Alola, everyone! We're back for back-to-back chapters of "The Challenge of a Lifetime", with the final arc in full swing! Right now, our heroes are working as a UB Task Force, corralling the Ultra Beasts rampaging about Alola. They've currently taken care of a Nihilego, along with a Buzzwole and two Pheromosa!

So now, it's about time for a little break for the group! Hope you enjoy the chapter, folks!

POKÉMON SUN & MOON

THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME

"So good…!" Erika moaned out in between slurps of her ramen noodles. In the wake of her and her friends' success in capturing the Ultra Beasts, Looker had gone ahead to bring them to a restaurant in Hau'oli's shopping center, allowing them to nourish themselves back to full strength. The same applied to their respective Pokémon, with Toucannon, Skarmory, Raichu, Decidueye, Noivern, Oricorio, Drifblim, Palossand, Primarina, Gigas, Sona, Kimiko, Starlight, Mudsdale and Blaziken chowing away on their bowls of food.

"It's good to see that you all have such strong appetites," the International Police member pointed out with a smile as the group sat at the counter.

"Thanks for the food, Mister Looker," Calvin said gratefully, "I feel bad that you're the one paying for all of it, though…" he admitted.

"Think nothing of it, Calvin," Looker assured in response to his surprise, "You and your friends deserve a reward for all of your hard work today," he mentioned.

"I've been wondering…" Hau chimed in as he swallowed his noodles, "Where's Miss Anabel at?" he inquired curiously.

"I think she went to make sure the Ultra Beasts were secured, right?" Pyrrha presumed in reply as she took a sip of water from a glass.

"So she must've gone back to Aether Paradise then…" Paige realized.

"Apologies for the wait, everyone," the chief's voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw her approach, "I had to make sure that Wicke and those of the Aether Foundation were filled in on the details of the Ultra Beasts and their capabilities," she explained, taking a seat next to Calvin, "I'm grateful for things such as Ride Pokémon," she mentioned with a chuckle.

"You're doing alright, chief?" Looker asked of her.

"Yes, I'm fine," she assured, "It's good to see that the six of you are doing well after today," she pointed out to the former trial-goers.

"Yeah, we're super pumped!" Hau exclaimed.

"Stopping those Ultra Beasts really felt awesome," Trent admitted, "We were real heroes…" he noted aloud.

"But we've still got others to deal with, right?" Paige inquired while slurping her noodles.

"Unfortunately, that is the case," Anabel confirmed in reply, "Rumors are circling around Akala, Ula'ula, and Poni," she listed off to the group, "Not to mention…" she continued as she glanced over to Calvin, "there was that box you found," she pointed out.

"Box?" Erika repeated in confusion. A moment later, she and the others took a look at the mysterious black object lying on the floor.

"Oh yeah, that thing you picked up after we caught Buzzwole…" Hau remembered.

"What is it?" Trent wondered aloud, while Rotom floated about, taking pictures as its camera flash went off.

"We're not certain just yet…" Anabel answered, "I was hoping we could get this taken over to Aether Paradise, but it's late," she pointed out, "We should get you all back home before another report comes up," she advised of the former trial-goers.

"Right," Looker agreed, "I'll see to it that the Ketchum twins get back safely and—"

"Actually, I'll take them this time," Anabel decided, interjecting her subordinate as he blinked in surprise, "I feel like I'd be delaying the inevitable if I didn't go see Ash once during this ordeal…" she confessed, finishing her water before heading for the doors, "Come on, you two," she beckoned to Calvin and Erika, who blinked in surprise as they looked to each other. After returning their respective Pokémon to their Poké Balls in beams of red light, they followed after the former Frontier Brain. The capped boy of the two carried the mysterious box in his arms, wondering just what secrets it held…

OPENING

Insert "Acacia" by BUMP OF CHICKEN

Opens with sparkles over a black screen before we catch a glimpse of Calvin and Erika. The two of them are walking down a set of old railroad tracks together. As they continue, they're followed by Litten, Popplio, Yungoos, Rockruff, Pikipek, Oricorio, Fomantis, Dewpider, Drifloon, Cubone, Magby, Bounsweet, Sandygast, Poliwag, Starbright as a Cleffa, Togedemaru, Sandshrew, Mimi, and Jangmo-o. Those of their Pokémon that can evolve do in flashes of light, hurrying after their trainers.

