In a quiet room within an ancient castle, only three people were present—Jin, Liko, and Diana.
Though Jin and Liko were eager to ask Diana many questions about the pendant and the Six Heroes, they agreed to meet with her privately at her request.
"Hehe... I see. I have a pretty good idea of what kind of person you are," Diana chuckled, observing Jin.
With the three alone, Diana began a barrage of questions for Jin—how he met Liko, his aspirations for the future, and more. Jin's dream, something he once shared with Alex, was to become a strong trainer who wouldn't betray the trust of those who had lost to him or who looked up to him. As he recounted this, Diana listened closely, her gaze fixed on him, clearly intrigued.
"Liko, seems you've captured quite an interesting guy," Diana remarked with a knowing smile.
Hearing Jin's dream, Diana could sense the strength of his resolve and dedication. Few could imagine such an ambitious path at such a young age.
(...Or maybe I'm the one who's been captured?)
Reflecting on how things had gone with Jin since they met, Liko wondered if it wasn't she who "captured" him but the other way around. However, she wasn't keen on saying this out loud, so she corrected herself only in her thoughts.
"Well then, let's move on to the important questions," Diana said, changing gears.
Jin had gone a little off-track, telling stories about his adventures in Hoenn, something Diana seemed to enjoy. She'd even laughed with delight a few times. But then, all of a sudden, her expression turned serious as she continued.
"How far have you two gone?"
"...Eh?"
"W-What do you mean... by 'how far'?" Liko stammered.
"Don't play dumb. I'm asking if you've kissed at least once or twice by now," Diana pressed, grinning slyly.
"G-Grandma!?"
Seeing her mischievous smile, it was clear to Jin and Liko that Diana was thoroughly enjoying teasing them.
"It's been a while since you two got together, hasn't it? Don't tell me you haven't done anything yet?"
"T-That's a secret! Even if you're my grandma, it's a secret!"
Though Liko's reaction was practically an answer in itself, she turned bright red, struggling desperately to dodge the question.
"We kissed a few days after we started dating," Jin confessed.
"Jin!?"
"And, well, we kiss every night before bed now," he added, a little too honestly.
"W-Wait, what!?"
Jin found Liko's embarrassed reaction adorable and ended up answering Diana's questions truthfully.
"Oh! Young people should be like that, after all. By the way, who made the first move?"
"It was me," Jin replied. "Liko was too shy, so I had no choice but to go for it myself."
"Hahaha! She's been shy since she was little. If you weren't so bold, I doubt things would've progressed at all," Diana laughed heartily.
"But lately, she's been the one initiating kisses more often. Just the other day, she asked me to kiss her somewhere other than our room, and we nearly got caught by the ship crew," Jin added with a grin.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
Liko, who had been silently watching Jin and Diana's animated conversation, suddenly let out a loud yell. Even Hatenna, tucked inside her hood, flinched in surprise. Right now, though, Liko was too flustered to notice.
"Ugh! Jin, Grandma—you're both terrible!" she shouted, her face flushed as she dashed out of the room, disappearing to avoid further embarrassment.
"Well? Isn't my granddaughter adorable?"
"I wholeheartedly agree," Jin said with a grin.
***
"Well then, let's have a proper introduction. I'm Diana, Liko's grandmother and an adventurer. Pleased to meet you," she said with a warm smile.
A few minutes later, after Jin and the others managed to lift Liko's spirits again, Diana led them to the castle's grand hall. In this spacious room, several Pokémon—like Chandelure, Appletun, and Shiinotic—roamed freely.
"Are all of these Pokémon yours, Diana?" Jin asked, looking around.
"No, no, these Pokémon are wild. They're free to stay as long as they want and leave whenever they like. This castle is a place of Friedeom," Diana replied with a chuckle.
This ancient castle seemed to be like the Brave Olivine, though it appeared Diana lived here alone, savoring the solitude.
After a brief tour of the castle, Jin, Liko, and the others returned to the grand hall and sat on sofas. Roy and Fuecoco, however, were mesmerized by an old painting on the wall that depicted an Arcanine.
