Track 52 - *** Part 1

"So, where are we going?" Ulani asked as the elevator reached the top floor.

"This is where my mother spends most of her time. We're sure to find something," Gladion answered.

The doors then divided, and the two found them in an ovular office. It was kept tidy, and Lusamine's desk was near the back. On either side of the large desk were bookshelves packed with what looked to be hundreds of books on Pokémon.

Gladion pulled his Pokédex from his pocket and started to film everything. "You check all of the drawers, and I'll hack into her computer. We have to hurry."

They dashed, and Gladion quickly found himself in his mother's chair. He turned on her computer and started to furiously type in all of the information that he knew. His months of spying had paid off, and he was on his mother's computer in a matter of moments.

"Whoa," Ulani said as she looked through the desk drawers.

"You find something?" Gladion asked.

Ulani turned her body and showed him a picture of his family.

"I'll see them soon," Gladion muttered. He hadn't looked at any photos of his sister or father since they went missing. He wasn't sure how he'd react.

"Hey, hey," a voice called, catching the two's attention. Gladion looked up, finding three trainers, each only a year or so older, standing near the elevator. They didn't appear to be the standard, dressed in all white, members of the Aether Foundation. Instead, they wore black clothes with light green outlining.

"Faba told us that you'd be coming," a boy with slicked-back dirty blonde hair exclaimed. "I'm surprised that you just waltzed in here without a second thought."

Gladion propped his Pokédex up against the computer and then stood up.

"Who are you?" Ulani asked.

The girl member of the three shrugged. She had brown hair that was pulled into pigtails. "We're just members of Team Skulls, yeah?" She eyed Ulani's Team Skull pendant. "You should be fighting with us."

Ulani shook her head. "I know every member of Team Skull. You're fakers."

"They work for a special division run by Faba. They're very dangerous," Gladion warned.

"So, you've heard of us?" the boy with spiky black hair asked. "Starstruck?"

The three trainers held out their Poké Balls. Gladion looked back at the computer and his Pokédex. He wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this one.

Leinani held onto Kaiko's hand and slowly walked through the laboratory. She made sure to avoid any other tables out of fear of what else she'd find. However, she did keep her Pokédex up, filming everything that she could.

"Leilei, I think someone is here," Kaiko whispered. "I heard the elevator."

"Then be quiet," Leinani said. "I just need to get a few more things on video, and we'll make a break for it. DJ, get into the air."

Rowlet trilled and then flapped her wings as quickly but quietly as she could.

Then, the lights in the laboratory suddenly turned on, illuminating all of the captured Ultra Beasts that surrounded them. Leinani looked up, noticing that a camera was pointed right back down at her.

"Or, we can run now!" Leinani yelled. She kept her grip on Kaiko's wrist and then started to run through the laboratory as fast as she could. She turned the two around and made a beeline for the elevator. But then suddenly, she was struck by something, and her muscles contracted. She stood up straight, unable to take another step forward.

"Leilei," Kaiko whimpered. "Leilei, I can't move."

Leinani did her best to raise her arm, putting all of her power into her shoulder, but she found it almost impossible.

"You like it?" a familiar but terrible voice asked from behind. "This is what a Pokémon goes through when it's paralyzed. A normal human can't handle it though."

Leinani shifted her eyes as Faba walked next to her and took his place in front of them. He dusted off what appeared to be a taser and then put it into his pocket.

"You've come to tour my laboratory? Interesting, but the timing is terrible," Faba exclaimed. "Litten got your tongue?"

"DJ, attack!" Leinani ordered.

Leinani's Rowlet quickly descended. She had been waiting for Leinani's order. However, Faba was prepared. He raised his hand and unleashed a small electric blast. It connected with Rowlet, who then simply flopped to the ground.

Faba furrowed his brow. "Actually, your timing might just be perfect."

He motioned for some of his underlings to grab ahold of the siblings and Rowlet. They were placed onto small machines, which bound their arms and legs. Once Leinani felt some of the paralysis fade away, she tried to struggle to get free, but the binds didn't budge.

"We made these with the intention of holding Ultra Beasts. Struggle all you want," Faba said.

He walked through his laboratory, and the machines that held the siblings automatically followed. He came to a separate room, one much smaller than the lab. It was separated down the middle by dozens of computers and keyboards. One side had a massive machine with what looked like three small spacecraft connected to it. The other side of the room was for Faba, his scientists, and on this day, the Koa siblings.

"It's my goal, my wish, my one desire to master traveling through ultra space. The Ultra Beasts are beautiful and powerful. If I controlled a world of Ultra Beasts, I'd be the most powerful human in the universe," Faba explained. "We here have studied the Ultra Beasts for many years. We track the ones that come to Alola, and we have tried to get an understanding of how they come here. Traveling through ultra space is dangerous for humans though. The first human to travel through ultra space came back two years later but didn't age a day. Every second spent in ultra space is very dangerous."

"Well, ya know, it couldn't hurt for you to try it," Leinani suggested.

Faba adjusted his goggles and then sneered. "You think so?" His watch began to beep, and he looked startled. He then turned off the beeping and cocked his head. "Our president, Lusamine, some of her family has gone missing in the past year. She believes that her husband and daughter have been taken away by an Ultra Beast."

