So, I said at the end of the previous chapter that this arc would be known as the Skull Arc. That was wrong. It is actually called the Shadows Arc. I have edited the previous chapter to reflect this change, but just in case you didn't see it, I'm just notifying you here.
The plane to Alola was far larger than the one Marcus and Connie had taken to Viridian. It was also more expensive, but at this point all three members of the group had plenty of Pokedollars to pay for it. The rewards for the high monetary costs included in-flight meals, televisions on the backs of the seats, and a full-blown battle arena in the back of the plane, watched over by two Alakazams whose powerful Psychic barriers prevented any fighting from damaging the plane.
Surprisingly not many people were using this plane, and those that were seemed more interested in leaving their Pokemon at the back of the plane and watching League highlights on their seat television (Medicham could have sworn at one point she spotted Marcus and Calem's League batle playing on one of the screens), and as such most of the Pokemon area, including the battle arena, was unoccupied.
Naturally, Marcus, Connie, and Theo were quick to take advantage of this.
"All right," said Marcus. "I've got eight Pokemon on my team, and you two have...ten between you?"
Theo and Connie nodded.
"Okay...so we're going to pair up Pokemon from different Trainers," said Marcus. "You're going to get to know each other, and then, one at a time, you're going to go into the arena and practice fighting. Nothing too rough, but don't be afraid to land some hits. The plane has a free Potion dispenser for a reason."
Medicham watched as Marcus began to walk around, scanning the assembled Pokemon of all three teams, pairing Pokemon up as he went. As he called each pair, the named Pokemon glanced at each other and moved away from the pack, pair after pair heading over to unoccupied sections of wal.
Medicham knew it was silly to be nervous. After all, these were Pokemon she'd be expected to work with even if she wasn't actually part of Marcus's Gym Leader team. But it still made her apprehensive to possibly be paired with a total stranger.
"Houndoom, you're with Zweilous," Marcus called.
Houndoom glanced at the two-headed Dragon. One head glanced back; the other swiveled to look at a spot of nearby wall. Very few of the pairs had left at this point, and so there was no shortage of places to move to.
Houndoom obediently stepped over to the wall and sat down, Zweilous following. "So you're the pre-evolution of Hydreigon?" Houndoom asked.
From the expression on Zweilous's faces, Houndoom immediately realized that was the wrong question to ask.
"S…sorry," Houndoom said haltingly.
"S'all right," Zweilous growled. "Heard it before."
"So…" Houndoom said, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible, "how'd you meet Connie?"
"Lake of Outrage," Zweilous answered. "Caught me 'bout a year ago. How 'bout you?"
"I…well, I was…kinda part of Team Flare," Houndoom admitted, noting the change in Zweilous's expression as he spoke the words. "I wanted to leave, but I never found the courage until Marcus beat the Grunt using me. I followed him for a time, but eventually…" He swallowed, remembering the desperate, useless battle against that powerful Absol…Betrayer-Of-Kin, he'd heard her name was. "Eventually I worked up the courage to ask to join him, and thank Arceus, he agreed."
"If you wanted to leave," said Zweilous, "why join in the first place?"
Houndoom sighed. "When I was young," he said, "I was looked down upon. My family was looked down upon. My father had broken his leg in such a way that it could not heal, and so we were seen as weak. I grew up hating those who were strong. And when Team Flare came and offered me a chance to get back at those in power, I signed on. It took far too long for me to realize that I'd become the very thing I hated. That I was the one hurting those weaker than me now. I know…I know what I did was wrong. And sometimes I still have nightmares about those days. But…when I first joined, I really thought it was the right thing to do."
Zweilous nodded slowly. "I get it," he said. "Look - my species is known for evolving more slowly than other dragons. And I hear about it every day. Other Pokemon mock me for not being fully evolved. Sometimes it just feels so unfair. Sometimes I feel like lashing out at the world too. And sometimes those feelings become reality. It's part of life. The important thing is to remember the good parts of your life. You and me…from what I can tell, we both have really kind and patient Trainers. When it comes down to it…I'd much rather be a Zweilous with Connie than a Hydreigon without her."
"And I'm glad to have Marcus as my Trainer," said Houndoom.
Zweilous smiled with both his fanged mouths. "So," he said, gesturing with one of his heads to the empty battle arena. "Battle?"
Houndoom gave an honest smile back. "Sure."
"So you're Marcus's ghost," said Theo's Cacturne. "I didn't see you at the battle. Weak stomach?"
"My stomach is very strong," Trevenant retorted. "It's not about my stomach or anything like that. It's just…I don't like Weaviles."
