Finally.
Styx's body was suffused with the whitehot energy of evolution. She feebly pushed herself to her feet, appendages bent at crude angles and soon the light made it impossible to tell where her body ended and where the light began.
Both Ash and the Kommo-o had to look away unless they wanted to be permanently blinded. His skin tingled with energy that felt so alive, and it was like there wasn't enough oxygen within the chasm.
The suspense threatened to break him, but an earth-shaking roar alerted the end.
The light froze for a moment before it seemed to be sucked towards the center. It was absorbed, and when it was finally all gone, Ash felt tears well up in his eyes. Almost two and a half years later, she's done it.
She'd done it.
She was over seven feet tall, from where her two savagely clawed feet touched the ground to where her primary massive head snarled, sounding like thunder. Slitted purple eyes locked onto her foe with newfound sight.
Two twisting, undulating Ekans-like heads were hissing and tasting the air, their dark fuschia plumage smaller to that of the main head. Both new heads lagged, looking uncoordinated and wild; jerking and convulsing.
Six long, thin, feathered wings were slowly flapping, looking disjointed and out of sync from each other.
Her doubly long tail, heavy enough to offset the forward lean of three heads, flicked in agitation, cracking a nearby stone in half with nary a thought. The base of the tail was wider than Ash was.
The Hydreigon roared, a horrifying sound full of fury, pain, and confusion. It was a haunting, horrifying sound, more akin to a demonic screech than a true Dragon's roar. She stumbled, shaking her main head, eyes squeezed shut as visual input overwhelmed her primary brain. Her tail struck the ground to keep her steady, trying to offset the new distribution of weight.
With eyes closed, six nostrils flared, and three heads snapped towards the frozen Totem.
Kommo-o's eyes darted to its cave in a passing thought to flee.
Styx shrieked with the very essence of the Nether, charging toward her prey.
The battle began anew.
Ash's eyes were blurry as he watched his starter. She was glorious.
Her cobalt blue scales absorbed what little light pierced the chasm, her void-like feathers rippling like an oil-spill. Her six wings were long, so long to one day keep her dense, heavy body airborne. The strips of scales flowing down her underbelly could almost be mistaken for bloody strips.
His heart thudded like a bass drum in his chest as the chasm trembled with every step she took towards Kommo-o. His fingers clenched with every overwhelmed shriek from her three throats. Breaths caught when the two Dragons finally collided.
There was no technique, only a frenzied rampage that had Kommo-o's glowing red eyes widening in fear.
The Totem still had the advantage of weight, but three heads, even three heads completely unsynchronized, were hard to keep track of. In close quarters, the main head engaged with Kommo-o, her jaw unhinging and striking to wrap around the other Dragon's lower jaw.
Kommo-o crashed to the ground, howling in agony.
Styx leaned away from a Sky Uppercut, releasing her prey as her tail swung around to slam an unenhanced tail into the Totem's temple. Eyes bulged before they rolled up, and the behemoth came crashing down. Stone cracked and tumbled from the walls with the force of the Dragon's defeat.
Styx planted herself and released a roar that shook the heavens, full of victory, pride, and exhilaration. She looked like the fiercest queen announcing her rule.
She looked like a quivering, shaken mess at the end of her rope.
The newly evolved Hydreigon staggered back, great claws scraping against the stone floor. The piercing sound, like nails on a chalkboard, made Styx howl and savagely shake her head, her brain overloaded with sensory input.
Her eyes remained closed.
Ash finally ended the video and let his hand fall to his side. He felt drained and energized at the same time.
He didn't know what to do.
She didn't seem to be rampaging, but evolution hormones were unpredictable. She was also going from two brains to three. She was going from no eyes to six eyes. She was going from quadrupedal to bipedal with wings.
Her mind and body were being inundated with new sensations, limbs, and abilities.
But he had to trust her.
Ash had heard stories of certain Pokémon evolving, ones that went through such drastic changes that they lost control. Of Tyranitar killing everything in their vicinity, of Gyarados leveling towns, of Salamence bathing mountains in blood.
Did Styx get the excess energy out of her system? Or was he walking into a death sentence?
He approached and was immediately pinned in place with a deadly glare. Eyes had opened, fuschia set against pitch black sclera. Growls vibrated the air around them, bouncing off the crumbling walls of the chasm. Wings strained, teeth bared, tail snapping.
Eyes held no recognition, but it wasn't the eyes he cared about.
Nostrils flared as she took in his scent. Her head tilted when he started speaking. "Styx, it's me, I'm right here. It's Ash, Styx, you did it, you evolved, you did it." He kept his voice low, but strong. Now was not the time to show weakness or else he'd be eaten alive.
Most likely literally.
Another throaty growl built up in the Dragon's chest, escaping three separate jaws. She took a step forward, tail swishing, then another, and another, until she was towering over Ash. He clenched his fists and tilted his head up to look the Dragon in her new eyes. From this close, he saw she had the previous right head's mangled upper lip, still showing off a few serrated teeth.
There were two rows of teeth now. Like Sharpedo.
Styx bit out a snarl and rose to her full height, glaring down at the trainer with ferocity. She planted her feet and screeched inches from his face.
His breaths, no matter how hard he tried to control them, stuttered in his chest. Ash gasped, eyes wide and locked on the reptilian head that could swallow his own head without issue. Lungs heaving, Ash held still with fists straining at his sides.
Her shadow cast him in darkness.
But he was always comfortable with the dark.
Ash gritted his teeth, swallowed, and lowly said, "Don't. You. Dare."
The Dragon paused.
"We did not go through almost two and a half years of shitty Pallet Town and only finding comfort in each other for you to attack me after we finally did what we always dreamed."
