"St-o-o-o-o-ork!" the Titan laughed, crouching down slightly and spreading its wings.

Arven shook his head distraughtly, his eyes narrowing on the giant bird. "Alright, looks like it's up to me for the time being," he noted hesitantly, throwing out a ball. "Hold on, Ashton! Nacli, let's give this thing a taste of defeat-!"

The Bombirdier, however, had other ideas, and darted off straight at the lad and his blocky companion the moment he left his ball, still letting out some cackling sounds as it tried to hit them both with a Wing Attack. Arven's eyes shot wide for a second and he ducked down to try avoiding it, but it wasn't much use- as big as the Titan was, its wings were certainly going to hit… or at least, they would have.

"Agi-yaaaah!"

Something big and sturdy collided with him and Nacli both, making them sprawl out ungracefully on the rocky surface. A quick glance upwards revealed Koraidon standing over him, the red brute wincing as the Titan bashed it with its wing, but the dragon's concerned eyes nonetheless looked at the human and his Pokémon. Arven couldn't help but to snarl slightly, quickly scrambling up and putting distance between himself and Koraidon.

"Gias…?"

"Don't you try to help me!" Arven hissed. "You've done enough already!" He turned to Nacli. "Smack Down, Nacli!"

"Watt!"

"Qua- qua!"

"Charrrr!"

Ashton's Pokémon weren't going to sit back either even if she was apparently out of commission, for Rio went for a Wing Attack of his own, Dante sent an Ember, and Tempest darted towards the Bombirdier for a Spark. Nacli flung a rock at one of the Titan's big mischievous eyes, but with a swing of its wing, the rock, Rio, and Tempest too were knocked away, albeit with the latter still making the giant beast give a jolt for her sparks. Dante's burst of flame landed with no trouble, a patch of the Bombirdier's feathers getting singed.

"Qua- qua!" Rio exclaimed. "Qua- a!" ( *Tempest, cover me! I'm gonna try something!*)

"Watt!" ( *You got it!*)

"Chaaaar," Dante said flatly, another Ember welling up between his hands. ( *You better not act stupid.*)

"Rock Polish, Nacli!" Arven called. "Get fast!"

Nacli did just that, rubbing the rougher parts of his body against some stones to smooth them out. The Quaxwell ignored Dante's remark, and instead studied the Titan for a second as Tempest buzzed around its face for a second while sparking some more. A few times its beak reached out to try Plucking the little Wattrel, but small and swift as she was, it was a moot point, and instead it spread its wings out while focusing on the others even as Tempest delivered a Thunder Shock. Rio, however, darted straight for the Titan while Dante let his Ember go, and went for a Low Sweep on one of the giant bird's legs.

It succeeded in knocking the bird off of its balance, but their Titan foe nonetheless flapped its wings and took off, going for what looked like a Wing Attack but pulling upwards after a moment. Dante's Ember barely charred the feathers on its apron, the bird avoiding mostly fine. What got the giant bird's attention, though, was Tempest, yet again buzzing around it even as it landed and went to swooping up another rock. A fussy squawk left its mouth as it gathered a large chunk of stone in its apron, and Tempest released a flurry of bolts before it could leave the ground again.

"Not good…!" Arven breathed hesitantly. "Nacli, go for Smack Down, as quick as you can!"

Nacli did just that, bouncing for a second before hurling several stones in quick succession. One pelted the Titan's wing and made it shake for a second as the big beast flapped, another broke against its rock-filled apron, and another nailed it square in one eye.

"Stooooooork!" came an enraged cry from the Bombirdier as it flung its boulder… right at Arven.

It quickly became obvious why scaling the mountainside had been such a bad idea to anyone that wasn't Ashton. The lad's eyes shot wide and he did his best to scurry out of the way, as did Nacli, but there simply wasn't any way to avoid the boulder completely unscathed. Koraidon apparently could tell too and turned to tackle the lad out of the way again, but paused right before taking a leap. A certain someone wasn't going to be the only one needing an Herba Mystica sandwich, Arven was sure…

WHAM!

