While Jin and his team were engaged in a fierce battle with the Explorers on the beach, Liko, Roy, and Friede had left Roy's house and ventured into the forest where Jin and Roy had met the previous day. Inspired by the dango prepared by Roy's grandfather, the trio had come to seek the help of the Bug Pokémon living in the forest to patch the hole in their airship's balloon.

"Everyone, please! We need your help!"

The wild Pokémon gathered in a circle to discuss the request. After a while, a Scyther stepped forward as their representative.

"Will you help us?"

"Scythe!"

Scyther extended its right scythe forward. For a moment, the three were worried that negotiations had broken down, but then they noticed a Pokéblock stuck on the tip of the scythe.

"...What is it?"

"What does this mean?"

"Scythe! Scythe!"

Scyther desperately waved the Pokéblock up and down, trying to convey something.

"...Do you want more of those Pokéblocks?"

"Scyyyythe!"

That seemed to be the correct interpretation. Scyther raised its arms in joy, and the Pokémon behind it reacted similarly.

"Hey, isn't that the Pokéblock Jin made?"

"Yeah... but he said he used up all of them yesterday... What should we do?"

From yesterday's events, the forest Pokémon had learned that if they demanded compensation for their work, Jin, the person who made the Pokéblocks, would provide it.

"Given the situation, we have no choice. We'll have to ask Jin to make more later."

Leaving the Brave Olivine in its current state wasn't wise. As Orla mentioned, if they didn't repair it quickly, the damage could extend to the hull. Agreeing that they had no other choice for the sake of the ship, they decided to accept the Pokémon's conditions.

(I'll have to apologize to Jin later... But maybe I can help with making the Pokéblocks too?)

In Liko's mind, she pictured Jin back when he was at the academy, making Pokéblocks.

She vividly remembered watching him unconsciously, as he meticulously chopped a large amount of Berries and placed them into a blender. The image was burned into her memory. She could recall every step of the process clearly because it was the kind of skill only a person who had practiced countless times could have.

(Can I make them well? Oh, but if I can't, I can just have Jin teach me… making sweets together with Jin… ehehe.)

The thought of working together with her first boyfriend made Liko's face relax into a smile without her realizing it. However, as she indulged in her daydreams, a loud explosion echoed across the entire island, snapping her back to reality.

"!!!"

The three of them instinctively looked in the direction of the explosion. It came from the beach where the Brave Olivine was docked.

"That explosion… and that direction!"

"It came from the ship's direction!"

(Jin…)

"I have a bad feeling about this. I'm heading back to the ship. You two stay with the elder—"

"We're coming too!"

"Me too!"

"No, but—"

"Please! We can't just wait around if something might have happened to Jin and the others!"

"…Alright. But don't do anything reckless."

"Got it!"

Following Friede, Liko and Roy, along with the wild Pokémon willing to help with the ship's repairs, hurried towards the ship. None of them knew what awaited them there.

***

"Rock Blast!"

"Water Gun!"

Rhydon launched a Rock Blast at Metagross, while Golduck fired a Water Gun at Rockruff. As Jin and Amethio's battle raged on, this battle was reaching its climax.

"Dodge it, Rockruff!"

"Metagross, get away!"

Murdock and Orla desperately commanded their Pokémon to evade, but both Rockruff and Metagross were too exhausted from the battle to move and were hit by the attacks.

"Rockruff!"

"Metagross!"

Although neither Pokémon lost consciousness, they were covered in wounds and on the brink of their stamina. Continuing the battle was becoming increasingly difficult.

The reason they were pushed to this point could be partly blamed on Jin.

When Sceptile Mega Evolved, not only Amethio but also Zirc, Onia, Murdock, and Orla were all captivated. The problem arose afterward. When the battle with Ceruledge began, everyone was initially focused on the overwhelming power of Mega Sceptile. However, Zirc and Onia quickly remembered their mission and launched a preemptive attack. Orla and Murdock couldn't respond in time and lost the upper hand early on.

The difference in their reactions stemmed from the disparity in their information about Jin.

The Explorers had done their homework, recognizing Jin as a highly skilled trainer with powerful Pokémon, capable of even defeating Amethio. On the other hand, the members of the Rising Volt Tacklers only saw Jin as a decent trainer who could hold his own against Amethio and manage to escape.

While both sides were surprised by the Mega Evolution and the ensuing battle, the Explorers, having gathered information and battled a few times, had a lingering suspicion that Jin might pull off something unexpected. This gave them a significant edge.

Ironically, the enemies had a better grasp of Jin's abilities than his allies did. This was due to Jin's tendency to downplay and hide his past achievements. The difference in their skill levels, control of the battle, and trainer experience meant that the outcome was somewhat inevitable.

A harsh reality was that the adversaries understood Jin's strength better than his friends did. This oversight, stemming from Jin's reluctance to share his history, led to the enemy gaining the upper hand in every aspect—level, battle control, and trainer experience. Consequently, this result was almost inevitable.

"What's wrong? Is that all you've got?"

"It seems this is the end for you."

Zirc and Onia triumphantly declared their victory.

"Damn it!"

"Damn!"

Murdock and Orla couldn't refute their claims. All they could do was stay close to their Pokémon partners.

"What should we do, Murdock?"

"As for Jin... it's no use. He still needs more time."

In their current situation, Jin was their only hope. However, he was still locked in battle with Amethio.

