Graphic Depictions of Violence in this chapter
The first dozen glass cages had them resting on some sort of operating table.
Aether hadn't even bothered to clean up.
Ultra Beasts were left splayed open, innards left on full display; organs, bones, nerves, vessels. Some had syringes scattered on tables, others had body parts missing, others had needles embedded in their bodies that were attached to machines and dials. A UB-Assembly was hardly more than dust and debris.
It was the worst thing he's ever seen. There was an intense well of grief in his chest that felt too big for his body.
Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose, spitting out bile once more and wiping away the wetness he could feel on his face. Hardly feeling more centered, he got to work even as it felt like there was a black hole in his chest.
He counted at least one of each UB dead on the tables. He selfishly prayed to Mew these Ultra Beasts weren't the ones he had met. The ones that interacted with his team and the ones that made him laugh. At the first sight of a tiny purple figure he quickly looked in the opposite direction. There had been a few UB-Adhesive caught, maybe that wasn't the one.
He put a hand to the communicator and pressed down.
"I've got about 15 dead UBs here."
"Shit, I'm sorry Ash." Hau sounded choked up, but Ash appreciated him responding.
"Don't dawdle, Ash. We've taken down everyone so far without raising an alarm, but I doubt our luck will hold out." He tried not to wince at June's harsh tone.
"We're almost to her office." Trepidation filled Ash at Gladion's blank voice. Ash pushed it away, focusing on his own mission. Worrying about Gladion's family trauma wouldn't help right now. He gritted his teeth and raised his Pokédex. He felt dirty taking these pictures, but Kukui needed them for proof.
He mechanically clicked and sent, clicked and sent, until each dead UB had been accounted for. There was one of each, except for two UB-Symbiont and two UB-Beauty. There were five dead UB-Blade, all having the needles stuck in their bodies.
Trying to figure out their ability to open Ultra Wormholes, he guessed.
With his task finally done, he walked further into the spacious room, Bane silent at his side, and they thankfully found the living, breathing Ultra Beasts.
They rose up as he walked by, UB-Burst cowering, UB-Glutton withering away, UB-Blaster looking rusted and stiff. But all were drawn towards Ash, right up against the glass.
"Can you all hear me?" He saw them flinch, so he took that as a yes.
"I'm here to let you out. I came with a group to help get you home." The beasts looked wary, alien expressions of hope and hopelessness mingled among them. He wasn't sure how they understood him, but he wasn't going to question it.
He walked through the cells, analyzing the health of the UBs. Some were better off than others. Releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding, he came across a healthy looking UB-Blade. Thank Mew.
"Do any of you know how anyone gets in and out? How do I open your cages?" The lone UB-Lightning hesitantly raised a weakly sparking limb to point to the back of the room. Ash smiled softly and headed in that direction. At the end of the room was a door.
It had a keypad.
Seven digits.
Ash huffed and entered the code he couldn't forget if he tried. If Tapu Koko had all the information, why did it need Ash to do the dirty work? Perhaps it worried it could have been captured.
The door slid open and within was just what he needed. He turned to Bane. "Keep a lookout. If you hear anyone coming, knock them out." Bane nodded seriously before he shimmered, and soon Atchison was walking away from him.
Computers and machines and files were scattered through the room. An enormous stock of Beast Balls were stored away in the back. Sliding into a chair, Ash could have kissed whatever idiot left this computer unlocked.
Pulling out one of the hard drives Kukui gave to each of them, he inserted it and started dragging any and all files he could find onto it. When it filled up, he swapped it out for another.
Flashes of document titles crossed the screen
UBs Energy Signature
UBs Reliance on Ultra Space Radiation
Ultra Space Radiation Potential Uses
Ultra Space Energy Theories
UB-Blade Wormhole Creation
UB-Beauty Pheromone Potential Uses
UB-Symbiont Neurotoxin Potential Uses
Each file he saw made him a little more nauseous.
What dumbass kept every important file on one computer? Ash had no hacking skills whatsoever so he would have been screwed otherwise. The last file, one named 'Styx' made him start. Looking around, he turned back to view it and saw two documents. He opened the one with his name on it.
Ash,
I managed to get everything onto my computer. I truly never realized what was going on, I'm sorry. Kukui told me about what Tapu Koko did. I knew you'd come.
Hopefully I eased the way for you.
Good luck and be careful,
Burnet
P.S. They're interested in you
Ash takes back his harsh words.
Her note at the end… It confirmed Ash's fears. Aether thought there was some connection between Ash and the Ultra Beasts.
He opened the other document and found the directions to open every cell. The override console was hidden in the ground between two of the cages. He snapped a picture of the directions, closed everything out, withdrew the hard drive, and ran out.
He saw two employees asleep on the ground before he got where he needed to be. He was between the UB-Lightning and an agitated UB-Assembly.
"Okay, this should work. You, yes, I need you to open an Ultra Wormhole to get home once I open these doors, can you do that?" The UB-Blade zipped around anxiously, a heavy beeping collar around its abdomen. "If that thing comes off, you'll be able to open a wormhole?" The tiny beast calmed down somewhat. Ash looked at the instructions and saw whatever he was about to do would override everything.
What idiot…
No time. He wouldn't look a gift Ponyta in the mouth. Ash raised his voice. "Once you're able to get out, please go to that one so you can get home. Please."
Praying once more to Mew things went his way and the beasts listened, he looked at the floor.
An innocent looking switchplate was embedded on the ground. Ash popped it open and saw a tiny little blinking device. He read through the instructions one more time. The UB-Lightning's head(?) pressed against the glass to watch him.
Without further ado, he ripped out the two thin wires connected to the device. Immediately, the lights dimmed and took on a reddish glow, and then every cage opened.
Instantaneous mayhem.
The Ultra Beasts that weren't injured dashed through the doors and slammed into each other.
A UB-Glutton figured it out.
The really really really loud roar could probably be heard through the building.
So much for stealth.
The UBs quieted and turned. The single UB-Blade, chunky collar discarded on the ground, waited until they all turned before it started glowing. It shook a bit, exhaustion in every fold. It floated closer to Ash until it was practically on his head. The familiar pulsing pressure and rushing noise suddenly heard until the warping tunnel was open.
For the first time, Ash got a truly good look at the wormhole. He fought back the desire to reach out.
One by one, the beasts went home. Ash noticed the UB-Lightning was last in line and he had an idea. Jogging over, he got its attention. "Can you help me out real quick?" Not waiting, Ash ran back to the room, the door still wide open. The Electric UB caught up a few moments later.
"Can you destroy all this?"
It shivered with excitement.
