Well Alola readers! Brav is here with the next chapter! Was out of town briefly last weekend and I had originally hoped to get it out before I left. Alas...it turned out to require a lot more editing and tuning at the beginning of this week when I got back home to finish it off. They were some pretty big details I skipped through so it was definitely a good thing I went back to cram them in.
And yes, I mean cram. At a base word count of almost 14k words, this is the longest chapter yet and if I had some more time, I probably could've extended it even more.
All that aside, it's back to the usual normalcy for me. Here to write some more chapters, including this thriller.
Enjoy the chapter everyone. I'll see you all for the closing AN at the end.
The thing I feared most has happened.
Mother has opened an Ultra Wormhole.
I thought it would've been somewhere over the Alola region, but the news spread quickly that some strange effects were over the Aether Paradise. Reporters from the News Network of Alola were already going on a helicopter to head over to cover the event.
I hope Elio and Hau are safe.
"WARNING! AN ANOMALY HAS BEEN DETECTED ON THE POKEMON CONSERVATION FLOOR! LOCKDOWN PROTOCOLS ARE TO BE ENGAGED AND REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL CONTAINMENT LEVELS HAVE BEEN RESTORED TO CONDITION GREEN!"
A warning klaxon blared from somewhere above, startling everyone. Employees began to escort the pokemon still in the open to shelter as Lusamine's hand went to her ear already demanding a status report from someone on the other end.
Elio gingerly picked himself up, wobbling on shaky knees as he tried to find his sense of balance. Nausea briefly threatened to send bile up his esophagus as his mind processed the odd sensation of vertigo.
Hau! Is Hau okay?
He heard the kahuna's grandson groan somewhere off to his left.
"Hau!"
"Sun?" He looked back, seeing the other boy blink his eyes and staying on his hands and knees. "What was that?"
He stayed low, just in case another tremor were to abruptly happen to avoid losing balance and crossed over to his friend's side.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I think so." As Hau looked back at Elio, he could see a gash right at the edge of his lower mandible that was trickling dark crimson blood down the side of his neck.
"Hau, you're bleeding."
He must've felt it too as he reached a hand up, looking at it stained on his fingers. Droplets had already soaked into the collar of his shirt.
"Well that sucks." As much as the two of them wanted to laugh it off, they knew something more serious was about to happen. Lusamine was being helped to her feet by Wicke, her fingers still up to an earpiece concealed by her straightened locks of blonde hair.
"Yes?" Her voice was laced with concern. "What happened?"
She remained silent as Wicke looked around beside her, whispering softly. "That tremor. Did something happen on the lower floors?"
"No," Lusamine responded almost immediately. "All of the labs and sub-levels have been unaffected. No damage reported by our researchers."
"Then what was it?" Sun asked, his hand going to the poke balls on his belt. He had a feeling he was going to need them. "It felt like an earthquake."
"Uh guys? What's what?" Hau's normally jovial voice was changed to one of worry as he stared up at something glowing in the air above them. It brought them out of their own musings.
Everyone else turned, eyes widening in fright.
"What the-?" Sun began.
He really didn't have many words to describe it. Appearing about ten feet off the ground in the very center of the walkway was this…rift. The distortion looked as if the air itself had been torn apart by brute force and it's radiant white glow brightened the night enough that everyone in the area had to shield their eyes from its harshness. A strange energy seemed to flow out of the rift, thinning out into the edges before a sudden explosion of more light caused everyone in the room to flinch. This portal seemed to puncture a distortion gateway between worlds, torn apart messily but the symmetrical energy and fading lines made it seem as if it had been done perfectly with surgical precision.
"Since when doezzzz a random portal appear in the middle of the night? Bzzt!" Rotom said. It bobbed closer, but stayed nearby in case anything happened. "No data! Thizzz iz zomething beyond my procezzez! Bzzt! Perhapzz we should call Chell?"
Chell?
Movement from the breach caught his eye as this…this…thing emerged from the center, rising up in the air with a slickness like oil over water before settling down just above the floor right in front of them.
The creature wasn't particularly tall, maybe a tad larger than him and Hau. Resembling a white and blue tentacool, it had long white tendrils around its back in a sort of veil while four larger ones close to the front waved erratically as if they were arms. Two of them were a little longer at the back of its "skirt" that looked like legs. There was a thin rim that was blue on the end on its upper body.
Elio stared as it lifelessly seemed to drift with invisible air currents, with the skirtlike appendage waving lazily. The frilly rim that circumcised its bulbous cap seemed to flutter.
He barely heard it, but the sound the creature made sent a fresh wave of chills right up his spine. It almost resembled…giggling. Like a young child's.
Okay, that's really freaky.
For the longest time but actually lapsing a few seconds, nobody moved or dared to speak at the otherworldly presence.
"Did…did you come…from another world?" Elio vaguely heard Lusamine murmur from behind him. Either way, his own brain was telling him to treat this newcomer with caution. As in presumably hostile.
His hand went right to his belt of poke balls. I hope that jamming signal Faba mentioned doesn't apply to trainer owned pokemon.
What the hell is she supposed to say anyway? We come in peace?
The creature's response was a loud shriek that sounded definitely alien and was almost felt more than heard. It pierced the air, sending adrenaline all over Sun's body and his hands instantly seized upward to his ears. For some reason, it almost felt like it acted like a distorted young girl.
"Miss Lusamine stand back!" Hau cried from behind him. "There's something not right about that thing!"
She shook her head as if to dismiss his concern, "No…you poor creature. Suffering needlessly. I can offer amnesty…I can keep you safe."
The thing waved to and fro before it leaned back and charged up an attack of some sort. Energy was being gathered at the empty space in between its open cavity, held by the "arms" together.
It fired the blast of energy, a long stream of deadly looking energy. The trajectory seemed to go right for the Aether President, who was in awe or dumbfounded to comprehend what was going on.
Elio was the first to react, pushing Lusamine out of its way and flattening himself against the ground as he felt a rush of air rip at his clothes when the blast arced overhead. He already knew that Hau and Wicke were farther away from the two of them.
The beam of white energy struck the floor before it suddenly exploded outward in a rush of air. Blasted again by another force, Elio was knocked off his feet, catapulted right through the air and landing on the ground rather harshly.
Pain flared through his knees and elbows after the awkward landing, Sun felt like he was tumbled through a dryer over and over, but his own panic came right after he spotted the other three at the end of the wider section and he was close to the middle.
Right where the creature was dwelling.
It descended lazily at a slow pace like it was taking him in lying before it.
The long tendrils stretched out, flaying down its center just before they touched his arm. Although fear kept its icy grip on his body, his brain refused to issue the commands to let him move.
Get away from that thing!
Everything else suddenly warped into background noise; the wailing alarms, Hau's own cry of concern and Wicke speaking rapidly into her own earpiece to demand assistance to their location.
Elio felt the tendril touch the top of his shoulder, smoothing past the cotton on his shirt and onto his bare skin.
His eyes went wide as he felt the creature for the first time…or rather didn't. This strange…numbing sensation rippled throughout the limb, cutting off every other feeling like liquid ice slowly poured onto his arm.
The tendril continued slithering gently on his skin, swaying back and forth in a strange caressing manner. Elio finally felt something; rubbery with tiny little motions that felt as if it were covered in tiny scuttling bug pokemon crawling right down his arm.
While he was never seriously afraid of spiders, his fear spiked and shivered to his very core. This strange creature behaved nothing like even the more enigmatic species of pokemon found. It saw everyone and everything as a threat to its very existence.
He'd seen his share of alien invasion movies and television shows where extraterrestrial beings invaded the world…the genre was known as xeno-invasion and using almost every idea under the sun from a global war against a technologically superior race had humanity fighting for its survival to a strikingly similar one to his own predicament in that aliens abduct humans in a virulent plague, transforming them into mindless drones and slaves to their conquest of the universe. Due to the endless possibilities, it made for some successful media…and some weird stuff.
If Sun had to gleam anything from a piece of media involving an alien, trying to latch on and assimilate him meant one thing.
He had something it wanted. Or he was something it wanted.
You're not going to take it from me.
"Aaaah!" Elio screamed, his face a mix of horrified and angered. It was the only thing his mind could think of through the blank haze this creature put upon him. "Someone help! Please!"
