So this is awkward...
Haven't updated this story in literally three months. Apologies for that, but I got fired from my job, had to hunt for a new one, then after that Kingdom Hearts 3 took over my freaking life, so much so that me and my friend (who is also the Beta Reader of this story), The King of Emerald, began a Kingdom Hearts collab fanfic on his profile which you can check out if you want! It's under my Favorite Stories for quick and easy access.
Anyway, I thought it was about time I got this written so, yeah I went on ahead and did that. Enjoy!
Wes:
Nayru the Gardevoir (Friend Ball, shiny)
Faye the Cutiefly (Level Ball)
Zero the Type: Null (Luxury Ball)
Sakura the Milotic (Lure Ball)
Inigo the Combusken (Permier Ball, shiny)
Blake the Eevee (Moon Ball, shiny)
Rose:
Shelgon (Great Ball)
Brionne (Poke Ball)
Rockruff (Fast Ball)
Maple the Pikachu (Love Ball)
Lucario (Ultra Ball)
Salandit (Luxury Ball)
"Alright, I believe it's time I got my explanation."
Wes sighed, turning as he saw Lillie, Juan, and Chloe entering his room. Rose was already in there, sitting on Wes' bed and petting Maple, along with Nayru who was just watching with interest. The red eyed glasses wearing teen turned to face Lillie, who had her cheeks puffed up and a look on her face that told Wes he wasn't getting out of this one without at least explaining himself to her, as much as he felt like any explanation he gave to Lillie would only make her more upset. "Alright, but first things first… Gladion is your brother, correct? Why isn't he attending this school with you?"
"He and I have different agendas when it comes to… certain things", Lillie mutter, but Wes couldn't help but notice that when she said that, he seemed to pull her duffle bag closer to her body.
Wes looked suspiciously at the bag for a moment, but an 'ahem' from Lillie brought his focus back to her eyes, which Wes couldn't help but notice was a very similar shade of green to Rose's own eyes. "Alright, after we had discovered Zero in the forest, he nudged me when we began to leave, as it drawn to me. Shortly after that, Gladion showed up and battled me… defeated me rather easily once his own Type Null was thrown out into battle. Zero stepped in and stopped the fighting before it could get worse, then Jason showed up to question Gladion…"
"Wait, Jason knows about Zero!?" Lillie asked, surprised.
Wes nodded, "Yes. In fact, it's because of Jason I still have Zero with me. Anyway, the reason I am so reluctant to use him in battle was because of something that happened the day we got our Pokemon Eggs."
At this, Rose looked confused. "Wait, I thought Jason and you were just talking about school work."
"That technically wasn't a lie", Wes explained, turning to her. Rose couldn't help but notice how serious Wes was at the present moment, his face stern and with no trace of his usual joking manner present. "Jason was approached by a strange group that called themselves the Ultra Recon Squad, and when we battled them, they used a strange Pokemon they called an Ultra Beast." At that, Lillie shuddered, which Wes immediately picked up on, however he paid it no extra attention and continued. "Jason told me that if I could find out anything more about them, or what a group known as the Aether Foundation was up to, then he would make it up to me… with an assignment taken off my record." Wes felt it wasn't necessary to point out said assignment was the midterm, as his own curiosity was outweighing his desire to get an automatic A+ on the test.
"Okay, so that explains that", Lillie muttered, thinking to herself. "That also explains why Gladion was so focused on you at the Battle Royale place."
Wes sighed, turning to her again. "Correct. I don't know why Zero is so drawn to me, and quite honestly whatever it is that makes him attached to me, it doesn't change the fact that I do not have the same level of control over him Gladion does. All I know is something draws him to me, and I'm stuck with him for now."
Lillie nodded, smiling a bit. "Okay… sorry to sound like I am accusing you of being a bad guy, Wes. It's just…"
"Highly suspicious that me and your brother seem to have a very rare Pokemon that no one else has and happened to have previous history with one another when you saw us at the Royale's place."
