Chapter 31 – Arc 2 (Akala Island) Rock and a Hard Place

Inside the police station, they had met a single policeman. He was darker-skinned and dark-haired like most in Alola and scrambled to attention at their entrance like a startled Meowth, freezing momentarily at the bumbling group of young adults that had just burst into his station, of which Elio and Hau were supporting Lillie, bloody bandage wrapped tightly about her calf and a tattered mess of a bag looped loosely over her shoulder. Selene rushed to the counter, startling the policeman further as she accidentally slammed her palms a little harshly and panted, "Sorry, our friend was just attacked by a pokémon. We need somewhere to stay for a little while until we figure out what we're going to do… Is there anything you can do? She was attacked by members of the… Skull Gang, I think you call them."

The man eyed the door behind them and seemed to relax once he realized it was just the four of them. "Of course, yeah," he answered, stammering slightly, "sorry, I just… I thought some of those guys might follow ya in and I'm alone right now. I called for Kahuna Olivia. Skull knows better 'an to show their faces 'round here and go hurtin' people like that. Here, I'll check over your friend and you can all relax here 'til she comes."

Wrinkling her nose in confusion (sure, police didn't have the same weight here as other places, but she still found it odd that he was so jumpy), Selene was prevented from questioning it by Elio, who snapped, "So, you saw all of that and did nothing?" He cut his eyes at the policeman, having finished helping Lillie get situated with her injured leg propped up by rearranging a few chairs, and scoffed. "No wonder people here don't take police seriously."

"Elio," Lillie whimpered, flushing slight pink in embarrassment, "i-it's alright… He is helping me. He called Kahuna Olivia. That's big…"

"I'm sorry," the policeman offered lamely, pressing his clammy palms together, "but… a lot of people don't exactly like us, uh, police officers. We do what we can, but… it's just that there's only so much we can do, especially if alone…"

He winced as Elio growled, "He's helping you now, but was happy to just watch before. I'm so fed up with… ugh!" After trailing off in his frustration, he paced ahead of Lillie some, shoulders arched in annoyance.

I understand you're upset, Elio, but please… we want his help. We don't need you scaring him off. She turned to the policeman and apologetically tilted her head forward. "Thank you, anyway," she said softly. I did just tell him to be more aggressive like that, though… He's just still riled up. I'm sure he'll calm down soon.

"My pleasure," he responded solemnly. "I'm sorry for not helping more like your friend there wanted me to… There's really not much I can do… People just… don't take us seriously. I felt like, if anything, I'd just wind them up worse. So, I called Kahuna Olivia."

"You did all you could," Selene mumbled halfheartedly, trying to defuse the situation, as she retreated to sit in a chair against the wall across from the policeman's counter, next to Lillie.

She glanced over to Selene, forced a nervous smile, and whispered, "I'm sorry… I know you just talked me up out there, but… I know I'm dragging you guys down…"

Although Selene wanted to dispute Lillie's claim, she was silenced, her words forgotten, as the police station's door flew open again. This time, a man in a stark, white labcoat strode in, adjusting an odd set of yellow-green goggles that looked more suited for function in diving than… whatever he was currently using them for. He scanned the room, then dramatically sighed as he locked onto the policeman. "Oh, dear me! Look at what those thugs did!" he almost whined with a gesture toward Lillie.

A creak in the seats made Selene glance to Lillie, noticing that she had gone stiff as a board. Her green eyes were spread wide in silent terror and Nebby, who had taken refuge in what little remained of Lillie's bag, retreated behind Lillie's back, shoving himself into the tiny space between her and the chair. Frowning, Selene went to ask her what was wrong. "Lill—"

"Shh!" Lillie spat, nearly jumping out of her chairs. She yelped as her injured leg was jostled and quickly settled back into place. Giving Selene a desperate look, she gave a small shake of her head. Meeting her round eyes, Selene swallowed uncertainly at the fear there. Although she didn't understand what exactly was happening, she could gather from the way Lillie had cut her off, her fearful stare, and Nebby's hiding that whoever this man was, he was someone likely helping look for Nebby. Glancing up to Elio and Hau, Selene thought to try to get their attention, but both of them had looked to Lillie in her momentary panic. Elio and Selene shared a fleeting look that told one another all they needed to know—and Hau shuffled so that he was leaned against the far wall with his hands behind his back. Selene hoped that, for once, he would adopt his usual method of handling confrontations such as these—which was to stand back and be quiet. That thought did make her feel guilty, though; she hated how the appropriate response from him most of the time was to simply shut up and stay out of the way…

"Oh, dear," the man in the labcoat fretted as his attention, too, was drawn to Lillie. "That… thing, they had with them, it hurt you bad, didn't it?"

