Pokémon Sun & Moon: The Challenge of a Lifetime!

by NegaiFreak

The Ketchum twins are now 10 years old! That means they can travel the world as Pokémon trainers! And their adventure has just begun as they head off to the Alola region to make new discoveries with their family and friends! Pokémon X Fairy Tail Crossover! SHIPPINGS INCLUDED! PLEASE READ, REVIEW, AND ENJOY! THANKS FOR OVER 45,000 VIEWS!

50. Light in the Dark

Alola! Welcome to the halfway point of "The Challenge of a Lifetime"! I'm really glad that I've finally come this far in the story, especially in the wake of so much happening over the past few years. I know my schedule doesn't agree with everyone, but I'm really happy to be producing such fun chapters for you guys.

Anyways, we last left off with Leslie reaching the climax of Hikari's journey, Calvin and Hau obtaining new information on Cosmog, and Erika starting to train with Tapu Bulu! Where's the chapter gonna go from there?

Let's find out!

POKÉMON SUN & MOON

THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME

Plugging the flash drive into the port of the computer, Calvin sat down in the chair behind the desk in the lab as Hau stood by. They saw a file open, enticing the Ketchum boy to drag the cursor over to click on it. What opened up were several documents and images of information.

"Whoa…" the ponytailed boy uttered out, somewhat frightened by how much data there was on Cosmog. Calvin read through one of the documents, which included what appeared to be ruins dedicated to the Nebula Pokémon. And then he noticed something peculiar.

"UB-Zero-Zero?" he read off in confusion.

"UB?" Hau repeated as he blinked. He lightly gasped upon remembering something. "Cal, could UB mean… Cosmog's an Ultra Beast?!" he inquired loudly out of shock.

"I think so…" his cousin answered with a slight nod. Recalling the night he had met Lillie and the Nebula Pokémon, he knew that it had immense power at its disposal. But that begged the question, what did the Aether Foundation want it for? More importantly, where was it?

"We should meet up with Gladion," Hau insisted, snapping Calvin away from his thoughts. At that moment though, the door slid open.

"You two find anything in here?" the blonde-haired boy inquired, walking inside along with Null and Zoroark.

"Uh, yeah…" Hau replied as he walked over, "We got this flash drive that has all the info the foundation got on Cosmog," he told the former Team Skull enforcer, "One of the employees we knew gave it to us…" he mentioned.

"Nice job, you two," Gladion complimented, "Hand me that flash drive," he requested, "We'll have to head back up," he pointed out.

"Hold on a sec…" Calvin chimed in, causing him to blink in surprise. He saw the Ketchum boy remove the flash drive from the computer. "What'd you find in the other lab?" he questioned of the blonde-haired boy.

"Hey, yeah…" Hau uttered in recollection, "You didn't want us to come in with you…" he remembered, narrowing his eyes with suspicion. Gladion glanced away.

"That's none of your business," he huffed out.

"Actually, I think it is," Calvin retorted firmly to his surprise, "Gladion, we're already risking a lot being here to try and save Lillie," he pointed out, "Yet it seems like all you wanna do is save Cosmog…" he noted, narrowing his eyes onto the former Team Skull enforcer.

"I have my objectives, and you have yours!" he shouted back in response, "But we need to work together, so just do as I say!" he insisted angrily. Hau watched on nervously as his cousin didn't back down at all. He wasn't about to let the blonde-haired boy take control of the situation any longer.

"Does whatever's in that other lab have to do with Null?" he guessed. Gladion widened his eyes. Hau blinked in surprise, seeing the former Team Skull enforcer glance down ashamedly.

"Null is… one of three that scientists here at Aether Paradise made…" he told the two boys, who lightly gasped, "They were trying to essentially recreate the legendary Pokémon Arceus by bio-engineered means," he explained. The chimera-like creature behind him shook a little at the memory.

"So… what happened to Null and the other two?" Hau inquired curiously as he walked over to stand beside his cousin.

"When it started to become more difficult for the scientists to control their power, the scientists fitted Null and the others with these helmets," Gladion thoroughly answered, pointing to the wooden headgear upon his partner, "At some point, I wound up freeing Null by mere chance," he recalled, "I… didn't want to see it suffer…" he admitted, balling his hands into trembling fists.

"And what about the other two?" Calvin asked on.

"They're contained elsewhere on the island, apparently…" the blonde-haired boy responded, turning to Null, "All I could end up finding in there was just the info the scientists had already gathered on Null before they contained it," he told them, "I know it's suffering underneath that damn helmet…" he mentioned in frustration.

"Rrrr…" the chimera-like creature growled somewhat sadly.

"I know I might seem like I've got my own goals…" Gladion admitted, turning to face the trial-goers, "but I wanna save Lillie and Cosmog just as much as you do," he affirmed to them. Calvin and Hau shared a glance. The former Team Skull enforcer didn't seem to be lying. What would he even have to gain from lying in the first place?

"In that case…" Calvin began as he stepped forward, getting Gladion's attention, "we gotta stop them from hurting anyone else," he decided firmly. The blonde-haired boy blinked in astonishment before letting out a huff as he grinned.

"Right," he confirmed in reply with a nod, "Come on," he beckoned, enticing the two trial-goers to follow him, Null, and Zoroark out of the lab.

"So, where are we going now?" Hau asked as they jogged down the hallway back towards the elevator.

"Faba definitely tricked us into coming down here," Gladion noted aloud, "And in case the employees down here couldn't beat us, I'm betting he's got a ton more gathered back at the entrance, where we'll need to go…" he explained to them. Up at the entrance itself, the branch chief chuckled as about a dozen employees stood behind him.

"Well done, everyone!" he complimented to his subordinates, rubbing his hands together, "That pesky Gladion and those children will be done in by our combined might!" he declared confidently.

"Yes, sir!" most of his employees responded with firm salutes. The only ones that didn't were Milo and Selene, who seemed very troubled.

"I trust that you two were successful in erasing all the data on Cosmog, yes?" their superior guessed as he approached them, making them perk up.

"Affirmative," Selene answered robotically after taking a moment to compose herself, "All of the data has been transferred to this drive," she confirmed, reaching into one of her pouches and pulling out the storage device.

"Ah, wonderful…" Faba said, taking the drive into his hands. At that moment, he heard a buzz in his right ear. He pressed his pointer finger against the earpiece he had. "Miss Lusamine?" he said.

"Have you dealt with the intruders yet?" the Aether Foundation president inquired through the communication line.

"We will shortly, ma'am," the branch chief assured in reply, "Our esteemed employees have done well to weaken Gladion and those pesky children…" he mentioned with a chuckle. Lusamine herself was seated at her desk inside the mansion, having her arms folded over her chest.

"To think that he would come back after all this time…" she muttered lowly, letting off a scoff, "Be sure to retrieve Type: Null as well," she advised, "We can't afford to let him roam freely with it any longer…" she mentioned firmly.

"O-Of course, Madam President," Faba stammered out as a response over the line, "And what would you like us to do with them once they're easily apprehended?" he inquired curiously.

"Hmm…" Lusamine hummed in thought, "Bring them to me," she decided, standing up from her seat, "Children who misbehave need to be properly punished by their elders…" she noted eerily with a grin.

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

Light in the Dark

"Ahhh~…" Leslie yawned, lying down on the couch contently as she continued to read the fourth journal. She was back in the Berlitz household for the evening, overhearing her father laughing with Dawn and Johanna about old stories in the dining room. Pikachu and Piplup were chowing away at their bowls of Pokémon food, and Glameow was resting in a small bed in the living room.

The white-haired woman was still drawn to the pages of the ancient text written by Hikari. Despite not seeing any sketches of Pokémon after reading about the ancestor's daring rescue of her people upon Mt. Coronet, Leslie kept reading. She had only had a few pages to go…

---

"AHCHOO!" Satoshi sneezed loudly in front of the fireplace as the flames burned brightly, "Huh…" he exhaled, glad to feel the warmth of the fire in front of him, "If I had known Coronet would be cold, I would have captured a Pokémon of fire myself…" he muttered in admittance. Approaching him from behind with a blanket in her hands was Hikari, who smiled. They had just returned from the mountain, reuniting families with the return of the entire expedition team. Shinji even reluctantly showed some gratitude to the young woman who had come to his rescue, though at his father's behest.

She appreciated his kindness, but was modest about all that she received from her people. She only did what she thought was right. Wrapping the blanket around Satoshi, she sat down beside him.

"I am very proud of you," she told him as he blinked in surprise, "Despite your reluctance, you chose to become stronger to help our people," she pointed out. The young man chuckled lightly.

"With you gone, I did not think there was anyone else capable enough to handle the duties you had left behind," he noted to her, "But as strong as Samurott and I had gotten," he kept going, glancing back towards the Formidable Pokémon as he and Typhlosion were sleeping soundly in the corner along with Mesprit, "you wound up being stronger still," he said, "Thank you, Hikari," he remarked with gratitude, "Because of you, I can still become stronger," he mentioned. She smiled softly, scooching herself closer to him. "Wh-What are you doing?" he stuttered in question, blushing a little.

"You've taken Okido's medicine, haven't you?" his friend questioned back rhetorically, "I won't get sick, I promise…" she assured. Blinking in surprise, Satoshi gave off a grin before holding out his arm, allowing her to sit next to him as he wrapped the other side of the blanket over her shoulders. The crackling flames soothed both of them as they sighed.

