Sun skidded to a stop and stared ahead with wide eyes. It happened so fast that he only realized what happened when a yellow figure materialized between Golisopod and Guzma. The claws of the Hard Scale Pokémon never rend his Trainer's flesh but instead was blocked by an impenetrable, yellow shell. Guzma looked up in disbelief and stole the name right off their lips.

"T-Tapu Koko…!"

The guardian deity of Melemele Island hovered before Guzma with the right side of its shell blocking the berserk Pokémon. Sparks crackled at the point of contact between the two Pokémon. Golisopod roared as he tried to overpower the Land Spirit Pokémon, but an electric shock ran through Tapu Koko, electrocuting the Bug and Water-type Pokémon at point zero. Golisopod staggered back, receiving significant damage from the super effective move.

Sun was stunned that he did not notice Gladion running past him toward Silvally. The older Aether sibling almost stumbled as he knelt beside his partner Pokémon and placed a hand on its body. The two long wounds were deep and almost running parallel across the side of the Synthetic Pokémon. Just like the wounds inflicted by berserk Pokémon on the victims, they glowed in an eerie shade of purple.

"S-Silvally!" Gladion's voice cracked as he called out his partner's name. This cannot be happening... The Synthetic Pokémon lay unmoving on the same spot, and that alone is not right. He dug his hand in its mane and pressed two fingers on the side of its neck. There is a pulse – Thank the Tapus! – but it was weaker than it should be. It is his fault! He gritted his teeth. If only he paid more attention –

"Hey." Gladion flinched when a hand landed firmly on his shoulder. He looked up to see Sun standing right beside him. The red-eyed Trainer must have followed suit while keeping an eye out to the berserk Pokémon. "Call Silvally back to its Pokéball and bring him to a Pokémon Center," Sun said. His voice was uncharacteristically soft and even. "I'll buy you time to get to safety."

Gladion probed his words for…what exactly? He had only known the guy for less than two months, and most of their interactions were more confrontational than friendly. It will take more than just allying with him in a battle for less than fifteen minutes to build a decent amount of trust between them.

Sun seemingly picked up on his thoughts. "Look. You don't trust me. I get it." Sun said. "But right now, Silvally needs its Trainer. It needs you." He nodded in Hau and Lillie's direction. "Your sister and the Champion are here, and I don't plan on running away like a scaredy-Meowth. I'll meet you tonight…at least, trust me on that one."

Gladion glanced at Sun's hand on his shoulder, then back at Silvally. He let out an annoyed sigh and shrugged the other's hand away. He pulled out Silvally's Pokéball and called the Synthetic Pokémon back. Its still, injured body glowed in red light before completely withdrawing to the Pokéball. Sun stepped back as the older Aether sibling stood up and glared at him, or at least tried to, despite the exhaustion finally setting in at the edges of his chartreuse green eyes.

"Silvally's going to be okay," Sun spoke as Gladion brushed past him. It was not a question or a suggestion, it was a statement, and the red-eyed Trainer said it with a certain degree of confidence. "So, don't worry."

Gladion said nothing as he stepped in front of Hau and Lillie. They opted to stay back to guard their only exit should the situation goes more awry than it already is. They are worried, Gladion could tell, but a look of understanding passed between the three of them. Since Moon left, it was the three of them that stuck close. They watched each other's backs and comforted each other in their ways. Right now, Gladion trusts them to hold the fort, and they trust him to call in reinforcements.

Lillie reached out and squeezed his hand. There were no words spoken, but her eyes told him enough.

Go.

Gladion gave a slight nod and turned to the way they came from in Mahalo Trail. The silence left from his wake was only shattered by the sharp sound of Golisopod's claws striking Tapu Koko's shell repeatedly to no avail. The Land Spirit Pokémon has not moved from its spot in front of parallel Guzma, still shielding him and his grunts from the berserk Hard Scale Pokémon. It seemed to be aware of the situation and kept a careful eye not to get grazed by its opponent. Occasionally, it sends out bouts of electricity whenever Golisopod gets too close for it to block his attacks.

