(Alright people. This is the moment I've been waiting for ever since I thought up what to do for this chapter. Hold to your butts because you better be ready. I know I am.

The Reviews

LogBook: This chapter was something I've been looking forward to since I started this story. I always knew this confrontation was gonna be EPIC!

Jacob9594: You will not be disappointed, friend.

Megan Romero: Alola will be saved! Just you wait!)

The group would exit the Vast Poni Canyon, a tall stone staircase ahead of them leading up to a large altar - the Altar of the Sunne.

"Well that does not look imposing at all..." Vanessa sarcastically remarked. "Especially those stairs."

"Maybe if we're lucky we'll get some higher power from this," Jake said.

"I mean...if we want to we can technically get that in the form of Ride Pager Charizard," Aubrey casually mentioned.

"Please, one of you do that..." Lillie requested. "I don't know if my legs can handle that many stairs."

"Yeah let's do it. Time's a wastin!" Jake pumped his arms excitedly. Both Aubrey and Jake would call forth a Charizard from their Ride Pager, with Aubrey taking it one step further and calling out her Skarmory for Lillie.

"You got a way up, Van, or do we need to cover for you?" The older ranger asked.

"Oh, I'm good," Her partner answered.

"Good..." Lillie held onto Skarmory after getting seated with Aubrey's help. "Now let's go!"

At the top of the stairway, Jake and Lillie would find a small river pond of beautiful water and a platform that carried the same elegance and majesty as a stage.

"... Ok, I'll start us off with a symphony for the stars." Jake bravely stepped onto the platform and started to play the Sun Flute with decent ability. With both of them in position on the platforms, Lillie would join Jake in song, the rangers watching on.

"We got here with some daylight left...the sun ain't setting," Aubrey noted. "Please let this work..."

As an enchanting sonnet filled the air, and the slowly setting sun shone brightly upon the horizon, the water around the platforms glowed in a myriad of spectacular colors and the Altar shook with intense vibration. Jake and Lillie stopped playing in wonder, and a small ounce of fear, as they saw a divine light flow upward from the waters and intertwine around the Altar's divine sigil up at the very top of the structure. Suddenly, the sigil opened apart with a magnificent golden glow in a cross formation, the very corona of the sun seemingly supposed. It glistened and sparkled with powerful radiance before a prismatic beam shot forth and blasted the ground on the terrain around the Altar.

"Woah!" Lillie exclaimed, so taken by the beam of light that she didn't notice her bag moving, sliding off her person.

"Waughhhh...! What kind of summoning is thisssss...?!" Jake wailed. As the collision of the blast continued, Lillie's bag suddenly took off into the sky and flew towards the blast radius drew by a powerful pull. They could see Nebby floating upward in a divine manner, ascending calmly in the situation.

It was at this moment Aubrey had a massive eureka moment. "Nebby...you really were the fragile heir this whole time!" She sounded both amazed at this discovery and also excited at having come to the right conclusion earlier.

Suddenly, shimmering golden energy imploded upon Nebby and finally a dramatic flash of light indicated the arrival of a new, powerful Pokemon. The new Pokemon was a large white beast resembling a lion, having a blunt-muzzle with a blue-gray nose and pale blue eyes. The top half of its face was deep blue with a constantly changing starscape. Four golden spikes framed its head like a crown, and two more spikes adorned both sides of its jaw, each spike separating large tufts of its mane. There was no mistaking who this was.

"Solgaleo..." Aubrey breathed.

"Daaang…" Vanessa sounded astonished. "That is...impressive and amazing!"

"The lion definitely found his courage. So he's going to take us to the Ultra World, I reckon?" Jake asked.

"I assume as much..." Lillie smiled, getting misty-eyed. "Nebby...I-I'm so glad you're all right...please don't ever do that again! You made me worry so much!"

"So wait...that form Nebby assumed back at Aether...was that an evolution it underwent?" Aubrey realized.

"Must've been. No other explanation makes sense," Jake said. Forrest seemed in awe of the great Legendary, bowing humbly to Solgaleo.

"That's...a legendary evolving? That's unheard of!" The older ranger was metaphorically floored by this discovery.

"Not in all of my reading...never did I come across a hint that you would become the Legendary Pokemon by sounding those flutes," Lillie admitted. "But...Aubrey, you were right. That fragile heir was with us all along...and now he's going to save me. Just like I saved him."

Solgaleo, or rather Nebby, let out a roar of approval, sounding on board with this idea.

"Okay Nebby! You know our agenda right? What we have to do?" Jake asked sincerely.

"La-leeeeooooooo!" Nebby responded, making a motion for the group to get on his back. One at a time, they would do so, Lillie being the last one on.

"I was worried we wouldn't have enough room," Aubrey mused. "Alright, big guy! Let's go get Lusamine and Guzma back!" Jake puts on some 3-D glasses from his bag over his regular glasses and gives a thumbs up indicating he's ready to go as he returns Forrest to his original Ball.