We get shots of the Ketchum twins during their various adventures, meeting their first Pokémon, going to the local school, taking part in the island challenge, and meeting all sorts of people. We pass by Ilima, Lana, Kiawe, Mallow, Sophocles, Acerola, and Mina, finishing with Ryuki shredding his guitar as his Kommo-o chimes his scales behind him. We also see Hala, Olivia, Nanu, and Hapu, each at their respective islands of Alola.

The opening continues with Calvin and Erika helping each other out, climbing mountains, traversing rivers, and crossing bridges as they keep on their path. All of a sudden, an Ultra Wormhole opens in front of them, much to their shock. A Nihilego pops out, attempting to ensnare them with its tentacles. However, it's knocked away by a Mudsdale, belonging to Paige as she shoots the twins a wink. They're joined by Hau, Pyrrha, and Trent, sending out their Pokémon to do battle as more Ultra Beasts pour out.

Nihilego fires off a Venoshock, which Trent's Skarmory blocks before Erika's Starbright strikes it back with a Meteor Mash. A Buzzwole blows Calvin's Incineroar and Paige's Electivire, only to suddenly get bombarded by Acrobatics from Pyrrha's Starlight. A Pheromosa kicks Hau's Raichu back, but he counters by having the Alolan Mouse Pokémon pull off the Stoked Sparksurfer Z-Move, which zaps the Ultra Beast fiercely.

We cut to a shot of Looker and Anabel together, who wave to the group of young trainers. We also get to see the members of the Ultra Recon Squad: Phyco, Soliera, Dulse, and Zossie, each with a Poipole as a partner. One of them flies about around Erika, playing with her Jangmo-o as she giggles.

Afterward, we see Calvin investigating a mysterious box he found, narrowing his eyes curiously. His Incineroar taps him on the shoulder, enticing him to turn around and gasp at the multitude of Meltan roaming about. His Tsareena picks one of them up, nuzzling her head against it lovingly.

We then watch Erika command her Primarina against Leslie's Serperior, as the two Pokémon whisk about each other before unleashing their respective attacks. Witnessing the battle from afar with sparkles in her eyes is Nemona, who clenches her fists determinedly. Meanwhile, Calvin approaches a large tree at Poni Island, only to meet Leon and Sonia. The former's black Charizard huffs as he steps forward, making the Ketchum boy smirk nervously.

The song winds down, with the twins heading on the path back to their vacation home. There, Pikachu calls out to them as Ash and Mirajane smile, waving happily. Calvin and Erika head back inside for the night, ready to head off for the next journey. As he's about to follow them, Pikachu takes notice of a red, crocodile-like Pokémon waddling by, sneezing a puff of fire.

END OPENING

Meet the Meltan!

Back at the Ketchum vacation home, Mirajane was rinsing off soapy dishes at the kitchen sink, while her husband and their eldest daughter were watching a movie on TV, with Pikachu sleeping alongside them. The take-over wizard smiled, finishing the dishes as she dried them off with a towel. Just then, the door opened, getting her attention.

"Hey~!" Erika sang in greeting as she entered with a wave, causing Ash and Leslie to perk up as they looked over, "We stopped some Ultra Beasts!" she confirmed excitedly.

"Whoa, already?" her older sister said in surprise.

"Heh," the Pokémon Master chuckled, "Should've known it wouldn't be a problem for you two," he remarked proudly.

"Well, it wasn't that easy…" Erika sheepishly admitted, rubbing the back of her head. Her father laughed again, but then blinked in surprise upon noticing Anabel enter alongside his son. She took notice of him as well.

"Hello, Ash," she greeted kindly with a little smile.

"Anabel…" the Pokémon Master uttered out.

"Pikah!" Pikachu squeaked as he shot up to his feet, hopping over the back of the couch before running over to leap into the former Frontier Brain's arms, making her laugh.

"Hi there, Pikachu!" she greeted, "Seems you're doing well, too," she commented.

"Peekah!" the Mouse Pokémon responded with a nod.

"Dad, you know who that is?" Leslie inquired of her father, who stood from his seat.

"Yeah…" he replied, "I battled her back in the day when going through the Battle Frontier," he told her, making her blink in surprise.

"That's right," Anabel confirmed as she nodded, "It's been a long time since then," she pointed out.

"Yeah… like twenty years…" Ash mentioned, much to his children's shock.

