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Chapter Text

The Dark Titans.

Three Pokémon hailing from an alternate world, a world very much like ours, only full of evil, hatred, and darkness. Long ago, these Dark Titans entered our world through an inter-dimensional rift, a once-in-a-lifetime event that tore through the fabric of space and time, and they landed on the Isle of Armor in Galar. Initially, these Dark Titans were revered like gods due to their striking resemblance to the Titans of Kanto.

But what was once awe and worship quickly turned into horror and misery. Before long, the Dark Titans laid waste to the Isle's lands, motivated by nothing but their insatiable lust for suffering and death. The true Titans sensed the unnatural disaster and flew over to the Isle to intervene, but the Dark Titans proved to be much more powerful and cunning than them. The Titans of Kanto fell one by one, and it seemed as if all hope was lost in the Isle and across all of Galar.

Then, they arrived.

Urshifu and the Hero. A Pokémon and a human, members of the Galar Karateka, the ancient, noble peacekeepers of the lands. Using their exceptional mastery of Galar Karate, the fighting style of the Karateka, Urshifu and the Hero saved the Titans of Kanto from certain death and defeated the Dark Titans. Following their defeat, the Dark Titans transformed into three spheres, which were then sealed away by the Hero for all of eternity.

But, in spite of this victory, Urshifu and the Hero knew it was only a matter of time before the Dark Titans would recover from their wounds and rise again in another bid for worldwide annihilation. As such, they began teaching Urshifu's child, Kubfu, the ways of Galar Karate, even the most mystical and antiquated techniques, until it evolved into another Urshifu. Upon doing so, it took the place of its parent and began teaching its Kubfu child everything it learned, until it too evolved into an Urshifu.

And so, the process continued for many millennia, and many generations, even after the Galar Karateka had become all but extinct and irrelevant, and modernization began to encroach on society. Rumors have it that, to this very day, there is an Urshifu teaching a Kubfu the ways of Galar Karate somewhere on the Isle of Armor, in preparation for the inevitable moment when the Dark Titans would rise again, ready to plunge the lands back into a period of terrible darkness.

With that, the regally-dressed, noble-looking man averted his gaze from the stone tablet and looked out of the gigantic, circular window before him, his lips slowly curling into a chilling sneer.

"Now it...begins."

Just then, a door burst open, and a dark-skinned woman with flowing, black-and-magenta-dyed hair burst into the room, accompanied by an Obstagoon.

"Lord Cromwell!" she cried.

"Hmm?" The man turned around, revealing his silvery, combed-back hair and blue eyes. "Yes, Mollie? What seems to be the problem?"

"We've got another emergency down at the holding cell." The woman narrowed her icy-blue eyes. "It's her again."

Upon hearing this, the man's eyes narrowed ominously.

"Take me to her."

"RRRRRAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

The large, bearlike Pokémon slammed itself into the bars for the umpteenth time, only to be violently knocked backward by a great jolt of blue electricity. The strange Pokémon roared, feeling the electricity coursing through its body, leaving a myriad of scorch marks on its dark-gray and white-and-black, karategi-like fur. It twitched and convulsed, trying its best to endure the unspeakable pain.

Finally, after about a minute, the bolts of electricity subsided, and the Pokémon's body was relieved of its agony, instead being substituted with an immense, widespread ache. The Pokémon struggled to stand up, and as it did, it heard a set of footsteps approaching.

With an aggressive growl, the Pokémon feebly looked up and saw a large, muscular man approaching its cage. This man had spiky, deep-orange hair with black, lightning-shaped marks dyed into the sides, along with piercing yellow eyes and tanned, gleaming skin. Waddling by his side was a Grapploct, its dark eyes narrowed menacingly while it flexed its blue, tentacle-like arms.

"Ya sure don't know when to give up, don't ya?" the man asked in a gruff voice. Then, he raised his fists and used them to crack his knuckles. "Unfortunately for you, yer legends don't scare me, Urshifu. I'd gladly take any challenger on."

Urshifu bared its jagged teeth at the man, just as a tough, feminine voice abruptly filled the air.

"Foolish human. You claim not to be terrified of me, yet you confront me while I am your prisoner? You're a coward and a hypocrite."

"No, not a coward," another voice replied, echoing through the chamber. "Nor a hypocrite."

Growling, Urshifu looked over the muscular man's shoulder and saw a balcony that was overlooking the entire scene. The Pokémon could see Lord Cromwell sneering down upon her from there, while Mollie and her Obstagoon flanked him. The man leaned forward to speak into the microphone in front of him.

"Just being smart and biding his time." Then, Cromwell made a soft wave with his arm. "Stand down, Zeke."

The muscular man nodded loyally and stepped aside, with Grapploct mirroring his movements. As soon as he cleared the way, Cromwell spoke into the microphone again.

"Bring our dear guest out, Arin."

The door to the chamber automatically slid open, and Urshifu let out a horrified gasp. Entering the room was a man with violet hair, which covered one icy-blue eye, and pale skin. This newcomer was shorter and weaker in stature compared to his compatriots, but he made up for that with his cold, heartless stare and the devious, calculating aura that was hanging over him. This aura was certainly accentuated by the Hatterene strutting beside him.

But that wasn't the source of Urshifu's concern. What the warrior Pokémon was most concerned about was the object the Hatterene was carrying with her Psychic.

It was a smaller Pokémon that resembled a bear cub, with gray fur and large tufts of white fur on the top of its head and its chest. It also had small black paws and two white hairs shaped like band ribbons trailing from the back of its head. Its beady eyes were filled with determination and defiance as it tried to struggle against the Psychic hold over it, but with no success at all.

"Kubfu..." Urshifu whispered.

"I understand this Kubfu is your responsibility, Urshifu," Cromwell said with a sneer. "If so, then I believe you should know what happens if you choose to be...disrespectful to your hosts. Arin?"

The cold-looking, violet-haired man snapped his fingers. In response, his Hatterene flicked her wrist, and Kubfu suddenly twitched and convulsed.

"RRRRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" it screamed.

" NO!"

Urshifu shot up to its feet and tried to break through the bars of its cage once again, only to be knocked back by another jolt of electricity. As soon as it recovered, Urshifu marched as close to the bars as possible and growled at Cromwell.

"You cowardly evildoer!" it growled. "Kubfu has nothing to do with this! Let him go!"

"Nothing to do with this, you say?" asked Cromwell. "Why, on the contrary, my dear Urshifu, your student has everything to do with this. As the inheritor to your lineage and your legacy, I'd say Kubfu has a role to play in this little tale of ours, just like any other Kubfu. Don't you think?"

Urshifu growled savagely at Cromwell before refocusing on Kubfu. The smaller bearlike Pokémon continued to cry in pain and struggle hopelessly against its captor's Psychic hold, bringing one pang of horror and guilt after another to Urshifu's normally bold, uncompromising heart. There was absolutely no strategy for Urshifu to exploit, no scenario in which they would escape from this unpunished and unscathed. Unable to watch Kubfu suffer anymore, Urshifu screwed its eyes shut and lowered its head with defeat.

"Alright, ALRIGHT! I...I yield..."

Cromwell smiled triumphantly. "Good."

Upon hearing Urshifu's admission of defeat, Arin snapped his fingers again, whereupon Hatterene relaxed her hold upon Kubfu, relieving it of its pain. With a pained groan, the smaller bearlike Pokémon groggily raised its head to face Urshifu.

"Ma...Master..." it said telepathically. "I'm...I'm sorry... I...I failed you-"

It was disheartened when Urshifu looked away from it. That same motion earned a disapproving tut from Cromwell.

"My, my..." he remarked. "How cold of you, Urshifu. Then again, I suppose you're one of those teachers." The man pursed his lips as he surveyed Urshifu and Kubfu in turn. "Either way, Urshifu, now you know what happens if and when you decide to be unruly while under our hospitality. Arin, be kind and show our dear Kubfu back to its room."

Arin simply nodded and walked out of the room without saying a word. Hatterene turned around and followed her Trainer out, with Kubfu turning around as well at her command and levitating beside her. Though Kubfu's eyes were no longer on Urshifu, Urshifu knew from the bottom of its heart that Kubfu was feeling utterly humiliated and defeated.

Once the three were gone, Zeke and his Grapploct rounded on the bars separating them from Urshifu.

"Hopefully ya got the message," the burly man snarled. "But, in case you didn't, just know that Grapploct and I'll be here to teach you your place."

Grapploct flexed its tentacles again in a show of power and dominance. Urshifu narrowed its eyes at the Jujitsu Pokémon before focusing its pupils upon Cromwell, Mollie, and Obstagoon, all of whom were still peering down at it from the safety of the balcony. There was a malevolent grin curling upon Cromwell's facial features.

But with Kubfu in their grasp, and no conceivable way of freeing itself and saving its student, Urshifu could do absolutely nothing but bow its head with defeat. It didn't want to, but it did. Once it did, it heard Cromwell's smug voice address it.

"Now that's a good girl."

Urshifu's claws clenched into ominous fists, and it bared its fanged teeth in hate and outrage.

Once Urshifu submitted to her captors, Lord Cromwell turned around with a swish of his dark cloak and left the balcony, followed by Mollie and her Obstagoon. They walked across a hallway and reentered the room Cromwell had been inside a couple of minutes earlier, a spacious chamber filled with a myriad of historical artifacts, all of them encased in glass like museum exhibits. However, they disregarded them and instead walked over to the far end of the room, which boasted a gigantic, circular window and a smaller case containing a single stone tablet.

"Now that that's out of the way," Cromwell said, looking down at the tablet, "it's almost time for my destiny to begin. Do we have a location on the Dark Fire Sphere?"

Mollie cleared her throat and procured the tablet computer that had been tucked underneath her arm. Once she turned it on and navigated herself to the appropriate screen, she nodded.

"Yes, Lord Cromwell," she said. "Arin's analysis of the Isle's legends have allowed us to narrow down the most probable locations of the Dark Fire Sphere, of which one makes the most sense: Vambrace Cave."

"Vambrace Cave. Surrounded by rocks on all sides, with the threat of collapse should there be a...premature awakening. Wisely chosen, indeed."

Cromwell maintained his gaze on the ancient stone tablet, which bore archaic writing that few could ever translate. But a triumphant slashing motion of his arm was all the confirmation that Mollie needed to see.

"Now go, Mollie. Your time has come for you to prove your worth to history. Venture into the cave and find the Dark Fire Sphere. As soon as you do, well...you already know the rest."

Mollie knelt on one knee and bowed her head before Cromwell, as did her Obstagoon.

"It will be done, my Lord," she said, while Obstagoon huffed in agreement.

The total, overwhelming darkness of Vambrace Cave was pierced by the beam of bright light coming from Mollie's head-mounted flashlight. Flanked by her trusty Obstagoon and a pair of menacing Galarian Linoone, while followed by a horde of Galarian Zigzagoon, the dark-haired woman passed dripping stalactite after dripping stalactite, moist stalagmite after moist stalagmite, while looking down at a small, handheld tracking monitor.

The device was beeping, shattering the relative silence of the cave and earning the annoyed squeaks and uncomfortable shuffling of the bat Pokémon that Mollie knew were hanging above her. As she continued onward and onward through the darkness, the frequency of the beeping sped up more and more, indicating her impending arrival at the desired location.

Just then, a crackling electronic voice filled the air. "Mollie, d'you read me? Are ya almost at the location? Over."

With an irritated huff, Mollie pressed a button on the walkie-talkie mounted on the left strap of her backpack.

"Yes, Zeke," she replied in a hushed whisper. "I am almost there. And keep it down, will ya? This cave was designated as off-limits for a reason, you know! Over."

"My bad. I just can't wait for this party to get started, you know what I mean?! Over."

Mollie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, be careful what you wish for. They aren't called the Dark Titans just for show. Over."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I read the legends too. But as long as Lord Cromwell has Urshifu on his side, then they can kick some birdbrained-"

"Shut it, Zeke!" Mollie suddenly snapped, just as her monitor started beeping rapidly. She raised the device higher in the air, and the beeping sped up even more. "I'm picking up a really high Dark Aura signature nearby. It has to be the Dark Fire Sphere! I'll get back to you. Over and out!"

"Y-Yeah, alright Class, b-but h-?"

Mollie turned off the walkie-talkie just as a pained screeching tore through the air. The woman and her Pokémon ducked, just as a flock of Zubat and Golbat soared over them, finally startled by the beeping noise. Once the last of the agitated Bat Pokémon departed, Mollie followed the slimy, almost slippery path down a lower part of the cave, where she noticed the bottom of a basin awaiting her.

"Alright, now..." she whispered to herself, focusing on the handheld monitor. "Where are you...?"

Once she got to the bottom of the basin, an ominous, foreboding feeling washed over her like a tidal wave. Looking up, Mollie realized her headlight was no longer the only source of light in the cave. The air was now illuminated by a faint but noticeable hue of dark-purple. It was as if she had stepped into another realm where dark energy reigned supreme.

Then, she looked down and realized the hue was coming directly from the cave floor, shining through cracks adorning its surface. It appeared as if the ground was covering something else entirely.

At that moment, Mollie noticed the cracks were following a generally straight line of direction. Following it, she looked up and realized they led to a lone stalagmite situated at the center of the basin. But it wasn't just any stalagmite, for there was something unnatural about it, like it hadn't been made from the elements of the cave. Mollie instinctively traced the stalagmite's shape and quickly noticed something.

It was shaped like the typical emblem of a flame...and it was glowing a bright, almost fiery purple.

Her lips curled into a sneer as she whispered, "Found you."

" AGH!"

Kubfu bounced painfully on the hard, cold floor of his small holding cell. Then, once he recovered, he tried to make a run for the door, but Arin's Hatterene used her Psychic to slam it shut. Before Kubfu could stop himself, he ran right into the bars, and bolts of electricity attacked his entire body in an instant.

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" he screamed in agony.

The force of the electrocution knocked Kubfu back, and he hit the wall of his cell hard. With a grunt, Kubfu slowly slid to the floor and went limp as the electricity fizzled out. All five of the Pokémon's senses were in overdrive now, and yet they were clouded with immeasurable pain.

As Kubfu struggled to remain conscious, he saw, through his blurring vision, Arin staring down at him with disapproval as Hatterene shook her head.

"Kubfu," the violet-haired man said in a droning, emotionless voice. "The protege of Urshifu. What a disappointment."

The insult was what shook Kubfu back to his senses. Shrugging off the pain he felt, he shot up to his feet and took on an aggressive fighting stance.

"Say that to me again, evildoer!" the bearlike Pokémon shouted. "Say that to me again, and I'll give you a taste of my true power!"

Arin ignored him, his emotionless expression unwavering. Instead, Hatterene leaned her head in and used the long, arm-like tentacle at the end of her hat-like hair to waggle a claw in Kubfu's face.

"RARGH!"

Blinded with anger, Kubfu leaped at Hatterene, only to be electrocuted by the bars of his cell again. Arin's eyes glittered as Kubfu's body twitched and contorted from the bolts of electricity, while Hatterene gave a low, sinister snicker. As soon as the electricity fizzled out again, Arin and Hatterene walked away, leaving Kubfu to growl and twitch in frustration.

Once the two left, and Kubfu knew he was all alone, he mustered the energy to stand back up and stare at the bars that were preventing him from breaking free and rescuing his master.

"This is no good!" he snapped, his paws clenching into tight fists. "For the entire time I've been in here, I've used everything Master taught me to get out of this prison...but nothing's working! There is nothing left for me to do! I'm...I'm sorry, Master..."

Kubfu collapsed to his knees and slammed a fist on the floor of his cell. His mind became plagued with horrible thoughts about what the evildoers were planning on doing to his master...what they were doing to her now...

"I'm so  sorry ... I'm not strong enough, Master. I...I failed you..."

Lord Cromwell stared out of the window of his artifact collection room, his blue eyes cool and his lips pursed in a straight line of neutrality. He could see all of the Isle's northern peninsula from a distance, all the way from the sandy beaches to the green plains to the fearsome mouth of Vambrace Cave at the end of a small yet narrow gorge. If there was one thing Cromwell could appreciate right now, it was the fact that he could afford great views of any landscape that he wished to admire. After all, the Flying Palace passed down to him easily assured that.

But unfortunately, it was all that could ever be assured to him. A great view of the lands. Lands that he could never have in the first place. It was a cruel irony to the lord.

"Lord Cromwell," a voice called through the walkie-talkie. "Are you there? Over."

Fortunately, it was an irony the lord intended to rectify.

Cromwell took the walkie-talkie and pressed a button. "Go on ahead, Mollie. Over."

"I have just extracted the Dark Fire Sphere. We're carrying it out of Vambrace Cave as we speak. Over."

Cromwell sneered with triumph. "So, it looks like Arin's analysis was correct after all. Soon, we will be one step closer to achieving my goal. Excellent, Mollie, excellent. You did well. Now, carry out the next step of our plan. Over."

"Yes, my lord. Over and out."

The lord's pupils zeroed in on the mouth of Vambrace Cave. After flexing his fingers, he slowly raised his right hand and inspected the three rings he was wearing. His index finger boasted a ring with a blood-red ruby, his middle finger wore a ring of pure yellow amber, and finally, his ring finger bore a ring of sapphire. All three jewels glittered magnificently from the golden sunlight shining through the window.

However, in spite of the wondrous beauty of each of the three rings, Cromwell could do nothing but scowl at them. From his perspective, that's all they were: rings. Rings he did nothing to earn.

Cromwell refocused his sights on the lands of the Isle of Armor below him. He could vaguely see movement at the mouth of Vambrace Cave, but he didn't need a closer look to know what was happening.

"It won't be long," he thought. "I just need to exercise the utmost patience, and soon...very soon, I will have what I am owed."

A wincing Mollie emerged from the darkness of Vambrace Cave, flanked by her horde of Galarian Zigzagoon and Linoone. She watched as her Obstagoon walked in front of her, carrying the Dark Fire Sphere with its paws, which were currently clad in armor gloves. She watched as the sphere, colored in a muddy blackish-brown and containing a burning, hot-pink flame like it was a glass case, quivered ominously in the paws of her Blocking Pokémon, as if it was sentient and reacting to its very touch.

"The Dark Fire Sphere..." she thought. "Extracting it from that stalagmite was surprisingly easy...and yet..."

Her mind flashed with memories of the stalagmite rock and other cave minerals falling away from her Pokémon's attacks, revealing the Dark Fire Sphere embedded in the center. An uncomfortable shudder crawled up her spine the moment she recalled the heat and weak flames that seemed to flash out of the disintegrating rock, followed by the horrible, unnatural feeling of peril that accentuated her approach towards it.

"It...It's like the Dark Fire Sphere wanted to be set free...and yet the earth didn't want me to take it..."

Then, Mollie realized what she was thinking and shook her head. Hardening her gaze, she observed Obstagoon as it got a considerable distance away from the mouth of the cave. Then, it carefully set the Dark Fire Sphere down to the ground, and once it did, a minatory aura of searing heat and uneasiness suddenly suspended itself above the group.

But Mollie ignored it and approached her main Pokémon. "Alright, Obstagoon," she said approvingly. "It's time. Use Dark Slash on the Dark Fire Sphere!"

The Blocking Pokémon nodded before launching itself at the discarded Dark Fire Sphere, which continued to tremble on the ground, its strange pink flame burning brighter and fiercer within. The claws on Obstagoon's paws glowed a terrible light-pink, and it used them to slash the Sphere with brute force and blinding speed. With only two swipes, the Dark Fire Sphere broke into four pieces...

And the pink flame that had been contained inside expanded outward in a fiery explosion.

"AGH!" Mollie grunted as she and her Pokémon held their footing.

Then, the group watched, with their eyes shielded, as the pink flame, now a gargantuan mass of fire, stopped spreading outward. At first, the fireball was almost frozen in midair, suspended in time, before it finally began moving again, but in unnatural ways, as if it, like the Dark Fire Sphere itself, was sentient. Before long, the fire reformed enough times to take on the shape of a birdlike Pokémon. Soon, it soared over Mollie and her Pokémon and perched itself atop one of the cliffs making up the gorge that funneled into the mouth of Vambrace Cave.

Finally, after a few minutes of this, the flames fizzled out...revealing an actual, physical birdlike Pokémon. It was colored in black and magenta, and it sported magenta flames that burned from its head-crest, wings, and two-feathered tail. The strange Pokémon also sported a crimson beak that was slightly curved, giving the impression of a malevolent sneer. The unsettling aura enveloping this Pokémon perturbed Mollie's Zigzagoon and Linoone horde so much that they backed away out of caution, and even Obstagoon took on a defensive stance in preparation for a potential battle.

But Mollie wasn't disturbed by this new presence at all. Instead, she took a step forward, admiring the birdlike Pokémon in awe.

"After all these years," she whispered to herself, "it has finally risen again. The Fiery Demon."

From the safety of his Flying Palace, Lord Cromwell smiled with satisfaction at the sight of the birdlike Pokémon.

"Dark Moltres..." he said to himself.

Elsewhere in the Flying Palace, Urshifu lifted her head from the floor of her holding cell. She could immediately sense the Dark Aura filling the atmosphere, its presence almost suffocating.

"No..." she said to herself in disbelief. "It...It can't be..."

In his own cell, Kubfu suddenly shivered and clutched his chest, feeling as if the room had suddenly been frozen over. He wandered close to his bars, wondering what had caused a sudden shift in temperature.

Then, he heard it.

After a long, unnerving moment of silence, the Dark Moltres lifted its head high into the air and released an earsplitting, terrible screech like no other. It rang through the air like a demonic symphony, disturbing all Flying-type Pokémon within its radius and causing the flocks to fly off in abject terror.

Down on the ground, Mollie saw this as her cue to flee. She ran down the gorge, followed by her Pokémon, just as Dark Moltres took notice of her. With a flap of its wings, it swooped downward into the gorge and soared toward Mollie's group at high speeds, seeing them as easy prey. It left behind a trail of hot-pink embers that attached themselves to the rocky surfaces below and set fires to any greenery that was nearby.

Realizing that Dark Moltres was after her, Mollie quickly fell to the ground, as did her Pokémon. Just a second later, the birdlike Pokémon soared directly over them, missing them only by a few inches. Once she was sure it passed over them, Mollie back shot up to her feet and watched as Dark Moltres directed itself high into the air, preparing to make another dive towards them.

She pulled out her walkie-talkie and spoke into it. "Guys! A little help here?! Over!"

Just a couple of seconds later, Zeke's voice emerged from the walkie-talkie. "Oh, relax, Mollie. I've got this handled. Over and out."

Mollie rolled her eyes at the response. At the same time, Dark Moltres reached the height of its arc and began its second descent.

"Oh, yeah," she thought. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of..."

"Alright, you guys! Time to move out!"

Zeke followed his Grapploct, Conkeldurr, and Shiny Machamp into the old-fashioned helicopter. Once he got himself into the cockpit and secured it shut, he began spinning some pedals with his feet. Once he did it long enough, steam began to jettison out of the vehicle's engines and the rotor to rotate faster and faster until it was a blur. At the same time, the large compartment door opened up for him, displaying the blue, cloud-specked sky and the Isle of Armor's lands below.

Soon, the helicopter began to hover in the air, powered by the steam-reliant rotors. Manning the controls, Zeke pushed them forward, carefully maneuvering the helicopter out of the Sky Palace.

