Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The trio left the Glaseado Gym and started their trek back to Naranja Academy. Roy was ahead of the group, singing with Fuecoco while Dot was trailing behind, Quaxwell pushing her along. Liko was lingering even further behind with Floragato, staring at the snowy ground as she walked. At first, the snow was comforting and there was a warmth to it that Liko loved, but now, it was ice cold and only reminded her of the bone chilling battle she had with Grusha. 

The girl couldn’t stop thinking about her loss to the Glaseado gym leader. It was a brutal battle and Liko felt absolutely helpless during the entire thing. She didn’t even make Grusha flinch. She was going to be the only one out of the trio that wouldn’t be able to use Terastallization ever again. Despite how hard she worked, it didn’t matter. All of them had worked hard to this point, yet Liko was the only one who couldn’t pass her usage test.

“You failed your usage test,” Grusha stated coldly.

Liko’s entire world crumbled at that moment. Those five words from Grusha were enough to destroy her. She worked so hard for this moment just to be told she failed. Was everything up to this point in her journey for nothing?

“That’s not fair! She worked really hard!” She heard Roy protest.

“Yeah! She did really well given the type disadvantage!” Dot argued.

“Doing really well isn’t good enough. She didn't win the battle,” Grusha stated bluntly.

“Guys, it’s okay,” Liko said in defeat, knowing that her friends would try to convince Grusha to let her pass.

She knew she didn’t deserve it. Grusha was about results, and she had no results to show after her hard work. Liko turned to Grusha and bowed as a thank you. He just turned and walked away, not acknowledging her at all. It made Liko want to break down right there in front of everyone. She felt a small hand on her shoulder. Looking back, she saw Roy who was giving her a concerned look.

“I’m sorry Liko,” Roy said sympathetically.

Liko almost started crying immediately upon hearing those words, but she held back her tears, not wanting to worry her friends more than she already had. As much as she wanted to respond to Roy, she stayed silent to prevent herself from breaking down in tears.

“Let’s head back,” Dot said.

Liko and Roy nodded as they left the Glaseado Gym. 

“Liko? Are you alright?” She heard Roy ask, snapping her out of her somber thoughts.

Liko looked up to see both Roy and Dot had stopped walking and were now looking at her with full worry on their faces. She hadn't realized that they were so concerned about her. The last thing she wanted was to put more on her friends’ plates. Although they’d passed their tests, she knew there was a lot on both of their minds and she didn't want to add to it.

“I’m fine!” Liko responded with a forced smile.

Her response made Roy and Dot’s frowns deepen. The girl should have known that her friends knew her better than that. All of a sudden, Roy’s expression changed to an inspired one as if he had an idea. He raised his hand as high as he could suddenly, making Dot flinch.

“We should go to the top of Glaseado Mountain! I heard the summit has some of the best views!” Roy declared.

“Doesn't that mean…more climbing?” Dot asked in fear.

“Yeah, but it’ll be worth it! I think it would help Liko relax!” 

“I think she really really just wants to go back and relax.”

“It’ll be fun, Dot! We should make one more memory before heading back to Naranja Academy!”

“Yeah, but we can make that memory going down the mountain!”

Liko chuckled a bit hearing Roy and Dot’s banter. Despite how much the two disagreed on things, they were close friends. Over their Terastal training, Dot had become just as protective of Roy as Liko was. His tendency to wander off and explore on his own never failed to make Dot nervous for the adventurous boy’s sake. All of a sudden, Liko’s two friends were looking at her.

“What do you think Liko?” Roy asked.

“Yeah! Don’t you really just want to take it easy?” Dot said, trying to convince Liko to not go up the mountain.

“I- uh-” Liko stuttered.

She didn’t know what to say. She knew that they were both just trying to cheer her up, but the decision they placed upon her added to her stress slightly. Liko was very fond of both Roy and Dot, but in this scenario, there was no way to please both of them. 

Liko knew Roy hadn’t seen much of the outside world due to him growing up on a remote island while Dot hated the cold and wanted to get out as fast as possible. She also knew that both of them wouldn’t be completely against whatever she chose, so after some deliberation within herself, she came to a final conclusion.

“I think we should check out the summit!” Liko concluded, “plus, you only live once!”

Roy smiled and nodded and Dot sighed in defeat. 

“Fine. I guess we can go,” Dot mumbled with a hint of annoyance.

Liko and Roy nodded and the trio made their way to the path that led up to the summit of Glaseado Mountain. Once again, Roy lead the charge up the mountain with Dot behind him and Liko behind her. The despondent girl continued to walk while looking at the floor. Liko would usually be up with Roy, sharing his boundless energy which was much more mellowed compared to the beginning of their journey. 

After the traumatic events in Levincia from the earlier days of their journey, Roy had grown severely anxious to the point where he was having panic attacks out of nowhere which brought down his energy levels significantly. Although he’d made considerable progress with his recovery, it left a mark on the normally carefree boy. Thinking about Roy’s trauma brought her back to his battle with Ryme in Montenevera. 

Fuecoco had fallen to Ryme’s Toxtricity. Liko saw the young boy’s face. It was filled with sorrow and that expression didn’t look right on Roy. Roy had faced losses before, but it felt like he wasn’t in control at all during the entire battle. Liko watched Ryme walk up to Roy, who was knelt by his fainted pokemon.

“The truth is, you’re a failure of a trainer,” Ryme told Roy.

Liko’s eyes widened in horror as Ryme said a few other things to the horrified boy and walked away. All she could see was Roy frozen on stage. The boy was staring off into the distance with panic starting to set into his expression. Liko had witnessed Roy fall victim to his own emotions several times before and she immediately knew what was about to happen. 

Liko pushed past her own stage fright and ran onto the stage, kneeling next to Roy who was starting to tremble violently. She didn’t care how many people were watching her at that moment. Roy needed her and there was no way she was going to leave him alone. 

Floragato joined Liko on stage and the girl instructed Floragato to shield Roy from the audience. The boy didn't have stage fright, but knowing Roy, he wouldn't want anyone else seeing his panic and terror. Dot, Nemona, and all their pokemon joined Liko next to Roy. Dot and Quaxwell joined Floragato in trying to shield Roy from the audience while Nemona took Fuecoco into her arms and tried to soothe the incredibly tense boy. 

Liko learned a few calming techniques from Friede to help Roy in situations like these and she implemented them, just like he’d taught her. She guided Roy through a breathing exercise which involved him inhaling for four counts, holding it in for four, and then exhaling for four. 

“You’re safe, Roy. Keep breathing with me, okay?” Liko said in a calming voice.

Roy nodded as he continued to follow Liko’s lead. Once Liko was sure that Roy was stable enough, she helped him up, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and guiding him off stage. 

Once they were far enough from the stage, Liko pulled Roy into a secure hug and didn't plan on letting go. She didn't know how much Roy needed to be in her embrace at the moment, but she still continued to hold him. She could feel the boy shakily wrap his arms around Liko as well, reciprocating her hug. 

“Am I…really a failure?” Roy questioned, his voice cracking.

Liko’s heart shattered upon hearing Roy’s broken voice and just held him closer. 

“No, you’re not,” Liko said firmly.

“Ryme doesn't mean it like that, Roy. She wants you to improve,” Nemona added.

“I think the term failure was a bit harsh though…” Dot muttered, slightly angry from the words Ryme told Roy. 

Liko knew more than anyone how much this hurt Roy. The demons he had to fight only a little while back were because of his fear of being a failure. Now, Liko couldn't imagine what was going through his mind. After a few long moments, Roy broke out of Liko’s embrace, Liko herself feeling a bit hesitant to let go of the boy, and looked at everyone with tear filled eyes and a shaky smile. 

“I think I’m okay,” Roy said, still sounding a little unsure of himself. 

“Maybe you should rest up today,” Dot said, “take some time to clear your head.”

Roy shook his head.

“If I’m going to be worthy of being Fuecoco’s partner, then I have to train!” Roy declared.

“That’s the spirit! Let’s do some hyper training!” Nemona announced. 

The ghost type gym leader absolutely shattered Roy’s confidence which broke Liko’s heart. It destroyed her inside seeing Roy’s horror filled face as well as the panic that followed. He’d been through so much up to that point and to hear her tell the young boy that he was a failure of a trainer made Liko’s blood boil. 

