Archive of Our Own ^beta

The sun hangs low in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over Potaru Island. A gentle breeze carries the scent of salt and tropical flowers as Emily and her mom step out of the exotic Pokemon taxi onto the sun-kissed pavement. The vibrant colors of the bustling market, situated just a stone's throw away from the sandy beach, paint a picturesque scene around them.

Emily adjusts the strap of her backpack, feeling the familiar weight of her Piplup by her side. The little blue Pokemon waddles happily, its bright eyes curious and excited. Emily can't help but smile, the worries of Pokemon battles and school fading away in the tranquil atmosphere of the island.

"Mom, this place is amazing!" Emily exclaims, her eyes wide with wonder as she takes in the sights around her. The market is alive with activity—vendors hawking colorful fruits, rare berries, and exotic trinkets. Pokemon of various shapes and sizes roam freely, adding to the lively atmosphere.

Her mom chuckles, a warmth in her voice matching the tropical surroundings. "I'm glad you like it, sweetheart. This island is a hidden gem, isn't it?"

As they amble through the market, Emily can't help but be captivated by the unique Pokemon native to Potaru Island. Vibrant Alolan forms of familiar Pokemon frolic in the sun, their exotic appearances catching the eye of tourists and locals alike. It's a far cry from the familiar faces of Snivy Tepig, and Oshawott she's used to seeing at school in Striaton City.

The ocean breeze carries with it the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore. Emily's mind drifts to her friends back at the Pokemon school—Mark, Elara, and Max. She can almost hear their voices, the camaraderie they share in the halls and classrooms. A pang of longing hits her, and she wonders what they're up to at this very moment.

"Emily, are you alright?" her mom asks, noticing the wistful expression on her daughter's face.

"Yeah, Mom, just thinking about school and stuff," Emily replies, forcing a smile. She doesn't want to burden her mom with her insecurities and the weight of her self-doubt.

They continue their stroll, the market giving way to a sandy path that leads to their holiday home by the beach. The air is filled with the sweet fragrance of tropical blooms, and the distant murmur of the ocean becomes a soothing melody.

As they approach the cozy beach house, Emily can't shake the feeling that this holiday might be a chance to escape not just the physical distance from school but the emotional distance she sometimes feels from her friends and herself. The island holds the promise of adventure, relaxation, and maybe, just maybe, a chance to confront the insecurities that lurk beneath her confident exterior.

The sandy path beneath their feet gives way to a wooden deck that leads up to the beach house. The structure stands against the backdrop of swaying palm trees, its white exterior glistening in the late afternoon sun. The sound of waves grows louder, a rhythmic lullaby that seems to welcome them.

As Emily and her mom approach the house, a sudden clatter draws their attention. Hanging out his laundry on the porch, shirt wrapped around his waist, is a man with a physique that suggests a life of athleticism. Beads of sweat glisten on his forehead as he turns to face them, and his expression carries an air of nonchalant confidence.

"Hello there," he says, his voice smooth and deep. "I'm Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo. Welcome to my humble abode."

Emily and her mom exchange surprised glances. The holiday home is more than they expected—spacious, well-furnished, and with a breathtaking view of the ocean.

"Ronaldo? Like the footballer?" Emily blurts out, her curiosity getting the better of her.

The man grins, his confidence undiminished. "The one and only. I like to keep things low-key when I'm not on the field, you know? Thought I'd rent this place out to let it breathe a bit."

Emily's mom, Lilly Thorn, offers a friendly smile. "We're the Thorns. Emily and Lilly Thorn. Thank you for renting out your lovely home to us."

Ronaldo's gaze shifts to Lisa, and he gives her a playful wink. "Well, Lilly, it's my pleasure. I figured the place could use some life. Speaking of life, who's this little guy?" He gestures to Emily's Piplup, who's been eyeing the football icon with curiosity.

"Oh, this is my Piplup," Emily says, a hint of pride in her voice.

Ronaldo crouches down, eye level with the Pokemon. "Impressive. You've got a good eye for partners, Emily. Piplup's a real gem."

The compliment, however egotistical, causes Emily to blush, while Lilly chuckles at the exchange. Ronaldo stands up, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Come on, let me show you around. It's not every day I get to play host."

As they explore the spacious rooms and well-appointed living areas, Ronaldo maintains an air of effortless charm. Emily can't shake the feeling that beneath the bravado, there's a genuine warmth to him.

"So, Lilly," Ronaldo says with a sly smile, "I must say, you're looking stunning today. What's the secret?"

Lilly blushes, caught off guard by the unexpected compliment. "Oh, well, thank you. It's just the sea breeze, I suppose."

Ronaldo chuckles, his ego seemingly insatiable. "Must be. But I'd like to think it's the company."

As Ronaldo leads them to the outdoor terrace, Emily can't decide whether she finds him charming or just a touch too self-assured. She glances at her mom, who seems to be enjoying the banter.

The tour of the beach house concludes on the outdoor terrace, where the sun begins its descent, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. Ronaldo, true to his theatrical nature, announces his departure with a flourish.

"Well, ladies, duty calls elsewhere on this paradise island. I'll leave you in the capable hands of Jack here." He gives Lisa a parting wink, prompting another blush from her.

As Ronaldo strides away, Jack Henderson, a young boy with sun-kissed hair and a perpetual grin, steps forward. His thick Californian accent carries an easygoing charm as he extends a hand to Emily.

"Hey there, I'm Jack. Jack Henderson from San Diego. Ronaldo's drama, huh? Don't mind it; he's always like that."

Emily shakes his hand, a smile tugging at her lips. "Emily Thorn, from Striaton City. Drama seems to follow him around, doesn't it?"

Jack laughs, a carefree sound that echoes the laid-back atmosphere of the island. "You got that right. So, what brings you guys to this little slice of paradise?"

Lilly, having overheard the conversation, chimes in from where she's exploring the house. "We're here on holiday, trying to soak up the sun and the good vibes."

Jack nods, his grin widening. "Well, you picked a great spot for it. This place is like a dream."

As Lilly continues her exploration, Ronaldo's departure opens up the opportunity for Emily and Jack to get to know each other. They find themselves perched on the terrace, overlooking the ocean. The waves below gently caress the shore, creating a soothing soundtrack to their conversation.

"So, Emily from Striaton City, what's the deal with you and Pokemon? Ronaldo said your Piplup is quite the star."

Emily shrugs, a hint of humility breaking through. "Yeah, I guess. I'm a Pokemon Trainer, but battles aren't exactly my strong suit. Splash here is more of a companion than a powerhouse."

Jack smirks, a playful glint in his eyes. "Companion, huh? I'm more of a dinosaur guy myself."

"Dinosaurs?" Emily furrows her brow, genuinely intrigued. "I've never heard of those. What are they?"

Jack raises an eyebrow, mock offense written on his face. "You've never heard of dinosaurs? Unbelievable. We need to fix this pronto."

Emily laughs, realizing she's fallen for his teasing. "Okay, okay, spill the beans. What are dinosaurs?"

Jack leans back, adopting a professorial air. ""So, imagine a world where these colossal beasts roamed freely," Jack concludes, a teasing glint in his eye.Though when Emily still looks confused he continues, "Dinosaurs were these massive creatures that roamed the Earth millions of years ago. Some were giants, like the T-Rex, and others were flying, like the Pterodactyls. That's the world of dinosaurs."

Emily's eyes widen in genuine fascination. "Really? That sounds amazing! Why haven't I heard of them before?"

Jack grins. "Guess you've been too busy with Pokemon. But hey, I'm here to enlighten you on the wonders of the ancient world."

As Emily listens to Jack's animated explanations, she can't help but appreciate the easy rapport they share.

Jack points to the nearby beach as the calming screeches of the local Wingull can be heard and the sea gently ebbs and flows, "Hey Em. I can call you that, right? Em"

Emily nods. "Yea of course! It's what most people call me"

"Ah, good" Jack confirms with a clearing of his throat before continuing, "So you uh wanna see something cool?"

Emily nods more enthusiastically. "Yea! I'm always up for new things."

Jack holds in a sigh Emily's unsettling levels of energy and enthusiasm for anything beginning to annoy him. "Right this way!"

Jack begins walking away from the cabin, Emily hesitating for a short moment considering wether she should leave

Jack's enthusiasm for dinosaurs is contagious, and with an animated grin, he guides Emily down the sandy path to a secluded spot on the beach. The fading sunlight casts long shadows on the shore, and the rhythmic sound of the ocean provides a calming backdrop.

"Here we are," Jack announces, gesturing to a stretch of sand near some jagged rocks. "This is my fossil hotspot. I've found some pretty cool stuff here."

Emily looks around, taking in the peaceful surroundings. "Fossils? What are those again?"

Jack throws his head back and laughs. "Oh, Emily, you're killing me! Fossils are like... ancient Pokemon remains, but not really. They're the preserved remains of plants or animals from a long time ago, turned into rock."

"Turned into rock?" Emily scrunches her nose in confusion.

Jack chuckles, finding her innocence amusing. "Yep. It's a whole process. Over time, minerals replace the original material, leaving behind a rock-like version of the once-living thing. You know, like a snapshot of the past."

Emily tries to wrap her head around the concept, but it's clear she's still puzzled. Jack, reveling in his role as the educator, decides to have a bit more fun.

"Think of it this way: fossils are like Pokemon that got stuck in a time capsule and turned into stone."

Emily narrows her eyes at him. "That's not helping."

Jack laughs, his Californian drawl adding to the charm. "Okay, okay. Let's just look for some, and I'll show you. It's way easier than explaining."

As they comb the area, Jack points out various rocks and shells that might have once been something more. The sun dips lower, casting an amber glow over the beach. Piplup happily plays around with a group of Wimpod near a clump of stones, seemingly left behind by a high tide.

Suddenly, Jack's eyes light up. "Hey, check this out!" He bends down and picks up a peculiar-looking tooth, cracked and definitely fresher than the others they've found. A strange green ooze clings to its surface.

"Ew, what's that?" Emily wrinkles her nose in disgust.

Jack examines the tooth with a mix of fascination and excitement. "This is wild! Look at the shape—it's kind of like a T-rex, but the growth pattern is more like a crocodile. Nature is amazing!"

Emily, still grossed out, takes a step back. "You're holding that thing like it's a treasure. It's just a tooth."

Jack grins, undeterred. "It's a dinosaur tooth, Em! I bet there's more around here. This place is like a prehistoric treasure trove."

As Jack continues to marvel at his find, Emily watches him with a mixture of amusement and mild horror. The sun continues its descent, casting long shadows on the beach.

The amber glow of the setting sun bathes the beach in warm hues as Emily continues to explore the sand. Her fingers brush over the trilobite fossils scattered among the rocks, and she can't help but marvel at their intricate shapes. Jack, always the enthusiast, joins her in examining the ancient remnants.

"Trilobites were these cool, armored sea creatures that lived millions of years ago," Jack explains, his eyes lighting up with passion. "They're like the Pokemon of the Paleozoic era, you know?"

Emily grins, finding Jack's comparisons amusing. "So, Pokemon are basically modern-day trilobites?"

Jack chuckles. "Exactly! Evolution's a wild ride."

As they lose themselves in the world of trilobites, Piplup suddenly perks up, its attention drawn to something in the water. Emily follows its gaze, and her eyes widen at the sight of a peculiar creature moving through the waves.

"What in the world is that?" Emily asks, her curiosity piqued.

Jack squints at the approaching figure, and his excitement is replaced by mild confusion. "I have no idea. Looks like a fish, but not any fish I've ever seen."

As the creature draws nearer, Emily feels a mix of fascination and unease. The fish has a sleek, streamlined body, its scales shimmering with an otherworldly iridescence. Long fins trail behind it, and there's something distinctly alien about its appearance.

"It's coming this way," Emily notes, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

As the creature slowly drags itself up onto the shore it's appearance is slowly revealed piece by piece: First comes the pale white rectangular head with oversized grey jaws with small dark green lips lining them and an almost spectral looking dorsal fin running along the back of the head and neck coloured deep dark green with small light blue and light green bubble patterns, next comes the still grey unnaturally bony un-muscular body with accentuated hips and gills seemingly stretching the the middle of it's neck down to where the lungs should be, the final sight is the two humanoid legs forming and stretching to transform from a mermaid like tail turning the creature bipedal and upright in posture as what seems to be a large grey flap of skin or muscle stretches from it's abdomen to the middle of it's thighs seeming to act almost as a skirt flailing in the dim breeze as the creature shakes itself free of water much akin to a dog.

Jack, however, remains unfazed, sitting calmly beside Emily. "Easy there, Em. It's just a fish. Well, a really weird-looking one, but still just a fish."

Emily peeks out from her hiding spot, her embarrassment evident. "I thought it was going to... I don't know, attack us or something."

Jack grins, his teasing tone returning. "Afraid of a little fish, Thorn? Who would've thought?"

Piplup, seemingly more intrigued than alarmed, approaches the water's edge to get a closer look. The strange fish eyes the small Pokemon up and down as if analysing it, its eyes then fixated on the trio on the beach.

"So, any ideas on what that thing is?" Jack asks, genuine curiosity replacing the earlier humor in his voice.

Emily shakes her head, still processing the encounter. "No clue. But it's like nothing I've ever seen before."

To the horror of Emily and Jack, the fish begins to morph: First it's arms skin peels away before the gills close and the dorsal fin seemingly shrinks back into it's neck, next the legs thin out and become human like before the skirt like appendage folds upwards as more usual Dark Blue skirt with checkered white patterns form from out of it, finally the skin on the head slowly tears apart and a human head with Ginger Hair and a pair of cat shaped glasses pushes it's way out revealing a very normal looking Human girl, seemingly adult, with a strange smartwatch on her wrist.

The girl stretches gracefully, revealing a confident air, and the blue assortment she wears looks like something out of a futuristic tale. Emily and Jack exchange bewildered glances as the girl holds her wrist, the small watch adorning it, and begins to speak to someone named Ben.

"Ben, I did it! I finally did it!" she exclaims, her voice tinged with a mix of triumph and exhaustion.

A voice crackles through the small watch, presumably Ben, "That's great Gwen, I told ya you'd be able to do it eventually."

Seemingly exhausted, the girl sits down on the beach, the sci-fi attire contrasting with the natural surroundings. She doesn't seem to notice Emily and Jack, who watch from a distance, still grappling with the surreal scene unfolding before them.

Jack leans in and whispers to Emily, "Did we just witness a sci-fi transformation? Is this some kind of movie set?"

Emily shrugs, equally puzzled. "I have no idea, but it's definitely not something you see every day."

As they consider making their way back to the holiday home, Piplup takes matters into its own flippers. The curious Pokemon waddles toward the girl, its eyes filled with intrigue. Without thinking, Emily follows, a mix of curiosity and concern guiding her steps.

Jack, however, remains rooted in place, nervousness keeping him at a distance from the mysterious woman. He watches Emily and Piplup approach, uncertainty written across his face.

The girl, seemingly unaware of their presence, remains seated on the beach. Her gaze is fixed on the horizon, lost in thoughts that Emily and Jack can only guess at.

The beach is cloaked in the cool hush of night, the distant stars casting a gentle glow over the sand. As Emily approaches the mysterious woman and Piplup, she unintentionally collides with her, causing a small commotion. Piplup, ever the affectionate companion, begins licking Emily's head, prompting an annoyed sigh from her.

"Come on, Piplup, I told you to behave," she mutters, trying to wrangle the enthusiastic Pokemon.

The woman, laughing, asks, "Is this little penguin yours?"

Emily, already on edge, bites back a bit more viciously than intended. "It's a Pokemon, not a penguin. And yes, it's mine." She holds Piplup tightly, as if shielding it from the awkward encounter.

The woman, seemingly unfazed by Emily's tone, pats Piplup on the head and smiles. "Well, aren't you a cute Pokemon! I've never seen one before."

Emily's irritation softens into a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Never seen a Pokemon? Where are you from?"

The woman hesitates, tactically covering the watch on her wrist with her sleeve. "Oh, I'm from... far away. I'm just here for a little while."

As the tension eases, Emily introduces herself, still holding onto Piplup with a protective air. "I'm Emily, and this is Piplup."

The woman gives Piplup one more affectionate pat before her expression turns serious. "Emily, you should head home. There's something dangerous on this island at night. A creature that's been roaming around and... well, it's not something you want to encounter in a dark alley I'll tell ya that much."

Emily's eyes widen, her curiosity replaced by a subtle sense of fear. "A creature? What kind of creature?"

The woman hesitates before delivering an ominous warning. "A killer, a predator. It's taken lives already. Be careful, and stay inside at night."

Emily, spooked by the woman's words, hesitates but eventually nods. "Alright, I'll be careful."

As she makes a hasty retreat, she spots Jack lingering in the background, his eyes wide with curiosity. Emily grabs him by the scruff of his neck and practically drags him away, muttering under her breath.

"What's the hurry, Thorn? I thought you liked making new friends."

"Shut up, Jack. We need to get back to the holiday home. There's some killer creature on the loose at night, apparently."

Jack chuckles, unimpressed. "Killer creature? Sounds like some wild island legend. You're not scared, are you?"

Emily hesitates, then admits, "Maybe a little. The woman seemed serious."

Jack smirks, teasing her as they rush back. "Scared of fake monsters, Thorn? Come on, this is probably just some story the islanders tell to scare the tourists. They're famous for their wild legends, you know."

Emily bites back viciously again, this time fuelled by genuine anger, "I bet you'd want me to die anyway, don't think I don't see those scowls on your face all the time. You'd rather not have me around at all, wouldn't you?"

Jack retorts, a little surprised, "Em... I.. That's..." Though he soon returns to his normal demeanour as if hiding something. "I wouldn't talk to me like that Thorn otherwise a scary monster isn't the only thing you'll be getting hurt by."

As they approach the Cabin once more Emily digs her nails into Jack's neck a little bit eliciting a soft "ow" from him before stating. "If you don't like me, fine. Just don't rub it in my face all the time, I came here to get away from that and your one poor idiot if you think I'm gonna let the likes of you ruin MY holiday."

The holiday home, bathed in the soft glow of interior lights, welcomes Emily and Jack as they step inside. Emily's panting, a mix of anxiety and exertion, fills the air, and Jack continues to tease her about buying into island legends.

"Come on, Thorn, you're letting a silly story get to you. Killer creatures? Sounds like something out of a B-movie."

Emily, still on edge, snaps back at him, her words sharper than intended. "Easy for you to say, Jack. Not everyone's as fearless as you."

A tense silence hangs in the air as they venture into the holiday home. To their surprise, a meal is already prepared, and a Mr. Mime is busying itself with cleaning pots and pans. Lily, sitting at the dining table, is already indulging in the food.

"Ah, there you two are!" Lily greets them warmly. "Come join me. The food is delicious, and Mr. Mime has outdone itself."

The tension between Emily and Jack lingers, but they both take a seat at the table. Emily, still feeling the weight of her words, joins Lily in the meal. Jack, however, for reasons unknown, feels a pang of anxiety but tries not to show it. He takes a plate of food and heads up to his room, leaving Emily to eat in relative solitude.

The meal is a comforting distraction, and Lily, ever perceptive, notices the subtle change in Emily's demeanor. However, she doesn't press, knowing that Emily will come to her if she wants to talk about it.

"So, Emily, tell me about your day. What did you do on the island?" Lilly begins the conversation with tentatively.

"Just looked at dusty ol' rocks." Emily responds dryly.

Lily, recognising when her daughter's unhappy with something changes the subject. "Isn't Mr Mime the best cook!"

Emily looks a little estranged by such a sudden change of subject but continues nonetheless. "Uh yea, where'd he come from though?"

Lily shrugs her shoulders. "I have no idea, I was just attempting to figure out this TV when POOF! He just appeared and started doing housework."

The meal continues with a nagging worm in the back of Emily's mind, ever so familiar, reminding her that jack was nice at the start and stating to her confidently that it's all her fault he hates her now. Emily though attempts to dispel these thoughts throughout the night, as a consequence the rest of her first night on holiday passes in a fuzz of guilt and unsettling sleep.

The next day dawns on Potaru Island, the sunlight filtering through the palm leaves and casting dappled patterns on the ground. Jack finds himself sitting on a bench outside, basking in the warmth of the tropical morning. Nearby, Ronaldo is on a small artificial grass patch, showcasing some impressive football skill moves.

While Ronaldo practices, Jack is engrossed in his phone, watching his favorite Twitch streamer, StalinPlaysGames. The old Russian dictator Joseph Stalin may be an unusual choice for a gaming channel, but Jack finds the juxtaposition of historical figures with modern entertainment oddly amusing. He watches as StalinPlaysGames attempts the Stalingrad mission in Call of Duty World At War on veteran difficulty, raging profusely at every misstep.

Just as StalinPlaysGames unleashes a particularly colorful string of expletives on the stream, Ronaldo decides to take a break from his own practice, and notices Jack's laughter. Ronaldo grins, his ego always ready for a boost.

"Ah, Jack, my friend! Enjoying the show, are you? Perhaps you'll pick up a few skills to match my football prowess."

Jack, not wanting to reveal his interest in the oddity that is StalinPlaysGames, decides to go along with Ronaldo's assumption. "Yeah, Ronaldo, maybe I'll show you some moves on the virtual field one day."

Ronaldo chuckles, pleased with the banter. "I look forward to it, Jack. By the way, ever thought about trying your hand at football? I could teach you a few tricks, you know."

Jack grins, shaking his head. "Nah, not my thing. I'm more of a Dino dude."

Ronaldo, in a surprising moment of camaraderie, offers, "Well, if you change your mind, I'm here. Football is more than just a game; it's a way to find your team, your people."

Jack, not quite catching the deeper meaning, raises an eyebrow. "My team? You mean like a soccer team?"

Ronaldo, in a mentor-like manner, gives Jack a vague footballing metaphor. "First of all, please, call it Football. Second, think of it this way, Jack. Finding your team is like discovering a new pitch. You learn the corners, the strategies, and the teamwork. It's about finding a space where you belong, where everyone works together toward a common goal."

Jack, still not entirely getting it, nods. "Yeah, sounds cool, I guess."

Ronaldo, satisfied with his attempt at imparting wisdom, returns to his practice, leaving Jack to ponder the metaphor he doesn't quite grasp.

Meanwhile, the rural areas of Potaru Island unfold before Emily and Lily as they explore, the air thick with the fragrances of exotic flowers and the distant rustle of leaves. Lily, ever energetic and enthusiastic, engages with the locals, exchanging laughter and stories with the islanders. Emily, however, is more focused on keeping an eye on Piplup, making sure the mischievous Pokemon doesn't decide to explore on its own again.

As they stroll through a bustling market, Emily becomes aware of a boy about her age, clad in vibrant red clothes and sporting a utility belt. He catches her eye with a playful smirk, and before Emily can react, they accidentally bump into each other.

"Whoa there, watch your step," he says, his tone light and playful. "I'm Dan, Dan Kuso. Otherwise known as Dan the man"

Dan's physical appearance is striking, with spiky brown hair, a confident grin, and an athletic build. His red clothes match the intensity of his gaze, and the utility belt adds an adventurous flair to his appearance.

"Emily Thorn," she responds, a bit flustered. "This is Piplup." She gestures to her Pokemon companion.

Dan gives Piplup a once-over, smirking again. "A Pokemon, huh? Cute. So, Emily, do you come here often? Cuz if ya do, you should let the fire service know, you could start a fire with those looks."

The playful, slightly flirty comment catches Emily off guard, causing a blush to spread across her cheeks. Before she can respond, Dan's attention shifts, and he asks, "Hey, have you seen a guy named Ash Ketchum around?"

A stifling laugh emanates from Dan's pocket, prompting Emily to inquire, "What's so funny?"

Dan chuckles awkwardly. "Oh, that's just Drago being Drago. Ignore him."

From the depths of Dan's pocket emerges a small red sphere before speaking with a deep but wise voice, "I'm Drago, a Bakugan. And don't mind Dan, he's just jealous of my way with the girls."

"Dan, you really need to work on your pickup lines," Drago mocks, earning an embarrassed and flustered response from Dan.

Emily, unable to contain her laughter at the banter, joins in. "Well, you two seem to have an interesting dynamic."

Dan shoots her a playful glare. "Thanks, miss comedy. Real helpful."

As Emily and Dan continue their banter, Drago and Dan seem like a dynamic duo in their own peculiar way. Drago's witty remarks and playful jabs elicit an array of reactions from Dan, ranging from embarrassment to outright frustration. Emily can't help but find the whole exchange amusing, thinking that Dan's bad pickup lines are intentional comedic efforts.

"You know, Emily," Dan says with a sly grin, "some dragons can predict the future. Just saying."

Emily chuckles, playing along. "Really? So, what does your dragon predict for today?"

Drago interjects before Dan can respond, "Well, I predict that Dan will say something embarrassingly cheesy in the next five minutes."

Dan rolls his eyes. "Very funny, Drago. Real helpful."

As they continue their banter, Emily's mom, Lily, is off on her own adventures. She's immersed in animated conversations with the locals, "Hey there!" She says waving to one man simply trying to trim his bushes with a pair of glistening shears.

"Who are you?" The man adorned in a light brown cloak and thin draped pieces of clothing asks in return.

"I'm Lily. I'm here on holiday with my daughter and, Oh, my, god, your island is just Beautiful." Lily compliments trying to be polite.

"Uh.. Thanks." The man responds a little confused.

"So uh, what do you do around here for fun?" Lily asks enthusiastically curious.

"I play games with my friends." The man responds simply still confused as to why this untanned woman is speaking to him.

"No, I meant like your people." Lily corrects unintentionally offending the man.

"Well we're all unique, just like you." The man speaks with a sense of finality.

"Oh uh... Sorry for, bothering, you... ehe.." Lilly apologises realising her mistake and swiftly retreating.

Meanwhile, Emily and Dan's conversation circles back to the elusive Ash Ketchum.

"Yea so I then pulled out my trump card and boy! He didn't know what was coming." Dan explains confidently holding his hands above his head.

"Are you forgetting we drew Daniel?" Drago corrects a certain smugness around him.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that?!" Dan embarrassedly retorts.

Wanting to get the conversation back on track Emily asks. "So, you're telling me you've been on a wild goose chase for the, Ash?"

Dan nods. "Yeah, but he's always one step ahead. The guy's like a ninja or something."

Emily smiles, offering what little help she can. "Well, Ash is the champion of two regions now. He's probably stronger than ever, and busy."

Dan's eyes widen in surprise. "Champion of two regions? That kid doesn't mess around."

The village square of Potaru Island is a lively hub of activity, surrounded by vibrant stalls and adorned with colorful banners swaying in the tropical breeze. As Emily and Dan make their way through the square, Emily's mom remains engrossed in learning about the locals and their customs, becomes seemingly oblivious to the comedic antics unfolding around her.

Emily, on the other hand, finds herself unable to contain her laughter as Drago continues his relentless tirade against Dan, making every attempt to embarrass him. Emily realizes that she's not just enjoying the banter; she's actively staying close to hear more of it.

Their path leads them to a makeshift stage, where a band of anthropomorphic dinosaurs is belting out a power metal song with impressive energy. The lead guitarist, a red Pterodactyl with a guitar that seems to shoot flames, shreds with remarkable skill in the middle of a solo. The bassist, a green Triceratops, thumps along in perfect rhythm, while the keyboardist, a blue Stegosaurus, adds a symphonic touch. The frontman, a charismatic orange T-Rex, belts out powerful vocal harmonies in support of the Keyboardist that resonate through the square.

But the real spectacle is the drummer, a purple dinosaur sitting behind a slightly modified version of Ringo Starr's iconic 1965 Ludwig Super Classic kit. The dinosaur, apparently named Barney, energetically pounds the drums, his movements surprisingly skilled for a character from a kids' show. Banners with the title "The Power Metal Dinos" are draped across the stage, and the crowd cheers in appreciation.

Dan's eyes light up with genuine excitement, and he turns to Emily. "Hey, these guys are awesome! I'm a big fan of The Power Metal Dinos by the way."

Drago, seizing the opportunity to tease Dan, adds, "Who knew you had such refined taste, Dan? Power Metal Dinos, really?"

Emily laughs, joining in on the fun. "Dan, never took you for a metalhead."

Dan, unfazed, shoots back, "Hey, good music is good music. Besides, I bet even Drago secretly headbangs to this."

Drago feigns innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Emily visibly seems unimpressed by the cacophony blaring through the speakers, but Dan seems to be completely forgetting himself, sliding down on his knees and shredding an air guitar surprisingly enough almost in time with the music as four people cosplaying as the Beatles point and laugh at him animatedly from a distance.

As the powerful beats of The Power Metal Dinos still reverberate through the village square, an unexpected disruption shatters the celebratory atmosphere. The sounds of action and battle fill the air, creating a stark contrast to the upbeat melody of the band. The crowd begins to disperse, creating a clear path for the unfolding chaos.

In the midst of the commotion, Pikachu, Ash Ketchum's familiar Electric-type Pokemon, is sent flying across the plaza. Emerging from the smoke, a humanoid figure wreathed in flames strides forward. Fiery orange and yellow flames dance along the edges of his molten body, and two fireballs blaze in his hands. His eyes burn with an intense heat as he lets off a sick, but juvenile, one-liner.

"Heatblast in the house! Let's turn up the heat!"

Bopping his head to the rhythm of the lingering power metal music, Heatblast continues. "I'm Ben Tennyson baby, and I think it's time for some answers..."

Dan, his fury evident, takes a step forward, ready to join the fray, but Drago, a more strategic mind in the heat of the moment, stops him. The air crackles with tension as Dan, fueled by the desire to protect, struggles against Drago's restraint.

Meanwhile, Emily stands frozen in the midst of awe and fear. The unexpected arrival of this Heatblast creature has turned the festive atmosphere into a battleground. The rhythmic beats of The Power Metal Dinos now serve as an energetic soundtrack to the unfolding clash, as they continue seemingly unbothered by this ongoing battle.

The fiery being, Ben Tennyson, exudes a confident and playful aura as it addresses, Ash whom has recently appeared beside his prized Pikachu. "Come on, Ash! What's the deal? I leave for a little while, and you're off getting into trouble again? Unbelievable people I tell ya!"

Ash, appearing just as stunned as everyone else, stumbles over his words in response.

Dan, struggling against Drago's restraint, growls, "Let me at him! Pikachu needs help."

Drago, ever the voice of reason, says, "Wait, Dan. Let's see how this plays out."

The villagers, initially bewildered, start to murmur and shuffle away, creating a safe distance from the unfolding confrontation. The air crackles with tension, and the end of the clash between the fiery figure and the weakened Pikachu seems imminent. Even the Beatles cosplayers huddle and duck behind some fruit laden barrels.

"So, Ashy-boy, my man! Nice of you to join the party. Now, care to explain what those metal dudes were doing at my place? A little birdie tells me they blew up my house and swiped my private fossil collection!"

Ash, caught off guard, pleads, "I don't know what you're talking about,I, I've got my own problems, and I'm not involved in whatever happened to your place!"

Ben, seemingly unfazed, conjures a mocking fireball, holding it dangerously close to the weakened Pikachu. "Oh, come on, Ash. This little guy must've seen something. Maybe this will jog his memory." He throws the fireball close enough to the exhausted Pikachu to almost hit the poor creature without actually hitting it, who attempts to struggle to it's feet.

"This is a little trick Hondo taught me," Ben declares with a smirk. "he called it, Intimidating negotiations."

Ash looks up at him in horror and more words get stuck in his throat. "Awww, l''il Ashy Washy got a frog in his throat?" Heatblast continues in a condescending tone before returning to his grittier voice, "Now, spill it, Ash. Who were those armoured dudes, and what's their deal?"

Emily, standing at the sidelines, begins to wonder if this is someone Jack knows, her thoughts racing as she tries to make sense of the unexpected confrontation, as she suspects Jack almost as a way of rationalising her interactions with him yesterday.

Just as Dan continues to struggle against Drago's surprisingly strong restraint considering he's a floating plastic ball, a tall figure in a mask with a gun approaches from behind. Unbeknownst to Emily, the figure walks up silently, shushing her with his black gloved finger before she can scream. With a finger pressed to her lips, he whisper's, "Names Ghost. We want to find out too."

Ghost, a tall and imposing figure, moves with silent precision in the chaos of the village square. His distinctive skull-patterned balaclava conceals his face, and his eyes gleam with intensity from within the shadowy depths of the mask. Strapped to his back is a sleek and menacing weapon, its details obscured in the dim light of the unfolding conflict.

As Emily takes in the sight of Ghost, her attention is drawn to others tactically positioning themselves around the square. A group of individuals, each with a military air about them, moves with practiced efficiency. Though their names remain unknown to her, their appearance and demeanor suggest a shared purpose.

One figure, with a buzzcut and a pair of sharp, steely eyes, takes a prone position, steadying a heavy looking brown assault rifle. Another, clad in a ghillie suit, adjusts the straps of a powerful sniper rifle, scanning the surroundings with a keen eye. A third, in standard military attire, positions himself behind cover, assault rifle at the ready. The fourth, a seasoned veteran with a salt-and-pepper beard, calmly shoulders a shotgun, ready for close-quarters combat.

As these individuals take their positions, their weapons trained on Ben Tennyson, the intensity of the situation heightens. Ben, seemingly unfazed by the sudden escalation, fires off another mocking fireball, the flames dancing playfully around his outstretched hand.

"Come on, Ashy-boy, talk! We can do this the easy way or the fiery way," Ben taunts, trying his hardest to be intimidating. He looks down at Ash and Pikachu with a mischievous grin. "I could roast this little guy here. You know I like 'em little extra crispy."

The atmosphere in the square is charged with tension as Ben revels in his attempt to intimidate. The strangers, however, remain unwavering, their weapons trained on the fiery figure. Ben, sensing the shift in mood, relents from his menacing stance, though the flames in his hands still flicker with potential danger.

"I won't hurt you or your Pikachu... too badly," Ben smirks, the flames flickering ominously. "I just want answers. Now for the last time, who were those armored guys, and what do they want with my fossil collection?!"

As the confrontation unfolds in the village square, Dan, visibly confused by the sudden appearance of Ghost and the strangers with weapons, turns to Emily with a quizzical expression.

"Who's your friend?" he asks, nodding subtly in Ghost's direction.

Ghost, having overheard the inquiry, shushes Dan, his gloved finger pressed against his lips. With a low, gravelly voice, he merely whispers, "Ghost. Stay quiet."

Emily, feeling a light touch on her shoulder, tensing up, she turns to find Jack silently standing beside her, making her jump. Without a word, he signals her to follow him, leading her into a nearby alleyway away from the unfolding scene.

In the semi-darkness of the alley, Jack speaks anxiously, "Emily, what's going on out there? W...Who are those guys?"

"It's this guy who calls himself Heatblast and he's after some... Fossils or something I dunno." Emily explains still confused herself

Jack's eyes widen at the mention of fossils, and he nervously glances around.

"Look, I don't know anything about that! But, uh, check this out." Jack pulls out a small box containing various small fossils.

Emily eyes him suspiciously, prompting Jack to hastily explain, "I found these. They were just lying around. I swear, I have no idea what's happening."

Despite Jack's plea of innocence, Emily remains suspicious, her instincts on high alert. Jack, feeling the need to prove himself, decides to mention, "Hey Em. Wanna come check out something cool I found?"

"Oh yea, Like your last brilliant idea?" Emily bitterly remembers.

"hey that was your fault for believing that crazy story anyway!" Jack responds feeling his temper rise again.

"You haven't even mentioned where you got the fossils from, how am I meant to believe anything you say!?" Emily attempts to strike a low blow.

"Fine! It's my private collection I've been building up since I was a kid ok?" Jack bitterly adds, "Go on, call me a nerd or a freak if you want."

At this Emily feels a familiar pang of guilt and looks down urging herself too apologise but her self conscious being too embarrassed to admit anything forces her silence.

Attempting to lighten the mood a little, calming down a bit. "Come on, Em. I found something... kinda scary. You should see it," Jack says, his nervousness evident.

Emily, cautiously accepting Jack's invitation, follows him deeper into the alleyway. The village square's commotion fades into the distance as Emily and Jack navigate the shadows, their footsteps muffled by the ambient sounds of more gravely and antagonistic taunts from this Ben Tennyson guy.

Jack leads Emily further into the labyrinthine alleys of the village, their footsteps echoing softly against the weathered walls. The ambient sounds of the island and the distant confrontation in the square create an otherworldly symphony, adding an air of mystery to the already enigmatic atmosphere.

As they round a corner, Jack stops in front of a graffiti-covered wall. A scrawl, written in a peculiar green sludge, catches Emily's attention. The words spell out, "Welcome to Jurassic Fun," the vibrant green letters standing out against the dull background of the alley.

"What the..." Emily sounds out, an utterly stunned expression on her face.

"Yea pretty creepy huh?" Jack confirms a slightly relived look on his face.

Jack, now holding up his fossil box, seems to add another piece to the puzzle. He carefully selects a fragment, seemingly a bone of some sort, and examines it. "Check this out," he says, holding it up for Emily to see. "It's curved, kinda like a raptor claw, but it's got the durability of a Carnotaurus claw."

Emily squints at the bone fragment, intrigued by its unique characteristics. Jack, however, takes the bone and holds it up to the scrawl on the wall. With a deft movement, he demonstrates how the claw could easily have created the mysterious graffiti.

"It's like a natural quill, Em," Jack explains, seemingly ready for her skepticism. "But here's the thing. This is just the tip of the claw. The actual claw would be about the size of a Therizinosaurus claw."

Emily, still puzzled, interjects, "But that's too small to write something this big."

Jack, momentarily forgetting Emily's limited knowledge of paleontology, grins and physically demonstrates, using the alleyway as a makeshift measuring stick. He traces the length of what he imagines the Therizinosaurus claw would be, emphasizing its meter-long dimensions.

Realization dawns on Emily's face, and she nods. "Oh, I get it. It's much larger than what I was thinking."

As Jack and Emily stand before the graffiti-covered wall, the tranquil moment is shattered by the sudden eruption of gunfire, explosions, and the unmistakable sound of British-accented shouting. The echoes of chaos fill the air, and the flickering lights cast erratic shadows across the alley.

"Stay close, Em!" Jack shouts over the cacophony, grabbing Emily's arm as they instinctively begin to run, Jack dropping his box of fossils forgotten on the ground accidentally.

As they navigate the labyrinthine alleys, the enigmatic sounds of Ben Tennyson's quips and one-liners punctuate the chaos. One can be heard over the gunfire. "Hey Razor hair how bout you try some Charcoal shampoo for that, Here. I'll give ya a free, SAMple."

Amid the chaos, they stumble upon an unusual pair— a boy who defies traditional expectations, donned in a lavender skirt with multicolored hair, and a girl with a soft tomboy style, clad in a hoodie, jeans, and trainers. As the other two seem unaware of Emily and Jack's presence the two groups bump into each other.

"Ow! What's the big idea you..." The Tomboy exclaims angrily turning around at Emily and Jack, Emily deciding not to mention it, but noticing how short she is compared to those around her.

"Oh sorry sir.." Emily stutters out feigning politeness making the feminine one giggle.

"Sir?" The Tomboy questions before the other adds,

"She's a girl. ehehe.. I guess it would be confusing. I'm Kiri by the way, and this cute little..."

The Girl grabs Kiri by the collar of what seems to be a Purple dress. "Call me cute one more time and I'll..."

"Yea Alex?" Kiri seems unfazed by Alex's aggression, seeming to finding it cute.

Jack with a more practical, almost Ronaldo esq, look growing about him. "I don't think now is the time to argue girls... and boy?"

With a nod. "Yea boy" Kiri confirms.

The duo, now turned quad, begin moving as the sounds of gunfire get closer and a stray fireball explodes like a firework in the sky above them.

As they turn a corner, their path is unexpectedly blocked by a creature, its appearance akin to a living crystalline entity. It glimmers in the dim light, and the refracted colors dance across its form. The creature, sensing their fear, raises its hands in a gesture of reassurance.

"It's okay! I won't hurt you. You're safe," the creature declares, its voice soothing and calm. However, the fear still grips them, and the group instinctively backs away, creating a collective barrier against the unknown entity. Kiri hugs Emily and Jack hugs Kiri all of them unintentionally forming a shield for Alex who quivers crouching down behind them.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion reverberates through the alley, signaling imminent danger. The creature, still attempting to calm their nerves, raises its hands in a futile attempt to shield them from the approaching threat.

"Listen uh..." To itself. 'god dam it what does he always say in these situations?'

The crystalline creature gracefully lowers itself to eye level with the cowering group of teens. Despite the chaos around them, the creature maintains an air of calm assurance as it gestures to the disk on her chest.

Spotting the creature in front of the group, Piplup can't contain its excitement, escaping its Poké Ball with a small pop. The little Pokémon seems to recognize Gwen and points to the disk on her chest. With a sense of urgency, the creature looks at Emily and asks, "Remember Gwen?"

Emily nods in a panic, her eyes darting between Piplup and the creature before her. Gwen, realizing the apprehension in Emily's eyes, points to herself and admits, "It's me, I'm Gwen."

As if to further assure Emily, Gwen extends a gentle hand and pets Piplup on the head. "Cute penguin," she compliments, seemingly relaxing Emily enough for her to tentatively trust that this crystalline entity is, indeed, Gwen.

With the group now paying attention, Gwen directs them with a series of gestures. She assumes a defensive posture, shielding them with her crystalline arms, and motions for everyone to run. However, there's a condition—only when she signals it's safe.

The others, their fear tempered by Gwen's presence and Emily's recognition, follow suit and nod in agreement. As Gwen leads the group, she directs them toward a specific location, "Run where the tree meets the sweet and the sun meets the sand, but only when I say it's safe."

Amid the turmoil, a Russian voice echoes through the chaos, causing Gwen to react swiftly, forming a protective diamond shield with her arms. She urges the group to run, the urgency in her voice leaving no room for hesitation.

"Run now! Remember what I told you!"

"Черт возьми, инопланетяне мешают повсюду" (translation, God damn Aliens interfering all over the place)

Like athletes at the sound of a gun, the group sprints through the winding alleys, their feet pounding against the uneven ground. Emily, caught in a whirlwind of fear and confusion, ponders where Gwen is leading them. The Russian voice still lingers in her mind, adding an extra layer of uncertainty to their escape.

As they round a corner, Jack, ever quick-witted, gasps out, "The carrot farm! We need to make it to the carrot farm at the edge of town, near the beach!"

Kiri and Alex exchange unsure glances, "A Carrot farm? That sounds unusual, why'd you put one near a beach?" Kiri questions.

Despite Jack's leading eyes directed at Emily she just looks back staring him in the eyes as if to say 'I don't know, you do it!'

Alex seemingly the grumpiest out of him and Kiri, doesn't hold back in expressing her skepticism. "A carrot farm? Seriously? Are you making this up as you go along?"

Jack, realizing he needs to reassure the group, steps up to defend his decision. "No, seriously! There's a carrot farm is near the beach, and it's the safest place right now. Just trust me on this."

The group continues their mad dash through the winding paths of Potaru Island, and eventually, they arrive at their destination. A campfire flickers in the distance, casting dancing shadows on the faces of Ronaldo and Lilly, who sit beside it, expressions etched with concern.

As the group catches their breath, Lily rushes over, her eyes scanning the faces of the teens. "Are you all okay? What's happening?"

Still panting. "I...We..Guns. Explosions.. Run.. Aliens" To most, Jack thinks, Emily would sound delirious right now.

However Lily seems to melt at this and she wraps Emily in a tight hug. "There, there. It's ok.. they can't get you now."

Amid the soft crackling of the campfire, Alex envelops Kiri in a tight hug, knowing that Kiri tends to get shaky and panicked easily.

Now leading Emily, among the others, to some makeshift seats. "Emily, I was so worried about you. Are you okay?"

Emily nods, her voice still shaky. "Yeah, Mom. I'm fine. Just... confused."

Ronaldo, ever the motivational speaker, gathers the group around the flickering flames. With a grand gesture, he begins, "You know, life is like a football match. Sometimes, you're down a goal, and you need to find that inner strength to make a comeback. I once scored the winning goal in a championship match with just one foot."

Jack smirks, appreciating the theatrics, while Kiri and Alex exchange amused glances. Ronaldo continues to spin inspiring tales, blending egotism with motivational wisdom, each story more grandiose than the last. "You know, once my brother was playing some football with the local kids when we were about a few year younger than you lot, and he was struggling badly. Eventually the ball came to me on the sidelines and I didn't even bother looking, having watched Luis Figo do it on TV a few days ago, I just kicked the ball and BOOM! Goal, after that my brother went and won the game for his team. Message is, talent breeds confidence."

As the group settles down, Emily and Jack finally get to properly meet Alex and Kiri for the first time. Jack sits on a log alone whilst Emily sits on the floor, cautiously watching Piplup to make sure it dosen't try to put out the fire, and Alex and Kiri sit on a log together.

With a shy smile Kiri starts. "So uh, have you two been here often.. ahh.. I mean long?"

A little distracted Jack responds, "'bout four years."

Emily finally tuning in adds, "Not for me though, I'm here on holiday for a week."

Emily looks at Alex enthusiastically expecting Alex to speak so Kiri feels the need to explain, whilst gently playing with her hair out of sight of the others, "She doesn't speak much, to new people."

