Chapter 73: UB Files 03: Burst

A week had gone by without further incident, much to the relief of the team. One night, Ash and Lillie went on a date to fireworks show in Heahea City. The two cuddled together on the picnic blanket as the sky lit up with brilliant colors.

"Its beautiful, Ash!"

"Yeah, but not as beautiful as you."

"Oh, stop it!"

Just then, an all too familiar rift in the sky, setting the couple on edge. Sure enough, a single Ultra Beast crept slunk out. It certainly was an odd creature, a mishmash of colors making up its twisting body. In fact, if one didn't know better, one might mistake it for a clown instead of an alien invader. Thankfully, the crowd was quick to disperse, leaving Ash and Lillie to face the beast.

"Think we should call for backup?"

"Its just one of them. I think we can handle it."

"If you say so. Go, Jangmo-o!"

"Incineroar, I choose you!"

Their Pokemon burst out onto the scene, glaring down their foe.

"Jangmo-o, use Brick Break!"

The small Dragon, eager to impress, leapt up ready to deal a karate chop...

only to phase right through it, the beast appearing to chuckle at the attempt.

"It...It had no effect!"

"It must be a ghost type! We'll have to be more careful with what moves we use. Incineroar, use Bite!"

"IncineROOOOAR!"

With a mighty leap, the fire cat bit down hard on the thing's "head". causing it to howl in pain.

"Use Dragon Claw!"

Jangmo-o, back on its feet and raring for another go, leapt up and starting slashing at the beast's legs, causing to wobble as if it might fall over. Then, the thing's head began to glow, brighter and brighter, until...

"Its gonna blow!"

And it did, sending Incineroar and Jangmo-o flying across the park as the headless body fell over, lifeless. Ash and Lillie stared at it for a solid minute, not sure how to proceed.

"Is it...dead?"

"I don't know. I think so...huh?"

To their astonishment, the scattered remains began to shift back together, particle by particle before the head was intact once more. The thing stretched and craned it all around, as if it woke up wrong, before unleashing a massive fire Blast at its foes. While Jangmo-o and Incineroar weren't fazed too much, being resistant to the heat, they were pushed back quite a ways.

"Alright, time to kick things up. Flare Blitz, and keep at it!"

"Dragon Tail, Jangmo-o!"

Pushing through the blaze, the two struck back as well, Incineroar hitting it with his flame covered body while Jangmo-o struck its legs with his tail, turning the battle back in their favor. The thing got ready to blow up again, but Ash was ready this time.

"Oh no you don't! Throat Chop, Incineroar!"

Incineroar was quick, dealing a swift strike to the thing's throat, halting the ticking time bomb in its tracks while it held its throat in agony. This was the opportunity they needed.

"Darkest Lariat, Incineroar!"

"Dragon Pulse, Jangmo-o!"

While the beast tried to recover, Incineroar struck it hard with its fast moving arms, making it go dizzy real fast. Then a wave of Draconic energy hit it, finishing it off as it slunk over unconscious. It never even saw the beast ball before it was captured, marking another successful mission for Ash and Lillie. Just then, Rotomdex floated out, buzzing with excitement as data flowed into it.

"New data acquired! Blacephalon, the Fireworks Pokémon. It slithers towards people. Then, without warning, it triggers the explosion of its own head."

"Fireworks Pokémon, huh? That would explain the whole head exploding thing."

"We'd better get this to Aether Paradise and let Anabel know about the situation."

"Right."

Anabel chuckled as they watched Blacephalon from the observation deck. It was currently playing with the other Pokémon in the conservation area, wowing them with its head exploding gag.

"It seems like we have a bit of a joker on our hands. You're sure he was the only one?"

"Positive. We checked all over the Island, not a single other Ultra Beast or wormhole to be found."

"Good. That fits with the scan we conducted. Get some sleep, you two."

Ash and Lillie nodded, but decided to stay and watch for a few more minutes. Greninja, who had been meditating in a corner of the facility when they had arrived, was none too pleased with its antics and tried to tune it out. Blacephalon, not wanting to be ignored, crept up on the ninja and grabbed its tongue before it could react, stretching it out wide before snapping it back, sending Greninja spinning to the ground much to the other Pokémon's delight. Angered, Greninja chased the creature all around the room, causing Ash and Lillie to chuckle.

"Some thing never change."