Alola again! In case you've noticed how the schedule ahead is laid out, there aren't going to be as many chapters of "The Challenge of a Lifetime" as there'll be for "RWBY: Omni Force" as we get through the rest of the year. Reason one being that with this story taking up to 100 chapters, I wanna take as much time as I need to with getting it all together.

The second reason is that I wanna get into "Avengers: Omni Force" before the end of the year. With all of the MCU content coming out, including Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, I'm getting super-hyped for what's ahead! So be on the lookout for a special trailer at some point!

But now it's time to get back into the action! We last left off with Calvin earning himself his third grand trial victory from Nanu and discovering some shocking truths! …Okay, they weren't really shocking if you've played the games, but I'm doing my best to turn up the tension! With all that aside, welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime"!

POKÉMON SUN & MOON

THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME

"Hello… Mother…" Lillie greeted, looking up at Lusamine as she approached, standing just a few feet in front of her. There was a long moment of silence between them. And then the Aether Foundation president raised her left hand… and smacked her daughter squarely across the face.

"Ah!" Milo gasped, while Wicke gave off a nervous grimace. Lillie's sunhat fell off onto the floor as she winced from the blow. However, she regained her composure and stared back at her mother, who scoffed.

"You have no right calling me that after what you've done…" she pointed out, "You and—"

"I was the one who saved Nebby from you, Mother!" Lillie interjected sharply, "I shouldn't even be calling you Mother after what you've done!" she pointed out, evidently angry. Lusamine wasn't the least bit intimidated.

"Does she have it?" she inquired over to her employees.

"Y-Yes, Madam President," Milo stuttered in reply.

"Bring it out for me," she requested, causing her daughter to flinch reflexively. After a brief moment of hesitation, Milo walked over. Lillie cradled her duffel bag in her arms, backing away from him.

"Come on…" he pleaded to her, "Don't make this any harder than it already is…" he advised seriously. She shook with fear, but steeled herself not to give in.

"I got her," Selene robotically said, grabbing onto Lillie's shoulders from behind.

"Ah!" she yelped out in surprise, followed by having her bag snatched out of her grasp by Milo, "No!" she screamed, trying to wriggle herself free. Selene held her firmly as Milo brought the bag over to Lusamine. She unzipped it fully, revealing Nebby there as it shook with fright. A wicked grin came across the Aether Foundation president's face.

"We've taken precautions since you escaped, Lillie," she pointed out, walking over to pick a small, cube-shaped container with a handle that she grabbed, "Cosmog's ability to teleport itself won't work a second time," she told her, "Not when it's in this…" she added.

"W-What is that?" her daughter stuttered in question.

"A specialized containment field the president and Branch Chief Faba had developed in Cosmog's absence," Selene robotically replied, getting her attention as she lightly gasped, "With it, she can harness Cosmog's energy and—"

"No!" Lillie exclaimed, interrupting her, "Mother, please don't do this!" she begged, "The last time Nebby used its power, it was barely able to move for a while…" she recalled grimly. Lusamine narrowed her eyes onto her with disdain.

"Then consider what I'll do your fault," she remarked back cruelly, causing her daughter to widen her eyes in fright. She was left to watch as the Cosmog was placed into the container without much resistance. Wicke then stepped forward.

"Madam President…" she said, catching her superior's attention, "what shall we do with Lady Lillie?" she asked, glancing over to the blonde-haired girl as tears welled up in her eyes. Her mother just huffed.

"Lock her in her room until the preparations are complete," she instructed, "When we're ready, I'll let her see what she's wrought…" she promised. Tears streamed down Lillie's face as she whimpered. The other Aether Foundation employees looked at her sympathetically, even Selene. However, they followed their superior's instructions and led her away. In the meantime, Lusamine stared at the containment holding the Nebula Pokémon.

'It won't be long until I can see that perfect world…' she noted inwardly, chuckling to herself.

OPENING

Insert "Eden Through the Rough" by Takanori Nishikawa

Opens with both Calvin and Erika throwing on their respective caps as they run down a rainy road together. The Pokémon logo then appears, followed by 'The Challenge of a Lifetime' being written in a glowing, rainy blue underneath it.

We continue with Calvin observing his Z-Crystal collection as his Pokémon look on with him. They then take a look ahead down the road, seeing the likes of Team Skull, Gladion, Plumeria, and finally Guzma ahead of them. Calvin hurries forward alongside his Pokémon, all while leaving his twin sister behind.

She's standing out in the rain by herself, crying as she feels the shadows of her father and older sister cast over her, making her feel like she's inadequate. It isn't until Starbright hops into her arms and wipes away a tear that she starts to smile, seeing her Pokémon gather alongside her.

As the opening continues, we get various shots of Sina and Dexio at their lab on Route 16, the Ula'ula Meadow, the police station where Nanu and his plethora of Alolan Meowth live, and finally Po Town under its rainy sky as its littered with Team Skull members. We see Calvin enter the town, having a determined look upon his face.

The scene changes to Mimi using Shadow Claw to take down the grunts' Pokémon, fighting alongside Poliwag and Togedemaru. In the meantime, their trainer has Toucannon use Beak Blast on Plumeria's Alolan Muk before Gumshoos attacks her Salazzle with Take Down.

Back with Erika, she commands Primarina against Nanu's Honchkrow, who's easily weaving around her Sparkling Aria in order to land a Sky Attack. The island kahuna exhales with frustration, knowing that his opponent can do better.

We then see Guzma and Calvin meet again inside the Shady House, where the former's Golisopod duels against the latter's Incineroar in a clash of Poison Jabs and Darkest Lariats. The battle comes to a point where Golisopod uses Liquidation to try and counter Incineroar's Inferno Overdrive. A fierce blast results from the collision, engulfing the house in smoke.

When the second verse begins, we see a determined Lillie being led away by Team Skull. From afar, Hau lies upon his knees with his Decidueye and Alolan Raichu fainted beside him, crying as he failed to protect her. We go various cuts of Trent training with his Greninja on Mount Hokulani, Paige doing pushups alongside her Blaziken at the outskirts of Malie City, and Pyrrha overlooking the horizon from the Hau'oli City beachfront, standing alongside a Lapras and a Typhlosion.

The scene changes to Erika pumping her fist forward, commanding her Alolan Sandshrew as he uses Ice Ball to take down a Gible, followed by Palossand blasting a Krokorok away with Earth Power. They follow their trainer as she makes her way to the Ruins of Abundance, where Tapu Bulu lies in wait…

We then see Gladion command Null to attack Calvin, who counters by sending in Mimi. After they clash for a moment, Gladion and Calvin share a glance. What follows is the two of them along with Hau and Trent venturing throughout Aether Paradise, coming across several employees and having to battle them. All the while, we see Lillie clutch her duffel bag tightly as she comes face to face with Lusamine, who grins evilly.

Elsewhere in Sinnoh, we see Leslie curiously looking at the Pokédex journal before stopping at a cliff that faces towards Mt. Coronet in the distance. The page she's on in the journal has a meticulous drawing of the mountain ahead. The camera pans back to unveil a pair of ghostly figures that are standing alongside her.

The opening ends with Erika, Paige and Pyrrha arriving at Aether Paradise, joining the boys in the raid ahead…

END OPENING

Grab the Bulu by the Horns!

"Well… here we are…" Erika noted, standing on the edge of the sand leading into the Haina Desert. After returning to the Aether House and finding out where her brother had gone with Hau and Gladion, the Ketchum girl had decided to continue with her plan to train out in the desert. She thought that she would just wind up slowing everyone down. And aside from that, she needed to prove herself in battle against Nanu.

"I think you'll need thezzze, zzt," Rotom buzzed, getting her attention as she looked over to see it holding onto a pair of goggles and a bandana in its arms. She gave off a smile.

"Thanks, Rotodex," she said in gratitude, grabbing the items, "You know, I'm surprised you're not trying to talk me out of this…" she admitted rather sheepishly.

"There wouldn't be a point when it comezzz to you, Erika," the Pokédex noted as a reply, "Besidezzz," it continued, "you're doing thizzz to help your brother and your friendzzz," it pointed out. At that, the Ketchum girl chuckled.

"Yep!" she responded with a pump of her right fist. She wasn't completely back to herself, but she was motivated to get there. The past few days had been rough for her. So she was ready to take on whatever she needed to in order to better herself.

And that would start with visiting the Ruins of Abundance. Visiting Tapu Bulu with the goal of training in mind would definitely be the most helpful thing for her to do. The only thing stopping her was the sandstorm of the Haina Desert.

"Ergh…!" she grunted out, trying to endure the torrent of sand sweeping around her. She had literally no idea as to where she needed to go. "Rotodex, do you have a map?!" she inquired loudly over the storm. The Pokédex poked itself out from her bag, squinting its eyes.

"I… can't really pull up a map in weather like thizzz, zzt!" it admitted in response.

"Seriously?!" Erika exclaimed, letting out a sigh afterwards.

'Maybe I should've just gone back to Mount Lanakila like last time…' she muttered inwardly before blinking in realization.

"Wait a sec…" she uttered, "Mount Lanakila's right next to this darn desert!" she pointed out, "How the heck is there even a sandstorm at all out here?!" she wondered loudly.

"You do know there are Pokémon who can make sandstormzzz themselvezzz, right?" Rotom inquired back, causing her to grimace in realization underneath her goggles and bandanna.

"Ugh…" she groaned as she slouched over, "And I don't even have a Pokémon that can change the weather…" she mentioned sadly. Her depression made her unaware of the fact that something was burrowing through the sand towards her like a shark in water. It turned out to be a Krokorok, who set his eyes onto his target. He shot up from the sand, opening his mouth as his teeth glowed a bright white and sharpened. However…

"Flash Cannon!" a voice suddenly exclaimed. A bright white and light blue beam then streaked in, striking the Desert Croc Pokémon upside the head in a small explosion, causing Erika and Rotom to yelp in surprise as they noticed. Krokorok tumbled along the sand before coming to a stop upon his stomach, followed by burrowing away as quickly as possible.