Despite the harsh words, Roy still braved it and put a smile on his face through it all. Liko wished she could put on a smile like Roy could, but she was just too weak. She was so weak that she couldn’t even pass her usage test. 

The girl desperately wanted a second chance like Roy had which she knew she wasn’t getting. Grusha was stone cold and only cared about the results of the battle. Even if she challenged him again, Liko believed she wouldn’t stand a chance. 

After that loss, did she even deserve to be having fun with her friends? She didn’t. That was her answer. Both of her friends had grown and faced challenges during the Terastal course and deserved to relax. 

Dot faced her fear of the spotlight against Iono and came back stronger. Despite her loss to Larry, she passed her usage test because she displayed what she’d learned perfectly. Roy faced the trauma of his past and still built up the courage to complete Tera training. Being called a failure would have caused Liko to give up, but Roy just came back stronger, just like Dot. 

There was no reason for Liko to be so weak. She didn't face a single challenge. Roy and Dot had faced adversity, but what was her excuse? She had none. She was just weak. Liko was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Floragato’s calls out to her. The demoralized girl looked at her pokemon and gave it a wobbly smile.

“I’m fine, Floragato,” Liko said, her voice wavering.

Floragato meowed again and started pushing Liko along the path just like Quaxwell did for Dot. Eventually, Liko looked up from the snow on the ground and noticed how she couldn't see or hear her other friends. She observed the snowy mountain area around her and couldn’t find any sign of Roy or Dot. 

“Roy? Dot?” Liko called out.

There was no response. Floragato tried as well, but nothing.

“Maybe they got ahead of us,” Liko told herself out loud, then turning to Floragato, “come on, let’s go further ahead and see if we can find them. I think we fell behind.”

Floragato nodded and the two of them started running on the path. As they continued running, Liko got increasingly more worried. How far ahead did they get? How could she fall so behind? What if something happened to them and she couldn't be there to help? What if she couldn't even find them? The girl was growing more and more desperate to find her friends again. Liko didn't want to admit it, but she was terrified.

“ROY! DOT!” Liko called out, much louder this time.

There was no response from either of her friends. 

“ROY! DOT!”

No response.

“PLEASE ANSWER ME!”

Nothing.

Liko continued to scream their names, each call louder and more desperate than the previous one. She had screamed so much that her throat started to burn even through the cold of the mountain. After several failed attempts, she pulled out her phone and tried to call Roy. Her eyes widened upon seeing that there was no signal. She tried to call Dot too, but still no signal. 

Now, Liko was ready to have a meltdown. She was so caught up in her own sorrow that she failed to notice her own friends missing. Floragato tried to keep its trainer’s fear in check, but even the grass type pokemon was growing worried about not seeing the other two kids. 

“I can’t get a signal!” Liko panicked, “what do we do!”

She then heard footsteps and it sounded like it they were getting closer to her. Relief flooded Liko’s body.

“That has to be them! Floragato, let’s go!” Liko said, her voice more energetic.

The two started running towards the sound of the crunching snow. As they rounded the corner around the mountain, they could hear the footsteps getting even closer, making Liko feel even more relieved.

“Roy! Dot! I was so very-” 

Liko stopped in her tracks, completely frozen and unable to continue her sentence. The relief she felt when she heard the footsteps getting closer to her was immediately replaced with dread upon seeing who she was face to face with.

“Amethio?!”

Chapter Text

Roy continued up the snowy mountain with Fuecoco by his side. The air was getting thinner as they got further up the mountain, so the two had stopped singing a while ago. The boy and his pokemon partner were in high spirits after passing their usage test. Roy remembered the familiar feeling of failure on the stage after his first battle. It was one that he hoped to never have again, especially after Levincia. 

The time between his first battle with Ryme and the second battle was a complete whirlwind for the boy. From hyper training with Nemona, to talking with his friends, a lot had happened to make him stronger, but more importantly, it brought Roy closer to Fuecoco which made it worth it.

After running around in the snow and sharpening Fuecoco’s moves, the four took a break near a few rocks. Nemona sat on one rock, Liko and Dot on the other, and Roy sat in the snow, leaning against another rock and Fuecoco in his lap. The hyper training worked well, but Roy was still apprehensive about himself. Fuecoco worked hard to get stronger, but did he grow at all?

“You know, it seemed like you were more focused on singing than the actual battle,” Dot pointed out.

“Yeah, it made you an open book, Roy. I think you need to switch up your strategy,” Nemona added.

Roy took in all their advice, but he was still lost on how to apply it. The boy had no doubt Fuecoco could come back stronger, but could he? How was he supposed to help Fuecoco become as strong as Charizard if he couldn’t provide the support it needed.

“I keep thinking about what Ryme said about you and singing. She kept asking why you liked to sing as if she wanted something out of you,” Liko explained.

“Now that you mention it…” Roy thought out loud.

“Okay then, what made you like singing, Roy?” Liko asked the boy.

Roy fell deep into thought to ponder Liko’s question. His memory brought him back to the days when his parents were still around. His mom and dad would sing all the time as the happy family voyaged across the seas. It almost made him want to smile just thinking about the trips he had on the boat with them, but remembering how they left caused him to suppress the joy. 

The day his parents left the island to go on their long voyage was the day Roy cried the most in his life. The image of the boat leaving the island and never returning settled in his head. Roy could picture his younger self crying in his grandfather’s arms, constantly asking if his parents even wanted him around. It was still a constant thought in his head, especially since he’s had no contact with them for five years. 

Although the boy had his grandfather to keep him company over the long period of time, he still felt very lonely on the remote island. He would sing in the forest alone until the wild pokemon surrounded him to listen to his voice. That’s how he befriended several of the island’s pokemon. Through his singing. Then, it hit the boy. That was it. Roy’s eyes lit up and he could see the three girls smiling at him too. Roy stood up with Fuecoco in his arms.

“I think I understand now!” Roy said, his voice sounding more inspired than ever.

“It sounds like you’ve had a breakthrough,” Nemona said with a smile.

“I think so, but I need a little more time!” 

“Great! I’ll help you out!”

Roy nodded as a thank you.

“Liko and I will go back to Montenevera,” Dot stated.

“Right! Roy! Fuecoco! You guys got this!” Liko encouraged the two.

Roy nodded and looked at Fuecoco with a determined smile on his face. They were going to pass this time and Roy was going to guarantee that.

It was still bewildering to the young boy that the bitter memories of his parents would be what powered him through his usage test. Despite not seeing his parents for so long, the song they all sang together still had a special place in Roy’s heart. He would never forget it. It reminded him that he wasn’t alone and his friends were by his side. 

Thinking about music made his mind shift back to his friends. He really did have the most supportive friends imaginable. Liko and Dot got up on stage twice despite how much stage fright the two had just to support him. The first time they got up on stage was after his first battle with Ryme. Roy’s mind had started spiraling after being called a failure and the two along with Nemona ran to his aid. The second time was right before his second battle. The two got up on stage to stall the concert long enough for Roy to train and battle Ryme again. 

His mind then transitioned to Liko’s most recent battle and how crushed the girl looked after her defeat. If Roy were judging her battle, he would have let her pass based on how hard she’d worked, but Grusha wasn’t like that. The way he told Liko she had failed made Roy upset for her sake. He could barely imagine how she was feeling this entire time. 

Upon remembering Liko’s despair, Roy stopped walking forward and turned back to see if he could walk beside her and attempt to cheer her up. When he turned back, all he could see was Dot being pushed up the trail by Quaxwell, but no Liko or Floragato. Roy automatically went straight to panic. He’d already been on edge as of recently and now his best friend was not there.

“Hey Dot. Where’s Liko?” Roy asked, trying to hide his growing panic.

“Huh? She was behind me,” Dot said, panting and out of breath.

“Maybe she got lost or something!”

“There’s only one path up the mountain. She might have taken a break. Let’s go back further and look.”

Roy nodded and the two started heading down the path. All of the worst case scenarios started running through Roy’s head. What if Liko got injured? What if she did somehow get lost? What if the Explorers got to her? What if-

“You're thinking too much again,” Dot said out loud, stopping Roy’s anxious thoughts. 

