Silence overtook the streets of Galar as the beams disappeared. Timothy still stood in front of Gwen defensively with his body facing the large hole in the street, but nothing else was coming out of the hole. After a minute, Timothy slowly walked to the hole and leaned in to see it leading down to the Energy Plant.

"Those were Galar Particles coming out of the ground," Gwen said.

"Yeah, and they came from the Energy Plant," Timothy said. "But this doesn't make sense. They're not supposed to have tried to extract Galar Particles yet. Right? Ezria said they were going to do it soon, but not this soon. Were they planning to do it tonight and just didn't tell her?"

But Gwen's face went pale, and her body shook in fear. Timothy turned around to see her quivering and rushed over to pull her into a hug. Gwen grabbed Timothy's "H.A.K." shirt with both hands as he held her.

"It's not fair," she whimpered. "It's not fair. Why is he doing this now? We've worked so hard to stop this from happening."

"I don't know, Gwen. I don't know," Timothy said, struggling to be calm for the both of them.

As they were talking, a pink car raced down the street, then screeched to a halt just a few yards away from the hole. The front door opened, and Sonia hurried out, her eyes fixed on the hole in shock. She leaned toward the edge and then went back to her car to grab her binoculars. As she looked down through her binoculars, Sonia lay on her front by the edge to keep herself from falling.

"This is where those red beams came from alright, but what in the world is down there?" Sonia asked.

"Sonia," Timothy and Gwen said simultaneously.

Sonia nearly dropped her binoculars into the hole, startled. She turned to Timothy and Gwen, and her eyes widened as she stood up to walk over to them.

"Timothy? Gwen? What are you guys doing here?" She asked.

"What are we doing here? What are you doing here?" Gwen asked.

"I was taking a walk before going back to my hotel room when those red beams popped up," Sonia said. "I saw Galar Particles falling in the direction of the Wild Area and decided to go investigate until I saw this hole. Were you guys here when this happened?"

"That beam came out just a few yards from where we were standing," Timothy answered.

"You're kidding. Any idea what's going on down there?" Sonia asked.

Timothy and Gwen opened their mouths to answer but stopped themselves and looked around the area. No one else but Sonia, but they turned to each other and nodded, silently agreeing not to take a chance.

"We actually do, but we shouldn't discuss it out here," Timothy said.

"Why?" Sonia asked, confused.

"Just trust us," Gwen said. "Take us to the Pokémon Center, and we'll explain everything."

Sonia hesitated, finding Timothy's and Gwen's responses odd, then said, "Alright, if that's what you guys want."

With that, Timothy, Gwen, and Sonia got in Sonia's car, with Timothy and Gwen sitting in the back. Sonia carefully drove around the hole, then hit the gas, making Timothy and Gwen hold each other in fear. After a minute of driving, Sonia screeched to a halt again by the Pokémon Center, and got out of her car. Timothy and Gwen sat in silence, holding each other before reluctantly letting go and getting out of the car.

"I forgot what a dangerous driver she is," Timothy whispered into Gwen's ear.

"Maybe we should have had Sonia leave her car, and we just walk back to the Pokémon Center together," Gwen whispered.

The three of them went inside, and Timothy and Gwen led Sonia up the stairs to the room where they were secretly working on their mission. Timothy carefully knocked on the door, hoping Coovers was back from turning Venarge in, and Coovers cautiously opened the door from the other side.

"Where did you guys go? I thought you were going to bed, but I didn't see you in the other room," Coovers said.

"We went for a walk," Timothy said. "Please tell me you saw the red beams."

"I did," Coovers said. "But I thought the chairman was supposed to-"

Coovers looked over Timothy's shoulder to see Sonia standing next to Gwen, and his face lit up. He rushed to Sonia, took her hands, and held them up.

"Sonia, my dear Sonia, I've been counting the moments that we would see each other again," Coovers chirped.

"It's good to see you too, Coovers," Sonia said with a chuckle.

Gwen rolled her eyes, and Timothy pinched the bridge of his nose before he elbowed Coovers' side. Coovers snapped out his blissful gaze and cleared his throat.

"Right, the beams," he said. "What is you-know-who doing with you-know-what down there?"

"So, you guys really do know what's going on," Sonia said.

Coovers' eyes widened, and he sputtered, "W-w-why would we know what's going on?"

"You don't have to hide it, Coovers. We told her we would explain everything," Gwen said.

"What? Come on, guys. We're trying to keep this a secret," Coovers whined.

