It was a dark and stormy day when August 10th arrived after the heroes' escapade with Mother Krookodile, Father Krokorok, their family, and the Nadder Mothers. As the heroes continued towards their next destination in Paldea, the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine were soon caught in the middle of a raging storm (which thankfully didn't sport any thunder and lightning and only heavy rain and wind). MK-1 managed to keep the Dragon Craft afloat through his expert flying and maneuvering with Rotom-Dex's help as he kept a lookout from its bridge while Orla, Friede's Charizard, Carkol, and Slugma did their best to keep the airship going in the engine room.
But, the storm wasn't letting up despite their best efforts, and after Rotom-Dex and Orla forwarded their reports to Friede, Sarah, and Cap, the trio decided that it would be best for everyone to moor somewhere safe for the rest of the day until it passes.
Eventually, the heroes came across a small clearing in the middle of a mountain forest that was just big enough for everyone to moor both aircraft for the time being. With the storm continuing to rage on and having landed the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft in the clearing, the heroes spent the rest of the day indoors, hoping that the weather would be better tomorrow and they would have no more trouble from Mother Nature.
The following day was August 11th and with it, there came a cluster of sunshine and clear skies as the storm had finally passed. It continued to rain heavily during the night and the forest ground was soaked amongst some of the torn-down trees and the debris and rubble left all around the aircraft.
"Ahh! Mmm, what a beautiful morning! You'd never know that there was a big storm yesterday, am I right, Cap?"
"Too right there, pal," grinned Cap and Friede as the unconventional professor yawned and soaked in the sun on the observation deck before they heard a horrified gasp from Roy when he noticed the Brave Olivine's flag utterly torn up.
"Oh no, the flag! I-It's all torn up, maybe the wind must've blown some branches onto it," the young adventurer theorized as he and Fuecoco surveyed the damage done to it.
"Beats me," Fuecoco replied, also in disbelief at how torn up the flag was from the storm.
"Not a problem! Let's go and fix it!" Roy added determinedly as they decided to take the initiative to fix the flag as he did before.
Friede smiled as he told Roy (who nearly bumped into Cap before he got out of the way), "Go find Orla, she's got the sewing kit. And, while you're at it, pass a message on, 'I'd like her to do a top-and-bottom inspection', okay?"
"Got it!"
"See ya!" nodded the pair as they left to find Orla.
"Mmm, so, what next?" Friede questioned before he got a call on his Rotom Phone from Mollie. "Oh, what's up?"
"Hey, Friede. If we're gonna be here a while, I think I'll run some medical check-ups on the Pokémon with a little help from Sarah's Ralts Twins, Wigglytuff, Blissey, and Audino," the traveling doctor informed.
"Great, good idea, I know you and Chansey will also appreciate their help given what we went through yesterday."
"Good luck, Molls," grinned Friede and Cap, approving her initiative.
As he fished on the bow with Quagsire for company, Ludlow sagely remarked, "This is the calm afterthe storm; it is just when everything seemed peaceful, situations abound that can bring either joy or trouble... The question is, 'Which of these things would we stumble upon today?'."
And, to prove his point and wisdom, he reeled his fishing pole in and caught a Sprigatito soda can, getting an unconventional and lucky catch out of a bit of debris from the storm which Quagsire happily applauded for his partner.
Meanwhile, in the Dragon Craft, Sarah was distributing breakfast to her family via her Chi Manipulation while she cared for the baby dragon from the previous episode (who was now swaddled in a large and fluffy blanket while he babbled at her) in the dining room.
"So, what's the sitch with the weather, girlfriend?" Sydney asked the little princess.
"Absolute chaos when Winter and I did our round earlier; the wind and rain left behind a lot of damage in the storm's wake. We were lucky no thunder and lightning was going on yesterday or else we and the others in the Brave Olivine would've been grounded for days had even one bolt hit us," Sarah replied.
"That's exactly true but it wouldn't do you harm to do another run-through to see if anybody was injured from yesterday's storm," Tsukumaro nodded, knowing what his goddaughter would do next.
"I know."
"Hey, Sarah, not that I want to shine the spotlight on anyone but what happened to your two Ralts?"
"Yeah, I haven't seen Tony and Jessie since last night," Rabbit and Pig noted, seeing no sign of the Ralts Twins with the others.
"They're with Blissey, Audino, and Wigglytuff right now over at the Brave Olivine. Mollie's doing medical check-ups for the Pokémon riding with her and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers and she asked me last night if she could borrow them to give her and Chansey a hand today."
The baby dragon cutely hiccuped and babbled in her arms while blinking, "...Mama.", getting curious looks from the Kiwamis, Tikki, Mei-Shi, and the Renlings as they crowded around to see him.
"Aww, look at him..."
"He's so adorable!"
"Cute as a button, too."
"A beautiful new life born as a baby dragon generously given to you by a protective mother Krookodile, that's sweet of her to do that," Tikki, Enix, Long-Long, and Pollen cooed.
"He sure is no run-of-the-mill dragon of any kind to begin with including this Fire Heart character you told us about," Mei Shi agreed with intrigue.
"I wonder what hissss egg wassss doing in that underground chamber."
"And, who left him there with her, her family, and those dragons they lived with?" She-She and Yang-Yang pondered, wondering about the baby dragon's origins as he babbled at everyone around him from Sarah's arms.
"...That, I don't know," Sarah admitted as she gently rocked the baby dragon still resting in her arms.
"Perhaps, his original parents left them there with Mother Krookodile, her family, and the Nadder Mothers for his own safety. Maybe he holds some grand power from within him, something that grows once he matures and reaches his adulthood."
"But, what kind of power's that?"
"And, when will he become an adult from today?" Zhu Zhu and Ma Ma inquired.
"Who knows...?" Plagg shrugged.
"At the moment, he's a baby. But, his growth could be unpredictable as he is now so we must be ready to care for him accordingly. However, if he has a growth cycle akin to that of the Death Song, perhaps...three months, maybe sooner. His egg was pretty big from what Whisker and Andres told us when they, Mudsdale, and the Sandile babies came at the eleventh hour to end help the incident between their family and the Nadder Mothers and the archaeologists carrying out the dig underneath their home," Admiral noted.
"What baby dragon's name, Sarah, poi?" Ogerpon questioned, wondering if her master's goddaughter named the dragon yet.
"Well... It didn't take me long to name him after we left the dig and I accepted him from Mother Krookodile. So, I decided to name him Astraeus," the little princess replied with the baby dragon (now named Astraeus) cooing happily at the name she gave him before he coughed up smoke in her face, making Sarah give a slight cough as part of her face was smothered in his smoke.
Seeing this, all Zorua, Silvally, Sho, Mew, and Ogerpon could do was laugh at her misfortune while she blew more smoke from her mouth. It was clear that with Astraeus now one of them despite his age, things are about to get wild for the royal family and their friends including the Rising Volt Tacklers.