“Sorry! I’m just really worried,” Roy admitted. 

“I am too, but we have to keep going. Worrying isn't going to help us find Liko.”

Roy nodded at Dot’s remark and they continued their way down. They backtracked to a part of the path with a boulder blocking the other side of the mountain. The two stopped there and looked around, not noticing Fuecoco eyeing the boulder curiously.

“We’ve gone really far and she’s still not here,” Dot pointed out.

“LIKO! FLORAGATO! WHERE ARE YOU?” Roy called out as loudly as he could.

“HEY! LIKO! SAY SOMETHING!” Dot yelled, joining Roy.

Their calls didn't yield any results. Roy could feel himself start to descend into a spiral of terror and confusion. How could he allow this to happen to Liko? Why did he have to get so far ahead? 

He should have just stayed by her side. After all, the girl needed consolation after her loss against Grusha. How could Roy leave her to her own grief? After everything she’d done for him, he’d failed her when she needed him most. 

All of a sudden, she felt two hands land on his shoulders. He looked up from the ground to see Dot standing in front of him.

“You’re tense again,” Dot stated, “deep breaths, Roy. We’re going to figure this out.”

Roy nodded and took a few deep breaths in attempts to calm his chaotic mind. It helped slightly, but he was still slightly panicked knowing Liko was out there alone. Roy might have gone insane if Dot wasn't with him. 

The shorter girl got way too good at identifying when Roy was having overwhelming anxious thoughts. Liko was the more empathetic of the two and also knew Roy better, but Dot quickly learned the boy’s habits to help him out which Roy was very thankful for. 

“Thanks Dot. We should continue looking,” Roy said.

“Right. Let’s cover the rest of the area,” Dot said.

“Maybe I can have Kilowattrel search from the air.”

“That’s a good idea!” 

Before Roy could send Kilowattrel out, they heard footsteps approaching them. They froze and waited as the sound of the footsteps getting closer. Roy felt Dot pull him behind her out of pure protective instinct. No matter how much the two disagreed on things, Dot always protected Roy no matter what. 

Soon, the faces of the people approaching them became clear. Both kids tensed up seeing Coral and Sidian with their Glalie and Garganacl. 

“What do you guys want?” Dot questioned, nervousness evident in her voice.

“Nothing! I just want to have a battle again!” Coral said enthusiastically.

“We don’t have time for this!” Roy yelled from behind Dot.

“Oh whatever! Glalie use blizzard!” Coral commanded.

“Quaxwell! Counter it with water gun!” Dot called out.

Quaxwell stepped in front of Dot, Roy, and Fuecoco and used water gun at the incoming blizzard from Glalie. Unfortunately for them, the blizzard had much more force behind it and overpowered the water gun. Dot and Roy braced themselves as the blizzard hit them all head on. It was almost a deadly cold in the blizzard and Roy knew they needed to get out of there as fast as possible.

“Fuecoco! Use flame charge on Glalie!” Roy yelled above the wind and snow.

Fuecoco started charging through the blizzard as it charged up the flame around it. It jumped and made contact with Glalie who stopped using blizzard. 

“Use stone edge! Surround them!” Sidian commanded.

Garganacl used stone edge and pillars erupted from the ground, trapping the four and their pokemon in an enclosed space.

“How are we supposed to find Liko now?” Dot asked.

“We have to battle our way out!” Roy determined, “Fuecoco! Flame charge again!”

Fuecoco charged towards Glalie once again, but the ice pokemon dodged effortlessly.

“Salt cure!” Sidian commanded.

“Quaxwell! Use water gun!” 

Garganacl’s salt cure and Quaxwell’s water gun made contact and cancelled each other out. Roy knew that the battle was going to go on for much longer than they wanted. Not only that, but they were surrounded by tall stone pillars and they weren’t going to get out without passing the two Explorer admins first. By the time they got out of the battle against Coral and Sidian, something could happen to Liko and Roy didn’t want to take that chance. 

“Roy! I have an idea!” Dot said out loud.

Roy turned to Dot and she whispered to him loud enough for their pokemon to hear, but not loud enough for their attackers to hear.

“Let’s purposely miss our attacks to break the stones around us. Then we can run and find Liko!”

Roy nodded along with the plan. He trusted Dot wholeheartedly and he was willing to go along with it.

“Use stomping tantrum!” Roy called out.

“Help him out with liquidation!” Dot joined in.

The two pokemon launched their attacks at Coral and Sidian’s pokemon who easily dodged. The two ended up hitting the stone pillars behind Coral and Sidian, causing them to crack. The two kids kept it up until a few of the pillars crumbled which gave them an opening. Roy saw the opportunity and took it.

He grabbed Dot’s hand and made a break for the opening. The younger boy could feel Dot struggling to keep up, but they didn’t have time to take a break. They needed to escape. They needed to find Liko.

“Garganacl!” Sidian called out.

Garganacl stepped in front of the two kids and blocked their way out, however, Quaxwell and Fuecoco charged at Garganacl, using liquidation and flame charge, knocking the big stone pokemon out of the way. The two kids continued running out of the makeshift arena. They finally made their way out with their pokemon close behind. They then heard Coral’s agitated screaming followed by a command that sent a shiver down both kids’ spines.

“I’ve HAD it! Glalie! Self destruct!” Coral commanded with anger behind her voice.

Roy and Dot continued running despite the looming threat behind them. They didn’t dare look behind them knowing that Glalie and Coral were most likely in pursuit of them. A few seconds later, they could hear the sound of the self destruct starting directly behind them. Dot looked back and saw Glalie about to explode. 

“ROY! BRACE YOURSELF!” Dot yelled.

Roy looked back and his eyes widened. It was too late to react. Glalie used self destruct and everything went black. 

The first thing Roy was able to register as he regained consciousness were Fuecoco’s cries. He soon registered Fuecoco nudging his arm and the fluffy snow around him too. Roy slowly picked Fuecoco up and sat up. As his vision refocused, he could only make out the snowy fields around him. There was nothing else. There was no one else. He and Fuecoco were alone. 

Roy sat for a moment, still trying to regain his bearings. The young boy thought hard about the events prior to him being knocked out. It only took a few moments to recover the memories of the incident. He remembered him and Dot facing Coral and Sidian and the next thing he knew, he’d gone flying from Glalie’s self destruct due to being caught in the outskirts of it. 

“Are you okay, Fuecoco?” Roy asked with concern.

Fuecoco nodded as an okay. Roy slightly sighed in relief, but the stress continued to flood in once he fully registered that Dot wasn’t there with him.

“Dot?” Roy called out, finally finding his voice, “Quaxwell?”

There was no response. Roy’s mind immediately went back to a spiral of thoughts. Did Dot get hurt from Glalie’s self destruct? Was she okay? Was she out there somewhere, scared and alone? Before he could spiral completely, Roy’s mind was able to form an idea to have Kilowattrel fly above and search. He quickly released the electric pokemon and asked it to search from above. Kilowattrel nodded and took off. 

While Kilowattrel searched from the air, Roy knew he couldn’t just sit there and wait, he had to search too. He finally stood up, slightly shaky and dizzy, but was able to push past it to continue walking. Roy decided to try and contact the two from his phone, but when he took it out, he couldn’t get in contact with either. His signal was jammed. 

Now, Roy was about to fully spiral into a panic. Not only could he not get in contact with Liko or Dot, but his phone wouldn’t let him contact anyone. Something felt off and Roy couldn’t put his finger on why.

“Fuecoco, be careful. We don’t know what’s around here,” Roy instructed in a low voice.

Fuecoco made a small noise of agreement and the two continued to walk around the snowy area. Roy continued to search for a signal on his phone, but failed to find one. The situation was getting more and more hopeless, but Roy couldn't give up. Liko and Dot needed him. After everything they’ve done for him, he couldn't give up on searching for them. He wouldn't let his anxiety win. All of a sudden, Fuecoco let out a startled cry, making Roy jump a little in shock.

“Fuecoco? What’s wrong?” Roy asked. 

Fuecoco pointed forward and Roy looked in that direction. There was nothing there. Roy was much more concerned now. He knew his pokemon partner wouldn't cry out without anything actually being there. Roy then knelt next to Fuecoco and put a hand on its head. 

