January 17, 2017

Rotom woke me up with an alarm I had programed into the dex. I sat up with a groan, ignoring its chirpy greeting. It took me a minute to figure out where I was and why I had woken up so early. I turned to my right to see if the racket had woken up Gladion. Somehow, he was still asleep, and the position he was in was absolutely adorable. He lay on his stomach and had his arm wrapped around Michio, who was snuggled up to his side.

I grinned. "Rotom, you have to take a picture of this."

"Sure thing!" Rotom said. It flew in front of Gladion and snapped a photo.

The flash caused Gladion to bolt upright. He looked around wildly, his hair sticking up in many places. Michio yawned and stretched while I rolled over on the bed laughing. Rotom proceeded to show Gladion the picture and then zipped into my bag before he could delete.

"What was that for?" Gladion growled.

It took a minute for my laughing to subside before I could speak. "You and Michio... you looked so cute!"

Gladion's eye twitched. "I am not cute."

This just made me laugh again. "Yes, you are! You were hugging a pink fairy Pokémon! I'm posting this one."

"Don't you dare!"

I hopped off the bed and made for the bathroom to get ready for the day. "Fine. I'll just show Lillie and Hau."

A half hour later, we stood on the docks. The sun had just made its way above the horizon. I stifled a yawn.

"So, we're waiting for Hau?" Gladion said.

I nodded. "He'll come." If he was who I thought he was, then he would come.

"Yeah, I guess so. He's a pretty interesting kid, I'll give you that. Growing up in the great kahuna's shadow and still trying to stand up to Hala as an equal? I couldn't do it."

"Everyone's got their own troubles to conquer, I guess." Someone approached us, but it was not Hau. I recognized the man from Po Town.

"Officer Nanu?" Gladion said.

"If only Team Skull could've just kept themselves and their troublemaking to Po Town," Nanu said. "Why'd they have to make all this fuss, huh?"

Gladion shrugged and looked away. Nanu must have visited Acerola after all, and she had to have told him what happened. So, what was he doing here?

Now he looked straight at me. "You there, girl. I'm an island kahuna, you know. Battle against me. It'll be a good experience for you if you're really hoping to master the island challenge."

He was a kahuna? That was a surprise. I glanced at Gladion, and he nodded. I looked back at Nanu and smiled. "Okay, I will." This was what I had been preparing for, after all.

Like expected, Nanu used dark type Pokémon. Since he was a fairy type, Michio managed to defeat his Sableye and deal a good amount of damage to his Krokorok. Yuki finished off the large scaly Pokémon but fell to the Alolan Persian. I chose Cuddles as my last Pokémon. Once again, the cute pink Pokémon proved quite strong and formidable. The battle was quite fun, and I found myself smiling at the end.

"Well, shoot," Nanu said after his loss. "Of course, I already knew you had the heart and the strength to storm Team Skull's stronghold, but I didn't know you were this good. And your Pokémon worked real hard for you." He then handed me the darkium z and showed me how to use it. "There. Congratulations or whatever. You've officially finished your Ula'ula trials. You've got somewhere else to be, don't you? Try not to destroy the whole place. Oh... And you, boy. Gladion. Tell me... If you're really trying to get stronger as you say, then what're you depending on Team Skull for?"

When Gladion did not respond, Nanu took his leave. I rocked back and forth on my heels, waiting for something to happen. "You know, I like him," I said. "He kind of reminds me of you."

Gladion stared at me blankly. "What are you talking about?"

"He demanded I battle him, he acts like he doesn't care about anything when he's really trying to do a lot of good in the world, and he's a lot tougher on the outside than the inside."

Gladion's eyes tightened at this. "If Hau doesn't get here in five minutes, we're leaving."

"Selene!"

I let out a breath of relief when I saw Hau racing towards us, his usual grin on his face. "Hey, Hau. Feeling better?"

"You bet! Sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I was just bummed out about what happened to Lillie." He turned to Gladion. "But where was Lillie taken? It couldn't be Po Town. Selene was there the whole time."

Gladion looked him up and down. "Hmph... So, you're not quite as dumb as you are naive. It'll be Aether Paradise."

"Aether Paradise?!" Hau exclaimed.

"Just go with it," I said. I understood why we were going there, but I did not know how much I could divulge.

