Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She pressed her nose to the window of the sleek boat, peering out across the gentle waves of the ocean. She could see an enormous island off in the distance. It didn't sparkle with lights like it was inhabited, but she knew it had to be, for she knew the island was Melemele Island of Alola. There were three other main islands that made up the Alolan archipelago, but she couldn't see those just yet. Even so, just seeing the one made her heart flutter with excitement. Her mother had told her so much about the unique and vulnerable pokémon native to the region.

"Lillie!" Gladion jumped into the seat next to her, rocking her in place. She caught herself with a squeak and looked over at him curiously. He now had his face pressed to the window. It wasn't often she saw him so excited. Her brother could be quite reserved. "Look! We're almost there! Finally…"

From across the passenger area, their mother and father snickered as they watched their children bounce. They had told them time and time again to fasten their seatbelts and be careful, sea pokémon could still bump the boat, but had given up now that they were so close to landing. Lusamine spoke softly to them. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The Alola Region is a very pretty country. It's also very vulnerable. I knew as soon as they said they were going to be allowing outsiders to visit again, I had to bring Aether Foundation here. The people there need the traffic, but the wildlife needs protection from everything migrants and tourists can bring."

"What do you mean?" Lillie asked innocently. She twirled around and sat against the white leather of the seat, her feet dangling. She wasn't very tall yet… She supposed she still had time to grow, she was only twelve, after all. Her mother eyed her with amused, bright green eyes as she observed her daughter. It always made Lillie feel so special when her mother looked at her like that. It was a look she often reserved for pokémon Aether Foundation was caring for.

"Well, thirty years ago, Alola was overrun with foreign pokémon," her mother explained. She animatedly moved her hands as she talked, her long, blond hair rippling with every movement. Lillie's hair was very similar to hers, but hers was much shorter and somehow, thicker. Her mother had straight, perfect hair. Lillie wondered if she'd ever look that pretty. "Gumshoos and Yungoos specifically really ravaged Alola's ecosystems, and it was making these local, very powerful pokémon—the Tapus—very upset. And understandably, Alolans themselves. So, they made the heavy decision to close down their borders…" She paused and pursed her lips. "Alola is very different from Kalos or any of the other regions we've stayed at before, Lillie."

Abruptly, her father laughed and playfully grabbed Lusamine's leg with his left hand. His entire burly hand could nearly wrap around her thigh. Compared to Lusamine, Mohn looked cobbled together. He didn't care for Lusamine's fancy clothes. He wore a white T-shirt, faded, stained green pants, and tattered sandals to top it all off. He looked as if he could have used a shave and a haircut as well. But nobody ever said anything about it, least of all her mother. Lillie kind of admired her father for that. He was very comfortable with himself and it made talking to him easy. "Oh, c'mon, Lusi. Let 'em just enjoy the sights before you go givin' 'em all the scary details, would you?"

"Mm," Lusamine smirked and coyly side-eyed him. "I know. I'm very scary. That's why you married me. I scared you."

"Yep, scared me right into it," Mohn laughed loudly as he patted their mother's thigh. "My scary Lusi."

"Gross," Gladion craned his neck around from the window just to stick his tongue out at them. "Guess you're not wrong, though. You both are feeling pretty scary right now with all that mushy crap."

"Aw, Gladion!" Lillie laughed and gently pushed his shoulder. "It's not that bad! It's nice!"

"Maybe for you," he fired off his tongue at her this time. "You're a girl. You're supposed to like that kinda stuff."

"Oh, and boys are immune?" Lusamine interjected interestedly. She looked Mohn up and down. "I had no idea! What a fool I've been…"

Mohn rolled his eyes. "Nah, you tell 'em, Gladion. Don't let 'em get you, don't be tamed!"

"Dad!" That finally pried a few giggles from Gladion, all the while Lillie and Lusamine were already besides themselves.

They felt a lurch as the watercraft started to slow. Gladion tipped over from his unbalanced position and unceremoniously crashed into Lillie on his way to the cabin floor. "Ow," he whined and sat back up. Lillie scowled at him, but a smirk betrayed her amusement. "That hurt."

"Thought boys weren't supposed to show pain?" Lillie taunted him.

"I am not! Didn't hurt." Gladion defended himself hotly.

More laughter.

Those were good times.

Lillie and Gladion oohed and awed at the yawning, posh halls. The building was so much bigger than she ever could have imagined. She knew her mother was having a floating structure built to serve as Aether Foundation's main headquarters, but after about a year in the smallish Aether House on Ula'Ula Island, it had been hard to imagine it would be larger than that. But Aether Paradise put that house to shame. It certainly lived up to its name. It had space and space to spare, an entire, cavernous floor designed for pokémon that needed a place to stay while they recovered or were researched, and tons of labs. Her mother had eagerly given her two children a tour. Mohn had lagged behind, offering comments from the peanut gallery as he went, but his jovial additions were welcome. Her mother played off his words smoothly, like she knew all his jokes and just how to work with them. They both worked so well together. It made Lillie feel so whole whenever she listened to them.

Of course, Gladion was less understanding. He complained often about their father's bad jokes and out-of-place remarks. Lillie just rolled her eyes at him. Despite being older than her, he seemed so much less mature. Lillie prided herself on her maturity. It made her feel accomplished like their mother. She wanted to be just like Lusamine.

Their mother brought them to the center of some walkways overlooking various terrariums designed to hold pokémon in the future. Some were grassy, with live trees growing inside; others were entirely made of water with naturalistic, sandy shores built within; another looked almost like it was meant to be a desert. She was leaned over the banister staring at one when her mother started talking.

"Alola has much more leeway for research than other regions ever did," she said. "That's why I wanted to bring our headquarters here. While other regions are concerned about maintaining the status-quo when it comes to battling or whatever else it is they do… Alola forgoes most common law practices for simply listening to the will of the Tapu pokémon that reside on each island."

"In Galarish," her father piped up, "Alola's got very few laws and that makes it easier for Aether to do its job."

"So, you're gonna do illegal stuff?" Gladion asked bluntly with a sly grin.

"Well, compared to other regions, I suppose so," their mother snickered. "Like having more than forty pokémon in a single structure or being able to have more than just observational experiments. Aether is just concerned with conservation and helping pokémon. Don't worry, son, we're not going to do anything harmful."

Gladion looked almost disappointed. "Man, that's lame. If I knew there were no laws, I'd do all kinds of crazy stuff!"

"You will do no such thing, because even if Alola has few laws, you're still under my laws," their mother swiftly corrected him. She sauntered up to him and rubbed his head, ruining his perfectly combed, blond locks. He irritably batted at her hands and spluttered in annoyance. "Behave yourselves. Oh, look, I almost forgot, we've received our first pokémon for rehabilitation for today."

All four of them peered over the banister now. They watched as some employees dressed in simple, white uniforms carried a couple cages with Slowpoke inside of them toward one of the coastal terrariums. Lillie grimaced when she realized neither of the pokémon had tails. She looked down and then squeezed her eyes shut. The sight made uncomfortable quivers run up her spine, and her knees felt weak. "Why… why don't they have tails? Don't tell me Alola does that, too…"

"There are still some bad people in Alola, I'm afraid," her mother sighed softly. "These pokémon had their tails removed to be sold for high prices, likely to tourists, since they're illegal everywhere else but not here in Alola. These pokémon will be taken care of until their tails grow in, and when we feel it's safe to release them, we'll do so."

Daring to open her eyes again but unable to look back at the pokémon, Lillie glanced at her brother. He looked weirdly frozen as he stared at the sight below them. His hands were gripped so tightly to the steel banister that the skin had gone stark white there. "Glad, you okay?"

"Huh?" he blinked fervently and looked startled. Settling his gaze on her, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Thankfully, Alola has been really kind to us," their mother started again. "They are grateful to have us here. I met with their local leaders—the Kahunas, they're called—and they explained that they appreciate the extra protection. I wasn't expecting that. After Team Plasma in Unova, most regions have been wary of pokémon activists." She looked down sadly. "So sad that one bad thing can ruin something for so many people. Human greed got the better of Team Plasma. They had good intentions. I hope that through science and with Alola's help, we can win the hearts over of those in other regions, and create more ethical guidelines regarding pokémon battling, breeding, and all of that. Lillie? Gladion?"

Both her children jerked their heads to look at her. In unison, they asked, "Yes, Mum?" It had been so long since they lived in Galar, but that moniker for their mother stubbornly stuck like glue.

"I hope one day you'll follow in my footsteps and carry on Aether long after I have to step down," she said, "but I hope you both are also in it for the right reasons. So, while we're here in Alola, between school, I want you both to really think about what Aether does."

"Oh, Lusi, they're thirteen and fourteen, they've got plenty of time to think about that," Mohn snorted from the other side of their mother. She rolled her eyes exasperatedly at him.

"It's never too early to start thinking about the future."

"Yeah, but it's nice to think about the here and now, y'know?" Mohn peered past Lusamine and at his two children. "You two need to play outside. Meet friends. Get in some trouble. Live a little. You got plenty of time before you get to stress about how much humans suck."

"Mohn!" Lusamine scoffed incredulously despite the grin pulling at her lips. "They had better not."

"Oh, like you were perfect when you were little, huh?" Mohn eyed Lusamine amusedly. "I know that's not true."

"If you need me, I'll be in the ocean," Gladion said as he jabbed an elbow playfully at Lillie's arm. "Too much grossness in here right now."

"Say hi to the Magikarp for me, then," Lillie shot back at him. Honestly, he could be so silly. Lillie thought the way Mum and Dad interacted was sweet.

Lillie carefully pressed her ear to the door so that it didn't squeak and give her away. Her mother had invited someone over from Alola's main islands to meet, but unlike every other time she invited someone over to talk Aether Foundation matters, her mother had told her children nothing about this person or what they'd be discussing. She had been so curious; she just couldn't help herself! So, she was trying to listen in and glean what she could from the conversation. After all, if she wanted to be like her mother and run Aether in the future, didn't she need all the details?

She caught her mother's voice. "That's so fascinating! Alola has so many secrets!"

"Right?" the other voice sounded female. She had a thick accent that made understanding her words difficult, but she sounded like she knew Galarish very well. "Not only do we have some of the most unique pokémon in the world, but we have started studying anomalous pokémon that we believe are from entirely different worlds! Of course, it's all very tentative science… but I thought it would still be a good idea to contact your organization about this. In case you discover anything that may help us with our interdimensional research."

"Naturally! All pokémon, no matter their origins, are deserving of respect and attentiveness from humans."

Pokémon from… different worlds? Like aliens? Lillie frowned. Pokémon such as Cleffa and Starmie had been thought to have arrived from different worlds in the past, but over time, those theories were all debunked. What made these any different?

"You really are so kind, President Lusamine. Of course, if we discover anything more of note at my lab about Ultra Wormholes, we will be in contact to see what your scientists have to say about it."

"That is very kind of you, Burnet. Thank you."

Ultra Wormholes? What on Earth are those…? The silence between her mother and her visitor stretched on, and Lillie bailed, thinking they were about to leave the room. She only narrowly made it out the hallway before her mother stepped out. Feeling the need to share what she had just learned, Lillie eagerly made for her brother's bedroom.

Their chambers were stuffed at the far end of a hall on the Conservation Area. It required a special keycard to even get into, a special keycard only Lillie, Gladion, Lusamine, Mohn, and one of her mother's closest friends and employees, Dr. Wicke, had. Gladion's bedroom was directly across from hers. She stopped in front of his door and knocked. As it was still early on a Sunday morning, she surmised he probably wasn't even awake yet when her knock went unanswered. Rolling her eyes, she tried again, and didn't stop until the door swung open.

"What do you waaant?" he hissed.

"Gladion! You won't believe what I just heard!" she bounced up and down.

"See, you would have still had this knowledge later in the day," he yawned, "so I dunno why you had to come wake me up and tell me about it right now."

"Oh, don't be so mean!" Lillie huffed and pushed past him into his room.

"Hey, you can't do that!" he whined, "this is my room. You got your own."

"I just wanna talk to you!" Lillie laughed. She then eyed his messy bed and the laptop hastily tossed beneath the comforter. She narrowed her eyes, and then cut them at her brother. "Sleeping, huh?"

"I was!" he insisted, his voice teetering on the edge of a panic. "I fell asleep with it on my chest… why are you looking at me like that?" Defensively, he added, "Alright, what do you want?"

She decided not to sit on his bed, now not so sure if she'd want to with the incriminating evidence of a poorly hidden laptop there, and instead she just put her hands on her hips and raised her chin proudly. "I heard Mum talking to someone from Alola's islands about these things called Ultra Wormholes! And pokémon from other worlds!"

"Like, aliens?" Gladion asked as he surreptitiously tried to straighten up his bed and move the laptop to his side table, carefully making sure to keep a pair of earbuds connected to it in the process. "Hasn't Mum proven those aren't a thing?"

"Well, she helped prove ones like Cleffa and Starmie aren't, but these things sound like the real deal! The other lady Mum was talking to said she had this lab for 'interdimensional research.'" She struggled to pronounce the long word properly.

"Yeah… sure," Gladion sounded less than enthused. Flushed slightly red, he pointed at his doorway. "Now, is that all you got? Can you leave?"

"Yeah, I'll let you get back to 'sleeping,'" Lillie taunted as she sauntered out the room.

"I was sleeping!" he shouted after her in an abnormally high-pitched tone. Lillie broke into raucous fits of laughter as the door slammed closed behind her.

She had been sleeping peacefully when the alarms started. They felt like they pierced her ears and stabbed her brain with how loud they were. She recognized it as one of the alarms her mother had taught her and Gladion about before, but in her blind panic as she scrambled out of bed in a white nightgown, Lillie couldn't recall what it meant at all. Her head rattled as all she could think about was the repeated BZRRRRT of the alarm.

Trembling, Lillie barely remembered to grab her keycard and slip into some shoes. She nervously darted into the hall and found an equally as terrified Gladion staring back at her. "What's going on?" she howled at him, competing with the alarms for her voice to be heard.

"I don't know!" Gladion hollered back. He fell into step beside her and they made their way together out of their hall. The automatic door separating their chambers from the rest of Aether Paradise was already sitting open. That gave Lillie an eerie feeling. She and Gladion poked their heads into the Conservation Area uncertainly, then both squeaked in surprise as some employees came skidding past them, bolting for the triangular elevator near the front of the building.

"Everybody to basement, right now!" one of the employees commanded. His voice was deep and loud enough to override the sirens. At his words, other employees scattering in confusion around the room converged on him, squishing into the elevator to go down.

"Can't be a fire," Gladion swallowed nervously, "can't use the elevator in a fire…"

"We should follow," Lillie said, nodding. Without waiting for Gladion's response, she squeezed his arm and dragged him with her toward the platform. Once it reappeared after delivering the employees to the depths of the facility, she and Gladion stepped aboard and she scanned the controls. She found that instead of each floor blinking different colors, signaling what keycard would take who where, they were all a flat green. She knew that meant anyone could access them. So, she pressed the button for the basement, and right away, the elevator descended for it.

As they made their way below, they felt a horrible tremor that made each of them grab for the steel safety bar around the elevator.

"What is going on down there?" Gladion wailed in a tone of voice she hadn't quite heard on him before. That set her knees shaking even before the elevator hit the bottom floor.

There, the labs lay in ruin. Or at least, one of them did. The other three looked singed on parts, but only one of them was blasted open in the front, the metal of its walls twisted outward and wrought. Inside, shrapnel, paperwork, and guts of computers were strewn everywhere. Employees wildly dashed around, but Lillie couldn't tell what anyone was doing. They all looked as panicked and confused as she felt. And that stupid alarm was still ringing in their ears. She thought she'd go deaf before long if it didn't get turned off. Lillie and Gladion exchanged horrified, nervous expressions, and then tried to pick their way closer to the damaged lab.

As they got closer, they saw something even worse. Their mother was on her knees in the middle of the destruction, digging bleeding hands into the floor despite the shattered glass and flecks of metal. Lillie went numb when she discovered as they drew even closer that the siren wasn't the only thing howling. Lusamine was crying out, a horrible, pained sound that seemed like it should have been coming from a pokémon rather than a person. Her face was aimed at the floor and her long hair, frizzy and singed from the apparent explosion, concealed her expression from them.

"WILL SOMEONE TURN OFF THAT FUCKING ALARM?" Lillie flinched as she heard Dr. Faba's voice screech louder than the alarm could ever hope to. Within seconds, the alarm was off, and he brushed past them toward Lusamine. Now, with the alarm off, Lillie's ears rang slightly, but she could hear her mother's anguished screams clearly. Lillie went to move forward, heart pounding, so she could ask her mother what had happened, but her right hand clung to Gladion and he didn't move. Glancing over at him, she found he was frozen in place and pale. He looked like he might be sick.

"Gladion, please," Lillie whined, "let's go check on her."

"Lillie," Gladion's voice was hardly above a whisper and nearly drowned out by a renewed howl from Lusamine. "The… tie… the tie…"

"Tie? What tie?" Lillie traced his gaze and gasped when she noticed Lusamine had a tattered piece of green fabric in her hands. She was clutching it violently, threatening to rip it, even. Her heart plummeted and she understood then. The tie was her father's. He only wore it whenever he was helping their mother with her work. The world shook around her and Lillie looked down to the floor. There were pieces of sharp metal and such beneath her, but she felt so unsteady… she slipped her hand free of Gladion's and dazedly took a seat there.

There was no reaction from her or Gladion right away, even as the truth dawned on them. The half-destroyed lab, the frenzy everyone was in, their mother's screaming which sounded so distant now… Her vision hazed over and Lillie dimly thought she was about to pass out. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, trying to fight the sensation.

"Mum…" She was surprised when she heard Gladion speaking. "Mum, please… what happened…? Where's Dad?"

Still, their mother's aggrieved outcry didn't end.

Gladion sounded more and more desperate as his voice wavered. Lillie kept her eyes shut. She couldn't look. "Mum… Mum, please… I'm… I'm scared…"

She heard her mother give a few more pained whimpers as she tried to still her voice. As she quieted, Lillie opened her eyes just slightly, just enough to see that the employees scrambling around her had fallen still, all eyes on her mother. Still holding the tie tightly in her fists, Lusamine shakily staggered to her feet. Thin rivulets of blood ran down her legs and hands from where shrapnel on the floor had dug into her. She didn't turn to face Gladion right away, who was holding out his hand and still pleading with her.

But when she did, she struck him across the face with the tattered green cloth. It didn't seem to hurt him, but he jumped back out of shock. Lillie bolted upright as well, confused and angry. It still hadn't even registered with her properly, the endless, horrible possibilities that could have happened to her father, and here her mother was, striking her brother! She bit at her lip nervously and felt tears pool in her eyes, her throat squeezing uncomfortably tight with emotion.

"Don't patronize me!" Lusamine shrieked at Gladion. He dazedly rubbed the side of his face where she had hit him. "Get away from me! Go back to your rooms!"

"President Lusamine…" Dr. Faba leaned forward to try to console her, but her mother whirled on him too, knocking the tie into his chin and flinging a few drops of blood on his lemon-colored glasses. Looking a mix of affronted and frightened, Dr. Faba gaped at Lusamine as she railed on him.

"I don't want to hear anything from you, Dr. Faba!" she screamed. "It was YOUR science behind this experiment! YOURS!"

Lillie and Gladion were then collected by Dr. Wicke. She ushered them away from the labs and toward the elevator. Gladion moved like an automaton and he looked haunted, his eyes trained on something only he seemed to see, all the while he stroked an angry red splotch on the left side of his face. Lillie followed silently, too, but she kept glancing between Gladion and Dr. Wicke. She had so many questions, and yet, she couldn't seem to translate them into spoken words. She had many emotions, too, but they felt locked away behind some sort of barrier. She was vaguely aware of stinging sensations in her leg, likely from where she had sat down on the shrapnel…

"Are either of you hurt?" Dr. Wicke questioned once they were back in the hall leading to their chambers. She stopped to mess with the control panel next to the hall's door, making it close at last behind them.

"No," Lillie whispered back. Silence from her brother.

"Gladion?" Dr. Wicke pressed in a soft, sympathetic tone. She bent over slightly to meet his eyes. He flinched at that and stared at her dumbly for a moment before responding.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, his hand slowly falling away from his face. "Just stung…"

Dr. Wicke led them to their respective rooms. "Please, if either of you need to talk," she smiled gently, "I'm here." Her pale green eyes were glassy.

"No, thank you," Gladion muttered as he vanished into his room.

"Lillie?" Dr. Wicke put a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed.

"I don't know," Lillie answered as she sank to the floor, her back pressed to the hallway wall. She didn't know. She felt stupid for not having emotions right away. She felt absolutely nothing, had no words to describe what had just happened, and although her entire head felt congested in the way only crying did, she shed no tears. She felt like a clogged drain. It was an awful, cold feeling.

"Okay… Lillie, I think you should lay down," Dr. Wicke suggested, gingerly helping Lillie back to her feet. "I think you're in shock. Here, let me help you, okay?"

So, help she did. Dr. Wicke helped her remove her shoes and get comfortable in her thrashed bedsheets. When she went to leave, Lillie lashed out her hand and gripped her wrist tightly. Her breathing quickened and she felt even more like a clogged drain. Her throat hurt with the force of the waiting tidal wave of tears. "Dr. Wicke, please… stay for a while…"

Dr. Wicke eyed her sadly. "Of course, Lillie."

The next five years at Aether Paradise made the facility's name sound like a mockery to those operating within it. None more so than Lillie and Gladion. When Mohn disappeared, Lusamine's entire personality flipped like a switch. It took Lillie several months, but she eventually found out through Dr. Wicke that it had been an experiment into the Ultra Wormholes she had heard her mother discussing with the Alolan woman. She had also discovered nobody knew if her father had simply died in the explosion, or if he had been lost to Ultra Space. Lillie honestly didn't know which was worse. She desperately wanted to hope her father was still out there somewhere, but she had to consider the grim possibility that even if he had survived a trip to some unknown world, there were myriad other factors that went into his survivability.

But she didn't like to think about that. In fact, she hated to think about the entire thing. It had taken her so long to figure out what had really happened not because Dr. Wicke was withholding information, but because she couldn't stand to sit down and talk about it. She and Gladion both acted like Mohn had never existed at all, dared not to utter his name, and after a while, it seemed they dared not talk to each other, either. Even when they both would wake up and see each other in their chambers' hallway, they said very little. An indifferent 'good morning' here. A deadpanned 'good evening' there.

Over time, it became more pronounced because of their mother. Lusamine started dressing her children for them even though they were more than capable of dressing themselves. She would take one look at her children whenever they dressed themselves and press her lips to a thin line, and her eyes would flash with anger. "Go back to your room and I'll be there in a moment," she remembered her mother saying one time as she spotted her daughter leaving to head for school. "I'll be there momentarily to clean you up properly, since you're incapable of doing it yourself."

Lillie got the impression her mother hated them before long. She was always furious when she saw them. She would openly admire the pokémon in Aether's care on the Conservation Area, calling them her babies deserving of all the love in the world. Every time she said those words or anything like it, Lillie's fists would clench, and she would look at the sterile, white floor beneath her feet. Her mother never spoke to her or Gladion with such a sensitivity anymore. She never complimented them. When visitors came to the facility, she would viciously instruct them to remain silent unless spoken to. "Children are to be seen, not heard," she had growled venomously when Gladion had shot her a look that suggested he was thinking of talking back one time. At her warning, he had lowered his head dutifully.

He would do that often. Look as if he intended to snap back at her, but then swallow his pride and keep quiet. Lillie hated it every time he did that. It always gave her so much hope whenever he would glare fiercely back at Lusamine and his lips would twitch with the hint of unspoken words. She desperately wanted him to let them fly because she knew she couldn't. As upset and angry as she was at her mother, she was also just hurt. It hurt to know her mother hated them so much now. It hurt even more that she didn't understand why, either; so, Lillie tried her hardest to appease Lusamine, to try to wear everything she said to wear, to do everything she said to do, to be a good little girl and listen to her mother. She hoped that maybe, if she were good enough, Lusamine would go back to how she was before… before it happened.

But that never happened, and one day, Gladion finally could hold back no more. Lusamine shrilly demanded what he was wearing when she noticed a tear in one of his white school shirts, grabbing his arm and pointing it out. It was a horizontal slice across his sleeve. Lillie thought she caught a glimpse of raw flesh under the gash, but Gladion, curling his lips furiously, wrenched his arm free of her grasp too quickly for her to really be sure. To Lusamine, he snarled, "It's just a cut in the shirt, Mum. That's all it is. Everyone in Alola wears clothes with all sorts of rips and stains on them, nobody's gonna care about a tear in my shirt!"

Lusamine arched her shoulders and whipped a snakelike look at them. "Children would be much happier if they simply listened to the adults around them," she hissed. Her hands tightened to fists at her sides and she startled both her children with her loudness as she screamed, "You're both ugly, rotten children! No matter how well I dress you, you'll always be ugly!"

And that was the end of that. She stormed away, leaving them to catch the speedboat to their classes on Melemele Island. The outburst cut Lillie deeply. She looked over herself ashamedly, wondering what her mother could have possibly meant by that. She thought she looked so similar to her mother… did she really look that bad? Or, if she had meant in personality… Lillie sighed. She tried so hard to do everything her mother wanted, but she supposed she just kept messing it up… She and Gladion hadn't been the only one to suffer in Mohn's accident. Why couldn't she just do better to make her mother's life easier? She was so frustrated!

"Stop that," Gladion interrupted her thoughts.

"Stop… stop what?" she asked tentatively.

"Thinking whatever it is you're thinking," he muttered. His green eyes were narrowed at her. In fact, they always seemed narrowed nowadays. She missed his awkward attempts at being cool. She didn't like this new cold front he had. "Because she's wrong, Mum's wrong. Nothing's wrong with you and nothing's wrong with me."

She wished she could've believed him.

In the last year or so at Aether Paradise, Lillie had concluded that no matter how hard she tried, she would never make her mother happy the way she was. Although it had been nerve-wracking at first, Lillie started to sneak around Aether Paradise's lower floors. Her motivations were loose at best; she wanted to overlook Aether's research into these 'Ultra Wormholes.' She wanted to know what else they had done with them and whether there was any hope of bringing Mohn back if he had survived. Dr. Wicke had refused to tell her all the information she would have needed to make such a determination. One might have wondered what made Lillie think she could uncover what a team of trained scientists could not, but Lillie never cared to think over that detail. She was just so desperate for any hope of helping her mother, of appealing to her better nature. It hurt so much to be so hated by her…

She became adept at pickpocketing keycards off various employees. She tried to make sure she targeted different people every time and made sure she only accessed the lower floors when everyone was supposed to be away or asleep. She had the occasional close call with a scientist who enjoyed burning the midnight oil, but her slender build made for easy getaways.

Despite all her knowledge at Lusamine's hand and from learning on Alola, she found most of the research papers too difficult to decipher. She became so frustrated by this one day that, as she scanned a document again to decode its tough vocabulary, she slammed a fist in aggravation against a pillar in the room. She felt a button click under her palm, though, which made her rip her eyes away from the paper in alarm. The pillar turned out not to be a pillar at all as its external shell of metal opened, revealing a glass, vertical tube inside. Suspended inside was a ball of deep violet and blue gas. It sparkled on occasion and had a couple of golden, half-circlets dividing it in half.

The research papers forgotten entirely, Lillie gawked at the tube. Then, the little gaseous ball unfolded, revealing a dark face with beady yellow eyes. Yelping in surprise, Lillie jumped back. That seemed to startle the creature, who fretfully circled within the tube before settling back down. As it and Lillie stared one another down, she realized just how pretty it was. It looked like a small piece of outer space. Then, much more somberly, she wondered what on Earth it was doing trapped in a tube, kept in the dark. She picked her way cautiously back toward it and examined the base of the tube. Tucked beneath a laptop to the left, she discovered a packet of papers. The title was simply 'Cosmog.'

She found this paper much easier to understand. It used a lot of fluffy language, but discerned that the paper designated the creature in the tube as Cosmog, an Ultra Beast from Ultra Space. Although that information was all useful, she gaped in horror as she read one part that described how they believed the Cosmog in their care had the potential to open controlled Ultra Wormholes. However, the caveat was that it could only do so once as the strain of such powers would likely kill it. The paper concluded more research was needed so they didn't waste their one shot at getting it right.

That had been the final straw. She carefully put the papers back where she had found them and put her hand up against the glass, looking the tiny nebula over determinedly. It moved close to the glass and she could see its mouth moving but couldn't hear its cries. "Don't worry," Lillie said softly, "I'm coming back for you. You and I have to get out of here… I can't let my Mum open another one of those things. For all I know, it'll take her, too… and you don't deserve to die for this." It twirled behind the glass and she gave a pained smile. "I'll be back," she reassured it again.

Dr. Wicke was so kind.

The night before, Lillie had come clean to the doctor. In the nearly four years since Mohn's accident, she and Dr. Wicke had grown increasingly close. In some ways, Lillie felt like Dr. Wicke was more of a mother to her than Lusamine ever was… but she didn't entertain those thoughts too much. It was painful to think that way. Even so, when she gathered the courage to explain to the doctor her intentions to save Cosmog and escape Aether Paradise, she had been fraught with nerves. Yet, she was unsurprised when Dr. Wicke only half-smiled at her and weakly agreed to help.

Together, she and Dr. Wicke had hatched a plan. Dr. Wicke had thieved one of Dr. Faba's keycards and brought it to Lillie the morning of her plan. After that point, the race against the clock was on before Dr. Faba realized he was missing one of his master cards. Lillie had wanted one of his because he had free reign over the entire facility save for their bedrooms. Her intentions were to sneak into the labs in the basement early that morning, before anyone got to work, and hide Cosmog in her massive bag. Then, she'd flee for the docks and use one of the Ride Pager pokémon that were typically tied up there to make her way to one of Alola's islands. Whichever would get her away from Aether the fastest.

"Find Professor Burnet or Professor Kukui once you're on Alola's main islands, okay?" Dr. Wicke had reminded her as she handed off the keycard. "They're very nice people. They can help you."

"Okay… Thank you, Dr. Wicke," Lillie said quietly. With that, Dr. Wicke returned to her duties. Lillie heard a door creak open behind her and she jumped. She heard Gladion's voice.

"What're you doing?"

It was five in the morning. What could he have possibly been doing up? She didn't turn to look at him. "Nothing. Just couldn't sleep," she said cagily.

The distance between them felt so vast, an impasse neither of them could begin to figure out how to navigate across. She wanted so badly to turn around and grab his wrists, to spill everything she knew about Cosmog and beg him to come with her, but her better judgment wouldn't let her. Nothing she ever did seemed to change anyone else's minds anyway, so why would it start now? Her brother was as icy as ever in all their interactions, too. What if he turned on her as well and turned her into Lusamine? Tried to stop her? Worse, what if he agreed with Lusamine and wanted them to use Cosmog to try to find Mohn?

It was so painful to not be able to look back at him…

"I don't believe you," he muttered. "But… I'm sure you've got your reasons." She heard his door click again. She wondered what he could have meant by that… That he was sure she had her reasons?

She shook her head. She didn't have time for that.

Down into the depths of Aether Paradise she went. She deftly found her way back to Cosmog's tube. She knew the basement like the back of her hand now. It took her a few tries to figure out what button might have released the creature, but finally, she decoded the release button on the control panel. The glass rose and immediately, the cloudy creature escaped, twirling around Lillie's face. It felt like nothing but a pleasant breeze on her skin. She reached out to grab it, and it felt so strange to have most of its body waft around her fingertips. Only the dark mass in the center of its body was tangible enough to hold, and even then, it was so light.

Her enamored reaction was put on hold, though. Alarms blared to life suddenly and Lillie stopped thinking in words. She shoved the creature into her bag and zipped it up without a second thought, and then she booked it out of the lab so fast, she clipped the doorframe on her way out, knocking over a few books from a shelf. Why was the alarm going off? Dr. Wicke hadn't said anything about that, and she had Dr. Faba's card! Hands shaking violently, when she reached the elevator, she accidentally punched the button for the Conservation Area. She desperately tried to correct her mistake, but there was no way to cancel where the elevator went first. "Damn it!" she shouted in frustration as the steel bars popped up around her and she was brought to the Conservation Area.

"Security breach. Security breach," an automated voice wailed across the intercom, occasionally cutting through the horrific alarms. White flashing lights whirled around the Conservation Area floor. Lillie thought to simply stay on the elevator so it would take her to the docks next, but as soon as it paused at the Conservation Area, she saw employees waiting for her. Some of them ran after her, spurring her out of the elevator so fast she had to jump over the steel safety bars as they were lowering and onto the pathways winding throughout the terrariums.

She had no idea what to do now. Perhaps she could lead them to a corner of the room and then wind her way back to the elevator? Huffing for breath as she skirted around a corner, her feet nearly slipped from beneath her and she heard Cosmog give a plaintive cry from within her bag. "I know, I know, I'm sorry," Lillie apologized distractedly. No matter how confused or turned around Lillie became, though, she didn't dare stop running.

At least, not until she was cut off by some employees standing between her and her exit. She hopped slightly as she came to a stop. Flicking her gaze behind her, she saw a large group of employees waiting for her there, too. They all had soft expressions on their faces and were trying to gently talk her down, but Lillie knew better. She clung to her bag even more tightly. Feeling like a cornered animal more than a girl, she glared at them all hatefully and snapped, "No! I'm not giving him back for you to hurt!"

"They intend no harm on Cosmog." This voice was robotic and new. She jolted in fearful surprise as she turned her head to the source. A man and a woman in otherworldly armor faced her. Was it armor…? She had no idea. Her eyes widened as she took the sight of them in. They wore enormous, gaudy helmets and beneath the armor, they had a teal bodysuit clinging to their skin.

"Hi! My name's Zossie!" the smaller girl to his side eagerly exclaimed. "Now, come on… we aren't going to hurt you or Cosmog, just give it back, okay?"

"No! Over my dead body!" Lillie fiercely shot back.

"Lillie?"

Gladion? Lillie searched for him in the growing crowd of Aether Foundation employees. She spotted him in the far back of those on her right. She also spotted Dr. Wicke hurrying after him as he tried to push his way through the crowd toward Lillie. She grabbed him by the arm and dug her heels in. He fought against her hold angrily. "Dr. Wicke, let me go! That's my sister!"

"Gladion, please," Dr. Wicke said tersely, shooting Lillie a fleeting look and a curt nod.

She felt so bad… but she just couldn't trust him. She steeled her nerves and readied herself to try to run past the group to her left in desperation, but then a harsh blue glow emanated from her bag. She shielded her eyes and heard everyone around her begin to call out. She heard footsteps. She heard Gladion shout her name desperately once more.

But that was all she remembered of that moment because there was a nauseating swirl of violet lights, and then darkness. The next thing she could recall was waking up to the sound of waves gently lapping at the shore and the gross smell of Rockruff-breath as one was licking her face worriedly. It barked in excitement when Lillie squinted against its affections and weakly pushed it away.

The voice she heard next was speaking Alolan, but thanks to the last six years of schooling on an Alolan island, she understood what he was saying perfectly. "Hey, Rockruff, what'd you find? …Oh, by the Tapus!"

Within seconds, she had a man looming over her, shirtless beneath a white labcoat. Right away, memories from what felt like moments ago at Aether Paradise flooded her mind, and she deliriously leapt to her feet and pointed a quivering finger at this man. "Stay away from me!" she snapped vehemently. She realized then how much her entire body ached, how sluggishly she moved. She checked if she still had her bag and was glad to find she did. She wanted to check if Cosmog was okay but didn't want to unzip the bag in front of this strange man. She didn't trust his labcoat and—she paused suddenly. She was on a beach with some grassland nearby, and a house stood just a short distance away… She wasn't at Aether Paradise at all!

"It's okay, it's okay, cousin," the man raised his hands in surrender at her and he had an easygoing smile. He was speaking in Galarish now that he had heard her do so. "I'm here to help, okay? My name is Professor Kukui. What's yours?"

Professor Kukui… Dr. Wicke had told her to look for him. Her shoulders sagged in relief. "Lillie," she answered him in a strained voice.

She had no idea how she had gotten there, but she was so glad. She heard an irritated mewl from her bag and was struck with another wave of exhaustion as the tension eased. Cosmog was okay… Or at least, well enough that it could make noise and be annoyed at being in a bag, she thought with a brief flicker of amusement. As Kukui floundered for a response, Lillie sank to her knees in the sand.

She did it. She escaped Aether Paradise.

Lillie thought about how that was arguably the easiest of what she had to do. Now would come the difficult part. Starting her life from scratch away from what remained of her family. Because as long as her mother wanted Cosmog to find Mohn, and as long as Cosmog was around, she knew her mother wouldn't give it up.

And she knew her mother would never forgive her for what she had just done.

It scared her that she didn't care about that considering how much of her life she had spent desperately searching for her mother's approval…

Her vision faded black and she fainted again.

Chapter Text

There was a loud, obnoxious banging on her bedroom door followed by the plaintive mews of their Meowth. "Up, up, up, it's a bright, sunny day! Also, Mom wants us to help her unpack," she heard her brother shout from the other side, voice cheery and melodic. It made her want to hit him with something. He was such a morning person it could make her sick.

In groggy Kantonian, Selene groaned back, "Five more minutes…" She feebly clutched at the blanket over her body and tried to remove it a few times, but her muscles gave way each time. She was dimly aware that she was sweating profusely beneath it. Fuck, it's hot, she thought with a grimace. She grunted in annoyance as Elio called out to her again in that joking tone. It was way too early for his playfulness. She was jetlagged to hell and back; how was he so cheery and alert already?

"You've had fourteen hours. Isn't that enough?" he teased with another resounding knock.

"Fuck off, Elio!" She intended it to be a demand, but her voice broke into laughter halfway in. She couldn't stay mad at him as much as she wanted to; he meant well.

Fourteen hours? Did I really sleep that long? She glanced around and had to shield her eyes from a blinding shaft of sunlight shining through her window.

"Come on, get up!" he whined. "We've gotta finish packing so I can go scope out the Alola chicks!" She heard him snicker. Rolling her eyes, Selene finally tossed the comforter from herself and swung her feet to the floor.

Some locals had arrived the day before and assisted in putting most of their larger furniture away (which had been weirdly kind of them, she had to admit. Certainly, nobody back in Kanto would have done that), but boxes were still stacked high on the far side of her room. She had intended to put them away the day before, but the second she had sat down on the bed, all her willpower was sapped by the sheets and she had simply gone to sleep. She felt gross and unclean from the sweat, though; it was hot. Did this place not have air conditioning or something? It was a far cry from Kanto's dreary weather.

After throwing together an outfit from the few sets of clothes she had in a suitcase and washing up in the bathroom, Selene staggered her way downstairs. Mom was unpacking in the kitchen, clanging dishes and pots as she went, and Dad had squeezed himself behind the television. "I don't understand how this works," he blustered, "does Alola have completely different cable wires, or something?"

"Better question, do they have cable?" Elio snarkily asked as he popped his head in from the sliding door separating a balcony from the rest of the house. Bright blue eyes gleamed with mischief and his deep, blue-gray hair was windswept against his forehead. That cheeky grin was met with a disbelieving scoff from Dad, who peeked his head over the top of the black TV and his eyes bulged like someone had threatened him.

"Don't joke like that!" Dad demanded as he pointed a finger at Elio dramatically. "My own son! Wounding me like this!"

"Hey, I'm just sayin'," Elio snickered as he leaned against the doorframe, "we are out here in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the ocean with people that worship pokémon other than Arceus, so like…"

"Hey, be nice," Mom quickly corrected him with a stern finger pointed his way, all while her other hand comically balanced a stack of pots in midair, "we talked about this. We're here to learn from Alola."

"Besides," Dad huffed as he dove back behind the TV, "Kanto was no shining example of human behavior, either."

"You tell 'em, Dad," Selene commented dryly as she watched the calamity unfold. She smirked as she added in her best impression of a narrator, "Today, on the Isono Household sitcom, we take a deep dive into Mr. Isono's hatred for his home country… Last time, we heard the rant about how Lance is really a Flying-type trainer, this time…?"

"Lt. Surge is a wannabe hardass," her dad puffed back in a similar tone. Everyone burst into laughter except for Mom, who practically yelped.

"Inaba!" she snapped. "These are your children!" The pots she had been holding abruptly clattered to the floor. "Shit!" she hollered in surprise.

"There you go, Mom, keep him in line," Elio teased as he loped over to help her.

"Oh, calm down, they're 17 and 19, they've probably said worse when we weren't watching," Dad laughingly told Mom.

Selene lost herself giggling and flopped down on the couch. She glared at a pile of boxes to the left of the living room. "Can we just burn them and buy new things?" she called loudly, lazily tossing her head against the back of the couch.

"Sure, how much you got?" Dad answered without skipping a beat. There was a loud bang from behind the TV and he jumped back briefly. "Arceus!"

"Think we can replace it all with…" Selene dug in her pockets and retrieved a single coin. "25 cents?"

There was a loud knock at the door that interrupted her father before he could respond. "Al-ol-a!" a man's voice from outside called.

Selene eyed the door dubiously. "Should I get it?"

"Nah, let him stand there," Elio said sarcastically as he stood up from where he had been helping Mom. "Yes, answer the door, what do you think he's gonna do, bite you?"

"I don't know his life," Selene shot back wryly. She jumped up and sauntered over to the door. Upon opening it, she recognized a man that had been there the day before to help them. She had never caught his name, but she had remembered him by his looks for sure… he lacked a shirt to cover his toned body, instead he just boasted a thin, white labcoat which did not cover his gorgeous abs. Gray baggy shorts flicked in the breeze against his legs.

"H-hi, there," Selene offered in shaky, imperfect Galarish. Mom had tried to teach them all Alolan prior to moving but found nowhere in Kanto offered a class in the language. Instead, they had settled on honing their Galarish-speaking skills, as Dad had explained most Alolans knew Galarish fairly well.

"Hey there, cousin!" the man waved back at her and sported a broad, goofy smile. "I'm sorry, I never got your name. Mine is Kukui. Your parents around?"

She stared at him for another moment before finally ripping her eyes away. Arceus, he was the single most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on. Who gave him permission to walk around without a shirt? Shaking the hazy thoughts from her head, she cupped a hand around her mouth and shouted, "Mom! You think you got a minute?"

She took a second to respond—learning the new language had been especially hard on her mother, seeing as she hadn't been taught any Galarish at all before they decided to move—but she soon hurried over to the door. She brushed long, faded brown hair from her face and eyed Kukui with bright, amber eyes. "Professor Kukui! How nice of you to drop by again," she offered awkwardly and almost robotically. "Did you need help?"

Kukui seemed to ponder a response and Selene groaned. "She meant, 'how can I help you?'" Selene clarified.

"Yes, that!" Her mother beamed.

"Oh, oh!" Kukui laughed. "Nah, cousin, I wanted to come over and talk about your little ones! What's their names again?"

Little? I'm seventeen! Selene thought indignantly. Before she had a chance to correct him, her mother waved her away, shooting her a warning look as she did.

"Elio is my son and he's 19, Selene, my daughter, she's 17," Mom explained once Selene wandered away back to the couch. She frowned as she sat down again. She felt frumpy and gross all over again. It was so hot!

"Oh, really?" Kukui tilted his head slightly. He then peered a little further into the house and frowned slightly. "Hey, would it be alright if I stepped in?"

"Huh?" Mom paused. "Oh, yeah, I don't see a problem…" She uneasily sidestepped and pulled the door open. Kukui strode into the home with confidence. Selene raised a brow at him. He's not bothered at all about the idea of being in a house full of people he doesn't know… and he just asked to come right on in. That's a little weird…

"S-so, Professor, can I get you anything?" Mom asked as she clasped her hands together. "I do not have much yet, still need to go to the store…"

"Nah, nah!" Kukui put his hands against his hips and grinned widely. "I wanted to talk to your kids about the Island Challenge, yeah!"

"The… Island Challenge?" Mom echoed stupidly.

"Yeah, honey, I told you about it before," Dad earnestly jumped from behind the TV and scurried over to his wife, his black hair glued to his forehead by sweat. He clasped a hand against her arm and then wrapped his other arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. He muttered something in Kantonian quickly to her, and her face lit up in understanding.

"Oh, that!" she laughed. "Oh, of course. Elio, Selene? Come talk to the nice professor about the Island Challenge…" The words rolled off her tongue brokenly, like a skipping CD trying to play. Selene winced at her butchering of the words, but she and Elio soon stood at attention in front of Kukui. Elio was bouncing his foot impatiently. Selene just sighed exasperatedly at his tic.

"Hey, you two, Selene, Elio!" Kukui waved both of his hands in a circular gesture. Selene recognized it; Dad had taught it to her and her brother and told them it was how Alolans greeted one another. She remembered Mom and Dad insisting they practice it and so, for like a week, they all greeted each other with the gesture. It still somehow felt awkward as she did it back to Kukui. It felt weird and unnatural compared to how fluid and easily the professor's hands conveyed it. Elio's was embarrassingly even worse. Kukui just continued on with his words without saying anything about it, though Selene thought she caught the corner of his lip twitch… "You're new here, yeah, so I thought I'd come by and tell you about our Island Challenge, yeah. Everyone in Alola goes through it! It's kind of a coming of age thing, like your gyms in Kanto, yeah?"

"Most people do that, but not everyone," Elio shrugged his shoulders as he answered. "Gyms can be rough."

"Oh, I know!" Kukui nodded vigorously at Elio. Selene frowned. He moved more like a cartoon character than a person, exaggerating every little action intensely… and she had to admit, she may not have understood Galarish perfectly, but she was pretty sure 'yeah' every few words wasn't how it worked. At least it was kind of funny how he said it. It made everything he said sound like a question. "When I was just getting into studying, I traveled to some other regions, yeah! Traveled to Kanto and those gyms showed me a thing or two, yeah! Fought my way to the Indigo League, but I didn't get any farther than that!"

"You challenged the Kanto gyms?" Dad pried. His eyes were nearly bulging from their sockets in disbelief. "How long ago?"

Selene snorted. "Dad trained under Lt. Surge while we lived in Vermilion," Selene said before Kukui had a chance to respond, "so he's just wondering if he saw you while he was there."

"Oh, was just a few years ago, yeah," Kukui nodded. Ignoring how her father excitedly bounced, he carried on with, "Anyway, here in Alola, everyone does it, yeah! If you two want to follow me to Iki Town, Kahuna Hala would be happy to give you a pokémon to start out, yeah?"

Selene fought back laughter. She felt like she'd been kicked in the face by a Rapidash by jetlag and here this man wanted to give her a pokémon and send her out on what she could only assume would be their version of a Pokémon League. She still couldn't believe they didn't have an official one of those… Before Dad had sat them down to first talk about Alola, she hadn't even considered it possible for there to be a region without one!

"That sounds great!" Dad answered for them when both Selene and Elio were awkwardly silent. Brother and sister turned their heads in disbelief at him. What the hell, Dad? Selene wanted to demand. …Didn't you guys want me to help unpack boxes? I'm still so tired!

"Perfect!" Kukui laughed and clapped his hands together, making Elio and Selene both recoil slightly. "I'll go wait outside, yeah? You two just head on out whenever you're ready!" With that, he did another Alola wave and strutted back out the front door, closing it behind him smoothly.

"So," Elio turned on his tiptoes to face Dad after an awkward stretch of silence, "what was that?"

"Yeah!" Selene demanded as she clenched her fists and glared back at her parents. "We just got here! I'm still tired!"

"You slept 14 hours, literally how?" Elio asked in an incredulous, high-pitched tone.

"After being awake for 32 hours," Selene puffed back at him defensively. "Unlike you, I like to sleep." She smugly crossed her arms and smiled at him.

"Enough," Dad sighed. "Listen, remember what I told you about the Island Challenge being important to Alola?"

"Yeah," Elio and Selene answered nearly in unison. They both then turned finger-guns on each other, all but forgetting the conversation at hand in their impulsive game. "Jinx!" they both exclaimed in sync. "Jinx agai—"

"Hey! Listen!" Dad snapped his fingers in their faces to get their attention back. Selene grunted and turned back to him. What was so serious, anyway? "Everyone in Alola has to go through it, it's kind of their rite of passage…"

"Yeah, I got that much," Elio snickered, "is that it?"

"No," Dad shook his head, "it's more than just that. The Island Challenge… is steeped in the Alolans' belief in the guardian pokémon of each island, the Tapus. Now, the Island Challenge isn't that hard." Dad removed his arm from around Mom's shoulders and she shuffled away from him with her eyes trained on the floor. "But it's extremely important that you both participate in it, okay? I was hoping we'd get a few more days to settle in before they'd start asking about it, but, well…"

"Are you for real?" Elio scoffed. "Well, what're they gonna do if we don't do it? I didn't get into the Kanto League for a reason, Dad, remember?"

"Indigo League, son," Dad corrected him almost automatically.

"Whatever!" Elio hissed and arched his shoulders slightly. "I don't care for battling. I think pokémon are cute and everything, but that's it. I don't wanna make them claw each other for no reason."

"Yeah, and why not just tell them we don't really feel the need to do their Island Challenge?" Selene pressed.

"We're new here," Mom interjected softly, "okay? They've welcomed us with open arms and have been really, really helpful. I think it would be nice for you two to participate in their traditions, get to know them better, show them not all Kantonians are the same."

"So, we're ambassadors for the whole of Kanto now?" Elio snidely asked. "'Cause I don't remember signing up for that. You definitely failed to say just how important this thing was."

"Yeah, that's totally unfair," Selene echoed his frustrations, stamping her foot slightly in agreement. "You tricked us!"

"I did not trick you, and I'm sorry, but you're going, and that's final," Dad said, shaking his head. His stern face softened as he smiled slightly. "Come on. Alola is so pretty. Won't you at least give it a chance? And like I said. I've heard many people say it's not that hard at all. It's nothing like the gyms. They don't even have an Elite Four. You just have to do these little tests here and there across the four islands and once you're done, you're done! You can do… whatever it is you two want to do…"

Elio put a hand to his forehead and groaned. "Photography, Dad, photography. We've been over that. At least it'll let me get some pictures for my photography portfolio," he muttered.

But Selene wasn't so easily convinced. She still had her arms crossed and was glaring back at her parents. "Like Elio said, what're they gonna do if we don't participate? Kick us out? I want to just raise pokémon… maybe help rehabilitate some that were abused in the past. I don't really wanna go out there and make a name for myself, you know."

"Selene," Dad frustratedly growled and he pinched the bridge of his nose, waving a hand at them to tell them both to wait a second before saying anything. "You're just going to have to do it. Okay?"

"Professor Kukui is still outside," Mom gently tried to cut the tension, "you two should get ready and then follow him like he said…"

"Fine, not like I have a choice anyway," Selene spat back at them and marched away, headed for the stairs. Elio followed in short order. He caught up to her at the top of the staircase and they both looked at each other for a long moment. "This just feels so weird," Selene sighed at last.

"Yeah, it is," Elio rubbed the back of his neck and averted his gaze as he agreed. "I… think there might be more to it than Mom and Dad are telling us… Maybe he's right though, and it's not so bad… Come on. We got this, eh, sis? At least it'll probably get us some money if we win some while we're out, huh? I know that'll help you out with what you wanna do."

He smiled weakly and held out a fist to her. She bumped it back and relented, smirking back at him. "Sure thing, El. And I'm sure people would love pictures of Alola." As she and Elio parted ways and she walked into her room to get her bag and things, she thought, Okay, so we participate in this dumb Island Challenge, do their little tests, and then we can get a move on with our lives… I suppose traveling the paradise islands of Alola isn't that bad. Might even be fun! Everyone does seem so nice here…

A lot better than Kanto, anyway.

Chapter Text

"Great! You're both here, yeah?" Kukui beamed at Elio and Selene as they approached. He had his hands on his hips and he tilted his head at them curiously. "I can show you some more stuff about Alola along the way, too, yeah!"

"Sounds good, yeah," Elio answered with a teasing edge. Selene fought her own laughter, able to tell he was making a slight at Kukui's love for the word and elbowed her brother sharply in the arm. "Ow," he whimpered and faked a pout at her.

"Don't be rude!" she hissed to him swiftly in Kantonian. "It's probably not his first language, and it's kind of cute!"

Elio rolled his eyes and smirked at her, responding in kind with their native tongue, "You like him, huh? You got a thing for older guys?"

"He's not that much older!" Selene shrilly defended herself.

"Anyway…" Kukui called their attention back with a light clap of the hands. He sounded a little disconcerted and antsy to move on. Oh, Arceus, does he know Kantonian? Selene wondered with a flash of horror. But Kukui moved on without paying any mind to their conversation if he had heard it. He swept his hand out in a gesture across the dirt path ahead of them. It snaked its way up a hill lined with tall, fanning trees. "Iki Town is just up this way, yeah! Follow me." He turned around and waited patiently for them to follow him. Sharing a look with Elio, Selene fell into step just behind the professor.

"Now, this is more like it, yeah! Welcome to paradise, cousins," Kukui started once he knew they were behind him. "This is the Alola region! Folks here in Alola get along by living together with pokémon and working together, too." He animatedly waved his right hand. "You can go anywhere, yeah, as long as you got pokémon helpin' you out here. That's why we gotta get you both to the Kahuna, yeah!"

"Oh, yeah, of course!" Selene offered distractedly to Kukui, back in Galarish. Elio gave her a dubious look.

"What is he talking about?" he mouthed. Even without audio, she could feel the sarcasm dripping off his words.

"I think maybe he just wants to use the Island Challenge to help us get to know our way around Alola better," Selene answered him in a hurried whisper. "Let's just be nice and play along…"

Elio tossed his head back in frustration. "Fine," he muttered back at her.

"Ah, look, cousins! An Alolan trainer has come to say hello!" Kukui paused and bent his knees to become eye-level with a young boy that rushed toward him in a sunhat. Selene couldn't even take in what the boy said to the professor after that. She was too busy staring at him almost scornfully. 'An Alolan trainer has come to say hello?' What—does he think we're blind, or…? She wanted to laugh, even, but then a glint from the professor's hand caught her attention. He had his hands planted against his knees as he talked to the little boy and Selene realized the gleam was from a golden band around his ring finger.

"Damn it," she hissed under her breath.

Elio curiously followed her gaze and then laughed out loud. In Kantonian, he struggled between fits of snickering, "Oh, should've checked his ring finger right away, that's just too bad."

Blushing furiously, Selene glared at him and fought the urge to yell… even though she was smiling the entire time. "Shut up, stupid! I think he knows Kantonian!"

Professor Kukui sent the boy away with something in Alolan, and then he amusedly glanced back at Selene and Elio. As if to confirm her fears, he cracked a knowing grin. "Now, it's not that nice to call your brother stupid, is it?" he beamed in Kantonian.

Selene grabbed her hat and pulled it down her face. "I'm so sorry, Professor Kukui."

"Yeah, I'm sorry for her, too," Elio taunted. Selene burst into giggling and wrenched off her hat to flail it at him.

"Be nice like he said!" she chided him playfully.

"Alright, children," Professor Kukui snorted, "come on, yeah. I don't know Kantonian that well, yeah, just what I learned while I was there… enough to understand what most are saying in it, though, yeah." With that, he waved for them to keep following him, and hurried up the rest of the hillside. Just beyond the crest, Selene could see dark rooftops and hear distant voices speaking unfamiliar words.

When she and Elio made their way to where Kukui was, he gestured to the small town in front of them. It was a handful of wooden and thatch buildings that surrounded a wooden platform. Tall poles with unlit torches were littered around. People were gathered in throngs outside. Small children raced around the open ground with odd, brown and yellow pokémon chasing after them. Selene thought she recalled Dad telling her they were Yungoos… or maybe Gumshoos… she wasn't totally sure. Either way, it was so funny to watch them play with the small kids. Some adults were gathered around a grill on one side of the town, loudly and boisterously chatting up something or another, while other small cliques had gathered along the outskirts of the town. Somehow, despite being such a foreign sight to her, it made Selene feel right at home. She grinned up at Elio and found her was still interestedly surveying the town ahead of them. Following his eyes drew Selene to the sight of a dark-skinned teenage girl with long, black hair that flowed down to her waist.

Selene rolled her eyes and shook her head. "One-track mind much?" she teased.

"Hey, I'm not the one that was about to jump the married man," he shook a hand at her without breaking his stare.

Selene went to sputter something back at him, but the defense died in her throat. "You know what, that's fair," she laughed instead.

She noticed that Kukui had decidedly remained out of their conversation. He was scanning the town as well with a frown and adjusted his white ballcap with his right hand. "Everyone here except Hala…" He trailed off into something she was pretty sure was said in Alolan.

"Professor? Is everything okay?" Selene asked. "You looking for someone?"

"Yeah, cousin," he answered dejectedly, "Kahuna Hala's not here right now. He's supposed to be here to send some of the kids off on their Island Challenge today, yeah…" He turned his dark eyes to her and fiddled with his sunglasses. "See, we check every Friday to see if there's any new kids to send off on the Island Challenge, yeah! And the Kahuna has to properly send 'em off before they can begin, 'cause he's gotta give away the Trial Amulets."

"Trial who?" Elio jerked his head back to the conversation at hand. He clearly had heard nothing due to his gawking.

Kukui cut his eyes at Elio. "Trial Amulets," he repeated himself slowly. "They… you know, never mind, I'll let good Hala explain when he gets back. I'll go look for him, yeah, you two settle in and get to know some people!" He cast a grin between the two of them. "We're all family here in Alola, yeah!" As he said the last words, he started to strut away across the center of the town, animatedly waving down an older lady across the way.

"Well, she might not be family yet, but she could be," Elio snidely remarked as his gaze surreptitiously traveled back to the girl he'd been eyeing earlier. He smirked and started to walk off.

Selene grabbed his sleeve and exasperatedly groaned, "Don't be a creep. We just moved here, I'd hate for us to have to change our names and skip town already."

Elio clicked his tongue at her. "Look, I got this, okay?" He smirked at her. "Why don't you go find you a nice island boy?"

Selene let him go and crossed her arms challengingly at him. "Knock 'em dead, Romeo, let me know how it goes." For a moment, Selene thought to follow him and laugh at the inevitable, abysmal failure that his attempt at a Galarish pickup line might be, but her attention was drawn to the other side of the town. A girl dressed in flat white clothes and carrying a comically large, cylindrical bag across her shoulders stood in the maw of a pathway shrouded by thick forestry. She couldn't help but notice her considering how out of place she looked. She was wearing a sunhat the same as most others, but hers looked a pristine, white leather, and even from this distance, Selene could tell she was pale-skinned and blond. Nobody else in the town could have hoped to fit that description.

I wonder if she's not from Alola either? Selene thought curiously. She picked her way across the stubby grass and past a few playfully screaming kids. By the time she reached the entrance to the path, though, the girl was already walking a good deal ahead of her, too far for her to likely notice Selene if she didn't speak up. Excited at the idea of someone she potentially could relate to, Selene called out, "Hey, wait up!"

The girl ahead froze and then slowly turned her head just enough so that she could see Selene, who paused, thinking the other would walk back to her. Instead, she was dismayed when the girl in white… fled. She tossed the bag across her back and bolted with a shocking burst of speed ahead. She navigated the twists and turns in the path with surprising accuracy. Concerned, Selene found herself naturally darting after her. Why would she be running? What if she was in trouble? Was she hurt, or scared of something…? Selene didn't know, but her heart thumped rapidly in her chest as she intended to find out.

Yet, Selene was not used to this winding, uphill path. She frequently skid and fell over, and the girl had so much of a head start… She thought to give it up and simply go back and talk to Kukui, but a sharp yelp from ahead spurred her on. Alarmed, she powered through the dull ache in her calves and found herself at the top of a sandy hill. Sprawled in front of her was a long, rickety bridge that crossed a ravine, and at the end of it closest to her, the girl in white was collapsed on her knees. She cradled her right knee and whimpered in pain.

"Hey, are you okay?" Selene panted. Fuck, this girl can run! she thought. "Why'd you run like that? What's wrong…?"

"Stay back!" the girl in white snapped. She was speaking Galarish, but it was with a twinge of an accent that Selene couldn't place… it certainly wasn't Alolan or Kantonian, she knew that much. The girl tossed a look over her shoulder and her blond hair was frayed and a mess with sweat. Her green eyes were narrowed suspiciously, but it didn't seem… angry. Selene was taken aback by the mixed signals in the girl's form. Her shoulders were squared defensively and her entire body rigid, but she was panting heavily and seemed almost… scared, in a way… More concerned than ever, Selene gnawed at her lower lip worriedly. She suddenly wondered if she was in over her head.

"Look, I'm just here to help, whatever's wrong—what the—?!" Selene yelped and jumped back as she saw the girl's bag started to shake and convulse. All the color drained from her face. "What the hell's in your bag?" she demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the girl in white spat. She clamped her arm over her bag tightly, but it flew open despite her best efforts and something blue rushed past her and onto the bridge. It moved so fast, it was nothing but a blur… Selene instinctively staggered to the side and craned her neck to try to see past the girl in white to figure out what it was, but she jumped up from her slumped position against the ground and tried to block Selene's view. The girl's right leg shook and trembled beneath her weight and her face twisted in pain from the exertion.

Thoroughly annoyed, Selene stamped a foot. She was clearly hurt! Why was she being so stubborn? "Look, sit back down, your leg… I'll go get Professor Kukui, would that be better?"

"You met the professor?" the girl in white faltered and blinked her green eyes fervently at Selene. She winced and leaned her weight to her left side, raising her right foot off the ground slightly. Selene could see a deep, crimson cut on her calf now that explained why the girl was having such difficulty using it.

Selene concernedly furrowed her brow at the girl. "Yeah… Please, I just want to help. What's going on?"

The girl went to say something but was cut off by the sounds of shrieking Spearow. She limped and turned around, finally giving Selene a view of what was happening on the bridge. She stepped forward in wonder at the sight. A puffy, violet-blue creature was crouched to the wooden bridge's boards. She didn't even know what to describe it as other than it looked like a chunk of night sky… like a starry cloud. Spearow circled overhead of it and squawked obnoxiously to one another. "Whoa… what is that?" Selene asked in amazement as she looked at the night sky pokémon.

The girl in white shot her another guarded look and then grasped at the rope banister of the bridge. She made like she was going to stagger across the boards to the little blue creature, but her right leg twitched uneasily and back to her knees the girl crashed against the grass. "Damn it!" she exclaimed. Casting Selene an apprehensive look, she tried to stand again.

Selene shook her head. This was ridiculous. "I'm gonna go get that little thing for you, you just need to stay back, okay?" she said. The girl in white said nothing but tried to wedge herself between Selene and the bridge. Losing all her patience, Selene wrapped her arms around the girl's torso and dragged her away from the entrance, narrowly dodging an elbow to her ribcage as she set her down. Before she could give the girl a chance to get between her and the bridge again, Selene grabbed hold of the rope banisters and shakily made her way from board to board. Arceus, what kind of bridge is this? she thought as it wobbled and groaned below her weight. This thing should have been replaced years ago!

The Spearow were now divebombing the creature on the bridge. Selene glowered at them as she reached it and she carefully lowered herself to the bridge floor. Half-crawling over the little blue creature, she scooped an arm beneath it and pulled it close to her chest. It was shockingly light. In fact, at first, she wasn't sure if it was even in her grasp at all due to how light it was… Deciding that was a good thing since adrenaline and fear from the height of the bridge was sapping all her strength, Selene tried to stand back up and start hobbling to the side of the bridge with the girl in white. But she collapsed back to the boards when she felt a beak dig into her shoulder and heard the fluttering of wings unnaturally close. "Stupid Spearow!" she growled in frustration. "Of all the pokémon from Kanto that had to live here, too, it just had to be you nasty things!" Spearow were absolute nuisances. For such weak little Flying-types, they sure had the worst attitude of any pokémon Selene had ever had the misfortune of coming across!

It went on like that for what felt like a small eternity. Selene would try to stand, and then beaks would peck at her from above, sending sharp flashes of pain up her spine. She flailed an arm once at them to try to smack them away, but that just made the bridge roll unsteadily below her. Fleetingly, she wondered how she was going to get out of this. I can't just stay here and let them peck me to death! she thought aggravatedly. Wouldn't that be one hell of an obituary? Here lies Selene, who was pecked to death by Spearow trying to save a living space cloud!

Suddenly, said space cloud glowed an ominous blue. Selene stared at it and swallowed nervously. She wanted to drop it and scramble away, but she didn't have enough energy left to move anymore thanks to her fighting with the Spearow. This time, when one dove at her and nipped at her hair, the blue light exploded all around them. Painful pressure blasted against her and she felt the wood beneath her hands and knees splinter underway. She was dully aware of stinging pain in her shins and hands that told her the broken wood had likely cut her some. A distant shriek sounded, and Selene briefly thought it might have been from the girl… Her vision nearly faded black, but she had just enough sight left in her senses to be aware as she plunged toward the river rapids at the bottom of the ravine. She clutched the little blue pokémon tightly against her chest, squeezing it tight as she could, and shut her eyes. She hardly had enough time during that terrible moment to feel terror and brace herself for impact with the cruel water below…

But the impact never came. Instead, the wind was knocked from her lungs as strong arms took hold of her. She felt the wind rush past her face as she abruptly changed direction. She wanted to open her eyes and see what was going on, but blind fear kept them squeezed shut. It felt like forever, but it was really only a few seconds before everything quit moving and she felt solid ground below her again. Shuddering and still clenching that little blue pokémon for all she was worth, she felt the arms let her go and she fluttered her eyelids uncertainly to try and see where she was now. Part of her was convinced she was dead and had been carried away by Shaymin, but when she finally managed to open her eyes fully, she was back with the girl in white… except now there was yet another unfamiliar pokémon staring back at her as well. Beady, aqua eyes narrowed at her from the face of a large, orange pokémon with massive arms protected by ovular shells that seemed to fit together over its head. It shook out the mohawk of feathers on its head and let out a deep, warbling cry that sounded something like, "Ko-ko-ko-ko!"

Selene's jaw fell open and she could only stare as the creature blasted its arms against the ground and was gone. Something shimmery was kicked up in the dust cloud it left behind, but Selene didn't think anything of it. Still half in a stupor, she held out the tiny blue pokémon in her quivering arms out to the girl in white. "You know what," she said with her voice shaking, "you can have this back…"

The girl limped over to her and excitedly hugged the tiny creature. The pokémon in question flailed its puffy blue arms upon recognizing the girl and hugged her tight. The whole time, it chattered a series of, "Pew, pew, pew!" The girl laughed uneasily and stroked its gaseous form. She then nervously overlooked Selene.

"Are… you alright…?" she asked, unnerved. "That was Tapu Koko… It saved you and Nebby…"

"It saved me and who?" Selene squeaked the question like a tennis shoe on a basketball court.

"Nebby," the girl came again and gestured to the little space cloud in her arms. "I'm sorry… I thought you might have been after him to hurt him… my name is Lillie."

Selene collapsed to her back against the dirt path and laughed in borderline hysterics. Oh, she thought I was here to hurt him! That thing nearly blasted me into next century! "Nice to meet you, Lillie, I'm Selene!" she puffed incredulously.

What a first day!

Chapter Text

For a while, Selene simply lay there and let the sun heat her skin. She tossed an arm across her face to keep it from hurting her blue eyes, but there she remained, unsure if she wanted to stand up. She was half-convinced she was just in a very lucid dream and just needed to wait until Elio inevitably burst into her room and wrenched the blankets from her sleeping form. Maybe her jetlag had been far worse than she had given it credit for…

The warmth of the sun faded, and she moved her arm to figure out why. Lillie peered down at her with questioning green eyes and her wide sunhat blotted out the sun. "Are… you sure you're okay?" she asked tentatively. She stumbled when her right leg started to give way and her shoe accidentally met Selene's right arm.

Yelping, Selene scrambled to her feet and rubbed the angry, red splotch on her forearm, issuing an irritable, "Yep, just fine!" Is this shit normal for Alolans? Why is she so calm?

Lillie raised her injured foot from the ground and stepped back, hopping to keep from falling over the shiny stone Selene had noticed earlier. "Sorry," she mumbled under her breath and eyed the shiny thing suspiciously. Temporarily, Selene forgot all about her near-death experience from minutes ago and curiously cocked her head at the girl in white. Why is she so… guarded? Selene wondered. She ran from me when I called out to her. She's suspicious of a shiny rock, for Arceus' sake… "You should take that stone," Lillie said suddenly.

Selene hauled herself to her feet and swooped down to pick the crystal up. "This? Why?" she asked immediately as she rolled it between her fingers. It was smooth and clear, like glass, but flashed with a rainbow of colors when the light struck it appropriately. Deep in its center, a jagged, zigzagging line cut through. It was certainly interesting, but it was still just a fragment of crystal…

Lillie cleared her throat and Selene watched dubiously as she bumped her forehead against Nebby's round, dark little face, earning a squeak of happiness from the little cloud. She swiftly opened her bag and then tucked him inside while he was distracted. Slamming the cover over it, she clamped her arm down on the bag and breathed a laborious sigh. Cutting her eyes at Selene, she cagily supplied, "That looks like a Z-Crystal of some kind. I told you that pokémon that saved you and Nebby was Tapu Koko. The Tapus sometimes give those crystals to humans… usually a big deal when they do." She limped away and started like she was going to head back down the trail but paused with her back to Selene. "We should go back to Iki Town. But before that, I need you to promise me something."

"Huh?" Selene scoffed in disbelief. Who was she to be making demands right then? "I just saved that little pokémon you're holding. I don't think—"

"After you chased me up to there and I fell over trying to run away from you," Lillie bitingly reminded her. She staggered in place slightly. "I just need you to promise not to tell anyone about Nebby. Please."

"Why…? I can't just not tell anyone about what just happened!" Selene exclaimed incredulously. "That was incredible! It blasted a hole into that bridge! What kind of pokémon is that? Where did you get it?" Selene snickered. "Maybe I can have that as my starter instead of whatever I was gonna get in Iki Town."

Lillie whirled around so fast that she nearly fell over on her hurt leg. "You can't tell anyone!" she repeated with such conviction her voice wavered, her eyes narrowed to nothing more than green slits. Her glossy white hat cast a long, dark shadow over her face and made her look deadly serious despite her petite size. Selene was stunned into silence at the outburst and she reared back. As if something dawned on her then, Lillie's shoulders slacked, and her eyes widened. "Wait, starter from Iki Town? You were about to start on the Island Challenge?"

"Well, yeah," Selene said lamely. Just what was so special about Nebby that Lillie would snap at her like that? Suddenly, she wasn't so sure if she wanted to find out… "Kukui came and got me and my brother, Elio, and was going to take us to the Kahuna…"

"You really are new here… And you know Kukui and Hala." Lillie whispered and visibly relaxed. She drew a long breath and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I thought… I don't know… Are you that new family that moved in just past the Hau'oli outskirts?"

"I guess, unless you have more Kanto people that just moved in… wait, who's Hala?"

"He's the Kahuna," Lillie answered carefully. "Listen, let's head back to Iki Town… You can tell Kahuna Hala and Kukui about what happened here, but nobody else, understand?"

"Actually, I don't," Selene replied venomously as she fell into step next to Lillie. She tried to aid her in walking down the trail, but Lillie shrugged her off and hobbled ahead. Annoyed, Selene continued from behind, "I don't understand why I can't tell anyone about that. I think I remember my dad telling me the Tapus are basically your gods and Nebby seems really special. Why can't I talk to anyone about that? That makes no sense! Surely someone wants to—"

"You're nosy," Lillie puffed aggravatedly. "But if you must know, it's because there are bad people out there that want to hurt Nebby… and possibly me."

That shut Selene up real fast. She stumbled to a stop and waved her hands wildly. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded stridently. "Are you in some kinda legal trouble? Should I not be anywhere near you?" Arceus, she felt like she had befriended an Interpol fugitive!

Tiredly, Lillie asked, "Are you done…?" At Selene's mutinous glare, she repeated herself with a smirk. "Are you?"

"Only if you explain," Selene triumphantly asserted. She crossed her arms and started to prance ahead of Lillie. "You know. Since I saved Nebby's life and all."

"With the help of a god," Lillie muttered under her breath. Panting from the exertion of hopping along with her one good leg, she added, "All I can explain is that there are people out there who want to hurt Nebby because he's rare. But he can't do anything really in the way of battle… only when he's upset or scared. It takes a lot out of him. I don't need you to care about me. I just need you to agree you won't tell anyone for his sake."

Well, she's not intense at all, Selene thought with a twinge of morbid amusement. Deciding she didn't really care that much anyway, she sighed. "Fine, I won't tell anyone other than Hala and Kukui."

Finally, they reached Iki Town again, and the canopy overhead opened back up to a hot, azure sky. Lillie tugged at her sunhat, pulling it farther down her face, and she grunted to Selene. "Thanks, I guess," she sighed, "I better go find Kukui… Please, don't tell anyone about Nebby. I doubt I'll be seeing you again. You don't want to be seen with me."

Selene didn't have a chance to ask why or assist Lillie before she started limping across the clearing in the middle of the town. Concerned, she watched as others in the town had their eyes drawn to Lillie. Rather than step forward and offer her assistance for her clearly injured leg, they just… stared, watching her closely as she staggered over to Kukui. He was on the other end of a row of wooden homes and had his hands planted to his hips as he talked loudly with a burly man in an orange, floral shirt. If her injury and the looks were bothering her, Lillie wasn't making it known. As she came to a stop next to the professor, the townsfolk abruptly averted their gaze and hushed whispers replaced the dull roar of chatter from moments ago. Selene thought that was so strange, especially after how Kukui had talked her and Elio's ears off about how everyone in Alola helped one another out…

Deciding she didn't care about Lillie's warning, Selene skirted across the town and landed with a proud hop in front of Kukui. He was hunched over and whispering in husky, quick Alolan to Lillie by the time she arrived. Lillie jerked her head up and gave Selene a confused, almost frightened, stare. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

Kukui snapped his head to look at Selene, then, too. "Oh, hey, cousin! You should talk to the Kahuna, yeah?" he grinned goofily and gestured to the burly man a few feet away from him. "Need to talk to him about choosing your starter pokémon, yeah!"

Lillie's gaze dropped to her shoes. She muttered something else to Kukui in thick, practiced Alolan. She sounded just as fluent as Kukui, though Selene supposed she couldn't have known if that was the case or not… Kukui sighed and patted Lillie's shoulder.

"Selene, was it?" Kukui started again.

Selene perked up and maybe skimmed her eyes up and down Kukui's abs again. He still had no right to be allowed out and about without a shirt. "Oh! Yeah?"

"This is my assistant, Lillie," he smiled warmly as he clapped her shoulder again. Lillie groaned and shut her eyes. "She's been stayin' with me for a while, yeah, while she gets up on her feet. Maybe she can help you learn Alola a bit when you get your starter?"

"What?" Lillie sharply barked and widened her eyes at Kukui like he'd lost his mind. "Have you forgotten—"

Kukui dug his fingers into her shoulder and gave her a patronizing look. "Lillie. Let's not talk about that here, okay?"

"Talk about what?" Selene wanted to tear her hair out! What was everyone being so secretive about? It was driving her crazy! "Come on, if it's about that little blue pokémon, I won't say anything to anyone, I swear!"

"What little blue pokémon?" Elio's muffled voice carried from behind her ear. Hearing Lillie squeak in surprise, Selene flinched and whirled to face him, puffing her cheeks in frustration. He just snickered at her. "I thought you'd want to find an island boy," he teased, "but I see you found a little blond girl instead. She's cute, though, you got good taste."

If looks could kill, Selene was certain Lillie's scowl might have vanquished Elio on the spot. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was she supposed to be finding you a cute little island boy?" she asked sweetly.

Elio lurched in place and just blinked at her. Selene doubled over in laughter, forgetting entirely about her frustration with everyone's secrecy in her shock. "Sh-she was not!" he defended himself hotly in an unusually shrill tone of voice. "I don't swing that way!"

"That's too bad," Lillie taunted with a half-lidded expression, like she was enjoying this far too much, "you look like you'd make some island boy really happy." She winked at him.

Professor Kukui floundered for something to say, and finally, he just waved his hands in the middle of the group. "Okay, okay, that's enough," he laughed uneasily. Exasperated, he looked over Elio and Selene and then gestured to the man in the orange floral shirt. "Go talk to Kahuna Hala, okay, cousins? Tell him you're tryin' to start your Island Challenge!"

"Sure," Selene answered dutifully and skipped away to go talk to him. She still wasn't so enthused about that. Maybe she could ask this Kahuna why they needed to go on this Island Challenge so badly…

"Yeah, sure, but I don't swing that way!" Elio repeated himself furiously as he joined his sister's side. Selene patted him on the back, and he regarded her scathingly. "What?"

"You're really not helping your case by getting so worked up," she coyly informed him.

His face flamed red. "But I don't!"

"Waaaait! Wait for me!" Hau called as he sailed across the dirt pathway leading into Iki Town's core. He landed with a smack of his orange sandals against the sand and skid to a stop in front of the wooden platform in the center of the town. Eyes from all over trained on him and he heard the crowd ripple with laughter. From the platform, a couple of teens, a boy and a girl, he didn't recognize watched him with dubious, blue eyes. Kahuna Hala stood in the center of the platform and laughed hardily at Hau's entrance.

"About time you showed up," Hala laughed and crossed his arms. "Come on up here, Hau! You're just in time for me to send ya off with these two!"

Hau rubbed the back of his neck shyly and hopped onto the wooden platform. He stood next to the girl and waved eagerly at her. "Alola! My name's Hau!" he offered in Galarish since that was what Hala had been using. After all, they only did that when there were others around that didn't understand Alolan, and these two didn't look familiar. He hoped he would be able to keep up with what these newcomers were saying when they spoke… he didn't understand Galarish that well despite Hala's best efforts and he really didn't want that to throw a wrench in plans to make friends with them. They looked to be about his age. It really was a miracle from the Tapus that his new Kantonian neighbors were about his age! He hoped he would make good friends with them!

"Hey there," the girl spoke first with a quick wave of the hand. "I'm Selene!" With a lopsided smile, she jabbed a thumb back at the boy. "And the idiot behind me is my brother, Elio."

Arms crossed, Elio smirked and remarked, "Don't mind her, she lashes out when it's about that time of the month." That earned him a slap on the arm, and he laughed uproariously. "Why are you booing me? I'm right!"

"We're about to go through a ceremony or something, and in front of all these people!" Selene hissed back at her brother. She slipped into an unfamiliar tongue and chided him in that.

Hau just took a decisive step away from them and folded his arms behind his head. I have no idea what they were talking about, but they seem fun! I hope I can get to know them better… Man, I really, really hope I can…

Hala cleared his throat noisily and clapped his hands together, causing the three teens in front of him to jolt and look to him. People around Iki Town whispered excitedly as they, too, gathered in a tight circle around the wooden platform. The sky overhead had begun to darken slightly as evening settled in.

"Anyway… Welcome, Selene, Elio, and Hau to the start of your Island Challenge! This tradition is extremely important to the people of Alola and, especially for you two," Hala gestured to Selene and Elio, "we are so glad you could participate in it with us! To prove your worth to the Guardians of Alola, all in Alola must traverse the four islands—Melemele, Akala, Ula'Ula, and Poni—and beat the trials found on each. These will test your mind, your body, your heart, and your soul."

Hau squirmed in place, struggling to keep still; he couldn't believe this was finally happening! It had been so many years of Hala talking up his journey across Alola… Of course, he wasn't destined to become a Captain, so he had been forced to wait until he turned eighteen to start his Island Challenge. He curiously peeked at Selene and Elio to catch their reactions. Selene had a look of wonder about her round, pale face, while Elio still had his arms crossed and looked almost bored. Hau worriedly wondered why that was… Didn't Elio know how important the Island Challenge was? One's success or failure in the rite of passage could define their entire future! He frowned slightly and focused back on Hala. What if Elio didn't know? That probably meant Selene didn't either… Oh, Tapus, was he going to have to be the one to explain to them? Although Hau was excited, he would be the first to admit his nervousness wasn't all hopeful anticipation…

"First, you three must choose a starter pokémon, a symbol of Alola's virtue of caring for others," Hala continued. He reached into his pockets and pulled three Poké Balls free. Tossing them to the wooden platform, he added, "Of course, your pokémon must choose you as well. Pokémon are friends, but your starter is your other half. Wait for your partner to choose you and then you may choose to accept it."

In front of them, a Popplio, Litten, and Rowlet appeared in a flash of red light. Their Poké Balls bounced back into Hala's hands and he dispatched them as fluidly as he retrieved them. Then, he started to chant, as did everyone else in the town. Hau knew what the words meant, of course; they were repeating a phrase in Alolan, one that meant, "May the Tapus be with you." The melodic, almost singsong whispers sent chills up his spine and he surreptitiously dropped his hands from behind his head. He watched the pokémon closely as they curiously inspected the prospective trainers before them.

The Popplio raised its snout and surveyed the humans before it. With a couple barks beneath its breath, it eyed Hau and tilted its head. It abruptly clapped its flippers together and scurried across the platform toward him, spurring the Rowlet next to it to flutter into the air. The Rowlet landed on Selene's shoulder and twirled in a circle there… While the Litten… well, it sprawled on its side and licked its back, left leg. Hau cast a furtive glance to Elio and noticed him bounce his leg nervously. After a few tense minutes of it merely grooming itself, Litten lazily waltzed over to him at last, rubbing its crimson fur against his anxious foot.

"Well! It seems the starters have taken quite a shine to you three already!" Hala laughed. "Now! Island Challenger Hau! Do you accept Popplio as your partner?"

"I do!" Hau exclaimed as he reached down and scooped up the Popplio in his hands. He snickered as it blew a blue bubble from its mouth, which burst and lightly misted his face with water. "I think I'm gonna name you… Popper!" Popper barked in agreement and pressed his round nose to Hau's chin.

"Island Challenger Selene! Do you accept Rowlet as your partner?"

"Uh, I do…" she answered much less enthusiastically than Hau. She was awkwardly looking over the pokémon on her shoulder like she wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Is this a wedding or something?" Elio butted in as he stroked the fur of the Litten still rubbing his heels. Harsh Alolan whispers befell him, and he clamped his mouth shut, shooting uncertain looks around the gathered townsfolk. He seemed like he wanted to say something more, but kept him quiet anyway. Hau felt a rush of secondhand embarrassment… He supposed Elio didn't know any better, but he had to wonder how he wouldn't have gotten the impression now wasn't a time to make jokes… The Island Challenge sendoff was a respectful ritual…

"Island Challenger Elio," Hala stated a little pointedly, "do you accept Litten as your starter?"

"Yes, sir," Elio answered meekly. Selene pressed her lips to a thin line and her cheeks slowly reddened. Hau thought she might have looked almost angry…

"Then, it's settled!" Hala announced to the applause of the gathered townsfolk. "Welcome, you three, to Alola's Island Challenge!"

Selene and Elio both immediately turned to one another and inspected their respective starters. Hau watched them almost longingly as he idly held Popper in his arms. They started talking rapidly to one another in words he didn't understand. Then, there was pressure on his shoulder and he anxiously looked up to see Hala looming over him.

"Don't worry, Hau. The Tapus chose you, remember?" his grandfather said in soft Alolan. He smiled wide and rubbed his grandson's back. Hau knew the words should have been comforting, but all they did instead was bring back a flood of blurry memories, a rush of uncomfortable feelings, and a wave of something akin to despair. He hated it when Hala said that to him. Granted, he had dealt with it for years at that point, and it no longer would ruin his entire day to hear it, but it was still unpleasant… He shrank at the words and just stared down into Popper's innocent eyes. The little Popplio slapped its flippers against his chest playfully and he couldn't help but give a weak smile. The Tapus didn't choose me, unlike Popper. He felt a swell of pride in his chest that threatened to overwhelm him with emotion. It felt so nice to be chosen by someone, even if it was just this little Popplio… He hoped he and Popper had a long life together ahead of them.

There was a sense of relief when Hala stepped away. To Elio and Selene, he said, "Now, I'm sure your folks will wanna know about your new partners! You should make sure to go tell 'em… Say, wait a second. Selene, what's that you've been holdin' in your hand?"

"Oh! Oh, my Arceus, I almost forgot!" Selene exclaimed and held up a gleaming crystal. Hau blanched as he saw it. A Z-Crystal? he thought. How does she have one? Didn't they just move in…? "I got this earlier! I met this girl named Lillie up on the bridge in that trail over there," she vaguely gestured toward Mahalo Trail, "and I helped save a… a pokémon in danger, and then Tapu… Tapu… um, the Tapu of this island came and helped us out! It dropped this off after me!"

Lillie? Hau felt his heart flutter. So, Selene had met Lillie! Hau liked Lillie. He didn't know much about her, admittedly, and she was difficult to talk to, but he still appreciated what little time together they did have… It wasn't that Lillie was still standoffish with him, although that had been the case at first. It was because Lillie had never gone on her Island Challenge. She was eighteen, had never gone on one, and never intended to. The people of Iki Town hadn't taken kindly to that sort of discourse and they shunned her. Hala didn't like Hau to talk to her for that reason, either… The Tapus chose you. Every time Hala would catch him interacting with Lillie, Hau would be chided with that reasoning. It hurt, if he were honest, because Lillie was one of the few people he had met his age that he felt as if he could actually talk to. Although being the grandson of a Kahuna meant his peers respected him, it also meant they didn't see him as an equal… Most Hau's age felt inadequate in comparison. Hau didn't like that… he didn't feel any different than any of them…

"Tapu Koko did that?" Hala sounded skeptical. "May I see that, Selene?"

"Sure…" Selene dubiously handed him the glittering crystal.

Hala admired it momentarily and then nodded. "Yep, that's certainly a Z-Crystal, alright. Say, can I hold onto this 'til tomorrow, Selene?"

"Sure," Selene shrugged, "not like I know what to do with it, anyway."

Hau jerked his head back to face Popper and he just wanted to melt into himself. Everyone knew what a Tapu giving someone a Z-Crystal meant! It—

Hala's laughter broke his train of thought. He hadn't expected that at all, but there he was, throwing his head back in uproarious laughter. "No, I don't think it means much of anything to you. But that's alright. I can fashion it into something useful for you and your brother, there, though! Now, hurry along, back to tell your parents. Just make sure you come along for the festival tomorrow, alright?"

"Got it," Selene nodded determinedly. Elio didn't have a reply and just curtly nodded along with his sister. Together, holding their respective starters, they marched down Iki Town's dirt paths and into the outskirts of town.

Hau watched them go with an intense, brown stare. They seemed to get along well together… He didn't have any siblings. Or, well, any family outside of Hala, for that matter. Even if he hadn't understood the jokes they made among one another earlier, he kind of wished he could be part of it… Popper pushed his nose to Hau's chin again and he chuckled. Grinning down at the Popplio, he proudly said, "You know what? Maybe we can be part of it, cousin. Let's go battle 'em!"

After all, what was a better way of getting to know someone than a friendly battle? Of course, he had an ulterior motive. Secretly, he hoped to use their lack of cultural understanding to his advantage.

He desperately hoped they wouldn't be intimidated by his relation to Hala and, since they were on their Island Challenge, Hala wouldn't mind him finally having them as friends…

As he raced after them, Popper tucked safely in his arms, he felt so happy at the idea of finally having some close friends that he felt like he could have touched the sun if he jumped high enough.

Chapter Text

Warning for brief sexual content. You may skip the part by watching for the indicators "START" and "END." After the "END," there will be a short blurb explaining why it was relevant to the plot. (Trying to be inclusive to those that do not want to read that sort of thing, because I completely understand!)

"Why'd you have to go and make a comment like that? 'Is this a wedding?' Seriously, Elio?"

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal! I just thought he was telling us stuff, like Kukui was earlier," Elio defended himself with a cruel edge to his tone. He was thoroughly embarrassed. The deep sense of shame clawed at his chest and made him feel like he might cough up his heart. He hated that feeling so much. It was why he resigned himself to nothing more than jokes and probably why his sister was his best friend. Sure, back in Kanto he had plenty of people he hung out with, but he had discovered when he had gone to get their numbers prior to moving… he didn't really consider most of them friends at all. Even though he had their contacts, he hadn't spoken a word to any of them. Shaking away the angering thoughts, he muttered, "So, I thought…"

"This Island Challenge thing is clearly a big deal," Selene sighed, though she didn't look at him. "Like… I think it's more than the gym challenge was in Kanto. Like, the people here think you have to do it to honor the Tapus or something…? Whatever it is, it's clearly woven into their beliefs. We don't have to believe it, we just need to be nice about theirs. Nobody's exactly told us we can't believe in Arceus, after all."

"'Cause nothing's more honorable to your local gods than making two cute pokémon whack each other to the brink of exhaustion," Elio growled smartly. He looked down at the Litten curled up in his arms, asleep. "And the whole 'letting it choose' thing is stupid. They don't know that we're going to carry them from island to island and make them battle everything they say we have to, it's like a random draw to them—Arceus!" Elio jumped as the boy from the ceremony darted in front of them and halted, forcing Selene and Elio to pause to quit from running into him. He clutched the Popplio against his chest with one arm and waved the other animatedly at them.

"Hi! Name is Hau!" he exclaimed in awkward Galarish. It almost sounded like he was singing rather than talking. Elio raised a brow at him. This ought to be good. "Please, I know it is… um, out nowhere, but let us battle!"

Elio pursed his lips and flicked his gaze to Selene. She grinned widely back at Hau, putting on a show of a wonderfully inviting expression. It was so fake Elio wanted to gag. "Hi, there! I'm Selene and this is Elio," she said and gestured to each of them respectively, "and… maybe we can battle another time? We were just going home for the day to finish unpacking and stuff… We've had a long week." She forced a laugh. Even if it was fake, he had to admit, she was so much better at getting along with others than Elio was.

"Really, I promise I am good!" Hau insisted after a delay, in which he studied Selene's face. Elio assumed he was translating in his mind but felt like perhaps, even as lacking in Galarish skills as he were, Hau might have picked up on Selene's faked niceness. If he did, he didn't show it though, as he bounced in place eagerly. "Is a good way to get to know each other!"

Ah, yes, forcing two creatures at your mercy to beat each other up is how you get to know people. I wonder if people would feel the same if we beat each other up instead of one another's pokémon? He snorted in irritation and failed to notice the warning stare Selene tossed his way. "Really?" Elio pressed with a twinge of amusement. He found he was quite a good deal taller than Hau and easily pushed past the excited Alolan boy without much effort. His intimidating stature seemed to make Hau stumble out of his way. "Hmm. Didn't know all I had to do to get to know people was to beat them up."

"…Sorry?" Hau asked, crestfallen and confused.

"Elio!" Selene glowered at him and shook her head, making her dusky, gray-blue hair bounce over her shoulders. Turning to Hau, she smiled softly. "Don't mind him. He's just being a dick." She stuck her tongue out at Elio before she continued. "We just arrived to Alola recently and we're both jetlagged and whatever… Elio might start acting more like a person after he sleeps some more. We'd be happy to battle you another time!"

Elio ground his teeth and his arms tensed without him realizing it. The Litten against his chest hissed and leapt from his grasp, digging its claws in as it jumped. Cursing to himself in Kantonian, Elio grimaced at the tiny flecks of blood that dappled the white stripes of his shirt. "That's gonna stain," he whined. Angrily scowling at Selene and then Hau, he ground his teeth even more. We'd be happy to battle you another time… like hell I will!

"Well… okay," Hau responded slowly. He gave Elio a momentarily concerned glance, then seemed to decide asking Elio if he was alright wasn't worth it. He wrapped both arms around the Popplio even more tightly than before and giggled, the Popplio barking and blowing a small bubble in agreement. "We can battle tomorrow! At the festival!"

"That sounds great," Selene kindly nodded back to him. "See you, Hau!"

With that, Hau pattered away down the trail, back toward Iki Town. Elio didn't have long to watch him go before Selene was in his face. He set his jaw and glared back at her. He was not in the mood to be lectured by his younger sister. "What?" he asked cagily.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. "For real, I'm actually lost. You're usually the one making friends with everybody. Most people know me as 'Elio's little sister' and not even by my name, so what's going on with you?"

"You thought I was popular or something?" Elio asked tauntingly. He bent down to try to pick his Litten back up, but the pokémon hissed at him again and darted just outside of his reach. What's your problem? Elio wanted to ask it. Instead, he sarcastically continued at Selene, "Look, I don't know. This whole thing is just rubbing me the wrong way. Can we just go back home?"

"Yeah," Selene groaned after a second of consideration. She trudged ahead of him and her Rowlet turned its head to give him a sad look. Elio felt another sharp, stinging bolt of shame fire up his body and he winced. Oh, how he hated that feeling and wished it would go away no matter what… He apologetically waved at the Litten and called for it to follow, and then slunk after Selene. He was glad when the Litten trailed him—at least he hadn't managed to ruin his relationship with this pokémon on their first day together—but he stared at Selene ahead of him sorrowfully. He hated fighting with her. He hated that he relied on her so much. As her older brother, he was supposed to help show her the way and give her tips and hints of wisdom, but he had nothing to offer her but nuggets of unfunny jokes and questionable sarcasm.

He truly felt like a clown and so, he often acted like one, and he hated it when the only thing he knew how to do somehow landed him in trouble. Like how he hadn't realized Hala was performing a ritual and he had interjected with a poorly timed joke… He just shook his head and kept a respectful distance between him and Selene.

Tomorrow would be better. Today couldn't be changed. He just had to do better tomorrow.

Perhaps tomorrow would or wouldn't be better for Elio and his sister, but on a pristine, manmade island in the center of Alola's waters, someone's day was about to go swimmingly.

In a quiet lab in the deepest depths of Aether Paradise, Dr. Faba hunched over a keyboard and scrutinized a spreadsheet with a frown. He was alone. It was far past the time most of Aether's employees checked out for the evening, but he was determined to finish this task before the night was through. A single, dim bulb overhead provided little light against the blindingly bright screen of his computer, which washed his glasses and face in a pale sapphire. His breath caught in his throat as he heard the door to the lab open suddenly. He wasn't expecting company. He had told everyone else to stay out for the evening.

"Leave, now," Dr. Faba bristled without looking to see who it was. There was no response and the door whirred softly as it closed itself. Then, the familiar clacking of high heels against a cold, hard floor sounded. He immediately forgot what he was doing and jerked his head to see Lusamine sauntering to him. He had expected her as soon as he heard the heels, but his face still lit up in an excited smile, nonetheless. "President Lusamine! I did not expect you. My apologies… I thought it was someone else at first," he supplied right away.

Lusamine brushed her long, straight hair out of her face and her chartreuse eyes glinted in the harsh light of the computer monitor. She smirked at him. "That's alright, Dr. Faba." Slowly, she drew her left hand up and placed it firmly against the researcher's right shoulder. He stiffened beneath her hold and felt his heart start to pound. With a sensual hum, Lusamine asked, "What's kept you up so late?"

"I think Dr. Wicke screwed up a column in this spreadsheet, it isn't making any sense," Dr. Faba groaned. He leaned back into Lusamine's touch just slightly. Scared of disappointing her, he quickly added, "Not to say I won't fix it, though. I am the great Dr. Faba, after all!"

Lusamine laughed to herself and shifted so that she was behind his office chair. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around his torso, drawing lines up his coat with her hands, her long fingernails plucking at the golden buttons. She rested her chin against his left shoulder, and he felt her hair tickle the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. "I'm certain it's excellent work, Dr. Faba. It's you fixing it, after all," she commented slyly and breathlessly.

START

Her warm compliments coupled with her roaming hands had his chest fluttering and his thoughts running wild. He loved all she could do for him with just a few waves of her hand or just by dropping her voice an octave or two. It had been more than a year since Mohn's incident and although Lusamine had lashed out at him at first since his science was behind the experiment, Dr. Faba hadn't intended for that horrible accident to occur… He reached a hand up to lightly touch Lusamine's face, rubbing her cheek gently. He had offered his sincerest apologies and groveled to Lusamine like a lowly Rockruff so that she wouldn't discharge him from the Aether Foundation's staff following that accident. Aether allowed him to express his genius in ways no other company ever had before. He had been terribly afraid of losing it. Mohn had been an unfortunate accident, but it wasn't like he had set out to hurt her husband.

Lusamine's hands finally latched onto the single, golden button keeping his labcoat on and undid the restraint. He rolled his shoulders and tugged at the fabric to send it cascading to the floor, all while she stepped away so that he could get out of the chair. Trembling in anticipation, Dr. Faba wasted no time in standing up and eyeing the president's beautiful body. He wrenched the protective glasses from his face, setting them to the desk, and cracked a knowing grin at her. Needless to say, his groveling had worked. Lusamine had not only let him keep his role in Aether Foundation, but she turned to him whenever she was in a time of need. When nightmares nipped at her psyche and she couldn't get Mohn off her mind, Dr. Faba made sure to be there, and within no time at all, she regularly turned to him herself. Sometimes, he had to wonder if Mohn's disappearance had been the best thing to ever happen to him… He had become keenly aware of just how glad he was Mohn was gone in recent times.

Lusamine approached and enveloped him in another hug, this time from the front. She stroked his back above his shirt a few times but then slipped her hands beneath it, teasing the skin of his back with those long nails. Dr. Faba did the same to her, though his touch was noticeably more frantic and uncontrolled. Oh, he knew it was bad. Lusamine was suffering in the aftermath of losing her husband and he had knowingly enabled her nasty behavior. He loved this new Lusamine that made him feel desired for more than just his brain and he didn't care who else was hurt in her wake, and he certainly didn't care about what her potentially deceased husband might have thought. He was gone, after all! More than that, Lusamine had turned on her kids and when they lashed out and fled, he had once again been there to pick up the pieces for her and be her shoulder to cry on (both times). He vocally agreed with her whenever she raved about how awful her children were, how ugly they were; whatever Lusamine thought or wanted, Dr. Faba agreed and did what he could to give it to her. It kept her happy and kept her coming back to him for more.

He gasped as her nails dug particularly hard into his upper back, hard enough to leave a mark, he was certain. He brought his hands up to her chest under her shirt and ghosted a hand across her bra, then squeezed the tender flesh beneath hungrily. He was panting lightly as he tried to speak. "Miss President… in the lab?" he coyly asked. "Doesn't Dr. Wicke have access to the cameras?"

"Not tonight," Lusamine answered seductively. "I killed the feed to this lab."

"Hmm, that doesn't leave much to the imagination if she knows you're down here, though, does it? With me?" he snickered and nipped at her neck. She shivered and grabbed a fistful of his shirt.

"If you care so much, perhaps I could find someone better," she taunted him. "Would you like that, Dr. Faba?"

He bit at the flesh on her neck harder this time, just enough to discolor her skin, make her whimper, and wrapped his arms firmly around her torso, pulling her taut against his body. He wanted no space between them. A flash of possessive anger ripped through him and he stood just that much taller, shuffling his feet so that he nearly stood on hers. "There is no one better than me," he growled to her. He breathed in the scent of her mild perfume, a pleasant lavender. "Whatever you want, President, I can do."

She gave a breathy cackle against his ear and then kissed his earlobe. "That's what I like to hear, Dr. Faba."

Lusamine easily slipped back into her clothes and did her best to try and smooth her messy hair. Long hair could be such a pain to maintain, she fleetingly thought. She tossed a smirk over her shoulder at Dr. Faba. He was sitting back in his computer chair and had the labcoat buttoned back over his shoulders, but if one looked closely, they could see that his shirt was nowhere to be found and his pants were still undone. He was still panting and huffing for breath, basking in the aftermath of their encounter. It amused her to see him like that. It amused her that he was even in this lab so late at night. In fact, Dr. Faba was an endless source of entertainment, better than any television Lusamine could have ever hoped to watch.

He thought that she was under his spell and that he had trained her to seek him when she was upset or in pain. He thought that she truly cared for him. It was just so funny. She couldn't help but giggle to herself as she started off for the door again. "Goodnight, Dr. Faba. Don't stay up too late," she warned playfully. Without waiting for his reply, she left the room and briskly marched down the hall to head for her own chambers.

Oh, Lusamine cared for Dr. Faba, but she cared for what he could provide for her, not for his physical features. He was her key to completing her collection of beautiful pokémon, from this world and the next. Although Lusamine didn't care for his body, she was in love with his mind and how willingly he would do whatever she asked. Again, it was just so funny to her that, by doing nothing more than offering her beauty to him, she could get whatever she wanted on a silver platter. He would work the endless nights. He would sort out all the errors his colleagues made personally just to ensure it was done correctly. He would answer to her beckoning day or night without complaint.

He thought he had trained her, but really, it was Lusamine who was training him… and oh, how easy it was to train a man. She snorted contemptuously as she reached her bedroom at last and flicked her keycard through the sensor. And like the good man he was, Dr. Faba was going to help provide her with what she truly desired from life—a collection of all the beauty pokémon the multiverse had to offer. One day, she'd have them all…

Even the beast who the Ultra Recon Squad warned her would swallow the sun should it come to Alola. She didn't care about Alola's light. She just cared about her collection of perfect, beautiful creatures, frozen forever in their prime. One day, she'd have them all, and one day…

She would be whole again. Without Mohn. Without Dr. Faba. Without any man at all.

END

Lusamine has been using her looks to entice Dr. Faba to do what she wants, but has led Dr. Faba to believe she's coming to him for physical intimacy because she's a grieving widow in need of comfort. Dr. Faba, therefore, thinks he can use her vulnerable state to further his own career. They both believe they are in control or using the other (similar to the abusive relationship described in the song 'Love the Way You Lie' by Eminem ft. Rihanna, which is what this chapter is named after). Lusamine is shown to have a disdainful view of men following Mohn's disappearance and her motivations for her actions are to further her collection of frozen, "perfect, beautiful" creatures. It's suggested that she wants to add Necrozma to her collection and that's why she is working with the Ultra Recon Squad.

Chapter Text

"Elio… are you going to come out any time soon?" Selene tiredly asked as she rapped her knuckles against his door again. Professor Kukui was outside once more and he wanted to show them back to Iki Town for a festival of some sort. Admittedly, Selene hadn't understood all he had said, but from what she gathered, it was to honor the local deity Tapu Koko for its efforts in saving Selene and Nebby on the bridge in Mahalo Trail. He had practically begged her and Elio to come along and insisted that Lillie would be there, too. Amusedly, Selene had wondered if that was supposed to encourage her or not. Lillie hadn't exactly seemed interested in making friends. Groaning in annoyance when Elio still said nothing, Selene finally wrenched the door open and saw him still in bed, scrolling on his phone.

"Go away," he hissed without looking at her and hunched his shoulders. His bed was perpendicular to the door and he was sprawled on his stomach, facing away from her, a thin white sheet drawn across his form, while his frost-colored comforter was strewn across the floor. Various photographs of Kantonian pokémon lined his wall already and his room looked homely, as if he had spent all night unpacking every last one he could find. Even though she had seen the pictures thousands of times before, she still was drawn to look to the framed images. For all his jokes and one-liners, Elio was brilliant with a camera and it showed in how crisp and vibrant each was. Unfortunately, few back in Kanto had appreciated his work and wondered how he could want to dedicate so much time to something so 'frivolous,' as they said. Even Dad sometimes had difficulty taking Elio's passion seriously. She got the sense Elio was not handling their move to Alola as well as he let on.

"Hey… can we talk?" she asked tentatively despite the bite in his voice. "This isn't like you. Hiding from everyone else."

"I hate it here."

"Elio… we've been here just a couple days…"

Clutching the sheets to his body as he dropped his phone to the mattress, Elio sat upright and scowled at Selene. "I tried to tell myself today would be better, but all I could think was that… I'm gonna have more moments like that. Where I misunderstand something someone's saying, especially with the Tapus or whatever, and then I'm the asshole. I came here to Alola with you all because if I stayed in Kanto, I'd literally have nobody, as it would turn out, because nobody will talk to me." He pulled the white sheet taut over his shoulders and hung his head. "I tried talking to like, four people this morning. None of them were able to or wanted to or… whatever. The time isn't that different there, they're only a couple hours behind, and I know none of them were too busy…"

Stunned into listening to him rant, Selene panicked as she tried to think of something to say. Elio was almost never serious with her about anything and for him to just burst with emotion like that was almost… scary. She uncertainly picked her way closer to him and took a seat on the end of his bed, causing him to shift instinctively to give her more room. "Elio…"

"And," he abruptly tore an arm free of his sheet and gestured to the pictures all around his room, "nobody takes any of this seriously. Back in Kanto, everyone laughed in my face because they didn't see pokémon as artful or anything like that. Just a measure of each other's strength. I think that's such a shame, and I thought Alola might be different, but as we're leaving the day we get our pokémon to go out on this challenge thing that's so desperately important, we're challenged to a battle. I don't want to battle anybody. But now, we gotta travel everywhere, and I don't think it's gonna be that different from Kanto. Lucky me."

Selene nervously clasped her hands together. "Elio, we just got here… Let's just go meet Kukui and head out to Iki Town again, okay? Remember the girl you were talking to? Wouldn't you wanna talk to her again?"

"She couldn't understand a word I was saying and I'm pretty sure she tried telling me she was sixteen," Elio muttered. "So, yeah, no thanks… And then that Litten would rather spend time with Mom and Meowth than me."

Selene rubbed her temple and chewed her lower lip anxiously. "Elio… you're scaring me a little… Just give it a few more days, okay? There's still got to be tons of people we haven't met here. You're making a lot of assumptions… I'm sure there's girls around your age or that Litten might just need more time to get to know you. Like you said, it doesn't know any better yet. You have to bond with it."

Elio sulkily brought his arms back against himself again, further cocooning in the white sheet. "Thanks, sis," he said tensely, in that way that told her regardless of whether her words had helped or not, he was done talking about it. She felt a pang of sadness at that. It was so rare for him to open up to her like that and, even if it had made her nervous, she had enjoyed that moment of honesty. She didn't dislike his humor by any stretch of the imagination—in fact, he made her laugh more than anyone else she'd ever met in her life—she just wished he wouldn't hide behind that entertaining façade. Yet, this was her older brother, and if he didn't want to talk about it anymore, she knew she wasn't going to be able to pry it from him. Trying to do so would ultimately just upset them both.

"Of course, El… Now, you gonna come with us to Iki Town?"

"Yeah… I'll just take a few minutes getting myself together."

Selene still didn't quite know what to make of her Rowlet. He was cute, to be sure, but he could have such a… dead-eyed stare, and his silent nature was unnerving. Elio's Litten at least mewed and purred on occasion and when she had seen Hau the day before, his Popplio was constantly barking. That wasn't to say she disliked Rowlet by any means, oh no; she just had no idea how to interact with it! She'd never had hands-on experience with anything quite like it. Aside from Spearow. She grimaced. She'd had so many unfortunate run-ins with Spearow, even before that fateful encounter on the Plank Bridge. She was certain Spearow owned any region they showed up in by sheer power of bad attitude.

"And that," Kukui beamed proudly as he showed off a gleaming Poké Ball in his left palm, "is how you catch a pokémon, yeah!"

Selene and Elio had tried to tell him they already knew, but he had showed them as if he didn't hear, much to Elio's chagrin, based on the way he tapped his foot and crossed his arms. Selene had just rolled her eyes and watched distractedly while Kukui pocketed a Slowpoke. Following that, he strutted ahead of them, urging them loudly to follow all over again.

"I hope he actually needed that Slowpoke for something and didn't just catch it to show it off to us, especially since we didn't need to be shown," Elio mumbled under his breath as he stalked after Kukui, his Litten darting after his heels. Selene wanted to be frustrated with his guarded concern, but she had to agree…

In school, she had focused on pokémon recovery and rehabilitation, which meant studying lots of gruesome images and unpleasant firsthand accounts of abuse—mental and physical. It had all started with an introductory text she had been assigned in an ethics course some years ago called Pokémon Psychology, the Ignored Science, written by the Unovan professor Bianca Goode. The book had blown open her mind to the damaging, long-term effects socially accepted trainer habits could have. For example, pokémon holstered in Poké Balls for long periods of time, such as weeks or months, often presented with nervous and clingy behavior and, in extreme cases, could even become self-destructive. In conclusion… she felt Elio's concern over whether that Slowpoke would see any use was perfectly valid. She guiltily admired him for being able to speak his mind, even if it made her self-conscious.

Well, perhaps it hadn't all started with that book. Even before taking that class in school, Selene had always looked up to Elio's disdain for the bloody sport of battle, and how he argued that gym challenges and Pokémon Leagues were an outdated rite of passage that just tested how good a person was at convincing their pokémon to harm themselves for the trainer's social benefit. She did recognize though that sometimes, he sounded almost conspiratorial, and she didn't think all battling was bad. She had read plenty of texts in her time since first taking that ethics class about how plenty of pokémon grew depressed when they were barred from battle, or how pokémon actively battled one another in the wild for fun, and it made it difficult for her to agree that all battling was wrong. She just… admired Elio's passion on the subject, even if she didn't always agree.

Her feet carried her after Elio and back into Iki Town. It was comforting to see that homely little village again. She was hit with a rush of surprise and excitement when she saw Lillie again, approaching Kukui wordlessly. Across the center of town, Hau was playing with his Popplio, waving a makeshift toy—a stick with a leaf attached to the end—in the pokémon's face. The Kahuna laughed hardily and approached Hau as he did, and he paused to talk to the burly man briefly. Beyond those faces she recognized, the town was still teeming with life. She was still admiring the beauty of it all when Kukui waved a hand in front of her face, pulling her from her stupor.

"Hey, cousins! Ole' Hala will be making an announcement soon, yeah, but I wanted to give you and Elio some stuff to help starting your challenge easier," Kukui said encouragingly as he held out a few Poké Balls and a small spray bottle of purple fluid out to her. Selene recognized it right away as a Potion.

"Oh, thank you," Selene answered right away. She accepted the handout like she was overlooking something alien rather than just a Potion. This probably didn't cost a lot, but still… so strange of him to buy us stuff when he barely knows us… She awkwardly pocketed the gifts and then froze as she felt Rowlet move from her shoulder and… onto her head. She looked up even though she couldn't see him and just laughed. "Uh, what do you think you're doing up there, dude?"

The Rowlet clicked its beak back at her and offered no other reasoning. She felt his tiny feet shuffle on her hat and she just laughed some more.

Elio accepted Kukui's gifts to him silently. Then, he noticed Lillie partially hiding just behind Kukui with her arm once again anchored tightly to her bag. When she realized Elio was staring at her, she glared back at him with equal force. Selene pursed her lips thoughtfully and then a smirk pulled at the corner of her lips. Maybe getting Elio to talk to this Lillie girl wouldn't be such a bad idea, after all. She knew Galarish well and even if she had been incredibly standoffish the last time Selene had seen her, she had also been injured and watched her pokémon nearly get devastatingly hurt. She was sure Lillie was much nicer when so much wasn't on the line.

Except clearly, she shouldn't have been so sure. Elio nodded to Lillie and, lacing his voice with a teasing edge, he remarked, "Oh, hey. What's your name again? I might need it when I try and find you an island boy, since you were so keen on talking about that last time…"

Lillie licked her lips and smiled back at him innocently. "Sounds good. Then we can share him. I hear Alolans are excellent at ménage à trois, as ironic as that sounds. But if you must know, my name is Lillie."

Selene slapped a hand over her mouth and felt so bad as she watched Elio's face redden immediately. Kukui muttered something in Alolan, looked to the skies, and made some sort of gesture over his heart. Selene giggled even harder then, imagining he must have been asking the Tapus for strength, as he finally turned back to Lillie and Elio. "Listen, cousin," he said as he looked to Elio, "Lillie here might have a mouth…" He pointedly looked at her as he said that. "But she knows Alola pretty well, yeah. She's my assistant, after all! I really think she could help you and Selene out a lot if she traveled with you, yeah."

"A horrible decision, really," Lillie dryly mused. She slicked a golden strand of hair back against her head and her arm holding her bag still twitched involuntarily. "See—"

"Lillie," Kukui cut her off urgently, "no need to bring that up, okay, yeah?"

"Sure, if you don't mind them becoming outcasts, Professor. They have a right to know," came Lillie's searing reply. She cast a confused Selene and Elio a dark look with those piercing, minty eyes. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that everyone in Iki Town avoids me like a plague. That's because I'm eighteen, never participated in the Island Challenge, and have no regrets about it." She shrugged like it didn't bother her at all. "Might make making friends hard for you two if you're with me all that often."

"You didn't?" Elio asked interestedly. Selene raised a brow at him and how his entire demeanor seemed to switch on a dime. "Why is that? It seems, uh… very important."

"It is, but some people are a little cruel about it, yeah," Kukui interjected hesitantly. He sounded so uncomfortable, like this was the last topic of conversation he wanted to talk about. "I… admit, I was hoping that by having Lillie tag along, people might be more accepting because you two aren't from around here. People would forgive that, yeah, and I think it's a real shame Lillie hasn't gotten out there at all, yeah."

"Make the foreigners all group up," Lillie drawled, "is that it, Professor?"

Selene looked to Kukui expectantly. She suddenly wasn't so sure what to think of the professor's suggestion. Like Lillie suggested, it sounded like he wanted to stick the three of them together because they were foreigners. She thought back to Hau the day before and how she genuinely hoped to get to know that boy better. Worriedly, she wondered if the divide between Alolans and themselves would become more than just an inconvenience for conversations… Was Alola socially segregated? She clenched her jaw. Oh, she had so many words for Dad next time she saw him! With every passing minute, more and more of what he had said about Alola seemed like utter fantasy.

"Lillie," Kukui desperately whined, "it's not like that. You know I like having you as my assistant, yeah! And I care for you no matter what anyone in Iki says." He cracked a lopsided grin and looped an arm around Lillie's shoulders, teasingly pushing her sunhat off-kilter and messing up her hair with his free hand. "Nobody in Iki is gonna tell me who I can or can't associate with, yeah."

"You're already an outcast to everyone that isn't a Kahuna or Burnet, Kukui, it's different for you, you utter quack," Lillie huffed, her amused playfulness betrayed by the smirk pulling at the edge of her lips. She finally fought the professor off and pointed a finger at him. "Why don't you go back to wrestling a Rockruff or two so I can have to call to get the roof patched up again, huh?"

Kukui put his hands behind his head and laughed obnoxiously. "Alright, you got me, yeah."

"So, what you're saying is, you don't have to do this Island Challenge thing?" Elio pressed Lillie, completely ignoring the rest of the conversation's details. His Litten yawned and stretched at his side. "Like… I mean… you didn't…"

Lillie gave him another expressionless glance. "Sure, if you want to commit social suicide." She stepped closer to him and Elio froze in surprise as she drew a hand to touch Elio's chin. "I don't think you wanna do that, do you, Casanova?"

"I—I mean, uh…"

Their… whatever it was they were doing was cut short by the Kahuna taking a stand on that wooden platform in the center of town and calling something in Alolan, and Selene was glad. The conversation was bordering downright uncomfortable and she wanted to focus on anything else. Kukui gestured for everyone to follow and he shuffled closer to the platform as it was surrounded by throngs of townsfolk. Selene glanced over her shoulder and watched as Lillie held back, clinging to the outskirts of the town as everyone else filed into place near the Kahuna. Although Lillie hardly looked bothered, the image didn't sit right with Selene. It felt wrong to see someone standing alone in the happy, active Iki Town…

"Today, we are gathered in honor of Tapu Koko, who just yesterday, blessed us with his presence again!" Kahuna Hala bellowed across the town. He followed up with something in Alolan and Selene surmised he was repeating himself in their native tongue for those that couldn't understand the Galarish. She nosily shouldered her way to the front of the gathered crowd around the platform and stared up at that burly man in something bordering on wonder. It wasn't that she found Kahuna Hala spectacular or anything, but she did think the way the townsfolk clung to his every word was intriguing. She just wanted to know more! "As the Tapu of Conflict, what better way to honor our guardian than with a pokémon battle? Before my grandson leaves for his Island Challenge proper, I want him to have a battle with the girl Tapu Koko so bravely saved. Island Challenger Hau and Island Challenger Selene, please step onto the stage!"

Kahuna Hala repeated himself in Alolan to the further excitement of the gathered townsfolk. Selene eagerly hopped onto the stage after hearing him call for her, experiencing a rush of excitement as she saw all the people cheering for her. She walked up to Kahuna Hala and he smiled warmly. Within seconds, Hau had joined them on the stage, his Popplio wrapped in his arms again. Grinning like his life depended on it, he waved his hand earnestly at her again, looking every bit as interested in her as he had the day before. "Nice to see you again!" he clamored.

His starry-eyed exuberance was contagious. Selene couldn't help but wave back at him just as jubilantly. "Nice to see you again, too, Hau! See, told you we could battle today!" she laughed.

"Now, Selene, Hau, I expect a mighty fine battle to repay Tapu Koko for his effort yesterday," Kahuna Hala teasingly told them both. "To Tapu Koko! Let the battle begin!"

He jumped from the platform and crossed his arms, watching carefully as Selene and Hau both sent forth their pokémon. Selene and Hau's eyes met as they both gave their pokémon their orders.

"Popper, Disarming Voice!"

"Rowlet, um… Leafage!"

Elio slunk away from the crowd as soon as the battle begun. He had no interest in watching Selene's Rowlet or Hau's Popplio bloody each other, even if their current attacks were too weak to do anything other than a flesh wound. He bent down to offer to pick his Litten up again, both shocked and relieved when he relented and allowed himself to be raised from the ground. That alone made Elio feel much better than he had for most of the day and he stroked the soft fur of the pokémon's forehead as he crept away from the crowd.

"You're not going to watch?"

He jerked his head up and saw Lillie giving him a critical stare. Cautiously, he said, "No… I don't like pokémon battles." Because they're barbaric and bloody and awful, but I guess I can save that for another time…

Lillie visibly jolted as he said that. "You… don't?"

"No…" He cocked his head at her and that stupid smile crossed his face again. "What, do you not like 'em either?"

"No. That was one of the reasons I didn't go on the Island Challenge," she answered guardedly, her moment of weakness over. She seemed to scan him, and Elio had the uncomfortable feeling she was sizing him up. "Why don't you?"

Elio couldn't help his sarcastic response. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Lillie raised a brow at him and then smirked, circling him with a curious, wandering stare. He watched her dubiously and hardened his icy glare at her when she didn't say anything for a long time. "What are you doing?" he asked cagily.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she taunted, flashing him a gleeful, white smile.

Elio thought he might have been dreaming. "Oh, oh, so that's how it is," he remarked coyly. I like her already. Do people really let a stupid Island Challenge tell them whether they can hang out with her or not? He pondered that for a moment. Well, even if I do get dragged into doing their trials or whatever, I sure as hell am not gonna let them tell me who I can or can't hang with!

Hau was shivering with excitement even though his Popplio had ultimately succumbed under the pressure of Rowlet's repeated Leafages. He had only had a couple of battles since receiving Popper, but they had all been a slog, with the other person bizarrely seeming guilty at having defeated Kahuna Hala's grandson. Selene, however, didn't know anything about that and her cultural blindness meant she had a genuine reaction upon defeating him. She bounced up and down and pumped a fist into the air, all while her Rowlet annoyedly clacked its beak at her since he was trying to nest on her hat again.

Hala called the match and declared Selene the winner. He stepped back onto the stage and laughed as he tried to silence the roaring crowd around the stage. He cast Hau an easygoing smile and Hau felt a small sense of relief. Although watching Selene celebrate her victory had been refreshing, he had worried about what Hala would have to say about his defeat, so he was thrilled to see there was no hard feelings over it. Bending down at last to the unconscious Popper, Hau touched his Poké Ball to one of his flippers gently. "I still think you did great, Popper. I'll heal you up and we can be back together in no time!" he informed the sleeping pokémon as the Poké Ball swallowed him back up.

Hala proclaimed the battle a worthy offering to Tapu Koko and Hau felt a swell of pride in his chest. Even if he had lost, he had at least managed to provide a spectacle! The crowd, even as it dispersed from around the Iki Town stage, radiated positivity. See, this is what battling's all about! he thought to himself happily. Now, I know that Selene will probably be my friend and that I'm doing what I need to be doing! This is great!

He impatiently waited as Hala called over Selene's brother and then gave them both their respective Z-Power Rings. He was doing his best to explain it all in Galarish and truthfully, Hau barely understood a lick of it. He just did all he could to be still and not interrupt until it was over. Although he was eager to get to know Selene better, he balked at the idea of interacting with her brother… Elio was tall and proud, or at least, that was the impression Hau got. He had a bladed tongue and an even sharper, piercing blue gaze that made Hau feel like shrinking beneath his judgment.

Kukui waltzed over at one point, accompanied by Lillie, and Hau averted his gaze from her decisively. He hated acting like he wanted nothing to do with her, but with Hala right there, he had no choice unless he wanted an earful that night about how it was inappropriate for him to be socializing with someone 'like her.' So, he eyed his orange sandals as Kukui and Hala explained more about the Island Challenge to the two Kanto teens. Selene sounded progressively more amazed while Elio seemed increasingly vexed.

Yet, it soon was over and Hala and Kukui both parted ways from the group on the Iki Town stage. Surprisingly, Lillie didn't follow Kukui. She had her lips pressed to a thin line as she eyed Elio and Selene. After ensuring Hala was busy elsewhere, Hau grinned ear-to-ear at her and goofily waved. "Hi, Lillie!" he beamed.

"Hey, Hau," she answered almost softly. Turning her attention back to Elio and Selene, chattering away in their native tongue, she cleared her throat. "Hey, you two."

"Yes, Mistress?" Elio teased as he whirled on a heel. Selene gave an ugly snort.

Lillie was unbothered by his joke… not that Hau understood it, anyway. "Kukui wants me to swing by your place tomorrow to bring you to his lab before you head out on your Island Challenge… which I guess I'll be joining you for."

Hau gaped. "You will?" he shrilly asked, nearly throwing Elio out the way in his fervor as he bounded closer to Lillie. Unaware of Elio's murderous glare, he continued, "That is great! And it will be away from Hala!"

Lillie nodded just slightly at him, knowingly. Even if they hadn't talked much, Hau always had the impression that Lillie understood him better than anyone else in Iki Town. Oh, how he craved to get to know her better. "Yeah. I guess getting to talk to you more won't be so bad, Hau."

Elio jostled Hau back—he hadn't realized he was still practically leaned up against the other—and Hau staggered to catch his balance again. He winced beneath Elio's fierce glare. What did I do already? Hau wondered with a twinge of desperation. I'm just excited to get to befriend Lillie without having to worry about Granddad Hala breathing down my neck, is all… Feeling as if he had offended Elio somehow, Hau decided to silence himself, and was caught off-guard by Lillie's borderline snarling tone as she addressed Elio.

"Alola is known for people helping one another out," she growled to the Kanto boy, "so, if you want to get along with people here, you might want to try it sometime."

Selene awkwardly shuffled her feet and looked away.

"He bumped into me!" Elio retorted defensively after a startled pause. It seemed he hadn't expected her defensive words, either.

"Elio," Selene sighed exasperatedly, "just let it go—"

"We haven't even left on your Island Challenge yet," Lillie said in a frighteningly low voice as she got into Elio's face, clearly undaunted despite her appreciatively smaller stature, "don't piss me off already, okay?"

Elio swallowed hard, nervously. "Right…" He cast Hau a furtive peek just past Lillie's shoulder. His cheeks flushed red. "Uh, sorry, Hau…"

Hau fidgeted his hands. He didn't like causing conflict. Cheerily, trying to defuse the situation, he offered, "It is no problem!" Then, he longingly glanced after Selene.

Maybe he could get her alone at some points during the Island Challenge and they could talk without Elio's oppressive presence there…

Chapter Text

Far away from the quiet of Melemele's southeastern shores, someone else had started a challenge of their own, though it was no Island Challenge. Rain drilled into his black hood, but he marched on through the mud as if it didn't bother him at all. His hands were stuffed into deep pockets on the sides of the hoodie, one rolling a gray and yellow Poké Ball between his fingers methodically, the other clutching a bag against the palm. For a few days, he'd been traveling with just one thought on his mind: get away from them. So much so that he had only rested fitfully since escaping and, as such, he looked a mess. A mop of blond hair clung to his wet forehead and dangled annoyingly in front of his piercing, green eyes.

Gladion thought he might collapse with relief when he saw the motel overlooking a cliff to the sea. Shady people in dark hoodies much like his darted around the complex and gave it a sense of distinct unease. He gave them a wide berth and headed for the office of the building. As soon as he opened the glass door, water was whipped inside by the furious wind behind him, and he staggered in his attempt to close it behind himself. Panting, Gladion's shoulders sagged and he regretfully lowered the hood obscuring his face. His uneven hair stuck out in every possible direction. Some hung down over his face, some patches were so short they were barely above his scalp, and it made him feel oddly exposed. He wished he'd have remembered to shave it off before he left home…

"Ah… You alright there?" a greasy, older man with black hair ringing a bald spot on his head asked as he wiped his hands with a handkerchief. He sidestepped to expectantly stand behind a cash register. Gladion supposed it only made sense the man assumed he was a foreigner and was speaking to him in Galarish. He seemed to know it well from running the motel. "You lost or somethin'? Don't look like you belong around here to me."

Gladion silently looked him up and down and then ambled to the gray countertop separating himself and the attendant. As gruff as the comment had been, Gladion knew it wasn't rudeness on the attendant's behalf. Not even most Alolans would have looked as if they were from 'around' these parts. Once close enough, Gladion wrenched the small, brown bag from his left pocket and dropped it on the counter. "I want a room. However long that much will cover."

"I'm sorry?" the man dubiously pressed as he uncertainly shuffled closer to Gladion. He raised his chin to peer at the bag curiously, seemingly unsure if he should approach further or not.

Irritated with the man's caution, Gladion shoved the bag closer for him to see into. "It's cash. Do you want it or not?"

He jumped and then peered inside, gaping at the amount. "S-sir… Where did… why… you could stay somewhere really nice with this for a while, why here? You do know Po Town's just up the way, yeah? Skull activity everywhere."

Gladion closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you want it or not?" he repeated coldly.

"Well, yes… Let me count and see…"

After five minutes or so, the attendant determined that the amount of cash in that bag would net Gladion two years' worth of rent in one of the motel's rooms. Gladion, tapping his foot impatiently, cut his glittering, green eyes back at the man. "Good. I want one for that long, then."

The attendant just shook his head and snatched the bag up. "Sure thing, kid."

Kid. Gladion clenched his jaw. He was nineteen. Still, he held his tongue, uninterested in a debate right then.

"You're all set. Here's your room key." The attendant handed a rusted couple of keys to him, a far cry from the keycards Aether Paradise had used. Gladion gingerly accepted them and gave a stiff nod.

"Thank you."

After a night's rest—the mattress was flimsy and uncomfortable and the room had an awful draft, but after so little sleep in the past week, Gladion hadn't minded at all—Gladion suited himself up to travel again. He would return to the motel, but only later in the evening, he was sure. He slipped into a stained, white shirt, covered it up with his tattered hoodie, then adorned a similarly ripped pair of black pants that, at one point, would have reached his ankles but now only touched his lower calves. He ended by wrapping a crimson bag around his waist (it was designed to hold a cell phone, but seeing as he had been forced to abandon his back at Aether, it now only held pocket cash and a few spare Super Potions).

Back out into the muggy terrain he went. It wasn't raining there anymore, but he knew where he was going, it soon would be again. A few Alolans eyed him curiously as he exited the room and locked it behind him, dispatching the keys to the red case at his hip. One brave soul even ventured to follow Gladion briefly before returning to his friends and chattering away. Gladion just ignored them. He was used to the occasional odd stares from Alolans at this point. Even before he had been reduced to such ragged, dark clothes, Alolans had always seemed so intrigued by him and his sister.

Wincing at the thought of her, Gladion failed to notice his right hand had crept back up to his scalp and started plucking hairs free once again. He only stopped when one tug was too hard, and he accidentally jerked his head to the side instead of wrenching any hair off his head. Gritting his teeth, he forced his hand back down and fought the urge. That was why his hair was always such a mess, and why he honestly would have loved to simply shave it all off—so he didn't have anymore hair to rip out when he was feeling stressed.

The closer to Po Town Gladion got, the clammier the air and the scarcer other people became. At his final approach, there was a single, lonely house to his left, shadowed by the towering, gray walls in the distance. Gusts of wind carried sheets of rain over to them, but he could tell the rain wasn't necessarily coming from above him. Dark, tumultuous storm clouds were gathered over those hulking walls.

Gladion was unintimidated by the display. He knew all about the curse of Po Town and the permanent storm. He only found himself annoyed by the humidity of it all. Thanks to Alola's heat, the rain wasn't cold. It felt like getting spritzed with hot bathwater in a sauna. His feet did hurt from marching through so much mud and water, though; some had sunk in through the fabric of his shoes, or had been sloshed in at his ankle, and he was certain he'd have blisters before long if he didn't get the chance to stop.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Gladion whirled around at the voice, the Ultra Ball from his right pocket clutched at the ready, and stared at the hunched old man there. Unbothered by the rain, he wore a short-sleeved windbreaker, a deep, almost wine-red shirt, long pants, and… sandals? Gladion blinked as he noticed that and just wondered what on earth this man was thinking. When the other grunted for his response, Gladion jolted. "Po Town. Where else would anyone be going around here?" Gladion snidely responded, stowing away whatever expression of shock he might have had upon seeing the man.

Yet, the man only smirked back at him and then rubbed a hand over his short, gray hair. "You really wanna live as Skull?" He then laughed. "…Really?"

"Yes, and what's so funny about that?" Gladion demanded sharply. He clamped his hand down tighter on that Poké Ball as he fought the urge to scratch at his scalp. "You don't know me, old man. Let me be." With that, Gladion decided their interaction was over, and went to leave.

"Name's Nanu. I know I can't stop you. But, hey… If you don't make it back out alive, I can make sure your remains get back to your family at least. What's your name?"

Gladion halted and gave the old man a look somewhere between bewildered and disgusted. "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"Well, yeah," Nanu said. "Skull isn't exactly scary, so me talking 'em up like they are is hilarious. But I am curious as to what a kid like you is doing way out here. You're not from Alola. What're you trynna get into Skull for? Where're your folks? You're too young to not have any."

Gladion tucked the Ultra Ball away and clamped his left hand firmly over the right, holding it in place. He supposed the clutching motion the right hand still insisted on making looked stupid, though… Gritting his teeth and glaring daggers at Nanu, Gladion stamped a foot, throwing a splash of mud up his own legs. "Listen, old man, I know myself far better than you could ever know me. I have my reasons. Go bother someone else."

Nanu shrugged and turned around. "Alright."

Gladion gaped and his arms fell slack. "A-alright? That's it?"

Nanu didn't pause and just waved a hand. "You said for me to go bother someone else. Your business is your business. See ya."

Rolling his eyes, Gladion started back for those towering walls. Dumb old man. He could see a couple of people standing just at the foot of them, in front of a white, massive door, watching him carefully as he neared. He had the impression they had likely watched his entire exchange with Nanu. Upon closer inspection, he concluded one was a teen girl, likely a few years younger than himself, and the other was a man who looked like he might have been in his early twenties. Still, he could have been wrong; their faces were obscured by black masks and white caps, making it difficult to pick out facial features.

Once Gladion was close enough, the man jerked his head, raising his chin quickly in acknowledgment. "Yo, homie, you lost?" he sneered. "We don't want no problems, now."

The girl just stared at Gladion expressionlessly.

"You won't get any from me as long as you hear me out," Gladion warned tensely. "I want to speak to your boss."

"The boss?" the man almost squeaked incredulously. He exchanged a look with the girl and they both broke into uproarious laughter. "He gon' walk up here in black clothes and think he can speak to the boss, ain't that cute, San?"

The girl raised a brow at Gladion as she fought back giggles. "Look, I dunno what posh family lost their housepet, but I'm sure they're missin' ya real nice about now, so scamper on back home, okay, numskull?"

"Numskull. Creative." Gladion issued a slight, almost pleasant smile. He took a couple of paces backward and raised his hands in surrender. "I can see I have not made myself clear enough." Gladion suddenly pitched the Ultra Ball and the slight smile turned to a full-on grin as Type: Null was revealed. Null bellowed a resonating, clanking sound, as if someone were banging a gong repeatedly, and scuffed sharp, metallic claws against the ground furiously. Narrowing shadowy eyes at the grunts, Null lowered himself to an attack stance, showing off every threatening feature across his form from the glistening, sharp blade on his head to the expertly crafted aquatic tail on his rear.

The grunts scrambled away, putting at least ten feet between them and Null. They left the white door completely exposed. They seemed to be torn between that fact, and their fear of the downright chimerical pokémon in front of them. "What the fuck is that?" the man finally exclaimed through shivering breaths.

"This is Null," Gladion said, as if it would explain anything. Not that he had any interest in explaining to these two goons. At their blank faces, he just sighed. "He's unimportant to you two. But I need to talk to your boss."

Null abruptly lowered his head and began to use his steely front claws to lash at his bronze mask. He clawed and clawed and even slammed his cheeks against the ground, digging the sharp, angular projections from the base of the mask into the muddy soil. Gladion frowned and stepped forward, cautiously lowered a hand to Null's upper back. He knew now not too get too close to the head when Null did this, but he couldn't help wanting to comfort the pokémon… Yet, as soon as his palm reached Null's shoulder, he whipped around and brought one of those bronze projections across Gladion's shin. Gladion gasped as he collapsed and felt the dull sting of a new flesh wound.

Null realized what he had done and apologetically crept forward, nudging Gladion's head with his own. "It's alright," Gladion told him right away, staggering back to his feet. "It's alright, I know you didn't mean it… I need you to go back in the Poké Ball for now, though, alright?"

Almost knowingly, Null looked Gladion in the eyes and stood, relaxed, in front of him as he touched the button on the center of the Poké Ball to his muzzle. Disappearing in a flash of red, Gladion tucked the ball back into his pocket and gave the two Skull members a harsh glare. "Well? Still not seeing your boss!"

"Shit, I'm callin' the big sis now, just keep that damn thing in the ball!" the man yelped as he hunched forward and pulled a flip phone from his pocket. Shakily dialing a number, he brought the device up to his ear and covered his other with a hand to blot out the distant roar of the rain within the walls just next to them. He rambled away to the person on the other end in Alolan and Gladion listened keenly. Part of him sadistically hoped the man might assume Gladion didn't know the language and he'd say something he'd soon regret. "Ay, sis? You got a minute? We got trouble at the gate. Yeah, I know we're supposed to deal with it, but this guy's got a monster! …No, I'm not talkin' about another foreign pokémon, I mean a real monster! You gotta come look at it!" There was a long pause. "He says he wants to talk to Big G. I don't think he's gonna leave 'til he gets what he wants, either…" Another pause. "Thanks, big sis…"

"Monster." Gladion loudly remarked and put his hands on his hips. If looks could have killed, Gladion might have smote this man on the spot. Fiercely, he pulled his lips back into something of a snarl, and shouted, "Null is not a monster! He is suffering, and I saved him from the people who did that to him! Is that what Skull does? Call living creatures that are in pain monsters?"

Oh, he knew he was being unfair. It wasn't like these two could have known anything about Null. But Gladion was lost on another plane of reality as he went off on them. To him, they were not Skull, but the heartless scientists under Dr. Faba's lead performing heinous 'upgrades' to better Null's arsenal of weapons, jeering to one another throughout their work about how monstrous and devastating Null would be once finished. As if unaware they were talking about a living being, they joked about Null's ability as a killer, comparing him to weaponry. Because to them, Null was nothing more than just that: a weapon. Gladion remembered it all too well, hunched underneath a desk, hidden by filing cabinets and his dark hoodie, listening to Null whimper and howl in pain as they operated and adjusted the mechanical parts of his body while he was awake…

"Okay, okay! Don't have a heart attack," the girl snapped, bringing Gladion back to reality. She clung to the Skull man's arm and glowered at Gladion like she had already decided she hated him. Unsurprised, Gladion just pursed his lips and stared back at her, doing his best to keep quiet. He couldn't have outbursts like that… even if the people deserved them. Huffing to himself as he crossed his arms, he thought, and this is why I have no friends nor do I want any. None other than pokémon.

Protectively clasping his other hand to the girl's shoulder, the Skull man eyed Gladion sourly. "Big sis is on her way. She's as much a boss as Big G is. You gotta talk to her first to get to him. She'll fix you."

Gladion snorted. "Fix me? The hell does that mean?"

"Means I'll kick your ass if you get too outta line. Start talking."

Gladion jumped as he realized the white door had been pulled open and a sleek, leanly built woman skirted out from behind it. It slammed closed behind her as if magnetized. Most of her hair was dyed a hot pink and cut short to her skull, but a couple streaks of long, yellow and pink hairs spiraled from the side of her head and hung down to her thighs. She looked less contemptuous, unlike the two grunts did now, and more critical, scanning Gladion's appearance like she was preparing for a test. "Name's Plumeria. I heard you're out here with some sort of a 'monster.' Havin' fun terrorizin' my brothers?"

Gladion's face started to redden with anger and he went to snarl back at her, but she held up a finger and barked her words over him, shocking him into silence.

"Hey! You came here. This is our town," Plumeria hissed. She circled him then like a Sharpedo, stiffening her exposed shoulders. She had dark eyeliner that brought out her piercing, yellow gaze. "So, don't fuckin' sass me, got it? 'Specially not if you want any hope of meetin' with G."

Gladion mutinously shuffled in place and nodded slowly. He hated biting his tongue and just listening to her, but he knew it was the smartest choice at that moment. "Yeah. Got it."

"So, like I said, start talkin'. Why are you here? What do you wanna talk to G about?" She stopped just in front of him and despite Gladion's height, she was still much taller, casting a shadow over him. There was something oddly intimidating about the way she was dressed in a midriff-exposing tank top and shorts despite the constant rain that had to be hammering Po Town at all times, as if she was so used to it, she didn't bother dressing for the weather anymore. "Make it quick, 'cause I got half a mind to just send out my Salazzle and tell her to poison your ass and send you packin.'"

"I have nowhere to go and no skills, but I have a strong pokémon. I think me and your boss can make a deal," Gladion proposed tersely, trying so hard to keep his voice steady and hold his right hand down, clasping his hands together to keep the right from doing that stupid gesture. "Skull gets in trouble everywhere they go across these islands and it's hard for you to get anything done, I've noticed. Null can make sure whatever you need done gets done without so much as a hitch."

"What could you have that you're so certain is better than anything we've got?" Plumeria scornfully asked. She put her hands on her hips. "And what could we even offer you?"

To the chagrin of the Skull grunts nearby, Gladion freed Null from his confines again. The pokémon confusedly looked around and then started to scratch at the mask once again. Gladion fought the urge to comfort him. He couldn't risk Null snapping and delivering another blow to him in front of Plumeria. "This is Null," Gladion said flatly. "I know he's capable of things no other pokémon is, and he's strong."

Plumeria shuffled away from Null just like the grunts before her, but unlike them, she didn't jump like a frightened Meowth. She gawked at Null and her hands clenched to fists against her sides. "Where did you get this thing? What is it?"

"Aether Foundation," Gladion replied briskly. He truly didn't think he had anything to fear from telling them about his ties to them. If Mum—no… Lusamine. If Lusamine wants Null and me back, she'd better bring a damn army and have a body bag ready, he thought bitterly. Null and I won't go down without a fight, and I won't go back there alive. "This is one of the experiments they were working on. I stole him and ran because they were hurting him…" He trailed off and gnawed his lip for a second. "…They were hurting me. I need more time to help Null, I need more time to get on my feet, and if I can help you guys get shit done, then I figured you could cut me in on the payouts. I've got a place at the motel down the way. I won't be imposing on you at all. When you don't want me around, I won't be. You can just call me when I'm needed."

Null then abruptly slammed his head to the ground, splattering Gladion and himself with mud. Tiredly, Null fell still after that, still half-slumped against the mud and idly scratching at the mask. Null then laid down completely, letting the mud rise over his feet and paint his belly. Gladion trembled just slightly… He wanted to put Null back in the ball or comfort him so badly…

Plumeria glanced between Gladion, Null, and back again. Groaning, she ran a hand over her hair once more, adjusting one of the skull-shaped pins. "Fine. I'll talk to G. But I'll tell ya now, he's not an easy person to get along with and he'll pro'ly still wanna kick your ass even if he believes this. I wanna say I can't believe ya, even, but I'm lookin' at this thing here, now… and you look like you'd be from Aether." Plumeria stared at Null and just shook her head. "I knew Aether sounded too squeaky clean, but this is some next level shit here, kid." Her expression abruptly changed to one full of concern. Softly, she pressed, "You ain't had it easy, have ya?"

Gladion squared his shoulders. "Look. You don't want to know me, and I don't want to know you. Let's keep it that way," he cagily muttered.

Plumeria huffed and turned away. Pointing at the two grunts, she snapped, "I'mma call G over. You two numskulls follow me. Don't trust ya out here with this one by yourselves." She didn't have to tell them twice, for they hurried after her as she entered Po Town's walls.

Gladion took the time to comfort Null, running his hands soothingly up and down the pokémon's back. He was too tired to lash claws back at Gladion this time and even seemed to shift so Gladion could pet him better. "I'm gonna have to recall you again in a second," Gladion softly informed him, "but I promise, not long after that, it'll just be me and you for a while, Null."

Null just distractedly pawed more at the restraint on his head. Defeatedly, Gladion recalled him to the Ultra Ball and stashed it away in his pocket. Unfortunately, Gladion didn't know how to remove the mask, but he could tell the device hurt Null to keep on his head. Whenever he was free outside of his Poké Ball for more than a few minutes, he would begin to wildly attack the helmet until he exhausted himself. A short rest in the Poké Ball would restore his strength, but it was so painful for Gladion to watch Null writhe and desperately claw at that mask at every given chance…

A few minutes after that, the white door to Po Town opened again, and Gladion's back stiffened as he watched a small gang of Skull members fan out from inside. Plumeria, several grunts (different than the ones from before), as well as a new, larger man he could only assume was the boss. Gladion already knew his name; he was infamous across all of Alola.

Guzma.

"Well, well, well, lookie what we have here," Guzma theatrically called as he threw his burly arms wide. A golden chain around his neck fitted with a sculpture of the Skull emblem rattled as he moved. Each of them had something like it, Gladion had realized, but Guzma's was massive and looked as if it it should have hurt his neck… "I hear you think you can do somethin' to help us out. I thought it was a real funny joke, so I thought I'd come laugh to your face to let you know you had the pleasure of makin' big, bad Guzma laugh."

Gladion scowled at him. "I'm no joke. Would you like me to prove it?"

"Prove it?" Guzma scoffed. A pair of huge, yellow sunglasses started to slip from the top of his head and Guzma shoved them back up, over a mess of bushy, white hair. "What, you think you can battle me, numskull? Think you can take me on, punk?" Guzma shuffled forward with his chest puffed out until he was physically pushing Gladion back, as if daring him to say or do anything. Anything that might give him and his squad of Skull goons reason to hurt him. But Gladion clenched his fists and remained strong.

"I think I can," Gladion evenly replied. With a sinister smirk, he added, "Of course, we can skip that part if you're worried."

Gladion briefly caught Plumeria shoot him a warning, wide-eyed look, then noticed the grunts waving their hands after him in a desperate 'no' gesture, but it was already too late. Guzma slammed both of his hands onto Gladion's shoulders and wolfishly beamed down at him. "Worried? I ain't worried about nobody. And I ain't scared o' rich fucks like you. Send out your pokémon." With that, Guzma shoved Gladion so hard, he fell to the ground.

Guzma released his Golisopod, a pokémon Gladion had never seen before, and Gladion sent forth Null again. He hadn't expected to need to call him out to battle so soon, but… Gladion knew they had no choice. They had to impress Guzma. They simply had to. There was nowhere else for them on these islands. This was as far from Aether's reach as he could get, as distant from his mother as it got—Skull was as far from home as he could imagine. Here, even if they weren't liked by most Alolans, they could start a new life… away from all that pain and misery. Aether felt like a nasty, horrible residue they had to scrub off by any means necessary. Null cast a confused look over his shoulder back at Gladion.

We've got this Null. I believe in you. Gladion shuffled forward and pointed at Golisopod. "Crush Claw, Null!" I'll always believe in you… even when nobody else does.

Guzma licked his lips. "Golisopod… First Impression."

Chapter Text

Awed, Hau loudly asked, "Is that… loft?! Cool!"

"It's private!" Lillie snapped, running ahead of him, putting herself between him and a ladder that led higher up in the professor's lab… or shack, really. Selene wasn't sure what she had been expecting his lab to be like, but it hadn't been what looked more like an abandoned cabin from a beachfront horror movie. Of course, that thought had been banished immediately by Lillie's defensive warning to Hau. She thought that was odd… Lillie had leapt to Hau's very defense the day before when Elio had gotten a little… She sighed. What had Elio even shoved Hau for? She had tried to press him after, but he refused to talk to her about it. Part of her thought it could have been jealousy, but it wasn't like Hau had even shown a remote shred of flirtatious interest with Lillie, and more than that, Elio himself had only just met her…

"O-oh, sorry," Hau apologized meekly, backing away decisively from the ladder.

Honestly, it just made her head hurt. Curious, but deciding it ultimately wasn't anything she was owed more information on, she turned her attention to her brother, almost certain she'd need to reel him in. She was not wrong.

"Nice place you got here, professor," Elio remarked with a snide tinge to his tone as he sauntered around the lab, idly touching and poking at the various equipment haphazardly strewn about. His Litten seemed eager to do the same, winding its way across every available surface in the room.

"Elio, leave his stuff alone!" Selene huffed exhaustedly after him. Sometimes, she felt like she was the older sibling… She lunged forward to catch a glass tube that his Litten knocked free of a shelf, and then shooed the pokémon off, ignoring the annoyed hiss it gave her. Her Rowlet clicked his beak after it warningly. Even though he saw her, Elio made no effort to stop his invasive inspection of the laboratory. Rolling her eyes, she internally grumbled, I guess I can try to reel him in, but I can't guarantee anything.

Professor Kukui abruptly clapped his hands, loudly. "Hey, hey, cousins! Attention!" he laughed as the group of four slowly gathered back around himself. "Oi, you're all as wound up as a bunch of Klink, yeah… Look, I wanted to call you here to give three of you Rotom Dexes, yeah."

Elio just raised a brow at him. "Rotom Dexes?"

"Yeah! They're the next-gen Pokédexes, super rare in Alola, yeah!" he beamed. "I was lucky to get these in! Had to really beg ole' Kahuna Hala, yeah." He staggered over some long-forgotten piles of papers and books on the floor to a computer desk stuffed in the corner of the room, and fetched a gleaming, silver box that looked much unlike anything else in his possession. Everything else was wooden and rustic save for the computers themselves, but even then, they were white and faded yellow with age. Fleetingly, Selene cocked her head as she remembered something Lillie had sniped at the professor during one of their forays into Iki Town…

You're already an outcast to everyone that isn't a Kahuna or Burnet, Kukui, it's different for you, you utter quack.

As Professor Kukui stepped forward and opened the box to reveal three Pokédexes that… Selene had to admit, looked fairly standard, she wondered what Lillie could have meant by that. The disparaging, unimpressive laboratory, laughable in comparison to the several in Kanto she knew of, seemed indicative that Kukui had difficulty funding himself. Frowning, she wondered why that was… Did Alola not have anything in place to help their scientists and was Kukui funding himself entirely alone? Or, was he, too, shunned partially as Lillie was? Yet, that didn't entirely make sense either… She had seen Kukui talking to several people in Iki, including Kahuna Hala.

Something else Lillie had said hadn't made sense, either, she realized. She claimed that those that didn't participate in the Island Challenge were shunned, as Selene had clearly seen Iki's townsfolk do to her, but Kukui had added that people in the town would forgive Selene and her brother for associating with Lillie, since they were foreigners. Wasn't Lillie a foreigner, too? Why did they hold her refusal to participate in the Island Challenge against her so bad…? I suppose Lillie's just… really blunt about her dislike for it and they might see that as super disrespectful to the Tapus, Selene reasoned to herself uncomfortably, not wanting to chase her tail down that rabbit hole any longer, but another frightening thought took root, forcing her to. Elio can be really blunt, too… and I'm pretty sure he's already feeling really lonely if that talk yesterday morning was any indication… She worriedly side-eyed him. If he's not careful, he could shoot himself in the foot if people here take this Island Challenge this that seriously…

Remembering Kukui was still droning about Pokédexes, she jerked her attention back to him. "They don't look special, yeah, but they can do something incredible!" He winked and set the box down, still open, then dug in his pockets for some Poké Balls. Tossing them free, a few Rotom were released, zipping about the room excitedly.

Lillie cringed and groaned, "Professor… is letting them all out at once really a good idea? You know how…" She paused and grimaced. "You know how playful Rotom are."

"Nonsense!" Professor Kukui laughed and grabbed the Pokédexes from the box. "Here, Rotom, Rotom, Rotom, check out these Pokédexes! Perfect for you to take control of, eh?"

The Rotom free in the room zipped just over Hau, causing him to yelp and lower his head abruptly, covering it with his arms, then they disappeared into the Pokédexes Professor Kukui was holding. They sparked with some blue electricity, and then their casing morphed slightly, growing larger in the back as eyes appeared over the plastic.

"Uh… you know those things are Ghost-types that likely wanna do evil things, right?" Elio asked, face pale.

Selene shook her head exasperatedly. Rotom weren't evil. Ghost-types weren't evil. She had read about them plenty of times as she agonized over the sickening data collected from pokémon shelters around the world that suggested Ghost- and Dark-type pokémon were eight to ten times as likely to be abandoned, traded away, or given up as any other type. Of course, collecting verifiable data on the motivations for the disturbing behavior Ghost-types were known to get up to tended to be difficult, but the unofficially-accepted theory behind their seemingly malevolent behavior was that Ghost-types could see a different world from those around them. They saw the spirits and memories of people and pokémon alike, long gone and past, in the atmosphere, and would try to recreate what they saw to those around them in a bid to communicate stories. She had read quite the interesting article that had collected observational evidence that Ghost-types tended to be more intelligent pokémon as a whole, with the most interesting distinction being that they could create art if given the appropriate tools—and they almost always would. Gengar, in particular, had been shown to be capable of complex writing and detailed paintings.

Although her mind was swimming with those thoughts, it had truthfully only taken a few milliseconds at most to mull it all over. Deciding she didn't want to pick a fight with her brother over whether Ghost-types deserved the same compassion as other pokémon, she merely decided to tease him with, "Don't mind the big Combusken, these Rotom Dexes sound awesome, Professor. What does having the Rotom inside do, though…?" She did have to wonder… if Ghost-types could find a more practical use in everyday human life, would people still be as unkind to them? That was certainly a thought…

"Hey. I am not a Combusken!" Elio hotly defended himself.

"Mm, you're right," Lillie smoothly interjected.

"Thank you—"

"—You're a Torchic."

Hau broke into raucous laughter when Elio just gaped at her.

Professor Kukui was clearly fighting laughter—or perhaps a tension headache, Selene wouldn't have blamed him—as he tried to explain. "Well, Selene, Rotom can record data on some pokémon itself without you having to remember to pull the Pokédex out and so on. Voice recognition is also really handy!" he nodded. "I'll admit, it's more for us researchers than for you guys, yeah. Data shows that Rotom Dexes record way more data than a standard Pokédex simply because they'll record without the trainer having to remember to use the Pokédex, yeah."

"Human laziness at its finest," Elio sighed, dramatically pressing the back of his right hand to his forehead.

"I know you are not talking," Selene quipped with a scoff for emphasis.

As if to prove her point, Elio's Litten yawned and flopped onto his feet, deciding they were a fine place for a nap.

The Rotom Dexes were distributed to Hau, Elio, and Selene, and then Professor Kukui shared some quick words in Alolan with Lillie. She rolled her eyes at him and then searched the lab for a few minutes. Before Selene had a chance to ask her what she was looking for, she reappeared from beneath a desk with a small, whining space cloud in her hands. "Sorry, you," Lillie almost sang at him, "we have to go out for a while."

"How did you know he got out…?" Hau asked dumbly. "I did not see him escape!"

"If I take my arm off the bag for too long, I can basically guarantee he escaped, and we were in the lab, so I didn't bother holding him in there. I'm trying to keep him safe, not torture him, and you all know about him already so there was no point in hiding him while in here," Lillie answered matter-of-factly. With that, she cooed a few more words at him and was able to coax Nebby back into the bag. She swiftly strode ahead of the three of them and stopped at the door, tossing a look over her shoulder. "You three coming?"

"Where are we going?" Selene asked curiously.

"Trainers' School. Need to test you three to make sure you know basic battling stuff, so you don't die while traveling the islands. Not to mention, that's likely where Captain Ilima is. He's a teacher there." She was talking to all of them, but her knowing, almost taunting gaze was locked onto Elio. "He'll be your first trial."

"The first Captain is a teacher?" Elio asked. He crossed his arms and cockily smirked. "Yeah, I'm not too worried."

Lillie just giggled to herself as she walked out the door. "Oh, we'll see about that," she practically sang.

Selene made a gagging gesture and pointed at her face as she walked past Elio. "Gag me with all the reverse flirting you two are doing," she complained.

"We are not," Elio hissed.

Selene just made another gagging sound and followed Lillie. Although she liked that her brother was making a friend in that girl, she did have to worry… What if Elio befriended the fierce, sharp-tongued Lillie, and followed down the same road of isolation she had forged? Although Selene didn't agree with the way others had looked over Lillie as if she were an alien that day in Iki she had strode back in with her leg bleeding following their meeting at the Plank Bridge, if that was how their society worked, well… It wasn't like Selene could change that, could she? How arrogant would that have been of her, to decide an entire town's collective ideology was wrong?

Even so, she feared for Elio's mental health if he chose to unabashedly ignore the subtle warning signs. It wasn't like Lillie, as Selene knew her so far, was worth throwing away potential friendships with so many others… Lillie had been vulgar, bitter, and overtly standoffish to date. Even the way she had invited them to Kukui's laboratory that morning had been full of dry, biting humor that Elio flocked to like a Mothim to a flame, her thorny tongue only taking a break when Selene's mother had waved them all goodbye. Selene had tried to opportunistically take the lapse in her guardedness to initiate some small talk, but Lillie immediately adopted her cool, crisp aura all over again, swiftly dodging Selene's attempt at conversation with ease. Not that Selene hated her or thought she was undeserving of friendship, but… She kept coming back to the question of whether she was… worth it.

She wondered why Elio didn't want to befriend someone less… like that. Like Hau! Hau had been so sweet and excited to battle them both, without a care in the world as to who they were when he had first seen them, poised to do nothing more than make fast friends, and in Iki, he had been so genuinely happy to battle Selene's Rowlet with his Popplio. Yet, if yesterday's interaction between him and Elio had anything to say about it, it seemed Elio had already decided he wanted Lillie's wry, unpredictable attention over Hau's exuberant friendliness. Was it because Hau had asked for a battle?

She just shook her head. Maybe I should talk to him about that…

Babysitting.

That's what Lillie felt like she was doing as she led their mismatched group to the Trainers' School in Hau'oli. Not that she was unused to the sensation. Between Kukui and Nebby, it felt as if all her time was spent babysitting someone. Of course, it was different with a grown man and a small pokémon; corralling a group of three teens, especially considering how Elio had apparently decided he hated Hau's guts for some reason, was misery. Upon reaching the Trainers' School, she had ignored everything they all had to say and shut her eyes so they couldn't distract her in any way. Arm still clamped over her bag, she loudly said, "Follow me and don't make a scene. I'll check you all in and then they'll have Captain Ilima come and put you through a short test. Depending on how well you do on that, we can be out of here by the end of the day."

"What? I've been through school. I swear to Arceus, if they ask us if Water-type is super-effective on Fire-type or something—"

Without even opening her eyes, Lillie already knew it was Elio, and she cut him off with a sharp, "You're going to what, Macho? Write them a strongly-worded letter? Put a one-star review online?" Not that you really can, because the Internet on these islands is a fucking joke, but still. Finally daring to open her eyes, she smirked at the way Elio scowled at her. Hau had shied from them, standing awkwardly to the side, and Selene was eyeing her sandals as if they had suddenly become so very interesting. Sighing resignedly, Lillie shook her head at him. "It'll be quick. Even Alolans here that went to school have to do it. It's a safety thing."

Turning on a heel, Lillie led them down the asphalt to the entrance. Upon buzzing the doorbell, a woman asked who they were, and Lillie supplied they were three prospective Island Challengers requiring their safety exam. Stepping aside, Lillie waited patiently as a kindly, dusky-skinned woman exited the building and distributed visitor's passes to each of them. Selene and Elio followed her inside, but Hau paused at the doorway and cocked his head at Lillie. "You coming?" he asked in Alolan. Unlike his Galarish, Hau's Alolan was much more relaxed and fluid, and tended to be packed with slang. Even for Lillie, who had already known the language fairly well by the time she started living with Kukui, it was occasionally difficult to make out what he meant.

"Not a chance," Lillie answered him dryly, returning the Alolan since she knew how little he understood of Galarish. Not unless you want me to throttle Elio. Softening her expression, she reluctantly mumbled, "Good luck, Hau. I'll be out here for whenever you guys are done…"

He hesitantly nodded back at her. "Well… alright. Seeya, Lillie!" Flashing her a practiced, faux smile, he vanished inside.

Lillie just felt like she might have been getting a migraine with the way her head started to throb. What does Kukui have to gain from sending me out with these clowns? He knows about Nebby and me. Although I didn't tell them everything that happened back on Aether, they still know Aether is crawling all over these islands and wants Nebby back some kind of bad… It just didn't make sense. Setting her jaw, she looked down at the bag beneath her arm. Maybe it wasn't meant to make sense. Maybe she had been wrong in interpreting Kukui and Burnet as trustworthy people, and the idea was to send Lillie out so that she and Nebby would eventually be caught. There was a pronged pang of hurt at that thought—she had started to truly feel like Kukui could be trusted—but she suppressed it quickly. She didn't blame Dr. Wicke, even as the thought dawned on her; it wasn't like Dr. Wicke could have known.

But I should have known better, she internally chided herself. Kukui, with his distracting body and entertaining façade, was a pupil of deception. Not that he had ill intentions, but Lillie recognized him for what he was. Having visited Kanto in the past and even participate in their Indigo League, Kukui had told her that he had been fascinated, alarmed, and incensed by the Indigo League all at once. Fascinated in how much better the infrastructure in Kanto was, both in and out of the context of the League, alarmed by how pitifully small in comparison Alola was to Kanto, and incensed by how the League Staff of the country had been so dismissive of him due to how they viewed Alola as harmless and barely even as a veritable country. More than that, he had complained in the past that attempts to share research with the rest of the world often were ignored, such as his and Burnet's research into Mega Evolution that challenged Professor Sycamore's suggestion that positive bonds between trainer and pokémon allowed pokémon to mega evolve. All of that had made Kukui almost bitter about Alola's traditionalist Island Challenge and complacent refusal to consider updating their infrastructure at all. Despite that, Kukui still played the part of friendly local to anyone new he met and would grovel on his knees to the Tapus if asked—then curse them behind his back in his shack of a laboratory.

In fact, Lillie knew that others in Iki Town had picked up on Kukui's two-faced nature. Although they didn't outwardly comment on it and Kahuna Hala decidedly ignored it, it was the reason he had so few friends outside of herself and Burnet, why he had moved to that shack on the beach in the first place. Few trusted him and thought he was toeing the line of respect and disdain for the Tapus for potentially self-serving reasons. So, what on Earth had led her to believe she could have truly trusted him? Desperation? Wanting to believe that he was trustworthy? Perhaps it had been their mutual skepticism over Alola's Island Challenge and how the natives tended to leave everything up to the Tapus, to the point even police officers and 'laws' were viewed as suggestions rather than fact. Ultimately, it was the fear of retribution by the hand of the Tapus and human goodwill that kept those in Alola safe… Clutching her bag a little more tightly and hearing the plaintive pew! of Nebby inside, Lillie just shook her head. That was to say, Alola was deceptively unsafe. Its sunny shores, beautiful skies, and rumors of harmonious relations between people and pokémon lured people in like the sticky sweetness on a Carnivine's teeth, while any number of the caveats would bring that Carnivine's jaws crashing shut.

"Just you and me, Nebby," Lillie huffed in the end, exasperated, rubbing her hand over the bag. "I'll stick with these jokers a while longer since they can help keep us safe and I don't think they know anything about Alola in that way yet… But it'll always be you and me first."

That's how we got this far, anyway.

"That wasn't so bad, I guess," Elio admitted as they exited the classroom. Selene followed suit, nodding in agreement.

"That was really easy. Like Lillie said, I guess it was just to make sure we know enough to keep ourselves safe… Still, seems odd they'd require everyone to do that, even those that have already been through school…" she trailed off, rubbing the back of her head as she frowned. What exactly was so dangerous out there that required a standardized test to determine whether one was able to travel on their own at all?

Bounding out after her, Hau skipped ahead of them and cast them both a wide grin. "Easy, right?" he asked after a pause.

"Yeah," Elio tersely replied, narrowing his eyes.

Starting to open her mouth to shoot something in Kantonian after Elio, Selene was cut off by a smooth male voice from behind them, also exiting the classroom. She smiled up at Captain Ilima as he politely stepped into view, holding a couple of books to his chest, completely forgetting anything she had wanted to say to her brother. She wasn't sure what she had expected Captain Ilima to look like, but his soft, rosy hair and kindly eyes were so pleasant… Averting her gaze to avoid drawing attention to her staring, Selene shuffled her feet uneasily. I am so not any better than Elio when it comes to being interested in people for that reason, she thought with a shameful flare of amusement in her chest. And he's a teacher, Selene! And a… Captain, whatever connotations that has!

"You all did very well," Captain Ilima said kindly, dipping his head respectfully at the three of them. "I'd like to see you all battle before I give you approval to move on, if that's alright."

"I don't—"

Captain Ilima cut Elio off with a knowing smile, his slate eyes seeming to bore right into her brother. "You don't like to battle. You find it to be an ugly blood sport and feel as if you are being forced to participate."

Selene and Elio both gawked at him, while the prior glanced to Hau and found he looked completely unfazed. "H-how did you…?" Elio stammered. Swallowing, he repeated more sternly, "How did you know that? I didn't… write it or say anything about it in there…"

Hau just blinked at them both. "This Captain Ilima," he said simply, as if that explained everything.

Looking Captain Ilima up and down with a newfound reverence that made his attractiveness suddenly seem so much farther away, Selene almost instinctively stepped closer to Elio. "What… what does Hau mean? What's going on, Captain Ilima?"

Jolting in surprise, Captain Ilima tilted his head. "My apologies, nobody must have explained that to you… Oh, dear. Well," he sighed, flicking his gaze to Elio, "why I know isn't very important right this moment, as I want to reassure you that these battles are not going to incur terrible injury to your pokémon or the opponent's. More than that, the Litten you had out earlier is antsy for battle. Litten and its evolutionary line do not appreciate a pacifist's lifestyle. You'll find that pokémon will grow bored and potentially even upset if you refuse to let it battle…" Turning his gaze to Selene, he added, "Rowlet, too. You don't believe in the same as your brother, but I can tell you have your concerns." He nodded slowly. "I promise, it will be okay."

"No, seriously, how the hell do you know all of that?" Elio barked, blue eyes bulging somewhat as his voice rose an octave. Selene felt a rush of embarrassment as he took a step ahead of her, but she was too unnerved to dispute Elio's protectiveness right then… In fact, she felt rather grateful for it. It was downright eerie how much Captain Ilima knew about them despite how little they had spoken prior to and during the exam.

"Elio," Hau hissed, wincing at Elio's fierce glare, "do not talk like th—"

"I'll talk however the fuck I want until he explains," Elio belligerently retorted, defiantly raising his chin at Hau. The other backed away, face reddening, and crossed his arms as he decisively stared at the floor.

"Hey, hey, easy!" Captain Ilima interrupted softly, looking a little more nervous now. "It's…" He heaved a sigh and pressed a palm to his forehead. "It's hard to explain. Captains are—"

"Ilima!" a woman shrieked from down the hall, beyond what Selene could see. "Come quickly! Skull members out front! We need your help!"

Captain Ilima's expression fell in an instant and he swept a cold look across them. "Follow me but keep inside the building. Let's go!"

With that, he darted down the hall, leaving Elio, Selene, and Hau standing there. Shooting Elio and Selene a furtive glance, Hau tore off after the Captain. Selene and Elio gaped at each other and incredulously blinked.

"Skull members?" Elio scoffed in disbelief. Groaning and stomping a foot, he loudly snarled, "What the hell is wrong with this place? I don't understand!"

Me neither, Selene thought helplessly. She suddenly grabbed Elio's arm and meekly whimpered, "Maybe… maybe we should follow him, though… To see what's going on…" And maybe he can finally explain… I could rip all my hair out! Alola, the paradise islands… yeah, right… I wonder when the 'paradise' starts?

He looked down at her, then ahead. Grunting, he nodded. "Alright. But stick with me. Okay?"

She didn't question his commanding tone, not in that moment. This was not the time to argue and she didn't want to, anyway. Nodding curtly in agreement, they both bolted after Hau and Ilima.

Chapter Text

The scene Selene and Elio descended upon at the front of the school looked like something out of a movie, and Selene all but gaped as she saw Lillie and two men in black clothes were squaring up on the blacktop just outside the entrance. With her arm still clamped over her bag, Lillie waved a spray can after her assailants and fiercely spat something Selene couldn't make out (she assumed it was Alolan), all the while, the two men laughed to themselves and jumped just out of her reach. Silvery chains clanked around their necks and black, simple cloth masks obscured most of their face, leaving nothing but their eyes visible. Students started to gather around the doorway and Selene saw Captain Ilima and Hau push their way to the front, Ilima shooing the students away and urging them to go back to their classrooms (to no avail, really).

"You need to leave, right now!" Captain Ilima barked at the two black-clad men as he exited the building. His voice had adopted a strict sternness, his body stiff as a board, and he clutched an Ultra Ball in his right hand tightly. As if to emphasize his point, Lillie threateningly raised that spray can at them again. Selene furrowed her brows. What is that Lillie's threatening them with? Mace? she wondered. Who are these guys…?

"Ay, why you speakin' in Galarish, Ilima?" one of the guys asked, putting his hands on his hips. His tone was light and amused, as if he were hardly managing to hold back laughter. "Gettin' in more practice 'fore you skip out on Alola again? How was Kalos, pretty boy?"

"Aw, are you jealous?" Lillie chimed in sweetly, a dastardly smirk dressing her lips. "Y'know, I'm sure if you just clean up a little better and ask nicely next time, you wouldn't have to go this far to try to make someone notice you."

"She's fun," the other man in black laughed uproariously, and then stepped closer to Lillie. "What's your name, eh, cousin?" Lillie sprayed the Mace suddenly, but he had scrambled away as soon as she started to compress the can, dodging the auburn mist in what Selene thought seemed to be pure instinct. Still snickering loudly, oddly unfazed by her attempt to spray him, he looked Lillie over again slyly. "Mind sharin' some o' that bad attitude with me sometime? Think we could make a numskull outta you yet~?"

Hau looked on anxiously, uncomfortably; it seemed he wanted to help, but he either didn't know how, or was afraid to. He rolled what Selene assumed was his Popplio's Poké Ball between his fingers and nervously paced around the edge of the blacktop, surveying the confrontation.

"That's enough!" Captain Ilima came again. "Get out of here, Skull! Goodbye!"

What the hell is going on? Selene wondered again, more desperately, curious apprehension urging her to crane her neck and take a nervous step ahead. Elio was watching just as intently. Selene could see the tension in his face and shoulders, and she thought to warn him to stay out of it, but her lips suddenly felt like they weren't responding to her… Then, she figured it wasn't like she had much to worry about, anyway. Elio had never been in a physical altercation in his life as far as she knew, and she highly doubted he'd start now, especially considering how the assailants seemed to be… She swallowed against a mouth of cotton, trying to steady her thoughts.

It looked like these two were from some kind of gang, based on their identical uniforms and matching chains, but they were so… relaxed… Why on Earth would members of an organized gang, likely an illegal one, be so relaxed? Why are all the students gathered like this is some kind of theater show? Back in Kanto, sightings of Team Rocket certainly wouldn't be treated so casually! Yet, she couldn't draw her eyes away, even as frightened as she was of what these two men could potentially do.

"Yo, homegirl here was just lookin' some kinda familiar," the first of the Skull men came again, grinning tauntingly at Captain Ilima. "Was just wantin' to chat with her, cousin! Tapus ain't got a problem with that, do they?"

"Yeah. She look like she got a lot she could say," the other came again with a teasing wink at Lillie. Selene heard Elio practically growl and she turned in time just to see his jaw clench, straining some of the skin white on his face.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Lillie retorted, full of sheer, syrupy contempt, entirely unfazed by their jeering. "And what the hell do you mean familiar?"

The same Skull man as before crossed his arms and cracked a slack-jawed grin at her. "Well, Big Sis and G took in this new gu—"

He was cut off by a most unexpected source. "Hey, you two deaf or something?" Elio muscled his way through the crowd and Selene lunged after him, grabbing his arm. Although she had reacted immediately, she was stunned that he was actually getting involved… Elio! What are you doing? she thought to herself, almost blithely, You hate fighting and everything about it! Human and pokémon alike! She snapped his name a couple times to try to get him to leave it alone, but he easily threw her hold off. In fact, he did so easily enough that it alarmed Selene, and she had to catch herself to keep from falling to the ground. Watching, half-frozen and worried as he strode out into the midst of the group, she saw Elio cross his arms and glower at Lillie's attackers. He was partially in front of her, putting some distance between her and the men. "Ilima said beat it, you clearly aren't welcome here, so get lost."

"Hey, Romeo?" Lillie hissed, sidestepping his guarded position and tapping his shoulder, "I got this. Back off!" Blinking, she cocked her head at the two guys. "Your bosses took in who?" she pressed interestedly, emerald eyes blazing.

Captain Ilima cut them off before they could respond, hovering his hands in the air in a 'stop' gesture. "Look, I understand that members of Skull feel betrayed by the Island Challenge. I understand that both of you do, too. Your reasons… are moving, even," Ilima reluctantly admitted. "However, I can't allow you to threaten students or innocents of Melemele Island. Leave at once. Return to Po Town. Please. It does not have to get ugly today, or any other day."

'Your reasons are moving?' Betrayed by the Island Challenge? How does he know? They haven't said a thing about it! What the fuck is going on?!

"Or what, bonehead?" one of the men contemptuously shot back at Ilima. "You gon' bore us to death with a history lesson? Ain't nobody scared o' you, Captain of Nothin'. Still freakin' out tourists with your creepy mind-readin'?" He went like he was going to shove Ilima, but Elio cut him off, grabbing him by his dark tank top and almost dragging him to face him in a show of strength that floored Selene even further. This so did not seem like her peaceful, even if snarky, brother… Of course, right about then he looked anything but peaceful, and Selene was abruptly so keenly aware of just how intimidating Elio could be, with his height and lean, but still muscular build. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Hau pause his pacing and recoil a little from the scene, screwing his face up as if he expected things to take a violent turn.

Selene found she was concerned that was where this was going, too, and yet… she still couldn't speak! Why was it so hard to just… speak? She supposed she didn't really know what to say…

Curling a lip at the man in his hold, Elio sneered, "And you think anyone is scared of you?"

"It is not mind-reading!" Ilima snapped angrily, seemingly ignoring the physicality of Elio's confrontation in his aggravation.

Finally, Selene found her voice. Ilima's almost reckless ignorance to the escalating situation at hand was infuriating, and her inability to stand for it had summoned her vocals at last. "Who cares about what exactly it is right now?" Selene annoyedly shouted. I don't know how the hell you know the things you know, Ilima, but to me it's clearly something like mind-reading. Whatever it is, it's terrifying, but that's not exactly the point right this second! Jerking her head to her brother, she cried, "Elio, knock it off! Captain Ilima—who are these guys, what the hell's going on?! Do something!" If Captains are anything like gym leaders, aren't you supposed to be helping more than just talking at them?

"Yo, watch the threads, man!" the Skull man protested Elio's hold, as if he were used to this treatment (or… perhaps desensitized was a better term). Although the consideration was fleeting, it concerned Selene deeply as he added, "Just got these! Know how rare it is to get new clothes in Po T—"

"Elio!" Lillie shrilly interrupted, stamping a foot. "Get out of the way. Let him go. Now! I want to talk to him about what they were just saying!"

"What?" Elio incredulously asked her, still gripping the man by his shirt. He had dubiously turned to glance at Lillie. "Why would I do that? He was—"

"Have it your way, then," Lillie impatiently replied, shrugging and refusing to let him finish his excuses. Then, she sprayed both the Skull member and Elio down with her Mace indiscriminately. Captain Ilima, Selene, Hau, and the unsprayed Skull member jumped back, and ripples of laughter and oohs ricocheted between the gathered students. Immediately, Elio let go of the man he had accosted and reeled from the pepper spray, yelping and hovering his hands over his eyes, barely managing to keep from rubbing his face.

"Elio!" Selene squeaked, trying to haul him by his arm back and away from Lillie and the Skull members. She felt a dull, discomforting tingle in her hands, but ignored it, certain it was nothing compared to her brother, who had been sprayed in the face. I can't believe Lillie just did that! "Shit, how bad did she get you?"

He spluttered and coughed, then waved her away aggravatedly. Responding in a broken mix of Galarish and Kantonian, he said something along the lines of, "I dunno, I'll tell you when I can open my eyes…"

Glaring after Lillie, Selene's lips pressed to a thin line as the other still held up the spray can threateningly, and then all but bared her teeth at the two Skull men. The one she had sprayed was supported by the other as he scrabbled at his face, grimacing against the sting of the Mace. Selene had to stop from groaning at their stupidity. Don't they know touching it just spreads it around? Her attention was drawn back to Lillie when she almost cruelly huffed, "Now, what was he going to say? Why do I look familiar? What do you two want from me?"

"Was just gonna say you look like a new guy we just got in Skull!" the sprayed man blurted out. "Fuck, what'd you have to go an' do that for? We was just playin' 'round!"

"I don't play," Lillie growled, then she faltered. "What… what guy?"

"Yeah, I can fuckin' tell she doesn't!" Elio blustered, silencing the Skull men from responding to Lillie.

"What the hell, Lillie?" Selene demanded again. "You sprayed—"

"I told him to get out of the way," Lillie coldly shot at her with a rapid glance. "Not my fault he doesn't listen." Back to the Skull men. "Now, you two, Numskulls One and Two. What guy?"

Scoffing in disbelief, yet again drowning out the reply of the Skull men, Selene shook her head. "You can't just justify it like that, that was so uncalled for, Lill—"

"ENOUGH!" Captain Ilima shouted at last. Everyone fell silent as a faint, white glow enveloped his body, pulsing like a band around him from head to toe. Well, Selene supposed it looked less like he was glowing and more like a ribbon of color were being drawn up and down his body… Pulsing, like an aura. His gray eyes, however, were definitely glowing as he focused on the two Skull members. He threw the Ultra Ball clasped in his hand, and a massive, tan and yellow pokémon materialized from the red beam. It, too, pulsed with the white band of color, and when the ferret-like creature leaned over to hiss at the Skull members, the very air seemed to shake with the force of its movements, the tension palpable. If not for the eerie glow, it might have cast an enormous shadow across them all and been even more intimidating.

Frozen, the two men all but gawked at Ilima as he jabbed a finger at them. "Now, I said get out of here! Go back to Po Town. I don't want to see either of you near me, Hau'oli, or this girl ever again. Understand me?"

Now what the fuck is going on? Selene thought in borderline hysterics as she watched Ilima's lightshow with a bolt of fear. Her normally analytical mind was blank, having nowhere to start to try to explain the visuals ahead of her. No amount of reading binges could have hoped to describe this phenomenon. Elio grunted beside her and whimpered, "What… what's goin' on?"

"Gonna be honest," Selene puffed breathlessly with a small shake of the head, "I've got no fucking idea."

The unsprayed Skull man helped his colleague up and, after nodding their heads in agreement like a couple of bobblehead figurines at Ilima, they bolted down the city's street. The one had to snatch his disoriented friend by the arm and lead him, but they soon vanished around a bend further down, swallowed up by the city ahead. Pedestrians paused and looked on with mild curiosity, and Selene just had to wonder why nobody was freaking out quite like she was on the inside. She felt like she was having heart palpitations! Meanwhile, these people were acting like it was just a normal afternoon! The students of various ages around her were watching like this was Saturday morning cartoons! People in Kanto would certainly not have reacted that way to Team Rocket grunts wandering the streets! Why hadn't anyone tried calling the police, for Arceus' sake? They had accosted Lillie, and she had turned around and assaulted her brother!

"Wait! Shit—" Lillie waved after them, and then hung her head. After a brief pause, she clenched the hand she had over her bag into a fist and snarled her frustration. "Damn it!"

Captain Ilima recalled the beastly pokémon he had sent out. "Thank you, Gumshoos," he crooned as he tucked the Ultra Ball away. Heaving a weary sigh as he turned overlook the snickering crowd, the downed Elio, Selene's stunned expression, as well as the aggravated Lillie, his aura started to dissipate and he called, "Everyone back inside! Back to your classrooms, now!" Almost exasperatedly, he added, "And I mean it this time."

The gathered students muttered to themselves as they dispersed, like chided children. Hau nervously crept closer, his shoulders squared defensively, but he kept behind Ilima. Selene gawked after the students, then stared at Lillie for a moment, and then finally, whirled on Ilima. "Hey, so what in the world—"

"That was Skull," Ilima cut her off with that quiet, resolute tone of his. "They're what you would call criminals. They have forsaken the Island Challenge and were punished for it. They hold themselves together because they're all they have. They love to cause trouble wherever they can for the sheer joy of interrupting others on their Island Challenges."

"Forsaken? Punished?" Selene blinked fervently, and yet again, found herself wondering if she was enduring a particularly lucid dream. "A-and what about the lightshow, and the… Gumshoos, wasn't it?" More frustratedly, she exclaimed, "Well, what would they have been pestering Lillie for? She's not even on the Island Challenge, me, my brother, and Hau are!" For some fucking reason! Something else nobody here wants to explain!

"Wonderful," Elio groaned in response to Ilima as he staggered to his feet, opening and shutting his mouth repeatedly as he no longer could resist the urge to rub his face. Hissing at the burning sensations and unsteadily pulling himself from Selene's grasp, he shook his head abruptly. "Lillie, what the hell?" he whined. "Why'd you spray me?"

"That was quite uncalled for, Lillie," Ilima curtly said over his shoulder at her, refusing to face her. "I know your reasoning, but that is no excuse—"

"Hey!" Selene stamped a foot and crossed her arms, "No! Listen to me! I'm over this! Will someone tell me what the hell is going on? How do you read minds, or—whatever it is—and who were those guys? What do you mean they were punished for it? Why were you glowing? What the fuck is happening and why is everyone so secretive about it?!"

"I'm sorry," Ilima tensely said—she could tell that he was irritated by her 'mind reading' comment, considering the way his lips twitched and he spoke through somewhat gritted teeth—and then waved his hand to get her, Elio, Hau, and Lillie's attention. Concernedly, he turned to Elio. "Young man, let Hau take you inside so you can wash your face and hands, use soap! Water alone won't get rid of that spray and may just make it run worse. I'll talk to your sister and she can fill you in on the details."

Blinking rapidly, his face red and puffy with irritation, Elio croaked weakly, "Y-yeah, sure… whatever." Although he had managed to hold his composure remarkably well, Selene gnawed her lip as she examined his expression more closely. He was in much more pain than he was letting on based on the tension in his voice and the tears welling at the corners of his eyes. Her frustration culminated in anger and Selene whipped around to face Lillie, clamping her arms at her sides, and balling her fists.

