I strongly recommend anyone playing a drinking game for this story with the rule "take a drink every time the world 'ultra' appears," put that rule aside for these next several chapters. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your liver will survive.

More stuff in the ending author's notes. For now, enjoy!

As best I can describe it to you all, Ultra Space is… a network. A highly-chaotic and unpredictable network squeezed between universes like your world and the one Shane claims to come from. I couldn't tell you terrestrials how large it is, because nobody's entirely sure. Heck, I don't even know where the terms "Pokémon" and "Ultra Beast" came from. They just existed when I hatched and I accepted them without question. Now, my superiors believed that, at some nebulous point in the distant past, all of reality was simply one contiguous void of Ultra Space… and it remained that way until a small ripple of energy gave way to the creation of the first universe.

Since then, more worlds have popped up. And each time it happens, Ultra Space contorts itself to accommodate the changes. This is what led to its current architecture: a vast, expansive realm where time and space do not flow properly… punctuated by Ultra Wormholes sporadically appearing and disappearing with no discernible pattern to them.

These portals can lead to one of two possible destinations. First is a full-fledged universe like yours, housing one or more galaxies with several large planets. Second is where Sticky and I hail from: a pocket dimension. Simply speaking, it's a small habitat nestled within a gap in Ultra Space. Pockets can be entirely empty or have Pokémon, Ultra Beasts, or some combination of the two living inside them. I even heard rumors of other creatures residing in these pockets, but never had the chance to see it for myself.

Ultra Village was one of the pockets where Pokémon and Ultra Beasts lived and worked side by side. We were a fairly large community, but everyone always went out of their way to acknowledge one another when walking the streets. Still, we all knew that Ultra Space could bring unexpected challenges to our village. For example, unlike your world, we lacked a natural light source. Ultra Village was one of the pockets that didn't have a Solgaleo or a Lunala living amongst us. We realized we might have to take extra steps to keep our home safe… leading to the formation of our Ultra Recon Squad.

I don't exactly know where the concept came from. Supposedly it originates from an Ultra Space pocket that is completely off-limits to all Pokémon and all but a select few Ultra Beasts. Regardless, our community was visited by a group of Pokémon dressed in harnesses and jumpsuits like the one you saw me wearing. They offered to help us fortify our light source, the Ultra Village Core, in exchange for us joining their network and establishing an Ultra Recon Squad command center.

Even though I wasn't much of a battler, I heard all about the Ultra Recon Squad from my parents. So, naturally, when I evolved from a Houndour, the first thing I thought about was trying to join. I studied hard and passed the entrance exam with flying colors. My first week on the job was supposed to be the start of something exciting. A bold new beginning, if you would. I had no idea it would instead turn out to be the start of a gigantic nightmare…

Special Episode 3: The Edge of Reality

Chapter 63: Doing the Jitterbug

~Ultra Village, Northern District~

A series of neat, uniform, white domes sat in evenly spaced out rows, with the last set of domes sitting near a purple forcefield that stretched up high into the sky. Ripples of bright pink energy raced through the shield, emanating from the tip of a large, silver, needle-like tower standing proudly in the distance. The tower had three large, circular rings surrounding a brightly-glowing area near its apex. No other building was nearly as tall as this tower. The closest ones were right nearby; rectangular prisms that barely reached a quarter of the tower's height.

It was this tower that Luxeira remained fixed on. "Somewhere up there… the Recon Squad members are protecting the Ultra Village Core," she said. "And, starting today, I'm going to be one of them."

"Are you talking to yourself again, Lucy?"

Luxeira hopped up, barking in surprise. In the process, the white gym bag slung over her neck launched skyward. Its contents spilled out all around Luxeira, leaving her staring at the ground in embarrassment. "I… uh…" She glanced up at the door to the dome she had just walked out of. Standing in the doorway was a Mightyena whose fur had a copper tint to it. He wore a neon-orange vest that ran down to his hips and a bright yellow hard-hat with spaces for his ears to poke out.

"Forgot to zipper the bag, huh?"

Luxeira moved cautiously, grabbing the strewn papers in her mouth and shoving them back into the gym bag. "You don't have to rub it in, Silus."

Silus smirked. "I'm not rubbing anything in. On the contrary… I'm proud." He held his head high. "You must've had a lot of fun last night if you're this jumpy. Normally, you're unflappable. No one in the district can match your poker face."

"That's… um," Luxeira whispered, face beet-red. She finished stuffing her belongings back into her bag and zipped it up tight. "I'm just nervous about today, okay," she said, tugging at the loose-fitting gray jacket around her torso.

"What for? You were born for this job, Lucy," Silus said. A worried look overtook his face. "Wait, you didn't get reassigned to the combat unit at the last second or something, did you?"