(Opening)
Now, head forth! Pierce through the clouds~
(Our opening for Part 2 of Pokémon Horizons (i.e. The Gleam of Terapagos) begins with Liko, Sarah, and Race in a triangle formation (Liko up top, Race from the bottom right-hand corner from her left, and Sarah from the bottom left-hand corner on her right) as their pendant and Terapagos Three shone in darkness before the former turned into Liko's Terapagos)
(We swiftly pan across the oceans akin to the beginning of the opening of Attack on Titan S4 Pt. 2 (The Rumbling by SIM) before stopping amongst the horizon as the titles for Pokémon Horizons: The Gleam of Terapagos appeared amidst a sunset/sunrise)
When I remember the words I couldn't say
I dove down to hide myself
Swimming my way through in uncertainty
I cut through the clouds and head for the blue sky
(We see a young Liko walking with her parents through a marketplace before we see her as she is, her uncertainty lifted as she holds and looks at her pendant underneath a moonlit sky from the rooftop of her family's house along with Sarah as she enjoyed her life in Alola growing up before she is shown holding her family's Sun Sword in its powered-down form as the young woman she is and held it above her head underneath the Alolan sun in a split-screen sequence. Then, in a flurry of Leafage and cosmic energy, we see the pair with their three Terapagos, Sprigatito, Hatenna, Blitz, Curly, and Silvally enjoying the breeze together on the observation decks of the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft)
One day, I'll look back
At that fiery red sunset
And burn it all into memory
(A young Roy is shown being fascinated by stories his grandfather was showing him until we see him as the boy he is (looking dirty all over and wearing the Brave Olivine's flag like a cape) eyeing the Ancient Pokeball that once held Lucius' Rayquaza in his right hand and raising it high above him in the rising or setting sun while Race is seen being found by Brandon, enjoying life with him and the other Frontier Brains, and being the man he is now as he eyed the camera and held a Pokeball in front of him while glaring at the camera in the same split-screen sequence before they're shown via Flamethrower, Shadow Claw, and Thunder watching the sunset on the Brave Olivine's Wing Deck and the Dragon craft's sun deck watching the sunset with Bella, Robbie, Tou-Tou, Wattrel, and Fuecoco)
Even if I can't reach the truth of the world~
Or the feelings of that girl~
It's okay to not understand~
Just shine like a rainbow~
(We are shown their friends and Sarah's family including a few of their Pokémon in five/six slot group sequences as follows: Friede, Orla, Mollie, Dot, Ludlow, and Murdock with Charizard, Metagross and Elekid, Chansey, Quaxly, Rockruff and Alcremie, and Quagsire; Burnet (with the cute addition of Lei) and Kukui with Munchlax, Incineroar, and Braviary joined by Diane, James, Nikki, and Johnathan with Romeo, Dragonite, Lucario, Clover, Catnip, Juliet, and Melon; Ash, Lana, Mallow, Kiawe, Lillie, and Sophocles with their respective partners; and Delilah, Doug, Donna (former queen), David, Asha, and Gladion with Mischief, Persian, the Tomoe Squad, Flicker, Flicka, June, Proud, Ziracon, Umbreon, Silvally, and Lycanroc; Goh, Nemona, Arven, Penny, and Team Star with Meowscarda, Pawmo, Killowattrel, Cinderace, Inteleon, Grookey, Mabostiff, the Eevees, Bisharp, Torkoal, Skuntank, Revavroom, Azumarill, Wigglytuff, Passimian, and Toxicroak; and the Blueberry Academy students with Hydrapple, Mightyena, Toucannon, Magmortor, Empoleon, Reuniclus, Whimsicott, Granbull, Flygon, and Haxorus)
(We see a smirking Cap from the Brave Olivine's bridge and Friede taking the wheel along with MK-1 on the Dragon Craft's Bridge at its controls with an eager bark, the three of them preparing to take everyone aboard their respective ships to new heights and continue discovering all the world has to offer among the horizons)
Now, head forth! Pierce through the clouds~
Stumbling, staggering~
Standing firm and reaching farther~
Now, run forth! Towards my future~
(In the horizons, with the heroes riding their respective ships, they dash forward with Lucius' Rayquaza roaring and flying alongside them before Liko, Roy, Dot, Murdock, and Ludlow are shown with their partners stumbling, running, or sliding along Rayquaza's body with Mollie, Chansey, and Orla following on Metagross and Sarah and Race tailing their new friends aboard Bolt and Winter with the rest of their family joining them before Marena and Stormcloud joined them. Meanwhile, Amethio is shown training with his Ceruledge and Corviknight with the former forced back by the latter and their master staggering to the floor and sitting on his ass from the intensity of the training battle. As his partners sparred, he gritted his teeth and tugged his shirt, feeling unsatisfied about the current progress he was making and wanting to do more to improve themselves and himself on something while Hamber and Dusknoir watched on)
At the end of this long, long journey
I'll remember you
One day, we'll shake hands
And laugh
(Lucca, Diana, and Liko were seen together with the final Terapagos in the young girl's arms who cried out and unleashed an energy wave, showing Moltres, Arboliva, and Rayquaza with the second half of the Six Heroes: Entei, Lapras, and Kleavor, in small bursts along with Lucius and Liko's Terapagos, before Sarah, Race, Liko, their Terapagos Four, Sprigatito, Rosie, Chili, Crest, Silvally, Tou-Tou, Robbie, and Bella along with a tearful Marena come across Lucius on a cliff point before they joined the Ancient Adventurer on his current spot)
A light appeared
At the end of the rainbow
And I found my dream
(We see the Explorers in short bursts along with a Tera Orb in Sarah's hand, Lucius' gear and records, one of the Terapagos Four in Stellar Form, and someone reaching out in between the heroes looking out to the horizon and the sun in the heavens before Sarah, Liko, Marena, and Race are seen face to face with the Six Heroes as the opening ends)
(End Theme Song)
In the Brave Olivine's medical room, Mollie was carrying out her medical check-ups with help from Tony, Jessie, Blissey, Audino, and Wigglytuff's help when Liko arrived
"You're all set, Snorunt. Now, if you're going to end up in the kitchen or anywhere else while the heaters or the kitchen oven are on during a storm like yesterday's, you've got to be more careful and find a safe place to batten down," Wigglytuff noted kindly.
"Yes, Dr. Wigglytuff," smiled Snorunt as he jumped off the stool he was on and prepared to leave.
"Here's your ice cube," Chansey grinned, handing him an ice cube as a reward while he left.
"Thanks a lot, Chansey! Bye!"
"Oh, hey, Liko. What's going on?" the traveling doctor asked the young girl as she, Chansey, and Wigglytuff turned to her and Sprigatito, seeing her carrying Hatenna in her arms.
"Oh, uh... I heard you and Chansey are doing check-ups for the Pokémon with Blissey, Audino, Wigglytuff, Tony, and Jessie. So, I was wondering if you all could look over Hatenna, too," Liko replied.
"Any particular reason as to why?" "She seems a bit under the weather today, sort of..."
Mollie pondered as Liko placed her on the stool, the Calming Pokemon squeaking at the traveling doctor as she deduced, "Hmm... It might have had something to do with the terrible storm from yesterday. She was frightened badly by a storm once the day you found her at Sarah's Galar castle, remember?"
Liko nodded; Hatenna was indeed scared about everything that happened when she took her to the Brave Olivine as the young girl thought she was somehow hurt when, in reality, she was overwhelmed by tense emotions and everything around her going wild. Yesterday's storm might have brought up bad memories for her before she took her in as her second Pokémon and forced her to go through that same trauma again despite it not being as bad as the last storm.
"I know what can help, be right back," Chansey smiled as she walked over to a cabinet. "Maybe we should figure out a way to calm her down and make sure she's safe."
At that moment, Tony and Jessie went up to the chair Hatenna was placed on and joined her to help.
"Tony, Jessie?" Liko blinked in surprise, seeing Sarah's Emotion Pokémon give Hatenna comforting hugs.
"Big Sister, Big Brother..." Hatenna cooed cutely, sharing Liko's surprise as they smiled warmly at her and Liko smiled while watching them.
"Aww, look at that."
"There you go, one comfy hand towel," Chansey added, gently wrapping a small and fluffy hand towel around Liko's Psychic Type which made her smile in appreciation for her fellow Pokémon.
"Thank you, Auntie Chansey, Big Sister, Big Brother," Hatenna replied feeling better and happier now.
"Look at that, she's smiling now," Mollie grinned.
"Thank goodness... Now, you're all snuggled and cozy, Hatenna," Liko grinned, seeing how happy Hatenna was now thanks to Chansey, Tony, Jessie, and their shared compassion for her.
"I get the feeling Hatenna, Tony, Jessie, and Chansey might be more than a little alike with each other."
"Morning..." Friede's Charizard called, getting Mollie, Sprigatito, and Liko's attention as they noticed a sleep-deprived and extremely tired Flame Pokémon, Carkol, and Slugma entering the medical room.
"Wow, you guys look beat," Mollie commented. "What's the matter? I guess being down in the engine room during the storm was pretty rough, huh?" Liko added.
"What else is new?" Carkol and Slugma replied tiredly, looking like they were about to crash any second.
"You all worked really hard last night along with MK-1 in the Dragon Craft despite him being a robot, we appreciate it. Let me take a look at ya."
