A/N: Hey, everyone! How are you doing? Yeah, I know, this chapter was late by a couple of days. My part-time job truly is throwing a monkey-wrench into things. :'( Anyway, I'm not complaining.
However, because of this delay, I've decided to forgo posting something on around June 25 like I had originally planned. Instead, I will head straight into the next chapter for this fic, because I don't want to catch myself in another time-crunch like what happened in February. Don't worry, it's not like my project slated for June 25 is anything all that special. It can wait for another month or so.
So yeah, long story short, you can expect another update for "Judgment's Fall" on June 30, first thing.
Alright, enough of this rambling! On with the chapter. ENJOY!
P.S.: Due to the ever-worsening situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I'm going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:
-Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer
-Avoid close contact with people who are sick
-Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)
-Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly
-Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
-Stay informed on the COVID-19 vaccines and get shots if you're able to
And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:
-Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough
-Not sharing food and drinks with others
-Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)
-Avoiding close contact with others
-Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects
-Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)
-Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)
If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.
TEAM ROSTER
-Team 1 (Sinnoh): Ash, Serena, Dawn, Zoey, Kenny, Ursula, Paul, Trip, Leon, Verity, Cynthia, Gardenia, Crasher Wake, Bertha, Flint, Lucian, Reggie, Johanna, Professor Carolina
-Team 2 (Galar): Goh, Chloe, Bea, Sheena, Baraz, Raihan, Sonia, Nessa, Kabu, Milo, Mustard, Allister, Opal, Melony, Piers
-Team 3 (Kanto): Lillie, Gladion, Lusamine, Brock, Misty, Tracey, Ritchie, Daisy, Violet, Lily, Agatha, Scott
-Team 4 (Johto): Gary, Jimmy, Vincent, Lyra, Khoury, Barry, Tyson, Silver, Professor Oak, Professor Elm
-Team 5 (Alola): Kiawe, Lana, Mallow, Sophocles, Hau, Olivia, Mimo, Professor Kukui, Wicke, Professor Burnet, Lei, Faba, Hala, Nanu, Guzma, Plumeria, Tupp, Zipp, Rapp, Rango, Sima, Abe, Samson Oak, Hobbes, Anela
-Team 6: TBA
-Team 7: TBA
-Team 8: TBA
Aether Paradise
A peculiar-looking young girl crawled through the complex air-duct system of the Aether Paradise building, pushing aside cobwebs and allowing her shabby-looking clothes to collect the dust coating its inner walls without any problem. She had messy purple hair tied into a ponytail and eyes; and she wore a patchy dress colored in shades of black and purple, with two ribbons coming from the back, a gold armband on her left forearm, and lavender flat sandals. Following behind this little girl was a Mimikyu that phased through the cobwebs, its body evidently transparent.
"Boss," a female voice announced formally and politely from outside, causing the girl to stop in her tracks. "He's here."
"We're getting close, Mimikins," the girl announced with a determined smile.
The aforementioned Mimikyu nodded in acknowledgment.
ACEROLA
The girl resumed crawling through the air-duct, all the while continuing to eavesdrop on the voices speaking outside. This time, a male voice spoke, and the professional yet malicious tone of his voice brought pleasant shivers across her skin.
"It's been a long time, old friend."
Acerola overheard a familiar scoff. "It...most certainly has..."
"Don't worry, Nanu," she whispered. "I'm coming for you."
"Disturbed?" Nanu scoffed again, and this time, Acerola could recognize the bitterness coming from his voice, which she found to be surprising. "I'm pretty sure it's more than just that, old friend."
Acerola stopped in her tracks. "Old friend?" she thought in shock. "I didn't even think Nanu had friends."
"The last time we had a face-to-face meeting like this one," Nanu continued, "I believe I told you that I didn't want to see your shadow darkening my doorstep ever again."
"Yes," the professional yet malicious voice replied, "I do recall that meeting."
"Then you should also recall me saying that I consider all of Alola my doorstep." There was a short silence. "You should NOT have come back here, Giovanni, let alone bring your business here."
"Giovanni, huh...?" Acerola whispered to herself as she and Mimikins continued crawling through the air-duct.
"I know I shouldn't have, but unfortunately...destiny called my name from here, and it was imperative that I heeded that call, Nanu! We are about to open the gateway to a new world filled with vast, untapped potential! And...I was hoping you would be there to bear witness to it, old friend!"
The girl smirked playfully. "Not if I can help it."
At that moment, Acerola came across a grate opening through which she and Mimikins could peer. Closely scanning the room below them, the two could see a lean man with short green hair and a goatee, wearing a white lab-coat bearing the Aether Foundation logo, a green undershirt, some green bracers on his arms, large green glasses, and white boots with yellow soles. He was tinkering with a device that Acerola vaguely recognized from reports on Nanu's desk that she once fleetingly snuck a look at.
If she recalled correctly, the device was meant to open up an Ultra Wormhole.
"So," Acerola whispered while leaning over the grate opening in curiosity, "those guys must've come here to summon the Ultra Beasts, huh Mimikins?"
Mimikins nodded with a squeak of agreement. At the same time, Acerola spotted Nanu, who was strangely not wearing any form of restraint, despite her last seeing him being taken into a passenger aircraft against his will back at Ula'ula. It was unnervingly odd for the girl to see the old man looking so legitimately agitated and yet so submissive at once.
Then, she took notice of the man standing between Nanu and the Aether Foundation scientist. He sported neatly-combed brown hair, dark eyes, and a grin of malevolence that was so potent Acerola could feel it filling up the air-duct like a dark liquid. He was also wearing a black suit with a tie as red as blood, giving him the appearance of a stereotypical executive under the servitude of an evil corporation.
"You know, Giovanni," Nanu said, "I only allowed those three punks that you call your 'employees' to do their business in Alola because they, frankly, seemed too incompetent to pull off anything of real concern."
"Three punks?" Acerola thought while continuing to lean over the grate opening. "Is he...talking about those two weirdly-dressed people and their talking Meowth...?"
"And for that," the well-dressed man replied, "I am extremely and eternally grateful. But don't underestimate the likes of Jessie, James, and Meowth. Despite your...less than flattering descriptions of them, they have executed major operations for me in the past, just as they're doing right now."
Nanu crossed his arms firmly. "It doesn't matter what you or I think of them, Giovanni. What matters is that I gave them and you some leeway because I wanted to show you a peace offering."
Giovanni quirked an eyebrow. "A peace offering?"
"Yes. A peace offering. A sign of goodwill. Of good faith. You know, what friends normally do."
Acerola blinked incredulously. "Wow..." she whispered, placing her hands atop the grate opening in order to get a better angle on the conversation. "So Nanu and this Giovanni guy are friends after all. Or...were they friends? I feel like they're remembering two completely different things in the past, huh Mimikins?"
Mimikins nodded again.
"But I was hoping you'd remember the condition that I had set down the last time we met up, and that was to keep your business out of Alola."
"Keep my business out of Alola?" Giovanni repeated, blinking slowly.
When Nanu nodded in affirmation, the executive began to snicker. The Island Kahuna's eyelid twitched nastily.
"This isn't some damn joke, Giovanni. You know I meant every word that I said."
"Even so, dear old friend-"
"Stop calling me that. You've got no right to call me that after your little parade through Alola." Nanu pursed his lips. "I... I should've known you were gonna pull this off."
Giovanni blinked idly at the Island Kahuna. At first, he stood there, regarding Nanu with a cold calmness. Then, he began walking up to the old man, his gait quick and calculated, like a manager about to confront one of his underlings. Even so, Nanu stood his ground, his expression not moving even in the slightest.
"Yes, Nanu, you should've known," Giovanni said sleekly. "Perhaps, in another reality where things such as the guardian deities, Z-Moves, Ultra Space, and the Blinding One didn't reside in Alola, I would not have, as you said, gone on a little parade through your stomping grounds. But unfortunately, they do, and therefore, it is my duty to seize the power that Alola holds for the good of humanity and modern civilization."
"Your duty?" Nanu scoffed. "You know, Giovanni, when I allowed those three fools to meander around in Alola, I had also been hoping that the apple would fall far from the tree, but I suppose I was terribly mistaken."
"Oooooh..." Acerola whispered, highly intrigued now. "I wonder what he meant by the apple- AAAAAGH!"
The grate opening had given way from the body weight that she had placed on top of it. It popped open, causing the girl to fall out of the air-duct and land in the middle of the laboratory.
"OOF! Owwwww..."
Mimikins instantly phased through the air-duct and descended towards its Trainer, looking concerned for her well-being.
"H-Huh?!" Nanu exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief at her presence. "Acerola?!"
"Ohhhhhhhh..." Acerola sat up, rubbing her bruised side with a wince, before smiling up innocently at the Island Kahuna. "Hi there, Nanu..."
Then, the purple-haired girl felt a dark shadow envelop her from behind, causing her to freeze up with a hiccup. Normally not one to be easily frightened, she nevertheless felt a cold shiver run down her entire petite frame.
"And just who might you be?" a familiar voice asked ominously.
Acerola turned around and realized that the speaker was indeed Giovanni, who was towering over her with a sneer on his face. She tried to chuckle at him with a girlish, innocent demeanor, but when it came out of her mouth, it sounded more nervous than anything else, which stunned her. Sensing her uncharacteristic reaction, Mimikins acted quickly, hovering in front of its Trainer and looking up at Giovanni with a defensive posture.
"H-Hi there...?" she replied.
Giovanni's sneer widened, and he raised his hand to snap his fingers. "Use Power Gem."
A second later, a pale-pink beam of energy flew across the room. However, instead of striking Mimikins, the attack simply went right through its body and hit the wall on the opposite side of the lab, destroying it in a small explosion.
"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" the Aether Foundation scientist cried, impulsively shielding his contraption with his own body. "No attacks! No attacks! I can't have anything wrecking my, eh, precious device!"
"Ah, correct," Giovanni replied calmly. "My apologies, Faba." Then, he analyzed Mimikins closely, rubbing his chin with his thumb and index finger. "Sooo...a ghost of a Mimikyu, huh? How very interesting. Fortunately, there's always a foolproof method of circumventing supernatural phenomena. Persian, use Shadow Claw."
A blur of pale-tan leaped from the shadows, one of its paws enveloped in a black-and-purple aura. Before Mimikins could react, the assailant struck it with its glowing paw, and this time, its transparent body couldn't protect it.
"MIMIKINS!" the girl screamed, watching as the Disguise Pokémon fell to the floor, defeated.
Then, Acerola heard a purr, and within the corner of her eye, she could see something slowly slinking towards her with a graceful, Arbok-like movement. When this newcomer reached her, she realized it was a Kantonian Persian, its sleek and well-groomed body rubbing against her own while it circled around her, prowling just like a wild predator. Another shiver ran down her body, as she noticed in her peripheral vision Nanu unable to do anything about her predicament.
For once in her entire life, she was truly scared.
Hau'oli City, Melemele Island
"Come on, man! I told you before, whatever's the cause of that electricity, it's definitely not safe to check it out and take care of it ourselves! We need to call for backup-"
"Huh?! Call for backup?!"
The quartet of Syndicate grunts warily approached the small storage facility, watching as small bolts of electricity shot out from its shattered windows. One of the grunts, a Team Plasma grunt, shoved his colleague, a Team Magma grunt, to the side in exasperation while giving him a nasty glare.