Cacturne glanced over his shoulder towards Weavile, who was standing with Cloyster on the opposite side of the plane. "No offense," Trevenant added hastily. "I'm sure your friend's a really great guy."
"Yeah," said Cacturne, turning back towards Trevenant. "So…how do you fight?"
"By not letting my opponent fight," said Trevenant.
"Same here," said Cacturne. "My Ability's Sand Veil, which allows me to blend into sandstorms and become harder to see in them. Pretty situational, but when you can summon your own sandstorm it becomes a lot easier to use."
"Sounds like you'd be good with Connie's Tyranitar," Trevenant observed.
"Yeah, a Tyranitar would be a good teammate," Cacturne admitted. "Anyway, what's your Ability?"
"I…don't exactly have one yet," Trevenant admitted.
"Well, then, you'll probably get yours soon," said Cacturne. "I don't know much about your evolutionary line, so I have no idea what Abilities you could get. But I'm sure you don't want the surprise ruined."
"Of course not!" Trevenant cried, chuckling. "Of course not."
"I have to say," said Connie's Shiftry, "I haven't seen many be able to take down Theo's Cacturne one-on-one, so good job on that."
"Merci," said Liepard distractedly. She'd expected to be able to speak with Trevenant and Houndoom on this flight, and perhaps make another attempt to attract Drapion. Her eyes were focused on the latter now, off in a corner with Connie's Scrafty.
"Pickpocket."
It was as if an invisible hand forced Liepard's head sideways, necessitating her to shift her paws to avoid falling over. Her eyes were torn from Drapion to Shiftry, who was smirking.
"I assume that's your Ability," said Liepard.
"Yes," said Shiftry. "It allows me to steal things. Normally I use it on items, or on opposing attacks, but I've recently been working on using it to steal others' attention."
"So that you can prevent them from paying attention to your attacks?" Liepard asked.
"That's the theory," said Shiftry.
"Have you not considered using it to steal moves or Abilities?" LIepard asked.
"Oh, I've considered it," said Shiftry. "But that kind of thing is very different. Normally I can only steal tangible things. Even 'stealing your attention' is basically just forcing you to focus on me. Stealing something intangible, like a move or an Ability? That's Elite Four level, if not Champion, and I really am not there yet."
"Hmm," said Liepard. "Well, do me a favor, and please don't do that again."
"Fair enough," said Shiftry. "I'm fine just sitting here. There's a guy watching Brendan's second League win over there, and I don't mind watching."
The Grass/Dark-type fell silent. A pang of guilt crossed Liepard's mind, but she forced it back down as she turned back towards Drapion, watching his back carefully.
"How long ago did you hatch?" Tyranitar asked.
"Only…only a week ago," said Kamado nervously.
Tyranitar smiled. "It's always nice, watching a newly-hatched Pokemon see the world. The sense of wonder in their eyes…the complete innocence…sometimes it makes me long for the time when I was like that."
"What were you like?" Kamado asked.
"Just like you," said Tyranitar. "I wanted to make friends, wanted to see the world, and wanted to learn how to fight. People said I was something called a 'Pseudo-Legendary'. Said Connie was lucky to have me for a starter. And I wanted nothing more than to live up to that."
"I really want to learn how to fight too," said Kamado.
"I'm sure your Trainer will get some training in for you once we reach Alola," said Tyranitar.
Kamado sighed, picturing the training in his head. Anxiety filled his mind. Would he be able to do what his Trainer asked? What would Marcus say if he didn't?
"So, you know something?" Tyranitar asked. "If you're a Tyrunt, and I'm a Tyranitar…it really feels like we should be part of the same evolutionary line, doesn't it?"
"Tyrunt, Tyrantrum, Tyranitar." Kamado giggled. Tyranitar laughed heartily along with him, and the anxiety was thankfully banished from Kamado's mind in an instant.
"What do you suppose they're laughing about?" Theo's Mightyena asked.
"I couldn't tell you," said Medicham. "I have to say, I'm surprised Marcus paired those two."
"I'm not," said Mightyena. "I've met Tyranitar before. He's vicious in battle and highly protective of his team, but he's always had a soft spot for the young ones."
Medicham smiled at the sight of Kamado and Tyranitar laughing together.
"So, you're Marcus's Ace?" Mightyena asked.
"That I am," said Medicham.
"You excited?" Mightyena asked.
Medicham nodded. "Why wouldn't I be? Marcus wants this. I don't blame him. And I think he'll make a great Gym Leader."
Mightyena smiled, satisfied, but Medicham's mind was a whirlwind of worry. Sure, she was excited for Marcus to become a Gym Leader. But now that they were going to Alola, she knew she would have to face Seeker-Of-Endings. And not only that, but ensure Marcus recruited him, as per Bringer-Of-Visions' wishes.
