Saying it was a mess was an understatement.

The accidental, live television feed did not cover the full scale of destruction in the stadium, nor did the call Gladion received from one of the staff members specify so. Half of the artificial island was emptied – the people evacuated to the south side where the docks are located. Even so, there are only a few ships operable, thanks to Team Skull. The Aether Paradise has to pitch in some vessels and helicopters to hurry along the evacuation process. It was fortunate that there were no casualties - those that are severely injured are immediately carted to different hospitals in the region. The hospital and Pokémon Center in the artificial island have not escaped the path of destruction, but not enough to entirely cripple their essential services.

If the higher-ups had left earlier that time, the aftermath would have been more disastrous. Those left inside the stadium fended off the intruders while they covered the escape of the civilians. Team Skull managed to slip from their grasp and disappear as fast as they appeared. Right now, the Kahunas and Elite Four are on the hunt for the notorious team's leader while Hau and the Trial Captains are taking care of the civilians still left behind in the stadium. Gladion flew to the island as fast as possible and tried his best to accommodate the press, who they expected to swarm as soon as the news spread.

"Sir! Sir! Can you tell us what happened? Is it true that it was Team Skull who is behind this?"

"What will happen to the rest of the League tournament?"

"Didn't Team Skull disband six years ago? Is their return related to Guzma's defeat in the semifinals?"

Gladion hid the grimace on his expression as the reporters inched closer and shoved their microphones to his face. Dealing with the press is one of the things he absolutely hates, but right now, he is the only one who can handle it. "We are still looking into the incident, so we want to ask everyone to be patient. For now, please evacuate. It is dangerous to stay on the island."

"Sir! There are rumors that the region is under attack, given the recent berserk attacks and Ultra Beast encounters. Is Alola still safe? What is the League's take on this? How is the Champion handling this?"

Reporters, in Gladion's opinion, are damn irritating when they want to be. He itched to get out of there as soon as possible and see the situation for himself, but he could not just answer things that had yet to be discussed. He has to give them a vague answer until the League sends out an official statement about the matter.

"That's -"

"The League is going to investigate today's incident personally." Gladion felt a hand clamped on his shoulder and turned to see Hau, who had an easy smile on his face. The gathered crowd immediately fell into a hush as the Champion continued. "Right now, the Elite Four is searching for Mister Guz- I mean, the boss of Team Skull. We'll be working together with the police and the Aether Foundation, so I request everyone be patient and stay in their homes until then. Any sightings of Team Skull should be reported immediately to the authorities."

Murmurs floated among the press as the cameras flashed spontaneously. Hau ignored them and gestured to the police he had brought with him. "Please evacuate the island immediately and stay away while the investigation is ongoing. Everyone's cooperation is appreciated." Hau ended with a reassuring smile. The reporters surged forward to ask questions, but the police barricaded their path. He motioned for Gladion to follow him, and the two briskly walked away.

"You've gotten better."

"Thanks to a certain someone who likes scolding me."

Gladion snorted. "It's part of your job. Don't expect me to save your ass every time. I hate dealing with the press."

"You hate everything, Glads."

"Then, how's everything?"

"Everything sucks right now if that's what you're asking."

They passed by the plaza in front of Gladion and Lillie's assigned hotel. The fountain standing on the center was demolished; the marble pieces lay on the tiled ground like washed-away pebbles in a river. The windows on the ground floor of the hotel were either shattered or sprayed with paint. The booths that previously littered the sides were toppled over; food and merchandise were strewn on the floor. Police officers and Aether volunteers were scattered, taking pictures of the destruction and cleaning up the larger debris.

"I just received a call from Miss Kahili. She told me they already got ahold of Big Sis Plumeria and the grunts but still haven't found Mister Guzma yet. She also said that it would be better to postpone the finals. What do you think, Glads?"

Gladion frowned at him. "Why are you asking me?"

Hau looked at him like he had made a joke. "Uh…hello? Sun and your deal with him. Does that ring a bell?"

Gladion clicked his tongue. "There's nothing I can do, can I? Team Skull came in and caused a racket." He folded his arms. His eyebrows creased further. "As much as I want things to settle between me and Sun, the safety of the civilians is more important right now. The deal can wait. I'd rather not get more people to get hurt."

Hau grinned and poked his side. "You're really a softie, aren't you?"

"Shut up."