"What's wrong with you?" Selene snapped. "So, what, he didn't let go of the guy! He was trying to help!"

As she did, Hau awkwardly herded Elio back into the school. Her brother tensed at first, but had nothing biting to say (much to Hau's apparent relief based on the way his shoulders relaxed soon after they started moving).

"Help?" Lillie snorted and cut her eyes to cynical daggers at Selene. "If he wanted to help, he'd have listened to me and wanted to help me figure out who the Skull guys were talking about, since I was clearly trying to ask them about it. Instead, he came over here ready to beat someone up like this was a scene out of the age of chivalry." She crossed her arms and then kicked her voice deeper into the twinge of an accent she normally had, lowering her tone to mock Elio's. "'Oh, sorry, Miss, I couldn't hear you over the sound of my heroic deeds! No need to thank me or anything! Wanna catch dinner later, though, babe?'"

"Who cares if that was what he was trying to do?" Selene bristled, her patience long gone for Lillie's snarky attitude. "It means he likes you. Not that I can imagine why!"

"I'm getting a migraine," Ilima complained, and he stepped between the two girls, quite literally pushing them apart. Eyeing Lillie, he muttered, "Lillie, I think I'd like to talk to Selene alone. Can you go inside and wait for Hau and Elio?"

Lillie expressionlessly stared back at him and then nodded tensely. "Yeah. Okay." With that, she pulled her bag closer over her shoulder and vanished inside.

Guardedly, Selene scowled at Ilima, feeling a wave of distrust. She was finding it very difficult to keep a level head now, to stop from merely insulting him, as her usually curious and open thought processes were halted in her fear and confusion. Truly, she felt as if she were in flight-or-fight mode, and she had unknowingly settled on the latter of the options. Unlike Elio, her choice of weapon was vocabulary. "So? Care to explain?" Selene bitingly asked.

Ilima dipped, then shook his head slowly. "You are frightened, and your parents did not tell you much to anything about Alola beyond what's in some travel pamphlets. It's not entirely their fault… Nobody talks about most of it and those pamphlets are made by shopkeepers here who don't know any better." When she went to annoyedly snap at him to get to the point, he cut her off with, "My ability is not mind-reading. I was chosen by Tapu Koko at the age of eleven years old and gifted a Normalium-Z."

He reached into his left pocket and pulled a gleaming crystal like the one Selene had been given that day at the Plank Bridge, rolling the glittering prism between his fingers a few seconds before stashing it away again in his pocket. "It also gave me my ability at the same time… All Captains have some particular skill. It wears off once they reach the age of twenty, though Captains can be selected as late as eighteen years of age. We believe the cutoff age is so Captains do not become complacent… A reminder that the Tapus are generous for giving us these gifts and insights."

Selene shook her head slowly at first, then faster, in disbelief. "You… they just… they give you powers?" She failed to stifle the scoff. "S-so… if yours isn't mind-reading… what is it?"

"Well…" Ilima shuffled and frowned slightly. "You see, everyone has a… skewed understanding of what 'normal' is. They think it is a societal standard or a state of moral acceptance… However, what they fail to understand is that everyone sees their own version of 'normal,' it has no single definition." He looked up and smiled softly at her then, and that was when Selene noticed that not only were his irises gray, but his pupils were glazed over as well, like silvery cataracts had taken form.

"What… what does that have to do with…?" Selene asked breathlessly, fearfully intrigued by what he was getting at. Yet, she was chilled, too, at the sight of his eyes. Silver over the pupils isn't good… That usually means the person is blind, or going blind, but he maneuvers fine…? He was writing and stuff in the classroom earlier… And he read our papers easily… I don't understand…

"This definition of 'normal' is what I can see in everyone," he proceeded at her prompting, tilting his head slightly. "Your view of normalcy will taint everything and everyone you interact with. Kahuna Hala believes I was given this ability to try to negotiate peace better amongst the Alola islands, by acting as a mediator to explain the varying views of normalcy to the different Kahunas and Captains. That is how I knew your brother disliked battling and saw it as wrong. His normal is to see battling as brutal and unnecessary. It's how I could comment on the Skull members' reasoning for hating the Island Challenge… I don't know exactly what happened to them, no. But I can tell they dislike it because they see it as cruel, and I can assume that means they had a very bad experience when they attempted their own Island Challenge in the past and failed."

"Let me get this straight," Selene paused him, trying so hard to keep an open mind despite her frustration, despite the wave of despairing confusion, "you were given a shiny rock, suddenly could understand everyone's worldview around you, and that made you a Captain? And all Captains have… abilities, like this?" She blinked. "Okay, I don't think that one's gonna really register for a while, but moving on before my head explodes, I heard what you said about those specific Skull guys, but what did you mean by 'forsaken the Island Challenge' and 'punished' for it? People get punished for talking bad about it, or something? I mean, if they don't like it, why is that such a big deal? Obviously, those guys were trying to hurt people, but… ugh, I just don't understand!"

Ilima winced at her words and looked over his shoulders uncomfortably, as if afraid somebody might have heard them. "That's… a bit of a longer story…" He swallowed hard and those misty eyes settled on her again. "But I can try to explain…"

After about ten minutes solid of soap and water washing, Elio finally felt as if his face, hands, and arms weren't on fire. His chest and abdomen still stung and itched with what pepper spray had seeped into his shirt, and he was sure it was still in his hair, but that would have to wait until he could take a shower. Opting to carefully avoid touching either of those hotspots, Elio turned away from the line of sinks in the school bathroom, huffing and hanging his head. Hau, uncomfortably standing on the other end of the room, asked in broken Galarish, "Is feel better…?"

"Good as it's gonna get, I think," Elio answered tiredly. While the Mace had burned, Lillie being the one to do it and her callous lack of remorse had stung far worse. He had mistaken her grilling of the Skull man for simply more of her venomous sarcasm, and so, thinking nothing of it, he had just… wanted to make them go away and leave her alone. More than that, though, he thought that despite all of Lillie's sharp retorts aimed his way, that he had been getting along with her quite well. How true could that be if she had been so willing to harm him? Who even were those 'Skull' men? He had heard Ilima briefly explain earlier, but none of it had registered while he was still in the throes of the stinging pain. Awkwardly squinting at Hau, Elio sniffled against his running nose (his eyes still refused to quit tearing up) and asked hoarsely, "So, uh… Who were those guys out there?"

"Skull Gang," Hau answered slowly, eyes darting around the room before settling on the floor. He clasped his hands behind his back and scuffed a shoe nervously. "Live on other island. Do not like Island Challenge… See it as, uh…" he trailed off, flushing a little red, like he was searching for the appropriate words. "See it as bad… think that is it. Skull thinks it hurt people, and pokémon, that Tapus are not Tapus… Tapus are pokémon. Strong pokémon. But pokémon. Old Kahuna of other island make them… Old Kahuna hurt by Tapu Bulu."

Reeling for a moment to try to piece together what Hau had said, Elio grunted and winced at another flare of burning sensation down his back. It seemed some that had permeated his shirt and touched the skin below at last. Gritting his teeth slightly against it, Elio raised a brow at Hau. "So… these guys don't like the Island Challenge and they come from another island. They don't like the Island Challenge because it kinda worships the Tapus and they don't see the Tapus as gods like most of the rest of you guys… Or maybe they're upset because it hurt their old leader? Is that right?" Pausing, he chanced, "You called 'em a gang… Are they a gang like Team Rocket…?"

Team Rocket was infamous around the world (or so Elio believed) for their cold callousness and their refusal to permanently disband, even with the absence of their ruthless leader, Giovanni, and they were treated as a severe threat because of it back in Kanto. If this 'Skull Gang' was similar, then… He paled. Potentially running into them again and again did not sound pleasing. "What do you guys… do about them?"

Again, Hau flushed red in embarrassment. "Ah… Team Rocket? What do about what?"

"You… don't know who Team Rocket is?" Elio balked, truly feeling speechless after that. Then, he realized Hau potentially didn't understand much of what he had said before that… He fought off a groan and just huffed quietly instead. Still, Hau had tried to help him, and was doing his best to speak a language he clearly had little understanding of. It was hard to be frustrated with him right then…

For the last couple of interactions with Lillie and Hau, he had gotten the implication that Hau really liked her, and he had, he supposed, overreacted a little… Elio felt guilty for it, and although there was some lingering bitterness and frustration, he realized in that moment it wasn't really aimed at Hau at all. It was at Lillie.

He couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal that had come with her indiscriminately spraying him along with that gang member. Subconsciously, having equated this Skull Gang to Team Rocket in his mind, it felt as if she had called him one, as if he were no different than them, and that… was a painful insult.

Hau scuffed his shoe against the floor again. "We leave? Maybe Lillie help, uh…" There was a long pause. "Oh! Explain. Maybe Lillie help explain."

"I don't really want to see her after that," Elio mumbled. She sprayed me in the face with fuckin' pepper spray, dude. Why was everyone so chill about that? Not wanting any more confrontation that day, he merely sighed. "I just… wanna meet back up with Selene and maybe have us be alone for a while… I'm sure whatever Ilima's tellin' her is wild, too, so that'll be… something." Clenching his jaw, Elio growled, "And I've got a few choice words for our parents, too." They had to have known something.

"Okay," Hau said quietly. Hesitantly, he added, "Ah… Let your Litten out? When we get outside."

"Uh… why?" Elio asked dubiously. Not that he was opposed to the idea of having his Litten out the Poké Ball, but he was confused as to why Hau would care or bring it up…

"Will help," was all Hau said, shrugging slightly as he reached for the door out the restroom. "Pokémon help feel better, cousin." With that, he strode out the room, pulling his orange backpack a little closer to himself as he went.

Elio crossed his arms then, forgetting momentarily about the Mace still lacing his clothes, almost pouting. "Why's he gotta be so nice?" he grumbled. Seizing a little at the new rush of discomfort on his arms, he quickly unfolded them and turned back to the sink to lather up and down his arms again with soap, still muttering to himself. "Now, I feel like a dick for being so rough on him the last few days… Since he helped me get cleaned up after all that… Gotta say, he's much better than Lillie, anyway."

He heard the door squeak, and he whipped his head in time to see a dark-skinned boy that looked younger than him or Hau stare blankly at him. Sensing the awkwardness in the stare, and quickly realizing how what he had just said must have sounded, Elio blushed furiously and sputtered, "That's not what I meant! I know how that sounded, but—"

He gave up and groaned loudly when the boy backed out and shut the door again, verging on hysterical laughter. "I am just making friends left and right. I am so damn popular!" he snorted sarcastically to himself.

Once he scrubbed the burning out of his arms for the most part again, Elio's shoulders sagged and he wandered out of the bathroom. One could imagine his chagrin when he spotted Lillie seated at a bench near the entrance of the school. She was hunched over and staring into her bag, and so, failed to notice his approach. Deciding he was grateful for that, he scurried past her and out the door.

Nobody had quite made him feel like the clown he was like she had in a very long time… and part of him knew he would snap at her if he tried to talk to her in his hurt. He felt a familiar, painful bolt of shame as he privately concluded that he didn't want to snap at her, even with what she had done in mind. He just felt… betrayed and wanted to go back to that budding playfulness she had reserved for him before. A piece of him wanted to hope it could be salvaged, even…

Finding Selene and Ilima still on the blacktop outside, Elio weakly called, "Hey… I'm doin' better…"

"Right," Selene half-whispered at him, distractedly staring at Ilima. When she finally managed to tear her eyes away, she swallowed hard and Elio thought her eyes might bore into his soul. Then, in Kantonian, she asked him, "Elio, can we… can we please go home for a little while? We… need to talk. You, me, Mom, Dad, we all need to talk."

"Couldn't agree more," Elio responded in kind.

Ilima dipped his head to the both of them, and then started to walk back into the school. "Hau headed back to Iki Town," he called, "and I'll probably send Lillie back to Kukui for the evening, if going home is what you two want to do. I imagine you probably don't want to see Lillie again, anyway…" he trailed off as he disappeared inside.

"This place is fucked," Selene hissed at him once Ilima was out of earshot, eyes wide. "I—I mean, I know how that sounds, I just—you will not believe what he just told me! I can't even believe what he just told me and I'm even more freaked out that it makes sense! 'Cause I saw one of the Tapus, at the Plank Bridge, so…"

Right… Selene had told him about his run-in with Tapu Koko at the Plank Bridge, up Mahalo Trail, just behind Iki Town. He had doubted her story at first, her having told it to him when Lillie was leading them to Kukui's lab, but Lillie had made some snarky comment about how him knowing about Nebby wasn't an issue and had showed him the little space cloud pokémon. That felt so far away, even though it had been just that morning… He shook his head. "Yeah, well," Elio grunted, feeling a wave of numbness at her overwhelming words, "I'm not too thrilled about discount Team Rocket, either. Thought we were away from all that."

"Yeah, they're part of what I've gotta talk to you about," Selene defeatedly sighed. "Well, uh… Let's head back home, I guess…"

Elio reached for the Poké Ball in his pocket, and then tossed it. Upon materializing from the redness, his Litten tilted its head at him, and then looked around curiously. Seeming a little disappointed, it sulked over to him and rubbed against his legs. Remembering something Ilima had said, Elio felt another pang of guilt. Litten and its evolutions were apparently known for their lust for battle, something Elio had so little of. Let them choose, he said, he thought mutinously as he recalled Kahuna Hala's speech prior to them getting their respective starting pokémon, they're your partners, he said… Tiredly, he fended off the annoyed thoughts. "Yeah," Elio croaked, "let's go."

Seeming to get the idea, Selene released her Rowlet as well, and the pokémon perched on her shoulder proudly. Scratching it in an attempt at a loving gesture despite her vexed state (which the Rowlet seemed to enjoy anyway), Selene started to walk ahead, and Elio followed in short order.

He was already dreading whatever their confrontation at home might bring. Although he didn't feel as if he or Selene had anything to fear from their parents, that was sort of what made him dread it. Their potential reactions to learning he had been Maced or to what he had learned about the Skull Gang, or to whatever Selene had learned about Captain Ilima, were what worried him. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but Alola was just so… different, and somehow, he felt like their parents rallying defensively to help him or Selene could have undesirable consequences.

He supposed he could talk to Selene first before they confronted their parents at all…

Chapter Text

Selene’s mind was still reeling as she and her brother finally returned home. They found the front door unlocked, it easily opening when Elio went to knock, but she didn’t find that too unusual. Everyone living near their new home had seemed quite friendly (at least to their parents, Selene and Elio were starting to have their doubts), but she was a little more concerned when they couldn’t find their parents right away. They didn’t call out to them, nor did their Meowth come running up to greet them at the front door. That’s… so strange, Selene thought worriedly as she frowned. I know they can’t be here literally all the time, but they wouldn’t just leave the door unlocked like that, would they? And Meowth… Mom would never let him leave the house…

Both siblings paused in the center of the bottom floor, straddling the divide between living room and dining area, and shared a look. They spoke no words, but in that moment, it seemed they didn’t need to; it was clear Elio had drawn the same questions Selene had. With nothing more than a curt nod between them, they had wordlessly agreed to keep deathly silent until they had inspected the entirety of the house, with Elio scouring the larger downstairs, his Litten interestedly following at his heels, and Selene examining the smaller upstairs.

Picking her way as quietly up the stairs as possible, Selene shushed her Rowlet, who was standing on her head again and clicking softly, and then carefully checked her closet, beneath her bed. Finding nothing in there and with the air still as could be, she turned her attention to the bathroom in the upstairs hall. Flicking the light switch before nervously rounding the corner, she poked her head into the room uncertainly. It was quiet in there, too, and nothing appeared out of the ordinary… Creeping forward, she went to draw the shower curtain to check just in case, and a shout from downstairs made her nearly rip it clear from the curtain rod.

“Selene!” Elio hollered up the stairs. “Found a note! It’s all clear!”

He scared the hell out of me! Selene thought frustratedly, her breath coming in fitful gasps as her heart pounded wildly. Her Rowlet shrieked and had puffed his feathers out at her sudden reaction. “Sorry,” Selene apologized to it insincerely, feeling a little too on-edge to really feel that bad about it. Giving a small scratch on the side of its body as a peace offering, she twitchily clambered down the stairs, finding Elio standing at the bottom.

He was clutching a ripped piece of lined paper, his brows furrowed at it, like he didn’t trust it. Selene wasn’t sure what to make of that… His unease made her equally as unsure. Clearing his throat, he read, “‘Selene, Elio, if you come home early and find us out—we decided to take on an Island Challenge of our own! Haha, not really. Joke. My job choice fell through so your Dad’s taking me to Akala Island for a few interviews. We might be away for a few days and we’re not sure how reliable cell service will be, but still feel free to call us! We’ll call as soon as we can and we’re settled in over there. Love you both!’”

Craning her head to look over the paper, she blinked confusedly. “Mom wrote that…?”

“Yeah,” he said tersely. “Or… so it seems… I mean, it is her handwriting, I think…”

“But it’s written in Galarish,” Selene pointed out, more and more weirded out by the second. “Mom barely knows Galarish.”

“Maybe Dad helped her write it for practice?” Elio suggested lamely. “I mean… he was the one really pushin’ for us all to practice it, and it was Mom who struggled with it the most…”

It was true, Selene felt as if she and her brother were fairly fluent, struggling mostly with just lesser used words, while their mother could flounder trying to put together a basic sentence. Their father understood the language the best, there was no doubt about that, so… Selene supposed it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that she had written the note with his assistance. Of course, that brought forward another question. “Well, why didn’t he just write it himself? I don’t see how having her write it would help much for practice… She can barely speak it, let alone read or write it, I’m not sure what writing a note with him just giving her the words would help with… Also, where’s Meowth? Mom would have a heart attack taking him anywhere. That’s just odd…”

 “I’ll text ‘em and see if they respond,” Elio muttered defeatedly, like he didn’t have the energy to talk about it. “While I do that, though—can you tell me what that Captain Ilima guy told you? I mean, I asked Hau about the Skull dudes, but he really can’t speak Galarish and I dunno if I got it right.” He grimaced. “And try and make it quick… I need a shower. This pepper spray stuff is relentless!”

“Oh!” Selene jolted, then groaned. “Oh, Arceus, everything he told me was a mess… Well, I think starting with Skull actually isn’t such a bad idea, because the stuff about the Captains is something else… So, the Skull Gang…”

…The day before…

Despite Gladion’s best efforts, he, Null, and the rest of his fledgling team were thrashed by Guzma’s beastly Golisopod. For a moment following his Riolu’s defeat, Gladion had simply stood there in shock, shivering. The driving rain sheeting over Po Town’s hulking walls, even in the heat, had sank to his bones and he was feeling so, very cold… Or perhaps it was the wolfish, hungry grin on Guzma’s face that sent chills down his spine. Plumeria and the other grunts that had followed them out were leaned against the walls of Po Town, hardly even bothering to look at him anymore, except for Plumeria. Her yellow eyes were locked onto him as Guzma started to circle him and his fainted Riolu like a Sharpedo.

“Still gon’ run your mouth now?” Guzma jeered. After making a full circle around Gladion, on his second approach, he snatched him by his jacket’s hood, and it was as if Gladion suddenly came back to life. Realizing that he had lost, had no usable pokémon, and now was entirely at the mercy of the notoriously violent leader of Skull, he threw all his weight against Guzma’s hold and kicked, throwing mud up at the other’s shoes. Yet, it was all futile; Guzma was built like a truck, and in his panic, Gladion had yet to think about slipping out of the jacket. Instead, he fell still and fearfully looked up at Guzma. He had heard quite a few tales about how unforgiving Guzma could be… He was known for severely injuring, losing himself in blind fits of rage, at anyone that really crossed Skull Gang’s members, such as harming one of their grunts.

“Well?” Guzma snorted and shook him. “Are ya?”

Gladion didn’t remember the question. His bravado from earlier had long since faltered. “Uh… what?”

Laughing, Guzma let go of him by throwing him slightly, knocking him to the mud. Blinking in confusion, Gladion didn’t get up from where he had caught himself with his palms, watching as Guzma shrugged and put his hands on his hips. “Well, ya did give me a run for my money in the start with that crazy pokémon o’ yours. Null, was that whatcha called it?”

Still unsure if Guzma was tricking him or not with the show of mercy, Gladion wiped the stunned look from his face by narrowing his eyes again and pressing his lips to a hard line. He had to admit that he was more than frightened to be without any usable pokémon, but he also knew that if Guzma actually was impressed with him despite losing, he couldn’t start showing weakness then. Getting up slowly, he slung the mud and water off himself, pulling his drenched hood over his head. He wondered then if it was really worth it to save him from the rain, considering how wet the fabric was… As he spoke, he recalled his Riolu. “Yeah. Null. Was an experimental pokémon developed by the Aether Foundation.”

“Tell me, what brings you out here? Rando kid from Aether Foundation with a, probably very expensive, experiment in his pocket?” Guzma asked pointedly, licking his lips. “I’m just sayin’, it looks a little odd. You show up here lookin’ like hell ran over and demand to see the boss with that little gem in your belt. You’re either runnin’ from somethin’ or you’re here to screw me over in the end. And yeah, that pokémon’s strong, but I still ain’t appreciate you mouthin’ off at me at the start. Ain’t nobody in Skull gettin’ nowhere by actin’ like they’re better than anyone else. You got a lotta learnin’ to do if you wanna live as Skull, Lil’ Aether.”

“There’s nothing left for me back at the Aether Foundation,” Gladion said sternly, almost growling it. “My name is Gladion. I’m the Aether Foundation president’s—”

“Your name is whatever the hell I tell you it is until you learn better,” Guzma cut him off, spitting at the ground. “Get to the point.”

“Right…” Gladion felt a prickle of anger, but swallowed it down, like so many other emotions, always swallowing them down… Maybe it would be helpful to share a little. “Want the point? Aether was torturing Null with its experiments. And it was torturing me. My father’s gone, my mother’s lost her mind, and my sister bailed on me. I couldn’t stay there anymore. I couldn’t let Null stay there anymore…” Taking a shuddery breath, he shook his head. “Null’s strong, but I know if Lusamine decides she wants him back, I’d be easy to find on my own, and I know Alolans would have a hernia over me not bothering with the Island Challenge. So, I came to you guys. Because I have nowhere else to go and I know I can be of help. I disappear into your folds and you get a powerful ally.”

“What I’m hearin’ is, the richest and most powerful woman in the region wants your ass, and you wanna hide out in Po Town and lead her right to us,” Guzma gruffly huffed once he was done. He raised a brow at Gladion’s frozen stare. “Don’t look at me like ‘at. You gotta understand somethin’, Lil’ Aether, we ain’t a charity and I got people to look out for here. I can’t be havin’ you actin’ like a beacon for any kinda trouble. Ain’t like you fucked up your Island Challenge. Go do that with your strong mutt of a pokémon, and you can build yourself a nice life, away from crazy bitch mom and deadbeat sister.”

“You don’t understand!” Gladion exclaimed, desperation eating away at his brusque façade. “I can’t go out there alone! At least with a group, I have a chance, and you guys are the farthest from Aether Foundation anyone can get in these islands! I can tell you stuff about Aether and Lusamine, and maybe, if they get on your tail, I can help you throw them off! I won’t even be staying in Po Town, there’s a motel down the way that I’m staying at now, I’ll stay there, and—”

Guzma yawned and groaned loudly, ending his nervous meltdown early. Once he was done with the obnoxious interruption, he grunted, “Listen, Lil’ Aether. I’m doin’ you a favor. I’m serious. I doubt crazy bitch mom can track ya down that quick. You can move through the Island Challenge fast and with that creature, you could earn plenty o’ cash to get off these islands, get somewhere nice. Away from all this shit.”

“No,” Gladion adamantly insisted, “you’re not listening to me!” I can’t face her alone. I can’t face her alone. That’s why I came here. I won’t go back without a fight, but I don’t want to fight her alone. I can’t fight her alone… I’ve been fighting her alone for so long… A tremor ran up his spine as he remembered so many painful nights, virtually alone with Lusamine, at Aether Paradise. It was no secret that she hated him, and it was no secret that he hated her, but the truth of the matter was that she was far stronger than he. She had so many people at her command, and he… he was nothing. Despite his age, he had had no autonomy at Aether. Everything was as Lusamine wanted, and when she didn’t get what she wanted… He shook away the thoughts, and fleetingly thought of Lillie. Violent anger tore through him at that point. “Damn it, I know what I’m doing, why does everyone on these islands think they know better than me?!”

“Guz,” Plumeria butted in, strutting up beside him with her arms crossed. “I think he’s tellin’ the truth.”

“Yeah, an’ like I said, he’ll be a beacon for trouble!” Guzma hissed at her, bristling under her stare. “Never said he was lyin’! Kid’s got some issues but otherwise got a good thing goin’ for him. He ain’t like the rest of us. He ain’t failed the Challenge. He’s—”

“What are you talking about?” Plumeria challenged, eyes flashing fearlessly as she took a decisive step forward. Despite being shorter than him and so much thinner, she seemed unfazed by his threatening figure, and when she moved closer to him, Guzma stiffened uncomfortably. “You didn’t even fail the Island Challenge. Remember? That ain’t why you’re here. That ain’t why plenty of us are here. That ain’t what fuckin’ binds us together. That’s what everyone else wants to think it is, but it’s not. Don’t put all o’ us down to just that, Guz, ‘cause that’s what they want!” She cast Gladion a look then, and he felt a flutter of relief. For someone that sounded so fierce, Plumeria had an oddly soft look on her face. He even thought he saw her give a small smile. Turning her attention back to Guzma, she bared her teeth as she continued. “He’s someone who ain’t got no place to go. That’s what holds this family together, Guz. If—”

“He’s someone the Aether Foundation wants!” Guzma repeated stubbornly. “You can shout at me all you want about who Skull is and what we mean, blah blah blah, but that’s not gonna change the fact he’s wanted by people who are so fuckin’ rich, they were able to have an island built!”

“So, what?” she spat, still refusing to back down. “Like you just said, Aether’s rich as hell and their image means the world to ‘em. You think they want anythin’ to do with us? Even if they discovered he was workin’ for us, he won’t be stayin’ with us. He’ll be at the motel like he said. We’ll keep him outta Po Town as much as possible. Nobody takes us seriously or gives a shit about us, Guz, so what would they come guns blazin’ in here for? You just look at this place funny and Alolans get a twist in their panties, you really think Aether wants to touch any o’ that?”

Gladion didn’t realize he had been holding his breath until Guzma conceded at last. Crossing his arms and setting his jaw, the hulking man snarled, “Fine! Fine. Whatever.” Sucking in a breath, Gladion couldn’t fight the stupid grin off his face. Upon spotting it, though, Guzma jabbed a finger at him and prodded him in the chest with it, painfully hard. “Listen to me, though, kid. You do what you’re told by me an’ Plumeria, no questions asked, or anyone else we put in charge o’ ya. Don’t do any stupid shit with a Skull mask or chain or whatever on ya. And don’t bring your ass into Po Town unless we ask for ya. Got it?”

Frankly, Gladion was too relieved to care about Guzma’s biting tone. Though, he was confused… “Yeah, yeah, of course,” he answered quickly, “but… what do you mean by ‘don’t do anything stupid?’ I mean, not insulting anyone, I swear, but you guys do a lot that could be considered stupid… So, I just wanna know what…”

“Plumeria!” Guzma snapped, turning on a heel away from Gladion. “You get an hour with him in Po Town, then I want him out! Got it? Answer his dumb questions. I ain’t got the time.”

“Yeah, I gotcha, Guz,” Plumeria answered him distractedly.

With that, Guzma waved a hand at her dismissively and then started walking back toward the white doors that led into Po Town. He paused to bark at the grunts gathered around it, “The fuck are y’all doin’? I know ain’t all o’ you on guard duty right now. Y’all’ll catch pneumonia standin’ out here for no fuckin’ reason. Whose rotation is it?” Two grunts raised their hands. “Okay, then. You two stay out here and the rest o’ you, inside. Idiots…” he trailed off, muttering to himself, as he effortlessly forced open the door, hastily followed by a gaggle of six or so grunts.

“He means well.”

Gladion jumped and jerked his head to see that Plumeria had moved to stand next to him. That smile he thought he had seen earlier was gone, and she looked almost… bored, as she side-eyed him. She flicked a hand up from where she had her arms crossed, gesturing vaguely toward Po Town. “Guz, I mean. He means well. He ain’t the best person out there, no. But he means good.”

“Uh… yeah,” Gladion uncertainly answered, not sure what reaction she wanted out of him. She couldn’t have been trying to comfort him, could she? Sure, she might have stood up for him, but, well, he figured she had only done that because she was impressed with Null. After all, she had shown zero regard for the potential of Aether Foundation tracking him down to the motel. So, her comforting him wouldn’t have made any sense. He gritted his teeth. He needed to keep his wits about him and that thorny exterior up. Neither he nor Null could afford for him to misunderstand someone else’s actions as kindness, especially considering how impossibly rare kindness was… Yet, it was so hard to deny that he felt a bit of warmth when he looked at her, and it would have been an outright lie to say he wasn’t thankful for her help. He… kind of wished he could have thanked her.

“‘Fore we even get inside, I got somethin’ to tell ya about Skull,” Plumeria started tensely. “Failin’ the Island Challenge may not be the glue that holds us together, but it’s a pretty close second. Make fun o’ anybody in here for their experience with the Island Challenge, and I’ll personally kick you out.” Before he had a chance to respond, she kept going. “Second, as for what he said about don’t do nothin’ stupid… Don’t do anythin’ that’ll piss off the Tapus. Don’t do nothin’ to the Captains, Kahunas, or trial sites. And definitely don’t fuck with the Tapu dens.”

Blinking feverishly, Gladion frowned. “I thought… that’s what you guys did, though. You messed with people on the Island Challenge…” That was what he had heard from so many Alolans. Everyone hated the Skull Gang and its moronic members because they constantly meddled in the Island Challenge, sometimes even preventing people from making meaningful progress… But that didn’t make sense if what Plumeria was saying were true…

“We do,” Plumeria shrugged, “but we don’t do it that directly…” Her shoulders sagged and she looked down. “Follow me, ah… Gladion, right?”

“Yeah.”

Silently, she moved ahead of him and Gladion followed. With a little more effort than Guzma had put in, she kicked open the sliding door into Po Town, and Gladion narrowly rushed inside before the door closed on him. Inside, he came to a dead stop. It felt like a scene out of a movie where a record should have skipped and the background music halt. Yet, the sounds of the driving rain and distant voices didn’t falter.

Po Town was in shambles.

He had heard that about it before, the broken town, ravaged by Ula’Ula’s Tapu Bulu, but he had never seen it. In fact, if what he had been told by other natives were to be believed, almost nobody aside from Skull members themselves had seen inside of it. Bad luck, they had called it. Po Town is a cursed place, others had said. To go there of your own volition is an insult to the Tapu alone. Yet, no amount of their endless, fearful rhetoric could have prepared him for that sight.

The streets looked ancient. It looked like handmade cobblestone, overgrown with moss, and flooded by the rainwater. Jagged metal spires occasionally jutted from the ground around them, and it wasn’t until he spotted one that was still mostly intact (save for a busted bulb) that he realized they had once been streetlamps. Trees, logs long rotten, were felled all over the place. Various beat-up trucks were stashed around, some along the uneven, perilous road, others lodged axle-deep in mud. The dull, red-roofed buildings that made up Po Town’s structure were all missing something. One didn’t even have a door, most had shattered windows, and many were missing entire patches of roofing. Even the Pokémon Center had no lights, looking significantly older than the other Pokémon Centers he had seen across the islands. The red Poké Ball symbol over its front door was shattered. There was a particularly massive mansion he could just barely make out over the horizon of the town… Gladion wondered if that building was any more in one piece than the rest of the buildings…

Of course, that wasn’t even to speak of the pokémon or people. All sorts of pokémon roamed the town, such as Shellos, Pelipper, Slowpoke, Rattata, and Yungoos, but Sliggoo and Goomy seemed particularly fond of the area. He supposed that more than made sense, given how both needed extremely wet environments to survive, but that observation also created a sense of dread… Sliggoo, in particular, were known for their indiscriminate hunger, due in part to their devolved, sightless eyes. Even though Goomy, its pre-evolved form, was the weakest of all Dragon-types, most trainers were steered away from raising it as a first-time Dragon-type due to Sliggoo’s horrifying ability to mistake its friends for food and devour them in acidic slime. All lovely nuggets of information he had come to learn during his years helping Lusamine at Aether.

“Take a good, long look,” Plumeria told him grimly, even though he was sure she could tell that was exactly what he was doing. “This is what happens when you piss off the Tapus. This is why we can’t be but so much of a nuisance.”

Gladion’s attention was pulled to a truck half-sunken into the mud to his right when a girl (who looked maybe fifteen at the most) leapt onto its roof, triumphantly holding up a silver chain like the one around her own neck. “I got it!” she laughed, utterly ignorant to the rain that soaked her body. She, too, was wearing no jacket or anything, much like Plumeria. Another Skull grunt, a boy that somehow looked even younger than her, skirted the base of the truck, looking for a way up. The girl on top giggled again and just stuck her tongue out at him. “Told ya I’d take it and you wouldn’t know! That’s how good I am at pickpocketing! Got it right from around your neck!”

“Soh, give it back!” the boy whined.

“I had… no idea,” Gladion said, gulping uncertainly as he looked at Plumeria, suddenly not wanting to look at it all anymore.

“We manage,” Plumeria snorted, striding along the gross, mossy cobble path, prompting Gladion to start after her again. “It ain’t all bad, and ya can’t let it get ya too down… But another thing. You’re shiverin’ like a leaf. How long you been out in the rain?”

“I… don’t know,” he admitted sheepishly. “It was a bit of a walk over here, and we were out front a while…”

“Don’t stay out for more than 3 hours in this mess and you gotta read normal temperature on a thermometer before you can go back out in it,” Plumeria bluntly informed him. “Any more than that, or leave while you’re still cold, an’ you’re riskin’ hypothermia and pneumonia. These idiots are supposed to be wearin’ raincoats out in it, too, but they been growin’ out of ‘em lately and we ain’t had it to get new ones. Not to mention most of ‘em ain’t even bother with it no matter how many times I yell at ‘em about it…” She rolled her eyes and shook her head disappointedly. “Anyway, what else…” She threw out her arm in front of him, abruptly coming to a halt along the path, then pointed at a Sliggoo circling the base of one of the broken streetlamps. “Stay away from the Sliggoo. They ain’t your friends. Been some months since we had an incident with them, and I’d like to keep it that way. They soak up a ton o’ rainwater, though, keep this place from floodin’ or the ground from turnin’ to just soup along with the drains we built in the walls, so that’s why we let ‘em stay.”

Nodding along as she spoke, Gladion couldn’t shake the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. These people were living in conditions little better than he’d seen many of Aether’s abused pokémon come from, and they had been living in it so long that they had it down to a science, such as how long one could be outside before they’d fall ill… Not to mention, he had seen those two younger teens playing… It was so eerie to see them playing in such a desolate town. A wave of nausea struck him as Plumeria beckoned for him to follow again, and he just had to shake his head. It was hard, to see all of that, and then pretend not to care… Even for him. “W-wait… I just… Why?”

“Why what?” she pressed as she raised a brow at him.

“Why… why stay?” he asked in an almost strangled tone. “Why stay here? Wouldn’t it be… easier to just…”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just live apart, alone, dealin’ with the way Alolans shun Island Challenge failures on our own?” Plumeria filled in for him, and he thought he caught a twinge of amusement in her tone. “Maybe. But we don’t mess with the Island Challenge just to mess with it, Glad.”

Glad? He curled a lip at the nickname but said nothing, even though he really wanted to bark at her to never use it again. Only his backstabbing family had ever used that nickname for him, particularly his sister… Oh, how he hated remembering her…

“We mess with it and we try an’ talk to the challengers. All o’ this you see around you?” She held out her arms and gestured vaguely to the rest of the town. “All o’ it could end. This is all ‘cause o’ the Tapus.” She sneered, “Y’know, one o’ the four pokémon everyone thinks is a god on these fuckin’ islands. They can give people some wonky powers and shiny rocks, and suddenly, the fact they can destroy entire towns gets swept under the rug…” She trailed off and Gladion saw her fists ball at her side. “This ain’t the only town. Tapu Village, too. Just ain’t nothin’ left of it and nobody lives there.”

“I mean… I’ve heard that it was a Tapu that did this to Po Town, and it was because of something a Kahuna did, but… what could he have done?” Gladion disbelievingly asked. “I just… I can’t imagine what could have been so bad that it… deserved all this…” Even turning your back on the Tapus… I mean, that’s what I was told he did… I get that the guy was a Kahuna, and the Tapus might have felt betrayed, but this… Making so many people suffer… I can’t understand it…

Golden eyes boring into him, Plumeria grunted. “Follow me. Don’t want you out here in the rain any longer. I’ll get to show ya some o’ Shady House while we’re there, anyway.”

Morbid fascination with the history of Skull and Po Town had stolen his desire to look tough, so he didn’t argue against her worrying for him being cold (not to mention… he was freezing). He just wordlessly chased after her, finding it was a decent walk down the broken, craggy cobble path until that mansion in the distance started to come into focus. Along the way, he spotted more people playing around outside like the earlier teens, noticing a few that somehow seemed even younger than the earlier ones did. One such kid, a little girl, was prodding a stick at a Sliggoo, and Plumeria stopped to snarl at her to knock it off. Without a second thought, the girl had dropped the stick and scattered, vanishing into one of the broken homes along the road.

Still, once the mansion was properly in view, his earlier question was answered. It was just as badly damaged as the rest of the buildings in the town. Perhaps even more so. Not a single window still stood in the building, but thick, white… tarps? He assumed that was what they were, anyway, blocked the windows from the inside, likely to keep the rain from sheeting inside. Two grunts in black raincoats were playing rock-paper-scissors in front of its door, and Gladion noticed that part of the roof directly over the center of the building had entirely caved in. As they drew even nearer, his jaw dropped open slightly. There was an in-ground pool to the left of the mansion. That, coupled with the sheer size of the building, told him that, at least somewhere along the line… this building had once been a very nice place.

Glancing over his shoulder, he swallowed hard. In fact, the entire town might have once been such a nice place… In fact, he found it eerily easy to imagine. In place of the dreary, waterlogged landscape he had been looking at, he saw a shiny new Pokémon Center, streetlamps on every corner, the houses all having matching color schemes to create a homely atmosphere, a handmade cobble road to complete the intricate aesthetic… a town where people lived in harmony and comfort, and there were no fortified walls defensively sectioning them off from the rest of the island.

“C’mon, Glad,” Plumeria shot at him, wrenching him from his stupor. He blinked rapidly and found the same gray, rain-whipped town instead. Almost sympathetically, Plumeria whispered, “C’mon… Inside,” and he felt her place her hand on his shoulder.

He uneasily shouldered her hand away and moved inside, finding that it was warmer, but only because there was no more rain to compete with the natural Alolan heat for his body temperature. That was to say, it was thick with humidity, muggy, not the dry heat that he would have found comforting right about then. Still, anything was better than the endless rain. He shook his head and heard a small buzzing in his ears… He hadn’t realized just how loud the rain was out there. Blinking to get used to the lower light level inside, he realized that the room he was standing in might have once been a living room, evidenced by a TV stand laying in pieces at one end and the recliner with a spring sticking out of it in the corner. Boxes filled most of the space, though, and Plumeria flopped down on top of one such box. He awkwardly followed suit, tentatively sitting down on another. He had been afraid it would cave in on him, but it did no such thing. It was an uncomfortable seat, whatever was inside the box uneven and sharp in places, but at least it was something.

At his quizzical expression, Plumeria explained, “All the rain means mold gathers easy in fabrics. Like ‘at chair. So, we try an’ use these boxes where we can, since we can just toss ‘em out to dissolve in the rain after a while. They’re just filled with broken shit to keep ‘em from cavin’ in on ya. Pieces of rooftops and whatnot.” She stretched her back then, and rubbed her face, flicking water off her head. “Kahuna Kaua.”

“Huh?” Gladion gawked stupidly at her.

“Kahuna Kaua. That was the ole’ Kahuna that ran Skull before Guz,” Plumeria shrugged. “Some ten years ago. He recognized the Tapus for what they are. Stupid powerful pokémon. Not the benevolent gods everyone wants to believe they were. He rallied as many other people as he could find that agreed with him. Named the group Skull, because he felt that by lettin’ these pokémon run Alola, Alolans were givin’ the Tapus permission to kill Alola… Eh, I’m not good at explainin’ symbolism. Anyway, he established Po Town. Taught everyone that came in Galarish here in the Shady House, made sure they all spoke it well enough, taught ‘em about the Tapus and how it wasn’t the traditions that were bad, it was the fear of the Tapus… He just wanted people to live happy, for themselves, and not for the Tapus. And then, Tapu Bulu showed up one day.”

He… actually sounds like he was a decent guy… “And it did all of… this?” Gladion said breathlessly, almost hauntedly. Then, Gladion tried to steel his nerves. Think about the source, Gladion. She’s clearly high in the ranks here in Skull. Of course she has something good to say about him. Though, the reality of it was not that Gladion doubted her story. It was that he found it almost painful to believe. Curse his naturally bleeding heart… This had so not been what he had expected from meeting the Skull Gang. He had expected criminals he could easily hate from a distance. Yet, he was already starting to like Plumeria despite his best efforts not to.

“Yup. Killed Kahuna Kaua. Left Po Town in ruins. Now, it wasn’t just that the rest of Alola was mad at Kahuna Kaua and his little ‘Skull Gang,’” Plumeria huffed, “they all thought they was cursed, too. So, after Tapu Bulu ruined the place and set up that permanent rain, the people who did survive that mess tried to go back to normal lives. If they weren’t outright attacked and driven back to Po Town, they were mocked and refused basic services. Couldn’t get jobs. Families disowned ‘em… Guz was part o’ that original Skull Gang. Like so many others, he came back to Po Town and found a whole buncha other people hangin’ out there, scared of their own shadow. Most of ‘em teens like himself. Guz picked up the pieces and put this place back together…” She snorted. “Yeah, believe it or not, that, what you saw out there, is way more put together than it used to be.”

Shaking his head as she kept talking, Gladion finally couldn’t take it anymore. “No. There’s no way. How could it be that bad? If this all happened ten years ago, how come so many of them out there look so young? You look too young to even have been in it ten years ago…”

“See, that’s the extra fun part,” Plumeria muttered. “The Island Challenge used to be a forced thing everyone had to do just to show honor for the Tapus. If you failed or couldn’t finish it, won’t no big deal. You still tried ‘cause you was wantin’ to impress the Tapus.”

Bracing himself, Gladion dared to ask, “And now…?”

“See, a lotta old Skull members gave up on their Island Challenges to go support Kahuna Kaua or to stay at Po Town for a while. After all that went down with Tapu Bulu, people that gave up on their Island Challenge? People were suspicious of ‘em. Alolans didn’t want nothin’ to do with ‘em. Why give up, why not prove your loyalty to the Tapus by finishin’ it?” She spat at the ground, much like Guzma had earlier at the gate, and rolled her eyes. “Ain’t nobody thinkin’ about how there are some people who can’t finish it, because they just ain’t cut out to be trainers, or how some people might not be physically able to do all that travelin’…” She practically growled. “Everyone’s fear o’ the Tapus is makin’ this place miserable to live in. They ain’t even got laws! Because, if you shouldn’t do it, well, the ‘Tapus will show their disapproval,’” she mocked. “We got guidelines. Police can suggest people follow ‘em for their safety and whatnot, but they ain’t absolute.”

Never had Gladion understood the Alolans’ reverence for the Island Challenge. He had spent most of his time tucked away at Aether Paradise, and before that had been fully built, in the Aether House. He interacted with Alolans, sure, and he had learned their language, but he was never all that close with them (which was part of why Lillie abandoning him to Lusamine had been so painful); yet, even he had thought there may have been more to the Island Challenge than met the eye. He just… had no idea just how deeply steeped in beliefs, whether they were right or wrong, it was…

“So, earlier, when I said that Guz meant well?”

Gladion stared her in the eyes, unsure if he wanted to know.

“It was ‘cause he was tryin’ to keep ya from gettin’ stuck in this mess,” Plumeria uttered in a deadpan. Her face was stony. “And that’s why I dragged ya in. Because that pokémon o’ yours can really help us out. You mighta had a chance to do the Island Challenge and then skip town ‘fore your crazy bitch mom found ya. But I knew I couldn’t let ya go that easy.” She reached into an open box next to her, and then threw a silver chain, a black, cloth mask, and white beanie at him, which he let clatter to the ground in front of him in his shock. “Welcome to the Skull Gang, numskull.”

I knew she couldn’t have been acting out of kindness! he thought furiously to himself as he snatched the articles off the floor. I mean… I really don’t think I could have kept away from Lusamine long enough to get off Alola, and… even then, where would I go? But still… He ground his teeth together as he mulled over the items she had tossed at him. Standard Skull wearables. He clenched them tightly in his fists, wanting to voice his frustrations, but unable to find the words. Besides, it wasn’t really her fault that he had wanted to trust her… Hadn’t he learned his lessons yet?

There was a long pause before Plumeria stood up. “It ain’t personal, Glad… I hope I can help ya understand in the future. An’ I don’t care what any o’ the others might say, or Guz. You’re family now. That means we’ll protect ya like one of our own. Even if crazy bitch mom decides to come after ya. Ain’t gonna drag you in this mess an’ leave ya high and dry… Eh, that pun wasn’t intended.”

“Family,” Gladion snarled the word back at her, rejecting it, glaring at her with all the hatred he could muster. In his anger at her metaphor, he was lost to the intent behind the words. “If only you knew what that word means to me.” Nothing. It means nothing.

Digging in the box to her left again, she tossed a thermometer in a plastic tube at him that he instinctively snatched out of midair. “When you’re readin’ normal temps again, get out,” she muttered. “Guz’ll have a heart attack if you’re still here for too much longer. Come back tomorrow mornin’, though, to the gate. The grunts’ll call me up to it and we’ll see what you can really do.”

Too angry to care about her instructions and, on a practical level, unsure if he wanted to use that thermometer (how well could it have been cleaned beforehand if it had been sitting in a box and everyone had to use them according to her rules?), he threw the thermometer right back at her. Holding his new Skull garments in one hand, he darted out of the Shady House and hurried down the cobbled path, and out of that town of horrors.

Never in his life would he have assumed members of the Skull Gang had such a strong belief system behind them. Much like everyone else, he had been led to believe they were simply full of people who quit the Island Challenge and hated it for unknown reasons. For a time, he had agreed that their meddling was stupid and annoying, but now… He hated that he sympathized with them. He hated that he sympathized with the people who had just sucked him into their twisted family. He had just escaped his! He didn’t want to be in another! Sure, it wasn’t like he really had anywhere else to go, so Plumeria hadn’t really hurt him in any way… but it was the principle of the matter.

He fumed over that as he sloshed his way back to the motel, wanting nothing more than to rest and heal his pokémon. They were his real family—not Lusamine, not his traitorous sister, Lillie, and most certainly not Skull. He had to stay true to himself and to Null. He had promised Null he would help break him out of the helmet, and he had promised himself that they would find a better life. Feeling bad for Skull and fighting their battles was just a steppingstone. Nothing more. Nothing less.

“So… this old Kahuna pissed off the Tapus and now everyone’s even more cagy over the Island Challenge, and there’s a bunch of angry dudes in a gang that wanna make everyone else miserable for it. And on top of all of that, the Captains and Kahunas have superpowers,” Elio said flatly. He and Selene had slipped back into Kantonian as they had discussed what Selene had learned. Even she had found it difficult to translate so much information. After she nodded grimly at him in confirmation, Elio tossed his head back. “Sure! Sounds legit!”

“I know!” Selene almost laughed. It was almost funny. Almost… The story about Kahuna Kaua that Ilima had presented her was quite disturbing. He had apparently wanted to capture the Tapus and had been rallying people to help him, so they could overthrow the Tapus’ control of Alola. Following that, due to how many people had quit the Island Challenge to assist him, quitting or otherwise stopping one’s Island Challenge early (or never going on one at all), was considered a slight against the Tapus. It was such a shame that a single person had scared so many people across the land to the point it affected their beliefs… Even worse that they were still terrorized by the leftover followers of that person. Yet, she couldn’t blame them. One of the Tapus had apparently leveled an entire town in its rage once the original Skull Gang grew large enough to be a threat… Swallowing hard, Selene had started to understand why Alolans considered the Tapus gods. “I just… don’t understand why nobody could’ve told us that from the start… Like, why didn’t Kukui tell us about that? Did Mom or Dad know?”

Elio looked at her and frowned. “That’s… a good question.” Shrugging, he yawned. “Oh, well. All of that sounds fucking insane, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it’s hit me yet, and I need a shower so my body stops being on fire.”

Selene nodded. “Yeah… I think I’ll just… go to sleep. Maybe a good night’s sleep will help me understand it all…” She paused. “Did Mom or Dad text back yet?”

Elio, who had already vanished upstairs, called down, “Nope! I’ll call in the morning, they’re probably still traveling.”

If you say so… Selene sighed. She couldn’t shake such a bad feeling in her gut…

Chapter Text

There was the sound of a door clicking and the sound of shoes scuffing a rough, wooden floor. A Rockruff perked up and jumped from a computer chair, sending it swiveling, rushing to her and circling her feet excitedly. Slumped in another computer chair on the other end of the dimly-lit cabin, Kukui had fallen asleep at a keyboard, snoring lightly. Rolling her eyes, Lillie strode over to him and planted her right hand on his shoulder. It wasn't unusual to find him like that. The lab looked an absolute mess, too, with books, papers, and wrappers everywhere. He was in absolute disarray without her and yet, he had kicked her out to travel with the two Kanto teens, and she still was upset at him about it. She didn't know why he had done it and that had frustrated her, scared her; she couldn't trust Kukui, and she knew that, so why did she still want to?

"Kukui," Lillie hissed, shaking him. "Kukui!"

Even with all her suspicion, she had so many questions for him, starting with why he hadn't told Selene and Elio anything. He had been the one to communicate with their father, as Lillie had heard the myriad of phone calls, and Kukui had even excitedly talked to her about their prospective arrival, too. Yet, he had clearly been so dishonest about it all if Selene and Elio's reactions to meeting the Skull Gang and seeing Captain Ilima's powers were anything to go by. Maybe Kukui had good intentions. Maybe he didn't, maybe he really did want to turn her in, and he just wanted to absolve himself of guilt, so he had pushed her to go with two bumbling, unknowing foreigners on their Island Challenge. Maybe it had something to do with his private disdain for the Tapus, but she didn't understand how that could've been it, considering he had been so gung-ho about sending the Kantonians on the Island Challenge.

She was used to learning people were so much worse than what they seemed… So, she didn't waste much energy on being upset about Kukui's behavior; she just needed to know the truth. That was all.

That was all.

Groggily, he blinked and raised his head. "Hu…?"

Crossing her arms, Lillie's lip twitched as she noticed Nebby escape the bag beside her. She supposed he could use some time out of it, anyway… She left him be. "Why didn't you tell Selene and Elio anything about how Alola really is?" she asked the professor bluntly.

"What are you talkin' about, Lillie?" Kukui laughed uneasily as he yawned, then cracked a smile at her. Stretching his back, he briefly winced as she heard a small pop! "I told 'em—"

"You didn't tell them about Skull. You didn't tell them about the Captains' or the Kahunas' abilities. And Selene is 17, even though you're supposed to be 18 before going on the Island Challenge," Lillie cut him off sternly. She had no interest in his games and she had long ago learned the only way to navigate Kukui's mental house of mirrors was to blow away the smoke, refuse to let him divert one's attention. More pointedly, she pressed, "What's your game with them, Kukui?"

"It's no game," he cagily shot back, shoulders stiffening uncomfortably against his neck. He scooted the chair somewhat away from Lillie, as if he needed space to breathe, indicated by the way he tugged lightly on his labcoat. "I just… needed trainers that weren't so wrapped up in everything here to participate, yeah, and get 'em on my side."

Lillie scoffed. "So, you tricked them? Also, 'your side?'" She raised a brow. "What does that mean, Kukui? What 'side?'"

Expression souring, Kukui seemed to scan her anew, as if he'd never seen her before. His lips pursed unpleasantly and he, too, defensively crossed his arms. Finally, he smirked just barely, but the playful kindness it was meant to portray was lost on her with the way his eyes seemed dark and distant. As if Kukui himself were lost in another reality altogether. "Why so suspicious, cousin? They're good kids, yeah. Haven't you been getting along with at least the brother? I just sent you with 'em to help 'em through Alola. Nothin' more, nothin' less, Lillie."

"That's not what I asked," Lillie retorted, bristling. "But if you must know, that doesn't even make sense. You know there's people looking for me and that me wandering out there with them just puts me at risk. Yet, you want me to do it, anyway! So, tell me, Professor Kukui." She stepped closer to him and leaned forward slightly, hating the way he only relaxed in his chair further, as if unbothered by her. "What is your game?"

At her words, though, he abruptly jumped to his feet, and any traces of the usual, lackadaisical attitude were gone. He gritted his teeth at her. "Lillie, this is not a game, cousin. This is how we save Alola. You don't have to agree, yeah, nobody has to agree, but nobody—and I mean nobody—is gonna stand in the way of this," he pointed a finger at her as he said that, a fire in those eyes. At her stunned, blank stare, his face softened. "You'll be fine as long as you stick with the trainers, cousin, you're not alone… You'll be with Selene, Elio, and Hau, too, right?" He took a deep breath and sat back down, digging his fingers slightly into the arms of his computer chair. That winning grin was back, a stupid, beaming smile that she wanted to slap off his face right about then. "It'll be okay, Lillie."

Frustrated to the verge of tears, Lillie shook her head violently. There was so much she wanted to scream at him. So, so much… You're still not answering me, damn it! That's too vague! Why does everyone insist on lying to me? First Mom, then Gladion started acting distant, then Mom went crazy, and—and I thought you were different, Kukui! I knew you had problems with the locals, but me, too? Am I just another pawn to you? Is that why you cared for me? Was that always it? But she remained strong. Telling him all of that would just make her weak, like exposing her jugular to a starving Lycanroc. Steeling her voice as best she could, glaring daggers at him, she demanded, "What do you want specifically? Fine, okay, you want me to go with them, but why? What's the end goal?"

"I just need 'em to complete the Island Challenge, yeah," Kukui said simply, shrugging. "That's all." The note of finality in his tone told her that she wasn't going to get a more direct answer than that.

That's not all, you lying prick. You want something else out of them, and just want them to beat the Island Challenge first… But why? What could you want, Kukui? How will a couple of random Kantonians help with it? Yet, all she really said was, "Why the hell am I needed to help them with that?"

"Because Alola's a mess, and I wouldn't blame either of 'em for wantin' to turn tail and run back to Kanto," Kukui snorted disdainfully. But then, he faltered… and looked so, so sad. "You and Hau can help 'em see it's not beyond fixing… It's bad, yeah, but not done for. And… I want you four to have each other, yeah… Maybe, if they're in it long enough and get to know you and Hau, they won't give up on us once they see how bad it is for you and Hau…"

"You're using us," Lillie growled at him, hating the familiar, bitter taste of betrayal, and finding it far too difficult to care about his rapidly shifting expressions. He clearly had thought hard about his decision and still had mixed feelings, but he had still decided to use her—and Hau and the Kantonians, too—anyway. Perhaps his goal wasn't to get her captured, but he sure was evading contending with the possibility of it! "Not to mention, again, I'm in danger out there with Nebby!"

"I'm sorry, cousin," Kukui apologized emptily, looking oh-so far away again. His eyes glittered distantly as he added, "but I can't keep doing this alone. They'll help protect you, yeah."

She had already started for her loft, wanting nothing more than to forget about him for the rest of the night. "Can't keep doing what alone, Kukui?" she asked savagely, throwing a spiteful look over her shoulder back at him. More than how disillusioned she felt, she hated knowing that she would have to rely on Hau, Elio, and Selene. If what he was saying was true, then she was sure he'd kick her out the following morning, and if she intended to survive, then she had to attach herself to some trainers—and they were the only ones who would tolerate her. Considering… considering Elio didn't have such hard feelings over her spraying him earlier… She swallowed anxiously.

"Just… all of this," Kukui answered quietly. "The old Skull Gang tried to fight the Tapus head-on. You know that story. If we're gonna get out from under the Tapus, we need to be smart, cousin… It's not personal, Lillie." She visibly relaxed at his soft tone, even though she still wanted to be furious with him. Yet, it was so hard with him looking at her like that… or with the sheer pain in his voice as he continued… "Dishonesty's a survival strategy in Alola, cousin."

There was a long, long pause, before Lillie finally just started ascending the ladder to her loft. "Guess we can agree on one thing," she said at last to him. Those were the last words they shared that evening. Lillie spent the rest of it curled in her bed in his loft, Nebby happily hovering in the air around her, desperately hoping she hadn't shot herself in the foot by being so callous with Elio. On top of that, what the two Skull members had told her worried her… There weren't many natural blonds like her on these islands, so she didn't think it was too odd to jump to the possibility of the boy they mentioned joining their ranks being her brother. Admittedly, Lillie didn't think much about the Skull Gang—she had her own problems to deal with that made thinking about that can of Dunsparce feel like too much—but she did feel a pang of sadness at the idea of her brother living among them. Even she knew of the shattered Po Town they called home and how its members were treated so poorly by Alolans at large…

She had felt so far away from him before at Aether Paradise, unable to trust him… she had truly felt like she couldn't get any farther from him back then. Yet, lying there in that bed, idly playing with Nebby, she felt as if they were lightyears apart, and unlike Mohn or Lusamine, there was no closure. He wasn't dead, as Lillie had resolved herself to believe about her father. He hadn't outright lost his mind like Lusamine, whom she found easy to hate due to the abuse she had put them through. They just… had drifted apart wordlessly, a slow, awful decay, and part of her was certain she'd never get that closure on just what had become of him.

How long had it just been her and Nebby? she had to wonder. It felt like she had always been like this, born to run and born to hide, for his sake and hers, but it couldn't have been that long… Regretfully, despite her thorny exterior, she felt a lump of emotion build in her throat. She just felt so hollow. How long would she have to play along like this until she could escape Alola? And even once she did, where would she have gone? Aether had its claws deep in the pockets of almost every region. Was she destined to always operate on nothing but sheer survival instinct?

It was a harrowing few moments she spent mulling over that thought before she clenched her jaw, swallowed fiercely, and shut her eyes. Even if it is, so what? she thought belligerently. Nebby and I will be alive, and we'll have each other's backs, and nobody can take that from us. Nobody can take us.

Nobody.

Selene had practically flown at the door when she heard the knock. Her parents still hadn't responded to any calls or texts by that morning, and she had momentarily thought it would be them, returning early. Grinning wide as she wrenched open the front door, she immediately was disappointed to see Lillie there. Hau, too, his Popplio cradled in his arms, but it was Lillie that put the sour taste in her mouth, adding insult to the disillusionment. "What do you want?" Selene sulkily asked her, gripping the door tightly from the inside, ready to slam it at a moment's notice. She felt a little bad for Hau, but… ugh, she was just still so angry at Lillie for attacking Elio like that yesterday!

Lillie shuffled her pristine, white shoes and tugged on her sunhat slightly, downward. "I wanted to apologize," she said, almost meekly, rubbing her arm over her bag comfortingly. A mutinous mewl sounded from inside, undoubtably from Nebby. "Is Elio here?"

Relaxing a little at the genuineness of her tone, Selene hesitantly shuffled her feet. "Yeah, he is…" Turning around, she hollered, "Elio!"

"Whaaaat?" he shot at her from upstairs, in playful Kantonian.

Rolling her eyes and responding in kind, Selene hollered, "Someone wants to see you!"

He descended the stairs in seconds, his Litten batting tiny paws at the fluttering flaps on his cargo shorts' pockets. Upon leaping to the bottom and spotting Lillie ahead of the door, he froze. "O-oh, Lillie," he choked out, gaze latching to the floor below them. "Uh… hi…" He awkwardly went to wave, but then switched gears and performed the Alolan 'hello' gesture instead.

"Hi, Elio… Ah, can I come in?" Lillie briefly looked to Selene for permission, distractedly doing the Alolan wave back at Elio.

"Uh, sure…" Why is she so calm all of a sudden? Lillie's biting edge was completely gone. Maybe she does feel really bad about it… Heaving a sigh as she opened the door wide and stepped away so Lillie could come in, Selene supposed she could forgive Lillie for it if she truly was sorry, as she seemed to be. She still didn't like Lillie much, and Elio's fondness for her was still concerning, but maybe her apologizing would help Elio feel better in the meantime… Now was certainly not the time for her to voice her uncertainties about Lillie.

With a nervous glance between Selene and Elio, Lillie walked inside slowly, curiously inspecting her surroundings. "Are your parents not home?" she questioned softly.

"Uh, no," Elio supplied flightily, fidgeting his hands, still not looking directly at her. "Left a note saying they went, uh… to one of the other islands… Hey, you wanna sit down and talk, or…?" He gestured to the couch a little to their left, in the living room. Lillie agreed, and they both shuffled uneasily into the room, restrainedly seating themselves against the tan cushions.

A bark from Hau's Popplio jerked Selene's attention back to him. Blinking, she almost laughed at seeing that he was still standing outside, silently. "You can come in, too," she teased him. "I don't bite."

Nervously smiling, he gestured to his Popplio with his chin. "Okay if he comes?"

"Yeah," Selene shrugged. "My Rowlet's still hanging out in my room, the only other pokémon in here is Elio's Litten and Lillie's… Nebby. Whatever that thing is."

"Cool!" Hau beamed at her and hopped inside easily. Once there, he set the Popplio down on the floor. "Popper, say hi!" he excitedly called as he leaned next to the pokémon, waving at Selene as if to show it what to do. Quizzically watching him, Popper then lifted the front half of his body off the ground, frantically waving a flipper at Selene before his body dropped back to the floor. "Ayy!" Hau laughed, rubbing the pokémon's head. Popper clapped his flippers together gleefully.

Smiling like a fool at the display, Selene couldn't help but giggle. "You taught him that?" she asked, genuinely impressed. Sure, a lot of pokémon were smart enough to understand little tricks like that, but it was still so intriguing to see. She had to admit, it also seemed rare to find people who taught their pokémon tricks just for fun… Like waving hi at somebody. People in Kanto generally didn't even let their pokémon outside of their Poké Balls unless it was to battle (aside from house pets like Meowth or Persian, but even then, Selene had always thought that was such a shame), so the cute gesture from Popper was more than welcome.

"Ae!" Hau nodded vigorously as he rose back to his full height, which, admittedly, was only slightly taller than she and she was half-convinced that was because of his thick, black hair, most of which was tucked to a ponytail on the back of his head. "Did that while, ah… train for Nui'o Ke'ana."

"I'm sorry," Selene uncomfortably mumbled, "I don't… what's that?"

"Oh, Captain Ilima trial site," Hau clarified. "Nui'o Ke'ana… Don't remember Galarish name." He sheepishly looked down at that, then snickered. "Not like school. It shows."

Snorting in amusement, Selene shrugged. "Language isn't for everyone. But, uh… so, this trial site." She curiously cocked her head and frowned. "We have to go there and then… what's the trial? Do you know?" Maybe it's best if we just… start over. Yesterday was a whole bombshell of information, but maybe now that we know all of that… everything will make some more sense. It sounds insane to me, but what do I know?

"Captain Ilima trial?" Hau nodded, the anxiety vanishing from his expression. Of course, Selene hadn't been blind to how he seemed to constantly shift between nervous and exuberant, like the push and pull of the tides. More than that, the day before he had been so passive in the confrontation with the Skull Gang… She was grateful he had helped Elio despite how unkind her brother had been to him so far, too. He seemed so nice… She had to admit, it was exciting to befriend a native Alolan, too, especially one that would be traveling with them and was about their age! She just couldn't help but be a little starry-eyed as he spoke. "I know. Make way through cave and fight Totem Gumshoos. Totem guard Normalium-Z."

"Totem Gumshoos?" Selene blinked. "Oh, you mean, Captain Ilima's pokémon that he called out yesterday?"

"Ae," he nodded, then sighed deeply. "Want to do Ilima trial today. Tomorrow, his birthday."

"Captain Ilima's? Really?" She rubbed her chin. "He didn't tell me that yesterday… I wonder why he wouldn't… He told me that he was nineteen and that Captains have to step down once they're 20… Though, if a Captain retires, what happens? Does someone else replace them right away, or…?"

Hau looked down at his shoes and scuffed them against each other. "Trial not exist anymore. When new Captain chosen, trial is made. Only as many trial as Captain. Want to battle his Totem Gumshoos today for Normalium-Z, for, uh…" He pondered for a moment. "Experience. Ae."

"Maybe Elio and I could come with you?" Selene offered hopefully. Well, Elio will whine, but… maybe between what I told him last night, and Captain Ilima assuring him that Litten likes to battle, he won't be too upset… "I'm… kinda anxious to get this Island Challenge thing everyone's so excited about underway. I'll admit, I wasn't a big fan at the start, but… I think I understand a little better now. Captain Ilima's really nice."

"Nice, ae," Hau agreed, but she could see in the way his foot tapped the floor that he was stifling a much stronger, excited reaction. Grinning wide, he nodded quickly, "Love for you to join at trial site! If all go, all work together! Will be fun!" As if to emphasize his point, Popper clapped and barked jubilantly. "Island Challenge better with friends, ae!"

"Work together?" Selene echoed stupidly. "What do you…?"

"If all go together," Hau explained eagerly, "we all fight Totem Gumshoos together. Alolans work together. Battle together, show Tapus strength together. Ae!"

Fighting off laughter, Selene supposed that was the best answer she was going to get. Regardless of whether it was a good one or not, she did find it… sweet, in a way. That seemed like it would encourage people to group up on their Island Challenges and work with others to progress… That actually sounded so poetic. Although Alola didn't make sense to her by Kantonian standards, she shyly thought that the Captains and Kahunas with brilliant, helpful powers, a tradition that encouraged young adults to work together and to learn their region, godlike pokémon that, although could be dangerous, were kind for the most part… it was all just so enchanting! She had had no idea back in the dreary day-to-day life she'd led in Kanto! "That sounds really fun, Hau!" Selene agreed at last, nodding affirmatively back at him. "And we'll get to see Captain Ilima before his retirement!"

"Will be ritual tomorrow in Iki over his retire," Hau corrected her slightly. "If want go… it is good to see. May help understand better?"

Oh, so they do have a ritual for when the Captains retire… That could be interesting to see. "Sure," Selene answered. "Sounds good to me. Still wanna do his trial today, though."

Hau radiated with joy. "Ae! Perfect!"

It was hard to shake the searing sense of shame within, even as Lillie sat there, stiffly, apologizing to him. "I'm sorry about yesterday," she had mumbled. "I shouldn't have acted like that. I was frustrated and it was uncalled for…" She paused, then side-eyed him nervously. "Are you… feeling better today?"

While it felt nice that she had apologized… on one hand, he still felt so insulted by her spraying him; on the other, he didn't want to fight with her and was desperate to learn more about her. Deciding he wanted the latter more than he wanted to fight about he former, he shakily said, "It's alright… Yeah, I am." Scratching the back of his neck anxiously, he remembered something. "Uh… can I ask you a question, though?"

He could practically feel her tense even though he was nowhere near touching her. She seemed so uncomfortable… Did he make her feel that way? "…Yes?"

"What did they say that had you freaking out, or… what were you trying to get them to tell you?" he chanced, bracing himself for a stinging retort.

Instead, he got a weary grunt. "I thought they said someone I used to knew had joined them."

"Oh…" Elio flushed red. Suddenly, her anger made more sense, and he felt awful for having been so insulted when, in all likelihood, her attack on him had so little to do with him to begin with. Of course it had nothing to do with him to begin with… "I had no idea… Do you know where you can, uh, find those guys again? Aside from going to their Po Town, or whatever it was…"

Shaking her head, she bitterly said, "No. I realized later that it didn't matter. Even if he were there, it wouldn't change anything. I was just caught up in the moment. I shouldn't have reacted like that yesterday at all."

Elio thought to ask her about whoever this person was, but the words died in his throat. He didn't want to ruin this tentative truce they had forged, and more than that, he was disturbed by how fearful Lillie seemed then. She still had that bladed edge to her words, and he ironically found her more intimidating than he had most actual pokémon trainers he had met in his life, but the tautness of her form, the way she stroked her bag where Nebby was stored as if asking it for strength, the way her eyes darted around the room and she refused to look at him… She was afraid, but of what? What reasons did she have to be so snappish and bitter? He supposed that wasn't his place to ask… Not to mention, he was almost afraid of what the answer could be.

Hau abruptly rounded the couch into the living room and jolted both him and Lillie in surprise. Selene followed suit, giggling as she fell into place next to him. "Hey! Wanna head to Captain Ilima's trial site today?" Selene asked earnestly.

Grimacing, Elio huffed. "Do we have to?"

"Oh, come on!" Selene whined. "Captain Ilima told you that Litten likes to battle, and you'll be with me and Hau! You won't be fighting it one-on-one."

Perking up at that slightly, Elio tilted his head. "Really?"

"She's right," Lillie chimed in. "Trials can be attempted with up to four people at a time. So, you all three can do Captain Ilima's at the same time. Captain Ilima's trial is at the Verdant Cavern… I can show you the way there."

Hau pumped his fist and Selene clapped a little excitedly, all of which just served to make Elio raise a brow at his sister. Smirking to himself, he couldn't resist. "I see you're makin' good friends with Hau," he taunted his sister. "Is that why you're suddenly okay with the Island Challenge?"

Her excitement faded immediately, and she haughtily crossed her arms over a puffed chest. "No! I just think it's exciting!"

"Something's exciting, anyway…"

Elio laughed obnoxiously at Lillie's sly addition. Everything was starting to feel a little better, especially as Selene gaped at Lillie and jokingly said, "Wow! I am wounded!" (He also had to laugh at the way Hau looked as if he had no idea what was going on. Maybe that was a little rude, considering the language barrier Hau was dealing with was significantly taller than theirs, but… it was just too funny!)

Now, he just wished they could get ahold of Mom and Dad…

Chapter Text

Gladion truly had no idea just how thin the walls of that motel were until that morning. He awoke to the sound of a high-pitched squeal, followed by almost manic laughter. At first, he thought to merely ignore it—it wasn't like that motel was the perfect image of safety—but his Riolu, Vitalis, scrabbled at the door and whined like his life depended on getting outside. His frantic attention to the door woke Null as well as Gladion's other pokémon, who quickly took interest in the door, too. Groaning, Gladion leapt out of bed, knowing that Null would need supervision now that he was awake if nothing else. His Sneasel, Zorua, and Porygon weren't exactly paragons of obedience, either, and he didn't trust that door against their combined forces.

Daring to peek through the tiny window in his motel room's door, he heard another shriek and more laughter, and saw a group of people converging on someone else. The details were difficult to make out from their obscuring, dark clothes as well as the occasional flurry of rain. Even so, he noticed a midday Lycanroc trotting around them, as well as a Crabrawler pounding the earth with its fists just a little beyond them. Gladion caught a glint of silver from between the gathered people in black and then they separated just enough for him to see that it was the same small girl from Po Town he had seen playing with a Sliggoo the day before. She was on her knees, caked from the waist down in mud, but the signature Skull Gang medal hung around her neck, the off-white hat pulled over her head, all enough for him to identify her even from this distance. Suddenly, the Lycanroc lunged at her, snapping fangs dangerously close to her face; she brought her hands up in front of her and squealed. The people in black just laughed, chattering away to one another in Alolan faster than Gladion could hope to keep up. He swore the Lycanroc laughed, too, as it barked in rapid, high-pitched succession, prancing around her trembling frame proudly.

Feeling a rush of anger and anticipation, Gladion scrambled to throw himself properly together, decidedly omitting his own Skull Gang apparel from his getup. He may not have wanted to feel that close to Skull, but the fact of the matter was, she was a young girl regardless of her allegiances. He knew what it was like to be at the mercy of vindictive adults and he was not about to leave her to them. She didn't deserve whatever they were about to do, whereas those men deserved a world of hurt for ganging up on her.

Recalling his pokémon, he flew out the door, forgetting to close it, and hollered at the gathered people. As they whipped around to look at him, he realized they were all men, native Alolan, looking to be no older than thirty at the most. Even that seemed like a stretch. One of them curled his lip at Gladion and spat at the ground. "You got somethin' to say?" he asked tauntingly, patting his chest in a clear indication that he was ready for a fight. Gladion wasn't sure why he would have done that… It wasn't like people tended to engage in fistfights that often when pokémon battles were available, and they clearly had at least the Lycanroc and the Crabrawler.

The little girl froze as she spotted Gladion, shivering between her adrenaline and the frigidity of the mud and rain, and swallowed anxiously. Gladion pursed his lips and scowled at the gathered men. "Yeah. It's called 'pick on someone your own size,'" Gladion growled. "Girl's no older than eight or nine. The hell are you doing attacking her? You're grown men. Get lost."

"Who are you s'posed to be?" another one of the men scoffed as his buddies laughed amongst themselves. "Missin' your chains, lowly Rockruff. Ain't you gotta wear your Skull colors? Show your nasty, heathen pride?"

"Who I am is, frankly, none of your goddamn business," Gladion spat as he crossed his arms.

He realized a little too late that his choice in language was pushing it too far. That word carried an entirely different connotation on these islands. Whereas Galarians or Unovans would have waved off its use as particularly vulgar slang, Alolans saw it as using the Tapus' names in vain, and coming from someone they believed had already forsaken them? He had just messed up, indeed.

The Lycanroc and Crabrawler turned their attention on him then, the former curling its lips into a cruel snarl, while the latter pummeled the earth uncomfortably close to his feet. The men shifted so they surrounded him instead of the little girl, moving in tandem like a school of prowling Basculin. "Say, when you say pick on someone our own size," the first man came again coldly, "did ya mean someone like you, homeboy?"

Tensing at that, Gladion cut his eyes at the girl. "Go!" he hissed. Why are you still here? "Get back to Po Town. Now!"

She lurched, then looked frozen again momentarily, before leaping to her feet and sprinting away, throwing up dirt in her wake. The Lycanroc abruptly veered away from Gladion and raced after her. Panicking, he reached for Null's Ultra Ball only to feel calloused hands latch onto his arms, the third man that hadn't spoken yet snatching it from his grasp. Wrestling against their hold, Gladion ultimately pulled them all into the mud in a writhing pile of arms and legs, unable to see—and frankly, not sure if he would have wanted to, anyway—if the little girl had been caught by the Lycanroc or not. He furiously kicked and thrashed, even going as far as to snap his teeth at one's ear that drew close to his face. His mind had cleaned itself of coherent thought and he was in sheer, plain survival mode.

"Get OFF of me!" Gladion howled when he found a moment to breathe, only to be met with a swift punch across his face for the remark. He wasn't sure if it was from one of the men or their Crabrawler. Stunned, he fell limp and more blows befell his abdomen and ribcage, each one furthering the length of his temporary paralysis. It wasn't long before he felt truly hopeless, curling into a ball against their blows, shuddering and praying it would end soon. Fleetingly, he wondered why they wouldn't have wanted to battle him instead of this, or why they had attacked him at all, why they had ganged up on the young girl; of course, he knew the answer. The deep-seated Alolan hatred for the Skull Gang. Before that day, he hadn't any idea just how pervasive and violent it could be. Above it all, though, he felt pathetic for having failed to defend himself so fantastically, because finding himself on the receiving end of blows was something he was familiar with. Sure, Lusamine's occasional slaps and strikes couldn't have held a candle to getting kicked around by three men and a Crabrawler, but the sheer inexplicable nature of her outbursts, the randomness of them, the exacerbated hatred in which she had regarded him following Lillie's leave, had made them just as traumatic, had made this almost impossible to bear.

He just wanted it to stop. To just stop. He loathed that feeling of helplessness. It was something he had raged against in his rebellious escape from Aether Paradise. It was why he hated Lillie so deeply. She had abandoned him to Lusamine and to the capital punishment his mother was more than capable of dishing out… Yet, just like always, instead of violently defending himself, he was curled in the fetal position, taking their beating like the sorry sob he was. He hoped the girl had managed to escape the Lycanroc. At least that would have made it somewhat worth it, even if he was doubting his decision to get involved on her behalf by that point.

He was coughing and spluttering against the mud desperately for air when he faintly heard someone bellow, "Savage Spin-Out!"

The repetitive pressures in his side left him suddenly, even though pain still spasmed throughout his abdomen as his body came to the realization it was over. Blinking fervently against the flash of green light that played out overhead and shock, Gladion slowly realized that the men, plus their Crabrawler, had been knocked away from him, wrapped in thick, silken threads, and were unconscious. Exhaustedly fighting the mud to stand up, Gladion heaved for breath against stinging, agonizing lungs as he nervously traced the threads to find their source. Standing just a few feet away with his shoulders arched and a familiar midday Lycanroc slung over one of them, the little girl at his hip, and his Golisopod towering next to him, Guzma had a blank, cold stare on his face. He grunted in acknowledgment to Gladion, then tossed the Lycanroc to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Normally, such a sight might have made Gladion cringe, but he found it didn't bother him that much then. That Lycanroc had been taught just as much prejudice as the men themselves had shown. Although it wasn't its fault, he couldn't help but feel a sense of righteousness, seeing it receive some retribution for its actions. It had been willing to maul a young girl, after all.

Stalking over to the fainted men and their Crabrawler, Guzma wrenched a hole open in the silken threads with a disgusting, wet crack!, retrieving Gladion's Ultra Ball. Without turning to look, he flicked the Poké Ball back at Gladion, who unceremoniously scrambled to catch it from midair before it hit the mud. With a kick to one of the downed men's crotches for good measure, Guzma spun around to face Gladion and huffed.

"Another rule," he grumbled, "keep a pokémon out around ya if you're gonna be pickin' fights and don't get close enough for people to grab ya." Gesturing to the downed men, he added, "See that? They ain't had a problem attackin' a little girl. What makes ya think ya can get close to 'em without 'em hurtin' you?"

Shaking his head tiredly, Gladion mumbled, "I don't know…" I really don't. I just… I didn't expect that at all… He surreptitiously rubbed his right side. He felt like he'd been hit by a truck rather than just kicked a few times. Then again, that felt like nothing compared to his wounded pride, to the rush of shame at having been beaten so easily, even with Null at his side. What would Guzma think, seeing him get beaten down so easily? As much as he wanted to rebel against Skull thanks to Plumeria's double-crossing nature he had seen the previous day, he hated the idea of being alone again even more.

As if picking up on his train of thought, Guzma snorted. "Don't look like 'at, chin up. Ya got jumped. Don't matter what pokémon you have on ya if ya don't remember to send 'em out before shit gets ugly." He cracked the slightest hint of a grin. "By the way, shitty form. Plumeria needs to teach you some methods of gettin' outta situations like that, 'cause I ain't always gonna be there to save your ass. You was lucky I was headin' outta Po Town and Lil'ua found me." He paused, crossing his arms, and then sighed. His expression softened as he eyed the little girl, still standing dubiously a little away from him. She looked lost, as if everything that had happened was too much to process. Gladion sharply looked away from her and Guzma, staring at his shoes, finding he didn't blame her. "But…" Guzma sighed, "I do wanna thank ya… Ya saw a Skull member in trouble and ya stepped in." There was another long, grim pause. "That's part o' what bein' in Skull means. Standin' up for one another. Ain't nobody got our backs out here but us. And you, Lil' Aether, can have our backs real good… Anyway, Lil'ua?"

Gladion unconsciously started to pluck at his hair with his right hand as he heard the little girl muster a trembling voice. "Guzma, ae?"

"Start talkin'," he heard Guzma bark, "where the hell is your Ma, and why the fuck was you out here alone?"

She floundered for a response, finally yelping, "W-was bored! Ma ain't at Po Town right now… Went to Akala few days ago…"

"And she ain't back?"

"No…"

"Figures…" Guzma muttered under his breath. "Still, you know fuckin' better," Guzma spat. Gladion heard the squelching of mud underfoot and winced as he accidentally wrenched one of the remaining locks of hair from the left side of his scalp. He snatched his right hand with his other, vice-gripping it to hold it down, quickly dropping the torn hair so Guzma would hopefully not question it. He wasn't so lucky, as the footsteps paused and Guzma shouted, "Lil' Aether?"

Gladion hated that nickname, and to be honest, he hated that defending that little girl had put him in that situation. In fact, he just hated his situation entirely! If his mother had simply kept her damn head screwed on straight, had Lillie not bolted the first chance she got from Aether, he wouldn't have been in such a situation to begin with! Had Lusamine simply let him study at school normally, he could have gone anywhere in the whole world to further his studies, to make something of himself, to just live a normal life with a normal family! But no! Instead, he was relegated to crawling on his belly to the deepest recesses of Alola to escape Aether's corrupted claws, with no family to his name aside from Null. The Skull Gang boasted of their familial nature, but he couldn't help but partially feel like he had escaped the frying pan and hunkered down in the oven; he had escaped Lusamine's brutality and bladed tongue, but now he would find himself at the mercy of shortsighted, angry Alolans, fueled by their belief in the Tapus and a prejudiced resentment for all those related to Skull. He almost contemptuously snorted. Yet, somehow, he felt safer there than he ever had at Aether…

"Gladion." Guzma sounded much more serious this time.

"What?" Gladion frustratedly answered him at last, arching his shoulders and practically hugging himself.

"You're bleedin' on your head. Better come in and let Makua take a look at 'at. Guy can work miracles, I tell ya. One o' my best, oldest friends."

He didn't know who Makua was and he didn't intend to find out. "No." Clutching Null's Ultra Ball tightly, Gladion abruptly turned on his heel and narrowly glared at his motel door, stomping his way back over to it. Plumeria had told him to head to Po Town that morning, but he had no desire to satisfy her request. He wanted to lock the doors, turn the pathetic TV that was lodged in the corner of his room on, raise the volume to an unreasonable amount, and forget the Skull Gang for the day. He supposed he wouldn't have any choice but to keep Null out from then on. If others were going to jump him for his relation to Skull and if they were going to assume they could beat him down if they didn't see him with a pokémon, then he'd make sure the first pokémon they saw was Null. If they were scared, fine. If they thought he was a monster, fine. If Null slashed the hell out of him on occasion, fine. He'd make it all fine.

Maybe one day he and Null could even get payback on all those who thought they could have kept him down. Maybe one day, he would make Lusamine beg him for mercy rather than the other way around, or maybe one day, Lillie would come crawling back for his assistance, and he'd leave her high and dry with no explanation just as she had left him. Sure, she didn't know just how bad things had gotten following her absence on Aether Paradise, but whose fault was that? Most certainly not his! Maybe—

Pressure on his shoulder. "Gladion," Guzma growled, "I'm serious, you're bleedin'—"

Wrenching out of his hold, Gladion pitched Null's Poké Ball and snarled, "Leave me alone! Just leave me alone!"

For a moment, Guzma and Gladion both stared at each other in equal shock, both panting to try and catch their breath, while Null started idly clawing at its bronze mask again. Despite all his anger and desire to look as fierce as possible, Gladion had no idea that his emerald eyes were stretched wide in fear, his nostrils flaring in survivalist panic, all body language Guzma seemed to recognize, given the way he winced and ran a hand through his thick, white hair. "Y'know," Guzma mumbled, "I thought I'da done you a favor to kick ya back to the streets and keep ya out of Skull. But… I can tell there's a lot more to ya than I know." Guzma pressed his lips to a hard line and glowered at Gladion. "I ain't got a clue what that rich bitch did to ya. But I been where you are before." He took a step back and held both hands up in surrender.

Curling his lip, Gladion hissed, "Whatever. The hell do you know about me?"

"Nothin' exact, but I don't need to. Go back to your motel. Keep that pokémon o' yours out from now on." Guzma suddenly smiled a little and snapped his fingers, his Golisopod cutting the threads between itself and the downed men and hobbling closer to its trainer. When it lowered its armored head next to him, Guzma stroked its head. "I didn't become the only one to ever evolve a Wimpod by keepin' it in a Poké Ball, that's for damn sure. Look out for your pokémon and it'll look out for you. I don't care what Aether did to that mutt o' yours. I'm sure it's the same."

He bristled at the use of the word mutt but managed to find the self-discipline to keep his mouth shut. Still, Gladion's right hand managed to snake back up to his hair and start plucking it free again. "Thanks," he tersely muttered. Now go away. Now go away and leave me alone.

Waving a hand at him, Guzma loudly sighed. "Go relax for a while. Ya earned it. Thanks for savin' Lil'ua. She's one o' the poor saps that was born into this mess. There're prob'ly some o' us that could deserve a good beatin' every now and then, but she ain't it."

Gladion didn't watch him gather Lil'ua and leave. Instead, he casted a final, nervous glance to the unconscious men, their Crabrawler, and Lycanroc, and then scurried back into his motel room, Null following at his heels. He anxiously inspected the inside before shutting and locking the door, realizing he had left it open before, though he found nothing amiss. He retreated to his bed immediately, mud and rainwater be damned, and Null leapt onto the mattress after him. He stared him down with gray, wanting eyes for a moment, before cocking his head to scratch sharp claws loudly against the helmet.

"We're going to find a way to do better," Gladion reassured him abruptly, his voice tense and heavy against the still air of the small room. With the traces of a dark grin, he added, "But before then, we're going to become the toughest there is. I will punish those that deserve it and let them know they can't ever put me down again… That they can't ever put us down again. Do you understand me, Null?"

Null paused his scratching briefly and uttered something of a mechanical grunt at him. Gladion wasn't sure what it meant, but it looked as if Null were curiously listening closer.

"Aether taught me a lot, Null," Gladion huffed, staring at his hands, feeling a cold, tingly sensation slowly work its way from his feet up. "Pokémon are often at the mercy of people and people do a lot of awful things given the opportunity. And those people don't get punished when their victims are silent." He looked up then and stared Null in the eyes. "Skull is violent and troubles challengers because they don't have a choice. Talking and doing it peacefully didn't work, if what Plumeria said was true." Even though I have a hard time trusting her after what she said… "I stole you and ran away from Aether because there were no other options." He broke into a wide, hungry grin, clenching his right hand into a fist in front of his face. Null reared away briefly, then lowered its upper body to the bed in a poised, battle stance, giving that eerie clanging noise that Gladion knew was its battle cry. Encouraged, Gladion sternly said, "We are enforcers, Null. We'll punish those that deserve it since nobody else will on these islands, and we'll save those who need it. I might not appreciate Plumeria tying me down to Skull, but I'm not going to let them own me. Nobody owns me. Nobody owns you. It's me and you, Null—forever and always!"

Null happily jumped on the bed, though when he landed, he immediately went back to scratching and pulling at the mask.

"And more than anything, one day, I will get that mask off you." Gladion licked his lips and practically bared his teeth. It might have disturbed him somewhat in the past, how much he lavished this vengeful ideology, but right then, it felt like heaven. Aether and Alola both could snake their curling fingers into him and try to pull him down, reach for his throat, hungry for his skin, but they would never succeed. He wouldn't let them close in on him, or Null, or anyone else that didn't deserve their fury… He dared to stroke Null's mask, bracing himself for a strike, though he was pleasantly surprised when it didn't come. "I will get that mask off you, Null. I swear… Even if I have to beat the method to do so out of Faba's stupid face."

Selene cocked her head curiously at the triangular, golden landmarks at either edge of the entrance to the Verdant Cavern. Captain Ilima was speaking, but her gaze had naturally wandered to those landmarks, and she had, admittedly, lost track of what he was saying. They had intricate, yet simplistic carvings etched into a pole, with two, angular projections on either side of it, while stone had been packed at the base to hold the landmarks up.

As if following her gaze, Captain Ilima laughed softly, drawing her attention back to him. She still found it eerie, the way his silvery eyes seemed to understand exactly what was going on around him, as if the film over them weren't there at all. Selene had thought to question him about it during their initial discussion, but had backed out of it in the end, a little nervous to question a Captain's appearance so bluntly. "Those are trial landmarks," Captain Ilima explained with a flick of the wrist toward one of them, "they help challengers locate trial sites in case they don't have someone to help guide them. They're impermanent since trial sites can change pretty rapidly depending on the Tapu's whims."

"Oh," Selene nodded slowly. "That makes sense… So, er… What did you say the trial was again…?" She flushed red embarrassedly and rubbed the back of her head. Hau, standing to her right, snickered. Elio was too lost whispering back and forth with Lillie to comment on the situation at hand, his Litten circling their feet impatiently. She wanted to roll her eyes at them. Although Lillie sniped at him with cold, biting remarks on occasion, they were practically thick as thieves already, as if Elio was somehow drawn to her bitter attitude. Selene didn't understand it.

"You'll go in and navigate to the deepest part of the cave," Captain Ilima patiently explained again, smiling at her gently. He seemed so kind and understanding. She supposed he had to be, given the way his mind had to work with the ability Tapu Koko had imparted on him… She wondered if he ever regretted his ability. He had sworn up and down during their first discussion that it had opened his eyes to a much larger world, one he didn't think he would have ever had the opportunity to see, without it, but she had to wonder if such an ability overwhelmed him at times… If it did, he certainly didn't show it. "There, you'll combat my Totem Gumshoos. He is a pokémon that was blessed by Tapu Koko, as much as I was… I'll admit, it makes me happy to see you three willing to take this Trial on together. The Totems are very difficult to fight alone, since they can call other wild pokémon to assist them. They are not to be taken lightly. Now…" He cleared his throat and straightened his back, his expression suddenly taking a much more austere turn. "Once you enter the Verdant Cavern, you will not be able to leave until you complete the trial, or you forfeit. If you forfeit, you will need to wait…" he trailed off and blinked, another light laugh breaking his severe look. "Well, normally, I'd say you would have to wait at least a day before trying it again, but if you do that, you won't need to attempt the trial again at all, since I won't be a Captain anymore… Anyway, my point is, you should be ready before entering because you cannot leave without forfeiting. Are all three of you ready?"

Selene and Hau both nodded vigorously, Selene's Rowlet clicking its beak in annoyance at her bouncing head. Snorting in amusement, she wondered why the pokémon insisted on standing there when it hated her moving her head so much… It was kind of endearing, as if he thought if he did it enough, she might be 'trained' to listen to his warnings. Anyway, when Elio failed to respond to Ilima's inquiry after a few seconds, Selene rolled her eyes and hissed, "Earth to Elio!"

"Huh?" He dumbly stared at her and then Captain Ilima for a moment, and then grinned nervously. "Ah, sorry… Yeah, I think I caught it all, and I'm ready, or whatever…"

Captain Ilima looked as if he were fighting off a smirk with the way he looked on Elio. "Very well then," he announced before turning on a heel to march into the cavern, throwing his arms out theatrically. "Let the Trial of the Verdant Cavern begin!" He was soon swallowed up by the shadowy entrance to the mossy cave.

"Do you get to come in and, uh, watch, or anything like that?" Selene heard Elio ask Lillie.

"Uh, no. Fairly sure pretty boy's Gumshoos would eat me for daring to bring my Island Challengeless arse inside," Lillie answered bluntly. Shrugging, she spotted a large boulder nearby and took a seat on that, crossing her legs innocently. She looked so sweet and harmless like that. Selene was a little alarmed by the flare of distrust she felt in her chest as she noticed that about Lillie, though… Ugh, she didn't like buying into the obvious social conditioning against those that didn't participate in the Island Challenge—she and Elio hadn't even wanted to initially, and Elio still probably didn't!—but something about Lillie was just… off. Something felt wrong about her. Selene just couldn't shake that feeling…

"Aw," Elio whined. "Well… oh, well." He snapped his fingers and made a show of fingerguns that made Selene want to drag him into the cavern, if for no reason than to get him to stop embarrassing himself. "Seeya later, then~"

Lillie snorted. "See you, Torchic."

Gaping back at her like a Magikarp out of water, Elio finally dramatically sputtered, "So rude!"

Groaning, Selene glanced to Hau. "Hey," she started gently, "he said all of that in Galarish… Did you catch it all?"

"Oh, heard before," Hau shrugged back at her. "No need." Eagerly bouncing from foot to foot, he set Popper down to the ground (he had been hugging the pokémon close to his chest again), then rushed off into the cavern. "C'mon!" he called over his shoulder, Popper scrambling after him a little unsteadily.

Forgetting all about her inhibitions, Selene darted after him, Elio shortly on her heels, leaving Lillie alone just outside of the Verdant Cavern. None of them thought anything about that, considering how fiercely Lillie had defended herself before, and so, none of them could have known just how frightening it was to Lillie…

…or just how frightening it should have been to her.

Chapter Text

Waiting alone outside of the Verdant Cavern was far from comfortable for Lillie. She occasionally checked on Nebby in her bag, bouncing her leg impatiently as she waited for Elio, Hau, and Selene to finish with their trial (much to Nebby's vocal displeasure). Captain Ilima's trial was simple enough, not to mention Verdant Cavern wasn't that large, so she hoped that meant they would be done soon… Surveying the route just beyond the entrance to it, she could just make out the edge of a Pokémon Center, but otherwise, it was lush, grassy path with the odd berry tree dotting the landscape. She knew the cliff beyond the Pokémon Center overlooked the sea, but the scent of saltwater on the lively breeze was lost on her, as she had long since grown accustomed to it.

Of course, nothing seemed capable of going right for her, and so within just a few minutes, a familiar duo of Skull members crested the shallow hill leading to Verdant Cavern's entrance. She froze, and it seemed they initially intended to just keep walking, but one spotted her out the corner of his eye and gestured with a nod of his head in her direction. His buddy scoffed and rolled his shoulders, then started to walk away, as if totally uninterested in a confrontation with her. Lillie couldn't help but smirk, wondering if he had been the one she had sprayed… Truthfully, she didn't remember what he had looked like, not that there was really much information to go off, considering the masks and hats they wore. Ultimately, the first of the duo snatched his friend by the shoulder, steering him in her direction as he trotted over to her.

"What do you want?" Lillie icily asked once they were within earshot, her muscles taut and poised to act on a moment's notice. Although she personally just found the Skull grunts irritating on the worst of days, she had to brace herself in case they decided to exact some revenge for her actions the day before. She tried hard not to let perceptions blind her to what people were capable of. She had learned quite a while ago people could surprise one in the worst of ways.

Based on the first's voice, they were, in fact, the same grunts she had accosted the day before. "Ay, homie," the first joked upon his approach, "you in a better mood today?"

The other hung back decisively, mutinously shooting glares between his friend and Lillie. She had to admit, that made her smile some, a sinisterly fake smile. That was because they were amusing her, but truthfully, she didn't know why they had even taken such a shine to her the day before. Sure, she looked familiar to 'someone they had taken in,' but even then, what would they care? That was what put her so on edge about their approach the day before, and it was still bothering her then. Her smile wasn't the only fakeness going on. Indeed, she was certain their friendliness was as false as it came. It had to be.

"Yeah, I'm feeling better today," she taunted him. With a voice dripping in degrading sarcasm, she musingly asked, "Why? Are you boys not finished with little ole' me yet~?" At least most of the time, the Skull Gang seemed rather harmless. It was only their leader, Guzma, Lillie had heard one needed to be worried about. It wasn't like they knew about Nebby, and otherwise she wasn't packing any pokémon, so she wasn't fearing any thievery like the grunts were known to do. Of course, she didn't let that soften her guard; it was just all she could do to keep a lid on her nerves. She wouldn't hesitate to spray them both down or bolt into the Verdant Cavern for cover if need be, sacred trial ground be damned. Oh, she thought she was clever for already thinking ways out of her predicament before anything had even happened.

The first opened his mouth like he wanted to jeer at her again, but he and his friend abruptly tensed and then whipped their heads to look over their shoulders. "You see that?" he asked his friend in Alolan, sounding so different from the jesting tone he'd used seconds ago.

"See what? I heard somethin', but…"

"Look, see that bush? The hell was that?"

They both lowered their knees slightly, bent in a way that suggested they were ready to run, too. Their unease was contagious, as Lillie slowly slunk off her rock and craned her neck to look over their shoulders, feeling an almost primal need to group with the Skull men. Strength in numbers and all of that. For a breathless second, she saw nothing out of the ordinary, but just as she went to return to her rock and snidely call them a couple of scared Meowth, a horrifyingly familiar figure took shape inches away from the Skull grunts.

A gleaming, silver and navy suit that hid a surly man's expression beneath a set of opaque goggles materialized, gazing firmly at Lillie, and the two Skull grunts wasted no time in fleeing the scene, shouting to each other in panicked Alolan. Yet, just before vanishing over the hill, one of them paused to peer over his shoulder at her. His blue eyes were wide and fearful, but in the end, he jerked his head from side to side and bolted after his friend. Even as she locked up in terror, Lillie couldn't blame them for their cowardice. This wasn't their battle, and for people that could regularly be assaulted for daring to show their faces outside of Po Town, it wasn't like they didn't have reason to fear the man in his otherworldly getup… Still, she had to wonder why he had bothered to stop and look back at her at all…

Shaking her head vigorously to refocus her attention on the suited man ahead of her, Lillie narrowed her eyes at him. She recognized him right away, as well as his colleague who poked her head out from behind him. They were the same two people that had tried to assist the various Aether Foundation employees in capturing her during her original escape with Nebby. They were just as terrifying as she remembered, just as mysterious… and how on Earth had they just appeared like that from nowhere?!

"Did we scare them off, Dulse?" Zossie asked quizzically. Before Dulse had a chance to respond to her, she pouted and whined, "Aw, I don't mean to scare anybody!"

"Zossie, focus!" Dulse hissed at her, though he was staring squarely at Lillie. "Lillie Rae Aether, we need to discuss something with you immediately. We have wasted enough time trying to locate you on these islands through trial and error in pinpointing Cosmog's signature. We have no more time to waste."

Lillie took a step backward, chancing a rapid glance to the Verdant Cavern's entrance behind her. When she looked back on Dulse and Zossie, she found they had fanned out in front of her; Zossie, with her arms clasped deceivingly politely behind her back, smiled uncertainly, while Dulse had his arms planted firmly at his sides, what little she could see of his expression blank. Not that Lillie paid much mind to their body language, as she was searching for a way out of this confrontation with them. She didn't know what they were, what they wanted with Cosmog or the Aether Foundation, but she knew they were bad news. Her options then had dwindled down to just one: flee into the sacred Verdant Cavern.

"I can see you are distressed," Dulse commented flatly. The way his mouth move made Lillie falter for a moment. She had thought before that the pale, blue over their faces had been a bodysuit, but as she watched him speak… She realized that she could see into his mouth. Gaping in horror, she realized the pale blueness was just their skin. She whipped her gaze to Zossie, noticing she was the same. "Lillie Rae Aether, we do not wish any harm upon you. Cosmog is a potential harbinger of destruction to your world and ours, and so we must—"

"Shut up!" Lillie spat, bristling in almost feral fear. "I don't care! I don't care about what you or what my mother wants!" She was dimly aware of the way Zossie lunged forward to try to grab her bag as she whirled around to dart into the Verdant Cavern, running as fast as her feet would carry her. She heard Nebby mewl pathetically from within her bag as it bounced against her hip, but she didn't have the luxury of being kind to him in that moment.

Inside the cavern, she noticed that shafts of light occasionally penetrated the murkiness through holes in the ceiling, and that dens and fallen logs dotted the upward incline of the mossy, overgrown cave. It smelled musty, like a mix of saltwater and grass, and the floor was damp underfoot. Glancing fervently around to try to spot Elio, Hau, and Selene, she cursed under her breath when she heard the distant cry of a Gumshoos and deduced that they must have already descended into the Totem Gumshoos' den. Deciding that a hollowed-out cove beneath a fallen log would have to do, she scurried inside and wrenched open her bag. She immediately grabbed Nebby, holding him down, as she thrashed the rest of her bag's contents, letting out a puff of relieved air when she found her heavy duty repel spray. It was a special blend, made specifically by the Aether Foundation, that staved off wild pokémon no matter what pokémon the person was using. Part of their humanities initiative by making the world a safer place for non-trainers, she thought bitterly. It was a nice thought, but the knowledge that Aether had created it and would get credit for the patent was outright depressing, considering all she knew about them.

Squashing down her misgivings about it, she sprayed the repel, and apologetically frowned at Nebby as he recoiled from her grasp, flaring his little arms. "I'm sorry, I know, it smells bad and you really don't deserve this…" she mouthed at him, capping her spray, stuffing it in the bag, then zipping it shut once more. Sighing to herself, she realized she was trembling in fright, leaning her head back against the stony wall behind her. Closing her eyes and biting her lower lip, fighting off the nauseating wave of fear and despair, she whispered, "Neither of us deserve this…"

She hoped the rotten log in front of her would protect her from Dulse and Zossie's prying eyes.

"Good Arceus on a stick, why is it so big and so mean?" Elio blustered as he backpedaled away from the oversized, glowing Gumshoos hissing at him and his Litten. They had been fighting it for quite a bit at that point, and it was still just as wily and furious as ever. Despite Elio's obvious uncertainty, his Litten looked completely unfazed and, in fact, invigorated by the opponent ahead of it. The dark fur of its back was puffed up and its eyes blazed intensely as it yowled back at the Gumshoos, undaunted. In fact, a faint red glow surrounded the Litten, bringing some light into the shadowy den. There were a few shafts of light coming from the roof to light up the mossy stone that surrounded them, but it was much, much darker there than it had been in the rest of the Verdant Cavern… "Uh… Litten, Ember… on the… Gumshoos, right?"

Hau was more reserved, ordering Popper to attack in Alolan. Selene found she couldn't quite make out where the words began or ended in his native tongue, due to the way he spoke so fluidly, not to mention how it sounded like he was almost… singing, with the melodic way the words rolled off his tongue. Still, it was obvious what he was asking Popper to do based on the attacks that it issued. This time, a simple Water Gun, based on the jet of water Popper blasted the Gumshoos with. After the Gumshoos reeled from the hit and furiously snapped its teeth after Popper in retaliation, Hau offered some crooning words of encouragement to his partner, pumping a fist excitedly. He almost acted like an entirely different person in battle.

Selene, on the other hand, was scrambling to try to find out what moves her Rowlet could use on her Rotom Dex. She knew Leafage was an option, but was there anything else it could use that would be useful? As she withdrew the device from her pocket, though, it wriggled free of her grasp and a robotic voice asked her what she wanted to know, the round, blue eyes of the Rotom blinking at her innocently. "What else can my Rowlet use?" Selene asked breathlessly, irritated that she couldn't just scroll through the device normally. Somehow, even though the Rotom Dex started spouting off move names at her, it felt as if it were slower. Elio's Litten bought her some time by firing off the Ember it had been building in its throat.

Although she had enjoyed her battle with Hau in Iki Town, she had to admit, facing this angry Gumshoos, easily twice her size and pulsing with an otherworldly glow, she was feeling anything but joy. It had dawned on her, as the battle progressed, and as the Gumshoos bellowed in a way that shook the walls and floor, that they had essentially loped their way into a wild pokémon's den unsure if they could actually defeat it or not. What would happen if they failed? Sure, Captain Ilima had said that, traditionally, challengers would have to wait a day to face the trial again, but why was that? Selene had thought before it was to give the pokémon in the trial a chance to rest, but now she was wondering if it was instead to ensure the challengers were okay and able to face the trial again… Her eyes locked onto the Gumshoos' sharp, jagged teeth protruding from its jaws, and she swallowed hard in the beginnings of a panic. How on Earth could anyone have faced this thing alone? she thought desperately. After a point, she just growled and shook her head, waving the Rotom Dex off, "Ugh, Rowlet, just use Leafage on it!"

As her Rowlet dove off her head and at the Gumshoos, its body cloaking in leaves and tendrils, a Yungoos scurried from the shadows around the edge of the den. Hau had Popper attack it so that Rowlet was uninterrupted, but when Rowlet did barrel into the Gumshoos, he bounced off hilariously like a soccer ball. Flailing his wings annoyedly, he caught himself before he hit the ground, all the while, the Gumshoos did little more than shake its head in irritation.

"Right," Selene almost laughed to herself, "I forgot that Rowlet doesn't seem all that attack-oriented…" Floundering for what to do next, she almost slumped in relief when the Gumshoos suddenly stood to its back legs and stepped a few paces back, twitching its head as if trying to hear something in the distance. The Yungoos at its side hissed and abruptly dove into a crevice in the rocks surrounding them, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

"Move!" Hau exclaimed suddenly, snatching Popper in his arms, and jumping to the far right of the cavern. Selene and Elio exchanged a bewildered look, and then followed, waving their arms for their Litten and Rowlet to come with. Almost as soon as they retreated, the Gumshoos crashed forward on all fours with a hefty thud against the floor, and scurried out of its den, down the hill that led back toward the main passage of the Verdant Cavern.

There was a short stretch of silence before Elio finally fractured it. "So, uh… what just happened? Did we win?" He and Selene both turned quizzical expressions on Hau. Elio's Litten hissed after the Gumshoos, but didn't give chase, while Selene's Rowlet reclaimed his throne atop her head and started to preen himself. She just rolled her eyes at him.

"What am I going to do with you?" Selene teasingly asked her Rowlet in Kantonian, scratching his side gingerly.

Focusing back on Hau, disturbed was the only way Selene could describe his face as he peered unblinkingly after where the Gumshoos had gone. Without answering them, he clutched Popper a little more tightly to his chest and then carefully picked his way forward, stepping lightly, like how Selene had seen pokémon in nature documentaries do when they were listening for a threat. It jarred her, almost, to see how instinctive his reaction and movements were… how practiced they were. Unnerved, she crept after him and whispered at last, "Hau…? What's going on…?"

He flinched and shushed her, then pressed forward some more before his shoulders slacked. "Sorry," he puffed, "Totem…" Frustrated, he snapped his fingers and couldn't seem to find the words to explain what he wanted to say. Suddenly, Selene's Rotom Dex zipped ahead of her and hovered between her and Hau.

"I can help!" it buzzed in a monotone statement, waving its little arms. "Hau! Just speak in Alolan, and then I'll translate!"

"You can do that?" Selene asked dubiously. "How…?" Then, she paused. Her mouth fell open. "Wait, wait, wait a second, are you just—did you just—are you speaking to me? Like, in my language, like you understand me?"

"You pick up a lot as a digital Ghost-type in this place," her Rotom retorted in an eerily playful tone. "And this thing's speaker lets me speak! I guess that's why it has that name…"

"I've never heard of Rotom talking even when they take over things that have speakers," Elio hoarsely muttered, barely above a whisper, reflecting Selene's shock. "So, what—"

"Well, who wants to yap to Kanto-Johto people that are gonna experiment on me for days?" Rotom taunted. "Anyway," the floating device whirled around to face Hau, "go on! What's going on with the Totem? Don't be shy! You look like you've seen a ghost!" Her Rotom then issued a few bzzrts! that sounded uncomfortably like laughter. Selene didn't know whether to be amazed at how intelligent the Rotom seemed to truly be, or whether to be horrified at learning it was possibly even more intelligent than her or any other human.

Hau suspiciously narrowed his eyes at the Rotom Dex, but begrudgingly started to speak, anyway. Once he was done, he stroked Popper's head and tensed even more when the Rotom Dex repeated his words in perfect Galarish. Selene might have thought his reaction was amusing if she didn't feel like reacting the same way.

"Totems only flee battles when their trial site needs guarding, so that means someone that shouldn't be within it is inside, or worse, the trial site is being damaged in some way!" With another bzzrt!, the Rotom Dex hovered close to Selene. "The Totem will only return to battle after it's protected the trial site!"

"What would mess with a trial site? Or… who?" Elio sounded much more concerned than Selene had expected. She had to stop from groaning as she soon figured out why. "I mean, Lillie was out there… Would Lillie coming inside do it? Why would she go inside, though?" He abruptly darted ahead of Hau (much to his chagrin), and worriedly glanced between him and Selene. "Would the Gumshoos hurt her if she went inside?"

Hau bit his lower lip and then looked down. After he mumbled something, Selene's Rotom Dex piped in with, "I don't know, he said! Zzzzrt!"

"Yeah, screw that. Something's wrong," Elio hissed. "C'mon, Macho, let's go!" With a wave at his Litten, he bounded down the slope leading back into Verdant Cavern's main passage. His Litten's fur fluffed out all over again and it raced after him.

"Macho?" Hau echoed the nickname. "What that mean?"

"Not important right now," Selene answered, perhaps more abrasively than she should have, but she was too busy scrambling after her brother to think too hard about how she spoke to Hau right then (though she had certainly internally rolled her eyes at the nickname since it seemed based on Lillie's taunting names that she would call Elio, and considering he hadn't used it yet in the battle, he must have just decided on the name). Totem or trial site or not, she was not about to let her brother throw himself at that behemoth of a Gumshoos on his own. Her Rowlet took flight once she started to run and flew at her side, flapping tiny, adorable wings rapidly to keep up with her as she skidded down the slope.

Chapter Text

Back at the entrance of Verdant Cavern, Elio had no idea what he was looking at. The Gumshoos, still rippling with that vibrant, strobing light, was growling and spitting at two people dressed in stuff that made them look like they belonged in an ancient episode of Star Trek. One was an older man based on the sound of his voice, while the other looked like a girl perhaps even younger than Selene, based on her squeakier tone and petite frame. Both, however, didn't seem to know what to do about the Gumshoos. Just as Elio had skidded to a halt in front of them, the man had sent forth a Furfrou, but chattered to his colleague as if he had no idea what to do with it. Just as Elio intended to ask them what they thought they were doing, the man focused his attention on him. "You, young man," he uttered bluntly, "do you know where a woman named Lillie Rae Aether is located in this cavern? We do not wish to intrude and would rather avoid confrontation with this creature." He flicked his wrist at the Gumshoos.

"Al-ol-a!" his colleague beamed, giving him a jerky, robotic Alolan wave. "That's it, right?"

"Zossie!" the older man snapped at her.

"Sorry, Dulse!" Zossie unflinchingly sang, totally unfazed by the bite in his voice, following by a giggle.

As if losing its patience, the Gumshoos hissed and took a decisive step forward, snapping its teeth mere centimeters away from the Furfrou's nose. The pokémon yelped and its claws clattered against the stone as it dove behind Dulse and Zossie cowardly, shivering.

"Aw, it's okay!" Zossie comforted the pokémon right away, bending to her knees to pet its head. "You can fight when you want to!"

"No, it can't!" Dulse exasperatedly growled. "We need it to fight now, Zossie. Can you get it up?"

Elio narrowed his eyes at them both. They wanted Lillie, but what for? Lillie always seemed so on edge, and he had been told that some bad people wanted to get ahold of her and her odd little pokémon, Nebby… Well, these people certainly seemed unlike anyone else he'd met on Alola so far, and he didn't recognize those outfits from anywhere else, either. Thinking fast, knowing he couldn't hope to potentially fight the furious Gumshoos alongside Selene and Hau after if he tired Macho out dealing with Dulse and Zossie and their Furfrou, Elio took a deep breath and pulled his Rotom Dex from his pocket. Unlike Selene's, his didn't immediately wriggle out of his grasp and start chattering away. Given their circumstances, he couldn't blame it, and he was glad, too; his plan to disorient and send the duo packing relied on his Rotom Dex's subservience.

"Hey, fellas!" Elio drawled as he theatrically threw his hands wide. "You two don't look like you're from around here! Lillie's not here right now, but I'll be sure to leave her a message! Who should I leave the name in? Tweedle-Dee, or Tweedle-Dumb? Anyway," he flamboyantly grinned and slid closer to them, daring to wrap an arm around Dulse's shoulders. Flicking through the options on the Rotom Dex's screen until he located the camera, he snapped a picture of him and the odd man in the same photograph. He wanted some form of evidence to show… er… somebody, if these people were dangerous to Lillie in some way. He actually didn't know what he intended to do with the picture, but it was an almost instinctive reaction, to photographically document something so out of place. Still, his voice maintained that jeering tone and he joked, "Look at that, now you have a souvenir! Give me an email to send it to, why don't ya? But you'll need to do it outside." Elio jabbed a thumb in the Gumshoos' direction. As if to emphasize Elio's point, it snarled obnoxiously loudly. "See, Big, Yellow, and Fluffy doesn't like visitors that aren't challengers, and you guys aren't that, and that's not cool, so…"

Dulse abruptly slapped Elio away, clearly fed up with his odd behavior, and huffed disdainfully. "I do not understand anything you are talking about. We are not here for the trial, or the Gumshoos, or you, or photographs. We are looking for Lillie Rae Aether and her Cosmog. We must return it to containment to prevent disasters from befalling your world and ours."

"Though, we're kinda bad at battles," Zossie chimed in almost ashamedly from behind her partner, still stroking the Furfrou's head. Her voice had much more inflection and personality to it than Dulse's. "See, we don't do that where we come from! So… we kinda don't know how they work, heh!"

"Man, you're fun at parties, huh?" Elio mused to Dulse's face, then gawked at Zossie when she spoke. What the hell are either of them talking about? Where on Earth do people not battle pokémon…? Shit, can I move there? "Where the hell are you two from, anyway? Did Holon lose a couple spies?" he taunted. Actually, that would be kind of awesome if they turned out to be Holoni spies…

"Elio, wait!"

Casting a quick look over his shoulder, Elio saw Selene jog to a stop, her Rowlet hovering around her head. He noticed then that Hau was watching from a distance in the shadows of cavern, his brown eyes as wide as saucers, and shoulders hunched. He seemed to be trying to keep as still and quiet as possible. He supposed it had worked, since Elio hadn't noticed him before then. Waving a hand at his sister dismissively, Elio said, "Stay back, I got this. Just showin' our two new friends here some hospitality!" I don't know who or what they are. For real, Selene, stay outta this, he thought with a fleeting flash of sobering severity.

"Is that Furfrou not going to fight?" Dulse questioned Zossie, his voice dropping an octave.

She shuffled uncertainly as she stood back up. "No, I don't think so…"

"Well—"

Dulse was abruptly cut off by the Gumshoos lunging at him, snapping its teeth around his helmet. Its teeth slid off the sleek metal with a show of sparks, but it still knocked him off balance, tilted his helmet at a strange angle, and panicked his Furfrou. The pokémon whimpered and then tore out of the cavern. Seemingly without a second thought, Zossie yelped something incoherent and darted after it, and Elio jolted when he thought he saw her vanish before she finished fleeing the cave. Under Selene, Elio, and Hau's gawking, Dulse huffily brushed his suit off. "Fine, we will leave for now, for we must secure that pokémon and Zossie," he said, "but understand this. Cosmog has more abilities than you or most others in Alola understand. Until we convince you to let us return it to containment, you must understand that it cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Aether Foundation was providing a secure environment to house the Beast. By keeping it away, you are endangering this world and the next. Am I clear?"

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Elio asked breathlessly, feeling as if everything Dulse was saying went in one ear and out the other. Before Dulse had a chance to reiterate what he had said (and somehow, Elio felt as if the second round of exposition wouldn't have been any clearer), the Gumshoos snapped its teeth at him again. This time, Dulse managed to dodge the bite, and he stiffly ran after where Zossie had gone then, out of sight before long.

"I'm going out after them to check on Lillie," Elio said immediately, only to have the Gumshoos whirl around and hiss at him. He vaguely heard Hau and Selene snap at him to get back, but he felt frozen as he realized just how close to that beastly Totem Gumshoos he was. Its jagged fangs that had scraped and dug into Dulse's helmet were uncomfortably close, and even more alarmingly, his mind had blanked. His legs felt like lead and he couldn't… move… Suddenly, Macho courageously leapt from the ground at the Gumshoos' face, lashing claws furiously over its nose again and again as it hissed. Selene's Rowlet then dove at its head in a cloak of vines and leaves, while Hau's Popplio blew a bubble that, once it popped next to the Gumshoos, let out a blast of noise that made the Gumshoos backpedal away from the assault. Once it regained its composure, it snapped its fangs over Selene's Rowlet, temporarily stunning the little pokémon as it struggled out of its grasp and back into the air.

"This battle's not over," Selene puffed at her brother as she fell into step next to him. With a curt, reassuring nod, she called, "Rowlet, you've got this! C'mon!"

"We battle Gumshoos," Hau determinedly added as he flanked Elio on the other side, "then find Lillie. Ae!"

"But…" Elio let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Elio, it'll be okay," Selene reassured him with a gentle smile. "I'm sure Lillie's fine… C'mon, let's beat this thing!"

Taking a shaky breath and trying to steel his nerves, Elio found that he could move his feet again. "Alright," he breathed, tucking his Rotom Dex back into a pocket. Ahead of the three of them, their starters readied for their next strike, Macho arching its back, Selene's Rowlet hovering in the air in front of her (though it was faltering slightly in exhaustion), Hau's Popplio clapping its flippers together, all the while, the Totem Gumshoos panted tiredly. Noticing that gave Elio the burst of confidence he felt he needed and for once… he found himself not really thinking about the nastiness of battle. The adrenaline and emotions coursing through him in that moment seemed to banish whatever misgivings he had about the process all at once, and he ordered Macho to perform another Ember. Somehow, with Selene and Hau at his side and their pokémon aligned in front of him, he felt more… alive.

With that, another Disarming Voice from Popper, and Leafage from Selene's Rowlet, the Gumshoos' ethereal glow shuddered and then faded altogether as it collapsed to its stomach. There was a long stretch of silence where the three of them panted breathlessly as their pokémon retreated to their sides before it seemed to set in that they had beaten the Totem Gumshoos. Once Elio reached the conclusion that they had, though, he uncharacteristically hollered in excitement and lunged forward, snatching his Litten in his arms and giving something of a twirl. "Macho, man, we did it! Haha!"

"Congratulations!" Captain Ilima's voice carried from somewhere else in the cave, making the three of them quizzically look up and around, until Elio spotted him step out from behind his fallen Gumshoos. He recalled the pokémon to an Ultra Ball, tucking it away, and then calmly strode over to them with something wedged beneath his left arm. When he drew nearer, Elio realized 'it' was actually several silvery crystals, similar to the ones Kahuna Hala had hewn into the odd bracelet he and Selene now wore. He cocked his head at the crystals as Captain Ilima distributed them amongst the three of them.

"Normally," Ilima sighed, "you'd have picked these up from the altar itself deeper in the cavern, but… I see Gumshoos had to come help you deal with some intruders to the Verdant Cavern… I'll admit, I didn't get to see them before they left, but there is still someone in this cavern that shouldn't be." With that, he briskly marched past Elio, Selene, and Hau, over to a fallen log that acted as a natural bridge between two raised plateaus of stone. Ducking below it deftly, he briefly vanished from sight, before recoiling so fast he nearly hit his head on the log. "Lillie!" he puffed, brushing himself off as he stood to his full height. He exasperatedly put a palm to his forehead. "Come out of there, now, please… It's just me, Captain Ilima."

"Lillie?" Elio echoed, unceremoniously setting Macho to the ground and scrambling to Ilima's side, so relieved to find she was inside and not out there with the two strange people. "You're in there?"

"Are they gone?"

"Yeah, of course," Elio snorted. "Ran with their tail tucked between their legs!" Thinking himself clever, he smirked. "Oh, and the Furfrou ran off too, I guess."

Slowly, Lillie crept out from beneath the fallen log, her eyes pressed to thin slits as she glared at Captain Ilima. Before either she or the Captain could say anything, though, Elio excitedly bounced from foot to foot and beamed. He was far more eager to see her than he wanted to admit (not that he was doing a good job of hiding his exuberant reaction). "Lillie! You're alright! Uh, but…" He frowned and cocked his head. "Who were those people? What were they rambling about with Nebby…?"

"They're bad people who want to help do bad things to Nebby," Lillie answered standoffishly, still scowling at Captain Ilima. Preemptively, she bared her teeth at him and snapped, "Before you say anything, I had to go in here because I had no choice. They blocked my escape out of the entrance, so I came in here. I wasn't about to get caught to avoid making your pokémon mad."

"I never said anything about your reasoning for entering not being strong enough," Ilima asserted pointedly. "It's alright, Lillie. There's no need for you to be so combative. I'm… not going to tell anyone." He shuffled his feet and briefly looked at the ground as he said that. "You other three, let me show you how to use the Normal-type Z-moves—"

"Those two people are after her, and like, want to steal her pokémon by the sounds of it," Elio cut him off crossly, "aren't we gonna do something about that? Like, report them, or…?" You guys have got to take pokémon thievery seriously, at least! That's the least you guys could do! Now that he knew Lillie was out of harm's way, his mind had come to the natural conclusion that he never wanted anything like that to happen again. Lillie did not deserve to live in fear.

Captain Ilima blinked at him. "Report them to… who? I was going to warn Kahuna Hala about them after I learned more from you three about them, but… Do you mean anything else?" Without waiting for Elio to incredulously inform him of what he meant, Ilima's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh! You mean to police, or some other institution like that… I remember that from when I was in Kalos…" He frowned and scuffed a shoe against the stony floor. "I can inform them, but I'm not sure what they would do… Especially since nothing actually happened… Admittedly, the most they would do should they find the people would be to suggest they don't do that…"

It was Selene's turn to chime in. She shook her head in disbelief. "What do you mean? You guys have police, right?"

"From my understanding, we did before…" Captain Ilima sounded so uncomfortable. "I mean, a very long time ago… But over time, the Tapus felt as if they were undermining their authority, and that if they thought people were doing anything wrong, they would intervene… At least, that is how the Kahunas of the time interpreted it. Police exist, but they're not as you know them in other regions, I don't think. We have general guidelines to allow people to live peacefully, and most do follow them," Ilima stressed, "but… nothing nearly as stringent as I have heard Kanto can be. My apologies, I know that is likely quite jarring…" Clearing his throat as if what he had said was big deal, he continued, "Anyway, we should leave the Cavern. I can walk with you three to the Center and help you get checked in for the evening, I know it's getting a little late. There's a café in there if you are hungry, and tomorrow—"

"No, no, stop," Elio waved his hands in front of Ilima to pause him. Swallowing hard, he quavered, "So, you're telling me that police just kind of don't exist here? The Tapus are seen as the law? So, if they had attacked Lillie, or—" Elio's heart suddenly felt like it lurched into his throat. Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad haven't been answering their phones, Mom left that weird note in Galarish for some reason, the door… Meowth… The thin veil of lies he had told himself to reassure himself that his parents were fine felt like it had been torn away violently and his mouth was so, so dry…

"Welcome to Alola, Torchic," Lillie bitterly snorted at him as she brushed past the group, tightly clutching her bag to her side. "I'm with Ilima, though. Let's get out of here, and into the Center for the evening—"

"Mom and Dad are missing," Selene abruptly whispered. When Elio looked at her, she was as white as a sheet. "They left… a weird note… I thought they just…" Trailing off, she gave Elio a frightened, wide-eyed stare. Wordlessly, they both seemed to exchange the same questions: So, where are they really? Who wrote the note? After a moment, Selene stomped her foot and snapped at Ilima, "I just thought after the other day that your police weren't that great, not that you didn't have any real police! What on Earth?"

"Your parents are… missing?" Captain Ilima echoed, concernedly scanning Selene and then Elio with those washed-out eyes. He, too, paled. "What do you mean…?"

Lillie seemed to stop in her tracks at Selene's words. She turned on her heel, her face softer than before, her grip on her bag loose. In fact, her entire posture had slacked. Hau skirted the group until he was next to Lillie, looking equally as sympathetic as he exchanged a knowing look with her.

All their reactions did was serve to scare Elio even further. Shooting Ilima, Hau, and even Lillie distrusting looks, he snatched Selene by her wrist and hissed at her in Kantonian, "Come on, let's go. To the Center. I want us to be alone for a little while." Although she briefly resisted out of shock when he first grabbed her, she soon relented and hurried after him, Macho and her Rowlet following closely. Yet, before they had a chance to scramble out of the cave, Hau dove in front of them and waved his hands wildly at them.

"Wait, please!" he begged. Desperately, he tilted his head and sighed, "I know feeling… Lillie know, too. Let help. Let us help."

"Let you help how?" Elio spat savagely, feeling all his contempt for Hau boil to the surface again. He wasn't feeling so tolerant anymore. The tense understanding they had come to back at the Trainers' School was long gone. "How can you help?"

Hau glanced to Selene as if asking for help, but she only looked down and away from him. At first, he looked taken aback by her reaction, but then… he stiffened his jaw and glowered at Elio. "Alone does not help," he stubbornly growled, straining to stand on his tiptoes to get as close to in Elio's face as he could get. "Do not alone. No."

"Hau's right," Lillie mumbled as she quietly stepped into place next to him. She pressed a hand to Hau's shoulder and he visibly relaxed. With a sorrowful look up to Elio that looked so different from her usual contemptuous glare, she smiled sadly. "Your parents… seemed really nice when I was coming to get you guys… And the way you're clearly upset…" She took a shuddery breath and blinked. "Look, if anything's happened to them, or not and we're just all overreacting, I don't care. I want to help…" Begrudgingly, she muttered, "Also, I guess you did technically help me today… So, there's that, I guess… And Selene did the other day, too…"

"Alola have problem, ae. But never go alone," Hau asserted with uncharacteristic confidence. With a lopsided, easygoing smile that seemed more familiar, he bent down to pick Popper up off the ground. "We find out. Together. Ae!"

"Hau and Lillie have good points," Captain Ilima smoothly articulated as he also moved over to them. "Let me help get you four checked into the Pokémon Center. Whatever's going on with your parents, I want to help in whatever way I can…" He paused and bit his lower lip. "Even though I'm not sure if I'll be that much help after tomorrow… I still want to try."

Panicking by then, Elio swallowed against a mouth of what felt like cotton, unable to process whatever Ilima could have meant by that. He had no idea what to do. It suddenly felt so difficult to trust these people. There was so much about Alola that didn't make sense already, not to mention how it had just been spelled out for him that their parents were most likely not okay, in any capacity, and yet… Who else did they have? He had Selene, yes, but would he be enough to protect her? Lillie, Hau, and Ilima might have been intimidating in that moment, but they knew things about Alola neither he or Selene did… It became painfully clear to him, even though he couldn't quite think in words, just how much he relied on his parents and their family. The idea of suddenly not having either of their parents to help them was abjectly terrifying.

Before he could reach his conclusion, Selene answered for him. "Thank you… All of you…" She wormed her way out of Elio's vice-grip, and her shoulders sagged wearily. "Some… some help would be nice…" Her voice breaking a little, she admitted, "I don't understand this place, but all I know now is that my parents could be in trouble, and if you guys want to help… Please. I'm begging you to please help us, because we aren't going to know what we're doing here."

Elio looked down at the floor. At last, he gruffly whispered, "She's right…"

"We all together," Hau repeated himself firmly. "Follow Captain Ilima. To Center. Talk there more, ae?"

"Sounds good to me, Hau," Selene sniffled a little.

As they fanned out of Verdant Cavern, Elio felt a tidal wave of guilt wash over him, for not having the answers for what to do in this situation, for being so scared when he felt he should have known what to do. He felt like the biggest Magikarp out of water, ever, and he hated that not only he would have to rely on these people he was finding increasingly difficult to trust, but his sister would, too. He didn't mind risking himself in any capacity, but he wished he could have, at the very least, found a way to guarantee her safety… But if Mom and Dad had something happen to them in their very homes without anyone noticing, and if Alola didn't really even have police, how safe could either of them really be? Why had Lillie and Hau exhibited such a surprising change in personality upon learning they were worried their parents were missing?

He felt like he had traveled across space and time and landed in an entirely different world. Alola was a far, far cry from Kanto's heavily guarded streets and strict security measures, where the idea of little to no policing would have been laughed at like the funniest joke anyone had told in the last millennium. As he cagily glanced to the horizon and took in the beautiful, picturesque landscape, Elio curled his lip.

A picture could tell a thousand words, and he was starting to realize that Alola's picture had a true, sinister exposure beneath its delightful contrasts and vibrant colors.

Chapter Text

It was so hard for Selene to fall asleep that night.

She, Elio, Lillie, and Hau had all bunked together that evening at the Pokémon Center just across from Verdant Cavern. Ilima was staying there, too, but had taken refuge in a single room some distance down the hall of the hostel. Before turning in for the evening, however, Ilima had offered to pay for dinner from the café's surprisingly lengthy menu options downstairs, as well as sat down and spoken with them all on how to best proceed with the concerns over her and Elio's parents. The discussion had really mostly served to upset her more, the more the reality sank in that Alola simply didn't have the infrastructure to assist them (and, more disturbingly, most wouldn't even have the desire; it had dawned on her as Ilima discussed their options moving forward that her parents were Kantonian, hadn't participated in this Island Challenge since they had only just moved in and likely didn't think they needed to, and so, a lot of Alolans wouldn't even care, if anything Ilima had explained to her was true). Yet, she did find it incredibly relieving that Ilima and Hau both wanted to help them… Having some native Alolans to help them navigate the inverted world she found herself lost in gave her a small, fledgling sense of hope.

Of course, something bothered her, as she tossed on her back in that flimsy bunk and lightly scratched the top of her Rowlet's head. At some point during the discussion (in which they had decided heading to Iki Town the next day to see if anyone knew anything about her parents, and if nobody did, they could challenge Kahuna Hala and then move on to Akala to search for clues), Selene had gotten a little hot and snapped at Ilima, demanding to know if this was how all Alolans lived, in something akin to constant fear. The idea of an entire society built around fear was foreign to her, and she had lost her patience with it, unwilling to face the reality that this was the new normal she had to adjust to.

With a wistful smile that genuinely disturbed Selene, Ilima had simply said, "I completely understand that the Tapus can seem even malevolent at times, and that our reverence for them… is intimidating." Then, training his milky-eyed stare on her, making her cringe slightly, he sighed almost longingly. "The Tapus are finicky creatures and we've had to adapt to that. But they have given us so many gifts and take care of these islands. I've seen and understood more than most people would in their entire lifetimes… I will always be grateful for that no matter what happens tomorrow."

It had struck Selene then that, no matter how kind and sympathetic Ilima seemed, he was still fully enveloped by the twisted, fearful culture he'd found himself born into. That was a horrifying thought, honestly; despite his ability to understand various perceptions with a mere glance, the streets he walked day in and out still had shaped so much of his worldview. Part of that realization had also come when, after he explained that, he had eagerly turned to Hau and said something to him in Alolan, as if asking him to back him up. Selene and Elio had turned to him with bated breath and were surprised when Hau merely hugged Popper closer to himself and averted his gaze from Ilima. He had mumbled something beneath his breath, inciting something from Ilima that seemed shocked. Yet, that had been the end of their conversation, with Ilima casting Hau one last, practiced, sympathetic look.

Selene sighed and tilted her head at her Rowlet. He was fast asleep beneath her ministrations, blithely unaware of the dangerous world he was going to assist her through. With a wince, she had the thought that the real reasons Alolans kept their pokémon outside of their Poké Balls so much was because they had to. Still… peering over the protective banister of her upper bunk, she looked across the room and at Hau's sleeping form, on the opposite bed's lower bunk. Popper was curled over his hip and fast asleep, yet she had noticed that for the first hour or so after they had laid down, Hau had tossed and turned before it seemed exhaustion had claimed him. Although Ilima seemed borderline brainwashed, Hau somehow didn't. He understood Alola because he was still Alolan, yes, but he somehow seemed more aware and less like a blind Mareep following the flock. The way he tended to hang back and watch situations play out, rarely giving his opinion on them, and then boisterously act upbeat and happy… She had to wonder if there was something more to him. After all, she thought bitterly, there's been something more to everything else in this Arceus-forsaken place. So, what secrets are you hiding, Hau?

Wanting to groan in frustration but holding off for fear of waking anyone else up, Selene tossed her right arm over her forehead. Oh, how she wished she could have just turned her mind off and gone to sleep…

Lillie wished she could have done the same, but she was privately fuming. Nebby was nestled against her chest, fast asleep, but her mind raced. Earlier when Ilima had been speaking with them, Elio had interrupted to accusingly ask Lillie why she had asked if their parents were home when she and Hau had come to pick them up to head to the Verdant Cavern. Catching the implication that he thought she might have known something about their potentially missing parents, Lillie had felt a flash of betrayal; she had tried to show sympathy for them when she realized that something was more amiss about their disappearance than mere work troubles, because she didn't wish a fractured family on anyone, and so, Elio's sudden distrust of her had just been plain hurtful. Truthfully, she understood it and knew she shouldn't have blamed him for it… Even if there wasn't sound logic to his decision to accuse her, he had just realized he was stuck in something like a theocratic anarchy, with his parents gone without a trace, and that was certain to put anyone in a bad mood, but more than that, it wasn't as if Lillie had been forthcoming with information and she had even been outright combative to him. Because she felt like she needed to be.

Yet, she needed him and his sister, and now, she was certain they needed her, too. It pained her to think of them losing their parents so needlessly and callously… If anyone had done anything to them, she intended to make sure they were brought to justice, no matter what that would look like in the topsy-turvy world of Alola. Even so, it stung so badly to know Elio potentially thought she was involved somehow…

Perhaps she would have to swallow her pride and try to let him see she meant no harm. She had been playing the role of thorny loner for so long, thanks to her mother's maltreatment and Alolans' distrust of her, that she had apparently forgotten it made it difficult to maintain relationships with people she actually cared for… Of course, she knew even that line of thinking was stupid. She wasn't going to maintain their relationship—she only needed Elio and Selene as long as it took for Kukui to get through whatever it was he wanted with them. Maybe even before then, she would make some discovery with Nebby, and she'd have to make some decisions depending on that. Either way, she intended to become self-sufficient enough until she could disappear and never have to worry about Alola or Aether Foundation again. She didn't know where she'd go, but that was the plan.

She couldn't afford to build more than a fledgling relationship with Elio, not unless she wanted to inflict him and herself with heartache, and she was sure they had both endured enough of that. They were nothing more than mutual getaway cars; he and his sister would help her, and she'd help them with their parents, and then, they'd pass one another by and onto their next, individual hustles. After such an experience, she was sure he and his family would flee Alola the second they were reunited, and she wouldn't have blamed them at all. In fact, she'd have probably encouraged it. Indeed, it was no surprise there was no room for any 'maintained relationship' there.

Shuddering, she lightly touched a finger to Nebby's semi-gaseous form, and it felt as if exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks. Being so on-guard all the time could just be exhausting.

The next day, Hau, Selene, Elio, Lillie, and Ilima made their way back to Iki Town. Despite his best efforts to cheer everyone up with jokes and Popper's tricks, Hau's attempts fell flat, and he eventually just fell back and brought up the rear of the group, a seed of dread growing in his abdomen the closer they drew to his hometown. His grandfather had explained to him more than a few times what happened when a Captain was demoted on their twentieth birthday, but that didn't mean Hau was excited to see it. He also wasn't looking forward to asking around town to see if anyone had seen what happened with Selene and Elio's parents. Not for lack of desire to help, but rather, because he was almost certain nobody would. Selene and Elio's home was a little ways away from Iki Town, and if Professor Kukui hadn't seen anything, then he was fairly sure they'd be out of luck. Not to mention, trying to carry casual conversations in Iki could be so… suffocating. That had become painfully apparent after just the few, precious conversations he'd had with Selene so far. Talking with her, however limited his Galarish was, felt infinitely more freeing than any conversations he could remember from others in Iki. The confusing net of social rules his grandfather and the people of Iki placed on him had all but melted away and they had just… talked. Actually talked. It had felt wonderful, the short distance they had traveled so far.

Yet, as they silently trudged back into Iki, he worried all of that would be over due to whatever had happened to their parents. He couldn't allow himself to think too hard about the possible explanations for what had happened, either, unfortunately… it was just too painful, given all he had experienced himself, so he hoped that they were simply wrong and their parents really were just having an extended stay in Akala with awful cell service. That thought at least helped ease the guilt he held… After all, they had potentially lost their parents, and there he was, mourning a relationship he'd barely had with them and blocking out the seriousness of the situation due to his own issues with his late family… He winced. There was a reason he tended to keep such thoughts and feelings buried. Hardly anybody wanted to talk to him to begin with, forget about all of his baggage.

Once they breached Iki Town's borders, he was unsurprised to find Kahuna Hala in the center of the town, chatting away to a group of people Hau vaguely recognized. The rest of the town was milling about and immediately turned to them as Ilima led them toward Hala. As if on cue, Lillie shuffled to a slower pace and cast Hau a curt glance before falling back and away from him and the rest of the group, banishing herself to the outskirts of town. Briefly biting his lower lip, Hau wanted to ask her to stay, but knew that if she didn't naturally distance herself, Hala would force her to—and he'd likely get an earful over it, too. With a shuddery sigh, he turned away from her and stuffed his hands into his pockets, lingering behind Selene and Elio as they whispered to one another.

At last, Hala noticed Ilima, and he threw his arms wide as if expecting a hug, though he instead patted Ilima firmly on the shoulder. "Captain Ilima, it's an honor to have you here today!" he boasted in Alolan. Adopting a suddenly much more sullen expression, Hala withdrew his hands and clasped them in front of himself, dipping his head toward Ilima. "You have been an excellent Captain for just under eight years and guided many trial-goers on the right path. Tapu Koko, too, has been pleased with your services, and all of us here on Melemele will do our part in helping you manage after today."

As they stood atop that wooden stadium in the center of town, the gathering crowd around them did the same as Hala, respectfully holding their hands ahead of themselves and somewhat dipping their heads. Even though Hau wasn't their target, it still made him feel anxious, and he backpedaled until he nearly fell off the platform, saved only by Popper nosing his calf to warn him.

"What is he saying?" Hau heard Elio hiss in irritation, as if he meant it to be a whisper, but it came off much louder.

"I don't know, but I'm not asking Rotom for help during what I'm guessing is another super important ceremony," Selene defeatedly whispered back at him.

Shuffling closer to them and daring to fall into step next to Elio, Hau hoarsely translated, "They… telling Ilima 'good job.'" Somehow, he knew that wasn't exactly the correct translation for what was going on, but he hoped it got the point across, nonetheless. Forcing a smile and scuffing his shoe against the wood below them, he added, "Tell him we help him after today."

Elio blinked down at Hau dubiously, his earlier contemptuous stare having been traded for confusion. "Help him with what?"

Before Hau had a chance to try to explain, Hala gave the group a disapproving look, and motioned with his hand for them to get off the stage. Immediately, Hau obeyed, waving his hand for Selene and Elio to follow, leaving Ilima and Hala alone there. The ripples of chatter in the crowd surrounding them died off as Ilima got to his knees following Hala's instructions to do so. Then, he released his Gumshoos, and the beastly pokémon took a moment to look around before relaxing next to him. Taking a step back from them, Hala clenched his right hand to a fist and hit his chest once with it, before calling out in singsong Alolan and stomping forward, "Tapu Koko, we call upon you to honorably discharge this Captain, as you see fit!"

There was a moment of reverent silence, then a clap of thunder in the distance. Hau cringed and, without thinking, shrank behind Elio so that he could only just barely see as Tapu Koko landed in a flash of crackling, yellow light in front of Hala and Ilima. The pokémon's shelled body created a dent in the stage that nearly made Ilima fall over from his knelt position, and the Gumshoos immediately flattened itself to the ground, chattering nervously. Hala stepped off the stage and motioned for everyone to move back.

"Where did it come from?" Hau heard Selene fearfully press from her brother. "I blinked and it was just there!"

Shaking his head, Hau tapped them both on the shoulder and then took a decisive few steps back, hoping they would catch on. Although she gave him a cautious glance at first, Selene followed suit, glaring at Elio when he stubbornly acted as if he didn't intend to move. Under her wordless warning, he mumbled something beneath his breath and crossed his arms, moving away from the stage.

With the new clearance around the platform, Hau swallowed hard as he watched Tapu Koko circle Ilima and Gumshoos. After a second or two, Ilima shakily held up an Ultra Ball, which Tapu Koko dispatched with a single flick of the sharp, bladed edge on the end of his shell-covered arms. Sliced cleanly in half, the separated halves of the Poké Ball rolled off the stage, smoking somewhat from where they had been broken. Turning his beady eyes to the Gumshoos, Tapu Koko let loose a loud, ear-piercing sound, a repetitive, "Ko-ko-ko-ko!"

Without so much as a glance back to Ilima, the Gumshoos scurried off the stage and bolted for Mahalo Trail, swallowed up by the shadow of the pathway in seconds. Tapu Koko's attention then turned to Ilima himself. Using one of those sharp hands, he lightly touched his chin and forced him to look up and at him. Electricity arced over his impressive, orange mohawk, coursing down his body and consequently, onto Ilima, and his eyes flashed a vibrant, blinding teal that forced Hau to clench his own eyes shut and look away. Yet, Ilima didn't seem capable of doing the same, and there was a single, high-pitched yelp from him before Tapu Koko's lightshow ended. With a fluid movement that was almost too fast for Hau's eyes to keep up, Tapu Koko jumped away from Ilima and cried out again, in something Hau swore sounded demanding, as if Tapu Koko were ordering Ilima to do something.

Yet, Ilima seemed unable to obey, as he failed to stand up. He weakly moved to try to do so and lost his balance, toppling over immediately, striking out with his left arm in a panic to catch himself before he reached the ground, but… he completely miscalculated the distance and ended up landing awkwardly on his elbow and hip. With a grunt, he struggled back to a kneeling position, which strangely seemed to satisfy Tapu Koko. He nodded in approval at the downed former Captain, and then slowly faced Kahuna Hala. It let fly another loud cry, and then bounced high into the air; more thunder rang out overhead despite the clear, crisp skies, and just like that, it was over.

Hau's mouth was sandpaper and he didn't realize he was panting as he overlooked Ilima, nor did he notice Popper clinging to his leg and whimpering for his attention, clearly frightened by the display. As he watched Hala climb back onstage and help Ilima to his suddenly unsteady feet, he felt a visceral fear rip through him. He knew even without approaching that Ilima was blind now, truthfully blind, not only in the sense that his ability had been taken, but his basic, human eyesight, too, and his Gumshoos had been forcefully freed as well.

That was the price of the Tapus' so-called 'gifts.' While everyone around him bar Selene and Elio converged on the platform, offering encouraging words and grateful praise to Ilima, Hau felt as if the town were closing down on him and like he was drowning. The Tapus offered godlike insight and abilities to Captains and Kahunas alike, but to maintain their power over the humans they 'served,' they made sure everyone knew they could wrench those abilities away in an instant. Looking down at his hands, Hau realized he was shivering.

To become a Captain, one had to have a run-in with the Tapu of their island, be gifted or find a Z-Crystal nearby, and then had to present with some sort of inhuman ability shortly thereafter. To become a Kahuna was mostly the same, except the person would also be granted the ability to speak directly to a Tapu (which, the Tapus didn't take kindly to those that lied about having that ability, so it wasn't as if there were often fake Kahunas). Still staring at his hands, Hau saw the tiniest spark of electricity arc between his fingertips, and he yelped, shoving his hands back into his pockets.

Unknown to everyone else in Alola, Hau met all the criteria for a Captain.

He just hadn't told anyone and, more ashamedly, didn't intend to. Even though seeing Tapu Koko in person set his heart pounding and made him sweat profusely in fear, he clung to the freedom he still had. Watching Ilima's demotion had just further proved to him that he had no desire to lead that life of piety. The only thing he didn't understand was why Tapu Koko hadn't done anything to him yet for his failure to commit to the path that had been so clearly laid out before him… Yet, that fear didn't push him to act in a way that would prevent any future holy retribution, did it?

All his grandfather knew was that he had met Tapu Koko when he was younger. He had believed Hau would present with an ability at some point, and in a way… he had been right.

The Tapus chose you.

Hau gnawed his lower lip almost until it bled. Truthfully, he hated that phrase, and it was a big reason he had panicked when he had first discovered his ability and refused to inform anyone. But I didn't choose them… Closing his eyes briefly to swallow the lump building in his throat, he winced. I know that's wrong… I don't know what's wrong with me… I don't know why I'd rather suffer in silence than just do what everyone else does, be normal…

It would be so much easier that way…

Really, nothing should have shocked her anymore, but Selene was gaping at the scene ahead of her in a mix of horror and fear. "What just happened?" she hissed suddenly, clinging to Elio closely. Vaguely realizing he wouldn't know either, she whipped her head around a few times, looking for Hau or Lillie. Lillie was nowhere to be seen, but Hau stood on the other side of Elio, back stiff as a board and hands plunged deep in his orange shorts' pockets. Popper clung to his leg almost pathetically, but Selene didn't blame him. Her Rowlet had practically burrowed himself between her neck and hair, and she had allowed him. Honestly, she enjoyed the comfort, too. Macho had forced his way between Elio's feet, all the fur across his back fluffed out and extended. Shaking her head, Selene growled, "Hau, what just happened? Why didn't Ilima warn us about, oh, I don't know, any of that?"

"Didn't want scare you," Hau answered in a strangled tone. She noticed then that his arms were shivering.

Didn't want to scare us. Yeah, like just seeing it firsthand isn't scary…

"So, I've been hearing a couple stray words in the crowd," Elio loudly chimed in. "Is he blind? Did that thing show up, release his pokémon, and blind him?" Pausing for emphasis, he incredulously blurted, "Just to clarify, that was to thank him for his service as a Captain? Man, I'd hate to see what you guys do to Kahunas when they retire!"

Hau cringed under Elio's sarcasm. "Had to take away ability," he answered almost… bitterly? Interest piqued, Selene sidestepped her brother and tilted her head at Hau. He jolted in surprise once he realized how close she was. Before she had a chance to ask him to clarify, his expression soured, and he took a shuddery breath. "Tapus strong, but can't take away ability. Stop you from use it, instead. Ilima have to see you to use ability. If Ilima can't see, can't use ability…"

"Wait, wait," Selene started, waving a hand obnoxiously at her brother to get him to shut up before he said anything that might throw Hau off, "so, the Tapus can grant these special abilities, but they can't actually take them away? So, they just have to… prevent you from using them, somehow?" Looking past Hau and after where the Gumshoos had ran off to, she gasped. "Is that why it released his pokémon? Because it can't take away the extra power it gave that… Totem Gumshoos, or whatever it was?"

Glancing over his shoulders a few times, Hau sighed and nodded at Selene. Perking up in a way that felt far too forced, however, he grinned lackadaisically and then crossed his arms behind his head. "But Tapus good for giving abilities at all. Powers helpful. Ilima help better island, uh… relates… rel…"

"Relations."

Selene jerked her head to see Lillie approaching them. "Ilima helped Alola learn a lot about the rest of the world as well as bettering relations between the islands. They haven't always gotten along so well, from what I understand…"

Clicking his tongue, Elio muttered, "Well, sorry, but it just seems a little sadistic to me for them to give some of you guys powers and then take them away in cruel and unusual ways. I mean, has it occurred to any of you that it just kinda seems like they're using you and then throwing you away?"

Hau looked as if someone might have slapped him, with the way he recoiled, and his eyes widened. Looking around wildly, he seemed to only calm down when he realized that Kahuna Hala was still busy with Ilima, walking him off the stage and talking animatedly with him. When Hau turned his attention back to the group, he grinned falsely again, tucking those arms behind his head once more. "Why not ask around about parents?" he asked innocently, silently telling them they were done with the previous topic.

"I'll go see if Kukui saw anything," Lillie offered in a surprisingly gentle voice.

"If two come with me," Hau started, gesturing at Selene and Elio, "can help with Alolan." Snickering, he shrugged, "I not only one bad Galarish." The tension in his form seemed to ease. "All be celebrate Ilima for while… Gives lots time to talk to everyone."

"I do like that," Elio conceded, sighing. "I guess how the Tapus do things isn't important right now, all things considered…" He went to move and seemed to realize Macho was caught up in his feet. Bending down, he retrieved the Litten, cradling him against his chest. Sounding a little more hopeful than before, he softly said, "Yeah, let's ask around… maybe someone saw something…"

I hope so, anyway, Selene thought sadly. "Yeah…" Smiling easily at Hau, honestly still so grateful for his help, she nodded. "Yeah, let's go, Hau. Thank you."

That seemed to brighten his day, given the way his smile became so genuine in an instant.

"Lillie?" Elio called. Selene realized that she had started to wordlessly walk away, headed for Kukui's home down the way.

Halting, but failing to turn to face him, Lillie reluctantly asked, "Yes?"

"…Thank you. For going to talk to Kukui, I mean…"

There was a short pause, then a soft laugh as Lillie started to walk off again. "No problem, Torchic."

Selene wanted to roll her eyes at the way Elio's expression melted into a kind, almost longing smile at Lillie's taunt. "You done?" she groaned. "C'mon, let's go with Hau to ask around…"

Although he nodded at her and affirmed with a, "Yeah," Elio was entirely distracted until Hau led them to the first townsperson. Only then did he seem to snap out of it. Selene wished she could understand what his obsession was with Lillie, especially considering the night before, he had nearly accused her of having something to do with their parents disappearance.

…Suddenly, Selene didn't feel so good about leaving Lillie alone to question Kukui.

Overlooking the enclosures on Aether Paradise's conservation deck, Dr. Wicke frowned at the grasslands terrarium, where a Kantonian Meowth was curled atop a rock and sunning itself in the heat lamp hanging above the glass. She had been tasked with checking over the enclosures that day to ensure all were up to par, but she didn't recognize the Meowth. Noticing two employees hurrying behind her, discussing paperwork between them, she waved, recognizing one, and called after them, "Wait! Um, Huey, is that you?"

One of the employees stopped on a dime and turned a quizzical look on her. "Oh, yes! Dr. Wicke, is there something you need?"

"No, I was just wondering, when and where did we get the Kantonian Meowth? I don't recall us having one yesterday…"

"Oh," Huey frowned, leaning over the banister of the pristine, white walkway they stood upon. "I'm not sure. Must have just been brought in… I'll go check the records and see if I can figure out who brought it in, Dr. Wicke."

"Thank you," she nodded and then smiled warmly after him. As she waited, she watched the pokémon for a few more minutes. Frowning, she noticed that when the Meowth woke, it paced the length of the enclosure as if lost, and the food and water placed for it inside was untouched and looked stale.

How odd. Then again, she supposed most pokémon that arrived at Aether Paradise tended to be confused and disillusioned anyway… Shrugging off the feeling that something wasn't quite right, she checked up on some of the other enclosures as she awaited Huey's return.

Chapter Text

Stroking Dulse's Furfrou, Zossie was hardly paying her colleague any attention, only vaguely aware that he was droning on at her as they sat near the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean (he had insisted they discuss a distance away from any routes to give themselves some privacy). The pokémon panted contentedly below her hand, waving its tail happily, and she was still in awe at just how fluffy he was! Dulse had owned the Furfrou for a few days at this point, but… that didn't change her wonder at it. Back in Ultra Megalopolis, nothing quite like his Furfrou existed (well, aside from Cosmog and its evolutions, Poipole and Naganadel, and Necrozma itself, which could only be considered similar in the fact they were nonhuman, powerful living creatures; what she meant was that there was nothing cute, fluffy, and obedient quite like Furfrou back there). Scratching below the Furfrou's chin, she giggled in delight at the way his back, left leg started to kick involuntarily against his stomach. What a strange quirk!

"Zossie!" Dulse hissed, wrenching her from her thoughts. "Pay attention!"

"To what?" Zossie whined, reluctantly withdrawing her hand from Furfrou. He whimpered and she snickered, almost losing her train of thought again. Recovering it, she pouted at Dulse. "We can't find Cosmog again with our tech until it uses its powers again, but it using its powers is dangerous, so we gotta track them on foot, blah, blah, blah, I know, Dulse. What else have you been rambling about?"

She could practically see him scowling at her based on his voice alone, even though a thick, opaque set of goggles covered his eyes. She wore them, too, and despite their appearance, there was actually a thin slit of space in them that allowed them to see. The goggles mostly acted as a protective barrier between their weak eyes and the blazing Alolan sun. "It is more complicated than that," he annoyedly reminded her. "We cannot afford to surprise that girl like that again. That Lillie R—"

"Please stop saying her full name," Zossie exasperatedly cut him off. Honestly, Dulse's rigidity bothered her. They weren't in Ultra Megalopolis anymore. Couldn't he relax and enjoy the time away? Didn't he… enjoy this, at all? Alola was beautiful and shone so bright. There were so many creatures there that just didn't exist back at home. Sure, they were there on business, and that came first, of course! Just… did it have to be so grim and serious all the time? Shoulders sagging, she pursed her lips. Didn't that weigh on him to constantly think of how, if they, Phyco, and Soliera failed, their world—and many others after—could be destroyed? Much more defeatedly, depressed even just thinking of it in passing, she added, "I know who you mean by just Lillie, Dulse."

"Fine," he begrudgingly replied, pacing ahead of her. "We cannot afford to surprise this Lillie again. She has proven to be more difficult than we previously anticipated…"

"A lot of locals reacted pretty strangely when we showed ourselves before," Zossie pointed out, giggling to herself at the memory. "Nobody else wears anything like us, so I can't say I blame her for freaking out at us."

"Caught up on such mediocrities…" Dulse trailed off and planted his hands on his hips. Turning his attention to the Furfrou lazing on the ground, he snapped, "And that Furfrou, as they call it, wanted to flee rather than fight. The people here use pokémon to battle, so why did this one run away?"

"Didn't you see the weird way that Gumshoos was glowing? And it was so big!" Zossie dramatically flailed her arms wide, as if Dulse needed a visual for it. She lost her balance in doing so and toppled onto her back with a squeak. Furfrou barked excitedly and rushed over to her, sniffing her face curiously. Almost shrieking in laughter, Zossie batted him away as she struggled to sit back up. Between gasps for breath, she clarified for Dulse, "I mean, that Gumshoos was way bigger than a normal one. Maybe it was just a special Gumshoos and it scared him?"

"President Lusamine warned us that Lillie would not willingly comply, but she also told us that she would not be capable of battle. That much is true, but we did not account for the fact that she would naturally surround herself with those that are," Dulse continued, unfazed by Zossie's playfulness, as if he had decided to utterly ignore her. Rolling her eyes beneath her goggles, she supposed that was just like him… "This proposes a problem. Yet, we cannot afford to allow the Aether Foundation to send anyone less qualified after Cosmog. They do not fully understand its capabilities as we do and could potentially frighten it into opening another wormhole."

That had been part of what had initially led her and Dulse to Aether Paradise upon their arrival in Alola. They, Soliera, and Phyco had been allowed to travel through Ultra Space until they located this world thanks to evidence suggesting recent manipulations of wormholes—careless ones, at that. Drawn to Aether Paradise, they had spoken to President Lusamine and discovered that she wished only to help pokémon, or inhuman creatures of any kind, really. Intrigued, their superiors, Soliera and Phyco, had decided to chance speaking with President Lusamine and asking her for help with Necrozma and their soon-to-fail Megalo Tower. Ultimately, their priorities had been split up: Soliera and Phyco stayed at Aether Paradise to work with the Foundation and come up with ways to ease Necrozma's pain, so that should it escape its confinement it might not rampage across the multiverse, while Zossie and Dulse were tasked with assisting the Foundation on ways to combat Necrozma, should they fail to find a way to help the ailing pokémon and need to subdue it by any means necessary. Uncontrolled, errant wormholes by a clueless Cosmog were a threat to her and Dulse's mission because, if the pokémon accidentally happened to open a way inside of Megalo Tower… She banished that train of thought immediately. Her thoughts abruptly switched gears. It was so odd that this Cosmog didn't understand its powers! Where in the extended multiverse were its parents? It was so strange that there were no Solgaleo or Lunala in Alola…

Yet, despite her racing thoughts, all she had said was a teasing, "Imagine if they sent that Faba guy after it!" She giggled and leaned forward with her hands on her knees.

Halting, Dulse groaned and planted a hand over his face. "I would rather not," he curtly mumbled, muffled by his palm.

Leaping to her feet, Zossie jabbed a finger forward at Dulse, pointing at him. "'Give it here, you brat!'" she mocked, her voice suddenly scratchy and unpleasantly nasally as she tried to mimic Dr. Faba. "'Stupid kid! Can't you see you're no match for the Aether Foundation Research Branch Chief?!'"

The tiniest, rapid exhale of air from Dulse that betrayed his amusement made Zossie victoriously squeal and tap him on the shoulder, right on the black, Megalo Tower insignia. "You laughed!" she trumpeted. "You laughed, you laughed, you laughed! See, I knew you had some humor in there!"

"This is serious," he complained, batting her hand away and shuffling away. "Zossie!"

It's always serious, she thought in annoyance. "Anyway, what do you think we should do?"

"We must hone our skills in battling. Perhaps Poipole can be of assistance. I did bring mine with me," he sighed. "I would rather not send him out to battle, but… We may need to. That being said, I would prefer it if we could somehow lure Cosmog away from Lillie, so that there is no commotion at all, to minimize the risk of frightening it…"

Something about separating Cosmog from Lillie and capturing it that way. Got it. Zossie proceeded to unceremoniously flop back down to the ground and play with Dulse's Furfrou again, too impatient to listen to him finish talking around his elbow to get to the point. He claimed his precise language helped to get his points across more clearly, but Zossie just found it irritating, as if it made his dialogue less clear because of how long it took to get the meaning out of it. When he finally shut up, she distractedly asked, "How're we gonna do that?"

"…I just said that I learned from Dr. Colress that most pokémon appear to love honey. If we can follow Lillie to a remote location and lay honey traps, we may very well capture Cosmog without a scene."

"Dr. Colress is really smart," Zossie conceded, tilting her head. He was strange, too. Much like their superiors, he stayed and worked at Aether Paradise. Although he was not an official employee, he acted much like one for the time being. She wasn't too sure what he got out of his temporary employment there… Well, aside from money, but even with her limited understanding of this world's society, she didn't think Dr. Colress seemed like he had any need for cash from the Aether Foundation. Similarly, Zossie didn't know why a younger woman with long, brown hair, named Rosa, stuck to his side like glue. She definitely didn't offer anything to the Foundation, but apparently, Dr. Colress had refused to assist without President Lusamine agreeing to allow the woman to stay with him. Regardless, Dr. Colress was a genius, and had managed to even alter their suits to do a few cool things! Like turn invisible! Sure, it didn't make them inaudible, so its usefulness was a little limited, but it was still super cool! …Where had she been going with that? Oh, right! "I'd trust what he says about what entices a pokémon."

"Good. Then we will do that. In that case, I need you to gather the supplies for traps while I locate Lillie and follow her," Dulse explained. After a short pause, he dryly asked, "Can I trust you with that, Zossie?"

Indignantly puffing out her chest, Zossie retorted, "Uh, yeah! I was trained and everything the same as you, Dulse!" Rude!

Taken aback, Dulse seemed to search for something to say for a moment. "My apologies, Zossie," he said sincerely after a moment. "You are correct. You are an equal and I have no right to not treat you as such." He reached a hand up to twist a knob on the left side of his helmet, and although she could still see him with the assistance of her goggles, Zossie knew he was now invisible to the naked eye. "I will locate Lillie. Please keep your communication lines open."

"Yes, sir!" Zossie beamed back at him, playfully saluting him as he recalled his Furfrou with a Great Ball. "Alola, Furfrou! We'll play later!" she called out earnestly before he was fully sucked in by the red light, hastily throwing together an Alolan handwave that looked nothing like the real thing (not that she realized). With a curt wave at her, Dulse started to march away.

She loved that hand gesture. It was such a simple, sweet one, but to be honest, she was just fascinated by how close-knit Alolans seemed from her brief observations. Aside from the people aboard Aether Paradise—who mostly didn't seem to originate from the islands, all things considered—Alolans had so many little traditions and cute cultural quirks! Sure, she didn't understand them and still had so much to learn, but… it was so different from the suffocating atmosphere of Ultra Megalopolis, the lightless wasteland where fear was thick enough in the air to cut with a knife (thanks to Megalo Tower's degrading technology and Necrozma's growing restlessness).

Then again… She felt a little guilty about wanting to learn and enjoy as much about Alola as possible. It was their fault Ultra Megalopolis was in such a state. Well, it wasn't literally her, Dulse's, or anyone else's fault that currently lived in her home world, but their ancestors' faults. They had created that oppressive culture and loveless world in their ignorance and fear, and although she and the rest of the Ultra Recon Squad were doing their best to undo or at least maintain what semblance of freedom they had…

Part of her really wanted to lose the forest for the trees and simply relish Alola's light. Despite all of her training and how she felt it was the least she could do to try to undo the damage the rest of her race had done to her home world, it was so… hard to think about it… when this sunny, beautiful paradise was beckoning her like a siren's call. Gritting her teeth, she shook her head. No, Zossie, you need to go get some traps and talk with Dulse and get this over with! You know better! Hopping back to her full height, she followed in his stead and turned the knob on the right side of her helmet, cloaking herself in invisibility. She'd remain like that until she absolutely had to reappear, so as not to draw unwanted attention. Lightly humming to herself, she skipped out back toward the route. Honey… honey at the store… and traps… I don't think that'd be at the grocery store…

Ugh, maybe she should have paid better attention so she would have remembered to ask Dulse where she was supposed to get those things. Then again, she could always call him…

If Kukui had done anything to Selene and Elio's parents… Well, suffice to say, Lillie was already mentally turning over everything she had in her bag and wondering what the most painful thing would be she could shove where the light didn't shine on him. Having walked the distance between Iki Town and his shack a million times before without incident, she had almost entirely forgotten her recent run-in with Zossie and Dulse, and even at the rustling of a few bushes, she put it off as simply some of the wild pokémon. After all, Kukui's shack was surrounded by thick, unkempt grass.

But then, an all-too human squeak of surprise came from one such rustling bush, and in a moment of blind instinct, Lillie whirled on that bush and snatched whoever was inside by their arm, wrenching them out into view. Selene yelped and fell over, nearly dragging Lillie with her when she lost her footing. Blinking in surprise, Lillie let her go, dropping her unceremoniously. "Selene?" Once the surprise worse off, she narrowed her eyes and pointedly demanded, "What were you doing sneaking around in the grass behind me?"

"Following you," Selene answered bluntly, spitting out a blade of grass and dusting herself off as she stood up to full height. Her Rowlet clicked its beak exasperatedly as it fluttered out from the grass on tiny wings after his trainer. Then, Selene whined, "Arceus, are you an escaped lab experiment or something, Lillie? You nearly tore my arm out of socket!"

"And you decided to follow me like a stalker because?" Lillie pressed impatiently, feeling flustered by her hyperbolic question. Something like that, she thought in callous amusement. Really, she didn't understand Selene's actions and had just reacted out of reflex; it wasn't like Lillie would have been opposed to having Selene come along. She had just figured that she would have wanted to stay in Iki Town to help her brother and Hau search for information regarding her parents. Not to mention, she was fairly certain Selene didn't care for her at all.

"Well, honestly?" Selene challengingly met Lillie's gaze with intense, blue eyes. "I don't trust you and I wanted to check and see if there was anything at home we missed."

"Don't trust me?" Lillie scoffed, starting to internally fume all over again. "What are you getting at, Selene?"

"Don't play that game," Selene snapped. "I've had it with this place, and I've had it with you. I don't know what happened to you, I don't know why you're such a b…" Growling in frustration, she shook her head. "I don't know why you're such a jerk, or why you won't tell us a thing about yourself other than stupidly vague, ominous shit, but if you don't want to play nice, that's fine! But I'm done playing nice and keeping quiet." Taking a step forward, Selene wagged an accusatory finger at her. "So, don't act so surprised that I don't trust you and the eyes you're making at my br… brother…"

"For your information—" Lillie had intended to fire back an angry retort in retaliation, to insist that she was not 'making eyes' at Elio and that her caginess was to protect them from all of her baggage as well as herself, but Selene's eyes seemed to glaze over and she shuddered, then her knees buckled. She lurched forward and landed on them with an unpleasant thud! Confused, Lillie backpedaled and raised a brow at her. "Selene…?" Reaching out to try to shake her out of it, Selene suddenly flinched, as if someone might have moved to hit her.

"Why… why…?"

"Selene, what the fuck are you doing?" Lillie squeakily demanded as her mouth dried out. Feeling a bolt of fear, without thinking, she (as lightly as one could, anyway) slapped Selene on the cheek. Recoiling immediately just in case, Lillie watched, poised and ready to run if needed, as Selene winced and shook her head vigorously.

"What the hell was that for?" Selene whined, rubbing her face over the slight, pink handprint there. Blinking fervently, she gasped, and her jaw fell open. "What just happened? That was so weird!"

"I don't know, you tell me!" Lillie almost shrieked. "You went like a zombie and hit the ground!"

"I was… somewhere else…" Selene frowned and touched a hand to her chin as she got back to her feet. "But that doesn't make sense, does it…?"

"No, it doesn't," Lillie frustratedly agreed. "What are you babbling about?"

"Ay, alola, cousins! What's up with all the ruckus? You two're louder than an Uproar over here, oh yeah!"

"Kukui!" Selene yelped, dusting herself off in something of a blind panic. "I-I mean, alola, professor!" Flustered, Selene offered him a laughable attempt at the Alolan handwave as he approached from behind Lillie. Shooting him a dirty look, Lillie moved out of his way, but never broke eye contact.

"Alola," Kukui laughed at Selene, lazily placing his hands on his hips. "What's up?"

"Actually," Selene started, uncomfortably rubbing her left arm with her other hand, "I had something we needed to ask you about…"

"Where are her parents, Kukui?" Lillie butted in. "I'm sure you know something."

All Selene knew was that one second, she had been telling off Lillie, and the next, the view of the route around her had melted into something totally different. She felt as if she were running, even though she knew her knees were planted firmly below her against the dusty ground, and she saw a cavernous room stretching out around her. There were people shouting, and at one point, she felt as if she had looked over her shoulder, and there, she saw people in white suits chasing her. Turning her attention back ahead of her, she felt as if she had skidded to a halt, while those people in white uniforms converged on her. Feeling as if her lips were moving of their own accord, she spat something she couldn't make out, and then a blue light had started to glow beside her. Finally, she had felt Lillie's unceremonious slap, drawing her back to reality, the vision of the sterile, manmade landscape giving way to the soft, beaten path of Route One.

It had felt like a dream or perhaps a memory, but it was broad daylight, she was most certainly not asleep or narcoleptic or anything of that sort, and she couldn't remember a time she had been madly dashing through white, stiflingly clean halls like her life depended on it… Whatever it was, it had been so fuzzy and difficult to make out anything auditory… As Lillie informed her that she had looked like a zombie and she realized she had fell to her knees, Selene had internally despaired. Am I going crazy? she thought in near anguish. This place is so insane, I'm losing it. I'm actually just outright losing it. Elio and I need to get off these Arceus-forsaken islands, if it's the last thing we do.

Her high-pitched yelping of Kukui's name had come from the fact he had torn her away from her thoughts unexpectedly. Yet, when Lillie questioned him so rudely, Kukui looked puzzled and frowned at them both. "Where are her parents? Selene and Elio's? Er, I dunno… I mean, I haven't seen 'em come or go lately, but I didn't think anythin' of it, yeah."

Tired of repeating herself, Selene impatiently explained the situation to him, which only served to make him look more and more genuinely concerned. Despite her focus on him, however, Selene was not blind to the way Lillie just stared at him, as if she intended to bore through him with her eyes alone. Exasperated, Selene decided not to comment on it. On one hand, she didn't trust Lillie, and that was why she had told her brother and Hau she was going back to check on their home to see if their parents had returned (though really, it was mostly so she could spy on Lillie, even if she did intend to check the house, too), but on the other, Lillie seemed genuinely interested in helping them. Maybe Lillie was just so callous that even her helpfulness felt backstabbing. Mutinously internally joking to herself, she wondered if that could have been considered an inhuman gift. Maybe Lillie was a Captain and didn't know it.

"I'm real sorry, cousin," Kukui shook his head, "but I don't know anything, yeah. I'll call my wife and ask her if she does and I'll go talk to Hala as soon as I can… I'll have to wait for all the festivities with Ilima to be over though, yeah."

"Why weren't you there?" Lillie sharply asked, ignoring his soft tone. For a fleeting moment, Selene was begrudgingly grateful to have Lillie there, because she hadn't realized that he hadn't been present for such a seemingly important (even if horrifying) ceremony.

"They wouldn't care about me not bein' there or not, cousin," Kukui answered in something of a deadpan. The corner of his lips twitched as he stared down Lillie. Shifting to Alolan, he muttered something at Lillie and then took a step back, reaching into a pocket of his labcoat.

"Whatever you have to say, you can say it in Galarish," Lillie coldly insisted, darting to put herself between him and the path back to his shack, as if she had anticipated that he was leaving. "Go on. Say it."

"I don't really want to see someone get maimed, either, cousin," Kukui grumpily repeated himself. Glancing at Selene before shaking his head, he sarcastically jeered at Lillie, "I know, cousin, how awful. I didn't wanna see the kid I watched get promoted to Captain some years and years ago get permanently blinded, yeah."

"Kukui," Lillie impatiently growled, hanging her head, "that's not what I was blaming you for, and—"

"So, you thought I had somethin' to do with their parents goin' missing, yeah?" he challenged her, raising a brow, and crossing his arms.

Incredulously, Lillie dropped her arms to her sides, balling her hands to fists. "Actually, yeah, I thought you maybe did!"

"Lillie!" Selene felt like she was going to melt into the floor. "C'mon, he said he'd help… he's been nothing but helpful since we got here… He's the one that helped my family really get themselves straight before moving here, after… all…" As the words left her mouth, she realized how they didn't help her case. In fact, it just made her realize that if anyone knew anything, it should have been Kukui. Regarding him with a newfound fear, Selene tensed and backed away. "You… you kept tabs on us the entire time before we moved in, and you knew that we were heading out… you sent us out to get those pokémon and encouraged us on the Island Challenge…"

Licking his lips nervously, Kukui shook his head vigorously. "Cousin, listen, that… I'll admit, that looks bad. But I swear I didn't have anything to do with your parents goin' missing, I had no idea they were even gone before just now, yeah!"

"Where are they, Kukui?" Lillie pried, utterly ignoring the way he waved his hands defensively at them.

Frustrated, Kukui kicked a sandal against the ground, throwing up some sand at them. "I don't know!" he burst, squaring his shoulders. "Y'know what, cousins?" he asked tauntingly, then turned on the heel of his foot. As he stalked away and blithely pushed past Lillie, heading for his cabin, he sneered, "Find 'em yourselves, yeah. I don't need this. I got bigger problems. I just suggest you keep up with the Island Challenge, yeah, or else, I hope you like rain." To emphasize the point that he wanted to be left alone, he tossed a Poké Ball, and a frightening pokémon Selene didn't recognize appeared behind him. Her Rotom Dex squirmed its way out of her pockets and, distantly, she heard it call it a 'Midnight Lycanroc,' but that was partially drowned out by the way the pokémon growled at them and threateningly lashed its claws at the ground in front of itself. A wordless warning that if they didn't back off, it wouldn't hesitate to defend itself and Kukui.

"Is everything out here a lie?" Selene similarly combusted, whirling on Lillie. "You lived with him! Surely, you have to know something!"

"Believe me, I wish I'd have known just how much of a two-faced monster he is," Lillie blustered, unfazed by Selene's anger. "I knew he didn't believe in the Tapus' godliness, or whatever the hell, and lied to the whole town about it, but that's all I knew. I don't know what else he's up to and he won't tell me. It's not like I can force him, either. If you want to sic your Rowlet on that Lycanroc, be my guest, but I'll tell you now, it'll eat him for lunch. I had to call someone to repair the cabin after Kukui tested some of that thing's attacks before." Marching ahead of Selene, Lillie walked a short distance, then stopped. Hanging her head and adjusting her hat, she called back, abruptly sympathetic. "Come on… let's go check your house and then see if Elio or Hau found anything."

I guess I don't have any better ideas, Selene despairingly thought to herself. Silently nodding, she trudged after Lillie. Her Rowlet sympathetically chirped and landed on her right shoulder, nestling against her neck. Subdued, Selene just scratched the top of his head. "You're about the only honest one here, Bowtie," she dryly joked to herself, thinking to the silly, bowtie-like pattern on the pokémon's chest. "I guess that could be your nickname. I don't have the creativity for anything better."

Elio was excitedly pacing the length of the pathway leading into Iki Town when Selene and Lillie reappeared at last. Before either of them could get a word out to him, he rushed at them, Macho hot on his heels, and beamed, "Hau and I found something! I got good news—whoa, you two look like hell, what happened down there?"

"Thank you, Torchic," Lillie sarcastically muttered.

"Well, for one, she tried to rip my arm off," Selene flatly said, jabbing a finger at Lillie, "and then, we ran into Kukui, who I'm pretty sure, despite him yelling about how he didn't, had something to do with all of this with our parents."

"Uh… Actually, I don't think so," Elio laughed uneasily. At least, I hope not… I want to believe what we found out… "Someone in Iki said that they saw them heading for the Hau'oli docks, alone, just our parents. So, y'know, voluntarily." Blinking, he frowned. "Wait, why did Lillie try to rip your—"

The sound of sandals slapping the dirt next to him made Elio jump, and he rolled his eyes when he saw that Hau was standing there. Animatedly waving an arm, Hau triumphantly exclaimed, "We found thing! We found thing!"

"Really?" Selene gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh, thank Arceus!"

"Still doesn't explain why they aren't answerin' their phones…" Elio admitted, forgetting all about what he wanted to ask her. "But still! This is good news!" Pausing, his expression turned cross, and he scowled at Hau. "Though, it's not all good news. Someone might have told Kahuna Hala we were gonna battle him for our Grand Trial. Today."

Shrinking underneath Elio's glare, Hau anxiously rubbed the back of his head and defensively stammered, "I… ah… well… he ask me, can't… not say no… I mean, we can all together!" Nodding eagerly, he glanced to Selene, as if asking for help. "You, Elio, me, battle him together! Easier that way. Not have come back here then. Go Akala after, find parents, figure all out. All okay! See?"

"Really?" Selene whined, pressing her hand to her forehead. "Our parents could be in trouble, and we're seriously still talking about doing that Island Challenge right now…" When Hau looked like he was going to say something else, Selene just waved him off. "I know, I know, I know, trust me, I've figured it out at this point, it's the end-all, be-all of everything. Got it…"

Deflated, Hau stilled himself and nodded, meekly murmuring, "Yeah… Sorry… Still, ah, what found out is promise, ae? Maybe actually at Akala!" Yet, Hau's hopeful, borderline apologetic words went ignored, and he tucked his hands into his pockets and scuffed his sandals against the ground.

"Gotta let them finish, uh…" Elio wrinkled his nose. "Celebrating Ilima's captainship, though." Celebrating. 'Ah, yes, congratulations on having a superpower for a little while that helped us get along for a few years! We'll probably be back at each other's throats within the decade, but hey, was fun while it lasted! Sorry about your eyes, though, bro!' Honestly, this whole thing is sick. No wonder this place's cable is so bad. Who needs TV when you can see crazy shit just outside your door every day? At the very least, he was still so relieved to know that his parents were likely fine, even if potentially lost or without cell service on another island… He wanted to cling to that belief, anyway, no matter how upside-down this region seemed to be. Loping over to Selene, recognizing that she looked stressed and out of it, Elio looped an arm around her and chuckled. "Hey, I'm sure it's all fine," he coolly mused in Kantonian. "We battle Hala with Hau's help, beat him, head to Akala, find our parents, and beg them like worthless Dunsparce to take us back to Kanto. Sound like a plan?"

Smirking slightly, Selene snorted and replied in kind, "Yeah. Maybe throw in a little groveling, too, to be extra convincing."

"Tapus might like that, too," Elio snarked back at her. "Might make them a little less mad at us for existing or not pledging our undying allegiance to them, or whatever the reasons are they attack people here… Y'know, just in case our parents want to stay in this Distortion-hole, for whatever reason." Though I fully intend to pull some questionable stuff to get them out of here even if they do want to stay, for whatever reason. Selene and I will go full partners in crime on their asses.

"Language barriers are fun," Lillie rudely announced. Giving Elio and Selene a look that Elio swore was jealous, somehow, she stalked away toward a bench below a streetlamp near the outskirts of Iki Town. "I've got to tend to Nebby some. Catch me whenever you're done with Hala."

Sputtering but ultimately not stringing together anything coherent, Hau embarrassedly waved at them, scooped Popper up from the ground, and hurried after Lillie. They exchanged a few words in Alolan, then both took a seat on that bench. Elio couldn't help the twinge of annoyance he felt as he watched them get along so well.

"You know, something else weird happened while I was out there, though," Selene yawned.

"Hmm?" Elio jerked his head back to face her. She looked beat. Elio felt about the same. "What?"

"Well… I didn't trust Lillie and still felt like she might know something about our parents, so I was following her without telling her. She caught me, though, and dragged me out of the bushes by my arm—which fucking hurt, by the way," she complained loudly, rolling a shoulder as if trying to exercise the soreness from it. "Anyway, after she did that, I got mad at her and then… I had this weird vision…" She trailed off anxiously. "Elio, I think I'm losing it, here."

Concernedly furrowing his brows at her, he cocked his head. "I… guess it has been a wild week and some," he conceded uncertainly. Still, uh, hallucinations aren't good. Arceus… "You drank anything today?"

"Oh, Arceus, just because Mom and Dad aren't here doesn't mean you get to mommy me," Selene groaned. Amusingly in tune with his trainer, her Rowlet slapped a wing over his face disappointedly.

"I am not mommying you!" Elio protested hotly.

Raising a brow at him, he practically saw the gears turning in her head and before she even said her joke, he was already giving her a warning stare. "Oh… are you daddying me, then?" she taunted. Immediately, she made a gagging face and shook her head. "Oh, that's awful. That joke is awful. Why do people say that?"

"I don't know, but I'd appreciate it if you never did it ever, ever again, especially not to me, your brother."

"…Point taken! Shall we go find something to awkwardly do until Hala's ready and forget we ever had this conversation?"

"Yep, sounds great to me!"

Chapter Text

When Kahuna Hala was finally ready to battle her, Elio, and Hau, they gathered onto the wooden stage and adopted one side of it for their own. Selene directed her Rowlet forward, cheekily calling him Bowtie again, and he hovered in front of her with a happy chirp. Macho lazily waltzed ahead of Elio, stretching his back and yawning, while Popper barked eagerly and clapped his flippers together. Just as Hala prepared to give whatever spiel he had to start their Grand Trial, Ilima hollered something from the gathered crowd around the stage and waved some people away from himself off. Marching forward unsteadily, he bumped his knees into the side of the wooden platform. Frustratedly groaning to himself, he stumbled backward and huffed, "I want to see how their Grand Trial ends." Before anyone could say anything, he flushed red in the face and snapped, "Not a word! You know what I mean!"

Selene had guiltily shared something of an amused look with her brother. Despite the momentary flash of entertainment, however, she just found it… sad. Ilima was in an awful mood (not that she blamed him in the slightest) and a thick, heavy set of sunglasses that looked more like goggles were covering his eyes now, and when a few more locals tried to convince him against staying out (at least that was what she assumed they were doing, she couldn't make anything out they were saying), he stiffened his shoulders and spat something back at them bitterly.

"Let him be," Kahuna Hala scoffed at last, issuing the crowd a stern, knowing look. "This is his day, too, and he's a man. Let Ilima do as he pleases."

"I appreciate it, Kahuna Hala," Ilima almost haughtily replied, jerking his head to look in Hala's vague direction (though he was off-center). Raising his chin triumphantly, he added in a much more familiar, softer tone, "Give us a battle even Tapu Koko will remember, you three! Thank you!"