She could not forget how he'd arranged for her memory to be altered after the Power Plant. Even though he was easily the nicest of the Heralds she'd met, devoted to Serena and intent on protecting Marcus, that memory still haunted her, and would every time she saw his face.
To say she was not looking forward to meeting him again was an understatement. But at the same time, she couldn't help but hope that he and Serena were doing well right now.
Seeker-Of-Endings couldn't help but feel nervous. On one hand, Aether Paradise was a part of the world he'd never gotten to see before, and part of him was awed at the sheer scale of the place. The fantastic architecture, the masses of greenery, and the sight of so many Pokemon being cared for were all so wondrous.
And yet Seeker-Of-Endings knew what the future held. That Lusamine was utilizing Type: Fulls for some purpose shrouded even from the Heralds. So as he beheld the unique visage of Lusamine stepping up to the group of Trainers, a dark-haired, older woman walking beside her, he could not help but gulp in apprehension and glance back at his Trainer. Just to make sure she was safe.
His eyes immediately fell on the teal-shirted Trainer standing near the front of the group. Elio somewhat reminded Seeker-Of-Endings of Calem, devoted to battle and intent on raising a strong team to crush all opposition. Thankfully, Elio was far more mellow than Calem had been; Seeker-Of-Endings could not see Elio swearing a vengeance-based rivalry on another Trainer like Calem had done with Marcus.
Beside Elio stood Hau, Elio's best friend and rival, a good-natured Trainer whose team was nonetheless capable of challenging the more focused Elio. Around them stood Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Serena, who had arrived on Akala Island a couple days ago. Tierno, of course, was preparing to meet Flying-type master Kahili, who from what Seeker-Of-Endings had heard lived on Melemele Island, but when Aether's head scientist, Faba, had arrived on Akala to offer the group a chance to tour Aether Paradise, the four friends had unanimously agreed to come along. Elio had been happy to allow them to come, thankfully.
All six were grinning excitedly. Seeker-Of-Endings couldn't blame them; for most, visiting Aether Paradise was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He had promised himself not to burden them with his own apprehension. As he looked back at Lusamine, though, he could not quiet the thrumming of his heart.
"You must be Elio's group," said Lusamine. "Welcome to Aether Paradise, the Aether Foundation's own private island. I am the president of the foundation. But please, just call me Lusamine. This," she indicated the dark-haired woman beside her, "is Wicke, assistant branch chief of Aether Paradise."
There was a chorus of "Hello, Lusamine," and "Hello, Wicke," from the group.
Lusamine cracked a hint of a smile. "I'm so glad that we got to meet. I'm glad there are people like you, who travel the islands to learn more about Pokemon. But there are also those unfortunate people who harm Pokemon for their own selfish reasons or even for profit."
Serena's eyes narrowed slightly, something that Lusamine clearly registered. "I know you have been forced to deal with such people firsthand," she said. "Team Flare, Team Skull…their actions cannot be excused in any way. The harm that they have caused represents a danger to this beautiful world."
Lusamine spread her arms wide, indicating the surrounding greenery. "And that is why I am here. As President of the Aether Foundation, I will ensure that the devastation caused by such selfish Trainers is repaired to the best of my ability. Look around you. All these Pokemon, endangered by the actions of foolish Trainers. I will be like a mother to all of these poor Pokemon and shower them with my love. Whether they hail from Alola, or elsewhere in the United Pokemon World, or even such far-flung regions as Almia and Orre, all here are worthy of my love."
"Wow!" Hau whispered to Elio, though his whisper was loud enough that everybody could hear it. "She's done so much for the world!"
"So," said Lusamine, "any questions?"
Tierno's hand flew up. "Is it true you were at Geosenge?"
Sighs came from the rest of the group, but Lusamine's smile grew broader. "Yes, it is true. After what Team Flare had done to the Pokemon of Kalos, I could not just sit idly by and watch as they achieved their desires. Some of the Pokemon in this very room were stolen by Team Flare, their homes and families lost forever."
"That's so sad," Shauna whispered. Seeker-Of-Endings barely hid a scoff; he knew Lusamine's true motive for coming to Geosenge had been to recover that Type: Full prototype. Had it not been there, she almost certainly would have refrained from taking part in the battle.
"How many Aether sanctuaries are there in the world?" Serena asked.
"A good question, child," said Lusamine. "The Aether Foundation has opened sanctuaries in all eight regions of the United Pokemon World. Cinnabar Island in Kanto-Johto, once home to Kantonian Gym Leader Blaine, is one of our finest new sanctuaries. Also among our most successful are our Sinnoan sanctuary, established in the former Team Galactic Headquarters in Veilstone City, and our Paldean sanctuary, established with the help of Professors Sada and Turo in the Great Crater of Paldea."
