Professor Burnet has seen a few Ultra Wormholes crack open in the sky before her own eyes, but those are nothing compared to what she is seeing right now. The gigantic Ultra Wormhole churned above Malie City and Route 11 like an eye of a formidable storm. White and purple lightning crackled around the maelstrom, and thunder rumbled like a growl of a beast. Saying it was unnatural was an understatement. She has seen only a handful of photographs of similar Ultra Wormholes collected from onlookers at the time of their appearances, but seeing one up close sent a chill down her spine. It is not the exciting kind of chill either - it was one that strikes fear in her heart.
"Whoa! That's a big Ultra Wormhole." Hau remarked as he looked from the window of the Aether helicopter. "It's even bigger than the one that opened up over Memorial Hill a month ago."
Hau was right. It was bigger than the past Ultra Wormholes they have recorded since Akala's festival a month ago. The Heahea City Dimensional Research Lab and the Aether Foundation documented three similar Ultra Wormholes within the past four weeks. Two of them unleashed Ultra Beasts in the islands of Akala and Ula'ula, while the other one lasted only for a minute before imploding by itself due to unknown reasons. Not one Ultra Beast was captured due to the wormholes sucking them back in immediately after fainting. The ones that appeared in Ula'ula back then were defeated before the designated team could arrive. Some of the witnesses claimed that they saw a boy and an Electric-type Pokémon fighting against the otherworldly creatures, but they have yet to establish the boy's identity.
The Aether helicopter landed down on an open area in Route 11 where some of the Aether employees assigned to the island were herding civilians out from the immediate area. Professor Burnet leaped off the flying vehicle with much grace she could muster and stepped away to get a better view of the opening of the wormhole. Hau and Gladion jogged after her; the latter already called out Silvally to prepare for battle.
"Any sign of an Ultra Beast?" Hau asked.
"We are still carrying out a scan of the area," Wicke answered as she joined them. She swiped a finger on her Aether-designated tablet; the light reflected off her glasses. "But we already received reports of some appearances within Route 11. It seemed that we have some UB-02 Absorption running around."
"Buzzwole…" Gladion grumbled. "Just great. I hate those guys."
"You hate everything, Glads."
Gladion ignored Hau. "Where's the Kahuna?"
"Kahuna Nanu and his Trial Captains are currently evacuating people toward Po Town." Wicke reported. "Acerola said that she will be joining us sho-" Her tablet beeped, and alarm wrinkled her features. "Young Master, the scan just completed! We managed to locate five Buzzwoles on the island."
"Where are they now?"
"That's…" Wicke frowned in confusion. Her finger tapping repeatedly on the screen. "According to the scan, they are focused in only one area. It's-! "
The Aether branch chief's words were cut short when something fell from the sky and slammed right at the middle of the group. The heavy impact sent them flying and skidding on the ground as the spot they were on split-second ago exploded into a rain of dust and pebbles that pelted down on them. It barely muffled the screams around them and the buzzing sound from the center of the impact zone.
Gladion scrambled to his feet as he coughed. The white of his Aether uniform dusted in pale brown as his eyes immediately searched the area. Hau was sprawled on the ground - a little disoriented but unharmed. Professor Burnet was already up, helping a rattled Wicke get to the safety of the trees. The remaining civilians ran for their lives as the Aether employees and their Pokémon commandeered them out of the area and formed a barrier between them and the assailant.
"S-Silvally!" Gladion rasped, and a loud trill answered him somewhere his right. Relief washed over him upon hearing the Synthetic Pokémon's cry. He hauled himself toward the Alolan Champion, ignoring the pebbles battering his head and shoulders. He knelt next to Hau, who flashed him a woozy grin.
"Hey, Glads! You're still alive."
"Unfortunately." Gladion slung one arm around his shoulders and helped the green-haired Trainer to his feet. "Can you stand by yourself?"
"A bit dizzy," Hau mumbled as he staggered when he pulled away from Gladion. The older Aether sibling caught the Champion's arm before he could plant his face-first on the ground. "Did I get a concussion?"
"If you can consider that, I doubt it," Gladion answered, watching their surroundings warily as he supported him. "Professor Burnet and Wicke are safe for now. We need to regroup –"
The ground shook momentarily, almost throwing them off their feet again. A fresh wave of dust swept over them and blinded them of their immediate surroundings. There was a blaze of vermillion at their left and muffled shouts carried by air, but the two did not know whether that was a good thing or not. Gladion called for Silvally's name again, but the chimera Pokémon did not answer his call this time. He swore under his breath and steered Hau toward the direction of lush tree canopies visible above the dust storm. They just took one step when a buzzing sound reached their ears. Their feet froze in place as a humongous silhouette scuttled in front of them.