"I can't believe you don't want to man up and step up to the plate!" the Team Plasma grunt snapped angrily. "This could be a serious situation, and if the brass finds out that we responded to it while on patrol and dealt with it in a quiet, timely manner, then we could get a whole bunch of bonuses!"
"What bonuses?!" demanded the Team Magma grunt. "We don't even get paid minimum frigging wage for our services!"
"He's got a point," replied one of the other grunts, who hailed from Team Flare.
"Everyone, just shut it!" spat the fourth grunt, who hailed from Team Galactic. "Look here, I do agree that we might need someone more qualified to handle these kinds of things-"
"Qualified?!" interrupted the Team Plasma grunt. "We're the Syndicate, man! We've just conquered an entire region, for Arceus's sake! This is nothing!"
"He's got a point too," the Team Flare grunt replied.
"Listen," the Team Galactic grunt said, "impressing the brass is one thing, but getting ourselves hurt in the process is-"
"Ohhhhh, hurt, shmurt." The Team Plasma grunt marched towards the facility. "We the Syndicate shouldn't even break a single bead of sweat at danger! We stare at danger right in the face, and we laugh!"
"I don't think that was part of the hype protocol, but-"
"Whatever! I'm going in!"
The Team Magma grunt's eyes widened. "Uhhhhh, I'd seriously wait for backup if I were you-"
"Well, you're not me! HIIIII-YAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"
The moment he kicked the front door open, the Team Plasma grunt was met with a single bolt of electricity, which struck him and knocked him out in an instant. The other three grunts gasped in shock and then rushed into the facility to meet their apparent assailant in battle, only to be greeted by...
"No one's here?" the Team Flare grunt asked, looking around in surprise, only to see nothing but items in storage.
"Fan out!" commanded the Team Galactic grunt.
"Wait, hold up!" replied the Team Magma grunt. "Since when did you give the orders?"
"Since now! Now fan out, you two! We've got a man down, and we're gonna find out who's messing with us!"
Not one to argue any further, the other two grunts did as they were told. The trio proceeded to rummage through all the stored items, which were all stuffed into cardboard boxes. However, as they continued their search, they failed to notice a certain orange lawnmower that was out and about, hiding behind a couple of stacks of boxes.
"Aw, Rattata!" wheezed the Team Magma grunt, once he was done rummaging through his tenth package. "These people sure do love their cardboard boxes!"
The Team Flare grunt tossed aside a torn-open box full of lei necklaces. "If I see another lei, I'm gonna barf. Seriously."
"Hey, you two!" barked the Team Galactic grunt, gesturing them over to the two stacks of boxes that the lawnmower was hiding behind. "Help me with these boxes. I'm not gonna get crushed to death here today."
"On it!"
The two grunts started attended to the stacks, removing each cardboard box individually. Once it became clear that the lawnmower would be found, it suddenly activated itself, a sentient face materializing on its chassis.
"Hey, what the hell's that noise?" the Team Galactic grunt asked.
But before the other two grunts could investigate the source of the revving sound, the lawnmower began generating an enormous amount of electricity, which immediately engulfed the entire storage facility and electrocuted the three grunts. Soon, the electricity subsided, and the three grunts collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
With that, the lawnmower cheekily rolled out into the open and intentionally knocked over one of the standing cardboard boxes, which quickly fell open, revealing the Pokédex hidden inside.
"Time for me to shine, baby!" the lawnmower declared, as it proceeded to switch forms.
ROTOM POKÉDEX
The Pokémon School, Melemele Island
"Hey, where's Lana?"
The alarmed, terrified voice of Lana's mother, normally low and demure in tone, echoed through the classroom, stopping the arguments that had broken out amongst the adults and students. Now on high alert, Professor Kukui looked around the room, only to realize that Lana was nowhere to be found. In addition to that...
"I don't see Kiawe and Mimo anywhere!" Sima cried in horror.
"Sophocles is missing too!" added Sophocles's father.
"Damn it..." Kukui grumbled. Then, he glanced at the front desk and noticed some additional absences. "Ash's Incineroar and Rowlet are missing too!"
"They must've gone after Mallow!" Samson cried in realization.
"Gone after Mallow?" repeated Lana's father. "You mean they went to Hau'oli? Where everyone's being held captive, and Arceus knows what else is happening?!"
"NO!" Sophocles's mother cried, her voice breaking. "No, no, no, NO!"
"We've gotta stop them!" Lana's father exclaimed. "B-Before they do something stupid and get themselves captured!"
"For all we know," Kukui replied gravely, "the kids are already there. We can't do a thing to stop it now."
"W-Well, wh-what'll we do?!" cried Lana's mother.
"Don't worry, everyone." Kukui walked up to his own Incineroar, who had been standing guard near one of the classroom windows. "I'll go after them."
"Wa-Wait, you'll go after them?" Professor Burnet asked, her eyes widening with incredulity as she continued to cradle a hiccupping Lei in her arms. "Wh-What're you gonna do, honey?"
"It's not about what I'm gonna do."
Then, with a sly smile, Kukui tore off all of his clothes, forcing everyone to gasp and yell in surprise while looking away. A split-second later, there were six simultaneous flashes of light, which attracted everyone's attention back to the Pokémon Professor. What they saw next stunned them: Kukui was now wearing bright, wrestling-themed attire, including a familiar mask. Standing by his sides alongside his Incineroar were six Pokémon: a Braviary, a Lucario, a Venusaur, an Empoleon, a Dusk Form Lycanroc, and a Melmetal.
"Whoa," Rango said.
"Where'd that mask come from?" asked Sophocles's mother.
"Uhhhhh..." Lana's father vocalized, as he struggled to keep his wife's attention away from Kukui's tan skin and bulging muscles.
"It's about what the Masked Royal is gonna do!" Kukui declared.
THE MASKED ROYAL
A tense, awkward silence suddenly filled the classroom, which was then broken by Samson's voice.
"Wait, Professor Kukui is the...the Masked Royal?" Then, the principal's face took on the appearance of a Pokémon. "What a Stunfisky surprise!"
Everyone else merely sighed and shook their heads in disappointment and embarrassment, causing Samson's expression to revert back to its normal form.
"I know, too soon, too soon..." he concluded glumly.
Hau'oli City, Melemele Island
"GET HER!"
A flock of Syndicate-aligned Flying-type Pokémon soared towards the dangling Olivia, their claws outstretched. She tried to get back up onto the rooftop, but the flock was quicker and about to reach her position in no time. However, Kiawe's voice pierced the air.
"Incineroar, use Fire Blast!"
The Heel Pokémon launched a fiery kanji at the Flying-type Pokémon, hitting those in the lead and causing them to either fall to the ground or fly around wildly and squawk in pain; their plumages burnt and scorched. The attack startled all the other Flying-types, causing them to halt their advances long enough for Olivia to clamber back onto the rooftop.
As for the Syndicate grunts, they redirected their attention towards Kiawe, Lana, Sophocles, and their Pokémon.
"ATTACK!" several voices chorused at the same time.
A fierce battle broke out instantly, and chaos descended upon downtown Hau'oli in mere seconds.
Kiawe commanded Ash's Incineroar and his Charizard, Turtonator, and Alolan Marowak in a fiery battle against dozens of Pokémon belonging mostly to Teams Magma and Flare. Team Aqua grunts tried to join their brethren in engaging Kiawe and his Pokémon in order to gain an advantage on him, but they were intercepted by Sophocles and his own Pokémon. Fortunately for both Pokémon, their Electric typing gave them an inherent advantage over Team Aqua's forces.
Incineroar took on a Blaziken, their fists meeting and their bodies flaring up, literally; their commonality, a dual Fire and Fighting typing, left the two fully-evolved starter Pokémon almost matched.
Charizard immediately took to the air and engaged flocks of Fletchling, Fletchinder, and Talonflame while simultaneously dodging a series of attacks from other Fire-types on the ground.
Turtonator used his various attacks to divert some of the attention away from Charizard, all the while using his large and sturdy body to absorb other attacks aimed at him.
Marowak proved to be a massive nuisance to Kiawe's opponents, using abundant combinations of its attacks and its more minuscule size to evade incoming attacks and take down enemy grunts and Pokémon one by one.
Like Marowak, Togedemaru used her small size to evade the attention of larger opponents, before employing her Electric-type attacks as offensive measures against them.
Vikavolt flew around in the air, engaging flocks of Wingull, Pelipper, and Swanna to prevent them from reaching Kiawe's position.
Meanwhile, once Olivia recovered from her botched grand entrance, she was able to summon her own Pokémon team, a Midday Form Lycanroc and a Probopass, both of which downed the remaining Flying-types that had tried to swoop down on her. Then, she and Lycanroc held on to Probopass, which jumped off the rooftop and landed safely on the earth.
"Alright, guys!" she cried. "It's time to rock-and-roll!"
With that, they joined Kiawe's sides and began assisting his Pokémon in battle. Lycanroc took on a Shiny Absol that tried to ambush Ash's Incineroar, while Probopass diverted a lot of attention away from the scampering Marowak. As for Kiawe and Olivia themselves, they found themselves encircled by dozens of Syndicate-aligned Pokémon.
"Master," Kiawe greeted.
"Oh, for the last time, Kiawe," Olivia replied with a casual, friendly smile, "you don't have to call me that. Plus, this isn't exactly one of our training sessions, you know."
"Damn straight it ain't!" barked a Team Rocket grunt.
"This is the session where you get both your asses kicked!" proclaimed a Team Aqua grunt.
"Get them!" a Team Flare grunt commanded.
"TURTONATOR!" Kiawe called.
"LYCANROC!" hollered Olivia.
Overhearing its Trainer's call, Turtonator used his Focus Blast to get rid of its remaining opponents before running over to Kiawe's position as fast as he could. As for Lycanroc, it quickly defeated the Shiny Absol and joined up with Olivia. With their signature Pokémon by their sides, Kiawe and Olivia, understanding one another instantly, revealed their Z-Rings to their opponents. Kiawe's Firium Z and Olivia's Rockium Z were already installed.
"Let's go, Turtonator!" Kiawe called.
"Time to shine, Lycanroc!" Olivia shouted.
Turtonator nodded in affirmation, while Lycanroc let out a single huff. Then, both Trainer-Pokémon duos began striking a series of synchronized poses, building up Z-Power around Kiawe's and Olivia's outlines. Once they were able to build up their maximum potentials, the Z-Power flowed directly from the bodies of both Trainers to Turtonator's and Lycanroc's, enveloping them in spheres of bright, sparkling energy. In response, the two Pokémon jumped into the air.
"INFERNO..." Kiawe recited.
"CONTINENTAL..." Olivia recited.
At the same time, Turtonator and Lycanroc both initiated their respective Z-Moves. Turtonator gathered copious amounts of fire into his mouth and reared its head with a strained groan, while Lycanroc summoned rocks from the ground, which all gathered together before it and united to form a massive boulder. The Syndicate grunts closing in realized what was about to happen and pointed at both Trainers.
"They're using their Z-Moves!" a Team Plasma grunt warned.
"Stop them NOW!" barked a Team Magma grunt.
The Syndicate-aligned Pokémon fired barrages of various attacks, but it was too late. Once both Kiawe and Olivia felt the entirety of their Z-Power flow from them and into their Pokémon, they completed their commands right at the top of their lungs, exerting so much force in their diaphragms that they might've as well burst their vocal cords.
"OVERDRIVE!"
