The earlier incident came to a close. The Shadow Drapion had been captured by the Ultra Guardians for safe keeping, and the Team Rocket members who appeared vanished. Right now, Ash and his friends were sitting in a helicopter that was heading to the Aether Paradise. Gladion was joining them since he also wanted answer on what just happened. It was a bit of a silent ride and Takeba could not stand this tension. "…So, is everyone all right?" She broke the ice. Someone had to.
"We're fine!" Ash said. "Thanks to you guys coming in at the right time."
"Yeah, we were really in a bind back there." Lana admitted. Her attention then turned to Moon and Lillie. "But are you two okay?" The two girls sustained some injury in their escape battle against the Shadow Drapion.
"I'm okay." Lillie said with a soft nod. Her dress had some dirt and tears in it, and her skin had some bruises and cuts, but she was ultimately all right. The same could be said for Moon, at least physically. "Snowy and Pichu put up a hard fight to protect us and I'm proud of them." But she did wish that she was stronger.
"I'm fine." Moon responded. "I'm just glad we were able to hold it off for so long."
"Those events were certainly not how I expected the day to pan out." Grace let out a sigh. She then glanced at Takeba, who was admiring her new Z-ring. "I cannot believe you stole that."
"Seriously, what the heck?" Elizabeth was staring at the pinkette judgmentally. "I know you wanted a Z-ring, but…"
"What's the problem?" Takeba lifted a brow as everyone in the helicopter stared at her judgmentally.
"You're a thief." Elizabeth said, then turning to Marcus. "Your girlfriend is a thief."
"Well…" Marcus rubbed the back of his head. They weren't wrong but did they have to say it like that. "I'm sure she did it for good reason!"
"Of course!" Takeba said. "It was clearly dangerous in their possession, so I had to snatch it away from them."
"That logic still makes you a thief-roto!" Rotom said, putting this into his database for whatever reason. "100%!"
"You can't argue with numbers." Sophocles added.
"It's not wrong." Gladion remarked quietly.
"Gah!" Takeba huffed. "What's the big deal? It's just a Z-ring!"
"You have to be careful with that!" Kiawe exclaimed suddenly, catching everyone off guard with how passionate he became about it. "A Z-ring is an integral piece of Alolan culture! You can't wield it and expect to get results with it!" Kiawe was so passionate, there were flames blazing around his body! Anyone who knew Kiawe knew that when it came to this topic, he could get a little scary with how much he was into it.
"I know that! I was reading about it!" Takeba responded. "I stole this for good reason. It's dangerous in the wrong hands."
"I'd rather it be in a friend's hands than not." Mallow smiled. "I'm sure it'll be in good hands with her."
"…You're right." Kiawe settled down. "Just make sure you see an Island Kahuna first. They have to test that you're capable of using it."
"Okay!" Takeba smiled.
This talk about Z rings made Moon stare at her own. Her mind flashed back to when Gigavolt Havoc failed. That failure almost cost her and Lillie serious injury. "It was up to me to stop it…but I wasn't able to…" She thought to herself.
"…Are you okay?" Lillie's voice held concern for Moon.
"…I just…wish I didn't mess up…" Moon mumbled. "That Pokémon…what was that? I don't remember a lot of things, but I would remember seeing a Drapion so aggressive."
"I have no data of a Drapion being that violent-roto." Rotom floated around.
Ash was the one who caught the Drapion after it had been defeated. It was resting within a standard Pokeball supplied by the Aether Foundation. "It…was probably a Shadow Pokémon."
"I knew it." Elizabeth's gaze narrowed.
"A…what?" Lana tilted her head. "I've never heard of that kind of Pokémon."
"It's a long story." Scott crossed his arms, keeping his eyes closed as the events in Kalos replayed in his mind. "We'll tell you as soon as we meet with the President of Aether. That would be your mother, wouldn't it?" One eye opened, staring at Gladion and Lillie.
"That's right." Gladion responded. "She may be able to help with your friend over here." The boy gestured at Moon.
"We're friends, too, right?" Moon turned to Gladion, a little more hopeful than she should've been for what was coming next.
