Hau was tingling with energy. The last time he felt like this was exactly five years ago during the second Alolan League Championship. He could still vividly remember the evening of the conference: the torches lighting up the central battlefield of the stadium, the numerous long tables filled with different Alolan cuisines from all four islands, and the League participants gathered together in a night of celebration. The Elite Four stood on the stage, and on the middle was none other than the Champion.

Now, standing on the same stage overlooking the celebration, the memories came rushing back to him like a dream. The Elite Four was standing evenly behind him – all proud and powerful. At his left, Molayne smiled at Sophocles, who was waving from the crowd, while Olivia nodded pleasantly at her Trial Captains waiting by their table. Opposite the two, Acerola rocked on her heels with an excited grin on her face while Kahili kept a stern look as she surveyed each Trainer before them.

Hau could see Lillie and Gladion with Silvally, which is already munching happily on one of its favorite foods on the table. Plumeria and Guzma were also there, catching up with the future Aether President. Ilima was chatting with the former Fairy-type Trial Captain and the Kahuna of Poni Island. Professor Kukui stood by the side of the stage and talked to Hala and Nanu, who will preside over the week-long championship battles with Hapu and Olivia.

A stage member approached Olivia and handed her a microphone. The crowd turned their attention to the Rock-type Elite Four member as she walked forward on the stage. "Alola ahiahi, future Champions! It's the eve of the eighth Alolan League Championship, and we pay tribute to the region's bounty and the strength of its warriors. Eat up, have fun, and tomorrow we shall take the stage and show the world the power of Alola!"

The crowd cheered wildly. Olivia nodded to the Champion and the rest of the Elite Four, and they dispersed to the masses. Hau jumped on the chance to join Gladion, Lillie, Plumeria, and Guzma at their table. He grabbed a plate of assorted malasadas with one hand while bringing out his Pokéballs with another to call out his Pokémon and let them have some fun.

"Lillie!" Hau waved as he approached them, almost bumping against an Espeon that brushed past him. He gave his girlfriend a one-arm hug. "Congrats for making it in the League. I'm so proud of you!"

Lillie smiled giddily. "Thank you, Hau! We will do our best, isn't that right, Shiron?"

"Kyuu!"

Gladion regarded Hau with an appraising look. "Seems the conference started right."

"Yeah!" He happily stuffed his mouth with a malasada. "'Ish too good to be true!"

A smile quirked at the edge of Plumeria's lips. "It seems our Champion is in high spirits tonight. I wonder if that's a bad omen for us challengers."

"Heh. If it is, Big Bad Guzma doesn't mind a challenge."

Hau swallowed his food and turned to the former Team Skull leader. "I'm surprised you're here, Mister Guzma. It's been a while since you stepped on the League."

Guzma scratched the back of his head bashfully. "A lil' proddin' here and there is what I need. Plums here helped a lot."

Plumeria shook her head. A mischievous smile on her lips. "You mean, how I got the grunts to help me get through that thick skull of yours?" She turned to the two younger men as she jabbed a thumb at Guzma. "My little bros and sis won't stop getting in his hair until he agrees to join the League. You should have seen his face when they flocked over him like Pikipek in a feeding spree when I told them about the open League."

"They're a bunch of rowdy kids." Guzma huffed as he tucked his hands inside his pockets. "They're in fer a good ol' scoldin' if they make a mess during the League."

"They might," Hau said. "But I think they're going to cheer for you, Mister Guzma."

Guzma grinned at him. "Don't go cryin' now, kid. Big Bad Guzma is goin' all out to steal that title off yer hands."

Hau returned his grin with his own. "I can't wait!"

The evening went smoothly, and soon the food was diminished to dirty plates and crumbs, and the participants immersed themselves into mingling with each other. Many crowded around the Champion and the Elite Four, hoping to get bits of wisdom to get through the League, while some fawned over their persons of interest. Gladion has lost count on how many women would appear before him, asking what his favorites are, what he likes in a woman, and the likes. Ilima, despite being months away from getting married, still has some women swarming over him like moths to a flame. Hau has some admirers vying for his time, but he politely turned down their dinner invitations and stuck close next to Lillie the whole time. Many men tried to approach the Ghost-type Elite Four member, but they wisely kept their distance with Nanu hovering close by.

