A/N: Another chapter, another day! I hope you guys are as excited as I am. Though, this is another dialogue heavy, but I think we can all appreciate the break after the last chapter. The band for this chapter's song is Imagine Dragons. On with the story!

– Chapter 6 –

One Last Moment (Trouble)

The flight to the city was uneventful after we took off. Apparently, the facility I had been taken to was a known headquarters for the Aether Foundation in Sinnoh, just about fifteen miles south-east of Jubilife proper. Cynthia had Lucario follow me at a distance to ensure my location. Once it was sure where I was, she had began preparing to wage a one woman war on the Foundation.

Apparently, after I had been handed over to the company, it wouldn't have technically been an illegal action against Interpol. Her rescue still would have raised tensions and made the situation much more volatile, though Cynthia had been prepared to deal with the consequences.

The first thing I had to endure upon landing was Cynthia's careful once over. She was less than happy with my shredded feet, but it wasn't anything that a potion couldn't fix. Once she was satisfied with my health, we left to join up with Lucas and Rowan.

Now, I find myself in the main Jubilife Pokemon Center, relaxing in a private lab space. Rowan is sitting at a desk in the corner, while I'm stretched out in a plain chair and using a second as a foot rest. Lucas is relaxing in an office chair at the head of the exam table with his own notebook out. Cynthia is sitting the last free office chair, facing towards me but watching Nil with wary eyes.

Shaymin is snuggled into my lap while Petite sits on the chair between my feet. She's watching Nil with bright curiosity. Atlas is preening his feathers while sitting on Cynthia's lap, all the while sharing the woman's distrustful expression.

"Okay, so let me repeat my quick notes and make sure that I've gotten everything down," Rowan clears his throat and presses the closed pen to his paper. "First, you were attacked by a random Ultra Beast, from a wormhole that you say and I quote,'had no frickin' business being anywhere near Sinnoh.'"

"That's right," I affirm as I look away from the Professor and back to Nil, who's dancing through the air in front of me. The Ultra Beast coos and burbles with a jovial, playful air. After Rowan nervously put her through a quick examination, we found that she was down to just over a foot and a half tall. When previously she had been almost, if not actually, taller than me.

I reach up and gently grasp one of Nil's front tentacles before spinning her in a little circle. They feel cold and smooth, even kind of squishy, but a ghost of warmth, almost imperceptible, pulses through the appendage. A burbling approximation of a laugh echoes from the Ultra Beast.

I glance over to see Rowan watching us with what I can only place as resignation. He'd warned against contact with her multiple times, bringing up worries about her neurotoxins. Something we'd learned about from research papers that Lusamine had sent him. I had waved off his warnings while explaining that it would be perfectly safe. Nil wouldn't hurt anyone like that unless she felt threatened.

"Okay, continuing on. You say that you can hear actual speech from Nihilego, while the rest of us hear something resembling a as Lucas puts it, 'sort of, kind of a pokemon cry.' And to your knowledge, it speaks in simple, single words." I hum and scratch at Shaymin's fur gently as Nil wraps her little arm like tentacles around my other arm and seems to study my hand with curious coo.

"She," I correct first. "Nil wants to go by 'she'. But otherwise, yes, that's correct."

Shaymin shifts in my lap and I look down to see Nil's longer tentacles brushing against her. With a sigh and a shake of her little head, the grassy furred pokemon stands up on all fours with an exasperated, "Shay." She raises her voice and adds, "Shaymin. Min."

Nil glances down before she releases my arm and floats down to look at Shaymin. She reaches out with a tentacle and gently pats Shaymin's head. "Accident. Sorry." Nil warbles. She then floats away when Shaymin seems satisfied with the apology.

I glance over to Cynthia and she's watching me with an unreadable expression. "Thank you. For coming to save me..." I mutter out with a nervous smile. "It... means a lot." Nil follows my gaze across the room and slows to a stop in front of the Champion. Cynthia's gray eyes watch the Ultra Beast closely, with much more than a hint of trepidation in her expression. Atlas straightens and ruffles out his feathers, his narrowed eyes tracking her movement.

Nil seems to be almost shy as she clasps her tentacles together and fidgets for a moment. "Grateful." She bubbles out before quickly floating away. I still can't decide if she's using words or if I'm picking out the closest approximations.