"May I ask who you are, sir…?" the policeman dryly interjected. "Were you hurt as well, or…?"

"Oh, no, I just wanted to come ensure these four were alright!" the man explained with a flippant wave of his wrist. Placing a hand over his chest, he gave a grin that made Selene feel uneasy. Bowtie, who was landed on her shoulder, craned his neck as much as he could to stare after this strange man, whereas Macho stood close to Elio's feet and his hackles started to raise. "You see, I was out trying to assist in reports of Slowpoke being hunted nearby, and I noticed those Skull ruffians attacking these fine young people. I am the Aether Foundation's Research Branch Chief, Dr. Sauboh Faba." He paused, then slowly mused with his grin somehow seeming to grow, to the point Selene felt she could see too much of his teeth, "Such a shame, how people prey on the weak like that, isn't it?"

"So, you're a higher-up in the Aether Foundation, and you saw all of that and didn't do anything, either?" Elio brusquely asked, raising a brow. To that, Dr. Faba gave him an almost stunned look, blinking fervently. Elio curled his lip. "I wonder why that is."

Aether Foundation… He's from the Aether Foundation. Selene swallowed hard. That explains why Lillie and Nebby are panicking… She winced. And why Elio is now turning on him… I need to get him to calm down. Him being so combative could actually hurt more than help right now, there's no guarantee he recognizes Lillie, he could actually blow her cover by doing that! "Elio!" Selene hissed. He briefly moved like he wanted to look back at her, but was immediately drawn back to Dr. Faba, standing nearly in his face. Swallowing, Selene started to wonder if she had pushed Elio to leaning too far into his aggressively protective nature. No, surely, he was just a little upset right now, right? She could calm him down.

The policeman tried to then intervene and calm Elio down, but he was cut off when yet another person walked into his station. He threw his hands up in frustration and groaned. "Right, okay. I'll just be behind the counter if anyone needs me."

Kahuna Olivia stepped inside and then jolted in surprise at the scene ahead of her. In a voice high-pitched with surprise, she said, "Oh, it's you guys… And a whitecoat."

Dr. Faba pushed his goggles up his nose and took an uncomfortable step back from Elio, glowering at Olivia then. "My name is Dr. Faba," he corrected her tensely. "I am—"

"A branch chief of something or another, so you've told me, multiple times before," Olivia huffed at him, blithely ignoring him as she swept her gaze over Elio, Hau, Lillie, and Selene. Voice softening, she asked, "Are you four okay? What happened?" She settled on Lillie, who looked as pale as pale could be. "Lillie, other than the leg, are you okay?"

The four of them seemed to collectively hitch their breath at Olivia's use of Lillie's name. Selene felt a mutinous prick of irritation. How did she recognize Lillie so easily? I mean, sure, I guess it could have been process of elimination considering she's with us and up close, you can still recognize her face easily enough, but ugh! Olivia seemed like she wanted nothing to do with us before and now she just outed Lillie. Great!

"Fine," Lillie squeezed out through a strangled tone, staring at the floor.

"Poor girl looks traumatized," Dr. Faba commented eerily coldly. Selene didn't like the way his eyes seemed to almost glitter beneath those stupid goggles as he said that.

"Nobody asked you," Olivia snapped at him without turning to face him. Sympathetically tilting her head at the four ahead of her, she sighed. "I'm really sorry. Normally, Skull knows better than to come so close to Konikoni. I've already told some local Island Challenge Champions about it. They'll be on the hunt to drive them away from Konikoni soon if they haven't already left… Hey," Olivia paused and then flicked her eyes from Selene to Elio and back again, "weren't you two looking for your parents? Did you already ask around Konikoni?"

