Gladion wished he could say that finding the flutes was difficult.
In an ideal situation they would've been tucked away under lock and key. A hidden location, a secured vault, something with an alarm or trigger that would symbolize some sort of desire to hide away the villainous pretense their mother had.
But no.
Instead both flutes hung on the wall over the mantel. Merely decorative and taunting; all of the misdoings had warning signs, all of it under their noses.
"Lillie, how long did you know?"
His sister doesn't response for the first few seconds as she gingerly reaches towards the items—-they weren't even out of reach.
"About what I brought up earlier? I mean you're not that hard to read big brother it's written all over your face when Moon appe—"
Gladion clears his throat, his cold glare bringing a smirk to Lillie's face-— he knew she was trying to lighten up the mood, but that was a topic for another time.
A time that didn't involve the fate of the region.
"Gladion, you know Mother hasn't been the same since father disappeared," she says quietly, walking over to her brother. "Everyone in this family is bad at keeping secrets, it honestly was only a matter of time," she says while handing the blue flute to Gladion. He couldn't even hide his wonderment as he watches his sister fiddle with the other item. She was so observant from afar, unlike him. Sure, he had heard rumors in passing. One about a secret research team looking into his father's old studies and another about conservation funds slowing depleting. Hundreds of thousands of dollars for habitats and research, just slowly trickling away.
When looked into the money was never actually missing so all the rumors were classified as such.
But Gladion believed there was always a small semblance of truth in rumors. It prompted him to search-he found Type: Null, but by then it was too late.
If only Lillie had been in Alola instead.
"Don't blame yourself, Gladion," Lillie announces, Gladion's distant expression turning into silent surprise as she gives him a knowing look. How she was so keen on other's emotions was terrifying.
"I wouldn't dream of it," he lies, a disapproving tsk leaving his sister's lips.
"You have to remember I'm only involved cause I'm following dad's research-Nebby was an accident, and Professor Burnet coming to Kalos was just good timing," she states matter-of-factly before looking at Gladion with a small hint of pride. " You, on the other hand, were here in Alola trying to be a proper heir. It's not your fault our mother got involved with any of this."
When Gladion doesn't reply Lillie lets out a sigh.
"Think about it Gladion, you started your own task force with Hau, you've been fighting these beasts for months, and now you're working with the International Police-you're helping much more than you're giving yourself credit for."
Gladion tries interjecting but Lillie simply interrupts by passing him the other flute.
"Without us " his sister emphasizes, "none of the agents would be able to do what's next."
Gladion nods silently acknowledging that capturing their mother was next. That sending someone to Ultraspace was next. That ending everything once and for all was next.
It wouldn't be a surprise to hear if the other side of the International Police was discussing this very thing at the same time.
"The question is Gladion," Lillie begins as she looks up to meet Gladion's eyes with an intensity that unnerved him.
"Is it really up to someone else to clean up the mess our family started?"
"Agent I know you want to settle all of this," Looker begins as the younger agent crosses her arms, "but Ultraspace is unexplored. It's dangerous, it's—"
"Detective, if not me then who?" Moon cuts in as Looker turns speechless for Agent Moon had a point. The worries of imminent danger went beyond a singular person- a whole region was at stake.
A silence washes over the three of them as a heavy burden lays on all their shoulders.
"Ultraspace," Anabel whispers as two pairs of eyes land on her. "Ultraspace, it isn't as bad as everyone thinks it is..."
"Anabel," Looker says worriedly dropping her title as the other detective raises a hand, shushing him right away.
"I may not remember it," Anabel says hesitantly "but I came back alive, pretty sure you can too."
And for the first time the Detective doesn't look at Moon with contempt. There was no snarkiness, no sarcastic tinge. Only a soft smile accompanied by furrowed brows-it was just concern and hopefulness.
"Detective, get the preparations ready, our new Agent is finishing up her mission."
The International Police, a Professor, and the two children of a Foundation walk into the Altar.
There was a joke in there somewhere, one that no one could bear to tell because this was a group of people never meant to come together.
