Shortly after everyone went inside the Aether House, Kukui made some calls to the kahunas. He first talked with Nanu, who told him that a few Ultra Beasts had invaded Malie City. When Grimsley heard that, his stomach dropped. It sounded like he and Acerola were fine though, so that was a relief.

Right now Kukui was on a conference call with Hala and Olivia through his tablet, Grimsley and Kahili standing behind him while he spoke with them. Both kahunas had also dealt with some Ultra Beasts on their respective islands.

"So you went against an Ultra Beast that can have its head explode?" Hala said in shock through the tablet. He was in his room while Olivia was inside her jewelry shop. "Sounds like the same one my grandson and I ran into earlier."

"If that's the case, then there's probably more of those," Kukui said, and Hala hummed in agreement.

"Hau, Ilima, and several other strong trainers are preparing in case another Ultra Beast invasion comes."

"My captains and I are doing the same," Olivia said. "How about Nanu and Hapu? Have you heard from them yet?"

"I wasn't able to reach Hapu yet, but I did talk with Nanu earlier. Some Ultra Beasts were running around Malie City."

"So the Ultra Beasts had also landed on Ula'ula, too?" Hala shook his head. "This is far worse than I thought."

"Tell me about it. He and Acerola are on their way to Aether House now."

"That's good to hear," Olivia said. "I have to go back to work, I'll keep you posted."

"I need to head out myself and speak with Hau and Ilima on our next plan of action," Hala said.

"Thanks, you two for taking the time to speak with me." After Kukui ended the conference call, he put the tablet back on the receptionist desk and faced Kahili and Grimsley. "The kahunas are having their hands full with the Ultra Beasts right now."

"That's really bad," Kahili said as she crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. "They mentioned they're having strong trainers help them?"

"They did, yeah. I'm afraid that more Ultra Beasts will come and overwhelm everyone."

"Those alien Pokémon were super scary," Gracie said with her head down. She sat on one of the sofas, holding her Yungoos.

"I don't like those things either," Hunter said. He and Elekid also sat on the same sofa as Gracie and her Pokémon. "They look like they can eat us for sure!"

Grimsley frowned upon hearing the children's statements. He didn't blame them for being frightened as he was caught off-guard himself.

In that instant, the door automatically opened. Grimsley turned to see Nanu and Acerola stepped inside.

"Acerola!" Both Gracie and Hunter screamed in joy. They hurried to her, and Acerola greeted them with an embrace.

"Are you two all right?" she asked before letting them go.

"We are," Hunter said. "Professor Kukui, Uncle Grimsley, and Aunt Kahili took care of those scary Pokémon."

"Well, you guys are safe and that's all that matters." Acerola had her hands on her sides and glanced around the room. "Uncle Nanu and I need a moment alone with everyone."

The children nodded in understanding. They picked up their Pokémon and went to their room. Kukui approached Nanu and Acerola.

"I talked with Olivia and Hala earlier. Akala and Melemele Island also got hit hard with the Ultra Beasts."

"Really?" Nanu groaned and scratched the back of his head. "Those Ultra Beasts love being pests, huh."

"After Kukui called you, he told me and Kahili about it," Grimsley said. "I'm glad that you and Acerola are safe, though."

Nanu raised a confused brow and snorted. "Are you really worried about me? Or is it because you're afraid our battle would be delayed?"

Grimsley grimaced and he gave him a stern look. "I was seriously worried, especially with Alola now having a crisis."

"So what happens now?" Kahili asked.

"I know a couple of people that can help us. They should be staying at Aether's headquarters now."

"I can lend you my tablet and have you contact them."

Kukui grabbed his tablet and gave it to him. Nanu opened a call conference application, punched a phone number, and the screen lit up showing Looker, Anabel, and Wicke.

"Nanu!" Looker said in surprise. "We are in a dire situation here!"

"If it's about how the Ultra Beasts are running amok, I already know. I went against a few of them in Malie City earlier."

"We just found out about that from the data Professor Burnet sent to Aether," Wicke said. "Several other cities have been targeted."

"Ah, so you're the Assistant Branch Chief Wicke that Magnolia had told me a lot about, yeah," Kukui said, flashing her a grin. "I'm her husband, Professor Kukui."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Wicke said, returning a grin of her own. "She tells me nothing but great things about you!"

"Oh, has she?" Kukui rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks flushing. His face turned back to serious when he continued, "Anyways, I noticed you have some company with you."

