A/N: Welp, haven't been here in a while.

So, yeah; giving the Keeper of the Beasts another go. THIS time, with actual planning and not free-write. I'll update whenever I can (IF I can), so apologies in advance. Hope you enjoy!

(Meanwhile, I'll be busy playing Ultra Moon- I mean, continuing to write.)

Chapter 1: M.I.A.

The hallway was silent as the day began its morning cycle. Slowly, rays of light crawled down to the ground and up the walls, illuminating the interior of the passage. Though there was almost no change in brightness anyway, as the walls, pillars, and high ceiling were made of black crystal, with practically no decorations. A pair of shining bulbous fungi, brightening as the mock morning rose, were mounted on opposite columns and lining down the hall and gave light to anyone who would traverse through. Though it was hardly a place for anyone to call home, as the noxious quality of air wafted around.

At one end of the hallway was a set of dark wooden doors. Tall and rectangular, with dull gold handles, the corners had begun to round off and lose their point with age. With a creak of protest, they swung outward at the speed of a Tirtouga on land. They thudded as they met the wall, sending the sound echoing down the passage. Behind them, a small girl stood, a hand outstretched. Clothed in a white sundress, the skirt reaching the knees, she seemed no more than just a child. The unusual factor that complimented her appearance was the fact that her eyes were flared a brilliant blue, and her long pale yellow hair floated in the air in thick, tentacle-like limbs. As she lowered her hand, the light in her eyes faded, and her hair fell down around her, coming to rest on her waist.

The girl walked down the hallway, the sandals on her feet lightly tapping the rocky floor. She passed the framed pictures on the wall on her left, each containing one man or woman that served as Beastkeeper throughout history. In each one, they all sneered down or glowered as she passed. All of them looked menacing and sent minor waves of fear through her. Reminders of their cruel behavior sent shudders through her, some memories of injuries surfacing and making the girl tremble. Only the last portrait did she stop and look at while hurrying past the others. This one, unlike the previous photographs, held a young boy with messy brown hair and no air of intimidation in his stare. He wore a collected, reassuring smile, one that demonstrated its infectiousness as the girl found herself smiling back. The most recent Keeper that they chose proved to be much more likable than the rest, his shy, amusing, yet compassionate and understanding nature quickly earning the respect and trust of her fellow peers.

At least, that's how he was before. After he assumed his role as Keeper, he was void of all feelings, as he performed his duties enabling their survival. Part of her was glad to see him as an effective leader, while the other longed for the old days, where the halls would fill with his laughter, and he would shower them with praise-

She shook her head. No, she thought. Our revenge comes first, above all else.

She looked up at it for some time, before turning and walking over to the other double dark-wood doors. She straightened the large sun hat upon her head, before knocking three times. She waited for a response.

Fifteen seconds, and there was silence. Odd, she thought, he's usually quick to get up at dawn.

To be sure that they heard, she knocked again, a bit louder. Again, no answer. Hesitantly, she put a hand on the door and pushed it inward.

"Beastkeeper?" she asked. "Are you in here-"

The question halted in the empty air as she was met with an empty room. The bed was made, the sheets folded and neat. The fungal lamps were bright, shining around the room. The terminal, where the Keeper was allowed to log into and watch the journal entries of his past self, was vacant. The desk next to it, where the books containing strategies for battles and notes, was spotless, the journals stacked neatly. The fact that she was the only person in the room made her uneasy.

"Keeper?" she called, unable to keep the anxiety out of her voice. She entered the room, gazing around for any sign that he would pop out, amused that she fell for another of his silly tricks. However, he did not. She was about to leave the room when she saw a blinking green light on the console of the data monitor. Cautious, she approached it. The light signaled that a message had been paused and that it was unlocked. The Beastkeeper was very sensitive about his journal entries; he liked them to be kept to himself. Yet here was his journal, open and ready to be read. She reached a hand out and pushed the triangular shaped button. The screen flickered on, and the face of her Keeper was shown. He wasn't wearing his mask; it alarmed her to see him so serious.