As the evening came to a close, Kukui took the stage as the founder of the Alolan Pokémon League. "The night is ending, and when dawn breaks tomorrow, all of Alola will wake to witness the eighth opening of the grandest battle of all. Now then, everyone, let's all welcome our special guest, the Masked Royal, to explain the rules of the preliminary round!"

The crowd cheered as the torches went out, and the screen flashed to the arena of the Battle Royal Dome. Upbeat music boomed from the speakers, and the Masked Royal appeared onscreen. "Sorry for making you wait, everyone! It's been a long time, but we're making a comeback." He jumped off one of the posts of the ring. "The League's preliminary round will be a free-for-all between every single contestant. From the fifty-eight contestants, only the last sixteen standing will advance to the final tournament. A Battle Royal!" He pointed to the screen. "Everyone! Show us a battle that burns as hot as a Fire Blast! Woooo!"

The music died down, and the screen flashed back to the logo of the tournament. The Champion and the Elite Four joined the professor on the stage. Kukui nodded to Kahili and handed the microphone. The Flying-type Elite Four stepped forward. "Now then, for other reminders before we end tonight's festivities…."


Professor Elio is used to hearing people knocking at his door during the odd hours of the night. Most of them were his associates in Kanto or, sometimes, some young Trainer that has come to seek advice on something. His acquaintances from other regions usually call or send him an e-mail regarding the projects he was collaborating with. When a knock came in the middle of the night, he was not at least a bit surprised. Work follows him everywhere, no matter what region he is in.

Climbing off their bed and throwing on his bedroom robe, he slipped out of the room and quietly closed the bedroom door behind him, careful not to wake up his wife and her Kantonian Meowth. He drowsily trudged past the dining table; the moonlight imprinted on the floor like glowing rectangles. Alolan nights are calm and quiet like the trickling water of a tranquil river – a contrast to the bustling and sleepless nights in Saffron City. His wife and daughter used to stay in their two-floor house in Pallet Town while he usually spends the nights in a cramped apartment in the city where he once worked as a part-time researcher in Silph Company for more than a decade. It was Selene's idea to move out - to find a better place for their daughter to grow and officially start her journey as a Trainer should she choose to. The last time he saw their house was when he followed his family to Alola and entrusted the place to a family friend who lives by herself in town.

He wondered who would be waiting out on the porch. Professor Oak told him of a cousin here in Alola who is also the Pokémon School's principal, but he has yet to meet him. He already met Professor Kukui on one occasion when he brought lunch for Professor Burnet a week ago, and he doubted the latter would come by this late at night when they often meet in Aether Paradise. He vaguely remembered promising Professor Sonia to help with her research in Galarian history, but that plan is yet on the table. If anything, she will most likely call, seeing how far Alola is from Galar. He contacted Professor Krane regarding his research on Shadow Pokémon a while ago and sent what data he could gather from the two curious cases they have here in Alola, but he doubted his former colleague would be that fast to produce results. He is not an expert like him on the matter - seeing that he only worked with him halfway through before flying to Hoenn on an emergency call - but he is not a slacker either. He knows his stuff, but even so, that is not enough. He might be a jack-of-all-trades, but his expertise lies more on history than anything else.

The knocks became louder, and the professor quickened his pace. His hand itched to reach for the rectangular peephole – a habit he does before opening any door – but he refrained. The knocks became more urgent by the second, and he was concerned that if they got any louder, his wife would wake up despite being a heavy sleeper – a trait Moon inherited from her. He turned the doorknob and opened the door wide enough for him to see who came by. He was surprised to see a pair of familiar, lime green sunglasses that reminded him of a Flygon's staring back at him.

"Faba?" Elio opened the door wider for the Aether employee. "What are you doing here this late at night? Did something happen?"

"I…" Faba cleared his throat though Elio could sense well the nervous energy around him. His eyes kept darting to the sides as if someone was out to get him. "I apologize for disrupting your rest at such an ill-favored time. It's just…the President is asking for you."

"Asking for me?" Elio's face scrunched to a frown. "She could just give me a call, and I'll be there."

He leaned in closer. His voice was merely a whisper. "It's a matter of confidentiality, Professor." He was sweating bullets now. "It would be unwise to use such an unconventional way. 'There are ears everywhere', so to speak."