Buzzwole, from Gladion's memory of his last encounter years ago, are generally huge, around twice his height or more. They are usually red, from the tip of their antennas to the point of their legs. However, the one before them was more grotesque than Gladion remembered. The portions in-between its red sac-like muscles were purple with polished black spikes peeking like some gothic armor. Its wings were translucent lavender with darker veins running through them. Its head twitched as it turned its blackened compound eyes on them.
An ear-piercing buzzing cry escaped from the Ultra Beast, and the two barely dodged its fist in a split second. Hau fumbled for one of his Pokéballs, but the sound that the Buzzwole was emitting was making his head spin in circles. Gladion nearly clawed his ears in an attempt to silence the sound, but it was useless. They were crouched on the ground, incapacitated as the Buzzwole reared for another attack. It raised its fist when a gleam of silver slammed against it. The Buzzwole was sent flying toward a tree, breaking the trunk with a loud CRACK!.
With the screeching cry smothered momentarily, Gladion blinked blearily before him, barely recognizing the creature in front of him. A set of heavy footsteps ran to his side, and strong arms hauled him up to his feet. "Kid! Ya' okay?"
Gladion turned his head to the voice and recognized the messy flop of white hair and too-big, gold-rimmed sunglasses. "Guzma…?"
"Get yer head on the battle, kid!" The former Team Skull leader gripped his shoulders tight. "Now's not the time to nap!"
Gladion groaned as he placed his hand on his forehead. There was a throbbing pain in his head, and he swayed on his feet when he tried standing on his own. Talk about a reversal of misfortune. He thought bitterly. Plumeria walked toward them while supporting a dazed Hau. He looked worse than before, and it seemed like he would faint any second now.
"We've taken down two of those Ultra Beasts." Plumeria told him. "One of the Elite Four has just arrived and is currently dealing with another one. Your Pokémon got caught up in it."
At least, Silvally is still up. Gladion thought. "The other two…? There are five of them."
"No idea. Haven't seen 'em." Guzma answered. He slung Gladion's arm over his shoulders. "Come on, kiddo. Let's get ya' both out of 'ere. You're in no shape to fight."
Gladion wanted to protest, but he knew Guzma was right. He felt nauseous just by being supported upright. He wanted to throw up, but he forced it down and closed his eyes tight. Neither he nor Hau is in any condition to move on their own, much less to fight. Whatever Buzzwole did, it was something new that an ordinary Buzzwole does not typically exhibit.
Guzma's Golisopod took position beside the two men, using both his height and tough armor plating to protect them from falling debris. Plumeria and Hau stuck close behind them; the former's Salazzle at the rear, alert for an ambush. The shouts were rising in volume around them, and Gladion could make out the vague silhouette of the Aether helicopter in front of them, and some figures gathered around it.
"Young Master!" Wicke rushed toward them with all professionalism set aside. Behind her, the helicopter's rotor blades rotate slowly, dispelling the dust in the immediate area. She gripped the older Aether sibling's arm with both surprising firmness and gentleness. "Are you hurt anywhere? What happened?"
"They're fine," Plumeria answered in their stead. "but not good enough to fight. It would be best if you got them away from here immediately. We'll hold down the fort as long as we can."
Guzma hauled Gladion inside the helicopter while Wicke sidled next to Hau and helped Plumeria settle the Champion beside the blond. They just had secured the two men's seatbelts and helmets just as Burnet bustled toward them. She came out unscathed from the initial attack, save for a few scrapes on her arms. The professor waved her hands and shouted over the sounds of a nearby battle. "Acerola is buying us time!" She heaved herself inside the helicopter and climbed to the front seat beside the waiting pilot. "We need to leave now!"
Wicke slid next to Hau and fastened her seatbelt. She turned to the former Team Skull leader and his admin. "I already contacted the President to send in reinforcements. They are on their way. Please be careful."
"Don't worry." Plumeria said as the helicopter blades picked up speed and plastered her hair against the side of her face. "We don't plan to get our asses handed to us by some Ultra Beast. Make sure those two get better, yeah?"
Wicke nodded and closed the rear door. Plumeria and Guzma stepped back and watched the helicopter take off from the ground, away from the island and to the central part of the region where Aether Paradise is located. Behind them, the battle raged on as cries of Pokémon and their attacks clashed in a brilliant display of power against the dust storm.
"Say, Plums," The ex-Team Skull leader said, rotating his neck and cracking his knuckles before smirking in a way that Plumeria knows well. "What do ya' say we teach some bad boys a good ol' lesson?"