Gladion led the way to a small ferry decorated with the Team Skull logo. I frowned. "We can't board that. I've recently made a career of defeating Team Skull. What will everyone think?"

Gladion gave me an unimpressed look. "Then you shouldn't be hanging out with me. Let's go."

Reluctantly, I got on the boat after the two boys. It was a small ferry with several seats and a roof. I could not see who was driving, but the boat started to move soon after we boarded. Hau and I sat next to each other up front while Gladion wandered into the back.

"So, what happened between you two?" Hau said while he swung his legs back and forth under his seat. "You seem different… again. Closer."

I frowned and shifted uncomfortably. "So? That's what happens when two people spend time together. We just talked." Why did I feel so guilty? I had done nothing wrong, and I regretted none of it. "He's a good guy, you know."

"Well, if he's Lillie's brother, he has to be."

He looked straight ahead so I could not read his expression. He sounded completely normal though. I dug through my mind for something else to say, but nothing came to me. Why had it been so easy to talk to Gladion yesterday but now I found it a struggle to talk to Hau? It was completely backwards.

I did wonder how he had come to change his mind about joining us, but then I decided he could broach the subject himself if he wanted to tell me. Then I remembered something. I dug through my bag and pulled out a paper bag. "Hey, I bought these last night. You can have one." I held out the bag to him, and his face lit up when he pulled out a malasada.

"Thanks, Selene! Let's eat them together."

I smiled slightly and took a malasada for myself. "Yeah." The sweet treat felt good, and I was glad to be doing something normal with my friend. I could not wait until the chaos was behind us and we could get back to what we were supposed to be doing.

"Do you think Lillie is doing alright?" Hau said in a soft voice.

"I'm sure she is," I said. "She's tougher than she looks, and she had to know what she was doing. Besides, I think they wanted to hurt her. They just want Nebby."

"That's true. She was very brave. I just-" He lowered his head, sadness glazing his eyes. "I hated feeling helpless, you know? I didn't know what to do."

"I know what you mean." I gently touched his arm, and he looked up at me, searching my face. "I was there when my brother was taken by the ocean..." I took a deep breath. "I won't let anything like that happen again. We will definitely rescue Lillie. And Nebby."

A small smile crossed Hau's face. "Yeah, we will. Thanks for reminding me, Selene. I'm sorry I said we didn't make a good team. With you there, I know we can do it."

I smiled back at him as a warm feeling filled me. It was great that our relationship was back to normal. Now we could focus on the business at hand. We would not lose to anyone!

We managed to pass the time with idle chatter. Soon enough, we arrived at Aether Paradise. The boat landed at the docks, and we all climbed out. The familiar white walls hurt my eyes, making me squint.

"Aether Paradise's harbor," Gladion said. "We made it this far without running into trouble, but I don't like how quiet it is. You two... stay alert."

I nodded. "Got it."

"But why would Lillie be here at Aether Paradise?" Hau said.

"She just will be," Gladion responded.

"Argh! This guy!" Hau shook his head, and I could not help but laugh. "Fine. So, what are we going to do?"

"Should we look for her?" I said.

Gladion seemed to think about it for a moment. "I guess...we take the elevator."

I blinked. "Alright then."

"You guess?" Hau said incredulously. He turned to me. "And we're following this guy?! He doesn't have any plan!"

"Oh, and you're the master of making plans before diving into something?" I said in a teasing tone. We raced after Gladion after he took of down the hall.

"I don't get what is going on here. Why would the Aether Foundation be attacking anybody?! And why don't you look surprised?"

"Gladion explained it to me on the way here," I said. "It's not our fault you chose to stay behind." When he did not respond, I wondered if I had been too harsh. My thoughts were interrupted by Aether Foundation employees who tried to stop us from proceeding. I had to battle a few of them before I finally reached the elevator where Gladion and Hau waited.

Gladion fiddled with the access panel, frowning. "Hmph. Just like I thought."

"What were you doing there?" Hau asked.

"Looks like outsiders can't use the main elevator to reach the lower levels. I was afraid this might happen. But still... What a pain. We don't have any choice. We'll have to go up." He pushed a button, and elevator moved up.

Upon arriving on the main floor, we came face to face with Chief Faba, flanked by Aether Foundation employees. I immediately glared at him, and sensing Gladion tense beside me, I knew my instincts on him were right.