Lillie nodded, "Well, thanks for answering my questions… sorry to bother you,"
But as she turned to leave, a sudden flash of light flew past her and took shape at the door. Sakura was sitting there, staring down at Lillie with an expression that was daring her to try and move the serpentine creature. Wes had his arm raised, the Lure Ball open in his hand. Rose, Chloe, and Juan all gasped, as they had not seen the white haired teen move.
"You got your answers", Wes coolly said, looking at her bag again, his gaze on the bag almost x-ray like. "Now, I think it's time I got mine."
"W-what are you talking about?" Lillie asked, trying to keep a calm voice, though pulling the bag closer to her at the same time.
"Wes, what are you doing!?" Rose shouted, glaring at him.
"Yeah man, there isn't anything in her bag at all!" Juan growled.
"Really?" Wes asked, looking at Juan for a moment before turning back to Lillie and her bag. "Well, I'll be the judge of that one, won't I?"
"Wes, are you sure something is in her bag?" Chloe asked, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else right now.
"Trust me, something is in there", Nayru said, looking at the bag as well. "I've been detecting a presence in that bag ever since we met."
"Y-you must be mistaken", Lillie stuttered.
"If that's the case, then you wouldn't be worried about it, now would you?" Wes suggested, then suddenly snapped his fingers. Within an instant, the bag was trust into the air by Nayru's psychic powers, the zipper on the bag opening. Lillie tried to pull the bag back down, but the grip of Nayru's mental powers was far too strong, and within a second the bag opened, revealing a creature within it which caused both Rose and Chloe to gasp. It looked very similar to a space nebula, with two wisp-like extensions and an ellipse running down its body. The yellow eyes of the creature looked with Wes in joy due to him being freed from his nylon prison, the two blue cheeks of the creature touching its wide smile.
"Nebby!" Lillie gasped, immediately trying to grab the Pokemon, however it leapt into the air and hovered there, just out of Lillie's reach.
"Care to explain?" Wes asked, looking at her with a stern look.
Lillie blushed and stuttered for a moment before sighing to herself. "You all know Gladion is my brother… but no one knows my true family origins… I am the daughter of Lusamine, President of the Aether Foundation."
"Wait, what!?" Rose and Chloe gasped, though Wes only nodded. "And I take it Juan knew this entire time?"
Lillie nodded before drawing in a breath and continuing, "Three months ago, I ran away from home at the same time as my brother. My mother had acquired a Pokemon called Cosmog… which is Nebby. I grabbed Nebby and tried to escape Aether Paradise, my mother was planning on using Nebby for something… I don't know what, but whatever it was, it was not going to be good, I could just tell… anyway, Nebby used his powers to Teleport me away, but ended up in a coma for a week. I didn't know what to do, so I asked for help from the first person I saw."
"Juan?" Wes asked, turning to the studious teen.
"Yeah", Juan nodded. "I helped nurse Nebby back to health, and I swore to keep it a secret. I told Lillie about a Pokemon School that she could sign up for, use as a hideout and for protection. Ever since then, I've been helping take care of Nebby, in hopes that we wouldn't be discovered harboring a rare Pokemon."
Wes thought for a moment before nodding, looking up at Nebby. Nebby flew down and landed in Wes' arms, happily being petted by the teen before flying over the Chloe, who also began to pet the space looking Pokemon. "Well, consider yourselves to have three more helpers then."
"Wait, what!?" Lillie asked, stunned. Juan also looked flabbergasted at the notion, as did Rose.
"What, do you think I was going to report this to Jason or something?" Wes asked, his goofy deminer once again appearing as he grinned. "We'll keep Nebby safe, from whatever your mom is planning."
"I agree", Chloe stated, as Nebby cooed in her arms. "Besides, being in a bag for too long can't be good for the little guy. It'd be better if we let him out from time to time and interacted with him."
Wes nodded, and turned to Rose. The redhead teen blinked, looking from one person to the next, all of their eyes focused on her. Finally, she sighed and shrugged. "I'd rather we report it to Jason, so that he could help us… but if you four insist, then I will help however I can."
"Oh, thank you guys so much!" Lillie grinned, cheering to herself.
