(Attack on Po Town time, baby! This will be the chapter where everything comes into focus as the last pieces of the puzzle are put in place. When I said this was the day where everything happens, I was not joking.
The Reviews
LogBook27062000: Well Team Skull is definitely a bit more intelligent in this than in game, though that last bit...eh, that's later. Don't sweat it XD)
As Hau and Jake set off with Lillie, Aubrey and Vanessa stood outside the Aether House. Rotom would pop out of Aubrey's bag, having heard the whole ordeal.
"Hey Aubrey, if you wanna get to Po Town, you'll have to head west towards the beach here, and then head north. Zzt!" Rotom informed. "Oh, hi Aubrey's friend! You must be thizzz Vanessa I've heard so much about, right?"
"That I am, Rotom!" Vanessa confirmed.
"Cool! I've been a big help to Aubrey and Jake during their invezzztigations!" Rotom chirped. "Mainly when it came to figuring out why Mega Evolution izzz so vilified."
Vanessa smirked. "Well, would you like to see an example of it?"
"Maybe later, Van," Aubrey spoke up. "At first I thought it was just someone who was super butthurt they lost to Mega Evolution, but we found out that it's likely someone who was traumatized from the incident that happened in Hoenn with Kyogre."
"Ah, now that makes sense. I would say if they know about what Mega Rayquaza did but that is super classified. So much so even I'm not supposed to know," Vanessa responded.
Aubrey paused at that. "...Yeah about that...Jake would be able to tell you about that," She mentioned.
"Anything else about legendaries the public shouldn't know about?" Rotom asked as they walked along.
"The biggest high profile legendary we've been keeping secret is Landorus' whereabouts," Aubrey answered in a low voice.
"Why's that?" Rotom wondered.
"Cause it is A, supposed to keep Tornadus and Thundurus in check, and B, it is so competitively viable for Pokemon Trainers to use, the ones looking for him do not care what they do to get their hands on him," Vanessa answered. "Heck, I think we are still trying to find the Reveal Glass to make sure both steps for their 'meta' dominance are out of hand."
"...Oh my..." Rotom frowned. "One moment." Rotom would go searching, digging up old headlines about Landorus - break-ins, assaults, even fatal attacks, all in an effort to get their hands on the Ground/Flying type legendary Pokemon.
"Yeah...it's really, really unfair to Landorus, y'know? Imagine being unable to live freely because there's a lot of people hunting you down," Aubrey said, shaking her head.
"Yeah. I also knew where Mewtwo was but I bet it is gone somewhere else now," Vanessa added. "Which really is a good thing. Was there anything else, Brey?"
"Um...oh yeah, we've also had someone else helping us in this investigation," Aubrey recalled. "Have you ever seen this Sevii Mercantile place in Celadon during your time in Kanto? We've been working with one of their employees."
"Hmm...I think I might have passed by the building," Vanessa answered.
"Well, one of their sales reps from the looks of things is here in Alola on a business trip. She goes by Key - full name Kiara Dermott. Currently we're also helping her gather up all the Z-Crystals so her company can do a Z-Crystal themed merch collection of accessories," Aubrey explained. "She was able to get us into Aether Paradise that tipped us off to the president of Aether being a person of interest."
"Interesting...okay, continue." Vanessa was now interested in what her partner was telling them.
"So if you remember our call from last night, I mentioned her to ya, though I don't think I gave the full details...whatever." Aubrey shrugged her shoulders. "What matters is that Lusamine told Key that her husband has been missing for years, and was hoping that our 'benefactor' could provide her something to help find Mohn. There were two things left behind - research papers, but Lusamine didn't go any further into specifics. As far as we know, she's not responsible for her husband's disappearance."
"Ah okay, I think I-" She would be cut off by a man in a black and white kimono standing on the beach.
"Hey. What's a pair of trial-goers like you doing out at an odd place like this?" He'd ask.
"Well, I'm not the trial-goer here. She is," Vanessa clarified, referring to her partner.
"We're more than trial-goers, sir," Aubrey informed. "Aubrey Bradford. This is my partner Vanessa Parker. We're both Top Rangers with the Union on business." She'd tell the man about the call out Guzma gave her.
"Uh-huh...I see you've got your reasons. Then I'll take you on," The man responded. "Tell me. Uncle Grimsley is going to flip a coin. Will it be heads or tails?"
"Heads…" Vanessa trailed off. "Waait a second...I know you! You're a member of the Unova Elite Four!"
"You do? Heh, yes that's me," Grimsley chuckled. Grimsley would flip the coin, and sure enough, it'd be heads. "...Astonishing. You took a stab at it like a prophet. Right now, ranger, you're shining brilliantly. A loss is a loss, but I was going to give you Sharpedo's Ride Pager data regardless. You'll need it to reach Po Town." He registered Sharpedo in Aubrey's Ride Pager. "Sharpedo can smash through the rocks here blocking your way. Ride it to victory, rangers."
"Oh thank you!" Vanessa was grateful.
Grimsley would take his leave as Aubrey called Sharpedo forward. "Alright, I'll take the lead and smash through the rocks for ya. You ride on behind me, okay?"
"Oh I'll follow after ya." Vanessa takes out the regular Poke Ball she had earlier and throws it at the water, sending out a Gyarados!
"Yo...that's awesome." Aubrey smiled as she hopped on Sharpedo. "Alright, let's go! We've got a job to do!"
"C'mon Gyarados, let's follow my partner!" Vanessa exclaimed.
The two pressed on through the route, heading north before Aubrey saw someone near the entrance of the Ula Ula Meadow. Faba!
"Hide," She whispered to Vanessa.
"Got it." Vanessa spotted a trailer off to the east on the route they were on, deciding to go over there. Seeing as it was unattended, she slipped on inside. "Oh hello. A computer. Yes this can work well." Vanessa would open up a browser and sign into the Union's database remotely and copy some files over to her phone and in her Styler's internal database. She would after she was done note the odd Crystal like object in the room but would file that away for later.
Back with Aubrey, Faba would be the one to start the conversation. "Oh my, if it isn't Aubrey. I see you're not with your traveling companion Jake," He began. "Where might you be off to?"
"Team Skull kidnapped a kid's Yungoos right out of the Aether House," Aubrey informed. "I've been called out to come to Po Town alone to rescue it."