"Ah, yes!" Wicke gave a quick glance at Looker and Anabel, the both of them nodding at her. "They're agents Looker and Anabel from the International Police. Aether has been working with them on the Ultra Beasts."

"Nice to meet the both of you." Kukui looked over his shoulder at Grimsley, Kahili, and Acerola. "Besides Nanu, I have three other exceptional trainers with me, yeah!" he said, pointing at them.

"Fantastico!" Looker said. When he spotted Grimsley, his grin widened. "I noticed that Grimsley is one of those trainers! We've met quite a few times before."

"It's nice to see you too, Looker," Grimsley said in an indifferent tone. At that moment, he wondered how the Ultra Beasts came to Alola in the first place. "You know what caused the Ultra Beasts to suddenly appear?"

"Selene and Lillie went to the Altar of the Sunne with some supervision," Anabel said. "After they played the Moone and Sunne flutes, Aether's President Lusamine Jubert and Team Skull leader Guzma fell out from a wormhole."

"The legendary Pokémon Solagelo and another strange Pokémon appeared in addition to that," Looker continued. "The two Pokémon got fused, and that was what caused so many Ultra Beasts to pop up."

Acerola gasped with her hand close to her lips. "Wait, Solagelo? Strange Pokémon? I never thought those Alolan tales would come true."

"Alola's Light, right?" Nanu asked with a raised brow. Grimsley stared at him, surprised that he knew of that story.

"Ah huh. According to the story, Lunala, Solgaleo, and a third Pokémon called the 'Blinding One' showered Alola with light. After the Blinding One used up all of their light, Lunala and Solgaleo shared their light with them, and then the Pokémon flew back to their original home."

"Yeah, you told me that story a bunch of times before." Nanu turned back to the screen. "You mentioned that the girls had some supervision. Who else was with them?"

"Trial captain Mina and Kahuna Hapu were accompanying them through Poni Vast Canyon," Wicke said. "They then met with Dr. Colress Antimony and he joined them."

Upon hearing Colress's name, Grimsley's stomach dropped. "I'm not sure that was such a good idea having him with them."

The two agents exchanged brief glances at each other, and then Anabel spoke. "Looker and I understand your concern as we haven't forgotten what you told us about him. He confirmed with us that he's working on a device to take care of the Pokémon from the Ultra Recon Squad's planet, Ultra Megalopolis."

"It was Selene that convinced us that his machine is the key to unfuse Solagelo and the other Pokémon. That other planet the chief mentioned is where Lillie and Selene are right now."

"Hold up," Kahili said with a furrowed brow. "You're telling us a mysterious Pokémon is the cause of all the Ultra Beasts all over Alola? And that Lillie and Selene are in another world?"

"Essentially, yes," Anabel said with a nod. "Mina and Colress are with the girls and are keeping us up to date on what's going on at Ultra Megalopolis."

"What about Lusamine and Guzma?" Kukui asked. "Are they okay?"

"Hapu is taking them to the Pokémon Center in Seafolk Village right now," Wicke said. "They should be fine, though."

Frowning, Acerola said, "I'm guessing the Ultra Beasts must be stopped somehow. Is there a way to do that without killing them?"

"The most humane procedure is to capture them with a special pokéball called the Beast Ball," Anabel said. "Both Aether and the Ultra Recon Squad have been working on that project for a while now and just recently began testing them."

"That does sound like the best approach there," Kahili said. "How are we gonna acquire those Beast Balls, though?"

"Um, if I may jump in," someone said. Everyone turned to see Becky and Headmaster, the Oranguru joining the group. While Kukui was busy talking to the kahunas, she made some contacts of her own. "Aether has recently given its employees the Beast Balls in case something like this happens. I have them here, hold on."

Becky gazed up at Headmaster, who grunted and headed towards the receptionist desk. Shortly afterward, he returned with a box and opened it to reveal the blue pokéball-like devices. Grimsley recognized those were the same ones Dulse had used for the Ultra Beast Adhesive.

"Oh, I've seen those balls before!" Acerola said, beaming. "That Dulse guy had one with him!"

A grin stretched across Looker's face. "Ms. Wicke, Anabel, and I grant permission for you guys to have a Beast Ball with you as an extra precaution."

Once everyone grabbed a Beast Ball, Grimsley stared at his own. The ball's surface was cold against his palm. He put it away inside his bag while Anabel spoke.

