The sun kissed the horizon as Luna and her friends grew closer to the massive, ancient-looking pyramid at the end of the Vast Poni Canyon. Her feet were throbbing as she finished off a bottle of water. She stole a glance at Gladion, who had walked by her side all day. Sweat soaked his brow, even though he had ditched his signature hoodie for a plain black tee hours ago. Luna reached into her bag and grabbed another bottle of water, handing it to her companion.
"Thanks, Luna." He downed half the bottle in a single sip. "I didn't realize I was so out of shape."
Thoughts raced through Luna's mind, most of which she would never have the guts to say out loud. You're definitely not out of shape. You look amazing. You're gorgeous. If you're still hot, you could always take that shirt off...
She shook the thoughts from her head, grateful that her cheeks were red from the sun so he couldn't see her blush. Gladion had been sweet to her throughout the entire day. Though there were long stretches of silence between them, it was comfortable quietness. Luna occasionally lost herself in thought, wondering if her mother had arrived in Celadon City and hoping her father was doing well. Gladion read her expressions like a book.
"You okay?" he had asked several times. Luna would nod and smile, repeating her mantra. Dad is fine. Mom is there. Focus on your friends.
She thought back to their multi-battle an hour earlier. Gladion had used his Riolu in conjunction with Luna's Snorlax. The pair complimented each other quite well and covered each other's weaknesses. Gladion's battle strategy was very similar to her own, and they worked smoothly as a team. It made Luna's heart soar.
"So where did you get a Riolu? You couldn't have caught it here in Alola," she asked.
"He was a gift. My Aunt Cynthia sent him to me several years ago. I never really had a good place on my team for him until recently. He's turned out to be pretty useful so far."
Luna froze. "Cynthia? And you're from Sinnoh? You don't mean the league champion Cynthia, do you?"
A proud smile graced his face. "Yep, that's the one. She's my dad's sister. Pretty smart lady, if I say so myself."
She shook her head in disbelief. "That's amazing! She's one of my role models! Her Garchomp is one of the most terrifyingly powerful Pokemon I have ever seen. I love a chick who can kick some serious butt!"
Gladion chuckled. "Yeah, she's pretty cool. She's a bit of a bookworm to be honest. I always remember her having some sort of personal research project going on. She may have even been what inspired my parents to start researching on their own. Not sure if that's a good thing, though."
The tall blond fell silent, looking pensively towards Lillie and chewing on his lip.
The foreboding staircase of the pyramid came into view at the end of the trail. The stone it was constructed of was ancient and crawling with vines and moss. The edges were smooth from eons of erosion, and some hunks of stone were missing altogether. Luna followed the stairs with her eyes, knowing they were in for a serious workout to reach the top.
"Well, here we are. The Altar of the Moone," Hapu said as she dismounted her Mudsdale.
"Wow," Lillie marveled as she examined the structure. "It feels like we stepped back in time."
"Pretty spectacular, right?" Hapu asked proudly.
"Looks like a long way up there," Luna said, sweating all over again just thinking about it.
"This is finally it though. We're going to get Mom back," Lillie said to her brother. He nodded, still deep in thought.
"Let's take a break before we head up," he said. "Who knows what will happen when we get up there. Let's make sure we are well prepared."
"Good idea," Lillie agreed as she sat at the base of the stairs. "I guess I'm a little more tired than I realized anyway." Luna and Gladion joined her.
Hapu ruffled Mudsdale's mane. "I'm going to take Mudsdale down to the river for a drink. I'll stay close by until you are all ready to head back. I promise I won't leave you high and dry."
Lillie nodded. "Thank you for guiding us here, Hapu. I don't know what we would have done without you!"
"No sweat, Princess! Don't hesitate to come find me if you need me again." Hapu walked with her Pokemon back towards the main canyon and out of sight.
As the trio relaxed and enjoyed a small snack, Lillie noticed Gladion was still in distant thought.
"Something wrong, Bub?" she asked.
He took a deep breath. "I've just been thinking. Lil, if we go over to Ultra Space..." he trailed off, hesitant to speak. "Do you think... We might find Dad?"
Lillie's head whipped to stare at her brother.
"What? Dad? But... That was so long ago, Glady. Do you really think he could be alive somewhere in Ultra Space?" she asked, unsure of what he might say.
Gladion huffed in frustration and leaned onto his knees. "I don't even know. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. But I just couldn't help but entertain the thought. It's a whole different dimension, so it could be possible."
Lillie was visibly flustered. "I... I don't even know what to say. I never even thought of the possibility that Dad was in Ultra Space. I just thought he... Disappeared. I honestly don't even remember much about him. I was so young," she finished sadly.