Ronaldo attempts to decipher the chaotic events in the village, "So where did you two come from?" He points at Alex and Kiri. "I don't remember renting out my cabin to Four people aha." Ronaldo laughs attempting to inject some comedy into the situation.

"We saw people with guns running past, and then explosions started happening," Kiri explains, with Kiri also adding, "We were just on our way to buy some flowers and train for an upcoming Pokémon contest."

Ronaldo, with a furrowed brow, nods, attempting to piece together the puzzle. "Guns and explosions in Potaru? That's unheard of. This island is supposed to be peaceful."

Emily's mom interjects, "We need to figure out what's happening. Emily, do you know anything about these events?"

Emily, still trying to process everything, shakes her head. "I have no idea, Mom. It all happened so fast."

The night air hangs heavy with a mixture of uncertainty and camaraderie as the group continues to huddle around the campfire. Alex, still wearing an air of grumpiness, seems to radiate a sense of antagonism that creates a subtle tension within the circle. Meanwhile, Kiri, with a soft and vulnerable demeanor, asserts a protective aura over Alex, speaking with a gentle tone that contrasts sharply with his companion's prickliness.

"Look, we just wanted to get flowers and train, not get caught up in whatever madness is happening," Alex mutters, her arms crossed defensively.

Kiri, sensing the tension, interjects with a calming voice, "Yeah, we're not really the fighting type. Just want to enjoy our time here."

Emily, trying to break the ice, smiles and nods, "I get it. I was just here for a holiday too, you know?"

Alex glares at Emily, "Duh, you literarily just said that, idiot."

Kiri glances down at Alex, offering a reassuring smile. "We're not used to this kind of stuff. It's a bit overwhelming."

In the midst of the uneasy dynamic, Jack, feeling a bit out of place, puts on a pair of Bluetooth headphones and immerses himself in the virtual world of his favorite streamer, StalinPlaysGames. The familiar voice of the streamer provides a welcomed distraction from the chaotic reality unfolding around them.

Trying to lighten the mood, Emily decides to introduce her Piplup to Kiri and Alex. "This is Piplup," she says, gesturing to the small water-type Pokémon at her side.

Kiri smiles warmly, his eyes lighting up, "Oh, how cute! I guess I have someone you should meet too."

He releases his Eevee from its Poké Ball, the small Pokémon looking around curiously.

Alex, more reserved, releases her Bulbasaur with a gentle nod. She watches quietly as Emily pets and quickly makes friends with the Pokémon, a subtle expression of fondness crossing her face.

Emily notices Alex's shyness and decides to make an effort to include her in the conversation. "Your Bulbasaur is adorable. Does it like battling?"

Kiri steps in, speaking for Alex, "Yeah, Alex here want's to be the best trainer ever, and her Bulbasaur is her partner in battles. They make a great team."

Alex nods appreciatively, a faint smile playing on her lips. While Kiri is more open and expressive, Alex remains tethered to his side, finding comfort in his presence.

The crackling flames of the campfire cast dancing shadows on the faces of the group, the air tinged with a mix of uncertainty and camaraderie. Ronaldo, sensing Jack's unease, puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder, causing Jack to lift one ear off his headphones, the muffled sounds of StalinPlaysGames still audible.

"Listen, Jack," Ronaldo begins, his voice carrying a note of understanding, "Life is like football, you know? Sometimes you find yourself in a new team, and it feels like you're starting over. But you don't always need the ball to make a difference. Remember what I told you earlier?"

Jack furrows his brow, still unable to grasp the metaphor. "Yeah, but I have no idea what you mean, man."

Ronaldo, not pushing the matter further, changes his approach. "Alright, then. Is there anything you want to tell me, Jack? Anything on your mind?"

Taking a moment, Jack sighs and admits, "This whole thing, with the weird sludge, the transforming monsters, people with guns... it's messing with my head. Reminds me of when It happened. You know, like the day you found me?"

Ronaldo nods empathetically, understanding the weight of Jack's words. Jack moves to put his headphones back on, attempting to retreat into the world of his favorite streamer.

Before he can fully disconnect, Ronaldo leans in and shares another football story, "I know how much you love these Jack so as always I have another story, for you. Hopefully this one is easier to understand. Once in the World Cup, I was sidelined, but instead of sulking, I helped my manager coach and kept the team's morale up from the sidelines. It wasn't about giving up; it was about finding another way to contribute. Not for me, but for the team, and more importantly. My country"

The message seems to resonate with Jack this time, the understanding flickering in his eyes. Ronaldo pats him on the back, a silent gesture of support, before moving back to the others, checking on Kiri, Alex, and Emily, who continue to share stories and form connections around the campfire.

Amidst the lighthearted exchange, Mr. Mime unexpectedly reappears, holding a plate stacked with exotic foods. The aroma wafts through the air, enticing yet mysterious. Each member of the group eyes the offerings with a mix of curiosity and caution.

The group eyes the food cautiously, unsure of what to make of Mr. Mime's culinary talents. Ronaldo, always confident, takes a bite and praises, "Exquisite! It's as if the flavors were crafted by the hands of the island itself."

To everyone's surprise, Alex is the only one who refuses the dish. Kiri, seemingly unperturbed, reaches for the plate on her behalf. Emily, intrigued by Alex's aversion, decides to investigate.

"Why aren't you taking any, Alex?" Emily inquires, her curiosity evident.

Alex shifts uncomfortably, her grumpy demeanor returning. "I just don't want it, okay?"

Kiri interjects, speaking for Alex with a soft smile, "She gets nervous eating around others."

Alex, embarrassed, attempts to hide herself away, her stature resembling that of an innocent child. She avoids eye contact and fidgets with her fingers, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.

Emily, catching on to the dynamic between Alex and Kiri, smiles reassuringly. "It's okay, Alex. You don't have to eat it if you don't want to."

Kiri nods appreciatively, continuing to speak on Alex's behalf, "Thanks, Emily. She's just a bit shy."

The campfire's flickering flames cast a warm glow on the faces of the group, their shadows dancing on the sand beneath.

"Hey, Alex," Kiri whispers encouragingly, "you don't have to be shy. We're all friends here. Everybody's safe, trust me. I'd never let anyone hurt you."

Alex, peering up at Emily from behind the shield of her grumpy demeanor, seems to thaw a little under the warmth of the gesture. Emily, sensing a breakthrough, decides to take a bite of the exotic food, hoping to show that it's safe to try.

Instead, Alex's grumpiness intensifies. "Fine, you have my food then!" she grumbles, pushing the plate toward Emily.

Panicked, Emily tries to ease the tension, "No, Alex, I was just... Trynna, you know.. Show you it's not so bad. You know, safe and all that."

Alex just gives her an unsure glare in response, continuing to fidget with the sleeve of her hoodie.

Emily continues her efforts with a subtly worried expression, whispers to Kiri, "How can I help her feel more comfortable?"

Kiri, quick to redirect the energy, suggests, "Well, how about we play a trivia game! It'll be fun, right, Alex?"

Alex, surprisingly, seems more open to the idea. "Yeah, I guess. But I'm not gonna eat that."

Kiri, with a playful twinkle in his eye, explains the rules to Emily, "Whenever Alex gets a question right, she has to take a bite of the food. It's a game we play to get her over her nerves"

He leans in and adds in a not-so-subtle tone, "Sometimes she tries to cheat, but a little feeding helps her get back on track."

Alex looks mortified that Kiri spilled their little secret, her face turning a shade of red. "Kiri! You didn't have to say that!"

Emily, deciding to roll with it, laughs, "Hey, whatever works, right? Let's give it a shot!"

The trivia game unfolds under the soft glow of the campfire, the night air filled with laughter and the sound of waves gently crashing on the shore. Kiri, determined to make it a fun experience, starts with an easy question about the Kanto region,

"So Alex, Who's the professor of the Kanto Region?"

Alex grins smugly. "Hah, too easy, Professor Samuel Oak."

Kiri gives Emily an inviting look like a teacher telling a student to watch and learn before, with a slight dazzle, offering the plate to Alex.

"Here, take a bite." Kiri wears a warm smile

"Nah I'm good, I'm not even hungry." Alex turns away, hiding her face

Emily watches the scene unfold in awe as Kiri, undeterred, takes a fork, loads it with food, and gently places it near Alex's mouth. After a moment of hesitation, Alex takes a bite, her face flushing with embarrassment. Kiri and Emily offer praises after each bite, with Kiri's compliments taking a slightly cutesy and romantic tone.

"Aw, you're doing so well, Alex! You're like a Pokémon mastering a new move!" Kiri coos, making Emily smile at his playful encouragement.

Encouraged by the positive response, Emily takes her turn to ask a question, choosing a topic closer to her own experiences: Unova. She decides to make it a bit challenging, though Kiri appears worried it might be too difficult. "So uh Alex, if you were to travel north of Castella City what route would you end up on?"

Alex strokes her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... Route 4?"

Emily, perhaps over enthusiastically, cheers Alex on. "Correct! I think long locks here thought you'd get it wrong, I believed in you."

"Ehe yea.." Kiri agrees a slight shyness betraying him.

Kiri then playfully suggests, "Maybe Emily should feed you this time! What do you think, Emily?"

Caught off guard, Emily politely declines, "Oh, I think Alex can manage on her own."

Kiri, maintaining the playful tone, reminds Alex of the consequences of shying away from eating. "Remember the deal, Alex! No skipping bites!"

With a gentle nudge, Kiri feeds Alex again, teasing her a little. Emily notices a subtle change in Alex's demeanor – a softening of her grumpy exterior.

Kiri, ever the enthusiastic host, keeps trading playful banter with Alex while feeding her bites of exotic food. "What type is weak against Electric Pokémon, Alex?" Kiri quizzes.

Alex, with newfound confidence, answers, "Ground type!"

"Good job! Here, have a bite!" Kiri encourages, feeding her another forkful.

Emily, thoroughly enjoying the game, gets creative with her questions. "Can you name a Fire-type move that has a chance to burn the opponent, Alex?"

Alex thinks for a moment before answering, "Will-O-Wisp!"

"Exactly! You're on fire tonight!" Emily applauds, and Kiri follows suit, feeding Alex another bite.

As the questions and answers flow, Emily and Kiri develop a rhythm, their collaboration ensuring the trivia game remains lighthearted and engaging. Kiri occasionally extends an invitation to Emily to join in the feeding, but she consistently declines, enjoying the role of the observer.

The surprising turn comes when it's time for the final bite. To the shock of both Emily and Kiri, Alex turns the tables and asks Emily a question. "What's the pre-evolution of Jolteon?"

Taken aback by the sudden role reversal, Emily hesitates for a moment before answering, "Eevee."

With a triumphant grin, Alex giggles and playfully feeds Emily the last bite of her food before she can object. Kiri, speaking for Alex, adds, "She must really like you if she's acting this soft."

Alex, looking a bit shy but happy, wraps her arms around Emily in a hug. Kiri, ever the playful commentator, teases, "Aw, look at you two being all cute and cuddly."

As the night progresses on Potaru Island, the trio finds themselves drifting into a state of relaxation, sitting snuggled together by the campfire. Their Pokémon play energetically in the background, forging bonds with one another just as their trainers are doing.

Piplup chases Bulbasaur, which seems unusually energetic when compared to it's trainer, whilst Eevee seems to be intent on blowing leaves at Bulbasaur and Piplup seemingly in an attempt to make it some sort of performance.

Amid the warmth of the campfire and the gentle lull of the ocean waves, Emily begins to open up. "You know, back at Pokémon school, I get bullied a lot," she confides, her voice soft and vulnerable.

Kiri listens attentively, seemingly having past experience with such a thing as he replies, "People can be so cruel sometimes. It's hard to understand why they do it."

Alex, still holding Emily tightly, interjects, "But you've got us now, Emily. We're your friends, and we've got your back."

The trio shares a heartfelt moment, connected by their shared struggles and the newfound bond they're forming. Kiri, feeling a sense of trust, reciprocates, "Sometimes, people think I'm disgusting and ugly just because I'm a guy who dresses and acts femininely."

Alex now switches to Kiri hugging him even tighter than she did Emily, shushing him gently. "Don't listen to them. You're beautiful just the way you are, Kiri," she reassures before adding in a teasing tone, "Besides, it's not like I'm hanging out with you because you're a fashion model."

Kiri blushes, and the trio shares a collective laugh, the atmosphere lightening up. Jack, who had been absorbed in an audiobook about DNA splicing and genome manipulation, decides to contribute to the coziness. He covers them all with a blanket, providing warmth and comfort to his newfound friends. He hands each of them a pillow, creating a makeshift bed for the night.

Using a local Pidove he befriended as both warmth and a cuddly companion, Jack lies down nearby, resting his head on a piece of wood. The Pidove coos contentedly, enjoying the warmth and companionship.

The trio, feeling a sense of security and camaraderie, falls asleep snuggled closely together. They lie side by side, heads touching, finding solace in each other's presence as they drift off into a peaceful sleep under the starlit sky of Potaru Island.

On the opposite side of Potaru Island, where the moon cast its silvery glow over a different terrain, Ghost and the rest of Task Force 141 sit around their own campfire. The environment here is different, characterized by dense foliage and a humid atmosphere, a stark contrast to the beachy simplicity of the other side.

Roach, sporting burn marks on his arms, inspects his wounds as Ghost's partially melted MP5 lay's discarded on the ground nearby. The group sit on makeshift logs, surrounded by the sounds of nocturnal Pokémon and the rustling of leaves in the island's interior.

"Remind me again why we're chasing after a guy with shape-shifting powers and a missing fossil collection," Roach quips, attempting to lighten the mood despite the situation.

Ghost, always enigmatic behind his skull-patterned balaclava, responds, "It's not just any fossil collection; it's one stolen by Makarov's goons. There's gotta be something more to it than meets the eye."

Soap, examining the ornate piece of alien-like armor they found earlier, chimes in, "This piece matches what we encountered in Belarus. Looks like Makarov's playing with some dangerous toys."

Captain Price, with his characteristic cigar in hand, takes charge of the conversation. "We've got a legend of a mysterious creature prowling the nights, a guy who can morph into aliens, and Makarov thrown into the mix. This island's turning into a right mess."

Soap picks up a nearby pebble and throws it into the night sky. "I feel like we're getting into way deeper territory than we bargained for. Maybe we should tell Shepherd and get outta here?"

Macmillan eyes Soap wisely. "Ya bloody Feardie, look at the state of ya! Run into a wee bit 'o trouble and ya wanna turn tail and run. Who was it that bloom'n climbed up a mount'n and blew up a Russian base?"

Soap confidently responds, "I was yea. I'd take a fight with some Militia and one angry fire dude anyday over Kingfisher."

Now Price, satisfied with the conversations turn, cracks a joke wielding a hearty laugh. "Oh bloody 'ell don't remind me of Kingfisher. That rocket have your name on it Soap?"

The group share a laugh as a few Owl like Pokemon soar over them in the night sky and what seems to be the distant roars of a problem not of their concern stretch over the horizons.

Price, now looking at the group with a no-nonsense expression, concluded, "We'll get to the bottom of this, lads. But for now, let's rest. Tomorrow promises to be a busy day."

With that, the squad settled in for the night, the glow of the campfire casting shadows on their faces as they prepared for the challenges that lay ahead on Potaru Island.

The soft morning light spills through the foliage, casting a gentle glow on the trio nestled in the warmth of their shared sleep. Emily gradually wakes, feeling the weight of the world lift as she becomes aware of her surroundings. Alex's head rests on her chest, and Kiri, with his arm draped across her stomach, holds Alex's hand as his head tucks just beside Emily's, his long hair working as a makeshift pillow.

Despite the grogginess lingering in her limbs, Emily cherishes the warmth and comfort of their intertwined positions. The rhythmic sounds of the waves crashing against the shore mix with the distant calls of Pidove and Wingull, creating a serene symphony that envelops them in the heart of nature.

Lifting her head ever so slightly, Emily spots Jack in the distance, investigating something along the beach. The curiosity flits through her mind, but the lure of the snug embrace restrains her from joining him. Instead, she lets herself sink back into the comfort of the moment, contemplating what Jack might have stumbled upon and hoping it doesn't pose any imminent danger.

The sun climbs higher in the sky, casting a golden hue over the island. Kiri and Alex stir from their slumber, realizing the cozy tangle of limbs they've formed. With gentle movements, they untangle themselves from Emily, who stretches and yawns, rubbing her eyes as she watches them wake.

"Morning, you two," Emily greets them, feeling a sense of connection that the events of the previous night forged.

"Hey," Kiri responds, offering a soft smile, while Alex grunts in acknowledgment. They look around, puzzled, as if trying to recall the specifics of the situation.

As they gather their bearings, Emily suggests, "Maybe my mom and Ronaldo went back to the cabin. They're probably getting breakfast ready."

Kiri nods, "Sounds reasonable."

As Kiri and Alex nod in understanding, Emily seizes the opportunity to excuse herself. "I'm gonna check on Jack. Look's like he found something interesting."

"Hey, Emily. Check this out," Jack says, gesturing to the giant footprints etched in the sand.

Emily squints at the impressions, puzzled. "What are those?"

"Footprints. Big ones. Really big," Jack deadpans, his tone laced with annoyance.

She tilts her head curiously, and Jack continues, "I found this." He reveals a slab of raw meat with a precise incision. Emily winces at the sight, not being one for gory sights.

"And this," Jack adds, holding up the mysterious tooth. "Fits perfectly, see?"

Jack slots the tooth into the messy torn up slab of meat in an almost digging motion as if attempting to simulate what it would've looked like as it was used during the confrontation.

Emily examines Jack's demonstration, struggling to connect the dots. Jack, growing impatient, bluntly states, "Something big is out there, something dangerous. And smart, probably. We need to be careful."

The tension between Emily and Jack hangs thick in the air, mirroring the overcast skies that threaten rain. Emily can't hold back her frustration any longer.

"Jack, seriously, why are you always so focused on this mission you seem to have? Can't you just take a break and, I don't know, be part of the group?" Emily challenges him, her arms crossed defiantly.

Jack smirks, a teasing glint in his eyes. "What's the matter, Thorn? Worried I might miss out on the next thrilling round of trivia?"

Emily scowls, the comment hitting a nerve. "This isn't a joke, Jack! We're in the middle of something way bigger than us, and you act like it's just another day in California."

Jack rolls his eyes. "Yeah, because being in California ever helped me with anything."

The argument escalates, each word adding fuel to the fire, until Emily decides to tackle Jack's habit of keeping everyone at arm's length. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to actually get to know the people you're stuck with. You're so antisocial with those headphones on all the time!"

Jack's retort is swift and merciless. "Well, maybe if you weren't so desperate for friends, you'd realize not everyone needs to spill their life story to feel validated."

"You're one to talk. Why do you always have those headphones on, huh? Never talking, never listening," Emily accuses, frustration evident in her voice.

Jack smirks, "Maybe I just don't wanna hear your constant senseless gossip. I'd doubt you even have friends talking like that, 'Ooh your so great Alex, Ooh everything's fine Alex, ooh the world is flowers and rainbows Kiri' How about you go back to playing with ya Barbie dolls you sorry excuse for a Pokemon trainer!"

Emily, feeling exposed, lashes out, "You're just scared. Scared of making friends because you're afraid they'll leave you, right? Or maybe you know that they'd tell you the truth, your just a cocky know it all with all bark and no bite!"

Jack chuckles, "You're getting all worked up over nothing, Thorn. Insecurities, much?"

"Shut up!" Emily retorts, vehemently denying the truth in Jack's words.

As their argument reaches its peak, they both notice a figure in a green jacket sitting on the hill above a cave, muttering to itself.

They fall silent, exchanging wary glances. Jack, still resistant to the idea, suggests, "Maybe we should mind our own business."

Emily, feeling a pang of guilt for the argument, overrules him this time. "No, we should check if they're alright. It's the right thing to do."

Together, they start walking toward the cave, leaving the tension behind temporarily and stepping into the unknown.

The atmosphere around the cave feels heavy, and the distant sounds of waves crashing on the shore add to the eeriness. Emily, with her curiosity overpowering any lingering tension with Jack, tentatively approaches the teenage boy sitting on the hill. His attention is fixed on the watch-like gauntlet on his arm, muttering to himself about someone named Kevin.

Jack hangs back, observing with a watchful eye, while Emily gently places a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?" she asks, her voice soft and caring.

The boy glances at Emily but seems distant, lost in his thoughts. Emily tries to dig deeper, her concern growing. "Who's Kevin? Are you in trouble?"

The boy hesitates, evading a direct answer. "Kevin... he's just a crazy guy."

Not satisfied with the vague response, Emily presses on. "What's your name?"

The boy looks at her, still appearing troubled. "Ben. Ben Tennyson."

Emily introduces herself in return. "I'm Emily, and this is Piplup." She gestures to her Pokemon, who nuzzles against her affectionately.

Ben glances at Piplup and smiles, "A Penguin, huh? Cute."

Annoyance flares in Emily. "It's a Piplup," she corrects, her tone sharp.

The air around the cave becomes tense as Emily hesitantly addresses Ben, "Why were you attacking Ash in the village plaza yesterday?"

Ben looks genuinely confused. "I don't remember attacking anyone."

Not satisfied with his response, Emily bombards him with questions, trying to piece together the puzzle. "Why did you mention someone named Kevin? What's that watch thing on your arm? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

The barrage of questions overwhelms Ben, and he shuts down a bit, his gaze distant and troubled. Emily, sensing his discomfort, immediately regrets her persistence and retreats.

Piplup, seemingly attuned to peoples emotions, nudges up against Ben, realising he's seeking comfort. He instinctively hugs the Pokemon, misnaming it a Penguin. "This is cute. A Penguin, right?"

Annoyance creeps into Emily's voice again. "It's a Piplup."

Ben gives a half-hearted response, in the form of a simple glance, unknowingly adding to Emily's internal struggle. As she falls into a saddened silence, Ben unexpectedly breaks it with an unexpectedly profound question, "What does it mean to be human?"

Jack, who had been observing the exchange, interjects with a smirk. "Well, that's a deep one. Being human means dealing with a lot of weird stuff, like transforming aliens, crazy guys named Kevin, and, you know, the occasional existential crisis."

As Emily grapples with jealousy and insecurity, Jack seems to effortlessly connect with Ben. "So, what's got you up on this hill?" Jack asks, a patient tone in his thick Californian accent.

Ben responds half-heartedly, "Just contemplating stuff."

Jack, surprisingly understanding, nods. "Yeah, sometimes you just need a quiet spot to think." He glances at Emily, sensing her unease, and subtly tries to ease her into the conversation. "Emily's got a knack for asking a lot of questions. She's enthusiastic about everything."

Emily shifts uncomfortably, realizing that Jack is trying to involve her in the conversation. She musters the courage to ask a question herself, "What do you like doing? Any hobbies?"

Ben hesitates, holding onto Piplup like a stress ball. "I used to like video games and smoothies."

Jack, seeming to extract information effortlessly, probes further. "Favorite game?"

"Sumo Slammers," Ben responds, his voice betraying a hint of nostalgia.

Emily, still battling her internal turmoil, observes the interaction. Jack continues his line of questioning, "And where did you get that cool watch?"

A shadow crosses Ben's face as he recalls a darker part of his past. "I got it after beating my evil twin, Albedo. It's called the Ultimatrix."

The air on the hillside feels charged with a mix of tension and uncertainty. Emily, having mustered some courage, turns her attention to Ben. "Do you have anywhere to go, any family?" she inquires, her voice laced with sympathy.

Ben's response is lukewarm, a tinge of melancholy seeping through his words. "I used to."

Emily's sympathy deepens, and for a moment, the weight of Ben's unspoken pain hangs in the air. However, Jack, ever the stable and reasonable one, interjects with a suggestion that changes the tone. "Hey, why not join us? We're dealing with a bit of a monstrous mystery at the moment."

A spark lights up in Ben's eyes as he exclaims, "Haven't had an excuse to take my anger out on some bad guys for a while. Count me in!"

Emily shoots Jack a piercing look, one that silently asks, "You think it's a good idea to let this guy near other people?" Jack, nonchalant as ever, shrugs it off and leads the way back to the campfire.

As they walk, Jack continues to get to know Ben, their conversation filled with casual banter. Emily trails behind them, her insecurities festering, the internal conflict between trust and doubt taking root. Her inner voice, that relentless bully, tightens its grip, amplifying an unnatural hatred aimed squarely at Jack.

Emily, Jack and Ben return to the camp to find a scene of unexpected delight. Alex and Kiri are in the midst of a dress-up session. Kiri, with delicate precision, is applying subtle makeup to Alex's face, who playfully squirms under his touch. Alex's hair has been styled to look both tomboyish and vulnerable, mirroring the subtle makeup. Her appearance is a perfect blend of contrasting elements, making her both fierce and endearing.

Upon seeing them, Ben asks, "Who...are, they?"

Emily, her insecurity-fueled jealousy bubbling, responds more aggressively than intended, "It's Alex and Kiri. We ran into them when the fire guy was causing chaos. Kiri's the one in the dress, and Alex is the one in the hoodie."

Ben appears confused. "Wait but isn't Kiri more of a..."

Emily grins. "Yup"

"And Alex is more of a..." Ben continues.

Emily grins, a little deviously, "Yea it's pretty confusing at first, you'll get used to 'em though."

Ben acknowledges this with a half-hearted nod, but before any further questions can arise, Jack whisks him away, launching into a passionate ramble about an audiobook on genome editing and DNA splicing by Doctor Wu. Ben responds with slightly more energy, and the pair seems to hit it off.

Alex bounds over, nearly dragging Emily to sit down with them. Kiri, frustration growing, more forcefully holds Alex in place while wiping off some misplaced makeup, starting again. Emily attempts to distract Kiri from his task by engaging him in conversation about his makeup technique.

"Hold still, Alex!" Kiri says, frustration growing.

Emily, attempting to distract him, engages in conversation, "So, Kiri, tell me about your makeup technique."

Kiri, still concentrating on both holding the hyperactive Alex in place and redoing her makeup, explains focusedly, "It's all about balance. You want it to accentuate without overshadowing. Like art, you know?"

As Kiri continues applying Alex's makeup, he grows increasingly frustrated with her antics, "Would you just hold still! Your the one who wanted this!" However, Alex seems determined to make the process as awkward and painful as possible for Kiri, even managing to make Emily laugh a little. Kiri, feeling irritated, snaps at Emily too.

"Hey, don't make this any harder than it already is!" he grumbles.

However, the situation takes a turn when Emily's Piplup decides to nestle itself on Kiri's lap, its presence offering a calming effect. Emily decides to share a story to lighten the mood.

"You know," Emily begins, "I got Piplup when I first moved to Striaton City. It was my 10th birthday, and my mom got me a Pokémon. I was expecting a Snivy or some sort of grass type, but instead, my mom gave me this Piplup that my dad had left in an egg years ago. The Pokémon was so tiny back then. We bonded instantly."

"Awwww!" Both Alex and Kiri sound out in unison.

"It's not that cute.." Emily grumbles, feeling embarrassed and kind of getting what Jack was talking about earlier with the soft talk.

"You're right it's not." Kiri giggles. "It's downright adorable!" Kiri and Alex then high five each other, laughing.

Piplup then proceeds to begin bouncing around excitedly recognising that the attention is all on it, intent on lapping as much of it up as possible, meanwhile Kiri, learning from his mistakes, pulls Alex into him forcefully with one arm and holding her firmly in place eliciting one last quip from her before the makeup is finished. "I know they say the future is now, but don't you think your being a little futuristic?"

On the artificial grass outside the holiday house, Ronaldo and Lily enjoy a picnic while Mr. Mime diligently chases away some Alolan Rattata attempting to break into the building. Lily, however, can't shake off her worries about Emily and Jack.

Lily: "I'm just so concerned, Ronaldo. What if they don't come back? What if something happened to them out there?"

Ronaldo, ever the motivational speaker, puts on his best optimistic face.

Ronaldo: "Lily, my dear, you mustn't dwell on the negatives. Think of it as an adventure! They're out there discovering the mysteries of the island. They'll be back, and when they return, we'll have an incredible story to share!"

But Lily isn't buying it this time. She's too anxious about the safety of the kids.

Lily: "Ronaldo, I appreciate your positivity, but this isn't just a walk in the park. What if something bad happened?"

Ronaldo, still trying to lighten the mood, attempts to flirt with Lily.

Ronaldo: "Well, my beautiful Lily, in the grand scheme of things, aren't we all just stardust in the wind?"

Lily, however, isn't in the mood for flirtation. She's genuinely concerned.

Lily: "This is serious, Ronaldo. I'm thinking of going out there to find them."

Ronaldo, realizing the gravity of the situation, tries to dissuade her.

Ronaldo: "Lily, love, it's far too dangerous out there. There's chaos, monsters, who knows what else! You wouldn't want to run into any trouble."

Lily, undeterred, releases her Venasaur.

Lily: "You underestimate me, Ronaldo. I can handle myself. I need to find them."

Ronaldo, scrambling for a reason to keep her safe, looks around and spots Mr. Mime, who comes to the rescue with a mime of a monster eating Lily and a scary face.

Lily: "What... What was that?"

Ronaldo seizes the opportunity.

Ronaldo: "Oh, Lily, you see, even Mr. Mime thinks it's too dangerous. You're safer here until sundown."

Lily, a bit unnerved by Mr. Mime's act, reluctantly agrees.

Lily: "Fine, but they better be back by then. I can't take this waiting."

Ronaldo, when Lily's back is turned, gives Mr. Mime a high five and a whispered thank you for the save.

Ronaldo: "Well played, my silent friend. Well played."

The dense woods swallow up Squad 141 as they approach its shadowy entrance. Captain Price suggests, "Gear up with night vision, lads. It's darker than a black cat in here."

The squad complies, adjusting their night vision goggles with the familiar electronic hum. They exchange some quiet banter before Ghost, ever the witty one, complains about his lack of weaponry.

Ghost: "What am I supposed to fight with, a breadknife? It's a bloody jungle out here!"

Roach teases him, "Just imagine it's butter, Ghost. Butter that bread."

They all share a chuckle before Price, getting serious, announces, "Bravo 6, going dark."

Macmillan leans into Ghost in a whisper, attempting to lighten his spirits. "Always been one for the theatrics 'Im"

The squad enters the woods stealthily, each step muffled by the thick underbrush. The ambient noises of nocturnal creatures surround them as they move deeper into the unknown. Price leads the way, eyes scanning the shadows for any signs of movement.

Ghost continues to grumble, "I miss my MP5. Stealth was never my strong suit."

Roach, attempting to lighten the mood, adds, "Maybe you can find one in the shape of a butter knife on the way, Ghost."

Price interrupts, "Enough chatter, lads. Stay sharp."

As they venture further, Roach nearly mistakes an exotic-looking Emolga for a threat, his finger itching on the trigger. Ghost teases him, "Easy, Roach. Save the bullets for the real baddies. And maybe put a silencer on if you're going to massacre the local wildlife."

The woods grow denser, the shadows deeper, as Squad 141 ventures further into the heart of the mystery. Soap and MacMillan engage in banter, their camaraderie evident.

Soap: "See anything in those bushes, Mac?"

MacMillan: "Aye, just the usual: suspicious rustling and mysterious shadows."

Soap: "I bet it's another one of those ghost Pokémon that old bid was tell'n me about. The real nightmare fuel."

As they proceed, more shadowy figures skitter away into the undergrowth, vanishing before they can be properly identified. Price calls for a halt as he examines a dead tree, its trunk marked by a large, ominous claw slash. Green liquid, or as Ghost humorously points out, stomach bile, drips onto fresh leaves below.

Price: "Hold up, lads. Looks like we've got something."

Roach calls the rest over, pointing at peculiar footprints on the ground. The scene paints a vivid picture of a struggle.

Roach: "Whatever happened here, it wasn't friendly. And check these prints—two toes here, three toes there."

Soap quips, "Looks like our culprit is a Pokémon with a bit of an identity crisis."

Price, serious as ever, surveys the scene.

Price: "Keep your wits about you. We might not be entirely alone in here."

The woods echo with the hushed murmurs of Squad 141 as they traverse the increasingly mysterious landscape. MacMillan, ever the seasoned veteran, offers his insights.

MacMillan: "Two-toed creatures, three-toed creatures... Any ideas, Price?"

Price, lighting a cigarette, takes a contemplative drag before responding.

Price: "Could be a variety of animals. Some big cats, maybe, or... I don't know, a cassowary?"

Soap interjects with a grin, "I'm pretty sure cassowaries don't make cuts like that."

Price chuckles, exhaling smoke.

Price: "You've got a point, Soap."

Soap smirks, "And here you are, lighting a cigarette. Quick tip, Not the best for stealth, Captain."

The group shares a quiet laugh before pressing forward. The trees open up into a large clearing, revealing a chaotic scene of toppled and split trees.

Price: "Another struggle. Something big happened here."

Ghost adds, "Big or angry. Look at the size of those trees."

Roach chimes in, "Must've been that time of the month for whatever did this."

The squad shares another quiet chuckle until MacMillan notices something unusual.

MacMillan: "Take a look at these trees. Scorch marks, and not just any. These are plasma burns."

Soap adds, "Definitely more concentrated than a flamethrower."

Price furrows his brow, deep in thought.

Price: "Plasma... What the hell could've caused this?"

The group exchanges mixed ideas and theories, but nothing conclusive surfaces. Soap breaks the tension.

Soap: "I'm getting the creeps, Price."

Price nods in agreement.

Price: "We've seen enough. Fall out of the woods for now. We've found what we were looking for."

Alex and Kiri stand side by side, showcasing their coordinated Pokémon skills in the makeshift clearing. Emily watches with genuine awe as they execute a series of well-practiced moves. Alex's Bulbasaur uses Vine Whip to lift Kiri's Eevee, which, in turn, leaps gracefully, performing a mid-air somersault before landing on the Meowth Kiri had just tossed into the air.

Emily: "Wow, you guys are amazing! We don't really have coordinators like you in Unova. This is all new for me."

Kiri grins and extends a hand, "Want to give it a try, Emily?"

Emily hesitates, then politely declines, "I think I'd just end up tripping over myself. Battles are more my thing."

However, Piplup has other ideas and launches itself into the act, causing a hilarious mishap. The Pokémon pileup leaves Kiri, Alex, and their Pokémon sprawled on the stones.

Emily seizes the moment to inquire about their origins and plans.

Emily: "So, where are you guys from? This island?"

Kiri: "No, we're a long way from home. We're from Kanto."

Alex adds, "Yeah, and as for how we got here, we don't even know. We were just having a sleepover at my place, crashed on the couch, and then ended up here."

Emily is visibly perturbed, "You don't know how you got here?"

Kiri shrugs, "Not a clue. But hey, we're going wherever you guys are headed."

Alex then points at Ben whom has occupied himself rocking back and forth whilst sitting on the floor. "Who's that weirdo?"

Emily, feeling slightly embarrassed that she forgot to introduce them properly, stammers out, "Oh, right! This is Ben. Ben, meet Kiri and Alex. Guys, this is Ben."

Ben looks up from where he's began fiddling with his Ultimatrix, offering a casual wave.

Ben: "Hey, nice to meet you."

Kiri and Alex exchange glances and return the greeting, "Nice to meet you two." The duo speak in unison again.

Alex hides a bit timidly behind Kiri as he introduces them. Concerned, Kiri takes a step forward, noticing how Ben seems distant and bothered by something.

Kiri: "Hey, you okay, Ben?"

Ben, deflecting: "Yeah, just stuff."

Kiri looks even more worried, "Come on, Ben, you can tell us what's bothering you."

Ben mumbles something inaudible, and Kiri sighs, conceding for now.

Kiri: "Alright, we'll talk about it later. Let's get on with the planning."

Emily, sensing tension, calls Jack over. He saunters in, teasing her in his usual thick Californian accent.

Jack: "Suddenly enjoying the mission, Emily?"

Emily, frustrated: "Just listen, Jack."

As they gather, Jack suggests heading to the old museum in town, but Alex has a better idea. She whispers it to Kiri, who speaks up.

Kiri: "How about we go to the Miltank farms on the north side of the island? If we're dealing with a monster that kills stuff, that's where the food is."

Jack's eyes light up with realization.

Jack, still in his thick accent: "It must be a dinosaur, and judging from the tooth and claw, it's some sort of T-rex and Velociraptor crossbreed, or maybe even a surviving species that's evolved over millions of years!"

Confused looks from the group prompt Jack to explain the concept of crossbreeding. " Ugh don't you people know anything? Fine. Crossbreeding is when you take one species and get it to breed with the other making a new species that borrows traits from both species."

Alex mutters again to Kiri whom softly chuckles before repeating at a normal volume, "Do they have to give them back?"

Jack sighs and shakes his head trying to keep his cool. "No. No they don't, so I guess they steal the traits. Happy now?"

With this sorted the team finalise their plans with one location in mind, the Miltank farms due north.

With determined enthusiasm, the group marches through the sun-soaked terrain, with Jack leading the way, seemingly undisturbed by the heat.

Jack: "We should reach the Miltank farms by sundown."

Jack, realising that the other three are having their own conversation, directs his attention to Ben, attempting to engage him in a conversation.

Jack: "You ever watch Jurassic Park, Ben?"

Ben, with a hint of interest: "Yeah, a long time ago."

Jack, enthusiastically: "Let me tell you about all the inaccuracies with the dinosaurs in that movie. "You know, the raptors were way smaller in reality, and don't even get me started on the T-rex's vision."

Ben, nodding: "Yeah, Hollywood likes to exaggerate."

As Jack delves further into his various scientific complaints, the landscape changes from stone to grassland. A dragonfly startles Alex, causing her to yelp in surprise.

Alex: "Ugh, stupid bug!" Now with a pout, "Stupid bug! Scared me."

Kiri and Emily burst into laughter. Kiri teasingly adds, revealing his inner anime watcher to Emily, "How very Tsundere of you."

Alex, flustered: "W-what? I don't even know what that means!"

Kiri: "Sure, you don't. Tsundere traits include..."

Alex stamps her foot before she fails to keep her mouth shut. "Well they pretend to not like someone and they'll often not trust themselves or have self confidence issues but they'll do nice stuff for their love interest and make up excuses for doing so."

Emily grins having genuinely no idea what any of this means but feeling that it must be excruciatingly embarrassing for Alex to admit.

Kiri: "Come on, admit it. You love those tsun-tsun moments."

Alex, grumbling: "Shut up."

As the others banter, Jack changes the subject with Ben.

Jack: "So, Ben, what's the deal with that watch of yours? It transforms you into aliens or something?"

Ben, self-deprecatingly: "Yeah, something like that. Used to save the world with it. Not so much anymore."

Jack gives an understanding nod, silently containing his excitement for realising that he's just met a real life Superhero.

Strangely enough the weather takes a shift, as if ashes from the Volcano at the Northern most tip of island had spilled into the atmosphere poisoning it's innocence from the inside out.

Darkness engulfs my vision as I approach the unfamiliar building, my mind consumed by resentment and rage. The prototype Omnitrix, chunky and uncomfortable as it is, hums softly on my wrist, cloaked in shadows beneath the hood of my light brown tattered flowing cloak. My face, once youthful and filled with wonder, has been grizzled and darkened by the scars of countless betrayals.

The box of fossils I found, containing an address that matches this place, is clutched tightly in my pocket. The VT 33D, a small, lethal piece of technology, it's appearance similar to that of a modern day pistol but larger with an extended barrel, is concealed beneath my hooded cloak, ready to be unleashed when needed.

My light footsteps echo in my ears, the limp in my leg a reminder of those dam guys with guns in the village. The bullet wound pulses with every step, a constant ache fueling my anger. I draw the hood over my face, obscuring my features in shadows.

A surprisingly polite knock later and, a small, well-maintained Mr Mime answers the door, its psychic presence both calming and unsettling. It invites me in without a word, as if expecting my arrival. The air in the room thickens with tension as I'm offered a cup of tea, the gesture seemingly kind, yet laced with an unspoken message.

As the Mr Mime scurries off to inform the occupants, probably this Jack jerk who wrote on his box, I find myself alone with my thoughts. The room is quiet, save for the ticking of a clock and the distant sounds of the dull waves outside.

My gaze fixes on the box of fossils, a silent witness to the stolen pieces of my past. Memories surge within me – the loss, the betrayal, the desperation. A fire burns in my eyes, fueled by the belief that the residents of this house are the ones who took that from me, the last of my nostalgia. My most prized photo, the last visual remnant of my cousin and grandfather left.

The tension in the room is palpable, a thick fog settling outside. I sip the tea, its warmth offering a brief respite from the cold anger that courses through my veins. I'm a lone figure, a bringer of justice across the cosmos.

Ronaldo confidently steps through the doorway, a smile on his face, ready to greet their unexpected visitor, expecting it to be Emily or Jack. Lily, having been writing in a notebook, gasps as Ben, hood still concealing his eyes, brandishes his blaster, his every movement filled with an unsettling determination.

Ronaldo, strangely calm in the face of the threat, attempts to diffuse the situation with a story from his footballing days at Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. "I've faced fierce opponents on the pitch," he says, "but always found a way to bring people together. Let's talk this out."

"Shut up!" Ben roars, his finger twitching on the blaster's trigger. "Explain who you are, where the weapons are, and who you work for!"

Ronaldo and Lily exchange puzzled glances. "Weapons? We don't have any weapons," Ronaldo replies, his hands held up in a non-threatening gesture. "And we're just on holiday here."

"Quit playing games!" Ben snaps. He fires a warning shot, shattering a plate that Lily was holding. She freezes, stunned, as Ben's rage intensifies.

Ronaldo attempts to speak again, trying to understand the source of Ben's anger, but Ben repeats his demanding questions. "Who are you? Who do you work for? Where did you get the weapons?"

Mr Mime, sensing the escalating danger, begins forming a protective light screen in front of them. Lily, trying to back away cautiously, is stopped by the shimmering barrier.

"Look, we're just ordinary people. We don't know anything about weapons or whatever you're talking about," Ronaldo insists, his tone sincere. "Let's find a way to sort this out peacefully."

But Ben, consumed by his rage, remains locked onto his singular mission, oblivious to the light screen forming before him.

Ben walks forward, unrelenting in his threatening stance, as Ronaldo leans in to whisper something into Lily's ear. Lily, attempting to maintain a calm tone, speaks to Ben, though her panting and stuttered speech betray her fear.

Lily: "Please, let's talk about this. We don't have any weapons, and we certainly don't know anything about stolen fossils."

Ben's anger intensifies, and he fires another warning shot into the ceiling. Lily screams and rushes outside, Ben chasing after her. He attempts to shoot her, but an invisible shield protects Lily, leaving Ben frustrated and bewildered.

Ronaldo, now wearing a smug expression, changes his tone to sarcastic egotism, making fun of Ben's limp and seemingly challenging him. He brings a dog whistle to his mouth and blows, causing Ben to recoil in pain.

Ronaldo: "Oh, poor thing. Can't handle a little noise, can you? What's the matter? You don't look like the world-saving hero I expected."

Ben, irritated, shouts that he doesn't want to kill them, just demanding answers. He throws Jack's box of fossils on the floor.

Ben: "I found this yesterday with this address on it. Explain what's going on. Why was my friend's fossil collection stolen?"

Ronaldo recognizes the box as Jack's and tries to explain the misunderstanding, but Ben cuts him off.

Ben: "Enough. Tell me what I want to know, or I'm gonna shoot you both. And it won't be pretty, or painless"

Ben, consumed by rage, shoots a Pidove out of the sky, "Listen! Listen to me! I'm being serious here, you're gonna get shot if I don't get what I want from you." Unbeknownst to the others Ben notices his finger shaking on the trigger, "I. I just want my memories. I'll be out of your hair afterward."

Lilly, noticing the sudden change of tone, decides to try sympathy once more. "Are you ok?'

Ben, shakes his head trying to recompose. "Just.. Shut up! Tell me why my fossil collection is here, or you'll see more of this!"

As he speaks, a sudden rumbling, accompanied by the sound of four distinct panicked voices, erupts from the distance. Ronaldo blows the dog whistle again, further infuriating Ben, who demands an explanation for the chaotic scene unfolding.

Ronaldo, reveling in his egotistical glory, recounts a fateful day in San Diego when he and his chef, Gordon Ramsay, not only fought off but tamed a T-rex. He claims to be able to call it anytime with his dog whistle, revealing the source of the commotion.

Ronaldo: "I present to you, my friend, Rexy!"

To Ben's slight shock, the T-rex arrives and picks him up in its mouth. However, the sight becomes even stranger as four individuals, riding on top of the T-rex, scream in panic. The eldest among them, however, is laughing manically.

Ben, quick on his feet, instinctively activates the master control and transforms into Humungousaur, a massive dinosaur-like alien with brown skin and bulging muscles.

Ben, holding the T-rex's jaw open with his arm's. "Alright, let's see how you handle this!"

Amidst the chaos, Ben, now transformed into Humongousaur, struggles against the grip of Terry, the red scaled T-rex ridden by the eccentric Doctor Z and the rest of the Alpha Gang. As Ben manages to hop out of the T rex's jaws.

"Ha yes! A brand new start for my brand new empire. My Dino empire shall thrive! Now that we're rid of those troublesome Baku-geeks..." The Elderly man boasts atop the T rex seemingly oblivious as to what's going on.

"But where exactly are we Doctor?" A taller man questions looking around.

" I dunno probably Jamaica or something." The woman answers a slight sarcasm to her tone.

