(Alright, sorry it's been taking me so long to upload. I've been enjoying the story of Persona 5 Strikers which is legit really good thanks to my partner in crime LolitaFreak88 putting on a beautiful spin with the story, so that's where I've been. Anyway, back to this.

The Reviews

Jacob9594: Yay, I'm gitting gud!

LogBook: While the story of Legends is alright, I do think nice details like that make the story feel more alive too, yes. I'll definitely try and keep that up.)

The next morning, Key and Vanessa would awake bright and early, seeing the older ranger still asleep. Key folded her arms in thought.

"I wonder why she's always not a morning person..." The merchant softly thought.

"I think it's because she tends to wear herself out during the day," Vanessa chuckled, turning her attention to Key's Corviknight. "Hey Coviknight, wanna give her a light couple of taps to the forehead?"

"Corrr..." Corviknight would go over to Aubrey, tapping her on the skull repeatedly until she woke up.

"Ow! Ow! Hey! Quit it!" Aubrey snapped awake, rubbing her head. "The heck was that for?"

Vanessa sweatdropped. "I said lightly…and it was for waking you up."

Corviknight preened for a moment, turning his attention back to Key.

"Ah, ha ha...that was as light as he could muster," Key nervously giggled.

"It's fine, it's fine," Aubrey stood up and went to get dressed for the day.

"Okay then." Vanessa would visibly think about what to do for tomorrow based on this morning's wake-up call. As she did, Key would go ahead and whip them up some simple breakfast.

"I'll be quite honest. If she was an employee of mine constantly having this problem? I'd take time out of my schedule to fix the problem at the source," She mentioned.

"Hmm, I get that Alola is pretty peaceful outside of the occasional antic. Think the last one we had was some guy getting lost in the desert and then refusing to leave until he saw a Solrock. And then he teleported away..." Vanessa recounted.

"Ah...strange," Key responded. "You think she's losing her edge?"

"I doubt it. I think it is more a lack of action," Vanessa theorized. "Though she and Izzy spar a lot."

"Must be lucky to have someone like her around then, no?" Key giggled, Aubrey returning to have some breakfast, a bowl of oatmeal and fresh fruit was on the menu this morning.

"Oh yeah. And the food came out good, Key!" Vanessa smiled, enjoying their breakfast.

"Dang right! Probably just as good as Van!" Aubrey beamed.

"Oh, I wouldn't know about that. Simple dishes I can handle just fine. The more complex ones you see at those high end restaurants are above me," The merchant humbly replied.

"Same…though I'm pretty good at making regular food," Vanessa added.

"Meh, who needs that fancy stuff anyway?" Aubrey agreed. "I mean, it's still food. If it gets me through the day without an empty stomach, I don't care how simple it is."

"Yeah.. plus they give you such small portions…" Vanessa frowned. "That is what I like about the restaurants in Alola. They give you an actual good size for your buck."

"I do believe that has something to do with how expensive the ingredients are," Key brought up. "You've seen how much luxury goods are priced at, I presume?"

"Oh yeah...that is a good point. Trying to get as much value out of it as they can?" Aubrey wagered.

"Right you are, Miss Ranger!" Key smiled.

"Hmm, makes sense to me," Vanessa agreed with the businesswoman. "Though we do have to be careful with Mallow's place...we tend to avoid that when she is experimenting."

"Either way, first of all, small portions no matter how 'luxurious' the ingredients are, aren't gonna cut it for gals like us. Second of all, this food talk about Alola is giving me all the more motivation to get this job done and get home!" Aubrey stood up, ready for action. Internally, she did miss the food of Alola.

"Oh yeah, agreed. Sure, the potato mochi is good, but nothing beats a big meal at the Sushi High Roller," Vanessa concurred.

Once the trio were dressed and ready for the day, they'd step outside and hear a voice from yesterday.

"Mornin', sleepyheads!" Arezu! "You're never gonna guess what! I'm gonna be workin' at the hairdresser's shop in town!"

"Oooh. Fancy. That suits you!" Vanessa complimented.

"It does?" Aubrey raised an eyebrow.

"Well of course, Brey, she has some good style," The Sinnoh native chuckled.

