JN096: Difference between revisions

Eventually, Sophocles brings Ash and Goh to the mission control, where he introduces them to [[Ellery]], one of the researchers working here. The current project they're working on is the return of {{p|Talonflame}}2, a space probe once launched from the Mossdeep Space Center to retrieve a sample from an asteroid. After successfully completing what it was set out to do, it is now returning to the planet, which is where Ampharos comes in. Four observatories around the {{pkmn|world}} will be amplifying the light produced by Ampharos and firing it into space, with Talonflame2's light sensor using the beams as beacons to navigate its way back home. Ellery asks Sophocles and Ampharos to get into position, but while rushing after Sophocles, Ampharos ends up hitting both Ash and Goh with its tail. Dejected over this, it walks over to Sophocles in low spirits and almost steps on {{TP|Sophocles|Togedemaru}}, who jumps back to dodge and accidentally hits a machine.

Ampharos takes its place in a special chamber as the Mossdeep Space Center prepares to take over from another observatory in guiding Talonflame2. Sophocles tells Ampharos to illuminate its lights, which are fired into space seconds later, successfully reaching Talonflame2's light sensor. However, only moments later, the machine Togedemaru hit earlier malfunctions and starts smoking, forcing an emergency shutdown and leaving another Ampharos to take over elsewhere in the world. While Talonflame2 still remains on course, Sophocles and Ampharos are dejected over this setback, fearing they did something wrong. Ellery reassures Sophocles that the machine will be fixed by the time of the next illumination and tells him and Ampharos to take a break until then.

Outside the Space Center, Ash and Goh try to cheer Sophocles and Ampharos up by complimenting the way they succeeded in guiding Talonflame2 before the machine broke down. Sophocles starts to recover from his dejection quickly, but when Ampharos tries to illuminate its lights to entertain Grookey, it doesn't work. Goh figures that Ampharos must've fallen into a slump following its failure. Despite Sophocles trying to reassure Ampharos, the {{pkmn|category|Light Pokémon}} suddenly runs away into the nearby woods. Ash, Goh, and Sophocles follow it, but end up losing it. Sophocles's confidence starts falling apart again, and he reveals that he isn't even Ampharos's {{pkmn|Trainer}}, having borrowed it from his cousin [[Molayne]] from [[Hokulani Observatory]] for use in this project. Since he's failing to cheer up Ampharos, he's feeling he's being a nuisance to everyone else and starts to regret taking the invitation in the first place. Ash and Goh, however, tell him to get a hold of himself and remember to continue moving towards his goal of becoming an astronaut. Sophocles is cheered up by their motivational speech, only for the group to suddenly realize that Grookey has now disappeared as well. Goh guesses that it must've wandered off following what it thought was Ampharos's light, which is shown to be true as it catches up to a light that turns out to have come from a {{p|Volbeat}} instead of Ampharos.

Back at the Space Center, Sophocles requests Ellery to let him have another go. Ellery happily agrees, telling him that the broken machine has been fixed. However, while everything is still being set up, Talonflame2 ends up making an automatic evasive maneuver to dodge a meteorite, which, while saving it, also puts it off the planned course and threatens to leave it unable to return. Sophocles makes some quick calculations and comes up with a plan that would allow cooperation between the four observatories involved in the project to guide the probe back to its proper course. The plan is put into action, and Talonflame2 indeed starts gradually correcting its course. When the Mossdeep Space Center's turn comes, Ampharos illuminates itself once again, but the beam ends up being weakened by the clouds over the Space Center. As such, the group uses Pikachu's Thunderbolt, Togedemaru's {{m|Zing Zap}}, and {{TP|Goh|Raichu}}'s {{m|Nuzzle}} to give Ampharos more power, intensifying the beam enough to penetrate the clouds and reach Talonflame2. The probe successfully reenters the atmosphere and breaks apart as planned while numerous people observe its fiery descent. Finally, only the sample capsule remains, and it safely floats to the ground with a parachute, bringing the Talonflame2 project to a successful conclusion. Ash and Goh congratulate Sophocles and Ampharos, although the latter, along with the Pokémon that had provided power for it, have collapsed out of exhaustion.

* {{p|Talonflame}}2 is a reference to {{wp|Hayabusa2}}, a Japanese space probe that brought samples of asteroid {{wp|162173 Ryugu}} to Earth in December 2020.