A week passed since Galatea's battle with Nemona. Classes rolled on without too much trouble, with the looming fear of Midterms fast approaching being constantly reminded about every class period. Galatea met up with Penny a couple of times, and even finally got to buy them a lunch. She ran into Carmine and Keiran a couple of times, but they rarely interacted. Not that she didn't want to, but there was this gnawing pit in her stomach that screamed every time she thought about saying hi to either of them.

They probably don't want to be friends with me anyways. She'd think and move on. 

Today, she finished up her classes early, and was relaxing on her bed. She gave a stretch of her arms and thought about her last class with Mr. Jacq. Science usually wasn't too bad. He even called on Galatea in class today and she was paying attention for once, so she answered the question right. She was quite proud about that.

Her history and math had been going better too, but that was thanks to Nemona and Penny's tutoring outside of class time. The more she thought about it, she realized she really hadn't gone outside since her battle with Nemona. Nor has she been off-campus in... Oh gosh, she couldn't remember the last time she left Naranja Academy. They were usually free to come and go on weekends, and it was Friday.

"Maybe I should go for a walk towards Cabo Poco," Galatea said as she looked out her window. "Ooh or maybe a picnic!" She quickly put on some sunscreen to keep her fair skin from burning to a crisp before making her way through the Academy and down into Mezagoza below. She was just walking into a sandwich shop to pick up her lunch to take out when her Rotom-phone begins to ring.

She squinted at the screen reading "BLOCKED NUMBER" Galatea rolled her head around with a heavy sigh before hitting the end-call button without picking up. She really didn't feel like talking with her oh-so-generous sponsor right now. Especially since her calls to them so often went unanswered. Galatea popped up to the front counter and got her go-to BLT on white bread.

The more she thought about it, the more Galatea realized she missed the sea breeze and felt her heart skip a beat knowing that her destination was right off the ocean. Plus her house was there.

Her phone rang again, interrupting her line of thoughts, with the same blocked number. Galatea rolled her eyes and hung up once more. "Geez, I don't hear from you in months and now I get two calls in one day. Too bad, so sad, I'm busy." She mumbled to herself as she made it to the grassy plane between Mazagoza and Los Platos.

Little Pachirisu scamper across her path and wrestle over an oran berry. She debated in her head whether she should spend the night in the Cabo Poco house and return to school in the morning. Take a little sabbatical. It wasn't unheard of for students to go home for a weekend.

However-- going to the house, paid for by her sponsor, probably wasn't the best idea if she wasn't planning on answering their calls. So, by the third call, Galatea relented and picked up the phone, "Hello."

"Hello Galatea, Student ID number 805C393, a pleasure to be able to get you on the phone."

Galatea scoffed, "Sorta reversed there, Professor Sada. I've been trying to contact you for months. I think a couple missed calls from me is fair."

The voice on the other end grew quiet, "I've been busy."

"Busy sure. I sure hope you talk to your son more than you talk to me. I bet you do." Galatea grumbled, "Anyways. I guess there's a point to this call? Is this about my grades? I know they are lower, but they are still passing--"

"No, Galatea. Your grades are satisfactory enough. That's not why I called you."

Galatea scoffed and said, "Clearly you and my teachers are not on the same page. Why can't they just take my test grades as enough to show I understand the material? Why is homework so important--"

"Galatea, what I need to speak to you about is important, please listen to me." Sada's tone shifted to something stiff. "I wish to ask for your assistance. Do you remember the unusual pokemon, Koraidon?"

Galatea bit her lip as the image of that red lizard popped into her mind and she clenched her jaw, "Yeah."

"An incident occurred and I am no longer able to take care of Koraidon, myself. He has left Area Zero and is currently near your location. If you could please find him and take him into your care as a trainer, it would be greatly appreciated." Sada said.

Galatea blinked a few times, "Wait, what? What do you mean left? What you do mean take him into my care? Wasn't he like a super-duper important part of your research that was oh-so invaluable? And you are just gonna pass him off to me?"

"You are also invaluable, Galatea." The professor said in a rather monotone voice, "I thank you in advanced. A young man named Arven will meet you at the lighthouse to deliver you Koraidon's pokéball."

She hung up.

"Did she just hang up on me?!" Galatea screeched, trying to dial the number back only to receive the dial tone. "Oh come on, Sada, pick up, pick up! You can't just foist this Pokémon onto me! Especially right now!"

Finally, in response to Galatea's numerous calls, a small point popped up on her phone's minimap. A small little inlet beach by the lighthouse on the Poco Path. She clicked her tongue, Thanks a lot, Professor Sada.

Once Galatea made it past the lighthouse, a deep roar broke the calm of Poco Path. Wingull and Fletchling flitted away as fast as their little wings could carry them. Galatea picked up her pace to find herself standing at the ledge of a cliff that overlooked the same inlet beach that her map indicated Koraidon's location.

Lo and behold, Koraidon was slumped against the shore, with barely enough energy to lift his head towards the handful of Houndour that snapped at him. A small twinge pinched at Galatea's heart seeing the scene, but it did not last long. With what strength the feathered reptile Pokémon had left, he let out a guttural and booming cry that shook the earth. Galatea let out a small sigh of relief to see the Houndour skitter away, but soon realized her relief was too early as the cliff edge crumpled around her feet.

Gatatea's heart leapt into her throat as she screamed. Her Rotom-phone was quick on the draw, flew out of her bag and into her hands just a few feet from the ground before standing firm to stop Galatea's fall. Gatatea stared at the sand at her shoes and began to quietly laugh, "Thanks, Rotom."