And then he felt another small tap as one of its smaller tendrils felt along the base of his neck, zeroing in on the lump that was part of his spinal cord. He could feel that similar cold numb feeling spreading down from the center like a ripple, only this time moving at a faster pace. As he tried to think on more aggressive thoughts, another droplet of the icy sensation was released into his spine.
Gradually, those thoughts began to erase themselves from his brain…but they weren't from his own will.
It hurts to think. I can't. Just do anything. Think about anything except for this.
So he turned his mind to the one person he always felt calm and happy about.
The first thing that he thought about was the little beach and snorkeling trip he had spent with Lillie. She had been so shy and modest, even after the two of them drifting closer together.
It was truly the first time he had seen her like that; excited, bubbly and just plain happy. Her smile brightened any area they were in together, right in the middle of the recent heat wave. He watched as her long blonde hair waved up while underwater as she dove down, spreading her legs and arms apart to stroke and kick towards the depths.
Sun remembered when she did so in front of him, giving him an excellent view of a well rounded pair of cheeks. Somehow they were then together alone on a beach with nobody else around. He had sat up wearing nothing except for his swim trunks.
Movement caught his eye and he could only stare as Lillie emerged from the surf, swaying her golden hair back and forth as she approached him brazenly.
What?
His own gaze drifted to her curvy hips and loins before admiring her pale shapely legs that glistened from the water clinging to her thighs. She was doing little to hide her eye-catching breasts too. The modest part of him wanted to look away, but it felt as if this alien entity was forcing him through this.
She curled a seductive finger once she got to his side before finally getting on her knees and straddling his waist. His hands went to her backside, pulling her closer while he aimed his mouth right towards those full lips.
"Aaaaah!" The liquid sensation returned, but this time resorted to a fiery burn as if lactic acid wrenched his muscles down to their joints.
His vision blurred and he thought he made out Hau throwing something.
And then without warning, the tendrils in the back of his neck severed and he lurched forward. He blinked, quickly finding that his sight was cleared again.
"Ah!" He panicked yet again, squirming around in a futile attempt to wrest free of the creature's grasp. While it seemed to have stopped flooding his mind with whatever dopey feeling, it still hung him by his arms while rising in the air. It was difficult for him to tell how far off the ground he really was.
A familiar screeching owl looped in the air, reappearing to strike the creature. Elio felt it flinch from the attack which dislodged the tentacle from his right arm.
"Elio!" Hau's voice caught his attention and he turned his head down just in time to see Hau spin around and launch an object to him. It took a second before he recognized it as his backpack.
The thing continued to wail softly while it slithered its elongated tendril right back towards his arm.
"Oh no you don't." Elio growled and shifted his posture to hang outwards away from the thing. Since his right side was free; he extended it out as both a means to catch his backpack and to keep the creature from adhering itself to his limb again.
Hau's aim was spot on, his outreached right ankle caught one of the straps and he quickly pulled it back to his chest.
He knew right away what he was looking for; his knife in one of the outer pockets. With a familiar motion he had already practiced, the gunmetal colored blade sprung out and locked into position.
With a shout of rage, he drove the weapon home straight into the creature's white veil cloak, which was the first thing he could find. It had that same rubbery texture as the tentacle appendage still holding his arm and ironically keeping him from falling a good distance to the floor.
However to his dismay, the blade seemed to glance harmlessly off its hide and through the veil, he could see that it was slightly opaque, but able to see the other side. There were no sign of any organs, veins or anything else that looked of importance. It was almost as if he stabbed an amorphous sheet of soft malleable rubber.
The creature was clearly agitated and maybe even perplexed, but not injured.
"Dartrix!" Hau shouted from below. "Razor leaf!"
His blade quill pokemon flicked open its wings and flung a volley of needlelike projectiles. Elio realized he was in the line of fire.
The incoming quill blades pelted the crown of the beast in a cloud of miniature explosions, sending it drifting back. Sun used the temporary moment to switch tactics, slashing with the knife down on the tentacle fused to his arm. This time was more successful and its sharpness proved enough to sever the limb entirely.
With another shrilling screech, the cut detached himself from the creature's grasp and he plummeted down right to the floor. Elio used the split second of freefall to quickly try and land on his feet.
He was successful, but going at such a quick velocity, his knees bent and buckled, causing him to slump to the floor again. The impact jarred almost every bone in his body from the fall and he couldn't help the pained shout that escaped his lips.
The creature screeched again, flailing around wildly as the stump of its severed tendril was bleeding a viscous swirling dark liquid that splattered the entire floor.
This is not a time to be writhing in pain on the ground! But why does it have to hurt so much?
Elio saw Lusamine and Wicke with their mouths agape still at the spectacle while Hau pointed at the beast, shouting a command to Dartrix. The owl burst forward, undercutting it in an aerial ace attack before disappearing to strike it again as soon as it turned its "head" away.
Hau kept up a good fight, using unpredictability to assault it with aerial aces and razor leaf attacks. As he continued his assault, Elio could tell that the creature was beginning to get irritated. This was true when it screeched loudly again and spat a stream of the same looking liquid from its centerpiece. It splashed over Dartrix, causing the bird to screech and stagger in its flight.
"Elio! I could use some help here!"
Oh right! Why am I making him do all this work?!
"Torracat, I need your help!" Elio said, slowly getting up to his feet. As he threw the poke ball, the evidence of fresh bruising ached in his muscle.
The thing stopped as it moved over to finish off the wounded Dartrix when a mass of flames crashed into it from the side, sending both toppling away onto the floor. As it got up; Dartrix spread his wings into the air, jumping right over Torracat to throw a flurry of leafage attacks.
"Hau!" Elio shouted, "Have him do another razor leaf! I've got an idea that will give this thing a huge headache!"
His friend looked at him questioningly, but complied anyway. "Got it! Dartrix! Another razor leaf attack!"
As the owl threw another fan of blade quills, Elio had Torracat fire a spread version of overheat. He swung his head from side to side, meeting the razor projectiles midway through their trajectory. As they exited the stream, they were glowing white hot and trailing smoldered wisps in their wake.
The creature was pelted by them, clearly suffering additional damage from their combo move and its screeches were drowned out from the sharp blades slashing and stabbing at its exterior. The heat produced an abundance of acrid smoke that blanketed the area and made Elio almost want to gag.
He and Hau raised a fist, ready to celebrate their victory while behind them, Lusamine and Wicke were watching with anticipation in hopes that the threat was contained. Dartrix and Torracat stood in front of their trainers, waiting to see what remained.
Another screech told them that the battle was far from done. With a dramatic flair, the beast used its intact appendage to clear the smoke from in front as a familiar aura began to congeal around its frame.
Elio's own eyes went wide as he heard a sickly sticking sound and watched the creature rapidly regenerate its severed tendril entirely, resorting back to waving idly.
That aura! It's just like the ones from the totem pokemon! But this isn't a challenge or trial! What is going on?
"You're suffering…poor thing." Lusamine whispered.
Before Elio or Hau could respond, the creature unleashed a volley of glowing white orbs, shooting out of its mouth area in a rapid pace.
Torracat used his strong legs to propel himself out of the way and Dartrix flapped his wings, circling above. It continued, pausing for just a moment to shoot another volley.
This time, both of the teens' starter pokemon were hit, stumbling back to barely avoid a third bunch. Both were panting heavily and visibly tired.
That attack took a lot out of them.
"Dartrix, get up close again with aerial ace!" Hau barked.
"We're getting up there too! Flame charge! Boost your speed!"
As Dartrix vanished to land his attack, Torracat cloaked himself in flames and rushed forward. He came from the opposite end, forcing the thing to pick a target.
As far as he could tell, it turned to Torracat's direction. Once it did, Dartrix lunged forward to deliver a swift uppercut and barrel rolling in mid air to avoid another blast of small orbs.
"Bzzt! My obzervationzzz deduced that the move wazzz power gem!"
Power gem? The rock type move? That explains why neither Torracat or Dartrix's attacks have been doing much. Could it be that aura? And if it's rock type, then shouldn't razor leaf have done more damage?
I guess that totem aura is giving it some sort of defensive boost. Not to mention it's probably already pissed off.
"Hau," Elio started, glancing at the thing while their pokemon stood ready in front, awaiting commands. "It's not going to fall for the same trick twice."
"What are you thinking then?"
"Diversions might work again, but this thing's been taking all of our hits like a champ. If it is rock type, I can switch to Nani to deal some real damage."
"And I Acheron." Hau reached for his poke ball.