"Thank you for protecting Liko so far. I truly appreciate it," Diana said, bowing slightly.
"Oh, no need to thank us," Jin replied. "It's only natural to protect Liko. Besides, I've been enjoying this journey quite a bit myself."
What started as a journey to protect Liko had led Jin to form bonds with new Pokémon like Scizor, Annihilape, and Darkrai. He'd experienced challenges and battles with Gym Leaders from other regions—things he could never have experienced by staying at Indigo Academy. He had no complaints whatsoever.
"I see… The moment those who sought the pendant appeared, I contacted Lucca right away," Diana said thoughtfully.
"Grandma, were you being targeted too?" Liko asked, worried.
"Yes… and thank you, Liko, for bringing the pendant this far."
As Diana expressed her gratitude, Jin and the others exchanged uncertain glances, prompting her to suspect something unusual about the pendant.
"Don't tell me… it's gone!?"
"No, no! It's not lost, but…" Jin began.
"Pa~go!" came a sound from Liko's bag.
As she struggled to find the right words, the bag suddenly opened, and the Pokémon that had been the pendant stretched and yawned as it peeked out.
"Oh…"
"This is…" Diana's eyes widened in surprise.
The Pokémon, which had once been the pendant, climbed out of the bag and made its way across the table toward Diana. Though surprised, Diana picked it up and began examining it with a growing smile.
"Well, well… It looks like a Terapagos, doesn't it?" she said, gazing at it.
"Terapagos?"
"Terapagos… Never heard of it," Liko said, shaking her head.
"I haven't either. Are you sure, Diana?" Jin asked.
"Yes, I recognize that face. So, that pendant was actually a Terapagos in a dormant state all along," Diana mused.
"Dormant? So, that's why it looked like a gemstone?"
"I assumed it was like the fossils of ancient Pokémon," Diana said softly, stroking the Terapagos' head, "but it seems it was merely asleep all this time. I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner."
With a gentle touch, Diana began examining the Terapagos from head to toe.
"But, it does look a little different from the recorded images. The records I've seen show it with a large shell," she added thoughtfully.
"So, it hasn't evolved yet, then?" Jin suggested.
"I'm not sure… but it's a possibility," Diana replied.
"Interesting! Fascinating!" Friede chimed in, his curiosity as a Pokémon professor clearly sparked by this mysterious Terapagos.
"And if my guess is correct, this little one once traveled with Lucius," Diana continued, smiling.
"This one… traveled with Lucius?" Jin asked, astonished.
"Lucius' Pokémon!?" Liko echoed, equally surprised.
(...This is getting interesting,) Jin thought, his curiosity ablaze.
No one had expected the pendant and Lucius to be connected in this way, but it was clear that Diana held much information they didn't yet know.
(I'm glad we came here after all…)
If they could hear the full story from Diana, they might learn even more. Jin could hardly contain his excitement as he waited for her to continue.
"Trouble! It's Fuecoco!" Roy's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the moment.
"What happened!?" Liko asked, alarmed.
Everyone turned their attention to Fuecoco, who suddenly let out a long, growling sound from its stomach.
"It seems he's hungry…" Roy explained with a sheepish grin.
"Sigh…" Jin, Liko, and Friede all exhaled at once, feeling all too familiar with this scenario. This was far from the first time Fuecoco's appetite had halted their plans.
"Haha! Well, it's about time we had a meal, isn't it? We can continue our talk afterward," Diana suggested, rising from the sofa.
"…Huh?"
"Agreed! I'm starving too!" Roy chimed in, eager.
"Fuecoco~!" Fuecoco cheered.
"But wait, what about the…" Jin began, but Diana was already heading out of the room.
Jin reached out a hand, hoping to bring her back, but she was already out the door. It seemed they'd have to wait until after dinner to hear the rest of her story.
"…Roy, Fuecoco," Jin said, his tone serious.
"Yes?" Roy blinked.
