Alola, everyone! We're down to the final five! Initially, the story was supposed to be 95 chapters, but it got extended to 100 after thinking about the content that could be covered. I'm definitely going to make certain these last five chapters are some of the best ones imaginable for you folks who've been reading since this story's conception years ago.
The last time we left off, we watched our heroes deal with even more Ultra Beasts that were causing all sorts of trouble. Now we've got ourselves quite the ordeal on our hands as another Ultra Wormhole's opened up around Poni Island. Just what kinds of beasts are bound to emerge from it?
Let's find out!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"I can't… believe it…" a flabbergasted Anabel uttered as she, Looker and Nanu stepped back nervously.
"Of all the beasts I heard about, none of 'em were like this one…" the Ula'ula kahuna noted aloud.
"It's power certainly exceeds that of the other Ultra Beasts we've encountered…" the International Police member admitted, "Does that mean it's the strongest of them all?!" he wondered aloud. Before the group was a massive, black Ultra Beast. Its main body was primarily spherical with a large, yellow mouth in the center. The top and bottom of the mouth were lined with two rows of teeth; the front row was yellow, while the rear row was black. In the second row of the upper jaw, two teeth curved out of the mouth similar to tusks. The inside of its mouth was a bright blue and its throat was lined with small spikes; its large black tongue was also lined with small spikes. Additional tongues resembling long arms with pincers protruded from its lower jaw even when its mouth was closed. Just above its mouth were two glowing, blue eyes with a yellow, diamond-shaped marking between them. Above each eye was a single, bat-like wing with yellow along the upper edge. There were other small bat-like wings down the sides of its body as well. On the underside of its body were three, fin-like projections that curved up towards its mouth.
Its body was supported by a pair of thick legs, which had yellow zigzag markings across the knees and three claws each. On top of its body was a small, conical head with a second, smaller pair of glowing blue eyes. Four short horns with yellow tips formed a ring around its head. On either side of its head was a larger, slightly curved horn also tipped in yellow. There was also a pair of arms on top of its body. Each arm had a hand with three yellow claws. A row of small spikes trailed down its back and along its tail. The tail itself extended from the center of its back and resembled a medieval mace.
It stomped forward toward the trio. What followed was it grabbing nearby rocks with its arm-like tongues, throwing them into its mouth to chew up and swallow. With a great deep inhale, it suddenly belched out purple rings of energy through a wave, striking each of the humans before it and knocking them over.
"What the…?!" Anabel grunted out.
"That was Belch…" Looker noted with a grimace as he grabbed his left shoulder.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" the Ultra Beast screeched, making a green, scale-patterned aura shroud its tail before swinging it towards the downed International Police members. However, a Krookodile suddenly appeared, catching the tail before it could strike them. Gasping in surprise, the former Frontier Brain looked over to see Nanu with an Ultra Ball in his right hand.
"Get a move on, why don'tcha'?" he advised of the pair as they stood up, "We're gonna need help if we wanna deal with this one…" he muttered.
"R-Right!" Anabel stuttered in agreement, hurrying off alongside Looker. In the meantime, the Ultra Beast started more rocks around the area.
"You're quite the glutton, huh?" Nanu assumed, "Krookodile, Outrage!" he commanded of the Intimidation Pokémon.
"Kroooohhhh!" he bellowed, making his eyes flash red as an aura flared to life around his body. He lunged out at the Ultra Beast, which inhaled deeply yet again before unleashing purple waves of energy from its mouth.
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
Stacked Against a Wall!
"What did you say it was?!" Phyco exclaimed in question while riding aboard Lunala with the rest of the Ultra Recon Squad members. Calvin, Erika, Hau, Paige, Pyrrha and Trent were also flying alongside them via their respective Pokémon, as they had just received a call from Anabel via Rotom, who projected her upon its screen
"It's an Ultra Beast that's eating everything in sight, likely to make itself stronger," she explained over the communication.
"We're trying to lead it away from the Seafolk Village!" Looker chimed in as he leaned over into the frame for a moment, "Thankfully, the only people it's encountered thus far are us and Nanu," he mentioned.
"Wait, Mister Nanu's there?!" Erika inquired in shock.
"Is he okay?!" Hau questioned out of concern.
"He stayed behind to hold off the Ultra Beast, so we don't know…" Anabel admitted in response, "In any case, we need you all here to help us corral this one," she affirmed seriously, "It's likely the strongest we've had to ever face…" she added in a grim tone.
"Sounds like they're up against Glutton," Zossie noted.
"Glutton?" Paige repeated in confusion.
