Trials of Sarah Vol 5: Pokemon Horizions

by Snow Nadder

(Takes place during the Summer of Paldea Adventure) While being a guest speaker at the Indigo Academy in Kanto, Sarah and Race suddenly get sucked into another world trotting adventure when they meet Liko and her Sprigatito. When the Explorers target the three of them for their Terapagos, they suddenly meet Professor Friede and the Rising Volt Tacklers.

55. Put Your Hearts Into It!

Liko -With the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft under repairs, Roy, Dot, and I are at Uva Academy to learn about Terastallization alongside the Blueberry Academy students and Lazuli (since she wanted to make a fresh start after giving her parents the Tera Orb she gained from Hamber. As we departed, our Terastal Course across Paldea has begun and the first ones up to the task...are me and Lazuli with the Cortondo Gym Leader, Ms. Katy!

The next day, our heroes were traveling along South Province Area Two on the way to Cortondo for Lazuli and Liko's Basics test with the town's gym leader, Katy. They had just made it past the large canyon-like environment where the young couple met and caught Fantom and Armarouge when there's were still Charcadets and Donphan found the Technical Machines for Aerial Ace, Air Cutter, Electro Ball, and Low Kick during their and Asha's first term in Uva Academy.

Now, they were reaching the end of the path that will lead them to Cortondo for Lazuli and Liko's first tests. But, because Dot was not used to consistent physical activity such as walking or running long distances between towns and cities and other destinations in between, she lagged behind as she caught up, panting all the while.

"...I don't know...how much more, I can take until we get there," she whined, wheezing.

"Come on, Partner, Cortondo's not that far off. Just put in a little more legwork into it as the others did," Quaxly remarked.

"Dot keep going, Dot keep walking~!" chirped Plume playfully, trying to encourage his rider and make her smile while getting a chuckle out of the Duckling Pokemon.

"Don't tell us you want to quit now while you're ahead," Rooster agreed, raising an incredulous eyebrow at the young recluse as he shared Quaxly's sentiments.

"Can't you build up more stamina with a little physical labor or take a gym class to help you with that, Dot?" Roy suggested.

"We can ask Mr. Clavell to help you get a gym class in," Arven agreed.

"As if! Unlike you guys with your martial arts and Pokemon training regimes, all of my battles involve me using my head, making use of all my mental smarts!"

Feeling bad for his rider as she sighed curmudgeonly, Plume gently chirped at her and happily placed her on his back to help her make the final few miles to Cortondo (much to her delight as she smiled at him and patted his head), "Thanks, Plume, I really took you for granted, didn't I?"

However, the heroes didn't have far to walk anymore as Liko and Lazuli (the swordswoman carrying her new Happiny in her arms while Petunia rested on her right shoulder and was at the head of the group with the young girl and Floragato) finally saw Cortondo with its trademark farmlands and the Cortondo Gym within range.

"There's Cortondo Town!" Lacey grinned as the others also took notice.

"That's right, welcome to Katy's hometown of Cortondo," Sarah nodded, smiling at the sight of the town before then.

"It's so far away!" Dot whined again.

"It's only a few more miles and we're in the outskirts. Man up, will ya, Dot?" Crispin snarked at the young recluse.

"This is it; that town is the place where Grass Girl and I will make our mark in these Terastal tests. This is my chance to prove that I'm ready to take a firm step forward and rightfully earn the power of Terastallization for my family. But, still... Will I be able to prove myself to that Katy woman when I have no idea how she battles and what she does apart from making her living with sweet things?" Lazuli thought as she brought out and looked at her new Tera Orb, hoping her parents would wish her luck if they should see her from Levincia.

"Mama?" Happiny asked, wondering what was bugging Lazuli.

Lazuli looked down at her Happiness Pokemon and smiled at her, saying, "...I'm alright, Happiny, no need to worry. Just thinking about my test, that's all... Now, then, you ready?"

"Yes!" Happiny grinned.

---

(Theme Song - Hiten (TV Size - Rurouni Kenshin (2023)) ft. AyaseR-Shitei) Pokémon Horizons Pt. 3: Terastal Debut Ver.

~Kizu ari no sasurai no mi, itami ni donkan na boku tachi~ (Wounded wanderer, we are insensitive to pain!)

~Mou sabitsuitari wa shinai, nozarashi joutou no kissaki~ (Won't rust anymore, exposed to the elements, our blades are sharp!)

Our opening to Part 3 of Liko, Roy, and Dot's journey with the Rising Volt Tacklers and the Alolan Royal Family begins as Liko and Floragato walk out of Uva Academy's gates together before the young girl greets the readers/viewers first and she's later shown holding a Pokeball as they walked along. Roy then greets the viewers/readers before he is shown walking with Fuecoco and Dot and Quaxly following suit as the young recluse greets the viewers/readers herself. After Dot greets the viewers/readers, Sarah, Race, and their family are shown with the Paldea School Gang and their Partner Pokémon

Akumade mo kankaku teki ni, tadashii to omoeta michi wo~ (Always instinctively, we've been running, deceiving ourselves)

Boku tachi wa damashi damashi hashitte kitan da, machigai no hitotsu ya futatsu wa atta~ (Along a path that seemed right to us, there may have been a mistake or two)

Our Horizons Trio, Quaxly, Floragato, and Fuecoco are seen with Galaxagus (with Lazuli on his back), Char, Serrate, Plume, Breeze, and Shadow and his fellow Night Furies flying overhead beside Mistral (who was in her Dragon Form). Next, the group was shown with their Pokémon, mythicals, dinosaurs, and dragons enjoying sandwiches by a campfire at night.

Surikomareta soutai teki na, shiawase ni kyoumi nado nai~ (Ingrained relative happiness but we have no interest in it)

Yuzurenai mono mamoru tame kono, atama wo hineru katana wo nigiru~ (To protect what we can't give up, we grasp the sword that twists our minds)

Then, the group was shown trudging through a snowstorm as Articuno flew above them and Glastrier and Glacial covered them from either side, all keeping a watchful eye for anything that could give them trouble during the frigid blizzard. As our heroes then laid down on the grass (happy over the chance to catch a break after wandering around together), we are shown various Pokémon that reside in Paldea from the nearby trees and brush including a Kingambit.

Juujiro de kousa, kinou no you da, kioku no oku de me wo samasu douran~ (Intersecting at the crossroads, it feels like yesterday, disturbances awaken in the depths of memory)

Itomo kantan, miiraresou da, makka na ame ga kanaderu chinkonka~ (So easily, it could enchant us, a requiem played by the crimson rain)

A singalong shot features Ann and Nemona on the bench closest to the camera with Liko, Sarah, and Kieran directly behind them in the middle, Dot, Penny, and Race on the left, and Roy and Carmine on the right with Ann's evolved Dewott, Kieran's Hydrapple, Carmine's Mightyena, and Pawmot jumping and cheering to the beat first and Floragato, Quaxly, Blitz, Bella, and Fuecoco doing the same afterward. Soon after, we are greeted by good ol' Captain Pikachu, Friede, and the unconventional professor's Charizard as they smirk at the viewers/readers.

Hakanaku chiru mouja temaneiteru monban, mi no uchi kara yakitsukusu gouka~ (The fleeting undead beckon as the inferno consumes from within)

Jigoku darou ga, tengoku darou ga, miteru mae saki wo isogou ka~ (Whether it's hell or whether it's heaven, should we hurry ahead before our eyes?)

Amid a sunset or sunrise before them, Sarah, Race, their Pokemon, dragons, dinosaurs, and mythicals, joined by Diancie and her friends, Lazuli, Breeze, Galaxagus, Pantherra, Dragonite, Honchcrow, Timburr, Delight, Woobat, Gengar, Mismagius, Roggenrola, Lacey, Granbull, Drayton, Flygon, Crispin, Taloneflame, Metagross, Amarys, Incinearoar, Kieran, Mightyena, Carmine, Liko, Floragato, Serrate, Roy, Char, Fuecoco, Dot, Plume, and Quaxly braced themselves, ready for what lies ahead of them.

Kizu mamire nan da tokku ni, kasabuta mou ichido hagashi~ (Covered in scars long ago, peeling off scabs once again!)

Hiten takaku tobitatsu tame ni~ (To soar high into the sky!)

We are then shown Sidian, Coral, Garganacl, and Glalie as the two Explorers are in disguise, going incognito for a supposed mission of espionage for their comrades, Hamber, and Gibeon by secretly learning about the Terastal Phenomenon.

Tatoe kyou ga kusatta hi demo, asu ga motto owatteitemo~ (Even if today is a rotten day, even if tomorrow is even worse)

Returning to Dot, Liko, and Roy, they unleash the power of their newly-gained Tera Orbs amidst three Tera symbols glowing in their respective colors and Tera Crystals appearing after. Through the power of Terastallization, Floragato, Fuecoco, and Quaxly Terastallize, thus becoming a Tera Grass Type, a Tera Fire Type, and a Tera Water Type respectively.

Hitori kurai wa konna no demo, aishite kureru to honki de shinjiteru ze~ (I truly believe that at least one person will love me, even in this state)

Amid the approving stares of Jacq, Clavell, Geeta, and Dendr and a nonchalant stare from a disguised Chalce, Liko, Roy, Dot, and their partners run across a field to join their friends and face the challenges the Terastal Course provided for them as we're shown transitions of Paldea's Gym Leaders, the Paldea Elite Four, and their respective Partner Pokémon they would formally meet throughout the course: Katy and Teddiursa, Brassius and Sudowoodo, Iono and Bellibolt, Kofu and Wugtrio, Tulip and Espathra, Ryme and Houndstone, Grusha and Cetitan, Larry and Staraptor and Flamigo, Hassel and Baxcalibur, Poppy and Tinkie, and Rika and Clodsire.

Aa itsuka itsu no hi ni ka, doro no naka ni saite kumo no ue de chiru no sa~ (Ah, someday, somehow, blooming in the mud, scattering in the clouds)

Liko is then shown preparing to eat a sandwich she prepared only for Floragato to jump in and cheekily snatch it from her. Then, we see one of her eyes as it crystalizes as if Terastallization or something else dazzles and amazes her.