However, the boulder didn't hit him. It broke apart into quite a few smaller pieces that scattered much more harmlessly, though still necessitated him shielding his head from the debris, and the whole mountainside seemed to shake as it did. As he was darting away, he could just barely see a streak of something indigo and black, and huge… which, upon turning around, was revealed to be a Hydreigon. A Hydreigon with a blonde woman on his back, his main head stuck in one of the solid rock faces like a small human child getting their head stuck in a bush while looking for bugs or berries. Cracks spread out from Orochi's head, and chunks of rock and smaller pebbles fell down from the vicinity around him.

Ashton laughed. " There we go!" she cried in excitement, patting the brute's back. "You really put your all into that one, huh?"

Rio snickered a bit upon seeing Orochi's head buried in stone. "Qua-quaaaaa...~!" ( *You look like you're having a hard time there, old man~!*)

"Watt- trell," Tempest said simply. ( *He looks just fine.*)

The Hydreigon pulled his head out, quite a bit of rubble coming with it. Not one of Ashton's Pokémon said a thing when he turned around with a big chunk of solid rock in his mouth that he proceeded to chew as though it were a loaf of bread, his eyes glancing between them all, though Rio certainly snickered to himself (even if with an awkward look). Ashton jumped off his back, giving the brute a pat while the Bombirdier haphazardly landed with one rapidly blinking eye.

"Tempest, do your thing!" she called. "Dante, go for a Will-O-Wisp, and Rio, hold off a second!"

"Watt!"

"Char!"

"Qua- qua!"

Arven, though, had different ideas. "You-!" he exclaimed, looking Ashton over. "Y-You're okay! I-I was worried you, w-well…! I was worried you were hurt!"

"Heh!" Ashton laughed, striding closer. "I grabbed a chunk of the cliff and stopped myself from falling more than several meters, but if I hadn't, I totally would've gotten impaled on a stake! I just had to have a moment and talk it over with Orochi- as awesome as it would've been to finish a battle with one hand holding my guts in and the other shaking in a fist while I yelled at the Titan, I think my friends would get upset at me."

Arven's eyes practically bulged out of his head. "A stake?! You…!"

Ashton laughed, giving a playful wink and a forceful pat on the shoulder. "Yeah, a stake! An ominous black stake that glowed gold and crumbled when I pulled it out of the ground! I guess that's a good thing- it felt freakin' evil!" She pumped both of her fists in the air and looked back to the Titan. "But that's not important! Let's fight a Titan!"

The lad blinked, studying her in pure stupor for a second. Falling off a cliff and nearly getting impaled certainly seemed important, at least in some regard… but she was at least right that the Titan took precedence. Having one of its eyes blinking in discomfort certainly made it easy for Dante to land a Will-O-Wisp, but all the same, the Bombirdier was apparently compensating for its pained eye by becoming more erratic. Its massive wings beat furiously, trying to Wing Attack anything around it, and Tempest furiously maneuvered around to avoid getting slammed. Maybe Rio wasn't making moves, but he was certainly bouncing around, calling "Qua- qua! Qua- qua!" to his teammates.

"Rock Throw, Nacli!" Arven hollered, focusing on the Titan instead of Ashton's ridiculous antics. "Go for its wings!"

"Nac!" the salty small fry affirmed.

More pebbles and stones filled the air as Nacli hurled them, Bombirdier screeching in wrath as it batted some aside whilst still trying to get at Tempest. The little Wattrel went for a Thundershock, and while her flurry of sparks certainly connected, the Bombirdier's wing connected with her too. A squawk escaped Tempest and she was flung into the rocky cliff sides, the Titan too letting out a fussing cry as it spread its wings.

"Char!" Dante exclaimed, giving Tempest a glance.

The little bird simply shook her head and fluttered her wings, her eyes narrowing. "Watt," she said. ( *Nice try.*)

"Low Sweep, Rio!" Ashton called.

"Qua- qua!"

The Quaxwell darted out, jumping and delivering a kick to the Bombirdier's other leg as it began to take off. It was an awkward way to start flight, the Bombirdier tripping and having to flap extra hard to keep its balance as it left the ground, but yet again it was taking to the air. Undoubtedly it was going to collect another boulder, and Ashton started to grin.

"Nacli, Rock Throw!" Arven called. "Keep on going!"

"Tempest, piss it off!" Ashton hollered. "Dante, when it lands, go for an Ember and aim for the tip of its beak!"

"Watt!"

"Char!"