"It's a terrifying beast for sure," Dulse noted aloud, "I doubt even a Poipole could stand a chance against it," he confessed, while his commander grimaced.
"Perhaps we should set a base of operations at this Seafolk Village first," Soliera suggested, "Then we can establish a plan of attack," she affirmed on.
"Agreed," her superior responded, "Young ones, take us to the village," he instructed of the former trial-goers.
"Y-Yes, sir!" Calvin stammered in response. It wasn't long before the group had arrived at the Wailord-themed restaurant of the village, venturing inside once they returned their respective Pokémon to their Poké Balls. As they entered, a pair of familiar faces approached them.
"Erika! Calvin!" Hapu cried out as she jogged over alongside Mina.
"Hapu!" the Ketchum girl exclaimed, "Are you guys okay?" she asked in concern.
"Yeah," the Poni kahuna confirmed as a reply with a nod.
"We were hearing all the ruckus off the coast a while ago," the trial captain chimed in, "Sounds like it's calmed down now, but…" she continued, only to stop upon noticing the Ultra Recon Squad members entering the building, "Uh…" she uttered in confusion.
"Oh, these guys are the Ultra Recon Squad!" Hau introduced, gesturing to the group, "They've been helping us out with finding the Ultra Beasts and catching them," he mentioned further.
"Greetings, dwellers of this island," Phyco greeted, "Or, Alola as you all seem to say," he corrected, waving his arms around robotically, much to the confusion of Hapu and Mina, "Have you seen the Ultra Beast that's been sighted on the island?" he inquired of them.
"'Fraid not, sir," the kahuna replied, putting her hands onto her hips, "From what I heard, it's much tougher than the last one that came to Poni…" she mentioned.
"Hmm…" Phyco hummed curiously.
"It certainly sounds like Glutton," Soliera chimed in.
"If it is, then we're in trouble," Dulse pointed out, much to everyone else's surprise, "It'll gorge on everything in its path unless we manage to capture it," he said.
"Gorge?" Erika repeated in confusion, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey, you haven't even told us what this Ultra Beast is even like," Paige pointed out to the Ultra Recon Squad members, folding her arms over her chest, "So what is it?" she asked of them. They looked over to their leader for guidance, and he lowered his head in contemplation.
"Mister Phyco?" Calvin said.
"If we know what it looks like, it'll be easier for us to find it, right?!" Trent presumed emphatically, "Come on!" he shouted out.
"…I'm not sure it can be stopped…" the Ultra Recon Squad commander admitted to their shock.
"Phyco…" Zossie uttered.
"Our home, the Ultra Megalopolis, wasn't always in one place," the mustached man stated as he turned to the others, "Rogue Ultra Beasts would rampage and threaten our livelihoods," he pointed out, "We didn't have the resources capable of subduing them, except our own Poipole," he added on.
"For a time, though…" Soliera continued, "we did manage to fight back and capture more Ultra Beasts, giving us more of an advantage in facing them," she explained.
"And that's how the Ultra Recon Squad was formed," Dulse mentioned.
"Now I get it…" Calvin uttered in realization, "You guys were making sure that Ultra Beasts weren't just escaping through Ultra Wormholes," he kept going, "but also keeping them from attacking you," he concluded.
"That's correct," Phyco confirmed.
"We took on a lot of Ultra Beasts, so we were pretty confident in corralling all the species we knew before long," Zossie told the group.
"That is… except for one that always overwhelmed us…" Dulse mentioned, lowering his head.
"Glutton… right?" Pyrrha guessed, earning a nod in response from Soliera. She then held her left arm out, tapping a few icons upon a holographic keyboard that appeared over it. All of a sudden, Rotom jolted, catching everyone's attention.
"R-Rotodex?" Erika stuttered.
"I've just sent it details on the specific Ultra Beast," Soliera confirmed to the group. The Pokédex's screen displayed the monstrous being, causing the former trial-goers, along with Hapu and Mina, to gasp in surprise at the sight of it. Those of the Ultra Recon Squad glanced away, not wanting to think about the creature.
"Guzzlord, the Junkivore Pokémon," Rotom began, "A dangerous Ultra Beast, it appears to be eating constantly, but for some reason its droppings have never been found. It has gobbled mountains and swallowed whole buildings, according to reports," it explained thoroughly.
"Guzzlord…" Erika repeated.
"So it eats everything in its path?" Trent inquired, "Even people and other Pokémon?" he questioned on, sweating a little.
"That Ultra Beast has caused irreparable damage to our society," Phyco noted aloud, "We've never been able to capture one," he confirmed to everyone's shock, "And when we tried… we were lucky to make it out alive," he mentioned.