The Rotom-phone buzzed and flew back into her backpack side-pocket.

Koraidon, no longer able to raise his head, simply dragged it across the sand to look towards Galatea. His amber eyes widened for a moment before huffing and looking back off towards nothing in particular.

"Well nice to see you too," Galatea mumbled as she came up beside him, looking the Pokémon up and down for any sign of injury. Other than a few scrapes from what seemed to be a crash landing, he was uninjured. Just—exhausted. "No wonder Sada needed someone to look after you. Did you even eat anything before leaving Area Zero?"

"Agiaaass..." Koraidon grumbled, averting his eyes more.

"Well I don't speak Pokémon so I have no clue what you're saying, but I'll assume that's a no." Galatea swung her bag around and grimaced as she looked at her precious BLT. But it was all she had. She took it out and presented it to Koraidon.

With the fading strength he had left, Koraidon lift his head and sniffed at the sandwich cautiously, before slowly taking a soft bite. His eyes lit up and each bite after was with great enthusiasm and soon, there weren't even crumbs left. Galatea chuckled and rubbed Koraidon's head.

"So Sada got bored of you too?" Galatea gave a dark laugh. "Welcome to the club. Now, let's go get your pokéball from the lighthouse. I'll be taking care of you from now on. And don't worry, I make sure my friends get good every day." Galatea looked up towards the cliff she fell from a sighed with her entire body. The only way up would be the dim cave behind them and climbing out. Once full of high ledges she had no chance of scrambling up herself. "That is if we can figure out how to get back up to the main path."

Koraidon sauntered past her and looked back with a little lizard smile and leapt into the air. A golden light burst from his core and his claws shot out, feathers flying out and covering the back of his neck, arms and hips. The tire-like contraption that made up his throat puffed out, and accentuated the triangle pattern printed across it. Koraidon hit the beach sand with a heavy thump on his hind legs and threw sand up in a haze around. Turning back to look back at Galatea, he nodded before walking towards the cave.

He stopped at the entrance and looked back to Galatea in anticipation. "Oh, you want me to come along—uh, sure!" Galatea said before closing up her bag and trotting behind. The two slowly made their way through the cave. Any object in the way was pulverized by one heavy swing of Koraidon's front claws. She simply followed the Pokémon in a silence, and glanced occasionally towards the shadows where small figures dashed.

The Houndour that were pestering Koraidon back at the beach must've only left to get back up because the pair was only half way out of the cave when a large wave of the Houndours surged out from the shadows. They snapped and lunged the closer they got with a fire in their eyes.

Galatea reached for her bag, ready to send out Tandemaus, but Koraidon roared and shook the entire cave. The once brave dog Pokémon swiftly scampered back into the darkness and Galatea snorted, "Nice one, Koraidon."

"Agia!" Koraidon called with a grin.

They continued to the cave until sunlight filled the room they stood in. Galatea looked up to see the exit only about fifty feet up, with ledges every ten feet. "Alright, lets—"

A howl screamed from the path they just came from, and emerging from the shadows as a Houndoom. The Pokémon's silver horns curled around its head and flames hissed around its half-open mouth.

"I got this," Galatea had confidence when she threw her pokéball into battle, but it slipped away with a roar from Houndoom. The single roar sent her Pokémon back into the ball. She tried two more times, but the Houndoom kept barking with such ferocity, no one on Galatea's team was willing to battle.

Koraidon leapt in between Galatea and the hellhound of a Pokémon, "GRIAAS!"

To add insult to injury, the Houndour wave from before returned with renewed confidence and surrounded them. Koraidon threw a few blows towards the waves, but the Pokémon kept coming.

When the second Houndoom leapt in, exhaustion filled Koraidon's eyes. Koraidon panted heavily, with sweat and scratches everywhere while he swatted at any Pokémon that got too close to Galatea.

Galatea watched helplessly from the back of a wall where Koraidon had tried to hide her. Her stomach twisted, I can't do anything. With each attack he fired to repel the waves, he heaved. Most of the Houndour had been defeated, leaving the two Houndoom. However, while Koraidon was looking rough, the Houndoom were practically untouched. Koraidon is protecting me with everything he has and—and—I can only sit here.

The final attack was coming.

The two Houndoom moved in unison as they both leapt with blazing flames growing from their mouths as they flew in with fangs barred.

"No!" Galatea screamed and threw out her arm. Her silver eyes turned blindingly white.

A rainbow light bloomed around Koraidon. Millimeters from where the Houndoom's Fire Fang would've landed on Koraidon's arm, crystals burst forth. Koraidon skin became as hard as diamonds. He swung his crystalline arm and flung the Houndooms into a wall far on the other side of the cave. Koraidon roared, with a terastral gem shaped as a fist burst from a crown around his head.

Koraidon tucked his fist back and a simmering orange flashed around him before he flew across the cave to land a heavy Focus Punch. They yelped before brokenly skittering away. When Koraidon turned around, he recoiled his head.

Despite him acting as a shield for Galatea, and that she didn't get into battle, Galatea's skin was clammy and pale. Her entire body was shaking and she couldn't find the strength to rise from her knees.

The crystals dispersed and Galatea fell unconscious. Koraidon ran over and picked Galatea up and tucked her like a doll under his arm before leaping up to the cave exit.

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A/N: And that's chapter 4 in the bag! What do you guys think is going on with Galatea? What is her relationship with professor Sada? Let me know what you think in the comments!