"Wh-What just happened?" the Ketchum girl stuttered out.

"Is that you, Erika?" the voice in the sandstorm asked, getting her attention as she turned to see a trio of figures walking towards her and the Pokédex. She widened her eyes and lightly gasped to see that it was Pyrrha there with Starlight and a Gigalith. She was wearing a bandana and goggles herself, but Erika instantly recognized her thanks to the red streaks in her yellow hair.

"Pyrrha?!" she yelped out.

"Erika!" she exclaimed excitedly, eagerly jogging up to the Ketchum girl and embracing her in a warm hug, "Oh, it's so good to see you again!" she squealed with delight, squeezing her friend tightly as she winced.

"Uh, good to see you, too…!" she managed to reply, patting Pyrrha's back a couple times to make her let go, "You're back on Ula'ula…" she noted, sounding surprised.

"Yep!" her friend replied, "I'd been doing a lot of hard work the past couple of days on the other islands…" she pointed out, reaching into her bag, "I even got my second stamp from Olivia!" she mentioned happily as she showed Erika her Trainer Passport.

"Whoa…" she uttered out, remembering how frustrated Pyrrha had been about failing to beat Olivia and losing early in the Aether Tournament. Now it seemed like she was back on her feet. And with that…

"Wait, if you're out here…" Erika started to realize, widening her eyes, "You already cleared both of Ula'ula's trials?!" she inquired loudly.

"Mm-hmm!" Pyrrha replied with a nod, "It took me a while and a lot of training…" she noted, "but I worked really hard with Starlight and the rest of my team to get better!" she proudly declared, "So… what're you doing here?" she asked out of curiosity. The Ketchum girl blinked in surprise before sadly looking away to her surprise. A few minutes later, both trial-goers were camping in a small cavern outside of the sandstorm. Erika told Pyrrha everything about her current struggles. Ever since Guzma, she'd been having somewhat of a rough time. Even with her victory in Acerola's trial, she didn't feel like she and her team were doing all that well.

"Guess I'm kinda going through what you went through…" she realized, letting out a sad sigh.

"Erika…" her rival uttered out with her goggles and bandana removed from her face.

"I'm sorry…" the Ketchum girl apologized, having removed her own goggles and bandana, "I shouldn't even be acting like I have a problem when you went through so much…" she pointed out in frustration, lowering her head. However, Pyrrha put a hand onto her shoulder, causing her to perk up.

"I don't think that's a bad thing at all, Erika," she assured, "It just means you've gotta dig yourself outta that hole you're in to become the very best!" she mentioned with a pump of her right fist, "Like no one ever was, right?" she guessed, much to her friend's surprise as she blinked. But then, a small smile of gratitude came across her face.

"Thanks, Pyrrha," she said, "So you're just out here training?" she guessed curiously.

"Yep," she answered with a nod, "I wanted to get Gigas and Starbright some action since the last couple of trials wouldn't have been the best for them…" she recalled in explanation, "I've been catching a lot of different Pokémon lately, too!" she mentioned.

"I can see that…" the Ketchum girl noted, blinking rapidly as she stared at the Gigalith seated beside them, "This big guy looks really strong…" she added. Rotom floated over and pulled up an image of the Compressed Pokémon.

"Gigalith, the Compressed Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Roggenrola," it began, "Known for his hefty horsepower, this Pokémon is a popular partner for construction workers. Gigalith absorbs rays of sunlight and shoots out energy. He's usually lurking deep beneath the surface," it explained thoroughly.

"Geegah!" the Compressed Pokémon exclaimed, causing his trainer to giggle.

"I met Gigas here on Melemele!" she pointed out, wrapping her arm around him, "He got super strong really quick!" she mentioned happily, "And I'm trying to get him to learn how to use Sandstorm, since I think that'd be super useful for when we fight the kahuna!" she added in explanation. Hearing that last word caused Erika to frown. "What's wrong?" her friend asked.

"One of my last battles before coming here was actually against the kahuna…" she answered to her surprise, "Though… I didn't even know who he actually was until after the fact…" she admitted, sheepishly scratching at her right cheek, "Primarina and I got creamed…" she remembered, balling her hands into fists as she stared down solemnly at the ground.

"So that means you're here for training too, huh?" Pyrrha guessed, arching an eyebrow.

"Yep," Erika answered, standing up, "I'm gonna go to those Ruins of Abundance and maybe get some help from Tapu Bulu!" she decided firmly with a pump of her fist. Pyrrha stared at her incredulously.

"Is that really a good idea?" she asked of her, "You do remember what happened the last time you went to one of the ruins, right?" she questioned on, causing the Ketchum girl to blush a bright red before sighing, "At least… from what you told me…" she added to her friend.

"I'm not gonna act like I didn't make a stupid mistake back then," she promised, "This time, I'll be as patient and understanding as I need to be in order to get stronger!" she vowed firmly.

"But we're not gonna get to the ruinzzz in thizzz weather…" Rotom noted as it floated up beside her.

"Oh, I can help with that!" Pyrrha chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw her stand up and pull out a Dive Ball from her bag, which she enlarged with the press of its button. She then opened it, allowing the bluish, sparkling light to flow out of the cavern onto the ground. Shaping into form, the light dissipated to reveal a Lapras.

"Arroooo~!" she sang in greeting.

"A Lapras…?!" Erika gasped out, quite surprised. Meanwhile, Rotom pulled up an image of the Transport Pokémon upon its screen.

"Lapras, the Transport Pokémon," it began, "These Pokémon were once near extinction due to poaching. Following protective regulations, there is now an overabundance of them. The fish Pokémon population has declined in waters with too many Lapras," it explained thoroughly.

"Arrr…" the Transport Pokémon moaned, bracing herself from the sandstorm raging ahead of her.

"It's okay, Sona," her trainer reassured, getting her attention as she saw her walk over, "Let's get rid of this weather with Rain Dance!" she instructed. The Lapras nodded before raising her head to the sky.

"Ooooooohhh~!" she sang upwards. All of a sudden, dark clouds appeared overhead. Rain poured down, washing away the sandstorm.

"Whoa, nice!" Erika complimented, causing Pyrrha to smile happily.

"Thank you, Sona," she said in gratitude to her Lapras, petting her atop the head. She then returned her, Gigas, and Starlight to their respective Poké Balls before putting them away. "Now let's get to those ruins!" she insisted.

"Right!" Erika responded, jogging off with her rival and Rotom into the distance, ready to face whatever was ahead.

X

"Why the heck would it be Aether Paradise?" Hau inquired aboard the boat he and Calvin had gotten onto, as Gladion drove it over the waters.

"That's not important right now," the blonde-haired boy responded, "Just be ready when we get there," he advised to the pair of trial-goers.

"Geez…" the ponytailed boy grumbled out. In the meantime, his cousin narrowed his eyes. There was obviously something Gladion wasn't telling them. At least not yet. For now though, he'd have to wait to ask what that was.

"There it is," the former Team Skull enforcer said, causing the trial-goers to perk up as they saw the artificial island of Aether Paradise in the near distance. The boat was driven into the dockyard, parking itself out of sight of anyone there.

"There aren't as many people as I thought there'd be…" Hau noted aloud as he was the first to hop onto the dock.

"They might be beefing up security elsewhere, but keep your guard up," Gladion insisted as he and Calvin tied the boat down before getting onto the dock as well.

"Why though?" the Ketchum boy asked, "The guys working for the Aether Foundation—"

"Aren't who you think they are," Gladion finished for him, much to his surprise as he blinked, "So be on guard," he advised seriously with a momentary glare.

"…Okay, fine," Calvin responded after a moment.

"So where to now, captain?" Hau questioned, raising an eyebrow. The blonde-haired boy put his hand onto his chin to think.

"We need to take the elevator," he decided after a moment, "It's the only way down to where we need to go," he pointed out.

"Uh… down?" Hau repeated in confusion as he blinked, "Are you sure Lillie's not be upstairs?" he inquired as he pointed upwards.

"I guess she could be," Gladion responded.

"You guess?!" the ponytailed boy shouted back in response, "Cal, are we seriously gonna follow this guy?!" he questioned out of frustration.

"We don't really have much of a choice, Hau…" his cousin answered to his surprise, "If the Aether Foundation was really behind Lillie getting taken here, then we've gotta look wherever we can for her," he told him.

"I… guess you're right…" he replied in spite of being reluctant.

"Hey, what's going on over—?" A male Aether Foundation employee that had walked over gasped upon spotting the three boys. More specifically, he was surprised by Gladion. "W-We got intruders!" he stuttered out desperately.

"Tsk," the blonde-haired boy scoffed as he readied an Ultra Ball in his right hand, "I guess our jig's up…" he muttered, shooting a glare back towards his companions.

"Uh… sorry…" Hau apologized sheepishly.

"Zoroark, go!" Gladion exclaimed, flinging the Ultra Ball out. It popped open, with its light spilling onto the floor and dissipating to reveal the Illusion Fox Pokémon.

"Raahhh!" he roared out. The Aether Foundation Employee shuddered.

"Guys, hurry!" he yelled.

"Use Night Daze!" the former Team Skull enforcer commanded. Zoroark's eyes glowed light blue as his body became surrounded by a crimson aura. He then raises his arms above his head, making the aura get thicker around his forearms. He slammed them down onto the ground, unleashing a pink-and-crimson-glowing shockwave of energy that spread outward. It struck down the employee before he could do anything, along with any crates in the immediate area.

'Guess subtlety's no longer an option either…' Calvin realized, readying his own Poké Ball as he pressed its button to enlarge it.