"Sounds like we're in for a rough time out there…" Paige noted.
"Well, it shouldn't matter!" Hau exclaimed, "We can't let that Ultra Beast do what it wants!" he pointed out, "Especially if it could have the whole island as a meal!" he added emphatically.
"Finding it should be easy enough," Calvin affirmed confidently, clenching his fists, "We can search from the skies and—"
"There's no need for that…" a weakened voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they turned and gasped to find Looker there, carrying a groaning Nanu by his right arm over his shoulders, "The beast… is heading…" he began, only to suddenly topple over onto the floor.
"Mister Looker!" Erika exclaimed as she, Pyrrha and Hau went over to help him back onto his feet, while Trent and Paige picked up the Ula'ula kahuna.
"You encountered Glutton?!" Phyco inquired out of shock, "Don't tell me… it was lured by the Faller, wasn't it?!" he guessed, gritting his teeth angrily.
"Faller…?" Erika repeated as she blinked.
"It was already on Poni by the time we arrived…" Looker noted weakly, "Anabel chose to lure it away from the beach to the coast on the east…" he mentioned further, "That way… no one else would get hurt…" he winced out.
"You damn fool!" Phyco shouted.
"Commander, please," Soliera pleaded, "It's clear that the beast came through another wormhole before our allies had come here," she pointed out to him, "And I can tell that they did whatever they could to subdue it…" she mentioned, seeing how agonized the pair of men were.
"So Miss Anabel's all by herself with that thing chasing her?!" Hau inquired worriedly. Weakly, Looker nodded.
"Her plan is to lure the beast to the Resolution Cave…" he told the group. "But… I'm not sure… if she'll be able to last for very long…" he admitted in concern.
"Then that's where we're going!" Calvin decided firmly.
"That's futile, especially for a child like yourself!" Dulse argued.
"It doesn't matter!" Erika shouted back to his surprise, "When your friends are in danger, you'd do whatever it took to help them, right?" she inquired of the other Ultra Recon Squad members, who looked at each other in surprise.
"If you're scared of that Guzzlord, then you can stay here and look after Mister Looker and Mister Nanu for us," Hau told them.
"We'll handle the Ultra Beast," Paige declared, "It's what we've been doing from the beginning," she added confidently.
"Besides, there's only one left," Trent mentioned, "All of us together, it's got no chance…" he proclaimed, socking his right fist into his left hand.
"All of you…" Phyco uttered out.
"Commander?" Soliera said, "What are your orders now?" she asked of him. He lowered his head in contemplation for a moment, removing his visor from his eyes. He then turned to the Ketchum twins.
"We will join you to Glutton's location," he confirmed to their surprise, "Numbers may prove to be our advantage in the end," he added. Calvin and Erika smiled brightly.
"Okay, let's get moving!" the former insisted of his colleagues, who all nodded, hurrying off.
X
Lunala led the way as the Ultra Recon Squad rode aboard its back, being followed by the former trial-goers upon their respective Pokémon. Calvin and Erika soared up beside them thanks to the Charizard they were upon.
"So does Guzzlord have any sort of weaknesses?" the latter of the two inquired, "Maybe something that can give us an edge?" she suggested.
"Perhaps…" Soliera responded, "In theory, our Poipole could poison and weaken it significantly," she told the twins.
"That's only if it'll let us," Dulse chimed in, "It's got enough power to not only gorge on anything in its path, but repel those it sees as its enemies," he explained.
"Sounds like a tough one…" Trent noted while aboard his Skarmory.
"We'll handle it," Paige affirmed, riding her Flygon with Pyrrha holding onto her from behind, "What we need to worry about is making sure Miss Anabel doesn't get hurt," she pointed out.
"I just hope that thing hasn't done any serious damage yet thanks to her leading it away…" the dark green-haired boy said, tensing up a little.
"Yeah…" Erika agreed, "It's thanks to her we've even been able to find the Ultra Beasts at all in the first place…" she pointed out.
"And we'll catch this one for sure!" her brother declared firmly. The group started gliding over the grove below, with the plains in sight. As they flew by, Hau's Noivern perked up slightly.
"Verr?" he uttered as he looked around in confusion.
"What's the matter, Noivern?" his trainer asked, "You see something?" he inquired on out of concern.
"We're coming up on the plains, zzt!" Rotom confirmed while floating beside Erika and Calvin.
"This Resolution Cave shouldn't be too far then, yes?" Phyco presumed, "Once we arrive, we'll—"
"WATCH OUT!" Soliera screamed. At that moment, a white ball decorated with a multitude of pink and blue dots flew in front of those who were airborne. It glowed a bright white before exploding like a firework, knocking everyone back as they quickly found themselves descending to the ground.