Aa baka mitai na hibi wo, ikinuite miseru no sa~ (Ah, those foolish days, I'll show you that I can survive them)

Finally, we see the heroes on a hill overlooking a stunning view as Lucius' Moltres and Rayquaza (with Marena riding on the latter's back again) soar overhead into the heavens before the opening closes with multiple Pokeballs thrown in the air before they become the new main titles and Cap, Blitz, Rosie, Chili, and Crest appear and wink at the viewers/readers, smirking together.

The Trials of Sarah - Pokemon Horizons Pt. 3: Terastal Debut

---

Cortondo Town, a place of lush farmlands, sweet cakes, friendly faces, and a cluster of Bug Type Pokémon living in harmony with their fellow townspeople as far as the eye can see.

It was a sight to behold for our heroes as they entered and saw some Smilov looking down upon them from the trees, a farmer and his Heracross carrying out a berry harvest from their farm as they loaded some Oran Berries and blueberries onto a yellow truck, and a variety of Bug Types living in peace with the townsfolk as Katy's main Pokemon forte is Bug Type Pokemon.

"Whoa, look at all the Bug Pokemon hanging around here!" Dot stated in amazement as she saw a flock of Fancy-Pattern Vivillon fly by and recorded them via her Rotom Phone while Lacey and Drayton took photos.

"Ooh! More buggy Bug Type friends, whee!" cooed Beautifly with joy at the Bug Types living in or passing through the town.

"SSSSSSShe's/She's in her element again," Dawn (Lycanroc) and Seviper deadpanned to each other.

"Ms. Katy is well known in the region as a master of Bug Types in her own right so it makes sense she has those Pokemon and Pokemon that can use Bug Type moves," Frosmoth explained to Dot as Ash, Gladion, Hau, and the Pokemon School Gang caught up with the group and marveled at the town and the Bug Types around them.

The others were equally impressed but Asha and Sarah noticed Liko and Lazuli being rather quiet, the pair knowing that their Basics tests with Katy were drawing closer with each step they took to her gym (which made sense as she was the first roadblock them continuing the Terastal Course).

"Lazuli, Liko, you okay...?" asked the cowgirl ninja.

"H-Huh, what-? Oh... Sorry, a little, I guess," Liko replied nervously.

Lazuli said nothing as she still wondered what Katy would be like in battle.

"Just chill, Liko, you'll do fine. You battled Rayquaza with us, after all, and Sprigatito evolved into Floragato when he had us on the ropes days ago," Roy reminded, encouraging her.

"Even if we were able to beat the Terastal Snake Lord by the skin of our teeth before your pussycat and baby croc pulled this Hail Mary crap at the last minute," interjected Eternatus, knowing how close his family and their friends were to having their clocks cleaned by Lucius and Marena's closest partner and friend for a third time.

"...Still, we managed to beat him and get him back to Marena and his family, didn't we?" Dot reminded.

"My pipsqueak and her man along with Team Mega Evolution helped bail you out when he was about to whomp us so what I'm saying still stands. Besides, it's not all battles and fighting these gym leader bozos to pass this education mumbo-jumbo."

"It's not?" Dot, Liko, and Roy echoed in surprise.

"Right, that's only part of your tests with the Paldea Gym Leaders. It's not totally necessary to win to be approved of the power of Terastallization; what matters to them, Clavell, the Elite Four, and Geeta is that you demonstrate your understanding of the purpose behind the Terastal Phenomenon and how you should use it."

"Island Girl, her sis, and I lost a few battles against them during our time in the Terastal Course but the important thing is we took everything we learned from them about the Terastal Phenomenon to heart, understand how we Terastallize our Pokémon from the heart, and put them into practice in battle when the time is right," Sarah and Race confirmed.

"Wow, I never thought of it that way."

"Neither did I until you told us today."

"Me, too," stated Carmine, Kieran, and their friends in an agreed amazement.

Liko was relieved but still wasn't sure if she could prove herself and her understanding of the Terastal Phenomenon and how she could Terastallize at the right moment with her Pokémon in the heat of battle. Her confidence wasn't very high despite promising Rika that she'd do her best in the course while representing Indigo Academy.

Lazuli felt the same way as she frowned and thought, "...Man, way to build the pressure, Hothead. I'm sure Grass Girl feels the same way I am; if I do Terastallize my Pokemon with a clean slate as I vowed, will I still be worthy of such a power after all this time...? Would I still have what it takes to achieve it with my family?"

Before she could stew in her internal conflict further, Fuecoco, Roy, Ash, Sophocles, Vikavolt, Togedemaru, and Pikachu had their heads and noses turned by the smell of something sweet a short distance from where they are as they sniffed and sighed blissfully.

"Something's cooking around here, smells good! That way! Let's check it out!"

"Follow us!" Roy and Fuecoco grinned as they, Ash, Sophocles, Pikachu, Togedemaru, and Vikavolt went after the source of the sweet smell with Char following close behind them.

"Something's cooking?"

"Roy, Ash, Sophocles, guys! Don't run off!"

"Hey! Wait, not so fast!"

"Here we go again...!" Drayton, Amarys, Crispin, and Dot gasped as the others gave chase so they wouldn't lose them.

Eventually, after catching up to the three boys, their Pokémon, and Char, the heroes discovered that they ended up at the source of the sweet smell which was actually Katy's personal bakery, the "Patisserie Soapberry", as customers lined up to see and pick out the cakes and sweets of their choice from the display cabinets and windows.

"Whoa...!" breathed the Poms, Tiny, Midge, and Pebble as they stared in awe at the famous pastry shop.

"No way! Is that what I think it is?" gawked Crispin in surprise at the pastry shop they saw.

"Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow! Scrappy, Scooby, do you see all that? There are so many cakes over there! I want all of them!" Della cheered as she directed Scooby and Scrappy to the cakes.

"Nuts, whoever's in charge of the place went ham on all those!" Scrappy commented in surprise at the cakes.

"Mmmmmm! Deeeelicious!" Scooby chirped, eagerly slurping his tongue.

"Delicious is right, Scooby. Guys, welcome to Katy's bakery shop and the most famous sweet shop in all of Paldea: the Patisserie Soapberry," Sarah chuckled as she introduced her, Race, and Asha's Blueberry Academy classmates and their old friends to Katy's bakery shop.

"If you're looking to try out some of the sweets Paldea offers and you don't know where to begin, this shop belonging to Cortondo's own Gym Leader is your go-to and one-stop shop for the best of fine pastries. Your Pokemon are welcome to try out the cakes, tarts, pies, and other treats she specializes in," explained Arven, grinning broadly.

"It's all so beautiful," Carmine breathed with an awestruck smile.

"I can't believe we'll get to eat some of Ms. Katy's famous cakes while we're here!" Lacey gushed as her eyes twinkled.

"Oh, yeah, that reminds me. Ms. Katy is also a lifetime pâstissière aside from being a gym leader," Dot noted I realization.

"So, if Ms. Katy is a pâstissière and the owner of this pastry shop..." Liko added, catching on to what the others and Dot were saying.

"Maybe she's in there waiting for us! Let's go and ask somebody for her!" Roy concluded, knowing what they must do until the gang noticed that their Partner Pokémon apart from the majority of Sarah, Race, and Asha's family, the dragons (save for Char), and the Six Heroes were gone. "Huh? Hang on a minute, where's Fuecoco?"

"Floragato, too!" Liko gasped, realizing her partner had also vanished until Floragato caught her with her bud vine and dragged her over.

"Can we eat these first, Liko?" the spunky Grass Cat Pokémon asked, eagerly pointing at the cakes as Quaxly and Fuecoco looked over the ones in the display cabinets before them with Fuecoco plastered on the window and Char trying to yank him off before he could break through and eat them (which he felt would cause trouble for him and the others with Katy if Fuecoco can't control his appetite).

"Sweet, sweet, yim, yim yim!" Bumblebee cooed, reaching out toward the sweets from Koraidon's head while Astraeus' eyes twinkled at the cakes and he happily panted like a dog before squeaking at his mother.

"Oh, boy, looks like the kid's younglings got a case of the Sweet Tooth again," Hu remarked with a chuckle, directing his fellow Zodiacs to Sarah's younger Pokémon and dragons flocking to the window cabinets to see the cakes after Char finally pried Fuecoco off of them.

But, even he couldn't let go of his cat's curiosity as he looked at the sweets with Plume, Breeze, and Serrate joining him (since none of them obviously saw cakes of such culinary craftsmanship and finesse apart from the cakes made by Murdock and Alcremie). Rosie, Chili, and Crest also couldn't hold back their addiction to Katy's cakes as they quickly dragged Sarah to the display windows and pointed at the cakes with Chili hopping in place and Crest rocking from his webbed feet in front of her while Rosie pulled off the sad puppy eyes.

"Will you ask Katy and her chefs to prepare and serve our favorite mainstay cake from here, Mom?!"

"Please, Mom! Will ya, please?!"

"Please, Mommy? Pretty please with a sliced Oran Berry on top?" the older Paldea Starters begged their human mother eagerly.

Sarah sighed until she smiled and relented as she looked at Liko, asking her Paldean best friend, "Well, Liko, what do you think? Can't keep a good Pokémon with a hunger and love for Ms. Katy's cakes down, can we?"

"Nope, I guess not. But, in all seriousness, itisSnack Time for us, anyway," Liko replied, giving Floragato a knowing smile.

Lazuli smiled at the cakes and looked between Petunia, Happiny, and Delight (who had let herself earlier and perched herself on her partner's head after the heroes arrived at the shop), "What do you think, you three? Want to try this Ms. Katy's cakes for ourselves?"

"Cake, cake! Yum, yum/Cake, cake! Yum, yum!" Petunia and Happiny cheered eagerly.

"Yes, of course! I'd love to see what her cakes are all about!" Delight agreed.

---

Soon, along with Arven and Mabosstiff, Liko, Roy, Dot, their dragons, and their respective Pokémon teams were seated on the upper level of the gym that served as an extension of the restaurant (which was part of her shop and gym) and a server and her Cutiefly brought them some of the sweets from the pastry shop (vanilla cakes for the Pokémon and Katy's famous Tamantu-la-Torte that served as the mainstay of her patisserie) which they enjoyed wholeheartedly (with even Quaxly giving his approval as he let out a "Perfection!" and gave a thumbs-up).