"Actually it looks more like Papua New Guinea." a smaller man argues in a thoughtful tone.

"I think Terry just followed a Portuguese man with a dog whistle, Doctor Z!" The taller man exclaims scratching his chin.

The green-haired girl in the skin-tight jumpsuit, "Oh don't be so!... Oh hello mr Portuguese man.", and the rotund, short one in a reddish-pink shirt and overalls just sighs and pants his hand on his forehead.

Doctor Z "Xander, be quiet! Ed, try to help, not make it worse!"

Ed, the rotund one, nods earnestly, but points at Humongousaur bearing down on Lilly and Ronaldo. Ursula gasps and grabs a device he calls the Alpha Scanner, swiping a card into it. The fire in Terry's mouth intensifies as Ursula exclaims:

Ursula: "Time for a Volcano Burst!"

The fire surges across the floor, engulfing Humongousaur. Just as things seem dire, a second T-rex arrives, this one with a normal thick grey skinned appearance. "Ah, the real Rexy reveals herself. Who's a good girl?" The T-rex lowers its head, inviting Lily and Ronaldo onto its back.

Ronaldo: "Come on, Lily. It'll be fine. Rexy's a sweetheart."

Lily hesitates but takes Ronaldo's hand, allowing him to lead her onto Rexy's back. The T-rex grumbles contentedly, seemingly pleased with its new passengers.

The battle unfolds with breathtaking intensity as Humongousaur faces off against Terry, the fire-breathing T-rex controlled by Doctor Z and the Alpha Gang. The air is thick with tension as each move is countered with equal force. The dense forest echoes with the roars of the combatants, and the ground shakes with the weight of their clash.

Humongousaur maneuvers with agility, dodging Terry's fiery breath and retaliating with powerful strikes. The Alpha Gang watches nervously as their prized T-rex struggles against Ben's formidable alien form. Doctor Z barks orders, "You fool Terry! Did that green haired Oaf not teach you to dodge!"

"Hey! He's trying his best." Ursula gives Terry an affectionate pat.

"Don't argue with the Doctor Ursula, you don't want to get put back in the doghouse again do you?" Zander warns in a surprisingly intimidated voice as Ed shudders.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo attempts to communicate with Rexy, urging the T-rex to escape the chaotic battleground and find safety. However, Rexy's eyes are fixed on the fight between Humongousaur and Terry, and the colossal creature seems determined to witness the outcome.

In a moment of desperation, Ben quickly transforms into Heatblast, unleashing a burst of fiery power. Unexpectedly, Rexy leaps into the fray, biting down on Ben with colossal force. The flames flicker and dance around the struggling combatants, casting an eerie glow on the surrounding trees. Heatblast is thrown away, but he swiftly recovers.

As the battle reaches a critical juncture, Ben undergoes another rapid transformation, this time becoming WayBig. The colossal alien's presence alone is enough to make Terry retreat in a more cartoonish and less realistic manner, fleeing with Rexy in hot pursuit.

The forest, once a battlefield, now sighs in relief as the tremors subside, and the echoes of roars fade away. The Alpha Gang watches in shock as Terry retreats, their plan temporarily foiled. Rexy with a different sort of different instinct, chases after the fleeing T-rex, disappearing into some dense dense foliage a little bit to the west of the village.

The gang arrives at the Miltank farm, the vast expanse of open fields stretching out before them. The sun hangs low in the sky, casting a warm glow over the scene. The farm appears peaceful at first glance, but Kiri's unease is palpable. Alex wraps a comforting arm around Kiri, whispering words of reassurance. "Hey it's ok. I'll beat up anything that comes near you ok?"

Kiri smiles and does his best to stay behind Alex, as if Alex has become some sort of guardian angel. Meanwhile Emily sticks in the centre of the group hesitant to speak to Jack but not wanting to bother Kiri more, so just feels lonely also hesitant to let Piplup back out of it's Pokeball in fear that it'll cause chaos.

Soon enough the group reach the gates of a fairly present looking barn, definitely the Miltank farms they were looking for, with extending fields stretching further than the eyes can see populated by wooden fences and tall tree's adorned with various types of fruit and nesting Pokemon.

The barn, a quintessential Midwestern structure, stands proudly against the backdrop of the fields. Its red wooden exterior hints at a rustic charm that clashes with the tension in the air. Ben takes the lead, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Emily follows closely, a mix of curiosity and caution etched on her face, while Jack trails behind, ready with a quip. "I guess it's true what they say, America never truly leaves ya."

"cmon, it looks like whoever owns this place ain't home, so we don't have time to chit chat." Ben states whilst opening the polished looking metal gate.

They soon enter the barn, its creaky door opening with a foreboding groan. Inside, the atmosphere is cool and dimly lit. Dust particles dance in the sunlight streaming through the gaps in the wooden walls. Wooden beams create a crisscross pattern overhead, casting shadows that seem to come alive.

Kiri shudders, a sense of dread settling over him like a heavy cloak. Alex squeezes his hand reassuringly as Jack examines the interior. "Quite the spooky place you got here," Jack remarks, running his fingers along the claw marks etched into the wood, his voice echoing in the liminal expanse.

"Spooky? This is downright creepy," Kiri mutters, glancing nervously around the barn.

Ben, ever the leader, remains focused. "Keep your guard up. We're on the right track," he advises, his eyes narrowing in on the claw marks. "And judging by the freshness of these marks, our friend might still be close."

Emily watches the interaction between her friends, the tension in the air mirroring the apprehension within her. "It's gonna be ok," she adds, more to herself than the others, scanning the barn's interior for any signs of movement.

As the group delves deeper into the empty barn, the air becomes thick with anticipation. The distant hum of insects outside contrasts with the eerie silence within.

The door to the outside enclosures opens with a soft creak, revealing the vast expanse of cornfields stretching out before them. The sun dips lower on the horizon, casting long shadows across the golden sea of crops. Kiri hesitates at the threshold, his unease now more palpable than ever.

Alex, ever the source of grounding reassurance, pats Kiri on the back. "Come on, Kiri. We've faced weirder things than a cornfield monster, right?" she says with a lopsided grin, attempting to lighten the mood.

Kiri manages a weak smile, appreciating Alex's attempt at humor. "Yeah, but what if it's, like, a super-intelligent cornfield monster?"

Jack chuckles, the rhythmic sound of his laughter echoing through the fields. "Now that would be a twist. Watch out, folks, the corn might start asking us riddles."

Ben, who had been a step ahead, suddenly stops, his gaze fixed on the endless rows of corn. Emily senses a shift in his demeanor, a subtle change that sends ripples through the atmosphere. She glances at him, wanting to ask if he's okay but holding back.

"Something on your mind, Ben?" Jack asks, his usual playfulness replaced with a genuine curiosity.

Ben, still lost in his thoughts "I remember this place," he mutters, his gaze fixed on the swaying corn. Emily senses a shift in the atmosphere and hesitates before cautiously asking, "Ben, are you okay?"

He blinks, seemingly snapping back to the present. "Yeah, just... déjà vu, I guess."

Kiri furrows his brows, exchanging a puzzled glance with Alex. "You've been here before?"

But Ben doesn't elaborate, his attention seemingly lost in the rustling waves of corn. The group begins to navigate the labyrinthine paths, the corn towering above them like walls of gold. Piplup, sensing the tension, soon exits it's Pokeball of it's own accord, flits between them, its tiny wings creating ripples of joy.

Emily decides to break the silence, addressing Kiri, "You okay, Kiri?"

Kiri nods, though his eyes remain fixed on the shifting shadows between the cornstalks. "Yeah, just... it's giving me the creeps."

Alex squeezes Kiri tighter. "Don't worry, I've got your back. Like I said, anything touches you I'll shove my foot where the sun don't shine."

Kiri giggles a bit whilst Emily moves to jokingly put a hand on Kiri's shoulder causing Alex to glare at her with such fury Emily immediately retreats and shrinks. With a smirk, "Good girl." Alex revels in being intimidating, causing Kiri to relax even more.

As the group makes their way through the cornfields, the putrid stench of rotting meat wafts through the air, causing Kiri to gag. He doubles over, a hand over his mouth, while Alex and Emily rush to his side.

"Ugh, what's that smell?" Alex wrinkles her nose, trying not to breathe through it.

"It's... it's like something died here," Kiri manages to utter between gags.

Emily nods in agreement. "We should get out of here, Kiri. It's not worth making you sick."

Jack, a bit further ahead, overhears their conversation. "Wait out front if you need to. The adults here'll check out what happened to the Miltank."

Kiri, grateful for the suggestion, nods his consent as Alex and Emily guide him to a spot outside the barn. The fresh air provides some relief, and Piplup, sensing Kiri's distress, waves some grass and flowers in front of him. Surprisingly, it seems to do the trick, clearing his sense of smell and easing his nausea.

Meanwhile, Ben and Jack reach the Miltank enclosure. The scene inside is grim — the lifeless bodies of Miltank sprawled across the ground, blood spattered across the grass and the stench of guts filling the air still fresh. Jack squats down, examining the carnage.

"Looks like something tore through them," Jack mutters, his excitement for the discovery evident in his voice. "We're definitely dealing with a predator, not just some random creature."

Back outside, as Emily and Alex sit Kiri against the barn, they notice two figures in the distance. The figures slowly approach, gaining clarity in the fading daylight.

Emily squints to get a better look. "Hey, do you see that? Someone's coming this way."

Alex follows her gaze. "Yeah, wonder who they are."

As the figures draw nearer, their features become more defined, leaving Emily and Alex on edge, uncertain about the strangers approaching the Miltank farm.

As the two figures approach, the sun casts long shadows, and the details of their appearance become clearer. It's Dan Kuzo, the boy Emily met earlier, assisting another familiar face—Ash. Ash looks a bit worse for wear after the encounter with the fire guy, and Piplup, seemingly sensing his condition, moves to nestle up to him affectionately.

Dan guides Ash to sit next to Kiri, who's slowly recovering from the nauseating stench of the Miltank farm. Drago, Dan's Bakugan, floats nearby, ready to assist if needed. Emily, recognizing Dan, offers a warm welcome.

"Hey, you made it back! Is Ash okay?" Emily asks, concern etched on her face.

Dan nods, though his expression shows signs of exhaustion. "Yeah, he took a beating from that fire guy, but we managed to get him to a Pokémon Center. He's recovering, but it's been rough."

Drago adds, "We also encountered some Russian soldiers shooting randomly. We had to make a quick escape."

Alex, ever skeptical, interjects, "Hold on a second. How do we know this guy isn't part of some elaborate plot?"

Dan raises an eyebrow, amused. "Well, I'm not exactly a secret agent. Just a kid trying to help out."

Alex doesn't seem convinced. "And how do we know your Bakugan friend here isn't the mastermind?"

Drago lets out a hearty chuckle. "Mastermind? Please, I'm just a Bakugan. I don't even have a passport."

Emily steps in, trying to diffuse the tension. "Alex, it's okay. I met Dan earlier. He's on our side."

Still grumbling, Alex warns Dan, "I'm keeping an eye on you."

Dan playfully pats Alex on the head, teasing, "Sure thing, tough girl. I'm not planning any mischief."

This provokes a charmingly angry response from Alex, "That's Alex to you!"

Dan, ever the charmer, decides to lighten the mood with a playful smirk on his face. "Hey, Emily, did it hurt?"

She raises an eyebrow, playing along. "Did what hurt?"

"When you fell from heaven," Dan finishes with a grin.

Emily bursts into laughter, appreciating the humor. "Nice one, Dan. But I think I'll survive the fall."

As Emily and Dan share a laugh, Drago comments, "This guy and his pick-up lines. I'll never understand humans."

Meanwhile, Alex tends to Kiri, and Kiri assures her "I'm fine honestly."

"Nonsense, water time come on." Alex raises a bottle of water to Kiri's lips, to which he drinks, in fear of Alex tipping water all over his face as a consequence.

Ash sits down next to Kiri, panting a little, sweat dripping from his hair. His Pikachu, deciding to take no notice of Piplup attempting to get its attention, settles down next to Ash handing him a large leaf. Ash grins, "Thanks Pikachu." Before wiping his sweat away with the leaf as if it's a tissue.

Now having finished the water he was drinking, Kiri points at Ash. "I'm fine Alex, if anything Ash needs you more than me."

Alex peer's over to Ash as if having a sudden epiphany and stifles a high pitched scream. "I can't believe I'm actually meeting Ash Ketchum!" she exclaims, trying to regain her composure. "I mean, he's, like, a legend!"

Ash, slightly taken aback but smiling, responds, "Well, it's great to meet a fan! I'm just a regular Pokémon Trainer, though."

Quickly regaining her tomboyish demeanor, Alex starts talking Pokémon battles with Ash, feigning annoyance. "Just a normal trainer? Pu-lease, you're a champion of like two regions!"

Ash smiles, "I guess so but it's not like I'm invincible or anything."

Alex grins challengingly. "So you're telling me I could beat you? I mean after all you're just a normal trainer right?"

Ash chuckles realising the ridiculousness of what he said previously, "Alright maybe not, but it doesn't mean you couldn't ever challenge me."

Now satisfied Alex puts some water on a cloth. "It's gonna be cold but it'll help control that heat 'K?"

Kiri joins the conversation, curious about the strange device strapped to Ash's wrist as Alex applies the cloth to Ash's head.

"What's that thing on your wrist?" Kiri asks.

Ash proudly showcases the device. "This is a PokéLink. Professor Oak gave it to me. It lets me summon any Pokémon I or my friends have caught."

Both Kiri and Alex look utterly dumbfounded.

"You can summon any Pokémon? Just like that?" Alex asks, her skepticism giving way to fascination.

Ash nods. "Yeah, it's pretty handy. Helps me spend more time with my Pokémon and introduce them to new friends. Plus, if there's trouble, it helps me deal with it faster."

Alex, still processing this information, mutters, "Well, I guess that does sound pretty cool."

Jack returns, his hands stained with blood, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. "Ah, what an exhilarating experience! Investigating a carcass in real life! Now that's, the stuff of dreams. Getting my hands dirty, truly feeling the texture of the—"

Kiri interrupts him with a gag, clearly disturbed by Jack's enthusiasm. "Seriously, dude? You're enjoying this?"

Jack grins, seemingly oblivious to the unease around him. "Of course! It's all in the pursuit of knowledge."

Dan eyes Jack with suspicion, crossing his arms. "You sure about that, man? Killing Pokémon for the sake of knowledge?"

Ash, looking serious, accuses Jack, "That's messed up! You can't just kill Pokémon for research."

Jack raises his hands defensively. "Whoa, whoa, calm down. I didn't kill these Miltank. I just studied them, and let me tell you, it's a bizarro crime scene."

He continues, explaining his findings. "Whatever attacked these Pokémon did it with purpose. The wounds match the tooth and claw we found earlier. It attacked from above, lifting them into the air before disemboweling them. It's not just killing; it's creating a horrifying display. It didn't even eat them, just left them as a gruesome piece of art."

Kiri, Alex, and Emily all react with a mix of horror and disgust. Ash, still skeptical, asks, "So, what's the point of all this? Why kill them like that?"

Jack's tone becomes more serious. "It's not just about killing; it's about creating fear, making it as painful and horrifying as possible. It's like some kind of macabre art display."

Ben interjects, his expression grim. "And we found another message scrawled in blood and green sludge. It said, 'Enjoying the chase?'"

The revelation sends a chill down everyone's spine. Dan and Ben, seemingly unfazed, exchange determined glances. It's clear they're ready for the challenge, each in their own unique way.

Ash, still uneasy, mutters, "This is getting way too intense."

Jack nods in agreement. "Yea well, we're in deep now. It's weird, like.. Like it knows we're following it.

Emily now finally looks disturbed having to sit down to process all of this whilst Ash stands up and joins Dan, Jack and Ben ready for a fight. Meanwhile Alex looks a little determined cradling Kiri's head as he goes completely pale upon this realisation.

Jack, noticing the eyes of the group on Ben, takes charge, realizing that Ronaldo's earlier metaphor had a deeper meaning. "Alright, everyone, gather around. It's time for a little pep talk, California style!"

He adopts a confident posture, hands on his hips. "Look, I get it. We're all a bit lost here, and we've got no clue what's going on. But guess what? We're in this together now, and we've got a job to do."

He grins widely. "We're not just a group; we're a team. And a team sticks together through thick and thin. Now, we've got a nasty enemy playing mind games with us, but guess what? We're not going to fall for it. We're smarter, we're tougher, and we're not afraid to face whatever's out there head-on."

Jack's energy is contagious, and even Ben seems to loosen up a bit, the weight on his shoulders lifting. "This killer, this mastermind, or whatever it is, it's toying with us. It's like a twisted game of cat and mouse. But we're not going to let it dictate the rules. We'll play it at it's own game, and we'll win."

He points to the growing unity within the group. "We've got Pokémon trainers." Jack points at Ash, Kiri and Alex, "aliens," Jack points at Ben, " And a whole mix of skills. It's time to put our heads together, figure out what's really going on here, and stop it. We're not just a group of random people; we're a team, and teams beat the odds."

Jack's words resonate, and the group, including Ben and Ash, feels a newfound sense of confidence. Even Emily, who had been grappling with jealousy, finds herself respecting Jack as a leader, appreciating the strength he brings to the team.

"Now, let's get out there, avoid the traps, and show this killer that messing with us was a big mistake!" Jack's rallying cry sparks determination in everyone's eyes as they prepare to face the unknown challenges ahead.

Elsewhere, the two T-rexes, Terry and Rexy, bring their human passengers to a halt just outside a quaint town west of the main village. Terry, in his comical manner, tosses the Alpha Gang off his back, while Rexy lowers herself gracefully, allowing Ronaldo and Lily to dismount easily.

Ursula, with a playful glint in her eye, steps forward, introducing herself with a flirtatious tone. "Well, hello there, handsome. I'm Ursula, and these are my associates, Zander and Ed. We're delighted to make your acquaintance." She winks at Ronaldo, who remains unresponsive to her advances, earning smirks and sniggers from Zander and Ed.

Doctor Z, ever the showman, is quick to boast about his creations. "Ah, the wonders of science! These Dinosaur cards and Alpha Scanners are my magnum opus. Truly, a testament to my creative genius!"

Lily looks on in confusion having absolutely no idea what Dinosaur Cards or Alpha Scanners are and honestly wondering what the old man is blabbing on about but Ronaldo speaks up first harbouring the same confusion. "So uh what are you talking about, and uh who are you?"

Zander chimes in, providing a more practical explanation. "We were chasing a Dinosaur in Rome when Terry here decided to take us on a detour. Next thing we knew, we ended up on this island. But it's not all bad; I'm guessing there's quite the commotion going on here."

As they walk toward the town, Ronaldo and Lily inquire about the high-tech devices. "So these Alpha Scanners, what are they by the way?" Lily speaks first.

Ed obliges to answer first. "They're these kooky little devices we use to make our Dinosaurs go from cards to animals." Ed holds up his Alpha Scanner to demonstrate.

Eyeing Ronaldo Ursula decides to try and understand exactly what's going on. "So who was that little brat with the fancy watch?"

Lily is still visibly shaken from the encounter with Ben, struggling to recall his name. "I think his name was Ben, but it's all a blur. He was trying to kill us. I have no idea why."

With their Dinosaurs left behind outside the town, the group cautiously enters the picturesque village, ready to unravel the mysteries that lie ahead.

As the group meanders through the bustling town, Doctor Z continues his egotistical ramblings, vividly describing his dreams of a Dinosaur kingdom where he reigns supreme. Lily, visibly irritated by his self-centered monologue, can't help but roll her eyes, while Ronaldo, surprisingly, finds himself fascinated by the eccentric scientist.

Ronaldo: "You know, Doctor Z, I've seen a lot of passion in my time, but your dream of a Dinosaur kingdom takes the cake. How do you plan to achieve it?"

Doctor Z: "Ah, my dear Ronaldo, with my genius and these marvelous inventions, the world will soon bow before a new era, the age of Dinosaurs!"

As they walk, Ursula, Zander, and Ed engage in lively banter, "Wait so why are walking with these people?" Zander asks curiously.

Ursula restrains herself from staring at Ronaldo. "To help out this be-... I mean to aid Doctor Z as always, of course."

Ed stifles a laugh. "I think Ursula's got different priorities."

Ursula swings around glares at Ed. "I do not, under any circumstance, love or want to be romantically entwined with any Portuguese men! Understand?"

Lily, finding their dynamics amusing, shares a chuckle with Ronaldo.

Lily: "These three are quite the trio. I don't know whether to be entertained or annoyed."

Ronaldo: "Oh, they're harmless. Reminds me of my days in the locker room. The bighead, I.E. Me, the jokester, The Geek and the Hothead ."

Just then, a burst of noise draws their attention to a nearby arena where a sporting event is in full swing. The commentator's voice echoes through the air.

**Mark Goldbridge:** Miniminter's got options. He slips it through to KSI, who's one-on-one with Spink! KSI takes the shot... and it's a GOAL!!! The Sidemen take the lead!

**Chris Kamara:** What a breakaway goal, Mark! KSI's speed and composure in front of goal made the difference. The Sidemen are up 1-0!

Ed enthusiastically declares his admiration for Mark Goldbridge, "Oh wow, Good 'ol Goldbridge, always bringing the comedy into football"

Ursula raises her eyebrow at him. "Ed I'd be dammed if you've ever kicked a football in your entire life."

Ed thought seems undeterred. "Just because I ain't played it dosen't mean I can't enjoy it. I remember watching William Murray in his prime!"

Zander decides to add, "I never knew the Sidemen played football, I mostly followed them for the gaming."

Ursula sighs. "Of course you like the Sidemen. Why wouldn't you just absolutely Adore! Them."

Zander holds his hands up. "What?... I think they're talented."

Ronaldo: "Speaking of skill, let me tell you about this match against Arsenal back in 2009..."

As the animated discussion about football threatens to continue, Doctor Z, growing impatient, interrupts the banter.

Doctor Z: "Enough! We're here for a reason. Let's not lose sight of our mission."

With Doctor Z's urging, the group resumes their journey, Ronaldo and Edd deep into a passionate football debate, while Lily and Ursula share a bemused glance, both content to remain on the fringes of the sports talk.

As the group strolls deeper into the town, they observe the townsfolk bustling about, preparing for a celebration or festival of sorts. Lily, ever curious, decides to approach an elderly man, who appears to be overseeing some of the preparations.

Lily: "Excuse me, sir. We couldn't help but notice the festivities. What's the occasion?"

Elderly Man, speaking both wisely and solemnly, "Ah, young travelers, these are desperate times. We're preparing to appease the Indominasu Kingu, a dreadful creature that roams our island at night. Its recent rampages have claimed entire farms of Miltank and devastated villages along the coast, especially on the east side."

Lily, intrigued and slightly taken aback, listens attentively. The man continues, delving into the island's unique traditions.

Elderly Man: "We seek not to appease the creature itself, but its owner, the god of Pokémon, Pokettomonsutā. It's our belief that by honoring the god, we may quell the creature's wrath."

Lily, respectful of local customs, refrains from challenging the man's beliefs, even though it conflicts with her own understanding of Arceus as the god of all Pokémon. She contemplates the island's unique religious practices.

Lily: *nodding* "Thank you for explaining. It's fascinating to learn about your traditions."

The elderly man kindly extends an invitation for Lily and her friends to join the celebration, but before Lily can respond, Doctor Z, displaying his typical brusqueness, interrupts.

Doctor Z: "Ridiculously useless and preposterous island customs! We have no time for such nonsense. We'll be on our way."

The elder, disappointed but understanding, bids them farewell. Lily, despite her irritation at Doctor Z's rudeness, suppresses her emotions for the sake of the group. She glances around and notices a collective sigh of relief from her friends.

The group trudges through the desolate muddy landscape, a seemingly endless expanse of light brown mud stretching in all directions. There's no sign of Pokémon or vegetation, just the occasional bit of stone and dirty ponds. As the exhaustion sets in, Emily and Alex, not used to such physical exertion, begin to complain childishly.

Emily: "Ugh, seriously, Jack, couldn't you have picked a nicer route? I'm tired, hungry, and covered in mud!"

Alex, grumbling quietly, nods in agreement.

Jack, in his usual teasing tone: "Come on, you two, where's the California spirit? Embrace the mud, embrace the adventure!"

Dan and Ash join in the banter, sharing laughs as Ben attempts to reason with Emily and Jack. "Don't you two think you're maybe being a little whiny about this?" Emily shoots a frustrated glare at Ben.

Kiri, always considerate: "Maybe we should take a rest break. We've been walking for nearly two hours, and it's getting close to sundown."

Dan and Ash protest, "Cmon we can still keep going, we'd rather find this thing before it kills again.' but Jack, recognizing the importance of a properly rested team, calls for a break. The group scramble to find a flat stony area to rest on.

As the group settles down, the realization hits them: they didn't bring any food. Kiri voices the collective concern.

Kiri: "Hey, do we have any food?"

Alex, grumbling quietly: "I was wondering the same thing."

Ash looks over at Jack. "I was guessing you'd've brought something."

Jack glances at Emily, looking defensive. "I was expecting Thorn to bring some."

Emily pouts. "Can you stop calling me by my last name!?"

Jack chuckles casually. "Alright, Alright. fine.. How does Em sound?"

Emily sighs.. "It's fine.."

Amid the collective stomach rumbles and the realization of their lack of supplies, Ash's eyes light up with an idea. He swiftly lifts his wrist and taps on his Poké Link and summons a Poké Ball, releasing a majestic Pidgeot.

Ash, affectionately stroking its beak: "Alright, Pidgeot, I need you to find some food for us. You can keep some for yourself too, okay?"

The Pidgeot gives a dignified nod before taking off into the sky, scanning the muddy landscape for potential sources of sustenance.

Alex, ever practical, interjects: "While that's great, we still need a way to stay warm. This mud is going to get cold as the night comes in."

Ben, feeling a sense of duty, steps forward but hesitates as he lifts his wrist. Jack and Dan both look at him quizzically and Ben seems to shrink under the pressure and sits down again leading Ash to tap his Pokelink again and summon two Pokeballs, releasing the first one which is an Orange Turtle with a Rocky Shell. "Torkoal!" It drones out monotonically.

Ash, wanting to contribute as well, releases another Pokémon, a Gible.

Ash: "Gible, go gather some firewood for us!"

The small, shark-like Pokémon nods eagerly and scurries off into the muddy landscape. Alex, noticing Ash's Gible, has a fangirl moment.

Alex, with wide eyes: "Is that a Gible? Oh my god your so cool!"

Ash, trying to act humble but succumbing to his inner egotism: "Oh, this little guy? Yeah, he's pretty cool."

Dan and Ash, embracing their friendly rivalry, engage in some friendly banter.

Dan: "You always did love showing off, didn't you, Ash?"

Ash, with a grin: "And you loved trying to beat me at it. Some things never change."

Drago and Jack exchange sighs, realising that the clash between these two bigheads is as timeless as the landscape they find themselves in.

Gible returns with the firewood, and Piplup rushes out excitedly to meet the dragon-like Pokémon. However, Gible panics, dropping the firewood and biting down on Piplup's head, causing it to squeal. Emily panics, but Ash quickly intervenes.

Ash, coaxing Gible: "Hey, Gible, easy now. Let Piplup go."

Gible releases its grip on Piplup, who shakes itself off and scurries back to Emily, a bit flustered.

Emily, checking on Piplup: "You okay, buddy?"

Ash, apologetic: "Sorry about that, Emily. Gible is still learning."

Emily, appreciating the concern: "No harm done. But seriously, how do you keep all your Pokémon under control?"

Ash, with a confident grin: "You have to treat a Pokémon like you treat a woman."

The statement causes a flicker of distress in Ben, who abruptly deflates and rushes off to a nearby rock in a panic. The group looks around at each other, concern etched on their faces. Emily looks at Ash.

Emily: "What did you mean by that?"

Ash, seemingly oblivious to the impact: "Oh, just means you've got to understand them, respect them, and be there for them. Like any relationship, right?"

Emily, still worried, nods. Meanwhile, Jack, who seems to have a better understanding of Ben, steps forward.

Jack: "I'll go talk to him. I think I understand Ben better than anyone here."

As Jack makes his way towards Ben, the rest of the group engage in playing with the Pokemon. Even Kiri and Alex releasing their Pokemon , trying to distract themselves from the unease settling in the air.

Jack sits next to Ben on the rock, slinging his arm around him as Ben quivers, mutters, and occasionally spasms, trying to hide his distress. Jack speaks in his familiar Californian accent, softer and less playful, trying to comfort Ben.

Jack: "You know, Ben, I've got my own bag of issues. My parents, they're gone, man. Killed by a Dilophosaurus that found its way into San Diego. Broke into our house, stalked us for days. My parents sacrificed themselves so that my sister and I could escape. I had to watch them... get torn apart."

Ben, visibly affected, seems to ground himself in Jack's casual comfort.

Ben: "I had no idea, Jack. I'm sorry."

Jack, reassuringly: "Hey, we've all got our stories. It's what makes us who we are. Now it's your turn, spill. What's eating at you, Ben?"

Ben, opening up: "As a kid, I used to fight this guy named Kevin. We grew up, became teammates for a while. Fought this tough villain, Aggregor. Kevin absorbed my Ultimatrix, went mad, started hurting and killing people. I almost killed him, Jack. Since then, I've been scared of hurting people, of losing control, of being a bad person. So, I pushed everyone away."

Jack listens attentively, nodding in understanding.

Jack: "We all make mistakes, Ben. It's how we learn and grow. You're not the only one, we all have flaws and push people away because of them. Or at least I do."

Jack reassures Ben with a comforting smile, easing the tension that gripped him. "Ben, you can't hurt people, especially not here. Look around, nobody's hurting or killing anyone. We're a team, man."

Ben nods, seemingly emerging from his shell, and the two share a fist bump, the gesture a symbol of newfound friendship.

Jack: "That's more like it! Now, spill the beans. What's the gossip on the rest of the team?"

Ben, lightening up: "Oh, you know, the usual. Emily's got a Piplup that thinks it's a jester, Alex is the tough, short and shy one who couldn't hide her emotions in a psyche ward, and Kiri—"

Jack interrupts with a chuckle: "Ah, Kiri, the one who looks like he's seen a ghost every time we find a clue. What's his deal?"

Ben, grinning: "He's a bit jittery, especially around ghosts or anything creepy. But he's a good guy once you get to know him."

Jack, genuinely intrigued, shifts the conversation: "And that watch thingy of yours, the Ultimatrix, right? How does it work?"

Ben, scratching his head: "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. It's got millions of DNA samples, and when I dial it, bam, I turn into an alien."

Jack, fascinated: "Millions of DNA samples? Man, that's like something out of a sci-fi movie. Can I take a closer look?"

Ben, laughing: "You wish! This baby's off-limits. No dissection, dude."

The two share a hearty laugh, and Jack suggests rejoining the group before they start to worry, "Let's head back. I'm sure they're wondering where we've been."

Ben, in agreement: "Yeah, let's not keep them in suspense."

The two walk back over to the rest of the group as they watch Kiri's Togekiss and Eevee pull off a stunning manoeuvre as Eevee creates rings in the air with Swift attacks whilst Togekiss flies it through the air and Eevee backflips through them with a dazzle.

Ben Tennyson, still clad in his tattered light brown cloak, sits on the volcanic cliff edge, nursing his various wounds unaware of the various mystery's on the island. Molten rock flows on either side, creating an eerie backdrop. His small frame is battered, marked by teeth wounds across his torso, bruised imprints on his limbs, and the persistent bullet wound in his leg. As he broods, he berates himself for his perceived lack of foresight, questioning his abilities and contemplating whether the Republic's abandonment and Hondo's manipulation were justified.

Ben, muttering to himself, "Stupid, stupid, stupid. Can't even protect myself, let alone anyone else. I'm just a danger to everyone around me. Maybe the Republic had a point... and Hondo, using me like some pawn. Why do people even bother with me?"

Ben picks up a rock and throws it into the lava, smiling as it begins smoking. "I'm such an idiot, I've gotta keep it together. Not for me, for them... If I.. No! I am gonna get that photo back even if it kills me."

But just as he tries to refocus, the quiet is disrupted by the distinct sound of metal boots against soft soil. Ben glances over his shoulder, expecting to see another Pokémon, but what he finds is far from it.

Ben, raising an eyebrow, "Alright, which of these weird animals is making that much noise?"

Ignoring his current state of vulnerability, Ben turns to face the source of the sound, ready for whatever threats inhabit this volcanic landscape.

A red, sleek armoured figure confidently strides out from the rainforest situated behind the platform Ben is sitting, it's feminine, reddish-pink armor catching the ambient light. Futuristic magnums rest at her hips, seemingly attached by an unseen force. The clanking of her armored boots echoes against the volcanic cliffs as she spots the wounded Ben.

Spartan Valerie bends down "Well, well, what do we have here? Looks like someone's been through the wringer. You holding up okay, kid?"

Ben, still defensive and clearly irritated, staggers to his feet. The tall Spartan bends down, revealing a kind and youthful expression hidden beneath her armor.

Spartan Valerie using a sweet tone, "Hi there, little guy. I'm Spartan Valerie. Don't worry; I'm not here to cause trouble."

Ben snaps, "I can take care of myself, you know."

Spartan Valerie changes her tone immediately, shrugging her shoulders and standing up straight. "Alright kid, if you wanna play it like that, fine have it your way."

Spartan Valerie calls out, "Hey, Silent! We've got an injured civie here. Come check him over."

A slightly bulkier Spartan approaches from behind Valerie. He addresses Ben with a more brotherly tone.

Bravo: "Hey, little buddy. You might want to listen to what Val here says. She's got a fiery attitude, but she knows how to take care of folks."

Valerie cuts him off though. "So you better sit down kid, I'm gonna warn you once and not twice not to test me, M'K?"

Ben attempts to snap back but Valerie takes a menacing step toward him, Ben figuring that it's not worth risking further injury, sits down as commanded.

As Ben reluctantly sits down as Spartan Valerie can't resist a quip.

Spartan Valerie speaks in a teasing and mocking tone "See? I told you. Isn't that so much better?"

Soon enough another three similar looking armoured figures, that Ben guesses are named Spartans, walk out from the Rainforest one looking authoritative, one looking subdued and the other looking looking cool and calm.

Spartan Silent, in sleek red armor, reveals a large sniper rifle magnetically attached to her back. Bravo, sporting bulkier gray armor, carries a heavy SAW on his back. Spartan Shadow, with custom navy blue armor, has a tactical magnum and a shotgun holstered. Atlas, with plain-looking grey armor, cradles an assault rifle, battle-ready and stoic.

Atlas in an authoritative tone, "Valerie, Bravo, scout the area. Shadow, help Silent with the scan. We need to ensure the surroundings are secure."

Shadow in an argumentative tone, "Why bother? It's plain to see there's nothing out here. We're wasting our time."

Atlas firmly, "Protocol is protocol. We stick to it, whether we agree with it or not."

While the others debate their mission, Spartan Silent, the nonverbal member of the group, approaches Ben cautiously. She extends a hand, signifying both goodwill and her understanding of his need for more than physical help.

A small device pops out of her wrist, scanning Ben from head to toe. It flashes red upon identifying all his wounds, eliciting a strange, cold feeling. Displaying information only she can comprehend, Silent points to her helmet and tilts her head, signaling for Ben to stick out his tongue.

Thinking it's a part of the process, Ben complies, only to discover it was a prank. Spartan Silent giggles, ruffling his hair, creating a warm and comforting sensation. Ben starts to feel at ease as Silent gets to work, patching up his various wounds with exaggerated expressions, reminding him of his Grandpa Max and lifting his spirits in the process.

As Spartan Silent finishes fixing all of Ben's torso wounds, she swiftly removes the bullet from the wound on his leg. Upon inspecting the infected wound and noticing its progressive worsening, Silent raises an eyebrow, holding the bullet up to Ben's face with a questioning gesture.

Ben (deflectively): "Uh, it's just a souvenir. No big deal."

Spartan Silent, changing her demeanor to a more authoritative one, gives him a look that demands honesty. Ben sighs, realizing he can't escape her scrutiny. "Fine.. So I have this.. Fossil co...ugh.. Picture of my family that got stolen by these guys and I attacked this kid called Ash and got shot a lot by some British Guys and Russians. Happy now?" Silent, now offering a questioningly sympathetic look, pats Ben's head—intended to be a comforting gesture.

Silent then takes out a needle-like cleaning tool that vibrates intensely, causing a sharp sting as it delves into the wounds, cleaning them with thorough antiseptic causing Ben to wince a little as Silent pats him on the head again. While dressing the wound, Silent gestures for Ben to stay seated. She glances over her shoulder at Spartan Atlas and Shadow, still bickering over protocols and common sense.

Making a decision, Silent moves to sit next to Ben on the rock, putting a comforting arm around his shoulder. The gesture carries an understanding of pain, abandonment, betrayal, and loneliness. For a moment, they share the quiet comfort of solidarity amidst the chaos of Ben's mind.

Spartan Silent, sitting next to Ben, maintains a comforting presence, her body language exuding understanding and empathy. After about a minute of awkward silence, Ben, seemingly compelled by Silent's silent support, begins opening up about the overwhelming loneliness that has plagued him.

Ben: "I used to travel across America in an RV with my Grandpa and Cousin. At the time, I thought they were always in my way, annoying. You know, always gett'n in the way of hero work. But I didn't realize what I had until it was gone. One day, chasing a villain through a portal, I ended up in a whole new universe. Since then, it's been nothing but loneliness, war, betrayal, and abandonment. I feel like I always need a mission, some guy to beat, to quench this rage-fueled lust for vengeance. Otherwise, the emotions'd overwhelm me. I'd cry, but I can't. I have a job to do, but I'm only doing it because I feel a need to always have some big adventure. It's like I'm trying to fill a void. A big circular universe inside of, well, me..."

Ben struggles to recompose himself, his voice breaking, as Silent pats him gently on the head to provide comfort. Understanding the unspoken turmoil, she offers a silent invitation for a hug, holding out her arms as if to say 'come 'ere', which Ben accepts. In that moment, as he embraces the silent support, he begins to see the innocence and goodness in the world, realizing that maybe, just maybe, there are some things worth saving.

Spartan Atlas, seemingly finished with his heated debate with Spartan Shadow, now approaches Ben and Spartan Silent with a calm and professional air to him. "I am Spartan Atlas. It's not customary for us to involve civilians in our operations, especially considering the risks and protocols involved."

Spartan Silent's body language shifts, displaying a sad expression, and she seems to acknowledge Atlas's instructions.

Spartan Bravo puts a hand over his visor in frustration. "Silent, you can't keep whisking random kids away on adventures. We've got rules and protocols to follow."

Spartan Atlas adds, "Plus, the poor kids family'll probably be waiting for him somewhere."

Ben retorts, his tone more mature and determined. "My family's long gone. I've been working alone for a while now. I can handle myself."

Spartan Atlas seems taken aback by Ben's response, putting his hand to his chin in thought. Spartan Shadow, on the other hand, takes the opportunity to suggest an alternative perspective. "He's survived this long on his own? He might be useful for a bit. Not permanently, though."

Spartan Atlas begins to emphasize the importance of protocols, but Spartan Valerie and Bravo speak up.

Spartan Valerie: "Well, it's not the worst idea. As long as Silent promises to babysit him."

Spartan Bravo: "Yeah, and he better not slow us down."

Spartan Silent, looking gleeful in her own silent way, seems to agree with the decision. Ben, feeling content and finally having a new purpose, prepares to join the Spartan squad, ready to protect and be protected.

The group treks through the volcanic plains, the hardened lava creating a rugged terrain. The air is filled with the faint scent of sulfur, a reminder of the volcanic activity in the region. As they approach the traditional-looking village nestled in this unusual setting, Jack leads the way, suggesting that if anything devious is happening, it might be connected to the volcano. "Chances are, if it's going anywhere, it's probably inside that volcano."

Alex: "Hey... How come we didn't see it before?"

Ben: "Could be some kind of advanced shimmer tech. Creates an illusion to hide things."

Alex: "Shimmer tech? Seriously?"

Ben: "It's a thing. Trust me. I've dealt with it before."

Dan: "Sounds too complicated. I'd rather just start kicking some butt already. Playing mock Sherlock Holmes is boring"

Ash: "I'm in for that. Let's get to the action!"

Drago: "Hold on! We need a plan, not reckless charging. Daniel stop encouraging them to be as reckless as you."

Dan glaring angrily at his Bakugan, "Stop calling me Daniel!"

Despite Drago's warnings about being reckless, the smell of fresh-baked goods begins wafting through the air, and the group finds it irresistible.

Alex: "Wait, is that...?"

Emily: "Smells like fresh bread! And pastries!"

Jack, attempting to maintain control, struggles as the group diverts toward the enticing aroma. "Come on, guys! We have a mission!"

Emily licks her lips. "Come on Jack stop being such a buzzkill. You're the one always harping on about fun and adventure, right?"

Jack groans. "Yea but..."

Kiri smiles, cutting Jack off. "Then It's settled, to the bakery we go!"

The gang enters Doki's Cakes, a charming bakery with; Wooden beams and paper sliding doors create an atmosphere that is both warm and welcoming. The interior is adorned with vibrant paintings depicting scenes from both Japanese and Native American folklore seamlessly blended to form a visually stunning setting.

As they step inside, the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked goods envelops them. The gang rushes toward the counter, their stomachs rumbling in anticipation. Ash and Alex, in particular, lead the way, their eyes gleaming with the promise of sweet treats.

At the counter, they spot Yuuki, a skinny young man with messy brown hair and pink eyes, tending to the till with a stressed expression. Before they can engage with him, a fiery voice from the kitchens demands his attention, signaling the arrival of customers.

Voice from Kitchen: "Yuuki! Customers! Move, move, move!"

Yuuki fidgets nervously, glancing down and avoiding eye contact. The gang becomes intrigued, wondering about the dynamics at play. Before they can delve into it, Natsuki, a bossy and confident girl with pink hair and eyes, storms out from the kitchens. She quickly whisks Yuuki away, pushing him gently toward the kitchen, introducing him as her adopted son.

Natsuki: "That's Yuuki, my adopted son. He's a bit shy, but he's an excellent worker when. he puts his mind to it."

Dan, ever the provocateur, "I dunno, seems a little bad at communication to be sell'n stuff. I mean aren't you meant to be social, not antisocial, to be a good.."

Natsuki cuts Dan off glaring with a fury that could scare a T-rex "He's not antisocial; he's just not a fan of people with bad attitudes and even worse looks. Now, what can I get you all? We've got a menu, you know, read it."

The gang, momentarily taken aback by Natsuki's assertiveness, quickly peruses the menu, deciding on their orders. The delightful aroma of baked goods fills the air as they eagerly anticipate the treats that Doki's Cakes has to offer.

The gang places their orders at Doki's Cakes, each member selecting their preferred treats from the menu. Ash, ever the conversationalist, strikes up a casual chat with Natsuki.

Ash: "Hey, your place looks awesome! What's your specialty here?"

Natsuki, with a confident smile, "Well mostly Cupcakes, been making them for the better part of 12 years, and uh we also do Cornish pasties, uh fresh Bread, the Victoria Sponge Cake always get's good reviews."

Alex looks hungry and whispers to Kiri, Kiri nodding in agreement, "You have Victoria Sponge? We'll take it, off your hands. Ehe."

Natsuki smiles professionally. "Good, at least someones decisive, what next?"

As they chat, Pikachu, still looking a bit weak, catches Natsuki's attention. "Oh, is this your Pikachu? Mind if I pet it?" Natsuki points at Ash.

Ash, always open to sharing the love for his Pokémon, "Uh yea sure. Funnily enough I get that a lot."

Natsuki begins to fuss over Pikachu, her touch seemingly having a revitalizing effect. Pikachu responds with a contented squeak, and Natsuki's tough exterior shows a crack as she can't resist the cuteness. "There's no wonder why if he's so dam cute, who's a good Pikachu? Who's a good Pikachu?"

"I never get anyone wanting to pet Piplup.." Emily mutters Jealously.

"You sure about that Th... Em?" Jack prompts with a very Ronaldo like smile.

"Well I guess there's Gwen and.. Ben." Emily strokes her chin in thought.

"Exactly Em, your Piplup still has charm to the right crowd." Jack confirms, putting on his most morale boosting tone.

Natsuki playfully prodding Pikachu's tail, "Aww, your Pikachu is adorable! Tell you what, your meal's on the house. Pikachu's too cute to charge!"

The gang, pleasantly surprised, thanks Natsuki for her generosity. Just as they're settling in, Dan strolls back in with his characteristic swagger, ready with a snarky comment about Yuuki after noticing him nervously shuffling in the background.

Dan: "Your adopted son looks like he's got stage fright. Need some tips?"

Natsuki shoots Dan a look that could melt steel, and Drago, leaning in to Emily, adds his two cents.

Drago: "Dan's ego is like a Charizard—big, fiery, and in desperate need of taming."

Emily stifles a giggle as Natsuki, undeterred by Dan's antics, turns her attention back to Ash.

Natsuki: "Mind if Yuuki and I join you guys for a break? We've been working non-stop this morning."

Ash with a grateful grin, "Sure, especially if you're offering free food. I think It'd be rude to say no." Drago just sighs and shakes his head dissaproovingly.