Her tail slammed to the ground, cracking deep into the stone. "No, Styx!" Styx's noses wrinkled at his impunity. She hissed and dipped her head, shoving her snout into Ash's chest.
Ash smacked her snout.
She blinked once. Twice. Shook her head and blinked again.
"Focus on my voice. Focus on my scent. Focus on the feel of my fingers." He tried to stop the trembling in his hands, but it was futile. Evenso, he moved cautiously, bringing his hands up to her main head, brushing nails over her cobalt scales. Double lids blinked with an audible snip snip sound as she took huge lungfuls of his scent.
Gently, he moved each hand to one of her new heads, the two twitching away from his touch. He could barely fit their chins in his palms, each one the size of three of his fists. Their fuschia eyes were blinking furiously, nostrils contracting and relaxing stiltedly. Forked tongues flicked out, tasting the air, then tasting him.
He held very still.
Then a familiar humming.
Warmth burst from Ash's chest. He followed and released the same soft vibrations from his own chest, even though it was stilted from his lingering fear. Familial Thrum charged the air of the chasm, creating a feedback loop of warmth and comfort. Styx softly bumped his chest with her snout, which didn't end up being all that 'softly'. Ash stumbled but caught himself, laughing wetly and wrapping his arms around the glossy black feathers covering a thick corded neck.
He'll be honest and say he was a little creeped out when her two smaller heads tickled his face and hair with their tongues, one of them accidentally smacking his face. Yeah that would take some getting used to.
Styx's legs suddenly gave out, sending her and Ash crashing to the ground.
The Hydreigon whined, though it sounded like a deep roll of thunder, her head lolling to the side in her exhausted state.
Grimacing and knowing he'd have bruises, Ash did his best to situate himself well enough to dig fingernails into her jaw. Her own Familial Thrum waned, so his own grew stronger, urging her to calm.
"You're magnificent." Her tail weakly thumped once and even in her fatigue, her mouth got a distinctively smug curve to it. Removing his hands from her jaw, he draped his arms around her head and resting his chin atop them.
They sat for a long while as Styx's breathing evened out, adapting to the new lung capacity and airways. Once in a while, one of her secondary heads would choke or gasp or heave, unused to the act.
But their moment was interrupted by a pained rumble and the clanging of scales from behind the newly evolved Brutal Pokémon.
With a pained roar, Styx clumsily got to her feet, but unable to rise all the way. She did her best to block Ash from view. Kommo-o slowly shifted, glowing red eyes blinking open and squinting in pain. The Dragon and Fighting type stiffly pushed itself to its feet, one massive hand coming up to cradle its temple.
Then it caught sight of the pair.
He expected growls of rage or a tail between its legs in submission, but they received neither. The Totem Pokémon limped over, head held high, and stopped a few meters from Styx. It leaned to the side to look at Ash inquisitively. Understanding dawned on its features.
With a resolute set to its mouth, it looked towards the cave and released a moderated roar. Styx tensed and she gave a warning snarl to the other Dragon. It had the gall to wave her off.
From the cave, out came a very, very large Hakamo-o. Six feet tall, the bulky golden scale on its forehead added a full foot to that height. Layered scales traveled down its arms, looking like shiny, metallic discs. Similarly golden rings encircled its throat, giving it an elongated look. Every step rattled its scales, sending a sharp ringing through the air.
Ash tightened his grip on Styx as every ring made her twitch and growl.
The two Alolan Dragons traded snuffs and snorts and croons, the Hakamo-o looking confused, shocked, sad, and then determined. It nodded once, lightly headbutted the behemoth, before approaching the trainer and his starter.
Hakamo-o stepped towards them and thumped a large clawed foreleg to its chest, Kommo-o watching proudly.
'Oh you've got to be shitting me.'
Styx snarled violently, evolution hormones still racing through her. She stepped forward threateningly, but her leg buckled and she fell to a knee. Her two smaller heads were snapping and hissing and undulating, making Hakamo-o rear back. The enormous Totem behind it didn't back down, pushing its pre-evolution forward.
Hakamo-o's tail quivered, sending more waves of sound bouncing around the chasm.
Ash stepped out from behind Styx, much to her consternation. He didn't want to push her too hard in her fragile mental and physical state, but he needed to fight his own battles sometimes.
It was unfortunate he had to look up to meet Hakamo-o's glowing red stare, but he did.
The Dragon, unconsciously revealing its age, shifted slightly in the face of his gaze. It might be a Totem, it might be a Dragon, but it was not yet a Pseudo. It had not yet made its mark.
But in its eyes, Ash knew it wanted to.
Not breaking their stare, Ash reached around his belt and unclipped an Ultra ball from it.
Hakamo-o just waited.
Ash shared one last look with his starter, who hadn't stopped her huffing and snarling and twitching. This would be the first Dragon he's caught since he met Styx. He waited for her consent.
It took close to six minutes before Styx's growls quieted to harsh grumbles. Ash reached out to run fingers through her feathers, having to bat one of the secondary heads away when it tried to bite him.
Finally, he tossed the ball at the large, rare, Scaly Pokémon. All six plus feet of it turned to red energy and was pulled into the expensive capture device. It only wiggled once before clicking shut.
Kommo-o huffed in pride.
"What the fuck? Is this even allowed?" Ash looked helplessly at Styx, who grumbled. Her six eyes glared at the ten foot tall Totem as Ash collected the innocently resting Ultra Ball that contained what might be the largest Hakamo-o in existence.
Hakamo-o: The Scaly Pokémon. A Dragon and Fighting type. This Pokémon leaves its fellows to begin training on its own and can be found wherever there are opponents for it to fight. When it finds an opponent, it dances and clangs its scales together to show its strength. Because its scales serve as armor, it overwhelms its opponent with attacks without worrying about its own defense. Hakamo-o considers its broken armor and bare arms as proof of a well-fought battle and wears them with pride. However, the scales begin growing back immediately and are harder and sharper than before. Its scales conduct heat well, so shed ones are often molded into pots and pans.
