Author's note: Phew, it's been a while! I'm sorry to have taken so long with this update, being on the road for about a week was really something. ;w; On the bright side, I've been given plenty of time to think about where the story's going to go from here-look forward to it! Thanks for your patience!

"Master Gladion!" Wicke's voice rang out through Gladion's Xtransciever as he dashed towards the elevator, Phoebe following close behind. "Where are you heading?!"

Skidding to a halt in the elevator, allowing a moment for the other trainer to join him, Gladion couldn't say if he even had an answer to such a question. Where was he supposed to go when they'd been given no leads? Steven hadn't been spotted in Aether, so had he…?

No, of course he hadn't. He couldn't have left the structure, not when there was nothing but ocean on any side. Gladion's mind raced with ideas as to where he could have been, and he barely noticed that his fingers gravitated to the edge of his Xtransceiver, or that he was seconds away from hanging up during such a stressful time…

No. He couldn't.

He did have someone next to him who knew Steven particularly well, didn't he? Phoebe would know, if no one else. She'd know, and they'd be on their way. This was all Gladion needed.

"Phoebe." As Phoebe took her place next to him, Gladion's fingers hovered about the elevator buttons. "Do you have any guesses about where Steven went?"

Phoebe nodded, though she barely glanced at Gladion. In her hands was a Poké Ball, her grip on it firm despite the sweat forming on her hands. Her eyes had narrowed slightly, and it seemed that her entire being was steeled for a battle.

"Well," Phoebe began, "He always felt more comfortable outside. If you'd asked this while he was Champion, I'd say that he just left because of stress…It might be the same way now. I'd say either he's outside of the structure by now, or that he's gone to the Conservation Area upstairs. With what's going on, I don't know if my advice is going to be any help at this point, but if it's still him, he'll still follow the same pattern."

"…All right. Miss Wicke." Gladion returned to his Xtransceiver, looking to Wicke with a determined, fiery look in his eyes. "Following Phoebe's advice, I'll be scanning the Conservation Area for any sign of him. Is there a security team outside?"

Wicke's eyes narrowed into a determined glare.

"Yes, Master Gladion. I'll be keeping to the lower floors until further notice, then," she continued, "We're counting on you and Phoebe. Please, be careful."

Gladion nodded, tapping a button on the side of the transceiver and hanging up.

"Did they ever give you any information on Nihilego?" Gladion asked as he tapped a button on the elevator.

Everything we need to know," Phoebe replied, relaxing her posture and stepping back towards Gladion, "We know what it looks like, at least, we know what it can do, and we know it's not from this world."

Phoebe paused, a playful smile returning to her face.

"You're planning something, aren't you?" she inquired, "I'll let you take the lead from here, then. How are we approaching this?"

"I need you to flank," Gladion explained as the elevator slowed and the smell of dirt and damp foliage began to waft towards him and Phoebe, "Everyone's on edge right now. I'm worried somebody's going to try and take matters into their own hands, and I need someone with your strength to watch for attacks from behind."

"Understood." Phoebe nodded as she spoke before glancing upward at the area in front of her.

Walkways between forests, jungles, saltwater, rocky cliffs…

This was going to take a while.

Gladion looked at Phoebe with an irritated expression as he stepped out of the elevator, his Lucario's Poké Ball in hand.

"…You're calm," he challenged, "Do you actually care about any of this?"

For the first time, he regretted saying anything to Phoebe at all, as her face briefly contorted into a glare. It couldn't have been for more than a split second, but he saw anger in her eyes, an anger he'd never seen before. Just as quickly as it appeared, however, it vanished, and her expression simply turned deathly serious.

"I'm part of the Elite Four," she stated, "I can't afford to be anything less than calm."

"So you're heading up after him already?"

Wicke nearly leapt at the sound of another voice behind her as she stood, waiting for the elevator to arrive on Aether's lower floors. Suddenly, it felt as if her legs would collapse from under her, but she held herself strong. She wouldn't let herself break then, not when she was needed more than ever. Something had just then occurred to her, and she had to provide that idea to Gladion. It was all too possible that Steven had a reason for leaving his room like that, that whatever had allowed him to leave, regardless of whether or not Nihilego was involved, was simply his way of finding something that he needed.

Slowly, Wicke turned, only to be greeted once more by a uniformed Calla. Her fingers were firmly wrapped around a Luxury Ball, but her expression was oddly serene for such a time.

It said everything that needed to be said. Nothing's happened yet. We shouldn't be concerned until we find him. The thought of that was all Wicke needed, she supposed.

Yet…That chill down her spine…If Nihilego knew of that, would it hesitate at all?

