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Returning to Aether Paradise (Part Five)

The group enters the mansion and find themselves in a grand lobby area.

"This place is so huge!" said Ed.

"Indeed it is, Ed." said Edd.

"I bet I'll have a way cooler place than this someday." said Eddy.

"Well, with the money you've been getting on your journey; I believe that you will." said Edd.

"Hey! Don't forget why we're here!" said Sarah.

"Of course." said Edd. "We're here to save Lillie!"

"Then let's stop wasting time and look for her." said Jimmy. But before the group could start looking, they spot a couple of familiar faces in front of a pair of double doors in front of them; Zossie and Dulse.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Maxiley.

"It has been some time since we last met, trial-going trainers." said Zossie. "I do not know if you've learned anything more about the Blinding One, but it seems we might now have the means to do what we came to do. If a Pokemon caught in a pokeball can be made to obey the orders of the one that catches it, then we should be able to control Necrozma."

"What's Necrozma?" asked Edd.

"Pokemon caught in pokeballs are loyal to the Trainers who hold them." said Zossie. "It should be the same for Necrozma... So we'll need you to leave us in peace so that we may do our job."

"Captain Zossie, they only seemed worried for Cosmog's safety." said Dulse. "And they are able to use Z-Moves. The power of the Blinding One."

"Are you suggesting that we rely on children? To stand against the wild fury of Necrozma?" asked Zossie. "Is it not kinder to stop them here, rather than send them against that thing?!" Dulse thinks for a while before nodding in agreement.

"I will battle you." Dulse says to the group. "I will battle you with our Pokemon. The Ultra Beast Poipole."

"Ultra Beast?" Edd replies. Dulse takes out a strange-looking pokeball and throws it, releasing a small purple and dark pink Pokemon with three needlelike spikes coming out of its head.

"It's so cute!" said Sarah. Edd takes out the Rotom Pokedex and points it at the Pokemon.

"Pokemon unknown. No available data." said the Rotom Pokedex.

"Your primitive device contains no information on Ultra Beasts." said Dulse. "So allow me to upload the data on them." She takes out a small tablet, points it at the Rotom Pokedex, and pushes a button on it; a notification appears on it. Edd points the Rotom Pokedex at the purple Pokemon and tries analyzing it again.

"Poipole, the Poison Pin Pokemon. This Ultra Beast is well enough liked to be chosen as a first partner in its own world." said the Rotom Pokedex.

"Thanks." said Edd.

"So, who's gonna battle?" asked Eddy.

"I will." replied Maxiley, stepping forward.

"Go get her, Maxie." said Sarah. Maxiley nods in response and pulls out a pokeball.

"Pupitar, go!" said Maxiley, throwing Pupitar's pokeball and releasing him.

"Poipole, use Fell Stinger!" said Dulse. Poipole dives towards Pupitar and jabs him with the spike on top of its head, knocking him back.

"Pupitar, use Leer!" said Maxiley. Pupitar glares at Poipole and his eyes glowed blue, weakening Poipole's defense.

"Poipole, use Poison Jab!" said Dulse. Poipole dives at Pupitar while the spike on its head glowed purple; Poipole jabs Pupitar with it, but not dealing much damage.

"Pupitar, use Crunch!" said Maxiley. Pupitar jumps towards Poipole while a glowing white aura resembling a set of teeth forms around him and it bites Poipole, dealing damage, and further weakening its defense.

"Poipole, Poison Jab again!" said Dulse. Poipole jabs Pupitar with its head spike again, but not dealing much damage; it turned purple under Pupitar's eyes. "It would appear Pupitar is poisoned."

"Pupitar's Shed Skin ability should fix that." replied Maxiley. A layer of skin slides off Pupitar, curing him of his poisoning. "Pupitar, Payback!" Pupitar flies at Poipole and rams it; due to Poipole's greatly weakened defense and Payback becoming twice as strong due to Pupitar being attacked before it was used, it dealt enough damage to knock Poipole out.

"He did it!" said Sarah.

"Great job, Maxiley." said Ed. After Dulse returned Poipole to its pokeball, she gives Maxiley pokedollars.

"How infuriating; it is most unsatisfying to find something our technology cannot overcome." said Zossie.

"Get over it." said Eddy.

"It seems we might yet be able to resolve this somehow if we could use Z-Power, and yet, our expertise when it comes to battling with Pokemon is so terribly insufficient. " said Zossie.

"In other words, you stink." said Sarah.

"We will find a way to deal with Necrozma; you children should pursue your own dreams." said Dulse.

"We will." said Jimmy.

"Don't end up with the same kinds of regrets we have." said Dulse. After Maxiley returned Pupitar to his pokeball, the group walked past Dulse and Zossie and entered the room behind them; once inside, they see Lusamine and Lillie facing each other.

