Moon was running. She did not know why she was running in the first place. It was supposed to be a stealth mission, but there was a ringing in her ears and the blood roaring in her veins. Anger, no, wrath red-hot as magma rolled off her chest, and she wanted to tear this place apart with her own bare hands. No, she will pull this artificial island apart even if it kills her. She will start with the mansion – the very place that woman reigned over – and burn it to the ground. Screw tragic family stories! That is not an excuse for her to mess with other families!
"I'm gonna kill her!" Moon snarled. "I'm going to-!"
Before her mind could register it, her back hit the solid wall as something slammed against her. The world spun as something heavy pressed her against the wall. A warning growl snapped her out of her daze, and she looked up to meet the eyes of an artificial beast. The Silvally that Gladion gave her has her pinned, and by the Tapus! It looks angry - angry not because of an enemy, but because of her. Silvally was furious because she had let her roller coaster of emotions get the best of her and charged recklessly like a rampaging Tauros.
Again.
A nightmarish memory of five years ago flashed in Moon's mind. Her starter, her very first partner, is lying by her feet. Primarina's breaths came out in desperate puffs as two deep slashes glowing in purple slowly ate away her life force. The Soloist Pokémon protected her from a rampaging Alolan Sandslash – all because her Trainer was too stubborn, too foolish, to know her limits and back out.
Moon is no stranger to fear – her first step as a Pokémon Trainer, her first encounter with an Ultra Beast, Lusamine's abuse of Nebby's powers, and turning into a monstrous being that should never exist. There was also when Necrozma took control of Nebby, and she confronted it at its true form, and the list went on. But that moment, that very moment, that was when she learned what pure terror means.
She was alone – Lillie is not there to heal her team nor Gladion or Hau to watch her back – and that gave birth to traitorous voices in her head.
Primarina is going to die. She is going to die. Her team will die because of her.
And no one back in their homeworld will know.
Moon felt her throat constrict. She almost did it again…She almost put her team to danger. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Silvally. The Synthetic Pokémon did not move, did not lash out, as she buried her face on its mane. Silvally let her as it chirruped softly and gently rubbed its head on the crown of her head.
It was there by her side five years ago, and it knows how much guilt and sorrow still riddled its Trainer's heart. It has seen her shed tears during the night when she drops the bravado of a cheerful and powerful Trainer she was known for and finally faces reality as a child who was robbed of genuine joy by trials and duties she should not have been burdened with at such young age. Her Trainer is small, too small, to be given the weight of many worlds on her palms, and that what it made the gods, be it Arceus or the guardian deities, truly cruel in their reckoning.
The other Silvally kept a lookout for any suspicious characters while Shiron, who had no idea of what was happening, padded toward the curled form of Moon and nuzzled against her leg. Moon let out a ragged breath as she clutched Silvally's mane.
"M'fine…" Her voice muffled against Silvally's fur. "I'm gonna be fine…."
Silvally wanted to make its Trainer stay put, but Moon has already pulled herself away from it. She moved her face away from Shiron's gaze and wiped the remaining tears on her sleeves. The Synthetic Pokémon let out a soft trill, and Moon simply smiled at it. I am fine, her expression seemed to say, but it knows she did not mean it. Silvally knows it must keep a watchful eye starting now and corner its Trainer later when they are in the safe territory – a place where she can unload her emotions with only her team.
Moon pushed herself up to her feet and dusted her pants. She placed a hand on Silvally's crest and ushered it to where its brethren were keeping watch. The other Silvally turned to her with a questioning look as she checked the corridor.
"There's a place I need to check." She answered after confirming the coast was clear. Her voice was quiet enough just for them to hear. "It will be tough on the way, but we need to get to the mansion."
Moon retraced their steps and entered one of the labs she had visited earlier. Unlike the others, this one was almost bare, save for rows of miniature locker boxes and a central table filled with scattered remains of plastic cups and plates. There was a computer desk on one side and a barely standing pile of documents beside it. Though one or two in number, she has seen rooms like this in her world's Aether Paradise.
These are where Aether researchers usually take time off from doing, well, whatever less sinister things they are doing down here in the labs. She bothered not opening the lights and depended only on the corridor lights and her sense of touch as she picked through the padlocks of the lockers one-by-one – a skill she learned back then for the sole purpose of messing with Gladion. She never thought it would be someday helpful in infiltrating evil organizations to acquire a disguise.