Terapagos, in particular, had finished his cake already and prompted Liko to give him the rest of her Tamantu-la-Torte while she, at the same time, sheepishly smiled at Floragato and Serrate gleefully licking their plates clean. Wattrel finished his cake early, too, and eyed Fuecoco's cake (which he quickly scarfed down as he didn't want to share with him, resulting in a harsh tail slap from a disappointed Char whom the care-free Fire Croc Pokémon glared and snapped at as he rubbed his sore head). Tinkatink also finished her cake early and started to cry as she wanted more due to how good it was, resulting in Plume and Quaxly happily giving their nearly finished cakes to her (much to her delight)).

Down below, Sarah, Race, Asha, their family, and their friends got their sweets after the trio ordered a vast selection (which also included the Tamantu-la-Torte) with the young couple and the old advisor using the Doubling and Engorgement Charms to make more of them and larger ones for everyone to enjoy.

"Here you are, everybody: Ms. Katy's cakes including the best cake in her shop, the first she ever baked in her life's work as a pâstissière - her world-famous Tamantu-la-Torte!" Sarah announced as she presented the cakes, making her group gasp in awe and delight.

"So cool!"

"I love it!"

"It looks great!" Lana, Lillie, and Mallow gushed.

Sarah nodded at her Alolan best friends staring in awe and fascination at their Tamantu-la-Torte cakes before she declared, "Everybody ready?"

Everybody in her group and family nodded as they all cheered, "TIME TO DIG IN/DOWN THE HATCH/BON APPETIT!"

The heroes soon tucked into their delightful deserts and upon tasting them, their eyes glistened and their faces lit up as they screamed, "AY-YI-YI/SO GOOD/DELICIOUS!"

"Wow, Sis! Have you ever had a slice of cake that tastes this good?" Kieran asked his sister, amazed by the Tamantu-la-Torte he was eating and its unparalleled taste and texture.

Carmen nodded and was awestruck as she took in the chocolate cake's unique texture and taste with each bite, telling her little brother, "No, I haven't... This cake is absolutely phenomenal...! The flavor of it is sweet and powerful and the cake leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste after being swallowed, I don't know why we never bothered coming here before when we first tasted anything sweet!"

"SO GOOD!"

"This is the best cake I've ever eaten!"

"Delicious!"

"This is incredible stuff!"

"If I could ask Ms. Katy for the recipe or show me how she bakes her cakes, I can make a whole new menu for my family's restaurant inspired by her sweets!"

"I don't know if I could ever eat another cake that's this good!"

"What a treat...!"

"Yeah! If Gramps was here, he would flip after having such a delectable delight!" Ash, Sophocles, Lana, Kiawe, Mallow, Lillie, Gladion, and Hau beamed after they tasted their Tamantu-la-Torte cakes with their Pokémon sharing their sentiments after eating their own.

For Bumblebee and Astraeus, Sarah made sure to give her some Cinnamon Swirls (spiral-like pastries filled with cinnamon and sweetened with honey) and Honey Drops (small chew candies made from pure hive honey) to try out which they happily scarfed down without hesitation.

"Hey, hey! Come on, guys! Take it easy, you'll get a stomachache!" gasped Sarah at her two baby dragons.

"Yum yim-yim!"

"Mama!" they babbled cheerfully at her in response as they continued eating.

Lazuli, her team, her parents Pokémon, Petunia, and Breeze enjoyed their own Tamantu-la-Torte cakes as they playfully fed each other while the Circle of Twelve watched from a table close to them, happy to see their charge having fun before she and Liko took their Basics Tests from Katy for the Terastal Course (with Hu and Mistral coaxing Rotoscope and Rotospark to discreetly take photos of them to show to her Seiya and Mary through the Rising Volt Tacklers and their own Rotom Phones).

Even Marena gave Lapras, Entei, Kleavor, Arboliva, Moltres, and Rayquaza jumbo-sized Tamantu-la-Tortes and she had two of the same cakes for herself (wishing Lucius was with them so he could share the experience with them), all of seven enjoying them immensely as they moaned in satisfaction.

"How was it?" the Sea Witch asked her family, smiling at them and how surprised they were over their Tamantu-la-Tortes.

"...Fascinating!"

"Humans made this beautiful treat? Amazing...!"

"I can't believe humans had the gall to make something so good!"

"Now, this is a desert fit for a king or adventurer like Father!"

"Most pleasantry, indeed!" Kleavor, Arboliva, Lapras, Moltres, and Entei commented in shock and fascination.

"...Father would've loved something like this if he were here," Rayquaza put in quietly, completely astounded by how good the cakes tasted (while he also wished Lucius was with them to share the treats his family was having).

Marena couldn't help but agree as she mused while eating her cakes (since the second Tamantu-la-Torte was meant for her husband despite knowing he was still missing), "Lucius, darling... Wherever you are, even if you're still in Laqua... I, I wish you were here, to share these cakes... Even if for a brief moment..."

"Man, those cakes was so good!" grinned Roy while he and his group relaxed after finishing their tea and cakes.

"Really good!" Fuecoco agreed happily after he calmed down from Char's recent treatment of him for his selfishness and enjoying the view from the gym's upper level.

"Well, we still got the rest of today to ourselves. So, you ready to go and meet the others so you and Lazuli can see Ms. Katy and begin your Basics Tests, Liko?" Arven asked the young girl while she and Floragato watched the view from their spot.

But, before she could answer him, the quartet and their Partner Pokémon were greeted by Murdock (wearing a special Patisserie Soapberry worker's uniform), Rockruff, and Alcremie (much to their surprise) as he and his Ruby Swirl Cream Pokémon met up with the four students and the Alola Puppy Pokémon happily reunited with Mabosstiff, Floragato, Quaxly, and Fuecoco.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, did you find your tea and cakes satisfactory? Ha-ha, made you look!" the friendly cook joked as he and Alcremie smiled at them.

"Murdock!"

"Hey there, Murdock!"

"Why are you here?" Roy, Arven, and Liko gasped, looking pleasantly surprised by his appearance.

"Well, now, you kids are all looking good as far as I can tell! And, thanks for helping Sarah and the others look after them, Arven."

"Hey, no worries, it was great traveling with them as well as you, the other Rising Volt Tacklers, Little Buddy, her family, and her old friends while getting to know them. And, since they're now Uva Academy students and taking the Terastal Course, helping them with their grades while working with her and her sister on their Herba Mystica project, it's been a blast even though we're just getting started," Arven smiled at him.

"Hi, guys!" Rockruff greeted Floragato, Quaxly, Fuecoco, and Mabosstiff.

"How've you been, Kid?"

"Hey, doc!"

"What's up?"

"Alright!" they replied in kind.

"Dot, those duds of yours are so adorable! They and your Uva Academy uniform from Sarah and Ortega totally scream you!" Murdock gushed at his niece over her clothes.

"...Will you hush up? Mollie had these picked out for me; she's got a strong fashion sense rivaling that of Sarah and Ortega-wait! Hey, never mind me! What about you?" Dot replied, flustered.

"What are you doing here in Cortondo?"

"Shouldn't you be back at the Brave Olivine and the Dragon Craft?" Liko and Roy questioned the friendly cook.

"Nah, Orla's got them both covered with Cam and Arcia called in to give her a helping paw. As for Friede, he's with Asha's grandparents, Seiya, and Mary researching the Laqurium and Terapagos. And, me, I came here to earn some money for us."

The three young trainers were surprised and Arven smiled at him for his part-time job with Katy as Murdock gleefully continued, "But, it's been a blast since I joined; she told me that her sweets were so popular, every day has been crazy busy! Her sweets rival mine and Sarah's from what I've tasted and she was so lovely with everyone around her that she even makes cakes for her staff as treats, she'll give you a run for her money if you compete against her in a baking competition!"

"Well, her sweets are the best to be found in all of Paldea so it makes sense you and your Pokemon would be happy working here while the repairs are carried out. That would explain why you and your partners are in your element as of now. By the way, is Ms. Katy here today? We've come for Lazuli and Liko's Basics tests under her," the young Pokémon Cook said with a smile.

Murdock beamed as he replied, "Oh, your timing couldn't be more perfect! She's down below attending the shop herself, and Liko, she's been expecting you and-!"

"No, kiddo! What are you doing?! Not without any of us paying, you're not!"

The small group jumped in surprise after hearing Lazuli yell in exasperation along with Petunia's cute giggling, realizing the baby Equestrian dragon had gotten into trouble through her cat's curiosity and the swordswoman sounded frantic as she tried to stop her from giving her and everyone around them grief.

"Did Petunia unintentionally do something to get into trouble again?" Liko asked her group worriedly.

"Let's go see if Lazuli needs help," Roy suggested as they gathered their stuff and joined Rockruff, Alcremie, and Murdock as the trio led them to the shop (reuniting with Sarah and her party as they heard Lazuli and Petunia as well), eventually seeing the swordswoman trying to chase the baby dragon down as she had another cake in her claws.

"What are you doing?! That's not yours! Your mom got us some sweets including those cakes out of the goodness of her big heart! Will you stop fooling around and drop it before you sic the cops or the owner on us?! Hey-no! Hey! Come back here! Stop it! Don't you DARE think about eating it without us paying!" Lazuli screamed, exasperated as she tried to catch the giggling baby dragon while she flew from her around the front of the shop.

"Uh, Lazuli, are you okay? What's Petunia been doing?" Liko asked as she and the others awkwardly stared at the crazy scene before them.

"What do you think I'm doing?! This little bottomless pit wanted another cake for us and my family to eat. But, little did I she flew off and tried to sneak one of those sweet bad boys from this windows out of here and to where we were sitting! Now, she won't return it and she's taunting me by pulling this stupid game of Tag! Now, if you bozos don't mind, STOP STARING and help me out before the owner has my head!" snapped Lazuli as she continued to chase Petunia.

"Oh, Petunia!" gawked Sarah in shock, groaning in exasperation before she brandished her wand and waved it at her dragon daughter (catching her just in time and taking her in her hands which allowed the swordswoman to snag the cake she stole off of her).

"...Thanks," Lazuli panted to Sarah before she glared at Petunia and barked, "What the hell were you thinking, kid?! Do you even know how much this would've cost had you ruined it and the owner saw-!?"