Wiry limbs connected to machines and started pulling the residual electricity into its own body. Lights and screens flickered ominously before dying in a plume of smoke, leaving UB-Lightning as the only light source.
The head started glowing bright and brighter until a huge wave of electricity slammed into the Beast Balls with a vengeance.
The resulting explosion was definitely heard all around.
Brushing soot off his face, he turned and grinned. "Thanks." The UB-Lightning wiggled.
Soon enough, the only Ultra Beasts left were UB-Lightning and UB-Blade. He tried not to think about the lack of any living UB-Adhesive.
UB-Lightning waved spindly limbs at him before jumping into the wormhole. UB-Blade, looking significantly more tired now, folded in half in the approximation of a bow before swinging around to go home.
The wormhole slowly shrunk, until it was just Ash left in the darkness and feeling strangely empty.
He brought a hand to his ear.
"All the UBs are home."
"Yeah that's great, but we need help here!" Hau sounded frantic, so Ash pulled out his small flashlight and started jogging, calling for Bane as he rounded corners.
"What's the situation?" Jinx was distracted, and the sound of a battle could be heard.
"I'm battling Faba, which is going alright- Dodge! Spirit Shackle! -But Gladion's fighting Wicke, who somehow turned Silvally against him. It's not good. Lusamine is barely paying attention- Steel Wing! Feather Dance! - Lillie is inside the jellyfish thing!"
Well shit.
Ash jogged to the end of the spacious room, hand reaching for the door.
"I knew I'd find you here."
He froze. The voice was monotone, almost bored, but it echoed in the silence. Ash slowly turned and took in the sight of the man.
Obviously a scientist, white lab coat and half-moon spectacles. But he had the oddest strand of blue hair that defied gravity and wrapped around his head. His hands were tucked lazily in his coat pockets, but his stare unnerved Ash. He was looking at Ash like he was a particularly fascinating problem.
"Ash Ketchum. The Ultra Beast magnet." The scientist tilted his head, inspecting Ash. "Since you've been in Alola, 340% more wormholes have opened, and every single one has opened near you. What about you draws them in? Why can they all understand you?" The man smirked and tossed an Ultra Ball, the alien-looking form of a Baheeyem taking shape.
"I plan to find out."
The Imprison raced towards him with no warning. Ash paled, only having enough time to cross his arms in front of his face, knowing it'd be no use. His entire body locked up, arms bound to his sides with a glowing blue band holding him in place.
The scientist frowned at the sight of the Imprison flickering against Ash's skin.
A sudden wave of Dark Pulse freed Ash from the Psychic attack, his hands slamming against the floor to keep himself from tumbling over.
Bane stood braced in front of his trainer, his human illusion dropped, fearsome snarl obvious on his muzzle. Night Daze sent Beheeyem shooting back, knocking into the scientist and creating a pile on the floor.
"WE NEED BACK UP NOW!" Hau's voice screamed over the comms, making Ash grind his teeth.
"Bane, Hypnosis, we don't have time!" The Zorua growled but complied, the scientist and the Beheeyem going slack in sleep.
Torn, Ash could do nothing to restrain them, instead taking a quick picture and turning away to dash through the doors. The lights were out on this entire level. He desperately recalled the directions Gladion had given everyone to get to Lusamine's office.
"If anyone is on their way, they have a weird Pokémon locked up in some machine that's keeping a wormhole open. Lusamine is trying to bring more UBs through! Someone has to shut it off!" Hau was still shouting, adrenaline spiked, so Ash willed his feet to go faster.
He pushed the creepy scientist that brought fear to his heart out of his mind.
"We're all tied up here, the docks are a war zone, everyone's trying to flee once they got the alert the UBs escaped." Jinx bit out in between orders. Duncan, June, and Plumeria all chimed in with their inability to help out.
"I'm on my way." Ash bounded up stairs and skidded around a corner and finally came to the high tech elevator that luckily still had power. Hurriedly selecting the 3rd floor, he mentally commanded the elevator to go faster. Bane was tense and ready for more at his side.
Ash almost ran straight into a fist aimed his way when he stepped off the elevator. He ducked so fast he tripped and landed with a thud.
Bane was on it.
The Hypnosis looked weaker, but managed to put the woman to sleep. His time with the copied move was almost up. Ash checked his Pokédex and blinked at the time. How had it already been two hours?
Shaking his head, he kept repeating Gladion's directions under his breath until he came to an ostentatious door that had to be Lusamine's.
The office was impersonal and spotless. But he didn't stop to snoop. The door should be about… here! The wall-length portrait Lusamine had of herself swung open and as Ash stepped through, he had to hold in another round of gagging.
The entire hallway was lined with tubes, all filled with what he knew were dead Pokémon, but they just looked asleep. The first couple of tubes were Pokémon known for their beauty; Milotic, Gardevoir, Ninetails, Lumineon, even a Dragonair.
Then it was Ultra Beasts. Of the last ten tubes, eight were UB-Symbiont. They looked withered in their stasis, and he had to wonder if they needed a host to survive. The last two were both UB-Beauty.
This lady was insane.
With little time to linger, Ash captured a few pictures just in case, trying to avert his eyes as best he could. As quickly as possible, he stepped onto the final elevator at the end of the hallway. Bane was silent and quivering at his feet, shaken from the sight they'd seen. Ash ran a calming hand through his long tuft of hair as they ascended to the roof.
The scene that met them was overwhelmingly frantic.
There were multiple things happening at once, and Ash only had a few seconds to take it all in. Wind buffeted his body, stinging and howling and tearing at white clothing. His Aether hat was yanked from his head with little difficulty, spiraling as it was pulled into the wormhole.
Hau was battling Faba, his Decidueye a boon against the man's Psychic types and easily phasing through the forceful winds. An Alakazam was knocked down from another Spirit Shackle and Hau's newly evolved Ambipom was throwing Sucker Punches at a levitating Bruxish.
In the time it had taken Ash to get here, the tides had apparently turned back to their favor.
Gladion stood facing his mother. A woman, who he guessed was Wicke, was tied up with String Shot and being guarded by Leavanny.
Lusamine, for who else could this crazy-eyed blonde woman be, didn't seem to care as her long hair writhed around her, snapping around her body and intermittently blocking her sight. Her focus was on her Pokémon, a Lilligant and, to his ire, a Clefable.
Somehow, Silvally had returned to listening to Gladion, and it was a sight.
The mask was gone. A metallic beak that extended from an odd spherical device on its jaw flashed in the midday sun. An enormous crest sprouted from its head and looked to be glowing an artificial purple.
It was obvious this creature was created to win in the way an instinctual fear arose in Ash at the sight of it.