"What the heck was that?!" Erika exclaimed. Fortunately, the group was able to land safely upon the ground, with the Ketchum twins disembarking from the Charizard. They widened their eyes in surprise.
Before them was a colorful, humanoid Ultra Beast. Its slender torso and wide hips were yellow with alternating blue and pink stripes. There was a white sphere in the middle of its body and another on its back in place of a tail. It had thin arms with white frills on its wrists and teardrop-shaped hands. The right arm was pink, while the left was blue. Each arm had a spherical bulge near the shoulder. Its legs were shaped like white high-heeled boots with curled toes. Each foot had a sphere on it: blue on the left and pink on the right. Around its neck was a white frill with a hole in the center.
Its head is a white ball with a multitude of pink and blue dots, which were a collection of tiny sparks. On either side of the ball were stars that were blue on the outside, pink on the inside, and had yellow dot-like eyes on the center. It skipped about playfully, juggling its head in its arms as it wasn't attached to its body.
"What the…?!" Erika yelped out.
"Another Ultra Beast…" Calvin realized with a grimace, while the others landed down.
"This one's Burst!" Dulse noted aloud.
"Yeah, definitely not good…" Zossie added as she gritted her teeth.
"Unlike Glutton, we have experience in dealing with this one," Soliera affirmed as she stepped forward.
"Soliera?" the redheaded Ultra Recon Squad member uttered in surprise.
"Are you planning on using Lunala to battle?!" Dulse inquired out of shock.
"It'll help us settle things quick," Soliera proclaimed as a reply, "Lunala, Phantom Force!" she commanded. The Moone Pokémon made a thin purple portal appear underneath itself, sinking down into it. The opposing Ultra Beast seemed to take notice, curiously looking around for it. Another portal reappeared behind it, with Lunala coming out, ready to strike. All of a sudden though, a plume of dust and dirt erupted.
"Whoa!" Paige yelped as she and the others braced themselves. The cloud was slow to settle. But once it did, Soliera gasped in shock. Lunala hadn't struck the intended Ultra Beast. Instead, it hit an Ultra Beast composed of many dark gray, stone lifeforms stacked together to form a four-sided tower with a spindly leg on each corner. The stones that formed the legs and the top corners were slightly darker. Its lighter gray stones had glowing blue lines on their sides, which were visible along its edges and underside. Each stone square had a black underside with a circular, glowing blue eye in the center.
"Stah kah…" it echoed robotically as one of its eyes glared at the Moone Pokémon. More of its sections flipped over to reveal other eyes, which glowed a bright orange before unleashing silvery rocks down onto Lunala, knocking it back.
"Now there's a Lay here, too?!" Dulse exclaimed out of shock.
"It's called Lay…?" Trent inquired in confusion.
"Seriously, what is with you guys and your codenames…?" Paige questioned exasperatedly. The other Ultra Beast then hopped over the tower-like one, readying a ball of purple-and-black energy that crackled with sparks in its arms.
"That's Shadow Ball!" Pyrrha yelled, while Soliera grimaced.
"Lunala, return!" Phyco suddenly called out, recalling the Moone Pokémon to its Beast Ball in a beam of reddish-blue light before it could wind up getting struck by the purple-and-black energy ball, which ended up striking the ground instead in a powerful blast.
"Commander!" Soliera yelped.
"We can't afford to lose Lunala here when it's our only way home," the Ultra Recon Squad leader pointed out.
"But how else are we supposed to get to the Resolution Cave?" Dulse inquired.
"That's easy enough," Trent said, stepping forward and readying a Poké Ball in his right hand, "We'll take these two down," he vowed, pressing the spherical device's button to make it enlarge.
"Yeah!" Paige agreed as she pulled out a Poké Ball of her own, "They're Ultra Beasts after all, so we've gotta catch 'em, don't we?" she assumed of the Ultra Recon Squad members.
"Rotodex, got any data for these two?" Erika inquired of her Pokédex as it floated over.
"Leave it to me, zzt!" it buzzed, first pulling up an image of the clown-like Ultra Beast, "Blacephalon, the Fireworks Pokémon," it began, "A UB that appeared from an Ultra Wormhole, it causes explosions, then takes advantage of opponents' surprise to rob them of their vitality.It slithers toward people. Then, without warning, it triggers the explosion of its own head," it explained thoroughly.
"Explosions make it sound like a Fire-type…" Trent noted after hearing the information.
"And what about the other one?" Paige inquired curiously. Rotom brought up a new visual of the tower-like Ultra Beast upon its screen.