"Heck yeah it does! I've got my own collection of unique hairstyles I've been drawing in my spare time," Arezu mused. "Lady Lilligant has even given me feedback on them."

"Oh wow, I didn't know the Noble Pokemon did that too," Key mused.

"Yeah. Though uh, one time I made one that wasn't very good and, well her foot made sure I knew it," Arezu sheepishly admitted.

"That bad? What was it like?" Aubrey wondered.

"Can't say. Too embarrassing," The warden answered vaguely.

"I'll take your word for it," Vanessa acknowledged. They would also see someone talking with the hairdresser in town, Edith - Commander Kamado. And Aubrey recoiled a bit from seeing him.

"Oooh crap..." She muttered.

"Is something the matter?" Key wondered.

"We never introduced you to Kamado," Aubrey informed. "And no telling how he'll react to you."

"Ooh right…we did forget about that," Vanessa sweatdropped.

"What should I do?" Key would ask.

"Hide over there," Arezu pointed out a spot Key could use for hiding. "He won't see you there." The merchant was able to get in cover by the time Kamado would notice the rangers.

"O-Oh. M-Mr. Kamado, sir...err, about that whole Ursaluna situation..." Arezu spoke timidly.

"If you are to work here in Jubilife Village, you are family to us, no matter who you are or where you come from," Kamado spoke in an opposite manner, a voice with commitment and no stuttering whatsoever.

"Good morning, Commander," Vanessa greeted with a smile, her and Aubrey standing at attention. "Got anything for us today?"

"You will come with me, rangers," Kamado instructed. "To Prelude Beach!"

"Prelude Beach?" Aubrey raised an eyebrow.

"That is where Professor Laventon found you both after you had fallen from the sky," Kamado reminded. "Come." He would head off in the direction of Prelude Beach, prompting the rangers to follow. Key would stay in her hiding spot, watching as they went off. She was curious as to what his intentions were, something she'd be in the dark about until they got back.

At Prelude Beach, they would see a member of Volo's merchant guild and a member of the Security Corps with a small group of pilgrims who looked new to the Hisui region.

"Oh, new people have come to the village?" Vanessa asked.

"That is correct," Kamado responded. "These people have just arrived here in Hisui and will be staying with us at Jubilife Village. When the Galaxy Team first arrived here in the Hisui region, we landed here on Prelude Beach. It is where everything began." Addressing the pilgrims, he would add, "This is where a new life for you all will begin. One of the pilgrims would step forward, dressed in purple with some first day jitters of being in a new world.

"We've heard the Hisui region is inhabited by many powerful and frightening Pokemon..." He said.

"But we've also heard the Galaxy Team knows a great deal about Pokemon and uses their mysterious powers to help Jubilife Village grow," Another added.

"Indeed! You have both heard correctly!" Kamado confirmed. "And the reason such tales have reached your ears are largely thanks to these two Survey Corps recruits here, Aubrey Bradford and Vanessa Parker. Through the combined efforts of all our team members, let us continue to develop our village and thrive here in the Hisui region."

"We look forward to doing our part, Commander," The first man agreed.

Aubrey folded her arms, wondering what Kamado was doing bringing them out here as the Security Corps member escorted the pilgrims to the village.

"Hmm, they seem promising," Vanessa mused in an optimistic way.

"The advancement of our understanding of Pokemon - thanks to the Survey Corps - has expanded the areas we can operate safely," Kamado continued. "That is what allows us to welcome newcomers like them."

"So what did you bring us out here for anyway?" Aubrey asked, wanting him to get to the point.

"Aubrey...Vanessa...you truly love Pokemon, don't you?" Kamado asked. Aubrey blankly stared at the commander for a brief moment, seemingly dumbstruck by the question.

"Uhhhhhh...no duh?" She responded, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah we do," Vanessa responded in a more professional manner. "We have seen what it is like when people and Pokemon can work together the feats possible with each other's help."

"Hrmm...Pokemon have done grave injury to many of our fellows in the Galaxy Team..." Kamado remarked. "And...are quite capable of destruction..." He took a moment to pause before continuing his original train of thought. "And yet you both still find love for these creatures in your hearts. I suppose that is a necessary quality for 'rangers', after all."

Aubrey frowned. "Okay, so what's your point?"

