In which plans are made.

Florian looked over at his team. Lloyd, Gardevoir, Edelgard, Mudsdale, Cyclizar and Scarlet. He took a moment to think about how maybe he should have named them all. Maybe he could do it later.

"Rotom, call Arven."

"Calling!" Rotom immediately followed the order, and Arven did not immediately answer.

"Hey, little buddy," he said once he did pick up. "Did you finish what you needed to do?"

"Pretty much." He'd trained a lot more, and more importantly, Juliana had done what she'd needed to do. "I still have to call Juliana. I wanted to know if you were ready."

"I can go." Arven didn't sound ready. "I was just training Mabosstiff, making sure he was good enough to battle again." There was an enthusiastic bark in the background. "He's ready."

"We're going to battle?"

"What, afraid I'll kick your butt?"

Arven was postponing talking to his mother again. Florian would allow it.

"You're on!"

Arven laughed and hung up. Florian debated calling out Cyclizar, but decided that taking a taxi to the lighthouse was a much better idea.

Florian beat Arven there. Still, it was only by a few seconds, and the boys stared at the lab door for longer than they probably should have.

"My mom's lab," Arven said after a while, completely unnecessarily. "I used to come here and play all the time when I was a kid. When she was home, I mean."

"Your mom came home?"

There was another long moment of silence.

"She used to," Arven admitted. "Usually when I was sick. Even then, she stayed in the lab unless I wanted her. Even then, she went over her notes to put me to sleep. I don't have any memories of her just playing with me."

What was Florian supposed to say to that? 'That's rough, buddy?'

Arven continued before he could figure it out. "I have one good memory of my mother. She was the one who helped me catch Mabosstiff. He was a Maschiff at the time, and I was barely able to throw a Pokeball properly. She gave me food and a Pokeball and supervised."

He unlocked the door and pushed it open. As he and Florian stepped into the lab, several screens lit up. In the center of it all was a large computer monitor, and Professor Sada's face.

"I need your help," she said, and the boys shared a look, silently debating. Sada didn't let them decide otherwise. "I am in the deepest part of Area Zero, in the Great Crater of Paldea. I've been researching the unique Pokémon here for a very long time. I'm asking the two of you - and your friend Juliana - to help carry out the final step of the great Professor Sada's glorious research."

Arven rolled his eyes. Sada ignored it.

"But there is something we need first. We need the Zero Book in order to finish."

"I have it," Arven interrupted. He pulled it from his bag and showed it off. "I took it when I figured you weren't coming back."

Sada smiled. "That expedites things," she said, ignoring the bitterness in her son's voice. "Bring the book to me. You were right, I can't come and get it at the moment. I can promise that there will be an experience worth treasuring if you come. However, you might struggle with the powerful Pokémon and security systems, so I recommend a group."

"More than just us and Juliana?" Arven wasn't sure how to feel about that. "Isn't she a Champion? Can't she help us face the powerful Pokémon?"

"I know a girl," Florian said with a dismissive gesture.

Sada smiled again. "Excellent, Florian. I'll be waiting for you in the depths of Area Zero, whenever you arrive."

And she ended the call.

"Area Zero was where Mabosstiff got injured in the first place," Arven complained, "and now she wants us to go back?"

"You don't have to." Florian held out his hand expectantly. "Give me the book. Juliana and I can take it down without you."

But Arven rejected it. "I'm not going to allow a friend to go off to face danger with only a scatterbrain Champion and her sandwich-obsessed dragon to guide him. I'm going, too."

Florian laughed. "I figured you would."

"Now, about that battle."

Despite Florian's concern about Mabosstiff, Arven decided to use him in battle. Still, Arven led with Greedent, likely saving Mabosstiff for last. Florian led with Scarlet.

"Expanding Force!" Florian commanded, and the attack wiped out half of Greedent's battle strength.

Of course, Greedent's Earthquake wiped out over half of Scarlet's strength, but she struck back with a Lava Plume and won the round.

The second match was Garganacl and Lloyd. Lloyd had no trouble winning that one with Flower Trick. Cyclizar was not so lucky with Scovillain, taking three turns to win and only sticking out one hit for Florian.

Lloyd lost to Toedscruel's Sludge Bomb attacks, getting only one Flower Trick in, but Edelgard's Revelation Dance took the round. Cloyster was the difficult one, but Gardevoir came through. And Gardevoir's Tera-boosted Moonblast was enough to take out the Dark-Tera Mabosstiff in one shot.

"So close, Mabosstiff," Arven said to the ball holding his favorite dog. "I guess that makes three trainers we have to work on beating. But as for you, Florian...that was great."

"Yeah, you were great, too." Florian laughed. "Taking out Lloyd, nearly winning against Cyclizar and Scarlet..."