Luxeira shook her head. "No. I'm still joining the surveillance unit. It's just… uh…" She opened her bag back up and produced an envelope in her mouth. "My assignment," she muttered, her voice muffled. "I don't know who this Sticky fella is, but the paperwork says he's a Poipole." Luxeira stuffed the envelope back in her bag. "I specifically requested to be partnered with another Pokémon. What am I supposed to do? I really want this job… but not if I'm going to be stuck with a UB as my partner. Do you think they made some sort of mistake and will let me change it?"

"I think," Silus leaned over and pecked Luxeira on the forehead, "that you're overthinking this. You've been talking about the Ultra Recon Squad nonstop since we moved in together. This is definitely what you want to do. Go out there, explore strange worlds, and save the day. Y'know, all that jazz. When you're done, I'll be waiting for you." He leaned closer to her and purred loudly before whispering, "After all, we didn't get to finish our little game last night because someone got a bit too excited."

Luxeria's face reddened once more. She stepped back from Silus, adjusting the bag around her neck. "Y… yes. That's, um… a discussion for another night." Luxeira turned around, glancing back to give Silus one last look. "You… uh… you take care of yourself. And the house, too."

"Ha! What, you think I'm going to throw some crazy party while you're away?" Silus said, laughing.

"I wouldn't put it past you," Luxeira said, reassuming her usual stoic expression. "Even if I'm on the surveillance unit, I still have to train regularly." She smirked. "I bet I'll have Flamethrower down pat within a month. So, you won't want to get on my bad side."

"Ha! Like you'd really burn off my fur. You looooove it," Silus said, smirking back at her. "Better hurry. Don't want to be late on your first day."

Luxeira nodded and waved goodbye. She proceeded down the street, offering a friendly nod to a pair of Xurkitree tending to a broken street light. "Morning, Miss Luxeira," one of the Xurkitree said, waving one of its limbs at her. "Is today the big day?"

"It is, Xurkvy," Luxeira replied. "Wish me luck."

"Ah, you don't need any luck. You'll do fine," Xurkvy replied, before turning back to the broken street light.

'He's right. I've got nothing to worry about,' Luxeira thought. 'After all, I was in the ninety-eighth percentile across all Ultra Space pockets on the SUQE. They're going to be falling head over heels for me at the base. I'm sure they'll understand that I can't work with a UB from the get-go.'

Luxeira approached a small, square, orange barrier manned by a hot-pink Blastoise with an onyx shell and cannons. He wore a white jumpsuit with a black harness sitting over it. A red visor sat over his eyes, but Luxeira grinned when he offered her a warm smile. "Hey, there she is! Our newest recruit. Surveillance unit, right?"

"You know it, Tentor," Luxeira replied, blue tail wagging slowly back and forth. "Any advice for the new girl?"

"Ha ha! Just try not to lose your breakfast on your first Ultra Warp Ride. Happened to me during basic training and the other officers still haven't let me live it down. Ol' Magnum is still calling me 'Barfolomew' every time he sees me," Tentor said. He turned to his right and pulled on a red lever. The barrier disappeared, revealing a silver, metal road proceeding through a block of larger, rectangular buildings.

"Magnum?" Luxeira asked, raising an eyebrow. "Like… Commander Magnum?"

"Yeah. Real swell guy… or 'swole guy,' if you wanna get punny. Maybe a bit too enthusiastic for my liking," Tentor said, scratching the back of his head. "That big, booming voice of his always catches me by surprise." Luxeira tilted her head to the side. "You, uh, do know what our squad's commander looks like, right?" Tentor asked.

"I… uh… well, I certainly heard some things. Like how he suplexed a Guzzlord," Luxeira said. "I just figured people were making that stuff up."

Tentor shook his head. "Nah, it's all for real. The guy's a Buzzwole after all. What'd you expect?"

Luxeira's face blanched. "He is?" she squeaked. Images of a burly, muscular bug towering over her flashed through her mind.

"Yeah. That isn't a problem, is it?" Tentor asked. "After all, you'll be meeting plenty of UBs working this job."

"Nuh-no, of course not," Luxeira said. "Well… I, uh, better get going. Don't want to be late." She trotted through the security checkpoint, moving into the city's central district. As soon as Tentor was safely out of sight, she bit her lip. 'The commander's a Buzzwole. Of courseit has to be a Buzzwole. Damn it! Why didn't I do the proper research ahead of time?'

Once again, she envisioned a Buzzwole towering over her, wearing a black leather vest and holding an empty pitcher. But this time, Luxeira wasn't standing on the street. She was in a hallway. Lockers lined either side of her, while a cluster of different Pokémon stood behind the Buzzwole, pointing at Luxeira and laughing.