This Hakamo-o is Female and has the ability Soundproof
Known Moves: Iron Defense, Bide, Headbutt, Dragon Claw, Protect, Autotomize, Sky Uppercut
Egg Move(s): Counter
This Pokémon stands at 6'04" and weighs 584 lbs
Ash exhaled, staring at the Pokédex entry.
He… he did not expect this today.
A guttural grunt made him snap his head up, seeing Kommo-o staring expectantly at the Ultra ball.
"Oh, uh, yeah." Ash pressed the release.
Hakamo-o shook out her scales upon release, blinking quickly before turning to nod regally at Ash. She didn't waste anymore time saying goodbye to what must be her parent.
"Looks like you have a sparring buddy. Gotta whip her into shape." Ash gave a shit-eating grin to his starter, who tried to flick three wings at his head, but mostly missed and merely struck air. Though the tip of one wing got into his mouth, making him choke on black feathers.
"Rude." Orange had started seeping into the surrounding stone, announcing the sun's soon departure.
They had two options. They could head back to Seafolk Village and have to brave the wilds again tomorrow or they could camp here for the night and keep exploring.
He turned to the Dragon duo and cleared his throat to get their attention. "Do you mind if we crash here tonight?" Ash knew he made the right decision when Hakamo-o perked up a bit. While the Pokédex entry said they go off on their own to grow, this one seemed to be a bit reluctant to leave.
No matter. She probably didn't expect to be practically forced away today.
Ash let his bag fall from his back and started rummaging around. Styx awkwardly shuffled around, trying to figure out how to lay down without front legs while keeping the other Dragons within sight. It took some maneuvering and using her tail, wings, and extra heads to finally get curled up on the ground.
"Do you need a potion?" She grumbled, shooting a quick glance at the others, but nodded. Ash grabbed a readily available hyper potion and began palpating her chest and sides, listening to her waning growls to find the most tender spots to spray.
They were incredibly lucky Styx evolved when she did. That Close Combat had probably broken so many bones and possibly even caused internal bleeding. They would have had to call for extraction to get her to a Pokémon Center.
Evolution energy was still being studied, but it did a magnificent job of repairing damage, though it left the Pokémon absolutely exhausted.
She had handled it all beautifully.
He couldn't have wished for a better outcome.
He tossed her a couple sitrus berries to snack on before releasing the rest of his team. They shook and stretched, having been in their balls almost all day. They all eyed the two Dragons off to the side, but froze at the sight of Styx.
Lifting her main head, her two smaller ones drooped and jerked, her primary brain still consolidating neural connections. She soaked up the awe and incredulity with an imperious tilt to her chin. Mirae cried out and bounced over, nuzzling against one of her smaller heads. A tongue flicked out, causing the Eevee to trill even as he was knocked over. The Everstone was a bulky collar on his neck, but Ash didn't want to risk anything.
Hemlock and Bane made their way over to congratulate the prideful Dragon. Sagitta was practically petrified at the change in her teammate. Ash nudged her between the wings and she took the hint and drifted closer, chittering slowly.
Ash let Styx soak up the admiration for a few more minutes as he got dinner ready and a fire going. His eyes kept straying to the Ultra ball now on his belt, then to Hakamo-o.
He caught a Totem Pokémon.
Pulling out an extra large bowl he had stored away, he poured in a few cups of Styx's Dragon food, making a mental note that he had to buy more. A lot more.
Pursing his lips, he wished he had another large bowl.
Clearing his throat, all eyes in the chasm were on him in a second. Ash kept his eyes on the Alolan Pokémon as he held up the bowl of food. "Would you like some?"
Kommo-o pushed Hakamo-o forward, and the reptilian Dragon crept forward to pluck a pellet from the bowl and toss it in her mouth.
Red eyes glowed brighter as she tugged the bowl from Ash's hands, sitting down and shoveling the food into her mouth.
Mirae, Hemlock, and Sagitta all ignored the other Dragon in favor of food, while Styx kept one eye on the larger one while she ate.
Bane, though, he watched Hakamo-o with an inquisitive tilt to his head. Ash couldn't help but blink when the Zorua dragged his bowl over to their newest teammate, though that last fact was unbeknownst to the Dark type.
Hakamo-o paused in her eating long enough to send Bane a perplexed look before slowly resuming her meal, though her eyes would glance at the Zorua every so often.
Ash smiled and raised an eyebrow at Kommo-o. He winced at the cacophony it unleashed when it shook its head, rejecting the offer of food.
"What about some healing?" Kommo-o rumbled in what Ash assumed was thought before nodding. Happy with the compromise, Ash took out a much smaller bowl but filled it with almost every sitrus berry he had left.
Kommo-o's scales would make a topical potion application impossible, and he wasn't about to feed it an Energy Root.
While the larger Scaly Pokémon dug in, Ash watched as his team began to show more interest now that their bellies were full.
Mirae, having zero self-preservation sense, bounded up to the smaller Totem and cried out in greeting. Sagitta and Styx looked a second away from an aneurysm. But Hakamo-o leaned down to stare at the Normal type before very very lightly patting the Normal type on the head with one large palm.
Mirae trilled happily and sat down, tilting his head into the palm. Hakamo-o looked delighted, playing with one of Mirae's ears in fascination. Bane scooched closer.
Ash watched intensely as Hemlock and Sagitta crept closer to the smaller of the two Dragons. Were they avoiding Kommo-o or did they somehow know Hakamo-o was a new teammate?
