"What did I say about not returning to a burning building? You could have gotten hurt! And what if we needed to rescue you, too? You should have stayed safe with Shiina."

Mimi had always wanted an older sister, and with her grace and worrying, Primeval was like the perfect big sister for her. She hugged the older girl. "I love you, too, Val."

"What type of heroes are we?" Jun muttered, picking out the sticky substance from his clothes. "Protect Alola from the Tapu—yeah right, we eliminated Alola's best defense against the ultra beasts. We couldn't even protect one Alolan from getting kidnapped, never mind an entire island pervaded by instability and plagued with miserable cold. We haven't seen the sun in over eight years."

He sniffled like a sad child. Sin and Val looked annoyed, Sin's stripes stretching as he flexed his muscles. Gladion walked a little away, with a sideways glance at the priestesses who were already making plans to renovate their home. Haixing was with them as their secretary so Reena could succeed Demyse as a huntress. "We can still save Kalai and protect Alola." Gladion turned back to them, and Mimi marveled at how someone could look Aether and Alolan and ultra all at once. "We don't need to be heroes, Juniper. We just need to do what's right, and do it to the best of our abilities."

Jun smiled. "That's what I believe a hero is."

"Then you're already the perfect hero." Gladion grinned as he unzipped a pocket at his sleeve and pulled out a sleek smartphone. "And I know the perfect person to help us."

"The Skulls?!" Sin exclaimed as the notorious fairy hunters surrounded the five friends.

Mimi reached for her dao out of instinct, but Gladion put a hand over hers to stop her. It wouldn't have mattered, anyway; her dao was broken, one end lost in the fire and the other stuck with Tzwol. "It's been over a year since I spoke with them, but these people are like my brothers and sisters. Life as a cursed heir was lonely and tense, but Guzma and Pluma gave me a second home." He pointed at a gangly teenager around Mimi's age. "Where's your boss? If you delivered my message, Guzma should be here by now."

"Big Brother Guzma is fast when he chooses to be," the Skull retorted, "and right now, he's on a date with Pluma."

"This is an emergency! Tell him it's Gladion."

"He knows," another Skull said, her cold voice sending chills down Mimi's spine. "He also knows you abandoned us after defeating the Tapu."

"What's the point of hunting fairies now that the Tapu are gone?"

Mimi's heart ached. "You were a fairy hunter?"

"I was a Skull."

"He killed them like the rest of us!" the first Skull declared. "It's part of initiation."

Gladion's pale-green eyes seemed to plead with Mimi. "I'll explain later, I promise."

"No." Mimi wanted to rip off her mask and haunt every person here. "My father is a fairy. For all I know, you and your gang of thugs could have caught him. I always dreamed of reuniting with my brother and father. I accomplished half of that dream, and I hoped Kalai and I would go on a journey together when the mess with the ultra beasts is over, but now he's gone and maybe so is my father!"

"Mirami," Gladion's soothing voice reached her over the Skulls' chatter and Sin and Val's urgent whispers. "We'll save your brother, I promise. And I have records of every fairy the Skulls have targeted. We'll go over them together after..."

"You mentioned ultra beasts!" a Skull shouted. "We hail the ultra beasts!"

"I am like an ultra beast, child of diamonds," announced an older, gruff voice. Guzma was a few years older than the champions but his hair was already whitening from the tips. A gaudy skull hung from his neck. "I have an ultra power, and I will raise my people when those with darker powers conquer Alola. Will you stand with us?"

Guzma glared at Jun, who mouthed, What?

"Or will you stand against us?"

Gladion's fingers twitched towards the hilt of his shortsword, and this time, Mimi placed her hand over his to stop him. He blinked at her and then turned back to Guzma. "I want to be your ally, Guzma, but not for the side you're on now."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're not an Aether scientist, but you have more street knowledge than anyone else on Alola." Guzma scoffed, and Gladion continued, "The ultra beasts took our friend and are holding him in their realm. My mother can open a portal to the ultra realm—she did it before to capture Nihil—but without the Tapu, we don't stand a chance against the ultra beasts, especially when they have a hostage. But you know someone who can help us. I can tell from your eyes."

Guzma's dark eyes only looked shifty to Mimi. She couldn't read his expression, but she trusted Gladion. What other choice was there? As much as she wanted to rescue Kalai, she didn't want to push the champions into a suicide mission.

"So I know someone," Guzma admitted. "I expect something in return."

"Diamonds?"

"Your loyalty."

Gladion hesitated, and Jun spoke up. "Would you trust Gladion if he pledges his loyalty to you? He already abandoned you once, what's stopping him from leaving again? This is a matter that should be settled in battle. If Gladion wins, then you give us all the information you know about whomever can help us. If you win, then I'll vouch for my friend's allegiance to the Skulls."

Guzma spat out a wad of tobacco, making Mimi wrinkle her nose in repulsion. She wished she could take off her mask to show Guzma how disgusted she was, but the satisfaction would only last for a second before he'd die. "You're staking your life, Juniper."

"I know."

Gladion looked at the plant type champion. "Why are you doing this?"

"I don't know you as well as I should, given that we've worked together for a year," Jun confessed, "but I know you won't lose."

"Good enough." Gladion unsheathed his shortsword. Val pulled Mimi toward her and Sin as they stood with Jun and the Skulls to form a ring around Gladion and Guzma.

The Skulls' boss glared at the surrounding crowd. "Anyone who interferes gets Pluma's poison whip. I'll ask her to take your fingers first so it takes longer for you to die." After relishing the Skulls' frightened nods, he invited Gladion to make the first move.

Gladion didn't even have time to raise his shortsword before Guzma lunged at him with formidable speed. The slower fighter flew to the edge of the ring and skidded on his elbows before rolling back upright.

"You said he could have the first move!" Sin shouted.

"That's up to him," Guzma said with a chuckle. He waved his fingers around to collect snowflakes and freeze them into sharp points. Gladion pointed at his opponent's hand, and the tiny ice needles shattered like mini fireworks—Mimi supposed they'd be called iceworks. "Aww."

Guzma raised his leg to block Gladion's sword. The Skull boss's black-and-white boot clanked like steel. Fists connected, and the men hissed in pain. They kept up with each other, and more iceworks surrounded their fighting. Mimi was proud of Gladion for standing against someone with ultra powers on his own.

Gladion yelled in shock when a puddle of water trapped his foot. Guzma lifted his right hand, and a long spear of ice materialized in his grip. The younger fighter thrust his shortsword into the ground and struggled to free himself, and Guzma lunged, victory secure.

Gladion ducked and pried his sword out of the ground to trip Guzma, who flew over his head and landed on his face in the snow. His ice spear shattered. A fragment struck Mimi's mask, and Sin cried out, "One got in my eye!"

Gladion held his sword at the nape of Guzma's neck. "Tell us what you know."

"It's not about what I know," Guzma growled. "It's what your father knows, stupid heir. Has he been gone for so long that you forgot he existed? Or that he's a scientist with as much merit as his wife? Slasher Null created the jewel of Alola using metal with memories of life above ground from up to five hundred years ago. That metal is called soulheart, which your father imbued with life energy. The mechanical life that resulted is named Alila."