"W-What?! To Po Town!?" Faba looked startled. "Such awful thugs, tormenting Pokemon for no good reason…I swear I don't know what to do with them! Or any of us at Aether, for that matter."
"Now it's my turn. What are YOU doing out here?" Aubrey put her hands on her hips.
"Well, here I am taking the initiative to check on the Pokemon out here to see how they're holding up," Faba quickly answered.
"Mmhmm. Sure. Let's go with that, 'last line of defense for Aether.'" Aubrey said that last bit in a mocking tone, causing Faba to look annoyed.
"Are you accusing me of lying to you?" He questioned.
"Lemme make one thing clear to you, Faba. I'm going out there to Po Town right now. If I find any evidence of Team Skull and Aether working together on anything, because I have reason to believe you might be, I'm gonna go straight to the press about it. Got it?" The ranger threatened. Faba paused at this, a now calm look on his face.
"...I see. I must inform you that going out there looking for such evidence is a fool's errand. But I wish you luck in recovering that child's Yungoos. The Aether House is an orphanage for children here on Ula Ula." Faba would walk off, leaving Aubrey to wait for her partner to return. He saw her playing with Vatonage in the flowers. 'Hmph...pesky ranger. I'll just have to ramp up security if she comes by.' Faba mentally noted that as he left, not seeing Vanessa slip past him.
"Let me guess..that odious...person was Faba?" Vanessa asked.
"Yeah...he's a real piece of work, that's for sure," Aubrey told her. "I also see that you've got stuff to share with me. What'd ya find?"
"Oh I might have copied all of those Aether reports onto my Styler, as well as those research papers you were looking for. There was also some weird crystal thing in there but we can look into that later," Vanessa reported.
"Heh, nice." Aubrey's mood improved. "We can look over those after we're done with this. Now...how do we get into Po Town without you being seen..."
"Well let's see what we are dealing with first." The two would peek out from the meadow to see what awaited them. With help from Rotom using the Poke Finder's zoom function, they would see a few Team Skull grunts outside the large walls of Po Town. One was walking around the path, another was standing near a lamppost, and two were stationed at the front door. "Not bad so far…" Vanessa spotted a nearby building. "Huh, a police station."
Aubrey raised an eyebrow. "You would think the local law enforcement would be able to handle this..." She commented.
"Yeah...okay, since they know it is just supposed to be you, and no one would be surprised if you were to battle them…" Vanessa suggested. "Think I could borrow Skarmory and land at the police station? It should work since I doubt they would be looking up."
"Or...we could just do what we always do," Aubrey offered an alternative. "I'll get their attention, and you slip on by during my diversion."
"Hm, true," Vanessa concurred. "I'll meet you at the station."
Aubrey nodded. "Got it. I'll give some sort of signal for you to move up." With that in mind, the two split off to do their parts. In truth, it was good that Aubrey would be battling them, as it gave Winter some practice in battle. Once she was done, she tossed her Styler in the air and caught it with a hop, being a signal for Vanessa to move on up as she went for the two at the door. The two at the door, one boy and one girl, would face Aubrey.
"Yo, what's up? You wanna join Team Skull?" The girl noticed her Z-Power Ring, and then her Styler.
"Wait, hold up...is that a Z-Power Ring? And that Styl- it's the ranger! She's here!" She exclaimed.
"Oh, I see how it is, ya bully! You come all this way to laugh at us!?" The boy would try grabbing Aubrey, only to be grabbed by the wrist, and swung into the other grunt, slamming them both in the wall and leaving them out cold.
"Sheesh...at least I can argue self-defense?" Aubrey thought to herself.
"Umbre." Vatonage agreed. Glancing back, Aubrey would see that the other two grunts were dealt with, and Vanessa was motioning for her to follow her back to the station.
"Be right there," She mouthed, heading that way.
Once Aubrey got there, Vanessa said, "You had that well in hand."
"Yeah, so now what?" Aubrey asked.
"Well I can see the town now...and that is going to be hard to sneak into...what with the massive wall around it," Vanessa responded, not sure what to do. Someone would come on by, but they could tell it was a friendly person.
"You there, ladies." The man in question had gray hair, with a red v-neck and oddly Z-shaped crystal around his neck under a black policeman's uniform, and red and black flip flops. "Seems to me you're trying to get into Po Town. I'd ask if you were sure you'd thought this through, but from the looks of it, you're Pokemon Rangers, right?"
"Correct, officer," Vanessa answered.
"I guess everyone's got their reasons. I've got my own reasons too, for doing what I'm doing," The officer commented. "I'm Nanu. One of those Team Skull kids you beat up has the key to get you inside. Better hurry and get it before they wake up."
"Thanks for that, Nanu," Aubrey smiled.
"It's good you're rangers too, otherwise I would've had to send your remains back to your families," Nanu added grimly. "Go on, do what you need to do. I'll be here if you need anything."
"See you around. I think we will have some things to ask you after this is over," Vanessa mentioned as they headed out.
"Okay, now if I had the key..." Aubrey would hustle back to the door guards, checking their pockets first. Lo and behold, her guess was right as she found the key. "Alright, lemme see what we've got first before we go in there..." She'd crouch down by one of the walls after opening the door, getting out her hand mirror to check inside. There'd be two male Team Skull grunts standing at a wooden barricade inside the rainy town. "I'll go in first and get rid of those two at the barricade. Once it's down, I'll signal for you to move in. If you run into trouble...put them to sleep quickly before they can alert the others."
"Got it." Vanessa took position crouching behind the wall on the other side of the doorway as Aubrey headed on inside.
As Aubrey approached the barricade, she would grab Roark's Poke Ball as the two grunts looked at each other.
"Huh? What's this numskull doing here? What should we do?" The first grunt asked.
"Forget about it! We got this Barbaracle...I mean barricade! Do you really wanna bother moving it?" The second grunt brought up.
"True true." The two grunts started doing their weird dances to taunt the ranger.
"Go! Go home!" The second grunt taunted. "You're not getting in here! Not unless you find some way around..."
"Not going around it. Through it." Aubrey would call out Roark. "Roark, time for a Target Clear!"