"Yeah, well, we may as well share it with Sonia now since she's our friend, and Ezria's asleep in our other room," Timothy said.

"Ezria? As in Ezria Markenel?" Sonia asked, bewildered.

Coovers whimpered, wanting his mission to still be as secretive as possible. Then, he sighed and checked both sides of the hall before he gestured to everyone to get in the room. Everyone went in, and Coovers quietly closed the door before turning to Sonia.

"Okay, before I begin, I just want you to know that this is top secret, and this isn't how I wanted you to learn about this side of me," he said.

"Okay," Sonia said patiently.

Coovers paused for a moment before he took out his badge and handed it to Sonia. She studied the badge until her eyes widened, and she gasped before looking up at Coovers.

"You're a cop?" She asked.

"Officer is the appropriate term," Coovers corrected. "I was sent here in response to your grandmother contacting the International Police about an operation endangering the Galar region."

"Gran? What would she know about something like that?" Sonia asked.

Coovers hesitated again before he took out his Rotom Phone, opened the video, and handed it to Sonia. Sonia looked at the thumbnail of the video showing Ezria confused before she pressed play. She grew more confused as she listened to Ezria explaining Chairman Rose's operation to Timothy until Ezria talked about the issues with absorbing Galar Particles from Eternatus. Sonia shook her head in disbelief as she heard Timothy try to convince Ezria that what Chairman Rose was doing was wrong, only to be disregarded at every turn. When the video ended, Sonia lowered Coovers' phone and stared at the floor.

"Ooooooookay. Let me see if I got this straight," she said. "Chairman Rose is knowingly risking Pokémon Dynamaxing and going on a rampage, the Markenel twins are behind him, Ezria is in love with you Timothy, Gran helped Chairman Rose with his research, and he intends to use Leon's good heart to do his dirty work?"

Coovers winced from how Sonia brought up Leon while Timothy nodded and said, "That's about the size of it.

"And did you really stop Team Rocket?" Sonia asked.

"Somewhat. I had a big part in it, but multiple people are responsible for Team Rocket's defeat. It's a long story that I don't want to get into right now," Timothy said.

"Okay, so why does Ezria think you defeated Team Rocket single-handedly?" Sonia asked.

"Because the Energy Plant right below us was the only thing that could prove your Gran's accusations against the chairman," Coovers explained. "We had a letter of endorsement made that went over Timothy's accomplishments as a trainer and exaggerated his part in the battle against Team Rocket to gain the chairman's attention, and eventually gain his trust so he could lead us to the plant."

"And you used Ezria to do it?" Sonia asked.

"Unfortunately. We didn't know right away she had a thing for me, but when we found out she does and the chairman supported her pursuits, I had to play along a little to gain their trust so she could take me to the Energy Plant," Timothy said.

"Yikes. Talk about a sad case of convenience," Sonia said. "But what's your part in this, Gwen?"

"Your grandmother asked me to be their guide during the Gym Challenge," Gwen said before she looked away with a hesitant look. "And I had personal reasons to stop the chairman."

"What's that?" Sonia asked.

Gwen grew uneasy, and Timothy grabbed her hand for support. She gave her boyfriend an appreciative look and mustered the courage to continue.

"Sonia, do you remember when your grandmother got jobs for my mom and me at Macro Cosmos?" Gwen asked.

"Wait. What?" Coovers asked.

"Yyyyeeeeaaaahhhh," Sonia answered, uneasy with where Gwen was going.

Gwen took a deep breath and said, "The truth is we were hired to help find Eternatus. My mom figured out its location, and we hunted it down with the chairman's men, but in the process, Eternatus attacked and...vaporized my mom."

Sonia gasped sharply and took a couple of steps back, her hands covering her mouth and her pupils as small as wheat grains. Coovers stared at his companion, speechless, then turned to Timothy, who nodded to confirm that he already knew. After half a minute of silence, Sonia stretched her hand to Gwen and took a few steps forward.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sonia asked.

"My mom and I signed a legal document to keep anything connected to finding and capturing Eternatus a secret, so we couldn't tell you how she passed," Gwen said.

Sonia stood still for a moment before she walked over to Gwen and pulled her into a hug. Gwen smiled sadly as she hugged Sonia back. They held their embrace for several seconds before Sonia stepped back.

"Well, this is a lot of information to take in in a couple of minutes," she said. "Why didn't Gran tell me any of this?"