Elio glanced at Trevor. "Does Aether have a sanctuary in Kalos?" he whispered.
"Yes," Lusamine answered for Trevor. "It is smaller than others and not as widely known, but our Aether Foundation sanctuary in Lumiose still cares for nearly a hundred Pokemon of all types every day."
"I didn't even know Aether had a sanctuary in Lumiose," Trevor whispered to Shauna.
"Neither did I," Shauna responded. "Guess we just never saw it."
Hau raised his hand. "Um…how old are you?"
Serena, turned away from Hau and put a hand to her face, sighing in exasperation. The other Trainers in the group looked some degree of shocked, and Wicke's eyes narrowed at the question. Thankfully, Lusamine didn't seem offended by the question. "At this point…over 40."
"Wow, seriously?" Hau asked. "But…you don't look over 40!"
Lusamine chuckled softly. "It's all in the outfit," she said.
"Wow," Hau said again, turning to Elio. "I don't think anyone other than Lusamine could pull off that look, except maybe Lillie."
At the mention of that name, Lusamine's expression darkened for a second. That second was missed by everyone in the group, but Seeker-Of-Endings saw it clearly.
"If there are no more questions, I believe our tour is coming to an end," said Lusamine. "But…a word of advice. You are all but children. And this world can be dangerous for children. You all are quite capable, I can see that. Independence can be a strength. But it can also be a weakness. Do me a favor: when an adult gives you a piece of advice, do not throw it aside like a broken toy. Trust me - children would all be much happier if they'd only listen to the adults around-"
A loud explosion cut off Lusamine's words. The entire group staggered as the facility shook around them, as if an earthquake had suddenly struck. Seeker-Of-Endings immediately cast out his Future Sight, searching the near future for the cause of the quake.
But as he scanned the timelines branching from this moment, he saw…normalcy. Aether employees going about their day. The group leaving, chatting as if the earthquake had never happened.
Everything seemed perfectly normal. And yet every part of Seeker-Of-Endings' body was screaming at him to run. It was strange; with the gift of Future Sight, the Heralds had mainly stopped relying on their natural danger senses. But now Future Sight was coming up empty, and so Seeker-Of-Endings had to rely entirely on that natural ability.
Another two explosions sounded. Screams erupted from the surrounding greenery as Pokemon scattered, diving into burrows in an effort to find shelter. Lusamine at once turned to some nearby workers and Wicke. "You three, get down to the lower floors and secure the main lab! You two, evacuate Sanctuary Chambers 3, 4, and 5! Wicke, find the Ultra Rec-"
Another staggering explosion cut her off; Lusamine cried out as she was knocked off her feet. In an instant Elio had sent out a Pokemon. "Tsareena, grab her!"
"Strong Vine!" Tsareena lashed out with a powerful whiplike vine formed out of Grass energy, grasping Lusamine around the waist and preventing her from falling. Lusamine swiftly released one of her own Pokemon, a Clefable that at once waved its hand in the air, Psychically aiding Tsareena in steadying Lusamine.
A nearby worker, standing at the corner of the walkway to Seeker-Of-Endings' right, wasn't so lucky. He hit the ground hard with an ugly crack and instantly began screaming in pain. Wicke, who had managed to steady himself on the railing, at once began to run to the unlucky worker's aid.
"Thank you," Lusamine said breathlessly to Elio. Then she turned to Serena. "Your Absol. How much danger does it sense?"
Serena glanced at Seeker-Of-Endings. "I sense great danger," he said. "I do not know what is causing this danger, but whatever this is…it is not natural."
Even as Serena looked up at Lusamine to relay the information, a fourth explosion shook Aether Paradise. A bright light suddenly burst out from Seeker-Of-Endings' right, forcing him to look away lest he be blinded.
"What in Distortion is that?" he heard Elio whisper.
Slowly, Seeker-Of-Endings turned to see a massive glowing light in the sky, a circular light with a blue gridlike pattern, almost like an image generated by a Holocaster, surrounding it on all sides. The word portal instantly came to Seeker-Of-Endings' mind, and in that moment something began to emerge.
The thing that floated gently, almost serenely, from the portal was one of the strangest things Seeker-Of-Endings had ever seen. It looked almost like a white, eyeless Tentacruel, its tentacles arrayed almost like a dress. Large alternating light and dark gray stars formed a circle around its head, and the one part of it that wasn't some shade of gray or white was the hint of blue on the edges of the large frill emerging from its neck area.