"Lillie!" said Edd, getting her and Lusamine's attention.

"Double-D!" said Lillie.

"It's been a while since we last seen you kids." said Lusamine.

"You came to help me?" asked Lillie.

"Of course; why wouldn't I?" replied Edd, making Lillie blush.

"Thank you." said Lillie.

"Gifted young trainers like the Eds and they bother with someone like you?" said Lusamine. "How disappointing."

"I don't need your approval or your permission, mother!" replied Lillie. "I will save Cosmog."

"My; you do say such incomprehensible things." said Lusamine. "Calling me mother? I don't have any children! Certainly not any wretched children who would run off and reject my love!"

"How dare you talk like that to Lillie!" shouts Edd with fury.

"So, tell me how you'll save that Pokemon. What can you do, Lillie?" asked Lusamine. "You failed to convince me to listen to you. You don't even have the strength of a trainer. The only thing you've ever done on your own is steal someone else's research material." Lillie lowers her head in response. "It's so terribly unattractive; but know that my fathomless love will save even someone like you... when I protect th entire world from darkness!"

"Protect this world?" Lillie replies. "Mother! What is it you are trying to do?! Is that why you want Nebby?! Is that what you would sacrifice Cosmog for?!"

"That's right... I will force Cosmog to use its power, and it may very well die."

"What?!" Ed shouts angrily.

"But if it will save the world for all of my beloved Pokemon, then that is what I will do." said Lusamine

"How dare you!" said Sarah.

"We will stop you!" said Edd. But Lusamine doesn't respond as she walks over to the 'mirror' in the back of her room and touches it, making it vanish, revealing a small closet-sized room with a circular pad on the floor.

"Lillie. I will be using the Cosmog you stole for a great purpose." said Lusamine. "You have kept it safe until now, and for that... I thank you." All of a sudden, she vanishes.

"Mother!" shouts Lusamine.

"Where did she go?!" asked Sarah. Edd looks down at the circular pad that Lusamine was standing on.

"This is a Teleportation Pad." said Edd.

"Like the ones that were at Team Galactic's HQ back in Sinnoh?" asked Eddy.

"Exactly." said Edd. He then runs over to Lillie who throws her arms around him in a hug.

"Oh, Double-D!" said Lillie as she strokes the back of Edd's head, making him blush. "I am really happy you and your friends came after me!"

"We're all glad that you're okay." said Jimmy.

"B-But I... I want to save Nebby, but I don't know what I should really do!" said Lillie.

"You do everything you can to rescue Nebby; that's what you should do!" said Edd.

"Thanks, Double-D." said Lille before kissing Edd on the lips, making his face turn red and steam come out of his ears. After they stop, they turn towards the rest of the group.

"Who's ready to resuce Nebby?" Edd asked his friends.

"We are!" everyone else replies.

"Then let's go!" said Lillie as she grabs Edd's hand, making him blush more, then pulls him towards the Teleportation Pad with the others following after them and step onto it; they then appear in a large room with Lusamine standing in front of several mid-air holographic screens; around her were display cases that had Pokemon in them.

"Cool!" said Ed.

"Wh-What is this place?" asked Lillie, getting Lusamine's attention.

"If you want to see, you'd better hurry. This way." said Lusamine. The group rushes over to where the woman was standing and look with shock at all the display cases.

"What is all this?" asked Maxiley.

"What do you think?" asked Lusamine. "It's my private collection. My precious babies..."

"How can you do this to your Pokemon?!" asked Ed with fury.

"They will be preserved for eternity here." said Lusamine.

"That's no way for a Pokemon to live!" said Edd.

"But if the light is stolen from this world, then I won't be able to love my babies any longer." said Lusamine. "I will open the Ultra Wormhole and take on the Pokemon that would steal our light... I will capture even poor Necrozma!"

"Not if we stop you first!" said Sarah.

"It's a shame that Guzma couldn't stop a few children." said Lusamine. "But I will save my own flesh and blood and everyone else. With all the endless love of the President of the Aether Foundation, as someone tasked with the protection of all Pokemon."

She then walks over to a black cube-shaped object that was standing on one of its corners in front of the screens she was in front of earlier.

"What's that thing?" asked Eddy.

"I was able to open the Ultra Wormhole using just the gases we'd extracted from Cosmog when it was in Aether Paradise, wasn't I?" They suddenly hear the familiar cry of Cosmog coming from the object.

"Is Nebby in that thing?" asked Sarah.

"Yes; I have Cosmog inside this crate here." said Lusamine. "If I use its entire body, then I should be able to control the Ultra Wormhole."