"I, Faba, am the Aether Branch Chief," he said. "The only one in the world, I'm irreplaceable." He narrowed his eyes at me. "And here you come back...uninvited?"

"Like you don't know why," Gladion retorted. "You of all people should know everything that happens in the Aether Foundation. Isn't that right, high-and-mighty Branch Chief?"

Faba laughed. "Look at you... Living out in the world hasn't been kind, has it? But I'm still not telling you anything! And you of all people should understand why... Gladion."

Gladion turned to me. "Hey, Selene, you know why being a trainer is so great? Because when you're battling, it doesn't matter if you're a kid or an adult. Everyone's equal in Pokémon battle!"

I smiled and nodded. "Right!" So, I took on Faba. He only had a Hypno on him, and the psychic type was admittedly strong. Still, Sun and I worked together to bring him down.

Faba appeared absolutely flabbergasted that he had lost. "H-h-how can this be?! How could this child..."

"Aue, look at you, Selene!" Hau exclaimed. "And Faba is real strong, too!"

"So, as I said, Faba," said Gladion, "you of all people know what I'm here for."

"Indeed," said Faba. "The world truly hasn't been kind to you, has it? Look how hard it has made you. If you're looking for Cosmog, I suppose it might be downstairs."

"Downstairs?!" Hau exclaimed. "Oh yeah! Ms. Wicke did say there was another level farther down, didn't she? What do you do down there?!"

"Well, if you must know... I've heard experiments are held down there. Experiments aiming to tear the very boundaries of the world apart."

A sinking feeling hit my stomach, making me glad he did not elaborate.

Gladion fixed him in his steely gaze. "We're in a bit of a hurry, Faba. A lift would be nice."

Faba shrugged. "Why not? This is an act of kindness I can do for you thanks to my position as branch chief." He moved forward and punched something into the access panel.

I wondered if we should be trusting this guy, but then I realized we did not have much of a choice. Faba stepped off the elevator, and then it moved us down past the harbor. This floor was plain and white just like the others.

"Everything looks the same," Gladion said. "I guess it's only been two years, though."

"Wow! It's like a secret hideout!" Hau exclaimed.

Gladion frowned at him. "Don't get too excited, Hau. Though I guess it's better than freezing from fear or nerves."

"So, where do we go now?"

"There are two labs up ahead. I'll check the first lab, Secret Lab A. You two check out Secret Lab B. It's the second lab, down the hall."

"Why do you get the first one? And why do you know all this?"

"Just focus, Hau. Think you can do that? We can't trust Faba. I'm sure he's already told half the foundation all about us."

"You didn't even answer my question. I know what it's gotta be. Nerves, eh? I reckon that you're more afraid to be here than either one of us, huh, Gladion?"

"You've got that one right," I said under my breath. Gladion just shook his head and darted off.

Hau turned to me. "Lillie must be scared right now. Let's buckle down and do this!"

I nodded. "Right!"

As soon as we started for the hallway, more Aether workers swarmed us. I lost sight of Hau in all of the commotion. By the time I approached the labs, I found myself alone. I watched Gladion exit Secret Lab A, and my curiosity got the best of me. I jogged over to meet him. "Hey."

Gladion frowned. "It's not here. Don't even think about getting in here."

"Why? What's in there?"

Gladion took a minute to respond, and when he did, there was a distant look in his eyes. "Me and Null... We're more alike than we might look. We're both what we were made to be... I was like an ornament to my mother. Wearing whatever she told me to wear, acting however she wanted me to act... Null was crafted just as carefully. He was made just to battle the beasts. In this room...right here..."

I could hear the pain in his voice, and I hated it. I wanted to do something - anything - to help ease it. Acting on instinct, I moved forward and wrapped my arms around him. Admittedly, I was surprised when he hugged me back. I could feel his emotions through his grip. Being back here must have brought back painful memories. I needed him to know he was not alone.

Once I let go, Gladion cleared his throat and looked away. "Thanks," he said. "Just leave the room alone and go check out the other lab."

I nodded wordlessly. Then I turned on my heals and sped down the hallway. Hau had just reached the door of the second lab. He held it open for me, and we both slipped inside. We immediately ran into a couple of employees, so we battled them together with our Pokémon. After defeating them, the employees fled.

