Resuming from the end of the previous episode, Liko and Amethio are still trapped in a cave underneath Glaseado Mountain. Terapagos angrily cries at Amethio while Liko tries to calm it down. Amethio takes a step forward and tells Terapagos that he's not planning anything now. Eventually, Terapagos calms down at realizing that Amethio won't try anything. As Amethio turns and walks the other way, Liko tries to say something, but hesitates. Watching Amethio try to find a way out, Liko starts to blame herself for making Roy and Dot worry about her again.
Meanwhile, Coral and Sidian confront Roy and Dot at the mountain cabin. Roy tells them to move aside, but they refuse, initiating a battle. Seeing how they don't have time to deal with the two Explorers admins, Roy and Dot have Quaxwell and Fuecoco attempt to make a run for it, only for Garganacl to cut off their path with Stone Edge. Coral has Glalie use Blizzard, which blows Fuecoco and Quaxwell back before Garganacl follows up with Salt Cure. Quaxwell is able to dodge, but Fuecoco gets hit. This is followed by Quaxwell getting hit by Glalie's Ice Spinner. Sidian tells Coral to show some restraint, to which Coral impatiently claims that stalling for time just isn't her style. Hearing this, Dot and Roy realize that the Explorers are stalling them while going after Liko. Dot tells Roy that they have to get past the admins, starting with Garganacl. Fuecoco uses Stomping Tantrum, which Garganacl blocks with Stone Edge. However, this leaves it open for a super-effective Liquidation from Quaxwell. Just as Dot tells Sidian and Coral to move, Garganacl uses Recover to get back up, taking Roy and Dot back to square one while Chalce watches the battle from afar.
Liko and Amethio opening up to each other
In the cave, Liko notices how much colder it's getting. Floragato gets some grass stalks from on the ledges above, wanting to keep them warm with it. Seeing this, Amethio's Ceruledge wants to help out as well, warming up Amethio with the heat from its fiery blades, to which Amethio thanks it for. Seeing what Ceruledge was doing, Liko hands it some grass to make a campfire. Exchanging a look with Liko, Amethio complies and has Ceruledge light the grass on fire with its blade. Liko thanks Amethio for the fire as they all gather around it to keep warm. Amethio points out Liko's hesitation when he Terastallized his Ceruledge during their battle before and asks her why she stopped fighting with everything she had. Thinking back to her loss against Grusha, Liko says that she failed her Implementation Test for the Terastal Training course. She thought if she could use Terastallization, she could learn more about Terapagos and be able to help it. Amethio rebukes this, however, asking Liko if that one setback is all it takes to declare herself worthless. Looking at Terapagos, Liko knows her search for the Six Heroes and Laqua isn't over, and says that she won't give up. Liko then asks Amethio why he and Ceruledge saved her life during their battle with the Black Rayquaza. Amethio claims that he wasn't trying to save Liko, but she says that he did. Liko points out that the Explorers are bad, but there's something different about Amethio. She asks Amethio why he needs Terapagos and Rayquaza, to which Amethio answers that it's all for Gibeon, his grandfather and the leader of the Explorers. Gibeon wants to reach Laqua, and Terapagos and Rayquaza are the ones who will lead him there. Amethio says that he wants to fulfill his grandfather's dream and live up to his expectations. Hearing Amethio's story, Terapagos acts hostile towards Amethio again, only for Liko to calm it down. She shares that she's on an adventure that she inherited from her own grandmother too, saying that Terapagos was the pendant she gave her. Amethio is surprised that Terapagos wants to go to Laqua as well. Liko believes that she and Amethio are following the same path, thinking that they could more than enemies. Amethio admits that he never got to know Liko, who is thankful that they've opened up to each other.
