Sun watched as the Aether helicopter soared above them and veered away from the island. He half-expected that at some point, they would have to retreat. They had underestimated their opponents just because they fought against them before and learned only a bit late that these are not the same Ultra Beasts they have encountered. Better late than never. He thought as he jumped back in time as the Buzzwole's fist connected to the ground he was standing before. The Swollen Pokémon let out a shrill cry, but Sun remained unimpressed from where he stood. He could have let the Ultra Beast do its dramatics, but a pained squeak caught his attention.
"Corviknight, Brave Bird."
The Raven Pokémon screeched from above him and flared in orange light. He swooped down at the Buzzwole like a burning meteor and slammed against it. The Buzzwole rammed against a couple of trees before skidding to the ground and dragging a large mound of dirt with it. It tried to rise, but Corviknight forced it down with a powerful Body Press. The Ultra Beast lay face-first on the ground, its body sizing up like it was having an attack before lying still unconscious.
That is another one down. Sun walked and knelt next to the body. His fingers reached out and touched the black, crystalline spikes sprouting from its shoulder. He made a clicking sound with his tongue and stood up just as his unlikely companion stumbled behind him.
Lillie looked worse for the wear, having pelted with dust and pebbles and inflicted by the disorienting cry of the Ultra Beast. The shoulders of her white dress were now dusted with flecks of grime and dirt. She eyed the Ultra Beast timidly, keeping a reasonable distance from the creature. "Is it…?"
"Dead?" Sun supplied, humoring her for amusement's sake. "Believe it or not, Miss Lillie, I have my morals. I don't kill and never did."
Lillie gaped at him. A rosy color bloomed on her cheeks. She wanted to defend herself that she did not think of that, but ended willing her mouth to stay shut. She shuffled on her feet, now taking an interest in the sprinkle of dust on her shoes and how the world seemed to swirl before her eyes. Before she could blink, Sun was already in front of her and supported her weight when she tipped forward.
"You might be a bit far, but that Buzzwole still affected you." Sun remarked as he helped her shift her center of gravity and weight against him. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and steered her to the nearest tree some ways away from the ongoing battle.
"You aren't…affected?" Lillie asked, wincing briefly at a headache. She let him usher her down to sit beneath the shade and kneel to inspect her pale face. His Corviknight landed down and hopped behind his Trainer with a questioning croon.
Sun considered the question. "No. I am not." He answered after a heartbeat. "I am being protected."
Protected by what or whom? Lillie wanted to ask, but one glance at Sun's red eyes was more than enough to tell her that he would not entertain that question. Sun unzipped and took off his jacket. Her eyes strayed briefly to the crystalline pendant dangling around his neck before falling on the coat he had placed on her lap.
"Stay here," Sun said, no, ordered her. "There is still one Buzzwole running around. I will take care of it. Corviknight will stay behind to look after you." He turned to his heel, and Lillie looked up and opened her mouth to say something, but he beat her to it. "I'll be back for you. Don't worry." Then, he was gone.
Acerola stood behind her Drifblim as the Ultra Beast in front of them finally succumbed to defeat. It was a grueling battle, and that was coming from an Elite Four member. She has fought Ultra Beasts before, but only as many as she can count with one hand. Dealing with these otherworldly creatures is often left in the hands of the Aether Foundation. The Trial Captains and Kahunas usually just go as far as evacuating the civilians and holding the fort while waiting for reinforcements.
She let out a sigh of relief, patting one of Drifblim's ribbon-like arms to know it was over. Just across them, Silvally gave out a short trill as it nudged the fainted Ultra Beast with its muzzle. After making sure that its opponent was really out for the count, it trotted toward Acerola. She reached out and stroked its crest.
"Remind me to thank Gladion later."
Silvally answered her with a small chirrup, earning a giggle from the Ghost-type Trial Captain. She accidentally teamed up with the artificial Pokémon when she arrived as backup. It probably got separated from its Trainer when the Buzzwole came hurtling from the sky. Not that she was not thankful for Silvally's assistance, but she will have to remember to treat it with food once she made sure it returned safely to Gladion.