"Wait." He stopped him before he could recall his pokemon. "We should have an aerial fighter. That distraction might not work, but attacking with things like razor leaf and aerial ace will remind it has to constantly look around and that will be our opportunity."
"Got it." The two trainers looked back, ordering another couple of attacks. Dartrix spun to launch another fan of blade quills while Torracat rushed forward in a flame charge. His increased speed made him hit first, even though he activated it afterwards. The creature reeled from the blow and was knocked right into the oncoming razor leaves for additional damage from Torracat's double kick.
He dodged another swinging tendril when the creature suddenly rocketed upwards, smashing the crown of its head into Dartrix who was idly flying above. Rotom flashed that it had been a headbutt attack and it was delivered with enough power to knock the owl out. Having lost consciousness, he plummeted to the ground and lay unmoving.
"Dartrix!" Hau cried, pulling out his poke ball and returning him quickly.
Torracat growled, baring four sharp incisors and angered at the loss of his teammate. The creature seemed rather indifferent to the display, shrieking again.
Something peculiar caught Elio's eye. As it let out its otherworldly cry, the hazy glowing aura that bathed it seemed to glow brighter and more intense.
Is that its special power?
With another screech, it launched another volley of power gems…only this time it looked much more powerful than the last.
Oh crap!
Torracat was nimble though, using all fours to deftly evade each one. As the last three appeared to home right on his position, he opened his mouth to unleash an overheat attack that countered and neutralized them in a booming explosion of light, heat and smoke.
Okay, I've had enough playing around. So much for our plan.
Elio's hand went to the Z-ring on his wrist and he slipped on the firium Z. He had failed to notice Lusamine's surprised expression as she earnestly watched from the side. Wicke had her hand on the president's shoulder in comfort, but she didn't seem aware.
"Now it's time to call forth your Z-Power Torracat!" Elio shouted. He twisted the crystal, activating it with a flash of light. Instantly, he felt a familiar high sensation as the mysterious power enveloped him and his pokemon. Lances of lighting flowed out as he crossed his arms and waved them upwards, just like Kiawe had taught him in kindling a growing flame.
"Z-Move overheat unleash! Inferno Overdrive!"
With a feral snarl; Torracat finally expunged the volatile Z-Power stored within him to gather it all into an enormous fireball. The harsh glow reflected right off the surrounding ward shields, almost blinding every human occupying.
He launched it towards the beast with incredible velocity, crashing into its side and detonating with a loud boom that sounded like a bomb going off. Elio felt the heat prick his skin before a staggering blast of hot air ripped at his face. His hand went up right in time to keep his hat from being snatched off his head.
Thick acrid smoke blanketed the floors and he immediately stuck his nose into his shirt collar to help filter it out. Next to him, Hau made a coughing sound while waving his own hands to clear it out.
As the smoke began to slowly disperse, a faint reddish glow within made Sun's own disbelief skyrocket.
That thing is still standing?!
The creature shrieked again, waving its tendrils and approaching angrily.
To the boys' and Wicke's surprise; Lusamine stepped forward to meet it.
"You poor thing. Lost…angry."
Elio and Hau glanced at one another questioningly.
"Forsaken."
Lusamine seemed rather undeterred at the creature's rather aggressive response. She stepped forward, reaching an alabaster hand towards it.
"Come. I can save you. We can save each other."
Save each other? Why is it that the hot ones are always strange?
"I don't think it wants to be saved." Elio stated matter-of-factly. "Or cooperate."
"You're more elegant than I expected." Lusamine giggled obliviously as a thin smile coming to her delicate features. "So much more and far from those disappointments."
The creature finally tiled its head down to glance at the woman who now stood just a few tantalizing feet away.
Lusamine had her eyes closed as if she was basking in its presence.
It floated closer.
That's when a blast of embers hit it squarely in the chest as the President was yanked aside out of the direct line of fire. Elio and Hau had both jumped right into action to grab her.
Torracat fired another ember, catching the creature's attention and anger. As it prepared to attack, there was a stream of powerful bubbles that smashed into its crown forcefully popping like cluster bombs.
A white uniformed Aether staff member had arrived to join the battle with a bipedal blue and white pokemon with a swirl pattern on its stomach. It let loose another spray of bubbles as Torracat added his own ember to the mix.
They were joined by a second employee who was using a ladylike pokemon with a pink veil that looked to be made of flowers. Its thin body was green, waving elegantly behind as If it were a dress. It blinked, showing long eyelashes that looked carefully crafted.
The femine pokemon charged up an orb in between its two hands and launched it at the creature. All three attacks one after the other sent it staggering back right to the center of the area.
"New pokemon have been detected! Bzzt!" Rotom announced, already launching into his usual spouting of information, however Elio was too concentrated on the battle in front to really pay attention.
"Poliwhirl. Tadpole pokemon. Although it can live on land, it prefers to stay in the water where it has fewer natural enemies. Its health suffers when its skin dries out, so be sure to diligently keep it moisturized. Poliwhirl is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
As the trio moved to evade a spray of the creature's poisonous liquid, Rotom moved to the second new species.
"Florges. Garden pokemon. It controls the flowers it grows. The petal blizzard attacks that florges triggers is overwhelming in their beauty and power. Florges is a fairy type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
Torracat and the Aether pokemon fired more attacks, which seemed to get deflected off the growing aura on the creature before the portal from before suddenly reappeared with its glow overpowering the flashy attacks. Elio could see the energy overflowing out from its edges and an uncanny pattern lining its mysterious walls within. The creature lazily drifted backwards into it fading away as if a spirit of some kind returning to its home domain. The portal anomaly lasted just a couple of seconds before it fell back into the portal, the latter of which subsequently winked out of existence, not even leaving a ripple as a reminder of what had once been there.
As Hau sent out Acheron, Torracat tensed and stayed alert while Sun glanced around in the air around them, still expecting it to reappear somewhere else and attack again. By now, he could see other Aether members approaching and had their own pokemon out to help fight the threat. Shadows passed overhead as several of the birds were patrolling the air around them, ready to go into action if the creature returned.
"What just happened?" Hau asked in a hushed voice, breaking a heavy silence.
"So it's true," Lusamine whispered, oblivious again to the others around her. "I still need that pokemon. I need to get it back."
"What?" He asked, "Miss Lusamine, did you say something?"
The corners of her mouth turned upward just barely noticeable, but Sun knew exactly what he saw. Every moment he spent around the President, there was a growing sensation going on in him that he was not comfortable with. Not only did he find her to be a little strange, but there was just something about Lusamine he didn't trust. Elio couldn't place it, but the feeling that she had some ulterior motive was undeniable. Unlike Wicke, Hau and himself; she didn't seem too aghast to see the foreigner make an appearance. Nor did she seem fazed that it tried to attack her.
Should I call her out on it? The last thing I want to do is get caught up in affairs I don't understand or concern me.
But that's also how Brendan stopped that worldwide catastrophe. If he hadn't done anything…
Elio shuddered at the worst of it.
Lusamine spoke again in a hushed voice. "That creature…that one we just saw was undoubtedly an ultra beast. It's an unknown being from another dimension that suddenly appears out of the ultra wormhole."
That was an ultra beast? Isn't that what Professor Burnet was studying?
"It looked like it was suffering," Lusamine said longingly, holding her hands to her chest. "Like it was pained to be in this strange place. I can't bear to see that happen! I will save and protect it! And I will love it!"
"Love it?" Sun cast a strange glance at her. "No disrespect Miss Lusamine, but that…that thing was ready to shoot you and the rest of us on sight!" As he said that, there was that same cold spike that started at his head and rippled slowly towards the rest of his body.
"Aaah!" He grunted, clenching his teeth and mouth locked in a grimace as he tried to stem the pain.
"Elio!" Hau rushed over, putting himself around his arm to keep him from falling over. Torracat bounded over to his trainer's feet and nudged the boy's leg with his paws.
Sun's breathing had increased in pace and he blinked multiple times to clear his blurred vision. His skin pricked with goosebumps and he shivered…an odd thing since the temperature was only slightly cooler than the outside.
"Wicke, fetch someone from the infirmary at once." Lusamine ordered sharply. The dark haired woman nodded and was off in a moment.
"Elio?" Hau was kneeling beside his friend and snapped his fingers to catch the boy's attention. He was blinking rapidly and breathing heavily as if teetering on the edge of consciousness.
