As the two Aether Foundation agents leave the shop, they quickly round the corner, out of sight.
"What does the scanner say?"
"The Aether energy readings are off the charts! It's nothing like her Cosmog's Aether energy signature. It's like they had a tiny Aether Storm bottled up in his backpack! I've never seen anything like it…"
He scratches his chin as he flips through other saved energy profiles on the device.
"...except for…."
He flips back to the first reading in the database. It was a scan of the thing that prompted Lusamine to create the first prototype variants of these devices in the first place. The scan of Shadow Lugia, back when Team Cypher managed to corrupt her.
"...well, would you look at that…" The female agent smiles.
"Looks like that 'Wes' guy was telling the truth. Thing is; those three didn't seem like the Cypher type. Think they're undercover agents, or something?", he asks.
"Doubt it. Cypher agents wouldn't walk around in our territory just lugging their pokeballs around like that. I think they either took them thinking they were doing a good thing, or some heartless bastard pawned them off onto them."
"So, you think they're victims in this?", he asks.
The woman nods. "Question is, where do you think they're going?"
"...Hey! The cashier mentioned that there's some forest along Route 11. If we just go south from Malie City we should find it. It's nearby."
Taral's voice can be faintly heard in the distance as they leave the shop.
"Well, there's our answer. Think we should take them to Lusamine?", he asks.
"I do."
They discreetly follow the group, doing their best to stay out of sight. They're able to catch up and get a good vantage point on them once they settle down to set up camp. They watch as Wyatt lets out the Mime Jr, which makes their scanner go crazy. Luckily, they have the volume set to its lowest setting, so it won't give them away.
"What are those kids doing?! Do they have any idea how dangerous that thing is?!", the man says as he pays close attention to the readings on the scanning tool. It shows an exclamation symbol on the top of the screen, signifying the danger of what it's scanning. The Aether levels are well beyond safe levels, indicating that the creature is dangerous to even be around, nonetheless to interact with.
"There's no way they're aware of the nature of these things! If they were with Cypher they wouldn't dare let one out in the wild like this!" She pulls out a small, handheld hard light field prototype, a device designed to contain pokemon and people alike.
"Wait! Look!" The man puts his hand on her arm, while pointing at the Mime Jr. They both see Wyatt try and recall it, but the little box of energy protects it from the recall.
"What?! How is that possible?!", the woman asks, keeping her device trained on them.
"It might just make things worse if we try and contain them with that pokemon out! Let's see if they can recall it first!"
The Mime Jr looks over towards the two agents, locking eyes with the woman before letting itself be recalled.
"Okay, now!"
She sets the device to its 'sphere' shot pattern, trapping them in three separate bubbles just to be safe. One with the Shadow Rockruff Wyatt just let out, one with Taral, Wyatt and Cedrick, and the third containing Stella.
"Let's hope that Rockruff doesn't somehow break out!", the man says as he runs up to them. The woman follows closely behind, keeping an eye on the Rockruff. It is going absolutely crazy at this point, relentlessly throwing itself at the barrier of light, but it just bounces harmlessly off of the barrier, leaving it unscathed. She breathes a quick sigh of relief. This is a prototype after all, and while it is designed to trap creatures that harbor Aether, namely Ultra Beasts, these Shadow Pokemon are in a league of their own. Regardless, she wastes no time in trying to deescalate the situation.
"Look, we're just trying to help you, here! Those pokemon are extremely dangerous!", the woman says as they run up to them.
"Trying to 'help' us?! Looks to me like you're holding us hostage!", Cedrick snaps as he kicks the field a few times. Small ripples of energy flow out from the impact.
"We're trying to protect you! It's a miracle none of them have broken out of their capsules and attacked you yet! Do you have any idea what those creatures are?!", the man says, gesturing to the Rockruff that is still trying fruitlessly to break out.
"You saw how that first one resisted being recalled, right? I can assure you their 'peculiarities' do not end there!"
"AS IF THAT'S ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS!" At this point, Cedrick is absolutely fuming, and begins digging through the pack for the remaining pokeballs.
"Cedrick, stop! They have us trapped! The least we can do is listen to what they have to say!", Wyatt says, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Cedrick merely huffs, plopping down on the ground beneath him.
"Alright, make it quick, though. I'd really like to hit the hay soon."
"Okay, um…. Where should we start?" The female agent asks her cohort.
"Well, we don't really know all the specifics, but we do know these corrupted pokemon were subject to some nefarious experiment. It grants them strange powers. And makes them sick."
He looks to the Rockruff desperately throwing itself at the bubble barrier. Luckily, the bubble is soundproof. Otherwise, its angry growling would drown out everything else.
"...very sick. And not just physically. It muddles their minds. Makes them erratic and dangerous to everyone around them, including themselves." The woman looks down at the angry pokemon with sad eyes as she tries to reach out to it from the other side of the barrier. It looks up at her with an empty red gaze full of hatred and disdain. At this point, it calms down, which prompts her to lean down and get a closer look at it. Its fur is all mangy and matted, and is extremely thin in a few places. It looks malnourished, and its paws are all scratched up.