"Excuse me, is everything alright out here?"

The heroes blinked in surprise and looked to the owner of the voice that called out, and there, in front of them was Katy herself (joined by her Partner Pokémon, Teddiursa), coming from outside her shop to see what was going on after hearing the unintentional ruckus Lazuli and Petunia had been creating.

"Whoa..." the Blueberry Academy students gasped in awe at the Cortondo Gym Leader (since they, Liko, Roy, Dot, and Lazuli had yet to meet her formally given their last introduction to her, the Uva Academy faculty, and the rest of the Paldea League Gym Leaders had been haphazard).

"Uh-um...! I-I-I'm sorry, M'am! This isn't what it's like! I sincerely apologize for the trouble my friend and I caused! I'll do anything to make it up to you! I promise!" begged Lazuli as she bowed to Katy, momentarily forgetting who she also was.

"Oh, never mind, these kinds of things do happen on occasion. I can hardly control myself when I'm in my element in the kitchen, too. But, by the sound of your little friend despite how frantic you sounded, she must be a real cake lover, ain't she?" Katy smiled knowingly, not bothered by the incident at all.

"Uh, yeah... She is," the swordswoman blinked in bewilderment, not expecting Katy to be so generous and kind and thinking she would explode on her and Petunia from the trouble they caused.

Katy giggled as she replied, "Oh, no! No trouble with that at all, my friend. Please, help yourselves to what she chose to her liking. Consider it my treat to welcome you and your fellow students to the Cortondo Gym."

"Fellow students...? Ah-hey, wait! Then, Ms. Katy, you-?!" gasped Liko in surprise at Katy as she quickly put two and two together.

"Ha-ha, that's right! And, for those who don't know, allow Alcremie and I to present to you the owner of the Patisserie Soapberry and the Cortondo Town Gym Leader!" Murdock gushed as he and his Cream Pokémon proudly presented their and Rockruff's boss at their part-time job as a baker in her pastry shop.

"Hello, everyone! Nice to see you all again and welcome to our humble home of Cortondo Town," Katy greeted warmly.

"Hello, friends. Hi, Stufful," Teddiursa peeped cutely from behind Katy, seeing Stufful among the heroes.

"Hi, Teddiursa!"

"Hello there!" Stufful and the other Pokémon greeted the Little Bear Pokémon with the Flailing Pokémon happily reuniting with her old friend.

"Whoa! So, you're th-!" Lazuli balked in surprise at the Cortondo Town Gym Leader.

"That's right, Ms. Lazuli. I was told by Clavell and Geeta earlier this morning that you and Ms. Liko would be coming here with your friends to take your Basics tests. Shall we get started, then?"

Liko hesitated for a moment with her response but Lazuli (humbled and inspired by the kindhearted yet firm Gym Leader with what she did earlier regarding the cake Petunia tried to make off with) didn't hold back as she bowed to her and replied, "Yes, Ms. Katy! Let's do it! Please take Grass Girl and I as your pupils for our tests, please accept us!"

Everybody was surprised by Lazuli's instantaneous response when she had finished. However, after a moment, Liko eventually composed herself and agreed to join in (but with a small proposition to what she thought would be Katy's test for them), "Y-Yes, of course! Uh, Ms. Katy... If it's, well... You know, not too much of a bother, will you allow Lazuli and I to Terastallize during our battle?"

"That kind of thing's never allowed between students in the Terastal Course," Katy reminded, intrigued by what Liko told her as she implored her to explain her reason, "But, still, if you're so interested in doing so to prove yourselves, do you have a specific reason as to why?"

"Well, the truth is...before coming to Uva Academy, I never Terastallized my Pokémon nor used a Tera Orb once. So, I was hoping to try Terastallization out first before we battle and I wondered if Lazuli and I could help each other do so since she's starting over from scratch..."

Katy was interested in Liko's reasoning for using Terastallization before her and Lazuli's Basics tests but the Cortondo Gym Leader also wanted to confirm this and more with Lazuli (especially regarding her thoughts on wanting to Terastallize proper), "And, you, Ms. Lazuli?"

"...Well, Ms. Katy, when I was captured by a terrible group of people and made to do their work with them, I've done many terrible things against my will while growing up... I've even learned how to Terastallize with the help of someone I once saw as a mentor. But, after thinking about it for some time while discovering what I wanted to do now after I'd left them, I felt like I didn't deserve it, not after all of the horrible things I've done... I want to be tested to see if I'm even worthy of Terastallization but I'm worried that I'm not cut out for it after all. I want to see if that rings true through a practice match with Grass Girl even though holding a Terastal Battle between us is against the rules!" the swordswoman declared, explaining why she would want to go through with Liko's proposition and the Cortondo Gym Leader's test.

Impressed by Lazuli's willingness to learn Terastallization from scratch and sympathetic to her after recalling her previous plight with the Explorers, Katy smiled but didn't want them to start based on Liko's need to practice Terastallization with Lazuli as she requested, "You both have affirming reasons for wanting to do so, girls. And, as you two know, practice indeed makes perfect, especially for a Pokémon Trainer studying Terastallization. However, unlike an actual battle, practicing is a whole different world than you think it is. So, rather than having you two Terastal Battle each other, I suggest having a friendly bake-off between you two by having you make and decorate your own cakes to help each other warm up."

"Huh, baking cakes?" Liko blinked in surprise.

"...You mean, uh...like what my friends and I once did back in Ballonea?" Lazuli gulped, worried.

---

Moments later, Liko and Lazuli (joined by Floragato, Happiny, and Delight) were gathered inside Katy's shop kitchen as Sarah, Blitz, Curly, Koraidon, Race, Robbie, Bella, Miraidon, Arven, Mabosstiff, Murdock, Rockruff, Alcremie, Timburr, Woobat, Roggenrola, Galaxagus, Panthera, Hu, Mistral, Plume, Breeze, Dot, Serrate, Char, Fuecoco, and Roy stood behind them (being their audience while the others waited outside).

"Never in my whole life did I imagine those two being in a friendly bake-off before their Basics tests," Murdock admitted.

"Go to it, you guys! You got this!"

"Bake 'em good!" Roy and Fuecoco cheered for Lazuli and Liko.

"You guys, I'm not so sure about this; are you sure this would be fair even though it's not a competition? I mean, does Liko even know how to bake a cake? Lazuli's got an edge on her because she did Ms. Opal's Alcremie Decoration Contest and got Delight out of it, remember?" Dot questioned, unsure if Liko could pull through in the bake-off compared to the swordswoman.

"Oh, yeah... That learning curve gave her something of experience on that front and Liko doesn't have anything that comes remotely close," Hu realized, now feeling concerned for the young girl.

"Hu's right, did she even have practice over something like this? I'm afraid her inexperience with baking will handicap her," Mistral concurred with a worried frown.

Murdock grinned as he reassured his niece, "Don't you worry your heads off, you three. Thankfully, Sarah and I once showed her how to make a cake at one point so she and Lazuli got this in the bag. They must draw from their respective experiences and build off them to progress and be approved for their Basics tests."

"How did I get myself into these sorts of things?" Lazuli sighed in dismay, not wanting to stumble through her awkward baking again.

"You've had no problem making a cake with Delight during Opal's challenge after you teamed up with her and you passed her test with flying colors," Hu reminded.

"He's right, Mama! You had me guiding you in making a cake along the way, right?" Delight added reassuringly as she stood on her partner's right shoulder and Petunia joined her while she giggled from her left shoulder.

"Me help you, Mama! Baking cakes fun! Fun, fun, fun for everyone!" Happiny cooed cutely from her arms as she held her.

"...Well, okay, if you feel like it," Lazuli gulped until she was given a confidence boost by Timburr, Woobat, and Roggenrola as they gave her their best wishes with Woobat giving her a hard wing slap that helped her snap into her present situation. "Ow, whoo! Wow! Thanks, Woobat, I needed that. By the way, if you three can cheer Delight and I along with Happiny on, I think we can make a cake worthy of Terastallization from the heart."

"Yeah!" the three Pokémon replied with gleeful smiles, getting a warm smile out of Katy as she witnessed their bonding moment with her older pupil and she, Delight, and Happiny taking their places on their table with renewed confidence from the swordswoman.

"Okay, this is it... I'll have to be careful, I've never baked a cake on my own before given Sarah and Murdock taught me how to make one beforehand. But, regardless, I have to do my best for everyone including Lazuli and myself," Liko mused, knowing she and Floragato were in it for the long haul but with nerves of steel and the need to prove that she's worth of the power of Terastallization.

She turned to Floragato, and steeling herself, she declared, "Floragato, you ready to give it your all for this one?"

"Let's do it!" agreed the spunky Grass Cat Pokémon as they took their places on their table.

"...Well, what goes around comes around. Let's hope my little training session in Galar paid off... Happiny, Delight, you ready?" Lazuli asked her Cream and Happiness Pokemon (since Happiny was also shown how a cake was made before Lazuli became a student at Uva Academy).

"Let's get baking!" they beamed brightly.

"Okay, girls, you may start when ready and Little Teddy rings the bell," Katy chirped happily as Teddiursa brought in a call bell.

"Ready, friends? On your marks, get set...GO!" Katy's Teddirusa nodded cheerfully, ringing the call bell three times and allowing them to begin their friendly bake-off.

With Lazuli, drawing from her unconventional training from Opal's Alcremie contest months ago and with the assistance of Delight and Happiny (and Timburr, Roggenrola, and Woobat's cheering session behind them), she was carefully putting together a vanilla cream cake of her own making and having fun while doing so as she slowly got herself into it (her family and parents firmly on her mind as she thought back to the moments they shared following Seiya and Mary's resurrection and her happiness rubbing off on her two Pokémon helping her bake).

Liko and Floragato did the same, the young pair team recalling what Murdock and Sarah taught the young girl when they made their cakes and letting their own creativity shine through while they made it based on their friendship and their everlasting bond.

"We're finished/All done!"

"Ta-Da~!/Yay!" the young girl, the swordswoman, and their respective Pokémon declared happily, presenting their finished cakes while everybody with them clapped, cheered, howled, and warbled happily.