Charizard agreed wholeheartedly as he immediately sat down, not having the energy to stay awake let alone stand after he, Slugma, and Carkol went into overdrive trying to get through the previous night's storm before they and the others found the clearing they decided to moor in.
"Charizard?"
"Are you okay?!" Sprigatito and Liko gasped as they looked at him just as Mollie began her medical routine for Carkol and Slugma with her stethoscope at the ready.
"Chansey, Blissey, help Charizard out while Audino, Wigglytuff, and I give Carkol and Slugma a hand, will ya?" Mollie requested her and Sarah's Happiness Pokémon.
"Right away, Mollie."
"Coming right up!" Chansey and Blissey agreed as they joined the tuckered-out Fire Type and produced two eggs for him to restore his health.
"Here, try these."
"These will perk you right back to your normal self."
Grateful to them, Charizard took the eggs and ate them, giving off a vigorous and excited roar as he felt himself returning to normal and no longer sleep-deprived nor tired from the stormy all-nighter he, Slugma, and Carkol had to pull.
"Wow! You're feeling much better now after having their eggs, don't you, Charizard?"
"That's great!" Liko and Hatenna smiled, happy to see Charizard back to his normal self.
"No thanks are necessary."
"Just doing what we do best for all of you," Chansey and Blissey smiled with Wigglytuff, Audino, Tony, and Jessie nodding in agreement.
"Thanks for the help, Mollie, ladies," Charizard purred in gratitude as he, Slugma, and Carkol went to another part of the airship after completing their check-ups and getting clean health bills from the traveling doctor.
"Shuckle, it's your turn."
"Thanks, Liko."
The next patient to pay her, Chansey, and Sarah's healers a visit was Shuckle as he crawled over to Mollie but moved his left rear leg slower (most likely in a limp for some reason) unlike his other legs. Hatenna shivered slightly from Liko's hood as she could feel Shuckle's sadness which Liko noticed until Chansey and Blissey carefully placed him on the stool for Mollie to find out what was wrong with him.
"Hmm, looks like you've got a splinter. We'll get that right out. You'll be fine... There," Mollie deduced as she brought out a pair of tweezers and pulled it out. "Boy, it was small but I'm sure it would've been painful," Liko winced, seeing how small the splinter was.
"A little Heal Pulse there..."
"And, batta-bing, batta-boom, ta-da~!" To heal Shuckle's leg from the soreness the splinter had given it, Chansey and Blissey used Heal Pulse which caught Hatenna's attention as she gazed in awe at the two Happiness Pokémon over their shared healing move.
"Thank you, Chansey, Blissey. Mmm, that's much better!" grinned Shuckle as he no longer felt any pain from his rear left leg.
"We're glad to hear that," Chansey replied happily.
Audino and Wigglytuff nodded with agreeing smiles as the Hearing Pokémon then warned him, "Now, make sure to be more careful of splinters anywhere on the ship and remember to pay us and/or Mollie a visit if something like this happens again, okay?"
"You got it, thank you all. Bye!" Shuckle nodded happily as he crawled away at his normal pace again.
"That's cool...! I want to try that! Heal Pulse!" Hatenna commented over Chansey and Blissey's Heal Pulse, eventually squeaking and laughing happily as she cutely tried to imitate their move.
"Hatenna?"
"Are you okay?" Tony and Jessie asked, looking at the Calming Pokémon with soft and amused smiles.
"What is she doing?" Mollie asked Liko, hearing her Psychic Type's laughter and seeing what she was trying to do.
"I'm not sure but I think she was trying to imitate Chansey and Blissey's Heal Pulse move," Liko replied, amused by Hatenna's imitation and causing Audino, the traveling doctor, and Wigglytuff to laugh together.
"Well, how about that?"
"I think Blissey and Chansey just found themselves an admirer," the Hearing and Balloon Nurse Pokémon chuckled.
"Looks like Chansey and Blissey found themselves a cute apprentice. Wish she could use their move, Heal Pulse, I mean," agreed Mollie as if she could read Audino and Wigglytuff's thoughts, all while Hatenna continued to imitate the Happiness Pokémon's Heal Pulse in the cutest sense possible.
"I know you can do it, Hatenna!" Liko grinned, happy for Hatenna.
Suddenly, without warning, Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie perked up worriedly, the Calming Pokémon quickly jumping out of her human mother's hoodie as the trio ran out the door together to see who was outside.
"Hatenna, Tony, Jessie?" Liko gasped as she, Sprigatito, and Mollie chased after them before they suddenly noticed a tiny white mouse-like Pokémon and a Deadly Nadder dragon covered in scratches and bruises lying flat on the Brave Olivine's runway.
Liko and Mollie gasped in shock before the traveling doctor called, "Chansey, Audino, Blissey, Wigglytuff!"
"Right away/Yes!" nodded the four Normal Types, swiftly getting Mollie's supplies and rushing out of the medical bay to tend to their wounded 'guests'.
Coming up to the mouse-like Pokémon and the Deadly Nadder, Mollie could make out their respective features as she carefully examined them; the white mouse Pokémon looked almost like a large plush toy and had two large circular ears but the Nadder was pale cyan, orange, and yellow with a light beige underbelly, an orange body, purple-coated wing edges (along with some of its scales), a yellow spike crown, hook-ended wing joints, and woody-brown foot claws.
"It's a Tandemaus and there's a Deadly Nadder with it, they've both been injured badly," Mollie deducted as she looked the pair (who winced from their bruises and scratches and were breathing heavily) over just as Sarah (minus Astraeus who was currently in her blood mother's care), Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, and Stormfly came over.
"Mollie, Liko, what's happened? We saw you filing out just now!" the little princess questioned, getting the others' attention.
"Sarah, Hiccup, Astrid!" Liko blinked in surprise.
"What are you all doing here?"
"Stormfly sensed something was wrong just now so we came to see you," Astrid replied as Stormfly crept over to the wounded Nadder worriedly and gently nudged it with a soft, concerned purr, causing it to slowly open its eyes and try to get up despite its wounds.
"Easy, boy, take it easy..." Astrid soothed as she joined her dragon, carefully looking over the Nadder and deducing it to be a male and a Short Wing (a Juvenile in a dragon's lifespan) as he continued to stagger (the tomboy Viking, Hiccup, and Sarah seeing him at about 6 ft. tall and 25 ft. long, making him much longer and larger than Stormfly, Skystorm, and Flystorm (all three being 32.6 ft. long and 11.6 ft. high)). "You look like you had it rough during last night's storm, don't cha...?"
"Hey, Rotom, mind telling us about Tandemaus?" Liko asked her Rotom Phone as it scanned the wounded Pokémon while Mollie placed the Normal Type on a blanket.
"Tandemaus, the Couple Pokémon. A Normal Type-they use their sharp front teeth to bite off and carry various materials to build their nests and will always be found in pairs, never once leaving each other alone."
"Always come in pairs...?" Liko echoed, pondering.
"So, we got a Pokémon husband and wife two-pack with these Tandemaus guys, huh?" Hiccup commented as Stormfly comforted the wounded male Nadder and Mollie, Audino, Chansey, Blissey, and Wigglytuff looked after the sole Tandemaus they all found.
"Looks like it. But, if this one's here and the Pokedex said they're the Couple Pokémon, what happened to the other Tandemaus that was with it?" Sarah questioned as she gently rubbed the injured first half of the Couple Pokémon.
"I don't know... The other one doesn't seem to be nearby, this could be a real emergency," Mollie quipped, sharing the group's worry.
Tony and Jessie frowned as they felt sad for the Nadder and the sole Tandemaus but Hatenna gave a small shiver as she whimpered fearfully, sensing the pain they were in before Liko picked her up to comfort her, "It's okay, Hatenna. Don't worry, we'll help them."
She sighed as she placed her Calming Pokémon back in her hoodie and mused, "It's obvious Hatenna is scared for them. I'm sure it's from picking up on the feelings of Tandemaus and the Nadder."
"There you go. You'll feel better in-huh?"
"What's wrong?" Blissey and Chansey asked, looking surprised as they lifted the Tandemaus by its jacket before they heard it giving off quiet yet frantic and pained mutters as it squirmed about.
"P-P-Please... My, m-my wife, children..." it squeaked in a male's voice, sounding deeply worried.
