"Mmm~~~~"

Jin slowly woke up, stretching his body as the morning sunlight streamed through the window.

"...Huh?"

This wasn't his familiar dorm room. It was an unfamiliar ceiling. He slowly sat up and looked around the room, trying to remember where he was.

"...Oh, right."

This was a room aboard the Brave Olivine, prepared for him by Friede, the captain of the ship's crew, the Rising Volt Tacklers. He got out of bed, picked out clothes from his luggage, and started changing into his casual attire.

To explain why Jin was still on this ship and had been given a room, we need to go back to what happened after his battle with Amethio yesterday.

***

After the battle with Amethio, Jin rode Salamence towards the port where the Brave Olivine was docked.

"Found it. There it is."

Due to the ship's immense size, it was easy to spot as they approached the port. As he got closer, he saw Liko, Sprigatito, and Sceptile at the wharf.

"...What are they doing?"

Liko noticed Jin's presence and waved enthusiastically. Sprigatito, by her side, was jumping up and down in excitement. Although Sceptile was there to guard them, their behavior seemed oblivious to the fact that they were being targeted. Once they were near the ship, Jin landed with Salamence and approached Liko.

"Hey, Liko..."

"Jin!"

Before Jin could voice his concerns, Liko ran up and hugged him tightly.

"...Liko?"

"I'm so glad... I'm so glad you're okay..."

"..."

Liko's tearful voice revealed how worried she had been. Jin, who had been about to scold her, couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"Sorry... Did I worry you?"

"No... I knew you'd be okay, Jin... I believed in you, but still..."

(...What should I do...)

Jin looked over at his partner behind Liko for help, but Sceptile just gave him an exasperated look and gestured for him to hug her back.

(...Is this really the right thing to do?)

Slowly, Jin put his arms around Liko and gently patted her head from behind.

"Ah..."

"...I'm okay."

Liko was a kind girl. Even though Jin had taken on the role of decoy, he knew she was worried about him. Seeing her react like this made him feel a deep sense of guilt.

"Thank you for believing in me, Liko."

"No... I'm the one who should be thanking you. Because you were there, I didn't lose hope... Because of your efforts, we got Sprigatito back. So... Jin, thank you so much!"

Liko, tears in her eyes but smiling, expressed her gratitude to Jin. Her smile shone brightly, different from the smiles Jin had seen at school. He could only stare at her in awe. But then—

"Uh... sorry to interrupt. Is it okay now?"

Friede and the others approached from behind Liko, changing the atmosphere instantly.

"The kids these days are really something, huh?"

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"Murdock, you sound like an old man saying that."

"Ever since he came to the ship, I sensed a bit of that vibe, but I didn't expect it to go this far."

As the others exchanged their impressions while watching Jin and Liko with interest, Liko realized how bold she had been.

"Are you two dating? If so, it makes sense why Jin tried so hard."

"N-no, we're not!"

Brought back to her senses by Friede and the others, Liko quickly separated from Jin and started explaining.

"I was just worried about Jin, that's all. We're not dating or anything like that... Jin, say something!"

"..."

While it was true they weren't dating, Jin felt an aversion to denying it outright.

"Say something, please!"

"Alright, alright, that's enough. We're ready to take off, so let's get moving before the Explorers catch up."

There was still a possibility that the Explorers were lurking nearby. As Friede said, they needed to leave the area as quickly as possible. Jin and Liko, having regained a bit of composure, followed his words and headed back to the ship.

After rescuing Sprigatito faster than expected, they had initially worried about whether the ship repairs were complete. However, thanks to the efforts of Orla, the chief engineer, along with Murdock, Mollie, and the ship's Pokémon, they managed to finish the repairs and set sail before the Explorers could catch up.

"...So you came here to guard Liko from the start?"

"Yeah, it was a request from Liko's mother."

Once the ship set sail, Jin finally got an explanation from Friede and the others about their original mission. Incidentally, Liko, perhaps feeling embarrassed, had fled to the bow of the Brave Olivine as soon as they set sail.