"Yeah, onward to glory and stuff!" Vanessa laughed.

A rift would start to open up as Nebby's third eye began to glow, his body shimmering gold as he leaped up. A trail of golden light surrounded them as he ran through the rift, an Ultra Wormhole left behind!

The group was traveling through Ultra Space, and where they wound up would be decidedly less colorful than the tunnel they were just in.

"Whew...what a rush..." Aubrey remarked, hopping off Nebby's back once they arrived at their destination.

"Geez, it looks like we're under the sea, but like the deep dark part of the sea," Jake grimaced at the unpleasant scenery.

"Yeah...this is like…" Vanessa shuddered. "We should not be here."

"I-I'm scared too..." Lillie added. "But...if mother is here, and Mr. Guzma too...what other choice do I have?"

"Hey, being brave isn't about being fearless," Aubrey reassured. "Being brave is being scared half to death but still going through with it."

"And having the resolve to deal with trouble when it arises," Jake added.

"Right." Lillie would start to go on ahead before Nebby had something to say to her. "What is it? Are you telling us you have to stay there?"

"Yeah...makes sense. He is our ticket home. But hey, we're grateful you're doing this for us, Nebby," Aubrey smiled. "C'mon...the sooner we get Guzma and Lusamine out of here, the better."

"Anyways, for something called Ultra Space, there's not a lot of space to go off on. Let's just go down this tunnel and hope we're not going to be walking into a trap," Jake pointed out. As they went through the tunnel, they would see someone sitting off to the side - Guzma!

"Mr. Guzma!" Lillie called.

"I'm the Team Skull boss, and I've never been scared of nothing or nobody. Heck, I live my life making people scared of ME! So listen to what big bad Guzma has to stay...Y'all are stupid!" Guzma sneered at them.

"...Hello Skull Daddy. Did the President put you on time out here?" Jake jabbed back. Aubrey would lightly thump Jake in the back of his head for that.

"We're here to rescue you, Guzma," She said. "Where's Lusamine?"

"Oww…" Jake rubbed his head.

"I mean seriously, I'm happy you are all here by some crazy miracle but you are stupid just leaping into the Ultra Beasts den like this. They are uncatchable, numerous, and freaky as heck. I just ran for one and it phased right through me and possessed me. My body, my mind... They started running wild, and I couldn't do anything about it!" Guzma groaned and sounded not only wounded up, but shaken. "It was like I became somebody else and I finally felt what fear feels like! It was terrifying!" Guzma breathed hard and shook his hands all onto his head in desperation.

"Geez...I guess it's a good thing they don't appear to be nearby right now." Jake gulped, feeling a bit nervous himself. Lillie shook her head resolutely, shaken but not ready to give up. Guzma turned around.

"I may be the Team Skull boss and have never backed down from anything or anyone, but...that lady...she's on another level! She's way far gone! She's no better than a worshipper for the Ultra Beasts! She can't be reasoned with, let alone recover her humanity." Guzma's bold words triggered a sharp head shake from Lillie and a clenched fist from Aubrey.

"Even so, Guzma, we can't just leave her here. I promised Lillie that she would not be losing any more of her family if I could help it," The older ranger responded, clenched fist placed on her hip.

"Right, it doesn't change anything. We still have to go!" Lillie agreed.

"Yeah." Vanessa nodded in agreement. "Lillie wants to see this through, and as rangers, it is our duty to protect Pokemon and people, and right now Lusamine needs help."

"Call me a pessimist but the odds aren't looking too good. Last I saw of her she was changing color... But hey, if anyone can pull it off, it'd be you all. You've bested me in different ways after all. Keep the girl safe." Guzma urged with a small smile.

"Gladly!" Aubrey promised, going on ahead with Lillie. And what awaited them there was the president herself, sitting on some sort of amoeba like seat, legs crossed with a smile.

"Changing color?" Vanessa tilted her head as they went along."...Okay...I wonder if that Ultra Beast is a Poison type then?" Nihilego swirled around ominously, given a cursed, haunted atmosphere.

Once Jake caught up, he asked Lusamine, "Lusamine, is this hellhole really everything you've ever wanted?"

"Why yes...look at it," Lusamine coolly answered at first. "The world of my Ultra Beasts. A world where the only thing that exists is the love between Nihilego and myself..." She hummed. "So beautiful, and so delicious...this is my real paradise."

The rangers would notice that there was definitely something wrong with Lusamine, almost proving Vanessa's guess outright. When the president noticed them, her expression soured.

"And yet you!" She yelled. "All of you! Why must you continue to pester me? I am sick of you all through and through!"

"Well we're sick of you and how you've treated your daughter and Pokemon! But we know why. It's Nihilego manipulating you with its powers. You deep down must know something is off about your actions..." The Hoenn trainer theorized.

"Hah! I don't believe you," Lusamine scoffed.