“What did you see, buddy?” Roy asked gently. 

Fuecoco looked back at Roy and an expression of pure horror spread across the red pokemon’s face. Roy was confused by Fuecoco’s reaction until he heard a voice behind him, instantly causing him to freeze.

“It's been a long time, Roy.”

Roy didn't want to look back. He didn't dare look back. He held his breath. He recognized that voice from anywhere. It was engraved into his mind, especially after Levincia. Roy finally built up enough courage to look back. There was Spinel, standing close behind him. Roy took Fuecoco into his arms, holding his pokemon close and away from the deranged man in front of them. 

“Wh-what do you want?” Roy questioned, failing to hide the fact his voice was trembling.

“I just wanted to reconnect with my favorite prisoner,” Spinel said with a smile. 

Roy started inching away from Spinel, but was stopped by his other pokemon surrounding him. Fuecoco started squirming around, trying to fight Spinel’s pokemon, but Roy kept Fuecoco firmly in his hold, knowing that fighting back was futile and would only end up with Fuecoco getting hurt in the end. Roy looked back at Spinel and saw him grinning wider than ever, making Roy shiver more than the cold atmosphere of the mountain was.

“You're coming with me.”

Roy’s breathing quickened by the sheer insanity in Spinel’s voice. This couldn't be happening again. Roy finally found his voice again and let out a piercing cry for help despite no one being around. Not long after, the world faded away.

Chapter Text

“What are you doing here?” Amethio asked.

“What am I doing?! What are you doing here?! Did you follow us all the way here?!” Liko questioned angrily.

The last time she saw Amethio was when they battled the Black Rayquaza. He saved her from getting hurt by the powerful pokemon’s draco meteor. 

Although she’d been thankful ever since, the girl was beyond livid seeing him here in front of her on Glaseado Mountain. Why would he be here? Terapagos poked its head out of the bag it was in and started yelling at Amethio.

“Is that Terapagos?” Amethio asked.

“Terapagos! Go back inside!” Liko urged, completely ignoring Amethio’s question.

Terapagos continued to yell at Amethio. Liko knew that the small pokemon wasn't fond of any of the Explorers, but she’d never seen it react this harshly. 

“It doesn't seem to be very fond of me,” Amethio stated bluntly.

“For good reason…” Liko muttered under her breath. 

“We can make this easy. Just hand over Terapagos and we can both be on our own ways.”

“Never!”

“I guess I’ll have to fight you for it then. Ceruledge!” 

Amethio’s Ceruledge stepped up and readied itself for battle after the dual color haired boy sent it out of its pokeball.

“I’m not going down easy! Floragato! Let’s go!” Liko shot back.

Floragato stepped up to Ceruledge, ready to fight not only to protect Terapagos, but Liko too. Floragato looked back at Terapagos and gave the angered pokemon a nod as if saying that it would take it from there. Terapagos nodded in response and put its head back in Liko’s bag.

“Use psycho cut!” Amethio called out first.

“Dodge it using quick attack!” Liko countered.

Ceruledge swiftly used a flurry of psycho cuts, but the grass type pokemon moved out of the way of each attack using quick attack like Liko said. 

“Now magical leaf!”

Floragato used magical leaf from its bud and it hit Ceruledge head on, but the pokemon refocused almost immediately.

“Phantom force!”

Ceruledge disappeared into the shadows, stopping both Floragato and Liko’s flow in the battle. Liko looked around frantically, desperate to find a sign of Ceruledge. All of a sudden, Ceruledge appeared right behind Floragato and Liko’s eyes widened in fear.

“Behind you!” Liko screeched.

Floragato looked behind it, but it was too late to react, causing Ceruledge to get a clean hit on Floragato who recovered quickly. Neither pokemon were willing to give up, mimicking the resolve of their trainers. 

The battle went on for what seemed like ages. Liko would seem to have the upper hand at one point, but then Amethio would gain the advantage at another point. It was getting exhausting for both pokemon.

“It’s time! Ceruledge! Let’s terastallize!” Amethio called out, pulling out the tera orb from his pocket.

The orb was shining bright and the area around them started getting slightly darker as Ceruledge terastallized into a pure ghost type. The pokemon was glimmering a dark purple and prepared for battle once again.

“We’re not going down just yet!” Liko countered, “Flora-”

Liko froze midway through her sentence. She realized that she couldn't terastallize. Not after what happened in her battle against Grusha. 

She stopped reaching for her orb as the memories of being overpowered constantly by Grusha’s pokemon flooded her mind. How could she be worthy of the tera orb if she failed miserably?

“Phantom force!” 

Liko snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing Amethio’s voice once again, but she had no time to react to the incoming attack. Floragato took a powerful hit due to the ghost attack being powered up by terastallization. Floragato was on one knee as it tried to push itself to stand all the way.

“Phantom force again!”

Floragato couldn't react. It was too worn out and bruised to move any faster. It took two more brutal hits and was knocked to the ground. Liko was horrified. She was mentally beating herself up. 

How could she freeze up in such a pivotal moment? She’d failed all her pokemon. She would be the reason they lost this battle. Out of all the battles, this was the one they couldn't lose. They couldn't lose for Terapagos’s sake. 

Not only that, they needed to keep fighting to get past Amethio. Roy and Dot hadn't left her mind the entire battle. She needed to know if they were safe or not, and the only way to do that was to battle past Amethio.

“Floragato! Please! You have to get up!” Liko called out to her partner pokemon desperately.

Floragato meowed in discomfort, but still used all its strength to try and push itself up. As Floragato stood, Amethio scoffed.

“Let’s finish this. Phantom-”

All of a sudden, an Umbreon jumped in the middle of Ceruledge and Floragato, causing both Amethio and Liko to come to a stand still in their battle. Liko's eyes widened after looking at the Umbreon again. 

There was only one person it could belong to. She didn't have to wait long to see the man as he walked towards the two with a smile on his face from the snowy forest.

“Oh? Amethio! Didn't think I would run into you here,” Spinel said in a fake shocked tone.

“Stop your lies! Why are you here?!” Amethio questioned angrily, seeing through Spinel’s sarcasm.

Spinel then looked at Liko and gave her a deranged smile. Liko took a small step back, fear painted all over her face.

“If you want Terapagos, you’re not getting it!” Liko scolded. 

Spinel didn't say anything. All he did was pull out a glass canister with a pink crystal inside it.

“I would like you guys to be my test subjects for the Treasure of Eternity,” Spinel stated.

Liko tensed up. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but the pink crystal didn't seem right to her. Her suspicions were proven correct when Terapagos poked its head out of the bag once again and started yelling. 

Spinel just smiled and opened the glass canister, releasing a pink mist which surrounded Umbreon. Liko was taken aback when Umbreon started to react unpleasantly to the mist. 

It started growling and it looked like it was in pain. Terapagos was now shouting even louder than before. Liko didn't know what was happening, but whatever it was, she nor Terapagos didn't like it.

“Ceruledge! Bitter blade!”

“Show them your power, Umbreon.”

As Ceruledge charged towards Umbreon, it dodged and attacked Ceruledge with a significantly larger than normal shadow ball. The huge shadow ball made direct contact with Ceruledge and blasted it into a rock nearby. 

“Ceruledge!” Amethio yelped in both shock and disbelief as he ran to his downed pokemon.

Liko could only watch helplessly. Umbreon was stronger than ever, but it didn't seem right. Liko looked back at Umbreon, worry and horror evident in her eyes. There was no doubt that Umbreon was in pain. 

The Treasure of Eternity sounded like a wonderful thing, but in reality it was filled with pain and suffering. 

She then turned to Spinel and saw him eyeing Terapagos. Liko protectively pushed her bag away from Spinel, but Terapagos was pushing against her to get closer.

“Terapagos! Calm down!” Liko whispered worriedly.

Spinel held out the canister with the pink crystal towards Terapagos.

“Is this bothering you?” Spinel asked in a tone that was clearly trying to instigate something.

Terapagos glared at the pink crystal and then squirmed out of Liko’s bag. 

“Terapagos!” Liko called out.