Natsuki, in a commanding yet caring tone, "Alright just like we practised cmon, that's it put that slice of Cake onto the plate. Don't reuse the tweezers! Good, now hold the plate with both hands, I said both hands mr! That's it good job now smile, good. Good work Yuuki." Natsuki then pats him on the head as they repeat the same routine until the table is filled with food. They then sit down. Yuuki, seemingly years younger, clings to Natsuki like a child seeking reassurance.

Emily, with genuine interest, turns to Natsuki and Yuuki. "No offence but Yuuki does seem a little different. Is it ok if I ask why?"

Natsuki and Yuuki exchange a quick glance before Natsuki speaks hesitantly. "Alright, but you tell nobody, got it?"

Ben, quick on the draw, reassures her. "Cross our hearts. We won't say a word, as long as it's not something that could get you in trouble."

Natsuki, seemingly satisfied with the assurance, proceeds to open up about Yuuki's condition. "Yuuki is low-functioning autistic. It means he has challenges with a lot of things most people find easy."

Yuuki, in agreement, nods solemnly. Seemingly embarrassed or guilty about it, earning a sympathetic smile from Kiri.

Natsuki explains further, "It's kinda like he perceives the world in different ways and needs to have his world tailored to fit that perception otherwise it bothers him."

Alex and Kiri, playfully engaged in a doughnut tug-of-war, seem oblivious to the conversation. Natsuki, noticing Yuuki's recent distress, brings him closer, ensuring skin-to-skin contact, and lets him play with her hair, a calming gesture. "Just like this, physical contact is one of his favourites."

Jack looks intrigued. "So how badly are we talking here like, how specifically does he struggle?" Jack sounds almost scientific, probably attempting a deduction.

Natsuki seems to be becoming less hesitant to explain over time. "Autism affects him in various ways. He struggles with communication, social interaction, and has lots of sensory sensitivities to keep track off."

Alex and Kiri, now under the stern gaze of Natsuki, cease their squabble and eat their treats in peace.

Ash and Dan, curious, join the conversation.

Ash: "What's autism?"

Natsuki takes a deep breath, preparing to shed light on the subject, not having realised that some people here might simply not have heard of it before.

Natsuki: "Autism is a neurological condition that affects how a person perceives the world and interacts with others. In Yuuki's case, being low-functioning means he requires more support and faces more challenges in daily life."

As Natsuki elaborates, Yuuki remains calm, seemingly used to the explanations. Natsuki, her tone a blend of authority and warmth, continues.

Natsuki: "Imagine trying to navigate a world where everything, from bright lights to loud noises, can be overwhelming. It's tough, and as his parent, it can be stressful. But, we manage."

She shoots a glare at Alex and Kiri, ensuring they grasp the gravity of the conversation.

The atmosphere in Doki's Cakes remains a mix of solemn understanding and light banter as the group enjoys their free treats. Natsuki, surprisingly, engages in a spirited conversation with Ash, the two finding common ground despite their differing personalities.

Natsuki: "You know, Pikachu here has quite the personality. Reminds me of someone I know."

Ash, grinning, strokes Pikachu's ears. "Pikachu's a charmer. Just like its trainer."

Natsuki, smirks. "A charmer, huh? Sounds like trouble."

Ash laughs, appreciating the spirited exchange. Meanwhile, Emily and Ben share a thoughtful moment. "It's nice to learn about others, isn't it?"

Ben appears casual for the first time since he joined the group. "Yeah, everyone's got their story. Makes the world more interesting in my opinion."

As the banter continues, Dan, ever persistent, decides to try his luck with another pick-up line directed at Emily. "Are you a magician? Because whenever I look at you, everyone else disappears."

The group collectively winces at the cringe-worthy attempt, and even Yuuki can't help but giggle. Drago seizes the opportunity for another witty comment. "Ah, Dan, the maestro of romance strikes again."

Natsuki, picking up on the playful vibe, decides to join in. "Must be quite the experience, getting hit on by the great Dan."

The teasing sends a wave of laughter through the bakery, momentarily easing the earlier serious tone. Kiri, noticing that Yuuki hasn't touched his food, decides to shift the attention. "Hey, Yuuki, aren't you gonna eat anything?"

Natsuki interjects, explaining with a playful smirk. "He doesn't like eating around people. It's a whole thing."

Kiri, feeling mischievous, glances at Alex. "Kinda like someone else I know."

Alex, slightly embarrassed, protests. "Hey, it's not the same!"

Natsuki chimes in, enjoying the opportunity to tease. "Oh, my, god. You two, are adorable. If it helps, I totally ship you two."

Alex, now thoroughly embarrassed, shoots a playful glare at Kiri, who revels in the mischief she's caused. The friendly banter continues, filling the air with laughter and camaraderie.

As the last bites of delicious treats are savored, the gang starts gearing up, preparing to resume their journey. Yuuki diligently returns to counting money and managing stock, his focus unwavering. Natsuki begins tidying up the bakery, the aroma of baked goods lingering in the air.

Jack, determined to extract something valuable from their detour, seizes the opportunity to ask Natsuki about any peculiar occurrences in the area. "Hey, Natsuki, you ever notice anything weird happening around here?"

Natsuki, with a hint of sarcasm: "Weird? Well, aside from the usual old guy shouting at the youngsters and the occasional festival, not much."

Jack's enthusiasm wanes a bit, but he presses on, changing his approach. "How about any reports of a monster causing trouble? Rampaging through the land, that sort of thing?"

Natsuki shakes her head. "Monster trouble? Nope, can't say I've heard anything like that."

Jack, somewhat deflated, glances at the others, who share his disappointment. In a surprising turn of events, Ash, with a hint of genius, decides to inquire about the volcano. "What about that volcano? Any secret entrances or something interesting inside?"

Natsuki, looking intrigued: "Volcano? Well, there's an entrance built by folks who lived here ages ago. They tried to tap into the magma's power but didn't get far. Most of it caved in. Not much there now."

Ash, satisfied with the information, shares a glance with the team. "Thanks for the info! We're on a mission to take down a Dinosaur, you know."

Natsuki and Yuuki exchange amused glances, both wearing expressions that suggest they think the group is a bit peculiar. "Dinosaur hunters, huh? I thought they had a special place for you... Well, good luck with that. Off you go then!"

The gang, once again on the move, bids farewell to Doki's Cakes, ready to face the mysteries that lie ahead, including the potential dangers lurking within the heart of the volcano.

As the other group approaches the volcano, riding on their respective dinosaurs, the atmosphere is a mix of excitement and controlled chaos. Rexy, the T-rex ridden by Ronaldo and Lily, seems oddly insistent on getting close to Terry, much to Terry's apparent discomfort.

Ronaldo, with a teasing tone: "I think Rexy has a little crush on Terry here. What do you think, Lily?"

Lily, laughing. "Maybe, but I don't think Terry seems too thrilled about it!"

Meanwhile, the Alpha Gang is having their hands full with Spiny and Tank, both in their baby forms. Doctor Z, always asserting his authority, instructs them to control the dinosaurs. "Can't you get a handle on Spiny and Tank you nincompoops! We don't want any injuries, especially to my Terry! I doubt these other two bozo's would ever win a fight if you put them up against a mouse."

Ursula, struggling with Spiny's antics, complains, "This is ridiculous! Terry, Spiny, and Tank are all acting like toddlers!"

Ed agrees. "They're being slippier than a fish out of a river!"

Ursula groans as Spiny jumps on her head and blows a raspberry at her, "grrrrr! They're gonna hurt my precious Terry!"

Doctor Z, correcting Ursula: "Mhm... our Terry, Ursula."

Lily, riding atop Rexy, seizes the opportunity to ask the Alpha Gang about their plan. "Hey, Alpha Gang! What's your plan here?"

Ronaldo, answers first: "Our main goal is to find Emily and Jack before they stumble into any danger."

Doctor Z, jumping in enthusiastically: "And I've got a feeling in my bones, my fossilized bones, that there's a Dinosaur here, unlike anything we've encountered before!"

Lily, raising an eyebrow: "Your bones tell you that?"

Doctor Z proudly displays a dice set made of bones and fossils. "Indeed! When this die shows odd numbers for five jingles, and the Velociraptor tooth is always facing downward for five jingles, it means there's a Dinosaur nearby!"

Lily exchanges a skeptical glance with Ronaldo, who just grins in his ever optimistic grin.

Ronaldo: "Well, every human has a funny bone or two, right?"

Lily laughs, appreciating, and preferring, Ronaldo's humor compared to the eccentricities of the Alpha Gang.

As the Alpha Gang attempts to control the restless Spiny and Tank, Ed suggests a solution to ease their restlessness.

Ed: "Maybe they're just a bit restless. What if we let them into their adult forms?"

Doctor Z, nodding in agreement: "Good idea! Let them stretch their legs a bit."

Zander and Ed exchange a knowing look before activating their Alpha scanners. In a flash of light, Spiny and Tank transform into their fully grown, more imposing forms.

Doctor Z, satisfied: "There, much better. Now, let's keep moving!"

While Tank appears content to follow the group in his adult form, Spiny has other plans. He seems intent on getting as close as possible to Rexy, much to the amusement of Ronaldo and Lily.

Ronaldo, laughing: "Looks like Spiny's got a crush on Rexy!"

Lily, joining in the laughter: "Looks to me like Rexy is less than impressed."

Spiny, paying no heed, tries to sniff Rexy's tail, earning a stern look from the T-rex.

Rexy gives Spiny and Terry an intimidating glare, which prompts Ursula to issue a warning.

Ursula, sternly: "If Rexy touches a hair on Terry's body, you'll both be sorry!"

Doctor Z, correcting Ursula once again: "Remember, Terry belongs to me, Ursula. Let's keep the focus on finding that mysterious Dinosaur."

Ursula, clearly annoyed, grumbles, but the group continues their journey.

The group, now with Spiny and Tank in their fully grown forms, follows Tank, who seems to have caught a scent, leading them toward a set of large three-toed footprints.

Tank, confidently: "Roar!"

Ronaldo, excited: "Looks like Tank's onto something!"

The footprints lead to a massive hole in the side of the volcano, appearing to be dug out and caved in hundreds of years ago. However, Zander notices something peculiar as they approach.

Zander, pointing: "Hold on a second. This cave-in looks recent. And not done with conventional tools either."

Lily, nervously, "Guys, are we sure about this? Maybe there's another way around. This seems a bit... risky."

Ursula, mocking,"Afraid, Lily? You always seemed a bit of a coward."

Ronaldo, reassuringly, "Don't worry, Lily. I'll protect you."

Lily, defiantly, "I don't need your protection, big shot."

Her fiery response brings out the amusement in Zander and Ed, and they share a laugh at Ursula, who's still swooning over Ronaldo.

Ursula, dreamily: "You can always protect me if you want Ronaldo!"

Zander, teasingly: "Looks like you've got a fan, Ronaldo."

Ed, chuckling: "A bit full of herself, Ain't she?"

Doctor Z, scolding Ursula: "Focus, Ursula! This is no time for fantasising."

As the group decides that riding their Dinosaurs into the volcano is the safest option, they head toward the entrance. Spiny continues his attempts to get closer to Rexy, much to her increasing annoyance.

Rexy, growling, "Roar!"

The entrance to the Volcano is dark and gloomy looking with searing moisture dripping from the ceiling and distant sounds of activity deep within populating the otherwise dead soundscape.

As the squad proceeds toward the opening in the volcano, Ben finds himself walking alongside Spartan Silent at the back of the group, finding himself taking in his surroundings more and taking care to avoid stepping on things, even if they are otherwise inconsequential. Meanwhile, Spartan Bravo and Spartan Valerie engage in playful banter and bickering, their interactions resembling that of siblings.

Spartan Bravo, teasingly: "Come on, Val, admit it. I'm the better shot."

Spartan Valerie, smirking: "Maybe in your dreams, hot rod. My aim is flawless."

Spartan Bravo, mockingly: "Flawless, huh? Tell that to the target I hit dead center last week."

Spartan Valerie, rolling her eyes: "Beginner's luck. Just wait till we hit the field again."

Their banter continues, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie within the group. Meanwhile, Spartan Shadow remains a steadfast watchman, ever vigilant for potential dangers or ambushes, hanging on the far sides of the squad, while Spartan Atlas strides stoically at it's head.

As they approach the opening of the volcano, Ben and Spartan Shadow express concerns about its safety.

Ben, apprehensive: "Are you sure it's safe to go inside a volcano?"

Spartan Atlas, assuredly: "Command has assured us that this volcano is hollow inside. There's a portal in there, and we're here to investigate. Follow my lead."

With that, Spartan Atlas steps into the opening, followed by Bravo, Valerie, Ben, and Silent. Spartan Shadow, the vigilant watchman, enters last, giving a last glance behind him before fully entering.

The interior of the volcano reveals itself as a vast and cavernous space, the walls adorned with luminescent crystals that cast an otherworldly glow. The air is surprisingly warm, and a faint hum echoes through the hollow chambers, creating an eerie but mesmerizing ambiance. The ground beneath their feet is a mix of solid rock and hardened lava, forming a surreal landscape within the heart of the volcano.

Spartan Atlas, turning to address the group in the luminous interior of the volcano, speaks with a stern tone that makes it clear he's not thrilled about bringing Ben along. "Listen up, everyone. Our mission is clear—get in, find the portal, identify those who wants to use it, and secure the portal for the UNSC. No deviations, no distractions. Keep your focus."

Ben, seizing the opportunity to learn more, raises his hand and asks, "What's the UNSC?"

Spartan Shadow, ever the fast communicator, steps in to provide an answer, "The United Nations Space Command. We're a military organization tasked with defending humanity against extraterrestrial threats."

Spartan Bravo interjects, realizing Ben's lack of familiarity with their world, "We're Spartans, the best of the best. We fight against aliens and other dangers to keep humanity safe. "

Despite his efforts to maintain composure, Ben can't help but feel a surge of excitement at the idea of real-life superheroes. However, he quickly conceals his enthusiasm, not wanting to appear overly eager in front of the Spartan team.

Valerie, looking ahead, asks, "Where to next, Atlas?"

Ben, eager to contribute, offers, "I can scout ahead, find the quickest route. I know my way around here."

Spartan Atlas, skeptical of Ben's abilities, raises an eyebrow, "Can we trust your scouting skills, kid?"

Spartan Shadow, arguing on Ben's behalf, chimes in, "He's got potential. Give him a chance, I bet you won't regret it."

The decision hangs in the balance as Spartan Atlas strokes his head, contemplating whether to accept Ben's offer and allow him to prove himself.

As the tension rises, Ben activates the Omnitrix, initiating a spectacular transformation sequence. His body is engulfed in a bright green light, limbs elongating and reshaping. Icicles form on his shoulders and wings out from his back, whilst his eyes glow an eerie dark green. Soon, the light fades, revealing Big Chill—a tall, sleek, and intimidating alien with moth like wings and a chilling presence.

Spartan Valerie and Silent exchange a bewildered glance, while Spartan Atlas looks mildly impressed. Spartan Shadow seems intrigued by the transformation, and Spartan Bravo appears genuinely amazed.

Spartan Valerie, breaking the silence, demands an explanation, "What was that? How... How did you do that?"

With a smirk, Ben responds, "Just a little something called the Omnitrix. You didn't notice this thing on my wrist sooner?"

Spartan Valerie, irritated, retorts in her no-nonsense manner, "Cut the games doctor ego. We've got a mission to focus on."

But Ben, true to his cocky nature, teases, "You didn't seem that concerned earlier. In fact I'd say I don't like your cold attitude."

Spartan Bravo stifles a laugh, appreciating a good joke when he hears one, and Spartan Atlas groans. "Great, just what we needed, another cocky jokester."

As Ben begins to move ahead, the sound of British voices fills the air, causing him to tense up. He issues quick, defensive orders, "Get behind the rocks, try to choose thick ones, behind us!" drawing the attention of Spartans Valerie, Bravo, and Silent.

Spartan Atlas, sensing the urgency, demands, "What's going on, Tennyson? And don't you forget you answer to me now, not the other way around."

Spartan Bravo adds, "Spill it kid. We need to know."

Before Ben can respond, a group of armed individuals, Squad 141, emerges, their guns raised. The situation hangs in the balance, poised on the brink of confrontation.

Atlas, showing restraint and a desire for peaceful resolution, sheathes his assault rifle and approaches Squad 141 with an open stance. "Easy, we're not looking for trouble," he declares, attempting to ease the tension.

Price, the grizzled leader of Squad 141, keeps his weapon raised, eyeing the Spartans warily. "Who are you, and what's your business here?"

Atlas maintains a calm demeanor. "We're UNSC Spartans, on a mission."

Price remains skeptical, but Soap lowers his weapon slightly, showing a hint of curiosity. "UNSC, eh? Never heard of you."

Roach thought is still downright suspicious of them. "I dunno, look no better than Makarov's to me."

Spartan Atlas continues to maintain a calm demeanour. "Listen, we don't know who or what Makarov is, we're just investigating an anomaly inside the volcano."

Price seems cautiously intrigued now. "What kind of anomaly?"

Spartan Shadow arrives and jumps in, "Top secret buddy, sorry."

Macmillan steps forward now. "Like that ain't mighty suspicious of ye. We have nigh top clearance, special forces an' all that."

Atlas explains diffusingly, "We're here to investigate anomalies and disturbances. Makarov is not our concern."

Roach, still suspicious, demands, "What about him?" pointing directly at Ben.

Ghost, the one who seems most agitated, interrupts, "That kid melted my MP5 back there!"

Ben, feeling guilty, quickly admits, "I didn't mean to. It was an accident."

Atlas tries to steer the conversation away from this point of tension. "We need to focus on the bigger picture. Makarov may be a common enemy. What if we can work together?"

Valerie turns to Ben, ignoring the main conversation, "What did you do, Tennyson?"

Spartan Silent imitates a angry man shooting a gun and a scared boy transforming and fighting them, attempting to cover for Ben.

"So they attacked you?" Valerie questions, not entirely believing Silents story.

"Well..." Spartan Silent cuts Ben of by stamping on one of his feet and nodding to Valerie seeming to sway her.

Meanwhile the situation escalates between the squads, Shadow takes a step forward to assist Atlas. "Let's all calm down. We're after the same target here. Cooperation is key."

Price lights another cigarette. "You didn't even know who Makarov was 5 minutes ago!"

Shadow begins to reach for his Magnum, which catches Ghosts eye, until Atlas grabs his hand. "Well we know about him know and we wanna help. Wouldn't you guys appreciate some assistance?"

After a tense negotiation, Ghost relents, "Fine, for now. But that kid owes me an MP5." Ghost points at Ben who still looks guilty.

Atlas nods, attempting to ignore Ben, "We're here to help. Let's find Makarov together."

The tension eases, and the two groups tentatively agree to a temporary alliance, putting aside their differences for the sake of a now shared objective.

The gang stands before the caved-in entrance of the volcano, disappointment written on their faces. Alex, adopting a grumpy attitude, grumbles, "This is stupid. We're wasting our time. We should just go home already."

Jack, seizing the opportunity to tease, smirks, "Whoa, Alex, since when did you become such a softie? Afraid of a little setback?"

Alex, in true tsundere fashion, retorts, "Sh-shut up! I just think it's pointless. We're not getting anywhere."

Kiri, with a knowing look, teases, "Someone's feeling a bit anxious, huh?"

Dan, seizing the chance for a laugh, chuckles, "Well, well, Mr. Tough Guy is showing a crack in his armor."

Ash joins in with a mischievous grin, "Speaking of romance, remember that time in Kalos, when Serena—"

Dan, blushing, interrupts, "Can we not talk about that?"

Ash laughs, "Sure, sure. But not everyone can have my luck, right?"

Drago adds, "Luck? You've been traveling for over a decade and only had one girl interested in you."

Ash grins, "Quality over quantity, Drago."

Dan, a bit flustered, mutters, "Wish I had your luck."

Ash teases, "Well, not everyone can have my good looks."

Drago, with a sly remark, adds, "Luck in love clearly didn't pass down to your Pokémon either."

Ash, now embarrassed, confesses, "After that kiss, I kinda forgot about Serena. Got caught up in other adventures."

Drago adds, "Luck with one girl in 12 years, and you forgot about her. Smooth move, Ash."

Dan jumps in, "Typical you move dude! Always chasing the next adventure."

Drago continues, "He's still done better than you Dan so you should be taking notes."

Dan just flushes with embarrassment again causing everybody to laugh at him again. "I wish I didn't have to be the butt of all jokes."

"Then you shouldn't make it so easy Daniel!" Drago remarks before roaring into laughter again.

Dan tries to berate Drago for calling him by his full name again but is cut off by Emily, as she points out a cottage on the side of the mountain. "Look, there's a cottage over there. Let's check it out. Maybe we can get some information."

"Sounds like a sound idea." Jack agree's finally managing to settle his laughter.

The gang approaches the cottage, their curiosity piqued by the strange voices within. The conversation inside is a cacophony of odd exchanges.

High-pitched voice: "I'm gonna slay the sea serpent with my mighty sword!"

Dan winces, and Emily visibly cringes at the ear-piercing tone.

A monotone voice responds. "Then you'll need to role you D20"

The high pitched voice returns. "Is it this one?"

The monotone voice responds. "No Sir Bob tis not, try again."

This continues for a little while leading Ben to a theory, "I think they're arguing over some sort of medieval game."

Alex smacks her forehead in frustration. "Wow supergenius I wonder what brilliant theory you'll come up with next,"

Suddenly the high pitched voice returns louder and more annoying than ever before. "Is it this one oh great Wizard Ward?"

The frustration and lack of patience can almost be tasted through the monotone voices response. "Sir Bob, there are only... THREE DICE!"

"Is it this one?" Jack looks over at Emily and they both silently agree that the high pitched voice is the most annoying human alive and just as they turn to leave they spot Ben, already knocking at the cabin door.

Louder voice: "Ahoy there! Quiet down, Squidward! We've got guests!"

Another voice, moodier: "Yeah, SpongeBob, be quiet or I'll make you walk the plank!"

Subdued voice: "Can we please just stick to the rules of the game?"

Moodier voice: "Rules, Schmules! We're pirates, Patrick!"

Alex cringes after a particularly high-pitched laugh. A more chilled out voice calls out, "Hey, SpongeBob! Mr. Krabs! We got visitors!"

A crab in a business suit, apparently Mr. Krabs, opens the door, looking bewildered. A yellow kitchen sponge with legs, SpongeBob, then arrives and greets them enthusiastically. "Ahoy there, strangers! Welcome to our humble abode!"

Ben, being pragmatic, makes himself appear friendly. Mr. Krabs raises an eyebrow, and SpongeBob, swift to respond, ushers them in. "Come on in, landlubbers! We're playing Dungeons and Sea Dragons!"

A pink starfish, Patrick, adds, "It's the best game under the sea!"

"Or rather over the sea. Hence you're all wearing helmets?" A sort of bipedal squirrel with a thick Texan accent corrects Patrick.

"Oh right. I did a stupid again." Patrick states looking down and the Kitchen Sponge looks worried.

SpongeBob exclaims in an innocent overreaction, "Oh dear, I'll go get the diapers, just stay calm Patrick."

"No that's if I do a correct." Patrick corrects SpongeBob, Alex looking as if she's recounting 3 million places she'd rather be right now.

"Oh right of course, how could I forget." SpongeBob smiles and begins laughing his high pitched banshee esq laugh causing the gang to all cover their ears with their hands to try to block it out.

The gang, now inside, exchanges confused glances. Alex, with a grumpy and tomboyish expression, mutters, "This has to be the weirdest thing we've stumbled upon."

Ben, displaying a newfound maturity and detective-like approach, takes the lead in questioning the peculiar inhabitants of the cottage. "Alright, we need information. What's going on here? Sea serpent? Dungeons and Dragons?"

SpongeBob, grinning: "Yea, we're playing Dungeons and Sea Dragons! It's the best game under the sea!"

Mr. Krabs, adjusting his tie: "And I was about to defeat that sea serpent with me mighty sword."

Plankton, in wizard robes: "And I was casting powerful spells to aid our quest. But it's all in good fun."

Ben, slightly bewildered but composed: "Fun is one thing, but we're looking for answers. Have any of you seen anything strange around here lately?"

Sandy, the humanoid squirrel in scuba gear, speaks up in a thick Texan accent: "Well, partner, I reckon we've been just minding our own business here. Nothin' strange to report."

Ben, unsatisfied: "Come on, we heard something about a sea serpent. What's the deal with that?"

Patrick, pointing at Emily's Piplup: "Oh, that thing's a cute penguin! Look at it messing up our game!"

Piplup is indeed jumping on the table and throwing the various Dice and game pieces everywhere in it's excitement.

Emily, trying to stay calm: "It's a Piplup, not a penguin. And we're not here to play games. We're on a serious mission."

Alex, pinching Emily's arm hard: "Ouch! What was that for?"

Alex, with a teasing smirk: "Just making sure you're not dreaming, Princess."

Ben, bringing the conversation back: "Enough distractions. If you've seen anything unusual, tell us."

The odd group looks at each other, exchanging glances as if silently communicating, before SpongeBob finally responds.

SpongeBob: "Well, we haven't seen anything strange lately, but we're always up for an adventure! Maybe we can help you folks out!"

Ben, with a skeptical expression: "Help us out? How?"

SpongeBob, confidently: "With the power of imagination, anything is possible!"

Ben, giving a sidelong glance to the gang: "Imagination, huh?"

Squidward gives Ben a knowing look. "Supposedly you can turn a box into a rain car with it."

Ben looks deeply confused. "Well that's a new one for me I guess.'

As the gang interacts with the SpongeBob gang, unintentional chaos ensues, and Ash and Dan find themselves overwhelmed.

SpongeBob, with enthusiasm: "Hey, Sandy, remember that time we tried to catch jellyfish with your advanced bubble nets?"

Sandy, laughing: "Oh, that was a hoot! You and Patrick ended up in a sticky situation with that King Jellyfish."

Ash, bewildered: "What's going on here?"

Dan, equally confused: "I thought we were on a mission."

Ben, staying focused: "We are. But let's see if we can get any useful information from them."

Emily, trying to reason with Patrick: "Patrick, can I please have my Piplup back? He's not a toy."

Patrick, obliviously aiding Piplup with it's destructive tendencies, picking up the table and snapping it in half much to their annoyance of Squidward. "Piplup, huh? Cute little penguin!"

Kiri, enjoying the conversation with SpongeBob: "So, under the sea, huh? Must be a fantastic place."

SpongeBob, grinning: "You bet! We've got jellyfishing, bubble-blowing, and Krabby Patties!"

Mr. Krabs, joining in: "Aye, and don't forget about the treasure hunting!"

Plankton, irritated: "Treasure hunting? You mean hoarding all the gold in your greedy claws!"

Mr. Krabs, defensively: "It's not hoarding if it's my treasure chest!"

Alex, hiding behind Kir and getting Kiri to speak for him again. "This is absurd. Can we focus, please?"

Ben, talking to Sandy: "Sandy, you mentioned something about the volcano and ancient people. What's the story?"

Sandy, getting serious: "Well, a long time ago, folks tried to drill into the volcano, hoping to harness its power. They thought they could control the magma for their own use."

Ben, intrigued: "What happened to them?"

Sandy, somberly: "They went too deep, faced dangers, and ended up failing. Most of them perished. The entrance caved in, and it's been like that ever since."

Emily, still trying to retrieve Piplup: "Patrick, seriously, give him back!"

Patrick, handing Piplup to Emily: "Oh, sure thing. I didn't realize he was yours."

Alex, rolling her eyes: "This is a waste of time."

Kiri, to SpongeBob: "Your world sounds fascinating. Do you have any more stories to share?"

SpongeBob, excitedly: "Oh, I've got plenty! Like the time Squidward turned into a ghost!"

Squidward, annoyed: "That was not fun."

Dan, exasperated: "Can we get back to the mission, please?"

Ben, nodding: "Right. We appreciate your stories, SpongeBob, but we've got a job to do. Thanks for the information, Sandy."

Sandy, waving: "Anytime, partner! Y'all come back now, ya hear?"

As the gang leaves the SpongeBob gang's cottage, the surreal encounter leaves them questioning the nature of the world they find themselves in.

As the gang leaves the peculiar cottage of the SpongeBob gang, Ash throws in one last question before departure.

Ash, turning back: "Hey, one more thing! Any alternative routes into the volcano?"

Plankton, in the midst of arguing with Mr. Krabs: "Ah, yes! There's a vast tunnel system underneath. Give it a go, but I warn you, it's likely suicide. Not that I care."

Ash, waving: "Thanks for the tip!"

SpongeBob, with genuine cheer: "Come back anytime, friends! We'll be here!"

The gang, exchanging glances, mutters as they walk away.

Alex, frustrated: "This is ridiculous! We can't find anything."

Kiri, calming her down: "Alex, let's stay focused. We'll figure this out together."

Jack, brainstorming: "Maybe if we split up and search..."

Ben, analytical: "No, that might make things worse. We need a coordinated effort. Jack, any ideas?"

Jack, scratching his head: "Well, if there are tunnels, there has to be an entrance. Maybe hidden or guarded."

Ash, chiming in: "Or both. We should keep our eyes peeled. And be cautious."

As they continue their search for the elusive entrance to the tunnel system, frustration grows. Alex mutters to herself, "Why'd I even agree to do this in the first place."

Jack ponders, 'I wonder if maybe it's something historic like a secret code or something'

Kiri tries to keep things calm, "It'll be ok Alex, we've just got to stay with it until we can get home."

Alex pouts. "Yea I know. It's just... Weird. I'd rather go back to eating Pizza and watching Anime with you."

Ben focuses on the task at hand, actively scanning bushes and even using his nose, like a dog, to sniff anything strange on the ground.

As the gang continues their search, Piplup bursts from Emily's arms, seemingly fixated on a scent or sound. Jack seizes the opportunity for a tease.

Jack, grinning: "Hey, Emily, your Piplup has a knack for escaping. Maybe it's trying to tell you something."

Emily, annoyed: "Jack, not now. Come on, everyone!"

Following Piplup's lead, Emily, with Kiri's Eevee and Alex's Bulbasaur now released, chases after the curious Pokémon. They find themselves at a spot where the grass and sticks barely conceal a poorly disguised hole in the ground.

Emily, catching her breath: "Look, guys! I think we found something."

Alex, suspicious: "This is too obvious. What if it's a trap?"

Jack, jokingly: "Maybe subtlety wasn't their strong suit back then."

Ben, analytically: "Or they didn't need subtlety. But why make a half-hearted attempt like this?"

Ash, skeptical: "It doesn't add up. Why bother disguising it poorly?"

Jack, pointing out: "Well, Natsuki and Sandy mentioned these people existed centuries ago. Nature could've taken its toll on their attempt. Animals, maybe."

Ash, nodding: "That's a reasonable explanation. Let's check it out."

Kiri, echoing Alex's thoughts: "Or it could be a trap. We can't be too careful."

The gang stands before the disguised entrance, uncertainty hanging in the air.

However, as the group hesitates, their Pokémon huddle on the other side of the hole, seemingly discussing their own plans.

Pikachu, gesturing: "Pika pi! (I say we go first!)"

Piplup, nodding: "Pip pip! (Agreed. We'll lead the way.)"

Eevee, determined: "Eevee! (Let's do this!)"

Bulbasaur, confidently: "Bulba! (Follow us!)"

The Pokemon then all, one by one, with Pikachu leading followed by Piplup then Bulbasaur then Eevee, jump down the hole first squealing in excitement.

Jack, jokingly: "Guess they got tired of our indecision. But seriously, if they're going in, we should follow. Mainly for their safety"

Emily, nervously: "You sure? Are we really doing this? I mean, it's dark, and who knows what's down there."

Alex, hesitating: "I'm not too keen on this either. Maybe we should, I don't know, find another way?" "Like, are we seriously letting the Pokemon decide our fate now?"

Ben, enjoying the suspense: "Come on, it's like an old-school adventure. I say we go for it."

Kiri, uneasy: "But what if it's a trap? I mean, we have to be smart about this."

Ash, looking at the hole: "Look, it's just a tunnel. What's the worst that can happen?"

As the debate continues, Pikachu, Piplup, Eevee, and Bulbasaur make their way down, seemingly confident in their decision. The trainers exchange glances, realizing that they can't let their Pokemon face potential danger alone.

Ash, sighing: "Alright, I'll go first. But let's stick together, alright?"

The others reluctantly agree, each suppressing their fears as they prepare to enter the mysterious tunnel. Ash takes a deep breath and descends into the darkness, with the rest of the group hesitantly following suit.

The slide-like tunnel twists and turns, taking the gang through a journey of darkness and unexpected exhilaration. The walls are adorned with peculiar carvings, reminiscent of ancient civilizations, and the smooth surface feels almost metallic under their hands.

Emily, sliding down: "Woo! This is crazy!"

Jack, with his Californian accent: "Dude, this is like some wild ride at an amusement park!"

Alex, trying to maintain composure: "I'm not sure if I like this. It's too... unpredictable."

Kiri, clutching his stomach "I never was good at rollercoasters!."

Ben, enjoying the adventure: "This is like something out of a sci-fi fantasy mix. Awesome!"

As they continue sliding, the tunnel gradually opens into a vast, rocky chamber. The walls are laced with veins of molten lava, casting an eerie, warm glow throughout the space. The ceiling is high, revealing stalactites that glisten with volcanic minerals.

Ash, standing up: "Well, that was something. Where are we?"

Dan, looking around: "Looks like some kind of underground cavern. Maybe the ancients used it for shelter or rituals?"

Kiri, observing: "It's both practical and mysterious. A perfect combination."

The gang gathers in the chamber, taking in the unique surroundings. Pikachu, Piplup, Eevee, and Bulbasaur seem unfazed, already exploring the area with curiosity.

Jack, taking a deep breath: "This place is unreal. I've never seen anything like it."

Alex, reluctantly impressed: "Yeah, it's kind of amazing, I guess."

Pikachu meets its trainer affectionately, practically bounding over to Ash, as Ash checks to make sure he's ok. Similar occurs with Eevee and Bulbasaur; Kiri giving his Eevee affectionate head pats whilst Alex gives Bulbasaur a bracing hug. However Piplup, seeming to be on its own adventure, begins investigating some glowing crystals, much to Emily's dismay.

"Piplup why don't you ever listen to me?" Emily asks in a pleading tone, slumping against a rock.

The chamber holds an otherworldly beauty, a blend of ancient architecture and volcanic elements, making it a truly unique discovery.

The chamber is vast, and the gang disperses to explore its various corners. Piplup, usually full of spunk, clings nervously to Emily's side, its eyes darting around anxiously. Alex's Bulbasaur senses Piplup's unease and takes on a protective stance, keeping close watch over its fellow Pokémon. "At least when your scared you like me.." Emily bitterly mumbles as she picks up Piplup to hold comfortingly.

Jack, running his fingers along the rocks with a burning passion. "Check this out! These rocks are like a geological history lesson."

Kiri, feeling the intense heat emanating throughout the volcano. "It's getting warm in here. Really warm."

Alex, wiping sweat from her forehead and panting a little. "You don't say."

Ash, looks around taking notice of the extensive heat and lava, begins trying to explain the more of the distant nooks and crannies. "I wonder if there are any Fire-type Pokémon around. It feels like their territory."

Drago, lost in thought to Emily, having noticed that she's downtrodden. "I used to live in a world where fire was more common than earth. It's quite a contrast."

Dan knowing exactly what Drago means, "Yea Vestroia was pretty cool. That's when us and Masquerade, well, Alice really, became friends weren't it?"

Drago in a nostalgic tone. "Correct Dan, though you never got to see Vestroia in its prime. New Vestroia just isn't the same."

Emily has no idea what's going on but, understanding that this must be painful for Drago, nods comfortingly and adds "That sounds very painful Drago I had no idea. Kinda makes me feel bad for getting upset at something as small as Piplup."

Drago, appreciative: "Thank you, Emily. It's a painful memory, but please. It's ok to be upset and sad, you should never think yourself lesser than somebody else. Especially a magic floating toy."

Emily can't help but giggle a little. "Thanks, Dan must have a hoot keeping you around all the time.

Drago also chuckles. "If anything I'm keeping him around."

Ash, in his relentless search for Fire type Pokemon to add to his collection of Pokemon, turns up stones and brushes away dust, Pikachu too energetically trying to sniff out any Pokemon to aid it's trainers quest.

Ash noticing the ancient door: "Hey, Ben, come check this out. This door looks important."

Ben, examining the door's intricate design: "This looks ancient, like something out of a lost civilization."

The door is adorned with mysterious symbols, intricately carved into the stone. The surface is smooth to the touch, and the gang notices faint patterns that seem to shift like holograms when observed closely.

Bulbasaur and Eevee, playing nearby, suddenly freeze, their attention drawn to something unseen. Pikachu's ears twitch as it smells something new and revolting, and Eevee's fur stands on end as it and Bulbasaur stare at a particular section of the chamber, where shadows seem to dance mysteriously.

Kiri, noticing their reaction: "What's up, Bulbasaur? Eevee?"

The shadows in the chamber begin to take form as the large T-rex, accompanied by a smaller red-scaled T-rex, a Spinosaurus, and a Saichania, walks into view. The creatures seem peaceful, not showing any interest in the humans and Pokémon surrounding them. The pathway they traverse is made of magmatic rock, creating an otherworldly atmosphere.

As the massive creatures approach, the distinct sounds of a couple arguing pierce the air. A man and a woman are in a heated debate over the red-scaled T-rex, discussing its presence and potential danger. Amidst the commotion, Ronaldo and Lily suddenly appear, poking their heads over the larger T-rex. Lily's scream of recognition harmonizes eerily with Emily's as they lock eyes.

With a light pat with his leg Rronaldo indicates to Rexy to let them down, the T-rex bending down to allow them to descend. The Alpha gang try the same thing however, like before, their Dinosaurs simply throw them off, even Doctor Z.

Lily rushes forward, hugging Emily tightly. "I was so worried!"

Emily however is speechless doing nothing less than just remaining in the comforting embrace of her mother forgetting about everything; The drama, the arguments, the crazy creatures even Piplup. All of it forgotten in a moment of peaceful simplicity, just Emily and her mom.

Ronaldo confidently strides to meet Jack whom is energetically running over, his mouth glued open staring at the real life Dinosaurs before him.

Jack stands frozen, awestruck by the real-life dinosaurs before him. Ronaldo, seizing the opportunity, introduces Jack to Rexy.

Ronaldo, gesturing to Rexy: "Jack, meet Rexy. Don't worry, She's a friend."

Jack, eyes wide: "You... you have a T-rex as a friend?"

Ronaldo, grinning: "Yep! I tamed her with Gordon Ramsey during a wild trip to San Diego. Pretty crazy, huh?"

Jack, still in awe: "That's... that's insane. Can I... can I pet her?"

Ronaldo, patting Rexy's side: "Sure thing! She's friendly, just like a big puppy."

The moment is disrupted by the unpleasant smell that permeates the air, causing the Pokémon, including Piplup, to form a protective circle, and a collective shiver runs through them. Alex, sensing the unease, shifts closer to Kiri, whom does similar to Rexy, while Drago expresses his concerns to Dan. "Dan, there's something... wrong here. I can feel it."

Dan,in a dismissive tone, "Come on, Drago, you're overreacting. It's probably just some weird Pokémon smell."

A subtle but ominous snort and hiss echo through the chamber, sending shivers down everyone's spines. Emily clings to her mom for comfort, and even Ronaldo appears unsettled. Zander, Ed, and Ursula, under Doctor Z's orders, start searching the area for the source of the disturbance.

Zander, feeling frustrated: "Why can't we just find the Dinosaur and be done with it?"

Doctor Z, exasperatedly wielding a rolled-up parchment and giving Zander a smack around the head with it. "Because, Zander, we need to make sure we're in the right place. Now, focus on finding that Dinosaur!"

Meanwhile, Spiny watches jealously as the others lavish attention on Rexy with hungry eyes. Zander reprimands him for being too focused on one thing. "Stop fantasising and help us look for the Dinosaur, Spiny."

As tension mounts in the rocky chamber, the Dinosaurs sense an unseen threat, adopting defensive positions and emitting low hisses like Crocodiles. Kiri and Alex, feeling the unease, hold onto each other for comfort. Rexy steps forward protectively, her massive form acting as a shield for the group, while Spiny is eager to join the defensive stance until Terry, exhibiting leadership, pulls Spiny back by the scruff of his neck.

Ursula, unaware of the danger, cheers for Terry's leadership. "That's my Terry, always show'n 'em who's boss!"

Zander, sensing the heightened tension, interjects. "Ursula, maybe not the best time to celebrate. Something's not right."

Tank positions himself in front of the Alpha Gang, mirroring Rexy's protective stance. Doctor Z, typically confident, appears uneasy and consults his parchment, which has nothing written on it. Ronaldo, concerned, approaches Doctor Z. " Your one of those Dino Doctor people, What's going on, Doctor?"

Doctor Z, trying to sound confident: "Oh, it's just a third T-rex, bigger and scarier than ours. No big deal."

Jack, skeptical, calls him out. "Come on, Doctor, you're making that up. There's no reliable evidence of a bigger T-rex subspecies."

Doctor Z defensively gesticulating with his hands, "Well, it's a new discovery! Not everything is in the books, you know."

Jack almost laughs. "Next thing you'll be tell'n me Nanotyrannus is real!"

Doctor Z glares at Jack challengingly, "Oh wow what a thigh slapper, you should be in Hot Water Comedy club with that one."

Jack stifles a laugh this time. "At least I don't spend my days pretending I have a PHD in Palaeontology."

Ed turns to Zander and whispers. "That kids brave."

Zander turns back and whispers even quieter. "Braver than us."

The two nod in agreement with each other whilst Ursula in the background begins using some sort of X ray flashlight to look through the walls of the chamber as Terry and Spiny work together to move large rocks and crystals, seeming to want to make as much noise as possible.

The giant Carnivorous Dinosaur, previously hidden by its camouflage, is revealed in all its grotesque horror as Rexy inadvertently knocks something over. The creature's appearance is a nightmarish amalgamation of decay and deformity. It stands, or rather, slumps forward, with half of its bottom jaw grotesquely hanging, one eye a lifeless gray void that exudes despair. A hole above its eye, crafted by a Mosasaur tooth, adds to the creature's macabre visage.

A quarter of the scales around the right side of its forehead are shaved off, exposing pallid, scarred flesh beneath. The neck bears marks of a bone structure twisted and deformed by relentless torment. Its ribs protrude, and spines from some of its spinal vertebrae jut out in a jagged and grotesque display. The tail is snapped off, leaving a grisly stump in its wake, and its legs appear nearly skeletal, emphasizing its emaciated appearance.

Kiri is so repulsed that he throws up, and Alex sits him down and massages his stomach and rubs his back, attempting to mask her own fear.

Emily, overwhelmed by fear for her safety and Piplup's, nearly breaks down. She leans her bodyweight against her mom and begins panickedly calling out Piplups name.

Ben quickly stands in front of the exposed couple of Kiri and Alex, adopting a protective stance and holding out his arms in protection. Ben speaks in a determined voice, "Stay behind me, both of you. We need to figure out how to handle this."

The rest of the group looks on in horror and shock, realizing they're facing a creature that has endured unimaginable suffering. The monstrous Theropod remains still, its decayed eye fixated on the group with an unsettling emptiness.

The giant, grotesque Theropod, larger than any other creatures present, staggers back to its feet with an ear-piercing roar. Attempting to retreat, it falters when Doctor Z commands Terry to confront it. "Terry get that disgusting Dinosaur out of my sight!" Reluctantly, the colossal creature faces the Alpha Gang's dinosaur, setting the stage for a fierce battle.

As Terry approaches, the other Pokemon prepare for the impending clash. Piplup, ready to fight alongside its fellow Pokemon, is stopped by Emily, who is too insecure about her abilities to let her Pokemon face such a menacing opponent.

Emily, comforting Piplup: "I can't let you get hurt. Not by something like that."

"Pip Pip?" Piplup attempts to argue with it's trainer

Emily turns around and walks away from the other Pokemon and the creature now intimidatingly bearing its teeth as best it can. "Have you seen that thing Piplup? You can't beat that. I can't beat that."

Spiny and Tank join the fray, their lack loyalty to the Alpha Gang evident as they roar aggressively clearly feeling more territorial than anything.

Jack, seemingly distracted by something else, starts furiously typing on his phone, muttering about having to double check something.

Ursula feeling annoyed, "How in the world are you even getting a signal down here?"

Jack, focused on his device, "Don't worry about it. I've got my ways."

The grotesque Dinosaur, displaying an almost supernatural prowess, outmanoeuvres the Alpha Dinosaurs with an uncanny ability to predict their movements. It leaps atop Spiny, then expertly jumps off of him to avoids the attacks from Tank and Terry causing them to both hit Spiny and pin him to the ground.

Doctor Z, Zander, and Ed attempt to reclaim control, shouting instructions at their dinosaurs in an effort to bring order to the chaotic confrontation. "Spiny, Tank, focus! Don't let it outsmart you!"

Ursula, frustrated, vents her grievances to Jack as he continues to research something on his device, ignoring her. This is just typical, isn't it? Everything going wrong! I can't believe we're dealing with this right now!"

Jack, still focusing on his device. "Calm down, Ursula. I'm gonna figure this out."