Purple coated claws slashed Clefable down, before the other foreleg swiped at Lilligant, causing the Grass type to cry out in pain.
Lusamine had a deranged look on her face, eyes wide and lips twisted in a hideous approximation of a smile.
Even Silvally in all its freedom couldn't hold his own against three powerful Pokémon. So when Lusamine launched another Pokéball that released a towering Bewear, Silvally started getting overwhelmed.
But despite all of that, what really grabbed his attention was the floating black gelatinous mass behind them all.
UB-Symbiont had grown and now looked to be bulging with inky blackness. Its glassy surface was strained and looked oil-slick, the black substance tracking down eight enormous tentacles. Four of the eight were mace-like bludgeons while the other half ended in a thick spine. The entire beast was triple its normal size, looming over the rooftop, unmoved by the violent gales.
It no longer looked frail, now that it had a host.
Lillie's eyes were closed, and her hair had turned the same inky black with few golden strands peaking through. The rest of her body hung limp, only her head and torso within the UB. She looked like a puppet, held up by a single string wrapped around her neck.
The spike-tipped tentacles bore into the steel ceiling, turning the beast towards the rumbling, vacuuming, slowly-growing wormhole. On the other side were silhouettes of almost a dozen UB-Symbiont, waiting to come through.
Ash stared for a moment, and then all the Ultra Beasts turned to stare back.
He wavered, leaning forward until his heels came off the ground. A mass of tentacles reached towards him simultaneously.
A sharp bark from his side made Ash gasp, stepping back. Bane was staring at him, confusion and anticipation in his blue eyes.
"Okay… okay." Ash sighed, getting his head back in the very urgent game. Looking over the scene he took in everything left, honing in on the centerpiece.
The tail of the wormhole was linked to a giant machine that had a single circular window to see the Pokémon inside. It was a translucent, dark blue orb with a starscape pattern set in a golden shell-like structure At the center of the main body was a much smaller black core. The overall shape of this Pokémon resembled an eye.
It looked like it was sleeping.
Ash had to make a decision. Save Lillie, help Gladion, or get the Pokémon out?
Why not all three?
Looking down at Bane, they shared a nod.
Ash released Hemlock alongside his Zorua and turned to them. "Hemlock, Bane, I need you to sneak past everyone and try to get UB-Symbiont to let Lillie go. Weaken it however you can, just try not to hurt the girl." Bane looked distressed and shook his head. Ash swiftly knelt and drew the fox into a hug. Hemlock looked determined, his wiry, pitchfork hair embedded in the metal roof to keep him braced against the winds.
"I have full faith in you. I know I'm asking a lot, but I need to close that wormhole." He felt the Zorua's shaking ease and when he pulled back, he saw resolution in those cerulean eyes. Ash gave a tense smile before nudging the Pokémon away. Illusioned as a Joltik, he scuttled across the roof. Hemlock faded into Feint Attack.
There was a whole lot of battling going on between him and the machine. Good thing he has a team.
He didn't give Sagitta time to greet him, instead handed her the Dusk Ball from his belt. "Sagitta, I need you to fly over everyone to that machine. Release Styx, and tell her to destroy it, but don't hurt the Pokémon inside." The little Togetic didn't give any of her usual wicked grins, instead clicking her beak and wrapping her arms around the ball before taking off.
Only Faba was distracted by the tiny Pokémon, but it worked to Hau's advantage and he took down the last two Psychic types.
Ash didn't know how sturdy the little guy inside the machine was, but he hoped it was very. He watched the Hydreigon appear in all her glory, saw everyone turn towards the three-headed Dragon, and heard Lusamine's enraged yell as the Dragon's tail tore metal like paper.
Hemlock and Bane used the distraction to engage the UB-Symbiont, and now it was Ash's turn.
"Libra, help Silvally."
The Hakamo-o's challenging roar echoed through the sky as she ran into the fray. Faba's eyes widened in fear behind his goggles, eyes tracing from Libra to Ash, his face twisting with something resembling unethical interest.
Libra's powerful hind legs propelled her towards the 3-on-1 battle, deciding to even the odds. Lusamine lost her grin as Bewear was bowled over like it was a mere Caterpie. Gladion shot him a tight grin, then called for an X-Scissor on Lilligant.
Clefable tried to get the jump on the Fighting and Dragon type, but one fist came streaking around, and the next moment a powerful Thunder Punch had launched the Fairy type across the roof.
It didn't get up.
"Mother, you need to stop! Look what you've done to Lillie! Your daughter!" Gladion was desperate, eyes darting between his mother and his sister, despair plain on his face.
"No! I don't have any children!" Gladion froze, shoulders slumping as he stared at Lusamine as if for the first time. "I will not allow someone so foul to stop me! We are half a species, half a being, half a life! Disfigured and lesser! Once we're all one with UB-Symbiont, nothing will be ugly again!"
Ash grimaced. Yeah, how about no. This lady was delusional.
When her Mismagius joined the fray after Lilligant was knocked out, Silvally was more than happy to rip it apart. Libra had the rest handled, giving Ash the chance to make a break for the other side of the rooftop.
To his great relief, and odd sense of loss, the machine was in pieces and the wormhole that had been growing was shrinking. The wind was dying down, no longer being pulled towards the void. The dozen UB-Symbiont and a brief flash of red and gold faded from sight. Sagitta was fluttering around the sleeping Pokémon as Styx tried to nudge it, but it wouldn't budge.
It took effort, but Ash tore his eyes away from the sleeping Pokémon and turned to Hemlock and Bane.
It wasn't good.
The fox was running himself ragged dodging the horde of tentacles. The poor thing was exhausted after his repeated use of Hypnosis and human disguise for two hours. Night Daze helped a little, but then tentacles would flash brightly and it was like the UB-Symbiont was brand new. Hemlock was doing his damndest to hurt the beast in some way, but his punches did little and anything larger threatened to hurt Lillie.
"Libra, keep fighting! Sagitta, protect the Pokémon, Styx, to me!" With an answering roar at his back, he stopped a few meters from the battle. "Bane, Swift and Shadow Ball! Keep it back!" The Zorua looked grateful when his trainer took over command.
"Hemlock, Double Team, keep the attention off Bane! Styx, Dragon Pulse, aim for the legs!"
Demonstrating how far he's come with the move, golden stars slammed into each of the tentacles and caused them to spasm. Shadow Balls detonated where tentacles met body. From somewhere he couldn't deduce, the UB-Symbiont screeched.
It was forced back, towards the edge of the roof when Dragon Pulses struck it. Styx understood Ash's frantic glance, flying around to be at the beast's back. The Hydreigon's incredible strength was a detriment here; they couldn't' hurt Lillie.
