Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
BGM: West Province - Walking (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet) (Start at 0:16)
Weiss walked out of the Segin base where everyone was waiting. "...Oh, you waiting for me?"
"Look at you, taking care of business like a business woman." Yang teased, playfully elbowing her.
Weiss blushed. "Well…"
At that moment, Ruby's Rotom Scroll came out of her pocket.
"I see you've taken care of Giacomo." Cassiopeia said. "It seems he no longer carries his Star Badge, the symbol of his status as a boss. He gave it to you, didn't he?"
"Yeah, Weiss is holding it." Blake responded.
"I see. Well, the Segin Squad is done for. …Oh… Giacomo…"
"You okay?" Ruby asked.
"Huh? Oh, sorry, got caught up in my thoughts for a second. Now, I know you're not Naranuva Students, but I'll send LP to your scrolls in case you want to buy something. Transferring them… now."
"Oh cool, five thousand LP." Sun said.
"I also took the liberty of adding some new entries to the range of TMs to the TM machine. I'll even send some to Alessandra since she's an honorary Starfall member. Oh, and speaking of which, someone from my supply unit will be with you shortly with materials in case you want to make a TM of your own."
"Alright, sounds good!" Ruby said. "Oh wait, hold on! Where are we going-"
Cassiopeia hung up.
"Next…" Ruby sighed. "Well, so much for that…"
"Um, excuse me!"
They all looked up to see Penny walking toward them.
"Oh hey, you're that Penny girl from a few days ago." Ruby said. "Just want to say… with a name like that, you're already cool in my book!"
Penny blushed. Someone's got a Penny bias… She thought.
"Hmm?" Nagisa looked at Penny. "You feeling okay? You look flushed."
"Oh, don't worry about it… had a scare with a… golden Sawsbuck." Penny said, subtely glancing over at Claude who simply grinned.
"A golden Sawsbuck?" Masaru asked. "I never knew one existed."
"Yeah, it's… pretty rare. Critically endangered, only one in the wild." Penny sarcastically said. "Anyway, for my independent study, I'm helping out with Operation Starfall as the supply unit. I'm really good with machines and hacking them, so I'm working behind the scenes."
"A hacker? Hey, we have a friend named Futaba who's a pretty good hacker. Maybe we could set you up with her." Pit said.
Oh, if only you knew… Penny thought, then glanced at Nagisa and blushed again. "Here's… the materials in case if you want to make TMs…" She said, handing them to Nagisa.
"Oh, thanks." Nagisa said. "...You sure you're feeling fine?"
"Yes, I'm fine…" Penny said as she turned around. "I'll see you guys around. Oh… and by the way, I recommend you go to Mela's base next. Cassiopeia will show you where she's at."
"Alright." Ruby nodded as Penny took off running.
"Hmm, well, she seems fine if she's running normally." Nagisa said, and then noticed his inner circle smirking at him. "Uh… what's with the smug looks?"
"I think she's into you, man!" Dipper nudged him.
"What? No, I… I don't think she is…"
"It's obvious she has a crush on you." Silver said.
"Pffft, her? We just met. There's no way."
"Keep tellin' yourself that…" Jataro said as they started to walk off, their scrolls were updated as they looked to see where Mela's base was located.
"Area one of the Eastern Province? Okay then!" Weiss said as she walked off, where they noticed she had a small spring in her step.
"Is she a little… chipper to you?" Meryl asked.
"Yeah, she does seem to have a spring in her step." Yang said. "Wonder what happened."
"Hmmm…" Claude rubbed his chin.
"They're my greatest treasure." Giacomo's voice echoed.
"We're just gonna have to wait and see." Claude smiled.
End BGM
Meanwhile, with Alessandra's crew…
BGM: Pokemon Center (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"Okay, the loud music has stopped…" Coco said.
"You think that was Ibuki?" Velvet wondered.
"Either that or someone who has a loud appreciation of music. Though I wouldn't be surprised if Ibuki wandered over here."
Alessandra retrieved her Pokeballs out of the Pokecenter after some training while working her way up the mountain.
"So, who exactly is Ibuki?"
"Metal head, has wild hair, her guitar can be turned into a battle axe or a flamethrower depending on her mood…" Marnie explained.
Alessandra sweatdropped. "Come again?"
"Talk about a party animal." Cian deadpanned.
"That's the understatement of the month right there." Victor said.
"She's also friends with everyone, throws in the -chan honorific if she likes ye." Gloria said, pulling out her Rotom Phone. "Here's what she looks like."
Alessandra took a closer look. "...Yeah, she definitely does seem like a dorky metal head."
"Dorky? Understatement of the century." Kotoko said. "Girl also likes to refer to herself to the third person and has other quirks about her."
"And… why does she do that?" Cian asked.
Zinnia wrapped an arm around him. "The first rule about that metal head is that you don't question her antics. Saves everyone a headache."
The twins sweatdropped. "Noted…" They said.
"Oh, and Ibuki's known to be a seamstress too." Coco said.
Alessandra's eyes widened, sparkling at the same time. "Really?! Oh, that's so cool! I want to meet her!"
Gloria laughed. "First, I think ye gottae finish somethin' up first." She winked.