Cynthia seems more confused than scared as she looks over at me. I cover my mouth to hide my laugh. "She said thank you," I clarify and Cynthia accepts the answer in silence. We both watch the white Ultra Beast float towards Lucas. "I think that you make her shy."

"Is that so?" Cynthia wonders as she gently trails her fingers down Atlas's back. My little bird seems to relax a little more and trills happily at the attention.

I look to Rowan and he's watching carefully as Nil lowers until she's sitting on the chair by Lucas's shoulder. It seems like she's curious about his writing. He glances up at her before he starts talking in a soft voice about whatever he's working on. Nil leans down seeming to be following along closely. I guess Lucas really is unbothered by her alien nature.

"Anyway," Rowan begins for the third time. "You were able to use a Z-move with out the use of a bracelet and crystal. A rather unheard of phenomena. You said that it exhausted you?"

"Yes to the Z-move. The exhaustion is definitely up for debate, I think."

He scribbles on the his notes before saying, "Exhausted or not, if these readings are right, it looks like a far amount of the energy you had built up is gone. Do you feel any different?"

I think for a moment, trying to focus on anything that might feel strange. "Not particularly?" I finally reply with a shrug. "Nothing other than sore legs at least... But that's definitely unrelated."

"Noted," He scribbles once more before finishing the interrogation with, "Lastly, you say that a group of people from a world that had it's light stolen... Are now after you for reasons that you don't understand?"

"Pretty much sums it up, yeah," I lean my head back and drape my arm over my eyes. "Man... I just wanted to go on a normal, simple adventure. But between Ultra Space, Galactic, and... Is Hunter J a thing?"

"The dangerous and extremely wanted criminal Hunter J?" Cynthia questions with a thick sarcasm. "Yeah. She's a thing, as you so eloquently put it."

"Wonderful... just, peachy," I let out a long suffering sigh. "I really haven't thought any of this through, anywhere near well enough."

"Yeah that sounds like you," Lucas pipes up and I glance down to see him still writing away. Nil motions like she's covering her mouth and laughing. Cynthia has a knowing smirk and Rowan just covers his eyes with an large palm. Shaymin's even giggling from her spot in my lap.

"Wow... thanks guys. The vote of confidence really helps," I grumble as Petite, at least, pats my leg comfortingly. "Thanks pumpkin, glad that somebody has my back here."

"So... what is your plan anyway?" Cynthia asks while crossing her arms. "You haven't really talked about one yet."

"Oh. I suppose you're right," I admit before crossing my arms. "Well, I figured that I could stop by the Poketch company to do some business first. Then, if Lucas agrees, we could stop of at Oreburgh for our first badge. After that, well... I suspect that I'll have a second meeting here in town. Then it'd be a choice between Canalave or the longer trip to Eterna." I look at Lucas and he taps his chin with a thoughtful expression.

"Well I think that last choice is a while away. So it really depends on what's going on and what our teams look like. But going over to Oreburgh sounds like a good plan. An easy win to start the journey off right." He nods as if the matter is settled, then leans back to show off the notebook to Nil. She makes a clapping gesture before dancing and twirling excitedly around the room.

I look back to Cynthia with a smile. She's massaging her temples with closed eyes. After a moment she lets out a long sigh. "What about the issues of Ultra Space and Team Galactic?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" I shift and sit up in my chair. As my feet lower to the ground Shaymin huffs and hops off my lap. She wanders over and hops onto the chair with Petite instead. The pair cuddle up and get comfortable while watching the conversation.

Atlas flutters over to perch on the back of the girls' chair when Cynthia stands up. "I said what I meant Sasha. What is your plan to deal with Galactic and these Ultra Recon Squad people?"

"Oh... I-I don't really have one?" I offer with a weak shrug.

She buries her face in her hands and paces back and forth in front of the table. "Wh... You don't have one? Of course you don't have one..." She lets out a trembling breath as she runs her fingers through her blonde hair. I climb out of my chair and walk up to her. She's come to a stop while facing away from me, so I carefully reach out and touch her elbow.

