Day 45
Detectives,
There is nothing new to report, again.
- Moon
Progress had been stale to say the least as Moon had gone through every piece of research available to her. For 45 days she observed, waited, hoped, and reported. The only thing that kept Moon busy was her work and the growing profiles she had on each of the Aether employees.
Faba.
A sad little man who had been working at Aether for decades. Bitter and always ready to step on other people's toes, it was like clockwork when he would walk into a room and present his daily ritual of expressing how he believed the current President was unfit to lead.
The two branch chiefs, obviously, didn't meet eye-to-eye on this matter and their vastly different opinions on a Pokemon's wellbeing made it surprising to believe that Aether had stood so strong for so long. His opinions suggest Faba's dedication to Lusamine's work, which wasn't a shocking revelation when it became common knowledge that his position was granted to him by the ex-President through nepotism.
Sadly, to Moon's dismay, opinions weren't enough evidence to apprehend him.
Wicke.
Wicke revealed through subtle comments and actions to have been against the whole tirade from the beginning. Powerless to stop the ex-President she felt like she had to set things right leading to her sending a message to the International Police. Wicke gave Moon access to everything, but they reached a point where there was no more she could offer. She believed in the mission of Aether and she believed in the current President and his capabilities to pull the company back up, but Moon noticed that she spent a lot of time keeping him in line.
And President Gladion-
Gladion was an enigma that piqued Moon's curiosity. Simple "hellos" and complicated "how are yous" made up a majority of their relationship; but who's to say either one of them were really 'fine', and the times they did spend alone were mostly filled with silence.
Probably the only moment of calm either of them could get.
But Moon swore Gladion always looked like something was on his mind, something was always on hers that's for sure. Was Gladion, the overworked stressed blonde, really using Type: Null as a tool like Lusamine? Or was he just someone dragged into the circumstances of a company? She believed in the latter after enough time and sometimes Gladion would open up a little.
A small smile, a hopeless sigh, a mention of someone named Lillie.
"I think you two would get along," he mentioned once when he caught Moon carrying a Cleffa. Moon wanted to ask more, she did need answers, but she treading carefully was a part of this task.
Something that was never directly mentioned, however, was that the President spent a lot of time sneaking out. When caught Wicke constantly had to remind him that "this company is in your hands now, Master Gladion."
His response was always silence that Moon never meant to walk into.
"Sorry for the interruption, it's time for Null's checkup."
A scenario that happened more than once.
"President Gladion, he's not on Lusamine's side, right?" Moon asks that night. "Wicke would've said something by now, right?" but all Rotom could do was shrug in response. It was her call, not his, because all he would say was to trust no one.
And if Moon could build a profile on herself she would.
Restless, frustrated, angry. Every night she found herself lost in thought, in front of a screen hearing the daily count of injured Pokemon and trainers. She desperately needed a lead to Lusamine, but hope was dwindling fast when a few days ago Alola news started reporting less sightings of wormholes and a consecutive week of no Ultra Beast appearances.
Something with that much power wouldn't just drop off the face of the earth.
"I know you're focuzzing on the internal dynamiczz Agent" Rotom begins carefully, "but have you considered going back to training? Bzzt."
His question is loaded, his voice doing nothing to pull Moon's attention away from the TV. She purposefully ignored the question. He could tell. The blue tint of the screen illuminating her tired features, but her eyebrows furrowing, her mouth forming a straight line. She wraps the blanket around her tightly.
"Rotom you know I can't…"
Rotom flies in front of her, blocking the view. Moon still doesn't meet his gaze.
"You can't avoid battling anymore, Agent. Lives are at stake as soon as those Wormholezz reappear. You can't keep living in fear-"
"ROTOM," Moon snaps, her hands clenching at the blanket that provide her a small sense of safety. Her eyes downcast as she swallows a lump in her throat.
She knew what the next step was. She knew what she had to admit.
"I can't," she whispers. "The wormholes could open at any moment. We're out of time."
Rotom's screen twists into something a lot more solemn. Their relationship had improved in the past months and Rotom fondly would admit that starting with Moon meant he wanted to end with Moon, but sometimes you can't get what you want.
"I'll send Anabel and Looker the request for Agent Sun. He can be here by tomorrow."
Moon stands up in response, the blanket pooling around her feet with a rapid thump.
"Agent, Bzzt?" She doesn't utter a word as she walks to the door. "Where do you think you're going, Agent?" Rotom asks more frantically this time around.
"I need air"
"Mo–"
The door closes with a quiet click.
