Track 23 - Painless
When the two arrived in Heahea City, they immediately went to the port where they could board the Aether Foundation's first-class boat ride to the paradise. They were allowed to eat from a buffet, which Leinani took full advantage of. She put on her headphones and blasted her heavy metal music as loud as she could while stuffing food into small baggies that she'd take with her.
Kaiko wasn't as eager to eat, and he partook in only a few vegetables. He was nervous about going to the paradise, and even more so, Marshadow appeared unsettled. It shook within Kaiko's shadow, and he could sense that the Pokémon was in distress. He wanted to tell Leinani about it, but he knew that Marshadow wasn't comfortable with that either. He was now one hundred percent sure that something wrong was happening at the paradise. He didn't know how to tell Leinani though.
"Eat your vegetables," Leinani said. "Also, I've stolen, like, four hundred pounds of food. We won't need to buy anything when we're in Melemele Island."
"You're really taking advantage of the situation," Kaiko muttered.
"It's free food. You didn't seem this upset when I took a bunch of food from the Hano Grand Resort. What's up?"
Kaiko thought for a moment. "After some thought, I've gotten a lot more nervous. That kid, Gladion. What if he was right?"
Leinani flexed her thin muscles. "You and I can take down every member of the dork squadron. Don't worry."
Kaiko didn't respond, opting to remain silent for now.
When they arrived on the island, they were guided off of the boat and asked to leave their bags with some Aether Paradise members. Leinani got suspicious looks when her bags were checked and they found all of the food. She simply smiled and then continued onward.
"Because of the nature of our jobs, you won't be able to use any empty Poké Balls while you're here," one of the members said. "Catching wild Pokémon is banned on the island."
"Why are there so many rules?" Leinani complained.
"It's one rule, Leilei," Kaiko muttered.
"Hello!" a woman's voice called from the side. The two turned to find a woman who looked like she could have been in her early 30's. She had dyed purple hair that was neatly kept, and her body was of average size. She had glasses and a smile on her face. "My name is Wicke! I'm the assistant branch chief here at the Aether Paradise! It's nice to meet you! Faba had so many things to say about you two!"
"Good things?" Leinani wondered.
"Things!" she answered. "I'll be your guide today. I'm usually very busy, but I thought that I should make time for our special guests. We'll be giving you a full tour of the island."
"We're only interested in-" Leinani started.
"Follow me!" Wicke exclaimed.
The siblings exchanged looks while Wicke walked away, a certain pep to her step. They shrugged and then followed her, slightly reluctantly.
Because of where the ship had taken them, they hadn't yet seen the outside of the island. Instead, they were brought to the innards. It was an artificial island built a couple of years ago when the Manalo Conference was established. It served as the final battling ground for those who made it that far, but every other week of the year, it was where the Aether Paradise worked and operated.
"As you may know, Aether Paradise started off as a small group many years ago with the lofty goal of taking care of sick and injured Pokémon. We rehabilitated those that were in need, and after many years, we've been able to grow and expand," Wicke explained while the three walked into a massive greenhouse room.
It was heavily forested, and wild Pokémon roamed around with guides to help them. The Pokémon did appear to be different from those that Leinani had found in the wild. Some of the bird Pokémon were unable to fly, and she took pity in particular on a Goldeen that lacked the ability to swim. It was being helped by an Aether Foundation member who held it while it fought through a weak stream of water.
Kaiko looked down. He could feel Marshadow tugging back on him slightly, but he had no choice but to keep walking. He held Togedemaru closer to his chest and prepared for the worst.
"A couple of years back, we elected a new president for the Aether Foundation, and with her funding, we managed to build our small group into a fully functioning organization," Wicke said.
They walked into a separate room, filled with Pokémon eggs. Leinani had seen one before because of her school trip to Paniola Ranch, but Kaiko had only ever seen them in pictures.
"Would you like one?" Wicke asked with a smile.
"Really?" Kaiko exclaimed excitedly. "I'd love one!"
Wicke muffled her laughter. "I'm sorry. I can't give a Pokémon egg to someone so young. But I appreciate your eagerness! When you become a trainer, feel free to come by and we'll give you one."
"What about Leinani?" Kaiko asked.
"No thank you!" Leinani exclaimed. "I'm not ready for that kind of responsibility. I prefer catching my Pokémon in the wild."
Wicke laughed. "Let's keep going."
They kept walking through the Aether Paradise, going from room to room and learning about the different kinds of rehabilitation that Pokémon could go through. At one point, when they were walking from one room to another, Leinani stopped when she saw a group of white-clad members take an elevator to a lower floor.
"They're a part of a different division," Wicke said. "We don't just specialize in Pokémon therapy and rehabilitation, but one reason why we're allowed to operate at such a high level is because of our studies of the Ultra Beasts."
"Ultra Beasts?" Kaiko wondered. "Are you talking about those creatures from another dimension?" He was only seven years old when they came out of wormholes and attacked Alola. He didn't remember it very well, but when he saw the news, it terrified him.