"Stakataka, the Rampart Pokémon," it began, "It appeared from an Ultra Wormhole. Each one appears to be made up of many life-forms stacked one on top of each other. When stone walls started moving and attacking, the brute's true identity was this mysterious life-form, which brings to mind an Ultra Beast," it explained thoroughly.
"That move it used earlier was Rock Blast, I think…" Pyrrha pointed out to the group.
"Then it's a Rock-type!" Hau concluded with a pump of his fists, "Which means Water-types are the way to go against these guys!" he proclaimed excitedly, grabbing a Poké Ball off of his belt.
"Of course," Trent said, rearing his right arm back, "Greninja, go!" he called out, tossing the spherical container forward. It burst open, with its light forming upon the ground and dissipating to reveal the Ninja Pokémon.
"Jah!" he croaked, taking on a ready stance.
"Heh," Paige chuckled, "I was thinking of trying to go with this instead!" she exclaimed, backhanding the Poké Ball in her grasp. It burst open, with its light forming upon the ground, dissipating to reveal her Medicham.
"Chamoo!" she yelled, clapping her hands together. Those of the Ultra Recon Squad shared nervous looks with each other. However, Phyco nodded after a moment.
"We'll trust you all in dealing with these two," he told the former trial-goers, "Meet us and the Faller at the cave as soon as you can!" he insisted of the group.
"Right!" all six of them responded.
"And her name's Anabel!" Erika mentioned in correction out of frustration, making Phyco flinch in surprise.
"Y-Yes, of course…" he stuttered out. He and his cohorts hurried off. Blacephalon took notice, hopping up and attempting to fire off another purple-and-black energy orb towards them.
"Greninja, Night Slash!" Trent commanded.
"Jah!" the Ninja Pokémon croaked, dashing forward in an instant. He formed a purple blade of light in his webbed hands, leaping up and slashing the energy ball in half just as the Ultra Beast fired it. The two halves imploded behind him as he landed down, looking over at the Fireworks Pokémon.
"Bla… blaaahhh…" it echoed, with its head enlarging ever so slightly.
"Medicham, use Force Palm!" Paige ordered, thrusting her right hand forward. The Meditate Pokémon lunged forward, opening her palms and slamming them both against Stakataka fiercely as a burst of wind rang out. However, it didn't even budge.
"Cha?!" she yelped in shock.
"The heck?!" her trainer exclaimed with widened eyes.
"Staaahhh kahhhh…" the Rampart Pokémon echoed, suddenly making its body shine in a silvery hue.
"What's it doing?" Pyrrha wondered aloud.
"That'zzz Autotomize!" Rotom buzzed frantically, "If that Ultra Beast is already able to take super-effective hitzzz, imagine how bad thingzzz'll be if it movezzz faster!" it pointed out. Grimacing, Paige clenched her fists.
"Keep using Force Palm, Medicham!" she instructed. Regaining her composure, the Meditate Pokémon reared her arms back. However, Stakataka suddenly sped behind her in an instant. Everyone gasped.
"No way…" Calvin uttered out. A whitish aura burst to life around the Rampart Pokémon, as it was about to slam itself against Medicham. But all of a sudden, it was struck by a huge torrent of water, causing it to recoil. It turned to see Sona there with Pyrrha behind her.
"Don't forget, these guys are still Ultra Beasts!" she yelled to her fellow former trial-goers, "It's gonna be hard to beat them, let alone catch 'em!" she pointed out seriously.
"Yeah, that tracks…" Trent muttered, while his Greninja hopped back to evade another Shadow Ball shot by Blacephalon. It then went ahead and released a burst of flames in the shape of a five-pointed star, about to engulf the Ninja Pokémon.
"Ariel, Hydro Pump!" Hau's voice yelled. Another powerful gush of water shot out and struck the incoming mass of fire, causing a burst of steam to erupt, shrouding most of the grove. As it cleared, the Vaporeon hopped over to Greninja's side.
"Vay!" she greeted with a nod, which he returned.
"We can still do it, guys!" Hau affirmed confidently as he clenched his fists determinedly, "We just gotta work together like always!" he insisted.
"Right!" Paige and Pyrrha agreed, while Trent nodded in understanding. Calvin and Erika readied their own Poké Balls as well, prepared to join the fight. In the meantime, the thunderous footsteps coming from within the cave echoed mightily as several wild Pokémon were fleeing the scene. A trembling Anabel was hiding behind some boulders, peeking out every few seconds. Guzzlord was using its arm-like tongues to grab more loose rocks, throwing them into its mouth to chew and swallow, not relenting for even a moment.