"Oops. Sorry about that, li'l puppy," the Buzzwole said. "I just wanted to make sure the school egghead looked the part!"

Luxeira shook her head, dispelling the memory. 'No, that was a long time ago. I can't think about that anymore. I'm not some dorky kid. I'm a Houndoom. And soon I'll be a full-fledged Ultra Recon Squad officer. Everyone in the northern district is rooting for me. I'm not gonna let them do–'

Something hard and sharp pricked her left flank. Luxiera yowled and hopped forward, eyes tearing up. She whirled around, an angry look on her face, only to freeze. Laying on the ground in front of her was a small Poipole. His central head-needle had a tiny tuft of blue fur clinging to it. Luxeira turned to look at her hip.

"You inconsiderate klutz!" Luxeira barked, causing the Poipole to float into the air frightfully. "I spent an hour grooming my fur to get ready for today and you totally ruined it! Why the hell weren't you watching where you were going?"

"I… I'm so sorry," the Poipole muttered, fidgeting with the backpack in his arms. "I lost track of time, see, and I thought I was late for something incredibly important. I was floating so fast, I must've lost control."

"What kind of explanation is that?" Luxeira sneered. "I swear, if you got poison–" She cut herself off upon seeing a familiar silver envelope protruding from the Poipole's backpack. "Hang on… that's an official assignment from the Ultra Recon Squad. Which means… you're Sticky, aren't you?"

Sticky abruptly stopped fidgeting. He locked eyes with Luxeira, and then looked down at his backpack. "Oh… oh my," he whispered. "Don't tell me… you're Luxeira? My, uh, Houndoom partner?"

A glare overtook Luxeira's features. "For the next few minutes, maybe. The second we walk into headquarters, I'm requesting a change," she said, jets of smog shooting out her nostrils. Luxeira turned around and marched down the street, keeping her gaze fixed squarely in front of her.

"W-Wait, wait, wait!" Sticky cried, flying after her. "I'm very, truly, sincerely sorry about crashing into you. Aren't first-day jitters to be expected? Surely you must be a little bit nervous about this, right?"

"Hardly. This is what I've dreamed of doing for quite a while," Luxeira said, refusing to meet Sticky's gaze. "I'm not going to have that experienced ruine by some clumsy, careless UB who can't even float straight."

Sticky stopped flying and winced. He watched Luxeira walk down the street, a frown on his face. "But… but… you can't just avoid UBs working for the Ultra Recon Squad. We're an integral part of the organization!" He flew after her, again. "I promise… I'll make it up to you. Want me to give you my rations for today? Err… not that I really know how food gets handled at headquarters or anything. I just thought I'd offer."

"You're not changing my mind," Luxeira huffed. "I don't have a problem with UBs. I just don't want to spend every waking minute with one. Especially not a messy, poison-spewing dweeb like you."

The duo reached another security checkpoint. This one was manned by a pair of Celesteelas. Each one had a harness around their necks and tiny goggles over their beady little eyes. They both extended one of their arms to block the pink barrier sealing off the entrance to the tower. "Halt. Please present proper credentials," they declared in unison.

Luxeira opened her bag and produced the envelope with her assignment. Sticky did the same but fumbled his envelope. It fell to the ground and the papers spilled out in front of him. "S-Sorry. So sorry," he mumbled, floating down to pick everything up.

'Ugh, this guy's a basket case. I'll be the laughing stock of the whole Ultra Recon Squad if I'm stuck with this sad sack,' Luxeira thought. One of the Celesteela guards gave her permission to pass, so she broke into a run, not bothering to look back and see if Sticky was behind her. She trotted up to a large, white, metal door with a red circle in the center of it. The red circle spun around, leading to the door's halves retracting into the wall.

Luxeira proceeded inside, only to freeze up after taking a few steps. She was standing in an expansive circular room. There was another set of electronic doors like the ones she entered to her left. The metal floor gave way to glass in the center, showing off gears and circuitry Luxeria assumed were helping to power the building. Painted on the glass was the Ultra Recon Squad's logo: a golden semicircular arch with a circle inside it.

What it stood for, she had absolutely no idea. Nonetheless, Luxeira assumed it had to be important. It was emblazoned on the glass desk sitting on the other side of the room, as well as the sliding glass doors leading to white, sterile-looking hallways with elevator doors inside them. Her gaze returned to the desk, where she spotted a charcoal-gray Beheeyem floating behind it, a white jacket fastened securely around his body. His back was turned to her as he stared up at a series of LED screens, most of which contained fluctuating lines and bars Luxeira wasn't entirely familiar with.