"Please, stop!" said Lillie. "If Nebby isn't... If you make it use up too much of its power... you don't understand what will happen! Like when we ran away from the Paradise... it couldn't move for ages after that... If you use too much of its power, it will die!"

"NOOOOO!" shouts Ed.

"I... I am Lusamine." said Lusamine. She then walks over to a console in front of the monitors and pushes a button. Suddenly, the air in the room gets all wavy; and soon, a portal appears.

"The Ultra Wormhole!" said Edd. As everyone watches the anomaly, a bright light fills the room; when it fades, the portal was gone.

"Where did it go?" asked Maxiley.

"Oh?" Lusamine says. "You are trying to resist, aren't you, Cosmog?"

"Fight it, Nebby!" said Jimmy.

"Why do you do so?" Lusamine asked Nebby. "For Lillie's sake, perhaps?"

"P... ew." Nebby weakly replies.

"How noble." said Lusamine. "You love Lillie, don't you?"

"We must do something!" said Edd.

"You children will not interfere with this!" said Lusamine. "If I am going to protect the Pokemon of Alola, then I must go through the Ultra Wormhole and meet this Necrozma! I will have Cosmog open it. No matter what. I will use the power of its cage to ensure that it cannot resist any further!"

All of a sudden, Guzma appears on the Teleportation Pad, getting everyone's attention.

"There you are." said Lusamine.

"What do we do?" asked Sarah.

"We have to stop her!" said Edd.

"I will demonstrate my power in a battle against one of you children." said Lusamine. "Any volunteers?" Ed looks at the frozen Pokemon, then at the case Nebby is in; an angry look appeared on his face.

"I will battle you, miss!" said Ed.

"You sure, Ed?" asked Eddy.

"I don't like what she did to these Pokmeon and Nebby, you guys." replied Ed, motioning towards the frozen Pokemon. Eddy nods in understanding.

"Go get her, big guy." said Eddy.

"Teach that lady a lesson she'll never forget, big brother!" said Sarah.

"Take her down!" said Maxiley. Ed turned towards Lusamine while pulling out a pokeball while Lusamine does the same. Will Ed be able to beat Lusamine? Wait and find out.

End of Chapter 71

Pokemon Ed has with him: Decidueye (M), Muk (M), Gigalith (M), Flareon (F), Ampharos (F), and Dewgong (F).

Pokemon Ed has in his collection: Decidueye (M), Yungoos (M), Muk (M), Furfrou (F), Gigalith (M), Flareon (F), Ampharos (F), Dewgong (F), Magikarp (M), Passimian (M), and Pineco (M).

Pokemon Edd has with him: Primarina (F), Toucannon (M), Ariados (F), Magnezone (no gender), Stoutland (F), and Espeon (F).

Pokemon Edd has in his collection: Primarina (F), Toucannon (M), Ariados (F), Magnezone (no gender), Stoutland (F), Espeon (F), Dewpider (F), Oranguru (M), and Skarmory (M).

Pokemon Eddy has with him: Incineroar (M), Vikavolt (M), Meowth (F), Noibat (F), Leafeon (M), and Poliwrath (M).

Pokemon Eddy has in his collection: Incineroar (M), Vikavolt (M), Meowth (F), Ekans (M), Noibat (F), Leafeon (M), Poliwrath (M), Pinsir (F), Nosepass (F), and Bruxish (F).

Pokemon Sarah has with her: Blissey (F), Ledian (F), Mr Mime (F), Jolteon (F), Alomomola (F), and Salazzle (F, Shiny).

Pokemon Sarah has in her collection: Blissey (F), Ledian (F), Mr Mime (F), Petilil (F), Carbink (genderless), Jolteon (F), Alomomola (F), Salazzle (F, shiny), Comfey (M), Pancham (F), Dedenne (F), and Mimikyu (F).

Pokemon Jimmy has with him: Lucario (M), Butterfree (M), Raichu (M), Lycanroc Midday Form (M), Umbreon (M), and Wishiwashi (M)

Pokemon Jimmy has in his collection: Lucario (M), Butterfree (M), Inkay (F), Pikachu (M), Lycanroc Midday Form (M), Umbreon (M), Wishiwashi (M), Bagon (M), Cubone (M), Mantyke (M), Paras (M), Alolan Diglett (M), Oricorio (F), and Torkoal (F).

Pokemon Maxiley has with him: Pupitar (M, shiny), Crabrawler (M), Vaporeon (M), Trevenant (F), Xatu (M), and Turtonator (M).

Pokemon Maxiley has in his collection: Pupitar (M, shiny), Crabrawler (M), Vaporeon (M), Sudowoodo (F), Trevenant (F), Xatu (M), Turtonator (M), and Shuppet (M).