'It used Belch earlier, which means it needs to eat anything it can in order for that move to work…' the former Frontier Brain noted to herself, 'What other moves does it have?' she wondered inwardly. At that moment, the Ultra Beast spotted her.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" it screeched angrily, holding its arm-like tongues out.
"Crap!" Anabel yelped, scurrying off and readying a Poké Ball from her belt. The Junkivore Pokémon unleashed a pair of multicolored rays of light, which shaped into the heads of dragons as they closed in on their target. An explosion occurred, with a plume of dirt billowing through the cave. As it cleared, an Alakazam was standing in front of the International Police chief, with a set of four transparent square barriers before him.
"Zahm?" he inquired of his trainer, who exhaled a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Alakazam," she said gratefully, "Now Psychic!" she commanded of the Psi Pokémon. Crossing the spoons in his hands, he made his eyes glow a bright purple as a purple outline shrouded his foe. However, it soon broke apart as the Ultra Beast charged forward. "What?!" Anabel exclaimed.
'If it's unaffected by that, that means it's a Dark-type!' she realized with a grimace.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Guzzlord screeched, making its teeth shine a bright white and sharpen as it closed in on Alakazam. The former Frontier Brain blinked in surprise.
"Watch out!" she yelled, enticing the Psi Pokémon to jump away before he could get chomped by his foe. At that moment thought, it used its right arm-like tongue to snatch him. "Alakazam!" Anabel cried out. Narrowing its eyes, the Ultra Beast readied a multicolored light within the arm-like tongue. It fired a beam in the shape of a dragon's head at point-blank, engulfing its opponent in a powerful explosion. He fell out from the ensuing smoke, landing on his back as he groaned with agony.
"Kahhh…" he uttered, trying to sit up, only to fall down. His trainer grimaced.
"Return!" she called out, recalling the downed Psi Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light. As she put it back onto her belt, Guzzlord stomped over to her. It took a deep breath before unleashing another powerful screech with purple rings of energy from its mouth. Anabel did her best to try and endure it as she braced herself from the force. But the purple wave of energy knocked her over as she tumbled along the ground, coming to a stop upon her stomach.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" the Junkivore Pokémon bellowed, stomping around angrily as its body became cloaked in an orange-yellow light. It then hopped up and stamped the ground with both feet first, causing splinters of rock to be sent flying towards the International Police chief. Her eyes widened with fright.
'This is it…' she presumed inwardly, shutting her eyes, 'I couldn't see it through to the end after all…' she realized. All of a sudden though, something landed in front of her, taking the splinters to its body harmlessly. She opened her eyes and gasped to see a Celesteela there.
"Cellleehhhh…" it echoed out, raising its cannon-like arms. Also leaping over were a Buzzwole and a Pheromosa.
"More Ultra Beasts…?" Anabel uttered, somewhat frightened.
"Yes, but they're under our command," another voice chimed in, belonging to Phyco as he approached alongside Dulse, Soliera, and Zossie, "We had Wicke provide them to us in case we were to go into battle against a far more dangerous beast…" he explained.
"From here, we'll handle things," the blue-haired woman of the group proclaimed as Buzzwole flexed its muscular arms beside her.
"That goes without saying, doesn't it?" Dulse presumed, while Pheromosa huffed next to him.
"Those kids've done more than we could ask for, along with you!" Zossie pointed out, "So let's do our best to make the job easier!" she insisted, with Celesteela still ready to go into battle.
"Of course," Phyco responded, readying a Beast Ball of his own. He tossed it forward, having it pop open. Its reddish-blue light formed in midair, dissipating to reveal a Kartana.
"Katah!" it exclaimed.
"All of you…" Anabel uttered out, bringing herself back up to her feet. A determined look came across her face. "Allow me to help," she insisted, preparing another Poké Ball in her right hand as she enlarged it with a press of its button, "If this beast proves to be any more troublesome for us, then there'll be no way for us to stop it," she pointed out, flinging the spherical container forward. It popped open, with its light forming upon the ground and dissipating to reveal her Snorlax.
"Snorrrrr…" it echoed out.
"Then we'll all fight together," Phyco affirmed.
X
"Stahhh… KAH!" Stakataka exclaimed as it cloaked itself in a whitish light, ramming into both Paige's Medicham and Flygon before they could even do anything, knocking them down onto the ground.
"Guys!" she screamed in fright, hearing the pair groan as they lied upon the ground with swirls in their eyes. A reddish aura flowed up the Rampart Pokémon's body as it stood sturdily.