"Ahahaha… right…" Alessandra blushed, when suddenly she heard a notification hit her phone as she pulled it out and saw she had five thousand more LP added. "Huh? How did I get five thousand LP?"
"You're welcome. Giacomo has been eliminated." - Cassiopeia
"Uh… thank you?"
Alessandra blinked as she looked toward the distance and scratched her head. "Maybe that music was from Team Star…"
End BGM
BGM: West Province - Riding (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
The group walked out of the Pokecenter as they walked up the slope and turned right toward the windmills… where they would see boulders rolling down the mountain.
"Whoa! That Arven guy wasn't kiddin'!" Marnie exclaimed.
"Let's go!" Alessandra said as they ran off where they met up with Arven who was at the base of the hill.
"Hmm? Oh hey!" Arven waved. "Nice of you to make it!"
"Yeah, sorry, did some training on the side…" Alessandra admitted.
"Nah, you're fine." Arven waved it off. "So, one of the Herba Mystica is up there… but unfortunately, we got a massive rockslide that never seems to end."
"What's the cause of it?" Hop asked.
Arven pointed up. "More than likely THAT thing!" He said, pointing to a large Bombirdier.
"I wonder…" Alessandra tried to scan the large bird.
"Pokemon out of range."
"Well, had to try!" Alessandra shrugged.
"I saw a group make their way up there earlier. They all seemed to weave around the boulders earlier." Arven said. "Tried to catch up with them, but darn thing had to block my path."
"Well, I can give it a shot." Alessandra cracked her knuckles as she started to stretch. "Not only are you looking at a fashionista, but I'm also incredibly fit. So, this should be a breeze!" She said, getting into position… and once some boulders rolled by, she made a break for it where they watched her juke past some boulders easily.
However, she tripped on a small rock that was embedded into the ground that she didn't see and fell on her knees. "Nnngh!" She grunted as she looked up to see a boulder heading right for her.
"Aless, look out!" Cian called out.
Alessandra tried to book it, but the boulder was mere inches away from slamming into her.
…Emphasis on was.
"Huh?" Alessandra wondered, noticing the boulder was stopped mid roll as she got up, seeing a a psychic aura surrounding it as she turned her head to see if there was an Alakazam or another psychic Pokemon saving her at the last minute… before she turned to see Gloria in her Latias form. "Glori…?"
"I'll tell ye later! Just go!" Gloria said as Alessandra nodded and ran around the boulder as Flandre flew in and punched the boulders that got in the way.
"Got ya covered!" Flandre smiled.
End BGM
Meanwhile…
BGM: Funny Goings-On (Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam)
"Fine day for a rock slide, eh?" Dedede asked as they were sitting near the midway point having a picnic.
"Glad we went around it." Umber said.
"So, let me ask y'all a question." Michaelangelo said, picking up a slice of pizza. "Considering Paldea has a thing for sandwiches… is pizza technically a sandwich?"
"What? Don't be ridiculous, Mikey!" Donatello said.
"I mean, it has crust, doesn't it? Therefore, it's a sandwich."
"Mikey, that's got to be the dumbest…" Raphael paused. "Actually, that's a good argument."
"No, it's not!" Donatello said.
"Actually, you're right. It doesn't!"
"You can add toppings on a pizza, just like a sandwich." Michaelangelo pointed out.
"Ah, shoot… you got me there."
"Raph!"
"Another point:" Michaelangelo folded the pizza slice. "Ta-dah!"
Donatello smirked. "Ah, but Mikey… you just made a taco."
"Ah, Donnie… let me point something out to you. If you add a taco shell, add some cheese and tiny slabs of meat on it, and put another taco shell on it…"
"You make a quesadilla."
"Ooooor a taco sandwich!"
"...He makes a good point." Raphael said.
Donatello shook his head. "Okay, but he's still making a pizza taco! It's not even a sandwich."
Michaelangelo pulled up another slice, turned it upside down and splattered it on his current slice. "It's now a pizza sandwich!"
"Ugh!" Donatello groaned while Raphael rubbed his chin in thought with intrigue.
"You make several good arguments."
"HE DOESN'T!"
Leonardo, Umber and Dedede all looked at them with deadpanned expressions.
"If pizza isn't a sandwich… then the universe ought to show me a sign that pizza ain't a sandwich!"
At that moment, one of the boulders went off course and launched off of the side where it landed right on top of the pizza party.
SPLAT!
"Augh!" Michaelangelo yelped.
"Well! I guess the universe has spoken." Donatello said.
Umber's eye twitched. "Alright! Now this rock slide has gone too far! Let's go, Dedede!"
"Right behind ya!" Dedede said as they ran off with the TMNT following, with Donatello dragging a somber Michaelangelo away.
"The pizza was so young…!"
Dedede immediately sucked up a boulder to put the entire thing in his mouth right as Alessandra ran up and turned her head.
"Oh! You're not an Eiscue nor an Empoleon! You're a Paldean Swalot!"
A cross vein appeared on Dedede's forehead and spat it out in Alessandra's direction. She quickly ducked as the boulder slammed into another as they both turned into dust.
"I AIN'T A POKEMON!"
"Touchy…" Alessandra grimaced.