"Rammmmmmmmmmmmmm!" The Rock type charged forward at Aubrey's command, smashing through the barricade as the two grunts barely got out of the way. Vanessa would look at this from where she was hiding and sweatdropped.
"Well that's one way to clear a barricade…" She remarked.
Aubrey would engage the two grunts at the now destroyed barricade, giving Vanessa an opportunity to enter unseen, as the attention was now on her partner. Vanessa would go on by and at this point notice the torrential Downpour the town found itself in.
"...Well this place sucks already I can tell…" She frowned, spotting a run-down Pokemon Center. "Hmm. I wonder." Vanessa headed on over to it making sure not to be seen. Inside the Pokemon Center were two grunts, and a Spinda. The interior was definitely trashed.
"Ready for fly rhymes in your ear, yo? But yo, what're you doin' in here, yo?" The male grunt asked in rhyme in a typical, Team Skull fashion.
"Just looking around and I saw this place was run down. Does it even get power?" Vanessa asked in response.
The female grunt would answer Vanessa, keeping up the rhyming. "Yo, it's darker than Darkrai up in here, yo. I'm gettin' scared like I met with a Fearow! Ain't nobody around, I'm feelin' kinda down, but I'm still holdin' it down here in Po Town! Hey yo, spin it, Spinda!"
"Spi-spin! Spi-spin!" The Spinda would try and bust a move, only to stumble over its own feet. Vanessa chuckled at this.
"Well let me see what I can do. I'm somewhat handy with machines," She offered.
The rhyme scheme stopped as they registered what Vanessa was saying. "Wait, seriously? You'd be willing to do that for us, homie?"
"Of course!" Vanessa agreed. "Anything to improve the life of those who call this place home. Maybe I'll figure out what is causing this rain while I'm at it."
"Yo, please do that for us!" The male grunt spoke up. "We'd be grateful if you could!"
"I'll get right on it," Vanessa said. After some time, Vanessa would get the power back on in the Pokemon Center. "There we go." There was a smile on her face as the lights came back on.
"Eyy, ya did it! You're a real one, yo!" The male grunt complimented. "Say...your getup looks like that Aubrey chick that was comin' by here..."
"Oh right. I'm her partner. Soo in exchange for fixing this place, will you wait a bit before reporting me to your boss?" Vanessa offered.
"Ay, I'm not 'bout to bite the hand that fed us," The male grunt answered. "Can't say the same for the rest of us, but we'll be quiet as a boneyard."
"Yeah, ain't that right Spinda?" The female grunt chimed.
"Spi-spin!" The Spinda twirled around, faceplanting before getting back up.
"Thank you!" Vanessa would give the Spinda headpats before heading out. "Stay safe out there!" By the time Vanessa left, all the grunts that were outside had more or less been dealt with. No points guessing what happened to them. Aubrey was waiting by the front door of the big house overlooking the town.
"Well, you look like you had fun while I was fixing that generator," The younger ranger said.
"What took ya so long? I was about ready to kick this door down," Aubrey asked.
"That Pokemon Center over there had no power, so I turned the power back on," Vanessa explained.
"Ooh, okay...that's one small step towards making Team Skull have a better life here in Alola," Aubrey smiled, getting her hand mirror out and peeking under the doorframe. "Let's see...two guards in the main hall, one looking right at the door."
"Copy that." Vanessa readied her stun gun. "On your mark."
"I'll tell you when." Aubrey would push the front door open, Vatonage going in after her - she'd take on the two grunts first with Pokemon, and then with fists. After laying them down in the recovery position, Aubrey would whisper, "Clear down here."
Vanessa entered after Aubrey, following her lead. She even whispered as much. "Following your lead."
"Got it. Sweep and clear," Aubrey responded in a low voice. The first room they'd enter was a room with a couple beds and a sleeping grunt. Nothing interesting there. The next room was a different story, being a mostly empty storage room with a paper on the ground that stuck out.
"Hello there...what's this?" Vanessa would grab the paper off the ground.
The paper read, "'This month's secret Team Skull password is: Beat Up."
"Huh...looks important," Aubrey said to Vanessa.
"Yeah...that is a very niche Pokemon move there," Vanessa commented.
"Only works when you have a full team of six," Aubrey responded. The next door Aubrey checked under she saw another two pairs of feet with her hand mirror. "Two more in here, we'll take 'em together. Ready?"
"Ready." With Vanessa's response, Aubrey would quickly open the door, rushing over to the grunt that was farther away, leaving Vanessa to take care of the one closer to them. Vanessa would leg sweep the guy and catch him before the grunt falls and proceeds to knock them out silently. Aubrey would deal with the other grunt in her usual way, seeing a third trying to make a break for the door they entered in. Vatonage would get in his way, launching himself like a missile into the grunt with Quick Attack and halting his movement.
"Oh no you don't," Vanessa sent out Gastrodon. "Ice Beam!" Gastrodon would send an Ice Beam at the grunt's feet, locking them in place for Aubrey to get in close. Once Aubrey put the grunt to bed, she'd offer a smile.
"I think Vatonage had that under control, Gastrodon," She mused.
"Umbre umb!" Vatonage happily barked, nonetheless grateful for the help. He'd free his feet by smashing the ice, allowing Aubrey to lay the grunt down for a rest.
"Gastro!" The Sea Slug Pokemon chuckled.
"Oh, just being the team player he is," Vanessa snickered.
The next room they'd enter was a kitchen. It was pretty empty in terms of food, the only thing of interest being another paper on the ground. Vatonage took it in his teeth, handing it up to Aubrey. This one read, "'This month's Team Skull secret password is: Tapu Cocoa. Remember, a true Team Skull member always butts heads and answers with a hearty no!'"
"So...that's how it works?" Aubrey looked surprised by this little factoid.
Vanessa was quiet for a moment, processing what that meant before quickly understanding the last bit. "Ooh I get it. I bet there is a guard here who wants this password with the other one," She said.
"Well that makes sense. There's probably another password on the second floor," Aubrey thought aloud. "Let's move." They'd head up the staircase, careful to avoid being spotted by any grunts in the hall. The room they ducked in was oddly...clean. A bedroom that was well-kept, neat and orderly, and very unlike the rest of the mansion.
"I'm going to go with Plumeria's room," Vanessa said.