The pokemon didn't listen. It let out a loud cry which startled Liko so much that she stumbled backwards and fell in the snow. The pokemon started glowing and Liko knew what was going to happen next. Terapagos was going to transform. 

She didn't understand why the pink mist caused Terapagos to act out, but she continued to watch in both awe and terror as the pokemon continued its transformation. Terapagos completed its transformation to its terastal form and let out another cry. 

With that cry, the pink mist started going up towards Terapagos. Liko and Amethio watched in pure amazement while Spinel just stood there with his regular smile as they witnessed all the pink mist start to disappear. 

Soon, the canister with the crystal in Spinel’s hands shattered which released more pink mist that Terapagos absorbed. It even absorbed the pink mist that had caused Umbreon to be more violent. Umbreon had collapsed immediately after the pink mist disappeared from it, making Spinel return it to its pokeball. 

Once all the pink mist was gone, Terapagos broke out of its terastal form and passed out, causing Liko to dash to the pokemon to catch it before it fell into the snow before putting the fainted pokemon in its bag. 

Liko could barely process what she just saw. Why did Terapagos absorb the pink mist? Why wasn't Terapagos affected like Umbreon was? Liko knew that Terapagos was a special pokemon, but there were still so many questions left unanswered, especially after what she just saw. Liko turned to look at Spinel who just smiled at the confused girl.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Liko,” Spinel said.

“What was that?” Amethio asked, which didn't earn him a response.

“Answer me! What was that just now?” Amethio questioned more forcefully now. 

Spinel turned towards the forest and started running away.

“Hey! Get back here!” Amethio yelled, quickly returning Ceruledge to its pokeball before dashing after Spinel.

Liko was just as curious as Amethio, but she realized that this was her chance to go find Roy and Dot. The girl was torn. She didn't know if there would be another opportunity like this again and Liko needed answers. There were still so many mysteries about Terapagos and she needed them solved. 

Although it tore at Liko inside, she decided that they needed to trail Spinel and Amethio and get the answers they needed, convincing herself that Roy and Dot would benefit from this information too.

“Let’s go Liko! We need answers!” Liko encouraged herself as she returned Floragato to its pokeball as well.

The girl quickly got up from the snow and started running after Spinel and Amethio in hopes to get an explanation for what she witnessed. Luckily, they hadn’t gotten far and Liko was able to keep up. 

The answers she would find would be for the entire Rising Volt Tackler crew. Maybe it would help them in their quest to reach Laqua. An attempt had to be made. 

If it would help further their efforts in their quest, then Liko was willing to take the risk to follow Spinel and Amethio. The girl knew how dangerous both Explorers were, but her curiosity took over her fear. She needed to know for both her sake and the Rising Volt Tacklers’ sake. 

The chase led her to a cave going under Glaseado Mountain. The tired girl stopped in front of it to catch her breath, slightly hesitant to step in. Something about the cave made Liko’s breath catch in her throat. 

Something in her was screaming for her to turn back and just go back to looking for Roy and Dot, but the girl just shook off the anxiety building up in her body and looked back at the cave in front of her. 

“No turning back now! I’ve come this far,” Liko said to herself, now taking steps into the cave.

As soon as she entered the cave, she was immediately met with Amethio who was standing at a branching path in the cave. Upon hearing Liko’s footsteps, Amethio turned back to see the younger trainer who had a determined expression on her face.

“You shouldn't be here!” Amethio yelled.

“I need answers too! I need to know what that was!” Liko shot back, not in the mood to take anything from Amethio.

The two stopped yelling at each other as they heard the sound of footsteps through the cave. It sounded as if the person was running based on how the echoes of the footsteps came one after the other with almost no silence in between. It had to be Spinel. It just had to be. 

Amethio turned to the left and started running down the left path upon hearing the footsteps that seemingly belonged to Spinel. Liko quickly followed behind the dual color haired boy which led her to an open area in the cave which had a high ceiling, however, it was a dead end. 

“A dead end…” Liko could hear Amethio mutter under his breath, “how did he…”

All of a sudden, Amethio’s body snapped to face the direction Liko was standing. 

“It’s a trap! Run!” Amethio cried out.

The young girl had no time to react as rocks started tumbling down, blocking the way they came from. Liko covered her eyes to avoid the dust that was falling as the rocks fell. Once the dust cleared from the rock slide, Liko opened her eyes to see the path they’d entered from completely blocked. 

Panic rose inside her. How could she fall for another trap? How could she let this happen over and over again? In her panic, Liko ran up to the rocks and started banging on them with her fists and crying out, desperate to get out. 

She held onto hope that she would suddenly become strong enough to punch a hole through the rocks so they could get out, but that hope was dwindling as her strength lowered. 

After a few moments, Liko collapsed to the floor in defeat, sobs threatening to wrack her entire body. She’d hit the rocks as hard as she could until her hands went numb. She was aware that Amethio was watching her feeble attempts to escape, but she didn't care at that moment. 

All she could think about was how thanks to her own selfish curiosity, Roy and Dot could be out there, scared or even worse, hurt. After her friends stayed by her side, she didn't stay by theirs in a desperate time. All she could do was cry helplessly as the remaining spark of hope within her burned out.

With Beheeyem’s help, Spinel was able to teleport back to the entrance of the cave that he’d successfully lured Amethio and Liko into. His original plan was to only lure Amethio in there to get rid of him, knowing that Gibeon held him in high regards, but Liko following was a pleasant surprise. His plans were going better than expected.

“Is Amethio down there now?” A voice asked from behind him.

Spinel turned around to see Chalce with her usual stoic expression and her Medicham right beside her. 

“Yes he is, and Liko is there with him,” Spinel replied.

“What about her other friends?” Chalce questioned.

“They’re taken care of. They won't be getting help anytime soon. Coral and Sidian are taking care of the little girl with the Quaxwell. I take it you brought the boy back to the base?” 

“I took the kid straight there after you told me to.”

“Perfect. Those are her only friends who came with her. Everything’s going according to plan.”

“Did you end up getting what you needed from Terapagos?”

“Yes, the experiment went better than expected. The next step is to take Terapagos and go to Laqua.”

“How do you plan on doing that?”

“You’ll see. Let’s just say, it’s going to be easier than we think.”

Chapter Text

Dot shot awake upon hearing her Quaxwell crying out to her and nudging her. She shot up so fast that her head started spinning a bit, but after remaining sitting up in the snow and taking a few deep breaths, the dizziness subsided. 

“Hey Quaxwell. Have I been out for long?” Dot asked. 

Quaxwell just made a noise of agreement, making the girl sigh in disappointment.

“Man…Roy, how are you?” Dot questioned.

No response came from the boy, causing Dot to turn her head around to scan the area around her. 

“What the- Roy?” Dot called out.

All she was met with was silence once again. There was not a single sign of Roy around. There wasn't any sign of his endless positive energy or anxious thoughts. Nervously, Dot turned to her pokemon again.

“Have you seen Roy? Or Fuecoco maybe?” 

Quaxwell just shook its head which caused Dot to start panicking. As much as she tried to hide her panic, it was evident the girl was scared. More than herself, Dot was terrified for both Liko and Roy. Odds were that they were also scared and alone. 

There was an even bigger possibility that they were already in the hands of the Explorers. Connecting the fact that her and Roy had run into two Explorer admins to the current situation, the Explorers were undoubtedly on the mountain and after them.

After what happened in Levincia, Dot had taken it upon herself to look after both of the kids that were slightly younger than herself. The two had been through way too much for Dot to even fathom and she wanted to ensure that they wouldn't have to go through that again. 

Being separated from them now couldn't guarantee their safety anymore and that’s what scared her most. Dot scrambled to her feet and looked at Quaxwell, concern etched all over her face.

“We have to find them!” Dot declared.

Her partner pokemon nodded in agreement, sharing its trainer’s urgency. The two set off to look around the snowy mountain as they had been before, the only difference being that Roy was now missing too. As they continued their search, Dot pulled her phone out to possibly get in contact with her two missing friends. 

She first tried Roy knowing that he was probably closer to her than Liko was, yet, she couldn't even get a call out due to there being no signal on Roy’s end. This worried her immensely. Her and Roy were together not too long ago and were only separated due to an explosion. How far was he that she could get a signal but he couldn't? She quickly switched to trying to call Liko and just like Roy, there was no signal from Liko’s end. 