And then, Satoshi felt something strange. He looked down to see Hikari's hand atop his. As he glanced over to her quizzically, he saw the blush appearing upon her face as she looked away with a cute smile.

---

'Wait, what?' Leslie uttered inwardly, sitting up as she re-read the page, 'Did… Hikari crush on Satoshi?' she wondered through her thoughts, blinking twice. There wasn't much left of the journal to go, so she decided not to question it too much…

---

"Hikari…" Satoshi said, seeing the glimmer in the young woman's eyes. She turned to him.

"I was so happy to find that you were alive after everything…" she confessed, "I never… properly apologized to you for leaving…" she recalled, glancing down ashamedly, "So… I am sorry…" she apologized as tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

"Hikari…" her friend uttered out worriedly. He slowly reached his left over to gently caress her cheek, causing her to perk up a little. "I did not and never will resent you for leaving," he affirmed with a shake of his head, "Because of you, I finally found the motivation I needed to become like you!" he whispered in exclamation.

"Satoshi…" she uttered as her eyes shook. Almost without thinking, she leaned in… and pressed her lips against his. He was initially surprised by the action, blushing a bright red as he blinked rapidly. But surely enough, he melted into the kiss as he shut his own eyes. His hand gripped hers gently, allowing their fingers to interlock. Another moment went by before they both separated, opening their eyes to stare at each other with wonder.

---

Leslie was flabbergasted. Hikari had a secret love for Satoshi?! The Unova Champion Master quickly flipped through the previous to see if she had missed anything pertaining to that in the journal. As she couldn't find anything, she remembered that none of the other journals spoke about such a romance.

"So you're heading back to Jubilife?" Ash inquired from the dinner table after taking a sip of his water.

"Yeah, just for a few days to meet up with Zoey and Kenny," Dawn replied as she chewed her food, "We're just planning on doing some contest stuff and whatever," she added dismissively before swallowing.

"Maybe Kenny might want to finally ask you out…" her mother suggested as she was guzzling her drink, causing her to spit it out into Ash's face as her eyes bulged open.

"MOM!" she screamed with a mad blush on her face. Johanna giggled at her daughter's embarrassment, while Ash wiped his face off with a napkin. He was happy to see that Dawn hadn't really changed after all this time. He glanced back towards the living room, blinking in surprise to see the troubled expression upon Leslie's face as she kept flipping through the journal's pages.

"Everything okay in there, sweetie?" he asked, getting her attention.

"Uh, yeah, just fine in here!" she stuttered in response, blushing a little as she turned back to the current page. She was caught off guard from the sudden show of romance in the journal, but perhaps that would be it…

---

"Satoshi…" Hikari uttered out, having a longing look in her eyes as she stared into his.

"Hikari…" her friend said. They closed their eyes again, kissing passionately. Lust was overtaking them as they wrapped their arms around each other. Soon enough, both of them removed their headwear, robes, and—

---

Leslie slammed the journal shut. Her face was burning brightly. Those at the dinner table overheard, looking over to her.

"You alright, Les—?"

"I'M FINE!" the Unova Champion Master squeaked out loudly, interrupting Ash as he and the others blinked in surprise. She was still blushing a mad red. "Um… I'm gonna go to bed now…" she decided, walking out of the living room and heading up the stairs. Those at the dinner table were left with quizzical expressions as to what just happened. In the meantime, Leslie made her way into the guest room and immediately plopped face first onto the bed, letting out a muffled, embarrassed scream. To think that the journals depicting the history of Sinnoh led to such romance… It boggled her mind as she groaned into her pillow.

X

"Booloo!" Tapu Bulu exclaimed, slamming itself head on into both Starbright and Sandshrew, blowing them both back along the rocky hillside.

"Guys!" Erika cried out, seeing her two Pokémon tumble to a stop upon their stomachs as they groaned with agony. The training with the guardian deity hadn't started off great for the both of them. Despite an obvious type advantage, Sandshrew was constantly getting blown back by Tapu Bulu's physical strength.

It was even worse for Starbright, who wasn't managing to use any decent attack moves when attempting Metronome. Magical Leaf and Moonblast weren't doing much to the Land Spirit Pokémon either. The only one able to seemingly able to keep up with it was Primarina, who breathed heavily as she glared down her opponent.

"Primarina…" her trainer uttered worriedly.

"She seems really motivated to get stronger…" Pyrrha commented from afar.

"I think that'zzz because she'zzz lost a lot of battlezzz recently," Rotom mentioned, getting her attention.

"Really?" she inquired, "I never thought she'd be the one losing a lot…" she admitted as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Most of her battlezzz were against opponentzzz who she had a type advantage against," the Pokédex explained, "But they had movezzz that were strong against Water or Fairy-typezzz, zzt," it pointed out additionally, "Erika'zzz just frustrated about the last trial she took, too," it continued to Pyrrha's surprise, "She thinks she only won because Sandygast evolved into Palossand, zzt," it told her.

"Erika…" she uttered out of shock, staring at her rival with concern.

"Boolooloo!" Tapu Bulu exclaimed, making a green, log-shaped aura build over both of its arms.

"Wood Hammer, huh?" Erika noted upon recognizing the move, "Primarina, Aqua Jet!" she commanded, swinging her right arm out.

"Mah!" the Soloist Pokémon barked. She enveloped herself within a torrent of water before rocketing out towards the guardian deity. It swung its arms out towards her, but she weaved around them with ease before zooming right above him. She then zipped down and slammed him hard against the ground.

"Yes!" her trainer exclaimed excitedly as she clenched her fists. Getting onto their feet, Starbright and Sandshrew looked on in astonishment to see how their comrade was faring. She smirked, thinking she had gotten the upper hand over the Land Spirit Pokémon. However, it let out a low growl, pressing its hooves against the ground before managing to blow her off of it, causing the water around her to splash apart. It then turned around, making the log-shaped aura around its left arm extend out and strike her squarely in the stomach.

"Maaahhh…!" she gasped out before falling onto the ground.

"Primarina!" Erika screamed in fright. The dust was quick to settle, revealing the Soloist Pokémon wincing as she tried to push herself up. Tapu Bulu clapped its hooves together, exhaling bursts of steam from its nostrils. Lycanroc glanced over from where he, Oricorio and Lurantis were training, watching as the guardian deity made its horns glow a bright green and grow.

"That'zzz Horn Leech!" Rotom cried out from afar.

"Erika, you've gotta get Primarina outta there!" Pyrrha yelled. The Ketchum girl wanted to call the match off, but she saw the determination still in her partner's eyes. It would be disrespectful to her and Tapu Bulu to just end the match for a break. The Land Spirit Pokémon charged towards it foe, who clenched her teeth together.

"RYYY!" Lycanroc suddenly roared out, whipping around and clenching his right paw into a fist, slamming it against the ground. All of a sudden, pointed blue rock pillars burst out from the earth, rushing in between Primarina and Tapu Bulu. The latter came to a screeching halt to avoid getting struck by the rocks, blinking in surprise. It then turned towards the Wolf Pokémon, who glared at it angrily. It glared back.

"Boo, booloo?!" it bellowed in question, getting into Lycanroc's face.

"Rahk, rykann?!" he shouted back. They growled angrily at each other as everyone else watched on worriedly.

"That wazzz Stone Edge, zzt…" Rotom noted aloud, "Lycanroc learned a new move!" it pointed out excitedly.

"Wow…" Erika uttered with a small smile. She'd normally be happier about seeing any of her Pokémon acquiring a new move. But upon seeing the sad look on Primarina's face, she frowned worriedly.

The Soloist Pokémon was feeling quite dejected over everything, especially when it came to not being able to stand a chance against a guardian deity. She wasn't a little Popplio who was scared anymore. She was supposed to be a strong partner for her trainer. A trainer who unconditionally loved and cared for her.

"I think you guys should take a break…" Pyrrha advised as she came over, putting a hand onto Erika's shoulder to get her attention.

"…Yeah, yeah…" she agreed, letting off a small nod. Overhearing, Tapu Bulu blinked in surprise as it glanced over. "Let's get the three of you fixed up," the Ketchum girl said, going over to her bag to grab whatever items she needed for her Pokémon. The guardian deity huffed, floating towards the tree nearby.

"Ry?" Lycanroc uttered in confusion. He watched the Land Spirit Pokémon pluck a trio of yellow, pear-shaped berries from the tree, cradling them in its arms before heading back towards Erika.

"Boo, booloo!" it called out, getting her attention as she turned to see it approach.

"Those are Sitruzzz Berriezzz!" Rotom buzzed upon recognizing the fruit, seeing Tapu Bulu hand two of them off to the hatted trial-goer.

"Um, thanks…" she said in gratitude, watching as the guardian deity then approached Primarina with the lone berry in its hooves.

"Boo," it offered, causing her to perk up in surprise as she noticed the fruit. Hesitantly, she reached out to take hold of it, taking a bite soon afterwards. She hummed contently from the taste, nodding with gratitude towards the Land Spirit Pokémon. Starbright and Sandshrew contently ate their own Sitrus Berries, chewing on them with delight.

"Huh…" their trainer sighed out, seating herself down onto the rocky ground, "I just don't get it…" she complained, "It seemed like a few days ago, I was doing just fine…" she pointed out. Pyrrha sat down beside her.

"I'm guessing it was more than just a few days…" she remarked, giving her a light grin of reassurance, "Is it the Aether Tournament?" she inquired. Erika blinked in surprise.

"How did you…?" she started to question.

