Liko - Our adventure with the Rising Volt Tacklers and the Power Rangers continues! Recently, my pendant turned into a mysterious Pokemon called Terapagos, the same Pokémon in the care of Princess Sarah Tomoe and her husband, Race Konami. However, while their Terapagos were happy living with them, my Terapagos wanted nothing more than to find a legendary paradise called Laqua. To do that, we need to find the final member of Lucius' Six Heroes, their leader and his first partner: Rayquaza, and help Terapagos regain the powers it once had. To solve the mysteries surrounding it and find Rayquaza, we've returned to the Paldea Region!
It was a beautiful summer morning in the Paldea Region as the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft made their way to their next port of call.
Things had indeed become livelier after Stormfly's little brother: Pincher, Sparks and Spew, their Zippleback mates (now named Glimmer and Gleam), Liko and Roy's Razorwhip and Monstrous Nightmare (now christened Serrate and Char respectively), and their reunited Family of Four Maushold friends (who had been saved thanks to Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie), and they were enjoying every minute of their time with them.
With Sarah and Race, the young royal couple were sunbathing as they laid down on the Dragon Craft's sundeck while watching their dragons flying around the ship and the Brave Olivine:
- Skystorm and Flystorm carefully watched over Pearl, Amethyst, and Diamond as their daughters mimicked their graceful flying, their multi-colored scales catching the sunlight and letting out bright blue, purple, and yellow lights. The eldest of them, Pearl, soared through the skies with her confidence on full chat while Amethyst and Diamond playfully chased each other as they flew alongside her
- Bolt, Peacock, and Red and Blue followed as Peacock chirped and twirled around in the early morning sky
- Sunset and Sunflare flew alongside the former's parents as their wings produced a rhythmic beat in the gentle morning breeze
- Silver spiraled with grace around them and Crescent glided alongside his parents with ease as was the case with Pyre and Wildfire
- Skylar was happily chirping as she weaved through the air with extreme precision, enjoying her newfound sight now that she was three (meaning that from that point on, she'll have no trouble flying blind)
- Even Pyrrah and Avel were enjoying themselves as they gleefully followed along, the growing Storm Dragon taking time to practice his magical abilities as he drew in magical energy from the sky to generate and shoot lightning from his mouth and body as Aegis and the Night Lights and Voltage and his mother had done
"I had a feeling you'd be hanging around here on a nice day like today," Lazuli quipped as she, Stardust, and the Circle of Twelve arrived, the swordswoman in a gymnast's uniform and a towel around her neck as she completed a morning's kung fu training session with Hu and Mistral. "So, what's with your winged fangs, kiddo? Any big project involving them today?"
Sarah pulled down her sunglasses slightly and eyed Lazuli as she said, "Nothing yet today, I thought Race and I should give our dragons and some of our mythicals some fresh air before we reach the next town."
"Well, don't stay out in the sun for too long unless you want to get sunburned," Rabbit warned as Delilah and Doug appeared from the doorway.
"Sweetie, breakfast is ready!" the Alolan queen called.
"Coming, Mom!"
Soon, after the royal couple called their dragons, Pyrrah, and Avel back and Lazuli took a shower, they reunited with the rest of the little princess' family and friends in the Brave Olivine's briefing/dining room (expanded via Tsukumaro's Undetectable Extension Charm as some of the royal family decided to have breakfast with them for today) with Danny, Danielle, Star, Candy, and Cobalt helping to serve everyone else.
"Well, I hope you got plans for today that don't involve trouble if you're going out with your kiddy friends with this motley crew," Lazuli jabbed jokingly as she helped herself to a tropical fruit bowl consisting of diced mangos, pineapples, and papayas coupled with fluffy coconut milk pancakes topped with tropical fruit.
"Shut up, Lazuli, you're one to talk when it comes to getting into trouble," grumbled Sarah, blushing as her youngsters giggled at her including Petunia and Astraeus while the latter pair babbled at her.
"At least I could keep my head afloat while on my own during those four months without those dorks tailgating me for too long. You've been taking after your parents for too long from what I'm seeing."
"Pft, whatever."
"You know, guys, it's been a while since we came across any ranger powers or Zords."
"Yeah, and apart from Tommy's Dino Gem, his Brachio Zord, the DinoThunder team's auxiliary Zords, and the Celestial Sanctuary Zords at the Crown Tundra during the incident with the Ultra Beasts crossing over from Ultra Space in the Max Area, nothing else."
"And, it won't be long until Lord Zedd makes his move somehow," Mallow, Sophocles, and Kiawe pondered, wondering about their team's own new powers.
"I wonder when and how we'll find our own Cosmic Orbs should our old powers not be enough for him and whatever he has in store."
"Beats me," Ash and Pikachu commented, the future Pokémon Master anxious for him and his and Sarah's team to find their own Cosmic Orbs for their new powers.
"We'll find them; ranger powers aren't found nor made in a day. Besides, I'll need Solon or Nate's help to create your new morphers for them," Sarah reassured them just as Friede and Cap came over to join everyone for breakfast and announce today's plans.
"So, High Flyers, what's the sitch for today?" Lazuli asked the pair.
"The next town we're coming to, Lazuli, is Steelbound Town," Friede replied before turning to Orla, "You want to stop and resupply?"
"Steelbound Town, are you joking?! Just this morning, I was afraid and thought we were running low on spare parts!" the Brave Olivine mechanic chirped excitedly.
"What exactly happens at Steelbound?" asked Liko, curious about what happens in Paldea's industrialized town.
"It's a town famous worldwide for its industrial projects including machines, metalworks, machine components, that sort of thing, you know," Mollie replied.
"Orla and Mollie are right; I've checked the iron supply before breakfast and the Brave Olivine appears to be running out of steel so we'll need to stop by and restock on this essential material for your crew's ship to continue flying for another day or two," added Tai Lung with Guardeon (who he was sitting next to) nodded in agreement.
"Wouldn't hurt for us to stock up as well if we're also running out of steel for the Dragon Craft's body just in case of wear and tear," nodded Amber.
"I see no wonder you're excited."
Ring-Ring-Ring! Ring-Ring-Ring! Ring-Ring-Ring!
Suddenly, the young girl got a phone call from Dot as she requested her and Roy, "If you're going into town, I need a new mic but it has to be a condenser-type cardioid and not an omnidirectional one!"
So, you're asking why Dot needed Roy, Liko, and anybody else going into Steelbound Town to buy her a condenser-type cardioid microphone, correct? Well, while she, Plume, and Quaxly were doing a new Nidothing Livestream earlier, the microphone the young recluse had been using suddenly blew up on her, forcing her to cancel the livestream to assess the damage done to it (the explosion it let out getting Liko's attention as she checked to see if she was alright and walk in on her as she realized how badly her microphone was ruined (while out of her Nidothing suit no less)). The damage was so dire that she would need a new microphone to replace her old one immediately.
"Uh... I had no idea what you just said," Liko stammered awkwardly, not getting Dot's technical talk.
"I'm talking about a microphone! I haven't been able to stream this morning without one and I'm going nuts!"
"I mean... I can look but I don't really, uh... Well, maybe... How about the three of us and a few of Sarah's family and friends go into town together? You know, while we all get the supplies needed for the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft?"
Dot was surprised by the offer and felt uncomfortable as she tried to decline, "Huh? Oh, uh... I, uh...I don't think I can..."
"Come on, Doy, why not? It'll be great, we'll all have a fun time!" Roy agreed, wanting to spend more time in the open with the young recluse as much as Liko would.
Murdock, however, became overprotective of his niece as he fretted on her behalf, "She said she can't! Dot has a lot of things we need to do for her on this ship. There's no way she'll have time to go shopping whether you want her to or not."
"Oh, please, it's not like her leaving this jalopy is the end of the world for her, Bobby Flay. You wanted to hug her tightly and have your kid around 24/7, thinking anything is out to get her like in a game of Doom or Wolfenstein," Sydney snarked at the friendly cook with a smirk as Dot groaned at her uncle (doing her best not to snap after failing to get her Nidothing Livestream underway).
"Where's your kid's sense of adventure, Cake Pants? There's no way anybody could be a helicopter parent for their loved ones forever. Besides, if she wanted to, Dot can ride aboard Plume to get there if she wants; perhaps a day of shopping in town could give them a chance to get to know one another better," Lazuli added, sharing Sydney's snarky attitude and making Murdock frown in annoyance at them (still thinking he has Dot's best interests at heart).
"F-Fly?! W-Well, I-uh... Maybe, I'll just, stick to...uh-hey! Plume, knock it off!" Dot spluttered over the thought of flying on her Featherhide for the first time while her dragon perked at the idea and gently nudged his rider over the need to fly together.
Eventually, the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft arrived on the desert outskirts leading to Steelbound Town as the heroes could see smoke coming from the city's smokestacks (an obvious sign of the town's industrial prowess in the Paldea Region).
"We made it!" Fuecoco squeaked.
"Ah! There it is, you can see the machine exhaust from here!" Roy grinned as he pointed at the smoke just as Dot, Quaxly, and Plume arrived with the Duckling Pokémon riding aboard Plume's back (much to the surprise of the entire Brave Olivine crew including her uncle).
"Dot?" Liko asked in surprise.
"You said 'Come on.', so I'm going," she replied, deciding to take a chance and go shopping with everyone else (with Plume happily nodding in agreement over the opportunity to fly with his rider and her partner and spend some quality time with them).
(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)
Inside Steelbound Town's industrial layout, Liko, Roy, Dot, Plume, Serrate, Char, Sarah, and Lazuli along with Hu, Mistral, and Sydney (in their human forms) were able to find a shop selling technical equipment including the condenser-cardioid microphone the young recluse needed for her livestreams easily. Obviously, Dot was pleased that she decided to join everyone else in their shopping spree in the end as this meant she had what she needed to continue her Nidothing videos and livestreams with no further trouble.
"We're glad you came with us and found the mic you wanted, Dot," Liko smiled, happy for Dot and her new microphone.