"Looker, Lusamine's son Gladion, and I will be heading to Tapu Village to help the people there to safety. The other UB Task Force teams will help out on other islands."

"Tapu Village is very close to here, so I'll go there myself." Nanu paused, and then said, "Hey, Anabel. Do be careful out there, okay?"

Anabel's face fell and she gasped. Shortly after, a small smile formed on her lips. "I will, thank you. We'll see you soon."

As soon as Anabel hung up and the screen turned black, Nanu handed Kukui his tablet back and rubbed his eyes. Grimsley frowned, musing that the kahuna must be exhausted.

"So. Besides Nanu going to Tapu Village, what's next?" he asked.

"I'll contact Molayne and see if he'll watch over the observatory," Kukui said. "Kahili and I can watch over Malie City." He looked at Kahili, who gave him a nod of agreement.

"The rest of you should come with me to Tapu Village as it isn't safe here. Tapu Bulu will be joining us too."

Hearing Tapu Bulu's name caused Grimsley to tense and raised a brow. "Wait. Did you just say Tapu Bulu is here?"

"They are, yes!" Acerola cheerfully said with a raised fist. "Tapu Bulu is resting outside right now!"

Grimsley exchanged shocked looks with Becky, Kukui, and Kahili. He stepped out of the building with everyone else following behind.

Tapu Bulu was indeed outside, sleeping next to a nearby tree. Everyone cautiously gathered around the tapu and stared at them. With an amused grunt, Kukui grinned.

"I shouldn't be surprised Tapu Bulu is here. Olivia and Hala mentioned their respective tapus had helped out also."

"The last time I saw any of the tapus was when I became Island Champion," Kahili said. "They became spectators on my back-to-back matches against the kahunas."

Still staring at Tapu Bulu, Grimsley's breathing slowed. They looked just like the picture from the book he had read back in the library. He didn't expect to see the guardian of Ula'ula Island at all. The same could be said for Tapu Fini.

"Nanu and I both saw Tapu Fini when we were in Poni Island, though at different times."

Nanu snorted and put his hands inside his pocket. "Meeting with Tapu Fini was an experience, that's for sure. Anyways, I'll need to wake up Tapu Bulu now."

"You sure?" Acerola asked, frowning. "Looks like Tapu Bulu is resting up after their fight with the Ultra Beasts."

"I see your point, but we might need them when we head to Tapu Village." He approached Tapu Bulu, gently knocking on their shell with his fist. "Hey, Tapu Bulu. We're going to Tapu Village."

Several seconds passed until Tapu Bulu stirred from their sleep. They blinked and stared at Nanu briefly.

"Tapu... Bululu?"

"Yes, Tapu Village. I know we had passed there already, but Ultra Beasts had come here too and we need to bring everyone to higher ground. You're okay with that?"

Tapu Bulu seemed to regard Nanu's suggestion. After a moment, they offered an understanding hum and nodded.

"I can take us to Tapu Village in my jeep," Becky said. "The kids can stay with the villagers for a bit."

"Looks like we're settled on Kahili and me going to Malie City while everyone else heads to Tapu Village," Kukui said. "You guys stay safe, yeah?"

"Same goes for you and Kahili!" Acerola said, beaming.

After Kukui and Kahili gave her appreciative smiles, they pulled out their pokéballs. A Brivary and Mandibuzz were released, cawing and flapping their wings. They hopped onto the Pokémon and took off into the skies.

"You guys go ahead into the jeep while I'll go get the kids." Becky went back to the Aether House while everyone else did just that.

A heavy burden sunk inside Grimsley's stomach. Everything was moving at a fast pace, and he was certain it wouldn't slow down anytime soon.

xxx

Right after Becky had grabbed the children, she drove the jeep and took everyone to Tapu Village. Tapu Bulu followed, flying above them.

The first time Grimsley stepped foot in Tapu Village, his guide Hannah told him about Alolan forme Pokémon and the village's history. Upon arriving there were several white vans and helicopters parked outside the village. Some of the men and women were dressed in white Aether uniforms, the same one Becky was wearing. They escorted the panicked and confused villagers from their homes and into the helicopters.

"Are those people in white also working for Aether, Becky?" Gracie asked as she tugged her pants and gave her a sad look. Hunter wore a similar expression.