The giant bird certainly got pelted with stones and pebbles, and the sparking Tempest taking to the air and buzzing around its head certainly didn't serve to put it in a good mood either as it tried to ignore her. Sure enough, it landed next to another chunk of rock, swinging its apron around it, but Dante darted over as fast as he could and shot a burst of flames at the tip of its beak where it held its apron. The feathers making it up quickly caught fire and burned, the giant bird's grip becoming less secure, and when it tried to pick up the boulder, the end of the apron tore right off. There was a chunk of feathers in its beak, but as the Titan flapped its wings, it quickly found itself stuck. Its feet left the ground, sure, but the boulder wasn't rising with it, rolling off slightly as its body rose. The end of its apron quickly became covered by the boulder, a surprised look gracing the Titan's eyes.

"There we go," Ashton said with a grin.

"It's stuck," Arven noted, studying it for a second.

"Exactly," Ashton replied. "So, let's finish this while it's off-guard! Go on, everyone!"

"Qua!"

"Char!"

"Watt!"

The Bombirdier certainly looked more preoccupied with getting its apron back in its beak, hurriedly flapping its wings to try lifting it some more so the boulder could roll off, but being effectively stuck in one spot until that could happen made it an easy target. Rio cloaked himself in water and darted out in an Aqua Jet, Flames welled up between Dante's hands for an Ember, Tempest sent a flurry of sparks, and Nacli hurled rocks in quick succession.

"Sto-o-o-o-ork?!"

Even if it held up its wings to block, being locked in place was absolutely no position to guard in. A flurry of bolts, flames, stones, and a watery rush pounded the Titan all at once, eliciting a much louder cry of " STOOOORK!" as it toppled over, apron still stuck under the boulder. Rio disentangled himself from under its wing as it did, being the one in closest physical proximity, but that wing still fluttered for a second. The giant pair of bird feet still kicked a bit too… Maybe it wasn't getting up, but it still had some fight left.

Tempest, however, hopped right onto the Titan's beak, waddling up it without a care and giving a flap of her wings when the much larger bird would snap it at her. Right up to the Bombirdier's face she hopped and skipped, her entire head reflecting off the surface of its eye. Something between a squawk and a growl escaped the Titan as she started to spark again, but clearly, Tempest didn't care.

"Watt~"

And with another Thunder Shock, the giant beast stopped moving and its eyelids fluttered shut. Tempest hopped atop its head like absolutely nothing was amiss, then promptly roosted and started preening her ruffled feathers.

"Qua- qua!" Rio cried, perking up. "Qua!" ( *Preening on a Titan's head! Now that is style! *)

"Watt~" ( *What a nice perch.~*)

The Quaxwell ran up to join her, striking a pose atop the Bombirdier's head and calling, ( *C'mon, Dante, come join us!*)

(*NO!*) the Charcadet called back, crossing his arms and turning away.

Ashton, though, immediately set to pumping her fists in the air, crying, " YES! We did it! Titan down!"

A grin graced Arven's face too, but it was nonetheless a flustered one as he said, "Yeah, and you could've been down too!" He stuck an arm around her shoulder, giving her an amiable but awkwardly pointed look as he studied her. "How are you talking so casually about getting impaled and finishing battles with your guts falling out?! Ashton, do you not realize how hurt you could've gotten?!"

"Eh, it'd be fine," Ashton brushed him off, turning towards the cave that the Titan had busted in the mountainside. "Just tape me up and send me on my way!"

"What?!" the lad argued, striding after her and throwing his arms out in shock. "Tape you up?! Heal Pulses and Life Dew and all that only go so far, you know!"

"Oh, I know!" she replied without missing a beat. "Throwing hands with a Hydreigon and all- do I gotta remind you?"

A heavy sigh escaped Arven's mouth as he followed her into the cave. "That's not the point."

"Then what is?"

He shook his head. "…Nevermind. There has to be more of that Herba Mystica it ate in here. Let's hurry and find it before the Titan can wake up and have a go at us again!"

Their Pokémon darted in after them too, Ashton strolling over the rocks and rubble with no trouble while Arven was more careful with his steps. Towards the back of the cavern was a glowing green patch of herbs, clearly not an ordinary piece of flora for their mystical appearance. She didn't care too much about them, but Arven, on the other hand, darted off towards them with Nacli bouncing along behind him.