"Zeke, do you read me?" Lord Cromwell's voice came out from the retro-futuristic radio on the chopper's dashboard. "This is Lord Cromwell. Over."

Zeke pressed a button on the dashboard. "This is Zeke. I read you, my lord. Over."

"Do you have eyes on Dark Moltres? Over."

Zeke guided the helicopter into a slow, steady descent. As the aerial vehicle neared the Isle of Armor's coastline, he and his Pokémon saw Dark Moltres swooping down towards the gorge where Mollie and her own Pokémon were trapped.

"Yes, I've got eyes on it, my lord," he replied. "Looks like Mollie is Feebas in a barrel right now. Over."

"Do what you need to do. And distract Dark Moltres long enough for Mollie to get out of there. Over."

Zeke's eyes started to gleam with excitement. "On it, Lord Cromwell. Over and out."

"Come on, Zeke, you idiot! Where in the world are you?!"

Mollie and her Pokémon looked toward the skies in fear as Dark Moltres descended towards them, leaving behind a trail of hot-pink, burning fire. It opened its curved beak and let out another bloodcurdling screech as it prepared to attack-

A hail of bluish-silver lasers flew through the air and hit Dark Moltres in the side, knocking it off-course. Forced to make a premature ascent before it could reach its prey, Dark Moltres looked around in search of its attacker. Within seconds, it saw Zeke's helicopter racing towards it, leaving behind its own trail of smoke from its steam-powered engine.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Zeke cackled, his voice amplified by a megaphone system installed in the chopper. "Ya wanna pick on someone yer own size, ya overweight lil' bird?! Well, ya got a whole other fight coming to ya!"

"Ohhhhh, about time you came swooping in, Zeke!" Mollie snapped as she started running out of the gorge, followed by Obstagoon and her other Pokémon.

At the same time, Dark Moltres let out another cry at its new opponent, and Zeke simply responded with another storm of lasers. This time, however, the demonic Pokémon avoided all of them and flew towards the helicopter.

"ALRIGHT, YOU GUYS!" Zeke hollered. "YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!"

Grapploct, Conkeldurr, and Machamp nodded in unison. Then, Grapploct grabbed Conkeldurr, lifted it with its amazingly strong tentacles, and launched it right out of the helicopter's side, towards the incoming Dark Moltres. The demon tried to avoid it, but Conkeldurr managed to land on top of its back, causing Dark Moltres to plummet through the air because of the combined weight of its body and concrete blocks.

"CONKELDURR!" Zeke ordered. "Quick, use Hammer Arm!"

Slamming its right concrete block into Dark Moltres's back, Conkeldurr cocked its unoccupied hand and clenched it into a tight fist. Once the fist exploded into a sphere of reddish-orange energy, the Muscular Pokémon punched Dark Moltres in the back of the head, triggering an explosion. At first, the demonic Pokémon let out a cry of pain and began to descend more.

Then, the fire and energy from the explosion was suddenly absorbed into Dark Moltres's body, and it straightened out its flight pattern. Conkeldurr's eyes grew wide, just as Dark Moltres's own icy-blue eyes started to glow brighter.

Realizing what was happening, Zeke descended after Dark Moltres. Once he was hovering about the demon, he glared at Grapploct.

"Alright, it's your turn, Grapploct!" he commanded.

The Jujitsu Pokémon nodded and jumped out of the helicopter. It fell and somersaulted through the air for a few seconds, with Zeke following after it in his chopper. Soon, Grapploct landed on Dark Moltres's back, joining its comrade.

But it was too late. With a heart-stopping cry, Dark Moltres let out a pulse of deep-magenta energy that struck Grapploct and Conkeldurr, stunning them. Then, with a louder, more bloodthirsty cry, the demon released a second, stronger pulse of energy, which seemed to invade Grapploct and Conkeldurr's bodies through their orifices.

"NO!" Zeke screamed.

"Zeke!" Lord Cromwell's voice called through the radio. "Get your Pokémon out of there!"

Once the last of the energy was absorbed into the two Fighting-types, Grapploct and Conkeldurr's eyes turned icy-blue, just like Dark Moltres. Then, they fell to their knees and clutched their heads, allowing Dark Moltres to do a midair spin and shake the two Fighting-types off its plumage, sending them falling to their doom.

"AGH!" Zeke opened the cockpit side-window, pulled out two Poké Balls, and aimed them outside. "Return!"

The Poké Balls successfully recalled Grapploct and Conkeldurr. However, Dark Moltres noticed the red beams and glared at the helicopter. Zeke gritted his teeth hatefully at the sight of the demonic Pokémon.

"Zeke!" Mollie's voice cried from the radio. "I've already gotten to safety! You gotta get outta there NOW!"

"No need to tell me twice, woman!" Zeke snarled as he turned his chopper away from Dark Moltres.

However, as he did, he failed to notice the dark energy beginning to accumulate around the demon's body.

Back in the Flying Palace, Lord Cromwell observed Dark Moltres's movements as Zeke engaged it. Once Zeke turned the steam-powered helicopter away from it, Dark Moltres's body began to glow a terrible shade of deep-magenta, with dark energy starting to be exuded from its form.

"The Fiery Demon," he thought with pursed lips. "The Dark Titan that wreaked havoc across the Isle through the means of psychological torture. Its ability to invade the minds of people and Pokémon alike and slowly destroy their morale was enough to make even the most formidable armies fall to their knees.

"But once faced with a strong-willed opponent that could resist its psychology-oriented techniques, the Fiery Demon had a trump card up its sleeve: the attack that requires it to be at its maximum point of rage. The attack that wiped out an army of ten thousand. The personification of its own hatred."

Finally, after a few minutes, Dark Moltres released the most bloodcurdling cry into the air as its body released all of the dark energy it had been accumulating. The energy pulsed outward in the form of a deep-magenta wave, which hit Zeke's helicopter and knocked it off-course, sending it circling wildly through the air while hot-pink fires burned on its exterior.

"AAAGH!" Zeke cried as he tried to steady the chopper, but to little avail. Machamp held on tight to its seat as the steam-powered aerial vehicle made a downward spiral towards the ground.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Mollie and her Pokémon had been knocked over by the same wave of dark energy. Looking up with shock, she saw Zeke's helicopter spiraling out of the control while on fire.

"ZEKE!" she cried while shooting up on her feet. "ZEKE!"

Her call of horror and concern was quickly drowned out by another one of Dark Moltres's screeches.

"Fiery Wrath."

" AGH !"

Back at the Flying Castle, the same deep-magenta wave of dark energy had spread out far enough to hit it. Inside, Kubfu fell to the floor and felt a cold, terrible shiver run down his entire body. Then, the same bloodcurdling cry echoed through his mind like a distant memory, and he clutched his head, feeling a sudden, knife-like wave of pain run right through his head. This was followed by bright sparks of electricity that flew right out of the bars of his cell.

Once the sparks fizzled out, Kubfu heard a lock unlatch. Looking up, the bearlike Pokémon saw, through the faint cloud of smoke, the cell door slowly opening with a creak. Wordlessly, Kubfu stood back up and charily approached, unsure if this was a sadistic trap arranged by his captors. Once he got close enough to the door to smell charcoal in the air, Kubfu hesitantly raised a paw, held out one of its small fingers, and quickly touched one of the bars.

To his surprise, he wasn't zapped.

Sensing an opportunity, Kubfu kicked the cell door wide open and ran out into the room. He first gazed at the only door leading out of the room, but an uneasy feeling clouded his mind, so he looked around for an alternate means of escape. Soon, he spotted a grate of bluish steel on one of the walls, from which a soft yet ominous noise of wind was coming out. Unfortunately, it was too high for Kubfu to reach, and it was positioned by a corner of the ceiling.

Undeterred, Kubfu recalled everything he had been taught. Looking up at the ceiling, he spotted a lamp hanging over its former cage. With a plan now formulated, Kubfu walked over to another corner of the room, right behind the cage.

"Alright," Kubfu said to himself. "You can do this. Master is counting on you. You can do this, Kubfu."

With narrowed eyes, the bearlike Pokémon broke into a sprint and somersaulted to the top of its former cage. Then, with a grunt, and refusing to break its pace, Kubfu somersaulted again and held out his arms for dear life.

As soon as he felt metal touch his fingertips, Kubfu held on. The lamp creaked a little from the extra weight he provided, but Kubfu wasn't daunted by the sound. Using his body weight, he began swinging the lamp back and forth, shaking off the dust coating it as he did so. Once he gained enough power and momentum to the swings, Kubfu leaped off the lamp and grabbed onto the grate.

"Hahaha, YES!" Kubfu puffed out his chest in pride. "I'm the BEST!"

Then, with a rising growl, Kubfu pulled at the grate with all of his might, but it wouldn't budge. Gritting his teeth, Kubfu pulled harder and harder, and though he heard some faint creaks coming from the metal barrier, it still wouldn't dislodge itself from its hinges.

"RARGH!"

After a few minutes of hopeless pulling and tugging, Kubfu aimed a fist backward at the grate as it became enveloped in a bright, white aura.

"Patience, Kubfu! Diligence  and  patience!"

Urshifu's words echoed in his mind, but Kubfu steadfastly ignored them. He shot his glowing fist forward, shattering the grate into pieces and revealing the dusty vent inside. With a triumphant huff, the bearlike Pokémon got halfway into the vent and threw out most of the metal pieces, not wanting them to impede his progress.

The moment these pieces hit the floor, Kubfu cringed at the loud clattering noises they made. Then, his heart stopped as soon as the door to the room flew open, its outline enveloped in a pink aura. Wasting no time, Kubfu got fully inside the vent and crawled through it as quickly as he could.

"Hatterene," Arin's voice droned coldly, "use Psychic."

Kubfu felt something tug at his legs, and he knew.

"AGH! AAAGH!"

An unseen force began dragging him out of the vent. He looked back and saw Hatterene peering into the vent, her eyes glowing brightly...

The Flying Palace shook again, and Kubfu could see Hatterene being knocked over to the side. A split-second later, Kubfu felt the unseen force release its grip on him. Sensing his chance, the bearlike Pokémon continued his progress, crawling deeper and deeper into the vent, all the while hoping Hatterene had been knocked out or was otherwise taking her time to recover.

"Well... That went well..."

With gritted teeth, Lord Cromwell got back up on his feet and peered out of the window again. He could see the coastline of the Isle of Armor down below...and several areas were now ablaze. Hot-pink fires burned strongly, sending columns of charcoal-gray smoke in the air. Through the deepening haze, Cromwell could see the remains of Zeke's helicopter, along with Mollie and her Obstagoon, who were dragging Zeke and his Machamp away from the smoking wreckage.

Then, his artifact room started growing darker and darker by the second. Cromwell took a few calm steps backward as a familiar body of black and magenta plumage slowly rose in the air directly outside the glass. As it did, the room started rocking slightly from the flapping of its wings, which left behind faint traces of pink energy.

Cromwell's reaction to this newest arrival was subdued, and his eyes could only narrow as they were met with a pair of icy-blue ones.

Kubfu cried out as the vent rocked violently for a second, sending him tumbling through it. Before he could even recover, the same screech of otherworldly terror pierced the air again, and this time, it was louder and angrier. With a cry, Kubfu covered his ears, but it did little to drown out the noise reaching his eardrums. Then, the vent rocked again, which sent the bearlike Pokémon further down again.

And then, it rocked yet again, but instead of flying across the narrow space, Kubfu hit a wall that apparently marked the end of the vent. With a groan, he looked up and realized he was now at a T-intersection between two vents. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a fan blowing softly behind him, protected by more steel grates and having nothing but pitch-black darkness on the other side. Then, Kubfu looked ahead and saw no obstructions in his path.

Before Kubfu could make a decision, he heard the grinding and earsplitting tearing of metal beside him. He looked down the vent from which he came, and to his horror, he saw the bottom panels being torn away by Psychic energy.

"It can't have gotten far, Hatterene," Arin's voice echoed calmly. "Keep on searching."

Kubfu immediately scrambled down the unobstructed vent, but his frantic scrambling caused the metal to make banging and clanging noises as he went.

"There."

Immediately after, Kubfu heard the vent being torn away behind him. They found him.

"Gotta keep moving, gotta keep moving!" Kubfu thought, his teeth gritting and his resolve hardening as the bearlike Pokémon continued his rapid crawling. "Faster! Faster, faster, faster! FASTER!"

His scramble went on for a couple more minutes, and as the seconds ticked by, Hatterene's reach seemed to grow closer and closer. Then, before Kubfu felt as if escape would be futile, his hearing no longer registered the vent being torn away piece by piece. He stopped and looked behind him, and then his heart surged with relief when he saw that Hatterene had ceased its attempt to recapture him, for the vent was left intact for a few feet. A twinkle of a light faintly shone from that end, and Kubfu sensed no movement from there.

"HAHAHA!" Kubfu thought triumphantly. "I lost 'em! Teaches you guys to mess with the likes of me! Now..." He focused back on the darkness ahead. "Time to save Master Urshifu."

A split-second later, the vent rocked yet again, and Kubfu was knocked forward...

Into a pit filled with wind and howling noise.

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"

After falling for a couple of seconds, Kubfu's body hit another grate, and this time, it was flimsy enough for him to break through it. Acting on instinct, Kubfu pierced his claws through the wall beside him and held on, stopping his fall. Once he shook his head and recovered, he gasped, realizing how lucky he was in stopping the fall.

In his attempt to escape Arin, Kubfu had unknowingly fallen into one of the large, complex, fan-powered engines of the Flying Castle. He was now dangling right outside, with the Isle several thousand feet below him.

Upon recovering from his shock, Kubfu tried to climb back into the engine and find a way inside the Flying Palace. Before he could do that, however, he heard the same bloodcurdling cry again. He let out a scream of agony and covered one of his ears with his unoccupied paw, hopelessly allowing the cry to hammer relentlessly into his other uncovered eardrum.

Then, Kubfu saw a demonic being of fire soar through the air, pursued by what appeared to be miniature helicopters that were his size. These minuscule helicopters were firing bolts of electricity at the winged Pokémon, striking it and causing it to cry out in pain as it tried to distance itself from the Flying Palace. As Kubfu stared on at the being, he suddenly felt nothing but absolute loathing fill his heart.

Then, his suspicions about the demonic Pokémon were confirmed once it stopped fleeing and faced its assailants. An air of dread filled the air as dark energy began to accumulate around the Pokémon, causing it to glow and surge with deep-magenta energy. Sensing the worst, Kubfu tried to climb back into the engine and find the vent from which it came, but it didn't get far when it heard the demon cry out again with all of the hatred it could muster...

And then, it unleashed its special attack, sending wave after wave of crackling dark energy through the air. The miniature helicopters were all destroyed in an instant before the dark waves struck the Flying Palace, causing more sparks to fly in the air like flown pebbles.

A small explosion rocked the engine Kubfu was in, sending flashes of fire, sparks, and smoke into it. The wall the bearlike Pokémon was clinging on to rocked violently, and he lost his grip on it. His heart stopped and became frozen against his own sternum the moment he started falling, plummeting to certain doom.

"No!"

Kubfu tried grabbing onto anything and everything that he could reach, but all his paws could grasp onto was open air.

"No, no, no!"

Kubfu's mind raced as he tried to recall anything and everything Urshifu taught him...but it was useless.

"No, this can't be it!"

As he began to free-fall, Kubfu looked beside his shoulder and saw the demonic Pokémon. It let out a screech of triumph before soaring towards him. Looking into its face, Kubfu's sights registered the demon's curved beak, which resembled a malicious, hungry sneer.

"NO!"

The demon flew right above him, missing him by just a few inches. The current of air left in its wake sent Kubfu hurtling in the air even more, and he could feel the trail of heat that had been exuded by the demon.

At that point, he could see nothing but a vortex of color, brought on by his continuous spinning through the skies as he continued to fall. He did not know what had happened to the Flying Palace or the occupants inside, nor what the demon chose to do next.

All that he knew was that this was his doom...and he hadn't been able to do anything.

"I'm sorry, Master!" he thought. "I'm sorry! I couldn't be strong for you! I couldn't be strong! I...I failed you, Master! I failed!"

With that, he closed his eyes and awaited the inevitable.

The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was a flurry of squawks...

"Status report, Mollie. Over."

Lord Cromwell scanned his artifact room, which now looked like a hurricane had struck it. All of the precious artifacts that he had in his collection were reduced to rubble, incapable of being restored to their former glory. Even the timeless stone tablet that he had, the one from which he learned about the legend of Urshifu and the Dark Titans, had been thrown out of its glass case and shattered into a half-dozen blocks, now rendered utterly useless for reading.

However, the destruction of his collection didn't perturb Cromwell at all. Not when he managed to see a living, breathing Dark Titan in the flesh and live to tell the tale.

Not when he had taken the first step to actualizing his dream, his destiny.

"Mollie," he said into his crackling walkie-talkie, "this is Lord Cromwell. I demand a status report. Over."

After a few minutes of tense silence, Mollie's distorted voice emerged from the walkie-talkie.

"We're fine, my lord. We're fine. Zeke is unconscious, but-"

"I'm not talking about you and Zeke, Mollie," Cromwell interrupted harshly. "I'm talking about Dark Moltres. Over."

"D-Dark Moltres? O-Oh. ...I-It's, uh, it's flying away. I-I think it's made its point. Over."

"Excellent. I trust Zeke planted a tracking device on it? Over."

"Yes. I'm-I'm seeing it on my radar right now. H-His Conkeldurr did w-"

"Lord Cromwell."

Arin's unusually calm voice caught Cromwell's attention. He looked up and saw the man standing in the doorway with an embarrassed Hatterene by his side.

"We have a problem," Arin said.

"Lord Cromwell?" Mollie's voice asked from the walkie-talkie. "Is something wrong? Over."

"It's fine, Mollie," Cromwell replied, his eyes still trained on Arin. "I want you and Zeke back on the Castle in half an hour flat. Over."

"Understood, my lord. Over and out."

Once Mollie hung up, Cromwell narrowed his eyes at Arin. "Now, what seems to be the problem, Arin? If it's the damage the Castle sustained from Dark Moltres's attack, then it's nothing we can't fix."

"I agree, but that is not the problem." Arin knelt on one knee and bowed his head with humility, with Hatterene following suit. "I am afraid Kubfu has escaped from our grasp."

Cromwell blinked. "Escaped?"

"Yes, my lord."

The lord's eyelid twitched nastily. "You were watching him, Arin. How could this have happened?"

"We were all caught off-guard by Dark Moltres's special move. And apparently, it was devastating enough to knock out all our security systems. Kubfu was able to take advantage of my moment of weakness to break free from its cage and use the ventilation system to flee."

"The ventilation system?" Cromwell narrowed his eyes even more. "Then he could be anywhere within the Castle. Search for him, at once!"

"Unfortunately, my lord," Arin continued, "it seems a search for Kubfu will be moot. It found his way to the Castle's right engine system. Either it fell out, or-"

Cromwell cut him off. "So you mean to tell me...Kubfu is dead."

"Yes, my lord. It was a preventable incident, and I acknowledge my inability to do so. Whatever punishment you have for me, my lord, I will gladly accept."

Cromwell gritted his teeth and clenched his fists so tightly that he threatened to draw blood. However, after a moment of anger, the lord suddenly calmed down, turned his back on Arin, and straightened out his robes.

"That will not be necessary, Arin," he said.

Arin raised his head. "My lord?"

"The security footage of Kubfu's room, it's still salvageable, am I right?"

"Yes, my lord, but I don't see what use the surveillance systems will have for-"

"Just retrieve the footage of the past twelve hours and bring it to me. If we are to ensure Urshifu's compliance, then we must do everything that we can to keep it." When he was greeted with silence, Cromwell glared over his shoulder. "Do it, Arin! Lest you truly yearn for a punishment from me for your failure!"

Arin shot up on his feet and bowed his head. "It will be done, my lord!"

And with that, the man left the room, with Hatterene following by his heels. Now left to his own devices again, Cromwell stared out of the window of his artifact room, ignoring the destruction that was behind him and simply staring upon the lands of the Isle of Armor that awaited below him. He could still faintly see the trail of dark fire left behind by the demon that was Dark Moltres.

"One down..." he thought, "two to go. The loss of Kubfu is...quite unfortunate, but a surmountable obstacle. I only need Urshifu's cooperation, after all. And once I bring out all of the pieces that I need, then I'll see to it that the Isle of Armor, and all of Galar, knows who its true master is."

Unbeknownst to everyone else, a flock of Braviary was flying away from the scene of the battle, with the leader carrying an unconscious Kubfu on his feathery back...

POK ÉMON: KUBFU AND THE STRIKE OF RAPIDS

Chapter Text

Our heroes are continuing on their journey across the Galar region! Ash and Pikachu's quest to see the world and take on the famous Gym Challenge is joined by Bea, the ambitious Gym Leader of Stow-on-Side; and Gordie, the celebrity son of Circhester Gym Leader Melony. But today, they have decided to take a detour from that goal, for they are sailing to the Isle of Armor to attend the world-famous Fighting Festival, an event guaranteed to test our heroes' strengths and skills as Trainers.

But little do they know, a greater test awaits.

"WHOOOOOA!"

"PIKAAAAA!"

The exclamations of enthusiasm disturbed Bea's moment of tranquil serenity. Heaving out a heavy sigh, she opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. To her absolute non-surprise, she saw Ash and his Pikachu leaning over the railing of the passenger speedboat they were on, gawking at the island that was miles ahead, with his Scorbunny beside his foot and his Rookidee perched on the railing beside him.

Miles ahead of the speedboat was the old beachside settlement, a little too large to be considered a town but still a little small to officially be considered a city. The backdrop of lush greenery and sandy-white precipices dwarfed the settlement in size, illustrating the awe and luxury of nature on the island.

But Bea was not too concerned about the quaint juxtaposition of greenery and civilization. Instead, the silver-haired girl noticed how the ever-oblivious Ash was leaning over the railing a little too much, leaving him in a precarious situation in which he could go overboard at any moment, taking Pikachu with him. With a twitching eyelid, she stood up from the red training mat she shared with her Machamp, Machop, and Machoke; grabbed the back of Ash's shirt; and yanked him and Pikachu back, causing the Trainer to fall flat on his backside.

"Ah, jeez!" she snapped with exasperation. "You're such a tourist, Ash! You were so close to falling off the ship, you know that?"

"Oh, I was?"

Ash glanced at the railing and soon realized his oversight. With that, he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Bea," he said. "You know how I get very excited about being in new places!"

Bea pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "Yeah, so excited that you nearly get yourself hurt like an idiot, or worse!"

"Yeah, I suppose."

She rolled her gray eyes at how casually her traveling companion was treating this whole near-miss. "How many times does that make it, me having to save your sorry butt from a stupid dilemma!"

"I dunno," Ash replied. "I sorta lost count after we left Turffield." Despite this, however, the raven-haired boy flashed her a wide and positive smile. "Hey, but I'm really glad knowing I've at least got you watching my back! And my Pikachu too! Right, buddy?!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.

A muted hue of pink suddenly blossomed on Bea's cheeks. There it was again. That stupid, clueless smile of his, the very thing about Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town that somehow managed to worm its way into her heart and captivate it. Steeling the remainder of her resolve, Bea puffed her cheeks and stubbornly looked away.