"Let's see what other goodies we might be able to find," Dot noted as she and the others went to find other things in town to shop for.
"As long as Sydney doesn't shoplift us out of the place, we're in the clear."
"We'll be having a leash on him throughout this trip for the sake of our sanity, Master," Hu and Sarah bantered as everyone followed Dot.
"No shit, Sherlock," Lazuli sighed knowingly.
"I wonder where we're going now."
"I think we're supposed to follow, really," Roy and Liko pondered.
Eventually, the group came over to a shopping district selling and sporting vintage equipment and goods for those looking to find some old-fashioned pieces and those looking for anything nerdy including internet videos and livestreams.
"Whoa, what is this place?" Roy gasped in awe and amazement at the business district.
"It's some kind of vintage shopping district, this is where the shopkeepers here sell all the nerdy stuff," Dot explained, eager to look for specialized equipment she could use for her Nidothing videos and livestreams.
"That sounds awesome!"
"Let's go take a look!" Roy and Liko grinned eagerly as Quaxly, Fuecoco, and Sprigatito happily went off with the young adventurer, the young girl, and their dragons following suit, leaving Mistral to join them so they don't get lost.
"And, they're gone," Rosie quipped as she, Crest, and Chili decided to tag along for the trip and help their human mother out with the group's shopping spree.
"Here we go again."
"What a bunch of oddballs," commented Chili and Crest with amused sighs as they and Rosie shrugged.
"Hey, wait a second! Don't just-! ...Those two are always running off," Dot smiled with a sigh.
"Energetic, very energetic," Plume agreed, sharing her sentiments.
"Hmm, well, if specialized equipment is right up this district's alley, I guess it won't hurt to find some things to reuse," Sarah said as she brought out her wand and conjured a shopping wagon for herself.
Dot was confused as she turned to the little princess and asked, "Resue for what?"
"Oh, just to continue working on weapons and gadgets for offense and defense for my friends and I or something useful to add to my morphers. This includes my Cosmic Morpher since I still need to learn more about it. With a little help from Aurora, Shade, and the Fox Brothers, I'm sure I'll make what we need before Lord Zedd strikes again."
"Shade... You mean that tuxedo kitten from several weeks ago? She creates things herself?"
"Yep; out of the four kittens in the Cat Pack, Shade's always the more tech-savvy one, unlike Wild, Leo, and Rory. Since they're the brains behind their respective groups, I figured Penny and Sophocles would do with some of the equipment I'm buying. They're kinda like you but with my Uva and Blueberry Academy classmates and my old friends now that I think about it."
Dot just smiled, "I see..."
Before long, Sarah, Dot, Plume, Hu, Sydney, Rosie, Crest, and Chili managed to reunite with Liko, Roy, Quaxly, Fuecoco, Mistral, and Sprigatito as they looked through the stands with the little princess looking through and getting some old items up for sale to reuse and upcycle later on. She planned to turn them into new weapons and other useful items for herself, her family, and her friends with the Fox Brothers, Aurora, and Shade's assistance should she call them. The Brave Olivine trio's dragons purred at the little knickknacks around them, all curiously wondering what humans did with them.
Liko, Roy, Sprigatito, and Fuecoco shared their curiosity with the two young trainers looking at some old radios and an old TV as they bantered (with Roy being baffled by the equipment he had no idea about before leaving his Kanto island abode), "Roy, come check out this retro TV! Look at how big and bulky it is, I wonder what it looks like inside of there."
"People used to listen to music on stuff like this?"
Dot, in particular, was interested in a small pink and silver microphone and decided to buy it for her videos and livestreams, "Hmm, what's this, is it really...? It might be a good prop for my streams. I'll take this, please."
"You got it," grinned the shopkeeper as Mistral and Hu did their best to prevent Sydney from falling back into his old thieving habits with Rosie, Chili, and Crest's help, eyeing him carefully.
But, just as Dot made her latest purchase, Plume and Quaxly felt something off as they looked around and discovered that Liko, Roy, Sprigatito, and Fuecoco were nowhere to be seen along with Char and Serrate.
"Hey! Guys?" Quaxly asked, looking around.
"Uh, Dot, where'd Liko and Roy go?" Plume chirped to his rider.
"Hey, wait... Liko, Roy?" Dot asked as the group looked around for their curious runaways.
"Aw, man! I can't believe they ditched us after falling for their cat's curiosity!" Lazuli snapped in annoyance as she kicked an empty soda can.
"But, you got to admit this is their first time in Steelbound Town as well as Dot's, really. There's a lot of stuff they had no idea about including all that retro electrical equipment. And, what's more, Roy didn't know the first thing about retro technology including those old TVs and radios since he was mainly an island boy," Sarah soothed, trying to be lenient about Liko and Roy.
"Still, you think by now they would've known better than to go off on their own like that without warning us," Hu sighed incredulously as he facepalmed before the group noticed Miraidon and Serpent coming towards them.
"Oh... Hey, Serpent, Miraidon, what are you doing in town? Aren't you supposed to be back at the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft?" Sarah asked the two futuristic Paradox Pokémon.
"So? We were getting bored after you went to town to do this shopping stuff, you know," replied the brash and blunt female Miraidon.
"So, we decided to join you and have fun helping you after asking Race if we could leave for a bit," Miraidon grinned.
"And, you both got him to let you join us how exactly?"
"...Sandwiches," the pair replied as Miraidon also showed Sarah the puppy-dog eyes he supposedly used on Race earlier and they rubbed their stomachs.
Sarah sighed as she rolled her eyes, "Of course."
"Uh, me again, this is why I wish they wouldn't go running off," Dot said, debating whether or not she should call Liko and Roy.
"Should we really bother calling them at this point?" the swordswoman asked the young recluse as the latter immediately got what she told her.
"...You're right. If I call them right now, it'll make it seem likeI'mthe one who got lost."
"You got to be kidding me! Again?!"
"That metal thing you have there belongs to me!"
The group then heard what sounded like a man and Pokémon arguing and struggling over something they had on them. Curious over what they were fighting about, they decided to see what the matter was as they went down an alley from their right or left until they came across a large factory and found a small Tinkatink fighting with an annoyed steel worker as she tried to grab his wrench. As they listened in on their argument, they could tell that the steel worker sounded very annoyed and was at his wit's end with the Metalsmith Pokémon when he finally got her to let go of his wrench.
"Mine! It's mine! Just let me have it, please?! Come on! Please!?"
"Oh, come on, already! Let go, will ya!? How many times do I have to tell ya?"
"But, I just wanted to make another hammer with that wrench thing! HEY-oof!"
"This metal is ours! You can't just go taking this stuff and making a hammer out of them without permission! Ya listening, you understand?!"
"B-B-B-But, but I just wanted...I-I...!"
"Stop coming around here and making trouble for us just for your own needs, okay?" the man sighed as he left to get back to work, still annoyed despite Tinkatink trying to reach him and crying as she couldn't make a hammer out of his wrench.
"...What was that about?" commented a baffled Miraidon.
"Was that a Tinkatink fighting with that man over his wrench?" Sarah blinked in surprise.
"Looks like it."
"I want to pound that guy but something tells me she must've somehow unintentionally picked a fight with him over the human tool he had in his hands first."
"Yeah," replied Crest, Rosie, and Chili, looking blankly at the Tinkatink.
"Should we go and clobber the moron that did what he did to the poor kid?" Serpent questioned Sarah, eager to give the steelworker a good thrashing.
"I don't think he would be that callous to even a Tinkatink, Serpent. He sounded very annoyed and looked the part when we saw him fighting with her, she must've done something to earn his ire and I think it involved the wrench she tried to steal. I may care for Pokémon a lot but even I have my limits with Pokemon trying to cause trouble for humans for who-knows-what."
Wanting to do something to cheer Tinkatink up, Dot, Quaxly, and Plume approached the little Metalsmith Pokémon and gave her the hammer she dropped while trying to catch up to the steelworker before tripping on a small rock.
"Is this yours?" Dot asked her as she returned the hammer and Tinkatink sniffed before looking at her in surprise. "Are you alright?"
Tinkatink stared at her for a moment before she remembered her hammer and quickly snatched it from her as she said, "Mine!"
Dot, Plume, and Quaxly didn't know what to think until Tinkatink looked at the young recluse's shopping bag and noticed the new pink and silver microphone she bought from the shopkeeper she and her group visited. Her eyes twinkled at the sight of it as she imagined what her new favorite hammer would look like if she had it in place of the one she had been carrying (since she didn't seem satisfied with her current one with how crooked and unkempt it was).
Without warning, and after a moment, Tinkatink quickly snatched the microphone and began bashing away at it to make it into her new hammer, surprising Dot, Plume, and Quaxly as the young recluse cried, "Hey, wait! What are y-I just bought that mic!"
"Well now, I'd say you made that Tinkatink's day with your second mic, Dot," Sarah chuckled as she and the rest of their group joined the trio and smiled at Tinkatink.
"Huh, did you say 'Tinkatink?'" Dot echoed as she took out her Rotom Phone and scanned her. "Let's see."
"Tinkatink, the Metalsmith Pokémon. A Fairy and Steel Type, it pounds scraps of metal to make a hammer. It remakes the hammer over and over again until it's satisfied with the results."
Dot was surprised when she heard this as she watched Tinkatink hard at work turning her microphone into her new hammer, "She's turning my mic into a hammer?"
While everyone else smiled at Tinkatink as she bashed and shaped Dot's second microphone into her new hammer (exactly as she would've imagined it), the young recluse couldn't help but admire how hard she was working with her newfound favorite possession. Even though she found it odd for a Pokémon such as Tinkatink to be so dedicated to crafting something perfect in her mind such as a simple hammer, she was rather impressed by her determination to perfect her craft once she put her mind to it after snatching her new mic.
"Hmm, good luck with that. What a goofball," she commented, impressed.
"Maybe."
"She is dedicated, though," replied Quaxly and Plume, sharing her sentiments.