There was a part of Ash hurting as UB-Symbiont hurt. Body aching and muscles spasming.
A dozen Morgrem dashed around, dodging tentacles and getting many tangled in some instances. But out of nowhere two tentacles shot out to wrap around Bane, holding him high and squeezing the breath out of him. Two others, armed with thick spikes, raised up slowly. Threateningly.
"Bane!" Ash couldn't care less that his voice broke in his desperation, Bane was going to suffocate or worse.
And as Ash ran forward, towards the oily, toxic Ultra Beast with an outstretched hand… Something changed when his hand touched the slick glassy skin.
The Zorua started glowing.
And UB-Symbiont spasmed.
When Ash looked back on this moment, he would think the incredible strength, energy, and light of Bane's evolution had forced the tentacle to unwrap, that UB-Symbiont shrieked from the light and dropped Bane like it had been burned.
He would think that Bane, now a wolfishly grinning Zoroark, darting forward and slicing through two tentacles with pitch black claws is what ended it. That Styx's terrifying screech startled it.
That the pain of losing one tentacle after another, the shock of it all, is what forced the UB to loosen its grip.
But the beast had been silent and still the moment Ash touched its bulging skin. Even as its limbs were severed, the tentacle beneath Ash's pulsed against his fingertips. Until that tentacle too was severed, but while gravity enacted its will, it hung on just slightly too long to Ash's fingertips.
Bane crouched, unfamiliar with a bipedal form, as Ash stared at the graying tentacle, and the Ultra Beast shrieked. Convulsing, Lillie was ejected from the inky black fluid and fell four meters to the sickening sound of twin snaps.
The black fluid gushed from the beast, Bane and Hemlock jumping out of the way. It shrunk, and shrunk, until it resembled its former fragile form, then it too crashed to the roof.
With barely a pause to wrap his head around what just happened, Ash stumbled forward with a gasp and threw his arms around Bane, who now stood only a few inches shorter than him. His red mane was loose and tangled, but Ash gently ran his fingers through it. Reaching out, he grabbed Hemlock's elbow and dragged him in.
"Thank you both. I'm so proud of you." Bane barked softly and returned the embrace, claws safely sheathed. Hemlock grumbled but joined in.
They were startled from the moment when two EMTs knocked them to the side to get to Lillie. The three lost their footing and fell back against a solid mass. Who turned out to be Styx and Libra. When did Libra get here?
He probably should have checked on Lillie first, but he wasn't suddenly a paragon of goodness. He had different priorities.
Once Sagitta fluttered over to him, all his Pokémon, minus Mirae, in one place, he looked around and had to wonder how he missed it all.
Police had swarmed the enormous balcony. Wicke and Faba were handcuffed and seated, almost a dozen police surrounding them. Lusamine was screaming and snarling, fighting the two officers who had partially subdued her.
Wind began buffeting the sextet and Ash looked up to see a helicopter lowering. Concern washed over him when he saw Lillie being airlifted out, her legs bent at unnatural angles.
When… had this happened?
Medical personnel, police, Team Skull, detectives, League staff, and some unidentified people in trench coats and suits had flooded the area. Red and blue lights were flashing from the edges of the roof, and he saw ambulance boats speeding away from Aether Paradise.
Some unbound Aether employees were being questioned, while others were bound and seated around Faba and Wicke.
The old, creepy man was staring right at Ash, eyes bright with malicious knowledge.
Ash shivered but shifted his eyes to two adults, one in a trench coat and the other in a fitted suit, who were questioning the Aether leaders intently. The man in the coat had a severe countenance and had Wicke quaking in her white boots. The woman in the fitted suit had her eyes glowing blue and her lilac hair defying gravity.
A Psychic.
He hoped she didn't have a prophecy.
Eyes scanning arounding, he spotted Gladion arguing with some police, Hau a solid presence behind him, mouth set it an uncharacteristically harsh frown. Lusamine had been restrained fully, being led away by two more of the 'plain clothes' adults, each with a bruising grip on her arms.
Ash had to wonder why no one had approached him. There was an invisible multimeter circle around him that no one crossed, even though they kept shooting glances. His eyebrows furrowed until he heard an amused snort from behind him.
Ah, that's why.
At least these people are smart and not recklessly approaching a Hydreigon, nevermind the others.
Well, if he was being left alone, he finally gave into the urge that had been plaguing him since he stepped on this roof.
He turned and looked at the cosmic Pokémon, still set on the mutilated metal and sleeping. Walking closer, he lightly nudged the Pokémon, but was confronted with an immovable mass. Ash tried to shift it, but it didn't budge. Looking around the base, he deduced it wasn't stuck. Just heavy. He wondered if it was a middle evolution similar to Bug types that focus on saving energy for metamorphosis.
Brow furrowing, Ash placed a hand on it.
His eyes fluttered.
"Ash!"
Ripping his hand away, Ash whirled around.
Nanu was waiting, looking bored, on the edge of the self-imposed berth. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his suit pants. He had made some sort of effort to appear professional, but his tie was loose and the sleeves of his button down were rolled up. An Alolan Persian and a Sableye flanked him.
He eyed the tabooed Pokémon, the Ghost and Dark type taking half a step back from Ash.
"Mind letting me through? Call off your attack pets."
Ash rolled his eyes and tiredly waved him closer. "Hey, they haven't done anything, just some mild glaring." Nanu scoffed, but his gait was slower than normal with wariness. Ash was pretty sure Bane grinned sharply at Nanu just to be a dick. The Persian yowled at the fox in warning.
The Kahuna stepped up next to him to look at the sleeping Pokémon. "From what we could find and stitch together, this is a Cosmoem, the evolved form of the Cosmog Lillie Malani rescued. Aether apparently abducted the Cosmog from some kid and it was used to open the first man-made wormhole two years ago. Ms. Malani had it with her when Lusamine collected her yesterday."
Was it really only yesterday? Ash scowled, but he was appreciative of the information. "How are we going to move it?"
Nanu shrugged. "We won't. This place is going to be searched with a fine-tooth comb, so we'll have an around-the-clock watch on it. Although…"
They both turned towards Cosmoem to see it glowing. Ash frowned and put a hand to his chest, feeling an odd buzzing beneath his palm.
Styx rumbled with discomfort as a heavy aura blanketed the area. Everyone started looking around in suspicion, but Ash stared at Cosmoem.
There was another figure there.
Ash gasped, dream colliding with reality when he saw the image of a teenage boy fade in and out of sight. A teen that was small, skeletal, and looked half-dead. His skin had a purplish tint, his eyes an empty blue, his black hair as wispy as the Annihilape's he let run free almost two years ago.
