of them roaring proudly before they looked down towards their new and freshly-morphed owner.
"...Damn," Sarah gulped as she looked at the Zords in stunned awe.
"Well, Island Girl, looks like you finally got yourself a Nebby Zord after all this time," Race quipped, nudging his wife playfully.
"I wonder how the others are gonna take it when they find out," Asha pondered.
"What I'm more concerned about is what happened to the other eight Zords and where the Celestial Sanctuary is if nobody's found it yet," Sarah remarked.
"You will find them soon enough. The chances of someone of a nefarious and dark nature finding them are slim to none so they should be safely hidden until you come across them in due time. Trust in the remaining Cosmic Orbs when you do and they will guide you to them," the Naganadel spirit advised.
Sarah nodded before asking, "And, you all?"
"Never fear, Young Lady. We will still be here but we'll safeguard this world as we roam it, you need not worry."
"As Lord Zedd's impending release from his prison looms before us, your friends will join you soon enough. They will earn their own Cosmic Orbs and Cosmic Morphers in due time but until then, or if Zedd is released sooner than expected, do not tell them about your restored powers unless you really need to," Master Red warned, knowing what could happen regarding Lord Zedd at any time.
"I won't, Master Red, Master Green. I promise, thank you," the little princess nodded, getting approving nods from Master Red and Master Green as her Cosmic Morpher transformed into a new Wrist Com akin to the Wrist Coms worn by the Dino Fury team (signaling to the Alolan Royal Family that the Solgaleo Ranger is back and stronger than ever).
Meanwhile, back at the Brave Olivine, Murdock and Orla were having berry juice together in the briefing room as they discussed how bad the weather had gotten (not knowing that the Hatenna Liko brought in had waddled into the briefing room at this time), "Ugh, of all days for the weather to go out of whack... I wanted to get some outside repairs done on the ship but Mother Nature decided to throw a literal wrench in my plans and backfire them."
"Didn't the weather report we got for today say sunny skies for today?"
"Meh, how should I know? The weather's weird, you never know what's going on with it."
"Maybe it had something to do with Rayquaza or something."
"Can it even do something like that?"
"Well, whatever the case, hope the ship is gonna be okay in this choppy downpour."
Orla became stout over the remark as she retorted, "A little rain ain't gonna hurt the Brave Olivine, you know."
"Just saying; I mean, you've been having a lot of trouble getting it patched up lately," Murdock stated, irking Orla as they soon got into a small spat.
"That's not the ship's fault!"
"No need to get angry!"
"I'M NOT ANGRY!"
This was too much for the wild Hatenna as it yelped in fright and scurried away just as Liko, Sprigatito, and Dot (who had finished the Nidothing video with the Swirlicious Cotton Candy she and Murdock got from Mitchell the day before) appeared, wanting to find and check up on the Calm Pokémon.
Liko couldn't help but feel awkward given that she and the young recluse stumbled onto the friendly cook and the mechanic's little spat as she asked, "Uh... Is...Is something wrong?"
"Oh, Liko, Dot! No, no, no, everything's fine..." Murdock smiled sheepishly.
"We weren't arguing for real or anything, huh," Orla agreed, chuckling awkwardly before she noticed his niece with the young girl. "Oh. And, since when were you out and about, Dot? That's new."
Murdock grinned as he quipped, "Wait, wait, I know! It's Snack Time for you, right?"
"Not right now, we gotta go."
"We'll be right back to get your snacks later, bye," the girls replied as they and Sprigatito left, having not found Hatenna in the briefing room.
As they left, the friendly cook couldn't help but give off a blissful sigh as he remarked, "It's been forever since I had a real-life conversation with Dot."
Orla just deadpanned as she quipped, "Does that even count?"
Liko, Dot, and Sprigatito continued their search for Hatenna (as it had disappeared while they were talking moments earlier), leaving the young girl to wonder, "Where could it have gone?"
She then thought about the last storm she and Sprigatito ended up in a storm and the young girl couldn't help but muse, "The last time Sarah, Race, and I were in a storm was after we boarded this ship that night... Then, after she saved Sprigatito, the Explorers kidnapped Sarah and carried her away. I was so upset by what had happened and alone, just like Hatenna..."
Then, with a gasp of realization, she, Dot, and Sprigatito made their way to the observation deck where Noctowl was resting, and sure enough, they found Hatenna on the other side of the elevator.
The poor little Psychic Type was overwhelmed by everything it had gone through despite the short reprieve it got when Liko took it with her to the Brave Olivine from Sarah's Galar castle and wanted to be left alone which was why it ran off to a place where it can get away from whatever and everything frightening it which was the other side of the observation deck elevator.