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Amethio, now using Corviknight, was relentlessly focusing on long-range attacks like Air Slash. Whenever Sceptile tried to get close, Corviknight would escape to a higher altitude and counter with Hurricane whenever a long-distance attack was launched. This strategy was clearly aimed at stalling for time and forcing a prolonged battle.

"Are you out of Pokémon? If so, we'll be taking the ship."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"Then what will you do? Continue the battle?"

"..."

Orla and Murdock only had Rockruff and Metagross at their disposal. Although the Pokémon on the ship would follow their commands, most of them had never been in a battle before. Just as they were about to give up, something unexpected happened.

"Wait, wait, wait!"

With those words, Friede appeared, flying in on Charizard, followed shortly by Liko and Roy, who were accompanied by wild Pokémon.

"You three came!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting. We'll take over from here. You two go and help repair the ship with the Pokémon."

"Got it. Thanks!"

Murdock and Orla recalled Rockruff and Metagross and headed back to the ship with the wild Pokémon.

"Is Jin handling Amethio? But wait, what is that..."

"Wh-what? Is that Sceptile?"

"Is that really Sceptile? But it looks so different from usual..."

The three were shocked at the sight of Jin and Mega Sceptile battling Amethio's Corviknight. The transformed appearance of Sceptile was vastly different from what they were used to seeing.

"Mega Sceptile... So Jin is indeed a user of Mega Evolution."

"Mega Evolution?"

"Mega Evolution is something that happens when a Pokémon and its Trainer share a strong bond, and both hold special stones called a Mega Stone and a Key Stone, respectively. It's also known as 'evolution beyond evolution,' if I remember correctly."

(A strong bond... That means!)

At that moment, Liko remembered an event from their school days, when Jin had first helped her with training one night.

'I've been curious for a while, is there something special about the scarf Sceptile wears?'

'No, the scarf is just a regular one. What's important is the stone attached to it. It's like a symbol of the bond between me and Sceptile.'

'A symbol of the bond?'

'These two stones are that symbol. You'll understand what it means someday.'

(So that's what Jin was talking about back then...)

"Rock Blast!"

Just as the three were captivated by Mega Sceptile, five massive rocks came hurtling toward them. Charizard narrowly dodged, but Sprigatito and Fuecoco couldn't evade in time and took the hit.

"Sprigatito!"

"Fuecoco!"

Sprigatito and Fuecoco were heavily damaged, lying on their backs on the ground. While Sprigatito might still be able to move, Fuecoco was clearly out of commission.

"You!"

"What are you so surprised about? There are no rules here. It's your fault for looking away!"

Though Zirc's words were unacceptable, considering the situation and who they were dealing with, taking their eyes off the opponent was undoubtedly a mistake.

(What am I doing... Jin always told me, 'Never take your eyes off the opponent during a battle'...)

This was a basic rule Jin had repeatedly emphasized to Liko. Neglecting it led only to defeat. Liko felt a deep sense of regret for making such a fundamental error.

"You two, stand back! We'll handle this!"

Charizard moved in front of Sprigatito and Fuecoco, positioning itself as a shield for the two Pokémon.

"Onia, attack all at once! Forget the ship. Secure the pendant and the target!"

"..."

"Onia?"

Sensing something was wrong with Onia, Zirc glanced at her. Onia was staring at Sprigatito, who was standing up desperately despite its injuries, glaring back at them. She seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"Sprigatito... even when you're so battered, you still fight. I get it. We can't go back to how we were. I now consider Sprigatito an enemy! Zirc, let's go!"

"...O-okay."

Zirc didn't quite understand what Onia meant, but seeing that she was ready to complete the mission, he decided not to question it and resumed their task.

"Rhydon, use Rock Blast!"

"Charizard, deflect it with Dragon Claw!"

Charizard deflected the five massive rocks coming at them with Dragon Claw. Normally, Rock-type moves were a quadruple weakness for Charizard, and no matter the level difference, it shouldn't take them head-on. But with two targets to protect behind it, Charizard couldn't move from its position.

"...Amethio is keeping Jin occupied. Now's our chance."

While Amethio kept Jin and his team occupied, and Rhydon was using Rock Blast to pin down Charizard, Onia summoned Skarmory from her Poké Ball and mounted it, quickly closing in on Liko and her group.

"Damn it! Charizard!"

"Don't let them get away, Rhydon! Keep using Rock Blast!"

Charizard tried to stop Onia on Skarmory, but Rhydon forcefully prevented its movement. Skarmory headed straight for the injured Sprigatito and the fallen Fuecoco.

"Fuecoco!"

"Roy, look out!"

Seeing Fuecoco in danger, Roy ran towards it. Liko followed him, both making a dangerously reckless move.

(Please... protect Sprigatito and Fuecoco!)

Liko clutched her pendant, wishing desperately. The pendant, a gift from her grandmother, had protected her before with its mysterious power. She hoped it could once again change the situation. She prayed fervently.

"Huh?"

"What the...?"

At that moment, the pendant and the ancient Poké Ball Roy held began to emit a dazzling light.

"W-what is this?"

The light was so intense it covered the entire area, forcing Onia to avert her eyes and stopping Skarmory in its tracks. The light gradually began to concentrate on one spot: the ancient Poké Ball Roy held. The central switch of the ball started moving on its own, opening up.

From inside the ball, a Pokémon emerged, flying high into the sky and dispelling the clouds around it. A patch of clear blue sky appeared, with the Pokémon at its center.

"A black... Rayquaza..."

// END