"They do, I recognized some of them." Beck offered the children a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, they're nice people. Come on."

"I'll come too!" Acerola said, raising her arm up.

As Becky and Acerola took the kids to one of the Aether employees, Grimsley looked around his surroundings. Looker, Anabel, and Gladion were nearby talking to each other. When Looker spotted him and Nanu, he grinned and waved at them.

"Grimsley, Nanu! So glad that you can make it!" he told them as they approached the group.

Grimsley grunted and said, "I noticed several Aether employees are here. Are they evacuating the people from here?"

"They are," Gladion said. "The people are being taken to Akala Island for shelter."

"Looks like you guys are wasting no time here, which is good." Nanu shifted his gaze away for a second, then he faced Anabel and Looker. "I need to talk with you two in private."

The two agents exchanged knowing glances, and then Anabel said, "Of course."

Grimsley watched as Nanu and his colleagues moved to a farther distance. He faced Gladion, who crossed his arms and gazed down.

"So..." Grimsley started, scratching the back of his neck. "I didn't expect you to come here."

Gladion looked up at him with an indifferent expression. "I was watching over Aether's headquarters while Wicke was away on Poni Island. When she returned with Agents Anabel and Looker, they asked me to join the UB Task Force."

"And you agreed to that easily?" Grimsley asked, raising a brow. That led Gladion to stare at him for a moment.

"Not exactly. You remember my Pokémon, Null, right? Well, the three knew about them. After a long discussion with them, they agreed to not take Null away from me and let me use them against the Ultra Beasts."

Grimsley rubbed on his chin, contemplating what Gladion had said. He had seen firsthand how strong Null was, but could they stand against an Ultra Beast? He'd wager that they could.

xxx

Nanu had taken Anabel and Looker just outside the Pokémon Center. He glanced and frowned at the Aether employees still escorting the people from their homes. While he rather had them be safe, it upset him that the Ultra Beasts made such a mess of things.

"Are you two all right?" he asked, facing back at his friends. Both had dark bags under their eyes.

"I'm a bit tired, but otherwise I'm fine." Anabel stopped to yawn. "The other UB Tasks Forces have been doing the same."

With a worried frown, Nanu said, "I know you guys have your hands full, but don't over-exhaust yourself." He looked over to see Becky, Acerola, and the children talking with two of the Aether employees. "So, Interpol is working with Aether, huh? I find it kinda ironic considering you guys have been keeping an eye on them."

"Your concerns over us working with Interpol are valid," Looker said. "However, Aether has some of the best technology that Interpol can take advantage of."

After regarding them for a moment, Nanu sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I guess you guys have no choice."

"Charlotte and Professor Burnet from the Dimensional Labs have been very helpful in tracking down the Ultra Wormholes." Anabel turned around and her eyes grew wide. "That is a Pokémon I don't think I've seen before."

"Huh?" Nanu also turned around to see several people gathering around Tapu Bulu. "Oh, that's Tapu Bulu. They joined my group, too."

"I noticed they have similar shells and markings as Tapu Fini," Looker said. "Are the two connected?"

"They are. Alola has these guardians called the tapu who then choose someone as the kahuna. Tapu Bulu and I are partners for life, kinda."

With a hum, Anabel gave a single nod. "Fascinating. Would you consider the tapu to be legendary Pokémon like Lunala and Solagelo?"

"They're all important in Alolan folklore, so yes I do." Nanu looked back at Tapu Bulu entertaining the crowd. The deity dropped a few seeds on the ground, and a large tree magically appeared. As everyone cheered at that, Nanu furrowed his brow and grunted.

At that moment, the sound of thunder boomed and Nanu's heart almost skipped a beat. He and everyone else gazed up to see the skies turning gray and two Ultra Wormholes appearing. Three Ultra Beasts popped up: two resembled an electric Christmas tree while another one had many smaller blocks stacked into a larger one on all fours. He and his friends exchanged tense looks.

"That's UB-03 Lightning and UB-08 Assembly," Looker said.

"UB-08? I don't remember us seeing that Ultra Beast." Nanu had remembered Lightning and how powerful their electric attacks were. This was his first time seeing Assembly, however.

"Assembly is a recent discovery," Anabel said. "We've determined that they have the same moves and biological components to rock and steel types."