She dusted her dress and scanned the area. The dust was finally settling down now that most of the Ultra Beasts were taken down. She could make out the trunks of the trees and the nearby signpost that she could not see behind the dust storm moments ago. The ground was punctured with impact holes, and the surrounding greenery was covered with dust and dirt. She expected to see more damages in the area by daylight tomorrow. Route 11 was relatively empty, except for a few Aether employees and the former Team Skull leader and his admin now jogging toward her.
"Ya' okay, girl?"
"Yup!" Acerola nodded at Guzma. "Drifblim, Silvally, and I have already taken down one of them." She gestured to the unconscious Ultra Beast just a few meters away from them. "Where's Gladion and Hau?"
"The Ultra Beast got them." Plumeria said. "They had to retreat to Aether Paradise." She surveyed the area with sharp eyes. "Gladion said that there were five of those Ultra Beasts. We've already taken down three, including that one. Where's the other two?"
As if to answer her question, a blur of purple launched itself to them. Guzma heard, rather than saw the Buzzwole, and shouted for Golisopod. The Hard Scale Pokémon stepped beside Plumeria and blocked the Ultra Beast's attack with its armor. The Buzzwole scurried back a few meters away and looked at them with its compound eyes.
A grin threatened to split Guzma's face. "Yer smart fer an Ultra Beast, sneaking at us and stuff."
"Careful, Guz." Plumeria warned him as she fell in a firm stance beside her Salazzle. "That one's bigger than the others and packs more punch." She glanced at Golisopod, who seemed to have taken a bit of damage from blocking the attack.
"I know!" Guzma said, stepping beside her. "Ya' better keep an eye out. There's still another one runnin' around."
The Buzzwole shuddered, its head twitching as it raised its head to let out a cry. But before it could let release a note, a mass of white rammed against it. Silvally forced the Ultra Beast back, breaking its balance for a second. The Synthetic Pokémon roared, its mane bristling in a show of power. The Buzzwole raised its fist, but Silvally jumped away just as Golisopod appeared beside it and dealt with a powerful First Impression.
The Ultra Beast staggered but managed to recover quickly from the blow. It reached out a hand, grabbed Golisopod by the face, and slammed it down the ground with a sickening BOOM!. Silvally dashed forward to help Golisopod, but the Ultra Beast simply swatted it away with the back of its other hand.
"Salazzle, Flamethrower!"
Salazzle crept behind the Buzzwole and unleashed a stream of fire from her mouth. The Ultra Beast jerked back from the super effective move, releasing Golisopod in the process. Guzma called out an order, and his Pokémon scrambled up and answered in kind. His claws glowed white as he punched Buzzwole on the gut.
The Ultra Beast careened backward, smashing a boulder into pieces. Before it could have the chance to come back up, Drifblim hovered above. Her purple and white body was coated in crackling, yellow light. A lightning bolt struck down, electrocuting the Ultra Beast in three hundred million volts. Its burned body slumped down against the ground. The three Trainers waited in bated breath, their eyes not straying from the still Buzzwole. It was Acerola who broke the tense silence.
"Is it over…?"
Guzma shoved his hands in his pockets and scoffed. "Ya' gotta be kiddin' me!" He stomped toward the Ultra Beast, ignoring Plumeria's protests. Golisopod clambered to his side as his Trainer stopped in front of the otherworldly creature and knelt. Guzma scowled. "Ya' act big, but ya' got no bite. Ain't not worth my time-!"
"GUZMA!"
The former Team Skull leader's eyes widened. For a split second, the Ultra Beast jerked back up – one of its hands shooting out to grab and break his neck. Guzma stumbled back, his heart clenched in his throat. He expected the suffocating hold around his neck, but it never came. He looked up and saw the Buzzwole looming over him, a beefy hand just a centimeter away from his face. The Ultra Beast was frozen in time, and with his proximity, he could see why.
The Buzzwole was surrounded in an outline of blue light, restraining its movement completely. There was a rustle from the bushes behind it, and a figure stepped in view. "And here I thought this day couldn't get any better."
Guzma's eyes shot to the newcomer. He has seen the guy only three times – all from his matches in the Alolan League Championship. He has not paid much attention in the preliminary round, thinking he was just another ambitious hopeful for the Champion title. He only heard his deal with Gladion after Plumeria lost to the guy. Now, seeing him for the fourth time with that smug smirk on his lips, he regretted not punching the boy's face after his match against Plumeria.