Moon finds herself wandering the empty streets of Akala. Her feet dragging as her mind mulls over how she left.
She shouldn't have done that.
Rotom really did deserve a more competent partner and with her emotions getting the best of her in these frustrating times she wasn't so sure she ever was the best pick for this role or this mission. Moon lets out a sigh as she walks on the small sliver of grassless path on Route 6.
Who knew that being Pokemon-less would inconvenience so many aspects of her evening.
Eventually the soft plains shift into paved roads. She glances up and notices the street sign, Royal Avenue and just beyond it was a dome. Brightly lit up by 4 spotlights, and an amplified sound coming from the inside.
Strange how there could be so much life just a few miles away from her hotel.
"It's a little late to not be in the Battle Dome," Moon hears from behind her. Her tongue clicks in annoyance; not really in the mood to deal with uninvited commentators.
"Listen, I don't need someone telling m—" she turns around only to see a familiar face.
"Hau?"
"Moon!" the Kahuna excitedly yells -almost as if they were long lost friends- "looking more like an Alolan native this time around!" Moon smiles, feeling her mood lighten up almost instantly with his warm and welcoming energy, even though it contrasted heavily with the cool Alolan breeze that she was once again not prepared for.
"So what's got you standing outside the Battle Dome instead of attending the Semifinals?" Hau says with a relaxed curiosity, but all his words sound foreign as her forehead crinkles and her eyes dart to the building Hau was referring to.
"I'm not-I'm not sure what that is?," her voice pitches prompting a small gasp to leave the Hau's lips.
"You're not here for the Battle Royal?"
She shakes her head.
"Or the semifinals?"
She shakes her head once more, only to have a gasp escape her when he grabs her hand and begins pulling her in the direction of the dome.
"Moon, it's time to discover the best scene in Alola. Besides what else could you be doing?"
Obviously Moon knew she couldn't mention her job, but the ability to make an excuse was slipping away with every passing second they walked closer. "I really should be going back home…" Moon begins, as she feels Hau's hand let go of hers. He turns to face her with big sad eyes.
"This is a once in a lifetime chance, Moon. You gotta live a little!"
His words struck a chord, but even she knew her curiosity was piqued. For 45 days she had been working. Unable to explore Alola and for once maybe, just maybe, she needed to step away from the mission.
"Fine, but you have to explain what's going."
Hau throws a fist into the air, now racing into the building as Moon follows.
"C'mon! The person we're cheering for would be happy to see you!"
If Moon thought the outside was lively, the inside went beyond the imaginable.
The seats were filled with people of all ages. The crowd was roaring as the current contender seemed to be a favorite. Moon follows Hau to his reserved seats, a perplex look planting itself on Moon's face. "Do I need to pay you big pokedollars to sit here with you?," she jokes as Hau hands her his bucket of popcorn.
"Of course not! I got these two seats as a gift from my friend. So sit, eat, and enjoy!"
Moon glances around in astonishment as her eyes dart around, taking in the atmosphere and the feel. Hau laughs at her awe. "If you're wondering why there's so many people, it's cause it's the biggest event of the year."
A loud buzzer draws everyone's attention, but the sounds of the audience never cease. Flags and towels supporting different trainers shake around.
"Did we miss your friend's round?"
"Oh nononononon," Hau responds as he stuffs a handful of popcorn into his mouth, "my friend is coming out in the second round. You'll probably recognize him in an instant."
"But I don't know anyone in Alo–"
"Battle Royal friends and family ARE YOU READY FOR ROUND TWO?!" An announcer hypes up, his deep voice booming through the colosseum.
"IN CORNER ONE WE HAVE THE BOSS WHO BEATS YOU DOWN, AND BEATS YOU DOWN, AND NEVER LETS UP: GUZMAAAAA!"
A gruff white haired man walks onto the stage. His smug grin prompting more screams. There was a specific crowd across the way who held up skull towels and merchandise. Their heads were all an array of blue and pink. They were chanting "go boss" over and over again.
"AND NOW IN CORNER TWO WE HAVE A REQUEST. HE'S ASKED FOR YOU TO WATCH HIM VERY CAREFULLY. IT'S KIAWEEE!"
Kiawe rushes in and begins dancing with his Marowak. The crowd oohs and ahhs at his exhibition, ending with 3 very dramatic poses. "BURN EVERYONE DOWN!" the fangirls chant. They were quite passionate.
"IN CORNER THREE, WE HAVE THE PRINCE OF THE TRAINING SCHOOL: IILIMA!"
