Chapter 9: The Blunted Blade

Kartana flew around the conservatory of Aether Paradise, racing the bird pokémon who lived there, humming happily as it went. It was being watched by Lillie, Gladion, Lusamine and the Ultra Recon Squad. There was still unease in the air as Lillie was in the middle of explaining her story to Lusamine.

"...and that's how I ended up with Kartana, mother. I'm sorry I kept it from you, but I really didn't want a repeat of Nebby!" she exclaimed. Lusamine pondered it all for a moment, and Lillie went deathly still, in anticipation of a vocal scolding. However such a thing never came. Instead, Lusamine sighed with a small smile on her face.

"Lillie, dear, you care for the strangest things indeed. First Cosmog, then that beast, Necrozma. And now this? Honestly, i'm surprised at your gift for befriending them." she said. Zossie, who had been mostly quiet, decided to pipe up. "Of course! It must be the reason for why we were detecting Ultra Space energy in the foundation lately!"

Kartana briefly drooped in the air, however nobody noticed, it shook the strange feeling off, before drifting down to see the strange blonde man who was tapping on his wrist constantly. Lillie noticed this and ran off. "Oh, Hello Miss Lillie. All is well I assume?" he said, glancing in her direction. Lillie nodded, before gently stroking the Kartana's smooth blades. She noticed however that the blades were not as sharp as usual.

Quickly dismissing it, she returned to the man infront of her. "I must say, I am curious on how its ability works. Beast Boost was it?" he inquired, pulling up a picture from when there was a Blacephalon going wild on Poni Island, gesturing towards the strange red aura surrounding it.

"Hey, wait a second, Kartana didn't have the aura when I encountered it." she mused, looking at the Ultra Beast, who gazed back with its alien face. The Beast let off a cry before looping into the air again. Maybe it was too scared to use its aura that night? Or maybe it wasn't feeling well. It certainly wouldn't be out of the picture, considering it was technically an alien.

And then Kartana fell from the sky with a clang as it hit the metal walkway. Lillie screamed in surprise, as the others rushed over to see what the commotion was. "What happened?" commanded Dulse.

"Kartana collapsed, please, help!" she frantically exclaimed. What worried her the most was the fact that there appeared to be no impact left behind by the blades hitting the floor. What was happening to her new otherworldly friend?

"Kartana's fine, for now." Zossie explained to Lillie as the two of them stood outside the lab, looking inside through the observation window as Dulse seemed to be working to stabilize the Ultra Beast. Dulse looked towards the window for a moment, before walking to the door and urging Lillie inside. "It's stable. Don't worry."

Lillie walked over to the examination table, where Kartana was laying flat, but she could hear the sound of breathing from its unusual mouth, calming her nerves. The Ultra Beast had a few wires attached to it, most likely to monitor its vitals. "What happened?" she inquired.

"Lillie, have you noticed how Kartana's blades are blunter than usual, and its usual metallic shine has become dull?" he gestured towards the Pokémon. He was right, Lillie rubbed her thumb across the usually sharp edge of Kartana's blade, noticing that it did not even leave a mark on her thumb. Was it really that bad? She nodded in response to Dulse's question.

"This will explain it then." he said, moving over to pick up a datapad, showing a picture of the Ultra Forest, before zooming in on a picture of the bamboo-like plants. "These plants excrete a metallic chemical into the air in its home world, called Kartathanol. Dulse pulled up a complicated chemical structure of what she assumed was the Kartathanol.

"It's like vitamin for them, They absorb it through the yellow blades on their shoulders, it helps reinforce their paper-like body to be as strong as steel, as opposed to paper." the squad member continued to explain. "Eventually it will lose its appetite, and will no longer be able to eat, it's vitals begin to shut down due to lack of nourishment, and it will die." Lillie paled at this. Kartana was... dying?

She held back tears. "W-Wha... Can we stop it from dying?" she asked. "You won't like it, but the only way to stop it, is to take Kartana home. And leave him there. Constant exposure to the Kartathanol should be enough to make up for its deficiency."

Lillie's expression dropped. Part of her knew that this wasn't meant to last. How would everyone else react to the fact she had such an alien Pokémon? She sniffled a little, before moving over to the table to hug Kartana. "I suspect you're planning on taking it back then?" Dulse questioned. Lillie nodded.

"Zossie?" he called out to his partner. "Contact Captain Phyco, we're gonna need help on this one." "Roger that!" she responded. Dulse turned back to the grieving trainer. "Kartana's stabilized, but don't try using it in battle, that will accelerate the deterioration. You've got to take it to the Altar of the Sunne, our associate Soliera will meet you there." he explained to Lillie.

Lillie returned Kartana, and sombrely walked out of the lab. She had to prepare for a long journey to the Altar again, and this time she wouldn't have Sun watching her back. Maybe she could ask Gladion.

"I can't Lillie, I've got to go back to Kanto. I still haven't claimed my eighth badge." he told his sister. "Oh, alright Gladion. Please come back soon though. We miss you when you're gone." she said. Gladion smiled and ruffled his sister's hair, before reaching into his pocket, and pulling something out. "Listen, the Trial you have to go through to get to the altar is no pushover." he spoke. "But, brother, I have no Pokémon who can use this!" she exclaimed, looking at the gift, before putting away into a sidepocket of her backpack. Gladion simply grinned. "Trust me, you do."

Gladion then stepped onto the boat, and as it sailed off into the distance, the two siblings waved goodbye to eachother.

Lillie sighed, she truly would be alone, just her and her Pokémon on this last leg of her journey. She stepped onto her boat, and it left the foundation, sailing for Seafolk village.

The waves calmly splashed against the shores of Poni Island as Lillie disembarked at the Seafolk Village. She had to prepare herself for a long trek through the Vast Poni Canyon, for many battles, and even that dreaded Trial that would be her final hurdle before the altar. Ducking quickly into the Pokémon Centre to stock up on supplies and to heal her Pokémon, Kartana included, she stepped out onto the sandy shores of the island.

It was time for her to begin her last adventure with Kartana, and she intended to enjoy every moment of it, before their time together ends. Preparing herself mentally, she began to take steps into the canyon ahead.