01x10 - Nemona and Brassius and...

[bunniefuu]

When I found the courage
to tell my dad

I wanted to keep on adventuring,
he agreed,

accepting that I was now a member of
The Rising Volt Tacklers!

Following my dad's tip,
we set off to Artazon,

looking for an artist named Brassius.

He may have more info about
the Black Rayquaza.

This is it, Liko,
the town of Artazon!

FUECOCO GAWKS

ROY GASPS

Look, they're Pokemon!

In a town known for its flowers,

it makes sense there'd be
Grass-type Pokemon!

LIKO GASPS

Hey, look, it's Smoliv!

POKEDEX: Smoliv, the olive Pokemon,

a Grass and Normal-type.

Smoliv converts nutrients to oil

and stores it
in the fruit on its head.

It can easily go a week
without drinking or eating anything!

It's small but it seems super tough!

FUECOCO SHOUTS HAPPILY

And who are those happy Pokemon?

They're Sunflora!

And, look, that's
a Sunflora sculpture!

It's called Surrendering Sunflora!

The artist is...

It's Brassius!

This piece is an avant-garde...

..expl*si*n of genius!

# When you lead with your heart

# It's so scary at the start

# But that's the hardest part

# And trust me, it gets better

# I finally know where I belong
Where I belong

# This is the way that we grow strong

# I've got a feeling

# With you, I'm becoming me
I'm becoming me

# I'm becoming me! #

Ah...

I can't say I've ever heard of it.

What about this picture,
does it help?

Sorry, I know nothing about it.

Another dead end. Now what?

It's way too soon to give up.

Maybe we'll learn
something from Brassius.

Go, Nemona!

Did she just say Nemona?

Now, Pawmo, use Spark!

PAWMO CALLS OUT

SKIPLOOM WHIMPERS

Aw! I lost again!

I think we both learned a lot
from that.

I'll battle you whenever you want.

Thanks, Nemona, you've got it!

ROY LAUGHS

That battle was totally awesome!

Aw, well, aren't you sweet?
Thank you.

Hey, by any chance,
are you a Pokemon Trainer?

When Trainers lock eyes, it means
they must battle each other!

So, let's go!

THEY GROAN

Uh, no, wait,
that's not why we're here.

We've been trying to find somebody.

Can you help us? Huh?

We're looking for
an artist named Brassius.

Any chance you know where he lives?

You're looking for
an artist named Brassius?

You mean THE Brassius?

This is Brassius's studio?

Mm-hm. He splits his time between
here and the Artazon Gym.

The Artazon Gym?!

Brassius is incredibly
multi-talented!

He's not only an amazing artist,

he's the local Gym Leader!

I've heard Gym Leaders
are super strong Trainers

who are awesome at battles!

If you defeat all
eight Gym Leaders in battle,

then you can attempt
the Champion Assessment!

And, hey, you two
are Trainers, right?

You should totally go for it!

You'll love it! Come on!
The Paldea Champion...

Nemona?

LIKO GASPS

Wow! Are you THE Nemona?

Huh? What's that now?
You really are her!

A Champion-ranked Trainer
and super skilled battler!

NEMONA LAUGHS

The one and only.

It's so nice to meet you!

LIKO SQUEALS

Thank you.
It's very nice to meet you, too.

By the way, I've got
business with Brassius myself.

Huh?

See, the thing is, Brassius
put a hold on Gym activities,

but it's gone on way too long,

so I want to check up on him.

All the local kids
want him back in action ASAP,

so they've been gathering
up tonnes of Sunflora together.

Why are they gathering Sunflora?

Sunflora represents the sun.

In other words,
symbols of light and happiness.

They think if they
collect enough Sunflora,

that'll cheer him up and
he'll finally reopen the Gym again!

THINKING: That is so sweet.

OK. So are you ready to go in?

Oh! I don't know your names yet.

My name's Liko,
and this here is Sprigatito.

SPRIGATITO MEOWS

My name's Roy,
and this is my partner, Fuecoco.

Fueco-Fueco!

Nice to officially meet you,
Liko and Roy.

Oh, and this one here
is my partner Pokemon.

Its name is Pawmo!

Paw-Pawmo!

BOTH: Very nice to meet you, Pawmo.

ROY LAUGHS

I just made more friends!

DISTANT SHOUTING:
That is not avant-garde!

Um, did you hear that, too?

NEMONA GASPS

Brassius, what are you...?

BRASSIUS GROANS

Oh, great, it's only you.

How you doing?

We were worried. Are you OK?