We split up to look for clues. We appeared to be in an ordinary lab, but I did check the books lying around. Then I found something scrawled on a paper at the desk. "Hey, Hau, listen to this," I said. "'Aether Report: Cosmog. Cosmog is hypothesized to be a type of ultra beast that hails from another dimension. A dimension that we have named Ultra Space. When placed under sufficient stress, it reveals the power to create and open ultra wormholes in order to escape from its suffering. We are now working on a device that will allow us to manipulate the ultra wormholes created when Cosmog is subjected to extreme stress...'"

"Wait, so Cosmog might be an ultra beast?" Hau said incredulously. "We should tell Gladion about this!" He immediately dashed out of the lab.

"Wait for me!" I called, but he was already gone. I sighed and exited the room. I felt worn out by the time I reached Gladion and Hau. This was really turning into a workout.

"Did you find anything?" Gladion said.

"We learned a bit about Cosmog!" said Hay. "Like, it might be an ultra beast or whatever... and if you stress it a lot, it can create ultra wormholes! Maybe to run away or something?"

"If you stress it... If you hurt it - is that what you mean? Was that why she ran away with it?"

"Probably," I said. "She cared enough for him to name him."

"But we didn't find any sign of him down here," Hau said.

Gladion nodded. "Yeah... Faba probably knew this would be a dead end. Darn... Did he outsmart us?"

"We didn't really have a choice," I said. "So, what now?"

"We continue looking." With that, he took off running again.

"Gladion never really explains anything, eh?" Hau said. "Probably thinks it makes him look cool. Should we go after him?"

"Definitely," I said. "We have to."

He gave me a slight smile. "Yeah, we all got into this together. Might as well see it to the end together!"

So, the two of us took off after the older boy. We found him waiting for us at the elevator. Once again, upon arriving on the main floor, we ran into Faba and two employees. This was really getting old. Faba sent the other two after us, so Hau and I battled together.

"Ridiculous," Faba muttered after our victory. "Have the children of Alola always been this strong?"

"That's what you get when you go through the trials of the island challenge," Gladion said. "Now that you understand, how about you get out of our way?"

Faba appeared to not want to argue, so he let us pass.

After walking a few feet, Gladion stopped and turned to face Hau and me. "You know... I know we aren't friends, but I'm glad you two are here. I remember what you said at Battle Royal Dome that day, Hau. About how people can achieve more if they do something together. Looks like maybe you were right."

Hau beamed. "Of course, I was right!"

"Working as a team lets you cover for each other's weakness," I said. "Trust me; it took me awhile to learn that too."

Just then, Ms. Wicke approached us, smiling at Gladion. "Young master."

Hau looked startled by the greeting. "What do you mean 'young master?'"

"It has been a long time," Wicke said, ignoring the question. "And hello to you two, Selene and Hau. Please allow me to heal your Pokémon." She took out some potions from her purse to assist us.

"What's happened to Lillie?" Gladion said. I noted that his tone had softened ever so slightly. "Do you know anything?"

"I... imagine that she is with the president."

"Then that's where I'm going. That's all I need to know."

"The president?" said Hau. "That's Miss Lusamine, right? She's a really nice person, so I'm sure she'll listen to us if we explain everything."

Gladion and I exchanged a look. "Yeah, she's real nice," he said, "as long as you mean nothing to her."

"But I'm afraid the doors have been locked," Wicke said.

"That's not stopping me." He turned and dashed off in the opposite direction, and Hau was soon on his heels.

I sighed as my eyes followed their retreating backs. "Those boys are going to wear me out."

"Selene," Wicke said. I turned to her. "Please look after young Master Gladion. When he is worked up about something, he doesn't consider the consequences. Even going so far as stealing Pokémon... Those two truly are very much alike."

There was a hint of fondness in her voice that made me smile. It seemed that Gladion and Lillie did have someone here who cared about them after all. It made me happy. "You can count on me."

She smiled. "Good luck."

I nodded. Having caught my breath, I was able to run after my two companions. I found them standing outside a large door, stopped once again by Faba and some employees. Didn't this guy ever give up?

"My, my, what naughty children," he said. "You should just lay your heavy heads down. But I knew that you would struggle onward - I could see through every action you would take. So, I knew you would try to reach the president. And that is why I knew that I would be able to ambush you here and remedy my previous failure. The only reason I let you in the lower floor was to buy time to gather more staff to stop you."