"Araquanid, Liquidation!" Calvin ordered, swinging his right arm out. His Water Bubble Pokémon lunged out, making water swirl around his front legs before slamming them against the Ultra Beast in a burst of white smoke. When it cleared, it revealed that Stakataka hadn't budged at all. "You're kidding…!" the Ketchum boy gasped out.
"Stah kah…" the Rampart Pokémon echoed as more of its sections flipped over to reveal its eyes, which all glared at Araquanid. It then formed several small, silvery-glowing stones, firing them one after another onto the Water Bubble Pokémon, knocking him away.
"Darn it!" Paige exclaimed in frustration, "It seems like the more Pokémon we end up sending out, the stronger it gets!" she pointed out to her fellow former trial-goers.
"Yeah, you're right…" Pyrrha said, blinking in realization, "It's happened with all of the other Ultra Beasts, too…" she recalled, "Whenever they defeated one of our Pokémon, they got stronger in some way," she told the group.
"Is it like an ability or something?" Calvin assumed upon overhearing.
"I think so," Pyrrha replied, "That means that this one's getting stronger defensively," she concluded as Stakataka had a silvery light outline its body again before it continued speeding about.
"What the heck are we supposed to do against that…?" Paige wondered aloud. The Ketchum boy clenched his fists, worried himself. In the meantime, a torrent of water erupted around Erika's Primarina as she rocketed out at Blacephalon, who prepared a purple-and-black orb of energy upon its hands. As it threw it out, Greninja rushed in, slashing it in half with a glowing purple energy blade in his right hand.
"Do it now, Erika!" Trent yelled.
"Right!" the Ketchum girl responded, "Primarina, Aqua Jet!" she commanded. The Soloist Pokémon zoomed in and struck the Ultra Beast, about to knock it back. However, its head suddenly shot off from where it floated, glowing a bright white. It exploded like a firework, knocking Primarina down onto the ground in a flurry of dust. "Primarina!" her trainer screamed. Fortunately, the Soloist Pokémon pushed herself up, shaking her head as the dust settled. She looked out to see that her foe had made its head regenerate, moonwalking back before hopping about.
"What the heck is it trying to do?" Trent wondered aloud.
"Who cares?!" Hau shouted out, "We gotta catch the thing and help Miss Anabel and the Ultra Recon Squad out!" he insisted of his fellow former trial-goers, "Ariel, Aqua Tail!" he commanded of his Vaporeon, enticing her to rush out. Water swirled around her tail as she swung it toward Blacephalon, who hopped back to avoid it.
"Hau, hold on a sec!" Erika yelled, "We gotta attack together!" she advised. At that moment, the Fireworks Pokémon unleashed a spray of fire in the shape of a five-pointed star. It engulfed Ariel before she could react, striking her in a fierce explosion.
"Ariel, no!" her trainer cried out. The smoke subsided, revealing the Bubble Jet Pokémon lying upon the ground as ash covered her body. Meanwhile, a reddish aura flowed up the Ultra Beast's body.
"Blaaa sephhh!" it exclaimed, juggling its head.
"Now it's stronger…" Trent noted with a grimace. Erika clenched her teeth.
'If this keeps up, we'll be stuck here too long to get to the cave…!' she pointed out inwardly, looking over to see Sona unleashing rays of zigzagging blue light towards Stakataka, who was evading them with ease thanks its gained speed, 'But…' she continued through her thoughts, 'ee can't just leave these guys to do whatever they want…' she told herself as her fists were tightened.
"Hey, Trent! Hau!" she called out, getting the boys' attentions, "You guys need to go on ahead!" she insisted of them as they blinked in surprise.
"But Eri…!" the ponytailed boy gasped out while returning his fainted Vaporeon to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"There's no way you can fight that thing on your own!" Trent argued.
"It's okay," Erika assured to their confusion, "I've got an idea working in my head based on how it's attacked so far," she affirmed, "Besides…" she kept going, giving off a grin, "I'm not alone," she said, looking over to Primarina, who looked back and nodded.
"Blah seph!" Blacephalon exclaimed as it lunged out, unleashing another spray of fire in the shape of a five-pointed star.
"Dodge with Aqua Jet!" the Ketchum girl instructed. Water erupted around the Soloist Pokémon's body, allowing her to rocket away from the incoming flames as they exploded against the ground. Trent and Hau looked on in amazement.
"You know…" the former began, getting the ponytailed boy's attention, "if we wear ourselves out here, we'll never be able to stop that Guzzlord," he pointed out.
"…Yeah," he agreed with a nod, "Eri, you got this!" he yelled, hurrying over to his Noivern alongside the dark green-haired boy.