The door to Faba's laboratory then slid open, and Lusamine slowly walked through. She put her hand on her hip and gazed at the siblings.

"It is in my best interest to master traveling through ultra space so that we may rescue Lusamine's family," Faba exclaimed, finishing his story.

With her free hand, Lusamine pushed a button on a remote. Three more small vehicles entered the room behind her, carrying Gladion, Enoka, and Ulani in the same bindings that Leinani and Kaiko were put in.

"Your own son?" Leinani wondered.

"Yes, my own son," Lusamine said. "He doesn't trust his mother enough to handle our family's problems. Yet, he offers no possible solution. I've funded Faba's research, and if everything goes correctly, I'll be reunited with my family in a matter of hours. Correct?"

Faba nodded.

Lusamine turned to Gladion, who refused to look her in the eyes. "And then, we shall learn forgiveness. I'm sorry, son."

"Apology not accepted," Gladion muttered.

Lusamine sighed. "Faba, I'll leave you. Do what you need to do. Bring my family back to me."

"Yes, ma'am."

With that, Lusamine left the room while other Aether agents entered, including the three that Ulani and Gladion had fought.

Kaiko's eyes widened upon seeing the three. "Leinani! Look! It's those Team Skull members from Poni Island!"

Leinani remembered them. Without help from Charlotte, she would not have been able to get Kaiko's friend, Marshadow, home.

Faba looked over the five kids. "We have three transporters to get us to a planet we believe Lusamine's family is located. But, it'd be useless and potentially dangerous to send all three at once. We need to test it out first."

"Why are you telling us this?" Enoka asked.

Faba's lips curled into a sneer. "Because, one of you is going to be my little test dummy."

A sense of dread came over the five kids. They eyed one another. There was nothing that they could do. For the first time in her life, Leinani felt completely helpless.

Faba put his finger to his chin and started to think out loud. "Now, if a trainer that recently competed in the Manalo Conference went missing suddenly, that'd make national news. If they competed at the top level especially, that'd be hard to hide. So, we can't send either of the girls or the boy with the flowery shirt."

Enoka appeared relieved by Faba's words, but Leinani only felt panic setting in.

"And, I'm sure that Lusamine would have me fired and defunded if I sent another-er-one of her kids to ultra space," Faba continued.

Leinani's eyes widened. "No."

Faba slowly inched in closer to Kaiko. "This is too bad, kid. I genuinely liked you. But, hey, if this turns into a sacrifice, at least you get to die for the sake of science!"

"Leilei," Kaiko said. Tears began to well up in his eyes.

"Please no," Leinani exclaimed. "Not my baby brother. Please."

"It makes the most sense, right?" Faba said to his underlings.

"He's given us a bit of trouble, so yeah," the boy with slicked black dirty blonde hair responded.

"We send the boy! Let's get the transporter ready!"

"No! Don't you dare!" Leinani screeched.

Then, Kaiko's vehicle began to move forward. Kaiko struggled, but his arms and legs were kept in place.

"Leilei, help me!"

"You let him go right now!" Leinani yelled.

"Kaiko! No! Don't do it!" Enoka added.

"I'm scared," Kaiko said. He was removed from his vehicle by a machine and placed into one of the small transporters. "Leilei, I'm scared!"

"Please don't do it! Don't do it! Send me instead!" Leinani pleaded.

Faba turned and looked at her. "I like seeing you like this. You're not too mouthy whenever you're powerless!"

"You bitch! Let my brother go!" Leinani snapped back.

Leinani and Enoka both struggled to get free. They twisted their arms and legs, but the metal bindings were too strong. Leinani felt as though she was going to rip off her own arm. For her, it'd be okay, because then she could save her brother. But her natural bodily instincts won out against her sisterly duty. Enoka tried one big lunge, but it was useless. The vehicle didn't even bother to move.

"No! Let him go!" she pleaded one more time.

"Sir, the coordinates are in," one of the agents told Faba.

"Initiate launch into ultra space!"

The agent looked back at the struggling trainers and then at his computer. He pushed a button, and a portal opened up above Kaiko's transporter.

"Leilei!"

"I'll save you! I promise! I'll save you!"

"We'll find you, Kai!" Enoka exclaimed. "Stay calm!"

And then, the transporter launched upward. It was sucked in by the portal, disappearing in an instant. The portal remained open momentarily, but after a few seconds, it closed.

"Kaiko! No!" Leinani screamed as loud as she could. She could feel her vocal cords tearing. But it was useless, as Kaiko was in another plane of existence.

The Aether agents were all quiet. But then, on one of the computer screens, a red dot suddenly appeared on what looked like a map.

"Amazing," Faba muttered. "We can track his every movement."

Leinani let her head hang low. "When I get out of these shackles, I'm going to break your arm. And when you're done screaming about your broken arm, I'll break your other arm."

"Not if I get to that arm first!" Enoka shouted. "Bring Kaiko back!"

Faba looked at the two and sneered. "We'll need to fetch our machine in a few hours. You can pray that he'll still be on it and alive. We don't know what kind of world he ended up in."