Luxeira approached the Beheeyem, noting a placard at the front of the desk reading, "Relay Station Coordinator, Tham."

"Um, excuse me?" Luxeira said, tapping a forepaw on the glass. "Can you help me? I'm–"

Tham turned around and looked down at her, an unreadable look in his eyes. "New recruit? You're seven minutes early. Impressive," he said, glancing to one of the screens which displayed the time in the bottom right corner. Luxeira wagged her tail, beaming. "The other recruits were here twenty-three minutes ago," Tham continued, not making eye contact.

Luxeira's expression deflated. "O… oh. Is that bad?"

"I suppose not," Tham said, uninterested. "They were all combat unit recruits, after all. Eager to kiss-up and impress. I see them all the time." He levitated a series of papers up in front of his face. "Let's see here… ah, yes, Miss Luxeira Blue from the northern district. Impressive test scores." Tham pointed his right arm at Luxeira and the papers fluttered down toward her. "Try not to let it go to your head. It's one thing to answer some multiple-choice questions. It's another to actually get out in the field."

"Oh, I know, sir," Luxeira said. "This is what I've dreamed of doing for quite a while. There is, however–"

"Wait a second. I'm here! I'm he– eeeeeeeeeere!"

Luxeira turned to her right just in time to see Sticky crash into her torso, slamming her against the desk. Sticky fell to the ground, stars filling his vision. "Oooooooogh. I think I came in too fast," he groaned.

Tham glanced down at them, his eyes betraying no amusement. "Well, this is certainly convenient," he said. "You're Mr. Sticky Purple, from the eastern district, yes?"

Sticky didn't get the chance to answer, as Luxeira kicked him away with her hind legs. She popped back up to her feet, smoothing her gray jacket with her snout. "Don't pay any attention to that klutz. Actually, I wanted to ask you about something, sir. See, he's been assigned to be my partner…"

"I'm aware," Tham said. "I've got your basic training assignments right here." He waved two folders in front of her.

"No, no, you didn't let me finish," Luxeira growled. "On my application, I specifically requested a Pokémon partner, not a UB. I would like to know why that request was not upheld and how I can change it. I'm not working with that fool."

Sticky floated up to her, rubbing his head. "It was an honest accident, Luxeira."

"Quiet, you," Luxeira snapped, glaring at Sticky.

"Yes, you did request a Pokémon partner," Tham said. "However, you two were the only applicants for the surveillance unit to get accepted. So, we have to work with what we've got." He dropped the two folders on his desk and nudged them toward Luxeira and Sticky with his telekinesis. "Either you accept the assignment and join us… or you walk away and take your chances the next time we put out hiring applications." He turned his back on the two of them. "Though, I've been told that the Commander doesn't look highly upon reapplicants who once rejected an employment offer from us."

Luxeira's face stiffened. She looked at Sticky, who flinched under her gaze, and then at the file with her name and picture on it. She scooped the file up, leering at Sticky. "Just stay out of my way, partner. Unlike you, I want to make a name for myself here."

Sticky sighed and grabbed his folder. "I do, too," he whispered.

"Those folders contain temporary ID badges, along with your boarding assignments, a map of headquarters, your personalized orientation schedules, a list of required medical tests to complete within your first week, and your contracts, which both of you are expected to sign today," Tham explained.

"Those IDs will only get you through that door," he pointed to the glass door on his left, "and up to the seventh floor. There, you'll be given your official badges and escorted to the washrooms for decontamination. We can't risk any outdoor dust and debris getting near our equipment, after all. Following that, you'll suit up and begin orientation and basic training." Tham turned back toward the LED screens. "Dismissed," he said, waving them off with his right hand.

Luxeira walked toward the door with Sticky following her. "Look, this doesn't have to be permanent, you know," Sticky said. "I'm sure we can work out an arrangement that makes us both happy while we're cadets. And then, once we've assumed ranks as officers, we can ask to be split up."

"Oh, I firmly intend to do that," Luxeira said. She held her blank white badge up to the scanner. It turned green and the glass door slid open. Sticky went inside with her.

"What exactly is it that's causing the problem here?" Sticky asked. "I think I have a right to know if we're going to be working together."

"You're clumsy and careless," Luxeira said. "I want a partner who's competent and won't put me in harm's way."

"It's just first-day jitters," Sticky said as the two moved into a bright-white elevator. As soon as it started moving, Sticky dropped to the ground, leaning against a wall for support. "I'm sure you're nervous about this too, right?"

"Hardly," Luxeira huffed, sticking her snout up. "I told you already… I was born to be here. If I'm nervous, it's because you're giving off too much nervous energy. And constantly repeating yourself isn't helping your case."