As he watched all the Pokémon interact, he had to wonder at the… calmness of the Alolan Dragons. Hakamo-o was even rather uncomfortable around the group, a dull ringing betraying her when her tail shook with nerves.
He had to wonder if being challenged by trial-goers all the time made the larger Totem more mellow.
Throughout this time, the now full team went from stilted conversion to something a little less awkward once pride and suspicions had been bypassed. Kommo-o stayed on the edges, keeping a rather watchful eye on how its daughter melded with the pack. Hakamo-o handled it all well, trying to mimic her parent with a head held high.
She was distracted, briefly, by Ash when he asked her taste preferences. He dropped some nomel and belue berries into her bowl. Hesitating, she bit into the nomel berry before rumbling with contentment.
Turning back to the fire, he pulled his stew off and sat down between Hemlock and Styx and let the various sounds of chatter wash over him. Mirae was trying to talk and eat at the same time, and he figured most were missing important details from whatever story the kit was telling.
Once there was a lull, Ash spoke up. "Hakamo-o, I'd like to formally welcome you to the team." He paused to give his team time to digest the news. Mirae and Bane looked happiest. "You want to get strong, yes? Like Kommo-o?"
Hakamo-o released a hot breath, nodding once and eyes locked on Styx. Ah, seems she has a goal.
"You'll have to work hard if you want to defeat Styx." He was very pleased when the Scaly Pokémon just lifted her chin higher, staring with determination down at her new trainer. He nodded, "I can work with that." Styx scoffed, though it was quiet with exhaustion.
Hakamo-o went back to licking her bowl but kept her eyes on him. Large paws framed the bowl and her hind legs were tucked beneath her. Long armored tail clacked with sound every time she flicked it.
"Would you like a name? I realize you've lived most of your life without one, but everyone here has one to set them apart. This is Hemlock, Mirae, Sagitta, Bane, and Styx, my starter." Hakamo-o was silent for a long while, eyes darting between Kommo-o and Styx. Ash let her think in peace and went back to his stew.
Sudden clanging drew his attention back and he saw the smaller Totem nod. He hadn't really expected her to want a nickname, but he figured she was diving headfirst into this new experience. She's stayed with her parent for much longer than most Dragons.
Ash couldn't exactly blame her, Kommo-o was probably the strongest wild Pokémon in all of Alola.
He pursed his lips in thought. From the half hour he has spent with her, she seemed very calm, if not a little nervous. Her species balanced strength and defense… He grinned, having the perfect name.
"What do you think about Libra? It's a constellation that represents balancing scales." Hakamo-o's eyes brightened, and it was nice to see a bit of excitement from her. "Libra it is. Welcome to the team." Bane gave a bark of welcome, earning him a small smile from the Dragon.
Letting his team settle, Ash flipped open his Pokédex and checked the weather. No rain tonight, so he wouldn't bother with a tent. His battery was running low, so he pulled out his portable solar panel and hooked it up, setting it in the dying rays.
The minute he pulled out the brush, Bane, Mirae, and Sagitta were falling over themselves and each other to be the first in line. Poor Styx had finally lost her battle with sleep.
Laughing, Ash placed the Eevee in his lap and started dragging the brush through thick cream and coffee fur. The Evolution Pokémon immediately melted and started purring, burrowing into his lap.
Libra watched curiously as Ash groomed his team. Mirae, Bane, Sagitta, and Hemlock were finished quickly, now calm and ready for a full night's sleep. He picked up the brush and bottle of polish he bought recently and went over to Styx. The Brutal Pokémon was rumbling in her sleep.
Her feathers shone like oil when they caught light. He softly flicked the brush over them, dislodging dirt and grime. He was exceedingly gentle with her fuschia crest, the two smaller heads flicking him with their tongues and nicking him with their teeth in their half-aware state.
Ash wasn't entirely sure how the two heads worked. They had their own rudimentary brains, but he didn't know if they would sleep along with the primary brain once they synchronized, or if it was similar to Totodile where only part of the brain rested at once.
Biting his lip as he continued, Ash knew he should send Styx to Oak for a full scan and to let the old researcher document her biology and evolution, but he knew she wouldn't allow it. He'd have to let Nurse Joy do the exam and send it to the Pallet Professor.
The polishing of her scales took almost a half hour, and by then the sun had almost disappeared behind the surrounding stone. But it was worth it to see the gleaming scales reflect firelight around the chasm.
"Hey Libra, what do you say?" He wiggled the polish and brush and saw curiosity in the smaller Totem's eyes. She dipped her head in acquiesce. He quickly grabbed a lantern and got to work.
She had a lot of scales, though of course not nearly as many as her parent's. It was nearing 10:00 by the time he finished, but he had a contently rumbling Alolan Dragon under him so he wasn't upset. The Hakamo-o had been absolutely covered in dust and dirt, and he had removed chucks of stone and old scales that had been wedged underneath and had to have been uncomfortable.
There was a small pile of scratched and discolored scales next to him. If only these worked as Dragon Scales, he could have made a fortune. He contemplated the discarded scales before shrugging and stuffing the more intact ones in his fifth container, alongside his Dusk Stone and a fang Styx lost in a battle against a Machoke.
He might find a use for the scales. They were supposedly very strong, and would only get stronger as Libra grew.
A snort of fond amusement escaped him when he looked around the chasm. Everyone was knocked out cold. Mirae had taken his place pressed up against Styx, looking even more dwarfed than before. Sagitta was curled around the Eevee. Bane had elected to sleep on top of Libra's large clawed hand, Libra's head a few inches away. Her crest was almost the same size as Bane. Hemlock was pressed against Ash, arms crossed and breathing deeply.