"Hey..." I start in a soft voice. She turns towards me and I can see the glisten of unshed tears in her eyes. I gently pull her closer to wrap my arms around her waist. "Listen... it's going to be okay. I don't have a super intelligent and well thought out plan of attack. But I do know this. First, Team Galactic's goals are going to take time to achieve. A lot of time. I've already laid out the basics of how things should play out right?"

She nods and I cup the back of her neck with one hand. Gently I pull her down until her forehead is against mine. I hold the cloudy gaze with a calm smile. "So, I know that you'll have a close eye on the most important bits already. There's also no telling where they are as far as their research on how to achieve their goals. If we act too soon and mess up? Then they go to ground, and things get much more complicated. Especially considering the fact that none of what I know may even be useful. The best plan right now, is to monitor the situation and gather intel before we strike. We might only get a single chance to do this."

"Okay," Cynthia breathes and wipes the tears from her eyes. "Yeah... You're right, I know all of this already too. It's just... It's so stressful. Every since you appeared my world has turned upside down..."

I step back, suddenly uncomfortable and reach across my chest to grab my arm. "Trust me... I know. I-"

Suddenly I'm engulfed in a tight embrace as her black fur collar fills my vision. "That came out so wrong. I couldn't be happier to have you in my life. It's just been so much to take in. But, you are wonderful Sasha, and none of this is your fault." I grip her coat and nod against her shoulder. I take a shuddering breath to compose myself, before brushing an airy kiss across her jaw. I take a step back while grinning at the light blush that appears on her face.

"Also, as far as the Ultra Space things," I begin with a cocky smirk and a hand on my hip. "What am I gonna do? Hunt down the Ultra Recon Squad?" I chuckle and fall back into my chair. "Nah. I think its best if Lucas and I just keep moving. We've gotta get stronger. I mean, I have an almost full team, but he only has two members, and last I checked the Bidoof we caught was a maybe at best."

The ten year old seems to take that as his cue to stuff his notebook into his backpack. While he does, Cynthia retakes her seat with a tiny, shy smile my way. It's my turn to try and suppress the heat that touches my cheeks as I brush a loose bang behind my ear. She's so pretty...

"Actually," Lucas begins followed by a long sigh. "It ended up being a no. Professor Rowan has offered to take him though, for the youngster summer camp. He'll be happier there. With the things we're getting tangled up in, my team has to be the best of the best."

"Well, maybe the next Ultra Beast that comes after me can join your team," I tease, trying to desperately ignore the sharp spike of fear. "I did uh... obtain a few Beast Balls during our daring escape."

"Hmm..." Lucas looks to Nil, the little one is bouncing around Rowan and burbling happily as he carefully keeps her at bay with his clipboard. "I'll keep that in mind." His deadpan reply leaves me giggling. The confused look he sends me makes me shake my head and wave dismissively. It's easy to forget that he struggles with things like that. He didn't even .

"I'll tell you later,"I state before returning my attention to the floating Ultra Beast. "Nil, come here girl. Stop bothering the Professor. It's rude." I watch as she pauses and turns towards me. I can tell that she's debating ignoring me but with a dejected burble gives in.

As she floats across the room Cynthia calls out, "Nil... er, come here, please?" The poor girl goes stiff for a moment before complying. She comes to a nervous seeming, but still bouncy hover in front of the Champion. Cynthia just looks at her for a moment before slowly reaching up a hand towards Nil's glassy dome. The poor girl freezes up and hovers in a motionless panic. Cynthia glances at me nervously.

I hold up a hand, silently telling Cynthia to wait, then ask, "Nil is it okay if Cynthia touches you? I know you're scared, but she isn't going to hurt you."

"Scared?" She shakes her dome as if to say no. "Shy. Nervous... Accept." I stifle a giggle and nod to Cynthia. She closes the distance and carefully brushes her fingers across the dome and after a second of contact... Cynthia relaxes after nothing happens. She gently runs a finger across Nil's blue lined frills. A small smile pulls at her lips.

"I suppose you are pretty cute," Cynthia's admission earns a high pitched burble and Nil speeds away to hide behind my chair. I break down into hysteric laughter. Cynthia and Lucas share a confused look. Rowan just lets out an exasperated sigh and presses his face into the clipboard.