Leinani struggled more to try to escape. It was still useless.

"Don't bother," Faba snarled.

"Kaiko ain't here, so he can't keep me from cussing! When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna shove your head so far up your ass that you have to wear yourself as a hat!" Leinani yelled.

"An empty threat," Faba replied.

"Sir, it seems like we've got an Ultra Beast reading," one of his colleagues exclaimed. "This one is close. It's on the paradise."

Faba's eyes widened. He collected his stuff and walked for the door. Some of his underlings followed, but the three phony Team Skull members remained. "You all stay here and be good children while we figure out what to do with you. Science awaits." With those final, ominous words, he and his agents were gone.

Leinani finally gave up on trying to escape and muttered quietly, "I'll kill him."

"Leinani," Ulani said. She had tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry, Leinani."

"We'll find a way out," Enoka said while he moved from side to side.

"Even if you did get out, we'd just crush you," the boy with spiky hair exclaimed. "You're out of your league. We're elite-level trainers."

"It's impossible to get out of these. Give it up," Gladion said, ignoring the boy. "We can't force our way out. We have to think of something else."

"Like what?" Enoka snapped back.

Gladion looked up and tried to gesture at something with his nose.

"Hey!" the girl with brown hair pulled into pigtails shouted as she got in close to Gladion. "You're not getting out of here!"

Gladion continued to look up, and everyone else followed, looking toward the ceiling. Two small blue eyes looked back down at the group.

"What is that?" the boy with slicked-back blonde hair shouted. He quickly drew out a Poké Ball and held it forward. "A Pokémon?"

"Poi?" the creature responded.

"A-an Ultra Beast!" the boy with spiky black hair yelled.

The three phony Team Skull members held out their Poké Balls and prepared to battle. But before they could throw their balls into the air, the small creature with blue eyes started to spin. It unleashed a purple goo from its body, raining it down on the three members. They screeched and then ran for the door, which they struggled to open.

Leinani looked at the binds that held her right leg in place. Some of the goo had connected with it and started to immediately melt the metal.

"Hey! You! Over here! Douse me!" she yelled.

The creature looked at her curiously. It didn't see Leinani as a threat, but the way that she shouted at it made it question itself.

The three finally managed to open the door, and they ran out screaming. The door quickly slammed closed and locked.

"Quickly, please," Leinani said. She pointed her nose at the binding around her wrists.

The creature slowly floated down from the shadows of the ceiling, revealing its small dark purple body. It came in close to Leinani, who was running out of patience.

"Please, spray my arms and legs. Get me out of here," Leinani said as calmly as her racing heart would allow her.

"Is that thing yours?" Enoka asked.

Gladion shook his head. "No, but I saw it come through whenever they opened up that portal. Everyone else was so focused on Kaiko to see it. We're lucky it's a friendly Ultra Beast."

The creature dripped some of its acids on Leinani's bindings, and it quickly ate through the metal. In a matter of sesconds, Leinani was free. She ran to the keyboards and computer screens, looking for a way to find Kaiko.

The creature helped the remaining three trainers get free and then watched on. It cautiously looked at Rowlet, who was still suffering from paralysis. It slowly inched over to her and dripped some of its oozes, breaking her bindings.

"I can get us to whatever planet he was sent to," Gladion said. He gently moved Leinani out of the way and then started to type. "I just have to use the same coordinates. It's very easy."

Ulani looked at the two spacecraft. "But, it looks like those aren't meant to hold too many people. I think only two of us can go."

"I'm going," Leinani said. "There will be no debate. DJ, let's go." She lifted her Poké Ball and withdrew the weakened creature.

"We don't have time for debate. Those three are sure to blab about our little friend," Gladion said. "I'm going too. There's a chance, a slim one, that my sister and father are there as well."

"No!" Enoka exclaimed. "You can't just say no debate! I'm going! I have to save Kaiko!"

Leinani glared at him. "Who do you think you are? He's my brother! I'm not going to leave his life in your hands!"

"He may not be blood, but he's my brother too! You too, Leilei! Let me go!" Enoka exclaimed.

Gladion shook his head. "I know how feel, but you and Ulani need to stay here. If they come back, you need to be able to fight them. We need to find a way to come back. You can do that from this computer."

Enoka's eyes welled up. He looked at Leinani and then at the ground. "Promise that you're coming back. Alright?"

Leinani nodded. "We're coming back. Don't cry."

Gladion pushed a button, and the crafts opened. He and Leinani raced for their respective vehicles. The small purple creature followed, forcing itself into the same pod as Leinani. Once they were in, the glass doors closed, and the same portal from before ripped open above them. Enoka glared at the two, tears streaming down his cheeks. And with a press of another button, the two rocketed upward.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Part one is finished! This will be a smaller arc than previous evil schemes. We'll finish up next chapter, and then the chapter after that will deal with the consequences!

REVIEWS:

iM 0bLiVi0uS - "So the finale begins. Can't wait to see how it goes. Also if your wondering who I am I'm the Imprisoned of Hell. Just changed my username." - I remember you from your profile picture!