Hau and Lillie ran up to Sun with Decidueye and Shiron at tow. The red-eyed Trainer has his eyes trained ahead, watching the one-sided battle with an unreadable expression. "Cinderace." He finally spoke. His partner Pokémon glanced behind his shoulder at the sound of his name. "The next time Tapu Koko uses an Electric move, follow up with Bounce. Strike just hard enough for Golisopod to lose balance. After that," He took off his jacket and tied it around his waist. "I'll handle the rest."

Cinderace seemed to know what his Trainer was going to do and nodded. He crouched to a sprinter position, readying himself for the said opportunity to attack. Hau and Lillie could only watch in confusion as Sun reached to the leather fanny bag attached around his lower back and pulled out a brown and green curved device that looked like a complicated, rounded nutcracker. With a flick of a lever, the device unfolded and sprung into a full bow half the height of Sun. A quiver was attached on his back, which seemed to be almost empty that none of them noticed it until Sun removed his jacket, and he drew out an arrow.

Hau was about to ask what in the world is Sun planning to do and if he was seriously going to shoot at Golisopod when their awaited chance to strike arrived. There was a bright flash of yellow as Tapu Koko finally unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt, and the couple just turned around in time for Cinderace's Bounce to hit Golisopod within a split second after the Thunderbolt. A movement was caught at the corner of their eyes as Sun nocked the arrow and aimed at the staggering Golisopod without any deliberation. The Hard Scale Pokémon screeched as the arrow struck right at the softer section of his chest where one of his smaller forearms was attached.

However, his disorientation was short-lived as he lunged toward Sun at a speed that his species should not possess and swiped at the Trainer. The red-eyed Trainer barely avoided getting mauled when Tapu Koko swooped in and snatched Sun out of the Bug and Water-type Pokémon's reach. They stumbled on the bridge, almost careening to the side if it were not for Sun grabbing onto the railing and hitting his back on the wood hard.

It took Sun seconds to regain his bearings and a few more to process that Golisopod was looming over him with a sword made of water clutched between his claws. They would have been freshly sliced Pinap berry if he did not block the attack with his bow. The power struggle lasted only for two seconds when a High Jump Kick met the side of Golisopod's head. The Hard Scale Pokémon broke away but was still unwilling to faint. Cinderace landed between them as Sun hauled himself to his feet with one arm wrapped protectively around Tapu Koko against his chest.

Five seconds more.

Sun narrowed his eyes at Golisopod, who lumbered toward their direction. His movement has gotten sluggish – a sign that the potent sedative has begun its work. He could have tried administering it earlier, but it would not work as efficiently if they did not weaken Golisopod first.

Three…two…

Sun counted in his head as they watched quietly. Neither he nor Cinderace moved from their spot even as Golisopod towered menacingly before them.

One.

Before the Hard Scale Pokémon could attack, his legs gave out, and he collapsed on the bridge just beside Sun's feet. There was a moment of stillness as everyone stared silently at the sleeping Pokémon. For Sun's part, he finally let out a breath of relief that he had been holding in since the start of the whole ordeal. That, however, did not last long as he looked down at the guardian deity lying limp in his arms.

"No…" Two elongated wounds ran across the exposed back of the Land Spirit Pokémon. The very same wounds that Golisopod has inflicted on Silvally earlier. Sun's fingers brushed lightly against the wounds as disbelief and horror contorted his expression. Blood roared in his ears as realization struck him – a flashback of what led to this situation. Golisopod's claws got Tapu Koko when…when it saved me.

"Take down Tapu Koko. Once you succeed, the other Tapus will follow." The parallel Lusamine's voice echoed in his head. Her sickly-sweet smile imprinted in his mind as she leaned toward him and Guzma. "Remember, an island without its guardian deity is an island ripe for our picking."

"Sun!" The red-eyed Trainer barely hid the flinch of his shoulders as the Champion ran toward them with Lillie close behind. However, Hau's footsteps slowed down to a halt as he saw the unmoving Tapu Koko in Sun's arms. He shoots him a questioning look, but he is answered with a silent shake of the head. Hau felt his heart drop to the ground.