"Togedemaru, go!" he called out, flinging it forward.

"You're up, Noibat!" Hau exclaimed, throwing his own Poké Ball into the air. Both containers burst open, with their lights pouring out towards the floor, dissipating to reveal the Roly-Poly Pokémon and the Sound Wave Pokémon.

"Togeh!" the former squeaked out.

"Nuooiii!" the latter screeched, flapping his wings. They looked ahead, seeing more members of the Aether Foundation heading over and readying their own Poké Balls. Calvin recognized a few of them as participants in the tournament, grimacing slightly. Why were these people suddenly attacking him? And what did they want with Lillie?

"Togedemaru, Zing Zap!" he ordered, sticking his right hand out. The Roly-Poly Pokémon had yellow electricity envelop his body before he spun forward, slamming himself into a Pelipper to fiercely zap it.

"Noibat, Acrobatics!" Hau commanded, swinging his left arm to the side. The Sound Wave Pokémon's body glowed light-blue as he zipped about before striking a Primeape down onto the floor, making him groan in agony as swirls were in his eyes. It was a free-for-all in the dockyard all the way to the elevator. At one point, an Alolan Dugtrio was closing in on Togedemaru from behind after he had just dealt with a Starmie.

"Flamethrower!" Gladion's voice shouted. A stream of flames suddenly erupted onto the incoming Alolan Mole Pokémon, causing Togedemaru to yelp in surprise upon noticing. The fire subsided, revealing that Dugtrio had been bested as swirls were in his eyes on all three of his heads. Glancing over, the Roly-Poly Pokémon looked to see Zoroark giving him a reassuring grin and a nod.

"Mah roo!" he replied with his own smile. A few moments later, they gathered back with their trainers by the elevator.

"Man, this place is crawling with people trying to stop us…" Hau pointed out as he grimaced a little.

"They must've known we were coming," Gladion realized, fiddling with the buttons to the lift.

"And whose fault is that?!" Hau yelled in question to the blonde-haired boy, "They probably spotted us coming a mile away in that stupid boat of yours!" he noted, pointing an accusatory finger towards him.

"Hau, come on…" Calvin pleaded, holding up his hands in a placating manner.

"Why are you so wound up over this?" Gladion inquired, glancing back at the ponytailed boy.

"Because Lillie and Nebby could be in danger!" he shouted in response, "And besides, I wanna get to them without having to cause a ruckus like this!" he added angrily. He and the former Team Skull enforcer glared at each other. The Ketchum boy glanced back and forth at them worriedly. He knew that they needed to table this bickering for later.

"Let's get moving," he insisted, jogging over to Gladion, "We're going down, right?" he guessed.

"We can't," the blonde-haired boy replied to his surprise, "Someone's locked off access to the labs downstairs," he noted.

"So what do we do now?" Hau asked him. He put his hand onto his chin, closing his eyes in order to think for a moment.

"We've got no choice," he concluded, "We'll have to go up instead," he decided. No one argued. After they returned their Pokémon to their respective Poké Balls, Gladion pressed the button to make the elevator's gating come up before it moved upwards.

"So now we've gotta find someone who can get us down to the labs…" Calvin realized.

"Don't worry," Gladion assured, getting his attention, "I have a feeling I know who's keeping us from getting down there…" he pointed out, narrowing his eyes. The elevator arrived at the entrance seconds later as the gating came down. Both Calvin and Hau lightly gasped to see who was there, while the former Team Skull enforcer just glared.

"Well, if it isn't you impudent brats…" Faba muttered out, standing with his back turned to the trio of boys, "You come here uninvited this time?" he inquired, turning around to face them.

"Like you don't know why," Gladion retorted in reply.

"Where's Lillie?!" Hau asked angrily. The branch chief chuckled.

"Oh, I don't have to answer any questions from the likes of you…" he remarked as he approached the boys.

"But you do know where she is," Gladion noted calmly, "In fact, you should know everything that goes on in Aether Paradise…" he continued, "right, high-and-mighty branch chief?" he guessed.

"Heeheehee…" Faba chuckled again, "Oh, the real world hasn't been kind to you, has it?" he inferred, "But I'm still not telling you anything," he stated firmly, "And you of all people should understand why…" he added with a smirk.

'What?' Calvin uttered inwardly out of confusion. How did Faba know Gladion? And vice versa?

"Hey, Calvin," the blonde-haired boy said, getting his attention, "You know why being a trainer is so great?" he inquired, causing the Ketchum boy to blink in surprise, "Because when you're battling, it doesn't matter if you're a kid or an adult," he pointed out, "Everyone's equal in a Pokémon battle," he finished firmly.

"Oh-ho, is that what you think?" Faba questioned with a chuckle, "Then I suppose I'll have to be kind enough to prove you completely wrong!" he declared, readying an Ultra Ball as he opened it. The light from it spilled onto the floor, dissipating to reveal a Hypno.

"Hippp…" he uttered out, readying his pendulum in his left hand.

"Battling mere children is… well, child's play," Faba pointed out, "Now have at you, you impudent little brats!" he challenged, not noticing Calvin and Hau both readying Poké Balls in their hands, "I can't wait to see the looks on your faces when I've completely—!" An arrow quill with a shadowy aura around the tip suddenly shot out, piercing into the floor just inches in front of Hypno as he blinked in surprise before being caught up in a sudden blast that blew him back. What followed was Incineroar lunging out, having dark red flames ignite upon her hands before spinning around and slamming into the Hypnosis Pokémon, sending him crashing hard into the wall. He slumped down the wall onto his stomach, having swirls in his eyes. "Hah?" his trainer uttered out, glancing back at him in complete disbelief.

He looked over to see Decidueye prepping another arrow quill, while Incineroar had taken a ready stance alongside him. Behind them, their trainers glared fiercely. Gladion was admittedly shocked by how quickly his two companions had dealt with the branch chief. But he let off a small grin, impressed by their efforts.

"A-Ah…" Faba stammered out, taking a frightened step back before he fell backwards onto his bottom, "Wh-Wh-What do you want?!" he stuttered in question, practically pleading for his life to be spared.

"You know, obviously," Gladion responded as he stepped forward, "We're here for Cosmog," he told him. Hearing that, Faba blinked in surprise before his grin returned. He stood up, dusting himself off.

"Well, I suppose it may be downstairs in the labs…" he responded, "Be warned though, we conduct very dangerous experiments down there…" he pointed out ominously, "Ones that may rip through the boundaries of reality as we know it…" he added in a grim manner. Calvin and Hau glared at him.

"We're in a bit of a hurry, Faba," the blonde-haired boy noted, "Having a lift would be nice," he mentioned as a request.

"Oh, of course," the branch chief replied, going over to the elevator panel, "This is only an act of kindness Aether's esteemed branch chief can offer!" he declared, pressing a few keys to grant the trio of boys access to the lower level of the artificial island.

"Both of you be ready…" Gladion advised quietly to his companions who nodded. Once Faba had finished, the former Team Skull enforcer accessed the panel. The gating came up again before the elevator descended with the boys aboard. As they did though, a grin graced the branch chief's face…

X

"You've already finished three of the journals?!" Rowan exclaimed as he held the books in question in his hands, looking to see the sheepish smile upon Leslie's face as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Guess I just like reading…" she concluded, "This Hikari was amazing though…" she recalled, "She wound up finding even a Legendary Pokémon to join her!" she noted excitedly. From afar, her father grinned at her enthusiasm.

"Bet it won't be long until she gets through the rest of them…" Dawn pointed out, putting her hands onto her hips.

"She's so fast…" Goh added, sounding impressed, "I haven't even finished the first one yet…" he admitted.

"That's probably because you look at reading as a chore…" Ash remarked in response.

"Hey…" his androgynous friend said, puffing his cheeks out as he pouted. The top coordinator giggled.

"So what else happened in this journal?" Rowan inquired, opening up the blue hardcover.

"Well after Hikari found Mesprit, she went back to the village…" Leslie answered, "But I never found out what after that," she mentioned.

"Then I guess you'll need to take a look at this one," one of the assistants chimed in, holding up a black hardcover in his right hand for her to see, "A couple pages in, and there's some drawings of Mesprit," he pointed out, opening it up to reveal some sketches of the Emotion Pokémon.

"Oh!" Leslie yelped, zipping over and snatching the book from his hands to his surprise, "Thank you!" she exclaimed with gratitude, "I promise I'll try to get through it as quick as possible!" she vowed as she bowed.

"Uh… that's quite alright…" the assistant assured, holding up his hands in a placating manner. Everyone chuckled at the sight.

"You remember when you, me and Brock met the lake guardians, Ash?" Dawn inquired to her old traveling companion, getting his attention.

"Oh, yeah," he replied, causing Goh to gasp in surprise, "That was one heck of a time we had with those three…" he remembered.

"How many Legendary Pokémon have you even met, Ash?!" the research fellow asked emphatically, earning another laugh out of those around him. In the meantime, Leslie sat down on a couch and opened the fourth journal. After taking a look at the Mesprit sketches again, she turned to the first page of writing.

'I was admittedly anxious about returning home after my sudden departure,' she read, 'Even though I had provided our village with enough Pokémon of fire, I was certain the chieftain would be cross with me,' she continued, 'But upon returning…' she kept going, 'I was shocked to learn all that had happened…' she finished.

"Satoshi left?!" Hikari exclaimed, slamming her hands down onto the table, causing both Typhlosion and Mesprit to flinch in surprise. Okido walked in and sighed, setting down his tray onto the table with the two cups of steaming tea upon it. He took one of them into his hands.

"The expedition team had gone on its venture to Coronet over a week ago," he told his pupil, "But Akagi was growing worried, as it was said that they would send letters of their findings back to village," he mentioned thoroughly, "None came," he said, shaking his head. The young woman was shocked as her eyes shook. Another thought crossed her mind.