"Hau."
"It's going to be okay." He looked up at Lusamine for reassurance and got a silent nod of agreement in return. "Miss Lusamine has people coming to take you to get better."
"Okay."
Elio hadn't realized the amount of time that had passed, but it seemed like he wanted to be out for weeks. His eyelids drooped with fatigue and every time he tried to actively think and focus on one certain thing; that icy spike drove itself into his head, causing him to writhe in pain while on the bed of the Paradise's infirmary where they had escorted him.
The room was the same sterile white and gold trim, but also had its share of medical equipment in the ward by his side with a full fledged collection of supplies and curtains to give the occupant privacy.
What did that thing do to me?
He was questioned by a handful of staff members, most of them fellow field members who were on duty in his immediate area at the time. Lusamine brought in the Paradise's resident psychologist and after a thorough interview hadn't diagnosed him with anything abnormal.
That's good I suppose.
It would take another hour until visitors were allowed and Hau bounded in, already clapping his friend's outstretched hand in a bro-handshake.
"Wow! I can't believe everything that just happened!"
"At my expense." Elio gestured to the bed around him. "You get to experience all the cool stuff while I almost get abducted by an alien."
"At least you're still here."
"And now I know one of those things tried to kidnap me and it got away. What happens if it goes to tell all its alien buddies? That thing's got my number for sure. I'm staying as far away from that as I possibly can thank you very much."
"Don't be paranoid brah."
"Easy for you to say."
They were interrupted as both Wicke and Lusamine entered and sat in seats close to Hau.
The President leaned forward first. "Elio, how are you feeling?"
"Pretty crappy to be honest." He cracked a smile to ease off their worries. "But I'm still here and kicking."
"You gave the President quite the scare." Wicke told him. "She kept asking the doctors about your prognosis."
"And?"
"And they've found nothing out of the ordinary except for a few bruises when you hit the floor while falling. You said that you had trouble thinking?"
"Yeah." Elio sat up and pushed the blankets off his legs. "I…uh…it was strange. That thing was trying to almost latch itself onto my head and I felt it…almost like as if it wanted to feel less scared. I've heard of pokemon possessing humans before though."
"There have been cases yes." Wicke agreed with him. "I just need to know if you're alright. I do have rooms ready in the trainer residences if you wish to spend the night."
"Nah I'm actually fine."
Hau and the women glanced at one another before looking back at him. "You don't look fine." He told him.
"Well I've got a headache for one." Sun rubbed his head. "So I think I'd rather just get to the next island, find the closest pokemon center and sleep uninterrupted for half a day." Truthfully, he would likely feel even groggier if he did that, but just wanted an indirect excuse to leave the Paradise. It was a tempting offer though because the beds here were likely ten times more comfortable than any pokemon centers.
I just want to forget about that freaky thing.
"Very well." Lusamine stood up as she honored his request. "These two are in the middle of their island challenge, aren't they?" When the other woman nodded, she continued. "Please deliver them to their next island."
"Oh…at once ma'am!"
"I will go with my staff and check that none of our poor resident pokemon were harmed during this incident and then I will need to speak with Mister Faba about exactly what happened downstairs. And of course; I will have to start preparing the foundation for our newest and perhaps greatest duty yet! The protection of the Ultra Beasts!"
Protection? Why would you want to protect that?
Elio rolled onto his feet, slipping into the shoes at the foot of the bed before Wicke let him and Hau onto the elevator. His best friend had his backpack and poke ball belt, which the boy dutifully reattached to his waist. "I will see the two of you on the ferry to Ula'ula Island."
"All right!" Hau practically leaped up with a fist pumped, "Onto the next island!"
Elio wanted to jump for joy too, but he was still far too exhausted to partake. Instead, he raised a fist to show his own enthusiasm.
"It was an absolute pleasure to meet the both of you. Hau, Sun." Lusamine cast an approving look at both boys, "Good luck on the remainder of your island challenge. You two are more than welcome to come back anytime!"
"Thanks Miss Lusamine!" Hau waved while Sun cast a casual two-fingered salute. He stopped just short of the elevator, a sudden thought coming to his mind.
"Can I ask you a question Miss President?"
"Oh." The blonde certainly wasn't expecting that request, but she earnestly nodded for him to go ahead.
"Back when we fought that thing off…you said that you wanted to help it and for it to help you." He stared at her, making eye contact and trying to see if he could get a reaction.
Nothing.
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Yes. Why do you want to protect that ultra beast? From my own observations, it was clearly distressed and treated all of us as a threat rather than something to commune with."
Lusamine laughed again sweetly. "Child, you are quite the inquisitive one. I shall have to consider you for my science team once you've met Mister Faba's prerequisites."
Sun was not convinced by her dodging his question.
"We all want to live our lives how we truly wish," she started. "Human, pokemon, ultra beast. All of them need to be protected from everything threatening. There's darkness creeping on our world and I need to save all things!"
Elio wasn't satisfied with her answer. "But by bringing the ultra beast here, you're dragging it from its home into a world it knows nothing about."
Sort of how I came to Alola. Everything was foreign and a big culture shock.
"Perhaps the only way to ensure its safety is to initially bring it somewhere unfamiliar." Lusamine said. "I must say that you could play a big role in helping me protect the ultra beasts. I admire your battling prowess especially…you have the heart of a warrior and your bravery as well."
"Thank you Miss Lusamine." Elio actually smiled at her, still a little unsure of himself. "Sorry if I seemed nosy. I guess I got hit harder than I thought."
"You are most welcome child and it is nothing to worry about. Now hurry along…you do not want to keep your wonderful friend Hau waiting."
"Right." He turned around as he walked onto the elevator beside Hau, finding himself staring into her green eyes.
"I'll uh…see you later I guess."
"Yes. We will meet again."
Wicke activated the elevator and they dropped out of sight toward the docks.
Elio made sure she wasn't privy to them and leaned close to Hau to whisper in his ear.
"Hey, did you notice anything about Lusamine?"
"Notice?" He had that dreamy look in his eye at the mention of the President. Sun swore he saw a silver of drool in the corner of his mouth.
"I'm serious. Did she seem kind of…you know…strange?"
"Strangely amazing? Heck yeah!"
"Come on Hau, be serious for once. Something's just not right with her. She's way too interested in those ultra beasts."
"You think?" Hau's expression fell just slightly as he began to consider his inquiry.
"I mean, it's a bit over the top."
"But Professor Burnet specializes in inter-dimensional research, she's fascinated by the ultra beasts too."
"That's kind of her job. Lusamine is," Elio paused to find the word he was trying to say. "She is too…but instead of a job…it almost seemed more like an obsession. Over protecting and saving it from something."
"Well it didn't look like it needed protection from anything if you ask me." Hau said. "If anything…we needed protection from it."
"So can't you see it now?"
"I dunno about that," he wasn't buying Elio's conspiracy. "Lusamine is a capable leader and businesswoman. I honestly think you hit your head on the floor too hard."
There was the fatigue in Elio's body language and voice. Sleep was indeed trying to seal his eyelids and he wanted nothing more than to trudge into a bed and pass out.
Almost any bed at this point I'll sleep. I'd crash on a bed made of stone.
"Eh…you're probably right. But personally, I'd rather just stay away from any extraterrestrial things that are trying to kill me."
Wicke led them right back to the docks through the elevator to a boat that was promptly departing to Ula'ula Island. By now, it seemed that the previous bustling activity had slowed significantly with only a medium sized cargo hauler two piers down. Ropes were tied to its side and nobody working on it meant the ship was likely going to remain moored overnight.
"I never thought I'd get to see the ultra wormhole in my life."
Elio raised an eyebrow. "Bro, you didn't even know it existed until we went to visit Burnet's lab."
"Well we gotta tell her the next time we go to her lab."
Yeah. We kind of do.
Wicke stopped her pace and turned around. "I don't know what happened should be rightly described as an accident, but I think it's probably best if you do so."
"Agreed."
"Ah!" Another voice popped from behind as the three of them faced Faba who stepped off the elevator, again puffing his lanky chest out as he approached with a pompous gait. In his hand, he cradled the clear egg incubator Elio had given him earlier for study.
Sun had to almost suppress a laugh on how the man was nearly to the point of panting. Then worry struck him as he realized that he was about to leave without even getting the egg back from their research and development labs.