If there's anything that the professor learned in his years of experience, it is that to listen to your instincts. Right now, his instincts told him to hear out the antsy Flygon-themed employee. "Alright." He nodded. "Give me a minute, and we'll go." The professor swore Faba let out a breath of relief and muttered Thank the deities before he invited him in the living room to wait while he got changed.

Whatever the professor expected the emergency to be, it was not this.

He expected another Pokémon that went berserk or maybe one of those 'Ultra Beasts' that attacked Ula'ula Island that afternoon. He envisioned a mysterious relic from the region's ancient history or perhaps a development – the good kind – from his Pokémon patients. Definitely not this. Not a couple of weirdly dressed individuals of unusual skin coloring that is absolutely not from this dimension, of odd mannerisms that is too stiff, of more advanced technology than he has laid eyes on.

He has studied the legends of the Sinnoh region – the Legendary Pokémon that controls space, time, and antimatter – and has begun studying Alolan history and its otherworldly visitors. Still, he cannot believe that he will be facing the individuals from his own daughter's tales. It must have been visible in his expression that the Aether President decided to break the ice.

"Professor, I would like you to meet the Ultra Recon Squad." She gestured at the two. "Phyco, Soliera, this is Professor Elio, a renowned researcher in regional histories."

The two raised their arms and imitated what seemed to be a stiff version of the Alolan greeting. The man was the first to take the initiative. "Alola. I am Phyco. The captain of the Ultra Recon Squad. It is an honor to meet an individual of high distinction."

"Oh…" Elio cleared his throat and nodded, clearly not sure how to make of the situation. They are currently in the conservation area; Lusamine sent Faba to assist Burnet, whom the latter called before arriving at his home. All the employees on the night shift cleared out of the place to give way for the private meeting. Only the night lights and the Alolan moon illuminated the spacious floor. "It is nice to meet you as well. I heard about you from my daughter."

"Daughter?" Phyco questioned.

Lusamine graciously answered in his stead. "Do you remember Moon? The First Alolan Champion?"

"Ah, yes!" Phyco nodded. "I do remember. She is the impressive youth with the Z-Power Ring who vanquished the darkness that surrounded Alola years past. So, you are her sire? I can see some resemblance from you."

Elio scratched the back of his neck as he smiled sheepishly. "Uh…thanks?"

"She is an outstanding Trainer. We owe her greatly. Ultra Megapolis might still be shrouded in darkness to this day, but at least, the Blinding One's rage has been quelled for now." Phyco said. "Alas, that is not the cause of our return in this place."

"Alola's in another grave danger," Soliera said. "As well as many other dimensions that run parallel to this world. A menace beyond what we have known has come to threaten both people and Pokémon."

The smile on the professor's face dropped. "What do you mean?"

"Ultra Beasts," Lusamine answered the professor's question. A grim expression on her face. "Ultra Megapolis was invaded by Ultra Beasts a month ago in our world's time, similar to how UB Assembly and UB Lighting was reported to appear here in Alola in the past weeks."

"Indeed," Soliera confirmed. "Rarely does an Ultra Beast stumble upon our world, but when one does, we assist it in returning to its homeworld. However, these Ultra Beasts we spoke of arrived suddenly and attacked our people without any reservation. Our defenses have victoriously fended them off, but their masters made off with our Lunala and Solgaleo. It is only by Professor Burnet's device that we managed to enter this world."

Elio placed a hand under his chin as he slowly processed it all. "You said something about these 'masters'," He said thoughtfully. "Do you happen to have intel about them? What their purpose is for sending Ultra Beasts to your world?"

"We do not have a clear conclusion on their ambition," Phyco raised his arm and pressed on his wrist guard. A holographic projection flashed in front of them in a crystal-clear resolution. It showed what seemed to be an Ultra Wormhole with tiny dots indicating coordinates in a cryptic language that the professor had never seen. "Our technology has pinpointed their dimensional coordinates. The Ultra Recon Squad has sent a team to infiltrate their world. They have yet to return and report. It may take longer than we calculated without our Lunala and Solgaleo."

"I see…"

"Fret not, humans of Alola," Soliera assured them. "We, the Ultra Recon Squad, will assist you in any we can. We will repay our debt on behalf of the people of Ultra Megapolis."