"How does Satoshi fit into all of this?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Ah… well…" Okido began, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "After you had left, he decided it was finally time to grow strong himself," he said, "He even managed to evolve that Oshawott of his all the way into a Samurott," he added, laughing proudly.

"He did that… all while I was away?" Hikari inquired with shaking eyes, quite shocked to learn that the young man had even attempted to try and better himself.

"Indeed," her teacher responded with a nod, "As a matter of fact, Akagi recognized his budding strength and had him go along with a few others as a search party," he mentioned.

"What?!" his pupil shouted in shock, "He just sent him to Coronet without thinking of going to save his own son himself?!" she questioned, trembling with anger all the while.

"He believes he needs to remain in the village to maintain order…" Okido answered with a frustrated sigh, drinking his tea, "Though honestly, I doubt we would fall to pieces so easily…" he added admittedly. Hikari stood up sharply, getting his attention.

"How long has it been since Satoshi left the village?" she asked.

"Just a day ago, why?" her teacher responded.

"Then there's still time!" she exclaimed, quickly going over to retrieve her knapsack, "Typhlosion, Mesprit…" she began to her two partners, "we have to go!" she told them as they both nodded. Okido blinked in surprise.

"W-Wait a moment!" he stuttered, reaching his left hand out, "The chieftain will want to learn of your return as soon as possible!" he pointed out emphatically.

"I am sorry, but he will have to wait to learn of my journey until I can bring everyone back," Hikari replied apologetically, having gathered all of her things as she was about to exit. But the moment she arrived at the door, it was slid open. She gasped to see Akagi there. He narrowed his eyes onto her.

"So the deserter has chosen to come home, it seems…" he remarked to her surprise.

"Akagi, there's no need to treat Hikari so harshly…" Okido chimed in pleadingly as he walked over.

"I had completed my task to obtain all those Pokémon of fire for the village," she pointed out, balling her hands into fists.

"Yet you abandoned your people for your own self-interests…" the chieftain mentioned, not sounding happy at all.

"I only left because I felt that I needed to become stronger!" Hikari shouted, "After losing to your son, not only did I wish to better myself…" she continued as her fists trembled, "but my Pokémon as well!" she declared firmly.

"That's enough," Akagi insisted, "Now you listen here…" he began, pointing an accusatory finger towards the young woman, "as punishment for your absence, I won't allow you to leave the village again, whether for exploration or research," he decided, much to her shock as she widened her eyes, "This may not seem fair to you, but it is for your own good," he told her, "You are far too valuable to this village's future, Hikari," he mentioned as she clenched her teeth together. He was right. But at the same time, she thought about Satoshi.

He was a pacifist. He was once a boy she had spent so much time just caring for his Pokémon that he never partook in any adventures. And yet… he was doing something she would've done, whether he chose to or not. Her expression hardened.

"I will not stand by as my friend is out there risking his life to help rescue those who've gotten last in Coronet," she stated, causing the chieftain to blink in surprise. A growl left his lips.

"Hikari, you—!"

"Meh!" Mesprit squeaked, defensively flying out in front of its master to Akagi's surprise.

"Wh-What is this Pokémon?" he stuttered in question as he blinked rapidly. A grin came across the young woman's face.

"That would be Mesprit, Chieftain Akagi," she answered for him, "And this Typhlosion here is the Quilava who lost to your son's Decidueye," she mentioned as the Volcano Pokémon approached, "I have changed since my journey of self-reflection," she confirmed, placing her hand over her heart, "With all the knowledge I have gained and the willpower I have…" she kept going, "it means nothing without being able to share emotions amongst your own Pokémon," she said, placing her hands atop the heads of Typhlosion and Mesprit, causing them to both smile, "So I hope you can forgive me…" she implored with a slight bow to the chieftain as he blinked in surprise, "but I will go to Coronet to rescue our villagers!" she decided fiercely.

Akagi was stunned. The serious look in Hikari's eyes, along with those of her Pokémon, was enough to make him step back as a precaution. Okido grinned at the sight, walking over.

"She's a stubborn one, Akagi," he pointed out, getting his attention, "You'd be dead long before you could ever change a mind as sturdy as hers," he remarked with a chuckle. Needless to say, the chieftain was unsure of what to do. He wanted Hikari to say for the benefit of the village's future… But in truth, he was worried about his son and those alongside him.

"Please…" he pleaded, bowing his head to the young woman as she blinked in surprise, "save my son… and everyone else…" he requested to her. She gave off a small smile.

"You have my word we will," she promised in response.

"Ty frroh!" Typhlosion roared out.

"Meh!" Mesprit squeaked confidently.

Turning the page and marking it with a bookmark, Leslie sighed happily. Reading how Hikari had bounced back from her struggles was inspiring. It reminded the Unova Champion Master a lot of herself. She closed the journal and put it into her bag, planning to read more of what would happen next later.

X

"We made it!" Erika exclaimed as she and Pyrrha were standing just outside of the entrance to the Ruins of Abundance, having found them easily with the sandstorm gone.

"It lookzzz like the Ruinzzz of Life'zzz entrance back on Akala!" Rotom pointed out, floating beside the two girls.

"So… what's your plan for Tapu Bulu exactly?" Pyrrha asked of her friend, getting her attention.

"Huh?" she uttered in confusion as she blinked.

"Don't tell uzzz you were just gonna go in without a plan, zzt…" the Pokédex buzzed blankly in annoyance.

"N-No, I wasn't!" its user stammered in response, "I was going to make a plea to Tapu Bulu for help… and then hope he'd come!" she described to the pair with her.

"…That isn't a plan…" Pyrrha pointed out bluntly, having a drop of sweat roll down the side of her head, "And it's not like Tapu Bulu will just show up…" she mentioned.

"Besidezzz," Rotom chimed in, "Tapu Bulu might get offended if you disrespect itzzz sanctuary, zzt…" it noted. Hearing that made Erika shudder, fearful that she would wind up attacked like she did by Tapu Koko.

"I…" she tried to say, trembling a little as she balled her hands into fists, "I'll try my best to be respectful…" she promised, "But… I am desperate," she confessed, much to the surprise of both her friend and the Pokédex. Moments later, they ventured inside. The ruins themselves were very similar to the ones she had gone to while on Melemele. Though this time, she hoped her intentions were more noble than before.

"Didn't Lillie wanna come to ruins like these?" Pyrrha questioned as she glanced around with wonder in her eyes.

"Yep!" Rotom answered, "That was becauzzze Nebby wanted to visit them, zzt!" it mentioned.

"Then… why isn't she here with you?" the Eucliffe girl asked, causing Erika to come to a stop. She remembered what Acerola had told her about Lillie's disappearance. She gritted her teeth together in frustration. "D-Did something bad happen?" Pyrrha stuttered in question upon noticing her reaction.

"…Team Skull took her away," she answered after a moment, causing her to gasp in shock, "Calvin and Hau are going to get her back though," she assured.

"Well, why aren't you with them?!" Pyrrha asked emphatically.

"Because I'd only get in the way…" Erika responded sadly, making her blink out of surprise, "One of the battles I lost back in Malie… was to Team Skull's leader…" she admitted, grabbing her left arm and rubbing it gingerly, "It shouldn't have been that bad… but…" she continued, trembling a little, "when those guys started laughing at me and Primarina for losing…" she kept going, wrapping her arms around herself, "I started to think about how you must've felt when Plumeria beat you…" she added as she sniffled, having tears drip out from her eyes.

"Erika…" her friend uttered worriedly.

"I'm not with Cal and Hau 'cause I'd only slow them down…" she confessed, wiping her eyes, "But I wanna be there to help them as soon as possible," she declared firmly, "The only way for me to do that is to get stronger," she added, heading off through the ruins. Staring at her from behind, Pyrrha gave off a very worried look. She had never seen the Ketchum girl like this. To think that she was even experiencing such hardships like hers was mind-boggling.

Moments later, they arrived at the shrine room. It was similar to the one in the Ruins of Conflict, though there was red paint instead of yellow scattered about. Taking a deep breath, Erika made her way up the steps to the statue atop the pedestal. Pyrrha and Rotom watched on as she approached and knelt down before the statue, bringing her hands together.

"Tapu Bulu…" she began, closing her eyes, "I don't know if I'm doing this right, or if I need some kind of offering for you…" she admitted, "but I need your help," she said, "As I am right now, I can't fight alongside my friends or call myself a Pokémon Trainer," she confessed out of frustration, thinking back to her recent string of losses with her team, especially those of which where her Pokémon had a clear advantage in battle. Her hands trembled as she opened her eyes. "Please help me and my Pokémon grow stronger!" she pleaded, "Not just for our sake, but for our friends, too!" she added emphatically.

"Erika…" Rotom uttered out, while Pyrrha watched on in amazement. Her friend's plea definitely sounded heartfelt… and desperate. She felt like she had no other choice but to beg for help from the Tapu. But even after a few moments, there was no response.

"…Huh…" Erika sighed, standing up. As impatient she usually was, she would wait as long as she needed to for the Land Spirit Pokémon. There was still nothing there.

"Guezzz it'zzz not coming…" Rotom buzzed in realization, lowering its arms sadly. Pyrrha was upset at the sight, especially upon knowing how frustrated her friend was with herself. But then she took notice of something above her and the others.

"Uh… Erika?" she said, catching the Ketchum girl's attention as she glanced back to see her friend pointing upwards. She looked up and widened her eyes with a light gasp. Lying lazily upon the vines above and snoozing was none other than Tapu Bulu. Her eyes shimmered with happiness once she spotted it.

"I-It heard me!" she stammered in exclamation.

"I think it was there the whole time…" Pyrrha chimed in with a drop of sweat rolling down the side of her head.