"Dot!"
"Sarah!"
At that moment, while Tinkatink continued to work on perfecting her new hammer, the group heard Liko and Roy calling for them after they realized they had forgotten about them and the others. The group was unsure of leaving Tinkatink to her new hammer but despite their better judgment, they decided it would be best to leave her be and rejoin the others. So, they left her to it with Sarah quietly giving her a few treats in case she was hungry and Plume looking back at her with a gentle purr before he caught up with the others when he trailed from behind.
Tinkatink did stop for a moment to see Dot, Plume, and Quaxly leaving with their friends, and after briefly thinking about them, she went back to work on her new hammer twice as hard and twice as fast. It was as if something inside her changed the moment she first met and came into contact with them through their unintentional act of kindness towards her.
"Where'd you go?!" Roy screamed before Sprigatito meowed, seeing Sarah, Dot, and their party reemerge from the alleyway they went through.
"Where'd we go?" echoed Dot sarcastically as they reemerged.
"And, just where have you two, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Serrate, and Char been earlier?" Sarah questioned bluntly, looking unimpressed despite appreciating their concern.
"W-What do you mean 'Where'd we been?', we thought maybe you'd gotten lost! You all shouldn't run off like that," Liko gulped in reply.
"You sure you're not talking about yourselves?" Lazuli huffed, leaving the two young trainers baffled.
With Tinkatink, moments after Dot, Sarah, and their group left her alone, she had completed her new hammer from Dot's second mic and smiled at how well it turned out as she held it in her left hand in place of her old one, "Ah, there... All done!"
She wanted to show Dot, Quaxly, and Plume her newly finished hammer and thank them for it. But, she quickly remembered that they left her alone to finish her work and return to their friends (whom she heard but dismissed in her metalwork) so she decided to find them herself, taking her old and new hammers with her (after quickly finishing the treats Sarah left for her, of course).
"We're back!" Roy cried gleefully as they returned to the Brave Olivine and Dragon Craft where Friede, Cap, Murdock, Delilah, Doug, Asha, Blitz, Curly, Koraidon, Race, Asha, Proud, Zircon, and Athuisa were waiting.
"DOT, YOU MADE IT! YOU'RE STILL IN ONE PIECE! Did anything happen, you managed to go into town andbuy something all on your own? I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!" Murdock screamed with an uncle's pride as he rushed over to his niece and fussed over her.
"You're way overdoing it," Dot groaned as she shoved him off.
"...Has he...always been like that with her?" Plume asked Quaxly awkwardly.
Quaxly sighed with a smile, "Everyone will tell you the same, he's always such a worrywart for Dot. But, he means well, don't worry."
Sarah winced as she joined her sister, "Reminds me of how Lusamine always babied Lillie throughout my time in the Pokémon School."
"Glad our parents are not like that with us," Asha grimaced in agreement.
"Right! We're throwing a party tonight, what do you want to eat?" Murdock continued, still ecstatic over what Dot had done as everybody boarded the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine.
"I want curry!"
"Second, that sounds great!" Roy and Liko cheered, eager for a curry party.
"Didn't we do curry yesterday?" Dot pointed out.
However, as Char, Plume, and Serrate prepared to join their riders and were greeted by Lazuli's Gengar, the quartet suddenly froze, feeling something was off before they noticed something moving underneath the sand. Plume gave off a curious purr but Char and Serrate growled at what was burrowing from underneath their new home, sensing that whoever was prowling from below was looking for trouble.
"What was that...?" the Ghost Type frowned suspiciously.
On the Brave Olivine's stern, Ludlow was fishing as usual but sagely replied (as his finishing line caught something and it snapped as he pulled, the metal hook on the end having vanished somehow), "The seas are calm but thunder is quietly approaching. Hmm, well now, wait a minute...thunder quietly approaching? I may have to work on this one."
Liko's Terapagos (who was napping behind him) just yawned cutely.
That night, below deck in the Brave Olivine's hold, the Maushold were guarding the new iron Orla bought for the airship (as they wanted to do everything they could to help their new friends/family out in gratitude for saving their lives). Everything seemed nice and quiet until a large shadow crept over the iron pile, scaring them badly as they scampered off before its own began eating away at the new iron.
The next morning, August 13th, Orla was none the wiser as she arrived at the hold, eager to start on the airship's repairs with the new iron she got from Steelbound Town.
"Alright, let's see now, what should I repair first with all the new metal I bought? The water pipes...? No, no, the engine room first," she grinned.
However, when she checked on the new iron she bought, she screamed in horror, "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?"
When everyone came to see what the matter was, they were met with a furious Brave Olivine mechanic as the iron she had bought was eaten to almost nothing (as exemplified by several scraps left behind by the hungry culprit). As they could tell, Orla was steaming mad and was eager to find out who robbed her of the iron for the Brave Olivine's repairs, doing her best to restrain herself from giving someone a right tongue lashing or a nasty beating.
"Alright, people, talk! Who did this?! Promise I'm not gonna get angry!" she barked in a rage.
"You're already pretty angry," Friede pointed out.
Orla didn't care as she grilled the friendly cook, "Murdock, you didn't have to do this to make a new pan or a giant fork or something for yourself, did ya?!"
"What?! Who, me? I-I wouldn't do that! I mean, who would?!" Murdock yelped in bewilderment before she turned to Mollie (who only deadpanned at her).
"Mollie?"
"What do you think Iwould do with a bunch of metal?"
She then glared at Ash (who flinched in response), recalling Melmetal's appetite for steel, "Ash, did your Melmetal sneak into the hold last night for a midnight snack?"
"N-No way! Come on, Orla, I'm sure Melmetal wouldn't do that! He was eating with Lycanroc and the others after we got back!" Ash panicked despite knowing about Melmetal's uncanny appetite for metal and iron.
As Orla grilled everyone else on who ate or stole her iron, Dot, Penny, Sarah, and Arven took the initiative to look at the iron, the quartet looking at the pieces and realizing that it indeed had been eaten, and Melmetal couldn't have eaten it all himself (since he would usually eat iron down to nothing).
"Metal... Could it be...?" Dot puzzled.
She thought back to Tinkatink, knowing she would never do such a thing after seeing her remake the microphone she once bought into her new favorite hammer. Arven and Sarah also had a feeling that it was a Pokémon who was responsible for eating all of Orla's iron (since the little princess and the young recluse told the former's friends about Tinkatink and her new hammer and knew she wouldn't even eat iron despite being a Steel Type in addition to being a Fairy Type). And, after recalling one of the Titans they battled to reach the Spicy Herba Mystica for their sandwiches during Sarah, Race, and Asha's Uva Academy days, they had a good idea who the true culprit was (especially when thinking back to their current location including where they moored for their current stay).
"Hmm, strange... This metal was definitely eaten. But, none of our Pokémon could eat it and from what you told us yesterday, it couldn't have been that Tinkatink from yesterday, could it?" Arven noted (trying to keep everyone else in the dark about his and Sarah's thoughts about the culprit), making Dot and Sarah nod in agreement.
"Someone else has been eating them and Melmetal wouldn't do it since he ate everything down to nothing whenever he's hungry and he's got good control of his hunger from what Ash told us," Penny concurred.
Meanwhile, back outside, Tinkatink climbed aboard the Brave Olivine with her new hammer in tow (having decided to ditch her old hammer along the way). She had managed to follow Dot, Quaxly, Plume, and the others back to the airship and the Dragon Craft, feeling that she'd find the trio in the large aircraft in front of the modern-looking jet to show them the hammer and properly thank them for it.
But, as she looked around, she didn't know where to look for them so she wandered around until she bumped into Muk and ran from him (making themselves scream in fright at each other) and scrambled out of the engine room when Slugma and Carkoal eyed her curiously.
"Hey, Arven, what do you make of this?" Dot called, having the Pokémon Cook, Mabostiff, Penny, and Sarah join her, Plume, and Quaxly as they noticed a hole in one of the hold's walls.
"Whoa, what do you think happened here?" Penny blinked in surprise at the hole.
"Good grief," Quaxly commented.
"How very peculiar," Mabostiff pondered curiously, examining the hole along with Arven.
The Pokémon Cook pondered thoughtfully, "Hmm, interesting... This hole in front of us is definitely a Pokemon's work but there's no way Tinkatink could've made that. If she did, she would've used her new hammer or evolved and it would've changed in size and appearance with her."
"That's true," Quaxly agreed.
With Tinkatink, she hid in a safe place within the airship (i.e. one of its darkened hallways) and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she was safe from any "monsters" that would try to hurt her before she could find Dot. She was just about to continue searching the aircraft for her when she noticed a large shadow being illuminated by one of the lights turned on in the hallway to her right. Moments later, after her fears took her over, she screamed and ran away from the shadow which was actually Metagross and Elekid playing together.
The poor Metalsmith Pokémon continued to run for her life, hoping to find Dot, her partner, and her dragon but didn't look where she was going (given she had closed her eyes and was now praying for the young recluse to find her) before she accidentally bumped into Scorch who was with Crest, Blitz, Bella, Wooloo, and Ponyta to help search for the culprit behind Orla's lost iron (the six Pokémon having come up with nothing with their search becoming fruitless).
"Hmm?" grunted the Rabbit Pokémon before he turned and he and his group noticed the female hammer-happy but shy Metalsmith Pokémon (leaving Crest and his family very surprised at the sight of her). "...Yo."
Tinkatink screamed in fright again, thinking they would want to hurt her, too. Her scream that time managed to get Dot, Quaxly, Plume, Arven, Mabostiff, Penny, and Sarah's attention as they realized she somehow followed the young recluse and thought she was in trouble.
"Tinkatink?"
"Is she...?"Dot and Quaxly gasped in surprise.
"Sounds like she's in trouble," Arven deducted.
"You guys go and find her, tell her everything's alright and there's nothing for her to worry about. I'll stay here and try to piece together what's going on with the chewed-up iron," Sarah decided.
