It was a much likely normal day in Galar. Well, only, if you're part of an rather unusual, but still ordinary group of people, who are traveling all these miles, getting to meet one rather important person at a certain location in that specific region. At least if you're belonging to the Rising Volt Tacklers...

~~~

Currently Liko, Roy and Friede were walking through a forest of what appeared, to be a mixture of palmtrees and cornivers, by walking across a path, which would hopefully lead them to Likos Grandmother, to finally receive more information on that mysterious pendant of hers... Oh and not forgetting the Acient Pokéballs, they were currently holding on to at the moment.

"Man, how long are we still going to walk like that, Friede? My legs are getting sore!!" a rather excausted Roy whined out, as the three of them, plus Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Cap, despite the fact, they not really being people, were walking for a rather good while now, probably 30 minutes to an hour.

"Don't worry too much, Roy. I'm sure, it won't be taking much longer." Liko answered to his question instead, while holding Sprigatito in her arms. "Nyahoja!" the Grass type Cat Pokémon meowed, in terms of some sort agreement with its Trainer.

The next words came indeed from Friede, the leader of the Rising Volt Tacklers:

"Liko is right, Roy. According to the coordinates on the map, we just have to walk for about 1 hour, until we arrive at her Grandma's. Just think positive." he now said as well.

"Aww, mohh ..." just a relatively unagreed sigh came from the young boy, who's Pokémon Fuecoco was meanwhile comfortably chilling on his head.

After walking for another 20 minutes or more, Liko suddenly stopped walking, as of all sudden Sprigatito jumped out of her arms, as if it sensed something, despite this surten movement. "Nya."

Confused of her Partner, Liko turned her back towards Friede and Roy, wondering, what was going on with the little Grass Cat. "Huh? Sprigatito, what's wrong?" she asked, but instead of putting it's attention to her, the Pokémon started, walking towards a completely different direction, than the one, the group was originally going to take.

Although, not wanting to take the risc of getting lost and possibly worrying Friede, Liko still decided, to just follow her Starter, determined to find out, where it was going of all sudden...

~~~

Meanwhile, a little afar from the treetops of the forest, a Corviknight was flying over them, with an rather skinny looking teenager having two colored, silver and black hair, being none other person, than Amethio from the mysterious group called 'The Explorers' sitting on its back.

He and his two grunts called Zir and Conia were originally send out by his boss Gibeon, to deliver Likos mysterious pendant, given to her by her Grandma. But due to rather a row of unseen circumstances, he was removed from that specific mission and forced to hand it over to his rival, at least he appeared like that to him in Amethios eyes, Spinel. Because after reporting to his boss about his failure again snatching Likos pendant from her, he mocked him in front of Gibeon and the other Admins, because he didn't believed Amethios words about seeing a black Raquazza, wich interfered his battle with Liko at the beach back then.

Feeling betrayed, the young teen then decided, to take this task into his own hands now and going after Raquazza instead. And the pendant. Because he WAS going to show Master Gibeon, that he was indeed capable of, doing a mission right and fulfilling it!!

After flying for about an hour or more above the treetops, keeping an eye focused on the group, Amethio suddenly noticed, that his Corviknight started giving rather akward noises from itself, stopping midair flying on the spot. "What is it, Corviknight? You've heard something?" he asked, as he let his gaze wander over the forest, wondering what could've startled his Steel type Crow Pokémon.

As he looked further down, where Friede and the others where walking past the treetrunks, Amethio then noticed, that something or rather 'someone' was following them from a further distance. 'No way... You've got to be kidding me!' he thought to himself, as he suddenly spotted Spinel out of nowhere, as one of the other Admins of the Explorers was walking with his Pokémon Umbreon by his side onto the same path, as Liko, Friede and Roy. Feeling his senses tensing up by instinct, Amethio instructed Corviknight, to bring him downwards.

The Pokémon did, what it was told by its Trainer, so Amethio glided down it's back, as soon as he was feeling the ground back under his feet again. After returning his second partner back into its Pokéball, the teen quickly stepped behind a nearby standing tree, trying to not give away his presence. Well, at least he was hoping so.

Now, as he kept watching Friede and the two kids out from that spot, he saw, that Sprigatito had jumped out of its Trainers arms and ran into a completely different path deeper into the forest, rather than staying on the path, which went past it, as well.