"So, uh, Mr. Faba, do you have the key to the president's rooms?" Hau asked.

"Indeed! I have it right here." He held up a key.

He grinned. "So... if you'd just stayed hidden, we would've been stuck here anyway, right?"

I laughed. "Great point, Hau!"

Faba appeared horrified. "What?! E-enough, you lot! Teach these children a lesson!"

"We don't have time for this," Gladion said as the two Aether employees stepped forward. "Help me out here, Selene."

It surprised me that he asked me for help, but I was happy to oblige. He took quite well to the double battle style for someone who was used to going it alone. He did appear surprised that I would have my Pokémon take hits for his own, but later on he did the same for me. Despite the circumstances, I smiled at the end. "Good job," I said. He merely nodded, though he seemed to be in a slightly better mood.

"H-h-h-how can this be?" Faba wailed. "To be cornered by mere children?!"

"Maybe helping one another out isn't so bad," Gladion said. "Selene! Hau! I leave Faba to you!"

I nodded. "You got it!"

So Hau and I battled for Lillie and Nebby. We worked quite well as a team, and I was impressed with the skill of Hau's Pokémon. He got right down to business without losing his natural flare. It was almost enjoyable.

"You were great," I said once we had won. "You're getting a lot stronger."

Hau grinned. "Thanks, Selene!" He turned to Faba. "I wanna help save Lillie, so I'm going ahead! You don't mind, right?!" He grabbed the key from him and opened the door. "Thanks for the key, Mr. Faba!"

I chuckled to myself. It was amazing he could still keep his positive attitude after all that had happened. And while being serious too. Gladion and I followed him through the doors and came upon a courtyard littered with Team Skull Grunts! At the end of the path that lay in front of us, I could make out their boss, Guzma. Gladion headed straight for him, leaving Hau and me to battle the grunts.

Finally, I made it all the way up to Guzma just to watch him finish off Gladion in a battle. Shocked, I ran to the boy's side to see if he was alright. He had fallen to his knees and appeared absolutely crushed.

"So, I'm still not strong enough," he muttered more to himself than to me. "All the days that I struggled alone and lonely... it was all for nothing? Is that it?"

"No, Gladion," I said firmly. "It was not for nothing. You met Hau and me, and we're all stronger together than we're apart. You can only go so far on your own. And you have to battle for something, not against something. You're letting your anger control you too much. Emotions are good, but let the positive ones drive you. You can start by fighting for Lillie." While he looked at me in surprise, I turned a cold glare on Guzma.

The Team Skull boss grinned at me. "I did that spoiled little brat a favor and crushed him. Yeah, that was me." He looked at Gladion. "Y'know, I kinda liked you, kid. Leaving home like that and wanting to get stronger and stronger. You had some real guts. Going so far as coming over to Team Skull. And rejecting your own mother?! That was impressive." He returned his gaze to me. "And now it's your turn! You little misfits keep getting up in my grill, like a cloud of smoke that I can't brush away. It's time I put out your fire at the source!"

I grabbed a Pokeball. "Bring it on!"

He battled hard. I had to use all of my Pokémon against him, and they were all tired from the previous battles. Finally, it was my Sun against his Pinsir. The bug type Pokémon proved to be surprisingly strong, and he had Sun on his knees, panting heavily.

"Sun!" I call out to him. "You've got to keep going. Please! For me... and Lillie and Nebby." I noticed Gladion watching me intently, and his eyes told me he wondered what good my encouragement would do. I pressed my finger against my z-ring. "Let's do this!"

The Incineroar gave me a small nod. Renewed energy seemed to flow through him as he was wrapped in the z-power. Then he raced forward and used his special z-move, knocking out Guzma's last Pokémon. I smiled in relief. That had been a close one.

The boss appeared horrified at his defeat once again. "Guzma! What is wrong with you?!"

"You don't battle for anything noble," I spat. "At least Gladion's got that. He's a way better person than you'll ever be."

Guzma glared at me. "Looks like I got no choice." He opened the door behind him and stepped aside. "Go on... go through."

I turned to Gladion. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Please...help Lillie... and save Cosmog! I'll be right behind you. I'll make sure Hau gets there."

"Right. You can count on me." I raced through the doors and headed straight for the mansion up ahead. I walked through the entryway and made it through to the next room. There I found Lusamine and Lillie, appearing to be in the middle of a heated argument.