End BGM
Up ahead…
Cinder quickly slid across the ground after she made her way up. "Hey!" She called out to the large Titan Pokemon.
"Bomb…?" The gigantic Bombirdier turned toward her.
"I don't know why you're dropping boulders on this mountain but it's going to stop!" She declared as her family and Eddie arrived.
"That's the biggest stork I've ever seen!" Bowsette exclaimed.
"BOMBIIIIIIRRRR!" Bombirdier cried.
BGM: Battle! Titan Pokemon (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
The Open Sky Titan - Bombirdier
"Oh oh! Cinder! Use your Charizard!" Lemmy called out.
"Planning on it!" Cinder said, calling out Acnologia.
Acnologia let out a roar, unleashing a Flamethrower in the sky before setting his eyes on the Bombirdier. The Bombirdier roared as Charizard lifted up into the sky.
Both Pokemon immediately flew into each other, the Titan unleashing Wing Attack as Acnologia used Flare Blitz, both of them smashing into each other as they flew around and clashed against each other again.
"Dier…" Bombirdier narrowed his eyes before smirking. "Bomb Bir Bir Diiiieeeer~!" He taunted, managing to pull its eye socket down and stuck his tongue out, which was enough to make several cross veins appear on the Charizard's head.
"RAAAAAAAAAWWWWRRRR!" Charizard roared, unleashing Flamethrower in the sky while the flame on his tail turned blue as he attempted to use Flare Blitz, but found out that he couldn't do it. "Rawr…?"
"Bomb Bomb Bomb Bo!" Bombirdier laughed… only to get struck by Inferno mid laughter. It blinked as it was pitch black before shaking the soot off.
Acnologia rushed toward the Bombirdier with a Flare Blitz, only for Bombirdier to chuck the boulder with Rock Throw, where Charizard kissed the boulder and was launched toward the rock wall, opening the cave up to reveal some Herba Mystica.
"Acnologia!" Cinder exclaimed.
Bombirdier smirked as the Charizard struggled to get up as the Bombirdier smirked and launched another Rock Throw at the Charizard.
"EEEEMPOOOO!"
Suddenly, an Empoleon jumped in and batted away the boulder with its steel flippers, sending it crashing back into Bombirdier.
"BOOOOOMB!"
End BGM
"Huh? Umber?!" Cinder said in surprise.
"What, you thought I was gonna let ya hog all the fun?" Umber asked as Arven and the others arrived.
"Alright, now it's our turn!" Arven said as he jumped in while Alessandra joined them, where she immediately pulled out her Pokedex to scan the Bombirdier, but was distracted by Cinder's Charizard.
"Wait, is that a shiny Charizard? That's so cool!" She said. Wonder what's up with the scar… She wondered before focusing her attention back to the Bombirdier.
"Bombirdier, the Item Drop Pokemon: It gathers things up in an apron made from shed feathers added to the Pokémon's chest feathers, then drops those things from high places for fun. Bombirdier uses the apron on its chest to bundle up food, which it carries back to its nest. It enjoys dropping things that make loud noises."
"Yeah, that checks things out." Alessandra nodded, calling out her Eevee.
"Evai Vow!" Raffia cried as Arven called out his Nacli.
"We oughtae help too." Gloria said.
"Wait!" Marnie put her arm out in front of Gloria. "I want to see how this plays out for Cinder." She said while Sonia immediately pulled out a notepad to examine the Titan Bombirdier.
Umber immediately pulled out a Full Restore and tossed it to Cinder. "Use this on your Charizard. It'll help!"
"Okay." Cinder nodded as she went over to use it on him while Bombirdier snapped out of its daze and landed in front of the Herba Mystica, eating it up.
"Ah no, it's eating it!" Arven frowned.
BGM: Boss Battle (Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX)
Suddenly Bombirdier glowed with energy. "BOMBAAAAAAAAA!" Bombirdier cried as it flew around to face Cinder, Umber, Arven and Alessandra.
"Topper, use Hydro Pump!"
"Raffia, Swift!"
"Nacli, Smackdown!"
Cinder watched the trio call out their moves as her Charizard stood back up. Should I…? "Use Flamethrower."
Acnologia turned to Cinder in surprise before he nodded, smoke coming out of his mouth as he lifted up from the ground and unleashed Flamethrower.
Bombirdier avoided the Hydro Pump and Flamethrower, but got struck by Swift, which was enough for Nacli's Smackdown to hit the Bombirdier, which was enough to make it slam into the ground. "BOMB!"
"Nice one!" Umber praised. "Wave Crash!"
"EMPOOOO!" Empoleon wrapped itself in water and launched itself toward the Bombirdier that got back up, only to get struck by the Wave Crash.
"Dier…!" Bombirdier growled before it used Pluck on the Empoleon in retaliation.
"Dragon Breath!" Cinder ordered.
Alessandra shifted her eyes and smiled. "Raffia, Helping Hand!"
"Eevai Vee Vee Vow Vee!" Raffia cried, clapping his paws together as Acnologia felt a boost as he let out a roar and unleashed a powered up Dragon Breath right as Bombirdier used Rock Throw. The boulder was thrown into the air toward Raffia before it got struck by the Dragon Breath.