"It really is here!" the lad exclaimed, coming to a halt and crouching over the patch. "This is one of the Herba Mystica, make no mistake!"

"I would've been surprised if it was anything else," Ashton chuckled, strolling over.

Orochi and Koraidon, the latter with her other Pokémon on its back, were quick to dart over too, the former hovering low to the ground next to Arven with his red eyes staring at the herbs like they were delicious fanciful steaks. The lad gave a slight jolt upon noticing the huge dragon all but brushing up against him, and though Koraidon certainly seemed interested in the herbs as well, it stayed next to Ashton.

"H-Hold on!" Arven exclaimed hesitantly, "I'll cook them up nice, I promise! Just give me a few, okay?!"

In return, the Hydreigon made a gravelly chuckling sound, one of his smaller heads reaching out and snapping at the lad's arm closest to him for a second. Arven gave a small shout of fright and jumped up, skittering a few steps away as Orochi playfully reached out and snapped some more, albeit not flying after him in any sort of aggressive gesture.

Ashton couldn't help but to laugh at the display. "He likes you!" she exclaimed. "C'mon, just let him nibble you a little! It only hurts if you piss him off!"

"I'll pass," Arven said quickly, setting his backpack on the ground and retrieving a book. "Now then, let's see… What does the book have to say?" he mused, studying the pages. "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 snapped it shut, looking back to the herb patch and getting a much softer voice. "…Or so it says. If I can just slip this into a tasty sandwich and get him to eat some…"

"Huh?" Ashton inquired, eyeing him slightly. "You sounded a little funny there.~ You don't have to worry about anyone eating your cooking, Arven!"

His gaze snapped back to meet hers, his expression going right back to amiable. "Well, then it's time to dig in! Let me whip something up for us!"

Orochi was practically drooling already, and Koraidon certainly looked hopeful for a nice treat. The lad set up his cookware on some rocks and draped a bigger one with a tablecloth, plates set carefully and camping stoves burning away. This sandwich certainly seemed to be different than the last one, but not unappetizing in the slightest- hamburgers fried in several pans, his knife expertly sliced pineapple with a smooth quickness, potato salad was carefully spread across the bottom slice of bread, and the fresh herbs found their home sprinkled amongst it all. Cries of "Hiya!" and "Yeeeaaarrrt!" graced the air as he prepped, knives glinting and pans fantastically flaming. Koraidon sprawled on the ground and Ashton leaned against its side to watch, thoroughly entranced by the lad's spirited antics. Tempest perched on Koraidon's head and Dante and Rio both leaned against Ashton, while Orochi watched intently from a rock close by.

"Chaaaarrrrrr," Dante breathed. ( *He looks like a moron with all that shouting and flailing.*)

"Qua quaaax," Rio replied. ( *He wields fire cooler than you do.~*)

(*Oh, I know it's cooler. I'd laugh at that temperature.*)

Rio snickered, Tempest studied them quizzically while albeit not making a peep, and Ashton grinned at the exchange.

"And Bob's your uncle!" Arven exclaimed after he'd finished putting everything together. "My special, whimsical, herb-filled super sandwich!" He turned to Ashton, reaching into his pocket and retrieving a small sparkling object. "And it comes with a side of… Titan Badge! As a token of my gratitude, 'course!"

Ashton perked up, darting over and taking it. "You don't have to entice me with badges, you know!" she jested. "I'm just here to fight Titans!"

"Oh, come on, just take it," Arven brushed her off.

Two and a half sandwiches went to Orochi just like the last time, while the other half of the split one went to Nacli. Tempest and Dante had one split between them while Rio, Ashton, and Arven himself all had one to themselves. Exactly like the last cave picnic, the odd one out was Koraidon, and very obviously so when it looked pitifully between everyone else's sandwiches.

"Agias!" it exclaimed, looking to Arven.

Ashton too noticed fairly easily and rolled her eyes, tearing hers in half without saying a word.

"Oh, come on!" Arven exclaimed, giving the red brute a scowl and balling up one fist. "You're trying this again?! No!"

"We get it, the only dragons you tolerate are the blue ones and not the red ones," Ashton jested pointedly, holding out one half.

However, right as Koraidon went to scarf down the sandwich half, Orochi quickly swooped in with an entire sandwich in one smaller head's maw, his gleaming red eyes staring straight at Arven. The red dragon couldn't help but to give a surprised cry, but when Orochi practically shoved his sandwich into its mouth, Koraidon didn't protest.

