Chapter Six.

Hau's POV

As the elevator travelled upwards, I noticed Moon kept sending worried looks at Gladion.

"Even beaten down, old Faba doesn't change, does he?" Gladion said absentmindedly, looking away from Moon.

I shook my head. "What do we do now?"

"Beat whoever stands in our way. What other choice do we have?"

"Fine, fine. We can do that. But do you have to do that all the time?" I asked, gesturing to the position Gladion was holding himself in; one arm across his body, the opposite hand over his covered eye.

In response, Gladion turned away, surprisingly not glaring at me.

When the elevator arrived on the floor we'd been at previously, we were immediately surrounded by the employees that worked for Aether Paradise.

"Hello, children," one of them said. "I'm afraid Branch Chief Faba has given us orders regarding you three… Now that you've learned of the darkness at the heart of Aether Paradise, we'll need you all to conveniently disappear!"

"I'm afraid Branch Chief Faba doesn't inform his employees very well," Gladion said. "Ever heard of Experiment Type: Full?"

There was a pause in which the employees around them slowly came to realisation.

"G-Gladion?" stammered one of them.

"Now that you understand… how about you get out of our way?" he asked menacingly. The employees nodded and sprinted.

"Well, that was… unexpected," I said, smiling.

"Young master?" came a new voice.

It was Wicke. She bowed politely to Gladion, who's expression seemed to lighten a bit upon seeing her.

"It has been a long time," she said, smiling. "And hello to you too, Moon and Hau."

"What's happened to Lillie? Do you know anything?" Gladion asked.

"I… imagine that she is with the president," Wicke said, her face falling.

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

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

"That's not stopping me." Gladion turned and walked off the elevator platform, seeming to know where he was going.

"Please look after Master Gladion," Wicke said once she was sure he was out of earshot. "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…"

I nodded.

"I promise I will," Moon said before we both followed Gladion.

Moon's POV
We were soon confronted by a handful of Aether Employees, led by Faba.

"My, my, what naughty children. You should just lay your heavy heads down," he said. "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. I knew that I would be able to ambush you here and remedy my previous failure."

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

"Indeed! I have it right here," Faba said before realising what he'd said.

"So, if you'd just stayed hidden, we would've been stuck here anyway, right?" Hau said, breaking off into laughter.

"E-enough! You lot, teach these children a lesson!" the man cried, and the employees rushed forward.

"We don't have time for this," Gladion muttered, but the battle was over in no time.

"Cornered by mere children?" Faba yelped. "Slowbro, use Light Screen!"

"Primarina, use Sparkling Auria!" I called.

"Pri-mariiiiiin-primarinaaaa!" Primarina sang, launching its attack at Slowbro, which fainted straight away.

"Go, Alakazam!" Faba said. "Use Psychic!"

"Lycanroc, use Crunch!" Gladion yelled, releasing Lycanroc from its Pokéball, landing a successful attack.

"Thanks," I said to Gladion. "Primarina, use Aqua Jet!"

"Use Teleport!" Faba said.

"Use Swords Dance, then Outrage!" Gladion commanded. Outrage was a success, finding Alakazam with its sheer speed.

"Use Icy Wind!" I told Primarina.

"Alakazam, return!" Faba said after defeat.

"Give us the key," Gladion demanded.

"I suppose I don't have another choice," Faba said, taking the key card from his pocket and throwing it without looking. Hau ran forward to catch it.

"Thanks, Mr. Faba!" he cried, smiling, walking over to the panel to scan it.

Faba sulked away as the massive doors opened.

A load of Team Skull thugs lined the long path to the small mansion on Aether Paradise.

Gladion rushed along the path, the Team Skull grunts recognising him, not stopping him. He only did stop when Guzma blocked his way.

Gladion's POV
Guzma stood in front of me, smiling wickedly. I glared darkly at him, trying my best not to trigger Silvally. I could hear the grunts battling Moon and Hau behind me.

"Gladion," Guzma growled. "Thought you might show up."