"For you to remember this: Pokemon are dangerous and terrifying creatures," The commander responded, eyebrows furrowing for a moment. "It is imperative that we study them, learning all we can whether we wish to live alongside them or not." He gripped his obi, taking a stern stance. "And be warned...as leader of the Galaxy Team, I am prepared to make harsh decisions in order to protect Jubilife Village."

The older ranger rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Whatever, man, I don't have any ill will towards Jubilife Village at all." She would start to walk off, Kamado's attempts to call for her falling on deaf ears.

"...What has gotten into her? Does she have no respect for authority?" The commander shook his head.

"Aubrey! Wait!" Vanessa sighed, running to catch up with her. She wouldn't have to go far, Aubrey taking a seat next to a rock on the ground. The older ranger didn't look too happy at what Kamado was saying. "Hey Brey…" She took one look at her partner's body language and could tell what was on her mind. "I have an idea... You don't like that he seems to have no trust towards Pokemon at all, right?"

"I don't like how he was implying that our genuine love for Pokemon was seen as a threat towards the village," Aubrey groaned. "Like come on, I know they've hurt some of his men, but Pokemon hurt people all the time. Whether that be because the human was being a jerk to the Pokemon, or it was a wild attack, or some other deliberate attack by another person..."

"Hmm...I wonder if he had a bad experience with Pokemon in the past?" Vanessa wagered. "That might do it. It's just a guess on my part but it's feasible."

"With the way he speaks about him, I bet he'd react in terror if one of them reached out to hug him or something," Aubrey replied. "It's still painful to hear that from him, Van, I know we're strangers here in this land, but he treats those newcomers with respect and me like an Arceus damned suspect in a high profile criminal case."

"Yeah...I'm wondering why he even bothered to bring us here…" Vanessa agreed. "...Other than reassuring those people."

"Probably not to make a scene in the village, I bet," The older ranger huffed, standing up.

"Yeah." Vanessa stood up with her. "I think we should prepare in case he gets too paranoid for his own good."

"Partner, if we've managed to rough it out in the wilderness before, we can do it again no problem," Aubrey responded, her mood picking up for only a brief moment.

"Hey, uh...is this a bad time?" Rei's voice could be heard as he approached the rangers.

"Not the best, but it could be worse, Rei. What do you need?" Vanessa asked.

"Irida from the Pearl Clan is here asking for the commander," Rei explained, seeing Kamado approaching. "Oh hey, boss! I was just talking about you."

"I believe I know why Irida is here," Kamado responded, focusing his attention on Rei. "As for you, rangers...you should go see how Jubilife Village is changing thanks to the Survey Corps' efforts." He would go off back to the village on that note.

"Lemme guess...he won't want us to help with Irida because of what I did," Aubrey frowned.

"...Okay, what's going on?" Now Rei was curious. "Did the commander put Aubrey in a bad mood?"

"The commander seems to think that our love for Pokemon might be a possible detriment…" Vanessa explained. "He did not say it out right but it was implied."

Rei would blink in confusion. "What? But...I wouldn't understand what kind of person would want to work in the Survey Corps if they hated Pokemon," He responded.

"That's what I'm saying!" Aubrey exclaimed. "You think I'd be a ranger if I didn't like Pokemon?"

"Hey, hey, calm down. If the commander wants me to handle what Irida wants, I'll let you two come along," Rei offered. "On the off chance that does happen."

"Yeah. Besides it would be best if we were kept in the loop with these lords," Vanessa agreed.

"Speaking of which...there is something else I wanted you two to check out with me," Rei added. "It was in the Mirelands, this big black dome-like thing that had a rainbow over it. It looked really unnatural, like...I've never seen anything like it. But, first let's meet with Irida, and then we'll go."

"So wait, are we taking missions not from Kamado for a change?" Aubrey wondered.

"Technically you are, but Captain Cyllene and I will give you the briefing for a change," The Survey Corps member clarified. "I'm sure it'll all work out."

"Yeah that works," Vanessa nodded in agreement. "Lead the way, Rei." Rei would lead the duo back to the village, letting the rangers meet back up with Key while he went inside the Galaxy Building. Key would come out of her hiding spot, looking no worse for wear as she brushed some dead grass off her clothes.