"Dodge the boulder!"
"Vai!" Raffia jumped away in time while Nacli used Rock Throw of its own, striking the Bombirdier.
"Bird… ier…!" Bombirdier grunted as it tried to use Wing Attack, but due to good luck from that Dragon Breath, it was paralyzed… which was enough for Acnologia to seal the deal with Flare Blitz, striking the Bombirdier.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMB!" Bombirdier cried before crashing into the ground, shrinking back down to normal size.
"Alright, who's up for catching this thing?" Alessandra asked.
"I will!" A voice said as a wand was waved and magic was thrown at the Bombirdier, as it weakly looked up to see the magic spell turning into an Ultra Ball and hitting the Bombirdier, pulling it in… and then clicked within three shakes.
End BGM
They all turned to see Lemmy walking over and picking up the Ultra Ball. "Ta-daaaah~!"
"Oh… that's unexpected." Marnie said.
Arven tilted his head. "A… baby Turtonator captured a Bombirdier?"
"Who are you calling a baby?" Lemmy asked. "...And a Turtonator?"
"Ah, sorry…" Arven blushed, rubbing the back of his head.
He then turned to the cave. "I wonder if there's anything left…" He said as he walked into the cave as the others walked in with him.
As they walked in, they spotted a glowing herb. "Aha!" Arven smiled as he ran toward the herb, kneeling down alongside Alessandra. "Here it is, the Bitter Herba Mystica that the Open Sky Titan was guarding!" He said, pulling it up carefully.
"Bitter, huh?" Sonia wondered.
"Let's see…" Arven pulled out his book.
BGM: Let's Make a Sandwich (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"Bitter Herba Mystica's great for your circulation! It really gets the blood flowing! And that warms you right up, nice and toasty, even boosting the immune system!" He read. "...Or so it says."
"How's that book you stole from me?" Sonia teased.
"Stole? I borrowed it!" Arven said.
Sonia snickered. "I know, I'm just teasin'." She winked.
"Hmm… if I can just slip this into a tasty sandwich and get him to eat some…" Arven mumbled before smiling. "Alright, let's make some sandwiches!"
"Way ahead of ye, lad!" Gloria said, pulling out the cauldron from her bag. "We can make some curry with that too!"
"A Bitter Herba Mystica curry sandwich…" Arven mused before chuckling. "Aw heck, let's try it!"
Alessandra reached into her bag. "Let's see, it should be… come on, work with me. I can feel you! Hnnngh! HRAAAAH!" She yelled, immediately pulling out a whole picnic table. "There we go!"
Coco and Velvet stared at the picnic table in disbelief, Velvet's eyes as wide as dinner plates. "What the hell kind of bags do they MAKE in this world?!" Coco wondered.
"I… have no idea…" Velvet said.
Some curry sandwiches made later…
"Hmm…" Arven hummed as he took a bite of the sandwich. His eyes lit up. "Holy Arceus, this is amazing!"
"Whoa!" Alessandra said as she took a bite.
"Incredible!" Cian exclaimed.
"Hehehe~ I aim to please." Gloria smiled proudly as they dug in.
"Glad I bought a lot of sandwich bread." Arven said, when suddenly Koraidon and Miraidon came out of their Balls.
"Agia…?"
"Wah! Did they just come out of your Pokeballs whenever they felt like it?" Arven asked as they looked longingly at the sandwiches. "Hey no no no! I made those for the two, thank you very much!"
"Technically, Glori did." Alessandra said.
"Mmmph… I pitched in…" Arven pouted as the twins gave them their sandwiches as the Raidons happily ate them, while nearby, Lemmy gave his Bombirdier some of his sandwich, where it ate up.
"I wonder what Rotom Dex has to say about that one…" Umber mused as he pulled out his Rotom Dex to scan the Bombirdier.
"Bombirdier. Sometimes it will kill other Pokemon or even humans using the rock it drops, either for fun or sport. Sometimes a party will gather to create rock slides to end many a hiking groups trip early."
Umber's eye twitched as he shook the Rotom Dex. "WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?!"
"Waaaah! You told me to scaaaan iiiiit!" Rotom Dex cried.
In an instant, both Raidons glowed with energy for a few seconds before they landed back on their feet.
"Whoa! They looked like they exploded with energy!" Arven said. "If that were to happen with those two, then maybe…"
Arven shook his head. "So, I'm curious about something, you two. This might seem random but I'm trying to strike up a conversation here. You ever had a special bond with a Pokemon and then you nearly lost it?"
End BGM
Alessandra frowned. "Well, actually… yes."
Cian nodded. "We did. Though we lost it when we were young."
"Wait, really?" Arven asked in surprise. "If you… don't mind me asking, what happened? That might be a bit personal, I'm sorry-"
"No no, it's okay." Alessandra said and turned to her brother. "You want me to tell it, C?"
"Go ahead…"
BGM: Unwavering Emotion (Pokemon Black and White)
Alessandra turned to Arven. "When we were kids, we had a Growlithe as a birthday present. Although he was more attached to my bro than he was with me, but I still bonded with him."
Arven chuckled. "Pokemon do tend to do that."