"M-Mother! Think about what you're saying! What about Mr. Guzma?" Lillie pleaded. "What about you? Don't you care what happens to either of you?"

Lusamine seemed to ponder that for a moment...right before saying, "Just leave."

"Not without you we're not," Aubrey defiantly responded.

"I don't need any of you here. I don't need any of you any longer!" The president sure sounded unreasonable for any mentally sound individual.

"Like it or not, you know that you won't survive or live for much longer if you are trapped here, Lusamine. You are a human woman, not an Ultra Beast. Also, you are a mother who's lost valuable time in her child's upbringing because of this delusion! We're taking you back like it or not and you will make up for what's happened," Jake declared boldly.

"Van, you might be right...Nihilego might be a Poison type after all," Aubrey whispered. "Look at her, she's acting all...uh...what's that word for poison making the brain act all weird?"

"Neurotoxin," Vanessa whispered back. "Also given the crystal-like texture.. I'm going to go with part Rock as well."

"Delusion? Delusion!? Look around you! Look at this beautiful world I have come to. And you want me to go back to that?" With this line from Lusamine, Aubrey would speak up.

"Think, Lusamine, think! You originally were researching the Ultra Beasts to save your husband! And now you're going to be lost in Ultra Space just like he was!" The older ranger sternly stated.

Lillie shook her head. "You always do that...it's just like it was back at Aether Paradise. Only thinking of yourself and what you wanted..." She frowned. Aubrey seemed to get the idea that maybe this wasn't Lusamine's first interaction with Nihilego.

"What...? And why shouldn't I?" The president asked. "I can live here in a world filled with the things I can love!"

It was at this point Lillie would cut her mother off. "Your definition of 'love' is grossly wrong, Mother! Pokemon and children are not just THINGS that belong to you as material objects! Pokemon are not just THINGS that a trainer can do with as they please! Just like you and me, children and Pokemon have feelings and are very much alive! We are more than just material possessions that you can throw away when you're bored with them! So in summary, Mother, we are far more than things for you or anyone to collect!"

This would get Lusamine to stand up in thought. "Hmm. You think I'm terrible based on that description alone? How does that make me any different from Jake? After all, if he has no use for a Pokemon, he'll just discard it into a PC box and carry on with his day. And what about your ranger friends over there? After a Pokemon is done helping them, they'll just cast them aside without a care in the world."

It would seem that, in Lillie's eyes, Lusamine's commentary struck a collective nerve among her companions.

"Ohhohohohoh...that's rich from Miss Living Sculpture Garden. My Pokemon stay in a Hoenn reserve and are taken care of by my friends and family. You never let them go free!" Jake growled angrily. "They have had their journeys, they take their rest, they are allowed to be free and in good hands. You think that I cast them aside, and that just goes to show you've lost your touch as a Pokemon specialist, Lusamine. To hell with your Ultra Beasts too. Worshipping only a select group of freakazoids and abandoning and treating all other Pokemon as inferiors!" He waved his hand dismissively to show how hypocritical Lusamine had been.

"...To suggest...that rangers only cast aside Pokemon after they're done helping us like they mean nothing to us...shows how you know jack shit about us!" Aubrey hissed. "I don't know how far up your rear end that head of yours is from all the neurotoxins dancing a jig up there, but I can say beyond certainty that maybe you were a nice mom before. But that changed when your 'beautiful' Nihilego's poisons warped you into this cruel, selfish bitch that you are before us! I'm still gonna go through the effort to save you lady, but know that I'm not gonna give you any sort of mercy to snap you out of your grand delusions!"

"Brey pretty much summed up everything I had on my mind," Vanessa added, glaring. "We're taking you out of this 'perfect world' of yours kicking and screaming if we have to."

"Bah! Enough with this useless talk, Lillie!" Lusamine snapped. "I will never forgive you for stealing Cosmog from me! Never! Back when you were a little girl, you were always so beautiful...but now, you've changed. Ever since you met these people, you've become ugly. Jake! You hateful little trainer! Aubrey, Vanessa...you vile rangers...I will not let you get away with this unopposed! I'll show you how wrong you were to come here!"

With a Beast Ball in hand, she would toss it upwards, revealing a Nihilego of her own descending down upon her. What happened next...the group was not ready for it.

"Whatever. Brawn over Beauty wins every time." Jake taunted.

After a bright flash, Lusamine had taken on a...monstrous form, clearly taking inspiration from the very beast she had claimed to love.

"Did...did she just fuse with that thing?" Aubrey took a step back in surprise.

"What in the name of the Distortion World is this?!" Vanessa exclaimed in shock.

"That's like some kind of dark magical girl transformation if I had to compare... this must be what a full-blown possession looks like!" Jake paled.

Lillie could only whimper. "M-Mother?" She got out.

With a few Nihilego coming to the fray, Aubrey was trying to think of what to do in this situation...and looking at her Styler, she seemed to remember something. Back to her first visit to the Aether Paradise.