This is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad—that Faba guy just heard her call Lillie by her name and how does Olivia even remember this stuff, anyway?! She seemed like she couldn't wait to get away from me before! Feeling a bolt of shame and irritation, starting to wish Olivia would just leave, it took some effort for Selene to peacefully say, "Yes… we are. And no. We didn't find anything in Konikoni about them."

Interest clearly piqued, Dr. Faba cocked his head and brushed past Olivia (earning a murderous glare from her that he didn't seem to pay any mind). "Your parents are missing, young lady?" he asked Selene. He sounded far too interested.

"What do you care?" Elio defensively demanded. Macho snarled at his side. Selene felt an internal little wave of relief. See? Elio was fine. His aggression hadn't outed Lillie, after all, it had been Olivia, and now, he was back to doing exactly what Selene felt he needed to do. She hadn't wanted to answered this Faba character, that was for sure…

"Well," Dr. Faba answered, sounding affronted, "the Aether Foundation does assist the Alolan islands in missing persons and other legal matters that they aren't as… equipped to handle. If your parents are missing, you could file a report with us, and—"

"We are equipped just fine!" Olivia barked, silencing Dr. Faba as she stormed in front of him. Jabbing a finger at his chest, she sneered, "I don't need any snotty old men like you waltzing into my island and acting like you know the place better than I do. I have worked way too hard to create some order in this chaos and gain respect for you and your gang of Galarian know-it-alls to act like I'm some cavewoman!"

Dr. Faba just gaped. "Miss, I didn't—"

"I don't care," Olivia hissed. "Shut it or leave." With that, she whirled back to the four travelers, and composed herself. "Sorry," she begrudgingly apologized. Clasping her left hand to her right arm, she exhaled and seemed to almost deflate. "I was… very rude to you all before. You have endured a lot while on my island, and for that, I am truly sorry. Island Challenger Hau shouldn't have experienced what he did with Captain Mallow, and you two… should not have to trek these islands alone to try to find your parents." She momentarily looked up, seemed to mumble something under her breath that Selene didn't quite catch, then lightly thumped her left hand over her chest three times, similar to what she saw Hau do on occasion. Perhaps it was a silent prayer? She wasn't sure. "I did honestly look. I talked to Professor Kukui, all of my Captains, and even Ula'Ula's Kahuna. I truly didn't find anything, but people are looking. People want to help…"

Selene was… stunned, almost. She shook her head and shifted forward in her seat. "But back at the docks… you were so… angry with me, and—"

"No, I wasn't," Olivia admitted. Shooting Dr. Faba another warning glare (honestly, Selene didn't think they even had to worry about him while Olivia was there; Olivia's fierceness was certainly a force to be reckoned with!), she moved closer to the group. Looking down, she continued. "I am the youngest Kahuna in Alolan history. I am also a woman. Now… I don't think I am at a disadvantage because of that, mind you, I still can do everything any other Kahuna can, but… there are a lot of jokes and misinformation that get spread about me. When I was first instated, the other Kahunas would not take me seriously at all. It wasn't until I raised my voice and started just doing things without talking them out so much beforehand that they started listening to me…" She looked straight ahead at them then and cleared her throat. "It does not help that the 'gift' Tapu Lele gave me, if you can even call it that, was ʻili pōhaku." Although Selene understood what that had meant, Olivia translated, "Stone skin." To emphasize her point, she raised her left hand and knocked on her right forearm. The sound that followed was something akin to clicking, like banging two rocks together. "I'm essentially immortal when it comes to injury. My skin is this weird… meld of rock and flesh. However…" She faltered slightly. "What that means for me if I am ever demoted is, Tapu Lele will simply k—… destroy me. On top of having nobody take me seriously, I had to fear that I was working on a clock. I still believe I am working on a clock, a much shorter one than everyone else."