"I'm most certainly glad you are all safe…as is I and my team. My analysis of your egg is complete and I'm happy to report its status as green across the board. It will birth into a healthy baby, so be sure to take much good care of it. I will add that the gradual movements it makes within the shell indicates that it is nearly ready to hatch!"
"Thank you." Elio took it from the Branch Chief and secured it inside his backpack. "Honestly, I can't believe I was about to leave without it."
"I would not be upset if you did." He murmured under his breath before straightening his posture. "The president gave word and reminded me about your egg and I aimed to intercept you before you left for Ula'ula Island! The docks are…a bit astronomically far from my labs and it took a bit of running."
Elio couldn't suppress a smirk to his mouth. "You weren't the star athlete of your class?"
"Top test scores every time." Faba airily replied with a wave of his hand. "Dead last in physical activity."
"I see. So what kind of pokemon is inside the egg?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but they heard the low bass of a ship's horn echo across the docks that signaled that their ferry was preparing to leave port.
"You two best get onboard." Wicke said. "Anyway, Lord Faba and I were very glad to meet you both. Please take these to remember your visit."
Hau's own eyes almost popped out of his head when she reached into her bag to display a paper bag with a familiar logo.
"Some malasadas for Hau."
"Oh boy!" He could barely contain his excitement upon receiving his favorite confection as a gift.
Elio couldn't help smiling at that. Same old Hau. Malasadas do make stuff better.
"Wow it's fresh too!" Hau had felt the heat from the food inside. He knew that they were best eaten fresh straight out of the fryer. They were still decently good at room temperature, but definitely not the same when piping hot.
Microwaving only did so much; it reheated the food, but ended up making the sugar coating on the outside dissolve into a rather sticky unpleasant mess.
"We have a Leonard's right in our own mess hall. It's popular among the staff." She explained to them.
"That's awesome! Isn't it crazy how malasadas taste even better when you eat them together with someone else?"
"Yes. I think I know what you mean." Wicke smiled again while Faba rolled his eyes grumbling about something. With a wave of his hand; he strode back towards the elevator, hitting a few buttons and dropping to the lower levels out of sight.
"Meals always taste better when you share them with the ones you love."
That makes sense. And I have to agree with that.
"And you Elio, I have a TM containing the move psychic."
Then it was his own turn to widen his eyes in shock. As expensive as they were; TMs containing powerful moves were highly sought after. And the move psychic was one of the most powerful ones of its namesake type.
"Wow." Elio held the pinkish purple disc in his hands. "Uh…thanks."
Hau gets malasadas and I get a TM? I guess if this was Christmas then it's like I'm the favorite child.
"I wish the two of you the best of luck on your island challenge adventure!"
"We will! Thanks Miss Wicke!"
The dark-haired woman smiled as they crossed the gangway onto the ship. Elio and Hau waved as they took their seats by the window as it pulled out of the Paradise's indoor hangar. As it cleared the doorway, the captain turned east on a heading towards Ula'ula Island.
Wicke's smile fell as it disappeared from sight.
I remember when Cal was talking all the time about how much he loved his little boy. My my, how he has grown to be such a strong, handsome young man.
I'll find a way to make things up to you after what you did for Xander. That's the least of what I owe.
President Lusamine's smile faded as she watched a camera overlooking the docks. The screen on her datapad displayed a crisp image of a live feed with zero delay. She felt satisfied at its departure, knowing the trainers were safely headed on the boat carrying the visitors towards their next destination of Ula'ula Island.
Instead, her focus cut through like a laser as her eyes narrowed after continuing to stare out of the open gateway to the sea.
She briskly turned on her heels, intent to head somewhere with purpose.
Lusamine arranged for a meeting with her higher ups on staff to take place, with after reports of the incident as well as releasing a statement to the workers. Being such a high profile company meant the media would get word and immediately want the full story.
She intended to give them it in her own words, already knowing they would accept it coming straight from the president's mouth.
For now, Lusamine spent the time prior to their meeting to herself, ponding on the same beast that was beaten back.
She missed having her own personal chef around. After cooking for the family for years; he had departed back to Kalos to start his own line of restaurants and bars from which she heard had already taken off to compete with his mentor; Siebold of the Kalosian Elite Four.
With focus and precision, the large chef's knife in her hand sliced through the half of the onion effortlessly with an astounding rate. The half slices were cut again, this time irregularly as she finely diced them into smaller portions before using the blunt side to sweep it all into a freezer bag.
It was strange to most others, but she found a peace and steady rhythm in it. Cutting vegetables and food was one area where she could find a zen focus, erasing all the other stresses away into every stroke of the blade. It was almost compulsive in measuring the thickness of the onion with her ring finger and then carefully chopping the cut strips into perfectly squared bits. This was the kind of thing that allowed her to set aside all preexisting stresses of running her business and focus solely on the ultra beasts, most specifically the one that had been abruptly brought into the Paradise and barely fought off.
While she was elated to finally have summoned another one, her frustration still simmered within her and the preferred way for the President to quietly vent her fury was to hack and cut things apart with precision and purpose.
She kept it up, slicing another onion down and then dicing all into the same bag that would go into the freezer to use for later.
Her thoughts passed from the beast and went to the two young island challengers. Hau and Elio.
She knew of Hau. Word had spread around about the grandson of the Melemele kahuna finally undergoing his island challenge. The hype on the populace was indifferent to her and the kid had barely even noticed how many people paid attention to that kind of gossip.
His mouth ran faster than his brain.
Then there was Elio. Unlike Hau; his dark haired companion was much more difficult to read. He was more inquisitive of the two. Even more interestingly enough he had made the news recently as well alongside Hau. He had quite an impressive move with the knife.
They saved that surfing girl's life. How brave of them both.
A click of a tongue snapped her out of those inner thoughts and she looked to the doorway to the family kitchen. "Our guests have left us. There is no need to hide."
At her words, a well-built man stepped into the kitchen and took a seat at one of the barstools, leaning his elbows onto the smooth pearly quartz. He was tall, roughly a couple inches past six feet with long ropey biceps that had sinewy veins slightly visible. His attire almost exceeded the Aether Foundation's standard uniform sizes so she had to hire a profession tailor to give him a proper fit without giving his own role away. He kept his head shaved free of hair with only the stubble as a hint of skipping a day of trimming.
In any workplace, gossip would spread like an infection once something happened and that's precisely what had occurred when the "incident" suggested that her own broken and sorrowed self would not be reliable enough to move the company to attain its lofty goals.
Wicke genuinely cared for her own well-being, already going as far to hire a psychiatrist in Hau'oli City to fly out to the Paradise. Sessions were long and arduous and there were many occasions where she would refuse to come out of her quarters for days.
And her own children were just in their pre-teenage years, staring at her closed door and barely understanding anything.
While Wicke had done the selfless thing of making sure the business was run and her children were educated; Leon Faba had done the opposite.
After several rumors were planted that Lusamine was unable to run the Aether Foundation properly, Wicke had brought the issue to the president herself. She was initially unaware of Faba's intentions, but quickly realized that dissident and a rift in the workforce would cause the business to have financial troubles and eventually collapse.
Faba needed to be kept in line.
It took a while, but her most recent hire of Von Kaiser had done the trick. Personality-wise, he was among the most introverted and dead she had ever seen. Kaiser hardly spoke to anyone unless necessary and rarely ever smiled.
If he did, it usually wasn't very warm. His presence immediately subdued any others and the word that he reported directly to Lusamine had straightened out order within Aether's ranks.
"I thought they would never leave."
"Tourists." She scoffed at the mention of that. "Nothing more."
Von Kaiser's weathered face cracked a lopsided smile. "Yet I feel you've called for me for something else. Most people don't just call for someone while they chop onions half an hour until midnight."
Lusamine appreciated how he was able to jump to the right conclusions quickly. She slipped the plastic cutting board into an automatic dishwasher underneath the counter and turned on the kitchen sink. She ran the knife under it, calmly closing her eyes as the stream of water hit the metal blade.
"Do you have any leads of the cosmog's whereabouts?"
Kaiser shook his head, his dark eyes continuing to focus on his employer's meticulous care of her kitchen tools. Lusamine added a drop of soap to a kitchen sponge and slowly scrubbed the edge, leaning down to examine it as she made slow gentle strokes as if to not tarnish its silvery surface.
"No," he said finally. "The equipment you've given me is either faulty or the trail runs cold fast."