They entered the stadium, and Gladion kept his eyes ahead. He was long acquainted with the mess that Team Skull left in their wake, in which Po Town was once the center of it all. Of course, he prefers a cleaner and more orderly place. That is why he rented a place in a motel in Akala for himself. That, and he likes a space for himself only. Team Skull is a bunch of delinquents that he could only tolerate for a very short amount of time.

They stopped at the topmost section of the spectators' area, where the entirety of the stadium could be seen. Among the areas that Team Skull thrashed, the stadium has the worst - even worse when left unused for five years. The displays that broadcasted the battles up close and personal fell on the ground with their screens bashed in. Banners were strewn on the dusty floor of the battlefield, ripped and some burned. Paint, both too bright and too dark for the eyes, was sprayed on every nook and cranny - the most and probably most childish message splashed across the field.

TEAM SKULL WAZZZ HERE! OUR BOSS IS STILL THE BIG BAD BEST!

Gladion took a deep breath. How did he even get affiliated with them again? He knew that the grunts are like children in adult bodies, but still…this is ridiculous!

"Glads?"

"What?"

"Do you…do you think Team Skull really did this? Do you think Mister Guzma ordered them to do this?"

Gladion eyed the Champion. He is making that face again. He knew that Hau has always been one of the types that wear their feelings on their sleeves. It is both his strength and weakness. A trait that he once disliked but learned to respect in time. He leaned against the railing and crossed his arms. "Everyone saw the live feed. Team Skull is the one who did it. Guzma was there at the end."

Hau clenched the steel railing so tight that his knuckles turned white. "I just can't believe it. Mister Guzma changed, and so did Team Skull. They don't even call themselves Team Skull anymore! It…it doesn't make any sense!"

In some way, Gladion understands Hau's frustration. He was never that close to Team Skull compared to Moon and Hau. He respects Guzma and Plumeria and, over time, no longer views the former grunts as nuisances. If there is anything he knows about them from the past five years, there is no way they would resort back to their old ways. He might be cooped up in Aether Paradise most of the time, but he has already seen how far they have come. They are no longer outcasts but respectable members of the community who have already contributed a lot to the region.

So, they caused such a ruckus because of what? A tantrum? Guzma might have temper issues, but he has managed them well for years now. He has lost a few times now, but he had never gone self-destructive because of it, compared to before Team Skull disbanded. The former Team Skull leader has learned to accept his losses and reflect on them, making him stronger. So, why?

"I need to talk to Mister Guzma," Hau mumbled. "I want to know why he did this."

"…Yeah." Gladion agreed after a beat of silence. "The Elite Four will find him, and when they do, we'll ask him."

Hau turned to him with hopeful eyes. "Together?"

Gladion huffed. There he goes again. "Fine." He relented. "Together."

Hau almost leaped at him in glee and slung an arm around the older Aether sibling. "You're the best, Glads!"

"Get your arm off me!" Hau simply laughed as the blond shook his arm off. Gladion glared at him. "If you can already laugh like that, then get to work! Stop shirking in your duties as Champion."

"Am not!" Hau pouted, slightly offended. "I'm doing my work, you know! I'm keeping people safe. Maybe you're the one who…." He trailed off, his eyes widening by the second. The Champion could barely hear Gladion's question amidst the ringing in his ears. This prompted the blond to follow his gaze.

The moment Gladion did, he felt his heart stop. Standing just across them from the opposite of the stadium is a figure clad in black from head to toe. The person was wearing a jacket two sizes too big for their frame and their hair tied in a long, black ponytail peeking behind their cap. Hau and Gladion could not ultimately see the person's face, with the black mask covering the lower part of the face, but the eyes…they know those eyes - blue eyes that are deep as the depths of the ocean and as bright as Alolan sky. The eyes that have seen so much and experienced so much. Those eyes could only belong to one person they know well…or at least, they thought so.

Moon.

For a moment, their eyes met. The intensity of that gaze sent terrifying chills on the two young men's spines. A strong gust of wind passed by and picked up a fallen banner to the air, covering their view for a split second. By the time the banner passed by and the two men could see the other side again, the figure had already disappeared.