"So you're Anabel, hm?" Mirajane chimed in, getting the police chief's attention as she approached.

"You must be Ash's wife…" she realized, bowing her head to her as Pikachu hopped out from her arms, "Thank you for letting me recruit your children for this endeavor," she said gratefully, "They've been a great help," she affirmed. The take-over wizard giggled.

"I'm glad to hear it!" she exclaimed.

"Hey, what's with the box?" Leslie asked, having taken notice of the object in her brother's hands.

"He found it in the aftermath of the battle against the Ultra Beast at Melemele Meadow, zzt!" Rotom answered as it floated over, "We're taking it to the Aether Foundation tomorrow for an analysizzz," it mentioned.

"It doesn't seem like an ordinary box…" Ash pointed out as he approached, looking curiously at the object.

"Peekah…" Pikachu squeaked as he tilted his head.

"Now that I think about it, Professor Oak's supposed to be coming down to Alola tomorrow," Mirajane noted in remembrance, "Would you mind if we let him take a look at the box before it goes to Aether Paradise?" she requested of Anabel.

"I don't see why not," she answered with a smile, "Calvin, I'll let you hold onto it for tonight," she decided, catching the Ketchum boy's attention.

"R-Right!" he stuttered in response as he nodded, "I'll keep it safe," he promised. A while later, he and his twin sister were dressed in their pajamas, getting ready for bed. Rotom was docked in a nearby charger, snoozing contently.

"You think that box could be related to the Ultra Beasts?" Erika wondered, sitting down on her bed.

"Who knows…" her brother responded, setting the box onto his dresser, "It doesn't feel all that heavy…" he pointed out with an arched eyebrow.

"Maybe there's nothing in it…" his twin sister suggested as she lied down on the plush surface of her bed, letting out a yawn. Calvin hummed curiously, grabbing the box's lid. Slowly, he pulled it off. Sure enough, there was nothing inside. However, his nose twitched.

"It… smells…" he noted aloud, making Erika perk up.

"Wait, you opened it?" she questioned, hopping off of her bed and approaching the dresser. She sniffed as well. "Whoa, what is that?" she inquired on.

"I don't know…" her brother responded, "But… it's like I'm tasting metal…" he admitted, "Bleh…" he uttered with disgust.

"Well, close the darn thing…" Erika muttered, "We don't need that in our room…" she pointed out.

"Right, right…" Calvin repeated in understanding, putting the lid back onto the box. He and his twin sister went to bed soon after, sleeping soundly. Meanwhile, Anabel was still in the kitchen, enjoying a small cup of tea Mirajane had gotten her.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, making the take-over wizard smile.

"So… you're the chief of the International Police…" Ash commented, sitting beside the former Frontier Brain at the kitchen counter.

"A chief," she corrected in response as she chuckled, "Started about ten years ago," she mentioned, "Right after your daughter ended up as a Champion Master," she added on.

"I'm surprised you retired from the Battle Tower…" the Pokémon Master admitted. For a brief moment, Anabel tensed up.

"I… didn't exactly retire…" she confirmed to his surprise, "There's… a big reason I was put on this task in the first place," she noted, "Something that no one else but Looker and a few other higher-ups know about…" she mentioned further.

"Wh-What do you mean?" Ash stuttered in question. Before the former Frontier Brain could answer, she suddenly heard a ping in her ear, enticing her to touch her communicator.

"Hello?" she said in greeting, "Right, of course," she responded after a moment, "I'll be right there," she promised, ending the communication, "I'm so sorry, I have to go," she apologized to Ash and Mirajane, "More rumors about Ultra Beasts around the other islands are popping up," she pointed out as she got up from her seat.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" the take-over wizard asked of her.

"Help keep the islands' people safe," she advised in reply, "I know you can do that," she affirmed with a smile.

"It was great seeing you, Anabel," Ash said, making her blink in surprise before she blushed, looking away cutely.

"It was good seeing you, too," she responded, walking off and heading out of the house without another word.

"Well…" Mirajane uttered after the door shut, causing her husband to look over at her, "It seems like you forgot to mention there was another girl crushing on you back in the day…" she pointed out. Ash blinked twice.

"Wh-What?!" he stammered out in shock, looking back at the door. His wife giggled.

"I mean, it seemed pretty obvious…" she noted, much to the embarrassment of the Pokémon Master as he lowered his head with shame.