"So, how did it go?" The merchant inquired.

"Could have been better, could have been worse," Vanessa answered.

"Kamado basically danced around accusing us of our love for Pokemon being a bad thing," Aubrey bluntly added, much to Key's surprise.

"Really? Strange..." She breathed. "I wonder what could've brought that on."

"I'm not sure. I have a couple theories but nothing concrete," Vanessa informed.

"His veiled disdain for you...his mistrust of Pokemon..." Key closed her eyes.

"You think they're connected at all?" Aubrey wondered.

"Potentially. He has no reason to see your abilities as a threat to the village, after all," The merchant reasoned. "But if he does for whatever reason have just cause, he'd sooner take action against you not out of pure hatred, but rather out of a protective instinct towards the village."

"Huh...does being a merchant make you a people person too?" The older ranger followed-up.

"It helps make sales, after all!" Key chipperly answered.

"That it does," Vanessa agreed. "We should prepare in case things go south with him. You know what they say, prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

"Now...how do you propose we do that, partner?" Aubrey then asked.

"Well first off, making sure we have a good set of supplies," Vanessa began. "Key can help with that. We can give her some of our earnings from when we turn in survey data to get that ready."

"Eh, heh heh...truth be told, I did come fully packed with supplies I felt you two would be best using," The merchant confided. "First aid supplies for Vanessa, cookware for the three of us, and...hmm, hold on." She went through her bag, looking for what exactly it was she brought for Aubrey.

"Oh good…whew," Vanessa sighed with relief. "That helps…a lot."

"Ah, here we go!" Key smiled. "A few tools of workout gear for Aubrey to stay in top form, and something from the Union itself. A portable version of the device used to repair Stylers."

"From the Union? Did the Chief give that to you?" Aubrey sounded surprised.

"He probably did," Vanessa mused.

"Soon as they caught word I would be going to get you, I was given this device to hand off to the two of you," Key explained. "But I'll keep that in my bag for now. I'll put the stuff for working out back in our living quarters." She would go off to do that as Rei would come back with Irida.

"Hello Irida!" Vanessa greeted. "How are you?"

"I'm doing okay," Irida responded. "I was surprised to see Rei here in the commander's office and not the two of you. But the orders for the Survey Corps were to begin the survey of the Cobalt Coastlands. I wanted to tell you that there are no nobles residing in the area...well, there used to be."

"We did have a lord in the Cobalt Coastlands up until a few years ago. A tragedy took him from us," Irida explained. "The commander has said there have been sightings of strange, shadowy figures on Firespit Island where the lord resided. The Supply Corps and Security Corps were allegedly attacked by a ghost, and he thinks it was Lord Arcanine's ghost."

"Lord Arcanine...alright, so what happens next?" Aubrey wondered.

"That's the rub. Not only are these serious concerns and the succession is an important matter, but I and the rest of the Pearl Clan will not stand for the desecration of the late lord's seat," Irida went from a sorrowful look to a more grumpy one. "Normally I would trust these matters to our warden, but her situation is...complicated. I asked for the two of you by name since you both know your way with Pokemon...strange as your methods are, but Kamado insisted that Rei be the one to investigate."

"He didn't tell me anything as to why he was so insistent on that," Rei continued. "But when I went to Captain Cyllene about it? She permitted you to assist me our there with this mission."

"Cyllene allowed it? Wow, she really is on our side after all," Aubrey remarked, sounding impressed.

"Well good. I'm glad we have her on our side. And we will gladly help you out with this. I always did like Arcanine...though I have a preference for Water types." Vanessa giggled at that last part.

"Let's just say when it comes to Water-types, if the Union told me that Vanessa came out of the sea like some sort of mermaid, I would've believed them no questions asked," Aubrey added.

"I...see..." Irida sweatdropped, recomposing herself.

"What about your warden out there that's so complicated, anyway?" The older ranger decided to get back on topic.

"I'll tell you once we get out to the Cobalt Coastlands. I always did love it out there," Irida answered, her mood shifting before heading on out.

Rei would turn to the rangers. "Like I said. I don't get why the commander is having me do this, but at the very least, Captain Zisu has been helping me get better at battling."

"That's good," Vanessa smiled. "Well let's check out this disturbance you found and then we can head on over to the Coastlands!"