"Really? I thought we mentioned it."

"No, you didn't."

(If that was your mission, you should have said so when we first met.)

If they had mentioned it earlier, it might have alleviated at least one of Liko's worries. Even though he understood they meant no harm, Jin couldn't help but think this.

"Friede..."

"You really are something..."

"Well, setting that aside, since we've taken on this job, we're planning to escort Liko back to her home in Paldea. Jin, what are you going to do?"

"I..."

Jin had two paths to choose from. One was to part ways here and return to school. However, he had no intention of choosing this path. He didn't want to spend his time worrying about Liko while back at school. This left him with only the second option.

"Depending on Liko's choice, if she decides to go with you, may I accompany you on your journey?"

"Are you sure? We might end up clashing with the Explorers again."

"That's exactly what I want."

After all, Jin had just declared war on Amethio. Having said that, running away was not an option.

"Why not? I saw Jin battle Amethio, and both he and his Sceptile are really strong."

"Yeah, he battled Amethio and came back in one piece. Jin's skill has already been proven. If you're prepared, I've got nothing more to say."

"Friede..."

"Looking forward to working with you, Jin!"

Just as Friede was about to extend his hand to Jin, the door to the bow opened, and Liko, holding Sprigatito, stepped out.

"Oh, Liko."

Liko seemed more composed than before, but she blushed slightly when she saw Jin.

"Um... I have something to say to everyone, including you, Jin."

Liko began to speak to everyone gathered on the deck, including Jin.

"It's a bit late to say this now, but I've decided to trust all of you."

"What? Were you doubting us?"

(Of course, anyone would be skeptical...)

After all, they appeared suddenly, following the Explorers, without explaining their purpose, starting battles, and not even revealing their destination. It would take someone like Jin, who could see things from a unique perspective, to trust them under those circumstances.

"Well, you didn't explain anything... and, um, you all look suspicious..."

Friede in his flight jacket, Orla in overalls, the burly Murdock with his unusual haircut, Mollie in her nurse uniform and black tights, and Ludlow looking like a sage with his green clothes and fishing rod—all quite an eclectic group.

"I don't understand what's happening to me, or why I'm being targeted because of the pendant... So, please, stay with me a little longer!"

(So, she's made her decision...)

In that case, Jin's answer—no, everyone's answer here—was already decided.

"Alright... then I'll officially take it on. That was my intention from the start."

"Of course, I'm in too."

"Really? Jin, you might not be able to go back to school for a while."

"I'd be more worried about being left behind. Besides, I'm curious about the pendant and everything."

The pendant, Liko's connection to it, the Explorers' objective—there were too many mysteries. Jin wouldn't be able to sleep at night if he returned without finding answers.

"Yeah, we want to know about the pendant too. Our mission is to uncover the mysteries of Pokémon and the world. We're known as the Rising Volt Tacklers!"

That was who they really were: the Rising Volt Tacklers. Jin and Liko were now part of this group with a rather romantic mission.

"Is that who you all are?"

"Really? We never mentioned it?"

"You didn't."

(...Let's just leave it at that.)

This was something they should have introduced at the very beginning. But it seemed like Friede's bad habit wasn't going away anytime soon. Jin and the others would just have to get used to it as they traveled together.

"Come on, now."

"We really didn't explain anything..."

"That makes us seem like a sketchy group."

"My bad, my bad... Well, anyway, nice to meet you, Liko, Jin."

Friede extended his hand in a fist to Jin and Liko, continuing from where they were interrupted earlier. Murdock, Orla, and Mollie followed suit.

"Nice to meet you!"

Jin and Liko followed, extending their hands for a fist bump and then shaking them up and down. This was the hand sign of the Rising Volt Tacklers, marking the moment Jin and Liko became part of the group.

// END

This concludes "For Sure! 'Cause Sprigatito's With Me!" Thank you for reading! Roy will be introduced in another one or two chapters.