Ash's smile turned soft as he adjusted Hemlock so he could lay down on his sleeping bag. The stress of the day caught up to him and soon he was dead to the world.
"Libra, stop goading Styx, I've had to revive you six times in the last week." Ash winced as he saw Styx getting sensory overload again. It was happening much less often, but Ash still had to cleverly redirect Libra's attention when it happened.
The Hakamo-o snarled, and really, she should be passed out on the ground from how long she's been going after Styx. She kept getting flung far away but just ran back over to try again. But she huffed and stomped over to Bane.
To be fair, it took about two minutes longer to knock her out the last time, so Libra was improving.
The Totem Pokémon had been an interesting addition to the family. It had only taken one spar with Styx for the Hakamo-o to break out of her nervous shell. She reveled in a challenge, and that was all Ash needed.
Her strength and durability were impressive, but her speed, maneuverability, and evasiveness were shit. It wasn't surprising that she battled very similarly to her parent, but it limited her in battle. He'd been working on her reflexes and using her extremities to weather attacks.
For the past week and half, they had been figuring out where the thickest scales were all over her body and how to orient herself to allow attacks to strike the tough scales. It was like training her to be a hockey goalie.
It had been a busy few days, figuring out both Styx and Libra's limits, strengths, and abilities.
Styx was… strong.
Very strong.
Her tail accidentally tore down a eucalyptus tree when she turned around. Her wings were powerful enough to lift her 1,000 pound body into the air, and her claws crumpled the ground beneath her like tissue paper.
That wasn't including the boost to her techniques.
Her internal energy stores had skyrocketed, Dragon Pulse, Dark Pulse, and Dragon Rush were overwhelmingly fueled. Her Fire Fang billowed a full foot out of her mouth, and her Scary Face had left Mirae running for cover.
It was that last bit that encouraged her to learn newfound control.
If finding Styx a proper challenge as a Zweilous was hard… Ash didn't know how he'd satiate her battlelust now.
Libra, on the other hand, was strong but not overwhelmingly so.
Her physical attacks were brutal, her Sky Uppercut tearing out a young candlenut tree by its roots. Dragon Claw was decent, Headbutt even better. Protect and Iron Defense were usable but could be improved. Autotomize was obviously underdeveloped, but it was Bide that gave them issues.
Libra wasn't patient enough to use it.
Outside of battle, the Hakamo-o was calm and able to sit still with Bane cradled in her hands. But in battle?
Could not stand still for a second.
They would have to work on that.
The only significant problem that had arisen with their new teammate was that she initially refused to spar with anyone unless it was Styx. It took an overpowered Dazzling Gleam from Sagitta to show Libra why she shouldn't underestimate them. Obviously Styx was the monster she hoped to one day topple, but Libra could still learn from any teammate.
Other than that, their ten days of training around Poni went smoothly. Libra had been two seconds away from challenging the UB-Absorption and UB-Lightning that appeared, but luckily Ash stopped her in time.
He hated to admit it, but there was something so grotesque about UB-Absorption. The swelling fluid beneath its flesh, how it strained against its organic cage, was halfway to horrific. But the Ultra Beast had flexed, showing off its strength and stature to the awe of Mirae.
UB-Lightning was a mess of animated wires and crackling electricity that followed Ash and his team around like a collection of flexible noodles. It was rather amusing, and the beast seemed to delight in their good humor.
But Ash was feeling more and more helpless every time Aether showed up and attacked the UBs. Team Skull rarely made an appearance, seemingly slower in response time than Aether.
Aether's calculating stares haunted his dreams. Their grotesque grins surrounded him like he was some fascinating creature. There was a sense of alarm and imminence to his dreams of late.
He distracted himself with training. Each of his teammates was learning from another. Mirae had mastered Iron Tail and was now learning Double Team and Dig from Hemlock and Bane respectively.
He hadn't taught Bane Double Team yet because unless he was battling as himself, it would take way too much focus and energy to create so many illusions that weren't him. But Bane did learn his species-specific attack, Night Daze; a paralyzing wave of darkness that scrambled the opponent's senses to throw off accuracy. He also had Toxic to work on.
Hemlock, after spending time with Sagitta, had finally improved his access to Fairy energy and was slowly working on Play Rough. It was an advanced technique that relied on some martial skill, so for the past few days the Morgrem had been paired up with Libra to work on stances, sets, and patterns alongside working on Thunder Punch.
Sagitta, having strengthened her Fairy Wind into a Dazzling Gleam, had started working on Air Cutter that was almost mastered. Thanks to Kahili's advice, the Togetic had gotten faster in the air.
It had been hilarious to watch the tiny Togetic teach a gigantic Hydreigon how to fly.
Styx had improved tremendously in the recent days, finally lifting off the ground for the first time a week into their training expedition. It had been shaky and erratic, but she was stubborn and didn't allow herself to touch back down for over 20 minutes.
She was unsurprisingly sore the next day.
He had sent a video to Elite Kahili using the card she gave him, and she had texted back with some pointers and a 'congratulations'. He hadn't expected a reply, so he was more than happy to test out her advice.
It was tedious, having Styx work on each wing individually, but it paid off. Only three days after applying Kahili's tips, Styx was looking much steadier in the air and had started running drills with Sagitta.
Ash was a bit concerned he was overwhelming everyone with new moves, so he made a promise to himself that the next two or three weeks would be mastering current skills and movesets.
Now, it was August 20th, and he was re-entering Seafolk Village. He was sure he was a sight; filthy, greasy hair and even filthier clothes. He was pretty sure a fisherman flinched from his smell, and that's from a fisherman.