Deciding to calm it down the only way she knew, Liko approached the Calm Pokémon and spoke to it as gently as she could, "Hatenna? Listen, you know something...? When I need to think about something important, I like to come out here. It's so quiet at the best of times and the view from here is incredible. I was brought here with my friends, Sarah and Race, one night without knowing why, too. I had no idea what was going on and everyone was so full of energy. And, then, we entered a big storm... Heh, pretty scary, huh?"
As it listened in on Liko's words, Hatenna tilted itself as it took in everything she had to say, "What I'm trying to say is...I know how you fell. It was the same for me back then but I'm okay now and I'll be okay as long as I got my friends with me. And, tomorrow, I'm gonna take you back to where I found you. I'll see you then..."
With Sprigatito and Dot carefully and quietly joining her, Hatenna looked between them and Liko before the young girl knelt down before it and asked, "...Do you want to come with me?"
Hatenna didn't make any verbal indication that it agreed with Liko, and instead, opted to jump onto her left shoulder and tuck itself onto her jacket's hoodie the same way Ash's Rowlet tucked himslef into Ash's backpack during their Alola travels (finding it a comfy spot to rest in before it nuzzled Liko's right cheek in thanks).
Liko just smiled. After that, when she, Sprigatito, and Dot reunited with Quaxly, Fuecoco, and Roy, the young girl showed her friends the sleeping Hatenna, prompting Dot and Roy to note to her, "It seems so relaxed."
"Is it asleep now?"
Liko then stated, "Based on what I discovered, I think it's more exhausted; emotionally exhausted, to be exact."
Roy grinned at his friend (who smiled sheepishly and modestly back at him), "Wow, Liko, you're so amazing! You got such a way with Pokémon; it's just like the time when we first met Arboliva, you understood what Hatenna was feeling the moment you found it."
"Well, I don't know about that, but..."
That night, Liko was back in her bedroom with Sprigatito and Hatenna, thinking about what she had gone through and what she had learned about Hatenna (looking towards her jacket and seeing the Calm Pokémon sleeping soundly in her hoodie while Sprigatito fell asleep on the bed), "It seems as though Hatenna was trying to shield itself from strong emotions. Guess that's what happened with Orla and Murdock earlier today, but... When I look at it, I realized that by doing that, it was making itself lonely..."
The next morning, it was July 14th and much to everyone's relief, the storm had finally subsided. During this time, Liko decided to show Mollie, Murdock, and Orla the sleeping Hatenna and how it had been getting on since she brought it over from Sarah's Galar castle.
"It's gotten so used to you by now," Orla cooed, liking how Hatenna was sleeping in the young girl's jacket hoodie and not minding its new friend at all.
"Yeah, I think it feels safe all tucked up in there. Much better compared to what it went through and the box it was in from the storage room in Sarah's castle, really," Liko replied with a beaming smile.
Mollie smiled in intrigue as she then asked, "So, how did you get it to trust you so easily?"
"It was nothing, really; I thought about what Hatenna needed and I was thinking about all the tihngs I was feeling when I first came to the ship. So, deciding to take a page out of Sarah's book, I talked to it about that a little. I think it was slowly understanding what I'm saying and while it didn't say much..."
"Mmm, that was nice of you."
"Well, I remember when you first came on board; you were overthinking everything that night and you were so nervous to do the right thing and you were a polite little thing, too," Orla chuckled as she reminisced on the night she and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers first met her, Sarah, and Race.
"Huh?"
"What I'm saying here is, that's what allowed you to get close to Hatenna."
Mollie nodded in agreement as she continued to smile, "You're almost as good as Sarah at picking up what others around you are feeling. Not everyone's like that so you should be very proud of that and know it."
"Yeah, we already got enough insensitive people on this crew."
At this, the traveling doctor couldn't help but smirk at the mechanic as she snarked, "Hey, is that an admission I hear coming from you, Orla?"
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT!" Orla snapped irritably, spooking Hatenna as it flinched (but thankfully didn't wake up and run away again) in its sleep, prompting Orla to chirp quietly to it, "Sorry..."
Just then, Friede, Cap, and Roy appeared as the unconventional professor announced to everyone, "Alright, everybody, the storm's over now so let's get Hatenna back to Sarah's Galar castle."
"And, it's off to Galar Mine and the Terastal Shiny Rayquaza!" Roy cheered, eager to meet Lucius' Rayquaza again.
"SARAH HAS A-MMPH?!" Mollie, Murdock, and Orla balked in shock until Fuecoco and Sprigatito quickly shut them up so Hatenna wouldn't wake up and be disturbed by their yelling again.
Liko sighed and thought as she and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers regrouped with Sarah and her family and friends (the others with her not knowing about her new Cosmic Morpher and the Wrist Com behind it) at her castle, "It's too hard for Hatenna to live amongst people at this rate. Our emotions are so big and they can be all over the place... It feels good to send it back."
Once she was ready, she placed Hatenna on the ground to set it free, "Goodbye, Hatenna. Take care of yourself, okay?"