Panic was starting to weigh on Dot’s chest, making it almost impossible to breathe. Thoughts of her friends potentially being in danger were sending her over the edge. Before she could completely lose her composure, she realized that she still had a signal. That meant that she could call for help. It was evident they needed it. 

She scrolled through her contacts and found Friede’s immediately. She hesitated slightly due to the fact that she promised the Rising Volt Tackler captain that she would keep Liko and Roy safe. 

He was especially hesitant about sending Roy off to do the Terastal course due to everything that happened in Levincia. The man was wary about letting Roy leave due to his increased amount of unexplained panic attacks, but Liko and Dot convinced Friede to let the younger boy go. 

If she called Friede now, that would mean that she’d broken the one promise she made, but she quickly shook that thought away realizing that Liko and Roy had already gone missing. She’d already failed and calling Friede could only benefit her and her best friends. Dot hit the call button and prayed that Friede wasn't too busy to pick up. 

“Hello? Dot?” The familiar voice answered.

Dot felt a huge wave of relief go through her body, slightly nullifying the panic crushing her.

“Friede! It’s an emergency!” Dot panicked.

“What’s wrong? Are all of you okay?” Friede asked, worry evident in his voice.

“I can't find Liko or Roy anywhere!”

“What?!”

“Well, Liko went missing first, so Roy and I tried to look for her, but then Roy and I got attacked by two Explorers and then we got separated! I tried calling them but neither of them had a signal!”

“Just hang in there, Dot. I’ll be there as fast as possible. Where are you?”

“Glaseado Mountain. Are you close by?”

“Not really…but I’ll call someone I know that’s nearby to help you while I make my way there. Stay safe.”

Dot made a small noise of agreement and hung up the call. She slightly sighed in relief knowing that Friede was on his way and he was also calling for help. For a small moment, everything felt like it was going to work out and this nightmare would end. 

“Thought you could get away?” Dot heard a voice behind her.

Dot yelped in surprise, snapping her body to face the direction of the voice. It was Coral and Sidian again. Quaxwell immediately stepped in front of its trainer protectively upon seeing the two Explorers.

“If you recall, you guys are the ones that blasted Roy and I away!” Dot snapped back.

“We didn't get to really finish the fun!” Coral remarked with a smirk, “too bad the other tiny kid couldn't be here. I wanted to battle him again.”

“Coral. Don’t say a word,” Sidian said in a low voice.

“Hey! What did you do to Roy?!” Dot scolded.

“Nothing. Garganacl, let’s go!” 

“Glalie! Join the fun!” 

Garganacl and Glalie were released from their pokeballs. Dot was taken aback upon seeing Glalie. How was it back to fighting after using self destruct?

“Salt cure!”

Dot immediately snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Garganacl start charging up salt cure. 

“Hit it head on with a strong water gun!” Dot commanded.

Quaxwell did as it was told and the two moves made contact and neutralized each other. 

“Use ice spinner, Glalie!”

“Dodge it and use liquidation!”

“Stop it with stone edge!”

Garganacl used stone edge, trapping Dot and Quaxwell in an arena with the two Explorer admins and their pokemon once again. This threw Quaxwell off its rhythm and caused it to take a hit from Glalie’s ice spinner attack. The water pokemon recovered quickly, causing Dot to not spiral into a panic just yet. 

Although Quaxwell was doing okay, it was only a matter of time before the pokemon got tired. They were outnumbered with two against one. Dot knew she had a second pokemon, but she didn't know if her Tinkatink could help against the looming threats considering that it barely had any battle experience. It was still looking like her only option since running wasn’t going to work considering the fact that she wouldn’t be fast enough to escape even if there was an opening. 

“Garganacl, salt cure!”

“Glalie, blizzard!”

“Brace yourself Quaxwell!” Dot called out.

Before any attacks could be thrown out, an electric attack came from the sky, hitting Glalie and causing it to stop charging up its blizzard. Following the electric attack was a powerful flamethrower which also hit Glalie. Everyone in the makeshift arena stood completely stunned from the unexpected attacks on Coral’s Glalie. 

Incoherent yelling which belonged to Coral could be slightly made out by Dot, but she was more focused on the events that just occurred. Dot then looked up in the sky to see a big winged pokemon slowly flying down to stand next to Quaxwell. 

Once it landed, a smaller red pokemon hopped off its back and stood in between Quaxwell and the electric flying pokemon. It was a Fuecoco and a Kilowattrel. The two pokemon looked back at Dot and also turned to Quaxwell, giving them a small nod of acknowledgment. 

“Fuecoco?! Kilowattrel?!” Dot yelled out in shock.

The realization then hit Dot like a tidal wave. These were Roy’s pokemon. A bigger realization hit Dot that made her heart drop to her stomach. If Fuecoco and Kilowattrel were here, she was too late. Something had already happened to Roy. There was a chance that Roy had sent Kilowattrel out to search for everyone from above, but Fuecoco would never leave Roy’s side. If Fuecoco was with Kilowattrel, then the logical conclusion was that something happened to Roy. 

Vaguely remembering Coral mentioning something about Roy, she wondered if the Explorers got to him first. There was a big possibility that whatever happened to Roy, the same thing happened to Liko. The mere thought of Liko and Roy being out there alone almost made Dot nauseous, but she couldn't let her overwhelming emotions cause her to falter now. 

Quaxwell was fighting too hard and now Roy’s pokemon were here supporting her. Now that they had the upper hand in terms of numbers, she would do whatever it took to win the battle and find Liko and Roy. 

“Fuecoco! Kilowattrel! Will you battle alongside me?” Dot asked, determination filling her voice once again.

Both pokemon made a loud noise of approval before turning back to the battle at hand. Although they had strength in numbers, commanding three pokemon was going to be a difficult task, especially with two that weren't even her own. Dot had faith in both Fuecoco and Kilowattrel. 

She’d watched them both battle and they’d both gotten stronger with Roy by their side, but Dot didn't know how well she could adapt to their battle style. The girl had seen Roy’s battling up close before, but could she execute it? The answer was probably not, but she would try her best. Not only for Liko and Roy’s sake, but for the pokemon’s sake too. 

“Hey! Three against two isn't fair!” Coral yelled angrily.

“You were the ones who started a two against one!” Dot yelled back.

“You get on my nerves! Glalie, blizzard!”

“Kilowattrel! Fly into the air with Quaxwell and Fuecoco!”

Fuecoco quickly hopped onto Kilowattrel’s back and Kilowattrel started flying up as Quaxwell grabbed its talons. They successfully avoided the blizzard and flew high into the air.

“Quaxwell! Liquidation on Garganacl! Kilowattrel and Fuecoco! Use spark and flamethrower on Glalie!” 

Quaxwell let go of Kilowattrel and came down with a powerful liquidation attack, hitting Garganacl. Fuecoco jumped off Kilowattrel as the electric pokemon charged down with a spark powered by the wind. As Kilowattrel flew back up, Fuecoco used flamethrower, also making contact with Glalie and then being caught by Kilowattrel once again.

“Use salt cure on that Kilowattrel!”

Garganacl aimed its attack at a flying Kilowattrel who had no time to react to the attack. It made direct contact, causing Kilowattrel to start falling to the ground.

“Quaxwell! Use water gun to save Kilowattrel!”

Quaxwell used water gun to lessen the impact of Kilowattrel’s fall. Salt cure seemed to be very effective on the poor pokemon as it laid in the snow injured. Seeing that Kilowattrel was down for the time being, Dot commanded Fuecoco and Quaxwell to protect the downed pokemon. 

“Ha! Now it’s fair! Let’s hit them with ice spinner!”

“Use flame charge to dodge and then go straight for Glalie!”

“Stop Fuecoco with salt cure!” 

Before Fuecoco could get off a flame charge, it had to dodge a salt cure attack from Garganacl which allowed Glalie to hit both Quaxwell and Fuecoco with ice spinner. Dot could tell that both pokemon were exhausted. 

Quaxwell had been battling for a really long time and Fuecoco was just as tired from everything it had to go through. Time wasn’t on their side and Dot didn’t know how they were going to get out of the situation. She couldn’t think straight anymore and the battle in front of her seemed hopeless.