XxXxXxX
"Alright, it's time to pack up!" Jason was saying, walking from room to room the next morning, knocking on each one in turn. "We need to be out of the hotel by noon, so no delaying, got it?" The older teen sighed, having just knocked on the last door and receiving nothing but a rude reply in response from the girl inside (which of course resulted in his issuing one of his signature detentions). He was walking down the steps of the grand hotel, rubbing his head to try and alleviate his throbbing headache when he suddenly stopped just short of the bottom step, sending a presence.
"Good morning, Professor Jason."
Jason looked up to see an elderly man standing in the hotel lobby, wearing green glasses that drew attention away from his balding head of hair. He also wore a lab coat, which seemed to sweep across the ground as he walked from the entrance to where Jason was standing.
"Faba", Jason scowled, walking forward and meeting the man halfway into the lobby. "What are you doing here?"
"Now, let's not let a little argument that we had a few months ago ruin our friendship," Faba calmly said, adjusting his green cuffs on his white gloves.
"'Friendship? You rudely kicked me out of your foundation when all I wanted to do was ask a few questions", Jason growled.
"Only on orders", Faba calmly replied, quickly changing the subject. "Anyway, I have come here with an invitation to our paradise from Ms. Lusamine herself," This peaked Jason's interests, and Faba took his expression as a sign to continue. "She is offering the chance for some of your students to take a tour of Aether Paradise and- goodness me, where did he come from?"
Jason blinked, before turning and seeing Wes standing there, looking between Faba and Jason eagerly. "I am finished packing… so, what are you two talking about?"
Jason immediately realized that Wes had been listening in on the conversation and gave the silver haired student a pat on the shoulder. "This is Wes, one of the top students here at the academy. So, you said you wanted to give students a tour of the place? Well, he should definitely be one of them."
"I see", Faba nodded, stroking his chin. "Anyone else?"
"Wes usually hangs out with a few students that I am sure do not mind going with him", Jason noted, turning to Faba. "I will make sure their stuff gets from the hotel to the school safely, so once you are done with the tour, just bring them back to the school."
Faba nodded, and about fifteen minutes later Wes had gathered Rose, Juan and Chloe to come with him. Faba seemed to be expecting someone else, but dismissed his curiosity as quickly as it came, before ushering the students onto an Aether Paradise boat. While they were leaving, Jason turned and leaned against a pillar in a very convincing manner, before muttering out of the corner of his mouth, "The daughter of the Aether Foundation President didn't want to go, huh?"
Lillie's gasp came from behind the pillar, and after a few moments she peaked from behind her hiding spot to look at Jason, "H-how did you…?"
"I make it my business to know what my students are up to", Jason explained. "Believe me, I've known for a while about your history… as well as the Pokemon you're hiding in your bag."
Lillie groaned, admitting defeat, especially since a 'Pew' sound came from her bag due to Nebby not wanting to be in there now. "First Wes, now you… what are you two, Psychic types?"
"Well, I can't speak for Wes, but I do have a good sixth sense when it comes to certain things about Pokemon", Jason jokingly replied, before looking at the docks where the boat was departing from. "Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me."
XxXxXxX
A small, white luxury boat ended up taking the four willing teens to a small, man made island that stuck out of the water on a bunch of pillars, the boat docking just underneath this monstrosity of steel. Rose stepped out first, looking around and frowning as there was nothing around them but steel in the dock location. "This seems… unsafe. I can't see this place being 100% rust proof in open sea water."
Wes stepped out next, frowning at the redhead before giving a sigh. "Come on, I think it's cool!"
"Of course you do", Rose muttered, shaking her head in frustration at the childlike innocence of the teen, wondering where the serious Wes she had seen just yesterday was.
"Master, I hate to be the one to point this out, but we have a job to do, remember?" Nayru whispered, floating off the boat behind Wes. Her trainer only nodded, along with Rose, who despite not knowing exactly why Jason had asked Wes to investigate this place, was willing to help in any way she could. Lillie's story had gotten her and Chloe wondering about this place as well, and when Juan stepped out, Faba turned and sweat dropped a little as the four trainers, as well as Nayru and Maple, were looking at him as if lasers were coming out of their eyes.