"She does seem to be the second in command around here..." Aubrey commented. "I guess it makes sense she'd have a nice and tidy room? Or...maybe this is the only room that can be all nice and orderly?"
"Maybe?" Vanessa noticed a Lapras and Skitty plush on the bed. "Oh look, she has plushies."
"Huh...I didn't take her for the type," Aubrey sounded surprised.
"Umbre umb umbre," Vatonage reported, signifying there were no passwords he could find.
"No luck, eh?" Vanessa would get a nod at that. "Well we shall see I suppose." They'd head back out in the hall and pass by a room where two female voices were arguing with each other like schoolgirls. There was one male grunt patrolling the hall, and one standing in front of an opening to the balcony. Aubrey would motion for Vanessa to take care of the grunt patrolling while she searched the last room. Vanessa would do so with the age of trick of throwing something to make a small enough noise that only he would hear it. And when he came to look he got a kick to the head knocking him out cold.
By the time Vanessa laid the grunt down for a nap, Aubrey came back with the last password they needed. "Had to deal with a grunt in there, but there's a third password. This one is Golisopod."
"Well, of course Guzma would be narcissistic enough to use his ace as the password," Vanessa deadpanned.
"Duh." Aubrey rolled her eyes as they approached the grunt guarding the balcony.
"Greetings, visitors," He greeted. "I wasn't expecting two rangers, but if you wish to meet with Master Guzma, you must give the three secret passwords."
"Shoot," Aubrey was ready.
"Then tell me this month's first secret password! Which move does Master Guzma love best?"
"Beat Up."
"Now tell me this month's second secret password! Which Pokemon does Master Guzma love best?"
"Golisopod."
"And finally, tell me this month's third secret password! Which drink does Master Guzma love best?"
"Tapu Cocoa!"
"So you're telling me the passwords are...Beat Up, Golisopod, and Tapu Cocoa..." The grunt paused. "Are you sure?"
"NO!" Both rangers answered in unison with one another.
"Bah ha ha ha! You two even knew to answer with a no!" The grunt laughed. "Go on ahead! He's waiting for ya, Aubrey. And you...no idea what you're doin' here, but after you." He'd stand aside to let them pass.
"Why thank you kind sir," Vanessa politely replied. "Oh, and spread the word that the power is back on at the Pokemon Center will ya?"
With a nod, the grunt would let them go. "Careful out there. It's a bit slick."
"Eh, we have been through worse," Vanessa commented as they went out on the balcony. They'd cross a slick with rain wooden platform across the balcony to enter an open window, where two grunts were standing outside the room they presumed was where Guzma was at. They didn't say anything to the rangers, other than motioning to them that the man they were looking for was inside.
"Well then. This is it. Should I wait out here or do you want me in there with ya?" Vanessa asked.
"Let's go together, partner," Aubrey answered.
"Very well then. On your mark!" Vanessa was pumped up as the two entered the boss' room. Inside the room, there Guzma was, standing at a throne with a briefcase filled with light green Z-Crystals and a Yungoos behind a regular rank and file grunt.
"The hated boss that beats you down and beats you down, and never lets up...yeah, big bad Guzma is here!" Guzma mused. "Well Aubrey, looks like ya can't read, because I thought I said to come alone, not bring a plus one."
"Sooo sorry about that, but you had that Yungoos kidnapped on my watch, and that was not going to slide. Name's Vanessa, I'm her partner. Unless you already knew that like Plumeria did," The plus one in question introduced herself.
Guzma folded his arms. "Yeah, I had Plumeria tell me there was a second ranger in town," He remarked. "I don't really get you rangers. First you thrash our boys around, and turn around all the sudden and give us mercy? Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Hmm...well In her case she thought you were criminal scum who got off on tormenting young Trainers and Pokemon. However, after reading some files that I sent her from the Aether Foundation we learned how this whole group came to be founded. I have to say I appreciate the Sentiment but not how you're going about to fix things...if you can call it that," Vanessa explained.
"Yeah...that's normally my first response to seeing Pokemon getting abused," Aubrey sheepishly admitted. "I'm not the kind of gal to just stand back and let that kind of thing happen."
Guzma laughed. "Vanessa, was it? Your partner's all kinds of messed up. Y'know what happens when something breaks down? The first thing I try is givin' it a good hard smack! Now lemme see if I can't try and fix you!"
"If you want a rematch-" Surprising the both of them, Aubrey felt Vanessa gripping her shoulder, turning to face her. "What are you-?"
Vanessa would smile at her. "Oh, I can step in if needed, Brey."
Guzma flashed a smile at Vanessa's offer. "Heh, it's not every day someone comes to me for a beating!"
"Let's take this out in the hall...this seems way too cramped for a fight," Aubrey suggested.
"Yeah, it kind of is," Vanessa agreed. "So how are we doing this? Pokemon Battle? Actual fight?"
"You already know the answer to that, ranger," Guzma would respond, rolling his shoulders as they went into the hall. While they did this, Vatonage would snatch one of the Z-Crystals from the briefcase, putting it in Aubrey's bag all quickly and discreetly.
All Vanessa could do was sigh. "I swear, I get all eight of Kanto's gym Badges and suddenly no one wants to battle me."
Guzma gave a coy smile. "So you are the one Plumeria told me about. The one with the flashy technology and chakra points. Your partner may have beaten me before but take two is on, and it's better than the first one!"
"Yeah, but it will have the same result." Vanessa would get in her stance, ready to throw down.
"No matter what you have in store for me and my gals and guys, we're going to end up paving the way for things in this region. You might as well just use this as a training seminar and get off this region when you're done." Guzma carefully sent a side jab Vanessa's way. Vanessa would dodge to the side and respond with a quick kick.
Guzma managed to weave his way out of the kick's path, lunged forward to get into position, grabbed Vanessa from behind, and ruthlessly supplexed her into the ground while crying out "Deuces!" After the blow was dealt, he released her.
Aubrey would visibly wince at this attack landing. "Oooh..." Vanessa growled, and proceeded to plant both her feet into Guzma's gut while pushing herself up with her hands.
Guzma grunted in annoyance as he fell onto his butt from the double kick shove and picked himself up afterward, getting into his combat stance. Aubrey could tell by the look in his eyes that perhaps he wasn't going to go as easy on her as he may have initially done in Aubrey's match. Without a crowd to show off to all that mattered here was their personal outcome and gratification in the match's outcome.