Nanu grimaced, not thrilled at the possibility of more Ultra Beasts yet to be discovered. The two Lightning fired off electric currents that caused some of the trees to burst in flames while Assembly chased the screaming villagers away. He, Anabel, Gladion, Grimsley, and Acerola immediately released their own Pokémon: Krookodile, Pablo the Salamence, Null, Dice the Scrafty, and Pebbles the Palossand respectively. Pablo in particular wore a bracelet with the Salamencite on its front right leg.

"Ahhhh, it's those things again!" Hunter yelled as he and Gracie clung to each other.

"Becky, you and the kids go with the villagers!" Acerola called out urgently. After giving her a nod, Becky grabbed the children's hands and hurried off. The other Aether employees had also been trying to get the villagers to the helicopters.

Grimsley and Acerola had their Pokémon go against Lightning One. Dice attempted to slice the Ultra Beast with his claws infused in green flames, only for Lightning to dodge and kick him away. Acerola commanded Pebbles to splash sand onto Lightning's face, which she did. The sand got stuck on Lightning's face for a second before it wiped that out and shot a burst of electricity at Pebbles. That was too bad for the poor pest as Pebbles stood there unscratched due to her being immune to electric attacks.

Meanwhile, Gladion, Null, and Tapu Bulu focused on Lightning Two. Null's claws clashed with Lightning's hands that crackled with electric energy, and the two exchanged several blows with one another. Null dodged one of Lightning's punches and charged at its midsection at incredible speed. After the Ultra Beast recovered, it lashed its wires at Null, who backed away with whipped marks on their side. Tapu Bulu took that opportunity to ram into Lightning with their horn and pushed them away.

Believing the three had things taken care of, Nanu turned his attention to Assembly. The block-like Pokémon kept shooting hard rocks at Pablo, but the Salamence was able to dodge them and spat a flamethrower straight at one of Assembly's eyes in the middle of its stone-wall body. Nanu commanded Krookodile to use Earthquake, which he did by stomping on the ground several times and shaking the earth. A chasm opened up below Assembly and caused it to slip and fall down there.

"A great opportunity to catch Assembly now!" Looker pointed out.

"Right." Anabel pulled out a Beast Ball and threw it at Assembly. The Ultra Beast got sucked into the ball...

...And after two shakes, it popped out of the ball. Nanu, Anabel, and Looker jerked their heads back and gave out incredulous stares.

As Pablo and Krookodile approached closer, Assembly's eyes turned red and swung its arms around at them. Both Pokémon fell down but quickly got up. Krookodile jumped and grabbed Assembly's leg, sinking his teeth onto it. Assembly grunted in pain and shook Krookodile off.

"That thing looks like one tough cookie to beat," Nanu said as Assembly continued to be unfazed by Krookodile and Pablo's blows.

"I agree," Anabel said, gazing down at the pin with the keystone attached to her. "In that case, I'm going to need to Mega Evolve Pablo."

"Are you certain?" Looker asked in concern. "Mega Evolution can drain you more than you can handle."

A sad smile formed on Anabel's lips. "I understand why you're worried, but I can handle this."

His stomach sinking, Nanu couldn't help but feel the same. However, Anabel needed no one to babysit her. He offered her a lopsided grin.

"You're a grown woman, so I won't stop you. Just watch yourself, kid."

Anabel hummed. She gazed up at Pablo, who kept firing flames at Assembly.

"Pablo, I'm gonna need to increase your power. Are you ready to Mega Evolve?"

After dodging two flying rocks from Assembly, Pablo responded with an energetic cry. Anabel closed her eyes, inhaled, and touched the keystone. Golden light cascaded over Pablo and his body changed to his Mega form. His wings merged into one crescent-shaped wing, and his underbelly changed into an aerodynamic, vest armored frame. Nanu had seen Anabel Mega Evolved Pablo a couple of times before, but each time he couldn't take his eyes off his intimidating form.

Pablo let out a stream of green flames while Assembly countered it with a blast of steel energy. The two attacks collided, causing a small explosion between them. Assembly shot out several sharp rocks, only for Pablo to cut them in half with his wing. The dragon Pokémon fired off a Flamethrower, which hit and left a burnt mark on Assembly's head.

Assembly swung its leg at Krookodile once more, but the crocodile Pokémon dodged and swung his tail at its leg. The Ultra Beast flinched for a second, but then it jumped up and crashed down on Krookodile, trapping him inside. Nanu and Looker grimaced upon seeing that.

"Pablo, get Krookodile out of there!" Anabel called out.