"CRUSH!"
Both Pokémon wasted no time in launching their Z-Moves, making sure they aimed at two completely different directions and towards the largest masses of enemy Pokémon. Turtonator's great fireball struck the Pokémon in Kiawe's and Olivia's lines of sight, while Lycanroc's gigantic boulder dispatched the Pokémon trying to ambush both Trainers from behind. All of Hau'oli was rocked by two simultaneous explosions, so enormous and powerful that it sent many Syndicate grunts and Pokémon flying, while Kiawe and Olivia had to brace themselves and keep their footing firm upon the ground.
Once the power of the explosions subsided and there was nothing but smoldering heat and thick smoke in the air, Kiawe and Olivia both relaxed their postures and surveyed the damage surrounding them. All of the Syndicate grunts and their Pokémon in the immediate area were downed, even the ones that Lana and Sophocles were engaging. Many buildings in close proximity were nearly blown over, with some walls already collapsed, and more trees had been set alight compared to before.
"Whoa!" Olivia exclaimed incredulously as she surveyed the destruction. "Something tells me we overdid that one." She then scratched her cheek out of embarrassment. "I hope this doesn't come out of my paycheck..."
"We'll worry about the damage later," Kiawe replied, just as Charizard, Marowak, and Probopass rejoined their respective Trainers. "For now, let's do what we came to do, and that's put an end to this whole invasion!"
"Put an end to this whole invasion?" a new voice repeated.
All of a sudden, the air grew somewhat chilly, and Olivia even shuddered. But neither she nor Kiawe could see any source for the descending temperatures, until the voice continued speaking, and a pair of new figures came into view.
"Young boy," one of the new figures said, his voice cold as he stepped through the bank of smoke that blanketed Hau'oli's downtown area, "I'm afraid you've only taken down a twentieth of the Syndicate. This isn't something to be elated over."
"Aw, great," Olivia deadpanned, sweat-dropping. "Who the heck is this? The final boss?"
"Final boss?"
To Olivia's surprise, the man didn't laugh, chuckle, or even crack a grin at her half-joking comment. Instead, he stopped a hundred feet away from her and Kiawe, his indistinguishable Pokémon hovering next to him.
"Dear Olivia, Island Kahuna of Akala Island," he continued, "you underestimate me and my position within the Syndicate. My name is Pierce, trusted agent of Team Rocket, and of the will of Giovanni."
Then, with a soft flick of his wrist, Pierce's Pokémon came further into view, and Kiawe and Olivia both gasped in horror. As for their Pokémon, they all ran directly in front of their Trainers, prepared to defend them and fight their enemies until the bitter end, but their own horrified expressions were unmistakable.
"And because you two are the foremost obstacles of the will of Giovanni, then it is imperative that I defeat you at once. Go...Tapu Koko."
The Syndicate-aligned Tapu Koko moved forward, revealing its terrible changes in all of their glory. Kiawe already knew from Rowlet's horrified account that all four of the guardian deities were soundly defeated, but he never did estimate the after-effects of such a defeat at the hands of a nefarious enemy. But now, now he knew.
What the Syndicate did to Tapu Koko (and presumably the other deities) was stark and compelling. Its once-vibrant color scheme had been inverted into a darker version of itself, with a menacing black replacing its bright-yellow colors and its warm orange taking on a sickly gray tint. Moreover, its shining blue eyes, once brimming with playfulness and a youthful vigor, were now red, hollowed out, and radiating nothing more than loyalty to its undeserving master, and malice towards its enemies.
Which were currently Kiawe, Olivia, and their Pokémon.
"Crap..." Olivia uttered, her pupils quivering. "Just...crap."
"Get ready, you guys," Kiawe whispered.
Charizard let out a loud roar that echoed across Hau'oli. Turtonator responded with a low hum of a growl while taking on a defensive position. Marowak twirled its bone around while its light-blue flames flared outward in an intimidation display. Lycanroc merely bared its fangs at the advancing Tapu Koko.
Once Tapu Koko got within a dozen feet of Kiawe, Olivia, and their Pokémon, it activated its Electric Terrain, allowing its electricity to cover the entire battlefield. This time, however, its electricity wasn't colored in yellow, but rather a grayish-orange.
Then, once it claimed a stake on the battlefield, Tapu Koko charged at them with a loud, shrill cry.
Meanwhile, as Kiawe and Olivia engaged their batch of Syndicate grunts, Lana already decided to take the initiative. She began pushing through the surrounding crowd of Syndicate grunts and Pokémon with Ash's Rowlet and her Primarina and Eevee, Sandy, driven by a sudden surge of uncharacteristic fierceness and resolve.
Rowlet quickly went after flocks of Flying-types that attempted to intercept Lana, alternating between its Razor Leaf and Brave Bird attacks to keep them well-distanced.
Primarina took the lead of the charge instantly, using its Sparkling Aria to clear most of the way before taking care of any remaining enemy Pokémon with its Aqua Jet and Icy Wind attacks.
Sandy hopped atop Lana's shoulder, taking care of any Pokémon that managed to get past Rowlet's and Primarina's dual assaults with its Tackle and Double-Edge.
Within a half-minute, Lana reached Hau, Nurse Joy, and the latter's Blissey and Comfey, taking a moment to kneel beside Hala's broken, barely conscious body.
"H-Hala?!" the blue-haired girl cried in recognition, stunned to see an Alolan elder of such renown suffering such grievous wounds. "Wh-What happened to him?!"
"H-He was dropped from a great height," Nurse Joy replied, her voice shaky. "Much of the injuries are to his lower body."
"Is he gonna be alright, Nurse Joy?!" Hau cried desperately.
"Too soon to tell." The nurse looked at Lana with a look of concern mixed with fear. "I can't treat him here."
Lana nodded. "Okay." Then, she looked over her shoulder. "Sophocles?! Sophocles, come here, quickly!"
"On it, on it!" the rotund boy replied. As soon as his Pokémon dispatched the last of their immediate opponents, he had them escort him over to Lana, Hau, and Nurse Joy's position. "Wh-What is it? What d'you-?" At that moment, he spotted Hala's body. "Oh, my Arceus! H-Hala?!"
"He's badly hurt! Nurse Joy needs to get him out of here!"
"What, and you need me to escort her outta here?!"
Lana nodded. "Yes, Sophocles. That's what I'm asking you to do. Now, can you do that for me?"
Sophocles blinked, befuddled by the determined attitude that his blue-haired friend was giving him. But aside from that stunned reaction, he didn't waste any more time. Instead, he nodded resolutely, a pink tinge blossoming on his cheeks in the process.
"Y-Yes, Lana," he replied. "I can do it! F-For you!"
"Good!" Lana glanced at Hau next. "Hau, have you seen Mallow anywhere?!"
"M-Ma-Mallow?!" Then, the green-haired boy nodded. "Y-Yeah! She and her father were among those taken captive!"
The girl gasped and abruptly grabbed his collar, slightly shaking him. "Do you know where the captives are?!"
"L-La-Last time I saw them, th-those goons were taking them on those, uh, jet thingies." Hau pointed up. "They're taking everyone that they've captured up to that b-big ship of theirs!"
Lana's eyes became wide with aghast horror, and she gazed up at the sky. There, she could see the massive airship that the Syndicate had used for their grand entrance. It was enveloped in a massive, ominous bank of clouds, formed by both natural ones and ones that were artificially created by the power of the airship's great engines.
"So you're saying they up there?!" she exclaimed.
"M-Ma-Maybe. S-Some of those aircraft still haven't left! M-Maybe you could find her in one of those!"
Lana glared at Hau. "Lead me to them, Hau! Before they leave! Quickly!"
"INFERNO..."
"CONTINENTAL..."
Lana, Sophocles, Hau, and Nurse Joy glanced at Kiawe and Olivia; and they saw that their Pokémon were in the process of using their Z-Moves.
"Quick!" Sophocles cried. "We gotta move! Vikavolt!"
Hearing its Trainer's call, the Stag Beetle Pokémon hovered over to him and Nurse Joy, allowing the two to carefully hoist Hala's body on top of it so they could evacuate him. Meanwhile, Hau, after taking one last look at his grievously wounded grandfather, made a break for the Syndicate's passenger aircraft, followed closely by Lana, her Pokémon, and Rowlet.
"OVERDRIVE!"
"CRUSH!"
The ensuing explosion was powerful enough to knock Lana's group to the ground. Acting on instinct, Primarina flopped its body atop Lana's, shielding her from any potential flying debris.
Several captive townspeople gasped and screamed when they felt the Syndicate's passenger aircraft rock back and forth violently. Gasping with surprise, Mallow quickly looked out of the nearby window again, just in time to see the small but fiery mushroom cloud bloom into the air.
"What is it, Mallow?!" Anela exclaimed. "What happened?!"
Mallow didn't have any time to respond, for the Syndicate grunts reacted quicker.
"What the?!" barked one guard, a Team Aqua grunt.
"What in Arceus's name was that?!" cried a Team Flare grunt.
"Let's go and check it out!"
"No!" a Team Rocket grunt yelled. "Tyson ordered us to stay PUT! We can't leave our stations for anything!"
"B-But what if it's that Akala Island Kahuna chick?!" exclaimed the Team Flare grunt. "She could be overtaking the units outside as we speak!"
"She may be an Island Kahuna, but she's also just one woman! She can't get past our forces that quickly!"
Just then, a Team Plasma grunt rushed into the aircraft, looking panicky. "S-Sir! I-It's that Akala Island Kahuna chick! S-She's overtaking the units outside as we speak!"
"What?!"
"Our numbers are already whittled down! Commander Pierce is responding, but-"
The Team Rocket grunt did not need to speak further, instead pointing out of the aircraft. "We march, men! Commander Pierce requires our assistance!"
None of the hostages bothered to stop their captors as they all rushed out of the aircraft, leaving them alone. Once they were gone, Mallow tried struggling against her bonds, only to be quickly reminded that they were metallic handcuffs. Her struggles didn't go unnoticed by her father.
"It's no use, Mallow," Abe said. "We don't have any Pokémon with us. They took all of our Poké Balls-"
"Not Tsareena's," Mallow interrupted. "I've got her Poké Ball in a place where those people wouldn't even bother to look!" She then began groping around her back, her teeth clenched. "If...I could just...reach it..."
Just then, she heard voices shouting outside, followed by the sounds of commands, roars, and explosions. The noises got closer and closer by the second, causing more and more of the townspeople inside Mallow's aircraft to panic.
"Oh, my Arceus!" a middle-aged woman squealed. "We're at war, we're at war, we're at WAR!"
"Please, Arceus!" a young man wheezed. "I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die, please!"
"St-Stay calm, everyone!" an older man yelled, though he too looked increasingly worried. "Pl-Please don't panic!"
As for Mallow, she looked out of the aircraft's open hatch, next to her, and saw the unconscious bodies of a Team Plasma grunt and her Dragonite tumbling across the ground. She gasped in shock and then began reaching down her shorts, her fingers snaking around in search of Tsareena's Poké Ball.
"Mallow!" Abe wheezed upon noticing his daughter's secretive movements. "Wh-What're you gonna do?!"
"What am I gonna do?" repeated Mallow as she gently bit the tip of her tongue. "I'm an Ultra Guardian, Dad. I'm trained in dealing with these kinds of things."
"No, you were trained to deal with Ultra Beasts, not these Syndicate guys!"