Sun slammed the side of his fist against the brick wall. He was late! He could not stop them from going through the President's plan. He should have been more forceful in preventing Mister Guzma from appearing in that match. If he did, maybe, just maybe, things would not have escalated like this. He ran a hand across his face and sighed. At least, Mister Guzma is safe. If those two met so soon…

Sun did not want to think about it. He was fortunate enough that he managed to get the older man's attention that he came running after him at the end of the match. That allowed him to get him away from the stadium and escape the clutches of the League. Still…it cost him precious time. He did not try ending that match for fifteen minutes just for fun. He cannot completely stop the plan, but he could have delayed it.

Sun leaned against the wall, listening to the faraway bustle of Malie City. The talk of the town has been Team Skull and the invasion in the Manalo Stadium. He expected the news to spread fast, but it is still terrifying how quickly it took. His shadow quivered behind him, and he placed a firm hand against the wall. "I'm fine. Don't worry." He whispered against the darkness. "They should be here any moment now. Be ready."

There was no answer, but Sun smiled, nonetheless. He peeled away from the wall and straightened up as heavy footsteps approached him. His face dropped to a frigid expression as his newly arrived company stepped too close next to him for his liking.

"Well, well! If it isn't Sunny boy." The leader of the group easily towered over Sun. The electric shock of dyed white hair hung above him like a pitiful cloud. "I thought ya'll ignore us again like always, huh?"

Sun glared from beneath the shadow of his cap. "I have my orders." He replied icily. "Even if I want to, I don't want to anger the President."

"Ho-ho! Ya' hear that, grunts?" The man turned to his subordinates. "The wittle pup's scared!"

The group snickered, but Sun decidedly ignored them. "At least, I succeeded in my tasks." He smirked. A clear mocking tone in his voice. "I heard that the ship that was supposed to transport the Z-Crystals was discovered." The man flinched as the blond stepped forward. "Whose fault was that, I wonder. Do you know, Guzma?"

Guzma gritted his teeth as he scowled at the younger boy with contempt. "Yer cocky just 'cause ya' got in that pathetic tournament! Don't forget that place is already gone to rubble!"

Sun deliberated whether to punch the guy or not. He could get a punch or two, but he did not want to compromise his position no matter how ticked he was by the guy. "Yeah, yeah. Congrats." He drawled. "Congrats on finally finishing something. Honestly, you could have been faster."

"Why, ya' little-"

"If you have nothing to say, then I'm going now." Sun shoved his hands inside his pockets and turned away. "Just so you know, I'd hate to be that guy, but," He paused and looked over his shoulder. "The higher-ups of this region are nothing to scoff at. If you don't want your asses to get kicked, you better deal with them soon."

"Don't tell me yer afraid of 'em?" Guzma taunted. "We have the Ultra Beasts. Those brats are nothin'."

From amidst the darkness, Sun's eyes seemed to glow like molten lava. "Keep that up, and you will be back to where you come from before you can even blink." He turned his head away. "That's all I have to say. Don't call me unless the President ordered so. I hate unwanted interrup-!"

CRASH!

They all winced and turned around to see a lid of metal trash can rolling past the end of the alley. Someone swore loudly from the left corner, and a humanoid shadow receded hurriedly away from the light coming from a nearby lamppost. Guzma narrowed his eyes and snapped his fingers. Some of his bigger grunts ran past Sun and turned sharply to the corner. Almost immediately, the sound of running footsteps was followed by something heavy colliding to the ground and a string of shouts and curses. A minute of what Sun assumed to be a brawl passed by before the grunts returned, dragging a struggling man toward their boss.

"LET ME GO, YA' PUNKS! I'LL – URK!"

Sun stood still on the spot and cursed under his breath as one of the grunts kicked their haul to the feet of their boss. Guzma did not miss his shocked expression, and the leader of Team Skull grinned wickedly as he clapped. "Well now, isn't this twisty?" He leaned down and grabbed the man's hair, tilting his face upwards to face his. "If it isn't the me from this world. Ya' got guts to follow Sunny boy to yer death, huh?"

The second Guzma glared at him beneath blackened eyelids and opened his bloodied mouth to retort. "I heard from a lil' bird…a long time ago…that there's a thing called parallel worlds or somethin'." A smirk quirked from the swollen side of his lips. "I didn't know that the other me is uglier than I am."

A loud CRACK! echoed in the dark alley as the doppelganger punched his stomach. Guzma keeled over, coughing up blood on the dirty, cemented ground. "Ya' think yer smart, huh?" The first Guzma stood up and slammed his shoe at the back of his head. "Now, I think of it, ya' and I aren't smart enough for that." He turned at Sun with a sneer. "Ya' tried to hide 'im, didn't ya kid? That guilty face of yers says so."