And she knew this for sure. "Van, stay on guard!" She called. "No telling what he'll do with the homefield advantage..."
"I noticed," Vanessa calmly responded. Guzma suddenly dashed forward towards Vanessa, making it clear she'd have to react in some way, shape, or form. "Oh, going to play like that, are we?" She ducked down and proceeded to trip Guzma with a leg sweep, causing him to fly over her due to how fast he was going.
In spite of the surprising maneuver, Guzma managed to catch himself quickly, rolling on the ground upon impact and getting to one knee and then swinging forward with a rising roundhouse kick at Vanessa. To his surprise she actually caught it in one arm and then proceeded to throw him to the side.
"Tch...!" Guzma grimaced and managed to catch himself carefully enough to not fall over in spite of the fact it seemed he was looking a bit shaken. He then went for a crude tactic of smacking Vanessa on her back to distract her, before pummeling her with an uppercut to her chin. It was clear his street fight method emphasized speed, sturdy maneuvers, and some sly tactics.
Vanessa would reel back from this, but in the process of doing so, would retaliate with a flip kick, which also hits him squarely on the chin before checking her jaw and feeling fine. "That was a dirty trick," She scowled.
Guzma took a few unsteady steps back and rubbed his now much sore chin but caught himself with a huff. "We've been tricked out of much of what Alola has to offer. Only fair I don't play by their rules." He then raced towards her and in a wrestling-style maneuver, did a drop kick.
Vanessa would roll out of the way of that one. "Fair enough," She said in response.
Guzma picked himself up again and went for an elbow strike. "No offense, all defense with you isn't it?!" He seemed to be calling out on her consistently reacting to his attacks as opposed to throwing out any of her own.
"I'm the one who'd be trading blows with you! Van's more...technical than me," Aubrey started to interject to his taunt, only to give herself a self-own in the process.
"That is rather the idea of my style of combat. Ever hear of Systemma?" Vanessa asked.
"Obviously not within the realm of Alola, toots!" Guzma's elbow made contact with Vanessa's right arm, leaving it bruised before he pulled back and went for a double-clenched fist to her chest. Vanessa would dodge the punch to the chest and would then proceed to pressure point grab him by the neck.
Guzma grimaced and looked very heated, knowing that Aubrey had this similar hold that made him lose before. He bit on her hand furiously and tried with his might to pull her grasp off of him. Vanessa would let go but before he could do anything further, and then went to kick him in the back of the knees to make them give out, and would then kick him to the ground and pin his arms behind his back.
"Aughhhh...!" Guzma felt the impact of the forced knockdown hard and grimaced angrily, trying to shake her off of him with everything he got. "Damn you already! Being Kukui's stupid mistresses and trying to put Team Skull in the ground! Hah! You won't succeed you know! We're just getting warmed...nghh...up!"
"...You know you're being very, very offensive. Brey you want to take over? I'm going to treat this bruise," Vanessa requested.
"Yeah...lemme take it from here." In a quick move, Aubrey would tag in for Vanessa, and decided to help Guzma up instead of continuing the fight from there. "I wouldn't exactly call myself a mistress...mainly because I'm single."
"SAME!" Vanessa shouted.
"He put you up to all this didn't he?! He and I once saw eye to eye as brothers and then he went and let himself be hailed by the same ones who've made me and my siblings so miserable!" Guzma's bitterness was on full display.
"...So you're telling me the Tapus put you and Team Skull down, right?" Aubrey then asked.
"Yes! I thought even the Guardian Deities would understand that we didn't deserve to be ostracized by Alola's elite! They rejected us! We're just...just having to work with other sources now and ourselves to get by." Guzma seemed to grow quieter upon this as he let Aubrey hold onto him firmly. "It sucks..."
"Huh...that explains a lot," Vanessa remarked.
"Yeah...so tell me, if Kukui really put us up to kicking you while you're down, why did Van go ahead and fix up the power to the Pokemon Center here?" Aubrey questioned to try and get him to see what they really wanted.
"...That was after you wrecked the place and my family several times over previously you know." Guzma flatly sneered. "If I didn't know any better it was so that you could rest your Pokemon easier."
Aubrey frowned. "What did you expect me to do? ...Nah, don't answer that. We'll just...take the Yungoos and go. I've got more important things to take care of...but we weren't put up to this by anyone. Only reason we're here is because we took up your invitation."
"Exactly. And I fixed that out of the goodness of my heart. But if you can't see that, then I don't know what to do with you...let's go, Brey." Vanessa would go with Aubrey to get the Yungoos, and when they were out of earshot, Guzma's mood changed.
"You broads are interesting people...maybe you think you've won already. But no matter." Guzma smiled wickedly. "Once you hit rock bottom, you come out on top. You can say that the coveted Cosmog is as good as ours by now."
The two would leave the manor with Yungoos in tow, and standing outside was Nanu himself. "Have I got you to thank for this?" He was referring to the Yungoos.
"Yup, that'd be us," Aubrey answered.
"Thing must've been scared half to death to see a wretch like me," Nanu said. "What a lot of hassle..."
"We'd love to stay and chat with you Nanu, but we need to get going," Aubrey told him. "We're meeting up with our friends in Maile City."
"Alright then. Once you're done with whatever there, I'll take you and your friend on to finish your trials on Ula Ula. I need to bring this back to the Aether House with Acerola." Nanu would go off with the Yungoos.
Upon seeing Aubrey's expression, Vanessa would say, "Remember when I said he was the Kahuna here on the phone?"
Her look wasn't one of surprise. "Yeah, what of it?"
"Oh just wondering if you forgot is all. So where were we before this happened?" Vanessa asked as the two headed out of Po Town on their way back to Maile City.
"You had some intel for me on the Ultra Beasts and...oh yeah, did you find anything out about Mohn?" Aubrey reminded.
"Oh yes I did," Vanessa happily reported.
"Yes! Mohn's like the final piece of the puzzle here," Aubrey sounded excited. "Alright, what'd you find?"
"That he was Lusamine's husband, was a researcher on the Ultra Wormholes, and that one day he just vanished off the face of the planet," Vanessa reported.