Sun, or whatever his name is, walked toward them, leaning casually against the Ultra Beast like some statue, which it technically is for now. The third Pokémon he brought out in his match with the younger Aether sibling trailed behind him. Her eyes glowed in blue as she kept Buzzwole under its Psychic.
"UB-02 Absorption," Sun spoke like he was reading a book. "They're already a challenge in their normal state, but like this?" He shook his head. The smirk on his lips crept into an ominous smile. "They'rereally pulling the stops this time."
Guzma stood up and glowered at the young man. "What do ya' mean?" He demanded. "Are ya' sayin' someone is pullin' the strings with these Ultra Beasts?"
"Are you curious?" Sun shrugged. "Sorry. I can't tell you. That is between Mr. Future Aether President and me." He tilted his head. "That is if he wins."
"WHY, YA' LITTLE-!" Guzma lunged at the boy but was stopped by Hatterene's Psychic. He struggled the break free, but the Silent Pokémon held firm without much effort. "I don't know what yer deal is, kid, but this is not a game! These Ultra Beasts will destroy Alola! I know 'cause I've seen it!"
Sun stared at him with bored eyes. "And?"
"WHAT?" Guzma roared. "Are ya'- mmph!"
"Hatterene." Sun chided softly. "It's rude to cut off people like that. Let him speak."
Hatterene let out an annoyed huff. The glow in her eyes flared as she shoved Guzma back using her Psychic, sending the ex-Team Skull leader slamming to the ground. Plumeria and Acerola immediately ran to his side, with the older woman looking up and leveling a glare at the boy. "What the hell is your problem, kid?"
For a brief moment, Sun stood still. A glimpse of shock cracked through his detached expression before it hardened back into apathy. "I will only tell you this once." He stepped away from the Ultra Beast and narrowed his eyes at them. "Don't get in my way." He turned to his Pokémon. "Hatterene, take it down."
The Silent Pokémon swiveled toward the Buzzwole and slammed it toward another boulder. The poor Ultra Beast could do little to resist as Hatterene kept it down against the fragments of the boulder. The Silent Pokémon lifted Buzzwole from the ground using Psychic and hit it point-blank with Mystical Fire. The Ultra Beast writhed as it burned before it was released and fell to the ground with a reverberating THUD!.
Above them, the Ultra Wormhole began churning wildly. Purple and white lightning crackled at the edge of the maelstrom as the wind started picking up speed around them. The Buzzwole lying like a discarded ragdoll was lifted off the ground as if it weighed less than paper. Plumeria, Guzma, and Acerola could only watch as the Ultra Wormhole sucked in the four Ultra Beasts before blinking out of existence, leaving only the clear night sky of Alola for them to see.
"Mister Guzma."
The three snapped back to attention. Golisopod and Salazzle dashed in front to protect their Trainers, but Sun already called back Hatterene to her Pokéball. In his hand, he held his phone. The screen was lit, but it was far away for them to see the display clearly.
"Tomorrow, we will be facing each other," Sun said, tipping his cap forward. "I am giving you a chance to forfeit."
"Are ya' lookin' down on me, kid?" Guzma shot up to his feet, wincing briefly at the pain in his back. "I am the Big Bad Guzma! Don't ya' get cocky on me, ya' piece of-"
"I am not." Sun cut off, surprising the white-haired man. "I am giving you a chance to save yourself and the people you cared about. Forfeit the match, and things will not have to get ugly."
Guzma growled. "Is that a threat?"
"No. It isn't. I am giving you a warning." He shoved his hands inside his pockets. "You have more than enough time before the match begins. Think about it carefully."
Guzma was about to say something, but Plumeria beat him to it. "You…" She spoke. "Who really are you?"
Sun smiled. His smile, however, held no humor but only sadness. "I am who I am not." He answered, turning on his heel and walking away. The waxing gibbous moon cast light on his retreating outline as if the beast of the Moone, Lunala, was barely hiding within the inky darkness of the night. "Think about what I said, Mister Guzma, because soon, the sun will set here in Alola. Think…and choose wisely."