"Lillie!" I cried.

"Ah, Selene," said Lusamine. "It's been a while since we last saw you."

Lillie stared at me in shock. "Wha-! Y...you came? You actually came to help me, Selene?"

I smiled at her. "Of course I did. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Thank you... Thank you! But how would you know I would be here?"

I glanced at the door behind me. No Hau or Gladion. "I had some help."

Lusamine eyed us curiously. "Hmm. So, you know one another? A gifted young trainer like Selene... And she bothers with someone like you? How disappointing."

"I don't need your approval, mother!" Lillie said. "Or your permission! I will save Cosmog!"

"My... You do say such incomprehensible things. Calling me mother? I don't have any children! Certainly not any wretched children who would run off and reject my love!"

I glared at her. "Don't say things like that. It's your fault they left. Both of them are amazing!"

"Both?" Lillie said in surprise. "Selene, did you come here with-?"

I nodded and then glanced at the door again. "Shouldn't be long now."

The president pursed her lips. "So, tell me how you'll save that Pokémon. What can you do, Lillie? You failed to convince me to listen to you. You don't even have the strength of a trainer. The only thing that you've ever done on your own is steal someone else's research material! You're not beautiful enough for my world... but fine. Since you're here anyway, you can watch me summon my sweet beast. And then... you can leave."

Lillie shook her head. "I'm not being foolish or selfish... I am asking you to listen, Mother! Do not sacrifice Cosmog for that beast's sake! If you open the ultra wormhole, Cosmog will... Cosmog will die!"

"You're right... it probably will die. Because I'm going to force it to use its power whether it wants to or not! Maybe if you really had been a daughter to me, I would have listened to you... Too bad."

Lillie turned to me. "Selene... I really am happy that you came after me... but...but...I have to be selfish again... I have to ask you one more time... Please... Help me! Help Nebby! We have to save Nebby!"

I nodded. "Of course!" I watched as Lusamine stepped on a warp panel and disappeared. I ran forward and followed her into another room. A few seconds later, Lillie popped up next to me.

"Wh-what is this place...?" Lillie said in shock.

I shared her horror. All over the room Pokémon had been captured, froze, and preserved in clear cases. Clearly, they were no longer alive. I felt sick to my stomach. "This is horrible..." What kind of woman was she? Either she was quite twisted or stark raving mad.

"What do you think?" Lusamine said with a wicked grin. "It's my private collection. My precious babies... They will all be preserved for eternity here. But my poor beast... What confusion, what rage must it feel, arriving in this strange world? It would not be right to confine its feelings in such a small case as these ones... It will need to express itself. I think I will let it express all its fury upon the Alola region as it will!"

Just then, Hau popped up from the portal behind us, followed by Gladion. "Whoa!" Hau exclaimed. His mouth fell open in shock as he took in his surroundings. "Whoa-ho! And Lillie! Man, I'm so glad to see you're okay."

"Ah, sweet Hau," Lusamine said. "So, you came, too? Hmph. And Gladion. Must you be so untidy?"

"Will you listen to me at least?" Gladion said. "You mustn't open the ultra wormhole. You cannot let the beasts run wild!"

The president frowned. "The daughter who stole my Cosmog from me and the son who took my Type: Null! All I ever did was give you two all the love I had, and all you did was betray me. You have no right to ask for my attention now."

Hau looked back and forth. "What? Daughter? Son?" Stunned silence preceded his outcry. "Wait! You all are a family?!"

"Perhaps once we were, sweet Hau," Lusamine said, "but those wretches beside you left me."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Gee, I wonder why."

Lusamine shook her head. "It doesn't matter now. None of that matters now! I was able to open the ultra wormhole using just the gases we'd extracted from Cosmog when it was in Aether Paradise, wasn't I? But now I have Cosmog itself inside this crate here." She gestured to the crate at her feet. "If I use its entire body, how many ultra wormholes will I be able to open? How many sweet beasts will come to me then?"

"Please," Lillie said in desperation. "Stop. If Nebby isn't- If you make him use up too much of his power... you don't understand what will happen! Like when we ran away from the Paradise... he couldn't even move for ages after that... If you use too much of his power, he will die!"