With Liko and Floragato, they created a Matcha cake with a stunning green marshmallow cream finish that featured layers of light and airy matcha sponge infused with the earthly flavors of high-quality matcha powder. The cake's layers are generously filled with a creamy matcha-infused frosting that offers a perfect balance of sweetness and umami and it was topped off with a dusting of matcha powder and white chocolate shavings (with a touch of Floragato's Magical Leaf garnish, of course).

As for Lazuli, Delight, and Happiny's cake, it was elegantly topped with a swirl of whipped vanilla frosting, fresh blueberries, and a sprinkle of edible glitter for a magical touch coupled with delicate mint leaves that added a refreshing contrast to the cake's sweetness, making it both a tasty treat and a feast for the eyes.

"Wow, look at those cakes they made!"

"They're so cute!" Curly and Bella gushed.

"Those cakes sure do look good..."

"Ms. Liko's cake is cool but Mama's cake is totally awesome!"

"And, I'm ready to dig in!" Woobat, Timburr, and Roggenrola grinned as their mouths watered.

"That's the way, kiddo! I knew you had it in ya when you started baking a storm with Delight and Happiny!" Hu congratulated his charge.

"As usual, you got all worked up for nothing given you now have a knack for baking," Mistral smirked proudly at the swordswoman.

"Way to go, Lazuli, Liko! You did it!"

"Those simple yet delightful cakes are your Marks of Mastery for Ms. Katy!" grinned Arven and Mabosstiff.

"See, what did I tell ya?" Murdock chuckled to Dot, Mistral, and Hu.

Katy was delighted by the final results of the bake-off as she told Lazuli and Liko, "Excellent work, young ladies! Your baking and the fun you had with your Pokémon can make a mother proud and you managed to finish your cakes together simultaneously, too! Sweets of all sorts are just like Bug Pokémon; they may be small compared to the world's bigger Pokémon but when given the care and treatment they need, they can unlock tremendous power hidden within them. With that, Ms. Liko and Ms. Lazuli, I would be honored to be the one to administer your Basics tests."

"Thank you, Ms. Katy," they replied, smiling at her.

"But, first, while we're here and before we begin, would you and your Pokémon like to try out the cakes you made and see how they fared based on what you were going for with them?" Katy continued, directing them, Floragato, Delight, and Happiny to their cakes.

Liko and Floragato wasted no time tasting their cake and they were delighted by how it turned out after baking it, "It's as delicious as it looks!"

"And, how!"

However, Lazuli looked at her cake and frowned sadly, hesitating to eat it; while she and her Pokemon would enjoy trying it out, because she made it in honor of her parents, the swordswoman felt it wouldn't be right to eat it without letting them see and taste what she came up with.

Thus, she turned to Sarah and asked her, "...Kid, you mind making me a double...?"

Sarah realized why she didn't immediately eat her cake as she recalled Seiya and Mary and understood what she wanted as she joined her, brandished her wand, and used the Doubling Charm to make an exact copy of the cake she made, "Geminio!"

The others were surprised by this but Katy was intrigued as she asked, "What is the matter, Ms. Lazuli? Are you not happy with your cake?"

"...No, Ms. Katy, Iamhappy about it. It's just that...I want to have my parents taste my cake with me and my Pokemon since they couldn't be with me right now. I don't think it's right to have them miss out on it before I take my test with you... I, well...actually, want them to watch me pass..."

Katy completely understood as she replied, "I understand; you want your parents to share what you made with you. Nothing is more important than family so I can understand why you wanted Sarah to use her magic to create a second cake. And, you cared deeply about your parents to the point when you would hold off on tasting your cake just so they could enjoy what you came up with."

Her smile broadened as she then added with a giggle, "And, I had a feeling you would want them with you for your first test which is a genuine matter of the heart, so..."

The Cortondo Gym Leader turned to the door leading to the restaurant portion of her shop and the gym as Seiya and Mary arrived with Daisy and Honchkrow, surprising the heroes and shocking their daughter by their appearance.

"Dah! U-Uh...! Mommy, Daddy?!" the swordswoman balked, her eyes widening.

"Hey, honey bun, here we are!"

"Well, Lazuli, we heard you were baking a storm with Delight and your new Happiny, and by the looks of it, we were right!" grinned Daisy and Honchkrow.

"What are you two, Daisy, and Honchkrow doing here?"

"Well, while your father and I were in the middle of helping Friede, Diane, and Johnathan with their research into Terapagos, we got a call last night from Ms. Geeta from Uva Academy that you and your friends were on their way here after arriving in Cortondo Town and we wanted to watch you take your Basics test and cheer you on," Mary smiled at her.

"We met with Ms. Katy earlier this morning after Friede's Charizard dropped us off and she treated us to a fascinating breakfast of tea and cakes while we waited for you to begin. After she met and brought you into the kitchen, we were told she wanted us to join you all while you and Liko had your surprise bake-off. We heard why you didn't taste your cake after finishing it and you had the princess make you another one like it as we came over. Sweetheart, that was the nicest thing you ever said; your kindness is one thing the Explorers never took away from you and it showed," Seiya nodded warmly, seeing Lazuli's cake and the one Sarah conjured up standing next to it from its left.

Lazuli blushed as she gave her parents a soft and loving smile (and a quick hug between them) while Katy happily asked, "So, Ms. Lazuli, now that your parents are here, are you and your Pokémon ready to test out the cake you made with them?"

The swordswoman nodded eagerly as she, Delight, Happiny, Seiya, and Mary (the family of three armed with forks) each took a piece of her original cake and tasted it, their eyes glistening and mouths watering from their first bites as they cheered, "Holy crap, that's good!"

"Wonderful!"

"YIPPEE!"

"Mmm, how delicious!"

"Ah! Fascinating, the best cake I've ever eaten! Mmph!"

Lazuli snapped her attention to her parents in amazement as she peeped, "R-R-Really...?"

Mary smiled and blushed as she gently kissed her daughter, confirming, "Your cake showed us how far you've come since meeting your friends, dear. We're so proud of you."

Katy giggled warmly as she congratulated her pupils, "With that, I can say you two are ready, girls. You had fun and worked diligently on your cakes alongside your Pokémon without worrying about practicing first."

"We did?" Liko blinked in surprise at her as Floragato, Delight, and Happiny eagerly shared pieces of their, Lazuli, and Liko's cakes with some of the other Pokémon, Serrate, Breeze, Plume, and Char, allowing them to taste the results of their fun-filled culinary hard work.

"Of course! Your feelings helped you make your cakes as they are and the results showed; therefore, the stronger they are as you two baked, the nicer and plumper they would eventually turn out. Battles of all kinds are very much the same. If you and your Pokémon really put your hearts into it and have fun while forgetting about your worries and your strife, you can make the most delicious one-of-a-kind battles possible."

"Wow, you're right..." Lazuli nodded, amazed.

Liko agreed as she mused to herself and recalled all of the battles she witnessed Sarah and her family fighting including her and Race's chance at using Mega Evolution, Marena's heartfelt final plea to Rayquaza, and her and Roy's part in clinching the battle against him, "Ms. Katy's right; maybe, I was overthinking things when I requested that I want to practice doing a Terastal Battle with Lazuli earlier... Every battle we take part in is a real battle. It doesn't matter if it's my first time as long as my Pokémon and I do our best and have fun! If that's so, I'll try out Terastallization during my Basics test."

"It looks like you're both eager to begin so between you two, who wants to go first?" Katy smiled again, seeing Lazuli and Liko nod to each other.

"Grass Girl can go ahead, Ms. Katy. I'll take my test tomorrow," Lazuli offered immediately.

"Lazuli!" yelped Liko in surprise over the request.

"Yes. You deserve to show her what you've learned from our bake-off first; it's only fair you take center stage and show everyone if you and your cat can Terastallize based on what we've learned today. I'll wait until tomorrow to plan things out and do the same. Look, I'm not worried; whoever I'd choose to join me for my Basics test and I will do our best when it's our turn. Good luck...Liko."

"...Yeah, you too," the young girl smiled as they shared a handshake with Happiny and Delight wishing Floragato the best of luck on her end (which she appreciated greatly).

"Excellent display of humility, ladies; no doubt you two will be full of surprises during your Basics tests today and tomorrow! As with everything in life's choices, making sweets takes time and practice to get right the first time. With that said, shall we adjourn to the most appropriate place of choice?" Katy commended, knowing it was time for Liko to begin her Basics test first.

---

The most appropriate place Katy spoke of for Liko and Lazuli's respective tests was the battlefield above her shop (something that baffled the swordswoman, her guardians, and the others save for Race, Asha, Sarah, and Arven when they saw it for the first time, making them realize that her shop is also the Cortondo Gym).

"Now, then, Ms. Liko, if you're ready, allow me to treat you to the sweetest battle you'll ever have," Katy declared as she tenderly held Teddiursa (the Little Bear Pokémon looking ready to begin Liko's Basics test) from her side.

"I'll do my best, Ms. Katy!" Liko concurred, ready to give it her all from her end of the field.

"A sweet battle?"

"Does that mean Ms. Katy's going easy on her?" puzzled Dot and Roy as they were confused by what the Cortondo Gym Leader and pâstissière meant.

"I wouldn't jump the Sharpedo with Ms. Katy as you two would," Arven smirked.

"That's right; whenever she's in her zone during a battle, there's a bitter flavor hiding behind her sweet aroma," concurred Murdock, giving his niece and Roy a knowing grin.

"So, if she's using Bug Types to test Liko and Floragato, they're not gonna hit the ground running when they start,"

Sarah (who along with Race, Lazuli and her family, the Circle of Twelve, Asha, Stufful, Rosie, Chili, and Crest joined them to watch Liko and cheer her and Floragato on) then told Dot (sharing Murdock's grin in the process), "Remember, Dot, Type advantages or disadvantages don't always guarantee a victory in battle. Bug Types are Ms. Katy's specialty; that's a given but once her Teddiursa enters the field, her kind and soft demeanor makes way for the heart of a rough and tough fighter who packs a big punch despite her size. "

"Yeah-Yeah! Teddiursa's small but strong! Sweet and tough! Like me!" Stufful cooed cutely as Sarah held her, firmly behind her fellow bear cub-like friend.

"Okay, Beary, off you go now," Katy told her Teddiursa (whom she nick-named Beary) sweetly as she let her down.