Gladion and Lillie watch from afar as Moon's Rotomdex connects their group to the defensive team on the islands. Agent Sun and the Kahunas loudly reassure everyone that they had everything under control — sure the Ultra Beasts weren't slowing down, but they came early enough to evacuate civilians.
The decent news registered with the lead Detectives as they prompted more questions out of Sun, however, the information didn't seem to be reaching the other two. Professor Burnet wasn't paying attention to the call instead deciding to fidget around Moon. An unreadable expression was on the agent's face as she nodded along to Burnet's questions? Demands? Or maybe they were pleas?
Gladion honestly couldn't tell from the distance.
The atmosphere was tense to say the least. Everyone knew what was going to happen in a matter of minutes. Nothing was ideal and there clearly were things out of everyone's control.
But as Gladion looks away from those actively working he couldn't help but to wonder about one thing in particular.
"You don't want to talk to Hau over there Lils?"
Lillie shakes her head, almost defiantly. "If he finds out I'm here he'll do something reckless. Everyone needs to stay focused."
And for once Lillie's heart of gold seemed to falter in an attempt of trying to not distract from the mission.
"None of us know what's going to happen in the next moments Lillie" Gladion says sternly, "Go. Don't have regrets."
His sister blinks slowly.
Before Gladion would've never encouraged anything between them, but with the risk of Alola collapsing so imminent it seems that their secret work together had led to Gladion's silent acceptance. She nods, agreeing and rushing to the call only to walk past Moon's figure.
Moon clad space suit, had an oddly distant look on her face as she approached him. There was one occupied Beast ball on her waist and a box containing the crystal was carried under her left arm. She gave Lillie a small passing smile, but it was only when she stopped in front of him that her eyes seemed wary. She lifts one hand wordlessly towards him, clearly requesting the artifacts that the siblings obtained. He hands them over, their hands brushing for a millisecond too long, her eyes lingering on him that made the exchange seem like a final goodbye.
Moon pulls the flutes close, a shaky "thank you" leaves her lips as her clear gray eyes shift away from him and down to the flutes in hand.
"Does it have to be you?" Gladion asks under his breath as Moon's dignified expression falters.
"Do any of us really trust Sun to go instead?"
His silent reply was reason enough to prompt a breathy laugh. "I'll be fine," she convincingly lies. "Someone I trust once told me The Type: Nulls were made for these situations." She smiles as if trying to ward off his worries. The sincerity in her voice almost enough to make him break. To make him beg her to stay-to send Sun into the wormhole instead; even if he messed everything up.
But Gladion wasn't good with words.
"Can you even do this? You barely trained the Type: Null," Gladion harshly says as Moon's smile falls, her mouth twisting into a scowl almost immediately.
"This whole moment is any Agents' dream, President."
Her aloof response effective as Gladion's lips form a tightly sealed line.
"You might not think I'm ready, but this is the chance of a lifetime," she defends. "To save people. To help Pokemon. This is the reason why I'm in Alola," her voice falters, her heart tightening. "This is the only reason why we met," and it's when she admits this that the tears break through her facade. Anabel's voice echoing in her mind. Emotions. Emotions. Emotions.
Emotions will get her killed. Emotions will get someone else killed.
But when Gladion instinctively pulls her closer that's when she knew she was about to lose something she never even had.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-I'm just worried," Gladion uncharacteristically admits, much to Moon's surprise as she feels his arms tighten around her.
It was too late to change their fates.
"I'll be fine," she quietly repeats, mostly to convince herself, as she pulls away hesitantly. "Besides," a small albeit real smile appears, "I have to come back okay to finally know what you were going to tell me the other night."
And with that Gladion's hold loosens and Moon simply wipes her eyes before her back turns to walk into the center of the Altar.
"If everything we've worked up to is correct—the legends and the research — you'll be able to go into the wormhole as soon as the flutes finish opening the portal up," Burnet announces as Moon finishes placing both Cosmoem in the center of their respective circles.
"Whenever you're ready Agent."
Moon looks over to her left. Lillie, Professor Burnet, and Gladion all watching with serious expressions. Were they worried? Excited? It was hard to decipher. Then she glances to her right; Rotomdex right beside her. "You ready for this Rotom?" And for once it agrees silently.