Thank us for what? Selene wanted to plead. Instinctively exchanging a look with Elio, he sadly shook his head back at her, as if to tell her he didn't know, either. Unnoticed by either of them, and as Hala went on to explain the Grand Trial, Hau had stuffed his hands deep into his pockets again, and almost sulkily kept glancing at Selene and Elio, like he wished to say something to them.

Unbeknownst to them, he did, and unlike them, he couldn't communicate so easily with just a glance.

Hau had always thought he looked forward to facing down Hala in battle, but in that moment, he felt as sweaty and flighty as ever. Even verbally, he couldn't communicate well with Selene and Elio, and that was before considering how they seemed to occasionally ignore his existence when they would operate on the same wavelength. Guiltily, he supposed that made sense; they were brother and sister and seemed very close. Admittedly, he admired them for that, envied their tight bond. Yet… he just couldn't open his mouth to explain that, could he? Not only did he have his own anxiety to contend with, but the language barrier was frustratingly unforgiving. That yearnful feeling, coupled with the growing anticipation of the coming battle as Hala explained the rules (a three vs. three, in which Elio, Selene, and Hau all counted as one party of pokémon together, so their three starters acted as their 'team,' and Hala would only send one pokémon of his out at a time due to the different levels of experience his team had in comparison to theirs), was what made the Grand Trial ahead of him seem so daunting. Not to mention, his mind was practically looping an earlier interaction like a broken record in his head.

Earlier, when Hala had still been busy applauding Ilima and getting him the medical attention he needed for his freshly damaged eyes, Hau had been seated next to Lillie on a bench near the outskirts of town. With the townfolk distracted, he hadn't been too fearful of getting an earful for it, yet Lillie had raised a brow at him and commented, "Hala would have a fit of he saw you over here."

Such a statement normally would have been met with just a conceding nod from him, but in that moment, Hau had felt so frustrated with it all. All that lay between him and getting out of this oppressive cage he felt he'd boxed himself into was to beat Hala in battle; that was it. Then, he wouldn't have to worry so much at all about hiding his Captain's 'gift,' and… and… and he could start forging new relationships. New ones that weren't smothered by his status as the Kahuna's grandson, or the fact he had lost his parents when he was eleven. Trying to hide his bitterness in a veil of excited amusement as he was usually so skilled at, he had failed and instead, snippily replied in Alolan. "Then, I guess he'll have a fit."

Together, he and Lillie had watched from a distance as Ilima was practically paraded around the town of excited, chattering locals. Although Hau had known they were just wound up and everyone wanted their moment to congratulate Ilima, the entire scene had left him feeling selfishly grateful for his resolve in keeping his secret. He hadn't envied Ilima at all. When he inevitably had withdrawn from the difficult to watch sight—Ilima was tired, stressed, hurt, and clearly done with the public for the day (not that anyone seemed to notice, or care if they did)—Lillie had sighed loudly. "You don't like all of these festivities, do you?" she had asked breathlessly, in practiced, careful Alolan (secretly, he was so glad that Lillie understood Alolan; at least he didn't sound like a complete buffoon to her, unlike how he was certain he sounded outright idiotic to Selene and Elio. Maybe that was why Elio hated him so much?). At Hau's expression of feigned shock, she had rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like that. You clam up worse than a Shellder every time anything remotely big happens and the second Hala turns his back, you're stuck to me like glue…" Shifting, she had frowned. "I don't really care, I'm just confused. Why?"

"Why… why what?" Hau had managed to squeeze out, freezing slightly under her stare. She hadn't been wrong in calling him out on how he looked as if he were out of place in his hometown, but he had been afraid of her reasoning for doing so.

"Calm down," Lillie had snorted, "I'm not gonna turn you over to your gramps for talking to me. Besides, I don't think he'd want to hear anything I have to say anyway. And I mean… why are you not like them? Celebrating Ilima, or… Well, you don't seem all that enthusiastic about any of the ceremonies. Aside from your Island Challenge debut…" She had knowingly flicked her gaze to him, even though she had kept her head pointed forward. "Like maybe you were excited to just get out of here."

I don't know why I'm not like them… He had contemplated what amount of honesty he could reply with, and at last, Hau had just sighed and weakly smiled at her. In melodic Alolan that felt so much more natural than the fragmented translations he offered to the Kantonians, he shrugged and explained, "To be honest, Iki's always felt kinda small to me. And bein' the grandson of the Kahuna and the kid who lost both his parents at eleven and then was yanked outta school and homeschooled forever after… Gets kinda lonely." He had paused and looked up at Selene and Elio, who, at the time, had been testing out different attacks with their respective Rowlet and Litten. His smile had slowly faded, and then he had nervously laughed. "Kinda just kept talkin' there even though I didn't mean to… I mean, I know you knew most of that already, but… Anyway. I'm just excited to get outta here and travel with them." An indignant bark from below him had drawn his attention downward, and he giggled at Popper pawing at his shins. "You, too, Popper!"

Lillie had silently pondered what he'd said for a moment, then had dipped her head respectfully. He hadn't been able to see, but she had smiled to herself, a tiny, pleasant one. "I can get that… I… kind of want to travel with them, too." Despite rummaging in her bag afterward, she had followed his gaze, eyeing Selene and Elio as she idly played with Nebby from within the confines of her bag. After a while, she had given a shuddery sigh. "It's kind of nice to see how they get along… I miss when I was able to talk and play with my brother like that…"

"You… have a brother?" Hau had gaped at her. As if sensing his incredulousness, Popper had launched himself into Hau's lap, winding his trainer momentarily, and then had turned his twitching, pink nose toward Lillie, sniffing her curiously. Excited at the prospect of learning of someone new, Hau had beamed, "Really? Why didn't you say anythin' sooner?!"

"Because we aren't close anymore," Lillie had muttered in a deadpan, dashing his hopes immediately. Before he had had a chance to say anything else, she icily warned, "I don't want to talk about that."

Shaking his head as he was drawn back to the present, Hau heard Hala send out a Machoke and Selene and Elio called out to their pokémon, reminding them to be on guard and ready to attack. In that moment, Hau's nervousness gave way for something much more determined.

Privately, he decided he was done ghosting in and around Iki's walls, hiding beneath Hala's shadow, and bending to his every whim. For his and Lillie's sake, he needed to prove himself to Selene and Elio. He had to prove, once and for all, that he was reliable and competent. He loved his grandfather, he really did, but if Hala's presence and the town's very borders were so constricting, and if he couldn't be who he wanted to be there, then he would have to cobble together a family elsewhere. After all, a family wasn't just one person, was it? He wasn't wrong for abruptly deciding that he wanted to salvage his relationship with the Kantonians, and stitch together a family of misfits from them, himself, and Lillie… was he?

Selene and Elio's parents were missing (and sure, perhaps they really were fine on Akala, but still) and Lillie was a runaway who had lost her brother. He had lost his entire family save for Hala, who he couldn't be honest with at all. Surely, he wasn't the only one there that sensed that! Giving Elio and Selene one last, thoughtful look, he set his jaw. He hoped their parents were okay, and he hated contending with the idea that they might not have been, but if they weren't…

He just wanted to prove himself so badly. He selfishly wanted them to like him and be there for him in the future, and he, likewise, wanted to provide the same should they ever need it. After a short delay in which he was translating in his head, Hau called out, "Popper, Disarming Voice on Machoke!"

"Growl, Bowtie!"

"You too, Macho!"

Despite the attacks readying to fly at his pokémon, Hala gave Hau a toothy, approving grin followed by a curt nod. "Machoke, they're playin' it safe! Focus Energy! Don't let 'em shake ya, we got this!"

Hau bristled at Hala's wordless approval. Somehow, in that moment, it felt absolutely patronizing.

Realizing a little late that she and Elio had failed entirely to include Hau in their battle plan against Hala, Selene was shocked to find that he worked with them remarkably well. It was as if they had always battled alongside one another, even though Hau was a new trainer, and she and her brother had hardly ever commanded a pokémon in their lives (unless one counted the hands-on experience at school they had received back in Kanto, or occasionally telling their housepet Meowth where he could or couldn't lay, or the few hits they got in on Ilima's Gumshoos before it was interrupted by those Dulse and Zossie characters…). In fact, Selene was still occasionally consulting her Rotom Dex, yet, they had fallen into a routine!

She and Elio had opted for as painless a strategy as they could come up with, due to their mutual disdain for causing undue harm in the heat of battle. Although Bowtie and Macho were too small for the time being to cause much injury, they had both agreed that would likely change given enough time… Anyway, they had both decided to try to harass the opponent with a series of Status-inducing attacks, allowing them to finish off opponents quickly and painlessly. With Hau there, however, their Growls were able to repeatedly unnerve Hala's Machoke, while Popper twirled and shot lofty, pink bubbles, which burst in a horrendous shriek of sound once they reached the Machoke's ears. The Fairy-type move would stun the Machoke and send him reeling backwards, waving his arms unsteadily, and since it was a sound-based move, it didn't so much do physical damage as it did just fatigue the opponent into submission. A win-win, as far as Selene was concerned.

"Man, that Popplio of yours is something else, Hau!" Selene had paused to call out to him, laughing to herself when Bowtie indignantly squawked at her and flapped his wings wildly. Rolling her eyes at him, Selene snorted, "I didn't say you weren't, Bowtie, I'm allowed to compliment others!" At his pouty, accusatory little bird glare, she chuckled. "I swear, it's not cheating."

"Th-thanks," Hau meekly responded to Selene's praise. Seemingly more determined than ever, he jabbed a finger forward. "Disarming Voice, again! Popper!"

Elio smirked at her knowingly, and Selene nodded in turn. "Bowtie, Growl again!"

The Rowlet chattered eagerly and flew up, then rocketed toward Machoke, stopping just short of its reach. He clicked his beak repeatedly and made an (admittedly not all that intimidating) hiss, which served to only annoy Machoke and make him bat his hands after him. Yet, his movements were slow and clunky, his body starting to quiver beneath the effects of the repeated Growls, and even at Hala's desperate call for a Revenge on Popper, it failed to react before Macho bolted in front of it and arched his back.

"Macho, Roar!" Elio triumphantly yelled. Instantly, Macho let fly an earsplitting yowl that made Hala's Machoke cringe and cover its ears, backpedaling rapidly to his trainer.

The cherry on top was Popper barking excitedly as he blew another singsong bubble, which finally convinced Hala to recall his exhausted Machoke. Despite everything that was going on with their missing parents, with the upside-down world of Alola, watching that Machoke go down under their combined efforts filled Selene with a surge of pride unmatched by any memory she could recall. Squealing in excitement, she first whirled on Elio and shook him by the shoulder, then to Hau, giving him a similar treatment. He froze under her touch at first, but then relaxed and laughed once he figured out she was just ecstatic.

Yet, as her fingers met his shoulder, she felt a slight, unpleasant tingle run up her arm, as if she had been shocked by static electricity, and once again, the scene around her dissolved into something unfamiliar. Instead of Iki Town's wooden stage and encouraging, excited townfolk, she felt as if she were in a forest. She felt so much shorter all of a sudden, as the underbrush in the forest felt unnaturally tall… She was vaguely aware of the sensation of people holding her hands on either side of her. Then, the vision faded black, and when it returned, she felt as if she were being cradled in arms. Involuntarily looking up, she saw a dim, blurry vision of Tapu Koko. It had its shelled arms wrapped around her, though it looked bigger than she remembered, and its teal eyes were stretched wide in… fear? Before she could determine if that were the proper name for the expression, she almost yelped in shock when she heard a male voice speak into her head, but… it wasn't in a language she understood. Was it Alolan…?

Hau shoved her hand off his shoulder, at last pulling her back to the present, and when she blinked a few times to readjust, she found him staring at her fearfully. "Selene…? All okay?"

"I…" No. I'm losing it, I swear to Arceus—keep it together, Selene, keep it together. Think about it later, talk about it with Elio later. Shaking her head, she clumsily nodded, "Yep, yep, fine, sorry, got… lost in thought there…" Whipping her attention back on Hala, she was relieved to see he was too busy switching his Machoke out for the next pokémon, a Hariyama, to care about her and Hau's odd exchange. Yet, Elio shot her an equally as concerned look as Hau, and at her defensive huff of annoyance, he cut his eyes at her.

"When this is over, water, food, rest," he hissed at her under his breath, in thick, rapid Kantonian. Then, he pointed his index and middle finger at his eyes, then at hers, like he was warning her for a fight. That made her break into giggles.

"Fine," she dramatically whined at last, relenting to him. Eager to get back to the battle, she hopped impatiently from foot to foot. She felt a little guilty for how excited she was to see the Hariyama go down next under their combined might… It made her feel a little better to see that Elio seemed into it, too, at least. Doing her best to push away the thoughts of the odd vision she'd had for the second time that day, she, Elio, and Hau fell back into their newfound rhythm, easily downing the Hariyama soon enough (though it certainly got in a cheap shot in the form of a Fake Out against Bowtie, and had ruined his accuracy as well with an annoying Sand Attack or two). Although she was too absorbed in their battle against Hala to pay it too much mind, she couldn't shake the feeling that Hau was staring at her in between asking Popper to attack.

It seemed as if things were going to be the same for Hala's final pokémon, a janky, new one that must have been native to Alola called a Crabrawler. Noticing the way Bowtie was struggling to remain aloft and small, painful scuffs had appeared over his body, Selene frowned and warned Elio and Hau, "I've gotta heal Bowtie this turn… You guys go ahead."

"No prob," Elio had grinned, radiating a surprising amount of confidence. Although unexpected, it made Selene feel so much more at ease to hear him that way… "Macho, Growl it!"

"Ay, Popper?" Hau jokingly called, then slipped into Alolan. Selene swore the Popplio laughed, given the way it performed something of a handstand, clapping its rear flippers together, before spitting a familiar pink bubble after Hala's Crabrawler.

Whistling to call her Rowlet back, Selene hugged Bowtie once he was close enough and then dug in the bag slung over her shoulder for a Potion. "That Hariyama really had it out for you, huh, Bowtie?" she snickered as she undid the safety on the bottle and used her free hand to spray him liberally. He trilled, clearly pleased, underneath the shower and then wriggled free of her grasp before she had even finished off the medicine, clearly eager to join back in the fight. Squawking madly as he rejoined Macho and Popper's side, the Litten and Popplio meowed and barked respectively at him, as if welcoming him back.

"Hm! You've all been doin' good so far, got your type matchups down and the like!" Hala approvingly nodded, crossing his arms. "But ya haven't won yet, bwahaha! C'mon, Blitz, let's show 'em the real power of a Z-Move, why don't we?!"

Hala's Crabrawler rapidly opened and closed its pincers and chittered in excitement, while Hala himself started to glow in a way that was all-too reminiscent of how Ilima and his Gumshoos had at the Trainers' School. Marching forward with one foot, he hollered and punched his fists rapidly again and again, the white bands of light across his body fading to an auburn, reddish-brown color, then a bolt of light arced from the Z-Power Ring on his wrist and onto his Crabrawler. The bands of light on that pokémon then turned the brownish color.

"All-Out Pummeling, Blitz!"

Just like that, the Crabrawler launched itself into the air with an impressive display of strength, strobing with the auburn pulses of color. Hala's glow faded and he was left panting and shaking, as if it were simply taking all his effort to stand, but Crabrawler landed fists-first on top of Bowtie, Macho, and Popper. An awesomely blinding flash of tan light washed out Selene's view of the battle, preventing her from seeing how directly any of their pokémon were hit, at least until the spectacular display was over and the Crabrawler stumbled back toward Hala's feet. Quivering exhaustedly, it weakly clicked its pincers, watching as anxiously as Hau, Elio, and Selene were to see if its all-out attack had succeeded in fainting its foes.

"What was that?" Elio asked in a voice hardly above a whisper, in awe.

"Was that…?" Selene trailed off, too out of breath from the mad rush of adrenaline to speak. That was AMAZING! she thought, her guilt for being excited at the battle long gone and forgotten. That's what Z-Moves do? I know they said they were super strong and whatever, but that—that—that was fantastic! Can I do that with the Normalium-Z Ilima gave us? Oh, I have got to try that!

As it seemed the dust was settling, all three of them were surprised to find their pokémon struggling back to their feet, and each of them starting to glow as well, but in a familiar, yellowish-white. Covering her mouth, Selene could only stare as Popper, Bowtie, and Macho all evolved at once. Hau whooped and pumped a fist while Elio looked just as thunderstruck as she felt. Once the veil of lights faded, her hovering Rotom Dex nearby informed her that they were now a Brionne, Dartrix, and Torracat, respectively.

As if congratulating each other, the pokémon excitedly looked one another over, Macho rolling onto his back and showing off a new, flaming orb that looked something like a pendant on his neck. Bowtie curiously leaned over his stomach and tickled him with one of his longer, white-feathered wings, to which Macho playfully batted at a long leaf protruding from Bowtie's head. Circling them, Popper melodically cried out and slapped his flippers together, moving with much more grace than before.

"I've never heard of anything like that happening before," Elio commented, sounding speechless.

Selene couldn't blame him. She felt the same way! "Me, neither…" That felt so special…

"Well, what happened?!" Ilima impatiently cut in from the sidelines. Selene snorted in morbid amusement as she noticed him pacing irritably at the edge of the platform. Someone near him hastily explained the situation to him, and he beamed in the vague direction of the stage. "Stunning! You have Hala backed into a corner! Well? Start calling out some attacks, go on, finish it!"

"Ha, not need tell twice!" Hau trumpeted. "Popper, Ice Wind!"

"Yeah, 'bout time this was done with, I guess," Elio cockily called. "Hey, Macho! Roar!"

"Bowtie, er… Razor Leaf, you know that now, don't you?"

Hardly waiting for their trainers' orders to leave their mouths, Popper, Macho, and Bowtie focused back on their exhausted opponent, and in unison, they fired off their respective attacks; Popper breathed a puff of chilling snowflakes, Macho roared in a far more intimidating way than its previous, squeaky yowl, and Bowtie lashed a wing out and leaves flew from within his plumage, striking the Crabrawler repeatedly over its weak frame.

"Ha! Well, I'll say you three won, then!" Hala uproariously laughed as he recalled the Crabrawler. Puffing for air, he planted his hands on his hips and shook his head. "What a Grand Trial, ae!"

As their pokémon celebrated amongst one another, Selene, Hau, and Elio similarly turned to one another and high-fived and whooped victoriously. Smiling at Hau, Selene was brimming with joy, and to him she beamed, "You were great out there! Your Fairy-type moves along with our Status moves? Made the battle go by fast and it didn't even have to be that violent! That was great, Hau!"

"Yeah, I'll admit, that was pretty great," Elio chuckled as he looked over Selene's shoulder. "Tough little opera singer you got there, dude."

Shying away from their praise as if unused to it, Hau grinned nervously. "Macho and Bow… Bowtie? Bowtie, ae, good too!" he exclaimed, awkwardly trying to shift the topic away from himself. "All evolve once! Work together! See?" he cried, pointing at their playing pokémon. "Do that all Island Challenge! Ae!"

"I'm sure you three want to celebrate," Hala teased as he shuffled past their pokémon, "but here, let me give ya some Fightinium-Zs and show ya how to use 'em before we forget! To show you've cleared Melemele Island!"

As the high of the battle started to ebb, Selene realized how caught up in the moment, in the battle, she had gotten. Almost alarmed by it, she just had to wonder: how could such a twistedly sinister tradition like this cultish Island Challenge be so, frighteningly rewarding when it went right? Intending to glance to Elio and chat to him after Hala finished handing out the Fighting-type Z-Crystals, she found he was down on a knee, vigorously petting Macho's head and his new, fluffier cheeks. She was taken aback by how genuinely delighted he seemed.

"You were so good out there, Macho!" he praised the pokémon in Kantonian, then retrieved his own Rotom Dex. Switching it to the camera, he awkwardly positioned himself against the wooden deck to get the perfect angle of Macho's face, then snapped a series of pictures. "Man, you look so cool. I could fill a whole album with just you…"

Maybe… maybe I'll talk to him about it and the visions and stuff later… she internally decided, unable to bring herself to ruin his good mood. Hala distributed the Z-Crystals, showcased the same pose he'd used in the battle against them, then had tiredly claimed that he'd had an eventful day and was going to turn in. Wishing them good luck with their parents (and reminding them he would let the Kahunas of the other islands know they were searching for them), he hobbled off the stage.

Turning to try to call Bowtie back so she could admire his newly evolved form, Selene squeaked in surprise when she found Hau practically in her face. "That was good, ae?" he eagerly pressed. "We celebrate, ae! Ever had malasada?"

"Have I ever… what?" she blinked. Half of what Hau had said didn't sound like Galarish at all.

"Have you ever had a malasada? That's what he was asking," Lillie amusedly clarified from behind her. Selene craned her neck to peer over her shoulder and saw Lillie standing a few feet away from the base of the wooden stage. "Hau lives off those things. There's a shop on the way to the docks, you know… But we should probably grab something that's actually food first, then malasadas." Rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, she smirked. "Can get us tickets for a ferry to Akala for the morning and then we can crash at the Pokémon Center down that way, too."

"That sounds like a nice idea, yeah," Selene answered quickly, feeling a little overwhelmed by Hau's excitement, Elio's uncharacteristic glee, and Lillie's kindness. Even so… at least it felt better than her earlier panic (or at least, she thought it did…). Although she wanted to be wary of the sense of contentment she was settling into, not wanting to allow herself to complacently believe her parents were just lost on Akala, she just… didn't feel that panicked. Sure, she was confused about the visions, but… Shaking away the disillusioning thoughts, she sighed. "Sorry, I think… I need some air, um…" Thinking of an idea, she perked up. "Oh, I want to talk to Ilima! Where's he?"

"I'm still here," he called from a distance.

Peering around Elio, she saw that he was leaned against the wooden stage now, though he wasn't looking in her direction at all. Slipping past Hau, Lillie, and her brother, Selene clicked her tongue for Bowtie to follow her and took a seat near the former Captain. Seeing the sunglasses over his face and noticing how tired and stressed he sounded planted a seed of worry in her chest, but she found his presence comforting, and she really didn't want to just never speak to him again just because he was blind…

"That was a great battle," Ilima warmly told her upon her approach, raising his chin vaguely in her direction.

"Ah, thanks," Selene ashamedly accepted his compliment, even if she were secretly questioning how he could have known. Even so… "Ilima?"

"Yes, Selene?"

"Thank you for staying… Even though you sound like you could sleep for the next week. And look like you could use it, too."

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world," Ilima pleasantly insisted. There was an uncomfortable stretch of silence in the conversation, and he shifted his weight between his feet. At last, he slowly admitted, "I… really wanted to know how the battle turned out… because I wanted to stay and thank you. I would like to thank Hau and Elio, too, but they sound like they're having a good time, and I don't want to ruin that… I wanted to thank you three for coming to challenge me yesterday even though you didn't have to… Everyone was acting as if I was already demoted long before today. It was nice to have some people not treat me like I was already deadweight." Even more quietly, he mumbled, "I'm just… sorry I won't be able to help you or your brother anymore. I really do hope everything turns out fine with your parents, and I really… hope that I see you all again."

"Of all the craziness I've had to get used to in the last few days," Selene laughed hoarsely, "you've been super helpful already. Don't think we'd have gotten through them without you, Captain Ilima." Her heart bled for the way he spoke as if his life were over. Deadweight. She had cringed at that word.

"Ah… it's just Ilima now, Miss."

She playfully (and gingerly, afraid of hurting him) touched her hand to his shoulder and smirked. "Whatever. You're a Captain to me."

"That's not…" he started, as if intending to dispute her claim, but after momentary contemplation, he merely nodded gratefully at her. "…Thank you again, Selene."

"Of course… See you, Captain Ilima. Now, go get some rest or something, for Arceus' sake," she snorted and crossed her arms. She almost laughed again when Bowtie clicked his beak at Ilima, as if for emphasis.

"Alright, alright," Ilima groaned. "I'll go." He failed to move, though, and embarrassedly asked after a halting moment. "Ah… Could you grab someone's attention and ask them to help me back to the clinic? I know you don't know where it's at, but one of them will… They want to monitor me for a while."

Flushing red as well—seriously, how could she have forgotten immediately that he was blind and would have needed assistance getting where he needed to go?!—Selene agreed, and hopped off the stage, waving to get a nearby woman's attention.

Maybe she was just judging Alola too harshly… Certainly, she still felt the Tapus were hardly worthy of the deification Alolans treated them with and that was a whole can of Dunsparce unto itself, but… Maybe her and Elio's knee-jerk fear for their parents and immediate condemnation of their infrastructure had been too hasty? After all, Ilima had been blinded by Tapu Koko, and yet, he held nothing against them. The Grand Trial against Hala had felt so good to do, and… she would begrudgingly admit, she felt as if it had drawn her, Hau, Elio, and their pokémon even closer.

Ugh, what a mess, she thought to herself as someone started to lead Ilima away. This whole place is just a mess. I don't even know how else to describe it. I might drive myself insane trying to understand it all. Glancing at Bowtie, she frowned. "Sometimes I wish I was kinda like you and didn't have the capacity to worry about whether the country I live in is horrible or not. 'Cause now I'm just gonna drive myself up the wall thinking about it."

Bowtie replied by preening some of his feathers and dramatically flicking the long leaf on his head out of his face.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Selene chuckled halfheartedly.

Chapter Text

Once the high of the victory had worn off, Elio had made good on his mid-battle threat to fight Selene over getting water, food, and rest. While Hau darted ahead of them into the heart of Hau'oli, playing with Popper as he went, Lillie idly explained that he was likely headed to a certain restaurant down the way with a name Selene couldn't have hoped to pronounce, and Elio declared that they'd be heading there, then—and that Selene would be getting some actual food and drinking plenty of water before they moved on. "I'm not a child," Selene had indignantly shot at him after a while, "I don't need you, Sir Picsalot."

"Mm, her sass game could use some work," Lillie dryly commented from a few paces ahead of them.

Snorting at his sister, Elio crossed his arms and knowingly smirked at her. His Rotom Dex hovered around his head and then abruptly, a lens on the back of it flashed, catching Selene off-guard. As she recoiled from it, Elio beamed, "Sorry, I told Roty to start taking pictures whenever you say something stupid. You'd be lost without me," he proudly sang, raising his chin and dramatically sweeping a stubborn flick of slate hair from his face. Adjusting his hat, he added, "I'll keep that picture to remind me of how you said you 'don't need me' whenever you come to me, mhm."

"How about you get a picture of this one?" Selene mutinously asked and then stuck her tongue out at him. To her shock, he didn't skip a beat and flicked her outstretched tongue. She yelped in shock and backpedaled, causing Bowtie to squawk and take flight from her head. "Gross, Elio!" she complained.

"I'm your brother, that's like my job or something," he teased, grinning mischievously at her. "Don't test me, sis, I win by default."

"You win what? The moron contest? I don't think anyone's testing you on that."

"If you two are done yet, children," Lillie announced, pausing in front of them, "We're here."

Admittedly, stopping at the restaurant and relaxing for a moment did ease her nerves. She had convinced herself that her parents were fine, lost on Akala, but fine, so she was no longer in a blind panic over that (though… she still was concerned about Kukui… she just pushed the thought of him away). Hau had put in their orders for them at the counter, and when he received his two malasadas he had ordered, he balanced one on Popper's nose, showing off Popper's impressive balance. To add to the effect, Hau laughed and tried to balance his on his own nose (which really just ended with it sitting on his face), and then he snapped his fingers. Popper successfully tossed his malasada up and caught it in his mouth, while Hau nearly dropped his to the floor, catching it with a squeak in his hands. Thoroughly a mess, he laughed as he looked back up at them, earning chortles from the rest of them and even their pokémon. Lillie handed Elio some napkins to pass to Hau, but Elio left them in front of him and snapped a picture of Hau instead.

"Hey!" Hau had protested. "Why—"

"You look like you were trying to take a bath in that malasada, why would I not take a picture of that?" Elio cut him off. "A guy's gotta have blackmail material!"

"I thought you specialized in pokémon and landscape photography," Selene pointedly asked him. "Stop tormenting Hau."

"Look," Elio said, expression and tone shifting to something more serious as he pressed his elbows to the table and lazily flicked the napkins to Hau at last, "Someone out there has got to provide all the meme-makers of the world with fresh content to meme on." Pointing at his Rotom Dex, he beamed, "I've willingly made this sacrifice." That earned him eye-rolls and groans from Selene and Lillie both.

"Hmm, maybe I can just get us three tickets for the ferry tomorrow morning," Lillie slyly mused. "Torchic can join us after he learns to swim."

To Elio's chagrin, Selene smirked at Lillie. "He does have this most adorable Eevee float that could help him swim there…" Lillie broke into giggles at that, and Selene tilted her head at the other. She just couldn't pin Lillie down. Most of the time, she seemed unapproachable, vulgar, and even outright cruel, yet, she also clearly cared for Nebby more than anything else in the world and admittedly, Selene had realized that, as she internally scrutinized her and Lillie's earlier interaction with Kukui, she didn't think Lillie meant them any harm. She was exceedingly rough around the edges, but that didn't make her dangerous. Well… as long as you stay out of her pepper spray radius, Selene thought dryly to herself.

"What… meme-maker?" Hau frowned, lost as to where the conversation had gone.

Elio gasped and clasped his chest like he had been struck in the heart. Macho, nestled between him and Lillie on their side of the booth, picked its head up and opened a single eye at Elio, then rested again, completely uninterested in whatever his trainer was panicking over. Looking up at Hau, who was seated next to Selene in her side of the booth at that point, Elio dramatically cried, "You don't know what a meme is?!"

"Uh…" Hau nervously smiled and stroked Popper as the Brionne squirmed its way into his lap. "No…?"

"Oh, boy, here we go," Selene mumbled.

"Oh, Hau, buddy, my man," Elio shook his head disappointedly. "We gotta show you some more of the world, my guy." Fishing his phone out of his pocket, Elio started to animatedly scroll it.

"We should really be heading for the Pokémon Center," Lillie complained, though she was smirking.

"No, the memeless heathen needs me," Elio insisted, waving her away without looking up at her.

Looking at his fingertips, Lillie raised a brow. "Wave your hand in my face again and I'll bite it."

"Ooh," Elio simpered and jerked his head up from his phone screen at that point, "I didn't know you were into that, Lillie! Learning new things about you already~!"

She just narrowed her eyes at him and Nebby offered a plaintive pew! from where he was snuggled into her lap. "Maybe I'll just pepper spray you again," she thought aloud in a sickeningly sweet tone, earning her a moody glare from Elio.

"What… is go on?" Hau asked Selene at last, turning that nervous grin to her. His uncertainty made Selene want to laugh, but she felt bad. He likely didn't understand half of the conversation happening around them and as much as she loved Elio's silliness, his false dramatics could be quite convincing at times.

"Don't mind him," Selene shrugged. "He's just joking around. That's his way of showing he likes people. He's about as straightforward about his feelings for people as a Meowth. Dad used to joke and call his name and when Elio came to see him, he'd go, 'Oh, sorry, I meant the Meowth… got your names mixed up there.'" That thought made her stop and think. Even though she had convinced herself again and again Mom and Dad were fine and on the next island over, she missed them so much already… She wished they could at least pick up their phones…

"He… like me?" Hau blinked dubiously. Face starting to light up, he went to ask, "Rea—"

"Hau!" Elio cut him off, eagerly thrusting his phone at Hau's face. "Look! Look!"

Selene couldn't help but crane her neck at the meme on his screen, which was a picture of Champion Lance in his stupid cosplayer-looking cape, compared to the young Champion Leon of Galar, who wore a somehow even gaudier and more perplexing outfit, topped with a cape. Then, a third picture below them was of a black and red shag carpet that looked suspiciously like both their capes. Bold white letters at the top read, "Who wore it better?"

"That one's old as the hills, Elio," Selene snarked at him as she chuckled in a way someone might do at a decent knock-knock joke. "You need fresher content—"

She was cut off by Hau giggling at the picture. "Even I know Champ Le-on," he said, laughing harder and harder. "That is meme-maker?"

"Nah, that's just a meme!" Producing sunglasses from his backpack he had hanging off his right shoulder, Elio grinned as he flicked them on. "I am the meme-maker. Fear me."

"You're such a clown!" Selene raucously laughed at last, causing Bowtie to shift on her head. "Oh, my Arceus, take those sunglasses off."

He crossed his arms and moved his hat so that the brim was off-center his head. "Nah."

For such a challenging start to their stay in Alola, Selene was starting to feel like it would all be okay, and as she failed to have anymore visions for the rest of the night, she started to write them off as mere accident thanks to the Alolan heat she was unused to.

Yeah, that made more sense anyway…

"I dunno if Guz or Plumes have said anythin' about me," Makua was mumbling to Gladion as they marched down the grassy path of Route 4, "but I've heard a bit about ya. Thanks for comin' with."

Not like it's that big of a deal, but alright, Gladion thought, fending off the urge to roll his eyes. Nobody had exactly threatened him into submission to tag along with Makua, Plumeria had just visited him at his motel and told him to head for some docks off Ula'Ula's western shores, and left a couple of Skull grunts that couldn't have been older than sixteen each with him. They had moodily looked him up and down, a Drowzee and an Alolan Meowth respectively at their sides, then curtly offered to show him to the 'Skull boat,' an unnamed, matte-black speedboat (apparently, they kept it as unmarked as possible and refused to name it so people wouldn't be able to locate it to vandalize the vessel; Ride Pokémon were also out of the equation for anyone affiliated with Skull, he had learned). He had gathered from them as they traveled that they were going to meet a senior member of Skull over on Akala Island and assist him in restocking some of Skull's 'medical supplies.' Skeptical, Gladion had raised a brow at one of the grunts, a girl, and snarked, "Medical supplies, huh? Is that how you say drugs around here?"

She had glowered at him along with her friend. "No, it's how we say medical supplies," she had retorted. "Clean your ears out, Blondie. We can't exactly go to the doctor 'round here, seein' as they'd sooner sic a Rockruff on us than treat us, but Makua got connections on Akala, so he hooks us up. Antibiotics, painkillers, band-aids, fuckin', allergy meds. It ain't that deep, cousin."

"And Makua keeps that shit locked tight, yo," her friend had shrugged. "Tells us he'll run our skulls together if we fuck with any'a his stuff, so…" He had crossed his arms and curled his lip slightly in annoyance. "And he's got a lock."

Now, standing next to Makua—who really looked like a thinner, ganglier version of Guzma, down to the mop of unkempt white hair on his head—Gladion understood a little better, but he was confused about one thing. "I'm an enforcer, it's my job to be wherever Skull needs me," he had flatly said in response to Makua's grateful remark, but as they stopped in front of a silvery sign partially hidden by overgrown trees, Gladion frowned. It read Pikachu Valley: Electric Paradise. "But what are we doing at Pikachu Valley? Isn't that a place for Challengers to come play with Pikachu or something? There's Trial Guides in there and everything."

"It is," Makua conceded with a dip of his head, though his hands and eyelids twitched and, indeed, his entire body seemed to constantly tremble, and he was always sniffling. Gladion didn't know what to make of that. It made him a very anxiety-inducing person to look at for too long. Made Gladion feel itchy. "But you'll see. Let that pokémon o' yours out now, just in case, though."

Gladion obediently tossed Type: Null free and clicked his tongue at him. "Null, by me," he called quietly, and the pokémon fell into place next to him. With that, Makua cast a look over his shoulders at their two younger Skull grunt tagalongs and waved an arm to tell them to follow. They marched into the space between the trees and found that on the other side, what appeared to have been the start of a canopy was really just a natural barrier to a brilliant grassy meadow, blemished only by a yellow trailer, painted poorly in the image of a Pikachu, in the far end of the grassland. A few people in green and khaki uniforms paced around it, but what really stole the show were the massive groups of Pikachu roaming the fields. A waterfall shrouded by trees on its shores seemed to be their favorite spot, as they gathered at the bank and lazily lapped at the water in between chasing one another playfully. Pichu skittishly skirted between their older brethren as well, shaky and unsteady on their feet, clearly still new to the world.

Makua led them further in, unbothered by the openness nor by the Trial Guides outside of the Pikachu trailer, and twitchily waved a hand once the Guides noticed them. A black woman with a wide, green sunhat was accompanied by a portly, paler man with dark hair, and both of them stared like a Deerling in headlights for a moment at Makua. At last, the woman uneasily clasped her hands together and hastily rushed toward Makua, Gladion, and the two Skull grunts. "You are Makua, yes?" she asked in rapid-fire Alolan.

"Mhm," he answered, halting in front of her. "Don't mind the numskulls followin' me. Safety an' all, that's all it is."

"I don't mind who you brought, we just need to make this quick," she briskly replied, sweeping a quick glance across Gladion and Type: Null. He noticed her eyes widen in shock and she looked like she wanted to say something, but she clamped her jaws and shook her head vigorously, turning away from them and marching back to the trailer. Whatever she had wanted to say, she had decided it wasn't worth it, and Gladion felt a flicker of satisfaction at that. Answering stupid questions over Null and getting people to see he was more than the monster they believed him to be was frustrating, and part of him almost believed they didn't deserve to know, anyway. Regardless, he thought that her flightiness made sense, given the fact she was a Trial Guide, but Gladion was still confused as to why she was helping them at all. They hadn't threatened her, at least not right then… perhaps Makua had done so in the past? He raised a brow at Makua, not that the senior grunt noticed, merely beckoning for him and the two grunts to follow him up to the Pikachu trailer.

The portly man side-eyed the group, sourly crossing his arms. He muttered something under his breath and the dark-skinned woman shot back out from the trailer with a trash bag full of what Gladion could only assume was the so-called medical supplies they were there for. She glared at her colleague and snapped, "Shush! You agreed, I don't want to hear it!" With that, she dropped from the trailer, a few Pikachu spilling out after her, and held the bag out to Makua. With a sympathetic half-smile, she tilted her head. "Here."

Snatching up the bag, Makua winked at her and nodded, a little too vigorously given the situation. All of his movements were so exaggerated, like a cartoon character. "Thanks, Mihu."

"Now get out of here," the male Trial Guide suddenly growled at them.

"Stop that!" Mihu spat at him, whirling to face him. "They're just—"

"Mihu, no. We'd all be better off if they'd just die off, already, and here you are giving them band-aids and shit. And I didn't so much agree as tell you that I wouldn't report it. I don't want you to end up like any of those bastards, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," her colleague hissed, cutting her off. He seemed to narrow his brown eyes at Gladion then, who got the sense that if looks could have killed, he would have dropped dead right about then. At Gladion's mildly stunned expression, he barked, "What? You got your stuff, now get lost, all of you."

Gladion wasn't sure where the surge of indignance and anger came from, but he curled a lip and went to advance on the Trial Guide, only to feel Makua bring a hand against his chest to stop him. His touch was shuddery and unpleasant, causing him to step back at the contact. "What?"

"Don't," Makua shook his head at him and then shook the bag with his other hand. "We got what we wanted. Don't go pickin' fights for no reason."

"But I'd win," Gladion bluntly protested, scowling at the Trial Guide again at that point. Better if we all just died off… He's lumping me in with them. I'm not even wearing their crap, just working with them… He realized then that his anger didn't come from just vanity, from being upset this man was saying such nasty things; instead, he came to understand there was a twinge of fear in the pit of his stomach. He had seen firsthand how awful people could treat Skull members—hell, three men had been quite ready to kill a child back on Ula'Ula—and this unbridled declaration of hatred had brought those feelings rushing back from that encounter. Without noticing, he had shrunk slightly closer to Makua and the two grunts at the Trial Guide's dark words.

"I know you would," Makua softly told Gladion. "But ain't no point in gettin' his pokémon hurt just for him to get us riled up. C'mon." Dipping his head at Mihu again, he said, "Thanks again, Mihu. You the best."

"Get lost!" the male Trial Guide repeated in something of a vicious snarl, drowning out whatever Mihu had tried to say. "Before anyone else comes in here and notices you fools."

"Better start learnin' to hold your tongue, gramps," the female grunt—Gladion realized he had never asked her name—snapped at him. She and her friend flanked Gladion and Makua then, defensively. "That's our homies you's threatenin' over here."

"Enough," Makua snapped at them. "Let's go." With that, he slapped the male grunt over the white beanie on his head and started to march for the entrance of Pikachu Valley. Muttering under his breath, he huffed, "Idiots… This is why Plumes deals with most o' ya…"

The display earned a whine from the grunt, and Gladion hated the way he had given an ugly snort of amusement at the scene. Shooting the male Trial Guide one last scowl, Gladion brought up the rear of their squad, Null following hot on his heels. The pokémon still occasionally stopped to paw and scratch at its mask, but he seemed mostly in a good mood, something Gladion was grateful for as he pondered what Makua had said. Ain't no point in gettin' his pokémon hurt just for him to get us riled up. The statement really blew Gladion's mind open as they started back down Route 4 and made him think about just how pointless so many pokémon battles could be… People getting pokémon hurt for their own vanity and gain under the thinly-veiled lie of 'getting stronger.'

He set his jaw. He would make no such mistake again. He would only battle if absolutely necessary, or against partners that were the same caliber as he and would help them grow stronger; beating down weaker opponents was wasteful and cruel on his part, otherwise. Looking up at Makua as they headed back for the Skull boat, Gladion felt a pang of something he didn't understand. A sensation somewhere between longing and mourning. After a few seconds of idle staring, he cursed to himself and shook his head. I can't be feeling attached to these idiots, can I? I just got here not that long ago! Plumeria lied through her teeth to Guzma just because she wanted to use Null! Half of them hate me and I can't get a single goddamn one of them to call me by my actual name instead of some nickname…

Null then accidentally stepped on his foot, drawing a talon over his shoe and up part of his shin. Yelping, he jumped away and caught himself at the last second from toppling over on his side. Glancing to Null, he saw the pokémon had bounced away from him, kicking at the mask on its head violently, the shllk-shllk! of its claws on the bronze metal sounding off across the route.

"Ay, Blondie, you good?" the female grunt called to him as she, Makua, and her friend stopped a little ahead of him.

"That mutt o' yours causin' issues?" her friend pressed, curiously peering over her shoulder.

"You're bleedin'," Makua gruffly interrupted, waving both the grunts away. "Here, let me help."

"I don't…" Gladion went to tell him off, but his voice died in his throat. The lanky man leaned down in front of him and wrenched open the bag Mihu had given him. As he lifted Gladion's pant leg (or brushed it to the side, really; Null's claw had split it open), Gladion let out a sigh he didn't know he'd held. "Thanks," he begrudgingly mumbled after an awkward pause. The word felt almost unnatural on his tongue. Null quit scratching at the helmet at last, and apologetically hung his head, slinking toward Gladion nervously. Though Gladion didn't say a word, he gave the pokémon a knowing nod. It's alright, Null. I know you didn't mean it.

"Don't mention it, numskull," Makua chuckled. "Your mutt's strong, but he's clumsy as hell."

"Not a mutt," Gladion murmured, tiredly, instead of the usual anger. "His name's Null."

"Well, Null's clumsy as hell, then," Makua corrected himself with a roll of the eyes.

Gladion snorted, wincing as he felt Makua draw a cloth over his new cut to clean it. "Better," was all he replied with.

Going to Akala Island the next morning had been a simple venture. Before Selene, Elio, Hau, and Lillie had turned into the Hau'oli City Pokémon Center for the prior evening, they had stopped by the docks and picked up enough tickets for the four of them the following morning. Despite the relaxing end to the day she had enjoyed, laughing and goofing off with her brother and their new friends (or whatever Lillie was…), Selene had difficulty getting to sleep, unable to put that nagging, depressed sensation over her parents' failure to answer her and Elio's calls and texts to rest. That was to say, the next morning, she had felt quite cranky and she and Lillie were not getting along nearly as well as they had the day before on the boat ride to Akala.

She was more than grateful when they arrived at the docks and, perhaps a little more rudely than the others would have expected, she wrestled her way to the front of their group and out of the ferry before them. Huffily crossing her arms, Selene waited for them. Why did I rush off like that? she thought with a twinge of frustrated amusement at herself. I still am traveling with them…

Lillie descended from the boat next, her trademark arm clamped over her bag and an amused smirk on her face. "Everything okay, Early Bird?" she asked Selene tauntingly.

Selene just looked at her. "So pissed," she practically hissed at her, despite the errant giggle at the end of her declaration.

"No, you're not," Elio loudly announced as he unceremoniously dropped from the stairs behind Lillie. He planted his hands on her shoulders and beamed at Selene from behind her comically wide sunhat. "You're just tired. If you had an Ability like a pokémon, it'd be Insomnia. Do you ever sleep?"

Blinking, Selene looked away from them and shook her head. "So pissed!" she repeated, despite the smile pulling at her lips. Hau paraded from the boat then… and instead of walking down the stairs to the docks like a normal person, he hopped the banister and landed with a thud!, wobbling feet, and a set of flailing arms desperately trying to regain his balance.

"Land ho!" he announced once he caught himself and proudly pressed his hands to his hips. Popper launched himself from the boat's railings then, too, and stuck the landing on Hau's head by a single flipper. Scooping him off his head, Hau hugged him close and laughed.

"You're all full of energy for such an early morning," a sultry female voice laughed at them. Selene whipped her head up to see a tall, fit woman with dark skin and soft, wispy, deep brown hair staring back at them. A younger girl with long, green locks bounced happily from foot-to-foot at her side, but Selene was completely uninterested in her, eyes locked onto the leanly muscular woman instead. Dozens of necklaces with various charms and stones in them adorned her neck and each of her limbs were decorated with likewise bracelets. She was stunning, and Selene couldn't get over how… taut and beautiful she was. Her arms fell from their folded position and just stared. She was quite suddenly speechless.

She was also completely unaware as Hau bounded up next to her, grinning at her expression. Apparently, her instant fascination with the woman ahead of them transcended all their communication and cultural differences. "Ay," Hau snickered, "close mouth, 'fore Cutiefly flies in." At that remark, Selene had just puffed her cheeks in annoyance at him. Briefly, she thought it was strange that he would remark so openly about that… Perhaps it had been crude of her, but she had assumed most Alolans wouldn't be so accepting of a girl showing such blithe attraction to another girl. Then again, Hau seemed a little odd, anyway. You know what they say about assumptions, Selene, she thought to herself resignedly.

"Alola, Kahuna Olivia, Captain Mallow," Lillie greeted the two women in a much more formal tone than they had been speaking with a moment before, though she didn't remove her hand from her bag to wave at the newcomers. Elio opened his mouth to say something and, as if it were a sixth sense to detect that he was about to say something stupid, Lillie elbowed him in the gut. He doubled over and opted to simply wave a hand at their new friends.

Snorting, Olivia—Selene didn't think she needed pointers to know the taller woman was undoubtedly the Kahuna rather than the spacey-eyed girl at her side—cocked her head to the side and performed the Alolan handwave. "Alola, Lillie. Did Professor Kukui ever manage to find a shirt to match that labcoat of his?"

"Nope," Lillie shrugged. Mocking his voice as best she could, Lillie puffed her cheeks and snidely announced, "'Shirts don't last long in my line of work!'" Shaking her head and returning her voice to normal, she carried on, "Anyway, I know, you're probably wondering why I'm here without him…"

"No, he told me you'd be arriving with some friends," Olivia coolly cut her off. She shot Selene a winning smile, but at Selene's staring, seemed to shy away slightly. Selene felt her cheeks surge with the heat of shame. Maybe her assumption hadn't been so off the mark, after all. "Welcome to Akala Island, Selene, Elio, Hau. My name is Kahuna Olivia. I'm the youngest of the Kahunas, but I'm no pushover. Akala has the most trials of any of Alola's islands. I look forward to battling you three in Konikoni City when the time comes. I wanted to come say, 'hi,' and let you three know to ask me or any of the Captains any questions you might have…" The way she trailed off uncomfortably made Selene wish she could have melted and slipped through the cracks of the dock and into the ocean below her.

Elio, however, seemed ignorant to the social cues happening around him. Catching on to the fact Selene had been momentarily enamored with the Kahuna, he started to laugh at her, obnoxiously so. For once, Selene was grateful when Lillie groaned and exasperatedly chimed in, "These two clowns do have something they would like to talk to you about, contrary to how they're acting would suggest. Selene, didn't you want to ask the Kahuna here about your parents?"

Frowning at her, Selene knew she was right, but she just felt such a violent mix of petty annoyance and embarrassment at being asked to talk to Olivia after the awkward, silent exchange they had already shared. Selene had made a terrible first impression, indeed. So pissed! she thought again in mild frustration. Turning a sickeningly sweet smile on Olivia (and briefly waving at Mallow as she attempted to introduce herself), Selene clumsily stuttered, "H-hi—Alola, I mean, uh—we—my br-brother and I are looking for our parents. They left a weird note and said they were coming to Akala, but we haven't been able to get ahold of them on the phones, and…"

"Huh," Olivia's expression fell to concern, and she shifted her weight, making the muscles in her legs ripple for a moment, and then she nodded thoughtfully. "Well, if you tell us a description, I can let the Captains here know. We have Captain Mallow here, but also Captain Kiawe and Captain Lana. They all would be happy to keep an eye out. I work in Konikoni City, too, which has the most immigrants in the region…"

Selene was rather grateful when Elio decided to take over in the description of their parents, because so much of what Olivia had said went in one ear and out the other. When he did that, Selene was able to gather her thoughts and internally fumed at herself. She is a Kahuna! Also seems way uncomfortable with your gawking! You hate this place! You and Elio are gonna get your parents and you're gonna leave and never look back and—ugh, Selene, your parents are literally missing, get it together! As if Bowtie might help root her into the present somehow, Selene tossed her Dartrix's Poké Ball, grateful for his presence atop her head. There, now I look as much like a birdbrain as I feel like, she internally joked.

"No feel bad," Hau whispered to her, making her jolt in surprise as he wrenched her from her thoughts. He flicked his gaze to Mallow, and nervously smiled. "She nice, too…"

"You… are so not like anyone else here, are you?" Selene asked him after a delay, privately grateful to have him there right about then. Man, this is so not my morning.

Hau clicked his tongue and dropped his gaze to the ground. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he cheekily chuckled. "Oh, you no idea…"

Chapter Text

“Well, like I said, I can look around Konikoni and alert the Captains,” Olivia ended up saying at last once Elio was finished explaining the situation to her. With that, she had said goodbye and apparently, intended to leave it at that. A little shocked, Selene had almost instinctively lunged forward and lightly grabbed Olivia’s arm, despite her embarrassment, and cut off the Kahuna’s path to leave.

“W-wait, that’s it? There’s nothing else you can do?” she blurted. Upon Olivia’s bewildered stare, she flushed red and explained. “I mean, don’t you have… I don’t know, a way of making flyers, and putting them up around, or…?” Sighing, Selene rubbed her temple. I know they don’t have actual police infrastructure, but they have to have something, right? Hell, those stupid pictures on the side of milk cartons would still be something!

To her questions, Olivia almost violently flicked her wrist against Selene’s hold, wrenching her hand free easily. Selene squeaked in surprise when Olivia’s skin pressed tightly against her palm just as she was pulling free, however; her skin didn’t feel… well, it didn’t feel like skin. It felt oddly cool to the touch and almost… hard? Blinking at her hand, Selene wracked her brain, trying to figure out if she had merely imagined it in the milliseconds that her and Olivia’s hands touched. Yet, it would seem Olivia had mistaken her blushing, grabbing of the hand, and fascinated stare for something else entirely. The Kahuna put her hands on her hips and unsavorily scowled at Selene. She surreptitiously rubbed the wrist Selene had grabbed against her shorts as if dusting something unpleasant from herself.

“You’re more than welcome to put up flyers if you wish,” Olivia muttered, “but I’m not sure what else you would like me to do…” Grunting and shaking her head, she huffed, “Now, I’ve… I’ve just got to go. Mallow, come on, let’s go.”

Captain Mallow, who had been very quiet so far, frowned at Olivia. “I haven’t even gotten a chance to introduce myself properly! You talked all over me, bigmouth!” Grinning mischievously to herself, she tucked her hands behind her back and rocked her weight from foot to foot playfully. “Are you sure that’s not the power the Tapus gave you? ‘Stupid loud voice?’”

“I’d hurt you for that remark, but you can’t heal yourself, and unfortunately, I need you to perform trials,” Olivia snarked back at her in a dreadfully dry, low voice, but the smirk on her face and the way her posture loosened from the fleeting conflict with Selene betrayed she wasn’t really upset. Dramatically sighing, she shrugged. “Alright, fine, but I’m going to head up ahead some…”

Momentarily distracted from her shame, Selene blinked in surprise. ‘You can’t heal yourself’? She tilted her head slightly at Mallow. So, she can heal things…? That’s… actually really cool, wow…

Waving enthusiastically as Olivia started to walk away, Mallow called, “See you soon, Olivia!” Turning her attention back to the group, she beamed. “Hi! I’m Captain Mallow of the Lush Jungle. Been a Captain for a while now, and I couldn’t help but notice… it looks like the three of you only have one pokémon on you?” She raised a brow. “I hope you’ve got more than that when you come to take me on!”

“Ae!” Hau responded right away, with a vigorous nod of the head. “Catch more on Akala, for sure!” Popper playfully squeaked at the Captain, and she giggled, leaning down to cock her head at the Brionne and stroke his head.

“He’s pretty cute,” Mallow almost sang. Then, with a sly grin Hau’s way, she bounced back to her full height and shot something in Alolan at him. To that, Hau laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. Selene thought he might have been blushing, but she found it hard to tell… Regardless, Mallow then shrugged and put her hands on her hips, too, looking to Selene and Elio. “I’ll keep an eye out for those missing parents of yours, but I doubt they’ll be anywhere near where my trial’s at. Still, building up your teams and strength a bit before carrying on with that mission seems like a good idea! Never… hurts to be cautious, y’know? My trial’s a bit up north, by the way.”

Selene didn’t care for the way Mallow licked her lips after saying that, as if they were dry. “Yeah… Thanks, anyways…” I guess. Even though Olivia got too squicked out by me to really help beyond ‘Oh, yeah, that sucks…’ Do they just really have nothing? She glanced to Hau, Elio, and Lillie. The latter two assented Mallow, who twirled on a heel and started to practically skip away. Still can’t shake the thought that maybe Alola’s ‘we all help each other here, cousin!’ rhetoric is because they have to, considering there are so few safety nets…

“More pokémon not bad think,” Hau mumbled as he intently stared after Mallow.

Lillie rolled her eyes at him, but said, “No, that isn’t a bad idea… I was thinking about heading into town here to change up my look some, though, and I thought you two”—she paused and flicked her green eyes between Elio and Selene—“might want to look around Heahea and see if you can find anything on your parents.”

“Change up your look some?” Elio raised a brow at her and a playful grin started to spread across his face. Yet, before he could fire off whatever he was thinking, Lillie put a finger in front of his face.

“Don’t even. Remember those Dulse and Zossie people?”

Elio scrutinized the finger she was holding in his face, looking almost offended. “Yes,” he pointedly answered, pushing her hand away. “What about them?”

Sounding as if she was annoyed at having to explain, Lillie huffed, “Well, they want me, and they want Nebby, so if I change up my appearance…”

“Oh!” Elio exclaimed, slapping a hand over his forehead. “That makes sense, yeah!”

With that settled, Lillie quickly wandered off into the city, ahead of the rest of them. They watched her vanish into a boutique at Elio’s insistence. “Just in case,” he had said to Selene and Hau’s puzzled expressions. Selene wasn’t sure what he thought would have happened to her in the five minutes or so it took her to get to the boutique down the busy city street, but she decided not to fight him on it. Following that, they decided that asking around about her parents couldn’t hurt, and Hau once again offered his services in translation (however questionable they were, they were still better than nothing).

Selene found that Heahea was considerably large and as they explored and spoke to locals, they found a shiny tourist center, which informed her that, despite Alola’s closed-off nature in recent decades, Heahea was founded originally by people from Kanto and Johto. She almost couldn’t believe that. Alola’s traditions and atmosphere was just so different, and Heahea was a far cry from the cramped, sterile architecture of Kanto. Then again, she supposed that in the past, it wasn’t like that back in Kanto-Johto either… Strict building regulations and remodels had changed Kanto-Johto’s cityscapes in the last decade or two, or so Selene had read—before she was born, at any rate. According to most texts, though, she had gleaned that Kanto was once enchantingly naturalistic, with little separating cities and towns from the hinterland, and pokémon and people frequently crossed paths (for better or for worse). Although it had sounded beautiful, it had also sounded so, so dangerous, knowing that a wild Nidoking or Ninetales could have wandered freely into the heart of a city. Not to mention, how such a society had allowed Team Rocket to bloom and fester, almost completely uninhibited at first… Remembering how dangerous their trial at the Verdant Cavern had been and thinking about how encouraged it was here to let a pokémon walk at its trainer’s side, not to mention the Skull Gang members that had been openly harassing Lillie in the middle of a city, Selene grimaced. Maybe she could see how part of Alola had come from Kanto-Johtonians… they just seemed frozen in time, somehow.

Despite their efforts, they found nothing on their parents. Nobody had seen anyone that fit their descriptions, nobody had seen a Kantonian Meowth—absolutely nothing. Considering Heahea was the port city for Akala, that was a devastating blow to Selene’s confidence, but she refused to panic. It wasn’t as if they had talked to every person in Heahea, after all, and people could forget! Just because nobody they had spoken to had seen anything didn’t mean nobody at all had. With a shaky sigh, she had suggested they return to the boutique to wait for Lillie, and Elio had defeatedly agreed. That had surprised Selene; he didn’t sound anywhere near like himself. She gave him a strange look and he merely stiffened his shoulders and scurried ahead of the group, Macho trotting lazily after him on the sidewalk.

“He okay?” Hau asked her suddenly, holding Popper precariously on his shoulder. Selene raised an eyebrow at that, and he laughed. “Ah, road… road hurt flips.” He pointed with his free hand at Popper’s flippers to explain. “So, carry for while.”

That’s what Poké Balls are for, she thought to joke at him, but she decidedly kept that to herself. Pondering his question, she ended up just shrugging. “I don’t know. He’s been all kinds of moody since we moved here… Not that I blame him,” Selene wearily huffed. Maybe he’s taking not finding anything about them hard… “But… probably not a good idea to ask him about it.” Weakly attempting to joke, she snickered, “He gets all sweaty and weird.”

“He already sweat and weird,” Hau snorted. “Is hot here.”

“It really is, but still,” Selene loudly groaned, then she paused. “I envy you. You’ve had like, almost two decades to get used to it.”

“Yet… still not,” Hau chuckled, wiping the sheen of sweat from his forehead for emphasis. “Is still hot! Trust!”

Suddenly, Popper barked from on his shoulder, and Hau flinched as a flash of yellow climbed his body as if he were a tree. He skidded to a halt, catching the attention of Elio ahead of them with the scraping of his sandals, and he and Selene then realized that said flash of yellow was a Pichu—and it was now perched on the top of his head, nestling into Hau’s thick hair. Selene snorted ugly laughter at the scene—the three of them, standing on the sidewalk, Hau with a Brionne on his shoulder and Pichu on his head, her with her Dartrix on her own head, and Hau was looking over himself vigorously. “What is?” he asked nervously, apparently not noticing said Pichu. When he went to open his mouth to ask again, clearly unamused by Selene and Elio’s giggles and grins, his hair started to puff up with static electricity given off by the little pokémon.

“Hau, I know we agreed we should get some more pokémon, but you didn’t have to show us up like that,” Elio teased, the earlier, crushed tone gone. “Wanna introduce us to your friend?”

Popper barked at the Pichu and Hau seemed to finally understand what was going on. He blinked and looked up, cautiously reaching with his hands to grab at the Pichu. When his hands made contact with it, however, a crackle of electricity arced across his arms and down his body, and he yelped, snatching the pokémon from his head and clutching it tightly to his chest, stuffing his hands behind its tiny body as if to hide them—which caused Popper to unceremoniously tumble to the sidewalk with an indignant squeal. To top off the spectacularly clumsy display, Hau grinned wide. “What can say? Pichu like me! Hah!”

Pichu have so little control over electricity… How did it shock him like that? Selene fleetingly thought but banished it as she giggled and shook her head. “Good Arceus, Hau, are you okay? It shocked you good!”

Dark hair now puffed up to easily twice its usual size, the hair in his ponytail sticking straight out, Hau seemed to grit his teeth as he vigorously nodded. “Ae, all good is me!”

At that, Lillie’s voice abruptly interjected from behind the group. “I’ll say it likes you for sure, Hau. Weird, though, Pichu are usually really skittish unless they find something that can help them control their electric shocks…”

“Lillie!” Elio exclaimed before he and Selene turned to face her. “We were just coming to catch you leave the—whoa…”

Selene intended to ask her what she had meant by that about the Pichu, but any such thoughts were lost as she gasped in shock upon spotting Lillie. Honestly, the only way she recognized her at all was by the familiar bag she had slung over a shoulder and her familiar, suspicious green eyes. Otherwise, she looked like an entirely different person. A soft, pale green pair of shorts and off-white, sleeveless shirt replaced her former pristine, quaint white clothes, and her glossy, white sunhat had been traded in for a similar one in light green, matching her shorts. Deep green sandals replaced her former silvery slip-ons, too, but the biggest change was in her hair. No longer was it a vibrant blond that spilled over her shoulders, with braids at the sides; now, her hair was wavy and a pale, soft brown, and all of it was down, over her back.

Hau poked his head in between Selene and Elio and gawked, too. “Lillie? That you?” he called breathlessly after a second.

“Yes, I went and changed up my appearance so you could all stare at me like an alien and give me away, anyway,” Lillie snorted, putting her hands on her hips. With a flicker of amusement, she asked, “What, is it really that bad?”

“No!” Elio blurted immediately. “No, no, I like it! Just, didn’t expect it was all—”

“I was teasing, Torchic. For someone that lives off sarcasm, you’re bad at picking it up,” she almost sang as she winked at him, then, she turned on a heel.

“H-ha, right…”

“So, you guys wanted to get a little stronger before heading south to Konikoni, right? Well, the trials are up north, I think. Lush Jungle, Brooklet Hill, Wela Volcano Park—find a greenshirt around and they can help you,” Lillie carried on, ignoring Elio after that point, who shuffled uncomfortably after her. “I was thinking Nebby and I could wait at Tide Song Hotel until you’re ready, because I was going to ask if you could help us get to the Ruins of Life on your way.”

“Greenshirt?” Selene echoed, frowning, too caught up on that detail to notice Elio’s discomfort. “Ruins of Life? Tide Song Hotel? What?”

“Oh… the people in the green shirts and khakis. They’re actually called Trial Guides, but greenshirt is easier and gets to the point,” Lillie snickered as she paused again, allowing the other three to catch up to her so they could keep speaking. “They’re usually hanging out near Pokémon Centers and sometimes on the routes themselves. They’re supposed to help out Island Challengers as they travel around or something like that. Anyway, the Ruins of Life…” Lillie shakily sighed. “They’re actually Tapu Lele’s den.”

Hau jolted from beside Selene. “You? Tapu Lele den?” he practically yelped, eyes wide.

“Yes,” Lillie answered matter-of-factly. “I told Nebby I’d find out what I could about him, and I know he’s different from usual pokémon, so I’m thinking that there may be something in the dens… And Tapu Koko helped save Nebby.”

“I was there, too, I guess,” Selene sarcastically interjected, rolling her eyes. At Lillie’s pointed look, Selene put up her hands in surrender. “But please, do continue.”

“If Tapu Koko saved Nebby, then the Tapus might like him,” Lillie explained. “If they like him, then maybe he has something to do with them. Visiting the ruins can only help… But I can’t get there on my own, as much as I hate to admit it. So, would you mind taking me once you’re headed that way?”

“Why not just travel with us…?” Elio questioned once she was done, furrowing his brow. “I mean, you came with us around Melemele, and we can defend you if anything too crazy starts going down…” He perked up and grinned. “I’d like to think I handled those Zulse or Dossie or whoever they were pretty well!”

“Dulse and Zossie,” Lillie corrected him with an errant giggle at the end, “and yes, you did, but…” She uncertainly shifted and then hung her head. “I mean, Nebby’s been in the bag a lot, and you have your parents to find…”

“What’s any of that got to do with anything?” Elio innocently pressed. “It seems we’d be traveling a lot more this time, I’m sure there’s private spots along the routes to play with the little space cloud. And yeah, but having you along would help us try to find them, I think…”

Bluntly, Lillie huffed, “I’d just slow you down because I have no way of defending myself.”

Wincing, Selene withdrew from her a little. She has a point, Selene thought to herself guiltily. It’s not right, I don’t agree with it, but in a place like this where there’s just… so little to help people out except for the pokémon and people immediately with you, having someone who’s only defense is a can of pepper spray maybe isn’t the smartest choice… She thought back to the Gumshoos in the Verdant Cavern, and how she was certain, if they had lost, things could have gotten ugly fast. Drifting on a tangent of thought, she urgently thought to herself, Arceus, we really need to get more pokémon. Bowtie is nice and all, Popper and Macho are great, too, but they can’t handle everything…

Yet, she couldn’t find it in herself to vocalize such worries, too embarrassed over how rude it sounded to try to tell someone they would just be a burden, and Elio took it upon himself to adamantly disagree. “No, you wouldn’t just slow us down,” he protested, stepping closer to her. “And what if anyone comes lookin’ for you in the hotel? What’ll you do, then? I mean, I’m guessing the hotel at least has some kinda security and people would help, but…” He almost whined. “Please? Come with us?”

“Elio,” Lillie complained, “seriously, just—”

“Ple-e-ease?”

“Ae, what Skull go hotel?” Hau chimed in, sidestepping Elio, and standing to his right. In a tone that Selene couldn’t pinpoint as amused or sad, he mumbled, “Some probably sprayed so much it not hurt… and Skull steal. Steal Nebby.” He pointed at her bag. Although she had a hard time deciphering what he meant, Selene concluded that he was trying to tell her that Skull members could easily attack her in the hotel, as they could anywhere else, and potentially steal Nebby.

Glancing between Elio and Hau, Lillie eventually just shook her head. “Alright, alright,” she laughed softly, in a much kinder voice than usual. “I… I’ll come with…” She awkwardly fiddled with her new hat. “Ah… thanks, you two…”

“Ay! See? Selene, right? It’s better if we’re all together, yeah?” Elio threw a look over his shoulder at his sister, looking so, so hopeful.

Selene, however, just stared expressionlessly back at Lillie. “Yeah, of course,” she emptily replied, despite vehemently disagreeing. Not to mention, she certainly didn’t like the idea of those ‘Dulse and Zossie’ people potentially tracking them… Lillie had changed up her appearance, but was that how they had found her in the first place? She flicked her gaze briefly to Lillie’s bag. Or is the ‘little space cloud’ a homing beacon for them? Then again, how would they not have found her before now…? It seems like she was living with Kukui for quite some time…

It was a moment before Selene realized Lillie was giving her the same look back, as if to silently tell her she knew exactly what she was thinking. Embarrassed, Selene jerked her head to the side.

“Let’s just get going,” Lillie mumbled, sounding oddly hurt. “I can help with the map to steer you to the next trial… there will be plenty of wild pokémon between here and there for you guys to catch…”

As Lillie took the lead, Elio practically merrily skipping at her side, Selene was a mess of worry. Hau fell into step beside her, still holding the Pichu. She chuckled at that. “So, I’m guessing you’ve already got yourself a new friend, then,” Selene weakly joked. She still felt bad about Lillie, even more so now that she thought Lillie knew she’d have preferred her to have simply gone away to the hotel, and she hoped chatting to the goofy Hau would ease that sensation some.

Looking down at the Pichu, Hau shrugged. “Guess,” he laughed. As if to emphasize his point, the Pichu squeaked and rubbed its face affectionately against Hau’s shirt… which produced a small electric shock, but he shrugged it off as if it were nothing. “Name her Ikehu. Will catch soon.”

“Ikehu?” Selene echoed. “That’s a pretty name…” Alolan words are just kind of pretty in general, though… almost musical.

“Ae,” Hau beamed. “Ikehu help with Lana! Water trial!”

Selene sighed. I want to catch some more pokémon, but I really don’t want to do the gross ‘beat them until they can’t resist and then chuck a Poké Ball at them’ routine… But the only other ways are super time consuming, and we don’t have a lot of time. I don’t have time to go befriending a feral pokémon and hoping for a critical capture, we’ve got to find Mom and Dad… Surreptitiously eyeing Elio ahead of her, Selene just shook her head, thinking about how Lillie could endanger them all, then about how Selene herself had apparently disgusted Kahuna Olivia into not wanting to do much more to help them… What a mess. All of it, she thought wearily. And Elio is just head over heels for Lillie and… I feel like I can’t talk to him about any of my thoughts, because he might just freak out. He likes her and hasn’t really had anyone else aside from me, and…

She decided to bite her tongue and shrug away the thoughts. Worrying herself to death certainly wouldn’t help anyone.

Chapter Text

As the crew had moved on from Heahea City, they had caught sight of Royal Avenue, or more specifically, the two Skull members harassing a Drifloon in front of it. Elio had loudly complained, and Selene had seemed equally as upset to see them ganging up on the pokémon (something about people always ganging up on Ghost-types? He wasn't sure what she was talking about), and they, along with a stout girl with long, black hair Hau didn't recognize, approached them, and dealt with them. Hau felt a little guilty for wordlessly refusing to offer his assistance, but he didn't want them to see him catching Ikehu. Once Lillie seemed to quietly be watching the confrontation from a distance as well, Hau had crept off the route into a thicket of bushes and lowered the Pichu from his arms. Popper curiously sniffed her with his round, pink nose, much to the Pichu's shy suspicion.

"Okay," Hau hissed under his breath at the Pichu as he dug for a Poké Ball from his orange backpack, "you can come with me, but you've got to take it easy on all the electricity stuff, got it? I know you can offload some on to me if you need and I can give you some if you need, whatever, but that's not cool around other people. Got it, cousin?"

Ikehu scratched one of her ears with a large back paw, staring back at him with unblinking, beady black eyes. She clearly had no idea what he was saying. Groaning in frustration, Hau slapped a hand over his face. Great. I know Electric-types always kind of were drawn to me, but I was hoping I could have one without it acting so weird…

Ikehu suddenly squeaked and Popper issued a surprised bark. Hau jerked his head to look over his shoulder and he flailed his arms, falling over awkwardly to his side, when he saw Lillie. "Lillie!" he yelped. "What—what—"

"What are you doing?" she asked dubiously, raising a brow at him. Selene and Elio then appeared behind her, peering from around her shoulders.

"Those guys weren't hard to deal with," Elio boasted, snickering to himself, "I don't blame Hau for goofin' off to play with the new Pichu."

Yet, Selene was eyeing him with that calculated, thoughtful stare she was so good at. He swallowed anxiously and rubbed where he had hit his elbow from being startled. "Ah, ae, just, play with Ikehu," he offered to them slowly, struggling to translate to Galarish in his panic. Heart still thumping, he froze when Ikehu launched herself at his arms again, rubbing a cheek affectionately over where he had rubbed his arm seconds earlier. A spark flashed from her and over his arm, and after a split-second delay, he jerked his arm to make a show of it hurting (though, it honestly hadn't bothered him at all). Ikehu tumbled to the ground and shot him a disapproving glare afterward. Popper did too, and Hau fought the urge to glower back at him. Whose side are you on, anyway? he wanted to mutinously ask the Brionne. "Need catch her," he distractedly said with a vague gesture in Ikehu's direction.

"You couldn't have done that back over there where we were?" Selene asked interestedly.

Feeling a flare of serious panic that felt as if it would strangle him from the inside out if he didn't end their sudden interrogation, Hau squared his shoulders and looked pointedly at the ground below him. "Is not that big deal," he defensively snapped at them. "Give second, will be out. Okay?" Guilt flooded him almost immediately after, especially given the way all three of them recoiled at his abrupt shift in attitude, but nervousness started to change to terror when Elio returned fire instead of backing down.

"Just what're you doing to that Pichu over here that needs so much privacy, Hau?" he asked darkly, brushing past Lillie.

"Elio," Selene warned, "that's enough, leave him alone, you know he probably didn't—"

"Not do anything," Hau spat back, feeling like a flighty, caged animal as Elio started to tower over him. He scrambled to his feet, Ikehu and Popper both darting in front of him protectively. Still, despite the fear fluttering in his chest, Hau knew he couldn't afford to back down, to show it, because his secret was his own, and to be completely honest? He was getting a little tired of Elio's bizarre, seemingly random mood swings. One moment, he seemed friendly, and Hau had even believed Selene when she had said he liked Hau; meanwhile, the next, Elio was back to stiffening his back and looming over everyone else, like a bully.

Hau didn't feel like he had the patience for bullies. He hadn't left Iki Town for that.

"Then why run off like that and get all pissy for some privacy with it?" Elio demanded, taking a decisive step forward. Popper barked threateningly and clapped its flippers, as if trying to get his attention, and Ikehu's tail flashed with electricity.

"Elio!" Lillie barked, her voice cutting the tension in the air like a knife. Both boys blinked and slowly moved to look at her. Arms crossed over her chest and Nebby hovering at her side (who Selene was watching anxiously closely), she tapped a foot disapprovingly against the ground. "Leave Hau alone. That is his pokémon, and so what if he wanted to get some alone time with it to learn about it better? Look, it's ready to defend him. From you. Stop being such a dick, why don't you?"

Begrudgingly looking down at the Pichu and the Brionne growling and threatening him, Elio paused, then dramatically tossed up his hands in surrender. "You're right. You're right." He shuffled away from Hau, backwards, still holding up his hands. "I'm sorry."

Dusting himself off but still trembling from the adrenaline, Hau found he still couldn't meet Elio's gaze. "Thank," he offered emptily. He didn't feel thankful, but it was better than having him in his face.

"Elio," Selene quietly interjected, "what was that?"

Hau surreptitiously flicked his gaze up to look at her, and found that she, too, had her arms crossed and refused to look at her brother. The Dartrix on her head, however, stared at Elio and annoyedly clicked its beak, all its feathers ruffled.

Reluctantly, Elio huffed, "It just seemed weird. He just got a new baby pokémon and while we're distracted, darts off to 'play' with it, and gets mad when we find him doing so. I don't know, it's just weird—"

"Weird how?" Selene cut him off icily. Finally daring to look up at him, she growled, "I know you care a lot about pokémon, I do, too, but that seemed super uncalled for. Is there something you know that I don't? Because I'm really lost. It kind of seemed like you just wanted to find an excuse to pick a fight with Hau."

"That's not it!" Elio defended himself hotly, planting both hands over the ballcap on his head. If he weren't wearing it, it looked as if he might have grabbed his own hair and pulled it. Shaking his head vigorously, he explained, "Look, I—I—I've seen people do some messed up things to pokémon you wouldn't believe when nobody was looking, people who you'd think are great otherwise."

"Like what, what are you getting at?" Lillie agitatedly demanded. "Because if you're getting at what I think you are, you have some nerv—"

"When I was in grade school, on the playground, some kids and I found a wild Ekans!" Elio blurted, shrinking away from Selene, Hau, and Lillie, pulling at the brim of his hat so that it covered more of his face. "It was my friends who found it! We'd never seen a wild pokémon before, not in the city, anyway, and it was curled on the blacktop, it was overheated, and when a reptilian pokémon gets too hot they get super hungry, and it struck out at anyone that got too close… But we didn't know that was why it was doing it at the time. I watched, and tried to get the teacher later, but my friends took sticks and anything else they could find to try to move this stupid Ekans and then one kid realized that if they pushed its own tail in front of its mouth, if it struck out, it would grab it and start trying to… to e-eat it. He thought that was h-hilarious, y'know, until it started to actually… eat itself and then… then…"

Stunned, Hau, Selene, and Lillie said nothing.

"Look, I—I don't know, okay?" Elio shakily mumbled. "I just—it was awful, and—that's why I got all into the whole pokémon rights thing, and that's why I hate battling, and that's why I—I don't know." He finally let go of his hat and put his hands over his face. "I don't know… I'm sorry."

"You… I thought you said they just… kicked it… and the teacher helped them get it out the yard…" Selene whispered, sounding faint. "A-and here I thought that was bad enough…"

"That… does sound awful," Lillie commented quietly, shuffling uncomfortably. Nebby pewed and, apparently picking up on the sadness in the atmosphere, his puffy 'arms' drooped at his sides.

As if trying to weakly joke his way out of it already, Elio licked clammy lips and nodded unsteadily. "Yeah, kicking it would have been bad enough without all the horror, wouldn't it?" He practically choked out, "Kids, am I right? Ha, ha…"

Yet, despite everyone else's clear sympathy for Elio, Hau felt something just shy of outrage. So, had Elio believed he was going to do something like that, that he was capable of something so heinous? If so, why? What could he have possibly done so far that would have made the Kantonian think so lowly of him? A million thoughts raced in his mind and adrenaline flowed freely again, but Hau merely clenched his fists and stuffed them deep into his shorts. The crackles of electricity arcing from his knuckles were quickly snuffed out by the fabric. He had figured out long ago that the fabric swim trunks were made from tended to stifle it that much better; that was why he wore those gaudy, floral shorts, not because of any hope to make a fashion statement. Staring at his sandals and at Popper and Ikehu, Hau kept decisively silent. He had nothing nice to say, so he intended to say nothing at all.

"You can… still catch, uh… Ikehu, was it? Hau?" he heard Lillie softly suggest.

Stiffly shaking his head, Hau swallowed his anger and then exhaled it all at once, leaving him feeling exhausted. Battling everyone else's preconceived notions about him was just far, far too exhausting. "Catch later," he muttered, picking his way ahead of the group. Awkwardly trying to dissipate some of the nasty new tension in the air, he lazily called over his shoulder, "Lana trial first, ae?"

"Y-yeah," Selene whispered, "I thought that's what we decided on, anyway… We were gonna try to catch some pokémon and all on the way… Hapu, the girl we were just helping, she said there's a ranch town up ahead with a bunch of pokémon we probably haven't encountered yet…"

Paniola Ranch, yeah, Hau thought to himself. "Sound good," was all he replied with, though. He kept his hands firmly in his pockets as Ikehu scaled his body like a tree again, and Popper trailed after him worriedly. Another thought that set his fingertips to prickling with that furious electricity, which he knew would be interlaced with volts of red amongst the normal yellows or blues due to his anger, was that he was stuck with Elio. Elio seemed determined to hate him, Selene seemed okay, and he liked Lillie, but as long as Elio was around, he would be stifled into this same, enraged silence no matter what. Aside from simply wanting friends, he needed them to better his chances at making it through the Island Challenge, or even just to traverse Alola safely. Doing so alone… sounded incredibly unappealing.

That depressing thought, that he was stuck with Elio, made it so hard to be angry, though, and soon, the tingling in his hands faltered. It just felt empty and exhausting. He had finally found his out, his escape, had expected the stringent social rules and the like of Iki to be left behind, but Elio had ensured that wouldn't be the case.

Figures. Bless Tapu Koko, he thought bitterly.

You know better than that, Elio.

Elio felt so sick to his stomach, that vehement, dreadful wave of nauseating embarrassment having whipped his insides into what felt like a disgusting frenzy. He had clearly toasted whatever relationship he had hoped to have with Hau with his overreaction, but how was he supposed to not have overreacted? It wasn't as if he had singled Hau out for it, nobody else there had done anything to trip his turbulent, overzealous care for pokémon like that. Sure, Lillie kept Nebby in her bag a lot, hell, he was in the bag right then, and he didn't approve of that, but he had seen firsthand the trouble she faced and he found it so easy to believe her… And Nebby didn't seem that disturbed, just frustrated… Moreover, Elio just didn't know Hau that well. How could he? He and Hau could barely speak to one another and—

You should've just kept acting the clown and they wouldn't have questions to ask you.

Elio lagged at the rear of the group as they traversed the rest of the Route 6, deciding to skip checking out Royal Avenue for the time being. It was a quiet, subdued march now, a far cry from the earlier, tense jokes they had been enjoying, the comfortable, easygoing loping pace they had settled on. It made him painfully aware of just how fragile his relationships with these people were—even his own sister, who seemed unable to look at him. A saner part of his mind reassured him that it was because she was upset and overwhelmed by their situation at large, not because she held anything against him, but a crueler, vindictive part of himself wouldn't believe it.

She knows you lied.

Wincing at that intrusive, dark thought, Elio ashamedly dropped his gaze to his shoes. Macho perked up and cocked his head at him, offering a small mrrow?, as if to question if he was okay. Elio, of course, couldn't find it in himself to verbalize a response or even stop to pat the pokémon on the side. How could he deserve to, knowing what he had done before? Knowing how much of a fraud he was?

You take so many pictures because you're afraid of hurting another pokémon. You told yourself you couldn't be trusted to use them, so you documented them instead, waved through a window at a world you knew you couldn't ever have… shouldn't ever have. Yet, here you are.

Their collective silence and his rampaging, anxious thoughts didn't fade even as they entered a sprawling, grassy ranch, dotted with hay bales and roaming Miltank, Tauros, and a variety of other pokémon Elio didn't recognize. Selene suggested they stop to eat—they each had some food packed for the road, foresight Elio was grateful they had had for the more rural roads of Alola—and as they were settling into somewhere in the grassy plains, a couple of ranch hands had come to say alola. Upon learning Selene and Elio were new to Alola and traversing the Island Challenge (as well as the requisite sob story regarding their parents' current situation), one had cheerfully offered an egg to each of them.

"These should all be flawless Miltank!" the ranch hand, who apparently bred pokémon on the side, had proudly boasted. "Well-bred and parents were right friendly, too! Wouldn' believe it!"

Elio had felt bile rise in his throat as he eyed the egg and he had guiltily looked down at a half-eaten sandwich in his hands. "I really appreciate it," Elio had quietly told her, "but… I think I'll pass. Sorry." Yeah, me and a newborn pokemon. Sounds like it'll end well.

"I'd love an egg!" Selene had piped up excitedly. "I always thought Miltank looked super cute! And they are great supports, both in battles and just with people in general!"

"I don't train pokémon," Lillie had shrugged. "Sorry."

Hau had replied in Alolan, but didn't receive an egg, so Elio assumed he had turned her down as well.

"Well, an egg won't help with the trial," Selene had laughed once the ranch hands said their goodbyes and were out of earshot, "but a Miltank could be super useful later on!"

Hau and Lillie had animatedly agreed with her, as if exaggerating to drown out Elio's deafening silence. Despite how beaten it made him feel, he was ultimately grateful; he couldn't have handled anymore questioning right about then.

What would Mom and Dad think? To know what you did, to know why you really love photography so much, to know why you feel the need to take care of everyone's problems, to prove yourself the good guy?

They had wrapped up the sad excuse of a picnic shortly after, and spent some time exploring the ranch. Elio desperately let his mind wander to avoid thinking further on the tangent his brain had locked onto but sighting a pokémon his Rotom Dex informed him was a Mudbray stuck beneath a few fallen hay bales reawakened that anxious beast. Even as he called for everyone else's attention and rushed to relieve it from its confinement—those hay bales were surprisingly heavy!—his mind was spiraling.

What if Mom and Dad already knew you were the one that killed that Ekans by being a heartless idiot all that time ago? What if that's why they ditched you? Because they figured out what a horrible fraud you are? Dad worked in the gyms. Mom's a pokémon behaviorist. They'd freak. They'd hate you.

Even with that inner storm, once the Mudbray was free, Elio beamed and threw his arms wide. Nobody else would have recognized that grin for how fake it was, because that same fake smile was the one he always used; nobody had seen a genuine one from him, not even Selene, given she didn't remember the time before the incident with the Ekans well. He hugged the Mudbray suddenly, and it bayed at him gratefully. Macho swatted at its tail, and instead of spooking and fleeing, the Mudbray whipped around and playfully scuffed its hooves against the dirt and grass.

"I see you and Macho are getting along already," Elio teased, his mouth dry as sandpaper despite the amusement richly layering his voice, concealing the panic like a fine, silken veil. Cockily retrieving a Poké Ball from his own bag, he held it up to the Mudbray. "You're one funny lookin' Ponyta. Wanna come take a walk on the wild side with me? Not sure what help a Ground-type would be for a Water-trial, but hey… you can be moral support! You're my emotional support Mudbray!"

The pokémon bayed in a way that seemed eerily like laughter, clicking its hooves against the ground in rhythmic, happy skips. Shaking outs its small mane, it moved its nose forward and clumsily pressed the button on the ball, sucked inside with a flash of red. The Poké Ball clicked just once, then flashed a bright white, signifying the capture.

I'm better now. I'll always be better, he adamantly told himself as he gripped that Poké Ball tightly, distractedly agreeing with the encouraging words from Selene and Lillie for the critical capture (Hau had remained uncomfortably silent, but Elio decided not to dwell on that fact; he had burned that bridge, that much was clear, so why worry about it?). I'm so much better now. I'm a good guy. I'm the big brother. I'm the funny guy. I'm fantastic. I capture pokémon in all their beauty on film so there are fewer stupid kids like me, and I fight FOR pokémon now, not just WITH them! Mom and Dad didn't leave 'cause of me, that's stupid. Nobody knows. Nobody has to know…

I'm Elio. I'm the good guy.

Honestly, between the fight on Route 6, the picnic and chatting to the ranch hands, and exploring the ranch, Selene was exhausted and ready to turn in for the evening once they were finally nearing the end of the ranch. It was so, so hot, she felt as if her entire body were caked in sweat (spoiler alert: it was, it didn't just feel that way), and the thick, heavy tension between her brother and Hau felt as gross and suffocating as the very humidity in the air. It made trying to talk to either of them feel like a chore, unpleasant. She wanted to try to talk to Elio once they made it to the Pokémon Center Lillie and Hau assured her was in Paniola Town just beyond the ranch, but of course, there was no guarantee that would work out. Elio could be so squirrely… His earlier blowup at Hau was testament to that.

Before they could escape the ranch, though, they ran into a young couple getting harassed by yet two more Skull Gang members. Hot, frustrated, and overall pissed off at seeing them, Selene found it disturbingly easy to decide she hated these Skull jerks. What Ilima had said back in Hau'oli helped, sure, but dealing with them alongside Hapu and Elio earlier, and now, seeing them harassing two young folks (apparently to steal their pokémon; go figure, she had thought, you Team Rocket wannabes)… it just made Selene's blood boil.

Without discussing it with any of the rest of the group, she marched up to the two Skull members and snapped, "Hey!"

The couple—a young man and woman, both brunettes with the same, pale but still darker skin of most Alolans—as well as two Skull grunts who, same as the two from earlier as well as back in Hau'oli, were mostly indistinguishable save for the color of their eyes, all jerked their heads to look at her uncertainly. Putting her hands on her hips and tapping her foot like an irritated mom, Selene groaned. "So, is there a reason you Skull guys are harassing them, or did you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" Squinting, she huffed. "You two look like the same from earlier!"

"Yo, back up, Kanto," the first grunt, a woman, sniped at her with a sneering edge. "This ain't concern you. We got biz with these two numskulls, y'hear? A-B convo, C yaself out."

"'Biz!'" the male half of the couple scoffed, dirtily scowling at their attackers. "You want to steal our pokémon to sell like the hustlers you are! Get on somewhere, we worked hard to breed these pokémon!"

The other Skull grunt snorted. Selene could practically see him curl his lip at the other through his mask. "Ya worked hard, huh? Real hard from ya cozy couch while they got busy in a backyard in some cages, right?"

"How dare you!" the woman, who Selene realized then was clutching a pokémon, bristled. Her arms were wrapped around a sphere of white, which Selene had honestly thought might have been a bag or something. She was shocked when it unfolded and… it looked like a Sandshrew, but… it was snow-white! Sandshrew were gold, or more of a copper green if shiny! How was it white? Was it albino?!

"What do you two think you're doing, exactly?" Elio's husky, growling tone wrenched her out of her fascination with the icy Sandshrew ahead of her. Glancing to her brother, he rolled his shoulders and curled a lip as he advanced on the two Skull grunts. "Thought we already kicked two of your buddies out of stealing a pokémon earlier. What hole do you guys crawl out of, anyway, trynna steal someone's pokémon like that? No better than Team Rocket. The whole lot of you."

"Look, B, even if we knew what you was talkin' about," the male Skull member scoffed—

—"Which we don't," his female counterpart interjected—

—"It wouldn't matter. Stealin's just what we gotta do, knucklehead, so get lost, wouldja?" The male grunt puffed out his chest and approached Elio fearlessly, despite easily being an entire head shorter than him. "Not that you would get that, huh, Kanto? Got everythin' handed to ya, had ya whole life together, and for some reason, y'all's stupid asses came down here to Alola!"

His female companion giggled uncontrollably. "Big G be havin' a field day wit' you fools. Leavin' Kanto for Alola! Ain't they precious?"

"Oh, look, they do got Hala's kid wit' 'em," the male curiously picked up, sidestepping Elio to glance to Hau, who all but shrank under his stare. Turning his attention to Lillie then, he snickered. "An' that pretty girl, too. Maybe they ain't made such a bad choice, after all. Don't make 'em anywhere else like they do in Alola, ay, do they, Kanto, huh?"

"For the love of the Tapus and the Sun Beast above the stars," the woman holding the white Sandshrew dramatically groaned, "would you two put a sock in it? Bitch and moan, bitch and moan, cry me a river, would you?"

"They don't need to do that," her friend, who Selene realized was also holding a white pokémon, but this time a Vulpix, chortled. "All they gotta do is bust a wall down of Po Town. Half the region'd flood! Probably raise the ocean level some!"

The grunts turned back to them and advanced on them sharply. The male grunt barked, "Shut your trap 'fore I break your jaw, numskull. Those Ice-types o' yours'll fetch a pretty dollar out there, y'know. Thanks for doin' all that hard work breedin' 'em for us!" He rolled his piercing, blue eyes. "Since I know that was so exhaustin' and all!"

Selene shared a quick exchange of looks with Elio, and then they both called forward their starters. Macho and Bowtie hardly had to threaten the Skull grunts before they threw their hands up and started to back away. The male grunt growled despite the telltale tremble in his voice. "The only reason you winnin' today is 'cuz we can't afford to get hurt!"

"And what did you think we were going to do?" the man holding the Vulpix retorted with a snort of amusement. "Bend over and give them to you? And here I thought you had something up your sleeve worth being worried about!"

"Should've known better than that," his friend laughed obnoxiously, startling the Sandshrew in her arms slightly. "Skull doesn't ever have anything up their sleeve but bad puns and rainwater, maybe."

"I got an idea!" Elio cupped his mouth and jeered after them sarcastically. "You could try catching some pokémon! Pretty sure you can still sell those! There are plenty of Yungoos for you to lob Poké Balls like losers at back on Melemele!"

The two Skull grunts muttered something among themselves in Alolan, and with a flick of the wrist at Elio and Selene, they slunk away. When the brother and sister turned their attention back to the couple they had helped, Selene couldn't help but squeal and clap her hands. "That Sandshrew and Vulpix! They're white! Oh, my Arceus, that's amazing! Are they albino?"

In her excitement, Selene entirely missed the way the two Alolans seemed to almost screw their noses up at her use of 'Arceus.' Yet, they kindly smiled back at her and held their respective pokémon up. "Haha, no! These are Alolan Vulpix and Sandshrew!" the woman proudly exclaimed. "They're Ice-types! We heard that in Kanto and other places, they aren't anything like they are in Alola." As if to emphasize the point, she encouragingly crooned something to the Sandshrew in her arms, and it cautiously craned its tiny head to look at her. The man did the same with his Vulpix, but it more openly stuck its head out far to sniff at Selene and Elio. Selene awed at the Ice-types. Regional variants! She had only ever heard of those! But mostly from Galar… She frowned briefly. How many did Alola have and why hadn't she ever heard about them?!

"I know we were just fighting those guys not to give these pokémon up," the man sheepishly started, "but… to be honest, we were going to sell these pokémon ourselves. We had five each on us to sell. See, Paniola's big on breeding, and since a lot of Island Challengers pass through here on their way to the trials up north, we go there every now and then to see if any are interested. But seeing two Kantonians accepting the Island Challenge and willing to send those idiots from Skull packing?" he cackled and held up the Vulpix to Selene, stunning her momentarily. "Here! I'd be honored if you'd take one of my Vulpix!"

"And you," the woman chuckled at Elio as she raised the Sandshrew in her hands, "you might want something cold to temper all that heat, boy. What's your name?"

"Uh… Elio," he uncertainly responded as he awkwardly accepted the Sandshrew. Selene took the Vulpix offering as well, but… it just felt so odd to be given a pokémon like that! Sure, back in Kanto, eggs were frequently and freely given away, but actual pokémon themselves…? She almost couldn't believe it, but then the two breeders presented them with the Poké Balls to match their new friends. In a whirl of conversation Selene barely kept up with, the Alolans soon waved goodbye, offering their gifted pokémon a few words of encouragement before taking their leave.

"Alolans do a lot of breeding pokémon," Elio commented idly as he surveyed the Sandshrew in his arms. It seemed weirdly apathetic, uninterested in him, and curled back into a ball after a little bit of relaxing in his hold. Selene frowned at her Vulpix. It was equally as lethargic and disinterested. Maybe they're just tired after all the excitement, she thought to herself, satiating her worry. Elio, however, seemed to bite and gnaw his lower lip, and his arms seemed to start to shake after a delay…

As Lillie chimed in and suggested they check into a Pokémon Center hostel in Paniola Town just ahead, Selene found herself barely listening, instead, focusing wholly on her brother. Determinedly narrowing her eyes, she came to a decision.

She had told herself that the visions she'd had when grabbing Lillie's arm or touching Hau's shoulder had just been that, visions, but… well, perhaps it was the heat getting to her brain, but Selene thought that maybe, just maybe, on the off chance it wasn't all hallucinations induced by ungodly heat or stress but rather from the fabled abilities she had learned Tapus could grant via Z-Crystals like the one she had been gifted upon saving Nebby, she could try to focus hard on her brother and get a flash of imagery from him… Of course, when she had gotten such a vision from Lillie and Hau, she had needed to touch them, and she had been feeling strong, turbulent emotions. With Lillie, she had been angry; with Hau, excited in a way only that battle had seemed to ever bring from her. She certainly didn't want to fight with her brother, so…

That's it! During the Water-type trial! I'm sure that's gotta be exciting! I'll grab him during it and if it really is something freaky going on, maybe… maybe I'll get a vision. And since I know so much about him, I'll be able to prove that it's true, that it's real!

Satisfied with that plan, she felt much better and more confident as they strode to the Pokémon Center (even if she and Elio ended up switching so that he had the Vulpix and she had the Sandshrew… Selene had noticed Elio kept glancing at her Vulpix and ultimately, she had decided that having a Sandshrew in lieu of a Vulpix didn't bother her that deeply). Regardless, she'd figure out what was wrong with her brother, and they'd all be a stronger group for it on their quest to find their parents. After all, what good was finding Mom and Dad if she and Elio were at odds, or perhaps the entire group was at one another's throats? They'd never even make progress that way! And if Selene were actually just going crazy, imagining things in places of these so-called 'visions,' then she decided she'd just have to take the opportunity to start a dialogue with him about what he was thinking.

She just… couldn't know, otherwise. And they all needed each other on the same page more than ever right about then!

Gladion had been relaxing with Makua atop a boulder along Route 5 as they waited for the grunts to return from the tasks they had been assigned across the island for the day. He idly played with and comforted Null as needed, continuously searching and fiddling with that pokémon's helmet. Despite knowing every nook and corner of the mask like the back of his own hand at that point, that never stopped Gladion from idly looking it over in his downtime. It seemed to relax Null as well; rather than him digging at the painful, inhibitive device, he was able to relax as Gladion did that for him.

Yet, in that moment, the peace was shattered as two grunts came careening around a corner of the route, and one of smacking into the green sign giving directions to travelers down the route. Gladion raised a brow at them while Makua didn't even bother raising his chin to glance. "Why ain't you two watch where you're goin'?" Makua asked with a scoff.

"Man, it was that group o' Kanto kids and Hala's brat and that girl again! Cost us ten flawless pokémon! TEN!" the female grunt complained as her male comrade groaned and plucked himself off the metal sign.

"Who put that fuckin' sign there?" he huffed at it, brushing himself off once he was back on his feet.

Snorting at them, Gladion smirked slightly. "How rude of that sign to spawn there, yes…" Idiots.

"Hey, wise ass?" Makua called over his shoulder at him. "Go deal with those kids that keep messin' them up. Meds are nice and all, but we can't leave Akala with just that. Ain't even gonna pay for what we gotta spend in fuel to get the boat to go from here to Ula'Ula."

"He ain't even wearin' Skull colors," the female grunt whined, "what's he gon' do?"

"I'm sure they'll still figure out I'm…" Gladion frowned. Saying it out loud seemed so strange. "I'm sure they'll figure out that I'm Skull all the same, you… uh… numskull."

The two Skull grunts blinked at him, and then broke into fits of laughter. "Aw, his first 'numskull!'" the girl shrieked and cackled.

"Look, look, do it 'gain!" her male friend beamed. "I gotta get a vid o' that!"

"You're all awful," Gladion growled at them flatly, though it took everything in his power to conceal how badly he wanted to laugh along with them. But his stubborn pride wouldn't let it happen. That just sounded awful coming out of me, 'numskull.' How the fuck do they all say that all the time? Grimacing at the clumsy way that had rolled off his tongue, he patted his side and clicked his teeth to get Null's attention. "Null, we got work to do. Coming with?"

The pokémon trotted ahead of him and eagerly 'barked'—a warbling, metallic cry, really—and Gladion nodded in approval.

"Good. That's what I like to hear…" We'll handle this together.

Chapter Text

Although they had intended to stop in Paniola Town, with Hau leading the uncomfortably silent group, they were stopped just shy of reaching its borders from the rolling fields of the ranches by a young man in a black hoodie, shredded in parts. He paused once he caught sight of them, refusing to get out of Hau's way, forcing him to a stop; Selene and Elio exchanged a look before they cautiously flanked Hau (though he and Elio noticeably kept an awkward distance from one another). Selene thought she heard Lillie squeak or say something, but before she could question it, the man in black with shaggy, unkempt blond hair (at least on one side; the other side seemed… shaven? Though there were uneven patches there, too…) announced, "You're the four that have been causing trouble for Skull around here. I'll say this once. Knock it off. Skull has no quarrel with you."

Blinking as if she couldn't quite believe what she had just heard, Selene scoffed. "I'm… I'm sorry. What?"

He scowled at her. "I just said that I'd only say it once."

"Look," Elio resignedly huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose, his new Vulpix cradled in his other arm, "we aren't looking for trouble. We just got wrapped up dealing with your buddies because they were hurting pokémon. That's all. Now, I dunno about you, but I have had a day, and I'd really like to just go chill in the Center for now. So, if you could kindly get out of our way…"

"Skull doesn't hurt pokémon," the man in black flatly stated, narrowing green eyes at Elio. "Skull does take pokémon, yes. But they do not hurt them."

Hau irritably spoke up then, something in Alolan. As if for emphasis, his Pichu tried to growl from where it had once again taken to perching on his head (though it came out more as a squeal), and Popper barked in adamant agreement from Hau's arms.

"You're Kahuna Hala's grandson, aren't you?" Man in Black asked him quietly, as if to ignore everything he had said.

"Ae," Hau muttered, instinctively hugging Popper a little tighter. "You?"

"Hmph. Some pokémon have more sense of self-preservation than you. My name's not important," Man in Black grinned wolfishly back at him. Turning back to the others, he steeled his voice and growled, "I mean it. Skull's business does not concern you." Swiveling his neck quickly to focus on Selene, he pressed his lips to a thin line, crossing his arms. "Cause any more trouble, and I will not hesitate to put you in your place."

Officially pissed off and fed up with it all, Selene recalled her new Sandshrew with the Poké Ball the couple from earlier had given her, and her arms dropped to her sides. She clenched her hands to fists. Stomping ahead and into Man in Black's face, shocking him momentarily, she snarled, "Listen, here, buddy, I don't care about Skull. I am not here to solve Alola's problems. If you all wanna worship the sadistic island tikis or if the islands wanna go to a civil war over them, be my guest. I don't care!" Oh, she knew her words were ruthless, but in that moment, she didn't mind. She was hot, she felt as stick as honey thanks to sweat, everyone in the group was angry and annoyed and she knew she'd have to play mediator later as it were, and she just wanted to relax for the night… she didn't have the patience to listen to this edgy, irritating, blondie boy try to tell her otherwise! "I'm looking for my parents. They're missing. And after me and my brother find them, we're probably getting the hell out of dodge. So, if you want us to leave Skull alone, no problem—tell them to stay out of our way. I am not looking forward to getting their pokémon hurt for no reason anyway."

He looked absolutely stunned. Part of her might have lavished that if she weren't practically having a tantrum out of frustration. Flitting green eyes at her, he seemed to struggle for something to say, but a sharp pain suddenly coursed through Selene's left shin, and she yelped, jumping back from him. Instinctively, she bent down and clasped hands over the fresh wound on her leg, but when she glanced up to try to see what had happened, she almost screamed at the sight. A pokémon the likes of which she had never seen stood poised to battle ahead of the man in black; a heavy, bronze mask tapered with blades lowered to the ground, all while the beast clicked long talons against the earth, flexing them in a display of power. Lifting her hands from her leg, which dribbled with blood, Selene realized that the pokémon had scratched her, though there was no telling what it had sliced her open with. The cut was rather deep… perhaps it had hit her with one of the blades projecting from its head? Gawking in incredulous confusion up at the man in black, Selene's blood ran cold as she realized his clothes weren't tattered from age and use; the cuts were too clean and deliberate. All the while, she heard hell break loose amongst the rest of her crew.

First was naturally Elio. "Just who do you think you are?" he bellowed as he marched forward, ordering Macho to be ready to battle the unrecognizable pokémon at the man's side. The Torracat hissed, the black fur on its back spiking to the point he easily looked three times his usual size, and his flaming pendant blazed furiously. Curling his lips, Elio spat, "That's my sister your mutt there just attacked! She was just telling you we didn't care about your Skull Gang! You said you don't have a fight with us, well, you're pretty good at picking one!"

Next, Hau fell into step right next to Elio, the tension from earlier all but forgotten. "Popper, ae!" he called, lowering the pokémon to the ground. "Ready, ready for Disarm Voice!" Clapping excitedly once he hit the ground, Popper blew a large, pink bubble, balancing it on his nose in preparation for firing off at the man and his beastly pokémon.

Lillie remained weirdly silent, given her usual combative nature. Of course, Selene was still too busy staring the man in black down to pay her any mind. She swallowed hard. Those scratches… that pokémon… it attacks even him, but it attacked me to get me away from him… She dropped her blue gaze to that strange pokémon's hateful, stormy eyes. A rumbling, mechanical growl emanated from its throat, and then the scene all around Selene melted all over again, just as it had done those two times around Lillie and Hau. When it reformed, she found she could see this vision far too clearly; it was just so much crisper than the last two visions she'd gotten from Lillie and Hau… She wasn't sure if she liked that, honestly, afraid of what details she might catch given the higher definition.

She was beneath a rack, a metal rack, like the kind of rolling rack a hospital might use to transport surgical instruments. The scent of sterilizing cleansing spray razed her nose and made her screw her face up in disgust. Her heart was pounding uncontrollably, and voices carried on a conversation in the room around that cart. From where she was hidden, she could see the room was some kind of laboratory… Computers, keyboards, monitors, microscopes, and various other equipment lined pristine, white counters and the floor was nothing but clean, marble tile.

"It's fighting returning to containment, Dr. Faba, and we couldn't get it to obey any commands at all," a male voice announced. The doors to the lab suddenly burst open, and she heard that same, mechanical growling, except this time it was interjected with howls and barks and the sound of claws scraping madly against the tile floor. She could see that beastly pokémon's feet scrabbling madly to try to get a hold of the tile. "Me and James can't get it back in the Poké Ball…"

"I know that, I was watching you, idiot. Yet, knowing it isn't responding to commands, you bring it into my lab on the catchpole, so it can ruin the floors instead of waiting for me to come to the testing area?" a snotty, male voice snapped. His very voice made Selene grit her teeth. She didn't know why, but for some reason, just hearing him filled her with an undefinable rage. "So barbaric," he continued with a very fake-sounding dismay in his voice, "but I'll have to sedate it in order to get it back in, in that case."

"Sir… I don't think I could have held it off for that long, for you to come check on us… We sent off the alert that we needed assistance a long time ago…"

"Shut up and just hold still! Like I said, I was watching, I'd have come if you were in any real danger."

Oh, Selene wanted to burn him alive, but just as she was thinking about that, a shot rang out. It wasn't loud, not a burst of noise like a gunshot she had seen in horrible, cheesy scifi dramas, but a deep, rumbling shot, something she felt in her bones more so than heard. And just like that, the beastly pokémon quit scrabbling against the floors. With a single, mechanical yelp, its feet flew from under it and it collapsed to the ground, and Selene watched in abject terror as its gray eyes rolled into the back of its head. The red splash of light of a Poké Ball engulfed it then.

"I hate having to design my creation with such an easy weakness to poisons," the one called Dr. Faba complained, "but until we can get it under control, that's how it has to be… Now, begone, leave me be with my creation! I'll need to see what else I can alter to curb that natural disobedience…"

Heart still beating like it was going to thump out of her throat, Selene could hardly breathe as she heard the pattering of feet, and then the doors to the lab open, signifying the leave of the man who had brought Dr. Faba the beastly pokémon. To himself, Dr. Faba groaned, "I have to wonder why created creatures have to hate their creators so… Children, my Type: Full RKS System… So full of hate for the very people who give them life." He snorted contemptuously. "Might as well call this project 'Type: Null,' seeing as how useless it's been so far!"

Suddenly, Selene found herself rolling out from beneath that steel rack, of no will of her own. She leapt to her full height and wagged an accusatory finger at Dr. Faba. "You're the one so full of hate!" A male voice that sounded so unlike her own spilled out of her mouth, laced with venom. "Creators like you don't deserve what you make!"

Shocked, Dr. Faba, who looked exactly as ugly as his voice had made Selene imagine him, had staggered backward, hitting his back against the counter, and knocking a keyboard over on his hand. Cussing to himself, he flailed to catch the keyboard and the monitor that was being dragged with it, and Selene lurched forward to snatch the Ultra Ball he had dropped in the chaos. She succeeded, and whirled around on a heel, throwing her shoulder at the lab doors to open them. Cradling that Ultra Ball to her chest, she bolted down an alien, metallic hallway, breath hitched in her throat. Again, that masculine voice poured from her lips, unplanned: "It's just you and me, Null. He'll never hurt you again and Mom'll never hurt me."

"Selene?"

Shaking her head rapidly, Selene found her mouth dry as cotton as she looked around wildly. She realized after a delay that Lillie had a hand on her shoulder (after all, she was still getting used to Lillie's radical new appearance—that brown hair was something else!), looking her over with concern. "Yeah…?" Selene dryly asked her, realizing that hardly any time had passed in reality despite the vision feeling as if it had taken forever. Popper was still balancing that pink bubble and Macho was still hissing and spitting at Gladion's Type: Null.

She froze.

Gladion. Type: Null. When did they tell me that?

"Hau and Elio are handling him… are you okay?" Lillie asked her quietly, shooting Gladion odd looks here and there.

Surely, someone had to have told me that… I can't actually be seeing others' memories… Can I? She had come to hatch a plan to test her theory with Elio during the Water-type trial, but she hadn't actually expected it to be real! That was madness! No… Surely it can't be real. I heard the names somewhere while they were shouting, while I was out of it… Arceus, something's wrong with me… "To be honest," Selene whimpered, cradling her wounded leg again, "no…"

Lillie looked up at Gladion again. She bit her lower lip. "Me neither… Here. Hold my bag."

Before Selene could say anything, Lillie had shoved her bag at her. She dazedly accepted it, wrapping both arms firmly around the bag. Pressing her face against the smooth plastic, she found it was oddly cooler than the sweltering air around her. She heard a soft cry from inside and smiled halfheartedly. "Hey, Nebby," she offered. "Wish I could play, but… don't think right now's a good time."

She hadn't noticed Lillie had gone to join Elio to face Gladion.

Gladion hadn't expected Null to attack the girl, and now, he found himself in hot water. Both her brother and Hala's grandson had rushed to her defense, and he hadn't intended to fight them in the first place, not if he didn't need to. Yet, now, he really was finding it difficult to back down, to resist the challenge. Part of him knew picking a fight with two trainers—potentially four, if the Kantonian girl and her brown-haired friend decided to join the battle—was stupid, but… The way the Kantonian boy had lunged to the girl's defense, the way Hala's grandson had declared his determination to continue his Island Challenge no matter what in Alolan… It made a fire deep inside of him burn with something he couldn't quite place. Maybe it was hatred… maybe he was just so full of it nowadays he had a hard time remembering what it felt like. Disdain, maybe.

"Null is not a mutt," Gladion growled darkly to the Kantonian boy's accusations. Begrudgingly, Gladion took a step back and hissed through clenched teeth, "I did not mean for him to attack her. For that, I apologize. As I said before, Skull is not here to pick a fight with you…" Raising his chin as he sized up the Kantonian boy, Gladion couldn't help but add, "Not that I am sure why you are so upset… You jump to her defense, but do you know if she'd do the same for you?"

"The hell are you talking about?" he snapped back immediately, his Torracat hissing again for emphasis. "In case this slipped through that head of yours, she's my sister! Watch your mouth!"

"Family means nothing more than you share some DNA," Gladion snorted contemptuously. He heard Null start to scratch at his mask as he eyed Hau then. "No family will ever be as good as the friends you surround yourself with." He had practically spat the word like a bad taste from his mouth. It did put a bad taste in his mouth. He understood his irritation then. This Kantonian boy and Hau both… they were both so blind, weren't they?

"Is that what you tell yourself about the Skull Gang?" the brown-haired girl demanded as she skirted around the Kantonian boy, planting her hands on her hips. "That you've chosen a family way better than the one you were born into? Because they were just 'all' so bad?"

Glaring back at her, Gladion felt his lip twitch. He thought she looked vaguely familiar, but between the rude bluntness in her voice and the odd combination of wavy, pale brown hair, green eyes, and milky-white skin, Gladion didn't think he had seen her ever before in his life. "What would you know about me?" he scoffed. "Family's just something you have to put up with for a while after you're born. Once you get away, you should be glad." He shook his head and looked back at the Kantonians. The girl was still on the ground, cradling a bag, dazedly looking it over. What a sorry sight. Hadn't the girl said they were looking for their parents? "Look at you both. Running yourselves ragged after parents who probably abandoned you, if you're having to trek the islands to find them."

"You don't know anything," the Kantonian boy huffed. "Not a damn thing, shut your mouth and battle, since it's clearly a battle you want!"

"Friends can family," Hau interrupted, adamantly raising his right hand to press against his chest, over his heart. As Gladion focused on him, he glanced to his right, at Elio, then nodded stiffly. "Even if real family bad, make family. Family what you make, ae… not… not always good. Sometimes, even chose family fight. But get better. But can better, ae." He shrugged and smiled sadly. In Alolan, he softly said, "Look, I don't speak Galarish well. Family's a good thing to have, man. Sometimes, you know…" He shifted in place and flicked his eyes to Elio again. "Sometimes it just takes work. Thanks for showing up and making me remember that, I guess." He beamed then.

Glowering, Gladion sneered back in Galarish, "Are you even taking this seriously? Are you even taking me seriously? Anyway, even if you 'make' a family out of friends, why would you insult your friends by calling them that?" Gladion asked, raising a brow. "Pass." He then chuckled and shook his head at the four of them. "You all looked as if you were miserable together here a minute ago, before you noticed me. Are you really having that good of a time, with your little 'family?'"

"Families aren't always perfect," the brown-haired girl whispered, then closed her eyes and sighed. "That doesn't mean that you just give up on them, though…"

Whirling back on her, Gladion angrily stamped a foot and sneered at her, "I'm guessing that's easy for you to say." He was entirely ignorant to how regretful she looked right then.

"Ay, Gladdy! What's takin' so long?"

"Yeah! Makua wantin' to get a move on to—oh, shit, what's goin' on up here?"

Gladion lurched in place and then whipped his head to look over his shoulder, spotting the same two grunts that had alerted him of the Kantonians' harassment loping toward him. They reached him after a moment and flanked him, cocking their heads curiously at the scene ahead of him, already reaching for a Poké Ball each. Gladion saw the Kantonian girl's blue eyes light up in shock, as if she couldn't believe this was actually going to escalate to a brawl again.

"You two are seriously going to fight us again? We just fought earlier today, over the Drifloon! Aren't your poor Drowzee and Meowth exhausted…? I mean, even if they're healed, I'm sure they'd want a break…"

"Thanks for your pity," the female grunt snapped back at her, "but we got this far without it, so keep it to yaself." With that, she moved to pitch her Meowth's Poké Ball, but Gladion snatched her hand to stop her.

Staring back at the Kantonian girl still, Gladion gave her a small nod. "No," he softly told the grunt, "she's right. Fighting them right now isn't going to get anything done. I told them we weren't here to pick a fight with them, and we're still not."

The male grunt, puzzled, laughed nervously, "Well, why on Earth'd ya tell 'em that? They been screwin' with us, Glad! We need to be runnin' their skulls together!"

Ah, there we go with the puns. Rolling his eyes, Gladion facepalmed at his immaturity. "Listen, we want them to leave us alone. If we go beating them up for no reason, or steal any of their pokémon, that'll just make them want to fight us more in the future. Which will just get your pokémon and possibly you hurt. Got it? So, we're leaving them alone." …Dipshit. Is this how Guzma and Makua and them feel all the time? All these sixteen-year-old and under grunts are idiots. I'm not a babysitter.

The two grunts pondered what he said for a moment, then huffed. "Whatever," the male muttered. "C'mon, sis, let's get outta here. Glad's gone whack and I hate to say it, but Kanto girl's right. Not out here trynna get my Meowth all hurt over her ass."

"My name's Selene," the Kantonian girl shot after them, scrambling to her feet, and dropping the bag she had been holding so tightly. The brown-haired girl all but fell over herself rushing over to snatch the bag up as she did. Haughtily, Selene announced, "I have a name, so if you're going to insult me, I'd prefer you use it, and not that I'm out here trying to solve yours or the rest of Alola's weird problems, but maybe a little less racism and sexism might go a long way to making people care about your cause."

The two grunts paused and just blinked at her. "The fuck's a racism?" one asked.

Selene flushed red. "You know! How you keep calling me and my brother 'Kanto' or 'Kanto girl' or 'Kanto boy?' There's tons of Kanto girls and boys! And earlier you told her"—Selene gestured vaguely to the brown-haired girl—"that she was 'made well!' She's a person, she isn't made! And I'm sure we're not the only people you talk to like that! It's rude!"

"What was rude was you stoppin' us earlier from makin' a livin'!" the female grunt unceremoniously retorted. "Also, you the only Kanto boy and girl here I'm seein'!" She turned to her friend as they started to march away. "Me just trynna help Guz pay to get his buddy from Poni to come fix that crack buildin' up in the wall on the left side and she out here thinkin' racism. Who even got time to think about that shit?"

"Right?! Kanto's got they heads in the clouds!" her friend replied, snickering to himself.

Casting one last, long look between Selene and the brown-haired girl, Gladion followed them. "Null, by me," he called quietly. He looked away from the group before he could see the ghostly look of horror that crossed Selene's face.

He just couldn't shake the feeling he knew the brown-haired girl somehow, but he was more eager to get away from them all than to satisfy his own curiosity. They had their life, he had his, and he could accept the tense agreement they had come to. He'd tell Makua about how the group of four were on a mission to find the Kantonians' parents—wherever they had run off to away from their kids, he thought, fighting the urge to roll his eyes—and as long as they gave them a wide berth, they shouldn't be an issue.

Still, he was aggravated to have had that Selene tell him off for putting pokémon in undue danger… He knew better. He didn't need some girl to tell him how to keep pokémon safe, whether they be outside of Skull's jurisdiction or not. In fact, that thought had him quite hot under the collar, in a way he couldn't place.

Null stopped to claw at his mask again and Gladion hung his head, feeling defeated despite the fact they hadn't fought anyone at all. I know Null didn't mean to attack her, I just… wish I could get that stupid helmet off already…

"You… helped me," Elio said, stunned, as he awkwardly glanced up at Hau. A little stupidly, he asked, "Uh, but… but why?"

Hau's shoulders sagged as he picked up Popper again, who excitedly launched the pink bubble he had prepared into the sky, so that it harmlessly burst with a distant shriek high in the air. His Pichu calmly curled up on his head again. "Still mad," he mumbled tersely, "but not leave to Skull for that…" Blinking, as if confused, he nervously looked up at Elio. "Still… still friends, right? I… mad, yes, but…"

Catching on, Elio genuinely felt a bolt of shock. He's… he's saying that even though we got into a fight we're not just done? That's… that's not how it usually works… Distractedly calling Macho back to his side and trying to soothe the Vulpix in his arms (who had been upset by all the commotion), Elio offered an uncertain smile to Hau. "Y-yeah. I… I'd still like to be friends, Hau… I'm sorry for accusing you of… doing whatever to your Pichu…" If we can still be friends, anyway… I know I fuck up a lot… I'm great at that. Internally backpedaling from those uncomfortable thoughts, he halfheartedly chuckled. "'Sides. I still got a lot of memes to show you."

"Hah," Hau snorted, shuffling uncomfortably. "Ae. Meme-maker show me. Mhm."

With a snicker, Elio turned to Selene then, worriedly looking down at her leg. She had sat back down again, and she groaned as Elio overlooked her. "It's not that bad," she immediately protested, "so stop looking at me like that. I feel like you're gonna attack me with a band-aid rather than help me put one on."

"Let help," Hau interjected, and with a few words at Popper, the Brionne produced another bubble, a blue one this time. Hau bent down to Selene and Popper bumped the bubble with his nose at the cut on her shin. Water splashed over it as the bubble burst, and Hau produced a rag from his backpack then, lightly running it over her wound. She winced at the sting, but bit her tongue, clearly refusing to show her pain. Elio wasn't sure whether to roll his eyes at her or obsessively stare over Hau's shoulder to ensure he was dressing the wound to his liking; he knew Selene's stubbornness was the result of the Skull members riling her up, and he knew that Hau was likely more than capable of dressing a cut, but he just… felt so out of place!

Yet, afraid of upsetting Hau again, he ultimately convinced himself to take a step back and he found Lillie cradling her bag, chattering away to Nebby inside, pacing. He raised a brow at her. "Is… everything okay?"

"Fine," Lillie brushed him off without so much as looking up at him. "Just… just thinking. Got a lot to think about."

"Are…" He trailed off before he even got the question out of his throat. She doesn't need to hear anything I have to say right now, just like Hau.

Hau and Selene soon announced they were ready to get going, and Elio assisted his sister from the ground (and was forced to recall his Vulpix in the process; the poor thing was so frazzled, he thought it staying in the Poké Ball for a while might help it, anyway). As they started finally again toward Paniola Town, Elio was surprised by Selene leaning in close to hiss into his ear, "When we get to the Pokémon Center, we need to talk."

Those words always made his heart practically quit beating. 'We need to talk.' "A-about what?" he almost choked.

"Can't talk about it here," Selene puffed, "but we do."

Great. Can't wait.

Yet, distressingly, upon arriving at the Pokémon Center hostel, claiming a room for the four of them, and quickly grabbing some food from the café in the lobby, Selene had all but crawled into one of the bunks and passed out. She had claimed she wanted to wait and see if Hau and Lillie would step out of their own accord before going as far as to ask them to give her and Elio some privacy, but she had fallen asleep—followed shortly after by both Hau and Lillie—and Elio was trapped between wondering if he should have woken her up, and wanting to let her rest after the stresses of the day's events. Nerves had meant he had tried to wake her at one point, but Bowtie had ruffled all his feathers and snapped his beak at his fingers when he drew too close. Frustrated, Elio decided to let him be and claimed the bunk above his sister's, joined shortly by Macho.

Yet, when the Torracat curled up on his lap, Elio winced as he felt something dig into his back. Frowning, he leaned up slightly, to Macho's visible displeasure, and pulled something from beneath himself. When he looked over his hand, he found a red queen of diamonds playing card in his palm. A note was scrawled into the white space around the edges of the card.

"I think Ekans aren't the only ones who start eating themselves by the tail when they're stressed. Almost makes you wish you could just start over somewhere new, huh? With a brand-new face…"

His breathing rapidly picked up as he quickly crumpled the card, then shredded it into tiny pieces. Before he finished, Macho batted some of the tatters out of his hand, failing to notice as Elio clamped both hands over his own face. Who could know about that other than Selene, Hau, and Lillie? he thought desperately. Who would have written that and stuck it up here? Lillie? Hau? But when would they have done that? They all fell asleep and I'm still awake! I've been here the whole time! Nobody's been up here but me!

Turning over and firmly clenching his eyes shut, determined to get to sleep as soon as possible, Elio let out a long, tired sigh. I must be losing it. Why would anyone write on a fucking playing card and leave it in here? Maybe it's some weird sex thing I don't understand and the previous user of the room left it in here… Everyone knows Pokémon Center hostels are where you usually get some the first time, on your pokémon journey… He screwed his face up in disgust. Somehow, that is far more comforting than… whatever the alternative could be… Not that I think there really could be an alternative… No. Lillie, Hau, Selene—nobody would write that. Right?

…Right?

Chapter Text

Despite remembering she had asked to speak to Elio the evening before, Selene was honestly glad she had fallen asleep too soon and spent the next morning avoiding discussing it with him. She felt silly! Without knowing a thing about that Gladion, how did she know for sure she was even seeing his memories? And, sure, something was up—she had definitely seen something about Gladion and his weird pokémon, but she surely had to have heard his name and Null's before he had said it at the end while he and her brother and Hau had been arguing. It simply made no logical sense, for the landscape around her to melt and her to see stuff other people have lived through! Besides, she couldn't know for sure until she tested the legitimacy of her 'memory jumps,' however certain she was they were false, on Elio. She and her brother were close, weren't they? Elio had told her practically everything. She knew she certainly told him everything… Well, of course, she hadn't told him about this yet, but that was the only thing! And that was beside the point!

Even if he left out a few details, surely, she would recognize any such memory it decided to show her, if that was what was going on? After all, the memories she had seen so far seemed like big events, something someone would tell somebody else. Then, with that sorted, she could maybe sit down with him and talk about what was bothering him with the Ekans incident so he and Hau would hopefully quit butting heads, she'd apologize to Lillie for implying they'd have been better off without her, then they'd catch some more pokémon and take on the other two trials, then to Konikoni they'd go—where they'd find their parents. Well, she didn't know that last part for sure, but could it hurt to be hopeful?

"Selene, slow down!" Elio whined as he darted after her on Route 5. Hau and Lillie jogged behind him. Panting, her brother frowned at her. "Why are you in such a rush?"

"Why aren't you?" Selene retorted playfully. "Faster we get done with these trial things, the faster we head to Konikoni."

He scowled at her in a way that all too clearly meant: That's not what I'm asking about, and you know it. Why won't you talk to me?

And to that, Selene innocently twirled on a heel, facing the beaten path leading down to the steppes interlaced with pools of water visible between the trees below. "So, is this Brooklet Hill?" Selene loudly asked.

"Ah, are ready for?" Hau asked concernedly, picking his way up next to Selene. He raised a brow at her. "I… know we do together, but… just got Sandshrew, and Miltank still egg, and other have Bowtie… Ikehu Electric-, but bab, and other have Popper…"

At Hau's implication that he apparently wasn't enough, Bowtie ruffled his feathers and flared his wings indignantly. Rolling her eyes and reaching a hand up to pat his side to calm him down, Selene, a little too squeakily, said, "Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine! Bowtie's good… he's, uh, he's got the advantage, anyway… Grass- over Water-type and all that… Are you ready? I know Ikehu's a baby pokémon, but I'm sure with her advantage, she'll still do well…"

"Ae…" Hau answered dryly, gaze sinking to the ground. "True…"

"I might be up the creek without a paddle," Elio joked halfheartedly, "'cause Macho and Mudbray are outta their element down there, and my Vulpix… I can barely get her to come outta the Poké Ball, much less fight whatever crazy Totem thing they have hiding down there."

"You can still use Status moves, can't you?" Selene questioned him, though she failed to meet his eyes, not wanting to give him the opportunity to press her to talk again. "Bowtie has the advantage. If you guys can just wear whatever it is down, then maybe he can take care of it?"

As if to answer for her, Bowtie puffed out his chest and flicked that grassy blade from in front of his face dramatically. Elio sighed. "Yeah, that sounds good…" Turning around, Elio put his hands on his hips and frowned at Lillie. "I really don't wanna leave you out here alone. Like, last time, crazy people in spacesuits showed up."

Lillie opened her mouth to reply but was cut off immediately by the sound of someone puffing for breath and the distant slapping of sandals against dirt. All four of them looked up and saw a blue-haired girl sprinting toward them from the steppes below, carrying some kind of stick at her side. Selene squinted as she drew nearer. Or maybe it was a fishing rod… It was thin and handmade if it was, though.

"Please!" the girl begged as she stopped in front of them, leaning over on her knees and panting. "I need your help! Something's attacking the trial site!"

Hau perked up and blinked rapidly in shock. "What? Who?"

"Just, just follow me!" the girl exclaimed, digging her heels in, and turning on a dime to sprint back down and deeper into Brooklet Hill. "My name's Lana!" she haphazardly tossed over her shoulders.

"Is Captain," Hau called to the others before he tore off after her as well. He might have looked funny, carrying his Brionne and a Pichu clinging to his head, if not for the sudden urgency. Yet, along with the dread at realizing they were about to be plunged in yet another high-stress situation, Selene felt a rush of… adrenaline, and suddenly, her feet were moving of their own accord. She was racing after Hau, Bowtie flying after her, completely unsure of why she felt so compelled to assist now—but determined to do so anyway.

Lillie felt something of an ache in her chest as she saw Elio panic after Lana, Selene, and Hau vanished into Brooklet Hill. He hesitated, clearly wanting to follow, and turned a nervous glance to her. "Are you—"

"Go, Torchic," Lillie told him with a resigned, forced smile. Go help your sister. I'll be fine.

Still, he was reluctant. It took a second or two until he dipped his head. "Be careful, Lillie, please. Holler if you need anything." With a hop into the air, he beamed, that seriousness from a moment ago melting away all at once. "Your Torchic in shining armor will be back to save the day like last time~"

"Yeah, with a few camera clicks, the world shall tremble at your feet," Lillie sarcastically teased, mildly irritated by his desperation to play the hero, as he darted down the hill and out of view. Honestly, it was nerve-wracking to be alone again, but part of her wondered if she should have just… gone into the trial site. She was fairly certain the Water-type Totem was some pokémon that couldn't leave the water, so what did she have to fear if she hid somewhere inside on dry land? Then again… She grimaced as she surveyed the landscape of the hillside. There were pools of water everywhere and she had forgotten what Lana's 'gift' from the Tapus was. For all she knew, she thought contemptuously, it was some sort of teleportation.

Deciding to hole up against the tree line near the trial site, she was relieved by the shade, and sat her bag to the side. Finally, she allowed Nebby to leave it, and she idly played with him as she made sure to have her meager defenses ready—her trusty pepperspray and heavy-duty repellant. She rolled her eyes at it and wagged a finger in front of Nebby's face, who batted his cloudy little arms after her. "Maybe Elio and Selene are onto something with that strategy of theirs, with the Status moves and then finishing it off at once, if they can," Lillie reluctantly admitted. "I just… so many pokémon that came to Aether that were all kinds of messed up from battles… I mean…" She sighed and cocked her head at Nebby. "I know pokémon battling isn't bad. A lot of pokémon enjoy it, but it really depends on the trainer, if their trainer is good to them, and…" I don't know if I can trust myself to be the kind of trainer most pokémon deserve. Especially not after seeing Gladion again…

Nebby seemed to pick up on her shift in mood and he squeaked at her, drawing her to playfully bat her hand back at him, but he didn't react. She swore he was frowning at her. Chuckling sadly, Lillie shook her head. "I just… I just realized back there, seeing him again, that I abandoned him. I was so caught up in my own head and thinking I couldn't trust him that I just… abandoned him. Who knows what happened to him that led to him having that… that thing he has with him, or to joining the Skull Gang?" She bit her lower lip. "I haven't left Melemele often before this journey, but even I know that Melemele is probably the tamest of the islands when it comes to the Skull Gang, except for maybe Poni… I can't even imagine what he has to put up with on a daily basis… And… and I did that." Lillie slowly brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself, rocked to the core by that thought. "I did that, didn't I…?"

Though he floated nearer to her at first, Nebby seemed to get distracted by something else, perhaps a scent in the air. He paused and then waved his arms excitedly, tiny squeaks and pews rapidly firing from him as he whirled around and started to hover away. Confused, Lillie unraveled her arms and cupped her mouth, calling for him, but he seemed completely uninterested. Panicking slightly, Lillie snatched her bag and her pepperspray, and hurried after him. When he noticed her following, he squealed, and sped up, as if they were playing a game of chase.

Lillie groaned, "Nebby, this isn't funny!"

She chased him a bit until they were behind a Pokémon Center, and finally, Selene understood what had gotten Nebby so interested. She yelped as she saw him float right into a trap. The steel cage was large enough so that it didn't seem to concern him, but the moment he hovered inside and started to curiously eat out of the cup of honey in the center, the gate poised over the front of the cage slammed shut, trapping him inside. Cursing to herself, Lillie skidded forward and landed on her knees, rattling the cage as Nebby started to panic inside of it.

"Nebby," Lillie complained, "I love you, but sometimes, you can be really, really stupid. Aren't you mostly gas? Can't you just get out of there?"

He crossed those puffy arms at her and indignantly pewed at her a few times, as if to say he didn't appreciate her tone and that no, he couldn't. Still believing the trap to simply be that of a local that was trying to passively catch some pokémon along Route 5, Lillie deftly traced the mechanics of the cage, hoping to disengage it without damaging it, but… well, it had been a long, long time since she had assisted Aether with opening up forgotten traps with pokémon locked inside.

"Lillie Rae Aether. We must speak."

Lillie froze and licked dry lips. "So, this isn't just someone's trap, is it," Lillie quietly mused, daring to look up slowly. Dulse and Zossie, as she expected, stood patiently just to her side. Once the momentary surprise was over, Lillie possessively hugged the cage and curled her lip at the both of them. "Back off! You two didn't get him last time, and aren't getting him this time, either!"

"Please… we really do just wanna talk," Zossie chimed in, smiling warmly. "I promise!"

"Talk about what? How you're both falling for my mother's nonsense?" Lillie retorted. "Because I'd love to chat about that! I don't know where you two come from or why you're helping her try to kill a pokémon for her weird Ultra Space experiments, but you're not only wrong for it, you're stupid, too!"

Dulse and Zossie shifted uncomfortably, and then Dulse tilted his head ever so slightly. "What… what do you mean, Miss Aether?"

"Kill a pokémon?" Zossie echoed confusedly. "We're not trying to kill Cosmog…" She frowned and scratched her head, which made a grating, metallic sound given her gloves and helmet. "We want Cosmog to protect people and pokémon both, silly! Where did you get that idea?"

Blinking, Lillie felt all the strength in her arms fade, and she set the cage down. "You… you two have no idea, do you?"

"I grow impatient with this," Dulse irritably interrupted. "Explain your understanding of the circumstances and then we shall explain ours, and then we will go from there. So, Lillie R—"

"It's just Lillie!" Zossie complained, throwing her head back. In a fit of giggles, she groaned, "We know who you're talking about Dulse, she's right there!"

"…Lillie," Dulse started again after a moment of regaining his composure, "please explain your take on the situation with this Cosmog."

They… seem way more willing to compromise than I think I ever gave them credit for… Lillie was stunned, then felt guilt start to gnaw at her chest. Just like I thought I couldn't talk to Gladion, did I jump the gun and assume these guys were beyond reason, too…? I mean… there's still no telling where the hell they come from, they still freak me out, but… Maybe, maybe if I can make them see my side… What if I could get Aether off my back? She steeled her nerves and nodded. "Listen… settle in. This one's going to be a ride, you two…"

Once Selene, Hau, and Elio reached the bottom of Brooklet Hill, Selene was dismayed to find there wasn't truly anything wrong at all! In fact, as they reached the bottom, through the assistance of a Lapras Lana had apparently trained to help trainers traverse the area, Lana (who Selene had no idea how she had gotten there before them and on foot) cackled madly from the rocky shore of the ocean inlet. "Hehe, I got all three of you good! All three of you passed my trial gates and so now, you'll face Wishiwashi!"

All the while, Selene, Elio, and Hau were still on the back of the Lapras. It was a bit of a tight fit for all three of them, and they had been forced to recall all their pokémon due to space limitations, but that was quickly forgotten as restless waves and bubbles in the water suddenly rushed at them, and a dark shape took form below the Lapras. It was all happening too fast for any of them to react to the revelation Lana had played a trick on them. The Lapras panicked and whirled away, throwing the three of them onto the shore, while the beastly aquatic pokémon that was chasing them breached the water afterward, showing off its true, mighty form before splashing back into the water in a glorious shower of seawater.

Not that Elio appreciated it. The ocean spray seemed to focus on him in particular, and he yelped, backpedaling and slinging water from his arms. "Watch the camera!" he hissed, checking on his pockets just then.

"Put it in your backpack, idiot!" Selene laughed at him. "You did realize we were coming to a Water-type trial, right?"

"Ae, bigger fish to fry!" Hau called to them both. When Elio shot him an incredulous stare, as if he couldn't believe Hau had just made such a pun, Hau flashed him a cheeky grin. "I know some Galarish!"

The Wishiwashi, as Lana had called it, lingered near the surface of the water and Selene was fascinated by its appearance… It looked like dozens of smaller fish pokémon joined together by a glowing aura, similar to Ilima and Hala's pokémon during their trials. Her Rotom Dex and Elio's both took in its data before retreating to their respective backpacks to avoid the watery crossfires, and just like that, the battle was on. Elio sent out Macho, Selene went with Bowtie of course, and Hau released Ikehu.

"Ikehu, Nuzzle!"

"Macho, Fury Swipes!"

What's he doing attacking? Selene thought, momentarily puzzled. I thought we agreed on the Status moves—oh, whatever… "Bowtie, um…" …Shit. All this talk about Status moves, and I think the only one Bowtie knows is Growl, but… most Water-types are special attackers… Damn it. "Bowtie, Razor Leaf!" Oh well… I mean, if Elio attacked…

While the pokémon acted, Selene thought back to her plan with Elio. She briefly glanced to her brother while Ikehu darted from the stony shore to the Wishiwashi, landing on the part of its school that was sticking out of the water and rubbing its face against them. The Wishiwashi made a horrible noise as electric sparks arced over its body, then a torrent of water from some of the smaller fish pokémon within knocked Ikehu free of its body. Yet, when Selene raised her hand to touch Elio's shoulder, she started to get cold feet and instead, merely hovered her palm near him without touching him just yet.

She heard Macho hiss and skid to the edge of the shore, swiping long claws angrily at the pokémon again and again, then jumping away to expertly dodge some errant streams of water. Bowtie flew up into the air and flapped his wings wildly, firing a barrage of bladed leaves down at his target.

Gritting her teeth, Selene decided she just had to do it. She clamped her hand on Elio's shoulder and focused on him—hard. On the day before, on everything he had told them, on all the weird behavior he'd exhibited since moving to Alola, thinking over even the smallest of details, like how she had noticed he had been so, so dejected upon not finding anything about their parents back in Heahea.

She wasn't sure if she was thrilled or horrified when it worked.

As usual, the scene around her dissipated, and the humid moisture in the air was traded for a dry warmth, familiar to her. The stony shore below her feet was replaced with asphalt and she was flanked on either side by a few boys she didn't recognize. They all looked young… ten at most. She had a stick in her hand, and she realized she was poking an Ekans ahead of their group with said stick. The pokémon was rolled over on its back, panting madly against the heat, and it couldn't seem to find its way back to its stomach to slither away.

"What's wrong with it?" one of the boys asked in Kantonian, wrinkling his nose. "Is it stupid?"

"It's an Ekans, Mrs. Hatsuka said they have a brain the size of a pea!" another giggled.

Selene leaned forward and poked the pokémon harder, on the head, and it lashed out at the stick, snapping its fangs around it. Finally, the pokémon seemed to right itself. Squealing in overstimulated excitement, Selene shook the stick to try to shake it off. The Ekans let go after it was rattled a few too many times against the pavement, then curled into a tight ball, still appearing to be having trouble remaining upright. It slowly moved its yellow rattle in front of its face and struggled to shake it warningly at them all. When Selene moved with the stick again, the pokémon hissed and bared two sharp fangs for her.

"Hey, Elio," a guy to her left said, "we should see if we can move it! It shouldn't be here, so maybe if we can get it off the school, Mrs. Hatsuka would like that!"

Selene felt her eyes roll of their own accord. "Such a teacher's pet, dude." With that, he leaned forward with the stick, bravely smacking it against the pokémon's rattling tail, thrusting the rattle in front of its mouth. The pokémon lashed out at the stick, but caught its own tail instead. It fell over and started to writhe again, as if not realizing right away that it had caught its own tail rather than Elio's stick.

Despite dimly being aware she should have felt horrified, Selene merely delightedly laughed, prodding the pokémon a few more times. It let go of its tail at last, but she pushed the tail back in front of its jaw, and it did it again. "What a genius this one is!" she cackled in her brother's voice. "Mmm, snake stew."

"Elio, gross!" one of the other kids laughed, shoving Selene on her shoulder.

"U-uh, it's not letting go…" another of the boys pointed out, starting to step back a bit. "Elio, please… Can we just… can we just let it go? Or go get Mrs. Hatsuka…?"

"Alright, alright," Selene dramatically muttered, "but you're all wusses." With that, she knelt next to the pokémon and tapped its mouth with the stick. "Hey, dummy, knock that off." Yet, to her command, the Ekans only swallowed a bit more of its tail, the rattle disappearing entirely in its mouth. Its fangs started to scrape hard along its smooth scales, then caught between some and started to sink in. Starting to feel a bit of a sense of panic, Selene dropped the stick and grabbed the pokémon's mouth and tail in either hand, pulling hard with both to try to stop it.

Yet, the Ekans stubbornly chomped down harder, swallowing more. Blood leaked from around its fangs then and Selene yelped, scrambling away from it. She heard one of her friends go running and shouting for Mrs. Hatsuka, who she somehow knew was her teacher, and after a short delay, she saw a thin woman in a black dress and heels hobble perilously over the asphalt to them, as she was being dragged by said friend. He paused just short of the Ekans and yanked on her arm a few times, pointing at the Ekans. "Look, look! We need help!"

"O-oh, it… what?" Mrs. Hatsuka asked, alarm in her voice, as she gawked at the Ekans. "Where did this come from?"

"We were playing with it!" the boy at her side exclaimed… Kuno. That's his name. Yanking her arm again, he whimpered, "But now it won't stop… and it just… it's acting weird! Can you help us?"

"Er, I'm going to call the school ranger," Mrs. Hatsuka explained, reaching into a pocket for her phone, "but what on Earth happened?" Eyeing the stick on the ground as well as a few scuffs across the Ekans' body, she narrowed her eyes crossly at the boys gathered around her. "Who did this?"

Without skipping a beat, in a blind panic, Selene blurted, "He did! K-Kuno did!"

Kuno's brown eyes widened in shock and his mouth fell open. "Wh… what?" He shook his head and looked up at Mrs. Hatsuka. "He's lying! He did it! I came to get you 'cause he was hurting it! I promise!" He whipped his head back to Selene then. "Elio, why are you lying? Jerk, you did it! You were poking it and I kept telling you to stop!"

"No way," Selene replied through a mouth of sandpaper. She glanced nervously at the other boys around her. "It wasn't… wasn't me. I was just trying to get it to stop!"

With the phone pressed to Mrs. Hatsuka's ear, she went silent, and Selene winced as she looked back at the Ekans and saw that it had quit moving despite still desperately attempting to swallow. She went to step closer to it and try to stop it once more, the blood dribbling around its fangs a horrid sight indeed, but Mrs. Hatsuka all but lunged at her and snatched her by the shoulder. Squeezing the phone between her ear and shoulder on her other side, she hissed at her, "Elio, don't you get near that! That is an Ekans, its venom may be weak compared to its evolved form, but that pokémon can still seriously injure you…" She quickly responded to the man on the phone and then swept a hard look over the rest of the gathered friends. "Alright, I just need to ask, who was the one messing with this Ekans before Kuno came and got me?"

Selene froze and felt a rush of guilt as she hoped against all hope her friends would choose to side with her. Yet, when they all slowly mumbled that it had been Kuno, she felt horrible. A dreadful, sinking sensation took root in her chest and she couldn't look up as Kuno sounded as if he were about to burst into hysterics.

"He's lying, Mrs. Hatsuka! He did it! He thought it was funny to jab it and make it bite itself! He was laughing!"

"That's enough, Kuno! This is no laughing matter," Mrs. Hatsuka snapped at him. Sighing to herself, she said, "The ranger's on his way. Come with me, all of you, we're going to give that pokémon some space and I'll need to call the counselor to come speak with all of you…"

The scene faded after that and Selene found herself on her rear back in Brooklet Hill. Elio had sank down next to her and grabbed her by her shoulders, shaking her. "Selene!" he cried, panic-stricken. When she blinked blearily and looked him up and down in confusion, he let out an audible sigh of relief, and then hugged her. "You scared the shit out of me! You grabbed me and then you just… hit the ground!" Clenching her shoulders again, he held her firmly and scowled. "Now, we need to talk! What's going on? What was that? Are you okay?"

"Ae, help!" Hau hollered back at them before ordering Ikehu to attack again in Alolan. Bowtie hovered awkwardly above the battle, waiting uncertainly for an order, while Macho dodged stray streaks of water that arced through the air, hissing and fluffing his fur up whenever any struck him. His flaming pendant seemed dimmer than usual.

Selene felt ill. Absolutely ill. She couldn't meet her brother's eyes and she stared firmly at the ground instead. Despite it not matching up with the story she had been told by him, it had felt too real, too detailed, too convenient to simply be false. That story about the Ekans… It was him who did it… And when he got found out, he didn't even care that he had hurt the Ekans… he was just terrified of getting in trouble, he even pinned it on his friend… I mean, he obviously felt bad about it in the end, they were all young, but… In an even more hopeless wave of despair, she realized something else. That means the visions can't be fake. They're real. I'm really seeing people's memories. Oh, my Arceus. Oh, my Arceus. What the fuck? What do I do about that? What does that mean? That can't be real. That just can't be! She shouldered him away harshly then, staggering to her feet. "Bowtie, Razor Leaf!" she shouted. She just couldn't believe it. Her brother, Elio, the guy who lived and breathed pokémon rights to the point it was irritating, had laughed and demeaned an ill Ekans and then ultimately caused its demise. Then, he had weaseled his way out of the repercussions with that enormous sense of self-preservation of his. She had always known her brother could be a bit self-serving… But that… that had been an entirely different level… He had been young, but… It was just so shocking…

As Bowtie divebombed the Wishiwashi again with a barrage of leaves, Elio desperately begged, "Selene, please, are you okay? What's wrong? What did you want to talk to me about last night?" Shaking his head, he pressed, "Why won't you talk to me?"

His pleading words were almost painful to hear. She shrank away from him. "I don't want to talk," she quietly said. "We're in the middle of a trial. Can we just battle now?"

There was a long pause where he stared wordlessly as the Wishiwashi bellowed, a long, loud cry that made the water all around them ripple. At last, Elio turned defeatedly back to Macho. "Macho, Bite…"

Chapter Text

"My mother wanted to use Cosmog to open a wormhole. Whether to save my father or just for research, I don't know, but that's why she had it in the first place. She had it locked in a lab in the lower floors of Aether Paradise," Lillie explained tensely to Dulse and Zossie, voice quavering. She desperately hoped they would take her words seriously and she wouldn't have to slip back into that primal survival mode. As she spoke, she was realizing just how draining it was to constantly feel that heavy weight of fear, dragging her down like heavy balls and chains… Oh, how nice it would be to simply speak to people and be understood, and to understand them. "It… Nebby. I've named him Nebby. Nebby was afraid and so was I." Lillie set her jaw and looked Dulse squarely in the face, subconsciously aware that he seemed more the ringleader of this operation than the flighty Zossie. "I don't know what my mother has told you, but she isn't who you think she is."

"I do not understand." Dulse slowly raised a hand to press his palm to his forehead. "President Lusamine informed us that she wished to research and protect the various flora and fauna of this world and the next, and she understood the dangers of Cosmog using its powers uninhibited. She explained that you were a danger because you did not understand the dangers Cosmog could cause, and that you could shock the pokémon into tearing open more wormholes, just as it did when you fled Aether Paradise… We cannot allow that to happen. This is a concerning development…"

"…Oh, it seems obvious now!" Zossie whined, stamping a foot childishly. "Dulse, I think we scared Cosmog into using its power back then! It wasn't Lillie at all!"

"Took you two long enough to figure that one out, didn't it?"

Lillie yelped and jolted, jerking her head to her left. A woman with long, brown hair spilling over her shoulders faded into view, as if materializing from nothing. A black, form-fitting suit clung to her frame. Lillie had a hard time discerning what it was made from, but the way it glittered oddly in the sunlight made her think it was perhaps some kind of metallic mesh. Yet, somehow, that wasn't the most interesting detail about her—somehow, the way she locked her brown eyes onto Lillie was far more unsettling. Her head was the only thing not covered by that strange suit. When Lillie kept gawking at her, she grinned wolfishly. "Sorry, I don't think we've met," the girl giggled, and winked. "My name's Rosa."

Before Lillie had a chance to say anything, another figure materialized beside Rosa. A blond-haired man in a pristine, crisp labcoat, though a blue cowlick circled his head in a way Lillie had never seen before on anyone. She narrowed her eyes at him, though; even as certain as she was she hadn't seen anything like him before, she couldn't shake the feeling he was familiar somehow. He flashed her a brilliant, white smile and then waved lazily at Dulse and Zossie. "Good afternoon, Mr. Dulse, Miss Zossie. I see you have met Miss Lillie! Though, I am surprised it has taken you this long to realize President Lusamine is not all as she seems, mm."

"You knew of this, knew it to be true, and said nothing, Dr. Colress?" Dulse bristled, his shoulders stiffening. Zossie lowered her head just slightly and took a step backward, closer to him, her typical joyfulness seemingly gone as she clung to her friend. Lillie found she didn't blame her. She didn't recognize this Rosa or Dr. Colress, but something about the both of them made her chest flutter uncomfortably. An instinctive part of her brain was urging her to snatch the entire cage Nebby was in and run for the hills, as far from Dr. Colress' piercing amber gaze and Rosa's cocky grin as she could get.

Flippantly, Dr. Colress shrugged and waved a hand at Dulse, then walked toward Nebby's cage. He all but ignored Dulse, forcing the other to scramble out of his way to avoid getting his feet walked on, as he bent down to face the creature in the cage. "Why would I have?" Dr. Colress scornfully asked. "I have no stake in this. Upsetting President Lusamine would not be ideal, though, you see, for you or myself. If you upset her, you lose any chances at utilizing this world's resources to satisfy that little problem of yours. If I upset her, I lose research opportunities I could never have even dreamed of before…" Dr. Colress stuck a finger in between the bars of the cage and wagged it at Nebby. He glared at Dr. Colress and hovered away from him.

"Utilizing this world's resources?" Lillie echoed, raising a brow at Dulse and Zossie. She blinked, balking once again as the detail of their otherworldly armor and pale, blue skin jumped out at her anew. Oh, she felt like she might faint… "What's he talking about…? This world's resources? As in, you have your own world's resources…? Like… you're… you're…"

"Not of this world, no, Lillie. We are of another dimension," Dulse curtly huffed at her, glaring down at Dr. Colress. "Dr. Colress, I do not understand. You expressed interest in helping the Ultrarians. Why now do you behave so apathetically?"

"Oh, come now," Rosa crooned to him, clasping her hands together sweetly in front of herself. "It's nothing personal, Dulse!" After, she glanced to Dr. Colress and more specifically, Nebby, and her lip twitched. She quickly averted her gaze.

"Indeed," Dr. Colress idly replied as he stood back up, brushing himself off. "And I still am helping the Ultrarians!" He whirled on a heel, causing his lab coat to flutter dramatically in the wind around him, and grinned at Dulse and Zossie. "I'm still working on our little project, and I am not completely apathetic. It would be quite a shame if President Lusamine discovered that you have found her out, as I still would like to investigate and learn more of this 'Blinding One' you speak of. As such, I would highly suggest we continue to deceive her and lead her to believe we are still looking for Miss Lillie."

"Hi," Lillie interjected finally, grabbing Nebby's cage and shakily scrambling to her feet, "my name is Lillie, I'm still here, I still exist, and if someone could please tell me what the fuck is going on, that would be great!" She looked to Dulse and Zossie and incredulously asked, "You two are aliens?!" Facing Dr. Colress next, she hissed, "And just who are you? Mr. Mad Scientist? What about a 'Blinding One?' And then you!" Lillie glared at Rosa and grimaced. "Well, you… you're just downright creepy."

"Thank you, I'm flattered, I really try to be," Rosa smoothly responded, cocking her head, and flitting her eyelids at Lillie in an eerily seductive way. Lillie fought the urge to gag and stepped back from her further.

To Lillie's surprise, it was Zossie who spoke next. She brushed just ahead of Dulse and she took a shuddery breath. "Lillie, I know this is a lot… but I think it would be best if uh… Nebby, right?" Zossie smiled nervously and gestured to the cage in Lillie's hands. "I think it would be best if Nebby stayed with you for now… The world we come from is far, far away from here, and you want to keep it that way. The Blinding One… is like the creatures you call pokémon, here, but way, way stronger…"

Slowly, Zossie extended her arms and Lillie seemed to pick up on what she wanted wordlessly. She turned the cage around and Zossie easily undid it, freeing Nebby. He circled Lillie exuberantly, squeaking and pewing as he went.

"My ancestors messed up bad," Zossie sighed, her voice hardly above a whisper. "And if you're right, and Lusi is trying to bust open wormholes without discussing with us at all with Nebby, then we can't let her get her hands on him. For our sake and yours."

"You keep saying scary stuff like that," Lillie quavered, shaking her head, "but what do you mean?"

"The Blinding One is held at a facility back on our homeworld," Dulse interrupted. "That facility is weak and on the brink of failure. Our methods of controlling the Blinding One are no longer viable. The previous method of containment was performed thousands of years in the past and our people suffered horrendous losses before the Blinding One was captured. We cannot afford such a disaster again or our world will be vaporized. The Blinding One can steal the very essence of the stars and use them to power itself into a fearsome beast." He dipped his head and clasped his hands behind his back in a show of respect. The reverence almost made Lillie feel self-conscious, even as her mouth dried in dread at his words. She couldn't begin to fathom what he was telling her. It felt like when she had learned about the friction between Skull Gang and the rest of Alola, except on steroids—another problem she didn't have room in her head to think about, was too horrible to think about. "The Ultra Recon Squad is what Zossie and I are a part of. The Ultra Recon Squad has many sectors spread across many realities and worlds, working to keep errant wormholes from appearing throughout the multiverse, because if the Blinding One does unexpectedly escape before we have found a solution, we do not want to be responsible for allowing it faster and easier access to other worlds."

"Uff, why does everything always have to be so dramatic with you two?" Rosa moaned in annoyance, glancing to Dulse and Zossie, and leaning against Dr. Colress' right shoulder without so much as a warning to him. He didn't seem to notice or care if he did, though, as he was busy clacking away on a small keypad he had opened on his labcoat's left sleeve. She idly (and, Lillie noted, carefully) flicked a finger at his blue cowlick, playing with it as she spoke. "The long and short of it is, Lillie keeps the funny space cloud, and she doesn't tell anyone about this, and we're all good. Right?"

"What do you mean, 'not tell anyone?' I mean, it's not like I'm going to go singing it to the Aether Foundation that I have Nebby," Lillie scoffed back at Rosa, nervously looking between the gathered group around her. "Anyone I travel with will know better, too."

"You've been alone this long, haven't you? What's a while longer?" Rosa callously asked, barely sounding interested. She abruptly dropped her right hand to dig into a pocket on the glittering, metallic skirt she wore, retrieving a small, blue case. She flicked it open with a practiced roll of her wrist and then, through what spilled out, she combed a… deck of playing cards? Lillie blinked in confusion and didn't feel like she was any clearer on Rosa's intention when she finished and flicked a two of spades and seven of hearts at her. She watched the cards flutter to the ground as Rosa giggled. "Play your cards right, Jack, and the jokers in the jumpsuits, Dr. Colress, and I will all take care of this mess." Rosa wrapped an arm around Dr. Colress' shoulders then (and had Lillie not been so nervous, she might have been amused to notice he had to bend his knees and she had to stand on her tipetoes to do so). "Wouldn't you like that? Freedom from all the people holding you back?" Practically purring, she added, "There's a whole world out there you haven't seen yet. I remember being like you… So boring!"

"Mm, come now, Miss Rosa, let's not change the subject so much," Dr. Colress teasingly cooed at her as he briefly tore his eyes away from that screen over his sleeve. "That's a story for another day, and one we most certainly don't have time for!"

"You're right, Unova was a wreck," Rosa snorted.

"Anyway…" Zossie pointedly butted in again, shooting both the doctor and his strange mistress a glare, "take care of Nebby, Lillie." Smiling at her, Zossie then, too, clasped her hands behind her back and started to bounce from foot to foot excitedly. "I think he really likes you, anyway!"

Lillie swallowed hard and glanced over her shoulder at the puffy nebulous cloud wafting there. He noticed her staring and playfully squealed, waving those tiny arms in that adorable way he was known to do. Chuckling at him, Lillie nodded slowly. "Okay… And, I'll be honest, everything you all just said was a lot and I don't know if I caught it all," Lillie nervously mumbled, "but you have my word I'll do everything in my power to keep away from Aether and my mother… I just hope you and your buddy Dulse keep up your end of the deal and keep her deceived…"

"We are experts at our craft, Miss Lillie," Dulse responded dutifully. "Your mother is not the only… difficult person the Ultra Recon Squad has needed to deal with."

"Alola!" Zossie beamed, excitedly performing the awkward, robotic handwave at her.

"See you, Offsuit," Rosa winked. Dr. Colress was lost typing away on the keypad on his arm again.

One of these things is so not like the others, Lillie thought to herself. Nodding in approval to the Ultra Recon Squad nonetheless, Lillie urged Nebby back into the bag, and when she went to say goodbye to the four of them at last before heading back for Brooklet Hill's entrance, she was shocked to find they had all vanished into thin air. Not a trace left of them, not even the cage Zossie had assisted her in freeing Nebby from.

"Great," Lillie breathlessly puffed to herself, "now I'm wondering if I'm seeing things…"

Following the completion of their Water-type trial, Selene's mind was racing. She hardly caught a word Lana said despite the Captain handing them each a Waterium-Z for their efforts and performing a rather silly-looking dance to show them how to use it. Hau and her got to chattering away in Alolan, seemingly joking to one another, leaving Elio to tap his feet agonizingly impatiently behind his sister. Turning the new, blue crystal over in her palm, Selene gnawed her lower lip, finding she had a new, almost fearful reverence for that glinting, glassy stone. She stashed it away in her bag quickly, finding she no longer wanted to look at it.

"Selene," Elio quietly called again, his voice dry as could be, "please… What's wrong?" He stepped in front of her and tilted his head, looking down at her with pleading blue eyes.

Still finding it hard to meet them, Selene looked away after a second and huffed. She wasn't angry at him. She didn't want to scream at him or make it a huge deal. Yet, she just felt so… disappointed, like perhaps she didn't know her brother nearly as well as she thought she did. Rather than seeing his desperate calls for her to tell him what was wrong as concern for her, she thought it sounded more like he only wanted her to explain what was wrong so he knew if he was to blame or not. In fact, in retrospect, so much of what he did seemed like that—done in sheer avoidance of what would bring him blame and disrespect, and that was just so… sad to discover. Like he was so caught up in his own discomfort, he didn't have room to think about anyone else's.

She looked up to him so much for his respect and love for pokémon, but did he actually, or was that all a front, too? Did he do it out of guilt? Had the older brother she would have followed to the ends of the Earth turned out to be little more than a fraud? It simply felt as if a huge portion of her life had been ripped away and revealed to be false… which didn't help her with what felt like a rapidly deteriorating mental state, given that their parents were still missing and she had just come to the mind-numbing conclusion she did have some of these freaky powers the Alolan Captains and Kahunas were known to be gifted with. If she chose to take issue with Elio now, she wouldn't have any family left to help her with this problem of enormous magnitude…

"Sorry," Selene whimpered, shaking her head, "something… something happened during the trial, I just… we need to get out of Brooklet Hill, I can't think with all the running water…" Indeed, the sound of the splashing waterfalls was starting to drive her insane. She was drenched from head-to-toe anyway—she felt like she had seen enough water for one day. Bowtie seemingly agreed, huddled atop her head and preening his wet feathers with mutinous clicks and hisses.

"Okay… We'll talk outside," Elio whispered, nodding vigorously. The panic had already started to dissipate in his tone, at least until another thought apparently crossed his mind and he yelped. "Shit, Lillie! Totally forgot about her, we better go check on her!"

"Oh, you needing a lift out of here?" Lana questioned, abruptly hopping in front of the siblings. She looked younger than Mallow, Olivia, or even Ilima had, and she had a glint of youthful playfulness in those eyes that made Selene want to take anything she said with a grain of salt. It didn't help that she had tricked them into following her into her trial on the guise of getting attacked…

Already in a bad mood, Selene sourly pressed her lips to a thin line, but reluctantly agreed. "Yeah… We just call that Lapras again, right?"

"Oh, pfft," Lana waved a hand. "No need for that. Watch this!" With that, she skipped off the rocky shore and jumped onto the water, but instead of sinking into it, when her feet neared the surface, it rapidly froze to ice beneath her feet. With every step she took, she slid her feet out some to cover more surface area of the water, and it did the same, leaving a trail of ice easy for the rest of them to follow on. Selene felt as if all the blood had drained from her face and, given the way Lana craned to look over her shoulder and giggle at Selene, perhaps it had. "Come on, scaredy-Kantonians! It's not that bad! Hurry, before it gets slippery from the heat of the water! It's solid, so you're not gonna fall through."

"I'm—I'm sorry, you make ice?" Selene squeaked as she uncertainly picked her way forward, touching the toe of her left shoe to the path nervously.

"Make ice!" Lana laughed uproariously from up ahead. "That's not all I do! I can mess with the state of matter of things! Well, some stuff, anyway… Some things are too big or difficult, y'know. I'm still learning!"

"Reassuring," Elio quipped from behind her.

Without even thinking about it, Selene immediately shot back, "You're telling me. I bet you one of us falls through this 'solid' block of ice along the way."

Seemingly relieved by her willingness to joke again, Elio played along, "Don't worry, I'll catch you, lil' sis."

"My hero," Selene snorted back at him, glad to have temporarily forgotten the tension with him. Maybe that disillusioning cover he had been using for so long wasn't so bad. Maybe she had been too judgmental immediately following what she had seen… Maybe if he clung to that cover so hard, it wasn't so bad? So, what if he had started his foray into pokémon activism out of guilt? That didn't mean it couldn't have been genuine by now…

She didn't want to think he was a bad person and that Ekans had been so long ago… She just wanted her brother to help her out with the madness that would come with the revelation she had a Captain's power.

Once outside of Brooklet Hill, Lana waved at them all energetically. "Alright, that was fun! I hope to get to play with you guys again sometime, but I better go back down into the Hill! Mallow wants me to bring her something for one of her 'stews.'" She put up air quotes with her fingers as she said the last word and then giggled to herself something in Alolan. "Anyway, Alola!" she called at last, and with that, she sped back down into Brooklet Hill.

Hau beamed at the group, clearly oblivious to everything that had been going on between Selene and Elio throughout the trial. "Ay, we beat! Water- crystal!" he exclaimed, holding it up. Popper squeaked and jumped from the ground, clapping his flippers eagerly, while Hau cradled an exhausted Ikehu in his right arm. Had Selene not been so preoccupied, she might have asked him why he hadn't gone ahead and caught the Pichu already.

"Oh, there you all are," Lillie called, stumbling out from a patch of trees nearby. Nebby hovered at her shoulder, and she took a moment to get him back in her bag.

"Oh, there you are!" Elio puffed, relieved. It was short-lived, though, as he rapidly switched gears to Selene. "Now, Selene… what's going on?"

"Yeah, it's me… What do you mean, Selene…?" Lillie cautiously glanced at Selene then.

"Huh? Thing wrong?" Hau blinked dubiously, cocking his head at them.

"Yes!" Selene burst suddenly, clamping both of her hands over her face. The torrent of words that escaped her then were beyond stopping. "I've been having these weird… weird… jumps into your memories. All of you. I saw something from Lillie back in the Hau'oli outskirts, I saw something for Hau during Ilima's trial, and just now, I saw something for Elio and now… now I know it's real!"

All three of them froze and just… stared at her, and that sent a bolt of terror up her spine.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Selene almost wailed. "I know what I saw! Tapu Koko or whoever Melemele's island guardian is gave me the stupid stone that's in my wrist"—Selene stuck out her arm to show off the Z-Power Ring—"and now I'm seeing people's memories. I saw Elio's whole thing about the Ekans. All of it. From his eyes. Everything he had to say was coming out of my mouth. One second, I'm standing in Brooklet Hill, fighting that Wishiwashi, and the next, I'm in a blacktop in a Kantonian playground with an Ekans! Oh, and I saw something from that Gladion, too!"

Elio had gone as white as a sheet. "You… you saw that, about me?"

She managed to collect her thoughts well enough to decide that revealing Elio had told them a false version of events wouldn't help anyone. More than that, part of her wanted to just… forget that truth she had discovered about him. "Yes," was all she curtly answered him with, although she tried to give him a long, steady look, one that might tell him she had seen it all, even if she wasn't talking about it.

"Selene, you're—"

Lillie was cut off by Hau, who spoke loudly, as if he hadn't heard her at all. "Am sure is just heat," he suggested perkily, shrugging. "Heat and… parents missing. Make one see thing. Elio told Ekans story," he quickly explained at Selene and Elio's combined, incredulous stares. "What if form vision on what he say? Mind work weird. Heat not help. Sure is nothing."

Lillie just stared at him, but Selene failed to notice, and merely reached a hand to pat Bowtie's side. "Hau… I really don't… don't think it is…" Part of her thought to test her theory again on one of them, but another part of her was petrified of what else she might discover. One reckoning was enough for one day, she thought. In borderline hysterics, she fearfully looked up to the native Alolan. "Hau, what do I do if this is what I think it is…?"

"Nothing," he answered a little too snappily, snuggling his Pichu closer and idly playing with its ears. It tiredly batted a hand back at him. "No worry about. Is nothing. As said… We go back Center for day, maybe watch movie or something, ae? Forget all."

"I'm gonna go for a walk," Selene said, clenching her eyes shut and shaking her head at him. She didn't understand his sudden dismissiveness. He lived there! He knew all about the powers and whatnot, the Captains and Kahunas and all of that! Why was he playing coy? She didn't know, and she was starting to get a headache. Crossing her arms, Selene turned away from them and started to dazedly make her way back down Route 5.

"Wait!" Elio called, then darted after her. When he caught up to her, he offered, "Selene, I believe you… You… you saw it all, didn't you?" He winced. "That's why you didn't wanna talk…"

Swallowing hard, Selene nodded silently.

"Let's… let's go to the Pokémon Center to heal up, then I can… answer any questions," Elio whispered, sounding so, so small. He still looked white as a sheet. "And maybe being a little calmer will help us get Hau to take you seriously…"

Selene just nodded defeatedly, not having the energy to feel anything about what he said. "Sounds good…"

"Hau," Lillie tersely started in Alolan, "what was that?"

He cagily raised his shoulders and averted his gaze from her. "What was what?"

"That's a Captain's ability she was describing," Lillie bristled, "and you basically just told her she was crazy when she was asking for help. What the hell gives?"

Still clutching that Pichu in his arms, Hau set his jaw and then gave her a cold, cold look so unlike his usual expression. "Listen," he hissed, "I did help her. I told her not to think too hard about it. If they think stuff's bad right now, trying to find their parents without anyone's help except us, what do you think's gonna happen if she goes telling a Captain or Kahuna and they freak out because she doesn't want to become one of them despite having a power, because she wants to find her parents? They aren't gonna care and she'll get hurt. Elio will probably get himself maimed by acting like an idiot over it. It's just better if she doesn't say anything about it."

I can't believe this. Lillie was blown away by this side of Hau. "So, making her think she's crazy is better than, oh, I don't know, talking to her and telling her that? That it might be better for her to keep it under wraps rather than tricking her?" I mean, I'm not exactly Selene's number one fan, but even I think that's a bit messed up. Also, what would she and Elio do if they figured out what Hau was doing…? She cursed inwardly to herself as she realized she hated the thought of Elio in particular finding out. He was so protective of Selene… she almost admired or maybe envied him for that. He could be loud and obnoxious in his methods of doing so, but his protectiveness spoke to how deeply he cared for his family, or even those close to him. Something about that was so achingly familiar and drew Lillie in, even if she seemed to fight it every step of the way… Maybe I should tell him all about the stuff with Nebby… Cosmog, the Ultra Recon Squad… My family… Just because everyone else in Alola seems intent on lying, does that mean I have to, even now that the Ultra Recon Squad says they'll leave me alone? I know I shouldn't trust them, but…

"The less she knows, the better," Hau shot back at her huffily. "Trust me. It means there's way less she can accidentally tell somebody…" He hung his head then and chuckled sadly. "Lillie, please… You've lived here a while too, haven't you? You know as well as I do how intense people here can be… I just think it would be so much kinder to let her relax and calm down and just… try to put all our differences aside and do the Island Challenge. We're all in this Island Challenge together. Even you, even if you're not doing it with us."

"You called us a family back when Gl—…" Lillie shook her head, cutting herself off. "When that blond Skull guy was talking at us. You called us family."

Hau tensed. "Maybe…"

"Families shouldn't be built on foundations of lies," Lillie muttered, shifting uncomfortably in place. "Trust me. That's not a road you want to ride down."

"You haven't been honest, either, Lillie!" Hau blurted incredulously, surprising his Pichu awake. It let fly a tiny shock that Hau failed to react to and scurried to his backpack, clinging to the loop at the top of the orange bag. "We still don't have a clue about you other than scary people want Nebby! Why are you trying to highroad me?"

Lillie blinked and then slowly nodded. "You're right, Hau… You're right." With a disappointed shake of the head, Lillie recalled how frustrated and upset she had been with Kukui for his lies, and how adamantly he had stuck to them, like they were his lifeline. The pervasive fear that gripped so many Alolans, even the bright-spirited Hau ahead of her, was sickening. Repulsive. It became so very clear to her right then how much she hated it and how much she hated the idea of their group of four clinging to one another out of fear, each holding their secrets like a hand of cards they were afraid to show to the enemy. They weren't enemies…

Maybe it didn't have to be just her and Nebby.

"If I come clean about myself, Hau," Lillie carefully asked, "will you help me talk to Selene? Will you tell them about you? I think we all need to start over. We all need to be honest… If we want to be what we need to be to find their parents and get through this Island Challenge… Because I think Kukui has something stupid planned that he wants us all to be a part of."

Stiffening in place, Hau grimaced. "I don't… I don't know if I can do that, Lillie…"

Lillie just felt exhausted. "Why not?"

He idly reached behind his neck to try to soothe the frightened Pichu. "I don't… I don't know. But…" He sighed. "I can try. You're right." He finally smiled up at her in that goofy, relaxed way she was used to. "I'm tired of lying."

"Me, too," Lillie chuckled halfheartedly. "That seems to be the only law of Alola, doesn't it? Lie to save your skin."

"So much to fear."

"Mhm."

Hau clenched a fist at his side and Lillie saw an arc of something red flash over his arm. She froze at the sight and at his words, suddenly wondering just what she had pried out of him. "I hate it."

Chapter Text

Although Selene had agreed to talk with her brother, the more they spoke, the more panicked and upset she had felt, and eventually, it had just been too much.

They both retrieved some fresh water from the café and selected a booth within the Pokémon Center to relax in to discuss among themselves, and Selene took her Miltank egg from her bag to carefully cradle it and ensure it was alright. Satisfied it hadn't been harmed in the commotion at Brooklet Hill, she wrapped it up in the blanket she had swaddled it with in her bag and set it to the side, and released her Sandshrew as well. It was as if she and Elio both were avoiding the topic at hand despite having agreed to speak to one another openly about it; as she was handling her pokémon, Elio was behaving similarly, petting Macho's back idly as he released his Vulpix and carefully looked over the pokémon. He didn't let his Mudbray out, and Selene assumed that was because he didn't want to dirty the place too much. Both the Vulpix and Sandshrew still seemed oddly subdued and disinterested in them, but Selene found trying to think about why that might be was too much at that moment in time.

"So… do you have any questions about it…?" Elio asked at last. Selene wasn't sure what to call his tone. It sounded almost… measly. Small and almost whiny, but not quite there. "I don't… I don't know how much you saw, so…"

There's no need to be angry, Selene… No need for it at all… You want him on your side, don't you? Even with thoughts such as those racing in her head, the way he worded himself just irked her all of a sudden. It felt like he wanted to know what she knew so he could lie more and she couldn't help but feel as if he didn't trust her at all, which, once again, brought her to the conclusion that she didn't know him at all. They were a team, weren't they? That's what she had always felt like… She could count on him for anything, and vice versa, but it didn't seem he counted on her for anything at all now, did it… In something of a deadpan, as she tried to coax the Sandshrew to eat a handful of kibble she had retrieved from her bag, Selene mumbled, "It started with just you on the playground with like five or six other boys. The Ekans was… acting weird. You had a stick and kept prodding it. You pushed its tail in front of its face and then it… y'know. So, this other kid freaked out and went and got the teacher, and you pinned the blame on him when he got back. The other kids attested to it and that was that. It ended there."

Elio apparently stroked the Vulpix's back too hard, for the pokémon leapt away from his hand abruptly and snapped teeth at him, flattening its ears to its head. Instead of trying to soothe it, Elio cringed and withdrew his hand, apologetically looking down at it as he pulled his arms close to himself, as if trying to look as small as possible in the given space he had. Macho glared at the Vulpix, a low, rumbling growl in his throat, but Elio vigorously shook his head and hissed at him, "Macho, shh, leave it alone." As Macho lowered his head and reluctantly quit growling, Elio carefully chose his words for Selene. "That… I'm not proud of that, Selene, but that is what happened, yes… Mom and Dad don't even know the full story on that one… So, you… you definitely have something going on… I really don't know why Hau acted like that back there…"

Shaking her head, Selene didn't know why either, but he wasn't pressing on her mind right then. She took a deep breath. "Mom and Dad didn't even know about that…? So, I'm not the only one…" Unable to bridle her knee-jerk sentiments anymore with logic, Selene snapped, "You know, I'm not even upset about the Ekans. That was ages ago. What I don't understand is why the everything else." She hardened her stare at him and to his bewildered expression, she expanded on her barbed words. "Why did you feel the need to hide that so much? You were like, what, ten? If it was an honest mistake and you didn't understand at the time, why did you do so much to keep it hidden? That just makes me think maybe it really wasn't that much of a mistake and you weren't upset about the Ekans, you just didn't want to get in trouble for it." Placing her elbows on the table between them, Selene pressed her hands to her face once more, feeling so, so exhausted. Muffled by her palms, she muttered, "And that makes me wonder if… if I even know you. The real you. Or if it's all just an act. The photography, the ranting and raving for pokémon rights, the hatred for battles—you got so excited during the battle against Hala…"

"Mom was a pokémon behaviorist and Dad was a gym hand—"

"Why are you saying 'was?'" Selene bristled, throwing her hands to the table to glare at him. Whatever patience Selene might have had left vanished in an instant then. He flinched at the noise and jerked against the back of his booth seat, blue eyes rounding at her sudden display. "We're going to find them!"

"I'm sorry," Elio choked, plucking at the collar of his shirt, "I don't know, Selene, I don't know why I panicked so badly, and lied for so long… all I could think back then was that Mom and Dad are going to kill me, because they got super into caring for pokémon after the time when Team Rocket was really bad in Kanto, and I never was able to explain, and I thought I needed to be like them, and then maybe that they found out and that's why they're—… Look… I'm sorry that that's the real me, okay?" He tugged his ballcap hard down over his face. "I don't know, Selene. I don't know…"

At those words, Selene froze. "You… you think they might have abandoned us if they found that out?" She shook her head. "That's ridiculous. That was so long ago. Yeah, they like pokémon, a lot, both of them, but they wouldn't do that, Elio."

Elio had crossed his arms, though it looked more like he was hugging himself, and she almost didn't notice that he was slowly rocking back and forth. "I don't know, Selene. I don't know. I just… I just…" He shook his head hard and then fell still. "I'm not cut out for all of this… and now you know… Wish I knew how that power of yours worked—"

His self-deprecation was infuriating, and she cut him off at the end with a biting, "Why?" Rapping her knuckles against the table, she pressed, "So you could try to figure out how to lie to it, too?"

Silence. Macho nudged his arm after a moment, then glanced at Selene, narrowing his amber eyes at her. He arched his back and hissed, but before Selene could say anything about that, Elio sighed, "All this does is prove I had to keep that stuff a secret…"

Beyond frustrated, Selene growled, "No, this just proves that you can't get out of your own head long enough to see I'm not mad about the Ekans, and that I can forgive being scared, but I can't get over how you keep thinking you need to lie and cover up who you really are! More than that, I think you've already given up on Mom and Dad!" Gathering her stuff in a huff, Selene finished by zipping her Miltank egg back into her backpack and recalling the spacey Sandshrew. "I thought I needed my brother to help me get through this, but I don't know if I even have a brother, if he's just whatever charade he feels like playing that day!"

His arms fell away from himself and he gawked in something Selene couldn't define as she hopped up from the booth and started to leave the Pokémon Center, Bowtie following worriedly as he chattered after her. "Selene, wait! I didn't mean it like that at all!" Elio yelped, scrambling out of the booth. In doing so, he accidentally stepped on Macho's tail, and the Torracat yowled and spat an Ember at the floor. Standing in the doorway, Selene watched as that led to his Vulpix diving under the table and blowing a gust of frosty air at Macho. People in the Pokémon Center had already been staring, she had noticed, but at Elio's clumsiness and his Torracat fluffing out its fur at his own Vulpix, a few got up to dart over and ask him if he needed help. Disappointed on an entirely new level, Selene just pushed out the Center, leaving him to it.

Maybe he was so easily convinced their parents were gone, maybe he was ready to move on and just protect himself no matter what, maybe Hau didn't want to help her, and who knew what was up with Lillie—but Selene knew she could find her parents, with or without his help. She didn't need his guidance. She didn't need to trace his footsteps. We're not in Kanto anymore, Selene, she thought to herself bitterly as she stalked back down Route 5, and the only reason I really wanted to adopt the whole pacifist battling style was because Elio convinced me it was nicer. Kinder. Is it really? she was internally fuming. Because I've read how pokémon seem to enjoy battling no matter what. And even if they don't, I am clearly going to have to battle a lot to get through these trials and then there's that fucking, Skull Gang roaming around, and whoever took Mom and Dad are in for a rude awakening… I don't have time to piddle around and worry about this stuff anymore. And frankly, I'm sick of thinking about it all. Who the hell cares?

"Selene?"

She knew it was Hau before she even looked up at him. He and Lillie trotted over to her, trudging through a patch of tall grass, him characteristically holding Popper in his arms and Lillie clamping her arm over her bag. At least it appeared he had finally caught his Pichu, for Selene didn't see it anywhere. Uninterested in hearing him tell her she was just overheated and seeing things again, though, Selene brusquely pushed past them both, not stopping at all. She didn't have time for them to waste for her.

"Hey, wait!" Lillie called. "Selene! Where's Elio? We've all got to talk!"

"I'm done talking!" Selene snapped back, still not stopping. "You can talk to him if you want to."

"Please!" Hau whimpered after her. She heard his footsteps and she looked back just in time to see him reaching to grab her shoulder. Jumping away from that like a panicked Meowth, she practically bared her teeth back at him for daring to try that.

"Don't touch me!" she spat. "The last thing I want right now is another look inside your head! I don't care if you don't want to help me and think I'm just hallucinating. Elio apparently thinks we might as well give up on my parents, too. And you…" Selene contemptuously looked Lillie up and down as she drew closer. "I have no idea what's going on with you and frankly, I'm not interested in learning any more about you. I'm going to push through these trials by myself if I have to, and I'll go find Mom and Dad, and then I'm getting out of this stupid place!"

"Selene, I…" Hau seemed stunned as he trailed off.

"Selene, you can't just do that," Lillie desperately insisted, shaking her head. "Elio loves you. He's your brother… and he's really trying, even if you don't believe it right now, I doubt he meant to suggest that your parents are just… gone… You'll really regret this—"

"What the hell do you know?" Selene brutally interrupted her. "Elio's just concerned with saving his own skin and maybe I don't want a brother that gives up on family that easily!"

Lillie looked squarely at the ground and angrily shot back, "You've enjoyed such a great family for so long that you're ready to throw a member of it away over something so stupid. Do you not see how hypocritical you're being right now? You're really spoiled, do you know that, Selene? Have you thought about what this is going to do to both of you? Is this going to make you happy? Not to mention it's stupid to go alone, here, in Alola."

"I not know Elio long," Hau nervously interjected, finding his voice at last, "but… do not think he do that. He very protect you… He like family…"

"Just leave me alone, Hau, Lillie," Selene snapped, thoroughly fed up with them both. She tuned Lillie's uncomfortable words out. "You've probably got some crazy secrets the same as he does, and you're going to stand here and tell me to knock it off while you're probably lying through your own teeth. I hate this place!" With that, she started to stalk away again.

"Wait—!"

"Let her go, Hau. Maybe she doesn't deserve a brother if that's how easily she'll throw him away. Let's go check on Elio."

Fuck you, Lillie. You don't know anything, Selene fumed, but refused to turn back around. She fished for her Rotom Dex in her backpack, intent on finding out where the next trial was that was farthest away from her brother, Lillie, and Hau. The day might have been half over, but she was intent on getting through it before nightfall.

She would get through it before nightfall.

Embarrassed after Macho and his Vulpix had nearly gotten into a fight, Elio had withdrawn both pokémon and darted outside the Pokémon Center. Every part of his mind was screaming at him to chase Selene down and explain that she was wrong, that even if he did subconsciously fear their parents had left them behind intentionally, he didn't want to just give up. Yet, their entire fight and just… everything felt as if it were dragging him down. He didn't have the words to explain his frustration or how hurt he was. He knew it was his fault Selene was so upset and angry, not to mention the weird visions she was getting, but he just… he didn't know what else she wanted from him… If she even wanted anything from him. Ultimately, he had slumped to the ground just outside of the Center, letting Macho back out to curl up at his side, as he resignedly reminded himself: This is just who I am. She's angry and upset with just… who I am. Guess I always did wonder what she or Mom and Dad would do if they ever found out I was less than the sum of my parts, ha… Don't think I can joke my way out of this one, though… and how can I help her if she doesn't want anything to do with me? Would I really be helping her then, to go after her, or would that be just to make me feel better? He paused. Honestly, the worst part is I don't do any of this on purpose. I'm so awful I have no idea if I'm being selfish or not when I try to help others.

"Elio? Is that you?"