"Oh... Audino, did you hear what the little guy's saying?"
"Yes, something's definitely wrong," Wigglytuff and Audino bantered worriedly as they heard what Tandemaus said.
"I've administered first aid to the little guy as best I could. Chansey and Blissey, I need you two to get it back to the clinic to rest. After that, once I've treated the Nadder with Sarah's help, we have to find the other one," Mollie informed after she and the Nurse Pokémon were finished.
Despite that, Sarah could see something was troubling both Tandemaus and the younger Nadder as Stormfly used her body to support the latter as best she could. She could also sense a feeling of dread and worry from the male Nadder as he turned his attention to the healed Normal Type, telling her that there was something more, something strange about him that had Astrid's best friend in a real tizzy.
"M-M-My, children, my w-wife... You've...you've, got to, s-s-s-save them!" the male Tandemaus stammered painfully before he jumped off the blanket and started running, getting the Nadder's attention as he snapped himself awake and quickly went after him.
"H-Hey!" "Wait up, you two!" Astrid and Liko gasped in surprise before the Nadder and Tandemaus turned to them.
"This way! H-Hurry!" the Normal Type continued, pleading with the heroes to join them while the Nadder nodded in agreement (his face sporting a look of deep worry) before they rushed into the forest.
"I think those two want us to follow them."
"Could be; the other Tandemaus might be in the woods somewhere and they're trying to lead us to them," Hiccup and Sarah deduced together.
"Let's go," Mollie suggested, getting her medical bag in her hands before she, Liko, Astrid, Sarah, Hatenna, and Sprigatito along with Hiccup, Toothless, Stormfly, Chansey, Audino, Wigglytuff, Blissey, Tony, and Jessie rushed after the pair (but not without a few stowaways from the Dragon Craft in the form of three evolved Paldea Starters looking on worriedly before nodding to each other).
The trek through the forest took some time as they carefully followed the Nadder and the male Tandemaus through the battered forest. Everywhere the heroes looked, they could see fallen trees, branches strewn across the forest floor, and other debris that left the place in a chaotic state, showing the devastation of the previous storm.
Eventually, the pair finally brought them to a small cave, its opening partially blocked off by fallen trees with the male half of the Couple Pokémon calling out to whoever was on the other side of them as soon as they arrived.
"Oh, dear..."
"This is depressing," commented Stormfly and Astrid, wincing worriedly at the sight of the blocked-off cavern.
"Must've fallen over during the storm," Mollie nodded, seeing the fallen trees blocking the cave entrance.
"S-Sweetheart...! Children...!" Tandemaus shouted into the cavern as everyone else watched with the Nadder looking on with worry for his friend.
"...Daddy...!"
"...Honey! W-We're in here!" called back three voices faintly via an echo.
"There's somebody in there!"
"You think Tandemaus' partner might be trapped in there?" gasped Astrid and Liko, hearing the voices despite them not being fluent.
"From the sounds of those voices, whoever is inside the cavern must be weak. I'm concerned they might be hurt," Mollie deducted.
"Their cries are filled with pain, they must definitely be hurt and who Tandemaus was referring to as his honey and 'children'," Audino added through her powerful hearing.
"Mm-hmm," Chansey, Blissey, and Wigglytuff nodded in agreement.
"Then, that means we have to try and save it," Liko decided as everybody tried to move the larger tree out of the way but to no avail given its weight.
"No good!"
"It won't even budge!"
"Not once!" the young girl, Mollie, and Sprigatito grunted as they stopped and thought for a moment.
"Guess moving that thing's out of the question, even Stormfly and Toothless won't be able to shift it with their combined strength," Hiccup sighed with Astrid nodding in agreement along with their dragons, knowing that moving the tree with only two dragons of their respective classes was impossible.
"It makes it harder for us since moving it will be a risk in and of itself. That could cause a collapse from all the wind and rain the storm generated, enough to rip it up from its original spot and make it crash land here," Sarah examined as she looked over the tree.
"Still, though... If we could just widen the opening by a little, Sprigatito?" Liko pondered before turning to her partner.
"Sure," Sprigatito nodded, knowing what she was thinking before she joined the male half of the Couple Pokémon and they nodded together (they and Liko deciding to dig to broaden the cavern hole from the ground).
"Let's do this together, use Scratch!"
Using Scratch (a move Tandemaus are also capable of learning), Sprigatito and the male Tandemaus clawed and chewed through the dirt and mud blocking their way thus making the gap bigger. Once they were satisfied with their work, they stopped to catch their breath but trouble arose when Mollie tried to crawl through it but couldn't because it wasn't big enough for her to go through.
"There's still not enough room!" she grunted, her point proven when Toothless tried to go through it only for his head to get stuck and Stormfly, Astrid, and Hiccup forced to pull him out.
"That means someone of a slimmer shape should be able to fit through it easily."
"And, of a younger age and stature, too," Wigglytuff and Blissey noted thoughtfully.
"I think Sarah and I can fit through it," offered Liko to the traveling doctor.
"You sure? It's a tight squeeze from what Toothless and I found out."
"Yeah, we're small and young enough so it shouldn't be a problem," she nodded before turning to Hatenna, "Hatenna, do you want to wait out here for us with the others?"
"Me go with Mama," Hatenna replied determinedly.
Liko nodded before turning to the others, "Once we get inside and save the other Tandemaus, we'll get out as fast as we can."
"Just be careful," Mollie cautioned, allowing Liko, Sarah, Sprigatito, Hatenna, and the male Tandemaus to enter the gap and travel through the cavern with Tony and Jessie joining the fray to help out as they looked around.
"Ms. Liko, Mommy!"
"Mr. Tandemaus, is that who you're looking for?" Tony and Jessie gasped, directing everybody towards a second white mouse-like Pokémon who was actually the male Tandemaus' mate and female half (lying on her stomach and looking weak herself).
"Sweet Cheeks!"
"It's there!"
"The second Tandemaus!" the trio cried, getting the male Tandemaus' mate as Liko gently handed her to Mollie for treatment.
"Come here, I gotcha. It's okay now," Mollie cooed warmly at the female half of the Couple Pokemon in her arms.
"Thank goodness."
"What a relief," grinned a relieved Chansey and Blissey, seeing the male's mate unharmed despite her weakened state.
But, it wasn't over yet as Liko, Sarah, Sprigatito, Tony, and Jessie heard the male Tandemaus continuing to cry out in the tunnel (having tears in his eyes and sounding more frantic than ever), "Children! Children! Can you hear me? Please! Answer me! Children!"
"Hey, what's wrong? Your friend is outside now and Mollie, Chansey, and Sarah's Nurse Pokemon are taking care of her," Liko asked, confused.
But, Sarah gasped in shock as she listened to his cries and told Liko, "Uh... Liko, I have a feeling he and his mate are more than just Tandemaus right now..."
"What do you mean?"
"It's just a hunch but after we found him and his Nadder friend back at the Brave Olivine, I could've sworn I heard him saying 'honey' and 'children'. He sounded desperate and wanted our help involving them and even the male Nadder looked worried for him when I saw his face. Just by that and his current cries, however, I've come to realize that Tandemaus and his mate are more than meets the eye; think about it, if the Pokedex said they're the Couple Pokémon and they're basically husband and wife, what do yet get from couples after they were married?"
"...Babies?"
"Yeah, long story short, we're not dealing with Tandemaus here. We're all trying to rescue Maushold, the Family Pokemon!"
"Maushold?!" Liko blinked in surprise before she looked down the cavern and saw the male Tandemaus continuing to cry out for his and his mate's children. "Does that mean their children must be further down in the cave somewhere?"
Sarah nodded as she theorized, "I think last night's storm must've caused them to be separated from him and his wife. And, the Nadder must've found out what happened to them since they're most likely friends so when he realized they were in trouble, Tandemaus told him everything and they ran off to find help before bumping into us.
She then approached the male Tandemaus and gently rubbed him, getting his attention as she asked him, "Is that how it happened?"
"Yes! Yes, Princess, please! Y-You and your f-friends! Your f-f-family, you must help our kids, too! Please, h-h-help us!" sniffed the male Tandemaus worriedly, tears welling in his eyes and looking like he wanted to cry.