"Yes, Mama," Teddirusa agreed as she took to the field with Floragato doing the same, surprising Liko as she looked up the Little Bear Pokémon via her Rotom Phone's Pokedex.

"Teddiursa, the Little Bear Pokémon. A Normal Type; its paws are soaked with lots of honey, and when nervous, it will lick its paws to soothe itself."

"Let's go!" Teddiursa grinned at Liko and her partner after licking her paws to prepare herself to fight.

"Teddiursa, didn't the Pokedex say she is a Normal Type? Liko can handle a cute little Pokémon like her," Dot remarked.

"I wouldn't be too sure, Dot," Race retorted.

"Yeah, my experiences fighting her and Katy during my Basics test and gym battle were not pretty," Sarah added before she snickered, "She already got me good before we even began when Silvally insulted her and she immediately whomped him."

"Shut up, Mom!" Silvally snorted, blushing.

Once she and Liko were ready, Katy took out her Tera Orb and declared to her first pupil, "Terastallization, as you know, Ms. Liko, is like emerging from a cocoon and transforming from a little larve and Wurmple to a beautiful butterfly and Beautifly. It lets you draw out tremendous and untold power from your Pokémon but can you put that power to good use when you need it? When you're ready, our Terastal Course battle begins now!"

"Alright! Floragato, use your Scratch attack!" Liko nodded, making the first move and having Floragato charge at Teddiursa with Scratch.

"Teddiursa, dearie, time to make love with your Charm!" Katy stated sweetly, allowing her Little Bear Pokémon to use Charm and leave Floragato flustered (making her skid to an immediate stop and unable to hit her).

"Hey, look."

"She stopped completely," Mallow and Lana (as they, Hau, Gladion, Ash, and the rest of the Pokémon School Gang joined in to watch the action) noted curiously.

"Charm; I knew Katy and Teddiursa would pull that card off the bat against her and Floragato."

"Yeah, it's the same ploy she used on us when we did our Basics tests and gym battles against her last year. And, we all fell for that whenever she was first out on the field," Sarah and Race realized with Asha grimly nodding in agreement.

"My beloved Teddiursa is irresistible when it comes to Charm! But, cross her once... Use your Slash attack!" Katy continued cutely and cheekily, having a deviously smirking Teddiursa unleash Slash back at her Grass Type opponent without warning.

"Surprise! Huh-HA!" she grinned smugly as she landed her hits.

"AUUUUUUUUGH!" screamed Floragato as she was knocked down and Teddiursa retained her cute demeanor when she was done.

"...And, her bitter side leaves all who misjudge her crying."

"Grrrrrr! Lucky shot!" Floragato growled, picking herself up.

"Floragato, step back!" Liko called, having her partner jump back to get some distance. "Use Magical Leaf, now!"

But, Katy was already onto her as she sweetly called to Teddiursa again, "Oh, Beary, let's see you flap your wings!"

"Ooh, I'm a great big Beautifly!" Teddiursa cheered as she waved her arms, understanding what her partner and human mother wanted.

"You're mine, you charm-inducing stuffed animal!" Floragato screeched defiantly, jumping into the air and preparing to fire Magical Leaf until she became smitten by a soothing scent that made her flail about lazily.

"Hey, Floragato! What's wrong?!" gasped Liko, seeing her partner's lazy state.

"Something smells good around here..."

"So sweet..."

"Yeah," Roy, Fuecoco, and Quaxly commented as they and some of their group were smitten by the scent wafting the arena as well.

"Wait a sec, is this move really...?" breathed Dot in realization, recognizing the move Teddiursa was using as she continued flapping her arms cheerfully like a butterfly (confirming that the scent was coming from her).

"The smell of Sweet Scent; doesn't its alluring aroma fill you with everlasting happiness?" explained Katy as she also enjoyed her Little Bear Pokémon's move before the Normal Type charged at Floragato again with Slash. "Now, Teddiursa, Slash time!"

"Floragato, look out for Teddiursa's-!" Liko screamed to her partner as she covered her nose and mouth only for her cries to be too late.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Floragato wailed as she was knocked back again by Teddiursa after her guard was let down, leaving the others staggered as they saw how much of a bind Katy and Teddiursa trapped her and Liko in.

"Floragato!"

"Oh, no!"

"Are you kiddin' me?!"

"Aww, man! I did not see that coming!"

"What just happened?!" Ash, Pikachu, Togedemaru, Vikavolt, and Sophocles gawked.

"I can't believe it; Teddiursa wouldn't let up regardless of Liko and Floragato's attempts to fight back!"

"Every movement she and Ms. Katy made and following up with Slash with a purpose," Lillie and Gladion noted, aghast.

"Exactly; when Teddiursa and Ms. Katy show their challengers both sides of the same coin they're fighting on, let's just say I defy anybody to try and find any opening if they can. Until Liko and Florgato come up with something that rivals and slips through their bases, Ms. Katy and Teddiursa will retain control of the fight until they drop and run out of battle ingredients to bake," smiled Arven, nodding at Katy and Teddiursa's tried and true battle style.

"You're right, Katy and her Teddiursa won't go down without a fight with those three moves on them; you try to attack Teddiursa head-on and she'll use Charm to make you fawn over her and lower your Pokémon's Physical Attack stats, effectively making you pull your punches."

"And, if you try to attack her from a distance with long-range attacks, she'll use Sweet Scent and make you and your Pokémon lose focus and attack at your most vulnerable point," Kiawe and Hau deducted, realizing the grim situation Liko and Floragato are in.

"That's how Katy is as the gym leader you see before you; she may be as sweet as they come but whenever a battle rolls in, she can show a little bitterness underneath her baking. That right there is..." Murdock remarked in agreement as he trailed off.

"The 'sweet battle' Ms. Katy was talking about earlier. What am I supposed to do? I can't go at her and Teddiursa like this," Liko mused as she started to get nervous, wondering what she should do in her latest pinch.

"Liko, wha-?" Floragato gasped, sensing her partner starting to lose her cool as she tried to think of a way to escape their tight jam but had no idea what to do.

"What's this? Is it nearly time for us to put this little test of ours to rest, right, Ms. Liko? Now, Teddiursa, please give us your Sweet Scent again!" Katy continued as Teddiursa unleashed her Sweet Scent again.

"No! Floragato, watch out!" Liko cried as Floragato tried to use Magical Leaf to counter but couldn't after she was enamored by Sweet Scent again.

"What's Liko doing?!"

"She and Floragato can't concentrate as long as Teddiursa and Ms. Katy are backing them into a corner!" Lana and Lillie cried in alarm.

"What are you doing, Liko?! Think of a way to get out of this pickle and fast!" shouted Kiawe, seeing things looking hopeless for the young girl.

"Get up, Floragato!"

"Concentrate, dear!" Turtonator and Tsareena cheered determinedly.

"This is bad; as long as Teddiursa can use either Charm or Sweet Scent depending on how they fight, she and Ms. Katy have full control over the battle as we as Auntie Liko and Cousin Floragato!"

"They can't win if they don't find a way around either of those moves before they spam Slash and the damage done to her is doubled!"

"Floragato, watch out! She's going to bear-pound again if you and Aunt Liko don't find a way out and Terastallize!" Rosie, Chili, and Crest fretted as they cried for Floragato as Teddiursa took her down a third time with Slash.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" wailed Floragato as she tumbled along the ground yet again.

"Floragato!" Liko screeched in horror.

"Are you kiddin' me?! Is that kid even trying to prove herself to Wonder Baker and her teddy bear at this rate?" balked Rooster in disbelief at Liko.

"She's lost sight of everything she learned after Katy and Teddiursa trapped them with Charm and Sweet Scent. They have full control of the battle at this rate and will keep pounding them until they submit. If that happens, Liko can kiss her Tera Orb and the power of Terastallization goodbye!" grunted Naomi, not liking what she saw.

"I hate to say it but at the rate she and Floragato were going, things aren't looking bright for them," Sydney added gravely.

"Mr. Hu, there has to be someway we can help Liko remember what we learned and Terastallize! Can't we do something about this?" Lazuli begged her tiger guardian.

Hu sighed as he shook his head and replied, "No, we can't. This is something Liko will have to do on her own..."

He turned to his charge as he regretfully continued, "Sometimes, the paths we take are not always easy and some lessons are not so easily learned until someone remembers what they learned and puts them into practice whenever their backs are against the wall. That's exactly what Liko and Floragato are going through right nowANDwhat they must do; they must recall everything they learned during your bake-off and understand what they should do to get past Teddiursa's Sweet Scent and Charm attacks. And, once they do, only then would the Terastallize..."

"This can't be happening! If this keeps up...!"

"They won't Terstallize and she'll be kicked out!" Roy and Dot fretted as they grew increasingly worried for Liko.

The young girl was truly at an impasse; no matter what she did and despite ruling out close-range combat following Floragato's bad slip-up from Teddiursa's Charm, she and Floragato had no idea how to counter her Sweeet Scent let alone get around it so she could land a hit on the Little Bear Pokémon. She also knew that her window of opportunity to Terastallize was slowly dwindling in size by the minute and immediately realized that if she couldn't break out of her and Katy's stranglehold over the battle, she would bomb her Basics test the moment they knock her partner down hard and she gives up.

Poor Liko was stuck between a rock and a hard place; with no ideas up her sleeve and not knowing what to do, she wanted to quit while she was ahead.

Then, she recalled what Katy told her after the earlier bake-off and pondered what she was on about, "Your feelings helped you make your cakes as they are and the results showed; therefore, the stronger they are as you two baked, the nicer and plumper they would eventually turn out. Battles of all kinds are very much the same. If you and your Pokémon really put your hearts into it and have fun while forgetting about your worries and your strife, you can make the most delicious one-of-a-kind battles possible."

She thought over her tippet and realized what she was on about so rather than overthinking the matter at hand and figuring out how to pass her test, she took a deep breath and chose to go all out by fighting alongside Floragato and allowing themselves to have fun.

"Floragato! " she began to her downed partner as she picked herself up.

"Liko..." the spunky Grass Cat Pokémon replied, turning to the young girl.

"Please, look at me! Fight alongside me as you want! Floragato, remember what we and Lazuli learned earlier; let's pour everything we got into my test and have fun doing it no matter what!"