Elio seemed to lose some nerve and he tossed Selene and uncertain stare. She didn't know how to respond, either… Her heart sunk like a stone. She just didn't have the words to describe the horrific truth Olivia had divulged. Moreover, it made her internally begin to panic to realize that one such price for some Tapu 'gifts' was simply death. Then again… she supposed the alternative for Olivia would have been to be skinned alive. Quivering slightly, Selene gnawed her lower lip. I'm… really curious about mine now… but I'm so scared… She focused back on Olivia, almost admiring her. Would I do more because I knew I was running out of time like her, or would I just break?

"So, when I was 'angry' with you on the dock… I wasn't. I was busy and I was afraid that if anyone saw that exchange or word got out, I could suddenly be facing more rumors, something else to further damage my reputation," Olivia explained. "Trust me, some girl grabbing my hand and looking a little awkward would be fuel enough for rumors of me being a lesbian. Now, I don't care what people do, but there are plenty of people who would never listen to me again if they thought I was that." She shrugged. "But I do want to help. And I know that since I am working on a clock, and since you all are, too… That there is no point in making you waste time battling me when you have something far more important to deal with." Reaching into her gray bag, she retrieved a few dusky, gray crystals. Hau and the policeman both perked up, as if shocked, as Olivia distributed the crystals among Hau, Selene, and Elio.

"Rockium-Zs," Olivia said, then proceeded to perform the quick dance one would have to do in order to use the crystal properly. "That will help make you stronger in a pinch… I truly am sorry there isn't much more I can do."

Urgently, Hau asked in Alolan, "Won't that upset Tapu Lele? Just… giving those away, like that? Kahuna Olivia, what if—"

Softly, Olivia responded in Alolan as well, "I have always done what I have felt is best for my island and the people on it. If Tapu Lele has a problem with it, she and I will hash that out, but… I hope that I have done enough already that Tapu Lele may trust me some."

Hau shook his head rapidly. "Tapu Lele trusts nobody. I saw her. She was afraid of me and Captain Mallow. She's afraid of people… Kahuna Olivia, please, are you sure…?"

"I know what I'm doing, Hau," Olivia assured him with a reserved dip of her chin. "I promise I understand. It will be okay."

To that, Hau anxiously looked as if he wanted to say something else, but in the end, he just closed his mouth.

"All of those theatrics about being able to handle it just fine, and your solution for their missing parents, their missing flesh and blood, is to give them shiny rocks?" Dr. Faba rudely scoffed. Ignoring Olivia's dismayed gawking, he passed ahead of her and got uncomfortably close to Elio and Selene (who had jumped from her chair to receive her Rockium-Z). "Listen. I fear that others here are not as accepting of the Aether Foundation's help as they should be. We have locations across each island and regularly send employees to each one, even, who are constantly gathering data and talking to various individuals. If you want to come with me to Aether Paradise, our main headquarters, we can get a proper report filed, away from hostilities such as hers, and your parents could be located in less than a week, I can almost guarantee." He softly smiled.

Elio and Selene both hesitated to respond. Sharing another look between themselves, Selene felt confident they were both realizing the same thing. Lillie said that the Aether Foundation wasn't entirely bad… in fact, it was mainly just her mother and a couple other people that assisted in those horrible experiments… So, this Dr. Faba guy… he could actually help us… but we can't take Lillie back there because those people are looking for her. Selene fleetingly glanced to Hau. But we can't leave him alone with her, I don't think… We really shouldn't split up at all. This place is so dangerous… I… I hate the thought of leaving any of us alone… Hau was so demoralized after he met Tapu Lele after he was alone for just a little while… She gnawed her lip as she met Dr. Faba's gaze again. But… this… what if this is our only shot at finding them…?

"You guys can go," Lillie piped up brokenly from behind them, "but I don't want to go. I want to st-stay here…"

"We're not leaving her alone," Elio whispered to Selene tensely. His eyes were upturned apologetically, but he shook his head and kept shooting Lillie uncertain looks. "I-I know, sis, that sounds b-bad, because this… could be our break, but…"

"What if this is our only shot?" Selene insisted, feeling her heart start to thump. The instant Elio had said that, she had realized she wanted to go. She wanted to go more than anything in the world. Surely, they could figure out something for Lillie? Something, anything—

"Faba," Olivia growled, "whatever you're up to—"

"I am not up to anything, Miss Olivia," Dr. Faba retorted spitefully as he raised his chin at her. "I am assisting these young people. Are you so prideful that you will let your refusal to admit your islands need some help every now and then keep these two potentially from reuniting with family? Especially considering just all what could have happened to them here? What those thugs did outside is child's play compared to what they are known to do on Ula'Ula, is it not? Why, it might as well be a warzone there!"