"Yes, I plan to," Wicke replied, trying to mask her earlier nerves, "If Phoebe's guess regarding Steven's whereabouts is correct, I have an idea as to why he stepped out."

"Oh?" Calla cocked her head. "I can't deny that you might be onto something, but…Hm. Are you sure you're not jumping to conclusions here?"

"Admittedly…" Admittedly, Calla was right. It was definitely too soon to be sure of anything. The only thing that was certain was that Steven wasn't in his room in spite of tight security. Worrying, most definitely. Perhaps it'd even prove something about the murder case, though whether or not it'd end up being in Steven's favor or not, Wicke couldn't say.

Regardless of what it'd lead to, though, Steven hadn't even been found yet.

"You're absolutely right," Wicke sighed, "Until more evidence comes out as to where he is, I'm afraid this is a shot in the dark."

Nostalgia flashed in Calla's eyes, and she let out a soft chuckle at Wicke's words.

"You're going to do something more now, aren't you?" she asked, "Far more than either of us did when the president was at her worst…I'd call that admirable. I suppose I can't blame you for where you go from here on out, then."

Wicke fell silent. There wasn't anything else she could say at that point, she could only wait. The few moments it normally took for the elevator to arrive suddenly felt like hours, even if she hadn't truly decided on her course of action at that point.

The very idea of it was certainly unique, she'd give it that, but if she was correct…

The elevator finally arrived, and Calla turned away.

"Well," she said, "I wish you the best in your own endeavors."

At the very least, her words, as they echoed through the chamber, sounded more sincere than ever.

Wicke took a deep breath. At the very least, she'd suggest the idea to Gladion.

Regardless of how correct her hunch would end up being.

The only light that hit the Conservation Area came from the stars above. The thin crescent moon above did little to illuminate Aether. Perhaps, Gladion thought, this was why the place was suddenly so silent. He wanted to say his mind was playing tricks on him, but he could tell that something was getting to Phoebe as she followed behind. She'd noticed it. Things seemed…different. The area around them seemed to shift as they walked, making each footstep seem harder to take.

By that point, Phoebe had sent out her Sableye, which hung from her right shoulder. The small Pokémon's eyes gleamed brightly within the darkness, and it was constantly looking back, letting out soft hissing sounds as it observed its surroundings.

Not even the sound of their own footsteps reached the trainers' ears as they walked towards the intersection in the back, the only signs of life aside from them showing up as a few Zubat in the trees.

Gladion's chest felt like it was in a vice by the point they'd reached the back. It was a familiar location-normally his favorite part of the Conservation Area, even-but for him, it felt like he'd never stood in such a spot before. The Zubat fluttered out of the trees, squeaking excitedly as they darted around the area, and the shock of it caused Gladion to step back, practically slamming into Phoebe.

"H-Hey, easy!" Phoebe gasped, "Sableye's kind of touchy, and if you hit her…"

Gladion backed off without a word, shivering.

"S-Sorry," he mumbled, "S-Something's…"

"…Not right?" Phoebe replied, "I know how you feel. Do you want me to take to the front for now? It might help to step back for a moment."

Gladion nodded, taking a step behind Phoebe. Sableye watched him intently as he did so before turning her head to the path that lay to their left, refusing to look away.

"Oh? Hmm…Do you really think something's there? If you're sure about this, I won't ask any more questions, then." Turning to Gladion, Phoebe gestured for him to follow. "It's either something shiny or something we aren't seeing. Are you ready in case you need to battle?"

Gladion simply tapped the button on Lucario's ball, allowing the Pokémon a moment to stretch out after emerging.

"…We're ready."

Phoebe looked towards the path Sableye was staring down and let out a soft laugh, realizing what exactly Gladion had made her think about.

"You know, you remind me a little of myself when I was starting out," Phoebe mused, "When I became a member of the Elite Four, I didn't get much training in anything that wasn't battle. I hardly knew where to start on holding training sessions, possibly even training an apprentice later on…It was a mess. I'm always thankful that Steven was our Champion when I'd joined."

Gladion's eyes narrowed.

"What," he whispered, "Does this have to do with anything? If Sableye sees something, we need to investigate this."

"And you're just as pushy, to boot," Phoebe chuckled, "You're going to have to get used to this. I'll be the one leading us once we're in Hoenn."

Gladion simply let out a huff as he followed Phoebe and her Sableye down the walkway, the silence taking hold of him once again.

It was only interrupted by the sound of their Xtransciever ringing, a sound which pierced through the air, enough to cause Phoebe to jump in surprise.