"W-Well," she said, "I'm glad I was mature enough to take this responsibility. I can't imagine anyone else willing enough to babysit you!"

Just then, Bea noticed her Machamp and Machop looking at one another with crafty grins. She narrowed her eyes at both of her Fighting-type Pokémon with a low groan and a protruding lower lip. As soon as they noticed, they snapped back to attention and resumed the meditating session they had committed themselves to with Machoke.

"#Tsundere, anyone?"

Bea flicked her head at the rotund, older boy who was lying in the middle of the deck, just a few feet beside her training mat. He was shirtless and wearing his signature pair of dark, triangular sunglasses. His exposed torso, endearing in its flabbiness, was absorbing the shining Sun, while he snaked a hand down to adjust the hem of his gray shorts. His other hand was holding a light-brown Rotom Phone, which was aimed at her, its small mountain insignia gleaming proudly from the sunlight. Resting beside him were his Coalossal and Shuckle.

"Oh, shut up, Gordie," she growled.

"Ah, don't be a wuss, Bea," the boy replied, just as he turned the Rotom Phone's camera towards himself and smiled for it. "Everyone knows all about your little thing for Ash."

"My little thing for-?!"

Bea cut herself off and checked to see if Ash was listening. To her relief, he was back on his feet and leaning against the railing so he could admire the scenery of their next destination.

Gordie seemed to understand what she was asking, for he explained, "My followers have taken quite a liking to the idea of you and Ash together."

He punctuated this revelation with his taking of a selfie, his eleventh or twelfth for the day. Bea marched up to him, her fists clenched.

"Your followers?" she asked ominously.

"Of course!" Then, Gordie raised his sunglasses to reveal his dashing baby-blue eyes. "You do remember that I've been vlogging my journey with you guys."

"Yes, I remember you being a nuisance with that phone of yours since day one." Memories of Gordie's often-problematic obsession with his Rotom Phone and social media accounts tugged at Bea's mind. "So...you mean to tell me that you've been...re-recording all of my conversations with Ash?"

"Yep! That is the point of a vlog, after all-"

"No, it's not!"

"Oh, come on, Bea! Don't tell me that, after weeks and weeks of me filming everything we do, it never even occurred to you that I filmed a good video or two of you with Ash?"

"Th-Th-Th-That's an i-invasion of pr-pr-privacy!"

Gordie tutted and put his sunglasses back on. "My dear, dear Bea. I see you've got a lot to learn when it comes to having a ton of followers. You see, as a celebrity-"

Bea rolled her eyes at that.

"-Everyone is gonna wanna know what goes on in my daily life. As the person they cherish and idolize, I've gotta provide it for my followers, no details spared. It's what gives them joy, and it's my duty to give it to them, no matter what. And as long as you've got me by your side, the attention on you is gonna skyrocket tenfold. And because of that, your story automatically becomes a part of my story now. Hence your status as a costar of my vlog." Gordie then gave the female Gym Leader a small but knowing smile. "And the story you are telling to my followers is that you've got quite the major crush on Ash."

"I-!" The Stow-on-Side Gym Leader paused and took a deep breath before speaking in a calmer, steadier voice. "I do not have a crush on Ash, Gordie. I'm sorry to say this, but your followers are mistaken. They've misinterpreted my behavior around Ash as something that it's totally not."

"Really?" Gordie arched an eyebrow with amusement. "All 400,000-plus of them are wrong?"

...

"Yeah. All of them."

Gordie chuckled and started typing away on his Rotom Phone. "This is so gonna trend tonight."

"Keep talking like that and I'm gonna throw that phone of yours overboard."

"My, my, the hashtag is just writing itself!"

"I swear to frigging Arceus, Gordie!"

Bea reached for the phone, but Gordie seemed to anticipate her move. Before her fingertips could even graze the plastic surface, the round man did a sudden back-flip away from her grasp, jumping right over his Shuckle in the process. With a yell of defiance, Bea lunged at her traveling companion again, only for Gordie to do a series of somersaults across the deck of the speedboat, a complete and stark betrayal of his physique.

"WHOO-HOO!" Gordie cried, grinning once he got to a safe distance away from Bea. "Now that's going on my PokéVision tonight!"

"Gimme that stupid phone, Gordie!" snapped Bea. She lunged at him yet again, and Gordie back-flipped away from her...

And into the belly of a Dragonite, which proceeded to ensnare Gordie in a bone-crushing hug.

"AGH!" Gordie tried to struggle against Dragonite's grip, but its strength was overwhelming. "Ge-Get off me, Dragonite! I don't want a hug right now- AGH! NO!"

In Gordie's haste to pry himself free from the Dragon Pokémon, he had dropped his Rotom Phone. With a smug grin, Bea bent down to pick it up and gave Dragonite a warm, sweet smile.

"Thank you very much, Dragonite," she said kindly.

Dragonite didn't seem to notice her thanks and was only focused on hugging Gordie and nearly unintentionally strangling him some more. But Bea moved on from the topic quickly, scouring through the phone in search of the posts that Gordie appeared to have been making. Just as she was about to access his video files, Ash's voice rang through the air, startling her and nearly making her drop the phone.

"We're here, guys! We're here!"

"Huh?"

Bea looked up, and the first thing she saw was one of the Isle's peninsulas several yards beside the speedboat. The boat itself was beginning to slow down, and once Bea turned, she saw it approaching: the beachside town. Now that the boat was getting closer to its destination, she could see why Ash was gawking.

The town was resting atop a considerable slope and nestled amongst greenery, which in turn were resting at the foot of a large, sandy-white cliff-side. The cliff-side was left with a ridged appearance due to generations and generations of being subjected to choppy, crashing waters.

Being on a hilly slope, it appeared as if the very town was divided into levels based on elevation. Many of the buildings at the middle levels, especially those closest to the mountains, were old-fashioned villas made out of ancient materials. Up at the few topmost "levels", there were fewer buildings that nevertheless dominated the town's overall visuals because of their larger size and regal architecture. There was an ancient, respectable aura was being exuded by these buildings.

As for the buildings closest to the shoreline, they were evidently newer structures constructed for the sake of tourism, as they sported more colorful appearances, plus there were many people congregated near them. The same thing applied to the light-yellow stadium constructed on a man-made harbor. In fact, the stadium's gleaming exterior and modern design, coupled with the presence of a remaining crane, made it clear that construction on it had just been finished.

At that moment, the door to the speedboat's cabin opened up, and a weathered-looking older man with tanned, splotchy skin and a thick, gray beard poked his head out.

"Alright, everyone!" he announced. "We've reached our destination: Bellum Town!"

"Whoa..." Ash breathed out.

"Pika..." Pikachu added.

Within minutes, the speedboat reached the local harbor. It was colorful and packed to the brim with unoccupied boats of differing makes and models, ranging from other speedboats to sailboats to even private yachts. On the other side of the harbor was a ferry, which had dozens, if not hundreds of people excitedly disembarking from it. There were many people already milling about on the harbor, taking pictures with their phones and cameras and admiring the scenery.

"Bellum Town," Bea whispered to herself. Then, she took a deep breath and smiled. "It's been a while..."

By that point, Gordie had managed to free himself from Dragonite's grip. Approaching Bea, he snatched the phone out of her hands while she continued to admire Bellum Town.

"H-Hey!" the girl exclaimed, but Gordie quickly distanced himself from her and approached the captain.

"Thanks a lot, Huey," he said, patting him on the shoulder. "I owe you one."

"Nah, you already repaid that debt! There's nothing I wouldn't do for the world-famous Gordie!" Then, Huey's eyes lit up, and he fumbled around for something in his pocket. "Oh, actually...w-would you mind?"

He pulled out an older-looking phone and gave it to Gordie. The rotund boy eyed it curiously before looking back at Huey.

"One last selfie for the grandkids!" the captain explained. "Please?"

With that, Gordie gave him a charming smile. "Well, since you put it that way, Huey..." He wrapped an arm around Huey and brought him close to his tubby side. "There's no way I would deny my loving fans a personal selfie!" He then aimed the phone directly at their faces and smiled at the camera lens. "Say cheese!"

Huey smiled from ear to ear as well. "Cheese!"

Bea could only roll her eyes at the flash of light coming from the phone. She turned away from the embarrassing scene, only to nearly bump headfirst into Ash. Literally.

"Agh! Ash!"

"Oh, sorry Bea!" Ash exclaimed with that stupid grin of his. "Should've watched where I was going. Anyway, let's get off, quick! I wanna check Bellum Town out, see if there's anyone willing to give me a great battle!"

Bea rolled her eyes again. "Ah jeez, will you relax, Ash? The boat hasn't even docked yet." She passed Ash and rejoined her Pokémon as they continued meditating on the training mat. "Be patient. Once we're safely docked, you can have all the battles you want."

Ash's auburn eyes burned with enthusiasm, and he bounced with joy. "HOORAY!"

"PIKA!" Pikachu squeaked with a raised paw.

Bea sighed heavily. With a grunt, she sat in-between Machamp and Machoke, her eyelid twitching ambiguously.

"Arceus, it's like I'm watching over a little kid," she whispered to herself. Then, out of instinct, she eyed Machamp, who was looking at her knowingly again. "Keep looking at me like that, Machamp, and I'll throw you overboard."

Machamp merely gave her a grunt of a chuckle and then resumed its meditation.

Having recalled her Pokémon alongside Ash and Gordie, Bea was the first person to disembark the speedboat. Once her feet met the Bellum Town harbor, she froze in her tracks. The Stow-on-Side Gym Leader promptly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and held her arms out, greeting the cool breeze that blew across the harbor.

"It's been a while, Bellum," she thought.

"Hey, Bea! Hey, Bea!"

Her moment of serenity was interrupted once again by Ash, who gave her a less-than-respectable nudge on the shoulder. She opened her eyes and snapped her head towards him.

"What?" she asked with all of the boiling calmness she could muster.

Ash pointed off towards a poster. "Isn't that your old teacher?"

She followed the direction of his index finger and realized the poster was of a tall, muscular man with a stocky, squarish face; light-brown hair; and eyes that were closed shut with relaxation, even though it did nothing to hide the intimidating aura that his body exuded. He was wearing a blue karategi with a small Poké Ball symbol over his right breast and a fist insignia over his left. Bea watched as a couple of tourists passed by the poster, warily eyeing the man depicted on it and instinctively avoiding its shadow like it was about to grab them at any second.

"Yep, that's him," she said with a smile. "Carter. Carter Ferrum. One of the few people in this world who could beat me in his sleep."

"He looks like a nice guy," Ash replied while staring at the poster with awe.

"A nice guy?"

"Well, of course! He's the one who invited us here, after all! Plus, if he taught you everything you know, then I'd love to learn something from him too!"

"You'd love to learn something from him..." Bea's earlier irritation at her traveling companion vanished in an instant, and she suppressed a giggle. "Oh, poor, poor Ash. You've obviously never trained under him."

Ash looked at her curiously. "Well...of course. That's why I-"

"Or had lunch with him," Bea suddenly interrupted. "Or been to his house. Or known him. Or even heard of him."

The raven-haired boy blinked. "Why? What's that supposed to mean?"

Before Bea could respond, she overheard a small commotion up in the speedboat. With an annoyed sigh, she glanced at the now-fully-clothed Gordie, who was trying to disembark while doing his best to politely turn down Huey.

"Please, Gordie!" the old man exclaimed, looking rather disappointed. "Just one more selfie! Or an autograph! O-O-Or a lil' souvenir that pr-proves your existence!"

"I appreciate your appreciation, Huey!" a nervous Gordie replied. "I really do, but I need to get going now! Lots of places to go, lots of places to see, so little time! I promise, I'll bring back a signed souvenir from my trip here, just for you and the grandkids!"

Huey still looked downcast, but nevertheless, he mustered a small smile. "W-Well...since you put it that way..."

"Seriously, seriously though, thank you very much, Huey, for all your help! I appreciate it!"

Gordie then rushed off the speedboat in a hurry, nearly bumping into Bea and Ash in the process. The girl put her hands on her hips and gave him a smirk.

"Providing joy for all of your followers, no matter what?" she asked mockingly.

Gordie waved his hands defensively. "Hey now, I can't just spend a whole episode on that speedboat! I promised we'd be at the Isle of Armor, and now that we're at the Isle of Armor, the show must go on! Oh, and speaking of which..."

He reached into his pocket, pulled out his Rotom Phone, and aimed its camera at the buildings of Bellum Town and all the surrounding scenery. With that, he began recording.

"And here we are, everyone, the Isle of Armor! It's quite a beautiful place, huh?" Then, Gordie aimed the phone's camera at himself and his friends. "Me and the guys just arrived at Bellum Town only a few minutes ago. It was one thing to see it in all the brochure photos and from a distance, but I guarantee you our experience with it up-close and personal is on a totally new level! So, Ash, Bea, what do you guys think of it so far?!"

"It's so awesome!" Ash exclaimed, his expression brimming with energy and excitement as he stared into the camera. "I hear the Trainers living here train themselves and their Pokémon to the limits, so I can't wait to have some great battles here!" He looked ahead at Bellum Town and raised a clenched fist. "And I can't wait to win 'em all!"

"Now THAT'S the Ash we all know and love!" Then, Gordie focused the camera on Bea. "What about you, Bea? What does our fighting prodigy girl have to say about Bellum?"

"Well," Bea said, her tone now flat and noncommittal as she gave the camera a deadpan stare. "I'm excited to attend the Fighting Festival and meet up with my old mentor and all that. Yadda, yadda, yadda, that's all I've got to say. And by the way, Gordie, it's supposed to be 'the guys and I', not 'me and the guys'."

"HA HA HA!" Gordie aimed the camera at himself again, wearing a smile that stretched from ear to ear. "And that is Bea, everyone! So cold and stern on the outside, but a total softie on the inside, as we all know."

"HEY!"

But Gordie ignored her and calmly continued filming himself. "So we are gonna go do some exploring, see the sights and sounds that Bellum has to offer. In fact, we're gonna start now, before Ash loses patience and runs off without us. I'll be sure to keep you guys in the loop! Until then, Gordie's out! PEACE!" As soon as he stopped filming, he faced Bea. "Aww, come on, Bea! You gotta smile for the camera! Do you even know how to smile?"

"Of course I know how to smile," Bea replied. "Just not when you're filming with that stupid phone."

Gordie swooned dramatically. "Now that's hurtful."

"With your ego, I doubt it."

Just then, Ash suddenly started running. After running a few feet, he twirled around on his heel and waved at his friends.

"Come on, you guys!" he yelled. "Let's go check Bellum out! I wanna see the Fighting Festival in particular!"

"PIKAAAAA!" Pikachu added excitedly.

"Hey, wait up, Ash!" Bea called. "We're supposed to wait for-!"

But it was too late, for Ash had spun around again and began running out of the harbor, towards the gatherings of people and the rows of food stalls lining a beachside promenade. Bea growled with irritation and followed the raven-haired boy, with Gordie right behind her, running at a surprisingly healthy pace.

"Of course he runs off without us to check out the Festival!" she cried with exasperation. "Just like a tourist."

"Yep!" Gordie replied with a cheeky grin. "And that's what you love so much about him, isn't that right?"

"Well, ye-" Bea snapped her head at him. "Wait, what?"

Gordie widened his grin as he aimed his phone at her. "No, go on, Bea. Finish your sentence!"

The Stow-on-Side Gym Leader stopped abruptly and snatched the phone out of her friend's hands just as he passed her. Gordie gasped, stopped, and turned to look at Bea, who was now dangling the phone perilously high in the air, keeping it tucked between only her thumb and index finger. There was a menacing look in her face.

"No," she replied mockingly, "you go on, Gordie. What was it you were saying?"

Gordie chuckled nervously and waved his palms at her. "B-Bea, dear, let's not do anything rash. J-Just gimme the phone, and I'll-"

"You'll what?" Bea chuckled ominously. "Maybe it's time you took a break from this darn phone."

"Oh, come on, Bea! You know my fans are gonna freak out if they don't get an update from me in about-" He checked his wristwatch. "Five minutes!"

Bea wiggled the phone even more, threatening to let it slip from her fingers. "You can always tell them you dropped your phone and broke it."

"H-Ho-Hold on now, Bea! Wh-Wh-What would your m-me-mentor say if he c-cau-caught you d-do-doing this?!"

Bea opened her mouth to answer, but another voice suddenly spoke for her.

"He would be quite disappointed, that's what."

"EEK!"

Bea twirled around and jumped to attention, accidentally dropping Gordie's phone in the process. With a yell, the rotund boy made a dive for the phone, hoping to catch it before it hit the boardwalk. However, a large, well-built hand caught it for him, leaving Gordie to simply fall face-first onto the wooden boards with a comical grunt.

Acting on instinct, Bea suppressed all visible emotion as she looked up at the towering form of the new arrival.

"M-Master Ferrum!" she greeted. Then, she formally bowed her head, her gray hair and black-and-orange bow hanging. "It's a pleasure to see you again, my master."

"Hmmm..."

That simple response brought chills down Bea's spine. However, she refused to surrender to her inner emotions and kept her head bowed. At the same time, Gordie shot up on his feet.

"Oh man, thank you for catching my phone!" he exclaimed. "You have no idea how much this means to me!"

Carter Ferrum simply looked down at Gordie, his expression ambiguous. The Throh flanking his side gave the rotund boy a simple huff. Then, with a tiny, noncommittal grunt, Carter held out the hand holding onto Gordie's phone, allowing the older boy to retrieve it.

"Quite an...intriguing friend you've got there, Bea," he said, his voice low, gruff, and intimidating. "Is this the one you've told me about? The one called Ash?"

"Ash?" Bea shot her head up to look at her master. "Oh, no! No!" Then, she looked at Gordie, who was now preoccupied with examining his phone for any damage it might have incurred. "Although...I can't really tell if I'm pleased or dismayed to say this isn't him-"

"You've changed, Bea."

The hairs on her skin stood upright as she looked at Carter again. "I, uh, I beg your pardon, M-Ma-Master?!"

He stared down at her, his stare thorough and judgmental. "From the moment I first heard your voice, you have spoken a total of-" He paused for a quick moment, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Seventy-six words in thirteen sentences. That's an average of 5.84 words per sentence."

Throh grunted and nodded in agreement.

"O-Oh, really?" Bea asked, all the while feeling her skin crawl at Carter's effortless calculations. "T-That's...That's pretty, uh, pretty interesting to-"

"And now it's an average of six words per sentence," Carter interrupted harshly.

"Say wha?"

"In layman's terms, this has to be the most amount of words I've heard coming out of your mouth, Bea."

"O-Oh. Th-Thank you, Master... I-I guess."

Carter blinked idly at her, his stern eyes continuing to scrutinize her from head to toe. "I know your father informed me you were traveling with people this time around, Bea. I have no qualms about that. But to see them be such an influence on you and your behavior...and in this manner..." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "It's...disconcerting, to say the least."

Although Throh's expression was immovable in his gruff sternness, Bea's eyes widened at her master's remark, and even Gordie's attention was averted from his phone. Then, with pursed lips and utter humility, the female Gym Leader bowed her head again.

"I apologize, Master," she simply said.

Carter blinked again at Bea. Then, with his own lips pursed and his chin jutting out, he nodded ambivalently.

"Well, at least your sense of loyalty and respect hasn't been compromised."

Throh simply gave Bea a low grunt of agreement.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on!" Gordie cried, stepping in-between Bea and Carter. "What are you talking about?! I'll have you know that Bea hasn't changed one bit since I first met her! In fact, I think she's made progress in strides throughout our journey!" He flashed Carter his phone. "And I have the vlog to prove it!"

Unbeknownst to the rotund boy, Bea was face-palming behind him. "Oh, for the love of Arceus, Gordie..." she whispered harshly.

As for Carter, he narrowed his eyes even more at Gordie. In addition, Throh, responding to Gordie's sudden move, stood in-between him and his Trainer. Immediately, the boy recoiled at the hardened, terrifying gazes of both Carter and Throh, both of which proved to be intimidating enough to even make an Arbok flinch.

"Remind me your name again?" Carter asked in a low voice.

"G-G-Go-Go-Gordie," Gordie stammered.

"Gordie. Gordie... Yes, yes, I've heard of you."

"Y-You have?" Then, the boy tried to puff out his chest in the face of Carter's Throh, whose eyes were narrowing at him with suspicion. "Th-Then I-I'm sure you've been following me on social media."

Bea could only sigh with disapproval.

"Social media?" Carter scoffed bitterly. "I do not subscribe to the wolfish, mindless mob mentality that is the Internet."

Throh punctuated his Trainer's insult with a derisive snort.

Gordie's eyes widened. "Wolfish?! Mindless?!" He looked like he was at a loss for words. "Are...Are you out of your-?!"

He was immediately silenced by more sharp gazes from Carter and Throh, and the former continued speaking unabated.

"Rather, I am familiar with the important figures of the Galar League. You, Gordie, are the eldest of five children born to Melony, the Circhester Gym Leader. In fact, I have met your mother a couple of times. A respectable woman, borne from a life of responsibility and generosity. From where I'm standing, though, you do not even hold a candle to her."

Bea sighed yet again. "Oh, boy..."

Gordie opened his mouth, but no sounds came out. Instead, he awkwardly closed his mouth after a few seconds, only to reopen it, and then close it again. He repeated the cycle several more times, almost resembling a poor Magikarp out of the water, gasping for its sustenance.

Carter acknowledged Gordie's reaction for an infinitesimal second. Then, he glanced at Bea again.

"Where is your other friend, Bea?" he asked. "The one named Ash?"

Bea gulped and then cleared her throat to recompose herself. "H-He ran off, Master, to explore Bellum Town."

"To explore Bellum? Without awaiting my arrival?" Carter then let out a disappointed huff. "I invite him to this island, and the moment he arrives, the first thing he demonstrates is his inability to be punctual. I wish I could say I'm not surprised by this abject lack of respect, but...that would be a terrible lie."

Bea's fingers twitched, and she gritted her teeth behind pursed lips. Other than that, however, she did nothing to refute her master's characterization of Ash. As such, neither Carter nor Throh noticed her reaction to his statements, and they simply passed by her without giving her another glance.

"Let's find him," Carter said. "It's a small town; he couldn't have gotten far. Unless he's the type to easily get lost."

Still, Bea didn't say anything as the muscular man procured a Poké Ball from the pocket of his karategi. Then, he threw it into the air, calling out, "I require your assistance, Braviary!"

The Valiant Pokémon emerged from his Poké Ball, perching himself high on a lamppost. After letting out a caw, he turned towards his Trainer, displaying his scarred left eye for Bea and Gordie to see.

"Search the skies!" Carter ordered with a swipe of his arm. "Find Ash Ketchum. He..." He looked at Bea. "What does your friend look like?"

"U-Um, bl-black hair, br-brown eyes," Bea explained, trying her best to stay calm in her master's presence. "A-And h-he has a Pi-Pikachu on his shoulder!"

Carter blinked idly. "A Pikachu? Hmmm. I haven't encountered one of those in a while." Then, he looked back at Braviary. "You heard her, Braviary! Find them both, posthaste!"

Braviary nodded and instantly took off to the skies, scanning the crowds in the harbor and promenade below. Meanwhile, Carter and Throh already began walking, leaving Bea and Gordie in their wake. Bea stared after her master for a couple of seconds, her expression unreadable, before she started to follow him.