Aubrey's expression dropped. "...Well that doesn't tell me anything new." She paused before asking, "So the two things of research Mohn left behind were on the Ultra Wormholes, right?"
"Yeah, that is the case," Vanessa informed.
"Okay, well what did you find out from his research? Any sort of clue as to what we've been investigating?" Aubrey asked.
"Oh right. One of them was a Pokemon they called Cosmog," Vanessa began.
Aubrey suddenly stopped midstride as they entered the meadow. Her heart dropped at hearing that name. The ranger's mind started racing...but then asked, "...Did you just say Cosmog?"
"Yeah, why?" Vanessa asked, unaware as to why Aubrey was starting to panic.
Everything started to make sense to Aubrey now.
Flashback...actually a series of flashbacks…
The girl smiled. "I am so grateful to you for helping us out of that dangerous spot. I...take it your job has something to do with…"
"Aubrey Bradford. I'm a Pokemon Ranger," Aubrey introduced. "Who are you?"
The girl shook her head. "I think this stone must belong to you." She would give it over to Aubrey, who pocketed it. "Please...don't tell anyone about this. About seeing Nebby…it's a secret, okay?"
"You have my word, ma'am," Aubrey promised. "Mind if I take you back to town?"
It started to all come together. Why Lillie didn't want Aubrey to tell others about Nebby.
"Tapu Koko? Oh that's one of the Island Guardians right? People believe they are the last hope gainst the Ultra Beasts but to be honest I think they are just guardians of the island in general..." Jake for once seemed not as scared about this point.
"Yes, that's right," Lillie told Jake. "The bridge collapsed as Aubrey was moving out to get Nebby...and that's when Tapu Koko came to save them from falling into the ravine."
Jake's eyes sparkled and a small 'hmm' emanated from him. There was something about that was truly intriguing. "Really? Hmm... it must've sensed something very important about Nebby." Rowlet nodded in agreement with Jake's hypothesis.
If Cosmog was an Ultra Beast, then Tapu Koko wasn't looking at Aubrey - it was looking at Nebby. Was it perhaps the 'fragile heir' all along, and she didn't realize it?
"Yes...within these ruins lies the guardian deity of Akala Island," Lillie answered.
"Pew!" Nebby was sure excited.
"Oh, you! I know you tried to drag me along to the Ruins of Conflict on Melemele Island," Lillie spoke. "Why are these ruins so important to you? What are the guardians for you?" Nebby didn't answer. "Imagine what would've happened if Aubrey wasn't there..." Jake seemed perplexed by Lillie's thought process here and was unsure of what to say. Meanwhile, Aubrey noticed the quick subject change Lillie did, but decided not to push it. Nebby perked up at seeing Olivia coming from the ruins.
"Pew!" He cried.
Since that was true, it would explain why Nebby wanted to drag Lillie along to these ruins. That was because of the book they had read earlier that day…
Lillie began reading from the book. "'The empty sky broke asunder, a hole appearing where had been none. A single beast appeared from it: it was called the beast that devours the sun. The king of Alola bowed before it: the beast that shone so like the sun. The island guardians fought against it, but in the end the beast had won. Then did the beast that devours the sun shine its light on the line of kings. Then did the beast that had won bring nature's gift to bless all things. Beast of sun and beast of moon. Through their union, they brought new life. A fragile heir in Alola born that island guardians would keep from strife. The ancient kings sang their thanks for Solgaleo with song of flute. Two tones rang out across the altar - a perfect pair, ever after mute.'" Lillie would note that Aubrey had written all that down verbatim.
"A creation myth...huh." Jake seemed to have enjoyed that story.
"Hmm..." Aubrey read back over the passage she had written down. "A hole appearing where had been none? You mean...like an Ultra Wormhole?"
"That is...a possibility, yes," Lillie responded.
"The most likely one to be honest," Jake seconded.
But if that was the case, then there was only one possibility now as to who the buyer was…
"...Hmph. Sharp," Gladion remarked. "I don't know much about that, but what I do know is that someone wants to get their hands on Cosmog, and is willing to pay top dollar for its delivery."
"Do you think it could be Aether?" Jake guessed. Gladion shook his head.
"Hard to say. Guzma's being tight lipped about it," He answered. "I gotta get going. You might not trust everything I've said to you because I'm with Team Skull or whatever...but don't forget what I- no...what Alola needs you to do. Keep Cosmog safe at all costs. Understand?"
"Of course!" Aubrey answered positively.
Vanessa would have to be the one to snap Aubrey out of her trance, but could tell that she had all the answers they needed from that. She would accomplish this by snapping her fingers in front of her face. "Hello? Brey?! If you don't snap out of this I'm going to draw on your face with a marker."
"...We need to get to Maile, now." Aubrey grabbed her Ride Pager and called out Skarmory. "Skarmory, follow me back to Maile and carry Van. Vatonage, with me on Charizard."
"Umbre?" Vatonage looked worried, sensing the panic in his partner's voice.
"Look, I'll explain everything in a moment, we need to hustle!" Aubrey exclaimed as the Ride Charizard showed up, Aubrey hopping on. Vatonage hopped up on her lap, trusting her judgement.
"Well this is going to be bad isn't it…" Vanessa grimaced. "Come on Skarmory! Follow them!" She'd get on Skarmory's back.
"Skarrr!" With a cry, Skarmory took to the skies after Aubrey returning to Maile City, the group landing in front of the malasada shop. And when they got there...well, Hau and Jake were outside, both of them looking upset.
"Aubrey! Vanessa!" Hau called as they dismounted their Flying-type mounts.
"Where's Lillie?!" Aubrey asked in a tizzy.
Jake, looking rather disappointed in himself and fighting back tears in his face, could only whisper sadly. "They took her by force..."
Vanessa growled in anger. "Dammit!" She pounded her fist against the wall. "We were too late…"
"What exactly happened?" Aubrey followed-up, hanging her head in shame.
"After we left and went our separate ways, I don't know how long they were tailing us, but...Plumeria and some other Team Skull goons were following us," Hau explained. "But Lillie, well...it's not right to say she was taken completely by force. Jake and I tried to stop them, but, Lillie, she...she went with them so that there wouldn't be any more fighting." He too looked downtrodden. "This stinks..."