"Hey...Jake? Remember how I was able to deal with Nihilego back at Aether Paradise?" She asked in a low voice.

"Sheesh that was a long time ago...but I know you used the environment to your advantage and neutralized the poison trails." Jake said as he prepared to summon his first Pokemon.

"Yeah..." Seeing Lusamine taking two Poke Balls, she'd hand over Don's Poke Ball to Vanessa, taking into account that her Mudsdale would be extremely effective against the supposed Rock/Poison type beasts. "Van, take Don and keep those things off us. Do not let them harm a hair on Lillie's head. Lillie, stick with Van. Jake, with me." The older ranger was quick to dole out a plan, taking Erwing's Poke Ball as the president's leads would be Clefable and Lopunny, but they had their own auras, just like the Totems.

"On it." Vanessa nodded in understanding.

"What are you planning, Aubrey?" Lillie asked, sticking close to Vanessa.

"Trust me. It's a long shot, but...if it worked then, it'll work now," Aubrey did her best to assure Lillie she had everything under control.

Jake summoned a recently healed Dew, the spider looking uncharacteristically aghast at Lusamine's horrific appearance.

"I know she looks like nightmare fuel incarnate but this is for Lillie's sake and to unbind her from those jellyfish monsters. We need you, Dew!" Jake urged. Dew nodded, his composure regathered and he smirked at the chance to finally beat these supposed infamous Ultra Beasts himself.

Erwing meanwhile, was startled by what Aubrey was calling him out to fight, but calmed down upon realizing that he only needed to face her Pokemon. "We got this, buddy. Show her what the true meaning of love is!"

"Cro!" Erwing valiantly declared.

This final showdown with the president of Aether was now on.

"Now pin her in place with Spider Web!" Jake commanded.

"Araquanid!" Dew called out as he spewed out a layer of webbing on the mad Aether President. Unfortunately, this wouldn't work as a powerful blast of poison melted the Spider Web attack. Clefable would set up with Cosmic Power, and Lopunny would go to try and capitalize on this with a Thunder Punch. This forced Erwing to intercept the Lopunny with a Cross Poison attack.

"Jake, we gotta take her on in a double battle! Trust me on this one!" Aubrey exclaimed, as he would now notice what her plan was all about - she had sneakily flicked out her Capture Disc and was making a move to start looping it around Lusamine.

"Okay then, deal with her Pokemon first. Understood, Aubs! Dew, Infestation now!" Dew sent out a wave of bugs to pelter and bother both Clefable and Lopunny, leaving them distracted and forced to deal with them.

With the Infestation up, Lopunny was definitely feeling the pain as it worked to try and shake off the Infestation. Clefable on the other hand was able to fight through it and launch a Hyper Voice attack at the pair.

"Shut that up with another Cross Poison, Erwing!" Aubrey encouraged. He'd race in to strike Clefable, doing some decent damage and making the Fairy type glow purple from poisoning.

"Follow up with a Lunge!" Dew, with rapid speed, flung itself at Lopunny and striked it with his legs, sending Lopunny crashing to the ground. While Lopunny was dealt with, Clefable would try for Psychic on Erwing. Aubrey noticed it wasn't taking damage from the poison or Infestation.

"Wait, why is it...it has Magic Guard," The ranger called out, seeing Lusamine send in her Milotic next. She needed to do something about this and fast. "Erwing, U-Turn out of there!" She ordered, the Crobat going for the attack to do some much needed chip to Clefable, who was healing off some damage with Moonlight.

With Erwing back in his ball, Aubrey would call out Nom next. "Nom, we need you badly!" She exclaimed.

Her Vikavolt wasn't the least bit intimidated by what was before her. Oh no, she was fully prepared to bring this thing down.

"Dew, return. Come on out, Forrest!" Jake made a quick switch to adjust for the new Pokemon. Forrest appeared and looked disgusted at Lusamine's new appearance but it only strengthened his resolve. He would not let this heinous Ultra Beast abuse this poor woman anymore and free her from this curse.

"Leaf Blade the Milotic now!" Forrest nodded and with swift grace, mounted into the sky before coming down on the Milotic with a grass energy-enhanced wing.

"Team up on it with Thunderbolt, Nom!" Aubrey added. Nom gladly did that, her read on what to switch into being right, as Milotic was only able to get off a single Icy Wind before being battered by both supereffective attacks. Clefable, now healed up, would waggle its fingers around for a Metronome attack.

Forrest took the Icy Wind and groaned in pain as he nursed his wing but was glad to have finished another Pokemon off. Rain started to fall in the arena with Milotic having gone down, out next being Lusamine's Mismagius. The Clefable was still up, despite Nom's best efforts, as it would be harassing Forrest with a Moonblast attack that was used as a danmaku sort of volley for him to deal with.