'Why is it acting like this?' the teen now asked himself, because even Amethio knew, that Sprigatito usually was very loyal towards Liko and would never do something, that she didn't told it to do or, if there was no particular reason for this behavior. But this time, there WAS something behind it, he just didn't know, what it was yet.

Even though he had planned, to follow Friede, Amethio now followed Liko, who now was following Sprigatito, still not knowing, why it was acting so strange...

~~~

After she followed her partner all the way depper into the forest, Liko finally spotted Sprigatito again, wich was strangely sitting next to what looked something, like tracks. And they seemed like, they where made by one or multiple Pokémon. She wasn't sure. After approaching her little cat, the black haired girl kneeled next to it, so that she could examin these tracks too. "Why did you ran of so suddenly, Sprigatito? Was it because of these tracks?"

But after a little thinking, she started to become a little sceptical, because there was no way, Sprigatito would've ran of, just because of these tracks. No... There must be another reason for it... But what could've it been?

Liko was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize, that the Grass Cat Pokémon out of all sudden started hissing, because someone was approaching them. And that person was very familiar to both Sprigatito and it's owner as well. Likos eyes where widening in shock, after she recognized the person, Sprigatito was hissing at...

~~~

Meanwhile Amethio, who was still following Liko, growled a little out of frustration and breathed a little heavily, because he lost Spinel after a good taking walk, after noticing him heading into the same direction as Liko, as he started following both the girl and her Pokémon earlier. And the silver and black haired teen knew, that his rival was up to something... However defenatly not something nice for sure!

So as he kept going after his three 'targets', his tenses started firing up again, after he suddenly heard a loud scream, shortly followed by an evil laughter. He instictivly rushed into the direction, Amethio assumed, this scream was coming from.

However what he saw then, glided shivers down his spine...

Liko was laying there. Dangerously near... A cliff??? She was unconscious. Had several wounds, mostly coming from her leg and stomach, he assumed. Sprigatito was laying a few feet away from it's Trainer, also with visible scars, alltough, they weren't as bad, as Likos were. But it still looked very damaged.

Amethio couldn't believe, what he saw. He wanted to take a closer look, but was stopped in his tracks, as a person was walking towards the unconscious girl. And it was exactly the same person, he noticed following Liko and the others before.

"Spinel..." Amethio growled trough his teeth, after he recognized his colleague. Unfortunately... He didn't know exactly why, but somehow his legs started moving on their own, as the teen instictivly stepped out from behind the bushes and in front of Liko, as if he wanted to protect her.

The spoken one turned around and instictivly had a half sneeky, half evil grin on his face. And his look was very... Let's say... Insane too. Clearly not good for sure. "Well, well... If it isn't my reliable comrade. How's it going? Still on the hunt for a mysterious Pokémon, that doesn't exist?" the green haired asked, obviously having a provoking tone in his voice.

At first, there weren't any specific sentences exchanged between the two Explorer Admins. But it was clearly noticeable, that Spinel was slowy getting on Amethios nerves already, because his right eye was twitching ever so slightly.

After a good moment of silence, Amethio spoke up again, while he didn't took his gaze away from his rival:

"What have you done to her?!" he came to the topic right away, while gesturing to the still unconscious and badly hurted Liko.

All, that he got, was just a laugh from Spinel. "Well, then let me tell you the story from the very beginning. After Master Gibeon handed over your mission to me, I immediately began researching all the information, I would need in order to fulfilling it. So I shadowed them, so that I would know, what their next move would be.

When I successfully hacked myself into their ships system, I discovered that they were on the way to that girls grandmother. So I followed on their heels, so I would know, where they would actually go. Then I found out, that they would go trough this particular forest thanks to the tracking device, that I had of course previously attached to their ship.

After I had their location, I instructed Umbreon to make some fake tracks, so that cute little girl would get separated from her friends and come to this cliff. Then I showed myself to her and told her, to hand over her pendant, or else she would have to suffer from the consequences. And now you can see the magnificent result of what happens, when someone doesn't do, what I want." he ended, while Spinel showed neither guilt or any other signs of affection, of what he had done just couple of moments ago.