"You sure you're not coming, buddy?"
"Yeah, if the culprit is a Pokémon and it's not Tinkatink from what we've seen, we'd better be ready. I'll ask Flygon, Andres, and Whisker to check on the Brave Olivine's anchor in the meantime."
"Okay," Dot nodded as she, Quaxly, Plume, Arven, Mabostiff, and Penny left the hold.
Knowing that Tinkatink is in safe hands now and they have a lead or two into the case of the missing iron, Sarah activated her Wrist Com and called her team, "Ash, gang, where are you guys?"
"We're in the Dragon Craft's hold right now and no sign of the thief. Thankfully, no one's broken in to take the iron we've bought for its own repairs," Ash informed from the Dragon Craft. "So, how are things in the Brave Olivine, Sarah? Did you and the others find out who or what ate all of Orla's new iron last night?"
"Arven and I have an idea on who or what but it's not the good typeidea nor a friendly Pokémon if you're wondering."
"Roger, Sarah, what should we do should it make its move again?"
"Dot, Arven, and Penny are widening the search on their end with Quaxly, Mabostiff, and Plume's help. In the meantime, I'm gonna honeycomb outside. You guys stay with the Dragon Craft and guard it with your lives should the culprit have it for dinner."
"We're on it," Ash nodded before he ended the call and Sarah went outside, summoning Tommy's Brachio Staff for protection.
Looking around Steelbound Town's desert outskirts and with the Brachio Staff at the ready (after informing Flygon and Gerudeon's children to watch over the Brave Olivine's anchor), the little princess couldn't help but feel uneasy as she scanned the area for any potential Pokémon wanting to cause trouble for her family and friends (mainly the Rising Volt Tacklers after eating all of Orla's newly bought iron from the previous day).
Deciding to check underground for the culprit, Sarah gently rubbed her right hand across the sand before taking a deep breath, tapping into her Sand Manipulation ability (and, by extension, her Seismic Sense and Earth Communication prowess) to sense what was happening underneath the heroes and their respective aircraft. Through her Sand Manipulation and communication with the Earth, she sensed two Orthoworms from within her mind burrowing through the sand as they looked for something to eat. But, while one of them was a moderately-sized Orthoworm, the other was giant-sized which immediately shocked the little princess (who recognized that the larger Orthoworm was none other than the Orthoworm Titan she and Arven battled during their hunt for Paldea's Herba Mystica).
In addition to them, she was surprised to sense something else within the sand. To her growing shock, what she had also found apart from the two Orthoworms eight beings that looked like a pack of giant lions. Through the sand, she could see that the lion-like beings were nothing like the Celestial and Solaris Lion Zords of the Celestial Guardians and the Celestial Rangers as well as Leo, Mufasa, and King given their somewhat sleeker appearance despite sharing King's height.
The little princess quickly pulled her hand back, trying to get over her shock as she mused, "W-What was, that about...?"
Wanting to know more about the giant lions, she placed her right hand on the sand again and telepathically asked the Earth, "Those lions, please... Can you, take me to them?"
The Earth answered her call as she tapped into her Sand Manipulation ability's teleportation power before she vanished, quickly reappearing in a hidden chamber (falling flat on her stomach).
Picking herself up as she coughed and shook the sand out of her hair, Sarah held out her Brachio Staff and gasped in astonishment at what she saw before her. The strange beings were indeed giant lions but were more robotic in appearance which immediately clicked in her mind as she realized what they really were: Zords. The eight lion Zords were confirmed to be sleeker in appearance compared to King, her Fury Zords, and the Celestial and Solaris Lion Zords but they shared King's height and length with some of them modeled after female lionesses as they lacked a mane. Despite that, the little princess could sense great power from each of them and jumped as the robotic lions came to life, their eyes lighting up before they looked down at her and growled.
"...Uh, n-n-n-nice, lion Zords, good l-lion Zords... It's okay, I'm a friend. I-I promise, I just came here...out of my own fruition. I'm...not here to hurt you, it's honest," she gulped as she carefully inched herself back and held the Brachio Staff in a defensive position, thinking they would attack her without hesitation despite her being a Lion Animagus (remembering she could understand lions and other big cats including some of the robotic variety) and not wanting to fight them.
Despite that, her worries were put to rest when the Zords stopped growling at her and tilted their heads with curiosity, sensing her numerous lion spirits.
She gasped again as she lowered the Brachio Staff and pointed at them, saying, "...Y-you can sense my lion spirits?"
"I see you've found more of our friends living in the desert outskirts of Steelbound Town, Princess," a familiar voice called, making Sarah turn to its owner and see Solgaleo and the Solaris Knight.
"Solgaleo?" Sarah blinked in surprise at the Radiant Spirit before her.
She suddenly caught herself, looking back at the lion Zords and then asking the Radiant Sun Spirit, "More of your friends? Hey! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...! Okay, somebody needs to bring me down to earth and tell me if my head is floating in space out of total shock and denial right now... Am I missing something here?"
"I assure you you're not; as was the case with the Zords in your possession including the Black DinoThunder Ranger's Brachio Zord and the DinoThunder team's auxiliary Zords, this lot before you are a group of sentient robotic lions. Their original partners, the Celestial or Astral Haven Rangers befriended them when they were alive and proved themselves to be a great asset in the neverending quest to stop the forces of evil from wreaking havoc in our universe."
The Radiant Spirit then used his power to show the little princess the Zords' fighting process through a series of visions, each showing them being tuned and affiliated to an elemental affinity including Fire, Water, Earth, Grass, Air, Ice, Light, and Lightning. She also saw how the Zords assisted the Celestial Rangers, the Celestial Guardians, and their old Zords against previous invasions from the forces of evil including the greater forces of the feared Zangyack Army (the mortal enemies of the Kaizoku/Pirate Sentai Gokaiger), taking out huge ships from those armies with their varied arsenal and without mercy.
"Crazy... So, they once acted as auxiliary Zords to the Astral Haven and Celestial Haven Zords during your time before you pulled off the ultimate sacrifice. Were they similar to the Wild Force Rangers' auxiliary Zord companions from the Animarium when they needed their help, especially when creating the Isis Megazord to destroy General Nayzor a second time?"
"You could say that but I'm sure you're wondering why they didn't attack you just now before we arrived."
Sarah just nodded, prompting the Solgaleo Spirit to continue as he replied, "The Lion Spirits you carried including your Solgaleo Spirit from your Solgaleo DNA piqued their interest when they felt their combined power from within you. They had remained dormant in this area after the Morphin Masters kept them safely hidden here after our demise when our mortal lives ended years ago. As of now, and with the Solaris Knight as my witness, I'm proud to tell you that these Zords have chosen you and your family as their new partners."
The little princess was shocked by this as she quickly spluttered, "W-W-Wait, wait, wait, wait! ...What? What did you say? These Zords; they...they now belong to me and my family...? My humanfamily; Mom, Dad, Granny, Gramps, Nikki, James, Race, Johnathan, Diane, Sis?!"
The Radiant Spirit chuckled in amusement and reassured her, "At ease, Princess, no need to stress yourself over this realization. Your family proved themselves to be fine warriors whenever they entered the battlefield just as they did to save you from Void Queen's hold through the infamous Sporix. Yes, while they're not full-fledged Power Rangers unlike you, your husband, and your friends, they possessed the qualities our old friends look for in people they need as pilots when it's time for them to reawaken and when their power is needed once more."
Still trying to wrap her head over what she had been told regarding who the Zords' new pilots and owners would be, Sarah looked back at the Zords and asked, "So, getting back into the Zords themselves, what exactly do you know about them?"
The Radiant Spirit and the Solaris Knight turned to the red robotic lion which was designed to mimic the appearance of raging flames with angular and sharp lines and adorned with intricate golden accents, a cherry-red mane that flickered like actual fire, glowing orange eyes, and a tail ending in a double-edged fiery blade that matched its red claws.
"That there is Moto; he's the leader of our auxiliary Zords-bold, fearless, and displays a fiery intensity in both combat and spirit. The fastest amongst them with a strong sense of justice, always ready to charge into battle and just as eager to protect his allies and defeat his enemies. His best qualities are his bravery and determination; he values those above all else as he seeks a pilot with his unwavering courage, a fiery passion for justice, and a strong sense of justice, one who is willing to face danger head-on and inspire others to fight for what's right."
The trio turned to the aqua-colored lion with a sleek yet streamlined blue and silver-accented body adorned with bio-luminescent markings and eyes glowing with a serene blue light, its tail ending in a water jet.
"That over there is Maji; she's calm, serene, and possesses a deep wisdom rooted in her connection to the water element. As you can tell, water is her specialty; highly adaptable and extremely able to navigate through calm and stormy seas with grace. She's the more empathetic of the Zords here and values emotional intelligence, always acting as the mediator for her teammates. She requires a more composed pilot-one who is as empathetic as she is and capable of strategic thinking while valuing a calm and clear mind. Someone who, in her mind, can maintain his or her composure while under pressure and adapt to changing circumstances around them."
They then turned to the more robust yellow lion who sported brown and gold accents while having a rugged and indomitable appearance with glowing yellow eyes and its tail ending in a spiked mace.
"Jiwe is the more steadfast and dependable member of these auxiliary Zords whose unyielding strength mirrors the earth's stability, making her act as a living tank. A patient and resilient creature, she values loyalty and perseverance, always standing strong in the face of adversity while offering her unwavering support to her allies. The pilot she seeks must be reliable, loyal, and possess inner strength; someone who can remain steadfast and focused, even in our universe's most troubling times."
The sleek and streamlined emerald green lion stepped before the trio and purred while boasting intricate gold and black details on its metallic exterior, vibrant yellow eyes, and a flexible tail tipped with a blade-like fin.
"This here is Mti; she is wise and strategic, valuing intelligence and resourcefulness in her pilot and herself. She is just as patient as Jiwe is but very observant, often taking time to analyze a situation before acting upon it. Her pilot must be brave but he or she must also remain calm under pressure and be capable of critical thinking in the heat of battle."