"I…" Gladion's response was about to be cold, but then he turned to Lillie. She had informed him beforehand of the situation regarding Moon's memory and potential home. It would certainly cause a stir if her best friend's brother didn't remember her. It was best to avoid any awkward scenarios until they met Lusamine. "…We're not enemies." Was his immediate go to.
"Ah, that sounds like you." Moon could at least faintly smile at that.
"…." Gladion remained silent. When he looked at Lillie again, she had an expression that was both 'thank you' and 'I'm sorry'.
Marcus then looked out the window, staring at the facility that was known as the Aether Paradise. "Whoa…is that Aether? It's huge!"
"Yup!" Mallow gave a great big smile. "Welcome to Aether!"
.
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The helicopter landed and everyone stepped out. As soon as Lillie stepped out, Lusamine was already upon her daughter, tightly squeezing Lillie out of concern after hearing what had happened. "Oh, Lillie! I heard what happened! You're covered in bruises, are you okay?! Do you need anything!?" Normally Lusamine had a tendency to be a little overbearing and embarrassing at times, but after the events that occurred, it was an understandable reaction.
"I-I'm fine, Mother…" Lillie waved her hands, trying to reassure her mother that the bruises weren't anything serious.
"You were hurt! I can't forgive anyone that attacked you like that!" Lusamine immediately replied. She then turned to Gladion. "Are you okay?"
"Just fine." Gladion replied.
Elizabeth just kind of stared at Lusamine. "That's Lillie's mom!?"
"Yup!" Ash said while taking a few steps forward. "She runs Aether!"
Not quite what Elizabeth was getting at, but she couldn't believe the woman she was looking at! Grace noticed this and placed a hand on the bluenette's shoulder, shaking her head. "Not. Now."
"…So one day?" Elizabeth immediately responded, causing Grace and Takeba to groan.
Moon seemed a little stunned at the sight before her. Watching Lillie and Lusamine like this felt a little…odd to her. This was a little different than she remembered, or so she thought. Did they always get along like this? "Um…" Still, she wasn't quite sure what to say, so she just awkwardly rubbed her bruised arm.
Lusamine noticed Moon and the small injuries on her. "…Moon, is it? You're hurt, too."
"Mhm." Moon nodded. "It's nothing, though."
"Nonsense." Lusamine shook her head, gesturing for Moon and Lillie to follow her. "Come with me. I'll patch those little bruises up in no time. It's the least I can do for the girl that tried to defend my daughter." Left with no real choice, Moon and Lillie followed behind Lusamine as she took them to the nearest infirmary within the facility.
Marcus glanced around. "So…what about the rest of us?"
That was when Wicke and Faba stepped forward. "We'll be taking you to the president's office where we can discuss the earlier events."
"So do make sure not to wander off." Faba added. "We're very busy as is."
"I don't like your vibes, sir." Grace pointed at Faba.
.
.
On the way to Lusamine's office, they naturally passed through the Pokémon preserve. Rotom was flying around, taking pictures on some Pokémon it had seen before, just to update their progress on its database. "Everyone seems to be looking better-roto!"
"Aether serves as a rescue for lost and injured Pokémon." Wicke explained to the faction of the group unfamiliar with the organization. "The Pokémon you see here have all been rescued from one disaster or another."
"And it's our duty to ensure that they stay healthy." Faba added. "We do this for every Pokémon in Alola."
"Wow, Aether's pretty cool." Takeba was leaning over the railing, staring at some Pokémon that were being fed by employees. She almost ended up falling over, but thankfully Marcus pulled her back. "Ehehe…"
"But that's not all that Aether does." Wicke continued. "We also research the phenomenon that is the Ultra Wormholes."
"Those creepy holes in the sky?" Elizabeth asked and Wicke nodded.
"That's right. And should something come from those Wormholes, we task the Ultra Guardians to take care of it." Wicke said.
"I see…" Scott nodded slowly.
"Yeah, I was gonna ask what those tacky outfits were for." Takeba pointed at Ash and his friends.
"Tacky?" Mallow stared at her green uniform. "I thought they were nice and fit us!"
"So you guys act as a force that quells otherworldly beings? That's kinda cool." Marcus was clearly jealous.