The meeting is adjourned pretty quickly after that. My quick physical comes back all positive and Cynthia reluctantly sees us off. Despite the craziness of earlier in the day, it's only two in the afternoon by the time Lucas and I are ready to be off.

Cynthia walks with us out of the Pokemon Center, and I excuse myself to walk her to the nearby flight pad. As we walk, side by side, a thick silence permeates the air and seems to even dull the bustle of the city. I feel like there's so much to say, but can't find the proper words. Cynthia steps onto the pad before turning to look at me.

I tilt my head back to meet her searching gray eyes. The silence stretches for a beat, then two, then- I launch forward and throw my arms around her middle. I hide the lower half of my face in her shoulder and breathe deeply. Mint and spice. The unmistakable blend of Cynthia. I clutch to her like I'd drown if I let go.

Her gentle response is to press a comforting hand to the small of my back and cup the back of my head with the other. I feel her face press into my hair and hear her inhale deeply. My fingers dig into the fabric of her black jacket. "Cindy... I-" I swallow thickly. I just got her back. Now we have to split again. I-I don't want to. "I'm scared."

She pulls me closer, flush against her form. I feel a slight tremble in her body as she replies, "Me too... I don't want to lose you..." Her grip tightens until I think she'll never let go. "Oh Sasha, I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'll email you at every Pokemon Center. Call you as often as I can," I turn my head to kiss her throat lightly. "When we get to Oreburgh, I'll let you know. Maybe you can find time to come watch my gym battle."

"I would love that darling," Cynthia's voice has a smiling tone and I lean back to see one on her face. "I'll email you too. All the time. I'll let you know when I should be available for calls too. Anytime you get a chance, just tell me when and we can schedule them in okay?"

"Yeah definitely..." I hesitate before a thought brings an bright grin to my lips. "You know, if things go well at Poketch... We might be video chatting over phone by the end of the year or something. At the very least, we could text all the time."

"I would... I would like that very much," She leans down and brushes an airy kiss to the corner of my mouth. I tense up as a slow blush crawls up my face. "Something to think about when times are hard." Her voice is soft as she steps out of our embrace. She smiles through the glassy tears filling her eyes. "If I don't go now, I don't think I'll be able to leave at all."

I watch with fingers to the corner of my mouth as she releases Garchomp. The dragon pats my head with a warmth in her eyes. Then the pair are gone, launching off into the sky. "Til next time..." I breathe as I watch their path until the cityscape conceals them from view.

/-/

I stare up at the tall building with a building sense of trepidation. Lucas stands at my side, looking up the looming structure as well. "That's... a big building," He admits with an awed tone. "Even in a city like this, surrounded by massive buildings, this one feels bigger."

"Maybe... it's the knowledge that we could be making major waves in the future of Sinnoh, if not the world, by the end of this visit," I offer with a weak shrug. "I know that's what intimidates me the most. Buildings like this are essentially a dime a dozen back in my world."

He eyes me sideways and I just shrug like, 'hey, what can you do?' He takes the information about as straitlaced as ever. I think children just have more resilient minds or something. Maybe that's why Ash and the others were always to deal with everything relatively easily. "Alright. Let's head in." I offer a sigh at his words but follow nonetheless.

The glass doors slide open and I stuff my hands in the pockets of my dark jean shorts. Look natural. Don't give them anything to use against you. We stroll up to the desk and a clerk greets us with a smile. I return the smile while aiming for a confident grin, but likely failing. "Hey there. I have an appointment with Mr. Miyake?"

A skeptical expression passes over her features for only a moment but I wilt a little internally. Already off to an awful start. "What name would that be under?" She asks while taping at her keyboard.

I lift my Pokedex to show my trainer license. "It should be Sasha? Sasha Weiss?" Her eyes widen and she quickly rises to her feet.

"Oh goodness. Why didn't you say so?!" She motions us to follow and I share a look with Lucas. We stroll after the nearly jogging woman as she stops by an elevator that stands off to the side of the public ones. She presses a button below a speaker, and another woman answers.

"President Miyake's office. Who is this?"

"I've got one Sasha Weiss and companion here for her meeting with the President."

"Thank Arceus. He's been insufferable. Come on up."

With a ding the elevator door opens and we step into the rather plain seeming elevator. We watch the clerk offer a wave before striding back to her desk. After the door slides closed and the elevator starts moving I glance over at Lucas. "What do you think that was all about?"