Level seven reached. Please disembark.

The elevator doors slid open and Luxeira marched out of them. Sticky hovered back into the air and followed after her, dragging his bag along with him. "Once we get out into the field, I'll be fine, I assure you," he said.

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't believe that," Luxeira said. "What'd you even get on the SUQE, anyway?"

The duo approached a dark green Bronzor floating behind a desk bearing a small printer. Present for photo ID, the Bronzor requested, turning to face a greenscreen.

"Sixty-fifth percentile, but what does that matter?" Sticky said, floating up to photo area.

"Sixty-fifth? Are you freaking kidding me?! What an absolute joke!" Luxeira spat, causing Sticky to tense up just as the Bronzor flashed brightly. They swiveled toward the printer, where a small ID popped out, containing Sticky's panicked expression on it.

ID ready, the Bronzor declared, levitating the plastic card to Sticky, who looked at it glumly.

Luxeira marched into the photo area and shoved Sticky aside. "Yeah, the numbers don't lie, pinhead. We're not going to work out," she said, snout pointed at the ceiling.

Sticky frowned. "And just what's that supposed to mean?"

Luxeira initially remained silent, looking coldly at the Bronzor, who proceeded to take her photo. Her ID printed out and she walked over to scoop it up before the Bronzor could. She clipped it to her jacket immediately, and then turned to Sticky, saying, "It means that I lead and you follow. I was in the ninety-eighth percentile, so I'll be damned if I'm going let you hold me back."

Please proceed to the changing and bathing facilities. You are wasting my time, the Bronzor said, its tone completely neutral. Luxeira approached a glass door and touched her shoulder to the scanner. It turned green and the door slid open. Luxeira walked forward, moving down the hall. Sticky trailed behind her. They proceeded in complete silence until they saw electricity crackling from around the corner.

"Is this your idea of a joke?! You can't do this to me, Commander! I'm not getting lumped in with a bunch of bush-league scrubs!" a harsh female voice shouted, making Sticky wince. More electricity surged down the hallway.

'C-Commander? Magnum's here?' Luxeira thought. She cautiously approached the corner and peered out around it. There, she found a Buzzwole standing tall with his arms crossed. A harness sat across his rippling chest muscles. In front of him, barely standing as tall as his waist, was a yellow-furred, two-legged cat. Her torso, legs, and coil-like arms had black fur, while a yellow, scarf-like ponytail trailed down behind her, touching the floor. She wore combat boots and a white vest with the Ultra Recon Squad's logo stitched into the back.

"Haaaaa ha ha ha ha! I admire your enthusiasm, Seraph!" Magnum said, his booming voice making Luxeira press up against the wall. "That's the kind of attitude that sells ultra justice phenomenally!" he shouted, flexing his large arms skyward."Unfortunately, it's also the kind of attitude that gets you written up on fifty-seven separate citations for excessive force in three weeks. Financially speaking, we ultra-can't afford to cover your 'episodes' if we want to keep the lights on in this place."

"Excessive force? More like excessive farce!" Seraph spat, lightning gathering in her fists. "What a load of Tauros! I take care of threats efficiently and effectively. I'm the best damn combat unit member you've got here. You can't do this to me!"

Magnum laughed enthusiastically, flexing as he put his hands on his hips. "Actually, I ultra-can! I'm the Commander, here, after all, so what I say goes." He then leaned down and said, "Don't think of this as a temporary reassignment, Seraph. Think of it as an opportunity to expand your justice repertoire to include knowledgeable justiiiiice!"

"I'm not going to babysit newbies," Seraph huffed, crossing her arms and tapping a foot on the ground impatiently. "I deserve to be out there kicking ass and taking names! The combat unit will be a total wreck without me."

"Luxeira, shouldn't we get a move on? We're going to be late," Sticky said, fidgeting nervously.

"Oh… hey! Perfect timing, cadets!" Magnum thundered, pointed a flexed arm at them. "Right this way… right this way."

Luxeira and Sticky froze, exchanging startled looks with one another. They turned into looks of panic upon seeing the ire on Seraph's face. "U… us, sir?" Sticky said, pointing at his face.

"Aha ha ha ha! Why, yes, of course!" Magnum replied, returning his hand to his hip. "You're the two surveillance unit recruits, right? Let's see here…" He reached his right hand up, flexing in the process, and a file materialized in it from the gemstone on his harness. "Ah, here we are. Sticky and Lucina!"

Luxeira had to steady herself to avoid faceplanting in disbelief. 'The Commander doesn't even know my name?' she thought. "Um… it's Luxeira, Commander Magnum, sir."