The blue-gray lion they turned to had white and blue accents that matched its aerodynamic body with smooth curves and sharp edges and a fierce yet bright electric blue tail that ended in a blade resembling a lightning bolt.
"Radi is our Storm Lion, a Zord who is sharp-witted, dynamic, and thrives on the excitement of battle. She's a playful yet cunning sort who always thinks one step ahead of her opponents and values agility and creativity, often coming up with unconventional tactics to confuse and outmaneuver her foes. She is also independent and resourceful, able to operate effectively as part of a team or when fighting alone. The pilot she needs to drive her must be someone who is agile, creative, and with a knack for quick-thinking; one who could adapt to changing circumstances as fast as she could and come up with innovative solutions to problems on the fly."
The next Zord was a majestic Arctic blue lion robot with silver and white accents and crystalline structures that matched its cold light blue eyes and Arctic blue mane that shimmered in the light, its tail ending with an ice spike.
"Barafu, don't let his appearance fool you; he's the calm and collected type with a quiet intensity that belies his icy exterior. He is extremely analytical and values precision in both thoughts is and actions; a true master of strategy who acts as the auxiliary Zords' tactician and prefers to observe and analyze before making a single move. The pilot he's looking for is demanded to be just as analytical, precise, and capable of strategic thinking on his level, one who remains calm under pressure and makes decisions based on careful consideration rather than acting on impulse."
The little princess, the Solaris Knight, and the Radiant Spirit turned to the gold and white lion Zord with eyes that pierced a bright light, a golden-yellow mane (consisting of sleek solar panel-inspired plates) that matched its body, and a tail ending with a sun-shaped blade.
"Nuru; noble and virtuous and embodies the essence of light and purity, a Zord that values truth, justice, and the protection of the innocent. She seeks a pilot who is as courageous, morally upright, and compassionate - a person who can inspire others and lead with wisdom and integrity and harness the power of light to bring up and defeat darkness."
Finally, the trio turned to the Lion Zord that shared a striking resemblance to the Aqua Lion but had a pristine white coloration and silver accents, matching her sleek and agile form while also sharing her gentle blue eyes.
"Nyeupe is our final auxiliary Zord who exudes a determined yet resilient personality and resonates with the qualities of strength, resilience, and adaptability which were inherent to her affinity with her ice element. A bold and fierce battler, she is remarkably protective of her allies, possessing a relentless determination to overcome every obstacle in her way despite the dangers present. The pilot needed to drive her must be fearless yet strategic, one who's resourceful and creative in problem-solving while harnessing the full potential of her powers to achieve victory. That's the pilot she's looking for. Now, before we have them meet your family, which Zord do you think will swear its newfound allegiance to you?"
Sarah was astounded by the personalities of each of the Lion auxiliary Zords as she tried to picture her family with each of them in her mind. She could already imagine her parents, grandparents, godfather, Nikki, and James hitting it off with Moto, Maji, Radi, Barafu, Nyeupe, Jiwe, and Mti and herself with Nuru. But, as she knows all too well, it would be up to the Zords themselves to choose their new pilots.
Seeing as she had nothing to lose right now, she carefully approached Nuru and the two stared at each other. After a while, the Lion of Light lowered herself and opened her mouth, allowing her to step inside and enter her cockpit.
When she went inside her new auxiliary Zord, the little princess found herself on a single centralized seat designer for ergonomic comfort during extensive missions equipped with a harness and restraints to secure her during high-speed maneuvers in battle. Surrounding her seat in the cockpit (which was in a softly lit gold and white light with touches of a radiant yellow) was a sophisticated control interface complete with touchscreens, holographic displays, and physical controls. And, to top it all off, the cockpit sported throttle levers for precision maneuvers.
"Wow, this is awesome," she breathed in awe.
As soon as she touched the throttle levers, Nuru gave a gentle yet rough roar, finding her touch to her controls familiar and yet strange as she gently lowered and raised her head in response.
"It's okay, Nuru. I know I'm not your old pilot but I assure you, I know what I'm doing and nothing's going to happen to you. My family and I also haven't got the chance to drive your friends yet, it may be rough right now but I know we'll be better together once we head out. Do you trust me?"
Nuru gave off another gentle roar which brought a soft smile to her face until her Rotom Phone went off without warning, prompting her to answer whoever's calling her.
"Hello, I'm a little busy right now," she answered.
"Little Buddy, are you there?! What's going on? We got trouble over here and we need your help! Look out, pal, dodge it!" cried Arven as Sarah heard Mabostiff dodge something that made a loud crash.
"Arven?! What's happening up there? Did you, Penny, and Dot find Tinkatink?"
"Sure did, and as it turns out, we were right; Tinkatink had nothing to do with the lost iron and only came to us to show Dot her new hammer! But, we found out who or what the real culprit was: it was a hungry Orthoworm and it just stole her hammer! And, get this, it's not alone...remember that Orthoworm Titan we fought a while back? Well, it's back with a vengeance and eager for a little payback!"
"What?! Argh, I knew that stupid Titan would be back to pound us someday let alone find out there would be a hungry, hungry caterpillar like it around here! Are you guys okay?"
"We're peachy for now but they're gonna make a meal out of the Dragon Craft and the Brave Olivine's metal and fast if we don't drive them off! Hey, get away from that! You can't eat it! No! Stop it, Mabostiff! We're trying to hold them off but Dot, Quaxly, Plume, and Tinkatink went after the one that stole her hammer! Wherever you are, get topside fa-WHOA!"
"Arven? Arven, you there? What did I miss up there?! Arven!?"
"Princess, your friend... Is he...?" asked the Radiant Spirit, concerned as she looked at him and the Solaris Knight after Arven was forced to cancel the call to continue helping their friends stop the Orthoworm Titan.
"He cut off, the Orthoworm Titan we once fought while finding Herba Mystica is here along with another Orthoworm and they're giving everyone I know including a Tinkatink finding a friend of mine trouble..."
Feeling her new pilot's pain and worry for her family and friends, Nuru let out a determined roar with the other auxiliary Zords following her lead, all wanting to help their new pilots, their family, and their friends.
"...You guys want to help us?" she asked, getting a kind-hearted purr from the Zords before smiling and gently patting Nuru's control panel. "Let's go!"
She gently pushed her handles forward, allowing Nuru to move forward with a proud roar and run through the chamber with the other Zords following suit before they popped out from a hidden oasis shielding the chamber's entrance, flying over the Asado Desert to where the other heroes are. All the while, the Solaris Knight and the Radiant Spirit proudly watched on before they vanished in two separate clouds of magic particles.
At the same time, while Sarah was meeting the Celestial Guardians and Celestial Rangers' auxiliary Zords, Dot, Arven, Penny, Quaxly, and Plume found Tinkatink thanks to Blitz, Curly, Wooloo, Ponyta, Scorch, and Crest (who managed to calm her down and lead her to the quintet so she could properly show Dot her hammer). However, while introducing her to Liko, Roy, and their partners, when Murdock, Orla, and Mollie arrived, they immediately got the wrong idea that Tinkatink stole or ate all of the Brave Olivine's new metal.
That was until Dot came to her defense and told them why she boarded the airship with Quaxly and Plume's help (as Arven and Penny left to see the others in the Dragon Craft).
Her reasoning was validated when Friede and Cap arrived as the unconventional professor proceeded to tell everyone that the metal was indeed eaten as Dot, her group, and Sarah figured and that Tinkatink wouldn't dare eat it even though she is partly a Steel Type (since she was more interested in making hammers out of anything made out of metal). He then directed the entire group to a trap they'd set up that contained the true culprit behind the eaten iron which was the moderately-sized Orthworm Arven warned Sarah about (much to the surprise and shock of everyone left in the dark about their trap).
The Rising Volt Tacklers were quickly startled by what sounded like an explosion from nearby and the sound of metal being rammed upon by a great force seconds later, followed by an emergency call from Arven as he told them what was happening with the Dragon Craft and the arrival of the Orthworm Titan.
Liko, Roy, and the others with them were aghast by this but they had no time to react and come up with a plan to deal with their Orthrworm double trouble dilemma as the Orthoworm in Friede's trap finally broke free and charged at the heroes to escape from below. However, when Dot saved Tinkatink from being eaten or crushed by the Earthworm Pokémon, the Metalsmith Pokémon accidentally let go of her hammer with the Orthworm stealing it as it got away (much to her and Dot's shock and horror).
Not wanting to let Orthworm get away with its crime, Dot, Plume, and Quaxly joined Tinkatink to help her retrieve it. But, it wasn't easy because as soon as they got off, the Orthworm managed to cut the Brave Olivine's anchor chain (and knock back a wounded Flygon, Andres, and Whisker it fought with towards them despite their best efforts when they found out about it) and taunted the group as it ate its hammer to have it as a keepsake.
Angered by this, Dot, Quaxly, and Plume attacked it but it dodged their first blows and tried to hit them, making them avoid its unsuspecting charge.
Ash, Arven, Penny, and the others over at the Dragon Craft were not having it fun either as they, the others, and much of Sarah's family (despite their best and combined efforts) were finding it difficult to combat and keep the Orthworm Titan at bay since it was giving them a lot of grief, wanting payback for the humiliation it went through by the Pokémon Cook and the little princess' hands.
With the Rising Volt Tacklers, Friede, Cap, and Charizard came to the rescue of the Brave Olivine as the Flame Pokémon managed to catch the cut anchor rope and use all of his strength to pull the airship upright, allowing the others to get on deck and see how Dot, Plume, Quaxly, and Tinkatink were handling themselves.
"Oh, no!"
"Where's Orthworm?"
"In the ground, I think..." Liko and Roy bantered worriedly, seeing Dot at a disadvantage with how crafty and cunning the Orthworm she, her dragon, her partner, and Tinkatink were fighting was being.
"Hey, Dot! We got this, don't worry! Just get Tinkatink's hammer back, okay?" Friede reassured.