"Um, Tapu Bulu?" Erika called out, trying to get the Land Spirit Pokémon's attention as it continued to lounge about, "I don't know if you heard me, but…" she continued, balling her hands into fists, "I really need your help!" she exclaimed, "Me and my team need to get a lot stronger if we're gonna fight the people who tried to hurt our friends…" she told it, "My brother and our cousin are already doing that as we're talking…" she remembered, taking a deep breath and exhaling, "Please help me get stronger!" she pleaded, clapping her hands together, "I know you can!" she proclaimed. The only response she obtained from Tapu Bulu was it rolling lazily onto its side… "Huh?" she uttered out.

"It's really lazy, huh?" Pyrrha guessed, scratching at her right cheek. Meanwhile, Rotom pulled up an image of the Land Spirit Pokémon upon its screen.

"Tapu Bulu, the Land Spirit Pokémon," it began, "It pulls large trees up by the roots and swings them around. Tapu Bulu causes vegetation to grow, and then it absorbs energy from the growth. Although it's called a guardian deity, Tapu Bulu is violent enough to crush anyone it sees as an enemy," it explained thoroughly.

"That's not the impression I get from what I'm seeing…" Pyrrha admitted, blinking out of confusion.

"Hey, Tapu Bulu?" Erika called out again, "Can you please help me and my Pokémon?" she requested of the guardian deity.

"Buuuu…" it snored out lazily, rolling back over upon the vines. The Ketchum girl sadly looked down, thinking that she had come all this way for nothing. She'd have to start from scratch and train with her team elsewhere. But all of a sudden, a bluish light shot out from her shorts, causing her to yelp in surprise as she saw it form upon the ground, dissipating to reveal Primarina there. And she looked angry.

"P-Primarina?" her trainer stuttered out in confusion. The Soloist Pokémon stood up on her tail fins, letting her ponytail come undone as she raised her head up high. She sang, making a ball of sparkling water appear over her nose and grow. It then burst apart into watery streaks, all of which soared up and struck Tapu Bulu in the back in an explosion of white smoke. Everyone gasped.

"Pree mah!" Primarina barked out.

"Primarina, what are you doing?!" Erika screamed, "The last thing either of us need is—!"

"Buuuu…" Tapu Bulu growled out, catching her attention as her eyes widened in fright.

"…Crap…" she muttered, grimacing as she saw the Land Spirit Pokémon's silhouette descend towards the floor in front of her and Primarina. She could see the menacing glow of its blue eyes through the smoke before it dissipated. "WE'RE SO SORRY!" she immediately apologized while frantically waving her hands, "I don't know what happened, but…" she tried to say, only to see the look of frustration upon the Soloist Pokémon's face. She echoed her trainer's frustration, especially as she was the one who had lost some tough battles lately. Salazzle, Golisopod… and even Incineroar.

"Boo loo!" Tapu Bulu echoed, clapping its hooves together before dashing out towards her.

"Ah!" Erika gasped, bracing herself as she crossed her arms over her face.

"Erika!" Pyrrha cried out, quickly grabbing a Poké Ball off of her belt and enlarging it with the press of its button. However, she noticed the Land Spirit Pokémon coming to an abrupt stop in front of her friend, causing her to blink in surprise. The Ketchum girl opened her eyes to find that the guardian deity was staring at her intently. It approached her, causing her to slightly flinch. But then she saw how fixated it seemed on her Z-Ring.

"Preeee…" Primarina growled out, ready to attack.

"Wait a sec, Primarina," her trainer advised, getting her attention as she blinked in surprise. She watched her trainer step forward. "You wanna take a look at this?" she guessed, holding her left arm out to Tapu Bulu, giving it a better look at her Z-Ring. It started at it for a moment, appearing to sniff at it. All of a sudden, its eyes jolted open.

"Booh, booloo!" it exclaimed, clapping its hooves together. Primarina blinked out of surprise.

"What? What is it?" her trainer inquired, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Boo," the Land Spirit Pokémon said, gesturing towards her, "Booloo, looh," it decided, nodding its head.

"You're… going to train me and my Pokémon?" Erika asked of the guardian deity. It then floated off, heading towards the tunnel back to the entrance. "Hey, wait up!" the Ketchum girl called out, quickly following it with the others. Needless to say, meeting Tapu Bulu like this wasn't how she pictured things going. But now, it seemed like things were starting to look up…

X

"Incineroar, Flamethrower!" Calvin commanded. The Heel Pokémon had her flame belt burn brightly before she unleashed a stream of fire from it, striking down a Magneton. Meanwhile, Decidueye soared about before making the leaves at his tail glow a bright green and sharpen. He slashed away a Porygon2, making it crash into a wall in a heap. Both he and Incineroar were being sent up against the Pokémon called upon by the helmeted Aether Foundation researchers they ran into when entering the labs.

Gladion watched on from afar with amazement in his eyes. Clearly, he had underestimated both Calvin and Hau. They were determined to find Lillie and Cosmog by whatever means necessary. Even if it meant going through several members of the Aether Foundation. One scientist nervously glanced back at his defeated colleagues before closing his hands into fists.

"Muk, Sludge Bomb!" he commanded as he pointed forward with his right pointer finger. An Alolan Sludge Pokémon released multiple brown globs of grime from his mouth, heading towards his two foes.

"Dodge!" both Calvin and Hau yelled to their respective Pokémon, who quickly moved aside as the globs struck the floor.

"Now Brave Bird!" the latter of the two trial-goers ordered, pumping his right fist up. Folding his wings in as he dove down, Decidueye became surrounded by red flames. As he unfolded his wings, the fire became a light blue, bird-shaped aura that surrounded him before he slammed fiercely into his target in an explosion of black smoke.

"Muk!" the scientist cried out. The Arrow Quill Pokémon flew out from the cloud with blue sparks crackling over his body as he winced a little. Once he landed down, the smoke cleared to reveal his opponent's body was spread along the floor as he moaned in agony, having swirls in his eyes.

"Nice one, cuz," Calvin complimented, causing the ponytailed boy to nod with a grin. Gladion then stepped forward. The defeated scientist looked up and shuddered to see him approach.

"Move aside," he advised, "Now," he added firmly as he narrowed his eyes.

"F-F-Fine!" the employee stammered out, leaving with his colleagues moments later.

"Thanks for all your hard work, Incineroar," Calvin said before returning the Heel Pokémon to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.

"You too, Decidueye," Hau remarked, "Take a good long rest," he advised, returning the Arrow Quill Pokémon to his own container. Gladion stood off to the side, waiting for the two trial-goers as they approached. "So where's the lab for Cosmog?" the ponytailed boy asked as he and his cousin walked alongside the former Team Skull enforcer.

"Probably in one of these labs we're coming across…" he replied, walking ahead and moving over towards the first one on the left, "I'll take a look at whatever's in this one," he decided to their surprise.

"Wait, shouldn't we all stick together?" Calvin inquired, raising an eyebrow out of concern.

"I can take care of myself," Gladion firmly assured, "Now go check the other lab," he insisted of the pair of trial-goers. They both gave off unsure glances to each other, but ultimately decided to comply as they went off.

"Hey… Cal?" Hau said, trying to get his cousin's attention, "You think Gladion's hiding something from us?" he inquired. The capped boy nodded.

"Whatever it is, it's got to do with however he seems to know the Aether Foundation so well…" he pointed out, recalling how familiar he seemed to be with Faba earlier, "When we find out where Lillie and Cosmog are, we'll get him to tell us everything," he promised. Inside the other lab, Milo and Selene were near a computer, watching a progress bar near completion as a flash drive had been plugged into the monitor.

"So Faba said he wanted the drive right away?" Milo inquired, folding his arms over his chest.

"Yes," Selene answered with a nod, sitting at the desk as she watched the progress bar inch further to completion, "You seem troubled," she noted robotically.

"Well, yeah!" her colleague exclaimed, "I mean, I get why the president lashed out like she did…" he mentioned as he narrowed his eyes in thought, "But still, that's her own daughter!" he pointed out emphatically.

"How does that even relate remotely to what we're doing?" his fellow employee questioned back.

"Would you wanna work for someone who'd treat their own kids like that?!" he asked in a shout. Selene actually blinked in surprise before sadly turning away. "Eh, sorry…" Milo apologized upon seeing her reaction.

"It's okay," she assured in reply, "I was surprised, too," she admitted while pulling her hands away from the computer, "Madam President has always treated us with kindness and compassion…" she recalled, "So seeing her smack her daughter so… blatantly…" she continued, trembling a little, "It was… scary…" she confessed.

"Yeah…" Milo agreed. At that moment, the progress bar was finally full, indicating that the download was complete. But just as Selene was about to grab the flash drive, the door opened.

"Lillie?!" Hau called out as he raced in, getting the attentions of the Aether Foundation employees as they widened their eyes in surprise. Calvin entered as well.

"Doesn't look like she's here…" he pointed out grimly, clenching his teeth in frustration.

"Hey!" Milo yelled, causing him to perk up instantly with his cousin to see the pair of Aether Foundation employees in the room.

"What are you two doing here?" Selene asked.

"We're looking for our friend, Lillie!" Hau responded immediately, "And trying to figure out whatever we can about Cosmog, I guess…" he mentioned with a shrug. A firm expression appeared upon the woman's face after a moment as she removed the flash drive from the monitor.

"You won't find anything in here," she told the pair of trial-goers robotically, stuffing the object into one of her pouches before taking out a Great Ball and enlarging it with the press of its button, "Now please exit, or we will be forced to take action," she advised, "You are already trespassing by being in this laboratory," she mentioned seriously to their surprise.

"Hey, hold on a second…" Milo chimed in insistently.

"Are you attempting to defy the president's instructions?" Selene guessed, arching an eyebrow towards him. Calvin and Hau blinked in surprise.