As Lusamine stared coldly at us, her daughter's words did not seem to even reach her. "Watch... I will open the Ultra Wormhole for you... Come to me, my sweet beast!"

There was a loud noise, and then an ultra wormhole opened up above her, from which emerged the jellyfish-like ultra beast I had seen at my last visit to Aether Paradise. I immediately tensed. This was definitely not something that should be messed with. The president gloated that wormholes had opened up all over Alola and ultra beasts were going to terrorize the whole region. What the heck was wrong with her? Did she revel in destruction?

Guzma popped into the room, a creepy grin on his face. "Madam Prez," he said, "the experiment was a success, huh? Looks like it's time to catch this wicked ultra beast to beat down these annoying upstarts!"

Lusamine nodded. "You're right. Guzma, quiet those children for me. I don't want to hear from them again."

"I'll stop the beast!" Gladion proclaimed. "My partner Null was born to be a beast killer. Hau, you take Guzma. Selene, stop the president. If we don't, Alola will be flooded with beasts!"

"Right!" I said, reaching for a Pokeball.

Lusamine shook her head. "What a disappointment. To think that you are all so small-minded." She fixed her steely eyes on me. "You're going to startle my sweet beast! Selene, it looks like I'll need to silence you first."

So, we battled. I was glad my Pokémon had a short break, for this was a tough one. The president had a pretty well-rounded team, and I had to use all my Pokémon to defeat her. The battle left me tired and weary, but I felt a little lighter upon seeing that Hau and Gladion were also victorious.

Lusamine stomped her foot and growled in frustration. "All that I want is my precious beast! I don't care about any of the rest of you!" She turned around. "No! The ultra wormhole is disappearing." Then she looked at her partner and smirked. "Guzma. With me."

Guzma grinned. "Yes, ma'am." He ran to stand beside her underneath the wormhole.

"We will catch the beast using the beast ball that we've developed here."

"Mother!" Lillie cried just as the two adults were sucked up into the wormhole after the beast, causing me to gasp. Her shoulder drooped, and she sighed. "Why?!" She darted to the crate and ripped the cover off. "Nebby... are you...all right? N-Nebby..."

"What is it?" Gladion said in a gentle tone.

"He changed forms... and he's not moving..." She moved so we could see the Pokémon. Indeed, he looked more solid and put together now. I wondered about the cause.

"Come on. Let's get out of here. Nothing good can happen here." Gladion turned and led the way out of the room.

Ms. Wicke was there to greet us at the main entryway of the mansion. "You are all unharmed," she said. "Oh, thank goodness."

"Yeah, maybe," said Gladion, "but there is still a ton we have to do. There's the president and Guzma, who both disappeared into the ultra wormhole. Not to mention Cosmog and why he stopped moving like that. Even if she is...like that, Lusamine is still our mother. We can't just leave her in the beast's world. We might be able to reach other worlds if we had Alola's legendary Pokémon on our side. The people of Alola worship it, but I don't know if it's even real."

"Of course it is!" Hau exclaimed. "After all, the beasts are real. I'm sure we can find it. We'll find the legendary Pokémon!"

I smiled and nodded. "You're right, Hau. We'll make sure everything works out." I had to admit, I was surprised that Gladion wanted to help his mother after all he had been through. He really did have a good heart.

"I have to thank you both," Lillie said. "Both you, Selene, and you, Hau. But now it's my turn to do something. I took Nebby and ran away with him, but running away didn't actually change anything. This time I have to stand up to my mother and face her head on! I will give it everything I have. find my own kind of z-power!" She imitated a made-up z-move, and I cracked a smile. She had a great attitude.

"Lillie, you're amazing," Hau said, smiling at her fondly.

"Miss Lillie, if you and your friends would like to get some rest first, I have prepared a few beds in the staff's residential quarters," Wicke said.

"We'll take you up on that," Gladion said.

Hau nodded. "Yeah, I'm beat!"

I had not realized how late it had gotten. We must have been there for hours. My stomach growled loudly, and everyone looked at me. I blushed. Hau and Lillie laughed.

"I'll prepare a meal as well," Wicke said, suppressing a chuckle.

I smiled sheepishly. All of that battling had left me starving! I was grateful when Wicke led me to a room for the night. It was very spacious with a large white bed in the center. The Foundation must have a lot of money. I relaxed in the bed and pulled out my journal. What a day!

Selene