"We named him Balto and he was the sweetest little thing you ever met. He'd constantly lick your face off, even if you stepped outside to get the mail, he'd act like you were gone for days."
Arven smiled. "That sounds about right."
"However, one day… a really bad storm came in. A thunderstorm rocked the entirety of Galar, and it was scaring the hell out of Balto. We cuddled him to calm him down even when the power went out… but then a tree fell on our house and busted the door open. Because of that… Balto panicked and ran out the door. We tried to chase after him but the storm was too dangerous and we had to wait it out."
Alessandra closed her eyes. "By the time the storm passed, we searched the entire property but he wasn't there… we went to Glori's, we went to Hoppy's… we searched the fields… we even tried Professor Magnolia's home. But we couldn't find him."
"He ran away something fierce, huh?"
"Yeah." Alessandra frowned. "We had the entirety of Postwick searching for him, but as weeks went by, the search party thinned out until it was just me and Cian… and then we moved away from Postwick and toward our new lives further into Galar."
Arven grimaced. "Yikes. Why'd you move?"
"Dad got a new job at Wyndon so we packed up our things and moved out."
"That'll do it… what was it?"
"Macro Cosmos. He thought it was for Pokemon Research like the Aether Foundation in Alola… then saw their true colors the moment that bleedin' idiot showed off his true colors and kickstarted the Darkest Day. I was in the middle of a photoshoot at Hulbury when that happened…"
"So what's he doing now?"
"He's the new CEO of Macro Cosmos, making sure nobody does anything stupid ever again. My mum is the chairwoman, and even though we moved here, mum is still keepin' tabs with Macro Cosmos. Unfortunately, dad was unable to come with us since he's swamped over there, but we do keep tabs on him and he's pretty chipper!"
"That's good!" Arven smiled.
"I was wonderin' why Macro Cosmos was still kickin'. Never managed to ask Leon why…" Gloria admitted. "...Wait, does that mean-"
"Don't worry, that Oleana chick is in prison with Rose."
"Oh good."
"So, you still looking for Balto?" Arven asked.
Alessandra sighed. "To tell you the truth, no… back when I was modeling in Galar, I would take time with my crew after the shoots to do a search for him but we could never find him."
"Oh…"
"And, I'm the type of gal who looks toward the future, but I will admit that I still miss Balto. For me, the pain is faint but it's still there. Cian? It's… like he just lost him yesterday."
Cian sighed. "If only I held on to him tighter…"
Arven frowned. "Don't beat yourself up, Cian. Would Balto want to see you all depressed?"
"No…"
"I understand losing a best friend is hard, but… hanging on to that pain for so long in the past won't do you any good."
"Easy for you to say." Cian sighed.
Nearby, a few of the Koopalings, namely Larry, Iggy, Lemmy and Wendy were tearing up.
"That's so sad…" Larry sniffled.
"I need a shoulder to cry on!" Iggy sobbed as he and Larry cried uncontrollably.
"St-stop it… your dumb sobbing is gonna make me cry!" Wendy whimpered.
Cinder closed her eyes, deep in thought. She then smiled and looked at the twins. "I have a feeling Balto is still out there somewhere, looking for you two."
"I hope you're right." Cian nodded, rubbing his eyes.
"Alright, let's head out. I believe we were heading to Artazon next." Alessandra said as her friends nodded, then they walked out after putting stuff away.
"Come on, let's go find another picnic spot." Umber said as he walked out, called out Nebby as he, Dedede, and the TMNT hopped on him and flew off.
"We'll be on our way too." Cinder said as she walked out.
"Wait, Cinder!" Arven spoke up as Cinder turned around, only for Arven to give her a Bitter Herba Mystica badge. "Here."
"...What's this for?"
"For helping out with the Titan fight." He said.
"Um, thanks? Why didn't you give one to Umber and that fashionista?"
"I… only made one of each." Arven sheepishly said. "By the way, I like how you helped out with cooking the curry. Alongside Umber and that weird skeletal Turtonator."
"Wait, do I actually look like a Turtonator?" Eddie wondered.
"Not even close." Rei said.
"Well, I am a chef after all." Cinder said with pride. "I will say, a curry sandwich with a bitter herb was… not what I was expecting to help make but what can you do." She shrugged.
She turned around. "Anyway, see you around."
"See ya." Arven waved as he then turned around. "Alright, the coast is clear." He said, pulling out a Pokeball and tossing it to the ground.
End BGM
Just outside…
Ro-to-to-to!
"Hmm?" Alessandra wondered as she brought out her Rotom Phone.
BGM: Professor Turo/Sada (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"Alessandra, this is Turo."
"Oh hey!"
He sounds a bit like Ironwood… Coco thought.
"We detect that the Raidons gained some of their power back. When riding upon them, it seems you are able to move across water. We're relying on you to take good care of the duo."
"We will!" Alessandra smiled as the Rotom Phone went back in her pocket.
End BGM
She then turned to Gloria. "Alright, Glori. Spill it. How do you suddenly have the ability to turn into a Latias?"
"Well, I did say I'd tell ye later…" Gloria said.
"Yeah, tell us."
"Okay, so I told ye about the time I went to space, right?"