"…No," Milo finally responded, readying his own Great Ball, "Sorry about this, you two," he apologized. Both he and Selene opened their containers, allowing bluish lights to flow out and form upon the lab floor, dissipating to reveal a Vanillish and a Pupitar.

"Vahhh…" the Icy Snow Pokémon hissed, exhaling a cold breath from her mouth. Both Calvin and Hau shared a glance with each other before nodding firmly. They took out Poké Balls of their own.

"Marowak, let's go!" the capped boy called out, throwing his spherical container forward.

"Come on out, Komala!" his cousin yelled. Both Poké Balls popped open, with their lights spilling forth onto the floor. They dissipated to reveal both the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon and the Drowsing Pokémon.

"Whak!" Marowak exclaimed, holding his bone tightly in his right hand. Komala merely just yawned.

"Hm," Selene hummed out, "Be on guard, Milo," she advised to her colleague, getting his attention, "I have a feeling that this will not be easy…" she noted. The man next to her merely lowered his head, gritting his teeth together out of frustration.

"We'll get things started!" Calvin declared, "Marowak, Flame Wheel!" he commanded, sticking his left hand out. Spinning his bone and rubbing both ends against his head in order to ignite them in green flames, the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon lunged forward. He enveloped himself in fire, rolling towards the Vanillish in a wheel of flames.

"Ice Beam, Elsy," Selene instructed simply. A glowing blue sphere of energy formed in front of the Icy Snow Pokémon's mouth before she fired off several zigzagging beams from it, striking the incoming wheel of flames in a burst of steam.

"Mah…!" Marowak grunted out as he tumbled back along the floor, coming to a stop upon his stomach.

"You okay, Marowak?" his trainer called out from beyond the steam cloud.

"Mahroh!" he responded, giving off a thumbs up of reassurance as he stood back up.

"Pupitar, use Thrash!" Milo ordered. A purple aura outlined the Hard Shell Pokémon before he lunged through the steam towards Komala, who was still drowsing lazily.

"Wood Hammer!" Hau commanded quickly.

"What?!" the male Aether Foundation employee yelped in shock. A greenish aura in the shape of a tree stump surrounded the Drowsing Pokémon's log. Once his opponent got close, he slammed the log into him fiercely, sending him crashing into the ceiling as the steam instantly dissipated from the attack's impact.

"Whoa…" Calvin uttered in amazement, blinking rapidly.

"You should worry more about your own Pokémon," Selene advised robotically, getting his attention, "Elsy, Water Pulse!" she ordered. The Vanillish formed a ball of water in front of her mouth, launching it out towards the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon.

"Dodge and use Shadow Bone!" the capped trial-goer quickly instructed. Leaping away from the ball of water as it struck the ground in a splash, Marowak had both ends of his bone ignite with purple flames. He slammed one end into the Icy Snow Pokémon, sending her flying back as she grimaced. Seeing that, Selene appeared to tense up, clenching her fists tightly.

"Dark Pulse!" Milo commanded, pumping his fist out. From above, Pupitar fell towards the floor and fired off a beam of purple and black circles in front of his face, coming down and striking Komala in a fierce blast. Hau braced himself from the blow, crossing his arms over his face.

"Komala!" he cried out. Meanwhile, the male Aether Foundation employee smirked.

"Now Rock Slide!" he ordered. The Hard Shell Pokémon had several small boulders appear around his body in flashes of white light, spinning around to send them tumbling down into the smoke.

"Komala, Sucker Punch!" Hau yelled. All of a sudden, a light blue blur shot up from the smoke. It turned out to be the Drowsing Pokémon himself, as he evaded the rocks before cloaking his right arm in a dark red aura. He slammed it into Pupitar's face, causing him to wince in agony.

"Pupitar!" Milo exclaimed in shock.

"Now Brick Break!" Hau commanded. Holding onto his log in his right arm, Komala made his left glow a bright white before smacking his opponent with it, sending him crashing into the floor in a flurry of dust.

"Ergh…" the male Aether Foundation employee growled in frustration. In the meantime, Marowak flung his bone out, having it spin towards and strike Elsy as she flew back and grimaced.

"Vah, nilll…" she groaned out, marked by bruises. Her normally stoic trainer seemed panicked. She felt like she was being backed into a corner against Calvin. It shouldn't have been surprising, since he was the one to win the Aether Tournament. But it still frustrated her.

"Flash Cannon!" she ordered. A ball of white light grew in front of her Vanillish's mouth before she fired off a beam of silver energy towards her target.

"Shadow Bone!" Calvin called out quickly. Purple flames erupted upon the ends of Marowak's bone before he leapt over the incoming beam. He raised his weapon above his head and slammed it down hard onto his target, making her slam into the wall.

"Elsy!" her trainer screamed in fright.

"Why are you two even fighting us?!" Calvin asked, getting her attention as she blinked in surprise, "Aren't we friends?!" he inquired on. Selene regained her normal blank expression.

"I don't recall ever associating you as a friend of mine," she robotically replied.

"Then what about Erika?!" the Ketchum boy questioned loudly, causing her to perk up slightly, "Would she want you to do something like this?!" he asked. Hearing that, Selene gasped. She remembered how after losing to the Ketchum girl in the Aether Tournament, she hoped they would battle again. Not once did she think to understand why. At least, not until now.

"Mah, mah ro!" Marowak called out, getting his trainer's attention.

"Yeah, let's finish this!" he decided, "Flame Wheel!" he commanded, swinging his left arm out. Igniting both ends of his bone with green flames, the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon ran forward, somersaulting as the fire expanded around into the form of a wheel. He rolled on towards his target. For a moment, Selene hesitated.

"E-Elsy, Water Pulse!" she stammered out as an order. The Icy Snow Pokémon readied another ball of water in front of her mouth, but failed to launch it once the enflamed Marowak collided with her in a fierce burst of steam.

"Vaaahhhh!" the Vanillish screamed before crashing into the wall, slumping down it with swirls in her eyes.

"Komala, Wood Hammer!" Hau commanded from afar, pumping his right fist forward. The Drowsing Pokémon lifted his log over his head as a greenish aura in the shape of a tree stump shrouded it. He brought it down hard onto Pupitar in a flurry of dust.

"Pupitar!" Milo screamed out. When the dust settled, it revealed that the Hard Shell Pokémon was lying on the floor in a daze with swirls in his eyes. Both Aether Foundation employees had been defeated.

"Nice work, Komala!" Hau complimented, going over to pet the Drowsing Pokémon atop the head as he yawned. In the meantime, Calvin and Marowak shared a nod at their victory.

"We lost…" Milo realized, returning Pupitar to his Great Ball in a beam of red light. Selene did the same with Elsy, though she was silent.

"Now tell us…" the Ketchum boy began as he stepped forward, "where are Lillie and Cosmog?" he asked, giving off somewhat of a glare. Milo pursed his lips, looking away.

"We don't know, honestly…" he answered, "We were just following orders from the branch chief and the president…" he pointed out to them.

"You mean Miss Lusamine?" Hau inquired, arching an eyebrow while returning Komala to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.

"What does she have to do with this?" Calvin questioned on.

"Look, I don't know the details!" Milo yelled in claim, holding his hands out in a placating manner, "All we were doing was—!" He stopped talking when he heard sniffling nearby. Calvin and Hau looked over to see Selene trembling as tears streamed down her face.

"I'm sorry…" she apologized sadly, "I'm so sorry…!" she repeated through another sob.

"Selene…" Milo uttered in surprise as his eyes shook.

"Milo, we have to go…" his colleague advised, "The branch chief will need confirmation that we erased all the evidence…" she mentioned before walking off. As she headed out though, she bumped into Calvin, putting something into his right hand. He blinked in surprise, seeing her jog out from the room.

"Uh, hey!" he called out, but she had already left.

"I'm sorry, too…" Milo apologized, getting the attentions of the two trial-goers, "I'm not sure exactly where Lillie or Cosmog are…" he confessed, "But I bet Faba does," he noted to them before departing as well. There was a long moment of silence in the room.

"I guess even some of the guys in the Aether Foundation don't know what they're up to…" Hau concluded.

"Yeah…" Calvin agreed. He opened to his hand to find that Selene had given him the flash drive. "We need to find out what they might've been hiding here," he insisted, earning a nod in response from his cousin. Through all of the hardships they had endured, they still had a job to do…

X

Leslie contently lied upon the couch as she continued reading the fourth journal. Her father was outside the lab with Goh and Dawn, partaking in a three-way battle against them as Pikachu was narrowly evading the fireballs kicked his way by Cinderace, who had to lunge aside in order to evade getting trampled by Mamoswine. Rowan watched on with crossed arms, smiling underneath his moustache to see the three adults having fun. Meanwhile, the Unova Champion Master turned the page of the book she was reading, coming across an image of Mt. Coronet along with some text.

'It appears a blizzard always rages near Coronet's peak,' she read, 'I can only imagine that the expedition team came across such treacherous terrain and was forced to take shelter,' she continued, 'Perhaps a Pokémon is the sole cause of the storm," she kept going, 'Either way, my Pokémon I will see to it that they return safely!' she finished before turning the page.

The trek up the mountain wasn't difficult for Hikari. But there was the lingering problem as to where those of the expedition party were. If they had gotten lost on their trek or were forced to turn back, that would be one thing. But none of them had been found yet. At least, not to her knowledge.

"Ty fro!" Typhlosion called out, getting her attention as he and Mesprit were ahead of her, standing in front of an exit into what appeared to be a blizzard. But even more importantly than that, they appeared to have found something. Their master hurried over and gasped. Sitting on the ground and lightly dusted with flakes of snow was Satoshi's red hat. She picked it up in her hands, trembling slightly as her eyes shook.

'Satoshi, please be okay!' she pleaded inwardly, grimacing before she made her way outside. And like that, she found herself having to brace herself from the raging blizzard she ventured into. It was so strong that she couldn't even see what was ahead of her. But she could hear everything.