"Wait, you-!" Floragato gasped in surprise, immediately realizing where Liko was going after she gave her partner her full attention and agreed to continue together as they enjoyed the battle (as they should've done earlier). "Gotcha!"

"Okay, Teddirusa, let's sweeten things with Sweet Scent again!" Katy smiled broadly, eager to see how Liko and Floragato would come from behind after stumbling throughout the young girl's Basics test as Teddiursa used Sweet Scent to make the younger evolved Grass Cat Pokémon lose focus again.

"Not this time! Floragato, use your Magical Leaf on the ground! Go!" Liko ordered, going for a new approach as Floragato agreed and used her Magical Leaf attack on the field which countered Sweet Scent and started pushing it back.

"Look at that, ya'll! Floragato's using her special Magical Leaf trick to stop Teddiursa's charging bull of a Sweet Scent!" grinned Horse, seeing Liko and Flroagato starting to turn things around.

"But, is it enough to get them kicking into overdrive?" Lazuli reminded.

"Sweet Scene's no trouble for us with a little Slash to cut through and serve!" Katy countered, having Teddiursa prepare her Slash attack to break through her own move as she bared her claws.

"Use more and more of your Magical Leaf and don't stop until we're ready!" Liko shouted.

"Got it!" Floragato replied, continuing her assault.

"H-Huh?!" yelped Teddirusa in surprise as she found herself halted by a wall of Magical Leaf and canceled her Slash attack.

Seeing their chance as the Little Bear Pokémon hesitated, Floragato let out a satisfied and fun-filled smirk before she turned to Liko, knowing they still had a chance to turn things around together, "Now, Liko!"

Liko smiled back and brought out her Tera Orb as she nodded, finally ready to Terastallize and begin making her partner shine at her brightest, "Now, Floragato! Let's take this to the max and shine our path to triumph in full bloom!"

Her Tera Orb charged with Terastal Energy and when it was ready, the young girl immediately threw it over to Floragato, instantly transforming her into a Pure Grass Tera Type (amazing the others and greatly surprising Katy and Teddiursa when they saw her and her partner Terastallize at last).

"Oh, my goodness!"

"They did it!" the Cortondo Gym Leader and her Normal Type gawked.

"Use Magical Leaf, full power!" Liko began, allowing her partner to unleash a Terastal-charged Magical Leaf and knock Teddiursa to the ground as she yelped in pain.

"Oh, dearie me!" gasped Katy in awe at the turnaround.

"We did it, Floragato!" Liko cheered to her partner.

"Never doubted ya, Liko!" grinned Floragato.

"She did it!" Roy cheered.

But, despite the brief moment of victory over Liko and Floragato's first successful Terstallization, Lazuli tensed a little as she saw Teddiursa getting back on her feet and warned him and everyone watching, "I wouldn't be too sure of that."

She was right; amazed by what she saw, Katy smiled broadly and pulled her own Tera Orb back out, declaring as she charged it with Terastal Energy, "Well, it appears I've added a little too much sugar to my cake. But, no matter; there's no harm in experimenting with a compromised recipe to make it taste better. Let's go, Teddiursa, now break free from your cocoon and grow big and strong like a fully-grown and wonderful Beautifly!"

She then threw her fully-charged Tera Orb over Teddiursa, and then, at that moment, she immediately Terastallized and became a Pure Bug Tera Type (a Pokémon type that spelled bad news for Liko and Floragato with the latter being a Pure Grass Tera Type). The others were shocked and horrified by the outcome as they knew it would soon be over given the odds that were once again stacked against the pair.

"Oh, no, Teddiursa's now a Pure Bug Tera Type!"

"This battle will already be over soon now that Liko and Katy have both Terastallized their respective partners!" a staggered Ox and Rabbit balked.

"It can't be!"

"Whoa, this is it!" added Ash and Pikachu, flinching with horrified realization.

"I guess this is it for Liko given that Floragato's a Pure Grass Tera Type!"

"Liko!"

"It's all over, dudes!"

"This is terrible!"

"Yeah!"

"They can't win like this!" Mallow, Lana, Sandy, Tsareena, Shaymin, and Primarina concurred, all deeply worried for Floragato and Liko.

"Don't let up, Floragato! Let's finish it, use your Magical Leaf!" Liko continued as Floragato used her Magical Leaf attack to hit Teddiursa again (which did make contact but only dealt a fraction of the damage previously done to her as she was now resistant to Grass Type moves). "What...?"

"Final trick, Teddiursa! Top off our bake-off with your Fury Cutter!" Katy called, clinching the match instantly.

"Liko, make Floragato run for it! It's a trap!" Lazuli warned Liko frantically, realizing what she and Katy had done.

But, it was too late; after pushing through her Magical Leaf attack, Teddiursa unleashed a fully-powered and Terastal-charged Fury Cutter with devastating force and speed (each cut effectively doubling the damage done to the spunky Grass Type before her). With one final cut, she immediately knocked her out, canceling her Terastallization in the process (and returning to normal as everybody saw her and Katy emerge as the victors of Liko's Basics test battle).

"And, with that, our battle's over!" Katy declared.

"Floragato!" Liko cried in alarm as she rushed to her downed partner.

"Oooow..." groaned Floragato as Liko held her in her arms while the heroes looked at her with great sympathy over her loss.

"...Wow, that bear cub's Fury Cutter was so fast, I could hardly keep up with her hits," Lazuli gulped, staggered by Teddiursa's speed and power in her Pure Bug Tera Type form.

"That brought back some painful memories from Stufful when she first learned Superpower and used it on Sarah, Pyre, and Wildfire that day," Lillie concurred, gulping in disbelief at how different Teddiursa behaved whenever she battles at her full strength and when Terastallized.

"You said it," agreed Lana and Mallow, sharing her disbelief.

"I'm so sorry we lost and after we worked so hard before and after you Terastallized," Liko apologized to her partner.

"...My fault we screwed up earlier," Floragato replied, not wanting Liko to feel sorry for herself until the two of them heard and noticed Katy clapping proudly as she and Teddiursa joined them.

"...Ms. Katy?"

"Congratulations, Liko, you passed the test," the Cortondo Gym Leader declared warmly.

"Huh/We passed?"

Sarah chuckled as she reminded Liko, "I told you and the others about that, Liko; all you have to do is demonstrate what you've learned throughout your test battles and you'll pass according to your assigned Gym Leader. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, to begin with."

Katy agreed as she told Liko, "Yes, indeed; you see, Ms. Liko, what I wanted to see was whether or not you two can put your hearts into the here and now. And, you Terastallized at the perfect moment while you and Floragato were perfectly in sync as you fought. I should've ended the test there, to be honest, and yet, I couldn't help wanting a taste. Through your fine artistry, you've made one of the nicest and most plump battles I've had since Ms. Sarah, Mr. Race, and Ms. Asha first battled me."

Satisfied with the results of Liko's battle with her, she pulled out her Rotom Phone and sent her Terastal Course stamp to Liko's phone with the stamp showing the young girl that she passed her Basics test (which meant that it would soon be Lazuli's turn to pass her Basics test the following day when she's ready).

"Wow, thank you so much, Ms. Katy! I promise you; I'll continue to work harder from here and Floragato and I will keep putting our hearts together in every moving forward!" Liko thanked.

"I know you two will since that concludes your Basics test, Ms. Liko. I can't wait to see how you will turn up in your future endeavors during your time in the Terastal Course."

"Liko!"

"Yeah, Floragato!"

"You did it, Liko!"

"Congratulations!"

"That was an amazing battle!"

"Way to go, Liko! You just passed your Basics test!" Ash, Pikachu, Roy, Dot, Kiawe, and Lillie complimented, singing Liko and Floragato's praises with everyone else joining in.

"Wow, everyone... It's just...thank you! Thank you so much!" Liko smiled as she thanked her friends for their support.

Katy grinned proudly at the young girl before she turned to the swordswoman as Lazuli approached her, "I trust you'll learn what you must do during your Basics test tomorrow, will you, Ms. Lazuli?"

"Of course, I'll do my best for you," Lazuli replied, bowing to her.

"Excellent, we'll start first thing tomorrow morning. Now, then... Since you all will stay in town for Ms. Lazuli's Basics test tomorrow, what do you say we enjoy a little teatime to celebrate Ms. Liko passing her Basics test?" Katy finished, getting hearty cheers and smiles from the heroes.

"Until Lazuli's test begins tomorrow, feel free to enjoy all of the best sweets Paldea can offer you!" Murdock concurred jovially to the kids and Lazuli.

"ALRIGHT!"

"MORE CAKE!"

"Groovy!" cheered Roy, Fuecoco, and Quaxly.

"Well, Ms. Liko, I hope you and Floragato will always remember to enjoy the here and now," Katy smiled at Liko.

"I will!" Liko promised, sharing her smile.

"...Enjoy the here and now, huh?" Lazuli echoed thoughtfully as she looked out into the horizon, wondering how Katy's words would apply to her regarding her new life and future now that she had her parents back and started learning Terastallization from scratch.

"Excuse me," a voice called to her, prompting the swordswoman to turn to its owner and see a young boy on her right looking curiously at her.

"Can I help you?" she asked, not wanting to sound impolite.

"Are you a student of Uva Academy's Terastal Course? You looked like you know a thing about Terastallizing but why areyoutaking it if you're battling Ms. Katy tomorrow? Aren't you too old to learn something like that as a beginner or rookie?"

Lazuli was intrigued by the boy's innocent questions but she smiled warmly, understanding his confusion as she gently ruffled his hair and told him, "Let's just say... Sometimes, it's never too late for someone like myself to start over again..."

Her answer to his questions amazed the boy and he grinned broadly at her while Katy watched on and smiled, having heard everything; she could tell Lazuli was someone special if she was learning Terastallization from scratch and forgetting what she already knew about it beforehand. To her, the swordswoman's Basics test is something she hoped to enjoy.

---

That night, everyone was now on the outskirts of Cortondo, their tents pitched up around a campfire as they prepared to button down for the night until Lazuli's test the next morning.

Sarah's tent was unique as it originally belonged to Nikki and James (but was given to her as a gift in case she and her family would go on a camping trip again) and had a new design to it, now having the ability to transform into various structures based on the needs of its user (a clever enchantment put into it by Jambu so it would help her accommodate her larger family).