What do your eyes tell you?

I'm doing great.

THEY GIGGLE NERVOUSLY

Uh, yeah. So these two say
they have some business with you.

Is that OK?

Um, my dad, Alex,
is a picture book artist,

I heard you were acquainted,

so if you don't mind,
I was hoping you could maybe

answer a question for me?

Oh, yeah, and my name's Liko.

Alex, the picture book artist,
you say?

Ah! You mean THE Alex?! Oh, my!

Um, yeah...

LIKO SQUEAKS

Alex's daughter,
visiting me at my home!

THIS is truly avant-garde!

Th-thank you.

Whoa...

..it's a Pokemon mug.

Wow, looks like this one is, too!

Exactly right!
They're all works of art!

Hand crafted by me.

Statues, sculptures, objects,

they all may seem as
nought but pale imitations

of their real-world counterparts,

HOWEVER, if made with passion,

they can outshine the original!

DOLLIV SQUEAKS

Oh, no. I'm sorry.

When this one is startled,
it has a tendency to expel its oil.

POKEDEX: Dolliv, the olive Pokemon,

a Grass and Normal-type.

It produces oil with a fresh scent.

When it gets enough sunlight
and the fruit on its head ripens,

it leaves human settlements
and goes on a journey.

So, it's the evolved-form of Smoliv!

ROY GASPS

DOLLIV SQUEAKS

SPRIGATITO MEOWS

NEMONA INHALES

For real,

that's the nicest scent ever!

Thank you so much,
Sprigatito,

you really helped
to put Dolliv at ease.

SPRIGATITO MEOWS

DOLLIV SQUEAKS

I haven't seen happiness oil
in quite a while!

What do you mean
by happiness oil?

I'll elaborate for you.

Dolliv's rare moments
of extreme delight

trigger so much energy
it launches oil.

We're happy too, Dolliv!

Let's be friends!
SPRIGATITO MEOWS

Hey, wait! I almost forgot
why we came here!

Oh! That is true. Continue!

We came here to ask if you knew
anything about a Black Rayquaza.

Did you just say,
"A Black Rayquaza"?!

Yeah, it came out of this Poke Ball,

and right after that,
it flew away and disappeared!

Ever since then, I've been
looking for any clues about it.

BRASSIUS HUFFS

This is not avant-garde!

In fact, it is precisely
the opposite of avant-garde!

Farewell!

ROY STAMMERS

Hey, um, Brassius?!

Wh-why did he just leave?

I don't know. Maybe something I said
really upset him?

ROY GROANS

What are we going to do now?

Could this be...?

Liko? What is it?

I think Brassius might be
in a bit of a slump.

Do you think so?

And what's a slump? A Pokemon?!

Uh, no, I wouldn't say that's it.

It's when your creative process
gets stuck.

Where no matter how hard you try,
you can't get it right!

My dad's gone through
the same thing tonnes of times.

And when this happened, how did
your father push past it all?

He does simple things,
like cook food,

listen to music,
whatever makes him smile.

Smiles are good.

I got it! Why don't we collect
a bunch of Sunflora ourselves?!

The symbol of a smile
as bright as the sun. Yes!

Just like all the kids
in town do, right?!

Mm! Let's do it!

We'll all help Brassius together,
so he can get his smile back!

BRASSIUS SIGHS

All I can do now...

..is take a walk!

So, right here is Sunflora Lawn.

I think we should collect enough
Sunflora to fill every inch of it!

Mm-hm. Right on!

Let's do it all in one go, Fuecoco!

Fueco!

That one! Fueee!

There! I see one!

I wonder if any are hiding back here.

Yeah, I found one!

SPRIGATITO MEOWS

Thanks for your help, Sprigatito!

We're doing so well.
Let's keep going!

SPRIGATITO MEOWS

What exactly
do they think they're doing?!

LIKO GASPS

I guess that's just a statue.

SPRIGATITO YAWNS

Are you getting
bored of this already?

SPRIGATITO MEOWS

You can change your mind
just like that, can't you?

Oh!

Sprigatito loves lounging in the sun,

and Sunflora symbolise the sun.

So maybe if I looked
somewhere that's very sunny...

Hey, Sprigatito,

where do you want to go
more than anywhere else?

Ta-da!

Whoa! How'd you find
so many of them?!

That's awesome!

Thanks to Sprigatito!

You're no slouches either!

ROY LAUGHS

Yeah, ten's pretty good.

I was out there trying my best, too!

Look, that's a whole garden
full of smiles.