"W-why so serious, you guys?" he asked in a panic. "W-well, I might as well explain a bit about w-who we are as we walk." He began to lead them to the triangle shaped elevator at the back of the docks, gesturing all around them as he did. "Aether Paradise is a facility created for the conservation of Pokemon. It has been outfitted with all of the latest technology for this purpose. Downstairs, our teams work on developing new PokeBalls and more… yes, all for the sake of Pokemon conservation. However, you will not be able to use any of your empty PokeBalls within Aether Paradise. A jamming signal is broadcast throughout the facility to prevent them from functioning."
They finally reached the elevator, which was coming down with a normal dressed employee operating the contraption, as well as a purple haired woman, wearing white clothes as well, but with pink highlights on the neck and arms. "Excuse me, Mr. Faba?"
"Yes, excuse you!" Faba replied bitterly. "What is the meaning of that form of address? I have a title for a reason! How else will anyone know how important I am?"
"Pretentious much?" Rose whispered, causing everyone else to nod, though Wes looked at her confused as if wondering what the word meant.
"Yes… Branch Chief Faba", the woman corrected herself, though her tone seemed to take a sour dip for a moment at that.
"Now, I must go speak with the president about our conservation efforts on Akala", Faba said importantly, his ego practically swelling out of him at that point. "Show these children around, and then take them to meet the president as well." He then stepped into the elevator, where guard rails popped up before rocking him up towards the main facility itself.
"Phew", the woman sighed, turning back towards them. She gave them a warm smile before bowing a bit, adjusting her pink glasses as they slid down her nose from the bow. "Welcome to Aether Paradise, Wes, Rose, Chloe and Juan. My name is Wicke."
"It's nice to meet you", Wes greeted her before realizing she addressed them all by name. "But how did you know who we are?"
She merely smiled and nodded at them, her golden eyes showing no signs of any fowl play. "We work closely with the school, so there are times where we learn of the students there. Before the tour was offered to the school, the president managed to get a list of students from the professors." That made them all pale, as they realized that list could have had Lillie's name on it as well… though, if it did, why didn't Faba confront them about her. They were brought back from their thoughts, however, by Wicke stepping towards the descended elevator. "Let me show you around. The main entrance is up above us." They all stepped on the elevator and after a single button press, they were sent up to the main reception area, after a moment of glancing around, they turned to Wicke, who was looking at Wes and Rose with a expression of interest. "You two are trial goers, aren't you? Are you hoping to become champions?"
"You bet", Wes smirked at her. "Originally, I just came here because my mom and adoptive dad wanted me to, but once I heard about the Island Trial Challenge I had to participate!"
"Even if it meant stealing your way into it", Rose sarcastically stated, and Wes glared at her.
"She got you there, master", Nayru snickered.
"Oh my", Wicke said, looking at Nayru stunned. "A talking gardevoir… tell me, are you enjoying your stay here so far?"
"It's a nice place so far", Nayru stated, though the odd look Wicke was giving her put her off a bit.
"That is good", Wicke nodded with a smile. "We cannot often understand the Pokemon here, so sometimes I feel like we aren't doing right by them… but if a Pokemon herself says that she likes it here, then I guess that is good enough for me… would you all like to see the conservation area upstairs? That way, you can get a taste for what we really are about here."
With everyone nodding in agreement, they shot up the floors into a final, top area with several bridges and a glass, dome roof that let the sun in. The area was full of glass land, trees, rocks and tons of water, almost as if the wilds the Pokemon lived in was replicated perfectly in this environment.
"Aether Paradise is a safe haven for all Pokemon", Wicke told them all as they looked around in wonder at the place. "For this reason, the use of PokeBalls is strictly forbidden within the conservation area. We keep Pokemon that have been targeted by Team Skull here as well… and we also try to support Pokemon that need a little extra protection, like Corsola, for example. They are quite terribly overhunted by Mareanie."
"Yeah, we learned quite a bit about them", Juan noted, looking over and noticing a Corsola was perched on a rock nearby, watching them with interest. "Nature has a cruel side, just as it has it's blessings… but can the Aether Foundation really protect all Pokemon that are out there?"
Wicke nodded at that, "Nature does have its own balance, of course. It can be difficult to judge just how much we humans should try and affect that."