Alex supports Kiri, who's still struggling from the earlier sight of the grotesque creature, while their Pokemon, Bulbasaur and Eevee, hover anxiously, for their trainers safety. Alex speaks in a soft voice playing with Kiri's hair in one hand and rubbing little circles on his stomach with the other."Just lay down gently for me ok? There's no pillows but I guess you can use my lap as a pillow, yea that's it. Good boy."

Kiri sighs calmly and feels his urge to throw up again fading away and his stomach settling as Alex continues his soothing rub of his tummy. Noting that Kiri is laying on her knee, which is probably uncomfortable, Alex gently grabs Kiri's head and pulls it up to rest on her thighs.

Meanwhile Tank swings her club around and casually shatters a glowing blue crystal which has a tiny frozen bit of lava that begins thawing in its wake. "Tank focus on the big Dino not the environment!" The Dinosaur begins looking from left to right at Terry bears down on it and attempts to bite it, the creature just about dodging out of the way.

Backing up against the fdoor, Ash and Pikachu prepare for battle, eager to jump into the fray. "Alright Pikachu we're gonna need some friends to take this thing down." Ash taps on his Pokelink and summons two Pokeballs releasing his Goodra and his friend Brock's Onix. "Alright everyone let's show that thing who's boss!"

"Alrighty, finally some action. Weird Dinosaur thing get ready cause here we come, right Drago?" Dan motions to grab Drago from the air but Drago shakes his head.

Drago speaks in his serious tone. "Hold back, Dan. I feel there's more to this than we see. We need to conserve our energy."

Dan, impatient: "But I've been waiting for this action for weeks! I want to fight!"

Drago argues back. "Dan are you so tunnel visioned that you can't see that there's obviously more than just this here?"

Dan finally relents. "What'd'y'a mean Drago?"

Drago sighs. "Think Dan, a strange tunnel with metal, big chamber, the fact that this Volcano is hollow? those Russians in the village and that fire guy attacking everyone? We've got bigger threats to fry than this pathetic creature."

Dan opens his mouth to argue, but is silent, realising that Drago is right. Though Dan does stamp his foot angrily, earning a disapproving glare from Ronaldo.

Ash gestures, using his arms to support his instructions "Goodra, Onix, help Pikachu we need to keep everyone safe!"

The Pokemon engage the grotesque Theropod, Pikachu launches itself with an Iron Tail attack, the creature dodging effortlessly causing Pikachu to crash into a wall and cause a vein of blue looking lava to leak out. Meanwhile, the Alpha Gang continues their struggle to regain control over their dinosaurs, with Ursula's frustration and Doctor Z's commands echoing through the chaotic scene.

Doctor Z, shouting again, "Tank, Terry, focus your attacks! We can't let it win!"

The dinosaurs attempt to carry out these instructions, Terry roaring and causing the creature to retreat right into Tanks swinging club tail, however the creature turns on it's camouflage again making it impossible to target.

As the Pokemon and dinosaurs clash, Emily brings herself and Piplup back to Lily and Ronaldo, who are both confused about the sudden chaos. Rexy stands guard, not leaving the protective shielding of it's master and his friends.

Emily speech shakes like her body. "What's happening? Why are they fighting?"

Ronaldo, looking equally puzzled. "I have no idea, Emily. Something's not right."

Lily cowers behind Ronaldo, remarking "It doesn't even look natural."

Jack approaches them with an air of urgency and a buzz of realization around him. Jack's steps crunch against the soft Igneous rock as he puts his phone into his pocket, headphones on, though they play only quietly in his ears.

Jack speaks with fascination and a complete disregard for the situation they're in as he reaches Ronaldo, Lily and Emily. "I think it's the Indominus Rex from that park that opened recently, Jurassic World. Or at least what's left of it."

Emily and Lily exchange suspicious glances, though Emily feels her nerves evening out as she channels them into frustrated speech. "Are you serious? That's just a movie creature!"

Jack, smacks his hand against his forehead. "Movie? What rock are you hiding under. That park that just opened, then closed, owned by the same guys who made Jurassic Park."

Ronaldo feeling intrigued and not wanting the kids to fight decides to learn more about what Jack has learnt, knowing it makes Jack more relaxed to teach people. "So you mean to say we're dealing with a real life Dino, like Rexy?"

Jack, latching onto the ability to teach someone, speaks clearly. "Not exactly, I read it in one of those magazines Jurassic World were advertising with. Basically It's a fifteen meter..." Jack realises that Ronaldo uses the Imperial system. "Fifty foot long Dino that's actually a hybrid of loads of other animals DNA. However, apparently, it went on a rampage a couple of months ago and destroyed Jurassic World in less than a week."

Emily, still looking skeptical, "And how do you suppose we beat this, Indominus Rex, then?

Jack responds with annoyance in his tone as if this was the most obvious thing in the world, "Just stop it from camouflaging, it looks too weak to actually survive in a one on one fight with even a Velociraptor."

The chaotic battle rages on, with the Indominus flickering back to reality for only a second leading Tank to swing it's club tail again and hit, not thin air, but Spiny across the face, which causes him to hiss at her menacingly.

Zander and Ed duck behind a rock as Onix slides over in a protective manner and looks down at them as if trying to tell them to get out of here, but they're clueless. Instead Zander shouts at to the Alpha Dinosaurs, "Stop fighting each other, Spiny get over yourself and help Terry!"

As Pikachu, using Goodra to give itself better height, delivers a powerful Iron Tail to the Indominus's body, it recoils. Ash hesitates to issue another command, his sympathy for the creature, now visibly wounded, gives him pause.

Emily gets closer to Jack, in her frustration dropping Piplup, "Jack, this is ridiculous! It's just a movie monster. There's no way it's real."

Jack attempts to stay calm and speaks clearly still. "Emily, I've studied dinosaurs for years. This isn't a movie creature; it's a real threat."

Their bickering continues as the Indominus seizes the opportunity to exploit the chaos. It attempts a sneak attack on Onix, appearing behind it, but the rocky Pokemon's tough skin prevents any damage and breaks one of its teeth. In retaliation, Pikachu jumps on Onix's head and slides down it's body to deliver a powerful Iron Tail to it's jaw, causing another of the Indominus's teeth to fall out.

Ash, conflicted: "Pikachu, hold on a second. Let's just uh, lead it away from those guys, for now."

Doctor Z slides a card through his Alpha scanner, and the red scaled T-rex starts to spin furiously, generating an intense blaze around itself.

Doctor Z, determined: "Terry, Blazing Spin Move now!"

Ash quickly reacts, "Pikachu, Onix, Goodra, get out of the way!"

The Indominus seizes the opportunity and delivers a surprisingly powerful bite, considering its only real power comes from its top jaw, to Goodra as it retreats causing it to cry out in pain. In response Onix put's itself in between Goodra and the Indominus, which causes the Indominus to retreat.

As the Indominus turns around it spots Terry, flames in its mouth, charging toward it and swiftly camouflages which leads Terry to trip over a crystal and land in a Lava Pool. Terry roars in pain as Ursula marches over to Doctor Z and snatches the Alpha controller from his hand spotting how Terry is nearly too weak to maintain it's adult form.

"Maybe if you picked up a book for once in your life you'd actually be a good Pokemon trainer!" Jack shouts, Emily and Jack now nearly butting heads.

"Maybe you two kids should calm down." Lily steps out from behind Ronaldo and fixes the two with a stern stare.

Jack suddenly turns around, pulling on Emily's hair more playfully than he anticipated, to get her to turn around and watch Rexy, with purpose, start toward Terry. Rexy simply glares at the Indominus, which camouflages again and barely dodges a Dragon Rage from Goodra, as she grabs Terry with her mouth and drags him to his feet, throwing him over her shoulders and supporting him as they walk back toward Ronaldo.

The battlefield is chaotic, with the Alpha Dinosaurs facing the cunning Indominus Rex. Doctor Z, seemingly unconcerned about the well-being of others, commands Spiny to unleash a powerful move card. "Spiny, Sonic Blast! Show this infernal beast that he doesn't get to mess with the magnificent Doctor Z!"

Spiny executes the move, unleashing a powerful sonic attack that reverberates through the air. However, the Indominus, using its camouflage, skillfully appears behind Tank. With a swift move, it flips Tank onto its side, making it absorb the full impact of Spiny's Sonic Blast. Tank is reverted to a card, leaving the Alpha Gang in a state of panic.

Ed, his speech stuttering "What do we do now?"

Zander, cowering behind the rock again, "I didn't sign up for this!"

In response to their panic, Doctor Z smacks both Ed and Zander across their heads with his parchment, attempting to refocus them.

Doctor Z speaking in his shrill and frustrated tone, "Get it together, you two! We can't afford any more mistakes!"

Meanwhile, Ursula begins her usual ranting as Rexy escorts him back to them, expressing her concern for Terry. "Oh, my poor Terry! What have they done to you?"

Emily and Jack, united in irritation, interrupt Ursula's tirade. "Ursula, if you're so worried, go out there and save Terry yourself!"

Jack, supporting Emily's statement, "Yeah, quit whining and take some action!"

The scolding quiets Ursula temporarily as Ben decides to focus on escorting Emily, Lily, Ronaldo, Jack, Kiri, and Alex to a safe distance.

Dan, eager to join the battle, whines to Drago about the missed opportunity. "Come on, Drago! We could win this if without even having to go all out!"

Drago in his mentoring tone again, "Dan, patience is a virtue. Rushing ahead will only lead to mistakes."

As the Indominus adapts to the situation, it tactically throws flammable bits of raw metal into a lava pool. The ensuing steam and smoke create a screen, allowing it to dodge a Thunderbolt attack from Pikachu.

Jack, observing the battle, maintains his Californian cool and speaks analytically. "This Indominus knows what it's doing. They need a solid plan if they're going to beat it."

Ronaldo, understanding what Jack means, decides to add one of his stories, "This reminds me of my first ever champions league final. I was playing with Manchester United and extra time had just finished. It was 1-1, we were playing against Chelsea, and Sir Alex had us in the dressing room and he said..."

"Maybe this isn't the time for another story big guy." Lily interrupts whilst giggling a bit.

"Flower I promise it's important." Ronaldo speaks pleadingly which makes Emily and Jack to look at each other and fake throwing up whilst stifling laughs.

"Yea dude, big Monster causing chaos. Not exactly related to a bunch of sweaty guys kicking a ball around." Jack finally manages to push out of his mouth with a cheeky grin.

The battle against the Indominus Rex rages on, with Ash taking more control, issuing commands to Onix to intercept and keep the creature on its toes. "Onix, don't let it use that camouflage! Keep the pressure on!"

As Onix maneuvers to block potential hiding spots, Dan and Drago join Ash, offering strategic advice.

Dan trying to be supportive: "You got this, Ash! Just keep it distracted."

Drago being more the strategist of the duo, "Ash, if you can disrupt its vision, you might nullify the camouflage. Aim for its eyes or create a bright light."

Ash, considering Drago's advice: "Good idea, Drago. Let's try to blind it!"

Meanwhile, Rexy, having supported Terry to safety, stands guard over Ursula, Emily, Jack, Ronaldo, and Lily. Ursula, finding comfort in Rexy's presence, speaks fondly. "Rexy, you're quite the protector, aren't you?"

Ronaldo not able to resist boasting: "That's my Rexy for you—strong and adorable!"

Rexy responds with an affectionate growl.

Back in the heat of battle, the Indominus Rex seizes an opportunity. Sneaking up on Goodra, it grabs the Dragon-type Pokémon in its mouth, displaying a threatening stance as if demanding surrender.

Ash, frustrated: "We can't let it get away with this! Onix, disrupt its vision now!"

Onix executes a powerful move, brushing a stream of sand at it's eye to blind the Indominus and nullify its camouflage ability temporarily. The creature, momentarily disoriented, releases Goodra, allowing it to retreat to safety.

Ash, rallying his Pokémon: "Now's our chance! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Goodra, hit it with Dragon Pulse!"

Pikachu is enveloped in a bright sparking yellow as the created energy forces it to leap into the air as a giant thunderbolt shoots toward the Indominus. Simultaneously Goodra forms a ball of energy at it's mouth and a beam of multicoloured energy shaped like a dragon combines with the Thunderbolt and the two strike the Indominus at the same time, sending it flying into a wall.

The battlefield becomes chaotic as the wounded Indominus Rex communicates with Spiny, pleading for protection. To everyone's surprise, Spiny nods in agreement to whatever the Indominus Rex told it.

Zander shouts, frustrated: "What's going on, Spiny? Get back in line!"

Doctor Z, shouting and attempting to look intimidating, "This is insubordination! Spiny, follow your orders!"

Dan figuring that it's this treatment that's making Spiny act this way, "Maybe we should try to understand what it wants instead of forcing it."

Ignoring the protests, Spiny activates a move card, Tail Smash, of its own accord. The Dinosaur charges straight at Goodra, delivering a relentless onslaught with all three attacks. Goodra is sent crashing into a wall, leaving Ash distressed at the unexpected betrayal.

Ash, desperately trying to reason: "Spiny, what are you doing? We're not your enemies! Snap out of it!"

The Indominus Rex takes advantage of the chaos to rest and heal, observing the unfolding conflict from a safe distance in the corner of the chamber next to some strange hieroglyphs. Meanwhile, Doctor Z berates Ash and Dan for what they perceive as a failure in controlling the situation. "You let the that thing corrupt Spiny's mind! This is a disaster!"

Ash and Dan respond in unison, "Us!? You're blaming us?!

Dan responds on his own in frustration, "Your the ones who've been forcing these Dino's to do stuff of their own accord and shouting at them constantly!"

Ash decides to add. "Yea! Don't you have any idea that there's consequences for your actions?"

Ed, thinking on his feet and wanting to change the subject before the Doctor gets aggressive, "Alright, from now on, let's call the thing 'Reaper.' It's better than saying 'that thing' every time."

Zander, seemingly glad to focus on another subject, "It's definitely catchier."

Spiny charges toward Onix and pins it to the ground, smacking it's tail away with it's own, as Pikachu jumps on top of it and uses Thunderbolt to electrocute it until Spiny steps off of Onix.

Drago, trying to help out Ash wherever he can, "Ash, watch out for its tail! Move to the left now!"

As Spiny now sets his sights on the Alpha Gang Doctor Z shouts more furiously, "Spiny you will stop this insolent behaviour right now!" Zander and Ed try to subdue Spiny by holding out their hands in surrender However, their attempts result in the two of them having to cling onto Spiny's back for dear life, struggling to rein in the frenzied creature. Onix valiantly steps in to shield the duo, taking substantial damage in the process.

Zander, shouting for dear life, "This wasn't part of the plan! Ed, do something!"

Ed, also holding on for dear life, "I'm trying, but Spiny's not exactly cooperating!"

Amidst the turmoil, a strange noise reaches Ronaldo, Lily, Emily, Jack and Ursula, catching Emily and Jack's attention. They overhear a familiar feminine voice, and Lily expresses concern, "Oh no, not more trouble. We've got enough on our hands!"

Ronaldo feeling confident that it can't be any worse than the Indominus, "Don't worry, Lily. I've got your back. Rexy'll eat it if it causes to much trouble!"

Ben, in a casual tone "Yeah, I'm practically an expert at dealing with weird situations."

As the realization hits Emily that the voice belongs to Gwen and that she needs help clearing the blocked passage, she hesitates. Insecurity creeps in as she grapples with the responsibility, aware of the potential consequences of mistakes.

Emily speaks hesitating, her speech stuttering slightly, "Jack, Gwen's outside. She needs help clearing the passage. I think I should go, but... I'm not sure if I can handle it."

Jack, trying to be encouraging, "You've got this, Emily. We'll handle things here. Just focus on helping Gwen."

As Emily approaches the blocked passage, she feels the weight of uncertainty pressing on her. The rocks loom in front of her like an insurmountable obstacle, and the frustration mounts as Gwen's voice on the other side grows more agitated.

Gwen, frustratedly shouting, "Come on, Omni-thingy, work! Why do you always decide to be useless when I need you the most?"

Listening to Gwen's struggles, Emily begins to feel a familiar sense of inadequacy creeping in. The memories flood back – a young and happy Mark, clad in baggy T-shirts and skin-tight trousers, challenging her with a Charizard that belonged to his absent father. That battle, her first with Piplup, ended in a swift defeat, and the emotions that followed would be forever etched in her memory.

Emily, feeling overwhelmed with emotion again, "No, not again... I can't do this again."

She slumps to the ground, staring at the rocks, paralyzed by the fear of failure. The vivid recollection of that past defeat blends with the present, and she finds herself entangled in a web of emotions – inadequacy, shame, overwhelming sadness, anger, and resentment. The conflicting feelings about Piplup, whom at this time is just staring blankly at her, and the guilt over her emotional response during that long-ago battle resurface, threatening to engulf her.

Emily, struggling with her emotions, "I can't do this. Why can't I ever be good enough?"

Soft moonlight filters through the tunnelled entrance to the Volcano they entered through, casting shadows as Emily grapples with her inner turmoil. A gentle hand on her shoulder sends a fleeting moment of hope through her, and she turns to see Alex, recognizable by the familiar white hoodie she always wears. In a gesture as swift as it is tender, Alex envelops Emily in a tight hug, offering silent solace.

Alex, using the softest and most comforting voice she can, "Hey, Em. You don't have to hold it all in. What's bothering you?"

Feeling the warmth and understanding in Alex's embrace, Emily lets her guard down. In a voice that reveals vulnerability, she begins to share the weight on her shoulders. "I've never won a battle on my own. It's always been with the help of others. And now, just these rocks, I feel so... inadequate. I'm still in school, you know? Back in Unova, we have this Pokemon School where teens train to become gym leaders or take on other roles in the Pokemon League. W..What have I done? All I've done is fight with Jack and bossed people around. And now, faced with such a simple task. I just do all I'm good for. cry."

As Emily speaks, Kiri joins them, sitting down beside her. His Eevee, sensing Emily's distress, nestles on her lap, offering silent support. Piplup, ever intuitive, joins in, snuggling against Eevee. In this quiet moment, Emily's vulnerability is met with understanding and empathy.

Kiri puts a comforting hand on Emily's back and rubs it soothingly. "Eevee here tends to sense when someone's upset. It's like a sixth sense. Just like me if you think about it."

Emily whimpers, still crying, "Why are you even bothering with me? I'm pathetic!"

Alex puts her hand over Emily's mouth looking stern. "Nuh uh, I'm hearing none of it. No, no, no, no, No!"

Kiri wipes a tear away with the cuff of his Lavender mini dress, "What Alex means to say is you're not pathetic, you've gotten this far haven't you? You've been bullied, you've been cast out, yet time and time again you come back. Even this, crying, it's perfect. You're perfect just the way you are and this, this crying. It's good, you're gonna let it all out now, K sweetie?"

As Kiri and Alex continue to offer their unwavering support, Emily remains firm in her belief that she can't do it. However, the atmosphere shifts, and an unexpected calmness settles in as Kiri, with an air of gentleness, wraps his arms around Emily. In a surprising turn of events, Alex steps into the role of the nurturing caretaker, mirroring the usually comforting presence of Kiri.

Alex, in a comforting but stern voice, "Em, we're not letting go until you do it. You've got this."

Feeling the support from both sides, Emily can't help but giggle at the unexpected role reversal. As Kiri starts absentmindedly painting her nails, a soothing distraction unfolds, easing the pressure that has weighed on Emily's shoulders.

Kiri, soothingly: "Just relax, Emily. Let the nerves go."

In the midst of this moment, Emily and Piplup share a meaningful gaze. It's as if, in their silent exchange, they reach an understanding. Emily mentally forgives Piplup for the challenges they've faced, acknowledging that they're both on a learning journey. Piplup's eyes reflect a sparkle of comprehension and acceptance as if they're both on the same journey.

"Can you stretch out your fingers a bit hunny?" Kiri nonchalantly asks, Emily complies and stretches out her fingers to make it easier for him to paint Emily's nails.

Alex covers Emily's eyes and applies a little bit of gentle pressure to her. "Can you just close your eyes a little Em?

Emily feels curious at this. "Mind tell'n me what it is?"

Alex continues in a soft and caring tone, "Can you block out all other noise but my voice?"

Emily nods as much as Alex and Kiri's hold will allow her too and she leans into Alex's hold a little and closes her eyes.

Alex speaks softly still. "Good, Good job. Can you take a nice deep breath for me?"

Emily carries this request out diligently not just once, but twice, impressing Alex and Kiri gives Alex a knowing look recognising this as the same method he's used with her many times.

Emily takes one more deep breath before quietly stating, "Okay, I'm ready."

Alex giggles. "I can't hear you."

Emily sighs and speaks louder this time, "I'm ready!"

As Emily and Piplup stand before the stubborn rocks, determined to break through, they channel their energy into another attempt at Bubble Beam. The first try falls short, the bubbles lacking the force to make a significant impact. Frustration starts to creep in, but Piplup's unwavering gaze encourages Emily to give it another shot.

Emily now feeling determined: "We can do this, Piplup. One more time!"

The second Bubble Beam intensifies, showing a bit more power, yet the rocks remain unyielding. Doubt begins to cloud Emily's determination, and she starts to feel flustered. However, something unexpected happens – a connection between Emily and Piplup deepens, their movements syncing in a peculiar harmony.

Kiri, watching in amazement: "What's happening?"

Alex, equally surprised: "I've never seen anything like this!"

In this synchronized state, Emily and Piplup begin their third attempt. An ethereal glow envelops them, shades of blue and yellow swirling around. The air hums with the buildup of an unknown power. The aura intensifies, creating a watery sheen around Piplup. The rocks, previously immovable, stand no chance against the impending force.

Then, it happens.

A surge of energy bursts forth, a fantastical display that defies explanation as a swirling vortex made of pure water crash against the rocks. The rocks are obliterated, shattering into fragments, as if caught in the midst of a powerful cyclone. The force is extraordinary, leaving even Kiri and Alex in awe of the spectacle unfolding before them.

Gwen, still struggling with her Omnitrix, glances up, mildly surprised by the unexpected display of power. "Well, that's one way to get through. What just happened?"

Emily pants, catching her breath, "I have no idea, but it felt... It felt amazing!"

Gwen, her eyes filled with concern, rushes over to Emily's side as she finishes her extraordinary feat. She fusses over her, checking for injuries, bruises, or any sign of harm, much to Emily's annoyance. "Are you okay? That was incredible! But seriously, you need to be more careful. Without practise you could hurt yourself."

Emily, exhausted but getting annoyed: "I'm fine, Gwen. We can do cool stuff too."

Gwen smiles warmly, "I know, I know. I just worry about you, Emily."

Alex sniggers, "Someone's got a soft spot for our little Pokémon trainer."

Gwen, ignoring Alex's remark, turns her attention back to Emily: "Now, tell me everything. What happened with that, thing?"

Emily, now resting against a rock: "It's a long story. We've been battling it, and it's tough. And, Gwen, it's the Indominus Rex from Jurassic World."

Gwe gasps in surprise, "Wait, really? That's insane! I didn't recognize it at first. You've been fighting a genetic hybrid dinosaur?"

Emily nods, "Yeah, it's been causing trouble. But don't worry; we've got it under control."

Gwen adopts a more authoritative tone: "Alright then. Kiri, Alex, look after Emily. I need to go and fix this mess. Emily, you rest up, I mean it. I'll be back soon."

Kiri playfully shrugs, "Well, I guess we're on babysitting duty, again."

Alex, feeling the need to tease a little, "Looks like looking after someone in this group is becoming a regular thing."

Kiri, with a subtle grin: "Well, you know how it goes for those of us with talent."

As Gwen steps away, she activates her Omnitrix, initiating a unique transformation sequence. An ethereal glow envelops her, and her form starts to change. Scales appear, and wings extend. Her attire shifts into a sleek, streamlined body with thin legs and a bird like beak. The hips accentuate and the jumpsuit forms in a delicate pink.

Gwen, now transformed: "Astrodactyl, ready for action!"

Kiri in a playful tone, "Nice wings, Gwen."

Alex, with a cheeky grin: "Loving the pink, you go girl!"

Gwen, unamused but determined: "Save the reviews for later, bwark, I've got a hybrid Dino to, bwark, crack like an egg."

Alex sniggers. "That's the best you've got? 'Crack like an egg.'"

Gwen sighs. "I'm working on it toots."

As Spiny charges straight at the injured Terry and Rexy, Ursula lets out a terrified scream and hides behind Ronaldo almost getting knocked over by a stray stalactite.

Rexy steps out with purpose in her step splaying her feet and lifting her head up menacingly. Spiny stops and stares at Rexy with mixed emotions and Rexy takes a heavy step forward, which causes Spiny to stand his ground until Rexy emits a low rumbling growl. In response to this Spiny shrinks submissively, looking guilty.

Ronaldo, unfazed by the chaos, bursts into laughter as he walks up to Rexy, patting her massive leg appreciatively. "That's my girl! You show that Spiny who's boss!"

Spiny, now looking more like a scolded child, hesitates under Rexy's imposing gaze. Rexy's growls soften, almost as if she's trying to calm Spiny down. The Spinosaurus seems to grovel at Rexy's feet, a comical sight that surprises everyone.

Zander groaning, still clutching onto Spiny's side, "Well, that was surprisingly easy. Who knew Spiny had a crush on Rexy?"

Ed, wincing in pain: "I guess it's true what they say. I guess, love truly does conquer all."

At this, Spiny violently shakes Zander and Ed off, and they land on the rocky ground with painful thuds. Ronaldo, seizing the opportunity for a joke, drags them to their feet. "The power of love, my friends! Works every time. Perhaps one day you'll try it yea?"

Zander and Ed stumble away, grumbling, toward Lily, who watches their antics with a mixture of amusement and confusion. Jack, still in awe of the living dinosaurs around him, walks over, phone in hand, and starts making voice notes about their behavior. "It appears that the Tyrannosaurus rex commonly exhibits dominant behaviour, especially in females, and seems to dodge any attempt at conflict. In fact, It seems as if the common Tyrannosaurus rex female would rather love than fight, even with another species."

As Gwen, in her Astrodactyl form, approaches the fully recovered Indominus Rex, it turns to face her with an almost menacing demeanor. Gwen readies herself for the confrontation, but the Indominus, displaying surprising agility, swats her out of the air with what's left of its tail. She crashes into the rocky ground, groaning as she tries to recover.

Ash and Dan rush to Gwen's side, helping her up and filling her in on the battle's developments. "Alright so long story short, big monster thing, really smart, can use camouflage."

"I never could've guessed." Gwen responds rubbing her head.

Dan, impatient as always, urges Ash to use the Poke-link to summon additional Pokemon. "Come on, Ash! You have more Pokemon at your disposal. Use 'em!"

Gwen, still recovering: "He's right. we're gonna need every advantage you can get against that thing."

Ash, remembering the advice from Drago and Dan, nods and uses the Poke-link to summon two new Pokemon. Onix and Goodra return to their Pokeballs, replaced by Greninja in its unique Ash-Greninja form and Serena's Sylveon. The Sylveon looks at Ash with a knowing and loving expression, reminding him of a promise made during a moment of closeness.

Ash, to himself: "Serena... I'll keep my promise, too." Ash puts a hand to Sylveons heart, "Serena... I wish you were here."

Gwen, noticing Ash's distant stare, "Focus, Ash! Nostalgia can wait. We've got a battle on our hands."

Dan, chiming in, a little bitterly, "Yeah, save the lovey-dovey stuff for later. Creature feature over there is charging right at us!"

Gwen and Drago quickly assess the situation, realizing that the Indominus Rex is utilizing the chemicals in the volcano and some illusionary abilities to create confusion. Sylveon, with its Future Sight ability, foresees that the Indominus is heading straight for Lily and Ronaldo. Panic sets in, and Sylveon desperately tries to communicate this to Ash and Dan. "Sylveon! Sylveon!"

Ash and Dan, confused: "What? What's happening?"

Drago, catches on quickly, "Dan, Ash. Lily and Ronaldo are in danger! The creature is heading their way!"

Gwen, in Astrodactyl form, reacts quickly. She dashes off at full speed, Sylveon following closely behind. Ash and Dan, still trying to grasp the situation, watch as Gwen speeds away. "We gotta move, Apparently the thing is over there!"

Dan looking confused, "But isn't it. Weren't it here just a second ago?"

Ash groaning. "Illusionary stuff, we just figured it out?"

Dan has a epiphany, "Oh yea, we should probably get over there huh?"

As Gwen reaches Lily and Ronaldo, the Indominus, still invisible, slashes at Lily, catching her by surprise. Lily falls to the floor with a gasp. Rexy roars and postures up, ready to defend. Ronaldo, doing his best to remain calm, tries to distract the invisible threat. "Hey, over here! Leave her alone!"

Gwen, unable to see the Indominus, starts firing energy blasts blindly in its direction. Sylveon predicts the creature's next move, attempting to guide Gwen's attacks. "Sylvi, Sylveon." "Left?" Gwen asks before firing off an energy blast that misses entirely and hit some dusty vase in the corner.

As Slyveon detects that the Indominus attempts to run away, Sylveon uses Dazzling Gleam to reveal it from its camouflage.

"Bwark! Now I've gotcha." Gwen states as she fires off another energy blast this time managing to hit the Indominus in the chest.

Gwen, now in her Astrodactyl form, grumbles as she pulls out her energy whip created from star power, still getting used to this new ability. Ash and Ash-Greninja arrive, hitting the Indominus with powerful Water Shurikens. Rexy bites down on the creature's head, and Gwen joins the attack, wielding her energy whip with determination. The Alpha Gang cheers from the sidelines, seeking revenge for their Dinosaurs being harmed.

Meanwhile, Emily finally reaches Lily, panting. She sees her mother looking weak, injured by the Indominus's earlier attack. As Gwen's stray power whip strikes dangerously close, Alex and Kiri try to convince Emily to leave, warning her of the danger.

Alex shouts, "Emily, you need to get back here! It's too dangerous!"

Kiri attempts to act calmer, "She's right, Emily. They've got this. You being safe is our priority right now."

But Emily, overwhelmed by worry and fear, snaps angrily and emotionally at them, ignoring their concerns. "Shut up! Just shut up, both of you! I don't need the likes of you telling me what to do!"

As one of Gwen's power whip strikes narrowly misses the Indominus, Emily plants herself next to her mother seeing that she's either near or entirely unconscious.

Meanwhile, the Indominus attempts to camouflage again, only to be foiled once more by Sylveon's Dazzling Gleam allowing Rexy to shake it's head around, the crunch of bone reverberating throughout the chamber.

Emily cradles her mother, tears streaming down her face. "Mom, please be okay. I can't lose you."

Jack, with a dark expression, walks over."Now you know exactly how it feels, Emily. feels bad don't it? Good."

Ronaldo fixing Jack with an uncharacteristically stern glare, "Jack, now's not the time for that."

The Indominus, battered and bleeding, falls under the pressure of relentless attacks. Its lower jaw crashes to the ground as Rexy's bite proves devastating. Ash-Greninja's Water Shurikens sever both of its arms, the claws embedding into the ground like spikes. Gwen delivers a final blow with her power whip, striking the Indominus's legs, causing the Indominus to buckle, panting and bleeding from multiple wounds.

Gwen, now transforming back to human form in a flash of light, and Ash, gazing at the fallen creature, feel a pang of sympathy cutting through them.

Ben approaches the situation, now judging it safe to leave Emily and the others under Ronaldo's protection, and wears a guarded look about his face."Maybe we can heal it or something. It's suffering."

Dan, also arriving, however disagrees, his tone also serious. "It seemed in pain even before the battle. We need to end this, now."

Drago adds, reflecting on the creature's previously defensive stance. "That whole time. It was fighting defensively, not offensively. It's been suffering for a long time. We were so stupid."

As the heavy and dark atmosphere hangs in the air, Ben falls silent and walks away, contemplating the situation. Ash, feeling the weight of the decision, tries to convince Gwen of the necessity. "We can't let it suffer any longer. It's the right thing to do."

Gwen agrees with Ash, but with a determined look, she points to the kids. "I don't like it but... Your right. We need to get them out of here first. Dan, Ben, get them moving."

Dan and Ben nod, understanding the urgency. They approach the distressed group of kids. Ben addresses the Alpha Gang, pointing at the large door at the northernmost point of the chamber. "Use your dinosaurs to open that door. We need to get out of here."

As the Alpha Gang scrambles to comply, Dan faces a challenging situation. Emily is still cradling her injured mother, and Jack, devoid of empathy, worsens the atmosphere. "Now you know what it feels like! All your tears won't change a thing! She's gone Thorn!"

Emily, overcome with emotion, shouts back. "You heartless jerk! My mom's dying because of that monster!"

The heated argument continues, and Ronaldo and Dan try to intervene, attempting to calm the situation."Enough you two! We've got to focus on getting Lily medical attention."

Dan adds his voice to Ronaldo's plea. "Cmon guys, we're a team, we shouldn't be fighting."

As the argument between Emily and Jack escalates, Dan attempts to mediate, though his lack of empathy becomes apparent. Drago, sensing the need for a more profound intervention, floats forward and raises his voice in sternness. "Enough! Both of you, listen up. We're a team. We're here to help each other, not tear each other apart."

He shifts his gaze between Emily and Jack. "Emily, Jack lost his family to dinosaurs. Jack, Emily's mother is hurt right now. Can't you see you're both dealing with pain?"

Jack shouts whilst holding back a tear, "I don't need sympathy from anyone!"

Emily shouts with no control over herself, "And I don't need a lecture from you!"

Drago lets out a deep sigh. "This isn't about sympathy or lectures. It's about understanding each other. We need to work together to get through this. We all have our burdens, but facing them together is what makes us stronger."

Emily and Jack exchange resentful glances, but Drago continues. "If we keep bickering, we'll fall apart. But if we unite, we can overcome anything. So, can we please focus on the task at hand and save the emotional baggage for later?"

Emily and Jack look at each other, both teary eyed, and nod. Seeming to come to some sort of peace between them.

Ronaldo signals for Rexy to approach, as Emily, still visibly upset, reluctantly releases her mother. Ronaldo mounts Rexy, ready to lead them back through the volcano for help. "Let's go, Rexy. Lily needs us."

Rexy moves forward, and as they depart, the Alpha Gang continues their efforts to breach the door with their dinosaurs. Emily and Jack, though still harboring some resentment, quiet down under Drago's stern guidance, giving a momentary reprieve to the group.

As the heated atmosphere slowly settles, Ben steps forward, agreeing to help get the others to safety. "Alright, Dan. I'll get the kids moving. You guys handle the big lizard."

Dan nods in acknowledgment, and with a quick glance at the kids, he walks over to Drago, who is still in his ball form. "Thanks for the save Drago."

Drago, in a whisper, "Dan, it's time. Release me."

Dan welcomely surprised, "You're sure about this?"

Drago nods. "Positive. We need all the power we can get. And I don't think those Dino guys are bringing it any time soon."

Dan takes a deep breath and tosses Drago's ball onto the volcanic rock in front of them. A burst of light envelops the area, and Drago emerges in his full glory.

The transformation sequence is a spectacle of swirling energy and vibrant colors. Drago's body expands, scales shimmering in the ambient light. His wings unfurl with a powerful snap, and horns protrude majestically from his head. The transformation embodies the raw energy and strength within Drago.

Drago, triumphantly shouting, "Helix Dragonoid!"

Alex and Kiri watch in awe, their eyes widened by the impressive display. The duo temporarily forgetting about Emily's safety as the swirling, flaming, vortex around Drago subsides.

Alex, her mouth gaping. "Whoa, that's incredible!"

Kiri, his mouth too gaping, "I've never seen anything like it."

Meanwhile, Jack maintains his apathetic demeanor, choosing to observe the transformation with detached interest. Emily, still overwhelmed with worry for her mother, clutches Piplup tightly.

Piplup looks up at it's trainer with sorrowful eyes. "Pip..."

Emily slumps again, fighting a sob, "I know, Piplup. I'm scared too."

As the transformation concludes, Drago, now in his powerful Helix Dragonoid form, turns to Dan. "Let's do this, Dan."

The squad's move cautiously across the narrow ledge, navigating the rocky volcanic chamber. The rock beneath them is a Jet black and the walls behind them seem to pulse with Orange energy.

Captain Price, ever vigilant, relays real-time information about their surrounding after noticing some blue crystals on the ceiling. "Spartans, keep an eye on those crystals. They look volatile. We don't want any surprises."

Spartan Atlas leads the way, his armour emitting a soft hum. Valerie glances at Spartan Bravo, a smirk hidden beneath her helmet whispering ."You ever notice how the British are always so serious?"

Bravo smirks, nodding in agreement, but keeps his attention on their surroundings. The two share a quiet laugh, and even Spartan Silent expresses amusement through a subtle tilt of her head.

Meanwhile, Spartan Shadow and Squad 141 engage in a discussion about the unique rock formations surrounding them. Squad 141 seeming more in awe and Spartan Shadow, having seen similar before, just subtly smiles beneath his helmet in amusement at their wonder.

Ghost touches a small crystal in-front of him, "These crystals aren't like any necklace I've seen in Ann Summers I'll tell ya that for now."

Soap chuckles, "Is that supposed to be a suggestion Skeletor?"

Ghost smiles. "Well I just thought It'd make a nice anniversary gift."

Spartan Shadow sighs. "Well if you two lovebirds are finished acting like schoolgirls, I think Price wants our attention."

Soap and Ghost both look at each other smirking, wondering is this 7ft2 armoured behemoth really does think they're lovers. The duo secretly finding it very amusing.

As they progress, the distant overlapping voices become more audible, accompanied by an electronic hum. Spartan Silent, with her acute senses, indicates that the sound is likely emanating from a shield regenerator.

Spartan Shadow nods his head and announces softly, "Shield regenerator ahead. We must be getting close."

Price turns his head at the others, "Keep moving. We need to find out what's going on here."

The squad reaches a ridge overlooking a large purple device, intricate and pulsating with energy, surrounded by Covenant shields and plasma cannons. Grunts and Jackals, each in varying ranks, are scattered around, and to everyone's surprise, some humans in black armor are assisting the Covenant. Roach, ever impulsive, nearly shouts out, but Ghost quickly intervenes, placing a gloved hand over his mouth.

Roach: (muffled) "What the...? Is that Makarov?"

Ghost gives Roach a stern look, reminding him to keep quiet. Spartan Atlas, observing the scene, notes the presence of the Covenant.

Atlas in a soft voice, "Covenant. This just got more complicated."

Spartan Silent, perched with her customized SRS99-AM sniper rifle, immediately trains her gaze on a lead Elite. Spartan Bravo recognises the golden-armored figure "Must be big stuff, That's "Thel Vadamee"

Ben gazes at Spartan Bravo curiously. "Who's that?"

Valerie tilts her head down at Ben and speaks in a condescending tone, "Bad guy."

Ben, still harboring some annoyance from Valerie's condescending tone, manages to restrain himself from responding. Captain Price and Spartan Atlas begin discussing a plan to confront the situation, "I'm guessing the Covenant are your guys?"

Spartan Atlas nods. "Yea been fight'n 'em for about three decades."

Price stamps out his Cigarette on a nearby crystal. "Tough buggers aren't they?"

Spartan Atlas nods darkly. "Yea, ruined many lives and destroyed countless worlds."

Meanwhile Ghost, Soap, and Spartan Shadow theorise about the Covenant's unexpected alliance with humans. "I've gotta admit, in all my years of service I've never seen a human and a Brute stand side by side without trying to murder each other."

Ghost sharpens his tactical knife an a flat bit of rock. "Makarov must be planning something big if he's aligning himself with the Aliens."

Soap smirks. "Must've taken a degree to figure that one out ey Ghost."

Ghost playfully scowls. "It's not bad to confirm what you know for sure.'

Spartan Shadows kneels down. "What worries me what they're doing in here. Why a Volcano of all places? Especially one as weird as this"

Meanwhile, MacMillan, a seasoned sniper, pulls out his signature rifle and takes notice of Spartan Silent's custom SRS99-AM. "Well, aren't you fancy? A 40x scope and a 30-inch barrel. Impressive piece of work."

Spartan Silent feigns a blush, appreciating the compliment, and readjusts her focus on the Elite. MacMillan, with a suave grin, trains his sniper rifle on the same target, ready to engage.

Spartan Atlas gathers the team around, their heads almost forming a huddle, as he briefs them on their objectives and the potential consequences of the Covenant-Makarov collaboration. "Alright, listen up. Our primary objective is to disable that device. It seems to be some kind of communication array, and if we don't shut it down, we risk them alerting a larger Covenant fleet to our presence."

Spartan Valerie darkly adds, "We don't want another Reach."

Spartan Bravo puts a bracing hand on her shoulder. "There's never gonna be another Reach on our watch Val."

Ben, still grappling with the newfound knowledge about the Covenant, nods in understanding. Captain Price interjects, "Makarov dosen't ally with people for no reason, I'd guess he's planning something. Something he couldn't do on his own. Usually Makarov utilises a militia force so be wary and stay frosty."

Soap, always the historian, provides some background on Makarov, emphasizing his ruthless tactics. "Makarov's a dangerous man, and he plays his own game. We can't trust him. Whatever he's after, it won't be good for any of us."

Spartan Shadow chimes in, warning about the deadly capabilities of the Covenant Plasma Cannons. "Those plasma cannons will rip us apart if we're not careful. We need a plan."

Ben scratches his head for a second before suggesting, "What if we sniped all the Plasma Gunners first?

Macmillan turns to Ben in curiosity. "That's not a bad idea there lad. Only problem is all of the buggers can use the dam things."

Shadow nods in agreement to Macmillan, and hands Ghost his personal M6H Magnum along with a small box of bullets.

Ghost: "A peashooter, eh? First a bread knife, now this? What's next, a water gun?"

Spartan Valerie, holding back a laugh, adds, "Maybe you can splash them to death."

Ghost glares at Ben, as if blaming him for this predicament, but before he can voice another complaint, Price intervenes.

Price: "Enough. We have a mission to complete. Focus, people. This is our chance to stop whatever Makarov and the Covenant are planning. Let's make it count."

Spartan Silent, with her custom sniper rifle slung across her back, and Spartan Atlas turn their attention to Ben. "You, kid. We need you to find a way to disable those plasma cannons. Think of an alien that can help us out."

Ben, once again feeling the condescension from Spartan Atlas, barely bites his tongue and begins contemplating his options. He recalls the various aliens at his disposal and the specific abilities each possesses. After a moment of thought, he settles on Heatblast. "I got this. Just cover me."

As he begins the transformation, there's a noticeable shift in the atmosphere. Ghost shoots him another accusatory glare, still holding a grudge from their previous encounter in the village. Spartan Silent, attuned to emotions, offers Ben a comforting pat on the back.

Suddenly Ben's body flushes a boiling hot as an eerie orange glow envelops him, Ben's hands enlarge and his feet fork whilst his skin becomes harder and harder until they begin turning to rock, his hairs stand on end and burn bright orange whilst his bones gain length and a seeping molten lava travels up Ben's body until it reaches his face and the lava forms a face like pattern.

Price, Soap, Roach and Macmillan watch on in awe, Ghost backing away, as Ben completes the transformation. "So that's how he does it..." Soap mutters, meanwhile Spartan squad 117 seem somewhat unamused, but Spartan Valerie whom fails to hide how cool she thinks the transformations are.

Spartan Atlas, ever stoic, reminds everyone to stay focused. "Keep your awe in check. We've seen these aliens before. Don't let them distract you from the mission."

Bravo, with his M739 Light Machine Gun, and Spartan Valerie, showcasing her dual custom M6H2 Magnums named 'Whispered Truths,' twirls them with a flashy display of skill.

High above the Covenant and Makarov's forces, Heatblast hovers quietly, observing the activities on the ground. Grunts scurry about, Jackals maintain a cautious perimeter, and Elites, including the distinctive figure of Thel 'Vadamee in golden armor, engage in heated conversations with the Brutes.

Thel 'Vadamee: "You question the will of the Prophets, Brute? Our orders are clear."

Brute Chieftain: "Orders? Hah! The Great Journey is upon us, and I won't let your false gods ruin our chance at ascension."

Thel 'Vadamee scoffs. "You're brave to think they will believe you over me."

The Brute Chieftain laughs. "You keep believing in your treacherous deities, the rings are what we're really after.

Thel 'Vadamee spits at the Chieftains feet. "Mercy wouldn't send us here without purpose. He gave us our specific orders for a reason, it must be.."

A new, human, figure appears looking casual. "Come, come now gentlemen. We shouldn't argue. Just leave the religious debates for the news channels, yea?"

Meanwhile, Grunts discuss their roles in broken English, showing their lower status in the Covenant hierarchy.

"Ooh, Ah, Big guys fighting.. ahahah.."

"Don't give 'em attitude Dap Dap!"

"Yea I don't wanna get kicked again."

The Jackals, with their pointed heads and shielded arms, gather their energy pistols and prepare for potential combat.

Jackal Minor: "This better not be another wild goose chase."

Another Jackal Minor responds, "Who cares, we get to kill something anyway."

As they chatter, Makarov's masked figure argues with Thel 'Vadamee about the urgency of their mission. "We can't afford delays. The prophecy is clear!"

Thel 'Vadamee scoffs, "Your 'prophecy' is not ours to follow. Our allegiance lies with the Great Journey."

Suddenly, a pained roar echoes from behind the ancient door, followed by loud banging. The Grunts take defensive positions at the plasma cannons, the Jackals and Elite Minors/Majors gather equipment, and the Russian soldiers, panicking, prepare to fire upon whatever threatens them from within.