"It's not as fun as it sounds." Kiawe remarked. "Some of those Ultra Beasts are really frightening…" His memory of seeing the underside of a Stakataka would forever haunt him. There were some things they were just never meant to see and he unfortunately caught a glimpse into that realm.
"…Is he okay?" Elizabeth was a little concerned.
"He should be." Lana placed her hands on her hips.
"Anyway!" Faba focused on Takeba's Z-Ring. "You…acquired this from one of those interlopes, is that correct? I would love the chance to study it! A Z-ring from an alternate Alola…"
"Eh…" Takeba pulled her arm away. "You can't just ask a girl that kind of question."
"Those people were after Moon." Ash crossed his arms. "If they came from another world, then she must've also." The evidence all said so. It was a safe consensus to finally say that Moon wasn't from their world.
"I wonder what she did…" Sophocles pondered aloud. It was a pretty impressive feat to have a coordinated strike from an entirely different world just for one person.
"She probably doesn't remember." Gladion said taking a guess based on the information he had. "That being said, she could be dangerous." And of course he was the one bringing up the possibility that no one wanted to hear.
"I doubt it!" Ash's optimism struck. "She risked her own wellbeing to help Pikachu and the others, and she fought really hard to keep Lillie safe."
Gladion couldn't argue with that. Clearly the thought never crossed Ash's mind either. So the boy let out a quiet sigh and relented. He could give Moon the benefit of the doubt since she had Lillie's word backing her up. "Alright."
"This is a riveting conversation, but the President should be involved too, don't you think?" Faba was getting the group back on track. "Her office is right this way."
.
.
Lusamine, Moon, and Lillie were all waiting in Lusamine's office. The two young girls had bandages covering their bruises. The President was at her desk, while the others had just arrived. "I apologize for failing to introduce myself earlier. My name is Lusamine, the President of the Aether Foundation. I wanted to thank you for aiding the Ultra Gaurdians against that unknown threat earlier."
"Not a problem!" Takeba spoke for everyone. "They were ruining our vacation anyway."
"I want to ask about the people who attacked, but first…" Lusamine turned to Ash. "You caught that Pokémon, didn't you?"
"Yeah." Ash nodded. He didn't call out the Drapion, for he didn't want to risk it running out in a rampage, but he did hold up its Pokeball, allowing Faba to analyze it. "This is the Drapion that attacked Moon and Lillie."
"What is this…?" Faba's eyes gleamed with intrigue. "This Pokémon is unlike anything I've seen before. Its heart has been closed off completely. It's like…it's some sort of machine!"
"That's a Shadow Pokémon." Elizabeth stepped forward. "This meeting is actually beneficial for me, since I've come to Alola on urgent business."
Lusamine and the others blinked. "A…Shadow Pokémon?" The President was at a loss.
"We'll give you the short version." Grace said. "There was an organization called Cipher that messed with Pokémon, turning them into tools of war. They were defeated twice by two separate parties, but a year ago, they resurfaced in Kalos with a new leader. They were once again using Pokémon as tools a-and…" The next part was a little difficult for her.
Marcus placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, taking over for her. It wasn't easy on him either, but it was harder on Grace. "They were experimenting using people, too." That bit of information came as a shock to those unaware of Cipher. "They used a close friend of ours, Kasumi, as a prototype. Turns out it produced some scary results with equally frightening backlash. It was a tough battle and we managed to defeat Cipher and their leader, but…Kasumi put her life on the line to save us. We wouldn't be here if not for her."
Ash's school friends glanced at him. His expression did fall a bit at the mention of Kasumi. "We didn't know you'd come through something like that, Ash." Mallow said with a slight frown. That feeling of loss was absolutely one she could relate to.
Kasumi's absence still weighed heavily on those that knew her. "During the attack on Cipher's base, a certain individual stole a few Shadow Pokémon and made an escape while we were busy. Flash forward a few weeks ago and they also busted out a lead scientist in the operation." Elizabeth explained. "And we've every reason to believe that they're now lurking in Alola somewhere, with more of these Pokémon at their disposal. We have methods of purifying them, but we can't let Cipher get any momentum this time."
"I see." Lusamine understood the situation. "I'll keep an eye out on any strange activity, then. It would be dangerous if Alola was overrun by these dangerous Pokémon."