"Liko, Sarah, you two alright in there? We got to go, hurry up!" Mollie called from outside, wondering what was taking them and their group so long to return.
"O-Okay," Liko replied only for her and Sarah to see the male Tandemaus crying out for his children and notice Hatenna squeaking nervously, "Hatenna, this is scary. Maybe, you should leave now."
She gently took Hatenna off her hoodie and placed her towards the cave entrance, allowing the Calming Pokémon to slowly walk out into the open to rejoin Mollie, Chansey, and the others. Sarah could tell that her Ralts Twins felt the same as she noticed them shivering and sniffing sadly from the Male Tandemaus' sorrow and fear for his children's safety.
"Tony, Jessie, join Hatenna. She needs all the company she can get," she told them, having them look at each other before following Hatenna out of the cavern.
Realizing how badly the male Tandemaus still needed their help despite knowing his mate was okay now, Liko told Mollie on her and Sarah's behalf (just as Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie came out), "Mollie, we might not be done here! Tandemaus' kids might still be down in this cave! Sarah and I are going with him to find them!"
"What, kids? Liko! Sarah, wait! Come back! It's too dangerous!" Mollie gasped in response.
"We'll be right back!"
With that, Liko, Sarah, and Sprigatito joined the male Tandemaus to search for his and his mate's children while Mollie, Chansey, the little princess' Nurse Pokémon, Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie along with Toothless, Stormfly, Hiccup, and Astrid to watch over the female Tandemaus and wait for them to return.
"And, now, they're gone," Astrid commented with a small gripe before the Nadder crooned with concern for his friend before he sniffed the group and toddled off to what appeared to be the far right side of the cavern (something only Toothless and Stormfly noticed).
As for Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie, they looked back at the cave, feeling concerned for their human mothers and Sprigatito. While they were sensitive to high emotions as what the male Tandemaus went through after he called out to his children and stressed himself out for their safety, they wanted to help the male half Couple Pokemon, his mate, Liko, and Sarah. Looking at each other and sharing a determined nod, they looked to Chansey and Blissey with a request.
"Auntie Chansey!" Hatenna called to Chansey. "Egg, need egg, please!"
"Happy Egg?"
"Please, Auntie Blissey?" Tony and Jessie concurred as they looked at Blissey.
"Oh? Hmm, alright," Chansey nodded.
"Our eggs? Why, of course, but why would you want them to begin with?" Blissey agreed, looking confused as the two Happiness Pokémon handed the Calming and Emotion Pokémon their eggs.
Hearing this, Mollie saw her partner and Blissey giving the trio their eggs and realized what they were doing, "Chansey, what's up? Oh! You're all taking the eggs to Liko, Sarah, and the Pokémon?"
Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie nodded in confirmation and the traveling doctor gave them two towels to carry the eggs with, "Okay, little ones. Good luck, we're counting on you. But, be careful."
"Yes, M'am."
"We will," the trio saluted.
At the same time, soon after Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie left with Chansey and Blissey's eggs, they were unknowingly followed by Rosie, Crest, and Chili (the three of them wanting to help Sarah, Liko, Mollie, and their group to assist the male Tandemaus, his mate, their children, and his Nadder friend as they tailed them from the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft). Realizing what Sarah and Liko were doing and despite knowing that they can't just do nothing apart from waiting for them, the male Tandemaus, and Sprigatito, as soon as the three Psychic Types entered the cave and the others had their backs turned, the evolved Paldea Starters crept past them and squeezed inside the opening as quietly as they could (although Crest and Rosie had to help Chili by pulling her inside after they went through once she got stuck).
But, their sneak-about didn't go unnoticed as Audino (thanks to her hearing) looked back slightly after hearing them enter the cave as did Mollie. Despite that (and the fact they could get into trouble for their stowaway act), they smiled and said nothing, knowing Liko and Sarah needed all the help they could get.
Inside the cave, the male Tandemaus led Sarah, Liko, and Sprigatito to where his children were as he kept crying out for them (hoping they would hear him the further down they went) until they came up to a fork leading them to two different pathways.
Liko looked between the tunnels but didn't know which path to take as she mused, "Two tunnels, two different passageways... But, which way do we go to get to Tandemaus' children?"
"Children! Chil...!" the male half of the Couple Pokémon shouted only to collapse suddenly (he and his Nadder friend had brought them, Mollie, the rest of their Pokémon, Hiccup, Astrid, Stormfly, and Toothless while they were still ill and bruised BEFOREhe was fully healed, complicating his own health as a result).
"Ah! Tandemaus!" Liko cried in alarm before they rushed over to him and Sarah gently picked up the tiny Normal Type in her arms and felt his forehead.
"He's burning a fever, he didn't do himself any favors by rushing off before he could be fully healed," Sarah frowned worriedly. "We need Mollie and her supplies to heal him fast before his fever grows and his body deteriorates but we left them and the others at the cavern entrance."
"Mama! Mama!"
The girls and Sprigatito turned back after hearing Hatenna's voice and they were surprised to see her, Tony, and Jessie arriving with Chansey and Blissey's eggs in tow.
"Hatenna!"
"Tony, Jessie, what are you three doing here?" they asked until they noticed the eggs they brought with them, running past the group until they came to the fork.
Realizing they didn't know which way to go to find out where the male Tandemaus' children were (as they wanted to give them and him the eggs from Chansey and Blissey to help them heal), they looked in both directions and began to whimper slightly.
"Easy, you guys, calm yourselves. Use your heads and follow your hearts but trust your instincts, too," Sarah soothed.
"Hatenna, you don't have to do this," Liko gently said to Hatenna.
The three Psychic Types, however, were still determined to help despite their sensitivity and weren't about to call it quits just yet. After nodding to each other, Tony and Jessie used their horns in conjunction with Hatenna's psychic power and her feelers to sense where the male Tandemaus' children were from the strength of their emotions. Eventually, when they found out where they were, they all pointed to the tunnel from their group's right.
"The right tunnel?" Sarah asked.
"They must've sensed something over there but..." Liko mused before the pair shared a determined look and replied, "Alright."
"We're with you."
Proceeding with caution, Sarah (still holding onto the male Tandemaus), Liko, and Sprigatito followed their young Psychic Types down the right tunnel before they came to a small area where they saw two tiny Tandemaus lying on a slab of rock. The two best friends were shocked as they quickly realized the two new Tandemaus before them were none other than the older Tandemaus' children. Their presence proved they weren't dealing with a group of wounded Tandemaus but a wounded Maushold (specifically, a rare Family of Four).
"There! And, there's two of them!" breathed Liko as she looked the younger and smaller Maushold over. "It's okay, we're gonna get you all out of here."
"I was right... They are a Maushold; I'll admit, I didn't expect to find a Family of Four living here. They're much rarer than a Family of Three in Paldea," Sarah blinked, looking on in surprise at the Tandemaus' children.
Suddenly, the two girls heard a crackling noise and looked up to find part of the rock cave's ceiling starting to crack before some rocks came down on top of them.
"Ah! Look out!"
"Incoming!" they panicked as they covered the Maushold with their bodies before Sprigatito fired off Leafage to blast the rocks away and prevent them from crashing down on them.
"That was close!" Sarah sighed.
"Great job, Sprigatito, thanks!" smiled Liko to her Paldea Starter.
Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie were able to protect themselves and the eggs but they were shaken up from the cave-in, prompting Liko to comfort them as she said, "We know you're scared, you three, but everything's gonna be alright. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore."
She looked back at her partner as she gently licked her left hand, telling the Grass Cat Pokémon, "Thanks again for the save, Sprigatito."
But, Sarah looked worriedly ahead of them as she pointed at the path they went through and told Liko, "Uh, Liko, it might be a little early for us to celebrate us surviving that cave-in and finding the Maushold. Look."
Liko looked over, and to her horror, she saw that the path they came from was blocked off (with the situation being made worse by all three Maushold now looking even worse for wear as they were getting weaker and weaker), "Oh, no, when the rocks caved in, they blocked our way out. Sprigatito saved us from getting hurt but now we're stuck with no other way out. And, on top of that, the Maushold seemed weaker than before..."
