Gamelover41592: Thanks

Matt (Guest): You got one of the villains right

IllusionSign (Guest): Indeed

So to start, I am so sorry that this took so long. Preparing for college has been a pain (and just so no one asks, High Point University for the win!) But as I said last time, this is where things start to take a turn for the worse.

"We're home!" Acerola called out as she, along with Emma and Kitty, returned to the Aether House. "We brought Yungoos with us, too!"

"Kew kew!"

"HAU!" Kitty exclaimed. The two kids were trying to wake up an unconscious Hau. Kitty and Emma rushed to his side.

"Wha...WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!" Acerola cried.

"My head…" Hau groaned as he woke up. "Kitty…Emma…"

"Hau, what happened?" Emma asked, her voice full of worry.

"I'm sorry!" Hau suddenly exclaimed. "I...I can't even make myself smile right now…"

"But why?' Acerola asked. "What happened?"

"Miss Lillie…" The boy trailed off.

"She's gone!" The girl revealed as she picked up her Yungoos.

"WHAT!?" Emma and Kitty exclaimed.

"So...here's what happened...I think," Hau admitted.

Several hours earlier, while Emma and Kitty were in Po Town.

"Hau!" Lillie cried as the Team Skull Grunt shoved him hard against the wall. "You people…"

"Not gonna disappear this time, huh?" Plumeria mocked. "Seems like maybe the tall tales we heard about you were wrong."

"That was different...Nebby and I were both in trouble…" Lillie insisted. "That was the only reason why it used its power. So we both could escape with our lives…" She gave Plumeria and the grunt a defiant glare. "I know I'm not capable of much myself, but I will not make it use that power again! I'm determined to not let it happen again. That's why...this time I'll do whatever I can on my own even if I do find myself in trouble again."

"Yo, girl, you know you're in trouble right now, right? Dumb spoiled little princess!" The grunt taunted.

"Leave her be," Plumeria ordered. "I like a girl who's not afraid to stand up for herself. And besides...I don't know about calling someone a Pokémon thief just 'cause she wanted to help out a Pokémon when it was suffering…"

"Please...there is no need to hurt anyone else here." Lillie insisted. "I will go with you willingly. Wherever you want."

"I passed out fully after that," Hau admitted. "So I didn't see where they took her."

"So we're storming Po Town again!?" Kitty asked eagerly.

"No," Emma replied. "If they took her there, we would have seen her. But then where…?"

"I'm supposed to be a trainer!" Hau snapped as he stood up, kicking a nearby wall. "I've got all these Pokémon with me! But when it came down to it, Lillie had to protect me…Lillie! Who's not even a trainer to begin with!"

"Hau, this is in no way your fault," Emma assured him. "The grunt blindsided you. I don't think Kitty or I would have reacted any different." Suddenly, Gladion rushed in.

"Did I hear that right!? It was Lillie who took Cosmog?!" He practically demanded.

"Geh!" Hau exclaimed in shock. "You know who Lillie is?!"

"I still couldn't protect them…" Gladion mumbled to himself. "Then what was the point of me even leaving home in the first place!?"

"Hang on, what are you talking about?" Emma nearly ordered.

"I can't stand this...this useless feeling…" Gladion continued. "I'll blow it away with everything I've got!" He suddenly pulled out a Pokéball.

"Are you insane?!" Emma snapped, grabbing his arm. "Battling any of us won't make anything better! It will just weaken our Pokémon and prevent us from chasing Lillie sooner. So calm down, and tell us what you know!"

Gladion took a few breaths. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Emma was right. Battling now would just weaken himself and whoever took his challenge. "That was wrong of me...I shouldn't have tried to drag one of you into a meaningless battle like that. But I told you all! I told you that Cosmog would bring disaster to all of Alola! I have to get it back from them! We'll leave from the ferry terminal. You're coming with me whether you like it or not, so the only question is: are you ready to come now or not?"

"Look, I don't like how cryptic you're being, but if it will help us save Lillie, I'm in," Emma declared as she held her hand out.

"If Emma goes, then I go!" Kitty declared as she placed her hand on top of her sister's. "And Lillie's our friend!"

"Well, I guess I gotta make up for what I didn't do somehow," Hau decided as he placed his hand on top of Kitty's. Gladion realized what they were doing and, although he wasn't fond of the idea, placed his hand on top of Hau's.

"Good...then let's go," Gladion said as the group broke apart.

After stocking up on supplies, Emma and Kitty all rushed to the ferry terminal. Sure enough, Gladion was waiting for them.

"Hrmph…" Gladion turned around. Much to the girl's shock, he was smirking. "So, we're waiting for Hau?"

"He'll be here!" Kitty insisted.

"Yeah, I guess so...he's a pretty interesting kid, I'll give you that," Gladion admitted. "Growing up in the great Kahuna's shadow and still trying to stand up to Hala as an equal? Not even that, but trying to become even better than Hala, too?...I couldn't do it."