"Seems reasonable enough", Chloe smiled, looking over at some more Pokemon. "And the Pokemon seem quite happy with it as well, right Wes?"
Wes only nodded, though he seemed to be more keen on listening then anything else. So far, the Aether Foundation seemed pretty standard as Pokemon Activists. Was Jason really sure they were up to something suspicious? Before he could ask, however, the sound of Wicke's voice brought him back.
"If you'd like to meet President Lusamine, she should be here in the conservation area by now."
"Yeah, that would be lovely", Wes said. She was the one that would answer his questions, he just knew it. Wicke nodded at them again, before leading them across the bridges before they meet up with a very young-looking woman. It was almost looking like an older Lillie, her hair and eyes were exactly the same color, though her voice when she spoke sounded much more confident.
"My sweet Pokemon, I promise I'll keep you safe. I will protect you with my love." She then heard them approaching, her white dress with yellow highlights swaying a bit as she sharply turned to them. "Ah, you must be Wes, Rose, Chloe and Juan." Her high heels clicked as she walked over to meet them. "Welcome to Aether Paradise, the Aether Foundation's own private island." A warm smile crossed her face at that, and Wes couldn't help but wonder again if they really were all that bad. "I am the president of this foundation, but please, just call me Lusamine."
At that point, Wes relaxed a bit, putting on a smile to her. "I dunno how you did all this… you're not even that much older than us."
At that, Lusamine laughed. "You flatter me, Wes… but I am over 40."
"I do not believe you, where is your Fountain of Youth if that is the case", Wes stupidly said, which only made Lusamine laugh harder.
"Oh you sweet child", Lusamine giggled. "You're such a charmer. Though, I will admit that your style is a bit wanting… I might have to help you pick out a smashing outfit sometime, then no girl could resist you."
"Like what you wear?" Wes asked, looking a bit concerned. "I dunno if anyone I know could pull that off… except maybe Lillie."
That is when the air got tense. Lusamine and Wicke both looked a bit stunned, and nervous looks appeared on the faces Nayru, Rose, Maple, Chloe and Juan. Just as the tension got to be a bit too much, however, Lusamine spoke again. "Oh, don't be naïve. Trust me, children would all be happier if they'd only listen to the adults around them."
And there it is, Wes thought to himself, his little banter having broken through Lusamine's shell. This shocked everyone, who couldn't help but notice that Wes' attitude changed again, back to how it was when he was questioning Lillie in their hotel room. However, before Wes could say anything else, the foundation began to shake rapidly. Everyone looked around as the shaking slowly stopped.
"That tremor", Wicke muttered. "Did something happen on the lower floors?" Before anyone could say anything else, however, the air seemed to get tense again, but this time not just because of a mental state of mind. The very air at a certain focal point over one of the bridges seemed to suddenly twist, before suddenly it exploded into a large light blue hole, with several literal cracks coming out of it. Rose screamed and grabbed onto Wes' arm, and Chloe jumped back in shock, her eyes wide. Wes and Juan held their ground, but even they seemed to be wide eyed at the sight. Suddenly, what looked like a giant, white and light blue jellyfish swam through the hole, and hovered in the air before them.
"You are-" Lusamine gasped, stepping forward. "Have you come from… a distant world?"
"Miss Lusamine, step back!" Juan said in a panic. "That thing's not right!"
The creature cooed a bit, as Lusamine shook her head. "You poor creature…"
Suddenly, however, the beast attacked, swinging at her. Nayru jumped in the way, creating a barrier between the jellyfish creature and the president. The beast suddenly unleashed a powerful shockwave, knocking everyone except for Nayru back, as a red aura surrounded it.
"T-that is the same aura that usually surrounds the Totem Pokemon!" Rose shouted, looking at it shocked.
"Yeah, but much stronger", Wes hissed, standing up. "But it's so strange looking… I don't think that's a normal Pokemon… c-could it be an Ultra Beast?" At that, Lusamine looked over, stunned at the kid. Wes then noticed that, despite saying Ultra Beast, Zero did not erupt from his ball like last time. "Alright, Nayru, Psychock!"
