Galar. Isle of Armor. The Pokemon Festival. Day.
After winning the final trial here at the Master Dojo, Sci-Twi was now eligible for the Secret Armor. She made a new friend in the form of Klara who would also remain as her rival and on top of that, her strength as a trainer has grown. And now, it was about to grow even further with this Secret Armor.
"Twilight. For completing all trials, you will be granted the Secret Armor. The last two that took the trials here a few years back took longer than you did, which is a surprise considering what they're capable of. I can see great things coming from you in the future.
"Oh, geez...It was nothing." She giggled.
"Now, then. Come on out." Holding a single Poke Ball, Mustard threw it lightly which soon unleashed the Pokemon within. Lo and behold, just as Sci-Twi and the others suspected, the Pokemon that was modelled after the symbol on the Master Dojo and the stylized accessories had appeared for a second time.
"Kubfu!" It was Kubfu. And upon appearing, he immediately started punching and kicking the air to display his strength.
"That's it! That's the Pokemon we encountered!" Sci-Twi gasped, vigorously pointing at Kubfu. "You definitely knew!"
"I did. Didn't want to spoil it though." Mustard cackled. "Kubfu is in fact, the Secret Armor of the Master Dojo."
"That's armour...?" Lucas commented. Nothing about this screamed armour. It was just a small Pokemon.
"I know, I know, he's tiny...But raise him with diligence and he'll become strong enough to see you through any battle, just like a suit of armour. No opponent will be able to get past him!"
"Fu...!" Glancing at Sci-Twi, the Wushu Pokemon would slowly walk over, ready to accept his new Trainer.
"This one in particular has great potential." Mustard continued. "He's usually shy, but he was rather upfront with all of you the second he met you."
"He sure was..." Sci-Twi lightly chuckled, remembering how out of left field Kubfu's attack was. Nothing about that was shy at all.
"Sci-Twi. Now that Kubfu will be your Pokemon, head out there and explore with him. Help Kubfu break out of his shell and grow stronger with him. You can leave the Isle of Armor too but remember to stop by here. Kubfu is an extension of another lesson yet to come."
"Yes, Master Mustard! I'll do just that!" Sci-Twi nodded before kneeling to face Kubfu. "Hey there. Glad to be your partner."
"Kubfu..." He looked up and down at Sci-Twi, wondering if she was the kind of trainer to help the Wushu Pokemon attain new heights of strength. After all, Fighting-Type Pokemon have their own version of strength, far different from any other Type out there.
"Aw, we're leaving the Isle of Armor already?" Scootlaoo pouted as it sounded like the experience here at the Isle of Armor was about to end. And if it was, it turned out to be very worthwhile.
"Who said we gotta leave so soon?" Not in Ash's eyes. The thrill of adventure was still prominent here at the Isle of Armor. The journey here has just begun. And with Sci-Twi gaining a new teammate in the form of Kubfu, another path to power would be within her sights.
Honeycalm Island.
Honey Calm Island. Shaped like a honeycomb, hence its name as well as a six-petaled flower, with the giant tree in the center almost like a flower's receptacle. After getting out there, they decided to stop by this part of the Isle of Armor to eat for the day.
With the trials over, they could enjoy the rest of the Isle of Armor. It was still vast after all. And this time, they will be joined by Kubfu. The current plan was to explore but also to meet up with Celestia and Luna. Most likely, Chrysalis was still at the Armor Station, reading her books. It was time for a short picnic, with most of the food being offered up by Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Each of their Pokemon were out to feast away. Some worked hard and some didn't, but what mattered was that they could eat well when surrounded by friends, all except for one, who was standing on his own.
"Kubfu...!" Immediately, Kubfu was focused on growing his strength, standing near the edge of the island and breathing in, facing the waves.
"Hey, Kubfu. Do you want to eat with us?" Sci-Twi walked over, offering Kubfu some food. He was too busy rapidly striking the air to pay attention to the sandwich that was offered up to him.
"Fu! Kubfu!"
"Mmm...This isn't gonna be another Rapidash scenario, is it?" Sci-Twi pouted as Kubfu didn't even glance at her. She was ready to pull back until the sandwich was suddenly snatched away from her grasp. She blinked as Kubfu had taken the sandwich either way.