"I dunno," Lucas shrugs and leans against the wall. "I'm not even sure why I'm here."

I roll my eyes and lean against the opposite wall. I mirror his crossed arms and reply, "Because I didn't want to come alone. And I trust your moral compass. Especially since it boils down to help Pokemon and then people. That's the kind of thinking I can appreciate right now."

"I'm awful with talking to people though," His retort rolls off of me.

I wave dismissively, "You'll be talking to me. I don't count."

"Fair enough. This elevator sure is tak-" A ding sounds as the elevator comes to a stop.

He just shakes his head before following me out into a relatively small waiting room. One wall is made entirely of windows, with only a few chairs placed near the corners with small square tables between them. On the opposite wall of the window is a large set of double doors and a desk just to the side of it. A stern looking woman with her graying brown hair pulled into a tight bun sits behind the desk. Her brown eyes look us over from behind sharp looking spectacles.

"You're Sasha I take it? Not sure what all the fuss is about, but you've got Clyde in quite the state," She looks over to Lucas and looks him up and down for a second. "This must be your little brother?"

Lucas and I share an amused look and I shrug, "Sure, why not?"

"Something like that," He agrees.

"Well, Clyde's just about finished up with his video call and should be ready shortly. I just messaged him that you're here. Please have a seat."

Before we can even turn, the door swings inward and a finely dressed man almost sprints out. He's a stocky fellow, all soft edges and large curves, probably six foot or so, and dressed in an expensive gray business suit. His brown hair is evenly shaven with a gelled layer of short spikes across the top; he sports a matching goatee. His wide almost sparkling black eyes land on me and a large warm grin splits his face.

"If it isn't Sasha Weiss! Bonnie, I hope you weren't too hard on the Champion's sweetheart." I feel a bright flush flood my face as he lets out a jovial laugh. "Oh just look at you, only fresh love leaves a soul so bright! Why, I'm no stranger to dealing with independent and powerful women myself. My wife here humbles me by working as my secretary."

He steps closer and holds out his hand. I reach out and grasp it firmly. 'You can tell a lot about a man, by his handshake,' Dad used to say. It's advice that I took to heart. After a quick, firm shake, he pats my upper arm and says, "If you ever need advice on surviving, give me a call." He turns and looks at Lucas with an appraising eye. The boy eyes the offered hand warily from under his cap. "Is this your little brother then? Ah, a Pokemon Trainer I see! Takes me back to my younger days. Alright, then lets go get you settled in shall we?"

He motions with a sweeping gesture towards his office and I let Lucas lead us in. It feels like far less of an office, than it does a workshop. Tables covered in all kinds of devices and mechanical artifacts surround the left side of the room. A couple of large steel worktables sit near the center of the space with large wheeled tool boxes dotting the surrounding space. To the right is a large wooden desk with a rather expensive looking computer on top. He's like the Pokemon version of Tony Stark.

Strange that I can call it expensive, it's equivalent, in visual design at least, to the clunky bricks from the early two thousands. I'm pretty sure this exact computer was in my local library when I was ten. As the door closes, the president walks up and motions towards the chairs two chairs sitting in front of the desk. "Please, take a seat. Get comfortable. Would you like any refreshments?"

"I think we're alright thank you. Just stopped for a bite a little bit ago." I sit my bag across my legs and lounge back in the chair. "If I'm honest, I'm still pretty leery about this whole situation. When compared to things like... pokeballs or teleportation or shoot, even Porygon, my phone seems so... I don't know, primitive?"

"I can understand where you're coming from," He agrees with a serious expression. "While it's certainly a... rare view of the world that you have, it's one I empathize with. Not to mention the despairing gap between civilian industries, and what Pokemon Trainers interact with. There are good reasons for this disparity, but it's one that we're finally reaching a place in society that we're starting to find room for expansion. Most recently, this has been exemplified with the Pokenav and the Pokegear, both truly revolutionary stuff. I have also spoken with one Fennel; who's looking into some interesting stuff."

"The C-Gear, you mean?" Even as I say the words, I regret them. The look he gives me, like a puzzle he's almost figured out. There's a sudden pressure in the room and I watch the man as the gears turn behind his eyes.