"Yeah, back when we were catchin' up in-between classes and the Fashion War." Alessandra nodded. "By the way, I'm jealous you went up twice."
Gloria chuckled. "Anyway, I was in a galaxy when I came across…" She reached into her bag, pulling out a Bee Mushroom. "This."
"A… mushroom with eyes that's colored like a Combee?" Alessandra wondred.
"I thought I'd have bee powers like Mario and Luigi, but instead…" She chomped down on it, immediately transforming into her Beedrill form.
"You turn into a Beedrill?!"
"Aye, and I can also do this." She cleared her throat. "Bee Beedrill Bee Drill Drill."
"Pokemon speak…" Alessandra whispered as her eyes widened. "So wait, becoming a human Pokemon, you're able to-"
"Understand Pokemon, aye."
"Whoa…" Cian said.
Alessandra closed her eyes before she started laughing. "Okay! Now that makes a lot more sense!" She giggled. "Is it safe to say you have the Pokemon moves as well?"
"Mhm."
"Pfffft! Hahaha! Nice!" Alessandra giggled. "You have got to show me what else you can turn into later." She said as Gloria turned back to normal. "Oh, you can do it at will?"
"Yeah. I keep the power ups in my bag in case if I get peckish."
Hop grinned. "That's Gloria for ya! She's one of a kind!"
"Yup. So! What about the rest of you guys?"
"I got Hylian Magic on me." Marnie said.
Bede pulled out a glove. "I got Materia on me. To me, it's a lot cooler than Marn's magic."
"Can you do this though?" Marnie pulled off her metal arm and conjured up an entire fire arm.
Alessandra's eyes widened. "Holy shit…"
Cian whistled. "That's impressive."
Bede rolled his eyes. "Show off." He mumbled as Marnie's fire arm dissipated and put her arm back on.
"Marn, that's… insane." Alessandra said and turned to Hop. "Hoppy, how about you?"
"Me? …Aaaah, well, I'm Sonia's assistant. Ahehehe… I'm just a normal guy!"
Alessandra giggled. "Perfectly mind! …Vic?"
"I'm like Hop, though I'm more of a Pokemon Breeder."
"Well, alrighty then!" She said, all of them unaware of a Salandit and a Flittle that were watching them nearby. "Alright, enough showing off. To Artazon!"
One trip to the other side of Mezagosa later…
BGM: South Province - Riding (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"Alriiiiight! Artazon, here we come!" Kotoko said as they started to walk through the trail, where they would find some Skiploom floating around, along with Stantler walking around with Dunsparce snoozing in the grass while some Murkrow flew by.
"Hmm…" Alessandra walked toward an opening nearby.
"What is it?" Gloria asked.
"Just doing a bit of exploring." Alessandra said as she peeked behind a corner and found a Charcadet. "Oooh!"
She pulled out her dex. "What are you, cutie?"
"Charcadet, the Fire Child Pokemon. Burnt charcoal came to life and became a Pokemon. Possessing a fiery fighting spirit, Charcadet will battle even tough opponents. Its firepower increases when it fights, reaching over eighteen hundred degrees Fahrenheit. It likes berries that are rich in fat."
Alessandra put it away, seeing that the Charcadet was getting sleepy, more than likely because it was starting to get dark out.
She smiled, pulling out a Great Ball. "You're coming with me." She said, throwing the Great Ball and smacking it upside the head from behind.
"Charca?!" The Charcadet cried as it was pulled into the Great Ball.
One shake.
Two shakes.
Three shakes.
"No way…"
Click!
"You gotta be kidding me." Alessandra said in disbelief. "I didn't think that'd work!"
She walked over to see the others observing a Toedscool wandering around.
"Paldean Tentacool walk?" Marnie wondered.
"I dunnae, this could be a Wiglett situation."
"Let's see here…" Cian pulled out his Dex to scan the Toedscool.
"Toedscool, the Woodear Pokemon. Toedscool lives in muggy forests. The flaps that fall from its body are chewy and very delicious. Though it looks like Tentacool, Toedscool is a completely different species. Its legs may be thin, but it can run at a speed of thirty mph."
"Thirty?!" Hop exclaimed in surprise. "Talk about a fast little guy!"
"I'm… shocked that it can run that fast." Kokoro said.
"Tell me about it. A squid running? I thought that was only for the Inklings and Octolings." Kotoko said.
"It's sure cute though!" Mabel said as the Toedscool turned to look at them… before it took off running.
"Whoa!" Alessandra said in surprise. "Look at that little guy run!"
Gloria turned to Alessandra. "Find anything back there?"
"Just this." Alessandra called out her Charcadet.
"Charca…" Charcadet turned to face Alessandra in annoyance.
"Ahehe~... sorry lil' guy." Alessandra pulled out an oran berry. "Hungry?"
The Charcadet's eyes sparkled over the Oran Berry as she gave it to him, where he happily ate it up.
Alessandra knelt down and patted the Charcadet on the head. "All's forgiven?"
"Charca!" He nodded happily.
"Hmm… ah, how about I call you Wisp?"
Kotoko knelt down, looking at the happy Charcadet. "Ya know, Masaru has the same little guy."
"Does he now? That's awesome!"