"Kub..." Kubfu munched on the sandwich. This instantly brought relief to Sci-Twi. She might not have to deal with a stubborn Pokemon again. After consuming the sandwich, Kubfu let out a cute roar that was trying to be threatening.
"Aww..." Sci-Twi gushed at such an adorable sound. "You want to be tough, don't you? Well, don't worry. I'll do my best to make you as strong as you can be."
"Kub?" Afterwards, Kubfu turned his attention to the party of Pokemon sitting around the picnic. And immediately, his thirst for battle was building up. So many Pokemon to challenge here. Who to choose? Who to strike at first? Kubfu couldn't make up his mind, so he would let his body do the talking as he immediately threw himself at the Pokemon. "Kubfu!"
"Huh! Wait! Don't do it!" Sci-Twi screeched, vehemently begging Kubfu not to attack her friends. The first Pokemon within Kubfu's sights was Lucario, who was pleasantly enjoying his meal.
"Rrr." However, that was immediately cut short by Lucario casually moving his arm, knocking the Wushu Pokemon away. All Lucario needed was his Aura to sense Kubfu's attack.
"Fuuuuu!" Kubfu yelled after being launched away, failing to sneak up on Lucario. Then again, sneaking up on a Pokemon so connected to the Aura was impossible. Sci-Twi caught Kubfu in her arms, holding him like a baby. "Kub...!"
"I don't think now's the time to do that, Kubfu."
"If he wants, he can take me and Mienshao on," said Rainbow Dash with a full mouth. "But...I got things I wanna do at the Isle of Armor right now. There's a whole bunch of Pokemon for me to try and add to my team. I didn't really have the time because of those trials, so..."
Rainbow Dash would cut her meal short, focusing on finding some Pokemon now the trials were over. "Honestly though, I wish I got Kubfu. Ooh, if only I got that one Slowpoke!"
"Hehe. Sorry about that." Twilight giggled as she was the reason Rainbow Dash never tagged that one Slowpoke. Rainbow Dash grumbled before departing, returning all of her Pokemon after they finished their meals.
"Good luck with that. I'm guessing we'll be hitting the Crown Tundra next. No sign of Cobalion here. Or even any of the Swords." Ash replied. "And if we do...we'd best gear up for something warm. It's gonna be cold there for sure."
Loop Lagoon.
Rainbow Dash made her way over to a place in the Isle of Armor known as Loop Lagoon. A place where Max Mushrooms can appear. Some of them were already seen growing out of the ground and walls but it was too late to start picking them since they had no use. All the trials were done.
But even with these trials over, the quest for strength wasn't. Rainbow Dash had her own pursuit of power and that involved taking on the Battle Frontier and winning the Equestria League, becoming Equestria's first-ever champion. And to her, catching more Pokemon was a way to get more of that strength.
"Castform..." Castform yawned while in her saddlebag, immediately putting himself to sleep. He would just wait until this was all over, not bothering to interact with the environment or anyone at the moment.
"Let's see..." The pegasus placed on her aviator glasses that also possessed her Mega Stone, viewing the scenery. At this moment, Rainbow Dash was looking for a specific Pokemon. "I've got enough speed on my side. I need power. Lots of power. Braviary and Mienshao hit hard for sure and Altaria can do the same when she Mega Evolves. But I'm looking for one more powerhouse."
Rainbow Dash had her sights set on a physically strong Pokemon, much like Mienshao and Braviary. A majority of her Pokemon focused on speed or utility. But so far, from what she could see, no one was really scratching that itch for her.
Not even the Lurantis that was spotted here. She flew over to a small spot out on the sea, wondering if she could find some Water-Type Pokemon. Aside from Castform who has his Rainy Form, Rainbow Dash was looking for a solo Water Pokemon to team up with.
Swimming by were some Cloyster and Magikarps. Flying above her were Wingulls. She even saw an Inkay and Malamar nearly, diving underwater. But nothing struck her fancy, alas. Pinching at her hoof was a Krabby. "Ow!" Rainbow Dash yelped, growling and grizzling her teeth at the Krabby that mischievously pinched her.