"Oh, Tapus, good, he here…"

Despite hearing Lillie and Hau both, Elio kept his gaze trained squarely on Macho. He hadn't released his Vulpix again, nor his Mudbray, for fear of stirring them into a frenzy with his turbulent feelings. Frankly, he didn't want to face Lillie or Hau right then—especially not Lillie. He almost wished he'd just melt away right then. He had no more jokes left to make, Selene had likely outed him for the truth, and now—all that was left was the real 'him,' that horrible person hiding behind the disguise. Now, he would never unravel the mystery surrounding the girl in white and her strange little pokémon, because she, too, would leave. Just as every friendship he had ever made ultimately went up in flames, just as his parents had ditched him, and now, just as Selene had ran off—

"What happened?" Lillie asked breathlessly, bending down next to him, curtailing those runaway thoughts.

"We see Selene," Hau explained, sitting down awkwardly in front of him, "and was angry. Tell us leave alone and… like she going Island Challenge self now… Elio, what happen?"

"What's it look like?" Elio muttered, still refusing to look at them. "I messed everything up, it's the only thing I'm good at." Yet, then, he blinked and realized something. "Wait, if she's not with either of you, then… she went off on her own?"

"Well, yeah," Lillie sighed. "She didn't seem… angry before, just upset and confused… Look, I don't know what happened in there, but Elio, you didn't deserve—"

"She can't be on her own here," Elio panicked, the waves of self-loathing soon forgotten in his fear. He looked up at Lillie and Hau with wide eyes. "I have no idea where Mom and Dad went, none at all, what if someone kidnapped them and whoever did that goes after her next? What about that Skull Gang?" Grimacing, he shook his head. "I know they seem harmless, but that was when we were all together, and that blond guy's weird pokémon attacked her! Selene has that funny Grass-type bird pokémon, an egg, and an Ice-type Sandshrew that seems afraid of its own shadow!" He scrambled back to his feet. Even if she hated him, even if she would hate him wanting to save her, he felt that would be significantly less harmful to her than leaving her to whatever terrible things could happen to her alone in Alola. He had thought she was going to group up with Lillie and Hau and then leave him behind—not go alone! Panting, he demanded, "Did she say anything about where she was going?"

"Trials…" Hau winced. "She said do trials on own…" He frowned and glanced at Lillie, asking her something in Alolan.

"Mallow's trial site is closer, but Selene went past the entrance, I think," Lillie answered slowly. Then, her face screwed up in confusion. "Wait, she's going to Wela Volcano Park? With a Grass-type, an egg, and an Ice-type?"

Elio was already pushing past them. "Where's that? Macho, c'mon, we gotta get going."

"Wela Volcano Park is a hike away," Lillie warned, darting ahead of Elio, and raising a hand to stop him, "up a mountainside and through caves. I've heard it take days for Island Challengers to get through there… And it's crawling with Salandit, which are these dual Fire- and Poison-types. If we're going there, we need some more supplies."

"And we need to catch up to Selene sooner rather than later," Elio fretted, giving a shuddery sigh. "What if she gets lost in there?" That place sounds so dangerous…

"Trial Guides there," Hau said, nodding rapidly, "but agree. Should catch her." Pausing in front of Elio, Hau hugged Popper close and then apologetically eyed him. "Am sorry. Should not tell her she was wrong… Sound like Tapu gave power. I think I protect her tell her is nothing, but… no. I just mean is safer if no-one know about Tapu power, other than us. Lillie I were to tell her and you that…" He shuffled his feet and then looked down. "Am sorry was too late…"

Elio just nodded slowly, accepting Hau's apology. Although he was upset Hau had lied to Selene, he still felt as if it were truly his fault she had gone AWOL, and… to be honest, part of him was too grateful for Hau's willingness to forgive him over and over again to want be upset or angry with him. Tentatively, wanting to pay that kindness forward, Elio awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "It's okay, Hau… it… it sounds like you at least wanted to do the right thing… Hopefully, once we catch up to her, she'll have had some time to calm down and you can tell her whatever it is you need to tell her…"

Smiling, clearly relieved at Elio's forgiveness, Hau nodded quickly. "Ae, lot to talk about—but find Selene now!"

"Hey, I agree, but remember what I just said about needing more supplies?" Lillie annoyedly interrupted, waving her hand at them. "C'mon, follow me inside."

"What, are you buying?" Elio weakly joked as he impatiently followed her into the Pokémon Center.

Lillie grinned wickedly back at them. "No. My mother is."

"…What?" Hau blinked stupidly at her as they waltzed up to the Poké Mart counter.

"My mother, er…" Lillie thought for a moment. "She works for a large company. Let's just say I still have a card to a blanket account a lot of her employees use, and so there's really no way she can know it was me using it."

"No way," Elio started to laugh, "she hasn't changed that since you, er… went your separate ways from her, I'm guessing…? What did happen with you and your family, anyway…?"

Lillie's shoulders sagged as she looked up at the supplies lined up behind the blue countertop. "That's a long, long story, and I think we should find Selene first before I tell it. Now, hold on, I'll get the supplies, you and Hau open your bags so I can put them in there… Since, well, you know." She gestured briefly toward her own bag.

"Got it," Elio nodded. He didn't know where the influx of determination in him had come from. Just prior to Lillie and Hau coming back to the Center to speak to him, he had been quite ready to simply let Selene walk away, uninhibited. He almost was horrified at that thought.

What's wrong with me? Why, when things go wrong for me, do I lie, or, if that isn't gonna work, just lay down and… take it? Staring at Lillie as she spoke with the uniformed men behind the counter, he exhaled a long breath of relief. He didn't know how she had snapped him out of it so easily, but he didn't feel anywhere near as beaten as just a few minutes ago, and he was so, so grateful to her for that… And for Hau, too.

Of all the random people to have gotten 'stuck' with in Alola, he was quite glad it had been the two of them.

Overseeing the two grunts attempt to locate a female Salandit was certainly not something Gladion considered fun, but Makua had insisted they grab a few if they could find any before heading for the Diglett Tunnel toward the southern end of the island. Female Salandit apparently were quite easy to sell, as many trainers could be lured into buying one over hunting them down in the wild themselves. Gladion might have offered to assist the bumbling grunts in their search, but he had to keep his eyes peeled and Null at the ready. Trial Guides or, worse, if Captain Kiawe himself were to catch them there, he had been warned things could take a violent turn. "Captain Kiawe is a temperature manipulator," Makua had explained, "of objects, pokémon, and people. He won't hurt ya bad, but he'll sure make ya wish he would instead. That's how he runs us off Wela Volcano Park whenever he catches us up there. If you spot him, you an' the grunts scatter, an' if any Trial Guides spot ya and make a fuss of it, get outta there 'fore they call him down. Female Salandit are worth a lot but I ain't trynna treat anyone for hypothermia or heatstroke, got it?"

Yet, it wasn't a Trial Guide nor the Captain of Wela Volcano Park that caught his attention just thirty minutes or so into their search. Marching past him and up the mountainside, Selene, the same Kantonian Island Challenger from Route 5, was alone. Her brother was nowhere to be seen and her Dartrix flew after her, though he looked bruised and injured, and Selene herself looked to be struggling to maintain her own pace. As she went to round the corner and out of sight into a cavernous section of the volcanic park, her leg—he recognized it as the one Null had scratched with a wince—twitched and gave out, and her Dartrix had to catch her to keep her from collapsing entirely to the ground.

With some help from her Dartrix, she half-crawled to sit against the foot of a cliff, and shakily exhaled. Her face was as red as a Cheri Berry and drenched in sweat. She was clearly exhausted. Frowning, Gladion hesitantly shifted, finding he wanted to go find out why she was there alone, but confused as to why. She wasn't part of Skull and she had made her stance clear in how she disliked them. She had been happy to yell at them and honestly, he found her rant about racism and sexism or whatever it had been she had gotten to rambling about just as irritating as the grunts did. Yet… She was clearly without her brother and her friends despite the adamancy in which they had defended the concept of family from his blunt words.

He waited a few more minutes, mildly interested as the grunts succeeded in finding a female Salandit at last, but Selene's brother and her friends never showed. Staring back at her again from afar, he watched as she pulled an egg from her bag and cradled it in her arms. It looked as if she were starting to fall asleep on top of it.

Once the grunts caught the Salandit, Gladion resignedly sighed to himself. I'm gonna go over there and talk to her, aren't I? Sharing a look with the grunts, Gladion raised his chin slightly. Sigh. Yep, I am. "I want to go talk to that Selene girl again. You two stay near me and yell or something if you see any Trial Guides or whatever."

Both of them raised a brow at him, in frightening sync. "Why you gonna chat to her? Ain't she one of 'em that causes trouble?" the male grunt asked.

"Yeah, yeah, just, I want to talk to her a minute," Gladion reluctantly explained. He knew it was a risk right away, but fearing Null lashing out again, he slowly pulled the Ultra Ball from his pockets and bent down next to the pokémon. Affectionately stroking his back for a second, Gladion murmured, "Sorry, Null, but I need you to sit out for a minute…"

Null merely shook his head and then raised a paw to scratch at the helmet before Gladion recalled him in that flood of red light. He was vaguely aware of the grunts exchanging a surprised look as he started over toward the Kantonian girl. The grunts followed at a wary distance, unwilling to get too close, but Gladion was secretly glad for that. He cleared his throat once he stopped a short distance away from Selene.

She froze and then slowly looked up at him. Tensing despite how obviously exhausted she was, she bitingly asked, "What do you want?"

"You alone? Not here to cause any trouble, are you?" he asked flatly, hoping to hide under the guise of 'Skull enforcer' to keep her from questioning his motivations for talking to her too much. Truthfully, he wasn't even sure why he was talking to her himself…

"No," Selene answered him, cut off by a massive yawn. She glowered at him after that, though, hugging her egg just slightly closer. "What do you want? Did you really think I'd be a threat, just me? I told you before. I don't care. You don't look like you're up to anything too screwed up right now, so…"

"Well, your brother isn't here, for one thing, and you look like hell," Gladion snorted, putting his hands on his hips. "Just thought that was strange." He narrowed his eyes at her and gruffly added, "Which, it is."

She hung her head defeatedly, pressing her forehead to the top of the egg. Gladion winced, wondering if that was alright for the egg… "I don't know what I'm doing, but yes, I'm alone… Just leave me alone, please. I have to get up to the trial site… That's all I do know."

The Skull grunts stepped forward then, circling Selene interestedly, not that she noticed. Gladion cocked his head at her and gnawed his lower lip.

"Don't gotta go alone, y'know," one of the grunts said softly.

"Or do the trials," the other piped up.

Glaring at them, Gladion hissed, "What are you two doing?"

"Look at 'er," the male insisted with a nod of his chin. "That's what it looks like when someone realizes Alola ain't for 'em, and they ain't got anywhere else to go—"

"No," Selene spat up at them all. "Just leave me alone! Okay? I need to do these trials to get stronger and get my parents back, then I can just leave this place. I've got my own crap to deal with, okay? I don't have the space in my head to deal with your weird, borderline civil war." She coughed and spluttered after that, putting her right wrist to her forehead, as if fighting a headache.

Suddenly very anxious in a way he couldn't understand, Gladion swallowed against a dry mouth. Slowly, he mumbled, "Skull isn't just for people who hate the Island Challenge, even if that's kinda how it usually starts, you know…" He clenched his jaw. "And the Island Challenge isn't the only way to get stronger."

Selene coughed again and carefully eyed him.

Chapter Text

"No."

Gladion jolted in surprise at Selene's abrupt response. She couldn't believe she had actually pondered what they were saying for a moment. She was angry at Elio, Hau, and Lillie, but she wasn't about to go joining the local gang to express that! Moreover, she had no idea what new troubles doing so would bring, and she had more than enough problems for the moment. That would be like joining Team Rocket during a fit of rage! It felt too hard to think right then, even, and here they were trying to recruit her like Mandibuzz! Panting for breath, as the air on this mountain was so hot and arid, she found it hard to breathe, Selene glared back at the three Skull members surrounding her. "No. This has nothing to do with any of you. This is personal. Me, myself, and I. That's why I'm alone. Nothing more, nothing less—I'm still looking for my parents." Focusing on Gladion then, she huffed, "And you're not going to win me over in thinking I should just abandon that, so get lost."

The two grunts muttered to one another, but Gladion raised his hands and wearily sighed. "Suit yourself." Pausing, he gnawed his lower lip momentarily. "The trial up ahead is with Captain Kiawe. He's a Fire-type specialist and a temperature manipulator. If you don't have something that can deal with Fire-types well, there are some Cubone around who might help… And be careful of resting in any grassy patches. The Salandit are venomous and they're everywhere in the grass."

Selene narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. "Why are you trying to help me? What do you care?" You were raving about how family is pointless and so on before… I thought that meant you were a pretty heartless person… so, what are you doing, Gladion? Who are you?

Seeming to think for a long, hard moment, Gladion shrugged in the end. "I guess I just don't like to see someone else put themselves through the grinder for family that probably doesn't care about them, anyway." When Selene bristled with intent to snarl something back at him, Gladion cut her off. "I've been where you are, believe it or not. Telling myself they care and that if I just behaved differently, everything would get better, and it'd all go back to normal one day." He crossed his arms tightly and clenched his jaw. "Trust me, I don't think it'll work out as well as you're wanting it to."

"Then I'll prove you wrong, too," Selene sharply puffed back at him. She felt so light-headed… Hysterical, was probably a better term to describe what she was feeling, but she was too exhausted and physically drained to show it. "I'll prove you and Elio and Hau and Lillie all wrong."

Gladion lurched and looked as if he had seen a ghost, given the way his skin paled and his expression turned unreadable. "L-Lillie?"

"Leave me alone!" Selene shrieked at him, uninterested in whatever else he was about to say. I just want to be left alone for a while! I can't even hear myself think with everyone else in my head all the time! Sometimes, literally! Bowtie caught on and he flew at Gladion, squawking and flaring his wings widely in a threatening display.

"Glad!" one of the grunts hissed. "We got company! Lookin' like Kiawe's headin' down this way!"

"Fine. Stay here, then," Gladion quickly shot down at her. "See what I care." With that, he turned on a heel and gestured for the two grunts to follow him, then they all bolted downhill of the mountain.

Warily, Selene glanced to where the grunts had been looking before. Trekking up the mountainside had been far harder than she had imagined—not that she had exactly ever hiked up anywhere before—and she was afraid of what else might happen that day. She realized then just how tired and beaten her team was… She had hardly gotten her Sandshrew to battle, thanks to the massive typing disadvantage he was at, and so, Bowtie was her primary defender, and he was missing huge clumps of feathers and his breathing was raggedy with exertion. Her Miltank egg occasionally twitched and she thought that meant it would hatch soon, but even then, she knew it wouldn't be worthwhile in battle for a while yet afterward. Overwhelmed with the turbulence of the day so far, when Selene caught sight of the dark-skinned man heading her way, she just leaned her head down on the egg in her grasp. What am I doing? I don't know what to do without Elio. I know that. I can rant and rave all I want about not needing him or figuring this out on my own, but can I? I'm a wreck without him… and… and I miss him already…

"Is all okay?" the man asked once he reached her. Peeking just over the top of her Miltank egg, Selene noticed he had a couple of pokémon trailing behind him. She blinked as she saw that they looked eerily like Marowak, but… they were singed black and teal, otherworldly flames burned at either end of their bone clubs. Without any prompting, her Rotom Dex buzzed a few times and hovered free of her, circling the man—Kiawe, she assumed, based on what the Skull members had said—and his odd Marowak. Before Selene could answer him, he saw the Rotom Dex and his face lit up. "Oh! You one of Kukui's Challengers! Look tired and hot…" he frowned and tilted his head at her. "Ah… is all okay?"

His Galarish was a little broken, but not nearly as badly as Hau's. Selene just shut her eyes and looked away from him. "Just stellar," she mumbled. "I'm just tired… I'll rest a bit here and then I'll head up to challenge… oh. To challenge you, I guess. You're the Captain, right?"

"Ae," Kiawe nodded and smiled warmly. "Captain Kiawe is me. Was taking walk after practice with Marowak…" He gestured to the pokémon behind him and they perked up, twirling their bone clubs excitedly. "Keep eye out for Skull Gang, see, and challengers like you." He snickered a bit then. "Lot of challengers, ah…" he trailed off, apparently searching for a word. "Oh! A lot of challengers underestimate mountain, ae. Let help you. Would be happy to take on one Kukui's hand-picked Challengers with Rotom Dex."

…he's a Fire-type specialist and a temperature manipulator… Selene nervously looked up at Kiawe. Despite the kindly look on his face (and even then, what did that mean? Everyone else there seemed capable of lying through their teeth), it intimidated her to think he could just… alter temperatures around himself. At least, that was what Selene had assumed Gladion had meant by 'temperature manipulator.' Yet, he suddenly pressed a palm to her shoulder, and closed his eyes. She stiffened uncomfortably as she felt the heat in her body slowly begin to dissipate. Although she was begrudgingly appreciative of that, her mind ran wild in a panic as she fretted over him touching her, worrying about what distressing vision she might see this time—which, ironically, her panic only seemed to induce said vision.

Yet… this one didn't seem quite as distressing as others she'd seen. It was much shorter than the previous ones she'd endured, and all it showed was Kiawe, looking perhaps a little younger, training with Kahuna Olivia. It seemed she was trying to help him learn to control his temperature manipulation. She had a Lycanroc at her side (or at least, Selene thought that was what it was; it looked different from Kukui's, though) that would nose rocks closer to him, and Kiawe would then press his left palm to them. Olivia would tell him about what temperature she wanted it to be, he would do his best to get it there, and Olivia would then raise a thermometer gun at the stone, reading the actual temperature back at Kiawe.

Blinking in confusion once she found herself back in the present, Selene realized she hadn't even zoned out long enough to concern Kiawe. He removed his hand from her shoulder and then clapped his together, as if satisfied with his work. "Should feel better now," he explained with a winning smile. "Hmm… have Potions or anything on you?"

Selene sulkily looked down. "I used them all on Bowt—I mean, my Dartrix, getting up here…" I brought a Grass- and an Ice-type to a volcano. I'm a genius.

Kiawe laughed to himself as he pulled a shoulder bag to attention, digging through it for a moment. "Have any other pokémon on you?" he asked idly as he selected something from the bag.

"A Sandshrew," Selene mumbled halfheartedly. "This egg… That's it."

Raising a Super Potion toward Bowtie, Kiawe raised a brow at her. "And… you heading to my trial?" He uncapped it and shook it some, then sprayed the Dartrix unceremoniously with the fluid. Bowtie indignantly fluffed his feathers and opened his beak as if to complain, but soon soothed by the healing spray, he relaxed and settled down next to Selene.

"…Yeah," Selene forced out. Thinking fast, she sputtered, "B-but I was going to try to catch one of the Cubone around here, first. You know? I just… uh, haven't had that much success yet."

"Here," Kiawe cheerfully suggested as he rifled in his bag some more, soon producing three blue and yellow Poké Balls from it. "Kinipōpō Wikiwiki. Ah, Quick Ball, think is how you know it. Throw before attacking—might surprise you and catch without having to battle!"

Awkwardly accepting the gift, Selene stared at the Quick Balls in her hands for a moment. "Oh, wow… thank you… At least, back in Kanto, these are pretty expensive… You're just giving them to me?"

"Friend of Kukui is friend of me," Kiawe explained, standing proudly, and laying his right hand over his heart. It was the same gesture she had seen Hau make a few times before. She wondered if that meant anything, like their Alolan handwave… "If all better now, I should go make sure Skull not causing any trouble down mountain…" He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Always trouble with them. Will be back at my trial site soon, though, promise! Hope to meet you there!"

Deciding she didn't care to comment on that right then, Selene just nodded slowly. "Thanks, Captain Kiawe…"

With a friendly wave at her, he started back down the mountainside, his fiery Marowak trailing behind him. Her Rotom Dex informed her they were yet another Alolan regional variant. For a moment, she sat there to gather her thoughts, and she abruptly frowned as she mulled over what Kiawe had said. 'Friend of Kukui is friend of me…' I still think Kukui's a Rattata, and didn't Lillie say not many people liked him on Melemele? He lived off in this shack, too… and was so unhelpful about Mom and Dad… Groaning to herself, Selene put her head in her hands. Whatever Kukui wants me and my brother to do on this Island Challenge, Kiawe must be in on it. Great. Then he wasn't exactly helping me out of the kindness of his heart, was he? Of course he wasn't. Who the hell is, here?

Scanning the terrain around her, Selene noticed a patch of grass ahead rustling, and then a Cubone poked its head out. Steeling her nerves—so, what if Kiawe helped her for that? He had still helped her and she still had to beat him!—Selene quickly started to pack away her Miltank egg again, urging Bowtie to follow her as she slunk closer to the Cubone. Stalking slowly toward it, she readied one of the Quick Balls, and then hurled it at the pokémon's head. It was sucked inside with a flash of white and then the ball clattered to the rocky ground, rocking back and forth violently.

These islands would not beat her.

Ascending Wela Volcano Park's trails was just as difficult as Lillie had made it sound. Elio was panting and struggling for breath within the first hour, and Lillie wasn't doing any better. Hau seemed to be the only one with the endurance to handle such a climb, but Lillie eventually called the group to stop, admitting that she just couldn't go any farther for the time being. That was how it was up the entire mountainside, and they had hardly made it a quarter of the way up before nightfall. The most concerning part for Elio was that they never caught sight of Selene in the entire time they were there. Somehow, she had either gotten farther than they had already, or they had been wrong about where she had gone.

As he assisted Hau with getting a makeshift campsite out of some supplies they had bought back in town set up for the evening, Elio's mind raced with endless possibilities. He knew he was just working himself up for no reason, it wasn't as if there was anything else he could do then, he and Lillie were just too exhausted to carry on, but he couldn't help it… When they finished setting up the tent and unraveling sleeping bags and the like, Lillie offered to make some sandwiches out of the food supplies they had taken with them, but Elio refused.

Hau huffed at him. "Need eat. Cannot exact climb mountain without that."

"I just can't eat when I'm so worried," Elio complained loudly. "I've been texting and calling her, and we haven't seen her at all, and… and…"

"Elio… it's okay…" Lillie quietly tried to reassure him. "The trek up this mountain is awful, she's probably just resting somewhere a bit up ahead…"

"But I don't think she even had supplies like all this," Elio protested, side-eyeing the tent, "so who knows where exactly she's resting, and there's those Salandit everywhere…"

There was a short pause before Hau stood up. "I go look."

"What?" Elio and Lillie both asked in unison, jerking their heads to stare at him. Elio blinked fervently and shook his head, tacking on, "Aren't you tired…? And you want to go… alone?"

"I can protect self," Hau insisted, "and am not as tire as you and Lillie. But…" he trailed off, shifting uncomfortably. "Can keep Popper here, and Macho come with? Water-type better against Fire-type. Lillie no pokémon. If take Popper, you have just Macho, Vulpix, and Mudbray. Mudbray and Vulpix not train yet, Fire- not good against Fire-…"

It took Elio a moment to decipher what Hau meant, but afterward, he nodded vigorously. He wants Macho because Popper can defend Lillie and me a lot better in case anything goes down… I mean, I hope he'll be okay with just Macho and his Pichu, though… "Yeah, sure, of course…" Elio reluctantly agreed in the end, his worry for Selene guiltily winning out over his concern for Hau. "Macho?"

The Torracat was lazily sprawled against the stone nearby, and at Elio's call, he just slowly blinked at his trainer.

"Macho, can you go with Hau for a bit?" Elio asked, gesturing to Hau animatedly. Hau bent to his knees and patted them, clicking his tongue. Seeming to catch on to what they wanted, Macho jumped up, stretched, and loped over to Hau. He glanced to Elio expectantly, who insisted, "Macho, I need you to go with Hau, please… listen to him and keep him safe, okay? Popper's gonna stay here to help us out."

The Torracat didn't look like he completely understood, but when Hau shared a few words in Alolan to his Brionne, Popper turned to Macho and clapped his flippers together a few times and barked eagerly. Macho jolted in apparent surprise, cocking his head, and mewing back at his friend. Popper nodded, seemingly satisfied, and then waddled closer to Elio and Lillie, settling on top of Hau's sleeping bag in the opening of the tent.

"Okay. Should be all," Hau said at last. Waving excitedly at Elio and Lillie with the signature Alolan handwave, he beamed, "Okay, I go ahead now. Will head back before long. Alola!" Clicking his tongue at Macho, he bolted uphill, and the Torracat sped after him, kicking up dust and stones in his wake with his powerful, clawed paws.

"This is all such a mess," Elio whimpered after Hau and Macho were out of earshot, practically hugging himself as he sat there just outside of the tent. Although the air had cooled significantly with the evening, it was still hot, and he felt horrible from the stresses of the day. His head throbbed with the beginnings of a headache, his breathing was heavier than usual thanks to the exertion of earlier, and his muscles ached from traveling so much in the last two days, but none of that matched the way it felt as if the insides of his chest were churning. More than all of that, he couldn't believe he was speaking so openly with Lillie now, and he was internally yelling at himself for not resorting to the practiced, tried, and true jokes he knew would lighten the mood. Yet, despite the internal beratement, he kept spilling his guts anyway. "I knew it'd be bad i-if I was found out, but I didn't…" Shivering, Elio started to look around, at the volcanic mountainside they were camped out on, at Lillie, at Popper curled up in the opening flap of the tent. "I never could have expected anything like this, like how moving here's been…"

Lillie shuffled closer to him, her bag abandoned for the moment (Nebby had apparently escaped it and, with an errant squeak at the both of them, he dove into the tent, wagging his arms at Popper and enticing the Brionne to play). Elio froze as Lillie tentatively clasped her right hand to his left, drawing him back out of those thoughts. She nervously looked up at him with sad, green eyes. "It's… it's okay…" She sighed and looked away from him then, staring absentmindedly at the tent. "I can't know what you or Selene have to be going through… Not exactly, but I can imagine… It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know."

"Yes, it is," he whispered, a small voice in the back of his head urging him to shut up, but he just wouldn't listen. He just couldn't listen, could he? Ever. All he could hear were the things Selene had said to him… "I don't know how, and that's almost the worst part of it all. I was so stuck in my own head, I just… I don't even know how this all happened, y'know?" He pulled his phone free of his pocket and even though there was barely a signal up on that mountainside, he tried texting Mom and Dad again, and idly scrolled through the dozens or so of messages he had left them since their disappearance. He chanced sending a new one to Selene, then, too. Lillie noticed and she squeezed his hand gently, surprising him into staring at her.

"My father disappeared quite a while ago," Lillie started softly, looking him dead in the eyes. Her grip was steady on his hand—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to keep him rooted in the present as opposed to getting too lost in the whirlwind of his own thoughts. "After he disappeared, my mother… was not the same. She… she hated me. She hated my brother. I thought if I just… if I just did what she wanted, if I just took it all in stride, it would get better. That never happened. I let her get between me and my brother… Gladion. The blond guy from Skull."

Elio's eyed widened. "That… was your brother?" Mortified, Elio groaned. "The same guy I told to shut his damn mouth. Joy." Grinning anxiously, he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry…"

"No, it's okay," Lillie snorted. "He was absolutely out of line, with that pokémon of his attacking Selene…" She paused. "I don't know what that pokémon was… I don't know why he joined Skull Gang, really… After the accident with my father, we didn't talk much."

Elio cocked his head to the side, curious, then. "Lillie, I… don't think I understand… what happened?"

Lillie chuckled. "It's a long, long story. I don't think I even understand." She abruptly leaned a little closer to him then, nearly pressing her shoulder to his, and his breath hitched in his throat for a second. "So, settle in Torchic, 'cause this might take a while… but after, I expect you to explain some things. I've gotta say, I think there's more to that story about the Ekans than you let on."

He winced at her last sentence, but a part of him was shocked to hear it. So, Selene didn't tell them in the end…? Looking over his unobstructed shoulder for show to cover his internal, scrambling thoughts, Elio dryly teased, "Don't worry, I don't have anywhere better to go." He looked back at her and tauntingly asked, "So, what's the story, milady?"

"…Hah, 'milady?' Are you for real?"

"Oh, come on! Story time me!"

"Okay, Torchic. Here goes…"

Hau just hadn't been able to sit still, knowing that Selene was still out there, thinking he disbelieved her and on her own. That was what kept him motivated despite the burning in his muscles and lungs, and he had asked for Macho's assistance partially so Lillie would be safer, but also so that he had a pokémon that wouldn't be as bothered by the rugged, hot terrain as Popper would be. Macho was also far more mobile than Popper was.

Despite their search for Selene, though, Hau found himself running alongside the Torracat and simply having fun racing him to the next segment of trail up the Wela Volcano Park mountainside. It felt so wild and free, ironically, despite the high stakes of the situation. Macho was energetic and seemed to lavish Hau's challenge (not that he was much of one; Macho easily outpaced him at every turn). After forty minutes or so of darting ahead, looking around, pausing to rest, rinse and repeat, Hau was panting for breath and he flopped down inside part of the mountainside's cavernous trails. Macho darted closer to him and playfully batted at his orange sandals. Pokémon could be so much fun… Hau sighed. He knew why it seemed everyone in Alola saw them as merely safety nets to protect against wild pokémon and the nefarious Skull Gang, but he wished it weren't that way. Macho seemed like tons of fun even outside of battle.

When they got to moving again, Hau was discouraged within the next twenty minutes when he found no signs of Selene anywhere. It was quite dark by then, and despite the daytime's blistering heat, it was starting to get quite cold. Halting and looking up the winding trail of the mountain, Hau thoughtfully ground his teeth. Glancing back over his shoulders and down the mountain as well, he huffed. "Macho, part of me wonders if she actually made it this far up, or if we passed her," he murmured in Alolan to the Torracat. He fell into step next to him and raised his head, purring. Smiling back down at him, Hau snickered mischievously. "I wonder if we could get her to come to us?"

Macho cocked his head back up at him, then tensed as Hau raised a hand up to the sky. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Here goes nothing…" He concentrated hard on that raised hand and electricity, coursing yellow arcs over his chest, raced up his arm and turned red as it neared his fingertips. A scarlet bolt launched to the sky and settled once it reached the inky blanket of stars overhead. The red, glowing orb turned blue and brightened the entirety of the mountainside as if it were a small sun.

Hau, panting from the exertion, beamed up at the result of his labor. Despite all his fear of his ability, all the fear that came with keeping it a secret… in the rare moments whenever he did get to use his control of electricity, it was beyond satisfying. It was even fun. There was something just so primally enjoyable about it all… Was it pride, what he was regarding that electrical sphere in the sky with? He didn't know, but he did know that he needed to get away from where that bolt of lightning had shot from his fingertips. Selene wasn't likely to be the only person camping out on Wela Volcano Park, and others could come to investigate it aside from her, so he decided to hide and make it seem as if he had come to check out the strange light in the sky the same as them… unless Selene came alone. He had a few things he needed to say to her.

Hunkering down in the bushes nearby, Hau tried to call Macho back to him as well, but the Torracat hesitated, standing there, and staring at the crackling sphere above them. It washed his fur in a sheen of blue and he sprawled out below its light lazily. Hau ended up just shaking his head and leaving him to it. The sphere wouldn't be there forever, and he was sure if he really needed to, he could call Macho back—

Just as he was thinking that, a volley of bladed leaves shot from the shadow behind a jagged rock projecting from the ground nearby, and struck the craggy earth near Macho's side. He immediately was on his feet, hissing and bristling his fur at the source of the attack. Hau stumbled clumsily from the grass and readied Ikehu's Poké Ball, ready to fight if he needed to. "Who there?" he snapped, suddenly wary and keenly focused. As fun-loving as he could be, he knew the dangers of losing one's caution completely in Alola's wilds.

To his shock, Selene stepped free of the shadow behind the rock, Bowtie landing on her shoulder and a Cubone nervously trotting after her. "Hau?" she hissed, squinting against the bright light overhead. "Is that you?"

"Selene!" Hau exclaimed, stuffing Ikehu's Poké Ball back into a pocket. Macho relaxed as well, purring loudly as he rushed closer to her. "Tapus, am glad see you! We need talk!"

Yet, when Macho neared her, Selene took a decisive step backward and called for her Cubone. Macho stopped in his tracks and confusedly tilted his head up at her. Hau, too, faltered and swallowed hard. "Selene, am not here for fight," Hau begged, "please, listen! I wrong before! I do believe—"

"I'm not interested, Hau!" Selene spat, narrowing her eyes at him. "Why do you have Macho? Where's Elio? Where's Lillie?"

"Back camp," Hau answered dutifully, hoping his cooperation might ease her nerves. Gesturing vaguely behind him, he explained, "Lillie not able walk so much. She and him tire. I go ahead try and find you. And I did!" He bounced excitedly from foot to foot for a second, then dryly swallowed. "Listen… You have Captain power. Or… Kahuna power, even," he laughed nervously, "but I lie before because need not tell any about this…"

Macho yowled then, at Bowtie, it seemed, and the Dartrix just stared back down at him unblinkingly. Shaking his head in apparent disbelief, Macho sank his claws into the rocky earth below himself, and the fiery pendant around his neck flared to life, fire spitting out either side of it as he snarled at Bowtie. Hau couldn't speak the language of pokémon, but even he could recognize that Macho seemed to be demanding Bowtie to see sense, to not just blindly follow his trainer's fear-driven knee-jerk response to the day's stresses. Selene tensed at Macho's display and, although hesitant at first, Bowtie slowly spread his wings and then took flight, landing beside the Torracat, chirping away anxiously.

"Bowtie," Selene swallowed hard, "get back here, please…"

Macho's pendant settled down again and he rubbed his face against the Dartrix, who wrapped wings around his friend affectionately.

"Selene…" Hau shook his head and pleadingly looked her over again. "I know you hurt. I know… scared." He dared to move toward her, and, to his surprise, Selene didn't dart away again. "'Cause I been there before. Have Captain power and have no idea what do next… I was wrong… But, can do this together. See?" He stopped and gestured to the crackling orb of azure light above them. "That? Was me." He took a deep breath and concentrated hard on his hands again. Arcs of golden electricity zipped over his arms and across his palms before flickering out of sight altogether. "But not point. Point is… I know is scary, and… Alola good at making everyone scared. But do not have to be scared. Let us help…" As if sensing the rebuttal she'd have ready, Hau added, "Elio want help. He hear you ran alone, and make us come find you. He worry. We all worry. Let help… please?"

"You… you have one, too?" Selene all but squeaked, frozen in place. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

Thinking he had started to make progress, Hau nodded. "Ae. See? Not alone. Do not have be alone. Let us help—"

"How many of you are lying?!" Selene burst, stomping a foot fiercely. "Fucking Arceus, I just—I—…" She trailed off into a growl of frustration and grabbed fistfuls of her hair with either hand, clearly beyond frustrated.

Taken aback, Hau blinked rapidly. "I… I not understand, Selene—"

"Then understand this," Selene interrupted with a hardened glare focused on him, "I don't know what's going on here on these islands, but I beat Kiawe earlier. I'm tired, I'm pissed off, I'm tired of everyone lying around here, and I'm going to beat these trials, find my parents, prove to Elio they didn't abandon us, and then we're getting out of here! And I don't need you to do that!"

"Stop!" Hau shot back at her, steeling his voice. Her sharp words hurt, but he knew the source of them. He remembered how he felt as if the very ground had been jerked from beneath his feet when he had discovered his power, and Selene's was far more intrusive than his… It seemed she had little control over the 'memory jumps' she had described. There was no telling what she had seen beyond what she had told them. Yes, her anger, her vitriol, it hurt, but… he didn't want to give up on her. Not yet. "Selene, think this. Islands make people scared! You are scared! Want to be scared? Or want to prove it wrong?" Scrambling, he frantically tried to think of a way to translate his next thought. "You all about… all about make things fair. Right? If act like this… if play by their rule… you show that this is right. That way Alola work is right."

That seemed to get her attention. Feverishly blinking, she curled a lip and sneered, "What are you getting at?"

"If come with us, if let help, if we find parents, if beat Island Challenge, maybe… maybe we change how all works. But cannot do that if you lose self for… for fear. Please," Hau desperately begged, gesturing to Macho and Bowtie, both of whom were staring back at her with equally as imploring gazes. "Look them. Look me. Think Elio. Do you want live by Alola law, all fear? Or you want to find parents and make all you know to use?"

The electrical orb above them started to falter. Hau knew that it wouldn't last long, and it cast odd shadows and glints of light over Selene as her body sagged and she slowly sank to the ground. "…No," she whispered at last. "No…" Tearing up, she whimpered, "No, I don't want to do it all this way, Hau…"

Relieved, Hau trudged toward her, feeling as exhausted as she looked. He nodded vigorously as he dropped to his knees in front of her, cautiously offering his hand to help her up. "Okay… We help, then." He smiled weakly at her. "Is what Alola should be about…"

A few tears streaked down her face and she wiped them away, nodding slowly. "That's what I thought it would be about… that would be so much nicer…" Crying harder, as if a dam had broken, she withdrew her hand from his to cover her face. "I'm sorry, Hau, this place has just been a nightmare, and now I have no idea what happens next. I'm so scared to know what happens next… and Elio… I just…"

"Is okay…" Hau insisted, settling into place next to her instead. Macho curled up beside him and Bowtie landed next to her, nudging her apologetically with his beak. He awkwardly looped an arm around her shoulders. "Will be okay…"

She bawled for a few minutes, and he was caught entirely off-guard when she spluttered, "Thank you, Hau…"

"Of course, Selene… Is friend."

At first, he thought she had merely fallen silent in that she was trying to calm down, but then he noticed the dazed look on her face. He blinked and waved a hand in front of her. When she failed to react, he winced and quickly unraveled his arm from around her, scrabbling at the rocky earth to get away from her.

He had just managed to talk her down, and then, given her another vision. Perfect, he thought sarcastically. I have no idea what she's going to see and she's already super upset… I'm sorry, Selene… I forgot…

Chapter Text

Looking out one of the windows of the Skull boat over one of Akala’s deserted beaches, Gladion sighed. It was dark and he, Makua, and the two grunts had returned to the vessel for the evening to get some rest, but he couldn’t sleep. His stomach felt like it was doing flips and he couldn’t place the emotion that had him gnawing at his lip and idly plucking at his hair, even though the latter made his scalp ache. He now knew Lillie was on Akala, same as him—she was still in Alola and likely with the Cosmog his mother wanted so badly. Not only that, but he had been looking right at her, and he had failed to recognize her. That alone was a bizarre feeling. Certainly, he and Lillie hadn’t spoken much prior to her disappearance, and they often went days and days without even seeing one another, but he would have thought he’d have recognized her even if she changed her appearance…

In retrospect, he had thought at first that he wished he would have yelled at her, made her aware of all the misery her actions had put him through, but the more he fumed on it, the hollower it felt and he soon lost that steam. She looked so different and he had no idea what she was up to, still in Alola, traveling alongside the two Kantonians and Kahuna Hala’s grandson. Moreover, he didn’t look that wildly differently from when she had last seen him, so he knew she had to have recognized him, and she had said nothing. That was what killed his anger more than anything. It was so hard to be angry and want her to suffer for what she had done when it seemed she didn’t care to begin with. No amount of venomous words would mean a thing if she had decided she simply wasn’t bothered. After all, she had seen him, attempted to lecture him on family—despite knowing where they had come from!—and then left it at that without another word. It all felt so… so pointless.

He heard shuffling and he jolted, glancing over his shoulder in time to see Makua picking his way across the cramped, dark internal quarters of the boat. The two grunts were still fast asleep on bench seats further in. Fidgeting, Makua pulled a small box of something free from his pocket, and then glanced to Gladion. “What’s up?” he whispered, fitfully tapping the small box against his left palm.

A little too gruffly, Gladion muttered, “Nothing. Just can’t sleep.” Even though you had us hiking all over the damn place the last… I don’t know, I lost track of time. I should be exhausted. And keeping those two grunts from hurting themselves might as well be a full-time job. I’m a fucking nanny.

“Mm. Well, you’re in the window, so move it,” Makua yawned, flopping down on the bench seat beside Gladion. He unceremoniously scrambled to get out of his way, and Makua flicked open the circular window easily, to Gladion’s surprise. He then opened the box in his hand and Gladion screwed his nose up as he recognized it then as a box of cigarettes… or so he thought, anyway. The oddly sweet smell that came after Makua used a blue lighter on the stick made him second-guess his conclusion.

“So… uh, that window opens,” Gladion awkwardly mumbled, unsure if he wanted to question whatever it was Makua was doing. Part of him was bitterly amused, remembering how the grunts had ragged on him for assuming they were into drugs only to have Makua, clearly a higher-up in the gang, clearly involved in something. Suddenly, Makua’s general twitchiness and gaunt frame made so much more sense.

Snorting in amusement, Makua flicked the not-quite-a-cigarette and ash flew off the end of it and out the window. “Chill, it’s just Exeggutor leaf extracts. Calms ya down and makes ya feel nice. Easier to go to sleep. No funny business, I swear.”

Raising a brow at him challengingly, Gladion snarked, “Doubt everything you’re into is that harmless, though, is it?”

Makua pressed his lips to a thin line, then sighed. “Nah. Can’t lie ‘bout that,” he answered with a shrug. “Don’t mean nothin’, though.” His lip twitched and he added, sharply, “I still do what I’m s’posed to, Gladion.”

Looking away sharply, Gladion closed his eyes and yawned. Frankly, he wasn’t interested in getting into a discussion with Makua about it. More than that, it felt strange for him to use his actual name, when everyone else in Skull seemed determined to use some nickname all the time (which confused him, as he hated the nicknames…). So, why did Makua using his actual name seem odd?

He just wanted to go to sleep and hopefully, they’d return to Ula’Ula the following day. Not only did he know about Lillie now, but that girl—Selene… She frustrated him on a primal level. She and her brother would suffer if they continued on their mission to find their parents and hell, it seemed as if Selene already was suffering, but they still refused to give up, on the virtue of ‘family’ alone. He understood it, but it was still depressing to have seen her, ragged and beaten down, adamantly insisting she knew what she was doing.

Oh well. People could be fickle and complicated. Side-eyeing Makua as the grunt raised a hand to cover his mouth prior to coughing uncontrollably, Gladion clenched his jaw. He suddenly missed his motel room and wished he could get back to simply trying to pry that helmet off Null. The boat simply had far too close quarters for his comfort and it bothered him, not being able to release his pokémon to rest at his side for the evening (Makua had said he didn’t trust Null and that the boat was just too small).

Hopefully, tomorrow would be better, far away from Lillie and Selene both…

Panic at realizing she was enduring another vision quickly lost out to the rampant feelings of her current vessel in said vision. Considering Hau had chanced pulling her closer by wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Selene knew it had to be a memory of his, and that she was now at the mercy of his emotions there. Unlike others she had faced, this one started off intense; she was, once again, in the arms of Tapu Koko, and it felt as if every feeling under the sun coursed through her veins. Anxiety, anger, fear, sheer sadness—she had no idea what had transpired prior to the memory she was viewing, but whatever had happened, it had been awful. She felt a wave of dismayed anger as she noticed the pokémon was blasting between trees in a forest, away from something she desperately wanted him to return to. It felt as if she had lost something… Tapu Koko jumped high into the sky, landing with a thunderous boom at the wooden platform in the center of Iki Town. The force of it all knocked the wind from her lungs and Tapu Koko unceremoniously dropped her to the stage.

There, Selene curled into a ball, clamping both arms over her face as hysterical tears poured. Tapu Koko chattered in its loud, warbling cry, the mohawk on its head flaring upward; peeking through the gaps between her fingers, Selene noticed that he looked oddly exhausted. His body drooped and his breathing was haggard. Scuffs and scrapes marred him, and his shelled arms had been deeply gouged, cracking the right one down the center painfully. From that slashed, shaky arm, he dropped a glinting, yellow Z-Crystal against the stage.

Yet, that was where the vision diverged from the norm of simply showcasing someone’s dark past to her. The messy, unpleasant feelings in her chest, undoubtedly from Hau in whatever horrific event this was, faded and she found she could control her own movements. Cautiously peering down at her hand, she watched with a bolt of fear as Hau’s darker skin was traded for her own, somewhat paler complexion, and with a nervous glance down the rest of herself, she watched as her body morphed from Hau’s to her own shape. Looking up, she found Tapu Koko still staring at her, still looking as exhausted as before, and they were still atop the wooden platform in Iki Town. No locals had come from the wooden houses, which made the village eerily lifeless. It was downright unnerving… Dreadful, she distractedly thought.

Tapu Koko then spoke. The words were clearly in Alolan, but somehow, she understood the melodic, foreign phrases as easily as if they were spoken in her native tongue. Narrowing beady eyes at her, he said, “I need you to be brave.”

She just blinked at him and, slowly at first, shook her head in disbelief. “Be… what? Be brave for what…? What’s happening?” She shrank away from him and clasped her hands together, her palms sweaty and warm. It dawned on her then this was no longer a memory. She wasn’t merely jumping into someone’s shoes in a distant time or place, and that thought was petrifying. What did this change mean? When would she go back to the present? …Would she return to the present at all? “What’s happening? Th-this isn’t how it usually goes…”

“The people and even some of my sisters and my brother here in Alola have forgotten why we have the systems we do in place,” Tapu Koko calmly continued, bouncing closer to her. Selene bent her legs, as if she expected to be able to outrun him if he intimidated her any further. “I used as much of my power that was gifted to me long ago as I could at once to grant you this rare trait… I will not be of service for a while. I choose you, Selene, for Alola needs fresh blood and fresh views…” He faltered, having to catch himself with the shells over his arms, and looked up at her, trembling with the effort. “If we stay the course we traverse now, Alola will become little more than a memory like the ones you view. I need you—”

“I don’t understand!” Selene shouted back at him, cutting him off without quite realizing it in her hysteria. Backpedaling away as she crossed her arms tightly, she shook her head violently back and forth. “No! No, no, no! I don’t know what this is, or what’s happening, but I’m not part of it! Why are you trying to make me part of it? What kind of pokémon even are you?!” She closed her eyes and thought back to how nice it had been to have Hau sympathizing with her, to see Bowtie’s anxious expression, to hear Macho’s determined yowl—proof that, despite all of the fear she had felt recently, others did care. Hau might have lied, but he had also found her, and deep down, she felt as if he weren’t lying this time around. His previous insistence that it was merely the heat getting to her had sounded so out of character… His pleas for her to calm down, his willingness to showcase his own power and share his story with her—that seemed much more like the Hau she knew. She missed Elio, too—she’d never yell at him again if she could simply get out of this horrible, waking nightmare, and she’d never give Lillie anymore hardship for not understanding her. If this was punishment for being judgmental and harsh, then she’d walk the line of a saint for the rest of her days. Anything to just stop this and keep it from ever happening again!

“Selene…? Selene, please! You… alright?”

When she opened her eyes again, she found she was back with Hau on that volcanic mountainside. Tapu Koko was nowhere to be seen. Bowtie and Macho both were at her feet, staring up at her with wide, frightened eyes; Hau stood farther away, hands stuffed into his pockets, but he, too, looked anxious and scared. She blinked at him in a daze and he swallowed hard. “Ah… am sorry,” he mumbled, “I… forgot, somehow, for second…”

“It’s okay, Hau…” Selene choked out, finding her throat was scratchy and sore. She winced and drew a hand over her face. Although she had intended to wipe sweat free of herself, she found her cheeks were wet with tears. Looking down at her shoes, she almost hauntedly asked, “What happened… while I was out…?”

Hau scuffed a shoe against the earth. “Was sitting at first… after few second, jump up and shout… Start, uh, start cry…” He uncomfortably trailed off and she glanced up in time to notice his arms tense. “What… what did see?” he dared to ask despite not meeting her gaze.

“I saw Tapu Koko carrying you back to Iki,” Selene whispered. “H-he put this… yellow crystal down, on the wooden platform, with you. You… you were very, very upset…” She grimaced and started to tremble at the rest of the vision, which had clearly not been a memory at all. It chilled her to the bone to think about what that meant. In retrospect, her panic over worrying she’d never escape it again seemed silly, but at the time, it had felt a very real possibility… It had seemed Tapu Koko was trying to tell her something, but if she were being completely honest? She didn’t want to know. Whatever he wanted her to do… surely, if she refused to do it, he would find someone else, wouldn’t he? She couldn’t truly be his only hope, or whatever it was he had said, right? That would be madness! “After that,” she continued after her brief pause to think, “it… it wasn’t a vision, anymore. It was something else. Unrelated to you, I’m pretty…” She faltered as she noticed Hau had started to pale, and he was looking straight at her then. Or perhaps through her would have been a more accurate description.

“You saw… Tapu Koko give crystal…” He took a shuddery breath and nervously laughed, breaking the tension in the air as he came back to life. Rather than standing like a frozen statue at her story, he animatedly waved his hands and then turned around, shoving them back into his pockets then. “Ah… know, we should get back camp. I explain on way… ae?”

“Guess that’s as good a time to explain as any,” Selene wearily responded. Guiltily, she felt as if she wanted to tell him to keep it to himself, whatever it was, because she didn’t want to have anyone else’s story thrust upon her again. But she knew she couldn’t do that. She had made such a huge deal over them ‘lying…’ She felt a rush of anger with herself. Maybe, instead of just being so furious and confused that people had ‘lied,’ she should have understood that there may have been a reason everyone wanted to keep certain secrets. Maybe that was what she was being punished for as well? Had Tapu Koko somehow known she was so annoying in regard to secrets, and had cursed her to understand everyone she came into contact with, to see how long it would take her to break under the pressure? Was that his sick game? After all, whatever had happened after her look into Hau’s past didn’t necessarily have to mean anything. For all she knew, that was just her mind fracturing under the stress… For example, she didn’t understand Alolan. It was too dreamlike to suddenly understand a foreign language like that! …Right?

Shaking away those thoughts with a brisk flick of her head, she went to follow him, and her legs felt like lead. Surprised, having not expected the heaviness, she tripped over her own feet and it was Macho and Bowtie that caught her and kept her from landing on her hands or face. All the senses in her body seemed to come alive at once and she groaned roughly as she staggered back to her feet. “Fuck, everything aches,” she complained. Hau cast her a look as if he wanted to assist, but hesitated, clearly unsure. “It’s fine, Hau,” she puffed at him, “I’ll be fine, don’t… don’t touch me again, please… I’ll just probably walk slow…”

“Okay…” he answered timidly. Assured she was okay after a moment or so, Bowtie followed Macho as he trotted ahead, after Hau, and once Selene found her footing, she shuffled over to Hau. He started to trudge at a slow pace, then, as if consciously trying to keep them from moving too fast so as not to overwhelm Selene.

“So, I explain now,” he mumbled uncomfortably. “Vision saw was me… at eleven. After lost parents.”

She cringed at that. To be brutally honest with herself, she just didn’t know what to say to that right then, and so… she said nothing, awkwardly waiting for him to continue.

“Tapu Koko save me. Parents and I went to woods for something. Attack by pokémon. Not remember what,” Hau sighed and his voice sounded strained. “He save me, not them. Give me crystal, even. Hala tell me, ‘Tapu Koko do what best. He choose you.’ He keep crystal. Turn to bracelet, here,” Hau said as he pointed to his right wrist where, sure enough, a Z-Power Ring glittered in the sparse moonlight. “Give to me about time Island Challenge start. Tell me, ‘Tapus chose you…’ Hate that.”

She just felt so, so sad for him, and rubbed her left arm as a chilling shiver ran up her spine. Her mouth dried to sandpaper as, even as tired and out of it as she felt, she slowly pieced together the reason he had been so determined to help them now. At least, the reason she thought he wanted to so badly… He’s lost his parents and then it… sounds like his grandfather made it seem like it was ordained by the Tapus, or something… That he should be grateful to have been chosen or whatever it is he meant by that statement… Is that why he won’t give up on me or Elio, even as mean as Elio has been on occasion…? Even though I ran off and was yelling at him like that…? Shakily glancing over her shoulders, she pondered what he had said about his parents having been attacked by a pokémon. Hau didn’t remember what, but her mind ran wild with all the thoughts that realization conjured. It made her realize she had been utterly alone on a mountainside, relying mainly on her Cubone and her revitalized Dartrix, to get her safely back down and… then what? Had she really planned to stay alone and do the rest of the Island Challenge by herself? Find her parents by herself?

The thoughts alone had her shaking and she hugged herself as she looked ahead again. That was madness. That would have been truly insane, wouldn’t it? She almost cringed as Hau spoke again.

“Two year come, go. Nothing. Then… one day, get upset when Kukui and Hala got fight. Went to room and throw lightning from hand,” he laughed unsteadily, raising his right hand from his pocket. He balled it to a fist, but red, angry arcs of electricity laced it. “Not tell any, ‘cause did not want be Captain. Did not want prove Hala right…” He stuffed his hand back into his pockets and almost whimpered, “Tapu Koko not ‘choose’ me. Save me ‘cause I was close. Smaller. Parents big and… and like to be defend me. He save me ‘cause easy, over them…”

Licking her lips anxiously, she said, “Tapu Koko… he… was badly beaten in the memory I saw,” she rasped against a painful throat. “Like… like he had been fighting a lot…”

“Do not remember before he bring me back to Iki well,” Hau muttered, shrugging. “Maybe he try fight wild pokémon before bring me back.” A little icily, he insisted, “But not mean he ‘choose’ me…” She glanced up at him in time to see him roll his eyes, and then he growled in Alolan, “If you ask me, I think he tried to fight whatever it was, got beaten, and didn’t want to lose face for losing in battle, so he snatched me up and left me with a dumb crystal so Hala wouldn’t be disappointed or think anything of it.”

Selene felt like she might be ill, so she faltered, and pressed her arms to her stomach. “Hau…” she called in a small, small voice, “please tell me you didn’t say that last part in Alolan.”

He paused and turned around to look at her. Raising a brow, he nervously asked, “Er… Ae. Why?”

She collapsed with her legs folded, at first. Wincing against the pain of the uncomfortable position, she unfolded them, and started to cry again. “I understood you. I understood you perfectly…” Putting both hands over her face, she just broke down more. Privately, she felt bad for glossing entirely over what he had said—she was sure that having people glorify your parents’ death had to be horrible to endure—but the natural conclusion that the tail end of her vision couldn’t have been false was overwhelming. She just felt so beaten and she had no idea where to begin. Truly, she felt like she was losing her mind, and with Hau’s story and that vision weighing on her, it was the first time she had honestly thought about the fact this would be harder than anything she had ever done in her life, that she and Elio could very well be injured—could die there, if they weren’t careful. She thought she had understood what it meant for her parents to have been kidnapped on these islands before, but oh, what had she really known?

Their parents had been kidnapped on the Alolan archipelago, which she had been told time and time again were as lawless as they came. They were structured almost purely by Tapus; fickle, wild pokémon that wielded the power of deities almost frivolously, bestowing them upon humans at their whim (and to foreigner humans as well, clearly! What exactly did Tapu Koko think she was going to do for them?!). They seemed divided between those that followed the Tapus and their chosen Kahunas at their word, loyally, and those that didn’t—and the latter apparently typically ended up in the Skull Gang, who had to steal, lie, cheat, and hurt just to survive. There was nobody to assist her at the legal level with her parents and she had no idea what most others would do to or with her if they knew her circumstances. Hau, Lillie, and most of the Captains or Kahunas she had met had been nice, but they were just a handful out of an enormous selection of people, and even then, some of them hadn’t seemed that great. It seemed Olivia had decided she was uninterested in helping them beyond just saying she’d ask around her home city, Kiawe had been nice but had claimed to be a friend of Kukui, and Selene had every right to think he was part of whatever plot had led to her parents’ disappearances. Moreover, Hau’s story reminded her that she was not invincible. Alola was not Kanto in that it did not have nearly as much security on routes, even ones that led to trial sites. She had met a few Trial Guides along the way, but they couldn’t be absolutely everywhere, of course—had one of those horrible Salandit managed to bite her despite her Cubone and Dartrix’s best efforts, what would she have done?

“Selene…” She heard Hau’s footsteps, then he plunked to the ground beside her. He was careful not to touch her this time, despite how much it seemed he wanted to, given the way his shoulders twitched, as if itching to move nearer to her. He slipped into Alolan to speak, and although she couldn’t blame him and found it eerily easier to understand him that way, it made her tense up and want to cry harder. She hated that she understood him so well all of a sudden, she hated that whatever Tapu Koko had been trying to tell her was real— “I know you’re upset, but we can’t stay here… not out in the open… Lillie, Elio, and I have a campsite down the way… I’m sure you’d feel a lot better there, with us, like, Elio, you know…?”

“I can’t,” she pathetically mewled, pulling her knees close to her face and draping her arms over her head, all but in the fetal position, just sitting upright. “I just can’t, Hau. I’m just… so tired… and everything hurts…” She yelped as a hard sob wracked her body, which made a headache she didn’t realize she had flare to life, rapidly pounding in her temple. Feeling all her muscles seem to give out at once, she found it hard to even remain sitting up like that as she whimpered, “I miss Elio…”

There were a couple seconds of silence, but Hau then called Macho over. “Macho, tsk, tsk,” he hissed at the Torracat. Macho, who had been worriedly circling them, paused in front of Hau and cocked his head. Gesturing animatedly with his hands, Hau ended with pointing down the mountain, “I need you to go get Elio and bring him here. I need his help.”

Macho raised a paw and hesitantly looked between Hau, and down the mountainside. He raised his tail, then lowered it again, and swept it across the rocky earth. As if sensing Macho’s hesitation, Hau chuckled. “We’ll be okay, Macho,” he insisted as he playfully withdrew his right hand from a pocket and waved at him. “Salandit and them can be mean, but I have the power of ‘you don’t get to move anymore’ in my fingertips.” He grinned cheekily and winked.

Despite her hysterics and the way she still felt panicky at understanding him perfectly, she found herself giggling at what he had said. Did he actually have a great sense of humor, and it was just easily lost in translation? Of course, sobbing and laughing didn’t tend to mix well, and so she ended up sputtering a few snickers before groaning in frustration at it all. Part of her thought to ask for details on his power, which seemed to be a general control of electricity, but a larger part of her just didn’t want to know. What else would there have been to it, anyway? Maybe that was a discussion for another day… Slowly, she gasped out, “Thanks, Hau…”

He beamed at her and then, still cracking that lopsided grin, put both his hands behind his head in a playful, lackadaisical display. Macho mewed at him once, then turned tail and started running down the mountainside. “Don’t you know, that’s the way of us all in Alola?” he taunted her with a cheeky wag of his eyebrows. “We all help each other out and are one big family, cousin! Unless you’re like, different from us in any way. Like, literally any way…” He stuck his tongue out and rolled his eyes.

She wiped her face and let a few ugly chortles fly before she regained her composure, though heavy breathing still wracked her body, and she still felt far too exhausted and heavy to move. “Were you always this funny and I just never got to tell in Galarish?”

He dropped his hands from behind his head and shrugged. With an anxious smile, he explained, “No idea. To be honest, I can read and hear Galarish pretty well, but saying it or writing it? Forget it. I had no idea if you guys could even understand me half the time. But, to be honest…” He looked down and fidgeted for a moment with his hands. “I know this is really scary for you, and it… it should be, but… having someone that isn’t Hala that can understand me in Alolan is awesome… I mean, sure, Lillie could understand, but…”

Weakly, Selene grimaced and raised a shaky hand to mimic a spray can. “Can’t imagine why she might not always be fun to talk to,” she hoarsely laughed between pants for air.

Giggling back at her, Hau teased, “I have no idea what you mean. Lillie’s as pure as Tapu Fini’s water!”

Selene shivered as a cold chill hit her and she noticed just how chilly it had gotten on that mountainside in the dark. It reminded her of the sobering reality of her situation and the fleeting, amused reprieve with Hau was gone. She hugged herself tightly and Bowtie sympathetically landed on her shoulder, rubbing his face against hers. That somehow just served to bring her emotions hurdling back to the surface. “I’m sorry for yelling at you and… everything else, Hau,” she murmured. “I had no idea about… about you, and I… I honestly can’t believe you still want to help me and especially Elio after how he kept yelling at you, and…”

“It’s okay,” Hau easily replied. When she dared to glance at him, she found he had pressed his palms to the ground behind himself, staring up at the stars above them. “Elio’s… hard to get over sometimes, not gonna lie, and I’m still pretty mad at him right now about other stuff. But… I know what you two are going through. You, especially. And, well…” His shoulders tensed. “You two aren’t the only ones feeling like you’re going alone on this. Between everyone seeming to think I’ve been chosen by the Tapus or whatever garbage that means, everyone else acts all weird because I’m the grandson of a Kahuna, and—” He paused and made a blech! sound, followed by once again sticking his tongue out. He followed with a dramatic groan. “It’s all just so gross and you two, don’t take this the wrong way, but you had no idea how any of that worked. So, you just acted how you felt. And sometimes that hurt, but honestly? The rest of the time it just made me feel… alive. Like I’m part of something, for once!” He closed his eyes and smiled up at the sky. “Part of something good.”

Sniffling, Selene shook her head at him. “Part of something good…? How…? Elio is either joking or complaining, and I’ve…” She sighed. She was starting to draw an exhausted blank. “I don’t even know.”

“Elio’s such a jerk because he wants people to treat those he cares about right. He might make me mad, but man, is it cool how he can go from laughing at stupid pictures on a screen with those awful sunglasses to ready to fight half of Alola if it means keeping you safe, hah,” Hau pointed out, still never opening his eyes. A blue tremor of electricity shot up his arm, not that he seemed to notice. “Then, you got overwhelmed by all this garbage and decided you were ready to take on a whole freaking mountain and whatever Fire-type pokémon were up top. You were yelling at Skull about… man, I don’t even know what, and I’m pretty sure Lillie has no fear. Like, that girl is so bold… Anyway, I have no idea where this journey’s headed, mind you,” he laughed, “but I know it’s gonna be good. I’m finally free, or as close to free as I’m ever gonna get…” He faltered and blinked a few times. “Hah, sorry, I know that…. that maybe seems awful. Your parents… and I’m over here like, ‘hell yeah, this is fantastic!’ I… I really don’t mean it that way.” He briefly gnawed his lower lip. “I do feel really bad about that… I really wish I knew something more, but I only know as much as you guys do.”

“As awful and overwhelming as it all is,” Selene said, softly smiling back at him, “I’m glad I’m doing it with a friend like you… and Elio and Lillie, even. I know I was yelling at them and even you, before, but… all me running off taught me was that was stupid. Once I remembered the reality of it all, I… knew how wrong I was, and I missed you all.” Cocking her head slightly, she shrugged. “I know I made a big deal of suddenly understanding you, but… I’m glad I do now, you know… You’re pretty calming to talk to and it’s nicer to hear the real you…”

To that, he could only beam. “That’s the nicest thing I’ve ever heard…” Jumping up in excitement, he clenched a fist and determinedly looked down at her. “This Island Challenge ain’t gonna know what hit it! You, me, Elio—we’re gonna find your parents and beat this Island Challenge and show ‘em we’re not afraid!”

Selene chuckled sadly and shook her head resignedly at him. “I really… really hope you’re right, Hau.” But she’d have been lying to say his enthusiasm wasn’t contagious, or that she wasn’t grateful for his determination. She needed all she could get in that moment.

Shortly after that, Elio arrived with Macho leading him, and between him and Hau, she was half-carried back to their campsite. At first, Elio was flighty and fidgety, as if afraid to address her. She couldn’t blame him, and though she was too exhausted to try to conjure a heartfelt apology in that moment, she had hugged him when he leaned down to help pick her up alongside Hau. “I’m sorry,” she had whimpered, “I’m never going to leave your side again. I swear to Arceus.”

The relief in his voice had been painful to hear. “Joined at the hip,” he had hoarsely teased back at her, “and have no idea what I’d ever do without you, sis.”

Back at the campsite, Selene was even happy to see Lillie, even if she couldn’t think of much to say. Lillie had merely rolled her eyes and told her, “Don’t sweat it, Drama Queen. We have stuff to talk about tomorrow, but you look like you got hit by a truck. Get in the tent.” With that, Lillie had tossed a red, rolled up sleeping bag at her, which Elio dove in front of her to catch.

“She can barely stand and you’re throwing stuff at her?” he disapprovingly hissed.

“Why would I worry about that with a brave Torchic like you around?” Lillie shot back tauntingly without skipping a beat.

To her knowing grin, Elio moodily glowered, though a smirk betrayed his amusement. He unrolled the sleeping bag for Selene within the spacious tent and sat inside with her for a moment as she got comfortable. Not that she stayed that way, as Bowtie soon decided he still was destined to sit on her head… for whatever reason.

“Thanks to that,” Elio uncertainly started in a poor attempt at a joke, “Hau and I are gonna have to do that Fire-type trial all on our own, huh?”

“You can borrow my Cubone if you really want,” Selene yawned, though she had meant to tease him. It vaguely dawned on her that she really needed to check on her pokémon tomorrow, Miltank egg and Cubone included. In her anger, fear, hysteria, whatever one wanted to call what she had experienced that day, she had almost cruelly forgotten to even consider their wellbeing. That dimly made her wonder if she was just as much of a fraud as she had feared Elio was… Still, she quickly moved on to weakly banter with Elio. “He… he called a Totem Salazzle… Four times weakness to Ground-type, ‘cause that thing’s a Fire- and Poison-type. Seriously, cakewalk with the right Ground-type moves and a few Antidotes… which I was lucky to stumble across as I went.”

Abruptly, his demeanor changed and, as he sat next to her with his legs crossed, he put his head in his hands. “I’m so sorry, sis… I know I’m not handling this best as I could. I know I don’t do anything like I should. I don’t know what to do and I don’t know what’s happening, all I do know is I feel like trash and that helps nobody…”

Macho scrambled to his feet from atop Lillie’s empty sleeping bag nearby and nudged Elio’s right arm out of the way, climbing into his lap. With a glare at Selene, he quickly turned to rubbing his face against Elio’s arms sympathetically.

“Elio…” What do I even say to him? I just want to go to sleep… I’m just glad I’m back with him… She paused. Then just tell him that, stupid, she thought blithely. “None of that matters,” she mumbled tiredly. “I’m just glad to be back with you. We’re gonna get through the rest of this together. I promise.”

He peeked at her as if he didn’t quite believe he had heard her correctly through the gaps in his fingers, then slowly removed his hands from his face. Nervously petting Macho with his right hand, he smiled and then nodded at her. “Together,” he affirmed. “Game plan now is, we all need to chat tomorrow, then we’re gonna hike up this stupid mountain properly so Hau and I can beat Captain Kiawe, and then train on the way down so we can heal up and then go directly to Captain Mallow. Lillie sad Heahea should offer Ride Pokémon and they have Flying-types that we can take directly to Konikoni to ask around for Mom and Dad… I promise, Selene, I haven’t given up… I still got you.”

Eyes shutting of their own accord, Selene smiled slightly back at him. “Sounds good, bro…”

He snorted. “Haven’t heard you call me that one in a long time. Usually it’s ‘Elio,’ in this really annoyed voice, like you wanna punt me through a wall.”

“Like right now, because you won’t shut up and let me sleep?” she quipped as she just barely opened her left eye to cut her gaze at him.

“Rude,” he dramatically huffed at her as he started to move toward another sleeping bag. Hollering out the tent, he said, “Hau! Lillie! Drama Queen says we need shuteye!”

“I am not a drama queen,” Selene pouted as she started to doze off. That nickname’s gonna stick, isn’t it?

“You most certainly are,” Lillie remarked as she apparently entered the tent, and Selene thought to shoot something back at her, but to be honest, she passed out before she even opened her mouth.

Chapter Text

"Oh, hi, and what the hell are you?" Elio asked as he bent down to observe the little Grass-type at his shoes. It had tiny, scythe-like leaves for arms, and blinked up at him with round, innocent eyes. When he reached to pet it, it jabbed one of those bladed leaves at his shoe, and darted away with a series of delighted, playful squeaks. Hearing the rustling of various bushes around himself, Elio carefully examined his surroundings, and found there were tons more of those pokémon looking at him through the underbrush.

His Rotom Dex hovered around him and focused on one, snapping a photograph of it, just as Elio had asked it to do whenever it spotted a new pokémon. Buzzing for a moment, his Rotom Dex then said, "Fomantis, the Sickle Grass Pokémon. When the sun rises, Fomantis spreads its four leaves and bathes in the sunlight. The tip of its head has a pleasant aroma…"

"Okay, so it's a nice-smelling houseplant that can walk," Elio dryly joked. His Rotom Dex turned so its blue eyes were facing him—scowling at him, really—and he rolled his eyes back at it. "I'm joking!"

At least it was cooler in the Lush Jungle than it had been at Wela Volcano Park, thanks to the shade of the leafy canopy overhead… Though, he had no idea what the ingredients were that Captain Mallow was requesting he find. He had never been much of a cook himself and the only one he recognized on the list Mallow had merrily handed him was "Big Root," which was as self-explanatory as it got, anyway. Of course, as he thought back to when Mallow had given them their assignments to participate in her trial, he smirked. Macho burst from a bush nearby, proudly holding a large mushroom in his teeth, and Elio laughed. "I'm glad you know more about what's on this list than I do."

As the Torracat proudly sauntered up to him, Elio recalled how, upon arriving in Lush Jungle and meeting Mallow, Hau had all but lost the ability to speak. At least, it sounded as if he did. He had slipped entirely into Alolan as he spoke to her and that had gotten Selene and Mallow to giggle at him. He hadn't needed to speak Alolan, though, to recognize the way Mallow had winked at Hau and the list of ingredients she had slipped him had also included a personal note to him (which he had blushed furiously at and refused to let the rest of them see).

Of course, the amusing thoughts ultimately led somewhere less funny. Truthfully, Elio found it insane that Selene could somehow understand Alolan now—especially given the fact she still couldn't speak it—but more than that… He had to admit, it was a little upsetting to now suddenly be the odd one out. They still mostly spoke in Galarish, and he appreciated it and knew that Hau especially had to make such an effort to do so, but… still. He felt bad for feeling left out as well because Selene had been unwilling to talk about the very end of her vision. All she had told them was that it had clearly not been part of Hau's memory, and it had involved Tapu Koko. Clearly, whatever had transpired in her mind's eye, it had been traumatic, and it wasn't as if he needed to know all the minute details to understand something was very, very wrong, and that they needed to find a way to help her. Yet, he still wished she could tell him…

He sighed and motioned for Macho to follow him as they searched for the next item on the list. "Tiny Mushroom," he announced dryly. "Oh boy. I wonder which one. There's only a million different kinds because we're in a freaking jungle…" Somehow, based on Mallow's coyness from earlier, he got the sense that she perhaps didn't know exactly what she was doing or maybe she did, and was intentionally sending them on a wild Swanna chase.

Selene's power wasn't all they had talked about before continuing their journey, though. There were now no secrets between them. Lillie's past with the Aether Foundation, the predicament with Nebby, the fact Gladion was her brother, Hau's control of electricity, his bloody past with his parents—it had all been lain bare for one other on the Wela Volcano Park mountainside. It had been a hard, tiring discussion (ironic, considering that was the day Selene had spent 'resting' prior to them continuing their hike up to Kiawe's trial for Hau and Elio to take him on). But in the end, he felt they were all closer for it, and at least Lillie had said that there was a book at a library in Konikoni City that served as a record of all the Captains' and Kahunas' abilities from over the centuries, which could help them understand the extent of Selene's ability, such as how to control it or how it could be activated. Following Mallow's trial, they had planned to head for Konikoni to find out what they could regarding their parents. Hau, Elio, and Selene would do that as well as take on Olivia while Lillie would head to the library to look at said book.

Dropping to his knees next to a tree to observe the base and see if he could spot any mushrooms to tuck away in the bag wrapped around his left wrist (which honestly reminded him of a reusable grocery bag), he shook his head in disbelief as he remembered what Lillie had told them about the Ultra Recon Squad. "They warned me not to tell anyone. But I am sick of being so dishonest," Lillie had growled. "Nebby can open wormholes to other dimensions. Yeah, yeah, get it out of your system, but I'm being serious. If my mother gets ahold of Nebby, it could be disastrous, and here's why…"

While it had taken the majority of that day before he had even considered believing that story, he had ultimately decided he would be stupid not to believe her. He was in a region where his sister could view someone's memories like yesterday's news and Hau could zap him into next week if he wanted to, not to mention he had seen how Lana, for example, could manipulate the very substance of the world around herself. There was no telling where the bounds of Alola's weirdness were. For all he knew, wormhole travel was the least of it. He rolled his eyes and snatched a handful of small mushrooms from the base of the tree. "Guess that'll do," he shrugged.

What had been even harder to get over, though, was how the Aether Foundation—a group he had known as a respectable humanitarian and pokémon activism group that had stakes in every region across the world—was apparently led by a woman who, put simply, had been a child abuser. Lillie had spared no details in explaining how her father had gotten mixed up in some sort of experiment and there had been an accident in the lab, and following that, her mother had hated them. Yet… Lillie had also said, "Even knowing all of that, though… You shouldn't hate Aether." She had groaned and hung her head. "I hate even saying that, but it's true. There are thousands and thousands of people who work for that organization that have no idea about Lusamine and everything going on in the labs, and there are even more pokémon than that they help across the world, even if the Aether Paradise building in particular… does more harm than good." She had sadly smiled back up at Elio then. "They do help people, too, you know. There's an orphanage on one of these islands. A lot of homeless kids in Alola just ended up in Skull because there was nowhere for them to go unless they lived near Heahea, Konikoni, or Malie, and even then, they filled up fast… I'd love to just say Aether is evil and we need to, like, sink the whole organization or something, but I can't say that. That's why I have to stay hidden and keep Nebby away from them, from my mother… I'm sure someone will fix Aether eventually… even if that day's far away from now…"

Ultimately, that had led to her explaining that she had intended to work with Kukui until she earned enough money and learned enough about the world to safely leave Alola, but he had forced her to travel with Selene and Elio for some plan of his. She had no idea what the plan was, just that he wanted Selene and Elio to bond with her and Hau so they wouldn't leave Alola before his plan was through. That had pissed Elio off; he knew Kukui was up to no good, but that had to have been a new low, using Lillie like a pawn in whatever game he was playing… Of course, beyond the anger, there was that concern, the understanding that he truly didn't know what game Kukui was playing. There was no telling… and they had more than enough on their plates making it unreasonable to waste energy worrying about it. So, there was a distant, constant fear that they were playing right into his hands, and they had no idea.

He clenched his jaw. Whatever game Kukui was playing, if it turned dangerous, Elio would be ready to put him in his place. Elio knew he didn't do much right, but fiercely defending his family was one he felt he was truly good at—as a plus, it was guilt-free, too!

Looking down at Macho, Elio planted his hands on his hips. "Big Mushroom, Tiny Mushroom, Big Root… I think that's it for what she told me to look for. Let's go take her on, then," Elio crooned at the Torracat. Macho yowled in excitement and bent into a playful position, flexing his claws against the leafy ground. The way his yellow eyes lit up in excitement made Elio smile nervously.

He, Hau, and Selene had talked before they had come to the Lush Jungle, and the conclusion they had reached was that their pacifism simply wasn't viable. Terrified of that thought, Elio had initially given pushback when Selene suggested they simply battle with intent to take down the opponents as swiftly as possible. To that, she had given him a calm, cool stare. "Elio…" she had trailed off and chuckled sadly. "It's okay. It'll be okay… I… I know you're not the same as you were back then. I'm sorry for yelling at you over it, I wasn't mad about the Ekans, I was just… scared." She had swallowed hard and nodded. "But you need to listen to me, please. This isn't… this isn't a game. This stuff is scary, and we need to be strong to get through this and find Mom and Dad… My Rotom Dex says that Macho's evolutionary line loves to battle. Vulpix and Ninetales are special attackers, so they can keep a good distance on the battlefield… But even if they don't, and trust me on this, I've read that pokémon don't resent trainers that battle with them as long as they're kind to them and keep them healthy outside of battle." She had laughed and crossed her arms. "And I know you haven't had a lot of time to show it lately, but I know you just want to pet and cuddle that Vulpix anyway and you slip Macho treats when we're not looking."

Despite his mock dismay, he had been truly reassured at her words, grateful, even. Though… it did feel strange to be so reassured by his younger sister. It further made him feel out of place. He had always felt like he was the one that was supposed to reassure and help her, but lately, it felt as if she were doing that more and more for him. It wasn't a bad thing, she clearly didn't seem to resent him for it, but… oh, what a mess of thoughts!

Making his way back to the center clearing of the Lush Jungle Mallow had told them to reconvene at once they found their ingredients, Elio shook away his weighing thoughts and waved easily at Mallow as he neared her. She was waiting patiently near a large, black pot. "You're the first back," Mallow commented coolly. "Now, we wait for your friends."

Putting back on the playful façade he was so good at, Elio beamed at her as he curiously stepped closer. "So, you got something for Hau, huh?" he asked tauntingly as he sniffed the fumes rising from the pot. Shocked to find the scent potent and tangy, he jumped back and coughed in a desperate attempt to avoid doing so into the stew. All he could hear as he spluttered and rubbed his face to try to soothe his now-rapidly running nose was Mallow madly giggling.

"Something like that," she replied in a voice laced with faux sweetness. When he looked up at her, he found her narrowing her eyes at him almost teasingly. "So, what's your game, hmm? Elio, right, the funny guy?"

Bristling a little more than he'd have liked, he forced out a chuckle. "Hah, yeah. I think I am, anyway. And you? Mallow, right? What's your game, 'pretty lady?'"

"Yep! And I know how to cook and everything!" she shot back without skipping a beat. Some Fomantis scurried out of the bushes around them then, and Selene and Hau followed in short order. The Fomantis gathered around Mallow's feet and waved their tiny arms at the two trainers, squeaking and huffing irritably.

Hau and Selene shared a look and giggled to each other before Hau mumbled something in Alolan at her that only served to make her cackle harder. Elio's lip twitched in mild aggravation as Mallow clapped her hands at them. "Why, hello, boys and girls, thanks for showing up again so kindly with my ingredients. Bring those to me. You, too, Elio~!"

Rolling his eyes, Elio walked closer to her pot, careful to not get close enough to catch any of the steam meandering into the sky and held out his bag to her. Hau and Selene did the same and Mallow graciously accepted all three, then poured the ingredients without so much as looking them over to ensure they were what she needed into her pot. The three challengers all glanced to one another, as if thinking the same confused thoughts about that, but Mallow only bounced in excitement as the stew boiled higher and the steam grew to be too thick to see through.

"Thank you! My Totem Lurantis will love this! She's been hiding in the Lush Jungle lately, you know. Won't come out. I think she's just being moody, though." She shrugged and coyly cracked a half-smile at Hau. "Women, am I right?"

"Uh… r-right?" he laughed nervously. Selene facepalmed and Mallow only laughed harder as the steam from her pot seemed to shift more to smoke. A harsh scent hit Elio's nose and he wrinkled it, backing away. There was loud chattering from deeper in the jungle, and more Fomantis burst from the undergrowth, gathering around the base of the pot and even their feet. One ran up to Macho at Elio's side and curiously waved a scythe at his nose, making him sneeze, accidentally shooting a small ember at it. It squeaked and rolled away, but Elio worriedly bent low to snatch it up immediately. "Hey, hey, you okay?" he asked it quietly in Kantonian, examining the little burn on the Fomantis' side. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to get the memo that he was merely concerned for it, as it swiped a sharp leaf at his finger and cut it open, making him yelp and inadvertently drop it to the ground.

When he cursed under his breath and anxiously looked at the Fomantis, worried he had hurt it worse by dropping it, he heard Selene shout for him to watch out. He moved just in time to see a pokémon that looked like a taller, pinker version of the Fomantis loom over him. Its arms were far longer—and deadlier—and it twitched antennae at him in a way that he somehow automatically knew to be angry. It was so, so much taller than he thought it should have been, and an emerald aura pulsed over its entire body. Macho launched himself at Elio's chest and bowled him out of the way as the pokémon raised one of those long, clawed arms to swipe at Elio, the blow landing on Macho's side instead with an audible rip!

"Maybe I was a little mean…" Mallow uncertainly snarked from a distance, sounding much less confident about then. She waved animatedly over her pot and then disappeared, as if huddling behind it. "Sorry, Lurantis! I didn't mean it! Good to see you again!"

Elio groaned and hopped back to his feet. Selene and Hau bolted to his side and each pitched a Poké Ball, the prior sending out her Sandshrew and Hau sending out a Fletchinder. Macho yowled at the Lurantis as he bounced back to his feet, ignoring the deep, crimson laceration on his left side as he joined the other two pokémon in front of Elio. Staring at the bleeding cut, Elio froze.

"Aisu, Ice Punch!" Selene yelled, a determined expression on her face. Elio vaguely recalled that she had finally chosen a nickname (the full name was 'Aisubōru,' which was Kantonian for 'ball of ice…' Elio remembered laughing like hell at hearing her pitch that idea) for the pokémon on their day of rest on the mountainside, in her attempts to earn her pokémon's trust back. "Show 'em ingredients weren't all we found!"

Clearly, it had worked. The Sandshrew bent low to the ground, then curled into a ball and rocketed at the Lurantis, unfurling at the last second to hit the tall pokémon with a blast of ice. It shrieked and raised an arm to the sky, and somehow, the warbling sound it was making only grew more grating.

"Mana, Flame Charge!" Hau yelled. The Fletchinder, who Elio had been with Hau when he caught it on their trek up Wela Volcano Park, circled overhead some, then dove down at the Lurantis. Flames enveloped his body as he slammed into the Lurantis' head, causing it to fall silent. In a fit of anger, the Totem raised both its arms and sliced them over Mana's body in an X-pattern. He was knocked clear of the sky and landed in front of Hau, a few feathers falling loose of his body, but he got back into the air without even waiting for an order from Hau. X-Scissor, Elio thought dazedly, Bug-type… not great on a Fire- and Flying-type… so, he should be fine…

Macho then impatiently turned around and nipped at Elio's pants. Looking down, Elio's mouth dried out as he spotted the bloody cut on his side again. The Torracat gave him a hard glare, looked back out at the battlefield, then back up at him again. He pleadingly lowered his ears and gave a plaintive, begging mew.

"You… still really want to battle, don't you?" Elio breathlessly asked.

Macho jumped up and pressed his front paws to Elio's shins, the fiery pendant on his chest burning brightly as he nodded vigorously.

He closed his eyes. Okay… okay. I can do this. "Right. Macho, Fire Fang!"

He felt the weight of Macho leave his legs and he dared to open his eyes in time to see him launch himself at one of the Lurantis' arms, clamping flaming fangs around the extremity. Sinking his teeth in, the Lurantis shook out its arm a few times, trying to dislodge him, but Macho held firm until a new pokémon joined the battle… or, at least, Elio thought it was a pokémon. It looked more like a wreathe of flowers floating in the breeze, but it circled the Lurantis, leaving a soft, green glow in its wake. When the Totem finally fought Macho off by throwing him at Hau's Fletchinder (making both land in a pile a few feet away from the battle), the burn wound left on its flesh was quickly soothed by the green glow.

"This one's tough!" Selene called warningly.

"Get rid of Comfey!" Hau exclaimed, pointing at the flowery wreathe. "Attack it, not Lurantis! It heal Lurantis!"

"Got it!" Elio replied, feeling that same, wild excitement he had gotten from his trials on Melemele return. Smiling, he pointed at the Lurantis and yelled, "Macho! Fire Fang, again, let's get rid of this pants-wearing bug!"

Maybe this wasn't so bad after all…

"Aisu, Ice Punch again! On the Comfey!"

"Macho, keep that Fire Fang up, this time on the… flower… thing!"

"Mana, Acrobatics!"

Hau had to admit, battling alongside Selene now that she could understand him so much better was amazing. Unlike earlier in their journey, he felt as if he were finally part of the group, working in harmony alongside them. Maybe he didn't quite operate on the same wavelength as Selene and Elio did, but he seemed to have found his own rhythm with both, and that was still a wonderful feeling.

Their pokémon seemed to have found it, too. After his Fletchinder dove down on the Comfey, he circled back around to in front of Hau. Macho followed his attack, snapping teeth around the Comfey's body and shaking it out with fiery jaws. Aisu barreled at him and Macho kindly held the Comfey out for the Sandshrew to slam into its target with a tiny arm cloaked in ice. Letting go of the Comfey (who blew away into the forest with the breeze), Macho darted back in front of his trainer, affectionately meowing at Aisu and Mana as he did. Mana chirped repeatedly and shook out his feathers proudly and Aisu nodded in return.

"Now can focus Lurantis!" Hau exclaimed to Selene and Elio, beaming. He gave Elio a look, brown eyes glinting mischievously. "Firium-Z?"

Elio's expression lit up. "Oh, I almost forgot about that! Oh, oh man… I haven't done this before… Er, Macho, catch this!" He briefly dug in his pockets for a red-orange Z-Crystal, then pitched it at the Torracat, who leapt into the air to catch it in his teeth. He landed and lowered himself to the ground, poised for the next move, yellow eyes narrowed cruelly at the Lurantis as his tail excitedly swished back and forth.

The Totem, while Elio awkwardly tried to recreate Captain Kiawe's Firium-Z dance, raised an arm to the sky, which started to glow a bright green. Hau's eyes widened and he shot a look to Selene. "That's Leaf Blade!" he shouted at her in Alolan. "It's going to be busy charging for a while! Let's attack it while Macho gets prepared for a Z-Move!"

"Gotcha!" Selene replied. "Aisu, Ice Punch on Lurantis, one more time!"

Hau pumped a fist into the air. "Mana, Flame Charge!"

Finishing the Fire-type pose, Elio grunted and hollered, "Macho, Inferno Overdrive!"

As a crimson aura enveloped Elio's body, Hau's Fletchinder divebombed the Lurantis, striking its bladed arm. The glowing didn't falter, and the Lurantis swatted Mana away with her free claw. Selene's Sandshrew rolled around the Lurantis' feet a few times before surprising it by striking the back of its legs with an icy, clawed paw. The frigid touch crept up her legs, and a frost started to spread across her body, slowing her movements as Aisu rolled back toward Selene.

The crimson aura left Elio's body through his Z-Power Ring, where the crystal embedded in the bracelet glowed with the power of flames before spitting a flash of orange light out at Macho. The Torracat pulsed with the glow and his entire body soon caught flame. Yowling to the sky, he bolted at the Lurantis just as it brought that bladed claw down. The flames surrounding Macho grew in size until he looked like a living comet as he leapt from the ground and struck the Lurantis' bladed arm. The flames burst and engulfed the Lurantis from head to toe, and Hau was forced to cover his eyes as the scene ahead grew too bright to watch.

When he sensed the brightness had dissipated, and he heard a loud thump whose vibrations nearly jostled him off his feet, Hau dared to move his hands and saw that the Lurantis had fallen to her back, still as still could be. Macho had also collapsed to his right side near her feet, and both he and the Lurantis were singed black with ash. Smoke curled off their bodies and into the sky. The trees nearby were singed as well, but interestingly, not smoldering. After a few seconds, Mallow peeked from behind her steaming pot, and blinked dubiously at the scene.

"Arceus on a bike," Elio gasped, drawing Hau's attention to him. He was clutching at his shirt—which, his entire body was also singed—and his right leg twitched, then gave out, sending him to his knees. He grunted as he hit the ground harshly. Laughing through pants for breath, he said, "Now that… really takes it out of you, huh…? Whew…" He stopped to cough, then looked up at the blackened battlefield. "Wait, Macho!"

"He's okay!" Mallow eagerly explained as she pranced out from behind her pot, as if she had never been hiding in the first place. Hau immediately cracked a grin at her and snickered to himself, all as he watched her make her way over to Elio's fallen Torracat. She gave the three of them a thumbs-up after she looked him over, then announced, "Congratulations, guys! You won! That was an incredible battle! You beat the oldest Totem Pokémon in Alola!" With that, she pressed a palm to Macho, and closed her eyes. A soft, green glow started at her shoulder and slowly made its way down her arm, spreading over the downed pokémon in the end.

"Wait, it's over already…?" Elio asked dazedly. "Huh…"

"Elio, need help?" Selene asked her brother. Hau knew he should have asked, too, but he was too busy watching, fascinated, as Mallow worked.

"Nah—ow!" Elio yelped as he attempted to stand back up on his own. Rubbing his right leg, he grinned nervously. "Just kidding, actually, help would be great…"

Rolling her eyes, Selene moved to his right side and helped support him but struggled to fully hold him up on her own. "Uh… Hau, a little help?"

Of course, he had heard and seen none of that, with his gaze locked firmly on Mallow ahead of them. He sighed and cocked his head, failing to notice as his Fletchinder landed on his shoulder, at least until the pokémon jabbed him in the head with his beak. "Ow!" Hau whined, immediately raising a hand to soothe the flare of pain in his skull. Mana clicked his beak at him a few times and flew closer to Elio and Selene, and at last, he realized they needed his help. "Oh! Sorry!" he apologized with a laugh, immediately going to support Elio's left side.

"No need, Hau, I'll help," Mallow sweetly said, and when Hau looked up again, he saw she had made her way over to them. She flashed a smile at them all, but winked specifically at him, and all that resulted in was him unceremoniously dropping hold of Elio, forgetting all about him, in his eagerness to wave back at her. There was just something so alluring about Mallow, and it wasn't the fragrances from anything she had cooked, he was pretty sure…

Selene squeaked as she was pulled harshly back to the ground with Elio's exhausted body. Mallow giggled and leaned down, pressing a palm to Elio's shoulder. As the familiar green light enveloped him, Macho trotted up to the group, looking as healthy as ever.

"Thanks, Hau," Elio sarcastically muttered (not that Hau heard him at all).

As Hau admired Mallow, though, he frowned when he saw a splotch of wet crimson on Mallow's right side, as if she were bleeding beneath her green blouse. "Uh, Captain Mallow?" he nervously called to her in Alolan, eyes upturned in concern. "Are you bleeding…?"

As she finished with Elio, she panted hard and the light running down her arm vanished in an instant. When she stood to her full height again, he noticed her left leg was twitching and she looked exhausted. Despite that, she shot Hau a warm smile and wink. "It's okay, Hau," she reassured him confidently in Alolan, "just a scratch, no need to worry~" She gritted her teeth then, though, it clearly taking some effort to remain upright as she glanced behind herself and at the fallen Lurantis. With a twinge of anxiety, Mallow shouldered a brown bag to her front and dug for something in it. "Here, Grassium-Zs," she said distractedly, handing a fistful of the green crystals out to them, "take those… and then, um, can you two head out of the Jungle and Hau can stay with me for a little while…? I'll show him the pose and he can show you guys!"

"Mallow?" Hau called again, concerned at the abrupt shift in her personality. Although she still sounded bubbly and confident, something had definitely changed, and her urgency to get rid of the Kantonians concerned him. He unsteadily accepted a Grassium-Z nonetheless. "What's wrong…?"

"Yeah, why do you want Hau to stay and not us?" Elio asked guardedly as he was finally able to stand up.

"Please," Mallow insisted almost pleadingly to them. A shuddery breath escaped her, and her left leg nearly gave out. "Just… I need Hau's help with something, that's all."

Selene and Elio nervously looked down at Hau, who glanced between the weakened Captain and the downed Lurantis behind them. Gnawing his lower lip, he felt Mana land on his shoulder again and reassuringly rub his head against the side of Hau's. Sighing, Hau smiled up at Selene. "I'll be okay," he told her in Alolan, "she's a Captain, it's fine. You and Elio go find Lillie and I'll catch up, ae, cousin?"

Selene relaxed and dipped her head in acknowledgment. "Okay… C'mon, Elio. Let's go."

"What did he say?" Elio asked sharply.

"Just for us to go," Selene answered with a shrug. She recalled her Sandshrew and sent Bowtie out instead while Elio briefly examined Macho. Satisfied he was okay, Elio and Selene soon disappeared, out of Lush Jungle.

"So, what did you need help with?" Hau innocently turned to ask Mallow, but found she was gone, no longer next to him as she had been mere seconds ago. Blinking in confusion, he jerked his head to look at the fallen Lurantis and found Mallow had rushed back to its side and was desperately trying to share her healing abilities with it. The green light, however, paused at her fingertips and refused to progress over the pokémon's body. Sensing something was deeply wrong, especially given the distraught expression on Mallow's face, Hau's eyes widened and he picked his way closer. Swallowing hard, his eyes darted up and down the singed Lurantis, trying to spot anything that might explain what was happening, but he found nothing. It just looked tired and burnt, like Macho had been… "Mallow," Hau whimpered, "what's wrong, what's going on?"

"She's gone," Mallow burst, somewhat collapsing atop the fallen, lifeless pokémon. The green light dissipated from her arms and she wrapped them around her face, shielding herself from view. Muffled, she sniffled, "That's why I sent your friends away… I thought Lurantis was just avoiding me because she just does that, but… I think she was sick beforehand… She was old… Y-you and your friends were great, b-but… she… she went down really fast and I knew something was wrong th-then… and then…"

Feeling as if a stone sank from his throat to his heart, Hau's arms dropped to his sides. He struggled to find his voice for a second. "We… did we… did we, um… kill… her…?" A knot twisted in his chest at that thought, and his mind ran wild as he blanched and overlooked the lifeless Lurantis with a newfound reverence.

"What?" Mallow almost squeaked, looking up at him with round, watery eyes. Her face was streaked with tears. "No… no, like I said, I think she was sick beforehand," she tried to chuckle, which only induced another sob to wrack her body. "But… I didn't want your friends thinking they did, and I knew I'd have an easier time explaining to you alone…"

"You… could have just sent me away, too, but you didn't," Hau nervously said, biting his lip, still staring at the pokémon. "Is there anything I can do…?"

"Just… just stay with me…?" Mallow asked hoarsely. "Tapu Lele will come to… to choose a new Totem, and take care of this one… and…" She slowly moved away from the Lurantis, scooting away from it without ever standing up. She still looked exhausted. "And I just don't want to be alone… I'm sorry, I'm a Captain, and I am not making a great first impression—"

"Hey, hey, it's okay!" Hau cut her off, caught somewhere between a smile and a grimace as he skirted the Lurantis to sit down next to her. Wanting to do anything he could to make her feel better in such unfortunate, chance circumstances, he uncertainly looped an arm around her, but recoiled when he felt something wet touch him. Looking down, he stared in shock at the crimson, bloody stain on her blouse. He swallowed hard. "Mallow…?"

"It's my power," Mallow explained lamely, sounding less than proud of herself right about then. "I'm a healer, but I heal by taking the wounds to myself. That's why I can't heal myself and that's why I'm not all that useful, anyway. I can't take anything that could kill me or seriously maim me, so I'm basically just a less convenient Max Potion…" She side-eyed Hau and then wiped her face clean, letting out a shaky sigh. "And now… I just thought she was being old and mean and refusing to come see me like she always does, and I let her battle while she was sick, and… just… What if Tapu Lele blames me?"

Hau sat close to her again, this time ignoring the slight discomfort that came from the blood that had soaked through her clothes, likely from where she had healed Macho. Shaking his head, Hau adamantly insisted, "It's not your fault this is happening… Didn't you say the Lurantis was old…? Totem Pokémon serve until they die… That's not your fault. If it was just genuinely ill and shouldn't have been battling, I'm sure it wouldn't have battled us… Tapu Lele will select another and all's going to be okay, um, Captain Mallow…"

"I am a good Captain…" Mallow whimpered. "Or… or so I thought… but Tapu Lele, she's… she's…" Taking a deep breath to try to regain her composure, Mallow brushed hair out of her face and looked at Hau apologetically. "Sorry, I know this isn't exactly the kind if date you had in mind when you read my note, huh?"

Hau's heart ached as he remembered the cute, flirty message she had scribbled on the bottom of his ingredient list. He missed that playfulness and confidence. The absolute terror in her eyes right then was just so… sad. He shook his head. "Tapu Lele is coming for the Totem Pokémon, not you," Hau reassured her, then laughed halfheartedly. "Don't worry about that last part, I'll stay here until Tapu Lele comes to deal with the Totem, okay?" And if she decides to hurt a hair on your head for whatever reason… He stuffed his hands into his pockets quickly just in case his anger got the best of him. He hated this; he hated looking at Mallow and seeing how terrified she was of the pokémon deity she supposedly served, to the point that a normal part of Captainship—occasionally overseeing the passing and replacement of a Totem Pokémon—was so stressful. He hated knowing even more that she had good reason to be; Tapu Lele was renowned across all four islands for its flagrant cruelty, bordering on ignorance to the existence of humans save for participating in her duties for the Island Challenge. He truly believed Mallow hadn't made an egregious mistake and that this Lurantis had just passed from age. He hoped Tapu Lele would, too.

Chancing grabbing her right hand despite knowing he was having to concentrate particularly hard to keep from accidentally firing off volts of electricity, Hau squeezed it reassuringly. I'm not gonna let fear own me. If Tapu Lele tries to hurt you, I'm fighting back. She's not my Tapu.

She clutched his hand back and gave a forced little laugh. "Thank you, Hau…"

"Ae, of course, Captain Mallow."

"…You can just call me Mallow, if you want…"

He nodded and chuckled. "'Kay then, Mallow."

And there, they waited.

Chapter Text

Tapu Lele certainly took her time, if she was interested in taking care of the fallen Totem. In the aftermath of their battle, most of the Fomantis that had come out of the woodwork for Mallow's cooking had fled, but as they waited, they returned in droves. Some curiously prodded the Lurantis, or looked her over, while others gathered near Mallow and Hau themselves. The skittish little pokémon, which Hau had playfully chased while he was hunting ingredients with Selene earlier, didn't seem so wary around Mallow and a few even happily got into her lap. A cool breeze rustled the leaves and undergrowth around them and, if not for the lifeless pokémon in front of them, it might have been a beautiful scene. In a morbid, bittersweet way, perhaps it was… Of course, when Mana started to instinctively chase the Fomantis like the bird of prey he was, Hau quickly recalled the Fletchinder.

Hau clung to Mallow the entire time, even though they had quit exchanging words a while ago. She idly stroked the Fomantis that had gathered in her lap and he could see her gnawing on her lower lip as she hauntedly glanced at the Lurantis here and there. Her long, green hair looked as wild and frazzled as she seemed, and he, almost without thinking, raised a hand to brush some of it from her face. She blinked in surprise and faced him, but before he had a chance to say anything, a particularly harsh gust of wind hit them both and the clan of Fomantis surrounding them started to squeak and click their sharp, leafy hands together nervously.

In front of them, just beyond the Lurantis, the wind swirled for a second, looking as if a small twister had taken form there. Yet, just as quickly as it had begun, it was over, and a shockwave of air shot out from it as an enormous, pink, spherical shell was left in its place. Decorated with patterns of white diamonds and black lines, Hau and Mallow stared, frozen, as the shell cracked open around the top. Beady, round, teal eyes narrowed at them as Tapu Lele's true form was revealed from within the confines of her shell. Hot pink hair, resembling tentacles, spilled out from over a dark, black body, marked only with white lines around her chest and under her eyes, as well as pink, puffy bracelets around each hand.

Hau had seen drawings of Tapu Lele, but he had never actually seen the deity in person… not that many people tended to want to see her in person, anyway. Her eyes remained cut at them as she hovered around the fallen Lurantis. Her look was one Hau couldn't quite place, but it didn't seem like what he had imagined the fearsome Tapu Lele would regard them with. He had expected hate or indifference, and yet… this seemed weirdly like an abundance of caution. When she drew nearer to them, observing the Lurantis, Hau felt a bolt of fear and instinctively shifted to give her more space—and that seemed to be a mistake. Tapu Lele sped back to the other side of the Lurantis and the longest two strands of her hair unfurled, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Roots burst from the ground below him and Mallow and wrapped firmly around their arms and abdomens, anchoring them in place. Hau cursed and all his nerve from earlier was lost as he desperately struggled to try to get his hands free, to escape, to run, while Mallow yelped a series of apologies in Alolan (whether her target for said apologies was him or Tapu Lele, he wasn't sure), cowering in place.

Yet, Tapu Lele was uninterested in them after that, and carried about her business now that she knew the two humans present were immobilized. Leaning over the Totem Lurantis' face, she closed her eyes and shook out her hair, and a shower of pink scales fell over the Lurantis' body. Pausing, Tapu Lele pulled back to watch for a moment, as if testing to see if she could heal this Totem Pokémon.

Tiring himself out quickly from fighting the root binds, Hau panted and fell still, shaking from adrenaline. He swallowed hard. What was I thinking? he thought desperately. I should have tried to get Mallow to follow me out of here… I don't think she would have done it, but still… What the hell is wrong with you, Hau? You get to use your power a time or two to help out Selene, tell her about it, and you suddenly think you can tango with gods? Indeed, that had been a foolish thought, and now, Tapu Lele was reminding him exactly why it was. Tapu Koko may have shared a shred of its power with him, but he was still nothing in comparison to these deities that called these islands home.

When the Lurantis failed to react to the healing scales, Tapu Lele leaned over it again and her pink hair extended once more, except this time, it wrapped around the Lurantis like some kind of horror monster. There was another powerful gust and swirl of wind, and just like that, Tapu Lele and the Lurantis were gone—but the root binds around Hau and Mallow remained. He started to panic, as did Mallow, but before either of them could come up with some sort of plan or find the words to speak to one another, Tapu Lele returned—alone—with a third burst of air. She recoiled from the struggling, panicking humans and Hau dared to look directly at her. Even as fearful as he felt right then, he was determined to try to escape, no matter what, but Tapu Lele's expression caught him off guard. She was powerful, far more powerful than either of them, so why did she keep jumping away and regarding them with so much anxiety?

She raised the two strands of hair framing her face and rubbed them together. The pink scales made a weirdly musical sound, like maracas shaking, and pokémon started to pour from the undergrowth nearby. More than Hau had seen through his hunt for ingredients with Selene. If anyone would have asked him what pokémon lived in Lush Jungle, he could have only honestly answered with Fomantis, Lurantis, and occasionally, Comfey, but Caterpie, Metapod, Butterfree, Paras, Parasect, Bonsly, Sudowoodo, Trumbeak, Morelull, Comfey, Passimian, Oranguru, Pinsir, Kecleon, Steenee, and plenty he didn't know the name of all spilled out of the trees and underbrush, gathering cautiously about Tapu Lele.

"I've… I've never seen so many of the pokémon in Lush Jungle come out at the same time before," Mallow breathlessly commented, sounding awestruck, even as her voice warbled fearfully.

Hau almost didn't hear her, still fighting the roots. In a rush of hysteria, he forgot that he was in the presence of someone he didn't want to know about his power, and he closed his eyes to concentrate. Electrical surges arced over his chest and then hurtled down his arm, and a blast of it burst from his hands in an attempt to break the root binds around his wrists, but they were utterly unbothered by the small electrical explosion. Frustrated, he groaned, but found himself too tired to try anything else, or try again. He just felt so drained…

"Hau…?" he heard Mallow squeak. "What… was that?"

He froze and whipped his head to stare at her, grinning nervously. Why did he always smile when he was panicking? "Ah, what… what was what?" he asked dumbly.

Tapu Lele sent out a gust of air that brought everyone's attention back to her. Singling out a Fomantis, she loomed over the tiny pokémon, who shook violently but didn't dare run as those pink tentacles extended around its body. The other pokémon nearby shrank away from their chosen comrade, but didn't vanish into the woods, despite how much it looked like they wanted to. Shaking out her tentacles again, scales shed from Tapu Lele's body and glowed pink as they cascaded around the Fomantis. A green light enveloped the pokémon, growing brighter and brighter, until it was too much to look at.

Squinting to try to fend the brightness off, Mallow hissed at Hau, "Your arm, it… it… And your hands… Was that electricity…?"

Hau tried to vehemently tell her no, but his voice caught in his throat and his hesitation clearly gave him away, as Mallow gasped. But before he had a chance to try to correct himself and tell her off, their attention was drawn back to Tapu Lele and her chosen Fomantis as the latter quit glowing with a final flourish of green. However, it wasn't a Fomantis anymore. Tapu Lele shifted away and a Lurantis stood there, unsteady on its feet and pulsing green. Looking the pokémon up and down, as if assessing her own work, Tapu Lele finished with a curt nod, and swept a contemptuous, teal gaze across the rest of the pokémon there. Roots reached up from the ground then and started to wave and strike at the rest of the pokémon, scaring them off, but it didn't look as if Tapu Lele intended to hurt or capture them. Scowling at the roots still holding him, he thought Tapu Lele could have certainly caught the wild pokémon and harmed them if she truly intended to.

Yet, her chosen Totem Pokémon had not run, even if mostly because it didn't seem to quite know how to move yet in its new form. Tapu Lele circled the Lurantis one final time, then moved back over to Hau and Mallow. Hau tensed, gritting his teeth, as the Tapu leaned over Mallow in particular. Staring the Captain down unblinkingly and shaking out her tentacles so that they made that grating sound again, the roots holding Mallow steady slowly unraveled, and instead, a single root dug into Mallow's bag. She opened her mouth like she wanted to dispute that, but quickly shut it again as Tapu Lele raised a tentacle over her head threateningly, poised to strike her if she acted out. Hau felt electricity crackle over his fingertips again as he saw that, and he couldn't believe the way this 'deity' was behaving. Mallow served her! Mallow was her Captain! Why was she so ready and willing to harm her?! If he didn't know better, he'd say that Tapu Lele was somehow intimidated by Mallow, by both the humans, and was utilizing cruelty to keep them obedient. Still, he didn't care—he just wanted her to leave Mallow alone, for Mallow to be safe. Yet, still, the bursts of electricity from his hands did nothing to the thick, gnarled roots.

Retrieving an Ultra Ball from Mallow's bag, Tapu Lele took it and hurled it at a tree, where it shattered to pieces. She dove back in Mallow's bag again for a different Ultra Ball but this time, instead of throwing it to break it, she pushed it into the palm of Mallow's hand and gestured toward the nervous, new Lurantis with a pink tendril. Mallow sucked in a fast, anxious breath and clasped her hands over the Ultra Ball. "Y-you want me to catch it, right?" Mallow asked, her voice hardly above a whisper.

Tapu Lele nodded slowly and shifted out of her way, though she kept that tentacle raised precariously above Mallow. Shooting Hau an uncertain look, Mallow slunk past the Tapu and, once within throwing distance of the Lurantis, raised her hand to throw the Poké Ball. The Lurantis tensed as if it intended to run, but Tapu Lele raised a few roots around the pokémon's feet, warningly waving them at it. The Lurantis got the message to sit still and so, it did, and Mallow caught it easily. The Ultra Ball wobbled only once before clicking.

Mallow darted over to pick the Poké Ball up, then pitched it again to release the new Totem Pokémon. Only then did Tapu Lele's roots retreat into the earth, including the ones holding Hau hostage, allowing the Lurantis to flee into the forest and Hau to stand up at long last. He glared at Tapu Lele as he shot to Mallow's side, worriedly looking her up and down. Her leg still twitched under her own weight.

"Mallow, are you okay?" Hau asked her, resisting the urge to grab her hand reassuringly for fear of inadvertently shocking her.

"Fine," she answered tersely, still gawking at Tapu Lele with eyes as wide as saucers. "Have to call… Olivia… after she leaves…"

Tapu Lele narrowed her eyes at them as Hau furiously set his jaw. The fear from being trapped earlier and entirely at her mercy had been a stern reminder that he could not fight these beings, that he had to play by their rules, but that didn't mean he had to like it, in the slightest! Yet, as if sensing his thoughts, Tapu Lele rushed at him and, before he could process that, slammed him down with her poised, pink tendril. Mallow yelped and staggered away, helplessly watching as Hau was pressed flat to the ground, air knocked from his lungs, groaning under the pain of her hold. Panicking, unsure of what she was going to do to him, Hau scrabbled at the scaly tendril with his hands, crackles of red and yellow electricity shooting off him and up her body. She squeezed him to the ground harder and harder, until he couldn't breathe and felt as if he were going to pass out.

Finally, his arms gave out and fell to his side. One last volt of red coursed through his hands and fizzled at his fingertips, signaling his involuntary surrender. Though he couldn't think in words thanks to the urgency of the moment, all his anger had been replaced with sheer terror. Was the guardian deity of Akala Island about to live up to its fierce reputation?

But then, she let go, and hovered away slowly. Hau made no efforts to get up; instead, he was too busy gasping for air, seeing as his lungs weren't being crushed anymore. Tearfully, realizing she could have absolutely killed him right then if she wanted to, he just stared. The way her eyes pulled up slightly in amusement, or perhaps satisfaction, made him think that snuffing out his anger had been exactly her goal. He vaguely remembered that Tapu Lele was believed to be a Psychic-type, as well as a Fairy-type (as all the other island guardians were), and he felt foolish for thinking he could have gotten away with even private disdain for her. He swallowed against a dry throat and shook his head. "I-I'm sorry," he choked, finding speaking difficult, not to mention the flares of pain that shot through his chest as he did. Feeling humiliated and beaten into submission, he whimpered, "I… I didn't mean anything by it… Was just scared… I'm sorry, Tapu Lele…"

She nodded, visibly relaxing, and then, Tapu Lele vanished with another violent gust of wind. Hau collapsed to his back again and panted, wincing at the dull ache in his ribs.

"Hau, are you okay?!" Mallow asked, sounding as if she were on the verge of tears.

"Fine," he panted, "just… just out of breath…" I hope that's all it is, anyway…

She bolted to his side and pressed her palms to his shoulders. He saw the green glow start at her shoulders and he, remembering what she had told him before about taking injuries to herself, batted her hands away. "No," he rasped, "no, don't… I'll be okay…"

"If… if you say so," Mallow relented, clasping her hands in front of herself. She sat back and worriedly looked him up and down. "You shot electricity," she breathlessly murmured after a few suffocating moments of silence. "You can't tell me I didn't see that…"

"Please," Hau begged hoarsely as he tried to sit up, his mind switching gears as he realized she had seen his power and he couldn't deny it, "please don't tell anyone about that…" He managed to sit upright, but the idea of standing up altogether was daunting. He looked up at her pleadingly and shook his head. "Please…"

She floundered for something to say for a few seconds. "Nobody knows about that…?" she pressed, scooting closer to him. "Kahuna Hala doesn't… doesn't know?"

He started shaking his head before she was even done speaking. "No, especially not my granddad," he mumbled unevenly. "I…" He looked around, at her, at the singed leaves overhead from Macho's earlier Inferno Overdrive, at the pokémon fearfully huddling in the underbrush nearby, then at last, back at her again. "I… I understand you have no reason to help me and every reason to hate me for hiding that and not wanting to tell him, since you and so many others have just… sucked it up and gone through with it but… b-but Captain Mallow, please… please don't tell him… It's… it's a long, long story, but… please…" I don't want to be another part of the machine. I don't want to prove Hala right. My parents were not sacrifices for me to become something 'important…' I'm just me…

To his shock, she hugged him, silencing him. He could feel her quivering from fright still at the wild scene she had just bore witness to. "I told you already," she weakly laughed, "you can just call me Mallow."

Relief flooded him and he hugged her back. "Ha… ha… Of course, M-Mallow…"

"I won't tell anyone," she whispered. "You saw that just now, and… Tapu Lele attacked you… I m-may not agree with what you're doing, but I can't say I don't understand it… But, Hau…?"

He leaned away from her slightly and looked up. "Yes…?"

"Won't Tapu Koko…?" she trailed off, bit her lower lip, and looked at the scene around them. She gave a shuddery sigh. "Won't Tapu Koko h-hurt you for… for lying…? Like Tapu Lele was willing to…?"

"He hasn't yet," Hau nervously answered, sucking in a fast breath as another ache blossomed in his chest. Man, he hoped Tapu Lele hadn't hurt him worse than he thought… "So… I don't… I don't know… I don't… think so…" …And that terrifies me. Why was Tapu Lele raring to remind me she could kill me if she wanted to, and yet, Tapu Koko won't even force me to take on being a Captain despite leaving me with the power?

"Well," she laughed softly, "alright… I won't tell anyone, and I don't blame you. I don't regret becoming a Captain, mind you, but I… can't fault anyone for not exactly envying me." She shrugged and hugged him again. "Thank you for staying with me, even though you probably had more reason to be afraid of Tapu Lele than I did… I need to call Olivia and talk to her, but then I'll walk with you back to your friends. Does that sound okay…?"

"Well, yes, but you seem so tired and hurt…" he worriedly said as he leaned into her hug. He had realized, when she embraced him, that he hadn't done that with many people before. He often shook hands or patted people on the back or what have you back in Iki Town but hugging her there reminded him of just how lonely his existence had been up to that point. Her hugs had surprised him at first because he hadn't even considered that such a display of mild affection could be so freely given away, considering how previously, it had been hard to even draw a conversation out of a 'friend' back in Iki Town… Maybe his parents used to hug him a lot. He wasn't sure. He didn't remember before the incident with Tapu Koko that well, to be honest, but this, with her, sure was nice. "Maybe we should just relax here for a while before I catch up with my friends…? I'm sure they'll understand…"

"Okay… Thank you again, Hau," she snickered, continuing to cling to him. She hesitantly tensed as if she was thinking of letting go but didn't want to. That made him smile. He kind of didn't mind that she didn't want to let go just yet. Sheepishly, she mumbled, "I'm sorry for asking so much of you… I feel like I'm asking a kid to help me, which I know you're about the same age as me so that's silly, but I still feel weird about it, since I'm a Captain and all that… I shouldn't be expecting my challengers to help me like this, you know?"

"Just as you are just Mallow to me, I am just Hau to you," he replied with a teasing edge. "Not Challenger Hau. Just Hau." Trying to lighten the mood, he puffed his chest in mock indignation, even though he didn't push her away. "And I hope you don't see me as a kid! Given that note earlier, ae…"

"Oh, no, that, you're right! Oh, I'm such a mess!" she whined, pressing her face against his shoulder. He could practically feel the heat rolling off her face, as if flushed red in embarrassment. "I don't know," she muttered apologetically, "I just…"

"It's okay, I was just kidding," he laughed, rubbing her back, "I'm sorry… today's… today was something," he sighed. Encouragingly, he asked, "Ah, do you want to call Olivia now, and I'll sit here with you?"

"Mhm," she nodded, reluctantly withdrawing from him. Shakily, she reached for her bag, fishing for her phone.

Hau looked away from her, rubbing a hand over his aching chest and gawking at the ruined ground a few feet away, where Tapu Lele's roots had cracked the earth, as well as the burned and ashen leaves overhead. Dazed, he just shook his head. He felt like he should have been more upset than he was, considering Tapu Lele had literally threatened to kill him, but he just felt numb and… disillusioned. He still trembled slightly with the adrenaline from earlier, but what was the point in being so upset about it? What else had he expected when he had been thinking belligerent thoughts toward a Psychic-type, living god?

Mallow found her phone and struggled to dial a number into it. Her fingers were shaking too much.

He tucked his knees close to his chest, still seated against the ground, and thumbed Popper's Poké Ball with his left hand. He idly pitched it after a second, not liking the idea of them sitting there without a pokémon at the ready to defend them and listened as Mallow explained to Olivia what had happened with the Totem Lurantis. Although it was nice that, from what he could hear, Olivia was sympathetic and grateful Mallow was okay, he just felt bitter and beaten, even as Popper nudged his hands and worriedly barked at him.

At least he didn't have to contend with the sobering reminder he was nothing compared to the Tapus, completely at their mercy, alone. Petting Popper and quietly thanking him for his support, Hau smiled at Mallow as she was busy on the phone.

He hadn't known her long, but he was already so, so grateful to have gotten to know her better.

"Did Mallow use Hau in her soup? What is taking him so long?"

"Lillie!" Elio cackled, rolling his eyes at her as she paced back and forth in front of the Heahea Pokémon Center.

"Well, it's been over an hour since he should have gotten here!" she hissed, puffing her cheeks childishly in frustration. Her bag moved of its own accord beneath her arm and she clamped her elbow over it tighter, glaring down at it. "Quiet, you!"

Selene was worried, too. It had been rather strange to have Mallow ask for him to stay behind, but… she was a Captain. There was no way she would do anything to him, right? Wouldn't that upset the Tapus, or… something, if she did? Then, she thought of how silly of a worry that seemed, anyway. Hau had pokémon and he had his electrical power at his disposal. She shook away the thoughts and tried to join in on Elio and Lillie's banter. "Well, we all know she wrote him a little love note," she halfheartedly teased. "Maybe she decided she wanted an early date."

Elio shrugged and beamed back at her mischievously. "Mallow knows what she likes quick, eh?"

"Gross," Lillie spat at them both. "Just gross."

"Aw, Lillie," Elio crooned as he switched his attention to her, daring to try to loop an arm around her shoulders. "Feelings for other people are okay, I promise. It's not 'gross.'"

She blinked at him as his arm relaxed against her shoulders. Deadpanning, she growled, "Remove your arm right this second or I will pepperspray you again."

"You wouldn't dare," Elio gasped, covering his mouth with faux indignance.

The corners of her lips turned up, then spread to a wicked grin. "Wanna bet?"

Elio opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but soon decided discretion was the better part of valor, as he withdrew from her with his hands raised in surrender. "Anyway… I mean, I'm sure he's fine, right? He's with a Captain… That's safe, right? If he doesn't show soon, we'll just hunker down here for the night, in the city… Even though I'd like to get a move on to Konikoni now and rest there for the night…"

"Yeah, Captains are safe, and I doubt Mallow could hurt anyone even if she wanted to, especially Hau," Lillie sighed, "I'd just… also like to get to Konikoni already. I really want to check out the Ruins of Life."

Selene shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe there's a good reason he's caught up back with Mallow… and regardless of whether we stay here for the night or head to Konikoni tonight, we still aren't doing anything until tomorrow, so it's not that big of a deal. I'm sure he'll explain once he catches up with us again." I trust you, Hau, but I hope you do hurry up… I know you wouldn't waste time on purpose, but still… I really hope we find something in Konikoni…

Elio and Lillie shared a look, then nodded slowly. "Yeah, you're right," Elio agreed. "Well, I dunno about you guys, and Mallow might've helped me out, but I still feel like I got my ass kicked back there. Those Z-Moves are no joke. As much fun as I'm having baking out here in this heat, I'm gonna head inside and chill there until Hau shows, or until we decide we're staying here for the night." He flashed a wink at Lillie and tapped her on the shoulder as he passed her to enter the Pokémon Center. "Feel free to join~!"

"Pepperspray," was all Lillie said, warningly, pulling away from his touch and scowling at him.

"Whatever you say," Elio snorted, disappearing inside the building with Macho hot on his heels.

That left Selene alone with Lillie. There was an awkward silence and Selene wasn't sure what to say… She eyed Lillie for a moment until the other raised a brow at her. "What? I promise I wasn't going to actually pepperspray him."

Resignedly, Selene turned away and waved dismissively. "I'm not getting involved in whatever weirdness is going on between you two. Just yeah, don't pepperspray him." Selene then smirked as she thought of something. "You're one to talk about something being gross, though, with all the flirting you do with him."

"I do not flirt," Lillie snarled, halting to shoot Selene a murderous glare.

Startled, Selene froze, but a giggle rose in her throat and she burst into laughter. "Okay, okay! Sorry!"

Despite her apology, Lillie whirled around and entered the Pokémon Center, stalking after Elio.

Selene shook her head and raised a hand to idly pet Bowtie, who was seated on her shoulder (as was the norm). "Elio's got interesting taste," she wryly muttered to him, though the Dartrix didn't seem to be paying her any mind, as he was too busy preening his feathers. Still, it felt uncomfortable to be alone. The twelve hours or so she had spent alone on the volcanic mountainside of Wela Volcano Park felt like they had been enough alone time to last her a lifetime.

Ultimately, she followed them inside the Pokémon Center to wait for Hau.

Chapter Text

"That's it, something's wrong, I'm going to go back to the Lush Jungle and check on him," Selene announced, hopping out of her chair in the Pokémon Center lobby. It had been hours! Where on Earth was Hau? Captain or no Captain, she was determined to ensure he was okay.

Elio, who had been whining because Lillie was making more headway with his Vulpix's trust than he was, jerked his head to look at her with anxious blue eyes. "Alone?" he asked squeakily. Clearing his throat, he repeated in a deeper, more forcibly relaxed tone, "Alone?"

She opened her mouth to say, "Yes," but that died in her throat and she shut her jaws with an audible click. Sighing and looking down at her Miltank egg, swaddled up in blankets on the table between her, Elio, and Lillie, Selene shook her head. "No… Can you both come with me…?" …I really don't want to be alone again… Not to mention, she hated the immediate nervousness in Elio's form when she had sounded as if she were going off on her own again. Something told her that her storming off had been far more damaging than he let on… Although he had been as honest as the rest of them that day resting on the mountainside, admitting to even accidentally killing the Ekans when he was younger to Lillie and Hau, he had been almost standoffish about the entire thing. Although he had agreed they needed to talk and had claimed to enjoy them all being on the same page for once, he hadn't sounded happy about it at all. Selene had simply explained it away as discomfort at being so open when he was usually a closed book, but maybe there was more he had wanted to say but had been too afraid to… potentially because of her previous reaction.

"Of course," Elio perked up. He started to recall all his pokémon aside from Macho.

"It's going to be dark soon…" Lillie warned, although she had already started gathering her things. Nebby, hiding beneath the table per Lillie's stern warnings, complained via a series of pews and huffy snorts as he was urged back into the bag. "So, we should hurry."

"Why do you just… keep doing that to him?" Elio asked hesitantly. "Like… why don't you have a Poké Ball for him?"

"What, and enter him into the data systems of the worldwide PC networks?" Lillie asked pointedly, raising a brow at him. "Alola might feel like an alternate reality, but it is somehow in the same universe as the rest of the regions, and the computer systems are one of the only things properly connected to the outside world. It would automatically send data about Nebby everywhere. Rudimentary data, mind you, but data, nonetheless." She finished with Nebby and clamped her arm over her bag, tiredly tilting her head over on her shoulder. "Then, I could have more than just my mum on my tail." Lowering her voice to a nearly inaudible whisper, she added, "I imagine that's why she kept him in a tube like from a sci-fi movie rather than in a Poké Ball, too."

Standing up alongside Lillie, Elio snickered again and again to himself. Finally, Lillie shot him a glare and demanded, "Just what is so funny?"

"You don't speak in any one accent," he said, grinning cheekily at her. "One second, it's 'mum' like you're a bigshot from Galar's league and then you have a little Sinnohan twang going on and then you sound like the Alolans—"

"I've lived pretty much everywhere, what accent should I have?" Lillie cut him off jokingly. "Sinnoh, Galar, Alola… Sinnolanish?"

Selene felt like her eyes might roll out of her head. She snapped her fingers at them, recalled her Sandshrew, and started to tuck her egg safely away in her bag, leaving just Bowtie perched on her shoulder. "Hey, you two Chatot, focus," she hissed, starting for the door of the Pokémon Center. Without waiting to see if they would follow (knowing that Elio would once he saw she wasn't paying his jokes anymore attention), she went to push the door open, just to have it swing open for her—and she found herself face to face with Kahuna Olivia.

"Oh!" Selene yelped, backpedaling from the door.

Selene ungraciously pushed Lillie and Elio out the way as she did, inciting Lillie to snap before she realized what was going on. "Selene, what the hell are you—oh, Kahuna Olivia…"

Olivia paid them no mind and strode into the Center without saying anything. Behind her, Captain Mallow and Hau both followed suit—and they were a wreck. Selene gasped as they both limped after the Kahuna. The left side of Mallow's blouse was caked with dirt and blood, looking as if it had come from a cut a little above her hip. While appearing uninjured, Hau's hair was a mess, and his breathing heavy; when he caught sight of Selene, he dazedly watched her for a second, then sharply looked away with a wince, as if the speed of the motion had been painful.

Others in the Pokémon Center's lobby stared and traded hushed whispers as Olivia approached the main desk, telling the lady behind the counter that, "I need you to bring a couple of your Chansey out." The lady behind the counter sputtered a few times in confusion before Olivia snapped at her to simply do it, and so she obediently obeyed. Hau and Mallow found a nearby table to sit down at. Oddly, everyone else in the Center kept their distance, despite their obvious curiosity.

"Hau…" Selene gasped, scurrying after him, feeling panicky. She noticed then that he didn't have Popper at his side, as he usually did. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he moodily told her in Alolan without daring to look up at her. He had his gaze fixed to the floor, but from what she could see of his brown eyes, he looked so… beaten. Not in the same way as Mallow, as he wasn't bloody nor limping, but… something was so, so wrong. She cringed at his next words. "I just forgot my place, was all… Met Tapu Lele. Sat with Mallow while the Tapu chose a new Totem Pokémon."

"What's he saying?" Elio asked with a twinge of irritation, peering over Selene's shoulder.

"Old Totem Lurantis dead after battle," Hau bluntly replied in his callous, broken Galarish. Mallow jerked her head to look at him in alarm, but she quickly drew her hands closer to herself and gnawed her lower, lip, just looking down, saying nothing. "Tapu Lele come choose new. With Mallow when happen."

"It… what?" Elio choked, blanching. "The Lurantis… thing, we fought earlier, it died? The funny pants bug?"

Oh, no… Selene remembered how Elio had gotten the finishing blow with the Z-Move she and Hau had had to talk him into being willing to use in the first place. She sensed his rising hysteria, and apparently, so did Lillie.

They shared a quick glance before Lillie cleared her throat and placed a hand on Elio's left shoulder. "Elio, it—"

"It was sick," Mallow meekly interjected. "At least, I think she was long before that battle… Z-Moves look flashy and scary, and they are way more powerful than a normal move, but they're still not… fatal… She was a very old Totem Pokémon. She was the Totem Pokémon through several Captains before me, you know…"

Elio backed out of Lillie's hold, attracting more stares than Mallow, Hau, or Olivia, which didn't serve to ease him at all, given the way he nervously flicked his eyes around the room. "No, but the… the Z-Move things, they use power based on the trainer, their Ring or whatever, right?"

"Well, yes…" Mallow answered, blinking in confusion, "but what does that have to do with—"

"It's me," he cut her off in Kantonian, shaking his head rapidly. He turned and looked as if he were going to leave but bumped into Olivia instead. He bounced off her as if he had hit a stone wall, and staggered to catch his balance, freezing as he looked up at her.

"Captain Mallow and Challenger Hau just need some time to recoup and the Center here has some Chansey that are going to heal their minor wounds," Olivia tersely explained. "But you three are stressing them out, and they have already had an eventful enough day. Hau says that you three are who he is traveling with. I told the woman at the counter I'd pay for a room here for you four. Go get the keys and Hau will come up when he is ready."

Selene anxiously looked between Elio, Olivia, Hau, then back to Olivia again. This is bad. Think, think, think, think—okay. We can't leave Hau, something's wrong, but Elio's freaking out… Let's see if he can stand to stay while Hau or Mallow explains some more… She set her jaw and pointedly looked the no-nonsense Kahuna right in the eyes. "Not until you tell us exactly what happened."

"Selene," Elio desperately whimpered, "I… I need to go…"

I know, but… Opening and closing her mouth like a Magikarp out of water, Selene wasn't sure what to say. Glancing back at Hau, as if to ask him for help, she was further disturbed by his refusal to so much as look at her, much less speak.

"Thank you, Kahuna Olivia," Lillie said, pulling Selene's attention back to her as she pressed her palm to Elio's shoulder again. She then graciously dipped her head, and in a respectful tone so unlike her usual sarcastic edge, continued, "Me and Elio will head up if Selene's not ready to… That was very generous of you to offer to help with the room…" She shot Selene a sympathetic look as she started to walk Elio over to the counter.

"Thank you," Elio weakly mumbled to Lillie, so quiet that Selene almost didn't catch it.

Suddenly, Hau spoke in tense, bitter Alolan. "Go with them."

Selene whirled around, shocked at his words. "What? You want me to… to go?"

"Will explain later," he muttered, still not looking at her. "Doesn't matter right now. Go."

Unnerved by the complete change in his disposition, Selene just took a step backwards and nodded stupidly at him. Oh, Hau… What happened out there? "Oh… but, Hau—"

"I said to go," Hau snapped, coughing after. The woman from behind the counter approached then, tailed by two Chansey, and she ordered them to use Healing Wish on both humans. As Selene confusedly obeyed Hau, shuffling away from them, she had a million questions. Why did she bring them here if they're injured? Surely, there's a hospital in Heahea? Or… can't Captain Mallow heal? I thought that was her power. Why can't she do it if they need it too urgently to get to a hospital? Did Tapu Lele attack them? Why would she if she were just there to choose a new Totem Pokémon, or whatever? If she's known to attack people, why did Mallow have to be there? Why did she ask Hau to stay? Oh, Hau… "I just forgot my place, was all…" What does that even mean? She felt a cold chill run up her spine and, catching sight of Elio and Lillie heading up the Pokémon Center's stairs, she thought to follow them, but then second-guessed herself. A guilty tremor ran through her. He hates to be open around me… What if he's different with Lillie and can actually talk to her? Would me being there mess that up?

Slinking away from the curious eyes of everyone else in the Center, Selene decided to head up the stairs, but to keep her distance. She'd watch to see what room Elio and Lillie went into and join them later… She supposed Hau could just ask the woman at the front desk for their room number, if he still wanted to be with them later. She hugged herself tightly as she put her plan into motion, trailing behind Elio and Lillie at such a distance they wouldn't notice, and throughout it all, she rubbed Bowtie on the side.

She appreciated the Dartrix, certainly, but moments like these made her miss her parents so much more. Her mother tended to be her number one choice for advice and comfort through any problem she was facing. They had not gotten along well when she was younger, but over her teen years, she had come to understand her mother so much better, appreciated her even more, found peace, and they had grown so close. Yet, even without pulling her phone out, she knew that her myriad of text messages and calls had gone unanswered, and as intuitive as Bowtie could be, he was still just a pokémon, and that wasn't the same as her mother.

Even so, after she saw Elio and Lillie retreat into a room, she sunk to the floor just outside of the door and snapped her fingers, urging Bowtie to her lap. He bounced from her shoulder and tilted his head up at her, and she just poured her heart and soul out to him. Words and feelings she knew he couldn't understand, not in the same way her mother had, but she just… needed to tell someone. To tell someone about how she hated how Elio refused to be open around her, to tell someone about how scared for Hau she was right then, to tell someone about how shaken she was in general. Once again, she just felt so shocked at how different and frightening Alola was, and so, so lost. She vaguely realized as she spoke that she could have just touched Hau to probably understand what he and Mallow had gone through, but… part of her was glad she hadn't. The idea of living through whatever had happened to them was daunting.

She hated this power to dive into a person's mind, to jump through their past. She had not often struggled with disliking herself, not since she was a good deal younger, but a wave of self-loathing urged her to spill her thoughts about that to Bowtie, too. She ranted about how she hated herself for having been caught up in something so stupid and for as much as she had started to tensely understand Lillie, she almost wished she had left that girl in white alone back in Iki Town, left her to flee to the ruins alone. As tears started to form, she also angrily told Bowtie about how angry she was at her parents for having sent them off on the Island Challenge, for listening to Professor Kukui, or how she was angry at herself for having caved so easily. She and Elio were 17 and 19. They could have easily stood their ground and refused! Yet, they had reasoned that perhaps their parents were right… Would things have been different if they had stayed? They'd at least know why their parents had left… or, if they hadn't left as voluntarily as believed, they'd at least have known what had happened…

"Bowtie," Selene whimpered at last to the pokémon sympathetically cooing at her, "I just… I miss how things were. I thought Kanto was dreary and a little suffocating. I had no idea…"

She scoffed and put her face in her hands.

I had no idea.

Elio, upon entering the room, had immediately darted over to the window looking outside of the room. He drew the curtains to the side and stared at the darkening sky, at the stars starting to come out, ignoring Macho as he jumped onto the nearby bed and meowed urgently at him and Lillie, too, as she softly called his name to try to get his attention. Looking out over the island and the ocean in the distance, Elio felt as if he were on fire, much like how he had felt during the trial against the Totem Lurantis when he had used that Z-Move.

Inferno Overdrive. He had enjoyed it, too—performing the dance, feeling that rush of violent, awesome power that had coursed from his fingertips and into Macho, turning him into a living fireball… It had been invigorating. He had never felt so alive, and it had felt so right, but now he was ablaze in a different way. He had allowed himself to believe Hau, Selene, and Lillie when they told him he had nothing to fear from simply battling to get through the Island Challenge and finding their parents. The rudimentary confidence they had nurtured was going up in flames and with it, the effort it had taken to convince himself he was wrong about their parents, too, making him think he had been right all along, that they had been abandoned because of how awful and destructive he could be.

So, out the window he stared, wanting so badly to just be anywhere but there, living the same nightmare over again, choking on the smoke of his own mistakes and inadequacies once more. Maybe there was a reason Macho chose me after all, he bitterly thought, remembering how Kahuna Hala had allowed their starter pokémon to choose them. He could sense how destructive I was from a mile away…

"Elio…" Lillie sighed, and he heard her footsteps as she drew closer, then the sound of a zipper and Nebby pewing excitedly as he was allowed free of her bag. "Please. Talk to me."

I can't. I can't, I can't, I can't—say something, stupid! He focused on that night sky outside. "Do you ever wonder what's out there?" he asked dumbly, anything to avoid her questioning.

She groaned. "Elio, please… Listen. You didn't even get to hear the full story and like Mallow said, she was old, she was sick, not to mention, from what Selene said, that Lurantis started the battle with you guys by attacking you. If she didn't think she could handle a battle, don't you think she would have left you alone?" As if to support what Lillie had said, Macho gave a small hiss.

Lillie, please… Elio was absolutely transfixed on that window. Meekly, he said, "Because I do," all as if she had never spoken at all. Maybe not out in space, mind you, he thought to jokingly add, but just… out there… away from everything… away from me. Of course, I know I can't get away from me, but…

Switching gears, as if realizing she wasn't going to get him to talk so directly, Lillie fell into step beside him and followed his line of sight. "Ah… do I ever wonder what's out there, in space? I mean… Not particularly. Honestly, I get so wrapped up in here that I don't think I ever think much about it… and my mother's experiments, although they mentioned somewhere called 'Ultra Space,' I… don't think it's actually the same as just space in general…" She scoffed. "Then again, maybe it is. Dulse and Zossie." She shrugged and then laughed. "Isn't it kind of crazy that I can just mention a couple of aliens and shrug it off now, that that's just normal for me?"

He shrank away from her, not wanting to think about that right then. It was so incredibly overwhelming, like that fiery sensation of the Z-Move, rushing up and down him like a furious, all-consuming blaze. He hugged himself and sidestepped away, even though he still mournfully stared up at the sky. "Maybe not so much out there, I guess… just… away…" He snapped his mouth shut and closed his eyes. "I don't know. Not like I'd actually go anywhere, or do anything, for that matter. Barely any bark, let alone any bite." He retreated to the bed with Macho, but when the Torracat tried to get into his lap, he stiffened his legs and blocked the pokémon with his arms.

Macho backpedaled, nervously lowering his ears to his skull, while Lillie shook her head at him. "Elio… I don't understand… Bark, bite… where…?"

Will you get it together, Elio? he thought harshly to himself. You fucked up and you hurt someone—this time another pokémon—doing so. What else is new? Get up, move along, pick your head up. Be guilty about it on your own time. You've still got Selene to look after, Lillie needs your help getting to those ruins, you don't get to just wallow in stuff like this. You just don't get to. With that, he gave a shuddery sigh and looked up at her, forcing that practiced grin. "Sorry. I don't know. Just… needed a minute, I think." He rubbed his left arm idly as he distractedly asked, "So, Mallow and Hau and Tapu Lele, I guess… I knew Mallow slipped him a note asking for something, but I figured she just wanted a date, or to hang out sometime, whew…" He laughed halfheartedly, wagging his eyebrows. "And given the way they looked, hah… things got a little wild, huh?"

Sourly, Lillie glowered at him and crossed her arms. "I might not have known you for long, Mr. Funny Man, but I've known you enough to pick up that whatever this is, whoever it is that cracks dumb jokes like suggesting Hau, Captain Mallow, and Tapu Lele engaged in something unmentionable, it isn't you."

Elio cringed under her accusatory, blunt tone and felt that hot, all-consuming sensation run up his spine again as he burst, "Then who is 'me,' Lillie?" He shouldered Macho away as he pawed at his arm again, causing the Torracat to stumble and fall, rolling into the wall behind him. There was a light thump from where he hit his back against the wall, and Elio shot a series of apologies in Kantonian as Macho recoiled to the other end of the bed. The pokémon was rubbing his head again and again, shooting him wary looks.

"See?" Elio defeatedly huffed. "If I'm not this funny person, if I'm not there for Selene, then what am I good for? I just, I—" He broke himself off and laughed darkly, staring up at the bunk above him, anything to not focus on Lillie. "I destroy everything I touch. You'd all be better off without me but I can't stand the thought of actually going anywhere, of actually leaving Selene, because our parents are already gone. I somehow hate myself but not enough to do anything about it."

Lillie, shaking her head, sat down beside him, ignoring the way he went stiff as a board. She looped an arm around his shoulders and determinedly told him, "You're wrong. You're scared, you're lonely, but you're not… destructive. You're no danger to Selene. Your sister loves you and you're right. With your parents gone, she needs you…" She leaned closer to him and he slowly relaxed as her head touched his shoulder. "You have no idea how much she'd miss you… I am not that close to Selene, no…" Lillie trailed off, paused, and then raised a hand to pat the bed near Macho, urging the Torracat to come to her. He cautiously looked her up and down, but decided in the end to trust her, moving to partially lay in her lap. She stroked his back soothingly. "But I've been in her shoes… Sometimes, I wonder, if I had just told Gladion how much he meant to me, how he was everything to me after everything went so south with Mom and Dad… maybe things would be different now… but he just felt so far away…"

Nervously, Elio swallowed and leaned slightly into her hold. "You… you think…?"

"I think Selene's in the same place, yes," Lillie replied softly. She raised the hand she had planted on Macho's back, and he jumped up, crossing their laps to lay in Elio's. He tensed, but didn't push him away this time, awkwardly laying his right hand down on the pokémon. Macho started to purr as Lillie sighed deeply. "If I could have just told him how much I loved him, maybe he wouldn't have gone away, maybe he would have believed in me like I used to believe in him… Not to say I couldn't have talked to him beforehand, mind you… I just felt like we were so far apart as it was that I couldn't trust him."

"I don't talk to her as much as I should," Elio mumbled, scratching Macho's back affectionately. He balked at the idea of her not trusting him enough to talk to him. "I've ruined so much on accident… She's all I've really got…" He grimaced. "And she already… almost left me… after finding that out about me with the Ekans…"

"There was so much more to that than just the Ekans, Elio," Lillie whispered. She moved her right hand to rub his back in small, comforting circles. "She was just scared. She moved to a scary new place and on top of that, the local god decided to give her the gift of seeing inside of everyone else's messed up heads. I don't know if you've noticed the way she clings to you now, but I have…" She halted her ministrations and raised her head from his shoulder to look him directly in the eyes. She gave him a sad, small smile. "She loves you and doesn't really want you to go away… I promise."

He blinked back at her slowly. Something about that statement felt so, so believable, despite coming from her and not from the source, and her touch suddenly felt so much more comforting, rather than intimidating (as it had at first). The harrowing revelation regarding the Totem Lurantis seemed far away right then. "Thank you, Lillie…" He gingerly touched a hand to her free one. "I'm sure your brother loves you, too, even if it doesn't seem like it right now… Maybe he's just scared, too…" Giving a much more genuine chuckle this time, Elio commented, "I can't imagine why he wouldn't."

"You… think so?" Faltering slightly, Lillie also asked after a short delay, "Wh-what do you mean…? By that last part, I mean…"

"Well…" Elio uncomfortably shifted. "You're smart. You're way more selfless than most would think. I mean, you gave up everything for that little space monster over there." Elio snickered lightly and briefly moved his hand from Macho's back to point at Nebby, who was investigating every nook and cranny of the room. He dove under a pillow on a bunk on the other side of the room and carried it with him momentarily, squeaking happily to himself. "And you're tough as nails to be able to be able to do that…" He cocked his head at her and smiled gently, then winked. "I think those are all great qualities to love. Even if you do pepperspray me every now and then."

"Oh, my Arceus, will you people let that go?" Lillie groaned, throwing her head back, giggling. Elio beamed as he pressed his hand back to Macho, feeling him purr louder and louder. "I did it once and I was just upset because of the Skull guys, and still felt like I was on my own! I wouldn't do that to you or Hau or Selene now!"

"Oh, we're deemed worthy of non-pepperspraying?" Chancing being brave, Elio leaned closer to her and teased, "Because you love us."

She raised a brow at him, but hesitated. After a second or two, she smirked at him and taunted back, "Maybe," in that tone she loved to use while coyly trying to avoid admitting something.

As much as he didn't want to accept the wave of new, tantalizing emotions that came from that small, playful admission from her, he couldn't help it. He, in a swift, unexpected burst of emotion, hugged her tightly, more like how a child might bearhug a stuffed animal more than how one might gingerly hug a loved one on his excitement. That earned a shocked squeak from her, and Macho jumped from his lap due to the abruptness of the movement. Lillie laughed, "Where did that come from?" Then, she playfully pushed at his arms before accepting his attention and hugging him back.

"I don't know," he answered, giggling, feeling as if he were toeing the line between laughter and tears due to the sheer relief he felt. He didn't understand how good it had felt to be so open with her, to not fear doing so would hurt her. He was so, so grateful for her right about then.

"Is 'I don't know' your answer for everything?" Lillie snorted from how hard she was laughing. "Also, you're squeezing me!"

Immediately, he knew his answer, and he quipped through gasps, "I don't know!"

Wriggling out of his hold, she shoved him away and gave him a mock scowl, betrayed by the small smile pulling at the corners of her lips. "Are you laughing or crying?"

He cackled like a Mightyena as he felt a couple tears escape him. "…I don't know!"

"Oh, pfft!" She hung her head. "I should have seen that one coming."

Beaming back at her, he wiped his face and nodded rapidly, trying to calm down despite the fits of giggles that still came and went. "Oh, yes, you should."

Once they had taken a moment to compose themselves, Lillie's front of faux irritation faded, and she nodded slowly. "See, this is so much better. I like it when you're being funny because you're feeling playful… not because you think you have to, or I won't be interested… I think Selene would like that better, too…"

Looking down at Macho as he curled up at his feet, Elio closed his eyes and hummed in acknowledgment. "That was pretty nice for me, too…" He sighed and shook his head. Despite the lightheartedness of that moment with her, he still felt guilty for what had happened to the Totem Lurantis, and not to mention, the subsequent consequences it had caused for Hau… but then, he set his jaw. Giving a stern nod to himself, he turned back to Lillie. "Whatever is wrong with Hau, I'll be there to help him, if I can. I'll be there for Selene, for him, and for you. I might mess up sometimes, and bad, too, my parents might be gone, and they might be gone for good—"

Lillie winced. "Elio, that's—"

"—but that doesn't mean anything about what I meant to happen. I am here, I am here now, and I will do everything in my power to be there and be what I can…" He raised his chin to look back out the window, at the vast, black sky and the glittering stars above. Whatever was out there would have to remain undiscovered. "Thank you, Lillie."

Although hesitating at first, Lillie eventually dipped her head in agreement. "I'm glad you're feeling better…"

Chapter Text

Alone in a dimly lit room aboard the fantastical Aether Paradise, Lusamine was hunched over a desk. It was late and she was in her private office. Not the one she invited others in for even the most important of meetings, but her truly private, personal office, complete with decorative pedestals all around the perimeter. Of course, frozen within those pedestals, unlit at the moment, were lives she treasured deeply for their eternal beauty. Perfect, captured happiness, there to stay with her forever, unable to decay or vanish into thin air such as he had…

She was never alone with them around, nor was she ever alone in general much anymore, but that wasn't to say she couldn't ever be alone again… and she still longed for something so much more. There was one lovely beast she couldn't get out of her mind and that was why she so desperately searched for more perfection to add to her collection. That was why she cherished Dr. Faba's mind and capability. That was why she couldn't think of anything else. Sprawled across the desk just in front of a laptop opened on a blank, black screen was a set of needles and vials of viscous, violet fluid, the only thing she had to recall of that otherworldly visitor that had first drawn her attention outside the bounds of this reality—and later became her only tether to the world around her at all, after his disappearance.

Back then, she had been so unappreciative of that gorgeous guest. It had been before he had vanished, so she had been afraid, and had demanded for Nihilego's immediate evacuation. Dr. Faba had of course rushed to her assistance, as had all the other lab hands in that room that day. Although they hadn't discovered a way to force Nihilego to leave, her uninvited guest had shown himself the door via his own wormholes—but not until after he had lashed tentacles out at Lusamine, wrapping one firmly around her arm, then injected her with his potent toxins using a different, more slender tentacle with a fine, needle-like point at the end. The poison had an immediate relaxing effect, which had made everything seem to move in slow-motion that day in the deepest lab of Aether Paradise.

She had been released from Nihilego's hold as others in the lab rushed to try to force him away. A prototype Type: Null, the only one of the three that had seen any success in obedience, was brought in to scare the beast off. Collapsing to the floor, Lusamine had felt a warmth burn in her veins that she didn't understand, but never wanted to end, and then he had bolted to her side. Hardly able to speak, she had asked him to please tell the others not to harm Nihilego, but the beast had left through a wormhole before he had the chance to pass the message along. Following that day, she had been determined to find Nihilego again, to learn more of the alluring world he came from, of the wonderful poison that had felt so, so wrongly right.

The tiny vials of toxins ahead of her had been siphoned from her system through a series of blood transfusions and centrifuges. Ultimately, most of it had been destroyed or rendered inert through testing by her scientists, who were desperate to understand the venom's properties, both for curiosity's sake and more importantly, to make an antivenom. Yet, oddly enough, they found Lusamine didn't react too poorly to the otherworldly injection, all things considered. Aside from her immediate loss of mobility (which had come back just a few minutes after Nihilego had departed), there was no recognizable signs of damage. The tissue around the injection site wasn't blackened or swollen or leaking fluid; it had looked just like any other small puncture wound would be expected to look. And although her scientists had tirelessly insisted they develop an antivenom anyway, Lusamine had pulled the plug on those experiments long before they ever came close to developing one. He had been upset about that and he had begged her to let them continue, but she had refused. There was nothing wrong with her, and there was nothing wrong with Nihilego, so what was the point in wasting resources on it?

Of course, she had wanted to meet Nihilego again, to know more of him and the enchanting world that venom had whispered to her about. Well, it hadn't literally spoken to her, but… She raised a hand and snatched up a vial in her hands. She really wasn't supposed to have it, but this was her facility, and this was Alola. Such ideas of 'shouldn't' were mere guidelines. They were no hard-set rule. Truly, she just worried about getting carried away and utilizing too much of the toxin—oh, how she had such a hard time calling it that—and not having any more before she managed to summon Nihilego again.

Picking up a syringe, she pressed it through the thin membrane at the lip of the vial and sucked in a small amount at first… and although she intended to stop there, she stared, transfixed, as she drew more and more into the syringe. Reluctantly, she managed to stop after a quarter or so of the vile was empty and withdrew the point. Eyes still fixed to the point of that needle, she slowly rose to her feet to turn the main light of the room on, so she could get a good look at her arm and ensure she hit the right spot.

She found the light switch and flicked on the pristine, white overhead chandelier. Prisms of frozen pokémon glittered in the newfound light and the dark venom in her syringe looked so much more tantalizing in the better light. Eagerly darting back to her desk, Lusamine sank back into that tall, black leather chair, and held out her right arm. A small nub of scar tissue on the underside of her wrist told her exactly where to go and she plunged that needle in without a second thought, injecting herself all at once.

With every experiment, with every night with Dr. Faba, with every phone call to Professor Burnet, with every warm, lurid rush of that needle and toxin, his memory was farther and farther away, his name a forgotten relic of the past and his children an even duller memory. She didn't need him, his kids, nor Dr. Faba in the end, though, because the real paradise would be capturing the beauty of this world and every reality beyond it, all for herself and Nihilego. He had chosen her and together, they would craft the perfect, eternal paradise—one where nobody could ever be torn from her so violently and suddenly ever again.

It would be a world for them and them alone. Needle haphazardly slipping from her arm as she fell limp against the table, she sighed contentedly at the pure flood of heat in her veins and closed her fluttering eyelids. No, she had not intentionally done anything to harm him, but soon, she would leave behind the broken, ugly world where he was gone. Alola could burn to the ground or fall to eternal wintry darkness for all she cared, because she knew Nihilego would come for her, she'd continue her collection, and they would be together—forever. Forever encased in eternal beauty like the various pokémon displayed gloriously around her.

Oh, what a time to be alive…~ Dulse and Zossie had better not be wasting my time…

She practically purred to herself as she stretched her arms comfortably across the desk, accidentally knocking a desk lamp clear of the surface, though she didn't move to pick it back up nor did she react to the sound of the lightbulb shattering as it struck the floor. It sounded far, far away.

I might need to take matters into my own hands if they are…

When Selene had finally entered the room after Lillie and Elio, she had been shocked to find both had fallen asleep… together. Well, it didn't look as if they had curled up under the blankets and had intentionally done so; they were both still half-sitting upright, above the covers, and facing the miniscule TV in the far corner of the room playing the credits to some movie or TV show, suggesting they had passed out while watching something. Macho was curled up on Lillie's hip and still staring at the screen, as if fascinated by the TV. Still, the unexpected sight made Selene dip her head and sigh resignedly to herself. A dull flare of jealousy made her wonder why the plucky, snappy Lillie was more appealing to talk to for Elio than his own sister, but she didn't feel as if she had the energy to be upset about that on top of everything else. As she quietly chose a bunk on the opposing bed in the room, Nebby burst from beneath a pillow, squeaking excitedly and scaring her. She backpedaled and yelped, dropping her bag unceremoniously to the ground, while Bowtie irritably ruffled his feathers and cawed at Nebby. "Nebby!" Selene growled, frustrated, as she immediately dropped to retrieve her bag. I hope the egg is okay…

Elio and Lillie had shot awake at the commotion, with Lillie awkwardly untangling herself from beneath Elio's arm, flushing red as she realized their somewhat compromising position. "Selene? What's going on…?" she groggily asked, blinking fervently to adjust to the sights in front of her.

Sitting down on the bed she had chosen at last, Selene worriedly dug for her Miltank egg and hauled it free of its confines, carefully turning it over to inspect for damage. Satisfied that it was okay in the end, she let out a huge sigh of relief, while Lillie chided Nebby like a misbehaving child.

"Is it alright?" Elio had yawned as soon as he realized what was going on. He stumbled out of his bunk and moved to hers, curiously peering over her and down at the egg.

"It's fine," Selene answered cagily, squaring her shoulders as she shrank away from him. Nervously, she shot him an apologetic look. "Sorry, just… don't touch me, please…" I don't… I don't want any more of those visions…

"Oh, right, right," Elio laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head and giving her some space. Then, he paused. "Hey, where's Hau?"

As if on cue, when Selene opened her mouth to try to explain how he had told her to go away and would be up later, there was a knock at the door. "Alola, Selene? Elio, Lillie?" Hau asked, muffled by the door.

Macho and Bowtie immediately bolted for the door, with Macho yowling and clawing at the bottom, while Bowtie fluttered around the peephole. Selene and Elio shared a look, then laughed in unison, as Lillie snorted. "It's us, Hau!" she hollered at the door. "You have a key?"

"Ae," he answered dully as he opened the door to enter. His Brionne rushed in before he did, blowing a few watery bubbles at Macho and Bowtie right away, drawing the two pokémon away from the door. Macho lunged at Popper almost immediately, and the two rolled in a mock fight on the floor, all while Bowtie landed nearby and clicked his beak repeatedly, as if to complain he was being left out. Yet, Hau, who Selene knew would have normally joked about their pokémon interacting like that, was entirely uninterested. He closed the door softly behind himself and his shoulders sagged with exhaustion. "Sorry. Was lot take care," he muttered.

"Hau, I'm sorry, man," Elio offered right away, standing up from the bed. "I… I had no idea that Lurantis was so sick, and whatever happened, it just shouldn't have been battling, and I know the Z-Move was too much for it—"

"Stop," Hau cut him off, recoiling at his words and shaking his head rapidly. He gave a shuddery sigh and stared at the floor. He waved a hand at Elio and started for the bunk above Selene's, hauling himself up the ladder without saying a word to anyone else. Flopping down on the bed above, he exhaled loudly. "Just… stop. No that."

"Hau, please, what happened with Captain Mallow?" Selene begged as she, too, stood up, after carefully ensuring her egg was secure on the bed. A frightening thought coursed through her as she waited for a reply that she somehow knew wasn't coming. What if Hau, after just starting to feel like a close friend, was withdrawing from her out of fear, much the same way Elio always did when their conversations got too serious? Fighting that wave of panic, she frustratedly pressed, "What was all of that back on the mountainside about being honest and sticking together, huh? Why won't you talk to us?"

He hoarsely snapped back at her in biting, bitter Alolan. "Because there's nothing to talk about. I gave you a whole speech about how we shouldn't be afraid, to be better than the rest that let fear guide them, and then I met a Tapu and realized why everyone might have reason to let it be that way." Sitting upright, he glared down at them all and huffed. "I just realized the world I want, where I don't have to be scared of anything and don't have to worry about being part of someone else's twisted machine, doesn't exist. And… and won't ever exist." He rubbed his right arm and brokenly whispered, "I just want to go to bed. Please. And tomorrow, we can go to Konikoni, and find your parents, and then you two can get out of here." With that, he flopped back down.

"What did he say?" Elio asked frustratedly, pacing in a circle. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

Floored and honestly, rather disturbed by Hau's depressive outburst, Selene just swallowed hard and glanced at Elio. "He met a Tapu and… he's upset," she mumbled to him in Kantonian. Daring to speak up to Hau again, Selene asked, "But, Hau, what did the Tapu do?"

"Yeah…" Elio paused to lick his lips anxiously. "I… I want to know, too, Hau…" Face twisting up as if he had tasted something sour, he uncomfortably added, "I'm w-worried, uh, about you."

Surprised, Selene blinked at her brother. That… was uncharacteristically honest. And to Hau, at that!

There was a long pause and Selene briefly feared that Hau wouldn't respond at all, but then he said through a strained voice, "When come choose new Totem, Tapu Lele use root hold Captain and me down. Force Fomantis evolve become Totem. Threat to hit Mallow if not listen. Made me mad, Tapu Lele sense, Tapu Lele attack me. Make use electric power… Did nothing, reveal me to Mallow. Mallow upset but promise not tell. Just… make see am nothing to rest of all. Am just go to be memory, another piece of machine, like all other here."

Lillie joined Selene and Elio then, cocking her head worriedly up in Hau's direction. "Another memory, like another piece in the machine…? Hau, what do you mean?"

This time, he replied in Alolan. "Sorry, not sure how to say this in Galarish. But have you ever noticed how you don't see a lot of maimed people walking around despite how the Tapus take care of Captains and Kahunas so they can't use their powers anymore once they're done?"

Selene did not like the sound of this already. She tensed and, in unison with Lillie, replied, "Yeah…?"

"That's because most don't live after that," Hau bitterly growled. "Captain Ilima was a lucky one. There're tons of books on the different powers and how the Tapus are known to take them away at the libraries… I only read a couple of pages of one in the past before I just put it up. All I can think, after Tapu Lele attacked me, was that I am nothing more than their tool and when they're done with me, they're going to throw me away, like they do everyone else. And I was stupid for thinking I could ever hope to be any different at all."

"Hau…" Selene gnawed her lower lip. She just didn't know what to say… And the mention of the way most Captains and Kahunas didn't live following their demotions was horrifying. She went white as a sheet and just took a seat on her bunk. Her heart ached for Hau, and she wanted to tell him he was wrong, to give him some hope he so clearly needed, but how could she when she didn't know for sure if he even was wrong? She felt another tidal wave of self-loathing, for the power Tapu Koko had granted her and for her inability to come up with anything to help Hau.

Elio sounded desperate. "Seriously, what's going on?" he begged, glancing to Lillie.

"He's just very upset after being attacked by Tapu Lele," Lillie guardedly explained. "He's just thinking a lot about the Captain and Kahuna stuff…" Dipping her head, she whispered, "I think we should just give him some time…"

"That's not all he said," Selene quietly interrupted. Elio froze and stared at her.

"What else did he say…?" he asked nervously.

"He said there's books in the libraries that talk about the different Captain and Kahuna abilities… Lillie, if my power has been given to a person before me, would information on it be in one of these books?" Selene hauntedly asked. "Like… like… how it works, or… how it gets… taken away…?"

Wincing, Lillie nodded stiffly. "Well… yes, but Selene, those books… most Captains or Kahunas don't ever read them for a reason," she said softly. "I used to spend a lot of time when I still went to school and such here on the islands at the libraries. Every book about the Tapu gifts has a disclaimer at the start that Captains and Kahunas are discouraged from reading because it can drive them crazy if they know how that power is going to get taken away first… I mean, some are obvious, like Captain Ilima's was pretty much guaranteed to be a loss of sight, but… others aren't so cut and dry and could have scarier consequences…" When Selene nor anyone else said anything, Lillie sighed. "But there is a library in Konikoni, and if you want, while you two search for your parents, I can check one out…"

More silence. Selene pondered the option as she stared at Macho, Popper, and Bowtie, still playing in the free part of the floor, oblivious to their trainers. On one hand, Selene thought, I could maybe find out how I control this stupid thing so I don't get anymore surprise looks into people's heads. Touching clearly has a tendency to cause it, but it doesn't always have to happen that way, considering I saw into Gladion's head even though it was his Type: Null that attacked me, so there must be something else going on… But on the other hand… She internally cringed. How do you take away someone's ability to internally visualize someone's memories? Frying their brain? Just, how would that even work…?

"I think I'd like you to do that, yeah…" Selene meekly said at last. I just… I need to find out anything else I can about this…

"Alright. That's settled, then."

Maybe tomorrow there will be something, anything, I can use after learning more about my power to help Hau… and of course, I really hope we learn something new about our parents… She paused as she thought about the beaten, despondent Hau. I don't think Elio and I are the only people that need to get out of Alola once we find them…

As it would turn out, the lower grunts in the Skull Gang were not the only ones who needed 'babysitting.'

Gladion had awoken that morning after yet another stay in the Skull boat to Makua skittishly pacing the length of its interior. He had seemed far jumpier than usual and had spoken in stuttering, fast gasps for breath, confusing and—to a degree—scaring the two grunt tagalongs they had under their care. Still with bleary eyes, Gladion had snapped at him to calm down and speak coherently, since he couldn't understand a word Makua was saying in his borderline frenzied state. Gladion might have understood Alolan, but frantic, broken phrases in it were still near impossible for him to decipher.

"Diglett," Makua had heaved in a forcibly steady voice, still speaking in Alolan, pausing momentarily. He had immediately started to tap his foot, as if unable to stand being still, itching to be moving again. "We n-needta grab some Diglett from the tunnel near the R-Ruins o' Life, 'cause construction workers like t-to use them, and those can go for a good pr-price, or be traded for something nice, a-and—"

"I thought you said we were leaving today?" Gladion had cut him off irritably, bewildered. The two grunts, who had also been woken up by Makua's zaniness, huddled at the other end of the boat, avoiding him and remaining quiet. "Back to Ula'Ula. 'We got enough shit from here on Akala, and Guz needs his new pet back.' Those were your exact words." I remember because I was pretty pissed at them. I'm not Guzma's lapdog.

Rapidly shaking his head and starting for the ladder out the interior of the vessel, Makua hollered, "No, no, I didn't! L-let's go! On to Diglett's Tunnel!"

Before anyone had even had a chance to argue, he was gone, and Gladion had sighed deeply and urged the other two grunts to come along.

They spent most of the journey to Diglett's Tunnel struggling to keep up with Makua, who suddenly seemed to have boundless energy. The entire time, Gladion had just mutinously thought to himself, 'I still do what I'm s'posed to, Gladion.' Sure, you do. You just also go into drug-induced fervors like this, apparently. You failed to mention that, Makua. Yet, from what I understand, you're one of Guzma's best friends, so if anything happens to you, it's probably my ass. He had glanced over to the two nervous grunts, whispering to one another in a weirdly subdued fashion that made him uncomfortable to see. And maybe theirs, too, even though they don't know what's going on…

Upon arriving at this Diglett's Tunnel, Gladion was beyond angry at Makua. They had trekked an unreasonable distance that day—part of him wondered why they hadn't just moved the boat, then walked—and Makua still seemed oblivious to how ridiculous he was being. As Makua scoured the tunnel for a Diglett to try to battle, Gladion turned to the two subdued and exhausted grunts. Stiffening his back, already uncomfortable despite not having said anything yet, Gladion mumbled, "You two okay?"

"Yeah…" the male muttered, though he refused to look up at Gladion. "Just been a while since saw Makua like 'at, y'know."

That certainly piqued Gladion's interest. As he looked down to call Null back, who had started to curiously walk after Makua, he asked, "You've seen Makua like this before?"

"Mhm," the girl chimed in, nodding slowly. "Big Sis says it's okay, though. He just needs a lil' bit to tire himself out. He's a Steel-type trainer, so, he can prob'ly hold his own same as you and that, uh…" She wrinkled her nose as she flicked her gaze to Null. "As that Null, there. That's it, right?"

That's the first time they haven't called him a mutt or a monster or something to that effect… Gladion couldn't help the tiny smile that graced his face. "Yeah, that's his name."

"Well, that's not all Big Sis said 'bout it," her friend pointedly said, looking up at Gladion almost expectantly. Expectant for what, Gladion wasn't sure. "She did say that if he ever didn't snap out o' it after a couple hours or so to let her know…"

"…Except we're on an entirely different island, and Makua's supposed to be our contact with Po Town," Gladion groaned. Why on this godforsaken planet would they send us off with our only contact being someone that's hanging on to reality by a thread?

"Stop! You're messin' with the Skull Gang now!" Gladion heard Makua snarl from deeper within the cavern, or perhaps just outside of it on the other end.

"That sounds bad," the girl grunt nervously mumbled.

Gladion had already stiffened his jaw and hissed for Null to keep close. "Let's go check it out. Keep close to me, you two." The hell's wrong with you, Makua?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

That was what he, Selene, Hau, and Lillie had found in Konikoni regarding his parents. Following the night in the Pokémon Center in Heahea where Hau had snapped at them all, they had taken a couple of Ride Charizard (which had been an experience, for sure; he was used to seeing Charizard on TV that had been beefed up for battle, ones that couldn't care less for human affection, meanwhile the ones the Alolans used for travel were docile and even playful) to Konikoni, and had gotten to work asking around the city for any information about their parents. Although he knew it had been a slim hope, to find more on their parents in Konikoni, Elio hadn't realized just how much he had been clinging to it until it was dashed repeatedly, as Alolan after Alolan had no idea who or what they were talking about. It was an utterly heartbreaking feeling to get excited every time they spoke to someone, just to know in the back of his mind that they were just as unlikely to know anything as the last person.

At some point, Lillie had offered to go get that book for Selene from the library while they paused to pick up some food for them all at a shop. Hesitantly, Selene had accepted Lillie's offer, and off she went, promising she'd return shortly. That had made Elio nervous, and he had just tuned Selene and Hau out at the shop as they waited and as his sister sympathetically tried to chat with the unusually moody Hau. It wasn't as if he could understand them anyway, so…

When Lillie returned with the book, she had offered it to Selene, who had balked upon seeing its cover. "Maybe… maybe not right now, actually," she had nervously chuckled. "Maybe tomorrow, or something… Let's just eat and then keep looking and asking around… Let's just focus on that today…"

Elio hadn't said anything. He wasn't sure if it had even fully processed in his mind that Selene's power had the potential to be revoked in the future in a bloody or painful way. Just the mere thought of that had his fists clenching and teeth grinding furiously.

Some time later, they learned from a native in the city that there was a police station just outside of Konikoni. "I dunno what they really do, to be honest," the man had callously laughed. "Not like anyone listens to them over the Koni Champions, anyway."

"The Koni Champions…?" Selene had almost cautiously implored.

"Oh," the man had awkwardly paused, "uh, yeah… Right, you're not from Alola. Well, you know, the Konis—that's what people who live here in Konikoni and closer to the Ruins of Life call themselves… Then, everyone that lives in Heahea and north of there calls themselves the Heans. Us Konis, if we got anything really goes wrong, we just tell the Koni Island Challenge Champions, and they'll sort it out real quick." He had laughed and winked at them. "If you know what I mean. They're really who keeps us safe. They know what they're doing, unlike those idiots in blue that like to yap at everyone about what's safe or what isn't, like we're all idiots. Tapus only know why Kahuna Olivia has been telling us to try to listen to them more lately…"

No, I don't know what you mean, and whatever you mean I'm sure is horrifying. And the fact you think police officers are a stupid concept says a lot, Elio had rudely thought to himself, taking everything in his power to keep from snapping exactly that.

They had decided after that it couldn't hurt to speak to the 'police' (though Elio thought it sounded like they were more like hall monitors than police as he knew them), so, out of Konikoni's east gate they went. There as only a single building along the short path that connected the city to a cave route and what Elio thought looked to be a graveyard… He inwardly cringed at that sight and clung a little closer to the rest of the group as they headed for the police station.

It was painfully silent, though. Elio had come to understand his forced humor wasn't really that funny, so he had no random jokes to make, and Hau and Selene were both subdued, as the former was still quiet and shutdown after the experience he'd endured in the Lush Jungle. The utter defeat in Hau's voice whenever he did speak was enough to make Elio want to guiltily hang his head. Maybe, if I had just paid closer attention to the Lurantis during that battle… but I didn't… I can just be so accidentally… dangerous…

"Stop! You're messin' with the Skull Gang now!"

Oh, fucking, great. Elio jerked his head up in time to see a gangly man with whitish hair and trademark Skull Gang attire run up to them with a blue and white Poké Ball clutched in his right hand. Selene and Hau, at the front of the group, jolted in surprise and then backpedaled from the Skull member. "What do you want?" Elio barked at him defensively before anyone else had a chance to speak, feeling that immediate rush of adrenaline and protective anger. Macho stepped in front of him and flexed his claws against the ground again and again, growling lowly at the Skull member. Elio thought about what the man had said, then scoffed. "We didn't mess with you. You literally just ran up to us. What?"

"Don't play 'at shit with me!" the man snarled, pitching the Quick Ball. A Mawile spilled free of the ball and snapped its fangs after them.

"What the hell?" Selene frustratedly groaned, stepping even further back as Bowtie jumped from her shoulder and started to hover in the air ahead of her. "We didn't do anything to you! We don't have time for this!"

"And frankly, I don't have the patience," Elio added waspishly. Still, this man pulling a pokémon on them made his intentions more than clear. With no idea what this Skull member could possibly want from them, all inhibitions about battling were forgotten as Elio looked down at Macho and sternly said, "Macho, watch him, get ready!"

The Torracat lunged forward and landed, poised for battle, just ahead of the Mawile.

"Makua! Makua, will you knock this o—oh, for the love of…"

Puffing for breath as he caught up with the Skull member threatening them, Gladion slowed to a stop and gave them an unreadable look. His uncanny, Frakenstein's-monster-of-a-pokémon was hot on his heels, though when Gladion stopped, it dropped to its side and scratched at its mask. Shaking his head in disbelief, Elio opened his mouth to tell Gladion off, and to his surprise, it was Selene who ruthlessly cut him off to do so for him.

"I don't know what your game is," Selene snapped, "but I told you that I'm not joining, and you said you would leave us alone unless we messed with you. We're not messing with you. Your friend here came and ran up on us and tossed out a pokémon to battle." She stamped a foot irritably and shot at him, "So, call him off, before I decide I do want to mess with you!"

If his life were a sitcom (which he sometimes felt like it was), Elio thought he might have heard a record skip to a stop. 'I'm not joining…' What does she…? His mouth dried out and he blinked fervently as he inched his way closer to Selene and, despite her obvious aggravation and preoccupation with the Skull members, anxiously asked, "Uh… Selene, did you talk to him before…? About… about joining?"

"Not the time, Elio!" Selene whined in frustration. "Please…"

"Enough talk!" Makua barked. "Battle, now! Fangs, Iron Head—"

"Makua!" Gladion hissed, turning to the lanky man and grabbing him by his shirt. He shook him in a scene that might have been hilarious if they weren't all in such a poor mood. "Earth to Makua! Knock this off!"

Of course, his orders fell on deaf ears. Makua raised a hand and ungraciously slapped Gladion away, pointing an accusatory finger at him after he stumbled back in shock from the blow. "Ya just don't get it! And ya never will. Ya ain't really Skull!"

Gladion's entire demeanor seemed to change after the slap. Rubbing his face where he'd been struck, Gladion cut his eyes at Makua and, oddly calm given the situation, asked, "What do you mean by that, Makua…?"

"Oh, can you two have your drama somewhere else?" Selene spat. "We've got better things to do." With that, she tried to sidestep Gladion and Makua, but Makua's Mawile jumped in front of her and snapped teeth at her legs, which triggered Macho to attack, and so, he bowled into the Steel-type and snapped flaming teeth around its elongated maw. While Selene squeaked in fearful surprise and jumped back, both pokémon rolled around in a violent battle, with the Mawile trying to sink its fangs into Macho to wrench him off and Macho doing his best not to let the pokémon get back up.

"Gladion!" Lillie sharply chimed in, addressing her brother at last. She stepped into place next to Elio and desperately asked, "What's going on? Who is this threatening us? What are you doing?"

Slowly moving his hand from where he had been slapped, Gladion's lips pressed to a thin line as his back stiffened. Giving her a look with glittering green eyes Elio could have only described as murderous, he practically bared his teeth as he growled, "Good to see you, too, Lillie."

Curling her lip right back at him, Lillie snapped, "Oh, save it. If you knew who I was, why didn't you say anything, either? And by the way, what the hell are you doing as part of the Skull Gang?"

"I could ask you the same thing about not saying anything despite recognizing me," he retorted with a sneer. "You saw me before when I didn't recognize you and you said nothing!"

This is a fucking mess, Elio thought in the beginnings of a panic as he surveyed the situation. Selene had stumbled back to join him, standing to his left, while Bowtie watched Macho and Makua's Mawile wrestle on the ground. The Dartrix occasionally darted in with a Peck at the Mawile, but that, of course, did nothing. Lillie was to his right, and clearly, she and Gladion had too many hurt feelings between them to interact rationally, especially not given the crazy Skull member named Makua influencing Gladion. While Lillie and Gladion had started sniping at one another, Makua had started combing through the other Poké Balls on his belt, as if oblivious to the fact he had his Mawile out and battling already. Blinking, Elio realized he didn't see Hau. Looking around himself briefly, he caught sight of him watching from a short distance with that measured, wary expression and his knees slightly bent, tensely poised for… something. Elio wasn't sure what, but it pissed him off to notice that Hau had all but bailed on them as things got heated with Skull. Turning his attention back to the scene immediately ahead of him, Elio took a deep, steadying breath. Okay, so—

"What was I going to say to you, Glad?" Lillie pleaded, shaking her head at him. "I… I messed up, and I still can't even be sure of what I can tell you… I'm sorry. I got caught up in something so messy, and I was and still am scared, I just… I never meant to abandon y—"

That clumsy apology only seemed to serve to rile Gladion up more. "You were scared?" he cut her off furiously, jabbing a finger at her. "You don't have a fucking clue!" He grinned a wild, almost unhinged grin, and then laughed. He flicked his gaze to Makua. "Makua? If you still want to battle them, I'm down."

"Trying to pick next pokémon," Makua distractedly told him. "Fire-type…"

"Don't you have a Bastiodon?"

"Right!" Makua retrieved a Timer Ball from his belt, and pitched that one, too. The massive pokémon that was freed stomped a few times and then roared, a loud, grating noise that made Elio wince, and all of them cover their ears—except for Makua. He just cackled, like someone had told him the funniest joke on Earth. "Now this party's really gettin' started!"

"What are you doing?" Elio demanded, protectively stepping slightly ahead of Selene and Lillie both. Blood roared in his ears, heart pounding, as he wanted so badly to do nothing more than keep them all safe, to walk out of this confrontation unscathed, but terrified that wouldn't happen. He didn't understand this place and he didn't understand Skull, and he didn't know what they wanted, nor just how deep the bad blood between Gladion and Lillie ran. Yet, despite his internal panic, his voice had taken on a commanding, deep cadence. "He already has his Mawile out. I assume you're going to use that… thing right there"—Elio pointed to Gladion's monstrous pokémon, still on its side and clawing at its mask—"so you already have enough pokémon out for a double battle."

Gladion glared at Lillie, then turned that cold stare on Elio. "Cute, he thinks we have to follow battle standards," he mockingly sneered with a wicked grin. "Null! By me!"

Breath hitching, Elio realized in a rapid, runaway train of thought that there really wasn't anything to keep them from ignoring standard battle rules… did Alola even have standardized battle rules? Well, he knew the Kahuna battles did, but… Oh, whatever, he didn't have time to think about that! Not as Makua's Mawile finally slapped Macho away and retreated to stand between his Bastiodon and Gladion's Null. Oh, but… if they didn't have to follow standard battle rules…

…then neither did he, Selene, or Hau. In a protective autopilot, he decided to give everyone their orders, not that he knew where the confidence to do so came from. "Hau!" Elio hollered over his shoulder, where the other jerked his head to stare at him with wide eyes. "I know you're not doing great right now, man, but we need your help, so get over here, please!" Switching gears to Selene, he curtly told her, "These guys aren't going to follow standard battle rules, so neither are we. Toss out your Sandshrew."

She nodded up at him and the battle was on.

Gladion hadn't intended to even speak to Lillie during this encounter. As soon as he recognized the crew of four ahead of him, he had wanted to just snap Makua out of it, and move along, leaving them alone, but… Lillie's biting tone and callousness, followed so shortly after the slap from Makua, was infuriating on a level he didn't know. He had heard the phrase 'to see red' before, but only in that moment had he truly understood it, as after she had said she had been scared, his vision had fleetingly flashed a crimson and he had felt the overwhelming urge to do… something to her. He didn't even know what.

She had abandoned him to Lusamine.

She had abandoned him for a pokémon and then hadn't even left Alola, as Dr. Wicke had made it sound she intended to.

Based on Elio's aggressive protectiveness, he surmised that she had even done herself the favor of finding herself a partner after skipping out on him. How adorable.

As he ordered Null to attack Elio's Torracat, knowing that it was the biggest threat to Makua's mostly Steel-type team, Gladion was just full of hate. He hated everything she stood for, everything she had done, everything he had been put through—scared…

Lillie didn't know what scared was.

Scared was getting locked in a room with no idea of when you'd next come out.

Scared was randomly getting struck across the face at your mother's moody whim, usually followed by a diatribe or speech about why you deserved it.

Scared was watching scientists rip apart a living, breathing pokémon, a Type: Null, then watching them put it back together, as if it were no more sentient than a broken computer.

Scared was being left alone to it all when, for a time, even if he and Lillie had grown distant, he thought she was all he had left.

He licked his lips as he hatefully scowled at her, partially huddling behind Elio. I'll make you know what 'scared' is. You're not all I have left anymore. Sure, Makua was acting oddly, and he certainly hadn't appreciated the slap that had reminded him far too much of home life with Lusamine, but the two grunts (who were watching everything unfold from a distance), the little girl he had helped save from attackers back near Po Town, Guzma, Null… they were his world now. They were as far from Aether Paradise and as far from Lillie as it got. He could handle a slap here or there, he thought mutinously.

I'll show her just how much I don't need her. I'll beat that stupid boyfriend of hers and show them how strong I am—and make sure she knows I'm not her brother anymore.

Chapter Text

Lillie didn't know where to begin. She felt almost as lost and frightened as she had been that day she had been running from employees and Dulse and Zossie aboard Aether Paradise, any and all rational plans she had dashed, as Gladion and this Makua character battled alongside one another against Selene, Elio, and Hau. The way he had looked at her, with that hateful intent, had been so painfully chilling. More than that, the way he fell into place beside Makua and worked with him despite the other having slapped him and snarled at him moments ago was dismaying. She hadn't exactly thought about Skull too deeply in her time in Alola, but Lillie still knew it was a violent, unpleasant existence, to live amongst them, and Gladion's failure to react to such harsh treatment other than to be momentarily dazed was just unsettling.

Forced to back away as the battle heated up (and honestly, Lillie had no idea what was going on; everyone had numerous pokémon out in more of a battle royal than traditional battle, and Hau and Selene seemed to be having difficulty keeping up themselves as they sputtered confused battle commands), Lillie just shook her head in disbelief. She had felt distant and unsure of whether she could trust her brother before, but this was the first time she felt a cold rush of fear as she looked up at him in his tattered, black jacket, that wild, unique pokémon obeying his every order eagerly. This wasn't how she had intended their reunion to go! She hadn't intended to just leave him forever! It was the first time she had truly realized that she hadn't thought of her brother as gone… just that she had to take care of Nebby first… She gnawed her lower lip. I know now that Mom can't get Nebby because of what Dulse and Zossie said about that… Blinding One or whatever, but… I didn't know that at the time when I stole him away… Tears stung sharply at her eyes and she guiltily sighed. Did I run away from Aether for Nebby, or for me? And if I did it for me… I know I was scared, but… I should have faced that for him…

She violently shook her head to silence the runaway thoughts. "Gladion!" Lillie yelled, trying to raise her voice above the noise of the battle.

He ignored her, pointing at Selene's Dartrix. "Null, Crush Claw!"

With Bowtie distracted attacking Makua's Bastiodon, Null went unnoticed in the chaos of the battle as it launched itself with powerful hind legs up into the air, slashing claws viciously again and again over Bowtie and throwing him into the ground. There, Makua's Mawile waited, and it snapped its elongated maw around him and shook him out savagely. Selene's Sandshrew and Popper tried to assist, but the Steel-type laughed off their attacks, and Macho was too busy dodging boulders from Makua's Bastiodon to help.

Determined to get Gladion to listen and talk to her, Lillie chanced getting closer to the battle. She rounded behind Elio, Selene, and Hau, and then moved dangerously close to where Macho had managed to escape the Bastiodon's boulders. Hau, the closest to her, called out to her in alarm, "Hey—get back!"

Yet, Lillie ignored him, and she narrowly kept her footing as the Bastiodon shook the earth when it lumbered over to Selene's Sandshrew and ungraciously knocked it away with a blunt headbutt. Now much closer to Gladion, Lillie cupped her mouth. "Gladion, please! Stop this and talk to me! Please…"

"Oh, why didn't you just ask?" Gladion sarcastically spat back at her with a sideways glance. "What do you want to talk about, Li—"

Before he had a chance to finish his sentence, Lillie yelped as she was sent spiraling to the ground on her back from the force of an impact she hadn't seen coming. She felt a pain fire up her shoulder as something tried to wrench her bag from her grasp and within it, she could hear Nebby panicking, pewing and squealing in fright. She started kicking at her attacker instinctively before she realized it was Gladion's Null. Its eyes, which had been stony and gray before, blazed a neon, spiteful red as it sank teeth and claws viciously into her bag and repeatedly jerked its head with the intent of tearing the bag off her shoulder—and her arm with it, she was half-convinced. Almost hysterical in her panic, Lillie kicked the pokémon squarely in its chest again and again, but in the end, it just brought up a back leg and raked those long, draconian talons down her shin to force her to be still. Blood poured freely from the open wound as she screamed and drew her leg away sharply, falling inadvertently limp as the pokémon viciously dragged her with it, still feverishly trying to wrench the bag off her shoulder.