Russian Soldier 1: "What's going on behind that door?"

Russian Soldier 2: "We can't let anything interfere with our mission. Fire at will!"

The door shatters into fiery fragments, revealing the unexpected trio of dinosaurs: a red-scaled T-rex, a blue-scaled Spinosaurus, and a purple-and-peach scaled Saichania. Riding atop them are the Alpha Gang—Ursula, Ed, Zander, and Doctor Z. The Covenant and Makarov's forces stand frozen, marveling at the prehistoric creatures before them.

Ben, recognizing the T-rex from the earlier encounter, loses focus and tumbles down the slop up to the ridge. Fortunately, he lands quietly behind a Brute wearing Dark blue armour, who remains preoccupied with the unfolding spectacle. Letting out a relieved sigh, Ben mutters a quick quip to himself. "Well, that went smoothly."

Thel 'Vadamee and Makarov both react swiftly, issuing orders to their respective forces. The chamber erupts in chaos as gunfire, both ballistic and plasma, fills the air. The Alpha Gang's unexpected arrival adds another layer of confusion to an already tumultuous situation.

Thel 'Vadamee shouts, projecting his voice across the room and activating a peculiar looking golden forked sword made of energy "Open fire! Defend the chamber!"

Makarov, sounding more frustrated, "Waste them! I won't tolerate interference!"

Bullets and plasma bolts dance through the air, creating a hazardous environment for both the Covenant forces and the Alpha Gang all targeted at the door. Tank charges forward and barrels into some Plasma cannons operated by shivering small Monkey like creatures, the Grunts, with small breathing apparatus in their upturned noses and their skin a dark grey coloured rocky texture wearing orange armour with triangular tips.

Dan, riding atop Helix Dragonoid, soars into the chaotic scene, and the banter between the riders begins. "Man, Drago, that Burning Reflector of yours must've been on overdrive to blow that door apart!"

Ursula, riding atop Terry, adds her input. "Terry's Volcano Burst helped too!"

Dan chuckles, teasing Ursula. "Volcano Burst, huh? Never seemed to do much before. You must've been holding back on me. What's wrong? Want big man Danny to save you?"

Doctor Z, seated behind Ursula, interjects with a complaint. "Ursula he's right, you do need to put more effort into it!"

Gwen, now transformed into Ampfibian, with her transparent light blue Jellyfish like body and six long triangular tipped limbs, floats between Spiny and Terry, demanding a stop to the banter. "Enough bickering! We've got company!"

As Gwen evades a stray rocket from Makarov's forces, Ed chimes in. "Tank's doing all the heavy lifting so far!"

Doctor Z complains again, and Zander agrees, expressing frustration about Spiny. "Spiny, you're slowing down!"

Spiny charges into a group of Jackals and Brutes, showing signs of fatigue from the earlier battle with the Indominus. Meanwhile, Terry hangs back, still recovering from the damage sustained in the previous fight. Gwen, in her Ampfibian form, does her best to cover and protect Terry from incoming threats.

The others sit atop a steady-looking rocky platform with metallic looking devices scattered around somewhere in between the door and the chamber with bubbling pool of Lava below them. Jack and Emily sit with their backs turned to one another whilst Alex and Kiri sit between them, worried that they might start arguing again, as Ben paces up and down, deep in thought.

Their moment of respite is abruptly shattered when a Camouflaged Elite Minor wielding an energy sword launches a surprise ambush. The Elite targets Jack, who narrowly avoids a deadly strike thanks to Kiri's quick reaction, pulling him back just in time. Ben, ever resourceful, hurls a rock at the Elite, disrupting its camouflage.

Ben calls out in panic, "Watch out!"

The Elite, undeterred, continues its relentless assault. Backed against the edge of the platform, the group is on the verge of a perilous fall. The situation escalates when Kiri's Lucario materializes from its Pokéball, blocking a fatal strike aimed at Emily with a well-timed Bone Rush.

Emily just screams as Kiri whimpers, "Th.Thanks, Lucario"

Lucario, displaying a newfound aggression, engages the Elite in a dazzling, semi-acrobatic duel, saving the group from imminent danger. Lucario, wielding it's almost holographic looking bone shaped weapon, strikes left then right, up then down, the Elite parrying each strike as Lucario backflips onto a small stone and beckons the Elite forward. The Elite, not able to back down from a challenge, rushes to meet Lucario as the battle continues.

Ben, regaining his composure, "Let's move! We need to get to safety."

As they make a hurried escape through the mysterious door, Emily and Alex turn their attention to Ben, questioning why he's not using his watch. "Why don't you use that watch thingy of yours?"

Alex adds, "Yeah, you have all those aliens, right?"

Ben, deflecting their questions, responds with a cryptic tone."It's not just a watch, and there's more to it than you know."

Jack darkly speaks up from the back of the group, "Don't forget you told me Ben. I get it. Might be a good idea to get over yourself though, M'kay?"

In the background Lucario hops on a thin stretch of elevated rock and blocks an Energy Sword strike with the centre of it's Bone rush before attempting to deliver a responding strike but the Elite grabs onto a small string like mineral and rebounds off of the wall to get behind Lucario. "Hold still you infidel!"

As squad 141, led by Captain Price, navigates down a narrow path to the battlefield, they exchange gunfire with small squads of Makarov's troops. The narrow path provides ample cover, but the continuous crackle of gunfire keeps the tension high.

Price, Calling out behind him. "Stay focused, lads! We're almost there."

Ghost, attempting to adapt to the M6H Magnum, struggles with accuracy, missing his targets. "Bloody hell, I miss my MP5!"

Soap, in a stressed tone of voice, "Adapt, Ghost! We don't have time for sentimentality!"

Roach and Ghost find cover behind a large rock as bullets whiz past them. The intensity of the firefight increases, and squad 141 finds themselves bogged down.

Soap, shouting over the gunfire, "Keep moving! We can't afford to get pinned down!"

As they continue their descent, the Spartan IVs, apart from Spartan Silent, ground pound onto the battlefield with remarkable athleticism. The area around their ground pounds seeing enemies thrown several feet into the air. Their arrival catches the attention of squad 141, who, despite being used to banter, now maintain a more serious tone.

Roach exclaims, "Bloody hell, they're like super-soldiers or something!"

Price, taking out a couple of Russians with his M4 Assault Rifle, "Focus on the mission. Let's get to that communications device."

The combined forces of squad 141 and the Spartan IVs press forward, navigating through the chaotic battlefield. Each step is met with calculated gunfire and quick maneuvers.

Ghost, frustrated with the Magnum, glances at the Spartan IVs. "Maybe I should've joined the Spartans. At least they get cool toys."

Soap, throwing a grenade back at the Russians, "We've got a mission to complete, Ghost. Save the daydreaming for later."

Heatblast finds himself caught in the crossfire, facing both Makarov's troops and the Covenant forces, from either side. From his right a large armoured Russian with a Machine Gun sprays a wall of bullets at him, and from the other side a giant ape like creature, Brute, wearing blue power armour and wielding a large round weapon filled with grenades with a sharp bayonet curving from it's underside.

Heatblast taps into his alien abilities, using the nearby steam vent to his advantage. Ben extends his arms, manipulating the steam to create a protective barrier against Makarov's troops, all while keeping an eye on the approaching Covenant forces.

Heatblast then releases a burst of intense flames towards the Covenant, forcing the Grunts and Brutes to shield themselves from the searing heat. Feeling a sense of nostalgia, Ben can't help but quip. "Let's see how you like a taste of the sun!"

Happy with himself Heatblast adds, "ahh. Just like the good 'ol days fight'n criminals who can't fight back." As he propels the steam forward and burns the face off of the Russian to his right.

However, the moment is short-lived as a group of Grunt Heavies, adorned with dark green armour, and armed with Fuel Rod Cannons approache, their bulky, methane-filled bodies and dangerous weaponry posing a significant threat. Ben, now realizing the seriousness of the situation, prepares to face them. "Okay, maybe not so good old days."

The Grunt Heavies unleash a volley of Fuel Rod Cannon blasts, and Ben, despite his attempts to dodge, is sent flying into a nearby wall, creating a Heatblast-sized hole. As the Grunts prepare for another round, a voice from above interrupts their plans.

"Ability Activate! Strike Tornado!"

Heatblast looks up to see a powerful vortex of flames descending from the sky. The fiery tornado crashes to the ground, dispelling all Covenant forces surrounding Ben. Through the dissipating flames, a dragon-like creature emerges, and Ben can't help but be astonished.

Heatblast looks at the creature and the human riding atop it in awe. "Whoa, what in the Omniverse is that?"

As Drago and Dan glance over at Heatblast, there's a moment of uncertainty, but Drago suddenly recalls the encounter in the village. "Wait a minute... You're the alien that attacked Ash in the village, aren't you?"

Ben hesitates for a moment, contemplating whether to reveal the truth. Ultimately, he decides honesty is the best approach. "Yeah, that was me. I know I messed up, but I want to make things right."

Without warning, Drago fires off a fireball in Heatblast's direction, but Ben manages to dodge the strike, which makes an even bigger hole in the wall. He quickly explains his change of heart, expressing genuine remorse. "I was wrong, and I feel guilty about it. I want to change, be a hero again. No more of that lone wolf stuff"

Dan, still harboring some resentment, is ready to rough Ben up a bit. "I still reckon we can give 'em some punishment ey Drago? Yanno, just to make sure he's being honest?"

However, Drago intervenes, sensing the sincerity in Ben's words. "Dan, knock it off. We won't become any better than those we're fighting against if we resort to violence without reason."

Dan, though still skeptical, agrees, "Fine. Just know that if he puts one foot wrong I'm gonna snap it off, and ain't nobody gonna stop me."

Heatblast, still pleading a bit, "I've changed, dude. You'll just have to trust me on this one."

Dan, reluctant but willing to give Ben a chance, concedes. "Fine, we'll see. But you better not pull anything."

Heatblast nods and with a powerful burst of flames concentrated at the floor he takes flight, forming a fiery platform to levitate on and firing off fireballs, one after another, hitting five Jackal Snipers all situated on metallic circular platforms. The Jackal Snipers, Avian in appearance with thin metallic armour and sparkling blue vizors, drop to the ground with light flops.

The battlefield is a chaotic symphony of gunfire, energy blasts, and roars. Spartans and creatures alike clash against the Covenant and Makarov's forces.

Spartan Valerie engages her hip thrusters and runs up a wall and spin in the air whilst Spartan Bravo ruthlessly guns down a squad of Grunts with brown armour, leaving the Blue armoured four mouthed humanoid Elite Minor leading them on it's own as Spartan Valerie lands behind it and gets it into a headlock. "Hold still, ugly!"

She effortlessly headshots another duo of Jackal Minors, leaving small pools of purple blood with small brains on the floor in their wake, with her spare hand firing one of her Whispered Truth's, the silenced magnums firing three bullets effortlessly with each pull of the trigger.

Spartan Shadow butts a Grunt with his shotgun before spinning around and delivering a knife stab to a Russian soldiers face and slicing it in half like a Guillotine through paper as Shadow throws the body away and spots the ripples of camouflage approach Spartan Atlas from behind as he barks out orders to Spartan Valerie.

"Watch your back, Atlas!" A quick burst of shotgun fire takes down the sneaking Elite, while Spartan Silent finishes off the head-locked Elite with a precise sniper shot to its neck.

Macmillan hits a Makarov soldier with a Sniper Bullet, causing it to drop to the floor and its Ak 47 bounces off of the ground which and hits a Jackal on the back, Mildly annoying it.

Macmillan gives Spartan Silent a high five. "One less for them!" Macmillan then trains his sight on another Russian, this one readying a grenade. Bang! His sniper shot prevents the Russian from tossing a grenade at Spartan Bravo and Spiny, the Spinosaurus.

Spiny, now engaged with a duo of Hunters, uses its immense strength to fend them off. The massive armoured beasts made of worms and contained in dark blue armour fire off fiery green blasts from their cannon like hands as Spiny attempts to get the upper hand by charging right at them.

The Brute Chieftain walks up to a Grunt operating a Plasma Cannon and kicks it away. "Get away you pest!"

The Brute Chieftain wildly fires into the sky, utilising the detached Plasma Cannon to fire at Drago and Heatblast as they navigate the skies.

Ash arrives on the scene running with Pikachu, Ash-Greninja, and Heracross, panting but determined at his side.

Ash stops in front of Spartan squad 117 as Spartan Atlas takes cover behind a rock, narrowly avoiding a stray rocket. "We're here to help! You guys look cool."

Spartan Valerie speaks in her typical sarcastic tone. "Damn right, kid. And don't you forget it."

Spartan Bravo, nodding at Ash, "Guess'n you've got our backs hotshot?"

Spartan Atlas, recognising that they could use all the help that they can get, "Names are Spartan Valerie, Spartan Bravo, Spartan Shadow, and Spartan Atlas."

Ash, still breathing heavily, "I'm Ash. This is Pikachu, Greninja, and Heracross."

As they exchange names, Spartan Silent snipes another camouflaged Elite that was closing in on Ash, earning a thumbs-up from the Pokémon Trainer, unsure if she even sees him amidst the chaos.

Terry roars in frustration and anger has a large group of Russian soldiers flank Terry and Gwen. Terry turns to face the new threats and starts toward them and Doctor Z screams, seething with anger that this was allowed to happen. "Ursula, do you even pay attention? Are you trying to get us killed?"

Ursula, frustrated at Doctor Z's unfair criticism, "I'm doing my best here, Doctor! Terry, watch out!"

Terry roars in anger as it charges toward the troops, biting, stomping, and swinging its tail, crushing them with each powerful strike.

Gwen, as Ampfibian, survey's the battlefield spotting Kiri's lucario hop onto a small stone platform sitting atop a crystal and strikes the crystal, shattering it, which causes a small eruption of blue lava and Lucario balances precariously as the Elite stares at it curiously.

Gwen spots some distant blue visors clambering up to a small ledge with purple armoured fortifications around it and guesses that it can't be anything good and attempts to channel her mana, however fails. "Oh right I can't do that it Alien form. At least that's what Ben said."

Gwen notices the blue visor's taking aim at Doctor Z and Ursula on Terry and acts, flying through the air as fast as she can, before sending electrical waves at the blue visored avian creatures and electrocutes them, watching as they fall to the ground of the ledge and Gwen spots the Elite and Lucario fly through the air trading and parrying blow after blow before landing and panting.

"I see not what you seek to protect intruder. It seems to me unimportant." The Elite states bearing down on Lucario again.

"Lu, Lu!" Lucario barks back as they two begin fighting again Lucario's countering strike after parrying the Elite's first hitting the Elite and the two start clashing evermore energetically as they slide down to the level of the ridge just above where Ben, Emily, Kiri and Alex have just exited out too.

As Gwen focuses on the ongoing battle between Lucario and the Elite, she notices a stray fuel rod cannon blast heading directly toward Ben, Alex, Kiri, Emily, and Jack. Panic sets in as she struggles to figure out a solution. "Oh no! Uh, Ben, move!"

Luckily, the blast strikes just above them, causing loose magmatic rock to fall. The falling debris crushes the Elite Minor that Kiri's Lucario was engaging, ending the threat.

Now the teens find themselves encased in rock, unable to move. Gwen and Kiri's Lucario rush to their aid, attempting to remove the rocks, but their efforts prove futile. Afraid of accidentally hurting the people inside Gwen restrains herself from using her powers and attempts to help Lucario lift a small rock to no avail.

Gwen, getting frustrated, "Come on, Ben! Just transform and get us out of here!"

Terry, swings his tail around and leans his head down to try and bite down an a Hunter but is met with a surprisingly powerful punch from the Hunter which sends it recoiling

Gwen's frustration grows as Ben seems hesitant to transform, and Jack and Kiri panic.

Alex, trying to calm Kiri, "Hey, Kiri, we'll get out of this. Just hang in there."

Kiri however squirms and quivers. "Get me out of here!"

Emily, though spotting Jack visibly quivering, does nothing. Figuring that he deserves it after how he acted, his pleading eyes doing nothing.

Alex, as she wrestles Kiri to a more comfortable and snuggly position to stop him hurting himself, spots Jack having a more subdued but similar reaction to Kiri. Noticing that Emily is just sitting and ignoring Jack, Alex sighs and calls out to Jack, "Hey surfer dude over here!"

Jack seems to not notice so Alex mutters to herself how difficult these people are. "Kiri stay still I've gotta do something."

"But."

"Listen just hold your breath and hold out your arms ok Lavender hair?" Alex finally manages to sit Kiri up and keep him still whilst making her way toward Jack and bumping her head a little on the surprisingly hot rocks encasing them.

"Hey there, big guy. It's gonna be ok alright?" Alex softly speaks to Jack, making sure to keep a good distance from him.

For what must be the first time, Jack eyes Alex with pleading and vulnerable eyes. Almost asking for help. Alex nods and softly grabs his hand. "I'm just gonna take you a little bit over here, ok?"

Jack nods but his gaze is transfixed and distant as if his mind is in a different place and different time as Alex leads him to Kiri's position. "Ok now I'm gonna need you to sit in Kiri's lap ok?" Alex maintains her soft tone.

Kiri, breathing deeply, shakes his head. "I..It..he.."

Alex sighs, practically pushing Jack into Kiri's lap. "Listen I'm not big enough to cuddle both of you so you're gonna have to bunch up, ok?"

Kiri nods and slowly wraps his vibrating arms around Jacks waist and squeezing him tightly as if he was some kind of stress toy.

"Good, now get ready cuz here comes the cuddle monster!" Alex wraps herself around Jack and Kiri as best she can making sure that they are secure, still and safe as they panic.

For the first time Jack smiles feeling truly cared for and calm. This being the first time he's ever been held since the incident.

Meanwhile Gwen wraps her tentacle like appendages around a Russian with a long and powerful looking shotgun and electrocutes it until it drops to the floor. "Come on Ben you've done it a million times. Just transform! I dunno Four Arms, Humongosaur, even Grey Matter. Just something, Ben please."

Ben, berating himself: "Pathetic... I can't even transform when it matters most."

Squad 141 pushes forward down the narrow path, engaging Makarov's forces in intense and tactical gunfights. The rocky terrain provides cover, but Makarov's troops, well aware of Squad 141's objective to push past them, play defensively.

Price rolls behind thin stretch of purple cover. "Watch your angles! We need to keep pushing!"

Ghost struggles with the unfamiliar M6H Magnum, his shots going wide. "Bloody hell! How do you use this thing?"

Soap, getting frustrated but keeping a cool exterior, "You'll get the hang of it, Ghost. Just squeeze, don't pull."

Meanwhile, Roach and Soap exchange precise shots with Makarov's troops. Roach uses a fallen boulder as a makeshift shield.

Roach, spinning around and dropping a Russian on his right, "Got another one on the left!"

Soap, turning around and dropping the Russian on Roach's left, "I see him. I've got your back."

A duo of Russians flank Price and Ghost attempts to shoot them but ends up hitting their guns instead, his frustration growing, as Price turns around and guns the two of them down.

Ghost smacks the magnum on his knee in frustration. "This peashooter is useless! I miss my MP5."

Price, getting frustrated with Ghost's constant moaning, "Adapt, Ghost! We're not back in the SAS now."

Squad 141 finds themselves getting more frustrated and desperate with each engagement, their progress slowed by the stubborn resistance.

Roach, reloading: "Bloody hell, they're dug in deep!"

Soap, laying down suppressive fire, "We can't afford to let them stall us. Push harder!"

As they continue the push, occasional chatter from Makarov's troops can be heard.

Makarov's Soldier: "Hold the line! They won't get through!"

Another Troop: "Call in reinforcements if you have to! Just don't let them past!"

Squad 141, now fueled by determination, adapts their strategy, utilizing the rocky terrain to flank and outmaneuver Makarov's forces.

Ghost, gaining confidence: "Alright, maybe this peashooter has its uses."

Soap, smiling, "Told you. Keep moving, we're almost there!"

Ash commands his Pokémon into action as they attempt to clear a path for Ed and Tank. "Pikachu, Iron Tail on that rocket!"

Pikachu springs into action, its tail glowing as it smacks away an incoming rocket, saving Ed from the explosive threat.

Ash: "Great job, Pikachu! Ash-Greninja, Night Slash!"

Ash-Greninja, in its heightened form, engages in a fierce acrobatic battle with a duo of Elite Majors. Their energy swords clash, creating sparks in the air as they duel.

Ash: "Keep it up! Heracross, Megahorn!"

Heracross charges forward, its horn glowing brightly. With a powerful thrust, it buries it's horn into the ground and tears the rock upward sending the Grunts operating their plasma cannons flying, disrupting their firing lines.

Ash, feeling the flow of battle pierce through him, "Ed, use Tank to break through their defenses! We need to reach that central device!"

Ed, riding atop Tank, grumbles: "Always so much work..."

Spartan Valerie overhears Ed's complaint. "Quit whining, Ed! If anything you've had the easy jobs!"

Meanwhile, Ash-Greninja continues its acrobatic battle, rebounding off of one of the rocks and delivering a swift karate kick to one whilst parrying an attempted sword slash from the other. Both Elites then try to hit Greninja at the same time leading the swift Pokemon to dodge and land a powerful upswing on one of the Elites, disabling it's shields temporarily,

Ash: "Nice one, Greninja! Pikachu, Electro Ball!"

Pikachu, showing signs of exhaustion, releases a charged Electro Ball that zips through the air, striking down a group of advancing soldiers.

Ash encourages his Pokémon amid the chaos. "We're almost there! Keep going guys!"

As Ed and Tank deal with the tougher adversaries, including Hunters and Brutes, the battlefield becomes a symphony of coordinated attacks and explosive clashes. Each member of the team plays a crucial role in their attempt to reach the central communications device.

The battlefield is chaotic, with various skirmishes taking place simultaneously. Spartan Atlas coordinates with Spartan Silent over comms. "Silent, Macmillan, cover our advance. We need a clear path to that central device!"

Spartan Silent nods to Macmillan and Macmillan nods back. The duo both stick a thumbs up to signal that they've read Atlas and repositions themselves to track the others movements more.

Spartan Bravo fires into a large group of Covenant,or at least tries too, however Tank's overenthusiastic battling gets in the way. Bravo shouts at Ed, "Ed, get Tank out of the way! I need a clear shot!"

Ed, attempting to maintain some semblance of control over Tank, argues back. "I'm trying, but Tank's got a mind of his own!"

Tank swings his massive clubbed tail wildly, striking Jackals attempting to take cover behind rocks. Hot magma is sent flying as the clubbed tail strikes the wall.

Ash-Greninja, engaged in a swift exchange with two Elites, forms and throws a Water Shuriken over its back, targeting a Brute Captain escorted by Makarov's soldiers. The Brute Captain, dressed in dark blue power armour, shrugs off the attack, menacingly approaching Pikachu.

Suddenly, a large magmatic rock strikes the Brute Captain from the sky, knocking it out and sending it flying. Heatblast dispels the Russian soldiers with a ground pound that explodes into a fiery vortex as his head flames soar and his concentrated roar screams victory.

Ed, observing this occur riding atop Tank, "Whoa! That was... something!"

Ash dodges out of the way of a plasma grenade as Heracross hits the offending Brute with a duel Brick Break using it's first to hit the head and disable the shields before hitting the stomach and sending it flying into the wall and grinning at Ash whom is preoccupied with observing Heatblast's vortex die down. "Woah.. Hey wait a minute.."

Ash picks himself up off the floor and glares at Heatblast. As if he can sense the animosity Heatblast holds his hands up in surrender. "I guess I should probably lead with sorry, right?"

Ash wipes the small pebbles from his trousers. "Sorry!? You could've killed me! You.. You would've killed me!"

Heatblast looks around for some way to convince Ash that he's changed, since he judges early that words won't work.

Pikachu is sent flying across the field as the Brute Captain from earlier has woken up and his very angry. Luckily enough Heatblast catches Pikachu before it falls into a lava pit, Pikachu begins tiredly charging itself to electrocute Heatblast until he begins gently petting it. "No worries, little buddy. We're on the same side."

Ash stutters and hesitates not knowing wether to order Heracross to attack or wether to do much of anything. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu begins to trust Heatblast and so Ash does too, finally relenting. "Ok I guess you're on our side."

With newfound confidence, Heatblast throws a fireball, catching the Grunt Heavy that has been keeping Spartan Valerie pinned before it can unleash another Fuel Rod Cannon blast.

Amidst the chaos of battle, Ash and his Pokémon coordinate their attacks. Heracross charges forward under Ash's orders, using Megahorn to strike one of the Elites Ash-Greninja is engaged with, sending it painfully into a sharp piece of rock.

Greninja, now with only one Elite left to battle, forms a water Shuriken to act like a shield and blocks the Elites next strike and pushes it away. Heracross then delivers a Brick break to the Elites back, which disables the shield and Greninja flicks his Night Slash into the air delivering a backwards karate kick before catching it's sword and slicing the Elite in half.

Ash, feeling grateful that his Pokemon still fight so well together after all this time, "Nice teamwork, guys! Let's keep pushing forward!"

As Heatblast flies away, Spartan Atlas finds himself in a tense gunfight with a squad of Russian soldiers. The crackling sounds of gunfire and explosions echo in the rocky chamber.

Spartan Atlas, over comms: "Silent, Macmillan, we need sniper support now!"

Spartan Silent, from her vantage point on the ridge, lines up her shot, taking out one Russian soldier after another with precision. Macmillan joins in, taking out any that Silent misses.

Meanwhile, Drago, currently under a barrage of rockets and Fuel Rod Cannon blasts, "Drago hang in there buddy! Ability Card activate, Dragon Hummer!". The air around him shimmers as the blasts hit, and he quickly recovers, soaring toward Terry, who is looking weakened after an extended engagement with the bulk of the Russian troops.

Drago, after roaring intimidatingly, "Hold on, Terry! I've got you!"

As Drago reaches Terry, "Lets smoke some geeks Drago! Fire Tornado Ability activate!" . Flames swirl around him, creating a vortex of intense heat and chaos. The Russian troops are caught off guard, scrambling to avoid the fiery onslaught. Terry finds a moment of respite near a rock, prompting Doctor Z to throw a fit. "Lazy dinosaur! This is not the time for a nap!"

Ursula fusses over Terry, checking for injuries. "Hang in there, Terry! We won't let the nasty men hurt you."

Dan, sternly reminding them of the urgency of the situation, interrupts their distractions. "Focus, you two! We're still in the middle of a battle."

Ampfibian sends out an electric wave to shock some Grunts, watching as they spasm on the ground. "I kinda feel ba.." Suddenly a green armoured avian creature with a slim, almost skeletal, build and pointy claws jumps on Gwen and knocks her to the floor. Their feathered appearance and nimble movements make them distinct as they approach in large numbers, wielding dark blue, circular, Plasma Pistols that crackle with energy.

Gwen, wrestling with a Skirmisher that continuously claws her, "Watch out, guys! We've got company!"

Kiri's Lucario, reacting on its own accord, engages the Skirmishers with a series of rapid Mach Punches, matching their speed with precision. Using an extreme speed Lucario knocks them out in one punch, one by one, dancing between them like an Alien pinball machine.

Meanwhile, Emily attempts to break through the rocks using Bubble Beam, focused on creating an opening for the trapped group.

Emily groans in frustration. "Come on Piplup we did it before!"

Piplup does indeed try harder firing off the most powerful Bubble Beam yet which actually manages to barely shift a small portion of the rock.

Gwen directs her attention to Ben, who is still resistant to transforming. "Ben, I know you're scared. But we need you out here. We can't do this without you."

Ben in a hesitant tone, "I... I'm afraid I'll hurt people again."

Gwen nods her head and tries to ignore the Skirmishers surrounding Lucario. "Is this about what happened with Ultimate Kevin?"

Ben hesitates, his voice breaking, "Yeah. I almost killed him."

Gwen, speaking with compassion: "Ben, you're not the same person you were then. We've all changed. And right now, we need you."

Ben slams his hand on a rock a tear dripping down his cheek. "You don't get it Gwen! I put an entire Plumber academy in danger. Do you realise how much it hurts to know Kevin hurt all of those people because I failed. I almost killed Kevin to fix my failure, my failure Gwen."

Gwen attempts to respond but has to divert her attention as a Skirmisher jumps on her back again, forcing her to electrocute it with a tiresome shock.

Gwen continues to console Ben, speaking with a gentle determination. "Ben, we all have moments we regret. But you've saved the world countless times. You have to trust yourself. We trust you."

Ben feels conflicted but listens, "It's just... I lost control. I don't want to hurt anyone again."

Gwen, reassuringly: "You're not alone in this, Ben. I'm here for you, and I know you won't let it happen again."

As Gwen and Ben share this moment, Alex is focused on calming Kiri, who is on the verge of a panic attack.

Alex, trying to comfort Kiri: "Kiri, you need to breathe. We're going to get out of this. Trust me."

Kiri, his voice shaky: "I... I'm claustrophobic. I can't stand this."

Alex, realizing Kiri's fear: "Alright, we'll find a way out. Emily, help me here."

Emily, assisting Alex: "Don't worry, Kiri. We'll get through this together."

Jack, despite being somewhat calm before, senses the shattering of the gentle moment and his flashback gets worse again. "Get away from her! GET AWAY FROM HER!" Jack begins struggling against Alex and Kiri wildly as if fighting for his life.

Alex, struggling to maintain the hold. "Emily, need some help here."

Emily tries to rack her brain, being inexperienced with these situations. "Uh.. What do you want me to do?"

Alex feels Kiri getting shakier as Jack seems to be disturbing him. "Just get him under control! I don't know relax him or something."

Emily massages her temples. "Hang on." Emily grabs Jack's headphones, remembering that he seems to wear them a lot, and gently slides them onto Jacks head and putting her hands on Jacks shoulder. "Shhh. It's ok, nobodies here but us ok?"

Emily looks over to Alex for approval that what she's doing is good, Alex nods as she lays Kiri on her lap and shuts his eyes.

"What one would you like on Jack, you've got lots of really good stuff on here." Emily holds Jacks I Pod and scrolls through his list of audiobooks and documentaries as she lets him rest his head on her chest now that he seems as if he's calmed down. "A..A Journey through hell creek. Em." Jack softly spits out, his vulnerable voice exposing a vulnerable side to him that Emily's never seen before.

Meanwhile, Kiri's Lucario, valiantly battling against the Skirmishers, begins to struggle as a group of Brute Minors supported by Grunts join the fray.

As the battlefield rages on, Macmillan lines up his shot, focusing on a heavily armed Russian soldier. He takes a deep breath, steadies his aim, and squeezes the trigger. The bullet finds its mark, and the soldier falls, his Light Machine Gun clattering to the ground.

Macmillan, smirking: "One shot, one kill ey. What'd'y think, Silent?"

Spartan Silent responds with a subtle smirk and a nod, gesturing towards her own target. She lines up her sniper rifle and expertly takes down an Elite Major attempting to coordinate the enemy forces. Macmillan, impressed, gives her a nod of approval. "Looks like we've got a competition going, eh?"

Spartan Silent playfully raises an eyebrow underneath her helmet, seemingly enjoying the friendly banter. She reloads her Sniper Rifle and gestures to Macmillan that she's gonna start keeping count. "Gonna keep count ey? Just watch out, Macmillan's about to make your 30 inches weep."

As they observe the chaos below, Heatblast's fiery beam hits a wall, releasing hot magma onto the battlefield. Some Russian soldiers scramble onto split rocks to avoid the molten flow, inadvertently making themselves easy targets.

Spartan Silent, gesturing toward the targets counts one-two-three, with her fingers.

As she starts counting her kills on her fingers, and Macmillan can't help but chuckle. "Alright, alright. Let's see if ye can keep up, then."

As Zander activates another move card for Spiny, the Spinosaurus, a water funnel rises around him. It shoots off as tendrils, surrounding and immobilising some Elites and Grunts around him. One of the water tendrils hits the lava flow created by Heatblast's fiery beams which causes the magma to explode randomly.

Macmillan, feeling the need to crack another joke, "Now, that's some destructive teamwork."

However, Macmillan's next shot falls short, failing to take down an Elite Minor in one shot. Spartan Silent, sensing his frustration, lets out a fake giggle and smoothly finishes off the Elite with her own precise shot.

Macmillan, appreciative: "Thanks for the save. Guess I owe you one."

Spartan Silent gives a nod and a thumbs-up, silently acknowledging their unspoken camaraderie.

As Squad 141 continues their advance, Ghost, now more adept with Spartan Shadow's M6H Magnum, engages with some of Makarov's higher-ranked soldiers dressed in suits and wielding Shotguns. The metallic echoes of gunfire and distant explosions fill the chamber. Amid the chaos, snippets of conversation between Elites, Brutes, and Russian soldiers filter through the noise.

Elite Commander: "He he, When they run out of Demons they send their Goblins.."

The Brute Chieftain, bruised but fighting on, "These Russians think they can control us. Foolish creatures."

The Elite Commander laughs. "They are all just heretic scum."

Price runs out of ammo in his M4 and ducks behind cover as Roach covers him. "Dam it! Anybody got a spare gun?"

"What about one of these weird Alien things?" Ghost picks up one of the Plasma Rifles off of the ground, the dark blue semicircular weapon with burning plasma between the two sides.

Price takes it off of Price and tries to figure out how to fire the weapon and recoils as it burns his hand. "Ah! Bloody hell Ghost, you're trynna kill me."

Now that squad 141 stop temporarily Makarov's militia take their time to re-entrench themselves and dig in, talking amongst themselves as they do so.

Russian Officer, "They serve well as Cannon fodder don't they Sergi?."

Sergi nods and cocks his Shotgun. "Victory will soon be at hand, the plan will work."

The subtle exchanges paint a picture of mistrust and hidden agendas. Squad 141 catches wind of the discord between the two factions and begins to adapt their strategy. "Listen to this Price, If I was hav'n a guess 'ol Makarov's up to 'is old tricks again." Soap call out to Price who finishes loading up one of the Russian AK 47's left on the ground.

Price turns and addresses the team quietly, "We need to use this to our advantage. Ghost, can we coordinate with the others to create a distraction?"

Ghost, considering: "If we time it right, we could pit them against each other. Create confusion in their ranks."

Roach: "How are we going to pull that off? They're not exactly chatty."

Soap: "We need a plan, not just wishful thinking."

Ghost, scanning the battlefield: "We find a chokepoint, draw their attention, and then signal the others to hit from behind. It's risky, but it might work."

Price, determined: "Alright, let's do it. Roach, Soap, keep your eyes peeled for the signal. Ghost, get ready to relay the message."

The chamber echoes with the report of gunfire as a flashbang detonates, disorienting Squad 141. Russian soldiers emerge from the smoke, unleashing a hail of bullets. Squad 141 scrambles for cover, Soap thinking on his feet. "We can try linking our radios to the Spartan IVs. Ghost, can you manage that?"

Ghost, working on his radio: "It's worth a shot. If that doesn't work, we can always ask Macmillan to do it."

Price, with a smirk: "Ah, the good old-fashioned way. Mac, ever the reliable tech guy."

Macmillan, over comms: "Oi, I heard that. You blokes need me to work my magic?"

Soap, chuckling: "You're always our plan B, Mac."

Ghost, while linking radios: "Let's get this done quickly. We don't have time for extended combat."

As they attempt to establish communication, a roar erupts, catching the attention of both Squad 141 and the Russian soldiers. Unseen by the squad, Ben has transformed into Rath, ready to unleash his fury.

Rath jumps down from a higher ledge and tackles one of Makarov's men to the ground, "Lemme tell ya something! Rath is here to lay the smackdown!"

Rath charges into the fray, his feline agility and strength on full display. He uses the uneven terrain to his advantage, leaping between rocks and delivering powerful blows to the more elite Russian soldiers. His anger filled attacks create a spectacle, drawing attention away from Squad 141 and providing cover for their next move.

Spartan Atlas see's the distinct communications signal that could only ever come from British SAS trying their best and calls out, "Bravo, Shadow, cover me. I need to talk to Price."

Spartan Bravo, laughing: "Don't get yourself blown up while chatting, Atlas."

Spartan Shadow, loading his shotgun: "We got your back, Atlas."

Spartan Atlas switches his radio frequency, listening to Price's voice outlining the plan. Doubt creeps into Atlas' mind, but he pushes it aside, focusing on the strategy. Suddenly, a nearby Fuel Rod cannon blast forces him to dive for cover. Spartan Valerie, ever the show-off, puts her hands on Spartan Atlas's head and launches into a gymnastic front flip and uses her armour's thrusters to slow her descent as she brings down a squad of Russians whilst twirling her Whispered Truths.

Spartan Atlas scoffs. "Valerie stay focused! Stop getting hyper and just do it by the book for once."

Spartan Valerie smirks beneath her helmet. "Nah schmooks. I'm a total badass in power armour, and I think these Alien freaks deserve to know it."

Spartan Bravo, finding Valerie hilarious as always, laughs. " Always have to show off ey Val."

Spartan Valerie reloads her Magnums. "You know it."

Spartan Atlas ignores them and continues speaking to Price behind cover. "Price, this better work. I don't fancy dying in a convoluted plan."

"Don't you worry big man, you're dealing with professionals. We may not have your fancy tech, but we've been on some choppy missions before." Price responds casually.

As they discuss the details, a group of Brutes, Grunts, and Elite Russian soldiers engage Squad 141. Amidst the chaos, Atlas switches back to his main comms.

Spartan Atlas: "Spartan Squad 117, Ash, Ed, listen up. We have a plan. Ed, Tank's... Whatever he has. Cause some chaos. Go!"

Ed, overexcited: "You got it, Atlas!"

Tank roars as Ed activates the Spike Arrows move card. Large spikes emerge from Tank's armored hide, and he charges into the enemy ranks, causing havoc and confusion. Meanwhile, Spartan Valerie keeps the pressure on the retreating Russians, while Spartan Shadow strategically takes out a few Grunts with his shotgun.

Spartan Atlas: "Push ahead, everyone! We've got a small window."

As they charge forward, they run into a formidable obstacle—a group of four Hunters and the Brute Chieftain still armed with a detached Plasma Cannon, supported by Russian soldiers armed with RPGs. The battlefield intensifies as chaos ensues, and the success of the plan hangs in the balance.

The battlefield is chaos. Drago sends out another Galactic Dragon which crashes into a wall, causing magma to spill out like a waterfall, engulfing Covenant and Russian troops alike. Terry's distant roars suggest the T-rex is embroiled in its own fierce battle. Meanwhile, squad 141 is engaged in intense combat with Brutes, Grunts, and Russian soldiers.

Spartan Atlas, showcasing his tactical prowess, tosses a Frag grenade, eliminating a couple of Skirmishers. With precision, he dispatches a Brute Major with his Assault Rifle. The Brute Major, towering and heavily armored, falls under the relentless fire of Spartan Atlas.

Spartan Bravo, mounting his SAW on a makeshift bipod made of broken pieces of Plasma Rifles atop a rock, sprays gunfire into the crowd. A group of Grunts cowering behind some deployable dropshields begin running away as one by one they fall to the ground. "Ahhhh! Don't let 'em catch me Dap Dap."

Spartan Shadow exhibits his acrobatic skill, running up a Brute, performing a backflip, and using his Shotgun to eliminate two Russian soldiers mid-flip. Seizing the opportunity, he steals the Brute's Spiker, turning it on its former owner before using the Brute's body as a shield against a Jackal's Needler Magazine.

Spartan Valerie showcases her agility, leaping over Spartan Shadow, using his helmet as a boost, and kicking a Jackal down, crushing its head. Her Whispered Truth's unleash precise shots, eliminating a squad of Skirmishers surrounding her.

Amidst the chaos, Spartan Atlas takes down a couple of Jackals closing in on Spartan Shadow. The team moves with calculated efficiency, each member contributing to the onslaught against their formidable adversaries.

The battlefield is alive with chaos as Rath choke slams one of Makarov's troops into a wall and sweeps another to the ground before leaping atop another and pinning him to the ground and slashing his face. "Somebody bring him down!" One of the Russians calls out as a full squad empty their mags onto Rath to no effect. "Now you've just made me mad!" Rath dives into the squad and quickly, and brutally, disposes of then.

Rath grins, reveling in the chaos he's causing. His monstrous form tears through the Russian soldiers with unmatched strength and agility. Over the din of battle, the gruff and commanding voice of Thel 'Vadamee rises, arguing vehemently with Makarov. "Why do you cling to me like a pestering Didi?" Thel 'Vadamee's voice cuts through the chaos.

"Ah, my friend, it is only prudent to ensure the success of our shared goals," Makarov replies, his words dripping with cunning.

As Rath approaches, the Russian soldiers attempt to form a defensive line, but his relentless assault makes him seem unstoppable. Overhearing the conversation between the higher-ranking Elites, Rath picks up on their attempts to convince Thel 'Vadamee to abandon the situation.

"You must retreat, Excellency. This place is not safe," one Elite advises.

Thel 'Vadamee, determined and resolute, dismisses the suggestion. "I will not retreat. We will finish what we started. It is on the Prophets orders after all "

Makarov, always finding a way to be near Thel 'Vadamee, interjects, "We are on the precipice of victory, my friend. Let us savor the moment together."

Rath, growing more determined, lets out another roar that pierces through the battlefield. "Lemme tell ya something, Makarov! You and your comrades are about to get a one-way ticket to Pain City!"

Squad 141 continues their advance. Ghost, riding on a Brute's shoulders, effortlessly takes it down with a well-placed shot to its head. Price and Soap engage Grunts, struggling against the overwhelming numbers. Roach, holding down a squad of Russians, takes a bullet to his arm, slowing him but not stopping his relentless assault.

Meanwhile Gwen, having a moment of peace as Lucario throws a swirling ball of energy at the Skirmishers and forces them to retreat, channels all of Ampfibian's electric energy unleashes a beam of lightning into the rocks only to discover that she's just charred them and sighs.

Lucario gets hit by a charged Plasma pistol shot in the back and pants whilst kneeling down on the ground. Gwen, noticing this, summons her remaining energy to charge over and create a sort of makeshift shield of electricity around Lucario as it recovers. This utterly perplexes the Skirmishers.

"You ok now uh.. Cute dog thing?" Gwen asks in a caring sort of voice as the Skirmishers continuously attempt to break her shield. "Lu, Lucario. Lucario." Lucario staggers to it's feet and nods that it'll hold them off and Gwen, in turn, nods too and lets the shield down to go back to Ben's side who sounds as if he's crying. Or at least sobbing.

Ben's voice is tinged with regret as he confesses, "I almost killed Kevin. I hurt so many people, Gwen. I've endangered lives, put friends in danger. What if I can't change? What if I can't be the hero I need to be?"

Gwen, her eyes glowing with determination, deflects a Skirmisher's plasma bolts and counters, "Ben, you've saved the universe countless times. Mistakes happen. It's how we learn and grow. You're not defined by your past. You're a hero to so many, especially me."

As they engage in conversation, a chilling presence fills the air. The distinctive hum of Covenant Buggers pierces through the chaotic symphony of battle. These insect-like, airborne foes swarm around them, their wings casting shadows over the rocky surface.

Gwen glances up, a hint of worry in her eyes. "Ben, we've got more incoming. Things. I.. I don't know how long we can hold out. We need you Ben."

Kiri's Lucario, already battered from the relentless assault, takes a hit from a Bugger's plasma pistol. Gwen, desperately fending off multiple enemies, pleads with Ben, "You've got to transform, Ben! We can't hold them off like this. I'm not enough!"

Ben, feeling the pressure and desperation of the situation, hesitates. "Gwen, I don't want to risk hurting anyone again. I'm afraid..."

Gwen interrupts, her voice firm, "Ben, you can't let fear control you. Azmuth chose you for a reason. You're the galaxy's greatest hero, and you need to believe it. Not for them, but for yourself. You'll always be a hero to me, no matter what."

The chaos of battle surrounds Ben as he watches his friends struggle within the rocky prison. Alex and Emily, clearly distressed, work tirelessly to keep Kiri and Jack from succumbing to panic. Jack, seemingly detached, continues to immerse himself in his documentary, offering a brief escape from the dire situation along with Emily's comforting presence around him. Emily's Piplup persists in its futile attempts to break the rocks with Bubble Beams and Water Guns.

Through thin slits in the rocky barrier, Ben witnesses Gwen valiantly defending Kiri's Lucario from the relentless assault of Skirmishers and Buggers. Ampfibian's electric powers arc through the air, striking down foes, but the overwhelming odds take their toll on Kiri's Lucario.

Gwen's voice reaches Ben's ears, determined and encouraging. "Come on, Ben! We need you! Kiri's Lucario is fading, and I can't hold them off much longer!"

On the other side, Alex, usually the resilient tomboy, is visibly shaken. "Ben, we can't lose Kiri, not like this. You've got to do something!"

Emily echoes Alex's plea, her tone desperate. "Ben, we need Heatblast, or uh anyone who can help us! Piplup can't break us out, and Kiri's about to collapse!"

Ben, standing at the edge of a precipice, feels the weight of responsibility pressing on him. He sees the dire situation his friends are in, and for a moment, a surge of fear threatens to paralyze him. Memories of past mistakes loom large, but then, a realization dawns upon him.