X

A flock of Wingull squawked as they glided over the Ketchum household the next morning. Erika was snoring loudly as she was sprawled out upon her bed, with the covers strewn about. Her brother slept more soundly, but his eyes twitched as he heard clattering nearby. He yawned as he awoke, stretching his arms. He looked over to his left… and widened his eyes.

Throughout the entire room were small Pokémon with a silvery bodies of liquid metal. Their heads were hard and resembled golden hexagonal nuts, with a small black sphere floating inside each. This sphere seemed to serve as their eyes. They had red tails that resembled electrical wires with two tiny protrusions at the end. All of them were wandering about, seemingly in search of something. Calvin noticed a few were upon the door, with their bodies appearing to absorb the metal hinges and the doorknob. It fell over in a loud thud, startling Erika awake as she yelped.

"What the…?!" she exclaimed, only to take notice of the small Pokémon all around the room, "Wh-Where'd these things come from?!" she questioned aloud with a stutter.

"I-I don't know!" her brother stammered out. He then noticed that a few of the Pokémon were heading out of the room. "Uh oh…" he uttered, quickly getting out of bed and hurrying off after them. Erika was about to follow until she noticed a trio of the Pokémon around Rotom, about to engulf him as well.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" she shrieked, quickly going over to yank the Pokédex away in time, "What the heck are these guys?!" she wondered in panic, "Hey Rotodex, wake up!" she insisted of Rotom as she shook it frantically, "You need to do your thing and tell me what these guys are!" she pointed out.

"Huh?" the Pokédex uttered as it finally awoke, only for its eyes to jolt open at the horde of mysterious Pokémon, "BZZzzzttTTttt?!" it buzzed out. In the house's living room, Calvin was hurriedly looking around for the other Pokémon that had escaped. He found them gathered in the kitchen, seeing their bodies ingesting pieces of metal pots and pans.

"Ah!" he gasped, running over and snatching them up in his arms. However, they easily broke free of his grasp, continuing to roam about and look for anything metallic. "Oh man…" the Ketchum boy grumbled with a grimace.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Leslie's voice shrieked, causing him to yelp. His older sister's door slammed open as she rushed out with unkempt hair, turning around. In her room, a few of the small Pokémon were wandering about, contently ingesting anything metallic they could find. The Champion Master glared at her brother, who flinched.

"Calvin…" she growled out, "What did you do…?" she questioned of him.

"N-N-Nothing!" he stammered out with his hands held forward in surrender.

"What in the world is going on here?!" Mirajane exclaimed as she and Ash ran in, with Pikachu perched on the latter's shoulder. They all widened their eyes to find the small Pokémon wandering about the kitchen.

"Mom! Dad!" Calvin exclaimed, "I swear, I don't know where these guys came from!" he affirmed as he clapped his hands together. The small Pokémon were ingesting silverware, knives, and practically anything that shined. Erika ran into the kitchen with Rotom to follow.

"Does Rotom know what these are?!" Leslie inquired immediately.

"No, zzt…" it buzzed it response to everyone's surprise, "I've got no data on what kind of Pokémon we're dealing with…" it told them. The family grimaced, looking around at the chaos that the small Pokémon had created.

"Let's get them out of the house first!" Mirajane insisted, "Leslie!" she called out to her eldest daughter.

"Right!" she responded, readying a Poké Ball in her right hand like her mother. Blue bursts of light appeared, forming upon the floor and dissipating to reveal both Lucarus and Mirajane's Gengar.

"Use Psychic!" their trainers instructed. The eyes of both Pokémon glowed pink as they concentrated intensely. Each of the small Pokémon around the house were suddenly outlined in the same glow, being psychically pulled away from wherever they were and floated up above the group.

"Okay, now what?" Erika asked.

"Let's take them outside and see if there's a way we can keep them from getting back in the house," Mirajane advised of the family, "It seems like these Pokémon like metal, so…" she continued.

"I think there's a box of unused bolts and nuts in the garage I could give them," Ash confirmed, heading off with Pikachu, "See if there's anything else we can use," he insisted of the others.

"We should find out if there was something that lured them in…" Leslie added as a suggestion.

"Lured?" her little sister repeated, only to blink in realization as she remembered her brother opening the mysterious box last night. She glanced over at him skeptically. He grimaced.