"Entry number..." he began, then glanced down at his notes and back up again, "ninety-eight. Don't have much to say here; just that I've decided to leave the UB's."

"'Leave us?'" the girl silently said.

"I always thought that the reason they raised me was to give me a better life. I won't lie, they've given me that. I'm thankful for it. What I don't appreciate is the fact that they lied in front of my face. The project that we've been working on- it's not for protection. It's for global destruction. I can't believe this. I thought they were my family!

"What's worse is that I helped them build it. I'm responsible for creating a massive weapon. I can't live with myself if I have to know that I ended my race. I know that they said humanity rejected them, and me too, but violence or genocide shouldn't be an option. That's why I've made up my mind: I'm running away, and never returning."

Her eyes widened in shock as she gasped. This couldn't be true.

"I don't know who to trust anymore. There's too much that's happened to me to simply forget. At least, not over time. So that's why I've created a toxin developed from poison by the Silent Sisters that's hopefully strong enough to wipe my memory. A clean slate, fresh and new for me. I want to forget about this for good; it's the only way for me to escape. So tomorrow, before they all wake up, I'm going to summon a gateway back to my homeworld. When I do, I'll take the poison, and hopefully erase this from my life. Find somewhere peaceful, where nobody's going to know my past. At the same time, I've created a backup plan, should I be caught again. Either way, I'm bringing this to an end."

The girl's breaths had become unsteady. She was grabbing the edges of the dashboard for support. "No," she said, over and over again. "No, no, no-"

"And if any of my 'friends' are watching this," he stated, looking around him as if he thought they were eavesdropping. "I just want you to know: I trusted you. I thought we were on the same page. But I guess not. And don't try using the Juggernaut; I've left a little surprise for that. Keeper out, for good."

He pulled the dark hood of his jacket over his head, while at the same time tapping a button on the keyboard, and it went black. The girl stood there, taking the information in. Tens of hundreds of thoughts rushed through her, all increasing her hysteria. The fact that her leader had vanished made her dizzy, emotions of betrayal and shock present. And then, the air around her blazed scarlet, as anger rose up above her other feelings. The absence of the Keeper would not be tolerated. He must be found, and the plan must go on. The power that only her allies shared rose up in her; her disguise fell away in a flash of white. When it faded, her true form was revealed, surrounded by ruby-colored light.

The creature floated out of the room, tentacles not touching the ground. It flew through the hall, the lights mirroring her radiance. Passing through several abandoned streets and buildings, it finally arrived at a giant cathedral, pausing a moment before entering.

As it entered into a spacious chamber, it let out a screech, echoing through the halls. The screech, essentially a call to arms in her language, was met with the sounds of other beings rising from slumber. They came out of their sleeping quarters, shaking the drowsiness from them as they answered the call of their second-in-command.

"Our Keeper is gone," she reported, fury tinting her voice. "He was taken from us."

At once there was a collective gasp before a cacophony of outraged questions swarmed her.

"But how?" this was asked by the muscular, humanoid insect. Shock and anger met him at her statement, as well as the others. "We've been able to keep a keen watch over him. It'zzz impozzzible!"

"We've been watching him," she answered, "but we should've been watching our enemies."

"Them?" questioned a lanky mass of black wiring. The outrage was clear as sparks shot from his hands and head. His hands were six strips of copper, his feet like two-pronged plugs with a back point. The head had nothing that a normal face would have. Instead, it was just a ball of white with countless points. "Are you saying that the humans abducted him? They can't even access this place!"

"Not exactly. Their technology is unable to get through our defenses, that is true. But their ideas are. They have poisoned our Keeper. And now he has rejoined those who banished us."

"I can't understand," this was asked by one of the largest of them, its thin pointed head almost touching the ceiling. The two disconnected arms rested on the floor, thick as tree trunks with a thicker base for expelling its attacks. The face, thin and emotionless, looked at her as she asked, "The last time the Keeper was allowed in his realm was over three months ago. How could the thoughts have affected him for that length of time?"