His voice, once hesitant, now carries a newfound determination. "It's what Grandpa Max would want. Julie, Helen, Manny Alan, Cooper, even Pierce. It's what they'd want, what they'd expect from the guy who stopped Vilgax 3 times. I.. I am a hero." As the atmosphere shifts from hopelessness to cautious hope, Ben's eyes blaze with resolve. He takes a deep breath, gathering the courage to confront his fears.

Alex clutches Kiri tightly, who's on the verge of hyperventilation and panic-induced tears. Despite Alex's soothing words, Kiri struggles to regain composure. In a last-ditch effort, Alex plants a gentle kiss on Kiri's cheek, hoping to provide comfort. Kiri blushes faintly, but the overwhelming stress persists. "Easy, Kiri, you're okay," Alex murmurs, holding him close.

Emily, noticing something amidst the chaos, tries to get Alex's attention. "Alex, look! It's important!"

But Alex, absorbed in calming Kiri, snaps at Emily, "I don't care about anything right now except Kiri!"

Kiri, managing to speak between gasps, adds, "She's right, Alex. Look... it's incredible."

Alex finally turns her gaze to where Emily is pointing. Amidst the battleground, Ben has transformed into a small white creature with sleek, metallic details. It's Echo Echo, ready for action. His multiple disc-shaped bodies hum with energy, each one a representation of his ability to manipulate sound.

"He transformed!" Emily exclaims. Though readily fixes her mistake when she feels Jack tense swiftly shushing him again.

Outside the rocks the Buggers close in and swarm around Gwen and Lucario. Lucario finally drops looking beaten and bruised though its determination to protect Kiri keeps it from fainting which causes Gwen to panic. "Ok focus Gwendolyn. You can do this, just close your eyes and.." Suddenly, still transformed into Ampfibian, Gwen's eyes switch from dark green to a dark pink colour as her body glows an etherial pink.

Gwen, using her magic infused with Ampfibian's electric powers, erects a protective barrier to shield herself and the group from the relentless assault of Skirmishers and Buggers. The barrier crackles with energy as Gwen concentrates on maintaining it.

Meanwhile, Ben, now Echo Echo, takes a moment to survey the situation. Feeling the need for more power touches the dial on the Omnitrix. "Sorry Kevin." Ben mutters as the dial grows small metallic forks in every direction.

The transformation begins:

Echo Echo's form shimmers with dark blue energy as he undergoes a radical metamorphosis. His metallic details become more pronounced, and his body expand in size. His head turns into a semicircle and small circular holes appear across his shoulders containing disks. Then his body rounds out and grows taller, turning a deep dark blue colour as his eyes shimmer.

As the transformation reaches its climax, Ben emerges as Ultimate Echo Echo, a formidable fusion of power and sound. His bodies now radiate a pulsating glow, and he hovers above the ground with newfound strength. The air crackles with energy as Ultimate Echo Echo announces himself. "Ultimate Echo Echo!"

Emily, having witnessed the incredible transformation, cheers with enthusiasm. The power surge from Ultimate Echo Echo ripples through the battlefield, momentarily stunning the Covenant and Makarov's forces.

In the heart of the volcanic chamber, the air is charged with anticipation as Ultimate Echo Echo hovers above the ground, his bodies pulsating with energy. The surrounding Skirmishers and Buggers, stunned by the display of power, gaze up at him with a mix of awe and horror.

"It's Hero Time!" Ben declares with confidence. He then unleashes a powerful sonic blast from his arms. The shockwave shatters the rocky casing that confined Emily, Alex, Jack, and himself. The debris scatters in all directions, creating a momentary pause in the chaotic battlefield.

As the dust settles, the fallen Skirmishers and Buggers lie defeated on the floor. Ultimate Echo Echo looks around at the awestruck expressions of those witnessing his power. With a nervous quip, he says, "Well, that was... impressive, right?"

Gwen, still maintaining the protective barrier, calls out to Ben, "Ben, we need to regroup and figure out a plan!"

Ben nods and instructs, "Gwen, get the others out of here. Things are about to get messy. It's not safe for them; they don't have superpowers like us."

Gwen hesitates, her eyes reflecting concern. "But I can help in the fight."

Ben insists, "No, Gwen. You've got to get them to safety. It's our job to handle this."

Reluctantly, Gwen nods and begins leading Emily, Alex, and Jack out of the chamber. Alex, focused on calming Kiri, struggles to move him, and Gwen has to wait patiently.

"I've got you, Kiri," Alex reassures him, her voice steady despite the chaos.

Meanwhile, Emily taps Jack on the shoulder who jumps a little and turns around and takes his headphones off. "We've gotta go, we're safe now." Emily tells Jack and gently places the headphones back over his ears and steer him toward Gwen and the others.

Gwen leads the group out of the chamber, casting a worried glance back at Ultimate Echo Echo. As they exit, the sounds of battle intensify behind them.

The volcanic chamber continues to echo with the sounds of battle. Ultimate Echo Echo, embracing his newfound power, heads straight for Terry, the formidable dinosaur who has fallen to the relentless assault of Makarov's forces and the Covenant. The massive creature finally succumbs, returning to its card form and leaving Ursula and Doctor Z vulnerable.

Ultimate Echo Echo arrives swiftly, a blur of shimmering dark blue, and delivers a powerful punch to an Elite Minor firing a Plasma Rifle at a scrambling Doctor Z. The Elite Minor is sent flying into a magma-covered wall, its weapon clattering to the ground. Meanwhile, Ursula and Doctor Z watch in awe, trembling with fear at the sudden turn of events.

As the chaos ensues, Ben shifts his attention to the remaining threats. Using his sonic abilities, he lifts two Elite Minors into the air, sending them crashing into stalactites on the chamber ceiling. The chamber reverberates with the impact as debris scatters across the battlefield.

With a quick, calculated move, Ultimate Echo Echo deploys his sonic disks to surround a large group of Russian soldiers. The wall of sound resonates, disorienting the soldiers until they drop to the ground, incapacitated.

Turning towards Doctor Z and Ursula, who are still wide-eyed with shock, Ultimate Echo Echo lowers himself to the ground. "Hey, it's me, Ben. You two should probably get out of here. It's not safe without Terry to protect you."

Doctor Z and Ursula exchange glances before nodding in agreement. They quickly make their way towards the exit, casting occasional fearful glances back at the ongoing battle.

Hovering again, Ultimate Echo Echo quips, "Well, that was a blast! But duty calls!" With that, he soars into the air once more, leaving a trail of sonic energy in his wake.

In the midst of the chaotic battle, Ultimate Echo Echo soars up to where Dan Kuso rides atop Drago, the duo being engaged in a fierce aerial struggle against a swarm of agile Buggers in dirty looking green armour.

"These things are so slippery!" Dan complains, trying to fend off the relentless swarm.

Drago, with a smirk, quips, "Guess we'll have to swat them, like bugs!"

Ben grins at the pun, finding it so bad that it's almost funny. "Mind if I E, Echo that?"

Before Dan can respond, Ultimate Echo Echo unleashes his sonic disks. A wave of sound energy blasts through the air, hitting every Bugger in the swarm. The Buggers, now disoriented and rattled, drop to the ground like a synchronized dance routine.

"Works like a charm," Ben remarks, observing the defeated Buggers.

As the dust settles, Ben notices Spartan Squad 117 closing in on the communications device, their Assault Rifle-wielding leader, Spartan Atlas, leading the charge. In the distance, Spartan Silent and Captain MacMillan of Squad 141 are perched on a ridge, sniping with precision.

Dan, impressed by Ultimate Echo Echo's power, comments, "That. Was. Awesome!"

Drago interjects, "But what exactly are you?"

Ben takes a moment to explain, "I'm using the Ultimatrix. It's like an evolved version of the Omnitrix. I can transform into these super-powered aliens, like Ultimate Echo Echo here."

Dan nods, absorbing the information. "That's cool! Hey, what if we combine our powers? Back in the day, I had this Trap Bakugan called Scorpion that amplified Drago's attacks like crazy."

Ben's eyes light up with interest. "Combine powers, huh? Sounds worth a shot!"

Dan grins, "Great! Let's give it a try."

In the heat of battle, Dan Kuso activates Drago's Galactic Dragon ability, summoning a majestic creature wreathed in celestial energy. Ben, as Ultimate Echo Echo, uses his sonic abilities to hold the colossal Galactic Dragon within his sound waves.

"Alright, Drago, where do we hit?" Ben asks, his focus on maintaining the hold.

Drago takes the responsibility of aiming and replies, "I'll handle it. Don't want to risk Dan messing up the shot."

Dan interjects with a smirk, "Hey, I've got a steady hand!"

Ben chuckles, "Steady, maybe. Precise, not so much."

Drago adds, "Yeah, Dan's insults are better than his pick-up lines."

Dan grins, "You gotta admit, I'm a man of many talents."

As the banter continues, Ben grows a bit impatient. "Come on, guys! Where should I hit?"

After some deliberation and a few complaints from Ben about the difficulty of holding the Galactic Dragon in place, they settle on a strategic target that would maximize damage to the remaining Covenant and Makarov-controlled Russian forces.

"Just a bit to the left, Ben," Dan directs.

Ben teases, "Left or your other left, Dan?"

Dan rolls his eyes, "Very funny. Just hit it!"

With a nod from Drago, Ben warns, "Alright, you two might want to fly back. This is gonna be big."

Taking a few steps back, Ben gives himself a run-up before unleashing a colossal unified sound blast. The wave of sonic energy propels the Galactic Dragon forward with tremendous force, sending it careening into the ground below.

An explosion erupts, its magnitude nearly matching the size of the volcanic chamber itself. Ben and Dan, along with Drago, stare in a mix of amazement and slight terror at the devastation they've just unleashed.

"Uh, did we just do that?" Dan asks, wide-eyed.

Ben grins, "Guess we make a pretty good team."

Amidst the aftermath of the explosive attack, Captain Price crawls along the scorched floor, the heat and smoke still lingering in the air. The Communications device, a crucial objective, lies just ahead, but the atmosphere is thick with tension and uncertainty.

Price glances around, his squad members crawling alongside him, their clothes charred, and sweat glistening on their foreheads. The remnants of whatever large attack just came from the sky float in the air like fiery embers.

Over the radio, Macmillan's voice breaks through the static. "What the bloody hell was that, Price?"

Captain Price, still focused on reaching the Communications device, replies, "I don't know, Mac. But we need to stay on mission."

Macmillan pauses on the radio before a determined tone enters his voice. "I've got Makarov in my sights. This might be our only chance. I can end this madness."

Price, aware of the history between Macmillan and Makarov, responds urgently, "No, Mac. We bring him in alive. Orders are orders."

Macmillan, his voice tinged with frustration and a lingering desire for vengeance, argues back, "We've been tracking Makarov for months, Price. This is our one opportunity. I can take the shot."

Price, familiar with the ghosts of their shared past, attempts to pacify Macmillan. "I remember Pripyat, Mac. I remember Zakhaev. But we can't let our past dictate our actions now. We bring him in, and we do it by the book."

Macmillan's voice tightens as he recalls their shared failure. "You remember Pripyat, Price? You remember how Makarov stole Zakhaev from us in that damn UAZ? This is our chance to make it right."

Price, unyielding in his commitment to orders, retorts, "I remember, Mac. But we can't let emotions cloud our judgment. We do this by the book, understand?"

In the aftermath of the mysterious attack, Spartan Atlas checks on his squad, a concerned expression on his stoic face. The Spartans rise to their feet, their energy shields depleted to 0%, perplexed by the sudden onslaught.

"What the hell just happened?" Spartan Bravo wonders aloud, glancing around at his comrades.

Spartan Shadow theories, "Some sort of EMP? Definitely Not like anything I've seen."

Spartan Atlas slowly rises to his feet. "Everybody's vitals ok?"

Spartan Valerie pulls herself up using Spartan Bravo's shoulders as a support. "Anybody else notice thing's smell a lot, smokier, all of a sudden?"

Spartan Shadow checks his reading of everybody's vital signs. "We're all A ok boss."

Spartan Atlas nods, not wanting to get his voice drowned out by the sounds of their shields recharging.

Meanwhile, Valerie notices Ash and Ed lying on the floor, their clothes charred, and Ash's Pokémon fainted around them. Ash, seemingly fine but concerned, struggles to his feet. He checks on his Pokémon, a look of worry on his face.

"Ugh what a trip, it's like going to one of Professor Oak's barbecue's. You ok Pikachu?"

Spartan Valerie, showing unexpected sympathy, approaches Ash and offers, "Let me give them a quick medical check. Make sure they're okay."

Spartan Atlas, always focused on the mission, moves to intervene. "No time for that. We need to keep moving."

Spartan Shadow steps forward, blocking Atlas. "Hold on, Atlas. Showing a little humanity won't hurt."

Atlas retorts, "We don't have the luxury of sympathy. We've got a mission to complete."

Spartan Shadow, surprisingly heated, berates him, "You're too damn emotionless, Atlas. It's not a weakness to care."

Atlas, unfazed, replies coldly, "Sympathy never helped either of us."

Spartan Shadow, angered by the response, snaps back, "We agreed never to talk about it!"

Spartan Atlas sees this as a victory, confident that he's made his point. He turns to Spartan Valerie and commands, "Stop giving the animals medical checks. They're clearly fine. We need to move on."

Spartan Bravo, staying out of the brewing conflict between Atlas and Shadow, watches silently as the squad prepares to press forward, the tension lingering in the air.

Rath approaches the platform where Makarov and Thel 'Vadamee stand. Makarov, a man with a steely gaze and a rugged appearance, is clad in tactical gear, his face bearing the scars of countless battles.

As Rath stands before them, he can't resist a hearty proclamation. "Lemme tell ya somethin', Makarov, and you too, Goldilocks! You're in for a world of hurt!"

Makarov smirks, seemingly unimpressed, and steps aside, disappearing from Rath's line of sight. However, Thel 'Vadamee, a zealot in golden armor wielding an Orange Energy Sword, steps forward with a calm demeanor.

Rath, undeterred by Makarov's disappearance, focuses on Thel 'Vadamee and retorts, "You think you can mess with Ben Tennyson? Lemme tell ya somethin', you're barking up the wrong alien!"

Thel 'Vadamee, flanked by his two personal bodyguards, each adorned in red armour with flamboyant golden ornamentation glistening around the armour especially around the helmet, confront Rath directly. The bodyguards, known for their prowess and loyalty, wield a Plasma Repeater and a Focus Rifle, distinctive Covenant weapons designed for maximum efficiency.

"I sense within you conflict young one. Perhaps. Loneliness." 'Thel Vadame speaks in a mock understanding tone.

Rath cuts him off with a growl. "Save the speech, Goldilocks. You ain't convincin' me to join your Covenant circus."

Thel 'Vadamee, unfazed by Rath's defiance, continues to appeal to the emotional turmoil within young Ben, exploiting the loneliness and betrayals from his past. "You've known betrayal, young one. In the universe you hail from, allies have turned on you. You are a warrior without a true purpose. Join us, and together, we can forge a new destiny."

Rath, maintaining his resolve, scoffs, "Nice try, but I've got my own purpose, and it sure ain't followin' some golden zealot and a guy with a bad case of scarface."

Thel 'Vadamee, unmoved, insists, "Your power could be instrumental in the Great Journey. We can offer you strength and purpose beyond anything you've known."

Rath, with a determined glare, roars, "Lemme tell ya somethin', Goldilocks. My strength ain't for sale, and my purpose ain't up for grabs. Ben Tennyson fights for justice, and you can bet your shiny armor I'm gonna stop you!"

Amidst the chaos on the platform, Rath lunges toward 'Thel Vadamee's bodyguards. With the speed and ferocity befitting his alien form, Rath grabs the one armed with a Plasma Repeater, forcing it into a headlock. However, before he can fully subdue the first bodyguard, the other, wielding a Focus Rifle, shoots a beam into Rath's back.

Rath grunts in pain but refuses to release his grip on the first bodyguard. "Lemme tell ya somethin', you overgrown flashlight! You just made Rath mad!"

Meanwhile, Captain Price, attempting to set Macmillan on the right path, watches as Macmillan takes a shot at Makarov. The bullet, however, strikes a Russian decoy who had been masquerading as Makarov. Price grimaces at the error.

"Dammit, Mac! That's not Makarov," Price scolds.

Macmillan, undeterred, replies, "Just clearing the way, Price. Now let's get after the real one."

Back on the platform, Ghost emerges from the shadows, silently approaching 'Thel Vadamee with his M6H Magnum ready. However, 'Thel Vadamee senses the impending threat. In a swift and calculated move, he counters Ghost's advance with a single swing of his Energy Sword, slicing off Ghost's arm along with the Magnum.

"Ah!" Ghost drops to the floor, grimacing in pain. Ghosts arm bleeds dark red blood as the rest of his arm spasms out of control and parts of it's tissue flap and flake outward, only stopping as Ghost grips the clean cut stump with his other hand.

'Thel Vadamee mocks him, "Such ambition, such cockiness. To attempt an assassination on me? You are but a mere shadow."

As if to show further domination 'Thel Vadamee rests one of his feet on Ghosts back and grins, his four mandibles flapping like a mouth. "You are akin to much your race. Misled but inferior. I want you to squirm, to truly feel how you are doomed."

Meanwhile, Makarov, hidden behind his last remaining Russian bodyguards, retrieves an AK-47 from a camouflaged location. He mutters to the guards, "It's time."

In the heart of the tense confrontation on the platform, Makarov points his AK-47 at 'Thel Vadamee. The two adversaries exchange harsh words about their planned betrayals, both acknowledging that the alliance was doomed from the start.

"Did you really think this alliance would last, Makarov?" 'Thel Vadamee taunts, his golden armor glinting in the harsh light.

Makarov smirks, raising the AK-47, "Foolish alien. I knew this was coming."

'Thel Vadamee warns, "Your attempt will be foolish. This will not end well for you."

In a sudden burst of rage, Makarov shouts, "It's over for the Covenant! You won't take my world from me!"

He empties an entire magazine of AK-47 rounds into 'Thel Vadamee, only to be met with the sound of shields recharging. 'Thel Vadamee, unscathed, calmly reminds Makarov of the futility of his actions, mocking him.

"Foolish mortal. Did you really believe bullets could harm me?"

'Thel Vadamee begins advancing toward Makarov, who panics at the realization that his desperate attack had failed. As 'Thel Vadamee moves forward, Makarov's guards open fire with their shotguns, their weapons blazing in an attempt to protect their leader.

"Thel Vadamee rolls toward the first and slices upward before throwing his sword into the next guard, the sword slotting right through his heart, before he lifts another by the neck and retrieves his sword and crushing the windpipe of the Russian, staring him in the eyes as the light leaves them.

Makarov attempts to retreat, leaving his final two guards to fend for themselves, completely ignoring the fear in their eyes. 'Thel Vadamee arrives like an Elephant in a village, slicing the head of off one guard before tripping the other one up and stamping on his head.

Despite the guards' efforts, 'Thel Vadamee soon reaches Makarov, who pleads for his life. "Please, spare me! I'll give you anything!" Makarov begs, desperation in his voice.

With a mocking tone, 'Thel Vadamee declares, "Your pleas fall on deaf ears, human."

In a swift and brutal move, 'Thel Vadamee slices both of Makarov's hands off, leaving him defenseless. Holding Makarov aloft by his head, 'Thel Vadamee stares down at his defeated foe.

"Your reign ends here," 'Thel Vadamee declares with authority.

Makarov, now helpless, pleads one last time. "Please! Mercy!"

'Thel Vadamee grins again. "This is the fate that befalls, ALL! Who betray our great Covenant. You heretic, you must be silenced."

With a final roar, 'Thel Vadamee thrusts his Energy Sword through Makarov's back, ending the tyrant's reign of chaos. The chamber falls silent, the clash of ideologies resolved in a decisive and brutal victory for 'Thel Vadamee.

As 'Thel Vadamee spots Drago and Ultimate Echo Echo amidst the chaos descend toward the ground a thought runs through his mind, a need to cut his losses. Unaware of their identities, he orders his remaining forces to gather around him for a strategic retreat.

"Fall back! Gather around! We retreat!" 'Thel Vadamee commands, his voice echoing through the platform.

As the Covenant forces begin regrouping, Spartan Squad 117 and Squad 141 arrive, guns blazing. The air is filled with the deafening roar of gunfire and the clash of opposing forces engaged in fierce firefights.

Captain Price leads Squad 141, their goal clear—rescue Ghost. "Move in, secure Ghost! We're leaving no one behind!"

Meanwhile, 'Thel Vadamee, with a discerning eye, notices the explosives rigged to the communications device. Realization dawns upon him that Makarov had put the activator on his back, hidden underneath his armor. The device could detonate at any moment.

"By the Forerunners... He's rigged it to blow," 'Thel Vadamee mutters to himself, realizing the imminent danger.

Considering his options, 'Thel Vadamee contemplates the difficulty of the situation. Evacuation Phantoms can't enter until the volcano's ceiling is blown, and the only other way out is through the heroes currently battling his forces. He makes a difficult decision.

"We fight! Secure the area! We'll find another way out!" 'Thel Vadamee commands, rallying his troops for a last stand.

The battlefield is a chaotic symphony of gunfire, explosions, and the clash of opposing forces. Spartan Squad 117 and Squad 141 press forward with determination, each step bringing them closer to their objectives.

In the midst of the chaotic firefight, Spartan Bravo, his SAW pointed at Ultimate Echo Echo, is halted by the intervention of Spartan Shadow. Placing a hand on Bravo's shoulder, Spartan Shadow advises restraint. "Don't shoot potential allies,"

Dan, still riding atop Drago, takes the opportunity to explain, "This Ben is on our side. Just a different version. Trust me, he's here to help."

Spartan Bravo, like the rest of the squad, seems to believe Dan's words. Lowering his SAW, Bravo extends a hand toward Ultimate Echo Echo. Cautiously, Ultimate Echo Echo accepts the gesture, the metal fingers of the Spartan meeting the rounded hand of the transformed Ben.

"Sorry about that," Spartan Bravo apologizes, a hint of sincerity in his voice.

Meanwhile, Spartan Atlas, in the heat of battle, melees an Elite Minor wielding a Plasma Rifle. He swiftly picks up the fallen Plasma Rifle, finishes off the Elite with his Assault Rifle, and turns to suppress a group of Grunts armed with Needlers at the same time.

"Keep moving! No time to get distracted!" Spartan Atlas orders, the urgency in his voice cutting through the chaos.

As the Spartans press forward, Ben, Dan, and Drago quickly strategize. They agree that targeting whatever device the Covenant is protecting might be their best course of action. Spartan Valerie, showcasing her combat prowess, effortlessly maneuvers through the battlefield. She jumps atop a Brute Captain, slides dual daggers down its back, and utilises her thrusters to propel herself behind the Grunts and swiftly dispatch of them with her Whispered Truths.

Dan, impressed by Spartan Valerie's skills, comments, "Now that's some serious talent."

Drago adds a touch of humor, "Yeah, Dan, maybe you should take some notes!"

In the heart of the battle, Rath, young Ben transformed into his ferocious alien form, clashes with 'Thel Vadamee himself. Rath's clawed limbs go toe to toe with 'Thel Vadamee's expert swordsmanship, the air around them filled with the clash of metal against alien hide.

"Listen, human! There are bombs on the communications device. We need to evacuate!" 'Thel Vadamee tries to warn Rath, his voice commanding.

But Rath, consumed by the fight and his determination to bring down 'Thel Vadamee, pays no heed. "I ain't listenin' to no Covenant nonsense! I'll take you down, no matter what you say!"

'Thel Vadamee, genuinely concerned for the young hero's safety, attempts to reason with him. "This is not manipulation. The device will explode. We must retreat!"

But Rath remains obstinate, convinced that 'Thel Vadamee is trying to deceive him. The battle rages on, the two warriors locked in a fierce struggle.

Meanwhile, on another part of the platform, Price finds himself knocked down by a Skirmisher. Just as the alien foe prepares for a fatal strike with it's purple crystal fuelled , Roach intervenes with a precise headshot, saving Price. Roach, nursing his injured arm, fights off another Skirmisher that attempts to bite into his wounded limb.

As Price retrieves his AK 47 from the ground, he coordinates with Soap to bring down a Jackal, stressing the importance of getting Ghost out of the dangerous situation. "We need to focus on Ghost's extraction. These bullets aren't doing much against their shields. Let's keep moving!"

Ultimate Echo Echo swiftly unleashes his sonic blasts, sending two groups of Grunts on either side of him crashing into the walls. With incredible speed, he charges down another Grunt operating a Plasma cannon, delivering a powerful punch that sends both the cannon and the Grunt soaring through the air.

"Guess that's what happens when you mess with the echo!" Ultimate Echo Echo boasts, reveling in his own display of power.

As Dan and Drago advance nearby, the triumphant moment is cut short when they encounter a formidable duo of Hunters, supported by a small group of Grunt heavies armed with Fuel Rod cannons. Drago, attempting an unconventional approach, tries to reason with the alien adversaries.

"Hey, big guys! Let's talk this out. No need for unnecessary violence," Drago suggests, the unexpected diplomacy surprising both Ben and Dan.

For a moment, the Hunters seem somewhat responsive, and Dan and Drago let their guard down. However, the Grunt heavies seize the opportunity, firing their Fuel Rod cannons in unison. Drago manages to withstand the barrage, but Dan is knocked off his perch.

In a swift reaction, Dan activates another ability card, "Burning Reflector!" The card's effects manifest on the battlefield, creating a barrier of intense heat around Dan, deflecting the incoming energy projectiles and protecting him from harm.

Amidst the chaos, Ash advances behind the Hunters with two new Pokémon at his side. An orange coloured majestic fiery dragon, and a sleek navy, red and white coloured feathered bird Pokémon, join the fray.

The platform shakes violently as the outer shell of the communications device explodes, sending shrapnel of Covenant metal and spare wires flying in all directions. The explosion leaves only the exposed engine and its core components, now adorned with a haphazardly strapped second layer of bombs. The unexpected turn of events captures the attention of Ultimate Echo Echo, Rath, Dan, and Drago, causing them to momentarily pause in the midst of battle.

Rath, mid-fight with 'Thel Vadamee, freezes as he realizes the truth in 'Thel Vadamee's warnings. "Uh oh. That looks... Bad" Rath mutters to himself, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

Even Spartan Squad 117 and Squad 141 cease their relentless fighting, their attention now fully on the ticking time bomb that was once the communications device. The urgency of the situation is palpable.

Ultimate Echo Echo takes charge, "We don't have much time! That thing's the new target. We have to get it out of here before it blows!" he urgently declares.

Dan, Drago and Ash nod in agreement, ready to act. Ash leaps atop his Charizard, "We're lifting this thing, Charizard, just like that Magmar back in the Cinnabar Island gym battle. Swellow, cover us!" Ash commands, determination in his eyes.

As the trio prepares to execute the plan, 'Thel Vadamee, now understanding the imminent danger, shouts at Rath, "This is what I was warning you about, foolish child"

The explosion serves as a momentary pause, but the urgency of the situation quickly propels the battlefield back into chaos. With a renewed sense of purpose, Spartan Shadow swiftly disposes of an Elite Major charging directly at him, energy sword in hand. The powerful blast from his Shotgun leaves no room for the Covenant adversary to retaliate as it drops helplessly to the floor.

Price and Soap, in their unyielding coordination, manage to bring down another Jackal, their bullets strategically aimed to the right of its shield. Roach, nursing his injured arm, hangs back, providing cover fire with his Desert Eagle to pick of anything Price and Soap miss.

Amidst the ongoing skirmish, Spartan Silent, positioned with precision on the ridge, carefully and accurately picks off a Grunt before it can harm Roach. Macmillan takes aim at a Skirmisher that darts around the battlefield attempting to get to Ghost who's still struggling on the ground looking pale.

Macmillan's focus, his failure to finish off Makarov playing on his mind, wains as he takes the shot, missing the Skirmisher by a country mile as it bears down on Ghost. Luckily enough Spartan Silent, noticing Macmillan's frustration as he slams his fist on the floor, manages to take the Skirmisher down with a precise headshot before any harm can be done.

Frustration evident on Macmillan's face, Spartan Silent tactfully puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. She then offers to trade Snipers, tilting her Sniper barrel towards Macmillan. Understanding the unspoken gesture, Macmillan agrees to the exchange. The two trade Snipers, and Macmillan takes a moment to guide Spartan Silent through using the NATO standard AN/PVS-29 scope.

"Alright, love, just follow my lead. You see that small orange dragon, the larger red one, and that dark blue robot with sonic powers?" Macmillan instructs, his voice steady.

Spartan Silent, still and focused, follows Macmillan's guidance. She peers through the scope, spotting the unique trio grabbing onto the remnants of the communications device.

"Got 'em in your sights?" Macmillan checks, his tone encouraging.

Spartan Silent responds with a subtle nod, her actions conveying confidence.

The trio—Ultimate Echo Echo, Dan atop Drago, and Ash commanding Charizard—struggle to lift the remnants of the communications device from the ground. The sheer weight proves challenging, and Dan can't resist making a comedic remark. "Who knew alien tech would be so heavy? My gym workouts didn't prepare me for this,"

Drago, bearing the brunt of the lifting, complains, "Easy for you to say. You're not the one actually trying to lift this thing!"

Ultimate Echo Echo chimes in with a synthesized agreement, and Charizard huffs in acknowledgment. Ash chuckles and encourages Charizard, "Come on, big guy! Keep pushing, or pulling, whatever works!"

Dan, not wanting to leave anything to chance, activates Drago's Dragon Hummer ability once again. The ability manifests with an intense surge of energy, enhancing Drago's strength and allowing them to make some progress in lifting the cumbersome device.

As they work together, coordinating their efforts, Charizard suddenly takes a hit. A supercharged plasma bolt fired by a screeching Bugger finds its mark, the high-pitched screech causing Ash and to instinctively cover their ears.

"Charizard, no!" Ash exclaims, concern evident in his voice.

"Char!" Charizard roars in both frustration and pain as the energy from the plasma bolt bubbles electrically on it's wings.

Swiftly, Swellow takes action without needing Ash's command. The avian Pokémon chases after the screeching Bugger and unleashes a razor wind attack. The gust of razor-sharp air slices through the Bugger, cutting it down in mid-air and sending it tumbling to the ground.

Ash, reacting quickly, "Charizard use Gust on the ground. Give us some extra push." . The powerful gust of wind generated by Charizard's attack hits the ground, creating a forceful updraft that finally manages to uproot the remnants of the communications device. As the device hovers in the air, Ultimate Echo Echo shifts himself underneath, using his sonic disks to provide additional propulsion from below.

"Nice one, Charizard!" Ash praises his Pokémon.

Ultimate Echo Echo and Dan, in their own unique ways, express their surprise at how smoothly things are going. "Well, that was easier than expected," remarks Dan with a grin.

But the celebration is short-lived as Drago points out the next challenge. "Now we've gotta get through the ceiling," he observes.

Ash, always ready with a solution, suggests, "Why not just blow a hole through it?"

Dan quickly agrees, "Great idea. Let's do it!"

Ultimate Echo Echo proposes taking the same approach they used earlier to amplify the power of Drago's Galactic Dragon. Dan nods in agreement, and Ultimate Echo Echo releases his sonic disks, allowing them to rise above the hovering device.

"Alright, Drago, let's give it another round! Galactic Dragon!" Dan commands.

Drago fires off another Galactic Dragon, and at the same time, Ultimate Echo Echo's sonic disks amplify its power. The combined force strikes the ceiling, causing it to crack open. Smoke begins to concentrate and funnel out of the new opening, revealing the chute of the volcano.

The battlefield remains a maelstrom of chaos as Spartan Bravo, armed with his SAW, maneuvers through the rocky terrain. He spray fires into a group of entrenched Brutes and Jackals making use of deployable shields and other makeshift cover to protect themselves. Ducking in and out of cover, Bravo displays the agility and combat prowess typical of a Spartan, ensuring his shields hold up against the returning fire from the Brutes and Jackals.

"Keep the pressure on them, Spartans! We're not giving them an inch!" Atlas shouts over the cacophony of battle, rallying his team as the Covenant soon find themselves backed into a corner.

On the ground, Swellow, Ash's valiant Pokémon, executes a swift and daring attack. The Plasma Cannon-wielding Brute Chieftain, firing blindly at the airborne heroes, becomes the target. Swellow swoops in, evading plasma bolts with acrobatic maneuvers, and delivers a precision Razor Wind attack. The razor-sharp gust cuts through the air, disabling the Brute Chieftain and momentarily disrupting the Covenant defences.

The Brute Chieftain roars. "You dare assault the invincible ThrallSlayer!"

In the midst of this chaos, the intense one-on-one battle between Rath and 'Thel Vadamee continues.

Rath lunges forward with impressive agility, attempting to grapple 'Thel Vadamee, who expertly parries and counters each move with the energy sword. Rath attempts to set up a close line but 'Thel Vadamee ducks underneath it and slashes at Rath.

"Give it up, human! You cannot match the skill of a Sangheili warrior!" 'Thel Vadamee declares, his voice carrying a mix of disdain and determination.

Rath, ever defiant, retorts with a cheeky grin, "You're gonna find out real soon that I'm not your average human!"

The battle between Rath and 'Thel Vadamee intensifies, each combatant pushing the other to their limits. 'Thel Vadamee, displaying his disciplined fighting style, manages to temporarily stun Rath by skillfully rolling out of the way of one of his heavier attacks. Seizing the opportunity, 'Thel Vadamee delivers a brutal slash to Rath's back, causing the aggressive alien to roar in pain.

Infuriated by the strike, Rath's undisciplined fighting style becomes more apparent. 'Thel Vadamee exploits this, Rath charges aimlessly at him throwing punch after punch and claw after claw. 'Thel Vadamee parries each attempt easily and continuously trip Rath up and cause him to hit the leftover metal barricades.

As 'Thel Vadamee continues to outmaneuver Rath, the alien warrior's anger reaches a boiling point. In a desperate move, Rath leaps up onto a nearby rock, retreating momentarily from the relentless assault.

"Running away like a child, are we?" 'Thel Vadamee mocks, his voice dripping with disdain. "You're nothing more than a boy playing at being a warrior."

Rath's eyes flare with anger. "I'm no boy!" he growls, clenching his fists. "The last guy who called me that never spoke again!"

Fuelled by rage, Rath presses down on the Omnitrix Dial on his chest without uttering another word. In an instant, he transforms into XLR8, a Xenomorph like alien coloured dark blue with black armour and an angular helmet with balls for feet. Without hesitation, XLR8 jumps down from the rock and charges at 'Thel Vadamee with incredible speed, leaving a blur in his wake.

'Thel Vadamee, momentarily taken aback by the sudden transformation, quickly readies his energy sword to defend against the lightning-fast assault. The combat between the swift XLR8 and the disciplined 'Thel Vadamee becomes a breathtaking display of speed and skill, with each move executed in a blur of motion. The battlefield echoes with the clash of their conflicting fighting styles as the two warriors engage in a high-speed confrontation.

The trio, now outside the volcanic chute, find themselves facing a daunting sight. Large Covenant drop ships, their sleek and angular designs ominous against the volcanic backdrop, descend into the cavernous opening. Organized groups of smaller ships, with rectangular shapes and triangular wings coloured deep purple, swarm around like angry wasps.

"Okay, this is bad," Ash mutters, eyeing the incoming Covenant forces.

Ben clenches his fists, ready for action. "I can take them on. I've got the power."

But Ash interrupts, "No, Ben. If you fight them here, the whole thing might collapse on us. We need another plan."

As the panic sets in, Dan and Drago share a quick exchange of glances. Dan then clears his throat with a determined expression. "I've got an idea," Dan announces. "Ben, Ash, you two stay back. We'll handle this part. Just trust us."

The trio looks at Dan with a mix of confusion and concern.

"What are you planning?" Ben asks.

Ash adds, "It better be good."

Dan grins confidently. "Oh, it is. We just need you guys to clear a path for us."

Ash raises an eyebrow, "Clear a path?"

Dan nods. "Yeah. Ben, you're the muscle. Ash, you're the brains. So, go on, do your thing. We'll take care of the rest."

Ben and Ash exchange a puzzled glance, but Dan's conviction convinces them to comply.

"Alright, but be careful, both of you," Ben warns.

Ash adds, "And don't do anything too crazy."

Dan smirks, "No promises."

As Dan and Drago position themselves to throw the communications device into the surrounding ocean, Ultimate Echo Echo faces a sudden onslaught from the rectangular ships. One of the larger flying alien crafts collides head-on with Echo Echo, sending him spiralling through the air. With swift reflexes, Echo Echo uses his sonic powers to redirect the trajectory of one of the smaller ships into another, destroying both and stabilising himself.

Another duo of the smaller ships begin opening fire on Ultimate Echo Echo and he sends his disks flying into the air spraying aggressive sound waves like a makeshift shuriken and slicing them both him half. The larger ships seem to be ignoring the fight entirely though and before Ben can do much more, he's engaged by another of the smaller ships which fires a fuel rod blast at him sending him flying again. However, Ben uses the propulsion to quickly spin around and deliver a powerful punch to the smaller ship that shatters it into several small pieces.

Meanwhile, Ash and Charizard find themselves in the heart of a squadron of smaller ships. The aerial dogfight becomes an intense struggle for dominance in the skies. Charizard maneuvers with impressive agility, but the overwhelming number of Covenant craft puts a strain on both the Pokémon and its trainer.

A fuel rod blast streaks across the sky and Charizard matches it with a flamethrower, the proceeding explosion causing a multicoloured firework effect in the sky. Further plasma rains down on Charizard and with a roar of determination it unleashes a beam of flames which melts one of the wings of a smaller ship which causes it to crash into another.

As the dogfight ensues, the physical toll on Charizard becomes evident. The Pokémon roars defiantly, but its wings show signs of strain. Ash, determined to push through, encourages Charizard to give it their all.

"Come on, Charizard! We've faced tougher challenges than this! We can do it!"

Charizard growls in agreement and intercepts one of the ships on its trajectory around him and catches it, using its plasma fire against the seabird like circling ships destroying several of them. Charizard then digs its claws into the ship, making its claws glow dark green and enlarge in size to crush the ship under its powerful grip.

As Price, Roach, and Soap reach Ghost, who is clutching his arm on the ground, Roach quips, "Seems like the Covenant have a thing for arms today, ey Ghost."

Ghost, still lying on the ground, smirks and retorts, "Well, it's about time you guys showed up. I was starting to see fairy's with rubber devices."

Soap helps Ghost to his feet, and Ghost continues, "Thanks for the rescue. I was getting tired of playing patty-cake with these guys."

Price, ever stoic, opens fire on a couple of Grunts, taking them down with ease. Swellow, Ash's Pokémon, swoops down using an Aerial Ace attack on a Jackal. Soap chuckles and nudges Roach, "Managed to resist shooting one this time, huh?"

Roach grins, "Well, you know, sometimes you gotta let them live for a little bit."

Price instructs the team, "Alright we've gotta get out of here, get Ghost to safety. He needs medical attention, stat." . Above them, large angular purple ships descend, their imposing figures casting shadows on the battlefield. The Covenant forces begin to retreat as the heroes regroup.

Meanwhile, in the midst of his fight with 'Thel Vadamee, XLR8 continues his agile movements, dodging attacks and striking with precision. However, 'Thel Vadamee, displaying his expert swordsmanship, manages to step on XLR8's tail, surprising the speedy alien, and delivers a swift sword slash. A Jackal Sniper seizes the opportunity and shoots XLR8 with a Beam Rifle, causing him to de-transform back into his normal 10-year-old form.

"The Phantoms have arrived, all forces retreat with your lives. I'd rather my army in tatters, but safe." "Thel Vadamee announces as ThrallSlayer, missing his helmet and his armour dented revealing his thick grey beard and blood red eyes, fires duel Plasma repeaters, chunkier versions of the Plasma Rifles, at Swellow, seemingly enraged.

Spartan Silent, having made her way down the ridge to meet up with her squad, approaches the now tired and furious 10-year-old Ben. She places a comforting hand on his shoulder, offering silent solace. Ben, however, shrugs her off, his eyes fixed on 'Thel Vadamee making a hasty escape toward the Covenant Phantoms. Determination burning in his gaze, Ben transforms into Upchuck.

Upchuck is a small, round alien with a green, chitinous exterior and two eyes that shimmer with a mischievous glint. He runs off, devouring nearby debris and firing the partially digested materials blindly at 'Thel Vadamee. The Elite zealot effortlessly blocks each attack. Surprisingly, 'Thel Vadamee's voice carries a tone of wisdom as he warns, "Anger clouds judgment, young one. It can be your undoing."

Ignoring the advice, Upchuck quick-changes into Four Arms, a massive red alien with four muscular arms and a rugged, tough appearance. Now resembling a powerhouse, Four Arms charges through the retreating Covenant forces, relentlessly pursuing 'Thel Vadamee.

As Four Arms barrels through the enemy lines, he swats aside Elites, Skirmishers and grunts, shrugging off plasma cannon blasts from the Phantoms. The ground trembles beneath his powerful strides. In the chaos, a group of Jackals attempts to halt his advance, but Four Arms effortlessly dispatches them with a powerful sweep of his arms.

"Spartans, hold your positions! Ghost, get to cover!" Spartan Atlas commands over the comm channel. Spartan Bravo, witnessing Four Arms' effortlessly grab four Brute Captains and choke them so hard he separates their heads from their necks marvels, "Now that's a Spartan-level brawler."

Spartan Atlas holds out a hand to stop his squad. "Hold your positions! The Phantoms are retreating. There's no point in pursuing them now."

Spartan Bravo grumbles loudly, " Just when things were getting interesting."

Spartan Silent looks concerned, pointing in Ben's direction and waving to her teammates trying to convey a message to her fellow Spartans. However, they seem oblivious to her attempts to communicate.

Four Arms, in his desperate pursuit of 'Thel Vadamee, continues his rampage, attacking every Covenant in sight. He punches an Elite major into a pool of lava and barrels through another squad of Skirmishers, before clapping all four of his hands together at the same time and dispelling tens of Grunts at the same time. But 'Thel Vadamee boards one of the departing Phantoms.

'Thel Vadamee's voice crackles over the Covenant comms, "All Phantoms, coordinate your fire! Bring down the boy!"

The Phantoms unleash a relentless barrage of plasma fire, overwhelming Four Arms. The powerful alien struggles against the onslaught but eventually de-transforms, left vulnerable on the battlefield.

Spartan Atlas spots Valerie acknowledging Spartan Silent and taking a deep breath. " Valerie, it's not worth it! Fall back!

Spartan Valerie, reloading her Whispered Truth's, seems to realise something important. "No, I can't let him get hurt. He's just a kid, I've got to go."

Spartan Shadow steps forward and makes a fruitless attempt at calming his voice from worry. "It's not worth the risk, Valerie."

Spartan Valerie begins jogging in young Ben's direction regardless, muttering to herself and her cool demeanour now exuding pure seriousness.

Spartan Atlas can't help but raise his voice in frustration, "That's an order, Valerie. Get back here now!"

Ignoring their pleas, Spartan Valerie takes off after Ben, determined to finish what they started. Spartan Shadow watches with growing concern, shaking his head as he hopes the Phantoms take off before she gets herself hurt.

Spartan Shadow attempts to steal himself again. "Valerie, come back! That's an order goddammit"

Spartan Atlas puts a human hand on Spartan Shadows shoulder and attempts to ease his concern, "We've done all we can. I'd say she's out of the way of the Phantoms anyway by the time she get's there."

Spartan Valerie blocks the Phantoms out of her mind, images of a young girl cowering behind a destroyed car as Elites pass by gunning down survivors as they spot them. She attempts attempts to snap back to reality, but the images collaging together like a haunting film rearrange to show her fellow militiamen and militiawomen getting hit by targeted, brutal, plasma watching eyes drop glassed over to the ground and chests paint curbs with blood.

The sounds of young sobbing bring her back to the present as she hits her head with the butt of one of her Whispered truths. She spots young Ben shivering on the floor, obviously in shock, with plasma scorches littering his body like a toddlers fingerpainting.

Spartan Valerie kneels down beside him. "Easy there, kid. You've been through quite a mess."

Ben, looking weak and battered, glances up at Spartan Valerie as she approaches. A mixture of relief and surprise in his eyes. 'Spartan... Valerie?"

Spartan Valerie nods and calms her heart's pace. "Yeah, it's me. You're gonna be alright. Though please, call me Val."

She does a quick medical scan, detecting numerous injuries across Ben's torso and arms. There's a conflict in her expression, torn between scolding the kid for his reckless actions and showing empathy for the battered soul in front of her. "You really know how to get yourself into trouble, don't you?"

Ben winces at her words, expecting a reprimand. However, Spartan Valerie surprises him by softening her tone. "But you've been through a lot, haven't you?"

She takes a closer look at the severe burns and bruises covering Ben's body. "This looks bad, kid. But you're tougher than you think."

Ben takes a pained and slow deep breath."Yeah, well... I try."

Spartan Valerie attempts to lighten her tone, "You're not alone anymore you know. Spartan Silent can fix you up."

Ben attempts to sit up, but Valerie pushes him back down again. "Don't worry, she's got some skills. You'll be back on your feet in no time."

Ben whispers, "Thanks."

Spartan Valerie nods, a smile growing beneath her helmet. "Just doing my duty. Now, let's get you patched up."

Spartan Valerie presses a small button on her armour and a small almost laser pointer looking object emerges out of the wrist of her armour. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, this is gonna sting." Ben nods in understanding as a sort of cooling snd healing foam is sprayed onto his burns causing them to, ironically enough, burn.