Selene grimaced and felt her heart flutter into her throat. Mom, Dad…

"Well, we can't leave her alone," Elio huffed, gesturing toward Lillie. "She's hurt and she's scared."

"She can come with!" Dr. Faba beamed.

"Not on your life," Lillie all but snarled. At Dr. Faba's expression of shock, she curled her lip and looked away. "Sorry," she forced, "I just don't want to go. I want to go somewhere quiet and safe to just… relax a while."

"Um… I stay with?" Hau nervously offered, picking his way closer to Lillie.

"Oh, come now, young man! Are you sure you don't want to go?" Dr. Faba pressed him. "Aether Paradise is like another world compared to here! And there are so many pokémon taking refuge there right now that you may never meet otherwise. Not to mention, all of the pokémon we've catalogued since we arrived here!"

Selene felt a flare of uncertainty, a red flag going off. What did that have to do with anything? Why was Dr. Faba so intent on Hau coming along?

Hau stalled in his tracks, then asked Dr. Faba, "How… how long ago did come, to Alola, again?"

"Oh, must have been… six, seven years? Or something like that now," Dr. Faba shrugged. "But we had a presence here even before that. Alola seemed to have a strange affinity for anomalous pokémon, and that drew our attention in the first place as a conservation group, especially since Alola was beginning to open up more to travelers."

"So… may know things about rare pokémon," Hau clarified, as if talking to himself. He shuffled nervously in place. "That… would good to see…"

Selene narrowed her eyes at him. What are you thinking, Hau…? Dr. Faba…? She flicked her gaze to Dr. Faba. What do you want?

Olivia finally threw her head back in defeat. "Fine. Fine, fine, fine. If you three want to go, I can escort Lillie somewhere safe until you all are done…"

Dr. Faba stumbled over his words some, but then exclaimed in an all-too cheery tone, "Splendid, Miss Olivia! I am glad you are coming to your sens—"

Olivia clanged her rocky fists together and ruthlessly spoke over him. "Kahuna Olivia!" She blew a puff of air to push some of her hair out of her face. "I am Kahuna Olivia to you. Not Miss. Ka-hun-a."

"Yes," Dr. Faba said through gritted teeth, "of course, Mi—Kahuna Olivia. My mistake."

"Selene," Elio whimpered quietly as he turned to her, shaking his head some more, "I really don't like this. I don't want to leave Lillie behind."

Pressing her lips to a thin line, Selene felt an angry surge of betrayal. Even if Dr. Faba seemed shady, even with all she knew of Aether from Lillie, she wanted to go so badly! Oh, how desperate she felt in that moment… Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to simply go. Her palms felt sweaty and her chest thrummed with the tantalizing possibility of finding anything out about Mom and Dad. "Our parents could be easily found through this," she reminded him in bitter Kantonian, "and you want to throw that away because of Lillie? Trust me, I feel bad for her, I know this stuff is serious, I understand why we can't let her pokémon or her get caught, but she's going to be with Kahuna Olivia the entire time we're away. Didn't you see Olivia just now? Not even this guy wanted to mess with her at first! Even if this guy here does work with the crazy people in the Foundation, don't you remember what Lillie said? About how they're not all bad? You, me, Hau, we'll all be together, too… We work fine together, don't we? And…" Selene felt like begging. She wanted this so badly… "Elio… please. They could really help us." She thought back to her idea of potentially helping Hau and Lillie both off Alola once they found their parents. "They could really help all of us…" …Don't you want this, too?

Elio ground his teeth some before clenching his eyes shut. "Fine," he admitted in defeat at last. "Fine… alright… Yeah." He turned to Olivia, who had gone and sat next to Lillie, whispering in Alolan to her (though it was too quiet for Selene to understand what she was saying). Upon Elio's approach, Olivia focused on him, and he dipped his head almost ashamedly. "Sorry, Lillie," he murmured quietly to her, "but… Selene and I really think this could help… Olivia, you'll be with her the whole time, right?"