"I think this is the worst one we've found yet-"
The instant she breaks eye contact with it, the Rockruff throws itself at the barrier once again, trying to catch her off-guard. She almost falls backwards from the loud thump it makes against the barrier.
"Look, we understand if you don't trust us, but please. These pokemon need proper treatment. Treatment that Aether Foundation has the capacity to provide. Would you please come with us and speak with Lusamine? She loves pokemon and would do everything in her power to aid in their recovery." Her voice is serious and pleading, expressing her level of concern.
"Do we have to do it today?", Cedrick asks.
"We can set you all up with room and board for tonight. I'm sure Lusamine will understand."
"Okay, so first off; who's Lusamine?", Cedrick asks, reluctantly pulling himself up.
"She's the founder and President of Aether Foundation. I believe she's busy elsewhere at the moment, so you'll have plenty of time to rest up before she gets back. But I'm sure once she's made aware of the situation she'll want to speak with you three directly.", the woman says.
"I say we take them up on their offer. We've heard nothing but good things about their technology and products. If anyone in this region would be capable of actually curing these Shadow Pokemon, it would be them.", Taral says.
"Yeah. I'm at least willing to hear them out.", Wyatt says.
They both look at Cedrick, who rolls his eyes.
"Alright. Fine. I guess. Let's go, then.", he says reluctantly
Wyatt carefully recalls the Rockruff, waiting for it to tire out and hesitate a bit before the agents deactivate the barrier, allowing for it to be recalled. Luckily, this one has no capability to avoid or resist being recalled, as much as it wishes it did.
"Don't worry. The trip there will be quite short.", the woman says as they make their way back to Route 11. Their makeshift camp was pretty close to the trail, so the trip back is fairly short.
"So, uh…. How did you get these pokemon, anyway?", the woman asks.
"Some guy named Wes made us take 'em off his hands.", Cedrick says with no hesitation.
"What?!" The agents go wide-eyed upon hearing his name.
"Cedrick, what the hell?!", Taral asks, outraged with how casual Cedrick is being about this.
"What? He didn't say we had to lie about what happened."
"IT WAS HEAVILY IMPLIED!" Taral snaps. Stella, who was already stressed out at this point from how the shadow pokemon immediately saw her as a threat, goes to hide behind a tree. She had never heard Taral scream before.
"Look, if we want these guys to actually help us, we need to be completely honest with them." He turns to the agents. "To sum it up, we stowed away on a boat to get here because we're poor, and Wes was trying to get rid of these Shadow pokemon, I guess? I dunno what his motives are, but he pawned them off on us with the understanding that if we didn't take them with us, he'd have us thrown off the boat."
"Sooo…. He blackmailed you all into taking them off his hands?"
They all nod 'yes'.
"...which means you don't want them?", the man says, half-hoping they'll say yes, mostly for their sakes.
"Well, we want to ensure they're treated right and get the treatment they need.", Taral says.
"Yeah. One of them in particular, the Rockruff, was originally a pokemon I got from an old woman. I saved up a lot of money to buy one, but they stole it shortly afterward, and did… whatever it is they do to make these Shadow pokemon.", Wyatt says, holding up its pokeball.
"I wanted it to be my first pokemon." His voice is sad as he stares down at the capsule, frowning a bit once he notices the faint red pulse on the button.
"...did they always do that?"
The group makes it to the edge of the forest, where an Aether Foundation hovercraft can be found parked with a third agent in the driver's seat. It's fairly large, meant to carry up to 10 people.
"This escort will take us to HQ. We'll get you situated there."
They sit in silence for most of the way there. Taral and Stella stare down at the bottom of the hovercraft in awe, watching as it floats a few inches above the ground on nothing but a cushion of air.
"Are these just a normal form of transportation here?", he asks.
The woman nods. "They're very convenient on a region like Alola that comprises several islands, as these vehicles can travel on the surface of water or land."
"Technology has come a long way, huh?", Taral says, wondering what other wondrous devices exist that he simply didn't know about.
Cedrick, on the other hand, stares out at the trees speeding past them as they ride down the trail.
"You alright, man?", Wyatt asks, concerned.
There is a long pause before he replies. "Yeah. I'm fine. We can talk about it later."
The trip there is well under an hour, as the hovercraft glides over the water towards Aether Foundation's artificial island HQ. They can all see the massive tower of gold and glass jutting into the sky. The evening light reflecting off of it is blinding, making it impossible for them to stare up at it for more than a moment or two. "Wow, is that the HQ?! It's massive!", Taral says, trying to wipe the spots of color out of his eyes.
"Yep! That's it. We'll be there shortly.", the woman says. It only takes a few more minutes for the hovercraft to reach the shore of the small island, parking near the front courtyard.
"Just follow us." As the agents lead them into the building, one of them goes to the lady at the front desk.
"Is Lusamine back yet? We need to speak with her."
"Ummmm…" The receptionist types something into her computer, the keys clacking at breakneck speed.