"Mama, eggs," Hatenna cooed as she, Tony, and Jessie presented the young girl and the little princess with Chansey and Blissey's eggs.
"Oh, yeah! Maybe eating a little bit of Chansey and Blissey's eggs will help. They'll perk them right up," the young girl grinned, the pair presenting the eggs to the Family Pokémon only for them to not respond as they discovered they were too weak to eat them. "They're not eating the eggs, they must be too weak to eat them..."
"Liko?" Sprigatito meowed, wondering what they should do.
"Uh, don't worry, it'll be okay!" Liko reassured her partner despite her continued worries as she fearfully mused, "If they can't eat on their own, then we have to find a way to help them before it's too late..."
Sarah remained silent as she also had no idea what to do; Mollie still had her medical bag, her Nurse Pokémon were with her and Chansey, and she left her stuff back at the Dragon Craft.
Feeling the distress and worry of their human mother and her friend, Tony and Jessie cooed at the weakened Maushold before they approached the trio, moving their small hands in front of them as they focused their psychic energies and tried to use a Pokémon move to heal them.
Sarah noticed this and blinked at them, realizing what they were trying to do, "Tony, Jessie... You're...are you trying to-?"
Liko watched Tony and Jessie and gasped, recalling when Hatenna became inspired by Chansey and Blissey performing Heal Pulse on Shuckle's rear left leg and tried to do it herself.
"Maybe... It just might work," she thought in realization before she turned to her Calming Pokémon, telling her, "Hatenna, can you try to use Heal Pulse on them?"
Hatenna looked at her human mother in surprise before she noticed the tiny Emotion Pokémon twins, seeing them trying to learn Heal Pulse to save their new friends. At that moment, she became determined and after she joined the pair, they raised and lowered their arms up and down together to concentrate their psychic energies and learn Audino, Chansey, and Blissey's healing move. It took them two failed attempts before their arms started to give off a bright lime-green light, feeling a new healing energy coming from them and reaching the Maushold.
At the same time, Tony and Jessie shone brightly before Sarah, Liko, and Sprigatito's eyes in a familiar blue light. When the light died down, they were transformed into two identical bipedal maiden-like humanoid Pokémon wearing tutu-like features, their bodies remaining white with three ruffles on each side of their waists and now sporting skinny green legs with long pointed feet. Their thin arms now sported two digits on each of them and green hair resembling two ponytails covering much of their faces, reaching their shoulders on either side. And, to top it off, their large red eyes were now visible on either side of their hair and they had flat crimson horns resembling hairpins.
"Ta-Da~!" the newly-evolved Kirlia Twins beamed with pride as they and Hatenna finished using Heal Pulse and the Maushold Father and his two children were back in full health.
"Whoa..." Sarah breathed in stunned awe as she, Liko, and Sprigatito saw the trio of fully healed wild Pokémon formally reunited, jumping up and down and running in circles ecstatically in gratitude to their saviors.
"Wow, look at that! It worked! They're up and about! Hatenna, Tony, Jessie, you're all so amazing, thanks so much!" Liko praised ecstatically, getting a happy coo from Hatenna and a thankful bow from Tony and Jessie.
"Yeah, I think we have you three to thank for saving the Maushold from dying, especially with your new evolution to Kirlia," Sarah added wholeheartedly, seeing how happy and healthy the Maushold were as they then noticed Blissey's egg and chowed down on it to restore their health further (to their delight). "Well, now that that's settled, let's see if we can get out of here, okay?"
"Good idea!" agreed Sprigatito.
"But, how are we gonna do that?" Liko asked the little princess as the group looked back at the blocked entrance, wondering how they should go through it and back out the way they came.
Just as they were about to figure out how to get out of the cave, the girls, Sprigatito, Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie heard a series of curious low purrs coming towards them, making Liko turn and yelp at the owners of the purrs. This was enough for her partner and the Kirlia Twins to get in front of the girls and Hatenna to protect them. But, the Maushold gasped in surprise and happiness as they rushed over to the owners and hissed and squeaked with delight at them.
The owners were revealed to be a quartet of dragons with the first two being a pair of Titan Wing Zipplebacks akin to Mist, Spark, and their parents:
- the male half of the new Titan Wing Zipplebacks shared Barf and Belch's looks and their coloration to a tee but he had a much larger wingspan of 94 ft., stood 141 ft. in length, and extra horns or spikes on him that gave him a more formidable look in battle
- the scales on the female Titan Wing Zippleback are a dazzling gold coloration adorned with intricate spots coupled with a soft cream underbelly, piercing emerald eyes as green as the sea, and a pair of sharp yet elegant horns on her head
The third dragon coming from behind the Zipplebacks with caution was a female Razorwhip akin to Silver (Sarah's female Razorwhip and Skylar's mother) apart from her deep blue eyes.
And, finally, the last dragon with them was a male Monstrous Nightmare with a deep red and orange-scaled scarlet body, his horns and claws in a darkened red hue with bold black stripes running down his neck, back, and tail.
Sarah and Liko were astounded and so were Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie but the Maushold continued to squeak happily at the quartet with the dragons gently purring at them, indicating to the girls that they knew each other for some time.
"Wait, these dragons... Are they, friends of yours?" Liko asked the Maushold who responded with affirmative and happy nods, leaving her even more astonished just as the Razorwhip noticed Liko and crawled towards her.
"Don't do anything stupid, buddy," Sprigatito warned as she eyed the Razorwhip, leaving the dragon to blink at her before it gently nudged her and made her freeze up for a moment.
It then turned its blue eyes towards Liko and Hatenna (who squeaked in surprise at the dragon) as the Calming Pokémon gulped, "...Mama?"
"Uh, hi..." Liko began awkwardly, making the Razorwhip coo curiously at her and waddle over as she whispered to her best friend, "...Sarah, the dragon's coming at me...!"
"Then, you should let the dragon come to you," Sarah reassured as quietly as she could, quickly recognizing the Razorwhip's body language.
"How do you make friends with a dragon?!"
"Just put your hand out and let it do the rest."
Liko watched the dragon continue to eye her curiously as Sarah continued to watch its behavior and body language. Just by how it was reacting to the young girl and her Pokémon, the little princess saw that the Razorwhip didn't have much or no contact with humans for an inconceivable amount of time (since a majority of Razorwhips naturally don't trust humans or other dragons). And, as she watched the Zipplebacks and the Monstrous Nightmare conversing with the Maushold, she felt the same could be said for those dragons which explained why they were so docile to them, Sprigatito, Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie and got along with the Family Pokémon extremely well.
"...I-I-It's okay. Um, I-I, I won't hurt you," Liko stammered as she reached out to the Razorwhip with her left hand and looked away slightly, closing her eyes as she did.
The Razorwhip blinked at her again but it then gently touched her hand with its snout, getting her attention and making her smile after a short while (as the young girl realized she had just befriended a dragon from Berk's Sharp Class and the Razorwhip before her is now officially her dragon). Hatenna also smiled at the Razorwhip, quickly befriending it as she reached out with her left arm and it gently touched her as well and cooed warmly.
"Phew... Okay, that was...intriguing. Scary, yes, but it was amazing. I can't believe I made friends with an actual dragon," the young girl mused with delight before she looked back at the blocked cavern corridor. "Now, the only question is how do we get out of here? Sprigatito may have saved us last time but if we have another cave-in..."
The young girl's prayers for a miracle were soon to be answered as the group heard a squawk coming from the other side of the blockade and the sound of fire being shot, making Liko blink in surprise as she saw who their saviors were once they broke through.
Meanwhile, back outside in the forest, Mollie, Chansey, Blissey, Wigglytuff, Audino, and the female Tandemaus belonging to the Maushold were joined by Friede, Charizard, Roy, Dot, Orla, Murdock, Fuecoco, Quaxly, Sarah's (blood and adopted) human family, Persian, Mischief, the Tomoe Squad, Silvally, Curly, Blitz, Cap, Metagross, Ludlow, Shuckle, Pawmi, Nosepass, Snorunt, Nebby, Nebula, Solar, Athena, Robbie, Bella, the Circle of Twelve, Lazuli, Timburr, Roggenrola, Woobat, Galaxagus, and Panthera along with Ash, Mallow, Lillie, Lana, Kiawe, Gladion, Sophocles, Nemona, Arven, Penny, Team Star, the Blueberry Academy students, and their Partner Pokémon.