Wisp finished the Oran Berry and hugged Alessandra on the leg before going back into his Great Ball.
"Alright, now let's-" She spotted a few Pokemon that were wandering up to them. "Oh?" She wondered as everyone turned around to see the Flittle and Salandit.
"A Salandit and… I'm not sure what the other one is." Sonia said.
Alessandra scanned the Flittle. "Let's see…"
"Flittle, the Frill Pokemon. Flittle's toes levitate about half an inch above the ground because of the psychic power emitted from the frills on the Pokémon's belly. It spends its time running around wastelands. If anyone steals its beloved berries, it will chase them down and exact its revenge."
"Definitely cute!" Alessandra smiled while Cian scanned the Salandit.
"Salandit, the Toxic Lizard Pokemon. It taunts its prey and lures them into narrow, rocky areas where it then sprays them with toxic gas to make them dizzy and take them down. Only female Salandit can produce gas laden with pheromones. Males entranced by this gas will do whatever the females tell them."
"Hmm…" Cian hummed.
"Flittle Flit Flit."
"Sala Sal."
Everyone turned to Gloria.
"Okay, they're sayin' that they're grateful that we got rid of that tyrannical Bombirdier and want to accompany us." Gloria translated.
"'We"? We hardly did anything. Arven, Cinder, Aless and Umber did most of the work." Bede said.
"Sala Sala."
"We were there, so it counts." Gloria translated.
Bede blinked. "I'm… not sure how that logic works but okay then." He said as Flittle floated over to Alessandra while the Salandit moved over to Cian.
"Hmm, let's hope you're a female Salandit. I dunno how to tell." Cian said.
"Not to worry!" Zinnia said, putting on gloves and a mask. "I can check for you." She said, picking up the Salandit. "Now, you might feel a slight discomfort, I'm only checking if-"
"Salaaaaa!" The Salandit breathed out Smog on her.
"Ack!" Zinnia yelped before coughing like crazy as her mask started to deteriorate, dropping the Salandit.
"Sala Salan~"
"Female." Gloria translated.
"Why didn't you say something earlier?!" Zinnia coughed, pulling out a Pecha Berry and eating it.
The Salandit smirked. "Sala Sala Sal."
"Because I like to mess with folks."
"Rrrrgh… figures…" Zinnia mumbled.
"I could've done that." Victor said. "...Though, I probably would've had the same issue."
"I'll call you Tut." Alessandra said, gently poking him with a Great Ball and sending him in.
"How about… Mo'o?" Cian smiled before sending her in a Great Ball of his own.
Click!
Click!
Both twins high fived each other.
"I just need one more for my full team, though perhaps a few more back ups won't hurt." Alessandra said as they turned and followed the path where they saw Gulpin and a Slakoth snooze together as a Corvisquire perched onto a tree and started to sleep.
They walked through the canyon, using their new Pokemon to train against the Wild Pokemon that were still awake or some trainers along the path… or they proceeded to avoid a territorial dispute between a Seviper and a Zangoose, prompting a family of Lechonk and Oinkologone to move away from the two rivals.
"Oooh, what's that one?" Alessandra wondered, scanning the Oinkologne.
"Oinkologne, the Hog Pokemon and the evolved form of Lechonk. Female. This Pokémon sends a flowerlike scent wafting about. Well-developed muscles in its legs allow it to leap more than sixteen feet with no trouble at all. This is a meticulous Pokémon that likes to keep things tidy. It shrouds itself in a floral aroma that soothes the Pokémon around it."
"Female? Then I guess the other one is a male." Gloria said, scanning the other one.
"Oinkologne, the Hog Pokemon and the evolved form of Lechonk. Male. Oinkologne is proud of its fine, glossy skin. It emits a concentrated scent from the tip of its tail. It entrances female Pokémon with the sweet, alluring scent that wafts from all over its body."
"Yup, I figured." Gloria nodded, putting it away as they walked through some rocks and spotted a Klawf wandering around.
"What's this one?" Cian wondered as he scanned the Klawf.
"Klawf, the Ambush Pokemon. Klawf hangs upside-down from cliffs, waiting for prey. But Klawf can't remain in this position for long because its blood rushes to its head. This Pokémon lives on sheer cliffs. It sidesteps opponents' attacks, then lunges for their weak spots with its claws."
"Definitely sounds like an ambush." Kotoko deadpanned.
The Klawf turned toward them. "...Vroooooo!"
"...Definitely sounds like a cow?" Mabel tilted her head. "Guess we know what crabs sound like now."
"Says here that it's a Rock type." Cian said as the twins looked at each other before they proceeded to knock it out with their Sprigatito and Bounsweet.
"Vroooo…"
The twins recalled their Pokemon with a satisfied nod and they walked down the slope, knocking out a few more Klawf that ambushed them with their Grass types.
Once another Klawf ambushed and their Sprigatito and Bounsweet took care of it… both Pokemon started to glow.
"Oh!" Alessandra exclaimed.
"Oh nice!" Cian smiled.
"Steeneeeee!"
"Flora!"
The twins both pulled out their Pokedexes to scan them.