"Right! Mental switch, on!" Dot replied as she brought out her headband and pulled her bangs back to get into her Nidothing mindset, carefully scanning the desert for Orthworm until she saw it pop out in front of her, Tinkatink, Quaxly, and Plume. "Quaxly, use Water Gun! Plume, help Tinkatink!"
"Surf's up!"
"Got it!" her Duckling Pokémon and dragon replied knowingly, the former shooting Water Gun at Orthworm while Plume and Tinkatink charged at the Steel Type before it taunted them again and proceeded to move off to make them even bigger fools.
"Come back here!"
"STOP, THIEF!" Plume and Tinkatink raged, undeterred by Orthworm's taunting.
But, as she observed the Earthworm Pokémon as Plume and Tinkatink chased after it, Dot noticed it avoiding the patch of sand that was made wet by Quaxly's Water Gun and she got a brain blast, telling her partner, "Interesting...! Use Water Gun on the sand, over there!"
Seeing Quaxly use Water Gun to soak the area of sand she directed him to fire at, the young recluse smirked as she saw the Orthworm avoid it (impressing Friede and Cap as they watched the entire thing), "Don't like that, do ya? Quaxly, do it again, where it's heading!"
The Duckling Pokémon continued to fire his Water Gun attack at the sand Dot directed him to, making Orthworm crawl away from it and the patch of wet sand as the others aboard the Brave Olivine watched on, wondering what they were doing just as Plume and Tinkatink stopped and saw what they had in mind.
"Does Dot...have some sort of plan?" Liko pondered.
"Keep it up, use Water Gun!"
Before long, Quaxly had managed to soak up all of the patches of sand Dot directed him to with Plume and Tinkatink seeing that he had essentially created a ring of wet sand that trapped the moderately-sized Earthworm Pokémon with it (leaving a patch of dry sand for them to lure it towards them and into a waiting trap).
Liko and Orla grinned in realization as they finally caught on to what Dot was scheming with the use of Quaxly's Water Gun to create their ring of wet sand, the young girl first saying, "Oh, I see, she's boxing Orthworm in using Water Gun to soak up the sand!"
"What do you mean by that?" puzzled Roy in confusion.
"Orthworm are Pokémon that rust easily when they come into contact with anything soaked in water, especially damp soil," Orla replied.
Murdock and Mollie were impressed by Dot's ingenious plan as the friendly cook proudly commented, "Oh, so that's why it's been trying to stay on the wet sand."
"That's some pretty great thinking, Dot," Friede praised as he and Cap smirked at the young recluse.
Liko then directed Roy towards the area where Dot and Quaxly are standing as they anticipated the Orthworm coming at them, "Look, Roy, she's created a ring of wet sand with only one dry patch remaining! She's luring it in!"
Seeing their chance, Dot barked, "Step right up! Quaxly, now, use Pound!"
"You're going...DOWN!" roared Quaxly as he used Pound and struck Orthworm with a hard right haymaker, knocking Tinkatink's hammer out of its mouth and into the air.
"Now's your chance, Tinkatink! Go, Plume!"
"Got it, Dot!"
"One Mic Hammer pounding, coming up!" the dragon and Metalsmith Pokémon agreed, the latter grabbing the hammer just in time with Plume joining her as she used Slam and he tumbled forward and swung down his tail like it was his own hammer and whacked the Earthworm Pokémon on the head, knocking it out.
The Rising Volt Tacklers cheered for them, Dot, and Quaxly but Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Stormfly, and Pincher came over to them as the two Vikings warned, "I wouldn't celebrate just yet, you guys!"
"We still got a giant titan to worry about right now!"
They were right; when the Orthworm Titan noticed its smaller companion knocked out by Plume and Tinkatink, it decided to take matters into its own hands by fighting everyone by itself and bide time for the smaller worm-like Steel Type to wake up.
"Time to burn, you overgrown insect! Hookfang, fire away!" Snotlout barked, having Hookfang breathe his fire at the Titan only for it to use Iron Tail to wipe out the fire and smack them into the sand.
"Snotlout, Hookfang!" gasped Zenna in shock before the Orthworm Titan used Sandstorm to try and blind the heroes before they could come at it again.
"What's going on?!" Carmine shouted as she and Kieran held each other should the Sandstorm somehow blow them away
"The Orthworm Titan's trying to blindsight us and eat our ships out of house and home and more by using Sandstorm!" Arven called out as best he could.
"Well, that's not fair! That giant ruffian pulled a dirty trick on us to get what it wanted for lunch!"
"Even with our helmets while we're morphed, he's already got us fighting blind!" grumbled Tsareena and Mallow.
"This Sandstorm's too much!"
"I can't see anything!" Liko and Roy panicked as they shielded their partners.
"Knock it off, you overgrown garden snake!" Cap raged at the Orthworm Titan but to no avail while Plume shielded Dot, Quaxly, and Tinkatink as best he could.
"Friede-NGH! I-I, CAN'T, HOLD ON! SANDSTORM'S...TOO, STRONG!" Charizard grunted as he tried to hold on to the Brave Olivine's anchor rope for a little longer in the Sandstorm but felt himself losing his grip as the attack rocked him, Cap, and Friede.
"Hold on, Charizard! Don't let go, just a little bit-GAH!" Friede encouraged before he and his partners were suddenly attacked by the Orthworm Titan using Headbutt and they crashed into the sand, the Flame Pokemon being forced to let go after they were assaulted (much to their horror when they saw the Brave Olivine beginning to fall over again).
"NO!"
"Our ship!"
"Look out!"
"FRIEDE!" Liko wailed, worried for Friede, Cap, and Charizard as she and the others aboard the Brave Olivine screamed and braced themselves for the crash (leaving everyone else crying out in horror for them as they couldn't do anything in the powerful Sandstorm).
However, if they and everyone else were hoping for a miracle, their prayers had been answered; before the Brave Olivine could fully fall over and the Orthworm Titan could start eating the Dragon Craft, Moto, Radi, and Jiwe arrived at the scene of the disaster, their eyes glowing for a moment before they roared, immediately touching down and pushing their front claws against the airship, putting it back upright. Then, Maji appeared and fired a water cannon at the Orthworm Titan, making it burrow underground to avoid it before it could get wet while canceling its Sandstorm attack just before the other auxiliary Zords joined them soon after.
The heroes were shocked by the new arrivals but breathed a sigh of relief as Ash called out to the Rising Volt Tacklers, "Hey! You guys alright back there?!"
"We're fine, Ash!"
"The ship's been made upright again, thankfully!" called Murdock and Orla.
Dot, Plume, Tinkatink, and Quaxly looked at the Brave Olivine and sighed in relief, thankful that Murdock and the others on it were safe before they turned to the auxiliary Zords, the young recluse gasping in awe at them as she could only say, "Whoa..."
"S-S-S-S-So, b-b-b-b-big..."
"Uh, Quaxly, what exactly...are those things?"
"Zords, Plume... Giant assault robots belonging to a group of superheroes called the Power Rangers," bantered Tinkatink, Plume, and Quaxly, all sharing Dot's stunned awe (despite their massive sizes causing Tinkatink to be intimidated but not run away, thankfully).
"Okay... Could somebody explain what those things are?!"
"Lion Zords, eight of them!"
"And, they look nothing like King, Mufasa, Leo, and the Celestial and Solaris Lion Zords!" Kiawe, Gladion, and Lillie cried in shock at the auxiliary Zords.
"Three of them also saved the Brave Olivine and the others on it before it could fall over!"
"One of the new Zords tried to soak the Titan with a water cannon, too!" Mallow and Lana noted in surprise.
"That's incredible!"
"Cool, cool coolio!" Primarina and Sandy gawked.
"But, where did they come from?"
"And, how did they know we were in trouble?" Togedemaru and Vikavolt questioned before Nuru arrived and lowered herself before Sarah reemerged from her mouth, running towards Dot, Plume, Tinkatink, and Quaxly with her Brachio Staff on her.
"Look, there's Sarah! She's alright!"
"She finally made it!"
"About time, too!" Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut grinned as everyone else looked on in surprise and shock at her.
"Sarah! Are you okay?" Dot asked the little princess.
"I'm fine. But, it looks like we were able to get back in time before the Titan could have you all for a four-course dinner," Sarah replied just as her human family arrived.
"My baby!"
"Princess, you're safe!"
"Where have you been?! Are you hurt, did anything happen?" Delilah, Tsukumaro, and Doug fretted as they checked her all over.
"I'm okay, Mom, Dad, Tsukumaro, really."
"You better not disappear on us again, you hear?!"
"We were really worried when you didn't answer us when we tried to call you earlier, you know!" snapped Donna (former queen) and David with a grandparents' loving worry.
"You better have a good explanation for bailing on us like you did when those Orthworm creeps showed up, Sis!" Asha concurred, looking annoyed at her baby sister.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Island Girl, mind telling us about these Zords and how you got them before coming back?" Race demanded, raising an eyebrow at his wife while looking at the auxiliary Zords.
"Race, it's okay, they're friends. I've discovered them in a hidden chamber away from here thanks to the Earth, and from what I'd discovered, it turns out they were actually the auxiliary Zord companions of the Celestial Rangers and the Celestial Guardians. They're also sentient like my Zords, King, and Tommy's DinoThunder Zords so they can also tell right from wrong which you can tell. The Radiant Spirit and the Solaris Knight passed them down to me when they agreed to help stop the Orthworm and Orthworm Titan from wreaking havoc on us," the little princess reassured him, gesturing him to Moto, Radi, and Jiwe as they continued to prop up the Brave Olivine.
"Oh, honestly, Princess! Why am I not surprised?" Tsukumaro sighed curmudgeonly.
"But, there is a catch with them, Tsukumaro; while Nuru is mine, her fellow Zords wanted you, Mom, Dad, Granny, Gramps, Nikki, and James to be their pilots."
"What?!" blinked the royal family members in question, shocked by what they were told.