In the quiet that followed, Phoebe's Sableye leapt off her shoulders just as Wicke's voice hit Gladion's ears. Lucario dashed behind the smaller Pokémon, and Gladion whispered the few shaky words he had to.

"H-Hold that thought."

In an instant, the silence melted away. Footsteps began to echo around Gladion, Pokémon cries began to hit his and Phoebe's ears, including the cackling of Phoebe's Sableye.

Beneath his feet was a thin layer of dust.

There was still hardly anyone else in the area as the weight lifted from Gladion's feet, forcing a deep sigh out of him.

Phoebe's breath hitched as her surroundings became clear and what Sableye had seen was revealed. Immediately, she took a more defensive stance, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"So…What's with this?" she asked, keeping her tone gentle, "You didn't cause any of this, did you? Come on back, Sableye. And Lucario, you should go back to Gladion."

Lucario immediately returned to Gladion's side, keeping a fighting stance. Sableye, on the other hand, dashed over to Phoebe's shoulders again, calming down immediately at her words.

Gladion walked to Phoebe's side to examine the scene in front of her. Standing tall, its golden pelt shining in what little moonlight there was, was an Alakazam. Its eyes were locked on the two trainers in front of it, and it barely made a sound as it stepped back to reveal what, or rather, who it had been with.

A collapsed figure lay on the ground, dust covering his back, and in front of him, a very familiar pair of glasses.

"I'll contact the medical staff," Gladion whispered, stepping back, "Phoebe…I'll leave this one to you."

The Alakazam's voice echoed throughout the two trainers' minds.

"The illusions…were simply an effort to protect my trainer. Was any of this…your doing?" Alakazam asked, a glow emanating from his eyes, "If you are indeed the ones who have attacked my trainer, I will not hesitate to strike back with all of my power."

"N-No, it wasn't!" Phoebe gasped, "We were looking for Steven, that's all. Did he…Was this his fault?"

"I cannot entirely blame Steven, if it was truly him who attacked." The Alakazam's voice came out as a deep sigh. "Faba had been searching, too. However, Faba was the one to strike first. Something struck me before I could even face Steven, something even I could not predict…I did not witness anything else after I'd collapsed. Forgive me."

Behind Phoebe, Gladion's Xtransciever conversation was barely audible, but his quiet words had an edge of panic to them that she hadn't heard at all throughout the night.

Then, he dashed off towards the elevator, Lucario following close behind.

"Alakazam…" Phoebe briefly looked back to Gladion, then returned to the Pokémon in front of her. "You've done nothing wrong. In fact, I think what you just told us is going to be valuable information! Thank you for that!"

"It is no problem at all," the Alakazam replied, closing his eyes, "…Here…I can see one thing. He is still here. I wish you the best of luck in finding Steven."

Phoebe nodded, looking back to see several figures approaching. Stepping aside, she closed her eyes and looked up.

The bond between Faba and his Alakazam…She'd seen it in battle, yet to hear Alakazam's voice so clearly after Faba had been downed…Every word he said held nothing but respect for the trainer who had raised him.

To Phoebe, that was the ultimate sight. A Pokémon with such endless devotion to their trainer, and a trainer who could bring that out…

It was beautiful.

"Again…I can't thank you enough, Alakazam," Phoebe replied, "We'll handle everything from here on out."

Phoebe could hardly see Faba being carried out of the Conservation Area. All she could see was a crowd of people, their footsteps surprisingly quiet, a flash of light as Alakazam vanished from view, and two silhouettes behind her.

"…Of course! Alakazam said he's still here, and that…that makes perfect sense! All we have to do is find Steven, then!"

Wicke nodded, relieved to see Phoebe's enthusiasm at the idea she'd proposed. Between them stood Gladion, still deep in thought after everything that had happened mere moments ago.

"…The dust, though," Gladion replied, "And how Steven left. None of it makes any sense. Even if you're right, even if what Alakazam said suggests that he's not going to attack, I'm still not entirely convinced this is the right idea. I won't be until he's found."

"I don't blame you at all," Wicke replied, "I'd much prefer a more certain course of action…Unfortunately, tonight, all we can follow are educated guesses, guesses that place our next course of action in the southwest corner. This being said, I only want one of us to head out at first. I fear that all three of us heading out at once is going to put more stress than necessary on him…"

"…With what Alakazam mentioned to Phoebe," Gladion mused, "Traveling in a group has its advantages. We need somebody watching from every angle in case what hit Alakazam attacks us, especially if it's also what hit Faba."

Phoebe turned towards the corner of the Conservation Area, holding up a Poké Ball and quickly recalling her Sableye.