If this doesn't make Brassius happy,
I don't know what will!

BRASSIUS GRUMBLES

DOLLIV WHIMPERS

Stay here. Let me go get him!

Do-liv!

Uh, Dolliv, what are you doing here?

DOLLIV SQUEALS

BRASSIUS GRUNTS

Brassius!

Wait! Please don't go.

We collected
all these Sunflora for you!

We just want to make you smile!

All the town's children
are waiting for you to come back.

Very well, then.

It's time I told you...

..about the avant-garde experience

that changed the very course
of my life forever!

Is this scary place his studio?

THEY GASP

Ray-Ray-Ray-Ray...

..it's Rayquaza!

ROY GASPS

Uh... Wait, wait a second,
is this thing a...?

A statue?

Yes, exactly that.

This is a unique piece I created,

entitled Sunflora Glared At
By A Black Dragon.

I was inspired
by a similar work of Alex's,

and so I made this.

Really? That's interesting.

I wish to portray the intimidating
presence of a Black Rayquaza

as seen from the viewpoint
of a Sunflora,

and I do think I captured that!

But only a few days ago,

I had the fortune to encounter it!

An actual living,
breathing Black Rayquaza!

THEY GASP

Really?! The same one?!

It was a magical night.

I was taking a stroll through the
woods outside town, when suddenly...

..a Black Rayquaza
pierced the night,

flying with blazing speed!

I was the Sunflora
under the black dragon's glare!

Life was art!

I was utterly overwhelmed.

I'd never felt so vulnerable.

I was transfixed!

And that's when
you fell into your slump.

After that, nothing I created
felt inspired or brought me joy.

I had no desire to battle at my Gym,

so I retreated into my studio
and remained here ever since.

Quite simply, I...

..was utterly defeated
by the ultimate art of Rayquaza!

How could I top that?!

DOLLIV SIGHS AND WHIMPERS

Poor Brassius.

He's obviously
been suffering so much.

That's awesome! Huh?

Rayquaza is super awesome!
I knew it!

Aw, man! Now I really
can't wait to see it again!

Have you not listened
to a single word I've said, child?!

Wait, Brassius, one more thing...

What is it?!
Your Rayquaza sculpture...

..honestly, it's just as cool
as the real Rayquaza!

BRASSIUS STAMMERS

You said the woods outside of town?!

I've got to get there!

OK, bye! Hold it!

Why are you so determined
to chase Rayquaza?

Because Rayquaza helped me
take my very first step!

Your very first step?

Captivating!

Well, just how avant-garde
can a young boy possibly get?!

I never imagined
I'd meet an adolescent

with such focused passion!

All right, so be it!

I will now determine, as Gym Leader,

whether you possess
the crucial skills

to challenge the mighty Rayquaza!

I'll put you to the test, Roy!

Eyes up here, young challenger!

BRASSIUS GRUNTS

As artists, you and I
will achieve the pinnacle of art,

doing so together!

Yeah! Gym Leader Brassius
has come back, finally,

thanks to you guys!

This is my first time ever
battling a Gym Leader!

I can't wait!

I will witness your passion
in battle, young Roy.

I want to inspire you, so...

..I won't lose!

Fueco!

Are you prepared?

Begin the sculpting!

Sudo-woo-do!

So he went with Sudowoodo! Huh?

Wait, Roy, that Pokemon is...

No matter what, it's a Grass-type,

and Fuecoco's real strong
against Grass-types!

Now let's go, Fuecoco!

Use Ember!

Fue-co!

All right!

BRASSIUS SCOFFS

Su-wo-do.

It had no effect?!

Art is first deconstruction,
then creation!

Sudowoodo, use Rock Throw!

Sudo!

FUECOCO SQUEALS

How can a Grass-type Pokemon
use Rock Throw?!

Ah! But Sudowoodo is a Rock-type!

For real?! How'd I not know that?!

Now, use Rock Throw again!

Go! Sudo!

Fuecoco, Tackle! Now go!

Fue-co-co!

You wish to challenge us in a melee?

Sudowoodo, use Substitute!

FUECOCO CRIES OUT

Oh, no, Fuecoco can't tell
which one of them's real!

On the right!
Hit the right one, Fuecoco!

FUECOCO SCREAMS

Fuecoco, are you all right?!

Fue...

Has your perception gone cloudy?!
Use Substitute!

OK, we'll go for the left one
this time!

FUECOCO CRIES OUT

No good! Intuition isn't working!

Sudowoodo, use Taunt!

Sudowoodo!