"Null! Knock it off!" Gladion shrieked, immediately trying to recall him. Yet, Null jumped away from the Poké Ball's scarlet beam. It gave Lillie enough time to shakily scramble away, but Null rounded back on her again, tensing with intent to lunge at her and growling a loud, mechanical, resounding noise like a beast possessed. Gladion tried to recall him a few more times and each time, Null easily avoided the beam, seemingly growing more agitated each time it was forced to dodge rather than attack. It glared back at Gladion at one point and snarled at him angrily.

"Lillie!" Elio hollered, and he tried to run over to her, but Null whipped around and lashed furious claws at him. He narrowly avoided the deadly swipe by awkwardly skidding away, which caused him to tumble.

That was when Popper, Bowtie, and Macho all converged on the rampaging pokémon, all while Makua's Mawile and Bastiodon retreated from the battle at hand and gawked at Null fearfully. Flanking Null on all sides, the three starters kept him from lashing out at Lillie again. Macho's pendant blazed brightly as he yowled and hissed, snapping flaming jaws whenever Null ventured too close to him. Bowtie, who was struggling to remain aloft and clearly badly injured from the fight already, divebombed the pokémon whenever he was focused on Macho and Popper to get its attention back. Finally, Popper was letting singsong bubbles fly at Null, so that whenever the agitated pokémon slashed the pink spheres in its frustration, it was struck with a jarring, confusing bursts of noise.

Their distraction gave Gladion the break he needed, and he succeeded in recalling Null to an Ultra Ball at last. Gasping for breath, Lillie shakily moved her thrashed bag closer so she could inspect it and check on Nebby. It was filthy with slobber and dirt from Null's attack, punctured in various spots, but when she opened it, she found Nebby was alive and well, even if terrified to the point he squealed when she opened the bag. Falling limp against the ground in relief, Lillie reached in with a hand and offhandedly shushed him, doing her best to comfort him. It was the most she could do given her shock.

In her frazzled mind, which was pumped on adrenaline and in sheer survival mode, all she could do was think that there had to be a reason Null had attacked her like that. Even if Gladion hadn't ordered him to, had he been so angry at her, so hateful, that the beastly pokémon had decided to take matters into its own claws? The thought made her start to tremble and she couldn't stop.

She had lost Gladion all over again.

In the aftermath of the attack on Lillie, Gladion stood with the Ultra Ball still in his right palm, panting for breath as he stared at Lillie with enormous, round eyes. Makua dubiously looked over his shoulder at her, then lowered his head and bent his knees, taking a step back. Elio had fleetingly thought the body language looked much like how Hau often did whenever situations got serious. Yet even though Makua was apparently second-guessing this endeavor and Gladion was obviously horrified at what had just transpired, Elio just didn't care. As Selene and Hau both rushed to Lillie's side, he marched forward and took fistfuls of Gladion's jacket collar, surprising him as he shook him out furiously.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Elio snarled, all but baring his teeth animalistically at the stuttering blond, who suddenly seemed so much less intimidating than he had been mere moments ago—more like a frightened child, even though Elio knew the other was older than him.

"I—I—Null has never done anything like that before, and I didn't mean for that to happen at all!" Gladion stammered, weakly pulling away from Elio's grasp. "Th-that's not what… what I wanted to do at all…" He kept glancing back at Lillie, as if he couldn't keep his focus on Elio.

I can fix that, Elio thought darkly. He gripped Gladion's jacket tighter, and shook him particularly violently, to the point it made Gladion's feet slip from under him and his head rocked painfully. Scrabbling for a foothold, Gladion cringed as Elio fiercely barked in his face, "Stay away from her, and stay away from us! Do you hear me?"

With that, he tossed Gladion away, making him stumble and fall to his back on the ground. There, on the ground and staring back up at Elio fearfully, Gladion reminded Elio all too much of himself—and it was disgusting. Despite the fact that Lusamine had been abusive to both of them, Gladion couldn't see past his own pain and had merely assumed Lillie had the worst intentions at heart due to a pessimistic, disparaging outlook on the world around him. It was an all too familiar song and dance to Elio, and everything he knew that caused his own inherent destructiveness he wrestled with. To him, it appeared that Gladion wielded that same unabashed destructiveness… Everything that Elio loathed about himself reflected as if looking in a twisted mirror. It was enough to see red, bloodred.

Oh, Elio knew he was no real pacifist, the same as Gladion clearly wasn't, but Elio was better than him. At least he knew how to partially reign in that destructiveness, and he didn't have an otherworldly pokémon to accidentally go haywire! Yeah… he was better. Far better.

Slowly, Gladion glanced back over at Lillie, still lying against the ground while Hau started to tend to the gash on her leg. He swallowed hard. "Lillie… I… I wanted to show I was strong, and I didn't n-need her, I didn't mean f-for—"

I can't believe my ears right now. "Strong?" Elio scoffed, almost cruelly leaning over Gladion. He snarked, "Yes, you're very strong to beat the hell out of your own sister with that monster of a pokémon." Macho trotted up beside Elio then, baring fangs at Gladion and growling as his tail swept across the ground behind him in anticipation.

"He's not a monster!" Gladion yelped, sounding oddly stressed rather than angry. Shaking his head in frustration, he begged, "Please, just let me talk to her, I promise I didn't mean for Null to do that!" Licking his clammy lips, he blathered annoyingly, "I've only ever known Null to swipe at people that get too close to me, but even then, it was like what he did to Selene before, it was never… a full-on attack—"

"Well, that time it was! He tried to maul her!" Elio cut him off harshly. "Shut it!" Giving Gladion some space, he narrowed blue eyes at him and jerked his chin toward Makua. "Take your crazy friend and get lost." You're as worthless as I am, but at least I know what I'm fighting for, and it's not a gang of… whatever you guys are. Or worse, you're so caught up in your own head you're just fighting the world and everyone in it—sister and all—for yourself. People like you and me are sick. I'm doing you and everyone else a favor.

Gladion shakily clambered to his feet and shot Lillie one last, desperate look. Selene had helped her sit up at that point, but she had her gaze fixed on them or her bag, as if to pointedly refuse to look over at Elio or Gladion.

"Let it go," Elio growled, putting himself between Gladion and his line of sight to Lillie. "You've made it clear you don't want her around and if I ever see you again—"

"It was an accident, goddamn it!" Gladion exploded, voice cracking partway through and pointing an accusatory finger at Elio. "Clearly I didn't mean to! Why—"

"Excuse me for not believing you when you were snarking at her before and kept shooting her looks like you wished she'd drop dead!" Elio snapped. "Now, get lost!" As if to encourage him, Macho snarled and flexed his claws against the earth.

Had Elio not been in such a defensive fervor, he might have noticed the way Gladion's lips twitched and his expression rapidly flicked between anger, disbelief, and despair. In the end, Gladion relented; he dipped his head in defeat and shuffled backward. "Makua, can we go now? …Please?" he begged the tall, thin Skull member with a strained, choked voice.

Makua, who had watched the entire situation unfold with a blank expression, slowly nodded. "Uh, yeah, we can go… What… what were we doing over here…?"

Gaping at him in absolute betrayal, Gladion sputtered, "What the hell do you mean, 'what're we doing over here?'" Groaning, Gladion pressed a palm to his forehead. "Forget it. Let's just… let's just go… You should keep your Bastiodon out, I can't have Null out right now…"

"Some enforcer you are," Makua moodily sniped as he recalled his Mawile and started to trot off, toward the cave route at the far end of the dirt path of Route 9. Tossing a nervous look over his shoulder at Elio and his friends, he called for a couple of grunts (who Elio hadn't even noticed until then) to follow him. Gladion trailed behind them, limping and shoulders sagging.

Satisfied that the threat was gone for now, Elio let loose a deep, relieved breath he hadn't known he was holding, and then bolted over to Lillie, anxious to ensure she was okay.

That had escalated so much farther than Selene had expected it to…

Together, she and Hau had rushed to Lillie's side and helped bandage her leg. Selene was so grateful for Hau's 'street smarts,' as she inwardly called it. He always seemed to have whatever they needed whenever something serious like this went down. While Selene had anxiously looked over Lillie and her mind spun as she tried to think about what to do, Hau had dropped to his knees beside her and pulled his orange backpack around, digging in it until he found a set of gauze, medical tape, and rags, getting to work immediately.

"I imagined that going a lot better," Lillie muttered, then winced and drew in a fast breath as Hau wordlessly poured something over her leg to clean the profusely bleeding wound. He pressed a clean rag hard to her shin and Selene had to sharply look away as blood quickly soaked through it. How on Earth is he so calm? she wondered as her stomach did a flip.

"It's okay," Selene offered breathlessly to Lillie, though she knew how lame it sounded as soon as it left her lips. Distantly, she heard Elio and Gladion arguing, and when she looked up, it seemed the battle had ended. Makua had withdrawn from the fight and looked confused as to where he was, while Elio savagely told off Gladion. It was hard to watch, so she looked away, but… she guiltily realized she didn't want Elio to stop. She was more than aware at that point that he was not quite the gentle giant she had thought he was—and she didn't mind it too much anymore that he wasn't. With every passing day, Selene was more and more aware of how dangerous their predicament was, and perhaps some of Elio's protective aggression was just what they needed. But it would have been a lie to say she wasn't shocked… She had gathered from Gladion's stray comments that he had a bone to pick with his sister, but to get so blinded by rage that he would sic a pokémon she had no hope to defend herself against on her… Even if he had switched gears and tried to call Null back in the end, just what other violence was Gladion capable of if infuriated enough? Distractedly, she mumbled aloud, "I'm… so glad I didn't join them…"

"Huh?" Lillie dazedly asked, still cuddling a frightened Nebby close as Hau started to work bandaging around her leg, the bloodflow sufficiently slowed for it by then.

"Oh, sorry," Selene clumsily apologized, "nothing… Just… I can't believe he did this…"

Swallowing hard, Lillie closed her eyes and pulled Nebby so tightly against her chest that he disappeared from view under her arms. Only small wisps of bluish gas indicated his location in her grasp at all. "I really lost him this time," she brokenly whimpered. "I… I knew he probably wouldn't be happy to see me, or would be upset, but this, I…"

"Lillie, it's not…" Selene sighed, trailing off, and glanced at Hau. "Is it okay if I sit her up?"

He only replied with a stiff nod, too focused on maneuvering medical tape around her injured leg to respond verbally. Turning her attention back to Lillie, Selene softly said, "Hey… let me help you sit up." I don't know what we'll say, but… "Let's talk."

"Wait," Lillie warned, stiffening, "don't want you to get another… vision…" With that, she reluctantly let go of Nebby, who had fallen silent and quit shaking in her comforting hold. He curiously blinked at her as she slowly leaned up, careful not to move her leg, as Hau was still busy securing the bandages in place. As Lillie got as comfortable as she could given her state, Popper moved over to Nebby and his nose twitched as he sniffed the Cosmog. Nebby withdrew shyly at first—odd, given how playful he normally was—but Popper respectfully gave him some space, moving back to Hau's side after that.

Lillie exhaled a shuddery breath as she awkwardly blew off Selene's offer to talk. "There's not much to talk about." She closed her eyes, gave a callous shrug, and pressed her lips to a hard line. She drew Nebby back into her embrace as well. "I abandoned him, and he hates me. All there is to it."

Cringing at that as Elio stalked over to them, still shooting wary glares after the retreating Skull members, Selene couldn't help but put herself in Lillie's shoes and imagine how awful it must have been to feel as if she had singlehandedly ruined her relationship with her brother. It reminded her far too much of the fears she had over Elio's sometimes cagy nature. Yet… Gladion had been the aggressor in Lillie's situation. He had utterly refused to listen to anything she'd had to say, while Lillie had been begging him to talk to her. Could Lillie strictly take the blame when he had been so antagonistic?

"Lillie, are you okay?" Elio asked gingerly as he lowered himself slowly to his knees beside her, on the opposite side of Selene. Macho followed him and softly mewed as he sniffed Lillie over worriedly. Popper perked up at the sight of the Torracat and barked at him urgently a few times, to which Macho just confusedly cocked his head back at him. As if frustrated, Popper just blew an annoyed, blue bubble, which popped immediately.

"I'm okay," Lillie distractedly replied, still looking down at Nebby. "At least, I think so. I don't think it's really sank in yet."

Selene, Elio, and Hau all shared a look amongst one another, as if to silently ask, "Don't think what's sank in yet?"

Without them vocalizing that, Lillie almost contemptuously scoffed. "Sank in that I didn't run off with Nebby for his sake like some hero. I ran off because I was scared for me, and I didn't want to talk to my own brother because I was worried about my own skin. I didn't even know that Nebby was wanted by my mother to set some beast free back then, just that whatever she was going to do with him might kill him… Which, sure, is bad and I'd never want anything to happen to him, I just…" Trailing off, she gave Elio a forced grin, then bitingly added, "Guess none of us are as good as we'd like to be."

Wincing, Elio glanced back after where Gladion and his friends had gone. He guiltily started fidgeting his hands. "Maybe not…"

Selene noticed that Hau had quietly crossed his arms and was idly petting Popper. The Brionne had dove into his lap and seemed content to stay there for the free cuddles. Bowtie tiredly landed next to him, causing Popper to look and bark at him a couple of times, then. Bowtie fluffed his feathers in aggravation and started to preen them, utterly ignoring him. Once again, Popper blew an irritated bubble.

Feeling panicky, Selene glanced between her three, downtrodden companions and felt a rush of rebellious dismay. Part of her just still couldn't believe how easy it was for this place to beat them all down… Seeing the usually tough as nails Lillie crack and blame herself eerily similar to how Elio could, seeing Elio viciously snap under the stress of a dire situation and behave almost unrecognizably, seeing Hau's hopeful fervor die in the aftermath of his run-in with Tapu Lele…

She clenched her fists and jumped to her feet. No. I just got all of you back and started feeling like we have something going on! This place is not taking you away from me like Mom and Dad! "No," she adamantly insisted, shaking her head rapidly. Pointing at Lillie, she said, "You explained to us everything that happened. Whatever Gladion's going through, you didn't go through much better. Not including him maybe wasn't great, but it wasn't meant to hurt him. You gave up everything to save yourself and Nebby. That pokémon could be dead without you and who knows what else, given what you said about that… Dulse and Zossie. Whoever Gladion thinks you are, he's wrong."

Pondering what Selene had said for a moment nervously, in the end, Lillie just curtly nodded. "You're right… You're right. If he doesn't like me now, then… that's just how it's going to have to be. The Lillie he used to know is gone."

Whirling on Elio then, Selene said, "I know you're not a diehard pacifist like you pretend to be. You haven't whipped out that camera much recently and whenever anything starts to go wrong, there you are, ready to fight it." His eyes widened and he opened his mouth as if to defend himself, but Selene cut him off. "That's not a bad thing. I don't know why you don't really want to talk to me much, but Elio…" Selene shook her head and quavered with genuine, raw emotion, "We need that. What you just did back there? We need that while we're here… and we don't need you fighting yourself every step of the way on it."

A small, sincere smile spread across his face, quickly morphing into full-on beaming, as if thrilled to have been given instructions on what she wanted from him. He nodded. "…Okay. You got it. If that's what we need, then that's what I'll be."

"And Hau…" Selene turned to him and he looked up at her almost warily. "The world you want does exist. Maybe not here, in Alola, but it does." She extended a hand to him and tilted her head sympathetically. "If… if we can find my parents, if we can all stick together, I'm sure we can do something for you and even Lillie in the end… You're so smart, and… I miss the guy that kinda knew how bad everything was, but still had hope it would be okay in the end, anyway." She smiled when he uncertainly took her hand and stood up. "I know you're scared… but just like you told me before… isn't it letting them win by giving into it? We won't leave you alone to anything like that ever again. We're in this together."

He looked oddly enchanted by everything she had said. After his amazement stretched on an uncomfortable length of time, she blinked. "Uh, Hau…?"

Cracking a familiar, genuine grin that gave her a rush of relief, Hau laughed softly. In Alolan, he said, "Sorry, it's just… never had anyone compliment me on something other than 'Kahuna's grandson,' really. Anyway, I don't… know about all of that, but…" He dipped his head, then nodded. "I have… been a little mean and defeatist here lately, huh… You're right. I don't want to live that way."

"The police station is just down the way," Selene said as she swept her gaze across all three of them. "I'm sure they'd be happy to let Lillie rest there for a little while, and we can talk to them about Mom and Dad. And if they don't know anything, we can go from there." She steeled her voice. "I suppose that means Kahuna Olivia and then we'd just… move on to the next island. Try again."

"Sounds like a plan, sis," Elio chuckled, smiling at her in a rare, sincere expression. She realized then he was holding one of Lillie's hands. To her, he whispered, "Here, let me help you up. Selene's right, we should at least get you into a building to relax for a little while after all of that."

Snarking playfully as Elio helped her to her feet, Lillie remarked, "You got it, Captain Selene." Once up on her feet, she mostly leaned on her uninjured leg and clung to Elio.

Snorting in amusement, Selene bent down to pick up the exhausted Bowtie, deciding she'd spray him with a Super Potion or something while they walked. Although she said the next line with a sarcastic edge, she meant every word. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

I really need to look at that book… we've got to stay focused and stay together, Selene thought distractedly. She swallowed hard as she took the lead while Hau assisted Elio with Lillie. I… don't want to lose anyone else here… Knowing more about this power might help… You know, just… just in case…

Just in case Elio's right to think our parents might not be coming back…

Little did they know, someone had been watching the showdown from a distance, remaining carefully out of the fray and out of sight. He had been sent to speak with a contact in Konikoni City and had somehow gotten wrapped up in reports of Skull hunting Slowpoke near Memorial Hill, but that had been easily forgotten as he had immediately recognized the black-clad blond masquerading as a member of the Skull Gang, confronting a group of seemingly innocuous travelers. But then… they had started to talk, and oh, what they had to say!

When Gladion had snapped Lillie's name, that had really caught Dr. Faba's attention. One of the two girls present—a sandy-haired girl in mostly green clothes—had reacted to the name, and she and Gladion spoke as if they knew one another. It didn't take Dr. Faba long to recognize Lillie after that. Her trick in drastically changing her appearance was good on a first glance, but after having it pointed out, she was unmistakable. That find was so much better than getting suckered into dealing with a few Slowpoke! What did anyone care about hunting their tails, anyway? Slowpoke tended to be too stupid to even notice half the time, and they could grow them back!

Shaking away that tangent of thought, Dr. Faba had watched and waited for the confrontation to end. Seeing one of his Type: Nulls again, however, was infuriating. He knew he couldn't jump out and risk scaring Lillie off or earning himself a fight with her clearly agitated and battle-capable friends, but he hated seeing his creation used in such an insulting way. Gladion wielded it like any other pokémon—and he had to admit, he had given a sadistic smirk when the Type: Null lunged at Lillie and thrashed her bag. From the distance he was watching at, he couldn't quite see what exactly was happening, but he already knew why the Type: Null had targeted her once she drew so close to it.

Cosmog was believed to be an Ultra Beast, and all Type: Null had been engineered to be hyper-aggressive toward them in the aftermath of a couple of unexpected visits from an Ultra Beast known as Nihilego. While Nihilego had always fled shortly after its arrivals, Dr. Faba had been tasked with ensuring the Type: Fulls (as they were called at the time) were capable of fending it off if it ever decided not to leave. Given the fact Cosmog was the only Ultra Beast they reliably had access to, however, it had been the one he used as a basis to hone his creations' aggression. This Type: Null was following its protocol beautifully, but he was certainly glad when Gladion managed to recall the synthetic creature—after all, they needed Lillie and Cosmog alive. Having either mauled to death just wouldn't do.

Once the Skull Gang members moved along and the group of travelers took Lillie toward the police station, however, Dr. Faba strode out into the openness of Route 9 and reached immediately for his phone. He called Lusamine, who picked up after a single ring, and he proudly announced, "Miss President, I have located the Cosmog."

Lusamine's breath had all but hitched on the other end. "You did? Where? I will have to send Dulse and Zossie right away!"

"I have a better idea," Dr. Faba told her, almost teasingly. "Lillie is injured… let me get her compatriots away from her, and she'll have no chance to fight back."

"How do you intend to do that?" Lusamine asked quietly. "Dulse and Zossie—"

"—don't understand how battling works very well, can't use the same methods they use to deal with Ultra Beasts in their homeworld here on pokémon, and Lillie's three friends are all trainers on their Island Challenges by the looks of it," Dr. Faba coolly cut her off. Almost cockily grinning to himself, he tauntingly whispered back to her, "Come, now, President… you trust me, don't you~?"

There was a long pause. Then, in a painfully raw and anxious voice, Lusamine mumbled, "Yes, Dr. Faba… Just… please. Please get that Cosmog. I need—"

"Of course, President," he softly said, intentionally talking over her and ignoring whatever she said toward the end. He appreciated her vulnerability toward him and all, and her gratitude was so sweet and wonderful, but her pained, despondent ramblings could get old to listen to very quickly. "Just leave it to me."

"Mm… Alright. Thank you, Dr. Faba. Let me know what you need from here as soon as possible."

"How are our two guests doing as far as Type: Zero goes, by the way?" Dr. Faba asked, genuinely curious. If, for some reason, I can't get Lillie away from her friends, Type: Zero would certainly make short work of those little obstacles.

"Still unusable," Lusamine tersely replied. "Enough about that. Cosmog. Please."

Dr. Faba rolled his eyes. "Of course, of course! Goodbye, President," he crooned into the phone, then swiftly hung up. He grinned wolfishly after the police station they had disappeared into. I hope you had a fun romp through paradise, Miss Lillie, he thought darkly, because you've reached the end of your leash. You won't keep me from what I deserve anymore, you brat.

Chapter Text

Inside the police station, they had met a single policeman. He was darker-skinned and dark-haired like most in Alola and scrambled to attention at their entrance like a startled Meowth, freezing momentarily at the bumbling group of young adults that had just burst into his station, of which Elio and Hau were supporting Lillie, bloody bandage wrapped tightly about her calf and a tattered mess of a bag looped loosely over her shoulder. Selene rushed to the counter, startling the policeman further as she accidentally slammed her palms a little harshly and panted, "Sorry, our friend was just attacked by a pokémon. We need somewhere to stay for a little while until we figure out what we're going to do… Is there anything you can do? She was attacked by members of the… Skull Gang, I think you call them."

The man eyed the door behind them and seemed to relax once he realized it was just the four of them. "Of course, yeah," he answered, stammering slightly, "sorry, I just… I thought some of those guys might follow ya in and I'm alone right now. I called for Kahuna Olivia. Skull knows better 'an to show their faces 'round here and go hurtin' people like that. Here, I'll check over your friend and you can all relax here 'til she comes."

Wrinkling her nose in confusion (sure, police didn't have the same weight here as other places, but she still found it odd that he was so jumpy), Selene was prevented from questioning it by Elio, who snapped, "So, you saw all of that and did nothing?" He cut his eyes at the policeman, having finished helping Lillie get situated with her injured leg propped up by rearranging a few chairs, and scoffed. "No wonder people here don't take police seriously."

"Elio," Lillie whimpered, flushing slight pink in embarrassment, "i-it's alright… He is helping me. He called Kahuna Olivia. That's big…"

"I'm sorry," the policeman offered lamely, pressing his clammy palms together, "but… a lot of people don't exactly like us, uh, police officers. We do what we can, but… it's just that there's only so much we can do, especially if alone…"

He winced as Elio growled, "He's helping you now, but was happy to just watch before. I'm so fed up with… ugh!" After trailing off in his frustration, he paced ahead of Lillie some, shoulders arched in annoyance.

I understand you're upset, Elio, but please… we want his help. We don't need you scaring him off. She turned to the policeman and apologetically tilted her head forward. "Thank you, anyway," she said softly. I did just tell him to be more aggressive like that, though… He's just still riled up. I'm sure he'll calm down soon.

"My pleasure," he responded solemnly. "I'm sorry for not helping more like your friend there wanted me to… There's really not much I can do… People just… don't take us seriously. I felt like, if anything, I'd just wind them up worse. So, I called Kahuna Olivia."

"You did all you could," Selene mumbled halfheartedly, trying to defuse the situation, as she retreated to sit in a chair against the wall across from the policeman's counter, next to Lillie.

She glanced over to Selene, forced a nervous smile, and whispered, "I'm sorry… I know you just talked me up out there, but… I know I'm dragging you guys down…"

Although Selene wanted to dispute Lillie's claim, she was silenced, her words forgotten, as the police station's door flew open again. This time, a man in a stark, white labcoat strode in, adjusting an odd set of yellow-green goggles that looked more suited for function in diving than… whatever he was currently using them for. He scanned the room, then dramatically sighed as he locked onto the policeman. "Oh, dear me! Look at what those thugs did!" he almost whined with a gesture toward Lillie.

A creak in the seats made Selene glance to Lillie, noticing that she had gone stiff as a board. Her green eyes were spread wide in silent terror and Nebby, who had taken refuge in what little remained of Lillie's bag, retreated behind Lillie's back, shoving himself into the tiny space between her and the chair. Frowning, Selene went to ask her what was wrong. "Lill—"

"Shh!" Lillie spat, nearly jumping out of her chairs. She yelped as her injured leg was jostled and quickly settled back into place. Giving Selene a desperate look, she gave a small shake of her head. Meeting her round eyes, Selene swallowed uncertainly at the fear there. Although she didn't understand what exactly was happening, she could gather from the way Lillie had cut her off, her fearful stare, and Nebby's hiding that whoever this man was, he was someone likely helping look for Nebby. Glancing up to Elio and Hau, Selene thought to try to get their attention, but both of them had looked to Lillie in her momentary panic. Elio and Selene shared a fleeting look that told one another all they needed to know—and Hau shuffled so that he was leaned against the far wall with his hands behind his back. Selene hoped that, for once, he would adopt his usual method of handling confrontations such as these—which was to stand back and be quiet. That thought did make her feel guilty, though; she hated how the appropriate response from him most of the time was to simply shut up and stay out of the way…

"Oh, dear," the man in the labcoat fretted as his attention, too, was drawn to Lillie. "That… thing, they had with them, it hurt you bad, didn't it?"

"May I ask who you are, sir…?" the policeman dryly interjected. "Were you hurt as well, or…?"

"Oh, no, I just wanted to come ensure these four were alright!" the man explained with a flippant wave of his wrist. Placing a hand over his chest, he gave a grin that made Selene feel uneasy. Bowtie, who was landed on her shoulder, craned his neck as much as he could to stare after this strange man, whereas Macho stood close to Elio's feet and his hackles started to raise. "You see, I was out trying to assist in reports of Slowpoke being hunted nearby, and I noticed those Skull ruffians attacking these fine young people. I am the Aether Foundation's Research Branch Chief, Dr. Sauboh Faba." He paused, then slowly mused with his grin somehow seeming to grow, to the point Selene felt she could see too much of his teeth, "Such a shame, how people prey on the weak like that, isn't it?"

"So, you're a higher-up in the Aether Foundation, and you saw all of that and didn't do anything, either?" Elio brusquely asked, raising a brow. To that, Dr. Faba gave him an almost stunned look, blinking fervently. Elio curled his lip. "I wonder why that is."

Aether Foundation… He's from the Aether Foundation. Selene swallowed hard. That explains why Lillie and Nebby are panicking… She winced. And why Elio is now turning on him… I need to get him to calm down. Him being so combative could actually hurt more than help right now, there's no guarantee he recognizes Lillie, he could actually blow her cover by doing that! "Elio!" Selene hissed. He briefly moved like he wanted to look back at her, but was immediately drawn back to Dr. Faba, standing nearly in his face. Swallowing, Selene started to wonder if she had pushed Elio to leaning too far into his aggressively protective nature. No, surely, he was just a little upset right now, right? She could calm him down.

The policeman tried to then intervene and calm Elio down, but he was cut off when yet another person walked into his station. He threw his hands up in frustration and groaned. "Right, okay. I'll just be behind the counter if anyone needs me."

Kahuna Olivia stepped inside and then jolted in surprise at the scene ahead of her. In a voice high-pitched with surprise, she said, "Oh, it's you guys… And a whitecoat."

Dr. Faba pushed his goggles up his nose and took an uncomfortable step back from Elio, glowering at Olivia then. "My name is Dr. Faba," he corrected her tensely. "I am—"

"A branch chief of something or another, so you've told me, multiple times before," Olivia huffed at him, blithely ignoring him as she swept her gaze over Elio, Hau, Lillie, and Selene. Voice softening, she asked, "Are you four okay? What happened?" She settled on Lillie, who looked as pale as pale could be. "Lillie, other than the leg, are you okay?"

The four of them seemed to collectively hitch their breath at Olivia's use of Lillie's name. Selene felt a mutinous prick of irritation. How did she recognize Lillie so easily? I mean, sure, I guess it could have been process of elimination considering she's with us and up close, you can still recognize her face easily enough, but ugh! Olivia seemed like she wanted nothing to do with us before and now she just outed Lillie. Great!

"Fine," Lillie squeezed out through a strangled tone, staring at the floor.

"Poor girl looks traumatized," Dr. Faba commented eerily coldly. Selene didn't like the way his eyes seemed to almost glitter beneath those stupid goggles as he said that.

"Nobody asked you," Olivia snapped at him without turning to face him. Sympathetically tilting her head at the four ahead of her, she sighed. "I'm really sorry. Normally, Skull knows better than to come so close to Konikoni. I've already told some local Island Challenge Champions about it. They'll be on the hunt to drive them away from Konikoni soon if they haven't already left… Hey," Olivia paused and then flicked her eyes from Selene to Elio and back again, "weren't you two looking for your parents? Did you already ask around Konikoni?"

This is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad—that Faba guy just heard her call Lillie by her name and how does Olivia even remember this stuff, anyway?! She seemed like she couldn't wait to get away from me before! Feeling a bolt of shame and irritation, starting to wish Olivia would just leave, it took some effort for Selene to peacefully say, "Yes… we are. And no. We didn't find anything in Konikoni about them."

Interest clearly piqued, Dr. Faba cocked his head and brushed past Olivia (earning a murderous glare from her that he didn't seem to pay any mind). "Your parents are missing, young lady?" he asked Selene. He sounded far too interested.

"What do you care?" Elio defensively demanded. Macho snarled at his side. Selene felt an internal little wave of relief. See? Elio was fine. His aggression hadn't outed Lillie, after all, it had been Olivia, and now, he was back to doing exactly what Selene felt he needed to do. She hadn't wanted to answered this Faba character, that was for sure…

"Well," Dr. Faba answered, sounding affronted, "the Aether Foundation does assist the Alolan islands in missing persons and other legal matters that they aren't as… equipped to handle. If your parents are missing, you could file a report with us, and—"

"We are equipped just fine!" Olivia barked, silencing Dr. Faba as she stormed in front of him. Jabbing a finger at his chest, she sneered, "I don't need any snotty old men like you waltzing into my island and acting like you know the place better than I do. I have worked way too hard to create some order in this chaos and gain respect for you and your gang of Galarian know-it-alls to act like I'm some cavewoman!"

Dr. Faba just gaped. "Miss, I didn't—"

"I don't care," Olivia hissed. "Shut it or leave." With that, she whirled back to the four travelers, and composed herself. "Sorry," she begrudgingly apologized. Clasping her left hand to her right arm, she exhaled and seemed to almost deflate. "I was… very rude to you all before. You have endured a lot while on my island, and for that, I am truly sorry. Island Challenger Hau shouldn't have experienced what he did with Captain Mallow, and you two… should not have to trek these islands alone to try to find your parents." She momentarily looked up, seemed to mumble something under her breath that Selene didn't quite catch, then lightly thumped her left hand over her chest three times, similar to what she saw Hau do on occasion. Perhaps it was a silent prayer? She wasn't sure. "I did honestly look. I talked to Professor Kukui, all of my Captains, and even Ula'Ula's Kahuna. I truly didn't find anything, but people are looking. People want to help…"

Selene was… stunned, almost. She shook her head and shifted forward in her seat. "But back at the docks… you were so… angry with me, and—"

"No, I wasn't," Olivia admitted. Shooting Dr. Faba another warning glare (honestly, Selene didn't think they even had to worry about him while Olivia was there; Olivia's fierceness was certainly a force to be reckoned with!), she moved closer to the group. Looking down, she continued. "I am the youngest Kahuna in Alolan history. I am also a woman. Now… I don't think I am at a disadvantage because of that, mind you, I still can do everything any other Kahuna can, but… there are a lot of jokes and misinformation that get spread about me. When I was first instated, the other Kahunas would not take me seriously at all. It wasn't until I raised my voice and started just doing things without talking them out so much beforehand that they started listening to me…" She looked straight ahead at them then and cleared her throat. "It does not help that the 'gift' Tapu Lele gave me, if you can even call it that, was ʻili pōhaku." Although Selene understood what that had meant, Olivia translated, "Stone skin." To emphasize her point, she raised her left hand and knocked on her right forearm. The sound that followed was something akin to clicking, like banging two rocks together. "I'm essentially immortal when it comes to injury. My skin is this weird… meld of rock and flesh. However…" She faltered slightly. "What that means for me if I am ever demoted is, Tapu Lele will simply k—… destroy me. On top of having nobody take me seriously, I had to fear that I was working on a clock. I still believe I am working on a clock, a much shorter one than everyone else."

Elio seemed to lose some nerve and he tossed Selene and uncertain stare. She didn't know how to respond, either… Her heart sunk like a stone. She just didn't have the words to describe the horrific truth Olivia had divulged. Moreover, it made her internally begin to panic to realize that one such price for some Tapu 'gifts' was simply death. Then again… she supposed the alternative for Olivia would have been to be skinned alive. Quivering slightly, Selene gnawed her lower lip. I'm… really curious about mine now… but I'm so scared… She focused back on Olivia, almost admiring her. Would I do more because I knew I was running out of time like her, or would I just break?

"So, when I was 'angry' with you on the dock… I wasn't. I was busy and I was afraid that if anyone saw that exchange or word got out, I could suddenly be facing more rumors, something else to further damage my reputation," Olivia explained. "Trust me, some girl grabbing my hand and looking a little awkward would be fuel enough for rumors of me being a lesbian. Now, I don't care what people do, but there are plenty of people who would never listen to me again if they thought I was that." She shrugged. "But I do want to help. And I know that since I am working on a clock, and since you all are, too… That there is no point in making you waste time battling me when you have something far more important to deal with." Reaching into her gray bag, she retrieved a few dusky, gray crystals. Hau and the policeman both perked up, as if shocked, as Olivia distributed the crystals among Hau, Selene, and Elio.

"Rockium-Zs," Olivia said, then proceeded to perform the quick dance one would have to do in order to use the crystal properly. "That will help make you stronger in a pinch… I truly am sorry there isn't much more I can do."

Urgently, Hau asked in Alolan, "Won't that upset Tapu Lele? Just… giving those away, like that? Kahuna Olivia, what if—"

Softly, Olivia responded in Alolan as well, "I have always done what I have felt is best for my island and the people on it. If Tapu Lele has a problem with it, she and I will hash that out, but… I hope that I have done enough already that Tapu Lele may trust me some."

Hau shook his head rapidly. "Tapu Lele trusts nobody. I saw her. She was afraid of me and Captain Mallow. She's afraid of people… Kahuna Olivia, please, are you sure…?"

"I know what I'm doing, Hau," Olivia assured him with a reserved dip of her chin. "I promise I understand. It will be okay."

To that, Hau anxiously looked as if he wanted to say something else, but in the end, he just closed his mouth.

"All of those theatrics about being able to handle it just fine, and your solution for their missing parents, their missing flesh and blood, is to give them shiny rocks?" Dr. Faba rudely scoffed. Ignoring Olivia's dismayed gawking, he passed ahead of her and got uncomfortably close to Elio and Selene (who had jumped from her chair to receive her Rockium-Z). "Listen. I fear that others here are not as accepting of the Aether Foundation's help as they should be. We have locations across each island and regularly send employees to each one, even, who are constantly gathering data and talking to various individuals. If you want to come with me to Aether Paradise, our main headquarters, we can get a proper report filed, away from hostilities such as hers, and your parents could be located in less than a week, I can almost guarantee." He softly smiled.

Elio and Selene both hesitated to respond. Sharing another look between themselves, Selene felt confident they were both realizing the same thing. Lillie said that the Aether Foundation wasn't entirely bad… in fact, it was mainly just her mother and a couple other people that assisted in those horrible experiments… So, this Dr. Faba guy… he could actually help us… but we can't take Lillie back there because those people are looking for her. Selene fleetingly glanced to Hau. But we can't leave him alone with her, I don't think… We really shouldn't split up at all. This place is so dangerous… I… I hate the thought of leaving any of us alone… Hau was so demoralized after he met Tapu Lele after he was alone for just a little while… She gnawed her lip as she met Dr. Faba's gaze again. But… this… what if this is our only shot at finding them…?

"You guys can go," Lillie piped up brokenly from behind them, "but I don't want to go. I want to st-stay here…"

"We're not leaving her alone," Elio whispered to Selene tensely. His eyes were upturned apologetically, but he shook his head and kept shooting Lillie uncertain looks. "I-I know, sis, that sounds b-bad, because this… could be our break, but…"

"What if this is our only shot?" Selene insisted, feeling her heart start to thump. The instant Elio had said that, she had realized she wanted to go. She wanted to go more than anything in the world. Surely, they could figure out something for Lillie? Something, anything—

"Faba," Olivia growled, "whatever you're up to—"

"I am not up to anything, Miss Olivia," Dr. Faba retorted spitefully as he raised his chin at her. "I am assisting these young people. Are you so prideful that you will let your refusal to admit your islands need some help every now and then keep these two potentially from reuniting with family? Especially considering just all what could have happened to them here? What those thugs did outside is child's play compared to what they are known to do on Ula'Ula, is it not? Why, it might as well be a warzone there!"

Selene grimaced and felt her heart flutter into her throat. Mom, Dad…

"Well, we can't leave her alone," Elio huffed, gesturing toward Lillie. "She's hurt and she's scared."

"She can come with!" Dr. Faba beamed.

"Not on your life," Lillie all but snarled. At Dr. Faba's expression of shock, she curled her lip and looked away. "Sorry," she forced, "I just don't want to go. I want to go somewhere quiet and safe to just… relax a while."

"Um… I stay with?" Hau nervously offered, picking his way closer to Lillie.

"Oh, come now, young man! Are you sure you don't want to go?" Dr. Faba pressed him. "Aether Paradise is like another world compared to here! And there are so many pokémon taking refuge there right now that you may never meet otherwise. Not to mention, all of the pokémon we've catalogued since we arrived here!"

Selene felt a flare of uncertainty, a red flag going off. What did that have to do with anything? Why was Dr. Faba so intent on Hau coming along?

Hau stalled in his tracks, then asked Dr. Faba, "How… how long ago did come, to Alola, again?"

"Oh, must have been… six, seven years? Or something like that now," Dr. Faba shrugged. "But we had a presence here even before that. Alola seemed to have a strange affinity for anomalous pokémon, and that drew our attention in the first place as a conservation group, especially since Alola was beginning to open up more to travelers."

"So… may know things about rare pokémon," Hau clarified, as if talking to himself. He shuffled nervously in place. "That… would good to see…"

Selene narrowed her eyes at him. What are you thinking, Hau…? Dr. Faba…? She flicked her gaze to Dr. Faba. What do you want?

Olivia finally threw her head back in defeat. "Fine. Fine, fine, fine. If you three want to go, I can escort Lillie somewhere safe until you all are done…"

Dr. Faba stumbled over his words some, but then exclaimed in an all-too cheery tone, "Splendid, Miss Olivia! I am glad you are coming to your sens—"

Olivia clanged her rocky fists together and ruthlessly spoke over him. "Kahuna Olivia!" She blew a puff of air to push some of her hair out of her face. "I am Kahuna Olivia to you. Not Miss. Ka-hun-a."

"Yes," Dr. Faba said through gritted teeth, "of course, Mi—Kahuna Olivia. My mistake."

"Selene," Elio whimpered quietly as he turned to her, shaking his head some more, "I really don't like this. I don't want to leave Lillie behind."

Pressing her lips to a thin line, Selene felt an angry surge of betrayal. Even if Dr. Faba seemed shady, even with all she knew of Aether from Lillie, she wanted to go so badly! Oh, how desperate she felt in that moment… Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to simply go. Her palms felt sweaty and her chest thrummed with the tantalizing possibility of finding anything out about Mom and Dad. "Our parents could be easily found through this," she reminded him in bitter Kantonian, "and you want to throw that away because of Lillie? Trust me, I feel bad for her, I know this stuff is serious, I understand why we can't let her pokémon or her get caught, but she's going to be with Kahuna Olivia the entire time we're away. Didn't you see Olivia just now? Not even this guy wanted to mess with her at first! Even if this guy here does work with the crazy people in the Foundation, don't you remember what Lillie said? About how they're not all bad? You, me, Hau, we'll all be together, too… We work fine together, don't we? And…" Selene felt like begging. She wanted this so badly… "Elio… please. They could really help us." She thought back to her idea of potentially helping Hau and Lillie both off Alola once they found their parents. "They could really help all of us…" …Don't you want this, too?

Elio ground his teeth some before clenching his eyes shut. "Fine," he admitted in defeat at last. "Fine… alright… Yeah." He turned to Olivia, who had gone and sat next to Lillie, whispering in Alolan to her (though it was too quiet for Selene to understand what she was saying). Upon Elio's approach, Olivia focused on him, and he dipped his head almost ashamedly. "Sorry, Lillie," he murmured quietly to her, "but… Selene and I really think this could help… Olivia, you'll be with her the whole time, right?"

Olivia nodded. "I know already where I can take her so she can have some time to relax and heal. The Hano Grand Resort also has some actual security aside from just me, there's always at least one Island Challenge Champion watching over the place. I promise, she'll be in good hands… and you do have her number, yes?"

"I almost forgot I had a phone, to be honest," Lillie weakly joked. "Not like there's many I talk to… But… yeah. I think I gave it to him a while back…"

"I'll call you for sure," Elio said determinedly. "I'm sure this won't take long, either."

"Good luck," Lillie whispered, failing to comment on anything else he had said. Selene guiltily shuffled her feet. I'm sorry, Lillie… I promise we're not abandoning you. Never, ever. I want Mom and Dad… but we're going to come back as soon as possible. We just… need this…

"Then, it's settled!" Dr. Faba cried, throwing his arms out wide. "Perfect! I will make a few calls and there should be a boat on the way soon. Why don't we relax for a while, perhaps grab something to eat, before we head over?"

Selene knew she was looking at a man and no Ekans or Arbok, but as she looked over this man's receding blond hair, his knowing, glittery eyes, all she could think was 'snake.' Although desperation had pushed her to so badly want to go with him, she knew the dangerous position she had just potentially put herself, Elio, and Hau in. Cutting her eyes after the scientist in an almost calculated way, she set her jaw.

Lillie was safe with Kahuna Olivia. Even if this Dr. Faba himself was unsafe, she, Elio, and Hau would be fine as long as they stuck together and kept their wits about them. This could be the break they had been so tirelessly searching for, but the nightmare wasn't over yet—far from it, in fact. She had continuously underestimated these islands again and again and again and she had no intentions on doing so this time.

As Dr. Faba headed out the station, Selene beckoned Hau and Elio close. "I know I just begged for us to go with him," Selene started carefully, her voice barely above a whisper, "but I haven't forgotten everything Lillie's said, I promise. The second this looks like it's going wrong, if he isn't actually taking us to Aether Paradise, whatever, I don't care what it is, if anything seems out of place—we need to band together and get out of there, whatever means necessary. End of story." She took a shaky breath. "Hope for the best, expect the worst… I'm going to give my Cubone my Rockium-Z, and yeah, I do have the Grassium-Z for Bowtie, too…"

Elio cast a lingering look over his shoulder, then slowly nodded. "Yeah… you're right." He licked his lips anxiously. "Firium-Z for Macho works, as we've all seen, heh…"

Yeah. I'm still grateful for how protective he can be… Selene fleetingly told herself.

Tilting his head in thought, Hau gave a half-smile. "Trust you. Will do. Can give Waterium-Z to Popper."

"Okay," Selene nodded briskly. "Let's go."

Your conversation with Faba

Faba

So, I may have hit a small snag…

Cosmog and the girl are alone now but are being escorted by an island kahuna to the hano grand resort

However if your two spacemen can get there sneakily enough, I doubt she'll be in the room WITH the girl. So there's that, at least I got her irritating friends away, she's a sitting psyduck now

Was almost cute how the boy kept trying to tell me off

Almost

I kind of wanted to slap him

You

Not in company uniform, you'd better not. But thank you, Faba. I'll talk to Zossie and Dulse now… Cosmog and the rest of my dreams are so close now, all thanks to you, Saubii~

Faba

Ha ha calling me by that silly nickname again are we?

You

You certainly seemed to like it the other day.

But that isn't what's important. Cosmog. I'm going to talk to Zossie and Dulse now and I will get back to you.

Faba

Yes, yes, I know, very well. I'll keep the girl's friends distracted however long you need. Found out by sheer chance that the kids are looking for their parents… and told them our humanitarian dept could maybe help. Ha ha ha sound like a coincidental story miss president? Sound familiar?

You

So that means you are bringing them to Aether? Be careful Faba, if they mess this up… they cant find out.

Faba

Relax, relax, it will all be fine! I promise! They won't find anything out about zero or their parents. They can search these islands until the miltank come home for all I'm concerned, ha ha

Lusamine had left her conversation with Dr. Faba at that. Some distant part of her cringed at the way he so dismissively spoke of children, particularly children looking for their parents, but the much more present, more frenzied part of her, concerned only with locating Cosmog at any cost necessary, was unbothered by it. Enjoyed it, even, to an extent. Almost giddily, she had called Zossie and Dulse to her office—the public one that lacked frozen statues of beauty. It was an almost selfish desire to keep them to herself, a possessiveness like no other.

Upon stepping into her stark, pristine office, Dulse and Zossie performed their robotic Alolan handwave, and then stood at attention, their hands drawn behind their backs. "You requested that we meet?" Dulse asked politely first.

"Dr. Faba located the girl and Cosmog," Lusamine almost purred to them, getting up from her desk and beginning to pace the length behind it. "She is headed for the Hano Grand Resort, a hotel on Akala Island. She is alone and injured. She will not be difficult to take in, her or the Cosmog."

Seizing up in hesitation, both of members of the Ultra Recon Squad seemed to reel for something to say. That made Lusamine narrow her eyes at them. "What is it?" she asked quietly.

"We… cannot return Cosmog to this location," Dulse reluctantly explained. "President Lusamine, while we are of course forever grateful for your assistance, both in technology and in helping us understand this realm, Cosmog is unstable, particularly in the Aether Foundation's hands, and there is a creature that can ruin worlds that it could set free if spooked or experimented with wrongly—"

"The Blinding One will destroy everything that makes Alola, that makes this world, so great," Zossie interjected passionately, sounding uncharacteristically serious as she pleadingly clasped her hands in front of herself. Sounding slightly choked, she begged, "Please… let Cosmog be for now. Your world is so beautiful already… why do you want to play with something so dangerous?"

I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate her, I hate them, I hate them all! In my beautiful, perfect world, there will be no place for such hideousness! Lusamine's blood started to boil as she realized that these two had been holding out on her all along. They had known! They had known and they had kept that precious key to her paradise hidden! Traitors! Traitors, traitors, traitors, traitors! She stamped a foot. "Because I need it! I need it to get him back!"

"Your… husband?" Dulse uncomfortably questioned.

Lusamine curled a lip and snorted. "No, you moron!" she sneered. Then, her disposition suddenly shifted so that she looked almost entranced, her eyes glassy as they unfocused on her surroundings, and a violent tremor ripped through her body. She felt so cold, so angry, so frustrated, so… upset. She just wanted him back. How dare Dulse ask her such a question! What did he know? He knew nothing! Mohn was gone! Of course Lusamine didn't need to get him back… She swallowed hard. Surely… "The… Nihilego…" she said at last, softly, breaking into a cold sweat. Yes, Nihilego. That was who she wanted as that warm feeling traveled her veins.

Dulse and Zossie stared at her a second, their expressions changing to ones of horror. "President Lusamine," Dulse started immediately, "were you ever struck by—"

"No!" Lusamine blithely cut him off, abruptly furious. "No! Bring me back Cosmog, or else! Nothing else matters!" None of it will ever matter again!

"Or else… what…?" Zossie questioned almost fearfully, taking a step back. She glanced nervously between Lusamine and Dulse. Deciding to focus on Dulse at last, she hissed, "What do we do? She's been poisoned by Nihilego, but we need that machine from Dr. Colress, and Soliera and Phyco said that we couldn't use violence… And I don't want to use violence…" Zossie looked as if she might be ill, given the way her azure face paled to near white. "Not here…"

"We will contact Soliera and Phyco and update them on today's developments," Dulse reassured her. Staring Lusamine down, he growled, "They will be more reasonable once they understand the severity of our situation." Not that Lusamine was paying close enough attention to notice, but Dulse wore a sour look at that point that seemed to silently say, "And here I thought you were just crazy by default." Yet, beneath that bitter façade, Lusamine swore he was looking on her with… pity. That made her teeth grind.

"You don't understand," Lusamine half-whined, half-snarled at them, beginning to pace behind her desk again. "None of you understand!" Frustrated, she snatched her phone off the desk, and dialed for someone. While it began to ring, her lips pulled into a sinister grin as she looked over the two Ultrarians ahead of her. "But that's no matter. Maybe I can't make you understand, but perhaps someone else can." I have no qualms against violence like you two. You two are now the enemy. The entire world may be my enemy before long. That's no matter; let it fall to fire or darkness, I don't care.

Ringing sounded from elsewhere in the room, and, materializing from the shadows at the far end of the office, the brown-haired Rosa filtered into view. That made Lusamine jolt in surprise, but for once, she found herself grateful as opposed to annoyed with Rosa's skulking in her invisible, cloaking suit. Rosa reached for her phone from some pocket on her intimidating, steel-mesh suit, and waved it mockingly at Dulse and Zossie before turning it off. "You rang, Lusi?" Rosa wolfishly asked with an evil glint in her chocolate eyes.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Zossie pressed, "Why? You live here, too! What do you have to gain from helping her, R-Rosa?"

"I don't," Rosa answered with a nonchalant shrug. Then, she raised a closed fist, cradling a Poké Ball, as that malicious grin crossed her lips again. "But Dr. Colress does, and honestly?" She laughed. "I'm bored! And I guess I am kind of curious to see whether he can really help reign in a pokémon known to end worlds or whatever it is you two ramble about."

Lusamine almost enjoyed the dismayed gaping the two Ultra Recon Squad members were doing, but it still didn't seem to sway their mind, even when Rosa pitched her Poké Ball to reveal a Genesect that could hardly fit within the confines of Lusamine's office. Dulse steadfastly crossed his arms and stiffened his legs. "I will not assist you in capturing Cosmog. I will not assist you in dooming your world and potentially hundreds or even thousands of others. I simply will not do it."

Zossie, more reluctantly, agreed with her partner. "M-my ancestors made a big mistake…" she meekly murmured. "I'm… I'm not helping to make another one like they did…"

"Then, I'll find someone who will," Lusamine spat. Glancing at Rosa, she groaned in frustration. "Force them to room 28-C with Genesect. I can lock it from the outside and you can get to it from here without anyone seeing anything."

"Sounds good, Lusi," Rosa practically sang as she pranced ahead of her Genesect. "You heard the boss lady, you two. Get moving. I'd hate to have to blast you back to your reality."

"You would have the entirety of Ultra Megalopolis' task forces to contend with if any harm befalls us, the Aether Foundation had an agreement with the URS!" Dulse barked, clearly growing more and more agitated by the second. "President Lusamine, this is unacceptable! Stop this now!"

"Genesect!" Rosa called. She didn't even issue an order for an attack; the pokémon merely glared after the URS and the cannon on its back began to glow ominously.

"Dulse," Zossie whimpered, "I don't think they're joking… a-and you and I both know what Nihilego toxins do…"

"But nobody else here seems to," Dulse frustratedly huffed. Mutinously, he lowered his shoulders and glared at Rosa and her Genesect. "If they did, they wouldn't be listening to her so closely…" Clearing his throat, he raised his voice. "Fine. We will go willingly to this room. But the point remains—we will not help you in acquiring Cosmog. If you go through with what I think you are trying to do, President Lusamine, our superiors will know. And I am still going to inform them of today's events."

Feeling so frustrated that she was nearly on the verge of tears, Lusamine merely waved a hand after Rosa and whirled around back on her desk, flopping down in her seat. Clasping her hands to her forehead and digging her nails slightly into her scalp, she gave a pained, almost mewl, "Fine, fine! Like I said before… I will find someone else who will."

I need him. I need him more than I need anything. With Nihilego, everything will finally make sense again, everything will go back to normal… yes, it'll all be perfect… a paradise all over again… I just need that stupid girl and that stupid Cosmog! I hate her! How could my own flesh and blood have worked so against me like she did? And then her brother! Lusamine was starting to tremble in rage as Rosa forced the URS out of her office, to be escorted to their newfound prison. They are not my children! They w-were monsters, designed to torment me… one to steal my last chance at happiness… the other, to serve as nothing more than a reminder of him…

She took a deep breath

But that's okay. Nihilego will make it all better. Just one more good injection, directly from him, one more permanent rip from this world to the next, and it will all just… be over…~

Chapter Text

It was disturbingly silent in that motel room. Well, save for the idle, dull patter of the rain outside—but that might as well have been silence, too. Ula'Ula did nothing but rain. He hadn't been there for long, but Gladion had grown used to the constant droning. Null was curled up in the far corner of the room; he still occasionally scratched at the mask hindering him, but it was as if he were making a concerted effort to stay as physically far from Gladion as he could. For Gladion, who was hauntedly staring at the tiny, dingy television in the caddy-cornered dresser of his motel room, that was just fine. He didn't want to look at Null. He didn't want to look at or think about any of his pokémon, or anybody, for that matter.

He had thought he had wanted Lillie to suffer. Yet all he could think about was that genuine, petrified scream she had issued when Null had attacked her… and that wasn't even to begin to mention the terrifying ferocity with which Null had descended on her. Then, there had been that damned helpless feeling as he had desperately tried to recall Null, just for the pokémon to whirl and snarl at him, dodging the beam of his Ultra Ball almost effortlessly. In a whirlwind of seconds, he had discovered he did not hate his sister, he did not want her to be in pain, that he was only angry—but then, he had realized immediately after that it had been too late. Just far, far too little, too late.

In the aftermath of Mohn's disappearance, Gladion had licked his wounds in silence, enduring his mother's growing discontent and waning grasp on reality with cold indifference, but that was the front he just gave the rest of the world. Truth be told, when he was alone, he was alive with turbulent feelings he didn't know what to do with, manifesting itself as tearing out clumps of hair, writing furious letters then shredding them to tatters in his bare hands, watching the most needlessly graphic films he could find for free, and, yes, sometimes, even… Well, suffice to say, all the horizontal slits through his clothes' forearms weren't always from Null.

Finding out about Null and witnessing the callous, oftentimes brutal experiments and restructuring the pokémon underwent had filled Gladion with a newfound vigor for life, newfound fire to combat the situation he'd found himself in. Null had given him something to work for; before Lillie had vanished, Null had given him hope that they weren't all destined to walk the path Lusamine had laid before them. Now, however, Null had reminded him that there was no such thing as escaping Lusamine's influence. There was a reason Gladion had kept his dark jacket on whenever he had gotten too unstable with a knife available to him for personal use. He didn't handle the sight of blood well, not ever since finding Lusamine yowling her grief to the heavens and clutching a blood-stained green handkerchief as he had in the lab back when Mohn had disappeared, so it offered some barrier between his eyes and the wounds. As such, watching Null slash a claw through Lillie's leg effortlessly, spilling her blood so freely, thrashing her bag as if it were nothing, so aggressively hunting her down like a beast possessed…

He felt so sick and he wanted to be angry and spiteful at the world, but that just took more energy than he had. That hope Null had once given was long gone. Mohn was gone, Lusamine had lost her mind, Lillie might as well have been worlds away, Null wasn't nearly his friend as much as he would have liked to believe, and Skull life was every bit as dreary and then some as he had heard. Sure, he was only twenty, it wasn't as if he should have had his life mapped perfectly out, but this… Surely, he was supposed to have had it more figured out than this? He had driven so far down deep, dark Scorbunny holes that he didn't know where to go to leave them anymore.

Life was an enormous puzzle, and somehow, Gladion had gone from having the corner and outlying pieces connected, to having it strewn all over the table all over again. That thought had him curling into himself on the bed and plucking harshly at his hair, making his scalp sore, as he ignored the TV (even though he was staring at it), and the dark trance meant that when there was a knock at his door, he all but flailed. Without thinking, he scrambled off the bed and leapt to his feet, staring at the back of the door with his heart pounding. Null raised his head from the corner of the room and growled, getting up as if to approach the door, but at Gladion's momentary glance, he retreated and curled back into a ball. A new wave of despair washed over him as Gladion realized he was glad for Null's exercise of self-control—as he realized that he was somewhat afraid of his 'friend.'

"Gladion? It's Plumeria."

She was about the last person he wanted to talk to. He curled his lip and, in a way that was intended to be far more biting than it was, snapped, "Go away." With that, he sat back on the bed, pointedly crossing his arms and glowering at the TV. Why didn't any of the pictures or dialogue make sense on that TV…? Why couldn't he just focus on something stupid and insignificant like that?

"Look, I just wanna talk. That's all."

Silently brooding, Gladion hoped she might decide to leave him alone if he just remained quiet long enough. That hope was dashed when he heard the lock at the door jostle and clank a few times before the door drifted open. At that, Gladion glared hateful daggers at her and, in a slight panic, barked, "What are you doing? Get out!" Did you really just pick my fucking door lock?

Rolling something in her palm, undoubtably whatever she had used to undo his lock, Plumeria strolled inside and clicked the door closed behind herself easily with a flick of her heel. "Gladion, I just want to talk. I—"

"About what?" Gladion cut her off, all but snarling. "I have nothing to talk about with you." Especially not with you. "Get out."

Crossing her arms, Plumeria was unfazed by his standoffish tone. "I just came to say that I heard what happened with Makua, and with, uh… your sister. Right? And Null?"

"And you've come to tell me how not even Skull wants me, how you were wrong about Skull needing me?" Gladion contemptuously snorted, relaxing in an almost nihilistic fashion. Was it really worth still getting so worked up about? "Makua told me plenty about how I was a pretty poor 'enforcer' and how Null—"

"I don't give a shit what Makua said."

Gladion shut his mouth with an audible click of the teeth. After a bewildered moment of silence (as he had been led to believe Makua was nearly as respected as she was), he raised a brow at her. "What?"

Leaning against the back of his door, Plumeria closed her eyes and looked up slightly. "Makua's sick. Been sick for a long time. Not sick like, pneumonia or nothin'. Sick in the head. Nothin' he said 'bout you meant anythin' to anyone back in Po Town. Big G tells him he can do whatever as long as he stays on his meds, but, ay, you saw how well that worked out." She gave a slight chuckle and tapped her shoe lightly. "He's an ol' friend of G's. Saw the whole thing with the Kahuna Kaua and Bulu. Tried to go back to normal livin' after that, 'cause he was scared shitless, 'cept his family ran 'im back to Po Town, an' he's been here with G ever since. Paranoid, combative asshole when he's havin' an episode, he is," she groaned. Standing up straight again, she tilted her head at Gladion. "But your pokémon… tell me. I heard it went nuts and attacked your sis. What happened?"

It was too much to try to empathize with what Plumeria had just divulged about Makua, so Gladion just shook away the thoughts and defensively responded, "I don't know. She got close, he lunged at her, who knows." Losing his angry fervor, Gladion shot the pokémon—still lying a respectful distance away in the corner—a dejected glance. I never really know who anyone is… no matter how close we get…

"I see…"

"So, on with it. You're kicking me out, aren't you?" Gladion clenched his jaw. "After all, you said you wanted me in 'cause my pokémon could help. Well, you just learned it can't always be trusted. So…"

"So, I don't care." Plumeria sauntered further into the room and put her hands on her hips. "Glad."

"I hate that nickname."

"Tough. Glad?"

"What?"

"That might'a been what I wanted ya in for at first, but once Skull, always Skull. We ain't give up on one another that easy." When he finally looked up at her, expression softening in shock, she continued with a slight nod of her head. "I never meant ya any harm, even if I didn't sound so nice then… Yeah, yeah, people in Skull hate the Island Challenge or the Tapus or whatever, but that ain't what keeps us together. I said it before, I'll say it again, we're family. And if ya ain't got anywhere else to go in Alola, we'll help."

"I just don't understand…" Gladion shook his head. "That's not how the others act." And I hate that word, too. Family. Pshh…

"We all got our reasons for bein' in Skull. Mine ain't hardly got anythin' to do with the Island Challenge," Plumeria snorted. "Or Tapus or any o' that shit." She held up a hand, spreading all five fingers in front of him. "Oldest o' five. Parents lived here on Ula'Ula. I'm sure ya noticed, but it ain't the prettiest of places to live here in Alola. They fought a bunch, over money, I guess, I don't remember. I quit payin' attention to it when I was still pretty young. One night was as bad as the rest. Yellin' and whatnot. Pops decided he wanted a drink, Mom decided she was done. He took one too many chances with walkin' home drunk, met a wild Noivern, and she vanished, no idea where she went. Pretty shit night for the Plumeria kids."

Paling, Gladion looked down, at his hands. "I'm sorry," he whispered quietly. He didn't have the energy to be so bitter toward her anymore, much less so after hearing that. He fought the urge to pluck at his hair.

"I was fifteen. The fuck was I gonna do? I had no idea what to do. I struggled for a bit, met Guz, was pissed at first 'cause I still thought Skull were a buncha no-good heathens or whatever, but…" she trailed off and laughed resignedly. "He found it funny, the dick. Me bein' pissed off at him while dealin' with little bratty kids, all o' which hated me 'cause they thought I had somethin' to do with Mom leavin' and Dad dyin'. Well… I got to know him better, 'cause I was lonely and I just… couldn't always take my siblings tellin' me that stuff about how they hated me, y'know? Guz was way more understandin' than I ever would'a expected. O' course, between that, and between knowin' I'd never be able to go for the Island Challenge with my four siblings to take care of, wasn't long 'fore I gave in to his offer to let us stay in Po Town. He said he'd keep us safe and dry an' whatever. 'Course I went with it."

"What… happened, then? That doesn't seem like it would give you any reason to hate the Island Challenge," Gladion chanced asking, cursing himself for doing so at first. What do you care? he bitingly thought to himself. You don't. You're nothing. Give it up. Give it all up.

"'Cause by goin' to Skull for help, I doomed my siblings, too, to always have to live like… this. Y'know what I mean, Glad," Plumeria sighed, sadly this time. In a much less amused tone, and her lips losing their smirking edge, she mumbled, "They never even got the chance to try an' do the Island Challenge. They grew up 'round a buncha Skull guys tellin' em what they thought from day one. Then… they got it in their heads they could do somethin' more 'bout it, Tapu Bulu be damned. Bulu didn't get 'em. But they hatched some Sliggoo-brained scheme to inspire people from other islands to second-guess the Tapus… didn't include me 'cause I was so close to Guz, and they still hated me for Mom and Dad. They pissed off some Island Challenge Champions that protect Konikoni on Akala and they died for it. All four o' em. Gone, like 'at."

To his horrified gawking, Plumeria shrugged. "It hurt. It still hurts like a bitch. Should I have gone to Skull, or tried an' make it on the streets? Who knows. I still don't know if what I did was right or not. But I always had the best intentions at heart and this place fucks with people's heads. With all the bullshit superstition and the drama around the Island Challenge, way too many people lose their lives for dumbass reasons." Unfolding her arms and eyes burning with a passion that was nearly intimidating, Plumeria growled, "That's why I hate the Island Challenge. That's why I wanna help Skull. That's why I wanted you here and why I was willin' to do anythin' to get you and Guz to agree. But don't you ever think for a second that I don't care about you or that I'll throw ya out on your ass. Not everyone has to end up like my siblings, and I don't give a fuck what your pokémon did. It's a pokémon. Escaped lab experiment or not, it's still a pokémon. People and pokémon make mistakes and do dumb shit when mad, or scared, or whatever."

Swallowing hard, Gladion almost fearfully looked up at her. "What… what are you getting at?" His eyes wandered back to Null, then, and he felt a flicker of sorrow. Sorrow for being so mad at him and sorrow for being unsure how he could trust the pokémon again.

"You're still Skull to me, and to the rest of us. Fuck Makua. But Glad, what do you think?"

He thought for a moment, and looked between her, Null, then back down at his hands. His right sleeve was pulled up slightly, and he could see the dull, horizontal scar beneath it. A haunting reminder of so many horrid, wasteful nights before he had met Null.

"Ya gonna let this place take your fight away, or ya wanna help us show it who's boss? It's slow. But every one of us helps. It ain't always gotta be this way." She traced his line of sight, then gave a sideways glance to Null. "Null can be dangerous, sure. But that ain't mean he's a lost cause. Ain't nobody ever really a lost cause, if you ask me. We just gotta be a little smarter and respect that he's not the same as a normal pokémon. Ain't no tellin' what weirdness they got programmed into 'im."

Gladion pulled that sleeve further down to cover the scar. No. He was done dragging his feet. Plumeria was right. The past was the past, and he had been so desperate for a friend and to have someone with him on his personal journey away from Lusamine that he had overlooked the fact that Null was a pokémon designed as weaponry. It was pointless and even unfair to be moody and cold toward him; Null wouldn't understand and would suffer more for it, than if Gladion simply treated him with the respect such a dangerous creature deserved. He just had to move on and be more careful.

He stood up and met Plumeria's eyes with a flicker of determination; he was still feeling too beaten to truly feel as fiery as she sounded, but the promise of future progress, the blazing desire to do more, to rise up and survive it all… it was there. The precious will to surpass these new hardships had not succumbed yet. If he was a soldier in this war against Alola's toxicity, then he was merely wounded—not down and out of the fight just yet. He had endured plenty of hardships before, after all, and those winters had not stopped him yet. Aether Paradise, Lillie, Lusamine—it was all in the past. What had happened, had happened. Maybe it was time it stayed in the past for good.

"I think I am a member of Skull," Gladion answered sternly. "I want to keep helping, however I can."

Plumeria grinned. "Glad to have you on board, Gladdy. Guz'll be glad to hear."

Maybe having them call him by the various nicknames wasn't so bad after all.

Alone in the Hano Grand Resort room, Lillie was splayed in one of the beds. Kahuna Olivia had claimed she had too much to do to stay with her, but, while she believed Hano Grand Resort to be safe, she didn't want to leave Lillie without any help at all. So, she had called one of her Captains that was free to come stay with her (which Lillie had agreed to almost automatically). She felt as if she were drowning in panic and having someone else trustworthy there to help her was absolutely welcome.

Of course, Captain Lana was less than a calming roommate. She was on the younger side of being a Captain—fourteen or fifteen, if Lillie had to guess—and she was a boisterous person. Although the hotel room was admittedly much grander than Lillie had expected, sporting a much better TV system than she had seen elsewhere in Alola and a gaming system along with beautiful interior decoration and furniture, it was obvious that it quickly grew boring for Lana. Thankfully, the Captain seemed to find a game on the system to focus on for a little while, giving Lillie some time to relax and simply think… Though, she supposed with a roll of her eyes to herself, that her thinking wasn't too good of an idea, either.

She had begrudgingly accepted that she was not the hero she had subconsciously believed herself to be before, that she had run from Aether Paradise for herself far more than Nebby, merely taking him with her out of pity or perhaps the selfish desire to have another friend. She didn't clearly remember her thoughts surrounding that anymore. She didn't remember who she had been back then, anymore. Nor did she remember why she was so against carrying pokémon nowadays. Sure, she had hated the parades of injured creatures she had seen back on Aether, but the more she traveled, the more she saw, the more she realized how much of a drag on everyone else she was by being so helpless. Perpperspray and experimentally-strong repels didn't do anything against people—or pokémon—with a murderous rage toward her, she thought bitterly. She didn't blame Selene and Elio for wanting to go to Aether to file a report or talk to some people regarding their parents. She just hoped that was all Faba had planned for them.

Oh, Lillie wasn't stupid. She knew Faba had recognized her, there was no doubt about that, and that he was likely plotting something to get her back before long, and driving Selene, Elio, and Hau away was a step in that process. So, why had she let them go so willingly, even encouraged them to do so? Truthfully, she was tired of holding them back, tired of everyone that got close to her becoming a target. Nebby was a beacon of trouble, one that could potentially plunge the world to unending darkness if what Dulse and Zossie had said were true, and somehow she, a helpless, bitter girl, had become his guardian.

While she was glad to have Lana there, glad to be under Kahuna Olivia's protection, she was once again just hiding beneath someone else's shadow and hoping for the best. She knew that soon, she would have to either rise up and learn to defend herself, or she would have to surrender Nebby and herself to Aether, to give up this fantasy of escape she had been living for so long. Call Kukui and tell him that it was over, that she was giving up.

What scared her was how little she cared about which path she ended up taking…

"So, you got a boyfriend in that Kanto guy?"

Blinking in surprise, Lillie moved to see that Lana was leaned against her bed now, elbows on the covers and grinning mischievously. At Lillie's blank stare, she rolled her eyes. "C'mon, do you? The one Olivia told me about? Oh, or what about Hau? A Kahuna's grandson!" At that, Lana wagged her eyebrows.

With a hoarse laugh and a mocking show of gagging, Lillie shot back, "Absolutely not. Hau? That would be gross."

"Ouch for Hau," Lana taunted. "For real?"

"Well!" Lillie felt her face start to burn. "He's just my friend and he's got so much going on already…"

"You still never said anything about Kanto boy, though," Lana teasingly sang, bouncing her weight from side to side.

"Elio," Lillie softly corrected her, smiling wide without realizing it. "He's… a really good guy." Who might be starting to lose himself in this place some… all because I can't hold my fucking own against anything, he feels like he has to be big, tough guy now.

"Ohh, you like him~!" Lana beamed. "What about him, though?"

Lillie raised a brow at her, and before she could say anything, Lana groaned. "What, can't I gossip a little bit? Olivia yells at me to not talk to Mallow about all her 'friends,' and Kiawe is always too busy dancing or something to talk, I don't get to gossip or talk about boys, ever!" She dramatically threw her hands up. "And they don't like it when I pull pranks."

"What kind of pranks do you pull?" Lillie couldn't help but ask, starting to giggle to herself.

"You know, turning the ground below them to liquid or the air around their hands to a solid, stuff like that!"

Bursting into full-blown laughter, Lillie choked, "Wow, I can't imagine why they wouldn't like that!"

Lana nodded in complete, serious agreement. "Exactly! Oi, boys!" Lana rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "See, girls don't have that problem. I do that to Mallow, and she laughs! And she's a lot of fun to hang out with, too. Mallow's awesome~!" Shrugging, she shook her head, as if to refocus on the topic at hand. "Anyway, you really like this Elio guy, right? Gonna get married? Have a little house at the end of the Melemele Meadow? Two kids, girl and a boy?"

Lana was clearly joking with her simper and snarky tone, but it was scaring Lillie how she legitimately didn't know what she wanted in her future—truthfully, she couldn't visualize a future at all. She was so focused on the here and now…

"Lana…" Lillie yawned, stiffly shifting her shoulders, "I think I should get some rest… Ah… thank you, again, for coming to stay…"

"Of course!" Lana exclaimed. She whirled around to play the gaming system again.

I miss you guys already… Lillie thought tiredly about Selene, Elio, and Hau as she settled in with an equally as subdued Nebby to try to rest some.

Selene had decided that, once and for all, she had to read through that book detailing Captain and Kahuna abilities. She just had to. So, after she, Elio, and Hau were done pretending to make friends with the snakelike Dr. Faba and had joined him at a sleek, white boat at a dock to take to Aether Paradise, she had retrieved it from her bag and splayed it open in her lap, comfortably seated in a covered cab in the lower innards of the vessel. The book was all written in Alolan—which she should have expected, she thought in retrospect—but thanks to her gift (or curse, she wasn't sure yet), she could understand it. Of course, Elio, seated beside her, grew anxious when he looked over at it and couldn't read any of it, based on the way he kept shifting uncomfortably and glancing at it again and again, as if he expected to suddenly understand it if he looked hard enough.

The book, titled Alolan Gifts, a Detailed Summary by Dr. Kuili, had a table of contents that was split into three major sections: Alters, Manipulators, and Proxies. Each section had a massive list of names below it, but not all of them made sense to her, so Selene began to flip through the pages to read through the various abilities in closer detail.

Alters.  These gifts are defined by the fact that they specifically affect some sort of attribute or trait of the person in question; the ability is passive and ever-present, unlike those of Manipulators or most Proxies, which are impermanent and summoned as needed. This gift is the most common sort of gift (theorized to be because they are generally the easiest and least crippling to remove from the person in question).

Frowning, Selene started to read through the list, unsure if she completely understood that description. One caught her eye, making her jolt in surprise and pull the book just a little closer.

Moral Detection

This Alter allows the gifted person to understand the view of rights and wrongs or good or evil any person may have, as long as they can have a direct line of sight with the individual. This ability is almost always gifted alongside a Normalium-Z and has never been gifted to a Kahuna, only Captains. This particular gift has never been given by any Tapu other than Tapu Koko.

Kahunas:  None.

Captains:  Ma'amau Ka, Hakahaka Lum, Ke'oke'o Mea'ole, Holina Um, Ilima Kane

Removal:  Moral Detection Alter is believed to be removed strictly through blinding, as no other methods of removal have ever been utilized. Most Moral Detection Alters are able to live relatively high quality lives following their demotion.

There were all sorts of abilities under that heading beyond just Captain Ilima's, though. Kahuna Hala's inhuman strength, Kahuna Olivia's skin of stone, lie detection, the ability to see the full color spectrum (merely called 'spectrum' in the book), something called 'Ultravision' that she couldn't understand no matter how much she read about it—it all started to sound like something out of a second-rate superhero comic book after a point. Yet, there was nothing there that sounded remotely like her ability, much to her dismay. She frustratedly flicked a finger against the pages at that. Hers seemed to fit the description of an Alter, an ability that was passive and 'built-in' to the user, so to speak, so why wasn't it there?

"Everything okay?" Elio asked her, hushed, cautiously looking around the cab of the boat they were seated in. Hau glanced to them from a seat or two away, looking curious, but seemingly keen on keeping his silence.

"Just, still reading," Selene answered him quietly, continuing to skim the pages anyway.

Manipulators.  These gifts are defined by the fact that they do not change a characteristic or trait about the person in question but allow them to change something about the environment surrounding themselves. The ability's area of effect can vary wildly depending on the exact gift or person. Manipulators generally have a 'vector,' or a specific part of their body that must perform a ritualistic action or touch their target to manipulate it. The most common vector is the hands, either a specific movement with them or contact with the target via the hands.

She kept reading… Another jumped out as familiar, even if it was still not quite what she was looking for.

State of Matter Manipulation

This Manipulator allows the gifted person to change a specific object or part of an object to a different state of matter, such as from solid to liquid, liquid to gas, gas to solid, or any variation thereof. This Manipulator typically has a very small area of effect and is sometimes confused with the Temperature Manipulation Manipulator when the gift first presents itself (due to states of matter changes often having to deal with temperature). However, testing quickly can separate the two from one another, as State of Matter Manipulators cannot change temperature as accurately as Temperature Manipulators, and Temperature Manipulators cannot change targets directly from solid to gas or vice versa like State of Matter Manipulators can. This gift typically uses the hands or feet (sometimes both) as vectors. This is one of the most common Manipulator gifts, with many Kahunas and Captains throughout the centuries having been recorded with abilities best fitting this description.

The Kahunas and Captains that the book listed for the ability… well, there were a lot, including the current Captain Lana. This book wasn't lying when it said this is one of the more common Manipulators, Selene thought with a twinge of morbid amusement. Especially considering the next part.

Removal:  Dependent on the user's vector, as to remove the ability, the Tapu must disable the vector's ability to move or feel. Vectors may be paralyzed at the necessary point of contact or may be disabled by partial dismemberment (or severe injury, even if not total dismemberment, requiring amputation to save the user's life). Users of this Manipulator have an unfortunately low rate o'ke'ola'ana(1) following the removal of their gift.

Although busy cringing at the realization that Captain Lana, the boisterous, jokester of a young Captain, would one day be partially paralyzed or devastatingly injured (which, if what Hau had said about Tapu Lele was anything to go by, was more likely), Selene was confused by the unfamiliar Alolan words. It seemed to be an entirely original phrase to the language, and the footnote at the bottom told her to check the glossary in case the term was unfamiliar. In the rear of the book, she found…

Rate O'ke'ola'ana, n.:  A term historians and Alolan scientists use to discuss the survival rate of Captains and Kahunas following their dismissal by the Tapu. Certain gifts have consistently high or low rates o'ke'ola'ana, while others are unpredictable. This data is used by humanitarians across the islands to make efforts to raise the survival rate of Captains and Kahunas post-service. Low rates o'ke'ola'ana are not necessarily always due to health complications after the removal of their abilities, however; psychological distress and, sadly, suicide, plays a major role in certain gifts' rates o'ke'ola'ana.

That made her face go white as a sheet, and she shivered. Elio frettingly shifted in his seat and almost whined, "Selene?"

"N-nothing," she stammered, clutching the book a little too tightly. "Just, reading about some other abilities. Sorry. Haven't found mine yet."

"Alright…"

Proxies.  These gifts do not fit cleanly into Alters or Manipulators (as many of them both manipulate the user's environment and alter a characteristic of them) and are believed to be based on the very capabilities of the Tapus themselves. The rarest kind of gifts, these are poorly understood by those that study the Tapus, but their rarity is believed to be due to the difficulty in imparting the gift on the target, as well as the difficulty in removing it. Proxies typically have the highest rates o'ke'ola'ana and are normally reserved for Kahunas. However, in recent years, the rate of Proxy gifts has noticeably increased.

Tapu Koko Proxy

These Proxies have abilities relating heavily to electricity, velocity, and combative power. While individual Proxies have slight differences in how they operate exactly, they typically function in one of three ways, all of which are based on electrical generation by the speed of the user's heart. Heartrate tends to increase with intense emotions, meaning that Tapu Koko Proxies tend to be more reactionary and offensive than others. As the name would suggest, only Captains and Kahunas from Melemele Island have been gifted the Tapu Koko Proxy.

1) Electrical.  Electrical generation that increases with heartrate (so the user can create their own electricity) and simultaneous ability to alter and affect electricity around the user. Electrical Tapu Koko Proxies also are immune to electrical shocks and being subjected to electrical surges increases their heartrate, thus their electrical generation, thus their power.

2) Swift.  Rapid movement that is caused by electrical generation via heartrate (similar to the Electrical Tapu Koko Proxy). However, since rapid movement increases heartrate, they are capable of moving even faster over time, as the ability is used. Swift Tapu Koko Proxies tend to be extremely frail as the constant high rate of movement can rapidly eat through the body's reserves.

3) Destructive.  Electrical generation by the heart increases musculature and allows the user to hit unnaturally hard compared to a normal human being (usually with the added effect of paralysis). Destructive Tapu Koko Proxies tend to be slow and reserved in everyday life, almost lethargic, and this is believed to be due to the body's natural desire to keep its electrical reserves high if needed for a fight.

With the names of Captains and Kahunas all ones she didn't recognize, she continued…

Removal:  Few Tapu Koko Proxies have lived to their retirement. The reactionary nature of the gift tends to goad the Proxies into dangerous situations that oftentimes end in tragedy. However, the Captain Ko'ana lived to retirement and, although his demotion ceremony was long in the past, it was written that Tapu Koko sent an overwhelming amount of electricity through his body and simply stopped his heart. Due to the nature of the gift's use and this account, those that study the Tapus and their gifts are led to believe all Tapu Koko Proxies have a fatal demotion process and therefore, a completely fatal rate o'ke'ola'ana.

Trembling slightly, Selene looked up at Hau. That's got to be what he is… but then… she swallowed hard. Will Tapu Koko still…? Then, a bolt of anger flashed through her. How can he come to me in a vision and claim Alola needs help, he needs help, need me for it, and then, he's apparently been killing Captains and Kahunas, too? How can I not be sure he's no better than Tapu Lele, like what Hau explained? She clenched her jaw. She couldn't be sure, but she had been roped into it all the same. Oh, how infuriating it was to think she had been drafted into the cruel games of a malevolent, living god! Yet, she still needed to know more. She had to know more. Maybe if she knew more, just maybe, there could be something she could do… Something. Anything.

The Tapu Lele Proxy was also divided into subcategories, but the gist of it was, they all focused on healing and the acceleration of growth (particularly of plants). Tapu Bulu Proxies were all about destruction and using plant life to do so. Tapu Fini Proxies were apparently poorly understood according to the book, since there had been so few, but it was believed to be focused on weather manipulation and detoxification abilities. But what caught her eye was that there was actually a fifth Proxy type.

Unknown Proxy

Although not based on a Tapu of any kind, these gifts are categorized as the Unknown Proxy since so little is known about them and so few have been gifted with them, they do not fit cleanly into the Alter or Manipulator categories, and do not align with any known capabilities of the Tapus. There are three gifts currently regarded as Unknown Proxies, each having only been gifted once except for the third, and all of them have been given to past Kahunas.

Mind Jumper

The Mind Jumper is an Alter in the sense that the person themselves passively can view the memories of others and a Manipulator in the sense that they can display memories for others to view around them. However, the exact usage of the gift is relatively unknown. The only known recipient of the Mind Jumper Unknown Proxy was Kahuna Kaua, a Kahuna of Poni Island, from Tapu Fini, and he was uncooperative with researchers documenting his gift. However, based on observations and firsthand accounts, some understanding has been gathered.

1) Memory Jumping.  The Mind Jumper has the ability to "jump" into the memories of others around them, by either concentrating on the target intently or by touching them (witness accounts vary). Secondhand accounts from people close to Kahuna Kaua suggest that the Mind Jumper views the memories from the target's perspective, feeling their emotions and thoughts throughout it, while still maintaining their self-awareness.

2) Memory Displaying.  The Mind Jumper has the ability to display memories for others to view around them. It is an intangible, yet three-dimensional image that lays out around the individual in a radius. Unlike in Memory Jumping, the memories are viewed omnisciently. It is unknown how the Mind Jumper performs this ability as witnesses are rare and uncooperative.

3) Dream Jumping.  Older Skull Gang members rumor that Kahuna Kaua was capable of visiting them in their dreams and he would later talk to them in person and be knowledgeable about the dream, leading many to believe that the Mind Jumper has the ability to communicate to others via dreams. However, again, witnesses are rare, uncooperative, and even those that are do not understand how it worked.

Kahunas:  Kaua I'miu

Captains:  None.

Removal:  Unknown. Kahuna Kaua was killed by Tapu Bulu by a summoned lightning strike prior to a proper demotion. However, based on comparable gifts dealing with superhuman mental capabilities, it is believed that the removal process for the Mind Jumper would simply be mental degradation (premature dementia or massive memory processing issues), since it would make it impossible to Memory Jump, Memory Display, or Dream Jump competently. However, it is completely possible that death is the removal process, as almost all Proxies have high rates o'ke'ola'ana.

Closing the book, Selene quietly tucked it under her arm and stared at her shoes. Had she not been so unnerved by what she had read, she might have thought to give some consideration to the book claiming Kahuna Kaua was from Poni; after all, Ilima had told her he had been struck down on Ula'Ula, leading one to naturally assume that was his home island. Yet, those thoughts were lost as she continued reading, and ultimately, when she finished, they were long gone. Elio nudged her with his elbow. "Selene?" he called again. "Did you find it, or…?"

"I did," she answered slowly, swallowing against a dry, dry mouth.

Nervously, Elio pressed, "So…"

"The last person to have what I have was the leader of the Skull Gang," she spilled, covering her face with her hands after. It muffled her voice (which she would have been more thankful for if she weren't so upset, considering how it was supposed to be a secret). "You know, the one who got killed by the Tapu, and started all the nonsense with Skull? Nothing's known about it. I don't even know how to do half the things it says I should be able to do!"

"Selene, we'll figure it out," Elio tried to soothingly say, reaching to grab one of her arms. She wrenched it away and frustratedly moved her hands to clutch fistfuls of her own hair.

"Will we?" she pointedly asked. "Because I don't know." So many people have apparently tried to do exactly what I'm doing now, fight this system, get out of here, you name it, they've tried. And they all failed. Kahuna Kaua was killed for it. What the hell hope do I have against it? What does Tapu Koko want from me?

Hau had craned his neck to worriedly look over at them. "What wrong?" he asked anxiously.

"Everything," Selene grumbled, leaning her head against the seat ahead of her. Even if we do find my parents, what then? I still have this stupid gif—curse. She curled her lip at the way the book had consistently referred to the abilities as 'gifts.' Will they hunt me down? And what about Hau!? she internally despaired. His is apparently completely fatal! Oh, mine has at least a chance to live, but I won't remember a damn thing!

"We're almost at Aether, I think," Elio nervously told her. "Selene… do you want to talk about—"

"No."

"But… maybe—"

"I said no. I don't want to talk about that now, or again, or ever. No. I hate that book." With that, she tossed it into the empty seat beside her and refused to look at it. Maybe that was why she should have heeded the warnings that Kahunas and Captains tended to avoid reading about the demotion processes for their curses.

She supposed now she really would find out if she'd rise above it all or break like the rest.

Chapter Text

With Selene still subdued and disturbed by whatever she had discovered in the book, Hau behaving oddly reserved, and Lillie far away back on Akala Island in questionable safety, once they arrived at Aether Paradise, Elio was feeling quite anxious—except it was undercut by surges of protective fervor, which made him snappy with Dr. Faba, suspicious of the various Aether employees, and stick to his two companions like glue. Almost bullyingly so, he stuck as close to Selene as he could get, whereas Hau lingered just a little away from them. Of course, at the docks of Aether Paradise, Dr. Faba was quick to pawn the group off on a woman named Dr. Wicke, making the arrival all the more nerve-wracking. For Elio, landing on those sleek, metallic shores and witnessing the massive, marvelous insides—a true wonder of human engineering—was far more unsettling than it was awe-inspiring as it were. Detailed, small habitats, designed for recovering pokémon soon to be released back to the wild or relinquished to satellite conservational centers, should have been brilliance he would have once gawked at. Yet, in that moment, he had been too paranoid to, because Lillie had told him what secrets this place had harbored… and what she knew wasn't even the full story.

His own, suspicious side-eyeing of the enclosures had made him feel a pang of sadness. At first, it was because he missed feeling excitement over learning new information regarding pokémon conservation efforts, but then, because one of the grasslands enclosures included a Meowth. A Kantonian one, amongst a few other Alolan Meowth (that looked absolutely ridiculous, he had to say). Before he had too much opportunity to stew on that visual, though, the genuine, kindly Dr. Wicke led them to a computer so she could enter information for their missing person reports, which she explained would alert all their employees visiting the main Alolan islands to be on alert. Apparently, they had assisted the locals in finding a few people this way.

Of course, as she spoke (and as Elio and Selene struggled to answer her, in their combined, uncomfortable states), Elio remembered this woman from all Lillie had told them regarding her stint at Aether. Dr. Zyra Wicke was one of the Aether Foundation's many scientists, though she specialized in more relevant matters to the conservational efforts of the Foundation (as opposed to Faba, who, according to Lillie, worked almost exclusively on whatever project Lusamine sweettalked him into). On a tangent, it was hard for Elio to temper his resentment for that malevolent man whom he refused to refer to as a 'doctor' of anything, what with all he remembered from what Lillie had said that night on the Wela Volcano Park mountainside.

"I figured out later that the experiment that… hurt my father," Lillie had mumbled, wincing at the word 'hurt,' "was engineered by Faba, almost alone. He used a lot of research from other people, but what I gathered from the stuff I read about it was that it was almost all just him in the end. Mo—ahem, Lusamine, she was angry at him. Really upset, at first. Slapped him across the face and everything, and I thought for a while, maybe he really did just feel bad and that's why he was being so nice to her and did anything she asked…" Lillie had curled her lip and contemptuously growled, "But I know now that's absolutely not the case. If I had to guess, he just groveled at first because he was terrified she'd fire him, and maybe slander his name so he would never get his hands on any shiny science toys like what she offers him ever again. And then, Lusamine fell for every fake sweet thing he ever said… Me and Gladion weren't stupid. We knew something was going on between them before long. I just…"

She had trailed off at that point and the hurt permeating her tone had filled Elio then with a lurid hate for the scummy man that had taken it upon himself to singlehandedly exacerbate the dismantling of Lillie's family, all in the name of his own selfish, prideful ambition. Even as Dr. Wicke happily chatted away to Selene and Hau and took information from the prior about their missing parents, Elio was privately fuming over Faba. He couldn't fathom how anyone could knowingly harm others that didn't deserve it, knowingly put their own hurtful desires above others they supposedly cared for, knowingly pursued their wants without minding what it would take to get there. Personally, he felt that Faba would make a fine companion for Giratina in the Distortion World, whenever his end might come (which, he mutinously thought, couldn't seem to be soon enough).

"Ah, Elio, was it? Are you alright?" Dr. Wicke asked, prying him from his tunnel-visioned thoughts. When he jerked his head in surprise to face her, he found she was smiling innocently at him and had her head tilted slightly to the side, waiting patiently for his response. Despite the thick layer of niceness layered over her voice, though, her pale green eyes were almost glassy and distant. Elio met her gaze and for a moment, he felt a flare of panic as he was inundated with the uneasy sensation that this woman was silently drowning, wanting help but refusing to ask or look for it. He wasn't sure why he got that sensation, but it was enough to make him swallow hard and flounder for his words.

"I-I'm fine," he answered quietly, shuffling even closer to Selene (much to her protest, since that meant he was practically standing on top of her feet). "Ah, thanks… Dr. Wicke, for your help."

"Elio," Selene hissed, weakly shoving at his right shoulder, "get off me." With a huff, she sidestepped away from him and shot him a glare. "There's an entire floor here, you know."

Hau snorted in amusement involuntarily and Elio gave Selene a moody glare back, feeling a pang of embarrassment. He knew why he was clinging to her so closely, but that wasn't exactly something he wanted to go explaining in front of them all. Instead, he irritably puffed, "Exactly, you can move," he taunted, barely pulling off the joking delivery. Ugh… Jokes are my 'thing,' when did I get so bad at telling them? he thought with a slight grimace. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard Lillie reminding him how she loved it when he joked because he genuinely was relaxed, not because he felt he had to, and he sighed.

"You two seem great," Dr. Wicke commented with a soft, breathy laugh, folding a hand over her mouth as she did. Elio got that uneasy feeling of watching someone drown again as she stepped away from the computer at last and offered, "If you like, I can show you around some more of the conservational deck. And of course, whenever we're done, I can arrange a boat to take you back to an island of your choice."

Elio and Selene exchanged a glance, and while he was sure they had both settled on the option to simply return to Akala, they had only just opened their mouths when Hau rushed past them and looked up to Dr. Wicke. Extending his hands toward her, as if he wanted to grab her hand and beg but had just barely stopped himself, he blurted, "Would like see more of con… con… deck, thing." He anxiously licked his lips.

Frustrated, Elio snapped, "Hau, dude, L—" Idiot, don't say her name! Maybe she trusted Wicke in the past, but what if something's changed since then? "I mean, what about our friends back on Akala?" Hoping Hau would get the message, Elio gritted his teeth slightly and hissed, "They're relying on us to get back soon, remember?"

Dubiously looking back at Elio, Hau nervously grinned, in that way that was clearly meant to defuse a situation but meant anything except that Hau was happy. More like a grimace disguised as a smile to try to endear the other person into calming down. Elio might have had his focus primarily on his sister and Lillie most of the time, but he wasn't blind to Hau's quirks. "Please," Hau seemed to plead. He shuffled his feet and flicked anxious eyes between the three of them, explaining, "Two pokémon. One… hurt family, ae, want know if Aether know… about that… other… met pokémon and man from other region, time ago. Never learn what… pokémon it was…"

Interest clearly piqued, Dr. Wicke pushed up her glasses and tilted her head down at Hau. Picking up a clipboard from the computer she had just finished entering Selene and Elio's parents' data into, she clutched it across her chest and smiled warmly. "Do you remember anything about these two pokémon? Perhaps I can help in identifying them!"

His face lighting up with hope, Hau beamed, "Ae!" Except, just as he attempted to explain to Dr. Wicke in Alolan, the stark, white floor below them all tremored violently. Hard enough to make them all stumble for their balance. Instinctively, Elio grabbed for Selene's hand and clutched it tightly, refusing to let go even as he vaguely heard her protest and tell him to knock it off. Hau splayed his legs and looked up, as if expecting the ceiling to collapse in on them, and Dr. Wicke carefully tried to pick her way toward the banister overlooking the conservational deck, down at the habitats below.

"What's going on?" Elio barked, still holding Selene close.

Maybe a little too tightly. "Elio, ow!" Selene spat, wrenching her hand to try to get him to let go (and failing, as the action only succeeded in making the panic-stricken Elio tighten his grasp). "Let me go, damn it!"

Not a chance, he thought distractedly, failing to vocalize his thoughts. Gaze locked firmly on Dr. Wicke, he saw her gripping the banister tightly to steady herself as another lurching motion seized Aether Paradise. She strained to turn around without falling and exclaimed, "Get down!"

Before any of them could ask what was going on, behind her, Elio saw something he couldn't begin to describe. Levitating from the lower conservational floor (as he, Selene, Hau, and Dr. Wicke were on raised catwalks over the habitats), something akin to a Frillish, except much larger and seemingly made of glass rather than soft flesh, appeared. It was faceless, and tentacles hung from its body like glittering pieces of a fancy chandelier, swaying and moving slightly with its every, tiny movement. Elio, Selene, and Hau had frozen at the sight of it, failing to heed Dr. Wicke's orders to get down, and so, when the creature harshly swayed all its tentacles and emitted a high-pitched, clanging noise that ricocheted off the walls and felt as if it raked at their ears, they all yelped and hit their knees immediately. Elio had let Selene go out of reflex, but once the grating noise was over, he scrambled to get close to her again.

Mind racing, he internally berated himself for agreeing to come to the manmade island, as he scrambled to think about what they could do about the situation. Frightened enough at this unrecognized monster and Dr. Wicke's obvious panic (telling him this was certainly not supposed to be happening), he was further terrified when the beast lashed out its tentacles, and sharp, gleaming projectiles flew from its body. It looked like the move Power Gem, with the shards of rock wedging themselves deep into the metal walls and floors all around him, and a very powerful one at that—given the way one had cut deep into the floor next to him, far too close for comfort. He swallowed hard and covered his throat with his left hand, wincing at the other, darker possibilities swimming in his mind if that shard had just been a little further over…

Elio protectively hugged Selene then, an all-encompassing bearhug, much to her dismay. She squeaked, asking him what he was doing, but when another barrage of Power Gem shards rained down, she quit resisting and clung back to him just as tightly. He could feel her trembling and he could tell she was whimpering in fright, what with her face buried against his chest. With his chin defensively pressed over the top of her head, he furiously glared back at that beast, seemingly mindlessly attacking the facility, and bared his teeth almost animalistically at it. "Dr. Wicke, what the hell is that thing?" he managed to yell above the screeching alarms that had started blaring at some point. Funnily enough, in the chaos, Elio had all but failed to notice them until then.

"Nihilego," Dr. Wicke panted back. She had sunk to the floor at the banister, still with her back to the beast. She was breathing hard and when she tried to move, she yelped and would fall back into place. "Just stay down… someone will… will take care of it shortly…"

Before or after we get turned into living kebabs? he wanted to frustratedly demand, but further down the catwalk they were hiding on, Elio noticed an elevator bring Faba up—but he wasn't alone. Two heavily armored people, too much so for Elio to make out any of their features aside from the fact one had a catchpole of sorts extended from their arm, were behind him. At the end of the catchpole, a pokémon much like the one Gladion had used to attack Lillie was tugging, as if to get away. Much like Gladion's Null, it was a quadruped with a thick, dull gold helmet, blade projecting from its head and all, but there were subtle differences in the creature's movements and appearance. For one, the blade wasn't as thick, but longer and curved up toward the end, as if designed for forward slashing movement. The aquatic tail of this creature was horizontal rather than vertical, and all four of its paws were draconic, with long, sharp talons clacking along the floor as it moved. The Type: Zero kept turning its head to look at the beast in the center of the room, and every time it caught sight of it for too long, it would make a clanging, mechanical noise, like an unholy bark, and lunge toward it; each time, the armored man holding the Type: Zero hostage would struggle to pull it back and regain control. A few times, the pokémon whirled back on the armored man and lashed its claws at his feet, or tossed his head forward, as if intending to slash him with the deadly blade on the top of its head, but the catchpole kept the creature safely at bay, much to its apparent frustration.

Faba paused a short distance away from Elio, Selene, Hau, and Dr. Wicke, and ordered, "Let him go. Type: Zero, Muddy Water the target!"

The catchpole receded from the pokémon's neck, and Type: Zero immediately launched itself at the banister, jumping over with a powerful thrust of its hind legs. Rather than falling back down to the conservational deck below, however, bronze, metallic wings spread from a compartment on its back, and it rushed at the Nihilego with a flap on the bottom of its helmet open. A stream of brown, thick water was jetted at the beast, and it recoiled from the attack with a shriek that made the entire facility quaver. While Type: Zero circled Nihilego for a few seconds, gliding on its Skarmory-like wings, the Nihilego faded in and out of view, before sinking down and vanishing altogether with a mournful cry.

"Yes!" Faba hissed nearby, grinning and pumping a fist.

Elio growled like an Arcanine.

"What the hell are you happy about?" he demanded hotly, still hugging Selene (and she still made no efforts to push him away). "That thing could have killed us! Could have killed some of you! Could have killed some of the pokémon here! 'Yes?'" Outraged, Elio glanced around at the various shards of rock peppering the otherwise perfect, white steel walls and floors around them. "Don't you see all the Power Gem rocks? Any one of those could have—"

"I understand your point," Faba replied at last, icily cutting him off, "and that is why I had my Type: Zero go after him. Understand? I was excited because he succeeded with far more ease than I anticipated. Not that I ever doubted my creation, mind you…" Faba trailed off and simpered, pressing his hand to his chest. "After all, I am—"

To everyone's shock, he was silenced by Dr. Wicke marching up to him and slapping him clean across the face. Jolting in shock, Elio's mouth fell open and Selene squirmed to look up at what was going on at last.

Stunned, Faba staggered away from Dr. Wicke, and sputtered. "Wh—Wicke, why—how—"

"How dare you!" Dr. Wicke unloaded, sounding as if a dam had finally broken within her. Pointing a finger out at the conservational deck, she railed, "That thing could not have come here on its own if what you told me the other day was correct, the Nihilego, so one of your stupid experiments must have allowed it to—and while we have visitors, no less! And then you bring that—that—that—THING out here, knowing full-well that it can barely be trusted in normal circumstances, much less when there's a UB to worry about!"

"Dr. Wicke, bite your tongue," Faba growled, curling his lips into a snarl. "There are non-staff present—"

"I don't care!" Dr. Wicke shot back, her voice starting to crackle. Elio saw her shoulders tremble. "I keep trying to understand what you and Lusamine are going through, but Dr. Faba, I just don't anymore, and I'm just trying to run what we're supposed to be and I feel like I'm doing it alone now. A conservationist group for pokémon that are already here, right now. Meanwhile, you and Lusamine are trying to invite creatures that we can't even be sure are pokémon in from other worlds! How crazy does that sound to you, Dr. Faba?" Brokenly, and gesturing around herself to the rocky shards around them, she demanded, "How many people have to get hurt for this fantasy of yours and Lusamine's before it's enough…?"

Elio thought he might have seen Faba's lips twitch uncomfortably, his expression falter for a split-second at Dr. Wicke's words. But it was too fast for him to be sure, and Elio was in no mood to give this horrible man the benefit of the doubt. "I-it is no mere fantasy," he sneered, arching his shoulders and descending on her with a pointed finger. He jabbed it at her chest as he kept walking forward, forcing her to backpedal away from him. "I make fantasy and science fiction reality, here, Dr. Wicke, and I wouldn't expect you to understand. I have achieved things others have merely dreamed of. While underlings like you take care of these trivial matters like making sure there's enough Magikarp left in the world to feed the Sharpedo or something, I will break open worlds that could change our world irreversibly, for the better, and only I will be the one to thank for that!" Getting into her face, he growled, "Do you understand, Zyra?"

"Sauboh," Dr. Wicke whimpered, "you need to get Type: Zero back, before it—"

He grabbed at her shirt, balling the fabric in his right fist. "Do you understand, Wicke?" he repeated, loudly, in her face.

Infuriated, Elio let go of Selene and rushed to Dr. Wicke's defense. Before he knew it, he was seeing red, and his left fist seemed to rear back of its own accord, then come barreling at Dr. Faba's stupid yellow goggles before he had a chance to react. They shattered on impact and Faba yelped, falling to his rear as he scrambled to knock away the broken pieces from his face. "You little Rattata!" Faba bellowed. "How dare you! And after I brought you here to help you!"

Shaking out the dull ache in his knuckles from the force of the impact, Elio snarled, "Oh, yes, and you did that out of the goodness of your cold, dead, little heart, didn't you?" Bristling, he hissed, "Or, and here's what I believe, you did it to get us away from Lillie. Not as slick as you think you are, Faba!" I don't think I have anything to worry about with Wicke anymore…

"Maybe not, but I have far more control over the Foundation and these islands than you or that pathetic bitch Dr. Wicke ever will," Faba sniped back as he scrambled to his feet. The two armored people that had previously been helping with Type: Zero awkwardly attempted to assist, and Faba elbowed them away. "Get away from me, ingrates! Go catch Type: Zero before he chews a banister and I hear about it for the next week from Lusamine, or something! You know how that woman is about her beauty or what have you…"

The visor of the armored helmets the two people were wearing flashed a pale blue, and then both of them dipped their heads. Wordlessly, they turned around and trotted away, back for the elevator that would take them to the conservational deck below.

"You… were after Lillie?" Dr. Wicke breathlessly asked Faba, chancing getting close to him again despite her shaking limbs. "Sauboh, is that true?"

"Keep my name out of your mouth," Faba bristled, glowering at her. Yet then, his face twisted into a cruel grin and his cyan eyes gleamed. "So, what if I am? Ready to admit yourself as a traitor and tell Lusamine that you helped her escape? Her, and her ungrateful brat of a brother?"

"You and Lusamine need help, Faba!" Dr. Wicke desperately exclaimed. "And so did they! They actually were willing to try to get help, at least, unlike you two…"

"So, you did!" Faba gleefully cried, converging on her again with a predatory grin, as if he had found something to sink his teeth into. Elio jumped between them and he had to snort in amusement at the way Faba nervously skirted away from him, shooting him uncertain looks. A small streak of blood on his nose and a darkening patch in the middle of his face told Elio that shattering the glasses had at least done some damage. Good, he thought venomously. Just sad I didn't get his eye or something instead.

"Dr. Faba," Dr. Wicke tried to patiently start again, "please. Let's get these three out of here and we can discuss whatever it is we need to discuss then. They don't need to be—"

"Indeed," Faba agreed, blithely talking over her. "They can go to the next boat out of here. All three of them."

Selene and Hau anxiously stood just behind Elio but said nothing. Realizing that and noticing the way Selene almost expectantly kept looking up at him, Elio narrowed his eyes hatefully at Faba, feeling more confident than ever. They trust me. They trust me, and I will not make them regret it, he determinedly thought.

Hesitantly, Dr. Wicke cleared her throat, "They said they came from Akala Island. The next boats are scheduled to head for Ula'Ula."

"Then, I guess they're going to Ula'Ula," Faba nastily said, as if it were obvious, before turning away. "Take them away, Wicke, or when I come back up here with my Type: Zero, the catchpole might just… slip away from me." He tossed a knowing look over his shoulder and issued a fake pout. "President Lusamine would just be so devastated if something happened to you, wouldn't she? What a sad letter to have to write back to your family in Galar, Wicke, tsk, tsk…" He snickered darkly. "How sad for them to never get your side of the story! I'm sure they'd love to hear your voice again, mhm…"

Heart pounding and blood roaring in his ears with that unbridled anger all over again, Elio lunged forward and hollered, "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Glancing back at Dr. Wicke, he finally understood the lost, drowning look in her eyes. She was in far, far over her head, and from what he gathered, she wanted so badly to change Lusamine and Faba—and Elio already felt confident in judging that there was nothing that could change this heartless man ahead of him, and he wasn't feeling that much more hopeful about Lusamine, either, if she was the ringleader of this circus and liaised with such a clown. Turning on Faba again, Elio moved as if he were going to rush at him, but Selene and Hau both protested, each of them grabbing one of his hands and digging their heels into the ground below. Elio stopped at the pressure (but not after dragging them along some, surprising even himself with how easy it would have been to shake them off and continue going after Faba). Still, he spat at Faba from a distance, "Whatever, you won't succeed! Not on your life!"

"Try me," Faba snarked, then disappeared down the elevator.

Anger renewed, Elio hopped and jerked his arms out of Selene and Hau's grasp, throwing them off easily. Yet, he was stopped by Dr. Wicke's painfully raw voice: "Elio, wait…"

Turning back around, his eyes stretched wide as he realized how frazzled she looked. "Shit, I'm sorry, Dr. Wicke, are you alright? I know he grabbed your shirt, but… did he hurt you?"

"No," she quietly answered, gaze glued to the ground below them. She was still shaking. "I know you three want to go back to Akala, but… you need to get out of here. I'm sure there will be boats from Ula'Ula to Akala…" She swallowed hard. "So, he's after Lillie… is… is she your friend that's back on Akala…?"

"Yes," Selene chimed in, clearing her throat. "Sh-she… we…" She took a shuddery breath and closed her eyes. "I wanted to come here to try to find my parents… Lillie was left with Kahuna Olivia, as we thought she could keep her safe until we got back…"

"Am sorry," Hau interjected with a quivering voice suddenly. Looking to him, Elio saw that he was wildly fidgeting his hands, occasionally stuffing them into his pockets in that telltale way he did when he needed to snuff out electricity that had started forming at his fingertips. "Should not ask about the… pokémon, should have just… leave… Not big deal, anyway, those pokemon… what happen happen already, cannot change, so…" He sounded so strangled.

"Not true. Well, it is true we can't change what happened, but you shouldn't feel bad for having been curious…" Selene softly replied, though she didn't seem to have much energy to put as much passion in her tone as she normally would have. "Wasn't all bad, though… We learned more about Aether, and… and about Wicke, here." Settling her focus on Dr. Wicke, Selene sorrowfully dipped her head. "Dr. Wicke, I'm… sorry. I had no idea… Lillie told us Lusamine and Faba were trouble, but this…"

"It's crazy, isn't it?" Dr. Wicke asked, barely audible. "I keep hoping for the best, but keep learning more, and I just… They do help people, some of the Aether employees, but then there's… Faba, and Lusamine…" She shook her head. "Mm. Nothing much more to say about it than that, really…"

"We… really have to find our parents, and I really don't know what we can do about any of this," Selene admitted. But then, suddenly sounding fierce, she adamantly said, "But know this. Lillie is our friend now and she cares about you. We don't leave anyone behind. If there is anything we can do to help you, to stop whatever Aether is doing here, we will." She set her jaw. "Someone like Faba shouldn't be able to get away with what he's doing."

"Selene, are you sure about this?" Elio asked her in whispered Kantonian, floored by her abrupt change of mind. Just on the trip to the manmade island, she had been regretting her 'gift' from Tapu Koko, and had told him plenty about how she wanted to find their parents and then all of them—their parents, Selene, himself, Lillie, and Hau—could skip out on Alola if they so pleased. Yet, it seemed she had now decided she wanted to use it for something… more. "What are you trying to tell her?"

"I was given this ability for a reason. And maybe there's a reason Kahuna Kaua went off the deep end like he did," Selene answered in Kantonian without ever looking up at him. She had an intense look in her blue eyes, lost somewhere in the distance. "I can cave in and let this place do what it wants to me, to everyone I care about, to everyone we care about, Elio, or… I can try to use this power to help them." She let out a sigh. "There's no guarantee we'll even find Mom or Dad, anyway… And I can't let this place mess me up." She paused. "I am grateful we came here and learned what we did, Elio, but I'm sorry I forced us to go here and leave Lillie alone… That was kind of selfish… She doesn't deserve that at all. It's not her fault, how everything's panned out for her. I want to help her if I can…"

The more he listened, Elio just… felt a surge of pride. He hadn't realized just how much he had hated the fearful pressure Selene was under until then, and to hear her speak highly of the burdensome 'gift' she had been saddled with for once, her heroic declaration to do what she could to help… He just smiled. Oh, yes, that was his sister alright, and he would have followed her to the end of that world and the next in that moment. He warmly replied, "And I'm with you."

Dr. Wicke, who had been patiently allowing them to share the small, private conversation, responded to Selene once there was a lull in their dialogue. "Thank you, Selene…" She chuckled sadly. "I'm just happy Lillie has friends like you all. Come… let's get you out of here."

As they made their way out of the damaged Aether Paradise, ducking and dodging the employees scrambling to begin what Elio could only assume were cleanup processes, Elio pulled out his phone and texted Lillie.

Your conversation with Pepperspray ️❤️

You

A lot of crazy shit went down at Aether were all ok but there having to take us to ulaula

Are u ok?

We can come back on boat on ulaula or arrange to meet u somewere or something is kahuna oliva keeping u companie?

He cringed a bit at the texts. I can speak Galarish, but hell if I can write it, he thought with a distant pang of amusement. Too many grammar rules, if you can even call them that. Sometimes the words are just fucking random.

Pepperspray ️❤️

I'm fine, Torchic, lol  ️❤️

Kahuna Olivia was busy so pawned me off on Captain Lana. She's like a comic book character. At least I'm not bored!

Also, what happened at Aether? Are you, Selene, and Hau okay? I really wouldn't have thought they'd try anything on you guys… I'm so sorry…

You

Well they didnt do it on purpose to be fair but fabas a fucking trip he started being a dick to wicke and… hay ill explain rest later cuz not sure how but lilly! i got to punch faba!

Pepperspray ️❤️

…You didn't. Oh my ARCEUS, Elio!

Almost makes me wish I'd have gone, I'd PAY to see that man get punched

You

Broke his stupid gogles

Pepperspray ️❤️

Stop, no you didn't! oma Elio lol!

At least she was okay, and with Selene and Hau, they'd make it through this.

Maybe, they'd even do more than just survive it.

Chapter Text

"Zossie."

She ignored him. She was busy. If he wanted to sit there patiently and do nothing, waiting for Soliera and Phyco to take care of it, that was his decision, but she had her own ideas. Every tool hidden in her suit's arsenal, from pliers to even a pocketknife, were being tested on the door that locked them both away in one of Aether's many, many compartmental rooms. Of course, the door was sleek, without even a knob, designed to work with a keycard or fob rather than primitive keys… And without any of the Blinding One's crystals at her disposal, she had no way of disrupting the technology within to make the door malfunction. For once, she missed Ultra Megalopolis, and the abilities the Blinding One's stolen lights had once granted her.

"Zossie, I insist you stop. You will do nothing but potentially aggravate the situation, causing Lusamine or any of her followers within the Foundation to aggress. Captain Phyco and Captain Soliera immediately terminated agreements with the Foundation and are working on a solution now to maintain access to the machines Dr. Colress Harmonia is working on, as well as combat the Foundation. They will bring reinforcements."

How could he just be so calm? "We can't just sit here!" Zossie burst, frustratedly hitting the door with her right hand after failing to find a way to wedge it open yet again. "Didn't you hear those sirens, and the people yelling a little bit ago?" What if she's already doing something to threaten Alola? To bring some of those monsters from Ultra Space here? Or worse… She cringed. "What if Soliera and Phyco are too late?"

He thought for a moment, from where he was seated along a white, simple bed, farther in the room. Even without the helmet and dark goggles blocking out most of his face, Zossie was sure Dulse would have looked just as expressionless as he seemed. But then, he briefly flicked the goggles up, revealing his paler, pinkish eyes, similar to her own. With him staring intently at her, it struck Zossie that this was possibly the most emotional reaction she was going to ever get from her stony partner. "Tell me, what good will inviting aggression to yourself bring, Zossie? You know the stories and the facts as much as I do. You know what every single Ultra Beast the Ultrarians have encountered is capable of. And we both understand what power the Blinding One has. You know why the Ultra Recon Squad was created, yes? None of us on our own can stop any of this. We need each other, and that is why work as a coherent team."

That seemed to sap the strength from her muscles and she sagged, panting for breath. Trembling somewhat, she shook her head back at him in refusal. "But—"

"Zossie. We do not even have our usual weaponry here with us. We are wearing equipment that is forged between our own and Dr. Colress Harmonia's design. I was stripped of my pokémon and you have none on you, and even if we did, we are novices at best at using them. We are out of our element, we are outnumbered, and we are in hostile hands. Please. Listen to me…" He trailed off, then looked slightly down, and away from her. "We have been partners in the URS for only a few months, but I would like us to remain that way longer."

"This was a lot more fun when you both weren't acting so gloomy."

Yelping at the sudden feminine voice, Zossie scrambled closer to Dulse instinctively, who jumped from the bed. His goggles snapped shut over his eyes again. "Rosa Blakely, is that you?"

Materializing just to the right of the door leading out of the room, Rosa was flicking a strand of her hair, seemingly nervously gnawing on her lower lip. Her diamond-shaped visor shielded her head from above, having been flipped up to reveal her face. She had her brown eyes trained on the floor below her. Snorting, she muttered, "Yeah, that's me. Do you go around saying everyone's full name, or did I just make that much of an impression?"

"What do you want?" Zossie pressed nervously, clinging closely to Dulse then. She hated the way Rosa could just seem to… appear, anywhere, at a moment's notice. She knew that Colress was a madly intelligent man, and he had managed to rig her and Dulse's suits to render them invisible at times, but this room had been sealed. Rosa had led them there, she had left, locking them inside! How had she gotten inside without the door ever moving? "A-and how—"

"The Shadow Triad," Rosa replied without looking up, tiredly cutting her off. "Look, that's not important. I—"

"Then what is?" Dulse growled, shouldering Zossie to the side and stepping ahead of her slightly. "State your business, Rosa Blakely."

"If you'd shut up, I would," Rosa hissed back, glaring daggers at him as she slowly rose to her feet. Part of her metallic skirt was caught on another part of her outfit, and she irritably smacked it to dislodge it, brushing herself off to compose herself. Taking a deep breath, she looked them both over, before settling on Zossie. "Colress isn't planning to let Lusamine get away with what she wants to happen. He's just using her company and her money for the time being to work on the Solarizer." Zossie thought she saw the ghost of a playful smirk on the woman's face, but it disappeared in an instant, making her next comment seem less amusing than she intended it to be. "Me and him aren't very well-liked, you know. Would be hard without someone covering us up to work on it."

Yet, despite getting the sense that Rosa was certainly someone nobody should ever trust, Zossie felt a rush of hope. "So, you're not—you're not just letting her get away with this?" Zossie beamed, almost bouncing from foot to foot. "All of that was just an act?"

Cutting her eyes at Zossie, Rosa growled, "I'm not a bad person."

"I… what?" Zossie blinked. "That's not what I—"

"You didn't have to."

"Enough," Dulse barked, still stiff as a board and standing defensively between the two of them. "This is not the focus of the discussion. Rosa, was siding with Lusamine outside an act, and you are still intending to assist the Ultra Recon Squad?"

Nodding slowly, Rosa looked at the ground again. Quietly, she said, "I have heard what you've said about the, uh… Necrozma…" She shuffled her feet and then moved her hands to adjust her helmet, or so Zossie thought, until she completely disengaged it. After pressing a few buttons on the inside, she tucked it in the far corner of the room. Without the helmet covering her head, they saw that she looked far younger than before; she was a lot smaller without the helmet, making it that much more obvious how much weight and stature the suit she wore added. "I don't want Colress to hear this," she explained to Zossie's curious look.

Why wouldn't you…? Zossie thought fleetingly. You cling to him so much, I assumed you liked him a lot…

Rosa continued. "There are a few people in this world I don't want getting hurt over this… Of course, Colress is one, but there are others…" She scoffed. "I assume if the o' Blinding One comes here and swallows the sun, or whatever, that it'll be bad for all regions, not just Alola."

"Others?" Zossie chanced questioning after a momentary, awkward pause. At Rosa's pointed look, she scrambled, "I mean, sorry! Just… I haven't ever seen you with anyone but Colress, and…" She took a deep, shuddery breath and gave a small smile. "You're right. The Blinding One would destroy this world, all of it. Whatever you've done in the past, Rosa, you have no idea what good you and Colress are doing by helping us to… stop the Blinding One… to stop Lusamine." I just wish we could help Necrozma, instead of just having to stop it, like what Phyco and Soliera want us to do… What my ancestors did was so awful, but… at least this way, nobody else has to suffer for their mistake. But why does there have to be people like Lusamine to stand in the way…? Of course, she felt a little guilty for that errant, internal comment. Zossie, you saw that she was under Nihilego's toxins… those make people basically lose their minds. You've never met the real Lusamine.

Seeming to almost cringe at her words, Rosa clenched her jaw and looked away sharply. "Yeah," she mumbled, tone breaking under her words, "yeah, uh… thanks, I guess. Anyway. Try not to call your space buddies to blow the Foundation up yet, or whatever he said Soliera and Phyco were going to do." With that, she retrieved her helmet, tossed it back on after making a few adjustments, and vanished all over again. Yet, her disembodied voice was heard again, sounding so uncharacteristically regretful: "I'm not really a good person, either, though, Zossie. Maybe you shouldn't thank me."

Zossie just shook her head. Whatever Rosa was talking about at that point, it honestly didn't matter. She had hope! "I'm just…" Zossie turned around to face Dulse, convinced Rosa was gone or at least no longer going to entertain her questions, and excitedly bounced. "Dulse! Did you hear that?!"

"I did," Dulse replied, reserved. He shifted and took a seat once more against the bed, back still stiff as a board. "I just don't know what to believe. I'd like to believe what she just said, as otherwise, she's helping destroy her own plane of existence. Yet, I think it would be unwise to trust her or Dr. Colress Harmonia, Zossie. They do not seem to have loyalties to anyone but themselves… and even then, concerningly, she cited her only reason for wanting to save this realm is because of others that would be put in harm's way."

"Why's it weird that she wants to protect some people she cares about?" Zossie questioned, genuinely puzzled. "I feel like most people would want to do it to protect others they care about…"

"Her motivations lack self-preservation. Do you not find it odd that she does not wish to save this realm to save herself?" he explained. "I found it very strange. I am not sure about Dr. Colress Harmonia, but Rosa Blakely's motivations are inconsistent. She does not know what she wants. That is concerning, and untrustworthy."

"Yeah…" Zossie nodded, excitement ebbing as quickly as it had come.

"Yet," Dulse admitted, raising a hand to place on her left shoulder with a hint of a smile on his face, "you're correct in that, at the very least, it seems they are uninterested in allowing the Blinding One to leave confinement. That is a victory for us, and hopefully, if they keep to their word, we will get out of this without as much nasty conflict as previously believed… And, not that I ever doubted this, but Zossie: we are going to be okay."

Zossie relaxed under the soothing weight of his hand and his smile. She was so glad she and Dulse had been matched as partners all those months ago back in Ultra Megalopolis following their individual training for the program helmed by Captains Phyco and Soliera. "Yeah. Yeah, we are, Dulse."

"We will be safe back in Ultra Megalopolis, with the Blinding One handled, before we know it."

Yet, somehow, that reassuring statement felt far less comforting. She couldn't help but hear a tiny voice in the back of her mind asking her, "Is just controlling the Blinding One and calling it a day really the best we can do?" Yet, all she expressed was a forced, "Yeah, of course," and gave a vigorous nod.

She missed being out in the fields of Alola and not having to be so serious… And she really wished Dulse's Furfrou hadn't been taken. She could have used some more mindless playtime right about then with that cheerful pokémon.

Type: Zero had not been nearly as difficult to apprehend after it had handled the Nihilego as Wicke had feared it would be. As the two handlers that Dr. Faba had (begrudgingly) accepted the help from to create Type: Zero led the beastly pokémon away, back to the depths of Aether Paradise, he had stretched his arms and headed for a bathroom to check the damage that unhinged brat from earlier had caused to his face. People were already hard at work repairing the slashes and the stray rocks wedged into the floors and walls around the conservational deck, making it annoying to pick his way to the bathroom, and he was further irritated to find that power had been lost to that particular one, but with his phone's flashlight, he was still able to see himself in the mirror. At least, well enough to notice that a few small cuts were on the bridge of his nose from where his goggles had shattered, and the center of his forehead and part of his left eye were lightly bruised.

Beyond frustrated, he had marched out of there and straight to Lusamine's office—her private one, since he didn't find her in her public one—and found her pacing the length of the room madly, stopping occasionally to glance at the pokémon in their icy prisons on pedestals about the room. She failed to react to his entry until he cleared his throat and called, "President Lusamine?"

"Saubi," she said, sounding as if she were about to cry, "he was here. But he left…"

Bewildered and already uninterested in entertaining her nonsense in that moment, Dr. Faba sighed. "My work, as I have said before, is already done, President Lusamine. I just need Cosmog to continue. Have you found a plan to capture that wretched girl?"

"Yes, Cosmog, we need Cosmog," Lusamine distractedly said, nodding vigorously with his words. Without warning, she suddenly rounded on him and brought her hands up to his face, cupping his cheeks tenderly. Yet, the wild, distant look in her emerald eyes, where her pupils had shrank to little more than pinpricks of black, sent a pang of unease up Faba's spine, and he tensed under her hold. Lusamine frowned. "You're hurt. Did he hurt you?"

"The… Nihilego?" Dr. Faba blinked. "No, no… It was one of those brats I invited here to get away from… Cosmog." He had nearly said 'Lillie,' there, instead of Cosmog, and with her hands so close to his face and her increasingly agitated state, that could have been disastrous. No, of course Lusamine wouldn't hurt him… yet, even so… he was glad he had decided against taking that risk. It wasn't worth it, right? Nothing more to it than that. "He decided to be a hero after I put Wicke back in her place," he growled, "and attacked me. No more civilized than any of those Skull savages if you ask me."

"Funny you should mention," Lusamine practically purred, grinning in his face. She felt far too close for comfort… Dr. Faba's back stiffened and he pressed his hands to her shoulders, wondering how he was going to ask her to step back without exacting an unexpected negative reaction from her. She was just too close, holding on too tightly, he felt… trapped, by that look on her face, the almost twisted smile. "I know exactly how I'm going to get that girl and my Cosmog." With that, she leaned in to kiss him suddenly, moving her hands to roughly grab the lapels of his jacket. Upon breaking the kiss, Dr. Faba gasped for breath (as he hadn't exactly been expecting it), and she was panting heatedly, too. "And I need you for that."

That piqued his interest, drowning out the rising panic in his chest telling him to push her away. His hands relaxed on her shoulders. "Y-you do?" he asked curiously. See? This isn't any worse than normal, Sauboh. Get it together, he thought tensely.

"Mhm. I need you to make the brutes at Po Town an offer they can't refuse," she mused, moving her head to kiss along his neck then. He jolted in shock when she paused to nip at his Adam's apple somewhere in the midst of it all. His heart pounded with a frightened mix of excitement and panic, yet he still found it impossible to pull away. She was frightening, she was alluring, she was vindictive, she was vulnerable—she was his, and that was suddenly not such an endearing thought. He swallowed hard and tried to find his voice to respond, but all that came out was a strangled noise that she only snickered at. Pulling away from him for a second, she clarified, "I have found out that the Skull Gang is led by a man named Guzma, and a woman named Plumeria. Plumeria leaves there all the time. Some employees have spotted her recently and could give you her exact location." She leaned in close to his ear and huskily whispered, "I need you to find her, and offer her whatever it takes to get them to help us in capturing my Cosmog—and my horrible daughter…" Lusamine's voice took a darker edge and she growled through clenched, bared teeth, "I want her to see what she has been keeping from me, and I want her to watch everything she threw her life away for burn."

Her grip on his jacket had tightened significantly, and it was pulling painfully against his neck. Dr. Faba nodded quickly and flinched when Lusamine moved to kiss his neck again. "Of course, President Lusamine," he replied right away. He had barely understood what she had told him, given his compromising and unsettling situation, so much so that he hardly had the brainpower to be outraged that he was being tasked with speaking with lowlife nothings like Skull Gang members. In his muddled mind, it completely was lost on him to mention that Gladion was part of the gang, and that this plan of Lusamine's might not work out as well as she hoped.

"I don't care if they want us to rebuild that cursed Po Town from the ground up," Lusamine stopped to whisper to him again. "Do you understand? After all, it's not like we exactly have to keep the full promise. Nobody cares about the Skull Gang, and they can't touch us with your Type: Zero coming along so well…" She drew a finger up his chin, digging her nail in slightly, teasingly, tauntingly. He cursed himself for the way he felt like quivering. This just felt so wrong… even to him! "Can't you do that for me, Saubi…~?"

Before he had the chance to respond, she brought his chin forward for a messy kiss that finally ended up scaring Faba into action. There were no words in his thoughts that brought his hands to her chest, shoving her away at last; he was just too intimidated and confused by the situation to take it any longer. Panting for breath, he quickly nodded, submissively avoiding looking her in the face again. "M-my apologies, Lusi, I didn't mean any harm—I just—well, I—" Fuck, fuck, think of something to say, moron! Why are you so scared anyway? Stupid… Finally, he thought of an excuse. "Well, if you want me to do that, I need to prepare! Po Town is a ways away, I assume this Plumeria is still on Ula'Ula Island at the very least, so even if she's not in the town, I should still get prepared to visit Ula'Ula. It's a bit more dangerous than the others and the people are definitely of character there, to put it kindly, so… I should get started as soon as possible! Should I not?" Please buy that. Please let me go.

"Of course, Saubi, but…" she quavered, sounding upset, or frustrated, or perhaps both. Her lips twitched as if she couldn't decide on an emotion to portray and she whimpered as she stepped toward him again, wrapping her arms around him in a tight, needy hug, a far cry from the intimidating, controlling hold from earlier. Cautiously, Faba slowly relaxed, uncertainly draping his arms around her as well. "I just… wanted to touch you…"

Awkwardly shuffling in place, Faba realized that he still wanted no part of this. Normally, such a comment from her would have had him weak and begging for her to carry on, but this… no. He needed to go. Every sense in his person was warning him that this was a horrible mistake, to entertain her this time. "Sorry, Lusi," he briskly said, "but I have to go prepare some things, okay? You will get your Cosmog, I promise."

"Mm… I guess you're right, as it is you getting it for me, yes… Thank you, Saubi." With that, she reluctantly unraveled herself from him.

"Of course, Lusi…" Faba forced. As soon as she was far enough away, he scrambled to leave the office, and he swore that the pokémon in the frozen blocks around her were watching him as he did.

Chapter Text

That night, Lillie had been comfortably curled up in her bunk, still in the same room in which she had shared with Captain Lana. The spunky, little Captain had finally drained herself and crashed in her own bunk a couple of hours earlier, but not after informing her that Captain Mallow had called her to say she would try to pay a visit the following day to speed up Lillie's healing process. That thought had eased her mind some, as she was quite worried following Elio's difficult to decipher texts following his, Selene, and Hau's visit to Aether Paradise. She was tucked underneath a cozy comforter, Nebby nestled in the crook of her arms, as she stared at the bright, blue screen, patiently (or perhaps not so patiently, gnawing at her lower lip and all) awaiting his call, or a response to her text. It had been an agonizing wait, and she was sure she should have been asleep a long time ago.

Yet, finally, Elio had called Lillie and explained to her that they had been taken to Ula'Ula Island, despite their protests, citing that Dr. Wicke had been intimidated by Faba into refusing to wait for boats destined for Akala. At first, Lillie had expected Elio to tell her that Faba had merely been an insurmountable dick, something she was more than used to hearing about, but the story he had to tell her… Of a creature she recognized as one named Nihilego, even if she didn't know anything about it, of a creature much like the one Gladion possessed that had nearly mauled her for Nebby… It had been far more than she could have ever expected. It had made her mouth dry as sandpaper and the more he talked, the quieter she became.

Finally, Elio paused. "…Lillie? You still there?"

"Yeah," she squeaked right away, "sorry, I just…" Her voice quavered, and she pressed the phone to her forehead, hating that the small, cold device was all the connection to him she had. "I'm sorry I insisted you guys go there." It dawned on her, in that sobering moment, if Elio's story of a Power Gem razing the entire interior of the conservational deck was true (which she had no reason to doubt him), that he, Selene, Hau… any one of them could have been severely injured. Or worse. "I should never have—"

"Hey, hey, hey," Elio softly interrupted, "don't be like that. No matter what you said, Selene really wanted to go, and… I couldn't let her go alone, or…" He trailed off, before uncomfortably mumbling, "And I couldn't take the thought of her getting mad at me and leaving again."

All Lillie could do in that moment was give a pining sigh. She didn't know what she could have done to trick fate into aligning her so well to meet with this boy, with his stupid grin, his dumb and meaningless jokes, the fervent, protective aggression, all of which hid away a heart of gold that just ached to be recognized by someone but would never allow it directly. Thinking back to the day in a Pokémon Center where they had simply sat there and watched some TV, ending up dozing off in one another's grasp, she abruptly wished the distance between them wasn't so great, inwardly cursing that stupid, arrogant Faba for everything he had done that day to Elio, his sister, and her friend, Hau—but most of all, for keeping her away from them yet again. It hurt so much to know that he had done it on purpose, almost certainly at the whim of her mother, and… "I just miss you, Elio," she whimpered at last, painfully truthful and raw, a far cry from her usual sarcastic edge. She clutched Nebby closer and he merely readjusted himself to the cozier hold of her arms, with a small pew.

There was a similarly longing exhale on the other end, and Elio whispered, "I miss you, too, Lillie… We can probably head back to Akala tomorrow, to catch up with you… We're just beat for now and have no idea when we'll wake up, haha… You're still with Kahuna Olivia or someone, right?"

"Captain Lana's been keeping me company. And, no, don't," she insisted with a small smile on her face, sad that he couldn't see. She tried to put some genuine sweetness on her tone to sell that she really didn't want him to go through the trouble. "Captain Lana or someone can help me to a boat to get to Ula'Ula. Just… maybe I talk it out with you guys before, and you all can meet me at the docks over there?" At his hesitation to respond, she added, "I just don't think it's worth traveling back and forth so much, and I think Mallow's going to come help speed up the healing of my leg some…" She winced. "It's still pretty bad… I can walk, but it definitely doesn't feel good…"

"Oh," Elio immediately conceded, "if you're sure… I'd… much rather you feel better, of course, it's good that Mallow's gonna come help… Just call us and let us know, okay? Especially if they can't escort you over."

"You got it, Torchic," Lillie snickered halfheartedly.

He laughed, a real, unexpected laugh. "'Kay then, Pepperspray. I—…" He paused, then groaned. "Uh, I think I hear Selene and Hau arguing. They're in the room, I'm out in the hall, we're in the Malie City Pokémon Center, I think it's called. I better go check what's going on… Chat later?"

What would they be arguing about? Then again, they have had one hell of a day… I can see even Hau getting cranky after all of that… "Yeah…" Yet, a rush of clinginess made her go, "Actually, uh, Elio, wait…"

"Yeah?" he asked, almost hopefully, or maybe it was just the anxiety of him wanting to go making his voice sound like that.

Opening her mouth to say something, the words caught in her throat and Lillie choked. She snapped her teeth shut with an audible click and set her jaw, frustrated with herself for backing out at the last second. Awkwardly, she covered up her stumble with, "Ah… thanks, for checking in on me… Ah, good… goodnight, you."

"Hah… goodnight, Lillie."

He hung up, and she leaned her head back against the headboard. "Love you," she murmured to nobody.

The conversation had started simple enough!

They had been settling into the Pokémon Center room, all of them exhausted and beaten and in less-than-ideal moods after the harsh day. Then, Elio had stepped out of the room to call Lillie, and Hau had approached Selene as she prepared her bunk to sleep in. He had nervously asked her a question that had broken open a dam of conflict she had not been prepared to deal with that night. In Alolan, he had asked, "Selene… all that stuff you said to Wicke, at the Foundation… what did you mean by it? You talked more to Elio in Kantonian, I think, but… I didn't catch that, of course, haha…"

"I want to find out what Tapu Koko was trying to say to me…" Selene had answered, finishing fluffing out a pillow before turning to face Hau. Her Dartrix had claimed it in the absence of her stare for himself. "Because if there's anything I can do to help how things work around here, I want to. Maybe it'll help me find my parents. Maybe it'll help keep the crazies from the Foundation from going after Nebby and succeeding in whatever nuts plans they have. Maybe it'll just help us live a little happier. I don't know, but either way, Hau," Selene said, with increasing conviction, "I was given this ability for a reason. I can't keep running from it, and I won't keep running from it…" Especially not if it ends as gruesomely as that fucking book Lillie brought me suggests, Selene had thought bitterly. And oh, Lillie… She doesn't deserve any of this, either… "I… was actually hoping you could help me with that."

That had seemed to cause him some alarm. He had perked up and taken an almost instinctive step away from her, Popper playfully weaving in between his feet and barking occasionally. Hau ignored the Brionne as he swallowed hard, and said, "Help… help you how? How do you plan to, um… talk to Tapu Koko?"

"Well…" Selene had offered him a hopeful smile. "Last time, I nearly spoke to him by seeing a vision from you… Would you let me try to see something again, from your past, and see if Tapu Koko speaks again…?" Floundering, she corrected, "I mean, it doesn't have to be tonight! I'm exhausted, anyway, but—"

"No."

She had blinked, staring at him like a Deerling in headlights. "What?"

Hau plunged his hands into his pockets, stared at the floor, and took another, submissive step away from her, contradicting the firmness of his words. "No… Selene, no. I caught on to what you were looking at in the book… You spoke a lot with Elio in Galarish on the way to the Foundation… You have the same ability as Kahuna Kaua, old Skull Gang leader, yeah?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Selene asked, a little hotly.

"I saw what one of those Tapus can do," Hau dryly replied. "If Tapu Koko's got a problem with the other three, he should solve it himself. Not send you to fight his battles and die in his war."

Growing more and more agitated—perhaps it was the exhaustion, or perhaps it was frustration from him shooting down how much courage it had taken for her to finally try to do something with her power rather than hide it, especially given how he was the one that had convinced her in the past to not let fear control her—Selene snapped, "Who said I was going to do that?" Snorting, she huffed, "Hau, I'll never get to the bottom of this if I just keep bumbling around these islands like this! And clearly, something is very wrong with the Foundation—maybe something Tapu Koko wants me to do could help with them!"

"Kahuna Kaua and everyone else that ever stood up to them or tried to change anything, they—Selene, I met a Tapu!" Hau raised his voice, finally daring to look her in the eyes. He couldn't maintain the look for long, but it was unsettling enough that it made Selene falter anyway. For someone that could be so joyful and playful, he seemed so… frightened, and beaten. "Why can't you just stick to the old plan? Find your parents, then get the hell out of here? Why the need to be a hero? All that earned Kaua was a lightning bolt to the head!"

Popper winced and paused his circling of Hau's feet, nudging his trainer's ankle, as if asking him to stop. To that, and to Hau's words, Selene stamped a foot like a tired, upset toddler (and she felt like one, too, to be completely honest, after the hellish day she had endured). "Maybe Kaua was the only one with any damn sense on these islands!" Maybe if more people than just one tried, something would change!

"Skull thinks so too!" Hau growled at her, starting to arch his shoulders. Despite his hands being in his pockets, electrical arcs occasionally wound their way up his forearms, dancing in angry, red pulses there. She swore his eyes flashed with a crimson briefly as well. "You got a soft spot for the guys that just tried to kill Lillie the other day?"

"No!" Selene almost whined. Hau, why are you being like this? she thought frustratedly. "Of course not! But, maybe they're not all wrong, maybe Kaua wasn't all wrong—"

"You're starting to sound a bit like Kukui," Hau retorted, "which, if you might remember, probably had something to do with your parents vanishing into thin air!"

"Wow!" Selene exclaimed, finally beyond shocked. It seemed she had finally broken quiet, distant Hau, receiving his louder, stubborner, traditionalist brother—and she missed the other guy, to be honest. She pinched the bridge of her nose and flopped down on her bunk. "I honestly don't even know what to say to you right now, Hau."

"Fine, I don't want to talk anyway," he muttered. Looking down, he patted his knees, and started toward the door. "Come on, Popper, let's go get a malasada or something."

"It's eleven at night," Selene barked, "you don't need a—"

What Hau cut her off with was something that didn't translate directly into Galarish, but Selene understood it to mean something akin to "fuck off" all the same. Gaping after him, she had nearly intended to tell him to do the same, as her blood boiled with anger and hurt at his unexpected reaction, but then Elio entered the room. He blocked Hau's path out and raised a brow at the both of them.

"Uh, you two oka"—he was cut off by a yawn—"y in here?" he asked uncertainly.

"Nothing," Hau said, immediately sounding as small and meek as before. "Just need air. Go down for while."

That was it. Though she knew what she was about to say was something she couldn't have hoped to take back, she was too outraged, too beaten, too upset, to care. "That's it, Hau, run away and hide like you always do when it comes to anything!"

He whirled around to gawk at her, momentarily looking as if someone might have suckerpunched him. Yet, then, he finally wrenched both fists from his pockets and unclenched them. His eyes flashed deep, crimson red as thick bolts of electricity shot off his hands and into the floor, pulsing around him and out like a shockwave, all in less than a second. "Fine!" he snarled at her, in a voice so unlike his own. It sounded more like a draconic growl. Elio, who had narrowly managed to jump to a bunk to avoid the shockwave (along with a shivering, frightened Popper and Macho both), said nothing nor did he attempt to stop Hau as he left the room at last. The lights of their hostel room flickered and dimmed momentarily, before returning to full strength, as Selene thought she heard a generator elsewhere in the building kick on.

"What… was that?" Elio asked at last, shaking his head at Selene. Macho and Popper both curled up close to his chest and he idly stroked both pokémon in an attempt to soothe them.

Selene swallowed a rising ball of bile and tears in her throat. "I don't know," she croaked. "I'm… I'm just gonna go to bed."

And with that, she turned over to go to sleep, terrified of what she might have to deal with tomorrow.

"That's it, Hau, run away and hide like you always do when it comes to anything!"

"The Tapus chose you…"

As Hau made his way down to the Pokémon Center lobby, vacant aside from a single woman at the counter in the back, he felt like he might explode from the sheer speed of his heart and the turbulent mix of anger and shame in him. It all made his chest feel too full and he was panting for breath when he took a seat at an empty table, ignoring the questioning looks that woman was tossing his way. He was glad when she picked up a phone after it rang, chattering away about the power flicker that had just occurred. Apparently, she had failed to notice the red, electrical shockwave. He supposed that was a good thing, and it must have not been that strong given it didn't seem to damage the floor it had been sent over, but… he still felt so guilty.

No matter how hard he tried to outrun the path that had been laid out before him, he seemed to get suckered back in twice as hard. He had spent so long flying close to the sun, just far enough below it to avoid getting burned, but it seemed his time was up: his wax wings had finally melted beneath the heat. Because privately, he knew Selene was right. Perhaps she could have worded herself better, as her words had cut deeply, making him feel wounded and alone as ever, but… she was right. And secretly, he admired her willingness to stand up to something after just a few short weeks that he had avoided like a deadly plague for years of his life.

Maybe the tightness in his chest, the pounding of his heart, the electricity surging in every vein… maybe that was just what it felt like to have cold reality finally shoved into his face. Did he want to continue flying too close to the sun, toeing the line between earth and sky, or did he want to pick a side and take a stand? He could stand and help Selene, fight alongside her, dig his heels into the earth, and try to pick up where Kahuna Kaua had failed—or he could come clean to the Kahunas and Captains he had so feared before, bowing to the malevolent Tapus and their forces at work in Alola, pledging his allegiance to the sky at last, a safe, comfortable distance from the flames of the sun.

He bit his lower lip. There was just something so comfortable about the sun being so hot on his back, about not having any real responsibility to any one side, to having nothing truly expected of him anymore… It was so fun to teach Popper dumb tricks, train him to battle on occasion, fight along Selene and Elio, and make jokes with them and Lillie. Truth be told, he didn't want to choose a hill to die on. It was a choice he felt he shouldn't have had to make!

But he had to… and deep down in his heart, he already knew that he wanted his feet to be firmly on the ground, and at the side of his friends, rather than continuing to grovel in fear of the so-called gods that called these islands home.

He just hoped they wouldn't become another story like Kahuna Kaua.

Chapter Text

It had been an entire day and some since Gladion had been at his motel room, spending his time at Po Town instead, and he had started keeping Null in his Poké Ball much more. Strangely, despite the lessened time they spent together, Null seemed to almost appreciate the distance; whenever the pokémon was released from then on, he seemed calmer, less anxious to claw at his mask, more focused on the task at hand. In turn, that eased Gladion's nerves, and they worked so much better together.

Not that they had done much battling, of course, other than to scare off the occasional Sliggoo or Goodra that got too close to Shady House's doors and broken windows. Po Town was much less comfortable than his motel room, thanks to the persistent rain, but somehow, he enjoyed it much more there. He stayed in the Shady House for the most part, crashing on the bunks, assisting other grunts with trivial, household tasks. It was oddly comfortable and domestic; enough to almost make him forget that Skull was there due to a legendary pokémon's wrath and deadly prejudice from the rest of the islands' inhabitants. He was getting to know names, getting to know their stories, and getting to understand just how life as an ordinary Skull member worked. He had had an idea beforehand, of course, but watching them up-close, constantly, was something different entirely—because most inside of Po Town seemed to just have fun.

He found that, even though Plumeria constantly snarled at them to leave the Sliggoo roaming the town alone, a favorite game of many of the younger members was to throw handfuls of rocks or pieces of broken trees, or any number of other debris, near one and bet on which piece the creature would go for first. And if the pokémon ever got too close to any one of them, they tended to squeal in thrilled excitement, and dart away from it, only to circle back around like a mob of curiously playful Meowth with its prey to see which it had gone after. Another game was where someone would be labeled the 'pickpocketer,' and their job was to try to snatch any item off any of the others playing the game without them noticing, like a janky game of 'It.' Of course, this led to the pickpocketer tending to be avoided the entire day, and others in on the game running away from them whenever they were noticed. But that was for the younger members, of course; there were older ones, like Plumeria, Makua, or even Guzma himself.

Even with just a day and some in Po Town, Gladion quickly realized that Makua, despite his age and how he had been implied to control the town's medicine stock, was not well-respected or even cared for. Gladion didn't see Guzma much, but in the times he did, the leader seemed to be the only person to take Makua seriously. The rest of the time, when Gladion saw Makua, he seemed almost skittish, avoiding the other members, or snapping at them with angry vitriol, as if his biting tone were all he had to get them to listen. He didn't seem to really have control over the medicine stocks, either; the reserves were in the Shady House, and although he could access the room, Plumeria and Guzma kept close tabs on him. Gladion caught them reminding him to take some sort of medicine at one point as well, and, well…

"Makua, don't," Plumeria had huffed in aggravation, a palm pressed to her forehead, her other hand on her hip. Then, she raised that hand at him, holding a pill bottle in it. "Don't be an idiot right now, 'kay? I just can't afford you goin' an actin' a fool today. This is to help ya. Can't ya understand 'at?"

"You ain't a doctor! You don't know shit about what you're givin' me, Plumes, and more an' that, I don't need it!" Makua had bristled, clenching his fists at his sides, glaring at her. A few grunts had moved in next to Gladion just outside of the doorway of that storeroom, dubiously eyeing the scene ahead as well. Gladion was sure Plumeria had to be able to spot them at that point, but if she had noticed, she didn't make it known.

"They argue like that all the time," a grunt whispered at Gladion. "Makua's nuts."

"Yeah, not listenin' to Big Sis' is just dumb," another snorted, then had left, as if uninterested in however this confrontation between Plumeria and Makua might resolve. Gladion had eventually followed. It made him uncomfortable in a way he didn't quite understand to watch Makua… Even if it did make him feel a bit guilty, since Makua was clearly an outcast by all except Guzma. And although he was still deeply bothered by the belligerent side to Makua he had seen out on Akala, privately, he couldn't blame him for any of it. If everything Plumeria had said was true (and based on what he had seen)… Makua had been dealt a very poor hand in life indeed.

The other higher-ups such as Makua, though, went nameless to Gladion, but they seemed much better respected. The grunts would actually listen to them, and from the pokémon Gladion saw walking at their sides, they seemed to be decent trainers. Unlike Makua, they didn't cut their eyes in suspicion at Gladion, either. Plumeria had told him she had gone to each of them and explained what had happened, who he was, and it seemed since then… most were happy to have him in Po Town.

…Except for Guzma.

The leader of the Skull Gang had made it abundantly clear to Plumeria that he was worried about the Aether Foundation hunting him down, but Plumeria had refused to back down. From outside of Guzma's room at the upper end of Shady House (the path to which was covered in debris from a partially caved-in roof, the hole above now covered in a tarp), Gladion had heard them arguing fiercely within. In the end, Guzma had relented, and Plumeria had gotten her way. Although it made him nervous to know the leader himself didn't care for his presence, Gladion had to admit, he got a kick out of the fact Plumeria seemed to really pull the strings in the town more than the so-called 'leader.' Guzma called the shots, but if Plumeria didn't agree, there would be hell or highwater before his plan would come to fruition thanks to how much the town depended on her to function.

So, that meant at present, when he heard them arguing again as he hung out with a few grunts in the Shady House, he was curious. In fact, all of them were. Sharing a look among a few of the grunts, they all came to the same, nonverbal conclusion to listen in on the conversation. Together, they curiously climbed the stairs, and pressed their ears against the wall to listen.

"Plumes, please! Don't ya understand? What he's offerin'… this could be the big break we need! Imagine what all we could do if we wasn't stuck here all the time workin' on shit, an' we didn't all have to be micromanagin' everything all the time. This place could be completely fixed and done with!" Guzma was pleading. "Half our problems would be over."

"An' for it, he wants us to kidn—"

"Plumes—"

"Don't interrupt me!" Plumeria hissed. "Guz, I've followed ya into a lot of stupid shit, but this takes the fuckin' cake! We don't do that to people!"

"It's not that bad, Plumes, not like we out there tryin' to murder he—"

"No, we're not, but it's not like what he wants us to do is much better!" she scoffed. "Guz, this is shit that people in Malie do to us if they catch us in the city borders! Or worse! We ain't like them!"

Guzma sounded quite done with the conversation. Gladion still couldn't catch what it was about, but as the leader growled, he felt a queasy panic start to rise in his throat. "Plumes, I ain't arguin' about this! You ain't gonna yell your way through me on this one, 'kay? We need this. One lil' thing a bit under our principles to get to a point where we ain't gotta live like beaten, stray, mangy Rockruff. That doesn't sound that bad to me."

There was a long pause before Plumeria answered. "I really can't convince you against this, can I? If I don't do it, you're going to go after her yourself, aren't you?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," was all Guzma responded with. "I will. I respect ya Plumes, I love your input. I don't want ya to be upset about this… but really, this time, my mind's made up."

Another long pause. "If anythin' happens to this girl beyond just bein' held while she's here, I swear to Arceus, Guz, I will raze this fuckin' town myself. Do I make myself clear? I am not like those bastards that killed my brothers and sisters, an' I will not stand with ya if you decide to be like them."

"Plumes," Guzma said in an unusually soft tone, "I promise. Nothin' funny. I swear."

Heart pounding, Gladion realized he wasn't hearing anymore words, and then he heard a door ahead. Scrambling to get away from the wall, he pushed past the other grunts and motioned for them to follow, darting down the stairs and back to sit on some boxes piled up in the room below. The other grunts clumsily followed, one awkwardly falling to the floor in the middle of the room. Plumeria appeared before he could get up, so instead of jumping to his feet, he merely relaxed with an uncomfortable grimace, trying to make it look as if he had been laying there the whole time.

Plumeria raised a brow at him. "Get yo' ass off that floor. It's nasty. Prob'ly got more diseases in it than a Rattata."

"Yep," the grunt replied with, jumping up and brushing himself off rapidly. Some other grunts snickered at him as he did. "You are very right, Big Sis, yep."

But Gladion was not so easily amused. He stared at Plumeria as she started to walk past. He felt hot and sweaty after listening to that conversation, not understanding what girl they were talking about, or what they were intending to do. Apparently, his concentrated stare tipped off Plumeria, who paused just before leaving the room and met his gaze. "What?"

"Nothing," Gladion brokenly said, swallowing hard. He jerked his head away from her a bit too noticeably. Plumeria remained still there for a moment, and Gladion felt like he might drown if she didn't just leave the room… Felt numb as she walked over to him. Suddenly, he didn't know if he wanted to know what she was going out to do. He had been enjoying his time here, hadn't he? Did he want to jeopardize this new version of normal he was looking forward to accepting? Did he want to potentially find himself outcast again, if he found something deeply, troublingly wrong here at Po Town beyond what he already knew?

He wasn't ready for that… It was so hard to take root in such a muddy, dangerous environment, but he really hated the thought of something changing that plan already…

"You heard," she whispered once she was standing over him.

He flicked his eyes up at her but shook his head. "Just… heard you arguing with him… not sure about what…"

She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. "Just want ya to know, Glad, what we do is for the best of all o' us. 'Cause ain't nobody out there lookin' out for us, but us. Don't none of us mean any harm to anybody."

He looked down. He already knew that. She knew he already knew that. That was not easing his anxiety. "I know," he mumbled dejectedly. Chancing the question, he asked, "What are you going out… to do?"

"I'm not even sure," Plumeria muttered with a grimace as she turned and walked away from him, disappearing out the room at a brisk pace.

A storm was brewing over Po Town, and it wasn't just the rainclouds for once.

It was early the next morning when Selene awoke to something shaking her shoulder. She stirred, blinking blearily, as her Dartrix flared his wings to keep his balance on her chest. When her vision cleared, Selene realized that Hau was trying to gently shake her awake—and Bowtie was having none of it. He had his beak opened threateningly, and every now and then, swiftly moved to nip Hau on his fingertips. Popper was leaned up against the bed, and giving tiny, annoyed growls to Bowtie, who was utterly ignoring him.

"Selene?" Hau was saying, just as he withdrew his hand at lightning speed to avoid another of Bowtie's angry pecks, "can we talk? And… can you maybe call off the angry bird?"

Shooting upright, Selene nervously stammered, "U-uh, yeah, sorry—Bowtie, stop it!" She waved her hand at the pokémon and then comfortingly tried to pick him up, to soothe him. The Dartrix clicked his beak a few more times in aggravation but relaxed upon Selene setting him down beside her.

"Elio's still asleep," Hau whispered, still in Alolan as before, awkwardly sitting down at the far end of her bunk. "It's… kind of early… sorry…"

"It's… it's okay," Selene said, rubbing her left shoulder uncertainly. She was still upset with him, but a larger part of her was just… concerned, now. There was also something else—deep down, part of her was also afraid. She hated that, being afraid of him in any capacity, but… the way he had lit up like a ferocious, scarlet lightning bolt and sent a shock through the entire building had been intimidating, to say the least. She had seen him use his powers some before, and she had read about them in the book, of course, what with the warning about Tapu Koko Proxies being volatile. There was something so very sad about imagining Hau in that way, though… because as angry as she had been at him yesterday, as much as she had wanted to dig into him and make him hurt in her frustration, she didn't hate him, and she knew he only meant the best. She just didn't want to imagine her friend as volatile, or dangerous… because it was Hau. He wasn't like that. Was he?

"I was scared," Hau said through that smile-but-not-really-a-smile he always did when so nervous, "but… Hah, we can't let that stop us, can we? Um… if you want to try going into my, ah… memory again, to talk to Tapu Koko… you… you can."

There was no telling just how much courage that had to have taken him, considering how fearful he had been just the night before, Selene realized. Feeling a twinge of awe, she smiled brightly at him, and scooted a bit closer. No, Hau wasn't like that. "Hau?"

"Ae?" He looked up at her.

"Thank you," she said with a nod, full of conviction. "And whatever happens… We are still in this together. Right? E-even if I figure something out that I can do to help… all of this, all of the everything going on, I'm not going to leave you out to dry. You… do know that, right?"

That fake grin faded, and he took a deep breath. Popper jumped onto the bed then, worming his way into Hau's lap, and he laughed, stroking the pokémon's head. The more genuine smile there then seemed so much more natural and nicer on his face. Hau nodded at her at last and reached a hand to her expectantly, as if waiting for a handshake. "I do," he said determinedly. "Now, let's find out what Tapu Koko wanted, ae?"

Steeling her nerves and taking a deep breath, Selene nodded, focused on him, and clasped her right hand to his, tightening her hold once their palms met.

There was the nauseatingly overwhelming rush of emotions from her last vision having to deal with Hau. The anger, the sadness, the hurt—and she was once again being held by Tapu Koko. Same as last time, she was dumped on the wooden platform at the center of Iki Town, and Tapu Koko looked beaten within an inch of his life. Yet, this time, the vision didn't diverge from its usual pattern, unlike last time where Tapu Koko had started speaking to her. She remained in a fetal position against the wooden platform, Tapu Koko made a sadder, pained warbling noise, and there was an ear-shattering boom! as he bounced away from the town. Overtaken by the emotions of her vessel in that vision—Hau—she couldn't muster the frustration that this wasn't going as planned. It was just so… gutturally depressing. Even as people moved in on her in the vision, Kahuna Hala pulling her off the ground and anxiously checking her over and sounding so relieved she was alright, she just felt… done. Out of it. She could not find the words to describe such a feeling. It felt as if a bomb had gone off in her chest and she was being torn into shrapnel from the inside out.

"Ah! Selene, ow…"

When she came back to the present, she found she was sweating profusely, and clutching Hau's hand painfully hard. She let go, withdrawing her arm, and apologized meekly. "Sorry, sorry…"

"Anything…?" Hau pressed nervously.

Looking down, Selene swallowed hard. Bowtie nudged her arm worriedly and she offhandedly moved her right arm to stroke his back. "No…" she whispered. "Just a vision… nothing from Koko…" She shivered. "I don't understand… he said he needed to talk to me, he was going to tell me something last time, but…" She trailed off, wracking her brain over last time for all that Tapu Koko had said. Something about his… brother and sisters forgetting something… 'If we keep going the way we are now, we'll become like the memories you view,' or something like that… ugh, what else…

She froze.

"I used as much of my power that was gifted to me long ago as I could at once to grant you this rare trait… I will not be of service for a while."

"'I will not be of service for a while,'" Selene whispered aloud, almost hauntedly.

"Huh?" Puzzled, Hau frowned at her. "What'd you say?"

"When Tapu Koko last spoke to me in the vision, he said he wouldn't… wouldn't be 'of service' for a while," she explained, bewildered. She shook her head. "I don't know what that means…"

Popper suddenly wrestled his way out of Hau's grasp, and slipped off the bed, to the floor, with a plop! Blinking after him, Selene wondered what had encouraged him to move so fast, but then she saw him pop his head back up at the end of the bed, next to Hau. His nose was pointed toward Selene's bag, hanging from the corner of the bedframe. He couldn't reach it with his short, stout frame, but he jumped and nudged the bottom with his round nose, barking again and again at it.

"Why are we being loud already?" Selene heard Elio grumble in Kantonian from the other bunk. He turned over, ignoring them.

"What's in my bag that he wants?" Selene wondered aloud, but quietly, too quiet for Hau to hear.

"Shh, Popper," Hau hissed, leaning over to try to pick the Brionne up. "Stop that, h—" Popper dodged his hands, mischievously clapping his flippers when Hau started to topple off the bed. Selene caught him, helping pull him back upright, and he glowered after the Brionne. "Not nice."

To that, Popper only scooted back over, and started to jump up and point at the bag again.

Deciding that perhaps it was worth humoring Popper (or maybe she just had something in her bag he really wanted to get to), Selene got up and retrieved the bag. Settling it on the bed, she opened it, and Popper leapt up onto the bed again. He squirmed out of Hau's grabbing distance, and then nosed his way into Selene's bag. She snickered at the sight of him disappearing inside for a moment, but the amusement was quickly forgotten when he pushed the book about Alolan 'gifts' back out at her. She stiffened and scooted slightly away from it, while Popper stuck his head out of the bag, giving her a bright, expectant look.

"I already read about mine in there," Selene mumbled. "I don't know what in there could be helpful for this… Nothing in there exactly explains how to talk to the Tapu with it… Barely anyone understood my power because Kahuna Kaua wouldn't cooperate with people who document this stuff, or… or something like that…"

Hau sighed, and then tried to lighten the mood. "Well, why don't we just try again later, ae?" He tilted his head playfully at her, and then reached to pull Popper from her bag. The pokémon protested with a few whiny barks, and whimpered while looking at the book some more, but after a few seconds in Hau's arms, he seemed to forget all about the book.

Of course, part of Selene was unnerved by how Popper had known about the book in the first place… Gnawing her lower lip and deciding she didn't really want to think about that right then, she nodded. "Yeah. Let's just try again later. Yeah." Not that I know how many more times I can handle that vision of yours, Hau… Does it just play on loop like that in your head, or something…? At least with others, I seem to get a random memory… Yours is always… that…

"You two are loud," Elio huffed, speaking a broken mix of Kantonian and Galarish, as he sat up. His blue-gray hair was in a tangled mess framing his face. "What are we talkin' about already this morning?" As if remembering the night before, he blinked a few times and nervously glanced at Hau. "Uh, you doing okay, today, Hau…?"

"Oh, yes," Hau answered shyly, giving that false smile, and waving back at Elio anxiously. "Sorry. About day before… Should not be so…" He trailed off and shook his head, turning back to Selene. "Selene and I fix, yes."

"That's, uh, good," Elio yawned. "Well… I'm gonna text Lillie, since I think it's too early to call, and see what she wants to do about meeting her at the docks. Whether we're doing that today or tomorrow." He went like he was going to stand up, paused, then groaned and flopped back down. "Fuck, I feel like I've been hit by an Arcanine… maybe in a few more minutes…"

Selene snorted. "Considering all the times he's kept me up from sleeping in, I should go wake him up."

Laughing, Hau teased in Alolan, "Ae, probably so tired from punching out Faba's glasses and panicking so much yesterday."

"Because we were all the perfect picture of 'calm,' right?" Selene retorted immediately, crossing her arms, and giving him a knowing look. "I still can't believe all of that happened…"

Rolling his eyes, Hau conceded with a dip of his chin. "Ae, ae, got me there. But to be honest, though, he gets really into it." More sheepishly again, that relaxed, teasing moment gone, Hau said, "He seems like a good brother to me…"

Although she winced a little, feeling a twinge of shame for how frustrated she could get at Elio for his sometimes-secretive nature, she smiled slightly and nodded. Thinking of yesterday, and how he had pulled through every time she needed him the most (or whenever anyone needed him, if she were to be completely fair), she got an idea, and she smirked, eyeing him out the corner of her eye. He might have been laying down, but she knew he wasn't totally asleep. A little loudly, she said, "He is a good brother." Maybe, if I can't talk to him directly… She chuckled when she noticed him physically stiffen from where he was sprawled across the bed, facing away from her, signaling he'd heard her for sure.

I couldn't imagine doing this all without him.

The day following her conversation with Elio, Lillie was, as promised, visited by Captain Mallow. Captain Lana was thrilled, very much looking forward to seeing her; even more so than Lillie was, she amusedly thought, even though she was the one with the injury, not Lana. Yet, Lana was up and down, jittery with excitement, until the Grass-type user arrived at the Hano Grand Resort. Lillie had taken to texting Elio and relaxing with Nebby until Mallow arrived, and the entire time, Lana had been saying, "I can't wait to see Mallow again!" Or something like, "Though, could do without her cooking… I don't know what she puts in that stuff, but it is so spicy!" At some point, she was playing the gaming console again, and she had chattered away, "You know, I got Mallow to play something like this with me once. She beat me, but I'll show her!"

Smirking to herself, Lillie had just grunted in acknowledgement, then just had to text Elio.

Your conversation with Torchic

You

Okay, maybe I'm coming totally out of left field here. But I really think Lana has a crush on Mallow

Torchic

Hahahahaa really

You

She just… will not stop talking about her. It's kind of adorable. Y'know, if Mallow wasn't almost a full-grown woman and Lana wasn't… however old she is.

Torchic

The hart wants wht the hart wants, dont juj

At that, Lillie had paused and snorted. Her attempts at holding laughter failed and she had ended up cackling at the horrific mispelling.

You

I'm sorry, don't what now?

Torchic

Juj… like… make funn of

You

I know Galarish isn't your first language, but I get to make fun of you for that one. 'Judge.'

Torchic

Look u dont juj me ether k?

Rolling her eyes, she had dropped the phone when Lana had suddenly darted toward the door of the hotel room and squeaked, "Oh, Mallow messaged, she's here!" With that, the Captain had bolted out the door, swinging it shut behind herself, loudly.

It wasn't long before Lana came back with Mallow to the room, and the Captain of Lush Jungle asked Lillie to lean back and relax in the bed. With an almost bitter chuckle, Lillie snarked, "Oh, something new. No worries, though, I can do that."

Yet, Mallow had offered little more than a forced laugh at Lillie's joke, and pressed her palms to Lillie's shoulder. She shut her eyes, and green energy flowed from her shoulders and down to her hands. A pleasant, almost cooling sensation washed over Lillie, and she fell limp as the healing took place… but it didn't take long. Almost as soon as it had begun, it felt like, it was over. Mallow went to take a step back and staggered somewhat. Glancing over at her worriedly despite the rush of relief thanks to her leg's pain finally ebbing, Lillie flinched when she noticed a wound had appeared on Mallow's leg in her stead.

"I… know that's how that works, but…" Lillie grimaced. "Captain Mallow, are you sure you're…?"

Mallow just shrugged and waved a hand at her. "Oh, I'll be fine. I heal a lot faster than you do," she taunted, a little more like her usual self. "Besides, we need to get you back with your friends." Mallow paused and seemed to smile even brighter. Awkwardly shifting, with her newly injured leg, she seemed to sputter into a joke, trying to avoid the somber mood of Lillie's circumstances… Lillie wondered just how much Mallow or Lana knew about her, or what they thought about Kukui. She supposed it didn't matter, though. "They're pretty good friends, aren't they? Especially that Kanto boy, hmm~?"

Rotating to get out of the bed, Lillie put her feet flat against the carpeted floor and sighed in relief at the lack of stinging pain that usually came when she moved her damaged leg. She had forced herself to walk some even while hurt, of course, but this was definitely much more pleasant. Standing up, she walked back and forth a bit, then turned to face the bed. Nebby was watching her intently but seemed unwilling to come out after her with Lana and Mallow there. "Look, Nebby," Lillie softly called to him, "all better!"

He squeaked and raised his puffy, nebulaic arms in acknowledgment, but as soon as Lana shifted in place, he retreated behind her pillow. Sighing, Lillie supposed that was fair… The attack from Gladion's beastly pokémon had been intimidating for them all… She couldn't blame the defenseless Nebby for being so skittish. She just hoped that wasn't permanent…

"So, ah, when do you think you want to head to Ula'Ula to meet up with the others?" Mallow asked after a moment. At Lana's insistence, she sat down on the opposing bed in the room to take the pressure off her freshly wounded leg. (To which Lana continue to fuss over her, but Mallow waved her away.) "We can walk with you to the docks and make sure you get on a boat to there, so we know you're safe and there's no funny business, you know."

Biting her lower lip, Lillie eyed Mallow's leg. Well, I'd love to go today, but… I know she said she heals fast, but she looks really hurt now… "Maybe tomorrow morning…? Would that be okay…?"

"It would have to be really early," Mallow winced. "I have to meet with Kahuna Olivia to train the new Totem Lurantis some more…"

"I don't mind going early to go with you two!" Lana exclaimed excitedly, bouncing from foot to foot next to Mallow.

"Early should be fine," Lillie laughed softly. "I don't mind…" Snickering to herself, she tossed a look over her shoulder and at Nebby. "Do you have any complaints about waking up early tomorrow?" He just blinked at her. "I'll take that as a no," she giggled.

"So, uh, six in the morning work for you guys?" Mallow asked, hopping up from the bed with a bounce in her step. She yelped as she remembered her new wound and heavily leaned to her uninjured side. "Right," she cheekily grinned at Lana's worried stare, "I'm fine."

"Six is fine," Lana replied distractedly, bending down to frown at Mallow's leg. "Shouldn't you at least bandage that—"

"Lana," Mallow whined, scooting away from her, "I'm fine. Really!" She broke into a fit of laughter to try to defuse the annoyed tension in the air.

"Six is fine for me, too," Lillie interjected, internally laughing herself to death at Lana's fretfulness. She definitely has something for Mallow, she thought delightedly. Poor girl. Like having a crush on a coworker or a professor or something. Never gonna happen. Also, she's like, what, fifteen? Fourteen? I don't remember.

"Then it's settled," Mallow piped up with a singsong tone, "tomorrow at six in the morning, Lana will already be here, and I'll come meet you to make sure you get to the docks, safe and sound." With that, she limped toward the door of the hotel. "You know, so that Elio can see you again, hehe~"

"Yes, that reason, and that reason only," Lillie dryly snorted, sitting back down. Shaking her head at Mallow's playfulness, she tried to give a sincere thanks for her help, nonetheless. "Thank you, Captain Mallow. For everything."

"Ah, just Mallow's fine," she stammered. Before Lillie could dispute that, she raised her hands up. "Anyway, I better go. See you guys tomorrow~!"

"Will you be okay getting back to—"

The door shut before Lana finished her question, and the Captain sulkily sat down on the opposing bed. Lillie tried to fight the giggles building in her throat, but a couple escaped, to which Lana glared at her. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Lillie quickly said. "Nothing at all…"

She went to text Elio again to tell him that now she was certain Lana had some kind of feelings for Mallow, but she was overwhelmed by how relieved she was to know she would see him again soon. Instead, she simply texted…

Your conversation with Torchic

You

Hey, Mallow just left. My leg's doing much better, and they can have me at the docks by six tomorrow morning. I guess that means I'd get to Ula'Ula about 7:30 or 8:00? I can give you guys a more accurate time after I talk to Lana some more, but I just wanted to let you know…

She thought for a moment, gnawing on her lower lip, debating whether to say what she really wanted to tell him. In the end…

I really miss you…

Torchic

Hey ofc that time is no problm. Glad leg is doing beter! i.. was so worred about that haha…

I miss u to, lilly..

She sighed a long, pining exhale and wondered just what to say next. Not that it bothered her. Having him say that, even in his broken Galarish of a text, was so, so sweet, and she really did cherish it in that moment.

It would be so nice to see him again tomorrow, and maybe Nebby would stop being so panicky once he was back around familiar faces…

Chapter Text

The next morning, Lillie had to be awake quite early, if she had any hope of getting to the docks in time to make her boat. The early vessel was set to leave at 6:30 AM, and although she wasn't exactly intending to impress anyone that day, she still figured a proper shower, brushing of her hair, and the like was in order. It had been a couple of days since she had cleaned herself so closely and she was starting to notice. With a twinge of amusement, she thought that perhaps Nebby had, too, considering when she woke that morning, he was not nestled in her grasp as he normally was. With a snarky, "Cheeky bastard," at him, she had left him to sleep while she got ready. It wasn't long after that before Lana was awake as well, practically bouncing off the walls again despite the fact it was a little before five in the morning.

She went along on autopilot until she went to brush her hair, looking into the hotel room's bathroom mirror. As she held her white and blue hairbrush just away from her hair, she frowned. The pale brown dye had started to fade in parts, leaving small, dull patches of blond visible, and the slight wave that the barber had given it, despite her best efforts to maintain it, was gone. Sighing, she supposed she would need to fix that, not that her disguise had seemed to help much in the long run. Gladion and Faba had both still recognized her in the end. Brushing out her hair anyway, she vaguely wondered if dying it some off-the-walls color and getting it massively curled might alter her appearance enough to push her beyond unrecognizable. A small voice in the back of her mind told her she'd still be recognizable, she'd just also look ridiculous.

When she went to get dressed, she was grateful to find that Lana had taken the liberty at some point to wash her clothes for her. They smelled so much better. Once comfortably back in her white and light green attire, feeling much fresher, and with her leg doing so much better, Lillie finally felt like things might be going back to some semblance of normal. Mallow arrived just as she was finishing up, and Lillie was relieved to see that the wound on her leg was all but gone, save for a shadow of a scar over where it had been. Mallow noticed her staring and giggled.

"Oh, that'll go away, too," she almost proudly said. "Oh, here! For your little friend, hehe!" With that, she produced a bag from behind her back, offering it to Lillie. This one was more of a backpack. It was pale tan, with a couple of large pockets, designed to hold various supplies and equipment. To her, it seemed designed for an Island Challenger.

Smiling gratefully at Mallow, Lillie graciously took it. "Thank you," she whispered, turning back to her bed to wake Nebby at that point. "Hey, you," she crooned at him, "time for us to go. You got an upgrade, by the way." The Cosmog slowly blinked and eyed the bag in front of himself warily. Lillie chuckled at his caution and tipped it over so that he could see inside. "See? Much bigger."

He gave her a somewhat mutinous pew, but when Mallow and Lana started talking to one another in the background in rapid Alolan, he moved inside without a second thought. Although glad that had gone down without any drama, Lillie kind of missed the feistier, unabashedly curious Nebby… She picked up the bag and tossed the straps over her shoulder.

"Ready?" Lana asked her, peering over her shoulder, practically vibrating in excitement to get going. Lillie couldn't blame her. She seemed to have boundless energy, perfect for a Captain, and she had been stuck with her in a hotel room for a couple of days.

"Yep," Lillie yawned. "I'm ready… And, thank you guys, again…" She shuffled her feet some as she made her way to the door. I shouldn't be so defenseless, though. Not just for my sake, or Nebby's sake, but for yours, and Elio's, Hau's, even Selene's… I can't keep endangering everyone like that. She paused just before leaving the room. I already endangered them enough by dragging them into the stuff with Aether, didn't I? The least I can do is help them…

"Everything okay?" Mallow asked her when she didn't budge. Lillie scrambled out of their way and laughed nervously.

"Sorry, yeah, just, thinking," Lillie mumbled. I do need to help them… and for that, I need a pokémon other than Nebby. She smiled some as Mallow nodded at her, and they started to leave the room.

The walk to the docks was uneventful, save for Lana chattering away to Mallow the entire time. Patient enough, Mallow seemed to handle it fine, teasing and taunting Lana in return after a while. Listening to them bicker and joke made her long for Elio, Hau, and even Selene more. Sure, she and Selene hadn't always gotten along, in fact, they often clashed, but… it still felt familiar, at that point. Hau was subdued most of the time, but his playful nature shined through on occasion, and he could be quite amusing when he was in the right headspace. Then, of course, Elio… Oh, how she couldn't wait to see him again… Maybe then I can actually say that thing I want to tell him, to him, and not to my phone, she internally snarked at herself.

Something else that struck Lillie as they moved was how much of a ghost town Heahea City was that early in the morning. She knew that Alolan stores and the like tended to open later and stay open later than most of those in other regions, but it was eerie, just how devoid of life the streets were so early. It didn't surprise her, though. The technology the Alolan islands boasted seemed more a front, than anything, and nighttime was dangerous—that was just a fact. Nocturnal pokémon, largely unfamiliar to diurnal humans, tended to be frightening and dangerous to a person wandering alone in the darkness. Other people prowling for trouble would be far more likely to do so under the cover of the stars, too. No, the lack of life on the dark, early morning streets didn't surprise her, but it was just that that made it so unsettling. Even with two trial Captains at her side, she still felt… exposed, and the entire time, she was internally scolding herself for her stubborn refusal to train pokémon before then.

At the docks, there was a single boat. A sleeker, black boat. Lillie raised a brow at it. She had only seen white, tan, or pale blue boats used as ferries between the islands. Pausing, finding herself suddenly unsure, she glanced between Mallow and Lana, who both also stalled at the sight.

"Never seen a ferry like that before," Mallow commented, tilting her head. She and Lana both tiptoed closer to the vessel, shoulders squared, hands poised near their bags to retrieve a Poké Ball at a moment's notice. "Hello?" Mallow called out.

"Anyone in there?" Lana asked as she curiously picked her way closer to the boat's door.

A lanky man in a navy-blue uniform poked his head out from the doorway. White, thin, feathery hair fell over his forehead. "Ae? Alola, what's up?" he asked in Alolan, giving both Captains a partial grin. Yet then, he switched to Galarish, even before he seemed to notice Lillie. "Ah, Captain Lana, Captain Mallow," he started, "are ya both needin' a ride to Ula'Ula? Thought you two would'a taken a pokémon or somethin' though, to be honest."

"No," Mallow responded first, still warily looking him and the boat over. "What's with the boat? Never seen a ferry like this…" She cleared her throat and tried to defuse the tension in the air. "I know they say once you go black, you never go back, and all, hehe, but…"

Lillie almost choked on air upon such a joke coming from the flirtatious, chatty Mallow's lips. I'm going to the Distortion World for giggling at that, aren't I?

The lanky man laughed, then stepped out of the boat. He was wearing a lot of clothes. Beneath the blue uniform, which consisted of jeans, a vest of sorts, and gloves, he seemed to wear a black shirt, and she realized then that he had a captain's hat on as well, it was just sitting at an awkward angle on his head, which had made it hard to see before he had stepped out. She frowned when he spoke. Somehow, he sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. "My usual was out for repair, y'see, an' they couldn't find me another in time. I just asked if I could use my personal boat 'cause ain't usually many on these early mornin' ferries anyway. Can check inside if ya want!"

"I'll do it!" Lana exclaimed before Mallow could say a word. She skirted past the boat captain and, with a mischievous grin shot back at Mallow and Lillie, she tapped the ground with her right foot next to where the lanky man stood. He grunted in surprise as his shoes turned blue and seemed to stick to the pavement below, but before he could ask, Lana had already vanished inside.

"Now, what'd she go and do that for?" the lanky man complained, tugging at his shoes, but to no avail. Mallow laughed, then covered her mouth, as if she knew she shouldn't have been laughing. Her chuckling was contagious, and Lillie found herself giving a few giggles, too. The lanky man gave both of them a moody glance, then whined, "Shit, that's cold—I mean, that's really cold on my feet! Uh, Captain Lana? Not trynna hurry ya along or anythin', but…"

"Seems all clear to me!" Lana beamed as she came darting out of the boat again. She tapped the ground next to the boat captain again, instantly defrosting his shoes. He sighed in relief and jumped away, flicking his feet as if he weren't sure they would still work properly.

"Well, the ferries do occasionally use personal boats when the ferry ones break down," Mallow conceded. Glancing to Lillie, she asked, "But it's up to you. I think it's fine, but if you don't want to use this boat, we can always try again later!" She smiled reassuringly.

Lillie still couldn't figure out why the man seemed familiar. She sighed and shook her head. Maybe she was just being paranoid. Paranoid like Nebby. She was with two Captains, and neither of them seemed that bothered by the situation at hand anymore… and she was so, so tired of always being in survival mode. Slowly, she nodded. "This boat's fine," she said softly. Producing her ticket from a pocket (Mallow had bought it for her the day before), Lillie handed it to the lanky man, and made her way into the vessel.

The smell of… something hit her like a brick wall, causing her to almost stumble upon entry. The ferries always had funny smells, but that one was something else, entirely. Shaking her head to reorient herself, she pressed further in, taking a seat in the far back of the inner cabin. It didn't have as many windows as the normal ferries did, just a few circular, hatch windows here and there along the elongated body. The boat seemed more built for speed than carrying cargo, given the limited passenger space. She could see the captain's seat from where she had taken refuge in the far back of the boat, after all. He wasn't even separated from the rest of it. She could see a hatch built into the floor, though, and assumed that was where actual cargo was stored, in the underbelly of the vessel. Maybe whatever he was storing there was what made it smell so funny. It smelled like freshly mowed grass—burned freshly mowed grass.

The lanky man seemed uninterested in her when he retreated into the boat with her, taking the driver's seat. He started the boat right away, and Lillie jolted nervously. "Um, are there no other passengers this morning?"

"Nope, just you," he replied flatly, sounding almost nothing like the man he had been outside the boat. "Here we go, to Ula'Ula. There are seatbelts, by the way, if ya wanna put one on."

Swallowing nervously, she did just that. Part of her wanted to ask to get back off the boat, that she had made a mistake, but another part of her wondered what saying that might mean. What reason did the man have for pretending to be a ferryman if he wasn't one? Would potentially aggravating him drive him to do something worse than whatever he already intended to do, if he were really a fake? Her mind reeled with all the possible plans he could have for her in the back of her mind, and she was so, so grateful that she had remembered to pack a few of her defensive supplies with her before leaving—including her beloved pepperspray. It wouldn't stop most pokémon, if he did have any on him, but it would give her time to get away or get the attention of others… or at least, she hoped it would.

Despite her panic, though, she did not blame Captain Mallow or Captain Lana for 'putting' her in such a compromising position. In fact, the thought never even crossed her mind; it wasn't like the ferrymen in Alola had licenses or anything for them to run to double-check, and his story had seemed believable enough. A funny scent in the boat wasn't exactly indicative of anything nefarious, either. The transit agency that hired the ferrymen could possibly have been contacted, but that had seemed unnecessary a few minutes ago.

So, as she sat there, poised to defend herself and berating herself for having not trusted her survivalist instincts more, Lillie realized after a while that they were, indeed, heading in the right direction for Ula'Ula. The captain of the boat said nothing more to her for quite a while. It crossed her mind to try to text Elio, to alert him that she was on her way (even though she had already given him the exact times she'd be arriving the day before), and just to have someone to talk to, but when she retrieved her phone, it couldn't pick up any signal. She supposed that made sense. In the expanses of ocean between the islands, she supposed there wouldn't be any service, considering service was spotty at best on the islands themselves.

She did, however, have a clock on that phone. And an hour came and went… then nearly another hour had come and gone… Despite trying to calm her nerves by checking to see if she could text Elio, by occasionally playing with Nebby (she tried to not make it too obvious, in case the lanky man noticed), Lillie started to get nervous then. Her ticket had told her a trip from Heahea City Port to Malie City Port would take an hour and a half at the most. Heart starting to beat into her throat, Lillie eventually found the courage to call out, "Ah, sir? What… when should we get there?"

"Just a minute," was the reply she received. She noticed out of the small, hatch windows that it seemed to be raining outside… Or else the swells of the ocean had gotten significantly taller. Yet, the boat didn't seem to be rocking that much.

All of a sudden, the vessel stopped. Anxious to get out of there, Lillie snatched her bag up, and went to scurry for the exit, but the hatch in the floor abruptly opened before she could pass over it. Scrambling back to her seat, Lillie squeaked in shock and panted for breath, as a woman in Skull colors and tags hauled herself out of the compartment in the floor.

"Fuckin' hell, Makua, it smells like straight Exeg-leaves in here!" she hissed back at the captain of the boat. Attempting to smooth out her pink and yellow hair, tangled and frizzy from her time spent down below, she looked over Lillie carefully. Before she could say anything else, the man from the front of the boat responded, and more Skull members came out of the hatch in the floor. Four others in total. "Do you ever stop smokin' that shit? Poor fuckin' Exeggutor, I swear…"

"Well, I am the one who drives this thing the most," Makua defended himself moodily from the front of the vessel.