"Uh…" he uttered, getting his mother and older sister's attentions, "I… think I might know what happened…" he confessed ashamedly as he lowered his head. Moments later, the small Pokémon were all gathered together outside, happily ingesting the nuts and bolts provided to them from Ash. In the meantime, the whole family had gotten themselves dressed for the day, with Calvin having brought out the black box he found.

"So you said there was some kind of scent coming from the box?" Leslie inquired of her brother.

"Yeah…" he responded, "We didn't really smell anything, though…" he pointed out.

"But it felt like we could taste… metal…" Erika recalled, sticking her tongue out with disgust.

"So it must've been like a pheromone that attracted these little guys…" Leslie assumed, putting her left hand onto her chin, "Well, should we ditch the box somewhere else?" she inquired of her family.

"I don't think that'll work…" her mother admitted, "We've already given plenty of the things they'd want…" she pointed out.

"And no doubt they'll get hungry for more later…" Ash added, "I'm gonna head down to the shopping center and pick up some more stuff for them to snack on if they need it," he decided, "Let's go, Pikachu," he beckoned to his partner before hurrying off.

"Pikah!" the Mouse Pokémon responded, running after his trainer.

"Huh…" Mirajane sighed, "I have to go see what things we need to get replaced…" she pointed out, turning around to head back into the house, "Can you three keep an eye on these little ones?" she requested of her children.

"Yeah, sure," Erika responded, while her siblings nodded.

"We should make sure that all of them are here," Leslie insisted of the twins, pulling out a Poké Ball and enlarging it before tossing it forward. It popped open, with its light shaping into form and dissipating to reveal Garchon.

"Gah!" he exclaimed as sparkles came off of his body.

"Garchon, can you look around the house and see if you can find any more of these little guys?" she requested of him, gesturing to the group of small Pokémon. Her Garchomp nodded, walking about the household's exterior.

"We should help look, too," Erika insisted of her brother, reaching down to her belt and pulling off her six Poké Balls. She threw them up, letting them pop open. Their lights formed upon the ground, dissipating to reveal Primarina, Starbright, Lurantis, Magmortar, Sandslash, and Jangmo-o, who all let out their cries of greeting. "Can you guys help look for any more of these Pokémon?" she inquired of them, gesturing to the group of small Pokémon still munching away on the metal bolts and nuts.

"Mah!" the Soloist Pokémon responded with a nod. Calvin also brought out Incineroar, Togedemaru, Mimi, Araquanid, Marowak, and Tsareena, having them search the house themselves. Fortunately, there didn't appear to be any more of the metallic Pokémon roaming about, as the rest of them were still ingesting the nuts and bolts they'd been given.

"Sah…" the Fruit Pokémon exhaled, leaning up against the house out of boredom. She wasn't motivated to keep searching as it didn't look like there were any of the small creatures scurrying about and causing mischief. However, she was suddenly hit atop the head by something, causing her to yelp with pain. She rubbed her aching cranium before noticing the seemingly melted piece of metal on the lawn grass. Blinking twice, she looked up to spot one of the small Pokémon upon the roof, happily ingesting the metal of the weather vane.

Tsareena sighed, hopping up onto the roof. She carefully approached the little creature, who was just shorter than she was as a Bounsweet. However, she didn't realize that she wasn't the only one with eyes on it. A flock of Murkrow were soaring by, catching the glint of the small Pokémon's shiny head. They all flew down, cawing excitedly. Overhearing, the Fruit Pokémon took notice of them, realizing that their sights were set on the mysterious creature. She quickly hopped over, swinging her right leg out as it glowed a bright green. Two of the Darkness Pokémon were kicked, while others flocked about her, trying to attack. One of them went ahead and snatched the small Pokémon in his beak, flying off with it as it screeched with fright. Tsareena noticed and gasped.

"Reee…" she growled out. A multicolored energy field expanded from her body, knocking away each of the Murkrow still attacking her. She then leapt after the one fleeing with the small Pokémon in its grasp. Her right leg glowed a bright green as she swung it out, striking the Darkness Pokémon squarely in the back, forcing it to drop the mysterious creature as it fell towards the ground. However, Tsarenna was quick to somersault down and catch it, landing safely back on the lawn with it in her digit-less hands. "Sah…" she exhaled with relief.

"Tsareena!" her trainer called out, getting her attention as she saw him, Erika, and Leslie running over, "Are you okay?" he asked immediately.

