Chapter 105: The Blinding On
Dazed and confused, the five heroes returned to Aether Paradise in defeat. Anabel had called all of the remaining Ultra Guardians there as well, and everyone was waiting to comfort Lillie.
"Its okay, we'll get him back."
"But how? We don't even know what we're dealing with."
Dulse cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.
"I believe that's where we come in. Zossie?"
His companion nodded, setting down a small projector disc which began displaying a video. On it, the being they had just fought, now identified as Necrozma, was seen over a large city scape, absorbing energy from all directions into it. One by one, all of the lights in the city. Ash and his friends gasped in horror.
"Its name is Necrozma. Where it came from, what it is, or what it wants is unknown to us. All we know is that he is incredibly strong and dangerous. A year ago, it came to our world and began absorbing all natural light and energy into itself. Within a week, all electrical grids had shut down, and the sky went dark. We haven't seen the sun in months."
While Dulse continued, Ash couldn't help but notice his Poipole acting strangely. Upon seeing the projection of Necrozma, she started fidgeting nervously, and before long was shaking so much she might cry.
"Poipole, what's wrong?"
"A Poipole?"
Zossie stepped forward, gently reaching out to comfort the scared creature. At first she was hesitant, but Zossie pushed onward. Eventually, Poipole felt she could trust her and eased into her gentle hug, calming down.
"Interesting. I didn't know anyone had escaped."
"Escaped?"
"Indeed. Some of us have tried fighting back, but many didn't have the chance. With all form of communication down, its impossible to know how many people and Pokemon are truly still out there. Its been quite a while since I've seen a Poipole."
"Wait...you mean you're from Poipole's home world?"
"Oh, yes. In fact, I remember my own Poipole from when I was just a young trainer. Oh, the times we shared..."
Ash's eyes went wide with fear as a realization dawned on him.
"Then that means that...Necrozma was the one to destroy your home, isn't it Poipole?"
Poipole nodded sadly, whimpering as Zossie gently shushed her.
"I know this is a lot to take in, but I promise you we only bring you into this because we know you can help. Necrozma is strong, but if we put our numbers, strength, and minds together, I know we can win. Please, we need your help."
It didn't take much discussion for everyone to agree to help. After all, what choice did they have? If they didn't do anything, their entire way of live could be destroyed.
"Good. Now all that's left is too..."
"Anabel! Something terrible has happened!"
Just then, Looker burst through the door, very distraught and very out of breath.
"Looker, what's wrong?"
"What isn't wrong? All of Ula'ula Island is without power, Pokemon Centers are on the fritz, and- wait, what's with those two?"
Everyone groaned, not wanting to repeat the entire story.
"I'll get Looker back up to speed. Everyone else, prepare for deployment. Pack food, water, anything you'll need for this mission, and pack for several days. We don't know how long this could take. We'll leave tomorrow."
"Mission? Anabel, what are you-"
"Its a long story. Come on, I'll explain it over a cup of coffee."
Anabel led Looker away to debrief him, while Ash and his friends left to prepare for their biggest mission yet. Alone, Ash and Lillie shared a conversation.
"Just when we thought we were done with the Ultra Beasts, huh? Are you ready?"
"Honestly? I'm scared out of my mind."
"Oh please, I've seen you stare down Ultra Beasts plenty of times."
"Yeah, but this...this is something else."
Lillie pecked him on the cheek, raising his spirits a little bit.
"Now come on, let's go get ready. Something tells me that we're in for one wild ride."
"Yeah, tell me about it."
The next morning, all 13 of them were gathered at Aether Paradise, ready to embark on their mission. Each one had a pack slung over their shoulders, with looks of nervousness and fear evident on all their faces. Anabel stepped forward to see them off.
"You all know your mission: to capture or eliminate the threat known as Necrozma. With the help of Dulse and Zossie, we've been able to create an Ultra Wormhole to their world, but you must defeat Necrozma as quickly as possible. We don't know how long we can maintain it. Are you all ready?"
The group nodded, though on the inside they weren't so sure.
"Then good luck."
The wormhole opened, and one by one the group stepped in. Lillie turned to Ash.
"Ready for one last Alola adventure?"
"As long as you're by my side, I'm ready to face anything."
Hand in hand, the two stepped through to join their friends. Anabel watched on worriedly.
"Stay safe, Ash."