"Fennel hasn't named it yet... but the confidence with which you said that..." Oh no. Abort abort. I glance over at Lucas to see his fingers seeming to itch for his Pokeball. After what we've put up with recently, I can't blame him. "I think I see... The foreign technology, knowing things you shouldn't... Are you a time traveler?"

I go rigid in my seat and curse myself all the way to Unova and back. Time traveler... why didn't I think about that. What a good lie. Externally I just shrug my shoulders as nonchalant as possible and reply, "If I was, I wouldn't be in position to disclose the information."

"That's okay, I understand. It makes sense as to why you would want an extremely tight lid on that technology I fixed up," He leans back in his chair and twirls a pen between his fingers. "That being said, you're here meeting with me... What are you after with this? What goals are you trying to achieve?"

"Alright," I begin, finally ready to get serious. "I'm here because, well, if the technology I have can be used to improve the world, I would like to see that happen. So, I suppose I'm here because I'd like to know what specifically you'd like to do with what you know now."

"I want the same as you," He explains as he leans his forward with his arms resting atop the desk. "See, that's why I created the Poketch. It has features and planned features for many very useful applications. But there are things that just aren't viable with the technology in the devices. Things that your technology seems capable of doing with almost... mind boggling ease.

"For instance, making video or even basic calls? There are specific, expensive terminals that we install in every major building for that exact purpose, such as the ones in Pokemon Centers. Your device can just do it with no issues. Even compared to the Pokegear, one of the most advanced pieces of handheld technology as far as communication goes, your technology is years ahead of what we have. The programming is almost alien, but still entirely understandable. This is the exact stuff that Fennel is only beginning to scratch the surface of."

"So... are you trying to get ahead of her or what?" I wonder with crossed arms.

"Actually, the opposite. I want to share this technology with her, not just her but Devon and Silph Co. too. The greatest gift of your phone isn't the immediate leap forward we could make, but the design philosophy." He pauses and leans back into his chair. He strokes his goatee with a distant look in his eye. "I have this... new way of looking at what's possible after working on that device. It hasn't changed science, but merely the angle we could view what's possible."

"What are some of your ideas?" Lucas asks while shifting in his chair. I get the sense that he's a little more excited than I first imagined he'd be. "What would you like to see accomplished with what you've learned?"

"I would like to improve my Poketch! Well, that is what I would like to say. The problem is that I can't really justify it at this point. The Poketch runs on a relatively simple dot-matrix with rather impressive touch screen capabilities, if I do say so myself. That was a proud discovery of mine. The touch-screen. But, again, your phone does that and does it much better than I have managed to achieve so far." He lets out a long sigh. "It's both inspiring and humbling. The possibilities are just, endless."

"Well... why not team up with Fennel?" I question with a tilt of my head. "That seems like a logical course of action. You already have a pretty good, at least surface level understanding of what you'd be dealing with. If Fennel is good enough to get the C-gear functional on her own, imagine what you could do together with the proper funding and knowledge?"

"Hmm... I see what you're saying, but I don't want to abandon my own efforts. Fennel is aiming for a research device. A way to gather a bunch of logs and data from various trainers into one place." He touches the Poketch on his wrist. "I want to create something useful but stylish and fun."

Lucas leans forward with a sparkle in his eye. "Why not make something that does both? Make a thing that not only accesses the current net like a Pokedex, but has other useful and fun tools like the Poketch? You could use the already established Poketch as a trial run for ideas and things that you'd like to implement in a more advanced device? Like the friendship checker or the map marker. Very useful things, but if you could expand on them? Why not make it possible to connect across vast distances too? Imagine being out in the field and being able to just call and video chat with someone while you're doing research or training?"

The boy is practically salivating at the idea. I guess, after a couple months here, the idea of having a functional smartphone does feel like a miracle.

I tap a basic rhythm on the arm of the chair and add, "I can't lie to you sir. Lucas is selling me pretty hard right now. Though, I'm thinking a little bigger. Here's what I think I'd like to see happen. I want Fennel heavily involved. I like her work with the C-gear and think she's got the perfect mindset for the project. I want to know if it's possible to integrate the Pokedex in some form. Pokedexes are rare and only given out far and few between. So if all we can do is give people ways to access the information that's recorded that's a huge win. I can talk to Professor Rowan and see about getting you in touch."