But he couldn't find it in himself to care. He had a full team and they were all getting along and progressing well. Sure, Hemlock played pranks and Sagitta pestered the others a bit too much, and Mirae was taking after his two 'parents' with his newfound pride and evil giggling… and yeah, Bane would illusion himself as one of the others and let Ash waste his breath outlining their training before realizing it was the Tricky Fox. And… yes Libra was constantly trying to get the drop on Styx only to get flung into a tree by the Hydreigon's tail…
But they were a family, all rough edges and chaotic displays of growing trust.
Now it was time to decide on an end-date for his Alola visit.
After a long, long shower that resulted in skin scrubbed raw and using his hat to keep hair out of his face, he was ready to find a flight. His winnings from the tournament and catching Pyukumuku had helped him feel comfortable with his finances.
He logged on to one of the public computers in the Pokémon center, his Pokémon getting a nice extended healing session and check up. He had told Nurse Joy to have Mirae out while she gave Styx her full post-evolution check up.
Soon enough, he had his flight booked out of Heahea City two weeks from now. On September 3rd, he would land in Nimbasa City, Unova.
Releasing a long breath, he slumped back against his chair. It was amazing he had already been a trainer for almost three months, and the first stop on his world travels was almost over.
Ash stretched his arms over his head, mentally rehashing all he'd accomplished so far. Looking at it as objectively as he could, he couldn't believe half the things he'd encountered had actually happened to him.
He had hit a bit of a wall on the Aether front. He knew he needed to figure it out, he really didn't want to see what an unhappy Island Guardian would do if he didn't. And knowing that every single Ultra Beast that was taken away was… would be…
He didn't know how any of this worked. He didn't know what to do, and felt too damn powerless to be of use.
None of his Team Skull friends had seen or heard anything, and neither Nanu nor Kukui had said anything.
So with a heavy mind and heavier heart, he collected his Pokémon and slept in a real bed for the first time in weeks.
He was attempting to relax on a beach in Poni a few days after Kahili had made good on her promise and flew out to help Styx.
Mirae was hopping around in the surf, Bane disguised as an Eevee having dragged Libra over to join them. The Hakamo-o didn't really understand the game, but she learned she was really good at splashing her teammates.
Hemlock was curled up beneath Ash's lounge chair hiding from the sun. Sagitta, in a shocking twist, was splayed atop Ash's head, her stomach pressed to his black hair with arms and legs draped down the sides.
Ash took great joy in watching Styx twist rather gracefully in the air over the ocean.
Dings interrupted his daze. Texts weren't too unusual these days now that he actually had friends. But when he looked down, he realized he had tempted fate once again.
Professor Kukui
Received 08/26/xxxx at 07:11
Ash, you were right, you were right about it all.
Please get to my lab as soon as you can
I'm sorry
Gladion
Received 08/26/xxxx 06:33
Aether took my sister
Well shit.
Professor Kukui looked like he hadn't slept in days. His eyes were bloodshot with dark bags beneath and his lab coat was crumpled and creased. He was staring, pacing outside the lab even though he didn't know when Ash would arrive.
His relief was palpable when Styx clumsily touched down. But then relief turned to confusion and astonishment when a Crobat and Decidueye landed beside her with their passengers. Decidueye ruffled his feathers in discomfort, taking a step away from Ash.
Kukui didn't even mention the Hydreigon when he sprinted over, instead staring at Gladion. "You're Lillie's brother, aren't you." The blonde's face looked pinched, but he nodded, clenching shaking fists at his sides.
Ash wasn't the best with faces, but he felt like slapping himself. Gladion and Lillie were so similar. Maybe the color scheme threw him off.
Kukui shook his head and just started rambling. "Burnet has been gone for three days. When she didn't come home the first night, I wasn't concerned because she sometimes stays in the lab all night, but when she didn't respond to me all day yesterday and again didn't come home, I realized something was wrong. Then Lillie's mother apparently picked her up from school yesterday and now I know something is wrong and I-"
"Take a breath." Kukui gasped for air like he'd been underwater for too long. He looked stricken. "Why does it matter if Lillie's mother picked her up?"
"Because she's the founder and president of Aether." Gladion's words cut through the panicked atmosphere surrounding them like an ax.
Ash grimaced.
This was a bit more convoluted than he hoped.
"From what Burnet has told me over the years, Lusamine founded Aether after she encountered a UB-Symbiont. And from what Lillie told me after a panic attack, that Ultra Beast bonded to Lillie as host and parasite for days. Lillie doesn't remember anything from that time. But ever since, Lusamine has had an unhealthy obsession with the beasts, according to her daughter.
"Aether… they found this creature that they used to open a wormhole two years ago. It wasn't a UB-Blade, but something else. Lillie managed to sneak it out before she moved in with me. She called it a Cosmog."
Ash's mind was racing. "Gladion, what do you know of this?"
The blonde was staring at the ground with a fierce grimace, his hands shaking for how he was squeezing them into fists.
The light breeze and calming laps of waves were a harsh contrast to the buzzing of anticipation and dread.
"One day, Lillie was suddenly in the hospital. She wouldn't wake up, and when she did, she was terrified of Pokémon. She used to love our mother's Clefable, but then it was like she couldn't be within five feet of him. Lillie… she was a completely different person." Gladion shut his eyes, hunching over. "I found out what happened a year ago. I knew I needed to do something, so I took Silvally and ran."
"What is Silvally, really?" The week Ash had traveled with Gladion and Hau on Akala was a week of… misplaced panic. The mere sight of Silvally made Ash want to put as much distance between them as possible.
Gladion's nostrils flared in quiet fury. "He was created using parts from Ultra Beasts and other Pokémon to be the ultimate UB killer. He's the only one that survived."
A cold chill crept up Ash's spine, fight or flight and a hint of rage sweeping through him for a brief moment. He shook his head while everyone was silent as his words sunk in.