When they had gotten wind of the situation, the others joined Mollie, her partner, and Sarah's Nurse Pokémon to shift the trees and clear the cavern opening for Sarah, Liko, and their group to return after finding the rest of the Maushold (the situation made all the more urgent when they heard the cave-in even though they were far from it).
Knowing they had no time to lose, the heroes quickly fastened some rope they brought along to the tree and got into groups to move it out of the way.
"Everybody ready?" Friede called once he checked that the knots to the ropes tied to the tree were tight enough.
"Yeah/Yes/Ready!" the others called as they prepared to pull.
"All hands on deck!" Cap signaled, overseeing the rescue operation.
"One, two, and three! Now, pull!"
Straining hard, the heroes and Zodiacs pulled on the ropes with all their might, using every ounce of their combined strength to move the fallen tree. Thankfully, they moved the tree easily, knowing that they were one step closer to finding the young girl, the little princess, and the Pokémon with them.
"We did it, we moved it!" Roy grinned.
"Liko, Sarah!"
"Children!"
"Are you in there?"
"Hang on, you two!"
"We're coming!" Mollie, Chansey, Audino, Blissey, and Wigglytuff called, they and the female Tandemaus preparing to enter.
"Hey, we're over here!"
The heroes gasped in shocked surprise as they turned to their left and there, standing before another opening, were Liko and Sarah with the male Nadder (with Rosie, Chili, and Crest on his back), Tony, Jessie, and the young girl's Razorwhip (who carried the three Maushold, Sprigatito, and Hatenna atop its back). They were dirty and a little scuffed from their makeshift exit but for the most part, they were thankfully unharmed.
"Liko, Sarah!"
"Sweetie/Baby girl/Princess!"
"Sis!" Mollie, Delilah, Doug, Tsukumaro, and Asha shouted in relief as the traveling doctor, Chansey, and the Nurse Pokémon rushed over to the pair.
"You two had me worried sick!"
"Us, too!" Blissey, Audino, and Wigglytuff added as the quartet tightly hugged the girls.
"N-Not so tight!" Liko squeaked from Mollie's hug.
"We're okay, girls, really," Sarah reassured, making them break off their hugs and worry for them again.
"Wait! You're not injured, are you?"
"Nah, we're completely fine, no harm done. And, believe it or not, these little guys are in one piece, too," the little princess told Mollie as the three remaining Maushold looked at her and blinked.
"We're okay and them, too."
"All's well that ends well," Sprigatito and Hatenna added cheerfully, getting happy and agreeing nods and grins from Tony and Jessie.
"That's great! I'm so glad to hear that."
"Glad you're not dead," Quaxly agreed with a relieved smile.
"I searched the entire area after Mollie called us and this was the only entrance I could find. How did you two get out of the cave?" Friede pondered to the girls.
Liko giggled as she gestured to the male Maushold and his and his mate's children atop her Razorwhip's back and the yellow Nadder, "It was all thanks to these guys."
(Flashback)
The girls heard a squawk from the other side of the rocks as they tried to figure out how to get out of the cavern before they began to hear the sound of fire being shot at the rocks.
The rocks soon heated up, glowing a bright red, orange, and yellow glow from their cracks as they started to melt, making Liko gasp, "What's happening?!"
Thinking they would be attacked by an enemy from the other side, the Razorwhip, Sarah, Sprigatito, the Monstrous Nightmare, and the Kirlia Twins placed themselves in front of the Maushold, Liko, and Hatenna to protect them. But, just before they could jump the intruder, the rocks finally melted into a pool of lava, and on the other side of it was the yellow Deadly Nadder with Chili, Rosie, and Crest alongside him from either side.
"YAY! I found you! I finally found you!" he cheered.
"Mom/Ms. Liko!" Sarah's Paldea Starters added with relieved smiles.
"Hey!"
"It's you!"
"It's the Deadly Nadder!"
"Rosie, Chili, Crest! What are you all doing here?!" gasped Sprigatito, Hatenna, Liko, and Sarah in surprise and amazement.
"Rescuing you, of course!" Chili grinned at them.
"With our new friend here!" added Crest.
"Now, come on! We're digging out of this storm-stricken death trap!" Rosie finished.
Understanding what they were getting at, the Razorwhip smiled and nodded in agreement, gently using its prehensile tail to lift the girls onto its back and Sprigatito and Hatenna joined them. The Maushold agreed and shared their sentiments as they stood before the group on another part of the cavern. Then, with all their might, they dug their way through the rock with Scratch, essentially creating the new exit they would go through to reunite with their family and friends.
(End Flashback)
"And, that's what happened," finished Liko, grateful for the Maushold, the Nadder, and their help.
"They did that along with Rosie, Chili, and Crest?! That's incredible!" Roy grinned before he looked at the Razorwhip. "So, this dragon here, does that mean...?"
Liko giggled, "Yeah, I guess so."
"Yeah, but last I saw him, he could barely move," Mollie noted, looking at the older male Maushold.
"Hatenna just learned how to use Heal Pulse and Sarah's Ralts did the same and then, well..." Liko replied, turning to the Kirlia Twins as they came forward and waved at their family and friends.
"They evolved?"
"Yaaaaaaay!" grinned Nebby and Nebula.
"Nice going, kids," James nodded.
Stormfly couldn't be happier for the yellow Nadder as she walked over to the younger Juvenile dragon and nuzzled him, getting a nuzzle and a loving smile from him in response.
Tuffnut and Ruffnut then looked at the green Titan Wing Zippleback and gasped before they grinned broadly, running over to them as they shouted, "Sparks/Spew!"
The Viking Twins hugged their heads as the dragon smiled and nudged at them with a happy hiss and they continued, "It's been so long, you great two-headed lummox!"
"So, this is where you've been hiding out nowadays, huh?"
"You know, Stormfly, I had a feeling you knew that Nadder but not once did I realize he was part of your own species. You must like him like him a lot if you're so chummy with the little guy," Astrid chuckled at her dragon.
The others were surprised as Murdock questioned the three Vikings, "You mean you three know those dragons there?"
"We don't know the golden yellow Nadder but Sparks and Spew, yes; we met him during our days in Sarah's Ranger Academy and after getting to know him, Ruffnut and Tuffnut named him themselves on the spot," the Tomboy Viking answered as Barf and Belch happily reunited with their and their riders' old friend.
"Stormfly, do you know anything about this Nadder?" Sarah asked, looking at Astrid's Nadder.
Stormfly gave her fellow Nadder a loving smile before she looked at Sarah and answered, "Know him? He's my little brother, Pincher! I never saw him again in our world during the Dragon Wars and I hoped he was alive but I thought he'd be living here of all places!"
Sarah's jaw dropped in shock, prompting Astrid to ask, "What'd she say, Sarah?"
"...He's Stormfly's little brother."
In a moment of shock akin to that shared by Krilin, Bulma, and Master Roshi from Episode 2 of Dragon Ball Z over Goku's reveal of his son, the heroes all balked in absolute shock over Stormfly having family in the form of her little brother as they gasped or shouted, "...HER BROTHER/HER BROTHER/HER BROTHER?!"
"Pretty wild, huh?" Stormfly purred, looking at her shocked rider (who was virtually unaware for the past two years that she even had a remaining blood family member within her species despite meeting her mate and hatchlings the previous Christmas).
"How'd he get here?!"
"We had no idea Stormfly even had a little brother all this time!" Snotlout and Zenna gawked, still in shock.
Fishlegs pondered for a moment as he looked at Pincher, Sparks, Spew, the Razorwhip, and the Monstrous Nightmare before he theorized, "Hmm, this may be a stretch but I think there might've been some dragons who had been lucky enough to escape from the Red Death and her wrath during the Dragon Wars. Stormfly's brother must've been one of them after they were separated during that time. I think he found himself in Sarah's world soon after and landed in Paldea given how close the region and the Barbaric Archipelago were geographically so knowing he would somehow be picked out, he went into hiding. Not sure how Sparks and Spew ended up here in the cavern after we last saw them at the Ranger Academy, though, and I got nothing on the Razorwhip and the Monstrous Nightmare."