"Anything's worth a try at this point, and if it gets that freaking pest of a giant worm out of our hair in the name of Thor, I'm all for it!" grumbled Snotlout as he and Hookfang came to and recuperated themselves from the Orthworm Titan's Iron Tail and the Titan itself reappeared and taunted the heroes as it waved its arms and opened its mouth in a mocking fashion.
"Okay, you want to play that game, bozo? Well, I don't mind taking you down a second time. Let's go!" Sarah growled in annoyance at the Titan as she swapped out her Wrist Com for Tommy's Dino Morpher (after slipping her new Dino Gem Bracelet on and changing it to its true form on her left arm), bringing out its key and opening it (deciding to battle it as the Legendary Ranger final ranger alter-ego). "Dino Thunder, Power Up! HA!"
Inserting the key into the morpher and twisting it to activate its power, Sarah donned the Dino Thunder emblem on her chest as she did Tommy's morph, donning his old black ranger suit (not including the skirt, obviously) and helmet and becoming the new Dino Thunder Black Ranger as a result.
"Hyah! Dino Thunder, Black Ranger 2.0!" she finished as she did Tommy's old pose, startling the Orthworm Titan as it stared at her in bewilderment and she then looked herself over (with the others on her side staring in awe and wonder at her as the new Black Ranger of the Power Rangers Dino Thunder). "Whoa... So, this is what Tommy felt when he first used his Dino Gem's powers, yeah! I love this thing!"
Seeing the Orthworm Titan distracted by Sarah's latest alter-ego, Maji aimed her water cannon at the giant Steel Type and fired at it, causing it to panic and burrow underground again to avoid her latest shot before it could have another go at the heroes and the Rising Volt Tacklers again.
She then turned to her family, deciding to give them their auxiliary Zords now and have them accept them as their new pilots (despite knowing that Asha and Race would have to sit out the upcoming fight along with the others), "Okay, while we still have time... Mom, Dad, Tsukumaro, you will be fighting with Moto, Maji, and Nyeupe. Aunt Nikki, Uncle James, both Jiwe and Mti are yours. Granny, Gramps, you two will pilot Radi and Barafu."
"Are you crazy?!"
"We've never even driven a giant robot before!" James and Nikki balked at her.
"You got any better ideas?!"
James and Nikki looked at each other before they turned to Jiwe and Mti who gently purred at them through the telepathic link they and their fellow now share with their chosen pilots with Delilah, Doug, Donna (former queen), David, and Tsukumaro sharing their concerned looks with their new Zords and the latter group doing the same to them. Realizing they had nothing to lose with the unexpected Hail Mary they all needed, the royal family (save for Race and Asha) went over to their respective fighting machines so they could prepare to fight alongside the heir to Alola's throne on the front lines.
"But, how are these three holding us up going to fight with you?" Murdock reminded, pointing at Moto, Radi, and Jiwe who were still holding up the Brave Olivine.
Realizing this, Jiwe's eyes glowed again and he roared, summoning a plethora of vines from the earth that wrapped themselves to the airship via an ability called Earth Bind, securing it upright so it wouldn't fall over until the anchor chain could be repaired.
Murdock blinked along with Orla as they stared in awe at his handiwork, "...Never mind."
"Whoa!"
"That's awesome!"
"Way cool!" cheered Ash and Pikachu.
"That's amazing!"
"How did they do that? Or better yet, who are they?!" Liko and Roy gasped in amazement at Sarah.
"I'll explain later! My family and I got ourselves a giant metal earthworm to fend off right now!" the little princess replied before she scrambled back to Nuru's cockpit, the Lion of Light's fellow Zords allowing her family to climb aboard them via small hatches leading to their own cockpits.
"Great Dumbledore's beard...!" Tsukumaro breathed in awe despite his nervousness about driving a giant robot for the first time. "This truly is nothing like a thestral-driven carriage back in my old world."
There was no time for the rest of the royal family to admire their new Zord companions as the Orthworm Titan reappeared and snickered at them before it slithered over for a bite to eat.
"Look out!"
"Here it comes again!" Donna (former queen) and Doug shrieked once they were onboard Radi and Moto.
"Scatter!" Sarah cried, forcing herself, her family, and their auxiliary Zords to avoid the giant Earthworm Pokémon before they finally surrounded the creature.
"What'll we do now?" Delilah asked while going through an adrenaline rush, not knowing what to do next.
"Mom, there is a way! You're now Maji's pilot; she's the Aqua Lion and her specialty is water! Use her water cannon to try and soak the Titan!"
"But, how do you expect me to do that, sweetie?"
"Press the screen..."
Delilah was startled by the voice as she looked around before she took note of a small holographic screen from her right that showed Maji's mouth opening, her water cannon appearing soon after and spraying water. Taking a chance and trusting the voice's owner, she took a deep breath before pressing the screen showing the video of Maji's water cannon, allowing her mouth to open and bring out her water cannon again before she released a high-pressured water stream at the Orthworm Titan (causing it to reel back and let out a frightened screech).
Amazed by what her daughter had done, Donna (former queen) said, "Fascinating! So, this is what these robotic-fangled nonsenses are capable of..."
"Incredible...! I like it...let me try that! With me, honey!" agreed David as he and his wife pressed their own screens (which showed Radi and Barafu firing beams of ice and lightning), allowing their Zords to fire their respective attacks that made contact with the Orthworm Titan.
"Direct hit, Granny, Gramps!" Sarah grinned.
"Amazing! What else can these beasts do to-HEY!" Doug marveled before he and Moto were whacked by the giant Steel Type using its extended arms to punch them.
"Son!" gasped David before he turned Radi to the Titan and urged her forward, tackling it away from his son. "You okay, boy?"
"I'm fine! Thanks, Dad!" replied Doug, relieved that his father and Radi saved him.
The Orthworm Titan's assault on her husband didn't go well with Delilah as she and Maji quickly stood between the Titan and Doug, David, Moto, and Radi before it could go at them again, shouting angrily, "Hold it right there, you monster! No one makes a meal out of my husband and gets away with it! Now, Maji! Fire!"
She pressed Maji's screen again (while gradually familiarizing herself with the Aqua Lion's controls in the process), allowing her Zord to stand on her hind legs and stomp the ground, creating several powerful water streams that shot from the ground and threw the Titan into the air. It screamed in pain and panic from the water touching it which caused the others to cheer loudly for the royal family fighting the pesky giant of a Pokémon.
"Alright!"
"They're doing it!"
"Wow!"
"Look at them go!"
"Muy beun!"
"Crazy!"
"Alright, little buddy, go get 'im!"
"Major air!"
"Whoa, they're doing it!"
"You too, Your Majesties!"
"That's it, Sarah, you and your family go to it!"
"Give it to 'im, Royal Rockers!"
"Cleave that mad, mad worm to the brisket!" Sophocles, Mallow, Shaymin, Vikavolt, Nemona, Meowscarada, Eri, Liko, Arven, Mabostiff, Friede, Cap, and Charizard hollered excitedly on everyone's behalf.
Seeing the Alolan Royal Family and their new Zords give the Orthworm Titan a thrashing and seeing it falling to the ground from Maji's water streams and inspired by their fighting spirit, Tinkatink got a brainstorm for a final Slam attack and asked Plume to give her a boost. Noticing the glint in her eyes, he agreed and they soared towards the Titan for one final assault (the Metalsmith Pokémon having her hammer at the ready while Dot and Quaxly looked on in shocked surprise).
They quickly darted past the (now-rusted) falling Titan but Plume made a sharp u-turn, bumping Tinkatink off his back to give her some air. And, then, seeing their chance, they divebombed towards it and landed a hard headbutt and Slam combo attack.
"CANNONBALL!"
"YOU'RE...GROUNDED!" they bellowed after they made their mark, dealing the Titan further damage as it crash-landed and they jumped back.
The heroes cheered even louder for the royal family and Plume and Tinkatink for their heroic battle and finish and realizing that its old foes and their family and friends were too much for it and its moderately-sized friend to deal with, the rusted Orthworm Titan whimpered in fright as the eight auxiliary Zords looked down at them and glared hard. The regular Orthworm eventually came to but after seeing the Zords' glares and realizing it and its Titan friend were outmatched and outnumbered, they quickly retreated as they burrowed underground and left their "meals" in peace.
"And, STAY OUT!" Silvally barked indignantly at them.
"TINKATINK, PLUME, HA-HA! That finish was amazing, you two!"
"You rock!" Dot and Quaxly congratulated heartily as they joined Plume and Tinkatink who fell back after they realized they and the Alolan royal family had won.
"Yeah... We did it, we did it! We won our first battle together!" Plume warbled happily.
Tinkatink felt the same as she smiled and held out her hammer as it glistened in the sunshine, soaking up the victory she and the male Featherhide helped clinch as she cheered, "Victory!"
That evening, as dusk fell, things had finally settled down following the heroes' fight against the wild Orthworm and the Orthworm Titan. While Orla and a few members of Sarah's group went back to Steelbound Town to purchase a new supply of iron to replace the iron the Orthworm Dot, Plume, Quaxly, and Tinkatink defeated had eaten (after she, Murdock, and Mollie apologized to the Fairy/Steel Type for the trouble they caused her on their part), the young recluse and her partners in question, Liko, Roy, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Serrate, Char, and Sarah (after she was told what had happened while she was gone) met up with the Metalsmith Pokémon to talk to her.
"Tinkatink, I'm sorry we chased you around the ship earlier."
"We didn't mean to scare you," Liko and Roy apologized, feeling guilty for thinking she had stolen or eaten Orla's previous iron supply.
"No biggie," smiled Tinkatink, immediately forgiving them.
"Christ, I definitely missed out on a lot while meeting Nuru and her fellow Zords. So, from what I've heard from all of you, is this yet another case of 'don't judge a book by its cover'?" Sarah questioned the pair, raising a suspicious eyebrow which caused them to laugh and smile sheepishly before they returned their attention to Tinkatink.