Spartan Valerie steps back once she's finished and hears the menacing humming of a Phantom nearby, fighting off the urge to retreat back into her memories. "Can you still walk?"

Ben nods and struggles to his feet. "Yeah, I think so."

Spartan Valerie takes the lead, guiding Ben towards the rest of Spartan Squad 117. The echoes of a Phantom overhead catch their attention, and Spartan Valerie grips her helmet and tries to shake off her memories.

Spartan Valerie distracts herself by looking up at the sky and spotting the Phantom indeed closing in on them. "We need to go. Can you run?"

Ben tries to stay focused, despite the pressure. "I'm not sure."

Spartan Valerie, feeling her nerves take over," Time to find out."

As they pick up the pace, the hovering sound intensifies. It becomes evident that Ben's injuries are hindering his ability to run. Suddenly, without warning, Spartan Valerie drops to the ground, her body completely still.

Ben suddenly stops and feels overwhelmed. "No! Not again!"

He kneels beside her, panic setting in. Spartan Silent arrives first in a sprint, and Ben spots the Jackal Sniper responsible, grinning beneath its visor.

Ben begins panickedly shaking Valerie's body."It's all my fault again!"

Spartan Silent carefully peels Ben's hands off of Valerie's body and restrains herself from killing the Jackal now. Suddenly, Ultimate Echo Echo heroically drops down from the open ceiling to the chamber carrying two Banshee's with his disks and sends them shooting into the unoccupied ground. He then pulls the Phantom back with his sonic disks, smashing it against a wall and destroying it before grabbing another with his arms sonic powers and pulling it before pushing it back into the ground.

Ben looks up at Ultimate Echo Echo in awe. "Woah. That's a real hero."

Spartan Shadow arrives, clearly flustered, and stares directly at Ben. "What happened here?"

Ben points at Valeries body. "She was rescuing me, and then there was this humming noise, and she just dropped."

Spartan Shadow's visor narrows with concern as he looks at Spartan Valerie, still lying on the ground. Spartan Atlas and Bravo arrive on the scene. "Probably her own fault. Should've learned from last time."

Spartan Shadow audibly growls. "She could be dead! Show some humanity!"

Spartan Atlas scoffs. "Humanity? We left that behind a long time ago. Maybe you should too."

Ben tunes out their argument, kneeling beside Spartan Valerie. He turns to Spartan Silent, who's conducting medical scans." Is she gonna be okay?"

Spartan Silent responds with a reassuring thumbs-up, signifying that Spartan Valerie will be fine. Ben heaves a sigh of relief, but guilt still lingers on his face.

Ben sighs deeply and looks down at the ground muttering, "This is all my fault."

Spartan Bravo finally decides to intervene in the argument. "Look, guys. I don't know what this is about but we can't keep fighting like this, got it? Just think about what Lasky'd say, you know he hated infighting."

Spartan Shadow breathes deeply and puts a a comforting hand on Ben's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself kid, Valerie's just a free spirit. She cares a lot more than she lets on.."

Meanwhile, Spartan Silent continues her medical scans on Spartan Valerie, and Ben approaches her. "I let the red take over. I didn't think... It's my fault Spartan Valerie almost died."

Spartan Silent places her hand on Ben's shoulder, offering silent comfort. She then pats his head.

Ben smiles appreciatively but his tone turns curious. "Why are you so nice to me?"

Spartan Silent responds by forming a sad bunny with her hands, then crosses it out with the other hand. Ben interprets it as her thinking he's innocent and sad.

Spartan Valerie, despite her weakened state, chimes in with a weak quip. "I think Silent's trynna tell you she thinks you're cute."

Ben is taken aback, a genuine smile forming on his face—an unusual emotion for him. However, the moment is cut short as Spartan Atlas interjects.

Spartan Atlas, feeling the need to regain control of the situation, "She's fine now. End of discussion. Now let's move out, we have no further purpose here."

Spartan Atlas changes his comms channel and contacts the UNSC Infinity in orbit, ordering a Pelican. At the same time Spartan Silent emits a small dark green light from her armour onto Valerie's, activating the life support systems within her armour as Ben slowly staggers to his feet. Spartan Silent, taking notice of this, sit's Ben down and begins treating him for his third degree burns after ensuring Spartan Valerie is fine now.

Outside of the Volcano the hums of Covenant aircraft remain gently in the air like the buzzing of flies and bee's as Gwen, now in her human form, fusses over Emily, Jack, Alex, and Kiri, relieved to find them all relatively unharmed.

Gwen, speaking in a caring and worried tone, "Is everyone okay? No serious injuries?"

Emily holds her hands up to show that apart for some light scratches and dust there's nothing wrong. Jack, still distantly staring, takes his headphones off. "I'm ok Gwen."

Gwen raises an eyebrow. "You sure? You don't sound it."

Jack, breathing deeply, "I'm fine ok! Jeez.."

Gwen sighs. "Just making sure. You don't need to snap you know."

Jack looks down at the ground, the quiet rumble of Dinosaurs barely escaping his headphones sounding gentle and almost cute. "Sorry." Jack mumbles.

Kiri is still visibly shaken, struggling with panic. He breathes quickly and rocks back and forth muttering, working up quite the sweat. Alex takes a moment to comfort Kiri, laying a hand on his forehead and pulling him closer to her.

Alex whispers into Kiri's ear gently, "Hey, it's alright. It's ok. We're safe now. No scary monsters, no scary aliens, just boring 'ol me ok. No need to worry.

Kiri, still anxious, nods as Alex continues to provide comfort letting Kiri use her as a sort of stress toy and whispers still. "That's it just squeeze all your worries away. Don't worry about me, I'm a tough guy, I can take it."

Meanwhile, Jack, ever the pragmatist, wonders aloud, "Hey so how are we getting home? Like to the cabin and.. Stuff?"

Gwen, sensing Jack's nerves, speaks in a gentle tone. "We'll figure out how to get back. Right now, what matters is that we're all safe and healthy."

Suddenly, a distant explosion resonates through the air, accompanied by the sounds of ocean water splashing against the nearby landscape. A cool mist envelops the atmosphere, blanketing them in a comforting cloud as if they were flying.

Emily notices the tree barks suddenly darkening with moisture. "The water-type Pokémon must be happy."

Piplup, as if tethered to a cue, starts running around, chasing a curious Bidoof that emerged to investigate the commotion. The Bidoof chirps and hops through the thick ferns with Piplup in hot pursuit, Piplup, as if it were in a comedic sketch, tripping over the tiniest damp stick possible and rolling through the ferns.

"I've always liked watching Pokemon play. It's just so.." Emily starts, finally feeling at peace for the first time in a week.

"Relaxing?" Jack suggests moving up closer to Emily, surprising her.

"Uh yea." Emily replies not knowing wether to find an excuse to berate him or to let the moment sizzle out.

Jack, as if he could detect Emily harbouring mixed feelings of him, decides to prove himself as best he can. With Dinosaur facts. "Did you know, once it rained for 2 million years, I think from about 234 million years ago to 232 million years ago?"

Emily stays quiet, fighting the urge to begin relentlessly teasing and making fun of Jack's nerdy nature. Gwen however, sensing the tense situation and wanting to avoid conflict, decides to involve herself. "That's fascinating Jack. So what, did the world just flood for 2 million years?"

Jack smiles, happy that somebodies taking interest in his hobbies for once. "Yea pretty much."

As Kiri starts to regain calm, he finds himself cradled in Alex's arms. She gives him a big hug, a tear in her eye as she holds his head against her chest rocking him gently.

Alex stammers and hyperventilates. "Kiri please be ok. I thought you were going to... I was so scared, and your panicking so much, and I..."

Kiri, with a gentle smile, places a finger on Alex's lips to hush her. He then pulls her close, laying her head against his shoulder. They sit together against a tree trunk, finding solace in each other's presence.

Kiri giggles softly and squeezes Alex's cheeks a little. "And so the stoic warrior finally breaks?"

Alex, stubborn as always, tries to deny any emotional display. "I wasn't crying. My eyes were just watering from the moisture in the air."

Kiri pats her head in return, and Alex pouts playfully which makes Kiri giggle again. Hearing Alex's fast breathing, Kiri places a hand on her chest and begins massaging it to help her airways relax.

Kiri, in a soft and gentle voice, "It's okay to be scared, you know? Especially when you care about someone."

Meanwhile, Emily, observing the playful interaction between Piplup and Bidoof, calls out to Piplup, who has begun to seemingly tease and play fight the Bidoof. The Bidoof seeming to not like the idea.

Emily, raising her voice, "Piplup, stop!"

Surprisingly, Piplup listens for the first time, returning to Emily and nestling itself in her lap. Piplup coos as Emily gives it a belly scratch. "Who's a good Piplup, who's a good Piplup."

Ultimate Echo Echo lands gracefully, followed by Ash with Charizard and Swellow, and Dan with Drago. Ultimate Echo Echo touches his dial and twists it reverting his form back to the diminutive white Echo Echo, then twists his dial again and grows taller and skinnier until he reverts fully to the normal looking teenage Ben everyone recognises. Gwen, excited and relieved, rushes over and wraps him in a tight hug.

Gwen squeals a little and excitedly screams, "I knew you could do it, Ben! Tell me everything! I saw you up there, but I need the details. How cool was it? It's been ages since I've seen the Ultimate Aliens!"

Ben, trying to remain humble, attempts to calm Gwen down. "Easy, Gwen. It was just a team effort. Nothing too extraordinary."

Dan strolls over, adding his own perspective. "Nah, he's just being humble. He was totally bada—"

Before Dan can finish his sentence, Drago steps in. "Daniel! Watch your language."

Dan, embarrassed, is left to bear the teasing from Kiri, Alex, Jack, and Emily, who burst into laughter. Even Ash can't help but join in on the amusement. "Hah! You got told, Danny boy."

Gwen, regaining her composure, looks at Ben with curiosity. "So, how did you even end up here? This is definitely not your Earth."

Ben sighs and leans against a nearby tree. "I don't really know. One minute, I was lying on my bed. I'd turned off the Ultimatrix weeks ago. Suddenly, it starts glowing, and I touch the dial. Next thing I know, I'm on a rock, and these two found me." Ben points at Emily and Jack.

Jack, feeling a joke coming, shouts from a distance, "Hey, Ben, what were you doing on your bed?"

Ben, a bit reluctant, decides to share a bit more. "Nothing you'd be thinking of, just chilling."

Gwen, intrigued, starts to theorize. "Hmm. Interdimensional travel, maybe? Azmuth could've noticed you turning off the Ultimatrix and sent you somewhere to boost your confidence or something."

Ben, shaking his head, disagrees." It's not that simple. The voice... it didn't sound like Azmuth. It was different. Like, ethereal and stuff."

Gwen, puzzled, admits her cluelessness. "Well, I'm stumped. Who knows what's going on here?"

Jack, feels confused by all this. "Wait who's Azmuth?"

Ben, feeling it best he clears up the confusion explains, "Azmuth is a little alien dude. He designed the Omnitrix and technically my Ultimatrix, but it's complicated."

Dan walks over to Ben, breaking the conversation about interdimensional mysteries. "Hey, Ben, remember why we came here in the first place?"

Ben snaps back to the mission at hand. "Right, we gotta take them all home."

As Ben focuses on his duty, Gwen realizes that she should return to her own dimension. She starts saying her goodbyes, beginning with Emily. "Emily, you take care of yourself, okay?"

Emily gives her a warm hug, expressing gratitude for everything. "Thanks for helping us, Gwen. Honestly we never would've gotten through this without you!"

Gwen smiles warmly. "Tell your Piplup to stay adorable for me, K?"

Emily breaks the hug feeling embarrassed. "Yea sure, I will."

Gwen moves on to Alex and Kiri, wishing them well. "Alex, Kiri, it's been quite the adventure ain't it? Well uh take care of each other, and keep working at it. I bet you'll both make for excellent coordinators, yes, even you Alex."

Alex, being the tomboy she is, offers a fist bump, and Kiri, being somewhat shy, manages a small smile.

Next is Jack, and Gwen gives him a playful punch on the shoulder. " And you Jack, keep being the dino nerd that you are. Honestly I think my IQ has expanded tenfold since meeting you."

Jack laughs, appreciating the sentiment. "No problem dude. I guess I should thank you really. Everybody normally just think's I'm a geek and all that and they're all like, hey dude that's not cool bro. But you actually like my facts and I guess I appreciate that."

Gwen ruffles his hair. "Hey us geeks gotta stay together, right?"

Jack smiles and nods. "Right."

Ben is next on Gwen's list. "Ben, take care of yourself. And remember, if you ever need help, I'm just a call away. Though it won't be me, me, but like your me. But still, probably talk to someone, yea?"

Ben nods, "Don't worry I will. Honestly I'm feeling a lot better now."

Then, she moves on to Ash. "Ash, you're a great trainer. Keep striving to be the very best like no one ever was ok?"

Ash, always filled with determination, smiles and nods. "Don't worry I will. Paldean league here I come!"

Lastly, Gwen approaches Dan and Drago. "Dan, Drago, thanks for everything. You guys are awesome. And Dan, don't give up. You'll figure out how pick up lines work eventually."

After her heartfelt goodbyes, Gwen begins chanting something in a language only she understands. A large pink circle forms, and she gives one final wave before jumping through the portal. The portal closes behind her, leaving the remaining group to decide their transportation.

A debate ensues, eventually concluding with Alex and Kiri riding on Drago, accompanied by Dan, Emily, and Jack. Ash, Ben, and Charizard make up the other team. Ben reassures everyone that he can make his own way home, utilising an alien specialising in dimension-related matters.

Before they can mount their rides home however Kiri, Alex, Jack and Emily all come to a solemn realisation. This will be the last time they ever get to see each other. Kiri looks down, not knowing what to say, whilst Alex tries to toughen her appearance. Emily and Jack walk up to Charizard as Kiri and Alex walk up to Drago, Jack deciding to step forward first as the group eye each other sadly.

Jack speaks in as clear a tone as he can muster, "Kiri, take care of yourself, okay? Don't let the bullies get to ya and... And keep doing your... Hair stuff.."

Kiri smiles back, nodding, and even Alex, usually more reserved, gives a genuine smile. "You guys better not forget us, alright? Stay out of trouble, Jack ya hear me. No more Chas'n Dinosaurs or I'll come and kick your butt."

Jack chuckles, trying to mask his emotions. "I'll try, but no promises."

Emily run over to her and hugs Alex tightly, feeling a sense of loss already. "I'll miss you guys. You have the best hugs, and give 'em too."

Kiri chimes in with a sincere tone. "We'll miss you too. It was fun hanging out."

With this Kiri and Alex mount Drago slowly, steeling one last glance at Jack and Emily before waving at them as Dan checks they're ready. "You two lovebirds ready?"

Alex smiles and nods, Kiri though being unable to resist tearing up and calling out one last time to Jack and Emily. "You both.. Your.. Your such good people and.. And.. promise me you'll never.. You'll never fight ok, be good friends and, and.. I love you both.. A lot.. You're both great people and deserve the best hugs!" Alex wraps her arms around Kiri again wiping tears from his eyes.

"Alright you two hold on tight!" Drago lifts off leaving Jack, for once, clearly being the more emotional out of him and Emily, and Emily puts her arm around his shoulder comfortingly.

Ash, waits for the duo to finish climbing on Charizards back before confirming with them that they're holding on tight "Make sure to hold on tight ok, don't be scared to hold each other as well if you feel too shaky." The two give their thumbs up leading Ash to give the signal to take flight.

Ash: Ready to go, Charizard?

Charizard responds with a powerful roar, spreading its wings. Emily and Jack brace themselves as the Pokémon takes off into the sky. Jack, who clearly enjoys the experience, whoops and hollers, contrasting Emily's more cautious reactions.

Jack calls out as if he's on top of the world, "This is amazing! You should see the view from up here, Em"

Emily, gripping onto Charizard, manages a smile but is clearly more reserved about the aerial journey. The Pokémon heads toward the beach where Ronaldo's cabin is located, and where Emily's mom is sure to be.

Emily, seated on the back of Charizard, can't help but feel a sense of awe being beside the legendary Ash Ketchum, even after all this time of travelling with him. Gathering her courage, she decides to express her admiration. "You know, that was really cool back there, Ash. The way you and your cool Pokemon fought against those aliens , it was like watching a legendary Pokémon in action."

Jack, catching onto Emily's fangirl admiration, teases her playfully. "Oh, Emily's got a crush on the Pokémon Master!"

Emily giggles and denies the accusations, trying to play it cool. "What? No way! I just think he's really awesome!"

Jack smiles. "A better point, you couldn't even see him. Remember, rocks?"

Emily looks up, embarrassed. "Oh right.."

Ash, amused, joins in the banter. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time, I've been crushed on."

Jack, a memory triggering in his mind, "Oh yea, Serena right?"

Ash looks a little more solemn. "Uh yea, Serena yea.."

Emily, deciding to protect Ash. "Well she clearly just wasn't the right girl for him, right Ash?"

Ash though disagrees, "Actually Emily I kinda did love her. I just didn't know how to show it, and I was travelling around. I guess I just didn't have time for love but. Every time I see Sylveon I get reminded of a lot of things, chances are she's probably moved on but. Remembering her words, that kiss. It always picks me up in a hard time."

Emily looks absolutely stunned at Ash's openness. "Wow that was. Deep."

Jack shifts the topic to something lighter, having had enough of despair and panic for one day. "So, Ash, got any legendary Pokémon tales to share?"

Ash, happy to indulge, decides to share a story. "You know, I wasn't always a Pokemon master. In fact when I started out I was pretty bad at this whole training thing. Like, when I was just starting out, I lost my first gym battle pretty embarrasingly."

Emily, eager to contribute her Pokémon knowledge, chimes in. "That was against Brock, the rock-type gym leader of Pewter City!"

Ash, unknowingly impressed, praises Emily. "Wow, Emily, you really know your Ash facts!"

Emily, swoons a bit, appreciating the compliment before Ash continues his story. "Yeah, I lost because I tried to use an Electric type Pokémon against Brock's rock types. Didn't go so well. Especially considering that they were both dual ground types as well."

Jack, not being able to resist the opportunity handed to him on a silver platter, "Looks like even the Pokemon master Ash here doesn't always make the best decisions, huh?"

Emily pouts. "Like you'd do any better in your first ever gym battle."

Jack, utterly bemused by type matchups as a whole, shows off his lack of Pokemon knowledge. "So what, is Electric super effective against rocks but bad against ground or something? Is that why he lost?"

Emily breaks into laughter, seizing the opportunity to tease Jack back. "Finally, the super genius doesn't know everything. I knew I'd catch you someday!"

Jack takes a deep breath, realizing that this might be his only chance to make amends with Emily. He turns toward her, the sincerity evident in his eyes." Emily, I need to say something. I'm sorry, sincerely sorry, for how horrible and nasty I was back when your mom almost died. That was pretty mean of me."

Emily, taken aback by the sudden apology, has a moment of remembrance about the incident. She feels an overwhelming anger and the sudden urge to push Jack off of Charizards back right now but... No, why would she? Obviously he's in the wrong but what's the point? After all if anything she's been nearly as bad as him. No, Emily decides that she'll hear him out and she can't deny, she truly doesn't want to be mad at him.

Emily, after a few long moments of silence composes herself, "Yeah, it was mean. But..."

Jack interjects, "But what?"

Emily continues adopting a softer tone, "But, I guess I forgot about it. There's been so much going on, and I just didn't think about it. Not an excuse, but still."

Jack decides to share a bit more of his own story, hoping it might help Emily understand. "Look, I didn't handle it well because... my family kind of died because of dinosaurs. I won't go into the details; I know you're not a fan of gore. Seeing all those dinosaurs again, and then being attacked by one, it just set me off. And when it looked like your mom might die in a similar way, I guess in my twisted mind, it felt like some kind of sweet vengeance or retribution."

Emily, to Jack's surprise, seems understanding of his perspective. She looks down and contemplative as if she's come to terms with something too. "Jack it's my fault, I should have picked up on it earlier. I should have noticed the headphones and the lack of emotion. I'm sorry too. I've been petty and mean and I've pushed you out..."

Jack however interjects, a bossier, firmer tone to his voice and look on his face. "No Em I'm not hearing it. I told you your mother dying would make you feel how I felt, I cheered on your mothers death. You're trynna tell me that's ok?"

Emily stammers, "W..W..Well no but it never would've gotten to that point if.."

Jack interjects again, "I should have opened up to you, the moment I met you guess what I felt. Yea that's right, nervous. I don't see other humans often, I immediately teased you and made you angry for no reason. Sure you were petty as a Rat's backside, but I started it. I made you angry and I kept pushing you, over and over again. No wonder why you hated me for a while."

Emily composes herself again. "I didn't hate you but I let my own insecurities get in the way. I felt bad about stuff and let it manifest into just focusing on hating you and holding a grudge but I'm saying sorry because if I'd've just been better, you would've felt more comfortable opening up to me."

Jack, grateful for Emily's understanding, accepts her apology. "Thanks, Emily. I appreciate that. I guess it did take a long time to trust you."

Underneath them sprawling grasslands soon turn into a bustling village with recently repaired buildings and the remnants of a stage with the words 'Power Metal Dino's' engraved on a large banner draped across the cracked and charred wood.

The trio near Ronaldo's cabin, and Ash is the first to announce it. "Hey, looks like we're getting close to Ronaldo's cabin!"

As they approach, a bit of turbulence catches their attention. They notice a large, metallic dark green aircraft with a lowered door at the back. Young Ben stands beside Spartan Valerie, waving at them from the doorway.

Ash looks over to them and waves back. "Oh, there's Spartan Valerie and Ben!"

Emily and Jack exchange confused glances. Ash notices and decides to clarify. "Uh, different Ben. You know, like a version from another universe."

Jack looks completely confused. "Another universe? Like some Doctor Who kinda stuff?"

Ash nods. "Yea kinda like that and the other one is a Spartan"

Jack again looks extremely confused. "Spartan? You mean like the Greek kind?"

Ash scratches his chin. "I'm not sure, but they seem to have a bunch of futuristic gear."

The door of the metallic aircraft shuts, and it begins its ascent toward the atmosphere. Ash instructs Emily and Jack to hold on as they start their descent, and the world below unfolds in a breathtaking spectacle.

The landscape of the island reveals itself in vivid detail. Trees sway gently, and the sparkling ocean stretches out to meet the horizon. The cabin becomes visible, a humble structure nestled amidst the dry sand and the lapping waves.

As the trio lands just outside the familiarly oversized cabin, Ronaldo's washing flutters in the breeze, finally taken off the linen lines. The gentle waves crash against the beach, and a few Wingull soar in the skies. Emily and Jack disembark from the back of Charizard.

Emily sighs and looks up at Ash. "I guess this is goodbye."

Ash notices the sadness in Emily's expression and tries to lighten the mood. "Nah, not goodbye. Think of it as a "see ya later." You're a Pokemon Trainer, right?"

Emily nods, and Ash continues. "We'll probably meet in battle someday. Ya know, when you start challenging for championships. Trust me, I'll be wait'n."

Emily, now filled with determination, confirms her goal. "You bet! I'll be there someday, and I'll become a Pokemon Master, just like you!"

Charizard roars, as if accepting Emily's declaration. Ash gives a final wave before taking off. "See ya later, Emily! Jack!"

As Ash and Charizard fly away, Ronaldo comes outside, curious about the noise. He spots Charizard in the sky, Emily and Jack standing outside, and a smile forms on his face.

Ronaldo approaches the two, "Emily, Jack!" He places his hands on both their shoulders, checking if they're okay.

Emily smiles. "Don't worry about it we're fine."

Jack adds after Ronaldo ruffles his hair. "Yea Tyranno-dude we toughed it out."

Ronaldo switches to a more explanative tone. "Good. Rexy took us straight here and you, Jack, you don't have to worry about the Dinosaurs anymore. Rexy's gone back home."

Jack looks quietly pleased and Emily, feeling curious, "Wait, where is Rexy's home?"

Ronaldo chuckles. "It's a secret."

The trio begin walking toward the cabin and Ronaldo, spotting Emily's thoughtful gaze, confidently states. "Luckily, Lily's been doing great. Mr. Mime's been taking excellent care of her. Come on, let's go inside."

Emily looks glad and Jack gives Emily a playfully caring punch in the back, making her smile, as Ronaldo unlocks the door and quips, "No wonder the property prices were so low here, huh? Aliens, Dinosaurs, armoured guys and guns, It's all so typical. Always a but in these places."

Emily and Jack both cringe and laugh at the same time, Jack mumbling quietly about how bad his jokes are, as they step inside.

Inside the cabin, everything looks spotless. Lily's voice can be heard in the living room, thanking Mr. Mime for the soup. Decorative bowels are stacked neatly on stainless glass shelves, handcarved wooden tables are perfectly polished and the shoe rack is perfectly organised.

Ronaldo closes the door behind them and announces in a loud voice, "Say Bem-vindo a casa Lily! Cuz, the brave souls are back."

Lily, sitting in the living room, looks up and smiles at Emily and Jack. "Oh, welcome back, you two! I'm so glad you're ok, I was so worried when Ronaldo had to leave you. I woke up and I started panicking and now your back. W..What I'm saying is that I'm happy, hehe."

Mr. Mime, who has been busy in the kitchen, emerges with a bowl of soup for Lily. The cozy atmosphere inside the cabin contrasts with the adventures the trio faced on the island. Ronaldo leads them to the living rooms couch.

Lily smiles at Emily, her face telling of a thought just crossing her mind. "Sweetie, you've had quite an adventure. We'll rest up today and leave off tomorrow. I'm still too weak to walk."

Mr. Mime pats Emily on the head, seemingly agreeing with Lily's decision. In a comical twist, Mr. Mime, seemingly out of nowhere, grabs a nurse's outfit and playfully puts it on. The sudden change catches everyone off guard, and Emily, Ronaldo, and Jack burst into laughter at the unexpected costume change.

Emily slumps into a nearby chair, exhausted from the day's events. Jack refrains from teasing her for once, sensing that she's not in the mood. Ronaldo gives Jack an approving smile from across the room, appreciating the newfound friendship.

Ronaldo eyes a magazine he left on the coffee table decorating the centre of the room and reads it, a sudden excitement gleaming in his eye. "Well, there's a football match on TV. If either of you is interested, we can watch it."

"Yea sounds alright." Jack agree's before playfully deciding to sit on top of Emily and lean back, causing her to groan a little. Lily chuckles at their antics, muttering to Ronaldo that it's nice to see them getting along. Ronaldo agrees, feeling a sense of contentment.

Ronaldo enthusiastically points out to a pleased but curious Lily, "I've got a new TV just before you and Emily arrived. Let me show you!"

Ronaldo waves at the TV, magically turning it on. He instructs it to play Sky Sports 1, and the channel switches to a live football match. Real Madrid is dominating their rivals Barcelona 4-1, and Barcelona has a player sent off with a red card, adding an exciting element to the match.

Ronaldo speaks in a passionate tone, "Ah, football! The beautiful game! You know, my first day as a Real Madrid player, I met Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos. They were such humble guys, always sharing tips and stories. Benzema even gave me some fashion advice; said I needed to up my style game."

Ronaldo continues to ramble on about football, showcasing an almost scientific level of knowledge. "Oh my god, Porra Porra. Cannot believe he did that. Ugh, tip to you Emily. Always strike the ball at the bottom to chip, not the middle.

One of the Barcelona players drops to the ground theatrically and Ronaldo begins ranting again, "Cannot believe it! Back in my day if you did that you'd get fouled but nowadays pure free kick. 'Oh I got 100% ball ref ooh ooh ooooo.'"

Jack giggles, "Dude it's just Spanish people kicking a ball around, what's there to get so angry about?"

Ronaldo sighs."Ah you wouldn't get it Jack, you've got to play the game to understand Barcelona's treachery."

Ronaldo now grins, "Now, let me tell you about the time Gareth Bale invited me for a round of golf. It was my first time playing, and I swung that club so hard, I split the ball in two! Managed to get the ball lodged inside two tree trunks simultaneously. The groundskeeper wasn't too pleased."

Jack and Emily, oddly entertained by Ronaldo's stories, find humor even in the cringe-inducing moments. Emily groans and moans about Jack sitting on her, to which Jack responds, "Well, there's nowhere else to sit, and you make a great seat. I love seats with built-in heating!"

Ronaldo suddenly hollers loudly, "That's the way to do it! Real Madrid for the win! Hala Madrid!"

Ronaldo celebrates the victory with extreme enthusiasm, causing Lily and Jack to burst into laughter. Emily, still disgruntled from being used as a makeshift seat, maintains her serious expression. Meanwhile, Mr Mime, now wearing a Maid outfit that amuses Jack, telekinetically levitates three plates filled with delicious island delicacies toward Ronaldo and the kids.

Mr Mime floats the plates over to them, and Jack, noticing Emily's mood, decides to lighten the atmosphere. "You know, Emily, you're missing out on some top-tier island grub. I was thinking, how about we take our plates upstairs and eat in my room? Just a change of scenery, you know?"

Emily, intrigued by the offer and eager to escape her seat duty, agrees with a condition. "Fine, but no sitting on me as a portable chair!"

Jack smirks and teases her. "Aw, you're so good at it, though. But if you're sure, let's go!"

Upstairs in Jack's room, Emily is surprised to find a clean and normal-looking space. Posters of Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill and even Franklin Roosevelt adorn the walls, alongside two laptops folded up on a dresser and a 3 monitor vibrantly coloured PC. Jack gestures toward the bed and floor, letting Emily choose where to sit. "Make yourself at home! Bed or floor, it's all good."

Emily decides to take a seat on the bed, and at first, they attempt to sit shoulder to shoulder on the edge. However, they quickly realize that it's not the most practical arrangement with their plates in hand. Laughing at the awkwardness, they move to the pillow end of the bed, creating a bit more distance between them, with their plates in-between.

Emily decides to break the awkward silence first. "So, it's been a pretty crazy week, huh?"

Jack nods. "Yeah, definitely. Dinosaurs, aliens, and all that. Not your typical vacation."

They sit in silence for a few seconds, unsure of how to proceed. Jack decides to break he silence this time.

Jack gives a thoughtful scan of the room before speaking with his mouthful, "You know, we haven't really had a chance to just chill and talk without some crazy situation happening."

Emily nods. "True. So, what are you gonna do after this? I mean, once I leave tomorrow."

Jack shrugs disheartened. "Probably the same stuff I was doing before you got here—research and chilling. What about you?"

Emily thinks for a couple of seconds as if the thought of it had escaped her. "Just going back to school, hanging out with my friends."

Jack raises an eyebrow in mock surprise. "You have friends?"

Emily sarcastically gasps, feigning offence. "Of course, I do! Three of them, actually. Mark, Alex, and Elara. They're pretty cool. But Mark's a little complicated."

Jack nods. "Yeah, friends can be like that I guess... I've never really had friends. Just me, my research, and the occasional online gaming buddy."

Emily looks at him curiously. "Never? Not even back in school?"

Jack looks down, playing with his food a little. "Nope. I've always been more comfortable with my books and my work. Friends were just distractions."

Emily smiles supportively. "Well, I'm glad to be your first friend then, even if it's just for a week."

Jack grins, feeling happier. "Yeah, it's been fun."

Jack looks a little down as the reality of Emily leaving sinks in. Emily notices and tries to reassure him. "Hey, don't look so down. We'll still be friends even if I'm not here."

Jack smiles weakly. "Yeah, I know, but it's just weird, you know? You're the first person I've really hung out with like this, and now you're leaving."

Emily puts on her best comfort face. "Well, I'll try to come back next year. We can be friends again."

Jack brightens a bit but still seems a bit down. Emily realizes her attempts at reassurance might be making things worse, so she stops.

Instead Emily decides on a new approach. "You know, we can always call each other. Like, on phones."

Jack's eyes widen as if he's just discovered the meaning of the universe. He quickly hops off the bed, grabs his phone – one of the new iPhones.

Emily looks absolutely gobsmacked. "How did you even get one of those?! They're like 5000 Pokedollars in Unova."

Jack grins smugly and speaks nonchalantly. "Ronaldo's rich. It's not that hard. But, you know, I do have to put up with his old man stories. Ronaldo Jr. is the real chill one."

Emily puts and crosses her arms. "Must be nice."

Jack smirks and playfully punches her shoulder. "Yeah, it's pretty great. So, What's your number?"

Emily and Jack exchange numbers, and Jack looks far happier now. They finish their food, talking animatedly, finding solace in the idea that they can still connect even when miles apart.

Emily and Jack finish their meals, and with full stomachs, Emily suggests relaxing on the bed. Jack's energy seems relentless as he realizes this might be his last chance to play with her for ages.

Jack, deciding to ignore Emily's suggestion to chill, "All right! We're pulling an all-nighter, and it's gonna be awesome!"

Emily, slightly overwhelmed, watches as Jack seemingly makes a plan instantaneously before her very eyes. "First, we're gonna blast through all the mainline Mario games. I've got them all!'

He rushes to set up his vintage-looking NES and shoves a controller into Emily's lap.Jack speaks excitedly, "Time's ticking, and we've got a ton of games to get through. After Mario, we'll take a break with some Crash Bandicoot. Then, let's dive into some Command and Conquer, and we'll wrap up the night with EDF."

Emily, still processing the whirlwind of information, hesitates for a moment. "EDF? What's that?"

Jack grins. "Oh, it stands for Earth Defense Force. It's this crazy Japanese game where you shoot loads of bugs with mechs and stuff. Trust me; it's a blast!"

Emily, now looking eager, accepts the controller. She's never played a video game before, and she realizes she's in for one hell of a night.

Jack, seeming to be in a mighty rush, "Cmon! We don't have much time, and we've got a ton of games to get through. Let the gaming marathon begin!"

The next morning, they wake up to cold cups of coffee on Jack's bedside cabinets, both still cradling PS5 controllers as they lay face up with their heads next to each other. Jack coughs as Emily's hair got into his mouth. Sitting up, they check Jack's alarm clock—it's 9 am.

Jack tastes something dry in his mouth and coughs. "Your hair got in my mouth."

Emily groggily replies, her eyes still closed, "Oh sorry."

They both chuckle before struggling to wake up. Jack recalls the events of the previous night in utter ecstasy. "That was a crazy night! I've never had so much fun."

Emily continues to lay down barely opening her eyes, soon realising that she has no memory of what happened last night. Jack leans over and seems to read her face perfectly as if he's had plenty of experience with just this type of situation. "Don't worry; you'll remember when it's important. Was that your first all-nighter?"

Emily sighs, feeling a little embarrassed. "Yeah, it was."

Jack laughs. "Maybe I should have picked some easier games for your first time. No wonder you struggled on the first boss fight in Crash Bandicoot."

Emily, not wanting to admit that she hasn't played video games before, goes along with the explanation. "Yeah, those boss fights were tough."

They both sit up and walk downstairs, bringing their empty plates and coffee mugs with them. The cabin is filled with the aroma of breakfast cooking, and Mr Mime is humming a tune in the kitchen.

The morning sun illuminates Ronaldo's cabin as Lily, now dressed in more normal Unova attire, greets Emily and Jack downstairs. Mr. Mime, wearing a Taxi Driver's uniform and carrying a dozen suitcases, awaits by the door. Ronaldo, wrapped in a Portuguese flag instead of a morning robe, joins them.

Lily smiles, now standing up adorned in dark green plant like clothing. "Good morning, you two. You were almost late; we have a cruise to catch back to Unova."

Ronaldo spots Jack's slightly despaired face and puts a hand on his shoulder, smiling. "Jack and I will see you off."

Jack, attempting to feel happier, can't resist commenting on Mr. Mime's unexpected attire. "Mr. Mime, a taxi driver now? Is there anything you can't do?"

Ronaldo laughs, hoping he can lift Jack's spirits. "Seems like he's a Pokémon of many talents."

As they step outside, Emily, readying herself to say goodbye, takes one last nostalgic look at Ronaldo's cabin. Jack, coming to terms with the fact that she's leaving, offers Emily a handshake.

Jack attempts a smile. "It's been real, Emily. Take care of yourself."

Emily reciprocates the handshake and gives Jack's hair a playful couple of tugs. "You too, Jack. Maybe we'll have another fossil hunt one day."

Jack, unable to contain himself, gives Emily a big hug. "Y,y.You would?"

Emily wraps her arms around Jack too. "Course I would. We're friends right?"

Jack nods. "Yea... Friends."

Ronaldo, ever the charmer, gives one more flirty compliment to Lily before saying goodbye. "Until next time, beautiful Lily."

Lily blushes but appreciates the compliment. "Until next time Ronaldo! Though when we come back, can you please get rid of the Alien problem?"

Ronaldo chuckles. "Of course I will. Wouldn't want to scare away potential customers."

As they prepare to leave, Mr. Mime tugs at both Lily and Emily's clothes, sensing the urgency of time. They walk toward what seems to be Mr. Mime's borrowed car, and Lily tries to lift Emily's spirits, reminding her of the friends awaiting her back in Unova. "You'll be reunited with your friends, Emily. It'll be good to see them again. What's that saying again?"

Emily steps into the car and sadly answers. "A flower may die, but a new one will grow in its place. More beautiful and healthy than ever."

They both put on their seatbelts and Mr Mime gives them both a thumbs up before putting the car into drive and muttering soothingly as the engine gently purrs to life.

As they drive toward the port, Lily notices Emily still looking a bit down. Determined to lift her daughter's spirits, Lily decides to share an exciting secret. "Hey, Em, want to hear a secret?"

Emily, intrigued, nods eagerly. "What's the secret, Mom?"

Lily smiles mischievously. "Well, there's something pretty exciting happening at school this year."

Emily, now fully engaged, presses for details. "What is it? Tell me!"

Lily chuckles before revealing the thrilling news. "They're organising a tutoring camp for all students in your year, and there's going to be a big tournament at the end."

Emily practically explodes with excitement, jumping up and down on the seat. "A tournament? That sounds amazing! I can't wait!"

Lily, amused by Emily's newfound enthusiasm for battling, comments on the unexpected reaction with a giggle. "I've never seen you so excited about battling before."

Emily squeals a bit. "Hell yea! Me and Piplup are gonna kick some major butt!"

Lily giggles as the car comes to a stop, and Emily finally gets a chance to view the bustling port.

The port is a lively scene, filled with people ready to embark on various cruise adventures. Towering cruise ships with polished exteriors and colorful flags line the docks, ready to carry passengers to their destinations.

Mr. Mime efficiently retrieves Lily and Emily's suitcases from the car's trunk. Surprisingly, he makes the car disappear, leaving the duo with a seamless transition into the queue for the cruise ship. Intent on helping them get settled, Mr. Mime guides Lily and Emily toward the entrance of the ship, his multitalented skills proving useful once again.

As the queue slowly trickles down, Lily, Emily, and Mr. Mime reach a hearty-looking Steward at the entrance of the cruise ship. The Steward, with a warm smile, greets them in a manner that reflects the local culture of the island. The coloured man wears a headdress made of bark and feathers and steward like clothing made from animal skins and straw.

The Steward greets them with a warm smile and a wave. "G'day, welcome aboard! Tickets, please."

Lily hands over their tickets, and the Steward checks them with a practiced eye. "All in order. You're in for a great voyage. Follow me, and I'll show you to your cabin."

He leads them through the bustling ship, weaving through excited passengers. Upon reaching their cabin, the Steward offers to take their bags, a task Mr. Mime willingly accepts. Mr Mime tips his Taxi Driver hat to the Steward, who, in his usual mysterious fashion, disappears – seemingly teleporting elsewhere. Probably back to the Cabin.

The Steward guides Lily and Emily up some clean white stairs and onto a polished brown floor. "Right this way, folks. Your cabin is on Deck 6."

As they move past a small sign reading, 'Deck 5' the Steward begins talking about the various rules and traditions of the ship. "Just so ya know there's no dirtying up the walls on this ship, ya hear me? And absolutely no dirty stuff and you must always follow instructions from a member of staff, especially during a crisis, if we should run into one. In lighter terms though we have a lot of exiting stuff we do on the regular, ey. Obviously there's ya shuffleboard'n and ya Pokeman trades. But we also have some more 'istoric stuff, like a lil maritime museum show'n some cool models of old warships and some windows on the lowest floor so you can see all the lil fishies, yea?"

Lily looks very exited at all of this as if she's planning out an itinerary as he talks, whilst Emily looks a little overwhelmed at all the information and just wants to relax after a stressful week.

Eventually they arrive at their correct deck and cabin, the Steward smiles and gestures toward a small sign above the door reading, '662' and announces, "And here we are, Cabin 622. Your home for the voyage."

Their cabin is cozy and well-appointed, with maritime-themed decor. The bedding is adorned with nautical patterns, and a small porthole lets in glimpses of the vast ocean beyond.

The Steward points at Lily. "Here's your key card. Remember, if you need anything, don't hesitate to find me, I'll be in the laundry room. Enjoy your cruise!"

As the Steward bids them adieu, Emily, feeling a sense of adventure informs Lily, "I think I'm gonna take a walk around mom. I might meet some people from the school or just from home in general."

Lily smiles. "Sure sweetie, just don't get into trouble ok?"

Lily stays behind to organise their possessions, giving Emily a gentle kiss on the head.

With that, Emily sets off to discover the wonders of the cruise ship while Lily attends to their belongings in the comfort of their cozy cabin.

The sea breeze ripples through Emily's hair as she steps onto the deck, gazing at the cruise ship gracefully leaving the port. The sun casts a warm glow, and the scent of saltwater permeates the air. People of all ages, dressed in vibrant Unovian clothes, engage in various activities. Some play makeshift 10-pin bowling with their Pokémon, the joyful sounds of laughter and cheers filling the air.

Emily takes a leisurely walk, observing the diverse passengers enjoying their time on the cruise. There's an elderly couple sharing a quiet conversation, a group of youngsters huddled together, and a Pokémon trainer practicing fancy battle moves. The deck is alive with the spirit of adventure, each person contributing to the tapestry of experiences.

Reaching the ship's edge, Emily leans against the railing, inhaling deeply. The vastness of the open sea stretches out before her, a canvas of endless possibilities. Jack's words echo in her mind, his loneliness palpable, making her appreciate the friendships she has. A trio of friends who, despite her school struggles, have made her feel connected and valued.

Emily gazes out at a Dolphin like Pokemon breaching and reentering the water making cheerful chirping noises as she remembers Alex and Kiri, wondering where they are now. Emily looks back at her own experiences outside of the island, her childhood with Mark, and the first meetings with her other friends. Emily realises that perhaps Jack wasn't the first, the first she almost pushed away. How long has she been like this? How long has she been unable to let even the tiniest egregious act go?

As Emily contemplates life's complexities, a sudden hand on her shoulder startles her. She swiftly turns to find two girls about her age. The first, with her Hispanic heritage, dons flowery attire, while the other, more down-to-earth, wears a leather jacket and sports ginger hair.

The first girl speaks with an obvious enthusiasm, gesturing with her hands to match her tone. "Hey there! Sorry for being so hands-on!"

The other girl smirks and sighs. "Excuse the pun."

Emily shifts a little cautiously, feeling a little weary of strangers now. However, as if the hispanic girl can read her mind, she take Emily's hand and begins shaking it very energetically up and down.

The first girl grins. "We overheard you talking about a Pokémon school. That true?"

Emily nods, feeling a little overwhelmed. "Yeah, I'm a student. Are you two going too?"

The first girl practically erupts with excitement, her enthusiasm infectious. "Absolutely! We're gonna be the best of friends, do tons of cool stuff together!"

The other girl leans in, whispering to Emily. "She gets excited easily. Brace yourself."

Emily smiles and looks a little shocked as the hispanic girl pulls her into a tight hug. The other girl sighs. "Jazuel, shouldn't we introduce ourselves before hugging? Remember what I told you, not everybody likes that here."

The hispanic girl, seemingly named Jazuel, nods and shy's away. "Oh right.. hehe. Sorry about that, my name is Jazuel and this is Rachel, nice to meet you."

Emily shakes both of their hands in tandem and introduces herself too. "I'm Emily, just a normal girl from Unova ehe.."

Jazuel interjects before Rachel can, "Oh really! Oh.My.God. Rachel here is too!I'm from Paldea by the way."

The cruise ships horn blares loudly, a repeating rhythm that, as if it can change a subtle shift in Emily's heart, hums a reflective tune. At least if interpreted by Emily herself.

Emily, though she can't shake off the feeling of being trapped in her own behaviours, suddenly has a shift of perspective. Here she is, making new friends. No bullies in sight and for the first time feeling happy, she finally feels as if she belongs somewhere. Jazuel and Rachel, though being strange, ignite a sort of carelessness within her, a desire to talk and play al day with no worries. One thing does scratch a Emily's mind though, the image, the blood.. Her mother laying there on the ground, injured and possibly dying. She suddenly comes back to the present rubbing her head as if she just woke up from a nightmare.

"Hey are you ok?" Rachel asks her, a little concerned.

"Yea just... Never mind." Emily responds and Jazuel starts pulling on her arm.

"You can't hide stuff from me friend, cmon let's go compare Pokemon!" Jazuel announces excitedly as Emily accepts for the first time, that Emily is Emily, and Piplup is her's. Like a mother, she's proud of her Pokemon and herself. She is whole.