Ash watched in a fearful daze as the teen reached for Cosmoem, plucking the Pokémon from the pedestal as if Styx hadn't struggled to move it earlier. Ash watched as the boy cradled the Pokémon like a baby, staring with soft eyes full of relief.
Their eyes met, and the other boy stared as he embraced the cosmic Pokémon. And then Ash noticed the shadows swirling around them. He looked up.
The four Island Deities descended from the sky, circling around as they came to surround Ash and his team like some traditional dance. They bobbed in the air, hooting lowly as their masks opened and closed around their bodies.
The roof was silent, even Lusamine had gone speechless in the face of all four Guardians. There was a palpable air of awe and worship, some of the less professional falling to their knees. Deities gathered together for the first time in generations.
His awe of being in these deities' presence wore off the first - and only - time Tapu Koko was an asshole. Plus, Ash's attention was fully captured by the apparition before him, one he had sworn was a dream.
He watched the boy's purple skin shift, the night sky twinkling beneath the surface. His eyes flared wide, noticing the eerie similarity between Cosmoem and the boy, the stars pulsing within them.
Then the boy was gone, and so was Cosmoem.
The Deities descended, until they circled Ash. As they spun, they all glowed until Tapu Lele's eyes shined with power.
A 'memory' was pushed into his mind, but Ash knew it wasn't real, but it felt… possible.
A single vision; an expansive altar with the sun and moon in the sky was given to him. He was shown Cosmoem glow and evolve into the galaxy personified, purple wings a starry scape, and then it went home.
Home…
Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Fini clapped their masks twice, bowing to Ash, and then they were gone.
Only Tapu Koko remained.
The Melemele deity's eyes were scrunched up in approval and drifted closer to Ash. The trainer glared at the Legend but didn't step back, mind still full of the boy. A vision or someone real? But he took Cosmoem and the Island Guardians gave him a fake memory… why?
Why why why why why?
Tapu Koko drifted closer and despite her horrible disadvantage, Styx roared protectively.
Tapu Koko spared her a single glance but turned its attention back to Ash. Its stare burned into him for a couple long moments, before it glanced over his shoulder at the surrounding humans. Its gaze was urging and meaningful, like they were in on a secret. Ash was given a slow, deep bow.
And Tapu Koko was gone.
Yeah you're welcome.
Ash couldn't find it in him to be too annoyed. He wasn't going to pretend he wouldn't have saved the UBs even if he didn't get a vision from the deity. He felt a sort of… companionship with them. Shrugging and trying to push the boy from his mind, he placed one hand on Styx's feathers and one on Bane's shoulder.
"We did it." The five Pokémon didn't respond, but they didn't need to. Libra hadn't been there, but she had heard snippets about their face off with the Island Guardian.
Ash felt freer, now that he knew his Alola troubles were truly behind him. He, Hau, Gladion, and Team Skull had succeeded in saving Lillie, exposing Aether, and freeing Cosmoem. But it wasn't a perfect win.
Lillie was injured, her and Gladion's mother would be in prison for a long time, and only half the UBs kidnapped would get to go home. There was also some connection between Ash and Ultra Beasts that he knew would unveil itself eventually.
They won, but it tasted bitter.
Ash glanced at Nanu. His mind raced, but he knew what he had to do. What he had to say. "They took Cosmoem to an altar and it evolved before going through a wormhole."
"Geez kid, you have a weird life." Nanu broke the tension, and Ash couldn't help but release a self-deprecating chuckle.
"Tell me about it." Ash was silent for a moment, then he had to ask. "Did you see him?"
Nanu watched him warily. "Who?"
Ash closed his eyes and pressed his lips in a hard line. "Nevermind."
He could feel Nanu's hard gaze, but the man didn't push. "Now, while I have you here, I need you to tell me everything. I'm also going to have to pull my connections to get you out of a breaking and entering charge."
Ash's eyes bulged and he whipped around to stare incredulously at Nanu. The man held his stare for a moment before his face crumbled and he barked out laughter.
"I'm kidding. The higher ups know you had a mission from the Melemele Island Guardian itself. That gives you some wiggle room. It'll get a bit messy with Aether Paradise being in international waters but you won't have to worry about that. But I still need a recounting of events."
Ash was too tired to glare too hard, so to keep his dignity intact, he launched into everything that occurred in the last five or six hours. It was a lot.
When his retelling came to an end, Nanu shut off his recording device and stuffed it in a pocket. Ash expected the man to leave with some abrasive comment, but he didn't. Nanu's rusty eyes looked far away as they gazed at Ash. Almost as if he was seeing someone else.
"You've chosen a tough path, working with Darks. But, and it literally pains me to say this, you're doing well. If I can give you one, wait two, pieces of advice they'd be this: one, be careful who you trust, because if they know what you value, they can hurt you worse than anyone else. Two, figure out what Darks want, and do your best to give it to them." Nanu sarcastically saluted him before walking away, hands shoved in pockets and his Pokémon flanking him.
Hours later, after talking to paramedics, talking to other officers, Ash had never hated talking more than he did then. And he already hated talking to people before this.
Exhaustion had sunk deep into his bones long ago, doubling the effects of gravity. He swayed in place, Styx a pillar of strength behind him, keeping him steady.
He learned that the weird scientist from the UB prison was gone. Escaped and disappeared. Ash tried not to feel unease, knowing the man that almost kidnapped him was still out there. Beheeyem were rarely used by morally upright people.
Libra was standing by his side like a sleepy guard, one eye continuously scanning for threats. Sagitta, Bane, and Hemlock were all curled up around her. Styx, the ever protective starter, hadn't relaxed her defensive stance the entire time, no matter who was around her trainer. Ash didn't know when they'd be allowed to leave.
The sun was sinking towards the ocean by this point, and most of the medical personnel, officers, Team Skull members, and detectives had all filed out, done with their work or just getting started.
The many, many bad apples of Aether had been carted off to holding cells until their trials. Most would be charged and plead 'no contest'. Many might not have actually committed the illegal experimentation, abuse, extortion, kidnapping, blackmailing, and unethical practices, but they were guilty by association and most likely charged with obstruction of justice.
Later, it would come to light that many employees were former Team Rocket agents that had escaped charges back in the day. Other employees that found out about the abuse were blackmailed into keeping quiet, mostly to protect families.
When the last of the officers left him alone, because apparently he was the whole 'mastermind' behind this rescue mission, he just stood with his hands in the pockets of his stolen Aether uniform. He had removed the jacket about two hours into the interrogations.