"We saw you fighting those Murkrow…" his twin sister pointed out.

"Sah, sah ree…" Tsareena responded, holding the small Pokémon in her hands for them to see.

"Guess there was still one wandering about…" Leslie realized. The mysterious creature turned to its rescuer, seemingly staring at her in awe. She blinked out of confusion.

"Sah…?" she uttered out. All of a sudden, the small Pokémon lunged up and latched onto her head, spinning its head while screeching with delight against her, making her wince. She pried it away, glaring angrily. "Sah…" she growled, causing it to whimper.

"Hey, don't be mean…" Erika insisted, "It's just happy that you saved it," she pointed out. The mysterious creature nodded its head, looking back at the Fruit Pokémon, who blushed a little in embarrassment. The way it was acting reminded her of when Araquanid would always dote on her, even after her evolutions. She sighed again.

"Okay, so that's all of them," Leslie noted, "Now we just need to wait for Professor Oak," she concluded with her hands at her hips.

"Ah!" a voice yelped, getting their attentions as they looked over to see none other than the professor himself trying to carefully maneuver himself away from the group of small Pokémon attracted to the metal clasp of his satchel. Luckily, Incineroar hopped down in front of him, growling at the little creatures. They screeched with fright, moving away. "Huh…" Oak sighed with relief, "Thank you for that…" he said with gratitude.

"Rawrr!" the Heel Pokémon responded as she smiled.

"Professor!" Leslie called out as she and her twin siblings ran over, getting his attention.

"Ah, hello!" he greeted as they approached, "I see you've already made some new friends…" he commented as he looked over at the group of mysterious creatures, "Why don't we head down to the beach to talk a bit more about them?" he suggested of the trio, "And make sure to bring that box with you, too," he advised on, much to their surprise.

"How did you…?" Calvin started to ask, only to watch as the professor started to head off for the beach.

"Come along, everyone!" he beckoned as he waved. Calvin, Erika and Leslie exchanged looks with each other, making sure to grab their things before heading off after Samuel.

X

"Meltan?" Erika said a while later, as the group was gathered inside Kukui's house, with the older of the two professors seated at a desk while on the computer, showing the Ketchum children images of the mysterious creature upon the screen.

"Yes, that's what they're called," Oak confirmed, "That box you opened acts as a lure for the Meltan, emitting an incense we can't smell," he explained to the trio, while Kukui and Burnet were feeding the other small Pokémon nuts and bolts, "Although, I'm sure you could taste something metallic, yes?" he assumed of Calvin, Erika, and Leslie.

"Yeah, that's right," the former of the three answered, "But… I only had the box open for a few seconds…" he pointed out.

"Unfortunately, that's more than enough time for the Meltan to be attracted to the incense," Oak told him in reply, "Ancient findings have shown that wherever that mysterious box is present, Meltan are sure to follow," he explained further, "Their bodies are made up of molten steel, letting them corrode metal and ingest it so that they may grow," he mentioned on, "Eventually, one of them will become strong enough for its brethren to combine with it, so that it may evolve," he finished thoroughly.

"Evolve?" Erika repeated in surprise.

"What do you mean by combine, zzt?" Rotom buzzed as a question. Meanwhile, Tsareena was helping feed the Hex Nut Pokémon some metal nuts, much to its content as it let out a small hiccup. The Fruit Pokémon giggled, while her trainer looked over and smiled.

"At any rate, it seems the best way to keep control over them is by keeping them well-fed with metal, along with making sure they don't cause a ruckus," Oak told the Ketchum children, "I've actually gone ahead and set up a space at the Pokémon School for myself, since I'm planning on being a guest instructor there," he mentioned as he turned off his computer, putting it away into his satchel before standing up, "I'll take the box and these Meltan off your hands," he promised.

"Oh, that'd be a big help…" Leslie affirmed in response.

"But what if they go crazy and start messing with the metal around the school?" Erika inquired out of concern.

"Not to worry!" Oak assured, "I'll be certain to keep them in line until the time comes where they decide to merge into its evolution," he promised of the Ketchum children as he grabbed his satchel, "Still, it may be a while before one in particular becomes strong enough for the others to merge with…" he noted as he rubbed his chin in thought, "Well, we'll cross that bridge eventually," he affirmed, grabbing the mysterious box and walking over to Kukui and Burnet, "Thanks for your help with taming these little ones," he said in gratitude to the married couple.