Makua… Lillie tensed even more than she already was. "You were the one with Gladion!" she spat at the driver of the boat. "You were the one freaking out!" Turning her gaze to the woman with the colorful hair, Lillie curled her lips into a snarl, tucking her bag closer to her. She already had a hand inside and resting on her pepperspray. "Back off! What the hell do you want?"

"Lillie," the woman started in an eerily patient tone, one Lillie could tell was meant to soothe her, but in the circumstances, only unnerved her further, "I know this is bad, I hate it, too, but it don't gotta get ugly. My name's Plumeria. We just need ya to come with us for a lil' while." The grunts near her easily filled in the space, preventing her from having any prayer of escaping.

Or so they thought.

Lillie whipped out the can of pepperspray and, clenching her eyes shut, bent low to the ground as she sprayed it liberally over them. They shrieked and cursed, diving out of her range and onto the seats of the cabin, giving Lillie an out. Makua scrambled to try to catch her as she passed him, but she was too fast, and threw her weight against the door to open it faster than turning the knob would have allowed.

…Yet, instead of finding herself on a dock, Lillie yelped as she found herself swimming. There was a dock just ahead, with a ladder on both sides, but the black boat had not docked yet, apparently. Realizing she couldn't go back to the boat but that she had no hope of making it to the rockier shore against the ocean current, she swam with all her might toward the ladder of the dock. She heard Nebby squeaking in fear above the splashing of the small waves and the idling engine of the boat, and her eyes stung somewhat—from the pepperspray or the saltwater, she wasn't sure—but she was determined to reach that ladder, and the building just beyond the cliff she could see the dock connected to. It seemed to be a motel or a small shopping center, based on the size of the top of it. That meant there had to be people there… She just hoped they weren't more Skull members.

Even so, reach the ladder she did. When her shaky fingers finally grasped the algae-slicked wood, she dug in with her nails, and hauled her heavier, wet body up it. She nearly collapsed once she reached the top of the dock, finding herself thoroughly exhausted from fighting the waves and climbing, but then she realized the boat had moved in on the docks—and the woman, Plumeria, was throwing a rope out to try and dock the vessel.

"Catch her, damn it!" Plumeria snapped. The grunts that had been with her in the vessel started to climb the ladder on the boat's side of the dock, and Lillie realized she couldn't stop just yet.

Turning away from them, she started to bolt away, but her shoes must had come loose during her surprise swim. One fell off her foot entirely mid-gallop, and she fell onto the pavement at the end of the dock, scuffing her arms and elbows painfully. Grimacing, she tried to pick herself up again, but winced and seized at the pain in her left elbow. The Skull grunts descended on her then, grabbing her by her arms, and hauling her to her feet. They awkwardly held her at a distance, though, and they were… trembling? Opening her stinging eyes, Lillie noticed that none of them looked confident. Each appeared nervous and confused, and when she found the strength to squirm against their hold, they nearly dropped her.

So, she squirmed. She pooled together all of her strength, then gritted her teeth, and jerked her shoulders. They yelped and let go, unceremoniously dropping hold of her, and she nearly fell onto her back. She could see the Plumeria woman making her way toward them then, but Lillie looked over the nearby motel. There wasn't a soul outside, but maybe… She swept one last look over the Skull grunts, Plumeria, and the boat, then booked it for the largest section of the motel, hoping it would be an office. It hurt to run without a shoe on one of her feet, but that—

She hit the ground again, this time due to her other shoe slipping free. Plumeria caught up to her and hooked an arm under Lillie's. "Lillie, stop it," she grunted, "you're just gettin' yourself hurt—"

"Let me go!" Lillie fiercely snarled, fighting against her hold, the same as she had done to the grunts. Even in her blind panic, she got the sense that Plumeria was no more into this than the grunts were. She didn't know what they wanted, why they were after her, or what they had to gain from it, but she certainly wasn't interested in finding out, even so. "Let me go, right now! I am useless to you! Fuck off!"

The grunts circled her and Plumeria, cutting off her escape again, just in case she managed to worm her way out of Plumeria's iron grasp. Plumeria cut her eyes at Lillie and moved so that her hands were clutching Lillie's forearms, so tight that Lillie thought she might bruise. "Listen to me," Plumeria growled, "I ain't wantin' to hurt ya. Nobody here does. But we need ya and your lil' pet. Just for a lil' while."

Giving Plumeria a challenging glare as she met the other's eyes, Lillie bared her teeth back at her. She knew there was one person in Alola that wanted Nebby that badly, and one person only. "For what, my mother? What did she promise you?" Lillie scoffed. "Whatever it was, she's lying, and you're all the biggest bunch of idiots for believing her. She'd say or do anything to get that pokémon."

"This ain't to hurt ya, or your lil' beastie there," Plumeria huffed, "so, please, don't make this any worse 'an it has to be—"

Lillie had quit listening. She swiftly leaned her head over and bit the softer flesh of Plumeria's inner forearm, causing her to scream, and let her go. Gasping for breath, Lillie darted away, and if her circumstances weren't so frightening, she might have laughed at the way the Skull grunts parted for her rather than attempting to stop her. Yet, with her soaked clothes and hair, her raw feet from running on wet socks with no shoes, the exhaustion from fighting the waves, she found it too difficult to keep running. No amount of adrenaline was enough to carry her toward the office of the motel. She limped closer to it, but Plumeria and the grunts easily caught up to her, and an older, rusted truck drove into the parking lot of the motel shortly after, stopping just in front of her to cut off her path toward the office. A burly, large man with golden sunglasses pushed up over his whitish hair gave her a pointed look.

"Guz," Plumeria huffed as she converged on Lillie again, swiftly lashing her hands out and grabbing Lillie by her arms, "this is fuckin' awful."

"Just get her in the truck," the man in the front seat grumbled. He seemed to make it a point to refuse to look at Lillie after that.

That must be Guzma, the leader of them, Lillie thought fleetingly, just before she went back to fighting. Sluggishly throwing her weight against Plumeria's hold, she wasn't able to break out as easily this time. Mind still racing, she thought of something else, though. She raised her left leg, and then sharply aimed a backward-facing kick right between Plumeria's thighs. Unfortunately, her slowed movements made it easy for Plumeria to realize what she was up to, and she easily dodged the strike. "Fuckin' hell, kid," Plumeria panted, "you really are somethin' else!"

"You're trying to fucking kidnap me!" Lillie shrieked incredulously, bucking against her once more, whiffing it that time, too. "What, did you expect me to go quietly?" Just how stupid are you people?

"Well, ya ain't got any pokémon, so was kinda thinkin' it wouldn't be this much of a mess, no," Plumeria almost laughed.

"This is not fucking funny!" Lillie barked, twisting in Plumeria's hold. Even though that movement was slow, it turned Plumeria's arm at an awkward angle, forcing her to let go. The grunts, frozen in place for a moment, were spurred into action when Guzma snapped at them to help. They each helped grab Lillie, and their combined weight was too much for her to spin off. In fact, it was so much that she whimpered, and her legs gave out. She sat down against the wet pavement. Distantly, she realized it must had been raining the entire time.

"Take her bag, get that Cosmog and her phone," Plumeria called above the noise. Lillie felt the grunts shift so as to hold her arms to keep her still, while one removed her bag. She heard Nebby fretfully whining and squeaking from inside, and she was filled with another burst of furious motivation. She managed to stand up for a moment, despite the four or so guys holding her down, and she tried to twist out of their grasp yet again.

"Fuck off!" she howled in an outrage. "Leave him alone! You idiots don't know what you're doing right now! If you're wanting to give Nebby to my mother, you're killing us all! Fucking morons!"

"What are you talkin' about?" she heard one of the members grunt as they wrestled her back to the ground, forcing her to sit still once more. Beyond frustrated and upset, Lillie bit one that got too close to her face and kicked another in the shin that dared stand in front of her. She felt a surge of pride when he tumbled back against the truck, knocking his head into the doorframe, sitting there dazedly after. She just wished she had the energy to try to fight her way out of the grasp of the rest of them again…

"Guz, you got a Nest Ball or somethin' for this pokémon o' hers? It's just sittin' in the bag, an' I ain't seein' a Poké Ball for it anywhere," Plumeria was saying distantly.

"Here," Guzma murmured, tossing her one.

"Thanks…" Plumeria trailed off as she stuck the ball in the bag. There was a flash of red light, then a few flashes of white, and then Plumeria pulled the green ball with tan stripes from the bag. "That was easy. Thing is weak as shit. Why are we kidnappin' a girl for this again?"

"Just get her in the damn truck!" Guzma snarled. "I don't know how long before Nanu or someone shows up here to cut us short, y'know! An' I can't exactly call Lil' Aether to make sure he stays busy, what with her here to raise hell in the background!"

The grunts went to move her again, and Lillie kicked both her legs out, and bit another who brought his hands too far up on her shoulders. The grunts cursed in Alolan and one frustratedly shoved her chest so hard that she was flattened to her back against the ground. She wrenched an arm free just to slap his hand away from her chest and bared her teeth after him. "Keep your fucking hands off me!" she hissed, then spat at his face. He avoided the hit, but shook his head in bewilderment at her, as if he couldn't believe the amount of fight she was putting up. Lillie set her jaw and felt a small bloom of pride to have intimidated him so much. Good.

"Guz, she's puttin' up way too much of a fight, what if what she's sayin' is true?" Lillie heard Plumeria saying. "This ain't right. Somethin' ain't right."

Guzma, however, was having none of it. "Plumes, we can talk about that later, just get her in the goddamn truck! Fuck's sake…"

Plumeria shouldered her way through the grunts and barked at them to help her as she leaned down to pick up Lillie. Although lagging due to exhaustion, Lillie eventually found the strength to raise her legs, and buck at Plumeria, hitting her squarely in the stomach. However, the movement left her wide open for the grunts to all grab her again. One bearhugged her from behind, drawing her arms flat against her sides, and two others leaned down to grab her feet to keep her from kicking anymore. The fourth, meanwhile, undid the bandanna around his head to tie around her hands. Once that was done, the one bearhugging her told him to take his bandanna as well, to do the same to her feet once they had her in the truck.

Yet, when they started to put her in the back of the truck, they were forced to loosen their grip thanks to the tighter space. Lillie managed to kick one of the ones on her feet off, and hooked her toes beneath the truck's door, swinging it in as they pushed her inside. It clipped one on the shoulder before they realized, and someone scrambled to grab the door to keep it from doing any serious damage to any of them. They all grabbed her feet, then, to tie them up with a bandanna as well, the same as her hands.

After that, they shut the door. She was caught. Almost hyperventilating at that point, Lillie looked up at the front seat, seeing Guzma and Plumeria in them. It took her a few seconds to gather her words and thoughts, and even then, she barely had the strength to even speak anymore, but she growled yet again, "You're both stupid. I knew Skull Gang guys were stupid, but you guys are stupid."

"Most captives don't go insultin' their kidnappers," Guzma snidely shot back at her. "If they're smart, anyway."

"Guz, get us the fuck out of here an' leave her alone," Plumeria huffed, leaning a hand against her forehead. "I can't believe we just did that."

The grunts that had wrestled her into the backseat climbed into the bed of the truck. One of them made some sort of signal with his hand at Guzma, and then they were off. Makua was nowhere to be seen, so Lillie assumed he was dealing with the boat. Not that she cared—she was still plotting, still thinking, about how she would get Nebby and herself out of this one. As much as she hated it, she was back in survival mode, concerned only with whatever would get her and Nebby out of the situation at hand, petrified of what new obstacles were now ahead of them both… and oh, not to even mention the sheer pressure.

She had no idea what these people would do to her.

She had no idea what her mother would do to her.

But she did know that her mother would kill Nebby if she got what she wanted—and that she would open a way for a beast like nothing they could imagine to come to Alola and destroy its light, if what Dulse and Zossie had said was true.

As Lillie lay there, soaked against the backseat bench of that rusty truck, she realized that she could not give up. She had to keep fighting, every step of the way, until she was free of them, until she was back with Elio and the others, because not only did she only have herself to count on, but Nebby and all of Alola had her to count on at that point. Giving in meant doom for so many beyond just herself.

Giving in meant doom for Nebby and Elio.

She narrowed her eyes at Guzma and Plumeria in the front of the truck and clenched her teeth. You want to pick a fight? Well, you've got one, Lillie thought furiously. I won't stop. I'll make it out of here, I'll keep Nebby safe, or I'll die trying. You haven't won yet. Not by far.

"Guz," Plumeria whispered in a raw, almost broken tone, "the way she fought… Somethin' ain't right. Please don't turn her and that pokémon in to Aether right away."

Guzma was quiet for a moment but dipped his head in acknowledgment. "I… I agree." He huffed. "But let's talk about it later. Let's just get her somewhere safe and comfortable as can be for now, an' then I can deal with Gladion, so he ain't figure it out."

"Gonna have to tell the grunts that came with us to keep a lid on it," Plumeria muttered. She then made a noise akin to gagging. "I fuckin' hate this, Guz. I hope this turns out to be fuckin' worth it, or that girl turns out to be right, an' we let her go."

"Plumes, please," Guzma begged. "Later. Okay?"

"Whatever," Plumeria icily growled.

Yeah, save it, Lillie thought mutinously. Having the audacity to act like you feel bad after just fucking kidnapping me… She shifted in place and growled in frustration at the way the bandannas tied around her ankles and wrists seemed to dig in harder.

They have no idea what they're getting themselves into.

Chapter Text

"This is the right ferry. She should be here."

Selene and Hau shared a look, and the expression on his face read with the same feeling of dread she was experiencing. They were at the Malie City ferry terminal and had watched as a white and silver ferry pulled into the harbor. It had unloaded and Lillie had not been amongst the people that spilled from its deck. Elio had even taken the initiative to dart aboard the vessel, Macho at his side, much to the ship captain's chagrin, and demanded to know if a girl was still aboard. After a heated discussion, he had been told no girl fitting his description had boarded that ship, and all the passengers were off—and then Elio had been escorted off by a burly man with a midday Lycanroc at his side, who easily intimidated Macho into obeying.

"Elio, maybe she just got delayed and had to take the next one?" Selene offered hopefully. Or at least, she tried to, all the while nervously stroking Bowtie's feathers as he sat astride her shoulder; truthfully, it frightened her to know Lillie wasn't where she had said she would be. These islands had already seemed to claim so much from people… Would it really have been that much of a stretch to think they could get Lillie as well? But then, what did that make of her, for pushing to leave her behind on Akala to talk to those at the Aether Foundation? What did that mean for all of Alola if what Lillie and the Ultra Recon Squad had said was true? It had her tongue dry as sandpaper, as she thought about that, the idea that she had potentially done the exact opposite of what she was given her 'gift' to do… Certainly, she hadn't enjoyed her 'gift,' but she had just started to try to do it right, to do what Tapu Koko, what those islands, needed… She and Hau had tried again, a few times, even, to contact Tapu Koko, without success. All she could think was: Am I too late?

"She's not answering her phone, either," Elio pointed out almost bitingly as he paced ahead of her on the docks. It was still quite early in the morning, with only a few people meandering about, and that made Selene feel all the more on-edge. She felt almost… exposed. Yet, she knew they had nothing to hide… She shrank away from Elio. "She doesn't"—he cut himself off with a huff, and nervously adjusted his hat with his left hand, spinning on the heel of his right shoe. "She doesn't do that, leave me unanswered like that, especially about something like this."

"Phone work bad between island, not work," Hau tried to softly explain. Popper, at his feet, barked a couple of times supportively. "So, maybe—"

Elio cut Hau off with a glare. "That's just a little too familiar," he muttered, pausing, and clasped his hands together in front of himself. Taking a deep breath, Elio closed his eyes, as if privately trying to calm himself. Yet, Selene knew exactly what he meant, and why he was feeling that way, and it made her cringe, with another rush of shame for having urged him to go to Aether Paradise with her. Especially since now, she knew there was nothing worth going there for. Dr. Wicke had offered as much help as she could, Lillie had claimed those lower in Aether's ranks would still be likely to help, but going there had cost her so, so dearly, if the dreadful feeling she and Elio were experiencing was correct. The circumstances aligned eerily well with their parents' disappearance, down to the stupid, potential explanation of lack of cell service. That, Selene was sure, was where Elio's mind was.

"So, I heard you were causin' a scene down this way."

Selene yelped and twirled on a heel, making Bowtie take flight and squawk in surprise. Hau similarly jolted, though Popper only glanced up at the person that had spoken from behind them with curiosity. Yet, Elio jerked his head to glare at the man, narrowing his blue eyes at him. At his side, Macho's hackles started to rise, and he growled. "Who are you?" Elio pressed, taking a deliberate step forward, between Selene and Hau.

"Nobody," the man replied, smoothing back thin, stringy gray hair, maroon eyes glittering. "Nobody important, anyway, but I think they call me Nanu when they wanna get my attention. Sometimes I humor 'em." He simpered.

Hau and Selene raised a brow at each other, and she saw the end of his lips turn up like he was going to snicker or make a joke, but Elio's combative growl from just ahead cut that short. "Well, I didn't hear anyone say Nanu," Elio retorted coldly, stiffening his shoulders. "So—"

"Well, I am this thing called a 'police officer,'" Nanu chuckled, blithely cutting Elio off, as if unaware he had even been speaking still. He adjusted the dark blue jacket he was wearing, showing a stitched-in insignia that Selene supposed proved he was what he said he was. Nanu then yawned, stretching an arm, as if completely unbothered by Elio's aggression. Selene almost admired him for it, because Elio's protectiveness… guiltily, it was beginning to scare her. She knew it was important, and needed, and she had pressed for it, but… she shamefully felt some fear. 'Dangerous' was never an adjective she would have thought to be able to describe her brother with, even when she had pushed him to lean more into it, yet, in moments like these, where his eyes hardened in spite and he seemed so much taller and broader, that was all she could describe him with. Dangerous. "Like I said, it's not that important 'round here, but even though nobody listens, I still get annoyed into comin' to check things out whenever someone's causin' a problem. An' I heard that some guy with a blue and white striped shirt and a Torracat was causin' problems down at the docks. You are the only one I see like that, so… What's goin' on, Torracat Man?"

To the surprise of Selene, it was Hau who spoke up, in Alolan. He skirted past Elio, as if to get out of his range (range of what, Selene wasn't sure, and it made her feel a pang of nausea to realize that), and said, "H-hi, sir, I'm Hau. We were supposed to meet a friend, Lillie, at the dock here, she was supposed to be on that ferry, but… she's not. And my two friends, Selene there, and Elio there, they've already… they've already had a rough time with people disappearing. They're not taking it well… I know she's probably just stuck on the next ferry between the islands where the service is bad, but yeah…"

"People disappearin'?" Nanu tilted his head with piqued interest. "Like… how? And when?"

"What's he saying?" Elio agitatedly demanded, starting to pace again.

Selene opened her mouth to say something to soothe him, but nothing came out.

Hau cleared his throat. "Ah, their parents, a couple weeks ago…"

"Oh," Nanu grimaced. "That's a long time…" He pressed his lips to a thin line and looked up. "Well, maybe you should wait for your friend a little longer here. But if she ain't showin' up, and you want some confirmation, you might need an interfacer."

"A what?" Elio sharply pressed.

Cracking a slackjawed grin, Nanu teased, "Oh, aren't you in for a treat." Yawning, he explained, "Well, whenever someone goes missin' and I happen to get called to help with it, my first go-to is always an interfacer. Knowin' whether they're dead or alive is a good start, y'know, 'cause it's a very different search method for someone who's alive versus someone who's, well, not. In today's day and age, your resident interfacer would be Captain Acerola."

"She is alive, and so are they!" Elio fiercely barked, pulling his lips into a furious snarl, as if he couldn't believe Nanu could even suggest such a thing. It made Selene subconsciously fall into step beside Hau. It was such an odd sensation to feel a bit safer with him than with Elio. Again, there was a small pang of guilt.

Yet, Nanu merely waved him off. "Let's wait a lil' while longer. But if she don't show, let's go figure that out for real."

Selene wondered just how he could ignore Elio's fierceness so easily, and she got the sensation that this was no simple police officer, like the helpless bystander of a cop they had met back on Akala.

Although her hands and feet had been bound, Lillie had discovered she still had one weapon at her disposal—her mouth. Throughout the drive away from where she had been captured at the motel docks, she had discovered that some windows of the truck were busted, leaving them open and unable to close; although adrenaline and her focus on the task at hand had kept her from shouting more than simple profanities at her captors during the initial abduction, she realized after that she had time to think. And scream. So, scream she did, for anyone that might have heard. It was a longshot—she knew they had to be in the thick of the Skull Gang's 'territory,' so to speak—but she knew if she could get the right person's attention, there would be hell to pay for these Skull Gang crooks. The aggression some Alolans could display toward them was unreal, and she knew that.

Guzma had frustratedly stopped the truck and opened up one of the back doors. "That's it," he huffed, "shut up, or I'll make ya. Got it?"

"Like hell!" Plumeria snarled from the passenger seat up front. "Leave her alone. Who's she gonna alert out here? Ole' man Nanu ain't even at his cabin right now and—"

"There's more people to worry about than just Nanu! An' you know I ain't gonna do anythin' to really hurt her, Plumes," Guzma cut her off impatiently, or perhaps defensively, making Lillie want to grin in delight. Perhaps it was starting to dawn on him after all how abjectly wrong he was.

He pulled a bandanna from his back pocket and started to clamber into the back seat after her. Lillie almost amusedly raised a brow at him and, while he was distracted trying to untangle the bandanna, raised both her bound feet together and brought the bottom of her shoes crashing down over his head. He dropped the bandanna and scrabbled for a hold of the truck to keep from falling out the door, but his hands slipped on the frame, wet from the incessant rain, and he plopped onto the muddy earth outside with a huge splash of water. Wondering why Plumeria hadn't attempted to warn him, Lillie flicked her gaze to the front seat, and she almost laughed herself when she saw that Plumeria had a hand over her mouth, as if to cover up her snickering.

Yet, despite her amusement, it did make Lillie wonder… Plumeria seemed so against this idea of kidnapping her. So, she thought as she looked back out the door after where Guzma had fallen, what did Lusamine tell you that has you willing to go this far?

"This fuckin' bitch—!" she heard Guzma splutter as he got off the ground. He glared at her, hateful daggers, as he slung mud off his arms and shook out his hair. "I wonder how tough you'd be with my Golisopod after ya," he warned her darkly.

"What, I thought you were going to shut me up?" Lillie asked innocently, tauntingly, despite her heart starting to pound. She knew, of course, they could have seen pokémon after her at any time—she had just hoped that their disorganization and inexperience would keep them from doing so. She had no chance at fighting a pokémon… That realization made her grit her teeth in frustration. If only I had gotten over myself and decided to train a pokémon sooner! she thought furiously. Is this punishment for me being so stubborn, so set in what I thought was right?

Guzma started like he was going to reach for a Poké Ball, but Plumeria immediately hopped out the truck, startling him when she rounded on him. "Guz! Knock it off! Let's just get her into fuckin' Po Town, okay? Ain't nobody gonna hear shit outside the walls, and so what if some grunts hear? They listen to us. The fuck is hurtin' her or scarin' the hell outta her gonna do? An' we can just keep Gladdy busy elsewhere… even though I hate lyin' to hi—Guzma, this is stupid!"

"So ya keep sayin'!" Guzma waved her off, frustrated. He ignored her as he climbed back into the driver's seat. "Let's just go."

"Why won't you tell me why you trust what Aether's offerin' us for this?" Plumeria asked quietly once everyone was back in the truck. Although she could have kept hollering (and still did, on occasion) Lillie found herself intrigued by the seemingly sudden question, and admittedly, she had little hope in the distant idea that someone might hear her pleas and decide to interfere with a Skull Gang truck. Losing that hope did threaten her nerve some, but she refused to think too much about it. She couldn't afford to. She could not give into that fear, because she had to keep fighting them, every step of the way, no matter what. She had to. She had to. For her sake, Nebby's, and… and others…

However, Guzma was decidedly silent.

"Guz," Plumeria pressed in a wavering voice, "please. Why?"

"Why is that so important?" he finally defensively exploded, his voice much louder before, in a way that made Lillie cringe despite her desperation to remain strong. The reality of her situation was starting to truly weigh on her, and the more he spoke, the more alarmed she was to know she was now in this man's custody. "Why can't you just fuckin' trust me, Plumes, on why I trust what they offered?"

"I didn't mean it like that," Plumeria irritably mumbled, "and you know it." She shifted in her seat and seemed to shrink away from him, and Lillie only barely heard her mutter, "I just don't know why ya can't trust me with that info… That Faba ain't exactly seem trustworthy is all, an' I'm just… lost, Guz."

"Ya weren't there for my talk with Lusi," Guzma said almost… proudly? Lillie shook her head in confusion. Why would he sound proud about that?

"No, I wasn't," Plumeria bitingly agreed. "So, what'd she say?"

"She…" He trailed off as soon as he started, uncomfortably shifting in his seat. From where she was, Lillie couldn't see his face, or what Plumeria was looking at him so intently for, but after a few awkward seconds of him stuttering for a way to begin, she flinched when Plumeria slapped the door of the truck next to her.

"I think I get it. Are you for fuckin' real right now, Guz?" she demanded. "Her? President Lusamine of the Aether Foundation. Of all the girls in the world, you wanna impress her?" With an incredulous scoff, she added, "An' might I point out that she wants you to kidnap a girl to do that? That ain't raisin' any red flags for you? Ain't ya ever heard the phrase 'don't stick your—?"

The truck lurched to an abrupt stop, as if Guzma had annoyedly slammed the brakes, making Lillie squeak as she was nearly rolled into the floorboard. She whimpered as the bandannas tying her hands and feet together chafed her skin, nearly to the point of making her bleed on her hands. She was too distracted by that to truly register what Plumeria had said, to try to piece together what she had meant.

"We're here," was all Guzma responded with, his teeth gritted. He got out the driver's seat and went to open the back door for Lillie again. This time, as he stood just outside the truck, rainwater running down his white hair and making it cling to his forehead, he glowered at her knowingly, and curled a lip. "This ain't gotta get ugly. 'Kay?" With that, he unceremoniously grabbed at her bound feet, and pulled her forward. The bandanna around her ankles cut into her skin painfully, and she yelped. As she was dragged out, she could see massive, white walls a short distance away, and a few Skull Gang members were gathering around what she assumed was an entrance.

"Ow! Fucking, let go!" Lillie snarled, bucking against his hold. She didn't manage to throw him completely, and his grip on her only tightened. Once he had pulled her almost all the way out, she felt her shoes sink into the muddy, loose earth below, and he clasped his hands to her shoulders painfully hard.

"I told ya I ain't wanna hurt ya," Guzma frustratedly spat, "so why do ya keep makin' this worse, huh?"

Lillie felt a surge of anger—how dare he have the audacity to pretend not to understand why she was fighting so much! How dare he think he would get away with this so easily!—and she wrenched her shoulders back and forth, despite the way her lungs and muscles stung from the exertion of the day, and at last, she managed to thrash her way out of Guzma's hold. Of course, with her feet bound, she merely collapsed to the mud below, sinking alarmingly deep into the soupy earth, though she was soon picked up again by the four grunts that spilled from the bed of the truck.

"Damn it!" Guzma snapped, "That is enough!"

"No!" Lillie spluttered, grimacing at the bitter taste of some mud that had managed to get into her mouth in the messy struggle. In the window of the truck's rear driver's side door, one of the few windows left in the truck, she saw her reflection, distorted by the beading of rainwater as it streaked down here and there. Even so, she could see herself; her frazzled, patchy tan and blond hair, her muddy clothes, her waterlogged, reddened eyes, all of her flecked with wet, sticky mud.

Just who is that girl reflected there? she thought fleetingly, as she fiercely whirled to face Guzma, despite the grasp of the four Skull grunts on her arms. Their hold wasn't that tight, anyway, given how they were slipping due to her wet skin.

"No! No matter what you do to me, where you take me, I will keep fighting you! I will never give up! Because what you're doing is wrong and could hurt so many more people than any of you idiots realize!" She noticed Guzma start to lose his nerve, his muscles loosening as he seemingly second-guessed himself. "Whatever my mother promised you, she's lying, and whatever she's told you she wants Cosmog for, she's lying about that, too! She's unstable as it gets and wants Nebby so she can mess with monsters from other worlds! Including one that could steal the fucking sun from the sky! Does that sound crazy enough to you, to maybe get you to leave it alone?"

Almost stammering, Guzma had started shaking his head before she even finished. "Look, kid, I know you're scared—"

"No!" Lillie furiously cut him off again. "No, you listen to me, damn it, because I'm not making this up!" She sounded more desperate now. "Please, whatever you do, do not give that pokémon to my mother. If you think things are bad here now…" Lillie almost laughed as she trailed off, though it was more of a hysterical, disbelieving giggle. "You have no idea what else is at stake."

"Uh, Big G?" one of the grunts whimpered, nearly drowned out by the sound of the driving rain. Guzma looked up at him wordlessly. The grunt fidgeted a hand and shot Lillie a nervous glance, and she realized it was the same boy that had gotten frustrated and slammed her chest earlier. "I'm… gettin' a little nervous about this…" He looked at her again and smiled uneasily. "Ay, uh, Lillie, right? S-sorry, about earlier… and, uh, all this. Heh."

Awkwardly meeting his gaze against the gray backdrop of the sky behind him, Lillie shook away some water dribbling over her face. She didn't know what to say to that. Why did they trust Guzma so blindly? And more pressingly, why did he trust Lusamine so blindly?

The other grunts nodded in agreement to what that grunt had said, and Lillie exhaled a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Plumeria said nothing, but the way her eyes were cut at Guzma, and her arms folded, not to mention how mouthy she had been so far, said more than words likely would have at that point.

Guzma drew a hand through his wet hair frustratedly. "Fine," he growled after a long stretch of silence. He stamped a foot in the runny ground below, making a small splash. "Fine!"

"Fine what?" Plumeria pried.

"Fine, we hold onto her an' her pokémon for a max o' two weeks, to see if there's any truth to the bullshit she's been spewin', and if there is, then we can talk about lettin' her go or… somethin'," Guzma huffed. "But Plumes, you're helpin' me keep Gladdy busy and away from her, an' you're gonna do most o' the talkin' to her. 'Cause if she kicks or hits me or whatever again, I'm just gonna send her crazy ass an' that stupid pokémon o' hers over to Lusi, 'cause I ain't got the patience for it."

It was as if his words drained the very energy from her muscles and the air from her lungs. She took a deep breath and sagged in the hold of the grunts, her body aching all over. "Thank you," she weakly said, overwhelmed by how relieved she was. Whatever her mother had promised Guzma, she had managed to shake her twisted grip on his mind just enough to give herself, Nebby, and Alola a chance.

With the battle won, even if the war was still raging ahead, Lillie just found herself wondering as they started to force her into Po Town if there was such a thing as a dry place in all of Ula'Ula, because she was soaked to her very bones.

Just inside of the foyer of a pristine, white building, a girl with flowing, purple curls bounced around a Sandygast—a pokémon Selene wouldn't have known if not for her Rotom Dex's interjection—and made a group of children gathered about her squeal in delight. Nanu briskly explained that was Acerola, and Selene could tell the Captain was prattling off an enrapturing story in Alolan for the surrounding kids. She didn't try to pick out just what the story was because of just how frayed her nerves were.

Every hair on her body was on edge because that building, that orphanage, was owned by the Aether Foundation. It was called the Aether House. She had thought Elio was going to have a hernia when Nanu had led them to it initially; he had dug his heels into the pebbly path outside of it, and he demanded why Nanu had led them there.

"You need an interfacer. Here's where she lives," was all Nanu had bluntly said. The back and forth between him and Elio was short-lived, as Nanu didn't bother listening to Elio's mouth for long, silently entering the Aether House while Selene's brother was still blustering over that fact. Clearly, whatever reservations they had about the Aether Foundation, Nanu was uninterested in hearing them.

Unceremoniously, Nanu cleared his throat and leaned against a wall. "Acerola?" he gruffly called.

Yet, the girl didn't react. The kids around her jerked their head to glance at Nanu, but Acerola seemed wholly unaware, and the Sandygast beside her made a hollow, low, ghostly moan. Only then did Acerola turn to see her visitors, yet her eyes, only slightly paler violet than her unkempt, curly hair, looked blank, as if she weren't focused on anything. "Oh? Uncle Nanu!" she beamed, straightening her back and waving lackadaisically at him.

"I'm not your uncle," Nanu flatly replied. Pointing a thumb at Selene, Elio, and Hau, he flatly explained, "These three need your help checkin' in to see if a few people are still around."

"What's an interfacer?" Elio impatiently pressed, same as he had done a few times throughout the trip to the Aether House. Selene had thought to check her book, but the idea of opening those pages and reading more about the various 'gifts'… it was sickening.

"Me!" Acerola joyfully told Elio as she bounced in front of him. She twirled her purple dress and grinned wide. "I mean… I think… Anyway, who are you looking for?"

Retreating from her a few steps, Elio narrowed his eyes and growled, "What are you going to do…?"

"Oh, I just kinda know about living creatures that aren't alive anymore! I… don't really talk to them, though. I just sort of… know." She swayed her hips, making her dress bounce a bit with each movement. "So! What are the names of the people you're looking for?" she innocently asked. Her round, unfocused eyes looked glazed over, as if she had seen far too much despite how young she seemed, yet… she was so exuberant… Selene swallowed hard and didn't notice when Hau reassuringly pressed a hand to her left shoulder.

Only when he spoke did she realize. "It'll be okay," he murmured to her in Alolan, "whatever Captain Acerola says, it'll be okay."

"Inaba Isono and Miki Isono… and Lillie Aether," Elio finally said to Acerola, licking his lips afterward. She could tell his nerves were shot.

"I wish I could believe you," Selene whimpered back to Hau as she saw Acerola cock her head curiously.

"Inaba Isono, Miki Isono… Lillie Aether… Hmm…" Acerola said thoughtfully.

Chapter Text

"Nope! Don't recognize those names at all!" Acerola triumphantly exclaimed at last. With that, she waved, and turned on a heel, as if thinking her statement would be the end of it. Yet, Selene knew right away Elio wasn't going to let that be. He sputtered for a second, then darted after her, cutting off her path back to the center of the room with the children and skidding to a stop with a squeak of his shoes. Macho followed more reservedly, and Selene swore the Torracat looked apologetic as he mewed to the children giving Elio concerned looks.

"W-wait! So, they're alive? Do you know anything else?" Elio pressed, his eyes wide as saucers. "Please, anything?"

Frowning at him, Acerola crossed her arms. "I said that I didn't recognize those names…" She tilted her head. "Well, there IS a Miki Isono, but she died like forty years ago, so I don't think that's who you're looking for… Oh, but if you are, she was a really nice Johtoan lady! Weird, though, because she was obsessed with Rattata, and thought they were better than people… Not sure why people liked her so much…"

As if he had been stung, Elio recoiled, and looked straight at the ground. "So, you don't know anything, we're still where we were…" He gritted his teeth, and clenched a fist tightly, to the point his hand quivered. "Damn it!"

"Maybe Rattata are better than people, though," Acerola was still musing aloud to herself, idly bouncing from foot to foot. Shrugging after a second or two, she flopped to the ground in the middle of the circle of kids, poked at the Sandygast jokingly, and started on another story.

"That means they're all still alive, though," Selene pointed out to her brother, meaning for it to sound far more excited than it came out as. She was able to sell it a little better when Hau came up to her, pressed a hand to her shoulder, and nodded with a wide grin, easing her yet again. With another pang of guilt, she missed Lillie, too. She didn't realize until then just how much of a little team they felt like. The four of them against the world… even if they often squabbled amongst one another, too…

"Lillie, parents, all alive, we all find then, still! Good news, very good news!" Hau beamed.

Yet, his words started to drown out as Selene realized, with a bolt of horror, that her surroundings were melting away and shifting as they always did at the start of a vision. Her thoughts scrambled, she barely clung on to the reality around her and to Hau and Elio, only enough to say that she needed fresh air and dart for the door out. Wordlessly, as if he almost expected this from her, Nanu opened the door for her to the outside, though it looked more like it disintegrated as he swung the handle, and when she stepped into the route—she didn't seem to be on Alola anymore at all. Nobody else had followed her out either, it seemed. Even Bowtie was nowhere to be seen.

Alarmingly, she didn't have anyone else's emotions replacing her own. Instead of the cloudy skies of Ula'Ula or the waterlogged grassy route, she was in the midst of a small clearing at the foot of a hill of a burning forest, or so she thought, considering that in the far distance, plumes of smoke billowed high into the sky and a hazy orange glow was starting to reach higher and higher into the sky. The ground beneath her started to shake, and, with her heart pounding, she saw streams of pokémon begin to crest the top of the distant hill. Trees bent and were pushed aside as torrents of them tore through the land.

And they rushed right at her, some nearly tripping over themselves as they cascaded down the wooded hillside. When she realized that, she yelped and dove behind a nearby rock, digging her heels into the soil to press herself as close to it as possible. Looking up, she shrieked again as hooved and paws flew over her, and around her, striking the earth again and again in a frenzy to get away from the encroaching blaze.

Apart from the thundering of their stampeding feet, she heard the shrieks and yowls of Absol, frantically sounding the sirens of danger, which seemed to only spur the Sawsbuck, Deerling, Minccino, Gurdurr, Druddigon, Blitzle, Zebstrika—so many—running for their lives around her.

She wondered where she would have gotten such a vision, since it didn't seem like it was Hau she was watching this through, and it didn't even seem to be Alola, but those thoughts were far off and vague. Far too many times did the glinting hooves of a Zebstrika or the claws of a Liepard aim for her face, and she had to duck to avoid being hit. A couple times, she was too late, and her arms were grazed and lashed with cuts. It seemed to carry on for an eternity, that panicky stampede, given that the tangy scent of smoke grew in concentration around her, and it was quickly heating up around her. The howls of terror from Absol grew in volume. The wildfire was closing in.

Just when Selene found herself agonizingly wondering when the chaotic vision would simply end, the booming of racing pokémon finally began to wane. Bringing up the rear of the stampede were the Absol she had heard caterwauling. A group of ten or so ran past, but four lagged behind, limping, and their breathing haggard. Their fur was stained gray with soot and ash, and although one was urging the other three to keep moving, it collapsed to the ground in a heap. Selene lurched, like she wanted to jump out and scare them off into running, to keep going, but her muscles were seized in terror. The fire was still fast approaching, and these pokémon were wild and terrified; for all she knew, any attempts to force them to keep going despite their exhaustion would simply end with the blade on the tops of their heads slicing at her face. More than that, she had all but forgotten this was not real, but a vision. It just felt so real…

The fallen Absol had collapsed to its left side. Selene could see that it was thin, gaunt, its white fur heavily soiled by the smoke, more so than the others. The blade on its head was large and long, though, signaling to Selene he was a male. His three companions circled him in a panic, attempting to nose him to his feet and chuffing at him to rise, but even when the Absol scrabbled to his feet, he would collapse again almost immediately. Finally, when the three began to nose him on his feet for the fourth time, the downed Absol growled in frustration and suddenly swiped the blade on its head at one of the others. The three companions, shocked, backed away, and shared a look amongst one another.

Shaking his head and slamming his blade against the earth, the downed Absol seemed to be telling them to go. To cement his claim, he stretched his head and let out one last shriek of warning, a high-pitched, yowling sound that could be heard for miles and miles. His three companions shrunk away from his volume, but the downed Absol closed his eyes and fell silent after.

Once again, the three Absol refused to leave. They bent their front legs, and then slowly sank to their bellies beside the fourth. They pressed their heads against his worn and toasted fur, and lightly purred. Selene started to pant, finding it difficult to breathe, as the fire started to close in around them. That spurred her to move at last, despite the horrific scene ahead of her, and she jumped away from her rock at last. Although she had a voice in her head screaming at her to run and to never stop, she didn't get far, stopping yet again when she reached more trees that had gone untouched by the fire so far. She stopped because four more pokémon jumped out of the flames and landed beside the Absol. Four she did not recognize.

One reminded her of a Sawsbuck, but broader, and with a steel, cobalt-blue body. His antlers reached at a 45-degree angle from the top of his skull and his eyes gleamed a perfect, metallic gold. Pawing at the earth with dark hooves, he leaned down next to the fallen Absol, and nudged him hard. Selene yelped when she heard him speak; she had not expected to hear a pokémon… speak.

You must get up. You will be swallowed by the fire, he warned the Absol with another sharp nudge.

The three companion Absol bared their teeth at him. One even got to her feet and flexed her claws at him. It was a warning; telling this Sawsbuck-like Steel-type to leave their friend alone, to let him have his peace… Or… Selene frowned. The way the four Absol had stuck together despite other Absol running ahead made her wonder if these four were more than simply friends. Absol formed tight family groups, a survival method they had developed over centuries due to overhunting from humans (who, throughout most of history, believed them to be harbingers of disaster rather than natural alarm systems), and packs of them were often made up of brothers, sisters, and their parents.

Another pokémon, equally as Sawsbuck-like, but sleeker and yellow-green, as if made from plants and designed to run, scuffed the earth in frustration. Her red eyes were glittering with rage. Enough have died today by Reshiram's blaze! she cried.

Virizion, he won't budge, the Steel-type said, shaking his head, and backing away from the Absol. We must move on and protect who else we can. We still have time to clear the next forest over before the fire reaches it.

Virizion… Selene wracked her brain for where she had heard such a name before. Looking over the four new pokémon frantically, she suddenly covered her mouth and gasped. Virizion! That's—that's one of the Swords of Justice! All those pokémon that ran by me… most of them only come from Unova… She swallowed hard and looked around. Among all the questions blitzing through her mind, the most prevalent was: Why the hell am I getting a vision from Unova, of all places?

Yet, if the swift-footed green one was Virizion, then that meant the other three were none other than Cobalion, Terrakion, and Keldeo. Struggling to remember descriptions of them she had read when she had studied up on the current Champion of Unova, Nathan Daniels, she recounted that the tan, Tauros-like one was Terrakion and the Steel-type was Cobalion. Which meant the fourth had to be Keldeo. It was him, the cream-colored equine with a blue horn projecting from his skull, who stepped forward next. He bent his head to the fallen Absol, ignoring the warning growls of his siblings, and touched the end of the blue horn to the dying one.

These four stayed behind and helped us ensure every pokémon in this part of the forest escaped, Keldeo said in a softer, more relaxed tone. A pale blue glow emanated from his horn, and slowly began to spread across the Absol—all four of them. They drove the stampede toward the thinnest part of the river, where it was safe to cross. I think they deserve a little more compassion, Cobalion…

Cobalion backed away and stamped a hoof against the earth. The fire's getting too close. We have to move on. Keldeo, we don't have time for this! They might have crossed to the next landmass safely, but they're spaced out now! We have to get a move on and herd them again!

It was Terrakion who stamped the ground this time. He snorted at Cobalion. Calm down, Cobalion, he insisted. Can't you see? He gestured with a nod toward the Absol. He's knighting them. So that they can help again.

The downed Absol slowly staggered to his feet, and Keldeo took a step back. His horn was still aglow, and so were the Absol, and just like that, they began to change. The glow solidified around them, turning opaque, as if to hardened spheres, at first; then, the spheres began to change shape, becoming more detailed and different from one another.

The shell of the Absol that had nearly died elongated to a more ovular shape, with a straight lower edge, and a sharp projection from the front. Two wings, resembling those of a Mega Absol, projected from either side of the shell, but the shell itself was a radiant golden. The frontal projection was a deep, glinting, onyx black, like the blade from the top of an Absol's head. From the straight opening at the bottom of the shell, a tail, made of golden-orange feathers, slipped free, and a blazing orange mohawk unfurled from the break in the top of the shell.

The second was thinner and a true ovular shape, more like a three-dimensional teardrop, all colored a rosy, comforting pink. From a small crevice, which created a break in the shell about a third of the way down it, two antennae slipped free. The pokémon's body seemed to sit partially outside the bottom of the shell, but was folded so tightly that Selene couldn't hope to make out just what parts…

The third's shell was shaped eerily like a coffin, except it appeared to be a solid shape around all aside from the top of the shell, which fit together more like a downward-folding door over the rest of the shell. Horns poked out openings between the 'door' and the rest of the shell, black and gleaming in the red tint in the air from the nearing blaze. From a hole at the bottom of this one's shell, a golden bell hung free, clanking softly as the transformation took place. This one's shell was colored orange in a way that reminded Selene of a desolate badlands, like red sand.

Lastly, the fourth's shell was more egg-shaped, with a single, two thin projections, one on the front that was smaller, and one on its head, which was large and reached into the air like a proud sailfin. From two slits in the lower flanks of the shell, two bluish, flipper-like appendages slipped free. This one appeared to be pale purple, or perhaps a deep indigo, glinting with iridescence in the moody lighting.

Only then did the blue glow around Keldeo ebb, and he faltered where he stood. There, he huffed, now they can keep doing what they were doing… They would have died of smoke otherwise, anyway… He snorted and shook out his flowing, blue mane. Then, he let out a loud whinny and reared back, waving his front legs. Tapus! he declared. Your bravery, empathy, power, and selflessness were recognized today, and we are grateful… He landed on his front hooves again. But our job isn't over yet. We all still need your help…

The shells unfolded then, and Selene's legs nearly turned to jelly. Of the four shells, the glitzy, golden one came apart in two halves that made up the pokémon's arms, and then mohawk was unmistakable. The pokémon in question was none other than Tapu Koko himself. She didn't recognize the others, but the shelled designs, the similar, small, black bodies the shells hid… The Tapus had come from Unova. They had once been regular, everyday Absol.

Yet, despite the awe-inspiring scene ahead of her, it seemed they had all forgotten about the fire. Trees around them went up in flames and started to collapse. The pokémon ahead of her, Tapus and Swords of Justice alike, scattered, but trees just kept falling, and falling, and falling… Selene tried to outrun them, but she screamed in terror when she found herself trapped as five or so caved in on top of her. But instead of meeting a painful, flaming strike to the head, when she unfurled from her trembling, fetal position upon realizing the brutal hit had never come, she found herself in a vast expanse of darkness.

Or so she thought. Squinting, she found her eyes beginning to adjust to the dimness. It felt cool and damp there, as if she were now inside of a cave. She was standing atop a cobblestone bridge with a wooden center, and pools of water were gathered around it, as were thick, burly, ancient trees. How such trees could grow within a cave, she wasn't sure, but sure enough, there were, along with threading, beautiful flowers and grass growing along the water. Taking in that calming sight, grateful for it in the aftermath of the violent vision beforehand, she was caught off-guard when she looked ahead and found teal eyes glinting at her through the darkness ahead. It made her squeak and she dropped to her knees.

"So, you finally discovered dream jumping, my Mind Jumper…" Tapu Koko said as he slowly moved out of the shadows. His golden shell, she noted, was much dimmer nowadays. The black projection on the front of it, which split in half when his shell was open to create his arms, wasn't nearly as richly black anymore. She realized then that the symbols etched to his shell hadn't been there originally, either, and she noticed that they were chipped and peeling… Were the symbols painted on? Yet, beyond the natural wear-and-tear of hundreds or thousands of years, there were deep gouges in his shell, and he looked… frail. His black body, which, in her vision (and back when he had saved her and Nebby on the Plank Bridge) had been taut and defined with musculature, giving him a powerful stance, was gaunt, and his skin shifted uneasily over his muscles as he moved, as if he were severely dehydrated. Even the mohawk on his head looked thinned out and stood less proudly.

Selene swallowed against a dry mouth and stammered, "Dr-dream… what? I don't… I don't understand…"

He sat down in front of her, lightly digging his sharp hands into the cobblestone, his orange, lower half resting against the floor. She thought she heard him sigh in relief and he closed his eyes. "That was a dream… or a nightmare, really," he mumbled in Alolan. "Me, my brother, and my sisters come from somewhere far away. Unova…" He… chuckled? Selene blinked in bewilderment. It felt so weird to hear a pokémon… chuckle. "Did you know that a pokémon gave that region its name?"

"You… why…" Selene floundered for how to word herself. She just had so many questions! This was madness! Yet, she was enraptured by it, drawn forward, wanting to know more… to get to the bottom of it at last. She had finally made contact with Tapu Koko. She had to get her answers! How could she forgive herself if she didn't? What if she could never contact him again? "Why are you…?"

"Why am I in Alola instead?" Tapu Koko finished for her. He shook his head slowly. "Human conflict in Unova poisoned the pokémon. Two brothers, one of which ruled over the people there, fought so much that their beloved pokémon, given to them when they were babies, split into two. That pokémon did that to appease both of them, which even spawned a third, husk of a pokémon that the humans hated, even though they helped create it… The human conflict drew in Reshiram and Zekrom, and between the two of them, they fought until Unova was in pieces. First, Zekrom laid waste to the land and fragmented it, then Reshiram burned it to cinders…" He took a deep breath. "You saw that the Swords were there to pick up the pieces…"

Blinking fervently, Selene was hanging onto his every word. She knew the story he spoke of already, but not only was she hearing it from a pokémon's perspective, from someone that had lived through it, but it felt like he was about to lay out everything she could possibly need to know. It didn't even occur to her to wonder why he was doing that, though…

"Me, my brother, and my sisters were close with the third piece of that pokémon that split itself apart, though… Kyurem. Kyurem was driven into the mountains of Unova where so many Absol lived. He was scared of us, and we were scared of him, but we learned that he didn't know any better… We couldn't trust him because he could be mindless, eating anything that dared get close to him, but we felt so bad for him… Humans had made him that way. And it was human conflict that nearly burned Unova to the ground. We couldn't let the innocent pokémon in the wilderness to suffer from the human war. That was why we stayed behind and made sure to run all pokémon from that burning piece of the continent to the narrowest part of the river, so that they could jump to a part of the Unova hinterland that hadn't been destroyed yet."

"But that doesn't explain—"

"I'm getting there," Tapu Koko almost amusedly cut her off. "After we finished helping the Swords after they saved us, we were angry. We told them how it was awful that humans had caused so much grief. Cobalion informed us that it was a sad, accidental series of events, but pokémon and people belonged together… We didn't agree. My siblings and I left. We traveled from landmass to landmass, searching for a home big enough for us and for native pokémon to live in peace with each other." With an almost wistful expression, based on how he turned the white markings resembling eyebrows on his face up somewhat, he gave a longing sigh. "We found Alola after some time. No humans and pokémon everywhere that had never graced human eyes. We vowed to protect each island ourselves and for a long time, that's how it was…"

Frowning, Selene nervously interrupted. "I-I'm sorry, there's just… there's a part I don't understand…"

He grunted, as if too tired to verbally respond to that.

"How did Keldeo… do that to you four?" She gave a shaky sigh. "They called it… 'knighting,' you…"

"I don't even understand it fully," Tapu Koko almost purred. He shook out the feathery mohawk atop his head. "Some guardian pokémon, like the Swords, can… choose other pokémon to change, to ask them for help, to ask them to become a guardian. They call it 'knighting.' Keldeo himself was knighted by Cobalion, and they helped him find the strength to use his true powers…" His eyes narrowed to angry slits suddenly. "Though, I heard later that he forgot how to use many of them, due to constant human conflict leading him to abandon the Swords until only recently, with a new human from Unova…"

Flinching under that glare, Selene meekly apologized, "Sorry…"

Calming again, he shook his head slightly. "Don't be…" Getting back to his story, he further explained, "People started coming to Alola years and years after we had claimed it. At first, we were angry at them. Suspicious. Truth be told, most of us wanted to kill them. We thought it would be the only way to save our islands… But then, my sister, Lele…" He paused and snorted. "She begged us not to. Told us that she had observed them and that they seemed as scared and hurt as we had been when we arrived on those islands. We learned they came from Kanto and Johto. Humans were warring there, too, migrating Spearow from there told us, and that was why they had come. They had fled on boats, many of which never even reached an island, in their desperation to get away, it was so bad." He rolled his eyes. "Figures…"

"Tapu… Lele, did that?" Selene asked incredulously. Flailing to correct her slight in case he took offense to her tone, she scrambled to say, "I mean—! I'm just so surprised, because my friend, Hau, you see, he said that—"

"Tapu Lele wasn't always the way she is now," Tapu Koko quietly interrupted. "She was knighted for her empathy, her love for life… Your friend saw what this place has done to her."

It still just felt like a massive puzzle Selene didn't have any of the pieces to. "Tapu Koko, I just… I don't understand, I don't understand, and I don't know what I need to do…"

"Patience," Tapu Koko sternly warned. "At Lele's pleading, we let the humans settle in, but we made sure they understood that here, we did not take orders from them. Humans and pokémon, like Unova wanted it to be, were equal. Nobody had to do anything the other said to do… The tradition of a Kahuna and Captains started naturally… and it was peaceful… but then that… that monster from another world arrived…"

"Monster…?"

"The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun," Tapu Koko shivered, drawing his shelled arms slightly closer to himself. "He was a monster… A mangled mess… Something that shouldn't have still been alive, he was so broken… His body was black, like a dead sun, and these crystals kept falling from him… He screeched like a demon and he shot a green beam at the sun, and drew it in. The sky was darker than any night I've ever seen. Me, Bulu, Lele, Fini—we tried to fight it, but this monster was… something else." He nearly closed his shell over himself. "The Sun Beast and the Moon Beast helped us… they followed it from wherever it came from… They suffered for it, but they helped us, and they granted us the power to give gifts and most of the stuff we can do today, so that Alola and our world might stay safe forever…" Tapu Koko started to trail off, his breathing growing more and more ragged.

Unsure of what to make of what he had said, Selene nervously reached a hand closer to him. "Um… Tapu K-…Koko? Are you… okay…?"

He carried on as if he hadn't heard her. "People in Alola treated us different after that… they feared us and lived beneath us, instead of with us… They feared all pokémon. They treated them as pets or criminals they couldn't trust, requesting they live at the end of leashes, in cages, or outside of their homes altogether. They built more gates and walls. Kahunas quit listening to us and instead groveled to us…" A spark of electricity ran up his mohawk. "Somehow, despite us saving them, despite them having nothing to fear from us back then, they feared us. It felt like they hated us. Then they started to fight each other. They did horrible things to each other. I'd never even considered so much darkness could exist in humans, and keep in mind, I watched a region burn down."

Selene winced. "Humans can be awful…" she whispered hauntedly.

"So, we decided that if the humans were going to be this way, then we would no longer work together. They would work beneath us and we would run these lands…" Tapu Koko sadly shook his head once more. "That was wrong of us. That was where the gifts of powers began. The crystals the Beast Who Swallowed the Sun shed allowed us to give these incredible powers to people, which we couldn't take away without permanently altering their ability to 'perform' the power, and we used it like leverage. Taking away the gifts is a show of power. Everything we do is all about a show of power… And going back to my sister…" He groaned. "Lele felt so betrayed by how people were behaving… she had vouched for them, and then they started doing evil things to one another, for no reason other than they had nobody telling them not to do such things. And even when the humans themselves made their own rules, they rarely followed them… That's why she's the way she is now. That's why we enforce things so harshly… But, my Mind Jumper…" Tapu Koko raspily coughed. "We were wrong. The humans didn't get better. They got worse. My siblings got worse, too. Lele is so afraid of everyone, she lashes out violently at everything. Bulu hates humans with a passion and overreacts to every transgression. Fini is depressed and refuses to even interact with them anymore…"

Standing up and making a sweeping, wide gesture with her hands, Selene desperately shook her head. "What can I do about any of that, Tapu Koko?" she pleaded. "I'm just me! All I can do is look at the horrible things that have happened in people's lives and—and—and talk in dreams, or something, I don't know! How am… how can I fix all of this?"

"You don't," he answered flatly. "You and Hau do…" He closed his shell completely, but he still spoke in a muffled voice. "You show these humans that people and pokémon can work peacefully alongside one another, that we don't have to fear each other so much… Hau will show my siblings that there is a way to fix this… We need your help because we are so disconnected now that the Kahunas don't understand us, and we have no way of telling them our stories… But you can. You have the power to see them, to understand them, and to speak them, and Hau has the power to make others listen…" There was a short stretch of silence. "At least, that was my hope. It has been a long time in the making, and I fear that if this plan falls through, I won't be around long enough to enact another…"

"What… what do you mean?" Selene's heart was thrumming wildly in her chest. Way to not put on the pressure! she thought in near anguish.

"The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun isn't the only monster from other worlds that's paid us visits," Tapu Koko bitterly explained from within his shell. "There is one monster we couldn't fight off. Humans from far off had to come get rid of it… and even they suffered casualties… It was a big, ravenous monster, with a stomach of a blackhole… It attacked near Iki Town years ago… He killed Hau's parents. I could sense that Zekrom had touched that boy in his life. Between my guilt for failing to protect my island, and between believing he had to have a good heart if Zekrom had met with him, I gifted Hau when I was strong enough to do so again… And in recent times, I've fought so many other monsters from other worlds… I don't know where they're coming from, or why… I'm just so glad none of them have been that blackhole-bellied monster… Even so…" He cracked his shell slightly, just enough for her to look into his tired, teal eyes. "I can't keep doing this forever. None of us can. I don't know what the Aether Foundation is doing, just that they have something to do with it. But I know that it's nothing we can stop on our own. Pokémon that go there don't come back. And the Sun and Moon Beasts aren't here anymore. The humans won't listen to us. So, we need you and Hau to make them listen… to make them understand…" He took a raggedy breath. "Or Alola will drown…"

The vision around Selene started to distort and she panicked. "Wait, wait, wait, there has to be more you can help me with than that! What do I—how do I contact you again?! You said I was 'dream jumping'—I don't know how to do that normally! I still don't even really know how to use the normal memory-jumping-thing!" She blinked. "Wait, Hau met Zekrom—?!"

"I'm waking up," Tapu Koko brokenly said. "We may speak again… we may not… we will see, if one of those Beasts doesn't finish me first…"

On her knees in the middle of the rainy, muddied route outside of the Aether House on Ula'Ula Island, Selene found she was not alone. Hau sat in front of her, his legs crossed, looking up at her worriedly. When she blinked at him and staggered to get to her feet, he lurched and jumped up as well, lunging his hands at her shoulders, not daring to touch her for fear of sending her to another vision, but clearly ready to catch her in her unsteadiness. "Selene!" he cried in relief. "You… that one lasted a long time, ae… I was getting really worried… Nanu kept everyone else inside Aether House, though…" He sheepishly smiled. "Are you okay? I just told them that you needed a minute and asked to be left alone…"

Pressing the back of her right hand to her forehead, Selene found that she was sweating profusely, despite shivering from the rain. "I… I spoke to Tapu Koko again…" Selene whispered breathlessly.

Hau perked up at that and smiled. "That's—that's good though, right?" He bounced from foot to foot, Popper clapping his flippers beside him. Selene realized then that Bowtie was sitting astride her left shoulder. Maybe he had been there the whole time… she wasn't sure. She stroked him gingerly, grateful he was still there… She hadn't realized how much she had missed him in the time it had taken for that vision to take place… "So, what'd he say?"

Selene felt her knees buckle and she felt guilty as Bowtie had to flap his wings wildly to take flight as she hit the ground again. "He said you and I have to save Alola," Selene blurted out tiredly. How the fuck am I going to do that? she internally despaired. I thought I had a chance to just save us before… and yeah, maybe stop Aether… but the problems go back so much farther than I thought… Tapu Koko made me realize just how real this is… If he and his crazy strong siblings haven't been able to fix it… She felt tears sting at her eyes. How the hell am I going to?

"He… what?" Hau echoed in a squeaky voice.

Selene nodded as her tears began to mix with the slight drizzle running down her face. "Yeah… exactly…"

Rustling nearby made both of them jerk their heads to look. Stumbling out of the tall grass, cursing and kicking at an aggravated, young Crabrawler, none other than Gladion appeared. Selene froze in place, as did Hau, and when Gladion finally got the pokémon to leave him alone, he turned around and stiffened as well. His eyes rounded in shock. "Shit, I went the wrong way," he hissed under his breath, backpedaling away from them.

But not in time to get out of sight before Elio burst from the Aether House. He noticed Selene on the ground first and panicked. "Selene! What happened, are you—"

Squelching from Gladion's shoes as he tried to leave foiled his plans to get away unnoticed by Elio. Drawn to the noise, Elio froze as well upon spotting Gladion—who seemed to, on a frightened impulse, throw the Ultra Ball containing his Type: Null. Gladion narrowed his eyes at them all. "I'm not here for a fight, I just went the wrong way, I didn't even want to come across you guys, I swear! Leave me be, and I will leave without a fight."

"You!" Elio barked, taking a protective step in front of Selene. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I just told you, idiot," Gladion spat back. Null growled in agreement. "But I'm leaving now, okay? No need to get all worked up…"

Selene just put her face in her hands. Guiltily, she wanted to kick herself for fearing what this interaction might bring. She had pushed Elio, she had told him his aggression was what was needed, but as his eyes darkened to something unrecognizable and he curled his lips and rounded on Gladion so fiercely, she just felt like… she didn't know him. In the aftermath of her earlier vision, that was incredibly frustrating, and she felt a rush of self-loathing for it all.

She should have kept her mouth shut. Telling Elio that they 'needed' his aggression had opened the door for someone she didn't know to take his place. That, or she had to contend with the fact that this was just really how he was—and she wasn't sure if she was ready to accept that, either. Not that she faulted him for his desire to protect them—absolutely not, that was what had made her feel they needed it in the first place. Part of her just wasn't sure how far he would go in his fervor to preemptively keep them safe, and it frightened her to think that someday, these islands would push him to do something unthinkable.

And she would have nobody but herself to thank for that.

Chapter Text

Plumeria didn't feel like she could stomach the sight of the bed in the upper floor of the Shady House, much less sleep in it. Yet, she knew she didn't have much of a choice. Her only other task would have been to patrol the town, which she certainly didn't have it in her to do or try to grill Lillie—and that girl had been exhausted, the last thing Plumeria wanted to do was badger her with questions after her day. She shook her head as she trudged across the warped floor of Guzma's bedroom, flopping unceremoniously on his side of the bed. She'd move over in a second (her path to her side was blocked by yet more boxes, stacked to absorb water leaking from a fresh crack in the wall).

She was still shocked by the ferocity with which the pokémonless, petite Galarian girl had fought them with. As one of Skull, most there quickly had to grow accustomed to swears and slurs being hurled at them (whether affectionately from other members or derogatory, like from Island Challenge Champion scum), but something had struck Plumeria different about the way Lillie fiercely declared her refusal to back down easily. Apparently, it had done the same to Guzma, otherwise he wouldn't have offered two weeks for them to make a final decision.

Even so, she was sick with anger at him, and when he pushed open the creaky door to the room, she immediately narrowed her eyes, squared her shoulders, and rolled to her side of the bed. As physically far from his as she could get. When she felt the bed jostle a bit from him taking a seat, she clenched her jaw. Beyond being floored by the fact he had been willing to go so far as to kidnap for Aether, she was without words for his attraction towards the Aether Foundation's President Lusamine. Maybe Plumeria and Guzma weren't a… real item, they had never exactly declared themselves as such to one another, but she had thought… For Arceus' sakes, they shared the same bed every night, made every decision together, understood each other almost beyond words, cracked jokes only they understood, they did—they did so much together! Could it have meant nothing to him so easily?

She didn't know what to think. He rested a hand on her tense shoulder, and she ground her teeth. "Plumes?" he whispered, gruff despite how low and soft his voice was. She supposed his could only get so gentle. "Talk to me."

"I don't have anything else to say to ya," Plumeria shot without looking up at him. She brought her knees close to her chest and pulled them in even further with an almost hug. It was true; she didn't know what else to say to him. There had been something else she had wanted to tell him, and it was another reason she had felt so close to him, but… with the development that he had feelings for Lusamine now on the table, she didn't dare bring it up. She swallowed hard. How could she? She grimaced to herself and felt a ball of bile rise in her throat. Maybe she could still talk to Makua about it… Not that he was emotionally available, but perhaps he would have other solutions…

"We… we tell each other everythin' though, don't we?" Guzma pressed after a moment of silence.

That made her blood boil. After he had suddenly come to her with the decision to kidnap somebody and after failing to tell her of this side bitch he apparently had? "Do we?" Plumeria snarled, batting away his hand. "Don't touch me, Guz, an' shut up. Not in the mood to talk, I said."

She felt the bed lurch, could hear him lick his lips a couple of times, and his breath hitch, as if intending to say something else. Yet, he wisely kept his mouth shut, and eventually, just dropped to lay down beside her (but taking care not to get too close to her).

She wished she could have said she preferred it that way, but she didn't. She just felt like she didn't know who he was anymore… And it sickened her to the core to know that there was a girl tied up in the next room, bound to a chair by every angle and limb, because they didn't exactly have a prison and, with how combative she had been, Plumeria was certain Lillie would find any fault in their constraints—so there couldn't be one. Plumeria had wanted to try to talk to her, plead with her to calm down at least for the night so she could release her from such an uncomfortable position, but Lillie had bitingly refused, and then had said she didn't want to talk anymore. She just wanted to be left alone.

Plumeria scoffed softly to herself. Oh, how she and Lillie felt more similar than they looked…

No. It just was too convenient.

It was far too convenient for Lillie to blip off the map, stop answering him, and then Gladion, of all people, to show themselves. Elio stood ahead of Selene and Hau, unsure if they looked so distraught due to a vision of Selene's or something the worthless scumbag ahead of him had done to them, and decided then that Gladion had to know something. It was just far, far too convenient!

His skin felt like it was on fire. If Gladion wanted to pick a fight, he fucking had one.

"Where's Lillie?" Elio spat, immediately getting to the point. He fished in a pocket, eventually locating his Firium-Z, and bent to his knees, offering the crystal to Macho. The Torracat, hackles raised and growling at Gladion already, excitedly snatched the glinting gem from his trainer's hand.

Blinking fervently, Gladion faltered. "What?" he finally asked, in a bit of a squeaky tone. His Type: Null, the same monster that had mauled Lillie, gave a mechanical growl, and poised for battle ahead of Gladion, its dark eyes latched onto Macho as it flexed threatening claws against the wet earth. "What about her?"

"Where is she?" Elio repeated himself impatiently, almost snarling the demand. How dare he act like he didn't understand! "She goes missing, and you immediately show up? After what you and that thing of yours did last time?" Elio curled a lip. He wasn't sure if he had ever felt such hatred. His heart was fluttering with it. Or maybe palpitating… Elio was starting to feel like he might faint, or that he couldn't breathe… "So, what'd you do with her?!"

"What the fuck do you mean, 'missing?'" Gladion demanded in a yelp, voice twisted with worry and anger all at once. He raised a hand to his face and plucked uneasily at his uneven, messy blond hair. "Let me get this straight, you lost my sister, and are bitching me out?" Impatiently stamping a foot, he spat, "Tell me what happened!"

"Yeah, flip it on me, that's probably all those Skull thugs taught you, huh?" Elio belligerently retorted, unwilling to take anything Gladion said seriously. Glancing down at Macho, he pointed up at Gladion's monster of a pokémon. "Macho, Fire Fang!" We'll save the Z-Move for last. That'll be sure to take that monster down.

"My Arceus, you are an idiot, and do you even think for yourself?" Gladion sniped back. Clearly, based on the glint in his green eyes, all too reminiscent of Lillie's, and his newfound confidence, Elio wasn't going to take him down so easily this time. "Why are you even acting like this? Do you even hear anything I say? And forcing your pokémon to fight because of your stupidity… Tch. Null, Crush Claw that Torracat!"

Macho, still rushing at Null with flaming jaws, yowled in shock as Null outsped him easily and brought up both of its cruel, front claws down on top of him with brutal force. Flattened to his back, the fire in Macho's mouth sputtered. His Fire Fang became a pathetic, weak chomp to Null's closest paw, the embers barely reaching past his ankle. Null easily jumped off the target and shook out his paw, as if mildly inconvenienced more than injured. With a frustrated growl, Macho staggered back to his feet, shaking out his messy fur.

Yet, it was as if Elio had been completely unaware of the battle ahead of him. He saw red at Gladion's words and stomped a foot, just as Gladion had done seconds earlier. "Why do I need to hear anything you say? You're not worth listening to! And this proves it!"

"Elio!" Hau hissed from behind, almost worriedly. Elio ignored him.

"Why?" Gladion demanded, curling his lips. "Why? What makes you so sure?"

Macho confusedly picked up his Firium-Z from where he had dropped it to perform the Fire Fang, and almost nervously swished his tail as he awaited an order from Elio—which never came. Gladion didn't give Null one, either, but the pokémon gave an electrical screech of sorts, and dove at him with those front, gleaming claws outstretched. This time, he simply swiped them at Macho's face, throwing the Firium-Z from his mouth, and cartwheeling him away brutally.

Gritting his teeth, Elio snapped his fingers. "Macho, c'mon, Fire Fang him, again!"

"Why?" Gladion snarled again.

"I don't know!" Elio finally exploded, clutching at his hat with his hands. It slipped free and his right hand dropped to his side with the ballcap clutched in his palm. Rain started coming down heavier then, further soaking his blue-gray hair to the top of his head. He brushed some hair from his eyes and shook his head at Gladion, suddenly feeling rather hollow. Why couldn't Gladion just… admit it, already…? "You just… you attacked Lillie, with that thing, and now she's missing, and—and…"

Macho's teeth started to blaze again, but he seemed unwilling to go forward with the attack. Null, too, fell back, giving Gladion an expectant look. Elio took the pause in their battle to glance over his shoulder, to see Hau standing there with a hand over his face, blocking rainwater from cascading down it. His black ponytail was wet and flattened against his head, and Selene was on her knees, arms clutched around them, a few feet away, as if she didn't care at all for the mud surely staining her clothes. Bowtie nudged her occasionally, chirping quietly. Popper squirmed out from behind Hau and past Elio, barking incessantly at Macho on the battlefield.

Finally, Macho turned to give him a look with wide, uncertain eyes, the fire in his jaws dying out entirely, and Popper did an almost playful twirl. Yet, the expression on the Brionne's face afterward seemed one more of determination and encouragement than playfulness… He clapped his flippers together and gave a louder bark, one last time, to which Macho nodded vigorously and looked up at Elio just as expectantly as Null had done to Gladion. With that, he opened his jaw, dropping the glistening Firium-Z to the ground with a roll of his tongue, where it flecked with mud. He pressed a paw to the top of it, as if to hold it there against the ground.

"I didn't do anything to Lillie," Gladion said quietly after a tense moment of silence. When Elio looked up at him, he saw the other was staring at the ground, hand still plucking at his hair. "Didn't you see how last time I was trying to call Null back? How I didn't expect that… at all?"

Elio was already shaking his head. He couldn't believe that, could he? This place, it had constantly pulled the rug of reality out from under him. Every time he thought he understood a little better, another curveball was sent his way. He couldn't really trust anything. Could he? "No," he half-mumbled, half coughed, "no, that can't—how do I—I can't trust that—"

Gladion… scoffed? Elio gave him a disbelieving glare. "Look at me like that all you want," Gladion muttered, "but it won't change the fact that you're scared. You're scared out of your mind. Just listen to yourself."

"Who are you to tell me—"

"You can barely comprehend reality you're so lost in your head!" Gladion abruptly snapped, giving Elio an equally as hateful glare. One that seemed like it somehow could see through him. Yet, it quickly softened—knowingly. "I understand… but if what you say is true, and my sister is missing, we have bigger problems right now. Fighting each other is pointless. Understand me?"

Looking at the other then made Elio think, yet again, that they weren't that different after all. In essence, they were nearly the same.

What a horrifying thought.

Recoiling as if he had been struck physically with the realization, Elio backpedaled, nearly backing into Hau, and barked, "No! You work with and for that—that—that Skull Gang! They're criminals! M-maybe people could be a bit nicer, whatever, I don't know, but it's just—it's too convenient! I bet they had something to do with this!" Yes, this is much more comfortable, this has to be right, Elio thought frantically, heart still fluttering uncomfortably in his chest, lungs still tight and pressed for air—"Y-you need to, to ask them, or—"

"Elio," Hau called again, shaking his head in disbelief after him. "No, what—why… why like this?" He looked down at Selene. "Selene? Please, um, say to—"

"No," was all Selene had to say. "I—I can't right now, Hau…" Bowtie nudged her again.

It was Macho who was the last to attempt to convince Elio to calm down and see reason. The Torracat bounced in place impatiently, lashed his tail, and gave a few purring meows to try to get Elio to listen to him. Yet, despite the worry etched on the pokémon's face, Elio clenched his eyes shut and looked away. That searing anger returned, like a fire erupting in his chest, and he whirled around on his friends and even Macho then. "Why are you siding with him?" he exploded suddenly. "You saw what happened last time, same as I did, and were even mouthing off at him with me! What the hell changed?"

Macho skirted past Elio, and headbutted Popper affectionately. If Elio had been paying attention, he might have noticed how Macho seemed to be shivering in confusion, and the Brionne was encouragingly nudging him back, small, singsong bubbles spewed from his mouth, but broken by the rain too much to be heard by most of them.

Hau seemed to flounder for something to respond with, while Selene just stared at him in abject shock. Abject, frightened shock, he noticed, based on the way her eyes were huge and round. Was she… scared? No. No, she couldn't be scared of him. That was madness. He was protecting them!

Finally, Gladion huffed, "Because they actually listened!"

Flexing his hands into fists and back again, Elio suddenly turned his attention to Gladion, marching across the space between them, unafraid of Null, even as the pokémon gave that whirring, mechanized warning. Gladion set his jaw and defiantly glared back at Elio as he approached. "I want you to prove you didn't have a thing to do with this," Elio spat, nearly in his face. "I want to talk to whoever you low-lives call a boss, and make sure they had nothing to do with this." Face scrunching up in disdain, Elio dropped his hat and reached to grab Gladion by his jacket, intending to snap, "Got it?"

But Null cut that short. The pokémon jumped between them, and headbutting Elio to the ground. Jumping atop him, Null pressed his razor-sharp claws flat against Elio's chest and those dead, gray eyes bored into Elio's with palpable anger. Gladion's attempt to call Null off was quickly silenced when the blade on the pokémon's head seemed to flare against the bronze helmet holding it in place; in fact, the dirty, golden helmet began to glow all over, and cracks began to form in the metal. With a final flick of the pokémon's head, the helmet shattered to pieces and fell apart around Elio, leaving a much sleeker, even if still clearly inorganic creature glowering down at him. The blade on its head had unfurled into three great feathers, gleaming and thin, like those of a Skarmory's wing. Its eyes, without the helmet forcing them into shadow, he realized, were a bright silvery-white… and seemed far more intelligent and soulful than he had given them credit for before.

With a threatening screech in his face that made his ears ring, Null jumped off Elio, circling him cautiously as he continued to lay against the ground, staring after the beast with a conflicting mix of fear and admiration.

"You… Null…" Gladion was looking at the now unbound pokémon with pure, gleeful awe. "The helmet… it just… fell apart, just like that… How…"

Breath and heart still feeling like they were in his throat, Elio slowly and nervously clambered back to his feet. He couldn't find the words to express how awed, annoyed, frustrated, upset, worried—everything—he was, so he just gave Gladion one last, tired look. "Please," Elio begged in a raw tone, finally, the fervor petering out. "Just please take us so we can prove they had nothing to do with this. Please. It's the only lead I have. She still hasn't said anything, and it's been hours now, she doesn't do this, Gl… Gladion…"

Stammering at the start, as if internally wrestling with a thought, Gladion said, "L-let me tell you something, okay? Skull may not be the purest group of people around, but they don't go… go… doing whatever it is you think they've done with my sister, and again, we're wasting so much time on this when—"

"Where else would you start?" Elio interrupted him, almost brokenly. Even if you're right, Elio inwardly conceded, where else would you start? We've been combing these islands for my parents and have found nothing. If it's going to be like that now for Lillie…

That seemed to give Gladion some pause. He blinked, faltered, and then swallowed hard. "…I don't know. Skull does have a lot of people out across the islands all the time…"

"So, they wouldn't be a bad startin' point, since you're lookin' for very much alive folks. Acerola's been prattlin' about some girl obsessed with Rattata while you four were dukin' it out, out here, an' that don't seem to be right, so…"

Elio jumped. In fact, all of them jumped. Even Selene jerked her head to look up at Nanu like a Deerling in headlights. Behind the grizzled policeman, Acerola poked her head out and grinned, waving a hand, happy as could be. Just the sight of her made Elio feel uneasy, given what little he understood of her ability… 'Interfacer.' He swallowed against a dry mouth. Madness, all of it. He wanted nothing more to do with her. There was something innately disturbing about knowing he was talking to someone that essentially had a catalogue of living and dead people, as well as knowing so much about said dead people.

"Nanu," Gladion stiffly said. "Didn't expect you to be here…" He frowned and sarcastically muttered, "Didn't expect any of you to be here, really, but here we are…"

"Still as cheery as ever," Nanu grunted. With that, he waved a hand and waltzed past them all. He was completely uninterested in Null, despite the transformation that had just happened. "Guess we'd better get started, then. Po Town's a good trip from here."

"You're not going to say anything about any of what just happened?" Elio asked in disbelief. Not that he really cared for the old man's questions, if he were to have any, but… but really?!

"Guess I do have one," Nanu sarcastically mused from ahead as he put his hands behind his head. "Why would I bother askin' questions anymore 'round here? Ain't you figured that out yet, Eliot?"

"Elio…" Elio mumbled his correction under his breath halfheartedly.

"Uncle Nanu, wait!" Acerola exclaimed. "I can come with!"

"I ain't your uncle," Nanu flatly replied without stopping. "And nobody's askin' you to."

"Oh, it'll be fun!" Acerola insisted with an almost pouty look. "Don't be like that, Uncle!"

"Fun, like she thinks we're going on a school field trip," Gladion growled. He was nudged on his elbow by Null—Elio had no idea what this new form was called, and part of him didn't care that much anyway—and the pokémon gave him a whirring purr. At that, Gladion slowly dropped the hand from his head that had been plucking at his hair, and gingerly touched the pokémon's head. Elio thought Gladion briefly flicked his gaze to him, but if he did, he looked away too fast for Elio to be sure. "Glad to see you without that helmet on at last," Gladion murmured to the pokémon. To the rest of them, he snapped, "Well, let's get going then, I guess. Just so you can all see you're wrong, and just to help my sister. I don't know what she saw in you idiots."

Before limping after them, Elio was passed by Hau, chatting to Selene in Alolan. But he broke away as Selene took a moment to pause and shoot Elio a look he could only describe as hopeless. "I'm done, Elio," she rasped at him after a half-second of staring.

Heart pounding all over again, sensing this wouldn't be good already, Elio sputtered, "Done—what—what do you mean, 'done?'"

"With you," she bluntly said. With a self-hug, she looked sharply away from him. "I don't know whether to be glad I have you to protect us or be terrified of you. You're barely making sense and…" Her lower lip started to quiver, and Elio flinched as she burst, "And you just rushed at that pokémon like that! Without a care about what might happen to you! Even though you've seen what it could do, what it did to Lillie!"

"What?" Elio panicked, frantically searching for a way to salvage this, to calm her down. "Selene, I didn't—" …Wasn't I just doing what… you told me to?

"And you don't even know what happened with me because you came out and went after Gladion, without even stopping to think, like you just want somebody to fight!" she heaved, putting her face in her hands. "I kept thinking I might understand, kept thinking I knew you, but every time… ugh! I don't, I don't know who you are, and I can't deal with that, too, right now, on top of everything else!" Then, he could hear that she was starting to cry. "And I'm sorry, because I know I pushed you to do that. I know I'm at fault for it, I messed up, and there's nothing I can do about it, now…"

"Everything else…?" Elio echoed, absolutely lost. "Nothing you can do…?" Blinking in disbelief, Elio stammered, "B-but what makes you say that?" She's acting so strange… Maybe she doesn't mean it. In fact, I believe she doesn't. Concernedly furrowing his brows at her, he sadly sighed. I need to be better. I can't let this get much worse. I just can't.

Without another word, she waved him away, and sped off ahead. Hau awkwardly glanced between the two of them and then muttered something in Alolan under his breath that, to Elio, sounded suspiciously like it might have been, 'What are we getting into?' After, he darted off after Selene.

Truly, as they walked, though, Elio wondered if he was having some extravagantly detailed nightmare, or if the cascading series of events he was enduring on these islands was actually real. Because the way she had spoken to him and the cutting way she had refused to keep talking to him had been devastating, even if he didn't believe she had meant what she said. It just left him feeling more determined than ever to keep her safe, more determined than ever to find Lillie, more certain that he could not fail them or anyone else, for that matter… He felt like a protagonist of an action movie, with the impossible expected of him, yet somehow having to believe he would rise above such insurmountable odds. It felt fantastical. Unreal. Intangible.

Words failed him as he tried to think of something to say to soothe Selene's obviously frayed nerves, so he stumbled after them, as if in a stupor. Yet, it was getting late… He was dismayed when Gladion and Nanu both suggested they should stop for the night at the Pokémon Center further along the route. According to them, it was the last one for some distance, and it was smart to stock up there and rest before continuing. Elio wanted to fight them, but it seemed to dawn on him all at once just how exhausted he was… and how late it was…

The rest of the evening was a blur, as he occasionally sent texts into the voids that were his mother's, his father's, and Lillie's numbers. After a while, it was less out of hope that they would respond, and more out of simply pretending that they might reply.

A sad, sad game of make-believe, if you would.

That night was a long one, and the entire time, Lillie could hear her cell phone, somewhere in the room, echoing with the sounds of notifications. Despite how furious Plumeria seemed with Guzma, she didn't seem willing to disobey him in any capacity, and since Lillie had made it clear she would fight them at any given opportunity, she had been bound up in what she could only describe as a homemade straitjacket… except made out of itchy ropes and her chosen prison a chair. There were some grunts that had been stationed outside of her door, but otherwise, it was just her, bound painfully tight to the chair, listening to the occasional ding of her phone.

She had no idea what time it was when the phone went off for easily the second hundredth time, or maybe more. She jostled the chair, panicking when she felt like it might fall over (thankfully, it didn't), and screamed in frustration at it. "Shut up!" she howled, as if the device might listen to her, her voice cutting out in exhaustion partway through.

She was so tired… but there was no way for her to sleep like that or listening to her stupid phone… Especially because she knew who it was on the other end. She felt a blow of deep-seated pain with every ding. "Just stop, Elio," she whispered to herself at last, her resolve waning as her shoulders sagged, ignoring the searing stinging in her wrists and ankles. There was a vague scent of blood mixed with the constant, earthy scent of the rain.

"Uh," a grunt nervously stammered as he cracked the door and poked his head inside, "is everythin' okay…?"

"My phone," Lillie growled, especially as it made another noise. Practically whimpering, she begged, "Find it, turn it off. Please." Her eyes stung a bit.

The grunt cautiously crept into the room and followed where he had heard the sound a second ago. Locating it in a pile of bags and blankets in the far corner of the room, stashed atop a mound of degrading boxes, he picked it up and held it up awkwardly. He attempted to press some buttons but frowned at the screen. "Says it wants a passcode," he explained.

"0-1-2-3," Lillie muttered. Closing her eyes, she almost deliriously joked, "I know, I'm creative…"

He grunted at her in acknowledgment, dialed the number, then stiffened. "You got a lot of unread—"

"That tends to happen when someone gets kidnapped and can't tell anyone where she is," Lillie snapped, biting off the rest of his words. "Just turn it off."

The grunt looked between her, the phone, and up to her again. "Uh… this one person seems real worried…" He shuffled uncomfortably. "Look, we got ya on a boat, so, what if I just tell 'em you got on the wrong boat, and cell service was awful?"

"Why?" Lillie scornfully almost laughed at him. "Why bother? Your bosses said it'd be at least two weeks before they even decide if they're going to let me go or not. Trust me, I have every intention on getting out of here, but why bother filling his head like that?"

The grunt looked down and hung her phone at his side. With a slight smile, he uneasily chuckled, plucking at the chain around his neck. "Well, ae, hope is good to have… Not a bad thing…"

She thought for a moment, then groaned. She had too much of a headache for thinking, and she hated that she found herself somewhat agreeing with him. "Fine," she whispered, "but please turn it off after. I can't… stand to hear it make another noise."

After tapping away something on the device, the grunt squeezed two buttons on the outside of the device, and she saw its screen dim in the darkness of the room. With that, he tossed it back into the pile at the corner of the room. Raising a brow, Lillie found herself half-wondering why they had kept her stuff in the same room as her. If she got out of her constraints, well, her phone was right there. She could call someone…

Oh, that was something to consider in the morning… Clearly, her captors weren't exactly experienced, she knew that. She winced as she felt another bolt of pain in her left wrist. It was the worst chafed of them all and had bled a good deal already. Dryly snickering in amusement to herself, finding herself quite funny, she wondered if she should give them some pointers about their binding technique for their captives. Yet, then, she shook her head vigorously.

Arceus, she needed some sleep. Too bad she wouldn't get any.

Chapter Text

“You look a bit lost.”

The unmistakably Unovan accent pulled Kukui out of a stupor, in which he had been leaned over a steel railing, staring at a mountaintop in the distance. Blinking fervently, he glanced over his shoulder, batting away a lapel of his labcoat in his face, and just… stared at the monochromatic man standing a few feet away. Brushing an errant lock of black hair out of his face, revealing chillingly icy eyes, the man proceeded to bounce a lone, golden coin in his right hand, and strolled closer to Kukui, as if completely comfortable. Kukui just didn’t know what to make of him… or the gaudy kimono he was wearing.

“Alola, cousin,” Kukui offered lamely. Truthfully, he wasn’t in the mood to chat with this mysterious stranger. “I’m fine.”

“I hear there’s construction atop Mount Lanakila,” the stranger mused, settling into place beside Kukui. He crossed his arms over the steel railing, still idly bouncing the coin. It made Kukui clench nervously. Wasn’t he afraid he’d drop it? “I have to say, I might not be native Alolan, but even I’m kind of surprised that’s been allowed. ‘Where the Sun Touched Alola,’” the stranger snickered, “that’s what they call it.”

Trying to bite back the frustration he was starting to feel—Kukui had already dealt with more than enough backlash for one day—he gritted his teeth, and tensely muttered, “That is what they call it, cousin. But why are you talkin’ to me about it, yeah? I’m not the person to be talkin’ to about it.”

The stranger snatched the coin in his palm, clutching it tightly in his grasp. A knowing smirk crossed his thin lips, and he leaned a hip against the railing, crossing his arms over his chest instead. “Is that so, Professor Kukui?”

Standing back to full height, Kukui crossed his arms over his own chest, and challengingly met the eyes of the other. “Who are you?”

“Grimsley’s my name,” the other replied smoothly, tilting his head slightly. “But that’s not important, really. You are the person to be talking to about this. Now, truth be told, Professor, I’m not one to usually care about stuff like this anymore. See, I got all the excitement I could have ever wanted and more a few years back in Unova.”

So? Get to the point, Kukui thought in annoyance, but out loud, said nothing. Who am I kidding, though… Probably just someone else here to convince me we need to hold onto these crummy old traditions, yeah. Why is it so hard for everyone to see that doin’ that just holds us back? Kukui swallowed hard. The taunts Champion Lance had sent his way when he had challenged the Indigo Plateau in Kanto-Johto ricocheted in his head. Everyone sees us as jokes, the system we’ve got now clearly isn’t working, and sometimes, I feel like I’m the only damn person here that notices, ae…

“But I can tell you now that revolutionary changes done under everyone’s nose won’t solve anything,” Grimsley pointedly said, cutting those pale blue eyes at Kukui. “There’s a thin line between altruism and ambition.”

Remembering the conversations he had had over the last week or two with the Island Kahunas—Hala, Olivia, and Nanu—Kukui felt all of his muscles tense in sheer frustration. It had been hard enough convincing them the temple he wanted to build atop Mount Lanakila was for the long-lost god, the Sun Beast, rather than for any selfish gain! At first, they had seen right through him, of course, but he, in the end, had managed to grovel like a Rockruff to them and appeal to their spirituality, claiming that he was tired of living as an outcast in Iki Town’s borders, wanting to show Alola once and for all, that he was absolutely dedicated to it and its moldy old ways. Yet, even if he wasn’t being totally honest, everything he did was in dedication to Alola!

“Why does everyone seem to think I don’t care about Alola itself?” Kukui snapped, prodding Grimsley in the chest with a finger. “Everything I do is to try an’ make this place better. Put us on the map. Make livin’ here a little nicer, yeah! An’ who do you think you are, comin’ all the way from Unova, to tell us how to do better, anyway?” Setting his jaw, Kukui contemptuously tapped a foot. “Or are you just like Aether, comin’ here to ‘set us straight?’” Scoffing, Kukui didn’t give him a chance to reply. “Don’t get me wrong. The research Aether helps with is incredible, an’ I agree with a lot about what they say. But if it weren’t for people like you showin’ up, maybe I could have the Kahunas agreein’ with me easier than—”

“Listen to you,” Grimsley mumbled, softly cutting him short. With that, he closed his eyes, and disappointedly shook his head. He shuffled a few paces away. “Your intentions are good. But the way you’re going about this… it’s like a one-man crusade.”

“If I don’t, then who will, cousin?” Kukui frustratedly demanded. “Who?”

“I’m not saying that, as a Unovan, I have all the answers,” Grimsley snorted, almost amused. “You just remind me of someone… He thought he knew all the answers, but he had just been fed lies from an ambitious monster. He was willing to fight to the end to prove he was right. But he wasn’t.” Grimsley raised his chin right back at Kukui then, equally as challenging. “So, are you so arrogant to believe that out of an entire country of living, thinking people, you are the only one that can possibly have a semblance of an idea of how to move forward, and fix… whatever it is you’re trying to fix?” Grimsley started to flick that coin again. “Something gives me the sense that instead of trying to work with others, you always try to work against them. Because you think you know best.”

That was it. “Because I do know best! No matter what I try to do to show people here my thoughts and theories, everything goes back to those stupid Tapus, and how afraid they are of them, and of each other, yeah! The rest of the world thinks we’re a joke! So much so, most other regions won’t even come near Alola unless it’s for a weekend stay!” Stamping a foot in annoyance, Kukui added, before he had a chance to think it through, “If I really didn’t think I was doin’ the right thing, why on Earth would I have sent Lillie to travel and bond with those Kanto kids and Hau, so they might stay and give this Pokémon League some validity?”

At first, Grimsley said nothing, while Kukui stood there panting. In the end, though, Grimsley cracked a taunting grin and wagged a finger at Kukui’s bewildered face. At that point, he held up the coin he had been bouncing, then tossed a Poké Ball, a Liepard spilling out of it to sit at his side. “Thank you, Professor,” Grimsley teasingly said, “your testament will be very useful.”

Balking, Kukui noticed a tiny, black glint in the center of the coin… and realized it was no coin at all. But a camera or a microphone, or both. “What are you going to do?” Kukui breathlessly asked.

“Funny story, but that Lillie of yours is missing,” Grimsley shrugged, “and a friend asked me to check in on a certain Masked Royal to figure out if there were any leads there.”

“I’m K-Kukui,” Kukui stammered, “not the Masked—”

Grimsley’s Liepard started to growl, and lunged forward, flexing its claws into the earth. Grimsley himself stowed the fake coin in a pocket in the folds of his kimono and leaned forward until his nose nearly touched Kukui’s. “You wanted Alola to be more on the map, taken seriously. Now, it is. Between you and Aether, Interpol’s going to be crawling all over these islands.” Flamboyantly throwing his arms out into the air, Grimsley abruptly turned around and gleefully announced, “Oh, how I love my new job!”

Feeling his heart start to race as fear seized him, Kukui sputtered, “Who—what—how—I—”

Tossing a look over his shoulder, Grimsley rolled his eyes. “Oh, don’t look so shocked, my friend. Maybe it would do you a little good to concern yourself with more than just Alola on occasion, wouldn’t it? You’re almost as stuck in your ways as some of the old-timer religious zealots around here. I told you my name. Does it mean anything to you?”

Only that I hate you right about now, Kukui thought with a vague flicker of amusement, even though his eyes continued to be stretched wide in fright.

At his failure to respond, Grimsley only shrugged. “I’m an ex-Elite Four from Unova. Grimsley Burnes.” He started to walk off but couldn’t seem to help but teasingly call back to Kukui, “And I’m feeling a lot better these days~!”

Considering Lillie had never envisioned herself kidnapped, she hadn’t been sure what to expect from the coming days, at all. If movies were any indication, it would have been torture in a dark room, her captors brutalizing her with vindictive, frightening pokémon and tearing answers out of her through any number of horrifying ways… but this was not the movies, and of her captors, only about a quarter of them even seemed to be adults. During the days (or what Lillie presumed to be the days; honestly, with Po Town’s weather and her obscured view of the outside being a single measly, grungy window, she had difficulty keeping track of time), Plumeria would visit her, and press her for all the information she could muster. During the nights, or whenever Plumeria wasn’t around, goofy, teenage grunts were stationed outside her door. It was almost disconcerting with how they consistently checked up on how she was doing. The first day, in fact, when they had noticed how horribly chafed up her arms were, they had scrambled to craft spare bandannas and fabrics into makeshift wristbands and ankle-bands, giving some protection against the scuffing of her binds. And that was after Makua had been called in to dress her wounds. It also seemed that whenever Plumeria ate, she ensured she brought some extra in for Lillie, and the grunts were always offering her drinks of water.

She and Plumeria’s first conversation had gone about as well as one could imagine, considering Lillie was still hot from the previous day’s kidnapping. Although cautiously grateful for their lack of brutality, they were still kidnapping her, and Lillie was still furious. While Plumeria encouraged her to explain why she was so sure her mother was so problematic, Lillie responded almost cryptically, spending the rest of her energy demanding to know where Nebby was being kept. Finally, Plumeria had just groaned, and retrieved a Nest Ball from her bag. “He’s stayin’ with me,” Plumeria had muttered in annoyance, “now will ya focus on the task at hand? Y’know, answerin’ me, so hopefully I can let your crazy little ass go?”

It’s almost like you could do that regardless! Lillie just gave her a withering look and spat back at her, “Why does Guzma trust my mother so much?”

At that, Plumeria had almost visibly recoiled. Her lips had pressed to a thin line, and she almost… hugged herself. That made Lillie raise a brow. “Guess he likes her,” Plumeria had quietly replied at last. “But that ain’t the point. I need specifics, girlie. I can tell ‘im ‘til I’m blue in the face she’s a crazy psycho bitch, but that ain’t gonna make him listen, the stubborn asshole. Not to mention, ‘crazy psycho bitch’ means different things to different people. There are people here who’d probably call me a crazy psycho bitch. So, specifics. What makes Mommy Dearest so horrible? What’s goin’ on with this runt pokémon that’s makin’ her go nuts to get it back? Why’d ya steal it? Give me somethin’ to work with, for fuck’s sake.”

In that moment, Lillie had made the decision that being brutally honest was likely her best bet out of there. She had explained it all, from her family arriving to Alola, to Mohn’s disappearance, to Lusamine’s fracturing sanity, to her leave and what she knew of Aether’s experiments, to staying with Kukui, to his kicking her out to do… whatever it was he wanted her to do, and then, her traveling with Elio, Selene, and Hau to try to find the prior two’s inexplicably missing parents. It had been a long, laborious tale, and by the end of that first session, Plumeria had looked dumbfounded. She had said nothing throughout it, and at the very end, had merely nodded slowly, then left the room without a word.

The next time Plumeria had come back, Lillie had learned why she had left like that the first time. With a pointed look, Plumeria had planted her hands on her hips, and announced that Lillie’s story sounded like something straight out of a science fiction movie. “If you want me to help ya,” Plumeria had huffed, “I need ya to tell me somethin’ that can be believed.”

That had been the second day. And it would be the last time Lillie would bear to listen to such mockery of all she had been through. She had tossed her weight against her constraints, threatening to knock the chair over as usual, and viciously bared her teeth to snarl, “Well, I guess they’ll just have to make a movie about it one day, then! Because this sci-fi movie plot’s been my life the last few years, and whether you believe it or not, it’s true! How can it even be that hard to believe? You believe that Aether created that pokémon Gladion uses, right?”

Shuffling in place, Plumeria had crossed her arms and frowned. “Well, yeah, but that’s a little different than monsters from other worlds or a space hole openin’ up to—”

“How?” Lillie had bitingly cut her short, unwilling to listen to her excuses. “How? They have technology to fabricate a pokémon out of nothing, and you can’t believe the rest?”

After a few minutes, Plumeria’s shoulders had sagged and she tossed her head back. “You’re killin’ me, kid. I need somethin’ concrete to look into. I can’t exactly just waltz inside Aether and go searchin’ through their records, so, is there anythin’ I can get to that I can look int’a to figure out if what you’re sayin’ means anything? ‘Cause even if I decide I believe ya, I can guarantee ya Guz ain’t gonna buy a lick of it.”

Lillie had had an idea. “The Ultra Recon Squad!” she exclaimed. “Zossie, Dulse—you may be able to find them!”

Despite Plumeria’s blank stare, Lillie had felt ecstatic—hopeful.

It was awfully late, but Zossie wouldn’t have known. She had quickly lost track of the days and nights (even though truth be told, it hadn’t been that many), a concept that had fascinated her upon arriving in Alola, and as she sat up while Dulse slept, she felt absolutely hollow to realize she had lost that again. They were still held hostage within the confines of Aether Paradise, within that same room as before, as Captains Phyco and Soliera had come to the tenuous agreement to not confront Aether Paradise until Dr. Colress was safely finished with his machines that would hopefully calm the Blinding One once and for all. She and Dulse, as much as it had pained Captain Phyco to submit to such demands, had been tasked with taking one for the team by remaining imprisoned for the time being. “The fact of the matter is, we cannot risk President Lusamine’s wrath and failure to cooperate by removing you from this facility,” he had sighed defeatedly, with a twinge of aggravation in the back of his throat, “but we will of course monitor you both and ensure your physical wellbeing is kept up with until the situation improves.”

She all but froze, then, as the door to their chamber abruptly opened, and a Furfrou—Dulse’s Furfrou, Zossie immediately recognized—bolted through. She was too shocked to even think about what to do with the open door, but the decision was made for her when it snapped shut again before she reacted, and Furfrou threw his paws in her lap as she sat at the edge of the single bed in the room. She hastily stroked his head but blinked and sputtered in blind confusion at what had just happened. “Furfrou…? Wha…? Why? I mean, I’m gl-glad, but, the door—how—”

“Keep your voice down, for Arceus’ sake,” Rosa’s hissing voice cut through the empty room in a way that made Zossie jump, and cling to the Furfrou tightly (not that he seemed to mind; in fact, he only waved his tail more). The woman materialized just a few inches in front of Zossie’s face, dressed in her usual suit, and she froze as Rosa smirked and touched her right pointer finger to Zossie’s nose. “You wouldn’t want to wake up Dulse for this, I don’t think. He tends to be a bit… opinionated and might cause a commotion. Spoil it.”

For a moment, Zossie wondered if she was in a dream. Or maybe a nightmare. “I don’t understand…” she almost whimpered, petting Furfrou’s head again. He licked her hand.

“Come with me,” Rosa whispered, slowly turning on a heel and tiptoeing toward the door. With a wave of her palm near the keycard slot, the door opened again.

Heart starting to beat faster, Zossie swallowed hard, and glanced back at Dulse. He had shifted in his sleep, but didn’t seem close to waking up… He had been awake for such a long time prior to finally falling asleep a few hours ago that she doubted he would wake for a while yet. And oh, she had to admit… she was so curious about what Rosa wanted to show her or do… Undying natural curiosity trumped her caution and she, quietly as possible, urged Dulse’s Furfrou forward and off her lap so she could sneak after Rosa. A surge of excitement found her as she wondered if she’d be getting out of there at last.

Once Zossie reached the door, Rosa smiled, uncharacteristically genuinely, and purred, “Would’ve gotten you earlier, but had to wait for the old man to go to sleep… along with everyone else. I thought it was weird Colress and I were going to live on this thing, but would you believe almost all the people that work here live here, too? They’re on six month shifts or something like that, like sailors. It’s nuts.”

Just as she had begun to shake her head, confused and desperate to ask Rosa what she was hoping to accomplish with this (or what she wanted at all—and what about Dulse?), Zossie and Rosa both flinched as a man cleared his throat just ahead of them and outside the door. Furfrou abruptly yelped at the noise and darted behind Zossie’s legs, shaking. Looking up, Zossie’s round eyes froze as she recognized Dr. Colress himself, though his demeanor was completely different from her and Dulse’s meetings with him. His golden eyes gleamed as he clenched his jaw and swiped a hand to snatch Rosa’s left wrist tightly in his grasp. She jerked once against his hold, and he yanked her back even harder, making her stumble as she scrambled to stand beside him. “Going for a midnight stroll, are we?” Dr. Colress asked in a frighteningly quiet voice as he swept that penetrating amber gaze across both of them. Locking onto Rosa, he curled a lip. “Just what are you up to, Miss Rosa? You jeopardize the machine’s creation with this! Jeopardize my research!”

A pokémon unfamiliar to Zossie drifted out from behind Dr. Colress and into view. It looked like the ‘Magnemite’ she had met on one of the islands, except it looked more like three of them joined together… Electric sparks surged around its magnets, at any rate. Rosa gritted her teeth and glared back at Dr. Colress with a burning anger. Her voice snapped Zossie’s attention back to her. “What I’m up to is none of your damn business right now,” she growled.

“When it is jeopardizing my research, it very much is my business,” he retorted loudly, making Zossie instinctively begin to backpedal from them. With his pokémon looming threateningly over his head and he and Rosa apparently in the beginnings of a fight, she suddenly wondered if her room wasn’t that bad after all…

Then, Dulse marched out beside her, the noise having apparently finally woken him. He lacked his helmet at that moment, much like she did, and without any hesitation, he went like he was going to snatch Dr. Colress by the lapels of his white jacket. Yet, as soon as his arm lunged for them, Rosa’s eyes widened.

“No!” she yelped as she dove at Dulse’s outstretched hand, knocking them both to the floor, just as a bluish forcefield of sorts appeared around Dr. Colress, stemming from the flick of blue hair jutting from his forehead. Or so it had looked like hair… With the blue arcs of electricity coursing through it and the energy field now protecting his body sourced from it, Zossie had a hard time believing it was mere hair.

“Get off me!” Dulse barked, throwing Rosa off him with a harsh wave of his arm. She clattered to the ground on her rear and groaned. Jumping back to his feet immediately, Dulse pointed an accusatory finger at her. “Why did you do that?” he demanded.

“Because that forcefield would have cut your hand off if he activated it after you grabbed him, you fucking idiot,” Rosa rasped, as if she couldn’t quite catch her breath. Her brown eyes met Zossie’s sunset-colored ones for a moment, and Zossie was uncomfortably aware of just how scared Rosa seemed about then.

“What were you trying to do…?” Zossie finally squeaked, as she instinctively clung to Dulse. Why did Rosa seem so focused on her? “Why did you come and try to get me…?”

Floundering for a response, Rosa winced and pathetically mumbled in the end, “I just thought it’d be fun for us to hang out for a little while…”

“We all have our orders. Nothing is to be done until the machines are finished,” Dulse pointedly said. “So, whatever Rosa was planning, it was out of line. Come on, Zossie, let’s go.” With that, he looped an arm protectively around her shoulders, and directed her back into the room, Furfrou in tow. Dulse then tossed a cautious look over his shoulder as Dr. Colress curtly dipped his head and shut the door behind them. Whispering to Zossie as they reached the bed, he resignedly sighed, “Zossie, you cannot trust her. Have we not spoken about this before?”

“I know, but…” Zossie felt a lump of emotion start to rise in her throat as she was seated back on that bed within the suffocating walls of that room. Furfrou joined them and she gave a shuddery exhale, grateful that he would at least be with them now. She tentatively reached a hand to thread her fingers in his thick, woolly fur. She welcomed the comfort, considering she didn’t know how to explain to Dulse just why she had been so eager to leave with Rosa. Maybe she was overthinking it… When had she started thinking so hard about everything, anyway? That was something she did back at Ultra Megalopolis. “I was just excited to leave for a while…” To just leave… all of this for a while… She gnawed her lower lip. Just hanging out for a while with someone, anyone, and forgetting about all they were tangled up in, sounded wonderful.

She froze when Dulse randomly wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Before she could ask, he said, “I am honored to have you as my partner, Zossie, but you should not have lied to get into the Ultra Recon Squad.”

Silently, Zossie just leaned into his grasp. It had been a long time since she had been with family, and even then, she didn’t have siblings, but she was almost certain that this was what having a big brother felt like.

“It’s been a few days now, kid, an’ ain’t nobody able to find a sign o’ your Ultra Recon Squad guys…”

Lillie failed to react. Although she wanted to be strong, it would have been a lie to say her determination was unwavering…

Plumeria sighed. “I talked to Guz anyway.”

That gave her some pause. She sucked in a shaky breath, and pressed, “And… and what did he say?”

Looking up just in time, Lillie watched in slight shock as Plumeria’s fists clenched at her side, and she abruptly kicked the door to Lillie’s room shut. “That dickhead ain’t listenin’ to any o’ it, he ain’t listenin’ to me, an’ he still wants to give ya an’ Nebby to her because he’s too wrapped up thinkin’ about that blond psycho bitch to see reason!”

Hanging her head again, Lillie scoffed dryly. She didn’t really know what to say to that.

“Whatever happens, you ain’t dealin’ with it alone.”

Lillie blinked. “What?” she echoed in a croak. “Why…?” Swallowing uncomfortably, she expounded, “I just… don’t… you seem so loyal to what Guzma has to say…”

“Yeah, well, fuck him,” Plumeria huffed, flopping down to the floor in front of Lillie. A Salazzle released itself from one of her Poké Balls, and worriedly nudged her trainer on the cheek, giving a few soft hisses in poor attempts to comfort her. “I’ve followed Guz for so long… but he’s gone nuts. We don’t kidnap people. We don’t hurt people like this. We fight for ourselves an’ against the Island Challenge. I don’t see what Lusi has to do with any o’ it.” She clenched her jaw. “‘Side from him getting his dick wet,” she spat venomously. After an awkward gap of time, she grimaced. “Sorry. You ain’t need to hear that.”

“It’s okay,” Lillie offered quietly. She shut her eyes. She was so tired… “It’s okay…”

“Whatever happens, I ain’t lettin’ you face Lusi or Guz alone,” Plumeria repeated herself, adamantly this time. “Look at me.”

Tentatively, Lillie looked up, her green eyes meeting Plumeria’s bright amber ones.

“Guz is wrong. An’ I ain’t lettin’ Po Town screw over one o’ our own. You’re Glad’s sister, and Glad’s one of us, an’ you don’t deserve this.” Plumeria stood up, and balled her right fist over her heart, giving her chest a light tap. She dipped her head for just a second. “I promise. We’ll get you outta this.”

For a moment… Lillie weakly smiled, tears starting to pool in her eyes. “Thank you, Plumeria…”

She swore she saw Plumeria’s face light up in the warmest, almost motherly grin. “O’ course, girlie.”

 Your conversation with Pepperspray❤️

Pepperspray  ❤ ️

Omg am so sorry! So had a mix up an got on the rong boat, ffs

Wrong*

At this pokepelago island? Lol whatever that is theres just a crazy old guy here

But anway ishould be back at ula’ula in few days, just took a rest for a day here, and servise was bad

Elio had woken up to those messages on his phone—and he hadn’t believed a word of it. All that had accomplished was to make his lip curl in aggravation, to cause a wave of anger to wash over him, as he wondered just who the other person holding onto Lillie’s phone thought they were. He didn’t bother sharing the message with the others, not at first, as with how frustrated Selene was with him, part of him feared she might not listen to why he didn’t believe the texts.

Yet, despite his best efforts to keep it a secret to himself, every time he thought about it, realizing that someone had to have forcibly taken her phone… it just made his blood boil.

It was a quiet, tense journey to Po Town, and one that lasted over the course of a week. With every passing minute, Elio became more withdrawn from the rest of the group (he had decided that Selene needed space and he would just work harder to keep her safe, to do what she had told him she needed), and more determined of his belief that Lillie was held hostage within Po Town’s borders. As they sloshed their way closer to the town at the end of that torturous week, Nanu—who they had learned surprisingly little about despite how long they spent traveling together—had finally planted a hand on Elio’s shoulder, drawing his attention to him.

It was late that day, about the time they’d have normally stopped to find a Pokémon Center to rest at, but Nanu had said the only place to stop for a while yet was a grungy motel, and they would just be better off continuing on to Po Town. Per usual, Selene and Hau were at the front of the group, talking quietly with one another, while Gladion brought up the rear, ignoring them all (or trying to; Acerola seemed intent on annoying him as much as humanly possible, and Elio swore one of Gladion’s veins would pop sooner or later if she kept at it). Yet, at the policeman’s heavyhanded touch, Elio just issued him a sour look. “What?” he grumbled waspishly. He almost didn’t recognize his own voice; it was so laced with bitterness.

“When we get in there,” Nanu started, burgundy eyes settling patiently on his target, “let me do the talkin’, would ya?”

Curiously scowling at him, as if to ask him why he felt the need to say that, Nanu rolled his eyes and shrugged.

“Well, I figured I should ask ya that, because I get the sense that when we go in here, you’re gonna act crazy. You ain’t spoken a word to your sister since we left an’ your Torracat would rather hang out with the Water-type”—Nanu jabbed a finger in the direction of Popper, and Elio noted that Macho was headbutting and playfully batting at the Brionne as they walked along—“than with his own trainer ‘cause he’s been in such a bad mood. In fact, ya look like you wanna punch me just by that expression on your face right now.”

Pulling back from Nanu slightly, Elio bared his teeth. “Well, when your friend gets—”

“I ain’t said anythin’ about it bein’ unreasonable, ‘cause you’re not bein’ unreasonable,” Nanu stopped him gently. Eased somewhat, Elio tilted his head, caught off-guard by Nanu’s apparent empathy. One of the things he had learned about Nanu on their travels so far was that Nanu was a Dark-type trainer, and had a wry, downright cruel sense of humor at times, so patient empathy was not exactly something Elio had expected from him. Sighing, Nanu added, as he slung the rain that had gathered on his head away, “I just need ya to trust me. ‘Cause Skull… well, let’s just say I can get info out of ‘em without a bunch’a theatrics. It’ll be alright. We’ll find your girl.”

“‘His’ girl?” Gladion abruptly interjected. The comforting moment Elio and Nanu were sharing quickly was lost as the blond pushed his way between them. Shooting Acerola a murderous look, as if daring her to follow him (which she did anyway), Gladion then snapped at Elio, “That’s my sister, not ‘your girl.’ You’ll let me and Nanu do the talking no matter what.” Null, at Gladion’s side, gave a ferocious snarl in support of his trainer.

Instead of devolving into a shouting match as it might have at the start of that trip, Elio just pressed his lips to a thin line and glowered hatefully at Gladion. It was like looking into a stupid mirror he’d have loved to crack, but instead, he just gave Nanu a costive nod, and slunk away from the both of them, uninterested in further confrontation.

He’d save that for whoever really deserved it and Selene would see that her decision hadn’t been a mistake, and that he wasn’t something to be feared. He was doing exactly what they all needed, he was sure of it.

Guzma had been oddly silent to her the past week or so. Lusamine frowned as she sprawled across the pristine, white couch in the back of her private office; she was blankly staring at a movie, taking none of the motion picture in, accompanied by the lifeless stares and gapes of the pokémon trapped in ice about her room and Dr. Faba beside her, draped across her body. She had an arm anchored around his neck, pulling him close, blissfully unaware of how tense he was. He had an arm propped against her, his palm pressed to the cushion of the sofa, as if poised to leap away the second she’d let go. She stroked his chin and lazily laid her head across the armrest of the couch, eyeing a frozen Popplio close to her desk on one end of the floor.

Her grip abruptly tightened on his chin, digging her nails in, making him yelp. “I’m tired of Guzma’s games,” she announced at last, “I want you, tomorrow, to go give those thugs a reason to listen to me.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Dr. Faba asked dumbly, wincing against the pain of her lengthy, practically bladed nails latching into his skin. Yet, he was looking up at her so submissively… She loved him like this. That was exactly where he should have been. Lusamine didn’t quite know what that look was in his eyes, that defeated, almost lost expression, but she lavished it. Was it dependence? Hmm… she liked it.

“Take Zero for a walk,” Lusamine purred, using her other hand to play with and twirl his hair. Feigning a hurt twinge to her voice, she almost pouted, “And ask Guzma why he’s playing games with me. Surely, he knows something by now?”

For a moment, Dr. Faba looked as if he wanted to protest against what she had said, but his opened jaw shut with an audible click of his teeth, and his muscles sagged as he closed his eyes. “Yes, of course, President Lusamine…”

“Good boy,” Lusamine whispered to him, finally letting go of his chin. “But that’s tomorrow… why don’t you stay for now?”

He stretched his jaws and tentatively leaned away from her, slowly, and exhaled gratefully when she didn’t draw him back in with another suffocating embrace. “Of course,” he hoarsely whispered. As time drew on and she said nothing more, he shot her furtive glances, as if he didn’t recognize her, but she was lost to his looks. She was suddenly very invested in the movie. Dr. Faba soon was as well, or so it seemed.

Or maybe he was just trying to desperately ignore reality right then.

Almost an hour later, completely out of the blue, Lusamine flopped her head over to inhale sharply and stare at that frozen Popplio again. “It’s going to be show time soon, one way or another,” Lusamine huskily whispered with a demented grin slowly beginning to spread across her face. “One way or another, I will meet him again, and I will find that wonderful world beyond our own…~”

Dr. Faba was decidedly silent.

Chapter Text

Selene and Hau had exchanged many words throughout the week on their way to Po Town.

But perhaps their most fateful conversation had taken place just prior to Elio and Gladion's confrontation, prior to their arrival at Po Town's towering white walls, as they were sheeted with sharp blasts of rain. Hau had abruptly snatched her hand—a few days earlier, she had explained in full her vision she had shared with Tapu Koko—and, with as much conviction as he could muster, said in Alolan, "Selene, I have been thinking… and I want to help. I don't know what Tapu Koko meant in the, uh, dream, by me 'having the power to make others listen…'" He had grimaced. "I… don't like the sound of it, to be honest. But I will do whatever I need to do." And with that, he had given her a more recognizably goofy, wide grin that he was known for, let go of her hand, and patted it over his heart in that familiar gesture of his. Wagging his eyebrows at her, he had snickered, "Guess the Island Challenge will have to wait, huh?"

"Guess so," Selene had laughed, though it felt hollow. She had shot Elio a look then. Maybe, if she and Hau pulled that off, maybe, if she showed him he didn't have to be so protective all the time… maybe, if they found Lillie and she was safe… Maybe then, he would calm down… and be her brother again. The one she recognized from before the snowballing horror show that had been their travels so far. Before she had told him to be so… Although she still felt guilty for that, what she didn't understand was how he seemed to dig his heels in and hold onto his aggressive disposition more than ever. She thought to approach him and talk to him more calmly about it, to apologize for pushing him to be that way, to tell him she didn't really like it and she had been wrong, but… he was so cold an unapproachable… He was just so different.

Maybe then, everything would go back to normal… She almost scoffed to herself as she sloshed through a particularly deep puddle of mud. Her feet ached at that point. All of theirs did. She was sure they were blistered. Somehow, she knew nothing would ever be normal again following such a journey. Elio included.

The conversation had faltered then, but just as they reached the Po Town gates, which Selene looked up at in daunted awe, Hau spoke to her again. He nudged her with his elbow and softly said, "Before we get in there, though… I've been thinking about something else."

Tearing her eyes away from the Po Town gates slowly, Selene blinked up at him. "Yeah?"

Hau shuffled his feet uncertainly, and Selene was shocked when Bowtie, who had been flying around them to entertain himself throughout their travels, landed on his shoulder. Normally, the Dartrix had no interest in anyone other than her; he didn't even seem to get along well with Macho and Popper most of the time… Yet, there, he was letting Hau stroke the feathers of his chest without complaint. Almost distractedly, as if just as surprised as she was, Hau said, "W-well, I just wanted to say… maybe you shouldn't be so hard on Elio… Y'know? I… I can get why you're upset with him…" He paused to take a deep breath. "He's reckless when he's scared… But he means so well." Hau gave her another warm, encouraging smile, that which he was so good at. "He's your brother, and a good one, at that." He briefly shut his eyes. "Should be glad for that… I know you regret pushing him to be protective like that, but, still…"

Guiltily, Selene realized she didn't quite know what to say to that. She was almost grateful when the gate in the middle of Po Town's front walls split open and a group of ten or more Skull grunts stepped out, warily looking over them all, Poké Balls clutched at the ready (though some already had Raticate or Salandit poised by their feet). Their body language screamed of nerves; they were all young—as old as Selene or younger, she noted—and they flicked their eyes between Nanu, Elio, Gladion, Acerola, Selene, and Hau like they were desperately trying to take in every detail about them, as quickly as possible. Their gazes ended up settling on Nanu and Gladion, however (or more specifically, Null, at Gladion's right side).

"Glad, what's goin' on?" one of them asked. She looked to be the oldest of them all, but her eyes were narrowed suspiciously, and her breathing rapid, if the movement of her chest and the mask over her mouth was any indication. In retrospect, Selene supposed they had reason to be so nervous… They didn't exactly look peaceful, showing up with such a large group. Selene was surprised that Elio didn't lunge forward to snap at them, though. Instead, her brother stood off to the side, darkly scowling at them and rolling a Poké Ball in his palm. Macho, however, was nowhere near him, instead standing near Hau and Popper.

Looking lost, Gladion opened and shut his jaw a couple of times, before glancing at Nanu, as if to ask for help.

Nanu was happy to assist. He cocked his head slightly and cracked a relaxed grin. "Sorry for the intrusion, missy, but we're lookin' for someone who's missin' and we thought you lot might'a seen 'er somewhere. Plumes or Guz around?"

"It's late," the older girl answered again. Her shoulders stiffened and she surreptitiously made a motion with her right hand that Selene just barely noticed, but the other grunts seemed to immediately recognize. All but two dispersed, darting back into Po Town's borders, leaving the older girl and two teenage boys with her. "They'll be windin' down or goin' to bed soon. Can't this wait?"

"No, it can't." Gladion's reply seemed to genuinely shock her, given the way she jolted at his words. Shaking his head, as if he couldn't believe he was about to say it, he muttered, "It's my sister who's missing."

"And not the Rattata lady!" Acerola cheerfully piped up. Nanu sighed loudly.

The Skull girl exchanged a worried look with her two male teammates.

"You guys travel these islands all the time," Nanu smoothly picked back up, before the conversation went too far off the rails. "I'm sure one o' ya might'a seen somethin'. We won't be long. There ain't exactly a Pokémon Center nearby worth restin' at, y'know."

The older girl shot Nanu a venomous glare, and then some words that were even more so. "No shit," she hissed, "fuckin' Sherlock Holmes over here—"

One of her teammates abruptly pushed her back toward the Po Town gate and waved a hand for his Salandit to jump ahead of him. "Watch, look!" he snapped warningly in Alolan.

Whipping around to see what perhaps had unnerved him so badly, Selene froze as an eerily clean, white truck rolled closer to them, its headlights beaming through the rain dimly. Used to vehicles primarily being used by companies to transport large amounts of product or many employees at once, Selene found it odd that just the pathetic headlights were all the truck had on. There were no traditional flashers on top, no orange lights ringing the headlights, and the glare and the rain made it impossible to make anything out about the person getting out of the truck once it stopped fully.

Nanu turned on a heel and raised his chin at the newcomers. "Can we help ya?" he called out as the driver's door to the truck was slammed shut.

"Who are you?" a scratchy male voice called back, loudly.

"Nanu, Alolan police," Nanu tiredly shouted back. "Now, who the hell are ya?"

A thin man trudged through the mud and rain, and when he finally stepped in front of the shaft of the headlights' beam, Selene's heart stopped as she recognized Faba. "You!" she yelped. "Faba!"

Elio's practiced patience was done with. He rushed in front of the group and snarled, "What the hell do you want?"

Despite how difficult it was to make the expression out on Faba's face, between the dimness of the night, the glare of the lights, and the rain, Selene got the sense that this was a much different man than the arrogant, callous one they had met back on Aether Paradise, but she wasn't sure how. "Not you, that's for sure," Faba contemptuously growled at Elio. "I have no quarrel with you. Or any of you, really. I am here to speak with Guzma."

"What business do you have with the boss o' Skull?" Nanu challenged him, an eyebrow raised.

Faba pressed a palm to his forehead. There was a short pause. "Please," he… begged? That certainly raised some alarm bells for Selene, and she shared a look with Hau. His expression told her he was thinking the same. "Just move and let me carry on my business in peace. This does not involve you."

"Yes, it fucking does!" Elio spat, taking a deliberate step toward Faba, who staggered away from him. "You're after Lillie! Well, you can't have her!"

"Elio!" Gladion barked. "Shut up, you idiot!"

"What'd I say about lettin' me talk?" Nanu added, groaning in frustration.

He's going to give away the reason we're here, Selene thought desperately. Yet, her feet were still rooted in place… All she could do was look around, and think back to the flying rocks, the mayhem, the monster, that she had seen back at Aether Paradise…

"So, she is here?" Faba asked a little too directly. Or… was it tiredly?

"Like I would tell you," Elio scoffed, as if deaf to the rest of them. "Get back in your truck and get out of here!"

"If she is here, then so is Cosmog," Faba idly said aloud as he turned around and started to walk back to the truck. "And… that means that Guzma has not been keeping his end of the bargain…"

"That's right! Go on somewhere!" Elio blithely continued, until Gladion snatched him by the shoulder and whirled him around.

No, no, no, Elio's revealing it all by being like this, I've got to stop this! Selene guiltily thought, heart pounding wildly as the memories played in her mind and Elio's voice echoed in her ears. Still, her feet wouldn't budge, her lips were dry as sandpaper despite the rain and hanging moisture in the air. Why can't I move? Why can't I talk to him? She felt like she might cry in her frustration, wanting to grab clumps of her hair and pull it. What's wrong with me?

"I know I've said this a lot already, but you're a fucking moron," Gladion shot at him, then pushed him on the chest. Null snarled at him for emphasis.

Before Elio could return fire, the headlights to the truck turned off… and the sound of something rapidly dashing through the mud drew everyone's attention to the vehicle. Suddenly, gleaming golden eyes sliced through the darkness, and a beast all too similar to Gladion's raced up to them, swinging its head to wield the blade on top like a battleaxe. Everyone shouted a string of curses in shock (except for Acerola, who Nanu had to yank back), and backpedaled rapidly away from the beast. Selene herself lost her balance and nearly topped to her back, caught at the last second by Hau, and as they reeled to stay away from that monstrous creature's deadly blade, she noticed the Skull members making a break for the gate into their town.

The beast raised its head, which still had a helmet (unlike Null), and, as if sniffing the air, paused… But before the Skull members could properly shut the gate behind themselves, it let loose a vicious, mechanical roar and charged the gate. When it slammed shut just in front of it, the beast didn't falter; instead, it plowed through, tucking its legs close to its body as it jumped, the blade on its head glowing red just before slicing a hole big enough for it. The entire display looked frighteningly effortless for it.

Without saying a word, Gladion and Elio both raced inside of Po Town after it. Nanu raised his voice and, after venting a few more curses, he clutched Acerola on the shoulders. "Acerola, listen to me, keep an eye on Hau and Selene, I'm goin' in after Gladion, Elio, and that… thing. Understand me?"

Acerola snapped a hand over her forehead in a makeshift salute, nodding cheerily. "Of course, uncle!"

"Oh, fuck's sakes," Nanu grumbled, rolling his eyes as he disappeared inside the town. Macho, Popper, and even Bowtie darted inside after him.

"Wait!" Selene yelped, the life seeming to flare back to her. "Wait!" Elio's in there! I have to—I have to be in there! And Bowtie, I have to be there to guide him! Without a second thought, she trudged inside after them, dodging Hau as he tried to grab her again. Acerola, in a display that might have been funny in less dire circumstances, cocked her head and frowned after her.

"Hey, I don't think Uncle wants you to do that," she pouted.

"You think?" Selene sarcastically replied, ignoring her after that point.

"Selene!" Hau hissed, following her. "Popper! Wait!"

Inside the town, Selene didn't have time to take in the dilapidated and waterlogged state of it, as that beastly pokémon barreled down the center street. A group of Salandit and Raticate, directed by some grunts, stood in its path, but the beast bellowed at them, and a bolt of lightning launched from its blade, igniting all the pokémon at once. At its full strength thanks to the ever-raging storm above, the Thunder easily dispatched all of them, just like that, and the beast sailed over their limp bodies freely.

That's when she saw Nanu, riding the back of an Absol, chasing after it, and Gladion and Elio arguing some distance behind him. Selene picked her way closer to them and waved her hands to catch their attention. "Hey! Hey! Listen, stop it, stop fighting, both of you!"

Null looked up at Selene and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"We've got to help him," Selene panted as she reached them. She shivered violently, realizing just how cold she was then… They had been out in the rain way too long that day… "Nanu, I mean," she added numbly.

"I am not going in there with him!" Gladion spat, glaring back at Elio. Selene followed his gaze and thought to say something, but her voice hitched in her throat.

"Are really argue over this?" Hau puffed at them as he finally caught up. When all eyes settled on him, he shook his head. "Argue if want. I go ahead, with pokémon." With that, he gestured ahead, and Selene realized that Popper, Macho, and Bowtie were anxiously waiting for them, grouped together, while Skull grunts looked on in fear or darted down the center road after the beast and Nanu in a panic. Far in the back of the town, back where the beast had been headed, Selene realized there was an enormous mansion standing tall. The nighttime darkness and raging thunderstorm overhead made it look so, so ominous…

Waving to Popper, who barked at Macho and Bowtie, Hau started down the road then, and all three of the starters followed him. Without waiting to see what either Gladion or Elio had to say about that, Selene hurried after him.

Fleetingly, she wondered if that was what Tapu Koko had been hinting at.

It sounded as if an earthquake had struck, with the way the innards of the Shady House started to rock and rumble, and she heard people shouting. Too many for her to make out any one word. Lillie had yelped in surprise and looked up at the door to her room in a panic, wondering what on Earth was going on outside. Just as she did, one of the teenage grunts that often watched over her room in the evenings dove inside, panting as he clicked the door shut behind himself. He looked as if he had seen a ghost, and his legs wobbled as he all but sank to the floor.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Lillie asked breathlessly. He jerked his head up to her as if he had forgotten she was even there.

"Oh, shit," he breathed, scrambling to his feet. "Sorry, Lillie, forgot—look, there's this… thing, out there, I don't know what it is, or what it's doin', but…" He gnawed his lip and shook his head. "I don't want ya to get hurt if it comes up here, you need to be able to move." And just like that, he was undoing her restraints.

Her eyes trained on her bag, in the corner of the room, intending to dive for that, and run like she had never run before. But before he had managed to fully release her, the door to her room crashed inward, and a Torracat, Dartrix, and Brionne were flung in with it. The door and the pokémon all landed in a heap in front of the bag, none of them making an effort to get back up, and then, Lillie finally got a look at the 'thing' the grunt had been talking about.

A golden helmet was fitted over vengeful golden eyes, and an upward-curved blade, glowing red-hot at the end, stuck out the top. As it stepped into the room, its long, sickle-shaped claws clicked on the hard floor. A ring of feathers around its neck, reminiscent of that of a Skarmory, stood on end, and it sniffed the air. It was constantly growling, a low, whirring, mechanical noise.

"What the fuck is that?" Lillie asked quietly to the Skull grunt, who dared to finish undoing the bindings around her feet despite the monster's presence.

"Don't know," he hissed back at her, sounding choked. "Reminds me of Glad's pokémon…"

The beast took one look at them, and a panel on its helmet's muzzle opened, allowing it to fiercely snarl at them. The sound rattled the walls and made Lillie yelp, covering her ears. Yet, instead of rushing at them, it jumped for Lillie's bag in the far corner of the room, snatching it up in that flap. Ripping a massive hole in the side with a flick of its claws, it violently shook the bag out, throwing the inner supplies all over the place—including a Nest Ball, which rolled back toward the door.

The Torracat, Brionne, and Dartrix managed to pick themselves up out of the rubble of the door then, and Lillie gasped as she recognized them. "Macho, Popper, Bowtie?"

Before the beast could lunge after the Nest Ball as it seemed interested in doing, Bowtie shook out his feathers and flapped his wings, two shadows surging out from below him and at the beast. The shadowy chains seemed to latch onto the beast's shadow, anchoring it to the ground, and preventing it from moving. Understandably confused, the monster clawed at the ground, ripping up clumps of rotted wood, and then glared back at Bowtie, hissing. All the while, Bowtie raggedly breathed, and started to glow a bright, blinding white.

Macho and Popper nodded to one another, and the Brionne stood on his tail, letting loose a loud, warbling cry; bubbles frothed and formed over his nose. As for Macho, the Torracat merely flexed his claws, and lunged at the beast, latching his claws into the pokémon's helmet, and making the flaming emblem around his collar burst into tall flames, singing and smoldering the beast's face. The Torracat and Brionne both, too, began to glow.

Suddenly, Bowtie's light dissipated, and a tall Decidueye stood in his place. With a wave of his new, lengthy wing, the shadowy chain binding him to the beast pulled the pokémon to its side, dragging it back toward him. Just as he did that, Popper revealed himself as a newly-evolved Primarina, and launched a barrage of bubbles, which the beastly pokémon was dragged through. Macho had leapt off the pokémon's helmet, but had landed on two legs instead of four, and he easily towered over the beast then.

Despite her awestruck stare, Lillie swallowed hard. Okay, they're here, but then where's Elio, Selene, and Hau…?

Bowtie's shadowy grip on the pokémon faltered at last. Instead of launching into another furious attack against them, though, the beast jumped up and skirted past the three freshly evolved pokémon, making a break for the door. In the doorway, Lillie jolted in surprise (and a bit of horror) as she recognized Faba, clutching Nebby's Nest Ball—and then again as she noticed he was flanked by two mysterious people in suits that reminded her of thick hazmat gear. One of which reached out with something akin to a catchpole, which latched around the beastly pokémon's neck once it got close enough, binding it to that person. Hollowly looking at Lillie, Faba's blue eyes seemed glazed as he told his other suited crony, "Grab her."

Macho, Popper, and Bowtie all jumped in front of Lillie, and a cacophony of their cries met with the distant sound of people yelling and the shuffling of feet. Above the noise and the sound of her own heart pounding, Lillie froze as she heard Plumeria. She must have been out in the hall.

"What the fuck do ya think you're doin', Faba?" she demanded. "Get the fuck outta here! Right now!"

"Where is Guzma?" Faba blithely asked, ignoring her. A grating bark from the beast at his side seemed to keep Plumeria from approaching.

Bowtie spread a wing again, and another shadow snaked across the floor and after the beast. This time, however, Faba and his two comrades saw it. The beast's suited handler grunted and said something Lillie couldn't make out, then the blade on its head blazed bright yellow, and a volley of electricity shot at Bowtie, Popper, and Macho, dropping them all in an instant. Lillie yelped and jumped back, covering her mouth as she watched them topple so easily.

"Why are you doing this?" Lillie squeaked after a moment, quivering all over. The visceral fear traded in for rage for a second, and she stomped a foot. "Why, Faba? Is nothing enough for your fucking ego?!"

He didn't respond to her. Instead, he turned back to Plumeria, who Lillie still couldn't see just beyond the doorway. "Where is Guzma?" Faba asked again.

There was the clattering of more footsteps, and Lillie heard a grizzled, male voice shout, "Absol, Dark Pulse them all!"

Yet, once again, Faba and his other goon merely sidestepped into Lillie's room, giving the beast and its handler a clear shot to whoever was fast approaching. Another bolt of lightning, and there was a booming crash from down the hall. The other suited person made their way to Lillie, and clasped their hands to Lillie's, forcing them behind her back. Despite all her fury and determination in the previous days, Lillie had nothing to fight with in that moment, and stood in still, shocked silence as the suited figure snatched one of her bindings from the floor, tying them about her hands once again. The male Skull grunt still in her room stared at her helplessly, clearly unwilling to risk a shot of that lightning to himself to help her—and Lillie would have told him not to even if he had been.

Plumeria shuffled into her room then, darting away from Faba and his goons, and Lillie perked up as she heard Guzma's voice next. "I'm here, I'm here!"

Faba and the beast's handler both turned to look at him down the other end of the hall. "Good," Faba said. "President Lusamine requests that you come with us." With a nod into the room after the suited person holding onto Lillie, he added, "Her, too." He rolled the Nest Ball in his right palm again.

Having heard a lot about the fearsome boss of Skull, Lillie expected and hoped that Guzma would release his Golisopod and do his best to fight the monsters ahead of her out of his mansion. Part of her was sure Guzma would have done that. He'd have sooner leveled the Shady House than allow anyone to march inside of it and spread so much chaos, hurt so many of his Skull members.

So, one could imagine how her blood ran cold as ice when he said, "Alright, alright! Fine! Just… fuckin', stop this! I'll come with, the girl will come with, everybody just fuckin' chill!"

"No!" Lillie howled, finding some fight. She kicked her feet, causing the suited person to bearhug her, lifting her from the ground. She kicked her feet a few times, landing a few good blows in on his legs and groin, but her heels met steel plating behind the suit, and as fast as her determination had come, it was gone again. She fell limp as the person tossed her over their shoulder. Guzma, no… why…?

"You're not goin' without me," Plumeria growled, unsteadily creeping after them. At Faba's suspicious glare and the beast's bark, she held up her trembling hands. "No gimmicks. But you ain't takin' her without me."

"Why?" Lillie managed to croak after a second. Her throat was strangled with how overwhelmed she was. "Why do you need me? Or Guzma? My mother just wants Cosmog to open the…" She lost her train of thought from the stress, having to take a second to finish her thought. "Just… why do all of this, then?"

"I don't know, but she wants him and you, so you're both coming!" Faba frustratedly snapped at them. "I don't give a damn if you come," he added waspishly, glaring at Plumeria, "but if you try anything funny, I'll have my Type: Zero blast you into next Sunday, and I can't guarantee that President Lusamine won't do that anyway when we get back to Aether, because she did not request you."

Plumeria only set her jaw.

"Fine, then let's go," Faba huffed. He motioned for the beast's handler and Lillie's captor to follow him, Guzma and Plumeria voluntarily making up the rear. As they stepped into the hall, Lillie gave a guttural cry and tears filled her eyes as she saw that the grizzled old man she had heard back in the room hadn't been the only person the 'Type: Zero' had halted with a volt of lightning. He, his Absol, Elio, Selene, Hau, Gladion, Null, a violet-haired girl she didn't recognize, and a handful of grunts and their pokémon were slumped to the sides of the hall. She squirmed against her captor's hold, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Gladion! Elio!" she yelped, wanting to check on them, at least.

Her captor held onto her tighter, forcing her to look away, and she just… shook. Timidly looking back on Faba, she tried to swallow, but her throat felt too dry. How far are you and Lusamine willing to go? she inwardly asked, keenly aware of just how afraid of the answer she was. She had thought she had seen the worst of what her mother was capable of so far…

Had she truly seen nothing yet…?

When Selene came to, she came to coughing and spluttering, and her entire body tingled and ached. She found herself propped against a wall with peeling paint, and a pokémon she didn't recognize draped across her lap, exhausted. At first, she stiffened and whimpered, the memory from earlier having yet to return to her, but when the pokémon—a Decidueye, she'd later learn—looked up at her, she calmed. It looked so familiar… "Bowtie?" she asked in a scratchy voice that sounded so unlike her own.

He struggled to sit up, and then hugged her with long, silky wings.

Slowly, the memories from earlier came back, and the last Selene found she remembered was them charging down the hall after Nanu to the source of the noise. They had heard Lillie's voice mixed in with the pandemonium as well, which had only urged them on. Looking down at her arms, though, Selene saw reddish, zigzagging lines marring her skin—as if someone had tattooed pictures of lightning in the sky on her. Yet, she knew it was no tattoo. She remembered a flash of bright, yellow-white, and then… nothing. The beast had electrified them… Looking around, she sighed in relief as she noticed Elio, Hau, Nanu, Gladion, and Acerola were awake as well, and Popper and Macho had apparently evolved as well. But nobody was speaking or moving, and they all looked as beaten as she did, with the same lines running across their exposed skin.

"What now?" Selene finally dared to ask, wincing at the pain in her throat.

Gladion looked up at her, then down again without answering. Nobody else reacted.

Footsteps across the debris just down the hall caught their attention, though, and Selene ventured to look at the source. A gangly man with feathery, frayed white hair looked over them all with wide eyes. Dimly, Selene was aware she recognized him. Makua. "G-get up," he insisted, scratching his left arm nervously. Abruptly stopping to cough, he shook his head. "Wh-who are you? Glad, who are they?"

"Does it matter?" Gladion moodily retorted. "Friends of my sister," he grumbled when the man glared at him. "And don't look at me like that, you've even seen them before, you were just too high or having too much of an episode to notice."

Without saying a word back to Gladion, Makua motioned for them to get up again. "Come. I can help," he muttered softly.

Selene managed to stagger to her feet, as did Hau, Elio, and Gladion, but Acerola and Nanu flopped back down. The latter gave a series of sputtery, gross coughs and groaned. "No can do, Makua," Nanu weakly joked. "I think I like the floor tonight. Be nice to see how the Meowth sleep there, anyhow…"

Rolling his eyes, Makua picked his way through the group, and held out a hand for Nanu. "Grab. Your Meowth don't sleep on floors, anyway, don't play that shit. You have like fifty cat beds."

"Touché," Nanu admitted, grabbing Makua's hand back. With considerable effort from Makua, he, too, clambered to his feet. He assisted Acerola after as well, though Selene found it odd just how silent she was being. She had been nothing but chatter the entire way to Po Town, and even when they were headed inside and after Faba. With a slow chuckle to herself, she wondered if a lightning strike was what it took to calm her down. That was about all the energy she had to think about, anyway…

"Let's get ya all cleaned up and then I guess I can start sortin' out this mess," Makua said in a shuddery breath as he passed through them all, a shuffling Nanu hoisted half onto his shoulders.

But then, Selene remembered why they had been charging down that hallway in the first place. "Wait, where's Lillie?" she blurted.

Hau winced and gave her a sad smile. "Gone, with Aether. Plumeria, Guzma, Nebby, too…"

"They've got to be back at Aether by now," Gladion numbly whispered. Null leaned up against his leg and he winced but stroked the pokémon's face anyway. "And as much as I hate to admit it, even if we wanted to go trying to fight Aether, which is a suicide mission if everything that just happened was any indication, we're not in any condition to do that right now… We just…" He pressed his palm to his forehead. "We just need to stop… stop for a little while…"

"We're going after her," Elio growled after. His blue eyes glittered hatefully, and Macho seemed unsure if he was welcome to stand beside him or not. "We've been slowed down. Not stopped. We're going to find her."

From down the hall, where Makua was taking him, Nanu shouted, "No, you're not! This is gonna be Interpol's case soon, son!"

Selene gnawed her lower lip, and then began to shakily follow Makua and Nanu, deciding to tune her brother out. She didn't recognize that look on his face and didn't know what he was planning, and part of her was afraid to find out. She felt like even if she wanted to talk to him that there would have been no reasoning with him, and more than that, she found the notion that Interpol might take interest in Alola and be able to help them a much kinder, happier thought… Even so… why couldn't she just talk to him…?

She heard footsteps behind her and skittishly jerked her head to see who it was. Relaxing, she saw it was just Hau, Popper, and Bowtie following her. Hau gave her a warm smile and softly said, "Ae… it'll be alright," in Alolan. "Let's just… focus on us, and feeling better, and we can figure it all out later…" He shakily, quietly laughed. "'Least… I don't wanna think about much right now."

Selene chuckled, which turned into a slight sob. She managed to compose herself after a second and wiped her face. "Yeah," she sniffled, "yeah… Me, neither."

Chapter Text

"There's one thing I don't understand about last night, Hau…"

He sat up at Selene's words, quick as a flash. They were in a room that was filled, wall-to-wall, with nothing but mattresses. That was where they had spent the night following their encounter with Faba's 'Type: Zero,' along with Gladion, Acerola, Nanu, and numerous Skull members. Apparently, there were several rooms and buildings throughout Po Town like that. It was a sad sight, for sure, but Hau honestly hadn't had room in his head to bother thinking too hard about it. "Huh?" he replied to Selene, cocking his head at her. Popper, who was so much bigger as a Primarina, was sprawled out beside him; he, too, tilted his head and made a noise to encourage Selene to continue.

Sitting cross-legged against a blanketless, white mattress, Selene nervously stroked the silky, long feathers of Bowtie's gray wings as she said, "You're scarred, and were knocked out, too, by the thing's… Thunder… but your powers… you have control of electricity, and all that… How did it… Well, how did it hurt you like it did us…?"

She looked surprised when he, instead of fearfully saying he didn't know, happily proclaimed in Alolan, "To be honest, I think it just overwhelmed me…? But in a good way!"

Puzzled, Selene started like she was going to ask him to explain, but he found himself too eager to wait for her to.

"Like, Zero struck me, and it was like… every nerve in my body lit up and my heart raced," Hau sighed almost wistfully. He missed that fiery sensation, that swam through every fiber of his being. "I… I felt like I was on fire, but I didn't hurt, and I was just… surging with electricity…" He took a shuddery breath and looked down at his hands. The fingertips trembled and crackled with little volts of yellow and blue. "And ever since, I've had a much… much harder time controlling myself…" Then, he grimaced, and clenched his fists and put both hands in his pockets. "But after all of that, I still passed out, like the rest of you… I woke up before the rest of you, but Faba and Lillie were already gone…"

Although he felt guilty for having not been awake to stop Faba and for the fact he found it so difficult to control the power surging through his veins, Hau had to admit… He had been in such a good mood despite everything that had happened because he felt on top of the world. Losing Lillie had been horrible, but they hadn't lost her for good, of course. Although he hadn't said anything about it yet to Selene, he wanted to listen to Elio's twisted whispers of revenge and getting Lillie back—he was tantalized by the fantasy of finally having a reason for the godforsaken powers he had been gifted, of saving his friend, and then helping solve whatever mystery Tapu Koko was laying out for him and Selene together.

He had touched the sun at last, and instead of frying, he had only grown stronger for it. He balled a fist in his pocket and felt the electricity shoot up his arm powerfully.

Before Selene could say anything, the sound of someone knocking on the warped door made both her and Hau whip their heads to see the person standing in the doorway. Elio dropped his hand from the door and curtly muttered, "Makua wants to see us." Without another sound or waiting to see what they might have had to say, though, he turned and left.

That was one thing Hau didn't feel so good about. As much as he was lured in by Elio's vengeful words, what kept him grounded was exactly that: the sheer vengeance in Elio's tone and the darkness in his eyes. It was like a switch had been flipped. Yet, as much as he wanted to try to reach out and pull Elio off the rails of his vendetta, Hau just… didn't know how.

And as it would turn out, Selene felt the same way.

"I'm worried for him."

Hau jolted in surprise and glanced at her. "Huh?"

"Elio," Selene whispered, looking down at the bed below herself. "I'm worried for him… and worse, I know it's my fault…"

"I…" Hau trailed off and frowned. What do I say to that? She's right to be worried, honestly, he thought dully. The guy being mad is what got Faba to storm Po Town like that… who knows what else he could do without meaning to… but how is it her fault…?

"He's going to do something else stupid. I just don't know what, or when." Selene balled a fist suddenly, grabbing a fistful of the mattress's tattered material, and growled, "And as much as I'd love to say, 'fuck him,' and be mad at him, I encouraged him to be that way. Remember, after Lillie was attacked by Null? And now it's affecting all of us. I have to talk him down, but I don't know how!" She released the mattress and clutched at her hair instead, pulling it slightly as the muscles in her arms slumped. Her voice dropped to a nearly inaudible whisper. "Every time I try talking to him, I just… freeze… I don't recognize him anymore, and all I can think, is that I did that to him, somehow… I asked him to give into all those scary feelings, and so, he did. I keep feeling like I need to fix it, and I'm such an idiot for not being able to just. talk. to him…"

Uncomfortably shifting in place, Hau then went to stand up and found that he wanted to leave the room (and the conversation they were having) behind, just as much as he wanted to tell her she was wrong for blaming herself. Drumming up some courage, he managed to stay behind to do the latter. "I… I think that's a little unfair, to yourself, Selene, ae…" he whispered.

"Unfair?" Selene abruptly spat, unfurling her fingers from her hair. She jumped up and glared at him, and he froze when he noticed her blue eyes glowed amber, as did the inner parts of her arms. "I'm supposed to be able to see everyone's stories and be able to tell everyone about them, and have all the answers, or something, but I don't! I'm as scared as he is, I've just managed to hold onto my marbles a little better! What's unfair is that I got him into this and now I don't know how to get him out!" Her voice rose an octave and tears welled in her eyes. "What's unfair is that I know he's going to take the blame for me not being good enough with this stupid 'gift' of mine!" She spat a few words in that sentence like they were venom on her tongue. In that moment, Hau realized that was the core of Selene's internal dilemma. She felt like she had to fit Tapu Koko's bill of what he had asked of her—yet it seemed she had the wrong idea of what Tapu Koko wanted from her. From what Hau understood, Tapu Koko had asked her to understand the plight of Alola, while he helped her fix whatever was wrong with her… So, why wasn't she asking for his help? Why was she simply drowning alone in those frustrations…?

But those thoughts faded when, in a bit of awe, Hau looked up as images were drawn in the air around them both. It looked like a hologram, or like someone was drawing crude images with golden sand in the air and filling the space in with digital, faded, flickering colors. He saw a little boy, unmistakably Elio despite the age difference, prodding and irritating a stressed-out Ekans while a squad of other young boys tried to stop him. The image shattered and was replaced with one of Elio being reprimanded by an adult, and him then pointing the finger at one of the other boys.

"What's unfair is him throwing himself in harm's way every time there's trouble because he, somehow, has this stupid thing where he thinks nothing of himself until stuff goes wrong, then he thinks he's Arceus himself! And I just stand there, like the stupid little sister, letting him do it!"

Vaguely, Hau thought, But you are his little sister…

A few images violently flashed across the air around them, then. The first was of Lillie getting harassed by the Skull grunts back in Hau'oli, and when Elio lunged to her defense despite her warnings, she maced him. Another was of Elio picking a fight with Gladion, and the escalation that led to Null slashing Lillie's leg. Finally, the last was, of course, of Elio agitating Faba and more or less shouting at him that they believed Skull was holding Lillie hostage—complete even with a POV shot of Selene rushing down the hall, only to be struck by that fearsome beast's lightning. The metaphysical images floating in the air around them dissipated in a flourish of sandy coloring that almost looked like smoke blowing away in the wind.

"I only have myself to blame," Selene finished, settling her gaze on the floor. "I talked him into it. I should be able to talk him out…" She paused and took a shuddery breath. "If I can't, then I'm being perfectly fair to myself." Without waiting for Hau, she pushed past him and headed straight for the door.

But… why are you feeling like you have to do that alone? Didn't Tapu Koko say that I can help make people listen? What if I could talk to him—wait, she's leaving! "Wait!" Hau yelped, scrambling after her, looking around like more figments might appear in the air around his head. "What was all that? The… the pictures, in the air, and—"

"I don't know," Selene despairingly groaned just as she whipped out of the room, signaling the end to the conversation, whether Hau liked it or not. Sighing, Hau put his hands on his hips and looked down at Popper.

Cracking a forced grin, Hau forcedly chuckled, "Women, ae?"

The Primarina blew a quick bubble at him and shook his head disappointedly, despite a small smirk pulling at his face.

"Oi, I'm trying to loosen the tension, cut me some slack!" Hau laughed in Alolan, bending down to pat the pokemon on the shoulder. With that, he turned to leave the room, to follow Selene.

Arriving back at Aether Paradise had made Lillie feel more like she was preparing for a march down the aisle to her own casket, and she was terrified for Plumeria. Although they traveled in the same cargo compartment of one of Aether's white boats to the manmade island, she had been unable to share a single private word with Plumeria, as those suited men had also been seated in with them—along with the frightening, deadly Type: Zero. It had been sedated for most of their trip back to Aether Paradise (apparently its catchpole was more than met the eye, as the suited person had merely injected a syringe into the end of its catchpole, and Zero had collapsed, asleep, at his feet), but that didn't make it any less terrifying to be around. Type: Zero felt more like a force to be reckoned with to Lillie; it was more than a mere pokémon.

Once at the docks, however, the tense, suffocating silence that had engulfed them the entire ride there was over. Lillie was strongarmed out the vessel first, followed by the two suited people (one of which was carrying Type: Zero; Lillie wasn't sure how, given how heavy it looked), and after them, Guzma and Plumeria followed suit. Faba, who had apparently been driving the ship himself, was the last to disembark. On Aether's sleek docks, President Lusamine herself and a broken, defeated Dr. Wicke were waiting for them.

"What is she doing here?" Lusamine asked immediately as she nodded at Plumeria, making Lillie cautiously look her mother up and down. It had been quite a while since she had seen her, after all… and oh, how she barely recognized her. She wore the same, glimmering, white and gold clothes; she wore her perfect, blond hair in the same swirling wave; she was clearly the same woman. Yet, her chartreuse eyes glittered distantly, almost glazed, as if nobody were really home, and her voice had a threatening, sadistic cadence to it nowadays. More so than when she and Gladion had lived with her. And Dr. Wicke… Lillie just got the sense by her blank stare and still, lethargic body language that nobody was home there, either. Both women were as soulless as the very manmade steel they walked on and that made Lusamine's next words all the colder. "I did not request her."

"No, ya didn't," Plumeria replied tersely, unfazed. She challengingly met the gaze of Lusamine and raised her chin pointedly. "But I ain't goin' anywhere."

"Plumes, please—"

"Shut up!" Plumeria and Lusamine both snarled at Guzma in unison when he tried to interject. As if surprised by the other's ferocity, they each suspiciously looked the other up and down. Guzma, however, merely raised his hands in surrender, making a zipping motion over his mouth. Unimpressed, Lillie just shot him a look. Everyone in Po Town is scared of him? she thought irritably.

"Are you the reason Guzma failed to keep his end of the bargain?" Lusamine asked Plumeria, cutting right to the chase. She crossed her arms.

Snorting, Plumeria snidely retorted, "Are you the reason he forgot how to think the last few weeks?" Looking Lusamine up and down yet again, Plumeria sarcastically raised a brow as her gaze lingered on the other's lower body. "Or maybe he did remember, he was just too busy thinkin' 'bout how to get lucky with you."

(Guzma looked like he would have preferred to be quite literally anywhere but there, Lillie noticed, given the way his feet shuffled and how he was starting to get a bit flushed.)

Cracking a small smirk, Lusamine hummed. "I like her," she commented in a long, reserved drawl. "She makes me laugh. Why are you here, Plumeria?"

"Because I promised 'at daughter o' yours I ain't leavin' her alone," Plumeria responded with a shrug. "I ain't got no reason to lie. That's the truth. I don't give a fuck what you're plannin' to do, honestly, but ya ain't hurtin' a hair on that kid's head. Got me?"

A small laugh escaped Lusamine again. "You still make me laugh," was, chillingly, all she had to say about that. "Fine, then. You may stay with her. It makes no difference to me." Then, with a cold, direct glare back at Plumeria, she corrected her, "But make no mistake. She is not my daughter. Her name is Lillie. Don't call her by any other title in my presence."

"Whatever," Plumeria icily muttered.

"Not that I want to be called that, anyway," Lillie dared to snidely mumble under her breath. That earned her a searing glare from Lusamine, and the president set her jaw.

"Miki, Inaba, get her away from me. Plumeria and Guzma, too. I'll talk with them later." Waving dismissively at Lillie, Lusamine turned to Faba, and when she reached a hand to touch his chin and direct him to face her, he flinched. "Faba, it's time."

Yet, Lillie missed him rolling the Nest Ball anxiously in his palm, missed his stuttering of, "Of course, President Lusamine," because she had turned to look in shock at the suited people. Her captors that her mother had called 'Miki' and 'Inaba.' The one with Type: Zero held over their shoulder started to direct Guzma and Plumeria in one direction, further into Aether Paradise, while the other turned to Lillie. Looking up at that helmeted person, with the dark, gleaming visor covering their face, Lillie reeled away from them. She recognized those names. "Miki? Inaba?" she tentatively asked.

The black visor lit up blue at the top, but there was no response.

"Your son and daughter have been looking for you everywhere!" Lillie shrieked, unsure what to call what she was feeling. Was it betrayal? Well, these weren't her parents, so that didn't make sense… Yet, still, she just… couldn't believe that they would abandon their children to come work for Lusamine, of all people! Glancing over to where Faba was still cringing away from Lusamine, she shook her head as she eyed her suited captor again. Even Faba had realized following Lusamine was dangerous, and definitely not worth whatever benefits it had! Curling a lip, she spat, "Can't you say anything?!"

"Are you done?" Lusamine dryly asked over an excruciating moment of silence drew on for too long. "They can't respond to you, even if they want to."

What does that even mean? Whirling on Lusamine, Lillie bared her teeth, "Why are you doing this?" She felt the suited person—Miki or Inaba, apparently—grab her hands and hold her in place, but she ignored them as she begged, "Mom, why?"

She was so suddenly overwhelmed with tears again that she was surprised when she felt them begin to streak down her face, and she squeaked in fearful shock as Lusamine descended on her. Those long nails grabbed hold of Lillie's chin, then, digging in and forcing her to look up at her mother. She could feel the burning hatred radiating from her grasp, making her eyes look black and glazed, and her mother darkly growled through borderline gritted teeth, "You tried to take everything from me." Lillie yelped as she was sure those nails were making her bleed.

"Back the fuck off her!" Plumeria's voice carried out, and she dodged the arm of her suited captor when he tried to grip her by her wrist.

Utterly ignoring her, Lusamine only bent closer, until her nose nearly touched Lillie's and she could feel her hot breath against her neck. It made her become acutely aware of just how vulnerable she was. "So, you are going to sit down once we have the machines ready, and you are going to watch as I undo everything you threw your life away for. You are going to watch as Cosmog becomes my gateway and dies for it. You are going to watch as I meet my Nihilego at last. And when all is done, when I am through with what I want you to see, you are going to die, with nothing but that knowledge as your last and only friend." Smirking, Lusamine finally let Lillie go, and turned just in time to face Plumeria—just as Type: Zero's suited handler brought a fist down over her stomach, cutting the Skull admin's path short.

Sounding as if all the air had been knocked from her, Plumeria crumpled to her back, and groaned, covering her stomach. Type: Zero, who had been laid down, unconscious at his handler's feet, suddenly lifted his head. Lillie noticed the handler had adjusted something on its catchpole. The beast jumped to its feet and growled mechanically, scrabbling claws against the ground to try and get closer to Plumeria. Guzma lunged forward and roared something profane as well, demanding that they keep their hands off Plumeria, but when he reached for a Poké Ball, Type: Zero lunged at him as well.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the pokémon's handler warned in an eerily monotone, masculine voice. To that, Guzma begrudgingly fell still, failing to pitch his Golisopod's Poké Ball.

Yet, as horrible as that had been to watch, Lillie's muscles had all but given out as the depth of her mother's hatred dawned on her at last. Her captor started to shoulder her deeper into Aether Paradise, toward an eerily familiar hallway that she knew held her and Gladion's old bedrooms, and she found herself still shivering and leaking tears along the way. If she had thought her mother was cruel and vindictive before, she had apparently sealed her own fate by running away that day all that time ago with Nebby… She was wracked with a particularly harsh sob as something else hit her. It wasn't just her fate that was sealed. Nebby's, too… possibly Plumeria's and Guzma's… hell, all of Alola's, if what Dulse and Zossie had said was true… and then, all that time, Miki and Inaba… they had been working for Lusamine…? But… why?

She allowed herself to be locked into her room, which she found was as plain and white as possible, all of her previous belongings long gone, and numbly picked her way to the bed. Flat, white sheets with a similarly blank comforter, yet it was more than welcome at that point. She had no idea how long she sat there, silently with her arms pulling her knees up to her chest in a comforting ball, before Plumeria was shoved through her door as well.

While her bedroom door was immediately slammed shut and locked again, Plumeria staggered a couple paces, then sank to her knees again. Almost afraid of seeing what had been done to her, Lillie swallowed hard, then shakily unfurled to touch her feet to the floor. "P-Plumeria…?"

"Yeah," Plumeria replied huskily, as if barely maintaining coherence to speak. "'s me."

When she finally managed to brave standing up and looking her over, Lillie saw that she still had her arms crossed over her abdomen, and she had sat back so that she, too, could tuck her knees close to her body. "What'd they do…?" Lillie dared to ask, her voice breathless and raw.

"Beat the shit out of me, really," she mumbled, wincing in pain. "Threatened me with 'at monster o' theirs 'til I let 'em lock me up. Well…" She gave a broken laugh. "What happened was, I wasn't willin' to let 'em lock me up just wherever. I wanted to be with you. An' here I am." She attempted to relax her legs and sit up more but winced and slammed her arms back across her abdomen, doubling over slightly. "Whoever that person is handlin' the monster pokémon," she groaned, "he packs a fuckin' punch, Arceus on a fuckin' stick."

"Your pokémon didn't…?"

Lillie's question was answered before she even finished asking. She remembered Guzma's faltering, but she had hoped Plumeria would have been a bit braver than he was… "No," Plumeria muttered, "my Salazzle tried to come out, but I forced her back in an' then Faba took 'em. 'Cause Lusi said if I didn't act right, she'd just kill me an' be done with it." Easing up from the pain wracking her lower body, Plumeria hung her head sadly. "I know I'm not much use in helpin' ya without my team… an' I am really worried for them… But I know for sure I'm no use at all if I'm dead. An' although I don't want 'em to harm ya… I still need to get back to Po Town at some point…" She put her hands to her face and whimpered. "I don't know what Lusi wants with Guz, an' I…" She trailed off. With a sniffle, she said, "Sorry. Ain't need to be hearin' me worry."

Settling into place next to her, Lillie whispered, "It's okay… I don't mind hearing…" Everything feels just… numb right now, anyway… "And what…?" she pressed.

With a shuddery sigh, Plumeria flatly said, "I don't know if Guz'll be goin' back with me after all this… Or even what's gonna happen while we're here. I'm sorry I couldn't do more for ya, kid, I am… Just too many people dependin' on me for…"

"I'm just glad you're here," Lillie cut her off, gingerly pressing her head to the other's shoulder. She didn't dare press too hard, unsure of just how badly Miki or Inaba had injured her, but she wanted the comfort. She felt Plumeria ease beneath her contact at first, but noticed that she kept one hand pressed over her face. It was her right wrist, covering her eyes, supported by her elbow on her knee. Little tremors and increasingly ragged breathing made Lillie frown in concern. "What's wrong…?" She then laughed, before Plumeria could reply. "I mean… aside from the obvious, haha… Just… seems like there's something else…"

"Nothin'," Plumeria mumbled, wiping her face with that wrist she had been using to cover it. Lillie was not blind to the way her skin was wet with tears. "Ain't nothin' to worry 'bout, Lillie. 'm glad you're here, too. We'll be a'ight." She looped an arm around Lillie and pulled her into a much closer hug…

And all Lillie could do was wonder why on Earth the sociopath elsewhere in Aether Paradise had to be her actual mother, and not someone like Plumeria.

When Selene reached the room she and Hau had been summoned to by her brother, they found a chaotic scene. In the center of such a dingy, tall room that might have once served as a living room (but had since been stacked to the ceiling with boxes around the edges, the carpet shredded, worn, and rotten, wooden walls warped with moisture, paint peeling from the same), Elio and Makua were circling one another like fighting Pyroar, while other Skull grunts, Acerola, Nanu, and Gladion watched from the sides of the room; none of them looked particularly interested in jumping in to whatever argument this was, not even Gladion, which surprised Selene.

Somehow, Selene got the sense this was not what they had been called in there for, but it was what was happening then, regardless.

"I didn't tell Faba to come in here! Why do you keep going back to that?" Elio was snarling back at Makua, his shoulders arched. Macho stood behind him, nervously eyeing around the room. The expression looked so out of place on such a burly, intimidating pokémon.

"Because some of my brothers and sisters here tell me they saw the arguin' at the gate, they were the ones guarding it at the time!" Makua retorted. "You gave away that you thought Lillie was held here. Had you not run your fucking mouth—"

"Like I meant for it to happen this way!" Elio desperately howled at last, his voice overpowering Makua's. He stomped a foot, making the floor tremor. Pointing a shaking finger at Makua, he growled in a trembling tone, "I-if you think, for a moment, that I would have intentionally—"

Selene, however, shook her head and stormed in between them. Her heart thrummed and blood roared in her ears in rage as she looked over her brother. She had to get over it. She had to say something, she had to stop this—she raised both hands and shoved him back on the chest. "Nobody's saying you meant to, you idiot!" she exclaimed frustratedly, tears still pricking at her eyes. Bowtie silently moved to stand beside her. He was so quiet, so elegant as a Decidueye. It was almost unnerving, especially with his hawk-like golden eyes, which seemed to know everything happening in a room no matter what.

As if not even registering who she was at first, Elio shoved her back on the shoulder, hard enough to bruise, and bared his teeth, as if preparing to shoot something back at her. Yet, he faltered when he recognized her, and his raised shoulders fell. "S-Selene?"

Having squeaked in pain at his shove, she fell equally as still, staring back at him blankly. All her courage drained away in an instant. What did she say now? She had gotten his attention, now what?

"H-he's trying to say that I intentionally got Po Town attacked," Elio started to stammer, licking his lips anxiously as he eyed her bruised shoulder, "and—"

"That's not what I was fucking saying," Makua bitingly interrupted, "just that it was you who tipped him off, and I wanted to know how you could be so stupid to do that!" He puffed in aggravation. "Or at least, maybe get an, 'I'm sorry,' instead o' the load of crap your defendin' yourself with."

"I punched and yelled at the guy before, and he backed off then!" Elio defensively shouted, his anxiety immediately gone as he whirled back on Makua. That fierceness returned with vengeance and he stalked closer to the tall, spindly man. "How was I supposed to know that this time, he'd come back with that genetic accident of his to try and burn the town down? Huh?" When he went to try and shove Makua, still demanding a response from him, Makua said nothing and grabbed his wrists. They momentarily wrestled while Selene watched in a stupor. Makua's feet came dangerously close to Null's paws toward the end of their brief struggle.

"Watch it," Gladion interjected darkly as Null jumped up, withdrawing his paws to keep them from getting stepped on. As if sensing Null's rising anxiety, he made the executive decision to recall the pokémon laying at his feet before the confrontation ahead escalated too much farther.

"Whatever!" Elio snapped back at Gladion, brushing himself off as Makua shook him away at last. Shaking his head rapidly, he brushed some hair sticking to his sweaty forehead away as he settled on Makua and Selene. "The point is—"

"Elio, stop!" Selene burst, high-pitched in her desperation to grab his reigns, to reel him in. But Elio staggered away from Makua and swept a searing gaze around the entire room. He looked somewhat like an infuriated Tauros, searching for a red flag to mow down. "Please, will you just calm down and talk to me for a minute?"

Still ignoring her and glaring daggers at Makua, he snarled, "I'm doing whatever's necessary to protect her"—he pointed to Selene—"find Lillie, and get the fuck out this place! Okay? That's all. Be mad at me if you want, but I'm not the enemy here!"

"Elio, please, nobody's saying you are," Selene huffed, too tired to yell over him anymore. He was so loud… "Elio, please listen to me. You are not a god. You can't fight everything yourself. And I'm sorry."

Taking a few deep breaths, he blinked at her, bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry," Selene whimpered again, putting her face in her hands, and starting to shake her head. "I never should have told you to… to lean into that aggression, back after Lillie got attacked by Null…" Sniffling, she paused to breathe. "Because you were acting like that because you're scared. You're still acting like that because you're scared. People make bad choices when they're scared, Elio, and yes, you… you messed up, talking to Faba. But we know you didn't mean it… So, just… j-just calm down, talk to us, and we… we can figure out how to move forward from this, we can make a better plan than I had back after Lillie got attacked… Okay?" Wiping her face and looking up at him, her breath caught in her throat. "Please…?"

His expression softened, and he approached her, gnawing his lower lip as he eyed her shoulder. He then wrapped her up in a big, tight hug. Relief flooded through her—at least, until he started to speak. Then, her blood ran cold as ice, and she tensed in his hold, dismayed to realize that yet again, nothing she had said had truly been heard. "No, shh," he whispered, "don't be sorry… I can do better. I can do better than what I've been doing. You weren't wrong, I just need to do better. I did mess up, but I'm going to fix this, I'm going to fix the mess I made, okay? I promise."

"Elio," Selene all but whined, feebly pushing against his chest, as if wanting him to let go. He didn't. "No, you're not listening to me…" Tears slipped down her face more and more. Why couldn't he just understand what she was saying? She didn't want him to fix it. She wanted them all to fix it, together! She had been wrong to tell him to behave like this before! Why couldn't he see that?

He hugged her tighter. "It's okay, Selene, I promise…" Then, his voice took on a husky growl. "I promise."

Wrestling out of his hold took enough energy to make her pant for breath when she was finally free. She staggered away, still leaking tears, shaking her head vigorously. "No! I was wrong! Damn it, Elio, stop talking like that!" Pleadingly, she looked up at him, looking right into his blank, blue eyes. It felt like he was staring through her rather than at her. "I was wrong! This is wrong! We need to work together; I don't need you to be some one-man crusade right now!" Growing increasingly upset, she stomped a foot almost childishly in her frustration, tearing her gaze away from his. "Why do I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall when I talk to you now?"

"But…" Elio shook his head, and sounded so, so hurt when he spoke next. "I… I thought I was helping, this way, that this was what you wanted, and… and I kind of like it being this way… Protecting you, I-I mean… If that's not what I'm doing, then… what am I doing?"

That almost stunned her so much she quit crying. Selene locked eyes with him yet again and repeated dumbly, "You… like it, this way?"

He opened his mouth like he intended to say something else, but then shut it again.

"If you like behaving like a fucking maniac, you should do it elsewhere," Gladion chimed in bitterly. "I'm tired of listening to this argument. You sound like broken records, both of you."

Descending on him suddenly, Elio barked with a curled lip, "Do you have something to say, Glad? 'Cause you can say it right to my face!"

Makua lunged forward, grabbing Elio by both his wrists, while Selene yelled for them to stop again. "That's enough!" she cried. Panting and feeling oh-so hollow, she said, "Elio…"

Spinning Elio around to face him, Makua backed her brother against the far wall, holding him there by shoulders. Macho growled and stalked over to them, but Makua didn't seem bothered, and Selene had nothing to say, even as Elio demanded to be let go and let fly a slew of curses at him. Makua tensely huffed, "Because of you, we may have lost both Plumeria and Guzma, and now, one o' our own might'a lost their sister. That makes her one o' our sisters. An' Skull sticks together." When Elio tried to retort something to defend himself, Makua grabbed him by the shoulders, and slammed him against the wall, harder. "Shut up! I'm done listenin' to your mouth!"

Looking away, Selene felt the urge to say something, but she just cried some more. Once again, she didn't know what to say… He just… he just wasn't listening…

"You're gonna burn yourself up actin' like this, y'know," Makua quietly said after a brief moment of silence. There was something solemn and knowing in his tone. "Your sister there is trynna talk sense into ya. I just wanna throw you out on your ass, 'cause you're actin' like a rabid Rockruff, but she cares about ya and you should listen to 'er. I've seen people like you before. This place drives 'em mad and they turn on everyone. Everyone's an enemy and they think they're the only people that know how to get outta here alive and in one piece. They always end the same way. They pick a fight they can't win. Just like a rabid Rockruff, they get put down."

Frustrated that he couldn't seem to shake Makua off, Elio finally exploded, "Maybe that's how it has to be! Maybe that's how it should be! Maybe that'll be what it takes! Man, fuck you, what do you know? Let me go!"

It felt like the room gave a collective recoil. Macho slunk a few feet away, ears flat against his skull, sitting down on the ground next to Gladion. Selene just felt like she went numb as she heard him say that.

Narrowing his eyes at Elio, Makua sighed. "An' like a rabid Rockruff, we gotta keep you away from everyone else, 'fore you get them sick by bitin' 'em. If you're gonna act like this, you're nothin' but trouble. You've gotta go." Inhaling sharply, Makua shifted his weight from one leg to the other and swept a sorrowful look across the room. "Look, he's gotta go. There ain't no savin' that."

Again, Selene just felt numb. Every part of her skin prickled with icy, fuzzy sensations, and she felt like the room was suddenly made out of jelly. She didn't dare move, or she might collapse.

Blue eyes round as saucers, Elio flicked his gaze between them all in abject disbelief, noting that nobody else was disputing what Makua had said. Landing on Selene, he nervously swallowed, and his hands jittered as he asked, "A-are you… really… really agreeing with him?"

Frozen to her spot, Selene opened her mouth, but no words came out. Makua let him go, shoving him toward the room's door. "Out!" he barked. "I'll see you out myself if I have to." Tears flowed harder and, in the end, she felt a pang of fiery pain in her chest as she heard Makua shout at him to leave. It felt like she had taken a bullet to the heart, but she knew she hadn't been shot. Instinctively, she stepped back and Hau grabbed her right hand to try and give a reassuring squeeze, but he was trembling as much as she was. When she continued to fail to come up with anything meaningful to say, continued to fail to say anything to try to de-escalate the situation and convince Elio to calm down, she just cried harder. Then, she heard something slam, like someone had punched something. She looked up just long enough to see Elio had slammed the palm of his fist against the doorframe of the room.

"Fine!" he roared. "Fine! Stay here! Hide and be beaten if you want! Blame me and leave it to Interpol to get off their asses and come down here and do something about it! But I'm going out there, I'm going to Aether Paradise, and I'm going to save her! That'll show you that you're all wrong!"

"You saw what they did!" Selene sobbed, in another vain, half-attempt to stop him. Another shot to the heart. She covered her face and leaned more against Hau as she blubbered, "Why are you like this? Why can't you just calm down and work with us, Elio?! They'll kill you if they have to, I'm sure of it! I want you here, with us!"

"Well, guess they'll have to!" Elio snidely responded. "You don't want me to talk to you, you want me to obey you, like a Rockruff!" He scoffed. "Or a rabid one, like your good pal Makua said."

"You're still an idiot," Gladion weakly intervened. "She's your sister. She doesn't want you to go out and be a goddamn hero. She wants you to be her brother. That's it." The sincerity in his tone was a bit lost on Selene in that moment. "She admitted she fucked up telling you to be different before. You're the one that's acting like a lunatic at this point."

Saying nothing, Selene just cried some more. Another shot to the heart.

"Selene…" he frustratedly almost whined, "I never meant you any harm…"

"I know!" Selene all but wailed. That's not what we are talking about! That's not what anyone's talking about! "I know you don't mean to, Elio! You're not listening to me!" Another shot to the heart. She leaned almost fully on Hau then for support, and he somewhat buckled under her grasp.

With an apologetic smile when she shot him a worried look, he whispered in Alolan to her, "S-sorry, I need… need to sit down, too, I think." He slunk away and found a cardboard box stacked in the corner of the room to retreat to.

With that, she heard footsteps, plus the shuffling of a few Skull grunts as Makua told them to ensure he left, and it was over. Selene couldn't watch him go; she only had the strength to glance up and see his shoes as he disappeared out the room, flanked by Skull grunts. Sobbing harder, she found she had to flop down on a box next to Gladion, unable to support her own weight anymore.

Bowtie flitted over to the doorway of the room, and a mournful cooing noise escaped his smaller, lithe body, following by an audible click of his beak as he shut it. There was a long pause, then Macho reappeared in the doorway. Another long, pleading coo from Bowtie only earned a dull growl, and slow shake of Macho's head, 'No.' Selene cried harder at the scene, especially when she saw Macho turn away to leave, and before she knew it, she found herself grabbing for Gladion's left hand. He flinched, at first, and although he didn't relax, he didn't say anything or try to wrench her off. She was silently grateful; it was too hard to watch Elio leave and to watch Bowtie be sad because Macho was choosing to go with him…

An awkward, defeated quiet fell over the room. "I'm sorry," Makua finally cracked it at last. "I just… he had to go…" He found a place to sit on the opposite end of the room. "And poor Plumes… I so hope they convince her to knock it off, and she can get back here soon… I miss Guz, but…"

"But what?" Nanu asked. Selene could practically hear the eyebrow raise in his voice, like a detective pushing for answers.

Uncomfortably, Makua replied, "Well, she ain't wanted me to tell anyone…" He hesitantly paused. Then, he came to a decision. "But I think you'll understand a bit better… Plumes is pregnant. She ain't said nothin' to Guz yet… Well, she was goin' to, but then figured out he was head over heels for 'the president.'" He sneered those last two words like they were venom on his tongue. "I guess she told me 'cause I was the only one left to tell, hah… An' I am kinda the medicine guy."

"So, not only did he kill my sister, but possibly both leaders of Skull and their kid?" Gladion sounded like he was barely keeping a lid on his own emotions, his voice choked. When Makua started to reply, Gladion interrupted with a scoff. "And don't act so high and mighty, Makua. If Plumeria and Guzma knew about Lillie, then so did you. I'm still fucking lost as to why any of you would help Aether." He paused, then carried on, sounding dull and disinterested. "Not that it matters now, anyway, but still."

"Guz did it to help the rest o' us," Makua grimly explained. "They paid him some money upfront, Lusamine batted her eyelashes at 'im, an' that was all she wrote… An' yeah. I'll admit, I knew at the start, an' I thought it was fucked, but I kinda agreed with Guz. He'd never steered us wrong before. But Plumes kept gettin' to know Lillie, and tellin' me everything she said about Aether… An' Plumes and I believed her, Glad…" He grimaced. "But Guz didn't wanna hear it."

Selene was surprised when Gladion's arm moved in her hold, and he readjusted himself so that he was holding her hand back, giving it a slight, encouraging squeeze. He briefly glanced at her, then sharply looked away. It seemed to take him a few seconds before he found what he wanted to say. "Sorry, Makua," he forced at last. "Like I said. Doesn't mean anything now, anyway."

"Now what?" Acerola apprehensively chimed in. Selene almost didn't notice. She felt like she was in shock.

"We wait for Interpol," Nanu said simply. "All we can do. An' try an' pick up the pieces here. 'Cause ain't nobody comin' to help put Po Town back together. I'd help, but…" He wryly snickered and strained to shrug his shoulders. "I discovered takin' a Thunder yourself sucks."

"I think I need to get back to the Aether House, though…" Acerola frowned.

"You ain't goin' back to there. Already got some friends dealin' with that place," Nanu firmly growled.

That numbness creeping back in, Selene almost robotically mumbled, "We can help… With Po Town, I mean, Makua…"

"Really?" Makua and Gladion both asked in unison.

"Sure," came the phoned-in reply. What else is there for me to do, anyway? she thought defeatedly, distantly. "Guess I did end up joining Skull after all," she weakly joked to Gladion, even though her tone didn't reflect that and she didn't bother to look at him.

"Wish it could've been under better circumstances," he sadly chuckled to her, squeezing her hand again.

She was unaware that Hau had all but checked out of the conversation, his brown eyes latched firmly onto the doorway where Elio had left through.

Chapter Text

"There was nothin' else you could'a done."

Selene, despite her offer to help Makua with Po Town earlier, had hidden away back in one of the peeling, disarrayed bedrooms of the Shady House following her and Elio's confrontation. Makua had told her to do that, to take some time for herself, and Gladion had quietly insisted she should as well. For a while, she had been enjoying the silence, scrolling a myriad of pictures on her phone from before the chaos of Alola had begun, back when Elio had goofily taken picture after picture of them, back when he had still cracked silly jokes and, well… had been her brother. So, when Nanu entered the room and Bowtie perked up and looked at him, she had irritably set her jaw and pointedly ensured to keep her gaze locked anywhere but on him. At his words, she said nothing. She didn't want to talk about it.

"I know it's not easy… this place messes everythin' up. Up becomes down, left turns right, right is wrong, you get the idea." He shuffled inside, half-dragging his feet, and flopped down on a mattress near hers. An Absol limped after him and laid down at his side. Nanu sighed. "Some people can take it. Some can't. That's not their fault, but… well… it ain't everyone else's responsibility to be their punchin' bag, either."

Clenching her jaw, Selene glared up at him, eyes ringed with a slight glow. She did not want to talk about it, and most certainly not with him! She didn't need or want his pity! "What do you know?" she spat. "You live out here, friends with the Skull Gang, for Arceus-knows-how-long, and apparently your best friends otherwise are Meowth! What the hell do you understand about any of that?" What the hell do you understand about being responsible for someone else's downfall? Her voice was breaking, and that sandy color was beginning to take shape in the air again, like the metaphysical pictures she had put on display for Hau. The underside of her arms glowed, and a few fleeting images flashed in her mind's eye. In her aggravated state, she found she was able to largely ignore them, yet still understand they were memories from Nanu himself. She caught brief, flitting stills of a beautiful woman, a brown-haired man, and a massive pokémon that she couldn't name with rows and rows of horrible teeth. Then, in the air around her head, the images replayed, as if regurgitated immediately from her mind. "Do you have siblings, Nanu?" Selene frustratedly pressed, still fuming from his attempt to console her, trying to ignore the floating, meaningless pictures around her.

Yet, Nanu's eyes were stretched wide, and his jaw fell open. His expression could have only been described as sheer horror, yet he couldn't seem to wrench his eyes away from the pictures. Disarmed by that, Selene dared to look up at the display she had created. She watched as a beastly creature, unknown to her, but seemingly made mostly of jaws, roared at three people, one of which she was able to vaguely recognize as Nanu. He and another nameless man held up Poké Balls in their hands, but the third, a woman, stood in front of them (and the beast) fearlessly. The beast lunged forward with its horrible jaws, and Nanu pitched his Poké Ball.

The other man didn't. And jaws descended on Nanu's pokémon as well as the woman, and then the images vanished like dissipating mist. Blinking in apprehensive confusion, Selene swallowed hard, and tentatively looked up at Nanu. Her anger from seconds ago waned as she mulled over what such images could have meant, and as it dawned on her then that her power had just been put on show for a native Alolan. "Please," she started to plead brokenly, "please don't t-tell anyone about—"

"You're a Mind Jumper," Nanu whispered breathlessly, interrupting her, and clutching at the mattress below himself for support. He was trembling all over. "That… that… nobody should know about that… 'Cept for th-that… fool, Looker, himself…"

Starting to shake, unsure if she wanted to know, Selene nervously asked, "Wh-what…?"

"You're a Mind Jumper. Like Kaua," Nanu repeated, strangled. He abruptly jerked his head to face her, piercingly narrowing his eyes. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Huh?" Selene fearfully lowered her head somewhat. "Wh—why would—I just thought that, well, people would m-make me do the—"

He jumped up, staggering, as if he had forgotten about his unsteady muscles. "You're a Mind Jumper. You can show people their memories, get in their dreams, do all sorts of craziness!" he exclaimed, waving his hands in disbelief. "You could end all o' this right now!"

"Nanu… What do you mean?" Selene shook her head. This doesn't make any sense!

Beginning to haltingly pace, he sputtered, shaking his head. "This changes everything," he stammered. Giving her a wild-eyed stare and an out of place grin on his normally gray and defeated façade, he repeated, with much more conviction: "This. Changes. Everything."

Fidgeting nervously, Selene dared to ask, "How?"

"You'll see. Let's get your friends together."