"Yeah, let's grab Key and move. Mission Start!" Aubrey exclaimed. Cool poses! Rei even got in on the action, doing what would start out as a dodge roll and pointed forward with a pair of finger guns after adjusting his hat.

"Oh hey! Nice one, man!" Vanessa complimented, surprised at how smoothly Rei was able to pull it off.

"Thank you!" Rei humbly responded. "I was wondering what I should do for my own to try and fit in with you two."

"Just needs a bit of fine tuning to be a great pose!" Vanessa spoke.

"Okay!" By this moment, Key would come back with Aubrey, the four of them setting out to the Mirelands together. They would hopefully be quick to investigate this before going to the Coastlands to meet with Irida.

Once they reach the Mirelands, Rei would lead the way to where the strange happening was at, and needless to say, it wasn't exactly the most welcoming sight in the world. Other Pokemon native to Hisui stayed away from the area, not a fan of the omen that was there.

"...Well that does not look ominous at all," Vanessa deadpanned.

"Yup. Fun for the whole family," Rei agreed with her sarcasm.

"So do we just step inside?" Aubrey wondered.

"I would assume so," The Survey Corps member responded.

"Well let's see what we are dealing with here." Vanessa would be the first to step into the ominous black dome, followed by Aubrey and the others. Once inside, they would see that it was a very unsettling situation - the light from outside was choked out, making visibility hard at first. Though once they adjusted to it, the distortion in the area would intensify briefly, and then? The Pokemon would appear. Rei would go wide-eyed from this discovery.

"What in the world...?" He breathed.

Aubrey squinted her eyes and she could see what they had to deal with - Heracross, Luxio, Floatzel, Flareon, and even Umbreon, the last one making her wonder if it was Vatonage. But what did all of these Pokemon have in common? They were agitated.

"What in the name of Arceus is this…" Vanessa grimaced, questioning the very reality of the situation. A Bolt of lightning hits near the group, leaving behind an item which looks rather familiar to the ladies, but not Rei. "That's an Upgrade...and that is an angry Porygon...why is there a Porygon?"

"Porygon? Upgrade? What are you going on about?!" Rei exclaimed in alarm, calling out his Pikachu.

Key tried escaping the distorted area, but the dome turned opaque instead of transparent. "Oh no, we're trapped!" She cried. Aubrey grit her teeth.

"I'm not backing down! Key, Rei, focus on the Floatzel!" The older ranger was quick to take control of the situation. "Hip Hop, stand by for Poke Assist! Capture...ON!" Out went her Capture Disc to get to work on calming these Pokemon down.

"We get outta this, I will gladly tell you and the professor over something nice and relaxing!" Vanessa vowed, doing the same as her partner. "Quilava, I need your help here!"

"Raichu! Some assistance please!" Key called out her Alolan Raichu, who while startled by the situation before them, stood his ground and was ready to throw down.

Rei would get some help from Raichu, him and his Pikachu working in tandem with the merchant to deal with the Floatzels targeting the rangers. Aubrey was forced to take evasive actions against the Heracross trying to spear her with their horns, Hip Hop slamming into the Luxio to dish out some pretty powerful Ground-type attacks. Quilava would Flame Wheel Heracross to get it away from Aubrey while Vanessa is trying to get the Porygon under control with some help from Scyther.

"Thanks partner!" Aubrey called, getting tackled by an Umbreon, but got back up after tumbling around on the ground with the Dark-type. "I'm okay!"

"Good! Scyther, give Porygon there a Wing Attack!" Vanessa instructed. Scyther would land this and Porygon looked rather out of commission, so Vanessa captures it and grabs the Upgrade. "Yeah no not going to let the implications of that affect things…"

As the battle raged on, and Pokemon were being tamed, more agitated Pokemon would appear, leading to a scene that Rei would be outstanded by - the Pokemon that the distortion summoned in would start battling the ones that arrived, making the fight for everyone much more manageable.

"Whew...we're lucky we have you two here," Rei told the rangers.

"Ooh yeah, agreed." Vanessa would pause at seeing Scyther holding something. "What's this Scyther?" She would squint to get a better look at it. "...Wait, is this the Black Augurite we heard about before?"