After rummaging through lockers of endless paperwork, half-eaten calorie bars (gross!), and magazines that should be burned in Wela Volcano, Moon finally found a set of Aether uniforms just fit for her size. She snorted at the name etched on the lapel. Who names their daughter after a berry? She ordered the Silvally to watch outside while she got changed away from view. Shiron gladly stayed to assist her and fold her clothes small enough to fit in her fanny pack. Once everything was set, she stepped outside the lab and called back the Silvally to their Pokéballs.
"Shiron." The Fox Pokémon's ears perked up at the sound of her name, and Moon knelt on the cold, metal floor. "Can you do me a favor? Can you act like my Pokémon? The employees here have their partners. You just need to act as one of my own until we get to the mansion. Can you do that?"
Shiron seemed to consider this before wagging her tail. "Kyu!"
"Thank you." Moon nodded as she lifted Shiron and placed her on her shoulder. "Hold tight and don't let go. Understood?"
Shiron nodded, and Moon walked toward the lift and steeled herself as they ascended to the first floor. She received a few glances as she stepped off the lift, but nothing alarming. Either this woman named Leppie is a newbie, or she did not exactly come out as a person with a strong expression. That, and the whole place has yet to learn that someone has infiltrated the area. Thank Arceus for Looker's training!
She strode toward the direction of the mansion with a confident gait and weaved seamlessly through a multitude of Aether employees coming to and from the courtyard of the estate. She was a few steps to the doors when a voice called out.
"Hey, Leppie!"
Ah, shit!
Moon swallowed the familiar fear bubbling in her throat as she turned to see a man jogging toward her. Judging by how he called her by first name basis, it must mean that Leppie and this man are close. The employee stopped before her, and Moon wondered if her cover would be blown right now.
She has checked the contents of Leppie's locker beforehand, including her I.D., some documents, and everything that will give her a hint about the person she is going to impersonate. Their appearance, for example, has something a bit common on the major side. They have the same hair color and height but differ in their eyes. Moon hoped that the cap and ominous sky above hid the vibrant hue of her blue eyes. Otherwise, that will really, really suck!
The man did not show any suspicions about the woman before him. He did not seem to take notice of the Alolan Vulpix perched on her shoulder. "What? Are you just going to glare at me like that? You always do that."
Scratch that. They are not close. If anything, Leppie must have found this man insufferable. What stops her from acting like a jerk if that is the case? She summoned her best Gladion-esque expression and scowled at him. "What do you want?"
"Jeez! You don't have to be cold. It's still morning!" The man frowned. "Is your voice alright?"
"I caught a cold." Moon placed a hand on her forehead in irritation. "Anyways, I'm busy right now. I have a report to file in." She waved the folder that she stole, borrowed, together with the uniform. "If you have something important to say, say it now."
The man pursed his lips. He looked quite dejected. Did she overdo it? "I just…I just thought I could ask if you want to have lunch with me." He rubbed his hand on his nape. "If…if you want to, of course."
Oh…oh! Moon smacked herself in her mind. Oh, Tapus! This guy likes Leppie. Well, shit! Impersonating a person is one thing; involving and messing up the relationships of the person you are impersonating is another. Moon never had a problem with the latter, considering she has yet to impersonate anyone before now.
In her defense, 'Sun' is not a real person in her world. It was a persona she crafted with the combination of Moon's mischievous quirks and Gladion's emo-jerk personality. The name was given by Looker, which only shows how uncreative the man could be. It served as a placeholder name for a while, but it stuck at the end even though Moon wanted a different name.
What did Mister Looker tell her? Avoid getting in contact with close-contact people? Well, it is late for that, and Moon will dig her – Leppie's – grave for this. She opened her mouth to answer when the speakers blared to life overhead.
"Good afternoon, everyone. It has come to our attention that an intruder has infiltrated Aether Paradise. An employee and two Team Skull members were discovered unconscious on the Basement Second Floor. We are encouraging everyone to cooperate and report any suspicious characters immediately. This is not a drill. I repeat. This is not a drill."
Moon has never been thankful for a not-so-good announcement before. Even it might spell certain death to her. Taking advantage of the situation, she mustered the annoyance on her expression and turned on her heel. The man – Moon remembered she did not know his name – called out to her.
"L-Leppie! Where are you going? Didn't you hear the announcement?"
Moon paused in her tracks and glanced at him. "I'm not deaf." She scoffed. "I have work to do, remember? If I see someone acting suspiciously, I will report it. It's easy as that."
"But-"
"I'm busy, okay? Do you work or something. Stop disturbing me!"