"She's too selfless for her own good...but...I'm going to give them HELL for doing that to her. She's too young to be used as some pawn in some twisted game!" Jake's sudden sadness turned into a righteous fury.
"There was something else..." Hau sighed, looking to the rangers. "But...I don't know if it's important."
"Well what is important right now is that we know why Lillie had Cosmog on her, and a potential idea on why Nebby saved her in the past," Aubrey then said. Right as a certain light blonde haired boy showed up.
"Wait! Did I hear that right? Lillie had Cosmog?!" Gladion!
"Gah! You again?" Hau recoiled from his appearance.
Gladion didn't respond to Hau. His anger was directed at all of them. "And you all are so useless and weak that now Cosmog is...Lillie is...arrrrrrrrrgh! I'll show you how angry you make me!" He would lash out at Aubrey, only for the ranger to grab hold of him and pin him against the malasada shop's front wall, careful not to hurt him.
"Hey pal, it was our job to go into Po Town and save the Yungoos," Aubrey reminded. "Hau and Jake made an effort to try and help Lillie. It didn't pan out but they at least tried. Now, you're going to get it together and help us get Lillie back. I have an idea on where she's been taken."
After a moment of processing this, Gladion would take a moment to compose himself, giving Aubrey a nod before she released him. "We're thinking of the same place, right?"
"Aether Paradise?" Aubrey asked.
"Bingo." This would catch the other three by surprise.
"And for the record Gladion, YOU should've protected her by being honest with people who had authority and good intentions. We could've had her out of Alola for her safety earlier if YOU didn't hide secrets like a rookie!" Jake angrily turned on Gladion for blaming Aubrey.
"...Wait...did he just say...why would Lillie be taken there!?" Hau was currently freaking out at the current situation.
"Believe me, I...definitely am responsible for part of this," Gladion admitted. "It was wrong of me to lash out like that. But we need to act now. If we don't hurry now, Cosmog will bring disaster to all of Alola!"
"Okay, but before we do, Aubrey...you gotta catch us all up. How do you know Lillie's at Aether?" Hau then asked.
"Alright, lemme start from the beginning everyone..." Aubrey sighed. "I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but thanks to Van, I was able to confirm that Cosmog is indeed an Ultra Beast. Once she told me that, everything started to fall into place."
"Yeah I have a theory on that. There was also the second paper. Which is mostly just gibberish but has one phrase which seemed important," Vanessa added.
"So the theory was correct..." Jake frowned. "What was the phrase?"
"The words RKS System," Vanessa informed.
"RKS System? Sounds like a fighting game developer," The Hoenn trainer snarked.
"Yeah. I can see that." Vanessa nodded. "Though it also had a bunch of code words on it and pictures of the UBs so I'm guessing it is some sort of coded paper on them."
"The reason Lillie wanted to keep Nebby secret, the reason why Nebby was so fixated on the ruins, heck, might even be why Lusamine was so cold when we mentioned Lillie's name," Aubrey spoke up. "If Ultra Beasts can open up Ultra Wormholes, maybe...Nebby had taken Lillie away from that floating island, and that's why she wants to help it?" They could tell this was all making her frazzled, as her desire to charge straight into Aether Paradise was clear as day.
"I wouldn't go charging in there headfirst," Gladion then mentioned.
"Why not?" Aubrey raised an eyebrow.
"For whatever reason, the branch chief has been beefing up security in preparation for Team Skull to bring Lillie there," Gladion reported. This caused Aubrey to pause in realization.
"Oh...right...of course he would..." She nervously chuckled.
"Like most Legendary Pokemon Ruins yeah...okay, now if we're going to breach the Aether opposite of a Paradise. I'm going to destroy and break anything I have to. I'm also going to bring in a few of my old Hoenn veterans. So if we can stop by a PC before we head over there, I'd appreciate it. We're going to get Lillie back and protect Nebby at the same time. That security will be a cakewalk compared to the Trials." Jake declared his resolve. Aubrey noticed that he was exuding some of the confidence and steely determination of someone who had reached a Pokemon Championship position before and admired this strength.
"I also have a heavy hitter of my own here," Vanessa smirked.
"Well that's great and all but..." Hau looked at Gladion. "What's this about beefed up security?"
"I...may or may not have told Faba that if I caught any evidence of Team Skull and Aether Foundation collaboration, I'd go blab about it to the press..." Aubrey admitted. "...Yeah..."
"Yeaah and I was kinda getting the papers out of my Styler, so I missed her talking to Faba," Vanessa admitted.
As they talked, they'd hear Key's humming as she merrily was walking by, pausing to say hello. "Ah, Miss Ranger! Jake! Hello!" She noticed Vanessa. "Ah, another ranger? Nice to meet you!" She then noticed their dour expressions. "Ah...is there something I'm missing here? Why is everyone so sad? Did something happen?"
"Lillie's been taken by Team Skull to Aether Paradise, that's what," Aubrey bluntly informed.
The merchant gasped. "Your friend's been kidnapped!? Oh dear...I'm on a bit of a schedule...what new information do you have to share?"
"Hello. I'm Vanessa Parker, Aubrey's Partner." Vanessa would remember that this is Key she was talking to. "...Oh yes, you're looking for Z-Crystals right? You can find an entire chest full of the Bug type ones in the room of Team Skull's leader."
"Ah...that's nice and all, but we have bigger fish to fry right now," Key responded.
"Well, we have a reason why Lusamine was so unhappy with us mentioning Lillie, and why Team Skull is bringing them there. It has to do with Cosmog," Aubrey explained.
"Cosmog?" Once Key was caught up, the merchant raised an eyebrow. "Wait...so you mean to tell me that Cosmog was first at Aether, then whisked Lillie away to Akala, and now Aether wants it back?" It was clear to everyone that Key just realized something.
"So you think Lillie and Cosmog were in Aether Paradise the day they ended up on that beach and were warped away from there because of some circumstances?" Jake implored.
"I think that Mohn didn't come back with two things, Jake," Key answered. "He came back with three."
"Cosmog being the third," Gladion finished for her.
"Right. There wasn't anything at Aether to suggest to me Cosmog was created there, and since Vanessa here has information that Cosmog is an Ultra Beast, the only explanation is that Nebby came from an Ultra Wormhole," Key elaborated.
"Which means...Jake, I think you were right about this," Aubrey realized.