"Guess I'm good at reading people, too," her friend noted with a chuckle, "You're always super confident and wear such a big smile on your face, especially after what happened in Melemele," she pointed out, "So… I kinda noticed that smile go away a little after the tournament," she recalled, "Must've been because you really wanted to win that battle, huh?" she guessed. The Ketchum girl turned away bringing her knees in and curling up into a ball, letting off a sad expression.

"It's stupid to think about one loss…" she admitted in frustration, "But…" she continued, "I never thought Calvin would've been able to catch up to me…" she confessed in embarrassment, "And when he did, I was really surprised," she mentioned in remembrance, "In fact, I saw just how far ahead of me he was starting to get," she recalled.

"Preemah?" Primarina yipped out upon noticing how sad her trainer was starting to look.

"And then… when we wound up fighting Team Skull's boss…" she kept going, forcing back a scared sob, "he had to save me…" she recollected, covering her mouth with her right hand to quiet her crying.

"Erika…" Pyrrha uttered, scooching over to wrap her arm around her friend's shoulders.

"Hff…" she sniffled, rubbing her teary eyes with her left arm, "I'm sorry…" she apologized, "I'm whining over something stupid…" she grumbled out. However, her fellow trial-goer gave off a small smile.

"No, it's not!" she assured, "You're allowed to be sad sometimes, just like anyone else!" she pointed out, "That's the same thing you taught me back on Mount Hokulani, right?" she inquired rhetorically, causing the Ketchum girl to perk up slightly.

Kleh, klefaye!" Starbright squeaked as she approached, getting her trainer's attention, "Faireee!" she exclaimed excitedly, raising her small arms up to the sky.

"San!" Sandshrew chimed in while coming over as well, "San, shroo!" he mentioned with a determined look on his face.

"Starbright… Sandshrew…" Erika uttered out.

"Mah!" Primarina barked, causing her trainer to look up and see her have a serious expression in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to be considered strong once again, just like she was back on Melemele and Akala. The Ketchum girl blinked before shaking her head, slapping her own cheeks hard.

"Okay!" she bellowed, standing up sharply, "We're gonna get stronger and find a way to help Cal and the others!" she vowed fiercely. Her Pokémon all sounded off in agreement, raising their appendages into the air.

"Jeez… I was wondering what all the yelling was about…" a familiar voice grumbled out, getting their attentions as they looked over to see Nanu saunter onto the hillside, "Acerola said you might be out here training with the Tapu…" he noted, rubbing the back of his neck, "Lo and behold, looks like you are…" he concluded.

"What are you doing here, Sheriff Nanu?" Rotom questioned curiously.

"I wanted to tell you that your brother went off this morning with Gladion and some other kid to find your kidnapped friend," the kahuna explained to Erika, who widened her eyes.

"So even Hau went on ahead…" she realized, letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Hey, don't start getting gloomy…" the officer insisted, "I mean, you're here to try and get strong enough to help 'em, right?" he inquired, causing her to perk up a little, "Even if you don't feel like you're doing good, you're still making progress," he pointed out, "You got the Tapu to help you after all…" he mentioned, gesturing towards the Land Spirit Pokémon.

"Boo," it huffed in agreement, looking over to Erika. She let off a small smile after a moment.

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed as she nodded, "But…" she continued, causing Nanu to blink, "what are you even doing here?" she asked of him.

"Huh…" he groaned out, rubbing the back of his head, "I promised your brother I'd be looking out for you while he was away," he told her. She frowned, giving off an annoyed expression.

"I don't need a babysitter…" she grumbled out, turning away.

"Hey, this isn't fun for me either…" the kahuna noted as he scratched at his cheek, "Although…" he continued, making her perk up, "I guess if you beat me in a grand trial match, I think you'd be of help to your brother…" he noted with a sneaky grin. Hearing that, a smirk appeared upon the Ketchum girl's face.

"Um, hold on a second…" Pyrrha chimed in as she trotted over, "Erika, do you really wanna battle him now?" she inquired of her friend, getting her attention, "You haven't trained with Tapu Bulu all that long, you know…" she pointed out worriedly.

"I know…" she realized, balling her hands into fists as a determined expression appeared upon her face, "But I think this training was really meant for me the most," she noted, causing her rival to blink out of confusion, "I know the kind of trainer I need to be for my Pokémon," she confirmed finally.

"That so, huh?" Nanu guessed as he arched an eyebrow, "Well, I'm willing to have a battle with you right here and now…" he decided, reaching down to his belt to grab an Ultra Ball, enlarging it with the press of its button, "Three-on-three with no subs," he said.

"Sounds fair to me," she responded with a nod, "You three good to go?" she asked of Primarina, Starbright, and Sandshrew.

"Shrrooo!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon squeaked in response, having a passionate fire in his eyes.

"Fairee!" the Clefairy exclaimed, closing her tiny hands into fists as she was just as ready to battle as her teammate. Primarina had yet to reply, still thinking about her previous losses. She never thought it was her trainer's fault. In fact, maybe it was both of them. But regardless, this was the prime opportunity for the two to redeem themselves.

"Mah!" she barked assuredly.

"We're ready whenever you are, Mister Nanu!" Erika declared to her future opponent, who let off a small smirk.

X

"Should've figured Faba would do something like this…" Gladion grumbled the moment he, Calvin and Hau arrived back at the entrance.

"After we thrashed him earlier, I thought he would've just backed off…" the Ketchum boy admitted.

"Yeah…" his cousin agreed, seeing that they were surrounded by a plethora of Aether Foundation employees and their Pokémon, "Guess we oughta' give him credit for playing us like an Octillery on the drums…" he pointed out.

"Tsk," Gladion scoffed out, "Listen, all we've gotta do is get to that mansion…" he noted quietly to his comrades, getting their attentions, "The door to the path's locked, but I'm betting the esteemed 'branch chief' has the key we need," he explained to them.

"He did say he was Aether's last line of defense…" Hau remembered in a whisper.

"Alright, you brats!" one of the employees yelled, getting their attentions as they saw a burly man walk up to them alongside a Shelgon, "Branch Chief Faba's gonna give us a big promotion if we catch you all!" he pointed out to them, "So for your sakes, I'd stay put!" he advised.

"Shell!" the Endurance Pokémon beside him huffed in agreement.

"…Hmph," Gladion scoffed, "Guess he didn't tell you all that much about me," he noted while readying a Luxury Ball in his right hand, enlarging it with the press of its button, "Go!" he called out, backhanding the spherical container out. It popped open, with its light spilling out into midair before dissipating to reveal a Porygon2.

"Reeeoonnnn…" it buzzed out.

"A Porygon2?!" Calvin yelped in surprise.

"Where the heck did he get one of those?!" Hau questioned aloud. Meanwhile, the burly employee gasped as he saw the glare in Gladion's eyes.

"You're… the president's…!" he started to realize, "Shelgon, Dragon Claw!" he commanded quickly with a frantic look on his face. The Endurance Pokémon had a greenish, claw-like aura appear over his front legs as he lunged out towards his target.

"Ice Beam," the blonde-haired boy instructed simply. The Virtual Pokémon had a light-blue sphere of energy appear at the tip of its bill before unleashing several zigzagging beams that struck its incoming foe, sending him crashing down onto the floor in a flurry of dust. When it subsided, it revealed that Shelgon was encased entirely in ice as swirls were in his eyes. Several of the employees gasped, widening their eyes at the sight.

"Whoa…" Calvin uttered out.

"You should let Faba know…" Gladion began, getting his attention as he perked to see him looking over to the other Aether Foundation employees, "nothing's going to stop us from getting through that door," he declared firmly. There was a sense of hesitation in the other employees' eyes. However, one clenched his teeth together as he stepped forward.

"You don't scare us, kid!" he proclaimed, "Go!" he called out to his colleague. Several Pokémon were summoned onto the battlefield, including the likes of Houndoom, Manectric, Electabuzz, and Magmar. A scoff of frustration left the blonde-haired boy's lips.

"Hold on, Gladion!" Calvin yelled, readying his Net Ball in his right hand.

"We've got your back!" Hau assured while rearing his arm back. Both he and his cousin flung out their respective Poké Balls, having them pop open as the bluish lights from them spilled onto the floor. They shaped into form, dissipating to reveal Araquanid and Tauros there.

"Moaaaaarrrr!" the Wild Bull Pokémon bellowed, rubbing his front right hoof against the floor menacingly, ready to charge per his trainer's order.

"Ahkwaaahhh!" the Water Bubble Pokémon exclaimed.

"Bringing out two more Pokémon won't scare us!" one of the employees proclaimed, "Electabuzz, Thunder Punch!" he commanded, sticking her right hand out. Electricity crackled mightily around the Electric Pokémon's right hand as he closed it into a fist.

"Manectric, use Thunder Fang!" another employee ordered. The Discharge Pokémon had his teeth glow a bright yellow as electricity billowed within his mouth. He and Electabuzz charged towards Araquanid, who steadied himself.

"Tauros, Giga Impact!" Hau commanded as he pumped his right fist forward. Charging forward, the Wild Bull Pokémon had a purple aura shroud his body as yellow streaks of light spiraled around him. He slammed fiercely into both Electabuzz and Manectric in a fierce blast of smoke. When it subsided, it revealed both Electric-types lying on the floor, groaning with agony as Tauros huffed over them.

"Nice one, Hau!" Calvin complimented from nearby, giving off a grin, "Araquanid, Liquidation!" he ordered to the Water Bubble Pokémon.