Forrest smirked and avoided the Moonblast volley by shifting into the Shadows before once again reappearing, this time to strike Mismagius from the side, and knock the opposing Ghost-type into Clefable. Shadow Sneak's utility clearly comes in clutch.

With Forrest being so close, they traded Ghost type attacks with one another, Mismagius still standing relatively strong.

"Ugh, this isn't working..." Aubrey groaned. She needed some answer to deal with this Clefable...and she may have had one in mind. "Nom, come on back. I need to try something..."

"Vika!" Nom was fine with coming back.

"Okay...Roark, we really need you here, buddy!" Aubrey called out her Rampardos next.

Roark took one look at the Motherbeast and roared, as if to say 'You don't scare me!'

"Smash through that Clefable with Zen Headbutt!" The older ranger ordered.

It was at this moment Lusamine started to notice the effects of Aubrey's loops. "...What?" She seemed puzzled at first, wondering where this warm feeling was coming from, only to look down and see the Capture Disc. "What the-?! Get away from me!" She tried swatting the Disc away, but to no avail as it would move back.

"Van, how are you holding up?" Aubrey called.

Vanessa would merely gesture to a considerable group of either KO'd or pacified Nihilego. "Does that answer your question?"

"...Yeah. I guess it does," Aubrey responded, Don letting out a bored huff. He was expecting the Nihilego to put up more of a fight.

Forrest cried out and crashed onto the ground in pain, knocked out by taking two super effective hits. "Dang it! AT least that's only one down... we'll finish the job Forrest! Belle, long time no see but it's finally time!" Jake summoned his Chandelure after returning Forrest.

Belle looked brave and hopeful, not even flinching at the sight of Lusamine. All she wanted was a chance to finally fight again and now she got her chance. She sent out a massive Shadow Ball flying towards the Mismagius.

Mismagius was barely able to hang on, having one more trick up its sleeve - it went and used Pain Split, but Clefable wasn't taken into account, having been floored by Roark's heavy hitting Zen Headbutt.

"Hah! Like that'll stop me!" Jake tossed a Hyper Potion to heal up Belle before Belle finished Mismagius off with another Shadow Ball. "Running out of beautiful Pokemon to fight us with, aren't ye Nihilego?"

Lusamine hissed, managing to swat away Aubrey's Capture Disc for considerable damage.

"Crap...Van, a little help here?" Aubrey called out Nom again to give her a quick charge.

"I'm not giving up yet, you brats!" Lusamine hissed, now sending out her admittedly, final two Pokemon - Lilligant, and Bewear. And right away, a strong Petal Dance was enough to put Roark down for the count.

"Roark!" Aubrey exclaimed. After Nom had charged her trainer's Styler, she would jump back in the battle, clearly annoyed by the Lilligant. Belle also looked offended by Roark being downed and sent a blazing Inferno flying towards Lilligant and Bewear.

Lilligant was narrowly able to get out of the way of the Inferno, but Bewear wasn't as lucky, getting Burned and wincing from the attack. Nom would chase down Lilligant, clawing away at it with repeated swings of X-Scissor. Seeing that Bewear was burned, Belle followed up with a concentrated Flamethrower that fried the Bewear to a crisp and knocked it down.

With her Pokedown down, Lusamine was clearly in a state of a last stand. "Grrrrrrr..."

"Nom, come on back. Poke Assists are what we need here," Aubrey stated, recalling her Vikavolt.

Cornered, Lusamine's best attempts would be to attack the group with a powerful Poison attack...only to get interrupted by Don, who wasn't having any of that, with a Heavy Slam!

"Breyyyyyy!" He cried.

"He's giving us an opening! Van, now! Let's complete this capture and separate Nihilego from Lusamine!" Aubrey exclaimed. With the Rain Dance fully fading away now, there was little left to the imagination as to how this battle would go.

"On it! Gyarados, give 'em a taste of Waterfall!" Vanessa ordered.

Both attacks landed flush, Lusamine screaming out as the rangers did their speedy work with their Capture Stylers.

"What...what are you doing!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Lusamine cried out.

"WE'RE SAVING YOU FROM YOURSELF!" Aubrey yelled.

"Giving you a much-needed epiphany and bringing you back home!" Jake declared powerfully with Belle nodding beside him.

Despite it seeming like a long shot, after enough effort from both rangers, a white light would envelop the beast as it looked like it worked - Nihilego separated itself from Lusamine, leaving the president to fall to the ground. Aubrey would rush out to catch her before she hit the ground, however, looking relieved.

"Capture...complete." The older ranger breathed. It was a lot tougher than it looked to both manage a Double Battle and capture like that, but by some miracle, it managed to work.

Lillie ran over to her mother, who was barely conscious from all this. "Mother...Aubrey, you...you all worked a miracle..."

"...Lillie?" A bit of her sanity had returned with Lusamine recognizing Lillie's voice. "When did you become...so beautiful...?" That was all she had to say before passing out.