Koraidon looked over to Arven with a flat expression and said a simple, "Gias."

"Hmph," Arven rebuffed, shaking his head and looking aside. "Is it trying to say thanks or something?"

Ashton rolled her eyes. "Seriously, dude?" she said quizzically. "It just wants some too!"

"Well, good thing I made extra," Arven remarked, looking back to his pans. His gaze promptly snapped back to Koraidon. "And I definitely, absolutely did not make extra so that Koraidon could have a sandwich, okay?!" he hollered, clenching his fists and shaking them at his sides. He awkwardly mustered up an amiable look, giving a thumbs-up to Ashton and Orochi. "You guys are helping me out a whole bunch with the hard stuff, so it's only fair that you get more!"

Ashton couldn't help but to laugh, letting Koraidon scarf down her half too. Koraidon, however, gave a jolt, everyone looking over as it was engulfed in a pink glow. " That's it, you magnificent brute!" Ashton cheered, pumping her fists in the air. "Power up!"

"Agi- yaaaaaah!" Koraidon roared, perking up with eyes full of life.

Orochi too gave a roar, the Hydreigon's maw curling into a grin and his eyes glinting.

"Qua- qua!" Rio exclaimed. ( *Strut your stuff!*)

"Charrrr," said Dante. ( *You've gotten stronger.*)

"Watt~" Tempest chirped. ( *Oooh, exciting~!*)

Arven, however, didn't look so enthralled and questioned flatly, "Did it grow stronger again?" with his hands on his hips.

"Of course it did," Ashton replied, giving Koraidon a pat on the head.

"Man, these Herba Mystica really do pack a punch, don't they?" Arven mused. He got a hapless look, sticking one hand behind his head and looking aside. "I mean… they'd better. Or else I'm really up the creek."

Ashton eyed him. "What, you think we'll get a failing grade on the Treasure Hunt?"

However, Koraidon, with no hesitation whatsoever, strolled over to the tablecloth-covered rock with Orochi gliding along close behind, the two of them taking note of a sandwich tucked away behind some cookware and knife blocks. They looked at the sandwich, then at each other, but Arven, on the other hand, had a much different reaction.

"Don't you dare touch that!" the lad exclaimed, an odd look of dismay and frustration on his face as he darted over. " That isn't for you!"

Maybe he had an obvious grudge against Koraidon, but as the lad swooped the sandwich up in his arms and batted Orochi's smaller heads, which he had been blatantly frightened by not too long ago, it became clear that he wasn't just trying to keep Koraidon from getting any. He clutched it to his chest as if it were a baby and the dragons he shielded it from were a duo of baby-eaters. Ashton couldn't help but to study him with an odd look to her face, and her Pokémon companions certainly were taken aback too. Uncharacteristic of a perpetually hungry dragon, Orochi backed away, and Koraidon studied him with borderline concern too.

"… Qua?" Rio said, looking puzzled.

"Are you okay?" Ashton inquired a bit more directly.

At that, Arven snapped out of whatever state he was in, easing up but still clutching the sandwich like his life depended on it. "Oh, uh…" his voice awkwardly trailed off. "Sorry. I shouldn't have shouted like that…" He let out a heavy sigh, strolling away from the dragons and perching on a rock. "I… guess I should at least tell you the full story, Ashton."

She studied him. "Full story…?"

Arven nodded, grabbing a Poké Ball from his belt. "Come on out, bud…" he said softly.

Out of the ball came a large, stocky canine creature with dark grey fur and a lighter grey mane trailing down its spine- a Mabosstiff, one that hunched up pitifully on the ground with closed eyes and visibly labored breaths. Maybe his species' grey fur made them look a bit on the older side as it was, but… the one in front of them certainly didn't appear to be in good condition. He wasn't sniffing or wagging his tail (or even growling and baring teeth) like a canine otherwise might in the presence of new company, no- he was just laying there, not looking up and hardly responding when Arven reached out to nuzzle him.

"This is Mabosstiff," Arven explained. "My partner."

Koraidon tilted its head to the side, studying the canine with cautious inquisition. "Ah giyah…?"

"… Oh," Ashton said simply, taken aback.