Olivia nodded. "I know already where I can take her so she can have some time to relax and heal. The Hano Grand Resort also has some actual security aside from just me, there's always at least one Island Challenge Champion watching over the place. I promise, she'll be in good hands… and you do have her number, yes?"

"I almost forgot I had a phone, to be honest," Lillie weakly joked. "Not like there's many I talk to… But… yeah. I think I gave it to him a while back…"

"I'll call you for sure," Elio said determinedly. "I'm sure this won't take long, either."

"Good luck," Lillie whispered, failing to comment on anything else he had said. Selene guiltily shuffled her feet. I'm sorry, Lillie… I promise we're not abandoning you. Never, ever. I want Mom and Dad… but we're going to come back as soon as possible. We just… need this…

"Then, it's settled!" Dr. Faba cried, throwing his arms out wide. "Perfect! I will make a few calls and there should be a boat on the way soon. Why don't we relax for a while, perhaps grab something to eat, before we head over?"

Selene knew she was looking at a man and no Ekans or Arbok, but as she looked over this man's receding blond hair, his knowing, glittery eyes, all she could think was 'snake.' Although desperation had pushed her to so badly want to go with him, she knew the dangerous position she had just potentially put herself, Elio, and Hau in. Cutting her eyes after the scientist in an almost calculated way, she set her jaw.

Lillie was safe with Kahuna Olivia. Even if this Dr. Faba himself was unsafe, she, Elio, and Hau would be fine as long as they stuck together and kept their wits about them. This could be the break they had been so tirelessly searching for, but the nightmare wasn't over yet—far from it, in fact. She had continuously underestimated these islands again and again and again and she had no intentions on doing so this time.

As Dr. Faba headed out the station, Selene beckoned Hau and Elio close. "I know I just begged for us to go with him," Selene started carefully, her voice barely above a whisper, "but I haven't forgotten everything Lillie's said, I promise. The second this looks like it's going wrong, if he isn't actually taking us to Aether Paradise, whatever, I don't care what it is, if anything seems out of place—we need to band together and get out of there, whatever means necessary. End of story." She took a shaky breath. "Hope for the best, expect the worst… I'm going to give my Cubone my Rockium-Z, and yeah, I do have the Grassium-Z for Bowtie, too…"

Elio cast a lingering look over his shoulder, then slowly nodded. "Yeah… you're right." He licked his lips anxiously. "Firium-Z for Macho works, as we've all seen, heh…"

Yeah. I'm still grateful for how protective he can be… Selene fleetingly told herself.

Tilting his head in thought, Hau gave a half-smile. "Trust you. Will do. Can give Waterium-Z to Popper."

"Okay," Selene nodded briskly. "Let's go."

Your conversation with Faba

Faba

So, I may have hit a small snag…

Cosmog and the girl are alone now but are being escorted by an island kahuna to the hano grand resort

However if your two spacemen can get there sneakily enough, I doubt she'll be in the room WITH the girl. So there's that, at least I got her irritating friends away, she's a sitting psyduck now

Was almost cute how the boy kept trying to tell me off

Almost

I kind of wanted to slap him

You

Not in company uniform, you'd better not. But thank you, Faba. I'll talk to Zossie and Dulse now… Cosmog and the rest of my dreams are so close now, all thanks to you, Saubii~

Faba

Ha ha calling me by that silly nickname again are we?

You

You certainly seemed to like it the other day.

But that isn't what's important. Cosmog. I'm going to talk to Zossie and Dulse now and I will get back to you.

Faba

Yes, yes, I know, very well. I'll keep the girl's friends distracted however long you need. Found out by sheer chance that the kids are looking for their parents… and told them our humanitarian dept could maybe help. Ha ha ha sound like a coincidental story miss president? Sound familiar?

You

So that means you are bringing them to Aether? Be careful Faba, if they mess this up… they cant find out.