"Kwah!" he responded, raising his front right leg before having water swirl out from it. He slammed it into Houndoom, blowing him back as he tumbled hard along the floor. However, Magmar closed in, cloaking his fists in fire. He thrusted them onto his target's bubbled head, resulting in a huge burst of steam. The Spitfire Pokémon smirked, thinking that he had landed a crucial hit. But all of a sudden, a spray of water launched him back, sending him crashing into the downed Houndoom. As the steam cleared, it turned out to be water that swirled forth from the front right leg of Araquanid, who huffed.

"Ergh…" one of the employees growled in frustration, nervously stepping back. In the meantime, Faba impatiently folded his arms over his chest as he heard the sounds of the battling echo on from the elevator.

"Um… Faba, sir?" one of the employees next to him said, getting his attention, "Even with all of us here, it doesn't look like those kids are gonna slow down much…" he pointed out nervously.

"Humph," the branch chief scoffed, "Even if we're to lose to little Gladion and his troublesome friends, we'll have provided the president enough time to conduct her plan," he assured confidently.

"And what about the extra help she was going to provide us?" a female employee asked.

"They'll be right outside this door," Faba answered, "As much as I hate to rely on such brutish individuals…" he muttered in admittance, "they'll be of good use here," he noted, pulling out an Ultra Ball and enlarging it with the press of its button, "Now prepare yourselves," he advised of his subordinates, opening the container to make the light from it flow out and form upon the floor, dissipating to reveal an Alakazam, "The lot of us we'll end this pointless squabbling here and now!" he declared with a wicked grin.

"Yeah!" the employees around him shouted in agreement, each raising a fist to the air. However, one of them noticed something coming towards them.

"Hey, look out!" he yelped. Faba perked up and gasped upon seeing a watery shuriken crash into the ground before him and the others, veiling the area in a white smoke. They coughed loudly.

"Alakazam, blow this veil away with Psychic!" the branch chief instructed.

"Kahzhammm!" the Psi Pokémon responded, sticking his arms out as his eyes glowed a bright pink. With his psychic power, the smoke was blown apart instantaneously. Faba could make out some figures lurking ahead of him and the others.

"Who dares to attack the Aether Foundation's last line of defense?!" he roared in question. In the midst of taking on the other employees, Calvin took notice of the figure ahead of him and the others, widening his eyes.

"I don't know what the heck's going on here…" the familiar voice admitted as one of the figures stepped forward, revealing himself as Trent as he pulled down his hood, "but I could care less," he muttered out, standing alongside Greninja and an Arcanine, "There's a couple people here I need to fight again," he told those of the Aether Foundation, "so stay out of my way…" he advised, glaring them down.

"Trent…" Calvin uttered from afar. What in the world was his rival doing on Aether Paradise?

X

Erika and Nanu stood a few dozen yards away from each other on the rocky hillside. Pyrrha sat off to the side along with Lycanroc, Oricorio, and Lurantis. Floating nearby was Rotom, seeing Tapu Bulu move in between the two trainers.

"Boo, booloo!" it announced, "Boolooloo, booh!" it explained to both of them, "Buh, boooloo!" it mentioned. Neither the Ketchum girl nor the kahuna needed a translation. They knew the rules of the battle inside and out. Readying the Ultra Ball he prepared in his right hand, Nanu reared his arm back before tossing it into the air. It popped open, and the light that came out from it formed in midair, dissipating to reveal a Honchkrow that soared about.

"Haaahhnnn!" he squawked out, gliding down and landing in front of his trainer.

"A Honchkrow, huh?" Pyrrha noted. Rotom pulled up an image of the Big Boss Pokémon upon its screen.

"Honchkrow, the Big Boss Pokémon, and the evolved form of Murkrow," it began, "His goons take care of most of the fighting for him. The only time Honchkrow dirties his own hands is in delivering a final blow to finish off an opponent. If his Murkrow cronies fail to catch food for him, or if he feels they have betrayed him, Honchkrow will hunt them down wherever they are and punish them," it explained thoroughly.

'A Dark-and-Flying-type…' Erika inwardly noted, 'Any of my three Pokémon would be perfect in a fight like this,' she pointed out through her thoughts, 'but I know who I'm gonna use first!' she decided, letting off a grin.

"Let's go, Sandshrew!" she called out.

"Shroo!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon exclaimed excitedly as he leapt out and landed in front of his trainer, taking on a ready stance.

"Faireee…" Starbright moaned dejectedly, enticing Primarina to pat her atop her head reassuringly.

"Ice-and-Steel, huh?" Nanu noted, arching an eyebrow, "Heh," he chuckled, "Think that's your best choice?" he inquired curiously.

"It's the one I'll stick with no matter what you say," Erika retorted, winking to Sandshrew, "He's strong for a little guy," she mentioned confidently.

"San shroo!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon squeaked out.

"Hahhnnn…" Honchkrow squawked dismissively. They glared each other down, ready to battle.

"Booo… LOO!" Tapu Bulu exclaimed, swinging its right arm down.

"Snarl!" Nanu immediately ordered. Flying forward, the Big Boss Pokémon opened his beak and released multiple purple-and-black rings and energy that headed towards his foe.

"Dodge and use Metal Claw!" Erika instructed quickly. Sandshrew leapt over the incoming rings of energy. A whitish, claw-shaped aura built up over his arms. He attempted to slash at Honchkrow, only for him to roll aside to evade the attack to his surprise.

"Aerial Ace!" the kahuna commanded. Veering back around, the Big Boss Pokémon made white streaks surround his body as he dove down at Sandshrew.

"Iron Defense!" the Ketchum girl called out. The Alolan Mouse Pokémon had a light blue outline around his body. A white shine flowed up it before iron coated it. Honchkrow collided with him, slamming into the ground in a fierce burst of dust. The Big Boss Pokémon flew out from it moments afterward, allowing it to clear and reveal that his opponent was still standing.

"Shroo!" he yelled out in declaration.

"Nice one, Sandshrew!" Erika complimented, "Now Iron Head!" she commanded, pumping her right fist out. A whitish aura surrounded the Alolan Mouse Pokémon, making him appear black and white. He jumped out towards his target, about to slam head on into him.

"Psychic," Nanu instructed.

"Huh?!" Erika gasped out. Honchkrow had his eyes glow a bright pink before that same light outlined his incoming foe, halting him completely in midair as the aura around him broke apart.

"San?" he squeaked in confusion as he blinked, unable to move. A smirk appeared on the Big Boss Pokémon's face before he psychically threw his opponent down onto the ground in a flurry of dust.

"Sandshrew!" the Ketchum girl exclaimed in shock.

"He knows Psychic…" Pyrrha noted aloud, quite surprised as well.

"That Honchkrow'zzz well-trained, zzt…" Rotom added, narrowing its eyes.

"Now Night Slash!" Nanu commanded. The Big Boss Pokémon soared down, making both of his wings glow a bright purple. Getting up and shaking his head, Sandshrew widened his eyes to see his foe coming.

"Quick, Iron Defense!" his trainer called out. Coating his entire body in iron, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon was left to endure the constant strikes from different angles by his foe. Every attack came from a different direction. And some hurt worse than others.

"Night Slash's got a high chance to crit a Pokémon," Nanu pointed out, "No matter how high you make your defense, one hit like that's enough to really do anyone in," he mentioned.

"Ergh…" Erika growled in frustration, bringing her hands up and smacking her cheeks to recompose herself, much to the kahuna's surprise, "Then we'll just have to attack!" she concluded, "Sandshrew, Ice Ball!" she commanded.

"San!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon responded, leaping into the air and curling his body as it glowed a light blue. He slammed into Honchkrow, blowing him back as he quickly flapped his wings in order to slow himself and regain his balance.

"Haaahhhnnn…" he growled out.

"Ice Ball, huh?" Nanu noted with a small smirk.

"Keep going!" Erika instructed.

"San shroo!" Sandshrew replied. The glow hadn't left his body as he leapt towards his foe again.

"Aerial Ace!" the kahuna ordered, swinging his left arm out. White streaks of light appeared around Honchkrow as he dove down towards the Alolan Mouse Pokémon once again. They collided fiercely, causing sparks to fly as they were at a deadlock. Before too long, they both found themselves blown back. The light energy around Sandshrew brightened, expanding over his entire body.

"Ice Ball, one more time!" his trainer commanded, swinging her right hand out. Once more, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon leapt towards his opponent, who seemed tired from already taking two strong hits.

"Block with Night Slash!" Nanu called out quickly. Honchkrow made both of his wings glow a bright purple. In the meantime, the blue light surrounding Sandshrew grew larger, creating a ball of ice that encased him. The Big Boss Pokémon attempted to stop him with his wings, but he crashed hard into him, falling down to the ground in a heap as his trainer gasped in surprise. The Alolan Mouse Pokémon landed down safely, losing the glow around his body as he breathed heavily.

Tapu Bulu floated over to assess the result. He saw the swirls in Honchkrow's eyes as it moaned with agony. Nodding with confirmation, the guardian deity gestured towards Sandshrew.

"Alright!" Erika exclaimed with delight.

"Shrrooo!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon squeaked with delight, raising his arms up. Starbright puffed out her cheeks in frustration, feeling somewhat envious of her teammate's victory. In the meantime, Nanu returned Honchkrow to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.

"Not bad, kid," he remarked to the Ketchum girl, getting her attention, "Guess I know why you got second place in that big ol' tournament…" he mentioned, "Still…" he continued, "this isn't over yet," he pointed out. A serious look came across Erika's face. She knew he was right.