Arven grinned slightly, tearing off a small piece of the sandwich and holding it up to Mabosstiff's mouth. "Here you go, bud," he said softly. "Eat up. This sandwich should help you feel better."

Mabosstiff slowly raised his head, sniffing of it, then carefully took it. As delicious as Arven's cooking was, it certainly would've been easy to devour it quickly… but no, Mabosstiff certainly wasn't quick about it.

"Slowly now. Take your time," Arven said, tearing off another small piece. "Small bites are fine. Just chew nice and slow…"

Ashton strolled over and perched next to the lad, studying Mabosstiff with concerned eyes. "He doesn't look so good…" her voice trailed off.

Arven nodded. "My buddy here was… hurt pretty bad a while ago. Real bad, in fact. He never really recovered."

She glanced to Arven. "Not even the Pokémon Center, huh?"

He shook his head. "They said this wasn't any regular old illness or injury…"

"…Wow," Ashton acknowledged, looking back to Mabosstiff.

A sigh escaped Arven. "Mabosstiff is the only thing in the world I care about. The only thing…" Despite his downcast tone, his fists clenched rather suddenly, and as he kept on, his voice was much more determined. "So I promised that I'd make him better- whatever it takes. I searched online, I read books, I looked all over and tried every cure and remedy I could find, but nothing really worked." He grabbed his book again, flipping it open. "I'd almost given up hope, but that's when I found out about the Herba Mystica!"

"So that's why," Ashton noted, glancing to his book and getting a grin. "That must be some top-secret book, isn't it? Did you break into some-"

"I found it in my parents' lab," Arven cut her off before she could come up with something ridiculous.

He held the book out for her for a moment. "Area Zero was home to wondrous herbs that instantly impart vigor when eaten," the page read. "We dubbed them Herba Mystica and attempted to grow some in areas of Paldea. However, before we could harvest, the herbs were eaten by wild Pokemon- which in turn grew large and strong. We call these Titan Pokémon."

Ashton shook her head, chuckling a bit. "Well, that explains some things," she mused.

Arven snapped it shut, shaking his head haplessly. "It's this book full of crazy stories and legends and things- stuff nobody'd usually believe. But I believe it!" he declared, sitting it in his lap and raising a fist into the air. " I think what it says is true! And according to this book, eating all five Herba Mystica can cure anything that ails you!" He looked to Mabosstiff. "Case in point, Mabosstiff's paws were as cold as ice before he ate that last herb. But they've warmed up a little now- I'm sure they have!"

At the mention, Mabosstiff started to stir a little, and Arven and Ashton both quickly turned their attention his way.

"You got some energy back, huh?" Ashton playfully inquired.

Arven was much more intent, moving off of the rock and crouching close to the canine with his hands gently ruffling the fur around Mabosstiff's head. "What's up, bud?"

Much to his surprise, the canine hardly made a sound, but tried haphazardly to get up with shaking legs that didn't quite go anywhere. Arven reached out to steady him, and Ashton jumped in too, but the canine's eyes, which had been closed moments before, fluttered open just enough to be noticeable.

"H-Hey!" Arven exclaimed, surprise gracing his face. "Mabosstiff! Can… can you see? Are your eyes open…?!"

The canine's eyes blinked as if in silent response.

Arven started to grin. "Yes!" he cried, nuzzling Mabosstiff some more with watery eyes. "I did it! It's… It's been so long since Mabosstiff was able to open his eyes! I was so worried…!" The lad buried his face in Mabosstiff's fur, his shoulders shaking a bit as he cried happy tears. "Oh man, I-! I'm so glad…!"

Ashton grinned some more, giving him a pat on the back (even if slightly awkwardly). "Awwwww.~ That melts my cold, black heart a little…~"

Arven pulled back a bit, still nuzzling Mabosstiff and sniffling. "Heh…~ Ehehehe… Aw, look at him…~ Those fiery orange little eyes- hard to tell even if they're open or not, but I know the difference!"

Ashton chuckled. "Good for you, man. Really."

"I knew the book wasn't lying!" Arven said with a grin. "I'm gonna bring Mabosstiff back to full health, I swear it!" He turned to Ashton, getting a somewhat awkward but still amiable look. "So, uh… yeah. That's my story. So don't go getting yourself hurt while we're looking for the other three herbs- we're doing this together, you know!"