And yet, despite its gentle appearance, the being radiated pure malice; despite its lack of eyes, Seeker-Of-Endings could somehow tell it was glaring at the group in front of it. Lusamine and the six teenagers, along with Seeker-Of-Endings, Elio's Tsareena, and Lusamine's Clefable, stood in a knot about fifty feet away from it; next to it knelt Wicke, who had been helping the fallen worker up. Both of them were now staring up at it with utter terror in their eyes.
The being slowly looked down at Wicke. "YOU WILL DO," it snarled, reaching out several tentacles towards the assistant branch chief.
"No!" Lusamine cried. "Clefable, Moonblast!"
But even as Clefable gathered Fairy energy in one hand, the creature fired a massive burst of glistening Poison energy straight at the knot of people. Clefable was forced to abandon the Moonblast in favor of a shimmering Protect. Despite the clear strength of Clefable, even the powerful Protect strained under the Poison-type attack, and beads of sweat formed on Clefable's forehead as she struggled to keep her barrier up.
Wicke screamed, a scream that was abruptly cut off as the mysterious being's tentacles grasped her, wrapping around her body. The creature rose into the air, carrying Wicke with it. As it rose, it lowered its massive head over Wicke's, and the white aspects of its body began to darken along with all of Wicke's previously-white clothing. The creature's tentacles grew in length and width, small fingerlike spines growing from the ends of four of the tentacles while single larger spikes grew from the other four. The domed head of the creature transformed as well, becoming more and more translucent, until Wicke's upper body could be seen suspended within the head, eyes as dark as her new body.
The injured worker turned and ran, screaming in horror, as the creature-Wicke fusion glared at the group. Seeker-Of-Endings at once cast out his Future Sight, searching for the probabilities of defeating this thing.
But the future, in all timelines, still showed complete and utter normalcy. Like this creature didn't even exist.
"W…Wicke?" Hau's voice was terrified.
The fusion's gaze shifted to Hau. "THERE IS NO WICKE," it growled. "ONLY NIHILEGO."
"Clefable, Psychic!" Lusamine cried.
With a cry of "Mental Slam!", Clefable unleashed a wave of Psychic energy at Nihilego as the others began to release their Pokemon. On this narrow walkway, not everyone could fit, but everyone in the group had at least one Pokemon who could fly, and ten Pokemon rose into the air from their Trainers' Pokeballs.
"ANCIENT WAVE," Nihilego snarled; the creature slammed two of its spike-tipped tentacles into the ground, and a wave of Rock energy erupted from the walkway, interspersing itself between the Mental Slam and Nihilego's body. The Psychic energy dissipated completely against the wave, but the wave kept going, surging towards the main body of Trainers with staggering speed.
Seeker-Of-Endings let fly with a Pursuit; other attacks flew from the group of Pokemon, a barrage of multicolored energy slamming into the oncoming Rock wall. Under the bombardment, the wave shattered, shards of Rock energy plunging onto the walkway and the surrounding trees. The walkway was sturdy enough to take the pummeling, but the surrounding greenery was flattened by the tumbling rocks.
All six of the Pokeballs on Wicke's belt flashed, and six powerful-looking Normal-type Pokemon emerged. A Bewear, a Snorlax, a Blissey, a Drampa, an Oranguru, and a Ditto landed on the walkway, eyes all as dark as Wicke's.
"DESTROY THEM!" Nihilego's shriek was deafening. All six Pokemon hurled themselves forwards. The Ditto leaped into the air, transforming into an Aerodactyl as it did so; the rest rushed the group on the ground, pounding across the metal walkway.
Seeker-Of-Endings lunged forwards to meet them, the fliers surrounding him and others at his heels. His horn flared with Dark energy as he slashed downwards, aiming for the lead Snorlax. But though the Snorlax clearly felt the blow, it didn't seem all that fazed, and it retaliated with a brutally powerful swing that nearly took Seeker-Of-Endings' head off.
The battle swiftly descended into confusion. Seeker-Of-Endings could see and hear brief snatches of specific fights. He saw Tierno's Oricorio, struck by a blade of Rock energy from the Aerodactyl-transformed Ditto, plunging into the trees with a shriek of pain; saw the Oranguru tossing Shauna's Togekiss at Elio's Tsareena; saw Hau's Noivern and Serena's Altaria flying wildly through the air as they tried to evade a Draco Meteor from the Drampa. Lusamine was shouting something into a wrist radio that Seeker-Of-Endings couldn't make out, while across the battlefield, Nihilego and Wicke laughed in perfect synchronicity, the two-tone sound absolutely terrifying as its tentacles waved. Blasts of Rock and Poison energy flew from its body and tentacles to deflect any attack that was sent at it.