"What are you kids up too?" Nanu asked as he walked over.

"Officer Nanu?!" Gladion exclaimed.

"If only Team Skull could've just kept themselves and their troublemaking to Po Town…" Nanu grumbled. "Why'd they have to make all this fuss, huh?" He then turned to Emma and Kitty. "You two. I'm an island Kahuna, you know. Battle against me. It'll be a good experience if you're hoping to master the Island Challenge."

"I guess we have some time to kill," Emma decided. She shot a quick glance at Gladion to make sure it was okay. He merely nodded his head. She turned to face Nanu.

"Don't take it too serious, now," Nanu said almost playfully. "Go Sableye."

Emma was in thought. She had no Fairy type counter. But then again, Sableye wasn't that strong. "Mudsdale, go for it!"

"Sableye, Shadow Ball," Nanu said. The attack landed, but Mudsdale stayed strong.

"Mudsdale, Earthquake," Emma ordered. The attack hit, with Sableye getting knocked out almost on contact.

"Krokorok, go for it," Nanu said, almost like he didn't care.

"Mudsdale, come back!" Emma ordered as she returned Mudsdale to his Pokéball. "Lurantis, let's go!"

"Krokorok, Crunch," Nanu said. Lurantis attempted to dodge, but Krokorok managed to chomp down on it. Lurantis managed to shove it away.

"Lurantis! Use Brick Break!" Emma ordered.

"LUR!" Lurantis surged forward and attacked, knocking Krokorok out. Nanu chuckled.

"Not bad," Nanu admitted. "But let's see how you deal with a Z-Move. Persian, go." Before Emma could react, she was unable to get Lurantis out in time, causing it to get knocked out.

"Okay, let's see how you handle a Z-Move!" Emma boasted. "Lycanroc, go!" Once Lycanroc was out, Emma got ready. "Unleash your power with your Z-Move: SPLINTERED STORMSHARDS!"

"LYCANROC!" Lycanroc launched the attack and it knocked Persian out.

Nanu smirked. "Well, shoot...of course I already knew you had that heart and the strength to storm Team Skull's stronghold, but I didn't know you were this good. And your Pokémon worked real hard for you. Let me fix your team up for you. Then I'll challenge your sister."

"Thank you," Emma said with a nod as she handed her bag over.

"Here. This is yours," Nanu said as he handed Emma a Darkinium Z. Gladion watched in shock as Nanu showed Emma how to use it. "There. Congratulations or whatever." He then turned to Kitty. "So, you wanna have a match, or whatever?"

"Yes please!" Kitty declared, since Hau still hadn't shown up.

"It's so weird…." Gladion said to himself.

"What was that?" Emma asked.

"Nothing," Gladion snapped. When he saw Emma smirking, he groaned. "What is it about battles that makes everyone so happy!? I've never seen Officer Nanu smile before!"

Emma laughed. "It's called having fun. You should look into it."

"Why you-!" Gladion began to snap, only to cool off. "Okay, maybe you have a point. But I've been kinda busy."

"I don't blame you," Emma replied. "If something like that happened to Kitty, I'd probably act the same way you did."

Gladion's eyes went wide. He realized what she was implying. "Just...don't tell anyone else,"

"Your secret's safe with me," Emma said with a smirk. Kitty had just finished her battle and got her Z-Crystal from Nanu.

"You've both finished your Ula'ula trials." Nanu declared, his normal tone of voice back. He then began to walk away, only to stop. "You've got somewhere else to be, don't you? Try not to destroy the whole place. Oh...and you, boy. Gladion. Tell me...if you're really trying to get stronger as you say, then what're you depending on Team Skull for?" He then walked off.

"Guys!" Hau exclaimed as he raced over.

"Don't you dare say a word about this being fun," Gladion barked at him.

"If I'd been stronger...if I'd been the kind of trainer who could seize victory, like Decidueye wants, too...then Lillie would have too…" Hau struggled to finish his sentences. He then remembered what Emma and Kitty had told him. "I'm ready to do whatever it takes now!"

"That's the spirit!" Kitty cheered as she hugged him.

"But...where was Lillie taken?" Hau had to ask. "It can't be Po Town. Kitty and Emma were there the whole time."

"Hmph...so you're not quite as dumb as you are naive." Gladion replied. "It'll be Aether Paradise."

"WHAT!?" All three trial goers exclaimed.

"Aether Paradise?!" Hau repeated.

"You can't be serious!" Emma practically begged. She looked up to Aether Paradise and the work they did! They couldn't be the bad guys!...right?

"Just get on," Gladion snapped. Emma walked on first.

"Emma…" Kitty trailed off.

"I'll be fine," Emma replied. Kitty and Hau looked at each other. They had a feeling that Emma was not fine.

Next time, we find Lillie. Oh, and Emma's breakdown is only gonna get worse. See you then.