"That is reassuring to hear." Lusamine nodded. "You can stay here if you wish. I will ask Wicke to prepare rooms for you." The Aether President turned to the professor. "Are you going home, Professor?"

Elio shook his head. "I'll stay." He answered. "I don't think I can sleep anytime soon. I will just send a message to Selene later. There are things I need to check up on."

"Of course. I will leave it to you then. If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to call."

"Thank you, President." Elio nodded. He bowed goodbye to his two new acquaintances and watched them trail behind Lusamine as they boarded the lift. As they ascended, a weary sigh escaped the professor's lips, and he pulled out his phone. His finger skimmed over his messages and tapped on his topmost conversation. His sent messages popping on the screen - all have gone unanswered.

Moon, where are you?


Sun leaned against the balcony railing of his assigned room in one of the two challengers' hotels. The evening banquet ended almost an hour ago, and most of the participants had already retired back to their respective hotels. The League management made sure to assign rooms in two of the hotels on the artificial island for the challengers to reside in the duration of the tournament. The fifty-eight participants are divided between the two hotels, where all their needs will be accommodated in the course of the championship.

From where he is, he could make out the last of the lit torches on the center of the stadium where the Champion, the Elite Four, and the Kahunas are having their meeting before the official start of the tournament. The full moon has reached its peak in the sky, bathing all of Alola with its soft light. He lifted a black accessory with one hand, gazing at its circular form blocking a portion of the moon.

"How careless. Losing an important item like this."

A lilac four-legged Pokémon walked up next to him and rubbed against his legs. He reached down and scratched the Pokémon from behind the ears. It purred under his touch as its split tail curled around his leg.

"What do you think?" He tilted his head at his companion. "How long do you think it will take the Champion to notice that he lost one precious Z-Power Ring?"

"Espiii..."

"You're right. It's not like he knows who got it." He lowered his arm and slipped the Z-Power Ring around his left wrist. "We'll borrow it for a while together with the rest of the goods. I'm sure they wouldn't mind it much as long as we're returning it."

He peeled himself off the railing and placed a hand on his left ear. Voices crackled from the other side of the black earpiece. "Ultra Megapolis was invaded by Ultra Beasts a month ago in our world's time, similar to how UB Assembly and UB Lighting was reported to appear here in Alola in the past weeks."

"Indeed. Rarely does an Ultra Beast stumble upon our world, but when one does, we assist it in returning to its homeworld…."

Sun watched impassively as the two Aether siblings appeared down the street. The Champion has his arms around their shoulders with an unmistakable, eager bounce in his steps. The Kahunas and the Elite Four were chatting in lively tones just a few meters behind them.

Just then, Gladion stopped abruptly in his tracks and whipped in his direction. His eyes widened when they landed down on him. Sun let the slight smirk curl on his lips, knowing full well that the green-eyed Trainer could not see it under the tilted cap. Well, that's interesting.

His companions noticed him tensed and turned to the general direction that Gladion was glaring at. Sun could not hear them, but the ripple of alarm within their ranks was enough to give him an idea of what the Aether heir had told them. He tucked his hands inside his pockets just as a familiar but welcome chill ran up his spine. Behind him, his companion began to grow and morph, its appearance changing drastically from what it looked like previously. The Illusion Fox Pokémon stared down at his Trainer's soon-to-be opponents with sharp blue eyes.

Hau stomped forward and pointed at him. "Hey, you!" The others turned to the Champion with surprise. Sun simply raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't care what your deal is, but Glads is no way going to lose to someone like you!" Hau inhaled deeply, cupped his hands, and shouted at the top of his lungs. "GLADION'S GONNA WIN, AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO 'BOUT IT!"

Sun stared at him with brief surprise. He watched as the flustered blond Trainer hissed at him to shut up and tried to grab him when he whined a protest. A few lights from the surrounding buildings turned on as the guests were roused from sleep and peered blearily at the commotion outside their windows. Hau, however, seemed unconcerned about it as he slipped out of Gladion's grasp and hid behind Lillie.

Heh. Admiration and amusement danced in his eyes as he regarded them. Behind him, Zoroark gave a quiet huff. "Fine by us!" He announced, stopping the two young men in their tracks to turn their attention back to him. "We will not hold back either!"

Gladion smiled despite himself. "I wouldn't have it any other way."