A ringing tone cut almost immediately through the oppressive silence. They all turned to see Guzma fumbling for his phone, and Sun felt bile rise in his throat when the Ultra Team Skull Leader answered it. He knew who called and what that call entailed – both confirmed by the pale, fear-stricken expression of Guzma. The older man met his eyes and opened his mouth in a warning. His raspy voice displayed the fear on his face.

"RUN!"

Then, all hell broke loose. A familiar pressure popped in Sun's ears as the bright, Alolan sky above them had forcibly ripped apart. From the rift, a creature stepped forth. It was a Pokémon told in the ancient tales of Alola, the beastly emissary of the Sunne and an heir to the islands of the Alola region. Solgaleo. Except this Solgaleo was nowhere similar to the ones described in the folktales. Its body that once shone brightly like the sun was dim with blackened crystals. Its face has lost its regality, now covered and blinded with the very same crystals. A mechanical collar was attached around its neck, beeping in red repeatedly.

It shuddered, opened its maw, and roared. The rift widened and churned into a funnel, swiftly evolving into an Ultra Wormhole as large as the area. The gaping hole unleashed no Ultra Beasts but began sucking in everything and everyone under it. Terrified screams broke out as the Ultra Team Skull members were picked up one by one and tossed around like rag dolls. Trees and plants were uprooted, and the water from the waterfall and the ravine below spiraled upward. Large chunks of rocks collided with the lighter debris as they were uplifted from the ground.

Sun pressed himself low against the bridge and looped an arm around the railing for an anchor. He tightened his hold around Tapu Koko and clutched Cinderace's Pokéball with his free hand. He called back the Striker Pokémon just as he was lifted off the ground and barely avoided getting impaled as a wooden plank broke free from its nails just beside his head.

"SHIRON!"

Lillie's shout snapped Sun's attention to her. He lifted his head and squinted against the dust and debris. Hau has managed to call back Decidueye, but Lillie has not been lucky. The storm easily picked up the small Pokémon from the younger Aether sibling's slender arms. Lillie desperately tried to reach for her partner and even call back to her Pokéball, but the Alolan Vulpix was thrown farther than the laser light of the Pokéball could reach. Hau wrapped his arms around Lillie to stop her from following Shiron, even as she struggled against him.

Sun closed his eyes tight, willing himself not to see the heartbreak on Lillie's face as the wind whistled past their ears and drowned Lillie's screams and sobs. He felt, rather than see the Ultra Wormhole took Golisopod too. Everything around him was being torn apart and pulled into a vortex leading to the unknown. He made the mistake of opening his eyes and catching the other Guzma's. His grip loosened, and suddenly, he could no longer feel the wooden surface of the destroyed bridge.

Sun wrapped his arms tighter around the Tapu Koko as they were lifted to the sky and debris slammed against him at all sides. He dared to look up at the Ultra Wormhole looming closer at him when a loud cry broke through the storm. A powerful wave of energy slammed through him and toward Solgaleo. The beast of the Sunne let out a cry of pain and was shoved into the Ultra Wormhole. The maelstrom above paused abruptly in time before imploding into a blinding show of purple and white lightning.

For a moment, Sun felt weightless. It lasted only for a second when gravity retook hold. He was falling, falling together with everything that the gaping hole in the sky had not swallowed. He wanted to reach for Corviknight's Pokéball, but the reality of him falling made his body frozen in fear, and he could only close his eyes as they plunged to their deaths.

But it never came. The cool air of the night sky enveloped them in wings mapped with twinkling stars. The soft moonlight beating in the heart of a Legendary beast dispelled fear with the promise of comfort and safety. A melodious MAHINA PEA! filled Sun's ears like a mother's lullaby as he lifted his head and met two red eyes that seemed to reminisce his own. A sense of déjà vu washed over him like the tides of the sea.

The beast of the Moone has saved them.