“Let’s finish this. Stone edge!” 

As Garganacl was preparing to use stone edge to finish out the battle, the stone pillars behind Dot were broken open and a man with an Altaria ran through. The Altaria used moonblast, taking out Garganacl with ease. Another wave of shock went through the two Explorers and Dot seeing another unexpected intervention. 

When observing the Altaria and its trainer, Dot could immediately recognized the man as Grusha. Although she was still upset at him for saying that Liko failed her test, she was more than thankful to him for saving her now. The Glaseado gym leader looked back at Dot with an unreadable expression.

“Are you alright?” He asked Dot.

“Uh- yeah-” Dot stammered, still stunned by the unexpected help. 

Grusha gave a nod of acknowledgment and turned back to the two Explorers. 

“I suggest you both run before I have to get serious,” Grusha said in a low voice.

“You interrupted our battle!” Coral yelled angrily, “Glalie-”

“Coral, we are not battling a gym leader. We need to retreat. We did our job anyway,” Sidian interrupted.

“I’m not done with that little rat yet! We were going to finish her!” 

“Not the time!”

Coral yelled out in frustration and returned Glalie and Sidian returned Garganacl. After recalling their pokemon, the two Explorer admins retreated, leaving Grusha and Dot. The ice type gym leader ushered Dot, Fuecoco, and Quaxwell out of the makeshift arena while he and Altaria carried a downed Kilowattrel out too. After Grusha used a potion to heal Kilowattrel enough for it to move on its own, he stood up and looked at Dot.

“You didn't want to fight that battle,” Grusha stated.

“No. I didn't. They just randomly ambushed me, so I fought to defend myself,” Dot explained.

“Hm, I see. At least you're alright.”

“Yeah, but- how? How did you find me and how did you know I needed help?” 

“Friede called me saying that you and your friends were in danger, so Altaria and I flew out and came across you.”

A small smile spread across Dot’s face out of pure relief. She was thankful that Friede was quick with finding help, but she never thought that it would be Grusha coming to her aid. Grusha then looked at Fuecoco and Kilowattrel and another unreadable expression spread across his face, different from the first one.

“These two aren't your pokemon,” he stated.

“No they’re not. They’re Roy’s,” Dot explained, “we were separated and I’m not sure what happened to him.”

“Yeah, Friede filled me in. Let’s search. There's no time to waste.” 

Dot nodded. Now that she was safe, all she could do was hope for Liko and Roy’s safety too.

Chapter Text

It was utterly hopeless. There was no way out of the cave. Liko desperately looked for an exit or any sign of escape. Nothing. The only thing that surrounded her were the rocks of the cold cave they were trapped in. Only thoughts of self depreciation filled her mind. How could she be so dumb? How could she fall straight into Spinel’s trap again? How could she let the Explorers get what they want? 

She sat back against the cold cave walls and drew her knees up to her chest while also hugging them. Liko was alone once again with no way to contact the outside world. She had no defenses either. Floragato was tired from the battle with Amethio and Terapagos was still out after the encounter with the mysterious pink mist. She buried her face in her arms and continued to lose hope. The cave was cold and there was no way out. 

That's when Liko broke. Sobs consumed her entire body and echoed throughout the entire cave. No other sounds could be heard around her other than the sobs that echoed back at her off the cave walls. Thanks to her curiosity, she was now trapped in a cold cave under Glaseado Mountain. Even worse, her friends were out there. 

Roy and Dot were most likely worrying about her more than anything. They could be hurt at this moment and Liko wouldn't know. The thought of Roy and Dot potentially being hurt started to cause her sobs to get more rapid. She had to know that they were okay. She got her phone out of her pocket and shakily opened up her contacts. Her heart dropped when she saw that she had no signal. 

Out of pure frustration, Liko threw her phone across the cave. She’d never felt so helpless and angry in her life. Everyone knew Liko as the sympathetic and patient girl who anyone could confide in due to her mellow nature, but the frustration and anger towards herself was almost unbearable. She’d been angry before, but not like this. Her entire body was trembling. She wanted to scream. She wanted to punish herself for being so stupid. 

“Hey. Are you okay?” A voice asked. 

Liko’s head snapped up. It was Amethio and Ceruledge was now standing by him. Liko forgot that Amethio was in the cave with her. He’d been caught in Spinel’s trap just like her. Embarrassment filled the girl realizing that her pathetic display of rage was observed by Amethio the entire time. 

“You- I-” Liko stuttered.

“Why’d you throw your phone across the cave?” Amethio asked bluntly.

Liko just turned her head away from him out of pure embarrassment, not saying a word. 

“We’re stuck here together. We could keep this tension or we can be at an unofficial truce for the time being,” Amethio explained, “regardless of what you feel, we’re both united right now.”

“You tried to kidnap me and Terapagos several times! You were literally the first person after my pendant and I, so why would I ever make a truce with you?!” Liko snapped, letting the anger she felt towards herself seep into her words.

“It’s not ideal for me either, Liko. I’m not trying to hurt you right now. We have a common enemy.”

Liko calmed herself slightly. Amethio wasn't wrong. Spinel was much more of an enemy to her than Amethio was. That deranged man was the one who kidnapped Roy and gave him trauma. Not only that, he continued to attempt to get hold of Liko and the pendant even after the incident in Levincia. 

Although she was nowhere near fond of Amethio, it wasn't the time to argue. They were both in the same situation, trapped in a cave below Glaseado Mountain thanks to Spinel. Liko looked up at Amethio and saw him holding his hand out. With some reluctance, she took it and he helped her stand. 

“Now, help me gather some sticks. We’re going to make a fire to keep us warm,” Amethio said.

Liko obliged. It was starting to get pretty cold despite the winter gear she had on. Liko let Floragato out, who seemed to at least be somewhat rested after the intense battle it had to engage in. The two of them along with Amethio collected sticks and piled them up in the center of the cave. 

Once there were enough, Amethio had Ceruledge cause a small spark to light them on fire. Liko sat next to the fire with Floragato while Amethio sat on the opposite side with Ceruledge. For a few moments, they allowed the crackling of the fire to be the only sound in the cave. 

Liko looked into the fire and could only think about Roy’s fiery spirit. She missed it. She wanted nothing more than to have him by her side again. The warm comfort of the flames reminded her of Dot who she also wanted desperately. Dot was an amazing friend to her, always hearing out her worries and her struggles as well as giving her opinions on them. 

Despite Dot’s own anxiety, she was an amazing anchor for Liko. She wanted them both with her. Roy’s spirit and Dot’s comfort would be enough for her to get through this, but she had neither.

“You seem more upset than usual,” Amethio pointed out. 

Liko’s head snapped up to look at him to see him wearing his regular stoic expression, but behind it was just a small hint of concern. She just sighed slightly and looked back at the flame.

“Maybe a little,” Liko said, her voice cracking a little.

“That makes me wonder…why were you alone on the mountain?” Amethio asked.

“I got separated from Roy and Dot because I was being an idiot. I wasn't looking and I was slow and all of a sudden I was running into you.”

“I’m sure Spinel had something to do with that.”

“No, it was me. I wasn't looking. I could only think of…the battle.”

Amethio titled his head curiously.

“What battle?” 

“My Tera training battle. It was…pathetic to say the least. Grusha absolutely destroyed me. I was overpowered by his pokemon and his advanced battling. After everything I’ve been through…I failed. I failed myself, my pokemon, and my friends and family too.”

Liko’s voice faltered as she got closer to tears. Talking about the battle just made the furious feelings within her stir. She didn't want to relive that in any way.

“Is that why you hesitated when I terastallized?” Amethio asked.

Liko hesitated at first but then silently nodded.

“It reminded me of what I lost. I can't terastallize anymore because I lost that battle and failed my test. My entire journey leading up to this has been for nothing!” Liko cried, now letting tears fall freely.

More silence followed her comment, the fire filling the space that words weren’t taking up at the moment.

“Is that what you believe?” Amethio asked firmly, finally breaking the few moments of silence, “do you think that losing that one battle determined the entire outcome of your journey?”