Moon nods her head, signaling to Anabel and Looker that it was time.
And that's when two melodies play completely in sync.
The Moon flute Anabel held sounded pleasantly eerie. The moodier sound of the two seemed to resonate with the feeling of being alone only guided by the moonlight. It wasn't happy, but it was reassuring and hopeful like dreams yet achieved.
The Sun flute Looker held, however, was the complete opposite. It's sounds were light, warm, cheerful. It brought comfort and nostalgia and surrounded one in feelings of success and harmony.
And when both played it was as if two parts of a whole had now come together to represent the cycle of a day. The sun and moon always chasing one another, never in the same sky, but still always working together.
A mysterious wind picks up as the two Pokemon in the Altar begin to glow and rise to the sky. The sound emitting from the flutes picking up in pace as a change started to occur. Brighter and brighter the light becomes as a loud whirring sound starts to form in the middle of the sky.
There it was.
The wormhole.
Everyone stares in awe. Anabel and Looker drop the flutes, the sound carrying itself, as the hole opens wide, the winds pick up, and the ground shakes as Solgaleo and Lunala make their appearance.
Moon quickly reaches for the small box, opening it up to the crystal that had hurt her a mere hours ago.
"We want to protect Alola, like you. We need to find the source of these crystals, find the person responsible of messing with your world and ours," Moon yells over the sound of Lunala's beating wings and Solgaleo's approaching footsteps. The lion-like Pokemon takes a moment to really look at Moon, but all she does is stare with the utmost resolution. She was going to do this and she was going to do this right. The Pokemon nudges the box out of Moon's hand, the contents clattering onto the floor as it sniffs it curiously.
"You'll get hurt, it's damaged," Moon urges, but the warning falls on deaf ears as Solgaleo takes the crystal into its mouth. Unharmed and unaffected Moon looks at the Pokemon with widened eyes as it bends forward, beckoning her and Rotom to get on.
Moon didn't need to be asked twice.
But as soon as the Pokemon feels her securely on there it lets out another roar before jumping into the hole, Lunala following suit, and something shiny falling from the sky.
The song ends, the winds halt, and the atmosphere shifts into something much more patient.
"How long until she's back?" Lillie asks, only to prompt a shrug out of Anabel as she pulls out her Pokedex.
"Time is different there, it could be a few seconds, it could be a few days. All we can do is wait until Rotom transmits"
It wasn't reassuring by any means, but it was something to hold onto. A small fragment of hope as everyone but Gladion gathered around the Detective's dex. His curiosity getting the best of him as he walks towards the last spot Moon stood in. The legendaries had dropped something on their exit out. He releases Type: Null, both walking around the vicinity searching until something gets kicked. Type: Null rushes to follow the source of the sound and when it barks Gladion rushes towards its side.
"Did you find it?" he asks only to see, there at his feet, a restored Z-Crystal.
He carefully picks it up with no repercussions when a cry escapes the wormhole.
"Heads up everyone," Burnet announces, "just because that was a door in, doesn't mean it can't be a door out I suggest all of you follow Gladion's lead and release your Pokemon."
When Moon came to the Legendaries were nowhere to be seen.
"Agent, Agent, Agent, wake up," Rotom calls out from above her head as her eyes try to refocus. From the ground all she could feel was the cold floor. The lighting was too dim to see anything substantial, and on the dark walls only a few spots glistened with what Moon recognized to be Z-crystals. There were no sounds beyond her ragged breathing and Rotom's incessant buzzing.
"Rotom," Moon weakly calls out as she sits up, the air in space making it feel like her lungs were collapsing, "how long was I out?"
"A few seconds," Rotom says as he watches Moon wince, her hand clenching at her chest.
"Were you able to get a signal?"
"Not yet, bzzzt," the Pokemon replies as Moon releases Type: Null, the Pokemon jumping into a defensive stance almost immediately when it sees Moon on the floor.
"Agent? Are you doing okay?" Rotom worriedly asks as Moon simply waves her hand around dismissing the concern. She places a hand on Type: Null as she pulls herself onto her feet. "The Legendaries brought us here. I'm not leaving until we're done with our task," Moon stubbornly responds, only to prompt an eyeroll out of her partner dex.