"H-Hold on a moment, Bea!" Gordie called, stopping her. "You're...You're just gonna let that guy badmouth you, me, Ash, my followers, pr-pretty much everyone and everything?!"

"Carter's a bit tough," Bea replied, her voice suddenly in a droning tone. "He always was. But he means well-"

"Yeah, if you call that 'meaning well'. Come on, I'm not taking that trash from him, and neither should y-!"

The rotund boy was quickly silenced by a glare from Bea.

"He invited us to attend the Fighting Festival, Gordie," she snarled. "He worked hard to give us free admission. The least we could do is be thankful for his efforts and accept his hospitality, no matter how...unconventional it may be."

With that, she continued following Carter, with Gordie remaining behind to watch her leave for a moment. Upon realizing she had made up her mind, the rotund boy sighed and followed after her.

"Come on, you guys! Let's go check Bellum out! I wanna see the Fighting Festival in particular!"

"PIKAAAAA!"

"Hey, wait up, Ash! We're supposed to wait for-!"

But Ash didn't hear Bea. Instead, he twirled around on his heel and ran straight into the milling crowd of people and their Pokémon, quickly immersing himself in the festive, bustling atmosphere. As soon as he did, the raven-haired boy looked around in awe and wonder, observing the tourists as they took many photos, walked around, and bought items from the nearby stalls.

"Wow, look at all this, Pikachu!" Ash cried. "I haven't been to an island this loud and bright since Shamouti!"

"Pika, pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.

At that moment, Ash stopped to watch as a clown and his two Pokémon, a Mr. Rime and Mr. Mime, performed for a crowd of families with children. The crowd collectively hitched its breath once the clown leaped from a tall pedestal, releasing a few multicolored balls from his hands in the process. Then, a round of enthusiastic applause broke out once Mr. Rime and Mr. Mime used their Psychic to suspend their Trainer and the balls in midair, before manipulating them to fly around in an awe-inspiring, dazzling show of colors. Ash was quick to join in the applause.

Once the applause died down to allow the clown to continue his act, Ash decided to move on, sidestepping a pair of older tourists and their weathered-looking Midday Form Lycanroc. As he walked a few feet down the packed harbor, the Trainer and Mouse Pokémon noticed a myriad of people committing themselves to diverse activities.

First, there was a young artist and her Smeargle patiently painting a caricature picture of a family and their Togepi and Azurill while both baby Pokémon chirruped and bounced happily in their owners' arms.

Then, there was a professional photographer snapping photos of a well-dressed, middle-aged tourist and her Debutante Trim and Matron Trim Furfrou; both Poodle Pokémon looked particularly smug.

Next, there was a man and his Politoed washing up an isolated section of the boardwalk, while a mother attended to her pale-faced child while he retched and clutched his stomach.

After that, there was a sneaky-looking magician playing with a stack of cards to the amazement of a small crowd while a squawking, extremely talkative Chatot remained perched on his shoulder.

Ash took note of all those people and activities, and many more, once he stepped off the harbor and entered the winding promenade, which was packed to the brim with pedestrians and vendors. A group of bicyclists pedaled past them, led by a tandem bike manned by an older man and his Hitmontop. A group of tourists were being led around an empty section of the sidewalk by a tour guide and her Aipom. Several vendors and clerks were calling out orders to customers, some of them in colorful ways.

"Look at that, Pikachu!" the raven-haired boy cried. "We're officially in Bellum Town!" With that, he stroked the underside of his partner Pokémon's chin. "So, whaddaya say? Wanna keep exploring for a bit? Or do you wanna eat something?"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked while pointing towards a vendor selling cotton candy to a small line of people.

Ash beamed with enthusiasm. "Yep, I thought so!"

With the decision made, he ran up to the line, directly behind a boy with a Tyrogue standing loyally beside his leg. As the two watched the vendor whip up his latest cone of cotton candy with the help of his faithful Swirlix, Ash suddenly felt his stomach squirm and rumble uncomfortably. Sweat-dropping, he wrapped an elbow around his gut and groaned quietly.

"Man, I'm so hungry..." he said. "I should've followed Bea's advice and eaten something before we got onto the boat..."

"Pikachu," Pikachu moaned in agreement.

"I hope this line moves along fa-"

Ash paused, his auburn eyes widening and his train of thought snapping to full attention. Struggling to contain his inner panic, he reached into his pockets and groped around the fabric, only to realize the unthinkable had happened.

"Oh, no!" he cried, startling the Trainer in front of him. "I forgot my money!"

"Pika?!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"Bea, do you have any-?!"

He looked beside him, only to realize for the first time that Bea wasn't with him, and neither was Gordie, for that matter. Ash gasped and looked around frantically in search of his friends, but it quickly became clear that he was all alone. With that, he hung his head low with dismay and embarrassment.

"Aw, great," he groaned. "I ran off without them. Again." He sighed heavily. "I really need to stop doing that. I can only imagine the look on Bea's face when she finds out I ran off without her and Gordie again..."

"Are you  kidding  me, Ash?! You ran off to explore a town you've never been to  on your own , without  anyone  to guide you?! For the love of  Arceus ! You're such a  tourist !"

The boy sweat-dropped. "The words she'd say are already so vivid..."

"Pika-pikachu, Pikapi," Pikachu replied with a shake of his head and a sweat-drop.

At that moment, Ash's peripheral vision noticed a cotton candy cone being offered to him.

"Here," a familiar voice said. "You can have this one, Ash."

Ash's lips curled into a relieved smile at the invitation. With that, he snatched the cone out of the person's hand and took a large bite out of it. As soon as he did, he felt his taste-buds being washed over by the nice, sweet relief of sugar, which they quickly submitted to. Once he was relieved of his hunger, Ash gratefully looked up at his savior while Pikachu leaned over to take a bite of the confection himself.

"Thank you very much!" he cried.

"Oh, you're very welcome, Ash!"

...

At that moment, Ash's mind finally processed the familiarity of his savior's voice. Blinking twice, he took another look at the person standing in front of him...and then released a loud yelp, nearly jumping backward out of his shoes in shock. It had been a couple of years since he last saw her, and he never even expected to come across her again in his journey.

"K-Ko-Korrina?!"

The Shalour Gym Leader saluted, the cheeky grin stretching from one end of her face to the other. Her Lucario stood by her right, nodding at Ash politely with a small smile. Both of them were holding their own cotton candy cones.

"Hey-ya there, Ash!" the blonde girl greeted. "Long time, no see!"

Chapter Text

"K-Ko-Korrina?!"

Korrina saluted, the cheeky grin stretching from one end of her face to the other. "Hey-ya there, Ash! Long time, no see!"

"No way!" Ash exclaimed, his auburn eyes shining. "What're you doing here, Korrina?!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked with just as much enthusiasm as his friend and Trainer.

"Grandpa and I got invited to the Fighting Festival, that's what."

Korrina reached into her pocket and began rummaging around for a few moments. However, when it was clear she could not find what she was seeking, her Lucario sighed, shook its head, and stuck its paw out for its Trainer to see. Once the girl laid her eyes on the paw, she noticed it had been carrying a single orange-and-gray ticket this entire time.

"Oh! Thanks, Lucario!" With that, she took the ticket and showed it to Ash, who was quick to notice the familiar-looking insignia of a clenched fist, its knuckles bare. "See? A special invitation ticket to the Fighting Festival in Bellum Town!"

Lucario nodded in agreement, while Ash gawked in awe at the ticket. Korrina's name was printed on it in fine ink.

"Whoa, no way!" Ash exclaimed. "I have the exact same ticket as well!"

He then fished around in his pocket, eventually pulling out the ticket and proudly showing it to Korrina, who stared at it in disbelief.

"Oh, wow!" the Shalour Gym Leader cried in awe. "Yep, that's a Fighting Festival ticket alright! One of the VIP tickets, no less! But..." She eyed Ash curiously. "I never really pegged you to be an expert in Fighting-type Pokémon."

"Oh, I'm not!" Ash put away his ticket, all the while wearing a wide grin. "Bea is."

Korrina blinked in surprise. "Bea?" She surveyed the empty space around Ash, a nostalgic glimmer in her eyes. "W-What happened to Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie?"

"Oh, we parted ways after the Team Flare incident. Serena wanted to try the Pokémon Contests in Hoenn, and Clemont had to get back to being the Gym Leader of Lumiose. But I'm traveling with Bea and Gordie now. They're really nice! You should meet them!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.

"Well, any friend of yours is a friend of mine! So..." Korrina scanned the crowds inquisitively. "Where are they?"

"W-Well..." Ash chuckled and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Y-You see, Korrina-"

A loud squawk broke his train of thought. Ash, Korrina, Pikachu, and Lucario looked up and saw a Braviary circling above them, flying really close to their heads.

"A Braviary!" Ash cried in awe.

"A Braviary?" Korrina asked. Then, out of interest, the blonde Gym Leader pulled out an orange-and-gray Rotom Phone, aimed it at the Flying-type, and scanned it.

"Braviary, the Valiant Pokémon," the device explained. "Known for its bravery and pride, this majestic Pokémon is often seen as a motif for various kinds of emblems."

"Wow!" Korrina looked down at the Rotom Phone with excitement. "Looks like this Rotom Phone thing actually works!"

Just then, the Braviary soared away with a caw, still maintaining a low altitude. Ash watched as it then fluttered over to someone's shoulder and perched on it. A minute later, two familiar people burst through the crowd, causing Ash's eyes to light up with relief.

"Bea!" he called. "Gordie! Over here!"

"Yo, Ash!" Gordie replied, running up to the Pallet Town native first. "Man, were we worried! Where were you?!"

Ash chuckled nervously again. "Sorry about that, Gordie. Looks like I ran off and went exploring on my own again."

"Are you kidding me, Ash?!" Bea shouted furiously, startling Ash and even Korrina. "You ran off to explore a town you've never been to on your own, without anyone to guide you?! For the love of Arceus!" With clenched fists, the tan-skinned girl began hitting Ash in the chest. "You're! Such! A! TOURIST!"

"Wow," Ash thought in surprise, casually taking the hits like they were nothing. "It's just like how I imagined it too."

"Bea?" a voice called, soft and yet so cold in tone. "What is the meaning of this?"

Bea froze with a yip, her brown skin crawling, while Gordie only sighed and shook his head. Ash looked over her shoulder and saw a man approaching them, flanked by a Throh; the Braviary from before was perched on his right shoulder. Upon registering the stocky face, blue karategi, and intimidating aura, Ash's auburn eyes lit up in realization.

"Ohhh!" he exclaimed, his lips curving into an enthusiastic smile. "You must be Bea's old teacher!"

Carter Ferrum looked down at Ash and Pikachu, his face etched with disapproval, but the Pallet Town Trainer did not pick up on it.

"That I am..." Carter replied. "And you must be the boy named Ash."

"Yeah, that's me!" Ash jabbed a thumb at himself. "I'm Ash Ketchum, and this is my partner Pikachu."

The black-haired boy gestured to Pikachu, who waved and squeaked, "Pikachu!"

"Hello there..." Carter said indifferently, while Throh merely grunted. Then, they both gazed at Bea, whose back was still on them. "Bea!"

Bea rigidly stood at attention, her skin paling considerably. "EEP!"

"What have I been telling you all these years?" Carter crossed his arms. "Every time I am to address you, you are to be facing me."

"I-I apologize, Master!"

The Stow-on-Side Gym Leader immediately faced Carter, but he still pursed his lips with disapproval. This time, Ash and Pikachu were quick to pick up on the reaction.

"Bea," Carter said, his eyes narrowing, "please recite the fifth of the Eight Principles of Galar Karate."

"T-The Fifth Principle?" Bea sputtered. Then, she recited as calmly as she could, "Tr-Tranquility. I-In order to achieve this, you must internalize and ignore all sensations of negative emotion and replace it with positive logic."

"Excellent." But Carter didn't show any signs of being pleased; instead, he continued to look down on Bea. "It's just one Principle. One of the more elementary Principles, moreover...but at least your recent journey hasn't dulled your memory of my teachings. Now, do you know why I brought up the Fifth Principle, Bea?"

"I-I..." Bea started to sweat as she wracked her brain trying to figure out why, and Ash looked at her in concern. "I, uh... I..." Her shoulders started to slump in defeat. "I don't know..."

Carter's lips became even more pursed. "Perhaps I've spoken too soon about your memory, Bea."

Bea lowered her head slightly, whereupon Ash and Pikachu frowned. He sensed something insulting in Carter's tone when he spoke those words, and he didn't like where this was going.

"I observed you hitting your friend Ash in a rage," Carter continued, his voice growing sterner by the minute. "And while I assume enduring his childishness and impulsiveness for the past month was a trial for you in its own right, I sincerely believed I taught you better than to succumb to these same primitive emotions. It's...disappointing to be proven wrong, at the very least."

Bea bowed her head apologetically, and with humility. However, Ash became outraged by Carter's words, and he stepped forward.

"Excuse me?" he asked, trying to sound as polite as possible. "What do you mean by-?"

But Carter ignored him and instead looked at Korrina. "Ah, Korrina."

"Good afternoon, Master Ferrum!" Korrina greeted with a cheeky smile, looking as if she never observed the exchange at all. "It's a pleasure seeing you here!"

"Likewise." Carter flatly scanned the crowd of tourists and vendors. "Where is your grandfather, if I may ask?"

"He's at the hotel, signing us in. I heard you've reserved a suite over there as well?"

"You are correct. Two, in fact." With that, Carter began walking away, his form merging into the crowd. "Come, children. I shall show you to your rooms."

Throh grunted, motivating Bea to follow after her former mentor. Ash watched his traveling companion go, baffled by her unconditional compliance with the man who discreetly insulted her. Nevertheless, he followed Bea, with Gordie, Korrina, and Lucario by his sides.

"I know, right?" Gordie whispered to Ash before the Pallet Town native could even speak. "That guy was such a jerk from the moment Bea and I met him at the harbor!" He took out his Rotom Phone and waved it. "I wanted to record him and share the video to all my followers so they can cancel him like no other!"

"Something tells me he doesn't like us..." Ash replied with disappointment.

"Well, that's, like, the understatement of the century! I mean, seriously, what teacher in their right mind would talk that way to their student? To Bea, no less?!"

"Carter Ferrum could, I'll tell you that," Korrina advised, catching the others' attention. "I've met him a few times before, and he's always been a strict, by-the-book kind of guy. And that's only if you are acquainted with him. I've learned to be a girl of few words around him, if I was to keep his respect and not make my grandpa angry in the process." She looked after the retreating Bea. "But I can't imagine what it'd be like, having him as a mentor..."

That was when Gordie spoke up, having noticed her for the first time. "Ah, h-hello there! Sorry, I didn't have a chance to speak to you earlier. And you are?"

"O-Oh, G-Gordie!" Ash cried, smiling when he gestured to the blonde. "Th-This is Korrina! I met her during my journey in Kalos. She's the Shalour City Gym Leader!"

"Shalour City G-" Then, the boy's eyes widened. "OMA! Are you the girl who can Mega Evolve her Lucario?!"

"Yep!" Korrina gave Gordie another one of her cheeky smiles. "That's me!"

"OMA, OMA, OMA!" The rotund boy grabbed Korrina's hands and began shaking them so energetically that he threatened to topple the Gym Leader over, alarming Lucario in the process. "I have been dying to meet you in person! You're, like, a mini-celeb in my fanbase! Something to do with fandoms crossing over, I dunno, but it's such an honor to meet you!"

"Th-Th-Th-The pl-pl-ple-ple-pleas-su-su-sure's all m-m-mi-mi-mine!" Korrina cried, her voice reduced to a stutter due to the constant rocking of her body.

But Gordie didn't seem to notice his enthusiasm overwhelming her. "Ooh, that reminds me!" He brought Korrina close to him and aimed the screen of his Rotom Phone at themselves. "I have to make a video! My followers are gonna FLIP once they learn I met up with you!"

"Y-Your followers?"

Her eyes widening in alarm, Korrina shot Ash a look that could only be read as "Help me". Unfortunately, the Pallet Town native couldn't do a thing to help his friend. Instead, he watched as Gordie half-dragged Korrina after Carter and Bea, all the while starting his newest recording. Lucario followed after the duo, remaining concerned about Gordie's enthusiasm and his attachment to his phone.

This left Ash and Pikachu to take up the tail-end of the group. As they followed the others, Ash kept his sights on Bea as she picked up the pace behind her former mentor. He noticed how her entire posture was straight, rigid, and even tense around Carter. He had seen her extremely focused before, during her training with her Pokémon, but it was always with confidence, with an expectation for earning positive results.

This time, however, the tension he observed was not one borne out of a desire to perform above and beyond. Instead, it was borne out of fear. Fear towards her mentor...

"I observed you hitting your friend Ash in a rage. And while I assume enduring his childishness and impulsiveness for the past month was a trial for you in its own right, I sincerely believed I taught you better than to succumb to these same primitive emotions. It's... disappointing  to be proven wrong, at the very least."

"That's not a fair thing to say to her," the former Champion thought, his fists clenching in irritation. "Sure, I've annoyed her at times. A-A lot of times, in fact! but the fact that she gets angry at me means she's a good friend who cares about me! Now what kind of friend wouldn't be concerned and angry if they lost track of someone they cared about?!"

"Here we are, children," Carter announced. "The Vecht Hotel."

"Whoooooaaaaa..."

"Pikaaaaa..."

Ash, Pikachu, Bea, and Gordie gawked at the building before them. It was a three-story, ancient-looking building made of archaic materials. Located in the middle of town, it boasted old-fashioned windows and balconies, along with a lone front door made of nicely-polished mahogany wood. There was also a humble little sign attached to the left side of the building that read 'VECHT HOTEL'. Underneath that was a newer neon sign that read 'NO VACANCY', but the word 'VACANCY' was the only one lit up, in a shade of bright-blue.

"Wait, this is the hotel we're staying at?" Gordie asked incredulously.

"Yes," Carter replied. Though he wasn't looking at any specific member of the group, the others could tell he was slightly displeased by the sound of his voice. "It is the oldest hotel on the Isle of Armor. It has serviced thousands of tourists for centuries. Not to mention it is the only hotel within a reasonable price range. Bea?"

"Y-Yes, Master?!" Bea squeaked, standing at attention.

"Do you remember what I said about money and quality?"

"Money is only material, while quality is spiritual. If the charge is too high, the spirit of the one charging you can only be low."

"Excellent. And I hope you've been exercising this piece of advice day by day since our final lecture?"

"Of course!" Bea immediately sprung at the opportunity. "My friends and I sleep outdoors whenever we can."

"Oh?" Carter glanced at Ash and Gordie, one of his eyebrows arched. Throh too looked at the boys, mildly impressed. "Is that true?"

"Y-Yes, sir," Ash replied. "We've only needed to sleep at three Pokémon Centers since we all started traveling together."

"Only three Pokémon Centers?" Carter refocused on the Vecht Hotel, causing Ash and Bea to fear that was not enough to impress him. However, he remarked, "Well, at least you're exposing them to the ways of an immaterial lifestyle, Bea. It's a start."

"Th-Thank you, Master!" Bea cried with a bow of her head.

"Now then-"

"Wait, now hold on a minute!" Gordie piped up with a stomp of his foot.

Carter glanced back at the rotund boy, his lips pursed. Throh immediately rounded up on Gordie, backed by an instinct to protect its Trainer; this caused Gordie to recoil momentarily.

"Is there something you wish to say, Gordie?" Carter asked calmly.

Shrugging off Throh's piercing, menacing gaze, Gordie puffed out his chest at Carter, attempting to stand up to him. "I'll-I'll have you know th-that a nice, warm bed a-and a spacious homely room is just as preferable as sleeping outdoors! In fact, I'd say nothing beats the feeling of being wrapped up in a thick blanket like a Metapod, all cozy and safe inside, and then waking up the next morning to the lovely smell of hot chocolate-"

"Gordie, please," Bea hissed while angrily shaking her head, "for the love of Arceus..."

As for Korrina and Lucario, they looked back and forth between Gordie and Carter in sync, wondering what was about to happen next.

"Young Gordie," Carter spoke up, cutting Gordie off, "if there's something you wish to prove, then spit it out now. I'm not one for big talk, in case it didn't cross your mind."

Throh merely grunted in agreement.

Gordie pursed his lips. "Fine, then! Just because something's cheap, it doesn't mean it'll be any good! And just because a certain way of living is material, it doesn't mean it's something to look down upon!"

Carter blinked idly and looked away. "Listen here, I will not question the ways of a lifestyle full of luxury and pampering."

"Pampering?!" Ash and Gordie exclaimed at the same time.

"But as long as you're with me," Carter continued, undeterred by the protests, "you will learn there is more to life than a preoccupation with material objects and self-gratifying rewards such as likes and followers."

Gordie pouted furiously, but before anyone could counter Carter's points, the front door to the hotel opened up. An older man stepped out of the hotel, his balding head shining from the sunlight and his long gray eyebrows flowing with the soft breeze. Ash's eyes widened, not just out of pleasant surprise to see this man, but also out of incredulity at the unusually casual, summer-style clothing he was wearing, which juxtaposed with his stern affect.

"Ahhhhh, Carter!" the man greeted. "My dear old friend."

"Gurkinn," Carter replied tersely. He held out his hand, and Gurkinn responded by taking it in a firm handshake that was almost professional-looking, like the two men were business executives instead.

"I see the past three years have been kind to you." Gurkinn took a quick scan of Carter from head to toe. "How was your excursion to Fiore?"

"Quite enlightening. Lyra Forest is a location of silence and tranquility. I can wholeheartedly endorse it as a place to bring yourself closer to the world. Plus, I hear the climate there is good this time of the year."

"Ah, intriguing." Gurkinn's eye twinkled with curiosity. "I will keep that in mind." Then, once he broke the handshake, he noticed Throh and bowed his head at the Judo Pokémon. "Throh, it's always a pleasure to see you too."

Throh bowed his head in return with a grunt, while Carter gestured to Bea's group. "Gurkinn, allow me to introduce you to my star pupil. I believe I've mentioned her to you a few times."

"Ah yes, the one named Bea!" Gurkinn stepped forward and prepared to hold out his hand towards Bea. "It is a pleasure to-" His eye met Ash's, and he stopped in his tracks with disbelief. "Ketchum? Ash Ketchum?"

"Hey there, Gurkinn!" Ash replied with a wide smile and an energetic wave. "Long time, no see!"

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu added in a cheerful squeak.

"Hm?" Carter looked back and forth between Gurkinn and Ash. "Do you know this young man, Gurkinn?"

"Why, yes. He's a good friend of my granddaughter's." Ignoring Carter, Gurkinn took Ash's hand and shook it. "How are you and your Pikachu doing these days, Ash?"

"We're doing well, Gurkinn, thanks for asking!" exclaimed Ash.

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.

"Good. I wouldn't expect anything less from the savior of Kalos."

Carter arched an eyebrow. "He saved Kalos?"

"Yes, a couple of years ago." Gurkinn turned towards the other man. "You remember the Team Flare incident? He and my granddaughter were key players in the fight against them."

Carter blinked slowly. "I...didn't know that..."

"Neither did I..." Bea shot a venomous glare at Ash, causing his skin to crawl. "When were you gonna tell me this, Ash?"