Magnum checked down at his file and then threw his head back in a hearty laugh. "So it is! What an ultra-unfortunate slip of the tongue on my part. Forgive me, cadet, I've got a lot of new names and faces to learn, but you can bet that the Mighty Magnum will work ultra-hard to learn them all in time! Now then…" He patted Seraph on the back, sending her stumbling toward Luxeira and Sticky. "Meet your new teammate, Lieutenant Seraph. I have the utmost confidence she'll get you two through basic training with ultra-flying colors!"

He swung his arm around, flexing and giving the trio a thumbs up. "I'll see you cadets at orientation. In the meantime, enjoy the decontamination showers. And yes, Seraph, that includes you, too." Magnum turned and walked off down the corridor, back muscles tensing and relaxing with each step.

"Err… um… a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant Seraph," Sticky greeted, holding an arm out toward her.

Seraph swatted Sticky's arm away. "Alright, listen up, dweebs!" she shouted, spooking Sticky into floating at attention. "Rule one: you don't talk unless I say to talk. Rule two: you don't move unless I say to move. If you can't follow those, then I'm gonna kick your asses so hard your grandkids will feel it in their rears. Do I make myself clear?"

"C-Crystal, ma'am!" Sticky shouted, far too loud for the trio's close proximity.

"Ma'am?" Seraph fumed. "Do I look like my whiskers are graying to you, cue ball?"

"No, sir! I mean ma'am! I mean… uh…" Sticky looked about the room in a panic.

Seraph turned to Luxeira. "And what are you looking at, mutt? Never seen a Zeraora before? Well, take a good look, because if I find you ogling me during training assignments I'll drag you up to the Commander's office by that wiry tail of yours." She stormed forward, shoving Luxeira aside in the process. Seraph walked about ten steps before turning around. "Well? What are you two standing there gawking for? You heard the Commander… to the changing rooms yesterday."

"B-But you, um, you told us not to move unless you said it was okay," Sticky mumbled.

A lightning bolt raced by Sticky's right shoulder. He ducked his head down, squealing at an octave Luxeira didn't think he could reach. "I don't have a shred of patience for smartasses. Quit floating there and march, cue ball!" Seraph shouted, pointing down the hallway. "Or… I guess… whatever the levitating equivalent of marching is."

Luxeira furrowed her brow and walked forward, not making eye contact with Sticky. The trio approached two gray doors sitting opposite one another in the hallway. Sticky flew into one of the doors, leaving Luxeira and Seraph standing outside the other. "Don't you think that was unnecessarily harsh?" she said. "I mean, the guy's a total screwball from what I can tell. But there's no reason to yell at him like that."

Seraph turned her icy gaze on Luxeira. "Yelling? Bitch, please. I hardly raised my voice at the guy," she scoffed, shoving the changing room door open and marching inside.

Luxeira followed her, looking around at the lockers. Seraph approached one and pressed her paw to a scanner on the door. A clicksounded and the door swung open. Seraph removed her vest and slung it inside. She leaned over and shook her torso, whipping her ponytail back and forth. "This is great. Just great," she growled. "Hey, word of warning, newbie, the surveillance unit jumpsuits chafe you something fierce. If you don't want a sore rear and groin I suggest you invest in a good silk cloth to wear underneath your uniform."

"Don't try to dodge the issue by offering up 'friendly advice,'" Luxeira scolded. "I raised a valid point. And we need to talk about it now."

Seraph turned around, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow at Luxeira. "That so?" she said, clicking her tongue. "Hey!" she suddenly shouted, snapping her claws. Luxeira stiffened, biting her lower lip. "My eyes are up here, newbie. If you're gonna call me out, at least have the guts to do it face to face instead of trying to check me out. Besides," she turned back around and leaned over, as if she was taunting Luxeira to try something, "I don't screw cadets. Especially not surveillance unit nobodies."

Luxeira squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "Drop the attitude, Seraph," she barked, embers licking at her teeth. "I busted my tail off putting my application together for this place. I'm not about to let some juvenile feline ruin all my hard work with a few temper tantrums."

A smirk crossed Seraph's face. She pivoted to her right, swishing her ponytail to the side and leaning against her locker door. "Look, newbie. I get you're trying to be all big and stuff, but you can drop the act. I've already seen everything I need to know about you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Luxeira growled.

"You project a confident, composed demeanor to try and compensate for the fact that deep down you're incredibly insecure and rely on others giving you compliments to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside," Seraph said, her smirk broadening. "You didn't join the Ultra Recon Squad to help anyone. You did it to make yourself look better."

"Oh, that's plenty rich, coming from the likes of you," Luxeira said, stomping a forepaw on the ground.