Hatenna turned around and started to walk away, unsure of what to think until Sprigatito went after it and blocked its path.
"Sprigatito?"
"Huh?" chirped Hatenna, confused over what Sprigatito wanted with it.
"It's okay, Hatenna, you can stay with us if you want," the female Grass Cat Pokémon offered, now feeling more comfortable around the Calm Pokémon. "We can be your new family, okay?"
Hatenna stared at Sprigatito for a moment but taking her words and the offer to join her and Liko into consideration, it then made its way back to Liko and jumped into her arms. The young girl was surprised as she caught it and held it in the air to look at it better while it looked at her until she started to realize what it wanted after her partner coaxed it into joining them.
"Hatenna... Are you saying, you...you want to come with me?" she puzzled.
Hatenna was silent for a moment as it stared at her before it smiled brightly and finally babbled cutely, "...Mama, Mama!"
Liko gasped in awe before she grinned and said (while holding the little Psychic Type close to her), "You know, this is the first time I got to hear your voice."
"Mama! Mama!"
Friede smiled at what he was seeing along with everyone else before he presented her with an empty Pokeball, allowing her to take it and capture it as her second Pokémon after Sprigatito.
"Hattena? ...Thank you for taking the first step with me, I'll do everything I can to send you feelings that will make you as happy as you can be, okay?"
Hatenna cooed warmly again as it opened the Pokeball and allowed itself to be captured, jumping inside and locking the ball shut, signaling Liko's capture of it. It was official; like with Roy and Wattrel days ago after he helped him fly through rigorous physical training, Hatenna had officially become Liko's second Pokémon through her heart.
"Congratulations, Liko!"
"You now got yourself a new Pokémon and a new friend!" Roy and Mallow congratulated the young girl happily.
Liko smiled in thanks before she released new female Hatenna who cooed at her, "Mama!", before Sprigatito came in front of her and held out her right paw in a handshake gesture to her new teammate and little sister figure. Hatenna smiled at her big sister figure and gently took it, knowing she was going to have a lot of fun with her new family.
"Pretty incredible thing for a Hatenna like that one to open her heart to you, Liko," Friede smirked at the young girl.
"That's because Liko is amazing!" Roy quipped with a bright smile.
"You got yourself talent bolstered with Charm from the heart just like Sarah," Kukui added in approval.
"We definitely see a little bit of Sarah in you, Liko," Burnet concurred warmly.
Liko couldn't help but smile as she mused, "Maybe I found something I'm good at now; meeting Hatenna and trying to figure out what she's feeling. She kind of helped me understand something that I've been feeling..."
Then, as she remembered her previous discussion with Ann, she finally realized where to start with her essay as she spoke up, "Pokémon... I really love them and I want to know more about how they feel and you know what...? That's the kind of trainer I want to be."
Sarha's old friends couldn't help but agree as they smiled and gave their own thoughts, "Then, go for it!"
"Well, Liko, if that's what you want to do, then do it."
"We'll be with you to help, too!"
"If you felt that way about it, you should take a shot and follow that path no matter what."
"And, not only that, you also know where to start with your latest homework assignment."
"Good luck, Liko!"
Liko nodded in thanks as she mused one last time over her chosen path, "My path to becoming a true Pokémon Trainer is heading in an unknown direction but I'll take every step of the way as it comes with my Pokémon by my side..."
However, while things were looking pretty peachy on the heroes' side, a familiar trio riding in a submarine was also making their way to Galar Mine.
"Sir, we're almost there. We'll be anchoring at a cove near Galar Mine; according to what we've uncovered, Rayquaza should be inside it," Onia reported with a smirk to Amethio as he and Ceruledge appeared.
"And, if the Shiny Rayquaza's there?"
"According to eyewitness intel we've gathered, it's there, alright."
Amethio nodded as he then told her and Zinc, "Onia, Zinc, I'm grateful for your help, thank you... I'll handle things from here; you know I've been taken off of the mission involving Liko's pendant and the princess and her husband's strange Pokémon, don't you? As you know very well, continuing to work with me is disobeying orders."
Zirc and Onia, however, were adamant about continuing to work with their close comrade and leader as they replied (with undying loyalty), "Sir, you say that like we're all a bunch of strangers here. That kind of jab's cramping our signature style and you know that's not our thing. You know as well as I do I would follow you anywhere until your last days amongst the Explorers, you're the best among us and we can't allow you and your work to go to waste. We're with you, Sir, always."
"Agreed, no matter what happens, I will stand by your side until the very end."
Despite turning away from the pair and leaving to begin his new mission (which involved Lucius' Rayquaza since it was a loophole around the pendant and Pokémon mission Spinel had been entrusted with), Amethio couldn't help but feel touched by his team's loyalty to him (preferring not to show his gratefulness to them in an emotional manner) as he replied, "...Do as you wish. Still, thank you..."
"Yes, Sir."
To Be Continued...