Jake beamed with pride. "My logic is unmatched!"
Key then sighed. "I'd go with you all to help, but...I need to be at the community center in ten minutes to meet with an important buyer." She folded her arms, thinking of something she could do to help before getting an idea. "Aubrey, Jake. Do you two have any stone evolution Pokemon right now?"
"Well as a matter of fact...I do need a Dusk Stone. Belle finally became a Lampent! Also an Electirizer if possible. Thank you for asking," Jake chuckled.
"And I think I need a Dawn Stone for Winter, yeah. Why do you ask?" Aubrey wondered.
Key looked to make sure no one was watching, then reached in her bag and pulled out the needed items. "You don't tell anyone about this, and these are on the house," She whispered.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Jake glomped Key excitedly and jumped up and down. "You are an Arceusend love! Thanks Key!"
The merchant was barely able to stand on her feet, but giggled. "It's the least I can do to help!"
"Oh yeah, after you're done with the buyer Key, if you see Kahuna Nanu, can you tell him to meet us on Poni Island tomorrow? We can do our Grand Trial battle with him there," Aubrey requested.
"Sure thing!" Key agreed, getting Jake off him. "Best of luck to you all, and you can tell the Aether Foundation I send my regards." She'd run off to the community center, leaving the five of them to exchange looks.
"Let's get to the Pokemon Center and get ready. Once we shove off, there's no turning back," Gladion stated. "We've only got one shot at this...let's go!"
"For sure!" Jake smiled and beamed. Once they entered the Pokemon Center, he gunned straight for the PC, and Aubrey noticed him putting the Balls for Forrest and Hazel in reserve while in return he pulled out two new balls. A Cherish Ball with decorative stickers on it and a Great Ball similarly decorated. "Hey Aubrey, can we trade evolve Avenger real quick?"
"Let's make it snappy, Jake. We've got plenty of evolving to do," Aubrey agreed.
As the two conducted the trade, Hau and Gladion were with Vanessa as they talked about an entrance plan. "Okay, so here's what we know. The docks are no doubt going to be crawling with guards. And I don't think we can afford to make a sweep of the place from one entry point," Gladion spoke.
"So...we approach from both sides?" Hau thought aloud.
Gladion nodded. "Yes. Vanessa, we were thinking that you and Aubrey lead the way on each side. We'll follow after you."
"Hmm, fair enough," Vanessa agreed.
"Perfect!" Jake smiled as he got back Avenger's Ball. "Now for the lady of the hour." Jake summoned Belle next, the Lampent looking excited as ever. "Here, this'll unlock your true and most powerful form. The true goddess of the night will emerge." Jake held the Dusk Stone up to Belle. "Lammmpppentttttt..." Belle seemed utterly smitten by the beauty and bewitching power bestowed upon the Stone. Soon her form began to glow white.
Aubrey would do the same with Winter.
"Runt?" She saw the Dawn Stone and bounced up and down happily. "Sno!" She reached up and grabbed the stone, glowing with Belle.
Belle's form developed elegant curves as if the very foundation of her body was becoming more defined, the shape of her head becoming a sphere. When the light dimmed, a magnificent and powerful Pokemon, alit with the flames of the lost and the mystical, and with glowing yellow eyes was in its place. "Chandelureeeee~" With a truly chilling yet perky serenade, Belle announced her new form.
Winter's new form would be humanoid in appearance with a hollow body resembling a kimono held together by an obi-like red band, now lacking feet but floating above the ground. Her arms were connected to the side of her head and had icy-blue flares at the wrists, having three small fingers on her hands. Winter's head was shaped like a sideways water droplet and topped with two ice crystals that resembled horns. "Frosslasssss..." Winter hummed.
Hau cheered at the evolutions. "Awesome!"
Gladion couldn't help but crack a small smirk. Maybe there was hope with these people. But for now, he got back to business. "Alright, now that you're done with that..." He would catch Aubrey and Jake up on the plan of attack.
"I guess it makes more sense for me to be playing the role of the assassin while Aubrey and Vanessa serve as our cavalry charge," Jake acknowledged.
"Oh, we're sneaking around for as long as we can, Jake," Aubrey mused. "At least for the docks."
Gladion nodded. "Right. Now we need to decide who goes with who."
"Hmm.. Well I think I would be good for Faba. He has no idea I am here, and I have the perfect answer for him," Vanessa decided.
"I agree. I'll take whoever has Lillie. They won't know what hit them with my team." Jake nodded.
"I'm not worried about him..." Aubrey thought. "Jake, we've been together on this journey for long enough. You wanna tag along with me?"
"Heck yeah!" Jake hi-fived Aubrey. He knew they were the dream team to beat. "Don't worry Van. I've kept a close eye on her enough that we both cover each other's weaknesses."
"Gladion and I can go with you, right Vanessa?" Hau then offered.
"Don't you dare say anything about this being fun," Gladion frowned.
"It's not...right now it's time to be serious. Then, once we rescue Lillie, we can go back to our good times and have a reason to smile! We're gonna be keeping Alola safe so we can all enjoy the good life brings us!" The young lad optimistically responded.
"You...you've got a strong heart. Don't lose it," Gladion told him.
"Yes he has," Vanessa smiled. "Now how should we get to Aether is the question."
"Well... there's always the Surf or Fly option if we're not keen on going by boat like before." Jake suggested.
"I can get us in by boat," Gladion spoke up. "Vanessa, myself, and Hau will approach from the right side of the docks. Jake, Aubrey, you two will approach from the left side. The elevator that'll take us to the other floors of the facility will be in the center. We'll meet up there and figure out our next move from there."
"Sounds like a plan." Vanessa nodded.
"Alright, let's all huddle in and do a send-off like this is Unova's sports!" Jake outstretched his hand. "This is for good luck I swear and not me having an excuse to finally do this. The objective is to save Lillie and Alola after all so we gotta get pumped!" While the others were eager to join in on this, Gladion was the last one to do so, deciding why not.
"Ok on the count of 3 we go 'Go Rangers!' Ready? 1, 2, 3!"
"Rangers!" All of them cried out.
(Well that got exciting! Next time, we lead our raid on Aether to rescue Lillie! Will we show up in time to save Alola? Stay tuned to find out! Bye for now!)