Mallow shot him a confident glance. "Dad, the Ultra Guardians have dealt with Team Rocket before, months ago. I think we have our bases covered."
"Yeah, but not like this!"
Before Mallow could respond any further, the same Team Rocket grunt from before rushed back in the passenger aircraft, his face flushed and sweat dripping down his face. He gestured to the pilots at the front.
"Lift off now!" he ordered. "Lift off!"
"But what about-?!" began one of the pilots.
"Forget the others! Lift off n-!"
"Primarina!" a familiar voice ordered. "Use Sparkling Aria!"
A soothing song filled the skies, momentarily becoming a startling contrast to the chaotic, horrifying environment. Then, a huge orb of water was sent hurling at the grunt, who didn't have any time to react. The man was doused by a sudden, relentless deluge of water, which violently knocked him to the floor and rendered him unconscious in milliseconds.
"What the?!" the pilot exclaimed.
"Alright, we're lifting off now!" the copilot cried. "Let's-"
However, the captives heard the sound of breaking glass, followed by the pilots' surprised screams. Mallow peered at the direction of the cockpit and saw a Rowlet and an Eevee tackling both men. But it wasn't just any Rowlet and Eevee.
"Are those...?" Mallow began.
Then, someone else rushed into the aircraft, towering over the unconscious grunt. Upon spotting the newcomer, who was followed by an equally familiar Primarina and Incineroar, Mallow's green eyes widened and glimmered with delight.
"Oh. My. Arceus."
"Let's get you out of these, Mallow," Lana said, bending down to rummage through the grunt's pockets. When she could not find what she was looking for, she stood back. "Um, Rowlet? I need a little help here!"
Fortunately for her, Rowlet had just finished knocking the pilot out with a powerful peck of its beak. Hearing Lana's call, it flew further into the aircraft's interior and landed atop the girl's shoulder.
"I couldn't find the keys." Lana pointed at Mallow's restraints. "Use Razor Leaf on those chains!"
Rowlet nodded, just as its wings started to glow green. With a squawk, it flapped them forward, sending a small amount of green, glowing leaves, all clustered together in the form of three differently sized arrows, towards the chains. The tiny arrows shattered Mallow's bonds with ease, freeing the green-haired girl.
"Good job!" Lana exclaimed. "Now do the rest!"
As Rowlet proceeded to work on the other captive townspeople, Mallow couldn't restrain herself from nearly tackling her childhood friend in a tight hug.
"I can't believe it!" she squealed. "You came for me!"
"O-O-Of course!" A pink-faced Lana broke the hug and gave Mallow a smile of resolve. "Did you really think I was gonna leave you behind?"
Aether Paradise
Atop a certain palm tree, the Shiny Rowlet sensed that the patrolling Syndicate-aligned Pokémon hadn't passed over its impromptu hiding place for quite some time. Hesitantly, and with a soft chirrup, it waddled atop one of the large leaves and slowly poked its head out from its hiding place.
"Row...?"
To its relief, all of the Pokémon it had been cohabitating with in the conservation area for the past month were no longer there, as were the Syndicate's Pokémon. Seizing the fresh new opportunity that presented itself, the Shiny Rowlet began flapping its wings and quickly propelled itself into the air...
Only for its wing strength to fail, and for it to start falling to the ground.
"ROW-ROW-ROW-ROOOW!"
Fortunately for the Grass Quill Pokémon, there were several leaves and branches that it hit on the way down, slowly but progressively softening the final impact on the ground. Once it finally landed with just a few nicks and bruises, the Shiny Rowlet lifted its head and chirruped again, somberly this time.
Once it was sure the outside hallway was clear, the Shiny Rowlet hopped out of the conservation area grounds and deep into Aether Paradise. This was the first time it had been outside the conservation area since it arrived, so Rowlet simply hopped down a random direction and allowed the hall to take it wherever it went.
It kept hopping and hopping and hopping for what seemed like an eternity, seeing the same design and lighting systems, until the Grass Quill Pokémon finally heard some voices in the distance.
"It's finished, Giovanni sir."
"Excellent, Faba. Excellent."
"I'm warning you, Giovanni."
Intrigued, and with a ninety-degree turn of its head, Rowlet hopped closer towards the sound of the voices. It could see an agape door ahead, with shimmering golden light peering through the wide crack. Once it reached the door, the Grass Quill Pokémon peeked into the room, just in time to bear witness to an astounding sight.
A man was standing at the center of the room; it vaguely recognized him as Faba, the underling of the nice woman who had been taking care of it recently, Wicke. Behind him was a strange machine, not unlike the technology that Wicke and her colleagues used on it and its brethren in the conservation area. Also in the room were several other people, including a man dressed in a dark suit, who was radiating an aura that left the Grass Quill Pokémon extremely unsettled.
"Oh, there's nothing to warn about, Nanu," Faba replied, holding his arms out dramatically as one of the other people in the room, an older, grumpy-looking man, scowled nastily at him. "Because now, now, you are about to witness the vast, untapped, true power that lies within Ultra Space!"
"Faba, no!" a voice hollered, and Rowlet immediately recognized it as Wicke's. "You can't do this! Not after what we have already learned-!"
"Shut your trap, Wicke! I've been waiting for this precious moment since my demotion! I've always..." He hesitated for a brief moment, an ambiguous emotion passing through his eyes. "Always been better than all of you, and now...I'm going to prove it."
Then, to Rowlet's surprise, Faba directed his gaze at the scary-looking, well-dressed man.
"Even if it means the end of me!"
With a resounding finality, the scientist pressed down on the device's foremost button, causing it to power up in a matter of seconds before...
Giovanni watched as the Ultra Wormhole opened up before his very eyes and refused to stop growing in size. The tear in time and space, swirling in various colors of blue, pink, and purple and highlighted in a brilliant, flashing white, roared to life in seconds, expelling powerful winds that turned several laboratory supplies over and whipped any and all papers in the room up in the air, causing them to flutter wildly like confetti.
"Giovanni, sir!" Matori screamed.
But the Team Rocket executive already saw the dark silhouettes. He ducked to the floor, just in time to avoid being hit by the onslaught of otherworldly beings flying out of the still-growing Ultra Wormhole and entering the realm of the physical world.
"IT'S AN AMBUSH!" Dr. Zager hollered at the top of his lungs, just before he was knocked out by a Buzzwole's powerful Dynamic Punch.
Meanwhile, Matori tried to reach for a Poké Ball, but a Nihilego fired a Venoshock at her direction, forcing her to dodge it. Then, she was sent running by a Kartana who had begun violently slashing at the air with its katana-like arms. As for the other Syndicate grunts present in the room, they engaged the other Ultra Beasts in battle.
Several grunts from Teams Magma tried to subdue a Blacephalon, only for it to evade them by twirling and somersaulting around, trying to put on a flashy display in the process.
Team Rocket grunts battled a Xurkitree, but it kept their Pokémon at bay with its Electric-type attacks. In the process, it noticed Blacephalon's methods of elusion and constantly kept trying to one-up it by putting a performative quality into its attacks.
Team Plasma grunts tried to engage a Stakataka, though its sturdy body, composed of multiple sentient rocks, was able to absorb the impacts of their Pokémon's attacks.
Team Aqua grunts went after a Pheromosa, though it simply resorted to evasive maneuvers like Blacephalon did and kept outsmarting their Pokémon at every turn, making sure they inadvertently attacked one another in the process.
Team Flare grunts found themselves going up against a Guzzlord, its large appetite and overall ravenous attitude proving to be tough for their Pokémon to match.
Team Galactic grunts were left to deal with a huge swarm of Poipole led by a pair of Naganadel, all of which flowed out of the Ultra Wormhole at great speeds and proceeded to attack their Pokémon with unmatched aggression.
And finally, half of the laboratory was destroyed the moment a Celesteela emerged from the Ultra Wormhole, its massive size and solid rocket booster-like appendages sending dozens of Syndicate grunts fleeing rather than engaging it.
Meanwhile, as the Syndicate tried its best to overcome the Ultra Beasts' unexpected arrivals, Nanu seized his chance. He sprung forward towards the now-restrained and gagged Acerola and began untying her bonds.
"Nanu!" the purple-haired girl cried as soon as the Island Kahuna removed the cloth gagging her. "What's-?!"
"Sh, sh, sh!" Nanu placed a finger over Acerola's lips, shushing her instantly. "I need you to get outta this place, Acerola. Run as fast as you can, and don't you dare look back. Find help."
Acerola's eyes widened. "Bu-But what about you?!"
She could've sworn she saw a light fade in Nanu's eyes as he replied, "I'm staying here." He finished untying Acerola and proceeded to retrieve Mimikins's unconscious body for her. "I will distract them while you get out."
"No, Nanu!" She grasped his sleeve. "Y-You can't!"
Nanu tore away from her grip. "I have to. I'll keep their attention occupied while you-"
"You don't have to, Nanu!" Then, Acerola blinked, her breath bated. "Is...Is this about your friendship with that Giovanni guy?"
The Island Kahuna blinked in shock. "Huh...?"
"I heard you two, up in that vent." The girl's expression then softened. "You two go way back, huh...?"
Nanu pursed his lips and let out a sharp exhale. But before he could respond, he saw swift movement at the corner of his eye and reacted quickly, shoving Mimikins into Acerola's arms and then pushing her away.
"Get back!"
"MEEEEEOOOOOWTH!"
The Alolan Meowth missed Acerola by centimeters, and with Nanu's move to save the girl, this left his forearm exposed to its extended, glowing claws. A split-second later, Nanu felt the claws make contact with his arm, but for the briefest, most infinitesimal moment, he felt nothing.
Then, his vision was filled with red light, and a searing heat, a heat unlike any that he had felt before, erupted through the entirety of his arm.
"AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!"
He fell to the floor, clutching his forearm to prevent more blood from spurting out. Then, he felt a shadow loom over him, and he looked up with gritted teeth. He saw Giovanni's secretary Matori stalking past him, her disgusted Alolan Meowth shaking its bloodied claws to clean them. But they weren't focused on him.
"Now where do you think you're going, young lady...?" Matori asked ominously, her shadow towering over Acerola as the girl clutched Mimikins.
But before the secretary could do anything to recapture her, the entire lab began to shake again, distracting her just long enough for Acerola to be seized by another woman and half-dragged out of the room. After watching Acerola go for one last time, Nanu then looked up and saw several cracks appearing on the roof. At first, the Island Kahuna thought that the entire lab was about to collapse from the Ultra Wormhole's chaotic presence inside. Then, he realized, to his surprise and confusion, that the cracks were mostly appearing on the base of the roof, near the corners it shared with the walls of the room.
Milliseconds later, the roof broke off from its foundation...and continued to lift off, like it was being carried by a crane.
"NO! We can't leave him!"
"I'm sorry, Acerola. I'm so sorry, but we can't look back now. We just can't."
Wicke refused to look at the girl as she escorted her out of the increasingly wrecked lab. As they stepped out, the leader pro tem of the Aether Foundation recalled the circumstances that led to her freedom. Specifically, the actions of her long-complicated yet trusted colleague Faba. She still couldn't believe he had actually faked his defection to the Syndicate all along. She then gritted her teeth, unable to stomach the image of Faba being violently tackled by Giovanni's Persian once he freed her.
"Oh, Faba," she thought. "If only I could've helped you, but...to stay in that room for a second longer is to fight a losing battle at this point. I can only hope your strategy works out for us."