"I-I dunno," Ash replied while scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "H-Honestly, s-saving Kalos a-and the world i-isn't really something to brag about-"

"What?!" Korrina interrupted. She was glaring at Ash as well, her eyes nearly popping out of her skull. "You're telling me you never told your new friends about that?!"

"Ummm..." Ash thought about it for a moment. "Y-Yeah, pr-pretty much..."

"Huuuuh?!" Gordie cried, shoving Korrina aside so he could get up in his friend's face. "Why wouldn't you?! I mean, what person wouldn't brag about that sort of thing?!" He abruptly grabbed Ash's shoulders and shook him slightly. "Ahhhhhhh, why in the world didn't you mention that when we first met?! Do you have any idea the number of new followers I would have gotten every day if everyone knew I was hanging out with the freaking savior of Kalos?!"

Ash shrugged himself out of Gordie's grasp. Then, he gave his friend and traveling companion a soft smile of humility.

"You heard Gurkinn. Korrina played a part in the crisis too, along with many other people. I don't really deserve all of the credit. In fact, I didn't really do much-"

"Are you kidding me, Ash?!" Korrina interrupted. "You were the one who saved Chespie from the heart of that monster!"

"With Alain's help. In fact, he's the one who got Chespie out, not me. I was just covering him."

"But at least you had the courage to go in there with him in the first place!" Korrina cried. She grabbed Ash's hands and held them close to her heart, causing Bea to gag. "I was the one covering you two. And I didn't do much in that regard."

"What're you talking about?!" Ash cried, his face beaming. "You were awesome, Korrina!"

Korrina's face suddenly lit up with energy. "Really? Y-You think so?!"

"Yeah! You and everyone else gave it your all that day!" He parted from Korrina's grasp and raised a clenched fist. "That is why I never mentioned it to Bea and Gordie, because no matter what anyone else says about it, no matter how minor our individual roles were, you can't deny the fact that we all played a part in stopping Team Flare. And why should I take all the credit and be called awesome when it was just a team effort?!"

"O-Oh!" Korrina blushed slightly, which Bea was quick to notice. "Th-That's true! Thank you, Ash!"

"It doesn't matter!" Gordie wailed, his expression wracked with utter despair now. "Even so, you should've told us about this in the first place, Ash!"

"Oh..." Ash rubbed the back of his head and gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Gordie. I guess I just don't like to talk about these things either..."

Carter's eyebrows shot upward upon hearing this. But before he could say anything in response, Gurkinn let out a round of laughter as he patted Ash on the back.

"Ahhh, you've always been such a humble young man," the former Successor said. "It's no wonder Korrina likes you!"

"Gr-Gr-Grandpa!" Korrina exclaimed, her face now a shade of hot-pink.

"Wh-Wh-What?!" Bea shrieked, her face now as red as a Tamato Berry.

"Bea!" Carter snapped, shooting a glare of stern disapproval at his disciple's direction. "Control your emotions!"

"S-So-Sorry, Master." But Bea still looked incredulous at Gurkinn's admission. "I-I mean...wh-whaaaaa...?"

But Gurkinn seemed to have forgotten what he just said, for the former Successor's eyes lit up in remembrance while he checked his wristwatch. "Ah, I just remembered!" He looked at his granddaughter. "Korrina, why don't you show Ash and his friends around? I need to make the necessary arrangements for tomorrow."

"S-Sure thing, Grandpa..." Korrina replied, her cheeks still left in a pinkish hue from what Gurkinn had said earlier.

"Okay. Remember, our suite is 3192." Gurkinn then focused on Carter. "Ah, my sincerest apologies, Carter, but I must be going. I'm due for an appointment with the Festival organizers in a half-hour."

"Yes, of course." Carter bowed his head. "It is always prudent to remain punctual. I assure you, your granddaughter will be under my care for the time being."

Gurkinn chuckled. "My, my, I see your firmness and resolve haven't changed one bit." Then, he scanned the entire group with a weathered grin. "I'll see you children in the evening. We'll have plenty of time to catch up and make introductions then."

"Bye, Grandpa!" Korrina cried, waving alongside her Lucario as the old man began walking down the sloping street.

"Pika-pikaaa!" Pikachu squeaked, waving at the departing Gurkinn as well.

Before Ash and the others could watch Gurkinn make his departure, Carter proceeded towards the hotel, saying, "Alright, children, let's get you all signed into your room."

He approached the front door and opened it, allowing Throh to step inside. Then, he held it open for Ash and the others. Korrina and Lucario were the first to enter, followed by Gordie, who was muttering under his breath about Carter's earlier comments on luxury and pampering.

Finally, Ash and Bea stepped inside the hotel lobby, side by side. It looked rather dull and uninteresting, with beige walls, a couple of paintings of the Isle's landscape, and ancient-looking tables. It was also smaller compared to the lobby of an average Pokémon Center, giving off a rather cramped atmosphere. Once the two entered, Bea was glancing at Ash with wonder.

"Hey, Ash?" she asked, as soon as the cool blast of the active air conditioner hit her.

"Yeah, Bea?" Ash replied, having just finished scratching Pikachu's chin.

"...Seriously, why didn't you tell me- I-I mean, us, that you saved Kalos two years ago?"

"It's like I said earlier, I don't really like to talk about these things." Ash chuckled lightly. "Plus, you know me. Saving the day every week is pretty much my forte at this point."

"Y-Yeah, th-that's true..."

Bea's mind immediately flashed back to all of the times Ash jumped in to help a person or Pokémon in need. It was like helping others was an innate instinct of his. And many times did he risk his life in the process. He nearly got ran over by a flock of rolling Wooloo. He got electrocuted AND poisoned by a Toxel. He was nearly eaten alive by a school of Arrokuda and Barraskewda. He was nearly pecked to death by a flock of Corvisquire. He was caught in the middle of a nasty battle between a Gigantamax Coalossal and Sandaconda.

The list just went on and on and ON. To know that Ash participated in a world-changing event such as the Kalos incident should've been surprising to Bea...but after all that she had been through with him, it really wasn't.

"I've been meaning to ask about that, Ash Ketchum," Carter suddenly piped up.

In fact, he spoke up so abruptly that Bea yipped and straightened up. "M-Ma-Master?!"

"Relax, Bea." However, Carter maintained his focus on Ash. "I witnessed the events of the crisis unfold on live television. But I never got a good look at those who participated in the fight. All I knew was that the Gym Leaders of Kalos, plus an Elite Four member and two Champions, played integral roles."

The door to the hotel closed behind Carter as he stared down upon Ash and Pikachu. The two couldn't help but feel as if they were shrinking under his stern, relentless gaze.

"It is truly...fascinating to know that a person such as yourself would have been the key to decide the fate of the world," Carter concluded.

"A-A person...s-such as myself?" Ash repeated, startled by the choice of words.

"Pikachu?" Pikachu asked.

Carter didn't speak anymore. He simply passed Ash and Bea to rejoin Throh and walk up to the front desk, where an old, exhausted-looking secretary was playing an online Pokémon trading card game. But Ash tore his gaze away from Carter and looked at Bea.

"A person such as myself?" he said again with incredulity.

"That's Master's way of saying you're impressive," clarified Bea.

"Yeah..." Ash's auburn eyes then narrowed with concern. "Speaking of which, what's up with him?"

"Who, Master?" Bea blinked and looked at Carter, who was patiently trying to get the secretary's attention. "I don't know what you're talking about, Ash-"

"You know what I'm talking about." Ash stood in front of Bea, preventing her from stepping forward. "Bea, how could you let him speak to you, speak to all of us, in that tone? To put it mildly, he's...pretty insensitive-"

"You have to understand, Ash," Bea interrupted, her voice stern. "Master Carter was raised to lead the traditional lifestyle of a Galar Karateka. You think I am the pinnacle of Galar Karate? Well, once the Fighting Festival's over and we leave the Isle of Armor, you'll find that my interpretation of the Galar Karate rules and principles is pretty liberal."

"All the more reason for you to stand up to him and his beliefs! Look, I know he's your teacher and all, but-"

"But what?" She crossed her arms. "Did you even listen to a word I just said, Ash?"

"I did, Bea!"

"No, you didn't!"

Absolute incredulity started to fill Ash's face, something Pikachu was pretty quick to notice. Sensing the tenseness of the entire conversation, the Mouse Pokémon chose to hop off his friend's shoulder and join Gordie and Korrina.

"Look," Ash replied, "I just can't believe you're willingly taking all of that criticism from-"

"You think that criticism was horrible?" Bea interrupted. "You should've seen me while I was under his tutelage. He was a tough teacher, Ash. Very tough. He was the kind of teacher who'd make you keep on training even if every bone in your body was broken. And he had no room for emotion. No room for appreciation. No room for generosity. He only expected the best of the best. Add that to the training regiment I went through, Ash."

"That..." The former Champion's eyes were wide with horror. "That's horrible!"

"It was." But Bea raised a clenched fist, her face hardened with resolve. "But even so, he's the person who made me who I am today. He taught me everything I know. He saw my potential and brought it out the only way he could. I would not be here if it wasn't for him."

"B-But Bea-"

"You may disagree with his teaching methods, Ash. You don't have to like him because of his personality. You or Gordie. I too have my reservations. But no matter what, I am not going to sever my ties with Master Carter just because he said a couple of things that sound off-color to you."

"Off-color?!" Ash was outraged by Bea's attitude at this point. "Bea, he just-"

Bea lowered her fist, but it was still clenched. "I would appreciate it if we stopped talking about it altogether now."

"But Bea-"

"Ash."

Ash was silenced by Bea's narrowed eyes. He stared into her cold gray pupils and could see the raging fire burning within them. At that moment, the Pallet Town native knew better than to press on the issue further, lest he wanted to keep one of his limbs out of commission for a whole week. So, with gritted teeth, the boy averted his gaze from his friend, his own fists clenching.

"Is there a problem over there?" a familiar voice asked.

Ash held back a furious growl as he looked up at Carter. The karategi-clad man was staring at him and Bea with his usual cold gaze, his Throh standing beside him in an intimidating pose.

"No, Master," Bea replied, her voice reverting to its usual stoic tone. "Everything's just fine."

With a frustrated sigh, Ash walked over to where Pikachu, Gordie, Korrina, and Lucario were, a table with a stand full of travel brochures. Upon noticing his friend and Trainer approaching, Pikachu smiled.

"Pikapi!" The Mouse Pokémon scurried up to Ash's shoulder, only to notice the irritated look on the Trainer's face. "Pika?"

Gordie turned, a brochure in his hands, and was quick to notice Ash's expression as well. "Yeah, I know. That Carter guy is a total douche, isn't he? And he's got Bea under his spell or something. It's weird."

"L-Look, we're only here for the weekend, right?" Ash flashed Gordie a small smile, an attempt at being optimistic. "We'll just need to tolerate this guy for a couple of days, and then we'll be outta his hair. We'll get back on with our journey like nothing ever happened."

"Sounds like a done deal." Then, Gordie craftily pulled out his Rotom Phone. "But just so you know, Ash, I'll be recording his sorry lil' butt ever chance I can. Ohhhhh, I can't wait till I find something scandalous that I can show on the Internet! My fans'll have a fit, and then he'll-"

"Ah, come on, you guys," Korrina interrupted, her eyes rolling in disbelief as she lowered the brochure she was reading. "Carter Ferrum's not that bad of a guy."

Gordie rolled his eyes as he put his phone back in his pocket. "Yeah, says the gal whose grandfather is all chummy with him in the first place."

"My family has had a long history with the Galar Karateka. And let me tell you, most, if not all, of the Karateka that I've met are that way, in some form or another." The Shalour Gym Leader then glanced at Bea, who was helping Carter catch the attention of the absentminded secretary. "Your friend Bea must be an exception if she's been traveling with you two for so long."

"Bea's a great person," Ash replied, his voice firm and filled with conviction. "Tough, strong, and reliable. I don't see why she's becoming putty in this guy's hands."

"Pika..." Pikachu added in confusion as he trained his eyes on the Stow-on-Side Gym Leader.

Korrina put her hands on her hips. "Look, Ash, I know you've never really been one with tradition, so I'm just gonna just say this: after a couple of days, I think you'll understand exactly what's going on between Bea and Carter."

Ash looked at his old friend. "Well, why don't you just explain it now?"

"Well, something tells me you don't know a lot about the Galar Karateka-"

"Yeah, I do! They're like what the Aura Guardians were, the old protectors and peacekeepers of Galar!"

Korrina crossed her arms. "Then I assume you know what the Eight Principles of Galar Karate are?"

Ash opened his mouth, but no words came out of it. His memory came at an abrupt standstill.

The blonde girl pressed on. "How about the journey of the first Galar Karateka, Siba?"

Still, Ash didn't have a response for her.

"The legend of the first Fighting-type Pokémon to be trained?"

"Ummmmm..."

Ash looked toward Gordie for help, but he too looked just as dumbfounded.

"The story of how the first Karateka Council was founded?" Korrina asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Pikaaaaa..." Pikachu said, confused.

Korrina rolled her eyes. "Or how about the legend of the Isle of Armor?"

"This place has a legend?" Gordie asked.

"Hello! It's the reason why the Fighting Festival was founded in the first place. Bea had to have told you that at the very least." Korrina looked from Ash to Gordie and back with disbelief. "She didn't?"

"I tried telling them," a voice said. Ash and Gordie stood upright at attention as Bea walked up to the group, her tanned face shooting the boys a dissatisfied look. "They kept spacing out. This one-" She pointed at Ash. "Kept yapping on 'bout how he'd have some great battles, while that one-" She pointed at Gordie next. "Had his face stuck in his phone twenty-four seven."

"Can't say I'm surprised," Korrina replied with an amused smile. Then, she noticed Carter and his Throh approaching and smiled at them cheekily. "Didja sign yourselves in?"

"Yes," Carter replied stoically, "after some...urgent prodding."

Gordie could only suppress a derisive snort. Fortunately, the man did not notice; instead, he began walking towards the staircase, which appeared to look rundown.

"Come, children," he continued. "Allow me to show you to your room."

"Agh, finally!" Gordie muttered under his breath. "Let's hope the room is passable compared to the looks of this lobby..."

The rotund boy was the first to follow Carter up the staircase, something he immediately began to regret once he heard the loud, awkward creaking noise that ensued from every step he took. Throh followed close behind, then Bea, and then Korrina and Lucario.

Finally, Ash took his first step on the staircase, but he ignored the ominous creaking. Instead, he momentarily watched Korrina as she made her ascent. Then, he focused his gaze on Bea, who was following her master's every movement as he led the way.

"Well, come to think of it," he thought, "Bea never did tell me a lot about the ways of the Galar Karateka. Or she did and I just wasn't listening... Maybe if I had listened, then I probably would have learned something about them... Understood them..."

"It's... disappointing  to be proven wrong, at the very least."

Ash stared at the ascending form of Carter, whose expression was cold, stoic, and lifeless as usual. It was just like Bea's default expression, only it seemed more colder and judgmental, unlike the analytical feeling Bea's exuded. The sight of it made him clench his fists in anger.

"No... Even so, there's no excuse to treating your old student like that. Something else is going on, something between the two of them, and I'm gonna find out what it is, for Bea's sake!"

"I'm sorry, Master!  I'm sorry! I couldn't be strong for you! I couldn't be strong! I...I failed you, Master! I failed!"

That was the first thing Kubfu remembered as he slowly regained consciousness. With a moan, he instinctively held onto the Braviary's plumage as the Valiant Pokémon followed its flock across the expansive landscape of the Isle of Armor. The lead Braviary cawed mightily as they all soared past a towering mountain and towards the rooftops of Bellum Town.

"Ugh..."

Kubfu slowly began to process more of his surroundings. The cool rush of air blowing against his light-brown fur, the cold sensation of water pooling around the corners of his eyes, the shapeless lights and colors bursting through the blurry veil of his vision...

But all he could think about his master, and how he left her all alone to fend for herself, like a worthless coward...

"Master..."

He felt his grip loosen on the Braviary.

"I fled the fight, Master..."

Not that he cared.

"I left you by yourself, when you needed me the most..."

All motivation left Kubfu's body, and he allowed the forces of nature to dictate what happened next.

"I'm not worthy to be your student, Master. I'm not worthy of my title, my destiny..."

Within seconds, the limp Kubfu fell off Braviary. He could feel the blasts of air rippling below him, hear the chaotic vortex of sound envelop him.

"I should just..."

Through the cacophony of noises all around him, Kubfu could overhear the sounds of humans below him. There seemed to be a festive mood in the air, a jarring mood compared to how he approached certain doom.

"I should just..."

Kubfu didn't bother anymore. Instead, he closed his eyes and waited.

Chapter Text

"Okay... This room doesn't look...too bad..."

Gordie was the first to step into the hotel room. He had his Rotom Phone on and was currently recording the entirety of the room, choosing to do a sweep of it from left to right. Ash entered next, and he scanned the room as well. While it did not look particularly outstanding compared to a Pokémon Center, it didn't look like it was dilapidated or out of use for a long period of time either. The surrounding walls were colored in a hue of pale-yellow, and the two beds were of average size, capable of holding one person each and nothing more.

Ash then focused on the folding doorway at the opposite side of the room. It was closed and locked, but judging by what he observed outside, it likely led to one of the Vecht Hotel's many balconies. He approached a bedside table and opened its lone drawer, which revealed a key inside. Acting on a hunch, the Pallet Town native took it, inserted it into the keyhole of the other doorway, and unlocked it. Once he did, he folded the doors open, and what he saw next truly stunned him.

It was an unobstructed view of Bellum Town in all of its glory. Ash could see the vast expanse of land; the rows and rows of buildings and structures comprising the town; and all the way down to the man-made harbor from which he, Bea, and Gordie came.

"Well," Ash piped up, "it certainly beats sleeping in the middle of Obstagoon territory."

"Pika," Pikachu replied in agreement.

Though he saw the view as well, Gordie tightly pursed his lips with apprehension. With a noncommittal, judgmental hum, he then approached one of the beds and tested the firmness of its mattress. Once he did, he pursed his lips even tighter.

"The bed's not soft, though," he remarked.

Then, he sauntered across the room, towards the bathroom, leaving Ash to approach the other bed. As the raven-haired boy tested the mattress's firmness, he overheard Gordie gasping, then grunting with disappointment.

"This bathroom's small and cramped!" the rotund boy called. "It doesn't even look like anyone's cleaned it in weeks! The toilet can barely fit between the tub and the sink! UGH!"

Ash blinked in surprise, his auburn eyes still trained on the mattress. "Wait, whaddaya mean the bed's not soft, Gordie?!" he called. "This one's pretty soft."

"It is?" Gordie poked his head out of the bathroom doorway, just in time to see Ash pushing down on the mattress with a calloused hand, confirming its softness. "Awwww, jeez! One bed's firm and the other's soft. Where'd they pluck the beds from, a landfill?!"

"Aw, come on, Gordie. At least we've got a good view of the town!"

"Yeah, because our room's in the top floor..." The rotund boy stepped out of the bathroom, his flabby skin crawling with utter disgust and discomfort. He promptly began recording himself with his phone as he began poking at both of the bed mattresses, testing their individual firmness for himself. "Yeesh! This place is so going on Hotel Horrors."

"Ahem."

Ash looked towards the doorway and saw Korrina standing there, her hands on her hips. Her Lucario coolly stood beside her, his eyes closed.

"Hey, Korrina!" he greeted with a smile.

"Hey," Korrina replied, though she continued watching Gordie as he filmed every nook and cranny of the room. "Uh, does your friend do this all the time?"

"Hm?" Ash looked at Gordie as well, just in time to see him apprehensively open the drawer for a dressing table, as if he was expecting an Ariados to be hidden inside, waiting to pounce. "Yeah. He's a vlogger. He's recording our entire journey through Galar."

"A vlogger, huh?" Korrina smiled nostalgically. "I remember trying to introduce Grandpa to Pokévision. By the time I was done, he looked like his head was about to explode like a bomb!"

Ash struggled to contain a snicker. "To be honest, things like that aren't my style either. I prefer to be out in nature for as long and as much as possible."

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu squeaked.

Korrina nodded. "Yeah, so I've noticed. So many times too."

"Heh heh heh." Then, once his chuckling died down, Ash shrugged hopefully. "But, I suppose learning stuff like vlogging has its uses too." In that moment, the boy noticed a peculiar absence and looked over Korrina's shoulder. "Hey, uh, have you seen Bea?"

"Bea? Oh." Korrina pointed to her right, further down the hallway outside. "She's staying in the next room. That's where Carter's staying at too."

Ash's bright expression immediately fell upon hearing that name. He could imagine Bea being stuck in the room next to his, being chewed out by her mentor at every opportunity. It was an unbearable thought to have, knowing the strict and no-nonsense yet kind and insightful girl was sharing the same space as someone so ruthlessly judgmental.

"Oh..." he said.

Korrina immediately noticed Ash's downcast expression and furrowed her brow with concern. Then, she put her finger on her chin and began quickly thinking of something. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she snapped her fingers.

"Ah-ha!" she exclaimed with a bright smile.

Ash's head perked up like an alert Watchog. "Ah-ha? Whaddaya mean 'ah-ha'?"

"You know, since Bea never told you about the legend of the Isle of Armor, I might as well do it myself!"

"The legend of the Isle of Armor?!" As expected, Ash's attention was piqued, and all thoughts about Bea were forced to the rearmost corner of his mind. "Wow! Tell us all about it, Korrina!"

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu cried with excitement. His beady auburn eyes were gleaming with wonder.

"The legend of the Isle of Armor, ehhh?" asked Gordie. His attention was finally averted from the dressing table, and he aimed his Rotom Phone in Korrina's direction. "Now this is something that I should record for my fans' enjoyment!"

Korrina's smile became brighter. "That's awesome! Well, then-"

She was about to begin her explanation when she felt a finger tap on her shoulder. The Shalour Gym Leader turned and saw, to her surprise, Bea standing right behind her. Her expression was cold and stoic as usual, but her frown was more pronounced, indicating her annoyance. Beside her right leg was her ever-trusty Machop; she had evidently summoned it from its Poké Ball in her own hotel room.

"Hold on there, Korrina," the tan-skinned girl said, sounding as calm as one can be in her situation. "If anyone's going to recount the Isle of Armor's legend, it will be me, a girl experienced in the ways of the Galar Karateka. Not some glorified girl with a Lucario."

"...I'm gonna ignore that last sentence," Korrina replied. She stepped aside, allowing Bea and Machop to enter the hotel room. "B-By all means, though."

"Hmph."

"Hey, Bea!" Gordie greeted, just as he began recording with his Rotom Phone. "B-By the way, could you complain to your mentor that the quality of the beds is inconsistent and-"

"I'll do no such thing, Gordie," interrupted Bea. "I happened to overhear your curiosity about the legend, and after many botched attempts at educating you tourists-" She shot Ash and Pikachu an irritated glance. "-All there is to know about the island, I am going to seize this opportunity to finally do so. Nothing more, nothing less."

Ash and Pikachu both chuckled at the same time and sheepishly scratched their cheeks.

"S-Sorry for ignoring you all those other times, Bea..." Ash said.

"Pika, pika," Pikachu added apologetically.

"Hrm..."