The Aether President didn't even look up as she continued her slowly paced cleaning. Every time he was summoned to see her outside of her office, she was in the kitchen either cutting food with her knives or cleaning them compulsively. It didn't unsettle him at first since she only did such a thing rarely, but nowadays he could almost sense her anxiety and it appeared that the latter activities with the bladed objects calmed her nerves.
"I gave you a simple job right in the area of your expertise. How do you think we're supposed to summon the beasts again without it?"
Kaiser didn't back down. He was one of the few that were not intimidated by her when she was agitated. He knew of his importance and a man of his skillset wasn't irreplaceable, but still difficult to find. There were no qualms or questions asked, if she had a task she wouldn't be able to do herself directly, then it fell on his shoulders which would be accomplished swiftly and usually quietly.
More than one of her dissident and rebellious staff was quelled by him. All she could answer from inquiries of the staff about their peers was that they were "disciplined as seen fit"
"From the intelligence you have given me, it is not like I can detect it like radiation. My own pokemon as good as they are, still have found no trace." He leaned forward. "How can you be so sure that the cosmog is still in Alola? For all we know, it could've already gone back into Ultra Space."
"I know." Lusamine said, more so to convince herself. "I just know it."
"Yet we've seen nothing to show that it's here. Your entire search teams have come up empty with some believing this is a witch hunt."
Lusamine's eyes flashed. "They what?"
"Nothing's turned up. The Null unit your son stole. Neither the cosmog or your daughter who stole it."
Her eyes narrowed and although she said nothing, it was clear that she was not pleased at being outmaneuvered or outwitted by her own children. From his entire employment, he had seen very little of either of her kids. Lusamine often dismissed him when they were meeting with her and he headed right back to his own quarters with seldom more than a simple greeting.
So in regards to knowing the habits or traits of her children; he came up empty.
Lusamine held up the knife, examining the shining light off the silvery blade before spinning it deftly between her fingers like it was a toy.
"Then we will need to increase our efforts. Have our current field teams perform sweeping patterns. Leave no stone unturned. My children's own days of hiding are numbered!" She turned to him, now setting the rinsed knife perfectly center in a dish towel and folding it over into thirds. It was uneven and she quickly straightened out the ends so it was a flawless rectangle. Her right hand moved the cloth swiftly over the metal, drying the droplets off. The knife was placed on a magnetic strip at the backsplash of her kitchen, beside many others with varying blade shapes and designs.
Kaiser had to admit that she seemed to have an affinity for knives. He wondered if she was one of those strange collectors who secretly admired their hoard within a private sanctum.
"And I want you back out there again. I'm reassigning you from the missing porygon, provided you have some idea of what happened."
"Still no clue how it turned up missing. Even the databanks where it was stored are empty. Your tech and network teams are baffled."
"We'll find it again." Lusamine assured him. Kaiser wondered why she seemed to dismissive of everything. "And I'll have you depart for Ula'ula in the morning. If my little flower doesn't turn up, then you go after that boy Hau and find out what he knows."
Kaiser nodded. "Of course."
Faba arrived just at the same time she was expecting him, two minutes early almost on the dot. As pompous and uptight as he was; the bald, sharp-eyed man still had a bit of politeness in him from the soft knocks at her door.
Lusamine had disabled the lock on her door; a sophisticated mechanism that she often engaged when she didn't want to be disturbed or left for the night. After all, it contained sensitive information and even if someone were to break in, the data wouldn't just reveal itself without encryption from herself as credentials.
The President's office was at the very back of her residence, a massive opulent mansion in white with hints of gold trim. The long planes and sleeker lines of the two story house looked as if it had been dropped straight out of a futuristic sci-fi setting. Its interior sparkled with the same sterile and glossy motif as the rest of the paradise, with the foyer already made to impress any guests with the ten thousand dollar crystal chandelier dangling from the ceiling.
Wicke and Kaiser stood at the other end of her desk as she hit a couple of buttons on her computer to allow him inside. As they waited for the final person in this meeting, Lusamine busied herself reading over the incident reports coming in from the staff on duty who were giving statements. Most of them were perplexed at the invader with slightly differing from those that had taken direct action in sending their own pokemon out to either battle the invader or secure the area. Overall, a lot of them were questioning on why it had chosen the Paradise to make an introduction.
Quite a bit of them proudly praising that boy Elio's battling abilities. I know a talented trainer when I see one. His skills are too valuable to be wasted.
She gave an oily smile while looking out to the sea, fully confident that neither individual in the room could see it.
"Come in Faba. Let's get straight to business."
Faba straightened himself as he walked forth through the parting doors. He cast a sneering gaze at Wicke who stared back indifferently despite wanting to retort in some manner. However he sensed another presence and quickly stepped back, realizing it was the one person besides the president herself that made him feel uneasy.
"Mister Faba." Lusamine curtly greeted him. "Now that you're here, we can begin. What are your readings and reports?"
"Madam President," Faba's normally obnoxious rasp of a voice squeaked with excitement. "It worked! Energy readings are off the charts and the labs are reporting that the temporary wormhole's stability had lasted longer than previous simulations. I'm hypothesizing that the shockwaves generated seismic effects which caused that abnormal series tremor to resonate. The Paradise's metallic structure conducts vibrations quite well and our next objective should be to complete the transmission without the giveaway of it feeling as if an earthquake is going off."
"Wonderful to hear. What of the properties?"
"I cannot say for certain. All of my hypothesis I've conjured are mere speculation. And I have no desire to venture unprepared into Ultra Space. That part of the ultra beast the boy had severed has also been transported to the labs for further study."
Lusamine didn't really know the entirety of the details and calculations Faba had gone through in order to determine that, but that was his business.
"I cannot pinpoint exactly where you want to go once we obtain the means to open another wormhole either. There are so many variables on our end and the liquid manifold of what we've seen from trying to prod Ultra Space. We've only started using the technique to open rifts through brute force. Trying to open a portal on one specific location would be like to throw a dart on the exact spot on an ever changing Sierpinski triangle. And who knows that's on the other end?"
"You can leave all your scientific jargon down in your lab Faba." Lusamine chastised tersely. "I just need to know if you can do it."
"I'm telling you the inherent risks." Her Branch Chief had to bite his tongue at her being so dismissive. "It is not as simple as create a wormhole and you jump through. The amount of variables I have to plan for is innumerable."
"Are you insinuating that I stop in what we've so worked so hard to achieve?"
"No! I will fully cooperate, but I must say everything you need to know before we proceed further. This is not like deciding whether or not to go on the roller coaster in Nimbasa City."
A chime of a cell phone interrupted their conversation. Interestingly enough, it was Wicke's with a generic droning ringing rather than the catchy television show that Lusamine programmed to go off on every single caller.
"Madam President, Jessie of the News Network of Alola has arrived to cover the incident."
They're already here? Sooner than expected. Lusamine waved her hand, already having been informed the station had been on their way. "Very well." She looked over at Wicke again. "Please inform them I will be out to give an official statement. In the meantime, feel free to answer whatever questions they may ask unless something requires my direct attention."
The hand wave also served as a dismissal. Wicke knew that she wasn't privy to the information about to be disclosed between the remaining occupants.
After she closed the door behind her, Lusamine looked to the two men standing farther apart and bothered by one another's presence.
She fixed Faba with a steely gaze first. "You almost forgot to return the egg to the trainer."
All he responded with was an annoyed snort. "That is what happens when you hire incompetent staff that always require my attention to run my lab right."
It was Lusamine's turn to regard him with a confused look. Faba was the one who interviewed and vetted every member that worked in his research and development laboratories.
"You both know what needs to be done. Faba has used the last samples of cosmog's gases and we are thus unable to generate the ability to open an Ultra Wormhole."
She had to find it…find it as quickly as possible.
"Madam President," Faba said curiously, "what are we to do now? We have no more gases to test and as far as we know, the cosmog is still in your daughters' possession."
"You leave finding Lillie to me and Kaiser here. Just get the repair teams to asses and fix any damage that the beast may have committed and have the experiment equipment fully functional as soon as possible. Once we reclaim it, I want to begin the process again without error."
"I have something that will please you in that regard." Faba said cautiously. "Through the advances we've seen with the Ward technology and the usage of the move protect, I've created a case that is reflective on the majority of weaker pokemon elemental attacks and prevents psychic types from escaping through teleport without regulating it to a poke ball capsule."