As she continued to guide Acerola out of the lab and through the hall, Wicke failed to notice the Shiny Rowlet that leaped into the air and used its subpar wing strength to perch itself on the top of Acerola's head. Instead, they both took notice of the violent shaking that was occurring inside the lab...
"Wow. Did you really think you could get that one by me?"
Giovanni sneered down at the semi-conscious Faba, whose body was now adorned with blood and gashes left by Persian. Speaking of the Classy Cat Pokémon, it was currently encircling Faba with a fanged smirk, leaving behind a trail of bloody paw-prints. The scientist moaned and twitched from the agonizing, debilitating pain, but nevertheless, he found enough energy to muster a taunting grin.
"You'll...never...seize...control...of...Ultra Space..." he gurgled determinedly.
"Never seize control?" Giovanni's sneer simply grew wider. "Well, I beg to differ."
The executive stepped aside, revealing the aftermath of Faba's scheme. All of the Ultra Beasts that had burst through the Ultra Wormhole were now restrained by the powerful grip of Psychic. Some Syndicate grunts had seized control of Faba's device and were able to use it to stabilize the Ultra Wormhole. And most of all, the lab's entire roof was gone, courtesy of Giovanni's Mewtwo, the one responsible for subduing the Ultra Beasts.
"Two things, dear Faba," Giovanni continued sarcastically. "Number one, if you're planning on betraying someone, don't do it in such an obvious manner. I knew what you were planning the moment you stepped in on Wicke's behalf. A sudden and unexpected betrayal like that, it's highly clichéd at this point. And number two, don't execute the betrayal once you put your target in an advantageous position should said betrayal go sideways."
"Giovanni, sir!" Matori cried, running up to her superior.
Giovanni didn't avert his gaze from the grievously wounded Faba. "Yes, Matori?"
"I just finished my headcount. One of the Naganadel that came through the Ultra Wormhole-"
"It's unaccounted for?"
"Y-Yes. It must've fled as soon as Mewtwo tore off the roof."
"No matter. It's merely one Ultra Beast. It's not like we lost Solgaleo or Lunala." Then, Giovanni pursed his lips. "Oh, and Matori?"
Matori's posture became even more rigid. "Yes, sir?!"
"Don't do what you did to Nanu ever again." Giovanni glanced towards the medical stretcher, where a now-unconscious Nanu was being treated by a bandaged Dr. Zager. "The only one who gets to decide his fate is ME."
"Yes, sir." Matori bowed her head apologetically. "I apologize, sir. I was out of line."
"Damn right you were." Then, the Team Rocket executive called out to Dr. Zager in concern, "How is he, Doctor?!"
"He's suffered shock from severe blood loss, sir!" the scientist replied. "But he'll live."
"Good..." Giovanni nodded firmly, keeping his lips pursed and his emotions at bay. "Good." Then, in an effort to keep his mind elsewhere, he shifted his focus to the stabilized Ultra Wormhole. "N-Now then, onto more pressing matters, such as executing the next phase of Operation: Eclipse. I-I hope you remember what exactly is behind that very Ultra Wormhole, Matori."
"Precisely, sir." Pleased that her superior was no longer concerned about the situation with Nanu, Matori glanced towards the Ultra Wormhole as well. "The power of the Blinding One."
"Yes. Soon, very soon, it'll be in the palm of our hands..."
Hau'oli City, Melemele Island
"Turtonator, Charizard, both of you use Flamethrower now!" Kiawe commanded. "Marowak, use Bonemerang!"
"Use Rock Slide, Lycanroc!" Olivia ordered loudly. "And Probopass, use Magnet Bomb!"
Kiawe's Turtonator and Charizard launched streams of fire at Tapu Koko's direction, while Marowak threw the bone that it was holding as well. Meanwhile, some tufts on Olivia's Lycanroc's fur glowed white, allowing it to conjure around its body rocks outlined in a bright white aura, while a silver sphere of energy formed right in front of Probopass's nose, and both Pokémon then launched their respective attacks alongside Kiawe's.
Unfortunately, the guardian deity's Electric Terrain was still in effect. With the entire battlefield electrified, grayish-orange bolts of electricity began relentlessly zapping the incoming quintet of attacks, shooting down Marowak's Bonemerang and a number of Lycanroc's Rock Slide-conjured rocks, and causing Probopass's Magnet Bomb to explode in midflight. As for Turtonator's and Charizard's Flamethrowers, the zapping bolts kept disrupting the consistency of the fiery streams, which weakened them to the point where they started to approach Tapu Koko's position with considerably less vigor and gusto.
"Dodge, Tapu Koko," Pierce ordered calmly. "Then follow it up with Dazzling Gleam."
Tapu Koko gracefully danced and somersaulted through Turtonator's and Charizard's Flamethrowers, and the remainder of Lycanroc's Rock Slide. Then, it enveloped itself in a familiar rainbow-colored sphere and lunged at Kiawe's and Olivia's Pokémon.
"DODGE IT, GUYS!" Kiawe and Olivia commanded at the same time.
Marowak and Lycanroc dashed to the sides, while Charizard took off in the air, but Turtonator and Probopass were slower. Predictably, they were too late to move in time: Tapu Koko viciously tackled both Pokémon, the Dazzling Gleam-amplified impacts throwing them backward.
"NO, TURTONATOR/PROBOPASS!"
"Impressive, but futile," Pierce remarked. Then, as Tapu Koko returned to his position, he narrowed his cold eyes slightly. "Tapu Koko, use Nature's Madness."
The guardian deity did as it was told, slamming its fist into the ground and triggering a pink shockwave that headed right for the incapacitated Turtonator and Probopass.
"Charizard, protect Turtonator and counter with Flamethrower!" Kiawe shouted, whereupon the Flame Pokémon fired the attack again, striking the shockwave but to no effect. "No, Turtonator!"
"Lycanroc!" called Olivia. "Use Rock Slide again, quickly!"
Lycanroc fired the attack again, and this time, since it was fired at a closer range, it reached the Nature's Madness before Tapu Koko's Electric Terrain could weaken it. The conjured rocks struck the shockwave, one after another, and triggered a premature explosion. But Pierce wasn't fazed by this development.
"Use Dazzling Gleam again, Tapu Koko," he ordered flippantly.
The guardian deity charged toward the fallen Turtonator and Probopass as they tried to get up, its body enveloped in yet another rainbow-colored sphere. Realizing what was about to happen, Turtonator shoved Probopass out of the way, just seconds before it was struck and critically wounded by Tapu Koko. With a pained moan, the Blast Turtle Pokémon tried to move away with the last ounce of strength that it had, but it was quickly pinned down by the Electric-type deity.
"TURTONATOR!" screeched Kiawe. Then, he turned towards Marowak. "Marowak, use Shadow Bone!"
Having taken the opportunity to retrieve its bone, Marowak spun it, a purple flame gathering around one of its ends and a blue aura briefly flashing inside the center. It then stopped spinning the bone and leaped at Tapu Koko, striking it with the bone and creating a burst of both purple and blue flames that knocked the guardian deity off of Turtonator.
"Great!" Kiawe then looked up at Charizard. "Now Charizard, use Flamethrower again!"
Charizard soared closer to Tapu Koko and fired another stream of fire at the guardian deity, briefly setting it alight.
"Follow it up with Drill Run, Lycanroc!" Olivia commanded.
Lycanroc charged at Tapu Koko, its body rotating at a high speed while white lines of aura formed and swirled around its body. However, before it could reach its opponent, Tapu Koko, unfazed by Charizard's flames, held its arms out and, with narrowed blue eyes, caught the Wolf Pokémon in midair.
Olivia gasped, stunned. "Wh-What?!"
Pierce merely smirked in satisfaction. Then, Tapu Koko threw Lycanroc at Charizard, knocking the Flame Pokémon out of the sky.
"Now that the aerial threat's down," Pierce instructed, "use Nature's Madness again."
This time, the triggered pink shockwave was able to hit Lycanroc and Charizard before either of them could recover. Both fell back to the ground, the wind knocked out of them.
"Use Flare Blitz, Marowak!" Kiawe ordered.
Marowak tapped its bone on its head, setting it on fire. It then rapidly spun the bone around a few times before cloaking its body in light-green flames. Finally, it started rolling towards Tapu Koko at high speeds, but the guardian deity noticed and dodged it. Undeterred, Marowak maneuvered itself around and tried to strike the Electric-type guardian again, only to be met with the same results.
"Now's not the time for lollygagging, Tapu Koko," Pierce said, his vocal pitch not even changing. "Use Discharge on that puny pest."
Tapu Koko fired multiple bolts of grayish-orange electricity at Marowak as it tried maneuvering around again. Kiawe held his breath the moment he watched his Bone Keeper Pokémon get electrocuted repeatedly. Marowak fell to the ground in pain and then tried to move again, but Tapu Koko kept up and even intensified the electric assault, keeping it pinned. It let out a wail of agony as bolts of electricity kept assailing its body.
"NO, MAROWAK!"
Gasping, Olivia looked toward Probopass for progress. However, having already suffered severe injuries from Tapu Koko's earlier attacks, the Compass Pokémon slowly lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground with a moan. With it down and Lycanroc clearly matched in terms of power with the guardian deity, Olivia's face began to turn florid in frustration.
Meanwhile, Turtonator, unable to bear watching its rival Marowak getting tortured, used its remaining strength to stand back up and use Focus Blast. The yellow sphere soared from its chest and hit Tapu Koko, knocking it off the Bone Keeper Pokémon.
"T-Turtonator?!" Kiawe exclaimed in awe, while Marowak weakly raised its head to acknowledge its rival.
But Pierce blinked idly. "Nature's Madness, Tapu Koko."
Unfortunately, Turtonator was too injured to dodge the pink shockwave, and it was knocked back to the ground. Marowak was also struck, landing next to the Blast Turtle Pokémon.
"And now for the grand finale," Pierce said calmly. Then, with a swipe of his hand, he was prepared to give his next order. "Finish this with a little Dazzling Gl-"
"NO, DON'T!"
Kiawe felt his heart stop beating, while Olivia covered her mouth in horror as they both watched a familiar little girl jump out from behind some nearby bushes. She stood as firmly and courageously as she could, even as Tapu Koko directed its focus on her.
"DON'T YOU DARE HURT MY BROTHER'S POKÉMON!" Mimo shouted.
Elsewhere in Hau'oli, Lana, Mallow, Hau, their Pokémon, and Ash's Incineroar had just finished freeing all of the captives in Mallow's passenger aircraft. The sounds of battling were audible even from inside the aircraft, though everyone had no choice but to get out.
"Ohhh, thank you so much, Incineroar," Anela said gratefully, right after Incineroar used Fire Fang to shatter her bonds. The Heel Pokémon nodded and then embraced its longtime friend.
"That's the last of them," Abe announced, once he got done freeing an elderly couple. Then, he faced Lana, confused. "B-But where do we go from here? The rest of those Syndicate guys are gonna figure out what's going on and send backup! We've got nowhere to go!"
"Yes, we do!" a new voice announced.
Lana gasped in relief as Sophocles entered the aircraft with Togedemaru and Vikavolt. Hau's eyes grew large in surprise.
"Sophocles!" the green-haired boy cried. "Is my grandpa okay?!"
"Yeah." Sophocles pointed out of the open hatch. "Nurse Joy and I took him to Oranguru's place."