Moon then lifted a hand. "Wait. So you're saying that the Pokémon that attacked Lillie and I…and the people who attacked us were two separate incidents?!" And that was exactly right. Moon and Lillie's second encounter was nothing more than bad luck.
"Team Rainbow Rocket." Scott uttered those words. "Those were the people that attacked. We thought them to just be Team Rocket, but one of them gave a parting message before they were forced to return from where they came from."
"Rainbow Rocket?" Ash shook his head. "But it's just Team Rocket here. I know that symbol anywhere!"
"Yes, that is the case for you." Faba adjusted his goggles. "But if these people truly came from another world, then it's only natural that it could be different."
"They came from another world!?" Moon's eyes widened. "But then…what did they want with me!?" And this was where things got tricky. As soon as that last syllable left Moon's lips, tension filled the air. This topic was going to come up today one way or another, but now that they were at the moment of truth, they weren't sure how to go about it.
No one had the courage to break the news. So Lusamine decided she was the one who had to do it. "Moon. I understand that your memories are currently fragmented and that you're confused, but you need to listen to what you're about to hear. You…aren't from this Alola."
Moon blinked several times, unsure how to react. Her brain was processing the information but she then laughed it off. "Come on, Lusamine. That's not funny. How could I not be from Alola? I may not remember much, but I do remember the sights I've seen and the people I've met! I remember going through the Island Challenge, Nebby, and saving you when you went fused with the Ultra Beast!"
"…I…" Lusamine was stunned. That did happen, but Moon was never around for that. At least to her. "I see…so things have played out similarly where you come from…"
"Wait, does Moon really not come from here?" Takeba whispered to the others.
"Moon…" Lillie frowned. This was an inevitable conversation, but watching Moon deny it hurt her a little bit.
"I have to…belong here, don't I?" Moon stopped laughing as the possibility started to set in.
"Has anything been off for you since you've been wandering around Alola this past week?" Wicke gently inquired.
"Well, I…" Moon paused. Her interactions with people she thought she knew hadn't gone the way she expected. Not to mention… "I can't find my house…" Her hazel eyes averted down to the ground. "Or my mom…"
"She's been here without anyone…" Lana frowned.
"But I still don't understand…" Moon looked up. "I'm from another world? But everything I know is so familiar, it feels like home, Lillie's here, so I don't…"
Lusamine and Wicke stared at each other. They had to be extremely careful from this point on. If Moon's memories weren't as fragmented as they were, this conversation would likely go smoother. But telling someone with amnesia that the place that looked and felt like home…wasn't their home. They were shoving prove of her nonexistence in her face. They could only be but so gentle about it as well and they had a conversation about the many ways to traverse this topic. "You see…" Lusamine began.
And that's when Faba spoke up. "It's quite simple. You hail from a version of Alola that must run parallel to our own. Similar events have played out in your Alola coinciding with our own. While you've taken a slightly different path than those here, everything is ultimately the same for you. That is why you recognize the people and places in Alola. However, the people do not recognize you, because it is the first time they've seen you. For example: The Lillie you know, and the Lillie that you've been clinging to here are two completely different people. The reason you haven't been able to see your mother is because she is not here. In short…in our world, you don't exist."
"….." Moon's jaw dropped. Her expression paled and she was utterly horrified at the information Faba told her. "I…don't exist…?" Tears welled in her eyes and without wasting a second, Moon stood up and sprinted out the door.
"Moon!" Lillie immediately followed after her.
The others just stared at Faba. "FABA!" Lusamine and Wicke shouted angrily. They couldn't believe he said that so bluntly!
"What!?" Faba didn't understand at first, but then he read the room. "OH! …Was that not gentle?"
"NO!" Everyone in the room yelled at once. How could he be so careless?!
"You wouldn't know gentle if I punched you!" Elizabeth was about to, but Takeba and Marcus held her back.
"You really need to work on your people skills!" Ash said, just as upset as the others.
Faba had been yelled at enough to know when he made a mistake. Out of all the things he'd done, this was probably his worst one yet. "…I feel as though I've made an egregious error…"
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Next Time: Nonexistence.