"Krabby-Krabby!" Krabby giggled after moving back. But it kept its eyes on Rainbow Dash, waiting for her response. But Rainbow Dash did not indulge in its mischief yet. Instead, she went back to spectating for new Pokemon.
Other Pokemon came by this spot, passing by Rainbow Dash who was so fixated on the sea. They either dived out of the sea or descended from above. But some were more interested in what they smelled. The Wingull smelled some food in Rainbow Dash's saddlebag. And so did the other Pokemon.
Castform gasped as his sleeping space was being invaded by these peckish Pokemon. The Wingull started repeatedly pecking inside of the bag, trying to reach the food. All the other Pokemon were just itching to try them. "C-Cast!"
"Hey, hey!" Rainbow Dash bellowed. "Knock it off! Most of that is for my Pokemon! Come on!"
However, when standing near the sea and trying to force the Pokemon away, nearby, something was rapidly approaching her. A fin could be seen moving at high speeds, specifically targeting RainbowDash. Two fins could be seen approaching her, in reality, and she had yet to notice.
"Huh?" Until now. Rainbow Dash sensed an odd presence. A rapidly approaching one. Right as she turned around, flying out of the lake were Sharpedos. Two of them. The pegasus grimaced, immediately moving back as fast as she could. The Wingulls all flew away the second the Sharpedos appeared, dismissing the food in a heartbeat.
"Sharpedo!" The Sharpedo missed their target, biting nothing but the sand. After missing Rainbow Dash, the two Sharpedo's started hovering above this spot in the ocean.
"Sharpedo?! That's not so bad." Rainbow Dash grinned after spotting the two Brutal Pokemon. But it wasn't just two of them. Appearing were two more Sharpedos. They moved here as fast as they could while five more started encircling the area.
It was at this moment that Rainbow Dash realized that she was in Sharpedo-infested waters. Loop Lagoon was not the place to be. "Oh, wow...That's a lot of Sharpedos. But I'll gladly take you on." Instead of fleeing, Rainbow Dash felt the need to challenge them, just to grow her strength as a Pokemon Trainer.
"Castform..."
"K-Krabby!" Krabby and all the Pokemon here were unfortunately in the same situation. They couldn't flee since the Sharpedo's were encircling the spot. Any nearby Pokemon swimming along would steer away from here. Krabby got close to Rainbow Dash again, but this time, out of fear and there was no intent to pinch her.
"Ah, It's alright. I can take on a Sharpedo. Never taken on multiple but still. This is a good chance to grow as a trainer." The pegasus played it cool before holding out a Poke Ball. "Watch! Mienshao will make quick work of-"
But before she could even throw the Poke Ball or finish her sentence, one more individual joined this circle of Pokemon. A spark of lightning appeared in the distance, right near one of the landscapes of the Isle of Armor. Before they knew it, this lightning bolt raced over the spot where so many Pokemon ha gathered and as soon as the Sharpedo were abut to make their next move, the lightning bolt crashed into one of them.
"S-Shar!" It came at lightning speeds, leaving behind a shockwave too. The one Sharpedo that got hit by this lightning, wasn't the only one. The lightning was so volatile that it instantly latched onto the nearby Sharpedo's shocking them as well. And since some were in the water, it didn't bode well for them.
Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped at the speed of which this attack came in. But it wasn't just an attack. It was a Pokemon. Appearing after the lightning would disperse, was a Pokemon she had never seen before.
It was a Zeraora.
"Woah...Who's that?"
"Zeraoara!" Zeraora then kicked the Sharpedo away, sending it tumbling across the sea. It came here the second the Pokemon were being threatened and after sticking a powerful landing, all the Pokemon cheered. They knew of this Pokemon's existence, which is why some of them immediately ran up to Zeraora. Rainbow Dash was still stunned and had to take out her Pokedex for this.
"Zeraora. The Thunderclap Pokemon. It electrifies its claws and tears its opponents apart with them. Even if they dodge its attack, they’ll be electrocuted by the flying sparks. Wherever Zeraora runs, lightning flashes and thunder echoes. Unlike most Electric-type Pokémon, Zeraora doesn’t have an organ within its body that can produce electricity. However, it is able to gather and store electricity from outside sources, and then use it as its own electric energy."