"Correct," Wicke said. "We serve as a special task force in Alola to defend the region in case they ever were to return. We've spent many hours researching the incidents, and we now have a decent understanding of what exactly happened. Faba manages everything though, and some of the information is classified."
"Are they evil?" Kaiko asked. "The Ultra Beasts, I mean."
Wicke put her hand to her chin. "Evil? No. I don't think they are. But, maybe afraid."
"Cool," Leinani muttered. "So, what about this special battlefield? I was told that I'd get to see it. Rehabilitation and mega beasts are cool and all, but that's not what we came here for."
"Oh?" Wicke wondered. "I guess I forgot! I'll take you then! Follow me!"
Leinani had watched tons of matches on television, but she had never stepped onto a stadium-sized Pokémon field. It was almost three times the size of the fields that were in gyms, and there was enough seating for a couple of thousand people. She could imagine herself in a trainer's box, getting cheered by the spectators. In less than a year, she'd make it a reality.
"The lines that make up the markings for the field light up at night, and it's quite the sight to see," Wicke said. "And there are pools that appear in the middle and the corner for Water-type Pokémon. We keep them closed during the year because we want to keep them clean."
Leinani was worried that she wouldn't be able to use Wishiwashi during the conference, but it was a relief to hear that the Aether Foundation was going to be accommodating.
"Ah! Lusamine!" Wicke shouted, bringing the two's attention to the entrance of the battlefield where a tall woman stood.
She had extremely long blonde hair that went well past her waist. She was thin and wore a white dress with a hint of gold in the skirt. Her leggings were white in the front and black in the back. Her eyes were light green and familiar to the siblings.
"Welcome to the Aether Paradise," she said while holding out her arms. She approached the two and smiled. She slowly bowed and then glanced at Kaiko and his Togedemaru. Suddenly, she snapped forward, snatching Togedemaru from Kaiko's grasp. Kaiko panicked but then quickly calmed down as his Pokémon started to laugh hysterically.
"Toge! Togede!" he cried out joyfully. Lusamine buried her face in his body and rubbed it around playfully. Slowly, the static from Togedemaru forced some of Lusamine's hair to stand up, making her look much taller from Leinani's perspective.
"I just love Pokémon!" Lusamine declared while handing back Togedemaru. She glanced at Leinani and her Rowlet, who sat on her hat.
"Keep your hands to yourself," Leinani said, pulling Rowlet from her hat and holding her tight. "I'll break your rich hands if you touch my Pokémon."
Lusamine recoiled, but her smile remained on her face. "Then I'll keep away! My name is Lusamine. I'm the president of the Aether Foundation and overall Pokémon fanatic! How has your visit to the paradise been so far?"
"We've learned a lot!" Kaiko exclaimed. "I think I'm interested in becoming a member when I grow up!"
Becoming a member? I thought he wanted to become a scientist like dad. What's his deal? Leinani wondered.
Lusamine put her hands over her chest. "Well, that sounds wonderful! We can enroll you in our Aether Foundation Kids Club! You'll get weekly letters and a monthly magazine from us!"
"Wow!" Kaiko yelled excitedly. Leinani could tell that he was being disingenuous. But she couldn't figure out why.
Lusamine turned to Leinani, and it looked like she was preparing to ask a question, but before she could, the energy on the field suddenly shifted. Everyone stopped and looked into the sky, where there was a sudden blue stream of light. A portal tore itself into existence from out of nowhere, and from it, a creature emerged. It was white and made up of multiple tentacles and a bag-like head.
Lusamine's expression changed, and she looked on at the creature with fascination. "An Ultra Beast! And it's come all this way to meet us!"
It floated down peacefully. It lacked eyes, but Leinani could swear that it was looking directly at her, and for a moment, nothing happened.
"Which name code did we give this Ultra Beast?" Lusamine wondered.
"That's a new one," Wicke answered. "I don't believe it appeared during the incident."
"It's beautiful," Lusamine said. "How about UB-01 Symbiont?"
"Roger that, ma'am!" Wicke exclaimed.
Lusamine reached out, but when she was inches away from touching the beast, it suddenly roared and recoiled. It pointed one of its tentacles at Lusamine and then unleashed a purple spray.
"Watch out!" Leinani shouted. She tackled Lusamine and brought her to the ground, narrowly avoiding the poisonous attack. When Leinani felt that they were safe, she turned to the beast. "DJ, use Razor Leaf!"
Rowlet took into the sky and twisted her body, letting leaves fall out from under her wings. She whipped the leaves up around her before focusing her energy and shooting them forward. They sliced into the beast, making it retreat backward a few feet. It then changed its attention and faced Rowlet.
"Don't hurt it!" Lusamine cried. She pushed Leinani off of her and then stood up. "UB-01 Symbiont is precious!"
"That's a mouthful!" Leinani snapped back. "If we don't attack, then it will!"
The beast focused and started to glow purple. It released another blast of purple liquid from its body, now targeting Rowlet. Since Leinani had spent the last two weeks training to fight Poison-type strikes, she had the perfect counter prepared.