"Agi- yaaaaah!" Koraidon added in support.

Arven shot the red beast a begrudging look, but didn't address it. Koraidon was certainly voicing support- even if unwanted support.

Soon enough, they were tidying up, Orochi finishing off the brunt of the extra food and Ashton telling the two dragons that they could run off ahead if they wanted to see what Koraidon's newfound capabilities were. To the edge of the cliff they went, the Hydreigon diving over the edge and Koraidon jumping off. Arven didn't flinch nearly as much with Koraidon going over the edge- a big draconic body was certainly more durable than a human one, but Ashton had a strong suspicion he just was happier to see Koraidon falling off a cliff than he was her. There was a big pond not far from the mountain, and Koraidon was quick to leap into it, scaring off the Psyducks and Magikarps that bobbed around the surface. "Agi- yaaaaah!" it cried, surfacing again with its tail and throat sac inflated for buoyancy.

Orochi certainly wasn't wasting time either, diving right in and flying back out with the tail of a Magikarp sticking out of his maw that disappeared fairly quickly. ( *You're not flailing in the water- have you gained the ability to swim?*)

Koraidon nodded. (*Yes! I feel less… restricted!*)

(*Good! A king shouldn't feel restricted!*)

Orochi dove back into the water, and Koraidon tried to follow by deflating its tail and throat sac, but couldn't quite get the movements right straight away. Maybe it was easier for a flying creature- 'swimming' in Orochi's case was really just flying underwater in any case- but the red dragon was certainly going to try. The poor Magikarps scattered, Orochi catching a few in his maw before turning them loose just to mess with them, and the pond's surface certainly kicked with Koraidon moving about underneath it before surfacing. The two of them certainly had plenty of fun chasing fish, then chasing each other too- playful though it may have been, an alpha Hydreigon and a big red brute weren't going to just leave each other alone. Orochi smashed into Koraidon a few times to knock it under, and Koraidon in turn dragged the Hydreigon under by his tail or a wing when he'd get close. The wild Pokémon certainly steered clear, for the giant splashes of water, flashing teeth, snapping maws, and swiping claws were a sign as clear as any that the dragons weren't to be trifled with.

Nonetheless, after a bit, Koraidon crawled onto the shore for a rest, tired but content, and Orochi too perched on the grass next to it.

(*You've got the moves down*) Orochi noted. ( *I'll have to stay at the top of my game, or once you get your strength back, I might have serious competition for who's the strongest.*)

Koraidon perked up, tilting its head at the Hydreigon. *Why are you… helping me? When you gave me your sandwich and all… I wouldn't expect that from someone so strong. Especially if you… see me as competition.*)

Orochi didn't flinch at all. ( *Because you're quirky and gentle, but we both know that deep down, you're a brute like me too. I used to be the most feared beast on Mt. Silver, a place where only the strongest and hardiest creatures had any hope of making it. I have no intention of handing over my place as the strongest… but to maintain it by giving my competitors no chance doesn't prove anything.*)

Koraidon eyed him. ( *…Why did you leave? I've never heard of Mt. Silver… but if that was your territory, a place you were the strongest…*)

(*You know Ashton*) Orochi replied, his smaller heads snapping a bit. (*You heard how we met. Where I'm from, humans don't approach Pokémon, never mind seek a strong one out and roll up their sleeves to fight. I couldn't ignore that, so I've been with her ever since.*) A few gravelly chuckles escaped him. ( *And now I know I'm the strongest from how all the rising stars at the frontier dread the thought of facing me.~ Their frightened faces are just delightful .~*)

Koraidon studied him for a second more, then drooped a little, laying its head on its forelimbs and only very faint sounds coming out. ( *I used to have a human kinda like yours too…*)

(*Hm?*) Orochi inquired, not quite catching it.

(*Nothing. It's just… the last serious battle I was in wasn't befitting of a king at all…*)

More gravelly chuckles escaped the Hydreigon. ( *You'll get your strength back. Don't worry about it.*)

A loud "Agi- yaaaaah!" and a roar from Orochi echoed around the mountainside.