"Steenee, the Fruit Pokemon and the evolved form of Bounsweet. Steenee spreads a sweet scent that makes others feel invigorated. This same scent is popular for antiperspirants. Steenee bounces energetically through forests. If the rind that peels off its body is pulverized, it can be used to treat stomach pains."
"Floragato, the Grass Cat Pokemon and the evolved form of Sprigatito. Floragato deftly wields the vine hidden beneath its long fur, slamming the hard flower bud against its opponents. The hardness of Floragato's fur depends on the Pokémon's mood. When Floragato is prepared to battle, its fur becomes pointed and needle sharp."
"Stee!" Sherry hugged Alessandra as she hugged her back while Cian and Houdini fist bumped each other.
"That's awesome." Sonia smiled as they recalled their Pokemon and continued walking through the canyon.
"Vroooooooo!"
"Whoa! What the…?" Gloria wondered as they looked around to see what made that noise.
"It sounded like a Titan!" Sonia said.
"Yeah, but where? It's so dark out, I can't see it…" Zinnia said.
["Maybe we're looking right at it and we don't see it because it's so dark?"] Neo wondered.
"Hmm… tomorrow?" Alessandra offered.
"Yeah, sure." Marnie nodded as they walked off.
Meanwhile…
"Vrooooo!" The Titan Klawf bellowed, which was also a shiny as Umber and Co were looking directly at it from the side.
"Sooo, what do you think of that Tote- I mean Titan?" Umber asked.
"Maybe if we could cook it, I think it'd taste incredible. Crab meat is good eatin'!" Dedede whispered.
"You think it'd be good on pizza?" Michaelangelo asked.
"Maybe! We'll have tuh see tomorrow though!"
Umber decided to scan the Klawf with his Rotom Dex.
"Klawf. Many Pokemon fall prey to the might of its claws. One snip of its claws and they're already a goner. Klawf are also known to do this to humans as well."
Umber whimpered, anime tears rolling down his cheeks. "First the Ghost Types, then Mega Evolutions and now this… are you trying to traumatize me?!"
"Not on purpose."
"Uuuungh…"
Off in the distance, Cinder spotted the shiny Klawf with binoculars. "Hmph. The big guy thinks he can camouflage." She said in amusement.
"So, do we strike?" Bowsette asked.
"I'd say we wait until tomorrow. Give it a false sense of security before we knock it down."
"Fair enough." She nodded as the group walked away.
"Vrooo…" The Klawf whimpered as it crawled away once Umber and co left, proceeding to cover itself in mud. "Vroo!"
End BGM
Back with Alessandra and co…
BGM: Artazon/Zapapico (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"Ah, here we are!" Alessandra smiled as they walked into town.
"Let's find ourselves a place to stay and then we can worry about the gym tomorrow." Cian said.
"I agree." Alessandra nodded as they walked toward an inn to stay for the night.
Meanwhile, at another inn just across town…
Weiss sighed, sitting on her bed. "What a day…" She said as the others were already conked out asleep in their rooms.
End BGM
An idea came to Weiss as she pulled out her scroll and started to contact Pyrrha.
"Hello?"
"Hey Pyrrha. Whoa… where are you at? Are you in the wilderness?"
"Yeah, I was helping a friend out. What's going on? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just more curious about you to see how you're holding up over there."
BGM: Friends In My Heart (Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix)
Pyrrha sighed. "I'm… admittedly feeling a tiny bit better, but I wish I was… back to my old self."
"Yeah… at least you're hanging in there, right?"
"Of course… what about you?"
"Honestly, I… I think I'm starting to feel a bit better myself. I had a run in with a Team Star boss but… after the encounter, I… felt a spark inside me. I don't know what it is though, but I'm feeling… better. Does that sound weird?"
"Maybe it's a spark of hope."
"Maybe… but I don't want to get my hopes up."
"I don't believe it! How can it be a Toedscruel when it clearly looks like a Kitakamian Tentacruel!"
"Right?!"
"Hey hey, ladies… let's just calm down…!"
"What's going on over there?" Weiss wondered.
"Oh… just a bit of confusion." Pyrrha said. "Jaune's trying to calm things down."
"I see…" What the heck is a Kitakamian Tentacruel?
"I wish… I had that spark of hope like you had."
"Who knows, maybe you'll find it. After all, Dedede did say you need a Kirby of your own, right?"
"Yeah… I wonder if I'll be able to find my Kirby here."
"I have a feeling that you will. I don't know why, but it's just a gut feeling!"
"Let's hope you're right…"
"Yeah."
"Weiss?"
"Hmm?"
"I… thank you for checking up on me. I feel… kinda better than before."
Weiss smiled. "That's good!"
"Yeah… maybe… we can check in on each other again? This conversation is making me feel better."
"I was already planning on it." Weiss winked.
"Thank you… good night, Weiss."
"Night." She said, hanging up as she sighed, laying on her back as Manaphy crawled onto the bed and snuggled up with her.
"A spark of hope… could that be it…?" She wondered before closing her eyes and falling asleep.
Ibuki: That Titan is sticking out like a sore thumb because Shiny Klawf are blue.
Deadpool: Not unless it covers itself in mud!
Speaking of Klawf, Flash had told me that Klawf's cry sounds like a cow and I can never unhear it after that revelation.