"Fall back! Fall back!" a voice cried out repeatedly, causing her to widen her eyes as she recognized it.

"Satoshi!" she yelled, quickly hurrying onwards as Typhlosion and Mesprit followed her. Several men were scattered about the snow, grimacing in pain as they were barely conscious. The hatless Satoshi gritted his teeth out of frustration, watching as his Samurott breathed heavily. They were up against a powerful foe indeed.

It was a large, bipedal Pokémon covered in shaggy, white fur. He had pale purple eyes with bushy eyebrows and long strands of fur covering his mouth. Two tufts of longer fur were grown on both his back and chest. His hands, feet, and tail were dark green and spiky, similar to the foliage of an evergreen tree. On his back were four green spikes that resembled pinecones.

"BAAAAAAAHHHHH!" he roared, causing the blizzard to rage even more wildly than before. Satoshi braced himself before falling over onto his bottom in a yelp.

"Samurott!" he called out. The Formidable Pokémon drew his left seamitar from his arm, holding it as it glowed a bright blue and grew slightly longer. He lunged out at his target, who reared his right arm back as a greenish aura built up around it in the shape of a log stump. The two collided their attacks, making sparks fly wildly as a shockwave erupted from the impact.

After a few moments, Samurott found himself blown back, crashing into his master as they both tumbled down the snow, coming to a stop upon their stomachs. Satoshi struggled to push himself back up as his hands dug into the snow. Even with all of the effort he had put into becoming someone who could be like Hikari, he wasn't her. And he was about to die here. The monstrous Pokémon reared his head back before a ring of ice shards formed over his mouth, which he subsequently fired towards his two targets.

Satoshi braced himself for the inevitable impact and his demise. But suddenly, a stream of flames burned through, incinerating the ice shards. What followed was several yellow stars of energy streaking in and striking the monstrous Pokémon as he yelped in surprise, stumbling back.

"Satoshi, are you alright?!" Hikari's voice called out, causing the young man to perk up in surprise as he saw her slide out in front of him with Typhlosion and Mesprit beside her.

"H…Hikari?!" he exclaimed in disbelief as his eyes widened, "Wh-What are you doing here?!" he stammered out as a question. She cracked a small grin.

"Rescuing you, obviously," she remarked back, "Typhlosion, Mesprit!" she called out to her partners, "Bring this blizzard to an end, please!" she requested.

"Meh!" the Emotion Pokémon squeaked in response, raising its tails to the snowy sky, "SPREEEEEEE!" she screamed upwards, unleashing golden energy rings that streaked into the air. The clouds suddenly came apart as the blue sky shined overhead, sunny and clear. The blizzard was gone. Satoshi was amazed.

"Typhlosion, ignite your flame!" Hikari yelled to the Volcano Pokémon.

"Ty frrrohhh!" he roared, making fire spew out mightily from his back. It burned so brightly that it made Satoshi flinch, having to cover his eyes with his right arm. He couldn't believe what he was paying witness to. Was this the same Hikari he remembered? From before she left the village on her own adventure?

Typhlosion sprayed out a huge stream of flames, striking the monstrous Pokémon in a fierce explosion as he yelled in agony. As the smoke settled, everyone saw the creature fall onto his stomach while groaning. Hikari took the opportunity to throw a Poké Ball towards him, hitting him atop the head before it transformed itself into red light that zipped into the container. It fell onto the ground, shaking for a moment upon the snow before stopping with a puff of steam emerging from its top.

"Spree!" Mesprit squeaked, flying over to pick up the Poké Ball and bring it over to its master.

"Thank you, Mesprit," she said in gratitude, nodding to the Emotion Pokémon, "I'm fairly certain this creature is the evolved form of one I encountered in the north…" she recalled, putting her hand onto her chin as she tried to remember that specific Pokémon.

"Hikari…" Satoshi's voice uttered, getting her attention as she turned around to see him stand back up with Samurott, "You really came…" he realized, letting off a small smile. She grinned back, walking over to him with his hat in her hands.

"Seems you can't get anywhere without me…" she pointed out, handing the red hat off to him. A chuckle escaped his lips.

"Apparently, I cannot…" he concluded, putting his hat back onto his head, "I am glad you are here, Hikari," he said with a light smile.

"And I am very glad to see you," she responded, giving off a giggle.

"Meh, spree!" Mesprit suddenly squeaked happily as it floated nearby, getting their attentions, "Spreeee!" it exclaimed, twirling about.

"What kind of Pokémon is that?" Satoshi inquired as he and Samurott stared at it in wonder. Hikari let a small laugh escape her lips.

"We have much to talk about…" she noted to his surprise. Moments later, the two of them worked together to help gather the expedition team members, who regained consciousness.

"Did the chieftain see reason and beg for your help?" Satoshi guessed while holding a man's arm over his shoulders.

"It was less of that and more of him yelling at me for my absence from the village…" Hikari replied honestly as her Typhlosion used his flames to help warm, "Though truth be told…" she continued, lowering her head for a moment, "I understood his anger with me," she admitted sadly.

"Hikari…" her friend uttered out, having a worried look appear upon his face.

"Wait a moment…" she suddenly realized as she blinked, "where is Shinji?!" she asked, looking around for a sign of the purple-haired young man.

"He… went on ahead…" one of the men grunted out in reply, getting her attention, "and left us behind to face that beast…" he mentioned before grimacing in pain.

"Some man he is…" another chimed in out of frustration, "He abandoned us without a second thought to pursue his own ambitions…" he noted. Hearing that, Hikari thought back to her own actions. She left the village. She chose to put herself into danger. She had almost gotten killed quite a few times. But now…

"Maybe he is foolish enough to abandon all of you…" she inferred, balling her hands into fists, "but I will not abandon him!" she declared firmly, much to everyone's surprise as they stared at her. Typhlosion seemed shocked as well. "Mesprit, come with me," the young woman beckoned to the Emotion Pokémon, "We will find Shinji and bring him back with us!" she vowed, hurrying off with the fairy-like creature. Within a nearby cavern, the purple-haired young man grimaced with clenched teeth as his Decidueye fell onto the ground.

"Sihhh…" he squawked out weakly, trying to push himself back up. He was battling against a horde of Golbat that he and his master encountered the second they entered. And the Bat Pokémon were evidently not happy about the intruders. Each of their wings shined a bright sky blue before they swung them out, unleashing several shuriken-like blades of air down towards their targets.

"Decidueye!" Shinji cried out. All of a sudden though, the air blades stopped. Both the Arrow Quill Pokémon and his master widened their eyes, seeing that they were all outlined in pink before shattering apart like glass.

"Shinji!" Hikari's voice exclaimed, causing him to turn and see the young woman standing at the entrance with Mesprit floating beside her, with its eyes glowing a bright pink.

"Wh-What are you doing here?!" Shinji asked with a shocked stutter. The horde of Golbat dove down towards him and Decidueye, ready to attack.

"Mesprit, hold them back!" Hikari called out quickly.

"Meh!" the Emotion Pokémon responded, making its sure eyes remained glowing before sticking its hands out to make all of its foes stop moving instantaneously, outlining them in pink. They struggled against its psychic hold, as Shinji looked on in shock. His moment was interrupted when Hikari grabbed him by his arm.

"We need to go!" she insisted.

"Unhand me!" Shinji shouted as he pulled his arm away from her, "We're so close to reaching the peak!" he pointed out emphatically.

"You mean you are," she retorted to his surprise as he blinked.

"You'd dare to—?!"

"I want to learn so much about this region as well," Hikari interjected, "but not at the expense of our people's lives!" she stated firmly, "That includes yours," she added, causing him to widen his eyes. When she grabbed him by his arm again, he didn't resist. "Mesprit!" she called out to the Emotion Pokémon.

"Spree!" it replied with a nod, sticking its hands out. In that instant, all of the Golbat were psychically sent flying, slamming either into the ground or the walls of the cavern. Hikari led Shinji and Decidueye outside, leaving Mesprit to follow them. She would never hold grudges, even if she felt lost. That was just who she was.

Leslie smiled as she finished the page. Hikari was noble, brave, and overall, amazing. She had to wonder what would happen next in the girl's story.

"So, you excited for the fitting?" Ash's voice asked, catching her attention as she saw him standing in front of her with Pikachu perched upon his shoulder. She gave off a small smile.

"Yeah," she answered, setting her bookmark in between the pages of the journal before closing it, "Feels weird after all this time…" she admitted, letting her father sit down next to her on the bench, "I know you and Mom got married pretty early compared to a couple of… well, couples…" she mentioned, causing the Pokémon Master to chuckle.

"I'm sure your mom'll be happy whenever you decide to get married," he told her.

"If I get married, Dad…" she muttered in correction, blushing a little, "But thanks," she said with gratitude, allowing him to wrap his right arm around her shoulders and pull her in close, "You know…" she continued, "I wonder how Calvin and Erika are doing…" she said.

"I bet they're doing just great on their island challenges," Ash assured confidently.

"Peekah!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement, hopping onto Leslie's lap to snuggle up close to her. They all smiled happily, hoping that the twins were doing their best…

X

Following Tapu Bulu, Erika and the others found themselves atop a rocky hillside just beyond the ruins. There was a small pond and a few trees, but no other Pokémon appeared to reside in the area. The Ketchum girl looked around.

"What is this place?" she wondered aloud.

"It kinda seems like a training ground…" Pyrrha replied as she glanced about the area, "I guess if Tapu Bulu were to ever rampage like Rotom said it could, it'd want to do it outside of the ruins…" she pointed out, putting her hand onto her chin in thought.

