This is an early draft of a basic plot which I produced over a couple of days. Note there might be lore inconsistencies. This is because I have limited knowledge of the Power Rangers lore and I did not spend a huge amount of time on it. Think of 2 evenings and 1 afternoon typing. What I want to show is that there is a lot more possible than what we saw in the Once and Always special. For more background you can read my blog on it here.
Characters history and motivations
It’s important to start here. These drive the basic plot and make sure everybody has an active role to play.
Billy: The evil aliens continue to be a threat to the galaxy. Billy returned to Earth at one point to research the possibility of accessing the Morphing Grid. The goal is to recreate the Power Coins. His long time friend Trini is helping him. He founded Cranston Technologies to legally sink money into alien technology. The same alien tech which was on clear display during the multiple attacks on Earth in the other Power Ranger seasons. The company is also a front to have access to certain classified (government) information.
The research he and Trini did bore some results, i.e the proxy power coins. However these are unstable and the effects of long-term use are unknown. Billy blames himself for Trini’s death since he asked her to help him. He wants to make the power coins stable so future generations of Rangers can use them. However, his drive to do good is interfering with his other duties as a friend and partner. He sometimes has to return to Aquitar to which he feels guilty about as well.
Zack: As one who’s connection to the Morphin Grid is restored he is cautious of the use of the Proxy Power Coins. He knows the pain it caused Adam. He asked Sentinel Knight to restore the other coins as well, but he refused since there was no need for them at the time. So he allowed Billy and Trini to study his coin.
Trini: Trini volunteered to test her powers on multiple occasions so that Billy could analyze the data coming from it. However, after the Legendary battle she became sick of over-using the powers and died. Just before joining the Legendary battle she told Minh that she was a Power Ranger. As the intelligent and brave woman she was, she always wanted to fight for peace and the safety of those she loved.
Jason: As a staunch supporter of his friends and protector of Earth, Jason also tested the replacement coins. At one time, he even went through the Desert of Despair to visit Ninjor to ask the old master to repair their original power coins. When Ninjor refused, he still used the replacement coin despite the threat it posed.
Note that in this version, his connection to the Morphin Grid is not restored as mentioned on the wiki pages.
Tommy: Thinks that everybody should have the power to defend themselves. Supports his friends in their quest. Is curious if his old green power coin can be restored.
Has become more hesitant of the use of the proxy power coins since Trini’s passing.
Kim: Kim has always been a kind person, but since she doesn’t want her friends to get hurt. She does not agree with the power coin research. She thinks that her time as an active ranger has passed. The one exception she made was the Legendary Battle because of the danger that it posed to Earth. Another reason was that Kat could use her other Ranger powers. Afterwards she clearly stated she did not want help with the research in any shape or form since it caused the loss of Trini’s life.
Minh: Blames Billy for the death of her mom. Doesn’t understand why he continues his research and is angry at him for not attending the upcoming memorial for Trini. She doesn’t know that the others are the Power Rangers, but has her suspicions since they were so close. While she frequently butts heads with Zack, she is very grateful for his support since her mother passed away.
Basic plot
We see Billy in the hidden chamber start another scan for the Z-wave remnant he and Alpha located some time ago. He asks Alpha to collect the data while he’s off and leaves for Aquitar.
Minh is preparing Trini’s upcoming memorial with Zack. They’re discussing who’s going to be there and who isn’t. Minh is angry that Billy isn’t sure if he’ll make it back from Aquitar in time. Zack is sympathetic for Minh but also states he knows how busy Billy is. He knows Billy would do his utmost to be back on time. Zack then leaves since he has a call with Adam and Aisha who are on Aquitar as well for the SPA program.
He goes home and calls his friends. During the call, he tells them to be sure that Billy joins them for the memorial.
We cut back to the hidden chamber. Alpha is checking the readings. There is a match with the Z-wave released when Zordon died. It echoes through the Morphin Grid. Alpha collects a bit of data, only to find that it is manifesting in the machine that uses Zack’s power coin as a conduit. Strange lights shoot from the machine as it explodes.
Alpha calls Zack in distress. Zack ends the call with Aquitar and goes to the hidden chamber. When he sees the situation and learns that a strange power was released, he calls Tommy. Tommy tells him that Kim has fallen ill when a strange light went into her. Kim was visiting him and Kat in preparation for the memorial.
Since they aren’t sure what happened, they call Alpha for help and learn that the power release was twisted. It searched the last holder of the proxy power coin. Knowing that those are Billy, Kim and Jason they immediately call Aquitar.
The call is answered by Aisha, reporting that Billy went crazy after the Z-wave energy hit him. Luckily for them he was detained. The SPA are scanning him for a cure. It seems the energy preys on one’s desire to do good and reverses it.
[insert scene with how this manifests with Kim. I literally have no idea how this looks like and how she is subdued].
While Kat stays with Kim, Tommy goes to find Jason with Rocky. Zack goes back to Minh to continue with the preparations. She doesn’t need to know something is wrong. Zack notices that something is wrong with Minh, but thinks it’s just stress for the memorial.
When Adam and Aisha return to Earth with a cured Billy a few days later they are able to help Kim relatively quickly.
The discussion rises again on the use of the proxy coins, but it is interrupted by a call from Rocky. He and Tommy are fighting to detain a morphed Jason. With the help of the others they manage to do so.
Alpha calls them to tell that there is a visitor in the hidden chamber. They return to find that Ninjor has come. He noticed the Z-wave release and asks Bily to stop his work on restoring the power coins.
When they comment that all is safe now Ninjor tells them a bit of the Z-wave energy is not accounted for. They realize that the energy for the proxy yellow coin went to Minh. They call Zack who returns to see Minh. When they talk, Minh gets furious and morphs into the yellow ranger. Zack morphs as well. Only when Minh is lured to the hidden chamber they are safely able to stop her.
Ninjor asks the rangers to give him their power coins. He has a change of heart to see the effort they went through to protect their team mates and the people around them.
The power coins can be made safe again for use. But they are not for them anymore. They need to start looking for replacement rangers. Should they choose to, they can carry the coins themselves until they found replacement rangers. Unfortunately the green power is gone, though there is a possibility to call upon the Dragon Zord which Ninjor will show Tommy later.
Kim resigns, saying that she feels it’s not her place anymore to be an active ranger. She also does not want to be the one to decide on a new ranger. She will be on the lookout for suitable candidates. Billy decides to do so as well. He wants to spend more time with those that are important to him, yet he says he is available to train young people with the potential to become rangers. One example being Minh. Zack and Jason agree to hold the power until a new ranger is selected. Ninjor understands. He will return to them when he has reactivated the power coins and the power is needed again. Until that time, only Zacks and Tommy’s coins are safe to use. The master leaves on a note that even though some have decided to step down, they will always be Power Rangers.
The show ends on the memorial with all the rangers present. Minh gives a lovely speech how happy she is knowing her mother had such great friends. And with that knowledge, she is also able to forgive what happened in the past. She smiles at Billy, who sighs relieved and returns the smile as well.