"Ha! The fact that you pounced on that so quickly tells me I'm right," Seraph said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Face it. If you were really in this to explore worlds and help others… you'd be in the combat unit. But you chose the surveillance unit. That tells me you're in this only for vanity." She pulled a towel out from her locker and wrapped it around her torso. "You think you're all that, but the reality is you're more than happy to have someone stand over you and bark orders. Because that's all the surveillance unit is. Heck, I'll bet my whole month's salary that you're actually a botto–"

Luxeira growled loudly, snorting out smoke tufts. "I'm not about to stand here and take that from you!" She pawed at the ground.

Seraph slammed her locker shut. Lightning crackled through the door. "You really want to do this here, hotshot?" She grinned mischievously at Luxeira. "Normally I'd be thrilled to tangle with a sweet girl like you, but like I said, I don't go for surveillance unit losers. Now, you'd best get moving or you're going to be late. And I know that'd just chap your ass." Seraph sauntered off, ponytail swishing across her waist.

Luxeira frowned. 'Deep breaths, Luxeira. So, maybe this isn't the start you envisioned. But you can't let it get you down! This is your dream and nothing will stand in the way of that.' She looked at the folder she'd received and then proceeded toward a locker in the corner of the room. Luxeira's frown deepened when she saw the dent in the door and the cracked screen on the paw scanner.

She sighed loudly. 'Why me, universe? Seriously, who did I piss off to end up in such a lousy situation?' Luxeira pressed her forepaw to the scanner. To her relief, it identified her paw and the locker door swung open. Luxeira removed her outfit and stuffed it into her locker along with her bag. There was a brand-new towel sitting neatly on the little shelf at the top of the locker. Luxeira took the towel in her mouth and closed the locker. She walked off in the same direction she saw Seraph go.

A line of sliding glass doors sat before her. One of them had a red light on the ceiling above it, while the rest were green. Luxeira walked up to the first door. She hung her towel on a hook and watched the door slide open, revealing a small white capsule with water jets stationed all around it. Luxeira hesitantly stepped inside.

Germ-bearing lifeform detected. Beginning decontamination process.

"Wait, what?" Luxeira said, looking around the room. She turned around and saw the door shut behind her. "Hey, hold on a second! Don't I get to decide when to start this thing?"

As if to respond to her, the shower jets all turned on simultaneously, blasting Luxeira with piping hot water jets from all directions. Being a fire-type, the temperature wasn't what startled her. Rather, it was the intensity of the water. It struck her hard enough to knock her to the floor with a loud whine.

"Ow… ow! Stop it… that hurts!" she barked, kicking at the water with all four legs. The shower jets continued pumping out water for a solid minute, until they abruptly shut off. Luxeira lay in a puddle on the floor, fur sopping wet and breath coming in short, ragged gasps. She poked her eyes open and hesitantly staggered to her feet.

Initial rinse complete. Deploying antimicrobial body wash.

"Antimicrobial… huh?" Luxeira gasped, crouching low to the ground. The water jets suddenly retracted into the walls, only to be immediately replaced by a series of white, cylindrical nodules. Before Luxeira could get her bearings straight, each nodule fired a pressurized stream of soap at her. Luxeira yowled in surprise as the soap pelted her wet fur. The instant it made contact, the soap expanded, until Luxeira was covered from head to tail in a thick layer of sudsy bubbles.

"Gack… augh… g-get this stuff… off me!" Luxeira wheezed, trying to shake herself off to no avail.

Please try to remain still. Excessive moment will compromise the decontamination process.

"I'd like to see you come in here and take this," Luxeira growled, spitting suds out of her mouth.

Well, that's just rude.

Luxeira's tail shot up. "Wait… is someone actually controlling this all manually?" She looked up toward the ceiling. "I swear, if there's a camera filming me–"

Us computer programs have feelings too, you know.

"Seriously?" Luxeira groaned. She looked up again, expecting the computer voice to answer her. Instead, the soap dispensers retracted back into the wall.

Antimicrobial body wash deployed. Commencing proton scrub.

Several wall panels opened up and mechanical arms launched out of them. Each arm bore an electronic scrubber rotating rapidly. Luxeira stared at one of them, eyes widening. "Get that thing away from me! Help! Somebody help! There's a deranged computer trying to kill me in here!"

One of the arms Luxeira wasn't watching contacted her left flank. Luxeira tried to jump back, but another arm appeared on her right. In a matter of seconds, the scrubbers boxed her in and proceeded to run along her body, rubbing in the soap. Luxeira vibrated from the scrubbers' intensity, fangs chattering together. A scrubber went up toward her forehead and she immediately slammed her eyes shut. It then ran over her face, dredging up nauseous feelings in the pit of her stomach.