"Remember, Sally," she curtly retorted, "thoughts can influence one for a long period of time. They'll poison them over time until they're rendered incapable of any other thought."

The creatures around her muttered in assent, and she silently thanked her Keeper for giving her communication lessons. Another reason she was an effective leader, along with her heightened intellect and powers.

"We must get him back before it's too late!"

"Shall we give the J-NCZ a test run?"

The colossal, black-scaled beast addressed her with politeness, though she could easily sense the malice in it. Both pairs of eyes looked eagerly at her, while the weapon-like tail slowly waved to and fro. She didn't answer immediately; the offer was tempting. Destroy the obstacles in their way, and they would get what they wanted.

At the same time, her mind drifted back to his words.

"Don't try the Juggernaut; I've left a little surprise for it..." the phrase echoed in her, though she couldn't understand why. The giant machine, codenamed "Juggernaut," was the project they had been working on for decades, perhaps centuries. When it was complete, it would wreak havoc and destruction upon the world, built after the likeness of their deity, The Black Prism. If he had sabotaged the machine, it would have to be corrected-

"Miss Nellie?"

The small, paper-like comrade spoke up, concerned as she did not respond to his proposal. The smallest of the lot, yet nowhere near harmless, he and his friends had received a lot of affection from the Beastkeeper. It swung softly back and forth in midair, liable to be tossed by the slightest gust.

If he had somehow tampered with the machine, then their plans could be greatly wounded. Their revenge would be halted,

Nellie shook her head. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Kurt. And Gus," she directed the colossal colleague. "How close is the J-NCZ to completion?"

"Close to two-thirds," he reported, "but I am sure if we were to show it in the world, in the search for our Keeper-"

"I'd like the project to be completed before we apply it to the field," she said. "Forgive me, but I hope you realize that the project is in a critical state. Any flaw will set us back longer than we would like. In the meantime, continue working on it. And I would request that you be the one who watches over it, to be sure that all errors have been eradicated. We cannot have room for error."

Gus grumbled, his two elongated arms attached inside his cavernous mouth touching the floor. "Yes, Miss Nellie-"

"And one more thing, before we disperse," she added. Every ally in the room faced her, giving her their undivided attention. "In the Keeper's absence, the leadership falls on the second-in-command. As head of the Silent Sisters, I will take that responsibility of leading us. Until we get the Keeper back, I will be referred to as Captain and will direct you where you are required to be. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain," they addressed her with new authority, normally shown for their Beastkeeper. They gave a salute in unison, standing tall to respect her. She nodded to signify them to stand down, though a young excitement rose up in her at the image of every UB obeying her command.

"Very well, then, let's begin," she began, "Sonja, Buzz, I want you and your comrades to prepare to shuffle the moves of everyone here; we may need new moves depending on where our Keeper was taken to."

"Yes, Captain," both groups of bug and Fighting-type UB's departed from the group and headed to the machine loaded with random moves, ready to switch their attacks.

"Zach, I need you to provide Gus and Sally power for their work. Get your friends up if you need. They'll need all the help they can get. You two, I need you to continue working on the J-NCZ."

All three saluted, before striding over to the large, arching doorway that led to the workspace. The workspace was where their grand scheme rested, being built more and more by each Beastkeeper that provided supplies for them from their world. Over time, the project took shape, towering and ominous, fashioned in the design of their Lord. Soon, it would be completed, and unleashed upon humanity, eventually wiping them out.

Nellie turned to go about her job, but a voice made her pause.

"Captain Nellie?"

She looked down. Kurt had floated up to her, thin sword-like arms brushing each other. A sign of nervousness.

"Do you need something, Kurt?" she asked the Steel/Grass-type. The fold that resembled its face closed tightly, showing that he was really nervous. And then, he asked, "Do you think we'll get our Beastkeeper back?"