"W-wait!" Lusamine shouted, but it was a bit too late. The order was given, and Nayru obeyed it, unleashing a powerful stream of psychic particles to slam into the beast, which shrieked in pain. However, just as quickly as it appeared, the assault pushed it back into the hole, where it and the crack disappeared instantly.
"That was… weird", Juan muttered, trying to process the events that had just occurred.
"So, it's true", Lusamine muttered, looking at the spot where the creature vanished. "I still need that Pokemon. I need to get it back."
"Miss Lusamine, are you ok?" Juan asked, the woman nodding in response.
"That Ultra Beast just now", a familiar voice to Wes stated. Wes turned and gasped, seeing Dulse and Zossie standing there. "It came from the other end of an Ultra Wormhole, a being from another world, a world that you know as Ultra Space."
"W-who?" Rose asked, looking confused. "What is with those outfits!?"
"They are my guests", Lusamine explained. "The Ultra Recon Squad. They have been giving the foundation advice about the Ultra Beasts."
"Dulse and Zossie", Wes said, stepping forward.
"We meet again, Island Trial Challenger Wes", Zossie greeted him, causing the students to look at Wes.
These are the two that Jason was approached by, and that he battled? Rose thought in shock.
"We came to the Alola region from another world by passing through an Ultra Wormhole", Dulse explained. "We came from a world of darkness, whose light was stolen by the one called Necrozma."
"See, this Necrozma is, like, unbelievably strong!" Zossle continued. "It can wield light however it likes, and it does run wild sometimes, but it also shares this light it has with others too!"
"But everything will be fine", Lusamine said, stepping forward and facing them all. "If this Necrozma, or even an Ultra Beast like the one we just saw, should come to this world from another, the Aether Foundation will be prepared to protect the light of Alola. Rest easy…" she seemed to look at Wes in particular as she said this. "You will not need to worry about a thing." She then gave one of her smiles, before walking off with Dulse and Zossie, the orange haired alien girl giving Wes a wave as she walked off.
"I don't trust them", Juan muttered.
"Me either", Rose nodded, thinking about what they just witnessed. "Something else is amiss…"
"Come, children", Wicke said, walking forward with them. As they walked, they could hear Lusamine and Wicke talking, and thankfully, thanks to Nayru, they were able to hear the conversation at hand.
"Take the children back to their school safely", Lusamine told Wicke. "I will need to go talk to Faba downstairs. It seems that our experiments to open an Ultra Wormhole did not go as well as we would've liked them to." They parted ways then, with Lusamine and the Ultra Recon Squad going one way, and Wicke and the students going another. Lusamine gave a cheery wave to them as she walked off, before Wicke pressed a button on the elevator that took them back to the docks.
"Never thought we'd actually see an Ultra Wormhole here", Wes thought out loud.
"What happened here today was a surprise to us all", Wicke said, stopping at the boat they were to take back. "I was very glad to meet all of you… please take these to remember your visit today!" She then held out four items; a coin that looked like Meowth's, a white wing, a book on healing Pokemon, and a yellow stone with a lightning bolt on the inside.
"An amulet coin, a pretty wing, a book, and a Thunderstone", Juan noted, his hands instantly going for the book. "This will be very useful for learning about healing Pokemon. I think I'll take this one."
"I like how the wing looks", Chloe gasped, looking at the wing. "I think I'll take this one!"
"That comes from the Unova region", Wicke explained, smiling at her. "You might want to ask your professor about that region sometime."
"This coin thing looks interesting", Wes muttered, taking the Amulet Coin. "What does it do?"
"It's mostly just a souvenir, but rumors say that people who carry them become rich", Wicke explained, shrugging. "Dunno if it's true, but we don't need it here."
"This is a Thunderstone, right?" Rose asked, taking the rock from her, as the final gift.
"That's right", Wicke nodded, with a grin. "When your pikachu is ready, you can evolve it into Raichu with that stone. I am sure that since yours came from Alola, she will become an Alolan Raichu and gain the Psychic typing from that!"
With that, she bid the trainers farewell as they boarded the boat that would take them back to the school on Melemele Island, each one lost in thought about the day they had all experienced, and how exactly Jason was going to be told about all that happened to them.