"She said it wasn't for you to know. Said you had other things to worry about," Coovers said. "While we're on the subject, Sonia, I'm sorry I've been hiding who I really am. I know secrecy is part of my job, but I wish I didn't have to hide anything from you. If I could tell you, I would have."

"Don't worry about it, Coovers. I believe you," Sonia said.

Coovers smiled at his crush, and the room was silent until Sonia awkwardly played with her ponytail and asked, "So, what do we do now?"

Suddenly, Coovers' phone vibrated with Rotom saying, "You have a call from Professor Magnolia," repeatedly. Coovers squirmed, knowing why the professor wanted to call him specifically. He picked up his phone and bit his lips before answering the call.

"Hello?" He asked.

"You have some explaining to do, Agent Woodward," Professor Magnolia said in a commanding voice. "Let's start with why your plan failed."

"We didn't fail, Professor. We just got the evidence tonight, and I sent it to Looker," Coovers said.

"Then why do I see Galar Particles falling from the sky?" Professor Magnolia asked.

"We don't know. Ezria said that they were going to extract particles from Eternatus soon, but that was only a couple of hours ago," Coovers said.

"Are Timothy and Gwen with you?" Professor Magnolia asked.

"Yes, we're in a room at the Pokémon Center, and so is Sonia," Coovers answered.

"What? What is Sonia doing with you?" Professor Magnolia asked.

"Timothy and Gwen brought her here," Coovers said. "We just explained everything about the chairman and Eternatus."

The receiver became silent, and Coovers grew uneasy, wondering if the professor was shocked, thinking, or resisting the urge to yell at him. Finally, after several seconds, Coovers heard Professor Magnolia take a deep breath before she spoke again.

"Put me on speaker," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Coovers said.

He took the phone from his ear and pressed the speaker button on the screen. Coovers held out the phone to everyone and said, "You're on speaker, Professor."

"Hey, Gran," Sonia greeted.

"Sonia, what are you doing in Hammerlocke?" Professor Magnolia asked in a grandmotherly manner.

"I'm doing my homework here," Sonia answered. "I just went for a walk before going to bed when these giant beams came out of the ground. I came to investigate when I bumped into Timothy and Gwen."

"Timothy? Gwen?" Professor Magnolia called out.

"We're here, Professor," Timothy replied.

"Did you really get proof regarding the chairman and Eternatus?" Professor Magnolia asked.

"Yes, ma'am. Coovers hooked me with a camera and mic before Ezria took me to the Energy Plant to show me the core where they're keeping Eternatus herself," Timothy said.

"It's true, Professor. Coovers recorded Ezria showing Timothy the hanger and her explaining everything. The energy crisis, the operation, its flaws, the twins' part in it, the whole deal," Gwen said.

"And does the International Police have the footage?" Professor Magnolia asked.

"Yes. We already have Venarge in custody, and Looker is coming to Galar as soon as his warrants are written and approved," Coovers said.

"When is he expected to arrive?" Professor Magnolia asked.

"In two days," Coovers said.

Professor Magnolia huffed loudly and said, "That's far too late. The absolute worst may happen by then."

"I realize that, ma'am, but there's nothing else we can do but wait," Coovers said

"Why can't we just take them down now? We have the proof. Let's show it to the local police and arrest the chairman now. They already have Venarge," Gwen said.

"The local police only have the warrant for Venarge for 'attacking' us while Looker is making the more essential warrants," Coovers explained. "I called Looker after the beams came out to ask him to send me and the Hammerlocke police to arrest the chairman now, but that's not legally possible. We can show the evidence to the local police, but getting arrest warrants from them will take longer. We're talking about using our video and our testimonies to inform them what is happening, have warrants written, looked at by their local district attorney, and then have them read and signed by a judge. And don't forget that who we're trying to stop isn't some Pokémon poacher or the head of a crime organization. We have evidence against, objectively, the biggest name in this region, who, dangerous operation aside, is as legit as it gets. With our words and a video recording of another big name in the region, it might take a long while just to wrap their heads around what is happening."

"And goodness knows how much damage is done by then," Timothy said.

"Correct," Coovers said. "That's what made Professor Magnolia coming to the International Police the best decision. As a force for justice worldwide, our jurisdiction is not restricted to local government laws and has no bias toward someone like Chairman Rose. With Professor Magnolia telling her story, we were at least aware of the possibility that the chairman was up to something specific. With Ezria in the video confirming everything the professor said to the letter, that just made things quicker for the International Police to take action."