He simply steps on. Stopping in the middle to smile and wave. That was enough to make the entire crowd squeal. Moon could feel herself get into the energy of the space, now cramming her own hand into the popcorn to consume it.
"And now, everyone, I'm honored to announce the UNDEFEATED Champion. He's back to keep his title alive this year. EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR: GLADIONNNN"
Moon nearly chokes. What she thought was a loud crowd before increased tenfold. People from all corners were screaming his name and holding up black and red banners as he walked in; stoic face and all.
Moon looked like a Magikarp out of water; eyes blown wide, mouth agape, as her head turns to look at Hau's knowing face. He mouths 'I told you so' right before the bell rings to announce the start.
Hau tried his best to explain the rules of Battle Royal as the contenders duked it out, but none of it settled in as she felt her focus captured by a specific acquaintance. Everyone there had their own style, their own technique, their own strategy, but even Moon could tell that the Aether President was a force to be reckoned with.
And she found herself unable to pull her eyes away from the scene unfolding before her.
Gladion takes one opponent - the fire guy - out almost instantly. Groans and cries escaping one corner of fans as cheers blew up everywhere else.
Who was Gladion really?
A begrudging President by day, a Champion by night - Moon leans forward in her seat trying to put together the missing pieces as she watches him even more carefully.
She had never seen him so calm and focused. Every move and target he made was calculated, almost as if he could predict his opponents' next moves. He commanded the arena with confidence and when he knocks out another opponent - the pink haired one - the crowd explores again.
Gladion was 100% in his element.
And Moon's heart was racing.
She wanted to attribute it to the atmosphere. The hype, the adrenaline, it's everything she remembered and more. Her heart used to race before and during a battle, but it couldn't be this. Moon left those days behind. Battling up until this moment had made her feel sick. It made her feel ashamed and guilty, but she was incapable of turning her eyes away.
She grew eerily silent even though her mind was anything but.
The President was enjoying himself as she caught sight of small smile, his gleaming emerald eyes, and his determination evident in his commands.
She smiles, lowkey wondering what it would be like to be on the field when it hits her - she's been enamored by Gladion, not the battle.
Oh no.
"THE FINAL POINT GOES TO GLADIONNNNNNN!"
The people all around her stand in a rush, their cheers roared, some of them were even crying tears of joy, but Moon felt herself glued to her seat. Her hands heavily come together to clap, unable to shake off the feeling as she suddenly felt disengaged with the area around her. Her heart continues to clamour as she sees a tiny smirk appear on Gladion's face as he recalls his Crobat and glances around the stadium. Hau jumps up and down excitedly trying to capture his attention and it's the bounce on the floor that pulls Moon back to reality.
"Over here, over here!" He begins screaming in an attempt to be noticed over the hundreds of other fans. It was easily done, they were the closest seats to the floor. Gladion gives a subtle head nod acknowledging his friend, but his eyes widen ever so slightly at the sight of her.
Moon's the one who uncharacteristically looks down in response.
"You okay, Moon?" Hau asks as he looks down at the still seated girl. Her prolonged silence clearly out of place amidst the cheers.
She stiffly stands up, her back towards the stage, as she takes his hand for a handshake and begins rambling. "Yes. Thank you for inviting me, this was fun, but it's getting late I should go before we—" she gestures quickly towards the blonde's direction "see each oth-"
But her sentence was cut off by her worst nightmare. "What are you doing here?" Gladion undoubtedly asks from behind her.
Moon wanted to disappear into the ground that very moment. She wanted to be anywhere else by under the gaze she could feel across the wall separating them. She grimaces and turns around to meet his cold gaze.
"Mr. President—"
The title makes Gladion scowl almost immediately.
"Drop the formalities, we aren't at Aether."
Moon, taken aback, says nothing, but Hau unexpectedly drops an arm around Moon's shoulders. He clearly didn't notice the tension or maybe he actively decided to ignore it. "So what did you think Moon?," Hau beams. "There's more to your boss than meets the eye, huh?"
Gladion tsks and looks away from the two. The floor behind him being cleared for the final rounds of the evening.
"Oh come on, Gladion, don't be like that. Shouldn't you be happy that Mo-"
Chills run through Moon's spine as she sees Gladion's eyes shoot daggers at the happy Kahuna. Moon doesn't have time to think about his reaction much as she lifts Hau's arm off her, refusing to either confirm or deny his statement, but Hau looks at her expectantly.