Faba

Relax, relax, it will all be fine! I promise! They won't find anything out about zero or their parents. They can search these islands until the miltank come home for all I'm concerned, ha ha

Lusamine had left her conversation with Dr. Faba at that. Some distant part of her cringed at the way he so dismissively spoke of children, particularly children looking for their parents, but the much more present, more frenzied part of her, concerned only with locating Cosmog at any cost necessary, was unbothered by it. Enjoyed it, even, to an extent. Almost giddily, she had called Zossie and Dulse to her office—the public one that lacked frozen statues of beauty. It was an almost selfish desire to keep them to herself, a possessiveness like no other.

Upon stepping into her stark, pristine office, Dulse and Zossie performed their robotic Alolan handwave, and then stood at attention, their hands drawn behind their backs. "You requested that we meet?" Dulse asked politely first.

"Dr. Faba located the girl and Cosmog," Lusamine almost purred to them, getting up from her desk and beginning to pace the length behind it. "She is headed for the Hano Grand Resort, a hotel on Akala Island. She is alone and injured. She will not be difficult to take in, her or the Cosmog."

Seizing up in hesitation, both of members of the Ultra Recon Squad seemed to reel for something to say. That made Lusamine narrow her eyes at them. "What is it?" she asked quietly.

"We… cannot return Cosmog to this location," Dulse reluctantly explained. "President Lusamine, while we are of course forever grateful for your assistance, both in technology and in helping us understand this realm, Cosmog is unstable, particularly in the Aether Foundation's hands, and there is a creature that can ruin worlds that it could set free if spooked or experimented with wrongly—"

"The Blinding One will destroy everything that makes Alola, that makes this world, so great," Zossie interjected passionately, sounding uncharacteristically serious as she pleadingly clasped her hands in front of herself. Sounding slightly choked, she begged, "Please… let Cosmog be for now. Your world is so beautiful already… why do you want to play with something so dangerous?"

I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate her, I hate them, I hate them all! In my beautiful, perfect world, there will be no place for such hideousness! Lusamine's blood started to boil as she realized that these two had been holding out on her all along. They had known! They had known and they had kept that precious key to her paradise hidden! Traitors! Traitors, traitors, traitors, traitors! She stamped a foot. "Because I need it! I need it to get him back!"

"Your… husband?" Dulse uncomfortably questioned.

Lusamine curled a lip and snorted. "No, you moron!" she sneered. Then, her disposition suddenly shifted so that she looked almost entranced, her eyes glassy as they unfocused on her surroundings, and a violent tremor ripped through her body. She felt so cold, so angry, so frustrated, so… upset. She just wanted him back. How dare Dulse ask her such a question! What did he know? He knew nothing! Mohn was gone! Of course Lusamine didn't need to get him back… She swallowed hard. Surely… "The… Nihilego…" she said at last, softly, breaking into a cold sweat. Yes, Nihilego. That was who she wanted as that warm feeling traveled her veins.

Dulse and Zossie stared at her a second, their expressions changing to ones of horror. "President Lusamine," Dulse started immediately, "were you ever struck by—"

"No!" Lusamine blithely cut him off, abruptly furious. "No! Bring me back Cosmog, or else! Nothing else matters!" None of it will ever matter again!

"Or else… what…?" Zossie questioned almost fearfully, taking a step back. She glanced nervously between Lusamine and Dulse. Deciding to focus on Dulse at last, she hissed, "What do we do? She's been poisoned by Nihilego, but we need that machine from Dr. Colress, and Soliera and Phyco said that we couldn't use violence… And I don't want to use violence…" Zossie looked as if she might be ill, given the way her azure face paled to near white. "Not here…"

"We will contact Soliera and Phyco and update them on today's developments," Dulse reassured her. Staring Lusamine down, he growled, "They will be more reasonable once they understand the severity of our situation." Not that Lusamine was paying close enough attention to notice, but Dulse wore a sour look at that point that seemed to silently say, "And here I thought you were just crazy by default." Yet, beneath that bitter façade, Lusamine swore he was looking on her with… pity. That made her teeth grind.