He looked over the roof at the few stragglers and then his eyes naturally drifted towards the water, looking out across the miles and miles of ocean stained with sunset. From the corner of his eye, Styx's feathers caught light and luminescent colors danced from the breeze.
He wasn't sure how he should feel. He'd be called in to testify over the course of a week, much quicker than other crimes due to the extreme nature and multi-regional jurisdiction (was it smart or stupid to build Aether Paradise in international waters?). He was getting special treatment, being able to testify to court and then free to continue his journey.
Nanu was doing what he could to keep Ash's name buried in the proceedings, but he was of legal age and was the sole captain of this particular mission. Sooner or later, his (very big) role in the largest ULA-sanctioned prosecution since Team Rocket would come to light.
Hopefully, if he thought about it objectively, this would help him more than hinder. Would a Team Rocket wannabe go out of his way to tear down a similar institution?
No. But the media and public could twist it any which way.
Styx's nostrils flared and she nudged Ash to knock him from his thoughts. He managed a chuckle and dug his fingernails into her jawline to elicit a grumble of satisfaction. She had been wonderful today, restraining herself to a support role and allowing his other teammates to complete their tasks.
He was upset that he hadn't talked with any of Team Skull, Gladion, or Kukui. From what he'd heard, Plumeria, Duncan, and Jinx had gone with the police to clear up any lasting confusion or bias surrounding their group. June had been injured by a Mudsdale's High Horsepower down by the docks. She'd be okay, or so they said.
Gladion had gotten a ride to the hospital the minute he was set free, Hau close behind. He had gotten a text from Hau that Lillie had been admitted, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. Twin tibial/fibular fractures, a concussion, and high blood toxicity from whatever foreign neurotoxin UB-Symbiont used.
Nothing from Kukui yet. No word on Burnet.
His reverie was broken by a voice calling his name and he sighed, trying to find his strength and patience. He turned and saw the two that had questioned Faba and Wicke earlier approaching him. Nanu had spilled he used to be part of the International Police, and he guessed these two were also.
"You know my name, I don't know yours." The woman quirked a smile at that, but the man's unflappability didn't budge. "I'm Agent Looker, this is Agent Anabel. We're with Interpol, we need to ask you a few questions."
Maybe Ash was too tired, or maybe he really just didn't give a shit, but he rolled his eyes so far back they might have gotten stuck. "Can't you just talk to Nanu? I literally told him everything and it took an hour and I almost lost my voice. Do you guys just suck at communicating with each other?"
Agent Anabel actually released a laugh even as Agent Looker's face twisted with his displeasure. The lilac haired woman cut in before the other could.
"I'm a psychic-"
"I know." There was something about her that felt familiar.
She raised an eyebrow but continued. "-and with your permission, I'd like to get a surface level view of your memories." Ash's face immediately hardened and she hurried to explain when all his Pokémon shifted at his disapproval. "I can't go digging in your head, I'm only powerful enough to see what you choose to show me. Plus, you reek of Dark energy, it would be too painful for me to go rifling around in there."
Ash gave a forceful sigh that expressed his annoyance. He didn't care if he was being difficult, this had been a long-ass day. "Fine. Styx, make sure they don't do anything I dislike." The Hydreigon gave three fierce grins and he couldn't help the smirk that slid on his face at the agents' discomfort.
Agent Anabel gestured with her hand. "We should sit for this." Ash shrugged and sat, feeling his starter settle down behind him, her two smaller heads resting on his shoulders. He saw Anabel flinch and spare a glance at Styx. "Can Styx reign in her Dark energy a little." The trainer sighed once more, but titled his head backwards and gave his giant Dragon a look. She grumbled, but acquiesced.
He felt Sagitta settle on his head, making him loosen the tension in his body.
Taking a deep breath, he thought back to the moment he arrived at Kukui's lab and met Anabel's glowing eyes. It was odd, the minute he felt something 'latch' on, so to say, his memory progressed without his concentration. He watched from his point of view, but his words and actions happened without his input as he replayed the last day.
He allowed his mind to wander, not exactly wanting to relive the horrific things he'd seen today. Anabel's disgust was palpable when they got to the UB part. He felt her approval when he utilized his Pokémons' abilities to tackle three problems at once on the roof.
Almost automatically, the vision he was given by the Guardians took the forefront in his mind, hiding any proof of the odd boy taking Cosmoem.
He didn't want to look into that too deeply.
Didn't want to think about the concerning powers the Legends displayed.
Anabel pulled out from his mind as soon as Nanu asked him to recount the events. She blinked rapidly and rubbed her temples, confusion marring her features for a moment. Ash gasped and squeezed his eyes shut and felt Styx's tense frame behind him and unconsciously put a hand on her heads to calm her.
The agent blinked once more and shook her head, letting out a long slow breath. Looker watched with quiet stoicism, slight concern in his eyes. "You have impressive intuition and delegation capabilities. Your leadership was impeccable and you didn't let emotions sidetrack you from your mission. You'd make a good Interpol agent." That got Looker's attention and his eyes widened at her words. Ash internally preened a little bit, glad he had gotten some of it right.
"That being said, try to wait for the professionals next time."
Ash frowned. "When I talked to Nanu almost a month ago, he said there were legal hurdles that were inhibiting their investigation. Was that still not the case?"
"It was, but this was an emergency and we would have had support from a Regional Professor, and we had probable cause. Either way, you did well, Mr. Ketchum." Anabel smiled. "You're free to go. You'll be contacted within a few days. We have a boat ferrying witnesses and informants back to Akala. May I escort you down?"
Ash shook his head, not wanting to go back through Lusamine's 'Trophy' room. "I'll fly. But thank you." He shook the woman's hand, and didn't bother with Looker since he hadn't bothered with him. Looker turned and left, and it took Ash a moment to realize Anabel was still standing there, staring at Ash.
He looked at her in question as her eyebrows furrowed. "You remind me of me."
"What?"
Anabel took a deep breath. "I fell through a wormhole a long time ago. The Ultra Space radiation clung to me, it sometimes drew UBs to me in the early days, trying to find a way home. It clings to you, too. It clings to that boy."
A shiver made its way up Ash's spine. "You saw him?"
Anabel didn't say anything, instead frowning slightly before turning to walk away. He swallowed thickly, that unnerving scientist's words repeating on loop in his head.
Ash turned, shaking his head and looked to see all but Libra and Styx asleep.
Sagitta had moved from his head, now stretched out, halfway buried in Bane's mane, and the Zoroark was curled up with Hemlock resting within the hollow of the fox's body. Libra was watching them with wide, curious eyes.