Ashton knew it wouldn't be hard to find the two brutes as she trekked back down the mountain with Tempest on her shoulder, Rio on her right side, and Dante on her left. Whatever the case was, they were probably having fun judging by their echoing roars- Orochi and Koraidon had wasted absolutely no time running off, and as long as they didn't torch forests or somehow poison the ocean, the countryside was a perfectly fine place for two giant dragons to cut loose. Rio skipped along next to her with artful steps, while Dante simply strode along without a care.

Ashton, though, grabbed her phone and dialed a familiar number, holding it up to the side of her head with a grin as it rang. "You know, I think some TMs are in order. After we get Orochi and Koraidon, let's see if there's some moves you guys-"

Her Pokémon certainly looked interested in her idea, but she cut herself off when a familiar voice answered.

"Hello?" came Dylan's voice on the other end of the phone.

"Heeeeeey!" she greeted, perking up with mischievous eyes. " Guess what~?!"

It didn't take long for him to respond. "…You beat another Titan?"

"Yeah! And I fell off a cliff and almost got impaled on a stake too! It was awesome!"

There was some shuffling audible at the other end, as if her friend had dropped something or was shoving books back on a shelf. "Wait, what?! Hold on, you-! Ashton! There's a lot to unpack there!"

She couldn't help but to laugh, imagining her friend's hapless face as she relayed the story.

[***]

Dylan could only shake his head in exasperation after Ashton fully explained her story. He know she tended to do crazy things when it came to Pokémon battles, but it didn't result in near-death experiences… most of the time.

"You know, Dylan, I'm surprised that you and Ashton are friends in the first place," Hohma said. "Your personalities are almost complete opposites that you two just hanging out seems strange."

"We've been friends since we were kids, and Ashton has always been a bit crazy- in a good way," Dylan laughed.

"Indeed. Her spirit runs wild as a charging Tauros," Aurora nodded. "But it is their differences that have made them both stronger. Dylan helped Ashton to put thought behind her actions, while Ashton helped Dylan to come up with solutions when under pressure. They push and pull each other to greater heights. There is a reason they faced off against each other to become Champion rank in our home region."

"I should battle Ashton next time she's back here at the academy. Another strong Trainer to face would help me achieve my goal," Aliquis hummed.

"So, are we going to get back to the school play or not?" Ohara asked. "The Treasures of Ruin aren't going to research themselves."

"Actually, something Ashton said made me think of the story," Dylan noted, pulling out one of the books and pointing to a passage of text. "Yeah, right here! It says that the Treasures of Ruin were each locked away behind a seal right here in Paldea. Hm… Each treasure was locked in a shrine, with stakes infused with the crater's energy holding the seal in place."

"So the stake Ashton found was connected to one of the shrines?" Hohma said. "Then we should go out and investigate! For research!"

"Get out there would be nice. It could help me come up with some new music to play for our show," Ohara nodded.

"And if we find one of the Treasures of Ruin, you can count of Meowscarada and I to battle and capture it," Aliquis nodded.

"Then it's settled. Team, we're going on a field trip to the West Province!" Dylan declared boldly.

Author's Note

Azakael: I had a slight blunder as I was writing this, for I start to write down movesets for my charries' team members as they make their appearances. I primarily had Tempest using Spark during the fight initially, but as I was checking what moves Wattrel and Kilowattrel could learn to map out how she'd progress, I noticed the line's special attack was markedly higher than its physical attack. This was rather surprising to me, since I have my own Kilowattrel in Scarlet with noticeably higher attack. I didn't think anything of this- before the physical/special split, Flying was a purely physical type, and physical attacking Electric-types have long been shafted (lookin' at you, Electivire and Luxray). I simply thought it wasn't a great member of my team for my playthrough, given the lackluster amount of damage it actually did, but I kept it around because I have a soft spot for birds.

…Well, things certainly made sense as I combed the Bulbapedia page. Mine just has horrible IVs and a terrible nature. Obviously, playing a game and writing a story are two different things, so it likely doesn't matter to anyone but me, but the move pool I could go for if Tempest wasn't a physical unit just seemed more fun, so I ended up rewriting a huge chunk of the fight. (Again, her characteristics are taken from my birds. If any of my three had the ability to shoot lightning bolts, I'd be sleeping with one eye open.)

TheDragonSaver: I added a small stinger in at the end since I'll be taking over majority writing duties next time. It may seem a bit early to tackle one of the Treasures of Ruin, but remember that Dylan is on the same level as an endgame-level player, so he and his new friends can handle it!