"Did you now?" I shot back.

"I did, actually. When were you planning to tell me that your sister stole Cosmog?"

"I wasn't."

"Gladion, Gladion, no need to be so cold."

"Move aside," I said, frustrated. "Don't make me hurt you."

"You know you wouldn't."

"Not on regular terms, no, but since you're siding with my mother, of all people, I'm going to have to."

Guzma hesitated.

"Move aside," I repeated.

"I… I can't do that," Guzma said, trying to hide the shakiness in his voice. "Plumeria!" he called suddenly.

A shape detached itself from the wall and walked over to us.

"What is it, Boss?" Plumeria asked.

"Battle Gladion for me, I don't want to waste my time," Guzma told her. She looked shocked, probably mirroring my own expression as Guzma smirked at me, thinking he'd won.

I glared at him, then Plumeria. She regarded me with a confused gaze.

"What was that about?" she asked me in whisper so Guzma wouldn't hear.

"Doesn't matter, just move aside," I told her. "I don't want to hurt you."

She arched an eyebrow at me. "What do you mean? Something about what I asked you before?"

I didn't want to tell her, but what choice did I have?

"Plumeria," I said. "You kidnap my sister and still expect answers?"

"Your sister? Wait—what?"

"Yes, Lusimine is my mother… unfortunately."

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"…Okay, fine," I said, sighing. It's not like I would be able to get her to move without telling her. "Have you been down to the research labs here?"

"Yes. There were some pretty horrific stories. Why?"

"Did you read the file about my Pokémon? Type: Null?"

"I… yes, I did. That was probably the worst story. What happened to the test subject? I'm assuming he was locked up."

"No. I wasn't." Plumeria stared at me.

"What?" she finally murmured, taking a step back.

"My mother experimented on me, creating the three Nulls, also creating a son with the ability to turn into a Silvally at will. Please. I don't want to hurt you. Move aside," I told her.

Surprisingly, she listened, if because of fear or respect, I didn't know nor cared.

Guzma was leaning against the wall next to the door of the mansion, expecting his deputy to take care of me. Seeing Plumeria stand aside willingly, he stood and glared at me.

"I thought you didn't want anyone knowing," he said in a gruff voice.

"I don't," I said. "But two of the now four people I've told accepts me the way I am, so maybe letting people know wouldn't be the worst thing that has ever happened to me."

I heard Moon and Hau running up towards me.

"So, if you would be so kind," I said, "show us the door."

Guzma scowled but stepped aside.

Moon's POV
Finally, we entered the mansion. I couldn't stop worrying about Lillie and Cosmog.

Gladion pushed open the grand double doors on the other side of the lobby-looking lounge, stepping into a large bedroom.

Lillie was there.

So was Lusimine, regarding her daughter.

"You three!" Lusimine cried when we entered the room.

"Wha—?!" Lillie said, turning around, her face lighting up when she saw us. "Moon? Hau? Big Brother? You guys all came to help me?"

I nodded without taking my eyes off Lusimine.

"Mother, you have to stop this," Gladion said, scowling angrily upon seeing the woman.

"Leave Lillie and Cosmog alone!" Hau said.

"You know these ones too?" Lusimine asked Lillie, pointing to me and Hau. "Such gifted young trainers… bothering with someone like you? How disappointing."

"I don't need your approval, Mother! Or your permission! I will save Cosmog!" Lillie said, turning to face her mother.

"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!" Lusimine screamed.

"What love?" Gladion muttered.

"So tell me how you'll save that Pokémon," Lusimine said, appearing not to have heard Gladion. "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 you've ever done on your own is steal someone else's research material!"

Lillie looked down, stung by her cruel mothers' words.

"You're not beautiful enough for my world," Lusimine decided, turning around to face the full body-length mirror. "But fine. Since you're here anyway, you can watch me summon my sweet beast."

"We're going to stop you!" I said with as much menace as I could muster.