"I remember him perfectly. And I know he wouldn't just disappear or leave us on purpose. I think they accidentally opened a wormhole and Dad somehow got sucked into it. It was so soon after that Mom started changing. I have to think Dad's accident was why." Gladion fidgeted with his hands, and he stared intensely at the technicolor evening sky.
"Glady, I... I wouldn't get your hopes up. Where did this even come from?" Lillie asked.
"I don't know. I just started thinking Aunt Cynthia, and how she inspired them to start their research, and it all just started nagging me at the back of my mind." He shook his head and rubbed his temples. "Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe it's just wishful thinking..."
The sky was quickly dimming as the sun sank behind the horizon. Brilliant orange and yellow began to fade to violet and indigo. The white outline of the moon could be seen peeking out from behind a cloud.
"It's getting late. We should head up," Gladion said, changing the subject.
Luna's mind swam with Gladion's words. Could their father have survived for so many years in another dimension? If Ultra Space was hospitable for the Ultra Beasts, could it support human life, too? Time was drawing near that they would find out.
Hundreds of stairs later, the trio stood at the pinnacle of the pyramid. The flat top of the ruin contained several statues with symbols matching those on the twin flutes. Carved into the stone ground were platforms and ancient ceremonial carvings. A massive disc stood on the face of the spire. A cool breeze blew over them, making Luna shiver.
"Whoa," Gladion breathed. "This is..."
"Amazing," Luna finished.
Lillie removed the two flutes from her backpack, as well as gem-form Nebby. She clutched the Pokemon tightly to her chest, closing her eyes.
"So who's going to play them?" Gladion asked.
Lillie propped Nebby up on her backpack and stood. "I'll play the Sun Flute. There's something about it... It feels like it belongs in my hands."
Luna turned to Gladion, expecting him to take the other.
"I think you should play the Moon Flute, Luna."
Her eyes grew large. "Me? But I'm just the innocent bystander in all this. It's you who deserves to play it."
He shook his head. "If it hadn't been for you, Lillie and I might never have found each other again. You're just as important to this little journey of ours as either of us. And I just have this... Feeling you should play it." His sparkling emerald eyes found Luna's and did not let go. Time seemed to stop as Gladion's eyes burned into her, and she began to swell with confidence.
"Okay."
As they approached the center of the altar, Luna saw two distinct square platforms on each side. She took the silver flute, and she and Lillie stood on either square as Gladion stood in the very center, watching carefully. The girls met eyes and raised the instruments to their lips.
An angelic sound emanated from each flute and they naturally harmonized. Luna held the note for as long as her breath would allow. Heavy silence followed as the three glanced at each other. Just as her hopes began to dwindle, the stones of the ruins began to rumble and glow.
The entire pyramid quaked as the massive stone disc above opened, revealing a glowing golden light. It grew brighter and brighter until a beam of power pierced the air and struck gem-Cosmog directly.
"Nebby!" Lillie cried.
An orb of light surrounded the Pokemon, growing larger by the second. It began to levitate high into the air, and Nebby continued to glow and absorb more light. A brilliant burst of light caused Luna to shield her eyes.
A melodic screech filled the entire canyon as an enormous and magnificent creature descended towards the center of the altar. Its broad, bat-like wings flapped gracefully, glittering in the twilight. It let out another beautiful cry as Lillie and Luna ran towards it.
"I can't believe it! Nebby!" Lillie shouted as the creature hovered just above the ground. She approached cautiously, and Nebby lowered its head to meet Lillie's. "Thank goodness you're safe."
"Lunala," Gladion said, stunned. "I never could have guessed that Cosmog was the legendary Pokemon."
"Me neither," Luna agreed, admiring Lunala's grand violet and gold wings as Lillie stroked its face.
"I never knew sounding the flutes would give you so much power. You've sure come a long way since you were that helpless little Cosmog!"
Lunala bunted its forehead against Lillie's.
"Can you help us, Nebby? We need to get to Ultra Space to find my mother," she said.
Lunala flapped its sparkling wings and flew high into the sky. It let out another piercing cry before mustering a beam of power at the center of the ruins. A split appeared glowing bright blue before it opened into an Ultra Wormhole.
"You ready?" Gladion asked the girls. They nodded in unison.
"Let's make sure we go together," Lillie said, grabbing her friend's hand. Luna extended her open hand to Gladion.
With the three linked by their hands, they strode confidently towards the wormhole. Lunala screeched and swooped down behind them, picking up the group and flying into another dimension.
Everything went black.