Elio felt a fire in the very core of his being, as if it burned in his very bones and soul. It was stronger than when Macho had used his Fire-type Z-Move, stronger than any time they had all battled as one, or whenever they had been in danger before. That burning, internal blaze was a sensation he had felt so few times before, and he certainly wasn't appreciating it now.

Betrayal.

At first, he had believed Selene didn't mean what she was saying, that she was just scared and he needed to do better to make her see she didn't need to be so scared. That, coupled with his already turbulent anxieties and fears about Alola, had pushed him and pushed him—and then she had pushed him away!

As much as it hurt to have them—including his sister—turn their backs on him, that hurt had quickly traded itself in for outrage. Despite all his efforts to protect them, despite his apologies, despite how far he was willing to go—they still saw him as liability! Well, this time he wasn't going to break, or crumble under the pressure. He would embrace that anger, embrace the destructiveness, and he'd make them wonder why on Earth they would have ever turned their backs on him.

At least he still had hope for one person… Lillie. He wanted to save her just for the fact he was furious anyone would have dared hurt her and because he missed her and cared about her, of course, but deep down, there was a twinge of desperation worming its way into his motivations. After all, what if Lillie was the only person left that wanted anything to do with him? What if she was the last person on Earth he had to hold onto? For weeks, he had felt like he was walking a tightrope, trying to balance to keep everyone happy and safe, and he was faltering. The hope that Lillie might be at the end of that rope was all that kept him determined to remain balanced.

Squelching down the path outside of Po Town, Elio reached a cliff overlooking the sea when Macho grabbed his arm and dug his claws in slightly. Not enough to break the skin, but enough to make him wince and falter. Whirling to face the Incineroar, he snapped, "What?"

Macho set his jaw and then growled, clearly unappreciative of Elio's terseness. He shook out the fur on his head, spraying Elio with droplets of rainwater, and then chuffed, nodding toward the motel just a little behind them, as if asking if they could stop for a while. Elio could see how soggy the pokémon's fur was, and for a Fire-type, that had to have been uncomfortable… Admittedly, his own feet ached as well. Ached was a kind way to put it, even; they stung painfully with every step, thanks to the ever-present mud in this accursed part of Ula'Ula Island, where it seemed rain never ceased to fall. Yet, to Macho's pleas to stop, Elio only grit his teeth, and shook his head.

"No, we can't," he insisted. "There's no telling how fast they've gotten Lillie back to Aether Paradise. And there's no telling what they'll do to her once they're there. We have got to keep moving."

With a violent shiver, Macho hissed in frustration, and started to pull Elio by his arm.

"Macho, stop!" Elio intended to yell, though it came out more as a whimpering plea, and he attempted to wrench his arm free of the Incineroar's grasp. The movement inadvertently caused Macho's claws to dig in harder, and when he popped free of the iron hold, a few cuts were scored into his skin. Wincing, Elio cursed and immediately covered the wounds with his other hand, aware of the hot blood already seeping out against his fingers.

Apologetically purring, Macho lowered his head somewhat and then slowly shifted ahead of Elio, as if brokenly agreeing to continue.

"You're awful brave for wandering around this area with just an Incineroar out at your side."

The smooth voice made Elio jump, and when he looked up, he found a man in a monochrome kimono looking him up and down. He flipped a coin in his right hand as he sussed Elio out.

Staggering away from him and sucking in fast breaths at the pain in his feet, Elio anxiously swallowed and demanded, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Was headed up this way to check on some friends. Noticed you and stopped." The man frowned and tilted his head. "You're not even Alolan. You also look like you've been through hell. Oh, my… you're one of the Kantonians that Nanu was telling me of, aren't you?"

Heart beating faster in his chest, Elio bared his teeth. "What's it to you?" he snarled. "Come on, Macho, let's go," he insisted, beginning to turn away from the strange man.

Yet, Macho didn't move, and neither did the kimono man. "My name is Grimsley," he softly said, tucking his hands behind his back, coin grasped firmly in his right palm. "I can assure you I am not here to cause you any harm. Now, c'mon, tell Uncle Grimsley. Where're you headed looking like that?"

"Looking like what?" Elio asked dubiously, shooting him a mutinous glare. Uncle? Who the hell does he think he is, anyway?

"You have a soaked shoulderbag as your only supplies, a Fire-type walking beside you in a part of the island known for its incessant rain, and you, yourself, are clearly injured based on that face you keep making every time you move. Not to mention, your voice is scratchy and broken, and that look in your eyes tells me you're not thinking straight." Grimsley issued him a beaming, wide grin. "Reminds me of how I tended to look after a long night in Castelia a few years back." He chuckled and shrugged. "But that's not a good thing. So, I'll ask again: where are you headed?"

Attempting to take another step, but finding it too painful, Elio submitted to this 'Grimsley's' demands and begrudgingly growled, "I'm going to Aether Paradise. Laugh if you don't believe me, I don't care, but they kidnapped my friend, and they're going to hurt her and her pokémon. They did the same to Po Town already. M-my si…" He trailed off and his lip twitched. "My friends," he spat like venom, refusing to acknowledge Selene as his sister right about then, "say that I can't be trusted, or something. So, they kicked me out of Po Town. That's where they're staying at the moment." Irritably, he ended with, "Are we done now?"

"Interpol is on their way to that island as we speak. They are coming up with plans to siege it and apprehend everyone that works there. And yet, you intend to go there on your own two feet and that raggedy Fire-type?" Grimsley pressed, almost amusedly raising a brow at the way the Incineroar indignantly chuffed. "If the wild Noivern don't pick you and your friend there off, you'll die of hypothermia. Or of any number of the thugs that call Ula'Ula home. Skull isn't all you have to worry about, you know. In fact, I'd say they're upstanding citizens compared to the other scum that lays in wait around here."

"I didn't ask!" Elio bellowed, losing his patience with the man. Ignoring the searing pain in his feet, he half-stumbled away, beginning to march down that path leading away from the motel and away from Po Town. Damn it all, he thought contemptuously. Damn them all. He was vaguely aware of Macho limping and padding after him.

"Wait!" Grimsley cried, darting ahead of them both. He sighed and held out a hand. "Allow me to help. I know of a way you can travel much faster and avoid most of the danger I just spoke of."

"What?" Elio tiredly asked. Why couldn't he just go away?

"Let me see your Rotom Dex. I'll register my Sharpedo in it. He's registered as a private Ride Pokémon, so generally, he's not up for public use…" Grimsley sighed and rubbed the back of his head, ruffling wet, black hair. Snorting with amusement, he carried on, "But I can tell I can't stop you. I'd like to at least give you some sort of chance of getting through this alive. You should really leave this to Interpol, though, kid… There's no telling how their confrontation on Aether Paradise is gonna go. I don't think you wanna be in the middle of that."

"Neither should Lillie," Elio pointedly replied. Yet, without even thinking, he found his hands moving to pull his Rotom Dex out and shakily hand it to Grimsley. The Rotom's eyes were droopy and, itself, not moving around much. Guiltily and privately, Elio wondered if his dire moods had put the pokémon into a downtrodden state as well… Or perhaps it was the fact he had been all but ignoring it lately, when at the start of their travels, he had often called it out for pictures… "But here," he weakly stammered.

"Thanks," Grimsley dipped his chin as he thumbed on the Rotom Dex's keypad. "You can use my Sharpedo to bypass all this awful walking and hell, if you wanted, he could take you right to Aether. But…" Grimsley set his jaw as he thrust the Rotom Dex back at Elio. "I'm warnin' ya, kid. This is so much bigger than you realize. The stuff Aether's been messin' with… It's nothin' I can even joke about anymore." He shuddered, and then shaking his head, huffed, "I shouldn't tell you this. I could get in huge trouble for it. But Interpol can't even handle everything that Aether could do. That's why they're on their way to shut it down by whatever means necessary. Last-ditch effort."

Dully, as if uninterested in what Grimsley had to say or perhaps too tired to heed his warnings, Elio mumbled, "I know what all Aether's up to… Or most of it. Lillie's the daughter of the president. She told us…" He paused, mulling over everything Grimsley had said. He sounded as if he were close to the situation. Did he work for Interpol? Was he an informant? He sighed and felt a deep, thorough pang of sadness. It wasn't like it mattered, regardless. Us. There is no 'us' anymore. "She told me everything she knew…" Starting to tremble, he looked up at Grimsley. "But… Lillie is innocent… a-and I don't know what Plumeria and Guzma have done, but they got taken there, too…" He remembered what Lillie had told him once, back on the volcanic mountainside of Akala. "There are other people that work for Aether, too, that probably don't even realize all of what Lusamine and her goons are up to… They… are they all going to get hurt by Interpol's siege?"

Brushing back some of his glossy black hair, Grimsley swallowed hard. "That's not for you to worry about, kid."

That was all the response Elio needed. He waved at the man once. "Thanks, Grimsley."

He had already taken quite a few steps away when Grimsley hollowly mumbled, "No problem, kid."

Although Lillie continued to talk to Plumeria idly throughout the night, within a few hours of being locked in that room, she was fast at work trying to bypass the security features of the door to escape. All the while, Plumeria was curled into something of a ball in her bed, arms still clutched over her stomach. Apparently, the blow she had been dealt had been quite devastating… Lillie wondered if it was because of the sleek, steel suit Type: Zero's handler had worn. That thought, of course, just made her lip twitch. That had most likely been Inaba, if the masculine voice that had come from them was to be trusted. Yet, another part of her was fairly certain the blow wasn't the only reason Plumeria was practically curled into the fetal position there. For someone whose primary worries day in and out had to do with rain and petty thievery, finding herself so quickly wrapped up in Lusamine's psychotic schemes had to be overwhelming, to say the least. It most certainly was for Lillie… so, she couldn't imagine what shock Plumeria was enduring.

Eventually, though, Lillie managed to finesse a smooth panel off the back of the door, one most wouldn't have even known was there. It exposed the internals to her. She wasn't quite sure what they all were, but she hoped she could at least figure out how to unlock it from there…

Yet, before she could, she heard voices on the other side.

"This is a most disturbing development. I am not yet finished with the N-Solarizer." Whoever had spoken, paused. "What rationale is there in being willing to destroy one's own plane of existence for a chance at contacting someone else?"

"She can't be reasoned with… And you and I both know things don't always make sense. So, what should we do?"

"I just need more time…" The man sounded exasperated. Or perhaps exhausted was a better word. "And I think I need to see this beast for myself…"

The woman who replied sounded like she was bordering hysterics. "You can't be serious. Dulse and Zossie told us all about that thing before, and everything it did! You've seen them! Their world straight up doesn't have sunshine anymore, Colress! They have one city left on an entire planet!" She scoffed in disbelief. "And you want to go there?"

Now she recognized these people. Lillie set her jaw. She had met them when she had spoken with Dulse and Zossie… Arceus, how long ago had that been at that point? It was Rosa and Colress.

"Miss Rosa, we mustn't lose our heads. I am sure that I can keep us safe, no matter what happens." He sounded eerily like he was purring as he added, "Come now, after all this time, do you still not trust me?"

There was a bit of sputtering. "Well, yes, I just… I-I… C-Colress, this is—"

"Then it is settled. Aether Paradise is too dangerous for us to remain at. I must continue my research in Ultra Megalopolis. We mustn't waste time. At any rate, we will be safe, Miss Rosa."

There was some hesitation in Rosa's reply that Colress didn't seem to notice. "Yes… of course we will. Let's go."

That was the end of the discussion. Shaking her head and telling herself to focus, Lillie decided their talk wasn't important, and continued to investigate the internals of the door. Nearest to the lock, she found a mechanism she was able to pull apart. Yet, instead of the door opening as she had expected, a short, piercing alarm went off, and red lights started flashing. Heart thrumming in a blind panic, Lillie reeled away from the door, darting back to the side of her bed. She stood poised, frozen in fear, waiting as the lights blinked and blinked to see what the result would be of this transgression of hers. She briefly met Plumeria's gaze and swallowed hard. She already knew she had made yet another mistake.

"I'm sorry," Lillie squeaked through a dry throat, feeling her eyes begin to sting.

Plumeria hardly had the chance to shake her head to try and reassure Lillie before the door to the room opened, though it malfunctioned and didn't quite open all the way, the sliding door caught at the end where Lillie had broken the panel away. Yet, what surprised her was who had come to check on her. It was none other than Dr. Wicke and Inaba (presumably, considering he was the one Lillie believed to be Type: Zero's handler, and this suited person was indeed the one with the catchpole attached to that dangerous, violent pokémon). As they stood in the doorway, Type: Zero narrowed hateful eyes at Lillie and Plumeria both, a whirring growl echoing off the walls, and Dr. Wicke brokenly asked, "What's happening in here?"

"Could ask you the same question," Plumeria dryly retorted at Dr. Wicke.

"Wicke, I can't stay here," Lillie managed to force out, her breathing rapidly picking up as she found herself staring at the murderous Type: Zero. "You and I both know that." Setting her jaw, Lillie managed to tear her gaze away and lock it onto Dr. Wicke. At her defeated expression, her baggy eyes, her trembling voice, Lillie just shook her head. "What happened to you?" she asked quietly, almost in disbelief. You helped me get out of here the first time. What happened to all that fight?

Giving her an almost pleading expression, Dr. Wicke slowly shook her head back and forth. It was as if she were willing Lillie to understand something… But what? With a curt nod in Inaba's direction, Dr. Wicke carefully spoke, "Please. Just relax… It will all be straightened out soon. It'll be okay. I promise."

"How can you say that?" Lillie shrieked, not catching onto whatever it was Dr. Wicke was willing her to. "How can you say everything will be fine when she plans to kill Nebby and even me? What happened to you? You used to care about me and the rest of us, damn it! Now you're just… you're just… a pet of hers, like fucking, Faba!"

The visor over Inaba's head lit up blue at the top again. In that resounding, monotone voice, he growled, "That is enough. Stand down. The door will be repaired. You are not to leave these quarters."

"And you!" Lillie whirled on him. She felt so backed into a corner, like she had nothing to lose, that she found herself not caring about the beast growling at her from his feet. "Why the fuck do you sound like such a robot? Your children have been out there worried sick about you and you're here kissing Lusamine's ass! You can't even pick up a phone? Why?"

"Lillie, please, I'm telling the truth, it will all be finished soon," Dr. Wicke repeated desperately, "I just need you to trust me—"

Inaba's visor flickered blue a few times… but then, flashed red. His hands flew away from Type: Zero's catchpole and he scrabbled at the helmet blindly. She swore she heard him cursing and spluttering from inside the visor, but she didn't have time to focus on that, as the second he let go of Type: Zero's catchpole, the beast rushed at her with the blade on its forehead beginning to glow that frightening orange-red and its claws flexing powerfully against the pristine, white floor. Lillie yelped and instinctively brought her hands over her face, as if that might hope to protect her against such a thing.

Yet, when she heard the beast snarl and jump, she didn't feel it bite into her or slash her. Instead, she whimpered as she heard someone else give a guttural yelp, and when she dared to open her eyes, she watched as Plumeria slumped to the floor in front of her. "Plumeria!" Lillie squealed, dropping to her side. Not that she was paying it any mind at that point, but Type: Zero was prevented from lunging at them again by Inaba, whose visor had been restored to its blue state. He had grabbed the beast by its restraints, dragging it back toward the doorway.

But it was too late. Plumeria had been slashed across the stomach, apparently by the blade atop the monstrous pokémon's forehead, and she was bleeding profusely into a massive pool around the both of them. Dr. Wicke had both hands over her mouth, gawking at the scene in shock, while Inaba coldly stared back at them as well.

Type: Zero calmed somewhat within a moment of being secured, and just watched the scene ahead of himself intently. When Lillie dared to look away from Plumeria and up at the beast, she looked it straight in its stormy, gray eyes, different from the night it had attacked Po Town, and noted the blood dribbling down its blade, landing in tiny puddles around its claws. She had never been one to believe anything or anyone in the world was quite evil by nature, but in that moment, she was certain she was looking at something that was demonic by choice. After giving Plumeria empty assurances all would be okay, she dared to bare her teeth at that pokémon, and shout, "What the fuck is wrong with you!?" She hated that pokémon. She hated that monster with every fiber of her being.

"Lillie, please," Dr. Wicke snapped a little more harshly, "listen to me! I'm—I'm going to get help for Plumeria, but you have to calm down! Just, sit here! Trust me! Help is on the way!"

Inaba perked up at that. He turned to face Dr. Wicke. "And what do you mean by that?" he asked coldly.

Dr. Wicke closed her mouth, pressing her lips to a thin line as her eyes seemingly darted around the room. It was like she was trying to summon an answer from thin air, and fast. "I said nothing," she whispered. Abruptly shaking her head, she barked, "Now we need to get help!"

"No, we don't," Inaba responded, beginning to steer Type: Zero out of the room. "Plumeria is not necessary for the plans. In fact, she is an obstacle if left alive."

He left with that, but Dr. Wicke immediately pulled a Poké Ball from her pocket. When she pitched it, a pink and cream Audino spilled free, balking at the bloody situation ahead of it. Shaking her head, Dr. Wicke stammered, "I-it's not the best healing pokémon, but it will help her for now… I snatched it from one of the labs earlier just in case of something like this… Oh, Lillie, I'm so sorry, I was j-just trying not to tip Inaba off, he's—"

Ignoring her, Lillie clutched Plumeria's left hand tightly in her own. Her yellow and pink hair was stained red with her own blood and her breathing haggard, her eyes glazed and lost; she was totally unresponsive to the situation around her, as if she were in shock. Yet, as the Audino worked, its frilly ears and hands glowing a soft white as some unseen force closed the gash in her abdomen, she slowly curled into more of that same fetal position she had been laying in on the bed. At least the Audino's healing had worked to fix the more severe part of the wound… "Plumeria?" Lillie called, beginning to cry. "Plumeria, please, say something…" She was healing… She should have been feeling better… Right? Why wasn't she responding…?

"Thanks for the Audino, that… that helps," Plumeria hoarsely forced after a long, tense stretch of silence. She was shaking all over as she tried to pick herself up out of the reddened floor, but the strength in her arms was gone. When she flopped back down despite Lillie and Dr. Wicke's attempts to help, she didn't try to get back up again, and she swallowed hard. "I'm just… gonna… stay here… for now…"

"Thank you, Plumeria, for everything," Lillie choked after a few minutes of sympathetically clutching Plumeria's hand. Slowly, she looked up at Dr. Wicke. "Wicke, what is wrong with Inaba? Why would he do this? I can't imagine Selene and Elio's parents just… actually being so cold—"

Dr. Wicke just slowly shook her head. "It's the visor," she mumbled, still looking stunned. She tried to help haul Plumeria out of the floor again, but Plumeria unexpectedly snarled at her to stop, and even went so far as to kick her away. "Sorry," Dr. Wicke hastily apologized, "Sorry! Just thought you would want to lay in the bed instead, or something…"

"I just need a damn minute," Plumeria huffed. Lillie said nothing and just kept holding her hand. Somehow, she got the sense that Plumeria was much more upset about something than she let on, but Lillie supposed that was just the adrenaline and shock from the situation…

"It's the visor," Dr. Wicke echoed more loudly as she staggered away, trying to answer Lillie's question. "He and Miki both are wearing one… His is even partially connected to Type: Zero… But they both had a hand in helping Faba design that thing, and helped train and control it after… That Dr. Colress put it all together, the visors, the catchpole, all of it, he brought it all together… Oh, it's all so messed up…"

"They're… they're being mind-controlled?" Lillie pressed in disbelief. There's no way.

Dr. Wicke nodded. "Yes… Lillie, Interpol is on their way… They should get here before tomorrow morning… That's when your mother wants to… wants to use Nebby to open a wormhole… Like they did with your dad…" She shuffled her feet. "That's what I was talking about earlier when I said it would all be okay. I just couldn't be any more clear than that without tipping Inaba off that I knew something I shouldn't… I've been talking to an informant named Grimsley for some time, trying to get help for this place…"

Nervously clutching Plumeria's hand again and once more trying to encourage her up, Lillie begged, "Plumeria, please, get up… Help will come soon, you shouldn't lay there, in all that mess, like that…"

Although she shot Lillie an unexpected glare at first, making Lillie flinch, Plumeria's pained amber eyes watered after that and she eventually just nodded. "A'ight," she whimpered, "a'ight…" Giving the nearby Audino a plaintive expression, Plumeria forced a half-smile and held out a hand as she sat up. "Thanks, lil' buddy, for helpin' me…" Her voice broke at the end and she just burst into tears, covering her face with her hands.

Lillie and Wicke exchanged a worried look. Although she didn't know what Plumeria was upset about exactly, there wasn't a shortage of reasons she could think of… Unable to begin to describe the aching in her chest for Plumeria, Lillie clenched her fists at her sides and gritted her teeth. Anger and hate radiated from her green eyes as she glared at the floor, looking at her own reflection in Plumeria's blood—which only served to infuriate her further. Plumeria's blood shouldn't have been pooled around them like that.

If Interpol really was coming to save them, then after this nightmare was over, she would make sure she was never so helpless again. She would have her own pokémon, her own team, she would fight her own battles—she would never find herself in such a weak position ever again where her friends were suffering and even bleeding for her. She wouldn't have ever foregone training pokémon if she knew this suffering could be the end result. At the end of the day, there would always be others that trained, used, and in the case of Aether, even created pokémon for heinous deeds, and pepperspray and repels didn't exactly have a prayer of stopping them. Pacifism be damned. Some people—like Lusamine—deserved nothing short of hellfire for their actions.

Lillie was just sorry she hadn't realized that sooner… and she was sorry she had dragged Plumeria into it all.

Interpol couldn't arrive soon enough…

Chapter Text

"You'll never get away with this!"

It had been a long night at Aether Paradise.

Lusamine tossed a look over her shoulder, at the blond, struggling girl she refused to acknowledge as her own flesh and bone. Lillie just set her jaw and glared back, as hatefully as she could manage. She was being pushed along by Miki and Inaba, the latter of which had Type: Zero snapping at her heels, of course. That evil creature never seemed to leave his side. At least this time, Lillie had managed to have Plumeria spared of his wrath… When Inaba had returned to her bedroom that morning, as she and Dr. Wicke held out (rapidly waning) hope that Interpol might arrive at the island before her mother was ready to carry out the rest of her wicked plan, Lillie had willingly gone with him. Despite the devastating reality that Interpol would not save them, she had snapped at Plumeria to stand down when the Skull admin had staggered to her feet, shakily demanding they leave Lillie alone—and Plumeria had listened. Whether it was because her spirit was finally fractured due to Type: Zero slashing the previous evening or because she was so stunned to hear Lillie speak to her so harshly, Plumeria had stood down. Lillie had been grateful.

"Oh, dear pet," Lusamine crooned as she cruelly licked her glossy, red lips, chartreuse eyes glittering dangerously as she looked over Lillie like a morsel of prey, "I already have."

At the highest point of Aether Paradise, in Lusamine's private office with various stands of cryogenically frozen pokémon ominously holding vigil around the perimeter, Lillie was forced to her knees by Inaba and his snarling Type: Zero. His visor permanently glowed blue at the top in a thin line as he rounded around the front of her, Miki at his side. Dr. Faba and Dr. Wicke, both looking eerily equally as broken despite how different Lillie knew they were, followed Lusamine as she stood behind the two suited parents. Tossing her arms out wide, Lusamine beamed broadly and proclaimed, "Today, history is made!" With a saunter toward Dr. Faba and a ruthless laugh, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug from behind that seemed anything but comforting. "And oh, Dr. Faba… It's all because of you…~" Yet, then, she gave a small frown. "Where is Guzma?"

"Still in his room," Dr. Wicke spoke up brokenly.

"Go get him," Lusamine irritably snapped. "It's like I work with idiots…" Practically purring, as if to forget her momentary stress, she stroked Dr. Faba's chin, her tone changing up again. "Oh, Saubi, where is that little beasty of mine that will finally give me access to my Nihilego and my new realm~?"

Lillie's eyes stretched wide as she recognized a box in Dr. Faba's arms. He gestured to it with a stiff nod, and then uneasily untangled himself from Lusamine's clinging grasp, as if escaping stabbing, painful brambles than a woman's touch, and he strode with a slight limp toward the center of the room. He half-dropped the computerized, gleaming box to the pristine floor, and covered his face with his elbow as he coughed into the bend of his arm. "I'll need some time to power it up," Dr. Faba huskily announced in all but a deadpan. The box on the floor looked like it was made of exposed motherboard, with various electronics visible all over its exterior.

"Fine, just start it," Lusamine nearly whimpered, sounding more like a frustrated toddler than the frightening mistress she normally was all of a sudden. Her words earned an obedient nod from Dr. Faba, and he pressed a single, silver button on the center of the side of the box. The box Lillie knew held Nebby, the button she knew would seal all of their fates, and possibly Alola's as well. Within minutes, Dr. Wicke returned to the office with Guzma in tow; he spewed a barrage of profanities at her and demanded to know where Plumeria was, but with nothing more than a withering glare from Lusamine and her proclamation that soon, all of reality would be hers to explore, Guzma fell silent. Lillie watched in utter dismay as he even dropped to his knees.

She almost didn't believe it when alarms started to blare. The red, familiar lights flashed, and a high-pitched screeching echoed across the white chamber, making the icy, pokémon prisons surrounding the edge of the room shiver and quake. Lillie started to breathe rapidly as she recognized the alarm. It was the same cadence, the same one, as the one when Mohn's accident had occurred, and as when the alarm had sounded when she had escaped with Cosmog. What a horribly panic-inducing sound… Yet, she felt a flare of hope as well. Had Interpol arrived at last? She dared to feel the ghost of a smile pull at the corners of her lips.

"What's that?" Lusamine shrilly demanded, twisting her lips into a furious snarl.

Dr. Faba swallowed hard. "Intruders, based on the style of strobing lights," he answered.

"Why are you standing here? Go deal with it, then come straight back!" Lusamine barked, taking a threatening, looming step toward him.

Dr. Faba raised his wrist to his face, where Lillie realized he had some sort of watch there. He tapped on the device and said, "Security detail one, come in. What's going on?"

"Trespasser at the main dock! Some kid with an Incineroar! Need assistance!" A scratchy voice crackled back through the watch.

"I'll be right down," Dr. Faba curtly replied, sweeping past Lillie and out of the room quickly, as if scurrying away.

Yet, Lillie found herself beaming as a scarce hope flickered in her chest. Her breathing picked up and she gleefully called, "Elio!"

"Who?" Lusamine growled, coming to stand beside her.

Whirling to glare at her, Lillie jumped to her feet and pulled her lips back into a snarl. If she were right, and Elio was there… perhaps Interpol was still on their way and would be there shortly. Even if they didn't, she was still sure they had a fighting chance then; she knew how painfully stubborn Elio could be. "Someone who's far more human than you," Lillie spat back at her mother—literally.

Closing her eyes at the shot of saliva, Lusamine's lips pressed to a thin line as she wiped the spit away from her cheek. "Children," she muttered with a frighteningly quiet power, "should really do as they're told."

Narrowing her eyes darkly, Lillie raised her chin in the most rebellious display she could manage. "Then make me!"

She heard Type: Zero bark and his claws scrabble at the ground as Lusamine lunged at her, wrapping her hands around Lillie's throat. "That can be arranged," her mother cackled with deranged glee. "Trust me, that can be arranged!"

"Macho, keep it up!" Elio exclaimed, looking around wildly at the Aether Foundation employees. None of them looked invested in the fight, their various, untrained pokémon falling easily under Macho's powerful Darkest Lariats, Flare Blitzes, and Thrashes. Macho, heaving for breath and twitching slightly under the strain of battle, was obviously exhausted… but he and Elio were not done. Not by a longshot. With another cruel, all-out Thrash attack on an unsuspecting Alolan Persian, they finished the final pokémon of the last guard, and Elio stamped a stinging, painful foot against the deck. Panting wildly for his own breath, Elio demanded, "Where is Lillie?!"

His feet were still searing with pain and he looked battered. In fact, he had been battered; riding Grimsley's Sharpedo out to Aether Paradise had been an experience from hell, to say the least. He had been beaten by the waves of the sea and had nearly believed he would drown along the way. He was soaked to the bone with saltwater, had been whipped by the windshear over the waves, making his clothes dry and flaky in the parts that had been exposed from the water for too long, and his desperate mood made him a loose cannon, to say the least. Glaring down at the frightened Aether Foundation employees with a spite he had never quite regarded anyone with before, Elio frustratedly snapped, "Now! Where is she? I'm not going to stand here and look at your stupid faces all day!"

In his anger, he had forgotten Lillie's old warning—that most at Aether were not to blame for Lusamine's madness. But just as the employees were about to scatter and leave him further frustrated for answers on Aether Paradise's main docks, the group of six or so split, and a haggard Dr. Faba stepped forward. He swallowed hard and locked deadpanned blue eyes onto Elio. "You," was all he said, then he shook his head.

Macho, still huffing for breath, struggled to stand upright in front of Elio. He hissed furiously at Dr. Faba. Despite his exhaustion, it seemed the Incineroar was willing to fight as long as Elio desired him to. "Get out of my way," Elio darkly warned the scientist. A cruel smirk played at his lips as he did. "You know I have no qualms hurting you."

"I know," Dr. Faba flatly drawled. He crossed his arms and heaved a shuddery sigh. "So, I'm not going to fight you."

Pulling back in surprise, Elio faltered. "Wh… what?" Regaining his composure, he swiftly shook his head, and hardened his tone again. "Don't play games with me. Where's Lillie?"

"Downstairs," Dr. Faba explained, shrugging. He flicked a keycard at him then. The card skidded across the damp dock, landing just in front of Macho's powerful hind paws. "That will get you down there. Go."

Further surprised, Elio flicked his gaze between the keycard and the beaten, tired scientist ahead of him. He didn't know what to call the expression on Dr. Faba's face, but he knew something had changed in him between then and their last confrontation. This wasn't the same, insufferable man Elio had (rightfully) decked between the eyes. Or so he believed. In a split second, Elio became acutely aware of just what a dangerous situation he was in, and how far off the deep end he had fallen—he must have, to be on a one-man mission through Aether Paradise like this! It was like he was looking at the white walls and floors as if he had never seen them before. Nearly hyperventilating and dazed as he thought about it, Elio felt his eyes sting, and he gasped for breath as he said, "R-right… Thank… thank you, Dr. Faba." He wanted to believe the scientist. He wanted to so badly… All so he could just get Lillie and get out of there. And so, believe him he did. Shakily, Elio staggered toward Macho and the keycard, and he practically fell to his knees as he snatched up the card.

He was so close to getting Lillie back. He would get Lillie back; he would show Selene and the others… and everything would go back to normal… Or at least, as normal as it could without his parents… Truthfully, he didn't want to be mad at Selene, he wanted her pushing him away to have just been a mistake…

But Macho put a hand on Elio's shoulder, and flexed his claws. His gaze was locked firmly onto Dr. Faba, a growl pulling at his dark muzzle. Shaking away his hold gently, Elio held up the card to his pokémon. "He gave me the card. Look at him… Surely, he can't be lying at this point?" Giving Dr. Faba another once-over, still getting the sense that Dr. Faba was at the end of his rope, Elio shook his head. Much like him, Dr. Faba had nothing left to lose. What use would lying have had for him?

"Go, before I change my mind," Dr. Faba rasped.

"Right," Elio clumsily called back. He nodded to Macho and urged the pokémon to follow him as he headed through the yawning corridor, into the main inner deck, and to the elevator that would take him lower into Aether Paradise's depths. He was so close to having Lillie back…

So close to putting everything back to the way it was. That was what he had to do. Waving away his cloudy thoughts with a flick of his head, he was more determined than ever.

And yet, he had no idea that just behind him, Dr. Faba was quietly calling into his watch for someone to come grant him clearance back upstairs, and for them to cut his keycard off within the next five minutes. It wasn't until Elio was downstairs, and he attempted to open one of the laboratories in the basement to try to find where they were holding Lillie, that he realized he had been duped. The keycard suddenly wouldn't open anymore doors and the glaring lights and emergency sirens died. Frantically, Elio tried to slide Dr. Faba's keycard to open the same door again and again—and each time, the little light on the door would simply light up a bright red, indicative of his denied access.

In tired, panicky dismay, he had bolted back for the elevator, only to find the elevator itself had risen back to the upper decks of Aether Paradise—and when he tried to use the keycard to recall it by sliding it in a receptacle along the elevator shaft, it, too, glowed a denying red.

Slamming fists against the elevator's sleek, metal poles that made up its shaft, Elio howled his frustration and ultimately, just pressed his forehead against the beams, slumping to his knees. He had never felt such a primal, deep sense of defeat as it dawned on him what Dr. Faba had done. He shivered all over, feeling sticky and hot with dried saltwater and sweat, and he was overcome with a crashing wave of exhaustion—and then, despair. He had wanted so badly to believe the lapse in his anger, to truly believe that Dr. Faba was different now… The scientist had looked so defeated, looked so tired… He had looked how Elio felt, deep down.

Elio tried to swallow and found his mouth too dry to do so. His head swam with tiredness and he realized then, with a terrible, sweeping feeling of guilt, that he was not thinking straight. His all-encompassing exhaustion and ailing state of mind had drawn him right into the jaws of a fatal mistake. "I had this one shot," he weakly mumbled to Macho, his last and only companion, "and I blew it."

The Incineroar sat down beside him and leaned his head against Elio's shoulder. Undoubtedly, he was exhausted as well. Elio knew he had been pushing him hard over the last night and some… Weakly, Elio threaded his fingers in the pokémon's matted, unkempt fur.

"Thank you," Elio brokenly said, beginning to tear up. "Thank you for not giving up on me, Macho…"

Wrapping a hefty paw around Elio, Macho rested his chin on his trainer's shoulder. He had a resigned, knowing look on his face, and Elio felt a small pang of further guilt. He knew that Macho had not agreed with him throughout it all, and yet, the pokémon had followed at his side loyally, nonetheless, turning his back even on his friends from near-infancy, Popper and Bowtie. Elio trembled as he put in the effort to hug the Incineroar tightly, pulling him taut against his chest. He didn't know why Macho had gone along with his harsh demands, especially lately, but he wanted his final friend to know how much he appreciated it.

Especially because he didn't know if he would ever be in the state of mind again to let the Incineroar know that within just a few short hours, because he knew if he couldn't find a way out of the dead-end Dr. Faba had cleverly sent him to, there was a high probability Lillie would not survive the day. His parents would remain gone and Selene would carry on without him. Just like that, his life would stay shattered forever—his mind with it. Or at least, that was what his drained, defeated mind led him to believe…

Macho gave his trainer a reassuring purr, and he swore the Incineroar patted his back.

Lillie had gasped for breath when her mother finally released the vice-grip she had on her throat. Sucking in fast breaths and clawing at her own neck, as if she couldn't believe the grasp was gone, Lillie collapsed to her rear as Dr. Faba reappeared within Lusamine's private office and the warning sirens quit screaming. He was escorted by Dr. Wicke. Dismayed, Lillie spluttered and shook her head, "No… No, no, there's no way you stopped him that easily!"

"He's locked in the basement, he won't bother us anymore," Dr. Faba had deadpanned to Lusamine, utterly ignoring Lillie. "I had to give him my card. Dr. Wicke brought me back up."

Giving Lillie an apologetic look, Dr. Wicke then quickly looked away.

"Good," Lusamine sighed contentedly. "Now, can we get back to the task at hand?"

Dr. Faba curtly nodded and leaned over Nebby's glinting, computerized box. He pressed another button, and a tiny, blue light formed over the top of the box. It slowly gained size and it soon became clear to Lillie that it was going to get a lot larger than that—albeit at a steady, steady pace. But then, she noticed the box shaking and shivering as the hole increased in size, and she swore she heard yelping from within its confines.

"Stop it!" Lillie begged, desperation lacing her voice as her eyes bulged in fear. "You're hurting him!" Elio, did he really stop you that easily…? There's no way… She thought of how much of a force of chaos he had seemed whenever the situation truly called for it. Part of her had almost believed he could handle anything that would come his way, even if he always found the more difficult, bone-headed way through… Privately, she felt a rush of shame. As much as she looked up to him, he was simply one person. What had she expected?

And just like that, Aether's alarms began blaring again.

"Now what?" Lusamine stomped a foot. "This is ridiculous!"

"I'll handle it—"

"No," Lusamine cut Dr. Faba off by snatching his arm and digging her lengthy nails into it, hard enough for him to wince in pain. "Send Zero after it!"

"Lusamine, we need Zero here in case something goes wrong," Dr. Faba tried to reason with her, shaking his head in disbelief. "This portal that's going to open, it's dangerous, and so are the Beasts—"

"Did I ask?" Lusamine growled as she jerked his arm forward, drawing Dr. Faba's face close to hers, so that their noses practically touched at the end. She leaned domineeringly over him, and, in the end, he caved, nodding vigorously to her.

"Right, President," he mumbled. With a quick glance to Inaba, all he had to say was, "Go. Solve that problem."

With a dip of his chin, Inaba led the scrabbling, excited Type: Zero out of the room, and Lillie glowered at Lusamine and Dr. Faba. "Throw all you want at him," Lillie spat, "you won't stop him."

"You have so much confidence in a dead man," Lusamine retorted. "Or whoever that is that's intruding. Whoever they are, they're dead."

We'll see, Lillie thought mutinously.

Yet, it was not Elio that had set off the second alarm. Spilled across the decks of Aether Paradise was the teams of Selene, Hau, Gladion, Nanu, and Acerola, and Makua, driving the Skull boat, circled in the water just past the Aether Paradise docks. At the head of the group on the land, Selene desperately looked around in a bit of confusion as the alarms blared, and she found nobody rushing to greet them. She thought she saw scrapes and skids in the gray and white, pristine docks, indicating pokémon battles had taken place there, but there was no sign of her brother as she had hoped there would be.

Despite their best efforts, they had failed to find him in the vicinity around Po Town. He had left phone calls go unanswered and when they had come across a friend of Nanu's, named Grimsley, he had reluctantly admitted to giving Elio access to his Sharpedo. "The kid was gonna kill himself trying to get there," Grimsley hotly defended himself when Selene had demanded to know why he had done that. "I did what I thought I had to do to save his life. Look," Grimsley had sighed, "you can't control people like that. You can just give 'em the best tools possible to succeed."

She had hoped he would be at Aether Paradise already… and yet, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Selene, we can't freeze up now," Gladion called to her. His green eyes were narrowed in suspicion as he scrutinized their eerily lifeless environment. "With that alarm going off, they've gotta be organizing something."

"But what?" Hau asked, pressing to the forefront of the group. His power was also no secret now to the rest of the group. His hands crackled with golden electricity as he clenched his fists at his sides, his Primarina following on his heels. Turning to look back at the others in confusion, Hau asked, "What would they be organizing?"

Just as he spoke, Selene barely managed to yelp in time, "Hau, look out!" before Hau rolled out of the way of something barreling at them. He moved just in time for them to watch Type: Zero lunge at Popper. The two pokémon rolled in a tangle of claws, legs, and snarls; Bowtie, at Selene's side, crowed loudly and shot shadows across the white floor at them both, breaking the fight up long enough for everyone to catch their breath.

Type: Zero landed on all fours a few feet away, clicking its long, frightening claws against the hard floor. It shook its head and Selene could see the blade on the top of its head gleaming red. She froze when she realized it wasn't because the blade was heated. Something red was crusted on the blade… and something told her the metal hadn't exactly rusted between then and the last time she had seen that monster.

Popper, flustered, defensively raised his tail and slapped it against the deck, and warbled a warning cry after the Type: Zero. From within the depths of Aether Paradise, the suited man Selene had seen handling the beast in the past came into view, the catchpole clutched in his right, armored arm. His visor glinted blue at the top as he grunted, "You are all trespassing on Aether Foundation private property. You are to leave at once."

Selene couldn't shake the sensation she knew him… But she didn't let that stop her. "Funny time for you to start caring about the law!" she shot at him. You've all kidnapped Lillie, for fuck's sake!

To her left and right, the rest of the group formed a wall with her. Hau, Gladion, Acerola, Nanu—they stood strong with her. Bowtie stood just in front of her alongside Popper, Nanu's Liepard, and Acerola's Sandygast. "Where's Lillie?" Selene demanded, glaring down their opponent.

The armored man said nothing. He held out his catchpole and aimed it in Type: Zero's direction. The pokémon's eyes glowed a slight yellow, and Selene thought she heard the sound of shifting electronics in the pokémon. The blade on its head then began to glow an ominous golden, and when it threateningly lowered its front to the ground to warningly growl at them, Selene saw electrical sparks flash over its bladed head.

"It's going to use Electric-type attacks, I think!" Hau exclaimed, sounding thrilled. "Haha, Popper and I have got this!" With that, he jumped forward, motioning for Popper to follow him. Tauntingly raising his hands and gesturing with a 'come here' motion at the Type: Zero, he cockily said, "Come on, come get me, then!"

"He's got this, we need to get to Lusamine!" Nanu called above the commotion as Type: Zero took the bait and shot a blast of lightning in Hau's direction. He took the attack without so much as a flinch, beaming proudly throughout it at all. It earned him a grunt and start of surprise from the armored man ahead of them.

"Your Type: Zero doesn't bother us!" Selene exclaimed, starting to walk toward the armored man. Summoning a bit of courage as her heart hummed in her chest, she tapped into the only example she had for what to do in such a situation. She tapped into what she was sure Elio would have done. Steeling her voice, she said, "Get out of my way!"

Gladion, Nanu, and Acerola followed her, and repeated her warning to the armored man. His visor flickered red for a split-second, but switched so quickly back to blue, Selene wondered if she had imagined it. He held the catchpole up to them, as if aiming it at them, but when Type: Zero attempted to fire off a Thunder in their direction, Hau and Popper both attacked it—one with a shock of his own, and the other with a Disarming Voice—and forced its attention back on them.

Selene was practically touching the man when she issued her order again. "Get out of my way," she repeated, quavering slightly from the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

When the armored man raised his catchpole again, the very end of it touched Selene's chest. Her snarled, repeated warning for him to get out of her way was cut short as she was sucked into a vision… But instead of one of fear, of pain or sadness, as she was accustomed to getting glimpses to from her various friends, she found herself swept up in a warm vision. One brimming with comfort, familiarity, and love. She found herself in a cozy, homely scene—in a house she recognized. The faded, off-white walls with a flatscreen TV mounted on the far end of the living room, a cream carpet stained with years of family life, an old Persian and a Meowth wandering the room… The Persian being the mother of their current Meowth. It was why her mother was so attached to the Meowth. They had had to put the Persian to sleep before leaving Kanto due to old age. This was in her old home, back in Kanto.

And she was looking at herself, too. In fact, through the vision, she was watching herself and Elio sit on a couch, playing a video game on that flatscreen TV. The vision was from years before, she realized, back when she was in middle school and Elio was a fair bit younger. And when she looked to her left, she saw her mother seated beside her…

…And she realized then, as the vision rapidly faded and she was left gasping for breath, tears stinging at her eyes, that the suited person in front of her was her father.

"D-Dad?" she squeaked, grabbing at the catchpole with her sweaty palms. Blinking feverishly, she stammered, "I-is that really you?"

His visor flashed a vibrant blue, then red, then blue again… then stayed red. He seemed to rear away from her. "…Selene?" he asked in a cracked, dry voice.

"Dad!" Selene yelped in disbelief, rushing at him. As she wrapped her arms around him in a bone-crushing hug, he struggled to fight off the visor that had been controlling him, eventually snapping the glassy piece off his armored head with the audible shattering of glass. His face was red and blustery, and his glazed eyes made him look absolutely dazed, as if he were lost as to where he was.

"Selene, what's going on?" Nanu pressed. Not that Selene was paying any of them any mind anymore, lost in the exhilaration to have found one of her parents at last, but Nanu, Acerola, and Gladion were watching uneasily as Hau and Popper worked in tandem to keep Type: Zero busy and away from them as they had their unexpected reunion.

"It's my dad!" Selene beamed through a tearful voice, hugging him tighter and tighter. But then, she seemed to realize the reality of the situation, and she pushed him away at arm's length, fear making her voice tremble again as she asked, "B-but—why—why are you here? Is Mom here, too?" She swallowed anxiously and found herself afraid of what his answer might be to her next question. "Why… why are you helping Aether…?"

He shook his head and pleadingly said, "Selene, that's… that's a long story…" He licked his lips and looked around, seeming to gather his bearings more and more. He shook his head. "Look, we need to go, while your friend there is busy with Type: Zero. Now that I have that damn visor off me…" He took a deep breath and grabbed Selene by the shoulders. "Listen to me, we have to get upstairs, we have to snap your mother out of it, and we have to stop Lusamine! Selene, I know we can do it, okay?"

Feeling like she might faint from how rapidly her heart was beating and the tears streaking down her face, Selene just numbly nodded. "Y-yes, of course, Dad…"

He smiled warmly at her. Appreciatively. It felt almost… safe… "There's a good girl, come on, hon." He shot Hau a nervous glance. "Be careful, hey! Don't let him catch that Primarina off-guard!"

With a cocky, wild-eyed grin back, Hau snorted. "He won't!"

Nodding briskly, Dad turned to the rest of them and motioned for them to follow. "Come with me! Lusamine's practically defenseless up there without that thing! Her whole team's morale is down, they won't fight hard enough to stop us all!"

Selene didn't care what had driven him and her mother to help Aether. All she knew was that she had found her parents at last, they were helping her, and they would rescue Lillie—then they would find Elio…

…and finally, finally, everything would go back to normal.

…

(She and Elio really had to stop hoping for that so soon.)

Chapter Text

It quickly became clear to Hau that Type: Zero was not like any other pokémon. It didn't seem to think for itself; its newly electrified eyes were wild and hateful, and it attacked relentlessly. Whereas most pokémon would have paused to think on occasion or to catch their breath, Type: Zero just kept coming. Hau's own blasts of electricity, no matter how intense, seemed to do little more than aggravate it, and he had to throw himself in the way of its return fire, for fear of the deadly Thunders striking Popper. His other teammates had little hope of facing the devastating Electric-type attacks, either; they were either far less trained than Popper, or also weak to Electric-, such as in the case of his Talonflame.

So, as he skidded away from one of the pokémon's deadly blows again and started to pant for breath, Hau realized he was really just buying the rest of the group time to find Lillie, because there was no stopping this beast. He had been far in over his head in telling the others that he and Popper had this under control. Popper darted to his side and warbled a loud, powerful Disarming Voice at Type: Zero, and the opposing pokémon roared its frustrations, digging claws into the streamlined deck until it broke the surface. Hau's eyes widened as he watched the curved claws break the pristine, heavy-duty steel. That alone spoke to the power he was dealing with, and that high he had been riding earlier from the exhilaration of their rescue mission to Aether Paradise started to fade as he realized the gravity of his circumstances.

And something told him that Type: Zero recognized that. The pokémon abruptly lunged at them both, raising its right front paw high over its head, and bringing it down with swift, violent force in an attempted Slash. Hau stumbled out of the way, and Popper took the brunt of the attack, a gash ripping open in the Primarina's left side as it withstood the strike. Hopping away as Popper slammed him with his tail in retaliation, Type: Zero snarled at them again. Despite the blood leaking from his fresh, painful wound, Popper only raised his head to the sky and started to sing, a bright, blue bubble forming over his nose. Sparkling Aria.

"Popper, stop!" Hau called, but the Primarina didn't hear him. Hau knew that the attack took too long and too much energy to perform, and that it wouldn't even hurt an Electric-type that much. But with Popper failing to listen, he froze as he watched Type: Zero narrow his eyes knowingly and lunge at Popper again, cutting the attack short with a wicked Crush Claw. Both front paws of the beast were outstretched at Popper's face and throat, and Hau could only clench his eyes shut and look away as it came into contact with his partner.

There was the booming sound of a large splash of water, and Hau fell over on his knees as a wave of it pulled his feet from under him. He brought his hands up just in time to stop his chin from slamming into the floor and looked up anxiously to see what had just transpired. He felt a cold chill seep into his bones at the sight that came into view.

Popper's face had a massive gash down the middle, through his left eye, and more gashes and slashes continued down his throat, ripping the soft, blue veil around his chest to tatters. His entire face and the waves of hair rolling off the back of his head were stained pink. Yet, he had summoned a ball of water over his nose and was holding Type: Zero within the bubble by placing powerful flippers on the pokémon's head and chest. Type: Zero kept firing violent shocks of electricity from its bladed head, but Popper somehow withstood the super-effective strikes, quivering and straining with the effort of doing so. The Primarina's chest heaved and shuddered with haggard breathing and aftershocks of Type: Zero's attacks.

Popper, in a last-ditch effort, was desperately trying to drown Type: Zero.

Scrambling to his feet, Hau skidded over to his Primarina, and frantically dug the Waterium-Z he had received from Lana from a pocket. He touched the glittering stone to Popper's upper left shoulder, grimacing and fighting the urge to vomit at the sight of all the blood. It was so much… That couldn't have been right… To have all been from Popper…? Shaking his head, Hau kept the Z-Crystal pressed hard to Popper's side, and he struggled to half-perform the pose he had been told to use with it. "Popper, H-Hydro Vortex!"

The watery bubble Popper was holding Type: Zero in began to grow larger and the water swirled violently, and an equally as powerful surge seemed to course through Hau's body, making him and Popper both emanate a pale blue. The motion of the water kept Type: Zero trapped within his soon-to-be grave without Popper having to hold him there. The Primarina immediately collapsed, half-dragging himself away from the raging vortex of water, coming to lie in a heap just a few feet away from it. Hau went to run over to him and slipped in some of the mixture of seawater and redness coating the Aether docks. Watching as Type: Zero quit struggling in the vortex as he finally fell victim to the water, looking around at the blood smeared across the deck, and at Popper's heaving, broken frame, Hau became acutely aware of just how dire the situation had gotten, even though his head swam with how fast it had happened.

Yet, they had managed to kill Type: Zero. He felt a bit numb when he thought about it that way, but there was an undercurrent of relief as well. He shook his head. That thing had been a monster, and he was sure that anyone would have done the same in similar circumstances. Forcing a slack smile, he turned to Popper, and slumped to his knees, digging in his bag for Potions or the Primarina's Poké Ball. Finding none of the former, he decided to simply recall Popper, and heal him later at a Center, properly. Yet, when he touched the button to the round, pink nose of his starter… nothing happened.

"Popper?" Hau called in an unusually high-pitched tone. He worriedly surveyed the pokémon again, noting that his chest was still rising and falling, indicating he was breathing… Yet, his eyes looked dazed. Almost glassy. Feeling a rising surge of panic, Hau brushed the thick, blue hair out of Popper's face, and he flinched at the close-up view of the deep laceration through his face. He saw Popper slowly blink, his chest shudder, and heard an audible, rasping exhale—and then the Primarina fell completely still. His breath catching in his throat, Hau didn't believe what he was looking at. Starting to shake all over as if he were freezing to death, he went to push on the pokémon's shoulder, only to stop himself as he noticed the red, thick sparks of electricity dancing over his trembling fingers. Somehow, he knew that even if he were capable of touching the Primarina to try and wake him… it wouldn't work.

Falling back to his rear and dazedly looking around, Hau took in the environment. There was just so much blood spilled everywhere… He had thought at first that it had just been tracked and smeared across the deck… Yet… it wasn't. It was all Popper's. Just a short distance away, Type: Zero lay lifeless in a few centimeters of reddish saltwater, the hate in its eyes finally gone.

A burning shock of electricity flew out from Hau's chest, feeling like it was eating up his limbs as it traveled through his body. Hau saw red as he clenched his fists and brought them close to his chest, his entire body lighting up in a fantastic mix of gold and scarlet as he screamed. He simply screamed, a guttural, infuriated howl, dismayed and unable to believe how fast everything had just played out, and then he brought his fists hard down against the floor.

A shockwave of red electricity shot out in every direction from the point of contact. It swept across the floor, up the walls, and made the entirety of Aether Paradise glow a horrible, painful crimson.

Yet, just as quickly as it had started… it was over. The lights in the ceiling of the docks went out after, and Hau panted and gasped for breath as he felt the very ground below him lurch.

If only it had stopped there.

"Null, hold 'em back!"

Before Selene and the rest of her group entered Lusamine's office, Gladion sent his Null ahead of them (the rest of them had recalled their partners, as they were badly injured from fighting their way to this point, and they hoped the confrontation with Lusamine to be less violent). Null was simply their fanged backup. He pushed through them all and threateningly growled, waving its own weaponized head at Lusamine, Dr. Faba, Dr. Wicke, and all others in the room. Lusamine stumbled away from it, staggering near a box in the center of the room, while Dr. Faba looked on in apparent awe. Selene breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed Lillie amongst them, then anxiously gnawed her lower lip as she eyed the person standing across the room, the one wearing armor that matched her father's. An aching pain flared in her chest and she almost audibly mewled, Mom…

"It's at its full potential," Dr. Faba raspily called, shaking his head in disbelief. "How can you control it…? That Type: Full…"

"Miki!" Selene's father exclaimed as he entered the room. He marched up to her mother, shaking his head as he grabbed her shoulder with one hand and used his other to grab the flickering visor off her helmet. It was strobing blue at the top, but as Dad began to pry at the glass, it began rapidly flickering between red and blue.

"Stop that at once!" Lusamine shrilly snapped. "Inaba!"

"He doesn't answer to you!" Selene hotly shot at her, feeling a surge of fury. When Lusamine turned her focus to Selene, though, it faded as she remembered what she was there to do. She could only shake her head. "Lusamine… This has to stop… Let me help you." Raising a hand, Selene intended to rush at the president, force contact, and—

Selene's attention was drawn by Lillie leaping up from the floor, and ecstatically shouting, "You all are here! Oh, my Arceus, you made it!" She looked frantically between them all, her eyes scouring them all. "Where's Elio?"

"Elio?" Selene, Gladion, and Nanu all but echoed, shooting confused looks between one another. Selene's mission to force contact with Lusamine was all but forgotten.

Lillie's expression fell. "He's not with you? But they said there was a guy with an Incineroar—"

A flash of red light suddenly surged through the room; across the floors, up the walls, through the eerie icy statues of pokémon around the room, through the ceiling, and was gone. A few of the frozen pokémon shattered to pieces after it was over, making Selene yelp and jerk her head to avert her eyes, and she felt a stinging pain in her legs, as if the shockwave had traveled up her body some… In fact, it did more than stung, but she whimpered and shrugged it off. She was sure adrenaline was all that kept her from yelping in pain. What the hell is wrong with this place? she thought almost despairingly, her knees buckling in the aftermath of the turbulence. She shouted again in a mix of fear and surprise as the lights in the room abruptly went out, the only light then coming from a few small windows at the top of Lusamine's office, as well as a golf ball-sized light forming over the box in the center of the room. For a moment, nobody said anything as everyone, friend and enemy alike, wondered what had just happened. Then, the very floor below them violently lurched, throwing anyone that hadn't already fallen over to their hands and knees, and the entire room felt like it was permanently tilted. The ground was no longer flat, and Selene found it quite difficult to stand back upright.

"What just happened?" Nanu demanded, urging Selene, Acerola, Gladion, Inaba, and Miki to get behind him. Apparently, the shockwave had thrown Miki to the ground, and caused her helmet to break from the side. Selene watched in relief as Dad waved away the broken glass of her visor and helped her pry off the entire helmet, and they embraced one another in a tight hug.

"The power is out," Dr. Faba scarcely whispered from the other side of the room. Even in the dimness, Selene could see his blue eyes were ringed with terror, given how much of his sclera was visible.

A burly man sporting Skull colors on their side of the room spoke next. Selene had no idea who he was or why he was there, but he sounded as terrified as she felt. "Wh-what's that mean? This fancy b-bitch o' an island ain't got backup generators?"

"It does," Dr. Faba seemed to start hyperventilating, "but none of them turned on, that's never happened before, that means we're just operating on some battery power right now… Without the proper generators—"

Lusamine abruptly snatched him by his chin. "I don't care!" she shrieked at him, then pushed him away. She strutted to the middle of the room, in front of that ball of light, and laughed, looking absolutely… deranged, as her hair started to fray and frizz. "You're all too late! This box can't be destroyed, and this process"—she thumbed at the hole forming over the box—"can't be stopped! You're all too late!"

The hole had grown to be about half Lusamine's size. The floor lurched again, and the incline of it became increasingly difficult to stand on. Selene found herself grasping for something to hold onto instinctively, even though she found nothing.

"Mom!" Gladion was the one to shout this time. He was clinging to a podium that had shattered ice all around it… as well as the unrecognizable remains of whatever poor pokémon had been frozen within it. He looked like he might be sick and Selene herself was further distracted by it, gawking in horror. "Mom, please, maybe that can't be stopped right now, but you don't have to do anything with it." He pleadingly tilted his head and looked up at her. "Please. Let's all just leave. Right now, together." Panting, he hastily added, "M-maybe talk to Selene. She can help."

Ripped from her stupor, Selene looked up at him like a Deerling in headlights. "Wh-what?" she barely managed to choke out. Then, she remembered. "Right! I'm—I'm supposed to—"

"Save your breath, Glad," Lillie mumbled as she panted and strained to try to stand up next to him. "She's too far gone."

"I DON'T CARE WHAT ANY OF YOU HAVE TO SAY!" Lusamine howled, her voice crackling under the stress. Her chest heaved and she dug the toes of her shoes into the floor to try to keep her position at the center of the room, though the box had begun to slide slightly. Selene was further caught off-guard as she swore she saw small tears in the corners of Lusamine's eyes. Fuck! Selene, focus, you've got to— "I DON'T CARE! I'll meet him again if it's the LAST THING I DO! He and I will create a perfect world, of perfect creatures, of perfect people, unlike this horrible, painful wasteland! If you all love it so much, YOU CAN KEEP IT!"

With that, Lusamine whipped around and was able to squeeze through the hole opening above the box. It had grown to be about three quarters her size, but with her thin and flexible frame, she easily vanished inside. Null attempted to rush at her to stop her, his claws outstretched to grab her by her frilly, white skirt, but he lost his grip on the floor and skidded across until he hit the far wall. Selene was suddenly spurred to grab her as well, reaching wildly to try to snatch the woman's thin arm, but she missed.

"Wait!" Selene yelped, staggering, and nearly falling over. "Wait!" I didn't even get to do what I was supposed to do! I was supposed to grab her arm and try convincing her this was insanity… by showing her some memories… Or, at least, I was supposed to try to see her memories to see what she was planning, exactly… Selene just stared after where Lusamine had gone. "No, damn it!" she whined, clutching fistfuls of her hair in frustration. I had one job out of this entire operation, and I blew it!

Dr. Faba sank to his knees and he, too, slid somewhat. "We've got to get out of here," he breathed, "now, we have to go, now!" Dr. Wicke, at his side, nodded in agreement as her face drained of color, still staring at the hole in the middle of the room.

"What's happening?" Selene asked, shaking her head in confusion.

Any attempts of his to explain were cut off as another powerful lurch made the room tilt at a perilous 45-degrees, with the bottom of the slant aimed toward the far walls and not the door. Everyone lost their footing and began to slide and skid; more blocks of ice crashed from their podiums and fragmented across the floor, making a few of them yell and curse. Yet, Selene found herself clinging to one of the pillars that had displayed a frozen Popplio seconds earlier, because she was angled in such a way that if she let go… She was sure she would fall right into the portal just above Nebby's box, which had remained stubbornly rooted in place, likely due to the motherboard-like texture on its exterior.

"Selene!" she heard her father yell. "Let go! You can climb along the wall to get back to the door, we have to get out of here!"

Wrapping her arms tighter around the pillar she was clinging to, Selene looked into the swirling, colorful hole. Perhaps 'tear' would have been a better description of it; reality looked distorted and frayed around its edges, and yet, the colors inside were so comforting and bright… Despite the visceral fear coursing through her, she swore it ebbed as she stared at the hypnotic colors. Somehow, it looked so inviting… A way out of this… chaos…

Then, she felt arms wrap around her, and the sounds and voices of the nightmare happening around her flooded back. She squeaked and fought against the hold of whoever it was, but then she heard their voice.

"Selene! Stop, please!"

Looking up, Selene's jaw fell open as she recognized Elio hugging her. He kept from sliding by keeping a leg wrapped around the other side of the pillar, but he was obviously straining, gritting his teeth with effort. His Incineroar was nowhere to be seen. "Where did you come from?" Selene gasped, though she half-blubbered the last few words, immediately reduced to tears upon seeing him. Before he could even reply, she hugged him back, squeezing him for all she was worth. "I'm so sorry, Elio, I shouldn't have—!"

"Selene, let go," he insisted, pushing on her shoulders. That statement made an icy sensation crawl up Selene's spine. "I'll push you toward the wall!"

He's… still not listening… Eyes widening in a panic, Selene asked breathlessly, "Wh-what about you?"

"Just let go, Selene, please," Elio whined, pressing his forehead to hers. He closed his eyes, and she could hear his breathing come in ragged puffs. "Please."

Although she prepared to fight him on that, when their foreheads met, she saw a swirling, rapid vision of him meeting Grimsley just outside of Po Town. She saw him struggling across the seas to Aether Paradise, and she saw him confronting Aether Paradise employees at the docks. Most of all, though, she saw him collapse in anguish at the base of an elevator shaft after having been tricked by Dr. Faba, saw that he had recognized just how much Alola had wrenched from him, down to his very sanity. Then, as Aether Paradise began to tilt at awkward angles following the surge of red light, he was thrown against the elevator shaft… and he found himself able to haul his tired, hurt body up it with the help of Macho. She felt the exhilaration he must have felt in that moment, upon realizing he still had a fighting chance. Once he crawled out of the top, he had shakily withdrawn Macho, since he was having difficulty standing.

When the vision was over, Selene abruptly found herself slipping down to the far wall of the room, where she was caught by Mom and Dad. Breath caught in her throat, Selene jerked her head up and, propelled by sheer panic, called out in blind fear, "Elio! Get your ass over here with us, now! It's Mom and Dad, we found them!" I know you didn't mean anything you did before, and I'm sorry I pushed you to behave that way, but we're on the same page now, if what I saw in that vision was right! We have Mom and Dad, and we can get off this island, and we can figure everything else out together!

He was still clinging to that pillar. Leaned over it, panting hard, she could see his legs quivering under the exertion. He looked like absolute hell, his blue-gray hair a tangled mess, his eyes watery and unfocused, his clothes stiff, faded, and ripped at parts. "I'm glad," he weakly called out above the calamitous groaning of steel as Aether Paradise further tilted… and just like that, he let go. As if he hadn't the energy to hold on or angle himself differently so that he would slide to where Selene was, he simply slipped past the pillar, free-falling due to the perilous angle of the floor, and was swallowed up by that tear in the middle of the room. The box slipped then, at long last losing its grip on the ground. It slid across the floor and crashed into a pillar before careening into a wall, where the tear above it vanished in an instant, likely due to all the jostling.

"We've got to go!" Dr. Faba yelled above them, even as Selene started to howl and shout incoherently after her brother. "Aether Paradise is sinking!" He took a second to spit out the next part. "That's what I was trying to tell everyone earlier! Without any of the backup generators, Aether is going down! I just don't understand why none came on…"

"What about that flashy red light earlier?" the Skull man piped up. Selene couldn't see him, she had no idea where he was. "Did that break everything?"

"I don't know!" Dr. Faba snapped in frustration. "All I do know is that Aether Paradise is less a manmade island and more of a massive, permanent houseboat! Hydraulics, powered by generators, keep it balanced! Without power, they can't do that, it's capsizing, we've got to GO!"

"Where's Hau?" someone else asked.

"He never came back up!" came a response.

Nanu. His voice was unmistakable. "That blast might'a been from him!"

"Climb along the wall! We have to talk about this later, we have to go, now!" Dr. Wicke's trembling voice interrupted them all. She sounded so powerful when she wanted to, Selene thought idly…

Yet, at her insistence they leave, Selene just went limp and just sobbed until others forced her to move with them to leave the doomed island. She thought she had felt numbness before, but she hadn't; not in this way. She felt like she couldn't hear anyone and was being dragged along through sludge.

Why couldn't I have just fucking grabbed Lusamine?! That was all I had to do!

Part of her didn't even want to leave the island. Almost like how the tear above Nebby's box had drawn her in, she wondered if… she should just go down with it…

Selene, let go.

The worst part was, she hadn't even had a choice. She had been suckered into a vision, and she wasn't sure if she had let go or if he had pushed her. That guilt melded with her pre-existing guilt for having pushed him to be so protective in the first place, and she just longed for that tear above Nebby's box even more.

Chapter Text

Cool to the touch against his battered body, Elio loved laying there against the earth, and he lavished the calm silence. It felt so inviting and lovely, to simply lay there and rest. He was so exhausted and felt so beaten…

It wasn't long before he had fallen asleep there (or perhaps passed out was a better explanation). Either way, he awoke an indeterminate amount of time later, and he felt unusually well-rested. Slowly sitting up, he winced as he felt a vague pain in his feet, but otherwise… he felt good. The surroundings were unfamiliar; dark, jagged, with weird lights reflecting and bending over the black, stony earth, like the way light refracted over the waves of an ocean. Yet, he could breathe the air freely. He didn't appear to be in water… Even though the air was cool and slightly misty, as if a low fog were condensed around him. He supposed it was possible, it was dark enough for there to be a fog, even if he couldn't quite make it out by sight… Running a palm over the ground beside himself, he found himself fascinated at how smooth and comfortable to the touch it was, despite looking so sharp and unforgiving.

Strangely, despite recalling how he had fallen through that portal over the box at Aether Paradise, he didn't feel any panic. He didn't feel upset, angry, hurt, scared, apprehensive, or anything in-between. Looking up at the inky, clouded sky, he flopped onto his back and enjoyed the sweet, unperturbed darkness. He didn't know where he was, but he knew he had to be far from Alola, and he found himself almost surprised at how little that bothered him. He was aware that he would almost certainly die there, whether of thirst, starvation, or whatever predators awaited him further in the shadows of that unknown landscape, but the awareness was distant, as if lost behind a fog just as thick as the mist hugging him in that shadowy environment.

Closing his eyes, the acceptance of his circumstances settled in, and he exhaled slowly. In the end, he didn't have many regrets, he supposed. He had tossed his Poké Balls down at the others against the wall before hugging Selene, and he had seen Lillie reach down and snatch them up. With a small grimace, he sighed. Okay, so he did regret that. The pain on Lillie's face as she watched him talk to Selene and as he slipped to the portal was unmistakable. The same could have been said about his sister. Not that he wanted to cause them such pain… but what else was he to do? He couldn't have tossed a pokémon; they would have just gone sliding to the other end of the room much like the others or would have just added to the chaos. Yes, although it would be terribly hard for Selene and Lillie to get over, he had done what he felt was right… He had saved Selene, pushing her toward the wall, and he had discovered in those last fleeting minutes that she had found Mom and Dad. How—or why there—he wasn't sure, but he hadn't had time to worry about that. Looking over at Selene just before his arms had given out from clinging to that pillar, he had been filled with such a bittersweet joy to see Mom and Dad again. At least it helped ease his mind that someone was there to keep Selene safe in his coming absence and he was certain that Lillie, for as passionate as she was about pokémon, would keep Macho and his other pokémon safe.

More selfishly, he figured that he felt so calm because in those last, fleeting moments with Selene… she had apologized. She had cried and hugged him, digging her fingers into his back, and she had pushed her forehead back against his when he leaned forward. He had felt so bad for the sheer agony in her tone. After all, he didn't want her to feel so awful. He had wanted to do anything to make her feel better—that was why he had leaned his head forward in the first place, to touch against her forehead, and quietly will her to know that everything was okay. Licking his lips anxiously as he recalled the sensitive memory, he remembered cutting her off mid-apology and just telling her to… let go. Not only to let go of the pillar, so he could push her to safety, but to let go of all of those confused, angry, guilty feelings she harbored for him. He didn't blame her for before; they had both just been scared. Just as she had said to him before, people make bad choices when scared… and then, a lump rose in his throat.

He had asked her to let go of him.

Despite so much drama over his fears she would eventually push him away and despite the rage he had felt when she finally had, it had all melted away when he realized she was in such danger, and he might never see her again for real. He had recognized her for what she was: his scared little sister. As he had clung to that pillar and hugged her, all was forgiven, and he felt a sorrowful pang of guilt for having been so angry at her for not understanding that he was frightened as well. She shouldn't have had to recognize that, and he shouldn't have been so terrifyingly violent and wild in all the confrontations they had shared against the scum of Alola. Lightly threading his fingers in her hair, he had come to the solemn conclusion that they had both been placed in situations far beyond their control, and he truly felt neither of them could be faulted for how far they had fallen from grace.

The calmness he had felt while laying there slowly started to slip away. He swallowed against that painful lump of bile in his throat and flopped an arm across his forehead. So, he had found something he truly regretted: not having the time to tell her all of that. As emotional as it had been to press his forehead to hers, he hadn't had the time to explain all of what that meant, how he forgave her, how he hoped she'd forgive him, and how he wanted her to move on with Mom and Dad, and how he wanted them to protect her. He hadn't had time to tell Lillie how he loved her and knew she would be okay, and how he truly trusted her with Macho and the others…

Unaware of how much time had truly passed, Elio finally forced himself to shakily clamber to his feet and investigate his newfound surroundings. It was hard to motivate himself to get up from the unreasonably comfortable earth, but curiosity, and the inability to bear thinking about everything he hadn't managed to say before he left his family and friends behind, drove him on. He found that the surroundings didn't change no matter how far he went. It seemed he was truly lost in an oceanic void, a never-ending sea of blackness.

Yet, just as he was thinking about laying down and giving up his search for… whatever it was he was looking for, he heard a girl sobbing. That made him perk up. Heart beginning to pound, he cupped his quivering hands to his lips, and called, "Hello? Is someone there?"

"He's not here."

The sobbing came again. Straining to hear where the source was, he stumbled blindly in the direction he thought it was coming from, giving a startled jolt when a rock faded into view from the inky fog. Straddling it, Lusamine had both hands pressed to her face, and she was mewling pathetically as she bawled. Her hair was matted and in a tangled mess rather than the beautiful, conical shape he had seen it before; her dress was in tatters and he found himself awkwardly trying to avoid staring at where a gemstone embedded to her clothes had come away from her top, ripping it down the center, revealing much of her body below. Dark makeup dribbled down her face and hands. Even with her obvious distress, Elio wanted to be furious with her, but he didn't have the energy. He almost laughed at himself. Back in Alola, he had angered so easily. Where had that energy gone? It was like he was back looking at the tired Dr. Faba again, knowing that he should have been fighting, but wanting to lay down the hatchet and beg them to see reason, wanting to believe they were better than they were.

Despite knowing how futile it was, he sank to his knees in front of her, staring at her shoes to avoid being rude. "Lusamine?" he rasped.

"He's not here," was all she repeated, spluttering the words.

Tiredly hanging his head, Elio asked, "Who?"

"Mohn. Nihilego. Sauboh. Lillie. Gladion. Zyra. Guzma. All of Aether," Lusamine listed off the names between sobs, wiping her face like she wanted to clean it so she could look at him, but she only succeeded in smearing much of her makeup further across it. Whimpering, she admitted to him, sounding so achingly broken, "I thought… I thought if I did what Nihilego wanted… after that first night we met…" She shook her head and was racked by another powerful sob. "He made me feel wanted… like I might see Mohn again…"

"Lillie's father… right?"

She nodded and clamped her hands to her face again. "Over time, I… I thought I'd never see him again… I just threw myself at anyone who'd pay me attention… and I remembered how wonderful I felt when Nihilego's venom was in me…"

Elio was only half-following, but he said nothing, only letting her talk. Guiltily, he supposed even having her psychotic self as his only company was better than the suffocating silence from earlier, reminding him of all the words he couldn't have said to everyone he cared about. With a wave of shame, he realized he enjoyed being there to listen to her words… Was it solidarity he felt?

"…I wanted that feeling back… and I kept wanting it back… I can barely remember a time I wasn't on it," she cried. "And I… I drove away everyone when I was on it… I kept thinking, either I'd get Mohn back, or Nihilego and I would be together… I collected pokémon I thought were pretty to keep me company…" Digging her fingers into her messy hair, she was nearly incoherent as she wailed, "And I hurt them. I hurt them bad. The people, the pokémon, everyone. My own two kids ran away."

Fidgeting his hands, Elio didn't know what to say. He had heard the stories from Lillie. He wasn't about to tell Lusamine, no matter how wracked with guilt she seemed, that Lillie and Gladion shouldn't have fled. He felt a distant prickle of anger, but not enough to make him want to truly be furious with Lusamine. Not anymore. He still didn't have the energy… even if every fiber of his being was telling him she deserved it. Her sadness didn't grant her the right to have torn everything apart like she had. So, why couldn't he say that?

Guiltily, he knew exactly why. He had harmed Lillie—and Arceus-only-knew how many others—by zealously yelling at Faba back at Po Town. Elio himself had hurt his friends and family and driven them away, too. Flare of panic blossoming in his chest, Elio wondered—were he and Lusamine really that different?

"And I was willing… to go so far… as to kill her, I was so angry at her," Lusamine blathered on. "I was so angry that she took Cosmog away… Mind you, I thought Cosmog would… would let Nihilego come for me, or help me find Mohn…"

He remained silent some more… What was there even to say to her…? He did set his jaw at the mention of her having wanted to kill Lillie. He hadn't known that part. He had deeply feared for that, of course, but hadn't realized it was the truth. His lips twitched as he refused to acknowledge the thought trying to creep its way into his mind, that he had nearly assisted in Lillie's demise by yelling at Faba as he had back at Po Town. Reality really could be stranger than fiction.

"…But Cosmog just brought me here. There's nothing. Just darkness for miles and miles." Lusamine brought her knees up close to her body and hugged them tight. "I can't even give up now, if I wanted…" She cried harder. "There's not even a way out!"

Missing the calmness from earlier, Elio scratched the back of his neck uncertainly, and hated himself a little when he found himself sympathetically mumbling, "Maybe… maybe just don't worry about it," as if he felt some kinship with this woman.

"Don't worry about it?" Lusamine echoed dumbly, her hands falling away from her splotchy face, which was a mix of flushed red from her crying, and inky black from her running makeup. "But… but how do I just… not worry about it?" Shaking her head, she sniffled, "Wait… who are you?"

Legitimately surprised, Elio blinked fervently. "You… don't remember?"

"I barely remember anything," she muttered sadly. "Just how I felt… bits and pieces… It's all so confused…"

"My name's Elio," he told her. What was the point of being angry at her? What good would condemning the last person he'd ever know with hateful comments and vindication do? If he did feel some form of connection with her, who else would have to know? He was stuck there. The idea of slowly succumbing to insanity due to loneliness in those dark depths was a terrifying one. So, he talked to her. "Elio Isono. My sister and I moved to Alola…" Trailing off, he laughed. "I don't even know how long ago, to be honest. It's been such a blur. But my sister and I moved here a while ago…" Smiling with a bittersweet warmth to himself, he chuckled. "I met this… most interesting girl. She refused to train pokémon, she would tell off any of the locals that wanted to be mad at her for not taking on the Island Challenge, and she even peppersprayed me at one point just because I was annoying her, more or less. She had no pokémon, but I fully believe she was the most dangerous of us all. She was nothing but piss and vinegar." He was smiling so wide. "I loved it."

Lusamine just blinked at him with big, round, green eyes.

"Lillie," Elio explained, snickering some more. "Your daughter. She's incredible."

Hanging her head, Lusamine whispered, "I'm sorry… For everything… I never… never really wanted to hurt her…" Her voice choked out. "At least, I don't think… I don't know… It's all so confused… When I had the venom in me, all I could think, was how much she reminded me of Mohn… and I couldn't have him back… He was gone. He was gone, and I couldn't have him, but she and Gladion… were spitting images of him…" She tugged at her own hair again in stress. "It made me so angry, even though I knew it was wrong, deep down…"

Awkwardly letting a silence drag on, Elio finally got the gumption to repeat himself from earlier: "Just… don't worry about it."

Lusamine sounded dumbfounded. "How can you say that?"

"Look around," Elio scoffed. "None of that even matters now…" Giving her a half-smile, he sighed. "I shouldn't forgive you for all of that. In fact, I don't. But… I am glad to know that… well, at least I think you're telling the truth, so… I am at least glad to know that you never really meant for all of this to happen…" He almost laughed. "People like you and me, we just… we get carried away, I think…"

"I didn't, I swear," Lusamine broke into sobs again, rapidly shaking her head at him. "I—wait, you and me…?"

Just behind her, fading in from the darkness, Elio saw a crystalline tentacle reach for the woman's body. "Lusamine, watch out!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet, forgetting her question immediately. Instinctively, he reached for Macho's Poké Ball, but of course, he didn't find it. He had nothing left on his person aside from the very clothes on his back. His bag had been lost in the chaos back on Aether Paradise, too.

"What?" Lusamine whipped her head around and screamed at the sight of the tentacles reaching for her. That same monster from back on their first visit to Aether Paradise drifted out of the darkness, and wrapped those tentacles around Lusamine, probing beneath her arms and tightening like a constrictor around her abdomen. With every struggle as she tried to fight out of its hold, the grip only seemed to tighten and tighten. "Let me go, Nihilego!" Lusamine begged, banging her fists against the glassy tentacles, tears pouring down her face even more. "Let me go, you horrible thing! No!"

Able to hear the blood rushing in his ears from sheer panic, Elio cried, "Lusamine!" Yet, he could only watch in horror as Nihilego raised a tentacle, and he could see a needle-like point protruding from the underside of it. Despite Lusamine's struggles, she had no hope of fighting off that beast, and it plunged the needle deep into her inner left forearm. Elio clenched his eyes shut as his skin crawled, because he could see the purple viscous fluid pumping down Nihilego's tentacle and into her body. As soon as the venom reached her veins, as if on cue, Elio felt he had to open his eyes. He saw Lusamine's eyes dilate, her tears stop, and she all but fell slack against the creature's grasp. Within a few seconds, she was raising a trembling hand to sensuously stroke the creature's glassy body.

"Lusamine, no!" Elio shouted, stamping a foot in frustration. All that calmness from earlier left him in an instant and he licked his dry lips. He didn't want to give up! He didn't want everything to be over! Somehow, watching Lusamine fall victim so easily to that monster reignited the fire deep inside of him, and he snarled, "Put her DOWN!" What would Lillie think if she knew her mother hadn't meant to actually do everything she's done…? That it was the venom…? Maybe she doesn't deserve forgiveness, but… maybe it would make Lillie feel better…

"I knew my Nihilego would come for me in the end," Lusamine crooned, the apologetic, guilt-ridden person from seconds ago gone. She affectionately nuzzled Nihilego's smooth frame. "Mmf, how much I've missed this warm, perfect feeling…~ How much I've been longing for this moment…~"

Nihilego let out a jingling sound and flared its tentacles that it wasn't using to support Lusamine. One stroked her across her forehead, and they abruptly began to fade in and out of view, like smoke dissipating in the wind. Feeling as if he might start to hyperventilate, Elio fiercely demanded again, "Put her down, NOW! St-stop that!" I'm not done. We're not done.

The Nihilego and Lusamine vanished from view altogether, but Lusamine's deranged, disembodied voice was heard still, leaking from the darkness. "Oh, save your breath, pet," she sweetly insisted. "It'll all be over soon. I'll have my beautiful world. Me, my Nihilego, and all the other prettiest creatures of this world and the next…~"

Stumbling back as he felt a twinge of fear from her sounding as if she surrounded him on all sides, Elio swallowed against a dry throat. "What about everything you just told me?" he desperately tried to remind her. "About… Lillie, Gladion, Mohn—"

He yelped and flinched as an image of her flashed all around him, repeated, as if in a grid pattern. But it was more of a silhouette, like someone's shadow against a wall as lightning flashed outside. "THEY DON'T MATTER!" Lusamine screamed, voice ricocheting around the abyssal darkness. "Not anymore," she added much more quietly… contentedly. He blinked in abject terror as he took in her form, noticing that every time she flashed into view, she didn't look… normal…

At last, she reappeared just in front of him, and he was blown away by what he saw. At first, he thought that Nihilego was behind her, and supporting her with its tentacles, but… that wasn't the case. The glassy, bulbous body of Nihilego's head (or at least, Elio supposed it had to be its head…) was around Lusamine's and her hair was dark, dark like the makeup he had seen running in rivulets down her face earlier. Glittery, golden eyes peered down at him from below an errant wave of black hair, and he noticed similarly golden lines coursing through her hair. An inky blackness, tinged purple at parts, had crawled up her legs and tainted her clothes. Was that venom drenched across her body…? "If you submit, little friend," Lusamine crooned, "perhaps you can be part of my perfect world…~" She winked at him. "After all, people like you and me, we belong together. Don't we~?"

With that, he saw her shoulder move, and one of Nihilego's broader, blackened tentacles reaching out to him. He scrambled away and cursed in all but a whimper under his breath. "Lusamine, please," he begged in a crumbling voice, "please, you have to—y-you need to remember everything you just told me, a-and you need to… to fight this!" He locked eyes with her and desperately willed her to understand, but his heart sank the more he stared. Those gleaming, golden eyes of hers were ringed with dark, running makeup still, and despite how sad they seemed, he got the sense that nobody was home. Despite the dangerous glitter in them, they came across as… lightless. For as domineering as she sounded, she no longer had control over herself at all; it was most certainly just the Nihilego in command now.

"So, you want to stand between me and my Nihilego's perfect world as well," Lusamine summarized, pressing her lips to a thin line as she regarded Elio. She fiercely then flared the tentacles, a few glassy shards of rocks flying from them in a terrifying display, much like the Power Gem Elio had watched raze Aether Paradise on their first visit there. "Then you will die the same as the rest who aren't beautiful enough for my world!"

Cowering, Elio covered his face and clenched his eyes shut. I hope she just makes it fast, was all he could think.

Yet, when a few moments drew on and he didn't feel the bite of rocks digging into his flesh, he nervously looked up, in time to see Lusamine staring up curiously. He traced her gaze and found her staring at a tear in the darkness, much like that which he had fallen through back on Aether Paradise. Jumping to his feet, Elio felt a trembling smile creep onto his face. "Who's there?" he heard Lusamine demand.

Through the tear, a beast much smaller than Nihilego, but big enough to carry the two people aboard its back, flew in. It looked similar to a Golbat, but… so much more majestic. Elio's jaw actually dropped as he looked over the pokémon's broad, star-spangled wings, and its beautiful, golden-crowned head. Its wings looked like they were a night sky drawn between crescent moons, and with every powerful beat of its wings, the constellations on its body glittered differently. It flew low, next to Elio, and the two people on the back of it were none other than Dulse and Zossie. Blinking in disbelief, Elio said, "You… it's you two." Feeling a flare of panic and distrust, he jumped away from them. "Wh-what do you want?!"

"What a beautiful creature… and one that can tear through worlds like my dear Cosmog… Of course, so can my lovely Nihilego," he heard Lusamine distantly drawling to herself. "As beautiful as it is, it listens to ugly ones such as you, making it ugly in turn…"

"Get on!" Dulse commanded in his stiff, deep voice. "You are lucky to be alive, but it will not remain that way if you do not come with us!"

"Please!" Zossie cried after, trying to give him an encouraging smile, even though Elio could see how frazzled she looked. "Th-this is the Ultra Deep Sea, in your words… It's home for Nihilego like the one that's possessed Lusamine! If you don't come with us, that might happen to you!" She shook her head. "Nihilego toxins are nothing to play with!"

Deciding he had far better chances with them than with Lusamine or any other Nihilego that apparently called such a place home, Elio nodded feverishly and awkwardly tried to situate himself behind Zossie on that star-spangled pokémon's back. "Wh-what is this pokémon you're riding on…?"

"Pokémon?" Zossie echoed. "Oh, uh, this is Lunala! She's kind of an Ultra Beast more than a pokémon, though…"

"Hold on!" Dulse barked, and Elio instinctively wrapped arms around Zossie to cling to her as Lunala flew high, avoiding a barrage of glassy rocks as Lusamine shot a deadly Power Gem after them.

"Thank you for opening a portal back to Aether Paradise for me!" Lusamine cackled after them. "There was something there I forgot!"

"What is she talking about?" Elio asked breathlessly (but didn't dare move his head to try and see what she was doing). He felt frozen in place.

"I don't—"

Dulse's reply was cut short when Lunala stopped, and they were all angled in such a way that they were able to watch Lusamine reach through the portal their Lunala had appeared through and return with someone clasped in her tentacles. Feeling as if his heart might have stopped, Elio whimpered, "Wh-who is that?!"

"Get off me!" a loud, blustery male voice came from the person in Lusamine's clutches. "You crazy bitch!"

"You were the last one there on that sinking island," Lusamine crooned, "you must have missed me."

"I was looking for Plumeria!" he snarled. "Not your crazy ass!"

"Guzma," Zossie grimly told Elio.

"We cannot engage her in this state," Dulse called above the noise, "we have to go, now, to our homeworld to take the necessary precautions to keep her from finding Ultra Megalopolis and the Blinding One, or else all worlds are in grave—"

Lunala lurched and an ethereal howl escaped the creature's throat as something struck it. Closing his eyes again, Elio just clung to Zossie, tight enough to squeeze the life out of her, he was sure. They crashed to the ground in a whirling mess of starry wings and the clattering of Dulse and Zossie's suits. When they did, Elio rolled off, feeling a sharp pain run up his body, starting in his neck and spreading up and down to his feet and temple respectively. He groaned, but no sound came, and he suddenly felt too weak to get back up.

"She shot a Power Gem at Lunala," Dulse explained through puffs for breath. "Come, we have no more time for talking, we have to go!"

Zossie's voice was faint. "Dulse, look… They're opening portals to everywhere…"

Peering up at the sky overhead, Elio was inundated with hundreds of flickering lights. Squinting, he soon realized they were not lights, but the reflections of lights from various portals that had opened up throughout the dark sky—and they were reflecting off the glassy bodies of many, many more Nihilego than just the one that had merged with Lusamine. Distantly, he heard Lusamine cackle, above the clanging noises of the various Nihilego, "Wonderful work, my friends… All that is beautiful shall be mine…~ Maybe starting with wherever that starry beauty you three were riding came from. Oh, Dulse, Zossie! You escaped as well! I almost didn't recognize you… You have something quite beautiful in your homeworld, don't you?"

"We will never lead you back there!" Dulse fiercely spat at her. "Forget it!"

"You would condemn yourself, that little Zossie, this boy, and that creature of yours all to death, just to avoid leading me back?" Lusamine almost scoffed. "You do understand that I am going to find it eventually, no matter what you do, yes? Whether you die or not makes no difference to me."

Elio just draped an arm across his face. "Go," he wanted to snap at them. Maybe Lusamine would be entertained by him for a while. Or maybe it would just buy him some silence, some of that peace and quiet he had enjoyed at first. Suddenly, being rattled with thoughts of everything he had failed to tell his family and friends didn't seem so bad, as long as he would be left to do so in peace. He had had enough of this chaos. Of Lusamine. Of everything. He just wanted it to be over. "Just go!" he tried to say again. But still, no sound came. Why couldn't he speak…? That flare of pain ran through his body again and he sighed, a raggedy, spluttery noise, and he relaxed against the ground. He vaguely smelled the scent of blood.

"You cannot control the Blinding One!" Dulse's voice broke as he shouted back at her. He sounded beyond frustrated. "Honestly, you aren't even controlling that Nihilego! It's controlling you! This fantasy you have to draw together everything you find beautiful… it's nothing but that! Fantasy!"

"Dulse," Zossie whimpered, "look…"

Elio's vision had started to gloss over and he was unaware that she was looking at him.

"Dulse, we have to go back to Ultra Megalopolis, he's hurt!"

"We'll lead her right to the Tower… To the Blinding One…"

"Dulse!" Zossie was desperate. "He'll die!"

Elio tuned them out. As much as he wanted to keep fighting, to push through, he just… he just couldn't… he had done so much… Couldn't he just get a small break of silence…? Just a tiny break…

That was all he wanted…

~1 Week Later~

"Going to need to start with you telling us what you were doing there. The day Aether Paradise sank."

Rapping his knuckles against the wooden table in front of him, silver handcuffs clanging against one another, and seated in some interrogation room of an Interpol satellite building, Nanu was furious. Ahead of him, an all-too familiar face was questioning him. Grizzled, brown hair lightly salted with white and silver fell over the forehead of a man only somewhat younger than he was. A man he would have loved to never have seen again. "I'm not talking to you, Looker," Nanu spat, glaring intently at the table, like he might have wanted to bore a hole through it.

Sighing in frustration, Looker took a seat across the table, and ran his fingers through his own hair, as if he might have wanted to pull it out. "Believe me, Nanu, you're not my first choice of who to talk to, but it just so happened to work out like this, so can we forget the past for a few minutes, and you tell me why you rounded up half a dozen kids or so on a suicide mission to Aether Paradise, despite you having illicit knowledge of just how dangerous that was?"

"Very impartial questioning technique," Nanu growled.

"Nanu, I am rapidly losing patience," Looker huffed and slammed a fist against the table, "of all the people on this planet, you should have known better than this. Because of this stunt of yours, three people are presumed dead, others are missing, Arceus himself only knows how many pokémon are dead, and all of the evidence we needed to convict the others of the Aether Foundation responsible for the atrocities committed there is at the bottom of the ocean. Congratulations, you made a modern lost city of Atlantis."

Flinching, Nanu hated it with a burning passion, but he recognized that Looker… was right. He had let his excitement upon learning that Selene was a Mind Jumper get the best of him. Guiltily, he gnawed his lower lip, recalling how he and the previous leader of the Skull Gang were quite close, once upon a time. He and Kahuna Kaua hung out all time. Because of that, Nanu knew much of the Kahuna's mysterious powers, and he had seen how they had brought so many people together. He had watched the Kahuna speak to angry locals, that had practically arrived to Po Town with pitchforks and torches, and convince them to see things his way. Kaua had been excellent with his powers… he had also just been intimidating. Tapu Bulu had cut him down in his prime, and the fallout was impossible to handle for those left to suffer in Po Town without Kaua's incredible gift.

Clenching his left hand into a fist until his knuckles were white, Nanu understood he had filled Selene's head with ideas of grandeur, with lies that she would be the next Kahuna Kaua, even though she had such little grasp on her powers, and Lusamine was far too gone to be reasoned with, anyway. He had realized his mistake just too late. In the aftermath of the sinking of Aether Paradise, Hau's Primarina, Popper, had died fighting Type: Zero (even if he had managed to drown the abomination first). Elio had fallen through the wormhole Lusamine and Dr. Faba had summoned utilizing Nebby's power, sacrificing himself to save Selene from suffering such a fate. Nebby was… well, there was no telling what had happened to the creature. It was lifeless and unresponsive, but Lillie swore up and down he was still alive, refusing anyone to take the pokémon away from her afterward. Lusamine had, of course, dipped through the wormhole before everything had gotten that bad. And even as they were rushing to escape the sinking Aether Paradise, Lillie and Guzma had reminded them about Plumeria, and Guzma had rushed off to find her. Yet, he didn't come back before they had to bail, and Plumeria was found already limping around the docks, waiting in a panic for others to show up there, talking with a terrified Makua, who was struggling to keep the Skull boat near enough to board without risking it taking damage from the falling debris. Although they had found Hau along the way and brought him with them, he had been almost as incoherent as Selene. (Not that Nanu blamed him… They all got a glimpse of what had become of Popper.)

As for after? Well, they had all been swept up by Interpol, who had been circling the sinking island in their fleet of boats like hungry Sharpedo, for interviews. From Nanu's understanding, Selene, Hau, Gladion, Lillie, Acerola, and Plumeria were quickly released from custody, and despite Interpol's offers to assist them in whatever ways they needed, they had spread out across Alola like bottles drifting in the open sea. The events aboard Aether Paradise, and in Selene's case, the traumatizing reality that Miki and Inaba had to remain in Interpol custody, apparently had been too horrible for their group to survive it. He had heard whispers that Lillie had disappeared into the wilds of Poni Island; Selene had returned to Ula'Ula, to stay in Malie City at Kukui's insistence (not that Nanu had any idea why she would have trusted him); Hau had also returned to Ula'Ula, but hadn't gone with Selene, and so, his whereabouts were unknown; Acerola had returned to her post as a Captain of Ula'Ula at last; Gladion, Makua, and Plumeria had returned to Po Town, to try to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of Guzma's disappearance.

Guilt wasn't even a good enough word to describe what Nanu felt. Shame might have fit better. There was a reason he and Looker had such bad blood between them. For over a decade, Nanu had hated his former partner with acidic words and hateful remarks, because of his mistake on Nanu's final mission with him as a member of Interpol. They had been tasked together to deal with an Ultra Beast—a rare, incredibly powerful pokémon of another world that sometimes appeared in Alola—that had already attacked someone from Iki Town. Indeed, Nanu had kept it to himself, but he knew the person that had been attacked was Hau. More specifically, his parents had been targeted by that beast and had not survived the encounter, whereas Tapu Koko himself had rescued Hau. Kahuna Hala had been the one to provide the description of the incident to Nanu, who had passed the information on to Interpol, and they had immediately been assigned to take care of the beast. Unfortunately, it had moved on quite the distance from where it was first spotted, and they had needed to use bait.

For Ultra Beasts, 'bait' meant using a person who happened to have Ultrarian energy pouring off them, usually after accidentally passing through an Ultra Wormhole. These people were referred to as 'Fallers,' and Fallers never had any idea that they were just that much more desirable to Ultra Beasts. Lip twitching, Nanu recalled that was because Interpol never shared that information with them. "It will just make them panic if they know these ridiculously powerful monsters from other dimensions are drawn to them!" his superior had shouted at him when he had confronted her about the grim practice of utilizing Fallers to attract UBs. Instead, Fallers were often asked to assist Interpol field detectives under the guise of being a local guide or acting as something of an intern. Bitterly, he had clenched his jaw when that superior had barked that response at him. Anabel, of course, was unaware that she herself was a Faller.

Put simply, Nanu's final mission with Interpol, the one that had driven him to finally retire and find a place as far from the rest of humanity as possible, was that fateful attempt to force a Guzzlord back to its homeworld. The Faller they had taken with them, a woman who had been led to believe she was more or less behaving as their intern, had been killed by the monster when Looker had faltered and frozen up, failing to issue an attack. That wasn't all. Nanu's own pokémon had died as well as a result of Looker's failure to provide backup.

And yet… by taking advantage of Selene's gift and filling her head with rosy tales of what she could do with her Mind Jumper ability… hadn't Nanu done the exact same thing? Perhaps it hadn't been Selene that had paid the price of it and instead, Elio, but still… Selene was certainly suffering as a result of his actions. Hau and Lillie, too.

"I thought we could stop it," Nanu finally replied to Looker, all of the strength leaving his muscles, making him look suddenly slack and frail within the heavy handcuffs tying him to that table. Just like that, he seemed to look so much older than he really was. "I thought we could reason with Lusamine and save Lillie without all the hell I knew you guys stormin' Aether Paradise would bring. I thought that would be even more chaotic and might even get that poor girl killed in the process."

"That doesn't even make sense," Looker growled, "because of… whatever happened on that island and it sinking, we weren't even able to safely board it once we finally arrived to help you all, and look at what actually happened!"

"I can't tell you who. But some of those kids have powers. They were selected by Tapus to be Captains or Kahunas," Nanu admitted solemnly. "I can't tell you to protect them. They've been through enough. But I thought that with their powers, we could save it all… without a bloodbath…" He grimaced as he thought of the absolute bloody mess they had discovered near Hau and the deceased Popper.

There was a long stretch of silence. "How well did that go?" Looker asked dryly.

Hanging his head, Nanu scoffed. "I s'pose I deserve that. For all the hell I've given you over the years."

Another passage of silence. Looker ended it with a grunt. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so cruel… I just…" Looker wiped a hand across his face. "I just can't understand how you could go and make the exact same mistake I did, despite you seeming to know so much better…"

"I guess I shouldn't'a been so harsh on you, then," Nanu chuckled sadly. "Found out just how easy it is to make a mistake in the heat of the moment."

Clasping his hands together on top of the table, Looker cleared his throat. "Let's start over, then…"

Nodding slowly, Nanu mumbled, "Yeah… Yeah, I'd like that."

Looking at a paper underneath his hands, Looker asked matter-of-factly, "What do you know about Miki Isono and Inaba Isono? We have reason to believe they assisted the Aether Foundation in the cruel and unusual fabrication of manmade pokémon, more specifically, we believe they assisted Dr. Sauboh Faba."

The rest of the interview was far more routine, even though it left Nanu feeling number and number the more they spoke. All he could do was think back to the horrible aftermath of their venture onto Aether Paradise, and wonder how on Earth things had gone so terribly wrong… And he wished so, so badly, for Selene, Lillie, and Hau's sake, that he could turn back time. He was sure he had irreversibly damaged at least two lives that fateful day aboard Aether Paradise. Even more when he remembered that Inaba and Miki were the parents of the presumed-dead Elio.

Yet, while there was plenty of alternate realities out there, there was no way to turn back time and undo such horrific trauma. He internally cringed. He knew that all too well… After all, cheap rent wasn't why he lived so close to Po Town. He had settled there in hopes of living as far away from the horrors he had seen in his time with Interpol as possible and had taken the job of police officer in Alola because he knew just how useless Alolan police officers were.

He missed his Meowth.

Chapter Text

"I'm sorry."

Hanging her head, Selene really wished he would stop saying that. She had been enjoying the Malie Garden, the quiet breeze, alongside Bowtie. The Decidueye had been lethargic in the last week or so. Not that Selene could blame him… She felt the same. Sweeping her blue-gray eyes across the rolling, grassy hills of Malie Garden, intersected by the occasional stream and rivulet, she felt cold and empty. The occasional trainer or local passing by her was enough to make her look sharply away and eye the ground and wonder how they could carry on so normally. Logically, she knew what had happened at Aether Paradise was far more personal for her than most native Alolans—for them, it was merely an exciting story and hell, for some, they believed those 'damn Galarians' had gotten 'what they deserved'—but the more reptilian parts of her brain couldn't wrap around it.

She refused to look at Kukui as he took a seat beside her on the wooden bench. He clasped a hand to her shoulder, and she flinched, expecting a vision, but nothing came. She almost sighed in relief at that. "I mean it, cousin," Kukui whispered. "I… I never had anything to do with your parents disappearing to Aether, nor do I know what they were doin' there, but I shouldn't have been pushin' so hard for you and your brother to head out on the Island Challenge with Lillie… Maybe if I hadn't done that—"

"Maybe if you hadn't have done that, maybe Elio would still be here, maybe Lillie and Hau would still be with me, maybe my parents would be held captive in international police custody—I know!" Selene abruptly snarled, wrenching her shoulder out of his grasp and glaring back at him with all the hate she could muster. And oh, how she had plenty of it to spare now. If she wasn't feeling numb and lifeless, she was downright pissed off. Those bluish eyes blazed with thunderous anger as she regarded him and the undersides of her forearms glowed ominously, even though no visions played out in the air for them to witness. "Stop bringing it up! Just shut up! It happened! It's over! Nobody can do anything to change it! I know!" Realizing her powers were starting to display themselves, she almost absentmindedly pressed her arms together to stomp out the glow. The reminder of her curse served to only make her think of the same thing that had been replaying in her mind ever since Nanu had led them to storm Aether Paradise.

All I had to do was grab Lusamine. That was the source of her anger. Truthfully, she didn't blame Kukui for anything, and deep down, she knew her incendiary words were unfair. But his constant, grating, annoying apologies just rubbed her last, raw nerves the wrong way.

Flinching under her outrage, Kukui swallowed hard. "I just want to do whatever I can to make this right, cousin… I was so lost in what I wanted for Alola, I… I didn't even realize I was just as stuck in my ways as everyone else here…" He chuckled uneasily and rubbed the back of his head. "Someone made me realize that lately. And knowin' Lillie was in danger…" He trailed off and sighed deeply. "And still probably is, considerin' she ran off to Poni and I can't get in touch with her…"

Putting her head in her hands, Selene almost regretted asking the question as soon as she did. "What are you talking about?" she almost begged, digging her fingers into her hair. Her arms had stopped glowing, at least.

There was some shuffling, as if Kukui were kicking his shoes against the earth. "I convinced the Kahunas to band together an' build a Pokémon League atop Mount Lanakila… It's a sacred spot, yeah… Related to some old myths…" He paused for a shuddery breath. "I wanted you two to go out on the Island Challenge with Hau and Lillie 'cause I knew you and your brother wouldn't be put off from a League like most native Alolans would, yeah. I knew Hau was kinda isolated from everyone else, 'cause he was always alone, an' I hoped Lillie would get close to you all and you'd grow to be good friends…" Snorting in morbid amusement, he muttered, "Mostly did that 'cause I didn't want you and Elio to run screaming once you realized just how screwed a lot of Alola was, yeah… You, Elio, and Hau were s'posed to challenge the League first, give it some validity, show the Kahunas that it was a good idea."

Peering through her fingers, Selene just blinked. "Are you telling me that you did all of that, throwing Lillie out, scaring the hell out of us with your Lycanroc before—that was all for politics? You… just wanted to push some agenda at the Kahunas?" Her hands falling away from her face, Selene's jaw slowly fell open in disbelief.

Getting up off the bench and shuffling away from her, Kukui ashamedly mumbled, "…Yeah… That's right, yeah."

Leaping to her feet, Selene got into his face and she pushed him. Both hands outstretched, she shoved him, hard, against his bare chest. "How is everyone here so awful?" she demanded, intending it to sound forceful, angry, but the way a lump rose in her throat and her eyes watered, it came out more as a broken sob. Yet, her eyes lit up furiously again—but this time, literally. They blazed golden, as did her arms again, and she clenched her fists, planting them at her sides. She already knew what she was about to say was unfair, but she was too overwhelmed and upset to care. "You know, I almost think you're as bad as Aether!"

As if dumbstruck by her accusation, Kukui floundered for something to say, but all he did was sputter incoherently as images formed in the air around him. They were various memories of Selene's, of her journey throughout Alola, mostly of the rare occasions in which she, Elio, Lillie, and Hau had found time to laugh and simply talk to one another. Selene hadn't summoned them on purpose, but hadn't the energy to devote to stopping them.

"You're so two-faced!" Selene exclaimed, her voice cracking halfway through. "You—you—you claim to want to help, but had you never showed your stupid face at our door—hell, had you never even talked to my mother, maybe we'd have never even shown up in Alola! Maybe Elio would still be here, maybe my parents would be, maybe I wouldn't be this freak of nature that can do this!" She vaguely waved her hands at the imagery forming in the air around both of them. "And who knows what's become of Lillie! She said you took her in and told her you wanted to help her, to take care of her! And when it was useful for your stupid political agenda, you kicked her out on her ass!"

Although he had started shaking his head, the more she spoke, he suddenly fell still. Then, he closed his eyes and dipped his head in acceptance. "You're absolutely right, Selene… And I wish I could do more to fix it, but… all I can do now is just… apologize…" His voice trembled as he whimpered, "And I really, really, really am sorry, cousin…"

"Sorry doesn't fix it!" Selene sniffled, wiping her face, inwardly cursing herself for breaking down again so easily. Looking down at the ground, she realized there was a puddle of water formed below her. That wasn't uncommon. Malie Garden was full of errant pools of water. But looking down at her reflection, she was taken aback by how she didn't recognize herself. Her hair was unkempt and tangled, her skin paler than usual, and her face was almost gaunt. Eyes puffy and red from emotion, she looked nothing like how she remembered. Then, she froze as she swore she saw someone else in the reflection: Elio, standing just behind her. Yelping in shock, she jumped away, nearly falling over, but Bowtie caught her with a swift shadow.

"It doesn't," Kukui softly agreed with her words, though he had opened his eyes and was looking wildly between all of Selene's summoned visuals with the most regretful expression on his face Selene had ever seen.

Unable to get the image of Elio out of her mind, Selene just clenched her eyes shut, trying to fight off the memory of him hugging her and pressing his forehead to hers back at Aether Paradise. "Selene, let go," he had said. She ground her teeth. "Apologies don't fix it," she whimpered, fending off the visions, "but finding Lillie and making sure she was okay… That would at least be a start."

"She wants nothing to do with me," Kukui whispered, tone raw and pained. "I'm sure of that, cousin…" Briefly opening her eyes, Selene saw him practically hug himself, and he seemed to be staring at his wedding ring mournfully. "I have a habit of doin' that to people…" She felt a prickle of annoyance at how he somehow had turned the conversation back to him. She was absolutely amazed by Kukui's ability to be so selfish without meaning to. It almost drove her to fly off the handle at him again… but solemnly, she wondered if that was really what she was upset about, or if that selfishness reminded her of how she had given Elio instructions that had led him to his downfall.

Selene, let go. Her brother's voice echoed in her mind again and she just felt a deep, sad pang of despair. Fleetingly, she wondered what being so miserable and numb meant for her lost brother… What had she survived for? No… She almost shook her head. What did he die for if I do nothing now?

Instead, she just took a deep breath, steadying her frayed emotions. "The right thing to do," she shakily said, unsure if she was talking to Kukui or herself anymore, "would be to find Lillie…" Blinking fervently, she tightened her balled fists. Selene, let go. "And if you aren't going to do it, then… maybe I should…" She sniffled and wiped her face again, desperately trying to get a grip. Or perhaps to let go… to let go of all the pain, anger, hurt. Selene, let go. "Maybe Hau, too…" A cold shiver ran up her spine as she remembered seeing what had become of Popper, Hau's beloved starter… Stamping her foot in determined frustration, she steeled her voice, and said, "I won't give up."

There was a long stretch of time where Kukui simply stared at her. "I hope for yours and everyone else's sake, that's true," he finally admitted, smiling brokenly at her, his eyes watery with emotion.

Remembering Elio… Selene, let go.

And thinking of what Tapu Koko had told her the last time she had spoken to him… You have the power to see them, to understand them, and to speak them, and Hau has the power to make others listen…

Selene made the solemn decision that she had to pick herself up and keep going. She had to persevere because she was the last hope Alola had—or, no; she and Hau, with Lillie's help, were the last hope that Alola had. She could see it plainly. With her family gone, with even Kukui having given up on his two-faced, political crusade, with how broken Tapu Koko had appeared last time she spoke to him, with Lusamine's fate unknown, she recognized that they couldn't stop. Although she was listening to Elio's dying message to let go of all the pain and numbness, she wouldn't let go of the mission that had been laid before her. She wouldn't let go of Lillie and Hau. She wouldn't let go of her gift and let it consume her. She wouldn't be another victim of these cruel, cruel islands.

Stroking Bowtie's head and tightening her grip on her backpack, Selene narrowed her eyes at Kukui. "I'm going to toughen up a bit, and I'm going to find Lillie, Hau, maybe even Gladion, and I'm going to fix this."

Instead of asking what she meant, Kukui only nodded, still giving that weak grin. "Arceus be with you, Selene."

She found that an odd choice of words, but then again, she supposed Kukui didn't respect the Tapus anyway. At least she could appreciate the respect he was regarding her with now… Awkwardly, she dipped her chin back at him. "Thank you," she muttered, before she pushed past him to head out of Malie Garden.

Feeling the rain splash down over his face as he stared up at the cloudy, raging sky, Gladion figured that he should have headed inside, but he found the idea of returning to the Shady House stomach-churning. It wasn't a happy place anymore. Well, not that it had ever been a 'happy place' to begin with, but… He sighed. The playfulness he had noticed in the younger members of Skull, the overall atmosphere of familial attachment, was gone. It had sunk alongside Guzma and the rest of Aether Paradise. Plumeria had tried to assume control in his absence, but he could see she was different, too. With a contemptuous snort, he knew that was more than understandable; after all, she had lost not only Guzma, but her unborn child in the chaos aboard Aether Paradise, based on what she had told him about getting attacked by Type: Zero and how ill she had been in the days following. Makua tried to assist in helping Plumeria, but he was acting as exuberant and skittish as ever—he was clearly high off his ass, and Gladion assumed that meant he was taking Guzma's absence just as poorly. With the lacking leadership, the grunts around Po Town were starting to fall into disarray. They hadn't just lost their playfulness and sense of brotherhood. They had also lost their direction and attachment to Po Town. Gladion noticed many of them leave the town without talking to anyone and noticed many of them fail to come back, their whereabouts (and possibly their fate) unknown.

He just hadn't expected to become one of them.

But after just a little over a week in that suffocatingly unhappy environment, he had felt compelled to leave. With a little thinking as he felt the rain wash over his face, he realized he didn't want to be there anyway. Heart aching, he felt drawn to find Lillie again. She had refused to stick by him following the horrors aboard Aether Paradise and she had even snapped at him afterward. She was furious with him for having tried to reason with Lusamine back on Aether Paradise and for having fought with Elio so much during their interactions… and although at first he had felt betrayed yet again, feeling as if Lillie was being unfair, it dawned on him that his sister was just hurt after losing Elio in exactly the same way she had lost Mohn all that time ago. Just as before, all his anger at her had melted away, replaced with sheer guilt and sympathetic desire to comfort her, even though he knew she likely wouldn't have let him.

So, taking a deep breath, Gladion looked down at Null, and pulled his jacket a little tighter over himself. "Let's get out of here, Null," he told the pokémon, reaching a shivering hand to pet his head. He leaned back against the touch, and off they went. He had a long way to go, of course. Lillie had been dropped off on Poni Island after being released from Interpol custody. If he wanted to find her, he was almost certain he had to head to the most rural and borderline barren of Alola's islands.

He just hoped that, somehow, despite everything they had been through, they could learn to let go of the past… and move on together. Truth be told, he didn't want to waste away in despair, even as awful as the events aboard Aether Paradise had been…

He didn't want to just be another sad story lost to the warped Alolan islands.

Losing one's starter pokémon was not only a horribly painful experience, but it was a taboo one, as well. An Alolan's first pokémon dying in battle or due to cruelty was considered borderline unforgivable, and people who had gone through such a thing were even rumored to be cursed with bad luck. Combine that with a deep-seated guilt upon learning that Aether Paradise had sank after a fearsome surge of electricity had fried every mechanical and digital component on the entire island just after Hau had accidentally let fly a shockwave of electricity in his despair at Popper's death, Hau… was not doing well.

For the first week or so, he had retreated to Ula'Ula Island, and stayed far, far away from Selene and the others. Losing Popper still stung like a fresh wound. In fact, he felt as if his entire body were wounded, like perhaps his skin had been torn away. Everything felt just that much more painful. Looking at his friends, thinking of Aether Paradise, even thinking back to his electrical powers—it all just hurt.

Of course, being alone only exacerbated that problem. At one point, he found himself overlooking the sea at one of Ula'Ula Island's many cliffs. Sometimes, in a terrifying, fleeting moment, he would think of how easy it would have been to simply toss himself from the devastating heights and be lost to the watery depths below… Where he could be reunited with Popper at the bottom of the ferocious seas that had laid claim to Aether Paradise. But then his Talonflame, Mana, or his Umbreon, Ho'ololi, would nudge or nuzzle him, giving him worried looks with their round, soulful eyes, and he would feel such a hot flash of guilt for even considering something so horrible.

The loneliness, even with his pokémon's help, became too much to bear and he ended up winding his way back to Akala Island. As if on muscle memory, he found himself in the Lush Jungle, and he and Mallow were quick to befriend one another. Well… perhaps 'befriend' was a nice way to put it. Upon spotting her again, Hau hadn't been able to hold back the way his eyes lit up, or the sad smile that graced his lips. She had looked as beautiful as ever. "Alola, Mallow," he had almost whispered to her. She had excitedly waved a hand back at him, though she was noticeably apprehensive, as if unsure.

Well, their uncertainties were quickly lost as they talked (about anything except Hau's friends, Popper, or Aether), and talking turned to experimental, nervous kissing, which grew to confident, hot kisses, and that turned to… Well… Put simply, Hau soon learned where Mallow actually lived, and he became quite well-acquainted there. Konikoni City, over the next few weeks, became oh-so familiar, and Mallow's embrace and voice was welcome and soothing. He loved how understanding she was, how she didn't judge him for Popper's loss, how she had kept her promise to keep his electrical abilities a secret, and how she never brought up any of those topics that were just too painful to think about. She healed those metaphorical wounds across his body, reapplying his torn defenses, even if it was by totally ignoring them and making him feel good in other ways.

Yet, even as much as he enjoyed the limbo in which he lavished Mallow's company, deep down, he couldn't help feeling like it was merely putting a band-aid over his wounds. Popper was still gone; he, Selene, Lillie, and Elio were still separated; he still had the Island Challenge and his granddad to think about; Aether Paradise had still sank; he still had those electrical abilities to consider, and the looming fear of what would become of him if he and Selene didn't fulfill the destiny she had claimed Tapu Koko had laid out for them.

No, he couldn't waste away on Akala, languishing privately under Mallow's livening, pleasant touch, but as he snuggled up close to her in bed one of those many blurred-together nights, he wondered how on Earth he could pull away. Even though he had learned she couldn't heal such deep, emotional wounds as well as she could physical ones… He sighed and drank in her flowery scent as he nuzzled her perfect, soft hair, a scent laced with the earthy smells of the Lush Jungle and the various spices she cooked with. Maybe she couldn't heal those wounds, but damn, if her band-aids weren't good at making him temporarily feel as if everything were just okay…

Groggily, she lifted her head, and he heard her whisper, "Hau? Everything okay…?"

"Mm? Ae," he responded, nuzzling her a little closer. "Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."

"I don't mind," she softly giggled, reaching a hand behind herself to soothingly stroke his arm.

I don't either, he thought distractedly, relaxing immediately under her touch. No, he wasn't going anywhere.

Clouds of ice billowed out around the battlefield as the Ninetales skidded away from his opponent, though his eyes lit up in glee as the midday Lycanroc was left reeling in the aftermath of the attack. Struggling to get back to its feet, the Lycanroc's legs shook, and its tail quavered with the effort, an outraged snarl escaping its jaws.

From behind the Ninetales, a girl pumped a fist into the air. "Good job, Ninetales! Finish it with a Dazzling Gleam!"

Raising all of its nine, flowing tails together above his back, Ninetales bent low and bared his fangs as his silvery-blue fur glinted together, producing a bright, shimmering light that abruptly grew to blinding intensity, coating the isolated Poni Breaker Coast in a flood of glittering light. The Lycanroc collapsed for real, its dazed eyes rolling in its skull, and the Ninetales fluffed out his fur in pride as he admired his own handiwork. Once satisfied the Lycanroc wouldn't be getting back to its feet, he whirled around and ran back to his trainer—well, his new trainer.

Lillie extended a hand to stroke the pokémon's head as he ran up to her, smiling down at him. "You did such a good job," she crooned to him. Although he enjoyed her pets and her attention, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something sad about her smile… something off about her touch. Although her tone was happy, her eyes were always watery, and she had dark circles beneath them. Nudging back against her hand, hard, Ninetales wished that he could cheer her up. For some reason, a while ago, the boy they called Elio had vanished, and since then, it was Lillie that took care of him. Admittedly, he liked her better, because she was gentler, not as bombastic, and she… well, she actually took him out to fight other pokémon! Whereas Elio seemed content to let the Incineroar he called Macho do all the battling.

That wasn't to say he was glad he was gone, though… Licking Lillie's hand in an attempt to cheer her up, he then sat down on his haunches and cocked his head at her, giving a whine. He still wished he knew what had become of Elio… Macho, the Mudbray (who was a Mudsdale now), and a few other pokémon were now with Lillie as well. For some reason, though, Macho didn't talk to him. The Incineroar didn't want to fight anything, or even do anything, either. Lillie could only bring him out to feed and water him, and even then, Macho barely had any interest in that. Ninetales remembered pushing a bowl of food toward him with his nose and urging his friend to eat. With a solemn look from his golden-red eyes, the Inceroar had slowly bent down to do so, even though it seemed like the last thing he wanted to do.

Bending to her knees, Lillie laughed halfheartedly. "You're a good boy, Ninetales… but we should probably be heading to the Center for the night—"

He quit listening to her at that point, as he smelled something on the wind that made him jump up and raise his nose to the sky. His ears swiveled, straining to hear against the ambience of the coastline. Mixed in with the overpowering scent of the crashing waves of seawater on the beach, he could smell something else in the air, something familiar…

"Ninetales? What is it?"

It's Elio! Ninetales thought gleefully, recognizing the scent on the air. With an excited bark, he started to run, chasing that scent like a dream. He flew across rocky terrain, through the occasional patches of tall grass, and found himself running down the myriad of docks at that village by Poni's shore. People jumped out of his way and called out in shock as he rushed by, but Ninetales had a mission. He halted as he reached the source of the scent, and looked up, expecting to see Elio. Yet, he almost whimpered, as the person standing ahead of him was not Elio, but the girl that smelled deceptively similar to him—Selene.

She reared away from him, almost flinching. "H-hi, there, fella…" she mumbled, awkwardly then reaching a hand to pet him. Crestfallen that it wasn't Elio as he had been hoping, Ninetales just deflated under her touch, letting her pet him however much she liked. Within a few minutes, though, he heard the clattering of hooves, and tossing a look over his shoulder, he saw Lillie riding astride Mudsdale. When she and Selene's eyes met, Ninetales immediately sensed a tension in the air, and he shuffled out of the girls' lines of sight.

"Selene," Lillie whispered, voice barely audible. Her eyes abruptly dropped to the Mudsdale she was riding, anxiously stroking the pokémon's neck.

"Lillie…" Selene trailed off, or perhaps her words were choked off. "It's been so long. I'm so glad you're alright… Nobody could figure out how to get in touch with you…"

"Nobody?" Lillie questioned. "Does that mean you… were talking to others…? I just see you…"

"Gladion is around. He stopped by the Pokémon Center," Selene explained. She tucked her hands in her pockets and cleared her throat uncertainly. "Lillie… I want to try finding Hau, and keep traveling the islands…" Swallowing hard, her eyes darted between Ninetales and Mudsdale both. "I-I see you've been busy training, too…"

A long pause. Ninetales worriedly nudged Selene, then turned back to Mudsdale, looking up at Lillie. When her green eyes met his blue ones, he whimpered and pawed at the docks. Giving her a soft bark, he shook out all his fur after. Why is it just Selene? Where is Elio? he wanted to ask her, frustrated at his inability to. I smell him on her, but it's so faint… and she smells so much like him, but she's not him… I never even got to know him that well… Why do you hide him from me?

Lillie closed her eyes. "They're not my pokémon."

"Huh?" Selene gave a start of surprise. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Lillie sounded like she might start crying, and that made Ninetales worriedly jump up, leaning his front paws against the Mudsdale. Mudsdale failed to react, just scuffing a hoof against the docks. "They're Elio's," Lillie admitted, a few tears streaking down her face. "B-back at… at Aether… he rolled his Poké Balls down before he went to you…"

"You… you picked them up?" Selene sounded breathless. She shook her head in disbelief. "Wh-why did you just, run off to Poni, why didn't you—"

Starting to sob harder, Lillie despaired, "I just… I shouldn't have been so defenseless… If I had had any pokémon, anything, to face that Type: Zero with in the first place… maybe all of everything that happened those months ago wouldn't have happened… Maybe Elio would—"

Ninetales cut her off with a bark. Yes, Elio! he thought exuberantly. He barked again. That's it! Where is he?

Heaving a deep breath to steady her emotions, Lillie looked away from him, as if she couldn't bear to meet the Ninetales' gaze. "So… I decided I'd take care of them… and I'd learn to battle…"

Selene scuffed a shoe against the docks. "Thank you," she glumly muttered after a few seconds. "I'm… I'm glad you're taking care of them… But we need to find Hau. Well… I need help finding him, anyway…" She stamped her foot and clasped her hands together in front of herself. "Lillie, I don't want us all to be alone anymore. I'm afraid of what's going to happen to us that way… I'm afraid everything that happened… it'll be meaningless, if we all just… fade away from each other…"

Mulling that over for a moment, Lillie finally said, "Yeah… I get what you mean…" She finally dared to look back down at Ninetales, giving the pokémon a weary smile. Ninetales just barked again in frustration at her. Why do you always look at me like that? he thought annoyedly. Where's Elio? "I think Hau is on Akala. I've only talked to him once since… well, you know… I think he's with Captain Mallow."

Puffing in relief, Selene nodded. "I'm glad you had some clue of where he was, because I wasn't sure where to begin looking… I talked to everyone in Iki Town already, and nobody had seen him…" She wrinkled her nose, then growled. "None of them seemed too much like they wanted to see him, either. Pricks."

"I'm sure news traveled about Popper even though people tried to keep it quiet," Lillie said, rolling her eyes. "There's some big taboo about that, losing your starter pokémon, here."

"Speaking of. How is Nebby?"

Ninetales yelped in surprise, jumping down off of Mudsdale, and when he glanced to his side, he saw the blond boy that reminded him of Lillie. He couldn't quite remember what the other humans called him, though… Still, it was exciting to see him again! Ninetales hadn't seen him since he was a Vulpix, after all! He rushed up to the boy but came to a skidding stop as he noticed the unfamiliar, scary pokémon at the boy's side. Its Skarmory-feathered head and brutal, draconic claws made Ninetales second-guess approaching, and he fluffed his nine tails instinctively to appear larger than he truly was.

"Gladion," Lillie almost squeaked. Blinking feverishly, she floundered, like she hadn't understood his question. "Oh, Nebby…" She grimaced. "He's still just… unresponsive… He's resting in the Nest Ball at the moment…" Awkwardly, she rubbed the back of her head. "How's Plumeria?"

"Bad," he scoffed, shrugging his shoulders. "Honestly, Po Town's… not in great shape…" Ninetales narrowed his eyes a little suspiciously as he noticed Gladion's lip curl into something of a snarl. "Not that it ever was to begin with, especially considering they kidnapped you, but still."

Selene shook her head. "We've got to find Hau. Then we're going to fix all of this."

"How?" Lillie and Gladion asked her practically in unison. They then awkwardly looked at one another, and Gladion pulled at his jacket collar, as if it were suddenly strangling him.

"I just wanted to find you," he mumbled to Lillie.

"I don't know yet," Selene interjected, "but I do know that Tapu Koko spoke to me a while back… and he said that I had the power to tell the stories of others, and Hau had the power to make others listen… I'll admit, I'm not really all that sure what he meant by that… But I do know that I need to try…" She shook her head. "Everything that happened to us on Aether can't be pointless… and it happened because I tried to do so much on my own… I didn't… I wasn't really working with everyone else like we were a team…" Selene gave a shuddery sigh. "I was wrong, but it can't be over. That's not what Elio…" She trailed off. "Nebby still needs help, we need to find Hau… Then, maybe I can figure it out…" Giving nervous looks between Lillie and Gladion, she beseeched them, "Will you both come with me…? If for no other reason than for us to be together? I meant it when I said I was worried about us being alone…"

As if on cue, Ninetales walked up to her and rubbed his body against her legs. I don't know what they're talking about, but I really wish they'd just take me to Elio already…

Lillie chuckled sadly. "I guess I can't say no to that," she teasingly mused, pointing out Ninetales.

Crossing his arms, Gladion shuffled uneasily and cleared his throat. "Wherever, uh, wherever Lillie goes… I'll go." He shuffled again. "I'm sorry for everything, in the past…"

"It's alright," Lillie shrugged, smiling nervously back at him. "Maybe it's time we just… let all of that go…"

Selene bent down, and gently scratched Ninetales' chest fluff, tilting her head sympathetically at him. "I'm glad you're all coming with me," Selene murmured. She suddenly hugged Ninetales, and he whimpered, not sure what to make of the gesture. Why are they all acting so strange? he thought worriedly. I like Lillie, but… I wish Elio would come and make them all stop acting so strange now… Yet, despite that, he uncertainly relaxed under Selene's embrace. "I've missed you all," she almost mewled, as if fighting off sobs.

Then, Ninetales noticed the Decidueye standing just behind Selene, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Bowtie! Ninetales barked excitedly, startling Selene. Bowtie! You've gotta know something! Where's Elio? I mean, we didn't do much together, but still, it's been so long since I've seen him… at least he took me out of the Poké Ball to hang out sometimes, those other humans way back when I was a Vulpix before I met him sure didn't—

Bowtie jolted in surprise. You don't know? he asked in an owlish coo, tilting his head. Looking away, the Decidueye's face fell, looking so, so sad. He's gone… dead. Elio, Popper… And I don't even know where Macho is… our whole group fell to pieces after that scary island… He shut his eyes and wrapped his wings tighter around himself. I miss them so much, Popper and Macho…

What? Ninetales yelped in panicked disbelief, wrestling himself out of Selene's grasp. Jumping away from them all, he looked up at Lillie in disbelief. He's g-gone? He can't be gone! I mean, Macho's not gone, he's with us, so how can Elio be gone? Barking at Lillie, Ninetales shook his head, as if willing her to prove Bowtie wrong somehow.

Macho's not gone? Bowtie asked, ignorant to Ninetales' panic.

"Ninetales, it's okay," Lillie insisted, climbing down off the Mudsdale. She reached a hand out to gently pet his head, and he melted under her warm touch, even though he was still breathing heavily. She hugged him and shushed him. Distracted trying to comfort the panicking Ninetales, Lillie failed to notice Bowtie slink up behind her, and nudge a Poké Ball on her belt. The Decidueye flared his wings and jumped back, all of his feathers ruffling.

Macho! You're right! That's his Poké Ball! Bowtie's expression lit up. I'm… so glad to know at least he's still with me… I thought all of us were gone… It's… still so sad that Popper's gone, but…

But… then where's Elio? Ninetales whimpered, even though he was still accepting Lillie's comforting hug.

Bowtie flinched at the question. I think he's still gone…

"I think they're all still a bit freaked out, too," Lillie told Selene when she noticed the other's quizzical expression.

Bending down beside Lillie, Selene sadly forced a smile at the Ninetales. She slowly reached to stroke the pokémon's forehead. "What's wrong?" she asked gently. "What's wrong, Ninetales?"

When her palm met Ninetales' forehead, he froze, feeling strange in a way he couldn't quite describe. Selene's eyes glazed over, and something told him she wasn't quite there at that moment. Worried, he barked at her, trying to pull her out of her stupor. It took a few seconds for her to 'come back,' and she pulled her hands away, pressing her palms to her lap as she sat back on her knees.

"I miss Elio, too, Ninetales," she whispered, her eyes tearing up. "I'm sorry he's gone… I could see how much you missed him… All your memories I saw were of him doing little stuff with you…" She looked sharply away. "You were a bit confused by how angry he was toward… toward the end, but… you enjoyed him, even if you wished he would have tried battling more with you…"

See? Bowtie cooed as he pressed a wing to Selene comfortingly. She gets sad like that every time he is mentioned. Or angry… And I haven't seen him… He's gone.

Null, the pokémon at the blond boy's side, scuffed his claws against the ground, and he made a whirring, growling noise that was offensive to Ninetales' sensitive ears. He flattened them against his skull and wished that thing would just shut up. He didn't understand anything that creature had to say, and its voice sounded weirdly uncanny, as if it were speaking unintelligibly below a layer of white noise… Shaking his head as he ignored Null, Ninetales leaned further into Lillie's hold, then bared his teeth in a growl. Well, if Elio's gone, then we have to get him back!

That's not… Bowtie looked like he wanted to dispute that, but the Decidueye just shook his head and sighed dejectedly. Null also clawed the ground again, but this time, looked to be doing so more in frustration than anything.

"We should go," Selene said after a moment more, and she wiped her face clean of her freshly shed tears. "To Akala first, then? To get Hau?"

The others agreed, and Ninetales determinedly followed them. He was full of hope to prove Bowtie wrong and bring Elio back…

No matter where he had gone to.

Chapter Text

Arriving back on Akala Island had taken a few hours by boat. Everyone had managed to calm down from their discussion on Poni's docks… in fact, they had all hardly spoken a word since. Selene thought it almost seemed quaint and normal. Seated in a row of three seats all beside one another, Selene found herself at the window, while Gladion took the seat to her right, and Lillie took the aisle seat. Brother and sister awkwardly exchanged conversation here and there, but for the most part remained decidedly silent. Only when Gladion unexpectedly grabbed Selene's hand did she give a start of surprise but managed to keep her composure. She expected the onslaught of a vision immediately, but instead of freezing in panic, succumbing to the idea she would have one like she always had done in the past, she briefly tensed her muscles and took a deep, calming breath. No. She was not in the mood for that right then.

…And yet, somehow, that worked. All she felt was the obvious anxiety in his hand as he lightly squeezed hers, fingers trembling slightly. He withdrew it after a moment more and swallowed hard, appearing to stare at the seat in front of himself pointedly. "Sorry," he whispered offhandedly to her, never breaking eye contact with it. If she were in a more easily amused mood, Selene might have laughed. It looked like he was having a staring contest with the seat.

Although he didn't clarify what he was sorry for, Selene felt that she understood. The awkward exchanges between Lillie and Gladion were bittersweet to listen to. They sounded like old friends that had long forgotten one another's hobbies and interests, but were trying to stitch together a conversation, nonetheless. They tiptoed around certain topics, like Skull, Aether, or Nebby, but grasped for every opportunity at another conversation. Admittedly, it did make Selene quit paying them mind after a while, and just stare out the window onto the open ocean, observing the occasional Basculin or Magikarp leap from the water, or the rare sight of a Gyarados' tail breaching the waves. Although Kukui had pried a reaction out of her she couldn't describe, and she had had time to deal with the encroaching numbness following Elio's… departure… she still didn't want any reminders. She wanted to take what had happened at Aether and bury it in a tiny box, way down deep—and then let it go. She didn't dare think about her parents, either, that were still in Interpol custody as they continued their search along the ocean floor for whatever evidence they could hope to collect from the Atlantean ruins of Aether. It wasn't exactly like she had visitation rights, either, with people that were accused of assisting in acts of heinous cruelty to pokémon, kidnapping, illegal fabrication of pokémon, and Arceus could only remember what else they had told her Inaba and Miki could potentially end up charged with.

Privately, she liked this semblance of normalcy doing something as simple as riding between the islands granted. It was a mirage, and she knew it, but she appreciated it, anyway. Maybe with Hau, they could all feel even more normal, and the daunting task ahead of understanding just what Tapu Koko had asked of her—no, them, she reminded herself sternly—wouldn't be so overwhelming.

What she hadn't expected, upon arriving at Akala and meeting at the Lush Jungle as Captain Mallow had insisted (apparently, Lillie had called her sometime before they boarded the vessel), was for Hau to recoil at the sight of them and turn his back, immediately crossing his arms. They were halfway into the trial area, where undergrowth came up to their calves and Mallow had some cooking supplies sprawled on a mat around a broiling pot, wild Fomantis and Comfey peering out cautiously at them. Bowtie slunk around the edge of the slight clearing, drifting in and out of trees, as if he were at home in the shadows of the trunks. Lillie and Gladion had stayed put a short distance away while Selene and Mallow themselves stepped forward to try and talk to Hau.

"Hau," Selene softly called, smiling slightly. She felt almost lame as she couldn't seem to find the words to say and just almost laughed, "Uh, hey…"

He shuffled in place, his arms still crossed firmly over his chest. "I don't want to talk," he muttered back to her in Alolan. Coldly, he added, "If I wanted to, I'd have come and found you, wouldn't I?"

Sighing, Selene guiltily gnawed her lower lip. She hadn't known what to expect from this interaction, but whatever Hau was feeling, she couldn't help but feel responsible. Maybe it was Nanu that had convinced her to round them all up and head to Aether Paradise on that ill-fated expedition… but what if she just hadn't put her powers on display for him? Wincing at the thought, she thought of how Elio had shown up there. A scary thought played in the back of her mind. Had she just been destined to lose Elio that day, no matter what, due to her past mistakes? Pushing such a thought away immediately, Selene shook her head. "Hau, maybe you don't want to talk, but we need to."

His shoulders arched somewhat. "About what?" he snapped.

Inhaling sharply, Selene admitted, "It's… no secret that everything that happened on Aether was nothing short of a disaster, Hau…" Choking up a little, she grimaced. "I think it was such a disaster because I stopped talking to you. I quit talking to you, and acted like I knew best, all on my own… and I didn't. I didn't, I couldn't talk to Elio, and… we all got into something way bigger than we should have, without knowing what we were doing…"

She saw Hau's muscles loosen. "I…" he trailed off, sounding as if he were trying to drum up some courage. "I thought me and P-Popper could take Zero… on our own… and I knew you were frustrated with Elio, but… even though you were, you acted like you had it under control…" He scuffed a foot in the grass and roots below himself. He still hadn't turned to look at her. "I wanted to be like that. And that surge from Zero, that we got in the hall, back at Po Town… For a moment, I felt like a real-life superhero. More than someone on a clock, like I always felt before, with this little trick of mine, I felt like more than someone serving someone else's needs… I felt alive. And I wanted to be like you… so, I fought Zero alone."

"I'm sorry, Hau," Selene whispered, daring to step closer to him. "I'm sorry…" Glancing at Lillie and Gladion, who both nodded at her encouragingly, Selene swallowed hard before continuing. "I just… want us to be together, now… so nothing like that happens again. To any of us. I-I'm afraid of what's going to happen to us, alone… you know?" Inching even closer, until she was standing beside him, she dared to look him in the face. He jerked his gaze away from her, jaw set and tight. "I'm… I'm afraid it'll all have been pointless. If we hold onto all the bad that happened there… And Hau, I told you what Tapu Koko said…" She crossed her own arms, apologetically mumbling, "I'm… I'm sorry I didn't take it to heart at the time. I don't think I understood it, back then…"

Unclenching his jaw enough to speak, he pressed, "Do you understand it now?"

"Not really," Selene admitted. With a nervous half-smile, she nudged his shoulder. "That's… kind of why I wanted to find you. So maybe we could figure it out."

She thought he heard him make a 'tch' and he groaned, turning to regard them all with incredulousness. "Do you have any idea where we'd even start? What's the end goal?" With a sweeping gesture of his hand, he motioned to all of them, then stopped on Bowtie. She thought she heard his voice catching in his throat as he spoke, but he pushed through. "What are we going to do? It's over. We lost. Lusamine got what she wanted, and others paid for it." He started to pant as he clearly became more riled up. "Nebby's… whatever it is he is, now, and everything's still just as screwed up as it was before. Where would we even start? What is it you want to fix?"

"I'm going to stop you there, Hau. We didn't lose."

Surprised at Lillie's interjection, Selene and Hau both paused and turned to watch her as she walked up to them. Selene noticed the way Hau took her in as if he had never seen her before and she remembered that he likely hadn't seen her since the interrogations following the sinking of Aether. Even though the dye in her hair had started to come away at that point, she looked much more like her original self, right then. She lacked her original braids, but her hair sat in a ponytail, making a wave of blond hair fall down her back. Part of her hair was parted around her face and sat in long, straight lines at the side, framing her. Her green eyes glittered as she took a deliberate step forward, setting her jaw as she looked up at Hau. She overturned her hand and showed him a handful of Poké Balls, including one that was striped green and tan—a Nest Ball.

"The Nest Ball is Nebby. The rest are Elio's," Lillie explained. She closed her hand over them again and dropped her arm back to her side. "Nebby lived through that little stunt of theirs. All of their notes suggested he should have died. He lived, but he's… unresponsive." Closing her eyes, she exhaled slowly. "As for Elio's pokémon, I haven't even named them, even if I've been training them some. He told me before that he wanted to name them, he just couldn't decide on what… and then, well… you know how everything went downhill…" Opening her eyes again, she took another decisive step forward, narrowing her eyes determinedly. "He's going to get the chance to name them and I'm going to find a way to heal Nebby. Lusamine hasn't won yet. That's what we need to do, Hau."

Blinking at her fervently, he shook his head slowly. "And what about the everything else? Nobody wants to talk to me except for you guys because of what happened with Popper! A-and on top of that, we still have stuff like this"—he raised a hand, showing them the arcs of electricity dancing between his fingers—"to worry about! Things are still screwed here, even though Aether's gone!" Almost sarcastically curling his lips, he spat, "It's not like that was all that was wrong, here."

Lillie glanced between Selene and Hau both. "I have an idea for that, actually. When I was training on Poni, I talked to some locals… Did you two know that Poni doesn't even have a Kahuna?"

"Really?" Selene and Hau exchanged looks.

"Nanu acts as the Kahuna for the island, on top of being Ula'Ula's Kahuna," Lillie shrugged, "but Tapu Fini hasn't named another Kahuna for that island in years, over a decade. Something else interesting about Tapu Fini—she is said to be able to cleanse the toxins away from anything, or anyone." Tucking the Poké Balls into her shoulderbag, Lillie added, "If Lusamine lost her mind because of Nihilego toxins like those fun Interpol guys suggested—it's a wonder they keep anything secret there, really, as much as they lit slip to us, by the way—then maybe that's what's bothering Nebby, somehow… I still don't know what that box was they put him in, after all… And maybe while we're there, you two can test out your theory." She locked eyes with Selene. "You know. How you have the power to listen to the stories of others, and Hau is who can make them listen. Look, I understand about as much about what that means as the next guy, but… who knows. Maybe it'll help if Selene tries to listen to her and talks to you about it, Hau."

Hau flicked his eyes between them all and then nervously stumbled, immediately stammering, "N-no, there's just—"

"Hau…"

Captain Mallow this time. She clasped her hands in front of herself and gave a sad, knowing smile. Instinctively, Selene and Lillie parted for her, giving her space to approach Hau. She was followed by a few Fomantis excitedly bouncing near her feet as she unfolded her hands to gently take Hau's into them, leaning her forehead forward to touch his. Unlike how standoffish he had been with the rest of them, he readily accepted her touch, even if he still looked incredibly anxious. "Ae, Mallow?"

"You can't stay here forever, you know that, right?" she whispered to him. Selene tried to avert her eyes to give them some privacy, but she could still hear everything. "I knew that when you first showed up…"

"But…"

"Ae, we hung out, we had a fun time… sometimes, really fun," Mallow laughed playfully, then cleared her throat, "but, I knew it wasn't forever. You know? You were hurt… and you needed some healing." Without even looking at her, Selene could see her encouraging grin. "That's my job. That's what I do for Alola. Tapu Lele might scare me, but I do that for me, not her, truthfully. It makes me feel good to help others out when I know they need it, and you needed it… But Hau, you don't need that anymore."

A long pause. "If I don't, then why don't I want to leave? And just… what's the point?" He almost scoffed. "After all of that…"

"What was the point of all that hurt if you just stay here?" Mallow asked quietly, almost too quiet for Selene to hear. "From everything you've told me, from what I've picked up on, you are meant for something so much bigger, you know. You've already sacrificed so much for it, too… Maybe you should finish what you started. Hey… it's not like I'm going anywhere. Whenever you need time to rest and pick yourself back up, you know where I am."

Quavering, he finally seemed to agree, and Selene let out a breath of relief she hadn't realized she had been holding. "You're right, Mallow… You're right." She risked looking up at them, finding that Mallow had her arms draped across Hau's shoulders, and he had returned the gesture as close as he could, hugging her tightly in response. "Thank you. For everything…"

Smiling warmly, Mallow gently pushed on his shoulders, forcing some space between them, and dragged a finger up his chin, forcing it upward in an almost symbolic gesture. That encouraging expression changed to one of mischief as she grinned and then teased, "Now, go put those electric fingers to better use than me, would you~?"

Sputtering in disbelief and flushing red, he jolted away from her. "M-Mallow!" he whined, an uncomfortable laugh escaping him against his wishes, it seemed. "In front of—"

She cut him off with wild laughter, the Fomantis around her feet scattering as she had to take a few steps back to catch her balance. "Well, hey, it worked! You laughed~!"

Having been equally as caught off-guard as Hau, Selene let out an ugly laugh and covered her mouth as she grinned playfully at him. Regaining her composure with a few puffs for breath, Selene managed to squeeze out, "S-so, you're coming with us?"

He abruptly laughed more, like he was remembering how good it felt to do so. "Ae, yeah," he agreed, laughing even harder. "Yeah, I'm coming with." He wiped an amused tear away from his eyes and rolled them at Mallow, still blushing hard. Shaking his head and wagging a finger at her as he walked by, he pretended to scold her, "That was low. Guess you don't get any more 'electric fingers.'"

"Arceus, can we stop with the electric fingers?" Gladion complained from the sidelines, a hand planted firmly over his face. Mallow's humor feeling a little infectious, Selene shared a devious look with Bowtie, who had crept up back to her side, and skipped over to Gladion.

"What is it, Glad?" she dared to tease him, her hands plastered firmly behind her back.

He blinked at her dubiously, like he didn't understand what she was doing. Flushing a little red, he growled, "Well, it's just that—"

While he was distracted trying to explain, Selene prodded his shoulder out of nowhere, and he scrambled away, cursing under his breath. Glowering at her once he regained his composure, he pointed at her. "That wasn't funny," he told her flatly.

Yet, her giggling said otherwise. "What, afraid it was—"

"The next person that says electric fingers is getting zapped," Hau warned as he rolled his eyes and stalked between them, headed toward the entrance of the Lush Jungle.

"Oh, I thought I wasn't getting any more, that's all I have to do?" Mallow cheekily piped up immediately, a Cheshire grin spreading across her face.

Just like that, Gladion groaned and followed Hau, leaving Selene and Lillie alone with Mallow. Turning to face the Captain, Selene dipped her chin respectfully. "Thank you… We really can't do this without him…"

She shrugged. "I meant everything I said. I didn't do it just for you." With that, she playfully waved at them. "But I-I better get back to cooking, for the Totem Lurantis. I know of some recipes that help calm them down, pokémon, and, well… Calming a Totem down is a good way of making them better-adjusted to the job…"

Catching the slightest tremor in Mallow's tone, Selene briefly wondered if, despite how well Mallow seemed to be handling this goodbye, she was sad to see Hau go.

"Selene?" Lillie cleared her throat. "Should we go?"

Breaking her stare away from Mallow and shaking her head to focus again, Selene nodded. "Y-yeah. Let's go." Pausing awkwardly, she attempted the Alolan handwave in Mallow's direction. "Alola, Captain Mallow."

"It's just Mallow," Mallow laughed, sounding a little forced. "Alola, Selene, Lillie."

"Getting to the Ruins of Hope—that's where Tapu Fini supposedly lives—won't be easy," Lillie had warned them as they had gathered supplies from a Poké Mart and from a normal department store in the local Konikoni City. "Most of Poni is barren. Canyons and badlands. People only really live around the docks. And without a Kahuna… well, we're just relying on maps and our own common sense to get there."

This Lillie was so different from the Lillie he had known before. Although Hau kept turning over Mallow's final words to him in his head, drawing strength from them, he found Lillie's words almost just as encouraging. He didn't know where this determination of hers had come from, but he admired it, almost like he had admired Elio's fire before he had stormed out of Po Town that fateful day. Admittedly, he wasn't sure what to say to Selene; he didn't want to truly blame her for anything. Nanu had been the one to push her to trust her powers more than she should have—they still had far too much to figure out about them, after all—and although she had pushed Elio to behave so defensively in the days and weeks leading up to the tragedy aboard Aether's decks, he knew she hadn't meant to. Not to mention… she had apologized. Hau wasn't a spiteful person. Holding onto anger was difficult and not in his nature. At her heartfelt, sincere apologies, it had started to dissipate, all that tightness in his chest from his anger with her decisions… After all, they were a team, and she was his friend. She had made mistakes, but hadn't he? Swallowing hard, he grimaced as he reminded himself that, for example, it wasn't Selene who had brought Aether Paradise to the ocean floor…

After packing up all they felt they needed for the coming journey from the store, they had crashed in a Pokémon Center for the evening, and it felt almost domestic, to sit around a hostel room, just the four of them, without any immediate danger looming over their shoulders. Well, he supposed that wasn't true… At some point, Gladion asked Lillie for more about what she planned to do with Nebby and Elio's pokémon.

"I'm going to give his back to him, just like I said before," Lillie explained simply, with a one-sided shrug. "I'm going to help Nebby, however I can… and a long time ago, Dulse and Zossie pulled me aside, and they warned me. I think I might have told you guys about it… But they warned me that in their home world, there was a creature, kind of like a pokémon, but a creature who could destroy a world's light if allowed to find it…" She gave a shuddery sigh. "They were worried that if Lusamine got Nebby, she would find that creature, and she'd set it free. I don't know if Lusamine's alive. I don't know if she found that creature or not. For all I know, she tried to go to it, and it destroyed her in one hit or something," she snorted contemptuously, "but… if there's a chance that Elio's still out there, if there's a chance that she could do that… I have to stop it. I owe it to him, and to Alola." She set her jaw and bitterly looked away when Gladion seemed like he wanted to comfort her. "It was my fault I was so defenseless, back then. I had nothing to fight Skull with other than my mouth and my own two hands and feet when they kidnapped me. It was because I was up on my high horse, refusing to train pokémon, because I was convinced I wouldn't hurt anyone or anything that way… I was wrong."

That sure sounded like danger, but… it wasn't imminent. It wasn't like before, where there was a constant fear that someone was on the hunt for Lillie and Nebby. At least that was nice… He almost rolled his eyes. Somehow, the news that a world-ending beast might have been lying in wait on another world didn't seem to bother him nearly as much as he imagined it should have. Was it shock dulling his response to that, or had he just seen so much, he couldn't imagine it being that much worse of a situation than he'd already handled?

"Her fault, his fault, your fault," Gladion abruptly interrupted everyone's thoughts, scoffing. Null, laying at his feet, perked up and looked at his trainer, seated at the edge of the lower mattress of the left-hand side's bunk beds. "I really wish everyone would stop trying to toss around blame." He scuffed a shoe against the wooden floor, then kicked both his shoes off, flopping back onto the bed and sighing at the apparently welcome comfort. "Everyone screwed up a little that day. It is what it is. All we can do now is do better and move on, and we're doing that. Right?"

Selene, from the bunk above Hau's, said, "That's… yeah…"

She didn't sound all that enthused, but Hau supposed that was to be expected. He didn't exactly feel like forgiving himself just because Gladion had said so, either, but he did find some solace in the words. It felt nice to know there were some that had been there that knew he hadn't intended for things to go so fantastically wrong that day…

"No. Sorry, you're wrong on that one, Glad," Lillie quietly replied from the bunk above his. She, too, had laid back in her bed, not even bothering to sit up as she talked. "None of that would have happened had I never been kidnapped in the first place. Don't be naïve. You, yourself, rarely even walk without Null by you, right? Why's that?"

He uncomfortably fidgeted his hands and took a moment to reply. "Because I got jumped not that long after I joined Skull. A bunch of guys who hated Skull. They were picking on a little girl from them. I tried to talk them out of it, and they attacked me. I didn't even have time to throw Null's Poké Ball…" He licked his lips as he trailed off. "I don't know what would have happened if Guzma hadn't stopped them."

"You felt helpless," Lillie simplified for him, "defenseless, and you had to have someone else risk themselves for you. You didn't want that to happen again. It's the same logic, Glad."

Familiarly nervous smile pulling at his lips, Hau tried to defuse the situation. "Maybe we should all just try an' get some sleep, ae…" Or at least talk about literally anything else.

It was Selene that replied. "Yeah, I agree with Electric Fingers."

Groaning as he flopped onto his back on the mattress below him, Hau clamped both hands over his face. "Would you stop that!" he hissed in Alolan.

"Oh, no, that's a thing now, sorry," Selene taunted, a cackle following.

"Gross. I'm going to bed," Gladion declared. Hau spread the fingers over his face enough to see him turn to the wall beside his bed and fluff his pillow. He didn't even bother getting under the covers or getting out of his jacket, and Null immediately joined him, curling up at the foot of the mattress.

"Goodnight, Glad," Lillie yawned. "Selene, Hau."

"Night," Selene called back.

Snorting in amusement, Hau stood back up out of his bed. "Ae, everyone so tired, we just leave the lights on," he teased under his breath, going over to flick the switch off. Making his way back to his bed, he hesitated as he went to lift the blankets to curl up beneath them. As of late, it normally would have been Mallow joining him in bed, and before her, Popper. Without either of them, the prospect of going to bed seemed a lot more daunting. Mulling over that for a second, he ended up releasing his Umbreon, Ho'ololi, to join him. Curling up beneath the covers, Hau patted the bed to encourage the pokémon to join him. After a few curious sniffs at where he was patting, the Umbreon seemed to decide there was no harm in trying to join him, and tucked himself into a ball at about Hau's knees.

It wasn't the same, but at least it was a little more familiar.

Chapter Text

Waking up earlier than she expected the following morning, Selene groggily blinked as a voice pulled her from her slumber. After a few confused, blank seconds, she realized it was Gladion. Still staring at the ceiling of their hostel room, she hesitated to get up. Despite not glancing at her phone or looking outside, based on how dark it was still in that room, she knew it had to be very early dawn.

"Plumeria, please, calm down… What's going on?" A long stretch of silence, presumably as Plumeria answered him on the phone. "He… what? …That fucking bastard."

Then, Lillie must have woken up. "Glad…?"

"Huh?" he sounded like someone had snuck up on him. "Oh, Lillie… Sec, Plumeria." He took a deep breath. "Yeah?"

"What's going on?"

Peering over the banister of her bunk as surreptitiously as she could, Selene could only just see Gladion press a button on the touchscreen of a phone and sighed. "It's Plumeria. She called on your phone. You were asleep. I picked up."

"What'd she want…?"

"Said she wanted to tell you that she spoke with Acerola, like you asked, about Elio. Well, she asked about Guzma and Lusamine, too, but still. Acerola has no idea. Says she can't get a read on any of them at all. She thinks her power doesn't, uh… extend that far. But, aside from that, she…" He stopped and licked his lips anxiously. "She's fighting with Makua… Says lots of people are leaving Po Town and not coming back. Makua's quit taking his meds and even threatened her with his Skarmory already, 'cause she got frustrated and snapped something at him."

"I don't… I don't understand. Acerola can't get a read on them…? And—what's she want us to do about Makua?"

Grimacing and side-eyeing the phone, Gladion whispered, "I think she just wanted someone to talk to 'bout it…" Clearing his throat, he spoke up, "U-uh, something about how… Acerola kinda… experiences everyone's lives? Like, I'll admit, I don't understand it super well. But what I picked up from Nanu over time was that Acerola, when she's given a name, kinda remembers all their life experiences. It's like she's a filing cabinet, but, um…"

Selene had to fight back a morbid gasp of amusement as Lillie raised a brow and incredulously asked, "But for souls?"

Flushing a little red, Gladion nodded. "Yeah. Guess so… That's why she's so all over the place." He grimaced. "Was a little freaky to learn that, I'm not gonna lie. That girl has no idea who she actually is, that's why she acts so all over the place. Anyway, she does get some memories for an Elio Maan Isono, but they're not, well, him, him. Guys that have been dead for centuries or some dude from Hoenn."

"Right…" Sighing, Lillie smiled weakly, then yawned, "If you give me the phone, I'll go talk with Plumeria…"

"Thanks… Still a little bitter at her and Skull, for, well, everything. Don't think I'm exactly a good shoulder for her to cry on at the moment."

Lillie snorted in amusement. "Oh, no, feelings. Anything but those."

Frowning disapprovingly, Gladion thrust her phone back at her. "Yes, anything but those. I've felt enough last year to last me a lifetime. Take it."

Laughing, Lillie immediately apologized as she snatched the phone and vanished out the room, but Selene saw the way Gladion's lips pulled into the slightest of smirks as she giggled. That was when Selene decided to make herself known. She tried to casually announce herself with a noisy yawn, and then started off the bed. Before she had finished climbing down, Gladion cut his eyes at her.

"Saw you. Eavesdropping isn't cool."

Blinking, Selene snorted and then covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, eaves-what?"

Jolting in surprise, he gave an uncomfortable laugh then, too. "Your Galarish is so good, sometimes I forget it's not your first language. Eavesdropping, uh… it's like spying. But usually, not as bad." Shaking his head in annoyance, he still seemed flushed as he muttered, "Still. Not cool."

Cocking her head and putting her hands on her hips, Selene coyly asked, "Why? Afraid I might have caught you not being Mr. Cool and Collected?"

That smirk playing at his lips pulled bigger. "Oh, whatever," he chuckled, sitting down on the edge of his bunk. "Still. Did you hear what I said about Acerola?"

Expression turning more serious, Selene somberly nodded. "Yeah…" I mean… it's good that she didn't go, 'oh, yeah, Elio's dead,' but at the same time… If she just can't check the next world, then… Selene's gaze dropped to the floor. She wanted to believe Lillie's fervor, the determination to find a way to retrieve him, but hadn't that been what Lusamine had gone mad trying to do for Mohn? That woman had had an entire organization of talented scientists working at her disposal and had destroyed herself (and so, so many others…) in the process, still without result. It burned like a bullet to the chest to even think that Elio was just gone forever, the same as it had every time it crossed her mind in the weeks following that fallout aboard the ill-fated Aether Paradise, but… how much worse would it hurt to believe he was alive, only to discover he wasn't, and she had been chasing his ghost? What if she built up a beautiful picture in her mind of finding him and running up to him, of returning to a domestic life with him and her parents, only to discover such a goal could never be realized?

She just felt so guilty. She wanted to follow Lillie's lead in hopes of learning otherwise, but mostly, she was just looking forward to talking with Tapu Fini, and hopefully discovering more about Alola that might help her finish putting together the puzzle Tapu Koko had lain before her. She wondered if he would have spited her for that, for holding the hope of seeing him again at an arm's length, and moving on with Hau, Lillie, and Gladion…

"Why do you look like that?"

Gladion's voice wrenched her from her stupor. At her Deerling-in-headlights stare, he patted the bed beside himself stiffly. "Sit." She was amused by his awkward cough following such an order. He sounded so gruff and blunt, but clearly was nervous. Still, she adhered to his request, taking a seat beside him slowly.

"I just…"

Before she could say anything, he pressed a hand to her shoulder, clasping it firmly. Selene immediately seized up, steeling herself instinctively against a vision that wanted to play. "Gladion?" she almost squeaked.

"Uh… I talked to Makua some, before I left Po Town. I'll admit, he wasn't making a ton of sense. He's… been a wreck since Guzma…" Gladion winced. "Well, according to Plumeria, Acerola said she doesn't know what happened to Guzma either, but she had a hard time with him because they weren't totally sure of his last name… He acted like he'd rather die than tell them that." Uncomfortably laughing at that, he cleared his throat and continued. "Anyway, that's not the point. Makua knew Kahuna Kaua really well. That guy that, uh, supposedly had your same powers."

That certainly grabbed her attention. Training her blue eyes onto him as if she wanted to bore a hole through him, she urgently pressed, "Yeah? What'd he say?"

Still clinging to her shoulder, he uneasily said, "He said, uh… that Kaua always told him that he struggled with that ability until he learned to want to know others' stories… He said, 'Kaua always told me that he was a wreck with that power of his until he learned not to be scared of it.' Something about how it was hard, because at first, all he got were these scary, depressing stories. It made him not want to learn about anyone else and he tried repressing the ability, but… that just meant he only got scarier visions whenever they did happen…"

Hanging onto his every word, Selene swallowed hard. "Really…?"

"I guess… What I gathered from it, is that if you try to use it a little more, and just let yourself have different visions without pushing them away… You might not always get the doom and gloom you've been getting and you might learn more about everything. At least, 'doom and gloom' is what I assume you've been getting. Every time I saw you before we went to Po Town, you looked like you'd seen fifteen ghosts."

She wanted to snort and ask him, "Why fifteen in particular?" Yet, at that statement, Bowtie slunk up on them. Honestly, Selene hadn't a clue where he had slept for the evening, but he swept across the floor in front of Gladion, touching a silky wing to his leg, and making him give a small jump. Cursing under his breath, Gladion hung his head, and shook it.

"Anyway," he growled, rolling his eyes as he settled back on Selene, "I just… wanted to tell you that." Withdrawing his hand uncertainly, he clasped both of his in front of himself, and sat upright, stiff as a board. "And also, he said Kaua always mentioned that whenever he wasn't afraid of it, that's when he got more than just memories. That's when he was able to start looking into dreams and stuff like that…"

He always seemed so nervous. Yet, focusing on what he had just said, she had several thoughts racing in her mind. First of all, she could totally understand what Kaua had said (if the old Kahuna had actually said that, of course… Somehow, remembering the battle they had nearly had with a drugged-out Makua, she didn't feel his word meant that much if he wasn't sober). The shock of discovering she had powers in the first place, then the assaults of violent, depressing visions, seemingly at random, it had been so… so overwhelming… With a wince, she remembered Elio's disturbing vision with the Ekans, and instantly felt the rush of shame that always came with that. Shame for reacting to it as she had. Banishing the thoughts quickly, she clung to what Gladion had said instead. Another thing she found fascinating about it: he had been so moved by her that he had gone out of his way to try to talk to Makua, a man who had assisted in the kidnapping of his own sister—the catalyst to the avalanche of events aboard Aether—and she just wondered why…

In fact, despite his fury toward Lillie (which she understood a little better, in hindsight) at that one time outside of Konikoni, every time she had been with Gladion, he had seemed so quiet, but she got the sense that he wanted to be helpful, to just do something good for himself and those around him. Smiling to herself almost sadly as she mulled that over, she glanced at Null, still sprawled across the bed behind them and asleep.

"Thank you, Gladion," she said as she stared at the pokémon. And with that, she confidently put her hand on his shoulder, just as he had done to her a moment ago, and closed her eyes.

It didn't take Selene long to recognize where she was in this vision. The faux marble flooring, the stark, white walls, and gray table separating her from a nameless Interpol officer—she was in some sort of interrogation room, aboard one of the Interpol police boats that had swarmed Aether Paradise as it capsized. Gladion's hands were locked in handcuffs to that table, where hers should have been. Looking to her left and right through Gladion's eyes, she realized this was not a lone interrogation. Dr. Faba was at another table further to the left of this long, empty room, and Dr. Wicke on the other side. In Gladion's mind, she could tell he had believed during this interrogation they had all been brought together because they simply didn't have enough rooms for private interrogations. After all, they hadn't been the only people aboard Aether Paradise; Interpol boats spent hours picking up survivors from the sinking island, with intents on interrogating each and every one of them. Gladion had only been separated from Dr. Faba and Dr. Wicke by distance.

So, when another nameless officer set his elbows on the table and started to pry at Dr. Faba, Selene heard Dr. Faba's responses. Apparently, the officer had slid some pictures across the table at him.

"That's the newest Type: Full design," Faba expressionlessly muttered. His hands were handcuffed to his table, the same as Gladion's, but unlike Gladion, who was tense, handcuffs taut, and had his knees pulled close to his body, Faba's arms and legs were loose and uncoiled. His head hung somewhat, and he appeared to be staring at the floor vacantly. Without ever looking at the picture, he explained, "Type: Zero is what we called it. Because it was as if we were starting from 'ground zero,' from the ground up, with Miki and Inaba's help."

Selene felt her lip curl. Well, Gladion's lip. "You say that like they were helping because they wanted to," he sarcastically spat. The officer at his table snapped his fingers and said something to try to pull Gladion's attention back, but Faba's bizarre response to Gladion's spiteful words silenced everyone else in the room.

"It's all on me, I did it all! I started it all!" Faba yelled, slamming his hands against the table. His handcuffs jangled. Panting for breath even though he hadn't been moving much, he barked at the officer across from him, even though his gaze flicked to Gladion momentarily, "I'm the one that started it all… I fucked up that fucking experiment way back when, with the Ultra Wormholes, back when we were investigating some strange happenings on Alola with Professor Burnet. Mohn disappeared, and that was all she fucking wrote!" His arms suddenly fell slack, and he buried his face between them, against the table. Selene felt a private wave of dismay as she realized she actually felt some empathy for the cold, heartless Dr. Faba as he started to convulse, suggesting he was crying. Fracturing under the pressure. The dead, vacant visage from before had been just that—the husk Lusamine had left him as. Muffled from the table, Selene barely heard him say, "I'm a mess. I've got nothing left." A long pause and then Faba started to pull himself back together. "I hope she's happy now…"

The officer across from his table beckoned the one at Gladion's. They exchanged a few whispery words and one of them disappeared from the room, returning a few moments later with a Kadabra at his hip. The pokémon was directed toward Faba in a language Selene knew Gladion didn't understand, but she, herself, should have recognized: Kantonian. She only caught a few stray words, Gladion's untrained ears failing to understand much of them, but in the end, she understood that the Kadabra was being asked to try to soothe Faba. Before they continued, Faba's officer sat down at the table, and warned him, "You do not have to talk. You still have rights to a lawyer, and you do not have to consent to anything—"

"Fuck all of that," Faba spat. "I'm done. Please. Please. Let me talk. Please."

Swallowing hard, Selene found herself looking down at the table in front of her, anything to break eye contact with Faba. She could feel Gladion's abject disbelief to hear Faba sound so… destroyed.

When the officer tried to speak again, Faba said, "No. I'm going to talk. I need to talk. I have to get this all off my chest, it's been a long time coming, a-and… and I didn't even realize just how deep it all ran…

"I developed the science behind the initial experiment that opened a wormhole between this world and another. Yes, others figured out the math, and Professor Burnet assisted with calibration, but for the most part, it was essentially me. I developed the generator grid that powered the hydraulics of Aether Paradise. An engineer of course devised the exact layout, but I was the one that came up with the idea. A boat will capsize if too much weight is on one side, so the same theory was applied to Aether Paradise. Hundreds of redundancies kept hydraulics powered that would automatically adjust Aether Paradise's tilt to keep it from capsizing, keep it afloat… Mohn died. Arceus himself only knows how many died in the sinking of Aether Paradise… You do not know how long I will hold that with me."

A hot, angry flash of irritation swelled in Selene's chest. Gladion's voice poured from her mouth, "What are you talking about? I'm not stupid! I knew you and Mom were together after Mohn was gone! You didn't care about him! No more than you care about anyone else!"

Flinching at Gladion's words, Faba rasped, "You're wrong… At the time, I didn't care. I thought… I thought, so what? A victim in the name of science. Yes, it sounds so messed up, and it is… I thought, 'I'm going to do something so great for this world, it'll be my name that helps humanity rise above.' It was so, incredibly selfish and ambitious." He gave Gladion a pathetic half-smile. "To this day, I still believe, if what Lusamine had actually wanted to do from the start came to fruition, it would have been worth it. But this…" he trailed off, quavering. In near anguish, he jerked his hands against the handcuffs, then frustratedly leaned forward against his table again. After a few shuddery breaths, he whispered, "I am a wreck. I am a mess. Whatever it is you are looking for in me, Interpol agent, I hope you find it. Because I don't know what I have left to give, not anymore… From the start, I believed I was doing something great. Certainly, I was having some fun along the way… and admittedly, it felt almost like a game. Until I saw people bleeding red for our cause, it didn't even strike me that this was real. Mohn really died for this. Lusamine really lost her mind. Gladion and Lillie really lived some fucked up lives as a result of this. For Arceus' sake, I watched one of my experiments maul that girl's leg, it would have killed her if not for her friends!"

Selene felt her teeth clench. She could tell that Gladion was furious—but not for the reason one might have expected. To her shock, she realized that he was angry because he wanted to disbelieve Faba, to call him a Furret just trying to weasel his way out of trouble, but that he had an inkling of doubt that Faba was lying anymore. Just as the man had said, he had lost everything. What was there to lie for anymore?

"The moment… the moment I knew everything was so, so very wrong… was when that boy approached me on Aether Paradise. He was drenched in sweat, covered in dried seawater, his Incineroar looked like it was hardly clinging to life…"

Elio? Selene thought hollowly.

"At first, I was angry. I remembered him punching me aboard Aether Paradise the one time. Then, I remembered… I remembered why he had done that. He was fiercely protective, that boy. He meant well. He had just finished wiping the floor with many employees and their pokémon when he arrived on Aether Paradise this time. I could see in his eyes that he was going to do what he had come there to do—find Lillie—no matter what…" Faba sounded as if he might burst into tears again, but he kept a lid on himself. "In that moment… I saw what I had once been. Before I had met Lusamine. Before I became involved in Aether. I wanted to do something great and would have done anything to get there, but I had become someone else's tool, a cog in the machine. I didn't even realize the real misery I was helping her cause, or… or how I had helped exacerbate the situation in messing with Lusamine's head when I knew she was so vulnerable…" He scoffed, defeatedly. "I knew if I told that boy, Elio, where Lillie truly was, he would die. That Type: Zero would have been sent in on him, and he would have died. I gave him my keycard and told him she was down below, when really, we were in the office on the highest floor. I was hoping he would stay down there. I was hoping he would stay there, stay alive, and then once all was said and done with, I could get him to leave without a fight…"

Thoughts that were not Selene's own played in her mind. Gladion's, quick and panicky. Is he telling the truth…? I… I always thought it was Faba that helped drive Lusamine to where she went… Was it really her that dragged him under? He was always an asshole, that much is true, but… there's nothing exactly inherently wrong with being an asshole, now, is there? Selene realized her tongue felt dry as sandpaper with disbelief. Deep inside, she felt another pang of empathy, a part of herself wanting to mourn with Faba despite every fiber of her being telling her that was ridiculous. More of Gladion's thoughts blazed through her mind. But still, why? Why would he fucking, sleep with her after Mohn was presumed dead? How could he have watched Lillie get mauled like that without saying a word? He said it felt like a game… Did he really lack empathy for everyone else until he saw Elio like that? A hot flash of anger. Just how arrogant is he if that's what snapped him out of it? But then… the anger subsided. Regardless of what snapped him out of it… if he's done and is willing to talk, he's going to help with the investigation, and…

In that moment, Selene understood why Gladion was so standoffish, stiff, distant. Below the guardedness that had been beaten into his head, there was a positive man, one that wanted to help others, whether it be injured pokémon, good people, or people that he saw had even the slightest potential of being good. She could tell that this upbeat desire was starved in Alola, that he had been forced again and again to repress it and assume the worst of most people, just to survive. Yet, his instincts were screaming at him that it was possible Faba had been led on, the same as so many others had. Even so, her jaw clenched, and more thoughts that were not her own played out. He's not your sister or something, and he even helped put all this shit into motion, like he said, it was all him, he thought harshly to himself, so what the fuck do you care? He dug his own grave. Let him lay in it, then!

That was where the vision ended. Selene blinked fervently as she returned to reality. Tense and staring at her with wide eyes, Gladion shifted away from her immediately. "U-uh, what did you…?"

Taking a deep breath, Selene smiled at him warmly. "Nothing really big. Just a little bit of Interpol questioning you, some…" And I figured you out, I think. For as mean as you can sound, you just want to help. She fought off the sadness that wanted to wash the smile off her face. That's why you always got so mad at Elio… You wanted to help but didn't know how… Just like me.

A pillow abruptly hit the floor in front of Selene and Gladion. Both jerked their heads up and saw that Hau had sat up on his bunk across the room. "Ae," he yawned obnoxiously, "you two are loud," he huffed in Alolan. Rubbing his face, he lazily smiled. "What're we talking about so early?"

"Nothing," Gladion replied immediately, shrugging. He stood up and, without so much as glancing at Selene again, patted his side. "Null, by me."

Selene jumped out the way for the pokémon, considering the way he seemed like he would shove her out the way if she didn't. He followed Gladion out the room, the latter closing the door behind himself with a click. She watched him go with a little pang of confusion. Why had he left so suddenly?

Another pillow. This time it hit her shin. Puffing her cheeks in annoyance, Selene, grabbed both of them from the floor and tossed them back at Hau. Bowtie flared his silky wings and flew onto the bunk above her own, a shadow spreading across the banister as he peered over it. Hau laughed and caught the pillows, but not in time to save himself from being thrown onto his back against the mattress. "Stop throwing those at me!" Selene childishly called at him, breaking into giggles.

"Ae, you stop makin' eyes at Gladion!" Hau laughed, remaining under the pillows he had caught against his chest. He laughed harder when his Umbreon peered over him curiously and stepped onto his abdomen to sniff the pillows curiously. "Oof! Ho'ololi!"

The Umbreon flicked his ears and jumped from the bed. Noticing the shadows from Bowtie's wings spread across the floor, he immediately flattened himself, and wiggled his tail in preparation for pouncing on them playfully.

"I am not making eyes at him," Selene shot at Hau, crossing her arms tightly.

"Ae, we have a saying here," Hau said as he set the pillows to the side and got out of the bunk, stretching.

Scornfully eyeing him, Selene dared to ask, "And what's that?"

He beamed at her as he headed for the door, likely to go use the restroom and get ready for the day, as Selene knew she should do. "Whatever helps you sleep at night," he cheekily answered.

He left before she could say another word. Which was fine because all she could do was flush red and roll her eyes, anyway.

When Lillie, Gladion, and Hau eventually returned to the room, she had managed to regain her composure, and Lillie proudly announced that they were going out that day to catch a ferry to Poni Island. Remembering what Gladion had said earlier, Selene couldn't help but look at Lillie interestedly. Her determination had already been inspiring, and how someone so good—her and Gladion both, really—could come from someone as terrible as Lusamine really did have Selene's mind turning over. Then again…

She tried to remember that Gladion's message from earlier had essentially been him imploring her to keep an open mind about people, to learn the stories of others properly. What if there was more to Lusamine's story than her egregious actions? The thoughts made Selene's mind swim and she had a hard time keeping up with conversation with her friends.

For as cramped as Alola could feel, there were so many people, so many stories, to be learned and understood, and she had been a fool to think before that she understood it all so well on her own. Maybe that was why Kaua had developed his 'gang' in the first place. Maybe it hadn't even been a gang back then. Maybe he had just wanted to gather people that helped him understand all he saw, so he could help others in Alola learn from what he knew.

Privately, she was so, so glad that Gladion had opened her mind to that. She truly felt ready for what lay in store for them ahead on Poni.

Chapter Text

"Uh. You all see the woman on the roof, too, right?"

Selene, Lillie, and Hau all paused in the dirt path ahead of the Pokémon Center on Poni's port town, craning their heads to look up at the orange roof to see what on Earth Gladion was talking about. Sure enough, sprawled on her back on the archway over the entrance, there was a blond woman in a paint-splotched, comically large T-shirt, and tattered gray sweatpants. She tapped a pen rhythmically against her forehead as she stared blithely into the sky. The three of them nodded and then Lillie snorted.

"Say, how's the weather up there?" she jokingly called out. Shrugging, she apparently intended to not wait for the girl's reply and to just head into the Pokémon Center, but the girl's head snapped to look at them. The movement was so sudden, she apparently lost her balance, and started to slide off the orange shingles. Without even waiting for an order, Null rushed from beside Gladion, catching the woman when she fell completely off the roof. She groaned as she hit his back on her stomach, then shakily patted the side of his face.

"Thanks, whatever-you-are," she spluttered through a cough in Alolan. Null gently slid her off his back and took a step away as Selene, Hau, Lillie, and Gladion swarmed her.

"Shit, are you okay?" Selene breathed, extending a hand to try and help her up.

"Huh? Oh. I'm fine. Prob'ly the fifth time I fell off in the last week. I saw a cloud that looked like a Pyroar the other day. I wanted to draw it. Was hoping it'd come back." With that, the woman waved their helping hands away, and staggered back to her feet. Stretching lazily, she brushed her paint-smeared clothes off, and Selene noticed that she had similar splotches embedded in her wiry, messy golden hair, across her face, and her shoes were as ripped up as her sweatpants.

Exchanging bewildered looks between the four of them, it was Hau who finally asked, "Er… Who are you?"

"Huh?" the woman blinked slowly and rubbed her nose. "Oh. Right. Name's Mina." She squinted at Hau then. "Oh, aren't you Hala's kid?"

As if bracing for something far more stinging, Hau stiffened his shoulders and took an uncertain step away. Selene similarly clenched her jaw, mentally preparing herself for whatever it was Hau seemed afraid this woman might say.

Instead, they received, "I'm the Fairy-type Captain. It's good to meet that grandson of his." She blew a stray clump of hair from her face and crossed her arms. Looking up at the sky again, she frowned, and tilted her head. "Maybe that cloud isn't gonna come back…"

Looking a little stunned that she hadn't had anything negative to say, Hau relaxed and even smiled somewhat. Exchanging a look with the others, it was Lillie who started to say something but trailed off, as if deciding it wasn't worth it. "Captain?" Lillie hissed to Selene, in a whisper. "This place doesn't even have a Kahuna. Captain? How?"

Cocking her head to the side as she looked over the esoteric woman, Selene wondered the same. She felt Gladion's hand brush against hers from where he was standing to her left. Even if he said nothing and didn't take her hand in his, she took it as a gesture of encouragement—encouragement to put what they had talked about recently to use. Nodding slightly, Selene took a deep breath. "Uh, Captain Mina?"

"Hm?" Mina said, all without ever looking down. Bowtie curiously circled her with swift, silent movements, peeking from beneath his hood to examine her as if he had never seen anything like her before.

"We heard that this island didn't really have a Kahuna. Nanu…" she trailed off for a second, wincing at his name. "Nanu acts as the Kahuna, but—"

"Well, there's a trial site without a Captain here, too. The Dragon-type trial. Honestly, I don't get what the 'big deal' is, the other islands have so many rules, I could never keep up," Mina shrugged, all without ever glancing back down at her. Yet, something about the way she spoke gave an air of caution, like she was going on the defensive. "Fini gave me the shiny rock, so I'm a Captain. Pretty simple, really." Then, a little waspishly, "Nanu acts as the Kahuna here so the other islands keep their pants on."

Selene heard snorts of laughter from Hau as he tried to hide his amusement (and failed). Shaking her head, Selene determinedly focused on Mina. Maybe trying out what Gladion had suggested would be easier on someone she didn't know that well… Besides, she couldn't help but be curious about her, especially the apparent mixed emotions she held for Alola's other islands. Mina finally lost interest in the skies above and noticed Bowtie circling her. Her face lit up delightedly and she bent to her knees, attempting to pet the Decidueye's silky feathers. Bowtie recoiled immediately and darted behind Selene, moving so fluidly he didn't look real. "Oh, but he has such awesome patterns!" Mina pouted. "I don't mean you any harm, bud."

"Mina?" Selene called, confused. She liked Bowtie, and thought he looked fine, but… dull browns and greens weren't exactly what she would have called 'awesome patterns.'

"Hm?" As if sensing their collective confusion, she cracked a sideways grin and shrugged. "Right, right. I'm, uh… Fuck, what'd they call it… Spectrist? Spectrum. I dunno. I can see colors humans can't usually see or something, like I said before."

Contemplating what on Earth that could have been useful for, Selene's attention suddenly snapped to Lillie as she skirted past them all and headed for the Pokémon Center. Before vanishing inside, she called, "Look, if you all want to stay and talk to her, fine, but I'm going to get a few more things so we can get on our way."

"Lillie…" Gladion sighed. "I better go talk to her." Giving Selene an apologetic, small smile, he waved at her and followed his sister, Null at his heels.

That left Hau with Selene. He fell into place next to her and seemed so… relaxed. Although he joked often, and he enjoyed laughing at playful banter from others, he usually struck her as incredibly anxious. He avoided conflict like a plague, and he would wear that fake, grimace-of-a-smile when he was uncertain of a situation. Today, though, that was gone, the fact not lost on Selene as following Mina's lack of ridicule for him, which she was sure had to have come as such a relief. He asked Mina in Alolan, "You really mean that, about the other islands?"

While they were having a conversation, though, Selene closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath. As Mina replied, her words were lost to Selene as a scene started to form in her mind's eye. Upon opening her eyes, she found it was seemingly all around her, physically, as well. Wind rushed through her hair as she found herself in the middle of an intricate stone platform, a delicately carved sun engraved into the surface below her feet. Ornate stairways led to sidewalks that wove their way through overgrown dirt paths. Streams of water were deliberately carved between some of the sidewalks, and following that obvious pattern of water, emblazoned on the side of a clay mountainside upon a vertical slab of stone, the same sun symbol proudly towered above her.

More pressingly, though, there were people of all kinds standing around her. Looking down at the symbol below her feet again, she realized the stone there was glossy and reflective—and that she was not herself, but Mina. A younger version of her, anyway, perhaps only eleven or twelve years old. Looking up, she was approached by an older, grizzled man, with darker skin and black hair dusted with age that sat close to his head. Kind brown eyes turned up as he smiled at her. Clasping his rough, warm hands to her palms, he knelt in front of her and dipped his head, a Mudsdale galloping playfully around the platform they all stood on. "Today, Mina, you become a Captain of Poni Island," she heard the old man say in Alolan. "Gifted by Tapu Fini to see all the beauty the world has to offer so that you might show others, encourage them to keep a childlike wonder, to look for beauty wherever it may hide. Your touch with Fairy-types was recognized as well, and I hope you'll be with us for many more years to come. As the Kahuna of Poni Island, welcome, Captain Mina!"

With that, he jumped up and raised her hand with his, as if saluting to all the others gathered around the platform. Selene found herself flooded with pride and determination, but more than that, she was enamored by something else. She noticed that on the skin of these people, even some in their clothes, and in the skies above them, she was seeing colors she couldn't begin to describe. It was such a breathtaking sight and so distracting, the colors patterned across every surface, swirling and twisting through the horizon and sky… She didn't recognize any of the people gathered around her, though. Well, not by herself, anyway; Mina recognized them. Mina recognized them as Kahunas and Captains from the other islands and after a few minutes, Selene came to understand that this platform, this ritualistic scene with mossy paths and intricate waterways, was an altar. The Altar of the Sunne, to be exact, a sacred ground that few outside of Poni ventured to anymore.

Letting go of a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, Selene blinked fervently, watching the scene fade away ahead of her as the modern-day Mina and Hau reappeared. She sucked in air like she had forgotten how to breathe and managed to steel her legs to keep from stumbling, a broad grin spreading across her face. It seemed that had been Mina's inauguration as a Captain by the previous Kahuna of Poni, and it had been so inspiring! It had seemed so homely and welcoming… A far cry from how Ilima or even Mallow viewed their Captainship. While they treated it as a solemn duty, a humbling experience, or as something to make the best of, Mina had viewed it as something honorable and proud, to work alongside the Kahuna and Tapu. Then, Selene froze, as it crossed her mind that Mina had recognized the old man that had approached her, too.

Kahuna Kaua. The former leader of Skull, the one that had been struck down by Tapu Bulu himself, and… She frowned a little. Hadn't he been Kahuna of Ula'Ula, not Poni?

"Captain Mina?" Selene abruptly called.

Turning tired, slightly red eyes to Selene, Mina rubbed her face and said, "Yeah?"

How do I say this without giving myself away? Selene thought for a second. She supposed she could broach the subject vaguely… "This is a little out of the blue, I know, but… do you know anything about Kahuna Kaua?"

Her demeanor immediately changed. Mina's gray eyes widened, and her lips pressed to a thin line, her shoulders stiffening. "Well… yeah," she uncomfortably replied, sniffling a little. She didn't appear to be emotional, though. Grimacing slightly, Selene wondered if Mina did a little more than just use her paints, considering she had a long line of pink coloring draped across her face and even in her hair… Suddenly, Mina stamped her worn, left sneaker to the dirt path they were standing on, and huffed in annoyance. "Former Kahuna of Poni. You can ask Hapu if you need more details. Here." With that, she reached into her frayed gray shoulderbag, retrieving two pale, pink crystals, thrusting them at Hau and Selene both. "Take those. I don't have a trial."

Without waiting for a reply, she pushed past them, limping away.

"Wait!" Selene called, darting after her with the Z-Crystal clutched in her right hand. "You're—you're limping, are you hurt?"

Utterly ignoring her, Mina only picked up speed, leaving Selene to stall when she realized the Captain wasn't going to engage with her anymore. Hau caught up to her, panting a little, and bewilderedly asked, "What was all that about?"