With a roar, Pablo flew straight through Assembly at top speed. His crescent-shaped wing sliced half of its head, which dropped down with a heavy "thump". He grabbed Krookodile with his arms and dropped him down before flying back up. Assembly meanwhile moved like a blindfolded person, going in all directions.

Nanu watched Assembly closely before making his next move. His instincts were right when the sliced portion of Assembly's head exploded into several different lifeform pieces. They emerged with the rest of Assembly's body and its head regrew to normal—

—and Assembly turned towards Anabel.

"Run, Chief!" Looker shouted.

As Assembly got closer, Anabel gritted her teeth and fell to her knees. Nanu's throat grew dry, knowing that was the side effect of her being a Faller.

Sensing his trainer was in danger, Pablo swooped in and gathered Anabel as he did with Krookodile earlier. Nanu took this opportunity to have his Pokémon distract Assembly. Krookodile did so by grabbing onto Assembly's leg again and sinking his teeth, crackling with electric energy, there. A burst of electricity engulfed Assembly's body, and once Krookodile let go the Ultra Beast groaned and stumbled.

This time Nanu threw the Beast Ball. One shake, two shakes, three shakes...

Click.

Nanu wiped the sweat off his forehead and sighed in relief. He picked up the Beast Ball, feeling heavy under his palm. Looker, Anabel, and the Pokémon gathered around him.

"Assembly's capture is a success," Looker said.

Nanu gave the Ultra Ball to Looker and faced Anabel. "How about you, Anabel? Are you all right?"

"A little exhausted, but Pablo and I should still be able to help out with the rest of the Ultra Beasts." Behind her, Pablo growled in agreement.

Nanu turned to see everyone else still dealing with the Ultra Beasts. He didn't want to push Anabel too hard and for her to lure those Lightning either, but Pablo's Mega Evolution would only work with her around. While not as drained, her Pokémon also deserved some rest. He offered her a small smile.

"You've done enough today. You and Looker get started on researching Assembly while I go help the others."

After pondering Nanu's suggestion for a moment, Anabel nodded and hummed. "All right, good luck out there."

"Thank you." He turned to Krookodile. "You're ready to go, boy?"

Krookodile responded by roaring and raising his arms. Nanu grunted, and the two hurried off to where the other Ultra Beast invasion was taking place.

xxx

When the three Ultra Beasts landed in Tapu Village, Grimsley's stomach dropped. He and Acerola had their Pokémon focused on one of the Xurkitree, or so Gladion had told them its name. Xurkitree's electric attacks were useless against Pebbles due to her part-grounding typing, but it still was able to use other attacks to bypass that.

As Gladion and Tapu Bulu took care of the other Xurkitree, Grimsley was impressed at how powerful the tapu's horns and grass-type moves were and how much those could push back the electric-type Ultra Beast. Null was just as strong, their claws able to leave deep cuts on the Xurkitree's body.

Dice and Xurkitree had exchanged several blows with Dragon Claw and Power Whip respectively. Eventually, the Ultra Beast changed its tactics, fired off sparkling pink lights at Dice straight at his chest, and caused him to fall. A lump formed inside Grimsley's throat, aware Scrafty in general wasn't able to stand fairy-type attacks that well. Pebbles spat out purple sludge at the Ultra Beast's back, who screamed in pain from that.

"Dice, can you still fight?" he asked in a concerned tone. A few seconds passed until Dice barely got up and winced. Furrowing his brow, Grimsley knew Dice doesn't have much strength left. "If you can, go for an Ice Punch!"

Dice gave a brief glance at Grimsley, and then he charged at Xurkitree. He jumped up, punching the Ultra Beast's face with his ice-energy-infused fist. Xurkitree stumbled for a moment, but quickly recovered and began charging electricity. Before Grimsley could call out a command, a Krookodile jumped in between them and absorbed Xurkitree's Thunderbolt. Grimsley's face fell, and he turned around to see Nanu with his usual bored-like expression.

"Uncle Nanu!" Acerola cheered and beamed. "Did you and those Interpol agents take care of the other Ultra Beast?"

"We did. Agents Looker and Anabel are now gathering data for it." He faced Grimsley. "How is your Scrafty holding up?"

Before responding, Grimsley glanced at Dice who was breathing hard and barely able to open his eyes. He frowned.

"Not too good. That thing can use fairy-type attacks, which Dice can't handle well."