Gladion's POV
Under different circumstances, I would have laughed at Moons failed attempt to sound menacing.

Lusimine shrugged and said, as if Moon had never spoken, "And after that… you can leave."

"Sorry to disappoint yo—" I started but Lillie spoke up.

"I'm not being foolish or selfish!" she cried. "I'm asking you to listen, Mother! Do not sacrifice Cosmog for that beast's sake! If you open the Ultra Wormhole, Cosmog will die!"

Lusimine walked up to the mirror and said, "You're right, it probably will die."

Don't you DARE EV—

"Because I'm going to force it to use its power whether it wants to or not!" Mother said suddenly, interrupting my thoughts.

Gladion, why do you still refer to her as 'mother'?

Lusimine then touched the mirror and it slid sideways, revealing a secret lift, big enough for one person. She stepped into it and turned to glare at us all.

"Maybe if you really had been a daughter to me, I would have listened to you," she said, smirking. "Too bad." And then she disappeared, having shot up to another level of the house.

Lillie turned around, looking me in the eye briefly before turning to Moon.

"Moon, Hau… I really am happy that you came after me…" she said. "Gladion?"

"Yes?"

"I… I don't remember you being… being so cold," she said. "Even though Mother is mean, I didn't think you would ever look at her like you did."

I didn't know what to say. "I know. It's been a while. Lots of things have happened."

"Lots of things have happened to me too! You suddenly disappeared two years ago, Mother's been so horrible, you have no idea!"

I don't even think you know the meaning of that, Lillie.

"I'm sorry," I said, my expression softening. "I ran away when you needed me most. All I could think about was trying to help Null."

"Who?"

"Oh, my Pokémon."

"Why would you nickname something that?" Ask Mother.

"It's not a nickname. Type: Null is one of three Pokémon with the ability to take down Ultra Beasts. It was created here, at Aether Paradises labs." Out of my own DNA…

There was a pause, in which Lillie turned to the little elevator. I felt Moon staring at the back of my head.

"What is it, Moon?" I asked, turning around.

"Nothing," she said before mouthing, 'Tell Lillie!'

I shook my head.

"Come on, guys," I heard my sister say. Looking back at her, I realised that she was standing in the elevator. "Let's go stop Mother!" And she was whisked away.

One by one, we followed her and Lusimine.

Hau's POV
"Wh-what is this place…?" Lillie asked, looking around when we'd all stepped out of the lift.

"I don't know…" Gladion said, frowning.

Moon gasped suddenly, pointing. "What—is that—what-?!"

We all turned in the direction she was pointing to. It was a Pikachu encased in ice, frozen in a glass box. There were more Pokémon around in ice and glass.

Pykumuku, Starmie, Slowpoke…

I felt sick as I gazed around the room, my eyes landing on Lusimine standing next to a glowing crate and a bunch of holographic computers.

"This way, please," she said, her smile making me shudder. "Well, what do you think of my private collection? My precious babies… They will be preserved for eternity here."

"You're insane," both Lillie and Gladion said together.

"Horrible," Moon agreed in a whisper.

"I feel sorry, even for the Ultra Beast," I muttered, ultimately unable to find the bright side in all this. Maybe Gladion was right to believe the world was cruel, cold, and unforgiving.

"But my poor beast," Lusimine continued as if none of us had spoken. "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 at will!"

"Lusimine, listen to me!" Gladion said suddenly, throwing his mother off guard at being referred to as 'Lusimine,' when she expected him to call her 'mother.' "You mustn't open the Ultra Wormhole. You mustn't let the beasts run wild!"

Lusimine looked from him to Lillie before saying anything. "You want me to listen to you? The daughter who stole my Cosmog from me and the son who took my Type: Null?!" she yelled, glaring at them both. "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!"

"'Love'?" Gladion repeated. "Locking me in the labs for two months wasn't 'love.'"

Wait, what?!

"Sending Team Skull after me wasn't love!" Lillie told her, not having registered fully what her brother had said.