Bea promptly walked over to the center of the room and sat down, making sure her legs were crossed. Machop followed suit, and the Superpower Pokémon and its Trainer then looked up at Ash, Gordie, and Korrina with expectant looks. In an instant, Korrina and Lucario sat close to Bea, and that was when Ash and Gordie realized what they were expected to do. In a rushed manner, the two boys sat around to Bea as well, with the group quickly forming a circle. Ash sat right beside Bea and looked into her face, his auburn eyes gleaming with enthusiasm, something Bea was forced to ignore.

"You guys are all aware of the legendary birds, I assume?" she asked.

"Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres?" Gordie replied. "Well, who hasn't?"

"I've met them several times before," Ash piped up.

"Pika, pikachu," Pikachu squeaked in agreement.

Korrina and Gordie glanced at Ash incredulously, with the latter instinctively aiming his phone at him. Bea too gawked at her traveling companion for a moment before clearing her throat, catching the attention of the others.

"A-Anyway," she said, "they play a significant role in the legend. Normally, the legendary birds do not reside on the Isle of Armor, or anywhere else in Galar, for that matter. But they have been here once before, many millennia ago. And that was because of the calamity that befell the Isle."

"Calamity?" Ash asked, piqued.

Bea nodded. "The Dark Titans."

"The...Dark Titans...?" asked Gordie. Then, his eyes started to widen. "Wait, don't tell me-"

"I'm afraid so." Bea clenched her fists, just as a sensation of foreboding fell upon the room. "They're dark counterparts of the legendary birds, hailing from an alternate reality that is the complete opposite of ours in every way."

"An alternate reality?" Ash asked incredulously.

"Pika?!" Pikachu squeaked.

"Yes. A reality where evil reigns supreme. And to think, the Dark Titans were only a fragment of that reality that had only managed to make its way into ours through a cavalcade of statistical anomalies. We were quite lucky all those years ago, because the Dark Titans were powerful in their own right too.

"First there was Dark Moltres, the Fiery Demon. It was a master of dark energy, and it was guided by its emotions, which comprised nothing more than rage, hatred, envy. Wherever it went, death and misery followed. It thrived from suffering, which it inflicted many times over on many communities.

"Then there was Dark Zapdos, the Electric Brute. It couldn't fly for long periods of time like the other Dark Titans...but it made up for this shortcoming with its breakneck speed. And then there was its need to challenge others and defeat them in battle, no matter what the cost was. It was bloodthirsty in that regard.

"And finally, there was the worst Dark Titan of all. Dark Articuno, otherwise known as the Cold Warlock. Dark Moltres and Dark Zapdos were insatiable, uncontrollable, and feared on their own. But Dark Articuno, it was the only one that could reign both in, and that was when they were at their absolute worst. And even without Dark Moltres and Dark Zapdos, the worst of them all would have to be Dark Articuno, because while the other two preferred physical combat, Dark Articuno simply relished in psychological warfare. It was able to penetrate the minds of its opponents and torture them with their worst fears or greatest insecurities."

"Arceus," Gordie commented. "All three of them sound truly awful on their own."

"They were," replied Bea. "And with their three powers combined, they were able to devastate the Isle of Armor dozens of times over. The real legendary birds tried to intervene, but they were no match to the powers of their dark, alternate counterparts. And the Dark Titans were ready to inflict that same kind of destruction across the globe too, had Urshifu and the Hero not arrived."

"Urshifu and the Hero?" Ash repeated, intrigued.

"Yes. Back then, they were like a Trainer and their Pokémon, but they were more than just that. They were members of the Galar Karateka. Extremely skilled members. Even Master Carter would bow before them in respect."

Ash shifted uncomfortably at the sound of Carter's name, but he allowed Bea to continue.

"Using their skills in Galar Karate, Urshifu and the Hero defeated the Dark Titans and sealed them away in three spheres. The Hero found the perfect hiding spots for those spheres and hid them there. Legend has it that those spheres are still somewhere on the Isle, hidden from the scrutiny of the public."

"I sense a but coming up!" Gordie remarked.

Bea glared at him with a disapproving frown. "But, in spite of this victory, Urshifu and the Hero knew, deep down in their hearts, that this concealment wouldn't last forever. They only managed to weaken the Dark Titans, not send them back to the reality from which they came. They knew the Dark Titans would recover from their wounds one of these days, and when they did, they would rise again and try to what they had started. So they started teaching Urshifu's child, Kubfu-"

"Wait, Urshifu had a child?" Ash interrupted.

"Pika?!" Pikachu squeaked.

"Yes." Bea shot the two of them another disapproving frown. "Don't tell me you two forgot all about evolution."

"Heh heh heh..." Ash sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I've never seen an Urshifu before, I assumed it would be one of those rare Pokémon with no evolved or pre-evolved forms."

"Well, Urshifu does have a pre-evolved form, and its name is Kubfu."

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry for doubting you, Bea."

Bea pursed her lips ambiguously before continuing. "A-Anyway, as I was saying, Urshifu's child Kubfu began learning the ways of Galar Karate from its parent and the Hero. It even began learning the most mystical and antiquated techniques, stuff that only the most dedicated and traditional of Galar Karateka would pursue. It honed its talents and trained itself to the bone until it evolved into another Urshifu and had a Kubfu child of its own."

"And lemme guess," Gordie piped up. "This new Urshifu taught its child everything it knew about Galar Karate too."

Bea shot Gordie an annoyed glance, but she replied, "Yeah. It's a process that's continued for many generations, to this day. Even after the numbers of the Galar Karateka dwindled to what you see today, there's an Urshifu training its Kubfu child somewhere on the Isle."

"Really?" Ash asked, his auburn eyes gleaming with awe.

"Or so the legend goes." Bea glanced out of the open balcony. "No one's seen an Urshifu or a Kubfu for a long time ago. No one's even seen the spheres that the Dark Titans were locked away in. The Hero hid them away really good. Suffice to say, no one's worried about them nowadays."

"Wait, what about the Hero?" Ash asked curiously. "What happened to him? Or her?"

"...They died, obviously."

Ash sweat-dropped with embarrassment. "O-Oh. I-I was just, well... I was expecting something more about the Hero in the legend, but-"

Bea cut him off. "If you're talking about some prophecy that says whoever gets to control Urshifu, they become the next Hero, then you can forget about it, Ash. Other legends featuring Urshifu describe it as a fiercely independent Pokémon. It wouldn't bend over for just anyone. It only trusts those who adhere to the old ways of the Galar Karate."

"Wow," Gordie replied sardonically. "Sounds like your precious mentor Carter would fit that bill quite nicely..."

Bea closed her eyes. "I appreciate the praise, Gordie, but even Master Carter would not live up to an Urshifu's standards. A person who could ever hope to command an Urshifu must be knowledgeable of even the most outdated and antiquated of Galar Karate principles and techniques. For example, this person must be spiritually pure and have shunned all of his worldly, material possessions in favor of complete immersion with nature. In layman's terms, he must spend his days in the forest, meditating, with no home to go to."

"And you mean to tell us that your mentor doesn't do any of that stuff?"

"He goes home to his handmade hut in the woods when night sets in."

"A handmade hut would count as a home?!" Gordie aimed his Rotom Phone at himself. "Didja hear that, guys? The Galar Karateka sure were crazy in the old days!"

"They weren't crazy at all, Gordie." Bea opened her eyes and glanced at her traveling companion with disapproval. "Galar Karate, during its formative years, was about completely purifying one's heart and soul through a spiritual union with the lands, seas, and skies. That spiritual union is called...well, a Union. And a Union isn't something that can't be formed so easily. Galar Karateka spend their entire lives immersing themselves in nature, with the hopes of establishing it, and only a select few have reported success."

"What's this Union like?" asked Ash.

"The Galar Karateka are bound by law to not say a thing about it, Ash," Korrina replied. "Everything that we know about what happens comes from secondhand accounts, and those are pretty vague too."

"Galar Karateka who succeed in establishing a Union are reported to have transcended the boundaries of time and space whenever they form a spiritual union with nature," Bea added. "They forget all of the concepts that anchor other people to the world, like truth and ideals, life and death, tradition and modernity. If I were to describe it as a sensation, it'd be like...feeling as if you're sitting outside of the Universe."

Ash blinked, impressed. "Oh, wow..."

"Pika..." Pikachu added with awe.

The boy's intrigue was escalating by the second. "How does someone go about doing that? Forming this Union?"

"You can forget about it, Ash," Bea replied flatly. "It's just like I said earlier, you have to forget about everything you love and cherish, and just let your surroundings take over."

"Really? I have to forget about everything I love? Even my friends and family?"

"Yes, even them."

"Even Pokémon battles?"

"Yes, even that."

"Even Pikachu?"

"Yes. Even him."

Ash looked at Pikachu disbelievingly. "Wow... I...I can't imagine even forgetting about Pikachu..."

"Pika-pikachu, Pikapi," Pikachu replied.

"To walk the path of Galar Karate, the old Galar Karate, requires an unspeakable amount of personal sacrifice," explained Bea. "In the ancient world, there wasn't a lot of material possessions and concerns at stake, so it was relatively easy for someone to commit themselves to establishing a Union, should they decide to pursue that path. Even the most average person could have pulled it off. But with the modernization of human civilization, it became harder for people to let go of the things they cherished."

"And that's why Galar Karate became more of a casual pastime than a grand pursuit to many," a new voice said abruptly. Everyone glanced at the doorway and saw-

"Master Carter," Bea greeted. She stood on her feet and bowed, as did her Machop.

Carter nodded back. "I see you're educating your friends on the history of our school."

"Yes. They were asking about the legend behind the Isle of Armor, so I decided to inform them about it."

"So I've heard." Carter stared at Ash and Gordie. "Do not be carried away on whether the legend is authentic or not. It's less of a legend and more of a fable for those who strive to establish their own Union. Something to encourage them and keep their morals consistent."

"Well, we were just curious-" began Ash.

"You wished to see an Urshifu and a Kubfu in person, did you?" Carter interrupted.

"H-Huh? We-Well, y-yeah." Ash raised a clenched fist and gave Bea's mentor a determined smile. "I've made it my life's mission to meet and befriend all the Pokémon the world has to offer!"

"And I've made it my life's mission to record all of them for my vlog!" Gordie added.

"Is that so?" However, Carter scowled at them. "Then I suppose you two will forever be unsuccessful in your endeavors."

Ash blinked incredulously. "Pardon us?"

"Urshifu and Kubfu can sense the intentions of people, even from great distances. It's like a sixth sense. And they make sure they stay away from those they deem to be unworthy." Carter approached the two boys and looked down at them. "I have no doubt in my mind that your motives would be considered unworthy to them."

"Excuse me?!" Carter shot up on his feet, affronted. "What exactly is so wrong about recording Urshifu and Kubfu on my vlog?!"

"Or meeting and making friends with them?!" added Ash.

Carter simply closed his eyes and turned away. "So it seems that you two have gleaned absolutely nothing from the tale. Galar Karate is all about distancing oneself from the material world and dedicating oneself to the spiritual world. Emotion has no part in the practice, and it absolutely shouldn't."

"Ah, wow," Gordie snarled, his eyelid twitching nastily. "No wonder you're such a KJ, then."

Carter slowly, calmly looked over his shoulder. "Oh? How so?"

"You don't see any sort of fun in the material world. Or, rather, you refuse to see it."

"You wouldn't either, young child, if you kept that phone of yours in your pocket for at least a single hour." Carter briefly glanced at Ash and Pikachu, who hadn't spoken at all but were scowling up at him. "If you walked down the path of the Galar Karateka, then I assure you, you would have a lot to learn about the world that surrounds you."

Ash and Gordie opened their mouths to protest, but Carter flicked his head away and walked out of the hotel room. Bea watched him go with a flat, emotionless expression on her face. As for her Machop, it was looking between him and the boys, evidently torn over whose side to take. Once Carter had departed from the room, Korrina, who hadn't said a word and fallen silent throughout the entire conversation, abruptly stood up and stretched out her arms.

"Well, that just about concludes the legend of the Isle of Armor, you guys!" she exclaimed, her normally cheerful, upbeat voice sounding a little shaken. "So, whaddaya suppose we should do next, Ash?"

However, Ash wasn't listening to Korrina. Instead, he shot Bea a disapproving glance.

"I...I can't believe you didn't stand up for us on this, Bea," he said.

"What're you talking about?" Bea replied. She looked at the raven-haired boy and gave him a pronounced frown. "That is indeed the way of the Galar Karateka. The way of Galar Karate itself. Why do you think I've been so insistent on sleeping outside all the time?"

"I thought it was some environmentalist trend you were trying to follow-" began Gordie.

"And what about all of my training methods? You know, making myself a punching bag for my own Pokémon? Running till my muscles were literally shredded? Doing one-armed pushups with rocks on my back? Where do you think I learned all of that from?"

"Look, Bea," Ash replied, "I understand he's your mentor and all, but-"

"But what, Ash?" Bea crossed her arms. "Master Carter taught me everything I needed to know about the world."

Ash blinked slowly, and his mouth went slightly agape. "And what about us, Bea? What about me and Gordie? A-Are you saying we didn't teach you anything you needed to know about the world?"

Bea hitched her breath. She felt so compelled to argue against Ash's point, but before she could even utter a decibel, the memories she had of the past couple of months flashed through her mind. How she, Ash, and Gordie worked together to help a Galarian Ponyta find its mother. How Gordie roped her and Ash into filming a special promotional video for one of his sponsors. How she and Pikachu got separated from the boys, leaving her to take care of Pikachu by herself. How the three of them jumped in to save a girl named Marnie from a group of hooligans harassing her.

How she first met Ash, in the depths of a cave in the Wild Area...

"Are you saying anything you learned and experienced with us doesn't count at all...?" Ash asked, pulling Bea out of her thoughts.

"I-I didn't mean that," Bea replied in a stutter.

"Then why don't you ever speak up against Carter?" The boy's auburn eyes softened. "I know you, Bea. I know you don't really believe him when he says there's nothing in the material world to enjoy. I know you don't, Bea. Not after all of the things that we've been through."

Bea opened her mouth, compelled to say something, but once again, she couldn't muster the willpower to defend her old mentor in Ash's face. She closed it, then opened it again, only to close it once again, unsure of what to say. Finally, with blurring vision, she turned away from Ash, Gordie, and Korrina.

"That's not fair, Ash," she said quietly.

"What's not fair?!" Ash exclaimed. "Choosing between your friends and your old teacher?!"

"Yes, that." Bea clenched her fists tightly, eliciting a concerned sound from Machop. "That's absolutely unfair. You..." Her fists started to tremble. "You may not like Master Carter and his worldview, Ash, but...he still taught me things that I...I consider very important to me. And for you to think...he's absolutely wrong about everything..."

She twirled around and faced Ash. What he and the others saw next stunned them: unbeknownst to her, she had started crying.

"I cannot abide that, Ash! Not at all!"

"Yo, Bea!" Gordie exclaimed with concern. "I-It's less about whether the dude's right about the world and more about his overall attitude-"

"Which you cannot even begin to fully grasp, Gordie!" Bea snapped. "The Galar Karateka are supposed to be distant from all material things! And to do that, you must detach yourself from your baser emotions! D-Does it make a Galar Karateka sound like an inconsiderate jerk to many?! Yes! I'm not gonna argue against that! But if it's for the sake of becoming one step closer to establishing a Union, then it's a sacrifice that the Galar Karateka are willing to make! Y-You guys can't just dismiss that so easily!"

"What about you, Bea?" Ash asked. "Are you trying to establish a Union?"

Bea remained deathly silent for a moment, before replying, "And what if I say I am?"

"The things you must sacrifice in order to do that..." Gordie said. "I...I can't see you doing that. So I don't know why you are just defending this guy like he's a-"

Bea stomped her foot angrily, startling Ash and Gordie. "W-What happens between me and Master Carter is none of your business, you guys! If you're not gonna agree with him, fine! I've got no right to convince you otherwise! But DON'T you dare treat him like the enemy. He's done whatever he can to accommodate you during your stay here! And regardless of what he does or says, he's still an important person to me! A very, very...v-very important part of my...m-my life..." Bea suddenly sniffled. "So please do me a favor and at least fake your respect for him!"

Ash and Gordie tried to respond, but Bea turned on her heel and marched out of the hotel room. Machop squeaked after its Trainer, but it was unsuccessful in stopping her. The Superpower Pokémon shot Ash, Pikachu, and Gordie one last look of apology before running after Bea, calling after her all the while.

Ash also prepared to follow Bea when he felt someone grab his wrist, stopping him. He looked over his shoulder and saw that it was Korrina, who shook her head at him.

"Let her go, Ash," she said. "I think this conversation's gone on long enough."

"But-" Ash began.

"Trust me, Ash. Let her simmer for a while. Now, I may not have known Bea for a while, but..." The Shalour Gym Leader glanced at the doorway. "It sounds like you got a little too personal there."

Ash blinked and glanced at the doorway too. His auburn pupils shone with the utmost concern for his friend, the first one he made in Galar.

"Bea..."

"Stupid Ash. Stupid Gordie. Stupid, stupid Ash. He doesn't know anything. And why should he? He's just a stupid tourist. A stupid, reckless, brainless tourist!"

Bea slammed a clenched fist against the closed, mahogany door of her own hotel room. Machop stood beside her ankle, looking up at her with uncertainty. Further inside the room, her Machamp was doing push-ups, alternating between two pairs of arms, while her Machoke was sweating and panting with exhaustion from its multiple sit-ups. Beside Machoke, Carter's Throh was also doing sit-ups, but with much more ease compared to the Superpower Pokémon. Although Bea's outburst did absolutely nothing to dissuade them from their physical training, all three Fighting-type Pokémon also had their eyes trained on their Trainer, wondering what Ash did to exasperate her this time.

"He doesn't know a darn thing," Bea muttered furiously as she stomped over to her bed and sat down on it. "He says all he wants to do is get along with everyone, but he's dismissing Master Carter? All because, what, he's distant and brutally honest? If he thinks that's not normal behavior at all, then he should start learning Galar Karate, the-the idiot! He really needs that lesson of self-preservation, anyway! The tourist just likes to dive headfirst into danger without thinking about the consequences! Master Carter would teach him a thing or two about saving one's own skin-"

"I appreciate the thought, Bea," a cold voice piped up.

Bea hitched her breath, shot up from her bed, and bowed her head. "M-Ma-Master Carter!" she squeaked.

Even though she wasn't staring into her old mentor's face, she could hear the disappointed expression that he was giving her.

"It seems those friends of yours are even more of a negative influence on you than I thought," he said. "I've never heard that much words coming out of your mouth before. And with such an emotionally-charged tone." Carter strolled through the room, walking past his former student. "Now I know you told me you weren't interested in establishing a Union, but regardless of the goal that you wish to pursue and fulfill, strong emotions are one of the major obstacles to your success. The more attached you feel to a certain person, object, or concept, the more the world weighs you down and away from your purpose. You remember that, right?"

"Y-Yes, Master! I-I mean..." Bea cleared her throat and said more calmly, "Yes, Master. I remember."

"When I first heard from your father that you were traveling with friends, I had my concerns," continued Carter. "And...it seems my concerns were well-founded. There are very few people in the world who truly understand Galar Karate, and I simply couldn't comprehend the statistics that it would've taken for you to meet and travel with like-minded brethren."

Bea didn't say anything. Instead, she pursed her lips while Carter continued to speak. In total contrast, Machop watched Carter with a look of disapproval, as did Machoke; Machamp averted its gaze while continuing to commit itself to its four-armed exercises.

"Now that I've met your companions, I can see why you're so emotional now, Bea. You've allowed yourself to share your presence with those who are tethered to the physical world... A world that has become more and more preoccupied with its material possessions..." Carter pursed his lips. "A world I can't even begin to understand..."

"Are you saying anything you learned and experienced with us doesn't count at all...?"

Ash's question echoed within Bea's mind, and with it, her heart felt like it was being tugged by a nagging feeling. But she knew what that feeling was. Emotions. Emotions that she felt whenever she was around Ash...

"I...I just thought that traveling with them would expose me to...to multiple viewpoints..." Bea replied, doing her best to keep her emotions in check. "I-I mean...i-isn't the point of distancing yourself from the concerns of the material world to render oneself neutral in the face of differing opinions?"

"I suppose so," said an indifferent Carter.

"Th-Then...h-how could I do that without...you know, testing myself in that regard?"

Carter blinked. "So you wished to test the strength and solidity of your resolve by allowing yourself to be in the presence of those who are opinionated and tethered to the material world, but refusing to be moved by their influence?"

"Co-Correct." Bea cleared her throat as she raised her head and stared at her mentor. "After all, you know what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object."

"The unstoppable force simply goes through the unfazed immovable object." Carter wrinkled his brow. "If that really was your strategy, Bea, then I'm afraid you're not succeeding at it, judging by your...emotional indiscretions."

"It's, uh... I-It's a work in progress, Master. You can't reach the ore within a rock without chipping the rock away first."

"I suppose so..."

With that, the man snapped his fingers, prompting Throh to stop doing its sit-ups and stand back up on his feet. For an infinitesimal moment, Machoke froze, hoping this meant its sit-up regiment would also come to a well-deserved end. But Bea didn't say anything as Throh walked over to his Trainer, prompting Machoke to moan with exasperation and resume its exercises.

"Bea," Carter continued, "I'm going out to acquire some food. I know your friends won't approve of my choices for them, so you may inform them that the Vecht Hotel has a continental breakfast if they're ever interested."

"Or I could tell them there's a Poké Mart a couple of blocks away," Bea thought. However, she bowed her head again and replied, "Okay, Master."

Carter nodded curtly and left the hotel room. As soon as he was gone, Bea relaxed her posture and heaved out a heavy, emotional sigh.

"Master Carter's made up his mind about Ash and Gordie. The moment he heard they're Trainers, he lost any respect he might've had for them..."

"Yo, Bea! I-It's less about whether the dude's right about the world and more about his overall attitude-"

Bea sighed once again and stood up from the bed. She wheeled around on her heel and observed Machamp and Machoke as they continued their exercises.

"Alright, you guys," she said. "That's enough exercises for today."

Using the two arms that were currently planted to the floor, Machamp shot itself back up to its feet and flexed all four of its arms to soothe the strain in its bulging muscles. As for Machoke, it heaved out a relieved sigh and sat up, hot beads of sweat dripping down its musculature like dewdrops after a rainy day. With a squeak, Machop promptly waddled over to Bea's bag and started rummaging through it.

But Bea disregarded her three Pokémon. Instead, she walked over to the balcony her room also had, the doors of which were currently open, allowing the bright sunlight and cool breezes of wind to flow inside. Stepping through the doorway and slightly leaning against the railing, Bea took in the view of Bellum Town, afforded to her by the balcony. She closed her eyes and absorbed the sounds of the citizens and tourists in the streets below, celebrating and going about their day without a care in the world...

While she was up in the topmost floor of the Vecht Hotel, all alone, torn between respecting her old mentor and sticking with her good friends until the very end...

It almost felt like she was at the top of a tall, towering mountain, all alone, suffering from the cold solitude of her current existence...

In that moment, a familiar pair of voices reached Bea's ears, and she thrust her eyes open with a soft gasp.

"Ash," she thought. "Korrina..."