"All of this was…" Moon pauses and gazes at the blonde, not expecting for him to look back at her. Her stomach flip-flops against her will.
"Interesting."
Hau pumps a fist in victory. "Woo! Success! I made Moon's first experience of Battle Royal the best. You know maybe you should try it, when it's not finals of course. Gladion could teach you." He elbows the blonde roughly, much to his disdain as a grumble escapes him.
"That won't be needed" Moon she says harshly, a faint blush on her cheeks as she shakes her head vigorously. Gladion's scowl drops ever so slightly as he quirks a curious eyebrow, but ultimately stays silent as Hau whines.
"Aww, but why?"
Her eyes dart around the room looking for an excuse, any excuse. Her eyes focus in on the clock.
"I don't like being a burden," Moon begins while taking a small step backwards.
"And I know how busy he truly is."
Another step, a look back at the clock, a small gasp.
"And, well, look at the time. Busy work day tomorrow, got to go," Moon was now at a reasonable distance away from the two. "Thank you again, and goodbye Hau, Pres–er–Gladion." Moon scurries away as fast as she can, already well aware that that exit was anything but smooth, but not aware of the two pairs of eyes following her as her back disappears into the crowd.
"I know what you're thinking," Hau begins as he plops down into his seat. "We crossed paths by chance, but you at the very least could've seemed happier," Hau states matter-of-factly before Gladion scowls and turns to the stairs.
The cold air hits Moon's flushed face immediately. The silence outside was deafening and the only thing keeping Moon company was the thumping of heart and the slowing pace of her breathing. Both serving as reminders of her newfound realizations.
How could she, of all people, be gaining some sort of interest in a possible suspect?
She was asking for a death sentence and an imminent removal at this point.
But maybe it wasn't a romantic inclination, Moon tried to reason. She had been observing him for months and never felt this way before - so obviously her mind (and her heart) was mixing up adrenaline with infatuation in some sort of fluke.
Obviously…
A sigh leaves her lips as she glances up at the sky, it had only gotten darker at this point as the stars and moon casted enough light for her to see ahead. "It really is getting late," Moon murmurs, her hand reaching for her ride pager - only for her to feel nothing. She frantically pats all four of her pockets before remembering her hasty leave from home. Her hand rubs against her face in irritation, sure the walk back to Heahea was a short one, but one still riddled with wild Pokemon.
"You know I didn't peg you for the type to run away from a challenge."
Moon feels her stomach drop at the voice she now recognized all too well. She looks over her shoulder and sees Gladion approaching, Hau nowhere in sight. Her eyes narrow at his accusation.
This may be the guy that was making her heart race, but no one, not even he, could tarnish her pride.
Moon crosses her arms.
"I'm not."
"I also thought you would be better at it," a knowing look "since you haven't left the premises."
Moon opens her mouth to protest, but for once she had no real comeback. "I was getting to it…" she grumbles lamely as he hums in response, clearly not believing her. Silence washes over the two as Moon mulls over what to say next, something she never had to do before since her witty remarks were so natural.
The air felt heavy between them, so all she could do was state the obvious.
"Don't you have a battle to win?"
Surprisingly Gladion shrugs nonchalantly, "in 30 minutes. I just came out to remind you that you can't work unapproved hours over the weekend."
Moon stares at him in complete and utter confusion until her elegant exit reminded her of her less than crafty excuse. "Aye aye, Mister President," Moon sasses, but when a small smirk grows on Gladion's lips, she finds herself at a loss for words. Seeing Gladion lighten up was something she never thought she would witness.
"Let's get you back to...Heahea I assume?" he announces as he begins walking towards Route 6.
"I can get home safely on my own, you know?" Moon replies, but her footsteps catching up to his, gave away the actual need.
He lets out a small laugh. "Oh, I don't doubt that at all, but you," he looks at her through his peripherals, "also have no Pokemon."
"How…"
He sticks his hands into his pockets and shrugs once more.
"Most trainers try any form of battling at least once and you rejected it outright."
Moon's silence speaks volumes, but Gladion doesn't pry. She was so used to being the observer she never thought someone would observe her. "Well aren't you perceptive," she says.
"Hey, I'm not the one who would constantly try to get to know me at the office," Gladion cuts in sarcastically causing Moon to let out a breathy laugh as they walk back to the city in sync.
"So a Champion, huh," Moon begins as she eyes Gladion curiously. "Why the Battle Royale and not something like the League?" Moon inquires, catching the blonde off guard as he looks right at her.