"Also, I want to be able to communicate with people anywhere, I'd even settle for region wide coverage right now. One of the biggest things I'd like to see however, is integration with the Pokemon Rangers and Police Force. As a licensed Trainer, I have not just the ability, but the duty to aid when crisis arise. However, as you should be aware, notices are essentially only posted in Pokemon Centers. If I'm out in the field, its possible that I'm only five minutes away from a crisis and don't know it. Then people or Pokemon die because my help could be the difference between life or death."

He's nodding along and stroking his facial hair. I can see the gears turning in his head and I know that I have him. "I see what you're saying. If the Rangers could send out bounty alerts immediately that could save countless lives... What do you want in return for all of this? Money? Fame? Connections?"

I hesitate and think quietly. What do I want? I didn't think we'd get this far to be honest. "I don't know what a fair ask would be. This was mostly to see if this would even be a viable course of action. I would say that I'm cautiously optimistic at this point. How possible do you think it would be to achieve these things?"

"Honestly? Almost guaranteed, especially with enough time. I really don't have enough information to feel comfortable providing any actual time estimate at this point though. It all really depends on the people we reach out to right now." He drums his fingers on the desk, while I digest his assessment.

"Okay... Then here's my thoughts right now," I lean forward and pull my phone out of my pocket. The screensaver is a picture of me and Cynthia, before we left to the festival. She's holding me, my hand is on her cheek and our foreheads are pressed together. Our eyes are closed and our lips are turned up in matching soft smiles. "I think that I'm pretty much sold on the idea."

I hold up a hand as his eyes spark with excitement. "However, we're journeying to Oreburgh for some time and it could be a while before we return. Once we make it there, I'll drop you an email. We can set up a time for a call and discuss any progress you may have made with outreach. Preferably, I would like to keep as much of the details to the technology as close to the chest as possible. At least with those who won't be directly working with development."

"Finally, at some point down the road, I want to explore sharing the data with at least, Silph and Devon. However, as you've been more than courteous and, dare I say, generous with your time and aid." I twist the phone idly. "As a thank you, and added incentive, I could see myself allowing your company to retain the sole rights to the technology in some form or another. What you would do with them would be up to you from then on out, of course."

It doesn't take a lot of effort to know that I've got him hook, line and sinker. He's practically vibrating with excitement and I don't doubt that the majority of said excitement is the fact that he might actually get to play with the tech. He just seems simple like that, and I'm beyond appreciative of the fact. The dude likes to make sweet tech, and this is the sweetest of tech. As he stands up, I follow suit and then Lucas seems to catch on as well.

I hold out my hand with a warm grin. He takes it firmly, despite the distracted look in his eye. Already making plans for his new toys. "I sincerely thank you for your time Sasha. This feels like the beginning of something amazing."

"I agree. Are you going to need my phone again?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"I still have the schematics and the data from the phone is backed up on my personal Porygon." Before I can raise any concerns he raises his hands in a calming gesture, "I assure you that there's no safer place in all of Sinnoh. It's with me at all times, I even sleep with it under my pillow."

"I suppose I'll trust the expert on this one," I reply with a teasing grin. He chuckles and leads us to the door. "Til next time boss man."

"I feel like that's what I should be saying to you," His retort is light as we exit the office. "I can appreciate the hands on approach you've taken so far. How seriously your taking this eases my heart."

"I just want to make the world better, any way that I can," I turn to the receptionist and offer a polite wave. "It was an honor to meet you ma'am. Perhaps we'll get more of a chance to speak next time. My brother and I would like to be on the road before nightfall, so I hope you can forgive our haste."

"Ooh. I like you girly. Recognizing who the real power is in this company." She winks at me then looks to her husband. "I like it when they're smart. It's so rare."

"I think you'd have to be to keep up with Lady Shirona," His laughing reply leaves a smile on my face as Lucas and I step into the elevator.

I get out one last wave before the doors slide shut. We simultaneously let out long heavy sighs as tension drains from our forms. Silence follows for a moment before I say, "Want a snack before we bounce?"