It was a conversation between Ash and Korrina that she was overhearing. Although she could not hear the exact details, she could tell from their tones that Korrina was comforting Ash and dissuading him from confronting Bea.

"Ahhh, you've always been such a humble young man. It's no wonder Korrina likes you!"

Gurkinn's words from earlier filled Bea's heart with worry. From what Ash had told her about his experiences with Korrina in Kalos, it was clear the two of them were really good friends. But, of course, "friends" just didn't seem to encapsulate the sort of relationship anyone would have with Ash. Especially a girl. Bea couldn't stop herself from wondering if Ash's selfless, compassionate nature had caused Korrina to develop something for the Pallet Town native.

Just like it did with...

"Now that I've met your companions, I can see why you're so emotional now, Bea. You've allowed yourself to share your presence with those who are tethered to the physical world... A world that has become more and more preoccupied with its material possessions..."

"UGH!" Bea clutched her head. "I've gotta stop thinking like that... I've gotta stop thinking like that, I've gotta stop that, I've gotta stop that, I've gotta stop, I've gotta stop, I've gotta stop, I've gotta stop..."

She continued rambling to herself, prompting Machamp, Machoke, and Machop to look at one another with concern. But, to their relief, their Trainer quickly calmed down and leaned against the railing again.

"What am I gonna do...?" she whispered to herself. "I'm too wrapped up in my feelings, and I have a duty to steel myself and stay dedicated to my goal...and yet...I..."

She fell silent, unsure of what to say next. A breeze blew across the balcony, causing her gray hair and black-and-orange blow to flutter. It was colder than the previous breezes that she felt, cooling down the temperature on her skin. But she didn't care. Instead, she closed her eyes, as if she was in wait...

"Master..."

He felt his grip loosen.

"I fled the fight, Master..."

Not that he cared.

"I left you by yourself, when you needed me the most..."

All motivation left his body, and he allowed the forces of nature to dictate what happened next.

"I'm not worthy to be your student, Master. I'm not worthy of my title, my destiny..."

Within seconds, he fell off his savior's plumage. He could feel the blasts of air rippling below him, hear the chaotic vortex of sound envelop him.

"I should just..."

Through the cacophony of noises all around him, he could hear the sounds of humans below him. There seemed to be a festive mood in the air, a jarring mood compared to how he approached certain doom.

"I should just..."

He didn't bother anymore. Instead, he closed his eyes and waited.

The Sun shone against Bea's eyes, causing her to see red through her closed eyelids. However, when that red turned into black, and it suddenly became cooler than usual, the tan-skinned girl quickly opened her eyes.

A split-second later, a blur of white and light-gray collided straight into her face.

Chapter Text

"What am I gonna do?" Bea whispered to herself. "I'm too wrapped up in my feelings, and I have a duty to steel myself and stay dedicated to my goal...and yet...I..."

She fell silent, unsure of what to say next. A breeze blew across the balcony that the girl stood on, causing her gray hair and black-and-orange blow to flutter. It was colder than the previous breezes that she felt, cooling down the temperature on her skin. But she didn't care. Instead, she closed her eyes, as if she was in wait. The Sun shone against Bea's eyes, causing her to see red through her closed eyelids. However, when that red changed into black, and it suddenly became cooler than usual, the tan-skinned girl quickly opened her eyes.

A split-second later, a blur of white and light-gray collided straight into her face.

"AGH!" she screamed, stumbling into the room and startling her Machamp, Machop, and Machoke. "Agh, AGH! W-What is this?!" She then grabbed at the object now clutching at her face, only to realize it was surprisingly soft and furry. "Get off me!"

"Uuuuughhhhh..."

Before Bea could pause at the sound, she heard a familiar voice yell out, "Bea?! Bea!" The silver-haired girl then heard a storm of footsteps run up to her doorway. "Bea, are you alright?! Answer me?!"

Bea tried to answer, but Ash was already saying like the idiot he was, "I'm kicking down the door!"

"Are you crazy, Ash?!" Gordie exclaimed. "What if he finds out and makes us pay the fine?!"

"B-But we don't know if Bea's in trouble!"

"Don't you dare kick down the door, Ash!" Bea snapped, her eyes widening in alarm as she finally pried the object off her face, her three Pokémon sighing in relief at her unscathed features. "I swear to Arceus, if you do that, I am gonna make sure you regret it for the rest of your life!"

"Well," Korrina's voice replied, her voice exhibiting casual relief, "sounds like Bea's doing fine."

"A-Are you sure, Bea?!" Ash called.

"Pika?!" Pikachu squeaked, his own voice filled with equaled concern.

"Well, I'm still breathing, if that's what you are worried about..." Bea replied. She then looked at the object in her hands, and a split-second later, she could barely suppress her gasp of shock.

It was a small, dark-gray Pokémon that almost reminded her of a Stufful. It had a face with slightly scruffy fur on the top of its head and its cheeks; three-clawed paws; two-toed, triangular feet; a small, ivory-white tuft of fur on its chest that was shaped like a bow; and a pair of black eyebrows. It also had small, dark-brown eyes that were currently half-lidded; a light-yellow mouth; a black, round nose; two little black marks on its chin; and a black, spiky tail.

It looked just like the Kubfu she'd seen in storybook artwork, all the way down to the last detail...

BANG!

"AGH!" Bea nearly jumped out of her skin the moment her hotel door flew open, and Ash, Gordie, Korrina, and Korrina's Lucario rushed into the room. "WHAT THE?! ASH! I TOLD YOU NOT TO KICK DOWN THE DOOR!"

"H-Huh?" Ash looked over his shoulder, then back at her, and a pink color started to flood his cheeks. "Oh, so-sorry 'bout that, Bea." Then, his eyes widened slightly in concern. "B-But you weren't speaking, s-so I thought-"

"So you thought you could kick down my door without minding your own manners?!" The girl heaved out an exasperated sigh. "No matter what the situation, you act just like a tourist."

"W-Well," Korrina replied nervously, looking over her shoulder to examine the damage, "Ash didn't exactly kick down the door, s-so I'd-"

"Yes, like that makes it any better," Bea interrupted with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey, uhhhhh, Bea?" Gordie piped up, lifting his hand to slightly lower his sunglasses at Kubfu. "Wha-What's that in your hands?"

"Huh?" The girl looked down at the Pokémon she was holding; it was limp and apparently unconscious. "I...I don't know. It...just flew right into my face-"

"W-Wait up, it flew into your face?!" exclaimed Ash. He immediately stood in front of Bea and leaned in towards her face, which prompted Bea to blush intensely. "Are you sure you're okay?!"

"Pika?!" Pikachu squeaked in equal concern; his head was tilted to get a better angle of his friend's face.

"W-W-Wh-Wh-What does it l-l-lo-look like, i-idiot?!" Bea looked away, trying her best to maintain her current headstrong, stubborn demeanor. "Y-You don't have to act like a mom about it!"

With that, she instantly stepped away from Ash's prying, analytical eyes and held out Kubfu for both Gordie and Korrina to see. As she had earlier suspected, it was unconscious, its eyes closed and its body still; it was still breathing, but only faintly so.

"What is it?" Korrina asked curiously, while her Lucario let out a soft, slightly raspy gasp.

"I dunno," Gordie replied, his eyes as wide as saucers. "But I don't think I've ever seen that Pokémon before!"

"Whoa..." Ash vocalized, having finally joined the others in examining Kubfu. "It looks like a Stufful or a Teddiursa..."

"Whatever it is..." Gordie promptly whipped out his Rotom Phone and began a recording. "It's going up on my vlog!"

"The only place this Pokémon is going," Bea snarled, promptly holding Kubfu close to her chest in a protective stance, "is a Pokémon Center. Clearly it needs medical attention!"

"R-Right..." Gordie put his phone away in a mixture of embarrassment and disappointment. "Pokémon Center. Gotcha."

"But what about Grandpa?" Korrina asked. "A-And Master Carter?"

"I'll leave them a note." Bea looked around briefly, then she faced Machamp, who, along with Machop and Machoke, had been standing beside Ash, examining the unconscious Kubfu. "Machamp, d'you know where the notepad and pen are?"

The Superpower Pokémon gave her a soft grunt in response, before walking over towards a desk. Meanwhile, Bea's eyes widened when she felt something tugging softly yet desperately at her shirt. She looked down at Kubfu and realized that it was subconsciously trying to feel her warmth.

"M... Master..."

"Huh?!"

Bea looked up and saw Ash, Korrina, and Gordie all looking flabbergasted; Gordie was looking around the room dumbly.

"D'you hear that?" asked Korrina.

"Yeah," Ash replied, his auburn eyes just as wide as Bea's and his voice filled with awe. "It's telepathy..."

"Pika..." Pikachu squeaked.

At that point, Machamp returned to Bea, holding a notepad and a black pen. She took the pen and began writing on the notepad while her strongest Pokémon held it out for her. As she scribbled on the paper, the silver-haired girl continued to look down at Kubfu, whose face was now scrunched up and puckered with intense emotion, like he was on the throes of a terrible nightmare...

Bea tapped her fingertips together in an almost rhythmic fashion as she remained seated in the Pokémon Center lobby. A heavily concerned Ash was circling around the lobby repeatedly, trying to move and therefore shake off the energy that he accumulated from all of the concern that he felt, first towards Bea and now towards Kubfu. Korrina was seated on the other side of the lobby, directly across the aisle from Bea, with her ever-trusty and loyal Lucario sitting beside her; both of their heads were hanging, and Bea knew they were probably trying to hone in their Aura-using abilities. Finally, Gordie was leaning against the wall beside Bea, recording the front lobby with his Rotom Phone in an apparent attempt to pass the time.

As Bea continued to wait for an update from Nurse Joy on Kubfu's condition, she began to reflect on the events that had occurred over the past fifteen minutes or so. It had taken the group a bit of a while to find the local Pokémon Center, as it had moved to another part of Bellum Town and they had to find an up-to-date map that could divulge its whereabouts. Throughout that passage of time, Bea found herself becoming more and more protective of Kubfu. After all, what good, responsible Galar Karateka wouldn't, given Kubfu was one of the centerpieces of its mythology? From the moment where she first laid her eyes on it and identified it, she knew that she had made an important discovery, and there was no way she could jeopardize its safety.

And besides, Kubfu's appearance might be a sign...

The moment that thought crossed Bea's mind, her eyes narrowed slightly. One part of her chided her for thinking of such a silly and childish notion, for thinking that Kubfu's presence would bring her good fortune in her journey. After all, there wasn't any guarantee of such a thing happening, let alone with a Kubfu. It would be foolish of her to think about this and try to exploit Kubfu's abilities and legend for her own benefit.

However, another part of her continued to ponder the ramifications of Kubfu's appearance in her life...

"Urshifu and Kubfu can sense the intentions of people, even from great distances. It's like a sixth sense. And they make sure they stay away from those they deem to be unworthy."

"I don't know how Kubfu was able to appear before me," Bea thought, "but it most certainly wasn't opposed to me doing all I could to ensure its safety..." She immediately recalled how Kubfu held on to her almost possessively, like a child that was yearning for its mother. "If Kubfu would put its trust in me, a Galar Karateka, then...then..."

Her cool-gray eyes narrowed even more, and she looked down at her palms. She could make out every scar and callous that adorned her skin, attained through years of hard work and training...

"Bea?" a voice piped up.

Bea's head flew upward, as did Ash's, and the entire group watched Nurse Joy enter the lobby, her ever-so-gentle smile present on her face. Behind her were a pair of Indeedee, one male and the other female; they were both wheeling Kubfu in on a stretcher. It was now conscious and looked uninjured, though its eyes were droopy and it looked exhausted. Bea and the others immediately stood on their feet and walked up to Nurse Joy.

"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed, his auburn eyes glimmering with relief as he analyzed Kubfu. "That Pokémon's okay!"

"Yes, it's been fully healed," Nurse Joy replied with a nod. Then, she glanced at Kubfu with curiosity. "Though I must say, this Pokémon that you brought in, Bea, it didn't need too much healing in the first place. But then again, there's not a lot that I know about its physiology, since it's of an unknown species. I had to use my knowledge on a Teddiursa's physique instead, but even that was barely helpful." She looked at Bea. "Exactly what kind of Pokémon is it, by any chance?"

Bea looked at Kubfu, who had its head hanging low and its body scrunched up. It looked like a pouting child who was in the middle of a timeout. She then noticed how Kubfu appeared to be eyeing its surroundings, especially the people who surrounded it; its eyes were glinting and narrowed with distrust that shone through the fog of exhaustion.

Then, acting on her instincts, she replied, "I...I don't know."

In her own peripheral vision, Bea could see Gordie and Korrina looking at it with curiosity, but Lucario didn't seem just as convinced of her claim. The Aura Pokémon was scanning Kubfu from head to toe, his eyes narrowed into slits, and it soon let out a soft, inaudible huff; Kubfu eyed Lucario too, and it flexed its claws in preparation.

But before the tension between the two Pokémon could reach a breaking point, Ash and Pikachu stepped directly in front of Kubfu. Both it and Bea gasped at the same time, with the latter knowing what exactly was going to happen.

"Hey there!" Ash greeted. "My name's Ash, and this is Pikachu!"

He pointed his thumb at Pikachu, who squeaked as a greeting, "Pikachu!"

"What's your name, if you don't mind us asking?"

"Ash!" Bea barked, her eyes wide; she stepped beside Ash and held out an arm in front of him. "Don't do tha-"

Kubfu's reaction was quick: it leaped onto its feet, its fists clenched even tighter. Bea felt time slow down as she focused her mind to analyze the Pokémon's next movements. She could see its small but formidable muscles bulging, moving its left arm forward while moving the right arm back. Eyeing the fist Kubfu already had displayed outwardly, Bea watched as its fingers unfurled to display its left palm.

Realizing what Kubfu was about to do, Bea moved her own arm in accordance with its movements. While holding out her own fist, she used her other arm, the one she already had raised, to shove Ash and Pikachu out of harm's way. Then, as she unfurled her fingers to reveal her palm, Bea saw Kubfu's cocked right arm barreling forward through the air. Thinking quickly, she moved her palm in front of the incoming fist. As she did, she seized her knowledge of Galar Karate, quickly emptying her mind of all thoughts and emotions-

"BEA!" Ash cried in alarm.

Bea gasped in shock at his voice, just split-seconds before Kubfu's flying fist collided into her outstretched palm. Though it was as tiny as its arm, Kubfu's fist packed stunning, tremendous power in its punch. Time slowed even more, and Bea could vaguely see the skin of her hand rippling, right before-

CRACK!

"AGH!"

Bea stumbled backward, clutching her limp and slightly misshapen hand.

"Bea!" Gordie and Korrina cried at the same time, while Lucario protectively held out an arm in front of his Trainer.

As for Ash, he gawked at what had just happened for a quick moment, before he called out, "BEA!"

"Uuuugh..." Bea groaned. She could feel immense pain traveling through her arm, but she quickly recalled her teachings again, shut off her emotions, and diverted her mind away from the throbbing, unbearable pain that assailed her limb.

"Bea, a-are you okay?!" Ash exclaimed, touching his friend's shoulder in concern.

Bea's tone was flat and devoid of emotion. "Yes, I'm fine."

Ash didn't seem highly convinced, but he didn't have time to question Bea's new absence of emotion. Instead, he glared at Kubfu, who was now gawking in shock at Bea, as if it didn't expect her to jump to Ash's defense. In fact, its fist, once raised in aggression, was now lowering and relaxing.

"What'd you do that for?!" the Pallet Town native demanded. "C-Can't you see you hurt her?! After what she did to help you out?!"

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted in agreement. "Pika-pika-chu!"

"You..." Kubfu replied, surprising Nurse Joy, "you startled me..."

"Still, it doesn't give you any right to attack someone out of the blue like that!" snapped Ash.

"Uhhhhh, t-to be fair, Ash," Korrina commented hesitantly, "it's not a Pokémon you encounter in the wild every other day. I'm sure this Pokémon isn't too used to humans..."

"And you sorta did get in his face a little..." Gordie added, sweat-dropping in embarrassment.

"O-Oh." Ash sweat-dropped. "W-Well, y-you still hurt Bea, and I'm not going to just stand for it!"

Upon hearing those words, Bea's heart jumped, and that was when the stab of pain returned to her arm. Grimacing, she held her injured hand to her stomach with her other hand, which Nurse Joy noticed.

"Oh, dear!" the pink-haired woman cried. She stepped forward and carefully took Bea's arm. "Let me see here. Just hold on and be still, Bea, alright?"

Bea nodded weakly before quickly remembering what she was supposed to do. She suppressed her emotions once again and allowed Nurse Joy to inspect her injured hand. As she did, she could see Kubfu through her peripheral vision; it was now staring at her with a mixture of concern, regret, and...incredulity. It was sitting again, this time in an upright and a more attentive position, and it was staring at her like she was a goddess or something.

"Oh, my."

Bea looked at Nurse Joy again. "Why? What is it?"

"You've got quite a few broken and dislocated bones there, my dear." Nurse Joy reached into her pocket and pulled out a roll of bandages. "Allow me to wrap you up for a moment. Then, I'll get a cast."

"Wait, broken and dislocated bones?!" Ash exclaimed. "How long will she have those injuries?"

"Well, she's not going to be participating in the Fighting Festival, for one thing-"

"What?!" Bea exclaimed, looking at the nurse while she began wrapping the bandages around her hand. "I-I can't?!"

Nurse Joy shook her head sympathetically. "Not in your hand's current condition, I'm afraid."

"No way! I'm supposed to go onstage and show off my Pokémon and our fighting prowess together!"

The nurse shook her head again. "Well I wouldn't recommend it, unless you can find a way to incorporate a strategy that doesn't involve the use of your right hand."

"A strategy that doesn't involve the use of my right hand...?" Bea gazed at her injured hand, just as Nurse Joy completed bandaging it up. "But...that's my dominant hand... I've...I've had a whole lot of uses planned for it-"

"Then I'm afraid there'll be no Fighting Festival participation for you." Nurse Joy put the roll away and began walking out of the lobby. "I'll go get a cast for you, Bea. Come, Indeedee."

The two Indeedee nodded simultaneously and followed after Nurse Joy. Everyone watched them go, including Kubfu, who watched the Indeedee duo in particular, seemingly intrigued by how easily and casually both of them obeyed the nurse's order so easily. Then, once Nurse Joy and her Emotion Pokémon entered their main office, Ash walked up to Kubfu again, startling it and surprising the others.

"Whoa, whoa, Ash!" Gordie cried.

"What're you doing?!" Korrina exclaimed. "That Pokémon just tried to punch you a few seconds ago!"

Ash ignored them and simply addressed Kubfu. "Hey, there. I, uh...I-I know you can talk to us, b-but if you don't want to anymore, that's fine. But I just wanted to let you know that the Fighting Festival is a pretty big deal. It means a lot to us, my friends and I, and now that Bea's unable to participate-"

"Huh?" Kubfu tilted its head in confusion, all the while maintaining a slightly defensive stance in Ash's presence. "I...do not understand... Could she not use any strategies that involve the utilization of her left hand?"

"But you heard her! Her right hand is her dominant hand! She uses it way more often than her left hand! She-"

"It's alright, Ash," Bea interrupted, her voice stoic and cold. "I'll think of something."

Ash glared at his traveling companion. "But Bea-"

Bea's eyes narrowed, silencing the boy. "I said I'll think of something." She then walked up to Kubfu's bedside, her calm, collected face unwavering, upon which Kubfu relaxed significantly. "Hello, there."

"Hello, fellow Galar Karateka," Kubfu greeted.

"Fellow Galar Karateka?" Ash repeated, looking between Bea and Kubfu in confusion. "But...how'd-"

"Your friend is very loud and chatty for a human." Kubfu's expression fell flat, and it gave Ash a quick, judgmental stare as the boy keeled over in stunned shock. "Very interesting."

"Forgive Ash," Bea replied. "That's just in his nature. But if you ask me..." Her expression fell just as flat. "He is quite the annoyance hindrance at many times."

She could hear Ash gagging behind her, while Gordie and Korrina were struggling to suppress their giggles.

"I don't understand how you could associate yourself with the likes of him," Kubfu said.

"Well..." Bea put on a comical poker-face. "Being in his companionship has its perks as well."

Kubfu looked at Ash and scanned him from head to toe. Then, it glanced at Korrina's Lucario, who continued to leer at it threateningly. In response, Kubfu narrowed its beady eyes and scooted towards the farthest corner of the stretcher that it was sitting on, surprising Bea in the process.

"Why?" she asked. "What is it, Kubfu?"

"Huh?!" Ash exclaimed, while Korrina gasped and Gordie's eyes widened beyond the periphery of his sunglasses. "That's Kubfu?!"

Bea mentally cursed herself for saying Kubfu's name out loud. But she didn't have time to explain or defend herself when Kubfu spoke up again.

"That Pokémon," it said in alarm.

"Pokémon?" Bea followed Kubfu's gaze towards Lucario. "You mean Lucario? What about him?"

"It's an Aura user!"

"An Aura user?" Korrina asked in surprise.

"Yes..." Then, Kubfu redirected its gaze at the Shalour Gym Leader, and its eyes were scathing and accusatory. "As are you!"

"Why?" Gordie asked in curiosity, just as he started recording with his Rotom Phone. "D'you have something against Aura users?"

"The Galar Karateka used to have a huge rivalry with Aura Guardians," Bea explained, her eyes still glued onto Kubfu.

"Huge rivalry?" Ash repeated with disbelief. "But why?"

Bea glanced over her shoulder at Ash. "Major difference in opinions, to say the least." Then, she shrugged. "But that's all in the past now that the Galar Karateka are few in numbers and all the Aura Guardians are gone, so that rivalry is pretty moot." She looked back at the wary Kubfu, her expression kind and understanding. "Now it's alright, Kubfu. Lucario's not a threat to you or to anyone else. Korrina here will make sure of that-"

"So you say," interrupted Kubfu. "Aura users are evildoers, and evildoers took my master!"

"Aura users are-" Then, Kubfu's words finally pierced through Bea's comprehension. "Wait, h-hold on, evildoers took your master? Are you saying there's an Urshifu somewhere out there?"

"Yes, and she's in the clutches of evildoers!" Kubfu seemed to remember something, for its eyes widened as it shot back up on its feet. "Wh-Which is why I-I sought you out, fellow Galar Karateka! You must help me rescue my master, before something terrible befalls these lands!"

"Y-You..." Bea blinked slowly. "You sought me out?"

"Yes!" Then, to everyone else's surprise, Kubfu knelt on one knee and bowed its head before Bea. "As a Kubfu and a Galar Karateka-in-training, the selection of a worthy Galar Karateka as my master and caretaker is ingrained in my blood. And your skills in the arts of Galar Karate are unparalleled! Therefore, I acknowledge you as a skilled practitioner and recognize you as my new master until we can rescue my old one."

"Wait a minute, her skills as a Galar Karateka are unparalleled?" Ash asked, his voice becoming flat as his mind struggled to comprehend Kubfu's words. "But...you've only just met her, not to mention break her-"

"We Kubfu can sense people's intentions, even from great distances, thanks to our mastery of Galar Karate that has been honed for many generations. Those that we deem to be unworthy of our time and attention..." Kubfu focused on Ash in particular. "We maintain our distance from, like the plague."