"Whew." Vanessa wiped her brow. "That looked tough."

"Managing a double battle and attempting a capture is tough, Van," Aubrey frowned, checking Lusamine for a pulse. "I didn't think it would work at one point but...we pulled through."

Lillie looked on, worried. "Is she...?"

"She's alive," The older ranger reported. "But she won't be for too long without treatment. Let's grab Guzma and get out of here."

"Agreed. This is not what I envisioned as an 'Under the Sea' fantasy, and it's not better down where it's wetter in this case." Jake winced. "Who'd like to carry Lusamine?"

"I'm already carrying her, so I'll do it," Aubrey offered.

After they had grabbed Guzma on the way out, Nebby would take them back to the Altar of the Sunne, where the sun was setting by the time they got back. Hapu was there, and Mina was too.

"You're back! And I see you succeeded in what you wanted to do," Hapu said, noticing Lusamine's condition. "But we need to get her help..."

"I saw that there was a crazy light's show going on here, so I wanted to see what it was all about..." Mina added. "What happened?"

"You would probably have a hard time believing it," Vanessa told Mina.

"Oh...well, you can tell me later. Right now we gotta get this lady to a doctor," The artist commented. "You know any we can take her to?"

"Let's just say there's a reason to be scared pantless by the Ultra Beasts. They took Lusamine and nearly ruined her whole life, mind, and body. It's for the best that we don't mess around with them anymore," Jake explained. "Any Pokemon Center would do, I think. Otherwise maybe her own Aether headquarters has a medical area."

"Yeah…" Vanessa then looked like she had an idea. "Oh darn it...we should have grabbed one of those Ultra Beasts...we could have tried to make an anti-venom from it's poison."

"I would think that the Aether Foundation already has something like that," Lillie mentioned. "After all...they were studying the Ultra Beasts pretty intensely. I remember Wicke saying something like that."

Mina herself had an idea too. "Hey...is that big boat at the Seafolk Village yours, by any chance?" She asked the rangers.

Yes it is," Vanessa confirmed. "It belongs to the Union but not us personally."

"Should we bring Lusamine there?" Hapu wondered.

"Probably for the best..." Mina would be fishing through her art supplies, getting a large canvas out. "Maybe we can get her there with a Flying type Pokemon carrying her on this?"

"You mean a makeshift stretcher?" Aubrey's mind was running with this idea. "Hold on, lemme see if I have any spare rope for Skarmory to hold on to..."

"Oh I can use Dew's webbing I think! It should be strong enough." Jake snapped his fingers as an idea came to mind.

"Well c'mon, help a girl out here!" Aubrey requested.

With the three of them working together, Skarmory would have a makeshift stretcher for Lusamine to lay on made out of a painting canvas and Dew's webbing.

"Alright, you know where to take her, right buddy?" The older ranger asked.

"Skarrrr!" Skarmory confirmed, taking off towards the Union's ship. Dew did a dab out of victory and pride of being able to help Lusamine out and stick it to the Ultra Beasts.

"Yeah, you did good Dew." Jake chuckled. "And so ends that conundrum for good."

"Tell me about it..." Lillie sighed with relief.

Hapu and Guzma would see themselves out, leaving Mina with the group.

"Well, I got something I wanted to say to you...but I think I'll wait till your legendary friend is done before I do," Mina mentioned.

"Oh right Nebby. Thank you so much. You did a whole awful lot for us and for Lillie when you didn't have to. You are a champion in our eyes," Jake congratulated Nebby sincerely.

"Yeah, you were awesome!" Vanessa added with a smile.

"Yeah...Nebby..." Lillie looked a bit teary-eyed from the whole ordeal, mainly relieved that her mother was more than likely going to make it. "All I ever wanted to do was to help you get back to your own home. But instead, you helped me over and over again." She smiled, wiping a tear from her eye. "Thank you...thank you for everything..."

"La-a-aa!" Nebby roared in response, happy to have helped her. But he had something else on his mind with a telling look.

"What is it?" Lillie had a puzzled expression. After hearing Nebby speak again, it was clear what he wanted. "Shall I guess what it is you're trying to tell us? You...you want to keep on traveling together with Aubrey and I, don't you?"

Nebby would give a bit of a nod, but a roar that let her know she was only half right. He gave a telling gaze towards Aubrey, who was surprised by this.

"Wait, you wanna...with me? Are you sure, big guy?" Aubrey nervously chuckled. "But...why with me, and not with Lillie? I don't get it."

Jake gasped dramatically and even Dew looked surprisingly caught off-guard by this. "Araq...?"

"Aubrey...I think I know why," Lillie spoke up. "I think the reason why is, well...even if we've only known each other for a week, every time I was in trouble, you were always there for me. No matter how dangerous it was, you never hesitated to step in and stand strong. Just like how Nebby was there for me."

"A metaphorical passing of the torch..." Jake realized.