Amethio feels a draft and looks up to see holes in the cave ceiling. He requests Liko’s help for getting out of the cave, and she agrees. Amethio explains the air blowing on the grass surrounding the holes above as well as the dim light, meaning there's a chance it could lead outside. Ceruledge and Floragato ride Amethio’s Corviknight up to the holes, where they use Psycho Cut and Magical Leaf to widen the gap, but this also causes debris to fall. Seeing a large rock heading towards Liko, Amethio tells her to move, but she sends out Hattrem and has her use Confusion to stop the rock before smashing it apart with Brutal Swing, thanking Hattrem for protecting her.
Roy and Dot are still struggling against Coral and Sidian. Having grown bored, Coral decides to finish them off with Self-Destruct. However, before the Face Pokémon has a chance to execute the move, it is struck down by a Moonblast from above, which came from Grusha and his Altaria. Grusha rides down on his snowboard and confronts the Explorers admins himself. As Glalie recovers, Sidian and Coral get a call from Chalce, who orders them to pull back to avoid a battle with a Gym Leader, deeming that they've already achieved their objective. Coral refuses, but Sidian obliges, recalling Garganacl and sending out Aerodactyl to fly away on. Coral swears that next time it will be different before following Sidian on her Glalie. Roy and Dot thank Grusha for his assistance before telling him that they lost track of Liko. Grusha tells them that he's heard about Liko from someone named Friede who called him about it a while ago. He has Altaria lead the way as they set out to find Liko.
Meanwhile, Liko and Amethio manage to escape the cave, much to the former's relief. Amethio warns Liko about Spinel, who's bound to lay another trap out for her eventually and is plotting something with the Eternal Blessing. Liko points out that the Rising Volt Tacklers and the Explorers could work together, seeing how they share the same goal. Amethio denies this, saying that while their goals are the same, their paths are not. As for him, he'll decide to follow his own path. Amethio and Liko amicably part ways as a familiar Beheeyem spies on them from above.
Amethio being punished by Gibeon
Reaching the place where Roy and Dot got separated from Liko, Grusha notices a mark in the snow made by the boulder blocking the path. Roy says that he could've noticed that if he had just looked closer, and Grusha points out that looking ahead doesn't always work. Altaria approaches the boulder and breaks it apart with a rapid series of pecks, revealing a surprised Liko from behind it. Roy and Dot run over to Liko, glad that she's okay. Friede watches overhead, thinking he didn't need to intervene after all. They all enter the cabin, where Grusha lights the furnace. Before anything else, Liko thanks Grusha, who says that it all worked out in the end. Liko thinks that she may have failed her test, but Terastallization isn't the only path she could take as long as she stays strong and never gives up. Friede asks Liko what Spinel came out here to do. Liko says that he used the Eternal Blessing on his Umbreon, which made it go berserk. Friede shares that the Eternal Blessing is also called Laquium, which they kept at a company he previously worked at. Liko feels that Umbreon was in a lot of pain, but went back to normal after Terapagos transformed into its Terastal Form and shattered the Eternal Blessing. Friede asks Liko to keep an eye out for more activity from the Explorers while he heads back and fills everyone in. Dot and Roy suggest heading back to the Naranja Academy, but Liko wants to go somewhere else first. As such, the trio makes their way to Paldea's Highest Peak at the summit of the mountain. Liko admits that they have seen many sites already, but each one felt like the new best. Roy calls Liko over to take a group photo of their experience.
In the Explorers' base, Amethio walks into a meeting the admins set up for him. Amethio questions them what this is about, and Spinel brings up how he betrayed them. Hamber pulls up footage Spinel provided of Amethio helping Liko out of the cave they were trapped in. Chalce and Spinel scold Amethio for aiding the enemy and letting Terapagos slip away before his eyes. Amethio rebukes this, realizing that Spinel had set him up. Coral and Sidian have their suspicions, however, and Hamber asks for an explanation. Gibeon, however, enters the conversation, deeming any explanations unnecessary and expressing his disappointment in his grandson. Amethio tries to explain, but Gibeon says that he was the same as his father and would stray from the path too. With that, Gibeon relieves Amethio of his duties, and coldly states he never wants to see him again, leaving the latter gritting his teeth and clenching his fist.