Sun, who has recovered from his initial shock, narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't know what you're talking about." He removed his hands from his pockets and stepped forward. "Or is it that you're trying to spin things in that tiny head of yours just because you want to?"

"Hah! Ya' think a traitor like ya' got to say that? Once the President finds out -"

"Once the President finds out, do you think she will forgive you from your earlier blunder?" Sun cut off sharply. "I just reminded you, yet you got the audacity to forget immediately, Guzma. If Interpol did not find out about that ship, the whole region would have already fallen into chaos as President Lusamine planned. I will ask you again. Whose fault was that?"

The darkness of the alley seemed to be blacker than a minute ago, almost as if it had swallowed even the tiniest speck of light in existence. Sun walked toward him until he was standing face-to-face with the older man. The Guzma from the parallel world tried to move but could not as if something were keeping him in place. He looked around to call for his grunts, but his eyes widened in the realization that he was alone. It was just the two of them in this empty and endless void.

"I'm warning you, Guzma," Sun said in a low voice. His red eyes gleamed against the darkness, daring him to challenge him. "I am the last person you would want to be enemies with. Know your place."

They stood like that for like an eternity before Sun stepped back, and the dimly lit alley returned as if the darkness was simply a hallucination. The blond Trainer looked down at the Guzma of this world, who glared at both as if preparing to spit out the most brutal curses he has in his arsenal. Somewhere above them, a shadow of an Alolan Meowth scampered past.

"I enjoyed our match earlier, Mister Guzma, but this is where things have to end," Sun said, glancing at the other Guzma. "Do what you want with him, but don't kill him. He could still be useful to the President."

Guzma was red and seething in rage – something that Sun openly showed his amusement at. "We're not done yet, Sunny boy! Do ya' understand?"

Sun rolled his eyes. "Curb your inferiority complex, please, and get going." He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "Before I lose the last ounce of tolerance I have for you and your minions, Guzma."

"Tch! Arrogant brat!" Guzma growled as he turned and kicked an empty can lying on the ground. "Get that useless me, and let's go!"

Sun watched them as two of the bigger grunts dragged the Guzma of this world like a ragged doll. For a moment, their eyes met before Guzma broke away to shout and struggle against his captors. From beneath his roughed-up body, the darkness that once surrounded them slithered and melded with his shadow. The blond Trainer waited until the sound of their footsteps receded and an Alolan Meowth leaped down from the top of the opposite wall.

"Did you successfully relay my message to them, Zoroark?" Sun asked. Before his very eyes, the Illusion Fox Pokémon shifted back to her original form and nodded in response. Her Trainer smiled. "Good work. I know it's a risky move, but we can't afford to wait for further orders. That, and I'm not really the type to stand back and wait."

Sun peeled himself away from the wall and rummaged into one of the pockets of his jacket. He pulled out a white envelope and a black Z-Crystal and offered them. "I have another request for you. Do you remember Mister Molayne? Deliver these to him, but make sure no one else finds out. He will know what to do when he reads the letter."

The shape of the Pokémon shifted into something humanoid until Sun was standing face-to-face with a black-clad figure. Only the upper half of the face could be seen, but its blue eyes glittered like sapphires in the dim light. The transformed Pokémon accepted the items and slipped them inside her jacket.

"It's still weird seeing you transform into…that." Zoroark made a huffing sound in response. Sun chuckled before his expression dropped into something more serious. "Phyco, Soliera, Professor Burnet, and Professor Elio…we could have asked for their help if only Ultra Team Skull didn't have their hands on them. The only person we could entrust this task, for now, is Mister Molayne."

Zoroark looked at him questioningly. "Roark?"

"Hm? You're worried about Mister Guzma?" Sun shook his head. "Don't worry. It will be fine. If there is one thing I know about him, he isn't the type to let anyone down. After all," He smirked. "He's the Big Bad Boss of Team Reskull."


For people who are confused about the two Guzma, this is how they are differentiated in this chapter via a third person point-of-view and Sun's perspective:

Guzma from the current world: Guzma of this world, second Guzma, Mister Guzma

Guzma from the parallel world: Guzma from the parallel world, first Guzma, doppelganger, Guzma

Note that Sun never attaches honorifics when talking to the Guzma from the parallel world. He is far more respectful and polite to the Guzma from the current world because of reasons.