One by one Ash returned them, trying to get the order right so no one was dislodged unexpectedly. Soon, only his starter was left. He stepped up to her side, nudged a flicking tongue away, and mounted her back. Gently grabbing a fistful of feathers - he didn't want to die, thank you - Styx flared out her six wings and with a flex of her hindlegs, launched herself into the air and headed North.
Professor Kukui
Received 08/27/xxxx at 07:01
She's okay, a little banged up but nothing serious
She got discharged after a night in the hospital
Sorry I didn't fill you in yesterday
Want to swing by for breakfast? Cadenza dragged Gladion away from Lillie for a short while, so he and Hau will be here
Would appreciate it if you came by
Thank you Ash
Closing his Pokédex, Ash pivoted on his feet away from the Pokémon center cafeteria he was about to enter. Hemlock looked confused but followed him back upstairs to their room. Everyone (Styx refused to be left in her Pokéball even though she barely fit in the room anymore) looked up eagerly, but deflated when they saw he was empty handed.
"Change of plans. Kukui invited us to breakfast. Only a little longer until you can eat." They huffed with impatience, but allowed themselves to be recalled. Ash held up the Dusk ball with a question in his eyes to which Styx replied with an offended snort. Sighing, Ash clipped the ball back onto his regular belt.
He had been happy to let Bane burn the Aether uniform last night. It was cathartic.
Styx had improved her flying drastically since evolving. Kahili had been a Legend-send, even if the Dragon's landings still needed work. Even so, the flight to Melemele took a third of the time a ferry would.
Crobat flew up to meet them, trilling excitedly in greeting and guided them down to the fenced in property. Kukui, Hau, and Gladion's Pokémon were all mingling, along with many he didn't recognize. Kukui's weird patterned Venusaur was twirling a Roselia around with its vine.
Styx landed heavily, causing a mini quake to make the many people give noises of surprise. It took him a moment to recognize the extras until Plumeria walked up dressed in yellow.
Team Skull was out of their black baggy clothing and instead in all sorts of colors, typically ones that matched their hair.
Plume clapped him on the shoulder and gave a long whistle while looking at Styx. "I didn't get to say it before, but damn, Ash, she's magnificent." The Brutal Pokémon's tail slapped the ground as she bared her teeth. Patting her on the neck, Ash released the rest of his team.
Libra's loud clanging scales garnered looks of incredulity.
"Holy shit, is that a Totem?" Rose's shout caused everyone to gasp and murmur. By now, the assorted group had noticed his arrival and made their way over. Probably half of Team Skull was here, and he recognized a majority of them. He didn't see Kukui or Burnet, but he figured they were getting breakfast ready.
"WHAT? How am I going to beat the island challenge now?" Hau looked devastated as he jogged over and stared at the massive Hakamo-o. Libra stared down, somewhat bewildered, at the assortment of people admiring her. But after a moment, she lifted her chin in pride.
Ash laughed. "Don't worry, the Kommo-o is still there. This is its daughter, Libra."
Hau let his shoulders drop as he sighed. "Oh thank Tapu." Some chuckles rang out and Hau rubbed his head good-naturedly. Duncan made his way over, still dressed in black but now with neon green sleeves under his t-shirt and elbowed Ash lightly.
"Glad you could make it, you're the man of the hour. Our captain-o-captain who led us to victory!" He ended his statement with a fist in the air that elicited cheers from the other Skulls. Ash ignored the flush on his face and, other than Duncan giving him a shit-eating grin, so did everyone else.
With wonderful timing, he was saved from the attention when Kukui and Burnet came out wheeling large carts stacked full of food that must have been catered. Foldable tables had been set up throughout the area.
"Everything is safe for Pokémon consumption! Grab a plate and dig in!" Burnet's white hair was loose and fell down her back. Her lip was cut and scabbing over and she had a mottled bruise on her cheek, but she was smiling and gesturing to the carts of breakfast.
Ash was confused when no one made to line up, and when he looked around, everyone was staring at him; waiting. Not wanting to make a scene he shrugged and grabbed a plate which seemed to break the dam.
Piling it high with everything he could fit, he walked over to his Pokémon and set it down. "Grab whatever else you want, guys. It's all for you, too." Hemlock rubbed his palms together and chuckled, grabbing the big bowl of fruit and making his getaway, much to Sagitta's outrage.
Libra and Styx dove for the Grumpig sausage and Tauros steak and ended up playing tug of war for a particularly juicy cut. Bane took this time to swipe a majority of the other meats and slid a couple oran berry scones to Mirae. The poor Eevee didn't know what they were celebrating, having missed all the action, but was enjoying himself nonetheless.
Ash got back in line and piled his own plate with food and saw an empty seat next to Gladion, Hau on his other side. He nudged Gladion when he sat down. "How's Lillie?"
The blonde sighed. "She was in pretty rough shape. Her legs will take time to heal, and the concussion is mild, but the neurotoxins are foreign and giving doctors trouble. It's not as bad as it could have been, since her immune system seems to remember the toxin from before. A round-the-clock team of Comfey and Blissey are working on her. The doctor said she should wake up tomorrow."
He nodded seriously. "She's lucky to have you. What are you going to do after everything calms down?"
Hau perked up as Gladion ducked his head and looked away. "He's going to travel with me! I have a few more trials left, and then I was thinking about heading to another region!"
Sending a quick look towards Gladion, who glared in response, Ash gave his full attention to Hau. "Which one do you have in mind?"
Hau shuffled a little, turning subdued. "I was thinking about Kanto. It's just… I kinda want closure with my dad, be it good or bad, and I know he's made a name for himself there." His statement struck something deep within Ash. Did he want closure too? He used to wonder what was so important to take Delia Hill's attention away from her only son. A small, childish part of him still wondered.
Would he ever get closure?
Pushing the thought aside, Ash looked Hau in the eye. "Good. You deserve closure. Not all of us can be Gladion and get our psycho moms arrested." That drew a sudden snort from the blonde just as he was taking a sip of watmel berry juice, and he started sputtering and choking.
The tension broke, and soon the three were catching up about what had happened since separating in Heahea City. During this time, Plumeria, Aiko, Chetan, and Kartik plopped down near them and joined the conversation.
Throughout breakfast, all the Skulls made sure to stop by the table and chat with Ash for a few minutes. He met Duncan's girlfriend, Gwen, and Kai, a friend of Mako's, but everyone else he knew.
And wasn't that a crazy thought.
Back in Pallet, Ash didn't care to make friends. He had a single-minded goal and anyone that didn't fit into that goal was unimportant. Except for a few months during one summer, he had always been alone. He had always thought the other kids from Pallet hated him, but that assumption had been chipped away bit by bit. First with Viktor, then with Luke and Liam. Astrid was still a mystery, Gary was a dick, and Leaf mostly kept to herself anyway.