While the nausea persisted, two of the scrubbers proceeded down her belly. She yipped in fright and her legs gave out. To her complete surprise, the scrubbers supported her weight, keeping her upright while they did her job. Luxeira squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, whimpering loudly as the scrubbers completed their work. After another two minutes, they retracted into the wall. In trying to regain her balance, Luxeira slipped and fell on her belly, her vision growing hazy.

"Oooooogh… is it over?" she groaned, putting a forepaw up to her muzzle to stop herself from puking.

Negative. And please try not to throw up in here. We'd have to restart the entire process.

Luxeira scrambled to her feet, nearly slipping a second time. "Well, what do you still have left to do?"

Engaging second rinse cycle.

"Oh crap," Luxeira whispered. She dug her paws into the floor as best she could and tensed up her legs. Hot water blasted her from all directions again, cleaning off the remnants of the soap. The water persisted for a minute before stopping. Luxeira stood in the middle of the steam-filled room. "Now are we done?"

Negative. Stand by for light-speed drying cycle.

"Wait, what does that even me–"

More wall panels opened up, revealing glowing orange thermal plates. Intense gusts of heat struck Luxeira from every angle. Her fur tingled for a few seconds, before her entire coat poofed up, making her look like a blue cotton ball.

Decontamination process complete. Please step into the sterile changing room and don your designated uniform.

Luxeira was surprised to see the opposite wall in the shower open up, revealing a plain white room. She stepped out into it, eyes blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the bright lights. 'Wait, was the point of the towel, then?' she wondered, glancing back over her shoulder as the door closed.

"Pfffbt… that's a good look for you, newbie. Suits you nicely."

Luxeira turned back around, a growl rumbling in the back of her throat. Seraph sat on one of the room's two gray benches. She had on a white, full-body jumpsuit, black combat boots, and a gray, helmeted visor. A harness sat over her shoulders, with a sapphire gemstone in the center. Only Seraph's claws and the lower half of her face were visible.

"Let me guess," Seraph said. "You moved around a lot, didn't you?" She shook her head. "Pro tip: decontamination showers are easier the more you stay still. But I can see how a nervous pup like you would jump around a ton." She pointed to a small space in the corner. "Electronic groomer is over there. You're gonna want it if you have any hope of fitting into your jumpsuit."

"Did you wait around just to taunt me?" Luxeira said. "Because it's not working. I was just… caught off guard by how intrusive that decontamination shower was."

"Aww, boo hoo," Seraph said, rubbing her paws over her visor. "If you think that's bothersome, you're not cut out for this line of work. Getting on a rabid Xurkitree's bad side, for example, could put you in the medical wards seizing up for the rest of your life."

Luxeira walked past Seraph, holding her snout high. "Your petulant little attempts to unnerve me won't work, Seraph. I'm here to do my job and do it well. I don't care what you think."

"You'd be wise to heed my advice, newbie. Or you're gonna have a record-short tenure here," Seraph warned. She exited the room through another glass sliding door.

Luxeira gnashed her fangs. 'I'll show her,' she thought. 'I'm gonna be the best damn surveillance unit cadet this Ultra Recon Squad has ever seen! And no clumsy Poipole is going to stop me!'

As you can see, this is another flashback. After the lukewarm response to Special Episode 1, I decided to stick with the usual narration style. This means you guys, the readers, will get more details than Team Radiance does. You might also notice many of the Pokémon here are not their usual colors. This is in reference to the Ultra Warp Ride minigame in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, where you can find Ultra Wormholes that have a one hundred percent chance of spawning a shiny Pokémon. Lastly, if you can spot the blatant anime reference one character in this chapter is presenting, you win three Shane points! They're not good for anything, but they give you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Once again, thank you all for the support. I'm amazed we're actually closing in on five hundred comments. Warms my heart enough to put out chapters even when I'm sick. Onto replies!

WonderBread: interesting name choice. I'm more of a Pepperidge Farm guy, myself... aha ha. As for your question, Silvally was definitely happy because he got a kiss.

Another guest: we'll be exploring why Blaziken (and the other humans) don't go by their normal names later on. So, you're just going to have to stick around.

SuperOmegaGuest: I can't confirm or deny anything. You'll have to wait and see.

Anon Omega: I promise answers will come, as long as you're patient. I don't plan to leave anything hanging.

JesusChrist: just keep that guess in the back of your head. Either you'll be right and can celebrate or I'm going to catch you by surprise. Or maybe both! Only time will tell.

That's it for now. I hope you all enjoy this little sci-fi adventure! Next time: basic training turmoil.