Unwilling to leave Hogator, Roy stows aboard the Brave Asagi to become its partner. The crew allows Roy to stay the night, but he is unable to find Hogator and returns home the next morning. Hogator learns of Roy's visit and goes looking for him, discovering along the way that the Explorers have followed the Rising Volteccers. Reuniting with Hogator and warned about the Explorers, Roy enlists the local bug Pokémon to patch the Brave Asagi's balloon, while Friede and the rest of the crew battle Amethio and Zir to protect the ship. Roy joins the battle and motivates Hogator to perform its first successful Ember attack, but their achievement distracts Friede and allows Amethio to move in on Liko.

Liko and Roy ask about Rayquaza's whereabouts from Dot, the crew's reclusive information gatherer, but she rebuffs them with a drawing of a defeated Roy and Hogator. Friede obliges to train Liko and Roy in Pokémon battling, pitting them against his partner, Captain "Cap" Pikachu. When their usual strategy of blindly ordering attacks fails, the two improve by focusing on Cap's movements, although Nyahoja and Hogator lose interest in the match and fall asleep. Liko and Roy apply their newly gained knowledge in battle against other, which ends with Nyahoja learning Quick Attack and defeating Hogator. Dot responds to their match with a drawing of Rayquaza flying over Paldea, indicating the legendary Pokémon to be there.