"You don't understand," Lusamine half-whined, half-snarled at them, beginning to pace behind her desk again. "None of you understand!" Frustrated, she snatched her phone off the desk, and dialed for someone. While it began to ring, her lips pulled into a sinister grin as she looked over the two Ultrarians ahead of her. "But that's no matter. Maybe I can't make you understand, but perhaps someone else can." I have no qualms against violence like you two. You two are now the enemy. The entire world may be my enemy before long. That's no matter; let it fall to fire or darkness, I don't care.

Ringing sounded from elsewhere in the room, and, materializing from the shadows at the far end of the office, the brown-haired Rosa filtered into view. That made Lusamine jolt in surprise, but for once, she found herself grateful as opposed to annoyed with Rosa's skulking in her invisible, cloaking suit. Rosa reached for her phone from some pocket on her intimidating, steel-mesh suit, and waved it mockingly at Dulse and Zossie before turning it off. "You rang, Lusi?" Rosa wolfishly asked with an evil glint in her chocolate eyes.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Zossie pressed, "Why? You live here, too! What do you have to gain from helping her, R-Rosa?"

"I don't," Rosa answered with a nonchalant shrug. Then, she raised a closed fist, cradling a Poké Ball, as that malicious grin crossed her lips again. "But Dr. Colress does, and honestly?" She laughed. "I'm bored! And I guess I am kind of curious to see whether he can really help reign in a pokémon known to end worlds or whatever it is you two ramble about."

Lusamine almost enjoyed the dismayed gaping the two Ultra Recon Squad members were doing, but it still didn't seem to sway their mind, even when Rosa pitched her Poké Ball to reveal a Genesect that could hardly fit within the confines of Lusamine's office. Dulse steadfastly crossed his arms and stiffened his legs. "I will not assist you in capturing Cosmog. I will not assist you in dooming your world and potentially hundreds or even thousands of others. I simply will not do it."

Zossie, more reluctantly, agreed with her partner. "M-my ancestors made a big mistake…" she meekly murmured. "I'm… I'm not helping to make another one like they did…"

"Then, I'll find someone who will," Lusamine spat. Glancing at Rosa, she groaned in frustration. "Force them to room 28-C with Genesect. I can lock it from the outside and you can get to it from here without anyone seeing anything."

"Sounds good, Lusi," Rosa practically sang as she pranced ahead of her Genesect. "You heard the boss lady, you two. Get moving. I'd hate to have to blast you back to your reality."

"You would have the entirety of Ultra Megalopolis' task forces to contend with if any harm befalls us, the Aether Foundation had an agreement with the URS!" Dulse barked, clearly growing more and more agitated by the second. "President Lusamine, this is unacceptable! Stop this now!"

"Genesect!" Rosa called. She didn't even issue an order for an attack; the pokémon merely glared after the URS and the cannon on its back began to glow ominously.

"Dulse," Zossie whimpered, "I don't think they're joking… a-and you and I both know what Nihilego toxins do…"

"But nobody else here seems to," Dulse frustratedly huffed. Mutinously, he lowered his shoulders and glared at Rosa and her Genesect. "If they did, they wouldn't be listening to her so closely…" Clearing his throat, he raised his voice. "Fine. We will go willingly to this room. But the point remains—we will not help you in acquiring Cosmog. If you go through with what I think you are trying to do, President Lusamine, our superiors will know. And I am still going to inform them of today's events."

Feeling so frustrated that she was nearly on the verge of tears, Lusamine merely waved a hand after Rosa and whirled around back on her desk, flopping down in her seat. Clasping her hands to her forehead and digging her nails slightly into her scalp, she gave a pained, almost mewl, "Fine, fine! Like I said before… I will find someone else who will."

I need him. I need him more than I need anything. With Nihilego, everything will finally make sense again, everything will go back to normal… yes, it'll all be perfect… a paradise all over again… I just need that stupid girl and that stupid Cosmog! I hate her! How could my own flesh and blood have worked so against me like she did? And then her brother! Lusamine was starting to tremble in rage as Rosa forced the URS out of her office, to be escorted to their newfound prison. They are not my children! They w-were monsters, designed to torment me… one to steal my last chance at happiness… the other, to serve as nothing more than a reminder of him…

She took a deep breath

But that's okay. Nihilego will make it all better. Just one more good injection, directly from him, one more permanent rip from this world to the next, and it will all just… be over…~