"Ze?" The Thunderclap Pokemon turned around, gazing at the Pokemon that she saved. She put on a smile for them with some hugging her leg. It was clear that this Pokemon was a friend. But as soon as she saw Rainbow Dash, her expression shifted to a serious one.
"Uh!" The pegasus gasped after getting quite the glare from Zeraora. But that was mainly due to the Sharpedos that were still around. One of them appeared behind Rainbow Dash while she wasn't looking.
"Ora!" With a strong and quick roar, Zeraora threw her fists as the Sharpedo that tried sneaking up on Rainbow Dash and Castform. Her paws were suddenly engulfed in plasma. An element that only Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem and Passion were able to generate. But this wasn't a problem for Zeraroa.
She struck the Sharpedo square in the jaw with this singular hit and it immediately spread multiple volts that chained over to every other Zeraora. It was as if the lightning locked onto anyone it saw as an enemy. The Sharpedos immediately retreated, refusing to engage any further with Zeraora. Just like that, they fled, granting the safety of the Pokemon and Rainbow Dash.
"Zera..." Zeraora took a deep breath after fending off the Sharpedo.
"That was awesome! You're awesome!" Naturally, Rainbow Dash geeked out about this. "I've never seen a Pokemon like you before! So cool!"
"Castform!" Castform was fully awake for this without a doubt.
"Ze..." Zeraora flinched, pulling back as soon as Rainbow Dash got close. She even generated electricity around her paws and face to try and intimidate her.
"Oh, uh...sorry?" The pegasus would also pull back as Zeraora was very much apprehensive of her. "Oooh! It's so cool! The way it looks rocks! Definitely up my alley!" In her mind, Rainbow Dash had found the perfect Pokemon but obviously, Zeraora wasn't too fond of Rainbow Dash's presence.
The other Pokemon who tried to snatch Rainbow Dash's food would surround the multi-coloured maned mare once more, for the sole fact that she tried defending them before Zeraora did but never got the chance. Zeraora watched as all these Pokemon gathered around Rainbow Dash.
But before she could do anything, above them, a strong wind pressure could be felt and heard. The smaller Pokemon closed their eyes while Zeraora and Rainbow collectively raised their heads.
Above them, a massive ship could be seen. It was unknown who owned this ship as it looked to be descending here at the Isle of Armor. This island was about to receive another visitor from the looks of it. Either they were here for the trials or something else.
"Ora...!" But Zeraora already thought of the worst. Instantly, she would flee the scene, leaping through the air.
"Ah! Hey! Wait up!" But Rainbow Dash didn't want to lose sight of this Pokemon. Not for a moment. It was someone she's never seen before and on top of that, it was an Electric-Type. Granted, she was looking for a Water-Type, but she didn't mind a second Electric-Type on her team. Not for a moment. She took flight, pursuing Zeraora who immediately started running on water. Rainbow Dash was amazed to see the Thunderclap Pokemon dashing over the surface of the water.
She's only seen Pheromosa do such a thing. This was indeed a fast Pokemon. But she also appeared to be a physically strong Pokemon. All the more reason why Rainbow Dash had to keep up, and she certainly could as she started flying alongside the Electric-Type.
"Zera?!" Zeraora gasped. She didn't expect Rainbow Dash to suddenly keep up with her.
"Hey!" The pegasus grinned and waved, trying to butter up to Zeraora. But so far, it wasn't working.
Training Lowlands.
As for this ship, it touched down at a place known as the Training Lowlands. By now, everyone had noticed it. It was too big and too loud not to notice after all. Ash and his friends had spotted its appearance, but couldn't make out who it belonged to. It could be anyone. The only problem was that they didn't spot the symbol on the front.
When this ship touched down, it showed that it was a ship belonging to the Ranger Union. The Pokemon Rangers were here, most likely on an important mission. Approaching the Training Lowlands before anyone else was none other than Mustard and his wife, Honey. They were expecting the Ranger Union while no one else was.
"They showed up right after the trials. Works for me." Mustard grinned.
"Darling. Do you think they're here to-"
"Handle the Zeraora situation? I think so." From Mustard's own words, this all involved Zeraora. The Ranger Union were here for the Thunderclap Pokemon. But for what reason? There could be only one and Mustard shared them with Rarity's group specifically.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 307 End.