Nanu grunted and gave a single nod. "Krookie and I can finish it real quick." He turned to his Krookodile and called out, "Use Aerial Ace and then Crunch at that thing!"

Krookodile roared and rushed at Xurkitree in a blink of an eye. When their bodies collided, Krookodile pinned him to the ground like a professional wrestler, grabbed one of its legs, and sunk his teeth into the cords. That caused the Xurkitree to scream and push Krookodile away. The Ultra Beast countered by blasting pink energy at Krookodile's face, which made the crocodile Pokémon screech in pain and rub his hands there.

"Help Uncle Nanu with Earth Power, Pebbles!"

After giving out a hum, Pebbles' body glowed a golden aura. She slammed her fist on the ground which led the earth to open, with bright light flooding out. The golden cracks traveled underneath Xurkitree, which made the Ultra Beast wobble and fall down. Grimsley remembered Acerola having Pebble use that against Kukui and Chavo, and like before he and the others almost lost their balance from the aftershock.

"Finish off with Dragon Tail!" Nanu called out.

After Xurkitree had gotten up, Krookodile slammed his tail on its midsection and caused it to fly and crash into a tree. The Ultra Beast groaned in pain, not getting up.

Nanu turned to Grimsley and asked him, "Do you have a Beast Ball or two with you?"

"I have one, yes." Grimsley already figured out that he wanted him to catch that Xurkitree now. He threw the ball and watched as Xurkitree got sucked into it in red light.

After three shakes, it was caught.

Grimsley wiped his forehead and sighed in relief. He picked up the Beast Ball, which was warm and heavy against his palm. Dice joined and gazed up at him.

"You did well, Dice. You deserve some rest," he said with a small smile. He pulled out Dice's pokéball and returned him.

"I think Gladion and Tapu Bulu are almost done with the other Xurkitree!" Acerola said as she bounced her feet and pointed at the last battle taking place, which Grimsley and Nanu turned in the direction of.

Both Tapu Bulu and the other Xurkitree fired off pink blasts of energy at each other and an explosion occurred between them, pushing them back a few steps. Xurkitree then blasted off a green beam at Tapu Bulu, which hit them squarely on the face and blinded them for a moment. Gladion ordered Null to use Iron Head, which they did by slamming into Xurkitree with their helmet head. Just as the two collided Null's wooden helmet cracked and exploded into tiny pieces, revealing their face.

Null's face was covered in a silver mane and they had fangs on their lower jaw. They wore a feather crest on top of their head, and Grimsley couldn't help but be mesmerized by their silver eyes. Metallic drives were attached to each side of their head. Tapu Bulu hummed in approval while everyone else including Gladion stared in amazement at what just happened.

"Is that how Null really looks?" Acerola asked.

Nanu grunted and a half-smile forming on his lips. "Looks like the pup finally broke out of its mask."

"Null..." Gladion said in a soft voice, His hand shook, and his expression changed to a determined one. "No, Silvally! You ready to finish this?"

Gladion's Pokémon, now named Silvally, growled in agreement and hurried towards the Ultra Beast. As Silvally approached Xurkitree, their claws glowed in green bug-type energy and they left a deep cut on the Ultra Beast's chest. Xurkitree stumbled for a moment and released a Thunderbolt, only for Silvally to dodge and pounce on in. They held Xurkitree on all fours, and they lifted one paw to have their claws slash on its face. Xurkitree screeched and pushed Silvally off from its body.

For the finale, Gladion commanded Silvally to do one last Iron Head, which his Pokémon obliged. Silvally rammed into Xurkitree and pushed it at a nearby stone pillar. Xurkitree collapsed on the ground, now unconscious.

"Catch it now, kid!" Nanu yelled at him.

After responding with a grunt, Gladion threw the Beast Ball and Xurkitree was sucked inside it. One shake, two shakes, three shakes...

There was a clicking sound and the Beast Ball stopped wobbling.

A pensive look crossed Gladion's face for a brief moment before being replaced with a small smile on his lips. He picked up the Beast Ball, approached Silvally, and petted them.

"Great work, buddy," Gladion said, his smile widening. Silvally growled happily and licked his cheeks.

"Looks like we got all the Ultra Beasts!" Acerola said, beaming. Next to her, Pebbles cheered and raised their arms up.