"I don't know what that means, but you said snack so I'm in," Lucas leans against the wall before adding, "I'm pretty impressed. You did a lot better than I expected in there."

"Thanks, I think?" I huff and stare up at the ceiling. "This is a really big deal. Just because I take things one step at a time doesn't mean I don't think things through. I just don't see the point in planning out my life ya know?"

"I suppose that's a way to live," His voice is thick with sarcasm. "I just like being prepared for any eventuality, less chance of being surprised."

I look down and meet his unamused gray eyes with a raised eyebrow. "You're talking to someone who fell to a new world through a random tear in space time," I pause to let him digest the statement. I don't think I'll ever get used to it either. "If that's not a sign that I should have no expectations then I don't know what would be."

Lucas works his jaw as if trying to respond. As the elevator comes to a stop he finally sighs and replies, "Touché... Ugh... How do you even begin to debate that?"

/-/

Lucas's Log #2

[The page begins with a pencil sketch of Nihilego from multiple angles. Neat almost mechanical script sits below in a format mirrored by other entries.]

Nihilego-UB01 Rock/Poison-type Gender: Female Age:Unknown

The Parasite Pokemon* Height: 1'07" Weight: 49.4lbs

Personal Observations:

First things first, Nihilego is not actually a Pokemon, but something called an Ultra Beast. But that technicality could be considered almost a non-issue in a way, while making everything so much more complicated in another. The information we have suggests that the UB is a parasite that feeds on people and Pokemon. Sasha isn't entirely convinced that its the people and Pokemon, so much as aura or energy.

The following is based on testimony by Sasha herself. She's witnessed a Nihilego fuse with somebody once before. They'll latch onto the head and upper torso of a (victim? Likely if theories are correct.) Then drawing on the energy or most likely the aura of that person, Nihilego changes. It's body becoming dark and growing a plethora of crystals on its body. Sasha has theorized that the crystals are in fact what is known as Z-Crystals. They're of a similar shape and size, and the multiple colors match with known crystals.

The implications of this are disturbing at best. Are we drawing on what are essentially condensed and concentrated remains of the aura of people and Pokemon for power in fights? How do the people of Alola come by these crystals? Are they being manufactured? The only thing stopping me from investigating these theories is that Sasha isn't positive. There's never been a chance to confirm and honestly, I'll do a lot for science, but become an alien entity's dinner doesn't sound all that appealing. Though Sasha doesn't seem to have the same reservations. She requested a spare energy reader be sent to Oreburgh for us when he finally gets a lighter model.

Another major thing to note is Nil's personality. Aether Foundation research claims that Nihilego operate on instinct and self-preservation. During our first encounter this seemed true, she was essentially a mindless beast. "The words she spoke were more like a concept and a feeling so alien and strong that in the moment I could only process it in one way," Sasha's words. There has been debate as to whether the name Nihilego is a reference to 'the absence of ego', or the self. Things seem to be more complicated than this however.

Nil has taken on some of the personality traits of what one could claim to be a very young girl. There is also an incident of a Shiny Nihilego saving a man's life then staying with him as his daughter for years. She had the ability and more importantly, desire, to be seen as a human child. Our current theory is that the more people Nil comes into contact with, and the more time she spends with us, that she will continue to develop into a perhaps a full on human sentience.

This is all very fascinating and I look forward to witnessing the future of this new discovery. See Research Journal 1 – UB for more in-depth notes.

A/N: Quick Meta note: For those who haven't cottoned on quite yet, the parenthesized parts of the chapter titles are song names. Most I've felt have been pretty clear on the bands just by song popularity, but I suppose that's a little silly. So far we've seen Fall Out Boy, Shinedown,Three Days Grace and Starset. It's honestly one of the funnest parts, finding songs that suit the feeling of each chapter. I've discovered plenty wonderful songs and new music so far.

About the chapter itself, I hope you enjoyed! I hope that I present my logic well enough from here on out. There's a lot of fun to be had with Ultra Beasts, and Nihilego in particular. It's definitely an avenue that I hope you enjoy exploring with me. I don't know how original my take is, but I think it's quite fun either way. As far as the meeting goes, I hope that it feels solid. I'm not a business person, so I can only try and guess at what feels right. Anyway, with that all said, see y'all next week!