"That makezzz sense, zzt!" the Pokédex buzzed. In the meantime, Primarina stared intently at the Land Spirit Pokémon's back. She was frustrated with how it was putting her and her trainer in this runaround situation in terms of getting properly trained. Thinking back to her recent losses against Guzma's Golisopod, Plumeria's Salazzle, and Nanu's Persian, the Soloist Pokémon was more impatient than her trainer was to get stronger quickly. Especially in the wake of Lillie being taken away by Team Skull, there wasn't any time to waste.

"Buh," Tapu Bulu huffed, coming to a stop. It turned around to face the group. More specifically, Erika. "Boo, booloo," it instructed, gesturing to her with its right hoof.

"Huh?" she uttered, giving off a confused look with her right eyebrow raised.

"I think it wantzzz to see your other Pokémon, zzt," Rotom chimed in, getting her attention.

"Oh, okay," she responded, reaching down to her belt to grab her other five Poké Balls. She tossed them up after enlarging them, allowing them to pop open. Their lights spilled onto the ground, shaping into form before dissipating to reveal Lycanroc, Oricorio, Lurantis, Starbright, and Sandshrew.

"Rahk!" the Wolf Pokémon barked out with a wicked grin on his face. He felt like it had been a while since he got the chance to do anything for his trainer. Oricorio was posing freely and passionately, appearing to be enjoying herself. Meanwhile, Lurantis seemed annoyed at the sight of the dark clouds overhead, groaning with frustration.

Tapu Bulu floated over to them, appearing to inspect each Pokémon one by one. He floated past the first three… and then laid eyes on Starbright and Sandshrew. The former seemed to be in awe as she found herself in the guardian deity's presence. In fact, she looked a little flustered.

The latter beside her however, had a look of determination in his eyes. He had been frustrated with himself ever since he almost lost to the Totem Dhelmise… and was subsequently saved by Sandygast evolving into Palossand. As thankful as the Alolan Mouse Pokémon was, he was ashamed he couldn't do things himself. Worst of all, his trainer had lost her Steelium Z as their Z-Move had failed.

Tapu Bulu stared at both Starbright and Sandshrew intently before closing its eyes. It had come to a decision. It turned to Erika.

"Booloo, boo," it said, gesturing towards the Fairy Pokémon and the Alolan Mouse Pokémon.

"You wanna train with these two?" the Ketchum girl guessed.

"Loo," the Land Spirit Pokémon huffed in reply as it nodded, "Boo, loo," it added, looking over to Primarina.

"Pree?" she yipped out, blinking in surprise. Lycanroc seemed disappointed that he wasn't selected, Oricorio was still posing without a care, and Lurantis just looked bored.

"BOOH!" Tapu Bulu suddenly bellowed, causing all three of them to snap to attention immediately, "Boo, booloo, looh!" it instructed while gesturing off to the side with its left hoof. Without hesitation, all three of them hurried off towards a corner of the rocky hillside, practicing with their moves.

"Tapu Bulu's like a drill instructor…" Pyrrha noted as she blinked in surprise.

"But why'zzz it working with the otherzzz?" Rotom wondered aloud. They watched as the Land Spirit Pokémon approached Primarina, Starbright, and Sandshrew.

"Boolooh," it said, causing them to blink in surprise, "Boo, loo boolooh," it told the Clefairy, who blinked in surprise before staring down sadly in shame. Her trainer took notice, blinking out of confusion. "Booloo, boo," Tapu Bulu continued, having turned its attention onto Sandshrew. He was left shocked by what it had to say as he lowered his head with shame.

"Is it… critiquing them?" Pyrrha guessed.

"I think so, zzt…" Rotom buzzed in reply. They watched as the Land Spirit Pokémon moved onto Primarina, who glared at it intensely. She wanted to get to training right away, not be lectured by a guardian deity.

"Booh," it said simply.

"Pree?!" the Soloist Pokémon gasped out, "Mah, preemah ree!" she screamed angrily, glaring at Tapu Bulu with fury in her eyes.

"Whoa! Whoa!" her trainer yelped repeatedly, getting in between her partner and the Land Spirit Pokémon, "What the heck did you even say to her?!" she asked frantically. Primarina's growling made it seem like she was a split-second away from attacking the guardian deity again. But it wasn't deterred. Instead, it turned its attention onto the Ketchum girl.

"Boohloo," it huffed, "Boo, booloo booh," it explained, placing its hooves onto its hips. From how it sounded, Erika could tell what it was telling her. Rather, what she was lacking as a trainer.

She was impatient, still. Though she didn't outwardly show it, she wanted to get things done as soon as possible. To beat Nanu, to help her brother, and to complete the island challenge…

Out of all times to need to be patient, this was probably the worst one. She balled her fists, heaving out a frustrated breath. Tapu Bulu blinked, awaiting her response.

"I know I'm being too impatient…" she confessed, balling her hands into fists as her Pokémon looked over to her in surprise, "Ever since Guzma…" she continued, "No, ever since the Aether Tournament finals…" she corrected in admission.

"Erika?" Pyrrha uttered in surprise.

"I hadn't really lost to Calvin in a while…" the Ketchum girl recalled, thinking about how much her brother had grown during his journey, "And all of a sudden, he just seemed to pull right on ahead…" she mentioned in remembrance.

"You still got pretty strong, zzt!" Rotom chimed in, "And your Pokémon did, too!" it pointed out additionally. Primarina, Starbright and Sandshrew all voiced out sounds of agreement. However, their trainer didn't seem to be all that encouraged.

"I'm sorry…" she apologized, "but lately, I've been a bad trainer to you guys," she confessed, "I let Sandshrew and Lurantis get thrashed by that totem we fought the other day, Primarina's taken one too many losses to Team Skull…" she listed off, "and then there's me… who doesn't even who she's supposed to be…" she finished, letting her fists tremble before she sniffled.

"Erika…" Pyrrha uttered worriedly. Her friend wiped her eyes with her right arm.

"That's why I'm here," she stated, "not only to get stronger with my team, but find out exactly who I wanna be," she added firmly. She didn't want to be someone who appeared to be riding her father's coattails. She wanted to be herself. And Tapu Bulu seemed to understand that.

"Booh," it huffed out with a nod, turning around and floating away.

"Uh, hey!" Erika cried out. Fortunately, the Land Spirit Pokémon came to a stop and turned back around.

"Boo, boolooh!" it challenged, clacking its hooves together. It shook its tail, causing its bell to ring throughout the area. Light-green rings of aura emitted from its body, making the surrounding area glow a bright green. The Ketchum girl was amazed as she saw the shine coming off of a few nearby trees.

"That'zzz Grassy Terrain…" Rotom noted aloud.

"I'm guessing it wants to battle against one of your Pokémon," Pyrrha pointed out to Erika, who blinked in surprise.

"But, uh…" she uttered out, rubbing the back of her head with a confused look on her face, "who do you wanna battle first?" she inquired. There was a glint of confidence in Tapu Bulu's eyes.

"Booloo," it answered, gesturing to Primarina, Starbright, and Sandshrew. Erika blinked twice.

"A-All three?!" she stuttered in shock, while her Pokémon widened their eyes. This training they were about to undergo would definitely test their skills…

ENDING

Insert "Hold Me Now" by Red

We open with a younger Gladion and a younger Lillie sitting on the floor at the end of a bed in a dark, white room. The latter is crying into the former's chest as he holds her close out of sympathy. Cut to present day, Gladion stands alongside Null and his other Pokémon as they look out onto the horizon. He balls his trembling left hand into a fist.

Meanwhile, we see Lillie clutching the strap of her duffel bag tightly as she's led down a hallway by Team Skull grunts and Aether Foundation employees. Upon reaching the end, she meets Lusamine, who glowers at her with contempt. Nevertheless, Lillie has a determined visage.

The scene changes to Calvin and Hau battling against Elio and Selene inside Aether Paradise, while Gladion and Trent face Faba and another Aether Foundation employee. As their fights continue, Plumeria and the grunts of Team Skull are confronted by Paige and Pyrrha. In the meantime, Erika goes to fight Guzma.

As the chorus kicks in, Gladion commands Null to use X-Scissor on Faba's Hypno, while Trent's Skarmory takes out a Ledian with an Aerial Ace. Elio's Pupitar comes up against Calvin's Steenee, who uses Magical Leaf to knock him back. Selene has Corsola use Surf, but it winds up rendered useless by Raichu's Discharge.

The music picks up into the third verse, with Pyrrha's Typhlosion landing a Thunder Punch on Plumeria's Salazzle, while Paige's Blaziken and Electabuzz work together to take down the Pokémon of the Team Skull grunts. Guzma cackles as his Golisopod appears to be winning against Erika's Lycanroc, but he steels himself, slamming his right fist against the ground to strike back with a powerful Stone Edge.

The final scene has Gladion, Lillie, Calvin and Erika entering Lusamine's collection room. We see the Aether Foundation president raise up the containment case Nebby is trapped inside before the group the group pays witness to her unleashing its power to create an Ultra Wormhole…

END ENDING

Not gonna lie, I kinda felt I was dragging this chapter on for a while. But I think I ended it in a good spot. Glad to be back with this story after a couple "RWBY: Omni Force" chapters. As of now, Pokémon is getting interesting for me with Nuzlockes and Masters EX, along with the games coming in the near future.

Anyways, we'll be back in a few weeks with some more awesome action! Here's a preview to keep you all occupied!

SUMMARY

Erika's training with Tapu Bulu begins in a flurry! And as it so happens, Nanu arrives to give her a chance to take him on in an official grand trial battle! Will she and her Pokémon win?!

In the meantime, Calvin, Hau and Gladion learn the secrets behind Cosmog and why it's so important to the Aether Foundation. And then they find themselves not only having to deal with the foundation's employees, but Team Skull as well?!

And Leslie continues reading into Sinnoh's history, nearing the conclusion. But has she come across something… scandalous?!

END SUMMARY

See you all next time!