"Fue?" Fuecoco looked up, puzzled.
"Starting tomorrow, we're tripling your training. Get ready," Jin said firmly.
"W-What!?"
"Fue!?!"
***
"Alright, dig in!"
Diana first served the Pokémon, placing bowls of Pokémon food before them, and then laid out meals for Jin and the others at the table.
However...
"Canned fruit... Isn't this emergency food...?"
"This is my usual meal," Diana said with a laugh. "No need to wash plates, and it's quite convenient, don't you think?"
The entire table was covered in canned fruit. Diana wasn't wrong—it was practical and nostalgic. Jin didn't mind; he'd often relied on canned meals during solo travels. But having gotten used to Murdock's well-balanced, deliciously prepared dishes on the Brave Olivine, there was a certain blandness to this meal.
(...Well, it'll do.)
If he'd brought ingredients, Jin could have cooked, but all he had was the standard emergency rations. With nothing else on hand, he figured it wouldn't hurt to adjust his palate for the simpler fare he'd eventually return to.
Jin and the others quickly polished off the canned fruit, emptying the table. After they cleaned up, Diana prepared tea for everyone.
"Now then, shall we continue our conversation?"
"Yes! Grandma, can you tell us about your adventures?"
"Of course. You've taken that step into adventure, so it's time you know everything. I first found that pendant...Terapagos, when I was even younger than you..."
Diana began to recount her story.
It all started decades ago when Diana was just a child. While playing hide-and-seek in the attic one day, she had stumbled upon an old bag. Driven by curiosity, she opened it to find not only the pendant but records detailing the adventures of Lucius and his companions.
"I wanted to know if the records were real and who Lucius was. So, I set out on a journey."
Diana, alongside her trusty Growlithe, scoured the world, searching for any trace of Lucius. But after thirty years with hardly a trace of him, she eventually decided to stop her search.
"I couldn't solve the mystery of Lucius, but I wouldn't be the adventurer I am today without him."
She might not have achieved the dream she'd held as a child, but every adventure, bit of knowledge, and experience she gained had been worthwhile. Diana didn't seem to regret the path she'd taken.
"...But just a few months ago, an old friend came to visit me, offering to introduce me to people who could help with the search. Right when he showed up, though, I sensed that a shadowy organization was at work."
"The Explorers, right?"
"Yes, and their target is the pendant... no, Terapagos itself."
Diana confirmed Jin and Friede's suspicions with a nod.
"Most likely. That's why I turned to you, to protect both the pendant and Liko."
"We're lucky to be safe."
"Yes. Without Friede, Jin, and everyone, both I and Sprigatito might not have..."
"I want to thank you once again," Diana said earnestly. "And I'm sorry for pulling you into this, Jin."
"No problem. I'm used to adventuring and facing criminals. Besides... leaving Liko on her own while I stay safe somewhere just doesn't sit right with me."
"Jin..."
"Heh... Liko, you've found someone who truly cares about you."
"Uh, heh-heh..."
The room filled with the warm atmosphere of Jin and Liko's fondness for each other. Friede, long accustomed to these moments, was unfazed, but Diana watched them with clear amusement.
"Diana! Look at this!" Roy exclaimed, interrupting as he pulled out an ancient-looking Poké Ball from his bag and showed it to Diana.
"This is...!"
"My grandpa found this one day on the beach. A black Rayquaza from an old storybook came out of it!"
"Also, when we encountered Arboliva and the Galarian Moltres, we experienced a strange vision."
In Paldea's forest, when Arboliva created an energy sphere, and in the Galar Mine, during an unexpected fog, someone—presumably the ancient adventurer Lucius—had appeared before them.
"Maybe... just maybe, that vision was Terapagos' memory. And... there's one other thing..."
There was something that person had said, a phrase still echoing in Liko's mind...
"Grandma, do you know what 'Laqua' is?"
"!!"
"Pa-go!?"