"It says she's in but I know for a fact Gladion came in recently but was unable to find her. She might have been actively avoiding him, though…."
"Well, we have some people she'd like to meet. Is there any way we could contact her to see if she's busy?"
"Umm…." The receptionist checks a few more things on her monitor screen, before leaning in and nervously whispering; "They aren't new applicants for 'Operation Riptide', are they? I think she found all the people she needed for that."
The agent gives her a confused look before nodding 'no'.
"Alright. Just, uh… go up to her personal office and wait, I guess? I can send her an email flagged as high-priority with your request, if you want."
"Okay, go ahead and do that. Let her know we've got three young men with something she'd be interested in." This time, the agent is the one that leans in and whispers; "Tell her they're caught up in whatever that 'Wes' fellow is up to. She'll know what that means."
The receptionist quickly types the message out, sending it off with a click of the mouse.
"Done! Do they need a place to stay in the meantime?", she asks.
"As a matter of fact, they do. They've had a long trip and need to get some rest. We'll just have to hope Lusamine doesn't decide this is something that can wait."
"Yeah…" The receptionist checks one last thing on her computer, before clicking a key. On the printer next to her, a small plastic keycard pops out.
"Here's a temporary keycard for one of the guest rooms. Room 208, specifically."
The agent takes the card and hurries back to the others. "Thanks!"
"Okay, we've got your room! Come with us and we'll get you set up."
They take the elevator to one of the upper floors, wasting no time getting to their assigned room.
"Man, you guys really know how to treat guests!", Cedrick says as he flops onto one of the two beds in the room. The interior decor sports the same 'gold and white' aesthetic that Aether Foundation uses for everything they make, and has a few potted plants for good measure. The heavy curtains, along with the tint on the windows. This particular side of the building faces the evening sun, and the architects took that into account when designing it.
"If you get hungry, just use the phone on the desk and we'll get you whatever you want; it's complimentary!"
"Luckily, we just ate, but thanks anyway. Are we free to tuck in for the night or should we expect her to arrive soon?", Wyatt asks.
"Well, that's the issue. We don't really know. Lusamine's always busy with some project and we're not entirely sure where she is right now. We sent her a message saying we had someone she needed to speak with right away, but she has a bad habit of putting things off. I doubt she'll arrive before tomorrow, so you should be safe to go to sleep. If she does come back, we'll let you know."
"Alright. We'll be ready whenever she does. And uh, thanks for, like, not turning us into the cops, or whoever deals with the kind of people that do these horrible things to pokemon. I don't think anyone would've blinked twice if you just had us arrested.", Cedrick says, sheepishly.
"Oh, don't worry about it! This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Lusamine will no doubt want to hear your side of the story."
"Yeah. That's great to hear.", Taral says, laying down on the other bed.
"Goodnight!" The agent quickly leaves the room, not wanting to keep them from their much-deserved rest any longer. There's a long stretch of silence before Wyatt sits down on the edge of the bed across from Cedrick.
"So, uh…. What's going on, man? Are you actually okay? Or were you just saying that?", Wyatt asks, not sure if he'll know how to respond to Cedrick's answer.
Cedrick sighs before lifting his head up to look towards Wyatt. "Do you think us getting on that boat was a mistake? Do you, uh… do you think maybe I really screwed the both of us over in asking you to come with me?"
Wyatt ponders his question for a moment. "I don't think so. I know the trip here didn't quite pan out like you hoped it would, but-"
"Okay, first off, that's, like, the understatement of the century, to say it 'didn't quite pan out like I hoped'! We're sitting in some guest room in the headquarters of some massive corporation waiting for their President, their freaking PRESIDENT!, to finish whatever she's doing so she can talk to us personally! That is, like, the textbook definition of being way in over your head!" At this point Cedrick has jumped to his feet and is pacing around the room.
"I admit, our journey has been pretty crazy so far, but I don't think we're in any serious danger-"
"Dude. We have no idea what Aether Foundation is! We have no idea who Lusamine is! For all we know, their plan is to wait until we sleep and steal these pokemon from us and frame us as thieves, or something! We're in their personal headquarters, with pokemon that we have no way of explaining how we got! We're in the palm of their hands, man! I didn't want to say anything when they trapped us in those bubbles earlier, but-"
Upon realizing how worked up Cedrick is getting, Stella pulls out a piece of scrap paper from Taral's satchel. She quickly scribbles something down on it before walking up to him.
"-huh?" Cedrick looks down, and is met with Stella's comforting gaze. She places the torn piece of paper in his hand and gives him a soft hug.
"Thanks." His demeanor softens a bit as he pats her on the head a few times with one hand while holding up the paper with the other. It's a very rough depiction of the four of them conversing happily around a campfire. They're all enjoying each other's company and having fun. While it doesn't explicitly spell out her message with words, he gets the gist.
"Maybe Stella has the right idea. If we never got on that boat, we would never have met. And Wyatt would never have gotten his Rockruff back." He gives the piece of paper back to her.
"Thank you. For helping me see that."