"If we find him," Phoebe said, "I'll go on ahead. You were going to ask that anyway, weren't you?"

The playful grin plastered on the Elite's face said everything. Phoebe's entire being seemed to be rich with relief, even if nothing had happened at that point.

Wicke could sense the false reassurance in the air, and she bristled at the sensation running down her back. The darkness around her…How long ago had their search started? Walking the path would hardly take any time at all, but the thick atmosphere of dread around her…That was going to make it last forever.

Without another word, the group stepped forward, Phoebe taking the lead. Gladion briefly stopped to return his Lucario to its Ball before taking to the flank of the group, glancing around at his surroundings.

In his hand was a different Poké Ball. The wear on the edges was enough to say which of his Pokémon it belonged to.

Silence, save for footsteps.

The rocky area of the southwest, with all its little caves and crevices, hiding places none of the group would be able to reach.

Wicke silently took Corsola's Ball from her pocket, gripping it tightly.

She had to. Corsola could defend herself if anything went wrong. Everyone needed a Pokémon in such a situation.

If they were lucky…only if they were lucky would they not need them.

"This is it," Phoebe whispered, "Both of you…hide around the corner and watch my back! I'll be back before you know it!"

In mere seconds, Phoebe was gone, having leapt over the railing and into the Conservation Area itself. Neither Wicke nor Gladion could deny how bold a move it was. They simply watched as she balanced effortlessly over rocks, scanning every bit of the southwestern corner. Hardly ever slipping, her feet keeping a firm grip on rough stone…Wicke wanted to call it elegant, how Phoebe moved herself in such an environment.

It was all the result of training over mountains, of course. Adaptations necessary for the environment Phoebe had learned to thrive in.

She continued to move around, deftly hanging on to whatever high points she could for the best view of the area.

Then, she slipped, and a soft gasp escaped her.

Gladion was shuddering, ready to dart out and charge forward with Silvally by his side. His teeth were gritted as Wicke gestured for him to back down, to let Phoebe scout the area before anything happened.

"Please, Master Gladion. We don't know what could-"

Wicke's whispering was interrupted by an ear-splitting shriek, followed by Phoebe leaping off the rocks and landing feet-first on the walkway.

Her left leg immediately collapsed when she tried to step away. In an instant, Gladion dashed forward, releasing Silvally from their Ball as he moved to the Elite's side.

Phoebe's Sableye stood tall and faced the rocks ahead of her, a small stone in her claws beginning to glow alongside her trainer's anklet.

"I-It's f-fine," Phoebe rasped, "W-We'll be fine! We've f-found him! Sableye! Please don't do anything yet…!"

The stone in Sableye's claws stopped glowing, but Sableye continued to look onward as a figure rose from behind the rocks.

"Phoebe…? Is that…you…?"

The figure's words came out hoarse, and to Wicke, the voice was hardly familiar. Phoebe was right, they'd finally found Steven! As he stood tall, nothing looked out of the ordinary, at least in his silhouette.

Then, the marks of stars appeared on his face.

Glowing silvery markings, accompanying a shimmering frill around his neck.

From beneath the frill, slowly, something else began to appear-tendrils. Two long, glassy arms hung over his shoulders, bobbing up and down gently as if trying to feel the air around him. Over his back, a series of shorter tendrils had sprouted, barely reaching past his shoulder blades.

His eyes had turned completely white, and he looked out towards the area in front of him with a confused expression, one made clear by the light that his Beast-like features were giving off.

Gladion took a step back, eyes wide and wild with terror.

Wicke, on the other hand, stepped forward, swearing that her heart would stop with each step she took.

"S-S-Steven…" she croaked, glancing between Phoebe and Gladion, "I…I'm sorry. If you're here for something…Here. Corsola, please come out."

Tapping the button on Corsola's Poké Ball, Wicke let the small Rock-type emerge at her own pace before turning to her right, towards a small crevice between two large rocks.

"Corsola," Wicke commanded quietly, gesturing to the crevice, "Please go in there and retrieve the Pokémon that's hiding there."

"What are you doing?!" Gladion snapped, "S-Silvally-!"

"Don't!" Phoebe gasped, but by the time her words had come out, Silvally was already rushing forward with glowing claws and eyes, letting out a vicious snarl as it lunged towards Steven.

Steven moved with practically inhuman speed away from the Pokémon's attack, looking around the room desperately for an escape.

"Silvally," Gladion gasped, "G-Get back! NOW! I never told you to fight-"

Silvally was quick to ignore their trainer's command, instead turning towards its opponent. Phoebe's eyes narrowed into a glare, and she stood up on unsteady footing, looking to her Sableye and saying four words.