"No problem!" his fellow professor responded with a big grin.

"It's so interesting to see a group of mythical Pokémon like this…" his wife noted, "Perhaps we'll see their evolution someday," she inferred.

"I would hope so," Oak replied, "Alright, come along then," he beckoned to the Meltan, enticing them to follow him as he held a few metal nuts and bolts in his hand.

"Huh…" Leslie exhaled, "Well, guess that's that…" she concluded with relief.

"Yeah," her little sister agreed with a nod, while Calvin smiled. However, he noticed that the Meltan Tsareena was taking care of hadn't joined its brethren, still in her digit-less hands.

"Hey, Tsareena," her trainer called out, getting her attention, "The Meltan are heading off with Professor Oak now," he told her, "Let's let that little guy go with his buddies, okay?" he advised.

"Sah…?" she uttered in surprise, looking down at the Hex Nut Pokémon in her little hands, seeing it still being fixated on her. For some reason, she didn't want to let it go. She shut her eyes, shaking her head frantically while holding the Meltan close.

"Tsareena?" her trainer said out of confusion as he blinked.

"Is something wrong?" Oak inquired just as he had approached the door with the group of Meltan in tow.

"Uh, we've still got one who's here," Calvin answered, "Tsareena, come on…" he insisted of the Fruit Pokémon.

"Sah!" she huffed, turning away as she refused to hand over the Hex Nut Pokémon.

"Well, whaddaya know…" Leslie muttered out as she smiled, "Guess Tsareena got attached to the little guy after saving it…" she concluded.

"Still, it's dangerous to keep around…" Erika noted, "What if it eats up more of the metal in our house?" she wondered aloud.

"I'm sure you could handle taking care of one Meltan," Oak pointed out in reply, "In fact, it would be perfect if you could take one to raise for yourself as if it were one of your own Pokémon!" he mentioned excitedly to Calvin, who blinked in surprise, "That way, it could get strong enough to someday be the one to evolve!" he suggested. The Hex Nut Pokémon squeaked excitedly in response, nodding its head.

"Guess it wouldn't hurt to try," Leslie remarked to her little brother, who let out a chuckle.

"Okay then…" he uttered, taking out a Poké Ball and approaching the Meltan in his Tsareena's hands, "I hope you'll be okay sticking with me for a while, Meltan," he said to the Hex Nut Pokémon.

"Mel!" it squeaked in response. The Ketchum boy tapped its head with the Poké Ball, turning it into red light as the device opened up, allowing it to zip in before it closed up. Its button blinked a bright red before stopping with a click as the button turned green for a moment. The capped boy and the others laughed, glad that the situation had been resolved.

X

"Huh…" Anabel sighed from the hotel room that she and Looker were based out of, "I should've explained myself to Ash the other night…" she admitted as she leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling.

"It's probably for the best he doesn't know right now," her colleague confirmed in reply, "We wouldn't want him to risk getting involved when we don't know the capabilities of the other UBs," he mentioned thoroughly.

"I know," the former Frontier Brain responded, "I am surprised we haven't confirmed anything today on any UBs around Alola," she admitted with narrowed eyes, "Maybe the others somehow caught onto the ones we've captured…" she pointed out.

"Hmm…" Looker hummed curiously. Just then, his phone pinged. He immediately grabbed it and hit the answer icon. "Hello?" he said.

"Mister Looker!" Wicke's voice exclaimed from the device, causing him to blink in surprise.

"Wicke?" he uttered in surprise, while the Aether Foundation employee was just outside of the main building of the artificial island with a few other workers, who were all looking on in shock, "What's going on?" the International Police member inquired from her phone. She was trembling a little.

"An Ultra Wormhole just opened up above us…" she answered, causing Looker to gasp, "And… what came out of it was…" she continued, her eyes shaking. Looming just above her and the others was a large Pokémon resembling a skeletal, legless bat. It had a short snout, dark pink eyes with white centers, and a deep blue area on its upper head that showed a constantly changing starscape. A rigid raised hood wrapped around its head in a crescent shape and draped around its neck as well. The outside of the hood was yellow, while the inner part that curved around its head was white with deep blue streaks. Its torso resembled a ribcage with a slightly curved spike on each shoulder and three spikes extending from the bottom toward its tail. Its massive wings resembled a bat's wings with the skeleton exposed, except that its wings had a total of seven 'finger bones': four running through each wing, one running along the edge to the outermost tip, and two pointing upwards that appeared to act as claws that were more functional. The four 'bones' in its wings were only visible in segments. The skin of its wings was an iridescent deep blue and a light blue light source appeared to glow from behind its ribcage. A large, pale yellow crescent connected the outermost tip of each wing to the next two inner tips, and the remaining two innermost tips were adorned by yellow, four-pointed stars. The bottom of its tail was also lined by a yellow crescent with a ridge running up the middle of the tail towards the ribcage.