The innocent inquiry lingered with Nellie. He had said he was fed up with their plan, and intentionally fled back to his world. The possibility that he would come back to them was slim, even slimmer with the fact that he erased his memory. She wasn't sure that he would be the same, should they succeed in bringing him back.

Still, she reached a tentacle out and softly smoothed its arm. Nellie was careful not to make contact with the sharp edges.

"Don't fret," she said. "I promise he'll come back. It might be scary without him, I know. But as long as we remain calm, and put our trust in the Black Prism, all will go well."

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking up at her. She gave a strong and reassuring nod, before saying, "Completely. This is the only Keeper we've looked up to. Now, how about you help Buzz and Sonja with the move reshuffling? I'm positive that they'll need help."

"Yes, Captain!" chirped Kurt. His attitude improved greatly, the fear chased away by her reassurances. And he sped off after his larger comrades, ready to provide assistance. Now that the other UB's had assumed their roles, Nellie hovered in place and concentrated. She felt the presence of the Keeper, though it was distant and faded. A veil of sorts separated him from her vision. She extended her mind, trying to reach out to him. The more she did, the farther he became. She increased her efforts, feeling her powers arrive at their limit.

Just when she thought that her head would explode from the pressure, several images flashed through her mind: a giant glass tower, stretching up to the sky, a large herd of people in red chasing after small, green organisms, a pair of narrow, iridescent eyes among black, and a group of four, with the Beastkeeper among them. The pictures faded from her mind, and Nellie fell from the air. Had one of her own not seen her and used its psychic powers to catch her, she would've hit the ground.

"Are you okay, Captain?" she tentatively asked.

"Yes, thank you, Niobe," she responded, holding a long tentacle to her hat-like head. The images in her mind left a mild migraine, the result of mental overexertion. "I was experiencing a vision of sorts. I think I may know where our Keeper has gone to."

"You have?" Niobe telepathically questioned, filled with both surprise and excitement. "Where is he?"

"First, bring me the maps," she directed. "They should be hanging from the walls of the Keeper's quarters. I can't pinpoint exactly where unless I have some hints."

Niobe reverently nodded and flew off. While she was gone, Nellie pondered over the visions she saw. One was the group of people in crimson clothing, pursuing a population of strange organisms. What was that supposed to represent? Was humanity like the group of red uniforms, chasing after them, the unknown creatures?

Then there were the eyes. They looked like a pair of diamonds and were probably just as sharp. The thought of it made her shiver; something about them seemed… abnormal. Who did they belong to? A human? Pokémon? The second option seemed more likely, but which one had eyes so intimidating?

Nellie nudged these thoughts aside, turning to the last picture: 5 people, including the Keeper. If he was with them, he was likely to be their prisoner. And if he was their prisoner, she and her fellow Beasts would have to free him. Whatever the cost.

She continued to turn these thoughts in her head for several minutes, until her partner returned, levitating several maps behind her. She held them in place as she said, "These ones?"

Nellie nodded, studying the multiple notes and pictures attached to the maps. Each one contained a layout of the regions from the Keepers' homeworld. Over time, the maps had accumulated multiple notes and pictures, to help locate a specific area. Her vision fell on a small blue dot, with a picture of a tall tower held with tape. She touched it with the tip of a tentacle.

"Here," she said, "this is something I saw in my vision."

Niobe laid down the other maps and looked at the map that Nellie spoke of. "It seems like he has gone to the 'Kalos' region," Niobe informed her.

"Then we send the J-NCZ out after all," she decided. If he had gone to a populated area, then it was simpler to send out the destroyer, though she made a note to warn Gus about any malfunctions in the technology. "I'll inform Gus to prepare the machine for travel. As for us-"

She was cut off as an explosion rocked the air. She and her comrade turned, then quickly hovered towards the source. They entered the room where the giant black dragon worked, coughing as smoke billowed from the giant machine.