Kukui scowled. "The day you left, Lillie spilled everything she knew to Burnet. I had asked her to give me time but she couldn't stop herself from telling Burnet. Burnet has been asking around ever since. I fear she asked the wrong person the wrong questions."
Before he could freak, Ash took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. 'Alright, just like Oak taught you, take a breath and step away, view the situation through an objective eye. What should you do first? What can you control?'
Flipping open his Pokédex, Ash held up a finger to the confused Kukui and sent some texts and stepped away to make a call. Speaking into the phone for a few moments, Ash put a hand to the microphone and turned to Kukui. "Where is Aether headquarters?"
"It's on an artificial island a few miles South of Heahea City." Nodding, Ash turned back to the Pokédex and repeated the location. He hung up, sent off a few more texts, then turned back to the frantic group of three. Hau looked determined, but so lost.
They all stared at Ash.
Oh. Yeah, he can figure this out. No biggie.
"Okay, here's what's going to happen. Hau, Gladion, and I are heading straight for Aether." Kukui immediately tried to argue, but Ash held up a hand. "I've called someone, I need you to be there to explain. I don't understand the ULA laws or what they need for a warrant, but you do." Kukui, even in his despair, widened his eyes in surprise. He knew Ash knew of his other role.
Ash gave Kukui a hard, but sympathetic look. "Plus, you're compromised. Gladion knows Aether. Hau's Decidueye, Raichu, and Aipom will be able to navigate the place well enough to go unnoticed. I know where the Ultra Beasts are being kept and how to get them out."
He knew Kukui wanted to fight to go with them, his emotions were running high and his fiancé was most likely in trouble. But Ash needed a competent, well-respected adult to be the voice of urgency and truth.
Plus, the Alola Champion had quite a bit of sway.
The professor grit his teeth but bit out a single "Fine. Aether Paradise is situated in international waters, which has made this whole situation ten times more complicated."
Ash bit his cheek but nodded once, not wanting to admit he didn't really know how that impacted things. Instead, he turned to Gladion. "What do we need to know?"
"Aether Paradise has cameras and guards everywhere. But they're lazy; more worried about things getting out than in. We need to get to my mom's office. She has a secret room that leads to the roof. I have a feeling she took Lillie for something specific." Gladion looked like he was about to puke, so Ash didn't push.
"Entrances?" Was he half-copying a script from an old heist movie? Yes. He didn't really have anything else to go off of, and for some reason Kukui, the adult, wasn't stepping up. He was going with his gut.
The blonde's eyes got a faraway look as he thought. "Basement level ports for ships, that's the only way in. If we can commandeer one or stowaway, that should be enough to get in."
The aspiring Chaos trainer nodded slowly. "Okay… okay that's enough. I can work with that." He didn't know why he took charge or why anyone else was letting him - nevertheless expecting it from him - but he didn't have time to question this outcome.
It was like a switch was flicked on in his mind, something sparking to life that told him he knew what to do.
"Who are the strongest we need to look out for?"
"Faba," Ash wrinkled his nose in disgust. "My mom, and Wicke. My intel says a new scientist was hired and he's pretty high up." He listened closely to the descriptions of the three.
Wait, Gladion has intel?
"Why is your mom so obsessed with Ultra Beasts?" Hau's voice is desperate, trying to understand.
Gladion crossed his arms and looked away. "She's always had a fucked up understanding of love. She thinks only beautiful things deserve love, and beautiful is subjective. Beautiful things should be seen and not heard. She thinks her love should be enough, and anything else - individual dreams or passions - should be abandoned. She's greedy and psychotic and possessive. She takes and takes and wants to lock everything away so she can appreciate the sight. Everything she does is driven by beauty."
He shook his head with disgust. "I found some of her personal logs. When that first UB-Symbiont fell through, she found 'true beauty'. Anything else didn't matter anymore… not even her children. Since I've found out, I've been trying to thwart Aether every chance I get."
The final puzzle piece fell into place for Ash. "You're the other leader of Team Skull. That's how they know where wormholes open up, you have something that tracks them."
Three pairs of eyes blinked at him with varying levels of bewilderment.
"Yeah, Ultra Beasts and wormholes release an unusual radiation that's easy to track. How did you know that?"
Ash's eyes caught an approaching figure that soon split into four. He smirked. "Because you might know some of my backup."
Plumeria's Crobat dropped her a few feet from the ground, resulting in her landing in a badass crouch. Duncan and two unfamiliar Skulls dismounted their own flyers in a much more mundane manner.
"Plume?"
"Holy shit, Gladion?"
The two came together and hugged. Plumeria held Gladion at arm's length and looked between him and Ash. "You two know each other?"
Her co-leader lightly grabbed her wrists and plucked them off his shoulders. "That's not important. Aether took Lillie." The four Skulls hissed and gasped.
Ash stepped forward. "That's why I called you. We're going to storm Aether." Duncan whooped in excitement. Honestly, Ash shouldn't have expected any different. "The security is good, but Hau, Gladion, and I all have very specific purposes. We need backup to take care of the employees."
Plume cocked her hip. "Leave that to us. Everyone is meeting in Heahea, we have sixteen that are ready to go. These three are team leaders, Duncan, June, and Jinx." June had a curtain of black hair that covered half her face, partly tied up in a bun. Her makeup was dark and she had a perpetual smirk. Jinx had bright pink hair in two long spoink-tails and matching mischievous pink eyes.
Ash shared a nod with all of them while Hau waved from behind, happy to be meeting new people despite the circumstances.
Kukui had accepted that a bunch of teenagers were about to illegally storm a secret shady organization.
"Alright, first things first, we need to get a boat to Aether."
June grinned wickedly. "Leave that to me."