Somehow worse than the laughter was the utter silence of Wicke's team as they struck at their opponents. It was terrifying how they fought, with no attack-calling or even grunts of effort, yet with speed and strength beyond what felt normal. Seeker-Of-Endings had no doubt that Wicke was a strong Trainer with a powerful team, but something just felt abnormal about these Pokemon's power levels.
Was Nihilego strengthening them as well as controlling them? It was the only logical explanation. Seeker-Of-Endings felt sweat beading on his forehead as he barely dodged another strike from the Snorlax. Glancing around, he could see that even at a massive numbers disadvantage, Wicke's controlled team were more than holding their own; he could see at least three Pokemon down, wounded or worse, and none of Wicke's team looked as if they'd sustained any more than a couple shallow wounds.
Continuing this fight would only lead to failure. Seeker-Of-Endings hurled himself forwards, dodging a stomp from the Snorlax. There was only one way this fight could be won; Nihilego's control over Wicke and her team had to somehow be disrupted.
Nihilego glanced at Seeker-Of-Endings. A shriek heralded the Aerodactyl-transformed Ditto hurling itself at him, but Seeker-Of-Endings quickly leaped sideways, activating Detect, and the Ditto plowed into the ground, talons shrieking on the metal. After it came Tierno's Hawlucha, fists primed with Fighting energy; the Ditto twisted and lunged at Tierno's Hawlucha and Seeker-Of-Endings continued to run towards Nihilego.
"Seeker!" Serena cried.
"YOU WOULD CHALLENGE ME?" Nihilego snarled. A burst of Poison energy flew from its body, but another Detect allowed Seeker-Of-Endings to evade it. Half a dozen Pursuit rays flew from his mouth at Nihilego, but the creature raised its massive tentacles, swatting the rays away.
A bellow of rage came from above as Trevor's Aerodactyl followed Seeker-Of-Endings' lead, hurling himself at Nihilego. "ANCIENT GRASP," Nihilego boomed, whipping one of its tentacles to the sky; a massive grasping tentacle formed of pure Rock energy burst out from Nihilego's body, wrapping around Aerodactyl's body and arresting his flight completely.
Seeker-Of-Endings leaped upwards, aiming his horn straight for Nihilego's bulbous head. "ANCIENT SLAM," Nihilego growled. Rock energy formed around Nihilego's head and it unexpectedly lunged straight at Seeker-Of-Endings. Midleap and without Detect, Seeker-Of-Endings could not dodge; all the breath flew from his body as Nihilego's Rock energy-covered head drove into his stomach, carrying him up into the air.
"I SUPPOSE YOU MAY BE OF USE." One of Nihilego's tentacles lashed out, wrapping around Seeker-Of-Endings; another grasped Trevor's immobilized Aerodactyl. At once the world disappeared, replaced by nothing but blackness. A voice came from the blackness, soothing, gentle, kind. Nihilego's voice, but without the distorted shrieking that partially masked it. "Seeker-Of-Endings," the voice said. "Your strength would be much better utilized serving me, would it not? Do me and yourself a favor. Cast off those chains of loyalty and lend me your strength in battle."
Seeker-Of-Endings growled in fury. Who did Nihilego think he was? Did this thing seriously believe Seeker-Of-Endings could be influenced in such a fashion? It was…it was…
It was true, wasn't it? Nihilego was right. There was no reason not to listen to Nihilego. Nihilego was his master. Nihilego gave him strength, gave him purpose.
No! What was he thinking? This thing was no master! He had a master, and-
Yes, his strength would be much better utilized serving Nihilego than his earlier Master. Seeker-Of-Endings relaxed, allowing Nihilego to caress his mind. "Good," said Nihilego. "Now, my new servant, let us bring ruin to-"
The voice was cut off by a torrent of two-tone shrieking; in a flash Seeker-Of-Endings was back in the real world. He saw sky and greenery and white metal and then he slammed into the ground. His side exploded with pain as a loud thump sounded beside him; a flash of grey rocklike skin told him the source of that noise was Trevor's Aerodactyl, who was worryingly not moving. Seeker-Of-Endings' entire body felt sore and sluggish, but the clouds darkening his mind were gone. What had he been thinking, turning his back on his Master, serving that thing?
Was that what had happened to Wicke? Had she been simply convinced to serve Nihilego? Clearly, the creature's capability for mental control was immense to have overwhelmed Seeker-Of-Endings so easily, while still maintaining control over Wicke and her entire team.
The loud, multi-throated shrieking was still erupting from behind Seeker-Of-Endings, and though he found himself unable to properly move his body he managed to turn his head. His eyes widened as he realized just why Nihilego had let him and Aerodactyl go; Nihilego was locked in combat with a creature that Seeker-Of-Endings recognized. Not from visual familiarity, but from Keeper-Of-Memories' descriptions of the Battle of Geosenge.