'I doubt his next Pokémon'll be as okay to deal with as Honchkrow was…' she noted to herself, balling her hands into fists. She watched Nanu prepare another Ultra Ball in his right hand, enlarging it with the press of its button. He flung it forward, allowing it to pop open as the bluish light that shot out formed upon the ground. It finally dissipated, revealing an Absol.

"Sol!" he barked out.

"Now an Absol, huh?" Pyrrha noted from afar. Rotom pulled up an image of the Disaster Pokémon upon its screen.

"Absol, the Disaster Pokémon," it began, "Although he's said to bring disaster, in actuality, this Pokémon possesses a calm disposition and warns people of any crises that loom. The elderly call him the Disaster Pokémon and detest him, but interest in his power to predict disasters is on the rise," it explained thoroughly.

"Sandshrew, be ready!" Erika advised upon overhearing the description from the Pokédex.

"Shroo!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon responded, taking a ready stance.

"Start with Metal Claw!" his trainer ordered.

"Sucker Punch," Nanu instructed simply, causing the Ketchum girl to blink in surprise. Instantaneously, Absol vanished just as a silvery, claw-shaped aura built up around his opponent's arms. He then swiped at the head of Sandshrew, blowing him back as he tumbled along the ground.

"Sandshrew!" Erika cried out, seeing him come to a stop upon his stomach. He groaned with agony as he pushed himself back up onto his feet.

"Now Night Slash!" the kahuna commanded. Absol made the claws of his front feet glow a whitish purple, lunging forward at his opponent.

"Dodge and use Iron Head!" the Ketchum girl quickly called out. Sandshrew managed to hop back, avoiding the attempted slash. He then encased himself in a whitish aura, making him appear black and white. As he lunged out head first at Absol, he countered with both sets of claws, causing sparks to fly all around the area. With a strong swipe, the Disaster Pokémon blew his foe back in an instant as he gritted his teeth, sliding back along the rocky ground.

"Shrooo…" he groaned out, barely able to get himself back onto his feet.

"This isn't looking good…" Pyrrha noted worriedly.

"No…" Rotom agreed as it shook its body, "Sandshrew was already worn down from fighting Honchkrow, too…" it recalled out of concern.

"Psycho Cut!" Nanu ordered with a swing of his right arm. Absol whipped his head around, unleashing a crescent-shaped, purple blade of energy. His opponent didn't even have a second to react as he was struck in an explosion of grey smoke.

"Sandshrew!" Erika cried out. The smoke was slow to clear. But once it did, it revealed that the Alolan Mouse Pokémon was lying upon the ground with swirls in his eyes. Tapu Bulu floated over to assess the result, gesturing towards Absol with its right arm after a moment.

"Heh," the kahuna chuckled, "You probably would've wanted to switch out there, huh?" he guessed, seeing the Ketchum girl take out her Heavy Ball and aim it towards her fainted Sandshrew.

"Thanks for all your hard work," she said in gratitude, returning him to the Poké Ball in a beam of red light, "Take a nice, long rest," she advised, shrinking the container with a press of its button before setting it onto her belt. Her determination hadn't wavered. She knew this battle was far from over.

X

"Null, X-Scissor!" Gladion commanded, sticking his left hand out. The chimera-like creature charged forward, having its claws glow a yellowish-green before it leapt towards a Cradily. It slashed past her in an x-shaped formation, landing behind her. She fell onto the floor in a heap, having swirls in her eyes.

Meanwhile, an Armaldo was swiping at Steenee with his white-glowing claws, making her back away frantically as she grimaced. All of a sudden though, a powerful jet of water soared in and struck the Plate Pokémon, sending him tumbling back along the floor before he came to a stop upon his stomach, groaning in pain. Steenee glanced back to see Ariel there, who shot her a smile.

"Thanks for the save, cuz!" Calvin called out gratefully to Hau, giving him a thumbs up.

"Yeah, no problem!" he responded cheekily while grinning, "But this seems like it's never-ending!" he mentioned in frustration, referring to the multitude of Aether Foundation employees they were having to battle, "They really don't want us to get to Lillie and Cosmog, huh?!" he noted aloud.

"More importantly, are you sure you saw your friend up ahead?" Gladion inquired, getting their attentions as they saw his Porygon2 unleashed a multicolored beam of light from the tip of its bill.

"Yeah," Calvin confirmed in response, "I don't know what he's doing here, but it looks like he's gonna deal with Faba and those other guys at the door," he pointed out. Ahead of them, a Ledian fell onto the floor alongside a Sliggoo and Lurantis, with their bodies all smoking.

"Y-You've gotta be kidding…" one of the Aether Foundation employees stuttered out in shock. The branch chief scoffed with frustration, seeing Trent pet his Arcanine.

"Good job," he complimented, returning the Legendary Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.

"If I recall, you were one of the few quarterfinalists in the Aether Tournament," Faba noted, stroking his beard curiously, "So…" he continued, "what compelled you to come here and attack us unprovoked?" he wondered curiously, narrowing his eyes.

"There're guys here I wanna fight," Trent replied as his Greninja walked over to stand beside him, "and you're in our way," he pointed out, balling his hands into fists.

"Heh," Faba chuckled out, "Your impudent behavior isn't going to get you what you want…" he remarked as Alakazam stepped forward, "I think it's time for a boy like you to be taught some manners…" he added, snapping his fingers. The Psi Pokémon released a bright white light from his body, hopping into the air and firing off several rainbow-colored rays from the luminosity. They all headed towards Greninja who was in a ready stance.

"Neen?" he croaked in question to his trainer, who merely nodded. The Ninja Pokémon then quickly evaded the rays, zipping up towards his foe.

"What?!" the branch chief exclaimed in shock.

"Night Slash!" Trent ordered, swinging his right fist out. Bringing his webbed hands together, Greninja conjured a purple blade of light. He slashed past Alakazam fiercely before he could even react. A few seconds passed before the Psi Pokémon dropped his spoons and fell over in a heap, having swirls in his eyes.

"AH!" Faba shrieked in surprise.

"The branch chief… just lost?!" one of the employees yelped out, evidently astonished.

"For someone who calls himself the last line of defense, you're unbelievably pathetic…" Trent remarked disdainfully, "You oughta' try harder…" he advised with an eerie tilt of his head. Faba shuddered with fright as the dark green-haired boy glared him down.

"Pryyyy…" a Primeape groaned, lying on the floor in front of the heavily breathing pair of Araquanid and Steenee.

"Ahkwah…" the former of the two managed to say.

"Nee…" the latter huffed proudly, putting her hands onto her hips. Her pride earned herself a gentle pat on the head from the Water Bubble Pokémon, much to her embarrassment as she blushed a little, turning away.

"Huh…" Calvin exhaled, "I think that's the last of them…" he noted, looking around to see the Aether Foundation employees hurriedly returning their Pokémon to their respective Poké Balls in beams of red light.

"There really were a lot of 'em…" Hau pointed out tiredly while returning both Tauros and Ariel to their own Poké Balls, "Think we should go help Trent now?" he inquired.

"We'll help him whether or not he wants it," Gladion decided, "Let's hurry," he advised while returning only his Porygon2 to its Luxury Ball. But just as he was about to run off with Null…

"Young Master…" a familiar voice chimed in, getting his attention as he stopped. The two trial-goers glanced over to see Wicke there, sporting a small grin across her face. "It is so good to see you again…" she noted.

"…Huh?" Hau uttered in confusion, blinking rapidly, "YOUNG MASTER?!" he repeated loudly out of shock.

"What does that mean?" Calvin inquired curiously. The blonde-haired boy glanced off to the side.

"I… used to live on Aether Paradise…" he answered after a moment.

"HUH?!" Hau exclaimed with disbelief plastered upon his face, "Wait, so that's why you knew so much?!" he guessed loudly. Meanwhile, most of his cousin's astonishment was kept in check. But that revelation made him start to wonder something. As the pieces came together in his head, his eyes slowly started to widen.

"Hey, Gladion…" he said, catching the blonde-haired boy's attention, "are you—?" His question was interrupted by a loud blast occurring at the door, as grey smoke billowed out. A pair of figures went through the doorway, veiled by the smoke.

"That must've been Trent!" Hau realized, hurrying off, "I'll go after him!" he called out to his comrades.

"Hey, wait!" Gladion yelled, scoffing with frustration, "Miss Wicke, we'll have to talk later," he told the assistant, "Get everyone on the island as far away from the mansion!" he advised before running after his ponytailed comrade.

"Gladion!" Calvin called out. Realizing that he would have to get the answers he wanted later, he quickly returned Araquanid and Steenee to their respective Poké Balls in beams of red light. "Miss Wicke, we'll be back as soon as we can," he promised, running after his rivals. The spectacled assistant watched on worriedly, giving off an ashamed look for her complicity in these events…

X

"So," Nanu began to Erika, "who's up next?" he inquired.

"Sol!" Absol barked. The Ketchum girl turned to Starbright and Primarina, who both seemed ready to go into battle at any time. The former was vocal about her eagerness to fight earlier. So in turn, her trainer decided to honor that.

"Let's go, Starbright!" she called out.

"Kleh?!" the Clefairy squeaked in surprise as her eyes sparkled. She happily skipped her way out in front of her trainer, taking a ready stance. Absol scoffed at the sight of her, rolling his eyes. She blinked in surprise, puffing her cheeks out angrily.