Amethio just stood there, speechless and completely stunned, of what he had just heard from his rival.

After staying like that for a short while, the teen balled his hands into fists, while he gave his counterpart a real death stare.

"You completely crazy, brutal, mean... ashole!!! I always knew, you weren't completely normal, but that you would ACTUALLY go so far, as to intentionally hurt someone, just to achieve your goals!! Even I would never have expected that from you!!" he shouted out in anger, wich by the way, was rarely seen from him, one of his hands already slowly moving towards his right pocket, where Amethio always held Ceruledge's Pokéball.

But Spinel was unfortunately slowly starting, to run out of patience. "I regret it very much, but I don't have much time forever. So, if you'll excuse me, I have to report my success to Master Gibeon." he said, already in the process of taking the still unconscious Liko, completely ignoring Sprigatito, and bringing her to Gibeon.

Amethio on the other hand, reacted immediately and stood in his rivals way. "Oh no, you're not going anywhere, understood?!" he growled, while taking a firm stand. Shortly after, he pulled out Ceruledge's Pokéball, releasing the Fire Swordsman Pokémon in a flash.

However, his colleague didn't seem, to be particularly impressed by this, quite the opposite actually. Spinel even found it quite amusing. As if all of this was like a game at the moment, wich allowed him, to really provoke Amethio.

"Wow, where did this sudden change of heart come from, my dear friend? Just look at It this way. You will never be worthy of the position of a real Explorer Admin as I am. So, why don't you just give up and leave the rest to me, while you can quietly enjoy your time out and watch me complete a mission a thousand times better, than you ever could? How does that sound, Amethio?"

Just the way, he emphasized his name, was the last straw for Amethio. "Alright, just shut up, got it?! Just to make things clear, Spinel!! We, you and I, were never friends and never will be!!! So don't you dare, call me that again!! Ceruledge, use Bitter Blade!!" he now called out for his Pokémon to attack.

Ceruledge immediately swung one of its blades almost in tune with it's Trainers command, to directly strike with it at Spinel. However he had already expected this and now called his Pokémon Magneton out of its Pokéball as well, to block the attack with Electro Ball.

But Ceruledge was quick enough, to avoid this counterattack at the last second, by using Psycho Cut this time, wich caused the Electro Ball to eliminate.

Amethio narrowed his eyes, while watching this process. "You'll never win! Ceruledge, Phantom Force!! And use Night Slash right after!!" he instructed his Pokémon for the second time.

Ceruledge emerged in a dark purple portal and landed a powerful hit at Spinels Magneton with the following Night Slash, after it came out of it again, whereupon the Electro Pokémon collapsed and shortly afterwards a cloud of smoke rose as well.

While his rival was now distracted by this, Amethio turned straight to the still unconscious Liko and very carefully took her into his arms. Right after he called out his Corviknight and placed her gently on its back, followed by Sprigatito. Lastly he sat on it as well and quickly returned his partner and shortly after took off into the skies just in time, before Spinel was even able, to do anything about it...

~~~

In the meantime, it was noticed, that Liko had suddenly disappeared. To be precise, after Friede had briefly turned around, to look at his two protégés and she was no longer on the specified path, the same was true to Sprigatito. Roy seemed to notice that now too.

"Huh? Liko? Wasn't she there a few moments ago?" Friede now asked, sounding a bit confused. Roy looked at him, at least as confused and now also looked around for the girl. But it was true. There was no trace of Liko or even Sprigatito at all.

Roy answered to his question. "Actually, yes... Strange, where could she have gone? And Sprigatito too..."

The young man scratched his chin thoughtfully. "It's not like her, to just disappear like that. She would definitely have told us before." he said, a little sound of worry in his voice.

Roy nooded in agreement. "You're right! But if not for this reason..." his sentence was interrupted midway, as Friede began to speak again:

"Wait! Oh no... What if something happened to her and that's, why she disappeared?!"

Roy's eyes suddenly widened. "You're not saying... That the Explorers might have kidnapped her and Sprigatito?!" he didn't even want to think about it!

But Friede only gave a determined nod from himself, his face now twisted into a serious expression. "I actually didn't want to imagine it... But now that I think about it again... It would definitely be a possibility!"...

~~~

To be continued...