"Control," Gladion answers without missing a beat, as if this was something he had once thought long and hard about. "Unlike the Championship, Battle Royale is predictable, calculable."
Moon understood almost immediately, it was the reason why she first became a vet - "Like it's the one place your decisions, and your decisions alone, get to create the outcome you want?" Moon asks, shocking Gladion as he whispers a quiet "yeah…"
Moon nods. Personally she had lost that power dynamic years ago, on the battlefield and in the hospital room but - "I get it," Moon declares, "sometimes you just need an escape."
"An escape-yeah, that's a good way to put it."
And that's when Gladion smiles, honestly smiles, as if someone for once was finally hearing him out. Moon, on the other hand, feels the dread come over her; her heart tightening, as guilt comes over her. She's breaking every mantra she had learned back at headquarters.
She didn't care.
Those exchanged words altered something in their dynamic. As if they both misunderstood each other for much longer than ever needed. It was just badly timed as Moon looks up towards the sky and sees clouds beginning to roll in. A frantic flurry of Pikipek soon fly out from the trees all around them. "It's night time, they shouldn't be out," Moon questions, but Gladion visibly stiffens.
"You need to get home-NOW,"
"What? Wh–," Moon barely gets out before a large boom, a blinding light, and a sudden burst of air throw both of them to the ground.
It was only a second later that Moon squints her eyes and forces her body up to look at the sky.
There it was, the Ultra Wormhole: a rippling, blue, vortex-shaped tear in the sky that filled Moon with absolute dread.
She was unprepared, with no backup, unable to contact anyone.
Gladion reaches for a Pokeball and sends out the Pokemon that was missing in action earlier. "Null, remember what happened last time? Don't you dare try to protect me again. Let's get the job done correctly this time." The Pokemon responds with a low growl, hitting a defensive stance ready to take on whatever was going to appear.
"Ultra Beast hunter…" the words leave Moon's lips without a second thought. She covers her mouth with her hands, she as a normal employee wouldn't know that. But her sentence didn't go unnoticed as she sees Gladion's eyes widen.
"Jrrr-rrr-rrr," comes from above them. A hoard of white jellyfish-like Pokemon begin to descend from the sky towards the two of them. He dismisses her small comment and throws her one of his Pokeballs. "You either leave, or you help out," his voice was urgent and slightly panicked, but Moon found herself unable to think clearly. She looks down at the item and clenches her hand around it.
"Don't tell me you work for Lusamine…"
"What are you going on about?" Gladion asks desperately trying to focus on their surroundings and what Moon was saying at the same time to no avail.
"You as President of Aether work for Lusamine!" Moon spits, emotions riling up in her chest, the bitterness heard in every word that left her mouth. She drops the Pokeball consequently releasing his Crobat.
"Listen, this isn't the time. We kinda have a situation in front of us," he exclaims, but it falls on deaf ears as she shakes her head and tries to back up.
She wasn't reacting properly, she wasn't ready for this.
"Crobat acrobatics!"
The Pokemon attacked the mysterious creatures, many disappearing on contact in one go. Moon found herself rooted to the ground as cries surrounded her from every corner. Suddenly she felt one of the Pokemon tackle her, her body falling to the ground with a distinct smack, as Type: Null lets out a bark grabbing Gladion's attention once more. He pulls out a stack of disks, throwing a blue one towards the Pokemon.
"Null use multi-attack!"
The cries end, the wormhole in the sky now shutting tight, as Gladion calls in Crobat, exhaustion evident. And in that instant Moon finds the will to stand, overlooking the bruising and the cuts, as she walks up to the blonde and stabs an accusatory finger on his chest. Her heart was clamoring, her glare fiery, angry, and ready to destroy his very being.
"Is this what comes with the Presidency title, Gladion?"
He tsks and grabs a hold of her hand, "I don't know what you're going on about."
"Type: Null!," Moon shouts, "it was created to hunt down creatures like that!" Moon screams, her free hand pointing up to where the wormhole was earlier.
"How would someone like you know this?"
Her throat goes dry, she couldn't blow her cover.
"And for your information I stole Type: Null from mother in order to stop her myself."
Moon's eyes widen.
"Mother…?"
"AGENT MOON!"
"Agent?" Gladion repeats, his grip loosening, as his head turns towards the voice. The color drains out of Moon's face, dread filling every fiber of her being. But before she could say anything a pair of arms pull her away. In between her and Gladion now stood a worried Rotom and a cheeky Sun ready for anything.