"I wouldn't underestimate Starbright!" Erika advised, closing her right hand into a fist determinedly, "She's got a whole of awesome moves in store!" she pointed out.

"Is that right?" Nanu questioned, arching an eyebrow, "Well, let's see what you've got…" he challenged, "Absol, Psycho Cut!" he ordered. The Disaster Pokémon swung his head, unleashing another purple, crescent-shape blade of energy that headed towards his target.

"Dodge it!" the Ketchum girl called out. Her Clefairy leapt over the incoming blade as it collided with the ground in an explosion of dust. "Now Moonblast!" she commanded. A whitish glow came off of the Fairy Pokémon's body before she formed a pink orb of energy upon her hands. She fired it down at Absol, striking him in a fierce blast, forcing him to slide back as he shook his head and growled. "Nice!" Erika yelled excitedly as she grinned.

"Wow…" Pyrrha uttered, blinking rapidly.

"Starbright'zzz trained a lot with Primarina, zzt!" Rotom pointed out, getting her attention, "It'zzz no surprise that she'zzz keeping up with Absol!" it added.

"Keep it up with Magical Leaf!" the Ketchum girl ordered, thrusting her right hand out. Once her Clefairy landed, she made her hands glow a bright green before forming an orb of energy from them. Several shining leaves shot out from it towards the Disaster Pokémon.

"Night Slash!" Nanu quickly instructed. With the claws at his front feet glowing purple, Absol was quick to slash at the incoming leaves, tearing them to shreds as they failed to hit. He then charged towards his opponent, who grimaced.

"Stay cool, Starbright!" Erika advised, "Use Metronome!" she instructed. Regaining her composure, the Fairy Pokémon held her index fingers up, waving them back and forth slowly before her fingertips glowed a bright white. Just as Absol closed in, she inhaled sharply and exhaled a powerful blizzard of snow and icy wind from her mouth, striking him and sending him tumbling back.

"Whoa, that was Blizzard!" Pyrrha exclaimed out of shock.

"Metronome letzzz Starbright get a random move every it'zzz used!" Rotom noted, "It's great that she got something super powerful, zzt!" it mentioned excitedly.

"You're playing with fire, you know…" Nanu remarked, rubbing his nose with his index finger as he grinned, "One wrong move, and you'll end up with something you don't want…" he pointed out.

"We're willing to take the risk!" Erika proclaimed in response, "Starbright, Metronome!" she called out again. Wagging her fingers back and forth before the tips glowed, the Clefairy had yellow electricity spark mightily around her body. She then unleashed a massive beam towards Absol, who gasped. He narrowly jumped out of the way in time, getting blown back by the attack's force.

"Yeesh…" the kahuna muttered out, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Now she used Thunder!" Pyrrha yelped. The Ketchum girl felt her grin grow as it seemed like Starbright had the upper hand in the battle thus far. And she was going to do her best to help keep it that way.

"Metronome, one more time!" she instructed. The Fairy Pokémon wagged her fingers, much to Absol's chagrin as he grimaced, expecting another powerful attack to come down onto him. However, he saw the Clefairy fire off a weak spray of bubbles from her mouth, much to everyone's surprise. "…Huh?" Erika uttered as she blinked.

"Heh," Nanu chuckled, "Poison Jab!" he commanded, sticking his right hand out. The Disaster Pokémon rushed forward, making his horn glow a bright purple. He leapt over the bubbles with ease before jabbing his glowing horn against Starbright, sending her tumbling back.

"Starbright!" the Ketchum girl cried out, seeing her Clefairy come to a stop upon her stomach, groaning in agony. A purple glow shined along her entire body, making her wince as sparks and bubbles came off of it. "Ah!" her trainer gasped out.

"She just got poisoned!" Pyrrha exclaimed, putting her right hand over her mouth out of shock.

"That'zzz not good, zzt…" Rotom noted grimly.

"Fairy-types are pretty troublesome to deal with…" Nanu admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, "But a good Poison or Steel-type move should do the trick," he pointed out with a smirk. Erika growled in frustration.

'I should've stopped calling for Metronome once we had him on the ropes!' she yelled to herself, smacking her cheeks, 'Idiot!' she shouted inwardly.

"Starbright, can you hang in there a little longer?" she asked of her partner, who breathed a little heavily.

"Kleh… kleh faye!" she responded, shooting her trainer a thumbs up in reassurance.

"Okay, Moonblast!" Erika ordered, throwing her right hand out. A whitish glow wafted off of the Fairy Pokémon's body before she formed a pink orb of energy upon her extremities.

"Dodge and use Night Slash!" Nanu instructed. Just as Starbright launched her pink orb of energy, Absol made the claws at his feet glow purple. He leapt over the orb as it collided with the ground in a powerful blast, followed by diving down and slashing at his foe.

"Klehhh!" she shrieked as she tumbled back along the ground, stopping at her trainer's feet.

"Starbright!" she cried out, seeing the purple glow of poison return as her teammate winced with agony.

"Faireee…" she groaned, breathing heavily as she got onto her feet.

"Now Psycho Cut!" Nanu ordered, swinging his left arm out. Whipping his head forward, Absol unleashed another purple, crescent-shaped blade of energy that zoomed towards his foe.

"Counter it with Magical Leaf!" Erika quickly instructed. Forming a green orb of energy from her hands, Starbright fired off a flurry of glowing leaves. They struck the incoming blade in a powerful blast of grey smoke, veiling the surrounding area for a moment. Afterwards though, the Clefairy fell onto her hands and knees as the poison glow returned with sparks and bubbles.

"Klehhhh…" she groaned out.

"Starbright…" her trainer uttered out worriedly.

"Looks like that'll do it…" Nanu remarked as he shrugged, "Poison Jab!" he commanded. Absol made his horn glow a bright purple before charging towards his foe.

"It lookzzz like Absol'zzz gonna finish her off!" Rotom exclaimed in a panic.

"Erika, you gotta do something!" Pyrrha screamed. The Ketchum girl realized that she had little options. Magical Leaf wasn't strong enough, and Moonblast would take too long to use. Therefore, she had to take a chance.

"Starbright, Metronome!" she called out. Perking up, the Clefairy stood as she waved her index fingers back and forth before their tips glowed a bright white. Absol closed in, about to jab at her with his horn. All of a sudden, her entire body glowed a bright white… followed by a powerful explosion. Everyone gasped in shock.

Tapu Bulu was quick to float over to assess the result, waiting for the smoke to clear. Once it did, it revealed both Absol and Starbright lying upon the ground in heaps, dirtied and defeated with swirls in their eyes. The guardian deity huffed, sounding impressed.

"Booloo!" it exclaimed, raising both of its hooves up to signal that the battle had ended in a draw.

"So you rolled the dice and got away with it…" Nanu remarked in realization, scratching his head as he was left somewhat bewildered, "Gotta say, I didn't expect that…" he admitted.

"Neither did I…" Erika admitted with a nervous chuckle. She knelt down to Starbright while taking out her Moon Ball. "Sorry I screwed up back there…" she apologized, "But you did great," she assured, "Take a nice long rest," she advised, returning the Fairy Pokémon to the spherical container in a beam of red light. She looked over to see the kahuna do the same for his Absol.

"Now it's down to this…" he realized, putting the Ultra Ball away before readying another one in his right hand, "It'll be déjà vu," he mentioned with a grin. Hearing that, Erika inwardly winced. The final battle was going to be her Primarina against his Persian. The only difference this time was that there wasn't any rain to aid her. The Ketchum girl took a deep breath.

"Preemah?" the Soloist Pokémon inquired as she moved over to her trainer's side, getting her attention.

"Really reminds you of our first grand trial, huh?" she inferred, causing Primarina to blink in surprise, reminiscing over that victory she obtained over Hala's Crabrawler and evolving afterwards. She smiled a little and nodded. Now it was time to help Erika win another battle.

X

"Ryy…" Lycanroc yipped worriedly as he saw Primarina move out in front of Erika. He was aware of her frustrations as well as anyone. He had experienced frustrations like that himself back when he was still just a Rockruff. Oricorio and Lurantis had never looked more concerned about a battle either. It felt like they were witnessing a very grueling ordeal for their teammates.

"Let's go," Nanu said, flinging his third Ultra Ball forward. It popped open, with its light spilling forth onto the rocky ground before dissipating to reveal his Persian.

"Purrrrr…" she hissed out, shooting a glare towards her upcoming opponent as she glared back.

"An Alolan Persian, huh?" Pyrrha noted from afar.

"Yep," Rotom responded, pulling up an image of the Alolan Classy Cat Pokémon upon its screen, "Persian, the Classy Cat Pokémon, and the evolved form of Meowth, Alolan Form," it began, "Her round face and smooth coat—softer than the most high-class velvet—have made this a very popular Pokémon in Alola. In contrast to her lovely face, Persian is so brutal that she tortures her weakened prey rather than finishing them off," it explained thoroughly.

"Your brother had a bit of a rough time trying to take her down earlier," the kahuna pointed out as his partner stalked about her opponent, "I'm amazed he wound up winning in the end, even after all the moves I pulled off," he admitted with a shrug.

"We're gonna win, too!" Erika declared firmly, "Calvin's ahead of me for right now, I know…" she realized, closing her hands into fists that she clenched tightly, "But I'm gonna catch up to him!" she vowed, "We all are!" she added fiercely.

"Mah!" Primarina yipped in agreement as she nodded. Looking on, Tapu Bulu huffed with approval at how motivated the Ketchum girl was. It was time for the last battle of the grand trial to begin.