"Running away from me with something precious wasn't love!" Lusimine retorted ineffectively. "But that doesn't matter—none of that matters anymore! I was able to open the Ultra Wormhole using just the gases that we'd extracted from Cosmog when it was in Aether Paradise, wasn't I?"

Something inside the crate gave a shrill squeal. Lillie gasped.

"But now I have Cosmog itself inside this crate here… 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?" Lusimine said wickedly, grinning.

"Please, stop!" Lillie shouted at her mother. "If Nebby isn't—If you make it use up too much of its power… You don't understand what will happen! Like when we ran away from here… it couldn't even move for ages after that… If you use too much of its power, it will die!"

Lusimine smirked and held up the crate. "Watch… I will open the Ultra Wormhole for you…. Come to me my sweet beast!"

"No, STOP!" Lillie, Gladion, Moon and I yelled.

Moon's POV

Lusimine held out the crate, connecting it to wires, and watching poor Nebby struggle and cry with a smile.

Suddenly, as if the space above Lusimine was being torn apart, an Ultra Wormhole appeared. A jellyfish-like being floated out. I heard storm clouds roll over us outside.

"You see!" Lusimine cried. "All over Alola!"

Cosmog let out a pained scream from inside the crate, which had been dropped on the floor.

"Ugh… Must you be so noisy, even inside there? What an annoying Pokemon," Lusimine said, disgusted.

How dare she complain when it was her doing? From the look of Lillie, Hau and Gladion, they were thinking the same as me.
"The only thing I need from you is your power! But I will admit… it looks like that power has served me well. There should be plenty of beautiful beasts appearing all around Alola as we speak! Look! On Akala and Poni… Mele Mele and Ula'Ula as well!" Lusimine broke off into laughter just as someone else appeared on the elevator.

"Madam Prez," Guzma said, glaring at Gladion. "The experiment was a success, huh? Looks like it's time to catch this wicked Ultra Beast to beat down these annoying upstarts!"

"You're right—"

"I'll stop the beast!" Gladion said, running forward and releasing Type: Null. "Hau, you take Guzma! Moon, stop the president!"

Hau looked terrified as the leader or Team Skull chortled. I stepped towards Lusimine threateningly.

"Alola will be flooded with the beasts if we don't do this," I encouraged Hau, who nodded and threw Decidueyes Pokéball.

"What a disappointment," Lusimine said, shaking her head. "To think you are all so small-minded… You'll startle my sweet beast! Moon… it looks like I'll have to silence you first."

Cleffable came out of Lusimines Pokéball and Eevee came out of mine.

"Eevee, use Quick Attack!"

"Cleffable, Dazzling Gleam!"

"Dodge it and use Swift!"

"Use Disarming voice, Cleffable!"

"Eevee—"

"Dazzling Gleam!"

Eevee was knocked out, and I quickly returned it.

"Go, Primarina!"

Hau's POV
"Decidueye, use Spirit Shackle!" I cried.

"Golisopod, use Liquidation!" Guzma yelled.

"Razor Leaf!"

Gladion's POV
"Null, use Crush Claw!" I commanded. The Ultra Beast used one of its tentacle-like arms and whacked Null aside. I grabbed my wrist to stop myself from turning into Silvally.

"Use Multi-Attack!" I said once Null had recovered.

Moon's POV
"Use Aqua Jet, go!" I said, and Primarina landed the finishing blow on Cleffable.

"Use Air Slash!" I heard Gladion yell. Type: Null sent the Ultra Beast back into the Ultra Wormhole.

"Ruler of the silent forest, Decidueye!" Hau cried, posing for his Z-Move. "Use Sinister Arrow Raid!"

Guzma's Golisopod fainted as the Ultra Wormhole slowly began closing.

"No!" Lusimine said, half-running towards the portal. "The Ultra Wormhole is closing! Guzma. With me. We will catch the beast using the Beast Ball we developed here."

"Yes ma'am," Guzma said, following the president.