A Type: Full was clinging onto Nihilego in midair, biting and clawing at it furiously. Nihilego's tentacles were flailing wildly, blasts of energy flying everywhere, shattering windows and crushing greenery, but very few found their mark on Type: Full's body. From the silver highlights on Type: Full's body, it had shifted to Steel-type and was thus practically ignoring the Rock and Poison-type attacks that Nihilego was firing. With a groan of "Iron Head," Type: Full slammed the crown of its head into Nihilego's own domed head. A nasty crack sounded and Nihilego and Wicke shrieked even louder. The assistant branch chief was writhing in agony within Nihilego's black, translucent body, her legs kicking wildly.
"ANCIENT GRASP!" Nihilego summoned another massive tendril of Rock energy, grasping Type: Full around the middle tightly. Lusamine raised her voice. "Explosion, now!"
With an electronic moan that echoed Lusamine's order, Type: Full exploded in a burst of light and flames, shredding the rocky tendril and eliciting another agonized scream from both Nihilego and Wicke. Out of the flames spiraled Nihilego and Type: Full; the latter had apparently avoided the worst of the explosion by shifting to Ghost-type. Keeper-Of-Memories had mentioned that specific Ability, Seeker-Of-Endings remembered now.
Nihilego instantly reached out its tentacles, seeking to take advantage of the lack of Steel typing, but Type: Full was too quick for it. "RKS System: Steel Memory," it droned. Nihilego's tentacles were once again frustrated. "Multi-Attack."
This time Type: Full's beak lit up with Steel energy and it began to drive it into Nihilego's head again and again. Wicke's mouth was open larger than Seeker-Of-Endings would have thought possible, her piercing scream overpowering even Nihilego's.
"Dragon Pulse!" Two unfamiliar voices rose up even above the noise of the battle, and two more strange-looking Pokemon burst out of the trees. These two almost looked like gigantic purple Beedrills, just a body with a head on one end and a gigantic stinger on the other, and two purple wings with pink highlights extending from where a Beedrill's arms normally were. With growls of "STINGER BLAST!" both launched powerful streams of Dragon energy at Nihilego, blasting it away from Type: Full. Type: Full landed gracefully on the walkway as the two new arrivals rushed the reeling Nihilego.
Nihilego rounded on the new arrivals. Type: Full's assault had clearly done a number on it; a purple liquid that was most likely its blood was leaking from several parts of its head and tentacles, and two of its tentacles had been outright shredded by Type: Full's Explosion. But even so, it lashed out with its remaining tentacles. "ANCIENT WAVE!" it snarled, and another massive wave of Rock energy leaped out from Nihilego's body and towards its two opponents.
"Iron Tail!" cried another voice.
"METAL STINGER!" One of the Beedrill-esque creatures lunged straight at the wave, its stinger hardening with Steel energy. As it lunged, it began to spin, its stinger seeming to double, triple in length. With a snarl of effort, the strange creature slammed its now massive Metal Stinger into the Ancient Wave. An explosion resounded as the wave was ripped in two, its upper half flying into the trees, its lower half crumbling, halted by the strike.
Out of the explosion flew the second creature. "STINGER BLAST!" it growled. Nihilego's response was a blast of Poison energy that collided with the Stinger Blast in midair. "ANCIENT GRASP!" Nihilego snarled, reaching out with yet another tentacle of Rock energy at the second creature, but with insane speed it dodged out of the way and Nihilego's tentacle simply ripped into more of the trees.
"RKS System: Water Memory. Multi-Attack."
It was then that Type: Full reentered the fight; still on the walkway, highlights on its body dark blue, it launched a flurry of Water energy-formed shots at Nihilego. Completely unprepared and clearly overwhelmed, Nihilego could not put up a defense in time; half a dozen powerful Water-type blasts slammed into Nihilego, sending it flying straight into one of the massive glass panels that made up the walls and roof of the room. Both of the strange creatures followed up with more powerful Stinger Blasts. Glass shattered under Nihilego's body as it flew backwards through the glass, tentacles and Wicke's legs flailing as it tumbled through the air.
"RKS System: Flying Memory." Type: Full's highlights switched to a very light gray and it rose into the air to join its two allies.
Nihilego managed to recover, tentacles flaring in preparation to continue despite its wounds. But as it saw its three adversaries gathered before it, readying themselves for another strike, Nihilego stopped short. Slowly, it turned what might have been its eyes to look down past them. Following its gaze, Seeker-Of-Endings spotted two strangely-dressed figures. Clearly Trainers, judging by their size and shape, but both wore odd blue-and-white armor that obscured their entire bodies.