"Good." Grimsley grunted and crossed his arms. "I may love a thrilling battle, but these Ultra Beasts are annoying to take down."

"For once, we agree on something," Nanu said. He looked away for a second. "Anabel and Looker are gathering information on the other Ultra Beast. We should have them look at these two also."

After everyone hummed in agreement, they followed Nanu to the Pokémon Center. As they headed there Grimsley looked over his shoulder to see Tapu Bulu resting next to a tree, likely exhausted from all the battling. He turned his head back, pulled out the Beast Ball, and gazed down. It was still heavy in his palm.

xxx

Tapu Village was a fairly small community with occasional visitors, so the nurses, trainers, and Pokémon in the Pokémon Center were easily evacuated. The building was empty, save for Grimsley's group and the Interpol agents. Everyone gathered around the lounge with Anabel, Looker, and Nanu sitting on one side and Grimsley and Gladion on the other. Silvally stood still next to Gladion, sitting on the floor.

"Your Null was able to break out of its helmet and defeat the Xurkitree?" Anabel asked.

"It's Silvally now, but yes they did," Gladion said with a proud smile. Silvally lifted their head and barked. "Silvally can take down any Ultra Beast in their path."

A grin stretched across Looker's face. "That's magnifico! Your Silvally will surely turn the tides of this Ultra Beast war we're having now."

"I don't know about turning the tides, but I agree that the kid's Pokémon was a big help," Nanu said. He turned to Anabel, who was holding a tablet. "Any info on that Ultra Beast blockhead? You mentioned they're classified as dual rock-and-steel type."

"You mean Stakataka? Apparently, they have 150 life forms that get stacked together and create a stone wall, hence its designated name. The Ultra Wormhole it came from is different from Xurkitree's."

"Wait, 150 life-forms?" Grimsley asked with a raised brow. That was way too many life-forms for his liking.

"That's what the Ultra Recon Squad's captain told us," Looker said and shrugged.

"There were two other Ultra Beasts that I ran into before. One looks like a bug-type Pokémon with a muscular build and the other had a ball as its head that can explode."

"You're talking about Buzzwole and Blacephalon," Anabel said. "Buzzwole has superhuman strength and can suck Pokémon's fluids. Blacephalon is also a recent discovery like Stakataka. It likes to use its head to create explosions and scare people."

Grimsley responded with a grunt and nod. He usually liked a challenge, but these Ultra Beasts he had encountered so far were troublesome.

"What's gonna happen to the Ultra Beasts?" Acerola asked.

Looker furrowed his brow and pressed his lips. "Protocol calls for them to either be killed or taken to Interpol." His lips formed a small smile. "The chief and I will do the latter and make sure that they're treated properly."

Acerola beamed. "I think that's the best approach! Killing them would be too cruel."

Grimsley hummed and crossed his arms against his chest. "Even though they were annoying, they would be better under your guys' care."

There were a few seconds of silence when an explosion suddenly occurred, causing everyone to jump and get up from the couches.

"What was that?" Acerola asked with a confused look.

"It's most likely another Ultra Beast," Anabel said.

After having a few sniffs, Silvally raised their head and barked. Gladion grunted and petted their fur.

"I think Silvally senses it too. Come on."

Everyone hurried out of the Pokémon Center. Upon stepping outside, Grimsley and the others froze.

A large crab-like beast stood in front of them, raising its large pincers up. It had a large head and a smaller one with eyes glowing the same color as its insides. It opened its jaw, which was stuck in the middle of its torso, and let out an ear-piercing screech. Grimsley's stomach dropped at the sight of that monster.

"No, it can't be..." Anabel muttered. The group watched as the monster grabbed Becky's jeep, swallowed it whole, and screamed once more.

"What kind of Ultra Beast is that?" Grimsley asked as he faced Nanu, whose face fell for the longest time. When the kahuna froze and didn't respond, a lump formed inside his throat. "Nanu? Nanu?"

Author's Notes

It's been a couple months since the last update, huh? I paused on progressing Foul Play due to my muse wanting to focus on other ideas for a while and also distracted with gaming. I'm actually fairly close to finishing Chapter 30, then after that that's the last of my backlog. I'll try to have Chapter 30 ready sometime in September.

After that, even though I'm only a few chapters away from finishing, updates will still be spontaneous as those last chapters will wrap up plot threads, and I hope you guys look forward to it. Thanks to bobandbill for betaing as always, and catch you on the flip side!