Electric Trains are the Future Extra: Akari's Team post-PLA
After gaining the Champion spot in the Sinnoh Pokemon League, Hikari Mifune worked to defend it for over 2 years from aspiring challengers, trainers who thought she had won on a fluke, and even the previous Champion. So it came as a heavy surprise when she disappeared suddenly in the fall of 2021, leaving her Pokemon behind.
In the year 1871, Professor Laventon meets with a young girl who claims the name "Akari", and over the course of several months, she forms a team that solidifies her as the Champion of the Almighty Sinnoh.
Ember - The starter that she helped Laventon recapture, Ember has been a constant companion to Akari. Even before her evolution to a Typhlosion, she acted as a mediator of sorts within the team, being the one to remind everyone of their common goals and keeps friendly squabbles friendly. She also has been a major help in keeping Akari calm through her time in the past. As with the next two Pokemon, Ember is named after a challenger that Akari had met as Champion, who was a Fire-type trainer. (In real-life, I purposely stole the name from @waywardstation. She has yet to forgive this transgression)
Skylar - The most Bird that has ever Bird, Skylar was the second Pokemon Akari caught in her time in Hisui. A caring but assertive personality, Skylar is known to perch behind people and preen their hair and clothes to her liking, a habit she's had since being a Starly. As with Ember and Iona, Skylar is named after a challenger during Akari's time as Champion, who had a shiny Staraptor on his team.
Iona - A Gardevoir that Akari had met in the Mirelands fully evolved while having a rough day. The Pokemon had stuck close to her, and worked to make her day easier by removing obstacles, soothing agitated Pokemon, and even helping to calm Akari's mood. Iona has done similarly since, doing her best to help this lost child that she found and befriended. Iona is named after a repeat challenger that Akari got to know outside of the League due to school.
Yama - Oddly for a Snorlax, Yama is notably the runt of his litter. With a shiny blue pelt and 4'3 standing height, Yama is the second shortest on Akari's team. Akari had met him in the Fieldlands taking a nap, and decided to lay down next to him on a whim and napped with him. When the pair awoke, she asked to capture him and he didn't say no. Conscious of his own height issue, Akari decided to name him Yama to remind him that while he may be physically short, he still has the strength of a tall mountain.
Oroshi - If Yama is the world's babiest Snorlax, Oroshi was the world's most monstrous Magikarp, seemingly larger even than other Alphas of the species, with the temperament of a Gyarados before he even evolved. By the time he evolved, though, Akari had worked with him on his temper and he's able to move through Jubilife Village without moving a single person out of his way. Akari decided to name him after a strong downward wind due to his ferocity.
Kuu-chan - Somehow, Kuu-chan is even more of a baby than Yama. Being caught almost the minute Akari arrived in the Mirelands, just like Zeal before him, Kuu-chan decided not to evolve for several months. In his case, he evolved the day that Volo requested to meet Akari on the mountain. Originally, Akari was calling him "Kumaru", a portmanteau of "Kuma" and "-maru", but the longer he stayed a small Teddiursa, the less she called him his full name and more a cutesy nickname, until it finally stuck.
Akari caught plenty of Pokemon outside of these six, but outside of specific needing of research tasks, or the Creation Trio, these six are the Pokemon she carries around with her. Once she returns home, she makes sure to prioritize integrating them into her team and her daily life, giving them the same love as her old family. After all, these too are her precious friends.