"Wait, Oranguru?" Abe asked, recalling his old helper and muse.
"Yeah, that's right. It took us in, and it doesn't seem like the Syndicate knows about the place. O-Oh, and get this, guys! Apparently, Oranguru's place has an old bomb shelter."
"Wait, an old bomb shelter?" Mallow asked incredulously.
"Yeah. Oranguru uses it to keep spare supplies. But it's got everything! Food, water, its own electricity-"
"Then we gotta head to Oranguru's place right away," interrupted Lana.
"We could call for help there!" Mallow suggested excitedly.
At that moment, Sophocles sheepishly scratched his cheek. "Yeeeeeah...that's the thing..."
"What?"
"The one thing the shelter doesn't have is a working communication system...of any kind..."
"What?!" Hau exclaimed. "I thought you said it had everything!"
"...I may have exaggerated a little..."
"Wait, so we can't call for help?" asked Mallow. "What about the school? Does it-?"
"No," Lana interrupted, shaking her head. "Whatever the Syndicate did, they fried all of our electronics. The school's only hanging on by a thread because of its backup generator. But unlike Oranguru's place, it doesn't have a shelter. It will not be long before the Syndicate finds it and searches it."
Sophocles's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no..."
"Why?" Mallow asked. "Are there people there?"
"Yeah," replied Lana. "The Professors, Principal Oak, my family and Sophocles's and Kiawe's..."
"Then we gotta split up," Hau commented.
"Right." Lana scanned her group, quickly formulating a plan. "S-Sophocles, you take everyone to Oranguru's place. Show them where the bomb shelter is. Mallow, Hau, you guys accompany me back to the school. We'll tell everyone of what we found."
"Jeez, Lana," Mallow replied, her green eyes shining with pride. "For once, you're taking some initiative! I like it!"
Lana's face immediately turned red in response. "Th-Th-Thanks, Mallow-"
"And I like twerps who take the simple initiative to fall back in line!" a new voice announced tauntingly.
Everyone froze and glanced across the field between them and downtown Hau'oli. Walking towards them with a confident strut and a malevolent smirk was Domino, her blonde hair swaying from the cold breeze and her violet eyes shimmering with an enthusiastic hunger. Flanking her was a Pokémon that made many of the elders in Lana's group gasp and even start weeping quietly.
It was Tapu Lele, but it had most definitely been changed following its capture, and for the worst. Its once-beautiful color scheme had become an absolutely corrupted and debauched inversion, with a terrible ink-black replacing its lovely light-pink colors and its warm rosy-pink colors taking on a sickly gray tint, and its once-beautiful blue eyes were scarlet.
"The guardian of Akala Island..." Anela whispered in shock, while Incineroar protectively stood in front of her.
"Oh, you like my new Pokémon, kids?" Domino asked. She stopped several yards away from the group and stroked Tapu Lele's side with an almost maternal fondness that nevertheless sickened Lana, Mallow, Sophocles, and Hau to the pits of their stomachs. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"
"How...DARE you lay your hands on one of the guardians!" Anela suddenly shrieked, forcing Incineroar to hold her back. "How DARE you!"
Domino chuckled evilly and continued, "And not only that, but she packs quite a powerful punch..." Then, a mischievous glint passed through her eye. "Wanna see what it can do to those who think they can stood up to the Syndicate's might?"
"We've got no more time to waste!" Mallow cried. "We gotta get outta here, NOW!"
"Sophocles, get everyone out of here now!" ordered Lana. "Mallow, Hau, and I will stay here and hold her off!"
"A-All by yourselves?!" Sophocles squeaked. Then, he shook his head and puffed out his round stomach courageously. "I won't leave you guys here on your own! I'm staying to help!"
"But you know where to go-!"
"He's not the only one," Abe interrupted. "I know where..." He glanced at Domino and Tapu Lele. "Where it is. I can take everyone there."
"A-Alright!" Lana replied impulsively. "Then go!"
"But..." The chef looked at Mallow, his heart dropping. "What about y-?"
"It's alright, Dad," Mallow said, her eyes on Domino and Tapu Lele while she raised Tsareena's Poké Ball. "Like I said, I'm an Ultra Guardian, and I've dealt with Team Rocket before. This is nothing new to me."
"But-"
"You have to trust me on this, Dad. Just go." When she didn't hear any movement behind her, Mallow glared at her father with a face of resolve. "GO! I can take care of myself, Dad! Just go!"
Realizing he couldn't sway his daughter's position, Abe reluctantly nodded, just as the image of a younger Mallow flashed across his mind. Then, he guided the other townspeople away, leaving Lana, Mallow, Sophocles, and Hau behind to face Domino and Tapu Lele alone. The blonde agent snickered mockingly to herself as she prepared to make the first order...
"DON'T YOU DARE HURT MY BROTHER'S POKÉMON!" Mimo shouted.
"MIMO?!" Kiawe hollered. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
"Hm?" Pierce arched an eyebrow at the little girl's direction. "So you know this boy. Interesting. Very interesting..." Then, he pointed at Mimo. "Tapu Koko, capture her."
Wasting no time, the Electric-type guardian deity charged straight for Mimo, moving at high speeds. Kiawe gasped when he saw his younger sister become paralyzed with fear.
"MIMO!" he yelled. Then, he looked down at the fallen Turtonator and Marowak; to his relief, Marowak had just recovered from its injuries, but just barely. "MAROWAK, USE BONEMERANG!"
Marowak nodded and threw its bone at Tapu Koko, striking its leg and knocking it off-balance before it could reach Mimo. This gave Kiawe enough time to call out to his sister.
"RUN, MIMO!"
But Mimo didn't respond or budge an inch. Her terror had become so overwhelming, and her eyes followed Tapu Koko's, taking quick notice of the uncharacteristic aggression shining through its blue pupils.
"Very well, then," Pierce remarked while adjusting his collar. "I suppose I'll take care of this myself..."
To Kiawe's horror, the Team Rocket agent began advancing upon Mimo, who was still too paralyzed in fear to move.
"RUN, MIMO!" the boy yelled at the top of his lungs. When this failed to sway Mimo, Kiawe pointed at Tapu Koko. "USE FLARE BLITZ, MAROWAK!"
Marowak used the Fire-type move, knocking the Electric-type guardian deity down before it could fully get back up. Then, Kiawe pointed at Pierce, who by that point was starting to loom over the increasingly horrified Mimo.
"U-Use Shadow Bone, Marowak!"
Momentarily stunned by the unusual order, Marowak then ran up to Pierce, jumped atop his back, and beat him with its fiery bone. For some reason, this knocked the agent down to the ground, but he didn't exhibit any emotion. Instead, he started crawling towards the frozen Mimo.
"Use Shadow Bone again, Marowak!" Kiawe cried.
His Bone Keeper Pokémon beat Pierce in the back again with the bone, but once again, there was no reaction.
"Again!" he yelled.
The third Shadow Bone struck Pierce in the head, but yet again, there was no reaction.
"Again!"
The fourth Thunderbolt struck Pierce straight in the face. Again, no reaction.
"Again!"
The fifth Shadow Bone struck Pierce in the face again. Still, no reaction. There wasn't even any blood that flew out from his nose and mouth.
"Ag-!"
"Wait a minute, Kiawe!" Olivia cried.
By that point, the trap was already set: Pierce's body was suddenly enveloped in a bluish-purple aura, and Marowak felt it change shape from beneath. Within a couple of seconds, Pierce was gone in a flash of sickly light, and in his place was a Shiny Zoroark wearing a minuscule earpiece, its bluish-purple mane matching his coat.
"Wh-What?!" Kiawe exclaimed in disbelief. "He...He was a Zoroark this whole time?! But...But where-?"
"KIAWE!"
The boy's blood ran cold, and he looked at Mimo. She had been lifted off her feet and was now in the clutches of the real Pierce, who gave Kiawe a small but genuine smirk. The teenage boy could feel his entire world crumbling all around him.
"KIAWE HELP M- MMPH! MMPH, MMMMMMPH!"
"A young girl caring for a boy like you in such a manner," Pierce commented, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed Kiawe's body language. Mimo struggled in his grip, trying to shake off the hand that was clasped over her mouth. "And...you to her as well... She must be your little sister, isn't that right...?"
Kiawe didn't need to respond to confirm Pierce's suspicions. At the same time, Zoroark shoved the stunned Marowak off and joined its Trainer's side, threateningly baring its fangs at Mimo's head.
"Well then, since you're evidently fond of this little girl, then I suppose a surrender is in order-"
"Incineroar, use Darkest Lariat!" a new voice commanded.
Pierce and Zoroark reflexively jumped away with Mimo in tow, just in time to avoid a small, fiery tornado that had been headed their way. The tornado then dispelled, revealing itself to be Incineroar all along. Kiawe and Olivia looked behind them and saw a familiar figure rushing towards them alongside a Braviary, a Lucario, a Venusaur, an Empoleon, a Dusk Form Lycanroc, and a Melmetal.
"Huh?" Olivia uttered. "The Masked Royal?"
By that point, the masked figure stood in front of Kiawe and Olivia, his Pokémon glaring at Pierce and his own team.
"Let her go!" he demanded.
Pierce responded with a soft smirk. "On the contrary..."
Tapu Koko stood back up and shook its body, clearing it of the thin veil of dust that coated its skin. Then, it glared right at the Masked Royal, causing his skin to crawl and most of his Pokémon to flinch at the guardian deity's new appearance.
"I think I'll be keeping her around as a bargaining chip, seeing as the boy and the dimwit-"
"HEY!" Olivia barked in protest.
"Are proving to be great thorns in my side. But since you're here, Professor Kukui-"
"Huh?" Kiawe looked at the Masked Royal and realized the man's shoulders were now slumped. "Pr-Professor?"
At the same time, Pierce handed the struggling Mimo to Zoroark, who then jumped away into the nearby neighborhood before Kiawe could protest. Then, the Team Rocket agent pulled back his large, thick sleeve, revealing a black Z-Ring to his opponents. Kukui's, Kiawe's, and Olivia's eyes grew extremely wide at the sight of the Tapunium Z that was already installed.
"You...You have a Z-Crystal?!" Kukui cried incredulously.
Pierce nodded politely. "Of course."
"How could you even hope to use a Z-Move?!" an affronted Olivia called bitterly. "Especially when you've had Tapu Koko for a grand total of, what, fifteen minutes?!"
"The Syndicate's done its homework..." Then, the agent's lips twitched into a small, almost unnoticeable smile. "And we have ways of getting around the more...arcane requirements of a Z-Move. Now then..." The Tapunium Z began to glow, and Pierce raised his arm high in the air as Tapu Koko's outline glowed as well. "Guardian of-"
He was cut off by a barrage of brown, smelly globs of sludge that came out of nowhere. Tapu Koko didn't have any time to react to the surprise attack, and its body was doused in the sludge. Almost immediately, it twitched, writhed, and let out an agonizing cry while a foul stench filled the air. Then, yellow electricity soared above Kiawe's and Olivia's shoulders and hit Tapu Koko dead-on, with the sludge helping to conduct the electricity throughout the guardian deity's body.
"Tapu Koko?" Pierce asked, a tint of concern and alarm in his voice.
Then, two Pokémon came into view, hovering in front of Kukui, Kiawe, and Olivia and surprising the former two.
"Rotom?!" Kiawe exclaimed.