He smirked at the thought behind his genius creation. "The field acts similar to a Faraday cage, inhibiting, absorbing or even reflecting the energy behind a pokemon's attacks back at it, similar to a counter or mirror coat move. The more energy it expends in trying to fruitlessly escape, the more painful the repercussions."
"And the harsher the punishment." Lusamine's own oily smile matched his. "I like that very much."
"Now if only I could get to see more of that amazing power from a zenith move again." Faba rubbed his hands together. "How much more valuable I could be to the Foundation! I'll need triple…no…quadruple my salary!"
"The ever ambitious one I see." The president dryly remarked.
"A zenith move?" Kaiser raised an eyebrow.
Faba wrinkled his nose and gave Kaiser a scrutinizing look. "Zenith moves…yes. They're more known as Z-moves for short. Trainers in Alola use special stones and elemental crystals that draw out the innate power that lies inside."
The Internal Affairs agent turned back to Lusamine. "I was previously unaware of this Zenith pPower and you already mentioned Lillie being associated with Hau and Elio. If I have to go up against either of them, I need to know everything."
"Like you'd understand." Faba huffed from beside him before raising his hands in a mocking fashion. "Oh, we have trainers who play around with powers they don't fully understand! They carry those silly looking wristbands while blokes make money off their blasted customization! That is no way how to treat such a delicious scientific discovery! You don't need a plan, just go and headbutt it!"
"Is that so?" Kaiser's tone and body language turned even colder. Lusamine swore he could've been able to freeze helium if he wanted.
"Why of course! You've been nothing but a hindrance to how I'm going to try and gain power for myself! I don't know why the president hired you if all you do is make the rest of us fall in line."
"And that is exactly why I have him around." Lusamine said sharply as a strong hint to drop the escalating argument. "We are here to work together for my goals on the Foundation."
"Your goals? Ha! You are nothing without my scientific knowledge! How long of a setback would you be if you've let me go? What's stopping me from turning in all of your little sanctioned research to the International Police? Absolutely nothing! Not even this brute!"
Faba opened his mouth again to spout something, but was promptly cut off as Kaiser's large beefy hand abruptly lashed out, wrapping firmly around his throat. His eyes almost bulged out of his sockets while he tried to open his mouth to speak. All the came out was a rough cawing sound.
Lusamine jumped up to intervene, but quickly held back. Kaiser had been right that Faba's cunning had put him out of line to say or do whatever he pleased without repercussions.
I'll tighten the leash.
Faba made a fist to strike Kaiser's muscled arm, however the larger man clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Don't be stupid. You hit me and I'll tighten my grip and roll my wrist." He did just that, slightly squeezing together making the scrawnier man claw in an attempt to open his airway. Lusamine watched with cold indifference despite her surprised reaction.
"Now you may think I'm just some grunt who does the boss' bidding, but it's a very discreet type of work. It involves silencing those who openly question orders, break conduct. My previous employer was much less tolerant of failure or dissent especially if it questioned his cause. If you did not know your place; I would've already been ordered to put your dismembered limbs in a barrel of garbodor acid."
Kaiser chuckled humorlessly at the threat and he saw Faba shiver from the thought.
Good. It's about time I get this shot.
"You've been ordered to do your job. Do it. Now. And let me do mine in solving problems within the staff before YOU become the problem."
"That's enough Kaiser!" Lusamine snapped, adding that extra bit of authority in her tone and knowing he had made his point to bring Faba down a few notches. "Let him go!"
He simply nodded, releasing his grip and allowing the Branch Chief to slump to the ground. He landed on his hands and knees, practically gasping for air while massaging the redness around his throat.
"Madam President…you need to keep your lapdog leashed. If he does that again, I am bringing this case public!" Faba glowered at Kaiser again. "He holds no allegiance to anyone but himself."
"And I do." Lusamine abruptly said. "This is exactly why I brought him to keep the staff in check."
"Your agenda with the Foundation is none of my business." Kaiser gruffly declared. "Like you said, my allegiance is to whoever pays me for my line of work. However if you fail to complete your task, then it becomes my problem and I will deal with it accordingly."
"Are we clear?"
"Yes." Faba had to almost bite his tongue and avoid giving the bigger man a venomous glare.
"Good. Now tell me more about this zenith power."
Taking a moment to catch his breath again, the Branch Chief sat down. "Zenith power. Where do I begin? It is the concept of the boundless paracausal light energy that sustains all life in the world that is abundant everywhere. Every living being from the wailords in the ocean to simple cell microorganisms that live inside of our own bodies have this current of the inner light energy. You may recognize a similar concept started in Hoenn where they refer to it as Infinity Energy."
"Zenith Power." Kaiser repeated. "Z-Power?"
"Precisely. Z-Power is its shortened term. This zenith power is like matter; it cannot be created or destroyed. It is a philosophy of creating harmony in the balance of natural order where everything can coexist."
"So then if zenith power exists in all things, why is it only here in Alola that we see more of it than elsewhere?"
"Unfortunately I have little to no knowledge on why. The stones set in an island challenger's Z-ring have a unique property to them that allows the channeling of zenith energy into specific pokemon moves much stronger than their original counterparts. What you often hear as Z-moves is short for zenith moves, fitting as they are at the height of their power when synergized with both trainer and pokemon. It is perhaps this, along with the relative close relationship humans have with the pokemon here that could provide the answer. It is especially abundant in this island challenge that native trainers embark on. When challenging a totem pokemon as part of the island challenge trials; they are bathed in raw amounts of zenith energy which also could be the reason they are much larger than the average member of their species."
Faba scrunched his nose and cast a glare of disapproval at Lusamine. "I wish I had more time to study it since it also seems prevalent in the ultra beasts at astonishingly variable levels. That egg the boy carried had traces of powerful zenith energy, a similar profile to the levels I found in the autopsy of the totem gumshoos."
Both the others stared at him for an explanation, causing him to sigh irritably.
"There is a strong chance that the egg in the boy's possession is the child of a totem pokemon."
"So these zenith moves." Kaiser said, continuing to prod his mind as well as getting back on track. "They can be used in battle?"
"When certain conditions are met, yes. A trainer going on the island challenge has to have the corresponding elemental zenith crystal to the move being used. While they do have immense power; they expend excessive amounts of energy that can leave both the trainer and pokemon exhausted. Essentially, it is a one-shot cannon, as it takes a good amount of time for the zenith energy within the beings to become restored back to useable levels again."
"Quite the educational one you are." Lusamine purred, a thin smile gracing her lips as she leaned back in her black leather chair to prop a leg over the other. "An impressive science lesson, but I am ready to retire for the evening. Mister Faba, you may have the entirety of tomorrow off to recover and I expect to be kept appraised of your progress." Her eyes narrowed again, "do not disappoint me."
"Of course. I will be on my way now." Faba stood up to show himself out, but not before he sent one more glare towards Kaiser.
The room remained silent as Lusamine made sure with her house motion tracking cameras that the Branch Chief had left the building for good. She let out an exhausted sigh.
"A handful, he is. But I think a little bit of persuasion from you was enough for him to be back on track. Thank you for that."
Kaiser nodded slowly. "I've been waiting for a chance to show that prick what I can do to him. Plus he needed to be reeled in before all of your other praise got to his head and inflated his ego like a balloon."
"You leave dealing with Faba to me."
"Is that right? Because you don't seem to be doing an adequate job." When her gaze hardened at him, he held up a hand in defense from his initial challenge. "Relax. I'm not here to criticize how you run this company. I'm here to do the job you tell me to do. If you have a plan to keep Faba's constant scheming in check, then I trust you to. Otherwise you trust me. Right?"
"Yes of course."
"Now. I remember that you summoned me here to also discuss your runaway children."
"Their elusiveness has frustrated me." Lusamine admitted, almost embarrassingly. "Although my own attention has been divided so much lately, my efforts have not worked as effectively. That's where you come in. You're among the best freelancers and manhunters for hire."
Kaiser didn't smile, but he did feel good at the praise of his reputation.
"I'm not here to question your previous line of work."
"And I'd rather you not. It was for men…well…a man who had close to no regard for empathy. He did know the meaning of mercy and morals; yet chose not to follow or show any. I've done things that would make people restless and appalled in their sleep."
"I haven't heard anything like that since Cipher fell."
"Good guess. But no."