"Mother!" Lillie screamed as Lusimine walked into the wormhole. I realised that it was my fault.

She got away… Cosmog… Lusimine…. Moon, why didn't you do anything further?!

Gladion's POV
"Nebby!" Lillie cried, rushing over to the crate.

A small bauble-like creature floated out.

"What is it?" I asked my sister.

"It's Nebby!" Lillie said, holding the little thing in her hands, nearly in tears. "And it's not moving!"

"Nebby?! It… turned really small," Hau said.

"Very observant," I said sarcastically. "Let's get out of here. Nothing good can happen in a place like this."

Lillie nodded, placing Nebby inside her bag. I then noticed Moon holding herself awkwardly, eyes on her feet.

"Hey, you alright?" I asked gently. Moon shook her head, a tear running slowly down her cheek. Then she looked at me with those big, grey eyes, wanting something.

Moon didn't need to ask. In a split second, I was Silvally. Moon dove into me, hugging me tightly, burying her face in my mane.

Lillie and Haus eyes bulged, this being the first time either of them had seen me as a Pokémon. I regretted not telling Lillie, as Hau soon recovered from his shock.

But, I couldn't exactly explain it now, though, so I just hugged Moon as best as I could as she cried into me.

"It's okay, you're alright," I said soothingly, knowing she would understand what I was saying.

Primarina rubbed its trainers' leg affectionately.

"What's wrong, Moon?" Primarina asked.

"Hey, Moon, you right?" Hau asked, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Lillie said nothing, too stunned that I'd just turned into a Silvally in front of her eyes.

"It's… it-t's just…" Moon hiccupped, still clinging to me. "I let-t Lusimine get away! It's my fault she d-did all that!"

"No, it's not," Hau told her, and I nodded in agreement. "It's okay."

After a little while, Moon finally calmed down, detaching herself for me, allowing me to transform back into myself.

"You alright now?" I asked. Moon nodded, wiping away the remaining tears that stained her face.

"Thank you, I needed that," she said softly, hugging me again.

"Anytime."

"Just not in public?"

"Yeah, that."

Moon laughed before releasing me and kissing me. I kissed her back until Lillie finally managed to say something.

"Wait—you guys are together?!" she said, confused.

"Surprised?" I asked her.

"Yeah." She shied away from me as she spoke. She looked so scared that it broke my heart.

"Lillie?"

"What… what just happened, Gladion?" she burst out.

I sighed before saying, "Sorry I didn't tell you. Mother experimented on me a few years ago, creating the three Type: Nulls from my DNA, and it ended up resulting in me able to change into a Silvally at will."

"Mother… Mother experimented on you?!" I nodded at her question. "When?"

I shrugged. "Sometime while we were here."

"He's convinced that turning into a Pokémon isn't cool," Moon said cheekily.

"Well, it's not when I have to avoid it!" I said, smiling.

"You can… you can turn into a Pokémon?" Lillie asked slowly.

"Yes, a Silvally. The evolved form of Type: Null."

"That… that is pretty cool."

"Mmm…" I said uncertainly.

"I'm guessing that you've done it in front of Moon before?" Hau asked.

"Yeah, a few times."

"And you didn't think to invite me?" he said in mock offense.

Me and Moon laughed.

"Are you asking me to do it again?" I queried.

"Perhaps…"

"Do you want me to or not?"

"Yes! I do!" Moon exclaimed. I rolled my eyes at her.

"You always do." She grinned. "Fine, fine, fine."

And I was Silvally in no time, Moon deciding it was a good idea to sit on my back.

Moon's POV
I decided it would be funny if I sat on Gladions back, so I practically lay down on him. He looked over his shoulder at me in amusement.

"What? It's comfy up here!" I said. Again, Gladion rolled his eyes. "Roll your eyes all you want, you love it."

"ValLY," he said, which probably meant 'Shut UP.' I grinned at him.

It was kinda funny annoying him, especially when I couldn't understand a word he was saying.

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