"Huh...didn't think of it like that..." Aubrey rubbed the back of her head. "Even if it was just like, a week, we've done so much, accomplished a lot, and met all sorts of cool people here. I can't fault you for wanting to see the rest of the world. Kinda like how I do..."

Nebby roared in approval.

"Well, how about it, Aubrey? Nebby really does want to see the world outside Alola, and given that you're a Top Ranger and all, no doubt you're gonna see a bunch of cool places!" Lillie smiled.

"Yeah...yeah, I can work with that," The older ranger was open to this. "Alright!" She'd produce not just a regular old Poke Ball, but instead a Luxury Ball. "It'd be my honor to have you along, big guy."

Solgaleo would bow his head, letting himself be caught inside.

"Heck yeah! We got the power of two Legendaries and a whole lot of moral uplifting on our side! We're unstoppable!" Jake did an elegant pirouette before ending in a peace-sign pose, Dew dabbing twice in sync with his trainer.

Lillie would get misty-eyed again. "Nebby...Nebby, you belong with Aubrey now. She will be the one to raise you. Just like any parent would raise you. She will be your mother now." The young lass would be doing her best to fight back tears. "I may not have been able to do anything for you that day, but...I'm glad I took you with me. So go with Aubrey and see the world! Have battles against strong Pokemon where you can use your full power. Because, I...I need to go check on my own mother now." She'd look at her companions. "Aubrey...Jake...Vanessa...you've all done so much for me, I...I don't think I'll ever forget the time we shared together, both the ups and downs."

"It'll be hard to forget someone like you, Lillie," Aubrey remarked, patting her on the shoulder.

"Yeah." Vanessa smiled. "You made things interesting this past week and that is just from me getting told stuff."

"Wait... you're leaving...?" Jake now looked sad and distraught. "I mean... so suddenly Lillie...? B-but... are you sure you don't w-want to keep going and see what we see through to the end...?" Jake teared up, feeling emotionally overcome. This sweet, courageous, caring, and ever-evolving girl who he thought of like a little sister was going to leave the nest that he and Aubrey had built for her and he wasn't sure about departing yet. Her company was so rare, so special, and truly made the journey feel so much more memorable and rewarding.

"Jake, I know you enjoyed my company, but..." Lillie sniffed. "I know you'll be fine. I have so much of my own thinking I need to do. Once I make sure that everything's going to be okay with my own family, I'm...I'm planning on becoming a trainer like you. The way you've battled with your Pokemon, all of you, it's been a big inspiration to me."

Jake sniffled and summoned all of his Pokemon on hand. Avenger, Belle, Morality, the recently healed Forrest, and Byron. They all knew what this meant when they saw Lillie's resolute if bittersweet expression. They all gently came to her side and gave her a kind hug - or in Belle's case, floated overhead to shower her with warmth - as they also sadly cried out their goodbyes.

"I know that one day, you will not only become a Champion, you will attain a level of prestige most Pokemon Trainers could only dream of. Keep us posted, Lillie," Jake softly said as he wiped his tears.

"It won't be easy...but I'm sure I can do it," Lillie responded. "I wish you both the best in finishing your island trials. And...Vanessa? Keep them safe for me, will you?"

"I will. You know I will," Vanessa vowed.

"Thank you..." With one last hug goodbye to the trio, Lillie would head out on her way, Mina smiling.

"Well. I think that got wrapped up nicely," The artist mused. "Anyway...I finally figured out my trial, and wanted to come by to tell you. But...I'll have it ready by tomorrow morning. Is that okay? You can crash at my place for the night."

"That'd be really nice of you Mina. Thank you." Jake said.

"Alright. If you don't mind following me..." Mina would lead them out from the altar to her place in Seafolk Village.

Some time later, the trio would be at Mina's houseboat, which had the styling of a Whiscash, being treated to a hearty dinner by the artist's folks.

"Well you got a really nice set-up here, Mina. I can see you take after the floating restaurant." Jake complimented the artist as he enjoyed his hard-earned meal.

"Yes, very very tasty," Vanessa mused.

"Thanks, guys," Mina mused. "Though I'm usually wandering around looking for good stuff to paint. Whenever I'm home I just stuff my belly with food and head out."

"That's...interesting," Aubrey blinked.

"So you are the adventurous sort," The Hoenn trainer theorized.

"Yup...when I was younger, my Snubbull destroyed one of my art pieces," Mina continued. "I thought he believed it wasn't good enough...so I'm always looking to improve my craft."

"... Ah." Jake sweat dropped and sipped his tea.

"Welp, I'm gonna go get in contact with a couple people real quick. I'll be back." Mina would head outside the house, leaving Jake and the rangers to chat among themselves.

"Y'know...I just realized something," Aubrey commented. "I think tomorrow's gonna be like, my last day of vacation here. Because we've got Mina's trial and then the League and...I think we're more or less done here."