"And you said you knew a girl who could help us. Tell me about her."

Florian blushed at the way Arven said it. It was like they were normal teenage boys talking about crushes...and making fun of those crushes. "Her name is Penny," he said anyway. "You know her, she's in our home economics class. She's into computers and comic books - Miss Eevee in particular. She hacked some stuff before. She can probably make it past older security systems."

"Great! She has the computer skills, you and Juliana have the battle skills, and I have the book. We'll make it for sure!"

"Florian."

Arven's voice was emotionless, but his friend could sense the stare at the back of his head. Faking obliviousness, Florian turned around and put on an innocent smile.

"Yes, Arven?"

"Why is the student council girl here?"

Florian turned back to Juliana. She'd invited Nemona to go with them, but it was on Florian's suggestion. "Um...because two Champions are better than one?" he said, looking back at Arven with a look he hoped was innocent. He doubted 'Because we ship you guys' would fly.

Arven groaned but allowed it. "I suppose she can obliterate anything she faces," he said, focusing on Nemona. "She always took down Mabosstiff with no trouble."

"I was promised battling strong Pokémon," Nemona pointed out. She grinned. "Your Mabosstiff is awesome, Arven! You trained it really well!"

"Not against a Fairy-Tera," he said, but his face flushed slightly at the praise.

Nemona ignored it, looking over at Penny. "It's been a while since I've seen you! You're Juliana's other friend?"

"I don't want to be thought of that way," Penny said softly, "but I do hope we're friends. I did free her when she shut herself in a locker for candy."

"That happened to her twice?"

"Enough about me!" Juliana protested as the boys struggled not to laugh. "We've got a real, serious thing going on here! We're going to Area Zero! Aren't you excited?"

"Biometric identification in progress," said a female voice, and the five students all jumped at the sudden diversion from the conversation. "Ah! Florian and Juliana! Nice to see you both here."

"Who is that?" Penny asked quietly.

Arven was silent for a moment too long. "That's...my mom. Probably."

Nemona and Penny stared openly now. "That's Professor Sada?" Nemona asked. "It's such an honor to meet you in person, Professor!"

"Nemona," Sada greeted. "It's nice to have you and Penny here, too."

"Did you tell your mother we were coming?" Penny asked, and Arven scoffed.

"When would I have done that?" He gestured at Nemona. "I didn't even know she was coming! Florian and Juliana invited her!"

"If you're finished discussing the when of how you got here," Sada interrupted, "I would like to explain the why. You have been given clearance to come to see me in Area Zero. You can reach the lower chamber using the elevator to your left."

Arven looked up at the speakers where Sada's voice was coming from. "Uh, Mom?"

"Please proceed to the elevator."

So much for giving her a piece of his mind. Maybe he shouldn't have come.

Still, he followed Florian and the girls down to the lower level, where more doors opened for them. They saw a lot of clouds.

"Is there a smoke machine in here?" Nemona asked hopefully.

Sada didn't answer. "You're looking at the top of Area Zero. Juliana, did you bring Koraidon with you?"

"Yes."

"Then you should be able to utilize its gliding capabilities to get down to Area Zero. If not all of you will fit, there's -"

Juliana released Koraidon, who seemed uncertain. "Professor Sada wants us to jump," she said, and Koraidon made an indecisive sound. "It's just like mountain jumping!"

Koraidon wasn't the only Pokémon to come out of the ball. Webby had released herself, and was staring down over the edge, eyes wide with curiosity.

"I wonder what would happen if I spit over this," she said, and felt a paw on her shoulder as she prepared to do just that.

"Better not," said Lloyd. Then he seemed to realize something. "Have we ever interacted before?"

"I don't think so." Webby got to her feet. "I'm Webby, Juliana's partner."

"Lloyd. Florian's."

"No-name Skeledirge," said a joking voice from behind them, and they all turned to watch a ghost gator crawl up. "Nemona's. I see Webby all the time. Usually when she's stomping my face with Aqua Step."

"I remember that," Webby said fondly.

"How did you get out?" Nemona asked, and the three starters all looked ashamed. Returning to their trainers, they accepted being recalled (Webby still a little disappointed that she didn't get to spit over the side) and the humans gathered around Koraidon.

Despite the reluctance, he let Arven and Nemona climb up. Penny followed. Juliana spaced out, but Arven grabbed her hand and pulled her on with them.

And, collectively, they all realized something. "We forgot Florian!"

Hearing them all shout his name, Florian grabbed a dusty parachute from the corner. Hoping for the best, he strapped it on and jumped.

He'd never used a parachute before. He wasn't sure if this one was suitable for his weight. But he only realized that once he pulled the cord, and miraculously, it worked.