"…Get on its back."

Silvally lunged once more towards Steven, who dodged just as quickly, dashing past Phoebe as he did. In mere moments, Silvally began to send forth a flurry of slashes, all while Sableye climbed the nearby railing, waiting for her moment to strike. Silvally hardly hesitated for a moment, chasing Steven further and further north. All the while, Steven looked on with the same puzzled expression, barely seeming to notice the fight he'd become involved in.

Wicke could only watch and await Corsola's return, and hopefully…

She glanced back to the rocks, noticing a bit of movement between them, followed by a soft glow. Yes…She'd done it! If this was all that was needed to calm Steven after everything…

Yet the problem of Silvally remained. The Pokémon leapt forward, skidding to a halt as their attack missed once again, their claws against the floor creating a hideous metallic screech that was enough to even cause Steven to flinch.

As Silvally was poised to attack once more, however, they were stopped by the feeling of something else's claws against its neck.

Clutching its neck tightly and hissing was Phoebe's Sableye, who had finally found its chance to take its position. A low, uncharacteristic snarl sounded in Phoebe's throat.

"I'm sure Silvally knows," she said, her voice like ice, "They know that she'll be able to drag them down if she Mega Evolves. And Sableye isn't one to let go. Gladion, was it? Call them back. They don't need to fight any longer."

Gladion could barely speak another word, only managing to rasp out "S-Silvally…"

Without another sound, Silvally stepped forward, returning to their trainer's side and keeping a defensive stance.

Wicke's heels clicked against the metal floor as a small, glowing Pokémon followed her.

A Carbink.

"Tell me, Steven…However you'd managed to leave your room is of no concern to me now," Wicke whispered, "What I'm asking is if you were hoping to see your Pokémon again, nothing more."

Steven shook his head violently, letting out shuddering breaths as the Carbink floated towards him, letting out eager, chiming cries.

"I…What…Y-Yes, I was hoping to see Carbink," he breathed, "But…I'm afraid I don't have any idea how I got here either. This is…You're not going to stop them from…?"

Wicke let out a ringing chuckle in response.

"There's no reason at this point. We're in no position," Wicke explained, turning to Phoebe and Gladion, who had gone silent as they watched the reunion, "To negotiate anything at this point. Besides…To have to keep you from your only companions…That's hardly fair. Even if I'm afraid of what Interpol may have to say about this…Nothing can be done."

Steven knelt down, letting the Carbink float into his arms. The tendrils around him began to regress back into his neck, but before they did, they moved over Carbink, as if trying to shield them more than Steven already was.

Phoebe found herself limping over, Sableye walking beside her, and turning to Wicke.

"…Would you be willing to…?" Phoebe asked.

Wicke only nodded. She'd assumed, at least, that Phoebe wouldn't speak a word about her own personal plans.

"S-Steven…It's so good to see you again," Phoebe croaked as she knelt down, tears pricking the corner of her eyes, "Y-You…The League doesn't feel the same without you, you know? I…I guess all I wanted to say was that I missed you. Is that enough?"

Steven looked up from Carbink, all traces of Nihilego having faded from him by that point, and nodded.

"Phoebe…" Steven murmured, "The fact that you came here for that…Thank you. It's certainly been…difficult without you, or any of the Elite Four. I'm glad to see that your energy hasn't faded in the least."

The group had gone silent. For Gladion, things seemed to be…fuzzy. Voices, joyful tears, even Silvally's own quiet cries of reassurance, everything suddenly seemed to be fading.

"All right…" Steven sighed, standing up, "That's enough. I've caused enough trouble here as is. I-If you wouldn't mind, Wicke…"

"O-Of course," Wicke replied, turning to Phoebe and bowing, "And as for you, Phoebe. Your decisions…After stopping Silvally like you did, I can't thank you enough."

Gladion felt his pulse quicken. Faster and faster, and with it, his breathing grew shallow, his eyes began to water…

"I should be thanking you, too," Phoebe replied, "Your guess turned out to be right on the mark. I'm still impressed!"

Tears hit his cheeks, and he still hadn't moved an inch.

"And…Master Gladion."

Burning. Everything burning. Fading.

"…No…!"

Gladion heaved out a final breath before his limbs gave way, and in his mind, even if he felt arms beneath him, saving him from such a fate, he felt his skull hit the solid metal walkway beneath him, letting the blood run down his face as the world turned to nothing but noise.

Silence.

"G-Get the medical team to the Conservation Area! Now!"

Darkness.