Liko fell into a deep thought from Amethio’s question. Everything she had been through up to that point was leading up to her finally learning about terastallization to assist Terapagos’s quest to get back to Laqua, but, was it really for nothing? 

The knowledge she gained was invaluable. The experiences she had were unforgettable. The people she met were her family. Her adventures were her own. Sure they had been guided by her pendant who turned into Terapagos, but she chose the path on her own. No one determined it for her. 

Her journey would still continue despite her loss against Grusha. She may not be able to use terastallization anymore, but she would continue to journey with the Rising Volt Tacklers, find the six heroes, and take Terapagos to Laqua. She came back to reality to answer Amethio’s question.

“I…I guess not. It didn't end my journey,” Liko admitted.

“You’ve gotten stronger. I could sense it during our battle. You were confident when you battled alongside Floragato. Both of you have a strong bond which powers your battling even more. Your growth is what really shows what you learned on your journey and you’ve had exponential growth. Don’t downplay yourself.”

Somehow, hearing the compliments from Amethio made Liko feel a little lighter. The rage building inside her dwindled slightly. Liko turned to Floragato and her partner pokemon turned to her. Liko smiled softly and pet Floragato.

“We have come a long way from Indigo Academy, haven't we Floragato?” Liko asked.

Floragato meowed in agreement. Liko reflected on her journey briefly. From Sprigatito to Floragato, their bond had grown considerably. They had a bump in the road when Liko caught Hattrem back when it was a Hatenna and when Terapagos awakened, but they had each other’s backs. 

Floragato was there with her every step of the way, and together, they battled alongside each other and overcame obstacles. As she thought about her own growth with her pokemon, she thought of her friends, who grew alongside her. Her face immediately became somber once again. 

Roy and Dot were with Liko and Floragato every step of the way too. They supported her and grew alongside her. Now, she missed their support more than anything. It hurt her inside not knowing where they were or how they were doing.

“What’s wrong now?” Amethio asked, noticing the downed look on Liko’s face.

“We did grow on our journey, but…Roy and Dot. They were with me too,” Liko said, “I just…I need to know if they’re okay. They’re probably insanely worried…”

“Most likely. You all are pretty close, but you’re the one in danger here. They’ll probably come to your aid soon.”

“But…if Spinel’s here, then the rest of the Explorers are here. They could have gotten hurt too!”

“Hey, breathe a bit Liko. I’m sure they’re fine. They’ve grown just like you have.”

Liko listened to Amethio and took a deep breath. He was right. Roy and Dot could take care of themselves. Despite her worries, she had to trust that they could take care of themselves. Liko managed a small smile and looked at Amethio.

“Thank you, Amethio!” Liko said with a bit more of her usual tone coming back, “I’ve been doubting myself a lot, especially ever since my battle with Grusha. Somehow, talking with you kind of helped.”

“Good,” Amethio answered briefly.

“I didn’t know you could be so nice. Until now, I just thought of you as the creepy guy who tried to kidnap me.”

More silence passed between them before Liko spoke up again, still curious about why Amethio was even helping her to begin with.

“So, why?” Liko asked.

“Why what?” Amethio responded.

“Why are you helping me? First, back then, you saved me from the Black Rayquaza, and now, you’re trying to cheer me up. So, why?”

Amethio paused and just looked into the fire.

“I wasn't saving you. I was just doing my job,” Amethio stated bluntly.

“You're hiding more!”

Liko’s voice rose to be a little more assertive. Although Amethio was an Explorer, something was different about him. The Explorers were nothing but trouble yet Amethio was the one saving her from her own despair. He still had the same motives as the Explorers, but he didn't have the same malice that they carried. 

The stoic nature that Amethio possessed didn't have the same bone chilling effect that Spinel had. It wasn't comforting, but it wasn't evil to her. She wanted to know why. 

“You don't need to know right now,” Amethio stated, slowly rising to his feet, “I think it’s time we get out of here.”

Liko looked at him curiously. Confusion filled the girl as she wondered what they could do. They’d tried everything already but there was no way out.

“How?” Liko questioned.

“I noticed there’s a small crack in the ceiling which is why there’s a constant stream of chilling air in here,” Amethio explained, “if we could use our attacks in that area, we could probably break free.”

Liko looked up at the ceiling and immediately noticed the small crack in it. There was a small stem of leaves next to it flowing gently with the breeze. Liko stood up, a spark of hope now filling her entire body. They could escape. There was hope. 

“Let’s give it all we got! Ceruledge! Psycho cut!” Amethio commanded.

“Floragato! Help out by using lots of magical leaf!” 

Both pokemon unleashed an onslaught of power, crumbling the ceiling and creating an opening. A large piece of the ceiling started falling towards Liko, but before it could get any closer, Ceruledge quickly cut it up, saving Liko. The thankful girl gave Ceruledge a small smile.

“Thank you!”

Ceruledge just gave a nod of approval. 

“Let’s go. We can climb out,” Amethio told her.

Liko nodded and they started climbing out of the cave. Ceruledge and Floragato hopped out first followed by Amethio. Once the dual hair colored boy climbed out, he offered his hand to Liko, who took it graciously as he pulled her out of the cave.

“You alright?” Amethio asked.

Liko just nodded and smiled.

“Thank you for everything!” Liko said with a smile.

“Don't think anything of it. Are you going to go find your friends?” 

Liko nodded. 

“They’re probably worried sick. I really hope they aren't hurt…” 

Another wave of silence passed between them before Amethio sighed softly.

“I’ll stay with you until you do. Spinel could still be out there,” Amethio declared.

She looked at him slightly startled by his words, but she welcomed his presence. After what they witnessed, she was slightly scared to be alone. Liko just nodded silently and the two walked back towards the mountain path. Neither of them spoke as they reached a boulder in their path.

“This is the path I was on, but it wasn't blocked before,” Liko thought out loud. 

“Spinel must have moved it. Let’s break it,” Amethio said.

As if on cue, the rock was destroyed. Not by them, but by someone else. When the dust cleared, two figures stood in front of them. One was a shorter girl with purple hair while the other was a taller man with blue hair. Liko almost broke down crying from pure relief upon recognizing who they were. It was Dot and Grusha.

“DOT!” Liko screamed, throwing herself at Dot and wrapping her arms around her in a fierce hug.

They stumbled backwards but the girl could feel Dot wrap her arms around her too.

“Liko! What a relief!” Dot said out of pure relief. 

They pulled out of the hug and Liko looked at Grusha who no longer had the ice cold look in his eyes. A softer expression spread across the Glaseado gym leader’s face.

“Are you alright?” Grusha asked, his voice still cold with a small hint of worry behind his words.

“Yeah! I’m alright! Thanks to Amethio too!” Liko said, gesturing to Amethio behind her.

“HE helped you?!” Dot panicked, “an Explorer?!”

“Trust me, he’s not as mean as them.” 

The shorter girl still shot Amethio a glare and he responded by softening his expression. Before Liko could completely lose the tension in her body, she looked around a bit more. She saw Fuecoco and Kilowattrel, but someone was still missing. Roy. Roy was missing. Tension filled her body, worse than before. Where was he? Where was her little brother best friend?

“Is Roy not with you?” Liko asked, the tension spreading into her voice too.

Dot visibly tensed from the question, looking at Fuecoco and Kilowattrel who looked just as tense as Dot. A nervous breath escaped Dot which caused Liko’s anxiousness to skyrocket. 

“What happened?!” Liko pressed further.

“I- I really don't know. We got separated by Coral and Sidian and then later, I found myself battling them again and Fuecoco and Kilowattrel had found me. I don't know where Roy is and it seems like they don't either,” Dot explained as she knelt down to pat both Fuecoco and Kilowattrel.

It was as if a knife went straight through Liko’s heart. 

Not again.

The memories of Levincia came rushing back at her. The alleyway. Spinel. Her running away and not looking back. Returning to the alley just for it to be empty. It was happening again. She let this happen. A hand fell on Liko’s shoulder, causing her breath to hitch. She looked back to see Amethio giving her a concerned look.

“Breathe. We’ll find him,” Amethio said, his voice steady and grounding.

Liko nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Despite the overwhelming fear she felt, she knew she had to stand strong. Roy needed her. Wherever he was, she would find him and bring him back home.