"Excuse me?!" Ash snapped. "I happen to be perfectly healthy, for your information!"

"But for those that we deem to be worthy, such as masters of Galar Karate, we gravitate to their presences." Kubfu reset its eyes on Bea. "I entrust you with my life, Galar Karateka. I will obey you unconditionally and do whatever you say for the duration of this quest."

"You...You will, huh...?"

With that, Bea's mind began to wander to Carter. She mused on what he would say if he realized a Kubfu, a Pokémon of Galar Karate legend, acknowledged her skills in the art and therefore was binding its fealty to her. Surely her old master would be impressed by such an acknowledgment, and perhaps he could now let go of his misconceptions about her very recent lapses of judgment and adherence to her teachings...

It all sounded so appealing to Bea...

"So, what say you, Galar Karateka?" Kubfu's voice brought Bea back to reality. "Will you join me on my quest to save my master from the clutches of evildoers?"

"W-Will I?" Bea's voice was almost shining with enthusiasm, but she quickly recomposed herself and nodded firmly. "Of-Of course, Kubfu." She placed her uninjured hand over her heart. "I hereby entrust you with my life, just as you've done with me."

"Excellent," Kubfu replied. "Then let us begin our journey. Now, first thing's first, what name shall I call you by, Galar Karateka?"

"Name?" Then, Bea smiled slightly and held out her uninjured hand. "Well, you can call me Bea, Kubfu."

"Bea..." Then, Kubfu smiled, took Bea's hand, and shook it mightily. "Excellent. With our combined forces, Bea, we will be sure to defeat these evildoers, stop the coming threat, and rescue my master!"

Kubfu let go of Bea's hand and prepared to hop off the stretcher when she stepped forward and stopped it from doing so.

"Wait, wait, hold on a minute, Kubfu," she said. "We brought you to this Pokémon Center for a good reason."

Kubfu tilted its head in confusion. "Pokémon...Center?"

"A place where Pokémon are healed from sickness and injury. But Nurse Joy, the woman who heads the Pokémon Center, told us that she couldn't detect anything wrong with you."

"If she's a specialist in the field of healing as you say, then I'd say she didn't find anything wrong with me."

"But she cautioned us that she doesn't know a lot about your body. So, before we leave, are you sure there's absolutely nothing wrong with you? Any injuries that need healing? Any-?"

"Absolutely not. I'm a master of Galar Karate as much as you are. I scoff at the idea of debilitating injuries!" Then, Kubfu narrowed its eyes at Bea. "Are you being soft on me or something?"

"Soft?" Bea's eyes widened briefly, before all emotion drained from her face, and she seized upon her teachings of Galar Karate again. "No, absolutely not, Kubfu. I was just testing you, that's all. I did not mean to imply otherwise."

"Huh?" Ash looked at Bea dumbly. "Testing you?"

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes." Bea shot him a flat glance. "Testing him. What else?"

"Oh," Kubfu replied, seemingly perplexed for a moment. Then, his expression hardened back into its original serious and stoic state. "G-Good. B-Because if you weren't, then I would've disowned you in an instant. After all, all Galar Karateka must keep themselves reserved emotionally and psychologically."

"Correct. Oh, and, uh, one last thing." Bea looked at Kubfu again, as he finally was able to hop off the stretcher without her impediment. "I ask that you allow my friends to join us on our, uh, q-quest too."

"Your friends?" Kubfu gazed at Ash, Gordie, Korrina, and their Pokémon with utmost suspicion. "You mean the loud one, the one with the strange rock with the diamond, and the Aura user?"

"Y-Yes." Bea looked at Ash, Gordie, and Korrina as well. "Them. Don't worry about them, Kubfu. They may not follow the ways of Galar Karate like I do, but they're very reliable in their own ways. Their...unique sets of skills should be vital for our quest."

"Well..." Kubfu's gaze softened, and he looked outside the front door of the Pokémon Center. "I am going to need all the help I can get if I am to rescue Master and stop those evildoers..."

"Well, then that's good!" Ash exclaimed, his hesitation quickly disappearing and his enthusiasm returning just as quickly. He knelt before Kubfu, startling him, but the Pokémon didn't fight back this time. "We'll be in your care, Kubfu, and you'll be in ours! I promise you, you'll get your master back in no time." Then, a thought crossed the Trainer's head. "Yo-Your master's Urshifu, right?"

"Well, yeah," Bea replied for Kubfu. "Of course it's Urshifu, Ash. Who else would it be?"

"O-Oh." Ash sweat-dropped and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Right. I forgot. Heh heh heh..."

"You forgot?" Kubfu asked, more out of intrigue than incredulity.

"Don't worry about Ash," Bea said, her voice even flatter than usual. "He's a bit of a tourist, if you hadn't noticed."

Ash frowned at the stealthy insult. "Hmmmph..."

"Ash?" Kubfu repeated, blinking. "That's the loudmouth's name?"

Ash glared at Kubfu in anger. "Loudmouth?!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked.

"Yes, that is indeed the loudmouth's name," Bea replied with a wry smile. Ignoring Ash's reaction, the girl pointed at the rest in her group. "The one with the Rotom Phone is Gordie, and the one with the Lucario is Korrina."

"Hey, Kubfu!" Korrina greeted, waving at the Pokémon with a wide, toothy grin. "It's so nice to meet you! I know that my Lucario and I have more of an affinity with Aura, but I just wanted to let you know that we are not enemies of yours, and that we're so welcome to have you with us. Isn't that right, Lucario?" She glanced at the Aura Pokémon, only to catch his continuing scowl at Kubfu's direction. "Hey! Lucario! Be nice. Kubfu's a friend, not an enemy."

Lucario continued to scowl suspiciously at Kubfu, but he nevertheless gave a resounding huff of approval. As for Gordie, the rotund boy stepped forward so his Rotom Phone could get a closer look.

"Yo, Kubfu!" he said. "By any chance, would you mind answering a few of- AGH!"

Gordie nearly fell over while trying to avoid a sudden kick by Kubfu, aimed at his phone.

"I may be accepting of you and your company," Kubfu snarled in warning, "but I will not tolerate that strange magical rock you've got there! I simply will not!"

"Strange magical rock?" Gordie looked at his handheld device. "But...it's just a Rotom Pho-"

"Just put it away, Gordie," interrupted Bea, who had just stopped shaking her head in exhaustion.

"Huh?! But Bea-!"

"Just do it."

Gordie looked at his Rotom Phone again, before stopping the recording and putting it away with a glum face.

"Well," he said to himself, "there goes footage for my latest blog entry..."

Soon, the front doors to the Pokémon Center opened up, and Kubfu walked out of the building determinedly, followed by the rest of the group. Bea's eyes followed every move Kubfu made with intrigue, Ash still looked a little grumpy, Gordie could not resist the urge for any longer and had surreptitiously procured his Rotom Phone to record everything that was happening and make occasional commentary, and Korrina was secretly talking to Lucario about something unbeknownst to the others. The group passed by a number of citizens and tourists, all of whom noticed Kubfu's presence and watched him go with varying expressions of curiosity and confusion.

Once the group got a few feet away from the Pokémon Center, Kubfu stopped walking and turned around to face Bea and the others.

"Alright, then," he said. "Now that you've gotten your cast, Bea, I believe it's time we attended to this grave matter right away. Now-"

"Wait, hold up, Kubfu!" Ash interrupted, catching Kubfu's attention.

"What is it that you want, loudmouth?" he asked exasperatedly.

"Aren't you going to give us a little more context on what happened to you and your master in the first place?"

" Context ? But I already told you what had happened-"

"We can't just go off of that! We need more specifics. Like, do you know who these 'evildoers' are? And why do you think they're Aura users?"

Kubfu cast a suspicious glance at Korrina and Lucario before replying, "Because all Aura users are evil, that's why."

"ACK!" Ash nearly fell over in stunned shock from the response. "J-Just because A leads to B, which leads to C, it doesn't automatically mean A le-leads to C!" He crossed his arms. "Jeez, do all practitioners of Galar Karate hate Aura Guardians that much?"

"Calm down, Ash," Bea replied with a roll of her eyes. "Kubfu are notoriously stubborn Pokémon. They don't listen to just about anyone. Those who they don't respect, they pummel to the ground at the first word."

Ash scowled. "Huh. Sounds like a certain someone that I know."

Bea's eyelid twitched twice, but she ignored Ash's comment and looked back at Kubfu. "What my friend was trying to say is that you have to tell us what happened from the very beginning, Kubfu. How did you and your master get captured?"

"W-Well..." Kubfu's beady brown eyes narrowed as he scoured through his memories. "W-We were training, Master and I."

"Do you know where you were training?" Bea asked curiously.

"In the usual place where we train."

"And where is that place?" Ash asked impatiently.

"I dunno."

"Whaddaya mean you don't-?!" Ash was quickly silenced by a piercing, scathing gaze from Bea, and he crossed his arms yet again while looking away in irritation. "Hmph."

Bea glanced back at Kubfu with a quirked eyebrow. "Kubfu, you're on the Isle of Armor right now. Are you from here, or did you come from somewhere else? Like the mainland, perhaps?"

"No." Kubfu shook his head. "I'm from these lands, just like Master, and her Master, and the Master before."

"So you must've come somewhere from the other side of that mountain, at the very least." Bea pointed over the rooftops of Bellum Town, and Ash and the others noticed the great mountain that was looming over the entire settlement. "On the other side of that mountain is the part of the Isle that's been designated as a nature preserve. Very, very few people are allowed to enter that area."

"Yes..." Kubfu nodded in understanding. "Yes, that's the same mountain I always see whenever the Sun rises! A very astute observation, Bea! You have been well-taught in the comprehension of your surroundings!"

"Ah, th-thanks..." Bea replied, trying her best to sound as neutral as possible, even though her face was slightly pink and her tone was evidently sheepish.

Ash stared incredulously at her before scowling. "Anyone could've noticed that from a mile away..." he whispered.

"So, you were training with your master when...?" Korrina asked, her voice trailing off.

Kubfu looked up at the Shalour Gym Leader. "That was when the evildoers arrived." He looked down at his paw and clenched it tightly. "They captured me and my master, and there was nothing we could do to defend ourselves. Nothing. They were just that powerful."

"So how'd they arrive?" asked Bea. "Were they on foot? Were they in a vehicle?"

"A vehicle? What's a vehicle?"

"A-A vehicle? W-Well, a-a vehicle is something we humans use to get around from place to place. I-It's a whole lot faster than on foot."

"Hmmmm. Such a lazy and primitive means." Kubfu stuck his chin out with disapproval. "It's a good thing we, as good and honorable Galar Karateka, do not rely ourselves on the services of such unnecessary machines."

"Heh heh heh..." Memories of all the times she used vehicles such as boats and trains to get around flashed through the forefront of Bea's mind. "Yeah. R-Right. A-Anyway, d-did your captors use a vehicle?"

"Well, now that you mention something that would help humans get around from one location to another in a faster way..." A dark look swept through Kubfu's facial features. "There was something that they used to get to us. It was not on land, though."

"Wait a minute, not on land?" Gordie asked. "Was it a boat or an airplane or-?"

"I do not know what it was. It was in the air..."

"In the air? Like a plane?"

"If that's what you humans call it. It was big a-and frightening... It looked like some sort of...flying palace."

"Flying palace?" Korrina asked incredulously.

"Hey, it's Kubfu's words, not mine," Gordie replied. He then aimed the screen of his Rotom Phone at his own face. "Well, you heard it here first, folks. If there are any of you in the area, please be on the lookout for a big palace that's floating in the air. O-Or something like that."

"So they took you to this 'flying palace'," remarked Bea. "What then?"

"They...They separated me from Master..." Kubfu's expression suddenly grew darker. "I...I couldn't do a thing to protect her... I couldn't protect Master from those evildoers..." He screwed his eyelids shut. "I...I-I can't even begin to imagine what they're doing to her right now!"

"Hey, it's okay, Kubfu." Bea gently placed a hand on Kubfu's shoulder in consolation. "There was nothing that you could have done to do anything about it-"

"But I'm a Kubfu! I'm the next successor in the ways of the Hero and the Original Urshifu! I should've been able to put my knowledge of Galar Karate to good use! I should've been able to solve the situation and make my master proud! I should've-"

Bea grabbed Kubfu's other shoulder with her other hand now, and she held on tightly as she stared into his eyes.

"Kubfu," she said forcefully, "it's not your fault. It never was. No matter what responsibility you have as a Kubfu, you're still a Galar Karateka-in-training. There's nothing different you could've done given the skillset you currently have."

"Besides," Gordie added, trying to lighten the mood, "it's not like the Dark Titans are gonna come back anytime soon, s-so you shouldn't have to worry about not having your skills refined just yet."

At the sound of the Dark Titans' moniker, Kubfu's eyes widened as much as they possibly could. Horrible memories soon began to fill his mind, making it swim.

Then, Kubfu saw a demonic being of fire soar through the air, pursued by what appeared to be miniature helicopters that were his size. These minuscule helicopters were firing bolts of electricity at the winged Pokémon, striking it and causing it to cry out in pain as it tried to distance itself from the Flying Palace. As Kubfu stared on at the being, he suddenly felt nothing but absolute loathing fill his heart.

Then, his suspicions about the demonic Pokémon were confirmed once it stopped fleeing and faced its assailants. An air of dread filled the air as dark energy began to accumulate around the Pokémon, causing it to glow and surge with deep-magenta energy. Sensing the worst, Kubfu tried to climb back into the engine and find the vent from which it came, but it didn't get far when it heard the demon cry out again with all of the hatred it could muster...

And then, it unleashed its special attack, sending wave after wave of crackling dark energy through the air...

"The Dark Titans..." Kubfu said, almost to himself; he was slowly shaking his head while the rest of his body began to tremble badly. "The Dark Titans..."

Bea quickly noticed Kubfu's legs buckling, and she held onto him to keep him steady. "Kubfu? Are you alright?"

"Is it something I said...?" Gordie asked, scratching his cheek in confusion and worry.

"Kubfu," Bea continued, "what do you mean by 'the Dark Titans'? Why do you keep repeating that?"

Finally, Kubfu stopped muttering to himself and gazed at Bea. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the emotion that was glimmering through his eyes. For all of the times she had seen images of Kubfu in artwork and storybooks pertaining to the Galar Karateka legends, the Stow-on-Side Gym Leader had the impression that all Kubfu were innately serious and emotionless, always focused on the task at hand. They seemed unshakable from the looks of the artwork. But in contrast to the books, the emotion in Kubfu's was unmistakable.

It was of fear.

"The Dark Titans, Bea," Kubfu said, his voice trembling. "The evildoers that have my master, they want them to be restored. And...they've already restored one of them."

Bea immediately felt terror fill her heart like water filling up a cup. Blinking, she whipped her head up at Ash, Gordie, and Korrina beseechingly. They simply stared back, equally as dumbfounded by the revelations.

"The Dark Titans.

"Three Pokémon hailing from an alternate world, a world very much like ours, only full of evil, hatred, and darkness. Long ago, these Dark Titans entered our world through an inter-dimensional rift, a once-in-a-lifetime event that tore through the fabric of space and time, and they landed on the Isle of Armor in Galar. Initially, these Dark Titans were revered like gods due to their striking resemblance to the Titans of Kanto.

"But what was once awe and worship quickly turned into horror and misery. Before long, the Dark Titans laid waste to the Isle's lands, motivated by nothing but their insatiable lust for suffering and death. The true Titans sensed the unnatural disaster and flew over to the Isle to intervene, but the Dark Titans proved to be much more powerful and cunning than them. The Titans of Kanto fell one by one, and it seemed as if all hope was lost in the Isle and across all of Galar.

"Then, they arrived. Urshifu and the Hero."

Lord Cromwell tore his gaze away from the encased stone tablet and stared upon his accomplices, Arin, Zeke, and Mollie. They were all kneeling before him alongside their Pokémon: Arin's Hatterene, Zeke's Conkeldurr, and Mollie's Obstagoon.

"A Pokémon and a human," Cromwell continued, his smile radiating pride, "members of the Galar Karateka, the ancient, noble peacekeepers of the lands. Using their exceptional mastery of Galar Karate, the fighting style of the Karateka, Urshifu and the Hero saved the Titans of Kanto from certain death and defeated the Dark Titans. Following their defeat, the Dark Titans transformed into three spheres, which were then sealed away by the Hero for all of eternity.

"But, in spite of this victory, Urshifu and the Hero knew it was only a matter of time before the Dark Titans would recover from their wounds and rise again in another bid for worldwide annihilation. As such, they began teaching Urshifu's child, Kubfu, the ways of Galar Karate, even the most mystical and antiquated techniques, until it evolved into another Urshifu. Upon doing so, it took the place of its parent and began teaching its Kubfu child everything it learned, until it too evolved into an Urshifu.

"And so, the process continued for many millennia, and many generations, even after the Galar Karateka had become all but extinct and irrelevant, and modernization began to encroach on society. Rumors have it that, to this very day, there is an Urshifu teaching a Kubfu the ways of Galar Karate somewhere on the Isle of Armor, in preparation for the inevitable moment when the Dark Titans would rise again, ready to plunge the lands back into a period of terrible darkness."

"And it looks like that moment is here!" Zeke proclaimed, highlighting the end of Cromwell's recital of the legend.

"Only by our hand, Zeke," Mollie replied with a roll of her eyes.

"But for a good reason, my dear Mollie," interjected Cromwell. "While the Isle of Armor is lollygagging with their precious Fighting Festival, and the rest of the world remains deaf and blind to the danger that continues to loom over them, the Dark Titans are just lounging in their spherical forms, plotting and planning and scheming. It is only imperative that we hasten the deadline of their awakening, move up the schedule, so to speak, Mollie. That way, when all three of the Dark Titans reconvene and attempt a second bid at worldwide domination and destruction, we'll be ready."

"Awwwww, yeah!" Zeke exclaimed. "We're gonna kick some major butt when that happens!"

"And the world will finally wake up to the threat that has been before them all this time," Arin added, his voice calm and composed as usual. His eyes were closed and he was still staring at the floor, as if he was contemplating his next actions.

"And it'll all be thanks to our dear guest..." Cromwell remarked. "Urshifu." He raised his chin slightly. "Speaking of which, Arin, how goes the situation with Urshifu? Does she still believe we have Kubfu?"

Arin nodded, his eyes still closed. "Yes. The doctored surveillance footage that I showed to her was enough to convince her. And the sensory deprivation chamber I've left her in is working. She will not be able to get even the most minimal sense of the outside world until we let her out."

"Excellent. And do you have an update on Dark Moltres's current movements, Mollie?"

The woman sneered evilly. "It has not gotten near Bellum Town or any other human settlement just yet, Lord Cromwell. Instead it seems to have taken up some target practice."

"Where?"

"Honeycalm Island, my lord. It's a bit of a ways away. And there are no people setting up shop there, just a few sparse plants and Pokémon."

"And it's on the other side of the Isle, at the northwest portion." Cromwell nodded approvingly. "Good. I do not want the Dark Titans reaching any populated areas just yet. We need to awaken Dark Zapdos first before we can truly attract any attention on us." Cromwell turned around and faced the stone tablet again, his expression one of elation. "I hereby order the initiation of the next phase, my subjects."

"So it's to Muscle Mountain, then?" Zeke asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Yes, Zeke. Set the Flying Palace's course for Muscle Mountain. That'll be where our next objective lies."

"Right away, then, my lord!"

Zeke and Mollie stood up to make their leave. As they did, they silently conversed to themselves, but their voices echoed through the room, easily reaching Cromwell's and Arin's ears.

"Eugh, Muscle Mountain," Mollie remarked while giving a cold shudder. "Arceus, that's one of the worst names I've ever heard. What idiot chose that name to begin with?"

"Careful now, Mollie," Zeke replied with a snicker. "That idiot you're talking about just so happens to be Lord Cromwell's ancestor."

"Huh?" The woman looked at her compatriot incredulously. "Jeez, I hope that isn't a sign of a bad omen."

For once, Zeke now sounded alarmed by Mollie's comment. "H-Hey, you'd better not say that out loud in Lord Cromwell's presence!"

"Ehhh? Why?"

"He takes a big shining to his ancestry, ya know. One bad word about them, out loud, and he's gonna throw you to Dark Moltres's fires without a second thought!"

"Ohhhhh, so he's one of those guys. Gotcha."

But Zeke didn't sound convinced. "You better! I'm serious about this, you know. I've worked with him longer than you-"

Cromwell didn't get to hear the rest of the conversation, for Zeke and Mollie had stepped out of the room by that point. A moment passed before Arin decided to speak up.

"It won't be long now, my lord. As long as you stay true to your mission, you will be able to achieve what the Hero could never do. You will defeat the Dark Titans, save the Isle of Armor, and finally attain the recognition that you deserve."

"Indeed, Arin..." Cromwell replied in a whisper. Then, he caught himself in his words and looked down at his raised palm, before clenching it into a tight fist. "But recognition isn't the only thing I seek after. Don't try to minimize my motivations to something as simple and childish as that."

Arin quickly realized his mistake and bowed his head. "My sincerest apologies, Lord Cromwell. I understand that you are also trying to protect the Isle of Armor from an even worse disaster. But...do know that something like this won't suffice alone as a means to-"

"I know what I must do, Arin," Cromwell interrupted harshly. "You don't have to remind me of the steps I must take. Are we clear on that?"

Arin nodded, his head still bowed and out of sight. "Yes, my lord. As clear as the waters on a cloudless morning."

"Good."

Cromwell focused on the stone tablet again, and as he reread its engraved inscription for the umpteenth time, his mind began to wander.

"The Galar Karateka," he thought bitterly with clenched teeth. "Peacekeepers of the olden times. Heh. And that's exactly why it's called 'olden times'. The times have changed. Civilization has changed, and the world no longer has any time or patience for the ways of Galar Karate. It won't be long until those outdated ways are finally revealed for what they truly are, and how encroaching they are in the face of modernization. And once you realize that, you will finally know that I've been right all along..."

He lowered his fist; it was still clenched to the point where it had begun to tremble.

She couldn't see anything.

She couldn't hear anything.

She couldn't feel anything.

She couldn't taste anything.

She couldn't smell anything.

It was like she was floating in a womb of nothingness.

That was the only thought that kept crossing through Urshifu's mind whenever she tried to process her surroundings. But no matter how hard she tried, there was absolutely nothing that she learned from her dearly departed master that would have taught her how to overcome this obstacle. Apparently, there was nothing within the Galar Karate doctrine that could be useful in breaking through what the humans called a "sensory deprivation chamber". It was just like meditation, but it only took a first-timer in Galar Karate to know this was not just an intentional simulation of the most ideal session, but a highly fortified process that would allow one to reach a state of nothingness more quickly than the actual thing.

In other words, this "sensory deprivation chamber" was like what the humans called a "vehicle": something designed to get someone from one location to another in a faster, more efficient fashion. It was not a true replacement for the actual method of meditation. And yet, the Galar Karateka of old evidently never anticipated such technology being used against them, for they never included into their teachings foolproof ways of overcoming them.

The only thing Urshifu could do now was wait and trust Kubfu to take care of the situation from his end.

"Kubfu," she thought while keeping her eyelids closed, "it is all up to you now. Only you can defeat this great evil and stop their plans. Just believe in yourself and all of the lessons that I provided to you."