"Gus, what happened?" Nellie demanded. The Beast did not immediately respond, instead opting to wave the smoke away with its thick pincers.

"Malfunction in the main control unit," he answered. "Several of the motherboards have been fried, and multiple towers were ransacked. This will put completion behind schedule."

"How long?"

"Give or take, roughly six weeks."

"Six weeks?" Niobe repeated. "We don't have six weeks to wait around! We must fix the machine. What could've done this?!"

Nellie remained quiet. She knew who the culprit was, but didn't want to give the answer. If she did, then the Keeper would be considered a traitor rather than a leader missing in action. They already had enough stress on their hands as it was.

"I can't give an exact answer," Gus was saying, scratching his stomach uncomfortably. "Whatever the error was fried the circuits and central towers, so powering it will be slowed. The data contained in the terminals need to be replaced, but sending Zev and Zane out will make it simpler. Not to mention I still need to finish the Laser Clamp and the Tri-Cannon, among other kinks in the mobility."

"Then what are we to do?" Niobe asked. "Do you expect us to sit around and patiently wait while our Keeper drifts farther away from us? I can't stand the thought of it."

"You won't have to," Nellie stated. "We're going after him."

Both Beasts turned to stare at her. Astonishment was written across the both of them, though Niobe was slightly more hidden.

"What are you saying? The Keeper's probably distanced himself greatly from us. And Kalos has unpredictable wormhole locations; we're not going to locate him that easily."

"If the Keeper goes somewhere, then that's where we'll be going too," Nellie stated. "Niobe, gather our sisters. Gus, have the Beasts gather resources for the Juggernaut. We've got a region to visit, along with a Keeper to reclaim."

A/N: Started using Grammarly to help me write. It's a big helper, but I don't know if I completely trust it l:/

Just occurred to me that this deserves an explanation, as to where this comes from, and what it's leading up to. So basically: this takes place at the beginning of the XY&Z series, though Necrozma and the Ultra Beasts are making a special appearance (Stakataka and Blacephalon, too). Necrozma is mentioned, though unheard of because no one's seen him for centuries. But before all this happened, Necrozma was widely known. Necrozma was respected as the Being of the Starr (Solgaleo=Sunne, Lunala=Moone; don't try to correct the spelling), and revered among the Legendaries. The explanation is as follows, though in the form of a legend:

Necrozma was respected as the Being of the Starr (Solgaleo=Sunne, Lunala=Moone; don't try to correct the spelling), and revered among the Legendaries. He was wise and kind, respecting everything around him as they respected him.

Suddenly, a race of creatures that could only be described as aliens arrived in their home dimension. The Ultra Beasts showed up unexpectedly, surprising humans and Pokemon alike. The Legendaries held a council to see what they would do with them. All voted to shun them away, and keep them where they wouldn't hurt anyone else. Necrozma, however, had compassion on them, seeing them as crude and misshapen like he was, but still worthy of honor, and requested to care for them. He was denied this and grew bitter.

And so he resolved to care for them in secret, stealing light bit by bit from their world to teach and guide them, so they could understand. The Legendaries didn't suspect anything until Zygarde happened to notice the world dimming with each passing day. Upon asking the Legends of Light, he discovered that someone had taken their light and hidden it. When he hunted for the thief, he discovered it was no other than Necrozma, taking the light to a hidden realm, where the Beasts were kept from them.

And so Zygarde brought the Being of the Starr before the Council of the Legendaries, accused as "The Light Thief." The UB's were exposed, much to the Council's horror and Necrozma's chagrin. What alarmed them further was that the Beasts were stronger than Pokemon, stronger than even them. And Necrozma was stripped of his glory, reduced to a myth because of his crimes. Wiped from existence...

...because he showed mercy.

Let me know how I did; any review is appreciated. Like it? Leave a like and/or follow! Love it? Leave a like and/or follow! Hate it? Well, you are free to leave anytime, but leave a review saying what I did wrong. Ciao!