"I'm glad we met. Take care, okay?"
"Yeah, and don't go and let anybody steal your favorite hammer again, okay?"
"I won't!"
"Well, let's get going."
"Yeah," the two young trainers finished as they, Sprigatito, Serrate, Fuecoco, and Char walked back to the Brave Olivine.
But, as Sarah prepared to return to the Dragon Craft, the little princess noticed Dot stopping in place with her back towards the little Metalsmith Pokémon and Tinkatink looking sad. When the young recluse, Arven, and Penny told her everything that went down while she was gone, she realized that after she showed her hammer to Dot (with Blitz, Bella, Scorch, Wooloo, Ponyta, and Crest's help) and how the latter stood up for her when she was framed for Orla's lost iron, Tinkatink had formed a bond with her at that moment. The Fairy/Steel Type was indebted and grateful for everything she did for her from her new hammer to helping her retrieve it after the wild Orthworm stole it from her (while also extending the same gratitude to Plume and Quaxly for their help in the task).
Now that she had her hammer back and the Orthworm and the Orthworm Titan were gone (with her and Plume's Headbutt Slam combo attack), she realized Dot and her new friends would part ways with her to allow her to continue her own life while they stay to make their upcoming repairs to the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft.
At this point, Tinkatink didn't feel like leaving; instead, she felt like crying as it meant she would never see Dot again should the heroes eventually leave to continue their journey.
Dot also felt the same way as she didn't know what to do involving Tinkatink; after her, Plume, and Quaxly's escapade with her and helping to save everyone from the Orthworm and Orthworm Titan, she had grown rather fond of the Metalsmith Pokémon, being left conflicted as to either take her with her or leave her to her own devices (which was clearly impossible now with how much she appreciated and loved her following their misadventure together).
"...I don't know what to do. I'm just not good at this part, what if...I'm not good enough?" she muttered quietly, trying to figure out what to do.
With Tinkatink, she made her choice clear as she whimpered longingly to Dot, "...Please... I don't want to leave! I wanna come with you! I wanna stay!"
Plume smiled warmly at Tinkatink and her decision to stay with her rider and brother-in-arms as she toddled up to the young recluse and gently nudged her with Sarah gently levitating a Friend Ball over to her and allowing her to nudge it to Dot.
"Plume, what-huh?" Dot peeped before she noticed the Friend Ball and picked it up.
"Go ahead, pal. You get our tiny friend, she's forever indebted to you for saving her and her hammer," the male Featherhide cooed gently despite her not understanding him fluently.
Quaxly smiled and nodded in agreement, sharing her sentiments as he told his partner, "It's just what...our little sister would want."
Realizing what Quaxly and Plume were telling her, Dot looked back at the Metalsmith Pokémon and held her Friend Ball before her, asking, "Tinkatink... Do you want to come with me?"
That was all Tinkatink wanted to hear and with happy tears welling in her eyes and a bright smile on her face, she jumped up to the Friend Ball and allowed herself to be caught, cheering, "...Y-Yeah...! WHOO-HOO!"
And, just like that (after the Friend Ball's lock flashed three times and it closed), it was done; from that point onward, Tinkatink officially became Dot's second Pokémon friend and family member after Quaxly.
"Thanks, Tinkatink. Come on out!" Dot smiled warmly as she let out her new female Metalsmith Pokémon and happily held her as she jumped into her arms. "Let's be good friends from now on, what do you say?"
"Yeah, Dot! Friends forever, always!" replied Tinkatink, happily accepting Quaxly and Plume's love for and friendship with her when they joined the pair.
"Oh, well. Now, I've got even more repairs to carry out tomorrow," Orla lamented, referring to the extensive damage the wild Orthworm did to the Brave Olivine as she, Mollie, Friede, Murdock, and Cap smiled warmly at the quartet.
"I'm sure we're all gonna be busy tomorrow given the trouble Orthworm and the Orthworm Titan gave us but hey, we got something more valuable, right?"
"Yeah, something truly priceless that will stand the test of time," grinned Mollie and Friede knowingly.
Even Murdock agreed as he did his best not to cry in utter joy for his niece, turning back to head inside the airship while he choked, "Man... Kids grow up way too fast these days."
"You softie," smirked Cap as Sarah nodded warmly before she left for the Dragon Craft, feeling happy and content for both Tinkatink and Dot.
Later, after reuniting with her family and friends, the little princess explained everything she learned about the Celestial Guardians and Celestial Rangers' auxiliary Zords from the original Solgaleo Ranger's Spirit and the Solaris Knight to them. They were amazed to discover that they now belonged to her and her family (after her human family proved themselves in the final war against the Sporix Beasts and Santaura and Tarrick before the pair's redemption in June).
"Well, Mom, Dad, looks like you, Granny, Gramps, Aunt Nikki, Uncle, and Tsukumaro have your own Zords now," Sarah smiled.
She then looked at Moto, Maji, Radi, Barafu, Nyeupe, Jiwe, and Mti gently nudging their new respective pilots before she quipped, "But, hey, at least King and the boys won't be lonely anymore so that's a bonus."
"Yes, yes, we get that, Pumpkin. But, let's not forget that it'll take time for us to get accustomed to our new...fighting friends, shall we say? It's something out of...what you youngsters call 'left field', and it won't be easy for us to adapt to this sort of violence even if it's necessary against the forces of evil," David remarked cautiously, having doubts about owning Radi despite how well they fought with her and her fellow Zords.
"Doesn't it give any of you some sense of solace and reassurance knowing we have another leg-up against Lord Zedd should he make his move?" Sarah groaned knowingly, understanding what her grandfather was saying despite her slight exasperation at their reservations about owning the new Zords. "The Radiant Spirit and the Solaris Knight entrusted them to us on behalf of the Celestial Guardians and the Celestial Rangers and we can't let them down. You've proven yourselves during our fight against Santaura and the Sporix back at Pine Ridge so why should it be hard for you to accept-?"
"Alright, alright, alright, we understand where you're getting at, honey."
"You did say these 'Zords', the Radiant Spirit, and this Solaris Knight gave us their blessings regarding them so we'll let them stay. At least, they also give us a leg-up on helping us stop the Explorers should they strike again," Delilah and Doug sighed in defeat, knowing their daughter made a good point.
"Way to go, Sarah."
"King and your Fury Zords will love having them around to help us fight and appreciate their assistance!"
"But, boy, are Nate, Amelia, Solon, and the others at Coral Harbor and Pine Ridge gonna flip when they see them in action," Lana, Lillie, and Kiawe grinned with a chuckle.
"By the way, Sarah, what will you do with them now?" Mela asked.
Sarah blinked and hummed thoughtfully as she realized the logic in Mela's question; Race also made her realize that because of how complex the new Lion Zords were with their controls, the heroes would need a large enough area where she and her family could learn to improve their control of them and pilot them on a safe enough level for them to do their tests. This also meant they would have to keep the Explorers from knowing about them until their next plan to capture Lucius' Rayquaza was thwarted.
Area Zero in the Great Crater of Paldea was obviously out of the question as she, Race, Asha, Nemona, Arven, and Penny knew it had already gotten enough attention during and after their previous adventures with Koraidon and Miraidon. However, the Champion-Rank student suggested using the large ring of mountains bordering the Great Crater for their training with the new Zords, telling the little princess that she should also use the Undetectable Extension Charm to create a new home for Nuru and her fellow Zords.
Sarah saw the logic behind her idea and quickly decided to go for it while also using the Atmospheric Charm to have them hidden from the Explorers and keep them out of sight, immediately getting an idea to erect another base for her and her friends.
"There's truth in that... With the right spells at play, they would be safe in the mountain range until we're done training with them," she pondered.
"It's the most logical choice, Princess. The mountains bordering the Great Crater will safely house our new Zords until they can be brought to Alola," Tsukumaro nodded.
"Just try not to go overboard with your latest mega project, okay?" Lazuli sighed, holding the bridge of her nose as she shook her head knowingly.
"It'll work. Let's not try to jinx it by being negative about it," Race reassured firmly.
"Hey, little buddy, about Tinkatink, how's she getting on with Dot?" Arven asked.
Sarah just smiled, wondering how Dot and Tinkatink were getting along together.
It turns out that with the inclusion of Tinkatink as part of her team of three and family and friends, things with Dot, Quaxly, and Plume are much wilder than before. Case in point, after the trio finally got their new equipment hot-wired to their computer, they finally did the Nidothing livestream that was delayed the previous day with no further trouble.
They even went as far as to introduce Tinkatink to the young recluse's fans as their new partner and friend, describing her love for metal. This, unfortunately, also included the metal zipper on Dot's Nidothing cosplay which the little Metalsmith Pokémon grabbed and nearly pulled (thinking she could make a hammer out of it), making Plume and Quaxly panic and envelop the camera to stop the livestream as they cried out, "CUT, CUT!"
Yes, Tinkatink's love for metal and making every metal object she could find into a hammer may be a challenge of hilarious proportions for Dot, her dragon, and her first Partner Pokémon. But, just as the Family of Four Maushold, Serrate, Char, and Pincher did after Friede, his crew, Liko, Roy, and the rest formally welcomed them into the group thanks to Hatenna, Tony, and Jessie, she was certainly going to make things even livelier for the Rising Volt Tacklers and the others from here on out.
Occurred Events
- Sarah discovers 8 Lion Zords whom were the Auxillary allies of the Celestial Rangers and Celestial Guardians
- With Solaris Knight and the Radiant Spirits' blessing, said 8 Zords are passed down to Sarah and her family:For More Information about the Lions, click here - Leo Eight
Blaze Lion - Moto- Doug
Aqua Lion - Maji - Delilah
Terra Lion - Jiwe - Nikki
Plant Lion - Mti - James
Storm Lion - Radi- Donna
Frost Lion - Barafu- David
Radiant Lion - Nuru - Sarah
White Lion - Nyeupe - Tsukumaro
- Dot catches Tinkatink
To Be Continued...