Jake frowned and even Forrest looked serious upon hearing Aubrey's words. "...Then...you'll leave huh?" Jake frowned.

"Well, Van and I still have a duty to do, don't we?" Aubrey responded. "But it's not gonna be goodbye from me forever, Jake. I've still got your wedding to attend, after all."

"Aww..." Jake blushed and smiled at that. "That is true... it's just going to be surreal being apart from such a diligent, incredible, kind-hearted person such as yourself now that we've been traveling together for so long."

"Yeah, I'm sure we will see each other around. We rangers end up everywhere," Vanessa assured.

"And...depending on how the League goes. it'd be lonely for either of us being apart. I'm really going to miss this crazy region that I love so deeply now." Jake admitted, crossing a leg over the other. "Of course I'll see if my husband-to-be is up for a honeymoon here and maybe a future move but it'll still be so different. Maybe I'll never readapt to Hoenn and find it boring as Krabby. Hehehe."

"I mean, isn't Hoenn tropical like Alola? Climate wise, it might not feel like you left Alola!" Aubrey tried to lighten the mood about that. "And...it's not like I won't miss ya. This whole vacation of mine would've been a lot different without your energy around, man."

"Same for your ability to keep me from getting killed." Jake patted Aubrey on the shoulder similar to how she did for Lillie.

Vanessa couldn't help but smile. "Ah, I love friendship."

"Plus, you helped me make Mega Evolution get hopefully a renaissance here, that's more than I could ever hoped or imagined happening here. Now it won't be seen so harshly or as harshly anymore," The Hoenn trainer added.

"True! On both accounts!" Aubrey mused. "It's a beautiful thing. Maybe now Mega Evolution can be more widely accepted, both in and out of Alola."

"Yeah! And Pokemon will only be loved more from here on out!" Jake grinned and Forrest nodded with a satisfied smile. Around this time, Aubrey's Skarmory would return with a proud expression.

"Hey Skarmory! What's the word?" The older ranger asked.

"Skarr...skarmor!" Skarmory reported, causing Aubrey to light up.

"Yes! That's a massive load off my shoulders..." She cheered. It was clear to the other two what was said.

"Yeah! I mean, she wasn't giving death flag vibes anyway so I knew she'd be ok." Jake nodded. "It was all thanks to us."

"Whew...that is good news," Vanessa sounded happy about that news.

She'd see that there was a report in Skarmory's wings, taking and looking it over. "Ah...so Mina's air ambulance idea was the difference between Lusamine making it and not having enough time. So yeah, thanks to us we got the doctors to Lusamine in time."

"Well, we will have to tell Mina that tomorrow," Vanessa noted.

"For sure," Jake agreed.

"Tell me about it..." With her dinner finished, Aubrey stretched her arms. "Alright...I think I'm gonna chill a bit before bed. Tomorrow's gonna be crazy."

"Yeah, it probably will," The younger ranger chuckled.

"May the best man or woman win." Jake joked.

"I'm not sure if I can beat a veteran trainer like you, man...but I'll give it my best shot!" Aubrey stood up, heading to the spot she'd be laying down for the night near Mina's art supplies.

As she settled down, she looked out the window at the starry night sky. This was really it, huh? Tomorrow was the final day of her time off here in Alola, and to think the championship was within reach. Everything she ever dreamed about having as a child was right there in front of her, and it got her thinking: 'Do I really want to try and finally realize my dreams?'

It was a hard question for her to find the answer to. On one hand, she didn't want to abandon her partner and her responsibilities, but on the other hand, everything she had ever wanted was finally being realized, and she enjoyed the feeling of being a trainer. All of this weighed on her mind as she settled in for the night.

Jake took a peaceful sleep on the couch and had to stop and think about everything. He had conquered a lot of lingering doubts and biases towards Alola through this journey and now he felt a strong and special attachment to this island paradise he never fathomed having. The fashion, the people, the locales, the stories, the Pokemon, everything felt wondrous and incredible to him even with the occasional creepy factor.

He did feel slight twinges of sadness and regret that Lillie and Aubrey couldn't stay a part of his life forever but he knew he would come to peace with it. That was one of the many aspects of life after all, things come and go but there's happiness in the sheer fact they happened. Now he had to really brace himself for a big battle against Aubrey up ahead and the trial before then.

As tempting as it would be to keep Morality around, he knew Hazel deserved to be a part of his endgame team the same way Aubrey caught all her Pokemon from scratch. With this last positive thought and a "Good night, Forrest", he and his Pokemon went to dreamland.

(That feeling when you have Mina of all people be the one that is the difference between Lusamine living or dying. It's a weird feeling, but she deserves to do something awesome since the vanilla game just had her exist. At least that's in character for her.

Next time, THE FINAL DAY IS UPON US. After the Final Day, we'll have two post-game missions and this story is complete! I will have a shout-out to give at the end of it, though I won't say who it's for since I wanna keep it a surprise till the main story is done. Bye for now!)