The mention of "Laqua" stirred Diana, and even Terapagos reacted visibly. As everyone reeled from Terapagos' sudden cry, it began moving as though it were headed somewhere. Liko quickly blocked the door to keep it from leaving, yet the Pokémon had unmistakably reacted to the word "Laqua."
"Laqua... To think I'd hear that word from you, Liko..."
"Diana, what is Laqua?"
"It's a paradise Lucius was believed to have sought, a place said to exist somewhere in this world."
(This story keeps getting bigger...)
Lucius's paradise, Laqua. If they could follow his trail, uncover more about the Six Heroes, and unravel the mystery of Terapagos, maybe one day they'd reach Laqua. The thought of the unknown, both lands and Pokémon, thrilled them all.
"I have something to show you all. Wait here while I fetch it."
"Something to show us?"
"Yes, Lucius' journal."
With that, Diana left the room, leaving Jin and the others behind to process the new information they'd just learned.
"Laqua... and Terapagos, huh."
"That was incredible!"
"Yeah, a pretty exciting turn of events, even by Rising Volt Tacklers' standards. Oh, that's right, I need to let the others on the ship know we made it here safely."
"What about Laqua and Terapagos?"
"I'll save that for when we reunite in person. Something this big deserves more than just a phone call."
Friede was eager to see their faces when he broke the news in person. Taking out his Rotom Phone, he prepared to contact his companions on the ship.
Just then, Terapagos, Sprigatito, and Hatenna all seemed to sense something, their gaze shifting as one to the second-floor balcony.
"Hm? What is it?"
(...This feeling... could it be...?)
A little behind the Pokémon, Jin, too, picked up on something approaching them. As it drew closer, he started to recognize its source: a figure he had faced multiple times since the beginning of this journey. He couldn't be mistaken. The figure entered the ancient castle from an open balcony window.
"So, here you are. Took me a while to track you down."
Just as Jin thought, the figure was Amethio from the Explorers.
"...I didn't expect us to meet again so soon, Amethio!"
"…Tch! Charizard!"
"Ceruledge!"
As soon as Friede saw Amethio, he released Charizard from its Poké Ball. In response, Amethio summoned his Ceruledge, and the two Pokémon immediately squared off against each other.
"Jin! Take Liko and Roy and get out of here! I'll handle Amethio!"
"...Understood."
Under normal circumstances, Jin would have been eager to handle the battle against his self-proclaimed rival, Amethio, on his own. But with Terapagos now here, transformed from its pendant form, the stakes were higher than ever. In case things went south, escape had to be an option as well as combat.
"Friede, I have no interest in you. Zirc, Onia!"
Liko and Roy picked up their Pokémon and began ascending the stairs to distance themselves from Amethio, but from the stairway flanking both sides, Zirc with his Rhydon and Onia with her Golduck emerged, blocking their escape.
"You're not getting away!"
"Stand down quietly!"
(...Hm? They've gotten stronger...)
The last time Jin had seen Zirc's Rhydon and Onia's Golduck was on a remote island in Kanto. Even from afar, he could tell that both of their Pokémon had grown significantly stronger.
(Amethio too... they must have trained hard to improve this much in such a short time...)
Jin, of course, had no way of knowing, but ever since Amethio's defeat by Jin, he had pushed himself through grueling training to become stronger. Zirc and Onia, too, had been drawn into these intense training sessions, battling alongside him constantly. Amethio saw battling with the same Pokémon repeatedly as inefficient, but that same approach helped strengthen his companions.
"Guess I'll have to fight you all!"
But, as much as they had improved, Jin still held the advantage. He reached for his Poké Ball, preparing to buy Liko and Roy time to escape.
"Pagoo! Pagoo paa!"
Just then, Terapagos—who Liko had been holding—wriggled free and leaped to the ground, directing its gaze at Amethio and emitting a series of calls.
"...What is it?"
"The Pokémon that used to be the pendant..."
As its eyes met Amethio's, Terapagos began to cry out louder. Though its meaning was unclear, everyone in the room could sense that it held significant weight. Jin especially felt that something important was unfolding.
---
//END