"AH…THERE YOU ARE," Nihilego snarled. "OH, NECROZMA WILL MOST CERTAINLY BE PLEASED."
All of a sudden, Nihilego let go of Wicke. In an instant its body shriveled back into its white-blue-gray first form. Wicke was clearly unconscious as she fell through the air. "Grab her!" Lusamine commanded, and Type: Full twisted and dove after Wicke, streaking through the air like a white bullet.
Another portal erupted into existence in the sky above, a portal that Nihilego at once made a dash for. "Take it down!" one of the armored Trainers commanded. Both of the Beedrill-esque creatures opened fire, but their Stinger Blasts either missed or were deflected by Rock and Poison energy-formed blasts.
Nihilego streaked into the portal, and with a horrific sucking sound the portal closed behind it, a last Stinger Blast flying through the air where it had been a second ago. "Damn it!" the second armored Trainer screamed in frustration.
Type: Full swooped back through the shattered glass pane, the still-unconscious Wicke on its back, and landed on the ground. At once, two Aether workers rushed over with a stretcher and began loading the assistant branch chief onto it. Seeker-Of-Endings once again tried to use Future Sight, and once again was frustrated. The armored Trainers and the Beedrill-like creatures were just like Nihilego; Seeker-Of-Endings simply could not see any of them in the possible futures.
The sound of faraway rotors disturbed Seeker-Of-Endings; the Absol looked up to see what were unmistakably news helicopters, at least three, already circling the building. He looked back at the group of Trainers and Pokemon behind him. Wicke's Pokemon were all unconscious; whether by battle damage or something else entirely, Seeker-Of-Endings had no idea. The Trainers were recalling their Pokemon, both conscious and unconscious, all with shocked and terrified faces. Lusamine was glaring up at the helicopters, her lips tight and her body language screaming tension. As Seeker-Of-Endings watched, she turned to the six teenagers beside her. "Two Aether employees will escort you out," she said shortly, her voice far more clipped than usual.
Wordlessly, Serena recalled Seeker-Of-Endings as the Aether employees in question stepped up to the group, one on each side. The group turned and began to walk away, leaving the devastated sanctuary behind them.
On the shores of Melemele island, the smoke rising from Aether Paradise was visible. A few Trainers could be seen on the beach or in the nearby water, pointing, lips spouting questions to one another as if any of them could possibly understand.
A creature peered out of the undergrowth, unseen and unheard. Some part of him yearned to leave, to investigate, to offer aid.
But no. That was not possible. Not for him.
The creature withdrew, completely unseen.
"Alola, and welcome to Akala Island," said the flight attendant as Marcus, Connie, and Theo exited the plane, bags in hands and Pokeballs on belts. "Please make sure no Pokemon or bags are left behind!"
From her Luxury Ball, Medicham looked around, taking in the sights. She could feel the warmth even in the ball, could see towering palm trees and plenty of kiosks. It was an incredibly nice day, with not a cloud in the sky.
The three Trainers quickly separated themselves from the crowd and moved over to a nearby corner. "Okay," said Theo, "we're on Alola. Now we just need to find Serena. And it's not like Alola's a small place."
Marcus nodded. "Really wish I had her number…ah, well, we'll have to make do. Kriesh, can you-"
"What's that?" Connie asked, pointing.
Theo, Marcus, and Medicham followed her gaze; indeed, other people had clearly seen the same thing too. A television screen nearby, the words LIVE FEED emblazoned on it in large red letters, was showing a plume of smoke rising from a building that seemed half white-colored architecture and half glass.
"Aether Paradise," Theo whispered. "What in Distortion…"
Several images quickly filled the screen, one after the other, showing shots of a massive battle. The group's eyes widened as they beheld a massive, black-colored Tentacruel-like creature what looked to be a dark-haired woman dangling from its bulbous head, fighting against several foes; shots from inside and outside showed a pair of purple creatures that seemed somewhat like living stingers and an odd creature that looked as if it had been cobbled together from several different Pokemon facing off against the Tentacruel-esque being, along with a large group of Pokemon and Trainers on the ground facing half a dozen Normal-type Pokemon in a desperate battle.
"That…that's Serena," said Marcus, pointing to the blonde girl on the left of one of the shots, mouth open in mid-shout.
Medicham only had eyes for Seeker-Of-Endings. It was unmistakably him, in one shot battling a Snorlax, in another lying on the walkway, possibly unconscious. A lump formed in her throat as the question that had to be pervading everyone's mind formed in hers.
Just what had happened in Aether Paradise?