"Don't get yourself killed, alright?!" he shouted to the Ketchum girl, who let off a smirk.
"Sparkling Aria!" she commanded. With the water splashing apart around her, Primarina made a shining orb of water form at the tip of her nose. She sang a high note, causing it to burst into watery streaks that converged and struck Blacephalon repeatedly, knocking it down. "Nice one, Primarina!" Erika complimented as the Soloist Pokémon came down, bowing her head. In the process, Trent and Hau had flown off via Noivern, with the former recalling his Greninja to his Poké Ball beforehand.
"Sona, Ice Beam!" Pyrrha commanded of her Lapras. She opened her mouth, forming an orb of light blue energy before it released several zigzagging beams towards Stakataka, who sped away from them. It then closed in on the Transport Pokémon, making her yelp in surprise. She saw it shroud itself in a white aura, about to slam itself against her.
"Incineroar, use Darkest Lariat!" Calvin's voice ordered suddenly. The Heel Pokémon rushed out, engulfing her hands in dark red flames. She spun forward, slamming into the Ultra Beast before it could strike Sona, knocking it back.
"Seehhh rawr!" she exclaimed as she came to a stop, grinning wickedly.
"Calvin!" Pyrrha yelped, seeing the Ketchum boy there with Araquanid beside him.
"It doesn't matter how much tougher Stakataka gets," he affirmed, "Incineroar's Darkest Lariat is the perfect counter to that!" he proclaimed.
"Rawwwwrrrrr!" the Heel Pokémon roared out.
"We'll lend you a hand, Cal," Paige assured, readying another Poké Ball in her right hand.
"No," the Ketchum boy refused to her surprise, "My team and I can handle this," he decided firmly, "Besides, the more Pokémon that go up against these Ultra Beasts, the riskier it'll be if they get too powerful for us to stop…" he explained additionally, as Incineroar leapt back from the silvery rocks fired her way from the Rampart Pokémon.
"Yeah, but—!" Paige's shout was interjected as Pyrrha placed a hand onto her shoulder, stopping her.
"I hear you loud and clear, Calvin," she affirmed, "We'll get to the cave!" she declared, returning her Lapras to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Pyrrha…" Paige uttered.
"Don't worry," the Ketchum boy said reassuringly, getting her attention as she saw him shoot her a smile, "We'll catch up soon," he vowed. The silvery-haired girl nodded with a smile of her own, hurrying off alongside Pyrrha.
"Staahhh…" Stakataka echoed, attempting to go after them. However, it was stopped as Tsareena suddenly leapt out, kicking it hard with her tapered left leg as it glowed green. It slid back a step, turning its attention onto its three foes. Calvin stepped out in front of his partners, clenching his fists determinedly.
"You're not getting through!" he declared. Elsewhere in the Melemele Sea, the door to Samuel's research station opened as Leslie entered with Serpence slithering behind her.
"Professor Oak?" she called out, causing the person in question to perk up as he was standing at a counter, appearing to have been looking for something.
"Ah, Leslie!" he exclaimed in greeting, "So sorry to call you out here at a time like this…" he apologized in advance, "I would've phoned your father, but I hear he's gotten busy as of late with some things…" he pointed out sheepishly.
"Don't worry, it's fine!" Leslie assured in reply, "So… what's going on?" she inquired, "And… where are the Meltan at?" she questioned further, noticing that each of the Hex Nut Pokémon weren't loitering about.
"Huh… that's the problem…" Samuel sighed out to her surprise, "For one reason or another, they all disappeared," he told her.
"Disappeared?!" she exclaimed in shock, "Why?!" she asked emphatically.
"Well, that's where my theory comes into play…" the professor said, "Meltan gather together when they're threatened, and I believe Calvin's could be in quite a predicament…" he inferred to Leslie's astonishment, "Knowing that they've been battling Ultra Beasts, I'm sure this is serious…" he concluded. Out in the deep blue Alolan sea, the several Hex Nut Pokémon were swimming towards Poni…
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
And that's another chapter done! With all that's been going on, I'm really stoked to have gotten this chapter completed as quickly as I did. I got through everything I wanted to, and now there's only four more chapters to go!
So I hope you guys enjoyed this one! Here's a summary to hold you over until next time!
SUMMARY
Calvin and Erika's teams continue to do battle against Blacephalon and Stakataka! Both are tough to battle back against, but neither of the twins are giving up! And then… something happens to Meltan?!
Also, can the Ultra Recon Squad quell Guzzlord before things get worse?!
END SUMMARY
See you all next time! It's back to "Omni Force: ORIGINS" now!