Moon did not look back to see the man's reactions and crossed the threshold of the mansion. It was only when she reached an obscured corner of the right-side corridor that she finally slumped against the wall and let out the breath she was holding. She glanced at Shiron on her shoulder.
"Think I overdid it?"
"Kyu?" Shiron tilted her head before shaking it. "Kyu!"
A chuckle escaped Moon. "Yeah? I did well? Then, Mister Looker better give me an award after this mess." She straightened up and brushed her gloved fingers on her Pokéballs. She looked back at the way they came from. "The warp to Lusamine's collection room should be in her bedroom. If my hunch is right, it should still be there."
Moon glanced at the cameras – the lights indicating they were still off. They still have time. "We have to finish this quickly." She said firmly. "Let's go."
She ascended swiftly to the upper floor, passing seamlessly a few Aether employees who were there to conduct business with whoever lackey Lusamine placed beneath her. She put her bets on Faba and briefly wondered where the Miss Wicke of this world is. Does she still work here? Considering her loyalty and passion for taking care of Pokémon and her love for the Aether siblings, she might be. But Miss Wicke has her morals, which might be a catalyst for her to turn back from the Foundation.
It did not take her long to reach the stifling double doors of Lusamine's room and enter with a swipe of a keycard. Just as she suspected, the warp was still there, and she searched for the controls hidden in the adjacent wall. She owes it to Miss Anabel to show her the entire artificial island blueprint. She felt guilty poking around Gladion and Lillie's home without their knowledge, but it was something she had to do.
The glass camouflage faded and the warp whirred and illuminated to life. She did not waste time dilly-dallying. She did not know what she was expecting to find in that hellhole, but she hoped to find that one creature that might help this Alola break free from Lusamine's grasp.
Her surroundings glowed before her eyes, and before she knew it, she was standing in a wide chamber of white paint, metal, and bright lights that she was too familiar with. Compared to what she remembered from her world, there were more cryonic blocks in here - the water-surrounded platform nearly congested with them. The ice was very thick that she had to step closer just to see what poor being was trapped inside to satisfy a mad woman's obsession.
Her heart stopped when she reached the center. W-What...what is this? Two vertical cryonic blocks stood at the sides of the controls. Instead of Pokémon, two too-familiar humans were frozen in time - their clothes of contrasting colors and sunshine hair were enough to send a chill in her spine. She took a shaky step forward to confirm that they were them.
This is...Moon could not put into words how horrifying this is. Gladion and Lillie - this world's Aether siblings - were stored within the cryonic blocks. Their eyes were closed, and their faces were serene as if they were not forcibly placed under stasis and simply asleep. The siblings' appearances had not changed, probably because their growths were stunted. Not far from them, four familiar Pokémon joined them in their eternal sleep - the Tapus.
Moon keeled over as she vomited. Lusamine...why? How could she do this to her children? She did not know how far gone this world's Aether President was, but this is…She could not stomach to look nor stay here. She has to get out of here!
The raven-haired Trainer clenched her fists and shut her eyes. She scrambled to grab and focus on the breathing exercises she was taught. She tried to think of anything besides the terrifying room she was in and concentrate on getting her bearings back. She felt Shiron tremble on her shoulder - the Alolan Vulpix was as affected as her - but she cannot afford to console her right now. Moon has to work fast and get out of here for their sanity's sake.
"Acknowledge your fears," Anabel told her. "And confront them. Only when you accept that you're afraid and weak will you able to go beyond your limits. However, if you cannot, at a crucial moment, then you must destroy your emotions. Otherwise, it will be your demise. You cannot protect others if you're down for the count."
Moon took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. Destroy your emotions. She lifted her head and stared straight ahead. Feel nothing. She willed her eyes not to stray away as she strode past the cryonic blocks and towards the controls.
There, lying on the ground abandoned, was a diamond-shaped case of black and blue. She does not want to know how long it has stayed in this room, but she knows that if that certain Pokémon is still locked inside, there is still hope to save this Alola.
Moon picked up the case and set it aside carefully for now. She produced a modified flash drive from a hidden pocket in her jacket and plugged it into the controls. She fiddled with the smooth surface of the panels, following the procedures she had painstakingly mapped in her mind. The holographic screens whizzed and flashed rapidly in front of her eyes as files after files were copied.
It took her a measly five minutes to get everything and insert a bug stored in another device that would temporarily shut the Aether Paradise systems down at her command. Using it, she could free the Pokémon held captive and send this place into chaos. She wiped any trace and unplugged everything once she completed her task. Moon carefully lifted the case by its hook and swiveled the other way when a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"I finally found you, intruder."