"Can't we just storm the Energy Plant with your Pokémon and nab the chairman now? I mean, you're all trainers," Sonia asked.

"I like your thinking, Sonia, but we're talking breaking and entering without proper authority, and the elevator to the Energy Plant has a panel that scans people's hands to gain clearance to the hanger," Coovers said.

"What if we had Noctowl use Hypnosis on Ezria, and we use her hand to get there?" Timothy asked.

"Maybe, but even then, Chairman Rose might not be there for us to nab," Coovers said.

"And, all of these ideas leave out what to do about Eternatus," Professor Magnolia pointed out.

"Well, Ezria did say in the video they would capture it with a Pokéball if they have to," Sonia said. "We could try to do that and seal it away."

Professor Magnolia paused in thought and said, "That is possible, but you would require a very powerful Pokéball to contain it."

"Then, let's have Timothy use the Master Ball on it," Coovers said.

Gwen's heart dropped, and she felt a cold shiver down her spine as her nightmare from Darkrai replayed in her mind.

"The Master Ball?" Sonia asked.

"It's a special Pokéball that automatically catches a Pokémon without needing to fight it," Coovers explained. "Timothy used it to capture Arceus itself to turn the tide against Team Rocket. If the Master Ball can work on Arceus, I see no reason why it wouldn't work on Eternatus. Even Ezria sees it as an ace in the hole if Eternatus breaks free."

Sonia tilted her head, perplexed, and said, "You lost me at capturing Arceus."

"That's fine. It's not important right now," Timothy said. "What is important is that Coovers is right. The Master Ball is our best bet. I used it once to save countless people and Pokémon before. I would gladly use it to do it again."

"But, what if not even the Master Ball is powerful enough to contain Eternatus?" Gwen protested. "It's a Pokémon containing unimaginable amounts of energy. You might not even have a chance to throw the ball at it, depending on how we try to get it out of the core."

Coovers hummed and rubbed his chin in thought.

"That's true. Safely getting Eternatus out of the core and giving you a chance to use the Master Ball without the Pokémon attempting to flee will be tricky. Plus, you could argue that Arceus was in a machine that was electrocuting it, making it easier for Timothy to catch it. Since capturing Arceus is the only time a Master Ball is known to have successfully captured a Pokémon, there's no proof that Arceus' weak state didn't play a factor. It just might not be as effective against something like Eternatus," Coovers said.

Gwen felt a sense of ease, thinking her reasoning might have saved Timothy from ending up as he did in her dream, but it passed away in an instant as she realized it also left everyone without a concrete plan. Dread began to overfill the room as Timothy, Coovers, and Sonia lost hope. Gwen looked down and rubbed her chin in thought with a focused look, desperate until something clicked in her mind.

"Well, this is a long shot, but we could try solving the mystery behind the Darkest Day," she said.

"How will that help?" Timothy asked.

Gwen turned to Sonia and said, "Eternatus used to be called The Darkest Day before Chairman Rose gave it its new name, right? Do you know why?"

Sonia looked at Gwen confused and said, "No. I've never even heard of it until a few minutes ago."

"It's because, as far as research tells us, it was compared to the legend because of its destructive power," Gwen said. "But what if there's more to it than that? What if Eternatus is a part of the legend itself?"

"You mean like Eternatus was there, Dynamaxing Pokémon and causing them to go on a rampage?" Timothy asked.

"Exactly," Gwen said.

Sonia looked down in thought before she smiled and said, "Yeah, that makes sense, but if Eternatus was there, why isn't it in the legend? The story says a black vortex caused Pokémon to grow gigantic and nearly destroy the Galar region."

Everyone heard Professor Magnolia hum through the speaker, and she said, "Some details of the story may have been lost to time. Perhaps the people in ancient times had little way of knowing a Pokémon could perhaps be the very cause of the event. That being said, Gwen, how would discovering this stop Eternatus? There's only so much we know about the hero who stopped the Darkest Day."

At that moment, Sonia's eyes widened, and she squealed in excitement, getting weird looks from Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen.

"That's not true, Gran," she said. "I made some discoveries that tell us more about the hero."

"What? How?" Gwen asked.

Sonia took out her tablet from her coat pocket, opened the gallery app, and selected the picture of the torn tapestry she took at Bob's Your Uncle. She handed it to Gwen, and Timothy and Coovers looked over her shoulders as she examined the photo.