FUECOCO CRIES OUT

Just use Tackle on it again!
You got this!

Go for it, Fuecoco!

Sudo.

ROY STAMMERS

Why didn't you listen to me?

OK, use Tackle now!

Aw! Come on!

Why?! Work with me, would ya?!

When you have no artistic instinct,

what is it you think you're supposed
to be focused on right now?

You know! The real Sudowoodo,
of course!

Humph. With that attitude,

facing Rayquaza is just a dream
within a dream, forever unfulfilled!

ROY GROANS

Well, then, what should I do?!

Nothing else in battle
demands your focus and attention more

than your very own Pokemon, child!

What? My own Pokemon?

FUECOCO SCREAMS

What's it doing?

Whoa, Fuecoco's anger is
bringing out so much power.

I can use that!

BRASSIUS LAUGHS

I get it now!

OK, Fuecoco, get angry, right now!

FUECOCO SCREAMS

I've never seen this move before,
what's it doing?!

It's called Stomping Tantrum!

FUECOCO SCREAMS

Sudo! Sudo!

Yes! We found the real one!

That was well determined.

You have an aesthetic eye after all!

How amazing!

It must be super talented
for it to learn a new move

right in the middle of battle.

Brassius just helped Roy
and Fuecoco mature and improve

with one battle.

OK, Fuecoco,
let's turn this thing around!

Stomping Tantrum!

FUECOCO SHOUTS ANGRILY

Yeah, Ground-type attacks are super
effective against Rock-type Pokemon!

That really made a difference!

Now I'm going to end it!

Final blow, Fuecoco!

FUECOCO CALLS OUT

Now I shall express
my artistic prowess!

Behold!

Oh, my gosh! That's... Here we go!

It's the ultimate!

The paradigm of high art!

Sudo!

Wait! It just grew
a flower from its head?!

Fueco!

Sudowoo!

That is a little Paldea special
we like to call "Terastallization"!

I dub this piece
"From Fiction Comes Truth".

Sudowoodo has turned
into a Grass-Tera-type Pokemon!

So cool, Sudowoodo!

Oh! So if it's Grass-type,
now that's great for us,

because that means Fire-type
should have the advantage!

We can do this!

Use Ember!

Fueco!

Let us lead this artistic endeavour
to its conclusion.

Sudowoodo, use Trailblaze!

Sudo!

FUECOCO CRIES OUT

That happened so fast!

FUECOCO WHIMPERS

AUDIENCE CHATTER AND CHEER
That's so cool!

Fuecoco?

Fuecoco?

FUECOCO STRUGGLES

You did your best. Thank you, pal!

But still, that was amazing!

Mm-hm.

I never imagined what
Terastallization

in battle looked like.

He increased Trailblaze's power
by turning his Rock-type Sudowoodo

into a Grass-Tera type.

We can really learn a lot
from a genius like Brassius.

And, by the way,

the Tera type a Pokemon changes into
can vary depending on the Pokemon!

So, most Pawmo will turn
into an Electric-Tera type,

but there are
some Pawmo

who can change into
a Flying-Tera type!

Which means now you've
got an Electric-type Pokemon

that can dish out strong
attacks against Ground-types.

Trainers that use
Terastallization well

can make their Pokemon
shine even brighter in battle!

It'd be nice to have more options
in battle, for sure.

Yeah, I want to try it, too!

Our battle was, in a word, art.

Remember what you've learned in this
battle and carry it with you forever.

I will! Thank you for everything!

Since I already told you of Rayquaza,

there is one other truth
I must now impart to you.

LIKO: What is this?

This is Arboliva of the Woods.

Arboliva of the Woods?

It looks really cool,
but what is it?

The place where I witnessed Rayquaza

is the same forest
where this Arboliva lives.

Now, when I happened to be there,

Arboliva began to shine as if in
perfect synchronicity with Rayquaza.

Wow, that's cool! Why'd it do that?

Unclear.

What was clear, however, is that
it has some connection to Rayquaza.

We just have to find out
what that is. Huh?

After we said our goodbyes,

we made our way back to the airship

and told the crew

everything Brassius shared with us.

So, you're saying
you could sense the statue was sad?

The moment I laid eyes on it.

What is this sudden
ache of suffering I feel?

Am I feeling the sadness
of this Pokemon?

So, why do you think Brassius
created such a sad sculpture, Liko?

I don't know.

But I think hidden somewhere
inside it, there's a dark secret.

OMINOUS DRONING RESONATES

MUSIC: Becoming Me [Instrumental]
by Haven Paschall