With Sarah and her family, the tent became a multi-roomed and multi-faceted three-floor lodge resembling the village homes of the RainWings with each floor connected by sturdy vine staircases and bridges adorned with bio-luminescent flowers that provide light and interconnected rooms and hammocks created from living vines (the vibrant green exterior and gold fabric woven from its living vines and bark coupled with its lightweight but strong enchanted wooden frame having tiny woven flower patterns across it).

Currently, they were out in the outdoor dining area (since there was no rain for the current weather forecast) located on a spacious balcony that extended from the communal hall, surrounded by living vines and bio-luminescent plants and equipped with sturdy wooden tables and branches that also provided vine-wrapped railings to ensure safety for the youngest members.

Speaking of which, Bumblebee and Astraeus were happily playing within the tent's newCelestial Grove Wingery, an Animus-enchanted and all-encompassing portable dragonet wingery (a complex living structure designed with multiple habitats and environments (Ex. Jungle Canopy, Cloudspun Haven, Crystalline Oasis, Sunstone Prairie, Coral Reef Lagoon, and Twilight Forest)) designed to nurture dragonets of all tribes that were able to grow from a moonstone seed when not in use.

The wingery's Crystalline Oasis (an oasis of cool icy beauty an warm desert-like comfort) is a favorite spot for the likes of Mudsdale, Flygon, Gerudeon, Whiskers, Andres, Gryphincent, Kurma, Tectonic, and Medusa as they rested in its sandy pits, its main structure built from shimmering ice crystals with tall glass-like ice columns supporting a roof composed of translucent ice sheets that create a cool shaded area below it and the floor being a mix of smooth stone and warm sand divided into different sections for play and rest.

The two aforementioned baby dragons were with Dart, Pouncer, Ruffrunner, Zap, Spattertail, and Goggles, fluttering around the central area of Sunstone Prairie (an expansive open grassland with rolling hills covered in soft golden grasses) that sported a large sunstone at the peak of a hill coupled with a vast open expanse under a magical sun. The Kwamis, Renlings, Sarah's Flying Types, her dragons, and Race's Flying Types soared above the dragon younglings laughing with glee with Mei Shi joined some of the older Flying Types and dragons watching from the ground, acting as the younglings' babysitter.

With Tot, Nano, Mini, Tiny, Midge, Pebble, Liberty, Scooby, Scrappy, and Della, they were playing within the wingery's Jungle Canopy which had hanging vine swings, rope bridges, gliding platforms, and towering interconnected trees wrapped in soft glowing vines with wide and sturdy branches formed from the central structure (which housed a dense canopy with layered platforms made out of living leaves growing broad and/or flat to support dragonets).

It was like a giant enchanted playground for them and the younglings; the Jungle Canopy allowed the younglings and the dragonets to indulge in acrobatic play, practicing climbing, gliding, and swinging through the treetops, something Hootie, Amethyst, Diamond, Pearl, Sunset, Pyre, Wildifre, Crescent, Skylar, and Flora gleefully took advantage of while Flynn, Claudia and Altaria flew beside them to make sure they don't hurt themselves.

From one of the area's tallest trees lies a waterfall cascading down and forming a large natural pool at the bottom where the water is crystal clear and fresh. It was a favorite spot of Oshawott, Wooloo, Yamper, Vaporeon, Xena, Prinplup, Lapis, Suicune, Diancie's Suicune friend, Lugia, Kyogre, Lapras, Lola, Azul, Azula, Sokka, Naguara, Parosea, Mizuara, Crest, Link, Dracovish, Aqua, Aalto, Milotic, and Inteleon as they all enjoyed its fresh cool environment more than anything in the wingery.

"I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, kid, but you never ceased to amaze me with your magic. Your tent and this pad for your dragonets are so out of whack but perfect; I'm amazed you can even squeeze our ancient guests of honor into it given how they're giants," the swordswoman commented, looking around the interior of Sarah's redesigned tent and the wingery.

"Groovy is her way to go, dudette," Lightning Chill remarked from her end as Cansu and Sunce rested beside her close to the pool while Starla (Sarah's female Cuddlemonkey) slept on her head.

"Oh, great... You even got your little magical hybrid on the scene, huh?"

"Your friend has a mix of a tiger and a unicorn in her hands? She's certainly a curious one, dear," Mary commented in surprise as she, Seiya, Galaxagus, and Panthera joined the two girls.

"Equestria's changed so much since you and Seiya were last there, Mary. It may have gone through several tumultuous periods following Twilight's rule but it's more beautiful than ever from the ashes of those times," Sarah replied to the Unicorn Zodiac.

Mary smiled, "Is that so...? Well, maybe we should visit those pony friends you mentioned sometime later."

"Yeah! But, can we talk about Floragato's Terastal Magical Leaf?! I got so fired up when I saw her work her magic!" Roy chirped excitedly, eager to take his Basics test against Brassius at Artazon Town after Lazuli's test.

"Uh, Roy, how long and how many times are you going to say that?" Liko asked with an awkward smile while Quaxly, Fuecoco, Plume, Tinkatink, Happiny, Timburr, Roggenrola, and Woobat played Tag.

"But, you have to admit, Liko, it was an incredible sight for us to see when you and Floragato did it. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight over it, especially since we'll see it happen a second time when Lazuli begins her test tomorrow," Dot reminded, still awestruck by her friend and Floragato's first successful attempt at Terastallization.

"Mm-hmm... Floragato, thank you," Liko thanked her partner as she fiddled with her bud like a yo-yo again.

"...Sure," Floragato replied simply as Terapagos slept by her side, not wanting to get too emotional about their previous victory regarding Liko's Basics test.

Liko giggled at her as she told Roy, "I never realized how incredible Terastallization truly is until I tried it; it brought so much power out of Floragato and I felt the same rush Friede went through when he Terastallized Charizard. I hope I can learn to make better use of it."

"I wonder how Lazuli will go about it during her test with Ms. Katy tomorrow," Roy remarked as the two of them looked at the swordswoman who sat by the pool and examined her sword as she polished it with a rag she brought out.

Despite feeling eager to take her Basics test from Katy, she couldn't help but feel nervous as she knew her Basics test was the first step to her learning how to Terastallize her Pokémon from scratch. She knew she was throwing away everything she learned from Hamber during her time with the Explorers but the young woman also knew she needed to make a fresh start as the warrior and trainer she is now. However, Lazuli was a little overwhelmed by what she saw from the Cortondo Gym Leader and Teddiursa during Liko's test and wondered if she'd match up and put what she and Liko learned into practice herself.

Seeing this, Seiya decided to comfort her as he sat beside her from her left and looked at his daughter.

"That sword, I gave it to you when the Explorers found us; I didn't imagine my old blade becoming like that when I heard how your friends fixed it after it was destroyed by a bunch of wild Klawf threatening a kid days ago... You took a real risk trying to save him and it's been repaired and modified to give you a new fighting edge," Seiya smiled softly, eying his old sword.

"...Sorry," Lazuli replied with a soft friend, feeling guilty about unintentionally destroying her father's old sword.

"It's alright; I've heard how you fought with it, and if I'm honest, glad to have left it with you. After seeing you with it, I suppose... It suits you better and your friends were kind enough to make me a new one, anyway. But, your Basics test from Ms. Katy, are you really ready for tomorrow?"

"...I don't know," Lazuli admitted sadly before she asked her father, "...Daddy, about my test and what I'm going for..."

"Hmm?"

"...Is everything my friends and I do a battle...? I mean, don't get me wrong but... Do we often have to fight out of any situation we get ourselves into in one way or another? Liko and I went through our bake-off earlier today by having fun and not worrying over what-ifs and small details on anything or that sort of stuff, you know... But, if... If whoever I pick to fight with me can work together during our test in the here and now and not dwell on everything from my past, will we be able to Terastallize, even if...?"

"...Your time with the Explorers does not define who you are now, sweetheart," Seiya declared soothingly, getting his daughter's full attention as she turned to him.

He gave her a firm but loving stare as he told her, "What happened years ago was beyond your control and while you think differently about everything you did since then, your current life is no longer reflected by your past actions with Amethio and his colleagues. You chose to join the princess and the Rising Volt Tacklers because they gave you a chance and you took it without hesitation, you accepted them as your friends and family before we came back... You also did things none of them, not even Hamber or Gibeon, could ever imagine after you left them and joined forces with your friends, you've accomplished the impossible, you've met so many friendly faces along the way, and you've learned so much throughout your travels... You even chose to drop everything you once knew about Terastallization from Hamber and start learning about it again from the beginning."

Lazuli was silent as Seiya smiled at her again and continued, "Remember what the princess told you and Liko earlier; you don't have to win against your assigned Gym Leader to pass your tests, demonstrate what you've learned about the process of Terastallization and always enjoy the here and now. Life is short so do what you want whenever possible here and now and enjoy it to the fullest. That's the driving force regarding your current life; look at your previous missteps and that dark chapter of your life differently and remind yourself that you have become a changed girl ever since you left the Explorers."

"Daddy..."

"You have grown stronger, wiser, and more mature throughout the past several months with the Rising Volt Tacklers, the princess, and her family, Dewdrop. Your mother and I are very proud of you for being the woman you have become. And, you've become a far greater warrior and Pokémon Trainer than we could ever hope to be. Remember to enjoy the here and now as Ms. Katy said, don't look back on your past, and trust yourself and your Pokémon and you and your chosen partner battling alongside you tomorrow will shine as brightly as the sun when you Terastallize. You'll be fine, Dewdrop. Just do your best tomorrow..."

Larmina, Topaz, and Garnet noticed the two of them talking and they decided to offer their support to the swordswoman as they toddled up to her and nuzzled her legs, giving her happy coos and comforting smiles.

Seiya smiled warmly at the three royal Tera Pokémon for their support and after a moment of thinking, the swordswoman gently petted them, took a deep breath, and smiled back at her father, telling him, "...Yeah, you're right. I'll be just fine tomorrow..."

Roy and Liko smiled at the pair as they hugged each other and the former proudly declared, "And, once Lauzli passes her test, it'll be me going up against Brassius again for my Basics Test! You hear me, Brassius?! I'LL DO MY BEST FOR YOU!"

To Be Continued...