"Steel Wing!"
Rowlet put her wings in front of her face, taking the poisonous blast directly. However, poison couldn't damage steel with ease, and ultimately, Rowlet was okay.
"Now, keep going!" Leinani ordered.
Rowlet flew around while charging more energy into her wings. When she came back around, she smashed into the beast, knocking it off of its balance. It wobbled around viciously, and it looked pained.
"I said don't hurt it!"
"I said bite me!" Leinani barked as the beast prepared to do an attack. It lowered its head, and the composition of its body changed, becoming hard as rock. It then rocketed forward, prepared to slam into Rowlet.
"DJ, lay into it with Razor Leaf! Hold your ground!"
DJ remained still in the air, and despite the charging beast, she used her attack without fear. The leaves swirled in front of her and then pelted into the beast relentlessly. By the time that the beast reached Rowlet, her attack was slow and weak. She slammed into Rowlet, but it lacked the energy necessary to do any real damage.
"I think we've won," Leinani muttered.
"Don't let it escape!" Lusamine shouted.
The beast waved around and started to float towards the hole that remained in the sky. Leinani didn't give any more commands, and within moments, it disappeared. Energy was sucked from the field as the hole closed, and it soon was also gone.
"What's your problem, lady?" Leinani snapped when everything calmed down. Rowlet flew back to her hat and took her usual spot.
Lusamine looked back at Leinani with a stern expression on her face. It slowly changed though, and she smiled once more. "I treasure all Pokémon and Ultra Beasts. To me, they're fascinating. Any opportunity to study them is important. Not only to keep us safe, but also the Ultra Beasts. I was hoping to capture UB-01 Symbiont so we could study it. I'm not sure when we'll get another opportunity like that."
"I think a more important question to ask yourself is why it came here to begin with," Kaiko said. "If you can figure that out, then it'll be easier to study them. As long as what you say is true, and you're trying to protect Alola, then I don't think that's a bad idea."
Lusamine regarded him and then nodded. "You two should be off on your journey. I'm sure that this wasn't the relaxing experience that you had hoped for. I hope to see you again when the Manalo Conference comes along."
The siblings shared a look and then were guided from the field and to the inside of the paradise. Within a few quiet minutes, they arrived at the dock, were given back their bags, and then boarded the boat that would take them to Melemele Island.
"Take care!" Wicke said before the ship door finally closed, leaving Leinani and Kaiko alone for the first time in a couple of hours.
"That was really strange," Leinani said. "I think I'm buying into the idea that something is up, though."
"You are?"
"Yeah. It's a bit odd that an Ultra Beast just happened to show up when we were around. There's no way that it's an everyday occurrence."
"I guess not," Kaiko replied. He looked down at Marshadow. He desperately wanted to tell Leinani about the Pokémon and what he knew. But for now, he thought it'd be better if Leinani focused on her gym challenge.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Some interesting stuff happening in this chapter! Met Wicke and Lusamine (are they secretly evil too?!) and Leinani battled against Nihilego. I'm starting to develop where exactly I want this Aether story to go, but I don't have all of the details worked out just yet. Probably won't encounter them for a while, but I'm excited for when they do.
Fun fact, I was originally gonna have DJ evolve in the chapter, but I'm not sure if I ever want DJ to evolve, so I changed those plans a couple of weeks ago.
Personal note: I just recently went through (another) break-up, and I'm really bummed out. Had a good thing for four months, and it's suddenly gone. I may take a small break, because I simply am not in the mood to write. That said, maybe I won't take a break, and I'll get a lot more done (writing is very therapeutic for me). Just wanted to mention it! If you're reading this, then tell me your favorite part of any of my stories! I would appreciate it.
REVIEWS:
CrescentApple - "Leinani's character is starting to make me think there is more to her. None of hey parents act so... volatile. She is in a beautiful island with kind people(as far as I saw). Her brother is kind. And she has no filter of how she feels or thinks around people. I could be overthinking it, but I read enough Kokoroecho's works get a feel for the characters. I think something happened to Leinani to make her more blunt. She ain't dumb. She's very smart, and respects people who she thinks deserves it. But something happened to her. Im starting to think she was adopted and she ain't even related to them. Or she came from another dimension. Or I could be way off!" - I actually don't have anything of the like planned out. In reality, she's just a tough personality. I intended to have her be the opposite of Yurie in many ways. She is projecting a little bit though. I think, deep down, she's a softy.
wisdom-jewel - "Would Lillie show up at some point (sorry if I missed her intrdouction if she showed up in earlier chapters) So you're making the Aether Foundation the main antagonist. Very good. Would Gladion and Lillie's mom, Lusamine, be the head of Aether or would it be Faba be the head?" - Lusamine is the head. Whether or not Lillie will show up is kind of up in the air. I don't really like writing the stories 1 to 1, so if I can get away with writing Gladion without Lillie, then I intend to. It's mostly because I'm more interested in the OC's that I've made.