"Yeah, well some legendaries they were-they're not even here to help you find Lusamine," Rotom mutters only to have Moon glare. Solgaleo or Lunala really were nowhere to be found, but Type: Null picks up on something as a bark signals to Moon that something was down the corridor.
"Rotom, work on that signal," Moon commands as she slowly walks next to Type: Null.
Moon assumed that Ultraspace was vast, possibly never ending, so for Solgaleo and Lunala to drop them off in this specific spot had to mean that something was around the corner.
And right she was, because when she and Type: Null turned into the hall all she could see was a blur of white. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of the same white jellyfish creatures she saw with Gladion floated around the empty room. They weren't emitting any sounds and their bodies seem to move around without any purpose, constantly bumping into one another.
Moon beckons Type: Null to follow her back to Rotom. This nearby room wasn't the place to talk about what to do next, but as she slowly takes a step back, her hand grazes on a crystal on the wall. It clatters to the ground, and all the creatures turn to face her.
"Do we have a guest?"
Moon hears the undeniable voice of a woman, as the jellyfish begin to flutter and make their own noises of affirmation.
"Well, bring her forward."
And bring her they do, as their tentacles grab a hold of her and Type: Null. The Pokemon cries and bites as the jellyfish squeal and drop it. Moon, on the other hand, has no luck as she struggles to pry them off before she's dumped in front of a makeshift throne.
When she looks up the undeniable blonde hair and green eyes chill her to the bone. "Lusamine," Moon murmurs, her eyes growing wide, as the woman simply looks down at her. Her menacing figure looming over as her smile seemed to be filled with vicious intent.
"Are you here to steal my beautiful creatures?"
Type: Null could be heard in the background growling and fighting off the nearby Ultra Beasts.
"Hmm, curious," Lusamine says as she bends forward, her cold skinny hands grabbing a hold of Moon's face. "It seems you've already stolen one of mine already."
Moon pries her hands off, her face contorting into something of disgust as she brings herself to stand up once more.
"Lusamine, you're under arrest for crimes of terror against Alola."
Lusamine's bored expression doesn't shift as she simply snaps her fingers and the Pokemon grab a hold of Moon once more. A haughty laugh escapes her she watches the intruder struggle and squirm.
"You think I care about Alola? All I need in the world are my beautiful creatures, this is where real paradise lies."
"Detec-ves- th-s- Rot-bzzt," the pokedex calls as everyone nearly jumps in surprise. It had been about 5 hours since Moon had disappeared. Rotom's contact now bringing hope back into the group.
"Rotom, Rotom," Looker calls out "you're breaking up is everything okay?"
"Lusam- cap-ur-d Moon-fused-wi-beas-" the dex gets out as an audible gasp leaves everyone. Anabel and Looker beg for an explanation. Gladion's Type: Null growling deeply and beginning to grow antsy.
"Calm down, boy," Gladion whispers reassuringly as Rotom continues to choppily explain the situation.
"Type: Nu- o-numbered, M-n bar-ly holding o-"
Type: Null lets out a loud bark as he tackles Gladion and throws his owner onto his back. It begins to run towards the wormhole at rapid speed.
"Null!" Gladion yells from utop the Pokemon to no avail.
Everyone watches in shock and horror as two more of their group suddenly disappear into the sky. They exchange glances-concern, fear, when they hear Rotom suddenly cry out "Gla-" before shutting off completely.
Somehow Moon had gotten loose from the Ultra Beast grasp. Her back was firmly planted against the wall as she continues to call out demands. Type: Null was still going, beaten, but not out of fighting spirit as Lusamine in a deranged fused form continued to direct ongoing attacks.
And it's in one quick move that her Type:Null gets thrown across the floor.
"Type: Null!" Moon screams as she runs towards him, no longer caring about the Beasts surrounding her or Lusamine now approaching her with a hostile gaze.
"Maybe this'll teach you to not steal," Lusamine yells as one of her stingers slices Moon's leg, a shriek coming out of the girl as her focus begins to break in and out of consciousness. A combination of her leg now bleeding, and the oxygen she was never getting, now all working against her.