"Thunderbolt!" Nanu ordered. Yellow electricity sparked around Persian before she unleashed of bolt of lightning that zipped towards the Soloist Pokémon.

"Dodge with Aqua Jet!" Erika instructed. Primarina enveloped herself within a torrent of water, rocketing herself out to evade the incoming lightning before zipping to her foe.

"Iron Tail!" the kahuna commanded with a swing of his left arm. The electricity faded from the Alolan Classy Cat Pokémon before she made her long tail glow a silvery white. She whipped it around to collide with her opponent in the nick of time, causing sparks to fly before they blew each other back.

'Thunderbolt and Iron Tail…' Erika listed off inwardly, letting a small grin come across her face, 'It's almost like we're fighting Dad and Pikachu…' she noted to herself.

"Use Icy Wind!" she ordered, sticking her right hand out. Landing down, Primarina inhaled sharply before exhaling a freezing blast of air that breezed past Persian as she grimaced.

"Power Gem!" Nanu commanded. The Alolan Classy Cat Pokémon had a glint of mischief in her eyes. The jewel upon her forehead glowed a bright white before she fired off a beam of light-blue energy with a whitish aura around it. It struck her opponent, blowing her back a few feet as she grimaced.

"Primarina!" her trainer cried out, seeing the Soloist Pokémon shake her head to regain her composure.

"Now Iron Tail!" the kahuna ordered. Persian charged forward, making her tail shine a silvery white before leaping out and whipping it right into her foe's face, making her wince in agony.

"Mahh…!" she gasped out.

"Hang in there, Primarina!" her trainer called out, "Use Moonblast!" she commanded, closing her right hand into a fist and pumping it back. The Soloist Pokémon had a whitish glow waft around her body before a pink orb of energy formed in front of her mouth.

"Dark Pulse!" Nanu yelled. Persian opened her mouth and unleashed a beam of purple-and-black circles, heading straight for her opponent. However, Primarina fired her energy orb, which tore through the beam before striking the Alolan Classy Cat Pokémon squarely on the head as she cried out in agony.

"Yeah!" Erika exclaimed excitedly.

"Wow, way to do!" Pyrrha cheered.

"Fairy-type movezzz are super effective after all, zzt!" Rotom pointed out.

"Now Aqua Jet!" the Ketchum girl ordered, thrusting her right fist forward. Water enveloped Primarina once again as she rocketed forward, heading towards her foe as she stood back up.

"Thunderbolt!" Nanu commanded. Persian had yellow electricity spark around her body once again, grinning wickedly as her opponent closed in. She fired off a bolt of lightning that struck her, sending her flying back as she tumbled back over the rocky ground.

"Primarina!" Erika cried out.

"Now Dark Pulse!" the kahuna yelled. The Alolan Classy Cat Pokémon opened her mouth and fired off another beam of purple-and-black circles, striking her target before she could even have a moment to recover.

"Ergh…" the Ketchum girl growled in frustration. The battle was going better than last time, but it still seemed like Persian had the upper hand over Primarina.

'There's gotta be some way we can turn this all around…' she noted inwardly, 'If only Primarina was a little faster…' she muttered to herself. And at that moment, she remembered something. Having seen the effects of the Soloist Pokémon's Icy Wind in battle, she knew that while it wasn't doing much damage, it could do something to give her an advantage.

"Primarina, Icy Wind!" she ordered.

"Pree!" the Soloist Pokémon yipped in response, inhaling a deep breath before exhaling a powerful gust of freezing air onto her opponent. She winced from the cold, but endured it. However, she didn't notice the frost forming upon her body.

"Power Gem!" Nanu commanded. The jewel at Persian's forehead shined a bright white before she fired off a light-blue beam surrounded by a whitish aura, zooming towards Primarina.

"Dodge it!" Erika called out. Hopping back, the Soloist Pokémon avoided the incoming beam as it struck the ground in a small blast. "Now Aqua Jet!" her trainer ordered, pumping her left fist out. Enveloping herself within a torrent of water once again, Primarina rocketed forward.

"Iron Tail!" the kahuna shouted out. The Alolan Classy Cat Pokémon's tail glowed a silvery white. But before she could even swing it, she was struck down to the ground as Primarina collided with her hard. Nanu widened his eyes in surprise.

"Did… Primarina get faster?" Pyrrha inquired, blinking rapidly out of shock.

"No…" Rotom uttered, getting her attention, "Persian got slower, zzt!" it buzzed, "Thankzzz to Primarina'zzz Icy Wind, Persian lost her zzzpeed!" it pointed out.

"Now Sparkling Aria!" Erika commanded. As the water broke apart around her, the Soloist Pokémon let her hair come undone.

"Preeee~!" she sang, forming a shining sphere of water above the tip of her round nose. It then broke apart into watery streaks, all of which zoomed down and struck Persian fiercely, blowing her back.

"Purrrr…" she hissed out in agony, slowly standing back up and growling.

"Well, whaddaya know…" her trainer said, rubbing the back of his neck as he smirked, "You really learned your lesson from last time, huh?" he guessed, catching Erika's attention.

"Yeah," she replied with a nod, "I think…" she started to say, taking a deep breath, "I think losing all those battles lately was a wake-up call," she concluded, "Back before I even started the island challenge, I didn't see the point in even going on a journey…" she admitted, "But I saw my brother and my friends getting really excited over it… and I didn't wanna be left out…" she added in confession, "I was so focused on trying to be better that I didn't think about being the person I should be," she pointed out, "I need to be me most of all," she stated, "whether as a trainer or a friend," she mentioned firmly.

"Erika…" Pyrrha uttered out with shaking eyes. The Ketchum girl's Pokémon all grinned in agreement. Even Rotom seemed happy with its user's revelation.

"Hah…" Nanu yawned out loudly, "Geez…" he muttered, causing Erika to blink in surprise, "You could've just said you learned your lesson instead of giving a speech…" he noted. The Ketchum girl seethed with frustration at his ignorance, but ultimately decided to let it go, taking a deep breath.

"We're going to beat you right here and now!" she declared.

"Pree, mah!" Primarina yipped in agreement.

"Heh," the kahuna chuckled, "We'll see about that…" he remarked, "Persian, Thunderbolt!" he ordered. Yellow electricity crackled around the Alolan Classy Cat Pokémon's body before she fired off a bolt of lightning.

"Dodge with Aqua Jet!" Erika called out. Primarina enveloped herself in a torrent of water once again, avoiding the lightning as it struck the ground in a blast of smoke. She then rocketed towards Persian.

"Dark Pulse!" Nanu commanded. Opening her mouth, Persian fired off a beam of purple-and-black circles, striking the incoming Soloist Pokémon as the water around her splashed apart before she fell.

"Primarina!" her trainer cried out, seeing her land upon the ground and wince as she lied on her stomach, "Okay, Moonblast!" she commanded while sticking her right hand out. However, she noticed that partner was failing to do anything as she continued wincing.

"That Dark Pulse…" Pyrrha started to realize as her eyes widened slightly.

"It made her flinch, zzt!" Rotom buzzed out.

"Dark-types sure have some hidden tricks, don't they?" Nanu inquired rhetorically, causing Erika to growl in frustration, "Now Thunderbolt!" he ordered. Yellow electricity sparked around Persian's body before she unleashed another bolt of lightning. It struck the flinching Primarina fiercely, causing her to scream in agony.

"RYY!" Lycanroc cried out from afar, while Oricorio and Lurantis watched on worriedly. Smoke wafted off from the Soloist Pokémon's body once the electricity subsided. She panted heavily with exhaustion, evidently worn out.

"Primarina…" her trainer uttered worriedly, growling in frustration as she glared over at the kahuna.

"It's good that you've found yourself or whatever…" he grumbled while rubbing the back of his neck, "But that won't mean anything if you can't overcome the darkness completely," he pointed out, causing Erika to blink in confusion as she arched an eyebrow. He then crossed his arms over his face, making the Darkinium Z upon his Z-Ring to flash brightly.

"He's using a Z-Move?!" Pyrrha yelped in surprise.

"It lookzzz like it'zzz gonna be the Dark-type one!" Rotom noted aloud. They watched as Nanu swung his arms around, bent down and came up creepily like a zombie, all while a purple aura built up around his body. It shot out in streaks towards Persian, merging with her before the Z-Move symbol flashed before her person.

"Sheeaaannn…" she hissed with a glint in her eyes.

"Primarina, get ready!" Erika called out in warning.

"Pree… mah!" the Soloist Pokémon managed to yip as a response.

"…Black Hole Eclipse," Nanu said simply. Raising her head, Persian had a spiral sphere of purple, black, and red energy form just above it. She launched the sphere into the air above her foe, causing it to suddenly expand into a miniature black hole. The powerful force it exerted pulled on Primarina, who grimaced as she felt herself slip.

"Hang in there, Primarina!" her trainer yelled, also enduring the powerful force pulling on her.

'What do we do?!' she wondered inwardly while grimacing. She had no idea how to best escape such a Z-Move. The last two times her Pokémon had been on the receiving end of a Z-Move during a grand trial, both had to either endure or fall to them. This time, it seemed as if either result would happen to the Soloist Pokémon.

"Mah!" she suddenly yipped, catching her trainer's attention. She noticed that Primarina had crossed her flippers in front of her face, much like how her arms were positioned. She blinked in realization, taking on a determined visage.