"Mahiiiiinnnaaaaaa!" it screeched out, causing those below to flinch.

"Wicke, is it another Ultra Beast?!" Looker inquired from the phone. Just then, four figures hopped down from the legendary Pokémon, landing in front of the Aether Foundation employees. The spectacled one blinked in shock.

"They're… people…?" she uttered out, seeing that the ones before her were all wearing white-and-dark teal bodysuits. Two were women, with one being slender and having blue hair, while the other had ginger hair tied in a braid which pokes out from underneath her helmet. The other two were men; one of whom had purplish hair with a twirled moustache and goatee, while the other was tall with wavy and long violet hair. Something unique about the four of them was that they all had blue skin. The one with the moustache stepped forward.

"Excuse me…" he began politely, "can you please escort us to whomever has been fighting against the Ultra Beasts?" he requested.

ENDING

Insert "Only Wanna Be With You" by Post Malone

Opens with Calvin and Erika traveling together along the dirt roads alongside their Pokémon. They arrive at a beach, setting up a space with their friends and family to have fun. Primarina, Araquanid and Poliwrath jump into the water, swimming about.

Erika wanders around the sand before coming across a Pyukumuku, curiously picking it up as Pyrrha and Trent approach. She squeezes the Sea Cucumber Pokémon, only for his organs to be spat out at her in the form of a fist, striking her in the face to everyone's shock. She winces, but decides to laugh it off.

Marowak trains with his enflamed bone, with Mimi mimicking him from behind. Incineroar, Tsareena and Gumshoos are playing with a beach ball. At one point, they accidentally knock it away, causing it to land onto the spikes of Sandslash, popping to their dismay. He blinks in confusion, unaware of what happened.

Calvin runs along the beach, being joined by a soaring Toucannon and a spinning Togedemaru. They come across an Alolan Exeggutor, who wags his head back and forth. Togedemaru accidently pricks his tail with his needle, angering him as he stomps after the trio, forcing them to run. Paige and Hau watch on, laughing heartily.

Lycanroc and Magmortar bask in the sunlight together. Lurantis tries to do the same, but is constantly getting a shade cast over her thanks to Drifblim. Even as she tries to get away, he still follows her, giggling all the while. Meanwhile, Starbright and Jangmo-o gather seashells along the shoreline, with the Scaly Pokémon hopping up and down like an excited puppy upon finding more.

Erika later builds a sandcastle with Palossand's likeness. He takes a look, getting so surprised that he accidentally knocks it over. His trainer sighs with a smile, patting him on his head. Calvin grabs himself a bottle of soda from a water cooler, only to find that the caps from each one of them are gone. He glances over and cracks a small smile at the Meltan attempting to get away, having ingested the bottle caps into its body. Tsareena picks it up in her hands, nuzzling against it affectionately.

Primarina and Erika splash water onto each other, giggling all the while. All of a sudden, blobs of blue paint splatter onto their faces as they blink in surprise. Erika sighs and smiles to see the Poipole floating about, spinning happily at its handiwork.

The song winds down, with the Ketchum twins watching the sun setting in the distance alongside their Pokémon. They look to each other and smile, happy that they went on the journey together.

END ENDING

Well, we got ourselves some new players in the game! It felt nice to have an easier chapter for this story, especially since I got what I wanted to done for it. Anyways, things are looking pretty good. I still can't believe that as of the time I'm writing this, Ash's journey is over… and Liko's has just begun. It's honestly surreal.

With all that said, thanks for reading, everyone! Here's a summary for what'll go down next week!

SUMMARY

A new Ultra Beast appears in the Lush Jungle known as UB-Lighting! Our heroes go to stop it, but find themselves almost immediately overwhelmed! But then… strange people arrive with Ultra Beasts of their own to help?!

Just who are these mysterious people?!

END SUMMARY

See you all next time!