"And maybe this will teach you to not destroy people's paradises," Lusamine threatens as she lifts another stinger, this time pointing towards Moon's center.
Only for it to come down and be interrupted by a roaring and tackling of an evolved Type: Null. Lusamine yelps as a loud "Silvally, Multi-Attack" is commanded from around the corner. The evolved Chimera now going at full force as Moon doesn't watch on-her focus solely on Type: Null coming back to consciousness.
"Are you okay?" Moon asks as she opens her bag to apply a potion to the Pokemon. Type: Null itself letting out a whine as it sees Moon's injuries, her shaky breathing, her pale face.
Suddenly Moon hears her name. Gladion's shouting almost indecipherable as he runs past the Ultra Beasts and to the girl barely managing to keep it together.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?," Moon screams, "YOU'RE A CIVILIAN! THIS ISN'T SAFE. THIS ISN'T WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE."
"And yet I am," Gladion responds calmly as he rips his sweater to wrap around Moon's bleeding leg. It was makeshift, but good enough for now.
"Silvally rushed in here to protect you."
The aforementioned Pokemon was holding its ground as it fought with Lusamine. Moon's own Type: Null now growling as it left Moon's side and joined Gladion's partner.
"You need," Moon struggles, taking in a deep breath. "You need to leave Gladion."
"Not without you I can't," he says with the utmost seriousness as he grabs Moon's arm and swings it around his shoulders-her weight almost entirely on him as she tried her best to stand.
"Silvally, keep going!" Gladion shouts as he tries to escort Moon out of the middle of the battle-except their escape is intercepted when the white Ultra Beast surround them.
"My, my, it seems thieves know each other," Lusamine murmurs in a ragged whisper as one of her tentacles swing away Silvally and Type: Null. Their yelps prompting Moon to nearly slip out of Gladion's grap. Her instinct to go protect them trying to override the pain she was feeling. "Want to know something, little thief?" Lusamine hypothetically asks Moon. The agent simply holding on tighter to Gladion as she stares at the woman.
She could tell Lusamine was growing exhausted.
"My precious daughter stole my Cosmog and my precious son stole my Type: Null," Lusamine spits as she stops right in front of them, her golden eyes intensely staring at Gladion.
"Mother," Gladion says sharply as Lusamine's smile grows wicked.
"Betrayed by my own flesh and blood-" Lusamine swings an arm and hits Gladion's leg, his immediate fall to the ground prompting his head to hit the pavement with a loud crack as Moon's grip loosens and forces her to stumbles up against a wall.
"I didn't need either one of them. I just need Nihilego and for the world to understand their beauty."
Moon couldn't help the small sob that left her, the tears pricking the corner of eyes as she looks down at Gladion's figure on the ground. Her chest tightens, her breath shortens, she looks up at Lusamine preparing to destroy every single one of them when she sees Type: Null and Silvally picking themselves up in the background.
Picking themselves up.
Moon's eyes widen.
"Is that why you sent the Beasts into Alola? Used Aether as a cover? Why injure people with the crystals if you wanted them to understand?"
Moon needed to buy time.
"Little thief you know a lot don't you," Lusamine snickers. "I tried to make them understand, starting with Aether. Sadly only a few understood."
She laughs as one of her hands come to caress Moon's face.
"I figured it was best to destroy them all," Lusamine says with the utmost resolution. "It's just sad, that the only ones who got to see my darlings in their most beautiful state-won't ever be able to share the tale."
A chuckle escapes Moon. "Sadly, you won't be able to either," Moon smiles as her eyes meet with the Pokemon lurking behind her.
"SILVALLY USE MULTI-ATTACK, TYPE: NULL USE DOUBLE EDGE!"
Lusamine's arm drops as the attacks catch her off-guard, the critical hits taking her down to the ground in one quick succession. The Nihilego swarm lets out a cry, vanishing from site almost immediately as silence fills the vacuum of space once more.
Moon collapses to the ground, her own consciousness fading in and out, as she crawls over to Gladion. Her first move to place two fingers on his neck, searching, waiting.
A gasp of relief.
There was a pulse, and soon darkness.