"Let's do this, Primarina!" she yelled, making the Waterium Z upon her Z-Ring flash brightly. She swung her arms around as her partner did the same with her flippers. They synchronized their motions, waving their limbs like water left to right. All the while, a blue aura built up around the Ketchum girl. "After everything we've been through…" she began, "let's show everyone just how far we've come!" she bellowed in declaration.

"Pree!" the Soloist Pokémon barked in agreement as she nodded. The blue aura building around her trainer shot out in streaks, merging with her body before the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of her.

"Take this!" Erika yelled, "HYDRO VORTEX!" she roared out. Water erupted underneath Primarina, spreading out over the rocky area. A torrent enveloped her before she rocketed forward.

"BzzZZZzzTTttt?!" Rotom buzzed out of shock, "She'zzz heading TOWARDZZZ the black hole?!" it exclaimed frantically. Pyrrha just watched on with wonder in her eyes. The Soloist Pokémon swam around in a circle, causing a vortex of water to spray out and strike the black hole. Though Primarina still felt its tug, she endured it while swimming as fast as she could. Her trainer clenched her trembling fists tightly, hoping that things would work out.

And they did. In an instant, the black hole imploded entirely. Everyone looked on in awe at the sight. Even Nanu was left stunned. A small grin graced his face moments later.

'So she overcame the dark, too…' he inwardly realized. Tapu Bulu huffed from nearby, sounding impressed.

"Now Moonblast!" Erika commanded, pumping her right fist out. With a whitish aura shrouding her body, Primarina formed a pink orb of energy in front of her open mouth. She launched it forward, and Persian didn't even have a moment to dodge as she was struck squarely in the face in a fierce blast. The smoke was slow to subside. But once it did, it revealed the Alolan Classy Cat Pokémon lying upon her side with swirls in her eyes. Tapu Bulu floated over to assess the result.

"Boo," it huffed out, turning back around to face Primarina and Erika, "Buh, booloo!" it announced, gesturing towards them with its hooves.

"Heh," Nanu chuckled, "Congrats, kid," he said while returning Persian to her Ultra Ball in a beam of red light, "You've cleared your grand trial," he pointed out to Erika, whose eyes shook a little. Slowly but surely, a wide smile formed upon her face.

"ALRIGHT!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Mahh…" Primarina sighed with relief. Her trainer ran over and happily embraced her.

"We did it, Primarina!" she pointed out, giggling with delight.

"Ryy!" Lycanroc yipped, hurrying over alongside Oricorio and Lurantis. They all came together for a big group hug, nuzzling against each other all the while. Rotom floated nearby, taking a few snapshots of the scene. In the meantime, Pyrrha smiled proudly at her friend's success. She was back to being the Erika she knew.

X

"And there you go," Nanu said, marking the Ketchum girl's Trainer Passport down with the third stamp. She giggled happily with a big grin as all six of her Pokémon were standing nearby.

"Thank you so much, Mister Nanu!" she exclaimed gratefully, bowing to him.

"Hey, come on…" he grumbled in plea, "The last thing I need is you making so much noise over something…" he pointed out.

'What a grump…' Erika noted inwardly with an annoyed look upon her face.

"Boo, booloo!" Tapu Bulu chimed in, getting her attention as she turned to face it, "Booloo loo, booh," it told her, huffing proudly. She smiled.

"Thank you too, Tapu Bulu," she said in gratitude, "You really did help me find my footing," she pointed out.

"Booh," the Land Spirit Pokémon responded, floating off towards the tree in the area.

"Uh, what's he doing?" the Ketchum girl wondered aloud. A few moments passed before the guardian deity returned, carrying a pair of items in his arms. In his left was a Moon Stone, while in his right was a snowy-blue stone that shined with white light and had a snowflake pattern inside. Both Starbright and Sandshrew perked up upon seeing the stones. "What are those?" their trainer asked.

"Oh, they're a Moon Stone and an Ice Stone!" Pyrrha pointed out as she approached, "They can evolve certain Pokémon like your Clefairy and Sandshrew!" she mentioned excitedly.

"Whoa, really?" Erika questioned, blinking in surprise.

"Boo," Tapu Bulu huffed, holding the stones out to the two small Pokémon. Eagerly, Sandshrew grabbed the Ice Stone. It shined a bright blue before his own body became enveloped by that same light. Quills erupted from his back and head as his form grew, with his claws lengthening out, hooking at the tips. When the light vanished, it revealed that he had an icy blue hide and quills covered in ice. The quills themselves stood tall and resembled icicles.

"Slaaaahh!" he exclaimed as he slashed at the air in front of himself.

"Whoa…!" Erika uttered with amazement as her eyes sparkled, "You look so cool!" she exclaimed giddily. Meanwhile, Rotom floated over and pulled up an image of the evolved Alolan Mouse Pokémon upon its screen.

"Sandslash, the Mouse Pokémon, Alolan Form, and the evolved form of Sandshrew," it began, "This Pokémon's steel spikes are sheathed in ice. Stabs from these spikes cause deep wounds and severe frostbite as well. Sandslash runs across snow-covered plains at high speeds. He developed thick, sharp claws to plow through the snow," it explained thoroughly.

"Great to meet you, Sandslash!" Erika greeted to the evolved Alolan Mouse Pokémon.

"San!" he squeaked happily. Tapu Bulu then handed the Moon Stone to Starbright. She was about to accept it… but then remembered how poorly her battle against Absol had gone. She withdrew her hands and shook her head.

"Kleh, kleh fair…" she told the guardian deity, causing it to blink in surprise at her humility, "Fairee, fair," she added. Upon noticing, the Ketchum girl let off a soft smile.

"You might not think you need it yet…" she pointed out to her Clefairy as she crouched down beside her, "but you will someday," she noted, taking the Moon Stone from Tapu Bulu and putting it into her bag, "Until then, I'll hold onto it for you," she promised, putting it into her bag, "That okay?" she asked with a wink.

"Faye!" the Fairy Pokémon responded as she nodded.

"Pree, preemah?" Primarina chimed in, getting everyone's attentions as they saw her approach Tapu Bulu.

"Oh, yeah…" Erika uttered in realization, "Do we get something from you, too?" she guessed, giving off a grin of anticipation.

"Boo," the Land Spirit Pokémon confirmed, nodding.

"Woohoo!" the Ketchum girl exclaimed, holding out her left hand to the guardian deity, who approached her, "Thank you so much, Tapu—!" Tapu Bulu took her Z-Ring off of her wrist, followed by closing its shell over it. "…Huh?" Erika uttered out as she and her Pokémon gave off blank looks of shock. They watched as the Land Spirit Pokémon shook its body around, rattling its bell as it chimed beautifully. A sparkling aura wafted off of its body, washing over those around it. After a few more moments, it opened up its shell to let the now-glowing Z-Ring float back over to the hatted trial-goer. She grabbed it with her left hand, making the glow subside. She looked down at it and lightly gasped.

Her Z-Ring was now black, exactly like her brother's. With that, the Z-Crystal upon it was no longer a Waterium Z. Instead, it was a blue Z-Crystal featuring a symbol that resembled…

"Primarina?" Erika uttered, sharing a surprised glance with the Soloist Pokémon.

"That's a Primarium Z, huh?" Nanu noted as he approached to inspect the new Z-Power Ring, "Seems like a good reward for the two of you," he remarked with a smirk. The Ketchum girl's eyes shook with awe before she smiled brightly. A while passed after she returned all of her Pokémon to their respective Poké Balls, saying goodbye to Tapu Bulu before she left with Pyrrha, Nanu, and Rotom.

"Hey, Mister Nanu?" she said, trying to get the kahuna's attention as he yawned.

"What is it, kid?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"Where'd my brother end up going with Hau and Gladion?" the Ketchum girl asked, taking on a worried expression. Nanu blinked in surprise, rubbing the back of his head.

"If I remember right… they went off to that Aether Paradise place…" he answered after a moment to think. Both Erika and Pyrrha gasped lightly.

"Aether Paradise?" the latter repeated.

"But… why would they be there?" Erika wondered aloud. At the artificial island itself, her brother and her cousin widened their eyes and grimaced to see what looked to be a huge gang of Team Skull grunts ahead of them. Up near the mansion itself, Guzma and Plumeria watched on as they saw Trent's Greninja and Gladion's Null charge through their subordinates.

"Heh…" the Team Skull boss chuckled, cracking his knuckles, "I've been waiting for something to completely destroy…" he remarked.

"Same here, Guzma," the admin beside him agreed. Inside the mansion, Lillie sat upon a bed, clutching her hands together tightly. In the meantime, her mother had hooked the cube-shaped container into another machine inside of a secret laboratory, grinning wickedly.

"I'll finally be able to see that beautiful beast again…" she concluded with excitement in her voice.

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

And done! That brings us to our halfway point in the story! I'm really stoked for what's ahead with the rest of the arc on Aether Paradise! With emotion and stakes, it'll be something none of you will forget!

Anyways, that's it from me for now! Here's a summary for the next chapter!

SUMMARY

Erika and Pyrrha hurry to make it to Aether Paradise, while Calvin and the others try to make their way through Team Skull's blockade! Will they be able to make it in time?!

Meanwhile, having barely managed to finish the fourth journal, Leslie decides to finally finish the collection with the final book! How does Hikari's story end?

END SUMMARY

In case you didn't already notice, we're gonna be going through a lot of "RWBY: Omni Force" chapters over the next few weeks. So buckle your seat belts for all of that!