"That's the one!" Rei remarked, recognizing the stone.

"Well dang," Vanessa sounded impressed. "Once we get out of this let's get you evolved, buddy!"

After several minutes of intense battling, and many fainted Pokemon for both sides, the distortion's power would fade away, all the Pokemon that were summoned, befriended or not, would vanish along with it. All that was left behind was quite a haul of treasure the group managed to walk away with once it was safe. The wild Pokemon native to Hisui would be coming out of hiding, all curious at what just transpired.

"Whew…" Vanessa breathed, panting a bit from the high-stakes action. "That was intense…"

"Is everyone okay?" Rei asked, noting the trio were a bit exhausted from the event they went through.

"Haaa...yes, I think I'll be quite fine...though I think we've all earned a break once we get to the Coastlands," Key responded. "Either of you rangers feel up for a beach day?"

"You brought us swimwear?" Aubrey sounded impressed. "Geez, how much can you fit in that bag of yours?"

"Well, it's more so that the bag I have has quite a lot of storage space and compartments," The merchant explained.

"Well that's surprising…" Vanessa remarked. "Also we got…this guy." She would send out the Porygon she just caught.

"Porygon!" The Normal-type glanced around at its surroundings.

"Okay, so what's the story with this Pokemon? It's unlike anything I've ever seen," Rei requested.

"So like we told you that to us this is the ancient past right?" Vanessa began.

"When your situations are concerned, yes, but for me it's present day," The Survey Corps member confirmed. "Is this Pokemon from your time, then?"

"Yeah. Porygon here is actually man made," Vanessa answered. "Technology has advanced to the point we can make a Pokemon like this. Though this is the only species Humans have actually created."

"...I guess life always finds a way, doesn't it?" Rei took a moment to process that before responding.

"We know, it's weird. What's also weird is why a Pokemon from our time is ending up here all of the sudden," Aubrey replied.

Rei looked up at the crack in the sky, seeing it was getting worse the more work they were doing with the frenzies. "You think it's all connected somehow?"

"I do not doubt it," The Sinnoh native agreed. "The Galaxy Team should know about these as soon as possible…" She looked around, looking over the things they had gathered up. "It seems like once you enter you cannot get out but thankfully the Pokemon summoned vanish. Unless they are caught like Porygon here. Though many useful items also show up in these as well."

"Vanessa, if I may?" Key spoke up. "If it is of no trouble to you, I would like to look after Porygon while we are here. I imagine that having a Pokemon like this running around would cause a lot of chatter in the region. Especially since Kamado is losing trust in you from what I can gather."

"I think that might be for the best. I'll include all of this in my report to Captain Cyllene and the commander once we get back." Rei added.

"Oh, of course," The younger ranger agreed, handing over Porygon's ball to Key. "Oh, I also found this with it." She would then relinquish the Upgrade to her. "Guess we can get a Porygon2 evolution as well."

"You can tell me about how Porygon here evolves on the way, rangers," Rei commented. "But I presume those items are also manmade as well in your time, right?"

"Yeah, normally we would trade Pokemon. But... I guess you can install it manually?" Vanessa scratched her head. "I don't see why that would not be the case... Oh right!" She had the Black Augurite ready for Scyther to use. "Now…how do we evolve you, buddy?"

Scyther would answer that question for Vanessa by example, taking the Black Augurite and using it as a whetstone. During this process, the familiar evolutionary glow would be present for the group to see.

"Oooh, so that's how!" Key mused. "It makes sense now!"

"Ooooh!" Vanessa's eyes sparkled with wonder, for when the light had faded, they would see Kleavor in all its shiny glory. "Oh…he has the colors of a regular Scyther. Bit darker though."

"Seems about right to me..." Aubrey agreed. "Now, shall we get to the Coastlands, gang?"

"Gladly! I'll lead the way!" Rei exclaimed, ready to move out.

"Let's move out!" Vanessa instructed, the quartet heading off to the Cobalt Coastlands.

(And with that, the chapter's concluded. We figured it'd be best to include the space-time distortion rift thingies since hey, I've definitely tried one of them and oh my GOD is it such a scare for the first time. Chaos Difficulty kicked in big time here! Next time, let's go to the beach beach, let's-a get away! See ya then!)