"Well, Astrid, I guess this means you got two Nadders in the house on your end," Hiccup chuckled jokingly to the Tomboy Viking.
"And, by how close that little fella is to her, Liko's got herself a dragon," grinned Friede, seeing the Razorwhip gently nuzzling Liko.
The male Monstrous Nightmare looked at the heroes but his attention was soon drawn to Roy and he gently approached him, curious about the young adventurer who blinked in surprise at him.
"Hey, what's big guy doing?" Murdock asked cautiously.
"Oh, uh... Hi," Roy greeted nervously as the Monstrous Nightmare drew closer, the young adventurer not knowing what to do.
Hiccup smiled knowingly at him and he joined the young boy, instructing him how to befriend the Stoker Class dragon, "Just hold out your hand to him, like this."
Carefully, and through a repeat of his moment of truth with Hookfang and Snotlout two years ago, Hiccup guided Roy by having him reach out his hand to the proud and fearless dragon until he touched the Monstrous Nightmare's snout and he gave him a gentle, accepting purr.
"Whoa...!" Roy breathed in amazed awe.
"He's all yours, Roy," Hiccup smiled proudly.
"Wow, really? He's mine...?"
The male half of Berk's former Viking underdogs nodded in confirmation, and a moment after, the young adventurer smiled broadly and began to cheer loudly, excited over the prospect of having a dragon of his own with Fuecoco joining in the fun and quickly becoming fast friends with the dragon.
As with Fuecoco and the Monstrous Nightmare after the latter officially became Roy's dragon, Liko's Terapagos, Larmina, Garnet, and Topaz (who tagged along with the heroes in the rescue mission) greeted Liko's Razorwhip as they joined the young girl and the little princess. The two could only smile at each other as they watched the four Tera Pokémon coo and babble at the docile Sharp Class dragon happily while it tilted its head curiously at them.
"...Looks like we have three new Junior Riders with those two and Dot's Featherhide," Zenna sighed warmly, realizing that Liko, Roy, and Dot all have dragons now with the arrival of the new Monstrous Nightmare and Razorwhip following one of the Featherhides choosing Dot as his caretaker and rider.
"Well, if those two are gelling well with Liko and Roy, I don't see any reason to let them go. What do you say, Cap? Shall we invite them to join the roster?" Friede smiled before turning to his partner for his thoughts.
Cap hummed thoughtfully as he looked between Liko and her Razorwhip, Roy and his brand new Monstrous Nightmare, and Dot with her Featherhide riding on her head. Thinking back to the trouble the Explorers had given him and the others as well as how they could benefit from the arrival of the new dragons, Sparks and Spew, and Pincher, along with more fun times for everyone on the go, he can't deny that having Roy's Monstrous Nightmare along with Sparks and Spew could give the heroes a more intimidating presence against them. He also thought that the Razorwhip's sharp tail and Pincher's magnesium breath could allow them to help Orla with the Brave Olivine's repairs and maintenance (which was a bonus since the latter is family to Stormfly so he didn't want to bother separating them even if he tried). The Brave Olivine captain also couldn't deny the fact that it was all of them who helped Liko, Sarah, Hatenna, and the Kirlia Twins save the rest of the Maushold and get them out of the cave with assistance from Chili, Rosie, and Crest.
At last, Cap smirked and nodded, telling Friede, "Aww, why not? Bring 'em on board, Pal."
Friede chuckled as he declared to everyone, "Our dragon friends and Stormfly's brother officially get the Cap Seal of Approval to join the crew!"
Roy and Liko were delighted as they cheered and the young girl turned to Hatenna, "Hatenna, it's thanks to you, Tony, and Jessie that we're all back together, the Maushold are safe and reunited, Stormfly is with her brother again, and Roy and I got new dragons along with a few new members of our crew! Thanks so much!"
"Aww, Mama," Hatenna replied with a bashful smile, appreciating her human mother's thanks while Tony and Jessie turned to her and nodded warmly in reply.
The others had no objections as they smiled at the new dragons and warmly welcomed them into the group with James commenting with a small smile, "Oh, well, I guess they'll fit in well with the Rising Volt Tacklers than us, anyway."
Dusk fell by the time the heroes departed the forest and Liko's Razorwhip, Roy's Monstrous Nightmare, Pincher, and Sparks and Spew along with the reunited Maushold were making themselves at home in the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft.
Upon returning to the heroes' respective aircraft now that the matter was over, they and the Maushold were greeted by the rest of the Pokémon and the other dragons including Dart, Pouncer, Ruffrunner, Zap, Splattertail, Goggles, Crescent, Skylar, Pearl, Diamond, Amethyst, Pyre, Wildfire, Sunset and Flora (the latter all 3 years old with Skylar being able to see by this point as her vision improved). The younger dragons were shocked to meet Pincher as they and their parents also didn't know of Stormfly having a long-lost brother from her own species but they took to him warmly and happily chatted and played with him after they became acquainted with him.
The older dragons also greeted Liko's Razorwhip and Roy's Monstrous Nightmare warmly and mingled with them while Sparks and Spew took time to catch up with their old friends on what they had been doing since their and their riders' days at the Ranger Academy.
With Mollie, Liko, Chansey, Sprigatito, and Hatenna, they checked on the Maushold to see if they were still in good health despite everything that happened to them since the morning. As the other Pokémon completed their check-ups, the traveling doctor thanked Blissey, Wigglytuff, and Audino for their help and allowed them to return to Sarah for a well-earned rest. Tony and Jessie, on the other hand, decided to stay a little longer to help look after the Maushold before they would return to the little princess.
However, the beginning of the first night became chaotic with the Rising Volt Tacklers' new Pokémon as the Maushold ran around the medical bay to avoid having a check-up with Mollie, Hatenna, Tony, Jessie, and Chansey chasing the Normal Type family all over to catch them and make sure they don't cause any trouble.
"Hey! Come back here! Quit running around! I'm still not done with your check-up yet!" the traveling doctor snapped as she, Hatenna, Chansey, Tony, and Jessie continued to chase them with Liko looking them up on her Rotom Phone's Pokedex and Sprigatito and her Razorwhip looking at the chase before them while the latter lounged about from its right.
"Maushold, the Family Pokemon (Family of Four). A Normal Type, the larger ones protect the little ones during battles while hunting for necessities. When facing strong opponents, the whole group will join in on the fight. Maushold in a Family of Four are rare in contrast to the more common Maushold in a Family of Three."
"Sarah was right; the Pokémon with us now were really Tandemaus but actually Maushold? And, in a rare Family of Four rather than the more common Family of Three found in Paldea," Liko commented.
"Exactly... At the time, while I was so focused on their injuries, the big picture was right there and I didn't see it as she did," Mollie admitted with a smile.
"Well, thanks to Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie, we saved them all and got a whole pack of new friends and Stormfly's brother out of it," Liko replied, smiling back until she noticed that the Maushold had disappeared along with her Razorwhip. "Uh, where did the Maushold go? And, what happened to my Razorwhip?"
"They ran off somewhere, Hatenna, Tony, Jessie, and Chansey are still trying to catch them and your Razorwhip decided to join them to give them a hand at catching the little runaways. Things are gonna get much noisier around here now..."
Mollie was right; as Chansey, Tony, Hatenna, and Jessie continued to chase after the Rising Volt Tacklers' new Pokémon crew members with the help of Liko's Razorwhip, one thing's for certain, there's gonna be quite the party around here for everyone with the inclusion of the Maushold, Pincher, Liko and Roy's new dragons, and Sparks and Spew. And, with them around, things are about to get wilder for everyone.
Occurred Events
- The Rising Volt Tacklers gain two Titan Wing Zipplebacks: Sparks and Spew and Glimmer and Gleam along with Pincher - Stormfly's brother, Char - the Monstrous Nightmare and Serrate the Razorwhip as new members of the team
- The Family of Four Maushold join the crew
- Tony and Jessie evolve into Kirla
- Liko's Hatenna learns Heal Pulse
To Be Continued...