"Hey, that's the tapestry we found at that restaurant," Coovers said.

"Yup, yup," Sonia said with a cute smile.

Timothy and Gwen stared at the picture, confused and Timothy said, "I don't get it. Two kings standing beside tombstones with a sword and a shield inscribed on them? Did these kings who ruled Galar during the Darkest Day, and the hero was working for them?"

"Maybe, or they could be related to the hero or something like that," Gwen said.

"That's what Coovers guessed when we found the tapestry, but then I remembered something that I found here in Hammerlocke," Sonia said. "There are four more pictures. Swipe right."

Gwen swiped right on the screen, and she, Timothy, and Coovers grew more confused as they examined each photo. The first was two young men, one wearing blue, the other pink, watching a wishing star. The second picture was of the two men mystified as a red storm appeared in the sky. The third picture had the two youths gazing at a sword and shield floating in the air, and the final picture was the two men dressed as kings standing in front of a castle. Gwen looked between the pictures multiple times, trying to wrap her mind around them as she read the text above the tapestries.

"The two youths watching a Wishing Star. A disaster occurs. The two bewildered youths. The youths looked on at the sword and shield that stopped the disaster. The two youths crowned," she read out loud. "Sonia, where did you find these?"

"These tapestries are in a vault here in Hammerlocke," Sonia said. "It's said that they tell the story of how Galar was created. The last time I was here in Hammerlocke, I discovered the vault but didn't consider it important for my homework since it doesn't add up to anything else regarding Galar's history. But when Coovers and I found that torn tapestry at the restaurant, I realized the people on that tapestry are the same people appearing on the tapestries in the vault."

"Wait. If that tapestry is connected to the other four tapestries, then that means these kings found the sword and shield, used them to stop the Darkest Day, and then buried them," Timothy said.

Gwen looked up from Sonia's tablet, staring at the wall in shock as she said, "Then...then that means not only do the sword and shield contain special power but there were actually two heroes instead of one. My mom guessed right."

"That's right," Sonia said.

Gwen released a sharp gasp and covered her mouth, feeling as though everything she knew about the legend was fake. Her legs grew weak, and she began to fall as though she were about to faint. Timothy caught Gwen in his arms, and Coovers grabbed Sonia's tablet before it fell out of her hand. After a moment, Gwen collected herself, and Timothy helped her back on her feet just as Professor Magnolia's voice came out of Coovers' phone again.

"Considering that I can't see these photos you took, Sonia, I would very much like you to show them to me in person," she said. "In any case, if what you and Gwen are saying is true, then perhaps solving the mystery behind the Darkest Day is the key to ensuring Eternatus doesn't cause Galar's destruction whether Rose has it or not."

"Then there's nothing else to it but to find more clues," Sonia said.

"Agreed. If the chairman is already starting his operation, then we must leave to solve the mystery at once," Gwen said.

"I'm coming with you two," Coovers declared.

"Coovers, that's sweet, but you have your mission," Sonia said.

"And you are going out there in a region full of Pokémon who could Dynamax and start a rampage at any given moment with Galar Particles running loose," Coovers pointed out. "I'm no Champion or hero, but Timothy taught me everything there is to know about Pokémon battling, and I've got a strong Pokémon team if I do say so myself. You can't expect me to let you go by yourselves when you two might be the key to saving your region. If any Dynamax Pokémon come your way, you can count on Gwen and me to stop it."

"What about Looker?" Timothy asked.

"He didn't give me an order to stay put in Hammerlocke," Coovers said. "And it seems this might be more important than stopping the chairman. My job as an officer of the International Police is to help people and Pokémon. If finding the sword and shield is the way to do it, I will see it done. You promised Ezria that you'd do everything in your power to protect this region. After all, we've been through, you can't expect me to do any less."

"Nobly said Officer Woodward," Professor Magnolia. "But given the gravity of the situation, I do not think it's wise that you, Sonia, and Gwen search for answers alone. I'm calling my colleague in Vermillion City, Professor Cerise, to have his research fellows fly to Galar and meet you at my laboratory back in Wedgehurst."

"Wait, Professor Cerise? Aren't his research fellows Ash, Serena, and their friend, Goh?" Timothy asked.

"Now that you mention it, I think they did say that's who they're working for," Coovers said.

"Do you think they'll be any help?" Gwen asked.