"Naganadel?" Kukui asked, dumbfounded.
"'Sup, everyone?!" Rotom Dex greeted, turning to give the others a cheeky grin. As for Naganadel, it stared down the scowling Pierce.
"Where in the world were you?!" Kiawe demanded, addressing Rotom.
"Hiding in the shadows till the perfect moment came for me to strike! Like Alolan Detective Laki would do!"
"Something tells me you've developed wrong impressions on the character..."
By that point, Tapu Koko had recovered from the Sludge Bomb-Discharge combination, shaking off the electrified sludge and staring down Naganadel. At the same time, Pierce procured a walkie-talkie, his scowl becoming more pronounced.
"I think I've had enough fun playing around with you shortsighted Alolans," the agent commented.
As Pierce activated the walkie-talkie and Tapu Koko started to close in, Kukui took a step back towards Kiawe and Olivia.
"We can't keep this up any longer," the professor said.
"But we have to!" protested Kiawe. "Professor, they have Mimo!"
"And they'll have us too if we don't change up the battlefield on our own terms. We need to fall back if we're gonna bring up a new strategy that'll work."
"And how are we gonna do that?" Olivia asked dumbly.
"Don't worry about that!" Rotom suddenly declared. "I've got it handled!"
"Really?" Kiawe asked. "How?"
"Ask them!"
At that moment, a helicopter bearing the Aether Foundation logo appeared over the canopy of Melemele trees...
"OOF!"
Lana, Mallow, Sophocles, Hau, and their Pokémon all watched in dumbfounded shock as a glob of purple, steaming liquid struck Domino from behind, knocking her down to the ground. Seconds later, she began to writhe and scream.
"AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH! WHAT IS THIS?! GET IT OFF ME, GET IT OFF ME, GET IT OFF ME! TAPU LELEEEEE!"
As for Tapu Lele, it looked around and began frantically searching the area for its unseen opponent, giving Lana's group enough time to hide behind the Syndicate aircraft Mallow had been imprisoned in.
"Holy crud!" Hau wheezed, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead. "That was a close one!"
"I wonder who fired that Venoshock?" Sophocles asked.
"Whoever they were," Lana replied, "I'd sure love to thank them!"
Nearby, Tupp and his Salandit quickly withdrew before Tapu Lele could spot them, hiding behind the charred house with Zipp and Rapp. The blue-haired Team Skull grunt was now hyperventilating, like he had just run a marathon through the entire archipelago, but nevertheless, he was wearing a face of exhilaration.
"I can't believe you just frigging did that!" Zipp snapped.
"Why'd you do that, Tupp?!" demanded a stunned yet impressed Rapp. "Team Skull is allied with the Syndicate now!"
Then, both grunts were silenced by a look of resolve from their comrade.
"Team Skull is allied with no one," Tupp declared bravely. "They may have gotten to Guzma and Plumeria, but they ain't gonna get to the rest of us! Not if I have anything to say about it!"
A millisecond later, the house they were hiding behind exploded, sending all three grunts and their Pokémon flying. Tapu Lele emerged through the wreckage, its eyes narrowed ferociously as it zeroed in on the rebels.
"Tapu Lele's gone," Mallow observed. "It must've found whoever attacked that woman."
"I hope they're gonna be alright," Hau replied in concern. "That Nature's Madness sounded pretty awful."
"Well, for now," Lana responded, "we gotta think about ourselves, and all the people still at the school. It won't be long until..."
Her voice trailed off, prompting Mallow to take over. "Look, th-that woman who has Tapu Lele, she's gone off to find Tapu Lele. We could slip past her and-"
"And what?" Sophocles interrupted fearfully. "Even if we make it back to the school and get all our families and everyone else there, even if we make it back to Oranguru's place, we still don't have a way of contacting the outside world!"
"Wait a minute," replied Mallow, overwhelmed with confusion. "A big force like this, taking over a small region like ours? Someone somewhere in the world's bound to notice!"
"That's what Kiawe said too, and that's correct. But remember our history lessons, Mallow?"
"History lessons?" The green-haired girl looked at her classmate with confusion. "What do our Alolan history lessons have to do with this, Lana?"
"Not Alolan history, Mallow. World history."
This was met with a look of blank puzzlement from Mallow.
"You know. World history. As in, modern history?"
Mallow simply tilted her head in confusion.
"Hold up, you're telling me you weren't paying attention?!"
"World history isn't really my strongest suit, b-but it doesn't matter anyway! If anyone's gonna notice what's happening here and do something about it, it'd be Ulu!"
"Ulu?"
"Yeah! Remember? He's in Hoenn right now to help out with the Wallace Cup Sapphire Jubilee-"
"Well, it still doesn't MATTER! Professor Kukui reminded us that-"
"Hold up, Sophocles," Lana interrupted.
"Hold up?" The rotund boy looked at his friend, bewildered. "What could be more important than-?!"
"Wait, Sophocles! I think I hear a helicopter!"
"A...A helicopter?" Hau asked. He peeked his head out from behind the aircraft and indeed saw a helicopter approaching from the distance. "Yeah, I see it, I see it! It...It doesn't look like it belongs to those Syndicate guys!"
"Who does it belong to, then?" asked Mallow.
"I...I see a logo on the side, but...I can't make heads or tails on it. From here, it looks like some sort of gold crown-"
"Then that must be the Aether Foundation!" Lana interrupted. "They found a way out of here!" She immediately jumped out from their hiding place and began waving her arms frantically. "HEEEEEY! HEY, OVER HERE! DOWN HERE!"
She was quickly joined by the others, who waved and yelled at the helicopter to catch the pilots' attention. Fortunately, it noticed them immediately and positioned itself to hover several feet above them, while a rope ladder was unfurled from its side. A familiar face peeked out from the side.
"GET ON!" Kiawe called.
Lana, Mallow, Sophocles, and Hau didn't need to be told twice. They recalled most of their Pokémon and used the ladder to board the chopper, with Rowlet entering first courtesy of its flight and Hau entering last, having taken the time to help the others onto the ladder first. Before he got on the chopper, though, he glanced down at Hau'oli.
"We'll come back with help, everyone," he whispered resolutely. "We promise you that..."
"Thank goodness you made it, Kiawe!" Lana exclaimed in relief. Then, she took notice of the other passengers and let out a soft gasp. "Professor?"
"Rotom?" Mallow asked.
"Acerola?" Sophocles asked. "Olivia?"
"Hey, everyone," Kukui greeted sheepishly, the reality of practically being semi-naked before his students finally settling in. "Normally, I'd reprimand you all for risking your lives to save Mallow without proper adult supervision, but given the unique circumstances of the situation..."
At that moment, Naganadel hovered beside the helicopter, catching the new occupants' attention.
"Is that-?" began Mallow.
"We don't have any time to catch up, guys!" the pilot cried, revealing herself to be Wicke. "We need to get out of here!"
"NO!" Kiawe protested. "We can't leave now! They still have my sister-"
"No, I mean now! Tapu Koko's after us!"
Lana, Mallow, and Sophocles looked out of the sides of the chopper and immediately saw the Electric-type guardian deity flying towards them at great speeds, its Dazzling Gleam activated.
"MOVE!" Kukui cried frantically. "MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!"
But it was too late: Tapu Koko's body slammed through the tail of the helicopter, snapping it off and sending the chopper spiraling out of control. Naganadel tried to move out of its way, but the chassis slammed into the Ultra Beast and sent it flailing wildly through the air.
"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"
All of the passengers closed their eyes and held onto something, while Wicke tried her best to stabilize the helicopter as much as possible. But it was hopeless, and all she could see out of the windshield was blurs of white and blue. The noise of ringing alarms filled the air.
"ROW-ROW-ROW-ROW!"
Looking at the empty copilot's seat, Wicke saw the Shiny Rowlet that she had been caring for the past month, strapped on with the seatbelts but almost about to get thrown through the cracked side-window. Acting on instinct, she held out her right arm and took a hold on the Grass Quill Pokémon's body.
"HANG ON, ROWLET!" she cried while unsuccessfully continuing to stabilize the chopper. "JUST HANG ON!"
Then, Wicke looked back up and realized she was about to crash straight into the sea. Trying to remember the chopper's controls, the female scientist maneuvered the aerial vehicle to straighten out its flight pattern as much as possible, albeit with some difficulty. If they were going to crash, then she felt she had to make the landing as smooth as she could.
Just then, she heard another alarm ringing, and she realized it was for the engine: it had burst into flames.
"AGH!" Wicke started to feel the helicopter buckle and go into a free-fall from the engine loss. "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!"
After a few more moments of horrible spiraling, the helicopter violently crash-landed into the sea, but not before getting miles away from Alola's mainland.
Standing at the nearby beach, Pierce narrowed his cold, emotionless eyes upon observing the helicopter crash-land into the distant ocean. Tapu Koko slowly descended beside him, its Dazzling Gleam fading away while it delivered a gruff but triumphant huff. At the same time, the Team Rocket agent sensed someone running up to him.
"Commander Pierce!"
Exhaling, Pierce turned to face the Team Galactic grunt that had just approached. "Report."
"We just received Agent 009's distress call! We're now scouring the area for the hostages that got away." Then, the grunt paused to survey Pierce. "Is, uh...is everything alright on your end, Commander Pierce?"
Pierce looked over his shoulder to observe the distant wreckage of the helicopter. He blinked idly the moment the aerial vehicle burst into flames, sending a column of dark, thick smoke into the air.
"Commander Pierce?" the grunt asked again.
"Yes, soldier," he replied calmly. "Everything's alright. Now..." He redirected his focus to the canopy of trees beyond the boundaries of Hau'oli. "Let's look for those runaway hostages, shall we?"
He walked away from the shoreline and was closely followed by the Team Aqua grunt. In the distance, the helicopter was still spewing smoke for a few minutes, before its wreckage sunk beneath the waves...
The Pokémon School, Melemele Island
Back at the Pokémon School, Professor Burnet kept her eyes glued on the computer, trying to figure out a workaround to the Internet inaccessibility problem. Meanwhile, the others were becoming increasingly nervous and skittish, all of them unable to handle being cooped up in the classroom for hours on end now. On occasion, they would stop to look out of the windows and watch the door, hoping that Professor Kukui would return with the kids, only to be dismayed when minutes passed without any development of the sort.
"Okay!" Hiroki snapped exasperatedly, after looking out of the window closest to him for the umpteenth time. "This place is starting to get on my frigging nerves!"
"Calm down, Hiroki!" Samson cried, though he too looked concerned about the group's situation.
"Calm down?! Calm down?! The longer we stay in here, the more likely those guys will find us! Principal Oak, please tell me this school has a secret basement or tunnel or something, because our current hiding spot is just ridiculous!"
"If the school had an underground room, Hiroki, then we wouldn't be hiding here, now would we?"
"Hey, don't give me that attitude, Principal Oak! We gotta think about our survival here!"
Hiroki's choice of words caused Harper and Sarah to hold onto their mother's legs in fear, while Lei stirred uncomfortably in his stroller.
"Please, watch your words!" Lana's mother wheezed. "We have children here!"
"For the love of Arceus, woman, the children should be the least of our concerns!"
Before Lana's father could step in on his family's behalf, the class door suddenly burst open with a loud bang, while all of the windows exploded. Everyone screamed and ducked to avoid being hit by the flying glass. At the same time, dozens of Syndicate grunts flooded into the classroom with their Pokémon, making sure everyone was down on the floor.