"…I think Kaua was actually the previous Kahuna of Poni," Selene answered quietly. "Kaua named Mina as Captain. I saw a vision of her getting promoted…"

"…But that had to be over ten years ago," Hau blurted, shaking his head. "Captains can only be Captains for up to nine years, and that's if they're selected the minute they turn eleven…"

"She said to find someone named Hapu," Selene said softly, still staring at the Captain as she shrank into the distance, headed toward a Wailord-shaped houseboat at the farthest piers. Her expression abruptly lit up as she remembered something, and she had a flash of an image in her mind, of a stoutly girl with puffy, black hair, a Mudsdale trotting at her side, back on Akala. They had assisted her in helping fend off a couple of Skull Gang thugs who were attempting to steal a Drifloon. "Wait… Hapu, we saw her on Akala, didn't we?"

"Why would we need to find her?" Hau asked, frowning. "Also, if we try to tell Lillie we want to go back to Akala, I think she might kill us. She's really all about us getting a move on."

Snorting in amusement at that, Selene shot him a playful glare. "You're right," she sighed, shaking her head. "Who knows why Mina said that. She didn't exactly look to be 'all there,' anyway…"

"She smelled like paint. Like a lot of paint," Hau agreed, nose wrinkled a little as if he were still thinking about that strong, bitter smell.

With that, Selene and Hau met back up with Lillie and Gladion in the Pokémon Center. Given time to mull over her interaction with Mina, Selene felt some guilt. Obviously, the ceremony she had witnessed in her vision had meant a lot to Mina; she had felt all of Mina's pride, joy, her sheer exuberance at having been named Captain, especially when that kindly old man had spoken those inspiring words to her. In her eagerness to learn more, she had somehow failed to realize that Mina might have had a close connection with the now-deceased Kahuna, that it might have been a touchy, painful subject. It didn't surprise her that Mina had been itching to get away from her following that. Even her earlier defensiveness made sense, with her bitter grumbling about how the other islands were.

After Lillie spoke to the group and asked everyone if they were ready (they were), Hau gave Selene a sideways glance. "Ae, everything okay?" he whispered to her in Alolan.

"Just… looking forward to seeing Tapu Fini, if going to her den works," Selene murmured back, forcing a smile. Then, she suddenly snaked her left hand to his, clasping it firmly to her palm. Her smile faltered a little as she more sincerely mumbled, "I'm… I'm glad you're with me, Hau."

Surprised, Hau jolted under her touch at first, giving Selene's hand a light shock, something akin to that from static electricity, before he relaxed. He accepted her hold after that and nervously smiled, shooting a fleeting look at Gladion, who was standing at the counter of the Poké Mart a few feet away from where he and Selene were. Focusing back on Selene, he said, "Ae, I'm… glad you're with me, too."

"Makua, this is stupid!"

Plumeria was huffing for breath. They had spent the entire day trekking deeper and deeper into Poni's dusty, rocky canyons. She had her Salazzle at her side, while a group of grunts—some of the last that had remained in Po Town—fanned out around her. Ahead of them, Makua twitchily led the way, a Bastiodon lumbering at his side. But at Plumeria's words, everyone stopped, and Makua shot a look at her over his shoulder. His jaws were clenched, his eyes watery and vacant.

They were heading deeper to the heart of Poni because Plumeria had finally been forced to admit to what had happened at Aether Paradise. After weeks and weeks and weeks of Makua plucking at her every nerve, asking probing questions, going so far as to even dig in her phone at one point, Plumeria had simply told him. She had told him how she hunkered down with Lillie, was attacked by a beast much like Gladion's Type: Null, and ultimately, how Aether Paradise had sank to the ocean floor, Guzma going down with it—because he had been trying to find her. Of course, he knew the island had sunk, but in the chaos following them escaping on his boat and then getting apprehended by Interpol, they hadn't had time to discuss it, so it was only then that Makua learned of everything that had transpired on that godforsaken hunk of steel.

For a long time, she had touted a different story, telling the grunts and anyone else who would listen that Guzma had decided to recover from the ordeal aboard Aether elsewhere, with old friends. Her story had been a thinly veiled lie, which worked on the younger grunts (especially considering how little interaction with the outside world they had), but obviously, Makua hadn't accepted it. Aside from seeing the island sink himself with Plumeria aboard his boat and Guzma not, he was an old friend of Guzma's, so he knew that Guzma didn't have old friends that weren't involved in Skull (the leader had burned his bridges with everyone else). Although he hadn't challenged her right away in front of the grunts, he had taken her unwillingness to be honest as hostile, untrustworthy. So, he had treated her as such—no holds barred when away from the grunts.

For Plumeria, it had been exhausting. Her goal with hiding the truth hadn't been to cover up what had happened with Guzma, gaslight Makua, to seize control of Skull, or Arceus-could-only-know whatever else Makua was thinking. It had been an effort to hide the brutal reality from the kids and teens that called Skull home. Their morale was already low, even just thinking Guzma had gone elsewhere for a while. What would it do to them if they knew he had died aboard Aether's nightmare island? That he had sunk with it, drowned? And on top of all of that… Plumeria herself was devastated, too. She had been angry with him for what he had done with Lillie, and she had been angry at him for choosing Lusamine above her, but the truth was, she loved him. He had been her rock for years and to have him wrenched away—not to mention what else Aether had taken from her—had left her feeling utterly destroyed.

So, for a while, back at Po Town, she had simply weathered Makua's abuse while she tried to put the pieces back together. A few days ago, when Makua had insisted they head to Poni to learn more about these Ultra Wormholes (as he had learned by interrogating Plumeria not too long ago that Lusamine had been dabbling in other realities and fabricated portals to them in the minutes prior to Aether's sinking, which Plumeria herself had heard all secondhand from Lillie), she had blithely agreed. There was no fighting him on it. He did not care what she had to say, and he had told her, the previous night, when he had threatened her with his Skarmory in one of his stormy moods, that the only reason he continued to tolerate her presence was because the grunts looked up to her.

Honestly? That had been all fine to her. She had withstood his rage, she had cried her eyes out enough in the weeks immediately following Aether's sinking, and she had found solace in talking to Lillie. Privately, even as beaten and broken as she felt, there was something determinedly proud in her for Lillie having made it out alive, for her having grown stronger from that devastating day. Lillie now trained pokémon and was determined to find Elio, if he was still out there, and she was determined to better herself. Lillie was headstrong and had a good heart, and some days, knowing she was alive and well was all that kept her going.

But this? The paths they had walked on Poni were nothing but dry clay and rock. The air was arid, devoid of moisture, completely unlike the seasprayed air of the other islands, likely from the mountains near Poni's shores that acted as a natural barrier against the winds rolling over the ocean. Pokémon were scarce and those that did appear were fierce and undeterred by people. The nearest Pokémon Center was half a day's walk in the opposite direction they were heading. Ahead was nothing but more hinterland and untamed pokémon. The grunts that had come with them were tired and thirsty, and Plumeria herself felt the same. She didn't even entirely understand why Makua had wanted to come in the first place! It wasn't like he explained anything to her. Yet, while she didn't have the energy to defend herself against him anymore, she would not stand for him putting other members of Skull in danger over his scatterbrained fervor. Hell, he was almost always high, he likely didn't even have good reasoning for wanting to be on Poni!

"We keep going," was all Makua growled back at her, clearly indicating this was not a negotiation.

Curling a lip, Plumeria squared her jaw. No, it wasn't a negotiation. Stomping a foot, she barked, "No, we don't!" Her Salazzle hissed and swept her tail across the dry earth in agreement. The grunts tiredly looked up at Plumeria, then at Makua. "What are we even doin' here, Makua? Everyone's tired and thirsty. It's hot as fuck out here. We ain't got supplies to be campin' out here for days at a time. We'll fuckin' die o' thirst before we get to whatever it is you wanna get to."

"Shut it!" Makua snarled, whirling on her with frightening speed. He shoved her hard against the chest, knocking her away. She only barely caught herself to stop from falling over. His vacant stare looked right through her even though he pointed an accusatory finger at her. "Isn't it fuckin' obvious?"

Truthfully, that had stunned her. He had threatened her idly and his pokémon had growled and flared wings at her, but he had never done anything like that before. "Put your fuckin' hands on me again, Makua, an' let's see what happens," Plumeria emptily warned, curling a lip even as she felt her eyes start to sting with emotion as they always did when he looked on her with all that hate. She and Makua hadn't ever been close, but she was still so wounded by how low he thought of her as, when she had done everything she could aboard that island. For Arceus' sake, she had lost her unborn child, whose father had then also been lost! What else could she have done? His hate just made her wrack her brain for what she could have done differently…

She never did come up with any answers. The worst part of it was, she didn't think he even intended to act this way, or knew he was being unfair. Although his gaze was full of rage and his muscles always tense with discontent, he looked unaware, as if running on instinct rather than present thoughts. It reminded her of a rabid Rockruff, wildly biting and snarling at anything in sight, but perishing to a flaming fever on the inside—ailing and sick, all alone… Yet, even knowing he was sick, there was nothing anyone could do, lest they risk catching that sickness themselves.

Her Salazzle warningly opened her jaws, hissing at Makua. Makua's Bastiodon returned the favor by scuffing hefty feet against the dry ground, a rumbling growl forming deep in its throat. "Makua," Plumeria sighed wearily, "what are we doin' here? Please. I know ya asked me about the Wormhole bullshit, but why, for real?"

"Not that it matters to you," he spat, "but you said that Lusamine was dealing with Ultra Wormholes and had opened one just before the island started to sink."

"Lillie said it closed before Guz went back in to find me," Plumeria reminded him tiredly.

"So fuckin' what? If there's a chance that he didn't go down on that island, that he went into a wormhole, then we should be lookin' into it! I was told this Hapu, on Poni, she knows all 'bout some myths to do with 'em. It's a longshot, but—it's not that fuckin' hard to wrap your head around, is it?" He lunged at her again, grabbing the straps of her tank top and getting into her face. His breath smelled of a substance she couldn't quite recall the name of, but she knew was potent in its effects, making the user dangerously outgoing and aggressive. Rabid, she thought fleetingly. "Or do ya not want us lookin' for him?" Continuing, he sneered, "Maybe ya were hopin' to get rid of him, take Po Town all for yourself, 'cause you were mad he was sleepin' with that pretty blond tramp over you."

Blinking in appalled shock, she couldn't even fathom what to say for a second. Ultimately, she decided on, "Fuck you, Makua," all but squeaking in disbelief. She already knew that was what Makua had thought, but hearing it spoken in such articulate terms, and in front of so many grunts, felt so… cruel. He might as well have just wrenched her heart out of her chest, while he was at it! All she could do was shake her head, muttering, "How fuckin' dare you think I would actually do anything like that…"

Before she even finished the statement, Makua howled and jumped away, Plumeria's Salazzle attached to his left calf by her long, toothy jaws. Gawking, Plumeria watched as the pokémon dug her teeth in and lashed her tail furiously, inciting Makua's Bastiodon to react, lumbering forward and headbutting the Salazzle off Makua's leg. The sentiment, however, backfired, as Salazzle's teeth were painfully ripped from Makua's leg, making him stumble and blood spray from the fresh wound. Plumeria yelped and covered her mouth in shock as Salazzle proceeded to spit thick, purple venom at the Bastiodon and Makua both, though it seemed she had been aiming only for the nasty bite on his leg. The grunts clamored in surprise and panic, some going to assist Makua off the ground and pull him away, others attempting to separate the pokémon, all while Plumeria stared, frozen, frozen like a statue.

"Sis!" one of the grunts yelped, attempting to wrestle her Salazzle down. "Call back D-Domina, please!"

"Makua! You, too, the Bastiodon!"

Their pleas shook her out of her stupor. "Domina, that's enough!" she hollered, wrenching the Salazzle's Poké Ball out of a pocket. The red beam swallowed up the agitated Salazzle as Makua shakily did the same to his Bastiodon. For a moment, everyone was silent as the dust settled, revealing frightened grunts looking on at both leaders with wide, round eyes. Makua was on his rear, his bleeding leg spattered with purple venom, panting as he looked on at Plumeria in sobered uncertainty. Plumeria's heart was pounding so hard she thought she might vomit it up, her legs trembling and threatening to buckle under her weight.

"Makua," Plumeria swallowed anxiously as her eyes darted over his nasty wound, "that's Salazzle venom, we gotta go back, because that needs to get looked at…" If anyone here should know that, you should…

"Save your fuckin' breath," he puffed as he staggered to his feet, waving away some grunts that wanted to assist him. Once standing again, he leaned heavily on his uninjured leg, his bitten one held at an angle, with just the tip of his shoe touching the ground. The sobered look from a moment ago withered as familiarly watery, vacant eyes narrowed at her. "I'll be fine. No thanks to you."

She felt so frustrated, she might have burst into tears if she wasn't clinging to whatever ounce of dignity she had left. Shaking her head, she looked down, and crossed her arms. If sticking with Skull meant constant abuse from Makua and the potential for violent fights like that to break out, and if he wasn't willing to be reasonable, then fine. Although it pained her, looking at the scared grunts she was abandoning with Makua, she… she couldn't take this anymore. There was just nothing else she could do… There never seemed to be much she could do. "Makua," she whispered, still not looking up at him. "You're hurt. These kids need you. Ya won't be able to walk within a few hours. Please, for their sake, get some help for it." With that, she turned around, and started to walk.

"Where the hell are you going?" Makua sharply barked after her, as if a mix of surprised and angry.

"Don't know," Plumeria muttered. "But wherever it is, it clearly ain't with Skull anymore."

She didn't hear anything after that from him, just some hushed, anxious whispers. When she looked over her shoulder, she watched Makua limp painfully further into the heart of Poni, grunts warily following him. Guiltily, Plumeria picked her way to the shade beneath an old, withered tree on the path they had been walking, and sat down to gather her thoughts, or perhaps to will herself to go on back to Poni's port town. Feeling almost certain Makua was guiding those kids to their demise, though, it was so, so hard to think of anything else. In the end, she had her right shoulder leaned against the tree, curled nearly into a ball with her arms covering her face. She didn't know how long she had been like that until she heard a surprisingly familiar voice.

"Wait… Is that—? That's Plumeria!" a distant voice cried. Wearily looking up, Plumeria blinked in subdued surprise as Lillie darted over to her, joined shortly by Gladion, Selene, and Hau.

Immediately, Lillie gave a soft smile, "Hey… What brings you to Poni?" she forcedly joked.

At Plumeria's hesitant reply and unreadable expression, Gladion's brows noticeably furrowed, and he and Selene shared a look. The scene nearly made Plumeria bristle. The part of her that had been tough for the sake of the kids in Po Town was offended by the suggestion they felt any sort of pity for her; yet, the part of her that ached and pained from the loss of so much wanted to soak up the sympathy. It wasn't like it was often anyone showed it to her anymore, after all. Guzma was the most sympathetic person she had ever known (which was saying something, to be sure), and he was gone.

So, instead, she bit her barbed tongue, and simply explained.

After listening to Plumeria's story, Lillie had offered her a bottle of water and they had told her they had been told about a Hapu as well by Captain Mina. Selene also told her they, too, intended to head deeper into the island's wilds, and that they had the supplies to do so. "If you want to," Selene offered nervously, "you could come with us… Maybe we can try to talk some sense into Makua?" Skull's really falling apart… I'm suddenly not so sure if that's a good, or a bad thing…

"Maybe you all can try," Plumeria glumly replied between gulps of water, "but he ain't gonna listen to me. No chance. He prob'ly won't even listen to you if he so much as sees me. Guess I'll walk behind ya and stay outta sight if we find 'em again."

That became their new plan. Having not had much opportunity to interact with Plumeria before then (aside from the chaos aboard Aether Paradise, of course), Selene found herself intrigued by this downtrodden, but clearly resilient woman. She was further surprised when Bowtie, who normally shied away from others since his evolution into a Decidueye, swooped onto Plumeria's shoulders and draped his silky wings over them. At first, Selene thought to wave him off, worried he was too heavy or would only add to the blistering heat, but Plumeria gave a jolt, then stroked the pokémon's head, acting as if his weight meant nothing. Upon noticing Selene's staring, Plumeria explained, "He's pretty light." Plucking at his silky wings, she further joked, "Mobile shade. I'm a'ight with that."

Feeling a sudden, unexplained sense of solidarity, Selene looked away. She forced a chuckle to acknowledge Plumeria but otherwise, felt so odd. There was a rush of sympathy, of pangs of hurt, and she realized she had felt that as she watched Bowtie sympathetically rub his head against Plumeria's temple.

"They have both lost something dear to them… but they find solace in one another's company, in the hope that the future may be better… How lovely…"

Freezing at the sudden, intrusive voice, Selene dug the toes of her shoes into the craggy earth suddenly. Hau, Lillie, Gladion, and Plumeria all turned to look at her as she did. What was that? Selene thought, paying their concerned glances and calls no heed.

"Not what… who…" the feminine tone… purred? "Actually, all of you have lost those close to you, but press on… Many on this island have lost those dear to them, but press on, as perseverant as these very mountains, weathered by the ocean spray…"

"Selene?" Hau and Gladion called at the same time. The two of them shared what would have been a hilariously affronted look if Selene had been paying them any attention at all.

"I recognize something one of your friends possesses… and I know the answers you seek, Mind Jumper… You remind me of him, he who was taken from me, as well. Find Hapu, find me, and perhaps, hope is not lost for Alola just yet…"

Who are you?

"…And perhaps it is not lost for those beyond this world, either…"

It was as if the city existed in an endless void. The world beyond those tall, glossy buildings was pitch-black, almost suffocatingly so. Everything within the city's bounds was crafted of varying steels and irons, collected from otherworldly creatures he could only just begin to imagine. Despite a couple of months within the borders of Ultra Megalopolis, he still had yet to see many of the terrors the Ultrarians dealt with day in and day out, all without the assistance of pokémon that he had grown accustomed to back home. The Megalo Tower, the central structure of the subsisting city, bathed the entire city with bright, gleaming lights, produced from hundreds and hundreds of crystals within its walls, procured from the very beast it was put together to contain. A morbid thought, if one cared to think about it too long: the Blinding One was a prisoner of what equated to walls of its own flesh and bones.

Megalo Tower's age was showing, too. Leaning hard to one side, the lights occasionally flickering, all while all in the city could hear the Blinding One occasionally roar and bellow within the confines at the tallest floor of the tower… it was well-known to the URS that Megalo Tower would soon fail. That was why Dr. Colress and his uncanny, unpleasant assistant, Rosa Blakely, had been asked to come up with an urgent solution to pacify the Blinding One.

Yet, he knew that wasn't enough. Dr. Colress was brilliant and Rosa loyal to him, but even they had their limits, and time was not on their side. As Zossie and Dulse flanked him on either side, he took a deep, resolved breath, steeling himself for what he knew would soon come.

"Efforts to keep Lusamine from locating Ultra Megalopolis are failing. Our last field team for the URS must return to Ultra Megalopolis for fresh supplies. She is surely tracking them back here," Dulse said solemnly, his hands clasped firmly behind his back as he traced the other's gaze into the abyssal darkness beyond the city.

"Did Dr. Colress ever tweak your…?" Zossie asked the first person, tilting her head concernedly at him.

Raising his chin and stiffening his jaw, Elio adjusted the helmet fitted on his head, blue eyes glittering with determination beneath his guise. Unlike Dulse and Zossie's helmets, his was more like that of a motorcycle, with a lightweight steel wrapping about his jaws and head, connected through a lightly shaded visor in front. Ironically, despite the sheer blackness surrounding them, the harsh, unnatural lighting of Megalo Tower had proven damaging to his human eyes, making the shaded visor a requirement. Tapping at the part of the helmet that covered his mouth, he shook his head. No, it still doesn't work, he wished he could say.

They were abruptly interrupted by a piercing, violet light ahead of them as a tear was sliced through reality itself, and a corrupted, dark violet Nihilego slipped through, followed by other, smaller Nihilego that still resembled their normal selves.

This was it. He had been given his second chance; he had always craved to be the hero, he had always wanted to put his destructiveness to use, and he always wanted to protect others—this was his opportunity to do it.

He clenched his jaw as Lunala hovered over his shoulder, the both of them glowering up at Lusamine. There was no sadness, there was no anger—perhaps a little regret—but primarily, there was determination.

His determination to do what was right.

Chapter Text

Although she had agreed to help try to talk some sense into Makua if they came across him, Selene found it infuriating when they had found him. Well, a potent mix of infuriating and pitying, but mostly infuriating. He had been the one that had ultimately pointed it out to her in the past that Elio was too dangerous to keep around, he had been the one to plant that thought in her head, and although she regretted it to the bottom of her heart—agreeing with him, that was—she was absolutely dismayed to see how disheveled and ill Makua truly was. Even more so when it finally hit home for her that he was behaving as if there was nothing that could have been done for him. The irony in how similar his aggression was to Elio's before he… he went away, was not lost on Selene, and it made her so, so angry with him. That he would dare tell her that her brother 'had to go,' and then would turn around and put so many others in danger in exactly the same way…

They had found him at a single house amongst rubble and ruins fairly deep into Poni's hinterland. The lonesome abode was apparently owned by an elderly woman, who simply referred to herself as 'Gran,' but even though such a description might have painted a picture of a frail, elderly woman tending to herself in such a remote location, it was made very clear from the start Gran was no wilting daisy. They had come across her hilariously waving a flipflop, admonishing Makua for his failure to take care of himself, and demanding he come inside to let her help him as much as she could… Which, admittedly, Selene quickly realized wasn't much.

She had seen a glimpse, through Plumeria's memory, of what injury Makua had sustained. In the vision, it had been a mere bite wound—a bloody one spattered with venom, but a simple bite wound, nonetheless—but now, it… was too horrible to even look at. There was certainly no way he could walk on that leg, and explained why he was leaned, panting and heaving for breath, against one of Gran's fences. That was where the pity came from, recognizing he was in such dire straits. But the anger came flooding back when Makua bitingly refused to listen to Gran, waving her away and loudly snapping at her.

It wasn't long after that that Hapu arrived, and Selene, Hau, Gladion, and Lillie learned that this lonely little home was none other than hers and her grandmother's. At first, Hapu was understandably alarmed, coming home to an ornery, injured Skull member snarling at her grandmother, a dozen or so grunts scattered about the premises, not to mention a handful of strangers to boot, so she ignored them and ran straight to Gran's side.

"Hapu!" Lillie called, urging the group to follow her over. Plumeria, having realized Makua wasn't going to cooperate whether he saw her or not, made no attempts to hide herself as she followed them. Makua locked his eyes on her even though he said nothing.

"Huh?" Hapu looked over her shoulder, a Mudsdale trotting behind her. "What the heck is going on around here?" she frustratedly demanded, turning back to Gran. "Gran!"

Tapping Makua on the head with her flipflop, apparently having lost all patience with him, Gran whirled away from him and started toward the front door of her home. "This idiot wants to try and make it to the Altar on one leg, is what's going on! Well, really, he wants to talk to you about stuff related to the Altar and its myths, but the fool will die of that venom before he gets anywhere near it! Not that he listens!" she ranted in Alolan, disappearing inside with the door slamming behind her. Muffled, she still continued, "Fine, then!"

While Plumeria crossed her arms and stood in front of Makua, focusing on the dirt below her feet, as if she couldn't even bring herself to look at him, Selene found herself interested in what Hapu's grandmother had just said. Lillie and Gladion took an interest in supervising Plumeria and Makua's conversation, but Selene and Hau darted over to Hapu.

"The Altar?" Selene echoed. She remembered the vision she'd had with Mina. With the various Captains and Kahunas—at the Altar of the Sunne. "What's—what's the Altar?"

Hapu swiveled her head around almost comically, taking in the overwhelming scene. Stroking her elderly Mudsdale's neck calmingly, Selene wondered if that was for herself or the pokémon. "Listen, I don't know what the heck's going on right now, an' I got Skull guys crawlin' all over my Gran's house, can I get a minute to deal with that?"

Without waiting for a response, she strode past them, leaving Selene and Hau feeling awkward and a little guilty. "Right, fair point," Selene sighed.

"You said you were leaving," Makua was huffing at Plumeria when Selene and Hau drew closer. His voice was scratchy, deep, and broken, coming in fitful gasps with his breathing. A Bastiodon, who she knew to be his based on her earlier vision from Plumeria, sat near the fence, warily tracking everyone with just its eyes, never moving its head, even as Bowtie slunk close to Makua's leg to inspect the wound, which seemed to only be worsening by the minute.

Selene just clenched her jaw and wrenched her eyes away from him after a moment. It was so easy to be angry at him, but it had all been her fault, hadn't it? She had put the idea in Elio's head he had to be so aggressive. She had agreed to his leave. She had failed to grab Lusamine. So, what right did she have to be so angry at Makua? For Arceus' sake, his leg was rotting away as he sat in front of her! So, as much as it pained her, she took a deep breath, and tried to find it in herself to calm down. What good did it do to be so angry at him?

She closed her eyes and listened to them talk.

"I'm not here for you," Plumeria flatly told Makua. "I'm worried for these kids." Pausing, she hung her head. "Fuck it. Ya know that ain't true. You might be the biggest fuckin' asshole I know right now, but you're Skull, an' you're hurt, an' you're all those kids got. So, please, just let the lady—"

"She and the rest of you can stay the hell away from me!" Makua bellowed, a cough following his outburst. "Goddamn it! What's the fuckin' point, anyway?"

"Hope is not easy to maintain…"

Selene seized up at the familiar disembodied voice. She still had no idea who, or what, it was (and had avoided telling Hau and Gladion for fear of them being unreasonably worried for her), but her eyes flew open, and she looked around frantically. Even though she knew she wouldn't find the source nearby, it was pure instinct to look anyway. Disheartened, she stilled herself and took a deep breath. What do you mean?

Before the voice could answer her, Makua ranted some more about how it didn't matter whether he got help or not, not unless Hapu could tell him about the Altar. It was only when Hapu, still bewildered about the scene altogether, held up her hands and told him she would tell him everything he wanted to know about the Altar as long as he allowed her Gran to take a look at him and do what she could for his leg. She also hastily offered the scattered, frightened grunts some water, which seemed to finally ease the situation.

"Many humans, in my experience, misinterpret hope as something that's free, sweet, positive… Many incorrectly believe it is an easy thing to have and hold onto. Hopeful people are called naïve or airheaded, looked down upon by those who struggle to keep hope."

What're you getting at? Selene privately asked, staring at the dusty earth.

"Hope is painful. Hope is fiery. Hope is devastating. Hope is recognizing your low odds, your most dire of circumstances, and choosing to believe everything will work out for the best. Maintaining hope is a full-time, all-consuming job that ravages everything about you. It's almost like water… It can fit almost any container, but given time, can erode even canyons. Hold onto hope long enough without the payoff, and it will slice through you, no matter how firm you stand."

Fighting the urge to shake her head, Selene wanted to scornfully ask, Then what do you recommend? Nobody have hope? That sounds like a dark world…

"Of course not, I would never imply hope is useless. But don't take it for granted, and don't underestimate it, as it is something to be respected, much like the unpredictable waves of the ocean… and don't condemn those that cannot manage it."

Selene looked up, watching as Makua limped into the house with the help of Gladion and a couple of grunts, where Gran impatiently held the door open for him.

"Not everyone can withstand its force…" Selene whispered.

"Huh?" Hau glanced at her. Worriedly furrowing a brow, he sighed, "Ae, are you okay?"

"I…" Selene shook her head. "I think it's important we talk to Hapu about the Ruins of Hope…"

So, they waited for Hapu to settle down and be more open to the idea of talking to them.

"The Ruins o' Hope is Tapu Fini's den. Rumored to be, anyways. Nobody's seen her in years. But she is s'posed to be able to heal almost any wounds, cleanse any broken soul… If anythin' is poisonin' your Nebby, then Tapu Fini could take care of it… if she's there, though. Like I said. Nobody has any idea if she's even still there… My Gran would slap me if she heard me say that, honestly, but how can you blame people for waverin' on believin' somethin' is still there when it gave up on y—I mean, all of us?

"As for the Altar of the Sunne, it's a sacred place… a memorial, if you would. It's been forgotten by many from the other islands, but Gran told me how it used to be well-known… It's where Kahunas and Captains of Poni have always been officially named. It's at the deepest end of Vast Poni Canyon. There's a Dragon-type trial on the way that hasn't had a Captain in ages. A Totem Kommo-o handles it all on his own. It was a tradition once that Captains and Kahunas completed that trial on their way there, y'know.

"It's… hard to explain the Altar without explainin' a lot more. See, you don't hear about these others as much, but the Tapus aren't the only godlike pokémon we've… supposedly, had here in Alola. Back when Alola was new, there were two others… the Sun Beast and the Moon Beast. Gran always said the Sun Beast was playing a game with the Tapus and he chased them into Alola, but it wasn't like the world he came from, so he fell out of the sky and couldn't get back. The Moon Beast chased him, and she fell, too. They were always together, and they made friends with the Kahuna of Poni Island back then.

"Time went on for a while with no problems… then, something else came from the sky. The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun. First, it took the light from the skies, and the Tapus tried to fight it off. After it easily beat them all, the Sun Beast and Moon Beast attacked it. As you might'a guessed, the Sun Beast was swallowed, leaving the Moon Beast without her love.

"The Moon Beast stole the light back from The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun. She absorbed it all, until she herself looked like a shooting star, and she flew into his heart. The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun returned to the sky while the Moon Beast spread her wings. The Sun Beast's energy lit the world up again, while the Moon Beast became the stars scattered in the sky, and crystals from The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun rained down across Alola. Alola was safe, but the Sun and Moon Beasts sacrificed themselves to bring light back to our world…

"Some stories say there was an egg left behind, from the Moon Beast, and the Altar was built to honor her love… Although the Moon Beast died on top o' Mt. Lanakila, Poni was chosen because of how close the Beasts were to its first Kahuna. Gran says if someone ever manages to bring back a piece of them to the Altar, more Beasts may fall from the sky, but nobody knows what the others are like…

"O' course, those are all just stories," Hapu finished with a heaving sigh. They were all seated within her Gran's living room, though the elderly woman had turned in to bed for the evening an hour or so prior. Makua had finally accepted some help, at the promise of more information about the Altar, and so he was half-draped across a loveseat at the far end of the room. His Bastiodon took up a massive amount of space on the floor just in front of it but refused to move. At one point, Gladion's Null approached it, and if Selene hadn't known better, she'd have said Null had tried talking with the other. Yet, the Bastiodon rumbled a growl, and that was all it took to make Null defeatedly slink back over to Gladion's side.

Plumeria had left the room earlier as well, going to talk and tend to the dozen or more grunts that had accompanied Makua on his ill-fated venture, with water and camping supplies courtesy of Hapu and her Gran. So, she missed the explanation that Lillie had pried from Hapu, as she asked for more information about the Ruins of Hope. Even now, as they sat on chairs and cushions that had been gathered in the modest living room to provide some basic comforts, Lillie was leaned forward, elbows on her knees, hanging onto Hapu's ever word. But Selene was focused on something else.

She was noticing the way Hapu's words had a sad cadence to them. In some parts, she sounded almost scornful, or disbelieving. It dawned on her, about halfway through her explanation, that Hapu did not believe what she was saying. The bitterly scornful edge she caught onto suggested that at one point, she had, or that she trusted her Gran enough to ignore her own disbelief, but there was no denying it. Hapu did not believe the tale she spun for them. Although unsure of how old Hapu was, exactly, Selene figured she had to be in her mid-to-late teens—only a little younger than herself, if not the same age. That realization brought a grimace to her face, made her stroke Bowtie as he wedged himself between her arms and lap.

"You say…" Makua trailed off, his breathing coming in rapid gasps. Hapu's Gran had given him some herbal medicine and had done her best to treat his wound, but the Salazzle venom and saliva had already started its necrotizing work, and the wound was far too large for her to handle. In the end, bandaging him and her natural, antibiotic concoctions were all she could do. Just as he carried on speaking, Plumeria returned to the room, quietly clicking the front door shut behind herself. "You say that if a piece of… a piece o' the Sun and Moon Beasts are brought to this Altar, other Beasts can come out… does that mean others can go in?"

Surprised, Hapu blinked and looked back at him. "Go in? Go in where?"

"Go in… into the sky…" Makua panted.

Awkwardly shifting her weight and rubbing the back of her head, Hapu said, "I… don't know, to be honest."

"They didn't just fall out o' the sky like you said," Makua huffed, trying to sit up. He yelped and flopped right back down. Gritting his teeth, he added, "They… they c-couldn't have, they came… came from somewhere, like what Aether was messin' with…"

"Aether?" Hapu echoed. "Them Galarish folk, that island o' theirs that sank?"

Stiffly making her way to Lillie, Plumeria took a seat on a throw pillow and crossed her arms, refusing to look at Makua.

"Plumes…"

"What?" Plumeria practically spat the word.

"Please."

Bewildered, Plumeria finally glanced at him. "Please what?" she impatiently pressed.

"If… if you meant what ya said, if ya really didn't mean for all that to happen… Please… Need ya to find those… pieces o' the Sun and Moon Beasts, an' get Guz back…"

"Whoa, there," Hapu interjected, "like I said, they're just stories Gran told me, I don't even know—"

Standing up and cutting Hapu off, Plumeria stalked over to Makua. "After everythin' ya did, an' pushin' me away…." she faltered as her voice became taut with emotion. "Suddenly, ya trust me, 'cause you know your sorry ass can't do it? 'Cause you're hurt? I know ya hate me, but ya wanna use me, too?" His Bastiodon immediately rumbled a growl, stamping a foot warningly against the floor.

Planting both hands over his face, Makua groaned. "Plumes," he patiently said, sounding much different than he had earlier, snarling at anyone that came near him as he leaned against that fence, or as he had in the brief glimpses into Plumeria's memories Selene had gotten. "Don't be stupid. Did ya really think anyone would'a fuckin' helped me?"

To that, Plumeria faltered. "What… what are ya on about?"

"A Salazzle bit me. A Salazzle bit and spat Toxic at a leader o' the Skull Gang. Let that sink in for a second," he panted. "I was basically our medic because doctors wouldn't see members they figured were Skull. One look at my tattoos and listenin' to how I talk, an' they'd know. What good would limpin' my way back to Poni's docks, headin' to their doctor, just to get turned away do?" Shaking his head, he moved his hands and pleadingly looked up to her. "…An' yeah. I'm not gonna lie. I don't trust ya. For all I know, ya did have somethin' to do with it all. An' I won't lie about this, either: I know I ain't makin' it. So, if that Altar's a way to get to the world Lusamine went to, an' there is a chance that Guz is on the other side…"

Plumeria was already shaking her head. "Makua, she's telling you, I told you," she was tearing up, "they're stories, and that hole, it closed before…"

"Please… Please do what ya can to try an' bring him home."

Tearing up more, it seemed all Plumeria could say, as she clamped her arms to her sides, was, "Fuck you, Makua," which Selene couldn't figure out if she had intended it to be icy or endearing, through how choked she sounded.

"I can't say I trust ya… but I can apologize for it," Makua added huskily, his voice seeming to fade. "I'm sorry I can't be like Guz, or Kaua, or… or anyone else Skull needs… I may not trust ya, but they do…" He shakily raised a hand and gestured vaguely to the rest of the room, and out the door. "They do… an' I realized on my way here…" He trailed off, taking a deep, shuddery sigh. "I just realized…"

"…and don't condemn those that cannot manage it." Selene sharply looked away as she recalled that haunting statement the feminine voice had told her last time they had spoken. Closing her eyes, she hung onto that phrase, because part of her wanted to be furious with Makua, to lay into him for behaving as a victim after all that had happened… Yet, given his context, she struggled to find her right to do so. She could certainly put him down further, but if he recognized his own issues, if he recognized he would likely not even survive this very night, what good would it do, to berate a dying man during his last breaths? Did it even do any good for her, to be angry at him? No… that wouldn't make her feel better. The situation was sad all around and putting Makua down further would only add to her own anger and sadness surrounding him and her brother.

So, she took a long, deep breath. I forgive you, Selene told herself. I forgive you, and I hope you find the peace that you can't get here, soon…

"Plumeria," Lillie called, making Selene open her eyes and look up at her.

"Huh?" the other sniffled, half-looking at her over her shoulder.

Setting her jaw, Lillie put a hand over her heart, in that same gesture Hau often did. "I'm going to find Elio. And if Guzma is out there, him, too. We'll go to the Ruins of Hope to try and help Nebby, and then we'll pay a visit to this Altar of the Sunne."

Stunned by her determined declaration, Plumeria didn't seem to know what to say.

"What… are y'all talkin' about?" Hapu interrupted after a moment, then pushed through them, craning her neck to look at Makua. "Sorry, I need to check on—oh…" She grimaced, and said nothing as she turned around. "Look," she whispered, "they're just stories, stories Gran's told me since Gran'pa passed, about these really strong pokémon that don't live among us anymore. They're just pokémon. And I don't… who's this Elio, an'… why was Makua talking about Kaua? An' what's happened to Guzma?"

"'They're just pokémon…' what does it mean to be a pokémon?"

Selene irritably ignored the intrusive question, as she was far more interested in something else. And it was at that moment that she realized Hapu's way of speaking was remarkably similar to that of everyone from Skull she had met, not to mention, how fluent her Galarish was—much like the other Skull members. And then, a mention of her passing grandfather… In a whirlwind of thoughts, beginning with remembering the Mudsdale in Mina's memory galloping about the elderly, friendly Kaua (and how Hapu had an older Mudsdale she loved dearly, based on watching her interact with it earlier that same day), then how the book had claimed Kaua to be the Kahuna of Poni Island, and rapidly progressing until this very moment, she almost gawked at Hapu.

Kahuna Kaua was her grandfather, and the aftermath of his untimely demise at the hands of Tapu Bulu had left scars deeper on Poni Island than anyone had realized. The hopeless Tapu Fini, the faithless Hapu, the withering Mina, and the wasting Poni Island, which seemed to be bleeding residents given how few lived there and how vast its wilderness was. Poni was where lay the secret to understanding what Alola had been like before The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun's visit had terrified them, and even then, before Tapu Bulu had given them reason to be even more petrified.

…and maybe, maybe, if she dared to hope… Maybe it held the secrets to finding Elio, again, too… If hope was such a difficult and fiery thing to hold onto, then Selene was grateful Lillie had enough to spare. Her determination was contagious, and she appreciated it.

Bolstered by that, she hoped, then, that Lillie's fervorous conviction might spread to Hapu, and Hapu might help them to the Ruins of Hope and ultimately, the Altar of the Sunne, as it seemed was Lillie's new ultimate goal.

Suddenly, she understood why Mina had told them to find Hapu. Glancing back at Makua, she saw that he was still giving shallow, shallow pulls for air, but she could also see he was limp and fading fast. Although not entirely sure what the gesture Hau and now Lillie had performed meant, the placing of a hand over their heart, something felt… right, in that moment.

So, Selene made the small gesture to herself as she looked on Makua.

"I don't know what it means to be a pokémon, any more than humans understand why they are human. Perhaps they are not so different after all… Mind Jumper, find my den."

Suddenly, the voice made sense. Selene's hand dropped from her chest. We will, Tapu Fini.

Chapter Text

The Ruins of Hope were, surprisingly, located a distance away from the canyons Lillie had believed they were initially in. Sure, they had to pass through some winding channels within the rocky, craggy walls, but the den was just inland of the Poni Breaker Coast, the ancient, mossy pathway leading to the ornate entrance decorated by washed-up, colorful shells. The entrance to the cavern was marked by a gilded, golden doorframe, long rusted and warped by time.

Hapu had been brought up to speed on everything they had experienced, and although she had been baffled by their explanation (and it had taken some time for her to even fully believe them), she had agreed to at least take them to Tapu Fini's den to try and help Nebby—even if she clearly believed it to be a futile effort. Plumeria had even come with them, though she had opted to remain a distance outside of the cavern—it was understandable she was quite anxious about the idea of being anywhere near a Tapu, given Skull's checkered past with them. Makua, of course, had been left back at Gran's… Although he had still been alive when they left, he had been asleep, and still breathing shallowly. Privately, Selene doubted he would wake again, and part of her felt a guilty pang of relief for him in that respect.

Warily stepping into the cavern alongside Hau, Lillie, and Gladion, it looked at first that she might have been right. The internal of this cavern looked less like a cavern, and more like an abandoned home. Broken, crumbling stone floors gave way to moss and overgrown vines. More colorful shells were strewn about the wet, stony walls. Beyond the initial cobblestone path, warped, splintered wood fed into a deeper, square chamber.

"That doesn't look stable," Gladion warned her, grabbing her right arm, and causing her to pause. Selene nodded slowly, then, looking around, noted that those stone walls had ancient torches lining them. Despite their age and despite how wet they were, they were still there; for such an inactive place, one said to have been uninhabited in over a decade, she found it hard to believe that the torches on the wall would still be in one piece while the floor was too unstable to even walk on.

"Ae! Look, there's a path here!" Hau exclaimed in Alolan, picking his way to Selene's left, finding a bridge of relatively undamaged wood across the divide. He pressed into the deeper chamber easily, encouraging Selene to follow his footsteps, pulling her hand from Gladion's without a second thought. Had she glanced behind herself, she might have noticed him reach to grab her, then stop himself almost immediately.

"There ain't anyone here," Hapu sighed as Selene followed him. Bowtie ghosted along behind them, crossing the broken wood thanks to how weightless he was. Hau's Umbreon, still behind with Gladion and Lillie, whined and tried to follow him—only for his paw to catch in some of the splintered wood. He yelped and scrabbled, but ultimately slipped.

Before Hau had the chance to react verbally (though his eyes went wide as saucers and Selene had to snatch him by his shirt to stop him from running out onto the unstable ground), they heard a loud, warning caterwaul, and an Absol shot out from the murkiness below the cobblestone and wood flooring. The Umbreon was draped across its back as it bounded easily into the deeper chamber. Sharing a look, Gladion, Lillie, and Hapu hurried after Hau and Selene across the sturdier, narrower bridge, and watched as the Absol shook Hau's Umbreon off its shoulders in front of him.

Thanking the Absol breathlessly in Alolan, Hau hugged that Umbreon tight enough to squeeze it uncomfortably, making the pokémon squirm and paw at his shoulders in protest—not that Hau seemed to care. While he whispered his intentions to make sure nothing ever happened to the Umbreon ever again, the Absol bounded up old, withered stairs, and sat atop a makeshift throne at the furthest reach of the cavern. More torches lined the walls there and above the pokémon's head, a mural, etched in simple, black images, stretched well over twenty feet in diameter. The Absol dipped its head and narrowed those glinting, red eyes at them, flexing claws against the wilted wood. A low, warning howl escaped its throat, but Selene couldn't shake the idea this pokémon was looking straight at her.

Of course, she also immediately understood, based on everything the Tapus had shared with her at this point, that this was no ordinary Absol. And her believe was proven correct when the Absol lit up a brilliant, flashing white that washed the cavern with its brilliance, blinding them all. When it was over, a shelled creature was left in its wake—none other than Tapu Fini herself, teal eyes glinting in place of her previously red ones. They flashed white fleetingly, and in an instant, every torch on the wall lit up with blue flames, throwing dramatic shadows on the mural above her head.

Awestruck, Selene only remained standing there, looking her up and down. "It's you," she breathed.

"Tapu Fini," she heard Hau whisper behind her. "Selene… Selene, get back…"

"No… She's…" Hapu was sputtering for words.

"You found me," Selene heard that familiar voice. She glanced around, wondering if anyone else had noticed it, but based on the way nobody reacted, she supposed Tapu Fini's conversation was still a private affair. Giving a slight, audible purr that Selene was sure everyone else had to have heard, she added, "Thank you…"

"Tapu Fini," Lillie interjected, stepping forward boldly. Elio's Ninetales nervously followed at her heels, his breath coming in visible puffs of mist, as she held up a Nest Ball at the Tapu. "Tapu Fini… This is Nebby… I think—"

"Lillie!" Hau hissed warningly at her, alarmed. "What are you doing?"

"Asking her about Nebby!" Lillie retorted, as if that was the response he had been looking for.

Yet, during that, Tapu Fini slowly wafted down the left stairwell of her altar, and approached them all, far closer than any of them would have appreciated—except perhaps Selene. While she recognized the almost suffocating pressure of the pokémon's godlike presence, there was something keeping her rooted there, her heels digging into the wood, unable to move. While the others were focused on the Tapu moving closer and closer to them, Selene found herself focused on something else. The mural behind her head.

Dark, simplistic pictures painted for her a memory she had only just begun to imagine prior to then.

The cave around her melted away like watercolor paint dripping down a canvas until a star-studded sky, draped over a lonesome mountaintop, was all that remained. On that mountaintop, a young boy, perhaps no older than fifteen, sat cross-legged in the tickling grass beside her. Looking down at herself, Selene realized she was in Tapu Fini's body, the mystical pokémon her vessel for today's vision. Saying that to say, she recognized the boy: his name was Māui.

Māui spoke idly to her, in words she only half-understood, until he pointed at the sky with a handmade fishing rod. Tapu Fini understood this was something Māui kept with him at all times, proclaiming it his 'lucky charm.' Although she had never understood that, she found the trait endearing. Today, his lucky charm, poised toward the sky, was pointing out a shooting star. Normally, the neat sight would have simply crossed the sky and left them to wonder where it was headed to, but just as Māui was jokingly asking her what she would wish for, they realized this shooting star was not simply passing them by. Feeling a bolt of terror, Selene watched through Tapu Fini's eyes as she dove at Māui, enveloping him in her shell, and rolled out of the way, down the mountainside. She landed harshly a great distance away, but that didn't stop her from hearing the crashing boom of the shooting star landing on the earth.

When she finally dared to unfurl her shell, Tapu Fini and Māui made their way back to the peak of that mountain. That was when Selene realized it looked so familiar… the grassy mountainside overlooked a canyon filled to the brim with a rushing, beautiful freshwater river. Vast Poni Canyon… Yet, that thought was lost quickly as her vessel, Tapu Fini, and Māui approached the fallen star.

Amid the broken mountaintop lay a beast neither of them knew how to describe. A gleaming red eye burned through them, but so did two narrow, opulently blue eyes, all framed by a glitzy, golden mane that flowed into white-hot flames. Those eyes were amid a face made of stars. When the beast stood to full height, it looked like a sun, blazing and fiery, but standing just in front of them. Squinting harshly against the brilliance of the fallen sun, it was Māui who noticed something else. As the beast stood and protectively took a step ahead of something, he noticed a girl beneath its body. A girl with skin as blue as the sky, hair a vibrant orange, but sadly… as limp as a wilted daisy. A harness of sorts clung to her lifeless frame, as did a harness around the fallen sun.

Then, Tapu Fini and Māui both scrambled back as another beast materialized above the fallen sun—this one, they had not noticed until it appeared as if part of the night sky had descended upon them; pink, suspicious eyes opened amid a star-spangled face, framed by enormous wings of starshine.

"There was sadly nothing we could do for the girl that crashed to Alola with the Sun Beast… She is forgotten by most accounts of his story, lost along with the harness he arrived to Alola with. I could not speak the same language they did, but to my understanding, they were practicing jumping worlds with this girl, who they called an Ultrarian, I believe… They did not yet know how to do it on their own. They stayed in Alola and Māui, the first Kahuna of Poni Island, treated them as one of our own. But that's far from the end of their story… You know much of it, but there is another part of their story history forgets."

The imagery around her melted away, and at first, Selene thought she was back in the present, in the Ruins of Hope. However, she quickly realized that wasn't the case. The rest of her party was nowhere to be seen. At the throne, where Selene had seen modern Tapu Fini switch from her Absol body to her godly one, the Tapu was curled about an egg. Or… Selene somehow knew it was an egg, and that she was the Tapu, even though her body was currently that of an Absol. Her white, soft fur was coiled tightly around a galactical, star-spangled sphere, complete with golden rings circling the softer tissues of the egg.

"It was my job to guard this egg until someone worthy of carrying out its cycle were to come along, someone responsible enough… I thought I had found that someone in Kahuna Kaua… Although he had the heart, Kaua did not have the desire… This egg would have spurred his life into that of worlds beyond our own, and he wanted to help his own people. As much as he reminded me of Māui, as much as I liked Kaua, Kaua failed to understand that one way to assist Alola was to bring back the Sun and Moon Beasts… to help their progeny finally touch the light of day."

In her Absol body, she nosed the egg, then laid her head against the warped wood.

"Then, my brother killed Kaua. I had spent so long safeguarding this egg in hopes of one day coming across a human that could understand the mural, could understand the gravity behind this egg… and although Kaua was distracted, I had hope that one day he would understand. Yet, my own brother destroyed that, all because he was upset that my Kahuna was causing such shockwaves on 'his' island… At the end of the day, it was nothing more than a territorial dispute."

With a defeated sigh, Selene watched through the Absol Tapu Fini's eyes in abject shock as Aether Foundation employees cautiously filtered into the cavern. None other than Dr. Faba and Lusamine themselves strode up to the throne where she lay curled about the egg. Yet, instead of fending them off, instead of even growling, instead of putting up a fight at all, to Selene's horror, Tapu Fini…

Did nothing.

She closed her eyes and did nothing as Dr. Faba picked up the egg, and the Aether employees left, without altercation.

"I told you hope can ravage someone from the inside out, like water carving a canyon from stone… I had spent so many years trying to hold onto hope… I had nothing left to hold onto. I put up no fight. In essence, my brother and I are to blame for much of what is wrong with Alola now… and I am truly, deeply, sorry.

"And yet, your friend… she possesses the hatched egg. The evolved version, even. The product of the Moon Beast's love, she holds the Cosmic Child within that device…"

Coming back to the present, Selene only had a few seconds to realize that her powers were showcasing everything Tapu Fini had been showing—and telling her—to her friends, through the use of her almost holographic, memory displaying ability, and it was catching them up to speed. Before she had the chance to ask any questions, she felt a crushing, destructive cold rush through her body, starting at her feet and racing to her head, making her grit her teeth and yelp. Tapu Fini got in front of her, teal eyes boring into her own.

"Your Z-Power Ring. My brother, Koko, saved it for many, many years. It was a Z-Crystal that possessed energy from both the Sun Beast and the Moon Beast. His Kahuna divided it to turn it into Z-Power Rings for you and your brother, but together, they can evolve the Cosmic Child to resemble one of its fallen parents. The Sun Beast and the Moon Beast could both leap between worlds. The solution for your troubles and everyone else's does not lie in our world, not entirely. Our threat is not entirely homegrown. Although my brother, Bulu's, attack on Kaua shook the Alolans' beliefs to their core, the sickness that crept into them started long ago—when The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun showed them how insignificant they were. Mind Jumper, The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun still lives, and given the opportunity, he will destroy this world, the next, and every one beyond it, devouring sun after sun, killing moon after moon."

"What do you want me to do?" Selene managed to hiss through gritted teeth, that bitterly cold, frigid pain still coursing through her veins. She felt like her blood vessels might crystallize.

Grasping Selene's arm that possessed her Z-Power Ring, Tapu Fini turned Selene's wrist over, showing the sunny crystal was glowing with a pulsing mix of golden and blue. Clasping a hand over it, Selene finally got a brief reprieve from her frosting insides. "Stop The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun. Stop Alola from repeating the same mistakes history made. Only then, can Alola's sicknesses be healed…" Selene swore Tapu Fini issued her a small smile. "Only then can humans and pokémon here walk equal ground once more. Although I once hated humans the same as my brothers and sister, Māui taught me that what Unova once wanted was possible… That humans and pokémon can stand on equal ground, that Alola can still be what it was always meant to be."

Finally, Selene's powers quit displaying everything to her friends. She was relieved when her veins didn't begin to ice over again once Tapu Fini withdrew her hands. Trembling from the monumental task that had been laid before her, she shook her head. "I—Elio—his Z-Power Ring, he's—"

"It's right here."

Glancing over her shoulder, Selene blinked as Lillie held up her left wrist, a primarily navy-blue crystal glinting within the wristband. Closing her eyes, Lillie sighed. "He dropped everything he could think of down to me before he… before he fell in. Including Z-Crystals and this Z-Power Ring."

Hapu suddenly pushed through them all, rushing up to Tapu Fini. She stopped just short of the pokémon, shaking her head rigorously. "You—you did nothing?" she incredulously demanded. "Wh-when Aether was after that egg… I—I just—I can't believe this, you're—you're real, an' you're still here, but you did… You did nothin'! After he died 'cause o' you an' Bulu both!" With her rising voice, she raised a shaky, trembling fist, and then brought it down on Tapu Fini's chest.

Yet, despite the gasp of surprise the rest of them uttered, Tapu Fini hugged Hapu tightly, a low, apologetic purr escaping from her. Apparently shocked by that, Hapu froze, then melted into Tapu Fini's hold.

"I came here so long ago," Hapu whimpered, "an' you told me I wasn't worthy… then you just… let them come an' take that egg, when I was right here, the whole time…"

Tapu Fini's voice began to play in Selene's head, and she realized she had to translate. Speaking slowly and with clammy lips, Selene murmured, "She… she didn't want to, because she could tell you were upset about Kahuna Kaua… that you would have just gone to Ula'Ula Island, and… and ended the same way…" Grimacing, Selene looked down. "Hapu… She says she's sorry." Swallowing hard, Selene added, "She says she's sorry for not being able to hold out hope for longer…"

"I just… couldn't understand how one o' the pokémon that was s'posed to help us and guide us could be so… cruel," Hapu sniffled, starting to unravel herself from Tapu Fini. Then, stamping a foot in frustration, she waved an accusatory finger at Tapu Fini. "An' you're still part of it! Because before my Gran'pa, you still did the thing with takin' powers away from people by maimin' 'em!"

This time, it didn't seem Hapu needed Selene to translate. Tapu Fini backed away, reverted to her Absol form, and dipped her head sadly. Scuffing the ground, she gave a mournful noise.

"How can ya be sorry? For maimin' an' hurtin' people for so long, just lordin' over 'em?" Hapu demanded. "Not exactly somethin' ya do on accident. I bet, if ya hadn't, you know, gave up, ya would'a prob'ly blinded Mina by now, wouldn't ya? Like 'at poor Captain Ilima, who never did anythin' but help people, yet Koko fried his fuckin' eyes."

Tapu Fini looked up, staring Hapu in the eyes. "How do I tell her?" Tapu Fini seemed to ask Selene. "How do I tell her, that I was so angry at how people were behaving after the original incident with The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun, that for many years, I agreed with the way my brothers and sister were behaving…? On top of having admitted to her that I gave up?"

However, Selene never got a word out. Hapu's shoulders sagged, and she took a long, shuddery breath. Shaking her head, she stared at the ground. "You're a pokémon. You're no god. Why am I treatin' you like you should be the perfect picture of morals?" She paused. "I can tell you don't have an answer, anyway. Just as sick and twisted as the rest o' the islands, an' the people on 'em."

Hapu started to leave, soon followed by Gladion. Hau looked as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately decided against it. "Ae, wherever this goes," he told her just before he slipped out that entrance to the deeper chamber, "I'm with you." Looking between Lillie and Selene, he smiled, a big, goofy grin, so unlike the fake grimace he often wore. "Both of you. No matter what."

With that, he left, leaving Selene and Lillie there with the Tapu. Lillie was rolling that Nest Ball in her palm. "So, we have to take your Z-Power Ring, and Elio's, to the Altar of the Sunne… and possibly go to another world to solve this…" Lillie laughed, almost hysterically, in disbelief. "To face something called, 'The Beast Who Swallowed the Sun…'" She shook her head. "I wonder… if that's what Dulse and Zossie called 'the Blinding One?'" Bitterly, she scoffed. "If only Aether Paradise hadn't sank, along with all the information my mother had on those two."

"Lillie," Selene quietly said, still staring at Tapu Fini as the Absol picked her way back to her throne, "I'll be honest. I don't think everything she said has really set in yet. I don't know where you've gotten your determination from as of late… but I'm probably going to need it…" Laughing anxiously, Selene put a cold palm to her forehead. "I'm… I'm terrified."

"So am I," Lillie answered without skipping a beat, though she was staring at Elio's Z-Power Ring. "But we can't give up now. He's still out there. Nebby still needs help… Guzma might be out there, too… And if everything you just showed us is right, then we can't let this monster came back to Alola for a second round. This time, Selene, this time, we are going to be all together, and we're going to all do our part." She made it a point to tap Selene's shoulder. "Look at me."

Selene slowly looked her in her fiery, green eyes.

"We are not depending on you alone this time. That was unfair, back on Aether Paradise. You have all of us. Whatever happens, we're all going to be together, and we're going to stay together. No loose ends. We'll all do our part. I'm not the weakest link anymore." With that, she gave her a tentative smile. "So… are you with us?"

Inhaling sharply, Selene nodded. "Yes," she responded decisively. "Yes."

"I'll meet you at the Altar. I have something to make up to Hapu with."

With that, they exited the Ruins of Hope.

Chapter Text

Although stepping into Tapu Fini's lair had been nerve-wracking at first, Hau only able to remember how hopeless and beaten he had felt when he had met her aggressive, defensive sister alongside Mallow all those months ago, it quickly dawned on him that she was nothing like her kin. Selene had told him how she had witnessed the tale of the Tapus actually hailing from another region—Unova, to be exact—and that they had once inhabited the body of ordinary Absol. Watching Tapu Fini's continued story play out above Selene's head like a sandy hologram, while an ethereal, feminine voice narrated for them, he had felt a stirring deep in his chest. The same when he had solemnly realized he had to pick a side, to stay on the ground or taste the flames of the sun, after he and Selene had argued so much time ago over her usage of him to contact Tapu Koko again. Except this time, it wasn't solemn. He didn't feel defeated, used, or apprehensive.

Truth be told, he was done feeling such a way. When he had turned and told Selene he was with her, it was not the same empty nothings he had told her in the past, where he had given her such sincere words while privately hoping one day, he might believe them. This time, he did believe them. He had been burned before, he had walked through hell and back, and he would do it again if it meant everything that had happened wouldn't be in vain. Whether that meant his own suffering, Popper's death, Mallow's practiced patience with him, the hopelessness Tapu Fini had endured, the forced faithlessness of Hapu, the dissolving, broken Skull Gang—it didn't matter. It would not be for nothing, if there was anything he had to say about it.

Despite how energized he felt, though, as he stepped back onto that dark, stony pathway lined by colorful seashells, he bent down and scratched his Umbreon on the head. The egg he had acquired all that time ago—had it been on Akala Island?—had hatched into an Eevee, which, during the couple of months he had spent with Mallow, had evolved into an Umbreon. Despite how fiercely, dangerously hopeful he felt, he did not lose that soft, gentle façade he had adopted over the years. He hugged the Umbreon then. "I'm glad you're okay, Ho'ololi," he told him in Alolan, stroking its chest. When he broke the embrace, the Umbreon bent down in a playful position, his tail waving rapidly, all as the golden rings at different points of his body lit up.

Yet, his private fervor came to a halt as Gladion followed him outside, prompting Plumeria to uncertainly pick her way over to them from where she had been standing a distance away. "Learn anything?" she asked, throwing the entrance of the den cautious looks here and there.

Shaking his head, Gladion spoke first, cutting Hau short. "Well, yes," he admitted, "but… it's way over our heads."

"Ae?" Hau jumped up and blinked. "What?"

Affronted, Gladion just looked at him. "You can't tell me you're seriously agreeing with going out there, going to that Altar, and messing with all of this?"

Shaking his head, Hau replied, "And you're not?"

Gladion scoffed in sheer disbelief. "You were there at Aether Paradise when it sank," Gladion shot back. "Hello? Earth to Hau? Do you remember how quick that spiraled out of control?"

Wincing, Hau clamped his mouth shut, pressing his lips to a thin line. Ho'ololi jumped up at his side and the Umbreon's hackles raised at the tension in the air. "How could I forget?" Hau asked, deathly calm as he narrowed his eyes up at Gladion like daggers. Slowly, he put his hands in his pockets.

"My sister, everyone else, Selene—" Gladion cut himself off and groaned in frustration, plucking at some of his hair. "I am not letting them go out on some suicide mission again, understand?"

Null, from Gladion's side, took a deliberate step toward Ho'ololi and gave a mechanized, warning growl. The Umbreon's rings only glowed again as he flexed claws against the craggy earth.

"Hey, both o' you," Plumeria snapped, barging between them. "Chill. Everyone, just chill." Shaking her head, she demanded, "What the hell happened in there?"

They were interrupted when Hapu, shortly followed by Selene and Lillie, exited the den. Hapu pushed through them all, soon chased by Lillie. "Hapu, wait," Lillie called, "wait—this, the Altar of the Sunne, do you know how to get there?"

"I don't know what mess y'all've gotten into," Hapu said, batting away Lillie's hands, "but I ain't part of it. Follow the Vast Poni Canyon deeper in. Stick to the left cliffs… Hey. I can register my Mudsdale as a Ride Pokémon for ya. He—"

"No," Gladion interjected, flatly cutting Hapu off. He crossed his arms and settled a pointed gaze on Lillie. "Lillie, no."

Recoiling, obviously having not expected that, Lillie bewilderedly blinked and sputtered, "Wh—Gladion, 'no' what?"

"We're not going to that Altar, we're not doing this," he said firmly, arms still crossed. "Whatever problem lies out there"—he pointed vaguely at the sky suddenly—"is not ours to solve. We're just us! An organization that was regularly researching and building up to something like this couldn't even handle it! We're not gods!"

Selene glanced uncertainly to Hau, who still felt fiery pangs of determination in his chest, yet he hadn't a chance to say a word. Because it was Lillie who got into her brother's face and fiercely curled her lips. "No, we're not! Nobody is! Nobody ever will be! If that's the case, Gladion, then who do you suggest solves these problems? Who do you suggest saves Elio? What about Guzma? What if we"—she gestured rapidly between them all—"finally have the tools to fix this and we're the only ones who are even entertaining the idea of giving it a shot?"

"Why is that our problem?" Gladion hissed impatiently. "Look—we got fucked six ways to Sunday just trying to stop our own mother! And you want to go have a tea party with some monster from another world?"

"What the hell do we even have to lose?" Lillie demanded, shaking Nebby's Nest Ball in his face. At that remark, Hau's nerve suddenly seemed to dissipate. He jolted in surprise. Did Lillie feel… like she was at the end of some rope? But how, when he felt like they were at the cusp of something great? Calming down some, Lillie sighed. "Glad, do you really want to keep going like that? Fighting just to get by and accepting it as it is? Abandoning people who we might be able to save, just to protect your own skin?"

He looked down. "You aren't doing that out of the goodness of your heart, Lillie, don't pretend you are," he quietly told her. "Not for Nebby, Elio, or even potentially Guzma."

Hau could practically feel the group around him collectively wince. Conviction wavering more and more, he adopted his more usual response to such situations: keeping his mouth closed very, very tightly.

"Glad, that's cold," Plumeria icily warned.

Gaping, Lillie didn't seem to have a reply for that one.

"Don't look at me like that, I didn't say it was a bad thing," Gladion said, shaking his head. "Lillie, please. What good is killing ourselves to try this going to do?" He reached his hands forward and clasped them to Lillie's left, covering Nebby's Nest Ball. "I know you miss him. I know. But you—you're—you're starting to sound like Mom, and I'm just… I'm just worried—"

"—I am not her—!"

"—Hey, I didn't say you were, but this is exactly how we sounded before we went running off to that fucking island, you're not—"

"Just stop! Let me go do this!" Lillie spat fiercely, wrenching away from him. Locking eyes with him, her voice broke some as she said, "Like… like you said. It's not a bad thing. Glad, even if… if I want to go a different path than you, it's not a bad thing. I need this. I can't live thinking I missed this. I can't put anyone else in danger, asking them to do it for me." She was clearly tearing up, clutching Nebby's Nest Ball close to her chest, Elio's Ninetales sympathetically rubbing against her legs. "Glad, I can't. I have to do this. For me and for them… What's wrong with that?"

"Hey…" Selene whispered softly, finding an in to the conversation. She sympathetically looked between Lillie and Gladion. "Who… who says this is going to go as poorly as last time? Who even says it's all true? For all we know, Tapu Fini is remembering wrong, or Koko gave me the wrong stones, or—" Selene cut the tension with a terse laugh. "Like… Like Lillie said, back in the cave, after you left, Gladion… We'll all be together for this one. You all can't lean on me; we have to, and we will, lean on each other. We'll back out if it starts going south."

He didn't know how Selene's words seemed to always ease him, but Hau gently smiled to himself, and found the courage to move forward then. In Alolan, he affirmed with her, "Ae, together, this time." He put his hand over his heart. An unspoken promise of solidarity, acceptance, and understanding. "We've been through worse… We've learned… And if what Tapu Fini said is true, we'll… we'll have a Sun Beast or Moon Beast to help us. Who knows what we could learn out there."

"I just think this is something that should be left to professionals. Just because Mom and Faba were a bunch of quacks doesn't mean everyone that worked at Aether or all their research is," Gladion sighed. "Hell, I'm technically the inheritor, I could go work on putting the pieces back together and within a few months, have some teams that—"

Lillie impatiently stomped a foot. "It's already been a couple of months; we don't have another few months!"

"Gladion…"

He paused and looked up at Selene. "Yes?" he apprehensively asked.

Giving him an understanding, compassionate look, Selene softly smiled. "I promise. She'll come back. I… I know I didn't do so well with Elio…" Grimacing, Selene closed her eyes. "But I promise, at the first sign things are going poorly at the Altar, we'll get out of there. I won't try to be the hero. Because, as you said, we're not gods—I know I'm not… I've… I've learned. I promise."

When she opened her eyes again, Hau saw her face light up with encouragement that Gladion seemed to finally accept. Something about her ability to connect with him really rubbed Hau the wrong way, though, and he made it a point to go right back to staying very quiet. Guiltily, he knew that was bad; it was a good thing that Gladion's nerves had been eased. Yet, once again, the same as he had felt watching Selene and Elio interact when they had first arrived in Alola, he was starting to feel like there was something between Selene and Gladion he would never be able to touch or understand. For as much as he saw her as a friend and deeply appreciated her company, as it was something he had not often had in his life prior to her arrival in Alola, she seemed to always find someone else to latch closer to…

He shook his head. Such a thought was not an important matter right then. Plastering that grin on his face, he gave Gladion an equally as encouraging nod, even if it was a far cry from Selene's genuineness. "Ae. We'll be careful." Turning to Lillie, Hau nudged her with his elbow. "Right?"

Lillie took a little too long to respond for Hau's liking. "Yeah," she agreed in the end. "Yeah."

"I've already been dragged into every crazy scheme my friends have come up with until now," Plumeria snidely remarked, trying to weasel her way into their pow-wow, "I might as well come with y'all on this one."

"Hapu?" Selene called, craning her head to look over their group. The girl was standing a good distance away from them, hands on her hips, a begrudging expression on her face, glowering at the seashells around them as if they were to blame for her current predicament.

"You bunch're contagious," she huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms instead.

Grinning, encouraged by her waning defiance, Hau teased her, "Ae, does that mean you're coming with us?"

Huffily raising her chin and turning away from them, Hapu almost petulantly remarked, "Maybe."

"You'll decide on the way there?" Selene cheekily added, catching onto the fact that, as much as Hapu wanted to cling to her faithlessness, her meeting with Hapu had piqued her curiosity. She wanted to go, even if she didn't want to admit it.

Hapu said nothing else as she stormed away from the Ruins of Hope. Temporarily forgetting all about his irritation with Gladion, Hau clapped his thigh to encourage Ho'ololi to follow him, and he, Plumeria, and Lillie all started after Hapu. Yet, just before disappearing around a bend and out of eyeshot of Selene and Gladion, he tossed a look over his shoulder. Just then, he saw Selene take Gladion's left hand into her right and give it a reassuring squeeze.

"I wouldn't wish anything like what happened with my brother on anyone," he strained to hear Selene say. "I know I shouldn't make promises… but I promise she'll be okay."

"I'm coming with you," he dully snorted in forced amusement, shaking his head. "You act like I'm staying behind. I still think it would be better to try and put Aether back together and handle it. But if she and you are both going, then so am I."

With a satisfied smile, Selene pulled away from him, acting as if she intended to follow the others, but she stopped when Gladion called out to her. "Wait!"

"Huh?" She expectantly blinked back at him.

"I… I just…" He gave a deep, resounding sigh. "Thank you…"

With that, Hau decided he really didn't need to hear anymore.

Elio had seen the Aether Foundation's unhinged nature up close all that time ago, but that was unmatched by Lusamine, as she were now. As soon as she had passed into Ultra Megalopolis, he had stroked Lunala's face, and climbed astride the beast's back. There was simply no time to wait for Dr. Colress to come fix his helmet, and without that, no way for him to communicate with Dulse or Zossie, who both shouted at him to wait.

"Elio Isono! You do not have the capability of ordering that beast to attack, nor do you have any weaponry of your own to use to defend yourself! Get back down here, immediately!" Dulse barked.

But he didn't. Ignoring him, he fitted into a complex, mechanized harness on Lunala's back, designed to hold him in place no matter what. She gave her ethereal bellow and zoomed into the sky, overlooking much of the dreary, metropolitan city. The glaring lights of Megalo Tower silhouetted him against the darkened sky as the Mother Beast, Lusamine herself, approached him, her dark, swirling body blotting out much of what light did pass by them. Frustrated by his inability to speak to her, Elio gritted his teeth, and flipped up the glassy visor that protected most of his face. "Lusamine!" he mouthed at her, tilting his head desperately, pleading with her with his eyes. "Don't do this," he added silently. It won't help anything… It doesn't have to be this way… You and I spoke, I know this isn't really you…

Of course, her next words could have fooled him. "You should've stayed back in the Ultra Deep Sea and let the blood drain from your throat," Lusamine wickedly growled at him, her gleaming eyes narrowing to bladed slits against her pale face, and the inky hair that framed it. "Now, you're ugly, broken, voiceless…" More Nihilego began to hang in the air around him. Elio felt Lunala give an uneasy lurch below him, looking around anxiously. Suddenly, Lusamine roared, "Whether you die right now or later, it doesn't matter, but there's no room in my world for someone so ugly and imperfect, not in the world of my and Nihilego's love!"

Dozens and dozens, if not hundreds, of smaller, white, glassy Nihilego around her clanged and called with their support, as if a hivemind of unconditional support for their new queen…

…Their new Mother Beast.

I'm not giving up on you that easily… Closing the visor back over his face, Elio directed Lunala into a sharp dive as a couple dozen or more Nihilego rushed at him, then shot Power Gems after him. Clinging tightly to Lunala's body as the wind began to whistle and blaze past his body, Elio jerked her to the right and left to avoid the blasts of rock, knowing exactly just how deadly they could be, feeling an uncomfortable tingle over a scar on his neck. At the last second, he jerked her reins up, forcing them back into a steep climb toward Megalo Tower, the force of the action momentarily leaving him feeling like he might be crushed by the weight of the gravity.

Lusamine and her Nihilego were also headed straight for it, but he sighed in relief as he noticed others of the Ultra Recon Squad were rallying to help him. He saw Solgaleo with riders jump from rooftop to rooftop, other Lunala stealthily move high in the air, disguising themselves as part of the abyssal darkness, and even Naganadel were being lined up along the ground in front of the Megalo Tower. Others of the URS used their weaponry, crafted from what he would have called Z-Crystals back in Alola (as well as other various parts of different beasts), from the ground, pelting the Nihilego swarm with various bullets, arrows, and combustions. While people in Elio's homeworld utilized pokémon to fight for them, the Ultrarians didn't have such a luxury, what with the only domesticable creatures in their lands being the glass cannons, Lunala and Solgaleo, as well as the difficult to train Poipole (and its evolved cousin, Naganadel); instead, they had used the stolen fragments of The Blinding One's body, combining them with carved remnants of slain beasts much like the attacking Nihilego now, to create fantastical weapons people from Elio's world could have only dreamed of in fiction.

Yet, none of it seemed to matter. Whenever someone tried to attack Lusamine directly, one of her subservient, smaller Nihilego would take the blow, no matter how deadly, for her. Some were merely aggravated by the beams of Solgaleo's fire or Lunala's moonbeams, others were momentarily stunned by Xurkitree-hewn ammunition, while those less fortunate shattered or were destroyed by the impact by grenades developed from Blacephalon heads and the like. And just as Dulse had warned him, without his voice, Elio also had no real way of ordering his own Lunala to attack, only able to direct her through harsh movements of her reins and different placements of his feet in her harness's mechanized stirrups.

He wasn't sure how long this high-flying, deadly game of Meowth and Rattata went on for; he only knew that it felt like an eternity. Knowing he had no hope of attacking or doing damage to her, Elio didn't try. Instead, he simply kept pushing Lunala to get as close to Lusamine as he could manage, until he could see her glittery, bloodlusting gaze in the shrouded darkness of her hair, to try and silently plead with her some more. He couldn't utter a word, but he could give her looks, and he could be persistent. Truthfully, he didn't want to give up. Fighting her wasn't working. His only other hope was to convince her. He hadn't spent months in Ultra Megalopolis, suffering yet another culture shock and dealing in the aftermath of his horrible throat wound, just to let Lusamine waltz right in and disturb The Blinding One, to put other worlds—his sister's and Lillie's world, in particular—at risk. They had narrowly avoided leading Lusamine right back to them when she had first injured him, it had only been through another field team's answer to Dulse's distress signal that they had been able to escape that confrontation. Ever since, he had been working with Dr. Colress to create a helmet that would allow him to communicate again despite his irreparably damaged vocals, working to learn as much about the Ultrarian world as he could, training alongside this Lunala—all for the hope to quell the threat of The Blinding One escaping its prison and wreaking havoc among world after world, all for the hope of returning home once all of that was said and done.

Yet, every time he got close to her, every time he gave her those pleading looks, willed her to understand… the more it started to sink in that she wouldn't. She couldn't. There was nothing left of that woman he had spoken to, in tears, back in the Ultra Deep Sea, the home of the parasitic Nihilego. He had learned enough about them to understand there was no reasoning with Lusamine anymore, not in this advanced stage of homogenization. There was no more Lusamine. There was just the Mother Beast now… He knew that. That was how Nihilego functioned. The brainless beast was motivated simply by the desire to survive and reproduce, its methods involving locking on a host and poisoning it until it became dependent on the venom, like the universe's most addicting drug. Typically, they settled for other beasts—sapiens had never been recorded as a host of Nihilego's parasitic behavior. Sure, there had been incidents of stings and attacks, but never anything as advanced as what Lusamine was currently experiencing.

In essence, Elio realized with a gut-wrenching wave of despair, the Mother Beast was simply carnal instincts given sentience. She had no morals, she had no attachments, she only knew survival, locked in the throes of her ideology from her last living days prior to being absorbed by the original Nihilego that had chosen her as its host. Her ravings of a beautiful world and her proclamation of love for Nihilego were simply the ramblings of her waning ability to think for herself, echoes of what was, essentially, a dead woman; if they could simply fend her off for a day, maybe two, she would lose her desire to chase The Blinding One for its 'beauty.' She would begin to drift aimlessly like any other Nihilego, serving as the beast's food source and home for its offspring until she was no more at all.

Yet… Quietly, Elio realized there was no way they would hold her off for that amount of time. More and more of her subservient, normal Nihilego were vaporized by the Ultrarians' own weaponry and their tamed beasts, all while the Mother Beast merely kept pushing forward, undaunted by them, closer and closer to Megalo Tower, until Elio felt as if he and Lunala's backs were practically pressed against the structure. The blinding, white light shining past his and Lunala's frames threw odd patterns and colors over the Mother Beast's partly glassy body. Briefly glancing over his shoulder and panting madly for breath, Elio realized he and his Lunala were hovering just in front of the brightest part of Megalo Tower—the very top, where he knew the original source of such power lay in wait, poised for the moment its confinement weakened just enough.

Squinting against the brightness, even in his visor, he turned back to look at Lusamine. This is it, isn't it? he thought to himself as he stroked Lunala's neck gently, recognizing there was nothing they could do now. They had given it their all. The Mother Beast had proven that the Ultrarians had never been equipped to handle such a challenge. Lusamine had come to Ultra Megalopolis expecting a war—expecting to win said war—and, well… she had.

"Get out of my way," Lusamine hissed at him maliciously, somehow full of resentment despite how deadpanned she looked. More beast than woman. "Final warning."

Still heaving for breath in the aftermath of the hours and hours they had spent struggling, Elio hugged Lunala's neck tightly. She gave a defiant, even if tired, growl at Lusamine while Elio slowly shook his head, No.

"Have it your way."

With that, a black, glassy tentacle lashed at them both, sending them careening through the thick glass of the tower behind them. The initial pain was lost on Elio, only able to think about how weak he felt all over as he collapsed to a bitterly cold floor, and the lights of Megalo Tower dimmed and began to flicker. Vision checkering with double images, Elio groaned as he tried to stand up, noting that Lunala was crumpled to the floor just beside him. Shattered glass was scattered around the floor. But in the harsh luminescence of that room, a dark figure sat in the center of it, large, thick arms neatly tucked against what Elio knew to be a face, even if it didn't look like one upon first glance. All that gave the implication of eyes were two small, red and blue Z-Crystals embedded in a digital display.

Animalistically, the Mother Beast flared her tentacles widely around herself, bashing more and more glass until the tower's lights were practically strobing. She shrieked a cry at The Blinding One, insisting him to fight, and Elio saw, through what felt like a series of still photographs each time the lights flashed on, as The Blinding One rose from its cage and then rocketed at her.

Grabbing at Lunala, Elio encouraged her to get up and hopped onto her back again. Through more still images, as the lights repeatedly turned off and on, Elio saw The Blinding One, even in its broken, incomplete state thrash the Mother Beast. One flash of light saw her crash back into the top of the tower, blowing out more of its windows and making the structure lean uncomfortably far to the left. Another showed her attempting to stick venomous needles into The Blinding One's crystalline body, only for the next glimpse to show her needles sliding off its body like water from a Psyduck's feathers, then her once again bodied against the tower as if she were nothing. Panting wildly as adrenaline flowed, Elio urged Lunala out of the tower, watching from a distance as the Mother Beast and The Blinding One waged their personal war. Unsurprisingly, the Mother Beast's Nihilego underlings, although they tried to interfere, they were easily dealt with as well.

It was just the way in which they were dealt with that left Elio trembling and clutching at Lunala's shoulders for dear life. The Blinding One, dark and crystalline like a dead sun, would latch its talon-like fingers onto their glassy bodies, then smash them together, brutally shattering their bodies and then appearing to… inhale the light glinting off their shards. With every one, its ferocity grew, until Megalo Tower finally quit its chaotic flickering, and Elio could see the Mother Beast pinned beneath that dark beast on the top of the tilting Megalo Tower.

"I… know… world… with… more light…" the Mother Beast shrieked at The Blinding One through fitful gasps, seeming as if she were having trouble putting together words. Feeling a bolt of terror at her words, Elio sprung back to life. He nudged Lunala with a heel and they zipped closer to the warring beasts. From his new angle above them, above the tower, he could see the Mother Beast's eyes were unfocused and rolled nearly into the back of her head. And by the sounds of it, her carnal interest in self-preservation was winning out over the dying throes of Lusamine's desire for a beautiful world for herself and her 'love.' "Far… away… Alola…"

Pressing claws to the Mother Beast's head, The Blinding One gave a mechanical, inorganic grating sound, like metal plates scraping along one another. Then, it robotically uttered in a deep, deep voice, pronouncing the words like they were foreign and difficult, "You… all… will pay for the pain… caused." The Blinding One's cadence was so deep and sinister, he felt it rattle his chest and bones. Then, it began to squeeze in with those claws…

In a sheer, blind panic, his blood running cold as ice, Elio pushed Lunala into a steep dive again. This time, they struck The Blinding One, right on its head. Stop! Elio thought frantically. No! Not—you can't just shatter her like the others!

For his transgression, Lunala howled as her right wing was snatched in some of those powerful claws, and she was launched at the sky, Elio barely managing to cling to her frame. Clenching his eyes shut, he failed to see the tear in reality open around them, failed to notice them traveling through a wormhole, all while the Mother Beast fled after him in a desperate attempt to flee the battle she knew she would not win. But it seemed they had all underestimated The Blinding One.

Its outrage was not over, as it followed both of them into a different world, one where the sun warmed the earth, and the moon could still shine in a star-spangled night sky.

Releasing Nebby onto the pedestal at the center of the Altar, Lillie took a deep, shuddery breath. He looked so peaceful, even if he was unresponsive… It evoked an odd sense of calm, looking at his resting, dark face, surrounded by starshine, encrusted by golden rings. Bending down, she gently pressed a palm to one such ring. “I know you probably can’t understand what’s going on right now,” she whispered to him, “but… I hope this helps you… And I hope you’ll forgive me, for how selfish I’ve been…” Smiling bittersweetly, she stood up and wiped her face. She jolted in surprise as an all-too familiar Absol padded its way in front of her and behind Nebby. The disguised Tapu Fini only purred when Lillie noticed her and brushed up against Nebby as well. Even without Selene there to help translate, Lillie thought she understood her just fine: I hope you’ll forgive me, too.

They had found the Altar of the Sunne, through Hapu’s help and guidance, after spending the rest of the day and partly into the night trekking deeper and deeper into the Vast Poni Canyon. Its name certainly wasn’t a lie, Lillie sarcastically thought; they were tired, they all were. Had it not been for Hapu’s Mudsdale, it was unlikely they would have even made it there at all that day. The sturdy, strong equine didn’t mind the sharp, jagged rocks that lined much of the canyon’s dry floor, nor was he bothered by the weight of carrying a few of them here and there, as they took turns resting. Upon their arrival, Gladion and Plumeria both had suggested they wait until the next morning to try anything, so they could at least stop and eat some of their packaged food and regain their strength—and while Lillie understood their trepidation, there was something about being next to the Altar, about looking over its proud, reverent stone body, that made her fingertips and feet ache and burn with need. Back when Tapu Fini had been talking to them all through Selene, after she had held up Elio’s Z-Power Ring, she had felt a blazing fire course through her veins, momentarily making her worry if she might burst into flames from the inside out. But just as quickly as the urgent feeling had come, it had gone again, leaving her feeling amped up and determined.

Satisfied that Nebby was in the appropriate place, Lillie scurried back to a square of weathered stone surrounded by intricate patterns of water on the left of the Altar and took a deep breath. She had been hellbent on this moment, she had pushed so hard for it—they were finally here, so they were going to do what they had come there to do.

…Even if it meant she and Gladion had argued so vehemently over it. He was only silent now, plucking idly at his hair, because she had told him she did not care what he had to say about it. Selene had tried to interfere, and with a single, warning glare from Lillie, she had apparently decided discretion was the better option here.

Selene awkwardly stepped to one on the right, casting Gladion and Plumeria, tiredly seated beyond the Altar’s stone boundaries, an apologetic look. “Glad, should I—?”

Before she could finish, Gladion dipped his head defeatedly, giving a small nod and waving her off, while Plumeria surreptitiously tried to snake her arm up to pat him reassuringly on the back. As if silently telling Selene, “Go ahead, I don’t care.” Feeling a twinge of guilt, Lillie looked down at the bracelet adorning her left wrist. No. No, I know what I’m here to do. He’ll get over it, she told herself fiercely.

 Yet, before either Selene or Lillie could take off their respective Z-Power Rings and set them at their feet, as Tapu Fini had suggested they needed to do sometime during their trip there, the Absol galloped past them and rushed at Hapu. She had been waiting a distance away from the Altar, staying well of its sacred, weathered stone pathways alongside Gladion and Plumeria, but Tapu Fini was apparently having none of it. Grabbing Hapu by her right hand, she dragged the stout girl onto the Altar, and, confused, Hapu’s Mudsdale followed suit.

“H-hey, cut it out!” Hapu exclaimed, only a couple of seconds before Tapu Fini let her go right in front of Nebby. With that, Tapu Fini rapidly reverted to her true form, rising to hover just a little taller than Hapu, and slowly, the pokémon pressed a hand over her heart. Giving a purring, encouraging noise, she gestured at Hapu, as if asking her to do the same. As if the circumstances were finally dawning on her, Hapu’s jaw dropped, and she looked around like a cartoon character. “You—me? Right now?” Licking clammy lips, she started to rapidly shake her head no. “No, no way, you’re—you’re not a god! An’—an’ I didn’t even do the Dragon-type trial, on the way here! We skipped it, remember, you talked the Kommo-o into lettin’ us past! There’s—”

The earth suddenly shook. The water in the intricate channels and pathways around them started to stir and leak from its channels, like a scene out of Jurassic Park. Looking down at it, Lillie felt a wave of dread.

“Ae! Look out!”

Jerking her head up, she saw a gash open in the sky, just above the Altar, warping and distorting reality about it in a terrifyingly familiar way. Lillie froze, Elio’s Z-Power Ring clutched tightly in her sweaty, right palm.

“What the—? We haven’t even done anything yet, why—” Cutting herself off, Selene gritted her teeth. “We don’t have time!” she yelled at Hapu, Tapu Fini, and Lillie. “Lillie, drop the Z-Power Ring!”

Lillie didn’t have to be told twice. She dropped the Z-Power Ring in the water, Selene dropped hers, and just like that—

Nebby began to glow.

Chapter Text

A light had pulsed from the wormhole—Selene had recognized it, having never forgotten the image of the one in Aether Paradise—and then Nebby had lit up a brilliant orange, like the sun on a blisteringly hot day, and she'd been forced to cover her eyes and duck as the earth tremored and shook even more. Something roared, something shrieked, and then the earth convulsed and threw her to her side. Landing on an elbow, Selene yelped and saw double as she squinted against the brightness, trying to make sense of what was happening around her. Before the lights had faded enough for her to make anything out, however, she felt someone with rough hands seize hers and start hauling her to her feet.

Pulled out of the blinding lights, Selene coughed and staggered, catching her balance, as she realized it was… Nanu? Blinking fervently, she shook her head, "How—why—"

"Never mind that," he told her, gesturing with his chin behind her. Just before he spoke, she saw a man in a black and white kimono dart up to his side, a Liepard with a bright green collar at his side. "Look!"

Daring to turn around, Selene breathed a small sigh of relief as Bowtie slunk over to her, and together, they tried to adjust their eyes to the glittering lights, jarringly bouncing and refracting against a dark, night sky. She could make out a dark shape, its body made of a black, voiding darkness, but fighting it was something with wings and a glowing white circle between them. That one was harder to make out, for it seemed that its wings matched the starshine of the night. Fighting, of course, was a loose term; the flying beast seemed more to be aggravating the creature of the dark, taunting it. But below the high-flying spectacle was something else entirely. The source of much of the light that had temporarily blinded her was because where Nebby had been placed, a beast glowing as brightly as a sun stood, and roared like the world's most fearsome Arcanine at the creatures battling it out in the sky.

Breath hitching in her throat, Selene shook her head. "I d-don't—I don't understand, what's that in the sky, what's happening?"

Before Nanu could answer her, Selene heard someone shouting above the commotion.

"MOM!"

That voice was unmistakably Gladion's. Covering her eyes some, Selene was able to make out Lillie, who was busy gawking in awe at Nebby's new form, but she also saw Gladion making a beeline toward a part of the Altar of the Sunne that had been shattered by something. At the very edge of the Altar's leftmost side, the stone had given way to a nasty crater. With a flash of panic, Selene finally found the drive to move, darting away from Nanu and his friend (was Grimsley his name?) both. She felt the ghost of someone's hands at her shoulders just as she started, telling her someone had tried to grab her, but they had failed. Skirting past Lillie, Bowtie hot on her heels, Selene saw Nebby shake his head at her friend, and then bellow again at the creatures fighting in the sky.

Tripping over a fragment of the Altar she hadn't noticed, Selene grunted, and it was Hapu that jerked her up this time. On her feet again, Selene found Hapu and Hau staring her down. "We gotta go," Hapu hissed at her, brushing her shoulders off for her. Selene was having none of it, rolling her shoulders and fighting out of her hold. "I called for other Captains an' Kahunas to help out already, everyone'll be here as soon as they can, we don't—"

"Just, stop!" Selene shot back. "I don't know what we need to do yet, but we need to get ourselves together, where's Plumeria? And I have to go find Gladion, he took off running over—"

"I'm right here," Plumeria interrupted, panting and limping over to her from the shadows of some craggy overhang just beyond the Altar. Shaking her head, she looked up. "But what the hell is goin' on up there?"

Following her gaze, Selene shook her head. I wish I knew. Yet, just as she started to dart back after where she had seen Gladion run off to, Hau shouting after her, she saw Nebby jump into the sky, as if leaping after the dark creature, and the flying beast that had been keeping it entertained was knocked off balance. Just as Selene reached the crater Gladion was in, she instinctively ducked and yelped as the flying beast landed harshly far too close for her comfort. With the dust gathered in the air, she couldn't quite see the beast or the result of its crash landing, but she wasn't too keen on finding out, either. Skidding down the slope of the crater to where Gladion was, Selene panted and cried, "Gladion! What's going on over—…"

She trailed off as she found him and Null slumped beside what Selene could only think to describe as a mess. She gritted her teeth and winced at the sight, Hau soon joining her. Together, they saw what might have once been a Nihilego was scattered across that crater, glass shards and massive chunks of rock gathered about it. A severed, glassy tentacle was all that had told Selene it might have been a Nihilego at all. In the center of the debris, a thick layer of broken glass provided a bed for a lifeless Lusamine, the glass having ripped many small, bloody cuts into her back and arms. Her previously blond hair was a splotchy mix of black, brown, and sickly gold, her skin dappled and discolored with bruises and blood alike.

Hearing Nebby roar way too close, not to mention the added trepidation from feeling the ground tremble below her, Selene swallowed against a dry throat. "Gladion," she started to plead, "we have to go, come on, please… I said we'd leave if things got too out of hand, I think this is the definition of out of hand—"

"She's not dead," Gladion softly interrupted, not so much as glancing back at her. "She's still breathing… But I can't move her, the glass…"

The earth shook again, violently, this time. Selene fought to keep her footing and shook her head. Feeling some desperate frustration, she stamped a foot. "Gladion, please! I thought you hated her, anyway—there's probably nothing that even can be done, look at her!"

"But what if it was just the Nihilego…? What if she can be saved, now…?"

Just as she went to open her mouth to frustratedly implore him to move yet again, Selene felt a weight on her shoulder, and when she jolted to look at the source, she found Hau smiling at her warmly. "Ae, I'll handle," he told her. "Go get Lillie, get the others together."

Genuinely surprised—Selene was fairly sure Hau and Gladion didn't get along, after all—she just breathlessly nodded. "Right, okay," she whispered. "Okay." Turning away, she fought to climb up the crater's bank, and with some help from Bowtie, found herself at the crest of it. But at first, she thought she had fallen back in—because she found herself looking down the bank of yet another crater. This one, however, was different in that there was no broken glass… just a gentle slope down to the trough of the hole. The beast in the center of this one looked almost made of stars, and Selene realized she recognized this creature.

She had seen it from Tapu Fini's eyes. The Moon Beast. Pink eyes flitting tiredly, the beast looked up at Selene, and struggled to raise her head. In the end, she closed them, and her head slumped back against the earth, but she slowly unfurled those star-spangled wings and revealed that she was not the only thing in this crater. Someone in a suit similar to what she had seen Dulse and Zossie wearing in the past was cradled against the Moon Beast's chest, unmoving and unresponsive. Against her better judgment, Selene slowly picked her way closer to the Moon Beast and touched the spine of her wing with quivering fingertips. She was cool and smooth to the touch, but she was practically vibrating… was that her breathing? Was it truly that rapid…? Just how long had she been fighting…?

Bending down to the person tucked against her chest, Selene groaned as she tried to flip them over. Within a couple of seconds, Bowtie was eagerly assisting her, and when the person rolled over, the visor of their helmet lifted as if of its own accord (or perhaps it was broken; that seemed more likely, given the cracks in it), and Selene almost screamed, scrambling away from them. "Elio?" she shrilly squeaked, tears forming at her eyes already. She felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her in the chest with the shock, and she collapsed to her rear, only narrowly catching herself with her hands to stop from slamming her head into the earth.

Bowtie, however, was unbothered by the revelation, instead only eagerly nosing and pushing on the suited man. After a breathless second or two, Selene saw him cough, and stiffly try to stand back up. The Moon Beast made no effort to do the same, but within the minute, Elio was standing upright and brushing himself off. It didn't appear he noticed her right away, or even Bowtie for that matter, as when he finished dusting himself off, he looked straight at Selene—and it was like watching a Deerling notice headlights. He froze, his jaw fell open, and they both stared at each other for what could have passed as a small eternity.

"How—it's—it's—oh, Elio!" Selene yelped in the end, throwing herself at him to hug him tightly. She had so many things she wanted to ask him, but it all materialized as incoherent sobs and sounds, clutching at his unfamiliar, cold suit. She didn't notice right away, but his muscles seized when she held him, and he hesitated before hugging her back. She only fleetingly felt his chin touch the top of her head before he harshly grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away. Heart practically leaping into her throat at that, Selene wiped away the tears blurring her vision and waited with bated breath for an explanation from him.

All she got was those bright blue eyes of his own glassing over as he shook his head, mouthing something at her she didn't understand. Anxiously grinning at her, he started to walk her away.

Digging the toes of her shoes into the earth, Selene angrily fought against his pushing. "No!" she yelled, wiping her face again. "Where have you been? What's—why—" Why are you pushing me away?

Looking back at the Moon Beast, Elio appeared to sigh, but then his face lit up. Practically beaming, he hugged her close and touched his forehead to hers, all too much like when he had told her goodbye aboard Aether Paradise. Freezing up at the familiar scene, Selene wondered, terrified, just what he was about to do, but that was when everything around her melted away with the start of a vision. Distantly, she heard his voice vaguely, though as impersonal and garbled as it sounded, she wondered if she was hearing a thought as opposed to his voice. It was spoken in Kantonian as well.

"Maybe I can't talk to her, but I can show her…"

She dug her fingers into his suit as she felt reality slip away from her. Although wanting desperately to know where he had been for so long, more than anything, she just wanted to cling to him, to feel the proof that he still existed… almost to the point that living his memories, showing what had happened to him, was a hollow, hollow victory.

Hau wasn't all that sure where Selene had gone or what the others were doing, but taking a deep breath, he weaved his way through the broken glass, the shattered Nihilego, and toward Gladion. His earlier apprehensions and insecurities were burned away by the sight, like the insignificant leftover ashes from so many years feeling alone that they were, as he crept closer and saw the battered, bloodied Lusamine, nearly unrecognizable in this state. Heart fluttering as he swallowed hard against a pang of fear, Hau dared to glance at Gladion, knowing he had to convince him to leave this pit. His face was as white as a sheet and Hau forgot what he had wanted to start with as he recognized this look on Gladion's face, identified with the quavering of his voice. "Hau, I can't—I can't move," Gladion whispered, slumping to his knees. His Null jumped away, glowering at Lusamine, issuing mechanical growls at her and the dismembered Nihilego as he went. "I… I just can't…"

The loud clattering and booms from the creature of the dark fighting… whatever it had been fighting, echoed distantly, but the sounds seemed to fade as Hau sighed, resigning himself to this difficult conversation he was about to have, with someone he never would have thought he'd empathize with. Slowly, he reached out a hand and grabbed Gladion's left, raising it forcibly to flatten it over Gladion's own heart. That seemed to wrench him from his stupor, as he jolted and gave Hau a frightened look, confused by the sudden sincerity.

In Alolan, Hau deliberately chose his words, carefully whispering to him, "Everything will be okay." Withdrawing his hand once he was sure Gladion wouldn't move it again, Hau made the same gesture, closing a fist over his own chest in that solemn, eternal symbol of solidarity. "Whatever happens, it'll be okay. Ae, I can't tell you how we'll get out of this, but it'll be okay."

Responding in kind, as if on autopilot, Gladion mumbled, "I… tried understanding her, I tried hating her, I tried turning to Lillie, and when all that didn't work, I tried working for someone else, running away, I tried blaming Lillie, I tried—I tried so much, but what if… what if it never meant anything anyway, because she was under the influence of…"

"Ae, don't listen to that voice," Hau insisted urgently. Giving a small, pained grimace of a smile, he realized that he and Gladion were perhaps not so different after all. Feeling his heart go out to the other, whose circumstances he recognized oh-so well, Hau wished Gladion wouldn't feel that guilt, that crippling isolation, the wondering if there was something higher he should have been shooting for, when he had just been trying to survive. Sometimes, that was all one could do, and… and that was okay… If Icarus burned away his wings by flying too close to the sun before he was ready, then it was smarter to go at one's own pace before attempting to fly Apollo's chariot, was it not?

If only someone had been there to tell me that…

Closing his eyes to take a second to collect his thoughts, once he opened them again, Hau pressed, "This is not your fault. What else could you have done? Like you said, you tried so much…"

"She's my mother… This isn't how it was supposed to go…" Gladion winced as he shifted and found glass shards digging into the knees of his pants. Null, still growling at Lusamine, and casting suspicious looks at the shattered Nihilego viscera, abruptly turned his attention back to Gladion at the small sound of pain. Immediately, he began to dig at the fractal earth beneath Gladion, digging away the shards and tossing them away. With that, Hau extended his hand to help Gladion stand back up, out of the dirt. To his relief, Gladion shakily accepted.

Looking the other in the eyes (which he had finally managed to wrench away from Lusamine), Hau nodded, "Ae, I know… I know." Oh, how I know… But I won't let you dwell on that. Not like I was allowed to do. Then, he gestured with a dip of his chin toward Null. "But look…"

Gladion followed his gaze hesitantly, looking as if he wasn't sure what to make of Null, as the pokémon went back to growling at various pieces of the broken Nihilego.

"He needs you, doesn't he? You told us that they did awful stuff to him back at Aether… That's true, isn't it?"

"Yeah… I still don't understand how he lost his helmet finally, but… yes… They did so many awful experiments on him. Whenever they were done, they operated on him to alter whatever they wanted to alter, all while he was awake, 'cause they believed he couldn't feel pain anyway. And every time the experiment was over, they had to put that helmet back on, to stop him from attacking them… I could only imagine that hurt, he yelped every time…"

Thinking back to the messy confrontation between Elio and Gladion that had led to Null leaping at the former, and glowing brightly as his helmet finally fell off, Hau thought he finally understood. "You gave up a lot to help him. I think that pokémon knows a lot more than you give him credit for," Hau suggested, gnawing at his lower lip. I know Popper did. He was so smart. I showed off all those tricks to Selene, but really, they weren't hard to teach… It was like he understood everything about me. It was everything I'd ever wanted in a friend. Continuing on, his voice starting to quaver, Hau said, "He saw Elio was going to hurt you, a-and… and even though he knew every time that helmet came off, it got put right back on, and something bad happened in between, he was willing to let it go to try to protect you better. Because you did the same for him."

Blinking and giving Hau a disbelieving look, Gladion shook his head. "You… do you really think that? That he could have just let the helmet go at any time, but kept it on until he knew he could trust me enough…?"

"I believe Popper would've done that for me, in those shoes… I don't see why Null wouldn't," Hau shrugged. "But, hey… he's not the only one. Selene's worried about you. I know Lillie is, too, underneath it all… Gladion, ae, we have to get out of here." Casting Lusamine one last glance, Hau sighed. "You can't be her hero. Even if it was the Nihilego that did it to her, really, you… you're just you." Sniffling a little, Hau cracked a weak laugh. "You're just you. We're all just us. And that's okay, ae… cousin. We need you."

"I still can't just leave her here," Gladion replied after a brief delay, though he was at least moving more than he had been a few minutes ago. Wiping his face clear of dirt and emotion, he steadied his breathing. "I—I'll come back for her, once we figure this out… Null?"

The pokémon was nudging the severed Nihilego tentacle and jumping a little when it rolled lifelessly upon his touch. At Gladion's words, he jerked his head to look over to him.

"Can you keep an eye on her? …Please?" Gladion asked, almost apologetically, as he pointed at Lusamine. "I'm… I'm sorry, I know she helped hurt you, but… please…"

Without waiting for Gladion to finish, Null trotted over to Lusamine's side and sat down. Breathing a sigh of relief, Gladion bent his knees and hugged Null tightly. "Thank you," Hau heard him whisper. "Thank you. I'll be back, I promise… And I'm glad you… you trusted me, about the helmet… I promise, I will never put that back on you."

With that settled, Hau and Gladion both started to climb out of the crater.

Breathing heavily in amazement, Lillie felt almost rooted to where she stood on the Altar's center stage, watching as the flying beast was knocked from the sky and then Nebby gave a warning roar, and shot into the air after the darker beast. Clashes of sunlit fire met with abyssal darkness, and every time, shafts of light glinted off the dark beast's crystalline body. Several times, Nebby landed back on the Altar to catch his breath, and then rocketed back after his foe. Each time, the ground shook like the earth itself might give way below her, and she could feel the heat rolling off his body…

"Lillie?" Looking over her shoulder, Selene saw Plumeria nervously looking after her. Yet, just beside her, were quite a few faces Lillie hadn't expected there.

"That's—that's the Sun Beast, isn't it?" Mallow breathlessly asked, her eyes bulging slightly.

Olivia nodded grimly just beside her, pointing out the dark beast Nebby was fighting. "And something else…"

In Alolan, Kiawe, rushing past Lillie, cried, "Don't mind that, Lana! Can't you shoot some water at the thing attacking it?"

An annoyed Lana sniped back, in Galarish, as she ran up between them, panting, "That's not how my thing works, Twinkle-Toes! Unless you can find some Go-Go Gadget arms for me so I can touch him, anyway!"

Blinking, Kiawe just said, "Eh?"

"What—what are you all doing here?" Lillie asked in disbelief, voice catching in her throat some.

"Hapu said she called 'em a little bit ago, while we were just gettin' here, somethin' about sensin' that this was prob'ly not gonna go well," Plumeria joked uneasily, flinching at a flash of bright light from behind them. Looking back at the fight, Lillie saw the dark beast land a particularly brutal, fantastically bright blow on Nebby, and he crashed to the ground in front of her.

Yelping, she jumped away, and then cried, "Nebby, get up!"

When the dust settled, however, Nebby was on his side, the stone of the Altar around him cracked and broken. The dark beast slowly descended until it was hovering just over them, finally giving them all a clear view of it. Before anyone made the decision to do anything, the beast seemed to narrow beady, red and blue eyes at them, and a horribly deep, robotic voice seemed to command the air around them.

"MY NAME IS NECROZMA. I AM A GOD OF LIGHTS AND MAGIC."

Shifting forward, it pressed massive claws over Nebby's neck, digging them in slightly. Exhausted, Nebby in his new, fiery form made no attempt to fight him off, just heaving for breath.

"ULTRARIANS HAVE STOLEN ALL OF THAT FROM ME, MUCH OF WHICH CAN NEVER BE RETURNED."

It squeezed some more on Nebby. Shaking her head in a panic, Lillie rushed forward, motivated by sheer fear, which overpowered all of her instincts, which were screaming at her to stop, that she was being an absolute idiot. Almost shrieking, Lillie wailed, "Stop! Let him go! You'll hurt him!"

"I'LL HURT HIM?" Necrozma narrowed those eyes specifically at her just then, practically scoffing the question. Paralyzed with fear from having such an oppressive creature eyeing her like that, she was deaf to the howls from the Captains, Kahunas, and others behind her, calling her to get back. "YOU KNOW NOTHING OF ME. TELL ME, SMALL ONE: DO YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES A GOD?"

Necrozma's fingertips began to glow, and Nebby finally started to struggle, hissing and clawing at the powerful hand holding him down, but ultimately failing to faze the beast.

"No, I don't!" Lillie cried. "What's wrong with you? What do you want with him? Why are—" She shut up suddenly. Everything fell into place all in one horrible moment, all as she was forced to cover her eyes as everything lit up with a blazing, fiery light.

The story Tapu Fini had weaved for them.

Everything her mother's papers had droned on about regarding Nebby and his ability to open a wormhole, even if she had mistakenly believed he could only do it once prior to dying; no, he hadn't died, he had fallen into an inactive state—evolved. Yet, because he wasn't from their world, there had been no way for even their most esteemed scientists to understand it was an evolutionary process…

…Nor for the Alolans of old to know that the Sun Beast and Moon Beasts may have just been regular, standard creatures from a world far, far away, revered into legend simply by their uniqueness. The meaning of Necrozma's question sank in with a dread that iced her veins.

Then, the harrowing warning Dulse and Zossie had given her so long ago, to keep Nebby away from her mother, lest 'The Blinding One' find its way to Alola. Not to mention, how Tapu Fini had repeatedly mentioned a beast, a terrible Beast Who Swallowed the Sun, and how it originated from a world beyond their own…

Blinking and clearing her vision, Lillie gasped in shock as she found that, in place of Nebby and Necrozma, there was just one creature now. A heaving, trembling Nebby, with dark crystals sickeningly draped and digging into his body in unnatural, contorting ways, making his eyes glow a ghostly, pale cyan. Growling and foaming slightly at the mouth, the merged beast started to hiss, digging massive, dark claws into the broken Altar's stone.

"I ONCE SHARED MY LIGHT AND MY MAGIC. I ONCE FREELY GAVE THE CRYSTALS THAT OFTEN SHED FROM MY BODY. IN EACH ONE, IS A FRAGMENT OF MY POWER. FROM INHERENTLY UNDERSTANDING EVERY LANGUAGE IN THE MULTIVERSE TO CONJURING FLAME FROM NOTHING OR PERHAPS FREELY JUMPING BETWEEN THE MEMORIES OF OTHERS… I HAD MANY, MANY GIFTS. AND I WAS THE ONLY ACROSS ALL OF THESE WORLDS."

Lillie didn't even react as Hau, Gladion, Selene, and a heavily suited man, who reminded her vaguely of Dulse and Zossie, joined her at her sides. Not even when Elio's Poké Balls, attached at a belt hidden by her shirt, began to shake violently. "You're The Blinding One… you're also the Beast Who Swallowed the Sun… Necrozma…"

The beast fearsomely roared again. "I DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU CALL ME." Whirling around, it stalked closer to the tear, still open in the sky above the Altar. "YET, DESPITE ALL I GAVE, IT WAS NEVER ENOUGH… ULTRARIANS STOLE WHAT WAS NOT GIVEN. BECAUSE OF IT, I AM BROKEN. I AM INCOMPLETE. I AM AS MUCH A PARASITE AS THE NIHILEGO THAT ROTTED AWAY THAT WOMAN'S BRAIN. I HAVE TO BE IN ORDER TO FIGHT, FOR NOW. I HARDLY HAD ENOUGH ENERGY TO SWALLOW THIS SOLGALEO. HE WAS JUST WEAK, WEAK LIKE THAT WOMAN WHO HOSTED THE NIHILEGO. BUT THIS TIME, THIS TIME I WILL NOT FALTER, AND THIS TIME, I WILL DESTROY THE ULTRARIANS. AND THEN I WILL RAZE THIS PLACE YOU CALL ALOLA FOR ALL IT HOLDS OF ME, TOO. I WILL NOT KNOW THIS CRUELTY FOREVER. I WILL REBUILD MYSELF. I AM NO LONGER A GOD, I AM JUSTICE, SINCE SUCH VICIOUS CREATURES AS YOURSELVES AND ULTRARIANS DO NOT DESERVE NOR UNDERSTAND THE FORMER. YOU WILL NEVER KNOW MY GIFTS AGAIN."

Of all things that could have interrupted such a chilling, gut-wrenching speech, it was a Gumshoos charging at the dusky-maned Necrozma from the sidelines that broke the beast's concentration. The Gumshoos slashed claws across some of the white, feathery fur of Necrozma's mane, and then darted away. Likely nothing more than mildly annoyed by the attack, Necrozma turned his head to see the source of the transgression, and Lillie gawked, realizing it was none other than Ilima that had commanded the Gumshoos from the sidelines. Kahuna Hala and Professor Kukui flanked him on either side, one with a Hariyama, the other with a Midnight Lycanroc, and they both waved at Lillie, then quickly went back to guiding Ilima, it seemed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lillie tried shouting, though her voice was drowned out as Necrozma lumbered closer to them. What the fuck is Ilima doing here? Is he trying to get himself killed?

"YOU. YOU WEAR BANDS MADE OF MY CRYSTALS." Necrozma growled, flexing claws against the earth as he walked. His mane started to give off embers and smoke. "WHAT USE EVEN ARE THEY FOR YOU? YOU ARE BLIND. YOU CANNOT USE THAT CRYSTAL ON YOUR WRIST FOR YOURSELF. IT REQUIRES YOU TO SEE… SO WASTEFUL. SO UNGRATEFUL."

"Lillie!"

Hands grabbed Lillie's shoulders, and forced her to whirl around, meaning she only fleetingly caught sight of other Captains, like Acerola and Sophocles, as they arrived on the scene. Blinking in shock, Lillie realized she was nearly hyperventilating as Selene forced her to look at the suited man, whom she had paid no attention insofar. "What?" Lillie demanded, annoyed, wanting to go back to the task at hand. You know, like the angry monster that just ate Nebby? Lillie thought furiously. Why the hell would you stop me for thi—

Yet, all those angry words she was preparing to say died in her throat as the suited man flicked open his cracked visor, and none other than Elio gave her a goofy smile despite teary eyes. "Surprise." She saw his lips form the word, even if she didn't hear it. Not questioning that right that second, Lillie practically launched herself at him, wrapping him in a hug that might have impressed even a Bewear.

So would his reciprocated hug, she thought through a tired laugh, as he squeezed her hard against his chest, and kissed her on the top of her head. Despite the chaotic circumstances, she could have enjoyed that attention all day, but almost as soon as it began, he was pushing her away, holding her firmly by her shoulders. Despite a tear streaking down his face, he was very articulately mouthing out words to her… It dawned on her very quickly that he wasn't making any sound, not speaking at all, and that alarmed her, but she couldn't find the words to explain her confusion.

"Lillie, listen to me," she thought she caught from his strained mouth movements, "we can't let him"—he pointed exaggeratedly at Necrozma—"get into that"—then at the wormhole in the sky—"or else people will get hurt."

"Why… why aren't you…?" I don't understand…

"Do you trust me?" he mouthed at her, seemingly gripping her shoulders even tighter. "Lillie?"

Nodding vigorously, a small sob escaped Lillie. "Yes, yes," she answered finally. "Yes…"

She felt him gently stroke her cheek just before finally letting her go. Managing to clear her eyes enough to see him again, she saw him smile patiently, and 'say,' "Thank you…"

Interrupting their reunion, Selene panted above the commotion in the background, as Captains and Kahunas kept the beast busy, "Listen, that thing, Necrozma—we need to try to catch it. There's nothing else we can do at this point. If it goes back to Ultra Megalopolis, it just might go on a rampage and kill everyone there, and here, it might do that to try to get its Z-Crystals back. It's… it's hurting, and it's strong, especially having absorbed Nebby, but with all of us, we might be able to exhaust it enough to use some kind of Poké Ball!"

"Ae? What are you talking about?" Hau sounded just as confused as Lillie felt.

"Where did you learn… any of that?" Lillie asked. I mean, sure, I could tell this thing was planning to hurt people, but where did she learn all those nam—… Looking up to Elio, Lillie suddenly understood. "She saw what happened with you while you were away, didn't she?"

Elio nodded.

"Then there's no time for us to question it, I guess," Lillie sighed, then frustratedly quipped, "even though I wish you'd just talk…"

Wincing, Elio looked down. "Can't," he mouthed, tapping the helmet on his head.

Feeling a bolt of horror, Lillie froze. "What do you mean, 'can't?'"

"He means he can't!" Selene irritably spat, making Lillie glare at her. "Look, Lillie, give Elio Macho; Hau, send out your Raichu and use your Electric-type powers; Gladion—"

"I have my other pokémon with me, but Null's keeping watch over Mom," he cut her off slightly.

"Works for me," Selene shrugged. "Now, let's go, help the Captains and Kahunas whittle it down, and try and stop this thing once and for all!" Turning to her brother, Selene nodded at him, "I'll go help Lunala!"

As soon as she was done with her explanation, Lillie felt a cold shiver crawl up her spine, as it seemed they had not been the only ones to hear what Selene had to say.

"I WAS WHITTLED DOWN BEFORE. I WAS WHITTLED AND CARVED UNTIL I HAD ALMOST NOTHING LEFT… IF YOU INTEND TO DO THE SAME, THEN YOU WILL DIE THE SAME AS THE ULTRARIANS THAT ONCE USED ME. YOU WILL BECOME HISTORY LIKE MUCH OF THEIR HOME PLANET. ALOLA WILL SINK FIRST, THEN, I SUPPOSE. NOT THAT IT MAKES ANY DIFFERENCE TO ME." A bellowing roar, one that made Lillie's chest hurt, sounded just before it continued. "I WILL NEVER KNOW CAPTIVITY AGAIN IF IT IS THE LAST THING I DO!"

Chapter Text

Elio's Lunala was still down, at the trough of that pit Selene had found him in, and she winced at the sight. The beast was still heaving for breath in shallow pulls and her failure to make any effort to get out on her own told Selene she maybe didn't have the strength to do so in the first place… Skidding down beside her, Selene panted, out of breath from the exertion of the day, and grabbed the beast by her harness. "Come on, we need you out there," Selene huffed. Apologetically, she added, "I'm sorry, I can tell you're tired, but—"

She was silenced with a slap to her head. Yelping, she let go and winced, rubbing the sore spot at the top of her skull. Lunala withdrew the wing she had apparently struck Selene with and glowered at her with tired, narrow eyes. Shaking her head, Selene pleaded, "Please… We need all the help we can get… Are you hurt, or just tired, or…?" Daring to creep forward, Selene dropped to her knees next to the beast, and reached a trembling hand to touch her bony shoulder. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I hope the others are fine while I do this… "Tell me what's wrong… Help me understand…"

The distant roar of battle died off as something else entirely took up her vision, a scene of abyssal blackness over what appeared to be an oceanic floor—and there, she saw it all. From Lunala's viewpoint, she watched a cruel, inhuman Lusamine and her Nihilego followers assail Elio, Lunala herself, Zossie, and Dulse. She felt Lunala's pain as those rocks lashed her sides and as she slammed into the otherworldly ground. Most chillingly of all, she saw Elio flattened to the ground, paralyzed in shock, as a nasty cut curled across his throat, the rock responsible splintered in the black, craggy earth beside him. If Lunala's own trepidation hadn't been dominating her senses in that vision, Selene was sure she would have screamed, watching him raise a trembling hand and touch it to himself, then lay back, eyes glazed over and struggling to tell Dulse and Zossie to just… go, but no sound was coming out.

She had seen it from his perspective just before, but this… Nothing could have prepared her for such a sight. The grim sight answered whatever lingering questions she had. What followed fastforwarded to Lusamine's hostile attack on Ultra Megalopolis and how she had outpaced the Ultrarians—again, something she had already seen through Elio's eyes—but this time, she felt Lunala's exhaustion and understood just how much effort it had taken for the beast to fight on as long as she had. She was no heavenly body as Alola painted her to be; she was simply herself, a beast that loved the people that had cared for and raised her, and was giving it all she had to return the favor.

Selene had put the story together at last and when the vision faded, she cupped her hands around Lunala's tired face, stroking her gently. "You come from a world away, but it still feels the same," Selene laughed brokenly. "Here, people and pokémon give each other their all… In your world, it seems Ultrarians and the beasts don't work very closely… But you're an example of how it can work. You love Elio, and Zossie, and Dulse. I could tell… But even you have your limits." Heaving a deep breath, Selene felt a tear escape her. Sniffling and wiping her face, she whispered, "If you need to rest… Then, you need to rest. I'm sorry."

"I believe I can help, though…"

Jolting in surprise, both Selene and Lunala jerked their heads to see the source of the voice. Mallow, grinning shyly, waved at them both. Her green eyes were stretched wide in obvious fear of the unfamiliar Moon Beast in front of her, but she bravely smiled on, as if wanting to be undaunted. Behind her, a Lurantis peeked, and waved curious claws. "Mallow!" Selene breathed. "I—I almost forgot, you can—!"

"Yes," Mallow laughed nervously, creeping closer. "Um, I just need to…"

"But she's just tired, not…" Selene trailed off as she shuffled out the way, giving Lunala a reassuring nod when the beast narrowed her red eyes to slits at Mallow.

"What do you think tired is?" Mallow snorted as she pressed her palms to Lunala's shoulder. The second her hands met the beast's body, all the fearful tension seemed to melt away, as she started performing the task she practically seemed born to do. Closing her eyes and letting a gentle green glow flow down her arms, she sighed, relaxing as she further explained, "When you're tired, that just means you need to rest so you can heal… so you can fight again." Her lips turned into a calm, knowing smile, as Lunala's expression brightened in what Selene could only imagine was amazement. Looking over Mallow as if inspecting a painting, Lunala tilted her head and even nudged her on the forehead.

Soon panting from sapping Lunala's wounds, however invisible they might have been, Mallow withdrew her hands. "There you… go," she breathed, wobbling and then collapsing to her rear. "Geez, I see why you weren't about to… to get back up there now…" Pressing a palm to her forehead, Mallow's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she completely toppled over, caught only by her Lurantis.

"Mallow!" Selene yelped, going to shake her shoulders. But she was cut short by Lunala shaking the ground as she flared her wings against the earth and began to hover slightly above the ground. Her size blotted what little light came from the noise and battle upon the Altar, though her golden ringlets and starshine wings blazed against the darkness of the night. In a moment, Lunala dove at her, forcing Selene onto her back, making her dig her fingers into Lunala's harness to keep from rolling off her smooth back, as the beast flew to where everyone else was.

Of course, she had no idea just how long that little excursion with Lunala had taken her, if she was too late…

If only he had more time to enjoy this reunion with Macho. The Incineroar had popped free of his Poké Ball looking sulky and annoyed, but the second he saw Elio, his face had lit up in shock, and he had wrapped Elio up in a hug that threatened to crush bones. It was only when Elio started to push on him that the Incineroar let go. Lillie had tried to give him back others, too, like his Vulpix—now a Ninetales, he had noticed—but he had insisted she keep it. It had taken a few attempts to get his point across by simply mouthing words, but eventually, she understood that he wanted her to battle with the Ninetales.

After all, that Ninetales was more her pokémon than his, anyway… He didn't mind that so much. In fact, if the scene were less chaotic, he would have been privately, almost guiltily thrilled she had changed her mind on training pokémon. While at first Elio had changed his mind due to feeling forced, thanks to the way Alola worked, his stint in Ultra Megalopolis had made him truly come to an understanding, to an agreement with himself, on the role of pokémon and humanity. Perhaps it wasn't perfect, humanity's tendency to use pokémon to defend themselves and battle one another, but certainly, many pokémon enjoyed it, and beyond that? He had realized in Ultra Megalopolis that they had it easy here on Earth. The alternatives to using pokémon and beasts in self-defense and as companions were far bleaker, he had to say… He had seen how pathetic their weaponry was against some beasts, even though the weapons were hewn from the inexplicable Z-Crystals and parts of slain Ultra Beasts.

Necrozma, still using Nebby's body, stood patiently in the center of the Altar. He was heaving for breath, saliva frothing around its beastly jaws, and he lashed a tail again and again. Far from the elegance one might have imagined from a god, as Necrozma had proclaimed itself, this dusky-maned creature gave the implication of being sick, deranged, and violent. Like a crazed animal fighting for survival. "SO," Necrozma roared, "HOW SHOULD WE BEGIN THIS?"

With that, Elio gave Macho the Firium-Z Lillie had been careful to hold onto for them and pointed at Necrozma. Although confused at first, and it took Elio a second to get it right, Elio performed the specific pose required to flood that Z-Crystal with energy, and in that moment, Macho understood. He looked up at Elio with concern etched in his face fleetingly, clearly wondering why he wasn't being issued a verbal command, but then whirled around, that crystal clutched in his jaws, running on all fours at Necrozma. Panting for breath after feeling that all-too familiar blazing energy course through his veins, Elio silently willed this to work, as he saw the Captains and Kahunas nearby sending their own pokémon in. He even heard the warning caterwauls of an Absol as one dove at Necrozma, whipping its head forcefully in an attempt to Slash him with the blade atop its head.

Yet, a Z-powered Flare Blitz seemed hardly to bother the beast. Neither did the Absol's Slash, nor the attacks of any of the other pokémon. Roaring, Necrozma tossed many of the attackers away with a simple swipe of its powerful, dark claws, and more rips and tears in reality started to burst in the sky above them. Grimacing and cowering at the force of the bass of the sound, Elio wondered when it would stop, as the sound carried on for more than a few seconds. Finally, when Necrozma finished, he jumped up, and landed with a powerful thud that broke more of the Altar of the Sunne's intricate flooring.

"SENSELESS!" Necrozma bellowed, Nebby's lifeless, possessed eyes glowing bright, piercing red. "NONE OF YOU KNOW HOW TO WIELD MY CRYSTALS PROPERLY! WASTEFUL! DISGRACEFUL!" The Absol rushed him again, and he grabbed the pokémon with one of his paws, clutching massive, dark claws around its throat. Slamming the Absol to the ground, Necrozma dribbled foamy saliva over the pokémon's face as he growled, "AND YOU. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH? YOU'RE AS FALSE OF A GOD AS YOU WERE BACK THEN!"

To everyone's shock—Elio's included—the Absol warped and changed body shape, until it was too large to fit beneath Necrozma's claws. It stretched and distorted to the form of a Gyarados, and roared back in Necrozma's face, slapping him away with a powerful strike of its tail. "You've got the wrong Absol," the… Gyarados chuckled?

Two more Absol lunged from the sidelines, joining the Gyarados on either side, and then, the beastly Water-type shrunk. A huffing Nanu was left in its place, wiping sweat off his forehead. "Been a while since I was made to do that," Nanu dryly laughed at a furious Necrozma, who had been bowled onto his back, and was taking his time flipping back over. "Bulu might be an asshole, but at least he gives good gifts." The Absol to his left swatted at him and he glared at it. "What? I dunno what kinda gifts you give. You gotta give gifts in the first place for me to know that, y'know, Tapu Fini."

Did he just turn into a fucking pokémon? Also, Tapu Fini? What? Elio was floored as Macho returned to his side, still clutching that Firium-Z in his jaws. The two of them exchanged looks that more than spoke their respective shock without either of them uttering a word.

"Well, fucking hell, I guess we figured out Nanu's power!" Lillie puffed from beside him. Shaking her head, she almost hysterically laughed, "I thought that Absol was Tapu Fini… She stays in an Absol form most of the time… I guess the one on the left is her and the one on the right is Nanu's actual Absol… Anyway, Ninetales, Blizzard! Let's give it our best shot!"

With that, Ninetales started running toward Necrozma, billowing clouds of powdery snow gathering around his tails.

Still shaking his head in amazement, Elio pointed back at Necrozma, and Macho only nodded. Of course, there was no way for Macho to know exactly what attack Elio would have wanted him to perform, but at that point, Elio didn't know what to think. Was there any strategy to fighting this beast? He knew it aligned with what his world had typically known as Psychic-type, but in this form? There was no telling. Just hit it, was all he could think, morbidly snorting in amusement to himself. A Darkest Lariat would probably be good, but, agh, I can't tell him that and that one's not as easy to convey…

Sneaking alongside Macho, Elio watched as Bowtie, Selene's Decidueye, joined the fight. After sharing a brief reunion with Macho, the pokémon took up a post just outside of Necrozma's striking range and started firing arrows from beneath the cloak of his silky wings. Elio wondered if that meant Selene had returned, but with a frantic once-over of his surroundings, he didn't see her…

As Necrozma finally stood on trembling, shaky legs again, glaring down at Nanu with all the hate he could muster, the beast was assailed on all sides. Clubs from Alolan Marowak, a Hyper Fang from a Gumshoos, an Air Slash from a Crobot, a Double-Edge from a Lycanroc, a Hariyama's Force Palm, a Salazzle's Sludge Bomb—even Lana jumped close enough to ice the crumbled rocks of the Altar around Necrozma's feet, and Kiawe heated the air around the beast until it was warping from the temperature. Hau ordered an Umbreon to throw up protective barriers, such as Light Screen and Reflect, around the attackers, but his hands and eyes blazed with golden and blue arcs of electricity. As Necrozma roared and melted the ice anchoring it to the ground with a blast of fire from his muzzle, Hau flooded the freshly melted substance with electricity, the volts coursing through Necrozma's body. Nanu himself turned into a Dragon-type with clanging scales that Elio didn't recognize, banging those noisy ornaments all over his body together to disorient the beast.

"ENOUGH!" Necrozma roared again. More wormholes warped and ripped in the sky, and Elio, momentarily distracted by them, noticed they had a few more extraterrestrial visitors. Buzzwole, Pheromosa, hell, he even saw a few he didn't know the names of yet escape—but before he had the chance to even panic about that and wonder if Selene had made any progress with his exhausted and beaten Lunala, his attention was drawn back to Necrozma. As the beast shook off the attacking pokémon, he staggered over to where Hala, Professor Kukui, and former Captain Ilima were standing. The prior two tried to grab Ilima's arms and start to pull him away, but before Ilima knew what was happening, Necrozma latched those sickeningly large claws around him and hoisted him into the air.

"Stop!" Lillie shrieked above the commotion. Elio winced at the sheer terror in her voice, as it seemed not everyone there had seen Necrozma pick him up. "Stop attacking, it's got Ilima!"

Frozen by Lillie's terror and his own, wondering if he was about to watch Necrozma murder that man in front of him, Elio could only watch with bated breath.

"Let me go!" Ilima hissed at the beast. Elio found himself almost envying Ilima's blindness, the fact he didn't know what exactly was holding him likely being the only thing allowing him to hold himself together right about then. "Right now!"

"VILE CREATURES," Necrozma snarled, but rather than do anything to harm Ilima, he seemed to carefully pluck something from off one of his wrists. Once that was done, he simply dropped him, and a gray crystal began to hover in the air above Necrozma's head. A collective gasp of fear escaped everyone, but someone's Toucannon intercepted Ilima's fall, bringing him back to where Hala and Professor Kukui were standing. The Toucannon then retreated to someone Elio didn't recognize, a woman with pale, azure hair and periwinkle eyes. She twirled a golf club in one hand and beamed back at him when she caught him staring.

"You just enjoy picking on the weak!" Elio's attention snapped back as he heard Lillie scream. She had marched out, further onto the broken Altar, and was jabbing a finger up at Necrozma. "You absorbed Nebby because he was weak after just evolving! You picked on Ilima because he was blind! Not to mention, look at you! You're right when you say you aren't a god! You're sick!" she furiously spat. Elio, feeling a flare of panic, rushed out after her and grabbed her arms, clamping them to her side and pulling her back. He wanted to yell at her to stop it, but even though his jaws flexed instinctively, no sound came out, as usual. Just a small jolt of pain in the pit of his throat. Fighting against his hold some, Lillie snarled again, "Sick!"

You're right, Lillie, he is sick—but if we piss him off too much and he goes back to Ultra Megalopolis, we've really lost this, Elio internally despaired, frustratedly gritting his teeth at his inability to just tell her as much. Gladion even darted up beside him and he and Lillie's brother shared a fleeting look, Elio momentarily wondering if Gladion would pick a fight with him right then and there. To his surprise, Gladion only dipped his chin, as if to tell him he understood. A Crobat flew back to him and he looked back up at Necrozma, surveying the situation with analytical, emerald eyes. Focusing on holding Lillie, Elio desperately wished he could explain… If he goes back there, the URS will do everything in their power to kill him… and I saw us in there, we couldn't touch him. The Blinding One will destroy Ultra Megalopolis once and for all… and every bit of progress they've made toward helping him will be lost… He'll ravage Alola next, and probably many worlds beyond that… We can't kill him, we have to save or stop him, somehow… We need him to stay here so we can take our time and catch him…

"WHO PICKS ON THE WEAK?" Necrozma bellowed, lumbering toward Lillie, that gray Z-Crystal still hovering above his head. "YOU KNOW NOTHING OF PICKING ON THE WEAK!" Macho attempted to intercept Necrozma, but the beast lunged at him in a way that looked like a Flare Blitz. The Firium-Z in Macho's jaws was knocked free and Necrozma snatched that, too, adding it to his stolen Normalium-Z. "I WAS LEFT AS A SKELETON, BECAUSE THOSE ULTRARIANS DID NOT RECOGNIZE ME AS A LIVING THING, AS THEY DID ONE ANOTHER! THE WEAKER I GOT, THE MORE RAVENOUS THEY BECAME FOR MY CRYSTALS—MY FLESH!"

The gathered pokémon around Necrozma started to move away from him. Hau's Umbreon tucked its tail between its legs; one of the Absol revealed itself as what Elio could only assume to be Tapu Fini, and she too, backed away; the other Absol gave a mournful, warning caterwaul, but kept itself sunk low to the ground in a submissive gesture; Bowtie lowered his bow and crept away in the shadows; Macho limped back to Elio's side; Lillie's Ninetales soon joined them; Nanu got off the Altar before returning to his usual state, limping and panting; Ilima's Gumshoos cowered against the Altar, only running off after it was called by a panicky Kukui.

"I WAS LEFT WITH MY BONES AND NOTHING MORE!" Necrozma howled. "THOSE CRYSTALS ARE HOW I STORE LIGHT AND THE ESSENCE OF EVERY PLACE I HAVE TRAVELED! THEY HUNTED ME WHEN I WAS WEAK, AND THEY CARVED THEM FREE OF MY BODY, UNTIL THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT! WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE HEARTLESS MONSTERS YOU DEFEND, AND THAT YOU NOW EMULATE?"

"A'ole!" Hau shouted, still willing to get semi-close to the raging beast. His brown eyes were glowing yellow with sheer energy, his chest heaving with rapid, rapid breaths. "No! Don't get to… no! They—not us! Not just hurt all 'cause you hurt!"

"OH, BUT I CAN," Necrozma cruelly growled back at Hau, the frothing lips of its muzzle turning up in a vindictive grin. A long strand of saliva dribbled to the crumbled stones beneath his feet as he flexed his claws and said in a dreadfully calm tone, "I CAN DO ANYTHING. WHAT CAN YOU DO?"

Clenching his jaw, Hau raised his chin at the beast. "Make you listen," Hau replied dutifully. "Ikehu!" With that, his Raichu, apparently having been hiding behind his back, surfed the air in front of him on her tail, and Hau performed the Electrium-Z pose. Electricity flooded from his hands in a fantastical golden blast that enveloped the Raichu—who then slammed into Necrozma's corrupted muzzle with full force. The explosion actually managed to throw Necrozma a sizable distance, and onto the beast's side, even if the devastating attack left Hau sinking to his knees in exhaustion and his Raichu weakly and wobbily hovering back to his side.

When the smoke cleared, Necrozma was struggling to stand upright, volts still occasionally flecking over his body. "YOU ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN THEY ARE WITH THEIR WEAPONS… THEY UNDERSTAND THE CRYSTALS BETTER, BUT YOU UNDERSTAND RELATIONSHIPS WITH CREATURES BETTER THAN THE ULTRARIANS EVER WILL…" Necrozma panted, "BUT YOU WILL NEVER CATCH ME. NEVER. NOT ALIVE." With that, he hauled himself weakly to his feet. "BUT THANK YOU FOR THE PSYCHO-ELECTRIC CRYSTAL…" A Z-Crystal made of a meld of pink and yellow hovered above his head to join his Normalium- and Firium-Z. Elio's heart sank as he realized Hau's Raichu must have been holding it and Necrozma, like the Normalium- and Firium-Z, had stolen it.

Then a blinding flash of white light made Elio yelp and shut his eyes—forcing everyone to look away as everyone else's Z-Crystals were levitated out of their pockets, wristbands, necklaces, and other storages. When everyone dared look again, Necrozma had a significant collection of them hovering above his head, and with another small flash of light, the crystals condensed into one multicolored prism. Swallowing hard in rising panic, already knowing where this was going, Elio's blood ran cold as Necrozma… snickered. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE RETURNED TO ME, YOUNG ONE WITH THE GIFTS OF ELECTRICITY… NOT THAT YOU HAVE THAT ANYMORE, OF COURSE. YOU SHOULD THANK ME. GET TOO MUCH MORE WORKED UP, AND THAT CRYSTAL WOULD HAVE DESTROYED YOUR MORTAL FRAME. YOUR HEART WAS ALREADY BEATING FAR TOO FAST."

Sure enough, Hau looked like a Magikarp out of water, frantically breathing and patting his sides like he didn't understand what was wrong with his body. Elio noticed Hau's hands were shaking violently but there were no longer the signature sparks of electricity, not a trace of it.

"FOLLOW ME IF YOU WISH, BUT GOOD LUCK KEEPING UP," Necrozma growled, turning around, and running at one of the myriad tears in reality around them. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

NO! Elio wanted to yell. His hands flew off of Lillie in an instant and he ran after the beast, even though Necrozma was already gone. The wormholes in the sky were still there, but… but while Elio knew where Necrozma was headed, how would he get there? What would he do once there alone? Question after question rallied in his frayed mind, but he just sank to his knees once he found himself just in front of the wormhole Necrozma had left through. He heard Lillie shout for Nebby as she ran up beside him, and he felt a flicker of guilt for not feeling more for her in such a moment, but the fact of the matter was, somewhere out there, the lives of a frail, dying race were hanging in the balance—people he had gotten to know and care about over the course of a handful of months. Suddenly, he felt like he hadn't gotten long enough with them… Guiltily, he even felt a twinge of regret for his disdain for Dr. Colress and Rosa. Although he had heard whispers of the evil they had wrought on Earth, in Ultra Megalopolis, they were a reckoning force behind research into ways to help Necrozma and even himself, what with Dr. Colress vowing to have Elio speaking again in time through a helmet. The genocide Necrozma had promised… it just… it just couldn't happen, could it? Then Guzma… A field duo from the URS had found Guzma later and brought him to the city, where they had even managed to reverse the initial effects of Nihilego toxins on him, which Lusamine had apparently been inflicting on him with the intent of turning him into an abomination like herself (of course, he knew that was simply her new Nihilego instincts forcing such a behavior). Guzma, like Elio, had been held in Ultra Megalopolis due to fears of leading Mother Beast Lusamine or a freed Blinding One to Alola…

"Elio…"

Shakily turning around, Elio slowly looked up, taking in the sight of Lunala. She looked practically reinvented, as bright and powerful as ever, with Selene quivering but clinging to her harness. "I… got her up…" Selene swallowed. "But I see I… I was a little late…"

Just like that, Lunala practically bucked Selene off, who squeaked as she landed harshly next to Lillie. Awkwardly lunging to help pick her up, Lillie glared up at Lunala. "What was that for?" she snapped.

Not wasting a second, Elio swung a leg of Lunala's back, slipping into the harness like a well-fit glove. Well, that was because it kind of was—his suit and her harness were designed to fit snugly, as perfectly as possible, to optimize their compatibility. Giving Lillie an apologetic glance, Elio shook his head. No, you can't come this time, he tried to say, again frustrated without his voice. Annoyed, he gritted his teeth. Even without his helmet in Ultra Megalopolis, he had learned a way to communicate with their own sign language, and almost everyone there knew it! Sure, it didn't help in the heat of battle, which was why he and the rest of the URS had lost contact during the fight there, but at least there, he had SOME kind of a voice! Why was it so hard to just communicate here?

Selene, Lillie, Gladion, and even a frazzled Hau, limping over to them with a tired Raichu and Umbreon at his side, looked up at Elio in confusion. "Where do you think you're going?" Selene demanded, clearly wanting to sound shrill, but her voice faltering partway through.

Huffing in frustration, Elio looked away and tugged on Lunala's reins, encouraging her to hover higher. I'm sorry, Elio thought, gnawing his lower lip, unable to look down at them as they started shouting after him. I… I can't leave Ultra Megalopolis like that… I have to know what's happening in there…

To his shock, however, a flash of light strobed from within the wormhole just in front of him, and a Solgaleo lunged free, knocking him and Lunala to the ground. Part of him hoped against all hoped that Nebby had, by some miracle, managed to fend off Necrozma, but when he took a closer look, he was a mix of disappointed and glad to see the Solgaleo in question was Zossie and Dulse's. Outfitted with a harness similar to his Lunala's, Dulse straddled the front of the beast, with Zossie clinging to his back. "The Blinding One has returned to Ultra Megalopolis!" Dulse barked. "We must return there at once!"

Glowering at them, Elio signed at them that that was what he had been planning, until they knocked him and Lunala down. Zossie laughed a little and apologized. Yet, just as he intended to hop back on his Lunala, he felt something tug on his pants. Looking down, the Ninetales he had entrusted to Lillie was biting onto the thick fabric, his brown eyes angry and resentful. Pulling Elio toward Lillie and the others, Elio could practically feel the betrayal wafting off the pokémon. That was only second to Lillie, who grabbed his arms and, green eyes glassy, demanded, "Were you really just going to leave us? On purpose?"

"I've got to go help them!" Elio 'yelled,' silent although his lips moved, wrenching his leg free of Ninetales' grasp and stamping his foot in frustration. Lillie, please!

"We do not have time for this!" Dulse annoyedly snapped. "Here!" With that, he threw bundles of white and black at Lillie, Selene, Hau, and Gladion. The latter two, however, jumped away from the offering, while the prior two caught them. Lillie immediately shook hers out and Elio realized they had been given emergency exosuits, the smooth, one-size-fits-all kind that were only suitable for a few travels in Ultra Space. Turning a look of dismay on Dulse and Zossie, Elio frantically signed that he didn't want them going, but Dulse shot him a seething glare that shut him down instantly. "You ran off and started this fight with Lusamine without waiting for a word from the rest of us. We will have to turn on Phyco and Soliera once we return, because they wish to kill The Blinding One, and you and I both know we cannot let them try that. You still have much to learn. Now, we need all the help we can get. The Blinding One was tired. Whatever your friends here were doing, they forced it to retreat to Ultra Megalopolis—they were able to give it some competition. If they want to come with, then they are welcome to come with."

"Elio… Let us help," Selene encouragingly said, wrenching him free from his spiraling guilty stupor at Dulse's stern reprimand.

"Go!" someone else shouted. Whipping around, Elio saw that the Captains and Kahunas had gathered closer. A tired, but kindly man approached him and grinned, ruffling his own gray hair as he spoke. "My name's Molayne. You don't know me but know that the rest o' us will take care of back here. You go help your friends… Help stop that beast. I don't need no fancy metal-wieldy powers to take care of a few big bugs here, but you guys clearly know more about this than the rest of us do… So, we need your help taking care of The Beast Who…" He shook his head. "Necrozma." He playfully winked.

"I—what about Mom?" Gladion pitched in, frantically looking between Elio, Dulse, Zossie, and finally Lillie. Starting to shake his head before anyone even responded, he stepped back, throwing his rolled-up exosuit back at Dulse. "No, I have to—I have to go check on her… Maybe Mallow can help her!"

"Ae, Gladion… think all lost powers," Hau reminded him in a small voice. But he, too, handed the suit back to Dulse, albeit sheepishly. "A'ole, I stay, help here," Hau insisted. Smiling at Selene's concerned look, he nodded at her reassuringly. "Ae, all good. Promise."

"Then, it's settled," Lillie pointedly said, already squirming into that suit, forcing it over her existing clothes. The fabric stretched across her, fitting tightly, a mix of gray, silver, black, and white mesh. "We're going."

Once they were all properly suited and astride Lunala's back, Elio swallowed hard, feeling his heart pound in his chest. Shooting Dulse a look, he slowly signed at him, "If anything happens to them, it's on your hands."

"You're not the only one with people to protect," Dulse replied just as silently, defiantly. "Megalopolis isn't that big. It's the only city left for my entire race. I know everyone in it. Make of that what you will." With that, he grabbed the reins of his Solgaleo tightly, and Zossie clung to his back. "Follow us! Miss Lillie, Selene, hold onto Elio and one another tightly, and close your eyes!"

Like I don't know where we're going, Elio mutinously thought to himself, wanting to be annoyed with him even though he was grateful he was telling his passengers how to brace themselves for this sensation. Here goes nothing… to our final stand.

Panic was not a sensation Rosa was used to.

No, she was used to lofty carelessness, the thrill of sowing mischief, the high of getting a rise out of Dr. Colress. It had been a long, long time since she had felt legitimate panic, and this situation was dredging up all sorts of uncomfortable memories. Memories of a boy, some six years or so lost, and the hopelessness she had felt as the events surrounding him spiraled into something uncontrollable and wild—she had tamed that wildness, ridden that high, made it her own. But this? How was she supposed to handle this?

Standing along a cold, dreary pathway—somehow, everywhere in Ultra Megalopolis felt that way despite how futuristic and exciting it should have been—she watched as the glowing beast sat atop the flickering, broken Megalo Tower. He had returned in a blazing Ultra Wormhole, landing atop the tower like a shooting star, making it wobble and shake dangerously. Ultrarians that had dared show their faces outside their fortified buildings had retreated immediately upon his reentry and those of the URS still in the city had thrown together a meeting along the path leading up to the Tower. Technically, she and Dr. Colress were part of it, but Dr. Colress had gripped her wrist tightly and led her away.

Wrenching against his grip but unable to tear herself out of it, Rosa spat at him, "Let me go!"

"For what?" he quietly pressed, the light of the Tower reflecting off his glasses in such a way that made them look white.

"We can help," Rosa insisted at him, pulling again.

"For what?" he repeated coldly. She swore his grasp tightened.

Digging her nails into his skin, Rosa bared her teeth, "Why not? What will there be left of us if that monster up there gets what it wants? Colress, it—"

"Why do you suddenly care so much?" he cruelly cut her off, turning an icy stare on her that froze her like magic. "This is so unlike you. What are you afraid of it doing? Who are you afraid of it hurting?"

Starting to feel a ball of emotion rise in her throat, a panicky, possessive, obsessive kind of emotion, Rosa tugged weakly at his grasp again, and whined, "You, you genius idiot! It wants to kill everyone here! In case you haven't realized, we're here!" And of everything to lose, I can't lose you… I can't lose you. I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't—

"I want to test out my N-Lunarizers and N-Solarizers, and I have to stay until Necrozma is calmed enough to do that," Dr. Colress replied with a shrug, looking away from her. "Miss Rosa, do calm down. I am sure I will get the opportunity to and no matter what happens, we will be safe. That is how it always is. You should know. That is why I am confused by your reaction. I'm always fine."

"Then let me go help 'calm it down' so we can leave sooner," Rosa huffed in annoyance. In the end, she gave up trying to get out of his hold.

"No," he matter-of-factly told her without even a second thought. "Absolutely not."

"We're always fine, aren't we?" Rosa mocked him, curling a lip. "So, let me go! I have Genesect—"

"I said no," he snarled, his collected, cool calmness gone in an instant. Panting for a second as he stared at her with those golden, gleaming eyes, he took a deep breath, the fleeting, wild look gone. "I mean, no. I will not let you do that."

A tiny voice told her that he was worried for her, just as she was worried for him, and yet, despite how that might have made some grateful for their partners, or perhaps made them feel more endeared to them, Dr. Colress' worry felt more like smothering, and her desire to protect him felt more like an obsessive need than a selfless want. Still held there by his iron grasp, she missed her suit, which could have let her break free of this easily (Ultra Megalopolis was too cold for her to wear it constantly, though), all she could do was look up at the top of the weakened Megalo Tower and hope that whatever solution the URS came up with, it worked…

She hated feeling so powerless. Feeling a surge of anger at Dr. Colress for forcing her into such a helpless position, she frustratedly took a shot at him, "Fucking asshole."

At that, she saw his jaws tighten, as if he were grinding his teeth, but he said nothing. Ultimately, the muscles in his face relaxed and he sighed, almost… defeatedly.

But he still didn't let go.

Chapter Text

Truthfully, Lillie couldn't have told anyone where she became so devoted to Elio, or what had occurred to make her feel the fate of Alola was on her shoulders, but that was exactly how she felt. Losing Nebby to this Necrozma had finally sunken in, too, as she watched Elio argue over whether or not to bring her and Selene (he might not have been speaking, but his actions shouted louder than any words of his could hope to), and she was starting to feel the pangs of anger and confusion at having lost him so suddenly. Maybe she had left Aether originally for herself, but that wasn't to say Nebby hadn't been such a significant part of her life through it all…

And that beast. He had taken Nebby, entirely against his will, taking advantage of his weakened state post-evolution, and she had only been able to watch as his lifeless body was used like a puppet by the dark, crystalline monster. Then… he had left… and then Elio had the gall to simply jump on that flying beast of his and try to run away, without saying a word! Or, well, trying to, anyway… It didn't matter! The point was, he had tried to leave, just like that!

Well, she wasn't having it. She had promised herself she wouldn't be the helpless bystander anymore and despite ordering Ninetales to help throughout the fight, she still felt like one now. Snatching up the exosuit Dulse had tossed at her, she internally vowed to change that. A fire burned deep inside her as she clung to Elio and clenched her eyes shut, heeding Dulse's warning, as they plunged into the whirling mass of colors that formed the Ultra Wormhole Necrozma had fled through.

Lines were in the sand.

This was their moment.

She was ready.

In fact, she was so adrenaline-fueled that, once they reached the other side, she almost failed to notice something: Selene had hardly said a word throughout all of this. Briefly taking in the sight of a barren, darkened world with intimidating skyscrapers that disappeared into darkness at their tops, and a leaning, flickering tower in the distance, Lillie only became aware that something was wrong when Selene grabbed her arm unexpectedly. Seizing up at the sudden touch, Lillie gave her a puzzled look and just shook her head. "What is it?"

Squeezing her arm more, Selene's face appeared to grow paler by the second. Finally, she quavered, "Lillie, I… I can't… My Z-Crystal…"

Blinking in confusion, Lillie impatiently tapped a foot and pulled against Selene's grip. "What about it? Everyone's got stolen back there," Lillie huffed.

Holding up her trembling left wrist, Selene gestured with her chin toward her wristband. Indeed, the crystal that formed her Z-Power Ring was gone. "I can't, you know… see into your memories, or anyone's, I don't think… and my memory, it's so fuzzy… I know who you all are, but…"

That was a much more sobering remark. Lillie felt some of her fervor ebb as she swallowed hard, and her green eyes widened, as what Selene was trying to convey dawned on her in full. "What do you mean your memory is fuzzy?" she asked in almost a yelp.

"Um, Lillie, Selene, right?" Zossie's voice pulled their attention back to ahead of them. Along a steel-plated path, Zossie stood, her helmet's visor retracted to reveal glittering, sunset-colored eyes. Behind her, a distance away, a group of a couple dozen or more people stood gathered, most of them resembling her. They had hair of all colors, but their eyes were all the same in that they were pink or white in the center, with a pale color surrounding the colorless iris. They all bore the same white and black getups that she, Selene, Elio, Dulse, and Zossie donned. A suave, blond-haired man in a flowing grayish-white coat was fiddling with Elio's helmet while Dulse spoke with a man who, in different circumstances, might have amused her with his lengthy, obscenely blue mustache. To his side, a woman with windswept, indigo hair and a sour expression stared at her own feet. Her left hand was clasped around something and Lillie could see her muscles flexing nervously, as if she were squeezing away her stress on whatever it was.

"Yeah…" Selene weakly replied, looking as if she were seeing through Zossie. She looked completely spaced-out.

"That's us," Lillie affirmed more confidently, gnawing her lower lip as she took in Selene's appearance. This is a really horrible time for you to go getting amnesia on us, Selene… Lillie thought desperately. Not that it's your fault… Shaking her head, Lillie realized that if simply removing that Z-Crystal from her Z-Power Ring created such a dramatic result, then nobody in Alola had ever truly understood the 'gifts' the Tapus bestowed upon them. Swallowing against bile rising in her throat, a more dreadful thought snuck in: the Tapus' violent removal of those 'gifts' had been even more pointless than they had originally thought. Shaking her head, she tried to push that out of her mind… "MY NAME IS NECROZMA. I AM A GOD OF LIGHTS AND MAGIC." In her momentary, internal search for something else, she entertained a passing thought: was it possible the crystals just… were inexplicable, and their efforts to understand them at all were futile? Including the ways the Tapus and Alolans themselves had handled them?

"I remember talking to you a long time ago," Zossie giggled almost sadly, casting Lillie an almost apologetic look. "Me and Dulse… We told you how you wanted to keep our world as far from yours as possible."

"I… I remember," Lillie replied slowly. Guiltily, she sighed. "I know… I didn't do a very, uh… very good job at keeping Nebby away from—"

"Don't be," Zossie cut her off, forcedly chipper as ever. "But… do you remember how Dulse and I told you back then that our ancestors lost so much trying to contain The Blinding One before?"

With Selene giving her the most Deerling-in-headlights stare she had ever seen, Lillie nodded nervously. "Yeah, I… I remember." She grimaced, looking past Zossie and at the scientist messing with Elio's helmet. That was Dr. Colress, she remembered—and the woman standing just behind him was Rosa.

"Dulse and I… We were the ones that contacted the Aether Foundation first. And found Dr. Colress. We asked him if he could create something that might help The Blinding One, so that when the Megalo Tower"—Zossie gestured vaguely to the massive, crystalline tower in the distance, whose lights blinked in and out of view and occasionally threw the city into pitch-black darkness—"failed, we could calm The Blinding One down… Because the way our ancestors caged him in the past won't work anymore. Thousands gave their lives to cage him the first time, because they had to build Megalo Tower as he was fought. We'd have to do that again…" Looking over her own shoulder, Lillie winced at the sheer sorrow in Zossie's voice. "We… can't do that again… But Captain Phyco… Do you see the man Dulse is talking to?"

"Blue mustache?" Lillie asked, a little puzzled.

Snorting in unexpected laughter, Zossie grinned as she looked back on Lillie. "Yeah, that's him. He—well, he agreed to our plan before, but he kept telling the rest of the URS that we just needed better weapons, better understanding of The Blinding One's crystals, and we'd be able to take him on. We know how to build the Tower better now—his plan is to drive The Blinding One back into the Tower, or to kill him… We—"

Zossie's explanation was cut off by a familiar, deafening roar that made Lillie flinch and her knees wobble. The lights of Megalo Tower, far off, blacked out and showered the city in inky darkness—all except for a single, golden figure, which Lillie could only assume was standing atop that ailing monument. Squinting, she could tell this was Necrozma, still in Nebby's stolen body. With another bellowing roar, the lights of Megalo Tower strobed, creating frightening, flashing images of Necrozma stretching open its leonine jaws. From that impressive maw, a blazing beam of light flooded and struck one of the skyscrapers. The windows shattered consecutively, creating a morbidly musical sound, as the building started to crumble and buckle beneath the sunny onslaught.

The lights of Megalo Tower stabilized just as the skyscraper started to collapse. Zossie's eyes rounded to saucers as she scrambled over to the main group. Sharing a terrified glance with Selene, Lillie grabbed the other's hand and practically dragged her along, running to Elio's side. He was staring at the crashing building in an almost trancelike state, and Lillie practically yelped in surprise as he… spoke. Actually spoke. "There it goes…"

Before she could ask any questions about his sudden ability to speak, though, it was the blue-mustached man that raised an accusatory finger at Dulse and Zossie. Somehow, he screamed just above the sound of shattering glass and crumbling cement, "Do you see what you're defending? You're asking us to leave that thing to do what it wishes!"

"That is not what I am asking, Phyco, and you know that well!" Dulse snarled back, taking a deliberate step forward. They all lurched as the building in the distance finished crashing to the ground. A wave of dust and debris rose, leaving the gathered group to only brace themselves as bits and pieces were flung past them. Lillie closed her eyes and huddled with Selene as she weathered the brutal gust. When it ended, she waited a few seconds before slowly starting to unravel from Selene, listening to Dulse's voice strain as he growled, "I am just saying that if we do what you want, we are guaranteed that fate! Our goal is to not allow The Blinding One free roam, that is unacceptable, I know that! Attempting to capture it in the way the Alolans do or trying to speak to it—"

"We can talk to it, sure!" Phyco hissed, cutting him off. "But that doesn't matter! Because the beast does not care what we have to say! Dulse, what you want simply will not work."

"We haven't even tried it!" Zossie cried, desperately looking up at Phyco. "Somehow, the Alolans were able to force him back here, so clearly what they were doing was working! And Phyco… Phyco, even if we win it your way… We… We won't have learned anything…" Frustratedly stomping a foot, Zossie shouted at him, "We still do it, even today! All of our weapons are made from Ultra Beasts we've killed! We still use The Blinding One's crystals to power them! It doesn't fix anything! If The Blinding One doesn't finish us, something else will for how we behave! It's—it's wrong, Phyco!"

"No!" Phyco savagely roared, shooting a look at the woman beside him. "Soliera—I'm tired of this arguing."

Her fist tightened over what Lillie had noticed her holding before, and with a flick of her wrist, a blue glow crept up her arm and blades spilled out between her fingers, all in a practiced motion. Icy daggers with serrated edges glinted between her fingers in the flickers of light from Megalo Tower.

Phyco himself reached for something in his pocket as he warningly glared at Dulse and Zossie. The other people in suits around them all shuffled uncomfortably until they were behind him and Soliera. "Now, stand down, and assist us, or… or we will have to deal with you two later."

"Is that a threat? Seriously? With all that's going on, you want infighting on top of it?" Elio asked in a trembling voice. Looking up at him, Lillie wanted to say something, but found her voice felt trapped in her throat. Something about the way he spoke was off, like there was an auto-tuned edge to it. It sounded almost just like him… almost… Why did that scare her so much? Even more than the way he was glowering hatefully at Phyco?

"It's a promise," Soliera piped up, cutting her eyes at Elio. With that, Lillie noticed that they were glowing an icy, bitter blue.

"Wait…!" Selene panted. Staggering some, she pushed Elio and Lillie out of her way, getting in the middle of the fray. Pointing up at the tower, she flicked her gaze between them all, looking panicked, confused—…lost, Lillie thought nervously. "Th-that—… uh, The Blinding One, I can't remember what he called himself in Alola, but back… back there, he said… he said he was going to kill everyone here, right?"

Sharing a fleeting look, Elio and Lillie both nodded like bobbleheads. What are you getting at? Lillie thought impatiently.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Selene spat, "Then why isn't it?!"

"Why is it not what?" Dulse asked, blinking.

"If he wanted to kill you all, he'd have done it," Selene panted. She abruptly wrenched a Poké Ball out of some pocket beneath her exosuit and pitched it. Bowtie, giving his new surroundings a surprised survey, appeared beside her. "He leveled a building, for fuck's sake! If he wants you dead, he'll just kill you and be done with it, right? Back at the… the…"

"Altar?" Lillie offered, realizing Selene was struggling to think of her words. That was the cause of her frequent pauses.

"Yeah, that. At the Altar, he had, er… Ilima, Ilima in his hands. He could have killed him right then. He kept telling us he wanted to. So why didn't he?"

"You say him leveling a building is evidence that he's not murderous?" Phyco sarcastically pressed, curling a lip. "Your logic is so sound, whoever-you-are. Sure, we evacuated the aboveground buildings, but that is still so—"

"Watch it!" Elio barked at him fiercely, warningly. Glaring hateful blue daggers, it was clear that Elio did not intend to tolerate any more sarcasm or spite from Phyco that day. Fittingly, the other flinched, recovering by closing his mouth with an audible, annoyed click of his teeth.

"If you want to stand here and argue, do it," Selene told them, "but if that… Blind-… Necrozma! Necrozma, that's it. If that Necrozma is just saying all of that without actually backing it up, then… then he can be reasoned with. If he wanted to, couldn't he just level all these buildings and even kill us, just like that? Why wouldn't he if that's what he wants? It doesn't make sense…" Shaking her head, Selene growled, "So, I'm going to go up there and try to talk to it."

"Selene, wait for us," Elio tried to say, starting after her. "You can't—!"

Cutting her eyes at him, Selene shook her head. A sense of urgency crept into her words that Lillie had never heard from her before—a desperate twinge, as if pleading for the other to understand. Almost… like a cry for help. "No, I have to go now," Selene insisted. Tugging on Bowtie's shoulder, she bolted for Megalo Tower.

"She told me her memory was feeling fuzzy," Lillie explained as she darted up beside Elio, grabbing him on his shoulder. She feared he'd go running, too, and leave her behind, if she didn't anchor him in place. "She—she's acting strange, we should probably—"

"Fuzzy?" Elio echoed, giving her a pointed stare.

"Yeah… Necrozma stole all of our Z-Crystals back there, remember? I guess he got Selene's too, the one that was in her wristband, and she—"

"Mm, well that's simply no good," Dr. Colress drawled, butting in the conversation unceremoniously. Sighing, they all turned to look at him as he tilted his head. "This Necrozma fellow, its crystals, they possess energy similar to that which gives pokémon on our world their typing. The Ultrarians typically reserve these crystals for use with items, such as their weaponry—like how Miss Soliera has a most interesting, handmade switchblade. It is derived from carved pieces of Kartana and imbued with the essence of what I believe Alolans would call an Icium-Z. Due to that power, her blades can inflict devastating freezing effects. However, if you remove the crystal, its effects will remain for a short while, but eventually will disappear altogether."

Elio impatiently clicked his tongue, then in that mechanical edge, demanded, "And what does that have to do with Selene?"

"Well, simple. The Alolans—and their Tapus—had a bad habit of imbuing living beings with these crystals. They discovered that cutting it into a specific shape allowed that crystal's energy to affect living creatures. Kahunas and Captains are gifted a crystal cut into a diamond with slightly uneven edges, allowing them to call upon that essence whenever. However, after enough exposure, it becomes a more permanent part of them—but if the crystal is removed and taken far enough away, that essence is permanently lost. This can have adverse effects on mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, to my understanding. Pokémon rarely suffer these effects as they are only imbued with the power from these crystals fleetingly. Same with Island Challengers, who typically only use crystals cut into a straight-edge diamond-shape. It is not easy for them to absorb that power themselves for more than a split second." Pushing up his glasses, Dr. Colress shot Elio a winning smile. "Put more simply, your sister is a lot like Miss Soliera's blades. Removing her crystal removed her Mind Jumping ability, or at least, it is fading. The memories and the like she made with it are fading, too."

Everyone was just gawking at him.

"What? I was keeping up with the events in Alola the entire time," he snorted at their disbelieving stares. "So, I know about all your little powers and the like."

Incredulous, Lillie scoffed, "What so many people couldn't figure out over… over centuries, did you just—?"

"Well, it's not tried and true science just yet," Dr. Colress explained, waving a hand flippantly. "I still have yet to test most of that. However, preliminary testing of these crystals I have done over the last couple of years plus direct observation suggests as much."

"Years?" Zossie squeaked. "But we only just—"

"Do you really have time to grill him?" Rosa unexpectedly shot at them, her voice tinted with anxiety. "Go fucking deal with Necrozma, you idiots! The girl that'll be an amnesiac soon has more sense than all of you combined…"

Feeling strong hands on her shoulder, Lillie gasped as she was turned around forcefully. Once again, she was face to face with Elio. Meeting his tense, blue gaze, she exhaled in a little bit of relief. "Lillie?" he asked.

"Y-yeah?"

Unexpectedly, he hugged her. "I missed you so much. I love you so much. I've had so much to say… So much I wish I would have said or done before…"

Hugging him back, the conversation with Dr. Colress forgotten almost immediately, Lillie felt her eyes sting as she clung to him. "I missed you too… and I love you, too." Gnawing her lower lip, she reminded herself what they still had to deal with, and so she added brokenly, "Now, come on, let's go, we're not done yet. We're in this together. Let's go help Selene…"

Somehow, she knew he had felt the need to say that before they approached the tower.

As she was running toward the tower, Selene suddenly felt the earth give way below her. At first, she screamed and covered her eyes, but then… she was gently lowered onto the ground. In stark contrast to the bitter cold she had felt before, a comfortable warmth spread around her. When she dared to move her quivering hands away from her face, she found Bowtie curled around her, his eyes wide beneath his hood. More pressingly, though, was that in front of them, Necrozma was seated on his hind legs, panting as foamy, sickly saliva dribbled freely from his jaws. Beneath the black, crystalline structures that had enslaved his body, Nebby's tired, red eyes bored into Selene.

Sucking in a fast, frightened breath, Selene shakily and slowly started to stand up. Glancing around herself anxiously, she gasped as she realized they were high, high off the ground. The structure below them felt unstable, too—when it lurched, she yelped and dropped back to her knees. Bowtie clung to her tightly, chirping fearfully. She had hardly ever heard him make noise after his evolution into a Decidueye, so to hear him sound so panicked was just… sad. Vaguely, she was aware they were atop the fabled Megalo Tower.

Or at least, she thought she didn't remember him making such noise, and thought they had to be atop that tower… Ugh, everything was so fuzzy and thick, thinking felt like trudging through deep mud… She didn't know why, but she felt as if she were drowning in her own mind, losing track of what was what. It was why she had bolted away from Elio. Despite how painful it had been to turn away from him yet again, she had been terrified that if she didn't go then, she wouldn't remember her logic for too much longer…

"YOU WANTED TO TALK TO ME."

Freezing, Selene just gawked at Necrozma. Those dead, pink eyes closed. "YOU WANTED TO TALK TO ME," he repeated when she failed to say anything. His voice, commanding, deep, and loud back in Alola, now sounded softer, even if it still reverberated in her very bones. The aggression she thought she remembered him having was gone… But that couldn't have been misremembered, could it?

"They… they're scared of you down there," Selene forced, making her mouth cooperate at last. Sharply inhaling, deciding to trust her ebbing memory, she added, "You… you told us all you'd kill us." Blinking fervently against tears—why was she crying? Was it the stress?—she begged, "Why? Why haven't you just done it, then? You destroyed that building like it was nothing. You—"

"THERE IS NO POINT."

"…What?"

Necrozma hung his head tiredly. "THESE ARE NOT THE SAME ULTRARIANS. I BELIEVED THEY WERE… I WAS WRONG."

Breath hitching in her throat in disbelief at how forlornly he said that, Selene dared to ask, "But… but then why did you destroy the building…?"

"I WAITED FOR YEARS IN THIS TOWER…" He answered slowly, carefully. But not once did she catch that angry, murderous edge she had sworn she heard back in Alola. "I WAITED FOR YEARS IN THIS TOWER, DREAMING OF THE DAY I WOULD ESCAPE AND MURDER THOSE THAT DID THIS TO ME."

Hugging Bowtie, Selene said nothing, waiting uncertainly for him to continue.

"THAT NIHILEGO THAT MERGED WITH THE WOMAN ATTACKED ME. IT BROKE ME FREE OF THE TOWER. BUT THEY WISHED TO HARM ME…" His deep, rumbling voice that made her bones ache began to ebb, until he spoke in a gentle voice that sounded almost melodic, almost… sorrowful… "I once traveled between worlds in my own body. I was golden and complete, and I had thousands of those crystals attached to me. I admit to you, and to nobody else, that I do not know what I am or where I come from… I know that I require light to live, and I know that I had something so many others wanted from me… but that is all I know. I was frightened by how badly some wanted my crystals, so I would give them away as they grew, in hopes I would be left free. I could defend myself if needed, but… It still did not feel good to be hunted at all given times…"

"Why are you telling me this…? Why me, and nobody else…?" Selene managed to squeeze out, voice trembling and barely audible.

"Because soon you will not remember," he answered her matter-of-factly. Looking up so that his dead eyes met hers, she swore his expression was nothing short of apologetic. "Nobody… has heard my side of the story before… and not only will you not remember, but you wanted to talk to me…"

Although she had a million questions, starting with the frightening implications of him saying she wouldn't remember soon, but a morbid curiosity kept her from asking any of them. Instead, she just remained silent… Privately, hearing him say all of that, she was curious to know what his story was. Swallowing her fears, her anxieties, and her wants, she nodded slowly. "Okay… Tell me."

"My crystals used to grow continuously on their own, new ones with different abilities… I was able to use them all. I knew nothing about the rest of the world. My first memory is of an Ultra Wormhole and the location it brought me to… I knew how to use my crystals, but I did not understand the world around me very well. But my crystals would occasionally shed. It was not long before others of different worlds knew of me, my crystals, and what they could do…

"Many were grateful, or surprised, or scared of these crystals… They revered me. They thanked me. They cowered beneath me. I did not know what to make of these responses, but I understood that my crystals were coveted. I did not mind giving the ones that shed from my body.

"Yet, then I stumbled across this world… Ultra Megalopolis. In the past, they called it Ultrameer… It was much bigger than this single city, though this was the center of their world, and back then, it was sunny and lively here. Warm, too…

"Ultrarians were fearful of me and readied weapons at first sight of me. This had only happened a couple of times before and those people were quickly appeased by my gifts… But I noticed something was off about these weapons. These weapons were hewn from the bodies, scales, skins, and claws of various Ultra Beasts, the creatures that call Ultra Space home. I had seen weapons made from parts of dead creatures before, of course, but the Ultrarians seemed to have a particular fondness for this. I even had the grim experience of watching them strike down a beast and carve each shred of its body for use, primarily for weaponry, though some for food. As usual I offered them some shed crystals… That seemed to calm them down, and I believed that to be the end of it.

"It wasn't. I spent that night in Ultrameer and found myself surrounded the next day. They had managed to power some of their weaponry with my gifted crystals. Despite my best efforts to defend myself, their weapons were injuring me, unlike any other weapons I had come across before… They were hurting me quite badly and they used this to their advantage so they could come close enough to me to break yet more crystals off me.

"I came to realize that's what they wanted. They wanted more of my crystals. They were using them to alter their morbid weapons. That was when I realized, if I did not fight back with my full strength, I may very well end up like the Buzzwole, Kartana, Xurkitree, or other Ultra Beasts that made up their war supplies. So, I fought… and I fought… and I fought… And yet, the more crystals they pried from me, the more they could fight, the worse they hurt me… And no matter how many of them I gravely injured or even dispatched, they did not stop… Nor could I get away, somehow, they stopped me every time…"

Looking up at the darkened sky, a multicolored prism of crystals hovered above Necrozma's head. It glinted in the flickers of Megalo Tower. With a rumbling sound akin to a purr, Necrozma moved to touch his nose to the prism, and began to glow a bright, sunny yellow all over, forcing Selene to briefly look away as he continued to speak. "This is nowhere near as many crystals as I once possessed, but it is all the ones I could recover utilizing the crystal your friend had… His was one imbued with electricity and telekinesis. I believe he was using it to boost the power of that little beast of his."

Gasping in awe as the light began to fade, Selene almost didn't believe her eyes. In place of the sickly, possessed body of Nebby that had been in front of her before, a bipedal, draconic beast flared its two sets of wings and hovered proudly. Its entire body was ethereal and bright, like golden plasma molded into the shape of a dragon. Its eyes, however, caught her attention as they looked down on her. They were made up of crystals, like the ones that had been inside the prism beforehand, almost looking as if they were stitched together there. "This is who I really am… Yet, even with these crystals I recovered… I cannot hold this form for long. It is using a lot of the Solgaleo's energy to do this, as well as the crystals… If I had my full number of crystals, it would be no problem to hold onto it…

"However, back in the days of Ultrameer, the Ultrarians injured me so badly that I quit growing new crystals. Realizing that, I transformed to this form to try and save myself. I tried to flee… They hooked me with crystal-infused weapons and anchored me to this realm. I still don't entirely understand how they managed that. But they injured me until I could no longer hold this form… Then, they carved enough crystals from me to prevent me from doing it again…

"They were going to kill me… In a final stand to save myself, I siphoned away all of the light from this world's sun and the nearby stars. I drowned them in darkness… And then I razed as much of Ultrameer as I could using my newfound power. I knew I did not have that power for long and if I left them alive, then they would try to kill me again and most certainly others, based on their weapons, and I knew they had the ability to traverse Ultra Space… I admit I lost myself. I lost myself much, much worse than I did today. I leveled cities. I killed every Ultrarian that dared meet my gaze. In the end, when my energy was running low, when much of their world swam in blood, there was just one place left: Megalopolis.

"It was there that the few who remained of the Ultrarians bested me. They injured me so badly that I turned black, like a dead star, losing this form. With no more light to steal, and no more crystals to generate the light I needed, they were free to cage me away in that horrible tower. They behaved as if they respected me after that… and yet, they still kept me locked away, and they feared me…" Necrozma appeared to shiver, and Selene swore his expression was so sad, despite his godly form. "They pushed me into a state of purgatory, somewhere between dead and alive, and yet they behaved as if I was the monster… I was left with just two crystals to myself… They used my stolen crystals to power their remaining city, continued to imbue their horrific weapons with my body… I've lost track of time. But that is how I have been living for so long…" There was a long pause. "I caused so much death and bloodshed, even broke this world, ultimately, for nothing. I was still caged and injured anyway, whether I had left them alive or the sun in the sky would not have mattered. The lives of those Ultrarians were lost for no reason… Along with my anger, I have lived with shame, shame with myself for feeling guilt. Despite knowing everything they did to me, I have been guilty, thinking of how I slaughtered so many without it making a difference… Isn't that pathetic? They were all trying to murder me and skin me alive, and yet I feel the guilt.

"But today, when that woman merged with the Nihilego broke me free, all I could think of was how much hate I had for those Ultrarians. How I regretted not destroying this final city of theirs and running them extinct, too. How I was furious with myself for daring to feel guilt and sorrow for them. But I also needed light… The woman merged with the Nihilego provoked a fight from me, so I followed her… Well. You know the rest." She swore he chuckled as he gave her a softer look. "Yet in spite of all that hate, at them and myself, I could not bring myself to do more than yell and scream this time… The Nihilego that attacked me bore the worst of my anger… Indeed, even the Solgaleo I merged with, too, he misses one of those humans that was back in your world, and I feel guilt for knowing I am draining his life and denying him his freedom, as the Ultrarians did to me…"

A sudden growl from him made Selene perk up in alarm, giving him a round-eyed glance. But he just shook his head. "It is frustrating. To feel like so much suffering was for nothing. Even more so, I feel ridiculous. As powerful as I am right now, I could destroy this entire city if I so pleased, and despite all I have suffered… I cannot do it. I destroyed an empty building of theirs, but that was all I could manage. Just like how I held a defenseless human in my claws, and I could have crushed the life from him so easily back in your world, but I couldn't. And these crystals I recovered… I could keep them, but what good would it do? I cannot produce any more. Others will just wish to steal them again, will just hurt me for them again, will just hurt others over them again. The universe wishes me death and harm, and yet, despite my anger and hurt, I could not do the same in return… and am ashamed of what little of it I did cause."

"What are you… getting at?" Selene breathlessly asked, struggling to keep up with him. It felt hard to understand right then…

"Perhaps it would simply be better for me to end myself before giving others the chance of tormenting me or themselves again…" With that, Necrozma shrunk in another glowing lightshow. When that was over, Nebby, in his Solgaleo form, was collapsed beside Necrozma, unconscious. Necrozma was back in his black crystalline form. A pile of Z-Crystals spanned the roof of the tower in front of him, sliding somewhat whenever it leaned. Weakly pushing against the ground with black claws in an attempt to stand (or at least, Selene assumed that was what he was doing; honestly, she had a hard time making out what was what on this broken form of his), Necrozma then shakily pushed one of those crystals toward Selene. "You should take that."

Picking it up slowly, Selene whispered, "Wh-why…?"

"…So that you do remember, today…" Necrozma replied after momentary hesitation. "I… I don't want to simply disappear… I know I said you would not remember, but… I want you to remember, now… If nobody remembers, then what was it all for…?"

Swallowing as the meaning of his words sunk in, Selene clasped her hand around the crystal. Picking it up with shaking hands, she clipped it back into place in her wristband, and Bowtie also took a few uncertain steps forward. Reaching out with a silken wing, Necrozma shakily returned the gesture, all while Selene inhaled sharply as memories overwhelmed her senses on every front. Everything all fell into place in one moment as her senses dulled and her mind felt so much sharper than before. All in that instant, she understood that everything they had dealt with in Alola, from the twisted culture surrounding the Z-Crystals down to the grim fear the Ultrarians had of Necrozma, was simply a horrible misunderstanding. All from its roots, it had been just that, hadn't it? The Ultrarians' misconceptions of Necrozma, the Alolans' misunderstanding of Solgaleo, Lunala, and the Z-Crystals, the tilted relationship between Captains, Kahunas, and Tapus—Selene scrambled to her feet. Blinking away the visions she was experiencing, she returned to reality just in time to see Necrozma tearing open one last wormhole. "Wait!" she shouted. "Wait! If all that's true, that—that just means people don't understand! We can clarify it for them, we can make it all better!" Nobody should have to… have to disappear!

As he drifted toward the wormhole, Necrozma scoffed. "I don't even understand what I am or what my place is in the multiverse. How can we possibly explain it for them? …It does not matter. This way your world goes back to normal, too, and so do your lives… Even so. Thank you, for talking to me, and for holding onto my memory. I will go elsewhere for my final leave, so you don't have to remember that part of it. I hope you remember me in my true form, instead of this broken, dead husk…"

Just like that, he was gone, in a flourish of light. Glittering stardust wafted off the portal as it closed behind him, showering around Selene and Bowtie. Selene sank back to her knees under the sparkling aura, watching as the speckles of light gleamed with the surges of light from the tower below her. Bowtie caught a few on his wings, but they faded as soon as they touched him. He cast Selene a concerned, almost pleading look. As if he were asking her to tell him he had misunderstood what they had just witnessed.

"I…" Selene's mouth felt like sandpaper, her tongue like cotton. "I guess he's right, in that everything can go back to normal now… Aether's been taken care of, more or less, Necrozma's not a threat…" She glanced at the unconscious Nebby. "Nebby's back, even if he's exhausted…" With quivering hands, she looked down at the group of crystals clustered upon the tower. "Those are everyone's Z-Crystals…" Breath starting to hitch as she felt her eyes sting with emotion, Selene looked at her scattered reflection across them, each one feeling like it was giving her accusatory stares, as if demanding her for more. "The only thing left is for Mom and Dad to be released from Interpol, if possible, b-but even then… We… We won…" Shaking her head as a rising panic made bile gather in her throat, Selene cried out to Bowtie, "B-but why don't I feel like I won?! This all goes so much deeper than anyone knew!" In disbelief, she looked up at Bowtie, eyes wide and round. "What am I supposed to do with all of that? I was supposed to do something with this power, am I really just a living bookshelf, for everyone else's stories?"

She almost didn't notice Bowtie looking up and past her, not until she felt pressure on her right shoulder. Jerking to look at the source, Selene gave Elio a blank stare, then Lillie, Zossie, Dulse, and others as they fanned out around her. While Lillie darted over to the fallen Nebby, Elio got to his knees next to her and gave her a sad smile, all teary-eyed, too. "I was so worried," he told her in that creepily robotic edge, even though the obviously intended emotion was still there. "Are you alright…? Where did it go? We only got up the tower just as you finished… There was a psychic barrier preventing us up here before that… It kept pushing us back down the tower…" His voice trembled.

"Yeah, though Dulse and Zossie stopping to brawl with Phyco and Soliera didn't help," Lillie weakly laughed from somewhere else on the roof.

"The Blinding One has escaped again?" Dulse asked, ignoring Lillie, his usually stern voice lacking its usual conviction and instead full of anxiety.

Abruptly hugging Elio, she could practically feel his relief as the tension left his muscles and he tightly hugged her back. Whimpering, she told him, "He's—Necrozma's—gone… He's not going to be a problem anymore, I don't think…" "I… I don't want to simply disappear…" "He… he said he c-couldn't bring himself to actually hurt anyone, because he knew nobody here was responsible for what he was mad about, but that… that he felt he would always be hunted, or kept in captivity, and he… he gave all the crystals back, let Nebby go, and… and he left… to… to…"

"To what?" Zossie pried, sounding both curious and like she didn't want to know the answer. Selene didn't have it in her to reply. She just clung to Elio and cried, waving away Zossie without ever looking up at her. "To—to what, Selene?"

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he whispered to her, rubbing her back in attempted, soothing circles. "I… I think I understand… If that's the case, then… we can go home, now…" Hollowly, he tried to further calm her down, "Whatever's left, I'm sure we can handle… It'll all go back to normal soon enough…"

Closing her eyes, Selene shook her head, even though it was buried against Elio's chest. "Elio, you don't even believe that. There's no 'normal' anymore… Not after everything we've all been through…"

A long pause. "No… you're right." Forcing a tired laugh, he muttered, "I should really stop treating you like you can't handle the truth. You can see it better than I can, after all… But even if it is changed forever, now we can start getting better." He gently pushed her off him and tilted her head up by pushing on her chin. Giving her a slight, sobering smile, he said, "Come on. Get up. It might be over with Necrozma, but we have to go back to Alola and make sure everyone's okay there, now."

Truthfully, despite her frayed emotions, Selene found herself a little shocked by how calm he was being. This wasn't the Elio she remembered, the frantic, frightened boy that lost himself trying to be everyone's protector (…under her own instructions, a tiny voice in the back of her head reminded her). Yet, instead of feeling that insurmountable guilt she had always experienced before, this time, Selene just felt a fragile semblance of peace. They were different people, neither of them responsible for the other, and while they hadn't enjoyed the time away from one another, it seemed that they had needed it. They had needed it to learn more and accept more about themselves individually. Elio had apparently grown more confident and finally achieved his protective desire in the line of work the Ultrarians had put him through—Selene had seen that in her visions, even if she hadn't had the time to reflect on it at first—and Selene, herself, had finally accepted the gift Tapu Koko had given her, learned to forgive, and learned that the world was not as black and white as she had once believed.

It was easy to condemn the way the Alolans lived. It was easy to condemn the way the Ultrarians lived. It was easy to condemn the Tapus, the Skull Gang, the Kahunas, Kukui, Aether, Interpol—anyone and everyone had something on their hands they were guilty of. Selene had set Elio down on his warpath in the past; Hau had sunk Aether Paradise, which ultimately killed many people and pokémon alike; Lillie had left Gladion behind at Aether Paradise in her eagerness to get away; Gladion had hurt others over his anger at what he had endured at the hands of his mother; Elio's past fervor had gotten Lillie kidnapped by Aether… The list could have gone on forever. Truth be told, there was no correct way of navigating everything happening in Alola (or even beyond it, in the case of Ultra Megalopolis). The hardest thing Selene had learned to let go of from her past in Kanto was the stoic belief that there was an objective 'right' and 'wrong,' accepting that it was a scale, and personal to everyone, rather than absolute truth.

Taking a shaky breath, Selene grabbed Elio's arms, and allowed him to help her stand up. Bowtie rejoined her side as she met her brother's gaze. "…You're right," she yawned, following with a shuddery breath. "You're right. We're not done."

"But—but wait, what happened to The Blinding One?" Dulse butted in, him and Zossie walking up beside them. While Elio had seemingly understood Selene's implication right away, she wasn't surprised that the Ultrarians were less keen to deciphering her meaning. Lillie watched from a distance, where she was stroking Nebby's head. He had regained consciousness, but didn't move, likely thanks to exhaustion.

Glancing around at everyone on the roof, Selene took a deep breath, steeling her nerves and emotions. "I'll show you."

Chapter Text

Without his innate ability for conducting electricity, Hau felt so unbelievably out of place. It felt like there was something intrinsically wrong, and he floundered underneath the stress of feeling so vulnerable without it. Thankfully, he didn't have to worry about that for too long, though—as quickly as the fighting against the beasts that had leaked in from otherworldly realms had started, it was over, as many of them dispersed across Alola. The wormholes in the sky above closed and within minutes, it was all just… over. A discomforting quiet befell the Altar as, for the first time in hours, nothing moved, and they all were given the opportunity to rest and breathe.