Timothy gave his girlfriend a confident smile and said, "Yes, I believe they will. If anything, while I don't know Goh very well, I trust Ash and Serena will be there to battle the Dynamax Pokémon. The more trainers fighting to protect Galar, the better, and I can't think of anyone with more spirit than any of us to do what's right than those two."

"I second that," Coovers said.

"But what will you do?" Gwen asked.

Timothy's face fell, and he pressed his lips, knowing Gwen wasn't going to like his answer.

"I have to stay here," he said. "Chairman Rose will be keeping a close eye on Pokémon Dynamaxing because of the Galar Particles coming from the core, and he expects Leon, Ezria, Venarge, and me to take care of it. I don't want to play his game, but at least under his employment, he can lead me to where I am needed most to protect civilians."

Gwen's face turned serious and she said, "No, you can't. I don't want you to get hurt."

Coovers and Sonia looked at each other, confused by how Gwen expressed her concern. Timothy gave his girlfriend a sad look, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"There's no other way," he said. "If I go with you, the chairman, Oleana, and Ezria might think something is up, and for all we know, Leon might be the only person under his belt focused on keeping people and Pokémon safe. Besides, someone should keep an eye on Rose and his people while Looker isn't here yet, and if Eternatus escapes, I will try to use the Master Ball to catch it. If there's even a small chance it can contain Eternatus, I must take that shot for everyone."

Gwen's serious look turned into a look of fear, her nightmare on her mind again. She sighed and hung her head in defeat before she reluctantly nodded.

"You're right. You're going to be needed all over the region, and we should keep all of our options open," Gwen said.

Timothy smiled sadly, his hands still on Gwen's shoulders as they stared into each other. The moment was broken when they heard Professor Magnolia clearing her throat through the speakers.

"Well, there you have it then. Sonia, Gwen, Coovers, please leave for Wedgehurst immediately," she said.

"Understood, Professor. We'll be there as soon as possible," Coovers said. "See you then."

"See you then," Professor Magnolia repeated.

"Bye, Gran," Sonia called out.

With that, Coovers hung up and took a deep breath before turning to Timothy.

"Right, looks like we still have some work to do after all," he said. "You'll need to come up with an excuse to explain why we aren't here when Ezria wakes up."

"Great. More lies," Timothy said.

"I'm gonna drive back to the hotel to get my stuff," Sonia said. "You guys meet me outside."

"Got it," Gwen said.

Everyone left the room, with Sonia heading to the stairs while everyone else went to their shared room with Ezria. Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen quietly went into their room, and Coovers and Gwen packed their stuff, trying not to wake Ezria. Gwen carefully scooped a sleeping Winnie from her bed before they left the room and made their way outside. As they waited at the front of the Pokémon Center, Gwen grabbed Timothy's shirt from behind where Coovers couldn't see with her hand that wasn't holding Winnie, and Timothy rubbed Gwen's back. When Sonia returned with her car, they reluctantly moved away from each other before Coovers put his and Gwen's stuff in the trunk, and Gwen gently laid Winnie in the backseat.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Coovers said, taking out a Pokéball from his back pocket. "Here's Shockwave back."

"Thanks," Timothy said as he took the Pokéball. "Anything you'd like me to tell Looker if you're not here when he arrives?"

Coovers hesitated and said, "Honestly, Timothy, just explain that I'm doing what I think is right. I'm sure he'll understand."

"Got it," Timothy said. "Good luck."

"You too," Coovers said.

Coovers closed the trunk and sat in the front seat next to Sonia. Timothy and Gwen checked to make sure their friends couldn't see them while inside the car before tightly embracing. Gwen shut her eyes and squeezed her boyfriend before she broke the hug and stared at Timothy's green eyes with her hands on his cheeks.

"Be careful," she whispered. "Give it everything you have, prevent as much destruction as possible, but please don't resort to using the Master Ball unless you have no other choice."

"Why?" Timothy asked.

"Just promise me," Gwen insisted. "Promise me on Grandma Judy."

Timothy didn't understand what made Gwen so worried about using the Master Ball, but he could see in her eyes that making the promise was the only thing that would put her at ease.

"Alright, I promise," he said.

Gwen smiled, feeling a little at ease before their mouths connected. Gwen held on to Timothy's face, and Timothy held her tight as they kissed, both dreading to be apart when they had just gotten together. When they parted, they slowly let go of each other before Gwen got in the back seat next to Winnie. Sonia stepped on the gas pedal, and Timothy watched the car drive away, with Gwen looking back until Timothy was out of sight.