"Wow."
Ash was impressed. June's Lickilicky, Heatmor, and Kecleon had incapacitated all the Aether employees aboard the ship using Lick. Team Skull boarded the cruiser, some tying up the paralyzed passengers and putting them in a storage closet.
All of this seemed so surreal.
Ash, Hau, Gladion, and the Team Skull members quickly jumped onto the boat, avoiding the Heahea ferry terminal staff as best they could. A Skull named Tahno got behind the controls and soon they were headed due South.
Teams had been briefed, Gladion and Hau knew the plan, and the Skull's spare patched-up communicators were given to the three team leaders, Plumeria, Ash, Hau, and Gladion.
Ash felt like he was in a spy movie.
The odd thing was, Plumeria and Gladion were both deferring to Ash. The two Leaders of Team Skull were letting him call the shots and Ash couldn't figure out why.
It was with great effort Ash forced himself to focus.
Halfway to the artificial island, Plumeria handed the three friends a pile of white clothes. She rolled her eyes at their looks of confusion. "The uniforms. Take them." Ash grimaced at all the white, as did Gladion, but they didn't complain and quickly changed.
Adrenaline was flooding his system as he tugged on the white hat. He had a few minutes to ask himself what the fuck he was doing. Was he meant to do this? First Sabrina's prophecy, then Tapu Koko's vision, then befriending Gladion, Plumeria, and Team Skull… It all seemed too planned. Maybe he had become fate's plaything.
He shook off the doubts as Tahno steered the boat into the basement docks. There were only two Aether Employees they could see.
Plumeria gestured to her Gengar, while another Skull, Mako, gave the go ahead to his Rotom. Ash released Bane and told him to focus on Gengar and ready Copycat.
Team Skull was scarily efficient and organized.
Cameras were shorted out and the two employees were asleep after a potent Hypnosis. Bane now had Hypnosis copied for about two hours.
Everyone disembarked with the gravity of the situation heavy on their shoulders. Team Skull split into four groups, Gladion and Hau paired up, and Ash was on his own. No one spoke, just gave singular nods.
They all broke to follow different hallways.
Ash allowed his vision from Tapu Koko to guide his steps. He didn't hurry, focusing on exuding an aura of purpose that made him look like he belonged. Ash was nearing 5'08", so he wasn't even the shortest employee in the building. Bane, with his most challenging illusion ever, was disguised as one of the employees they'd knocked out on the ship.
A few he passed gave him second glances, but there was no alarm or suspicion in their eyes, just faint recognition. That concerned him more than suspicion.
His feet took him through winding hallways and down multiple staircases until he was positive he was deep under the ocean. Everything was going smoothly until he reached the hallway from his vision.
The double doors that led to the UBs were being guarded. Two burly Aether employees stood like a wall, eyes scanning their surroundings. Ash gulped, reassured Bane quietly, and walked towards the guards.
"Atchison! What are you doing down here? And who's this?"
Fuck he didn't plan for this. Bane can't make illusions speak. Ash had to improvise. He stepped forward and gave a small smile.
"Hello, I'm Samuel Hill, I was recently hired by Faba and Lusamine. Apparently they're a bit busy today, so Atchison here was the only one available to give me a tour. I'm supposed to work in the lower levels as a scientist…" Ash trailed off purposely, giving an intense stare to the guards that expressed more than words could. Or at least, he hoped.
One guard shrugged and was about to let him in, but then the other slapped a hand to his chest and glared. "We're going to need to see some ID."
Ash's eyebrows furrowed theatrically, a slight downturn to his lips. "Today's my first day, it hasn't been printed yet."
He knew he'd screwed up when both tensed. After months of training with his Pokémon, Ash reflexively dodged the arms that tried to grab him. He might not be a fighter, but he'd trained Hemlock, so that was close enough.
Ash ducked and wove clumsily around beefy arms, mind working faster than it ever had. He heard a thump and crossed his fingers as he slipped around the guard, hoping that meant Bane's Hypnosis took the other guard down.
He realized a second too late that he'd been cornered. The guard had a mean sneer on his face as he cocked back a fist. Ash was ready to try his luck with blocking, but he didn't have to.
The guard cried out when Bane came flying out of nowhere to latch onto his back, claws digging in deep. Teeth dug into the man's nape, causing another cry of pain. Ash took the opening that was given him and slammed a fist into his solar plexus. A choked gasp seized him, and by the time the man recovered, Bane was on the ground, eyes glowing blue.
The guard slumped to the ground.
Why didn't the guards have Pokémon? Why didn't any of the Aether employees he passed have Pokémon? None were out in the hallways, no Psychics for security or protection. For a company that claimed to love Pokémon, they really didn't act like it.
Ash stood there breathing heavily. Air whooshed out his lungs. "Thank you, Bane." The Zorua bared his teeth in a grin. Shaking his head and staving off panic, 'what the Nether did I just do?' Ash turned to the double doors and tried to figure out how to open them.
He saw a badge-reader to the right, so he swiftly searched the sleeping guard for a card key or another form of identification.
He eventually found a lanyard hidden beneath the guard's shirt. Holding it up to the badge reader, the flashing red light turned green and the doors slid open.
As soon as his eyes registered what he was seeing, Ash hunched over and lost his lunch.
He was dry heaving after a few moments, the sour stench of vomit causing a feedback loop. Bane tried to offer support by resting his weight against Ash's leg. He squeezed his eyes shut, spit out the bile, and faced the horrid sight.
All around him were dead Ultra Beasts.
Styx finally evolves, Ash catches a Totem Hakamo-o, and now he's decided to become a spy. Cool. The games and anime have 10 year olds taking down terrorist organizations, this is fine.
Aether's arc gets resolved in the next chapter