But now, away from the classroom and the gossiping neighbors, Ash had started realizing maybe he wasn't the unfeeling asshole he thought he was. Though that one interaction with Giselle Goodshow still made complex feelings rush through him, even if she somewhat deserved it.
Sabrina's words came back to him, 'Ash, you have a certain perception of yourself that no longer holds true. I know what it is like. To be viewed as an emotionless monster. But we feel more than most.'
Maybe he didn't have to be the brooding teen with a shitty past and an uncertain future. Maybe his words to Gary all those years ago weren't completely true. He had said no one had expectations of him, but they did, didn't they? He had never been completely free.
But now he felt a bit closer to that freedom.
So with his internal revelation warming his chest, he smiled and laughed and partook in witty banter with his friends, his Pokémon watching protectively. He looked up when he heard approaching footsteps and saw Burnet. The doctor waved him over with an oddly anticipatory expression.
Furrowing his brows, Ash excused himself and the two walked silently down to the ocean. He was perplexed, but figured she'd speak when she was ready, so instead he stared out over the ocean, letting the waves lick his shoes. He turned and huffed in amusement when he saw one of his starter's heads was watching him, just in case.
"Ash, I don't know if you realize, but you saved my life." Wide eyes looked her way, but she kept her gaze on the ocean. Her white hair was messy, caught in the breeze. "I had found out what was going on, and before I could call the police, I was caught. It's not like they could let me leave, and they couldn't blackmail me because Kukui isn't exactly touchable." She gave a hollow laugh that was ill-fitting.
"I knew it was a matter of time before they realized leaving me alive was a liability. So I wanted to say thank you, and sorry for being so cold and narrow-minded towards you and your concerns. I had been friends with Lusamine for years, and it was hard to think of her as anything other than the slightly vain but wonderful woman I knew. It's no excuse, but I thought you deserved an explanation."
Ash didn't respond, but the silence was one of mutual understanding.
"Do you want to know how I figured it out?" This felt like a rhetorical question and that she'd tell him anyway. "There was an Ultra Beast we had gotten a few weeks before. I was given a second chance to study it, once the scientists realized it had a better grasp of our language than the others. I had been asking around, trying to figure out why Tapu Koko would give you a vision of something so ridiculous…"
Burnet brought her hand up to bite her thumb for a moment, her eyes shiny. "The UB looked… worn when I saw it the second time. So I decided to ask. When I asked the right questions… it became clear." She took a shuddering breath and let it out.
"The hardest thing I had to do, the week before I was found out, was pretend I wanted in on the experimentation." Ash's eyes flashed and his fists clenched. He could never… but that wasn't fair. Burnet might be a lot stronger than him.
"That's how I got access to the computers and everything. I tried-I tried to slow things down, or get the others to plan it out more before just playing around with them but-" She hiccuped and some tears escaped. "-It was never enough. In that single week, I saw a crueler side to the world. As time went on, the beasts got sicker and sicker, most couldn't stand to be in our world for too long." Her hand came up to brush the tears away, but it didn't do much. "Some researchers got curious when the most recent UBs were lasting longer. The ones you found."
Ash felt his stomach drop.
"The day I was caught, I had planned to take the UB I questioned home as a witness. They caught me before I could. But they didn't know where I stashed the Beast Ball." Burnet smiled through her obvious trauma and started untying her boot.
A simple anklet clasped around her left leg, and a single pendant dangled innocently. Peering closer, Ash realized what it was.
A shrunken Beast Ball.
Ash couldn't help the astounded bark of laughter that escaped him. Burnet's tears finally stopped and her eyes were shining with something other than pain and sadness this time. She grabbed the Beast Ball and rolled it with her fingers.
"Now that the police and Interpol have everything they need to send Aether into the ground, they don't really need this little guy as a witness. I'm also not sure how we'd get it home. Beast Balls were made to mimic the radiation that UBs need to live but only to a certain extent…" Ash frowned, realizing the dilemma. Before he could offer any ideas, Burnet looked at him and gave a searching look.
"You know, this UB recognized your name. And you give off a similar energy signature." Before hope could bloom in his chest, the doctor pressed the release button and Ash almost cried out.
UB-Adhesive looked around and waved upon seeing Burnet. Its eyes drifted to Ash and soon the trainer had his arms full of Ultra Beast.
"Poi poi poi!" The sound it made was like drops of water plunking into a half-full glass. Ash laughed wetly and hugged the little creature back.
Dear Mew, he hadn't realized how much he felt he'd failed until now. But knowing UB-Adhesive was alive and well, it made him finally let himself feel proud of what he accomplished. He had felt such a connection to the beast when he met it all those weeks ago.
It was like any of his Pokémon; he felt like he was meant to know them.
Ash placed his hand against the metallic exoskeleton of the beast's head, and he could feel its nubby arms attempt to wrap around him. The two disconnected, UB-Adhesive settling down in the cradle of his arms. Glowing blue eyes and mouth smiled up at Ash.
Smiling at the UB that was now contently resting in his arms, he looked at Burnet who had a hand to her chest and a soft look in her puffy eyes. "This makes it worth it." She whispered. Ash was struck by those words.
She sniffled before standing up straight and squaring her shoulders. "UB-Adhesive needs a home. We can either try to figure out how to send it back, or it can go along with you. I don't think it can survive outside of its ball for long."
Ash stamped down his immediate answer, instead looking down at the UB who was quickly losing the battle against sleepiness. "Hey, do you want to stay with me? Travel? See this world?" A glowy cyan mouth opened in a grin and arms waved sluggishly, a single nod as a reply before the Poison type was asleep in his arms.
His soft grin was observed by Burnet. "It hasn't slept like this in a while. I think you make it feel safe."
Ash pulled the sleeping beast closer to his chest. "I'm glad." Who cares if UB-Adhesive isn't a Chaos type? If it doesn't want to battle, fine. It was Ash's responsibility now, and he'd make sure the foreign beast was happy in its decision to stay on Earth.
Burnet reached out to take his free hand and pressed the Beast Ball into his palm, closing his fingers around the unique ball. Her eyes, red and swollen, had layers of emotion, some deep pain and some glimmering hope. It felt fitting, somehow.
So. Much. Foreshadowing.
Ash has two evolutions and two new captures in relatively quick succession, but now we slow down a bit.
Heads up, I'm moving halfway across the country to start a new job, but I'll try to have the next chapter up by Sunday.
Next chapter we wrap up Alola and head to Unova