"W-WHAT?!" Burnet thought with horror, while a pair of Team Rocket grunts and their Nidoking and Nidoqueen closed in on her and Lei. "How'd they find us?!"
"The young man is right, ladies and gentlemen," a female voice announced.
The grunts parted way to allow Cassidy and Butch to stroll into the classroom with smug looks. But their arrivals weren't the thing that elicited gasps of shock from the new captives. Rather, it was the Pokémon flanking them.
Just like their brethren, Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini boasted altered color schemes to reflect their newfound servitude to the Syndicate. Tapu Bulu's brownish-red and Tapu Fini's light-purple were replaced with black; their secondary colors, yellow and bluish-silver, had taken on dull-gray tints; and their blue eyes were now a blood-red.
"The children are the least of your worries," Butch announced, with Tapu Bulu mightily punching its fists beside him.
"Because now," Cassidy declared, while Tapu Fini joined her side, "you are all under the custody of the Syndicate!"
UNKNOWN LOCATION
"Hello? ...Hello? ...Wake up, sir, wake up!"
"Uuuuugh... Mimo..."
Kiawe's eyelids fluttered open, and at first, he could see absolutely nothing but glimmering blue. For some reason, it felt cool and smooth, very much unlike the warm temperatures and sandy surfaces that he was accustomed to in Alola.
Then, his eyesight adjusted itself, and the adolescent realized he was staring into a pair of eyes with dark-blue irises and two eyelash-like markings each.
"AGH!"
Kiawe sat upright and tried to scramble away, while the apparent Pokémon before him raised its flippers as a gesture of friendliness and goodwill.
"Wait, hold on!" it cried frantically. "Don't go! N-Not like you and your friends have anywhere to go, anyway!"
"H-Huh?"
Kiawe looked beside him on both sides and realized that all of his friends and companions were still with him, unscathed. Lana, Mallow, Sophocles, Professor Kukui, Rotom, and Ash's Incineroar and Rowlet were all regaining consciousness just like him; while Ash's Naganadel, Hau, Olivia, Acerola, Wicke, and the Shiny Rowlet were still unconscious but breathing.
"Wh-What happened...?" Mallow asked groggily.
"Forget that," Sophocles replied as he started looking around. "Where are we?"
As for Lana, she immediately noticed the Pokémon that had greeted Kiawe. Her blue eyes had grown so wide that Kiawe thought they were going to pop out of her skull. She took a moment to rub her eyes in disbelief and then stared right at the Pokémon again. Unfortunately, the rubbing didn't do the trick for her, for the Pokémon's identity was still as clear as daylight.
"I don't believe it..." she said in dumbfounded disbelief. "A Manaphy?"
"Yep!" the Pokémon replied cheerfully. "That's me!"
Lana's eyes grew wide again. "A talking Manaphy?!"
"Wooow!" Rotom exclaimed, acting quickly to take pictures of the Seafaring Pokémon. "A Manaphy, right before our very eyes!"
"That's...That's impossible..." Kukui whispered as he bent his upper body down to take a close look at the Water-type.
"It definitely is," Sophocles remarked, "unless..." A look of horror swept over his face. "Unless we're all...all...d-de-dea-"
Manaphy cut him off with an amused giggle. "You're funny, Mantyke boy!"
"M-Ma-Mantyke boy?!"
The Seafarer Pokémon ignored him and faced the others. "Don't worry, everyone! You're not dead! Rather, we saved you when you crashed nearby!"
"Nearby?" Mallow repeated, recalling the last memory she had before losing consciousness: nothing but the blue sea.
"Nearby what, exactly...?" Kukui asked hesitantly.
"My home, of course!" replied Manaphy.
It then held its flippers outward, confusing Kiawe's group for a brief moment. Then, Kiawe was the first to slowly look up, having realized that they were standing on a marble floor. To the group's amazement, they weren't underwater like they thought would happen to them when they crash-landed.
Instead, they were standing at the perimeter of an astounding palace, unlike any they had ever seen before. It was like a small city, complete with intricate walkways and staircases, and boasting ponds, fountains, small rivers, and waterfalls. A multi-story tower with a smooth marble structure spiraling around it and a mighty, shiny spire at the top stood out as the strange land's centerpiece.
Then, as they continued looking around, awestruck by their lovely surroundings, the entire group realized something for the very first time.
They were indeed underwater...and yet, the vast depths of the ocean were being held at bay by an invisible barrier.
"Welcome, everyone!" Manaphy cried happily. "To paradise! Samiya, the Sea Temple!"
"Samiya..." Kiawe whispered softly.
"The Sea Temple?" a dumbfounded Lana and Mallow asked at the same time.
Chapter 14:
ESCAPE
Swinub, the Pig Pokémon. It rubs its snout on the ground to find and dig up food. It sometimes discovers hot springs. If it smells something enticing, it dashes headlong off to find the source of the aroma.
pge,zlhrxzsllowsolh.
Next Time:
Iris: Alright. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. You can do this.
Cheren: I'm afraid this situation is getting worse by the minute.
Marshal: No matter what you say or do, little girlie, you'll never truly be the Unova Champion.
Cilan: Wow! It...It's been a while!
Unknown: The power of the Dragons was, is, and forever will be unmatched!
N: The one that sides with truth...
Haxorus: HAXOR!
Mewtwo: I sense a disturbance. We must attend to it!
IVORY
A/N: Man, that was one craaazy and hectic chapter, wasn't it?! So much going on, and so little time! And what a twist of an ending, I must say! A blast from the past!
Anyway, yeah, that truly WAS one crazy and hectic chapter. Sorry if things were a little too fast-paced and sudden for all of you. I know that I had to skip over and pretty much hand-wave a bunch of stuff that would've contextualized things a lot easier. I didn't even introduce all the characters that I should've! *cough* Hapu. *cough* (Don't worry, I still have a place for characters like her! You're just going to have to be patient for the time being. Just think of it like Hawkeye, Ant-Man, and Captain Marvel missing out on the events of "Avengers: Infinity War"! Yeah, like that.)
Anyway, I just couldn't afford to waste precious time and writing space on even the smallest info-dumps and exposition, otherwise I would've had to split this arc into three whole chapters and I want to devote two to each arc, for the sake of preventing reading fatigue from settling in. And I absolutely HAD to end this chapter on Kiawe and his friends reaching Samiya and meeting Manaphy. But don't you worry. Next time we circle around to Kiawe and his pals, you'll learn more about why things happened the way they did in these chapters.
As for why the chapters turned out this way, well, it's because of the unique situation that I put Alola and its characters in. Since Alola's a uniquely small region, that means all of the characters have to pretty much be cramped into a limited number of locations. And that means a lot more introductions to make per chapter. You saw that in the previous chapter, especially. And considering every arc starts out with the main characters first meeting the Syndicate, well, I had to think of a way that would do that with Alola's smaller geographic size in mind.
And that was when I got the idea to just essentially have the whole region conquered. I mean, with a massive force like the Syndicate's, there's no way a region like Alola would've been able to stand a chance once the organization came for their resources. But unfortunately, that meant higher stakes right off the bat, and that, plus the aforementioned reasons, meant I had to pack a lot more setup and conflict than usual into two chapters. Obviously, this seemed to be more of a detriment than a benefit for me.
So, long story short: a smaller region leads to a cramped cast, which leads to more of a necessity to introduce everyone, which leads to a need for bigger stakes and a bigger conflict, which leads to CHAOS. Capieche?
But hey, what can I do? After all, I REALLY need to keep moving the story along. And as you can see from the previews, next up is a...shall we say, controversial main character from the anime. I am going to be frank, I didn't mind her, and a bunch of recent developments have gotten me pretty invested in what I want to do with her story arc. It's going to be a very nice ride, I'll tell you that much! ;D ;D ;D
Anyway, I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing:
-Ander Arias:
1) Yeah, I don't really have the softest of spots for the SM saga of the anime either. But my creative writing class back in college encouraged me to write this, because every writer has to write unlikeable characters and/or scenarios, and some might even want to go through the extra challenge of writing unlikeable stuff in a heroic context. So, I decided to just do what I usually do and power through this arc to the best of my ability. And as I wrote this chapter, I found that I did find some enjoyment in taking Kiawe and his friends through this dilemma and showing off what they can do in badass ways. :D
2) Nope, that wasn't shown or mentioned earlier in the story. I plan on revealing that further down the road.
3) Well, now we know what Acerola's been up to when Nanu was captured.
4) As you can see, some members of Team Skull clearly have reservations about being aligned with the Syndicate. It's a shame they're paying the price for those reservations.
-Thatoneguy753:
1) Nah, I don't blame you for that outlook. I can only hope I presented some badass action sequences for you to enjoy at the very least.
2) Ohhhhh, everyone was most certainly out of their league. Including Kiawe and the Island Kahunas.
-Kagayaki-sama:
1) It's okay. Take all the time you need. Especially when you've got a story of your own freshly out of the oven and into the dining room! Congratulations and good luck on your project! :D
2) Ah, okay. I understand. Anyway, I plan on making things even more complicated between the three of them. ;)
3) Well, in all fairness, Mewtwo WAS Mega Evolved, and let's not forget it was wearing that armored suit. Both of those were more than enough to overcome the guardian deities, if not unfairly.
4) I hope this chapter made up for the lack of Acerola and Rotom in the previous chapter! And yes, a lot of these other characters were captured by the Syndicate off-screen. It's a region-wide conquest of Alola, after all, and there was just no way I could cover all of those bases. Although I would have liked to introduce Hapu in either chapter, I unfortunately couldn't fit her in anywhere.
5) Giovanni and Nanu do indeed have quite a history, but unfortunately, I could only spare a hint for you all to interpret. Be on the lookout for more breadcrumbs as we move along.
6) Yes, Mallow had her Tsareena with her this whole time; she just couldn't find a window to use her. And no, Ulu wasn't in Alola at the time; he's elsewhere.
7) You'll learn later on about why Hala wasn't able to get the best of Mewtwo even when he had something powerful like a Z-Move at his disposal.
8) Thanks! I'm glad I was able to make up for the slightly inconsistent characterizations of the SM characters with all of the action and polished storytelling! It's a relief to know that, if I'm going to be honest. :D :D :D
-KHfan98:
1) Maybe it's because of both? XP
2) Yeah, that's definitely true.
3) Hey, maybe it's a setup for promoting the Sinnoh remakes! So I'll keep an eye on those developments and see what fruit they bear. ;)
-Pierrot (guest reviewer):
1) Thanks. I appreciate it. :D
2) Well, technically, the Cero Island meeting is non-canon in this fic. But for reference, this is indeed the same Mewtwo from the first movie. And you'll find out how Giovanni was able to recapture Mewtwo later on.
3) The invasion was quick and ruthless. No one had time to really do much of anything to fight back. The fact that this whole arc begins on Alola being conquered, just out of nowhere, really shows you how swift the entire campaign was.
4) Well, don't worry! This fic is here to fill in the blanks! :D
-GuardianDemonsWriter:
1) Yeah, it most certainly was clichéd, and that's EXACTLY why Giovanni was able to see through the ruse. Even worse, Faba inadvertently put the Syndicate in a better position because of his actions. Not very clever for a scientist, eh? XP
2) You'll learn the details soon enough. ;)
3) "Avengers: Infinity War", specifically the opening scene.
Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!