"Back on topic." Lusamine spread her hand out over the clear glass panel on her desk. A holographic map appeared with varying shades of red, white and green highlighting the entire Alola region. Smaller parts were divided into sectors, showing the offices for all four islands as well as outposts such as the Aether Shelter House by the Tapu Village and the Sanctum laboratory.
"My search teams, as inefficient as they are, have combed nearly the entirety of Melemele and Akala Island, yet finding no trace of Lillie."
"If I may ask," Kaiser interrupted her. "Why are you so fixated on Lillie? What about her brother Gladion?"
"Gladion is tasked as an errand boy for Team Skull with that rejected experiment." She replied in earnest. "I get regular reports on his activities."
"Then why not grab him now? It would save you a lot of trouble."
"Maybe. But I want to grab them in one fell swoop and bring them here to show how taking my property was wrong. And then they will pay for their mistakes!"
Kaiser made a face. Lusamine knew it.
"Something wrong Kaiser?"
"Many things," he replied. "All of this seems like delusions of grandeur. You've got missing children, both with apparently vital assets while your staff seems unmotivated with morale going in the other direction. Faba is actively plotting against you to usurp leadership for his own ends." The manhunter leaned forward. "Your raft is sinking faster than you can patch the holes. I suggest you prioritize. Leave hunting Lillie down to me while you make sure Faba does his job right. None of your goals will be reached without all the tasks accomplished."
Lusamine smiled at how he worded everything. "And I thought you were only doing this for the money."
"I am. However I've seen this before with my previous employer too. A lot of things happen to combine to their downfall and I took the smart avenue of opting out before the International Police either apprehended or put down those involved in the ring. Didn't save me from being on the list of wanted, but finding you were in need of muscle gives me enough time to decide my next move." That knowing smirk returned back to his features. "However since you did mention pay, we'll have to discuss that if you want my services to continue."
He's quite good. Lusamine thought to herself. Luckily for him, she was still needing her children to be found and brought back to the Paradise where they had once escaped.
"Your price is not of my concern. I will pay you enough that you will never have to work again, if that's your plan."
"It might be. I've always thought of settling with a good local woman in Oblivia. Hardly any traffic coming through and among the best places to lay low."
He wasn't wrong. Oblivia was a backwater archipelago region that was one of the most isolated places in the world. One of the perfect places to disappear and a man with his expertise knew how manhunters worked, which could make him essentially a ghost.
"Then the added money onto your contract will be set in terms." Lusamine said. "Completely untraceable with the rest of the guaranteed money accessible once you have brought both Lillie and the cosmog back to me unharmed."
"And if she resists?"
"A little bit of persuasion works a long way." Lusamine idly reached into her desk, showing a flicking switchblade that had purple and ivory colors on its handle. She opened and twirled the weapon between her fingers as if it were a toy. "The thing my little flower was scared of most."
Kaiser nodded. "Good to know."
"I will now have Team Skull assist in the search. Ula'ula is far larger than what most people believe. My aim is to have them corral her right towards you."
"Makes my job all the easier. Now if they get in my way, I can't be responsible for what comes next."
He promptly stood up and left the room. Lusamine watched as he closed the doors before taking out her cellphone and scrolling through a list of familiar contacts until she hit one of them. The tone dialed the number and rang for a decent amount of time.
"Wha? Who's this?" A gruff voice answered. "Oh wait, it's the Madam President!"
She heard fumbling in the background and loud obnoxious music that sounded like two cats fighting in a burlap sack. A door slamming quickly muffled its putrid disturbing noise.
"Whaddya want? I got nothin' to report on ya kid."
Lusamine shook her head, knowing it was just another diligent thing. "That's not why I called my dear Guzma.
Although she knew that nobody was around to hear her, Lusamine cast a long glance around her office before hitting another button to black out the windows. She sat down again in her big elongated comfortable chair and called again in her earpiece, this time to a different person.
"The test was successful, but we've used up the last of the cosmog's gases." The line remained open, but there was no reply. "Mark my words that I will honor our arrangement. The island challenge has failed you and all of your misfits. However once we discover the secret behind the ultra beasts and zenith moves, you will have all the tools you will need to show the rest of Alola how wrong they were to cast you out."
"We're givin' it one last push." She could easily sense the excitement carried through the airwaves.
"One final effort is all that remains."
"What do ya need me to do?"
"Kaiser is on his way to Ula'ula Island. We're positive Lillie is no longer on Akala Island and has moved to reduce her chances of being found. I want your people to aid in the search."
"With Kaiser?" She heard him scoff indignantly. "All he's ever done is make stuff difficult."
"I expect you to cooperate with him fully. The plan is to move her gradually across the island…provided she and the cosmog are there. You or your people are not to harm either. Secure her to your little lair in Po Town if you get her before Kaiser does. Make sure that little gremlin cannot escape. Lock her in a basement…chain her to the floor. I don't care! Just make sure she is brought to me!" Knowing the rather slow progress Team Skull did in anything, she was far too confident in Kaiser getting to her first.
"Chain her to the floor?" Guzma asked. "Do ya know what some of my bros will do if they find out she's bein' held here like dat?"
"You speak like you care."
"I care just enough to know nobody deserves treatment like dat."
"Hmph. Very well. Do whatever fits your boundaries. Just make sure she does not escape. My little flower and her cosmog are slippery and have evaded my staff enough to wear my patience thin."
"Got it." His voice turned cold and compliant. Just the way I need him.
"An interesting thing though." She added. "The two trainers your men mentioned were here during the incident that fit the description. They're now on their way to Ula'ula."
"Really?"
"Apparently one of them, named Hau knows Lillie."
"Hau knows the brat? Isn't dat da kahuna's grandson? Da really wimpy one?" He chuckled darkly. "I've been meanin' to teach that smilin' kid a lesson personally. He's already blinded by the island challenge."
"Yes," The President was delighted that the man called that girl a brat. "He's even more aloof than I expected for someone living with a kahuna. I've already alerted my staff stationed there to be on the lookout for Lillie since she'll likely need Hau to guard her and cosmog. Even if that's not the case, do as I said and spread your men across Ula'ula to double your search. We're getting close…I know it."
"It better be worth it," Guzma said. Lusamine didn't know if that was supposed to come out as a threat or a hopeful promise. Either way, she didn't particularly care, as long as she got results. "I take it we still doin what we supposed to be doin?"
"Of course. As long as my stations keep reporting that you and your group are causing chaos, then you're honoring your end. And when the time happens, I'll be wanting Gladion too." She clicked the line dead.
Standing up again, she briskly exited her office, going through the hallways to stop at Lillie's room.
Looking through her wooden bookshelf, a carefully crafted project done by her father, she noticed a handful of them were missing. Most notably the young adult novel version of the courtship of Kamalono'a and Pelei.
That was her favorite book. How she wished that a handsome boy would dash to rescue her from a monster.
She had left behind a less sophisticated child's version with the tale being among the most popular in Alola. Out of curiosity, she pulled it from the shelf, paying no attention to the name "Lillie" that was carefully carved in fancy cursive letters at the shelf's rear.
The cover was done by some Alolan artist she had never heard of, but it depicted the iconic battle atop Mauna Wela. Pelei laid on her side, looking eagerly to Kamalono'a who had brandished a spear at the mo'owahine that towered over him.
Her eyes looked to the man who wore nothing except for a patterned loincloth and greaves upon his feet. His gray eyes were filled with determination and his hair was long, going down far enough to touch the base of his shoulders. He was crouched in an aggressive posture, low to the ground to present himself as a smaller target.
Where have I seen that before?
A similar trainer, who valiantly fought against the monstrous ultra beast in her own Paradise.
"Of course."
The Aether President reached for her phone, searching for Kaiser's contact information.
I think I may have found the trainers my little flower has gravitated towards.
Whew, so now we are finally...finally finished with the Akala arc and onto the Ula'ula arc! I'd go as far to say that this serves as maybe the story's mid-point, although I still hypothetically don't have an exact chapter count. It certainly does have the potential to crack 100 chapters for sure. The addition of this one ties another one of my older fics for the most number of chapters. Havok Across Unova...one of my more rushed and amateurish attempts at a pokemon novelization that I never finished and really don't have much of a drive to anymore. It's really there more as a reminder of how strange (and bad) of a writer I am.
I'm so ready to start on Ula'ula Island. There's a few fun things and surprises in the arc although I've said many times before that this is where things start to get serious.
As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.
Brav
